Statistics:

*2 single woman in their 70's.
*Live in Honolulu, HI.
*16-20 something days.
*Japan, Korea, China and Hong Kong.
*Supervised tours.
*Cooler weather but not winter (Aug/Sept maybe).
*Have points to travel to Asia if needed.
*Safety, safety and safety.

Current offer but have NOT called for details:

Holland America Line Japan, Korea and China 2009 16 Night Cruise via local travel agent (October 8-27, 2009)

*1-Night Hotel accommodations in Osaka, Japan (does not say which hotel).
*1-Night Hotel accommodations in Hong Kong (does not say which hotel).
*Roundtrip airfare from Honolulu (does not say which airline).
*Unlimited shipboard gourmet dinning.
*24 Hour Shipboard Room Service.
*Full Shipboard Casino.
*Nightly Shipboard Entertainment.
*Shipboard Enrichment Program.
*Bus transfers & NCF.

Exclusive Bonus from Travel Agency:

*Hosted Pre-Cruise Luncheon.
*Hosted Shipboard Private Cocktail Party.

Inside Stateroom from $5195
Oceanview Stateroom from $5655
Verandah Stateroom from $7815

Itinerary:

10/8 Depart Honolulu.
10/9 Arrive Osaka w/overnight stay.
10/10 Kobe, Japan. Embark ms Volemdam.
10/11 Relaxing day at sea.
10/12 Nagasaki, Japan.
10/13 Pusan, South Korea.
10/14 At Sea.
10/15 Dalian, People's Republic of China.
10/16 Xingang (Bejing), China. Overnight aboard ship.
10/17 Bejing, China.
10/18 At Sea.
10/19 At Sea.
10/20 Shanghai, China. Overnight aboard ship.
10/21 Shanghai, China.
10/22 At Sea.
10/23 Naha (Okinawa), Japan.
10/24 Keelung, Taiwan.
10/25 At Sea.
10/26 Hong Kong, China. Disembark ms Volendam. Overnight Hotel stay.
10/27 Return flight to Honolulu.

Questions:

*Good deal?
*Would traveling by points to destination be a better deal (if travel dates available)?
*Which stateroom and what decks are best?
*What is NCF?
*Use the Internet i.e. cruisecomplete, cruise411, discountcruises, etc. to talk to an agent to see what is better?

What else do I need to know/do to get the best deal? Like I said, I have not called so do not know if Senior Citizens rates are available or other 'perks' i.e. BYO water, wine, or soda and able to pre-purchase credits.

Any help appreciated,
Robert