Cruising: A new way to see your island home

The coastline of Kaua'i between Po'ipu and Nawiliwili was a welcome and rare addition to the itinerary of a recent Norwegian Star cruise when mechanical problems precluded a Fanning Island run. Bonnie Louise Judd • Special to The Advertiser

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Travel Editor

A cruise is something like that old elephant that the blind man got hold of: Your view depends on where you stand.

"Everybody thinks that every cruise on the same itinerary is exactly alike, week after week," said hotel director James Deering during a seven-day cruise around the Hawaiian Islands aboard the Norwegian Star. "But it's different every time, surprisingly so."

The "flavor" of the cruise changes with the mix of people aboard, particularly when groups are traveling together, he said. (Last week, the Norwegian Star was hosting a "Star Trek" convention, for example; I'd have given a lot to be on board to see how Vulcans and Tribbles in the buffet line affect the ambience.)

The pool deck of the Norwegian Star is ever busy. Bonnie Louise Judd • Special to The Advertiser

We noted deserted bars and nightclubs as we strolled back from dinner each night, music playing to empty chairs and bored-looking waiters. Deering had the answer: an average age on board of 54 years old, up 10 years from the usual average of 44 years old.

This is typical: The staff of this ship — the only one to operate a Honolulu-to-Honolulu itinerary 52 weeks a year — uses all kind of data to tweak the cruise schedule (demographics such as age, gender and country of origin; a daily "covers" report on who ate where and when; and other such information).

When I asked food and beverage director Ilias Tzanetoulakos about the lack of steamed rice at meals, for example, he reeled off stats to show that, of the 2,300 visitors on board, most probably prefer potatoes: On our cruise there were about 2,000 Americans (judging by accents, quite a few from the Deep South, which explains grits at breakfast), of whom just 100 to 150 were Islanders. About 100 Canadians, 70 Britons, 35 Australians and 15 Japanese were on board.

The crew are trained to turn on a dime when circumstances change. For example, when a mechanical problem made it impossible for us to sail to Fanning Island as planned, which meant fewer days at sea and more shore time for passengers (in added stops at Kona on the Big Island and Lahaina, Maui). With only 10 percent of passengers staying on board, they closed the main dining room for lunch. And they switched the date of the popular Chocoholic Buffet, normally held at tea time Wednesday, to a late-night spot Friday, so folks could spend time ashore without missing the feast.

Here's the deal

During a press tour of the bridge, First Officer Jarl Sortehaug explained how a global positioning system helps keep the ship on course. Bonnie Louise Judd • Special to The Advertiser

The best deals (as much as 70 percent off) tend to be on the less-luxurious levels of accommodation, however. Those include inside cabins with no windows, and windowed cabins with no balconies. For example, during one particular week, an inside cabin was offered for $989 per person double occupancy, a savings of 37 percent off the regular rate of $1,579, while suites were only at an 18 percent reduction, $3,349 instead of $4,099. I saw inside cabins offered for as low as $499 per person double occupancy (on the week of Dec. 14, just before the holidays, when few travel); regular inside cabin rates begin at $899.

The hard sell

The Norwegian Star stopped off Lahaina, where quick-moving tenders brought passengers ashore for tours and shopping. Bonnie Louise Judd • Special to The Advertiser

Even without succumbing to the sales pitches at every turn, expect to spend some money on board if you have a spa treatment, take a shore excursion, eat a meal at one of the "alternative" restaurants, buy cocktails or have wine with dinner. There are extras at every turn: spa products, videos, pictures, art auctions, duty-free shops, faxed newspaper subscriptions, Internet Café charges, fitness classes, tropical arrangements to send home.

The least Hawaiian place

All the Islanders we talked to commented on how little of Hawai'i there is about this cruise — except, of course, for the stunning views from the deck (to me, the very best part of the whole thing).

There was a single "Hawaiian Ambassador" aboard, who taught hula and crafts. And the Pacific Whale Foundation did some lectures on marine life. But there is no narration as you pass landmarks, the Hawaiian language is all but invisible, the flower arrangements are fake and a single Hawai'i CD mix played throughout the seven days (staff members with no Hawai'i background at all were singing "Uluwehi O Ke Kai" phonetically they'd heard it so many times!).

However, hotel director Deering said the cruise line was all ready to roll out a new Hawaiian cultural program before the decision was made to move the Norwegian Star to Alaska (the boat goes into drydock in April next year and begins Alaska runs in May). He promises that future ships here will offer more Hawaiian cultural information and atmosphere and showed us a brand-new Hawaiian music mix they commissioned. Maika'i!

Island-style

Tzanetoulakos, the food and beverage director, said there are three things everyone wants to experience on a Norwegian Star cruise: the Chocoholic Buffet, Lobster Night and Formal Night (when many passengers dress to the nines and get their pictures taken — "it's this old romantic cruising thing").

Tzanetoulakos said Hawai'i passengers are more likely than others to stay on board when the ship in port. "They are the ones that truly enjoy the ship. They try all the restaurants; they're very relaxed, because they can always see the Islands," he said.

And when we do get off the ship, our goals are somewhat different. In Hilo, I was out for Mountain Apple Brand smoked 'ahi for my husband and a Sig Zane holoku for myself. Most Islanders arrived back on board with boxes from Big Island Candies. But a Honolulu real-estate woman we met had another goal: the Hilo Ross which, she said, always has good stuff and is never crowded.

Only in the Islands.

Correction: A photograph at top shows the coastline of Kaua'i between Po'ipu and Nawiliwili. The location was misidentified in the caption in a previous version of this story.