Hawaii cruising: A ship to match the islands

By Anita Dunham-Potter

Columnist

updated 4:39 p.m. ET June 15, 2006

NCL America’s newest cruise ship, the Pride of Hawaii, cost more than half-billion dollars to build, and every penny is worth it. It has 10 restaurants, 12 bars, theatrical shows, an “undersea” nightclub, a cigar room, a kids room, a spa and two gigantic Villa penthouses. And everywhere you go, the spirit is “Aloha.”

At 93,500 tons, and carrying 2,400 passengers and 1,000 crew members, the Pride of Hawaii is the largest U.S.-flagged cruise ship ever built. On June 5, it will join its sister ships, the Pride of America and the Pride of Aloha, offering seven-day cruises of the Hawaiian Islands year-round, from their home port of Honolulu. This is a remarkable comeback for American large-ship cruising. It was just two years ago that Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) launched its NCL America brand, offering the first U.S.-flagged ship to cruise the Hawaiian Islands in 50 years.

It's about the islands
Step aboard the Pride of Hawaii and you are enveloped in a kaleidoscope of tropical colors and traditional culture. Everywhere you go, crew members in festive attire greet you with “Aloha” — though it’s often delivered in a Southern or New England accent. This is something new to me. In recent years, cruising has become synonymous with “international service,” and I am accustomed to hearing foreign accents from the crew. On the Pride of Hawaii, every word reminds me that I am on an American ship.

The heart of the ship is the Aloha Atrium, whose ceiling is aglow with colorful lighted glass flowers. The ship’s lobby is located here, as are several of the ship’s specialty restaurants. There’s also a huge TV screen, which shows nonstop videos of the Hawaiian Islands or of shipboard festivities. You can grab a cup of coffee at the Java Cafe, sit back in a comfy chair and people-watch or you can listen to one of the live bands that play throughout the cruise.

During the day, the most popular place on board is the Waikiki Beach Pool area, which has two pools, four whirlpools with colorful awnings and a bright-yellow water slide for kids. I liked the many options for sun and shade, and the ship’s rattan loungers are terrific — the best I’ve seen on any big ship.

The Pride of Hawaii is a great ship, but it is not the main attraction. The main attraction is the destinations. Indeed, on its seven-day itinerary of the islands, the ship will spend almost 100 hours in port, with overnight stays in Maui and Kauai. The cruise goal is clear: It’s all about seeing the Hawaiian Islands in comfort and style.

Stay in a villa
The ship offers a tremendous variety of cabin quarters, from standard inside staterooms and balcony suites to interconnecting cabins and luxurious villas with butler and concierge service.

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With its vibrant Hawaiian hues, my 340-square-foot balcony mini-suite was cheerful and welcoming. Most suites have a queen-size bed, a separate living area with a dining table, and concierge service. A standard ocean-view stateroom with a balcony is about 200 square feet; regular ocean-view rooms and inside cabins range between 150 and 160 square feet. All cabins have glossy cherry wood walls and furniture, a television, a refrigerator, a safe, a duvet and a well-designed bathroom with separate toilet and shower/tub areas.

Families or groups traveling together can choose from some 300 interconnecting cabins in a range of categories from standard inside rooms to suites. Different grades of cabins can be also linked to create two to five bedroom areas.

If you’re craving more exclusivity on board, check out the 10 courtyard villas, which come with their own butler and concierge. These villas ring a private, Balinese-style courtyard, which has a retractable roof, rattan sun beds, a plunge pool, a hot tub, a private sun deck, a treadmill and a Stairmaster. Each villa has two bedrooms and a living area and goes for around $5,200 per adult.

Want to be king of the ship? For $26,000 a week, you can stay in one of the two 5,000-square- foot Garden Villa Suites. For that you get three bedrooms, three baths, your own private roof terrace, a private living room with a grand piano, a private garden and your own private hot tub. Think you can’t afford it? According to onboard personnel, several couples will rent one Garden Villa Suite and then divide the cost among them, making it more affordable per couple than a single courtyard villa.

Flexible dining options
With the Pride of Hawaii, NCL continues to refine the “Freestyle Cruising” concept that has become its signature amenity. Passengers enjoy the freedom to dine where, when and with whom they please. “Resort casual” is the norm, and formal night is optional.

With 10 different restaurants to choose from, the dining experiences are varied and laid-back. Passing on the huge dining rooms, I found it a real pleasure to enjoy a glass of wine in Le Bistro one night and a glass of sake with sushi in Jasmine Garden the next.

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