We headed for the pier around 3 pm. This was the moment of truth. My expectations were high. We boarded NCL‘s Pride of America, which was amazingly easy. At first glimpse the ship seemed deserted. We just went ahead to our stateroom and settled in. Our balcony room on the 13th deck featured an incredible view. As it turned out all the other passengers were at the safety check, putting on the life vest and learning how to evacuate in case of an emergency. Well we missed it, and after talking with our fellow travelers we did not miss much.

This cruise is a vibrant Americana-themed ship which offers Freestyle Cruising, meaning “void of schedules” other than our tee times. The ship has 11 restaurants with a relaxed dress code, (Hawaiian shirts, shorts and flip-flops) a night club and even a golf shop! It also had an incredibly large pool, which seems to be the center attraction. Lots of music, drinks and good times to be had there. By the way, luxury never means stuffy on this ship. The freestyle eating was great, with a wide selection of places to eat around the clock including room service. It is a wonder that we could fit into our clothing after seven days!

Our first port was Hilo. As they say “Hula down to Hilo,” which has been dubbed “Hawaii‘s forgotten city” on the east coast of the Big Island. Hilo is the colorful kaleidoscope of Hawaii and worth seeing. The downtown area of Hilo contains Hawaii’s largest collection of historic buildings, dating back to the turn of the last century. There are plenty of restaurants, museums, rain forests and the beautiful Nani Mau Gardens to explore. There weren’t any planned activities so most of us rented cars and took off sightseeing. That evening we decided to enjoy our balcony view and capture the sunset and the evening lava flow glowing at night from the Kilauea volcano. What an extraordinary experience seeing the lava flow down the hillside into the ocean at night.

So on to the real nuts and bolts of this cruise…Golf and on to Maui for two days. Day one had us golfing at Makena South and day two at Wailea Gold. Since we golfed early each day everyone went sightseeing after golf. Maui offers golden sand beaches and secluded coves. On the western shore is Lahaina which was the capital of Hawaii during its royal days and much of it has been restored as it was a century ago. Maui’s most spectacular sight is Mount Haleakala with its enormous crater large enough to hold Manhattan. Mauians have a saying: Maui No Ka Oi, or, Maui is the Best.

On day four I felt like I had been vacationing for much longer. The ship pulled into Kona on the other side of the Big Island. The ship does not come into the dock area so we shuttled in to shore on small boats which they call “tenders.” We then headed off to the Mauna Lani South Golf Course - WOW! What an incredible golf course along the ocean on the Big Island.

Day five, the Hawaiian Island of Kauai! The wettest spot on earth is said to be Kauai’s Mount Waialeale with an average rainfall of 485 inches per year. With its abundance of rainbows and lush vegetation it has earned the title of “the Garden Island.” We golfed at Kauai Lagoons…yet another must-play golf course. The fairways offer stunning island vistas at every turn, creating a relaxing atmosphere in the midst of a challenging game of golf, that is if you can keep focused on the golf and not the view.

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Get Ready To Go Cruising!

Come join us in 2008 for our next seven day Hawaiian Cruise on the Pride of America. We will be departing on October 11th, 2008 from Honolulu, Hawaii. Prior to our departure we will be meeting in Maui for an optional three day golf camp. All golfers are welcome so sign up today. Costs start at about $1,100 per person, double occupancy for just a cabin on the ship. Bring the entire family and friends with you. For more information call or email me at 1-888-628-4653 x 137 or at jmartin@naturalgolf.com.