Writer Harriet Baskas based this independent review on her 11-night Hawaii cruise departing from Honolulu.

The story of NCL’s Norwegian Wind could be an episode of Extreme Makeover. Once the Windward, the ship was cut in half and “stretched” by 130 feet in 1998. The now 754-foot-long Wind emerged from surgery with 251 new cabins and larger public rooms. With 1,700 passengers, she’s still medium-sized by today’s megaship standards. That allows the crew to give the full Aloha treatment to every guest, from welcome gifts at boarding (flower leis or shell necklaces) to turtle-shaped towels on the beds.

Why Norwegian Wind?

• The itinerary: Like a well-blended smoothie, the itinerary mixes day-long stops at many Hawaiian ports with a healthy dash of at-sea days during the trek to and from Fanning Island, in the Republic of Kiribati.
• Multiple dining options: Three dining rooms offer “freestyle,” non-assigned seating. Another takes reservations for intimate bistro dining. The poolside pizzeria and a buffet offer laid-back noshing just about around-the-clock.
• Cultural experiences: Learn to shake hula hips, tie a Polynesian sarong, and string a Kukui Nut Lei. Craft classes, lectures, and dance lessons are free and -- don’t tell the kids -- educational.

Who should go
Norwegian Wind is popular with families, groups, first-timers, and those celebrating weddings, anniversaries, and milestone birthdays. Experienced cruisers happily forgo the flash of newer, larger ships for the value of a 10- or 11-night island-hopping adventure. Laid-back types fill the day playing card and board games, sunbathing, or attending craft classes. Active types fill the pools and dance floors and compete to be crowned Mr. Hairy Chest or Best Spoon Diver.

Heard on the deck: “I’ve been on lots of newer, larger ships, but I’ve been on Wind eight times. It’s like a good marriage: If it works for you, stick with it.”

Who shouldn’t go
Wind isn’t for those seeking the latest amenities: There’s no central atrium, casino, or guest laundry, and fitness areas are cramped. Anyone who can’t forgive some shipwide wear and tear (even though the sun shines most days, lobster’s on the menu, and free champagne flows somewhere each day) should choose another ship.

Hits and misses

• Don’t miss: Performers in the crew show veer from charming to a wee bit risqué, while everyone in the hula class graduation pageant is enthusiastic and 100 percent G-rated. Both events are not to be missed.
• Best part of the ship: The Observatory Lounge -- wraparound windows offer an air-conditioned, bird’s-eye view of lush landscapes and inviting beaches during port arrivals.
• Best experience: Hawaiian and Polynesian cultural shows feature experts shaking those hula hips and doing those hula dips.
• Best shipboard activities: Favorites include sunbathing on deck during a day at sea, free margarita and daiquiri tasting with the pool bar crew, and free afternoon ice cream (with sprinkles).
• Needs improvement: The evening entertainment -- new cruisers find plenty to cheer at, but veterans of larger ships may yearn for more, and more variety.
• Activities to skip: Excursion and port talks -- they’re videotaped, so it’s safe to pass up the live sessions and catch them later on your cabin TV.

How to meet the captain
Hear him boast about the ship and his crew during a welcome session. Sip a free cocktail and share some laughs while posing with him against a backdrop of the Titanic’s grand staircase at the captain’s reception. He’ll also answer questions about the ship and the seas during an Officers question and answer period. Seats at the unofficial captain’s table are often filled by passengers from the suites and, according to the concierge, “interesting people” she meets.

Heard on the deck: “I always write a nice note to the captain and ask the concierge to pass it along. More often than not, it gets me invited to dine at the captain’s table one evening.”

NCL’s “freestyle dining” lets everyone choose their own dining rooms and times, dining attire, and tablemates. Perusing the posted menus is a popular, mouth-watering activity, and romantic side tables for two are as sought after as larger, shared tables serving up fresh faces with efficiently delivered meals. Officially, reservations are needed only for dinner at the intimate Le Bistro (which has a cover charge), but large groups can, and should, reserve tables in the other dining rooms as well.

Heard on the deck: “If I’m too healthy, I’ll just die healthy. So I’m going to have dessert at every meal. Breakfast included.”

Four Seasons and The Terraces (main dining rooms)
Both located on Deck 9, Four Seasons, midship, serves breakfast (buffet), lunch, and dinner; The Terraces, aft, opens for breakfast (full waiter service) and dinner. Matching menus offer at least one meat, fish, and vegetarian entrée, as well as special kosher and kids’ menus. Theme dinners include “Hawaiian night,” with Big Island ranch striploin steak and chocolate and macadamia nut tart; and a “President’s dinner,” with a crab soup slurped by President Nixon and a plum torte favored by President Ford. Of course, everyone loves lobster night.

