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Just back from Hawaii on Wind...pictures online


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Guttermandave,

Great pictures, looks like you had a great time. Did you do a review anywhere?

if so please give me the link.We will be on the Wind on 31 July, 2004 and are looking for more recent cruise reviews. Thanks

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Excellent pictures, I am also sailing on the Wind on the 11th of September. Anything you can recommend, what excursions did you take? like and dislike?

 

Thanks for the info and excellent pictures. I see lots of people were sailing in hawaii on the Wind but you so far are the only one that has showed it.

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first off let me say that this is my opinion only, others may have different views.......as a past carnival and rccl cruiser (3 carnival & 2 rccl) ..i was anxious to sail on ncl and try "freestyle". the ship, for being 12 years old, was in great shape. the layout on deck 9 (if you had a cabin on 9) was a little odd. you HAD to walk through 4 seasons dining room to get to our room, but if you had a bathing suit on, they would not let u pass during eating hours..(go to deck 8 or 10 all the way to front then up then back) ya odd..i know...other than that, the ship is small but for the amount of passengers it was just right. i found that along with me there were MANY first time ncl cruisers onboard..and many of them didnt care for freestyle either..the service was very slow compared to carnival or rccl...also SOME, not all, but some of the wait staff seemed very distant and hurried, no chatting, but here's your food and thank you. actually, one morning at breakfast i told our waitress my scrambled eggs were too runny for me..and her reply was, "i am not the cook..you have to understand we are very busy.".....well excuuuse me!!!! i am used to a more personal experience with a "no questions asked" when problems arrise. the buffet, while the food was ok, the seating is not..only seating for aroung 180..ALWAYS jam packed for breakfast. and the last thing that did not stack up to carnival or rccl was the entertainment..the jean ann ryan company , IN MY OPINION, DOES NOT EVEN COME CLOSE to the shows on carnival...we left the 2nd,and 3rd show half way through. keep in mind folks..you asked for my insight!! lets see anything else...oh ya..the cruise director was not that great..but thats no biggie. other than that, which is a lot in my opinion, the cruise was great, the ports are great, with hilo, lahaina, and fanning island being my favorite stops...fanning was great, here is a tip...... do not go to the "ncl" beach where everyone goes...go past the market area to the left...there will be a path...follow the path for 50 yards or so..there will be some huts to the left, go in between the huts for an open beach with almost no tourists!! we shared the beach with 2 other couples while everyone else was bumping into each other at ncl's beach!!! if anyone has any specific questions about the cruise...GO AHEAD AN POST 'EM!! ............later, dave

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ALSO.....while on fanning, DEFINATELY do the walking tour with one of the free...yes i said FREE native tour guides...tell them you want to see the school, hospital, and church....right by the church is a great photo opportunity to get some pics of the ship...if it docks at the same place it did while we were there. *WARNING*...this walking tour took us a good 2 hours...it is very hot at fanning..even if you are from the south!! some people i talked to said there tour guide only took them about 30 mins, but they didnt see the school, hospital or church....so many people stay right at the dock and ncl area...the way we saw it...why go to such a remote and beautiful place and lay on the beach ALL day...we did a 2 hour FREE walking tour, but yes we did give him $50 bill...to which he seemed amazed, i hope more people tip these guys!! we also had time to eat, get our passports stamped, shop for an eternity, problably more like an hour or so (i dont care much for shopping :) ), and spent an hour at the beach. so if you cant tell by now...i really enjoyed fanning island....another thing...there is a lot of tender ports..fanning,kona,lahaina, and the itinerary may say fanning arrive 8am...but if you do not get tender tickets early (like stand in line before they even give em out) you will not be getting off the ship at 8..more like 9 or later....ok..thats it for now...ill post more tips as i think of em..........later, dave

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Sounds like fanning will be nice... and HOT! It's only a few degress from the equator, I believe. FREE excursions sound great. I'd rather they have the money, not the cruise line, though we still wouldn't tip as much as the tour would cost us through the line. THANKS again!

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Great pictures!! Sounds like fanning is terrific!! In Kona & Lahaina did you have to get in line before they started passing out tender tickets too just to get off the ship early?

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Guttermandave,

Thanks for your honest and insightful comments; some information is better than no information. As stated previously, we are on the July 31st sailing and are very excited about our trip. One of the main reasons for the trip is the Fanning Island stop, and the "decompression time" at sea. Thanks again for the information, and keep the information coming.

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We will be leaving on the wind in less than a week !!!! June 30!!!

Any advice on on-board tours and activities for kids?

 

As far as excusions:

Did you or your kids to the surf lessons or the tubin the ditch?

You advice on Fanning was great. Do they rent snorkle gear on the island?

 

Thanks!!

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i cant speak for kona because my sister got the tender tickets for us....but in lahaina, i went to dazzles about 10 minutes before tender tickets were to be issued and was about 30th in line....but got tender tickets in the 150 range, due to 1 person getting 10 tickets for a family....we were in the 3rd or so tender off...about 845 or 9am....remember though..if you do an (overpriced) tour through the ship, you will not need to get tender tickets...you will be some of the first to get off...we personally do not do ship excursions..so tender tickets were necessary...and also..the night we left hilo, we did circle the big island and DID see lava...from a distance..but still, we saw it!!

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werlucky....sorry, we didnt do any onboard excursions...they are so darn expensive...in lahaina i noticed that on the island..the helicopter tours were half the price of what the ship was selling them!! the prices were so much cheaper on your own...but some people like the security of booking them through the ship. and im sorry to say the kids activities were pretty non-existant...my 13 year old nieces got bored some, especially on the 4 at sea days to and from fanning, for that age there is not much to do...but between the pools and eating, my 9-11 year old nephews kept pretty busy.

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