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Along with outstanding scenery, we’ve also included some recommendations for learning about the culture. While you might see people wearing beautiful leis at the airport in Honolulu and be tempted to purchase one, hold your horses (or your luggage in this case). You will receive a free fresh flower lei for women (pictured above) or a shell lei for men as you enter the cruise terminal. You’ll also have the opportunity to make additional leis later in the cruise (I’ll get to that shortly). If you love seafood, reserve a table (at least three months in advance) at Mama's Fish House for some of the freshest catches imaginable—yes, it's pricy, but totally worth the splurge. Our gift shops onboard carry everything you’ll need for fun in the sun.
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This was a fantastic way to see sample the islands and get a taste of the best of Hawaii. Hawaii is a huge tourist attraction and many people travel there from all over the world. • Youth activities - Infants and toddlers can be enrolled in the Guppies program, kids ages three - 12 will enjoy Splash Academy and teens can hang out in the Entourage Teen Club.
Kid-Friendly Amenities Make the Ship Perfect for a Family Vacation
So, from a culinary standpoint, the ship doesn’t offer a true Hawaiian experience. Decor-wise, we liked the restaurants and lounges that had a “Hawaiian-feel” to them, but there weren’t many places onboard like that. The Aloha Cafe, the main buffet restaurant of the ship, had some Hawaiian touches. We normally grabbed breakfast from here and took it out to the adjacent Aloha Lana’i Bar seating, which is alfresco.
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I did Molokini—an offshore crescent-shaped crater that's home to more than 250 species of tropical fish—on my first visit to Hawaii and enjoyed it. Some fellow passengers I spoke with on the recent cruise did Lanai and encountered lots of sea turtles and spinner dolphins. As of early June, only Cagney's Steakhouse and Jefferson Bistro are open, along with complimentary dining venues Skyline Main Dining Room, Aloha Café, and Cadillac Diner.
Night / 8 Day Hawaiian Islands Cruise
Norwegian Cruise Line is returning to Maui - Travel Weekly
Norwegian Cruise Line is returning to Maui.
Posted: Fri, 01 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
There are some odd themes on the Pride of America, too. For example, there’s a Gold Rush Saloon, decorated in a rustic, old west, 1800s style. It really felt out of place on a ship that only circles the Hawaiian Islands. The ship has two main restaurants, Liberty and Skyline. Liberty is decorated like something out of Washington D.C.
It was nice to wake up in the morning to the view of an island emerging as we pulled into port. The American theme is carried throughout the ship, decorations, and venues. You’ll see Jefferson’s Bistro and the John Adams coffee bar. There are places like the Napa Wine Bar, Club Mardi Gras, and Gold Rush Saloon. As you can see, the islands are very different from one another.
It’s a very efficient itinerary in that you travel from island to island while you’re having dinner, enjoying evening entertainment and sleeping. Possibly one of the very best aspects of the Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America Hawaii cruise is the itinerary. It starts in Honolulu on Oahu on Saturday, sails to Maui by Monday morning and stays overnight in Maui.
The Gold Rush Saloon, for example, is a nice spot for those looking for a casual evening of beer drinking and listening to karaoke. On the other side of the spectrum, those who want a fancier evening (with posher drinks) can go to the Napa Wine Bar and Pink's Champagne Bar. Beach towels will not be provided in your cabin or freely available on loungers like you may be used to on other lines and ships. Second, because the Pride of America has to abide by all American labor laws, the majority of crew members will be Americans, unlike other cruise ships that employ mostly foreign workers. From there, head back east and then north for stops at Wailua Falls and the charming town of Hanalei, where you can grab lunch and enjoy views of Hanalei Bay and the verdant green peaks of Kauai's legendary North Shore.
The Pride of America offers quite a bit of entertainment and activities. The “Freestyle Daily” lists the complete schedule of what’s happening each day. There’s so much going on — Hawaiian cultural lessons, culinary demonstrations, cornhole tournaments, trivia, live music, pool games, dance classes, karaoke and much more. If you are traveling with children or teens, the ship offers youth programs for them.
Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac recently opened a gift and memorabilia store, imaginatively called Mick's House of Fleetwood. For the celebrity treatment, dine at Montage Kapalua Bay, a luxury resort on the north shore. As we make our way by tender from ship to shore on the Big Island, a pod of wild dolphins keeps pace with us.
So what makes the Pride of America so weird, I mean, “unique? ” As the only American flagged ocean cruise ship, you’ll notice three major differences between the Pride of America and other ships that sail to/from Hawaii. First, the Passenger Vessel Services Act does not apply to American registered ships, so the Pride of America isn’t required to stop at a foreign port. If you only have one week off work and want to cruise Hawaii or don’t like sea days, the Pride of America is your only option.
If the ship could change anything structurally, which is extremely unlikely, we would suggest more elevators. At peak times of island arrivals and returns from tours, there could be long elevator waits. Many times, we opted to climb up or down four or five deck levels instead of waiting for the elevators.
Pinks Champagne Lounge seemed to be an ode to the Royal Hawaiian hotel. For a ship that’s dedicated to sailing within the Hawaiian Islands every day of the year for many years, it sure could use more Hawaiian or tropical decor. This diversity of venues, including restaurants, lends itself to a fairly spacious atmosphere while onboard.
Seeing Pride of America return for the first time in two years represents a return to normalcy for people in port. For those who rely on the tourist trade brought by the cruise ships, it's a return to financial stability. We always enjoy Hawaii regional cuisine at restaurants in Hawaii, but we didn’t find anything like that on the ship. At the Aloha Cafe on the final evening, they tried to have a “Taste of Hawaii” dinner, but it was disappointing.
Our cruise fare with a balcony room, the beverage package, speciality dining package and some nominal credits totaled $4,768 for the two of us. The food and stateroom experience felt budget-level, but the cruise cost was far from being a budget price. A limited number of beverages are included in the standard cruise fare.
Don’t try to do it all – you’ll have all week to see and do everything. My recommendation is that you keep just the essentials with you in a small bag or backpack and pick just one thing to do until your room is available. Not only is there a large amount of planning that has to be undertaken, but the actual logistics can also be quite stressful and time-consuming. Each leg of the trips between the islands entails time spent waiting to board and disembark, and then you will have to unpack and pack at each hotel. Your meals each day will also take time in getting to the restaurants and waiting to be served. All of this is wasted time that could be better spent on actually enjoying the many activities on your itinerary.
