Our cruise on the Pride of America began on October 27. Being first-time cruisers (except for 5 days down the Nile), our main reference came from the comments on this site. And as far as going by these, it would be like target-shooting while blindfolded. I had read the majority of postings for the past six months and the only consistency was the inconsistency of the ratings; the same cruise and the same experience had wildly varying responses. So, I decided to just go by what I experienced, and used previous reviews for any inside info I could glean from them. However, since this was the 60th trip to Hawaii in 20 years, we had a pretty good idea of what we wanted to do.

First - embarkation. The security was a drag because we got there early. It doesn't matter when you arrive, as security doesn't seem to get moving until boarding is almost underway, so I would suggest getting there about an hour after boarding begins and the queue has subsided. The check-in was great, except for the fact we were waved to a position and just when we were to start, we were dumped because a group of Japanese-only people showed up and we were at one of their positions. I didn't notice any Mexican-only positions, which would probably change on a cruise to Mexico.

The 2 for 1 in the cover charge restaurants has been changed from early to late; now it's 830 to 930 pm, and we were close to being asleep by then most nights. Also, when you initially board, if you are under the impression you will be able to book the entire week of meals, you will be disappointed, unless you fall for the blackmail wine package, which allows 2, 3, or 4 premium restaurants in advance; for $150, 200, or $250 for the week. We fell for the blackmail wine package, of course. Read more