Pride of Aloha's island hopping is smooth sailing

[Jason]

Island-hopping is smooth sailing aboard new Pride of Aloha

By Felicity Long/Special to the Herald

Thursday, July 22, 2004

ABOARD THE PRIDE OF ALOHA - Set one foot aboard this newly launched ship, Norwegian Cruise Line's first inter-island Hawaiian cruise ship, and you'll have no doubt about where you are. Surfboards on the ceiling, colorful sails in the atrium and carpets festooned with huge pink flowers are just a few of the accents that pop out as you make your way around the vessel.

A statue of a hula dancer flanks a life-size replica of Elvis cradling his guitar outside the Blue Hawaii Night Club, vintage Hawaiian travel posters adorn the halls and murals depicting scenes from early Polynesia brighten the stairwells.

In short, the Pride of Aloha, formerly the Norwegian Sky, is now all about Hawaii.

On the inaugural sailing on July Fourth, invited guests craned their necks to watch Margaret Inouye, wife of Sen. Daniel Inouye, christen the ship, followed by rousing Hawaiian-style entertainment.

cw0The excitement had as much to do with the concept of the inter-island cruise as the pizazz of the brightly decorated ship. For one thing, unlike other Hawaii cruises, this seven-night itinerary cruises exclusively among the islands. The ship sails in and out of Honolulu and spends two nights each in Kauai, the Big Island and Maui - much more time on land than a typical cruise provides.

If this seems like a no-brainer of a good idea, you might be surprised to know that it wasn't all that easy to pull off. Federal laws prohibit foreign-flagged vessels from cruising exclusively in American ports, and it wasn't until Sen. Inouye helped mount a campaign to win an exemption that NCL was given the green light for its all-Hawaii cruise.

Of course, there were some changes made in the bargain - including having an all-American crew. Unfortunately, at least on the early cruise, this translated into a relatively inexperienced staff offering somewhat spotty service.

Because of Hawaiian laws, the vessel also does not have a casino - instead that space has been replaced with the Kumu Cultural Center, complete with ancient Hawaiian artifacts.

A second vessel, Pride of America, currently under construction, is expected to join the fleet in Hawaii next July.

The 2,002-passenger Pride of Aloha was built in 1999 and doesn't have some of the bells and whistles you'd find in newer ships. But its fresh decor and casual atmosphere work well with the destination.

So, too, does NCL's trademark Freestyle Cruising concept, featuring six restaurants - including alternative restaurants that offer Italian, Pacific Rim/Asian fusion and French cuisine. These venues have a surcharge of $12.50 to $15 per person, but the food is above average, the staff attentive and the settings elegant.

There are also two main dining venues, Palace Restaurant and Crossings Restaurant, and the Hukilau Cafe and Lanai for buffet service. Dining hours at the buffet are plentiful, but not round-the-clock, which you might only notice if you are an early riser or love those midnight buffets.

The casual dress code - formal nights are optional - is especially welcome in Hawaii, where packing a tux seems somehow out of place.

On those rare occasions when you find yourself onboard during the day - most passengers are seeking optimal island time - you can head to the arts and crafts demonstrations and hula lessons or to the Mandara Body Waves Spa, where hand massage/manicures are $40.

Kids are well entertained on this vessel. At the Kids Crew program, those ages 2 to 17 take part in age-appropriate activities, including some Hawaii-inspired fun, such as learning Hawaiian crafts and songs.

The swimming pool was teeming with kids, while the cute but tiny splash pool on Deck 12, which would have been a good choice for toddlers, seemed to be underused.

Entertainment includes a South Sea Island Spectacular, a Polynesian show that easily rivals the evening luaus and shows offered on the islands and was much better than the Las Vegas-style offerings common on other ships.

The ship's itinerary allows passengers to be on shore virtually all day long, and the ship's shore excursions are top-notch and offer great variety, although they can be pricey.

On Kauai, we signed on for the Journey to Waimea Canyon shore excursion; the canyon is aptly billed the Grand Canyon of the Pacific with its dramatic size and startling contrast of red clay and green vegetation. For a complete change of pace, the next day we tried Tubing the Ditch, an amped-up version of a lazy river ride, complete with stunning scenery, pitch-dark caves and a few bumps and turns.

On the Big Island, we spent a day gawking at Volcanoes National Park and a steaming active volcano which looks eerily like a moonscape, followed the next day by a first-rate Captain Zodiac Raft and Snorkel tour that put us in close contact with spinner and bottlenose dolphins in the wild.

We ascended above the clouds to visit Haleakala Crater on Maui, with a stop at the Maui Ocean Center, a state-of-the-art aquarium that features a living reef wall and a 54-foot, walk-through tunnel surrounded by sharks, sting rays and other marine life. That night, we went ashore on an excursion to the luau and Polynesian show at the Maui Prince Hotel.

On our last day we tempted fate with a Haleakala Zipline Adventure in a eucalyptus grove on Maui, where participants are hooked into harnesses and, as the name implies, zip from platform to platform over gullies and treetops, eventually reaching more than 30 miles an hour on the last zip. And while a splurge at $125 per person, the tour was a highlight.

The golfers we met on the cruise were especially delighted with excursions offering rounds at a number of scenic, top-rated courses.

Another highlight of the cruise was free: The captain cruised along the coast of the Big Island at night, practically at a standstill, so that passengers could see the lava flow glowing red in the night sky as it spilled into the sea.

On Oahu, NCL offers a whole range of shore excursions for disembarking cruise passengers with time to kill before their flights home. However, I would recommend going one step further and opting for a pre- or post-cruise stay of at least a few days. You've come so far from Boston, after all.

The seven-day cruises sail every Sunday year-round, and are priced from $799 per person, double, but be aware that a $10 per person, per day service fee is tacked on to your bill.