Obsessedwithplanning

Things have been crazy since we returned so I too am just getting to reading all the posts. My family of 4 was on the 10/9 sailing.

First, I completely understand weather happens and you have to roll with it. I did not book because of ‘cheap rates’ as some have claimed but rather it was an extended long weekend so my kids missed less school. And NYC meant no airfair.

I understand not going to Bermuda and am glad for that decision, but yes was disappointed as it was to be our first trip there. This is our 5th cruise, 2nd on NCL.

I do not fault NCL for the rerouting nor expect a huge credit while staying on board. I did however expect better communication and service.

Problems:

They waited until all were on board to announce the delay and even later that night to announce the new ports. They surely knew earlier and we should have been told at check in.

The new ports stunk but the times there were horrible. We went from planning for 2.5 days on land to having less than 15 hours total. It was not enough time to do anything or really go anywhere. As for Nassau it is horribly unsafe after dark. Even the daily warned us to be extra careful. That is not the vacation I booked or expected.

The credit per cabin was unfair and insufficient for the change. It should have been an amount per person. And it was non-refundable and couldn’t even be used for gratuities. At least if it could have been I would have felt they actually gave us something for compensation. We had the dining and beverage plan already. So basically we used it to buy the overpriced photo package.

On top of all the crankiness we had trouble with the kids club and then the carpeting fiasco. I mean really….couldn’t they have delayed the carpeting a week or do it at night. But no…continue to make people crankier.

Overall, it was a family vacation so we made the best of it. The food was good, although not very warm at the breakfast in the buffet. The specialty dining was very good. Shows were good but some hard to get into. Activities were good and the ropes course was fun. The mini-suite was bigger than expected, and the shower was awesome. The weather was hit or miss unfortunately. But we were together and not at work/school so we stayed positive.

When home the frustration continued though. During my trip to complain (politely) at guest services they gave me a business card and said they couldn’t help but I should call that number when home to file a complaint. So I tried. Night one after 25 minutes on hold I gave up. Night two after 52 minutes on hold I finally reached a person. She was incredibly nice but then said that she had no idea why the ship staff did that as all complaints had to be sent in writing via the website.. Night two and three I tried the website contact us form but received a page unavailable message when trying to submit. Night four and another 47 minutes on hold got me another person that was able to finally help me file a complaint. I’m told it will take roughly 15 business days for someone to get back to me. And there is one person assigned to the Breakaway and right now he is flooded…well that is no surprise. One person assigned to a ship holding almost 4000 seems insane though.

So I wait. No idea what he will say. Only hope they do truly get back to me.

We had trip insurance, but we didn’t know if it would cover anything if we left after checkin. I need to look into it better.

Overall, I like Royal much better and this cruise did leave a negative impression of NCL.

We really liked Hawaiian Airlines.

We were pleasantly surprised by the food. There was more than expected, main meal and snack, and it was better than expected. Not great, but decent enough. And they frequently came through the cabin offering water.

We did not pay for the Extra comfort seats. They would have been nice but we are used to smaller planes (mainly Jet Blue NY to Florida) and I had read HA seats would be a bit bigger. I think they were, and we were fine.

Even with the regular seats we had usb ports for charging small devices. It was a very slow charge but better than nothing. Plane was clean. Attendants were nice. Plenty of overhead storage which was good because some people really stretch those carry on rules.

The only complaint I had was the entertainment....there was basically nothing free. Bring your own.

We rented a camero convertible and drove to Haleakala on 8/9. It is windy and steep but certainly not dangerous if you drive the speed limit. It is a slow trip but beautiful. We are from upstate NY so the road was not that different for us. Although I was surprised by the lack of guardrails in many places.

It is an amazing site so I highly recommend you go. And stop at the various look outs along the way but continue all the way to the summit. Bring a jacket. It was August and 21 degrees cooler at the top. We reached the top at noon. Sunrise and sunset just didn't work for our schedule.

We will be sailing shortly..We will be leaving Binghamton NY to Newark for the long flight. Did you go with United? it will be me/my hubby/my son/his girlfriend and my brother/sisterinlaw. Wish we could stay longer than the day before..Can't wait..trying to figure out what excursions to do..definilty want Pearl Harbor and a Luau

We considered United from Newark, but the Hawaiian flight from JFK was cheaper. Then I discovered that the sunday return was A LOT cheaper than the Saturday. That is why we stayed a day after the cruise. With the extra hotel night we were still ahead hundreds for the 4 of us.

