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NCL America
Pride of America Cruise Review
Hawaii
 

Paul
Age: 42
Occupation: Financial Consultant
Number of cruises:18
Sail date: January 13th, 2007

I hope this is helpful as the reviews we read prior to taking this cruise guided us in making our experience better than it was. We decided on this cruise because it was the only ship and line that left from Hawaii and visited other islands. We wanted to spend time on a few of the islands and do it without packing and unpacking. For this reason, the ship worked well.

My wife and I have been on many cruise lines: Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, Royal Caribbean and Crystal. We do not have children, therefore cruise by ourselves and sometimes with friends.

Itinerary: Left Oahu, 1 day in Hilo, 2 days in Maui, 1 day in Kona and 2 days in Kauai before we returned to Oahu. The Itinerary was great. Best stops were Kona and Kauai. We wanted to do the helicopter tour in Hilo, but there were no more openings. If you are interested in this, book well before you leave for your cruise. We did not do any excursions offered by NCL. We rented a car in Maui, Oahu and Hilo. I would highly recommend doing this on your own and touring by yourself as you can go at your own pace and enjoy the area and see what you want. Plus, the car rentals are very reasonable. In Oahu, go to the North side and check out the surfing towns. In Hilo, go to Volcano National Park.

Ship: The ship was decorated nicely. Cabins were very small, smaller than most ships, but they make very good use of space. The cabin rug was dirty, hair and dust in the corners. No casino as this ship is registered in the U.S. and does not go into international waters. The bars were understaffed therefore takes a while to get a beverage.

Restaurants: I would suggest eating at the independent restaurants most of the time. The Jefferson Bistro and Asia restaurant were our favorites. Jefferson Bistro was French, with a great menu and fine dining experience. Food was great but the wine selection was minimal. The Asian restaurant had 3 separate areas. Hibachi style, awesome, Sushi, excellent, and Asian flair, which was very good also. It is a must that you book your reservations WHEN you get onboard. DO NOT do it over the phone from the cabin as it will take you forever to get connected, if you do get connected to reservations. This is a tip we got before we boarded and we did make reservations in person upon arrival to ship. For fun, I did call the reservations number from the cabin that evening and no answer. The steak house was just okay and the Italian restaurant (Little Italy) was awful. Little Italy offered a table side Caesar salad. This was nothing more than dumping romaine lettuce into the bowl and scooping prepared dressing onto the lettuce. (why bother calling it table side!) Also, they ran out of spaghetti!! The only night we planned on eating in the main dining room was for lobster night. Needless to say, they ran out of lobster by the time we ordered. If you are into wine, the selection is very narrow. Also, the staff is not very informed on the wine offering. Not to be a “wine snob” but they often brought white wine glasses with red wine and visa versa. The Napa Wine Bar offers nothing special. You can get the same wine at all bars and restaurants, including the Napa wine bar. We figured they would have a wider selection, but they do not.

Service: We experienced the worst service of any cruise we have ever taken. The staff is not that helpful or friendly. I received comments such as “I don’t have time to look into that at this time, but will call you back after we set sail”. This was in response to my question asking if my lost bag had showed up yet. I was contacted back after 24 hours! The other couple that were cruising with us had no toilet paper in their cabin upon arrival and no safe in the room. They did get TP, but never got a safe. When they inquired about the safe, they were told “we are looking for one”. (As if it was lost or something!) We had a few crew members complaining TO US about the cruise line. One person said “I can’t wait to get off this ship”. We saw a couple young bartenders with loose pants hanging down and boxers sticking out! Needless to say, the appearance and service was far from what we have received from any other cruise line. It was so bad at times that it was funny. No one will go out of their way to help you.

Shows and entertainment: We only saw the comedian, and it was great.

Overview: If this is your first cruise, you may enjoy it. If it is your first cruise and you don’t enjoy it, most other lines will give you a much better experience so do not accept this as the norm for cruises. Plan your meals upon arrival for the week, this will give you a better dining experience. The ports of call are beautiful. I would suggest a veranda cabin as you can enjoy the coast from the comfort of your cabin if you want. We enjoy cruising, but will not be doing another NCL cruise in the near future.