4/1 Pride of Aloha -Ship and Port Review

[whenzuc]

4/1 Pride of Aloha -Ship and Port Review

 

Just home from Hawaii itinerary. Thought that I would give a review of ship, itinerary, and our tours taken.

 

Overview

I traveled alone with my 17 yr old daughter for a Sweet 16 gift. I had extremely low expectations for this cruise based on what others had previously written about the NCL America Cruises. I have been on Holland America and RCL port intensive cruises to Europe, as well as a Princess cruise to Alaska. I got to experience an 11 day NCL cruise from NYC last year as a last minute trip substitution for a post hurricane cancellation of hotel reservations in Mexico. So, given the last NCL cruise, I expected the worst. This trip was truly better than the Dawn out of NYC.

 

Overall, I was extremely pleased with the cruise. Like others have said, if you view this as a place to sleep and eat, and expect little more, then what could be so bad? But it was much better than that. The rooms were less than plush, we we adjusted to that reality as soon as we embarked. To me, the rooms and showed the most age- not the public areas.

 

What we did differently

First off, we arrived the night before and stayed at the Aqua Palms Hotel as other CCers had recommended. A bargain at $99. Instead of doing Pearl Harbor Tour through the ship the day of departure, we went on our own the morning before embarkation. Hotel room and cab fares almost equaled the same cost as 2 tours from the ship.

 

We never ate dinner in the main dining room or in the buffets. We ate at specialty restaurants every night that we were on the ship. We booked all of our dinners when we arrived on the ship. No lines at all. All nights that we wanted were available. We always had reservations at 8 or 8:30. We found all of the restaurants to be very good. Definitely worth the extra charge. The couple of times where we had to wait for a few minutes we were surprised that the only charged us ½ price. We ate breakfast in the dining room every day except one time. Dining room for breakfast sometimes had a wait, but this still exceeded dealing with the crowds in the buffet line. Tip there is when you are in a rush do not order an omelet. Wait is too long unless you get the prefab scrambled eggs.

 

We left the ship over night while we were docked at Maui and checked into the Marriott in Wailea. I was surprised that no one cared to know that we were sleeping off ship. I got the room on points, so the total cost was $13 for the valet parking. One night equaled 2 full days off of the ship, and we had dinner out, so it broke up the week.

 

We used Easy Fly for the 2 large bags, so we were able to walk off of the ship with small carry ons. We disembarked from the cruise and checked into the Hilton Hawaiian Village at 8:15am in Waikiki for the entire day as our flight was not until 10:30 PM. Hotel was much too crowded for our taste, but this afforded us a great and full last day, as we were in a room by 8:30 am.

 

Overall Comments – We never experienced any of the negative attitudes on the part of the staff. Dining room staff at specialty restaurants was surprisingly professional. The weakest staff member that we experienced- the room steward that we had, kept the room clean, but was not especially knowledgeable about anything on the ship. I never bought the Coke card, as soft drinks were either 1.20 or 1.50- I wasn’t on the ship enough to justify not paying as you go for afternoon/dinner soft drinks. Room was definitely lacking in storage- only 3 small drawers- all the rest was hanging. Everything ended up having a place, but it took some planning as we left some stuff that we really didn’t need very often in suitcases under the bed.

 

We spent a lot of time researching the “best” beaches to go to. I can honestly say that none of the beaches that we went to on any of the islands were as nice as nearly all of the beaches we have been to in the Caribbean or in Mexico on land based vacations. We have traveled to many islands in recent years. This trip was not even about the beaches, but only about the excursions. Sun is extremely intense and you cannot stay on beach or pool in the straight sun for more than an hour or so. Much more intense than on the Caribbean or Mexican Beaches.

 

Evening entertainment was not bad. We went to karaoke, comedians 2 nights, and a musical review one night. Didn’t make any other entertainment. We were exhausted and were in bed by 11 each night. Television in room was poor at best.

 

Excursions:

1. Honolulu We did Pearl Harbor on our own in on the day of embarkation. Gret suggestion on the part of my travel agent as you will be up early with the time change- especially if you ware from the east coast.

2. Kauai- We did Jack Harter Doors of Helicopter. It was amazing and we were not scared at all. We were prepared with warm fleeces and you needed sunglasses to block the wind from your face as well. One of the highlights of the tour. We then rented a car from Thrifty using Blue chip- with navigation and got upgraded to a convertible. We drove to a couple of beaches for the balance of the day and went to see one of the blow holes about 25 minutes from the ship. We ate dinner off of the ship walking distance from the ship. Next morning we walked to the beach right behind the Marriott Hotel. Viewing of the coast line was great, but I had seen a lot of it from the helicopter. Again, no problem getting a prime lounge chair for viewing, sun, and eating lunch. We walked to the upper deck that was a bit quieter. We waited until the crowds were gone to have bbq lunch by the pool.