The 10 1/2 hour flight is a nightmare, I won't lie. But just keep telling yourself you will be in paradise soon enough. Bring lots to do.

Everyone told us the jet lag would kill us, especially on the way home but honestly it wasn't that bad for us. Our flight landed at 2:50 Hawaii time and we had been up since 4am our time. But we checked in and the sun and warmth and excitement gave us energy. We looked around the hotel, walked thru Waikiki and grabbed some dinner. About 9pm Hawaii time we went to bed but that was 3am for us. We all slept fine and woke up ready to go.

Home was a bit harder because sleeping on the plane was sporadic. The kids slept more than we did and they slept again in the limo for the 2 hour ride home. The car service was a great help because we didn't have to worry about traffic, claiming our car, or driving too tired. We were in bed pretty early that night but by the next day everyone felt pretty ok.

While the flight was no picnic, I'd do it again for a chance to go back.

Hello,

I am travelling with an elderly couple and planning to rent a car to drive from the cruiseport to Waimea Canyon. To plan for delays, including due to unfamiliarity with the area, I am thinking we should not be out for more than 5 hours.

 

1. I've read various comments about the driving time, ranging from 45 minutes to 2 hours each way. Can someone please confirm how long it would take to drive from the cruiseport to Waimea Canyon each way?

 

2. I also heard that the roads are two-lanes and quite windy, but that they are easy to manage. Is this correct?

 

3. Once you get to Waimea Canyon, will one be able to see the canyon without having to walk far from the car? Or do we need to park the car then walk a distance (if yes, how long and how strenuous) before we see the sights depicted in the beautiful pictures posted online of Waimea Canyon? If some walking/hiking is required, would there be a waiting area for the elderly couple to sit and wait?

 

4. I am sure we can stay much longer, but what would be a reasonable amount of time to spend at the canyon? Would one hour be too rushed?

 

5. From the cruiseport, is there a suggested route to take? I read a post suggesting we take Waimea Canyon Drive, rather than following the signs posted on the roads. Someone suggested going west on Route 50, past Waimea and up the westernmost road, Route 550 from Kekaha, and on the way down, to take the left fork down Wamiea Canyon Drive which ends in Waimea Town.

 

6. Any other places to visit on the way to/from Waimea Canyon Park that you can recommend?

 

7. We have booked a car rental with a company at the Lihue Airport, as we couldn't find any car rental agencies in Kauai or Nawiliwili itself. Is this the correct place to rent a car from once docked in Kauai?

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

We sailed 8/8/15.

We rented with Thrifty. It was at the airport, most of the companies are there. They have free shuttles at the port.

Since the new time in port is 10am there was a big crowd leaving and the shuttle wait was a bit long and the line at the thrifty counter was very very long.

Here is how our day went...

Off at 10:05 and finally in our jeep and on our way at around 11am. It took us about 35 minutes to get to the canyon- at least the first stop. We took route 50 to waimea canyon drive (550) as recommended by our guidebook. There are amazing views on this road. It is windy but perfectly manageable.

We spent a total of about 1.5 hours there. There are numerous lookouts along the way to the top of the canyon. We stopped at a lot of them. Some are official with parking lots and others are pull overs on the road side. Depending on how many you stop at will determine how much time it takes. The pull over type had little walking, although not paved flat surfaces. The official ones have parking lots but I don't remember the walk being to far at all.

We left there around 1:20 and headed back down. We stopped briefly in Poipu at spouting horn and drove down the tunnel of trees (route 520). The times on my pictures have this in the 2 to 2:20 range.

Then we headed past Lihue and up to Opaekaa falls...quick 10 minute stop and then to Wailua falls, another 10 minutes. They are about 20 minutes apart or so. The times on my pictures have these stops time stamped between 3 and 3:40.

We stopped briefly at Hilo Hatties, got gas and returned the jeep. The shuttle back to the ship was waiting. We were on board just before 5pm.

We didn't stop for a lunch, but snacked in the jeep along the way. There were a few bathroom breaks though. We didn't rush. We found the roads fine, traffic not too bad on this island at all, but overall speed limits are 45 or less.

I hope that helps you with your questions.....

We used Roberts on Oahu for a tour that did north shore, dole and the Polynesian cultural center. Tour was very good and driver going to the PCC was very informative and personable. The Driver who picked us up at PCC to bring us back to the hotel didn't say anything the whole way back.

