Live from the Pride of Hawaii!

[PhillyEagle]

Kathie, thanks for all the great information. Some additional questions about the laundry facilities - are there irons and ironing boards (I'm assuming there are none in the rooms)? Also, you mentioned the significant cost of using the ship's laundry service - if you have it available could you post the costs for pressing services? Thanks so much.

[Kapuna]

Thank-you to everyone, especially Kathlean, for all the wonderful reviews of our next cruiseship. The ship sounds fantastic.:)

We are leaving on the POH on June 5th. I believe it will be the first Hawaii sailing. Our first full day on the ship will be on 06/06/06! That is a once in a lifetime date to remember!!:D

We spent our honeymoon in Hawaii 16 years ago and will be celebrating our 16th wedding anniversary and first time back to Hawaii this cruise.

It sounds like a wonderful ship and we are really excited. My DH already purchased a Honeymoon package for us when we get on board. ;)

Our first cruise back in 1993 was on a NCL ship and we have been addicted ever since.

We are meeting the CC gang for sailaway on the 5th at Bali Hai and hopefully will have some other meetings while on board.

Thanks again for all of you that took precious time out to let us start dreaming about our next cruise. You all have been fantastic and I have really enjoyed the reviews.

Steve and Lynn A

We are also on the June 5th cruise of the Pride of Hawaii and are looking forward to the experience . Please let us know about any CC events .

[S&D]

Hi there Kathie...,

 

 

Can you please tell me how many places there are to dance on the ship??, and how many bands/groups there are playing on there?? ..:) :) apart from the nightclub that is.... anyway sounds like you are having a wonderful time. have fun now!!..thanks for your great postings!!

 

S&D:)

[cruzfiend]

So, how are the seas? Is it rough?

Thanks for your review, it's been great!:)

[mikefast]

We were on the Pride of Aloha in May of last year, and were disappointed that there wasn't more Hawaiian music on the ship. Outside of one of the shows there was none. Please tell me that they have live Hawaiian music on board the Pride of Hawaii. We are thinking about booking it this winter.

[Maeve619]

Well, I can answer a few of the hanging questions...yes, there are ironing board and irons in the launderettes, although it was interesting to notice that both boards in the one I was in already had holes burned in the covering. (also, in addition to the ones mentioned, there's one on the 5th floor, too.) The machines are a bit tricky to figure out. The top one is the dryer, the bottom is the washer. Soap goes in a drawer that pulls out on the upper left corner. Loads seemed kind of small to me, but since it's all free except for the soap, I suppose that doesn't matter. The orange button with the key opens the doors. I was able to get 4 quarters at the reception desk, but wished I'd had them in a pocket somewhere, would have saved me a *few* minutes.

 

I don't want to type out the laundry rates, but they have laundry and dry cleaning. Regular rates include pick up by 9am, return by 6pm the next day, I think. Blouse was $3.50, shirt $3, jeans $3, suit $7, undies $1.50/pair (YIKES!). Pressing rates are half the laundry rates. Expedited service is available, but expensive. Or should I say MORE expensive?

 

Paniolos, like all the restaurants except Blue Lagoon, closes at about 10, I believe. (In the Freestyle, it says "5:30-Close".) However, the actual part of the room on the port side of 8 doubles...during dinner, it's part of Paniolos, and the other 24 hours it's Blue Lagoon. (By the way, I did love Paniolos)

 

Blue Lagoon is kind of like a coffee shop, with soup, chili, some appetizers and some simple entrees. I've tried it a few times, haven't been thrilled, but they're trying hard. Mac and cheese was watery and had little cheese. I asked about the fried chicken but they only had white meat, not my preference. I stopped in one late afternoon for beer and chicken wings, but the beer selection in the Aloha Bar, which serves the Blue Lagoon was very limited...the waiter did insist upon running to Alizar to find me something. And the wings were hot and large.

