Seven of us traveled aboard the Pride of America in March. Please note, we were the last cruise allowed before the 'Rona shut the world down, so keep that in mind, as for precautions were taken and new procedures were added hourly throughout the week. We were lucky enough to book an obstructed view suite (Cabin 7094). Staying in a suite has some added benefits, like express check in at the port. When we arrived, we were met with Lei's and asked to fill out a questionnaire about our health, along with getting our temperature taken via infrared thermometer. Once in the building, the lines were long, but we were taken to another area with refreshments and some finger foods. We met our concierge (I believe his name was Steve) and I have to say, he seemed annoyed...and remained that way the entire week. 15 minutes of some computer work, and we were escorted aboard and to our room. Cabin 7094 has 2 rooms. One room has a queen bed, and a couch that opens up to fit 1-2 people. The other room is smaller, and has 2 single beds (that can be altered to be a queen) and 2 fold down beds. It's tight, but you are really never in this room except to shower and sleep. Each room has its own bathroom with shower. Once inside, our Butler, Georgia arrived to introduce herself. She was amazing! She asked if we needed any help with reservations or excursions. We asked for a few things to be altered and she said she would take care of it. 20 minutes later, our concierge called the room and asked the same thing, we explained that we talked to Georgia about it and he replied "Well, thats not her job, it's mine, you need to talk to me, not her". Yeah, I was done with this guy. We ate a fast dinner at the Cadilllac Diner, food wasn't the best, and service was very slow. Never offered any refills. The place is small, but they only had 2 waitress' working, so I can say they weren't working hard. By this time, it was 8pm local ( but we have been awake for nearly 21 hours, so we got to bed. Let me say this, If you have been on a big, new ship in the Caribbean that sways a little....this is NOT those ships. This bad boy dips, sways, drops, and rolls. Since you really only sail at night, and have 2 nights you stay in port, its not too bad, and you do get use to it, but that first night was a bit crazy. Day 2 Maui: Rent a car! Budget has great rates, and has a shuttle that picks you up at the port. We did a lot that first day. We drove down to One'Lui beach, it's a small black sand beach. There was. a sign saying you needed to pay for parking, but the locals all said we didn't have to, no one actually ever checks. Then we headed to our excursion through "Four Winds Maui Snorkel". We booked this directly through them, and it was great. Took the afternoon "Coral Gardens" trip in hopes of seeing sea turtles. We saw one when we arrived, but none during our snorkel. The crew was great, lunch and drinks were provided and also great. Once back, we stopped at "Beach Street Shave Ice" for a little snack, then headed to the summit of Mt Haleakala'. We went at night and the stars you see are amazing. Google it. Day 3 Maui: We went on the "Maui Waterfall and Hiking" excursion. Book this through "Hike Maui"! This is the SAME excursion and company they offer via NCL for a lot less. They will pick you up right outside the Port (5 minute walk). Our guide was Steve, he was awesome..we had a blast. Jumped off 5 waterfalls, has some lunch, and walked through some beautiful tropical areas. That evening, we ate at La Cucina (The 1st of 4 specially restaurants we ate at). This is where the saying "you get what you pay for" really has value. The food and service was superb. The Filet was mouthwatering. Day 4: Hilo This is the day the virus started showing its affect on the ship. We were no longer allowed to get our own food at the breakfast buffet, everything has to be placed on your plate, and all drinks had to be poured for you. Not a big deal, but added some time to lines. Once off the ship, we rented a car and headed to Volcano National Park. We had booked an excursion with "Epic Lava". This tour is not offered via NCL, and the times they list on their website do not coincide with the NCL port times, but these guys are so good, that a few emails and they offered to alter their day and set up a special tour for us. These guys are a small, but very respected outfit on the island. Almost living legends. Learned more in 5 hours about the history of the island and volcanos than anyone could imagine. Look them up. That evening, we ate at Cagney's Steakhouse. Wow...Worth every penny. Service was top notch...Food was delicious. Day 5: Kona You need to take a tender boat to the port. The Ship docks about a mile out in the bay. If you are a Suite guest, you will meet down in Cagny's Steakhouse. You will then be taken to the front of the line to get on the tender boat. That was worth every cent, we heard horror stories about the wait to get off the ship (more on this later). We walked around town and in the shops for a while, grabbed some lunch. It's a really nice town. We then went on the "Captian Zodiac Snorkel Tour". We booked this through NCL, as for it was the same price as booking directly. This was the absolute best snorkeling we have ever done. The boat is a small zodiac. It's fast, and a bit bumpy, and lots of fun. They bring you to Kealakekua Bay. During the ride, we saw humpback whales, but couldn't get too close do to their safety. Once at the site, we saw numerous fish, octopus, and about 20 spinner dolphins. It was insane. On the ride back, the Capitan shows you amazing formations in the rocks and gets you up close and personal with them while telling you about the history of each. Definitely a gem! That night, we ate at Tempinyaki, the sake was good, as were the drinks. The chefs put on a great show, and made some spectacular food. Waitress was once again, top notch. Day 6: Kauai This is the day things really started getting strange. We were to be in Port at 8:00am. At 7:50am, we couldn't see land. The Capitan made an announcement around 8:00am saying that in the middle of the night, we had to stop in Honolulu due to a medical emergency. We arrived in port close to 10:30am, and the lines to get off the ship were crazy, unorganized, and slow. There were people on every floor level crowding the stairwells, people cutting infant of people, and the crew didn't seem to even attempt to try to organize it. Once off the ship, picked up the car we rented and headed to Wiamea Canyon National Park. NCL offers an excursion, but all you get to do it so to the scenic outlook for 20 minutes, along with stops at little shops to buy coffee. If you are into hiking and seeing some amazing scenery, google Wiamea hiking trails. Beautiful! That evening we went to the Luau offered through NCL. You cannot book this directly, they have it blacked out the nights NCL is in port. We paid for preferred seating, and sat near the stage. They say there is an open bar, this is not true. You get 2 free drinks per person, additional drinks are at cost. Seems like a fair deal, but you are there for 4 hours, and its humid and muggy. Food was ok, its buffet style. The Luau show was more of a play then a Luau. It was interesting and entertaining. Once its over, everyone is going back to the ship on 2 huge charter busses. If you rented a car, bring it! We had time to take pictures with the cast, drove back, parked, walked to the ship, and were past security when the first bus arrived. We watched as port security boarded the bus and checked everyones key card and ID before they allowed anyone to get off the bus. If you do rent a car, you can safely park your car overnight. (I know this doesn't make any sense now) Once you leave the port, walk to the end of the access road. You will come to the main road. To your right, there is a small park. You can park in the street in front of that park. Day 7: Kauai Got in the car and drove down to Spouting Horn, fun to look at for 15 minutes. Then headed down the road to Poipu Beach. We were able to see huge sea turtles resting on the beach, and well as sea loins. Dropped off the car and headed back for 2:00pm Get your cameras ready, grab a drink, and head up to the top deck to witness the Na Pali Coast. Pictures do not do it justice, you have to witness it for yourself. That evening, we ate at Moderno Churrascaria....If you are a meat lover, you need to eat here. They have a huge salad bar (Corona made this a nightmare) but I say skip it, save your appetite for the meat. You will have a waiter, and he was great. He introduces you to your "server". Your server comes to your table with about 10 different meats on a rotisserie and slices you fresh meats. We are talking bacon wrapped filet, slow fired porks, chicken, and the very delicious brown sugar roasted pineapple. If anyone in your party is a vegetarian, they will get you something from any other restaurant on board. Spectacular service. Some things to know: Not much for kids to do on the ship. They have an arcade, and the usual activities (ping pong, shuffleboard) but, everything, including the pools, shut down at 6pm. Makes no sense when 99% of the passengers don't get back on the ship till 6pm. If you get the "Free Hawaiian Beverage Package", this covers all drinks up to $15. You are allowed 2 drinks per person, per transaction. So if you are traveling with 4 people, you are covered. Even with 6 of us that were of age to drink, we were able to get drinks for us all, just tip them well and they keep making drinks. The drinks are free, but you are charged the tax per drink. Water on the ship is expensive. We brought 2 Britta water bottles with filters build in with us. Filled them at night and they were ready for the next day. If you dont was to do that, you can buy water at the ABC convenient stores. They are everywhere you look on every island, but you cannot bring water back on to the ship. We didn't do any nightlife on the ship, we were ready for sleep after dinner. Cell service: The only time we didn't have service was on the nights that we were sailing. Otherwise, it was just like being in the mainland US. Our Butler, Georgia, was great, aside from changing our reservations, we really never utilized her, but she made sure to check on us every morning and evening. She left us little gifts every day like chocolate covered strawberries, cookies, champagne, wine, or bottles of water. Our housekeeper was also amazing, busted every day with a smile on his face. In closing, it's a great way to sample the best islands Hawaii has to offer. Some staff seem annoyed and lazy, but the majority we encountered were pleasant and helpful. Do your research, rent a car and maximize your time. The week goes fast, take lots of pictures and enjoy the beauty Hawaii has to offer. Read Less

