Hawai'i Cruise Recap- Pride of America

#food #cruise #travelblogger #foodblogger #foodie #hawaii #hawaiicruise #cruiseship #cruising #cruiser #cruiselife
When it comes to visiting Hawai'i, the two most popular ways to visit are by land and by sea.
There is currently only ONE ship that cruises Hawai'i out of Honolulu for a roundtrip 8-day cruise bringing you to Maui for two days, the two ports of Big Island which are Kona and Hilo, and an overnight in Kauai.
While other ships visit Hawai'i from the west coast, Australia, and Vancouver, the Norwegian Pride of America is the only ship that ports in Hawai'i all year long and runs the roundtrip 8-day Hawaiian Cruise.
In this video, we will share with you everywhere that we visited on each island, our tips for cruising around the island, and also highlight the ship and the food onboard as well as the food in Hawai'i.
We will give you our recommendations along with our itinerary.
As always, we are HAPPY to answer any questions about this Hawai'i cruise or Hawai'i travel and food, in general.
For all of your booking needs, you can reach Gina at: [e-mail] or germiliona.cruiseone.com/trav...

[@raishonstanley1313]

I'm excited to check this cruise out next year but thanks you updated

[@kathyownbey9128]

We did this cruise in March 2023. Loved it! We treated the cruise ship like a floating hotel as we went for Hawaii and not the ship amenities. Never saw any of the shows. As we traveled from the eastern time zone if the US there was a 6 hour time difference. After spending each day on the islands, we went to dinner & hung out on the aft deck by the bar. Would definitely do this cruise again! We got to Oahu 3 days before the cruise. Stayed over in Laie at the Marriot next to the Polynesian Cultural Center. Loved the NortnShore, spent a full day at Pearl Harbor. After the cruise we got a day use hotel room in Waikiki as we had an 11 pm flight home. For us that was more than enough time in Waikiki as it was way too busy for us.

[@Cruisingfoodies]

That is the perfect way to look at it. It is the best and most economic way to see that many locations in one week. If you ever get a chance, there's a repositioning cruise which starts in Vancouver, has some days at Sea and then stops by the Hawaiian islands and ends in Honolulu. It's a great time also. Mahalo for watching

[@jamesmoore2375]

Did this in 2018. Glad we did it then. Looking at the itinerary now, it does not sail by the Na Pali Coast anymore. This was a highlight of the trip. I would still do it again though.

[@Cruisingfoodies]

@@jamesmoore2375 it's really a great way to see as much as possible in a week. The NaPali Coast Cruise only happens a few times now compared to before when it was every other week

[@garygilligan2681]

We took this cruise in 2019. What a great way to visit all the islands. We rented a car on each island and did our own exploring. Was much cheaper then excursions. Yes the ship is small and there is no nightlife.

[@Cruisingfoodies]

That's so funny, us too. It is the way to go for sure! Here's our recap kzbin.info/www/bejne/naXVl2ekZs-FmJYsi=wlMxfnhxtOJcsZgP

[@mountainapple5638]

Great video. Mahalo for sharing with us. 🛳️👀👍🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Thank you so much for watching. Lots of chickens in Kauai lol

[@ladeda8556]

I really enjoyed your video and found it very helpful. We are booked for next Oct. to celebrate our Anniversary & 50th bday, coming from the East Coast. I am seeing an uptick in negative reviews concerning the ship & food, and now starting to get nervous with our decision. I will continue to monitor the reviews. Thanks again for all the valuable information you provided in your video.

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Thank you so much for watching we really appreciate that. And yes I will say that the specialty dining was definitely very good it was consistent with other Norwegian ships. The buffet is definitely smaller so it doesn't have all of the options that the larger newer ships offer however it's still had the basics that you would need. I truly feel that on this particular ship because it is older and smaller and does not have all the bells and whistles we viewed it as more of a floating hotel with the convenience of 24-hour food versus an experience you would have on the Norwegian Bliss or Encore or a larger fancier ship and there is no other way to hit as many ports in one week and get to see as much as we did without being on board so we appreciate that a lot

[@kristinaolson5785]

I agree super happy about that.