If you have a rental car this would be less expensive on your own. But it is a lot of driving (and traffic) so if you don't want a rental than this tour was worth it in my opinion.

If time allows go to the Canyon...it is amazing.

Great review!:)

 

Did the late set off to Waimea Canyon turn the day in to a bit of a rush?

 

We will be doing the same when we are there in a few weeks.

yes a little bit, but mostly self-imposed since our son wanted to be back on board by a certain time for something that evening in the teens club. It wasn't too bad. We spent lots of time at the canyon, stopping at a variety of spots to get different vantage points. We just didn't spend much time at the waterfalls, but honestly there isn't a ton to see there anyway.

Have a great trip....we did.

Just returned from POA.

Adults need a photo id and ship card. They check to enter the port (even if on a shuttle or tour), and they check it getting on to the ship. Children under 16 only needed ship card. One person at security (not sure which port) asked my daughter how old she was but when she said 11 they just said ok and on she went.

The ship has a great kids club and a teen thing too. The kids club has fees at certain times - after 10:30pm and during some port times.

We just completed the following 13 days, including a POA cruise.....

Day 1 - very long direct flight, check in to Outrigger Reef on the Beach, wonder around shopping, grab something to eat

Day 2 - Roberts NS/Dole/Polynesian Cultural Center tour (full day), dinner in hotel

Day 3 - Diamond Head, jet ski, beach time and Germaines Luau

Day 4 - Pearl Harbor, King statue and Palace, Dukes for dinner, watch fireworks

Day 5 - shopping in the morning, board POA at noon

Day 6 - Maui - rental car for Iao Needle, Haleakala, and Lahaina.

Day 7 - Maui - rental car for Ocean Center and beach. Return car around 3:30.

Day 8 - Hilo - Big Island Aina Tours for VNP, macadamia nut, orchid farm, rainbow falls and black sand beach.

Day 9 - Kona - walk down Alii to shopping then some time at the beach next to the tender dock. Back on board early...about 1 I think.

Day 10 - Kauai - rental car for Waimea Canyon, spouting horn, opaekaa falls and wailua falls.

Day 11 - Kauai - free trolley to shopping and beach

Day 12 - disembark at 9am and go to Hilton Hawaiian Village for check in. A day at the beach, pool, lagoon and surf lessons.

Day 13 - swimming and walk on the beach. Head to airport at 12:15 for a long flight home.

We did Germaines on 8/6/15 and loved it. The setting on the beach was really nice. You eat at long picnic tables in the sand, and see the ocean. Wear sandals.

Plenty of food. Nice show.

The fact that transportation and drinks were included factored into our decision when we were choosing.

The pool and deck was about as expected for a ship this size.

There were activities on board, but as others said most of your time is spent on the islands. We did a few night shows but never made it to anything during the day.

The cruise director and ambassador both do a great job of teaching you about Hawaii during the cruise.

We sailed 8/8/15.

Our favorite island things were

Haleakala - Maui

Volcano National Park - Hilo

Just back from 13 amazing days in Hawaii including a really nice POA cruise. I posted full details on the Hawaii ports page if you are interested....

POA is a nice ship and we enjoyed that portion of our trip.

Post cruise –

We stayed at the Hawaiian Hilton Village. This really is a big resort. There are multiple hotel towers, tons of stores, food places in a variety of price points and multiple pools.

Since we were off the ship at 9 and there around 9:30 I inquired about an early check in. They accommodated us for a 25.00 fee but then included an upgraded room and a free roll away bed, so I was very very happy. We were at the pool and starting our relaxing day by 10:30. This is great place to stay if you have lots of time to spend there. But if you plan to be out in Oahu all day then I’m not sure the extra resort fee makes this place worth it.

Pools do close down a bit early (certainly earlier than at Outrigger) but they do have one pool with a small water slide.

The kids took a surf lesson which was well priced since it was a full 2 hours ($99 each). But then of course I had to buy the extra dvd containing pictures they took of them out there ($60) each because I just couldn’t pass it up.

Our room was in the Alli tower and it was very nice. Quite spacious with a king bed, full size pull out couch and the rollaway and there was still tons of room. The bathroom was very large, nicely equipped, had a large closet and came with a robes and slippers to use during our stay. It was a shame that we really didn’t have much time here to enjoy the room or the grounds more.

Overall…..

