Trip Report Nov 25 - Dec 4th

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First of all let me take a second to thank everyone who ever posted Trip Reports to Cruise Critic or Trip Advisor websites. I looked forward to them and they truly helped me plan for this vacation. The tips saved us time and money and kept me supper excited for the year it took for us to saved up to go to Hawaii. I hope you enjoy.

 

Day one: Oahu Thursday – Thanksgiving morning. We were coming in from Michigan our flight was unbelievably long. :eek: We used United Airlines. A shuttle was waiting to take us to pick up the rental car after we got done at baggage claim. They are selling lei’s in the baggage claim area - they smell heavenly. We used Thrifty for all of the islands - Please if you only take one tip it is to become a Blue Chip Member. It is free and well worth the very small effort it takes to sign up. They take your name on the shuttle and have your car and paperwork ready when you arrive. Just get in your special Blue Chip line, sign for the car, and drive. They offer maps of the island you are on. They are very helpful with lots of tips. Before you book check out www.discounthawaiicarrental.com they gave us a discount rate that beat all other prices.

 

We stayed in the Hilton Waikiki Prince Kuhio Hotel. It is located closest to Diamond Head and is a great hotel, clean, friendly, safe, good location a few blocks walk from the beach and a fantastic price. (We booked the flight and hotel together with Expedia and received over $400 off the total – the hotel gave us a free upgrade to ocean view 18th floor) Parking at our hotel was $25 a night but if you park one block over at Aston Waikiki Banyon they charge $10 for 24 hours and you have in/out privileges. This worked out really well.

 

We got our toes in the Waikiki beach sand and it made every minute of waiting for this trip worth it… Walked down the beach and had dinner on the deck of Dukes at sunset (Great live entertainment starting at 4 p.m.) Afterwards we took a short look around international market place on our walk back to the hotel for an early night. It was 1 a.m. at home but only 8 p.m. Hawaii time so early to bed due to time difference.

 

Day two: Oahu Friday – We headed out on our way to Diamond Head for sunrise at the top. We stopped at Leonard's Bakery for Malasadas – also known as donuts (933 Kapahulu) - Original flavor are Fantastic warm!!! Stopped across the street at Safeway for a case of bottled water for the week. Hiked to the top of Diamond Head ($5 for parking) – no matter what you read this is not a moderate hike there are over 200 stairs at the top of the crater but it is fine if you have the correct footwear on and take your time. After this we head to Hanauma Bay to snorkel. ($1 parking $7.50 entrance fee $9 rental fee for gear) – you see a short movie before going down to the bay to let you know about the area and to remind people not to step on the coral. If you want to be shuttled to the bay it is .75 cents to get down the hill and $1 to take the shuttle up. I found that the water was very shallow over some of the coral. We saw some large fish here but had some problems with the quality of some of the rental equipment. The other members of my party ended up drinking a lot of salt water. Nearby we tried a famous plate lunch. Mine was called something like Mini Loco Moco and it had a scoop of rice, scoop of potato pasta salad, hamburger patty, and fried egg covered with gravy. I know that sounds gross and I am usually a picky eater but it was delicious. From here we stopped at the Halona Blowhole for a few minutes. The waves were up so it was shooting high into the air. A blowhole is created when lava is flowing; it hardens on the outside of the stream of liquid lava, then when the flow stops it makes this hole in the hardened lava. Depending on how heavy the flow was when it was created - it could be the size of a pin up to the size you can drive a semi truck through. From the parking lot you can see a nice beach on the left hand side. Today with the great waves all of the locals were surfing and having a wonderful time. It was great fun to watch them but not safe for us to try it out. Next we headed up the windward coast to Lanikai Beach. It was perfect - a beautiful soft white sand beach in a residential area. We cut through the island back to our hotel and on the way stopped at Nuuanu Pali lookout ($3 parking - gorgeous drive). The wind is incredible up there and the view is breathtaking. This evening we had purchased tickets to Germaine’s Luau from Sav-On Tours $52 adult / $50 child. They pick up in an air conditioned charter bus at the hotel across the street. This turned out nicely due to it being a 45 minute drive and the Luau ticket included three drinks of your choice. On the bus is a tour guide/comedian to keep you entertained during the ride and tells you what you need to know about Luau’s (parties). We were told that this is the only Luau left on Oahu who still cooks the pig in the ground in the traditional way and serves it to you on the buffet. When they take the pig out of the ground they shake it and the hot lava rocks make there way to the top shredding the meat along the way. We sat at picnic tables on the beach. The couple who sat next to us were Hawaiian. There daughter came home for her birthday with her husband and as a special treat they took them to this Luau for her birthday. There was every kind of Polynesian dance you can imagine and some funny audience participation. On the way back to the hotel if you keep an eye on the skyline you can see at a certain point that the word ALOHA appears in lights on the mountainside.