La Trattoria
Almost every seat in this terraced trattoria-style dining room gets an ocean view, and everyone orders off a pasta-packed menu with everything from ravioli and gourmet pizza to meats and fish bathed in Italian-inspired sauces. Dessert highlights include tiramisu; a chewy chocolate fettuccini; and a tantalizing, and somewhat puzzling, chocolate salami. Although the menu is the same most nights, there are enough entrées (and courses) to warrant return visits.

Le Bistro
Spend a few nights dining elsewhere before making a date for a romantic dinner here. The curtained-off space will feel oh-so intimate; the French-Mediterranean menu built around cooked-to-order filet mignon, surf & turf, and sea bass will seem oh-so exotic; and the chorus of “un, deux, trois, voila!” that accompanies the delivery of silver-domed entrées will seem oh-so French. Best bet for dessert: Chocolate fondue. Reservations are required, and it’s well worth the $10 per person service charge.

Other dining options

• Sports Bar & Grill: This casual, often crowded buffet has lots of choices for breakfast, lunch, and nightly theme dinner. Don’t miss the sushi bar on “Oriental night.”
• Pizzeria: This small poolside buffet is perfect for Continental breakfast, cold cuts, salads, and pizza until 3 AM. The outdoor barbecues are held nearby.
• Room service: The menu is short, but the 24-hour service is prompt. Call for Continental breakfast, fruit, soup, salad, pizza, or sandwiches. The children’s menu includes hot dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, and PB&Js.

Best dining

• Dish: Order the filet mignon or surf & turf, both available nightly at Le Bistro. And don’t miss the lobster, served in the main dining rooms during the captain’s farewell dinner.
• Dessert: Chocolate fondue in Le Bistro is to die for, as is just about anything at the chocoholic buffet extravaganza, held one night each cruise.
• Restaurant: El Bistro -- fine dining in a romantic setting, with plenty of ooh-la-la.
• Food seminar: Learn the secret to making tomato roses, towering smoked-salmon appetizers, and delicate chocolate ribbons during an at-sea day’s food fair.

How to…

• Get a table for two: There’s no set seating, so just ask the dining room host or hostess for a romantic table for two.
• Celebrate a birthday/anniversary: Tell the dining room host/hostess it’s a special day and a gaggle of singing waiters will appear bearing a hefty piece of sheet cake -- and a take-out box.
• Change seating: Heard that guy’s jokes before? Freestyle dining means a new seat at every meal -- and new tablemates.
• Dress for formal night: Men wear tuxedos, suits, or perhaps a kilt. For women, it’s evening gowns or cocktail dresses. An onboard tailor rents tuxedos for $75 per cruise.
• Dress for casual night: What would Elvis wear? Bring anything with a Hawaiian floral print or a bold pattern or color. As the cruise goes on, the bolder the better.

Heard on the deck: “I know how to dress for the three formal nights, but what’s the dress code for visiting a volcano?”

Tips:

• Ice cream is always on the menu at lunch and dinner. Every day between 11 AM and 5 PM there’s also a free ice cream bar on Deck 12, by the hot tubs.
• Need caffeine? The Coffee Bar on Deck 9 charges for regular coffee and espresso-based drinks throughout the day; but espressos, cappuccinos, and lattes are free in the dining rooms at meal times.
• Sip lots of soda? At first the cost seems steep ($55 for adults, $22 for kids, plus a 15 percent gratuity), but the unlimited soda plan works well for those who drink three or more sodas a day.
• Freestyle dining isn’t always carefree. To increase the chances of being whisked directly to a table, show up at 5:30 or 8:30 PM.
• Le Bistro offers a 2-for-1 special on the $10 per person service charge on the first night of the cruise.

Heard on the deck (at the coffee bar): “A double espresso, please. After last night I need one of these before I can start ordering double scotches.”

Inside cabins average 136 square feet; oceanviews average 152. Expect a light décor and carpeting, convertible queen bed with duvet, seating area with a TV, mini-safe, small desk, and closet with drawers. The bathroom has a hair dryer, adjustable shower, and soap and shampoo dispensers. Superior oceanview cabins average 176 square feet and have floor-to-ceiling windows, a fridge, and concierge access. Snag one of 62 balcony cabins for an extra 40-50 square feet of outdoor space. Want to splurge? The roomy Penthouse and Owner’s Suites include living rooms, sofas, refrigerators, stereos with CD/DVD libraries, tubs, showers, and access to butler and concierge service.

Cabins for guests with disabilities
The ship has six cabins for passengers with special needs. These cabins have wider doorways and bathrooms that accommodate wheelchairs. Guests with hearing impairments may request vibrating alarms. Some cabins have refrigerators to store medications.