Hawaii was amazing. There is so much more I want to see, I’m already talking about going back some day. I really think the cruise was a perfect idea so we could see multiple islands. As everyone says, they really are each a bit different. Also, eating big breakfasts and dinners on the ship allowed us to eat small when on the islands. The price of food is very high. Coming from NY we found gas prices reasonable, just a bit more than we are currently paying. The rental cars weren’t great prices, but we wanted a convertible and a jeep. A regular car would have been much less….but not as much fun.

It was HOT and HUMID. The locals said this was very unusual and that the 2 tropical storms in the area over the 2 weeks were to blame. Yes, there was a breeze thank goodness but most days were 90 to 92 with lots of humidity, so the breeze could only do so much.

I was surprised when locals told us this was the beginning of their down season. I expected early August to still be full tourist season but they said no. The rush had ended. And kids in Hawaii are back in school by the end of July. In NY we don’t start school till Sept – usually after labor day.

Oahu airport is nice…for an airport. The added agricultural inspection does add a bit of time to the whole process. And drop off to our gate was quite a long walk.

It was an expensive trip but I think it was well worth it. I would do it all again and I would go back soon if I could. I tell everyone that asks to put Hawaii on their bucket list. And I do recommend POA as a way to see more of it at a reasonable price. We had a nice cruise. Not sure we would pick NCL over RCI but it would depend on the ship and the itinerary I guess.

We came back from our 13 days with amazing memories and well over 2000 pictures between all of us. Oh, and lots of chocolate covered macadamia nuts 

:):):):)

Cruise-

This was our fourth cruise but first on NCL. I was a bit nervous after reading the mixed reviews but we aren’t particularly picky so I hoped for the best. We really just wanted a floating hotel and dining room. What we got was definitely more and a good experience with NCL overall.

We arrived at the port at noon and were on the ship by 12:30. Our deck 9 stateroom wasn’t available until 2:50 though. That was a bit annoying. But on the bright side shortly after getting into our room luggage started to arrive. It came a piece at a time but we had it all by 4:20 when we headed out for the safety drill.

For the few shows we made it too they were very good. We were very tired each night and didn’t do too many of the other night activities. Both kids loved the kid/teen clubs. They spent as much time there as possible. The ship was pretty full and there were tons of kids on this sailing, especially teens.

The variety of restaurants was nice and food was good. Other than desserts I would say it was pretty comparable with Royal Caribbean. We joked about not being able to find a great dessert. The brownie sundae in Cadillac was the best we found. We don’t usually do the specialty restaurants but we had the UDP so I had prebooked three nights. We did Teppanyaki – fun show but food was only fair. Cagneys though was amazing. We all left so full. And lastly we tried Moderno for the experience. The served meats were great. There was a lot of variety in what was offered. The sides were ok but nothing special. For other nights we did skyline or the aloha buffet. It was nice to be able to be casual. After long hot days on shore there were days we just didn’t want to have to change or even worry about what we looked like before eating. The buffet was nicely laid out to space things out and keep things moving. There were multiple locations to get the popular items and more than 1 drink station. Sometimes you had to look around a bit for a table but it was really only a problem the 1st Kauai morning for breakfast. With the late arrival to port, everyone seemed to be at the buffet at the same time.

The only problems we encountered during the week were dealt with quickly. Upon getting to our room there was no soap or any other items in the bathroom, including much toilet paper. A call to guest services had this rectified pretty quickly. My suitcase was broken somewhere in route from my drop-off to the room. They were nice enough to work on it during the cruise. They used epoxy to fix the cracked foot piece on the bottom. And the room had some dirty areas (desk chair, ladder to the bunk, etc) but I always travel with disinfectant wipes so I just fixed it myself.

Overall the ship was in good shape and nicely decorated. The room showed wear though. Things like scratches, paint chips or cracks. It needs updating especially in the bathroom and the balcony.

I was surprised at the lack of shops (only 3 total – jewelry, clothes and sundries) or even items in the shops. There was very little that had POA or even NCL on them. I guess I’m used to RCI ships that try to sell you everything possible with their logo on it.

The pools and other general areas were nice and as expected.

All staff were super friendly.

Other random thoughts – we packed too many clothes..but then again I always do. The binoculars, light rain jackets, power strip and flashlights all did come in handy. We got many towel animals which our youngest really liked. Even though you are not dressed up there are plenty of opportunities for them to take your picture (and sell you at an exorbitant cost). The meet and greet was well attended by a variety of ship staff. The wait for the elevators was a bit long. We climbed stairs a lot because of this which in the end might be a good thing.

