This is an interesting review to write, as this cruise was quite different from any of the four I've taken before. Let me start by saying that we cruised on the same ship with NCL to Alaska in 2003. They have substantially improved the quality of their dining room food, so thumbs up on that. HOWEVER, I must say that Hawaii is not a vacation that lends itself to cruising. Read on and see if you agree with me!

Embarkation was great. You can board the ship from 1:00 pm to 7:30 pm so having such a wide window of time really helped to spread out the crowds. No line whatsoever in the Latitudes (previous NCL guest) check-in. Received fresh flower leis as we boarded the ship, which was nice (don't expect leis from your airline or hotel unless you pay for them). Went to room 5201 (oceanview) and tried keycard...doesn't work. Tried husband's...doesn't work. Go to reception, get new cards...works. OK. Having sailed on this ship before, we knew how small the rooms were, so we were prepared for that. The people complaining how little room there is for luggage pack too much!! We saw several people with like 6-8 suitcases per ROOM! It's Hawaii, people, you bring bathing suits and sundresses!

Anyway, I go to use the bathroom in our cabin...and find a VERY unpleasant surprise. Let's just say that our toilet did NOT work (no water the entire cruise) and someone (last occupant? the maid?) had left a very messy present for us. We immediately went to reception and complained and were told, "Oh my, that's terrible, we'll have someone fix that immediately." This was at 3:30. We go and wait in a common area, and return at 4:30. Problem was not fixed. Complain again. Read more