Probably the worst cruise I've been on. I was warned with previous reviews so I knew to just treat it like a floating hotel. We had a few issues ( over booking a restaurant, plastic in ice cream, no room cleaned one day) but the staff bent over backwards to try and fix things. They did not stop in Kona which was disappointing as we were not told until it was too late to cancel rentals or change plans in Hilo. It was by far the most expensive cruise we have been on. The food is cafeteria quality for the most part. You are going for the islands and it's an easy way to see them without wasting time at airports and unpacking every few days.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Easy embarkation. They did have a restaurant open which is good as most rooms were not ready until 4:00. However, we were to catch a shuttle to the ship and the staff for that had no markings and we had to ask another carrier if our shuttle was even there. They could wear nametags or carry signs.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
The food was definitely sub-par. The main dining room and buffets were pretty weak. If you have been on a cruise before this ship is not like you are used to. No lobster, fresh fish, escargot... Very bland and inexpensive food. I imagine all the pastries were 'Sara Lee'.
The specialty restaurants had wonderful service but again, just ho-hum food.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
I did not do any of the onboard things. Pool was very small but we were always off the ship.
Entertainment
We did not see any shows. We were off the ship often.
Children's Programs
No kids. We prefer our expensive vacations without kids everywhere.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Most were very nice. There were a couple in the buffet area that were down-right snarly to me but I just kept away from them. The rest were nice.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
There was not a bathroom in the gym. You had to go down to another level. Poor design there.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The room was fine. It's a cruise ship after all. We found more than enough storage. With the exception of our room not being cleaned one day we had no problem. The bathroom was very small and if you are overly large you might not fit.
Ship tip
Don't expect to be on a lux cruise. Use this as a floating hotel and you will be fine.
The ship had 'problems' and could not stop here. Very disappointed as we had plans to see a coffee farm and had rented a car. I wish they would have stayed on Hilo another day so we could have driven over.
We're going with our kids in the summer. Hopefully there's no bad influences lol. Sorry you had a poor experience. Could probably go on 2 Caribbean trips with the amount we spent on this one.
Stop in Kona is always iffy as it is an protected harbor and they have to use tender boats. If rough seas or high winds make it unsafe, no choice to cancel. Not NCL fault to keep you safe.
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