Aulani/Hawaiian cruise

Amw1064 · Jul 20, 2016

We have been fortunate to go to Aulani the past 2 Junes and absolutely fell in love with it and all things Hawaii. We live in Florida and often go on the Disney cruises. We want to go back to Aulani June 2017 and was thinking of doing a cruise while there. Like 3 days Aulani, cruise and back for 2 days at Aulani. I have 2 weeks to play around with. My question is has anyone done this? If so what did you think? I would be more than happy to just spend my 12 days at Aulani (we are DVC) but just wondered if anyone had done a Hawaiian cruise.

eeyorefanuk · Jul 20, 2016

Hi

We did three nights Waikiki beach, three nights Aulani then the ten night Disney Hawaii cruise last year

I loved the cruise .... My favourite was Maui ..... Not keen on Hilo

I know Royal carribean do cruises to Hawaii but only ncl start and end in Hawaii I think

Amw1064 · Jul 20, 2016

Yes, I would love to do Disney but they do not offer it in the summer and would most likely be out of our price range anyway but that sounds AWESOME!!!

Norwegian Pride of America is the only one I found June 2017 that starts in Hawaii. Reviews are not that great. Maybe we should just do Aulani and island hop over to Maui for a few days. That was the plan this year but we had 2 other families join us at Aulani which we enjoyed equally as much.

nkereina · Jul 20, 2016

It's my understanding that NCL's Pride of America is the only ship and cruise line with an itinerary that both starts and ends in Hawaii. Any other cruise line that includes Hawaiian stops will start and/or end somewhere else. I think it's something regulatory that NCL had to jump through hoops to be able to do, but don't quote me on that.

I have no experience on POA, but did research it for our honeymoon this September. Some things I've read is that it's an older, smaller ship but this is not a cruise you take for the ship. It's essentially a floating hotel as a means to see the islands, rather than the ship itself. I also found it to be significantly more expensive than a Caribbean cruise, which is what we were used to. I priced out the cost of the cruise versus island hopping on our own, and we're able to island hop for less. Before our week at Aulani, we're doing 4 nights in Maui and 4 nights in Kauai.

Amw1064 · Jul 20, 2016

nkereina said:
It's my understanding that NCL's Pride of America is the only ship and cruise line with an itinerary that both starts and ends in Hawaii. Any other cruise line that includes Hawaiian stops will start and/or end somewhere else. I think it's something regulatory that NCL had to jump through hoops to be able to do, but don't quote me on that.

I have no experience on POA, but did research it for our honeymoon this September. Some things I've read is that it's an older, smaller ship but this is not a cruise you take for the ship. It's essentially a floating hotel as a means to see the islands, rather than the ship itself. I also found it to be significantly more expensive than a Caribbean cruise, which is what we were used to. I priced out the cost of the cruise versus island hopping on our own, and we're able to island hop for less. Before our week at Aulani, we're doing 4 nights in Maui and 4 nights in Kauai.

Thanks so much. Was talking to my daughter (only 13 but my little travel agent) and we were thinking the same thing. As awesome as it sounds, cruising around the Hawaiian Islands, I do not think we would be happy after doing so many Disney cruises. If I may ask, do you have any recommendations for where to stay on Maui or Kauai?

cmph · Jul 20, 2016

My sister and BIL did the NCL Hawaiian cruise for their honeymoon, and they unfortunately greatly disliked it. They weren't able to visit 2 of the ports b/c of weather conditions, and as mentioned, the ship is not that great. Being stuck on a DCL ship - probably not so bad. Being stuck on the NCL ship - not fun. And twice, at that. They were pretty bored, and disappointed. It made me realize that we will never book a port-intensive trip on a so-so ship/line with the thought that "it doesn't matter, b/c it's just a floating hotel." I totally get why people think that, but if there is any chance the weather will prevent you from seeing the ports... not worth the risk to me. Now they have no interest in going to Hawaii again, and that sure does say something, doesn't it??

cmph · Jul 20, 2016

Amw1064 said:
If I may ask, do you have any recommendations for where to stay on Maui or Kauai?

