NCL offers both a 7-Day Hawaii Cruise and a 10-Day Cruisetour package. Last December, I decided to take the Cruisetour and write about it.
When one books the cruisetour, one has a single choice to make for land accommodations:
- Hotel room with a view of the Honolulu skyline
- Hotel room with a view of Waikiki Beach
I chose the city view, as I figured that the tour bus would be taking us to see more than enough water views over the three land days - and I was right.But first....
NCL scheduled me to be on the first flight out of Newark airport, with an expected Honolulu arrival time of 7:00 pm. Unfortunately, my first flight was scuttled after everyone had boarded the plane. Although the plane may have been technically safe to fly, it would not have been realistic to let this plane take off without a working water system. So the first thing I did after exiting this plane was to find a gate agent and ask for help. Thankfully, I was the first person on line asking for help, and this would prove to be the deciding factor in my getting to Honolulu in time for the first day's Oahu island touring.
Before I left for my trip, I joked about leaving on December 7th. This date must have a little curse attached to it, as the gate agent could only find one flight connection that would get me to Honolulu on the 7th. She started rebooking me on a flight which was leaving in 45 minutes, with a 3 hour layover in LA before I could get on a plane to Honolulu. Unfortunately, her computer needed to be rebooted in the middle of my reticketing. She gave me my first boarding pass and instructed me to run to the other flight's gate, as I'd barely have time to make it there. (Although she said I could get my second boarding pass when in LA, I was very uneasy with this.) Luckily, the new flight was going to take off late, and I was able to get the second boarding pass printed at the new departure gate.
At this point, I knew I should be able to make it to Honolulu OK. But what about my luggage? I found out that it would be on a later plane to San Francisco, and then on another plane to Honolulu. My bag would get to my destination before I did. So I settled down and relaxed. Thankfully, I held 2 boarding passes in my grubby hands, and protected them as if my life depended on it. United's mobile app was totally fouled up by my ticketing change, and this would cause me problems when going home.
Arriving in LA, I decided to check in with United's customer service desk at the airport. They confirmed that my bags would be in Honolulu before me. My Tile tracker told me that my bags were somewhere near San Francisco waiting for their next flight. So I was still a little nervous, but knew that I had enough clothes in my carry-on for a day or two in Hawaii. And my next flight took off on time, 3 hours after my arrival in LA. When the plane landed in Honolulu, my first task was to find my luggage, and then find my ride to the hotel. So I left the secured area of the airport and went to baggage claim. And yes, the bag did get to Honolulu before me. Then, it was off to find the ride to the hotel.
When cruise lines arrange both air and hotel bookings, they will usually have a person with a sign near the baggage claim area. One will look for that person, and he/she will direct people to the bus to the hotel. I couldn't find that person, and called for help. Eventually, I found the person and got to the hotel at 11:00 pm Hawaii time.
Once inside the hotel, I took care of registration, and received a letter telling me what to expect for the next 3 days.
- Day 1 (12/08/22):
Meet in downstairs lobby at 8:30 am and check in with NCL staff.
Afterward, the bus would take us to the Polynesian Cultural Center for the day's activities, and return to the hotel. - Day 2 (12/09/22):
Meet on bus at 7:30 am. The bus would take us to Pearl Harbor, and return to the hotel. - Day 3 (12/10/22):
Meet on bus at 7:30 am. The bus would take us to the Kualoa Valley Ranch, and deliver us to the ship for our cruise.
After being up for 24 hours straight, I made myself comfortable and passed out for the evening.- - - - - -
The next day was the first day of touring Oahu's sites. It was a little chaotic where we were supposed to meet, as NCL didn't record that I was present for their orientation. Yet, I made it to the correct bus and we started off to the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) with a stop at the Dole Plantation.
If one doesn't know anything about bus tours, one quickly learns that bio-break bus stops are always included when traveling a distance from an excursion's starting point. In this case, our first stop was a bio-break at the Dole Plantation. Although it is listed as an attraction on NCL's promotional material, it is a store with public rest rooms that bus tours use for a halfway point when going to the PCC. Once we had a chance to relieve ourselves and do some shopping, it was off to our destination.
We arrived at PCC about 30 minutes before its official opening. That gave me enough time to eat some lunch before entering the park. Once inside, it was off to tour the exhibits for Hawaii, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti, and Aotearoa (New Zealand). All exhibits were staffed by people native to the islands, demonstrating things that are special to their cultures. Of these exhibits, it's hard to know which ones I enjoyed most. Could it be the music presentation of Tonga, where the audience is encouraged to clap their hands and stomp their feet? Or, could it be the Samoans climbing the coconut trees to retrieve coconuts at the top of the trees? There is so much to see, that one needs to plan in advance to see as much as possible.
