Welcome Aboard the Pride of America

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America, sailing the Hawaiian Islands year-round since its maiden voyage in 2005, has a capacity of 2186 passengers. Compared to the new mega-ships that accommodate 6000-6800 passengers, that may sound small to you but it was just right for me.

I watched the ship arrive at sunrise from my lanai at the Marriott.

My ride

Our shuttle transportation from the hotel to the cruise port was included in our cruise package so the transfer was easy and efficient. I wish I could say the same for the check-in process at the cruise port but it was one of the slower experiences I’ve had with Norwegian Cruise Line even though we were in the priority line. I share this with you, not to complain, but rather to prepare you in case you have the same experience. And if you don’t, you can feel lucky.

The last stop after checking in was a photo. In fact, they take a lot of photos on cruise ships hoping to sell them to the passengers. Our cruise package included 20 free photos so we kept them whether or not they were flattering. I’ll share some of the better ones in blog posts.

Welcome Aboard photo

We booked an inside cabin, knowing the ship’s movement from port to port would be at night and a window would be wasted but the money saved would not. I wake up with the sun, so no window can be a problem. I left the television turned on and tuned to the bow cam with the sound turned off. As the sun came up, the screen lit up the room. It helped. While our cabin was not exceptional, the champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, and chocolate bar awaiting us were welcome treats.

Our welcome aboard gift

Toasting our good fortune

As we explored the ship, we soon discovered the theme was patriotic with more traditional furnishings which were a definite hit with me. Notably, there was no casino on the ship, a first in my cruise experience. Gambling isn’t legal in Hawaii and the ship never leaves Hawaiian waters so there’s no gambling on board. Not a problem for us.

Hawaiian performers in the Capitol Atrium

Sitting area

Guest Services desk

Picture of the Pride of America in a stairwell

Outside the Aloha Cafe before sail away

We belong to the NCL rewards program called Latitudes. In fact, we’ve achieved platinum status so the perks were pretty good. In addition to the champagne, chocolates, and strawberries in our stateroom upon our arrival, we were invited to a wine and cheese event with the captain. The best perk, however, was free laundry service which came in handy when I spilled wine all over Jim’s good pants. And I do mean all over. The laundry cleaned them and had them back to us the following day in time for dinner. I’m grateful the wine came out or I’d never hear the end of it!

We also each received a gift certificate for two with a bottle of wine in a specialty dining venue, Jefferson’s Bistro, which otherwise costs extra. We took our friends. Lori and Rick, with us one evening later in the week and had an outstanding dining experience.