My Review: Oahu Pre-Cruise and the May 22 POA Sailing

General Information: We are four adults who went to Hawaii for the first time. Our ages are 67 (sister), 63 (husband), 61 (self) and 22 (daughter). The three oldest were on one cruise to Alaska in 2008. It was the first cruise for the 22-year-old. My family stayed in one stateroom and my sister had her own cabin. We all love beautiful scenery. None of us like to spend a lot of money at fancy restaurants, so don’t look for any great dining ideas in this review. ;)

Our ship impressions: The staff was very friendly and welcoming. We had a great room steward. The ship was well maintained and looked clean. The weak point on this ship was the food. We did not opt to eat at any of the specialty (pay) restaurants. We dined the first two nights at the Skyline. The third night we ate at the Cadillac Diner. After that we just ate at the Aloha Café (buffet). Our group has picky eaters and we found the buffet easier to satisfy the group. Unfortunately the food was never really hot. (Found this to be the case at the Skyline also) The only hot dinner I had was when I ordered from the Pasta Station. They reheat the pasta when you order. The only hot breakfast I had was when I ordered an omelet from the omelet station. However, if you want a low fat omelet, be sure to ask them to make it without all the oil/butter they pour into the pan before they make the omelets. The chef used a Pam-like Spray for my omelet. I am sure most of the hot dishes do not pass the local Health Department standards for minimum temperatures that food should be served at. You had to choose very carefully if you were trying to eat low fat items. Most items were too salty. Desserts were very disappointing. I just ended up not bothering wasting my calories on such mediocre offerings. Perhaps I am a bit harsh in my review of the food. We rarely go out to eat back home. I cook most of my meals from scratch and I cook low fat and low salt. When you eat healthy at home, it is hard to accept such mediocrity in food when you are out. We went to two comedy shows and the magic show. They were good for the most part. Although the cabin was small, space was well utilized. We had enough room for three people’s luggage in one cabin. There was plenty of room under the bed for the empty suitcases. We were thrilled our cabin had the pull out couch for our daughter rather than a drop down bed from the wall. We have camped with five or more in our pop-up camper so we are used to cramped spaces. Others might have found it more difficult to adjust to. Since we booked late and did not want an inside cabin, we settled for obstructed view. We had lifeboats in front of the windows. It was better than I had thought it would be. When we tendered in Kona the boats in front of our windows were removed. It was great to be able to see full view. It wasn’t until day six that we realized our closet had a light switch. The switch is on the underside of the fluorescent bulb. We had the room steward empty our fridge so we could use it for pop and water. The water in the cabin (bathroom sink) is gross. You can call room service for a pitcher of water, which is much better. If you will be using the pool, it is a good idea to have clothes pins with you so you can hang your swim suits on the clothes line that NCL provides. Although the stateroom carpeting did look clean it was not. My DH and DD walked around in just their socks and they became quite filthy! We did find the ship quite rocky at times. We spoke with several other guests who said this ship had the most motion of any ship they had been on. It wasn't horrible, and we didn't get seasick, but my daughter got dizzy a bit a few times. We were definitely aware when the ship was moving. Other than the food, we were very satisfied with the ship.

Tuesday, May 18 our arrival in Honolulu: We left DTW at 2:25 p.m. after a two-hour delay. After a one hour stopover in San Francisco we arrived in Honolulu about 8:00 p.m. local time. We had to wait 10 minutes for the Thrifty shuttle. Meanwhile the other rental agencies had 2-3 shuttles pass us by. Once on the shuttle things went very smoothly. The driver asked if we were Blue Chip. When he found out we were, he called the office and by the time we got there the van was waiting for us. Soon we were on our way to our rental house in Kailua. We brought our GPS and that was the most appreciated item I packed. It was priceless!!!! In about 25 minutes we arrived at the house. We quickly got ourselves to bed. The house was right on the ocean. It was so nice hearing the waves. The first night was a bit difficult to fall asleep because of the high winds which made a lot of noise as they went over the roof that was above our bedroom. The next three nights it was much easier to fall asleep.

Wednesday May 19 on Oahu: We were up by 6:00 a.m. and headed to Cinnamon’s in Kailua for breakfast. Food and service there were very good. Next stop was Safeway to pick up some beverages and food for breakfasts. We went back to the house to put the food in the fridge and then headed to Waimanola Bay Recreation Area to spend time on the beach. This was our favorite beach for our entire stay in Hawaii. It was clean (although the restrooms left something to be desired) with both a nice shaded area and a nice sand beach. We stayed here for 2 1/2 hours. Next we drove to Makapuu Point Lookout and then stopped at the Halona Blow Hole. We made a quick stop at a Burger King and then backtracked to view Hanauma Bay. Next we drove to Diamond Head were my DH and DD climbed Diamond Head. They found the hike relatively easy and enjoyed the view. We make a quick stop at Kapiolani Community College to the see the cacti gardens, which were very impressive. On the way back to the house we stopped at the Pali Lookout, which offered a lovely view. We picked up pizza at Domino’s, brought it to the house to eat, organized things for Thursday and called it a night.

