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Pride of Aloha Inaugural June 11-13, 2004 Los Angeles-Catalina Island-Los Angeles
The amazing part
of this story is simply the fact that NCL America was able to transform
the former Norwegian Sky into the Pride of Aloha in
just three weeks of dry dock. We were told over 600 contract workers
worked 24 hours a day for 21 days to accomplish tremendous task. Not
The other amazing statistic about the Pride of Aloha is all of the 950 crew are US Citizens. This is the first US Flagged cruise ship in over 50 years and the entire crew must be US (or resident green card holders) and their employment must comply with US labor standards and policies. Just think what an undertaking this is for the cruise industry. Time and one half after 40 hour work weeks, minimum wage standards, liability and insurance issues, to name a few regulations new to the industry. This is going to be a very interesting situation to observe as NCL America has new ships entering the market over the next 2 years. This is the first of 3 US Flagged vessel’s which will operate in US ports of call. The majority of the crew we encountered were young Hawaiians working there first cruise position. They were recruited from the hospitality industry, the medical institutional industry and other people friendly businesses in the Hawaiian Islands. They were excited about their new industry and looked forward to experiencing the life of a ship-board worker. The Pride of Aloha has six restaurants, thirteen bars and lounges, three outdoor swimming pools, spa, basketball/sports court, shops featuring island garb and gear and the Kumu Cultural Center explaining life and history of Hawaii. The "Freestyle Hawaii" concept is totally ingrained into the lifestyle on board. The Palace Main Restaurant, Crossings Main Restaurant and the Huilau Café and Lanai serve continuously for dinner from 5:30 PM until Midnight. The Royal Palm Bistro, the Pacific Heights Restaurant and the Kahili Restaurant are reservations requested dining options with nominal service fees of $12.50 to $15.00 per person. The Royal Palm Bistro serves traditional French cuisine while Pacific Heights specializes in Asian fusion and fresh local fishes. Kahili is the Hawaiian restaurant, featuring local and Mediterranean fare. Once the ship arrives at its Hawaiian home-port and begins regular cruises we hope to revisit her and see how everything has settled down. There is no doubt that anyone wanting to get a taste of the islands should consider this as a first choice. The cruise itinerary and time the ship spends in ports will allow even the most intrepid traveler to really get a feel for the Hawaiian islands and all they have to offer. Contributed by Jim Huff. The views expressed in this report are solely those of the author. June 2004 |
