I have been reading these reviews for two years since I booked this cruise and was, quite frankly, dreading it. To set the scene, this was my 10th cruise and 3rd with NCL. Yes, it is expensive. Why? Because it is registered and based in USA and must employ US staff and pay US wages, unlike 99% of other ships which don't. Want a cheaper alternative? Book with another line out of California and waste 5 days getting to Hawaii and 5 days (including an enforced stop in Mexico) getting back. Are the excusions a rip off? Yes but in my experience all cruise lines do this. ( Use Roberts Hawaii instead). Does the ship look old and in disrepair? Absolutely not. It was immaculate. Is it full of modern facilities and bells and whistles? No, but if that surprises you when you get on board, it shouldn't. Do your research!!!! The website clearly tells you that it is one of the smaller, older ships in the fleet and exactly what facilities it does and does not have. We saw the shows every night and they were average to slightly above average. Main restaurant food was typical cruise fare and yes the aloha buffet was busy at lunch times, aren't they always??? Cagneys, one of the speciality restaurants, was the best meal I have eaten on a cruise ship. Overall it was a great week. Please remember people, NCL is a 4* cruise line so why are you expecting it to be the same as Celebrity/Holland America/Princess????? Read Less

Well to start with ......norwegian was the only choice for a 7 day hawaii cruise that basically stays in hawaii all 7 days. Holland america (which is the number 1 cruise line in my book) was 10 days and longer with half the ports. I wish holland america would dock and match there ports. If you do a cruise you spend alot of time in the cabin, eating at restaurants, and excursions. I'll start with eating. Aloha buffet was a free for all, so imagine several thousand folks embarking on the buffet line at the same time, not a pretty picture. No kind of rope/pole system to incourage a orderly line....and by all means don't expect an employee to say anything when it turns into a mob crowd, imagine having a plate of food and trying to squeeze and manuever yourself thru a huge crowd to fill your plate at several different locations fighting the crowd to get your main course then moving over to the next set-up fighting to get your vegatable and side entrees and least but last moving to another station and fighting the crowd to get your desserts, then its off to a drink station, only find the ice machine broke and off to another drink station various ones located thru-out the buffet. By the time your done your worn out, ready for a nap. Finally you set down at the table only to have the buffet floor help gathered with co-workers in the corner chatting amongst themselves, when they could have tea and juice pitchers in there hands filling guest cups with refills. But know they conversate giggle and carry-on till your plates start empting, then there bugging you to take your plate before your even done. Skyline cafe which is a sit down cafee and you order off the menu and they wait on you...… we arrived at the locked door 30 minutes before it opened, and was the 5th couple in a line by the door. When the door opened 30 minutes later there was a crowd of several 100 people who pushed and eased, shouldered there way thru everybody to the front by the time the door opened we were nudged shoved and ended up with 15-20 people in front of us because they opened 2 lines. Again if they would of placed poles/ropes up forming to lines to get in this would of been more desirable, then the mob crowd pushing to the front with no guidance from the staff, at this time no staff intervene and the crowd pushed thru. And to top it off food finally arrived 30 minutes later.....miserable experience every single day all 7 days, only time it was nice was lunch because most people was off ship doing excursions. We had an inside cabin on the 11th floor and the extra bunk bed above us was folded up and it rattled, squeeked, made noises, the whole cruise, but i will say it was rough seas most days when we were sailing but even the calm days it still did the same noises, very hard to sleep at times, some nights i was so worn out from fighting the food crowd it did not phase me and the wife. Cabin staff was awsome, excusions were over-priced,..... Word of advice to all ....alot of the excursions you can book off the ship, like the road to hanna ship wanted $249 person......they sold out …. We were going to take taxi around town told taxi lady what happened (ship selling out)she took us there and back making the same stops as the cruise ship offered for $75 person wife and i did it for $150 total and it was great, she did not rush us at all and had us back to the ship way before departure. Now fast forward to end of cruise, we booked thru expedia.com supose to get $125 credit per cabin. We receive the bill and you guessed it no credit..... Went to guest relations only to be told headquarters closed and would not be open untill next day after trip over. Basically nothing they could do, they asked for proof, of course i did not print out promotion, as i have never had to do that, always have received(when i book on holland america, and we have sailed with them 15 plus times, never ever, have i not got a promotion credit, its always there) i asked for supervisor, he basically played the blame game said it was expedia.com fault, contact them, nothing he can do about it. Remember norwegian contracts thru them to sell there cabins but yet theres nothing norwegian can do. AFTER BEING VERY UPSET AND PERSISTENT HE FINALLY SAID HE WOULD LET HEADQUARTER KNOW ABOUT IT AND THEY WOULD REACH OUT TO WIFE AND I .....AS OF TODAY 10/09/19 I HAVE NOT HEARD A PEEP OUT OF THEM.....(YEA YOUR RIGHT ON YOUR FIRST THOUGHT, I AGREE HE TOLD ME WHAT I WANTED TO HERE TO GET ME OFF HIS CASE TYPICAL "TAKE NO RESPONSBILITY CUSTER SERVICE") sum it up folks stick with the smaller ships like holland america, less crowd and they actually wait on you hand and foot not to mention they pamper you with towel animals in your room and chocolates/mints on your pillow every night at the buffet dining, they actually fill your tea glasses, juice and coffee and clear your tables, also they have organized lines with employees who care & give directions to the effect ......leave the unorganized, mob-like crowds, no controls, free for all norwegian cruises for somebody else to conquer. Wow!!!!! I was very disappointed. i challenge the president of norwegian cruise lines to book a cruise on holland america take notes and learn what real customer service is all about...….you think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, boy was it not, it makes me appreciate holland america even more so......now!!!!! Read Less

