Hawaii is a beautiful place, like no other I've been to. So glad I went.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
It was very easy for us to go through check-in.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
I would actually give the food a 3 1/2 stars. There was plenty of food and food choices, but the quality was not as good as other cruise ships we have been on, even NCL. The big difference between this cruise and other cruises (other than the gorgeous location) for us is that this cruise has mostly American employees. Sad to say that many are just not as into the hard work and long hours as foreign workers on other foreign destinations.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
There were many things to do; we did not do most of them as we did daily excursions, which I absolutely recommend. I did appreciate that there was NO casino and NO selling of stuff in the main areas. The shops on board had reasonably priced better quality merchandise, which was wonderful.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
There were many talented performers and the nightly shows were varied and highly entertaining. I appreciated that they were scheduled so that we could comfortably eat a nice dinner in either the Liberty or Skyline dining rooms and still make it to the theater for the main performance.
Children's Programs
We brought no kids with us.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
As in a previous comment I note that this mostly American staff is not as into the hard work and long hours required by cruise ships. More than a few of the dining and bar staff somplained to us of the hard work. They couldn't wait for their vacation and retirement. We were put in a position to try to help them feel happier! Our cabin steward was not American and he was upbeat and very helpful. One day our sailing schedule had to completely change due to a passenger needing to return to a port for hospitalization and the staff did a fantastic job to provide added activities for us in this unscheduled sailing day.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
It is an older ship and much smaller than others I have been on. Because of the reduced size it was easy to figure out the layout of the different venues. It was kept tidy.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
This was a small cabin. Walking from one side of the bed to the other side (bed is in middle of the cabin) was single file. That said, there were many places to store clothes, luggage, cosmetics. The balcony was nice and very private.
Ship tip
Realize that you are taking this cruise to see the beauty of the Hawaiian islands and not the cruise ship experience.
We did the Best of Maui tour and loved it. The Plantation has THE best gift shop (items and prices) of any place we visited the whole week. Luckily I bought most of what I needed and didn't have to fret the rest of the trip. Also did a Maui North Shore and Waterfall tour and was disappointed in the lunch provided. Sightseeing was nice though.
Although the colored ticket approach seemed like it would help even the flow, there was a mass outpouring at 8:30 to 9 AM. We ended up waiting it out in a lobby and was able to get a cab to the airport without much trouble.
Love the cruise, done it 7 times. Pride only U.S. cruise ship in world so all executive staff and 80% of crew have to be U.S. citizens. They have to follow U.S. labor laws. Work 7 days a week for 6 months then get a month off. Not easy but always had great experience with all of crew each time.
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