Byline: Ron Cobb
As the Pride of Aloha pulled into the pier at Kahului, the West Maui Mountains shone a bright green in the morning sun and a warm sea breeze blew across the ship's stern.
Standing on the deck, taking it all in, Dee Birdwell of Arkadelphia, Ark., smiled.
'If it got any prettier than this, I don't think I'd be able to handle it,' he said.
Maui was the third of the three Hawaiian islands visited on a seven-night cruise in December on NCL America's U.S.-flagged vessel. The U.S. flagging is worth noting, because it had been the crux of a rocky debut for the Pride of Aloha last year.
The ship also stops at Kauai and the Big Island. Because the cruise begins and ends at Honolulu on Oahu, you might say the ship visits four islands.
As a U.S.-flagged ship, the Pride of Aloha offers a huge advantage over the foreign-flagged ships that have been sailing in Hawaii for years. U.S. law requires that foreign-flagged ships begin in or end in or visit a foreign port. Hawaii's isolation made this problematic, and the only solution was to sail a great distance from, say, Ensenada, Mexico, or take time out of the middle of the cruise to sail about 1,200 miles south to Fanning Island in the Republic of Kiribati.
By putting a ship into the water with U.S. flagging, NCL America seemed to have a winning formula. (NCL America is a new brand created by the corporation that owns Norwegian Cruise Line.) The ship could spend the entire cruise in Hawaii, thereby offering a more enticing itinerary. With no need to spend long days at sea, the Pride of Aloha could do its sailing mostly at night, leaving days free for passengers to explore the islands. On the seven-night cruise, passengers are allowed 1 { days on Kauai and two full days on both the Big Island and Maui.
With so much time in dock, the Pride of Aloha can offer a vast number of shore excursions _ 40 on Kauai, 57 on the Big Island (24 at Hilo and 33 on Kona) and 40 on Maui. Those who choose not to purchase excursions from NCL America are free to devise their own _ rent a car, seek out a beach for the day, stay aboard ship or take one of many free shuttles for shopping.
My choice of excursions included a helicopter ride around Kauai and its magnificent Na Pali Coast, a visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island, a round of golf at Waikoloa Beach Resort on the Big Island's Kohala Coast and a 22-mile downhill bicycle ride from the summit of Maui's tallest peak, the Haleakala volcano. I also rented a car for a day on Maui and drove the notorious Road to Hana, which is as much a road rally as it is an incredibly scenic drive.
Still, with all that, the things I didn't have time to try included scuba diving, sport fishing, ATV adventures, horseback riding, waterfall hikes, kayaking, surfing, sunset sails and luaus.
Clearly, the islands are the cruise's big attraction. But the Pride of Aloha also provides all the pampering and amenities that cruise passengers have come to expect _ spa, fitness center, galleria, nightclub, a theater for nightly shows, two pools, hot tubs, room service and freestyle dining with buffet restaurants and five fine-dining restaurants (but no casino; gambling is illegal in Hawaii).
The ship is brightly decorated with a Hawaiian theme, and the Pride of Aloha Band's frequent forays into Hawaiian music make it impossible to forget where you are.
So how could the Pride of Aloha not be a success from the outset? NCL America's troubles began in January 2004. Originally, the new Pride of America was going to be its first U.S.-flagged ship in Hawaii. But while construction was being completed in Germany, a severe storm sank the ship up to its third deck.
Because of the damage, the ship's introduction was postponed for a year. NCL America took an existing ship, the 5-year-old Norwegian Sky, gave it a quick makeover and launched it as the Pride of Aloha in early summer.
But more problems were on the way. By law, a U.S.-flagged ship must have an American crew. When launching a new ship, a cruise line normally will enlist some of its best crew from its other ships to ensure the smoothest possible debut. But foreign-flagged ships have a foreign crew, so NCL America had to start from scratch.
When the ship launched last summer, the inexperienced crew simply wasn't up to the task. Some crew members found the work and long hours so demanding, they quit. The ship was short-staffed, service suffered and passengers became so disgruntled that NCL America issued an apology, refunded a portion of a mandatory service fee and offered discounts on future cruises. (NCL America has since suspended the service fee, pending an evaluation, leaving tipping up to the passengers.)
