NCL Pride of America Excursions
On our recent NCL Hawaiian Islands cruise on the Pride of America, we did a shore excursion in every port. On the NCL Pride of America excursions, we saw so many amazing places and wanted to share our experiences with you. These Norwegian Hawaii excursions were a fantastic way to see sample the islands and get a taste of the best of Hawaii.
Hawaii Shore Excursions Overview
For years, we talked about going to Hawaii. It was a literally on our bucket list and yet there was always a reason not to go. Finally one day we looked at each other and said ‘book the trip’. It was among the best travel adventures we have experienced.
We are pretty active. Given the choice, we’d pick a hike our outdoor adventure over just about anything else. So, when we had the chance to visit Hawaii, we couldn’t resist checking out as much of the natural beauty as possible.
It was our first-time visiting Hawaii and we wanted to see everything. But, as we planned our adventure, and considered booking some NCL Pride of America excursions, we had a few questions.
- Should we book shore excursions or try to explore on our own?
- The excursions look kind of expensive. Are they worth it?
- What do the levels of difficulty mean? How difficult is a ‘challenging’ excursion?
- Are we choosing the right excursions?
- If we book excursions, will we still have time to enjoy the ship and explore Hawaii on our own?
While you could probably explore on your own, and many people do, we opted to book shore excursions for each port. And, we still had time to do a little bit of exploring on our own.
You can check out our NCL Pride of America post for more on the cruse ship and cruise experience.
Itinerary
NCL sails the Pride of America weekly departing each Saturday. The cruise starts in Honolulu. It is a port-heavy itinerary with no sea days. You’ll be in port every day which gives you more time to explore. When the ship does move, it does so at night.
One thing to keep in mind is that these ports aren’t like Caribbean. You can’t just walk off the ship and have shopping, dining, and other fun options available. So, whether you do it on your own or try excursions, we recommend that you plan ahead.
Norwegian Pride of America Excursions Overview
We’ve done shore excursions on other cruises; beach break, zipline, Atlantis submarine. They are usually fun ways to enjoy your time on a cruise. We’ve also tried a few times to explore on our own – like that time we took a taxi to a beach and were nervous the whole time wondering if we’d make it back to the ship on time.
At least for the excursions we booked in Hawaii, there was something different. Most of these were small group tours with a strong learning component. We learned about Hawaiian & Polynesian history & culture, volcanoes, plants & animals unique to Hawaii. Without our guides, we would have missed a lot of the information and experiences we had in Hawaii,
We booked all of these excursions through NCL except for our Pearl Harbor excursion which we booked through our travel agent.
Pearl Harbor, Arizona, and Punchbowl Tour.
We did this excursion during our pre-cruise stay in Honolulu & Waikiki Beach.
Visiting Pearl Harbor was very meaningful. We found the museum exhibits to be interesting. We appreciated the opportunity to take the boat ride to the Arizona Memorial. It is a meaningful tribute to those who lost their lives during the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, note that the boat ride is not always available. For example, weather may impact the tour.
Before boarding the boat, an interesting film was shown and a park ranger provided useful information about Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial.
Our trip also included a few additional stops including the ‘National Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl’ and a stop downtown to see a King Kamehameha statue. However, these offered limited time and we didn’t have the opportunity to explore these stops in depth. Most of the time on the excursion was spent driving around Oahu.
Pearl Harbor Memorial Tips
Pearl Harbor is worth visiting. While we did this as a shore excursion, you can probably do this one on your own. You’ll need transportation such as a rental car or Lyft. Public bus transportation might also be an option.
You can visit Pearl Harbor either before or after your Pride of America cruise. NCL offers an option to include a visit to Pearl as part of the transfer to the airport if you have a later flight.
Book tickets for the boat ride to the Arizona Memorial at Recration.gov.
Haleakala Crater at Sunset
Our first port stop was in Maui. We opted to book the Haleakala Crater at Sunset excursion to visit Haleakala National Park and see the sunset. This was an amazing experience.
Our excursion included transportation to the crater on a small bus. Our guide provided interesting information about the area, including the recent wildfires. The road to the park goes up the mountain and in places there are no guardrails. It was reassuring to know he had driven the route many times – especially as he would be driving us back down again after dark.
