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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: B. Kauzlar
Email: bkauzlar@d93.dupage.k12.il.us
Age: 47
Occupation: Teacher
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: AmericanHawaii-Independence
SailingDate: 07/18/98
Itinerary: Hawaii
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 80`
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 75
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 70
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 65
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 99
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 79
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 65
EmbarkDisembark: 70
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 75
Stabilization: 75
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 26 Jul 1998
Time: 11:17:59
Remote Name: 209.7.115.38
Remote User:
Comments
The only reason to sail with this line is to see the Hawaiian Islands. The itinerary was
well planned, but the ship itself is a big disappointment. It is old and
poorly designed. The windows on the deck were so filthy that you could barely see out of
them. It is difficult to get around on the ship because there is no
central area with elevators/stairs for going from deck to deck. I think the problem is
that this cruise line has a monopoly on the route. This may be beneficial
to them, but it is very bad for the customers. A healthy dose of good old competition
might force them to provide better facilities. The crew was helpful and
friendly, but they often contradicted themselves in giving out information. The printed
materials would say one thing, but the people would say something
different. The land excursions were overpriced. We rented a compact car from Avis on each
island and were able to see the same sights and sometimes
even more for less money. I realize that you are paying for the convenience of having
someone else do the driving, but you are also paying for the
inconvenience of having to be on their time schedule. At Volcanoes National Park on the
island of Hawaii, for example, we were able to visit fantastic
sections of the park that the tour bus did not go near. But my biggest complaint was that
when we left the ship, we entrusted our luggage to the cruise line
to be delivered to our designated airline and they delivered it to a different airline. We
had to track it down at the airport ourselves and haul it to the proper
place. And when we told two different cruise line representatives at the airport about
this, they didn’t even apologize.
Name: A. Kober
Email: Thor98@uswest.net
Age: 47
Occupation: Writer
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: AmericanHawaii-Independence
SailingDate: October 24
Itinerary: Kauai, Maui, The Big Island
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 70
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 70
FoodLidoDeck: 60
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 25
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 70
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 1
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 75
EmbarkDisembark: 70
DiscoNightclubs: 40
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 70
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 75
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 02 Nov 1998
Time: 10:56:19
Remote Name: 207.225.103.85
Remote User:
Comments
We warn anyone taking this cruise not to book their airfare through American Hawaii
cruises. You
get a 'bulk rate' ticket, which means you can get any lousy routing any airline wants to
sell. On
our return, we had to fly to Denver via Newark. We left Honolulu at 8:30 p.m. and arrived
in
Denver at 2:30 p.m. the next day. We'd already paid for the cruise by the time we got our
tickets
and our travel agent said that there was nothing she or the cruise line could (or would)
do to
change our tickets.
The ship is old, the rooms are small and many of the shows in the evening were crowded
into
rooms that were too small.
On the plus side, the ports of call on this cruise are fabulous if you've never been to
Hawaii
before, because you get to 'sample' all the islands. We went to Kauai for one day, spent
two
days on Maui, one day in Hilo (forgettable) and one day in Kona. The excursions were very
well
planned and designed for everyone from the athletic person to the relatively infirm.
Another
option is to rent a car and see the sights on your own, which we did for two days. My
husband
and daughter took a helicopter ride over Volcanoes National Park and loved it.
Our 14-year-old daughter was bored some of the time, since she was the only teen-age girl
on
board -- Christmas and summer have the teen programs. She still had a good time with us,
but
it's frustrating when your parents are around 50 and you're 14 and want to be busy every
moment.
One of the best parts of this cruise is the friendly staff on board. They are marvelous.
Also, the
performances by the entertainers from the ship were wonderful, particularly the hulas done
at
night when we passed by lava flows on the Big Island.
The entertainment was mostly designed for older passsengers, except for one 'fifties'
night that
was great. The shows change throughout the year, so this is something to ask about before
you
go. You have to communicate through your travel agent, though -- you can't contact
American
Hawaii cruises through their web site to ask questions, which is frustrating.
Overall, my husband and I didn't think we'll cruise again until we're a lot older -- we
like the
freedom of staying at a hotel and doing things on our own time schedule. However, most of
the
people on board had been on other cruises and thought this was a good one.
Several people on this cruise had been to Hawaii before and thought this cruise was great
because they'd never seen all the different islands before.
