My family chose this cruise as a small family ruinion. We all live in areas that are cold in the winter so we thought a beautiful warm place would be a great way to spend Christmas together. Unfortunately we chose Norwegian which turned out to be a terrible decision. When trying to find out specifics of dinner packages, things I could request be done to my cabin, or just specific questions about the ship, I was met with a complete lack of knowledge or contradictory information from the call center representatives. A joke that I thought was funny before the cruise, but that should have been a red flag because when I asked my questions at guest services I was told “we don’t know.” The day we got to Hawaii we were sent emails saying that due to mantainance we wouldn’t be leaving port for an extra day; unfortunately that extra day we were stuck on Oahu meant my wife and I were not going to be able to go on our whale watching excursion which was one of the biggest draws to this cruise. When I got on board and talked to guest services about this they said it was corporates decision to do this planned maintenance, so they couldn’t do anything about it. They gave me a number to corporate which I called and was told they won’t do anything for me until the cruise was over, so when I asked what I was supposed to do since guest services said it’s not their responsibility and now corporate is saying we won’t do anything while I am on the cruise I was told they didn’t know what I should do because they can’t help me. When I tried to praise someone for doing an exceptional job an employee at the guest services desk gave a rude response when I asked about how to go about praising the employee. The food that comes with the cruise was incredibly bland and when we went to the specialty restaurants we were pretty disappointed. The only one we enjoyed was Cagney’s Steak House, the rest were just as bad as the regular restaurants. At one point during the second day, all the toilets on board would not flush for about two hours. Talk about a Sri my nightmare!! The public toilets were always out of order, and the ship seemed to be in pretty bad shape for being refurbished in 2016. Upon entering our stateroom, we found the room to be dusty with multiple hairs on the pillows and on the bed linens. I plan to never take a Norwegian cruise again and hope this post helps someone avoid going with such a poorly run cruise line. Read Less

Definitely the worst cruise we’ve been on. Staff were not as friendly or helpful as I would have expected. Youth program leaders seemed disinterested in attempting to keep children (especially younger ones) happy or wanting them to stay in their area. They would rather parents not drop them off at all. Food, especially in the main dining rooms was hit or miss; mostly a miss. Toilets in the stateroom and around the ship were in disrepair. Ship wasn’t in great shape all around. You could feel the ship vibrating at times which was not normal. They changed itenerary a day before the cruise to stay in port an extra day for ship maintenance so we missed a day on Maui. A staff member I told about a gentleman bleeding pretty badly on his arm that got in one of the hot tubs went to talk to him but let him stay inside saying the chlorine would take care of it which was a health risk to everyone on board. I really was not impressed with this cruise. If it wasn’t for having our family with us and making memories when we disembarked it would have been much worse. Read Less

Great way to island hop. However, the ship is old with continual problems with the toilets that would not work despite the best efforts of the maintenance crew. In attempts to address the problem the ship was held in port an extra day which robbed us of a day in Maui which was for us a primary reason to travel halfway around the globe on this trip. This problem was not isolated to just a part of the ship, it was everywhere leading to fowl smells, midnight searches for a working public toilet, and ultimately a UTI. Food was mediocre. Specialty restuarants were not worth the money. Beds were very comfortable. The ship has special activities for the kids during Christmas. The entertainment was not that bad. The excursions are very much a variety as there something for everyone, but you do have to book early as they sell out. Be aware that it rains a lot on the islands which will impact the excursions. Rain on volcano makes it impossible to see anything. Water run off from the mountains to the sea makes snorkeling spots have murky water making it impossible to see anything. We had 3 days of rain impacted excursions. Make sure you have something else to do. Read Less

This ship is terrible. Make sure you know, this is a ship to see the islands, but there is nothing to do on the ship, the entertainment is so weak, compared to other ships we have been on, you go to visit the destinations, then look forward to great dinners /entertainment on the ship, not on this ship, the islands were great, then you get back on the ship, and there is nothing to do, and food is not anything to look forward to...and shows , entertainment/bars are boring...The only saving grace was John in the Pink Champagne bar, he was a great piano player, and Dan the waiter was so friendly to us. The Newlywed show was the only show worth going to, that was funny, but every other night in the Margi Gras was just the crew dancing and singing to each other, it was pathetic. I would not recommend this ship to anyone! Could not wait to get off the ship... Read Less

