My brother and I chose this cruise because it traveled through French Polynesia to Australia on an itinerary we liked. We always wanted to see Tahiti and Fiji, and this cruise also included Bora Bora, Moorea, and Raitea in French Polynesia, as well as Samoa, Vanuatu, and 2 islands in New Caledonia as well. There was an itinerary glitch. Apia, Samoa was cancelled due to port construction, but an overnight and extra day was added in Bora Bora. This was an excellent trade off. The staff in all hotel and restaurant positions was universally friendly and helpful. It has always been my experience that NCL staff is top notch when it comes to friendliness. The entertainment was varied and generally very good. I rate only 2 days out of 17 as sub par. Burn The Floor dance shows are very good. Public spaces were better than expected. You didn't feel crowded in any venue. Food and accommodations were as expected. Embarkation was outstanding. Overall, the value and amenities exceeded my expectations, and I am platinum plus on NCL. This was a good cruise. Read Less

We did a New England cruise on the Jewel in 2010 and had a wonderful time: Staff was friendly, entertainment was great and food was outstanding. Sad to say that none of this applied to the cruise we just completed: Embarkation: We were directed into the wrong line up as attendants were not aware of the priority check in for diamond members. First impressions: The ship appeared in good condition. The decor might be a bit dated, but it was functional, comfortable and clean. The cabin: The first big disappointment. The cabin was very small with insufficient space for luggage. But what grossed us out immediately was the filthy carpet. So bad that we did not want to take off our shoes! We were told that it was scheduled for replacement next year but that did not help us now. O'Sheedans: Touted by Norwegian as the 'wildly popular' pub turned out to be the wildly unpopular replacement of the Blue Lagoon 24hr fast food joint which we all loved. On our first visit we waited 40 minutes for a waiter before we got up and just left. A few days later we tried it again, and this time we got fast service - grouchy, but fast. But the food was awful. The spinach artichoke dip looked more like wall paper paste with a taste to match. I could not eat it. The food: Although there were a few bright spots (great croissants, roast beef and some fish dishes), the food ranged from mediocre to lousy. Sometimes luke warm, sometimes heavily salted, sometimes long waits and sometimes not resembling what the menu said. The entertainment: The Burn The Floor dance group was spectacular. Most other shows were cruise ship average. And the comedians were mostly Australians with heavy accents so we could not understand them. Port services: This cruise had a lot of tendering and this worked very well. What was missing was any information about the port, like the little map you used to get to see where they drop you off. Even worse, in some ports we were told it was unsafe and too long a distance to walk to town from the port. They wanted us to buy their bus service. Turned out the walk was 0.6 miles on a nice sidewalk - totally enjoyable and safe. The staff: It looked to us that this ship had a higher than normal amount of crew members with issues. This was particularly the case in the food serving areas. In summary, we feel that in their quest to become the lowest price operator, Norwegian has crossed the line of what we consider acceptable food quality and service. We will not be back anytime soon, at any price.Thanks for the good memories of days past!! Read Less

Firstly, let me say that our 1st cruise ever was "Pride of America" 8 day cruise around the Hawaiian Islands - that was always special to us, as we love Hawaii, the people, culture, surfing etc. We both now have stand up paddle boards because of Hawaii.
SUN PRINCESS CRUISE - We had an oceanview cabin on the 6th deck (can't remember cabin number). Our cabin attendant was "magic", so polite. In fact, we couldn't find fault with any of the crew. We expected to pay a little more for our wine at dinner each night (approx.$32 for Californian Zifindell?) - $3 for coffee, I think beers were $7-8? - but who cares. You save up to spend a little on yourself.
The food was excellent wherever we ate. Entertainment - we never missed. We also had a wonderful lecturer, named Rod (he gave lectures on latitude etc, can we travel to Mars, how did the ancient seafarers find their way) He also loved train trips in Europe - I never missed he lectures.
Would I do another Princess Cruise - YES, YES. I found everyone on the ship to be helpful, even down to the Princess Phone Service, when I booked the cruise over the phone prior to the trip.
What I am trying to say to newcomers to cruising, go with an "open mind", be respectful of other cultures and you will enjoy meeting & seeing how other people live on this planet.
Our main ports were - Port Vila (Vanuatu), Isle of Pine, Noumea & Suva.
(P.S. in Suva go see Museum in Thurston Gardens (well worth it - they have the rudder from HMAS Bounty)

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I am offering a unique perspective on the Pride of Aloha.........I was a crew member!

I have read many of the reviews and agree that they are accurate and fair.

For all of those cruising on this ship please be aware:

Cabins are small, upgrades are few and far between as the ship is booked full every week, there are "specialty" restaurants that have an extra charge and there is usually a long wait in the main dining rooms. For those who are are used to traditional cruising and are not familiar with NCL's freestyle cruising PLEASE familiarize yourself with this style of cruising.

Tipping on this ship is confusing. The ship DOES NOT charge the 10 dollar per day/per person. Gratuities are at the passenger's own discretion. But I would recommend leaving a gratuity on the table at every meal, even in the Hukilau, and then leaving a gratuity in the room at the end of the cruise for the steward.

The crew is great! Yes the whole ship is a work in progress, even getting the staff up to par with other cruise lines. Crew members are hard workers and most have never even stepped foot on a cruise ship before.

OUTSTANDING CREW: Crystal, Sharon, Carlos and Nate at Reception. Shirley and Rowena and Art in housekeeping. Crisanto, Mitch, Dave and Brian B. in the bar. (Ask Cris to dance)

Recommendations: Eat at the specialty restaurants, there is an extra charge but you can order as much as you want! Bring a power strip as there are only 2 outlets in the room. Book two rooms if you have more than 2 adults cruising with you. Rent cars in Maui and drive over to Lahaina. Take advantage of arts and crafts and Hula lessons. Most of all enjoy the islands especially Kauai, Maui, and Kona.

Bottom line- this is a great way to see Hawaii and this cruise is for the relaxed, casual, laid-back cruiser! If you like traditional cruising with a captain's reception, set dinner times and the same server, and having a casino/bingo, this is NOT the cruise for you. ALOHA AND MAHALO!

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