Thursday May 20 on Oahu: After breakfast we headed to Pearl Harbor. We got there at 8:00 a.m. (Just couldn’t get my group out of the house any sooner.) 12:20 p.m. was the first time they had available for the Arizona Memorial. We decided to go on the tour on the Missouri Battleship while we waited for our Arizona Memorial tour. This was really worth it. All of use enjoyed this tour very much. We had a great guide who provided a very informative and interesting tour. We ate a light lunch at Pearl Harbor and then walked over to where our tour was going to begin. The Arizona Memorial provided a very moving experience. I was very happy we had the opportunity to go and pay our respects to the servicemen who lost their lives on the Arizona. When we returned, we went to watch the movie that is currently being shown in a tent-like building. This was very worthwhile. From Pearl Harbor we drove to the Punchbowl Cemetery and then did the Round Top/Tantalus Road Drive. This drive was enjoyed immensely by all of us. It is a very scenic drive. We stopped at the Pu’u Ualaka’a State Wayside Viewpoint. This is a "don’t miss" in my mind. My DH and DD said the view was even better than the view from Diamond Head. From this viewpoint you see Waikiki, Honolulu AND Diamond Head. It made for some pretty awesome pictures. Our last stop was a quick one at Waikiki Beach. We wanted to get a quick look at this area. It took us a very long time to find a parking lot. This was the only place our GPS failed us. We thought we finally wised up when we set it to take us to a Parking Lot. However, when it told us we had arrived, there was no parking to be found in that area. :( Once we found a parking lot it had plenty of parking. We stopped at our first ABC store and then walked to the Beach. We were near Lewers Street and the beach in this area was not very impressive. In general we were not impressed with the beaches in Hawaii. They did have the clearest and most beautiful colored water of any beaches we have ever seen, but we have been to much better sand beach areas than in Hawaii. After our brief stop in Waikiki we headed back to Kailua. We stopped at a Taco Bell and then went to the rental house where we were in bed by 9:00 p.m.

Friday, May 21 on Oahu: This morning we woke up at 6:00 a.m. and got out by 8:15 a.m. We headed for the North Shore via H-2. We arrived at Haleiwa at 9:00 a.m., which was too early for their shops to be opened. In the end I wished I had taken the longer route to the North Shore via Highway 83. Timing would have worked out better for arriving at many of our stops. It took a little bit of going back and forth, but we finally found Turtle Beach AKA Laniakea Beach. Many of the beaches/sites in Hawaii are unmarked, which can be frustrating. Turtle Beach is between Haleiwa and Waimea. There is no parking lot for this beach. There is a dirt road across the road from the beach where you can park. However, more than one beach area also has the same type of parking. You just need to park and get out of your car to check if you found the correct beach. The day we were there a volunteer had a station set up with information on the turtles. We only saw one turtle, but the day before we were told that there over 20 in the area. Although the volunteer said there is no rhyme or reason as to when you will see the turtles, he said you have a better chance of seeing them in the afternoon. Another reason I wished we had taken 83 to the North Shore. After Turtle Beach we stopped at Ehukai Beach Park. This is the area where the famous Banzai Pipeline is. There were vendors there selling inexpensive Pipeline T-shirts. This beach is easier to find. It is right across the street from Sunset Beach School. Unfortunately, being that it was May, we did not see any great surf in the area. Ehukai was a lovely beach with decent restrooms. Next stop was the "famous" Ted’s Bakery for lunch. My sister ordered the shrimp plate lunch, which she really enjoyed. My DH had a barbecue pork sandwich and my daughter chose the Loco Moco entrée. She was looking for a more authentic Hawaiian Dish. It was burgers with a fried egg set on top of rice with gravy. I am a vegetarian and I quickly learned that Hawaii is not very vegetarian friendly. I chose a veggie salad, which was fine, just not exciting. After lunch we stopped at Laie Point State Wayside. This was a scenic highlight of our time on Oahu. We didn’t want to leave this area. The view was so amazing. On one side you see a beautiful sea arch. On the other side is a bay area with nice waves. This is another unmarked spot. Our GPS did have it listed as Laie Point State Wayside. If you love scenic spots this is a must do. From Laie Point we headed to the Polynesian Cultural Center. As someone else mentioned, we went to park near a closed gate toward the far side of the lot. We were able to leave the lot very quickly from our parking spot. This was a great tip!!! Pablo was our guide. He did a wonderful job explaining things and getting us from place to place in a timely fashion. Since we did not arrive until around 1:30-1:45, we did not get to see all the villages. We did visit Tonga, Samoa and New Zealand. We also saw the canoe pageant (thought it was overrated from all the positive reviews we had read beforehand) and we took the canoe ride. All in all we enjoyed our afternoon here, but it was not a true highlight of our trip. Rather than the luau menu, we chose the American Menu, which was enjoyed by all of us. They had a vegetarian chili for me, which was excellent. The evening show, Ha Breath of Life, was, indeed, an outstanding production. We had third row seats which were great!!! This show was phenomenal!! The fire knife performance was magnificent. We were all in awe!!! It was just a great way to end our day. We quickly exited the parking lot and were soon on our way down on 83. This is a very windy road. You need full attention to drive it. I think it is good that the PCC does not serve alcoholic beverages. The drivers on this road can not afford to have their alertness comprised in any way. It took us 50 minutes to drive back to Kailua. This was the first day I felt my body was finally on Hawaiian time. I did two loads of laundry when we returned and then called it a night.

Saturday, May 22 Embarking on the POA: We woke up at 6:30, had breakfast and then walked to the neighborhood Turtle Cove where we spotted two turtles. Next stop was Bellows Beach for a quick look. This was for my sister’s sake. Her co-worker’s daughter said it was the most picturesque beach on Oahu. It is not open on weekdays, so we had to wait until today to see it up close. Bellows Beach is right next to Waimanola Bay Recreation Area where we went on Wednesday. After this quick stop we headed to Thrifty to return our car. We were fortunate to catch the next pier shuttle in about 5 minutes. We arrived at the pier around noon. It probably took us about a half-hour to go through the various lines for check in. It went very smoothly. Once on the ship we had lunch at the Aloha Café. We then spent some time by the pool. When our cabins were ready (about 3:00 p..m.) we went up and read the materials left in our cabin. Our luggage had not yet arrived. At 4:30 p.m. we went for the muster drill and then returned our life jackets. Next we toured the ship a bit and then went to the Skyline for dinner. After dinner we went on deck (near the pool) to watch the sail-away. Honolulu looked very pretty at night with all the lights. Next stop was the Aloha Café to check out dessert. Since there was nothing I wanted to waste calories on, I had some asparagus. The others tried the desserts but were not impressed. My DH and DD went to the evening variety show, which they said was enjoyable.

