Norwegian NCL Pride of America Cruise Ship: Review, Photos & Departure Ports on Cruise Critic
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Though cruising is relatively new to the Margaritaville travel and hospitality franchise, cruise line Margaritaville at Sea is essentially a rebranding of the old Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line. Its refurbished ship, Paradise, originally debuted in the 1990s for Costa Cruises. Because of the dramatic changes to the itinerary, Norwegian Cruise Line has provided generous compensation to guests onboard. Guests aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America are not enjoying the cruise they originally thought they would be sailing this week. “We are eager to resume our journey around the Big Island, committed to making the remainder of your time with us as relaxing and enjoyable as possible,” the company said. According to Norwegian Cruise Line, before ending the current cruise in Honolulu on April 20, 2024, the 2005-built vessel is set to make a shortened visit to Nawiliwili.
Kailua – Kona – Big Island
Due to multiple modifications and as a genuine acknowledgement of the inconvenience caused, Norwegian added, passengers will receive a $200 non-refundable onboard credit per stateroom, in addition to a Future Cruise Credit (FCC). One of the best experiences (on an island full of great places to see) is enjoying a helicopter ride around to see canyons, waterfalls, craters, and the famed Na Pali Coast. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices. Liner's godmother is Elaine Chao - US Secretary of Labor at the time.
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The Best Time to Visit Hawaii
If given a choice I’d take a 15 day cruise over a 7 day cruise any day. Well, as your Cruising 101 professor, I’m going to have to flunk you and strongly suggest you reevaluate your direction in life. And stay tuned for my review of the Hawaii Beverage Package, coming soon. While cold breakfast items are complimentary (although I always tip delivery crew a few dollars), all other items will incur a $9.95 service charge per delivery (you can order as many items as you want).
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This is obviously the best Bahamas cruise for lovers of all things Disney, including "Star Wars" and Marvel fans. Wish carries 4,000 passengers in cabins and suites designed to simplify cruising with kids. But never fear, adult Disney fans; you'll also find your spot on board.
hawaiiadmirer
If you are traveling with children or teens, the ship offers youth programs for them. Decor-wise, we liked the restaurants and lounges that had a “Hawaiian-feel” to them, but there weren’t many places onboard like that. The Aloha Cafe, the main buffet restaurant of the ship, had some Hawaiian touches.
You'll find a good mix of families and older couples with some younger (in their 30s) mixed in, but you won't find many college-aged spring breakers. This means that evenings are pretty tame and child-friendly (you likely won't see people shot-gunning beers and cheering at the poolside bar). Americans make up the majority of passengers followed by Australians (thanks in part to Australia's proximity to Hawaii).
What to see and do with only one day on Oahu
You'll also be sailing with British citizens, as well of people of Hispanic and Asian heritage. Pride of America's wide variety of restaurant and entertainment offerings allows passengers with different interests to find the place that works for them. The Gold Rush Saloon, for example, is a nice spot for those looking for a casual evening of beer drinking and listening to karaoke. On the other side of the spectrum, those who want a fancier evening (with posher drinks) can go to the Napa Wine Bar and Pink's Champagne Bar. It's the ship itself that sets this cruise apart from the pack.
Where does Norwegian (NCL) Pride of America sail to?
Do some research before you go and try to sign up way in advance for the best slots. As the only American flagged ocean cruise ship, you’ll notice three major differences between the Pride of America and other ships that sail to/from Hawaii. First, the Passenger Vessel Services Act does not apply to American registered ships, so the Pride of America isn’t required to stop at a foreign port. All other cruises to/from Hawaii will call in a foreign port (usually Canada or Mexico), adding on many sea days and at least one non-Hawaiian stop to their itinerary (not a bad thing in my mind, but a significant difference). If you only have one week off work and want to cruise Hawaii or don’t like sea days, the Pride of America is your only option.
Save On Shore Excursions!
I found the international selections particularly weak (I know, I know, it’s the Pride of AMERICA, not INDIA, but I so love the Indian food on other NCL ships). In addition to dinner, we loved eating breakfast in the Skyline Dining Room. Second, because the Pride of America has to abide by all American labor laws, the majority of crew members will be Americans, unlike other cruise ships that employ mostly foreign workers. This Bahamas cruise is ideal for anyone looking for a different Carnival experience during a weeklong cruise. It's almost like traveling to Italy and the Bahamas in one trip.
NCL changed the ship's name to "Pride of America", as well as its dimensions - tonnage (from 72,000 GT to 80,450 GT) and LOA length (from 850 ft / 260 m to 920 ft / 280 m). Delivery date was scheduled for 2004 but due to a storm damaging the vessel this happened in 2005. The US Government made an exclusive act giving a ship predominantly built in Germany a USA flag. Norwegian's Pride is the biggest cruise ship in the US register and the only USA-flagged ship home-ported in Honolulu Hawaii. The Hollywood Theatre, located on Deck 5 forward, is just one story and fairly small, with excellent sight lines.
It was usually four pages in length and full of great information on activities and entertainment. Most of the excursions we took were quite long and included lunch. Sometimes we had issues flushing the toilet and once in the middle of the night, we didn’t have any water at all.
The food and stateroom experience felt budget-level, but the cruise cost was far from being a budget price. Although not as friendly and warm as on other ships, the service in the main dining room was fast and attentive. We missed learning about the countries where our servers were from, since they were all Americans, but minimal small talk and the lack of language barriers seems to really speed things up. We were encouraged to order as many items as we wanted and were regularly asked about bar service, which was appreciated since we had the beverage package and enjoyed trying some different cocktails with our meals.
Additional health and safety precautions during the first half of our sailing due to a flu outbreak onboard (stay tuned for additional information and thoughts on this) also led to long lines and waits during peak times. The Pride of America has two main complimentary dining rooms, the Skyline and the Liberty. The Skyline is open for breakfast and they’re both open for dinner. They serve the same dinner menu and are available by reservation or by just showing up. For a more formal dining experience, opt for the Liberty restaurant for dinner.
It’s currently priced at $39 per person if you don’t have a dining package (but double check pricing in your online reservation or when you get onboard as things change frequently). As a generally less crowded alternative to the buffet for lunch, hit the Key West Bar and Grill for serve-yourself burgers, hot dogs, french fries, and deli style salads. We found the quality of offerings here quite good and never had to wait in line for food or a table. And if you have the Hawaii drink package, hit the adjoining bar for a North Shore Power (one of my favorite drinks onboard) or a red or white Sangria. Short sailings on this new ship will appeal to all sorts of cruisers. Historically, new ships are reserved for longer itineraries, so this is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy a snack-size sampling of a brand-new ship without spending the money on a longer sailing.
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