If you want to cruise several islands, NCL is you only choice. Our high expectations for the beauty of the islands was fully met, but the ship was quite disappointing. Most disturbing was frequent sewage odor in our stateroom. Each time we complained, we got an aerosol spray and were told there was a plumbing problem that they were working to fix. They never did. Everywhere we ate, the food was fairly bland. The only place we could reliably find something acceptable to eat was in the Aloha buffet, but it was understandably very crowded, and to get to it from the most convenient elevator we had to walk across a tile floor that was always wet from traffic from the kitchen. This was a safety hazard as our shoes got wet, the tile was slippery, and since the whole buffet area was tiled, we would feel like we were ice skating. Excursions, specialty dining, and drinks were all very expensive, but I fear this my be the industry standard. We got incorrect or misleading information from both customer service and excursions staff onboard. We are old, so jet lag combined with tiring excursions meant we were usually too tired to attend entertainment events, but those we did attend were excellent. If you are willing and able to carry your own bags, disembarkation is easy. Otherwise you will probably have a nightmare baggage claim experience. We are not sorry we went, but we were certainly disappointed by the ship. By the way, if you get a balcony, get one on the starboard side so you have the best view of the Napali coast. Read Less

I had a very low expectations given the reviews that I read hear prior to taking my trip. I am very grateful that my expectations were very low as I was pleasantly surprised. First the good. We were in cabin 4100 and it was great as it made it easy to get on and off the boat. Our cabin steward was great though we barely interacted with her. We did not find the boat to look old or in disrepair. The staff was by and large pleasant and attentive and the itinerary was good. Now for the ok but not great. I have been on a celebrity cruise where the food was excellent. The food on the pride of America cannot be described as excellent but it is really good enough for the most part. The main dining room was a mixed bag. The items that stay on the menu from day today or better than the daily selections. For a cruise that is in Hawaii it is a shame that the fish is so terrible. The steaks on the main dining room and you are pretty reliable as are the pasta dishes and the soups. We found the aloha café to be more convenient for breakfast and dinner as the quality of the food was every bit as good as in the main dining room and the selection was better. We rented a car at each port and did not take part in any of the Norwegian cruise line excursions. We downloaded the GPS tour guide called GYPsy And found it to be invaluable in guiding us towards the best sites to see. We purposely arrived late, at 2:30, for embarkation hoping to not have to wait. We still waited about 30 to 40 minutes to be processed. Disembarkation was not much better and also took about 30 minutes though we did not have to wait for luggage.We had full days touring in our rental car so we were pretty exhausted at the end of each day. We did not go to any of the shows. I did try to go to the library but all the books are Locked up in the cabinet and there is no staff person in the library to unlock the cabinets. The fitness center is well stocked and huge. We did not do anything in the spa. The walking track, running track is on the six deck The wind doesn’t look like a walking or running track. There is no other cruise like this and I feel like we got a lot out of the experience. I was so glad to have read all the cruise critic reviews as I felt I was well prepared when I got on the boat. I was also happy that my expectations were pretty low. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we wanted a cruise that went to 4 islands and this one was the best fort us. We cannot compare to other cruises because it is our first cruise ever. Everything for us was perfect, we really enjoyed the cruise. The dining was for all tastes. There was a lot of different kind of places to go eat. Everything was very good. The entertainment was spectacular, we really enjoyed that too. The ship was not to big it was easy to go from one place to another. Very good for us. The cabin I think was OK since we don't know other wise. I tough the ports was more entertaining. This is commercial port so no beach or shopping near by. I was a bit desapointed about that. Except for Maui who was ok, the shore excursions was really great and "Roberts Transportation" was super !! Read Less

This was our first cruise and I think we picked the perfect cruise! Being able to be at port daily made it very appealing! Visiting all of the Hawaiian islands in one trip was amazing! The views were breathtaking at every stop (and from our balcony especially during the trip around the Na Pali Coast)! The ship was clean and the staff was great! Everyone was very personable and polite and always had a great big Aloha to greet you! Our room attendant was great and made sure to keep everything well stocked and clean. There were plenty of food options even for the pickiest of eaters. And we had our favorite server that we ate breakfast with every morning after we found her which was nice! The spa was great however the only suggestion would be to have the thermal chairs near windows so you could relax while enjoying the views :) The nightly entertainment was always on point! Jami the cruise director was phenomenal and we saw her daily which was awesome! She even got in the pool and played water volleyball with the rest of the staff! The onboarding activities including making leis were fun and educational. The Hawaiian ambassador was full of knowledge! We did the helicopter tour in Hilo which was unlike any other experience I've ever had! Flying over an active volcano was a thrill for sure and worth every penny! Karaoke was super fun! There was already plenty to do at each port! If like to know if there are any particular theme nights before we said so that i can come prepared to fully participate (i.e 70's and 80's nights and the all white party). This was by far one of my favorite vacations to date! Read Less