Meanwhile, passengers went to the Internet and ravaged the Pride of Aloha in reviews. A sample from a reviewer named Katie on cruisecritic.com: 'This is NOT the cruise for you! I have nothing but bad things to say about this ship and its crew.'
Pressure on the cruise line to right the ship rose quickly.
'It was brutal, very difficult,' said cruise director Patti Honacki, recalling those early sailings. 'I'm used to going out there and having everybody tell me how much fun they're having.'
One problem was that when crew members quit and new people are hired, Coast Guard-mandated certification and training can take up to two months, Honacki said. So there was no quick fix.
This past fall, the Pride of Aloha slowly worked out the kinks, and favorable reviews began to replace the diatribes.
'We came expecting the worst,' said Heather Dunigan of Newark, Del., who cruised last month with her husband, Brian. 'There were a few glitches in the service, but to see Hawaii in such a relaxing way, I'm willing to ignore a few lapses. With two days on each island, you can't beat the itinerary.'
For cruise director Honacki, who grew up in Joliet, Ill., and went to summer camp three years at Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, the improvements have been a major relief.
'It's a piece of cake now compared to what it was,' she said. 'Taking out a ship is one of the hardest things you're going to do _ you're going to work 100-hour weeks for four weeks.'
Honacki, 34, earned a bachelor's degree at Millikin University in Decatur, Ill., and a master's degree at Southeast Missouri State, then became an assistant dean at Texas Tech. In midcareer, she decided to pursue a new life on the high seas.
'It was my pre-midlife crisis,' she said. 'One day it hit me _ there's got to be something out there beyond the four walls of an office.'
On the Pride of Aloha cruise last month, passengers included a generous number of older folks, a few families with children, honeymooners and spouses observing anniversaries. Birdwell, the Arkadelphia passenger sailing with his wife, Roberta, wasn't observing any milestone in particular.
'We're celebrating being alive,' he said with a smile. 'At our age, that's a good reason.'
At 71, Dee is seven years older than Roberta. He's a diabetic, walks with the aid of a cane and has other health problems, he said. Although they estimated their trip, including cruise, airfare and other expenses, would cost $6,000, they figure they're in the 'now or never, you can't take it with you' stage of life.
As a girl, Roberta lived in Hawaii when her father, a career Air Force man, was stationed at Pearl Harbor.
'I've always loved the islands,' she said. 'Back then, it was truly a Hawaiian paradise.'
Dee grew up in Neosho, Mo., and they have a daughter, Robin Ishmael, who teaches second grade in the Pattonville School District.
'It's been a very enjoyable trip,' Dee said. 'The service at the restaurants is just outstanding. The young people have been very friendly and very attentive and like to talk _ and that's nice for us, because we like to talk.'
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Ship: Pride of Aloha
Cruise line: NCL America
Capacity: 2,144
Crew: 800
Seven-night itinerary: Honolulu to Nawiliwili, Kauai; to Hilo on the Big Island; to Kona on the Big Island; to Kahului, Maui; and back to Honolulu.
Sister ships: The Pride of America will begin sailing in Hawaii this summer, with the Pride of Hawaii scheduled for 2006.
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IF YOU GO:
Cruise prices: Brochure rates start at $849 per person, double occupancy. Airfare to Honolulu is not included, but may be purchased through NCL.
Service center: Passengers can get answers to pre-cruise questions at the NCL America customer service center in the lobby of the Waikiki Beach Marriott in Honolulu.
Shows: Nightly entertainment includes a magic show and three dance and musical productions by the Jean-Ann Ryan Company. Smoking: Allowed, except in dining rooms.
Car rentals: Renting a car and doing an independent excursion is a popular option at each port. Shuttle service is often available to pick up the car. It's best to call the rental company of your choice before you leave home.
Helicopter tour: Will Squyres Helicopter Tours will send a van to pick up passengers at the pier in Nawiliwili for a short ride to the airport. Call 1-888-245-4354 or e-mail squyres@aloha.net. Helicopter excursions also can be arranged onboard the Pride of Aloha.
Cruise highlights: An afternoon cruise past Kauai's Na Pali Coast and a nighttime cruise past a lava flow on the Big Island.
Post-cruise extension: Excursions on Oahu are available after the ship returns to Honolulu.
More information: Call 1-888-625-4292, go to www.ncl.com/ncla, or call a travel agent.
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Ron Cobb: rcobb@post-dispatch.com
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