7 Nights Hawaii: Inter-island from Honolulu, Oahu Cruise

Research and you won’t be disappointed.

We just finished our 9th Norwegian cruise. We’ve also cruised Royal and Carnival. This cruise was exactly wanted. We’ve been on the bigger ships and smaller. Each has their benefits. We loved a smaller ship for this experience. You are always in port, so getting off of the boat is the main point. The comedian, cirque style duo, and magician were typical cruise entertainment and the whole family enjoyed them. The food was the same as on every NCL boat. We thought things were maybe seasoned a little heavier, but it was pretty typical. Our agent told us to treat it as a floating hotel you can use to see the islands without repacking. If you go into it with that mentality, I don’t thing you’ll be disappointed. We found the crew to be pleasant and more laid back. We did not have any negative interactions the entire cruise. It was an older crowd, and most didn’t seem to be there to party. It was always easy to get a drink (I think I waited for then 5 minutes once.

Fantastic from start to finish!

This cruise was top notch all around. I have been on nineteen cruises around the world, and this is one of the best yet. Embarkation in Honolulu was smooth and had absolutely no lines when we arrive around 12:30 PM. STATEROOM: Cabin Balcony The room was in a very convenient location right by the elevators. Despite being close the all the amenities, the room was very quiet. The room was clean but could use an update within the next few years. The balcony had nice views. DINING: As always, NCL provides good dining throughout the ship. We only used the buffet one time and it was acceptable. The main dining room and all the specialty restaurants were high quality and delicious. I have seen a lot of reviews talking about downgraded food on NCL but we have yet to see it. Everything was near perfect. SERVICE: The Pride of America is mostly an American staff. Everyone from start to finish were very helpful and provided excellent service. ENTERTAINMENT: This ship does not have a production cast so there are no production shows like on other NCL ships. With that being said there are shows every night in the theater. The first show is the welcome aboard show that lays out what to expect. Throughout the week there was a Polynesian show, multiple magicians and a comedian. The entertainment was wonderful and it is what I have come to expect on NCL. SHIP: The ship is one of the oldest in the fleet but it does seem to be in great shape. It has been refurbished recently and did not show its age. If you enjoy NCLs smaller ships like the PEARL, JEWEL, JADE, GEM, etc. you will enjoy The Pride of America. ITINERARY: The Hawaiian Islands are extraordinary. MAUI: In Maui we took a bus to the Haleakala National Park summit. This ride to 10000' is not for someone that can't handle motion or heights. It is multiple hours of hairpin turns. If you can handle the ride the summit is spectacular. We also did Turtles and Tacos. This was an excursion on a catamaran to a snorkeling spot that has turtles that frequent the area. We did see multiple turtles and the area is very nice for snorkeling. On the way back we saw multiple Humpback whales and had tacos. These excursions pick up right at the cruise terminal. Very little walking necessary. HILO: This is one of two stops on the big island that you can visit Volcanoes National Park. We took a bus to the park and had around an hour to visit. The volcano is currently active and we saw some lava. This excursion picks up right at the cruise terminal. Very little walking necessary. KONA: We did the Zodiac Whale Watch. We have been whale watching many times, but this is the first time taking a Zodiac boat. We saw many whales and had a great time. It is around three hours long and your back and butt get pretty uncomfortable by the end. It picks up right where the tender boats from the ship drop you off. Very little walking necessary. KAUAI: We did the journey to Waimea Canyon. This excursion also involves a good amount of motion in a bus to the top. They call this the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" and it was stunning. Highly recommend a visit. This excursion picks up right at the port and does not involve a lot of walking. We will definitely do this cruise again in the future and recommend it to anyone that is looking to see the Hawaii islands.

Highly recommend for visiting Hawaii.

I am astounded at all the negative reviews. This is our 2nd cruise on the POA and third on NCL. Service was outstanding and as good or better than any other cruise I have ever been on. This is unique cruise and is unlike most others. No Big shows, no casino, minimum cruise staff interaction. This is on purpose. Plenty of food options, all good to excellent. Best way to visit many of the islands. Hawaii is very expensive, so this type of cruise warrants the higher prices. Value is excellent for what it is and cannot be compared to traditional Caribbean cruises. Would definitely recommend but not necessarily for 1st time cruisers. With proper research, you would find this cruise to be an excellent way to visit Hawaii. Also, this is an older ship but well maintained. Large seating areas for all restaurants, and not that much oa a wait at any times.