1. The cabin had a bilge/sewage odor. While the steward tried to spray to mask the odor, it never went away. So we had to sleep with the sliding door open which made the cabin hot and humid and left us drained and tired during the day. We should not have had to stay in the cabin under those conditions but we were told that ship was full. 2. To escape the odor in the cabin I went to the the library. A couple came in and the wife told me, "don't stay in here too long, it smells like sewer..." Another person I met on the pool deck told be about similar smells that they had noticed. They asked me for my impression of the boat and when I was done, telling them about the age of the ship and the food and the smells, the grandson said to the grandmother, "That's the same thing that you and grandpa were saying last night..." When we were on an excursion, we befriended a couple that has a time share on the island and they told us about an old, ship that they did not recommend, that they were on years ago. I asked if it was NCL Pride of America, and they said, "Yes...". 3. Certain food items in the Skyline restaurant were AWFUL. Awful to the point that you had to go out of your way to make food so bad. Awful to the point that Chef Ramsey would have FIRED staff on the spot, and I am usually very easy going about food and I eat anything. For instance, there was a chicken lettuce wrap. The chicken filling looked terribly unappetizing and did not taste much better. I told my wife it looked like Mighty Dog, dog food. Worst of all was the cherry pie. I have never had "cherry pie" with no cherries. Even if you are going to serve a cheap, store bought pie, there are at least cherries in the pie. This pie filling was a gelatinous blob, very similar to canned cranberry "sauce". I wound up getting ice cream and telling my wife, how could they screw up ice cream, but I was wrong. They managed to screw up ice cream... It had ice chunks which means the ice cream had defrosted and refrozen. The list does not end here, but you get the idea. 4. Over the top port security procedures. It is ridiculous to have to show your id and ship card when returning to the ship from an excursion, at the port entrance, and then again 50 ft. away and then again when going thru metal detectors and then again to reboard the ship. We have cruised Viking all over Europe and never had any experience like that. You are on an organized bus excursion. Everyone on the bus had gotten off of the ship. The experience was, as I said, ridiculously redundant. 5. The process for changing excursions was terrible - very cumbersome. Initially I went on line and read about all the excursions (90+) and made selections. After that it was a nightmare. The cruise was a surprise for my wife's birthday. Once she knew about it, she wanted to review the excursions. You can't. You can't go online and see all of the excursions, You have to unbook everything to see the full list. That is ridiculous. Their is a very cumbersome way to go online to see excursion by port but as I recall we wound up having 3 or 4 windows open for the whole process, lots of switching between windows and when we called for customer support, I recall waiting more than an hr. to speak with someone.... 6. That said, our cabin steward was great. Lauren Epstein the cruise director was great. The staff at East meets West restaurant was great and the 3 island itinerary with overnights was great but they are running that ship into the ground 52 weeks out of the yr. and we would not recommend the ship to anyone. Read Less

We wanted to cruise the Hawaiian Islands and our travel agent suggested Norwegian Cruise Lines. We found the ship clean everywhere, and EVERY SINGLE person working on the cruise was extremely friendly and helpful, no matter the question, or just a pass in the hallway. Our cabin was just big enough, and the balcony was lovely. The cabin Steward, James, was very helpful and cheerful. We took several tours (snorkeling, outrigger canoeing, waterfalls, and canyons) and all were excellent. Would highly recommend all the ones we took. Our one complaint was that the interior of the ship was freezing cold all the time! Needed jackets inside, but not outside! One highlight was being met at the airport by Emily, an NCL employee I guess, who met us (unexpectedly) with a huge smile and shepherded us through the airport to our waiting shuttle transfer to the ship. She set the tone for the whole trip. Read Less

I am currently on the Pride of America. This is our 6th NCL cruise and have always been over the moon with everything from entertainment, service and food. I hate to be negative because as I said I am in beautiful Hawaii, but the service on the cruise (mostly wait and bar staff) have got to be the rudest people we have experienced. So many of the guest that we have come in contact with have all said the same thing. They act like you are inconveniencing them so much that you don’t even want to ask for extra napkins. The other night there was a group of us that went to the Mardi Gras night club at 10:30 music was playing and all the lights were off. When I asked for the lights to be turned on I was told no so I asked for a manager who came and told me that me and my group were “an anomaly because most people are in bed by that time of the night”. Then why are they open until 2 am? Last night I don’t know if our waitress in the pink champagne lounge was on pills or drunk but she kept dropping everything and bumping into the furniture completely forgetting what was ordered and acting like a flirt with an older guy on the dance floor instead of doing her job. The staff will literally stay in front of you and talk about how many more days they have left in their contract and ignore you while you’re waiting for something. Now I say all but that is not completely correct because we have met three people that have been very nice but this is day 6! This cruise cost double any other cruise that we have been on and we are extremely disappointed. Will not recommend for sure. Food is standard nothing to write home about. Cruise Director ok - not nearly as fun as our past ones. Positive - your in beautiful Hawaii. Just do yourself a favor and find another way to get here. PS. If you book a balcony cabin on the 10th floor you can only look straight because there are large metal barriers that prevent you from looking left to right over the balcony. I wish my cruise assistant would have booked the midship balcony cabin non-obstructed I asked and paid for Sorry to be negative but feel the need to be honest and hope this is seen by someone who does something to improve their customer service. Read Less

