The NCL Pride of America is about to undergo a significant itinerary change following the nearly twenty-year run of its weekly Hawaii cruise. And, unfortunately, it isn’t for the better. This was previously decided, for reasons unknown, and the final two regular Napali coast cruises, which are sold out, will depart soon.
The company will no longer cruise the famed Napali Coast along Kauai on its itineraries. That was arguably one of the most anticipated and best parts of the week-long all-Hawaii voyage. Read on for what that most incredible part of the journey was actually like.
Na Pali Coastline was the chicken-skin moment of this Hawaii cruise.
It’s hard for us to describe the anticipation and excitement that more than three thousand passengers and crew experienced when pulling out of Kauai’s Nawiliwili Harbor and making the famous left turn to cruise up one of the world’s most spectacular and secluded coastlines. After about an hour’s time, the Pride of America ship started its approach towards the magical cliffs, lush valleys, and the famous beaches along the coastline. This is an area that is only accessible by boat, helicopter, or hiking.
When the Na Pali Coast was reached, a Native Hawaiian interpreter on board talked about the significance of the Na Pali and also offered sacred chant. It was beyond mesmerizing. If you’ve ever done this, you know it is an unforgettable experience and please share it with others in comments.
Hat tip to Cayla, who pointed out the itinerary change to us. Cayla said,
“After years of wanting to take NCL’s circle Hawaii cruise, I was finally in a position to book- and they’ve dropped the Na Pali Coast from the route. I don’t think alternatives like a helicopter or small boat would be accessible for our travel party, so almost instantly, NCL has de-prioritized Hawaii as a destination for us.”
The new NCL itinerary without Napali Coast extends time on Kauai.
NCL first leaves Honolulu on Saturday nights at 7 pm, then is docked Sundays and Mondays on Maui, Hilo on Tuesdays, followed by Wednesdays at Kona, and then Kauai on Thursdays at 8 am. Instead of leaving Kauai on Friday around 1 pm for the Napali Coast extravaganza, it will now remain docked until 5 pm, then sail directly back to Honolulu from Nawilidwili prior to disembarkation on Saturday morning.
Depending on any future activity at Kilauea Volcano, the ship may include a sail-by on Tuesday night after Hilo. That too was a mind-blowing experience of sight, sound, and smell. On that occasion as well, a Native Hawaiian interpreter was present on deck to help guide and inform the experience. It was awesome! Having that experience and the Napali Coast together in the same week made this sailing a complete stand out on an otherwise regular cruise.
Special act allows NCL to offer these interisland cruises without foreign ports.
Pride of America is a ship specifically tailored for all Hawaii itineraries. It is the only sizeable U.S.-flagged ship to sail within the Hawaiian Islands without visiting foreign ports. To do this, it had to qualify under the Passenger Vessel Services Act, which is the passenger equivalent of the cargo-related Jones Act.
The ship started as built here, and NCL bought the “remains” and finished the ship outside the USA. They could get the vessel qualified as American-built because of its history. This allows NCL to do its all-Hawaii itinerary to Oahu, Maui, Big Island, and Kauai without including a stop outside the country.
Why we like Pride of America.
BOH editors watched NCL Pride of America sail around our Hawaiian islands for years and wondered from afar what it would be like on board. We can recall being in the water at Hanalei Bay, watching the ship up there on Friday afternoons, and wondering what the view must be like.
You may recall that in 2005, upon its initial launch, the ship garnered less-than-favorable reviews. Following numerous inquiries by BOH readers asking about the cruise, we embarked on a week-long BOH-paid journey aboard to investigate. Initially, our expectations were relatively modest. We were, however, pleasantly surprised by the excellent service, good food, and the professionalism of the staff.
We liked it so well that we returned after the ship went through a dry-dock refurbishment.
NCL provides what we referred to before as a “Hawaii In A Nutshell” experience. For those who want to visit four islands in just one week, without airports, flights, or unpacking, this has been a great way to get introduced to Hawaii for two decades. For those who sometimes get seasick, as editor Jeff does, he found both sailings to be smooth even when traversing the notoriously turbulent Kauai channel and the Alenuihaha channel between Maui and the Big Island.
