Late Friday we flew into Honolulu. I would not recommend taking the shuttle from the airport as it took over an hour to get to our hotel (the shuttle stops at every hotel). Pay for a taxi and enjoy a good night's sleep instead of a long shuttle ride. We stayed at the Marriott Waikiki. Saturday morning we jogged along the beautiful Waikiki beach and later took a taxi to the pier. We boarded the ship about 1:00 pm. If I had to do it over, I would have spent the morning doing at least one shore excursion as it made the day very long waiting for the ship to leave. There is no need to get aboard that early. Saturday evening as the ship left the pier, I got a hot stone massage. It was nice but expensive. The ship automatically adds a 15% service charge to your massage. We ate dinner in the Liberty dining room. It was not great; my fish was tough, and the servers weren't excellent. When we returned to our stateroom our bed was not turned down and there were no towel animals to greet us. We did not have even one towel animal the entire cruise. This is a small touch that was sadly missing. Sunday morning we rented a car and drove to an Easter service in Maui at Hope Chapel Church. It was a great service filled with fresh worship, solid bible teaching and a Hawaiian dance. Next, we ate lunch at Mama's Fish House on the road to Hanna, expensive ($100 for two entrEes and an appetizer) but the view and excellent food were worth it. Menu items are organic and the fish locally caught. The cerviche was served in a coconut shell and was the hit of the day. We took the road to Hanna in our blue rental convertible. The road is very curvy so bring your nausea medicine or drink a ginger smoothie (you can purchase one from a roadside smoothie stand.) We stopped at a park called the Garden of Eden. Here you can take a break from the windy road and see lush tropical plants and birds. It is well worth the $10 park admission. The sounds of the birds "cawing" in the park make you really feel as though you are in a jungle. Sunday night we had dinner in the Liberty dining room and had two terrific servers, Mel Jean and Jen. We ended up reserving a table in their section every time we ate in the main dining room. The food was very good. Our servers were professional; they remembered things we liked from the previous night, and made sure to smile. They also remembered it was our anniversary and brought us an anniversary cake and had the dining room staff sing to us. I took half the tip I was going to give to the room stewardess and gave it as an extra tip to Mel and Jen. Great service should be rewarded. Monday we went on an early morning sunrise/ bike excursion to the Haleakala Volcano with Maui Downhill. The Summit Sunrise tour is a guided tour that takes you up the mountain at 3:00 am. We drove our rental car to the bike shop since it was 5 minutes from the pier. The sunrise on the mountain is beautiful and the bike ride down is fast and easy. We saw many other bikers on self- guided tours at the side of the road with bike issues and injuries. The van follows you down the hill and carries your backpack, purse, water, etc. It is the best and safest way to ride. It is cold on the mountain so be prepared and bring long pants and a jacket. Tuesday we went to the Hilo Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. We rented a car and did a self- guided tour. We saw the lava and flows and active volcanoes. It rains a lot in Hilo so bring your rain gear and wear warm clothes. Later we discovered there had been an earthquake while we were in the park. We visited a park/ Japanese garden that was free and beautiful and very near the ship. We worked out on the ship that night. Facilities were good but the fitness area is hot, there are no fans, and instead of a water container there is a machine where you can buy bottled water. Bring your water bottle and change if you want a drink. Wednesday we drove around the Kona in our rental car. We were planning on taking a helicopter ride but didn't get the rental car in time. The highlight of the day was when the ship took us past the volcanoes at night when they were spewing lava into the ocean. The view from the cruise ship was absolutely amazing! Thursday: Took a kayak excursion with the ship in Kauai. It was a fun ride paddle down the river then a hike through the jungle where we swung on a rope into the river near a waterfall. That night we took the ships Luau. Wow! This was fantastic! It includes Hawaiian dancing and Hawaiian food on the island. Friday: Went to Waimea Crater Park and then to the blow holes. The ship took us by the North coast of Kauai and it is a view you can only get from the ship. It was beautiful! You absolutely do not want to miss this part of the cruise. We also visited the Kauai coffee shop and plantation. Saturday: Pearl Harbor was a sobering reminder of all that makes America great. Rent the headphones for $5.00 and take the self guided tour while waiting for your ride to the Arizona Memorial. Next, we went to the Dole Pineapple Plantation. For $10 you can take a guided tour and train ride around the plantation. A definite must as it is simply beautiful and relaxing. You'll get pineapple samples as you exit the train. Before leaving buy a pineapple whip in the gift shop. It is fresh and tasty. In summary I would say NCL is able to get by with being rated as an average ship and still attract cruisers because of the exceptional itinerary. There is no other way to do all the islands so affordably in the same week. The excursions are what make this cruise worth going on. I hope NCL takes what cruisers like me are saying and improve their service. I love the fact that they are an American ship with the US flag flying high above the ship so please let's show the rest of the world what American excellence is all about! This was my 7th cruise and I hope this information helps anyone who is thinking about cruising the Hawaiian Islands. Aloha!