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Yes definitely! That's awesome

[@SeanKaleponi]

Cruise looks fun! Didn't know they had arcades and a basketball court too! Oh and those roosters. I have a love and hate relationship with them. Lol. Good video Gina and Do🤙👍

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Tysm for watching Sean. We love cruising bc the ships have so many awesome things like ice skating rinks and go karts and 6 story slides.

[@BeckyRohr]

We'll be there for the cruise at the end of April! Thanks for all of your insight! Great video!!!!!!

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Thank you so much for watching. April is a great time to visit here. Weather is awesome. Let us know if you have any questions or need any recs. I have a video before this detailing our whole week onboard, hope it is helpful

[@Npfly11]

We're traveling from Arkansas and on November 2nd we're cruising on the Pride of America. This is our first time to visit Hawaii and we're so excited! Thank you for the great tips! Pete & Muffett

[@Cruisingfoodies]

That is awesome! We hope you have a great trip. Let us know if we can help with any travel tips! Aloha

[@broccanmacronain457]

I guess we will be waving to you as we leave and you get on board. Have a great cruise.

[@nancypirani5278]

@@broccanmacronain457 that’s great! We hope you have a fantastic cruise! Happy sailing!

[@LG89423]

So are we. Lynn & Kathy from NV.

[@Cruisingfoodies]

@@LG89423 that is awesome! You guys will have so much fun together.

[@NOT-WOKE-007]

I love hearing the roosters! ❤️

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Omg everywhere here in Hawai'i lol. They were yelling at us and trying to nip our feet 🤣🤣🤣

[@michellevincent8338]

Thanks for sharing….that was a cute dog I saw in this video..wonder whose it is! Sweet little face

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Thank you for watching. My mom has a diabetic service dog and they were traveling with us.

[@FoodFiend]

Great tips Gina and Do! Thanks!

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Tysm. Great for people visiting for a limited time for sure

[@UALocal8KC]

We will be there in September! Thanks for the insight!

[@Cruisingfoodies]

That will be awesome! September is a great time! Let us know if you need any food recs

[@FreddyBoy1808]

If they were smart enough they will keep the SuperFerry and definitely they will bring more superferry boats. It will be so much fun for local residents to load up their cars/trucks and hop on the ferry for a long weekend at another island. That’s what me and my family in Washington State do on every long holiday weekend….. Ferry ⛴️ is good so locals can take their cars/trucks on it with all the supplies they need for that long holiday weekend camp….. BUT crooks politicians will always think about themselves instead of Hawaii residents. That’s why hard lol

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Yes I loved the ferry when we had it here. It's a shame they took it away. Also ashame we can't get a more modern cruise ship here. That would be nice.

[@eprohoda]

good evening. Cruising, cool ~ I'll be back. :)

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Thanks so much

[@boobatz5829]

Thank you so much for showing the Gluten Free food... I was nervous about my trip on Pride of America and now I'm not :)

[@Cruisingfoodies]

No problem at all. I ate gluten free the entire time at sea and on land, it was really great that they were so accommodating. Eat an extra blueberry muffin for me. They're so good! :)

[@broccanmacronain457]

Nice video. We are doing the cruise from October 26-November. I wish I had thought of doing it during our stay but put all our extra time into the week before the cruise. So we head back on the day of the cruise return to port. One thing if you use the NCL to provide you air you can only have two days prior to and after the cruise. I was at Pearl Harbor for 4 years while I was in the Navy but my wife had not been to Hawaii so I figured now was the time, though Honolulu has definitely changed since I left in 1986.

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Awe well I hope you have a wonderful time. And yes you are totally right only 2 days before or after or both. But you will have a fabulous trip I'm sure. That's awesome you were stationed at pearl Harbor. The food scene has definitely changed and there's a few great spots right by pearl Harbor when you visit. Let us know if you need any recommendations. Happy cruising

[@broccanmacronain457]

@@Cruisingfoodies Is it better to get a tour of the Road to Hana or rent a car in Maui to do it?

