Hawaii Cruise Reviews

6 of us with 2 teenagers.  Ship not too big.  Shows were great, and food was wonderful as usual. The shore excursions weren't too long, and it gave you a better feeling of the Hawaiian islands instead of just being on one.  The service was excellent and I want to personally thank R.J. Fontana for booking this for us.

Do not have time to do more.  This should be optional. Lousy dance instruction. Lack of  hand sanitizing enforcement in dining venues. Children cutting lines and making mess around drink dispensers . Sloppy dress allowed in dinning areas. No trays in buffet on which to place food, salad, drink, dessert, soup.  Very awkward!  Required multiple trips to food and as a single that ment  my seat would be taken in between courses.

Overall, a mediocre experience which agreed for the most part with what I expected.  Poor quality food, mandatory tips ("service charges") and poor excursions.  We also had to wait over four hours before we could get inside our stateroom.  The destinations were nice, however, but that had little to do with the ship and line itself.  It would be nice if a better cruise line (Princess, or in my dreams - Regeant) did Hawai'i as well.

We had a great time in Hawaii and on the ship. We had a balcony room so we had to chance to get away from the crowds when necessary but we could still be outside and enjoy the views. I haven't decided yet if I like the freestyle dining...I do like the fact that there are options, but I also look back on the 2 previous cruises I have taken that had assigned seatings and some of my fondest memories were the relationships we established with our waiters. Also, the 2 main dining rooms had the exact same menu so other than a slight difference in dress code there wasn't really a reason for them to be separate since they both had the same menu. Cruise ships have a reputation for having great food; this ship has good food. One of the best descriptions I heard was that while some ships may be compared to Ruth's or Morton's the Pride of America (at least in the main dining rooms) is more like Outback. The crew was friendly, the entertainment was really good, but there were some times when it seemed more like what I would expect on a Carnival cruise; I haven't been on Carnival, but they do have a reputation for being kind of wild.

The wide variety of excursions was excellent and we took advantage of them 6 of the 7 days.

If you are expecting the excellence of Princess or Royal Carribean you won't get that, but you will have a great time in a beautiful place.

Don't waste your money on a balcony! You travel at night and when you are in port all you see are container trucks and fuel tanks! 

Buffet food was good but the dinning room food was very disappointing.Very little effort was put into their menu.The dinning room menu makes you look at the specialty restaurants for variety.(for $35 more) 

All staff were very friendly and helpful and shore excursions were good(especially the Road to Hana) in Maui.

Keep in mind,if you plan on getting off the ship in ports you will need a taxi,rental car or excursion to see anything.

There were lots of hidden expenses to this trip.

 First time on Norwegian and was disappointed.  First off my balcony cabin was very small.  Cabin definitely needed a refurbishing.  Not enough storage space and drawers didn't operate smoothly.  Waiters in Liberty dining room weren't friendly and rushed you to take your order.  Didn't ask if you'd like a cocktail or wine list first.  Food was lacking creativity and boring.  Nothing different and not flavorful.  Had to send back a steak that was well done when I requested medium rare.  Generally I had to speak to a crew member first rather than them saying Good Morning, etc first.  Not very friendly or smiling.  Evening entertainment was acceptable but not really professionally staged.  The "Oh What a Night" group which was a tribute to the Four Seasons was the best of the entertainment.  The shore excursions, except for the Molokini crater snorkel, were also disappointing.  Wanted to see the islands since I understood they were quite beautiful.  Stretched a 3 hour tour into a 5-8 hour tour.  I've been to Honolulu twice previously but never the other islands.  Was so looking forward to seeing them but really didn't.  Probably won't be going back.

I enjoyed the cruise. Learned a lot about Hawaii and its culture. Food was great.  The weather was not cooperative due to hurricane off shore but will return to Hawaii some day.

This was our first cruise and it exceeded all of our expectations from the ports to accommodation to restaurants/food to the ease of entering and exiting the ship.

Friendly & professional crew. Cruise Director & her staff were outstanding. All performers were great. Contests among passengers were so funny, I couldn't stop laughing. Our room attendant Catalina, went out of her way to make sure our every need was met. Food onboard was great, speciality restaurants were worth the price. This was our third cruise, first with Norweigian

Will definitely recommend to others,

Pat

Since it is the only game in town for traveling within the Hawaiian Islands without having to sail for days from the US or Vancouver, it was a fine cruise.  It is a small, crowded boat, older than many I have cruised on, not the best entertainment, and the area for the buffet is just not large enough.  That being said, we had a great time, they had wonderful shore excursions, the rooms were nice and it was a great value.  This is the 4th different company I have cruised with, and it would rate 3rd from the top.  That being said, we enjoyed the specialty dining and our steward was wonderful.

My family was extremely excited to visit Hawaii and see several islands for my 50th birthday. We also made arrangements to stay in OAHU for a few days after - the best decision ever. The ship was good, food excellent and staff superb. My son is 7 and thoroughly enjoyed his time at Camp, as well my husband and I appreciated the associated time out. We never realized what a difference it makes to have overnight and long days at one port - it really makes a difference and creates a relaxed experience. It was a great experience, we not soon forget.

