Getting its sea legs

After a morning hike over the lumpy black lava that had engulfed roads and towns, spilled into the ocean and formed new earth, our small group was headed back in a van to the Pride of Aloha, docked in this small town on the Big Island’s east coast.

“So how’s the service on the ship?” asked Dominic Vea, our guide.

There was silence. Then someone said, “Not bad.” Another responded, “Had better.”

Vea said he had heard that passengers bailed out on a sailing earlier in the summer because of poor service and unsanitary conditions. “It’s nicknamed the ‘Shame of Aloha,’ but it’s getting better,” he said. “At first all I heard were complaints, but each week now it’s not as bad.”

The next day, in Kona on the Big Island, I took a walking tour of historic Kailua village with guide Desmond Cagampang, a native islander with a passion for Hawaiian history. At the end of the tour, he invoked a prayer in Hawaiian for our safe sailing and then followed up: “You may not have good service, I hear, but please give them a chance. They’re American kids. Once the kids learn, they’ll be good. I opened a hotel in 1959. I didn’t know anything, but we worked and became the best.”

Since it started sailing in Hawaii on July 4, the Pride of Aloha has become the talk of the islands -- and the passengers. In the first two months, negative comments about the service, sanitation and food reached such a pitch that the line, NCL America, apologized to passengers, refunded part of the mandatory daily $10-per-adult service charge and gave a 20% credit on a future cruise. In late August the line suspended the $10 fee until the service meets its standards. When it is reinstated, passengers will be able to reduce or remove it, said NCL America spokeswoman Susan Robison.

Hawaii is a potentially lucrative cruising ground but not an easy one, particularly in today’s competitive market. Only U.S.-flagged ships can sail solely within the islands, and the last such operation that sailed here struggled throughout the 1990s and declared bankruptcy after the 2001 terrorist attacks.

NCL America, too, has had setbacks with its start-up. The Pride of America, the first newly built large cruise ship to fly the U.S. flag in 50 years, was scheduled to debut in July, but it was flooded in the shipyard and delayed. The Pride of Aloha, formerly sister NCL’s Norwegian Sky, was rushed into refurbishment to meet the launch deadline. Nevertheless, NCL America has high hopes for the Hawaiian market and is planning to add two new ships over the next two years.

For now, the 2,002-passenger Pride of Aloha is the only large cruise ship to sail with an American crew within the Hawaiian Islands. Other large ships catering to the U.S. market are foreign-flagged and sail with foreign crews, and, because of U.S. maritime laws, they must stop at a foreign port. (See Cruise News, Page 10.)

It’s an expensive move for NCL America. For one thing, U.S. ships must pay federal and state taxes that foreign-flagged carriers do not. Because Hawaii does not allow gambling, the Pride of Aloha cannot have a casino or offer bingo, losing a major onboard moneymaker. And U.S.-flagged ships must abide by U.S. labor and wage laws, which mandate higher pay than on foreign-flagged ships.

It’s a more costly cruising market for passengers too. Discounted fares for an inside cabin on the Pride of Aloha run about $1,000 and higher per person for seven days. NCL’s foreign-flagged Norwegian Wind has fares starting at less than $1,000 per person for its 10- and 11-day Hawaii itineraries, which include a foreign-port visit. Caribbean cruises of the same length are often discounted to less than $700 per person.

Cabins meant for closeness

All new cruises go through a shakedown process, so I waited several months before seeing how the Pride of Aloha was doing. I bought my fare through a discounter and sailed Sept. 19 on a full ship.

The ship departs from Honolulu each Sunday evening on a seven-day sailing, and as bon voyage parties go, mine was a winner. The barbecue on the pool deck was tasty, and the setting couldn’t be beat -- the twinkling lights of skyscrapers at dusk after a rain shower. Next to the Aloha Tower, a landmark that has greeted cruise passengers since the 1920s, Hawaiians strumming ukuleles and dancing the hula bade the ship farewell. A rainbow arced over the scene.