It was on our bucket list and we were traveling with friends. Staff was not friendly. Food not very good, Pink Champagne Lounge smelled like sewerage. Overall this wasnt a good experience and we spent alot of money on this cruise., NCL has definately changed since we took an Alaska Cruise. The Specialty Restaurants wer okay. The staff seemed to be bothered by being there. The Cruise DIrector was not friendly. They definately didn't make us feel special. This was an expensive Cruise . Disembarkation was a joke. Took hour to get off the SHip out of the Terminal and on buses to transport to airport. Excuses and more excuses.. Not worth what we paid. Very disapointed in the attitude of the majority of the Staff. Entertainment was good. Booked a ATV Shore Excursion through the shio with friends and one couple was changed to a different time with no reason and offered no assistance when we went to the excursion deck. Guest Services was understaffed and not very friendly. Read Less

The POA is refurbished and looks nice and modern on the inside. The food and entertainment is sub par from the other Norwegian cruises we have been on we figured it was because they have to pay American wages and had to cut back on money. Still good food but no shrimp or lobster nights and just a little less variety. The bar service is sub par they just move very fast takes a long time to get drinks. Now to the islands: Maui first stop we did the Molokini crater snorkel we had good weather so it was fun not the best snorkeling we have done but good and turtle town we saw three turtles it was a good excursion the company pacific whale where fantastic they say 80% of the cost goes back to saving the ocean and each person where very nice and friendly and the food was good also. When we got back we walked out of the cruise terminal which takes you to Whole Foods across the street then take a Lyft to the airport to rent a car cost about $12. We Rented a convertible for the drive to road to Hana I recommend getting a convertible for this drive keeps away the motion sickness and it makes it fun. We parked our rental next to Whole Foods if your looking at Whole Foods it’s on the right is an open parking lot without the no parking signs seems this is where other cruisers parked as well. So if you are going to drive the road to Hana start early about 5:00am yes this early there’s nothing to see for about an hour and half so by that time the sun will rise the only thing you will pass is garden of Eden which opens at eight but you can do this on your way back. The other must is using the Gypsy app it is awesome we used it for every island it will tell you all the best places to stop only stop at the best recommendation places from the app a ping sound will worn you of a must stop. you won’t have time for the so so stops. The app takes you to the 7 pool water fall and Bamboo trail and another water fall which is a two mile hike and up hill most of the way.This is a very windy road and yes 59 one way bridges but if you start early there’s not much traffic and it is a beautiful drive. Then to Hilo we used the Gypsy app to go to rainbow falls, peppee falls, volcano tubes, Akaka falls and a few others. If you’re going to the volcano national park it will go there as will and has a walking portion for the park the Gypsy app tells you all the history of each island plus the best places to go. Then on to Kona , We where a little tired so we went to a beach we first stopped at Kua bay but the tied was in so no beach and only one tree for shade that was already taken so off to another beach, Kona is volcanic rocks for miles so the beaches are small but nice. Off to Kauai. The rental car companies have shuttles from and to the port or you can Lyft for about $10. we used the Gypsy app to do the Waimea canyon which in my opinion is awesome the best one of the islands but don’t stop at the canyon look out keep going up the road there’s some other stops off the road that gets you closer to the the waterfall but keep going there are two other look outs that look out of the canyon to the Nepali coast and is way more impressive and beautiful than the canyon don’t get me wrong the canyon is fantastic but the other two look outs are the most beautiful places on earth absolutely amazing can’t miss. We where there on a beautiful day this area is one of the most rainiest places on earth so it might be raining on minute and not the next we where lucky and it was sunny the whole time but just an FYI bring a rain jacket and a long sleeve shirt it gets a little windy also. After this we went to the beach Salty pond beach which is very nice and had lunch. then off to Wailua falls and other stops the Gypsy app will help. If you want to keep the rental over night there is parking along the road just outside the port. The islands are amazing you won’t be disappointed! Read Less

