What You Should Know About Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America in 2022

Launched in 2005, Norwegian’s Pride of America has carried the mantle of the only large U.S.-flagged cruise ship for nearly two decades. It carries it well, perpetually sailing round trip from Honolulu and maintaining status as Norwegian Cruise Line’s most profitable ship (based on revenue per bed).

Pride of America’s reentry into service following the disruption of the pandemic was originally slated for January 2022. However, the surge of the omicron variant pushed that date to April. That hasn’t slowed demand, as Hawaii continues to attract would-be vacationers with ideal weather year-round and domestic travel status.

Despite the immense challenges of the past two years, Norwegian Cruise Line officially returned its seventeenth and final cruise ship to service on May 9, which reinstates its entire fleet.

So, what should advisors know about Pride of America, the line’s only vessel calling on the popular Aloha State, as it once again cruises the Pacific? We offer the following observations after our weeklong voyage.

The ship is sold through the fall but sailing at less than half capacity.
“Our issue with Hawaii isn’t one of demand,” Harry Sommer, president of Norwegian Cruise Line, told media during a discussion onboard. “There is so much desire to come here — and as you know, we have the only product that does one-week, inter-Hawaii cruises…with over 100 hours in port and no sea days.” Demand is so high that at current capacity levels, Pride of America is sold through October and was at a stop-sell during our time onboard.

“Our issue is with crew,” Sommer admitted. “Similar to land-based properties within the United States, we have problems securing enough staff to get this ship up to full.” In order not to sacrifice guest service standards, occupancy levels have been reduced commensurate with the number of crew onboard. On our sailing in mid-May, just under 550 crew were onboard as compared with a typical staff of 920 to 940 crew members. In turn, Pride of America is sailing at about 40 percent capacity.

“The demand is a good problem to have, and the crewing is an unfortunate issue,” Sommer said. He expects guest capacity to remain at about 1,100 passengers (of a 2,500-person maximum) through the summer and hopes the ship will be running at full capacity by the winter holidays.

Giving a broader view, Norwegian has increased its overall capacity from 0 to 85 percent over a five-month span (from the height of omicron to now). With the addition of Norwegian Prima and Norwegian Viva, booking levels are higher than they were at this time in 2019. Additionally, Norwegian Cruise Line has “no plans to sell any ships over the next three to five years,” according to Sommer, despite ramping up capacity 40 percent over the next six years. For now, this means that the beloved Pride of America is here to stay as is.

This is the time to land a suite upgrade.
Because of demand, fares have gone up incrementally for Pride of America, which has resulted in a slightly higher average income among guest demographics. However, a positive side effect of the current reduced capacity onboard is available staterooms. Norwegian allows guests to bid on an upgrade after booking a cabin and we recommend encouraging clients to take a chance on an offer. Ignore the suggested bids and enter an amount that would still be within the client’s budget. On our sailing, a couple landed a penthouse suite (in the range of $5,000 per person) after booking a balcony cabin (closer to $3,000 per person) with a bid of just a few hundred dollars per person on the upgrade. This is the way to land a deal for your clients sailing Hawaii.

A quick note that on Pride of America — as on many ships — cabin location does matter. We were somewhat surprised to find that nearly all the Hawaiian port facilities were quite industrial, meaning the views from our portside balcony were less ideal than imagined (relatively speaking, this is still paradise). However, if your client is in a balcony stateroom or suite, portside is an excellent place to be as they depart Kauai on the very last evening for a scenic sail of the Na Pali coast.

Clients should manage expectations about the current onboard experience.
Pride of America remains an excellent way to see five ports and four islands in eight days, but with the convenience comes a few pandemic-related tradeoffs. Staffing shortages have hit nearly every industry, and a cruise ship operated by American crew is well among them. Because of the trickledown effect of less staff, many venues on the ship are currently closed. This includes specialty restaurants East Meets West, Moderno Churrascaria, La Cucina, and Teppanyaki or Sushi; the Dolce Gelato stand; main dining room Liberty Restaurant and Skyline, the main dining room, for breakfast or lunch; and bars including Key West Bar & Grill, Waikiki Bar, Aloha Lanai, and Gold Rush Saloon on most evenings.

