Pride of Hawaii reviews are wrong

[Kapuna]

Having twice sailed on the Pride of Hawaii ( summer 2006 and early 2007 ) with good results , I am puzzled by some of the poor reviews seen here .

 

It seems that the size of the ship and the large number of passengers makes it difficult for some cruisers to adjust to the NCL America onboard system . Yes , there is a " system " of operation that is a little different but it seems to me that this system works better on the Pride of Hawaii than on the other Pride ships ( we have tried them all ).

 

Most of the problems reported here seem to be the result of poor communication between passengers and onboard staff , and might be avoided by planning ahead and reading the daily newsletters in detail .

[niki1785]

Thanks for your insight! I am very much looking forward to sailing this ship and none of the poor reviews are going to change that. It's nice to read the reviews of those who don't let the little things get to them. I can't wait to sail the POH and will be sure to make it an amazing trip!!!

[fabby50]

I am glad to hear it. We are scheduled to go in December for my 50th birthday with days before and after our cruise at the Hilton. It seems like most of the reviews under the Review section of the web site have been steadily improving and the things that I've read about lately on that section of the web site that bother people don't seem to be things I care about. It seems like most of the current negative comments are posted on the message boards and not the Review section, don't really know why that is.

 

We have been on quite a few cruises now and I agree that a lot of preplanning helps as well as reading the ship's paper/schedule first thing after boarding. Since we travel as a couple and not with a lot of people, we've never had trouble with the freestyle dining system - I don't mind getting the beeper and going to have a cocktail if it's necessary. Same thing with towel animals and having my bed turned down - doesn't really seem necessary to me. We very rarely go to shows, we're the in bed early, up early type and would rather participate in active shore excursions and use the gym than stay up late gambling, drinking, midnight buffeting, etc.

 

I think knowing your own personal "cruise style" is important and maybe different cruise lines would suit some people better than NCLA.

[CruisersfromMD]

Kapuna,

 

Thanks for the postive thoughts about the POH. We are travleing in a few weeks.

 

You mention, "there is a " system " of operation that is a little different but it seems to me that this system works better on the Pride of Hawaii than on the other Pride ships."

 

How would you describe that system?

 

We have things planned in regards to where and when we want to eat?

 

Do you have any other recommendations in regard to the American system?

 

Thanks.

[Kapuna]

Kapuna,

 

Thanks for the postive thoughts about the POH. We are travleing in a few weeks.

 

You mention, "there is a " system " of operation that is a little different but it seems to me that this system works better on the Pride of Hawaii than on the other Pride ships."

 

How would you describe that system?

 

We have things planned in regards to where and when we want to eat?

 

Do you have any other recommendations in regard to the American system?

 

Thanks.

Every ship has a " system " with regard to embarkation , dining/housekeeping operations , tendering , etc. , etc.

 

For a new ship like the Pride of Hawaii , its system is still in a state of flux with frequent changes from cruise to cruise and even during any given cruise as conditions change . This is the reason why it is important to read the Freestyle Dailies each day and to pay attention to the updates . Some cruisers may not be familiar with the service dials outside each cabin and the flat screen restaurant monitors throughout the ship ; yet these are helpful in navigating the system as well .

 

There is also a binder in each cabin that details many of the policies and procedures .

[CruisersfromMD]

Every ship has a " system " with regard to embarkation , dining/housekeeping operations , tendering , etc. , etc.

 

For a new ship like the Pride of Hawaii , its system is still in a state of flux with frequent changes from cruise to cruise and even during any given cruise as conditions change . This is the reason why it is important to read the Freestyle Dailies each day and to pay attention to the updates . Some cruisers may not be familiar with the service dials outside each cabin and the flat screen restaurant monitors throughout the ship ; yet these are helpful in navigating the system as well .

 

There is also a binder in each cabin that details many of the policies and procedures .

 

Thanks. I was familiar with the dials from some previous posts.

 

We are staying in a Penthouse Suite (we got a very nice upsell) so I know we can get early tender tickets in Kona.

 

We are staying at the Marriott Waikiki so we can check in at the hotel and there is an express line at the pier where we go through secrity and get keys. I ahve read it saves time. At the Marriott we can also make dinner reservations for the first night. I am hoping the conceirge service which we have access to can book the reservations for the rest of the week. I did call the NCL at the Marriott and she said she can send an e-mail to the ship requesting our dining reservations for the week. I will look into that when I am there and hope that works.

 

Looking forward to our cruise. We leave for Hawaii in 16 DAYS :-)

[ba91460]

Thanks. I was familiar with the dials from some previous posts.

 

We are staying in a Penthouse Suite (we got a very nice upsell) so I know we can get early tender tickets in Kona.

 

We are staying at the Marriott Waikiki so we can check in at the hotel and there is an express line at the pier where we go through secrity and get keys. I ahve read it saves time.

Having just did a precruise stay at the Marriott, I can give you some info on your thoughts. Yes, checking in at the NCL office makes if very easy once you get to the pier. You will basically walk right on.

At the Marriott we can also make dinner reservations for the first night.