We did this cruise 6 years ago and really enjoyed the islands tour. Our favorite islands when all was said and done are Maui and Kauai. Ship is smaller and being American flagged means the crew gets decent pay and US work rules which translates to high morale. Recommend 2 days minimum in Oahu on front end to adjust time zones and relax a bit. You don't have to stay on the crowded Waikki Beach area. Check out the North Shore area for a quieter venue. P of A Complimemtary Food quality B+. The upgrade restaurants were enjoyable. We did the French Jefferson's Bistro (A) and the Brazilian churrasco restaurant (A) which had an impressive salad bar and of course meats in the Texas de Brazil tradition. Most popular option was Cagneys Steak which no longer has a special surf and turf night. Shell fish now just on the menu. If you like to eat early, reservations not always needed but wise on the more popular venues. For our cruise, the first 3 days had more restricted buffet access (no self serve) for virus precautions but that was relaxed back to normal ops for last days of trip. Recommend bring your own coffee for the room machine-- we like the Starbucks powder straws with hot water from machine. CPAP users... you can order distilled water in advance delivered to your room. Bring 2 X 9 foot extension cords. Maui Like the first cruise, we rented a car and rode the shuttle from the pier to the closeby airport to get a car. Bad news....there is now no overnight parking lot across from the pier area if you want to keep the car for day 2. However there are about 6 disability parking spots inside the gate perimeter at the pier so bring your disability parking tag with you as it might enable you get a permit to use those slots during your stay. Kauai Ditto on the rental care but the area around the pier has no overnight parking options period. You need to park at the shopping area a quarter mile from ship for 20.00. With the ship leaving the next day around 2pm we are not sure keeping the car a second day is worth it. Maui Drove up the mountain to the Lavender Farm near Kula-- wife loved it!! Helicopter Tours Have flown on Blue Hawaiian 3 times and the third was on this trip out of Hilo on the "Circle of Fire" tour of the volcano areas. Wife has bad knee and the multi hour drive and walking to the national park was not a player. The air tour was SPECTACULAR and well worth it. Contact Blue Hawaiian direct to take advantage of military discounts! If you have the concentration to watch, you can see the humpback whales from the ship here and there. No spectacular water breaches but water spouts and big tails visible. Lastly, if you have transportation, hit the Costco on Maui or Kauai for a great selection of Hawaiian shirts etc at much better prices than the ship gift shop. Cheap gas for the rental car refills as well. Mahalo and Aloha!! Read Less

While the port locations were great and the excursions varied, the ship is old and tired and with the new focus on preventing virus spread on the ship for the first 3 to 4 days when the passengers cannot serve themselves or touch anything on their own, you are going to experience just horrible service onboard. Sitting out by the pool, you'll need to find a service person to take your drink order (if you ever do). Most likely you'll have to do your own ordering and carrying from the bar. Not quite what I'm used to at these prices. My steward was non-existent until the "incubation" period was over with and then he magically appeared to greet us one night more then halfway into the cruise. Some of the furniture in the room is worn and the carpeting and couch were stained. Other cruise lines keep the public bathrooms spotless due to sickness control... not this one! The public bathrooms were disgusting. Paper and soap all over the place. Every time you go for food or walk onboard someone will be there with a spray bottle of who knows what to spray your hands (and your clothes if not careful) to sanitize. They all say "washy, washy!" which I was sick of hearing after the first time. I don't know if it's because they have mostly an American crew or not, but they need to do something to up their game. The laziness is very apparent. I won't ever cruise Hawaii again on this ship. It's a shame. This turned out to be our least favorate cruise in 12 years of cruising. Read Less

We are from Michigan, mid 30's, were on a 10-year anniversary trip to Hawaii and thought this would be the best way to "see it all." This was my 10th cruise (others being Disney, Carnival, and NCL). Short story is the trip was great because Hawaii is great. Unfortunately, NCL didn't do much to help make it better besides provide a room and food. If you just need a moving hotel to see Hawaii, do this trip. If you are wanting "the cruise experience" you'll be disappointed. We got to see everything we wanted to and are happy but would not recommend this trip for anything seeking anything else than to see all of Hawaii in one week. We won't being doing this cruise again. Getting on/off the boat - We flew in from Chicago to Honolulu non-stop and went straight to the boat. Got to port at 5PM and had zero wait to get on board which was nice. Bags got to room in 30 mins. Disembarkation: we walked off with our bags pretty easily. Planned on doing Pearl Harbor (PH) then flying out at 5PM. Airport will only take your bags 4hours prior to flight. The port will hold a bag for you for $5 all day. PH does not allow bags of any kind (even purses, clutch only). Unsure if they would take our rolling baggage, we left them at the port, took an Uber for $28 to PH and arrived at 930. Had time to do the submarine, Arizona, Missouri, pick up wife's purse at bag check @ 2PM..., Uber back to boat, pick up bags, and then to Airport ($34 for second Uber ride total) at 3PM. Didn't have time to do the airplane museum. Ports/excursions - ONLY Kona has stuff to do right at the port. Everything else is a mile-ish walk and or bus ride from the boat!!! Wish we'd have known this ahead of time. Excursions are great but read reviews to make sure you don't waste time or money on boring things (i.e. coffee plantation and macadamia nut factory). Excursions are EXPENSIVE because you're on Hawaii. In the Caribbean, I've always used boat excursions but here (in American Hawaii) we tried some on our own. We saved a TON of money and had more fun because if we were all done at a spot, we moved on and didn't have to wait for 60 people. We bought the same helicopter ride on Kauai for litterally half of the NCL cost and they picked us up at the port. You can also take the Maui bus for $4pp all day. There is a "hoppa-on hoppa-off" service on most islands for $20pp that lets you do self guided tours. Great bus drivers and super nice. This is also a great way to see areas relatively close to the boat. We wish we'd have known about this ahead of time. Boat/Atmosphere - I want to be clear that the boat experience wasn't bad, but it was apparent that the level of service, attention to detail, and general atmosphere on board was not up to par. My wife and I agreed that as for on-board experiences, this was the least fun we've ever had. Other guests agreed who were past cruisers. There's not one single thing to put your finger on to say this, but rather a general consensus that this is not the "A-team" of NCL. We knew the boat would likely consist of people well above our age. An honest guess is roughly 65 for an average age so plan on slower moving traffic, listening to lots of complaints, and zero night life on board. This isn't NCL's fault, except that they do close the pool bar at 7PM so if you want towels or drinks, you have to go inside the ship. The boat is smaller so there is only a single deck theater, small pool (that only gets used on the last day of the boat), but basically zero kids to be seen because nobody brought them (like us) or doesn't have any young kids. If you're planning on bringing kids, they will not make lots of friends like on other boats. They'll have fun off the boat but will not enjoy the on-board experience as much. Food - great food as you'd expect, but the selection and "wow" factor of it was definitely less any boat I've been on. Keep in mind, you will likely only be eating breakfast daily, and dinner probably 2/3 of the time as you are on islands overnight in some cases and can board the boat 24/7. Staff - There are some absolute stars on this boat like there are on any of them. The staff is much less diverse (still very diverse compared to the common workplace) on this boat which is likely from is location. Great guest services help. Great bar staff. Dinner servers seemed inexperienced and a lot were "in training." Never met our room staff though which was a first. Also heard the most chatter between staff about their length of contracts and where they were going next? It just didn't seem like the place most people wanted to stay. Cabin - we had an inside cabin because we didn't plan to stay inside much. Great decision to save money here. No regrets. We were on deck 4. You get off the boat on 3, eat on 5, and never go to the pool. Other boats with more "deck time" I want to be on 9/10/11 but this worked out great actually. Minimal elevator time and stairs. Entertainment - the same as every boat. Nightly show, comedian, magician, not so newlywed show, etc. The smaller theater made the shows less amazing but still good. Average age and time-zone changes mean this boat goes to bed earlier than normal so night-life is virtually non-existent. Read Less