One thing that visitors to PCC should know. There is an evening Luau at PCC. Several people on my tour stayed at PCC for the Luau. If one chooses to stay for the Luau, they will need to arrange their return to the hotel. (I'm not sure if this can be arranged through the cruise line, or separately through the bus company.) If I were to do this trip again, I'd have figured out how to stay for the Luau and return to the hotel when it is over.
All too soon, our visit ended, and it was back to Honolulu for the night. The cruisetour leaves people on their own when at the hotel to find their own food for breakfast and for dinner. So it's advisable to use Yelp to find a good place to eat and take an Uber to get to the restaurant and back.
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The second day on Oahu was one where we'd be staying in the Honolulu area. Today was our Pearl Harbor day.
Since Pearl Harbor is still an active military installation, visitors have a minor, but annoying inconvenience when visiting the site: all handbags must be clear, so that the contents are visible at all times. This means that most women on the trip would need to purchase clear plastic "stadium bags" before their visit to Pearl, or check their bags at the visitors center.
After an initial scan of the bus by Pearl Harbor security, we were allowed to enter the base. Our first stop was the Battleship Missouri, where we left the bus to tour the ship for about an hour or so. This is the same ship on which Japan signed the surrender documents which put an end to World War 2 in the Pacific. Visitors get to stand on the same deck where these documents were signed.
Once done with the USS Missouri, the bus took us over to the Pacific Aviation Museum. This site is located where Pearl Harbor's original airfield was. In the above picture, one of the original buildings (I believe the control tower) is in view behind the "Gooney Bird" in the foreground.
Inside the first building is a large collection of aircraft used in war. If one is into the study of war in the air, this would be a good place to start. However, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the number of planes on display, and the history of one plane blurs into the other by the time one leaves the building.
Nearby is the exhibit dedicated to Bob Hope. I grew up watching his specials on TV, and he was well known for entertaining servicemen in war zones. The United States was fortunate that he immigrated to the US when he was young. I can't imagine anyone more American than Hope, a man who was there for his adopted country when we needed his services most.
Next, it was off to see the USS Arizona memorial. I had purchased a separate ticket for the ferry ride for $1.00 (Free, with a $1.00 Service Charge) about a month before my visit. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to use my ticket, as high winds prevented the ferry from running that day. The picture above shows how close I was and how far away it was as well. So I looked for a place to sit down and have some lunch before my next stop.
Finally, I walked over to the USS Bowfin, a World War 2 submarine. Although I've walked through submarines before, I am continually reminded on how tight the spaces are on these ships. One can't help but be close to one's crewmates when serving on these ships, and I'm glad I didn't have to do so. During the war, submarine duty was considered high risk, and I can only imagine what these sailors did to let off steam when they returned to port. (Did I hear anyone say "Hotel Street" ?)
Although I could have done a little more exploring, I returned to the bus a little early and relaxed before the ride back to the hotel, where I freshened myself up before seeing a friend for dinner that night.
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Our last day on Oahu started with a bus trip to the Kualoa Valley Ranch, a scenic place used for the setting of many a TV show and movie.
Our first stop was a Buddhist temple. Although the stop was used for a bio-break, I'm glad we stopped here, as it is a great place for photographers to pursue their craft. I was able to get some interesting shots here before we moved on to our next stop.
Before reaching the Ranch, we stopped by a shop where we could buy Macadamia Nuts and Jewelry. (You'll notice that chickens are all over the island - they are an invasive species, and they will be found on almost every Hawaiian island. ) By now, I was starting to get hungry and noshed on a few of these nuts before we finally arrived at the Ranch.
The visitors center at the ranch is relatively low key. This is where we had a box lunch that we ordered the day before, then learned about cargo plants and animals brought to the Hawaiian islands by Polynesian sailors.
Then we got on buses to tour the ranch. You might recognize the above shots from movies and TV shows. Public tours will go through these sites while filming takes place. Some productions are tourist friendly, and want the buzz from people seeing a production in progress. Others try to hide what they are doing from tourists, and block views from the tour bus. The only times that tourists do not pass by these sites is when a production buys up all of the tickets available for a shooting day. Sometimes, this is done for good reason, for example, when explosives are used.
All too soon, it was time to go, and we returned to Honolulu to be dropped off at the ship. Although the Pride of America is almost 20 years old, it feels like most of the NCL ships I have cruised on. Yet, this ship is different from all other ships in their fleet, as it is both American flagged and American staffed.
