Pride of America Review
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In mid-November I decided I wanted a last-minute cruise before Christmas for my husband and myself. We had been last year to the Western Caribbean on the Nieuw Amsterdam, so I was looking to Hawaii this time. We learned that only Norwegian's Pride of America cruised to three islands, round-trip Honolulu. I read all the reviews on Cruise Critic; they are hot and cold. My travel agent assured me that the clients she sent all had a good time. So, with some trepidation, I booked us on the December 13 sailing.
We spent the night before the cruise in Honolulu at the Ohana Waikiki West; I would give it about 3 stars. We arrived at the cruise terminal shortly before noon; the registration and embarkation processes were quite smooth and quick and we were on board by 12:30. The cabins were not ready, and we ended up dragging around our coats and carry-ons until after 4 pm. We went for lunch at the Aloha Cafe, which was a madhouse buffet, as expected. We took ourselves on a tour of the public areas to see where the restaurants and public rooms were and to sign up for expensive internet service. Once we got into the cabin, we were able to unpack and get to the boat drill (no life jackets) easily. That evening there was a welcome party on the pool deck with entertainment and a Hawaiian blessing of the ship and the cruise.
We had a large balcony cabin, and I found the cabin design very efficient for storage. Space is tight around the bed, but I sat on the balcony every day. I have added more information in the deck plan section.
Cabin Review
Large Balcony
Our forward starboard cabin was small, as expected, but very efficiently designed for storage. We had no trouble putting all of our clothing and small items away. The only really tight space is that at the foot of the bed; passage for one person at a time. The sofa and table were functional. There were two separate reading lights; very important. The fridge-mini bar left a little bit of space for my water bottle and fruit. The large balcony made the room seem bigger; I sat on it every day. The bathroom was quite functional and roomy, given the size constraints. Linens and towels were quite satisfactory; there were two waffle-cotton robes in the closet and pool towels every day.