 

I'm officially jealous of the lunch privilege at Cagneys, have to say I didn't know about that, but I suppose I wouldn't, not being eligible, and all. ;-) I've had dinner there twice, it's been a sublime experience both times (except for the crunchy scalloped potatoes. I thought that was likely a first day glitch, but some friends had the same experience last night. Go with baked or mashed.)

 

I echo Kat's comments about the friendliness of all the staff, but down here in steerage (*grin* Deck 5, Oceanvew), the staff isn't as polished. Especially at the beginning, I had to nag about getting things, like the Freestyle, but incuding toilet paper! They've gotten better, though, and everyone is trying really hard. (But, please, stop with the funny washcloth animals!)

 

One thing that has really, really impressed me is that without even trying, I've had long personal conversations with the cruise director, the hotel director, a number of the cruise director's staff, the bar manager, and I've met the Captain and several others. I find this astonishing, since I'm not in a suite, although to be fair, I did meet many of them through the cruise critic get togethers. Still, *I* sure didn't expect to know so many bigwigs on board. :-)

 

Someone asked about bars, I think...there are 11 listed in the Freestyle.

 

I do think the aft part of the Aloha Nui is outdoors, I've never made it down that far, I'll double check. I think there's also a bar there.

 

Yes, the Bali Hai was a good place to find the CC people, although it helped that Bob and Sandi had a sign. You could pick a side, port or starboard. We did starboard, where the surfboards are painted. We didn't have name tags for the first gathering, because those were in the luggage, and luggage hadn't been delivered yet. We still found a good dozen and half people, at least, and more for the morning coffee. We're having one more get together after Maui.

 

We're docking in Hilo now...off to breakfast before I see volcano stuff!

 

-Maeve

[thecruisers723]

Thanks for all your help Maeve619. It's really appreciated. It looks like we've lost the original poster for a while. She must be having way too much fun on the islands to mess with a computer.

[TikiMeekie]

Thanks so much for all the info Kathie and Maeve! It's definitely helping me get excited about my upcoming trip!

 

Can you let us know which excurisions you do and how you like them?

Thanks!

[DrivesLikeMario]

I echo Kat's comments about the friendliness of all the staff, but down here in steerage (*grin* Deck 5, Oceanvew), the staff isn't as polished. Especially at the beginning, I had to nag about getting things, like the Freestyle, but incuding toilet paper! They've gotten better, though, and everyone is trying really hard. (But, please, stop with the funny washcloth animals!)

 

One thing that has really, really impressed me is that without even trying, I've had long personal conversations with the cruise director, the hotel director, a number of the cruise director's staff, the bar manager, and I've met the Captain and several others. I find this astonishing, since I'm not in a suite, although to be fair, I did meet many of them through the cruise critic get togethers. Still, *I* sure didn't expect to know so many bigwigs on board. :-)

 

-Maeve

 

Maeve, thank you so much for such great information!

 

Please don't feel inferior in any way because you aren't in a suite! One thing we noticed when we were in the highest suite on the Grand Princess last December is that we were treated exactly like any other passenger in the lowest inside category. Having stayed in many suites and also reg. cabins, we haven't noticed any difference in our treatment by the crew on ANY ship.

 

It's so good to hear that you've gotten to know so many of the crew and it's also good to hear another person's view of the same cruise, as everyone has different experiences. Hope you enjoy the great ports that are coming your way! Aloha!

[endi302]

Like everyone has said Thanks to those who are on the ship and those that have been on the ship for all the info! Part of the fun of the cruise is the anticipation!

If any of you could answer the question I have on internet access. I have read that you have connections in the room and am wondering if it is free or if you have to pay and how much it is. Also the restaurant that has internet wi-fi just wondering if you have your own laptop again is there a service charge for it? I originally was not going to bring my laptop but if the price is right it might be fun to bring it.