It was much better than the foul odor that greeted me in the corridor to my cabin. Wet towels, an attendant said, as I noticed a couple of cabin doors open for rooms to air. Smelled worse to me. The odor grew fainter but lingered until two days later, when I noticed a cabin door open and the room stripped to the bare floor to get rid of the carpeting. Problem solved.

Two problems I had in my cabin -- the sink faucet sprayed water on the countertop, and the light was out in the bathroom -- were taken care of by maintenance personnel in quick order.

Cabins are small -- so cozy that twosomes may have to do a tango to maneuver. “My husband or I had to go in the bathroom so the other one could get dressed,” said passenger Anita Quante of Savannah, Ga.

Besides limited hanging space in the closet, there were only three small drawers. But, hey, this is Hawaii and the cruise is “freestyle.” With a dress code that’s mainly resort casual, you can forget the fancy duds.

The freestyle concept -- promising passengers they can eat where they want, when they want and with whomever they wish -- was a challenge. Lines at the casual Hukilau Cafe often were long, and the main dining rooms lacked sufficient wait staff to operate efficiently, making 30- to 45-minute waits common at popular dinnertimes. I was among a chorus of passengers lamenting the lower-than-expected quality of food and lack of variety in the Hukilau’s cafeteria-like buffet and in the Palace and Crossings dining rooms.

That wasn’t the case in the three specialty restaurants, where dining was a pleasure: The food was good and creatively presented. The service was attentive -- entrees even were stylishly presented under silver domes in the Kahili, decorated with Hawaiian royalty memorabilia. The extra cost -- $12.50 or $15 per person -- was worth it. The Kahili had a good team of waiters in long white aprons. The beef carpaccio with Parmesan cheese and the braised lamb shanks were delicious, the quality I had hoped for in the main dining rooms.

Overall, we passengers had a good time. The Outrigger Lounge filled up on big band night, and couples poured onto the dance floor for “Moonlight Serenade.” The sock hop was a big hit at Blue Hawaii, a nightclub marked with a statue of Elvis Presley strumming a guitar. A British couple won the twist contest, and an older gentleman from New York state beat out two young guys in the Elvis impersonation. The show of South Seas dances and songs and a Cirque du Soleil-type production drew enthusiastic applause.

Besides, we had come to see the Hawaiian Islands, and the destination did not disappoint.

On the afternoon that we cruised along the untamed Na Pali coast of Kauai, passengers filled the decks to ogle the high cliffs, where waterfalls fall like strings of spaghetti down the verdant mountainsides.

In the dark of evening, the captain maneuvered the ship around the Big Island so we could see the campfire-like glow of lava from Kilauea Volcano.

Best of all was the extra time we had to explore Kauai, the Big Island and Maui. We docked one overnight each at Kauai and Maui, with time for sightseeing, dining ashore and evening entertainment.

“The itinerary is terrific. It’s nice to be in port a day or two,” said Jody Ferchaud of New Orleans, who was sailing with her husband, Paul, and family.

The ship had more than 70 shore excursions for the sedentary and the adventurous -- hiking, biking, diving, flying in helicopters over volcanoes, driving all-terrain vehicles in the jungle, riding horseback, surfing and bus tours.

The ship itself is like a floating Hawaiian island. It creates a definite sense of place, starting with a colorful lei painted around its bow, surfing murals on the pool deck and tiki poles in an eight-deck atrium awash in vivid colors. I admired the abundant tropical foliage in planters -- until I discovered it was plastic. In this state of beautiful flowers, it’d be nice if local growers maintained live tropical plants on the ship.

In places, it’s clubby and sophisticated, with lots of wood and classy furnishings. The casino is now the Kumu Cultural Center, where I often was alone wandering through exhibits from Honolulu’s Bishop Museum. A kumu, or teacher, led popular classes in hula and arts and crafts.

The crew hails from all parts of the U.S. mainland, islands and even the U.S. territory of Guam. Contrary to earlier reports, all seemed hardworking -- I saw several on the floor cleaning spots on the carpet -- and happy. When I asked how he liked the job, a waiter from Pennsylvania who had come on the ship in April said, “It’s great -- I get paid to cruise the Hawaiian Islands!”

