Review: Ncl Wind 6/19/04 Hawaii

[Isaac]

EMBARKATION

Not a real smooth operation. Unfortunately, I think we arrived right after a couple of large Roberts Hawaii buses unloaded so the line was long and slow. We were in the Lattitudes line, which took us 12 minutes longer than the regular line (we timed it).

 

THE SHIP

This ship has received a lot of criticism in the past, but we really enjoyed it. It was refreshing to have so much deck space. Deck 7 has a full wrap around promenade. From there, you can take forward or aft stairways all the way to deck 12 without having to go inside. Teak decking and wood trim were generous on the upper decks, however blue Astroturf and plastic tiling cheapened the appearance of the lower decks.

 

Public areas were small and intimate, but comfortable and rarely overcrowded. The Monte Carlo Casino had been stripped of all things casino (Hawaiian Law) and served mostly as a home to the art auctions and aerobics (interesting combo). Lucky’s had a lot of intimate sitting areas. The Rendezvous Bar area between the two main dining rooms usually served as a board gaming area during the day. It did get crowded and gamers overflowed into Le Bistro.

 

I had read some complaints about traffic flow on this ship as a result of the stretch that was done in 1998. The addition of the Four Seasons dining room blocks off deck 9 forward. As a result, many people would use the dining room as a means of getting from one end of deck 9 to the other. This problem could probably be solved by closing the rear door of the dining room so it cannot be used as a thoroughfare. Many ships have galleys that block passage on a deck and passengers quickly learn to go up or down a deck to get by. I only say this because it’s a little weird to see people cruising back and forth (sometimes in swim attire) throughout your meal.

 

CABIN

We were in 9220 (cat CC), just forward of the Four Seasons. It was a good size—I think NCL says they’re about 194 sq. ft. We had a small sitting area with a love seat and two chairs and a very large window. Bathroom was regular cruise ship sized, but had quite a bit of storage shelves. Closet space was good. The condition of the cabin was less than stellar. The wall around the window was peeling and stained. Our couch looked like it must have been original to the ship—stained and worn. Same with the chairs, sofa pillows, and bed spread.

 

Our cabin stewards were excellent. They always got the place spiffed up, but never bothered us. We received a complimentary bottle of champagne in our cabin from NCL upon embarkation. One day we received a fruit basket and another we received a cheese and cracker plate. There didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason as to why we got what when, but it was a nice bonus.

 

Our cabin category did come with Concierge service, which seemed kind of silly to us. We did get VIP tender tickets from the concierge for the tender ports, which was nice—especially in Fanning Island (more on that later). We didn’t use the concierge for restaurant reservations. It was just as easy to call reservations as it would have been to call the concierge and ask him to call reservations for us. I would say it’s a nice bonus to get the VIP tender tickets, but I wouldn’t book a higher cabin category solely for this service.

 

DINING

On our previous NCL cruise (Sky to Alaska last summer), we felt that the food and service were not quite up to the level we had experienced on other lines, but we still enjoyed most of our meals and it did not deter us from booking another NCL cruise.

 

More so than on other ships, the dining rooms on the Wind seem to get more play for breakfast and lunch because of the lack of ample buffet facilities. The best buffet option was usually the poolside breakfast and lunchtime BBQ. The Sports Bar was much too small to handle the buffet crowds and the pizzeria was kind of a mini-buffet that ironically, had pizza rivaled only by my elementary school cafeteria.

 

Breakfasts and lunches in the dining were good. Dinners were usually very good, though service was hit or miss. We almost always felt like were being rushed through dinner, which is not pleasant when you’re having a 4-5 course meal. It was not uncommon to see the assistant waiter bring the first two or three courses out on a tray. It’s hard to enjoy your appetizer when you’re watching your soup get cold at the waiter station. Waiters often cleared empty plates and replaced them with the next course all at the same time (no down time between courses). I’m not sure if NCL is responding to complaints of slow service or if we just got unlucky, but unlike previous cruises, we rarely got excited about going to dinner. In one case, out waitress was in such a hurry, she dropped a plate by my foot. Normally not a problem, except for the fact that she made no effort to apologize or pick it up. It remained shattered on the floor for 15 minutes until her assistant picked it up. This was an isolated incident, but a good indication of the hurried pace.

