PRIDE OF HAWAII        March 5 – 12, 2007

(Note - while the Pride of America has replaced the Pride of Hawaii on this itinerary, this review will still provide you with an overview of what to expect from NCL's Hawaii program) 

We recently had the opportunity to sail onboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of Hawaii which is part of their new NCL America product line. This is one of three American flagged vessels purpose built for cruising the Hawaiian islands. We will defer a full description of the ship until our overall impressions at the end of this review although as appropriate we will describe certain amenities and procedures along the way.

First let us explain why these ships being American flagged is important. There is a law on the books that requires any ‘foreign’ flagged vessel (meaning it is registered outside the U.S.) to visit a foreign country between embarking and disembarking passengers in U.S. ports. This was done back in the 1800’s to prevent substandard vessels from being used as coastal vessels and endangering American passengers, among other reasons. With the exception of the three NCL ships, all other major cruise vessels are foreign flagged. That is not to imply by any means that they are unsafe, quite to the contrary, just they that must continue to make that foreign port call. The net result here is that NCL presently offers the only 7 night cruises in Hawaii that have no sea days and spends all of their days in a different port. The below review outlines our cruise and the benefits this itinerary presented.

Sunday, March 4

Our cruise started on Monday, March 5^th, but we elected to fly out a day early and spend the night in Honolulu. Although you can fly in the day of the cruise, either through arrangements made by NCL or independently, it is a long trip and doing so does not leave a great deal of time for unexpected delays. We recommend that you consider this same approach. We had some airmiles to use so we flew on Continental. We took a commuter flight from Baltimore to Newark, then a non-stop flight from Newark to Honolulu (about 10 ½ hours). When we arrived we spent the night at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort, a nice hotel (more on area hotels later). We had a partial oceanview room with a nice view of Diamond Head. It seemed like a very short stay as we basically tried to get a good nights sleep, had breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant (buffet, but very extensive, with the price to go with it - $23.95 per person), then caught our shuttle to the pier.

Monday, March 5

We arrived at the pier at approximately 11:30 am. At the time the ship was docked at pier 10/11 at the Aloha Tower. Starting March 17^th it will move to the Honolulu Harbor Cruise Terminal, pier 2. The actual check in process began at 12 noon and took a few short minutes (most of the process is accomplished prior to leaving home through NCL’s online check in). We were allowed on the ship by 1 pm, however our cabin and the majority of the others, with the exception of the large suites, was not ready to be occupied until almost 3 pm. We had a carry-on bag with us and rather than drag that around the ship we took advantage of the limited space they had at Guest Relations to hold small bags. If you are flying in on embarkation day (from the East coast) you will most likely arrive well after 3 pm and this will not be an issue. If you came in the day ahead and have the option you might consider not arriving at the ship until after 3 pm (if you take NCL’s pre arrival package that includes transfers it will be up to them what time you arrive).  You might be able to leave your bags at your hotel, take in some of the sites of Honolulu, then go to the pier later. Make sure you leave a change of clothes for dinner in your carry-on.

Lunch was being served in the Aloha Nui Café when we arrived so we had our first meal onboard. They have several stations including salads, hot foods, grill and dessert, which are well laid out to avoid too munch congestion. It was good and comparable with most other lines’ buffets.

Our cabin was 9050, a category BB balcony stateroom on the starboard (right) side of deck 9, slightly forward of midship. It was a good size, plenty of room for the two of us and our luggage.  There was ample closet, drawer and shelf space for all of our clothes (see note on clothing below). We had two twin beds that were put together to make a queen. This particular cabin was capable of holding 4 people so it also had a small sleep sofa and a retractable bunk bed in the ceiling by the balcony door. There was a small desk area with a stool and a moveable table by the balcony door as well as a corner unit under the shelves and the TV that was meant to be your computer work station. There is wired as well as wireless internet access in the cabins, for a charge. We thought the computer hookup would have been better placed by the desk area to avoid blocking movement past the bed while sitting at the corner station. The cabin also includes a safe and small refrigerator.

The bathroom was nicely done with a sliding door on a good sized rectangular shower, a sink area in the middle of the room (with limited counter space) and a toilet area to the other side, also with a sliding privacy door. The toilet area was a bit tight when you slid the door closed. There was a liquid soap dispenser by the sink, and soap and shampoo dispensers in the shower. There was a hand held hair dryer in the cabin, but it was placed in front of the mirror by the desk area, not in the bathroom.

Our balcony had two chairs and a small table and like many other destinations Hawaii is one where a balcony is a plus. Some of the sites along the way were easily viewed right from the balcony without having to go out on deck. This included the nighttime passing of the lava flows and our port arrivals (of course it will depend on which side of the ship you are on in relation to the site). The additional perk as far as we are concerned is the ability to go to sleep at night listening to the sounds of the ship making its way through the water, even if the cruise line frowns on this practice.

*This is a good spot to mention clothing for this cruise. This entire adventure falls under NCL’s “Freestyle Cruising” model. What they basically say is that you do what you want, where, when and in most cases, dressed the way you choose. They do have one “dress up” night, if you choose to participate. If you don’t, that’s fine too. We took no formal clothing at all and felt entirely comfortable. The usual restrictions on shorts, tank tops, bathing suits, etc. in the dining rooms apply, but because of the number and variety of restaurants you can eat dinner in shorts at the buffet if you wish (we did).

