How is the Pride of Aloha

[honestguy]

[quote name='jacar']We were told by several of the crew that the delay in sailing from 5/17/06 to 6/06 was because they had to get the ship "up to FDA standards". It certainly sounds like they failed in doing this. I find it ridiculous that Ford can't sell you a car that will kill you, a food manufacturer cannot sell you contaminated food, but a cruise line can continue boarding new "victims" on a ship that is infected and not have any responsibility or obligation to their customers. I filed a complaint w/CDC but they stated they had to forward it to FDa because they did nOT inspect this vessel. Two weeks after our cruise I just had my 2nd office visit to my physician today because I am still feeling ill.[/quote]

well i hope everything is fine with you, but if your still sick I have a hard time believing its norwalk virus, unless you already have a weakened immune system.

[WEPunkin]

JunPOA: thank you for your nice comments. I am just trying to spare other people some of the things we went through and be truthful in our remarks.Poconolady & Jacar: We were told by NCLA that the ship was drydocked because of a mechanical problem, that the part/s had been ordered to repair the ship, but the parts didn't come in in time to get the ship ready for the 5-17-06cruise. The ship had to limp in for a day and half on the cruise before ours.Nothing was mentioned about the illness they had been experiencing. I guess the sickness could have been an issue, but NCLA didn't disclose this info.We did learn from a crew member after we got on the ship, that there was no passengers on the ship when it left San Fran after it had been drydocked only the crew. One would think that the ship being drydocked and a cancelled cruise, they would have had plenty of time to fumegate/sanitize the entire ship before picking up passengers in Maui. We got on in Honolulu with 1/2 of the ship's passengers already on this ship before us.I know that NCLA would say they handed us a paper saying "we will issue you a cruise credit certificate for a future cruise equal to the value that you paid for this cruise". This paper was handed to us as we got on the ship to read when we got in our cabin. 1. We had to touch the paper. 2. We were already on the ship and in our cabin when we read this paper. 3. We could have already been infected the way we see it.Now if you haven't been through a cancellation of a cruise, you can't imagine what we had to go through to even get this cruise as it may be.After I learned from Cruise Critics that our 5-17-06 was cancelled, we spent days, calling, emailing, worrying and disappointment and was in much need of a vacation. So when we got on the ship, and of course, our luggage was somewhere on the ship, where were we going to go, if we got off the ship???We had to pay for our airfare and gov fees plus our hotel already, so we had already incurred expenses just to go.It took weeks and much trying to even get NCL to give us our refund from the 5-17-06 cruise and we are going to get off this ship and go through that again??? We had to talked to so many different people at NCL and was told so many different things, we didn't not what to believe and what not to.jacar: I too would like to file a complaint. Sorry to read that you are still having to do to the doctor. Hope by now you are starting to feel better. I did just read a posting where a person talked to someone and gave us a name to go to and I plan on doing just that.Also, we noticed on this cruise (had never experienced before) ) that they seem to be constantly reminding you about your departure. People don't want to think of their cruise ending when you are just beginning or in the middle of it. The end comes soon enough as it is.It would probably be a good thing if NCLA cancelled a cruise and really took the time and cleaned the ship throughly from top to bottom. We wondered if NCLA really notified the FDA and when they did if they did. If they notified FDA on the cruise before our cruise, then why on our cruise we were given the 2nd paper stating that now the rate was 10% of passengers and crew were sick. Shouldn't the FDA done something before we got on the ship?The ship itself, can and should be a ship to look forward in traveling on, not wondering what is going to take place when your on it. Again NCLA should be as good as NCL in our opinion. Hope this helps others in their decisions.

[2xhawaii]

I'm concerned. I am boarding on July 9th, hopefully the virus is gone by then. I hope they dont cancel that week. I read on the board somewhere that if you take pepto every day, you can prevent a lot of these stomach viruses. Has anyone else heard that?

Ronnie
NJ

[JunPOA]

Iposted this as few days ago on CC. Unfortunately and regretfully the post was poofed - for a legitimate reason. I am re-posting this time omitting the areas of offense (calling of a group together for legal purposes & copying a medical journal citaion from a CDC medical reference regarding Norwalk).
For those interested in this continuing issue - keep your fingers crossed that I am fully compliant with text and this post is not poofed.

