Napali Coast no longer part of Kaui's scene visit for NCL's Pride of America weekly cruise ... Mahola from Beat of Hawaii

[mking8288]

Mahola ... this news feed just came up this morning, 

https://beatofhawaii.com/ncl-cancels-kauai-napali-coast-sailing-from-its-itinerary/

and I quote, verbatium ...

"a significant itinerary change following the nearly twenty-year run of its weekly Hawaii cruise. And, unfortunately, it isn’t for the better. This was previously decided, for reasons unknown, and the final two regular Napali coast cruises, which are sold out, will depart soon."

 

We are glad that we did the POA a while ago, good times then and a whole lot has changed since.  

 

The good news, perhaps, you get a few extra hour during the overnight port of call in Kaui.  Personally, I think for those of us that've sailed the POA ... the awesome, unforgettable and incredible experience of sailing to / from that beautiful coastline with its cliffs and views is just amazing.  Sadly, no more on NCL.  

 

I've checked and thought, perhaps, this is well known already and been posted here on CC, perhaps not.  Regardless, enjoy these photos from our collection ... 

 

[Ellis1138]

NCL made this change quite a while ago, so it's nice to see the news sites catch up. But yeah, no more worrying about whether to get a port side balcony on the Pride of America or not. We just did the PoA sailing on Feb 24th to March 2nd and because it didn't sail the coast, we booked a helicopter tour. 

[MagnoliaBlossom]

I thought they were alternating with and without Napoli itineraries.  It is a shame if there are no more Nap Coast sailings.  It was a magical experience.

[EngrJones]

I think this has been gone for months.  Stupid move by NCL.

[Anoynmous Phoenix]

It is most annoying as when we did the Pride MANY years ago we were halfway to the Nā Pali coast we came across a yacht floating, upside down, just below the surface.   They put down an RIB and checked for life and then attached a Radio Sonde Beacon.   We waited round till the captain had received information that the US Coastguard had found the signal and then he informed us of the fact and explained that we would have to turn round and miss the Nā Pali .

 

We are doing the Pride trip twice in May and were looking forward to seeing what we had missed.   Not a happy couple!!

[dexddd]

Well, done two poa trips and that was a nice part of the trip.  I guess some will argue it is guest enhancement.

 

Note we don't have any cruises planned this year but will be on Kona in a little over a week. Will be sourcing goods from Costco so premium beverages will be there, once a day turn down, rotating chefs, all day whirlpool.  All for our convenience, of course.

[ShipawayAtx]

On 3/6/2024 at 9:11 AM, mking8288 said:

Mahola ... this news feed just came up this morning, 

https://beatofhawaii.com/ncl-cancels-kauai-napali-coast-sailing-from-its-itinerary/

and I quote, verbatium ...

"a significant itinerary change following the nearly twenty-year run of its weekly Hawaii cruise. And, unfortunately, it isn’t for the better. This was previously decided, for reasons unknown, and the final two regular Napali coast cruises, which are sold out, will depart soon."

 

We are glad that we did the POA a while ago, good times then and a whole lot has changed since.  

 

The good news, perhaps, you get a few extra hour during the overnight port of call in Kaui.  Personally, I think for those of us that've sailed the POA ... the awesome, unforgettable and incredible experience of sailing to / from that beautiful coastline with its cliffs and views is just amazing.  Sadly, no more on NCL.  

 

I've checked and thought, perhaps, this is well known already and been posted here on CC, perhaps not.  Regardless, enjoy these photos from our collection ... 

This is the first I've heard of this. I'm booked to go in a couple of weeks and this definitely makes me sad.

 

But to ask those who have sailed since this change, did you find that you could book snorkel, raft tours in Kauai and get to those docks and back to the ship in time? I'm wondering if with the later departure on the second day, if a morning Na Pali Coast snorkel/raft tour would allow me to get back to the ship in time if the boat slip is about an hour away. 

 

Thank you for the tips!

 

[ChiefMateJRK]

32 minutes ago, ShipawayAtx said:

But to ask those who have sailed since this change, did you find that you could book snorkel, raft tours in Kauai and get to those docks and back to the ship in time?

We've reserved this one for the first day:

Lucky Lady - Deluxe Na Pali Sunset Tour 2024 - Kauai (viator.com)

 

The ship docks at 8:00 and the tour leaves at 1:15.  It is a thirty minute drive.  I just need to confirm that Uber/Lyft are readily available.  The tour is "cheap" compared to many NCL Shorex, and since the ship will overnight there is zero concern about making it back to the ship on time.

[Panhandle Couple]

3 hours ago, ShipawayAtx said:

This is the first I've heard of this. I'm booked to go in a couple of weeks and this definitely makes me sad.

