NCL's Hawaii 7 day - Would you Recommend it...?

[carohs]

We did it last October and had a great time. Weather was great, not too hot or cold. We did it as economically as we could, with an inside room and car rentals. I really don't know how much more or less we would have spent on land but we hit all the major stops and felt like we made the most out of the 7 days. The ship was okay and the food was mostly slightly less than okay but all edible. Service was standard, nothing really exceeded. It was so nice to only unpack once and not have to make a decision on which island to visit. We never missed the balcony since we spent so little time in the room. When we were in the ship we made the most out of the drink package and found ways to rest and relax. Much needed after being out and about all day. It was a really good balance. I don't know that I would say oh yeah it's so great everyone should do it, but we walked away happy with zero regrets. For us, it was for sure the right decision. We travel with kids, and an added bonus they got to spend time in the kids club rather than hang with mom and dad 100% of the time being dragged around sight seeing. They got to recharge their way and never complained while we were exploring. They still sometimes will say, "remember when?"

[maggieq]

I’ve yet to see a review where there are lots of pictures of the ship. Understand it’s old but it can’t be that bad can it?   If anyone has some pictures to share, would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

[jrt.mom]

Google "Pride of America interior", choose "images " and you'll find lots of pictures of cabins and public areas. I was on it two years ago and it was very clean and modern. 

[Panhandle Couple]

3 hours ago, maggieq said:

I’ve yet to see a review where there are lots of pictures of the ship. Understand it’s old but it can’t be that bad can it?   If anyone has some pictures to share, would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

It is an older ship, and was not originally designed by NCL, so it is "different" in some ways from the rest of the fleet.

Some things we noted:

Doors to the outside are not sliding glass, but heavy wooden doors.  A classic look, but can be burdensome for some people when wind is factored in.

The cabin has lots of wood accents.  Again, classic look.

Strangely, only one way to get to aft section of the ship (lower decks) in public areas, and that is on the Starboard side.  On the upper decks, it seems to be on the Port side.  It takes a day or two to figure this out.

The number of bars seems similar to other NCL ships.  The aft top deck bar is similar to Spice H2O, and has a small pool in that area.  We liked the inside Champaign bar at night, with piano player.  We never used the Saloon bar near the buffet.

Atrium decor is nice Americana.  All dining areas also have an Americana feel. 

No casino, but a very large library.

The buffet is smaller, and not directly connected to the kitchen, so you see trays of food being wheeled in and out.  An overflow eating area is in the saloon area.  

Free canned, take away water and soda are in the buffet.  The only NCL ship that does this, that I know of.

La Cucina is small, but we had our best meal there, and seemingly only on the plate a minute or two before reaching our table.  

Many U-tube videos will show all of this.

 

[Bay_Breeze]

WOW!  So many great responses, thank you to all of you who posted.  I feel like I have a really clear expectation for this trip now based on all the posted info.  Being really active and only sleeping and eating on the ship would be great for my teenage daughter and I to stay on the go.  She is still in high school and I work fulltime so time off is definitely a factor for us and this would be a great first trip to the islands for both of us.  Sounds like there's a lot of planning to do with the excursions or daily activities and that's something I need to learn a lot more about.  One thing I appreciate about cruises is the "whole package" notion where I don't have to do a ton of research and planning and can just pick the NCL excursions that would interest us most... it sounds like more planning is needed on this one.  Thank you again to everyone that posted, all great and very appreciated information.  I'll be checking out the Hawaii Port of Call room as well for more info on planning what to do at each stop.

[RNCheryl]

Philv  congrats on booking Royal Hawaiian Hotel.  It is a treasure.  Make sure to have a MaiTai and the bar where it was originated.  Service beyond compare.

 

We have been on land tours twice.  Enjoyed a day in Oahu, and would love to see more there.  Our Happy Place is Kauai.  Spent a week there twice.  Na Pali via helicopter and boat is beyond expectations, Smith family Luau,KiloA

 

I would consider the POA as we get older and less active, but next time, think it will be Maui and Big Island.

 

Can't go wrong in Hawaii.