With few exceptions, all the crew I met was friendly, greeting passengers with “Aloha” or “Did you have a good day in Hilo?” A young woman who delivered coffee to my cabin bid farewell with, “Call me if you need anything.”

I saw some problems, though. There did not seem to be sufficient staff to handle the full passenger load. Few crew members have prior experience on ships, and they’re not as polished as those on foreign-flagged ships.

The ship is close to being fully staffed, NCL America spokeswoman Robison said when I spoke to her after my sailing. (Some staffers are trainees who have not yet received their U.S. Merchant Mariners’ document from the U.S. Coast Guard, which means they can work while in port but not at sea.) Because the ship spends more than 90 hours a week in port, the line is building a pool of shore-based workers who come aboard during island stops.

Not up to company standards

On my cruise the service did not meet the expectations of some veterans of NCL cruises and other lines. The Ferchauds, who praised service on other NCL ships, were disappointed. “My son finally got up to pour water for the [dining room] table,” said Jody. “We’d been there 10 minutes and no waiter had greeted us, though some were nearby doing busywork. They need some serious training. My son got a $25 credit and a letter apologizing that room service took an hour and a half to two hours to get pizza.”

Jan Arnold of Cleveland, Tenn., who has been on at least eight cruises, said, “ ‘Freestyle cruising’ feels like it’s more ‘wait on yourself.’ It’s just not being pampered the way you should be on a cruise. I feel like you shouldn’t have to pay more to have a good meal.”

I encountered uneven service. Breakfast in the Palace one morning was chaotic. It took 15 to 20 minutes to get a table set and coffee served. A second breakfast there was more organized, but service was disjointed. I got eggs to order but had to go to the buffet for anything else I wanted. At dinners, large sections of the dining rooms often were empty, even as crowds waited to be seated.

One evening a young, enthusiastic assistant maitre d’ had seated me in the Crossings and said, “Rosie is a sweetie. She’ll take care of you.” The waitress did, efficiently and without an assistant.

The kitchen didn’t score as well. The duck pot-sticker appetizers were so tough they could hardly be cut. Another night the spicy beef and noodle salad proved a better choice, but a small spinach salad was limp. A garlic-spiked roast leg of lamb was edible, though it had little taste.

I found ways to cope. At the Hukilau Cafe, I headed for the fresh-fruit station, where someone constantly carved pineapples, melons, papaya and other fruits.

The line is addressing dining issues, said NCL America spokeswoman Robison, adding that Peter Tobler, vice president of food and beverage for NCL, was aboard the Pride of Aloha in mid-October to make changes.

As we docked again in Honolulu, Marge Bartlett of Naples, Fla., there with husband Bob, summed up the experience best: “We had a wonderful time,” she said. “There were four couples celebrating our 40th anniversaries. Some things are not up to par, but we adjusted.”

I wondered how much longer will passengers have to adjust.

Mary Lu Abbott writes the monthly Cruise News column.

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Ship to shore

GETTING THERE:

From LAX, American, United, Hawaiian, Delta, Northwest and Continental fly nonstop to Honolulu. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $285.80.

HAWAII CRUISE:

Pride of Aloha departs on seven-day cruises from Honolulu every Sunday and sails to Nawiliwili Harbor on Kauai; Hilo and Kailua Kona on the Big Island; and Kahului, Maui, before returning to Honolulu.

Fares start at $1,165 per person for inside cabins, $1,580 for outsides, $2,150 for balcony cabins and about $2,180 to $4,000 for suites, double occupancy. Prices vary by dates. Discounts may be available. My inside cabin for the Sept. 19 sailing cost $2,206.01, with single supplement. I booked through Vacations to Go, (800) 338-4962 or www.vacationstogo.com, a cruise discounter.

TO LEARN MORE:

NCL America, (888) NCL-HAWAII (625-4292) or www.ncl.com.

-- Mary Lu Abbott