Cruise Ship: Pride of Hawaii
Cruise Destination: Hawaii
Cruise Dates: August 28, 2006
Guest Contributor: Pierre
I had read terrible and very critical reviews about NCL America before I booked. As a result, I was somewhat apprehensive and concerned about what I would experience. All in all, and notwithstanding my disappointment with food quality and some other matters that I address below, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. My cruising on the Pride of Hawaii was enjoyable. It was a very civilized and relaxed way to see the Hawaiian Islands. Do not expect a flawless deluxe cruise experience, but certainly I would not rate my cruise at the bottom of the pack as some reviews would lead you to believe.
We sailed on the Pride of Hawaii on August 28, 2006.
We made our own air transportation arrangements. We flew business class on Air Canada to and from Honolulu via Vancouver: smooth flights and good attentive service.
We were a group of 9. My wife, my 21-year-old daughter and I formed a party. My brother-in-law, sister-in-law and my nieces and nephew, aged 13 to 21, formed the other party. We are regular travellers and have visited several parts of the world. It was our first time in Hawaii.
We stayed 5 days at the Hilton Hawaiian Village prior to the cruise. This was plenty of time to adjust to the 6-hour time difference, absorb the Hawaiian spirit and enjoy Waikiki and surrounding areas: beautiful beach, nearby shopping, parks. We rented a passenger van and visited the west and north coast of O'ahu all the way to Turtle Bay. We visited Pearl Harbor (I am a history buff: respectful memorial, touching in its humble simplicity), the Dole Pineapple Plantation (the mini-train tour in the fields is somewhat deceiving), the northern beaches and the Hawaiian Cultural Center.
We made our way to the Aloha Tower pier around 1 pm. Embarkation was smooth despite the already long line up. The lady at the reception desk was professional, yet friendly and attentive. We were on board in about 30 minutes. That's all very acceptable considering the number of passengers to check in and the documentation to submit, verify and receive.
The Pride of Hawaii is a big modern ship that is in keeping with the mega ships that all cruise lines have been bringing into service recently. Overall it has an air of relatively well appointed elegance. The decor is contemporary and the use of striking - at times shocking or aggressive - colors is prevalent throughout the ship. I did not experience the feeling of being among a big crowd (over 2500 passengers and 1500 crew) as public rooms, restaurants, bars and lounges are dispersed throughout the ship on a few decks. However, I was not particularly impressed by what I would consider to be the rather non imaginative interior architecture of the ship. I was simply in awe when I saw the multi-deck Centrum concept on recent RCL ships (for instance the Navigator of the Seas). As a result, most public rooms are on a single deck and, save for a tiny mezzanine on deck 4, you may end up walking deck after deck from the stern to the bow with no particular magic feeling, the ceiling being a few feet above your head.
As our staterooms were not ready when we embarked, we were invited to proceed to the Aloha Nui Café for a cafeteria-style lunch or to a special lounge (Cagney's). Around 3 pm, an announcement was made indicating that we could now proceed to our rooms. My brother-in-law had booked 2 adjacent deluxe balcony staterooms on deck 9, mid-ship. The rooms were clean but not that roomy for six persons when converted into sleeping quarters. We had a penthouse suite on deck 11. My daughter had her own sleeping quarters and bathroom. My wife and I had a separate bedroom with a magnificent marble ensuite with a full window overlooking the ocean. A sizeable living room completed the suite. The decor was colorful and elegant. These were certainly most comfortable and roomy accommodations!
Housekeeping service by the attendant, René, was excellent. He was courteous, discreet and efficient. He made sure that a couple of minor issues with the TV and the safe were resolved in no time. His attitude made us feel welcome and contributed overall to a pleasant experience with our accommodations.
We had access to a butler and the concierge. We met the concierge only once at a reception and had to leave messages on his cellular phone on the two occasions we tried to contact him. We never heard back. We contacted the butler once to make reservations at a restaurant. He was not able to satisfy our preferences.
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