November 12, 2005....7 Night Eastern...Who Else?

[PrincessHaleysMom]

You just have to remember that these Hawaii ships are American flagged so we don't have to stop in a foreign port. But... with that comes the American staff! Lazy!!!!! Some people have said the service was fantastic - others say it royally sucked. I also think it has to do with your expectations. Knowing that you aren't getting the wonderful crew from the Disney Magic in advance will lower your expectations so that you won't be disappointed. If anything is below my expectations while sailing you better believe they are gonna hear it from this big mouth - especially if I have a group with me.
I just did some figuring - if a family of 4 is taking a balcony, they could pay $257.90 per month for the next 14 months and have it paid off.
Or for an ocean view $223.68 and inside $168.62. No interest charges either - a free loan from me!

 

[DIS NURSE]

Now that is one great financial advisor for you, folks!

See? Sounds so doable!

This would be a great trip......no sea days, just taking in all that the Hawaiin islands have to offer!

The main reason I am so hot to trot on this is because I have been pricing Hawaii and different islands and food and lodging out for many months.....IT IS REALLY EXPENSIVE! It would take me the rest of my life to get to all of those islands....and then I couldn't afford the rental cars, food and we'de be camping in a tent on the beach!

 

[awoltoday]

Ok, we did it!! We are going to Alaska. I'll have to start selling Avon, tuperware, and vaccum cleaners (if they still do that) to pay for it, but were going

Now, how will I pay for the Hawaii trip.... Oh, I think of something

Oh, and 3 cheers for agent who helped me She's the best

And don't forget that 5 grand for the salty dog you ordered!

 

[awoltoday]

well, we're not doing alaska in '07 (loved it in '04 but hoping a better alternative to hal eventualy ends up available to dvc owners-cuz we hate paying actual (gasp) cash for cruising. and if anyone is interested in maui, i can point you to the same package i got (which even when i priced it out using my gov. discount on the same room (which was almost 40% less)-i could no way get the price of air travel to make it come out the same or lower).

jessica-i will email this week with our decision on stateroom-and get deposit info (how we do it) from you. dh's first words when i hit him up with the new trip was "does this exclude us from doing the diz group hawaii thing next november"-when i told him "no" he happily agreed. oh and i had to agree to at least one meal at the golf course restaurant in maui-no, we don't golf. when we went many years ago we had read about it being a hidden gem and went there for appetizers (as the guide book suggested)-dh fell in love with a stuffed grilled artichoke and has been longing for it once again.

How about this as an alternative to HAL in Alaska?
American Safari Cruises

 

[DIS NURSE]

So, Jessica....what is all the hub bub about the new NCL Pride Of Hawaii? It is just the same idea (itinerary) but a new ship? Are the prices higher cause it is all hyped up right now? What is the Pride of Aloha and how does it differ?

I like Pride of America's itinerary, but are there different ones?

I have been spending entirely too much timeover on Cruise Critic lately! Crazy site with sooooo much info it is overwhelming!

 

[DIS NURSE]

So, Jessica....what is all the hub bub about the new NCL Pride Of Hawaii? It is just the same idea (itinerary) but a new ship? Are the prices higher cause it is all hyped up right now? What is the Pride of Aloha and how does it differ?

I like Pride of America's itinerary, but are there different ones?

I have been spending entirely too much time over on Cruise Critic lately! Crazy site with sooooo much info it is overwhelming!

 

[DIS NURSE]

OOPS! That wasn't my fault! The server is driving me crazy lately! This has been going on for two weeks now! I have to go to another DIS board and scroll down to cheat my way onto the DCL site every time.

Anyone else having problems with this server?

 

[DIS NURSE]

So, Barkley....what exactly is that site you refered to that has shore excursions from the ports in Hawaii?

Please tell!

 

[DIS NURSE]

Okay....if I don't put this into writing somewhere semi permanant, then I will forget it.


DON"T LET US FORGET that the research I did today says that the PORT SIDE balconies on the Pride of America are a must! You get to see the lava flows (big island) and the Napali coast line if you are on this side! Also.....YOU WANT A BALCONY near the FRONT of the ship! They are larger in square footage.

There. I feel better now.
Don't forget those little known facts, Jessica!

 

[DIS NURSE]

Oh hold your horses! I knew those dates in Nov, 2007 sounded weird.

Thanksgiving in 2007 is on Nov. 22nd.
That means we would want the Nov 17th Pride of America so the kids wouldn't miss so much school and we could celebrate Thanksgiving in the tropics!

Does that change the pricing at all, Jessica?

My kids have the whole week off of Thanksgiving every year.
DD would be in 5th grade so it's best she stays in school as much as possible.

 

[awoltoday]

Oh hold your horses! I knew those dates in Nov, 2007 sounded weird.

Thanksgiving in 2007 is on Nov. 22nd.
That means we would want the Nov 17th Pride of America so the kids wouldn't miss so much school and we could celebrate Thanksgiving in the tropics!

Does that change the pricing at all, Jessica?

My kids have the whole week off of Thanksgiving every year.
DD would be in 5th grade so it's best she stays in school as much as possible.

