Well Done

The cruise was well done & I can see why Pride of America is the best to see the Hawaiian Islands.  I was bummed my Sister & Brother-in-Law were not placed next to our cabin or vice versa, even though I emphasized I wanted that from the start and I bought the tickets 4.5 months in advance.  I also bought their tickets and they were placed higher & on a better side (Starboard) than my wife & I.  I'm glad for them but feel my wife & I were slighted since we paid for their trip.

I loved the friendliness and attitude of the crew.  I only had one Bartender and one waiter on the last night that were not very pleasant.  Considering how many crewmembers you meet, that should not be held against NCL at all.  everyone else was excellent.

The food was fabulous most of the time but I did have to send a Porterhouse Steak back it was so full of gristle.  A first ever in my life.  Other items were just okay & others, fabulous, so it varied.  Not like the food you used to get on cruises 30 years ago. The Hollandaise Sauce for the Eggs Benedict was always perfect. 

More honest information about the various options for excursions would have been nice.  There are trade-offs in using the NCL excursions and 3rd-party tours, such as  the Hoppa On Hoppa Off shuttle, which the crew gets to use for free onshore, so hearing both sides & letting me decide which to choose would have been nice.

Our Porter only made us a towel animal twice the entire cruise though my sister & husband and friends we met had one made every day by their Porter.  Pretty small detail but it would have been nice since my wife had never been to Hawaii & it would have made it more fun for her.

So yes, overall, a great cruise and acceded my expectations since the last Norwegian Caribbean cruise and Freestyle Dining experience I had was not very good.  I would recommend this trip & the Pride of America but would fill in my friends with the added "Good to Know's" before they sail.