NCL to HAwaii

Has anyone out there cruised NCL around the Hawaiian Islands? If so, what is
your opinion of Pride of America? The staff? The food? The tours? Any advice
on a hotel in Honolulu? I will be on that ship the end of May. I have never
sailed NCL, only HAL, so this will be a new experience for me.
--
"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a
miracle, and the other is as though everything is a miracle. "Albert
Einstein"

Calligraphy Invitations And... by Miriam
http://greatbird.com/cia/
305-932-7570

Miriam Feldstein wrote:
Has anyone out there cruised NCL around the Hawaiian Islands? If so, what is
your opinion of Pride of America? The staff? The food? The tours? Any advice
on a hotel in Honolulu? I will be on that ship the end of May. I have never
sailed NCL, only HAL, so this will be a new experience for me.
after reading many reviews which have actually gotten better lately
since they pared down the amount of ships cruising Hawaii and now have
more foreign workers onboard. The reviews are now about average/below
average, up from abysmal.

If you are used to HAL you have better lower your expectations.

Bill

--
Visit my Caribbean Princess website:
www.cruisingthecaribbeanprincess.com

Bill C wrote:

Miriam Feldstein wrote:
Has anyone out there cruised NCL around the Hawaiian Islands? If so, what is
your opinion of Pride of America? The staff? The food? The tours? Any advice
on a hotel in Honolulu? I will be on that ship the end of May. I have never
sailed NCL, only HAL, so this will be a new experience for me.
after reading many reviews which have actually gotten better lately
since they pared down the amount of ships cruising Hawaii and now have
more foreign workers onboard. The reviews are now about average/below
average, up from abysmal.

I was just on Pride of Hawaii this summer and I pretty much
agree with your comments. The food was disappointing and the
reservation system is awful, you had to be on line at 7am to get
a good time for the following day. Fortunately, I had low
expectations and if you just think of it as a great way to see
the islands and cheaper than a hotel, you'll be fine.

As for tours, I just rented a car in each port and did my own
tours.

In Honolulu, we stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and it was
very nice (if expensive). Be sure to eat at Alan Wongs in
Honolulu, it will make up for the food on the cruise line. One
other thing you might want to consider if food is important to
you (which I did not do) is to take advantage of the overnight
stays in Maui and Kauai and eat at one of the fine restaurants
there instead of on the ship.

Bill

Bill wrote:

In Honolulu, we stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village and it was
very nice (if expensive). Be sure to eat at Alan Wongs in
Honolulu, it will make up for the food on the cruise line.

Yes, I have to agree that the Hilton Hawaiian Village is a great place
to stay. Of course I can say that because when I was there, DHs company
was paying the hotel bill.lol

Even if you aren't staying at the Hilton, C.J.s Deli in the HHV is very
good for all meals. For the 2 1/2 weeks I was there, that was my
breakfast and lunch place. Another great restaurant in Honolulu is Dukes
which is in the Outrigger Hotel.

sue

Miriam,

My wife Deborah and I cruised the Hawaiian Islands in 2005 aboard NCL's
Pride of Aloha. Our previous cruises also included HAL, which as a
comparison is like comparing apples to oranges. First of all, you might want
to take a look through our photo albums of our trip at
http://www2.snapfish.com:80/share/p=...=SYE/otsi=SALB.
This will give you some idea of what to expect.

While not the Pride of American, I did write a detailed review on the Pride
of Aloha. Much of it is generic to NCL in general. This may still be
available on this newsgroup somewhere. If not, let me know.

If you look at NCL as a more casual and slower laid-back cruise, as compared
to the upscale and finer things of HAL, your will not be disappointed.

Happy sailing,
John Sisker, SHIP-TO-SHORE CRUISE AGENCY
(714) 536-3850 or toll free at (800) 724-6644 & (Agency No. 714.536.3850)
www.shiptoshorecruise.com

Thank you all for your comments. I am not expecting HAL service or food, but
a nice piece of salmon for dinner and eggs or omelet for breakfast would be
just fine with me.Salad is good for lunch. Hopefully the suite we booked
will be clean and comfortable. That's all I ask, I just want tosee Hawaii
and it's coast line.
Miriam

--
"There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a
miracle, and the other is as though everything is a miracle. "Albert
Einstein"

Calligraphy Invitations And... by Miriam
http://greatbird.com/cia/
305-932-7570