[@Cruisingfoodies]

@broccanmacronain457 we rented a car and it was no problem to drive it. I liked that we could stop where we chose that was super nice

[@user-ij4tg2fd3f]

Thank you!! ❤

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Absolutely, anytime. :)

[@brendalogan6281]

oh thanks I will!

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Absolutely

[@aussiecouplehawaii]

Still keen to do this !!!! Great video guys :)

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Awe tysm. Definitely so worth it to see a bunch in a week. I'll hook you guys up, don't worry

[@aussiecouplehawaii]

🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰@@Cruisingfoodies

[@anarodriguez-tl6xu]

I love the video. We are planning to do the cruise in september and we looking for recommendations in the different islands

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Thank you so much for watching. Absolutely, happy to make recommendations. I have a list of places here in this video. We rented a vehicle and did a bunch of exploring. Hope this helps and gives you some great places to visit. kzbin.info/www/bejne/naXVl2ekZs-FmJYsi=ufIr6xFNXvn-_LEF

[@plugchapman]

I'll be on that boat on 4/20 performing

[@Cruisingfoodies]

That's so awesome! Which show are you doing?

[@plugchapman]

@@Cruisingfoodies im a comedian I was on the NCL Gem last week and have this one next

[@Cruisingfoodies]

@plugchapman that's awesome! We love ncl. We cruise w them a bunch. Great cruise line. Have a blast in Hawai'i. Let is know if you need any food recs if you get to over here

[@plugchapman]

@@Cruisingfoodies will do! thank you! I'll be in Honolulu the day before the cruise so if you know any good places to eat there im all ears!

[@Cruisingfoodies]

@plugchapman my fav spot is O'Kims in Chinatown not far from the pier. Love their pork belly confit and their Korean fried chicken.

[@PrettyJuls]

I’m going in a few weeks 😊

[@Cruisingfoodies]

That's awesome! Let us know if you need any food recs

[@PrettyJuls]

@@Cruisingfoodies thank you I have no idea because I just I don’t know. I don’t know anything. 😱😂😂. I have a sensitive pallet though

[@Cruisingfoodies]

@PrettyJuls lol no problem. You let us know, we're happy to help

[@rockfishfishing]

Very nice videos 👍. We just finished our cruise a weeks ago with royal Caribbean Wonder Of The Seas. I’m planing to go Hawaii next year and take a Pride Of America. I hope won’t be a big shock on us because of the differences on sizes and activities on the cruise. Any additional recommendations please advise…. Thanks

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Thank you so much for watching. I love the Wonder and have sent lots if clients on there. I would say when thinking of the Pride of America, it will be like old school cruising. The ship is quite small, no slides, no casino, very limited entertainment. But I did find the specialty restaurants to be great quality. I felt it gave more of a floating hotel than cruise vibes. The long days in port were great and we stayed out most of the day. It is the only ship that does the round-trip honolulu sailing. But there are some ships like quantum and ovation that do repositioning with hawaii as well. Feel free to email me with any specific questions

[@brendalogan6281]

I absolutely loved your video. And I love Oahu. I've been there five times now. Twice for business, working with military healthcare, and then coming back for vacations. I'm seventy five and celebrating my birthday on the Pride of America in October. Coming in a day early, but then staying 3 days after we dock. And flying back to Los Angeles to visit a friend then back home to Baltimore a week after that. I'm hoping to come back in April or May and spend several weeks. I would be working remote. I usually rent at Waikiki Banyon through VRBO but if you know of any one who is traveling a willing to sublet for a reasonable price App( cause I'm still paying rent here) Please let me know! I love Hawaii. If I could move there and just live full time, I would definitely pick up, pack up and be on my way! Every time I step off of a plane and land in honolulu, I feel like I can breathe. When I walk on the beach in Waikiki or North Shore. I feel such peace. Bless you and your travels, and thank you for the great videos

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Awe thank you so much for watching. You will have a blast on the Pride. It was the perfect floating hotel to see so much in a week. We loved the overnights and think you will too. I'll def let you know if I hear of any open spots for next year. That's awesome that you're traveling back again. Will you stay 30 days in april?

