I have been on a much larger ship on a previous cruise and was concerned about being on a bit smaller vessel, but it was not a concern. Our cabins were great-clean and roomy. Staff on the ship were fantastic and the activities offered were amazing and fun. The cruise director made the cruise for me-he was so energetic and motivating. The itinerary was also very good, allowing ample time in ports. Some people complained about tenders taking too long to get people off, but if you needed to get off early(if you had a car booked for example) it could be arranged. The freestyle dining option was nice, but the food quality varied from good to just ok, but for the price of the whole cruise, I really didn't expect top quality food. Overall the whole experience was wonderful.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Food in the buffets were typical of what I expect in a buffet. Selection of eating areas was good. Food quality in the main restaurants varied from good to average depending on the night and the selection we made. Le Bistro(specialty restaurant) was very good, but next to impossible to get a reservation, which was too bad since it was well worth the $10 surcharge per person to eat there.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Wonderful array of activities and entertainment options and times. Didn't attend everything of course, but what I did was hassle-free and fun.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Excellent staff. Room attendents were wonderful. All dining staff were helpful and personable. Activity staff, especially the cruise director were the best.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Size and layout were fine. Some wear noticeable on the furniture. Size of the disco was a bit small. Some the of public washrooms were a bit smelly, otherwise everything else was fine.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
I loved our stateroom. It seemed roomier than the one we had on a larger ship, was very clean and in good condtion. The window was large, but because we were on the promenade deck, you had to close the curtains at night so people walking by couldn't look in, but really there is nothing to look at in the night anyway. During the day the sun prevented people from seeing into the room. We were toward the back of the ship, which was a bit noisy from the engines, but they soon lulled you to sleep anyway.
Nice little town-best "port town" on this itinerary. Lots of shopping to do here without having to take a shuttle to go to Hilo Hatties. Rented a car and did the drive to Hana-wonderful experience-but go as early as possible as it is a long day- stop in the town of Paiea to pick up a picnic lunch for the trip. We rented a convertable and it was great-not too hot. Great stops along the way for rest and scenery. Highly recommend to buy the CD drive guide for the trip ($20 at the shell gas station on the highway to Hana). Also drove to Haleakala, but from Kahalui-but well worth the drive-completely different looking crater than Kilauea
Kaui is beautiful. Rented a car and drove to Waimea canyon-beautiful drive. Also took a 1 hour plane tour of the island-fully narrated and a exceptional experience. Cruising by the Napali coastline is amazing-
The town is ok for shopping-nice stroll down the main street along the shoreline packed with shops. Didn't really venture out to some of the amazing beaches that I had heard about as we were to tired to go anywhere by this point(our last port).
The town is nothing, but Hilo is the closet port to get to Volcanoes National Park-a definite must see. We rented a car and drove for the day. We went to Akaka falls (north of Hilo). If you have the time and are not rushed I would recommend going-very pretty and nice little walk(10-15 mintues) through lush rainforest to get there. Volcanoes National Park is wonderful. There is lots to see and learn about. Unfortunately it does rain quite a bit, so be prepared with a small umbrella or light raincoat if you are not on a tour that provides something. The people we spoke to that took helicoptor tours and did the drive to the ocean over the lava flows loved them, but we didn't do this. Crater rim drive is a must. We also drove south to the black sand beach Punaluu hoping to see some sea turtles, but none there-not a waste of time, but not a must see if you are pressed for time and want to spend more time at the crater.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