Please post back and let us know what you decide! We loved loved loved Aulani but feel like we need to island hop next time, now that we've seen all of Oahu. We'll definitely go to Aulani part of the time, but I'd love to hear of other great resorts on the other islands that whole families will enjoy (rather than honeymooner types), particularly if they offer similar amenities.

cgattis · Jul 20, 2016

Here is a thread with some POA feedback. The DIS has done some podcasts on it as well.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/ncl-poa-cruise-then-aulani.3515110/

We looked at island hopping and could have done it cheaper, but we didn't want all the hassle of time in airports and wondering what to to with luggage in between places. I've read tons of reviews, and we may hate it, but we're giving it a shot. Good luck and have fun planning whichever way you choose to go!

nkereina · Jul 21, 2016

Amw1064 said:
Thanks so much. Was talking to my daughter (only 13 but my little travel agent) and we were thinking the same thing. As awesome as it sounds, cruising around the Hawaiian Islands, I do not think we would be happy after doing so many Disney cruises. If I may ask, do you have any recommendations for where to stay on Maui or Kauai?

In Maui we are staying at the Westin. It's 45 minutes from the airport but we have arranged for a shuttle. It's in the Ka'anapali beach region and minutes from the town of Lahaina, which is where the famous luaus and some nightlife are. The Westin offers a free shuttle to and from Lahaina. The Westin is also adjacent to (walking distance) the Whaler's Village which has a little shopping and some dining as well. There are several hotels in this vicinity, if you have a brand preference.

In Kauai, we are staying at the Kauai Beach Marriott in Lihue. It's 5 minutes from the airport, has a Duke's onsite, and looks to have a pretty awesome pool! We'll have a car in Kauai and driving there seems to be pretty easy.

One positive of the POA is that you will get to not only Oahu, but Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island. It wasn't feasible for us to add the Big Island doing our own island hopping by plane. Too much wasted travel time to make it worth while. So, the benefit of the cruise is that you hit all the "major" places. Time at each port is limited to 1-2 days of course, but you don't have to waste time at airports either.

sunryzez · Jul 21, 2016

I have a question for OP, I live in FL too and will be flying to Hawaii for the first time. since you said you did it several times what airlines did you use?

Amw1064 · Jul 21, 2016

sunryzez said:
I have a question for OP, I live in FL too and will be flying to Hawaii for the first time. since you said you did it several times what airlines did you use?

Last year we flew American. Tampa to Phoneix and then on to Honolulu. Home was Honolulu to Dallas and then back to Tampa. It was not great. Nothing to do and no food. Just one snack.

This year we tried Delta. Flew Sarasota to Atlanta and then on to Honolulu. (was very nervous about the length of the flight). It was great. New movies on a personal screen, outlets to charge electronics, games, music, etc. Cart came around about every 2 hour offering drinks and snacks and if you want to buy any real food. It was a great experience. We flew home overnight and we dozed, watched movies, etc. We got the Delta skymiles card now and are going to start earning some miles by using it instead of our Disney card. If we can work it out for next June we will be using Delta again.

Vernie822 · Jul 22, 2016

I apologize if someone said this already, but Pete might have done this. I know he did the NCL Hawaiian cruise, I just can't remember what they did beforehand. You may want to check some past DisUnplugged episodes because I know they've talked about it! I really wanted to do this for our honeymoon but it just worked out better timing wise to see a few different islands for our first time!

nkereina · Jul 22, 2016

Vernie822 said:
I apologize if someone said this already, but Pete might have done this. I know he did the NCL Hawaiian cruise, I just can't remember what they did beforehand. You may want to check some past DisUnplugged episodes because I know they've talked about it! I really wanted to do this for our honeymoon but it just worked out better timing wise to see a few different islands for our first time!

They did a combo NCL cruise with Aulani! He did a podcast episode solely about their trip. I remember watching it before I booked my trip, because that's what we were considering doing. I don't recall when the episode is from... definitely before November 2015 because that's when we booked our trip. And I believe Pete went with Dustin, so it was from before he left. Maybe last summer?