Unlike NCL's other ships, this ship is designed to ooze Americana whenever possible. Behind the grand staircase, one will find an obelisk similar to the Washington Monument. In front is the Great Seal of the United States. On most NCL ships, the casual dining area is "The Local" or "O'Sheehan's". On this ship, it's the Cadillac Diner, with posters advertising an Elvis Presley picture adorning one wall, along with booths arranged to resemble a stretched out 1950's car. Even the specialty restaurants are not immune from "Americanization". On this ship, Cagney's (NCL's Steakhouse) is adorned with many pictures of Jimmy Cagney. And Le Bistro (NCL's French Restaurant) has been renamed "Jefferson's Bistro" and adorned with pictures that would be right at home in Monticello.
After taking care of business with the shore excursions desk and making my final two restaurant reservations, it was time for me to get comfortable for my first night on the ship.
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The first morning after I boarded the ship, we made port in Maui. I had my choice of several shore excursions for the day, and I chose "The Road to Hana" tour. The segment of the road we were on took us from Kahului to the town of Hana.
For those who are not familiar with this road, Wikipedia's description sums it best:
The Hana Highway (colloquially referred to as The Road to Hana) is a 64.4-mile-long (103.6 km) stretch of Hawaii Routes 36 and 360 which connects Kahului to the town of Hana in east Maui. To the east of Kalepa Bridge, the highway continues to Kipahulu as Hawaii Route 31 (the Piilani Highway). Although Hana is only about 52 miles (84 km) from Kahului, an uninterrupted car-trip takes about 2.5 hours to drive, since the highway is very windy, narrow, and passes over 59 bridges, of which 46 are only one lane wide.[6] There are approximately 620 curves along Route 360 from just east of Kahului to Hana, almost all of it through lush, tropical rainforest. Many of the concrete and steel bridges date back to 1910 and all but one are still in use.
My excursion was on the Kahului to Hana segment of this road. I do not recommend that cruisers rent cars and make this drive themselves, due to the many curves and narrowness of the road. It is extremely picturesque, and shutterbugs will want to stop at every turn to record images for posterity. (If I were driving my own vehicle, I'd be one of the major reasons for traffic jams on this road.)
Halfway along our journey, the tour guide stopped at a local snack shop where we could purchase sodas and other snacks. The one thing she recommended highly was their freshly baked banana bread, still warm from the oven. It did not disappoint. I wish I could taken a case home to share with my family. At least, I know of one place I'll get out of the bus when I take this trip again.
When we arrived in Hana, it was time for lunch. The tour guide provided us with soft drinks, salad, and wraps of our choice. All too soon, it was time to return to the ship. Along the way, we stopped by a shop that sold local craft items (jewelry), and then proceeded home. Unfortunately, the tour guide's bus had electrical problems and stalled along the road. I was a little worried, as none of our phones had cell reception in this area, and it would take a while to get mechanical help. (This is a good reason for people to choose cruise line sponsored excursions, as the ship would have waited for us had we needed "rescue".) Luckily, she was able to get the bus started again after 20 minutes, and we made it back to the ship with no more incidents.
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The next day would be the ship's last day at Maui, and this time I chose the shore excursion to the top of the Haleakala Crater, an active shield volcano that covers 75% of Maui. If one has the right weather, the views along the trail and of the crater are breathtaking. If one has the wrong weather, the clouds will obscure the views at the top of the crater. Unfortunately, my tour was on one of those bad weather days.
When we started up the mountain, it was a sunny 84° outside at sea level. However, at the visitors center near the top of the mountain, it was a foggy 33° outside. I was very glad I took this trip in December, as I was comfortable as I had my winter coat with me
On the way back, we stopped at the lower level visitors center, where we saw a few more exhibits on Hawaiian lore regarding the crater. From there, it was a stop at a place where tourist goods were sold and a stop at a local supermarket before returning to the ship to go on to our next port.
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The "Big Island" and the port of Hilo was our next stop. And this was one of two ports we'd make on the island. I had chosen a shore excursion that would take me to Volcanoes National Park to see the Kilauea volcano's caldera and steam vents.
Our first stop was a chocolate factory a short distance from the pier. Like most other first stops to the main attraction on the excursion, this one gave us just enough time to take a needed bio-break and buy some product to snack on along the way.
Like the views at the top of the Haleakala crater, the views at this park are weather dependent. And mother nature made sure that it drizzled all the time we were in the park. If I were to do this trip again, I'd take a reusable poncho along. Luckily, I was able to buy a cheap, disposable poncho in the park's visitor's center.
