Pride of America Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Cruising to the various Islands was wonderful.  We took tours through Delta and they were wonderful.  The beauty, the landscapes and the history were awesome.  Couldn't believe the ship ran out of Decaf coffee.  We had the same dining time as there was 10 of us.  It was disappointing not to have the same wait staff every eve.  We as a group have taken several cruises together and found it so nice to get to know the staff.  The classes on lei making was great.  (Someone took mine from my luggage) Believe that happened in Atlanta.  The shows were great.  Really enjoyed the comedian and the Vegas review.  

I enjoyed my vacation traveling on the Pride of America ship. The ship was clean and very easy to navigate around without getting lost. I found that the staff and crew were very customer friendly and friendly. Guess services staff were always willing to assist with questions and concerns. Also, I found that it seemed that all staff were knowledgable about all aspects of the ships activities and events etc.

I thought more diversed ship activities and shows would have been beneficial.

I think with the amount of money passengers spend for the cruise and additional monies spent with on board purchases that the cruise ship company would at least provide free bottled water per day to each stateroom without charge.

Also, for sanitary reasons all passengers need to be briefed on how not to use their personal drinking vessels for re-filling from the public water and juice dispensers in the café and buffet areas. Last year on another NCL cruise the staff placed signs on the water and juice dispensers to inform people that unsanitary behavior not allowed in the public food and drink areas.

I found that the public restrooms on the ship did not have disposable seat covers or the rotating plastic seat covers on all toilet seats for sanitary precautions. Overall I felt safe and comfortable throughout the cruise and loved the islands. I loved the diversity of staff/crew on the ship.

I booked this April 16, 2016 Hawaii Cruise via primarily because the site

offered a $500 voucher/ credit off selected hotel rooms in Honolulu for our trip.

However, the voucher I received via email, required its use prior to March 31,

2016, well before the cruise departure.  In checking with sales agent,

Kenyon Kee AND later his supervisor, they both assured me of a computer

update would be forthcoming, and to keep checking the site for this update.

I kept checking for any update from September through December 2015 but

none was ever issued.  A classic "Bait and Switch" then "Stall or Blame the

Computer."  I will NEVER use again to book anything.  

Disappointing service and food at the buffet. Staterooms were not that well stocked. Service poor at Cadillac Diner. We booked another cruise on NCL just before this cruise and now am wondering if we made a mistake in doing so. Should have booked on Carnival.

The Pride of America is a great way to sample the Islands of Hawaii. This was my Wife's first trip and I wanted it to be special. I highly recommend the CruiseTour which gives you 3 extra days in Waikiki along with the most popular Oahu tours.

We over did the Island tours - needed some time to enjoy the ship. While the majority of the ships workers were great - some seemed like they were just doing time and were not friendly at all - but the majority went beyond being helpful.

We did the specialty dining most of the time - which was excellent , but was disappointed with the main dining room. Overall a great way to see the islands.

The itinerary for this cruise was excellent as was the cleanliness of our stateroom and surroundings on the ship.  Our stateroom attendant was very nice and kept our room in immaculate condition.  The menu on the ship was not as extensive as on other cruise lines whom we had used, (for example lobster was always on the regular menu before and was an upcharge with NCL).  Room service on other cruise lines was always free but on NCL there was a charge.  Any concerns or problems that we had on the ship were quickly addressed. We had a problem one night in the Liberty Dining Room and the Mgr. addressed It by giving us a complimentary dinner in one of the specialty restaurants.  The entertainment on the ship was very good when outside entertainment was on but the ships performers were just ok.  The excursions that we did were very good and were worth the money. 

Island sights were indescribable....picture postcard!  Pride of America was awful!  Certain places on boat when you were walking, smelled like sewage.  Other areas smelled like chemicals (paint fumes, etc).  Windows were never cleaned so did not have a clear site.  Had to go out to railings to see well.  Staff was not very professional.  Had so much silverware and dishes dropped in dining room that we stopped eating there and just did buffet.  One set of full plates that was dropped almost struck a guest in his lap.  Waiter told us what food was good and what was not worth eating.  Guest services was great, very helpful.  Room was not cleaned very well.  Ended up cleaning out the drawers that was covered in black sand and had to wipe down the bathroom door which had dirt and handprints all over it.  Rug was not vacuumed.  Had to ask daily for beach towels - finally just went up to swimming pool deck and got some towels there.  

This is our 2nd NCL cruise. Ship was clean, staff was very friendly and helpful. Food was plentiful and tasty. Entertainment was good. Wished there was more time in Kuaui. Nine years ago we were on the Pride of Hawaii ship and were disappointed in the service and overall conduct of the ship. We are glad that we took another chance on this NCL and we would highly recommend the Pride of America to our friends and family. Even though the ship was under some remodeling we were never inconvenienced and not aware of any work being done.