This ship is my idea of "average". Everything was okay and nothing was great. Correction...the staff was great. Everyone was smiling and ready to help at all times. The departure went smoothly, as did the disembarkation. The food was okay, but nothing special in the Aloha Buffet. I have sailed on equal value ships that had better variety. The Liberty dining room had a bit fancier foods. The exception was the East-West cafe where I found the menu to my liking. The sushi was an extra charge, however. so it really wasn't a "free" choice.The costly restaurants were a better value. We had the option of choosing 3 meals in the restaurants that charge extra. The rooms are adequate and our steward was quick to change towels and keep the room vacuumed. We enjoyed the cruise but I was annoyed that they closed the game room several times for events or private parties. Be careful with the Internet billing. If you have 1 free connection be sure that your cabinmate does not try to use it too or you will find yourself with a hefty bill. The Internet is per person and not per cabin. The entertainment was okay. I thought that Deck 6 smelled like sewage. Read Less

We chose this cruise mainly for the itinerary. The four islands we visited were all beautiful! When asked to pick a favorite, it was very difficult to choose. The ship, on the other hand, is the worst I've ever been on. The ambiance, food, and crew were all sub-par. The food left a bitter taste in my mouth ... pun intended. I could literally find better Main Dining Room food in the frozen food section of the local market. The crew is 75% American because it's a US flagged ship. I live in the USA and 80% of the crew could use a course in customer service from McDonalds ... it would be an improvement. Our group nicknamed them the Walking Dead. However, the foreign crew were fantastic. Unfortunately, we had American MDR waiters ... it was a very painful and long process. Our cabin steward (from the Dominican) was absolutely great. We had Balcony Cabin 9550 and it was very small. We've sailed NCL in the past and this is the smallest cabin we've seen. There was adequate space under the bed for suitcase storage. The balcony was small also. Read Less

What’s good; itinerary, no days at sea so maximised sight-seeing. Cleanliness, stateroom staff, Didn’t need internet package as got access to 4g most of the time, even when just off shore. Efficiency of check in and disembarkation, daily organisation of shore excursions. Some great shore excursions Not so good; food and restaurant/bar service was average. Too many staff weren’t very interested in making the service personable. Drinks package was expensive. You’d need 6 or 7 drinks per day to make it worthwhile. The buffet had to resort to counter service in the last 2 days due to the concern over the coronavirus. Probably a ship’s worst nightmare to organise, but the staff really didn’t help the situation. They were clearly put out by the whole situation and were less than friendly whilst serving food and drinks The guy running the fitness centre was also disinterested. Found this strange as it’s his only job! Read Less

This is an older boat with an update a few years ago. The staff in general is not up to the quality of service we have seen on the 6 ships we have used in the Carribean. The food in the specialty dinning was good, but the buffet and other restaurants were sub-par. We had a lot of minor problems like the toilet wouldn't flush, the patio door wouldn't open. The stop at the big island they canceled because they were afraid the winds were going to build and the tenders would have trouble getting into shore. (it was calm and beautiful all day). if you are just looking for acceptable transportation between the islands it is a good source. I will say that their comedian (vince something) was outstanding. One of the best shows I have seen on a cruise ship. We used four excursions with NCL and three we booked directly (not through NCL) . I would say booking direct saves money and if you look at the reviews you can probably find better excursions. Read Less