Thanks,

Diane

[Maeve619]

Hmm...it's true that I haven't seen Kat since Kauai when she and the gang were off to the beach...but I assume she's around somewhere. It's so neat to know that sharing the experiences on ship is helping others. Let me take on some more of the questions...

 

Yes, they have been offering yoga, but the charge for that (and Pilates) is $10/class, and I passed. At some point 3-4 days out, I think, they offered a cruise long pass for all classes for $99, I think. Speaking of the spa/gym, Bob and Sandi mentioned they were disappointed and surprised to find out there is a fee for using the steam and sauna, Apparently this is different policy than on ships they've been on in the past. There was also an opportunity to buy access to that for the trip.

 

Hawaiian music - there is a Hawaiian trio onboard, Kama'aina, and they've been fun to listen to. Also, the piped music in the background in the hallways, and on Channel 22 (ship info), is completely Hawaiian. (Although I may go over the deep end soon from hearing the song "Hawaiian Style" over and over and OVER - that one is very annoying!) I have to say, though, that I've heard that we have more entertainment on board than is usual because of the sea crossing. For instance, Tihati won't be travelling on the ship, and NCL is apparently likely to bring performers on and off the ship for the island cruises. (as a matter of fact, I just realized we got back a little too late to hear the Childrens Choir that performed a bit ago. Shoot.)

 

Internet - You can pay for Internet, and they offered a lot of packages on the first few days. The rates varied from about .55/min in a package to .75/min on the pay as you go plan. According to the info that I got in the Cafe, you are supposed to be able to use your laptop and your wireless card (or you can rent one) to be able to connect from your cabin, but I was never able to get a signal. I didn't ask for any troubleshooting, so I don't know where the problem is, but I do use wireless all the time all around the country, so I don't *think* it's a config problem with my laptop.

 

 

I went cold turkey without Internet for the At Sea days, and am using my personal Sprint PCS (essentially a cellular modem) for connectivity in port now. Unless you have your own access, or are willing to pay the prices, I wouldn't bother bringing a laptop...but then, as you can see, I *did*, so I may be the wrong person to ask. (Yes, I KNOW I'm supposed to be on vacation...) Certainly, they have computers you can use in the Internet Cafe. (For the record, the Owners Suite does have it's own supplied computer, but you still have to pay access fees. :) )

 

I'll start a new post on Shore Excusions...

 

-Maeve

[Maeve619]

OK, I think I've been *poofed* twice on my Shore Excusion post, so I'm going to head off to dinner now. If I can, I'll try to post more later in the trip. (Sorry about that.)

 

-Maeve

[endi302]

thanks again for the info!

Diane

[DrivesLikeMario]

Once again, great info, Maeve! Thanks! :)

[hollym]

We are also on the June 5th cruise of the Pride of Hawaii and are looking forward to the experience . Please let us know about any CC events .

 

I don't recognize your user name. Have you posted yet to our 6-5 POH Roll Call thread? There's info there about our meeting up time and place, so if you're new to our list...come on over and let us know who you are!:D

 

Holly

[Molokai-Chuck]

Mahalo for the Yoga info.....

 

Chuck and Mary

[Kapuna]

Holly , I cannot find the roll call you mention . Could you give me a link ?

 

By the way , I am a long time CC cruiser . This is our 10th Hawaii cruise on NCL , but the first on Pride of Hawaii of course .

 

Aloha !

[NCLcruisefan]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=300678&page=6

 

Here is the link to the 6-5 roll call. Hope you come join us

[Maeve619]

OK, I'm back, and will try again on some of the questions posted. Plus add some on the recent doings. I still haven't seen Kat since Kauai, so if she's not at the CC meeting tomorrow, I'll just have to assume she's jumped ship here in paradise. I'm tempted, anyway...

