Hawaii Dreamin

Thanks for taking the time to post!

We also tried to book a LavaLand tour, but same story, not enough to run the tour. I contacted Mary Lou tours and booked with them-sounds like a great tour, small group, and good price. When are you sailing?

We plan on doing this on our 3/31 cruise. I will post about it when we return.

Using Mary Lou in April..sounds like a fantastic day..can't wait!!

Sailing 3/31/18 and looking for the same thing!!

Not all tables in the dining room have a view. You might call Duke's back and ask where they suggest you request a reservation. We like the bar, which does not take reservations, because of the view, and we like the outdoor patio in the evening but the sunset views will not be as good. The best guaranteed sunset views from that hotel are from the terrace tables at the Hula Grill which is upstairs. Many people who have restaurant reservations at sunset without a view go out to the beach to watch the sunset and then go back to their table. I love evenings on Waikiki so would choose being outside on the patio but that is just my preference. Cherie

Thanks Cherie..good points. I will post on my experience when we return in April. Aloha!!

Thanks all. I wanted to drive on our own, but my husband did not, and since he is the driver, I understand!I I think we will take the tour on our first day since we overnight in Maui and wont be worried about delays etc. I'll post what we end up doing!

Not all tables in the dining room have a view. You might call Duke's back and ask where they suggest you request a reservation. We like the bar, which does not take reservations, because of the view, and we like the outdoor patio in the evening but the sunset views will not be as good. The best guaranteed sunset views from that hotel are from the terrace tables at the Hula Grill which is upstairs. Many people who have restaurant reservations at sunset without a view go out to the beach to watch the sunset and then go back to their table. I love evenings on Waikiki so would choose being outside on the patio but that is just my preference. Cherie

Thanks for the input. I will call them and make sure I ask for a "table with a view"

This sounds like an amazing sight. We are sailing March 2018 and hope we are lucky enough to see this!

What tour operator would you suggest for Road to Hana day trip? We are on POA 3/31 sailing. Want to make sure its a small group if possible. We heard about Shore Trips from our Travel agent. Any input would be appreciated. THANKS!

I called Dukes and was able to get a reservation at 6:15 p.m. and requested a view for sunset. She asked if we wanted a reservation in the dining Room. Does anyone know what views are like there? Is it better to be at the bar/patio area?

We will be there end of March..how soon can I call for a reservation? If you say you want to be there for sunset will they help with timing?

We are sailing POA in March and booked the NCL shore excursion for this so we wouldn't have a problem with the tender. Since they use BodyGlove, it should still be the same great excursion!

Do you need reservations typically on a week night? What are the odds of getting a table to see sunset?

I’m so glad to see somebody else say this! I have no idea why people don’t like La Cucina. My grandmother is Sicilian, and I’m VERY picky about Italian food. I LOVE La Cucina. It’s consistently my favorite specialty restaurant, and almost always has the best service. I don’t understand the Cagney’s love at all on these boards. It’s fine, I guess. I’ve never had a terrible steak there. But for the most part, the sides are abysmal. They taste like TV dinner vegetables to me. I guess people don’t have decent quality steak houses at home??? Or even a Ruth’s Chris? I also am not a Teppanyaki fan. At all. I have much better hibachi at home. But I’ve gotten very off topic. They definitely have lasagna at La Cucina, but I totally agree that there are better options. Try the Osso Bucco. And the gnocchi!

Is the menu of La Cucina the same on every NCL Ship? We are sailing POA in March and trying to locate menus. thanks!

Thank you for your post. Did you dine in any of the Specialty restaurants? We are sailing end of March and resserved Cagneys/La Cucina/Teppanyaki. Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks for you post. We are sailing POA end of March and did purchase the 3 night Specialty restaurants. We made reservations for La Cucina, Cagneys, and Teppanyaki. I have been looking for menu postings, but can't seem to find..any ideas?

The only one we did through NCL was the Atlantis Submarine and we both really enjoyed it. We just got back from our cruise last week.

Did you by any chance do a "whale watching" excursion in Maui? We are interested in renting a car for day, driving to Lahaina for sightseeing and using Pacific Whale Foundation for a whale excursion. Any insight would be appreciated.

We are sailing in March. We are wondering how late we can re board in Maui on day one? We are thinking of What about boarding at the end of the day? Thinking of doing a dinner in Lahaina at Fleetwoods then return to ship say 9'sh. Thanks!

We are sailing in March and they booked us pre cruise at Waikiki Marriott.

Thanks for the great review , it is helpful with our planning. We are also from Wisconsin and sailing in March and can't wait!

Thanks for the tip about room upgrade at Waikiki Marriott. We are celebrating our anniversary!

Thanks for the info. Sailing in March and already trying to figure out what to pack!!

Awesome photos..sailing 3/31/18 and cant wait to see this in person!!

Thanks for the review. We sail March of 2018 and having so much fun planning! We are also thinking of doing Diamond Head before we sail. Did you rent a car? Take a cab? Also, how late did you go back to the ship in Maui and Kaui on the first days there?