Sunday, May 23 in Maui: After breakfast at the Aloha Café we got in line at the gangplank at 7:45 am. The doors were opened at 8:00 a.m. We had a short walk to meet our Valley Isles Excursion bus, which would take us on the Road to Hana Tour. Our group was assigned to Joe. There were twelve people on our bus. Once we were all checked in, we were on way. It didn’t take long to realize how happy we were that we took a tour rather than attempting to drive it ourselves. Joe was born and raised in Hawaii. He shared a wealth of information with us. If we had done the trip ourselves, we would have seen the same beautiful scenery. However, with Joe, we learned about everything we were passing by. He knew about all the vegetation and added information about Hawaii and its culture. Even our 22-year-old daughter, loved this tour. Several times she commented that it was so much better than if we had done it on our own. So many on this forum state that it is an easy drive and there is no need for a tour. I agree the drive is very doable for the average driver. However, the driver would miss out on the full experience. I don’t care what anyone says, but when someone else is doing the driving you have the opportunity to fully enjoy the beauty around you. When you are driving on those windy, two lane roads, you have to really concentrate. We had a lot of rain as we went through the rain forest, but that was to be expected. The rain did not dampen our spirits or ruin our day at all. I do suggest you bring a waterproof raincoat and wear shorts. I wore capris and the part below the jacket got soaked. I wore waterproof low hikers, so my feet stayed dry. My husband brought a water resistant jacket and it didn't cut it. The water went through it. We stopped at many beautiful waterfalls and overlooks. At some spots the driver would ask if anyone wanted to stop. He said company policy was to stop if even just one person responded yes. Our guide stopped many more times than what was listed on the Valley Isle itinerary. He would also stop if you asked him, as long as there was a place for him to pull over. If we did this tour on our own, I don’t believe we would have stopped any more than we did on the tour. We had so many wonderful photo opportunities. The black sand beach was very interesting to see. We stopped at a roadside stand for banana bread. It was excellent. The most popular variety seemed to be the one with macadamia nuts. Apparently Joe had good connections with the owner of the stand. When they appeared to be out of the macadamia nut variety, Joe was able to secure a loaf for someone on our tour. The coconut- pineapple variety sounded really good to me, but not to those I was traveling with. Valley Isle provided lunch, which was very good. They offered a nice vegetarian option for me. It was a pasta and vegetable dish. They also served grilled chicken, macaroni salad, a greens salad and soft drinks and water. We ate outside on the grounds of a house/business. The owners sell jewelry and floral arrangements. I didn’t find them pushy at all. So all was good. After lunch we stopped at Charles Lindbergh’s Grave and the Sacred Pools. The Sacred Pools were flowing, but too rough for swimming. However, we enjoyed the hike to see them in spite of the rain that started to fall once again. Soon we were on the notorious section of road that is taboo for most rental cars. It was a very narrow road with some pretty rough sections. Not a horrible road, but definitely not well maintained. It was a very bumpy stretch and once we finally reached smooth pavement the people on our bus gave a hearty round of applause, only to realize we soon were back on rough pavement once again. We stopped at Tedeschi Winery. This was a waste in my mind. I tried the pineapple wine but did not care for it. You could barely taste the pineapple. I looked at the passion fruit variety but it had artificial flavoring. I didn’t even bother as I try to avoid artificial additives in my foods. As we were getting closer to the pier, the driver asked if it was okay for him to take a detour. Everyone responded it was fine. He drove through the "hippie" town of Makawao. It was a cute little town. From there we went to the pier to drop off the passengers. We stayed on the bus and he took us to Thrifty Car Rental so we could pick up our car. As it was late in the day, our car type was no longer available. We ended up with a mini-van, which was great. That is what we had in Honolulu and it is a comfortable way to travel. From there we hit up Kmart and then went to the pier. The closest lot was full. We parked in the first overflow area which is not a far walk at all. We ate at the Skyline again. Service was fine, but dinner was mediocre once again. This was our last meal at the Skyline. Food was definitely the low point of this vacation. One good thing came out of it. I didn’t gain any weight on this trip. :D After dinner we organized for our day tomorrow and called it a night.