3. Hilo- We took the Volcanoes Nature Deluxe Tour after reading rave reviews about this tour. Cost a bit steep at a cost of $160 or so per person. Naturalist was knowledgeable and took us to places around the crowds so we were always our own group of just 9. Lunch was included. Back to ship. Night viewing of volcano was great. Easy to get a spot for viewing.

4. Kona- Captain Zodiac Excursion was great. Ride out to Captain Cook monument was a lot of fun. Small group again of only 14 or 15 people. We spotted a lot of dolphins for almost ½ hour on the way out. Snorkeling was a lot of fun also- coral was beautiful, water was calm, but I expected a lot more fish. Overall, a great excursion and both captain and ass’t were a lot of fun. On the way back to ship, captain stayed close to shore to point out lava tubes, and interesting lava caves. The small size of the Zodiac afforded us great views of the shoreline. We to the beach next to where we tendered behind the King Kam hotel. Beach was small and nothing great. We had to get out off of the beach after 1 hour due to intensity of the sun. We had lunch in the town by the tenders then went shopping for about an hour and ½. Bought Kona coffee at Ferraras- recommended to me by tourism people- prices were better than any where else. Had a cup of freshly ground beans today- tastes greate. Small store is worth finding. I will probably mail order from them for more beans- I bought about 3 lbs of beans.

5. Maui- Rented a car- from Thrifty- convertible and navigation again. Spent the first day at the Marriott hotel in Wailea in the morning, and then drove to Lahaina for lunch and shopping. Then on to see the beaches due north of there. Watched the sun set in from the Hyatt Hotel Beach and then drove back the 25 miles to Wailea. Recognized some of the cruise ship group there. Weather was not bad- about 40 degrees- but we were prepared with warm fleeces, gloves, and hats. We even had the small warmers, that you shake, that one uses for skiing for our hands and feet. Worked like a charm. Had flash lights, but we never used them. Ate dinner in Wailea. Next day we did the sunrise tour at the Volcanoe. We were picked up at 3 am. We booked through Ehaki tours- not through the ship and then we stopped for a great breakfast at a large towards the base of the volcano. Beautiful gardens and a quaint gift shop there also. Best breakfast all week. Back at the hotel by 9:30, and then we spent a few hours by the pool. Pool there was much less crowded than the neighboring hotels. Drove back towards ship along the coast and stopped at Iao Needle/State Park- we could have definitely skipped that stop. Returned car and back to ship by 5pm.

6. Honolulu- Checked into hotel for the day. Money well spent as we had the entire day. Wailkiki beach too crowded for me. We stayed by the pool, and took a long walk in the afternoon for lunch. Left for the airport at 7:30 to have dinner there.

 

Overall, this trip truly exceeded our expectations. We could not have picked a better itinerary. Since we were up early every single day, all of our days were really full and tiring.

 

I am really a discriminating and critical traveler, but for what this trip costs, you really can’t complain. I hope that I gave you a bit of a different perspective and how we tried to make the best of the weaknesses that we read about, like only eating in the specialty restaurants in order not to deal with the crowds and eating dinner and staying off ship when possible. The combined cost of these changes were less than the cost of a balcony. We always book a balcony or a suite on European/Alaskan itineraries, but did not miss it at all on this trip. Sunset was very early, and we were too tired to sit out at night and relax. These changes equalled money extremely well spent.

 

I am pleased to answer any questions that you may have.

[PDAZ]

Welcome back! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your trip!

[whenzuc]

thanks for all of your invaluable help in planning

[aldewitt]

2. Kauai- We did Jack Harter Doors of Helicopter. It was amazing and we were not scared at all. We were prepared with warm fleeces and you needed sunglasses to block the wind from your face as well. One of the highlights of the tour. .

 

Is this the 90 minute flight without the doors? I would love to hear more about this. We are planning on doing this in Kauai and would love to know if you got good pictures, etc.

 

If you feel like replying to my email, its aldewitt@aldewitt.com.

 

Thanks

[umwife11]

Thanks so much for your review! You have no idea how much they really do help...especially in our case.

