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16Despite the obvious benefits of Hawaiian Island cruises
the number of cruise lines offering them is rather limited
in terms of season and itinerary. Most cruise lines that
do feature Hawaii in their programmes are limited
to offering sporadic repositioning cruises in shoulder
seasons when the ships manoeuvre from one destination
to another. Others will offer a winter season of long
roundtrip 14 or 15 night cruises from the west coast of
the USA. The problem with all of these cruises is that the
majority of your time onboard is spent cruising across the
Pacific Ocean instead of around the Hawaiian islands.
This is where Norwegian Cruise Line have bucked the
trend to offer a ship based in Honolulu year round cruising
around the islands every week without precious holiday
time spent on any long ocean crossings. The 80,439 tonne
Pride of America is the only ship completely crewed by
American nationals which allows it to be dedicated to only
Hawaiian ports of call. This gives you the opportunity to
see much more of Hawaii in a shorter one week space of
time - not only by day but also by night. As you journey
from one exotic island to the next, learn about the
Hawaiian culture through the eyes of native ambassadors
on board. The old advertising slogan certainly applies here
- Pride of America reaches parts of Hawaii that other ships
cannot reach!
Here follows a brief description of the four main islands.
OAHU:
Hawaii's third largest island is home to the majority of
Hawaii's divers population and for this reason is often
referred to as the gathering place. Spread throughout the
south eastern shore is the state capital - Honolulu. this is
the main international hub when flying from the UK and
is a great place to stay pre of post cruise. In Honolulu you
will find everything from historic landmarks and treasured
monuments such as Pearl Harbour and the Aloha Tower,
to world class shopping, vibrant nightlife and spectacular
beaches. Indeed no visit to Hawaii would be complete
without a stay on Waikiki Beach - a former playground of
Hawaiian royalty. The great thing about staying here is that
oven, poi and haupia (coconut pudding). There are two
ports of the island - Lahaina and Kahului. Lahaina was a
historic whaling village and is now the islands hotspot with
a picturesque harbour and huge banyan trees standing
60 foot high. Kahului is the one used by Pride of America
as it is the gateway to Maui's east coast beaches and
legendary road to Hana - a 52 mile long road that twists
its way through rainforests, past waterfalls, plunging pools
and dramatic seascapes. Enjoy captivating sunsets and
those wonderful fire light Hula shows at night. Here you
will also find the Haleakala National Park with the magical
Waimoku Falls Trail and the Haleakala volcano - the world's
largest dormant volcano.
THE BIG ISLAND:
Pride of America makes two stops on this the largest
and youngest island of the Hawaiian islands chain with
lush tropical rainforests and towering volcanoes. The
first is to Hilo on the east coast - known as the City Of
The Rainbows. Here, you will find centuries-old wooden
store fronts housing sophisticated galleries, shops and
restaurants. Visit the Akaka State Falls Park, the Pacific
Tsunami Museum and Richardson Beach Park - perfect for
snorkelling and sunbathing. The second stop is Kona which lies
on the opposite side of the island to Hilo. Visit the historic
Kailua Village where King Kamehameha spent his final
years. Kealakekua Bay is where Captain James Cook first set
foot on the island in 1778 and is where he was eventually
killed. Kaloko-Honokohau is a 1160 acre National Historic
Park where you can explore calming fish ponds and early
Heiau (temples).
most hotels are either located directly on the beach or
just two of three blocks away - so you are never far from
the sea. A walk along the Waikiki historical trail provides
an insight into the past by reading the surfboard markers
dotted along the way.
KAUAI:
Pride of America will spend overnight in port here. Always
a difficult one to pronounce - kawhyeee. The island of
Pineapple plantations, the Wailua Falls and Kalapaki Beach.
The port of Nawiliwili is your gateway to the what many
believe to be Hawaii's most beautiful island. It is known
as the garden island due to its dramatic emerald green
valleys, tropical rainforests, forking rivers and cascading
waterfalls. This island was the key location used for the
1993 film Jurassic Park and was also a key location for
Avatar and Pirates Of The Caribbean. Norwegian Cruise
Line offers an excursion called The Directors Cut which
takes you on a live narrated tour of famous movie locations
with specially licensed video scenes made on Kauai.
MAUI:
Pride of America will spend overnight in port here. Known
as the Magic Isle Maui is the second largest island. It
boasts miles of pristine unspoilt beaches and lush tropical
rainforests; it is also the home of the Luau featuring
Hawaiian foods such as kalua pig, cooked in an earthen
The Hawaiian Islands are one of those iconic bucket list destinations of the world made famous through TV and film throughout the decades since the 1950's - when they became the
50th state of the USA in 1959. As a result they have become the ultimate destination when one thinks of an exotic beach holiday. Most people when travelling to Hawaii would expect
to pay thousands of pounds for a return flight and perhaps plan to stay on one island with the hope of exploring the others. A Hawaiian islands cruise however effortlessly opens up
the islands in one holiday without having to worry about flights and transportation between the islands. In much the same way as Greek Island hopping or Caribbean Island hopping. In
these locations the concept of cruising works perfectly enabling one to see multiple destinations in one holiday.
Hawaii With Norwegian Cruise Line
'Pride of America: reaches parts of Hawaii that other ships cannot reach!'