Been wanting to visit Hawaii for a long time. Cruising the islands was the best choice. We were able to secure a suite for the trip and it was fantastic. Room was spacious for the 3 of us and the service was outstanding. We dined in the specialty dinning restaurants mostly because of prepackage we bought, well worth it. The food on the buffet was mediocre. The excursions were rather expensive so we rented a car to explore the islands. It was easy to get around and very economical for our group of 5. If you like a thrilling ride and snorkeling I recommend doing the Captain Zodiac rafting ride in Kona. Fun and the scenery is exquisite and snorkeling is easy even for the novice. Entertainment on board was excellent with a variety of comedy , musical , and magic. One of the most enjoyable cruises that I have been on. I would do it again without hesitation. Read Less

Our first cruise! What a wonderful way to see Hawaii. Loved that it stopped at 4 islands and there were wonderful excursions. Booking excursions through NCL was very easy and it was nice knowing if for some reason it ran late we wouldn’t miss the ship. The comedian was great and loved the lei making classes. There were many activities on the ship for anyone who did not was to do excursions. We were so busy we only got in the pool 1 day. All staff were very helpful and with this being our first cruise I had multiple questions. I had scheduled dinners prior to sailing, but was able to change dinner times on the ship after we arrived. My husband was not interested in trying a cruise, but he finally talked him into it. By day 3 he said he would like to do another at some time. Can’t wait for next time Read Less

THE islands where beautiful and I can't describe which island was my favourite. All the islands were beautiful and the staff were very nice. THE best part of the ship was the 3 speciality meals Brazilian CAGNEYS AND tteppanyaki. drink package was great and plentiful. THE POOL was good and warm. THE major downfall was that the room had a great balcony. BUT I SHOULDNT HAVE to get maintenance to fix the toilet twice. We flushed nothing out of the ordinary down the toilet. My major negative was the booking process. I booked online for drink WiFi and 3 meals and 50 credit on excursions. 1) Drink was good but getting invoiced for another $340 after paying for it to get the package was bad publicity 2) WiFi was terrible burned through 250 minutes without actually using any of it. 3) specialty suppers stupendous. Amazing all worth it 4) excursions 2 were great Bike adventure and volcano park. ROAD TO HANA was a disappointment in that little did we know we would get there and then turn around and come back. NO SWIMMING ALLOWED. THE trip to the canyon was spectacular but wished I had rented a car. SO ALL IN ALL I GIVE IT A SOLID 3 OUT OF 5. MY EXPERIENE WITH BEING DOUBLE CHARGED Was a MMAJOR LETDOWN. Read Less

We love NCL, always have. The staff is wonderful and always helpful and smiling. We were treated like VIP's and even had a decorated cake for our anniversary. Using a cane is sometimes difficult but not on this vacation. Special care was given to make me not feel I was holding anyone up when on excursions. The ship itself is beautiful and so well kept. The food again, was excellent. Too good actually as I gained 8 lbs. My next cruise will be back to Hawaii via NCL with my daughters as I want them to experience the time I had.The entertainment was excellent as well. There was a Polynesian show, magician and comedian as well as two excellent broadway type shows by their own production crew. We made ribbon leis, oragami and enjoyed the fact they encouraged familes to participate. Look forward to our next cruise which will be back to hawaii with my daughters this time. Read Less

This was my first time to Hawaii and I wanted to see as much as possible. The cruise allowed us to island hop without the hassle of packing and unpacking. Was disappointed in the theater. The seats were old and uncomfortable. After seeing the first show (which was good), we opted not to go back. The restaurant food selections were mediocre. Never offered shrimp or lobster which we had on a cheaper cruise. Went to the specialty restaurant (Italian) and I paid to have fettuccini alfredo which was offered free at the complimentary restaurant the next night. Other than being a smaller and quieter restaurant, we did not see the value of the specialty restaurant. I did like the gathering points for the excursions on the ship instead of out in the heat on shore. My favorite excursion was the On Land and Sea in Kona. My favorite island was Kauai Mahalo and Aloha! Read Less