 

 

From the top of Diamond Head looking down into the parking lot

 

Hanauma Bay

 

 

Day three: Oahu Saturday – Bright and early we headed to Pearl Harbor. There is no fee to see this monument. We wanted to be there when the ticket office opened at 7 a.m. so we were sure to get the first tour at 8 a.m. Everything I read said they run out of tickets, construction, and there are long waits. And with us being here so close to the anniversary 12/7 we wanted to be safe. This did not happen and we worried for no reason – it was no problem at all. We arrived around 7:30 and received tickets no problem for the next movie and the 8:30 ferry over to the monument. Please remember no bags allowed just a camera out of the camera bag, but you can rent a locker to hold everything. We left everything in our trunk. Parking was very close. This is a beautiful and well maintained facility. Next we took the free shuttle to Aloha Flea Market in the stadium down the street. - open Sat/Sun ($1.00 entry fee / hours 6 - 3 p.m.) there are at least 2 miles of vendors set up – this is very fun but do not try to make the full loop it is to long. We made that mistake. Once we had the thought that we were ready to stop we were so far into the loop we just kept going – wrong thing to do… Prices vary slightly but a lot of repeat merchandise ($3 t-shirts, Hawaiian shirts, dresses, jewelry, food, bathing suits, every souvenir and the prices are better than anywhere else) Returned the rental car (they shuttle you to the ship - takes @ 15 mins.) Check it was fine. Our only other cruise was on Disney. The Registration area was just a warehouse that was different from our last cruise but no big deal. Got on the cruise ship and our rooms were ready. (# 4035 & 4033 - small but nice) Ship activities: the safety muster (this turned out to be a little long) the sail-away celebration is dancing by the pool with the statue of liberty – not very many people were participating, and comedy show was hilarious). Our first meal was lunch at the Aloha Café and we were not disappointed. Our room Stuart did not want to empty the mini bar for us but eventually did. We wanted to keep our bottled water cold in there for shore excursions later in the week. Today was the day that I wanted to make my way over to Chinatown to see the ladies make the lei’s but exhaustion from the flea market was setting in and I just didn’t find the time or energy today. But not to worry I found out that later in the week I could make my own orchid lei on the ship with the Hawaiian Ambassadors. We also learned how to make nut, and ribbon lei’s. We tried the Skyline for dinner and it was very nice. The menu is the same for Liberty but you don’t have to be as dressed up. Cruise Goddess from Cruise Critic was so kind. She left magnets and post cards on both of our doors. But just a word of advice – they don’t decorate the doors on this cruise like they do on Disney. Someone stole those magnets off the door that night. We ran into Rebecca later in the week and found out someone stole a personalized magnet off her door as well – boo…

 

Pearl Harbor

 

Pride of America – our home for 7 beautiful days

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Day four: Kahului - Maui Sunday - Picked up rental car (Thrifty - shuttle waiting for you at the dock - please remember to pick up an island map they give good tips about the best beaches) 935 E. Mokuea Pl. Kahului, HI 96732 (877)283-0898. Excited to take on the Road to Hana. (we used a Hana CD guide $20 - buy at the kiosk of Shell gas station at 370 Dairy Rd. and enjoyed listening to Craig – the voice on the cd) When at the Shell station we picked up the Maui Style onion flavor potato chips and they were great. We needed to remember to just hang loose and enjoy the views because this trip was about the journey not the destination of Hana.

Attached is a picture of the Rainbow Eucalyptus trees. I was so looking forward to seeing them in person and they did not disappoint – how amazing that this tree has so many colors and shows even more when it gets wet. Later we saw more in the front of the Dole pineapple plantation in Oahu. We stopped several places along the way but I will only highly recommend one - Wai'anapanapa State Park. We stopped for a picnic lunch here. The black-sand beach, lava tube, and sea arch were spectacular. This trip to Hana and back is an all day event, and I will not lie the drive is stressful. You have pro's and cons for renting your own car. It is less expensive to rent than buy an excursion for your group. You can stop when you would like. Turn around when you would like. But your driver has to make hair pin turns all day long, cross at least 60 one lane bridges, and can't take in all of the beautiful sights. (I was so nervous that I bit off all of my cruise manicure within the first two hours). You may want to try the freshly baked banana bread at Halfway to Hana snack shack - it was still warm and I must say tasted a lot better than my nail polish. We continued on to the Ohe'o Gulch Pools ($10 fee – money saving tip: this pass works the next day at Haleakala National Park)...

 

SAVINGS: Bring zip lock sandwich bags to make picnic lunches from the buffet and a double sided collapsible cooler. They provide items on the buffet for this: bread, croissants, lunch meats, peanut butter and jellies. One of the hot breakfast items was thick sliced ham with a pineapple glaze we used for sandwiches. We also packed some muffins and pastries.