 

We preferred Terraces over Four Seasons (same menu)—the dining room seemed to be better managed, better organized, and not quite as rushed. We had several dinners at Trattorria (formerly Sun Terrace), which is a fixed-menu, no surcharge Italian specialty restaurant. This was our favorite dining room. We liked the design of the dining room (ironically more terraced than Terraces), the food was usually very good, and the service tended to be a little better, though still rushed at times. We didn’t eat at Le Bistro. Comment cards were used sporadically in the dining rooms on this ship. Unfortunately, they always seemed to be missing when we received questionable service, though we always took the time to fill them out if we got one. We thought the hostesses were excellent on this ship. Extremely friendly and conversational. We always asked for a table for two. They all seemed to remember this and just seated us at tables for two for the remainder of the cruise.

 

PORTS/EXCURSIONS

Hilo

We rented a car from Dollar. Took a while to get off the ship and once we did, we had to wait about 20 minutes for the Dollar shuttle to pick us up. After that, it was smooth sailing. We drove to Volcanoes National Park and hiked to the lava flow. Good fun.

 

Kahului

Rented a car with Alamo and did the road to Hana. I’d recommend taking a box lunch or some snacks if you do this drive. Only a few places to eat in Hana and the selection is slim. Rather than turning back at Hana, we chose to complete the grand circle tour of Maui and keep on going. The best waterfall we saw all day was past Hana. There are also some amazing changes in topography. The road gets a little rough and unpaved at times, but it’s manageable. We saw people with Chrysler Sebrings having no problem. The time it took to get back to Kahului was probably the same amount it took for us to get to Hana.

 

Lahaina

We did the Catch a Wave surf lessons. It was excellent. I think everyone in our group got up on their board. The waves are miniature and the instructors were great. They provided boards, surf shoes, and rash guards.

 

Nawilili

We did the Kipu Ranch ATV. Steep price ($150), but worth every penny. A group of 12 of us had five guides and we went through Kipu Ranch, a private cattle ranch where movies like Jurassic Park and Raiders of the Lost Ark were filmed. Our favorite excursion.

 

Fanning Island

We were really looking forward to this port and it did not disappoint. Unfortunately, the ship had engine problems on the way down so we arrived 3 hours late. Our visit was cut short as we were only there from 11 to 4. Take into account tendering and that’s a short visit. Our Napali Beach excursion was cancelled because of the time so we rented bikes for a couple hours. I highly recommend this. It was an excellent way to get away from the somewhat developed and NCL-ized dock area and see how people on the island live. Nothing like we’ve seen before. And beautiful too. We later heard from several crew that the ship is often late to Fanning because of engine problems. As one crew said, “They stretched the ship, but they did not stretch the engines.” The ship is supposed to have a cruising speed of 21 knots, but we never saw it get over 17.5 (speedometer on cabin TV) even before the “engine problem,” so I’m not sure if the engine problems are a regular occurrence or if she’s just slower than they like to admit. We benefited here from the VIP tender tickets, which allowed us to maximize our time in port. Some people weren’t able to get off the ship until 1:30, leaving only two hours in port.

 

Kona

We did the rafting/snorkel trip. It was a large, rigid inflatable (kind of an oversized zodiac) that could probably hold about 20, though there were only 10 on the excursion, which was nice. We saw spinner dolphins and checked out some lava tubes and a blow hole. Had about 45 minutes of snorkeling in crystal clear water. All in all, a fun trip that left us some time in the afternoon to shop around Kona.

 

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

We really enjoyed the ship and the itinerary. It’s a great way to sample the islands and do a wide variety of activities. We like the flexibility of Freestyle, but felt we really sacrificed a quality dining experience in the process. Usually when we finish a cruise, we’re somewhat depressed when we have to start going to restaurants and paying for meals. This was the first time that our post-cruise meals have been higher caliber (food and service) than on the cruise itself (excluding American Hawaii 12 years ago). Because of that, we’ll probably sail on other lines in the near future unless NCL is offering an itinerary that we absolutely love (as they were in this case) that no one else is offering. Nevertheless, we had a great time and have a lot of great memories.

