The new POH is a beautiful ship. It's decor is well appointed. It is huge and offers almost anything a person would want to do during a cruise. We stayed in a penthouse suite on the front of the ship. I wouldn't do that again because the wind is so strong as to inhibit the use of the balcony when at sea. In other cruises the privacy of our balcony was one of the things we enjoyed most about sailing. Previously we've always sailed mid-ship. The motion at the front of a ship was severe. We could hardly walk around the cabin while at sea.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food in the main dining room was quite good. However, it takes quite some time to be served. (We almost missed our first shore excursion of the cruise waiting for our breakfast in Grand Pacific our first morning on board. (And they weren't even busy!) The best dining experience we had was in the Cagney's Steakhouse and Papa's Italian restaurants. Of course we paid a premium price for these.The Aloha Lui buffet allowed us to breeze through with ease and the food was adequate. However, they ran out of salt and pepper, and one day ran out of bread and had to send someone ashore to buy bread! They also ran out of cloth napkins and switched to paper for two days mid cruise. When the salt shaker was present on the table it was empty. We used to go packages of salt and pepper almost all week long save one day! The one thing I missed was the mid-night buffet and dessert buffets other cruiselines offer.
Entertainment
1 out of 5
We were so tired from shore excursions we attended only the magic show and the magician was so dramatic that it was not a class act at all. I didn't sign up to cruise for the entertainment. It was the shore excursions I was after. So it wasn't a big deal. I'd have been better served to have rested than go to the show.
Service and Staff
1 out of 5
Our cabin Steward, Lillian, and butler, Richard, were both wonderful. Both definitely were always willing to do whatever made us comfortable. However, the remainder of the staff tended to whine and complain a great deal. As a whole the restaurant workers, and room service staff, tend to talk a great deal about what is wrong on board. Yet, from my prespective, they ARE the problem. I've never had a sailing on a ship flagged outside the US with a predominately foreign staff where the staff member felt compelled to air the cruise line's dirty laundry. Maybe it is that the english speaking staff can communicate easily with e and thus felt compelled to share. However, I prefer not to hear their complaints during a vacation that I paid a lot of money to enjoy.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Beautiful, Clean, and easily accessible.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Pent House Suite deck 10-502, beautiful and in premium condition. Location Forward. I loved having a tub and shower door. (I understand all staterooms have shower doors in this ship.)
We visited Haleakala crater. Our driver Charley was the worst. He could not read his script and drive and talk at the same time and I feared for my life on the way to and from the crater. We also went to Maui Ocean Center which was okay. After visiting our own Atlanta Aquarium it was a disappointment. But would be entertaining for children. Botanical Garden had beautiful orchids and other plant specimens. By the time the tour was over I wanted Charley to shut up so bad I was read to kiss the ship when I got back on it. I would think NCL would test tour drivers to make certain they could speak and drive at the same time! Charley never completed a sentence the entire day long. He was so lost I was lost! The thing that amazed me most was when he said he was born there. If that is so why did he read from a script? Beats me.
The paradise luau is a waste of money in my book. If I had it to do over I'd save the $98 per person. The food was okay and plentiful.
This must be the hottest port on the cruise. Literally, It was scorching hot. We did the Atlantis submarine dive. First time on a sub and a great experience.
Volcanoes National Park is a must see. Henry was our tour guide and his knowledge of the sites made this a top notch tour. The buffet lunch at Volcanoe House was medocre at best. When we arrived they were out of almost everything so it was scarce picking to even find something to eat.
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