Great way to see the islands of Hawaii, but this cruise catesr to the large proportion of OVER 55+ in activities, music & entertainment. We are in our 40's and traveled with a 16yr son from Australia and found the onboard activities lacking and boring. But we were there to see the islands and you are so busy getting off each day to explore that it did not matter to much. It is not a kids or party cruise. My advice for each port and what we did follows: We booked with Tombarefoot tours and probly saved $100 per person on any tour rather than through the ship. However you risk the chance if the ship can't go into port due to weather etc. I am not sure about obtaining refunds if that happens. Your call. Port Maui- Book a TOUR- there is nothing to see where they come into this port (some pretty average shops) or hire a car and do the trip to Hana(beautiful), there for 2 days. We met Richard who drove us all day and over to Lahaina (small fishing town-is a must) for $100 per person which is a cheap all day. His email is kekaukike@msn.com. Port Hilo- Helicopter flight over where the volcano had erupted and destroyed homes. Was super interesting. Taxi to airport and taxi back.Or hire a car to look around but do a tour or activity here, as not much else to do. Port Kona is beautiful with MANY shops to walk through and sit and relax looking out to the ocean- a great day to not tour and enjoy.Kauai we hired a car and drove to the Waimea Canyon, then did the Kipu Ranch ATV on the way back to ship. Would of been difficult to get to and back if we had not hired the car. Park car on street overnight close to ship and then explored next morning up North East side of island. Back by lunch because ship leaves at 2pm. Then that afternoon cruise along the Napali coast which is amazing to look at so grab a drink and get a good seat with your camera for the afternoon. Buffet food and diner food was fine. Lots of selections and dietry options with the flexibility of eating when suits. Our room configuration was a queen bed and fold out sofa (for 6ft son). His bed did not have foam to soften it and they put two doona inserts under the bottom sheet to fluff it up.Not comfortable and we did expect more comfort than that. Staff were average in comparison to my other cruise experiences. Coming from Australia the tipping is hard to get your head around but we included our gratuities in cruise payment and then tipped any better service if found (20%). They do tend to look after you a little better if you do so tip early in the cruise. The decor was not fashionable to our tastes but again you are there to see the islands and that out weighs everything, plus you need to make your own fun. I think its a do it once cruise to really see the islands. We had two nights in Waikiki before the cruise that allowed us to get over jet lag, then 5 nights when we got back to do Pearl Harbour, North Shore (hire car) and around the entire island of Oahu & Diamond Head. We felt it was enough time to see and do everything we wanted too without rushing and still relaxing on the beach at Waikiki...Was a fantastic holiday.TIP: Australians take a jar of instant coffee with you and some Vegemite!!! Read Less

Our family of 12 sailed on Norwegian's Pride of America on the 12/28/19 cruise. We had a wonderful trip and I can't say enough about this ship, crew and itinerary. Our family was 6 adults (ages 39 through 64) and 6 kids (ages 4 through 12). Our vacation package included 1 night pre-cruise at the Hawaiian Hilton Village, pre-paid gratuities, specialty restaurants, and $50 per port excursion discount. We used the Norwegian Master Card prior to the cruise and had some onboard credit to use on the ship. We arrived in Hawaii on 12/27 our flight landed in Honolulu at noon and we were in our rooms with our luggage at the Hawaiian Hilton Village by 3:30pm. We had pre-scheduled Roberts Hawaii airport shuttle for transportation from the airport to the hotel. They met us at baggage claim with a sign and helped with all of the luggage. Registration at the hotel was easy, although we did wait in line. Norwegian had a booth at the hotel and we checked in with them too, they offered us extra luggage tags and answered our questions. They were so sweet and helpful, they got our vacation off to a great start. The complex was massive and interesting, there were shops everywhere and pools and a beautiful beach. We wandered around the shops, had sushi and shaved ice. That evening we sat in the sand on the beach and watched the fireworks. We were exhausted from travel so we ordered pizzas for dinner and ate in our rooms. We were all just so excited to be in Hawaii. On Saturday we had a 1/2 day Pearl Harbor tour booked through Viator. They picked us up from the hotel at 7am and we arrived at Pearl Harbor by 0830. We had time to tour the USS Bowfin and go through the museum before the movie and boat ride to the USS Arizona. This was a powerful and sobering tour, the movie was so well done. We were so glad that we did this excursion before our cruise At 11:30 we were picked up and the tour driver took us to the port. NCL transferred our luggage from the hotel to the ship and we never even had to go back there. We arrived at the port around 12:30, check-in was easy; there was a lounge for suite guests that we hardly had time to enjoy, we were on the ship and having lunch at Cagney's by 1pm. While we were eating they announced that our cabins were ready. We were in suites, 12008 (starboard), 12058 (port) and 13012 (starboard), and these suites were great! Roomy, beautiful, lots of room to unpack, an attendant (Larry) an a butler (Georgia). 13012 was bigger than the other 2 suites and worked well for a family of 6. It has a huge balcony! There was sparkling wine and flowers in the suites as we checked in. Having lunch at Cagney's and the gifts in the room set the stage for the entire vacation. We went to the Welcome Aboard show, to dinner in the Skyline and to bed early. The next morning we woke up in Maui. 2 of us scheduled a helicopter tour of the road to Hana (we knew we couldn't drive it with 6 kids). The tour was spectacular! We aw caverns, the coastline, multiple waterfalls, Jurassic Rock and George Harrison's home. This tour was through NCL and the $50 immediately showed up on our account. We were back on the ship by noon, had lunch and then went off to the beach to catch up with the family. They were at, Kihei, Kamaole Beach Park II (a 30 minute Uber ride) and it was a great beach; we swam in the warm water until about 3 then headed back to the ship. The next morning at 2:30am we were up and ready for the sunrise Haleakala Crater tour. Nettie was our driver and she got us to the top of the crater by 5:45, so we had a great viewing spot by the rail, sunrise wasn't until 6:50. It was crowded up there! It was pitch dark when we arrived and the night sky was amazing. I saw 4 shooting stars! We had about an hour of standing in windy 30 degree weather before the sun came up. Even though we dressed warmly, it was freezing! I wore a long sleeved t-shirt, a heavy sweater, my North Face jacket, hat and gloves, but only my sneakers. By the time we were back in the bus, my feet felt like frozen blocks. Despite the cold this was an experience that we will remember the rest of our lives. Only 2 adults went, I think it would have been difficult for the kids. We were back on the ship by 9:30, in time for breakfast. Then we got an Uber to meet the family in Lahaina. A beautiful little town (full of interesting shops) and the Uber ride to the town was great too! That evening we used our restaurant perk and had a wonderful dinner at La Cucina and saw the Lights, Camera, Action show. We enjoyed all the shows, our surprise was there were always seats in the theater (even for 12), it wasn't crowded like other cruises we've been on. The next day was New Years Eve and we woke up at Hilo. We had the Volcano National Park tour for all 12 us, our guide's name was John and we all enjoyed it. We saw steam vents, a lava flow from the 70's and on the way back we stopped at a orchid nursery. They had an orchid that smelled like chocolate. That evening in the Gold Rush Saloon they did the New Year's Eve count down for every time zone. We are from the East coast so we got to scream happy new year at 7pm! Then we went to Liberty Dining Room for dinner with our cruise supplied New Year's Eve swag. The show that evening was Wonders! A Magical Experience... it was fantastic! We were meant to be in Kona the next day and had a kayaking tour scheduled. We were up and ready to go when the captain announced that we were leaving because the tender service was cancelled because of rocky seas. We had an unexpected sea day to enjoy the ship. We sailed by the Molokai sea cliffs and saw whales and dolphins from our balcony. The men in our party when to the Whiskey tasting in the Napa Wine bar. They had fun! Dinner in Jefferson Bistro that evening....also wonderful.. We loved all of the specialty restaurants..so glad we had that perk. On Thursday in Kauai, we had a beach day at Poipu Beach Park The best beach ever! There were giant sea turtle sleeping on the beach. We all snorkeled and saw the most beautiful fish, probably 30 different varieties.. Plus the water was warm and calm. We spent about 6 hours at this beach. When we got back to the ship we had massages scheduled at the Mandarin Spa. Fantastic experience! Dinner at Cagney's, with a delicious chocolate cake for dessert. Kauai was our favorite island and this was such a memorable day.... perfect really. On our final cruise day we had the tubing experience with/Kauai Backcountry Adventures scheduled, only 10 of us could go, because you have to be at least 5. This tubing experience is through caves and the kids loved it. On the trip up the mountain we saw some of the settings for the Jurassic Park movies. We had to get back on the ship early and my Grand daughter who took 3 hula dancing classes on the ship was in the pool side hula show. We also all went to the lei making classes, don't miss them, they were surprisingly fun and we all still have the leis we made. As we sailed by the Napali, there were double rainbows in the sky. I know I've said this a lot but the coast and the rainbows were absolutely incredible! We saw this from my son's baloney while sipping a lovely red wine. I don't know how this could have been more perfect. Dinner at Tappanyaki that evening. It's a show and the chefs were awesome! We had our luggage in the hallway by midnight, had breakfast at Cagney's the next morning and were off the ship by 09. We had one more day in Honolulu, we stayed at the Hyatt Regency Beach Club, went to the aquarium (it's run by the University of Hawaii) and had an impressive display of Sea Horses and then we hiked up Diamond Head. 9 of us made it to the top. We were seriously proud of this accomplishment. This was easily the best cruise we've ever been on. It all exceeded our expectations. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it originates in Hawaii and because we had my disabled brother with us. Despite the fact that we booked 15 months in advance (paying an extremely high fares vs advertised fares closer to departure dates), it was a constant struggle to be sure that we had adjoining cabins and that our travel plans were linked. Eventually, we thought we had everything worked out, only to arrive at our hotel in LA to discover Norwegian had not books adjoining rooms for that part of the trip. We were exhausted from traveling from the East Coast and it took nearly 45 minutes to straighten out the problem--there were no adjoining rooms. On de on the ship, our accommodations were fine. I will give Norwegian credit for a vefry smooth boarding and disembarking process. The meal processes were also quite smooth or such a huge ship and so many guests. The food was blah by anyone's book. I'd rate it as college cafeteria standard for folks who don't have discriminating tastes. It was plentiful. We ate at the Brazilian steakhouse one evening.It was not impressive. The entertainment was also blah except the one night we saw the magician. The onboard activities were mostly silly and uninteresting. We are not interested in bingo or karaoke or ping pong tournaments. Shore excursions were less than steller except for the day at Haleakala. They were grossly overpriced and quite frankly, boring. Because of my brother 's disabilities, we booked only Level 1 activity excursions. There were no Level 1 excursions offered in Kauai, so we were on out own. The catamaran/snorkeling excursion was fun, but was not really Level 1 since boarding the boat was quite tricky and the boarding ladder for snorkelers could not be used by two of us. In summary, I am done with cruising on large ships. I am disappointed in Norwegian's lack of attention to the nee of disabled passengers. I am deeply disappointed that we spent a large amount of money for only a so-so experience. Read Less