Tips:

• Cabins toward the bow of the ship can have lots of movement, while cabins midship offer the most stable ride.
• Choose a midship cabin to avoid long walks to the dining and activity rooms.
• There is no self-service laundry, but watch for first-night and end-of-cruise pressing and laundry specials.
• Don’t be surprised to see folks doing the hula in the hallways: Hawaiian music is piped into the cabin corridors.
• Love the towel bunny or turtle the steward leaves on the bed? Learn how to make these critters at the towel folding demonstration.

Gambling is a no-no in Hawaii and its waters, so forget the casino. But there’s bingo (lots of it) in foreign waters while traveling to and from Fanning Island. For distraction, folks play bridge and board games, pack the free-champagne fueled art auctions, drink and dance in one of 10 bars, and clamor for seating at the comedy, dance, and cultural shows. Some gutsy (or tipsy) guests end up on stage, channeling Elvis or spilling family secrets in Family Feud or the Not So Newlywed Game.

Heard on the deck (from an older woman making way for a young man toting two beer-filled football helmets): “Beer before beauty.”

Bars, lounges, and casino
Ten bars and lounges insure everyone can stay entertained and well-lubricated. The Stardust Lounge is the main showroom and hosts everything from cultural shows to wacky passenger-participation games. The Coffee Bar (think lattes and Spanish coffees) is a popular piano bar. Cheek-to-cheek dance fans flock to Lucky’s and the Observatory Lounge, while Dazzles Disco does the late-night parties. Keep an eye out for early morning juice-based specials, the shifting happy hours, and the fruity drink-of-the-day.

Heard on the deck (from a husband to his wife on day three): “$22 for unlimited soda for the kid? It can’t be worth it.”
Her response: “Don’t worry, dear. The way he’s knocking them back, we’re saving a bundle. Now, if there was an unlimited plan for those martinis you keep ordering, we’d be all set.”

Swimming pools
Both pools, the swim-up bar, and the hot tubs are just about empty (and sometimes closed) on port days. It’s a different story during the four at-sea days, when it can be tough to find a lounge chair in that perfect spot. Folks who want to read or snooze in the sun head to the aft pool on Deck 9; the one on Deck 11 can get noisy, especially during pool games, when everyone is cheering for “Mr. Hairy Chest” or “Mr. Sexy Legs.”

Heard on the deck (during the “Mr. Sexy Legs” contest): “Oh my, that’s my husband out there. Who told him his white, skinny chicken legs are sexy?”

Shows
No need to head home after dinner: There are deck parties where even the guy with the cast joins the country line dance. Comedy acts are full of food and wife jokes, and Broadway-inspired song-and-dance shows feature accomplished dancers backed by enthusiastic singers. When the pros take a break, passengers and crew take the stage for a variety of wacky game and talent shows that are corny but cute, and often hilarious. The early show is always full so arrive early to nab a seat.

Heard on the deck (from the show emcee on opening night): “Come on, give it up for these guys. It takes a real man to dress in a pink and silver suit and dance on stage for you!”

Shore excursions
A long list of excursions is offered, ranging from easy bus tours to intense volcano hikes and thrilling helicopter rides. Book online, pre-cruise, to avoid sell outs, or have the onboard sales staff match adventures, interests, and budgets (some trips have age, ability, and weight limits; and helicopter rides can reach $300). There are no last-minute discounts, but late comers can often join excursions right on the dock. Cancellations require a 24-hour notice. Those with early excursions get to leave the ship first.

Weddings and vow renewals
There is no chapel for onboard weddings or vow renewals, but packages for popular on-shore weddings can be purchased before departure. According to the ship’s staff, onboard vow renewals are sometimes officiated by a cruising clergy member, or, by special request, the ship’s captain. Call an Expedia Cruise Specialist to make arrangements for these special services.

Looking for…

• Quietest spot: Late mornings in the Coffee Bar lounge, the turquoise armchairs fill with folks reading books from the Book Nook and playing bridge, scrabble, or Clue.
• Liveliest spot: High levels of activity are found in the small Dazzles Disco dance floor after 11 PM, and at the Pool Bar during free margarita and daiquiri tasting.
• Most popular activity: Popular diversions include sunbathing by the pools and playing bingo in the Stardust Lounge.
• Best view: The Observatory Lounge on Deck 12 offers great views of island arrivals. Bring binoculars or make friends with those who do.
• Best show: The tropical deck party mixes performances by tray-spinning bar staff with Polynesian dancers and drummers and the crowning of a truly strange queen.
• Best drink: The Blue Hawaii -- this ocean-blue blended drink is made with rum, blue Curaçao, coconut cream, and pineapple juice. Elvis would approve.

