NCL Wind 8/11 review

[giggles217]

Just wondering which island and / or excursion you considered the best and which were the most disappointing?

 

Also what type of cabin did you have?

[cdbisme]

Hard to beat any of the ports - you are in Hawaii after all. The hardest part is there is too much to do and too many choices.

 

Best excursion we did was in Maui - Downhill Bicycling. Highly recommended for any adventurous sorts. Basically you go up to 10,000 feet (above the cloud level!) and coast down. It's not physically demanding (although your hands get tired from braking) but it can a little scary on the way up when you see what you are getting into. A lot of hairpin turns, but really it's a lot easier to do than you think.

 

Honorable mention to Fanning Island. It was worth the $20 to go to the private beach. I thought there was a HUGE difference between the regular beach and the "special" beach. A lot more room and a lot less people.

 

Actually, the worst (although I hate to say worst, it was all good) was Waikiki. We stayed there two nights after the cruise. It was beautiful, but really crowded and expensive. We weren't on Oahu long enough to get out of Honolulu, but Waikiki was too much like the city life you are trying to escape. Too hectic. Of course, Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head and the beach are still great.

[Umbarger]

Could those of you that were on the Wind please tell me about the Service Charges charged to your account? I called NCL and they said it was not for gratuities but could not tell me what the service charges were for. $10 per person per day will add up to $300 for my cabin. For What????? Thank you in advance for your comments.

[Host CMLA]

Could those of you that were on the Wind please tell me about the Service Charges charged to your account? I called NCL and they said it was not for gratuities but could not tell me what the service charges were for. $10 per person per day will add up to $300 for my cabin. For What????? Thank you in advance for your comments.

On the Wind until May of 2005, the service charge IS for gratuities and it can be adjusted. After May 2005 it will be just a fee and not adjustable and not for tips. NCL and others have gone round and round about what the service fee actually is. I think it's just another fee to make money like hotels charge and airlines charge and you don't know what it's really for.

[Umbarger]

Thanks so much for your help. That takes a load off. I prefer to tip the old fashioned way. Old habits die hard. :-)

[KENWRTKR]

VT71....thanks for the review. We're really looking forward to the Wind on 10/2/04. I'm just driving myself nuts trying to figure out our itineraries on each island. There is so much to do. We were only in Hawaii once in 1982 on Waikiki so we want to see as much as possible. Hopefully, we'll then know which islands we want to come back to and do a land vacation.:):)

My wife and I will be celebrating our honeymoon on the Wind on your dates, this forum is really neat -- ken