Monday, May 24 in Maui. We had breakfast at the Aloha Café and made our sandwiches for lunch. As reported they have a station set up with cold cuts, cheeses and breads. We brought sandwich bags from home as well as a collapsible cooler bag. We also brought gallon-sized ziplocs for ice. We filled the bags with ice at the beverage section. One beverage station had its ice machine "temporarily out of order" the entire week. They placed a large covered tray of ice there, which is where my DH liked to fill up the bags. We were soon on our way and drove to Haleakala National Park. It took us about I hour and 20 minutes to reach the summit from the pier. We had great weather today with wonderful views and only minimal clouds. The ranger told us it is normal to see some clouds. The view into the crater was amazing. It was very windy and cold up there. For anyone with sensitive ears like my daughter and me, I suggest you pack either a hooded jacket or earmuffs. My daughter had neither, but I had both. Once her ears were killing her she opted to use my earmuffs and I put my hood up. We stopped at several lookouts in the park and enjoyed them all. The silverswords plants in this area are really unique. As we headed back down from the summit, we stopped at the Kalahuku Overlook, which is a turnoff on your right. I believe the sign said something about "silverswords". You got a very different perspective of the crater from this viewpoint. We were happy we made the stop. We drove through the town of Makawao and stopped at the Komoda Bakery that was recommended on this forum and by our driver yesterday. We tried the cream puffs and the guave malasadas. The cream puffs were nothing to write home about. The dough was not crisp, but soggy. The cream was very sweet and unlike what we are used to. The guave malasadas, on the other hand, were excellent. I highly recommend them. Next stop was a picnic lunch at Iao Valley State Monument. Unfortunately we never found any picnic tables, so ate on a ledge, which worked out okay. (We learned later there were tables at the Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens that we could have used. ) The Iao Valley is so scenic. Our daughter remarked that she could stay here the whole day. It really is a beautiful area. We had to drive through a lot of traffic to get there, so it was such a peaceful relief to spend time there. After our time in Iao Valley we did stop at the Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens. Perhaps at one time they were lovely, but now they do not seem to be maintained. There was little vegetation to be viewed. Next we debated what to do. In the end we made a quick trip to Lahaina. It was a beautiful drive and we were not sorry we did it. The ocean along this drive is so blue. The beaches were just small areas limited parking. Once we arrived in Lahaina we found a parking spot on the street and walked over to the Banyan Tree. It was quite a site. After viewing the Banyan Tree we broke up and all went our separate ways for 45 minutes. Had we been able to get up earlier, we could have had more time here. However, my group said they were on vacation and it wasn’t fun to keep getting up so early. Not one gift shop I went in had post cards of the Banyan Tree. My sister found them at the Visitor Center. They had several different ones there. Our next stop was Thrifty. We were able to catch the pier shuttle as soon as we turned in our car. Dinner tonight was at the Cadillac Diner per my husband’s request. He likes his comfort food. Food was mediocre at best, and we did not return here. After dinner we went to the Second City Comedy Show. It was good, just not outstanding. Next stop was the Aloha for dessert. I chose some veggies instead. Their desserts just did not appeal to me. As mentioned before, if I am going to consume high calories, it well better be worth it in taste.

Tuesday, May 25 in Hilo: Today we got up early and still felt rushed. Again we had breakfast at the Aloha Café and made our lunches. I lined up at the gangplank at 7:40 a.m. They opened the doors before 8:00 o’clock today. At this port there were car rental shuttle drivers lined up with their signs in the warehouse you walked through. They then lead you to their shuttles. We were leaving the rental lot by 8:20 a.m. The Hilo Thrifty Office was very efficient. We headed straight to Volcanoes National Park and got to the Visitor Center by 9:00 a.m. First we watched the movie at the Visitor Center, which was a great introduction to the park. When the movie appears to be over, don’t leave. The movie continues after a brief delay. After the movie we listened to the Ranger Talk which was outside the restrooms. This was an excellent presentation. We then started the Crater Rim Drive, stopping at several viewpoints. We enjoyed the drive and stops very much. It was a new experience to see this type of landscape. We stopped at: Steam Vents, Kileauea Outlook, Jaggar Museum, Kileauae Ki Overlook, Thurston Lava Tube (Although we packed our flashlights, we forgot to bring them with us today, so we couldn’t continue into the unlit section :( ) and Devastation Trail. We didn’t walk the complete Devastation Trail, but did appreciate what we did see. Next we headed down the Chain of Craters Road. We stopped at numerous overlooks and had our lunch at a picnic table at the Kealakomo Overlook and Picnic Area, which was very nice. At the bottom of the Chain of Craters Road we saw the Holei Sea Arch and walked the half-mile to where the lava crossed the road. We spent 3 hours doing the Visitor Center and Crater Rim Drive and another 3 hours doing the Chain of Craters Road. We needed more time to do all walks we wanted to do. It was a great day for us. National Parks are always a highlight for us on our vacations. About 3:20 we headed back to the pier. We stopped at Safeway, filled the car up with gas, and then returned the car. We were shuttled to the pier and arrived about 4:30. There was a very long line at the pier. They do not have electronic x-ray machines here, so they were doing the check manually. It took about 40 minutes to get through this line. Today we had dinner at the Aloha Café and then went to a comedy show which was entertaining for the most part. Next stop was dessert at the Aloha Café and then back to our cabins until time for the Lava Sail-By. (9:45 p.m. today) Having no previous experience with the lava flow I did not know what to expect. It was neat to see the bright orange flow in the distance and then view it closer and closer until you could see the steam go up as the hot lava made its way into the ocean. I have no idea if what we saw was considered a spectacular show or a mediocre show. We were just happy we got to see the lava flow. It was another great day.

Wednesday, May 26 in Kona: This day our group split up. My DH and DD went on the Captain Zodiac Snorkeling Tour. They booked through the cruise ship as my DH did not want to deal with getting up early for a tender ticket. They absolutely loved it!!! They saw so many beautiful fish and spinner dolphins. My daughter just wished they could have snorkeled longer. The actual snorkel time was 45 minutes. It was enough for my husband but not for my 22-year old daughter. My sister and I went down for a tender ticket at 9:20 a.m. They said we would get on a tender in 30 minutes. In a half hour they announced anyone with numbers 1-500 could line up. The tender process went very smoothly. Once at the pier my sister and I rented a car from Thrifty and went to Pu’uhonua O’ Honaunau National Historical Site. These are preserved sacred grounds. It was a peaceful location. Next we stopped at the Painted Church. There was a cemetery next to it. This is not a must do stop in my book, but it was something to see to pass the time. Our next stop was the Greenwell Coffee Farm where we took the very informative free tour. It was very interesting and we learned a lot. We also bought some souvenir gifts here. We returned the car, stopped at the ABC store and then headed back to the pier to pick up our tender. We rested a bit, and then I went with my daughter to the Sarong Demonstration. She enjoyed learning new things to do with her Sarong. After the demonstration, we all met for dinner at the Aloha Café. Next was the magic show which we enjoyed, but wished the magician had performed more tricks for the time alloted for the show. After the show we walked for a mile around deck 6, then headed back to the Aloha Café for dessert and then called it a night.

