HENRY NOWICKI
15 May 2002
HENRY NOWICKI
15 May 2002
The new Norwegian Star is a delightful vessel, well run, with excellent entertainment and a hospitable staff. The ship has had good reviews although there have been some rough spots when Hawaiian operations began in December of last year. Most especially, tendering problems at the ports of Lahaina and Kona have been eliminated by the substitution of Kahului and Hilo, respectively.
Apr 21 Sunday. Embarking at about 1300 at Pier 10 in Honolulu Harbor was exceedingly easy and exploration of the ship began immediately. With ten restaurants the so-called freestyle dining was indeed interesting and pleasant throughout the week-long voyage. Everything seemed to be in order even the adult slides at the swimming pool. I found the free spa area, not to be confused with the spa-for-fee spaces adjacent, with its hot jacuzzis to be the best single spot on the ship. Lounges with excellent views of the stern and the ship's wake were uncrowded due probably to the little publicity given to its existence.
Departure from Honolulu at 2000 was picturesque with the lights of the city all aglow.
Apr 22 Monday Hilo, the largest city and port on the big island of Hawaii, is known for its rainy days and this was no exception; however, it was a gentle drizzle of no real significance. Many passengers headed for the Volcanoes National Park located to the southwest some thirty-five miles up the slopes of Kilauea. I had been there countless times so I spent a part of the day along the nearby gardens and shoreline of the Hilo region.
Apr 23 Tuesday at sea. It is about 1,000 nautical miles from Hawaii to Fanning Island so at 25 knots, forty hours of constant cruising is required to meet the legal requirements of the Passenger Services Act which require a visit at a suitable foreign port for non-US cruise vessels when carrying US citizens. There was a moderate sea and some passengers reported feeling uncomfortable but I did not consider the ship's movements to be too marked. The vibration at the stern, however, was very noticeable at higher speeds.
Apr 24 Wednesday at Fanning Island, Kiribati (pronounced key-ree-bas'). Inasmuch as the island has no deep-water pier, a tender operation was necessary but it seemed to pose no real problem since two catamarans have been shipped to the island to supplement the ship's small vessels. NCL has created a pleasant beach complex and the barbecue-type food offerings were very acceptable. I rented a bicycle for a couple of hours (NCL has imported over ninety bikes) and enjoyed the activity. I encountered a local pastor who was engaged in catching frigate birds in order to train them similar to homing pigeons. They are used in local competitions. Other passengers thought the water sports were enjoyable but there were still others who thought there was nothing of interest on the island so, as you might expect, there can be a very great range of views as to the attractions on Fanning Island.
Apr 25 Thursday at sea. Again, another forty hours of sailing back north to Hawaii was required but the day at sea was welcome. I can appreciate that many passengers had no idea that so much time of their voyage was consumed by the visit to Fanning. It involved all the time between the port visit to Hilo on Monday until the port visit to Maui on Friday! I would suggest that NCL revise their itinerary so that Maui is visited all day on Monday to be followed by a half day on the Big Island of Hawaii and then the long trip to Fanning. The return trip can be direct to Nawiliwili thus saving distance and permit more time in port before returning to Honolulu the following day.
Apr 26 Friday in Kahului, Maui. A local community sponsored shuttle was available to transport passengers across the island to the interesting little old port town of Lahaina. A number of passengers rented cars and drove up to Haleakala, a dormant volcano at over 10,000 feet of elevation.
Apr 27 Saturday in Lihue (Nawiliwili). The port is minutes away from the lovely Marriott hotel located on a nearby pocket beach. Incidentally, a Hawaiian Monk Seal was sleeping on the beach and a caution tape was set up around the endangered seal so that he could rest unmolested. Incidentally, the pool at the hotel is a knockout and should be visited if possible. Again, a number of passengers rented cars and explored the canyons on the western end of the island and the interesting north shore coastline where many movies have been made over the years.
Apr 28 Sunday the Norwegian Star arrived in Honolulu at 0700 and I debarked at 0900 at just about the end of the line. The procedure was simple for US citizens as all the formalities had been accomplished in the initial return to US territory in Kahului, Maui.
Overall, the cruise was excellent in almost every respect. The itinerary could be modified a bit and the Hawaiian/Pacific theme could be enhanced. A series of lectures covering the islands and ports should be introduced and entertainment groups from each port in Hawaii might be brought onboard. There are many excellent groups to invite and undoubtedly they would create a better impression of the local culture which is fun and informative.
Travel/Cruise Accounts by the Author.
World Port Directory.
Copyright 2002, All Rights Reserved.
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