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NCL's newest vessel to ply the Hawaiian Islands gets a full inspection from FTF's admiral and falls short on "aloha-ness."

Frankly, cruise ships that ply the Hawaiian Islands have a hard time competing with the destination itself. Who has time to explore the ship and take advantage of the on-board programs for kids and adults when some of the best excursions in the industry await on shore? During a recent sailing with my 13-year-old daughter Chloe, however, an unusually rainy weather pattern derailed many of our outings and gave us time to get to know the Pride of America, whose long-awaited debut got even veteran cruisers excited.

Purpose-built for Hawaii, the ship offers much of what Norwegian Cruise Lines is famous for: Freestyle Dining, an unpretentious ambience and even some surprises we weren't expecting. The cruises sail roundtrip to the four major Hawaiian Islands from Oahu.

Check-in

Quick and easy. Rather than line up outside in the sun, the Honolulu cruise terminal offers plenty of room to wait inside, and staff keep the line moving quickly.

Tip: Oahu gets short shrift on the Hawaii inter-island cruises, which is too bad, since it offers some of the best activities in the state. I recommend arriving a few days early or tacking on a post-cruise stay so that you can – at the very least – take in Pearl Harbor, the Polynesian Cultural Center on the north shore, and maybe even a surfing lesson on Waikiki Beach.

Décor

Don't expect an in-your-face Hawaii theme on this ship, unlike the Pride of Hawaii which, along with the Pride of Aloha, also offers inter-island cruising in Hawaii. Here the décor honors all 50 states, from the Central Atrium designed to resemble the U.S. Capitol Building – complete with a glass dome – to the SS. America Library, Newbury St. shops and South Beach pool. There are plenty of whimsical notes in the outdoor décor, as well, including statues of lifeguards at the Waikiki Bar and giant faucet and shower spouts that actually spray water.

Staterooms

Splurge on one of the ship's six Family Suites, which offer balconies and 360-square-feet of living space divided into a living room with sofa bed, separate bedroom with two twins or a queen and a den with a single sofa bed. Or stay in an ocean-view balcony stateroom like we did, with two twin beds, plenty of storage – even enough for Chloe's shoes -- and a sitting area with a TV, desk/vanity.

Service

Much has been said and written about the service on NCL's Hawaii ships, particularly when the Pride of Aloha debuted in 2004, and a lot of was negative. In order to sail in Hawaii without leaving U.S. waters, the ships are required to employ all-American crews, and NCL has been quick to admit that this posed some challenges at first. The good news is that the cruise line has ironed out most of these problems, and on subsequent Hawaii cruises I've been on, including this one, we found the service to be just fine.

Rave: The unusually bad weather during our cruise was a challenge to the staff. One of the most popular on-shore evening activities, a luau in Maui, was rained out, leaving the kitchen staff with the task of preparing hundreds more meals than expected for dinner. The evening went off without a hitch. In addition, automatic refunds were issued for canceled excursions, and when possible, passengers were given options for alternate activities.