Thursday, May 27 in Kauai: Today everyone but me wanted to sleep in. I lost. :( We woke up at 7:00 a.m., had breakfast, made our lunches and boarded the Thrifty Shuttle. Take note that if you are a Blue Chip member, Thrifty has a separate entrance for you at this location. This was the most inefficient Thrifty Rental Office. Not sure what their problem is, but they were very slow taking care of customers. We were on the road a little after 10:00 a.m., stopping at Anchor Cove Shopping Center first to buy a parking pass at the Kauai Car and Scooter Rental Office. From there we headed to the North Shore. We stopped at the Kilauea Lighthouse Viewpoint and Anini Beach and then dropped our daughter off at Princeville Ranch Adventures for her Ziplining tour. We headed back to Anini Beach and ate our lunch at a nice picnic table near the water. This is a very nice beach. It seemed to be a local spot. I thought it would be a great place for families. Then we drove to Na ‘Āina Kai Botanical Gardens where we had an excellent tour guide for the Stroll & Ride - Formal & Wild Forest Garden three hour tour. We thoroughly enjoyed this tour. It was a nice change of pace from what we had been doing in Hawaii up to this point. When our tour was over we picked up our daughter and then continued driving along the North shore. This had been our daughter's first ziplining experience and she was not overly impressed. It was definitely not a highlight for her. We stopped at the Hanalei Valley overlook and then tried to have Shave Ice at the Wishing Well, which has many good reviews. However, when we pulled up at 4:58 p.m., they were closing. We continued driving and came to the Paradise Shave Ice and enjoyed a refreshing dessert there. We then drove all the way to Ke’e Beach. It was a very windy/narrow stretch of road to get there. We were not impressed with the beach. We walked briefly on the Kalalau Trail, but soon turned back. This is not a trail for the faint of heart. You truly need rugged hiking boots to attempt this trail and more time than we had. We wanted to see what it was like and had hoped to go for about a mile. I think we maybe did an eighth of a mile if that. We got back in the car and headed for the Anchor Cove shopping center to park our car. It was a good hour drive back. We did a little shopping at the ABC store there and then headed to the ship. It was about a 10-15 minute walk. There were bugs flying all around by the shopping center and all the way to the ship. The woman at the ABC store told us they were termites. EEK!!!!! :eek: This really freaked out my sister. She had a mesh backpack and they made their way into it. We went to the Aloha Café for dinner and started to walk on deck 6, but the termites were there too and turned us away.

Friday, May 28 in Kauai: Today we had to be at the Harbor Mall Shopping Center at 7:45 a.m. for our 8:30 a.m. tour with Blue Hawaii Helicopter Tours. It was about a 15 walk. The Harbor Mall is just a bit further down the road than the Anchor Cove Shopping Center and on the opposite side of the road. The helicopter tour was simply amazing!!! It was the highlight of our vacation in Hawaii. Kauai is a beautiful island to take a helicopter tour. I do think I would also have enjoyed a helicopter tour on the Big Island. This was the first helicopter tour for three of us. We were just in awe, especially when the pilot did 360s in the crater and canyon. If you can afford this tour and aren’t too fearful of it, it is an awesome journey. After this tour we drove to Opaeka’a Falls and Wailua Falls. Our last stop was Hilo Hatties and then we returned our car. We had lunch at the Aloha Café and then worked on packing until about 3:30 p.m. At that time we joined our daughter out on deck. She had been sun bathing. We enjoyed a nice drink on deck and then around 4:30 found a spot to enjoy the Na Pali Coastline Sail By. It was, indeed, a beautiful experience. We were disappointed that the cruise ship turned around before we thought it would. We dined at the Aloha Café, which was not crowded tonight. After dinner we went to deck six to see a beautiful sunset. We did a lap around the deck and headed back to the cabin. We were going to go to the 9:00 show, but I was sound asleep by 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 29 Leaving Honolulu: We decided to do self-disembarking since we could easily handle our luggage. We had our final breakfast at the Aloha Café at 8:00 a.m.. I won’t miss this place at all!!! We left our cabin shortly after 9:00 a.m. and headed down to deck 5. Take note that there are two lines to leave the ship. When we were leaving the ship, one line was very long and the other was very short. Keep your eyes out for the short line. We thought we would take a cab to the airport, but Roberts was there with their buses. They charged $6 a person. We felt it was worth it. We got to the airport a little before ten o’clock. It was easy and uneventful. The Honolulu airport is a bit hectic to say the least. Make sure you head to the Agricultural Check first. There were lots of people trying to figure out where to go. The area is very crowded. Once you get past the check-in area and through the security, it is a nice airport.

Final thoughts: All good things must come to an end they say. We truly enjoyed our vacation in Hawaii. It was not our most memorable vacation, but it was a good one. We were happy we chose the cruise as we got to see the highlights of all four islands with relative ease. We were very pleased with the weather. We only had one day of rain in Maui. The temperatures were very pleasant. With our trusty GPS (Garmin) we were able to navigate the islands very easily. If you are renting cars, a GPS is a must in my mind. (And I am someone who is great with maps) It saved us a lot of time. I especially enjoyed the volcanoes, as they are so different from anything I have seen before. The water in Hawaii was so clear and the turquoise color was absolutely stunning. The sand beaches themselves are not that amazing. We have seen better. I doubt we will go back to Hawaii for another vacation, but we are definitely happy we went.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask.