We had a short stop at the Haleakala visitor center where we saw a pair of Nene, the state bird of Hawaii.
The day was a bit cloudy and rainy. We weren’t sure that we’d be able to see the sunset. However, our guide assured us he had a good feeling about the weather. And when we climbed above cloud level, it was a beautiful sunny day.
We had a chance to do a short bit of hiking at the summit. And then we headed to the viewing area to see the sunset. Absolutely amazing.
After the sunset, it gets dark fast. We headed back to the ship, arriving around 9:00 for a late dinner.
We are glad we did this excursion. When we return to Hawaii, we might visit the crater during the day to do more hiking and exploring.
Haleakala Sunset Tips
Weather can be very different above the clouds. While our experience was clear weather above the clouds, your experience may be different.
You are at high altitude. It can get a bit chilly. It sometimes gets to 40 degrees and it can even snow. Be prepared for cold & windy conditions. We packed hats, gloves, and puffy jackets and were glad we had them.
This is rated as an Easy excursion. If you do the optional hiking, be prepared for a non-paved trail. Wear good shoes. Note that the similar Haleakala Sunrise excursion is rated as a Medium. The altitude, temperature, and hiking may contribute to either feeling more like a medium than an easy.
Maui Exploring On Our Own
Since our Haleakala excursion didn’t start until 3:00, we had time to explore on our own. There is a smaller beach walking distance from the ship. To get there, you do have to walk along a busy road.
If you are looking for coffee and a baked treat, you might want to check out Momona which is a within walking distance of the port. We enjoyed a good cup of coffee.
Across the main road from the port, you’ll find a pharmacy and a Whole Foods. These are great places to get some Hawaiian souvenirs such as coffee, chocolate, or fruit candy.
Road to Hana
Road to Hana is considered a ‘must do’ excursion. We’re glad we did it once. Road to Hana is an all-day excursion that lasts 9.5 hours. At 7:00 am, we boarded a small bus for our journey to Hana.
As the name suggests, you’ll be riding on the road pretty much all day. The road is narrow and has many curves – over 600 switchbacks according to our guide.
During the ride, our guide Sale shared a lot of history and information on Polynesian culture. We made some stops along the way. We got to see Rainbow Eucalyptus trees which were really interesting. We also stopped to see waterfalls and some great views.
One stop was for Malasadas at Uncle Harry’s. Those were really yummy Portuguese donuts. The endpoint of the journey was at Wai’Anapanapa State Park. A box lunch was provided and we ate at the park. It was a pretty short stop, but we did have time to walk over to a black sand beach which was pretty amazing.
On the way to Hana, there were quite a few stops. The trip back was pretty fast – on a winding road. We made just two stops. One at Half Way to Hana where they sold tasty banana bread.
Our guide told us he had a surprise stop. And this was a good one. We stopped at an overlook of the ocean and a beach. It looked like there were some huge boulders on the beach. But those boulders were moving. They were not rocks – they were turtles!
Road to Hana Tips
For us, doing this as a shore excursion was the right choice. While the view from the side of the bus wasn’t as good as you might get in a car, the driving seemed pretty challenging. If you take the excursion, the driver’s side may have better views.
The road is very twisty. You may want to take Dramamine. Eating some ginger candy along the way might be a good idea. You can find several kinds of ginger candy at Trader Joes.
Crater Hike and Hilo Waterfalls
Our first stop on the Big Island was Hilo. the must see place on the Big Island is Volcanoes National Park. We opted for a hiking excursion Crater Hike & Hilo Waterfalls. We boarded a sprinter van at 8:30 for this 6.5 hour excursion.
Our guide for the day was Tori. She was fantastic. We enjoyed our conversation about the natural beauty of Hawaii. But, she was also engaging on a variety of topics like roasting Kona coffee or the story of how a clockmaker solved navigation & longitude.
We first paid a visit to Rainbow Falls. Unfortunately, we didn’t see a rainbow. But, we did see a huge & amazing Banyan Tree.
From there, we headed to Volcanoes National Park. The start of our hike was lush – and a bit steep & slippery. We made our way down to the crater of the volcano. It was like walking on a completely different planet. There were plants trying to grow. And we could see steam rising from the volcano in the distance,
We hiked back up again. Part of the hike was on a road that was washed out during a volcanic eruption. And then we could look down – and see tiny people walking on the crater where we had been.