I booked 4 cabins for my 3 sons, their wives, my 4 year old granddaughter, and myself. We were on an 8th floor with balcony room. We purchased the pre-cruise one night hotel package at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. We were talked into a $50 upgrade, which wasn't worth it. Pre-cruise, we called several times to ask about the dining package, the post cruise airport transfer, and a charge that was not correct. They did take care of the charge, but every time we called about excursions or the dining package, they gave different answers, or "wait till you get on the ship". They didn't have anymore answers on the ship, either. While we were at the hotel, per-cruise, we were informed that although we would be getting on the ship as scheduled, we would be staying in Honolulu an extra day. That did away with one of the days in Maui - a day that we had two very nice excursions planned. They refunded our money for the excursions, and gave us a $100 pp on board credit, but their excuse for this was that the ship needed "routine maintenance". Let's see, routine maintenance means to me that it is planned and you know months ahead that it is going to happen - not 2 days. That was a huge disappointment. My granddaughter loved the kids program. Every day when being dropped off, the staff was reminded that she was allergic to dairy and nuts. It was also in her paperwork and on her wrist band. One afternoon, the staff decided to give her ice cream. She ended up in the ship emergency room. The food is tasteless and bland, and often cold. Some left questions of what is it. The turnover cabin crew did a horrible job. There was stickiness all over the desk of my cabin and I don't think the floor was ever vacuumed. The worst of it was the Transfer from the ship to the airport. My group had signed up for the Grand Circle Island Tour. Our bus had no air conditioning and was cut short by the bus switch. The guide, Kalei, from Polynesian Tours was rude, knowledgeable, disrespectful, and verbally attacked me for no reason. Read Less

If your looking for the best Hawaiian experience, this is the best option. The cruise’s strength is that is has the best itinerary hands down of any other ship. There is enough time at the two main ones (Maui and Kauai) but a great opportunity to see Hilo and Kona which would likely not be on your radar. Each island has its own feel and it’s the perfect amount of time on each. The ship overall was just ok. It does feel like one of NCL’s older fleets. We did have an issue with a bathroom toilet for two days due someone improbably disposing of things but didn’t feel it got much attention until we had to escalate it. Also feel there were some sections of the hotel that smelled a little moldy. If you like participating in a lot of the cruise on board activities, you might be slightly disappointed it didn’t seem as much variety as with other past cruise including on NCL. Overall everything really shuts down on the ship by midnight which is fine for early birds but might be slightly disappointing for the night owls. It was a very diverse group of people which was nice to see. I will say that the ship staff were GREAT. They might have the been the second best part of the trip because they were funny, personable and went out of there way to connect with people. As for excursions, you can mostly skip them and venture on your own. In Maui, I would recommend renting a car (Budget/Avis/Thrifty/Dollar) pickup right at the port. I took an Uber for two days and the access was great but it can run you if you are trying to see different things. I would recommend visiting the Lahaina but know it is about 30-45min away, Maui Brewing headquarters for local beer tasting in a really cool setting with great views and Wailea Beach (our Uber driver took us to a local entry section and it was nice, not crowded and felt like a local). In Hilo, Kona and Kauai you can take a Hop on Hop Off bus that goes to the main tourist sections. Hilo it’s called Hoppa On Hoppa Off. You will find the store to purchase tickets and pickup right outside the port gates. All of the hop on hop offs take you to the beach also. Kona is an island where they tether you to the shore FYI for some that might not be ok with small boats. In Kauai you have to walk a little further to get to it or you can take the free shuttle right at the port to the shopping center where it is located. In HIlo I would recommend eating at Suisan for the BEST poke bowl. It’s the freshest food we ate the entire trip and it’s the number 1 local spot. It’s on the Hoppa on Hoppa off right as well. Lastly if you have the opportunity I would recommend a pre and post in Honolulu to see Pearl Harbor and also go to the North Shore. I didn’t make it to either but was told that it’s best to rent a car to North Shore because it’s over an hour and Uber’s can get really pricy on the way back. Some hotels like Kahala have a Hertz located in the hotel making it really convenient. We did do the Luau with VIP upgrade and the Kayak/Hike excursion through NCL in Kauai. I would recommend the Luau in Kauai because its one of the most authentic and first islands. Note if booking the hike to bring proper hiking shoes or proper sneakers that you don’t mind getting fully muddy and wet. There were some large puddles in which your feet will be fully submerged. It also can be a little tricky going up and down the hills with the mud so I wouldn’t recommend it for those with any physical challenges. I would highly recommend you take advantage of the specialty dining packages. Moderno, Teppanyaki and Cageny’s were one of the highlights of the trip. Service was impeccable. The 24 hour dinner which is included is really nice hidden spot. Overall I would rate the ship experience a 3 but a 5 for the itinerary. Read Less