This is an excellent way to see the Hawaiin islands. The service on the ship was excellent and the crew was very friendly. The dining rooms and specialty restaurants are very good with excellent service. The ship is very clean and very well maintained. The Balcony cabins are very clean, however very small compared to other Norwegian Cruise Ships. The cabins cannot really accomadate any more than 2 people unless you have a young child, as the pull out sofa bed is very small. All areas of the ship have a wonderful American theme. Embarkation and disembarkation was a breeze! Norwegian seems to have mastered how to do it right. If any one is planning a hotel stay before or after the cruise, I highly recommend the Kahala Hotel and Resort in Honolulu. This is a wonderful property that is in a beautiful area only 10 minute cab ride from Waikiki Beach. The Kahala has all the amenities and their own private beach. We had a wonderful time and would highly recommend "Pride of America" I give Norwegian top marks again!!! Read Less

The staff on the ship was, for the most part, excellent and helpful. The food was average to poor. The NCL excursions were too limited in what was offered. One day our excursion was cancelled at the last minute due to not enough people have signed up. We were told nothing else was available. We had to scramble to contact other companies and found a good selection of independent excursions of which we took advantage. The shows were pedestrian aside from the magician who was very good. The cabin was small but fine for two people. The poor customer service was from NCL before the cruise. We booked the cruise directly with NCL. When we spoke to the booking agent we discussed that the reason we choose this cruise was because it toured the Napali Coast off Kauai. That was our only "absolutely must see" of the Hawaii trip. We discussed and understood that itinerary is subject to change due to weather, natural disasters or other emergencies. Well a few weeks before the cruise were were notified by NCL that the Napali Coast was going to be skipped due to maintenance being performed on the ship. We called to try to reschedule the cruise for when it would return to its normal itinerary or to cancel. We were told by NCL that we did not call soon enough before the sail date to do that. We explained that we called as soon as we were notified about Napali being skipped for ship maintenance but basically we were told tough luck, NCL can change the itinerary for any reason and you have no recourse. I am sure that NCL has enough satisfied customers that they do not have to concern themselves with a situation such as ours. However, we will not use them again. Read Less

