Susan-M

We are going to be there for 2 weeks so it won't be a wasted day. Looking forward to it and want DH to enjoy it too that is why we are taking a tour rather than driving

Agree with the recommendations for sitting on the left side if it's a tour that returns via the other side of Haleakala...i.e. a loop vs. just to Hana & back.

A disadvantage to doing a tour is not being able to hike the Pipiwai Trail ... but if hiking isn't of interest, then it's not an issue.

Doing the RTH will be a day well spent during your two weeks on Maui ... enjoy.:)

If you can't find a Road to Hana excursion from the list of cruise ship tour options, it might be because of the later arrival time in Kahului. An early start works best because of the lengthy driving time and early sunset time.

I agree with the above poster and wouldn't choose the Road to Hana with just one day on Maui.

uvasag - I thought of you when I saw this link posted on the Hawaii Tripadvisor "Lava Update" forum today ... chances are looking better for seeing lava!

http://www.staradvertiser.com/breaking-news/kilauea-lava-heading-toward-royal-gardens-ocean/

Hi John,

Just a note that Hawaii doesn't have all inclusive resorts, although there are nice resorts where you can go and use the beach (all beaches are public) and buy food and drinks from their bars and restaurants.

A few resorts rent loungers and umbrellas or cabanas ...hopefully others here can tell you which ones on Kauai and the west side of the Big Island do (Hilo doesn't resorts...the nice beaches are on the west side of the island - mainly on the S. Kohala Coast.)

Day passes for resorts (for pool use) are rare as far as I know, although the Hilton at Waikoloa Beach Resort (on the Island of Hawaii) might be an option. On Kauai, if the Sheraton in Poipu rents loungers & umbrellas or cabanas, it would be a nice beach to spend the day or part of it.

I'm not familiar with car services, but taxis are an option - and uber as well. However, I had the same thought as Silver Sweethearts did when reading your post ... rent a car for your two days on Maui and include a night in Kapalua - the Ritz Carlton is an option for a hotel stay (and Montage as well ... but a much more expensive option.)

Plantation would be awesome for lunch because of the views overlooking the bay - so another thought (and less costly option) is to rent a car for the day, explore West Maui, have lunch at Plantation (with limited alcohol) and later on enjoy a nice dinner and wine on board the ship that night.

Agree that Poipu would be a good choice ... we liked Lawai Beach there as well for snorkelling. Return fare for a cab will likely be well in excess of $100 ... maybe worth keeping the car.

p.s. I just noticed your thread on the Kauai Tripadvisor forum ... I like the suggestions there to do the north shore on day 1 (with snorkelling) and Waimea Canyon on day 2 (with an early start), if you decide to keep the car for both days.

We will be on the NCL Pride of America in late August with an overnight stop in Kauai. The first day arrival is 8AM.

I think POA's arrival is 10 a.m. for Kauai. I think you should be OK though with the plans that you've outlined for day 1.

It will probably be difficult to snorkel on day 2 without a car ... there's a beach not far from the port (Kalapaki) but it's not good for snorkelling.

Does the ship offer any excursions of interest for day 2?

Thanks Susan. We are doing the sunset tour with Roberts so we didn't really see the point in hiring a car. We would be open to another tour that is morning-midday but we don't really know what to do for that...

You're welcome ... I was thinking of a DIY day with a rental car instead of the Robert's Tour.

If the cruise line doesn't offer anything else that you're interested in for the time that you have, there might be a private company that you can hire ... hopefully others here will have recommendations.

Hi Kathleen,

Bus service is limited and slow - taxi or uber might be an option, but it would be less expensive to rent a car. There's very little to do in the port area ... other than perhaps shopping at the nearby mall.

Not sure if you've considered renting a car and going to Haleakala on your own - if you're concerned about driving down in the dark, suggest going up in the daytime and seeing the sunset over the ocean from S. Maui afterwards. Having a car for the day would open up a lot of options for you.

You're welcome John ... VNP is an impressive sight even without seeing lava flowing - hope you get to enjoy the park for your port day in Hilo. :)

chengkp - we did a hike in April 13th to see the lava flowing across the dried lava fields and into the ocean - I followed Tripadvisor forums afterwards and noticed that in September '13 there was talk of the lava flow changing - here's a post from the guide who we went with, who also posted regularly on TA with updates re the lava.

John - If there are any changes, someone usually posts pretty quickly on the "2016 Lava Viewing" thread on Tripadvisor.

Hi John,

I wonder if the person on your roll call did their last cruise past the volcano prior to autumn of 2013? It was quite a sight to see, but the lava stopped flowing down Kilauea and into the ocean around Sept./Oct. 2013.

There might still be some distant views of the glow from small lava outbreaks, and maybe you'll be able to see the brightness from the glow of lava in Halemaumau Crater.

A helicopter tour might be a better option to see Kilauea close up, along with any lava outbreaks (I think most of the lava is now flowing underground, with the occasional surface outbreak.) The situation could change prior to your cruise though, so it's something to keep an eye on.

Agree with Bruce that you can do this on your own. You might not get in all of the stops mentioned (depending on the amount of time spent at each stop) but you'll get to see most of what's mentioned, and it will be a very interesting day.

I'd focus on the summit area first and then use what time you have left to do Chain of Craters Road (or just part of it, depending on your timing.) You'll still get excellent views of craters and lava fields if you only have time do the road part way to the ocean.

We've only driven up and down in daylight but I've read that with the reflectors on the road, and the procession of cars going up for sunrise (slow speed & lights from other vehicles) it's not that bad of a drive.