A short distance from the visitors center was a trail leading to the sulfur steam vents. Even with the rain, one couldn't help but small the sulfur in the area. Visitors are strongly advised not to touch any of the rocks by the side of the trail, as the sulfur deposits may have combined with moisture in the air to produce sulfuric acid.
Once I left the trail, I went back to the tour bus for its next stop - a view of the volcano and a pair of steam vents. By now, the drizzle had turned back into rain and I was not able to get a good view at this stop. Hopefully, I'll get a clear day when I next visit this park.
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The next day, we arrived at the port of Kona. Unlike all other ports on this cruise, this one required the use of tender boats to reach the shore. I chose "Tastes of Hawaii" for this port's shore excursion, as all of the other ones I was interested in were sold out by the time I started booking excursions for this trip.
Our first stop on this trip was a JCC Coffee plantation. It was nice to taste some Kona Coffee on the Big Island. This was a quick stop, and one meant to give tourists something to see before a long bus ride.
Driving to our next stop, we traveled through lands owned by the Parker Ranch. Most people aren't aware that Hawaii has one of the largest cattle ranches in the United States. Much of the land on the Big Island is unsuitable for traditional agriculture due to the irregular igneous rock surface below a thin layer of topsoil. However, it is quite useful for cattle ranching, as the animals are able to safely graze without damaging their hooves. What I found most interesting is that once the cattle are rounded up, they are shipped to the US Mainland for slaughtering, and shipped back to the Hawaiian islands for retail sale.
Our next stop was the Macadamia Nut Factory. There wasn't much to see here, as the canning operation wasn't running while we were there. However, this was a good place to pick up some snacks before going for lunch as a nearby park.
This excursion provided us with another box lunch. Did I like it? Yes, but I can eat and enjoy almost anything, excepting liver, lima beans and Vegemite. However, box lunches provided on shore excursions will not always meet a person's dietary needs. NCL, like many other cruise lines does not provide for a way to communicate dietary needs to an excursion provider. So if one has serious dietary requirements to be considered for any shore excursion, it might pay to bring one's own box lunch from the ship.
Next, we were off to the Kuleana Rum Works. If I could buy this rum locally, I'd have several bottles around my house for when I want to enjoy some distilled spirits. The tour guide explained about what makes Kuleana's rum special, and how different grades of run can be used in place of other spirits. He then told us how to enjoy their spirits, and poured each of us 4 glasses to help us identify the varying flavors in each of their rums. What made this stop special was that this was the first time the rum works was open to visitors since the beginning of the Covid-19 epidemic.
Once we left the rum works, it was off to our next destination. On these roads, if one looks closely enough are examples of surface layer igneous rock from several volcanic eruptions over the past 200 years.
Finally, we made it to the Kona Brewing Company. I was disappointed in their product for reasons that beer connoisseurs would appreciate - they do not adhere to the Reinheitsgebot. They flavor their beers. Like the Germans, I am not stuck up in regard to beer. I do enjoy Belgian Lambics, and respect them the way Germans do. The only exception I might make for beers not following German beer Purity Laws is for shelf stability. In that regard, American beers brewed with rice maintain a consistent, but less enjoyable flavor, are acceptable to quench a thirst on a hot summer's day.
And then it was back to the ship for the evening, and on to our next stop.
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Our last port stop on this cruise before debarkation was Kauai. This was the one day that I decided to rest on the ship, as I had booked a shore excursion to the Kalamaka Luau that evening. If I had to do it all over again, I might have booked another excursion for the daytime, such Kauai, the Director's Cut, or the Kauai Helicopter Adventure given by Shore Excursions Group. Given that NCL is no longer offering a sail-by along the Na Pali coast, I'd likely choose the Helicopter Adventure on day 1 in Kauai, and take a cruise line offered shore excursion on day 2 in port.
I had purchased "Deluxe Seating" for the luau. This meant that I was one table away from the stage. This would prove to be a wise decision after dinner, when the show started. This luau presents Hawaii's oral history interpreted in song and dance. Part of the show includes gymnastics with flaming torches, and I could feel the heat from less than 20 feet away from the stage. Would I again pay for deluxe seating? Yes. Any further away, and it might be hard to see the performers' faces.
This is a popular excursion, as most people arriving for the cruise are not able to get to the Polynesian Cultural Center before the cruise to enjoy their luau. As a result, we ended up waiting 20-30 minutes for the handful of buses that would take us back to the ship. Would I go to this luau again? Maybe. But I think I'd want to see the luau at the cultural center for something new.
