I've always wanted to do this island hopping cruise. I expected to be delighted and amazed, and the ship's management did not disappoint. In my conversations with the Hotel Director and the Food and Beverage Director, I know they're aware of the challenges/complaints I pointed out. Nevertheless, this was a relaxing cruise and I'm happy I did it.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
It was great! The Hotel Director's secretary took me to a VIP room to check in and escorted me aboard the ship. Never have I been treated so well in any of the previous NCL cruises!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The menus and restaurants are the same as other NCL ships with slight differences in restaurant names on this ship.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Entertainment
4 out of 5
I think the best show was the Divas 3. I didn't have a chance to attend all of the shows.
Children's Programs
There were no children in my group.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Excellent service from: Hotel Director, his secretary, Guest Services Officer, Executive Chef, Food and Beverage Manager, Director of Outlets, and of course, my room steward. The restaurant staff was pretty good too! However, the Aloha Buffet left a lot to be desired. The employees were not friendly and too slow to clear tables. We had lunch at poolside one day. We sat in the same area from 10am to 1:30pm, and not one server came to clear our table. That was just not acceptable, so I complained about it.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Layout and design were okay. No complaints about common areas, except in the buffet area. The staff was just not as enthusiastic about clearing tables.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Everything was as expected. Room steward was the best!
Ship tip
If you've ever sailed on any international NCL trips, prepare to be disappointed. I was told that the crew is mostly comprised of US citizens who don't seem to be as motivated as non-citizen crewmembers. However, I didn't let that spoil my vacation.
Port was okay, but not attractive. We rented a car for sightseeing purposes. I'm disappointed that not much has improved in Maui since my last visit about 8 years ago.
Even though we had to tender to the pier, this was the prettiest port of all. We did not do an excursion because the hop-on hop-off bus was very convenient.
Port was okay, but not attractive. I say this because the ports are mostly in industrial areas. The buildings are not pretty and there's no welcoming feeling. We did the Luau excursion, and that was very well done. The people who work the luau know how to get about 800 customers fed quickly. I've had better luau food in the past, but the entertainment was amazing.
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