This ship has 12 different restaurants, some of which accept reservations and some of which have an additional “service charge.” You can make reservations for the day of, or one day in advance. After we finished our lunch we went and made reservations for that night at Poppa’s, an Italian Trattoria and for Tuesday night at Cagney’s Steak House. Poppa’s has no service charge. As are all of the other restaurants Poppa’s is smaller than you might be used to, therefore more intimate. The service and the food were excellent. Especially good was the appetizer from the antipasto cart; an assortment of meats, cheeses, fish and vegetables that you pick from and are served to you tableside. This restaurant is understandably very popular.

We departed port at 8 pm and passed along Waikiki Beach which is quite a site all lit up. After walking off dinner on deck we headed back to the cabin. We had set up an internet account (250 minutes plus 20 bonus minutes for signing up on embarkation day for $100, 40 cents a minute) and tried it from our laptop in the cabin. The connection was good by most cruise line standards, but certainly not lightning fast like we are used to at home with cable. We were relatively busy during our cruise, checking email at least once every day, responding to clients and doing online booking work, yet the connections were fast enough that we did not exceed our allotment.

Tuesday, March 6, HILO on the big island of Hawaii

We started our day with breakfast at Alizar, one of the two mainstream restaurants. We had a table for two near a window. Even though this is one of the main restaurants, wearing shorts and tee shirts is OK for breakfast. Table service was good and prompt. They offer three different types of Eggs Benedict, traditional, Island (with Pineapple) and Smoked Salmon Benedict. We tried the Island as well as a side order of regular smoked salmon and cream cheese and enjoyed both.

We elected to seek a private area tour from one of the tour companies found at the pier. We agreed to a 5 hour tour in an air conditioned van, along with 7 other passengers, for $45 per person ( a similar shore excursion offered by NCL was only a couple of dollars more, but was in a 50 person bus, something we try to avoid if possible). The tour took us to the volcano national park where we viewed steam vents and craters as well as a museum on the history of the volcanic development of the islands. We walked through a lava tube, a cave formed underground by the flow of molten lava. We also visited Rainbow Falls, an orchid farm, the Mauna Loa macadamia nut farm and factory as well as a brief shopping stop at Hilo Hattie’s before the last stop of the tour at Richardson Beach park, a favorite beach for the locals. It has a quiet cove with a beautiful black sand beach. This would be a good stop if you are looking for a small beach, relatively close to the ship.

When we returned to the dock we encountered a line waiting to clear security. This would prove to be the case at every port, depending on when you returned. Security was thorough, including bag checks as well as a magnetometer to pass through. If you arrive close to the all aboard time, or at the same time as the excursion busses, plan on 10-15 minutes to clear security.

 Back onboard we relaxed with drinks on our balcony (a repetitive theme throughout the week) while watching our departure. Dinner was at Cagney’s Steakhouse. This is one of the restaurants that have a service fee, in this case $20 per person. When asked about this fee, the officials onboard stated that they were to cover the cost of the additional ingredients required to provide a specialty menu every night of the cruise for whoever wants it, as opposed to just having a specialty meal one night of the cruise. We contend that it also covers some gratuities, but more on that issue later.

The menu is typical steakhouse with various cuts, sizes and sides as well as other meat and seafood options. For an additional $10 charge you can order a 24 oz. porterhouse or a whole, 1 ½ lb. lobster. We stuck to the main menu and had Prime Rib for Nancy and a Rib eye for Jim. The meal was good, the atmosphere again cozy and intimate. Steak is offered on the menu in the main restaurants on dress up night, so unless you want a specific cut or steak more often you have to decide if the service fee is worth it to you.

Once again we walked off dinner then did some computer work in the cabin. At 9:45 pm we passed the shoreline of the island where the molten lava from Kilauea Volcano flows into the Pacific. The Captain slowed down and even rotated the ship 360 degrees so everyone got a great view, either from on deck or their balcony.   

As was the case every night, there were a number of shows, both main and late night, plus lounges to choose from if you were looking for some night life.     

Wednesday, March 7, day one in MAUI

Our day started with breakfast at the Aloha Nui Café buffet. Because Maui is so popular, with many shore excursions leaving in the morning, the buffet area was very crowded. The food was standard breakfast fare as well as an omelet station.

We had pre-reserved a rental car from Alamo (all the major companies are there). The shuttle met us right at the dock and took us to the airport office, about a 5 minute drive. Renting a car on Maui is very popular so we suggest going to the rental office as early as possible. Our shuttle, which was the size of a regular bus, was full. Since we had made our arrangements in advance our time at the counter was short, but you still have to wait in line to get there. We rented a Mustang convertible for two days since we were overnighting in port, and set out to drive the famous Road to Hana.