<Rationalization>
Don't worry about the kids missing a little school. They can do homework on the trip and you can always assign them more trip-related assignments. And they will learn way more about geography, geology, botany, entomology, language, and life on a family vacation like this. So, save a few bucks and spend it on more worthy things like alcohol and little toy volcanoes.
</Rationalization>

 

[barkley]

and traveling prior to thanksgiving results in (1) lower air fares, and (2) the chance to use the thanksgiving weekend to do laundry, have the kids catch up on the school work that the teacher "forgets" to give them to do when they're gone, and generaly just recover from vacation

sorry awol, until dvc contracts with another alaska cruise line or i can find one that results in the -$2410.00 (yup, thats negative) cost that our last one ended up costing us (cruise only) i'll have to hold off.

i'll get the site for the hawaii excursions posted in the morning.

 

[PrincessHaleysMom]

OK - I am getting confused. So please help me.
I see mentioned the week of Thanksgiving and the week before. The pricing we have is for the week after.
Could each person interested post which week they want and can do so I can get pricing on the correct week please??????
I will accompany everyone for 3 weeks if you make me do it.

 

[DIS NURSE]

I vote for Nov. 17th, 2007......but that could actually be pricey cause it IS over Thanksgiving.

The week after starts the cram at school for the teachers to pile in as much as possible before Christmas!

So, airfare to Oahu on Nov. 15th or 16th shouldn't too bad.....and then leave Nov. 24th or 25th.??????

I actually went to Barnes and Noble today and read "Cruising for Dummies", looking up everything I could about NCL and the Pride of America. Aren't I a geek?

Awol- thanks for the DIS MEET picture link!
Also, I like your idea about saving $$$ for alcohol and little toy volcanoes! I will start saving right now!

 

[PrincessHaleysMom]

I vote for Nov. 17th, 2007......but that could actually be pricey cause it IS over Thanksgiving.

The week after starts the cram at school for the teachers to pile in as much as possible before Christmas!

So, airfare to Oahu on Nov. 15th or 16th shouldn't too bad.....and then leave Nov. 24th or 25th.??????

I actually went to Barnes and Noble today and read "Cruising for Dummies", looking up everything I could about NCL and the Pride of America. Aren't I a geek?

Awol- thanks for the DIS MEET picture link!
Also, I like your idea about saving $$$ for alcohol and little toy volcanoes! I will start saving right now!

Does anyone have any interest in me seeing about the Pride of Hawaii? The ship that is brand spanking new? The only trouble is it leaves on Mondays - which is odd. To go Thanksgiving week is going to be about $400-$600 more than the next week. So let me know if you want me to switch it and I will.

Very good reading Cruising for Dummies - I have never heard of such a book. I will buy all of you a copy

Awol - I will buy you a little toy volcano - lets start making a collection for your family so you can be on board as our comedian!

 

[DIS NURSE]

Hi! I guess I have many questions you could answer with enough research.....and,hey? Who are we anyway?......just a bunch of pond skimming imaginiative friends!

Cyber friends......"DISers".
What does DIS really stand for anyway?

D......dellusional

I.......(yet) intellectual

S.....sun seekers



Okay....onto the questions.....
*assuming all the new "hype" of the Pride of Hawaii, is it just as affordable to do that one that week of Thanksgiving?
Mon-Mon doesn't matter to me.....what matters most is the itinerary. What is the POH's?

*I am assuming that the Pride of Aloha is getting kinda old and maybe not as good anyway?

The week after Thanksgiving is probably out for us......either want to go the week before Thanksgiving like our last DCL cruise or the week of, not after.

I guess Jessica just needs to take more or her precious time away from her family and figure it all out!

YOU ROCK, Jessica!

I really appreciate all that you do!

Did the stateroom tips I read about ring a bell? I have now read today in the "Cruising for Dummies" that the Pride of America captian turns the ship 360 degrees when passing by the volcanic flows and Kuaaii (sp?) so EVERYONE can see EVERY THING and that it's fair.

 

[DIS NURSE]

Just priced out Oahu from Portland, OR.....like dummy dates as if we were going THIS November......it is $650-$700 pp. That is only because it is not far enogh in advance to get a GOOD DEAL. A GOOD DEAL to Oahu should be looked at being bought the 330 days in advance......the earliest you can sniff it out.

Same flight to Oahu from Atlanta or Chicago area is the same $$$$$.

Remember, "They" want you to go to Hawaii!

 

[DIS NURSE]

So it looks like the Pride of Hawaii does the same itinerary except Mon-Mon, right?

.....with a little Internet searching, I did manage to figure that out!

So no differnce in fun to be had, just newness of ship and.....I read they have a water slide! Am I right?

The mon-mon factor could actually be in our favor, as traveling on "off" days around Thanksgiving weekend can be a bonus!

 

[awoltoday]

I was just reminiscing about my last trip to Hawaii. It was 1992, on Kauai, where I proposed to choc_marg (30 feet below the surface of the ocean). I remember we had to go to the Guava Kai Plantation almost every day to stock up on strawberry-guava concentrate that we would mix with vodka. Man was that good! We also have some unfinished business there. We wanted to do the Captain Zodiac Na Pali Coast tour, but ran out of time.

ahhhh... time to go buy a lottery ticket...

 

[awoltoday]

So it looks like the Pride of Hawaii does the same itinerary except Mon-Mon, right?

.....with a little Internet searching, I did manage to figure that out!

So no differnce in fun to be had, just newness of ship and.....I read they have a water slide! Am I right?

The mon-mon factor could actually be in our favor, as traveling on "off" days around Thanksgiving weekend can be a bonus!

Congrats on 1000 posts! I think you booked the wrong double dip!