 

DH and I have cruised plenty, but despite that, it's usually me--not him--that does the research and I'm having a really hard time convincing him of the "differences" between NCLA and some of the other lines we've frequented. I make suggestions about the specialty restaurants, he rolls his eyes and says I'm exaggerating the problems to get fancier (ie, more expensive) meals....I mentioned staying at a hotel in Maui, he didn't think that was a great idea.

 

I know everyone's ideas and opinions are different, but it really does help to show him so many posts and comments from those who, I think, share similar interests and vacation expectations...I have a feeling your post will definitely help me drive my point home that the POA isn't your typical cruise experience.

 

Much appreciated!

[whenzuc]

Glad I could help. You also have to remember that the cruise is well priced for what one truly gets. That's why I was willing to spend mimimal $'s to enhance the trip for us. Those additions, like the dining every night, or the dining room for breakfast made the difference for us. Remember, if you dine early or late, the cost differential is 1/2 price. Let me know if you need any "help" planning with your husband.

[whenzuc]

http://pictures.aol.com/galleries/whenzuc/

 

hopefully you can copy and paste this link in.

 

pictures really came out good. you just need a camera strap in order to us your camera in the doors off helicopter. if you need to change film or battery, you need to tell pilot first so he will go into a less windy area for you.

[Glamourgal]

Thanks for a great, informative review!!

I have a few questions, First, we too are flying in a day early and plan to do the Pearl Harbor tour on our own before we board the ship. What time did you arrive at Pearl Harbor? I'm reading that you should get there at 7 AM to avoid long waiting lines. We also want to visit the Missouri while we are there. How many hours should we leave for this excursion? Another question did you take your bags with you and leave them in your car? We are staying at the Hilton Haw. Vil both before and after our cruise. We didn't know if we should keep the suitcases in a storing place at the Hilton or take them with us.

 

Another thing after your cruise, did you take a taxi to the Hilton from the ship? If so, what were the rates? We are trying to decided if we want a car again, at this point we figured after the cruise we would just relax by the pool, and wouldn't need a car.

 

Thanks again for the review!!

[gottacruise2]

Glamourgal - we too are staying pre and post POH cruise at the Hilton HV. I've checked into Charley's Taxi (recommended from the Hilton site) for a ride from the port back to the Hotel - they said to just call about 30 mins prior to wanted them at the port - 877-531-1333. We plan on using them from the airport-hotel, hotel-port, port-hotel and hotel-airport.

 

Also debated about renting a car in Wakiki (crazy expensive to park at the hotel over night). We also plan on relaxing post cruise, but have reserved a car through Hertz - which is RIGHT on site at the Hilton - for 1 day (we plan on Pearl Harbour and some north shore sightseeing that day).

 

Their hours are 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM (but you can do a late drop off). I just booked it from the Hertz website. Make sure you pick the Hilton location and just say you'll return it by 5:00 PM (or you'll get an error about them not being open at the time you want to return) - here is their local number but they NEVER answer - 808-973-3637

[whenzuc]

We left the hotel to go to Pearl Harbor about 8:00, and got there within 15 minutes. Our goal was to get there before our disembarking cruise ship tours dropped off passengers, but AFTER the people that stood on line before the memorial opened. I figured that there would definitely be a back up from the early bird people. Timing was perfect, as we were on line for 15 minutes in order to get tickets for 10 am. First you see a movie and then you go as the group to the memorial. You are actually there about 15 minutes. The time that we waited before 10am, was perfect timing to get through the museum exhibit- so we only had about 10 minutes down time. Someone who had been there told us to get the audio tour, and we were glad that we did. You use it for the museum part. We were completely done by 12:30. From there we walked over to the Swap Meet at the Aloha Stadium about 2 blocks away. It is a big outdoor kind of a flea market, and since we did not have a car, thought that we could walk over there for a couple of hours. We bought very little, as we were not looking for souvenirs or jewelry, but the place was pretty big, and only cost one dollar to get in.

You can definitely leave your bags in the trunk. The parking lot was in the open, and not huge. People were leaving their personal belongs in the car. As we did not have a car, and came by cab, I checked my handbag, off the right of the parking lot, and then carried my wallet. You can also get some decent food where you check bags in the mess hall.