We chose this cruise for the itinerary. "Pride" is the only cruise ship that stays in the Hawaiian Islands (no days at sea). We went 2 days early - to make sure luggage arrived before sailing, and to enjoy some sights on Oahu. We arrived at port about 3:00PM, and there were very few people waiting for check in. Embarkation went very quickly and smoothly. We originally purchased a balcony cabin, but had bid on and "won" a suite (more later). So the butler introduced himself as soon as we checked in and took us to a nearby sitting area with refreshments. After a few more people joined our group, he did a short talk on what we could expect as suite guests, then personally took us to our suites and showed us the amenities. We had carefully examined the "Free At Sea" offerings, and had the option to select ALL. Knowing about the HUGE automatic gratuity charge on the "unlimited drink package", we did not choose that. We chose the 3 nights dining in specialty restaurants, and doubled up on the $50.00 discount per day on shore excursions. We did not need the wi-fi, since our Verizon had good connectivity near the islands (but lost it between them). We couldn't use the "free and reduced airfare" since it could not accommodate our need for extra leg room. Although we enjoy shows, we ended up attending none due to timing with our dining. Also, being seniors, we don't stay up late. We thought the shore excursions were well handled. There are "many" luaus available in the Hawaiian Islands, and I really think Norwegian should offer more than one as shore excursions. We did the Volcanoes National Park tour at Hilo, submarine at Kona, and "Director's Cut" on Kauai, all of which were good. Dining was fine. Suite guests were invited to enjoy breakfast and lunch in Cagney's Steakhouse, which we did on several days. The food, as expected, was excellent. We also had both in the dining rooms and buffet, which were well done. Our dinners in the specialty restaurants were excellent. The shops were as expected. There were a few basic pharmacy items (if you may need something, BRING YOUR OWN, Consider buying it on land BEFORE you get on ship). We missed the advertised 50% off sale, but $99.00 for an Aloha shirt???? Buy your souvenirs on shore. My only complaint is that sometimes, the ship was FREEZING. This was mostly in our cabin, but also in the corridors and even in the Bistro. I was happy to find the public areas, particularly the pool deck, were not BLASTING music. I've been on other ships (not Norwegian) where earplugs were needed to lounge around the pool, and we had to scream in the central area of the ship since the live music was being amplified 5 decks above. It was a joy not to have a casino. I'm happy to play blackjack for a few hours on a cruise, but HATE the cigarette smoke. No smoke to deal with here! GREAT CRUISE! Read Less

We were so excited initially to take this cruise. Unfortunately, our itinerary changed and we were unable to get to Maui Days 1&2. Day 1 became a Sea Day - which would normally be great on a newer ship with a ton of amenities - but this ship was extremely outdated and older inside and had limited things to do on deck. December is apparently a great time to surf because of the swells, but we didn't realize what the impact would be on our ship. We ended up tipping while trying to get into port! I never felt a ship roll like that before. We knew this ship was older upon booking, but we didn't mind since we were supposed to be in a port every day, but this was a bit scary. Our captain (RON!) luckily made the most of it and kept us informed, and we were able to change course for Day 2. I would not recommend going on this cruise in December, as it's rainy season on the island, and the swells can prevent you from getting into Port. We had an amazing time in each port, as there were unique characteristics of both. I highly recommend getting a quick tour of Hilo (see the waterfalls and mac nut factory), trying Ola Brewery in Kona (they have more than just beer!), and hike in Kaua`i (bring an extra pair of shoes because it is muddy in December!) If you do go on this ship - I highly recommend getting the dinner package. We were very happy with our meals in the specialty restaurants, as each one had their own unique flare. Overall, I would recommend this itinerary for a different time of year for anyone looking to see the Hawaiian Islands in bulk! Read Less

This was suppose to be a trip of a lifetime to Hawaii ! The coordination between the NCL cruise line and the Hilton Hawaiian Village resort was poor. Even though the rooms were prepaid we had to wait in line for almost 2 hours to check into the hotel. There was no representative at the hotel from NCL to coordinate the land portion of the tour. Once on the ship, we were amazed at the lack of service from our room steward/stewardess. We had to leave daily reminders (in writing) to get anything done. Many of the help in the restaurants were either surly or rude. The entertainment was good, the shows were lively, the comedian was great, the magician was amazing. The quality of the food was good, not great. The Asian food choices were very limited. Being in Hawaii we were expecting more variety. The specialty dining rooms were overall disappointing. Read Less

I choose this cruise because of the ports. Chance to go to the 4 major Hawaiian Islands. Shortly after the final payment deadline, NCL notified us of an itinerary change. Due to scheduled maintenance (that they knew about far ahead) they were skipping sailing down the Napali Coast in Kauai. (This is the most beautiful part of the island that you can only view by boat or plane/helicopter.) We skipped 1st port of call Maui. As we were approaching the industrial port in Maui for docking- this port was canceled because the Captain deemed waters too rough to dock. Long story short- we didn't dock either day in Maui. Instead they sailed to the Big Island and gave us an extra day on industrial port side in Hilo. In the past year NCL has revamped the menus in their Specialty restaurants and almost doubled the prices. Many of the long time favorite menu items are now gone. You can get a far better meal at a nice restaurant at home at a cheaper price. The ship has a wonderful large library, but the book cases were kept locked most of the time. There were always a shortage of deck chairs in pool/spa area. There were lots of other open deck areas where chairs could have been placed- but they never were. Consequently it was hard to ever sit outdoors in the nice weather. It was evident that ship windows had not been cleaned in quite sometime. I could barely see out of my cabin window. Buffet area was always very crowded. Seemed like the same food choices everyday. They had an excellent Hawaiian ambassador onboard to talk about each of the port stops- but they scheduled him at 6:00 PM each day which would cause issues if you had dinner reservations and/or were trying to go to shows or watch sail aways. Read Less