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The second day in Kauai was the last day of the cruise. This day's shore excursion was a Journey to Waimea Canyon. I was advised to take this excursion by a friend, and I wasn't disappointed by her recommendation.
Our tour guide explained that many plantation roads were lined with trees for practical reasons. Before the automobile, there was no such thing as air conditioning for people bringing goods to market. So, shade trees were planted along many roads, so that the tropical sun would not be making people feel excessively uncomfortable.
After a quick bio-break stop, our tour headed to the Waimea Canyon Lookout. Along the way, our tour guide mentioned that due to chickens being an invasive species, there is no limit to how many birds a hunter can bag. However, there are limits on several other species, and hunting in Hawaii is strictly regulated by both law and local custom. When we arrived at the lookout, the weather again interfered with getting a good view, as there was too much fog to get a good photo. This is one place I'd like to visit again on a clear day.
Our next stop was in the town of Waimea itself. Our guide mentioned that the T-Shirt Shop allows its rest room to be used by tourists. After I took advantage of their hospitality, I picked up some lunch at a local venue before returning to the bus. This would be the last place I'd visit while in Hawaii, and I wish I could have spent more time in Waimea and Hawaii.
Sadly, our cruise-by the Na Pali coast was marred by rain and fog. Unfortunately, most future Pride of America cruises will skip this part of the cruise to save on fuel ("to help green the environment"). So, the best way to see this picturesque part of Hawaii will be on a shore excursion. Hopefully, NCL will restore this "cruise-by" in the future to their itineraries.
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The ship had been setting up its Christmas Decorations for the 6 nights I was on the ship. By the time the 7th night arrived, almost all of the decorations were in place. I'd have loved to be on this ship for a Christmas or New Year's cruise. However, given that these are US holidays and that many venues are closed for the holidays, sailing on these holidays is not advised unless one can skip a port's usual activities on the holiday.
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On the 7th day of the cruise, my time on the ship ended as we docked in Honolulu. Unlike many cruises I've been on, disembarkation was easy and quick. My scheduled debarkation time was 8:30 am. So I had enough time to have an early breakfast and still make it back to my cabin to watch TV for an hour. Around 8:00 am, the room steward wondered why I wasn't out of the room already and I explained the situation. While answering him, my color code was called, and I proceeded to leave the ship for one last time.
Since this ship does not leave United States' waters, there was no need for a customs inspection. Once off the ship, it was an easy walk to the baggage claim area. My luggage was easy to find. But, instead of taking the NCL arranged airport transfer, or an NCL arranged post-cruise shore excursion, I had arranged to take a taxi to a day use hotel, as my flight wouldn't be taking off until 10:45 pm.
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And here is where my "Fun" began....
At the beginning of this entry, I noted that my flights to Honolulu had to be rebooked due to a aircraft malfunction. This would be the day that I had to deal with the after effects of that problem. Around 5:00 am, I logged onto United's web site to check in for my flight home. There was one problem: There were duplicate records for my trip, and the system couldn't disentangle them. The message I received was to go to the airport and have a gate agent take care of things. I figured that when I got to my day use hotel, I could work things out on a phone call to United. After an hour, I spoke to a United representative, and she told me that she was unable to fix the problem. So I decided to sleep for a few hours before going to the airport.
Around 5:00 pm, I took a cab to the airport, and then I was in for some more fun. I approached the kiosk area, and a United employee thought he could help me with getting my boarding passes, and he insisted on doing so. Boy, was he wrong! He gave up quickly and brought me to a gate agent. I figured that it would take some time to get this fixed, and I was right. This gentleman had to ask several people for help, and it took an hour and a supervisor or two to get my boarding passes cut. By the time he was done, I was within the 4 hour timeframe in which I could enter the airport's secured area. And he did me a favor, by allowing my checked luggage to bypass Hawaii agricultural screening.
Now, it was time to pass through the TSA PreCheck station. Compared to checking in for the flight, this was easy. And yet, the content of my bag triggered an inspection - the coconut candle I had bought as a gift generated a scanning anomaly. Once resolved, it was into the secured area, with 3 1/2 hours to wait before boarding the plane. It was time for a nap, and I found a way to do that.
I won't go into the seat discomfort of the red-eye flight to LA, nor will I describe my frustration over having to gate-check my carry-on bag on my flight to Newark. But I was very grateful with these two bags were the first off the luggage carousel when I arrived. Fifteen minutes later, I was in my car and on my way home to get some much needed sleep.
By the way, United has never credited me for those miles I earned for the flights to Honolulu. That's a small price to pay for getting to Honolulu on time for the first day's activities.....