Hana is approximately 50 miles from the cruise dock in Kahului along Rt. 36. According to the maps about 30 miles of the road constitute the famous portion and contains over 600 turns, many hairpin, and over 50 one-lane bridges. The speed along the way can be anywhere from crawl on up, depending on traffic and your driving skills. We were able to make the trip in about 2 ½ hours with a couple of stops along the way for pictures. The scenery in some of the areas is spectacular and the drive itself unique and fun. Hana is a sleepy little town at the end of the road so the drive is the attraction, not the destination. Our plans were to keep on going and actually circumvent the island so we continued on past Hana. Unfortunately about 15 miles further on we found that the road had been closed due to falling debris from last October’s earth quake. Having no choice we turned around and got to drive the Road to Hana, again, going the other direction. It turned out to be an adventure where we noticed some things along the way we missed the first time. Along the route back we took a chance and stopped at a little roadside stand advertising Tacos, Kalua Pig and more. What a find! The pork was outstanding and the taco big enough for us to share. Total round trip, including stops was about 6 hours. The Road to Hana is not for the novice driver, but is one of those things that you can definitely impress people with in the “been there, done that” category. When we got back to the ship we found free parking right near the dock, one lot right by the entrance to the dock and another about 300 yards away along the seawall…..whatever you do DO NOT park illegally…there were a couple of rental cars waiting on the back of cranes the next morning for drivers who did not heed the signs.

After cleanup and liquid refreshments it was time for dinner. This night’s restaurant was Tappenyaki, a Japanese Steakhouse. This is just like the one you are probably familiar with with the large grill, the seats around the perimeter and the chef with the flashing knives. The food here was also good and there was a $20 per person service fee. Without a doubt you were paying more for the intimacy and fun than you were for the food. There is also a Sushi Bar and a Jasmine Garden Asian restaurant in this area that we did not get a chance to try on this trip….got to save something for the next time!!

We decided to take in the show that night which was the venerable Newlywed / Not So Newlywed game. It was pretty typical as far as these shows go, but the cruise director was a very good emcee and added quite a bit of extra humor to it. After the show we called it a night so we could get an early start for day 2 in Maui.     

Thursday, March 8, day two in MAUI

Once again our day started with breakfast in Alizar, with the same results.

We retrieved our car and headed for the other side of the island from where we had been yesterday, toward Lahaina and Kaanapali. This area is an easy 30 – 35 minute drive from the dock. Along the way we stopped at a lookout point where we could see several active whales, not far from shore. When we got to the Kaanapali area we checked out some hotels for some clients that are going there later in the year. This is a very nice side of the island with easily accessible roadside beaches along the way. There are a number of beautiful golf courses in the area. On our way back we stopped in Lahaina at Bubba Gump’s for a lunch of shrimp and calamari. After lunch we stopped to relax at a roadside beach where there were very few other people. Again we were able to watch whales form the shore and just take in the beautiful surroundings. Turning in the vehicle was quick and the Alamo shuttle took us right back to the ship.

Dinner this night was at Le Bistro, the French restaurant. There is a $15 per person service charge. The restaurant is small with subdued lighting for a romantic atmosphere. Our table was actually a horseshoe shaped couch/booth and quite comfortable. Service was relatively quick. Jim opted for the escargot appetizer and was very pleased with it. We both had the duck l’orange, which is pre cooked in the kitchen then flambéed in orange sauce tableside. The presentation was better than the product, both of us having had more tender pieces of duck in the past. When we pointed out that it was not cooked to our liking, it was quickly corrected.

After a long day of driving, hotel visits and beach stops, this became another relatively early night being put to sleep by the sound of the waves outside our door.

Friday, March 9, Kona on the big island of Hawaii

We requested room service breakfast the night before via TV for 7 am delivery.  Unfortunately this was not a novel idea and since we had a meeting time of 7:40 for our excursion and delivery was running a bit late we did not have a chance to enjoy it leisurely like we’d hoped. On our way down to the show lounge to meet our excursion we stopped at the Blue Lagoon café and grabbed coffee, tea and a pastry.

We elected to take a shore excursion to ride in a Zodiak (high speed rigid hull inflatable) to a snorkeling spot about 45 minutes from where the ship was docked. We were anchored off shore so it was necessary to tender. The process went smoothly. As there was everyday, there was a table at the gangway with beach towels. Some days there was an attendant and you had to sign for them, others there was not and you just took what you needed (they are standard towels so little temptation to not return them). This was apparently just a way to remind people to return the towels since there was rarely anyone there to sign them back in.

There were a total of 16 passengers and two crew on the Zodiak. This is not a ride for anyone with neck or back problems or who may be pregnant. Once the ‘captain’ opened the throttles we were bouncing over waves more than we were riding on them. You actually sit on the sides of the boat and hang on to two guide ropes. It really was a great deal of fun! Along the way we got to see more whale action.

We anchored in Capt. Cook cove. There is a statue there commemorating where he was killed by the native warriors. The water was extremely clear and fish and coral were plentiful. Several boats were using the same spot, including one big tender type, so having the fast Zodiak getting you there early is an advantage. Along the way back the crew pointed out sites along the shore including the end of lava tubes, sea caves and one location where a two ton rock was thrown up on a ledge by the force of a storm wave years ago.

When we arrived back at the dock we elected to walk around town and get some lunch at a local restaurant. On the advice of the Zodiak crew we went to Quinn’s Almost by the Sea, about two blocks from the dock. We sat in a courtyard and had immediate service. The food was excellent and the portions very large.   