NorVirus Pide of Aloha-3 consecutive sailings!

Based on retrospective reviews of the 3 past Aloha sailings; the ship has continued to operate SICK with the infectious virus.

Rhetorically, how many more sailings will NCLA P. of Aloha be permitted to cruise exposing some 2000 pax. each week, not including new exposre and recontamination to crew?
Over the past 3 cruises that's an estimated passeneger population of up to 600 people!
Mom's, Dad's, Grannies, Aunities, nieces, nephews, best friends, our kids...

At what costs to the public's health.?
At what costs to passengers/ consumers hard earned money and vacation -time?

The cruiselines must be held accountable for providing a safe environemt for its pax. & crew by fully operationalizing ALL necessary steps to contain and control the outbreaks whatever it takes. Even closing down ship for one week. Be very cautious about what their "form letters" say they are doing vs. what processes and functions are actually carried out accurately and effectively. Remeber they are already opearting under recued crew numbers so realistically how effectively can they be sanitizing?

According to studies by the CDC - a cruise ship which expereinced an outbreak (>3%) for 2 consecutive cruises was shut down with complete sanitation procedures in attempt to break the cycle. See reference.
[url]http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol11no01/04-0434.htm[/url]

Per the CDC, "According to federal regulations, when the incidence of acute gastroenteritis among passengers and crew exceeds 3%, an outbreak is defined and requires a formal investigation" (4).

What really annoys me is 1.) continued and recurent comments by affected pax. that either suffered due to contracting the illness and/ or suffered significant service deficits directly as a result of ill crew illness due to NCLs negligence,

2.) The PR BS NCL/NCLA statements falsifying that pax. were attempted to be contacted. I have yet to read ONE poster from the affected cruises late May 2006 - through and including the most recent disembarkers on JUNE 16th. I truely hope the current cruise has the infectious virus under containment for these passengers. Making false statements is frudulent decptive practice by NCL, it is also called failure to disclose. Of 6,000 booked - how many were actually notified ? Please speak up and I will regain some confidence in NCL credibility and reliability.

Shame on NCL for continuing to operate this ship despite THREE SICK SAILINGS! Clealry it is evident where their interests lie as evidenced by them not taking the ethical intiiative to pull her out of service and implement full sanitization for one full week.

As a Federal employee Masters prepared in Public Health at the US DHHS - I've conducted my own investigation down to which FDA Inspector at the Honolulu Branch was onboard conducting this week' a s investigation. I have her pname, home # and e-mail address. I have aslo filed formal comlaint against NCLA for non-compliance with standardized sanitation procedures that should have but were not widely and or accurately implemented as control & containment procedures. As a past passenger on the JUNE9th sailing I got the inside story and first hand observations of what protocols were and were NOT implemented.

It's a jungle out there - who is advocating for the innocent less informed passengers unknowingly entering a germ-war-zone. A brief benign 24 hour bug is one thing for the avergae healthy adult BUT the frail, elderly, young babies-children , and immuno-suppressesd passener population are extremely vulnerable to higher risk of serious morbidity & mortality.

For those (NCLA Hawaii) passengers adversely affected and or exposed to the infectious NoVirus on sailings late MAY- current - I would highly advise you to contact your local/State FDA Complaint Branch (found on FDA webpage [URL="http://www.fda.gov)./"][COLOR=#0000ff]www.fda.gov).[/COLOR][/URL] Try to keep records of dates, symptoms etc when you contact them. There is power in numbers so the more passengers that report the more pressure will be placed on NCL to take her out operation for one week and finally break the cycle.

The 2nd approach is contact the media - Hawaii FOX - WKHON - TV alraedy covered the story June 5 if you check the NCL archives. Disemminate your story to more media outlets!

NCL/NCLA has conducted a less than effective job of sanitizing the ship appropriately resulting in anywhere from 3% - 10 % (reportable cases) of onboard passengers and crew affected; AND failure to disclose to oncoming booked passengers in adequate time to make alternate arrangments. Remember many pax. book pre-cruise stays and arrive 2-3 days prior to the sailing date. Statistically only 6 out 10 people wash their hands after toileting.