It will be interesting to hear what the OP thought of the drive up in the dark.

Df5250 can you shed some light on what the cab service is called? Thanks!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

This company was mentioned in DF's post - http://www.cbtaximaui.com/

I haven't used them, but reviews on Tripadvisor are good.

Some people here on the forum have said recently that they've parked at the shopping centre across from the port with no issues, but not sure if you want to gamble on that.

If you park at the airport, you'd need to take a taxi to pick up your car - not sure if there are automated pay stations or just attendant pay stations ... hopefully you can get out at 2:30 a.m. There's a phone number at the bottom of this link ... suggest giving them a call: http://hawaii.gov/ogg/airport-parking

Good luck!

AstroFlyer ... you mentioned LaPerouse Bay above ... it's an impressive sight too!

uvasag ... even if you don't get to see flowing lava on the BI, Volcanoes National Park has a lot to offer. A drive down Chain of Craters Road to see the expansive lava fields and view out to the ocean is wonderful. A hike across Kilauea Iki crater is a highlight if you like hiking. You could do both during a port day from Hilo, and fit in a stop at Jaggar Museum to see Halemaumau crater in the distance.

On Maui, Haleakala (a dormant volcano) offers impressive views into the crater.

On Kauai, Waimea Canyon and the Napali Coast have 'jaw dropping' scenery.

So even without seeing flowing lava - you'll have no shortage of 'wow' moments with those sights ... plus many more!:)

Due to the wind direction during our most recent VNP visit several years ago, the hazardous cloud (sulphuric?) from the lava entering the ocean kept everyone miles away from it.

 

We were fortunate to be able to do a guided hike in Kalapana in April 2013 ... it was 7 miles round trip, hiking over hardened lava, but we were rewarded with being able to stand next to lava flows, walk across cracks with lava flowing beneath them (that was a little scary ... and warm!) and see it flowing into the ocean. Our guide kept us at a further distance from the ocean entry than other groups were ... we had a very safety conscious guide!

The experience was incredible .... hopefully there will be opportunities again for others to experience that...I know I'd go back in an instant for that, but we'll likely make a return trip to the BI anyways because we liked it so much.

Thanks for the pictures. I was hoping for lava flowing and bubbling like I saw on TV lol.

That was possible up until about Sept. 2013 via a guided hike at Kalapana, but the lava flow changed direction and since then has no longer been accessible (unless you do it illegally and risk your life hiking there.) But you never know ... it could change direction again and become accessible.

Kilauea, on the Island of Hawaii, is the only volcano in Hawaii with lava flowing from it - and your best chance (currently) to see lava is probably via a helicopter tour.

As mentioned above, the glow from the lava in Halemaumau Crater in Volcanoes National Park is impressive- but cruise schedules make it a challenge to be in VNP after dark. If you are on POA, you'd need to arrange to stay off the ship overnight between Hilo and Kailua Kona ... or you could do a pre or post cruise stay on the east side of the Big Island.

Hi Linda,

You're welcome. :)

And no worries .. you didn't start anything. Sometimes our discussions get a little more involved than at other times...but we all agree on the importance of being cautious with rental cars and our personal belongings.

Re leaving the car unlocked - I've seen that advice on occasion, but in the fine print of the rental car terms and conditions for most (if not all of the major agencies) it mentions that leaving your car unlocked or with windows down is a violation of your rental car contract, which could leave you responsible for costs for theft of or damage to the car.

They are probably "self insured", but might they come after you for the damage? I don't know.

If you don't buy insurance from the rental company for damage to the vehicle (e.g. LDW), you would be required to pay for the damage (i.e. through insurance that you have on a CC, through your own auto policy at home if it covers damage to a rental, or out of your own pocket.)

Also, they aren't always the best deals ...

Agree ... it's good to check various sources. Costco (if you're a member) often has good deals. I've also found good deals through CAA (AAA). Autoslash is another one that is getting good publicity.

One thing that is helpful on the DHCR site is that they show which companies provide shuttle service and which ones you have to use a taxi for ... not sure if that info is easily found on the rental agency's website.

I am aware of that. You can capture the codes that way.

The page that I linked in my post above is a bit of a challenge to find on DHCR's site ... I knew that you had found the codes, but thought that others might find the link helpful if they were interested in using DHCR or their codes.

It is noted on many threads that discount hawaii car rental is the way to go. I personally just used their discount codes and booked directly from the car rental site.

If you book via DHCR's website on the Cruise Passenger page here, when you select the brand, you are linked to the rental company's site - Avis, Budget, Enterprise, etc., and the discount code is included.

There are a few waterfalls that you can drive to if you have a rental car, or that you can visit via a tour - e.g.:

On the Big Island (Hilo port) - Akaka Falls and Rainbow Falls.

On Kauai - Wailua Falls

On Maui - if you do the Road to Hana there are several waterfalls that you can view at stops along the road - but the best one is Waimoku Falls (400 ft. high) & requires a 4 mile round trip hike on the Pipiwai Trail ... it's a great hike if you enjoy hiking.

Helicopter tours are a great way to see spectacular waterfalls that aren't accessible via a road or hike.

You have to be careful swimming near waterfalls - it's not uncommon for rocks to get carried over the falls ... painful (or worse) if you're in the line of fire. If the waterfall is part of a stream there's the risk of getting carried along in the current - and lastly, there's the issue of leptospirosis. You're better off sticking to ocean swimming in Hawaii.

A google search of "Hawaii's best waterfalls" will bring up sites with photos and descriptions.

Good luck with your plans:)