We went back to the ship early to beat the last minute tender rush, and had plenty of time to lay out on deck before the ship’s departure and dinner. We found that around the pool on deck 12 all of the lounge chairs were all in the sun, with only tables and regular chairs in the shade. There was a band playing that was actually quite good.

We did not have reservations at any of the restaurants that evening so we went to the Grand Pacific, one of the mainstream restaurants at about 7:30 pm. ***On all of the decks near the restaurants there are electronic boards that show how busy each restaurant is, and what size parties are being accepted so it is easy to decide where to go if you have no prior plans.*** The service was OK, although as we have found in the past when you have a waiter and an assistant responsible for a section where each table is in a different stage of dinner, it gets a bit disjointed as compared to when everyone starts at the same time. At times the wait seems longer and the service just doesn’t flow as smoothly. The food was good, but nothing spectacular.

After dinner we took in the show at the Stardust Lounge, which was a Broadway review. Unlike most offerings of this nature on other lines that focus on the famous musicals of old (Cats, Phantom, etc.) the focus here was more current plays such as Mamma Mia, Hairspray, Moving Out and more. The cast did a good job and the pace was fast enough to keep you interested. One of the female lead singers was a tiny little thing with a voice three times her size!

Afterward we decided to check out the late night entertainment upstairs in the Spinnaker Lounge, which was billed as 80’s Night. The lounge wasn’t overly crowded (a testament to the all day activities in port) but the band, On the Roxx was excellent. One night cap and we were done.   

Saturday, March10, day one in Kaua’i

We started with what had become our favorite breakfast spot, Alizar. There never seemed to be a wait for a table and service was relatively fast for a sit down breakfast. The quality of the food remained consistent.

We had scheduled a late morning excursion so we did some exploring around the ship. We were able to get one of the staff to take us up to the suite area on decks 14 and 15. These are the top of the line onboard and range from one bedroom with sitting area to three bedroom, three bath ultra suites. All suite occupants at this level have access to their own private courtyard area with a hot tub, small workout facility, pool and breakfast/cocktail area. They all have butler and concierge service and the elevators and stairway doors to this level are key coded so only occupants have access. The three bedroom garden villa will accommodate up to six people.

Our excursion today was with Backcountry Tours to go ‘canopy ziplining.’ If you have never heard of this type of adventure you are basically fit into a harness then attached to an overhead wire and get to slide from one platform to the other in a slightly downward trajectory. This course ran through woods, over rivers and streams and across small valleys. There were 7 different lines as we worked our way down. The first is a “bunny” line, only about 450 feet long and not too steep. You are given a chance to back out after that one. If you go on, number two is the longest run, about 1000 feet long and 400 feet above ground. You are given one more chance to quit after that because once you go across number three the lines are the only way down. What a rush! You only have to hold on with one hand and that is to steer should you want to turn to look around. We had a great time. Each run was a different length, pitch and speed and offered some great scenery. We have video of each other crossing and Nancy even took one video while on the wire. Not for the faint of heart of those who don’t like heights, but we would definitely do it again. The instructors were excellent, the equipment sound and you felt very secure.

It was a gloomy day so when we got back to the ship we decided to walk around the little town we were docked in (Nawiliwili) to see the shops and do some more hotel visits.

After a long, adventurous day we were pretty tired and elected to stay very casual (shorts) so we opted for dinner up at the Aloha Nui Café buffet. It was surprisingly good. Among the usual offerings of salads, grill, carved meats, etc. they had spareribs that melted in your mouth. Prepared desserts as well as a frozen yogurt machine topped off the dinner.

Another quiet night for us because we had decided to make the next morning an early one.

Sunday, March 11, day two, Kaua’i

We headed out without breakfast this morning because we had decided to rent a car and see some other sites, but it was a short day with all aboard at 1:30 pm. We called Alamo, made a reservation over the phone and caught the first (7:30 am) shuttle to the airport. Once again it was an easy process and since it was a short rental we opted for a standard full size which was on special that day. We headed out for our first stop, Waimea Canyon, sometimes called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. The canyon lookout took us about an hour to reach, including a picture and coffee stop along the way. Once off the main highway the road up to the top is winding, but unlike the Road to Hana it is wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other. We managed to get there with only one tour bus ahead of us so the observation area was not crowded. It is an awesome sight. This was one adventure where striking out on your own definitely was worth it. The shore excursion from NCL was $53 per person on a bus; a van driver at the pier wanted $60 per hour with a 3 – 4 hour minimum; and our rental car cost $36 plus gas!!

On our way back we drove through the Poipu beach area where there are a number of good beaches, hotels and golf courses. We passed by the airport and headed in the opposite direction to check out Waimea falls. It was pretty but difficult to see from the one small viewing area because of the brush that has grown up around the area. We explored a bit more of the island, heading toward the Princeville area before returning to the airport and turning in our car. Total time was about 4 ½ hours and we were not rushing to accomplish what we wanted to.