Hope all infected ill passengers & crew have fully recovered.
We fellow pax. hope NCL/NCLA is reading this thread!
Concerned Nurse

[davidvc04]

[quote name='JunPOA']HI Dave,

Yesterday , as past pax. just off the Aloha June 16th, I spoke via phone with the (public service) Federal Government FDA Inspector in Honolulu, HI who was on the Aloha last week conducting the outbreak inspection. The point of Contact is : Gardner, Janice K [EMAIL="janice.gardner@fda.hhs.gov"]janice.gardner@fda.hhs.gov[/EMAIL]
Phone#: 1-808-522-8011 EXT. 102

She is extremely approachable and welcoms consumer sanitation related complaints & concerns related to the NCLA Pride of Aloha "affected" sailings. She related that the agency will be keeping a more than usual watchful eye on this particular ship. Perhaps Jan is a good person to speak to about your concern. I would not place a high degree of confidence or credibility on what NCL/NCLA tells you, that is
be cautious.:confused:

Hope this helps.:)[/quote]

Thanks so much for this information. I've been searching the FDA website in vain for a contact. The ones I located for Hawaii were out of date, though only a year old. We will be contacting her regarding our experience and observations aboard the ship.

I was hoping that the forums would prove a place where people could share information and resources.

You and WE are right about NCL(A)'s information. Their PR campaign was underway on the ship, seemingly with more stringency than their efforts to contain the illness. Mentioning any sickness brought blank looks from crew. The only people who were forthright with us were those in the medical center. Some crew would speak in hushed tones about the goings-on, but nothing official was ever told us by an officer. They seemed more interested in avoiding outcry than rectifying the situation.

Here's another information botch: despite two ill party members, in separate cabins, neither was ever told to follow a quarantine. They did out of necessity, but their cabinmates didn't know to obey one. We learned of quarantine only from other passengers. Those passengers from whom we heard this must have been told, but how many more weren't informed, just as we weren't?

As for how we were alerted, only one of four cabins had a letter about the illness. The letter was not found until the day after setting sail. That's another botch for NCLA. That information should've been put in our hands as we boarded. Even so, that puts people in a terrible bind. Imagine it, there people are trying to board, their suitcases who knows where (they were being delivered to the wrong cabins--we had somebody else's at our door and heard lots of griping about it), and suddenly making a decision about whether or not to board? But for us to find it the next day, and then for three cabins not to have it at all?! That's outrageous.

Again, thanks for the info, JunPOA. This is great, and I'll be emailing it on to the rest of my party.

[WEPunkin]

I am sorry my posting was so long and it somehow got all ran together. It was not this way when I did it, I don't know what happen. Hope everyone will read it anyway.JunPOA: I want to say a great BIG thank you for your time and postings on here. You are so right in what you have said. I will be following your postings.davidvc04: To you also a BIG thank you for your time and postings on here.I have sent an email to Janice Gardner yesterday. I haven't heard back as of yet. When and if I do I will let you know. How else are the people who are going to be going on this ship, find out these things, if we as past passengers don't tell them? Before going on this cruise, I had read some of the things as to what to expect with regards to the ship being older, American crew, etc. but not expecting to get on a sick ship. Mostly past passengers were informing about the ship and crew. So I didn't expect it to be The Jewel and tryed to get on with a positive outlook, which we did, until we got the first letter and then my positive outlook, kind of went the other way. I knew it would not be a 1st class type of cruise, but still we paid a hefty mount of money to go on this vacation as most people do and you expect better in return from a company like NCLA or NCL.Also, when we were in Honolulu doing our 3 day pre cruise at the Marriott Beach hotel, they have an office for NCLA/NCL and we went to that office to get pre registered for the cruise, so we wouldn't have to stand in line when we got to the terminal. WHY didn't anyone at that office mention the ship's sickness problem?? This would have been before we got on the ship and our luggage was still with us. And I know we were not the only ones that did this. It seemed to us in the office, there was a difference whether you were with NCLA or NCL. Again, aren't these the same company. Why is there a difference being made between to two companies???? Then maybe, we and others could have made a decision and other arrangements ,to not go with that cruise and some people would have been spared the sickness and worrry.I believe that NCL is not being honest with their passengers and they should be held responsible.I am curious of the passengers from 6-4-06 cruise, did you too, get the 2nd letter in regards to the stomach virus had risen to 10%. Would like to hear from others on this issue. I still have our copy and I just reread it and I notice there is no date on this statement. It does mention in the body of the letter the cruise of 6-4-06 at departed from Honolulu. Remember the first letter we got when we got on the ship, said that the cruise before this cruise had 3.2%. Now the rate had went up to 10%. What did NCLA do or not do to sanitize the ship???Wanda