Name: Dorrie Altman
Email: meeting8@penn.com
Age: 57
Occupation: Restaurant Owner
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: AmericanHawaii-Independence
SailingDate: 12/11/98
Itinerary: Hawaian Islands
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 100
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService: 99
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 50
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall:
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 985
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 65
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 89
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 23 Dec 1998
Time: 16:30:06
Remote Name: 206.150.162.130
Remote User:
Comments
We were traveling in a family group of 9, ranging from my mother-in-law who is 91 to my
son who is 23 and is stationed in Hawaii.
To begin with we were impressed that we were met promptly at our plane and wisked off to
our hotel - the Outrigger Prince Kuhio
(we paid for a pre-night to give us a chance to acclimate to the time change) and had our
luggage delivered to our rooms without
a hitch and without having to ever lift a bag or tip a bellman. The hotel is excellent!
The next day we were transported off to the
ship and our luggage went directly from our rooms again without ever even seeing a
bellman. Plenty to do at the pier, and fresh
fruit and fruit juices available as people arrived at the pier hot and tired, many from
long flights.
Yes, its an older ship, but she has character - and even though there are a few wrinkles
on the old girl, it is comfortable. We were
in a suite that was very spacious (cabin T) and has a great bath room. The others
traveling with us chose G grade cabins
-outside - we were all pleased that they were quite roomy for the category - not big, but
more than adequate. We found things
kept clean and neat everywhere - and I have to disagree with earlier Cruiseopinions I have
read. The shore excursions were no
more expensive than on other lines - and the variety of choices seemed to be endless. Our
son, daughter and her fiancee did rent
a car one day and had a great time exploring Maui. For us older folks it was very nice to
have someone else do the driving.
Snorkling is great off of Maui and the excursion boat we were on was terrific.
The free-extension nights in Honolulu were again at the Prince Kuhio and we again never
touched a bag until we returned to
Pittsburgh - the only luggage problem we had was taken care of promptly and very politely.
Some people just have to learn to
look past the surface - the dinners in the main Dining room were wonderful - good
selections - main complaint about dining room
was the hosts seem disinterested in the passengers. Our waitstaff was wonderful. The
buffet dining was ok - I just wished they
had adjusted the timing to contrast rather than coinside with the dining room.
All in all, we loved it!
Name: Geri Albea
Email: geria@prodigy.net
Age: 37
Occupation: Medical transcriptionist
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: AmericanHawaii-Independence
SailingDate: February, 1994
Itinerary: don't remember
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 88
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 98
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 98
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 99
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities:
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 89
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 93
EmbarkDisembark: 93
DiscoNightclubs: 80
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 88
SpaceRatio: 75
OverallCruiseValue: 99
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 17 Feb 1999
Time: 23:37:06
Remote Name: 209.252.87.29
Remote User:
Comments
I cruised with this line in 1994. It was the most wonderful vacation I have ever been on,
before or since. The staff
was very nice, efficient, and helpful. The shore excurisions were out of this world, and
spaced so that you could
do everything without missing out on anything else. My two favorite excurisons were the
snorkeling trips and the
helicopter ride over the volcano. I had the misfortune of having to see the ship borad
doctor because I
developed an ear infection after my first snorkeling excurision (our second day out, and I
was sick for most of the
week we were on board), but I received immediate attention when I finally had to admit to
defeat and see the
doctor. In fact, I received better treatment in general than I do from my regular doctors
here at home. The only
negative aspect of the trip was the size of the staterooms and the age of the ship. It
isn't glamorous or new, but it
was adequate, and we had everything we needed. The dining room and food was over abundant.
The buffets
were great. I had insomnia most of the trip due to the time change differences, and there
was always a pot of
coffee available somewhere on the ship (I knew all the spots!). The mail center personnel
could have been more
helpful, but overall it was a wonderful experience, and hopefully I will get to do it all
over again in the next year or
so! Geri Albea
Name: Michele Webber
Email: cub77cub@home.com
Age: 44
Occupation: Medical
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: AmericanHawaii-Independence
SailingDate: 10/24/98
Itinerary: 90
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 70
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 70
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 0
PrivateIsland: 0
GoodForFamilies: 60
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 0
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: 80
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 80
ExerciseFacilities: 0
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 80
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 0
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities: 0
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 70
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 13 Mar 1999
Time: 00:54:32
Remote Name: cx45124-a.pwy1.sdca.home.com
Remote User:
Comments
This was our first cruise and first trip to Hawaii. We were celebrating our 25th wedding
anniversary. I had read
some mixed review about the Independence before we sailed. Our overall experience was
great. We had
absolutely no snafus. Everything went smoothly. The ports of call are wonderful. I'm
convinced that this is the only
way to see Hawaii. The cruise line offers a special celebration for anniversary couples,
which was very nice. We
took the later dinner seating, which I would recommend because you won't be rushed when
getting back on the
ship after being out on the island all day. We rented a car in Maui. We took the Hana
Highway drive. Be sure to buy
one of those cassette tapes that guides you through the drive. It's a beautful drive, but
does take all day. We went
to the Fern Grotto on Kauai. Very beautiful. We took the snorkeling excursion in Kona to
the Captain Cook area.