Today was an early departure from port because one of the main sites on Kaua’i is the Napoli coast, which is only accessible for viewing from the air or sea. We had time before our arrival there so we decided to try a sit down lunch at Alizar. Again the food and service was good and a nice change to eating on the run. Our passing of the Napoli coast lasted about 45 minutes, during which the captain slowed the ship down to a crawl and there was narration of its history by a local guide. Again the whales were active in the area and the coastline amazing. Even though we have seen it before it is still one of best sites along the way.

This was our last night onboard so all of the restaurants were busy. Once again we decided to relax and go to the buffet. Tonight’s special was whole suckling pig and it was pretty good.

Monday, March 12, arrival in Honolulu, disembarkation day

Because we never left the U.S. there is no Customs and Immigration process to go through during disembarkation. Because of this NCL offers two ways to disembark; everyone is issued bag tags the night before based on your flight times or the information you have provided about your plans. As usual they are color coded and disembarkation time is staggered. The other option is called “express disembarkation.” If you elect this option, as we did, you do not have to put your bags outside the cabin the night before, but you are responsible for carrying them off the ship in the morning. Once the ship clears at about 7:30 am you can leave at your own pace as long as you are off by the time the last scheduled group disembarks at about 10 am. It gives you time to have a leisurely breakfast at a reasonable time if your schedule allows. Although we had a couple of heavy bags we decided to try this out to see how it worked since we were staying in Honolulu for two additional nights.

The process was fairly simple and straightforward. The trick here is to time your departure so that you are in between the scheduled ones. The main reason for this is elevator space. You don’t want to try to get two or more people with all their luggage down, or up as the case may be, to the gangway level while the elevators are crowded. Going down through the terminal there were escalators and elevators, so we had no problem. From our cabin to the street where we were to meet our shuttle only took about 15 minutes. 

We had arranged for a 9 am pick up through Reliable Shuttle to take us to our hotel, the Outrigger Waikiki, and they were actually early. Our stay in Honolulu was relaxing and a great way to end the cruise. We will go into more details about the other hotels we visited at a later time, but suffice it to say that we have stayed at the Outrigger each time we have come here and continue to be happy with it.

Even though this technically ends our NCL cruise experience we will tell you about our two days in Honolulu and then give you our overall impressions at the end.

The Outrigger Waikiki is located right on the beach in one of the most popular areas of town and is next door to the famous Royal Hawaiian, the ‘pink’ hotel of movie fame. We arrived at about 9:30 am fully intending to have the bell station hold our bags until normal check in at about 1 – 3 pm. We were lucky and our room was actually ready, something we were told happens infrequently and not to count on. We were in an oceanfront room on the 15^th floor. It was a good sized room with a large bathroom, king bed, desk, refrigerator, coffee maker and a lanai (balcony) with a great unobstructed view of the ocean, beach, pool area, Diamond Head and some of the adjacent hotels. There was always a great breeze and Jim, who is not one to lay out in the sand, enjoyed spending time there. Telephone calls were included at no cost and the hotel has wired and wireless internet at no additional charge (if you brought your own laptop as we did). Unfortunately we found out that their system seems to have a conflict with Dell laptops. Ours is a new one with the Vista operating system and we could not get it to work at all. We ended up having to use the business center at 25 cents a minute.

After taking care of some business issues we went and sat by the pool for awhile. Jim took a dip in the ocean, which at this location is near a reef and sandbar allowing you to go quite a distance from shore and still be in shallow water. It was clear and warm once you got over the initial entry shock. Lunch today was in Duke’s right near the pool at the Outrigger. They have a buffet but we ordered off the menu; quesadillas for Nancy and fish tacos for Jim. Both were excellent. The service was fast and the prices reasonable.

We had pre-arranged to attend a luau that evening at Paradise Cove. This is one of several available not only on Oahu but other islands as well. NCL offered one as an excursion on Maui and we talked to a number of people who attended, all of which were pleased. We had been to Paradise Cove a number of years ago and wanted to see how it compared. The luau experience is a combination of dinner and entertainment. If you have never been to an authentic one you should definitely try it. Having done it a couple of times now we probably will not again on future visits unless the people we are traveling with have not. They offer a couple of different price packages. The Deluxe, or top package here, is $123 per person and included roundtrip transportation to the Cove, elevated seating under cover, dinner service rather than a buffet line, two free 8x10 pictures (others pay $15), two souvenir mugs and six free drinks each.

We walked around near the hotel when we got back and took in the local nightlife as well as some of the many shops before calling it a night.

Tuesday, March 13, day two Honolulu

We started the day with a walk along the beach toward Diamond Head and followed it with breakfast at Duke’s. It was cloudy and started to sprinkle a bit so we decided to walk around and visit more area hotels until the weather cleared. There are a number of good choices in the area and your budget and/or membership in any of the hotels frequent stay programs will guide your choice. As stated we are fond of the Outrigger Waikiki, but also liked the Marriott we stayed in on arrival, and the Hyatt Regency. There are a couple of Sheratons and a Hilton also in the area.

By the time we finished with lunch the weather had cleared so we went for another walk, in the other direction on the beach, stopping in to see the Royal Hawaiian, the Hilton Hawaiian Village, the Sheraton Waikiki and the Outrigger Reef (which is under renovation) along the way. After the walk Nancy went to the pool and Jim went to check emails and spent some time reading on the lanai.

