I just returned from a 7 day cruise with my family on NCL Pride of America. It was a wonderful experience overall - our stateroom was clean and larger than expected, the staff were friendly and the shore excursions were well organised and very interesting (we did Haleakala Crater and Journey to Waimea Canyon).
However, from my perspective, one of the most surprising and exciting aspects of the cruise was my dining experience onboard. I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease in June 2016. As such, I am relatively new to dealing with dietary requirements, especially when travelling. Due to the fact that I have never visited America, or Hawaii, I had no idea what to expect in terms of dining. I did some research before I left, however did not find much information on the subject. I was very nervous about how much gluten free food would be available to me, as well as the extent to which staff would be aware of Coeliac Disease and what is required when preparing food. For example, cross contamination is one of the most concerning aspects for those with Coeliac Disease, and even in Australia (where I am from), is often overlooked and not adequately understood.
I am happy to say that my experience was excellent. The staff went above and beyond to accomodate my requirements, and did so with a smile on their face. On the first day of the cruise, I received a letter acknowledging my dietary requirements, and it also provided the number of a Restaurant Manager if I wanted to discuss my requirements further. I also received a separate letter from the Shore Excursions staff explaining the process for food on the excursions (this did not apply to me as none of my excursions included food). Already, this was a comforting start to my cruise.