[@brendalogan6281]

I'm starting to check it out and see if I can find somebody who wants to sublet for a month or two if they are traveling. That way, I can actually work remote with my job from Hawaii. It would be like heaven. I worked remote last year for two weeks from Oahu but I'd love to stay longer. Thank you again for all the info about the Cruise.

[@Cruisingfoodies]

@brendalogan6281 oh absolutely that would be awesome. Look into ewa beach ho'opili area bc they have lots of rentals

[@ronpartin6596]

How did you guys reserve rental cars on the different islands?

[@Cruisingfoodies]

We used Priceline for each closest airport because it was the most cost effective way to go. Then, we took an uber over to the airport in each port. It saved a bunch.

[@lynettedelianides8069]

Please give more car rental info for each island. How, where and cost. That is a great idea! Thank you

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Absolutely, we rented from the airport in each location because it was the most cost effective. We ubered over to the airport and booked each car through priceline for around $35-65 per rental depending on the island.

[@Cruisingfoodies]

In this video, I show a little more of the rental situation kzbin.info/www/bejne/naXVl2ekZs-FmJYsi=Qh94G37WiGDR88mI

[@carolschnaiter580]

Looking to cruise on POA in Feb 2025. First ever cruise! Looking at ocean view stateroom or interior to save $$ for excursions. Which room would you recommend? And which excursions??? Thanks- love your video!

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Thank you so much for watching. We really appreciate it. I'm going to link the full recap of the cruise on other video so you can see the room. But what I would recommend is to do the cheapest room because you really are only sleeping on the ship. Most of your time will be spent in port, which is awesome. Btw, I'm an agent, so you can email me if you need any help planning. I'm happy to help. I also would say to take a look at the tours offered and see what interests you and then you can do like we did and rent a car and go at your own pace. We found this super cost effective and we liked stopping at random places we wanted to see on our way. kzbin.info/www/bejne/naXVl2ekZs-FmJY [e-mail]

[@mya_122]

Great video! Would this be a good cruise option for kids/teens?

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Definitely! We had lots of families with kids of all ages onboard. Our kids are teens but there were plenty of little ones also. Hawaii is very family friendly so kids are welcomed everywhere

[@mya_122]

@@Cruisingfoodies thank you!

[@Cruisingfoodies]

@@mya_122 absolutely anytime

[@mya_122]

@@Cruisingfoodies hello! I went in this cruise last week and it was lots of fun and your review of this ship was definitely right and gave great insight on the ship. Thank you!

[@Cruisingfoodies]

@@mya_122 thank you so much for watching. And I'm so glad you had fun. It's great to see a lot of Hawai'i in a short period of time

[@MikeBarnhill]

Awesome video thanks! Can I ask, where were you able to pick up rental cars on each island? Thanks so much.

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Thank you so much for watching. And yes we were able to rent a car in each location. You do have to take an Uber to the airport in order to pick up the car. There are a couple locations that were closer however those were substantially more money so that's why we chose to rent from the airport. If you get a chance check out our full video, I'll add the link

[@Cruisingfoodies]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/naXVl2ekZs-FmJYsi=94THcegDjvMRE9vS

[@MikeBarnhill]

@@Cruisingfoodies awesome thanks again. Going there now!

[@Cruisingfoodies]

@@MikeBarnhill awesome. Lmk if you have any questions, happy to answer

[@kimberlymiller7672]

Great video. We are doing this cruise in September. Can you recommend a good luau to attend in Maui or Kaui?

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Thank you so much fir watching. Old Lahaina and Te Au Moana would be the two I recommend in Maui. Make sure you try to book ASAP bc they do fill up pretty quickly.

