Great ship and service, but I'm headed back to Carnival for future cruises. Hawaii is not suitable, in my opinion for partial day visits. In most cases there are tons of places to go but either not enough time or no affordable ways to get there.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
I'm still a bit perturbed that Carnival corp allows its subsidiary lines to ignore the trips taken on
their sister lines when it comes to status and perks. It discourages potential customer from varying their
cruise experiences.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food on this ship is really good in the main dining rooms and specialty restaurants. The buffet on the lido deck is so-so.
But in some cases it isn't very good at all. You can tell that the people cooking the american standard breakfast items don't
eat them. The bacon is hard and brittle and not one day was the french toast soft enough to cut with a fork.
The service in the main dining rooms is great and the scheduling choices are flexible. The service on the lido deck is pretty good too.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
They seem to plan lots of activities and some were interesting. Others were the typical cruise fare, Art seminars, Jewelry promotions etc. There weren't any high energy activities outside the lounge, in there it was due to the great 4 piece band and singer (Fusion).
Not sure why but the ship seems to shut down at 11:30pm. As an example of how the activities could be better, the ship has a rear skybar with an excellent view and a lighted floor dance area. They didn't even see fit to post a DJ there for a single evening. It was used during the day by a few people but at night when the lounge acts ended at 11:30 this would have been the perfect spot for the party crew but it was manned by a couple of bartenders that liked it really quiet.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
As usual they book qualified musicians, singers and dancers for the cruise. I wish they were more party oriented but I guess that is what the Carnival line specializes in.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Great people, they seemed to be happy to work on the ship. No need to say anything more
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
A really beautiful ship it was in great shape and I saw no malfunctions or items that would suggest a lack of attention or neglect. The MOTS screen was put to good use.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Better than average accommodations. The walk in closet area made my day.
Ship tip
Be flexible and bring something to entertain yourself with in case the events on board
are not to your liking.
They allowed local tour guides to visit the dock and collect passengers for day excursions. We were entertained by an expert guide with loads of information.
The ship sponsored excursions were about the only tours available. They have a couple free shuttles to Hilo Hatties or WalMart, but they only go to the shopping area and back. You have to rent a car to get out and see the island, taxis were only point to point. No independent tour agents were allowed on the docks. We didn't get to see anything except the shopping area near the docks.
I was able to find a tour provider but you really had to look hard and travel to a shopping area to find them. No independent tour agents were allowed on the docks.
No independent tour agents were allowed on the docks. I think some of the local taxi drivers were talking deals but they only had minivans available so the prices turned most people off. We didn't get to see anything except the shopping area near the docks.
Typical of the non American cruise destinations. Lots of excursions available at the docks. Plenty of shopping opportunities and the usual natural attraction surrounded by vendors. Of course the food and drink were featured everywhere.
Good excursions can be pricey, but I find the excursions make or break a cruise. So I plan for the expense when I book the cruise. The only places we don't do excursions are ports we've been to many times and feel comfortable winging it.
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