Flying in from Sydney (Hawaiian Airlines very nice thank you) makes much more sense than cruising across half the Pacific first. Have cruised before on European rivers etc so this was our first "big boat" cruise. Can't say we were disappointed. Accommodation, service, food and excursions were excellent. The mentioned renovation of 2016 certainly wasn't a wasted effort. The ship itself certainly caters for many dining and drinking options with multiple restaurants (all good) and bars. We became particularly attached to and fond of the rear sundeck area (Aloha Bar) where we tended to spend a lot of on board time in the perfect sunny weather. Very happy that most at sea time was during the night so maximizing on shore activity opportunities. Two remarkable and fantastic exceptions were the night time passage past the active lava flows on the south coast of the Big Island and the evening cruise (extended) along the breathtaking Napali Coast of Kauai. Our only real CON for the entire cruise was the "gouging" bar prices. I understand this to be a taxation down side of being a US registered ship in US/Hawaiian waters with no gambling on board to subsidize the bar. It was a relief to return to the surprisingly more comfortable prices (happy hours galore) of Waikiki the following week.