Norwegian Cruise Lines America
Pride of Aloha Cruise Review
Hawaii

LaWanda D.

We enjoyed each port immensely. The volcanoes on the Big Island are a must see. The biggest drawback was a lack of onboard activities and rude staff. I could not help but attribute the poor service to a practically all-American staff. Our cabin stewardess was an exception. The Lanai chef was always a joy too. NCL has figured out a way to nickel and dime you to death. They waited to have lobster on a night that they had carted off half of the ship to two different shows on Maui. Shows that they had charged the guests an arm and a leg for. Smart business? Yes, but it was one of the only decent meals on the ship. I have never been on a cruise before that did not offer excellent seafood and sinful desserts nightly, until now. I had cruised on this very ship in Alaska (Norwegian Sky) about five years ago and I was thrilled with the ship and the staff members. NCL has transformed it into a low-budget cruise that is nothing more than a money making venture for them and customer service is suffering. If you would like to see Hawaii, go. It is a good way to decide which islands you will return to some day. If you are going for the cruise of it, choose another cruise line for this route since there were few activities during the day. If you are a spa person (like me) you will enjoy the workouts, but not the pampering. This was the first cruise I had been on where there were no specials, mid-week on massages and facials. The drink specials were also $6 and up and often under $5 on most cruise lines. The soft drink card was $52 for the week and normally about $32 on other lines. Again, it seemed that NCL is in the red and trying to recoup some financial loss. So, if you don't mind helping NCL dig themselves out of a hole, enjoy your cruise.