LOVED the freestyle version of cruising. So much less stressful! We spent a few days in Honolulu prior to embarkation, so we go to see Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, lots of shopping, the Zoo, the Aquarium, and the beaches. That was a great pre-cruise treat. The Waikiki Beach Marriott was very nice and a GREAT choice for us.
Once we got on the ship, (which took a LONG time... that process is outdated, slow, frustrating, confusing and awful) we were immediately struck by how beautiful it was. The Presidential (American) theme was great. For a ship that was 20+ years old, it looked fantastic! We didn't find a single outdated, dirty or unkempt element the entire time. With the one exception of a many legged bug crawling on the floor in the Cadillac Diner one evening...but it didn't spoil the experience. It happens.
Also,
The cabin was a bit larger than we normally get, so that was nice. Our stateroom attendant did an fantastic job keeping us supplied with towels, etc. The "view" from our window was obstructed by one of the lifeboats (or tender boats?) but we still were able to see the skyline which was nice.
We explored on our own using Uber. A great, time saving, and cost effective way to see lots of sites.
Again, we explored on our own using Uber. Another great day of shopping, etc.