We traveled on the Pride of America earlier this month. It was our first trip to Hawaii and was a 50th birthday celebration for me. My husband and I traveled by ourselves (leaving the kids with grandparents!). The trip was great -- we loved Hawaii and are already talking about taking the kids back. The ship was about as we expected, based on the many helpful reviews we'd read here. The itinerary is what makes the trip special. Here are some highlights:

Pre-cruise: We stayed one night at the Marriott Waikiki, which we booked through NCL. The room was very nice, with a very comfy bed. We even had an ocean view, which we didn't expect. We were able to do all embarkation paperwork at NCL's office when we checked into the hotel, which made embarkation the next day a breeze. We went to dinner at Bali By The Sea at the Hilton (we took a cab). We'd made reservations and had requested a oceanview table, and it was a sensational meal. The next morning we got up very early (thanks to the time difference after flying from the east coast!) and took a cab to Diamond Head, which we hiked. It's worth the climb. We got a cab back and had time to explore Waikiki for a couple of hours before taking the NCL bus to the ship. The Marriott has two ABC stores in it (a small one near the NCL office and a big one in the other tower facing the beach) and we were able to get a number of things we had opted not to bring with us so that we could travel carry-on only to Hawaii. The stores are as amazing as you've read elsewhere -- great selection, reasonable prices.

The Cabin: Several weeks before the cruise, we had the opportunity to upgrade from a balcony cabin to a suite for a deep discount and took it. It was the smartest move we made. The suite was huge and lovely, with a hot tub, table, and chaise lounges on the balcony, a king-size bed, a walk-in closet, 3 tvs, and our own cappuccino maker. We also had a butler and concierge service, which made dining reservations very easy. Overall, the suite took the cruise from being "great itinerary, so-so boat" to being a real treat. The only downside to the suite (other than spoiling us for future cruises!) is that it was on an upper deck, at the very front of the boat, so there was more motion than we'd expected. We bought seabands at the Walmart in Hilo (our first port) and wore them the rest of the week; they helped immensely. Read more