Is dropping the Napali Coast a dealbreaker for you when considering NCL Pride of America? If you’ve taken the cruise, what was it like for you?
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
I was planning to cruise the Hawaiian islands but now that I know the cruise will not include the Nepali coast I am rethinking
My husband, daughters, and I have taken the cruise twice – most recently during Thanksgiving weekend. (We live on Oahu.) It’s a lovely itinerary, giving a taste of each of the main islands. We purposely scheduled both of our cruises to include the Napali Coast. The first time, it was truly magical. The second time, not so much. The ship departed the port late, so by the time we got to the coast, most of the sunlight was gone, so we couldn’t see much of the mountains. Also, we didn’t get nearly as close on that second cruise as we did the first cruise. Very disappointing. I don’t think we’ll do the cruise again.
I have taken the Pride of America Hawai’i cruise twice now. The first time had a somewhat reversed itinerary as the weather surrounding the islands was less than favorable. This last time (just over a month ago) was the regular itinerary but I do not recall anything associated with the Nepali coast. Either way, the cruise and excursions definitely make for a wonderful vacation. As this article states, it’s a great way to sample each island without the travel component, ie the ship does everything for transportation and accommodations not to mention dining. If you have the means to do the cruise I highly recommend it!
I took that cruise a few years ago and, at least on my cruise, the ship was too far away from the Napali coast to get much of a sense of its beauty. I’ve since seen the cliffs via helicopter and small craft and the views are spectacular. I wouldn’t count on experiencing Napali from a cruise ship.
By expanding the land time on Kauai, visitors will be able to see the Pali coast from scenic sights as well as the Grand Canyon. There is also a wonderful bird sanctuary.
We loved the itinerary but found the ship itself to be substandard. Food was mediocre. Too many unpleasant or indifferent crew that offset the good ones. Our return was unlikely and now even moreso.
Cruising by the Napoli coast was definitely the highlight of the Hawaiian island cruise. shame on NCL for removing that from the itinerary.
We’ve made many trips to Kauai and a visit to the Napali Coast is always a highlight. We’ve hiked it, flown over it on a helicopter and sailed by on catamaran. NCL has made a big mistake by dropping these beautiful vistas from their itinerary. In turn, we’ve dropped any plans to cruise on NCL again.
Yet, NCL is still advertising & selling cruises (last cruise departing on April 28th, 2024) as “Hawaii: Inter-Island & Na Pali Coast”. Description of the cruise it clearly states “from the lush, fragrant vegetation of Kaua`i and the famous vistas of the Na Pali Coast” .
We purchased this cruise as it shows that there are only 2 more sailing dates w/this heading “Na Pali” coast; now to be told by NCL “resolution” supervisors that they do not know if the cruise we booked will actually go by the Na Pali Coast as advertised. Full description NCL: “6-Day Cruise On Pride Of America; Hawaii: Inter-island & Na Pali Coast from Honolulu, Oahu. “One of a kind 6 day cruise”. 03/16/24.
Very disappointed in NCL for dropping Napali coast.
Thos os most people’s bucket list destination.
At the price NCL charges for this cruise its very penny pinching to cut the cost sailing to save a couple of bucks!
Start thinking about your guests!
In addition to nixing Na Pali they also mistime the passage so you miss the spectacular waterfall display along the north coast of Molokai. They then nix the SE coast of the Big Island where you could catch scenes of Pele when the volcano was active.
The best itinerary from my good old days aboard the Independence:
Honolulu-Nawiliwili counterclockwise around Oahu.
Nawiliwili-Hilo counterclockwise along the Na Pali coast at sunset.
Hilo-Kona clockwise along the volcano coast.
Kona-Kahului via the Pailolo Channel.
Kahului-Honolulu along the spectacular Molokai north coast.
There’s no mystery why they are doing this – Fuel! The Independence steamed approx 890 nautical miles vs. 670 on the NCL route.
Deal-breaker for sure.
Na Pali is the jewel of Kauai and beyond.
Why did NCL do this??
