This was an awesome vacation. I wasn't sure how my husband and I were going to be able to see more than one or two islands. The Pride of America gave us the opportunity to see FOUR of them. It was the perfect way to get a taste of each one. I had read some not so great reviews and was prepared to have a less than wonderful time on board, but was willing to put up with that to see the islands.

Those reviews were so wrong. The ship is great. It is well laid out and very similar to other Norwegian ships we have been on. Our cabin was perfect for the two of us with a large window and a king size bed. There was plenty of storage and we never felt cramped. The ship is not as new as some and does have ceilings that are lower than the new ships, making some of the public rooms seem small, but that didn't affect the trip at all.

The food was outstanding. Probably the best food we have had on a cruise ship. We tried a few of the specialty restaurants and they were excellent, but frankly, the main dining rooms were very good and not an extra charge. We were always seated quickly and usually had a window table. I don't enjoy the hustle and bustle of the buffet, but my husband likes the variety so we ate breakfast there often. The breakfast food was very good and lot of variety. One of the things that previous reviews had mentioned was that since it was an American staff the service was not going to be what Norwegian cruisers are used to. I believe they compared it to "Applebees" instead of "Mortons". I have to say I enjoyed having an American staff. I liked the fact that they were more interactive with the passengers. They had personality and could carry on a fun conversation. We enjoyed chatting about where they were from and found a few of the staff lived only a few miles from us. I guess I like it better when it feels like the staff is not groveling for an extra tip. I did hate the fact that cocktails were over $10 each, but I knew that prior to booking and that is part of how it goes on a cruise ship. Read more