Thank you for posting your review. I appreciate all the help and information you have been providing on the boards. It sounds like I am going to have the same food issues that you had. I totally agree, if a dessert isn't wonderful, it is not worth the calories!

WOW!!!! You did more in one day than some do in a week...you are the planner for sure!

Thanks for a really great review... very well done.

Did you happen to notice if they offered a laundry special on the ship during your sailing?

Chuck

 

Did you happen to notice if they offered a laundry special on the ship during your sailing?

 

Chuck

I am sorry, but I did not notice any laundry specials, but I wasn't looking for any either.

WOW!!!! You did more in one day than some do in a week...you are the planner for sure!

LOL!!! Yes, I am known as the organizer and planner. I just hate going somewhere new and then trying to figure out what to do once we get there. So much time gets wasted that way. I made daily itineraries for my trip. There was always more included than I figured we could fit in. That way we never had that down time where you are twiddling your thumbs. I love to see all the nature sights an area has to offer. You really do need to have your ducks in a row to get the most out of a vacation, at least in my mind. I do like to be flexible and I believe we were. We didn't do everything I planned, and we did pick and choose on some days.

We're thinking of a Kahlua rental as well. Where did you stay, and did you enjoy it?

Thanks!

We're thinking of a Kahlua rental as well. Where did you stay, and did you enjoy it?

 

Thanks!

Our rental was in Kailua not Kahlua. Not sure if they are two different places or if you made a typo.

We liked the house. It is not five star. I would say maybe three star. It is in a lovely neighborhood and you face the ocean. It is not a swimmable beach there, but that was not our priority. The first night it was very windy. As the wind traveled over the roof of the house it made for some annoying noise. My sister used her earplugs to fall asleep. The other three nights it was just the sound of the waves which was nice. They provided beach towels, mats, beach chairs, etc. We found it to be comfortable and did enjoy our stay there. The location was convenient for our itinerary. I would stay here again if I went back to Oahu. Depending on when you are going, don't forget that some renters will negotiate prices, others will not. Doesn't hurt to ask, especially if you are booking at the last minute.

Here is the vrbo link:

http://www.vrbo.com/23829

Great review, thank you. I have taken lots of notes as I read through it.

I am a planner and organiser too, so found it very helpful to see how much you were able to do in a day!

I am just now beginning my research for next year's cruise to Hawaii. Your review is a great start. I wish we could have as much time in Oahu as you, but it is not to be. I think our biggest challenge is how to get all we want to see in. We will arrive Thursday evening, have all day Friday and then we will stay in Oahu after leaving the ship the following Saturday morning. I know that we will want to see Pearl Harbor, the PCC and do the north shore drive. My SIL also mentioned snorkeling on the north shore, so we will take time out for that!:eek: I think that Pearl harbor should be done on embarkment day or disembarkment day but am in a quandry about our luggage on those days.:confused:

Molokai-Chuck,

We did look for a laundry special and never saw one. So we ended up with suitcases full of dirty clothes to take home with us.

Sunny AZ Girl,

See my post here for my recommendation to snorkel Hanauma Bay over the north shore.

Thanks for your awesome review. We sail this Saturday (can't wait). We are also booked on ziplining with Princeville - what exactly was your daughter disappointed in? Which tour did she do? We're on the Jungle Valley. We haven't zipped before, but were really looking forward to it. We're also doing the helicopter tour with blue hawaiian, so thrilled to read your comments on it!!

I wish we could have as much time in Oahu as you, but it is not to be. I think our biggest challenge is how to get all we want to see in. We will arrive Thursday evening, have all day Friday and then we will stay in Oahu after leaving the ship the following Saturday morning. I know that we will want to see Pearl Harbor, the PCC and do the north shore drive. My SIL also mentioned snorkeling on the north shore, so we will take time out for that!:eek: I think that Pearl harbor should be done on embarkment day or disembarkment day but am in a quandry about our luggage on those days.:confused:

Ginny, I think arriving on Thursday will be helpful. We did not arrive until Friday evening and like vbmom87 says, it takes a while to adjust to the time zone change (for us, from Central to Hawaii). Even the one extra day ahead would have helped and I could have done it (needed to be at work that Wednesday before the cruise, but I took Thursday off anyway to pack and do other preparations!).

We did Pearl Harbor on embarkation day. You might check with your hotel to see if they will hold your luggage. We checked out of our rooms at the Aston Waikiki Circle pretty early (by 8 AM for sure) and they stored our bags (about 8 in all for 5 people) for FREE. We did the north shore (starting on Hwy 83 first) on disembarkation day before dropping my parents and aunt off at the airport (around 2:30-3 PM for their 5:15 PM flights). My husband and I stayed an extra day, also in a vacation rental on Kailua (not the same one as vbmom87, but also found on vrbo.com), since I did not have to be back at work until Tuesday, June 1 due to Memorial Day. Our flight arrived home at 5:30 AM that day and I napped a lot that day, but I'm still not sure if I'm quite 100% (thus no lengthy review or pictures posted yet - too tired from work all day!).:rolleyes:

Nice to read your review! I hope to do mine soon. We are still in Kailua...staying for a week post-cruise.... so we still have 2 more days here in Oahu. There is SO much to see...and haven't had time to see everything as beach relaxation has been our priority.

For the poster interested in Kailua...our rental is http://www.vrbo.com/12652. It isn't real fancy but cozy and comfortable for the 2 of us. The beach entrance is just across the road....the beach is WIDE and beautiful!!....the hosts are lovely people who live on the property. The pool is a wonderful feature which you won't find too many places. Our cottage is very private.