 

But to ask those who have sailed since this change, did you find that you could book snorkel, raft tours in Kauai and get to those docks and back to the ship in time? I'm wondering if with the later departure on the second day, if a morning Na Pali Coast snorkel/raft tour would allow me to get back to the ship in time if the boat slip is about an hour away. 

 

Thank you for the tips!

 

We sailed POA 2 weeks ago.

We did the Backcountry Inner Tube Adventure (really lots of fun) in the morning on day 2, with plenty of time to spare. They run groups of 20 every 30 minutes or so.  We were group 2, but 3 or more were after us, judging by the parking lot when we returned.  One cavate,  we had a 2 day rental car, were able to leave on our schedule, and the meeting location was only a 15 minute drive.   I would certainly ask what their round trip time takes.

 

Even though Kauai is small, it is hard to see "everything" in the 2 days there, unless the ship were to leave well after dark.  The extra 2 or 3 hours added on day 2 certainly helped.

 

My other thought is that the locals convinced NCL to change the schedule to help their own excursion providers.  My guess is too many people were staying on the ship for day 2, with a shorter dock time, since there is no touristy area to walk around close by. Traffic does get backed up in the afternoon outside the immediate street by the port, making any return trip longer than the morning leaving trip.

 

Another tip: Uber rides are about the same as taxis, and maybe longer to arrive.  We thought both were quite pricey. 

[Panhandle Couple]

3 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

We've reserved this one for the first day:

Lucky Lady - Deluxe Na Pali Sunset Tour 2024 - Kauai (viator.com)

 

The ship docks at 8:00 and the tour leaves at 1:15.  It is a thirty minute drive.  I just need to confirm that Uber/Lyft are readily available.  The tour is "cheap" compared to many NCL Shorex, and since the ship will overnight there is zero concern about making it back to the ship on time.

Uber is available, but very pricey.

I would check on your app at the times you want to use them beforehand.  Factor in the time changes (6 hrs EDT, 5 hrs CDT) for the rate.

There is no pickup point for Uber at the port, you may have to make a short walk to the Athletic Club parking lot.

Pre-arranging a taxi might be an option.  We noted that the rates between the two are not very different.

[ChiefMateJRK]

22 minutes ago, Panhandle Couple said:

Uber is available, but very pricey.

Could you define pricey?  I just checked and it is $44 Uber / $72 Uber XL from port to Kauai sea tours.  This is right now, which is around noon in Kauai.  Did you see significantly more than this?

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, ShipawayAtx said:

This is the first I've heard of this. I'm booked to go in a couple of weeks and this definitely makes me sad.

 

Thank you for the tips!

 

This change was made a long time ago. If you have a full day in port, it has not been on your itinerary. 

[omahabob]

6 hours ago, ShipawayAtx said:

This is the first I've heard of this. I'm booked to go in a couple of weeks and this definitely makes me sad.

 

But to ask those who have sailed since this change, did you find that you could book snorkel, raft tours in Kauai and get to those docks and back to the ship in time? I'm wondering if with the later departure on the second day, if a morning Na Pali Coast snorkel/raft tour would allow me to get back to the ship in time if the boat slip is about an hour away. 

 

Thank you for the tips!

 

If you're cheap, there's a bus (route 200) that leaves the Kukui Grove First Hawaiian Bank every hour in Lihue (except on Sundays). It's a scheduled 38 minute trip from there. It would let you off at Kealaula Ele'ele, which is about 1000 feet from the pier. You'd take the route 100 bus to get back. Last return bus is at 9:47. Last I saw, it was $2, per person, per trip. There are supposedly free or one dollar shuttles that will get you from the harbor to the First Hawaiian Bank (Kukui Grove Shopping Center), but I have no idea what availability/hours might be. You might want to check the port of call forum for Nawiliwili and see if someone there knows. I'm told there's also a scheduled bus stop right outside the port, but I don't know the name/routes/schedules for that one. More info at:

https://www.kauai.gov/Government/Departments-Agencies/Transportation/Bus-Schedules

 

You might also check Turo.com, which is a car share rather than a ride share. There's a car there for $38 a day right now. But I have no idea if they drop off or pick up at the harbor. You'd have to ask them.

Edited March 22 by omahabob

[omahabob]

Okay, the scheduled bus stop near the port is Garden Island Inn and the route is 70, which goes to Kukui Grove in pretty much a continuous loop. It's about a 1000 foot walk from the harbor.

