Pride Of America 7 Night Hawaii Cruise from Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii

pride of america cruise hawaii

Take that into consideration when deciding what to book – for example, we opted out of bidding to upgrade to a suite from our balcony cabin knowing we wouldn’t do much more than sleep in it. We elected to stick with a less expensive cabin and spend more on excursions. 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.

Hilo – Big Island

You'll find a good mix of families and older couples with some younger (in their 30s) mixed in, but you won't find many college-aged spring breakers. This means that evenings are pretty tame and child-friendly (you likely won't see people shot-gunning beers and cheering at the poolside bar). Americans make up the majority of passengers followed by Australians (thanks in part to Australia's proximity to Hawaii). You'll also be sailing with British citizens, as well of people of Hispanic and Asian heritage.

Don’t Purchase A Lei At The Airport, You’ll Receive One At The Cruise Terminal

Aboard Pride of America, performances are limited to vocalists, comedians, movie screenings, and game-show-like contests. Think of it as your travel companion, helping you experience an unforgettable cruise vacation every step of the way. Learn about the latest ships and destinations by browsing hundreds of questions (and the answers to those questions) posted by real cruisers. If you happen not to find what you’re looking for, you can even post a question of your own.

Sails To

Seeing sunrise from 10,000 feet above sea level on a dormant volcano is quite a unique experience. If your ship stays overnight on Maui, day two would be your only option for seeing sunrise from Haleakala. Guests wish they had more time on this island, the two days will not feel like enough.

Whether it's a flightseeing trip to the steaming mouth of the Kilauea volcano or a simple bus tour to view Waimea Canyon, try local goat cheese or pay respects at Pearl Harbor, Norwegian does it well. Norwegian has become synonymous with Hawaii, dedicating Pride of America exclusively to year-round intra-island sailings. It's the only big cruise ship that doesn't need to begin or end its Hawaii sailings in a mainland U.S city, giving passengers more time in Hawaii and less time at sea. This diversity of venues, including restaurants, lends itself to a fairly spacious atmosphere while onboard. It doesn't often feel like there are more than 2,000 people on the ship at the same time.

You would need to get their first tour at 9am to make this feasible for day two of your stop in Kauai. One of the most fascinating attractions in all of Hawaii is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. It’s a park that is worthy of exploring for more than just a day, but as you’ll likely only have a day here, you’ll get to see some of the park’s highlights. Don’t miss it, especially if you have the opportunity to see volcanic activity.

pride of america cruise hawaii

Sip your favourite cocktail as you select from choice cuts of Angus beef at Cagney's Steakhouse. No matter what you choose, our specialty dining options feature the tastes you'll crave. When each Hawaiian island offers so much to see and do for a week-long land vacation, how do you best spend your limited hours at each port?

Top things to do at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park

The land within the park is sacred to Native Hawaiians, with moʻolelo (stories) and mele (songs) tied to this area. They believe Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes, lives in Halemaʻumaʻu Crater at the summit of Kīlauea. If you come across Native Hawaiians performing cultural rituals in the park, keep a respectful distance.

Cruise lines skip Maui port calls - TravelMole

Cruise lines skip Maui port calls.

Posted: Mon, 14 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

One of the best experiences (on an island full of great places to see) is enjoying a helicopter ride around to see canyons, waterfalls, craters, and the famed Na Pali Coast. I had an absolute ball sitting at the bar chatting to friendly bartenders, sipping on the “Cocktail of the Day” and munching on free buttered popcorn! This Wild-West themed sports bar has a great line-up of live music, hosts karaoke and plays the NBA/NFL Games. You can book Shore Excursions direct with Norwegian Cruise Line online (you’ll get a login for NCL.com once you’ve made your cruise reservation) or through the Shore Excursions desk on Pride of America. The hardest decision you’ll have to make is how much time to spend on the ship v.s on land exploring Hawaii.

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]

That means a lot more personal space for everyone onboard, though that will gradually change, too, as the weeks go on. A few passengers have been overheard to remark that they're on a shakedown cruise -- and they're not wrong. This is the ship's first cruise in revenue service in over two years, and Norwegian is taking a cautious approach. With a substantial 2021 drydock in Portland, Oregon behind it, passengers will find some major improvements aboard this unique ship. When I embarked Pride of America in Honolulu on Saturday, I found a ship that has matured. The décor has been toned down substantially, with wall treatments, carpeting and soft furnishings showcasing more sophisticated colors and patterns that reveal a quiet Hawaiian-American influence.

The cruise finishes with a scenic cruise of Kauai’s Na Pali Coast, then goes back to Honolulu, Oahu to disembark. This Saturday to Saturday itinerary is repeated week after week. If you'd rather dive into a snorkel adventure, two top catamaran excursions are the six-hour Molokini Crater & Turtle Snorkel ($249 per person) or the 8.5-hour Lanai Sail & Snorkel ($229).

Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America is a ship with a rich history that began long before it even set sail. It was originally ordered by American Classic Voyages under the codename, "Project America". American Classic Voyages had operated two classic ex-ocean liners pressed into Hawaiian service thanks to their U.S.-registry and drew up replacement plans for the aging vessels in 2000. Pride of America is perfectly suited for families wanting to see Hawaii together, and on our cruise we saw infants, toddlers, kids, tweens and teens setting out for the Hawaiian Islands.

So, from a culinary standpoint, the ship doesn’t offer a true Hawaiian experience. 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. 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.

Park entry costs $30 for a private car, $25 for a motorcycle, and $15 for pedestrians and cyclists. The park has gone cashless, so payment has to be made with debit or credit cards in person or online. The bright orange ʻākepa, an endangered Hawaiian honeycreeper with an odd-shaped beak, can be spotted in the high-elevation forests of the park’s Kahuku Unit. And if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the endemic ʻio, the only hawk species native to Hawaiʻi.

The rest -- Moderno Churrascaria, East Meets West and La Cucina -- are closed. The significance of Norwegian Cruise Line's return to Hawaii cannot be understated. Since 2005, Pride of America has been a staple of these Hawaiian Islands, arriving with punctuality into its weekly ports of call, much like the Matson Line ships that used to sail weekly from the U.S. Mainland to Hawaii and points afar and which are still a huge part of local folklore here.

However, the significant expense involved in getting to and from Honolulu makes booking the Pride of America unique. Few places on Earth are more picturesque than Hawaii, and despite rather industrial views while docked, you can enjoy views of mountains, greenery and -- in some ports -- bustling metropolises. It's lucky, then, that more than half of Pride of America's cabins are outfitted with balconies. The fitness center is by far the largest we’ve ever seen on a cruise ship. It was also one of the most sparsely populated areas of the ship.

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