Embarkation was a breeze; arrived at terminal before 11:30 a.m. and was on board by noon. The cabin was available by 1:00 p.m. We had an ocean view cabin on deck 1. It was clean, comfortable and well maintained. The only problem (toilet failed to flush one morning) was taken care of promptly. Being on the lower deck does have some drawbacks when it comes to accessing the public areas. We got a lot of exercise going up and down stairs. This is something to consider, especially if you have mobility problems.

This was our seventh cruise (fifth on Holland America), but our first Hawaiian cruise so we were a bit unsure about open ocean travel and sea conditions to be encountered. However, the seas were relatively mild except for the second day out and the ship was quite stable even on that rough and windy day; no significant problems and no seasickness. The first couple of days were cool, but the temperature warmed nicely as we got farther south toward Hawaii.

This was the oldest cruise clientele that we've ever encountered. We heard that the average age was 70. There were more walkers, wheelchairs and scooters on this cruise than any we've been on. We saw a grand total of two young children. If you want a quiet cruise, this is the one. Being at the younger end of the senior citizen spectrum, we still found this one to our liking, in spite of the slow traffic flow caused by the effects of age. Read more