I changed my reservations just a few days before and cancelled out of the Hilton HV pre cruise to the Aqua Palms right across the street. It was truly money well saved since it was only $99, including small breakfast, and we had to check out of hotel anyway at 8am when we left to go to Pearl Harbor. So we would not have used the pool/facilities at all. We left our bags checked in the lobby, and came back for them. As for post cruise, we stayed at Hilton HV. If I knew better, I might have found another hotel in a different area. The hotel is huge- 3000 rooms which translates to wall to wall lounge chairs in tight rows by the pool. An umbrella on the beach was $26, and you had to pay for lounge chairs there also. Don’t get me wrong, hotel is very nice, but too crowded and too commercial for me. Timeshare people everywhere.

 

In terms of renting a car post cruise, we were so tired after the cruise, that we just wanted to relax by the pool. We were finished touring. AGAIN, the sun is really intense there, and if there are no clouds, it is difficult to sit for more than 1 -1/2 hrs at a time- and I am a carribean/mexico beach person! Cab from cruise ship to Hilton was about $13, from hotel to Pearl Harbor was about $27- but I used Mike, a cab driver- 808-227-4745, and he took $ off all of the expensive trips. There are places closer to the cruise ship to rent a car. Again, I was always looking for navigation, so some of my choices were narrowed down for me.

[Glamourgal]

Thanks so much for your speedy response!! We will have a car pre-cruise so that will help get us to Pearl Harbor in plenty of time. I was happy to hear you finished there by 12:30, that will give us time to tour the Missouri and go to the Swap Meet. My sister and brother-inlaw are flying in that afternoon around 3 so that should give us plenty of time to go back to the airport and pick them up. We'll check in to the ship after we pick them up. We will have an overnight in Honolulu our first night of the cruise, I'm not sure what we'll do that first night, we may be exhausted by that time!!

 

gottacruise2, when is your cruise? Our cruise is Sept. 29, I think we are the first 11 day cruise. We are actually staying at the HHV using my husbands hilton honors points. We are really looking forward to this cruise especially after reading the more positive reviews that have been showing up lately. They are so helpful!!

[whenzuc]

if you are looking for a good/pretty restaurant for dinner- pre cruise there is a really good Thai restaurant off the corner from the Aqua Palms hotel - it is on the corner of Ala Moana Blvd- just a block away from the front of the HHV.

[Glamourgal]

Thanks, I will make a note of that restaurant!! What would we do without these boards??? I often say to my husband when I read some of the "bad" reviews that I think they must be coming from people who were not fully prepared for their trip. I know so many people who sign up for a cruise and then do absolutely no research on what to expect. I like to do all of the work before hand and then relax and know what to expect when I go!!

[cashmservices]

Your pictures in the link that you provided from the Helipcopter Ride are fantastic. What kind of camera did you use and what was the speed on the camera? What time of day did you fly? What else did you do in Kauai? Would you do a doors off helicopter ride again? How scary was it? How did you get from the ship to the airport?

[cashmservices]

Your pictures in the link that you provided from the Helipcopter Ride are fantastic. What kind of camera did you use, and what was the ISO speed on the camera? What time of day did you fly? What else did you do in Kauai? Would you do a doors off helicopter ride again? How scary was it? How did you get from the ship to the airport?

[aldewitt]

http://pictures.aol.com/galleries/whenzuc/

 

hopefully you can copy and paste this link in.

 

pictures really came out good. you just need a camera strap in order to us your camera in the doors off helicopter. if you need to change film or battery, you need to tell pilot first so he will go into a less windy area for you.

 

Your photos are wonderful. You got some excellent pictures of the falls, etc. Way to go.

 

Thanks for sharing them!

[aldewitt]

if you are looking for a good/pretty restaurant for dinner- pre cruise there is a really good Thai restaurant off the corner from the Aqua Palms hotel - it is on the corner of Ala Moana Blvd- just a block away from the front of the HHV.

 

There are some other excellent restaurants in Waikiki.

 

If you want excellent continental cuisine, with a terrific view, and impeccable service, go to Orchids. Orchids is in the Halekulani Hotel. Orchids has a house wine (Joy) that is absolutely wonderful if you like Rhine-wines in general, and Liebfraumilch in particular. The Steamed Onaga is out of this world. Onaga is a local form of Red Snapper, and whatever you get on your plate that night was swimming in the ocean that morning. They also have a coconut cake that is marvelous. Orchids is my favorite restaurant in the world.

 

Benihana's is at the HHV, and the food is good. We routinely start and end our trip there. It's the first place we eat on arrival, and the last place we eat on the night we leave. We already have our reservations for May. That's just a custom we have because my wife loves the Teppanyaki shrimp.

 

The Hard Rock Cafe is good for lunch; not so good for dinner because it has a small parking lot.

 

There is a Cheesecake Factory down near the international market.