Definitely a deal breaker for us.
Talked about it for years…almost booked last fall.
Now we will continue to be landlubbers.
Really sad ☹️
Well, it’s not a deal breaker but it’s certainly a very large disappointment. There are over 20 of us going this summer and I don’t think any of us have been told about this yet. This is not a good look for NCL.
We took this cruise in September 2023. The trip was great for me since I had never been to Hawaii. But I was greatly disappointed because the Napali Coast portion was not included, even though it was listed in the cruise description. I complained to customer service, but received no explanation. Luckily we had already booked a helicopter tour which included the Napali Coast. It is truly gorgeous.
It would be better if they stayed out of Kaua’i altogether. Nawiliwili Harbor is entirely too small a dock for these behemoths… not to mention the waste & pollution they leave behind. No more cruise ships on Kaua’i would get my vote.
When are they dropping Na Pali coast from its itinerary?
The ocean life will be better for this.
It is for kauai tour business. Think, many want to see Napoli coast. If the cruise doesn’t do Napoli coast, the passenger should do Napoli with local tour business, helicopter, boat & etc. Norwegian help kauai local tour business by not doing Napoli coast.
It could help local tour operators by putting NCL passengers on smaller, less intrusive craft – especially if the cruise ships schedule enough time on the cruise in Kauai to do this.
NCL is making way to many changes without any explanations.
On our last cruise they dropped one of the ports that was scheduled. Sad!
As a long time cruiser with them, I am going to explore what other lines have to offer.
We just came back from the Pride of America cruise. It was great! Nice to be traveling in the USA with many enthusiastic Americans, Australia’s and Canadiens! 99% of the employees were excellent and 95% of the dinners were great! Excursions were well done. Entertainment on ship could be improved. But traveling is what you make it. I choose to go with a positive attitude, to meet as many new people as possible and to learn as many new things I can. Aloha!
We took this cruise in 2009. The Napali coastline from the ship truly defined our Hawaii cruise experience. It was indeed a top highlight. A very unique way to experience this gorgeous coastline. This is disappointing to hear, and why the change if so many cruisers liked it?
Very disappointed. Leaving Friday for this cruise with my 87 yr old mother and feel like her dreams are now minimized. I think we should be refunded part of our fare since was booked 6 months ago and paid for itinerary to include Napoli Coast
My wife and I just finished our NCL cruise on Pride of America. Although we loved visiting the four islands, except for some great staff the experience on the ship was less than stellar. Being late to reserve we had to book a more expensive balcony stateroom which turned out to be the smallest we’ve ever had. However it was well appointed and very clean (thanks to Thu). The meals were OK for the most part, except for the poor chicken picata, seared scallops, and Caesar salad. Best entertainment was the guitarist, Doug. We were surprised by some of the inordinate upcharges (e.g., $25 for a glass of wine! Really!) And ratserving the various appetizers and Soups one at a time, they would bring everything out at once!
So then the NCL POA owns me a partial refund February 2025 since we got the room just for the site, in cash please, no credits or upgrades. Thank you
Yes this is a deal breaker for me and my family. We would prefer to spend less time on Maui , now that Lahaina is gone. This is obviously a greedy move to get more money out of tourist with shore excurtions that are money makers for them. Sad.
correct. there is not much of anything to do in Maui as it is so its a waste of time therefor I want a partial cash refund.
Not sure what you mean, there is plenty to do in Maui, yes even without the “tourist trap” Lahaina.
We just did this cruise in January 2024 and enjoyed Hawai’i but were very disappointed by the cruise itself. The food was good but not great. In fact, the one speciality restaurant we went to was very disappointing. There was limited mediocre entertainment in the evenings. The staff were very professional and were the best part of the cruise. Your money would be better spent by picking one island and staying at a nice resort.
We stayed on Oahu (Waikiki to be exact) in an Airbnb for a week prior to our cruise at the end of January. Compared to the other NCL cruises I have been on, I agree that the on board entertainment was a little lacking. We did notice that a number of the staff in the dining areas (the diner and the aloha cafe) were not as good as the other cruises with an international crew.