[carohs]

5 hours ago, Bay_Breeze said:

WOW!  So many great responses, thank you to all of you who posted.  I feel like I have a really clear expectation for this trip now based on all the posted info.  Being really active and only sleeping and eating on the ship would be great for my teenage daughter and I to stay on the go.  She is still in high school and I work fulltime so time off is definitely a factor for us and this would be a great first trip to the islands for both of us.  Sounds like there's a lot of planning to do with the excursions or daily activities and that's something I need to learn a lot more about.  One thing I appreciate about cruises is the "whole package" notion where I don't have to do a ton of research and planning and can just pick the NCL excursions that would interest us most... it sounds like more planning is needed on this one.  Thank you again to everyone that posted, all great and very appreciated information.  I'll be checking out the Hawaii Port of Call room as well for more info on planning what to do at each stop.

I'm soo not a planner either but I found I had a lot of fun just looking at the options and picking my favorite excursion at each island. The anticipation of going is half of what's great about a vacation. There's live trip reports if you look up POA on here too. Something I did is look through the NCL excursions and then price it out on Viator too. We used the GuideAlong app along with the rental car, but having a digital or live guide is recommended for sure. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

On 8/2/2024 at 8:42 PM, wncretired said:

I have been thinking about doing a B2B 14 day trip on the POA. I know this sounds a bit crazy, but you’re only paying for one RT flight.

We've done the POA once.  It was a nice introduction to HI.  Instead of doing a B2B, you might look into one of the infrequent itineraries that begin (or end) in HI and also include AK.  We did the 16 day from HI to AK in April on the Spirit.  Much cheaper.  Nicer ship and crew.  Still only one departure and return flight.  The few people we talked to about a comparison seemed to like the AK portion better than the HI portion.  That was a non-scientific poll.  🤣

Edited August 6 by ChiefMateJRK

[dexddd]

POA is five years younger than Sun.  If you liked Sun, you'll have no problem with POA as a ship.

[Bay_Breeze]

On 8/5/2024 at 5:52 PM, carohs said:

I'm soo not a planner either but I found I had a lot of fun just looking at the options and picking my favorite excursion at each island. The anticipation of going is half of what's great about a vacation. There's live trip reports if you look up POA on here too. Something I did is look through the NCL excursions and then price it out on Viator too. We used the GuideAlong app along with the rental car, but having a digital or live guide is recommended for sure. 

Did you book most of you excursions through NCL or Viator or a combination thereof?

[Travelling2Some]

We did this cruise many years ago and loved it.  We rented a car in every port and saw quite a lot by doing that.  We drove out to Hana on Maui and stayed overnight.  "Maui Revealed" was a great guidebook.  Pre-cruise we stayed in an oceanfront cottage on the North Shore of Oahu and just used one of our land days to tour Pearl Harbor, see Waikiki and circle the island seeing a few other things.  It was a wonderful trip and I would be happy to do it again. I have heard that NCL stopped doing the cruise along the NaPali Coast, which is a shame because it is a highlight.  BUT I remember we booked a private excursion on a catamaran to have a better look at it and I'm sure you can still do that anyway.  I also remember cruising by Kīlauea at night while it was erupting.

 

As has been mentioned, most of the ports are industrial so you really need to plan what you want to see, know where it is and get away from the port area.  Renting cars was key to do this. We have friends who hated the same cruise.  Why?  Because they did no research and just expected to walk off at each port into paradise.  They "saved money" by not renting cars.  

 

Also have to say that this cruise is NOT about the ship, the service, the food, etc.  You will be so busy with the islands that you may barely notice the ship, which is not to say we found anything wrong with the ship.

[carohs]

17 hours ago, Bay_Breeze said:

Did you book most of you excursions through NCL or Viator or a combination thereof?

I booked a car at every port. We did road to Hana and a beach day in Maui. We saw VNP on the big island, them on Kona day drove to a coffee farm and the painted church. In Kauai we did book excursions, but directly with the operators. We used the rental so we didn't have to worry about Uber and took the chance to see Waimea canyon too. 

[Bay_Breeze]

1 hour ago, carohs said:

I booked a car at every port. We did road to Hana and a beach day in Maui. We saw VNP on the big island, them on Kona day drove to a coffee farm and the painted church. In Kauai we did book excursions, but directly with the operators. We used the rental so we didn't have to worry about Uber and took the chance to see Waimea canyon too. 

Thank you.  Overall Viator seems to offer almost the same excursions as NCL at a cheaper price point.  I like the car rental idea but just booking a different excursion everyday might be less hassle (less planning) but more costly.  Nice to have so many choices and options on the islands.

[dexddd]

7 minutes ago, Bay_Breeze said:

Thank you.  Overall Viator seems to offer almost the same excursions as NCL at a cheaper price point.  I like the car rental idea but just booking a different excursion everyday might be less hassle (less planning) but more costly.  Nice to have so many choices and options on the islands.