This was very enjoyable. Someone mentioned that the excursions are expensive. I really
think they are comparable
with private companies that we checked out. It's much more convenient to have the ship
take care of your
arrangements. Everything we did went like clockwork. I would definitely take this cruise
again. You can never get
enough of Hawaii. It's the best way to see the islands. They had a party for return
cruisers on board, and there
were hundreds of return cruisers. That in itself tells the truth. They are building a new
ship, and we are planning on
taking that cruise.
Name: Steve Shipe
Email: sshipe@worldnet.att.net
Age: 45
Occupation: SysAdmin
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: AmericanHawaii-Independence
SailingDate: 9/26/1998
Itinerary: Hawaii
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 70
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 96
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 70
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 05 Apr 1999
Time: 10:29:29
Remote Name: ss06.co.us.ibm.com
Remote User:
Comments
I and my bride-to-be met on separate flights at the Honolulu Airport and took a bus
shuttle to the Hawaii Prince
Hotel. This hotel has two towers with all rooms fronting the sea. About 300 yachts are
tied up in front, making for a
romantic spectacle. We arrived 9/23 and spent the next 2 1/2 days seeing Waikiki,
Honolulu, Polynesian Cultural
Center and getting papers for marriage. Saturday, a van shuttled us to the Aloha Tower
where we waited for
embarkation. I previously had booked a cabin on the Boat Deck, but due to delays, I had
rescheduled from August
to September. The only equivalent cabin was a tiny room on a lower deck. I decided to see
about a better cabin,
and I'm glad that I did. We got the Bridge Deck, cabin I, directly behind the Bridge. It
had a bathroom and shower, a
tall 2-door cabinet for clothes, a sofa, two chairs, table lamps, a small refridgerator, a
king bed and remote-control
shades for the curved windows in the roof. At night, we could pull these back and watch
the stars float by. We
looked about the ship Saturday, went through the usual lifejacket drill, and had dinner.
The next day, we woke to
the East side of Kauaii. The weather was perfect as we sailed around North to East and
docked about 4pm. To our
surprise, Don Ho came on board and gave two shows that night. We had our photo taken with
Mr. Ho and got it
signed, too. The next day, Monday, we got up early for a kayak trip up the river next to
the bay. It rained on and off
in brief showers as we paddled easily up the river and waded ashore through the dense
bush. We came back in a
bus by noon and had lunch. After that, we got ourselves together and got married on the
Bridge. This included
champagne, souvenier glasses, a cake, a judge to perform the ceremony, photos and what
else I don't know. This,
of course, was the highlight of the trip and may be coloring my review from here on. The
ship sailed that night for
Maui. Tuesday, we woke and took a couple of shore excursions to Iao Valley and Haleakala
Crater. We took
Wednesday off to rest and just meandered in town. That night, we sailed to Hilo. At Hilo,
we breezed into the harbor
in perfect weather. Another excursion took us to the Kilauea Volcano. That night we sailed
to Kona. It was a little
cloudy that night and my new wife was a little seasick, so we missed seeing the Volcano
spill into the sea. On
Friday morning, we anchored off Kona, where we could see the IronMan competitors
practicing in the ocean. The
Rhapsody of the Seas, which we had seen before in Hilo, caught up with us, and I got lots
of pictures of us with the
two ships at anchor in the background. We just meandered through the town and rested back
on the ship. At dusk,
the Kilauea Volcano dust made for interesting sunset. That Friday night, we sailed back to
Honolulu. We
disembarked and waited about 1 1/2 hours for the luggage. Off to the airport we went and
back to our new home.
The Hawaiian entertainment was great on board ship. The Cruise Director looked as if he
were having the time of
his life. The other passengers were older than us, but that did not stop us from having a
great time. Our table
partners from Texas were enjoyable and kept us up-to-date on their adventures. The food at
dinner was great.
The lunches and breakfasts were standard fare. Arrangements were easy to make, and I
booked everything
myself.
All-in-all, I would rate the Independence an enjoyable ship.
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