[Zeno]

Nicely balanced review. Personally I don't expect mass produced ship cuisine to compare with the restaurants I go to on land (but I live in a large city with some incredible dining choices). What amazes me is when I am occasionally surprised by a really excellent meal on ship. Was it the food itself or the rushed dining experience that you found wanting. BTW - you are much more sanguine than I would have been about the dropped plate - I think an apology and quick clean-up were in order. We were fortunate that on our cruise on Sky, the dining room service was excellent. Oddly enough the only (minor) service issue we had was in the Italian specialty restaurant.

It's interesting how things can vary from ship to ship and cruise to cruise on the same cruise line. So nice to hear that you did not let any disappointments ruin your vacation.

[Isaac]

Probably more the service than the food. The fact that we were so rushed made it hard to enjoy the food. I know what you mean about different experiences by ship, sailing, restaurant, etc...that's why I try to be careful about making broad generalizations.

[mfanderso]

Thanks for the review of the Wind. We leave on July 21 and are really looking forward to it. We have also signed up for the ATV on Kauai. I am glad to hear it is a good trip.

[hoopsreferee2001]

Thanks for the review Isaac, I have been dying to hear what ther cruise was like.

 

Sounds like all in all, the trip was a good one.

 

Couple of questions for you...

 

1) Would you recommend renting a car (my guess is yes), and if so, what ports would you recommend?

 

2) What's something you wished you had done, but didn't?

 

3) What's something you did, but wished you didn't?

 

4) How were the shows/night life aboard the ship?

[Isaac]

1) Would you recommend renting a car (my guess is yes), and if so, what ports would you recommend?

I think a car is a great option in any of the ports. Worked great for volcanoes in Hilo and Hana from Kahului. I don't think I would rent in Kahului and Lahaina. You can drive most of the island in one day and Lahaina has a lot to see by foot (not so much in Kahului). Most of the major car rental companies seemed to have shuttles at the piers.

 

2) What's something you wished you had done, but didn't?

It would have been nice to do a helicopter in Kauai, but I wouldn't have traded our ATV excursion for anything. It's possible to do both in one day, but we couldn't bring ourselves to spend $800 on excursions in one port. Besides, we need a reason to go back...

 

3) What's something you did, but wished you didn't?

I don't think we have any regrets about the things we did. We were thrilled with all of our excursions. It's good to have car rental reservations if you plan to do that--some places sell out or come close. You might try calling to see if any of them have deals for the ship. Some seemed to be offering them.

 

4) How were the shows/night life aboard the ship?

We're more likely to take a nice walk on delk after dinner than go to the show or disco so I can't speak much to the night life. The disco was small and kind of mellow. Lucky's usually had live music. Great place to get a drink and listen. A lot of people rave about NCL's shows...just not for us.

 

You'll love it. Enjoy.

[helpme]

How many formal nights were on this cruise, was it an 11 day. Could you pre-order wine at a discount.

[Isaac]

It was an 11 night. I believe there was one optional formal night. Trattoria was designated as the formal dining room, but we saw some people in formal wear in the regular dining rooms.

[jad828]

Thanks so much for the review. I have been waiting for a recent review. I can't wait to go!

Do you have any photos to share??

[jad828]

I forgot to ask...was the ATV tour $150 pp?? How many does it fit? We did one in Mexico and it was about $150 per ATV not pp and it fit 2.

Just curious...thanks!

[sapsucker]

Isaac,

 

 

Was the formal night on the 11-day cruise the night you depart Kauai? I was also wondering about any specials (i.e. laundry, LeBistro, Internet Cafe) the Wind might have had during the cruise?

Thanks for a great review.

[Isaac]

I can't recall the night they had formal night. I want to say it was a sea day (because they usually are), but I honestly don't recall (we went casual).