Maybe just luck, but last trip we booked cheapest rentals but scored big.  One was a Scooby Doo mystery machine other was mustang convertible.

[carohs]

As a family of 4, it was worth the hassle of renting a car and saving the cost of booking excursions. I also hate being on someone else's timeline, as it goes with groups of people. If it was just two of us, an excursion may make more sense, you just have to look at the description to make sure it includes transportation to and from the ship. The amount of time it took us to get into to the rental counter and on the road was barely more than the amount of time it usually takes to get to a group meeting point wait for everyone to arrive, check in, walk to bus, load up, etc. YMMV.  For us, it didn't seem like a hassle but there is something to be said for having a tour bus right there as you get off the ship with a guide. Choices are great 👍 

 

[Beachiekeen]

You’ve been given good advice already but I did want to mention that you should absolutely do a whale watch on Maui. February is “whale soup” on Maui and although you may see them from the ship, there is really nothing like doing a whale watch from a smaller boat as a separate excursion IMO. 
 

We absolutely loved our POA cruise in 2019, it was fabulous. 

[schmoopie17]

It seems like renting cars is the obvious choice of people who have done this cruise.

 

However, what about the logistics of renting cars? 

 

Reserving the rental car(s)...getting to the rental car...returning the rental car...getting back to the port after returning the rental car,,,parking the rental car in the overnight ports, etc.

 

Seems like a lot of hoop jumping/stress. Is it as bad as I'm picturing it?

[Panhandle Couple]

43 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

It seems like renting cars is the obvious choice of people who have done this cruise.

 

However, what about the logistics of renting cars? 

 

Reserving the rental car(s)...getting to the rental car...returning the rental car...getting back to the port after returning the rental car,,,parking the rental car in the overnight ports, etc.

 

Seems like a lot of hoop jumping/stress. Is it as bad as I'm picturing it?

No, not really.  All reservations can be done on-line. It is the same as renting at any US location.

 

The walk to the street at the Maui port is quite long, but once you reach there, the Enterprise rental is only across a parking lot, maybe another 1/4 mile.  They do let you return and park there overnight.  The cruise is a major part of their business for those days.

Other agencies will have to use an airport shuttle or cab, with a moderate drive time.

You can always opt for a 1 day rental on the first day.

 

For Hilo, they bring the rental shuttles into the port area.  It is a short ride, and our driver gave us lots of tips on where to go. We also saw wild pigs when entering the airport grounds.

 

Kona, the Enterprise facility is walkable, (but uphill) however they will send a shuttle to the dock to get you.  Recommend the shuttle.

Walking back after turn in isn't bad since you pass several businesses, and it is downhill.  Again they will shuttle you back.

Other agencies will have to use airport shuttle or cab, which is the longest distance.

 

For Kuai, there is an airport shuttle right into the port area.  Only downside is waiting (maybe 15 minutes) if you miss one.  Each rental car company runs their own.  Drive time is moderate.

Street parking is available outside the port but limited.  Again a 1 day rental with a late return would work since you overnight.  NCL luau excursion is on that night, so plan accordingly.

 

Sign up for the Express lane rental. In 2 places we were in and out in under 4 minutes.

[Travelling2Some]

Just so you are aware, Viatour is a middleman.  They do not actually operate the tours they sell.  You can frequently do better on the price by contacting the actual tour company.  If you read reviews and look at pictures you will often see the name of the actual operator on their vehicles or mentioned in reviews.  

 

Car rental - it has been a long time but we rented convertibles on each island and I do not remember any kind of inconvenience.  While I don't recall the logistics that is a good sign because I WOULD remember if it has been a hassle.  We stayed overnight in Hana so we could enjoy the Seven Sacred Pools and a hike in the bamboo forest. 

[Ellis1138]

2 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

It seems like renting cars is the obvious choice of people who have done this cruise.

 

However, what about the logistics of renting cars? 

 

Reserving the rental car(s)...getting to the rental car...returning the rental car...getting back to the port after returning the rental car,,,parking the rental car in the overnight ports, etc.

 

Seems like a lot of hoop jumping/stress. Is it as bad as I'm picturing it?

 

Not as bad.

 

I rented them all online.