There were several additional stops including the Volcano House Lodge. More great views of the volcano. And a great place to purchase souvenirs. I got a Hawaiian Shirt made in Hawaii.
All things considered, this was was one of the best excursions we have ever taken!
Crater Hike and Hilo Waterfalls Tips
This was rated as a challenging excursion for the hiking distance, elevation, and some slippery & rough terrain. This isn’t the most challenging hike we have done. But, relative to other shore excursions, challenging seems like a fair rating. You’ll definitely get your steps in and is enough change in elevation that you’ll probably feel it by the end of the day. If you book this excursion, ensure you are fit and prepared for a long day of hiking.
If you hike, this is a must do excursion. If you prefer not to hike, there is an alternative which takes you to view Volcanoes National Park for some amazing views without the hiking. Either way, we think seeing the volcano and crater is pretty amazing.
Secret Waterfalls of Kohala
Our second stop on the Big Island was Kona. This was a tender port – meaning you had to take a small boat from the ship to the shore. It was the only port with some amount of restaurants and shopping within an easy walk. We opted for the Secret Waterfalls of Kohala excursion.
After tendering to Kona, we boarded one of two 4 wheel drive Sprinter vans for our six hour excursion. Our tour began at 9:00 and our guide for the day was Justin. He had a wealth of knowledge about Hawaii and we learned about the two types of lava, lots about native plants, and some interesting history of how Kamehameha came to power.
After a while on a highway, we pulled off the main road to a privately owned area which was a short, bumpy drive from the main highway.
We had a great time hiking and saw a few small waterfalls. At the bottom of one is a natural pool were you can choose to take a dip in the water.
After hiking, we had a box lunch. The view was amazing. We could see Maui off in the distance.
While it was a hard choice which excursion to pick for the port of Kona, we are glad we opted for the waterfall hike. For us, this was a good choice.
Kona and Secret Waterfalls Tips
Secret Waterfalls was rated as a moderate. That seems about right. There was some hiking on unlevel terrain. Hiking sticks were offered to those who choose to use them. Wear hiking boots or sturdy shoes. Long pants are probably a good idea. If you plan to take a short swim in the pool by the waterfall, have a swimsuit on under your pants.
Try to board a tender as early as you are allowed. You’ll have a tender time assigned for the excursion but you’ll be tendering along with many others.
After the excursion, we did have a bit of time to explore Kona. We did a little shopping and enjoyed a tasty Hawaiian shave ice.
Luau Kalamaku
Our last port was Kauai. This included an overnight so we had two days to explore. We thought we should do a Luau on our trip to Hawaii. And the one we had heard the most about was the Luau Kalamaku. This excursion included bus transportation to the Luau, dinner and a show with hula and fire dancing.
There are several ways to book this Luau. You can opt for the Luau or go for premium seating if you want to be a little closer to the show. The option we chose with the Luau Kalamaku & Plantation Train. With this option, you arrive a bit earlier and board a train for a loop around the plantation. The train is open on the sides so you get a good view of the gardens. The train makes one stop along the way where you have the opportunity to feed animals by throwing corn tortillas to them.
The hula and fire dancing show was well performed and entertaining. Dinner is buffet style and the food is pretty good. The excursion does advertise that drinks are included. That is true but know that you are limited to one drink at a time so you won’t be able to get a drink for your partner. The bar closes when the show starts.
We are glad we did a Luau on our Hawaiian Islands cruise. This one appeared to be as good or better than the alternative we encountered throughout our adventure.
Luau Kalamaku Tips
This was considered an Easy excursion. You’ll have to be able to board a large bus and do some walking on pavement. While the train ride was fun, you’d probably be just fine with just the standard Luau.
As this was a later excursion that started at 4:00, we had time to relax and enjoy the ship during the day. We tried to explore the area a bit but found that there wasn’t much available within walking distance.
Exploring Kauai and Waimea Canyon
Since the Pride of America stays overnight in Kauai, we had a second day to explore. When we were booking all of these excursions, we weren’t sure if it would be too many excursions. We didn’t book anything for the last day.