Neither of us could decide what we really wanted or where we wanted to go for dinner, so we decided to try Chuck’s Steakhouse, also in the Outrigger. Good choice! The menu was presented painted on the side of an old cask and was a unique touch. The steaks and prime rib were excellent. They have a nice salad bar and along with baked potatoes we had a mushroom and shrimp mixture with dinner. It was a little pricey, but nothing beyond what you would pay at a good steakhouse at home. Portions were large and we both left too full to eat the white chocolate macadamia nut cheese cake we ordered, so that became a late night snack.

The area around Waikiki is active until late at night so walking the streets around the hotel posed no problems for us. It was interesting to window shop and people watch. We ended up picking up a couple of things to bring home for the family plus Kona Coffee flavored cigars and a small bottle of Ocean Vodka (made in Hawaii) for Jim. He hasn’t tried either yet.

Wednesday, March 14, last day in Honolulu and departure

Like most good things our vacation was coming to an end. Like most of the flights going from Hawaii to the east coast, ours was a late one, departing at 8:50 pm. One of the many things we like about the Outrigger is their check out procedure. Normal check out is 12 noon. If available you may request late check out at 1 pm. Either way, once you check out they will hold you bags until your transportation to the airport arrives later in the day, for no charge. In addition, and this is the really great thing they do, between the hours of 3 pm and 7 pm, they will allow you to use an unoccupied room for 30 minutes to shower and change before heading off to the airport. This still allows you to enjoy the beach if you want to before heading home. Needless to say we took advantage of the offer.

After breakfast and a long walk we packed up then spent some time working with some clients before checking out. We did some last minute shopping and had lunch not far from the hotel at a Cheesecake Factory restaurant. We decided on a large appetizer sampler as a meal and it was all we could do to finish it. The portions are huge. While walking around after lunch we found the counter for the Honolulu Trolley at the entrance to the Galleria, a shopping area catering to foreign visitors. The trolley offered three different routes that you can get off and on as you wish. A one day ticket was $25 per person and a consecutive day pass was $45. Had we found this the day before we would have tried it out.  

We went back to the hotel to change at 4 pm. Our shuttle (Reliable again) was due to pick us up at 5:30 pm and like all the other pick ups, they were a couple of minutes early. Check in at the airport was simple. Everyone MUST submit their checked luggage for an Agriculture clearance before going to the airline counter. We were lucky enough to have access to Continental’s lounge as we waited for our flight to be called. We used the time to work on emails (now that we were out of the hotel the wireless laptop worked fine as did Nancy’s PDA). Our flight home was three legs instead of two with plane changes in LA and Houston. We arrived back at BWI at 5 pm on Thursday, March 15. One of our bags enjoyed LA so much it decided to stay a bit longer but Continental delivered it to us, no worse for wear, on Friday.

Overall thoughts

The Pride of Hawaii is the newest and largest ship in NCL America’s triad. She is 93,000 gross tons and beautifully furnished and decorated. She is easy to navigate for a ship her size. As with the other NCL America ships she has NO casino as there is no legalized gambling in Hawaii. She boasts 12 restaurants, 10 bars and lounges, has two swimming pools, four hot tubs and any of the usual services you will find on other ships such as internet café, onboard shops, shore excursion desk, photo shop, art gallery, spa and large gym to name a few.  As mentioned, all restaurants are open seating although you should get reservations for the more popular ones. It is possible on occasion to be seated at one of these without a reservation if you are willing to be flexible. Dinner seating is generally from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm, with one restaurant, the Blue Lagoon on deck 8 midship, opening at 10:30 and serving until the wee hours of the morning. 

While we were told that our sailing was full, we never experienced an overly crowded situation or long wait for anything. The one time that we did tender (Kona) the process went smoothly although the crew did try to utilize every available seat before departing.

One area that does seem somewhat confusing is that of gratuities. The NCL brochure has two areas that address this under questions while you cruise. The first asks Is there a service charge? The answer is; “It is our earnest wish that you enjoy your Freestyle Cruising experience and that our entire crew will provide you with the standard of service for which NCL is known. Toward that end, a fixed service charge of $10 per person, per day will be added to your onboard account…..our crew is compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that the service charge supports.” The next asks What about gratuities? That answer is; “Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry there is no required or recommended tipping on NCL or NCL America ships. You should not feel obligated to offer a gratuity for service that is generally rendered to all guests. However, all of our staff are encouraged to ‘go the extra mile,’ and so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities for exceptional or outstanding service, if you care to offer it.”

Whenever you are presented with a bill onboard, be it for a purchase or for the extra service charge at one of the restaurants, or after buying a drink, there is a ‘tip’ line left blank and it is up to you to put the total amount on the bottom. The debate seems to be what constitutes ‘service that is generally rendered,’ and when, if at all, should you actually add a gratuity. We posed the questions to a couple of different crew members at the Guest Relations desk and got differing opinions. We were never pressured to add anything so had to rely on our own intuition. Our opinion was that if we were paying an extra service charge at dinner, plus the $10 per day, no other gratuity would be required for waiters and cabin stewards. Further confusing the issue is the bar service and wine at dinner. On all the other lines that automatically add a daily service charge in lieu of gratuities at the end of the cruise, there is still a 15% tip added to your drink bills. Not on NCL. We elected to follow our experiences on other lines and only added a gratuity at dinner on the nights we purchased a bottle of wine (NCL does not have sommeliers and the waiter took on this duty) and when purchasing a drink from the bar.