We choose this cruise because our son is in the Army stationed on Schofield Barracks in Oahu. We have cruised many times on Carnival, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. This was our first and probably last on Norwegian. It seemed perfect for us, a seven day Island tour round trip from Honolulu. We stared out quite impressed with the ship and food. But from day one it went down hill! Our travel agent suggested we let the ship pick our ocean view room. We were quite happy to see the ocean side of our smaller room was all window, but when we opened the curtain we had a view of a lifeboat! From day one our toilet did not work. I called and complained immediately, but only got lip service that people flushed things they should not. I expressed that on all the other cruise lines we have been on have the same systems and if there was ever a problem, it was fixed. On day six of a seven day cruise the worked on it and it operated for a few hours. Not only could we not use our bathroom, many times we could not stay in the room because the toilet was full and would not flush! After day two we noticed the food was never hot, warm at best! We went to the formal dinning rooms and the buffet with the same results. How likes cold eggs? The food was good when warm. The shows were good for the most part. The crew was very friendly and accommodating. The upgraded state room view of a lifeboat, non working toilet and cold food has made us say never again on Norwegian. Read Less

Ship was average. Not as good as I had expected or heard about Norwegian. The ship is basically a place to sleep at night and get food before you go explore the islands. The buffet food was average. It was the exact same breakfast every morning and the dinner selections were average. I was disappointed they serve hamburgers & hot dogs in the buffet every night since there are other places on the ship that you can get that if you chose. I would have preferred more of a selection. The embarkation the day of your cruise is simple and easy however disembarking for the ports is chaos. There was never a representative present at the gangway prior to the door opening. There was no structure or anyone communicating information. We were also late to disembark at a couple ports which is confusing to me since they do this cruise every week. Also, be prepared for some rocky nights! I went on a cruise in the Caribbean and never felt the rocking I felt on this boat. Bring sea sickness pills if you need. The islands are amazing, so that made the trip worth it. If you are going to experience Hawaii and see the islands then this is a perfect way. If you are going to have the ship experience, then I would advise finding another ship or destination. Also DO NOT miss the Na'Pali Coast view on the last day... simply breath taking! Mahalo Read Less