 

TIP: you may want to bring some toilet tissue with you on the RTH, because some of the restrooms along the route would run out.

 

Rainbow Eucalyptus trees (left hand side of road just outside of town)

 

Wai'anapanapa State Park – black sand beach

 

Wai'anapanapa State Park - lava tube

 

Ohe'o Gulch Pools (may also be known as seven sacred ponds)

 

Day five: Kahului - Maui Monday - Haleakala National Park at sunrise (go early and dress warm) this was fantastic. So hard to get up in the morning but once the sun starts peaking up you are so glad you did it. It was not as crowded as I imagined it would be. The summit doesn’t open until after sunrise for safety reasons. Watch out for random cows in the road on the drive up. The drive down was super fun in our sporty rental. You do have to watch for the people taking the bike ride excursion down but it was not hard at all. We did not plan out the rest of the day and it turned out to be my favorite day of the vacation. We went to the other side of Maui to explore Lahaina. The town is very nice but the best was just north of town. We spent the afternoon at the Marriott resort beach. We found it listed as #1 beach in our Thrifty map/magazine. We rented snorkel gear for $8 an hour and swam with the sea turtles. The water could not have been nicer. Clear, sandy bottom, smooth, warm, just beautiful. Around 10 minutes after I gave my daughter and her grandfather the gear they were back. What’s wrong? “Nothing we need the camera there’s a sea turtle” Wow… They swam with it for around a half hour until it lead them to the coral on the other side of the beach where three more were swimming with tons of fish. I know that is something she will never forget. We went to fill up the car at the Shell station from the day before and I glanced across the street and to my surprise there was the scrapbook store I had read about on Cruise Critic. I had to beg, borrow, and steal but I got the rest of my group to let me have five minutes in that store. You scrapers out there know the feeling. After some serious damage to my wallet and some one of a kind Hawaiian embellishments - I was a happy camper… We returned the rental car – no problems as usually. Ship activities: Magic show - fantastic, wanted to see not so newlywed show but were totally exhausted no way to stay up after 10 p.m. All of the seniors, even the little kids on the ship were putting me to shame I think the rocking of the ship was putting me to sleep. By the way I think I only saw around 4 or 5 children on this cruise. Fantastic day!!!

 

Above the clouds – over 10,000 ft above sea level - Haleakala National Park at sunrise

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Day six: Big Island Hilo Tuesday - We pick up rental car (1 General Lyman Field Hilo International Airport (877) 283.0898) and headed to Akaka Falls. This is a 442 foot waterfall 11 miles north of Hilo. Fantastic must see location… There are actually two different waterfalls at this stop. You can see one from the parking lot, but if you take a really nice walk through a rainforest type setting you get closer to them. It felt like we were in Jurassic Park the movie without the scary dinosaurs. It was out of this world beautiful. Next we headed to Banyan Drive to see the tree planted by Babe Ruth – and to walk the queen’s garden. After that we headed off to Volcanoes National Park (steam vents, Kilauea Calder Overlook, Jaggar Museum, Thurston Lava tubes @ 29 miles from Hilo Hwy. 11 $10 per vehicle - Bring camera, and a strong flashlight for lava tube) On the way back we stopped at Mauna Loa Macadamia nut farm/factory/store. Some of the group wanted to buy macadamia nuts as gifts. They gave out free samples and I found I liked the garlic onion flavored nuts the best, and I would have never even had tried them if I hadn’t had the sample. The cost was the same here at the store as in any ABC store on any of the islands. (ABC stores are absolutely everywhere. They carry every possible souvenir available) The factory was not giving tours at the moment due to a power problem. Attached is a picture of what the nuts look like when they come off the tree. Driving in we saw a gentleman working to pick them up and he was wearing a hard hat. I don’t know why but I found that funny :p… Ship activities: Prime rib dinner made the cruisers go crazy in Aloha Cafe, view lava flowing volcano (we had a very light viewing during our cruise but when we were at Jaggar Museum earlier in the day we were told that the lava burned a house down earlier in the day) orchid lei class – free of charge.