[JunPOA]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue][B]My sentiments exactly. Regarding Jan @ FDA - remember she is on HI time , I was able to reach her twice by phone (both times in the afternoon on EDST) and she also phoned me once successfuly. So try the phone communication as well. Bravo & kudos go out to ALL past pax. affected who have verbailized your health & safety concerns to the FDA. [/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue][B]WEpunkin- Your comments about holding NCL accountable and responsible are on target, and our "Aloha" community seem to be in agreement as well asurrounding serious concerns of NCL/NCLA less than honest attempts at discloising the true facts in a timely manner to pax as well as the reality of their less than adequate sanitizing efforts.[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue][B][U]Two Questions:[/U][/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue][B]1.) This is directed to NCL/NCLA corporate offices - please explain to us, your "lattitude" clients what administratively, legally, corporately, and financially distinguishes NCL from NCLA?[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue][B]2.) For all PO Aloha RECENT past pax. particularly from this thread, shall we start a new thread asking for Aloha's past passengers to come forward and share their expereince?[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue][B]Thanks again for all your support and validation of our family's concerns and expereinces of the Aloha June 9-16 sailing.[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue][B]:) [/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue][B]Regards, [/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue][B]Concerned Nurse[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[davidvc04]

[quote name='WEPunkin']Also, when we were in Honolulu doing our 3 day pre cruise at the Marriott Beach hotel, they have an office for NCLA/NCL and we went to that office to get pre registered for the cruise, so we wouldn't have to stand in line when we got to the terminal. WHY didn't anyone at that office mention the ship's sickness problem?? This would have been before we got on the ship and our luggage was still with us. And I know we were not the only ones that did this. It seemed to us in the office, there was a difference whether you were with NCLA or NCL. Again, aren't these the same company. Why is there a difference being made between to two companies???? Then maybe, we and others could have made a decision and other arrangements ,to not go with that cruise and some people would have been spared the sickness and worrry.[/quote]

You know, after all my mulling over this experience, I had that same thought only last night. We were at the Mariott, too, and visited that office. Why couldn't we have been told then? I think it's pretty plausible that they wanted us on that ship knowing that hardly anyone, if anyone, would back out at that point.

Some of the people here can explain NCL vs. NCLA to you. And a travel agent can tell you. Here's what I understand.

Before NCLA, NCL couldn't do an all Hawaii cruise. They had to go to a far-out, non-American island since they were an international line. They didn't like this. They found a friendly senator who pushed for change. NCLA was born and is still owned by NCL, an Asian company. As part of the arrangement, NCLA must use an all-American cruise (with some kind of green-card exception and maybe other exceptions, too--not sure) and be an American company. So I don't know the proper business / legal term: subsidiary or what. But NCL does own NCLA as I understand it.

[JunPOA]

David - thanks for your reply to the NCLA/NCL issue, very informative. As to the issue of Green Card holders - After spending one-hour of his most gracious time with us the Hotel Director, Ian Napier explained to us that the restriction was "only allowed 15% green card holders". NOT surprisingly these are the only folks who offered any smiles, work ethic, and any degree of customer service orientation!