First time cruiser, so much of the information below was gleaned from that perspective. I'm a planner, and want to have information before a trip begins... We chose this cruise because my mother (Deaf, senior citizen, mobility impaired) wanted to see "all" of the islands, for the last state on her list of visiting all of the United States. Of course, seeing ALL of the islands isn't possible, and inter-island transfers are prohibitively expensive, so we chose to do the NCL cruise. My parents have been on an NCL Alaskan cruise, and were happy to go again. My husband and I have never wanted to do a cruise, and this experience cemented that opinion. Yes, it was handy to unpack once, have food available when wanted, and to be moved from island to island. However, there were well over 2,000 guests onboard, and there are ALWAYS people EVERYWHERE. Getting on and off the ship was quite time consuming, and the tendering in Kona caused my mobility impaired mother to have to stay on the ship (and this tendering was NOT advertised in the materials, nor was it included in the 'before you sail' documents). We had a few other suggestions for improvements, but the cruise did the job of getting us to 4 separate islands. On the flip side, the times when I interpreted (sign language) for my parents, the staff were very accommodating and welcoming. This included the mandatory drill, shopping, disembarkation, embarkation, and dining. The cabin they were in was for disability, but not for Deaf/Hard of Hearing. The ship provided a mobile door unit (lights up when the door is knocked upon), and our steward changed the batteries on the second day. It worked well after that. Because the excursions through NCL were crazy marked up, especially for a group of 4, we rented a car in each port, except for Honolulu. That process also took upwards of two hours for waiting for/riding the shuttle, rental, gassing up, and the return shuttle. Even so, getting a car was the best choice. We got to do what we wanted, when we wanted, without being with a crowd of co-passengers. Even with the car rental fee, we saved money over paying NCL prices for tour tickets. Parking overnight was explained by shuttle drivers...obviously much more up to date than comments online. No problems with that in the 2 locations that were overnight in port. (Maui was overnight parking at/by the airport, use the shuttle to get to/from the ship; Kauai was at the ABC store just down the street ($20) or on that street (free)--a walk of 2-3 blocks. Easy. We booked a Maui Gold Pineapple tour (excellent), and were able to bring our complimentary pineapples onboard. Hawaii has a contract with airlines so that they can be carried on a flight with no extra charge. Our steward "G," was AMAZING, and helped to redeem the onboard experience. I'd hire him in a heartbeat for ANY job. We were aware that cruise lines are all about entertainment, including programs for kids, programs/shows for adults, and shopping. There are a variety of shops onboard, and similar shops at ports. I know that in Juneau, the cruise line owns many/most of the shops at the port...so am suspecting that may be true on Hawaii, as well. Go away from the port to shop, or to get a true Hawaiian experience. We met many amazing locals by exploring. The shows were really geared toward people who enjoy the Vegas-type experience...or summer camp on steroids. We went to one, and that was enough. With a full day and a good dinner, we just had quiet evenings in our cabins. My parents got a balcony cabin, so we all enjoyed the views. We chose a Luau at Lahaina, and it was wonderful! I looked at the pictures from the cruise-sanctioned event on Kauai, and it didn't come close to the excellence level of the Old Lahaina Luau. Again, a car is necessary to do most activities not provided by NCL. The end of the cruise included a swing by the Napali coast. Fortunately, my parents' balcony room was on the port side, as that's the side that saw the coast (luck of the draw, as that information is not provided ahead of time). The coast is beautiful...we left port at about 2:00, arrived there at about 5:15. We wish we'd had that time frame, as we had dinner reservations at 5:30. It was nice that the windows at La Cucina are on the port side, as well, so we could continue to view the spectacular scenery. If you are at all sensitive to wave motion, do NOT book a cruise. It wasn't stormy, but MANY guests were seasick the first couple of nights (staff, too). The seas weren't flat, just had swells. The movement of such a big boat was amazing! Passengers were laughing down the hallways, because we all looked like drunkards. This made it difficult for my mother, who uses a cane for stability. She had to hold on to the railings, or to us. Hand rails are missing across doorways, so when the ship is really rolling she held onto us. The 2 nights sleeping in port were lovely, no movement. Food: There is a staff member standing at the doorway of the buffet to squirt sanitizer into everyone's hands. There are stations as well, but many passengers go right on by. And then you see the people who sneeze all over their hands and touch things. Sigh. The buffet food was ample and had many choices. The burger buns were amazing, and the rest of the food was chain hotel average to above average. Breakfast pastries and soft serve ice cream only offered on one side. LOTS of people, and many don't seem to understand that there are LOTS of people, and so should be not standing stock still in the middle of everything, looking at what to eat next (or shouldn't just push in to the front of a line). Or standing in a group, having a conversation. Watch out for people who allow their children to run. Be prepared. Don't expect to be able to get through quickly. We ate Friday night at La Cucina ($$ on top of the "complimentary" dining), and it was worth it. Not excellent, but very good, and the windows provide great views. The setting was much more intimate than the buffet area, and the service was stellar. Beverages: Only water, coffee, tea, orange/cranberry/apple juice, milk and lemonade were available with the cost of the cruise. All alcohol is extra, as is pop/soda/coke. I can understand the alcohol, but soda? That's cheaper than juice and milk! It's $7.95 per person, per day for soda! The alcohol is priced at hotel bar levels. The drink of the day is $8.95, about a dollar less than the regular price, and each day's offering is listed in the newsletter. They aren't stiff drinks, but not watery, either. There was a whiskey tasting "class," which turned out to be all Jack Daniels products. The lecturer passed along misinformation, but overall a nice hour. $19, and totaled about 2 shots. If you desire to drink, do it onshore. Or, buy wine at the market and pay the $15 corking fee, it will save you big bucks. Wine: A bottle that I know is under $10 at the grocery store was on offer for almost $50. Glasses start at about $8. 2 days after the cruise was underway, a "Vino" package was mentioned in the newsletter (not online prior to cruising), which turned out to be a choice of 4, 6, or 8 bottles for a flat price (tiered for expensiveness of the wines). I don't know if it was available from the beginning; talk to a bartender or server for information. All of the above said, we're glad we chose to do the cruise, because it enabled us to see 4 of the Hawaiian islands. It was very much like being in a huge, all-inclusive resort. Not our cup of tea, but it served its purpose, and I know that there are (obviously) people who desire that type of vacation. We loved seeing Hawaii, and had a great time with my parents. Read Less

Because of the name NCL Norwegian pride of America. the food was OMG, all the Excursion that I attended were fabulous the luau took my breath away ,pictures for a lifetime great friends great company met a lot of people very friendly love every moment of it. Can't wait for my Alaskan cruise. It was so much to do on the ship you really didn't have to get off for any excursions but I chose to and it was absolutely amazing like I said earlier I would love for my family too join me next time. The staff was so knowledgeable courteous the ship's director Miss Jamie girl you rock. The gelato the prime rib going to the clubs at night and I don't even Club but I did while I was on your ship. And all my memorabilia that I brought that with me souvenirs for friends and family. And it was so easy getting on and getting off of the ship that's a plus that's kudos keep up the good work see you soon. Read Less