For anyone who has been on a cruise before, you will find this to be a totally unique experience. If you understand and accept that fact going in to the trip, you won’t be disappointed. It appears that NCL with their “Freestyle” approach has opted for casual comfort as opposed to international elegance. For this type of itinerary where you have no sea days, the islands are the destination, not the ship itself although it has much to offer. The easiest way we can describe the experience is by comparing it to a stay at a quality hotel, but not the Plaza, with meals and entertainment provided by the same type of staff you deal with in your daily lives, not foreign trained career staff, especially in the restaurants. It is like going to eat at a good establishment, think maybe Outback or Ruth’s Chris, not a fast food place by any means, but not a Michelin three star either. The trade off is spending all of your time in ports and getting to see a great deal of Hawaii without having to pack and unpack more then once.

The bottom line is we think this is a good product and that any differences we encountered over our past cruise experiences won’t stop us from recommending it. We had a great time and plan on doing it again.

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Royal Caribbean International’s new ---“FREEDOM of the SEAS”

When people sailing on a cruise ship for the first time arrive at the dock you usually hear words and phrases like “Wow” or “Holy cow” (well, maybe some derivative), accompanied by a look of awe. To see and hear those same things coming from a group of about 3500 seasoned travel professionals tells you this is something special. The Freedom of the Seas is all that and more. The ship is 160,000 gross tons making it the largest cruise ship in the world…for now (yes there is talk of bigger ships to come!).  

We were invited to sail on a two night Inaugural Celebration on May 13^th through 15^th.  When we arrived it quickly became obvious that a picture of the whole ship would have to be taken from some distance away to fit it all in. When we got up close to embark the ship you had to strain to look up. Including Deck One, (used only by passengers for embarkation/disembarkation) there are 15 decks you can access….that makes the ship taller than many modern buildings.  

We rode in a glass enclosed elevator to Deck Nine, where we found our Category D1 oceanview stateroom w/verandah. There was a queen sized bed, a sitting area with a sleep sofa, plenty of drawer space, a closet with a safe and shelves (the safe was actually large enough for Nancy to fit her whole purse in it!), bathroom with glass enclosed circular stall shower, a small desk area w/chair and of course the balcony which had two chairs and a small drink table. The bedding, lines and pillows are all upgraded and extremely comfortable. RCI is in the process of replacing the beds and linens fleet wide to the new upgraded option. Every cabin has a wall mounted, flat screen interactive plasma TV that can swivel to be seen from anywhere in the cabin. The closet was standard sized and may be a little tight with clothing for more than 2 people on a 7 or more day cruise. The amount of drawer space helps.  

Exploring this ship took some time, but we were determined to see everything we could.  We’ll give you a deck by deck overview, and there are a number of different sites you can go to for the ship’s specifics, including a virtual tour at RCI’ site. We are going to describe the highlights of our stay and give you our overall impression of the ship. 

Starting on Deck 15 you will find the Wedding Chapel. Weddings onboard (while in port) or on the islands are becoming more and more popular. If done at the port of embarkation guests are allowed onboard for the service (the only time visitors are allowed onboard). The couple then departs on their honeymoon. Some couples get married at an island during the cruise and book a second, back to back sailing as their private honeymoon. 

Deck 14 forward is the home of the RCI signature Viking Crown Lounge. What a view from the wrap around picture windows. New on Freedom is the Diamond Club, a private lounge for Diamond level members 18 and older of the Crown and Anchor Society (RCI’s repeaters). It has TV’s, a bar, comfortable seating and computer stations. Also on Deck 14 are a card room and a board game room. 

Deck 13 rear is the home of the Sports Deck which includes the miniature golf course and the golf simulator, basketball court, the signature rock climbing wall and the new (and first at sea) Flowrider surfing, boogey board pool. The flowrider was popular with people of all ages. 

Deck 12 offers two more lounges/bars, Johnny Rockets restaurants with indoor and outside booths, the Adventure Ocean kids program as well as the arcade. Around the main portion of the deck is the outdoor jogging track and forward is the day spa. 

Deck 11 is split approximately in thirds. The front third is taken up with the Shipshape Fitness Center. This is the largest gym at sea and offers all types of exercise machines, weights, spinning, classes, even a boxing ring (another first). The middle third is the pool area with three different pools, many whirlpools (hot tubs), two of which are glass enclosed and extend beyond the ship’s side, over a hundred feet above the water. There is another first that I have wanted to see for years…in the solarium pool area there are 4 huge hammocks! Of course there is a pool bar. Another innovation is the H2O zone, a mini water park for the younger kids. The back third of this deck is comprised of the Windjammer Café, the breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet area, which also includes Jade, and oriental style buffet, and two of the ships specialty restaurants ( Portofino – Italian cuisine, and Chops Grille – a steakhouse). 

Decks 10 and 9 are passenger cabin decks. 