This does not work so well. We made reservations at the NCL office at the Marriott, and there was no record of it once we got on board. We had to remake them upon boarding. The reason they said is that you are not a guest until you have swiped your card on board, and then it takes a few hours to update. My suggestion is to go to the reservations desk immediately upon boarding. Since we boarded around 12:30, we had no problem getting things set for that night!

I am hoping the conceirge service which we have access to can book the reservations for the rest of the week. I did call the NCL at the Marriott and she said she can send an e-mail to the ship requesting our dining reservations for the week.

This is no longer a possibility either. NCL just recently changed their policy on booking reservations. You can only book for the day of and the next day in advance. No more booking for the entire week. This worked out well. We would call say on Monday morning for Tuesday night. Alittle more work on your part, because you have to think ahead, but we were able to get into all the specialty restaurants when we wanted without any problems. I will look into that when I am there and hope that works.

 

Looking forward to our cruise. We leave for Hawaii in 16 DAYS :-)

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[thunderfox]

Having twice sailed on the Pride of Hawaii ( summer 2006 and early 2007 ) with good results , I am puzzled by some of the poor reviews seen here .

 

It seems that the size of the ship and the large number of passengers makes it difficult for some cruisers to adjust to the NCL America onboard system . Yes , there is a " system " of operation that is a little different but it seems to me that this system works better on the Pride of Hawaii than on the other Pride ships ( we have tried them all ).

 

Most of the problems reported here seem to be the result of poor communication between passengers and onboard staff , and might be avoided by planning ahead and reading the daily newsletters in detail .

 

I think it's important to take each review for what it's worth - some focus on issues that are minor (to *some* individuals), and others hit on some significant problems that can really affect your experience.

 

Sure, there are silly gripes all the time - how do we emphasize the things that really matter...that can really make or break a vacation...rather than bury them in a sea of pettiness?

[Zeno]

For a new ship like the Pride of Hawaii , its system is still in a state of flux with frequent changes from cruise to cruise and even during any given cruise as conditions change . This is the reason why it is important to read the Freestyle Dailies each day and to pay attention to the updates .

 

There is also a binder in each cabin that details many of the policies and procedures .

 

Thanks for emphasizing these two things. Frequently on this board when someone new to NCL/NCLA posts wanting NCL/NCLA tips - I mention "READ the Freestyle Dailies". I really think a lot of people just glance at them. In my opinion a careful reading can really enhance one's experience. "Read the dailies" was the BEST tip I was given before my first NCL cruise.

The same thing applies to the binder. It ALWAYS helps when one knows "how things work" instead of just expecting it to be the same as one's last cruise.

[fabby50]

I also think on sites like this that you'll see a lot more people posting negative comments rather than positive ones. It makes some sense - people feel angry or cheated and they feel the need to share that but people that have good experiences might not have that same urge.

 

Also, look at the number of posters on threads like "worst cruise" - 152 posters as opposed to this one - 8! People want to see what people had to complain about and jump in. I guess it's just human nature.

[frazib]

We had a great time on our 3/5 cruise, despite some damage to our luggage. I thought the ship was gorgeous inside and out, never felt any motion, and the food in the specialty restaurants was very good! The italian restaurant is quite noisy though, if you want a more quiet evening go to Cagney's or Le Bistro. We had the romance suite, but peeked into balcony cabins and they looked like they were decent size. My only negative would be that the breakfasts were not very good.

[Oakview]

I was also on the 3/5-12 POH cruise and adored the ship, the itinerary, and the suite we had. We were in a forward Penthouse (single daughters) and I was in a Courtyard Villa on the 14th deck. I enjoyed the Continental breakfast in the Courtyard for the cabins on Deck 14, just enough to have before the daily excursions. I must say, though, that the food in the main restaurants was not very good. However, Papa's Italian was wonderful. The previous poster commented on the noise level and I agree it was a little noisy but for one of the no fee restaurants, it was excellent. I had some of the best Osso Bucco (veal) I've ever had. I've heard comments about the staff and except for the Concierge, I found the staff to be as friendly as the staff on the Sun and that's high praise because our 10 day cruise on the Sun last year was one of the best ever with the freindliest staff.

 

The POH is a beautiful ship taking you to the most gorgeous islands every day so if you go with a positive attitude and don't look for the negatives, you will have the trip of a lifetime and see more beauty than you ever could imagine.

+-

[jgiants21]

Thanks for emphasizing these two things. Frequently on this board when someone new to NCL/NCLA posts wanting NCL/NCLA tips - I mention "READ the Freestyle Dailies". I really think a lot of people just glance at them. In my opinion a careful reading can really enhance one's experience. "Read the dailies" was the BEST tip I was given before my first NCL cruise.

The same thing applies to the binder. It ALWAYS helps when one knows "how things work" instead of just expecting it to be the same as one's last cruise.

 

 

 

Is there anywhere I could find past dailies to read?

[thunderfox]

I scanned all of mine - including the one for the Teen club...

 

can someone advise me how to post .pdf files somewhere??? :o