[@scottrichards3246]

Aloha, What is the best excursion company to book some excurisons pre cruise or for that matter while on the cruise. We are coming in August for three days prior to the cruise. Thank you for the video and wanted to say it is well done.... One excursion we want to do prior to the cruise is the complete Pearl Harbor Tour and another would be the Oahu tour that stops by Diamond Head for a view since we wont be hiking it. Mahalo

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Thank you so much for watching , we really appreciate it. If you are staying in downtown waikiki, I suggest using a tour through viator. If you want to send me an email I can send you a couple Links of the ones I recommend. There's also a really good Circle Island Tour that stops by some really beautiful Scenic points without having to hike and also gives you a little taste of the island. I'm more than happy to share those links with you also.

[@tinarobbins1989]

@@Cruisingfoodies Hi! I just came across your video. Great tips for sure! My whole family (teenagers, hubs and parents) are going this Aug and I am also curious about excursions I can book outside of cruise that would be less expensive. Any extra tips would be greatly appreciated!

[@Cruisingfoodies]

@tinarobbins1989 absolutely. If you have six people I highly recommend running a minivan at the closest facility and touring on your own. We were a party of five and it worked out perfectly where we could just set up our schedule so whatever was convenient for that day. Feel free to shoot me over an email and I can give you a suggestion of some of the places we visited. Also if you get a chance take a look at the video prior to this because I listed some of the places we saw in each island

[@Cruisingfoodies]

@@tinarobbins1989 and thank you so much for watching

[@kevingushlawtruthseeker3493]

I was accepted to work on P.O.A. waiting on when to do my physical and week of training in VA. got my TWIC card already. I thought about taking a 7 day cruise. So I will plan on getting there 2 days early to get familiar. do you do air bnb? my plan is Aug 31 to sept 7 was the best deal I could find and only 703 for a flight from Orlando. any advice? I also saw a dog in the video, do they allow dogs on POA?

[@Cruisingfoodies]

@@kevingushlawtruthseeker3493 so airbnbs are not allowed over here on the island of Oahu unless you're staying for 30 days so your best bet would be to stay downtown Waikiki where everything is walkable. Feel free to email me with any questions in regards to hotels and I'm more than happy to send you some ideas. Yes the dog in the video is a diabetic service dog that belongs to my mom and has been trained for a while so she goes on lots of cruises and everywhere to help with her low sugars.

[@lorigoncalves6560]

Great video - coming in May . How are the rooms (ocean view) I am a bit claustrophobic !😮

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Thank you for watching! The rooms were a nice size. The nice thing is the window was large. I'll add the other video which shows the room

[@Cruisingfoodies]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/naXVl2ekZs-FmJYsi=_lzAtyy36qPc4iEn

[@ms.bardotb1900]

Our cruise will be the end of July.

[@Cruisingfoodies]

That is awesome! I hope you enjoy it. It's a beautiful itinerary

[@JulieFranklin]

Great video, what hotels in Oahu would you recommend on the budget side. Thanks for a great video. Trying to go this summer.

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Thank you so much for watching! Check out the Beachcomber, Aston, and Hilton Waikiki Beach. They are about 2 blocks from the beach and much more reasonable than beachfront spots

[@SarahSmith-ff6yy]

Any advice if we are trying to do this cruise around Christmas time?

[@Cruisingfoodies]

If possible, it would be great to do the cruise the week before Christmas and spend Christmas here in Honolulu. We have some awesome activities around iolani palace and in Waikiki. Also, new years eve us like nothing you've ever seen. It's amazing here

[@Becclyn2]

We're trying to decide if Uber / Lyft would be faster and more convenient than hiking to a car rental agency. Any thoughts?

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Honestly it would be a little bit of a pain to pick up a rental car, but significantly cheaper. We ubered for $7/each way to the airport to get the rental, which was $25-40 depending on which size car you get. The Uber to volcano nat'l was about $45 each way so it was better for us to get the car, plus we stopped at places along the way.