 

ATV was $150pp and everyone had their own machine. I'm not sure if they would let you double up, but they'd probably charge the same. I liked having my own ATV to race around on. They recommend long pants...I'd wear shorts/swim trunks if I did it again. My jeans were solid mud from the knee down (by my own doing). Towards the end, you have an opportunity to swing on from the Raiders of the Lost Ark tree into the river. Didn't seem fun in jeans, but a good way to get the mud off. If you're not keen on getting muddy, I wouldn't worry. The fiont half our group came out pretty clean. Some of us in the back rode a little more aggressively through the woods and sprayed mud everywhere. Of course, if it's really rainy, you'll probably all get muddy. We sent our clothes to the laundry on the ship. Well worth the few bucks. This was a great excursion. We plan to use this company when we return to Kauai in a few years.

 

Specials...they didn't run any for Le Bistro. There was an internet package (X minutes for Y dollars) that they billed as an embarkation "special," but I think it was available throughout. About a week into the cruise, they offered a laundry special. $25 for everything you can fit in a laundry bag. Pack light and take advantage of this.

[sapsucker]

Isaac,

 

 

Thanks. I have another question on Kona. We would like to do the Fairwinds sail and snorkel but we are thinking we might not make it down to the area in time. It is approximately 25 minutes from where the tenders set in. How quickly did you get on a tender at Kona?

[Isaac]

We were on an excursion and I believe our meeting time on the ship was 8:30...we were probably on shore by 9. Unfortunately, if you aren't on an excursion and don't have VIP tender tickets, your cruising second class (not really, you might just feel like it as you watch 75% of passengers get off before you). It's tough to say when you'd be able to get off. The excursion we took was run by the Fair Wind company. The Fair Wind catamaran went to the same snorkel site we did. It was an excellent site. Have fun.

[Vdubbeetle1972]

Excellent review, not very biased.. I am also on the Wind September 11 sailing. We are doing the ATV ride and it looks great and Im glad you were able to say that it was great. I can't wait till we sail, as this is my first cruise. That sucks that they are having slow issues in the dining rooms but hopefully they get it taken care off before september.

[VickieLynn]

I recently sailed on the Wind from Honolulu. Having been on Carnival, Holland America and Celebrity before, I was extremely dissapointed. First, the positive: Stateroom was fine in Category C. Stateroom attendants were excellent. Restaurant staff friendly. I am a travel agent, and let me just say that I would never be able to book clients on the Wind unless they insisted that she was the ship they had to be on. I too, took this ship due to price and itinerary. The few people that I spoke to that had never sailed before liked it, but the people that had sailed on other lines, and in some cases other NCL ships, were very eager for the cruise to be over. The food was very dissapointing. We had a few dinners that were okay, but for the most part, the food was terrible. One night, one of the starters was "Gruyere Crepes" and a plate arrived with what looked like 2 breaded mozzerella sticks. This type of thing was common for the entire cruise.The lobster did not taste like lobster and was dry. The buffet in the Sports Bar was very limited and drinks and water were self serve. Out of the 11 days, shrimp cocktail was served only once at dinner. We had a wheelchair and there are no designated lines and certain parts of the ship are totally inacessible with a wheelchair. FYI, there is 1 formal night and 1 optional formal night, which you do not know about until the news is delivered that morning.I had called reception and asked if there would be another formal night and was told no. Some of us decided that we would dress formal that evening since we had brought the clothes anyway, and then the next morning the Freestyle was delivered and indicated "Optional Formal Dress". They did not seem to be very informed at the reception desk. I had read on these posts of the sewage smell and being a travel agent, I always give the benefit of the doubt, but there was definitely a strong sewage smell in the hallway. A word of caution, ask reception when they will be clearing the water lines because our water came out of the faucet BROWN for about 8 hours one day. I too felt as though the "Freestyle Dining" has taken away from the dining experience. Very loud, with wait stations very close to tables and more like a cafeteria experience than a fine dining room. Trattoria was a nice atmosphere, but they have the same menu for all 11 days. The shows were also not up to par, and the sound system in the theatre very poor. I saw many people standing in the doorway, because the theatre would fill up quickly and many people had to miss the shows. There was never a band playing outside during the day, except embarkation day. I always try to enjoy myself whether I am at a 4 star of 6 star resort. I feel that you make your own fun. But I expected more from a cruise as far as dining, entertainment and overall cleanliness on the ship.