I just did this cruise 3 weeks ago. I think picking the shore excursions you are really interested is important so you get to see what you are excited to see.
We sailed on Pride of America b2b in April-May 2023. We had sailed 7 days on the Pride of Aloha in 2006. We are Latitude Ambassadors. Without a doubt, Hawaii and Alaska are the 2 most beautiful and majestic cruises out of the U.S. Breath taking to see, but you must also enjoy the sounds and smells. Yes, Na Pali is amazing, but Hawaii is a spectacular once in a lifetime experience.
I am always pleased when there is No cruise line in my line of vision while trying to enjoy the land or sea scape. This is good news!
Not sure if I would take the cruise with or without Napali Coast. More time in Kauai sounds like a winner to me. I have not been to that beautiful island since 1976 or 1977. Having an extra 4 hours there would be welcome.
My family cruised on NCL’s ‘maiden’ Hawaiian voyage ~20 yrs ago. Since it was not an American ship, it was required to dock at a foreign port, and the closest one was on Fanning Island in Kiribati. On the last day, we were scheduled to dock in Kaui, but it was January and the waves were too fierce to dock in the port. Instead, the captain cruised around Kaui several times exposing the many facets of the gem that is the Na Pili coast. Everyone was on deck watching the ‘show’ as we passed the Na Pali coast several times, cameras clicking and lots of oohs and ahhs. To this day, I have never witnessed such a stunning landscape. Taking this away takes the major attraction of the cruise IMHO, and NCL should reconsider.
NCL just blew it for me. Doing away with Na Pali Coast just absurd decision. Nothing else compares with Na Pali!
Aloha, I’ve been lucky to of seen Napali coast numerous times. I was thinking of taking this cruise on NCL as I thought about instead of island hopping go on a 7-10 day cruise. It wouldn’t stop me from booking but I think they need to lower these rate a.bit as Napali coast is the high light of this cruisr.
Sounds like it was done to reduce expenses and increase kickbacks
from the onshore tour companies in Kauai.
Just another example of “shrinkflation”? Seems to be everywhere.
No, it wouldn’t be a deal breaker because the cruise itself was wonderful. However, we were fortunate enough to have had a once in a lifetime experience in the suites that face the front of the ship. Not much else can top that! While Nepali was amazing and Im very sad to see it go, I would definitely recommend this cruise for the other reasons you mentioned.
Very sad news indeed about the POA dropping Na Pali from its itinerary.
We enjoy always watching it from our lanai as it cruises by Princeville near sunset.
What on earth is NCL thinking??? Na Pali is one of the most spectacular sights on planet earth!
Big Mistake IMO.
Aloha to all.
We rode NCL around the Hawaiian islands in 2007. We quickly determined that we would have been better off parking ourselves on one of the islands for the week. It was our 10th visit to Hawaii (just got back last month from our 30th visit) and we had “Done that, been there” for all the main stops previously. That said, the trip up the coast to the Na Pali coast was one of the highlights for us. We typically stay on the island of Kauai, and can’t imagine why NCL has deleted their trip to the Na Pali coast, other than to reduce their fuel bill.
You’re a bit late with your news about the Pride of Hawaii itinerary change. The cruise by of the Napali coastline was dropped months ago. On very rare occasions, it’s included when POA has to vacate its docking berth in Nawiliwili to allow another ship into port.
I’m disappointed that the itinerary has been changed. I have seen the Napali Coast from a Zodiac raft, but I had hoped that my Aussie fiancé would get to experience this spectacular place. We will be sailing POA in April 2024.
Despite the itinerary change, it’s a great way to experience the islands without flights, airports and living out of a suitcase.
why did the POA have to give up its dock since it is an American port with an American ship so if anything POA should have priority.
Thanks for another informative article. Shame to miss the Na Pali coast, though more time is allowed for excursions.
Author may have confused the Jones Act with the Passenger Vessel Services Act…
thepointsguy.com/guide/what-is-the-jones-act-for-cruise-ships
Also, “it will not remain docked until 5 pm” should probably read “it will remain docked until 5 pm”