Absolutely the best way to island hop. Although the ship had not completed their renovations before we sailed, it wasn't too much of a hassle because we were off sightseeing most of the time.  The cruise line did give everyone $200 credit for the inconvenience. Of the four islands we cruised to, Hilo was my least favorite.  The amount of time given at each island was perfect. Excursion offers were great - we felt more comfortable taking the excursions offered through the cruise line than off on our own. 

Also, a big thank you to staff member Karen Kukura for her friendly, fast and efficient help!

This is the second time my husband and I have cruised the Hawaiian Islands.  This trip was one of the best!  The staff was great.  The ship was super clean. Food was good.  Will be going again!  

Bought this trip for my wife for her 50th birthday. This was not what I had in mind. I did a lot of research and thought this cruise would be what we have wanted to do. We were very excited about trip getting all line up for excursions and what we could do on ship for 5 days of cruising and Hawaii islands for 6 days. The day before cruise got a call from my emergency contact say she thought our ship may be delayed a day. Called ncl trying to get info and all they could tell me was it was delayed and need to be there the next day. After 4 hours on the phone the day before leaving was call tomorrow because ncl was closed. Got up at 5am to make sure to get them before getting on plane at 9am for San Francisco. Were told we would be comped  for any motel fees and would be credited for one day of cruising. Thought that's ok we can make that work. Spent night in San Francisco and had good time. Next day was told to be at ship after 1:30 pm but would not boarding until 3pm. We arrived at 2:30 to get in line and got in line. Line was moving. We were middle of line. Got inside and all hell broke loose. There was no direction, people screaming at each other, people were frustrated with no direction from anyone. Almost got into a fight with one guy because he told my wife to get the hell out of the line if we did not have a number. Trying to figure out what he meant. Long story short finally figured out they were calling numbers to check in but no one knew where to get them. After 20 min of craziness. We were to sit down and wait for a # be handed out and they would not hand any out until we were sitting down and quiet (Felt like I was in grade school). After 3 1/2 hours of sitting there and them shoving water and cookies down us we finally made it on the ship. We were in the last group of 20 people. We get checked in and go to our room and our card key did not work. Had to get in line for another hour with other people so we could get in our room. Barely had enough time to grab a drink and head out to see us go under the golden gate bridge. Thought then the worst was behind us. Had 4 days of cruising over to Hawaii. A lot of stuff was shut down including the spa, had the deck to the front of the boat, sport court, shuffle board. Thought we would try relaxing out on the decks that were open but all you heard for 4 days was grinding on the ship and if you sat outside you would look down on you and your drink or food and you would find paint chips and metal fragments. We learned to sit outside with hand over drinks. Spent the extra money on a balcony suite to watch ocean from our room and sleep with door open to listen to ocean. All ways great when you are on vacation to get woken up at usually 6-7am and one mourning they were painting and moving ladders around at 4am. Made It to Hawaii and things were alittle better once we could get off the ship. Went on some great excursions that we found on our own. Going through ncl was a lot more expensive. Getting on and off boat was very easy but some of the people that work on docks were very rude. The food was good and the specialty dining was very good ( definitely worth paying the extra money for). Finally everything was opened up by the last night. It gave us something to do the last night  to explore the ship. Overall I understand the work ( not happy with it especially when you pay $5000 to have fun) but even then the crew seemed very unorganized about a lot of stuff. Even when our tv went on the blink. It got fixed right away but they called 5 days later to check on it. Also had a girl when we got on with all the problems, took our room # down and would check on us to see if everything was ok. Never got that call either. Heard from a lot of people that said they have been on this cruise before and was not one of ncl best. Also when we disembarked there was suppose to be some instructions on when to get off and baggage instructions. We did not get that and when I went to see about what needed to be done the customer service lady was very rude and said everyone received one, you must have did something with yours. They did give us $199.98 dollars each back but nonrefundable ship credit, and 50% off our next cruise but needs to be used in a years time. Usually cruise with carnival cruise line in the past and never had any trouble and this was our first ncl cruise. Trying to figure out if I want to waste another 50% to try again.

Loved touring the islands the shore excursions were great. My dinning eperiences were just fair. I have cruised 18 times before on various other lines I found the staff at the main dinning rooms to be lacking. it varied from who was taking your order, some were fine and most others laking in some way. Much was attention to detail. I had no complaints with the food.

This was our first cruise, and while we knew up front that it wasn't going to be cheap, the costs that added up were beyond our expectations. But let me first say a few things about the things that worked. 

1. Our cabin, although small, worked just fine and I really appreciated how quiet it was, how well everything worked, the generous amount of sturdy storage, and a bathroom that worked well, too. Our cabin steward was outstanding. 

2. The food program was generally very excellent and only at one meal did our servers get all the orders mixed up, and were very confused by everything. At all the other meals, we had more than enough to eat, were served by friendly and competent servers, and we ate tasty, well-prepared food. 

3.  The entertainment progdram was fine - we enjoyed several of the shows, but found that there were not many options if we didn't want to hang around the bars and drink all night. And the price of drinks was excessive.  And I resent having a generous tip taken out of every drink order and then being asked (subtly, of course) to provide yet an additional tip.  