As such, the bars that are open are busy and bartenders were a bit overwhelmed. Still, we always had friendly and prompt service in the Cadillac Diner, which remained an all-day venue serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner items plus milkshakes. Room service was also correct and on time; ships can sometimes struggle with both, even when fully operational, so we appreciated the option for complimentary Continental breakfast on early excursion days. We even saw fresh coffee being delivered to a guest on disembarkation day, which is usually not offered on the final morning.

We’re told that venues will gradually reopen as crew numbers increase. But with that in mind, new crew members joining the ship, numbering in the hundreds, means that a significant percentage of staff will be training through the end of the year and into the coming seasons.

Only a handful of kids were seen onboard during our sailing, and some facilities like the family pool and whirlpool were closed. According to Sommer, kids clubs will be staffed fleetwide by June 1, just in time for summer break.

The ship is lovingly maintained, but décor is outdated.
Pride of America is 17 years old and given how long it’s been operating the same Hawaiian loop, it looks great. It was recently refurbished and boasts new carpeting, upholstery, and shining surfaces; the furniture isn’t chipped, cracked, or worn down; everything seemed to be in working order. Despite how clean and presentable it is, we’re still scratching our heads as to why the hit-you-over-the-head Americana theme has endured when its only itinerary is purely Hawaiian.

Theming a ship is not a new concept to Norwegian, who has modeled Breakaway as its “New York ship,” Getaway as its “Miami ship,” and Bliss as its “Alaska ship,” even though these vessels have been deployed as far as Europe. We strongly believe that the indisputable “Hawaii ship” is worthy of a more pronounced Hawaiian theme.

Obviously, an update that would overhaul structural elements would be costly, and we’re not saying that fresh from two years of suspended operation is the time to enact a rebrand of the ship. But a bust of Ben Franklin peering down upon a front desk replica of the Oval Office (complete with eagles overhead and a state seal) is not what I would have pictured cruising with the Aloha spirit in mind. Perhaps an authentic interpretation of a tiki bar? The Cadillac Diner already offers a take on the local dish the “Loco Moco,” so why not model the space after a local diner like Ken’s in Hilo? Elvis (the current diner theme) is about as Hawaiian as my left foot. In my own opinion, renaming fleetwide French favorite Le Bistro to “Jefferson’s Bistro” is akin to calling French fries “freedom fries.”

To be fair, I agree with Sommer’s point that the bells and whistles of newer ships — like virtual reality, racetracks, or Broadway-style shows — don’t resonate as much with guests who aren’t spending much time onboard the ship. From our own experience, the full days exploring in port combined with our jet lag meant we were always looking to crash after dinner.

We found shore excursions worth the splurge.
Onshore, Hawaii and its tourism operators are ready for your business. Sure, you can rent a car and do your own thing. But as with any new destination, you’re missing context without informed commentary, and Hawaii has a very deep well of natural, cultural, and political history to offer. Like Alaska, almost anywhere you find yourself in Hawaii will be stunning, but excursions make the most of your time in port with streamlined transportation and access to locations that might be difficult to reach if clients are determined to DIY.

Our snorkel trip in Maui to Molokini Crater was a lovely, sunny afternoon on the water with a genuinely fantastic crew. In addition to being served breakfast, a hot lunch, and an open bar with local beer and spirits on the ride back (far and away better than the service on our 10-hour flight to Honolulu), we were impressed by the tour operator. Run by the Pacific Whale Foundation, these snorkel trips help fund important marine research in Hawaii and elsewhere, and staff was knowledgeable and passionate about the ocean and its inhabitants. On our way to the first of two snorkel locations, we stopped to scoop up a foil balloon floating in the ocean as everyone onboard cheered. It gave our excursion purpose behind the fun pastime, and we applaud Norwegian Cruise Line for choosing operators with ethical practices.

Remember: Drink taxes and no casino are quirks of U.S. cruising.
These are not new features to Pride of America, but since many passengers are first-timers to the itinerary, it’s worth reminding clients — especially those loyal to NCL — that POA has qualities that are unique to this ship alone. Namely, even with a beverage package, you are paying taxes on each drink, which can add up when it’s 50 cents here and there. Even though we felt the shops had a wonderful selection and friendly staff, remember they are not duty-free. Likewise, because the ship never enters international waters, there is also no casino. On the other hand, the vessel does feature a sizeable library — a venue that seems to be disappearing altogether from cruise ships — complete with fascinating displays on the history of the S.S. America.