You will find that Kailua is a residential area with no hotels. Quite a few people have built cottages on their property or turned their garages into cottages. This one is a garage cottage...but the entrance is totally separate and private. The pool is open to us on weekdays...they use it on weekends. We are enjoying our stay here.

Thanks for looking and checking for a laundry deal ....really appreciate your posting.

Chuck

Ginny, I think arriving on Thursday will be helpful. We did not arrive until Friday evening and like vbmom87 says, it takes a while to adjust to the time zone change (for us, from Central to Hawaii). Even the one extra day ahead would have helped and I could have done it (needed to be at work that Wednesday before the cruise, but I took Thursday off anyway to pack and do other preparations!).

 

We did Pearl Harbor on embarkation day. You might check with your hotel to see if they will hold your luggage. We checked out of our rooms at the Aston Waikiki Circle pretty early (by 8 AM for sure) and they stored our bags (about 8 in all for 5 people) for FREE. We did the north shore (starting on Hwy 83 first) on disembarkation day before dropping my parents and aunt off at the airport (around 2:30-3 PM for their 5:15 PM flights). My husband and I stayed an extra day, also in a vacation rental on Kailua (not the same one as vbmom87, but also found on vrbo.com), since I did not have to be back at work until Tuesday, June 1 due to Memorial Day. Our flight arrived home at 5:30 AM that day and I napped a lot that day, but I'm still not sure if I'm quite 100% (thus no lengthy review or pictures posted yet - too tired from work all day!).:rolleyes:

We are also planning on doing Pearl Harbor on embarkation day and leaving our luggage stored at the hotel. Can you tell me what time you got to PH, and what time your tickets were for. I'm hoping to be there in line by 7:30am.

Thanks!

We are also planning on doing Pearl Harbor on embarkation day and leaving our luggage stored at the hotel. Can you tell me what time you got to PH, and what time your tickets were for. I'm hoping to be there in line by 7:30am.

 

Thanks!

I suggest lining up early. We were there at 8:00 a.m and our tickets were for 12:20.

Thanks for your awesome review. We sail this Saturday (can't wait). We are also booked on ziplining with Princeville - what exactly was your daughter disappointed in? Which tour did she do? We're on the Jungle Valley. We haven't zipped before, but were really looking forward to it. We're also doing the helicopter tour with blue hawaiian, so thrilled to read your comments on it!!

My daughter was very satisfied with Princeville itself. The guides were great; she said it was scenic. She did the Zip and Dip. This was her first ziplining experience and she just didn't find it to be as thrilling of an experience as she expected. I had read only good things about this company, so I think it is just a matter of personal preference. Ziplining is just not her thing. She finds other things to do more interesting. She was in her glory sightseeing, on the helicopter and at the beach. I think she just discovered that zipping is now low on her priority list.

You should love the helicopter tour. It hope you have as clear of a day as we had. It was amazing. I would not do a helicopter in Alaska, but this time got a little braver. Of course I prayed the entire time ;). It was a truly thrilling experience.

We are also planning on doing Pearl Harbor on embarkation day and leaving our luggage stored at the hotel. Can you tell me what time you got to PH, and what time your tickets were for. I'm hoping to be there in line by 7:30am.

 

Thanks!

We didn't get there until somewhere between 8 and 9 AM on embarkation day (sorry, I don't remember the exact time), but we were on an 11 AM tour. As most of us had already seen the USS Missouri (back in the days when it was in Bremerton, Washington) and a few were not able to do the Bowfin, and since we were hungry, we asked a security guard for a recommendation on a nearby place to go for breakfast. We had not eaten breakfast as we actually wanted to go on a later tour (even later than 11 AM) and had thought about getting tickets and going back into Waikiki to eat at Eggs n'Things. The guard suggested Anna Miller's which is just minutes from the Arizona Memorial, and we got back in plenty of time. I had an egg scramble with sauteed onions, and Portuguese sausage, Spam, and rice.

I should add that whatever time we got there, we apparently beat most of the tours. There was a big group from a tour bus arriving just behind us. I second vbmom87's recommendation to go there as early as you can. I could not get my group going any earlier than I did, and I think we only got there when we did because we were all still adjusting to the time zone change and had awakened earlier than we usually do. My dad is a notoriously slow starter in the mornings.

We are still in Kailua...staying for a week post-cruise.... so we still have 2 more days here in Oahu. There is SO much to see...and haven't had time to see everything as beach relaxation has been our priority.

 

For the poster interested in Kailua...our rental is www.vrbo.com/12652. It isn't real fancy but cozy and comfortable for the 2 of us. The beach entrance is just across the road....the beach is WIDE and beautiful!!....the hosts are lovely people who live on the property. The pool is a wonderful feature which you won't find too many places. Our cottage is very private.

You will find that Kailua is a residential area with no hotels. Quite a few people have built cottages on their property or turned their garages into cottages. This one is a garage cottage...but the entrance is totally separate and private. The pool is open to us on weekdays...they use it on weekends. We are enjoying our stay here.

We also stayed in Kailua, one day post-cruise, similar situation. This owner had turned their garage into two cottages, you can use the pool any day but only between 8 AM and 6 PM, and it was a half-mile walk to the beach and Kawapalei Market/Cafe. Beach towels/chairs/other equipment were provided, as was a first-morning breakfast (muffins in the freezer and a bowl of fresh fruit - pineapple, papaya, bananas, etc.). We did not eat the breakfast as we were only there one night, had to check out at 10 AM, and would have needed to clean any dishes we used, so we opted to go out for breakfast after checkout, but I think that was a nice touch for people staying longer, so they would not have to go out for groceries upon arrival the night before. The unit has no AC and it was a little hot when we arrived (May 29) but the ceiling fan and a smaller floor fan helped cool things down, and it was very breezy that night.