4.  Charging $29.95 for Internet access a day is simply outrageous gouging. Everyone needs and uses internet these days....it's like having toilet paper....we take it for granted. If you're going to do that, build it into the overall charge....don't nickel and dime (or ten-dollar) us to death.  As it turned out, we found we ddin't need it after all....we were close enough to coverage on all of the islands that there were few times that we were outside of phone and Internet service. But, it would have helped to have it seamlessly. 

5.  I know,  you're probably going to say that it was in the fine print of our contract, but it was quite a surprise to find a $13.50 gratuity surcharge tacked on to our accounts when the cruise was almost over. Come on folks...pay your staff a living wage and let us tip as the service requires. So, we don't see the cooks and the dishwashers, etc.........they're not involved in customer service.  Then it's YOUR responsibility to pay them enough without asking us to do it at the last minute. 

6. And please, shut off the music sometimes!  By the third day, when I'd get up early...way before sunrise, to walk around deck 6, I could not escape the ukuleles! As a matter of fact, there were few places in the ship where one could go to get a little pease and quiet other than our cabin.....and in some places, the music was so loud and raucous, we simply turned around and left. 

7.  So.....my wife and I...who've traveled and lived in many I parts of the world, will probably NOT be taking another cruise with you again.......it was a real education, but Norwegian is just a big money making machine....and we can do far better designing a vacation ourselves and saving a ton of money in the process.  

We had a great time. The staff this cruise was fun, polite and entertaining. Our steward was exceptional, she kept out room looking great, and we came back to a new animal every evening. The staff was attentive to our needs and wants. Great vacation.  We seen so many whales on our excursion, in Maui. 

We have been on numerous (over 25) cruises and although we enjoyed the Itinerary, we were very disappointed in the ship.  The rooms were very small with very little closet space.  The couches were so worn they looked dirty and we did not want to sit on it.  The towels had holes in them.  The carpet was worn.  For what we paid for this trip I truly expected more. We went to the specialty restaurants and they were all good except the Italian restaurant.    Food needed to be sent back twice - cold and dried out.  They did comp us for this meal but we were celebrating our 45th Wedding Anniversary so you can imagine our disappointment.   

This is our first NCL Cruise - I think it will be our last.

The Pride of America is a marvelous ship and the itinerary around the Hawaiian Islands is superb.  The ship is immaculate, the crew (75% American by law) is very friendly and helpful, the food (in most cases) is excellent, especially Cagney's and Moderno.  The one negative was the food at East Meets West is mediocre at best although the Teppanaki in the same restaurant is great.  The weather, even in January, was warm and sunny.  We thoroughly enjoyed this trip,

Great vacation loved the islands staying over night give you the time you need to see all the beautiful sights. Weather was great

Pride of America was beautiful dinning but the first two days was disappointing but improved the rest of the week.

crew members were great did come across at least 2 arrogant members 

We would recommend Hawaii to all 

good cruise. Very clean ship. Staff friendly and efficient. Food ok, but not what you expect from a cruise ship.Their bars were very pricey and they would not let you bring liquor, beer or wine aboard.  They stocked room refridgerators w their wine and liquour at ridiculous prices. Most of the bar entertainment tried ti get you to drink more.  But official word from ncl was they did not want to promote excessive drinking.  Yeah right.(not unless hey made money on it).Also did not explain tip policy until they charged your credit card.  This left a bad taste, as ncl was being upfront with you.  Good cruise overall, but i would not take this cruise again.

This cruise is more for transportation to the various islands, as transportation it is 5 stars.  The ship is small, tight, cramped and not for those that want to stay on board.  There is no casino.  The food is average at best.  It is clean and most of the staff is friendly.  The workers average 80 hours a week and can't be expected to be upbeat and happy all the time.  We actually felt like they wanted us off the ship as much as possible, we were even encourage to spend the night out on different islands.  The food and entertainment encouraged you to get off the ship. I'm not sure if this is the cruise line or just because of the itinerary.  We will not try this line again or if we did we would get an inside room and pay the least amount possible.  You don't get your money's worth.  I do need to state again it was a great way to see various islands while in Hawaii.

Really enjoyed this time with my family..  Just enough time on each island and most excursions were worth the investment. 

I would caution anyone going on the hiking excursions in Kauai.  The participant should know that the trails are often sloppy muddy and slipping or losing balance is an issue.  I fell down and hurt my back on my kayak excursion and hike to private falls.... 

My family felt that the balcony rooms were okay -  in need of remodel.  The bed spread/covers were in need of replacement or a good washing.  this left bad impression of cleanliness.....

Food in regular dining rooms was clearly lower grade meats - tough.  Cruiseline definitely wants people to dine elsewhere. 

There were a number of instances where we encountered ship staff with outwardly poor attitudes.  Hearing them talk amongst one another negatively, no smiles, angry body language and facial expressions. (buffet area primarily)