Our cruise experience this August on the Pride of America which sailed from Honolulu was terrrible.
This ship is rated 5 stars, but don't be fooled. The rating is based on the ship only. It is a beautiful designed ship and the nicest we have been on so far, unfortunately the amenities and dcor were draped by the poor service and terrible food.
There were no chefs! I asked one of the restaurant hostesses if there were any chefs aboard and she replied, I think there are a couple. I said, "I don't think so", and she began to laugh.
On our first night, I ordered mahi mahi and it came drowned in Kraft barbecue sauce. This is when I knew there couldn't be a chef on board.
NCL advertises; From elegant French bistros and Italian trattorias to sushi and tapas bars, and more, there's a different dining option for almost every night of your cruise. With up to 10 different restaurants, each featuring a diverse an ever-changing menu, you'll always find exactly what you're in the mood for. And there are no fixed seatings. Imagine restaurants open from 5:30 pm to midnight so that you can choose from an early dinner before the show or a later romantic dinner for the two of you. And of course there's always the option of 24-hour room service. You're free to dine where, when and with whom you choose. Just as it should be on your vacation.
Well, you have to pay extra to dine in the French bistro, Italian trattoria, sushi and tapas bars. We did receive better service and food in the East Meets West restaurant however; it didn't make up for the rest of the dining experiences.
We heard compliants about the other specialty restaurants, so we didn't bother to try them.
The only restaurant open late is the Cadillac Diner, which serves a menu that makes McDonalds seem like a wonderful place to eat.
Each person was responsible to make his or her own toast. The toasters were for bagels. So our toast was toasted on one side only and if you turned it over to do the other side, it burnt.
The food was cold or slightly warm most of the time and it was left overs many times also.
We asked for poached eggs and were told that he had no water. The second time a different cook said no. My wife asked if he could make soft boiled eggs, he said sure. Returned a few minutes later and practically threw the eggs at my wife. She politely said, thank you and when there was no response, she said your welcome.
The mahi mahi, chicken and shoe leather steak, salads and appetizers were on the menu every day. They just changed the sauce or garnish, and the portions were very small.
The desserts were probably purchased from the local supermarkets or a food supplier and so was the bread. Probably because there is no CHEF!
My wife asked me where the tropical fruit was, since we are in Hawaii? Most of the time we had melon and some pineapple over ripe and some rotten.
The buffet was disorganized and you could hear complaints as the passengers became frustrated with trying to get their food and finding a place to sit and eat it before they took it away. That's right! They would close the buffets between 8 and 9 pm and the dining room at 9:30.
One couple sitting next to us was leaving the cruise 2 days early because of their terrible experience. They felt they were doing the right thing after talking to us.
If you wanted more of a particular item and it was not in the serving tray, forget it! I was told many times there was no more left. I missed the oatmeal 3 mornings because once the pot was empty, that was it. Unbelievable!
One night I ordered the steak and I asked the server for the roasted potatoes that came with the fish instead of the baked potato. He politely said he would. When my steak arrived, there were no potatoes and the server told me there were no more left. I accepted that and when the steak was so hard to eat the supervisor asked if She could get me something else. I said, Yes, I would like the fish. When it arrived, it came with the roasted red potatoes. My server saw this and did not return to our table.
Every meal was rushed. The servers couldn't wait to get you out of the dining room.
We tried the dining room for breakfast twice. The second time we went because the buffets were out of Raisin Bran. As it turns out, the dining room had Raisin Bran, or did they? They brought us total and put a raisin in it. At this point my wife was about to explode, I was however able to calm her and make her laugh.
I wasn't going to let anything ruin our aniversary.
After the second evening, they issued pagers so you would know when a table was ready. I saw that both dining rooms were busy and thought perhaps the food and service was getting better. WELL, I couldn't believe what I saw. They only used the front half of the dining room.
The Staff and their supervisors were miserable. They did not say hello and some were outright rude. There was one young lady who smiled and said hello to us each time she saw us; she was the supervisor in the restaurant who brought me the fish with the roasted red potatoes.
Lucky for them they charged a $20 / day tip to our bill, because I wouldn't have given them a cent.
They took plenty of pictures and charged $24 each. We bought one.
Two of my excursions were canceled at the last minute and one was changed without notice.
There was no toilet paper in our room when we arrived. There is mold and mildew on the shower curtain and a used bar of soap in the shower which remained there the entire trip.
Our room attendant left some blue chemical in our toilet, which made the room smell like an outhouse. We had to flush the toilet twice and open the door to air out the room.
People complained that there were not enough towels, cold showers and there is a sign in the shower that asks if you would reuse your towels, but it was not compulsory. UNBELIEVABE!
I can go on and on and on. There are so many incidents with the food and service it became funny.
This cruise experience was funnier than the comedian they had on board.
I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
Save your money, don't take this cruise. You will be much happier making arrangements to see the islands with a tour.
If you do take any of the Hawaiian cruises. Check with the travel bureau and book your excursions directly. You will save a bundle and the restaurants on the Islands are great.
Good Luck.
Randall
Niagara, Ontario
Canada
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