Cruise ship itself was sub-par when compared to experiences on other cruise lines. The best thing was the itinerary. Although we felt rushed on some of the excursions, it was better than living out of a suitcase and needing to island hop through Hawaii. Unfortunately, I don't think we will be seeking out another Norwegian cruise.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation experience was quick and smooth. It was a nice touch to greet with leis.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
Liberty Dining Room was EXTREMELY slow for dinner. We had a 5:30 reservation and our main course wasn't served until almost 7pm on most nights. My daughters wanted to go to their youth group activities but asking to rush their food didn't help much. At 6:45 on the last night I said that they would need to leave without dinner and that brought out their meals. I left without eating mine and ate it when I returned. There was nothing overly impressive on the menu. Some of the wait staff introduced themselves to us each night as if they hadn't served us before! In general, the service seemed unfriendly and inexperienced. Liberty also has a dinner dress code! This is not posted on Norwegian Website. There's also a "Formal Night", which we were unaware and only knew about "White Night" from previous cruisers. We ate at "East Meets West" one night and enjoyed good food and service. We did not eat at any other specialty restaurant, we were trying to get what we already paid for. We went to the buffet for breakfast. It was busy and crowded like on most cruises. There wasn't much variety in breads or fruit. The best was the omelets made to order. One day we enjoyed the Cadillac Diner for lunch. The menu had good sandwiches and old fashioned comfort food.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We enjoyed the pool area. The bar there made the best mudslides.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The best entertainment was the piano player Michael Masci. He played Billy Joel, Elton John, Elvis, etc, so effortlessly! I also enjoyed the 3 Divas rendition of Whitey Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" along with the video montage of famous movie dance scenes. It would have been better if more performers actually tap danced.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
My daughters loved the activities for their youth groups! Staff there were very energetic and enthusiastic. They addressed parental concerns.
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
Our room steward was friendly and so were the staff members in the shops. Our best experience was with Kat from Perspectives Photography Studio. We received an invitation for a personal photo shoot to celebrate our anniversary and a credit towards a photo package purchase. My family ended up having a personal photo session excursion! However, most of the other staff we encountered were slow, unfriendly and seemed inexperienced. This was most apparent in the Liberty Dining Room for Dinner Service even when our reservation was for 5:30 (the earliest possible) and even though there were empty tables.
Ship Quality
2 out of 5
The ship seemed old and in need of refurbishment. It seemed like the ship could have had more stability. I know we were in the Pacific Ocean, but we felt the motion much more than on Caribbean cruises. Balconies on Deck 10 have a limited view. Family Balconies are the same size as regular ones, there's just a drop down bed from the ceiling. There's no actual track, the only way to walk around the ship outside is on Deck 6 with no ocean view at the front.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Ship tip
Go for the itinerary and enjoy your time OFF the ship! Pride of America probably wouldn't be so popular if it wasn't the only way to cruise Hawaii in 7 days.
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