There was some pretty good movement on the ship each evening. I guess I didn’t expect that since it is a relatively slow speed and close to land. We didn’t mind and the meds for my youngest had her feeling fine in no time.

I’m not sure why but we got champagne and pineapple one night, wine and pineapple another, and invited to the bow of the ship for sail away from Kauai. Not sure how we got so lucky. DH thought maybe it had to do with the luggage problem but I didn’t think that would warrant all three things. For whatever the reason, we were very grateful. We don’t however drink wine or champagne so I spoke with guest services about returning them and they said they would trade them for something else like drinks or milkshakes (Cadillac).

On the Islands-

Maui – thrifty rental car for both days for trips to Haleakala, Iao Needle, Ocean

Center, Lahaina and a beach. The crater is a MUST DO. Bring a jacket if you are the type to get chilly or go too early. We started up at 11am and 91 degrees and by noon when we reached the summit it was 70 and windy. That is a big difference. The ocean center is small but nicely done. We didn’t have much time in Lahaina but it seemed like a nice place to stroll through shops. We had to pay to park. Maybe there were free options, I don’t know but we didn’t see any.

Hilo – I had reserved Big Island Aina Tours of Volcano National Park and it was wonderful. They were so informative and friendly. After multiple stops in VNP, we saw the Mauna Loa macadamia, the orchid farm, rainbow falls, and black sand beach which did have turtles that day. I highly recommend them. Yes you could drive this all on your own but the info they told us about each stop was invaluable.

Kona – just walked around the port/shopping area and spent some time at the beach next to the tender dock.

Kauai – rental car for Waimea Canyon, spouting horn, opaekaa falls and wailua falls on day one. Used the free trolley to do shopping and the beach for the morning of day two. The new 10am arrival time stinks!!!

Both rentals were Thrifty, prearranged. Only complaint was the really long line to pick it up. On Kauai due to the new late arrival time everyone is anxious to get off and get going. We exited at 10:05, waited for the shuttle for a while, arrived at the airport location at 10:25 and then waited in a very long line until 11:05. Finally pulled out at 11:15 to start our day. That was frustrating. Bring your own gps to save the fee they want to charge you.

Our AMAZING Hawaii vacation and POA 8/8/15 cruise…..

People keep asking me how our vacation was and really, ‘amazing’ is the best word to describe it.

I got a lot of great info on cruise critic so I wanted to write a review in case I could help others. Happy to answer any questions you have. Debated where to put this, the Hawaii port page verse the generic NCL page. Hope I made the right choice.

Summary –

There were four of us, myself, DH and 2 kids ages 14 and 11. The trip was a celebration for our 20th anniversary.

We left from NY on a really really long direct flight. Spent 4 days pre-cruise in Oahu, sailed 8/8/15 on the POA, and then spent another day and a half in Oahu before heading home. I’m so glad we added time to both before and after the cruise to enjoy other activities and relax a bit.

We started talking about this trip years ago. Booked the cruise last summer and really started obsessing in the fall.

Pre-Cruise-

We stayed at the Outrigger Reef on the Beach in Waikiki. Nice hotel. Good location near tons of shopping. Friendly staff. Nice lobby and shops. Walking distance to many things. Close to ‘the bus’ route.

Traffic in Oahu is crazy so we were glad we had decided against a rental car. It takes forever to get anywhere, so plan accordingly.

Spent one day doing Robert’s tour of the North Shore, Dole & Polynesian Cultural Center. It was a great way to see that all. Only down side was we only had 25 minutes at Dole. An hour would have allowed for the tram, or maze or even more shopping. The PCC was fun and educational. We had 5 ½ hours there. There is lots to see and do. We didn’t stay for the luau or night show.

We hiked up Diamond Head. It was hard but well worth it. The views are amazing. We took a cab there which was a good decision since it drops you at the entrance, instead of down the hill where the bus does. Take lots of water. Go early in the morning.

We did Germaine’s Luau. The food was really good. The location is beautiful and the night was a lot of fun. Transportation was included and our guide was very personable and funny. Included are 3 drink tickets. The drinks are a bit weak but we thought it was a nice addition for the price. At the end they sold us (optional) a great picture they took of our family upon arrive.

We did a full day at Pearl Harbor and that was very moving. I had purchased the tickets on line in advance. You can check your backpack for a $3 fee. They will let you carry in a water.