 

Bubba Gumps is in the Ala Moana. The food is, well, it's gumpy. The service is rather slow. If you like the movie, you'll like the restaurant.

 

Another place at Ala Moana, and a great place for steaks, is Morton's. They have wonderful food, well prepared, and served properly.

 

We've also been to Sam Choys. Sam's is a good fish place, and its usually busy.

 

If you like Chinese food, Fook Yuen (no, I am not making that name up) is a great place the locals go to. The night we were there last (2006) we were the only occidentals in the place. The food is authentic, and the prices are very reasonable.

 

If you're out around the North Shore of Oahu, our favorite Mexican restaurant is Cholos on the North Shore. They have a great lunch menu, good food, terrific service, and a loyal following. We've never done the shrimp trucks out there, but I understand a lot of people do.

 

If you like Italian, and you want low prices, try the Old Spaghetti Factory. Its much like all the other OSF restaurants, but its in the Ward Shopping Center (on Nimitz, either right after or right before it turns into Ala Moana). For more formal Italian, try the restaurant in the Alana Doubletree which is very good.

 

There's a Thai buffet place on the corner near the HHV. We've never been there. There's also a place called Cheeseburger in Paradise down past the Alana Doubletree. We've not been there either, but it seems to have a loyal following, and looks tastier than the Jack in the Box directly across the street.

 

Hope this helps you if you're looking for great food on Oahu.:)

[aldewitt]

What would we do without these boards??? I often say to my husband when I read some of the "bad" reviews that I think they must be coming from people who were not fully prepared for their trip. I know so many people who sign up for a cruise and then do absolutely no research on what to expect.

 

I think they are either unprepared, or inflexible.

 

Whether you cruise or fly somewhere and stay in a hotel, your vacation is what you make it. If you go with the idea that you're going to have a terrific time, you do. If you go thinking the world is going to crap on you, for some strange reason, every interaction you have reinforces that belief.

 

I've read through some of the reviews, and you can always tell the ones that are objective in that they have something good to say about lots of things, and when they point out something bad, they do it reluctantly. So many people think this is their time to get even with the cruise line over the one bad meal they had, and they heap invective on the ship and crew without saying anything good. I can honestly say when I've had a bad time, it's been my fault.

 

Storms happen, accidents happen, and sometimes the ball gets dropped. You can let it ruin your day, or you can have a great day in spite of it. If I am on vacation, its a vacation from being crabby. So I try really hard to put a positive face on things, and figure out ways around problems that crop up. And that is what being prepared is about. If you do the research, if you know what's available and what you can do, you are prepared to meet bad weather, itinerary changes, and unexpected glitches head on.

 

You have exactly the right idea. Spend time up front, so you have a great time on vacation.

[aldewitt]

If you enjoy Pearl Harbor, then you should go to the Punch Bowl National Cemetary. The National Cemetary of the Pacific holds the war dead from all over the Pacific theater in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam.

 

We went to the visitor shack near the entrance. They have a collection of the citations for the Medal of Honor winners buried there. If you can read those without tearing up, you're either not an American, or you're not human. The level of sacrifice and commitment is truly inspiring. The view of the city is terrific too.

[Glamourgal]

aldewitt, I like your attitude and I totally agree with you. We've only been on 3 cruises but each one is better than the next! Our second cruise was on the Carnival Legend and we just loved everything about the cruise and yet when we got home there was a person who just ripped the cruise and ship apart in her review, I swore we could not have been on the same cruise.

 

Thanks for all of the restaurants, we'll have to stay a month!! Hmmm, now there's a thought!! I will copy them all down, take them along and decide when we get there. We do have the Hawaii Entertainment Book that has 2 restaurants from the Hilton that were were thinking of using but, that may change after reading your review above.

 

Thanks Again!!

[whenzuc]

As far as camera for the photos from the helicopter- I used a canon sd700- set on no flash, for foliage. ISO was not adjusted at all. There is more than enough time to take pictures and to enjoy the trip also. The helicopter ride was at 10AM. Pretty sunny through most of the trip- great shadows off the mountains. I have been told that morning is the best time to go- before the clouds roll in.

The helicopter was not scary at all. it's just a feeling that you need to get used to having the wind in your face most of the time. Make sure that you wear sunglasses to cut the wind and of course the glare. Next time up, I would add an extra layer of clothing!

Lastly, Jack Harter picked us up right at the cruise ship, a 5 minute ride away, and then dropped us off to the car rental co- also close by to Thrifty.