My husband and I were on our first trip to Hawaii and our first cruise. I can't think of a better way to get around to so many islands in one trip. We stayed two nights before and after the cruise in Honolulu, so we had time to explore Oahu, also. We both loved Hawaii for it's amazing natural beauty, the interesting blend of cultures, and its "aloha" spirit! The weather in December was warm. There were scattered showers that didn't hinder sightseeing, but did provide a plethora of rainbows. The temperature of the ocean was between 75 and 80 degrees. Great for swimming! We'll definitely be returning.

I would recommend that anyone with mobility issues use a wheelchair for embarkation. Be aware that later in the afternoon, there are not as many available. We had to wait 45 minutes. For me, disembarkation was doable without a wheelchair, as there were no lines. In Maui and Hilo, the port terminal buildings are very long. So, if you have trouble walking distances, you might consider a wheelchair there. Don't worry about tendering at Kona. We saw someone in a wheelchair lifted into the tender boat.

As for the cruise, we enjoyed the convenience of unpacking once for the entire week and cruising overnight to a new destination. Service, which others have complained about, was perfectly adequate. Our cabin steward, Francis, was terrific. However, we discovered that we're not really cruise people. If we didn't spend most of our time off the ship on excursions, we wouldn't have had a very good time. Read more