We chose the cruise because it is the only game in town if you want a Hawaiian cruise. The price seemed reasonable....until you find out the EVERYTHING is an extra cost. And overpriced. Service was spotty, with a few rare exceptions of competent, pleasant staff. A few staff actually were a major negative factor to our experience, and we are truly easygoing, low-maintenance travelers. Our cabin thermostat was broken, and it took several attempts over three days to get a new one installed. Food was just okay, not what we've had on competitor cruise lines. Cabins are pretty well appointed but cramped. There were upgrade restaurants, but we heard they weren't worth the rather costly up-charge. So we frequented the Liberty and Skyline, and one time the Aloha. The latter was a free-for-all of mostly cafeteria-quality food with crowded seating. The excursions were actually pretty good, but you can book similar outings with local tour companies for far less. One difficult problem, however, was with a kayak excursion which didn't sufficiently warn less-experienced kayakers of rough waters (the tour took place on the day after flooding, and maybe it should have been canceled?). But, other than that issue, plus the rather high costs, the excursions we took were good and well-chosen. If you go on this cruise, be aware that a gratuity fee is added per person per day. We did not know this, and we routinely well-tipped our dining and bar servers in cash, only to also pay the non-negotiable fee of (I think) $13.50 x 2 x 7 on our bill. There was also an 18% tip automatically added to all bar bills. There were other issues, but my comments are long enough. The takeaway, shared by several other guests with whom we talked, is that NCL nickle-and-dimes passengers, much service is not great and is occasionally incompetent, and we will return to our past cruise lines for future travel.