 

Someone asked how formal was formal night...all I can add is that it was "optional", so some dressed up, many folks didn't. So, at least for me, the deciding factor on whether to pack a jacket (after your comfort assessment) would likely be if you wanted formal pics. A number of people have commented to me on how happy they've been with the photographer(s) and the quality of the results. On all the rest of the nights, most men seem to be wearing sport shirts or Hawaiian shirts.

 

Last night was quite the spectacular evening...after we left Hilo, we waited till afer dark, and at 10pm, the ship cruised by the lava flow, where it meets the ocean. Clouds of steam pour up and around the cascading orange lava for an amazing show. Kamana'o, the Hawaiian ambassador narrated, and the ship turned to show it from both sides. The Bali Hai bar was peddling "lava flows", a swirled mixture of pina colada and strawberry daquiri, and I had one, mostly to help out Reagan, one of the friendly bar staff. (OK, it was pretty delicious if you like sweet drinks. :) )

 

After that, the Chocolate Buffet opened at 11pm. It was quite the display of desserts, although I wasn't hungry so late at night, so I can't review any for quality. Gorgeous ice sculptures. I haven't been up to the buffet today to see if the leftovers have reappeared as desserts, but I hope they did...lots of pretty yummy looking cakes, tarts, etc. Also, strawberries and fruit to dip in chocolate.

 

-Maeve

[Maeve619]

There are a gazillion different options on the shore excursions, and since I joined this cruise at the last minute (I was a POA refugee), I signed up only on board. It was somewhat time intensive to read all the offerings, figure out which seemed appropriate, etc., and make sure not to double book. The shore excursion desk folk were friendly, but they were kind of more clerical than advisory, if that makes sense. I really would recommend doing some/all of that research in advance if you can.

 

However, another thing that helped (once they got it fixed in my room), is that you can book all the excursions right from your room, on iTV, 24 hours a day, and they deliver the tickets. You can see a video about most of them, too. So, even if you've signed up in advance of the cruise, maybe seeing the videos will help you refine/validate your options.

 

Although I tried as soon as I could, I couldn't get the tour in Kona, Eruptions of Flavor, which included a tour of coffee, choclate and vanilla production, and at first I was kinda sad about that, and I went on the waiting list. More to come on that, though.

 

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Kauai: I did Waimea Canyon and the Fern Grotto. 7.5 hours. Unfortunately, the Fern Grotto had been damaged by rain, so they added a tram ride through a botanical garden before the river ride.

 

- Pros: Our guide was great. I learned so much. If you are lucky enough get Hilary, he's a gem. (Maybe a bit jaded, but so knowledgable.)

- Cons: Well, buses put me to sleep, and almost 8 hours, even with numerous stops, was just too long.

 

Lunch was a luau style buffet at a Marriott, which tickled my sense of absurdity. Several of the shopping stops were pleasant.

 

My favorite things: The Spouting Hole, the Kauai Coffee plantation, the river boat ride.

 

If you are at all cool about exploring new places, Kauai would probably have been a great place for a rental car. For one thing, there's essentially one road, so it's hard to get lost. Also, the things we saw were great, but with a group, it's always slack time getting everyone on and off the bus.

 

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Hilo: I did the Rainbow Falls and Volcanoes National Park. 6.5 hours, I think...

 

I wouldn't bother with Rainbow Falls. Pretty, but ok, well, it's Hawaii, I've seen other falls. We stopped at some garden attraction, that I wasn't impressed by. We had a self tour/shopping stop at Mauna Loa macademia nuts that was pretty fun.

 

I loved the Volcanoes National Park, and the lunch at the Volcano House. Cool history, good science, and neat art. I would do the Volcanoes Park again, absolutely. I did experience an magical moment at the trailhead for the lava tube...sat and listed to the rain forest canopy birds for 20 minutes, soaking up the joy. Such a great compare and contrast to the sere and desolate volcanic caldera we were at just a few minutes earlier.

 

At the end of the day, I was very tired of buses, though. This guide wasn't as interesting to me, although from a humor stand point, I suppose it had its surreal moments. (Do I really need to know where the H&R Block in Hilo is? Well, I *suppose* I might need some emergency tax advice...)

