ABOARD THE PRIDE OF HAWAI'I — As a shipful of Island revelers got under way on an overnight "cruise to nowhere" yesterday evening aboard the new Pride of Hawai'i, Norwegian Cruise Lines officials announced that this would not be the last of its kind.

Hawai'i charities have benefited from the overnight cruises each time NCL has launched new ships here. This time, Child and Family Service, 'Aha Punana Leo, the Council on Native Hawaiian Advancement and the Hawai'i Maritime Center are receiving the proceeds from the all-inclusive evening of food, drink and entertainment. A total of $250,000 was raised for the four organizations.

The overnight, inaugural Island sailings have become a popular tradition with local residents, but many thought this might be the last.

However, in a press briefing just before the ship got under way at 4:40 p.m. yesterday from Honolulu Harbor, Robert Kritzman, NCL vice president for Hawai'i operations, announced that charity cruises will be scheduled whenever one of the NCL ships here is taken out of service for the biennial maintenance checks mandated by law. Once each ship is spiffed up, it will launch into service again with a charity cruise, he said.

Lounging in a hot tub on the 12th deck, Lionel Judd of Waimanalo was typical of those who boarded the ship as early in the day as possible. He had been on a charity cruise before, he said, "and this is fine, just fine."

Pride of Hawai'i, the largest U.S.-flagged passenger ship ever built, completes the trio of new ships that make up the NCL America line.

Those who have sailed aboard Pride of America or Pride of Aloha will find many similarities on this ship: a dizzying array of bars and restaurants, a full spa and fitness center, wild color schemes and not much of the Islands, except what you see out the windows.

Pride of Hawai'i accommodates 2,466 passengers, more than either of the other two new ships, and Kritzman said the other primary difference is a broader range of accommodations, including the 4,500-square-foot, three-bedroom garden villas with private sundecks.

The three Prides offer seven-day interisland cruises; Norwegian Wind, an older NCL ship that is not American-flagged, offers a longer itinerary that includes a stop at Fanning Island in the Republic of Kiribati.

However, Kritzman announced that Norwegian Wind, which is now in Alaska, will spend its last season in Hawai'i next year, to be replaced in fall 2007 by Pride of Aloha's sister ship, the Norwegian Sun, which can accommodate 300 more passengers than the Wind. Norwegian Wind will be based in Hong Kong, sailing with NCL's Wind Star Cruises line.

For the time being, Pride of Hawai'i will depart weekly from Piers 10 and 11, but in September, the larger and newly renovated Pier 2 will become its turnaround port home when a new gangway is finished, allowing passengers to embark directly onto the ship's reception area — akin to a hotel lobby — on Deck 7.

On this brief voyage — from 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon to 8 a.m. Monday morning — passengers were free to experience all of the ship's 10 restaurants and 12 bars, or to attend a concert by the newly formed Barefoot Natives, as the duo of Willie K. and Eric Gilliom have dubbed themselves. Their self-named new CD, released last week, is No. 11 on the Billboard World Music chart.

Reach Wanda A. Adams at wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.