NancyDVC · Jul 22, 2016

The reason that the Pride of America is the only cruise ship that only cruises the Hawaiian islands is U.S. regulations. Specifically if a ship is 'flagged/registered' in a foreign country (Nassau, Panama etc.) it may not go from one American port to another American unless it has stopped at a foreign port. That is why all the other ships either stop in Mexico or Canada if they are leaving from the west coast or as in the case of the Alaskan cruises they start and end in Vancouver. Only American 'flagged/registered' ships can port to another without making any foreign port calls. PoA is the only American flagged cruise ship. The regulations include specifics on who makes up the crew. A number of DVC members who I have spoken to have done the cruise along with a stay at Aulani and had positive things to say about the cruise.

We are booked on the PoA followed by 8 days at Aulani in October.

Amw1064 · Jul 23, 2016

Can't wait to hear what you think NancyDVC.

NancyDVC · Jul 25, 2016

For more specific PoA and Hawaii reviews check out www.cruisecritic.com. There are lots of specific ship reports and a message board specifically for Hawaii. Just search for NCL and then Pride of America to see threads about PoA. And also search for Hawaii and the threads about excursions etc. there are often answered by locals with information about excursions etc.

I have friends on the PoA right now. They left Honolulu on time and spent a day at sea yesterday due to T.S. Darby. I don't know if they will be able to port at Maui today. They are due to spend next week at Aulani. All excursions on Maui were cancelled on Saturday. Right now Oahu is getting hit hard by Darby.
We chose to do the cruise beause island hopping seemed too difficult not to mention expensive.

nkereina · Jul 25, 2016

NancyDVC said:
island hopping seemed too difficult not to mention expensive.

I'll respectfully disagree with this, only in an effort not to deter other people from island hopping.

The flights on Hawaiian Airlines are mostly 30-45 minutes in length, and with the exception of Honolulu airport, the other island's airports are relatively small and quick/easy to navigate. We are taking three inter-island flights in September and each one was about $90 per person. We are spending 3 nights on Maui staying at the Westin and 3 nights on Kauai staying at the Marriott. We'll have a rental car in Kauai and an airport shuttle in Maui. Total cost for all of this was about $1000 less than the total cost of the cruise for us, as two adults. While some may argue that the cruise includes food cost, looking at the amount of time we'd be spending on the island while in port, there would only be a few meals we'd be eating on the ship anyhow.

The most difficult/annoying part about island hopping is having to pack your bags and commute and from the airport. However, IMO, the worst part of the cruise is being strapped for time on each island. So weighing pros and cons of what is important to you definitely factors in. For us, the most important thing was making our island visits worthwhile which meant having ample time at each island. So island hopping was the only way to go for us.

OKWJan · Jul 25, 2016

We did the POA cruise in May, ending it with 6 nights at Aulani. THe cruise was ok if you look at it as a floating hotel, and a great way to see multiple islands without having to unpack and travel on your own. The room was fine and the bed was great. FOod was the big disappointment, and show were meh, but we were generally tired from touring. WE book our tours through Roberts, and they were great and much cheaper than the ships. I had low expectations of the cruise, so I was not surprised. GLad we did it. Next time we will go to either Maui or Kauai on our own.

IF you are a Disney cruiser you are spoiled...and I love it

cleophus12 · Jul 27, 2016

I agree with OKWJan on her assessment of the cruise. We did it a few years ago and had read such negative reviews of the ship that I was really scared. However, we were pleasantly surprised by the ship. It's no Disney cruise, but it is certainly adequate and a wonderful way to see the islands. Food was not particularly good (I think NCL has focused way too much on their signature restaurants and has let everything else slide), and entertainment wasn't very good at all except for the one or two nights they actually had island entertainment onboard. We did not do any ship excursions because I planned them all myself, and we had a great time on every island.

cgattis · Jul 27, 2016

cleophus12 said:
I agree with OKWJan on her assessment of the cruise. We did it a few years ago and had read such negative reviews of the ship that I was really scared. However, we were pleasantly surprised by the ship. It's no Disney cruise, but it is certainly adequate and a wonderful way to see the islands. Food was not particularly good (I think NCL has focused way too much on their signature restaurants and has let everything else slide), and entertainment wasn't very good at all except for the one or two nights they actually had island entertainment onboard. We did not do any ship excursions because I planned them all myself, and we had a great time on every island.

Did you do a trip report? If not, I'd love to hear more about your excursions you planned and how getting your rental cars picked up/returned worked out.

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