The staff and crew were always smiling, attentive, and helpful. Freestyle dining is a great idea... good food in a casual setting. We were able to enjoy the islands of Hawaii by taking  shore excursions...beautiful places. Would recommend  arriving a few days before the cruise to see Honolulu and shake off some jet lag. We have now visited all 50 states, and Hawaii is a true gem, and I think a cruise is  the best way to see Hawaii, and Norwegian does it very well.

The cruise was great.  It was clear that all NCL staff was there to see that everyone enjoyed themselves.  Our balcony cabin was even better than expected.  Our goal was to see as much of Hawaii as possible in the seven days.  This cruise allowed us to have much off the ship time to enjoy the excursions we had lined up.

 We had a very enjoyable week in Hawaii.

Nice ship. Great itinerary. Good entertainment. Good food. Small bathroom. Service in the formal dining rooms were sometimes not professional enough. Great location. Great weather. Seeing Na Pali from the ship at the end of the cruise was unexpected, and very, very welcome. It was the topping on the cake.

Great Staff, Amazing food, several nights of good entertainment. Tours were well organized.  First time with NCL after years on others - NCL did a good job!

Met our goal to totally unwind. We've done this cruise before and noticed that parts of the ship seem a bit dated but that did not detract from enjoying the relaxed, unpretentious feel of the free-style cruising for which Norwegian is well-known.

You would think that this was the inauguration cruise. No one seemed to know what to do. Crew members were always willing to tell you who to ask a question to but no one initially knew any answers. Excursions were so unorganized, I would not recommend using the cruise line. Use local tours and book online, you will save money and get better service. Example: AdventureinHawaii.com No other cruise ship goes to all the islands, so you are stuck with NCL. Food was great, our room was clean and good size our room steward Faziel Ruhman was the best. I have been on over 11 cruises (including  panama canal) and this was by far the worst for customer service. Other cruisers agreed that is was comical. Crew was not happy (and they are 75% American workers). Not smiling just "doing there job".It was a poor expression of working Americans."Oh What a Night" was a great tribute to Jersey Boys but the other shows are not the caliber of other Cruise Lines. I guess I could say that the crew lacked the enthusiasm and spunk that other cruise lines have. But than again, you have no other choices, and the tourists will always come to Hawaii.

NCL is the only cruise line that serves the Hawaiian Islands without having to sail across the Pacific.  They are not my favorite cruise line because of their ships, service, entertainment or food quality.  If you wish to cruise around the islands, then NCL is the only game in town.  The main dining rooms allow you to eat when you wish and at tables for two through larger group seatings.  There are many upgraded dining choices with some of good value and others I would avoid in the future.  The Cagney's Steakhouse was very disappointing and the most expensive at $30 per person additional cost.  Food quality was the worst of all the upgraded restaurants.  The Bistro was the best in service and food quality.  Entertainment during the week was average.  Stage programs were available most evenings and a couple of club room entertainers were available.There were a couple days with outdoor bbq dining which offered variety from the usual buffet and dining room options.

The cruise was great in general. The locations were awesome and the ship was outstanding for the most part.

Excursions: We took seven excursions and were pleased with all of them. Yes, some would be boring to a 25 year old daredevil, but for my money...excellent. The Zodiac boat and snorkeling was my favorite.

Entertainment: The entertainment was great and included the following for the two of us: Several shows in the main theatre (magician, music, variety) participation in the Not so Newlywed Game and Battle of the Sexes, food prep demonstrations, napkin and towel folding, bingo, several trivia games, game room, poolside activities, and others that I can't remember. Participate and you will have a blast. Sit around and wait to be entertained...you won't.

Room: The room was 132 square feet so there is no point in mentioning that the room was small. However, the room was spotless and the furnishings were up to date and in great repair. Our cabin steward, Kurt, was fantastic.

Food: The food in the Aloha Café was great (buffet) and the chef's would prepare many dishes to order the way you requested (pasta, eggs) and much of the food was prepared in front of you at the stations. I don't rate the Aloha great because of quantity, but it really was good. The Cadillac Diner was also great with perfect omelets, bacon, and wings. Remember, this is a diner and not a wing restaurant, so, they have hot and mild...but excellent wings. Liberty, East Meets West, and Skyline were all good with great service. The food was hot and came out in a timely manner. Moderno's on the other hand didn't impress us. Yes, we got a ton of meat, but the flavor profiles and some textures didn't sit well with us. It could be that we were never hungry enough to appreciate the plate of meat.

Cruise director and staff: Always present and available.

Take the cruise. Get out and participate. Then, you too will rate it a five star.

Overall experience was good.  Food was very good.  Didn't find the staff all that friendly or helpful as a whole - several didn't seem to be enjoying their work.  The ship seemed a little crowded for the spaces available.  We had great weather for our cruise which helped make the experience that much better.