Thanks for the tips! They came in handy. We just returned from our cruise. The cruise with excursions can be overwhelming. Remember, you can't do everything! Some excursions are cheaper on land day of visit. Met a couple who went on a great Kauai trolley tour. Cost $50 each and they thought it was just the best! Helicopter flights are cheaper. Passed on a $350 flight and found the same thing on island for $229. All our guides were super friendly and a joy to be with. They even give tips. Our bus guide to Pearl Harbor did just that. Told us where to sit in the movie theater and how to exit to get good seats for photos on the boat ride. This is not a relaxation cruise. Tons of things to do and the very best way to see and find what you like most around the amazing state of Hawaii!
I live in Kona. We get the NCL Pride of America every Wednesday. I've been seeing a lot more visitors to the green, lush Kona Coffee Country, since the fires on Maui. Malama, dear Maui.
As former cruise line employee, who's also local resident, Na Pali Coast is N Shore of Kauai, Very isolated & heavily regulated to protect wildlife/landscape. Heads up for renegade/mustang "tour companies" looking to make a quick buck. Overnight stays are on Maui/Kauai. Pax will be able to witness volcanic activity on overnight transit btwn Hilo/Kona...Ethereal/awe-inspiring! Highly recommend Volcano overflight & Kauai helicopter trips. Personally, booking cruise as passenger is HIGH on my list!-lol
This was great info! I watched a few of these videos and no one was a detailed as you. I prefer the non profanity comedians. I appreciate the good info. Thank you.
About the water--you can refill your water flask, no problem. Just fill one of their cups and then pour into your personal flask. They don't want you to even refill their water cups--"always get a fresh cup". McDonald's, same thing. It's a health/contamination thing.
Thanks for the tips. Please could you give suggestions about if it’s necessary to arrive to a hotel one day before and after the cruise, and which hotels you suggest.
I definitely recommend arriving a day before the cruise, just to prevent any mishap if there is a cancelled flight (this has happened to some family members of mine). I don't have any particular recommendations for hotel, but I'd say just something in or around Honolulu since that is where the ship departs from.
Hey, @JimB C. Sorry for my slow reply. There is no casino on the Pride of America for the 7-day Hawaii Cruise. The reason as I understand it is that it doesn't spend time in international waters, so there's no gambling.
@Eric, you usually have pretty good cell service when you're docked, but when you're out at sea you usually don't have good cell service, if any at all. So we got some Ubers or Lyfts pretty much right after we docked, or even after we left the ship. There's no shortage of drivers there so you usually won't be waiting more than 5-10 minutes for a driver.
I did the excursions through NCL. It was quite convenient because they'd gather you together on the ship before the excursion and you'd all leave together for the excursion.
I've been a seasonal bartender~server for years all over the US. This ship is having a hiring fair soon in my city. Would love if anyone would share their thoughts on the clientele this ship/location attracts? The hospitality culture and employees? Thank you 💜💜💜
@Dani Spencer, thanks for your comment. From my experience, there were a lot of older guests on the cruise, with a decent amount of couples/singles and some children but not a lot. It's not a crazy "party" ship, pretty mellow, really down to earth. There's no casino. I noticed there was a wide variety of staff on the ship--all ages, seemed like a lot of younger staff (maybe early to mid 20's), but the whole spectrum was represented. I thought the staff was very professional, very kind, well-trained, seemed happy. I'm not sure if this would apply for a bartender but at least some of the staff had multiple roles throughout the day. For example, one lady worked the ice cream shop, but later we saw her in a restaurant as a waitress. Another gentlemen was helping usher at the Luau Kalamaku, and we also saw him in a restaurant later. So I'm not sure if that's standard or if it's only for some roles.
Hmm not sure what to say. It is specific to my experience on the Norwegian 7-day Hawaii cruise. I'm sorry it didn't meet your expectations. I do have other Hawaii cruise videos, if those are useful for you.
