It is a marvelous ship. Very well structured check-in, check-out process at all the ports, including those where tender boats had to be used. There is no chaos or overcrowding pretty much anywhere. Ship is very well maintained inside and outside. Very good itinerary.
The shore excursions offered by NCL are expensive. I'd recommend considering other options if cost is of a concern to you. We chose to rent cars in most places and explore ourselves. We had a great time.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
There were about a dozen or more restaurants on board. We only used 3 of them due to our personal diet constraints. We are vegetarians with preference on specific ethnic cuisine. On the first day of the trip, we were introduced to a chef who specializes in the cuisine of our preference and he took care of our dinners throughout the trip. The choice of food is definitely plenty to the extent that you will find it too much choice.
I should however mention that the children's section of the main cafe was very unexciting. They should introduce a bit more exciting choices for children's food. Some days there were no vegetarian items at the kid's section.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
As we had a baby with us, we couldn't really participate in the onboard entertainment activities. From what we heard from others, the entertainment was between okay to good.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
Our 8 year old son loved the "rascal's kids club". He had a lot of fun at the club. The staff were very good and friendly. They had 6 hours of kids club every day. I wish there were more hours at the kids club (asking for too much :-)) Atleast they should have some children's channels at the stateroom TV. There was absolutely no kids channels on the TV which was a bit disappointing.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Overall we found the ship staff to be friendly and willing to help although there were a couple of associates who weren't as friendly as we would have liked. We had a baby with us and needed some extra help with baby food, etc. Some staff went above and beyond to help us out some bluntly washed their hands off. We weren't too happy with the steward assigned to our room as he "forgot" to make up the cabin a couple of times (well, he missed our tip!) The staff taking calls at the housekeeping center weren't always friendly, but I understand they get overwhelmed sometimes.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Great ship in a great shape. I cannot think of anything that was broke or did not work. All public areas are very well maintained and kept clean and new. I saw them washing the ship from outside atleast twice in a 7 night itinerary. The inside is obviously cleaned and maintained on a everyday basis. They had sufficient number of elevators for easy access. Almost all public areas are designed photo-perfect.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We had booked a balcony room and it was all worth the money. The room was great with good furnishing, good bedding, good amenities, etc. We went as a family with two adults and two children. It was a little too cozy for four people, but it wasn't too bad. The room is perfectly appropriate for up to 3 people I'd say.
Great beaches and a great island. The Highway to Hana is a great ride. We chose to drive ourselves which was a mistake. I wish I took the tour instead of driving myself. I had to turn back half way through as the drive was too trecherous (but beautiful). Most activities are at Lahaina but the ship docks at Kahulai which is about 40 minutes ride. Plan your day very well otherwise you will be losing time on the road. Overnight parking is a hassle for those who choose to rent cars. We did find parking but it wasn't easy enough.
This was the best of all places. The waimea canyon was awesome and don't miss it. The Wailua falls was pretty good. The river cruise on wailua falls was very good too. The paradise garden right next to the river cruise is a good place to visit for those who love tropical plants and birds.
Nice little port. Couldn't see much rental car availability unlike other ports. The coffee museum and the visit to the old church was an absolute waste. The ride was pretty good though.
The volcano national park was absolutely amazing. We took a helicopter ride (Circle of Fire) and it will be in our memory forever. We drove to the black sand beach, which was okay, but we wish spent more time at the volcano national park instead of the black sand beach.
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