Hawaii Cruise - Need Recommendations

[rainbowbeach]

While we are going on our next cruise a week from today (Ruby Princess), we'd like to book ahead for a cruise to Hawaii. Want to surprise my mom for her 70th birthday - she has never been on a cruise or to Hawaii - two things she has really wanted to do. We are not the "formal" dining types - that's why we have gone on Norwegian Pearl and now Princess. Would prefer to leave from the States on the cruise but we are open to flying to Hawaii as well. Any recommendations that include freestyle dining and newer ships would be great. Also any guidance on where to get the best deals for a hawaii cruise would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks -

[rjm1cc]

We all have our favorits. I would try HAL. They will have 4 formal nights and you can skip and go to the Lido. I would try the fixed seating with the same group and wear the same thing for each of the formal nights or maybe some mix and match. This might add a little extra from her point of view.

 

The main reason for HAL is fewer children of all ages.

[jimgev]

I would agree with the recomendation to try HAL. They offer nice "circle Hawaii" cruisies that leave and retutn to San Diego. At the end of the season, this cruise begins in San Diego and terimnated in Vancouver. The HAL shipboard experience is one of relaxation and elegance.

[Beach4me]

If I was going to do this trip again, I'd take one of the RCCL repo trips at the beginning/end of the Alaska season and either begin or end in Hawaii with a few days. I did the the round-trip voyage with Princess and personally would not recommend them. They did nothing on our trip to make it feel like a Hawaiian cruise. (Having said that, I know there are plenty of folks who absolutely LOVE Princess for this voyage!) Some of my friends sailed with RCCL and from their pics, they had the experience that I was more hoping for. jmo :)

[cjnky]

We are not the "formal" dining types

 

I wonder if the first two responders missed that part of your post, since HAL is definitely the most formal. As long as you're willing to fly to Hawaii, and enjoyed your cruise on the Norwegian cruise, I'd suggest you check out NCL's Pride of America schedule. Like you, we are NOT the formal types, and thus chose NCL.

[3boyzmom]

We are also not the formal types, and we chose NCL Pride of America. We had a great time! There are many who don't care for NCL, and even more who don't care for Pride of America, but we loved it. It is a very port-intensive cruise, so if your mom has never been on a cruise, she wouldn't know if she will enjoy the ship experience or not- this is a nice compromise. Something leaving from San Diego or Mexico is going to have 3-4 sea days at the "front end" of the cruise, which might be too much for a first-time cruiser. Be sure to eat your fill of pineapple at the buffet- it's wonderful and plentiful!

[scootercali]

We took the NCL cruise on Pride of America. We chose NCL because we took my parents, and my father's goal was to wear shorts for the entire cruise. It's like traveling with Howard Hughes. He did it, and he loved the cruise. We had 2 penthouse cabins on deck 12 which had huuuuuuge balconies, and it was a great experience.