We chose the Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Pride of America to tour the Hawaiian Islands primarily because it is the only liner that cruises the islands. There are no other choices. They’ve got you by the short and curlies. Our goal for this vacation was to see as much as possible, not necessarily do as much as possible, and we thought that island hopping by ship was the best bet.
The Pride of America is a relatively small ship, allowing it access to sometimes-difficult island ports. It is 921 feet in length and will accommodate about 2,100 passengers and 900 crew personnel. There are multiple dining opportunities, most free and included in the fare, but a few – like a spiffy French bistro and a Sushi Bar are a little extra. The personnel aboard the ship are – to a man and woman – friendly and hospitable. We boarded the ship on Saturday around 1 PM and I was amazed with the efficiency of these Norwegians. It took less than two hours for about 2,000 passengers to board, clear security and set up accounts on the ship. Hula girls and guys welcomed us on board with leis, strings of flower petals and tiny seashells. Leis are a symbol of love, honor and friendship from the Hawaiians – perhaps the friendliest people in the world. I wore my lei proudly.
Once aboard, the ship provided a massive lunch buffet – ready and waiting – as well as dozens of bars and grills. We had a glass of champagne to toast the beginning of our excursion, and then checked into our room. At 7 PM, the tugboats escorted us out of the harbor. The seas were a little rough, but served to rock us to sleep after a long day. The next morning at 7 AM, we pulled into the harbor of Maui, one of the loveliest of all the Hawaiian Islands.
The six major islands, clockwise, starting from Oahu, are Molokai, Maui, The Big Island, Lanai and Kauai on the far west. After Oahu, our first stop was Maui.
Maui is not a large island, maybe 45 miles wide and 20 miles tall at the extreme points. There are only 120 miles of shoreline. There are scores of things to do on Maui from whale and turtle watching to surfing and snorkeling and tours of old plantations, but we chose to spend our single day ashore by renting a car and touring the countryside.
We drove along the oceanfront with towering lava mountains to our right. There were beautiful hedges and plantings all along the roadside and scores of pristine beaches with people picnicking, surfing and fishing along the way. Our drive took us to Kapalua where we could have continued to the rain forests, but we backtracked to Lahaina, one of the most iconic shopping areas of all the island destinations.
We visited the noted Front Street –right on the ocean – where there are hundreds and hundreds of small shops ranging from art galleries, to exotic pet stores, to jewelry and gift shops – everything! One of the most interesting sights of all was the grove of Banyan Trees in the heart of Lahaina. These century-old trees form new trees by anchoring their root/branches in the ground and common branches connect all the trees in the grove, occupying an entire city block. It’s as if they ate all holding hands. It was peaceful day filled with fascinating scenery and sights, then back to the ship for a romantic dinner in The Liberty Dining Room. The ship set sail at 7 PM and on to our next stop, Hilo on the Big Island.