Embarkation: Super easy and quick. We were early (second in line to wait for security) as we wanted to drop off our luggage and check-in prior to going to Pearl Harbor. Ladies and girls will get a beautiful orchid lei and men and boys will get a shell lei. Check in was a breeze at the counter. I'm sure if you hit the wrong time, you would have a bit of a wait. I'm sure the Platinum or higher line would help with the queue if you have that status and used it as it didn't snake around the terminal as the cattle call line. Entertainment (shows): The two main shows were great... if you can make it to them. Many others have mentioned that since there are no sea days, you're typically in port exploring Hawaii and after a full day of excursions and walking, you want to eat and sleep. We also caught the magician Jason Andrews twice and the up close magic in Mardi Gras was really cool. We saw the comedian once for the family show and he was really funny. It was way over the kids heads so they weren't too impressed. Behind the Scenes Tour: This was subpar as compared to other BtSTs we've done. This is a perk for attaining Platinum and above. It ocurred on Friday at 9:30am (Nawilliwilli, Kauai). It is hosted by CruiseNext staff taking you to the stage area, dressing rooms for performers, laundry, galley, provisions and a walk along "Route 66" (I-95 for many of the other ships). I'm used to actually seeing and hearing from the heads of those departments and having access to speaking with them on other tours. Latitudes Internet Perk: What is with the fee to activate my FREE Internet access Latitudes perk? On prior cruises, you can access the plan without a fee. Perhaps it is only on the PoA being domiciled in the USA? Outdoor areas and pools: All were well kept without a lot of cups and dishes sitting around. If you have kids, there is a "pool" and "hot" tub on 12 mid/aft behind the checkers game. I put them in quotes because, it's probably 5" deep with a tiny slide and the "warm" tub was just that. Some folks may feel a bit clausterphobic even though there is glass looking out to the deck. Dining: My favorite! I am really not picky when presented with food I didn't have to prepare. If it's not moving, I'll eat it. If I'm really hungry and it is moving, it would probably stop moving in my mouth. You get the idea. We had the 3 ultimate dining package perk (3UDP) with our reservation and initially chose Teppanyaki twice along with Cagney's. We had Teppanyaki on embarkation night and it was "ok." A bit saltier and greasier than we're used to. So we moved the second Teppanyaki to La Cuccina. We also receive the Platinum perk of Le Bistro (Jefferson's) or Cagney's with a bottle of wine and Moderno or La Cuccina. For those two we selected Jefferson's and La Cuccina. The food at Jefferson's Bistro was great as long as you can find something on the menu that you like. Henry provided wonderful service and was very attentive. The Maitre'd (didn't get his name) at Jefferson's Bistro was phenomenal. He was accommodating and helped with an extra dessert. Read Less

Everything was fantastic. Price was cheap. Experience was amazing. Recommending it to everyone. Lots of buffet food in Aloha Cafe. Specialty food was horrible so dont try it. Lots of options in the ALoha Cafe Cabin was clean. Little bit smaller but it was comfortable. Shows were amazing and entertaining. Standup comedy and shows were great. Service was great. Everyone was smiling and ready to help. Chef's were engaging and talking. Felt bad for kids to be working so hard on the cruise but when I spoke to one of them he explained me that he's on cruise for 4 months and get 2 months vacation so that was good. Spa is expensive. Massages are $200 or more per hour. We didnt do any shore excursions but its better to rent the car on each island and it was amazing experience. I didnt like the fact that we had to come back before 5-6 to cruise because later evening stay would have been fine and we could have covered more places driving around. Anyways, this Trip is one of my best trip. I do lot of trips but this one stands apart. Read Less

Went on the cruise to see the Hawaiian islands on a low budget. Overall it was great to do so and felt shorter than it was. The cabin was nice in size and great except the bathroom did not seem like it was cleaned out prior to us being in the room and would occasionally have a odor of urine coming from the toilet. Dinning options were good with a variety. The food just was over seasoned for myself personally at times it was very salty. Entertainment was always available each night which was a great addition. Only downfall was the Dj who played the most strange combination of music it sent us back to the cabins early due to the music selection. We wish some of the drink tastings started a little later than the times they started because it interfered with our excursions at times. Overall service of the ship service was great. Everyone was always helpful with answers to any questions we had. Read Less

My parents gave us this trip as a family gift to celebrate 4 birthdays and their own 15 year wedding anniversary. Their children and grandchildren were not present when they were married in Hawaii 15 years ago. We looked forward to this cruise for six months only to find it a HUGE money pit! Very disappointed in the cruise itself. The drinks were always taxed due to being in port everyday! The auto gratuity was over priced due to the service and food quality. I'm a great tipper, but I would not have given the cooks extra tips at all! Crew members were actually serviced before my sister and I on two different days at two different locations on board. Not ok when you pay $30k for a vacay. We bought a wedding package to surprise my parents for a vow renewal for $500 so they would have the entire family present this time around. The photographer was less than par and the photos were super dark. After the viewing of the photos my parents were about to spend another $600 for 6 prints on a USB drive. Luckily my husband stepped in an intervened before that mistakehappened. Unfortunately we will not ever have good photos of the event only memories. We decided as 4 separate families that none of us would be on Norwegian ever again!! There are too many amazing cruises out there for the price we paid. .However, Hawaii is NEVER ugly or regretful. I'm glad we were together as a family in the beautiful islands. #family4ever#norwegianNeveragain Read Less

This was definitely a vacation from hell!! I have been on many cruises in my lifetime and this by far was the worst.. First of all they nickel and dime you for everything, Whoever heard of charging a $15 corkage fee for each bottle of wine you bring on board that you don’t need them to open. Secondly, the staff is very rude and it almost seems like they don’t want to be there..Most ships I’ve been on the staff are usually very friendly and upbeat. There is a lack of entertainment on this ship, I didn’t expect to spend 7,000 ( for my husband and I)on a cruise and have to find ways to entertain myself.Also this cruise seems to cater to the senior citizens because everything shut down pretty early. One night I was at the poolside bar with a couple of friends and there wasn’t a person in sight, I’m guessing that everyone turns in early for bed. One thing that really annoyed me about this cruise was the fact that everyone on our floor toilet stop working for a minimum of 15 hours and we were asked to use community washrooms in the hallways which were disgusting with vomit and feces all around them. Save your money and choose another cruise line because this one definitely dropped the ball in so many ways Read Less

We had never been to Hawaii and figured this would be a good way to get a taste of multiple islands so we would know where we might want to stay for an extended vacation. We did accomplish this however the ship was a disappointment, especially the food in the main dining rooms. The buffets were good and the specialty dining was much better especially Jefferson’s Bistro. The main dining food was tasteless and the servers had no personality. We had a suite which was lovely; large, lots of storage, comfy bed, roomy deck. The room was the highlight of the cruise. We weren’t happy that they unexpectedly changed the intinerary at one port forcing us into a 7:15 excursion when it was supposed to be at 11. When we reached the excursion destination none of the shops were open yet due to the early hour. Our concierge did not get back to us with a request for specialty dining. Even if he couldn’t fulfill the request, he should have returned the call explaining the situation. We will not be cruising with Norwegian again. We highly recommend Celebrity Cruses. Read Less