 

On Maui, I chose a Mom n Pop rental place that we could walk to and had its own gated parking lot where we had 24 hour access. They also loaned us a cooler, boogie board, pool noodle and other stuff free of charge. Gas is expensive on Hawaii, so we got a Toyota Prius. We weren't going anywhere we'd need a Jeep for. That was Bio Beetle and it was a 21 minute walk from the port, mostly because you have to go through this long fenced in area through the port. When we dropped off the car, the owner drove us right to the ship. The walk is a bit industrial but not scary.

 

For Hilo, I had rented from Enterprise online. We got off the ship, into a taxi ($17) over to Hilo Airport. Got the car and off to Volcanoes we went. We dropped off the car, walked across the street to the Ride Share Pick Up area, used the Lyft app and back to the ship.

 

At Kona, the non-airport Enterprise office picked us up under a banyan tree by where the tenders docked and dropped us off there when we returned the vehicle.

 

On Kauai, I used the non-airport Enterprise, which picked us up at the nearby ABC Store #59. We were able to park overnight along the shoulder on the main street Nawiliwil road (in front of Aspire Furniture but not in their lot). When we dropped off the car, Enterprise drove us back to the ABC Store. The one hardship here was that they didn't have compact cars for us. Hawaii parking spaces and lots can be really small.

 

[carohs]

17 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

It seems like renting cars is the obvious choice of people who have done this cruise.

 

However, what about the logistics of renting cars? 

 

Reserving the rental car(s)...getting to the rental car...returning the rental car...getting back to the port after returning the rental car,,,parking the rental car in the overnight ports, etc.

 

Seems like a lot of hoop jumping/stress. Is it as bad as I'm picturing it?

It's really not. We rented from National and from the port to the car was all within a mile or two. Since we aimed to be off the ship shortly after docking, we found plenty of taxis readily available. Because the POA has the same schedule every week, there's also lots of Uber drivers too at that time.

 

There's two ports that have an overnight. In Maui you can chance parking at the mall that has signs that say no overnight parking but many reports say they weren't ticketed. Or do a one day rental or park at a nearby ish hotel for $25. In Kauai we found plenty of street parking available.

 

It's extra steps, but there isn't really any extra prep other than simply booking your reservation online. We did National because of being able to sign up for their club where you can skip the counter and go straight to the car. Other agencies have similar programs I think. Most days from getting off the ship to being on the road only took 30 minutes, even in Maui where it's a 10-15 min walk just to get to where you can catch an Uber. 

 

We're a young ish family so the extra steps was worth the time upfront to be able to detour, eat when we were hungry, stop or not stop at a rest area for bio breaks (without the tour crowds and lines to go with it), pull off the side of the road if we saw a fruit stand or to take a picture, leave a site quickly or spend more time there. We weren't rushed and did/saw exactly how much we wanted that day. 

 

When an excursion can cost from $100 - $200 per person, easily, times 4, the car rental starts to seem more appealing too. 

[BirdTravels]

18 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

It seems like renting cars is the obvious choice of people who have done this cruise.

Not really. Most people take excursions, like any other port. You chew up [a lot] of time at the front and end dealing with car rentals. And for the two overnight port calls, you need to arrange for parking. 
 

Hawaii, more than other areas, is somewhere you want a narrated tour to tell you of the history of the area. Otherwise, you might as well go to Miami and save a lot of money. 
 

And you need to be careful because, as a tourist, you are a target for theft (I.e., don’t leave anything at all in the car). 

[philv]

12 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Hawaii, more than other areas, is somewhere you want a narrated tour to tell you of the history of the area. Otherwise, you might as well go to Miami and save a lot of money. 

The GuideAlong phone app is terrific for car touring in Hawaii. $36 package for all islands. It uses your GPS location to guide you to wonderful destinations with narratives about sights along the way. Lots of Hawaiian history is included. It’s like having a tour guide in your backseat. We used in 2022 and purchased again for upcoming cruise. You won’t be disappointed. 👍😎

[Travelling2Some]

9 hours ago, philv said:

The GuideAlong phone app is terrific for car touring in Hawaii. $36 package for all islands. It uses your GPS location to guide you to wonderful destinations with narratives about sights along the way. Lots of Hawaiian history is included. It’s like having a tour guide in your backseat. We used in 2022 and purchased again for upcoming cruise. You won’t be disappointed. 👍😎

And some of us even read books!!!

[fresh35]

9 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

And some of us even read books!!!

Personally, I would advise against reading while driving. Or even in the passenger seat - easy way to get car sick.

 

The Shaka guide is also good. My tip for these excursions and rental cars is to download offline maps for the islands you visit as you will likely lose reception at some point.