HEAVEN IN HAWAII
Relax in luxury, enjoy exotic cocktails and savour all that Hawaii has to offer on board Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America, the only cruise ship to sail year-round from Honolulu.
What comes to mind when you think of Hawaii? I think of glorious swims at Waikiki Beach, gentle breezes, tropical flowers, fresh coconuts and leisurely sunsets. The warmth and kindness of the people, the intriguing culture of a Polynesian paradise that became part of the US in 1959. Multicultural diversity and the mouthwatering fusion cuisine it creates.
Now when I think of Hawaii, I also think of the week-long Norwegian Cruise Line cruise I took with my sister, Cherie, on the Pride of America ship. Checking in, clocking off from work, sipping mai tais and wearing bright purple flowers in our hair, we did a deep dive into island life and sibling revelry. Surrounded by the expansive Pacific Ocean, Hawaii’s stunning natural beauty is ripe to be explored year-round, thanks to a warm, sunny climate that rarely dips below 25°C. Locals, many of whom swim or surf every day of the year, believe it’s the best weather in the world.
There are more than 100 islands in the state, but most visitors only ever make it to the main attractions of Oahu (where international flights from NZ and Australia arrive), Maui, the Island of Hawaii (known as the Big Island) and Kauai. Why settle for just one resort on one island – or tackle the logistics and expense of inter-island flights and multiple hotel
bookings – when there’s the option to cruise to five ports on four islands in a week filled with engaging shore excursions, tropical cocktails, fine dining and nightly entertainment?
ALOHA, HAWAII
NCL’s seven-day itinerary departs every Saturday from Honolulu Harbor, bound for overnight stops in both Maui and Kauai, as well as visits to Kona and Hilo on the Big Island.
It’s the only cruise line to offer a year-round seven-day inter-island Hawaii voyage with no sea days. That means more time in ports to enjoy the destinations, plan multiple shore excursions and enjoy local restaurants, if you opt to dine off the ship. The cruise includes 100 hours of shore time and 70 shore excursions to choose from, including active explorations of volcanoes and underwater worlds, as well as more sedate pleasures of luaus and local chocolate tasting.
In Maui, we joined an organised group tour one day, visiting the waterfalls and gorges the island is famous for. Right on cue, a rainbow appeared. At Maui Ocean Center, the Aquarium of Hawaii, the tropical fish appear to be painted with neon highlighters, so vivid are their scales. A 3D experience, similar to IMAX Cinema, brought humpbacks so close we felt we could almost touch them. On the Big Island, we rode an open-air trolley to the beach and cooled off in calm waters at the sheltered rock pool. The volcanoes and interior island hikes can wait for another day. When life’s a picture-perfect beach like this, swimming is non-negotiable.
On our visit, we spotted signs in the front lawns of people’s homes supporting ‘Vicky for Governor!’ This first-name-only approach to political candidacy summed up the relaxed conventions of island living. It brought to mind the headline story on the 6pm nightly news broadcast in Honolulu I’d seen earlier. The mother of the coach of the university’s football team had recovered from an illness and wanted to thank viewers for their support.