Great trip, despite poor food

Item: Pride of America
Rating: 3.9
Author: bjj1954

Pride of America Cruise Review to Hawaii

bjj1954

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 9

Overall rating:

3.9 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Hawaii (Honolulu Roundtrip)

Sail date: January 06, 2018

Ship: Pride of America

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 8706

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

The cruise ports of call and timeframe is great. If you count food quality as being a huge part of your trip, I would think twice. Food and beverage is not a strong point of this ship. If you are looking for a comfortable floating hotel to take you to great spots, this cruise will fulfill your need

Ship tip

If you want to see Hawaii from sea, this is a great voyage. If you are looking for an intimate voyage with great food, this is not the cruise for you

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Ports of call

Honolulu, Oahu

5 out of 5

Kahului, Maui

5 out of 5

Hilo, Hawaii

5 out of 5

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

4 out of 5

Nawiliwili, Kauai

5 out of 5

21 Comments

KLBway 6 years ago

Thank you interstatedj for your additional insight. Hawaii has always been on my bucket list and I saw this cruise and felt like it was perfect but when I saw so many negative reviews was afraid to move forward with booking it. I can honestly say I will book my cruise after we return from our upcoming cruise in May.

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mjjh72 6 years ago

Awesome!

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66gt350ps 6 years ago

Absolutely! Both excellent.

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interstatedj 6 years ago

The Polynesian Cultural Center is a MUST! Also get a Fresh Dole Whip pineapple treat at the Dole Plantation. Yummy!

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CyndiKay 6 years ago

We're going on May 12th.. so I think the weather should be pretty nice and we are doing primarily NCL excursions...we are trying to do something different each day... the day before the cruise were doing Pearl Harbor and the day after we are doing a custom tour of the island before we fly home...we hope to be able to visit the Dole Plantation and the Polynesian Cultural Center...we won't have much time...but we'd hate to miss it...

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66gt350ps 6 years ago

I revommend tours because I grew up and live here and am frequently giving directions to lost visitors, calling for assistance when they get in trouble at unfamiliar beaches, see drivers slowing traffic to sightsee and take photos, find they missed special places and have to make lots of u turns. The small van tours are more flexible in schedules and places they go than the big buses. Just my view.

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interstatedj 6 years ago

I would agree with 66gt350ps about EXCEPT if you use Shaka Guide app. You'll see so much more than a tour company, it's private so you aren't like a herd of cows with time restraints etc. It's well worth it in my opinion and you get all the history and then some. Highly recommend the download

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66gt350ps 6 years ago

I agree with all the positives as we have done the Pride five times. However, for first time visitors who want to Hawaii do small excursions on each island. You miss so much trying a do it yourself by car. Let someone else do the driving so you can enjoy the scenery and learn the correct way to pronounce those strange Hawaiian words. Next trip rent a car to go to your new favorite places.

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interstatedj 6 years ago

You deserve to be excited after all its Hawaii. I promise if you go in with the excitement and enthusiasm that you have you will be blown away with how truly amazing this cruise is. You're going to one of the most beautiful and breathtaking places on earth. You're transportation to get there is a cruise ship. Focus on the experience. If you have the right attitude then you'll have the best time of your life. Stay positive get online and watch videos and look at pictures of where you'll be. This is one cruise I will do again and again and I love the Pride Of America. Positive vibes everyone. ;)

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JaxT 6 years ago

CyndiKay....when in May are you cruising? We are also so excited! This is a bucket list trip and were very upset to see so many bad reviews!!!!

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CyndiKay 6 years ago

Thank you interstatedj...we’re doing this cruise in May and we are soooo excited! We’ve never been to Hawaii and we’ve saved and paid for a trip of a lifetime...it had made me sick at heart to read some of the awful reviews...thank you for the level headed comments you have made...we’re doing excursions everyday... I think I’m looking forward to the Captain Zodiak the most! Glad to know it was so fun for you...we want to see and do as much as possible on this cruise! I’m so glad to know that it wasn’t as awful as some of the reviews indicate...thanks again

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mjjh72 6 years ago

Thanks so much 😀

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interstatedj 6 years ago

Okay. Here's my recommendations for shore excursions... If you can, arrive a full day early or stay a full day later in Oahu. Pearl Harbor/USS Arizona is a Must. If you want to go at your own pace then rent a car and download "Shaka Guide" app for Oahu, Maui, and Kauai. Rent cars on those three islands. Shaka Guide will use your vehicle GPS location and give you narrated turn by turn directions for amazing points of interest with stories, songs, music and more. It's like having your own personal tour guide but at your own pace. Use it for circle island tour in Oahu, Road to Hana Maui, Waiamea canyon and Napali coast in Kauai. Also in Maui we did the Volcano day bike tour which was a blast 23 miles downhill on pedal bikes. So much fun. In Hilo we did Ricky's Tours (rickystourshawaii.com) for a very private island tour. In Kona we did captain zodiacs snorkel excursion. The Zodiac boat ride was a blast out to captain hooks monument for snorkeling, awesome up close zodiac into sea caves and history of pele. In Kauai we loved Kipu Ranch Adventures waterfall tour where you drive off road side by sides into amazing landscape where many many movies are filmed. Eat lunch next to waterfall and get to swim in others. Those are my recommendations. Hope it helps.

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mjjh72 6 years ago

That would be awesome!

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interstatedj 6 years ago

You would have to be full of negativity to dislike anything about this cruise. I could even recommend you some amazing shore excursions

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mjjh72 6 years ago

Great thanks interstatedj 😊

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interstatedj 6 years ago

We have done this same cruise twice in the past three years. We have nothing but positive to say about this cruise. It has been one of our favorite cruises. Any cruise opinion depends on your attitude. If you go into it with negativity then it will be negative. Same goes for positive experience. Yeah the buffet repeats itself but man the breakfast biscuits and gravy daily were great. This truly is the absolute best way to get to see the islands. Eat in the dining rooms nightly for variety. Our excursions were the best!

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JaxT 6 years ago

Please post your thoughts please for those who will be going soon!!!! Thanks!!!!

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nanlouise 6 years ago

32 Days.

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clferr 6 years ago

11 days and we shall see!

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mjjh72 6 years ago

Thanks for the honest feedback 😊 reviews have been up and down so it’s quite confusing.

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Other reviews of this sailing

Fantastic itinerary, great way to see Hawaii

January 6th sailing