BTW - on the back of the Hotel Director's NCL/NCLA business card is generially printed the following acronym, and I quote:

[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3][I][B]"S.T.Y.L.E.[/B][/I][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3][I][B]Service We make our guests feel speacial. NOT[/B][/I][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3][I][B]Teamwork We work together to exceedguests expectations. NOT[/B][/I][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3][I][B]Yes We say 'Yes'. We have a can do attitude. NOT[/B][/I][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3][I][B]Lead to...[/B][/I][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Garamond][SIZE=3][I][B]Excellence. "[/B][/I][/SIZE][/FONT]

Somehow - this was not our perception or expereince...

[Zeno]

For those who want accurate information about Norovirus:

[url]http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=1684[/url]

[birdie16]

For the record, there were four of us in our travel party that cruised the 6/9-6/16 sailing, embarking in Maui. We flew in the day of the cruise and were available by phone and email until the morning of the 9th. NCL had all our contact information (two couples), and could have very easily contacted us by phone or email to save us the trouble of the long flight to OGG. We did not receive any notification until we arrived at the port for check-in.

By the time we were in line for check-in we had already flown from Phoenix, made vacation arrangements with our jobs, made arrangements for care of our pets and homes, and it was too late to make arrangements for hotels in Maui. Many of the hotels I tried to make reservations with for our post cruise stay were already booked when I called nearly one month earlier.

There was much more involved than a "cash refund" for the cruise. Our employers would not refund our vacation time or cost of pet care, travel, etc. Perhaps if NCL had informed us before we left we could have saved ourselves the expenses not covered by NCL but we were not given that opportunity.

[J&k]

[quote name='Poconolady']I find it very interesting that the people who are defending this ship have not actually taken a cruise on it in the last few months. Please, this ship has had some very serious problems recently and posters are just trying to get the word out to the public. If you haven't been on this ship recently--then don't be so quick to judge others who have, be as loyal to NCL as you wish, but recognize that maybe the conditions that you feel are so over exagerated are actually very real., be willing to give the benefit of the doubt. Look I was there and personally experienced the poor service--were you?[/quote]

My husband and I went on the pride of aloha June 2nd 2006. We had a blast! . We had awesome state room service,thanks to Darwin. He treated us so well. Our room was cleaned and sheets turned down everyday! Plus, he made us little towel animals. Trust me we saw people upset and complaining about alot of things. We felt for them.:confused: I do know quite alot of people got really sick. We honestly had really good service on this ship. The crew was polite and friendly. We would go again in a hearbeat! Not to mention we were in HAWAII!:)

[jacar]

[quote name='JunPOA']Iposted this as few days ago on CC. Unfortunately and regretfully the post was poofed - for a legitimate reason. I am re-posting this time omitting the areas of offense (calling of a group together for legal purposes & copying a medical journal citaion from a CDC medical reference regarding Norwalk).
For those interested in this continuing issue - keep your fingers crossed that I am fully compliant with text and this post is not poofed.

NorVirus Pide of Aloha-3 consecutive sailings!

Based on retrospective reviews of the 3 past Aloha sailings; the ship has continued to operate SICK with the infectious virus.

Rhetorically, how many more sailings will NCLA P. of Aloha be permitted to cruise exposing some 2000 pax. each week, not including new exposre and recontamination to crew?
Over the past 3 cruises that's an estimated passeneger population of up to 600 people!
Mom's, Dad's, Grannies, Aunities, nieces, nephews, best friends, our kids...

At what costs to the public's health.?
At what costs to passengers/ consumers hard earned money and vacation -time?

The cruiselines must be held accountable for providing a safe environemt for its pax. & crew by fully operationalizing ALL necessary steps to contain and control the outbreaks whatever it takes. Even closing down ship for one week. Be very cautious about what their "form letters" say they are doing vs. what processes and functions are actually carried out accurately and effectively. Remeber they are already opearting under recued crew numbers so realistically how effectively can they be sanitizing?

According to studies by the CDC - a cruise ship which expereinced an outbreak (>3%) for 2 consecutive cruises was shut down with complete sanitation procedures in attempt to break the cycle. See reference.
[url]http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol11no01/04-0434.htm[/url]

Per the CDC, "According to federal regulations, when the incidence of acute gastroenteritis among passengers and crew exceeds 3%, an outbreak is defined and requires a formal investigation" (4).