[mfanderso]

That's too bad that you had an unfortunate experience with your cruise. 10 of us just got off the Wind and we all had a wonderful time and had no complaints with any of it. I am glad our travel agent didn't try to steer us another direction!

[NitaBcruising]

I was on the Wind last fall, shortly after refurbishment. It was fine, not wonderful, but good enough! I prefer other lines and ships, but was looking for a bargain, and just booked for 4/30/05. I know what I'm up against, and willing to settle for less, so not too concerned! Itinerary and price guide me mostly!

 

Thanks for all your comments though, as do like to be prepared for anything unusual or new!

I'm still waiting for a definitive reply on another thread, about the casino. I've heard it both ways, no casino at all. Or the casino was open to and from Fanning. Recent cruisers, which is it??? :confused: :)

[mfanderso]

No casino on the Wind. They played bingo to and from Fanning Island but that is all. The casino has been taken out and that is where they have the art auctions.

[NitaBcruising]

No casino on the Wind. They played bingo to and from Fanning Island but that is all. The casino has been taken out and that is where they have the art auctions.

Thanks for the info! Disappointing, but will be cheaper for me!! :D

[candydane]

Isaac,

 

Do you think there was a better side of the ship -- one that most often faced the island activities when the ship was docked? Do you recommend a port or starboard cabin? :confused:

 

Linda

[weedynorto]

was there laundry service on the wind. Would rather pack lite. I say that now but I am sure when I start packing more will go in then planned

[Jules1]

We're just home from the 7-31-04 Wind sailing.

 

There is laundry service - no self-serve machines. They offer a laundry "special" - $25.00 for all the laundry you can stuff into their bag (we got 49 items stuffed into the sack). The special was 7 days into our cruise, and the clean laundry was returned 9 days into our cruise (11 day cruise). We received the laundry back Mon. evening and disembarked Wed morning. So, I'm not sure if it would help to pack light or not.

 

We enjoyed our starboard location.

 

As the previous poster mentioned - the food was terrible. We did enjoy Le Bistro and ate there 3 times, and probably should have added $30.00 a day for the cruise and eaten there every evening. We kept on hoping that the food in the dining room would be acceptable - it wasn't. Plus, we did want to eat that heavily every evening.

[cruisemissile]

We were on the Wind for the `10 day cruise on 7/10/04. I'm a picky eater and I thought the food was fine, I had NO complaints so I guess food quality is a matter of opinion...(if not taste). Food service was also good. There is a smell occasionally(rotten egg like) it emanates from deck 7 on the stbd side, thats where its most prevalent. Only smelled it once inside, during an evening show. The cruise itself was great, the ship, crew and food were fine as was service, embarkation and disembarkation all went quickly and smoothly

and the shows were good, we had Homer Noodleman, George Solomon and ?? ccan't think of the comedians name, Jeff something! Fanning is a site to see and the excursions were awesome. We did the Kauai helicopter and that was exceptional. Booked that thru adventuremaui.com though. I could do without the Luau on Maui. Friends did a precruise luau on Honolulu that was inexpensive and very good, $50/person.

The "smell" comes from a design flaw in the raw water(dirty shower water) processing tanks.

**NOTE: When going to Fanning, consider donating a few pencils, markers, pens, notebooks, coloring books to the school there, they appreciate it and you'll see why!!

Go with an open mind and have a good time, the cabins were fine too.

[cruisemissile]

Isaac, nice review, I agree with most of it, we had a great time on 7/10/04.

 

I have an indepth review on the WIND under the "REviews" section.

ALSO, mention to the Hotel Director that you are cruisecritic members and would they

host a gathering for you. We did it and they Gladly met with the 10 of us for an hour in a private meeting room, the capt attended, the Staff Capt. Hotel dir and cruise Dir. They were trully interested in our opinions.

Enjoy your cruise, I wish I was going again!

Dom