[@wizerdjuice9589]

Metal Petrie dish.

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Not quite. Germs r everywhere.

[@Melissa-cm8fd]

Is September a good time to do this Cruise? Because I heard there can be some hurricanes in this time. So I‘m really unsure about that. Greeting from Germany😊

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Aloha Melissa. September is a really nice time. Yes hurricane season stretches into early November but they will divert if seas are rough. The temperatures are nice in September and October. And Mahalo for watching

[@user-ij4tg2fd3f]

How was the water while cruising? Was it smooth?

[@Cruisingfoodies]

We didn't hit any rocky waters. This is a smaller ship so you have a slight motion in between Honolulu and Maui but not much at all. Honestly, it was rougher between Seattle and Juneau

[@mariselafranco3956]

Hello, quick question what comes with the price we pay I heard the food was separate it’s not included with the reservation?

[@Cruisingfoodies]

All of your meals are included at the complimentary restaurants which include the two main dining rooms, the buffet, the diner and the Asian restaurant in the lobby.

[@mariselafranco3956]

@@Cruisingfoodies I also heard that the ferry are expensive?

[@Cruisingfoodies]

@@mariselafranco3956 There was a ferry here over 20 years ago but it's no longer in commission. The tenders are included and free with the ship to get to shore for the ports that they can not directly dock in.

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Here is a day to day outline of everything we did during the week we cruised. kzbin.info/www/bejne/naXVl2ekZs-FmJY

[@mariselafranco3956]

@@Cruisingfoodies thank you very much, I just read negative comments as well as good I just don’t want to make a mistake course the cruise is pricy

[@raishonstanley1313]

Do they have karaoke and club night

[@Cruisingfoodies]

@@raishonstanley1313 they do have a club but it wasn't very busy and we checked it out each night. They had some games with the entertainment staff and karaoke also. Most ended early in the night

[@raishonstanley1313]

@@Cruisingfoodies awww but it all good I'm very excited to check out everything on and off the ship I love traveling to different places. Have you guys been on the Alaska cruise before

[@lorrivickery1976]

Do they have crab legs or lobster on the cruise

[@Cruisingfoodies]

They had lobster in the specialty dining. But I didn't see any crab legs while we were there

[@ms.bardotb1900]

do they have a captain’s dinner?

[@Cruisingfoodies]

They did not have a captain's dinner but they did have a dress up or not night where you had the choice to get fancy.

[@ms.bardotb1900]

Great thank you so much

[@Cruisingfoodies]

@ms.bardotb1900 no problem at all. Happy to answer questions

[@kristinaolson5785]

What was the gluten-free brand?

[@Cruisingfoodies]

They had a brand called kinick kinick. First time I tried it. It was so good

[@kristinaolson5785]

@@Cruisingfoodies thank you 😊 .

[@Cruisingfoodies]

@kristinaolson5785 anytime. They also used schar for bagels

[@user-iy1wz2pm7n]

Did you take your dog?

[@Cruisingfoodies]

That's not mine. But my mom's diabetic service dog. It's trained to indicate her low sugars so it travels the world with her.

[@user-ff1il7il2x]

Thirsty?.

[@Cruisingfoodies]

Thirsty for?

[@NOT-WOKE-007]

I love the fact that there is no casino. For me, that should equate to no smokers! 🫶🏻

[@Cruisingfoodies]

There is smoking at one bar outside on the back of the ship. But nothing inside the ship

[@JusD3wit_]

Was still vaping like an asshole in my room all week 😂didn’t stop me

[@NOT-WOKE-007]

@@JusD3wit_ Maybe they can track your I.P. Address and block you from ever cruising again! 😉

[@JusD3wit_]

@@NOT-WOKE-007 nope mommy n daddy bought rooms🙂yur not the police anyways

[@NOT-WOKE-007]

@@JusD3wit_ if you get caught, you will be banned from cruising for life. Good luck.