There are a 1,000 ways to experience Hawaii that are better than this cruise

Item: Pride of America
Rating: 2.4
Author: scsprague

Pride of America Cruise Review to Hawaii

scsprague

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 37

Overall rating:

2.4 out of 5

7 Night Hawaii (Honolulu Roundtrip)

Sail date: June 30, 2018

Ship: Pride of America

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 8027

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

We enjoyed our time with our family which was the motivation for going. Aside from that, the only highlights on-board were the views while cruising past the lava flow and the Na Pali coast. The time off the boat was always amazing. I always thought the amazing food would make the cost of the cruise worth it. This food fell far short of that. Not outright bad, but bland and only one meal I'd have actually called "good". A waste of resources and time overall. I highly recommend anyone considering the Pride of America to scrap that plan and instead travel directly to one or two of the amazing islands/ports. Kona & Hilo on the big island, Maui, or Kauai are all amazing places with loads to see and do for all types of travelers. And that way you don't have to worry about getting back on the boat and missing so much of what you want to see just so you can sit and eat bland food and catch some 3rd-rate show aimed at entertaining so many different demographics that it ends up just making people feel awkward. Motivate and get out there to see stuff! Or motivate and get out there to sit back and relax on the beach. Just don't waste your time and money on this boat.

Embarkation

1 out of 5

There put a $300 charge on our credit card for what amounts to over 2 weeks for expenses we never incurred. If I were to borrow that money for the same time span, I'd have to pay interest on it.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

1 out of 5

The (asian) specialty restaurant that we wanted to try was never open when we went there. The main dining room had very limited options for my wife who is vegetarian. And the entrees were very mediocre which is in direct contrast to the amazing food I had on a Carnival cruise about 18 years ago.

Skyline Restaurant

1 out of 5

Wait staff failed to make this a pleasant experience for someone with diet restrictions. A lack of coordination between cruise staff contributed to this failure. The food wasn't outright bad, but it was generally bland and unfulfilling. There was only one dinner (of the 7 I ate there) that was actually good - and it wasn't that spectacular, just above average.

Aloha Café

1 out of 5

Bland buffet food with surprising few options and generally rude staff.

Gold Rush Saloon

2 out of 5

Best atmosphere of any of the bars/restaurants on the boat. But that's not saying much.

East Meets West

1 out of 5

Was never open when we attempted to go.

Onboard Activities

2 out of 5

The highlights of the cruise were the views of the Kilauea lava flows into the ocean and the Na Pali coast. We didn't have much of a chance to take advantage of the deck games such as shuffleboard.

Entertainment

1 out of 5

Service and Staff

1 out of 5

I was greatly disappointed by the lack of effort put forward by the restaurant staff to accommodate vegetarian options. We tried to coordinate ahead of time, but kept hitting dead-ends. And when requests were made the night of for other options, nearly every request was declined. We elected not to have our room cleaned most days since we didn't want to waste resources on cleaning sheets and towels that didn't need it. The one day we did request service, the room steward threw away our food which was stored for a snack.

Ship Quality

1 out of 5

No huge complaints about general design and cleanliness. However, we were unable to locate any recycling receptacles, so we had to store our used plastics and paper and eventually bring them off-ship to recycle.

Cabin / Stateroom

2 out of 5

Ship tip

Don't do it. Instead travel directly to one or two of the islands and get a more genuine and spectacular experience of the resources and the culture.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Honolulu, Oahu

2 out of 5

The snorkeling in Hanauma Bay was great, and Pearl Harbor was fine. But the rest of the city is just like every other city in the US.

Thumbs Up 2

Kahului, Maui

5 out of 5

Truly amazing snorkeling trip through Pacific Whale Foundation - Molokini Crater & sea turtle cleaning station.

Thumbs Up 7

Hilo, Hawaii

5 out of 5

Amazing waterfalls - Akaka, Rainbow, Pe'e Pe'e; and Volcano National Park (even though it's mostly closed, still great info in Hilo)

Thumbs Up 6

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

5 out of 5

Amazing snorkeling - Kealakekua Bay (with kayak trip), Two-Step, Kahaluu Beach Park. And of course Kona Brewing Co. We booked our own tour and saw things on our own instead of going through the ship excursions. We also did some of these on days before the cruise started.

Thumbs Up 8

Nawiliwili, Kauai

5 out of 5

Rented a car and and paddle-boarded Wailua River. Drove to Hanalei Bay. Also returned to island after cruise and saw amazing Na Pali coast, Waimea Canyon, Kokee Forest.

Thumbs Up 3

Disembarkation

2 out of 5

4 Comments

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