Nothing kills a good mood other than having two 12 once cans of diet Pepsi confiscated by "security" while boarding. I'm platinum level with over 40 cruises and never had a problem bringing on a few cans of pop. The cruise itself was fine, though expensive for a seven day cruise, we'll probably stick to the Caribbean, Hawaii was nice to see once, but the Caribbean has better beaches. Staff and food were the same as other cruises and cruise lines. no complaints Booked 3 excursions through outside vendor (Robert's and Big Island Tours), two through the ship. All shows were good, loved the Comedian. Cruise director wasn't seen most of the time, assistant seemed a bit wacky, but that may be the persona she wants to present. The one tender port seemed a hassle for people that aren't at a level to just get in line by showing your 'card'. Read Less

We picked this cruise because we wanted to see several of the islands. It was unfortunate that we had to miss a port because of a medical emergency on board and we were disappointed but then there were two more medical emergencies. Maybe NCL needs to review its procedures while I feel badly for those needing medical assistance perhaps a better trained staff and more extensive medical services would help relieve the impact on other passengers. We loved every crew member we met and had no complaint about their service Our cabin was always immaculate. We also enjoyed the on board entertainment. Our dining experience was not as good as we have had on other cruise lines. The Aloha buffet was always enjoyable but the food we had in the dining room and specialty restaurant was not. The meat served was over cooked and dry especially when we ate at the Churrascaria restaurant, we were asked how we wanted are meat cooked ( medium rare) but everything was well done and very dry. Our shore excursion were fun and educational, all of our guides were very knowledgeable. While we will probably cruise again just not sure it will be NCL. Read Less

Because you can pick it up in Honolulu Cabin steward was perfect, staff helpful Dined at t. Jefferson Bistrol. waitress was poor, did not service us right away. Took her 15 mins to get our wine. Food was average Had a better meal at the Liberty with great service Entertainment and shows were good Enjoyed our 3 shore excusions Service at the coffee bar, waitress took our order but took her 20 mins. or more to get our drinks because she was disputing someone elses bill Pools were clean I smoke, Waikakee bar was always open and clean Husband exercised, and they had more than enough equipment Since we had 3 medical emergencies an did not make it to Kona and arrived at the NaPoli coast in the dark, we were very disappointed they did not do something special for the other passengers. I understand its unfortunate people get sick but all we were told by the cruise director that they would do the same for all of us. afterall this cruise was not cheap and we paid for thes other ports Read Less

We did the 8 day cruise on Pride of America. It started out well until the medical emergencies (3 total) onboard causing us to not sail to Kona and having a late departure from Kauai. There was 1 day at sea because of the 1st medical emergency, which was not planned or part of the itinerary. The reason we chose this particular cruise was because of no days at sea, so this was a huge disappointment for many. NOTHING was offered as compensation—only multiple apologies. Otherwise, we did not spend much time on the ship. We rented cars at every port and spent our days touring and exploring the islands on our own. We only ate breakfasts and dinners on the ship—most pallets should be able to find something they like to eat. The quality of the food was okay; people had to constantly be reminded not to fill their personal water bottles with ice/drinks. Buffet style has most selection, but when dealing with thousands of people unfortunately you see some uncleanliness and greed amongst people. Desserts were not the best, but they looked nice. The staff does try to enforce hand sanitizing (“washie washie”) at every dining room entrance. We didn’t participate in the evening activities as we were exhausted from our sightseeing and wanted to be fresh and rejuvenated for the following day. I did learn how to make a lei of ribbon on the day at sea, which was nice. I’m most disappointed with missing the port of Kona, but I would do the cruise method again as all 4 islands have so much to offer. If only there was a guarantee of getting to every port on the itinerary... Read Less