 

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Maui: Snorkel Molokini and Turtle Arches

 

Great. Great. Really, great. Well, OK, I'm biased, I've done this before here in Maui, and loved it then, too. Today was a bit colder than I expected. We saw bunches of turtles, and of course amazing tropical fish, coral, etc. The only (slight) annoyance was at the end, when we were all damp, chilly, sun kissed, worn out and ready to go home, they required us to stop for 30 minutes at a shopping plaza. However, we did get a free poster, and it was useful to shop in a general store, so I guess that worked out ok.

 

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Since I couldn't get the Flavor tour in Kona, I signed up for a glass bottom boat in the morning, and a 4 hour cultural tour in the afternoon. I've decided since then to cancel the cultural tour - not up for any more buses. I have talked to a local, who *swears* that Kona is the place to snorkel, and I am considering that.

 

However, last night, the ticket for the Flavor tour was delivered to my cabin...the waiting list had opened up. After all the anticipation, I still decided to cancel, having seen the coffee plantation in Kauai.

 

So, my Kona strategy is still up in the air. I will either do the glass bottom boat and enjoy the ship for the rest of the day, or will go snorkeling, not sure.

 

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Last one - I'm signed up for the Dolphin Encounter in Honolulu after the cruise. Don't know much about that one, though.

 

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From the trenches... (*grin*)

 

-Maeve

[spleen93]

Go snorkeling in Kona - seriously, it probably IS one of the best sites to do it at in the islands. :)

 

speaking as another local ...

 

Spleen

[Maeve619]

Yes, the Aloha Nui Cafe does have an outdoor patio (and a bar) on the aft end.

 

I talked to the Reception Desk about the ship's webcam, they referred me to the Internet Cafe. I talked to the manager there, he didn't know, but agreed that it would be nice to know if they plan to offer it soon, and he's going to ask around as well.

 

-Maeve

[F19810]

Maeve,

Could you please answer two questions? Did you sail by the Napali coast in Kauai? Also, Many of the shore excursions on the first day in Kauai leave before we arrive. We arrive at 10am, did you arrive earlier and if not, did they adjust the times of the excursions? I am interested in the kayaking which is only available on the first day but leaves before 10am.

Thanks for all of your help.

Judy

ps, what is ther to do on the boat on the afternoons in Maui? Alot of the excursions end around noon.

[Maeve619]

Did you sail by the Napali coast in Kauai?

 

Yes, this was a part of the trip. It was narrated by the Hawaiian ambassador. As a matter of fact, because they were shooting a TV commercial of the ship from a helicopter, and because we had to go back to Nawiliwili for a medical evacuation, we saw it several times. :)

 

Also, Many of the shore excursions on the first day in Kauai leave before we arrive. We arrive at 10am, did you arrive earlier and if not, did they adjust the times of the excursions? I am interested in the kayaking which is only available on the first day but leaves before 10am.

 

Well, we arrived at 8am, so I can't for SURE say, but I'd feel VERY comfortable guessing that they will adjust the times. Believe me, they want to sell you the shore excursions just as much as you want to go on them....

 

ps, what is ther to do on the boat on the afternoons in Maui? Alot of the excursions end around noon.

 

:D Well, for me, being on the boat IS fun. I've been reading lots of books, chatting with friends I've made on the trip, etc., but others enjoy hanging by the pool, on the sundecks or in the restaurants. There are still lots of ship activities, lectures, games, etc. scheduled. Also, there are 3 shopping areas withing a very short walk or shuttle distance, (fee, although free shuttle to Hilo Hatties).

 

-Maeve

[Bigdogwon]

Glad to hear your having a great time, there are "free" steam rooms for use, go into the gym and turn right and go through the small hallway to the left. Not as nice as the "spa" experience but at least no fee.