We have just returned from one of the best cruises we have ever had!I feel compelled to write my own review, because I read EVERY ONE before embarking on this trip and so many were negative. My husband and I were truly pampered and greeted with smiles and "Aloha's" everywhere we went. We spent 2 days in Honolulu prior to the cruise at the Moana Surfrider (what a gorgeous hotel!)and enjoyed Pearl Harbor and the Circle Island Tour I had booked earlier through Adventuresinhawaii.com. It was very well organized and informative. Then we renewed our wedding vows at Magic Island at sunset, booked through Hawaiianweddings.net and it was even more beautiful than our wedding itself! Then off to the cruise ship we went! Embarking was a breeze! We had transfers and were picked up at 2:00pm, peak check in time, and there was absolutely NO waiting! Our room was ready when we boarded and the baggage was there shortly after. The entire staff was friendly, courteous, and genuinely willing to help in any way they could. The ship is beautiful and it took a little time to accumulate but it wasn't that difficult. We ate at several restaurants (Skyline, Liberty, Little Italy, Cadillac Ranch, and Aloha Cafe)and found all the food to be very good. Sure, there are some things we didn't like, but that's how it is at every restaurant everywhere! Our balcony room was very small, as all have said, but we didn't spend that much time there. It was wonderful having a balcony because we could sleep with the door open and smell the salt air and watch the erupting volcano from our room. (go up to the top deck to really get a great view! It was one of the biggest highlights of the cruise!) The only excursion we booked with NCL was the Body Glove Snorkel on Kona and it was so worth every penny! My husband snubaed twice and held many creatures including an octopus! We had a wonderful breakfast and lunch on board too! Then we snorkeled together and had a great time! I booked other excursions prior to leaving and two of our favorites were Wings over Kauai and Skyline Eco Adventures Zipline in Kaanapali. Bruce, our pilot, was so knowledgeable and the flight was smooth and unforgettable! It is half the cost of a helicopter ride, we were picked up and returned to the dock, and received a DVD of the flight too! If there is ONE thing you do on Kauai, make it this! The zipline in Maui was a blast and we saw beautiful scenery along the way. We had a gourmet lunch overlooking the valley and ocean too! It was truly worth the money! We rented cars in Maui, Hilo and Kauai and saw many sights on our own. We always got a GPS (to avoid arguments) After exploring Kauai, we took Smith's Fern Grotto tour and had a luau on their grounds. What a fabulous family owned development and spectacular luau! Disembarkment was also very easy because we chose to take our baggage off ourselves. The flight home on United is a whole other story! Do not hestiate to book this cruise! It was one of the very best trips we have ever taken and will hope to do it again in the near future!