Chose this cruise because we wanted to return to Hawaii having visited before. So briefly it is truly about being in Hawaii and not the cruise itself. The islands are spectacular but the ship isn’t. We have cruised many times and wouldn’t even rate this based upon the ship. For someone who wants to see Hawaii this is a great way to see the islands. We rented cars and used Gypsy app to guide us around islands. Highly recommend doing this. Ship is quite dated. Still don’t understand why a ship that only cruises Hawaii has nothing in the way of Hawaii decor. Inside ship feels like sitting inside a musty Americana museum. Food is fair. Remember this is about seeing the islands but thought the ship should reflect the location. We also skipped Kona due to medical emergency. Perhaps injured passenger should have been transported by small emergency vessel rather than turning whole ship around. Would have certainly been faster for that passenger. The crew is good but not the same as other ships. Nothing memorable. I still remember great crew members from past cruises but won’t remember anyone from this one. So if someone is taking this trip for the cruise, don’t. If someone just wants to see this beautiful place, don’t hesitate. Read Less

We booked this for our 5th wedding anniversary and was very nervous about all the negative reviews. We wanted to see all that Hawaii has to offer without hopping from hotel to hotel. To our suprise the trip exceeded our expectations! The ship is clean but the only thing I think they should tend to are the windows. The food was NOT awful. The Aloha Cafe buffet was really good. Le Bistro was fantastic. The ports were the main star, Hawaii is gorgeous. The staff was not unfriendly at all. The cruise director and the assistant cruise director were fantastic. Josh and Kyle in the Waikki bar made us drinks and kept them coming. We only attended the magic show and my husband got picked to come on stage. It really was a vacation of If you are on the fence about this cruise , do not hesitate book today! Read Less

Pride of America's 7 day tour of the Hawaiian Islands is a great way to see multiple islands! We rented a car on port days and explored on our own. We downloaded the Shaka guide for the "Drive to Hana" on Maui. Highly recommend the drive and the audio tour. We upgraded our balcony cabin to a 2 bdrm suite at the last minute (bid $400 each) . Best decision ever, as there were 3 of us traveling. Cabin 7678 was amazing. The wrap around balcony gave us the perfect view of Kauai's Napali coast on our last sailing day. The rental car companies pick you up at the pier, but expect the process to take some time. Uber and Lyft are a good way to get around BUT be aware, they cannot come into the Pier area to pick you up, so you may have to walk a long ways. Especially Maui. The crew and staff on the ship are terrific. Happy and attentive. The food however was pretty average. The specialty restaurants were better, but costly without a freebie package. Beware of the Eggs Benedict, the Hollendaise sauce is the nastiest thing ever. I highly recommend that they try Knorr's packaged mix. Way better! The beef in Cagney's Steak house was amazing. Teppenyaki and Moderno Churasca were good and a lot of fun. The Italian restaurant did not measure up. The Adult Hawaiian Beverage package was good but I'm glad I got it for free. This trip has so much time in port, it would be hard to drink your moneys worth. P.S. If you have the Beverage package ... it includes bottled water, so don't buy cases of water separately. The best things on the buffet were the Pizza and the French fries! Desserts were a little disappointing. Good news is that we didn't gain any weight! Bottom line is that this itinerary is terrific, the ship is clean and comfortable, the crew is happy, and we had a good time. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we wanted to visit the islands of Hawaii on our favorite cruise line. We stayed in Waikiki one night prior to sailing and again one night upon our return, prior to flying home. Embarkation and disembarkation went very smoothly. Having cruised with Norwegian on 7 previous occasions, we felt that we knew what to expect as far as ship cleanliness, cabin, dining experiences etc. The ship is obviously older and in need of renovation. We had a slight issue with our initial cabin , but thanks to the prompt assistance by Zowie, everything was handled competently, courteously, graciously, seamlessly and very professionally. We have always availed ourselves of most of the dining options available to us on Norwegian including the buffet, the dining room and the specialty restaurants. The food on the buffet on this particular ship was actually better than some of the other ships that we have been on, but the staff seemed disengaged. There were tables of dirty dishes piled up and unattended as associates walked around seemingly unaware. There was not much smiling, nor that welcoming feeling that we have come to know and expect from Norwegian--kind of depressing The table captains and servers in the Liberty dining room, especially David, were excellent and totally engaged, charming and sparked conversation. The food was great The staff in Moderno and Cagney's were also quite professional and very attentive. We enjoyed all of our meals and service in these two restaurants. The entertainment was not on the level of performances that we have enjoyed on other ships. I actually felt sorry for one performer as he was singing and dancing because he was poorly miked and we could barely hear him. The gentleman at the wifi desk could not have been more friendly and helpful The ports were beautiful and there were amazing shore excursions to select from. Sailing past the Napali Coast was stunning. We did purchase the $1000 "Cruise Next" package, and have every intention to sail with Norwegian in the future and have also encouraged friends to sail with us. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we wanted to visit more than one island on the trip without having to island hop via airplane. The cruise was everything we had hoped it would be. There was never any pressure from photographers or art salespeople which was appreciated. Our cabin met our needs, though even with a balcony room, it was fairly small. We had a large balcony #8002. We did experience multiple episodes of our toilet not flushing, but maintenance was prompt to correct it for a time if not "fix" it. The balcony is enclosed. At first, we weren't sure about that, but found out that it blocks out the wind blowing and the sun. Sitting on the balcony was a joy! The shore excursions we chose were wonderful. Every bus was air conditioned, comfortable, and modern. The dining venues were lovely and well-maintained. We expected more "American" food than was offered, but we certainly managed. Breakfast was our favorite meal onboard. We found the staff to be extremely friendly, and our steward very efficient. The ship is the smallest cruise ship we have been on, but most things you might want are present. Each day you have the opportunity to be off the ship experiencing Hawai'i! We did purchase a mix of excursions through NCL, and rented cars on our own in Maui (for one day) and Hilo (for an afternoon). As others have noted, tender boats are used for the Kona port. They do put a bunch of people in the tender boat at one time. Hawai'i is tropical and thus, there is a high humidity factor to go with the temperature. We found the tender boats to be quite uncomfortable. Each island is different with its own personality and offerings of beauty. Kauai, and in particular the Na pali Coastline, are just gorgeous. We chose the helicopter ride excursion over the volcanoes in Hilo. Wow!! So fabulous! We wished we had chosen to do that in Kauai. Embarkation and disembarkation were easy. We chose to walk off with our luggage and had no problems. We did purchase transfers to and from the airport. We encountered no difficulties. Couldn't have been better. NCL is waiting for you at the end of each day with cold water, and in some cases, wet washcloths. They are cheery and nice. I did appreciate the ever present person with disinfectant for your hands in the buffet and when returning to the ship. You do need your government ID at every port and your ship card. This trip takes quite a bit of advance planning if you wish to strike out on your own and not go on an excursion. Have a positive, excited attitude, be flexible, and you will have a most wonderful time! Read Less

