There’s something rather special about choosing a December cruise in the northern hemisphere and wearing shorts, t-shirts and sandals – all without feeling cold.
Yes, in the northern hemisphere. Yes, in winter. But lovely sunny weather and not at all cold. How can that be? Well, Lisa and I were cruising around the Hawaiian Islands.
Now plenty of cruises start or finish in Honolulu and go to other places but we chose to take the only cruise around the archipelago, aboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America (pictured right).
We sailed from Honolulu, the state capital on the island of Oahu, and visited three of the other islands during a week-long cruise. It was picturesque with both beauty and dramatic scenes including Kauai’s Na’pali coast (main picture), sunset at the 10,000 feet high Haleakala – a dormant volcano – on Maui, some smouldering volcanic lava at Kilauea on the Big Island (pictured below) and, spotted from our balcony, whales swimming free as nature intended.
There were a number of shore excursions including one to Kona, home of the famous and delicious coffee of the same name, and another that enabled us to take a voyage on a glass bottomed boat, allowing us to see underwater sights that I could not otherwise have seen.
Because I need a wheelchair to travel more than a few yards, we booked an accessible cabin. It was huge, with a balcony to match and a superb accessible bathroom. It was everything we needed.
Most days we were docked portside but at one stop, the ship had to anchor and use tenders to take passengers to and from the shore. I was most impressed by the attention NCL paid to disabled passengers. I had to get out of my wheelchair to board and disembark the tender but the crew ensured my safety and comfort before bringing my folded chair on board.
At the other end, the same attention was paid as my chair, now unfolded and ready for use, was waiting for me on the jetty and one crew member ensured I was seated properly before we left the jetty. On our return to the ship, exactly the same service and courtesy was extended.
Last sunset before we returned to Honolulu.
NCL specialises in what it calls Freestyle Cruising and that means that passengers choose when and how they wish to eat and be entertained; no need to pre-book, just turn up and enjoy. This may not be everyone’s preference but it is convenient when going on sunrise or sunset shore excursions.
Lisa and I both agree that the Pride of America cruise is the best way to see Hawaii as you get the chance to visit so many of the islands, each with its own contrasting character. Oahu is the gathering place, Maui is the valley isle, Hawai’i is the Big Island and Kauai is the garden isle.
The ship itself has, unsurprisingly, an American theme. It has 18 restaurants plus 11 bars and lounges, with a variety of entertainment, including Broadway shows. If you’re a lover of casinos, however, you’ll be disappointed. Gambling is not permitted in Hawaii or in its territorial waters, so there is no casino on board.
50shadesofsun 