What really annoys me is 1.) continued and recurent comments by affected pax. that either suffered due to contracting the illness and/ or suffered significant service deficits directly as a result of ill crew illness due to NCLs negligence,

2.) The PR BS NCL/NCLA statements falsifying that pax. were attempted to be contacted. I have yet to read ONE poster from the affected cruises late May 2006 - through and including the most recent disembarkers on JUNE 16th. I truely hope the current cruise has the infectious virus under containment for these passengers. Making false statements is frudulent decptive practice by NCL, it is also called failure to disclose. Of 6,000 booked - how many were actually notified ? Please speak up and I will regain some confidence in NCL credibility and reliability.

Shame on NCL for continuing to operate this ship despite THREE SICK SAILINGS! Clealry it is evident where their interests lie as evidenced by them not taking the ethical intiiative to pull her out of service and implement full sanitization for one full week.

As a Federal employee Masters prepared in Public Health at the US DHHS - I've conducted my own investigation down to which FDA Inspector at the Honolulu Branch was onboard conducting this week' a s investigation. I have her pname, home # and e-mail address. I have aslo filed formal comlaint against NCLA for non-compliance with standardized sanitation procedures that should have but were not widely and or accurately implemented as control & containment procedures. As a past passenger on the JUNE9th sailing I got the inside story and first hand observations of what protocols were and were NOT implemented.

It's a jungle out there - who is advocating for the innocent less informed passengers unknowingly entering a germ-war-zone. A brief benign 24 hour bug is one thing for the avergae healthy adult BUT the frail, elderly, young babies-children , and immuno-suppressesd passener population are extremely vulnerable to higher risk of serious morbidity & mortality.

For those (NCLA Hawaii) passengers adversely affected and or exposed to the infectious NoVirus on sailings late MAY- current - I would highly advise you to contact your local/State FDA Complaint Branch (found on FDA webpage [URL="http://www.fda.gov)./"][COLOR=#0000ff]www.fda.gov).[/COLOR][/URL] Try to keep records of dates, symptoms etc when you contact them. There is power in numbers so the more passengers that report the more pressure will be placed on NCL to take her out operation for one week and finally break the cycle.

The 2nd approach is contact the media - Hawaii FOX - WKHON - TV alraedy covered the story June 5 if you check the NCL archives. Disemminate your story to more media outlets!

NCL/NCLA has conducted a less than effective job of sanitizing the ship appropriately resulting in anywhere from 3% - 10 % (reportable cases) of onboard passengers and crew affected; AND failure to disclose to oncoming booked passengers in adequate time to make alternate arrangments. Remember many pax. book pre-cruise stays and arrive 2-3 days prior to the sailing date. Statistically only 6 out 10 people wash their hands after toileting.

Hope all infected ill passengers & crew have fully recovered.
We fellow pax. hope NCL/NCLA is reading this thread!
Concerned Nurse[/QUOTE]
We were in the Medical Office for the 2nd time and overheard the receptionist tell Dr. Dixon that there were several crew members waiting to see him. His reply was for her to tell them they could not be seen until the passengers had all been seen. Go back to work and he would call them. We were quarantened and they were spreading this among all the passengers! There were so many passsengers ill, that they were taking cabin #s and calling them down to the office a few at a time. My traveling companion is terminally ill w/ cancer and I made that plain to both the travel agent and in a phone call to NCL before we left for CA. They still let us board. We sailed 6/2/06 and spent the last 5 days of our 7 day cruise confined to our cabin. They claimed they could not get us reservations on any flight to leave the ship early. Shame on them!!!! This was her last trip and it was a nightmare.

