blog post

Hello -- thanks for checking in!  Ritz camera seemed to have some trouble converting my film photos to CD, so I still do not have pictures, but I wanted to go ahead and tell you all about the cruise.

My husband Steve and I had a chance to sail the 7-night Hawaiian Islands cruise aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America, as a result of my completion of Norwegian's travel agent training program.

Having traveled in various ways to Hawaii before -- as part of group packages, island-hopping, and resort stays -- I've been telling people that the cruise is the best way to see the islands because:

* You get to see all the islands.

* You only have to unpack once!

* You don't waste money flying from island to island, and you don't waste time sitting around airports and putting up with the hassles.

* All your meals and entertainment are included onboard the ship.

Well, the Pride of America did not disappoint!  She is a beautiful ship (which I had always heard from clients who took the cruise), and we absolutely loved the American crew.  When the ship first came out we had heard there were some service problems, but we did not experience any of that.  Everyone was lovely and curteous and geniunely seemed happy to be there.

We had a balcony stateroom -- and let me tell you, that's the only way to cruise -- which was roomy and well-appointed.  What a thrill to sit out on our own balcony and watch the lava flow as we sailed by the southern end of the Big Island that night!  Other times, just feeling the ocean breeze and watching the water was peaceful and relaxing.  One day, we saw whales!

I can't think of too much in particular you need to know about the cabin -- the shower stall was a little bigger than some we've had, and there was a coffee maker which we had never had in our room on a cruise before -- that's about it.

Food is always a big item of note on a cruise -- so let me tell you a bit about that:

* The buffet was very good.  I am not a big "buffet person," so if I am pleased with the quality and selection then you can have confidence in it.  My only disappointment was that they didn't have the afternoon spread like they do on the Norwegian Sky (now there's a buffet!).

* Poolside grill -- be warned!  The French fries are totally addictive!!!  I don't know what they do to make them so good, but I found myself sneaking up there for a snack more than one afternoon.

* Room service -- no problems.  The coffee was actually pretty good!  One morning they brought my 9:00 breakfast at 8:00, but that was the only glitch we ever had. 

* The Cadillac Diner -- excellent breakfast!  Generous omelets, good service, and fun atmosphere with oldies music.

* Specialty restaurants!  First thing when you get onboard -- make a reservation at the Tepanyaki Grill.  We love these places (when the cruise was over we also ate at the Benihana in the Hilton Hawaiian Village), and our chef was the showiest we've ever had -- he really wowed us with his fancy moves!  Totally worth it.  The Lazy J Steakhouse was good, everybody raved about the French restaurant, The Jefferson Bistro (we didn't go to that one), the Italian restaurant was fine, and the Asian restaurant was just so-so.

* Main dining rooms -- some nights the menu was not very exciting.  What we had was always good and nicely presented, though.  These restaurants are very elegantly decorated and enjoyable.  I appreciated the lunch service for being elegant, yet efficient.

* Bars -- I am a wine drinker, so I can't say a lot about the drinks, although the prices seemed just a little higher than I had noticed on my last Princess cruise.  One night I had a "Saketini" made with Grey Goose La Poire and it was fantastic!  It was $10.50 plus tip if that helps give you an idea.

* Wine bar -- they offered a lovely wine tasting that was surprisingly good.  I say that because I think Princess and Celebrity have the best, so I came away pleasantly surprised.  The cheese and fruit accompaniments were tasty and generous, too.

Entertainment -- we really enjoyed it all over the ship!  The headliner was a group called "Toby Beau" who had a hit back in the 70s and they performed tributes to the Eagles, the Beatles, and various artists in addition to their own music.  There was a Polynesian show one night that was outstanding, and then the usual types of comedians and crew and passenger performances.  No disappointments.

Let me know any specific questions you have or if you would like a free personal consultation.  thanks and talk soon -- Janet