I started regretting not booking the excursion to Waimea Canyon. You know we love state parks and Waimea Canyon is an amazing place. It is nicknamed the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. It is about ten miles long and 3,000 feet deep. But, unlike the Grand Canyon, Waimea is lush.
By the time we decided to book, the shore excursion had sold out. Judy took the initiative and booked a convertible for the day and we headed off to explore the canyon on our own. This proved to be the best choice. You can pick up your car at the nearby airport. While shuttles run, you may want to opt for a cab to make the process a bit faster.
We headed to the canyon for some amazing views. But since we were exploring on our own, we had time to check out the park a bit more. We even did some hiking. The Canyon trail was rated as intermediate but we found it to be a fairly challenging hike.
We headed back toward the ship. But, along the way, we saw signs for Kauai Coffee. We couldn’t resist checking it out. You can take a self-guided tour of the coffee plantation. Of course, you’ll want to pick up some tasty coffee to bring back home.
We had one final stop to make. We heard from a friend that the best place to get Hawaiian Souvenirs was an unexpected place – Costco! You can find a good variety of tasty treats to bring home. Like Macadamia nuts. The selection & prices were great. Thanks, Mike, for the helpful tip.
Exploring on Your Own Tips
Kauai was a good place to explore on our own. Rental cars are available at the nearby airport which is relatively close to the port. Since the ship is in port two days, you may want to explore on your own the first day.
Hiking at Waimea Canyon is great. Just be prepared with hiking shoes, water, and the appetite for a challenging hike. By visiting on your own, you’ll have more time to explore the area.
Were the NCL Hawaii Shore Excursions Worth It
Should we book shore excursions or try to explore on our own? Though the excursions were expensive, we felt that they were worth it. We had good guides who helped see and understand things better than we could have done on our own.
The excursions look kind of expensive. Are they worth it? Yes. They are expensive. The NCL Free at Sea shore excursion credit helped. But, although these were more expensive than excursions we have taken on other cruises, we felt like the experiences we had were fantastic.
What do the levels of difficulty mean? How difficult is a ‘challenging’ excursion? If you are active and fit, you should be able to do all levels of excursion. Easy often includes a bus ride, sightseeing, and some kind of experience. Moderate includes walking on uneven terrain, some stair climbing, and some kind of activity. Challenging included longer hikes over more challenging terrain. You’ll want to be prepared. But, if you can hike a moderate state park or national park trail, you’ll probably be up for the challenge.
Did we pick the right excursions? We felt like these were great excursions. When we visit again, we’ll likely do more exploring on our own and take different excursions to expand our Hawaii experience.
We think the excursions worked for our first trip for two reasons.
- We got to see some of the best things in Hawaii in a pretty worry-free way
- We had great guides who helped us to see and understand things we may have missed if we tried to do it on our own
If You Could Only Do One
That is too hard. The excursions were all very different. If we had to pick just one, it would likely be a visit to Volcanoes National Park.
Would We Do It Again
For our first adventure, using excursions booked through the cruise line worked great. While they were a little expensive, we think the experience was worth it for the excursions we booked.
When we go back again, we’ll likely do more exploring on our own. Having a bit more freedom on our Waimea Canyon day provided us the chance to spend more time doing what we wanted to do.
Since the ship stays overnight in Maui and Kuai, if we were going to explore on our own, we’d probably do it on the first port day for each of those.
I think doing Road to Hana was fun – once. Overall, we are glad we did the excursions we did for this first adventure in Hawaii. We might visit some of the same places in a different way next time – like visit Haleakala during the day for some additional hiking.
NCL Pride of America Excursions YouTube Video
Check out our NCL Pride of America Shore Excursions YouTube video where we show the highlights of places we visited on our Hawaiian Islands cruise.
Leave a Comment
Have you sailed on NCL’s Pride of America? Did you take any shore excursions or explore on your own? What is your favorite Norwegian Pride of America Excursion?
Do you have tips to share? We’d love to hear all about it. Please leave us a comment.
If you like this, be sure to watch for our the rest of our Hawaiian Islands Adventure series including our posts on Waikiki Beach, the Waikiki Beach Marriott, and our NCL Cruise.
Copyright 2024 Travel Trail Sail. All Rights Reserved.