Edited March 22 by omahabob

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, omahabob said:

If you're cheap, there's a bus (route 200) that leaves the Kukui Grove First Hawaiian Bank every hour in Lihue (except on Sundays). It's a scheduled 38 minute trip from there. It would let you off at Kealaula Ele'ele, which is about 1000 feet from the pier. You'd take the route 100 bus to get back. Last return bus is at 9:47. Last I saw, it was $2, per person, per trip. There are supposedly free or one dollar shuttles that will get you from the harbor to the First Hawaiian Bank (Kukui Grove Shopping Center), but I have no idea what availability/hours might be. You might want to check the port of call forum for Nawiliwili and see if someone there knows. I'm told there's also a scheduled bus stop right outside the port, but I don't know the name/routes/schedules for that one. More info at:

https://www.kauai.gov/Government/Departments-Agencies/Transportation/Bus-Schedules

 

You might also check Turo.com, which is a car share rather than a ride share. There's a car there for $38 a day right now. But I have no idea if they drop off or pick up at the harbor. You'd have to ask them.

Thanks!!!  I'm positive that I responded earlier saying the same thing.  Strange...

[omahabob]

Didn't see it if you did. Wasn't trying to steal your thunder.

[ChiefMateJRK]

17 minutes ago, omahabob said:

Didn't see it if you did. Wasn't trying to steal your thunder.

No, no.  I meant I responded earlier saying "thanks." I really appreciate this information.  It is really nice to know that I have a solid backup plan.  I'll pack this info when we sail. 😎

[omahabob]

Have a good trip. Kauai is hands down my favorite of the islands. Been there three times, but never on a cruise. We always stay in Princeville, where it's lush and green. Never understood why so many people go down to Poipu on the south coast. It's like a desert down there compared to the rest of the Island. It's not bad mind you. It's still beautiful. But desert isn't what I visit a tropical island to see. Maybe it's cheaper down there. I never checked.

[Middleager]

Too bad NCL won't cruise the Napali coast.  It's a beautiful part of the cruise.

Napali Coast has the mystic feeling about it.  We've done helicopter and small plane rides to see it before, and a POA cruise in 2019.  So fortunately for us we've done all that.  For friends going on the POA, they'll need to fork out more money to see this beautiful scenery.

[Panhandle Couple]

14 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Could you define pricey?  I just checked and it is $44 Uber / $72 Uber XL from port to Kauai sea tours.  This is right now, which is around noon in Kauai.  Did you see significantly more than this?

Rental car is about $100/day, so a round trip of $88 to $150 seems excessive to us.

However, a rental requires taking a shuttle to airport (pickup is inside the terminal gate) and associated time (use rapid lane, etc). 

If you are only doing 1 excursion, then maybe renting doesn't make sense.

 

[schmoopie17]

We were strongly considering the POA, but a while back we heard about this change...so now we're only slightly considering it. 

 

Also, while I'm here, I'm thinking that if we do decide to do the POA, it's not worth getting a balcony, not only because of the change, but since the movement between islands is at night. Plus, they leave most ports around 5:30-6:00, which is when us old geezers try to schedule dinner. So wouldn't see much during that time, anyway. Correct? (Not about the geezer part...we know we're geezers. But correct about not needing a balcony)??

[carohs]

Well, no one ever needs a balcony, and anyway I most frequently will book an inside room anyway and spend my $ elsewhere. Especially in Hawaii, we would rather put the money towards excursions than a room upgrade. We never missed the balcony. By the time we actually made it back to our rooms (after dinner and a couple of drinks), we were tired and ready for bed. Heck, most days I was tired before getting back on the ship.

[ChiefMateJRK]

9 hours ago, Panhandle Couple said:

Rental car is about $100/day, so a round trip of $88 to $150 seems excessive to us.

However, a rental requires taking a shuttle to airport (pickup is inside the terminal gate) and associated time (use rapid lane, etc). 

If you are only doing 1 excursion, then maybe renting doesn't make sense.

Thanks.  They serve cocktails on the tour boat, so renting a car is a non-starter.  If I've had even one beer, I won't get behind the wheel.

[Panhandle Couple]

4 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

We were strongly considering the POA, but a while back we heard about this change...so now we're only slightly considering it. 

 

Also, while I'm here, I'm thinking that if we do decide to do the POA, it's not worth getting a balcony, not only because of the change, but since the movement between islands is at night. Plus, they leave most ports around 5:30-6:00, which is when us old geezers try to schedule dinner. So wouldn't see much during that time, anyway. Correct? (Not about the geezer part...we know we're geezers. But correct about not needing a balcony)??

The balcony helps you wake up in the morning with the daylight.  I suppose ocean view would do the same.

Yes, there was very little to see leaving at night except for Waikiki lights on the first night.

We are balcony people, so we sprung a few bucks for it.   AND...the night we traveled to Hilo, it snowed on top of Mona Kea  It shown bright white in the sunrise...as seen from our balcony.  Even the locals commented on how great it looked this late in the season.  

 

If you have never been to Hawaii, or have never been to Maui or Kauai, then this is the way to see it with minimal transit time (and airport hassles) between islands and constant packing-repacking.   

 

[Rmcferr]

We are booked on the 1/18/25 sailing.the itenary shows leave at 2pm and shows the coast cruise in the itenary picture.