Tips:

• Order a plastic football helmet filled with five cans or bottles of beer and get a sixth can or bottle free. The ice-filled helmet serves as a handy cooler and carrying case for the pool.
• Early happy hour in the Observatory Lounge features free tortilla chips, salsa, and guacamole.
• Towels are always available by the pools. On port days, beach towels can be checked out on the way off the ship. Be sure to keep the receipt.
• Guys, don’t sit up front if you’re not prepared to be picked on by comedians or to become part of a dance routine.

Somehow even shy kids can be found whooping it up with their new best friends after a day at the Kid’s Crew program, a complimentary service (though tips are accepted). They sometimes host up to 250 kids a week in brightly decorated, age-specific rooms for kids 2-17. Doors open early and activities range from arts and crafts and scavenger hunts to pirate nights, birthday parties, sports, and crew visits. Extra fees are levied for supervised activities during port days -- sign up early.

Tips:

• Who needs a babysitter? Parent pickup time isn’t until 9:45 each night, and even then most kids don’t want to leave.
• To save some cash, get the kids an unlimited soda plan (kids get a wristband) when boarding the ship.
• A video arcade (under video surveillance) is open 24 hours.

Heard on the deck (from a five-year-old finishing an evening adventure): “Mommy, I can’t go to sleep NOW! My pirate mustache will come off.”

Spa and salon
The Mandara Spa and Salon offers manicures, pedicures, hair services, facials, massages, teeth whitening, cellulite reduction programs, and other treatments. The Hawaiian Majesty and the Seven Seas massages have royal-sounding names (and royal prices), but spa staff has yet to learn how to treat customers as royally as the rest of the crew does. Pass on the automatic post-treatment offer to buy “exclusive” high-cost products. When booking your treatments, try to hold out for the in-port specials that can stretch a limited budget.

Fitness areas
The 24-hour fitness area consists of two small rooms by the spa. One holds 15 exercise machines (stationary bikes, treadmills, and step machines); the other has free weights and a variety of weight machines. There’s loud music (volume control is by the door), a wall of windows, and mirrored walls, but no TVs. An instructor leads a full schedule of free stretching and fitness classes and walks on Deck 7 and in the Monte Carlo Lounge. Pilates, yoga, and other classes have a $10 per-class fee.

Tips:

• A 15 percent gratuity is added to all services, and there’s a 50 percent fee for treatments canceled less than 24 hours ahead of time.
• Steam rooms, saunas, and roomy showers located in both the men’s and women’s spa changing rooms are free.
• Fitness fanatics can buy a $50 “Class Crazy” pass that covers all classes offered during the 11-night cruise.
• Fill a punch card by participating in a variety of fitness activities, such as power walking, and get a free T-shirt at the end of the cruise.

Onboard shops sell duty-free liquor, perfume, jewelry, clothing, and must-have items such as chocolate macadamia nuts, silk flowers, dancing hula girls on springs, and ukuleles in all sizes. The four at-sea days offer plenty of chances to peruse the “sale” tables for watches, emeralds, and gold and silver chains. Tips on top shops in each port are offered in the nightly in-room newsletter and in the port talks, but keep in mind, those stores pay a promotional fee.

Tips:

• Fill out the free raffle tickets at the onboard services fair during embarkation. Prizes include everything from Internet time to spa services.
• Enter a one-night-only raffle with a duty-free liquor purchase for a chance to get the entire purchase free.
• Duty-free liquor bought onboard is handed out the last night of the cruise. Liquor confiscated on the gangway is returned at disembarkation.

Heard on the deck: “I bought my son a great Hawaiian souvenir: A surfboard! I got it into the cabin, now I have to figure out how to get it home on the airplane!”

Norwegian Wind offers 10- and 11-night Hawaiian cruises departing from Honolulu. Island destinations may include Hilo and Kona (the Big Island), Kahului and Lahaina (Maui), Nawiliwili (Kauai), and Fanning Island (the Republic of Kiribati). Each cruise includes a four-day trek to and from Fanning Island. In April 2006, the ship will reposition to Alaska for a summer season of 7-night cruises.

Tips:

• When the port tip sheet says “Limited taxis available,” believe it. Smaller islands have tiny taxi fleets and most taxis get snatched up quickly.
• Free shuttles to Hilo Hattie, Wal-Mart, and other shopping centers are offered in most ports.

• Former name - Royal Majesty
• Type of cruise - Resort-Casual
• Total cabins - 866
• Private balcony cabins - 74
• Decks - 10
• Total crew - 700
• Ship size - Large
• Passenger capacity - 1748
• Tonnage - 50760
• Officers nationality - Scandinavian/International
• Registry - Bahamas
• Year entered service - 1993
• Ship length - 680