We wanted to cruise the Hawaiian Islands and heard Norwegian did a great job. The staff and the food in the Skyline dining room was great. Our cabin steward, Andrew was very friendly and accommodating. We also found the rest of the staff on the ship to be very upbeat and friendly. The entertainment was one of the best compared to other cruises we have taken. The only disappointments were the cabin size and the food in the Aloha Café which was fair and often only lukewarm. The service at the pool was poor due to understaffing. We experienced this almost every time we went to the pool. The staff in guest services was excellent in answering questions and helping us with reservations. For the most part the excursions were very good, except too much time was spent at the Aquarium on the "Best of Maui" excursion. We would have liked to spend more time sightseeing. Overall, the cruise was very good! Read Less

We chose Pride of America because there wasn't an alternative for just cruising around the Hawaiian Islands. The alternate requires cruising from the North American west coast with 4 wasted days at sea. The most disappointing aspect on Pride of America was the quality of food offered in some of the venues. Specifically their "Italian" spot was certainly not worth any upcharge; indeed there should be a partial refund of ticket price for wasting our night there. Drinks are outrageously expensive and unlike other ships we've sailed, Pride of America. charges for bottled water. With one exception, Customer Service staff are clearly not part of the A Team. They screwed up on booking a shore excursion, they generally don't seem particularly interested in their jobs, and provided incorrect information when queried. Communications were generally pathetic and clearly the worst parts of this organization are their website and their call center. Read Less