This place is actually listed with a bed-and-breakfast service and normally rents for a three-night minimum: http://www.lanikaibeachrentals.com/HulaBreezePineappleSuite.htm. However, the owner also lists it (and the slightly-smaller adjacent unit - http://www.lanikaibeachrentals.com/HulaBreezePalmSuite.htm) on vrbo.com when she has "holes" to fill in the schedule. I emailed via vrbo.com two weeks before the 29th and within minutes the owner called me. She gave me a break on the rental rate ($100 for the night instead of $135) but we still had to pay the $75 cleaning fee. Going back to the Aston Waikiki Circle would have been cheaper, but this was MUCH more peaceful (especially since there are no kids allowed) and the beach was gorgeous!

I felt lucky to have found this place on such short notice. With more time you should be able to find a perfect rental on Kailua (perhaps closer to the beach as some of the other posters on this thread have found) that will work for you. I definitely preferred Kailua to Waikiki.

Here's the vrbo.com links: http://www.vrbo.com/242098 and http://www.vrbo.com/235628

Thanks for the reassurance on Princeville, we'll see what we make of ziplining :)

We thoroughly enjoyed reading your review and it provided us with a lot of good insights especially for Oahu since we will be staying three nights in Kailua where riofriotex stayed. We are the same ages as you and your DH and my DW is a vegetarian like you so she knows what to expect. Too bad we are going a month after you did because we would have had a lot in common had we met. We did a cruise similar to this with Princess five years ago sailing from Tahiti and when we docked in Kauai we met passengers from the POA that asked us how our food was and we told them we had no complaints and they commented as you did that their food was mediocre at best. So I guess things haven't changed much over the years. This will be our first cruise with NCL.

One thing though, I am not going to rent a car in each island as you folks did, but rather go with the local tour people there since we did do most of these excursions on our own before. This time I'll leave the driving to someone else so I can sit back and enjoy the scenery this time around.

Once again, Thanks for the great review vbmom!

Our rental was in Kailua not Kahlua. Not sure if they are two different places or if you made a typo.

 

Yup typo... thanks!

Thanks for all the rental suggestions - glad to hear it's a good alternative to Waikiki...

We thoroughly enjoyed reading your review and it provided us with a lot of good insights especially for Oahu since we will be staying three nights in Kailua where riofriotex stayed. We are the same ages as you and your DH and my DW is a vegetarian like you so she knows what to expect. Too bad we are going a month after you did because we would have had a lot in common had we met. We did a cruise similar to this with Princess five years ago sailing from Tahiti and when we docked in Kauai we met passengers from the POA that asked us how our food was and we told them we had no complaints and they commented as you did that their food was mediocre at best. So I guess things haven't changed much over the years. This will be our first cruise with NCL.

 

One thing though, I am not going to rent a car in each island as you folks did, but rather go with the local tour people there since we did do most of these excursions on our own before. This time I'll leave the driving to someone else so I can sit back and enjoy the scenery this time around.

 

Once again, Thanks for the great review vbmom!

I am glad you enjoyed the review. It is long, which is a fault of mine. I just can't figure out how to shorten things up. Glad you found it helpful. It does sound like we would have had a lot in common. We enjoyed our stay in Kailua. It was away from the hubbub of the city, yet not that far away. It seemed to be a good central location for all we did.

I know what you mean about the driving. We were so happy we did the RTH with a tour. The local guide we had taught us so much and it was great for me (the driver) to be able to just take in all the vistas without having to be focused on the driving. I would have loved private guides for the other days, but it just wasn't in our budget.

Here is a suggestion for Oahu that we missed: If you don't mind little hikes, I understand the trail to the Makapuu Lighthouse offers a wonderful view. Someone we met said they liked it better than the view from Diamond Head. The parking for the lighthouse trail comes shortly after the Makapuu Lookout, if you are coming from Kailua. However, I do not recommend doing the drive along the East Shore as we did it from north to south. All the lookouts are on the left side. I think it would be much better to start from Waikiki and go north. Then they would all be on your right side. However, with everything else we were doing, it just seemed to work out this way best with the least backtracking. We didn't have any major problems turning left out of the stops, but I still prefer turning right. ;) We would have liked to do the trail to the lighthouse, but we really needed to eat and then time was slipping by. This is one day we wished we had packed a lunch. Having to stop for lunch takes so much time.

Enjoy your trip. If you can just get past the food, you will have a great time. The ship is well taken care of, and although the crew is American, and not quite up to speed with foreign crews, we were satisfied with the crew. The best part of the American crew was there was no problems with communication. You all spoke the same language. ;)

my DW is a vegetarian like you so she knows what to expect.

I actually found the vegetarian options in the Main Dining Room (Skyline/Liberty both have the same daily menu) to be satisfactory and would have continued to dine there. However the other three I was travelling with really had issue with the dining room food, so I just went along with the Alaho. The Aloha usually had two main entrees that were vegetarian, sometimes three. You could always get the marinara sauce with pasta at the pasta station too, which like I said guarenteed you a hot meal.

Unfortunately not all of the plate lunch diners have a vegetarian option. Ted's Bakery, which is often given great reviews, did not have one entree that was vegetarian. I ate a salad there. :(

We vegetarians are used to having to be creative. For my packed lunches, I would put a hard boiled egg in a glass of ice while I ate breakfast. After it cooled down I would peel and cut it and use it to make a tomato, cheese and egg sandwich. Worked for me.

vbmom87 - It is so WONDERFUL to read your review and hear about the great time you had in Hawaii! It's been amazing planning along side you the last few months and hearing that all your plans came to life is just awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing!!!

I have one question: Did you add extra drivers when you rented your cars and did this add a lot of time at the rental office, despite being Blue Chip?