Deck 8 is a passenger cabin deck that also includes Royal Caribbean Online where you can go to stay in touch with the rest of the world via the Internet and email.  

Deck 7 is a passenger deck and includes a well stocked library as well as cabins. 

Deck 6 includes cabins and the Business Center where you can book a future cruise on RCI.*** 

Deck 5 is one of our favorites. This is the location of the Main Promenade, more reminiscent of a street in an exotic town than the middle of a cruise ship. Both sides are lined with shops, boutiques, lounges and even a barber shop. All the events that take place on the Promenade can be looked down on by those who have chosen a Category PR, Promenade Interior Stateroom, which has a picture window overlooking all the action. Along the way you will find Pharaoh’s Palace (a night club), Connoisseur Club, the Fashion Boutique, Sorrento’s Italian foods, the Perfume Shop, Fashion Boutique (men’s and women’s clothing and accessories), the Bull & Bear Pub, the Perfume Shop, the Logo/Souvenir shop, Vintages Wine Bar, the Jewelry store, the General store, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream parlor, Café’ Promenade (which has a book nook), a Clean Shave and the Champagne Bar. Also on this deck are the Guest Relations and Shore Excursion desks. At the rear of Deck 5 is the entrance to the Main dining room, in this case the Galileo Dining Room. Once inside you realize that you on the top floor of a three story dining room with each level having its own name.  

Deck 4 begins in the front with the upper of three levels of entry into the main show theatre, the Arcadia Theatre. Also forward is the Schooner Bar (they had a great piano playing, singing comedian named Matt Vee who packed the house every night), The Crypt which is the two level high energy disco, and midship the Casino Royale plenty of slots, poker machines and table games (I especially liked one of the roulette tables that was kind to me!). Behind the casino is the Photo Gallery and the very popular Baleros lounge featuring Latin style drinks and music. The rear of deck 4 is the entrance to the Isaac Dining Room (the middle of the three levels mentioned earlier).  

Deck 3 has the middle level entrance to the Arcadia Theatre, the lower level of the Crypt disco and the upper level of Studio B, most noted for the Ice Rink and ice shows. Further back is the On Air Club (a karaoke bar) and the Art Gallery . The rear of deck 3 is the entrance to the Leonardo Dining Room (the lower of the three dining room levels). 

Deck 2 has the bottom level (stage level) of the Arcadia Theatre, a huge conference center for onboard meetings and seminars and the main level of Studio B Ice Center .

 SUMMARY

 Our overall assessment is close to RCI’s, however we believe it needs to be tailored somewhat. It is true, there is plenty to do. This ship can be considered a destination in itself, a resort at sea so to speak. It is, in our opinion, best suited for families (individual or in groups) and active couples (again as individuals or groups). One concern we had was with the number of people onboard elevator service appeared to be somewhat slow, at busy times having to allow full elevators to pass you by. If you are capable of walking and climbing this isn’t a grave concern, but those with limited mobility may find it difficult to travel the long distances between certain venues (remember there is access to 13 decks). Having said that the ship itself is wheelchair friendly with wide hallways and numerous handicap access cabins as well as a chair lift to get you to the chapel on deck 15. The active couple’s category covers a lot of ground. This is an excellent ship for business meetings and seminars as well as honeymoons or just a couple looking to get away. We believe it would really shine as a vacation among a group of friends looking to getaway, unwind and really have some fun. We found nothing about this ship that would keep us from returning or suggesting it to the majority of our clients. One of the nice features we found, especially from the perspective of the adults sailing without children, is that RCI has put in place restrictions on when and where children can be onboard. Specifically in certain pools and hot tubs labeled adults only (the kids have the H2O Zone), night clubs and the gym. 

The food onboard was excellent. We ate dinner the first night is the main restaurant and had a prime rib that was tender enough to cut with your fork. Breakfasts and lunch on Sunday were in the Windjammer Café where the selections were plentiful and the quality of the food excellent. We had dinner in Portofino on Sunday night. The intimacy and the attention by the staff add to a wonderful experience. We dined on shrimp and veal with risotto, as well as fresh baked breads with tapanade and roasted garlic cloves. Their choice of wine went well with the food, and dinner was a 4 course medley. Everyone left there ready to do some walking! 

The staff throughout the ship was friendly and attentive, actually soliciting ways that they could help make your experience a better one.

As the newest, largest ship in the cruise industry it demands some of the higher per diem prices. Simply put people are willing to pay a bit more for the amenities and experiences. While the Freedom should be on your short list of ships to sail on don’t get discouraged if the itinerary you want seems out of your price range or is sold out (there is already some limited space on certain sailings into 2007). Try a Voyager class or Vision class RCI sailing and work your way up to the Freedom and her sister, Liberty , due next May.   

Jim & Nancy   May 2006

Send us an email with impressions about your last trip and we will share it with your fellow travelers. We want to hear the good and the bad, including the specifics about the trip that made you reach your conclusion.

Royal Caribbean states that this ship offers something for everyone of any age or ability. 

As you can see there is no shortage of things to do while onboard. A ship like this will certainly address the first time or prospective cruisers’ concern that they would be bored. Many of the features are available 24 hours a day including some of the pools and hot tubs and several places to get a snack or something to drink.