[WEPunkin]

To JunPOA: I did email Janice Gardner on June 22 and haven't heard back from her. I just now sent her another email with 2nd request, to let her know that people on NCLA during the month of June were not happy with the conditions on the NCLA to Hawaii. Has anyone sent a letter to NCLA's home office? Did anyone get a reply back. I will do this too if it will help.To jacar: sorry to learn of your bad experience with your cruise. Shame on NCLA for not arranging a flight home for you and your friend. What message does the NCLA cruise lines seem to be saying to everyone "We don't care about you", but we will take your money, pay up now and take your chances for a wonderful, safe and healthy cruise.People that have not been on this ship during the month of June, just don't get it. We are only trying to warn others of our experiences for their sake.We did do alot of researching before we went on this cruise too, and did not expect it to be first class, but then again we paid top dollars, why shouldn't we expect first class??? I think that NCLA knows alot of the people don't expect it to be (POA cruise) as good as other cruises, so NCLA lets things slide by and says so what. They really don't have a very good image.Our TA told me late last year, the company (AAA) she works for does not recommend NCL for cruises. We went ahead anyway last Nov./Dec. and booked a back to back cruise on the Jewel and told her the cruise was "awesome". We have to admit on this cruise, Pride of Aloha, she was right and we are so ashamed we haven't even told her we went on this cruise. I booked our cruise through NCL myself. In our local newspapers where we live, you don't see advertisements for NCL cruises. We have never had any of our TA's send us info on NCL cruises, unless we ask for them. Why???

[Glittercat]

[quote name='J&k']My husband and I went on the pride of aloha June 2nd 2006. We had a blast! . We had awesome state room service,thanks to Darwin. He treated us so well. Our room was cleaned and sheets turned down everyday! Plus, he made us little towel animals. Trust me we saw people upset and complaining about alot of things. We felt for them.:confused: I do know quite alot of people got really sick. We honestly had really good service on this ship. The crew was polite and friendly. We would go again in a hearbeat! Not to mention we were in HAWAII!:)[/QUOTE]

J&K~
Will you be doing any reviews of your trip? My family and I are booked on Pride of Aloha in September for our first cruise. It imade my heart lighter to read a happy report of that ship! Thanks for that! Glad you and your husband had a wonderful time! :)
~Rebecca

[davidvc04]

[quote name='jacar']We were in the Medical Office for the 2nd time and overheard the receptionist tell Dr. Dixon that there were several crew members waiting to see him. His reply was for her to tell them they could not be seen until the passengers had all been seen. Go back to work and he would call them. We were quarantened and they were spreading this among all the passengers! There were so many passsengers ill, that they were taking cabin #s and calling them down to the office a few at a time. [/quote]

Yes, I saw this, too. A crew member came in, evidently a maintenance man, and he was irate because he couldn't be seen (was also told passengers first) and that he hadn't been given a note restricting his work. So he had been working while he was sick, and who knows on what. He complained enough that the doc finally agreed to give him a 2nd note. But how many other crew weren't being seen? And how many other crew hadn't been given work restrictions in a timely way?

[SSUnitedStates]

We sailed on Pride of Aloha last August and had a good time. There were a few service slips in terms of our cabin being cleaned in a timely manner, and occasionally slow service in the restaurants, but these two items did not detract at all from what was otherwise a wonderful trip. We found the ship to be beautiful and the staff to be, on the whole, very pleasant and eager to please.

The ship's review seem to be all over the board, everything from loving it to hating it. I don't know how to explain it other than people's expectations for a U.S. flagged and staffed vessel are not up to their standards.

Long story short, we'd sail on the ship again anytime.

[J&k]

[quote name='2xhawaii']I'm concerned. I am boarding on July 9th, hopefully the virus is gone by then. I hope they dont cancel that week. I read on the board somewhere that if you take pepto every day, you can prevent a lot of these stomach viruses. Has anyone else heard that?

Ronnie
NJ[/quote]

Ronnie- just use the hand sanitizer they have all over the ship. There were people sick on our cruise and my hubby and I never did get sick. We used the hand stuff faithfully though. Don't worry you'll have a good time. You'll be in Hawaii! We read very bad reviews before we left and they scared the crap out of us. Remember some people just like to complain. We heard alot of people complaining about stupid petty stuff on the cruise. I wish more people who had a good time would review. We talked with a lot of people on the cruise who did have fun! Hawaii is so beautiful. I hope you have a wonderful time! We cruised June 2nd- 9th 2006

[bonvoyagie]

With sick passengers can also come sick crew as well as crew pretending to be sick to get out of work- seen this happen before.