We also saw the King statue and the Palace (by bus), and had a little beach and pool time over the 4 days as well.

Dinner at Duke’s was good. Went there specifically for the Hula Pie I read about, which was well worth the trip.

Banyan and monkey pod trees are really awesome.

A cab to the port was cheaper than an arranged shuttle.

And there are ABC stores everywhere….like every corner!! They are a good place for things you forgot, souvenirs or a snack. But if you can get to a Walmart or Kmart you can get bottled water much cheaper.

The main street right near the hotel had every high end store you could imagine, Coach, Tiffany, Hermes, Niemen Marcus, Louis Vuitton, and so forth. You could spend a fortune if you had it!

Only negative of the 4 days was the hard sell and misunderstanding with the time share staff at the hotel but even that worked out in the end. Be warned, when they tell you to stop by the desk for your free gift they will usually rope you into a time share presentation. And if they promise you it will be quick…it won’t be.

great tips everyone....

:)

if you rent for 2 days where do you park and any idea what that costs???

Thanks for the replies so far.

We are on the Pride of America and port in Kahului.

Our trip is August. Thanks for the warning about the temperature at the top of the crater.

There are 4 of us (kids are 11 & 14)

We are looking at 2 different tours while on Maui. One is the 'Best of' which covers the Plantation, Ioa Needle and Ocean center. The second is the Haleakala Crater. So about $150.00 times 4 of us. The tours are on separate days.

We are now thinking instead of just renting a car. It would obviously be less expensive.

The question is, can all 4 things be done in one day or is that unreasonable? Yes, I know we can just rent for two days, but I'm wondering if we could cover the four things and then have a relaxing ship or beach day for day two.

I'm not familiar with how far apart they are or how long you reasonably need at each spot. Any advice on can this be done in one day would be helpful.

I just got my Revealed books so more research to do on where else we could go....

thanks...

:)

In Kona on POA in August. Don't really want to rent a car. Figured this would be a good down day, explore the port area and walk around the town. I hear it is a nice area.

Wondering - have read Kahalu`u Beach is a nice one for snorkeling (especially with kids). How far is it? Can you get there without a rental car?

Any other 'must do's' within walking distance at the tender drop off?

appreciate the advice... :)

We sail the POA in August. We considered the NCL land portion too but for four of us the added price was over 3500.

Instead we booked Outrigger Reef in Waikiki beach for 249 a night. As others have said, most of the places to see are free or low cost. I haven't completely figured out what we are doing each day yet but I'm sure it will end up much cheaper over all.

What is the dress code in the specialty restaurants.

I've read that attire on POA is a bit relaxed. Since we are packing for four of us for 13 days we were not planning on fancy clothes or even dressy ones. We did plan on a few outfits of dockers, izods and boat shoes for the guys and capris, sandals and nice tops for the girls but that was as dressy as I was planning.

Regular restaurants have suited us just fine on prior cruises (mostly Royal Carribean) so that is all we planned.

I found out yesterday from my travel agent we have a slight price drop and free ultimate dining now. I'm not sure I want the ultimate dining if it means having to pack more. Thinking of asking her to change it to one of the other promotions if available.

thank you for the review. we go in august so I'm still in the research everything phase.

great tip about bringing food for the day trips = thanks

look forward to the rest of your review

We (4 of us) are on the POA in August and I have a few questions, if any one can help me...

1 - I read somewhere that one of the stops had a good beach very near the port. Which port is that? Beach name? And is the beach walkable, or just a reasonable cab ride away.

2 - When in Oahu before the cruise we have a day at Pearl Harbor planned. All the excursions are very expensive (4 of us). I think I would rather do the day on our own. Can we get there via cab from Waikiki hotel or would that be very expensive. Maybe the bus is an option? Would rather not rent a car just to go there, spend the day and go back to hotel.

3 - Looking for Luau options in Oahu

4 - On Kauai looking at an excursion to the canyon for $48pp (x 4). Assume car rental would be cheaper, but would it be easier? If we go that way what else should we see on the way there or back?

thanks in advance....

The itinerary picture on the website shows the first pass port but a turn inward towards the island and the second pass- starboard- as being much closer. Oh well, guess we will just watch from on deck, not sure I want to bother trying to change the reservation.

Any tips for reasonable excursions would ge great. We are a family of 4. We go in August. We have cruised before but only on Royal and none of us have ever been to Hawaii.