 

Akaka Falls

 

Banyan tree planted by Babe Ruth

 

Queen’s garden

 

Volcanoes National Park - Kilauea Calder Overlook

 

Macadamia nuts in natural state

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Day seven: Big Island Kona Wednesday - If you are at all worried about this being a tender port please don’t. Hang loose it’s no problem at all. Meet in Pink’s champagne bar to pick up your tender tickets. The first out is at 7 a.m. last in is at 5 p.m. It takes around 10 mins to get to shore. We were scheduled for the Captain Zodiac Adventure: Check in at 7:45 a.m. (4 hour boat ride - meet in chairs under green tents. Wear swim suits, bring towels, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, light cover up, camera *Gratuity not included*) We purchased this tour on Captain Zodiac’s website at a substantial discount. This is a fantastic trip and there is no way anybody who took it could be disappointed. Minutes after we boarded we came across a pod of spinner dolphins. They were jumping and playing with the boat. I was a little slow with my camera but seconds before I took the attached picture a baby the size of a football jumped. Could be the cutest thing ever. We made our way out to Captain Cook’s monument for some snorkeling. This is like swimming in an aquarium - Perfect!! We saw eels, puffer fish, trumpet fish, and a hundred other kinds in all shapes and colors. The equipment, staff, information given, and total experience were A1… Is this my new favorite day?? :p Maybe. If you are looking to purchase Kona coffee and are told Long’s drug store has the best prices (if this is true it is only a few cents less) don’t climb the hill to get there. They have a free shuttle to Hilo Hattie’s (sp?). Its real close from there. Also make sure that you check the label that it is 100% Kona coffee. Lobster night on board. We went to Skyline and I ordered the beef wellington for dinner (best meal of the cruise by far – I leave the lobster to those who are obsessed with it). Tonight the “Oh What a Night” – tribute band played. It was fantastic! Late on Wednesday was the White Hot Dance Party – there was no way I could keep my eyes open but I sure wanted to. I hear they make it snow but I can’t tell you for sure.

 

They use the ships emergency boats to tendor to shore

 

This is how close the ship is to land

 

Pod of dolphins – way to start our morning with Captain Zodiac

 

Captain Zodiac adventure tour

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Day eight: Nawiliwili Kauai Thursday - We reserved a spot to kayak up the river and hike to the secret falls with Kayak Wailua. The price was better than all of the other tours. $39 a person plus 15% gratuity. We pick up rental car (3273 Hoolimalima Place Lihue, HI 96766 (877) 283-0898) and checked in at 9:45 a.m. Warning: This was not a trip for the wimpy… They drove us and our equipment to the marina. We paddled around two miles up the river with the wind behind us. Not bad I can do this all day. Parked our kayaks and started our walk. This is the same spot all of the other tours park the kayaks so it is a little crowded. You must have sandals like Teva’s that strap to your feet and you don’t mind getting muddy. Our guide was great. We think he was the son of the owner. Our little surfer dude showed us the way and his good looks kept my teenage daughter paddling with no complaints. We had to cross two rapid rivers on our hike and the muddy trails were slick at times. It had rained the night before and the wild boars had been digging up the trail eating who knows what, but you could see some places where there snouts had stuck directly into the mud making a perfect face print. Our guide told us the island is populated with four times as many wild boars as humans. And from the sound of them 10 times as many wild chickens as humans. Well the little piggies kept there distance and did not make a personal appearance during our trek thank goodness. Once we got to the secret falls (gorgeous) which were NOT a ½ mile away as told - it was worth it. We had a picnic lunch (dry bags and soft sided coolers were provided in the price of the excursion) then off to swim in the exhilarating water. Defiantly on my bucket list to swim in a waterfall and I enjoyed every second of it. Coming back we were rowing against the wind and we got a workout. You share the river with the fern gully river cruise so we needed to stay to one side. Once we retuned we wanted to take a look at Poipu Beach. We must have missed the turn off and we ended up at

Spouting Horn (another blowhole/ lava tube). This was very nice. They had vendors set up with handmade crafts. On the way back we stopped at the Marriott resort beach on Poipu Beach. I have attached a picture for you to judge for yourself if it is paradise or not. A storm was rolling in this evening and we decided to return the car after the first day. We needed to make a stop and I heard a racket from the birds in a set of trees. It turned out to be hundreds of little green parrots. That was an amazing sight. It was getting dark so I could not get a good picture but I took a video.

 

On the trail to secret falls

 

Waterfall we swam in

 

Marriott resort beach on Poipu Beach

 

Day nine: Nawiliwili Kauai Friday - The day I have been waiting for. Our biggest splurge - a helicopter tour with Blue Hawaiian 50 min. long at Lihue Airport. If you purchase your reservation online you save quite a bit of money. Well we woke up today and it was very cloudy and windy. Oh boy there is no way they are not going to cancel our flight. Blue Hawaiian’s offices are in the Harbor Mall, just across the street from the Anchor Cove center, and within an easy walk of the ship. They have a little trolley car that takes runs up there from the pier every few minutes. Once you arrive you watch a little safety presentation, get your floatation devices which are like little yellow fanny packs and are shuttled to the airport. At the airport, there is a shade awning with chairs where you wait for your helicopter. Once we were there and on the helo pad they let us know that the pilot decided to cancel our flight due to weather. I thought at the time - I guess it’s for the best. Later that day it cleared up to be beautiful. I found out that the flight before us and every flight after ours were not canceled and could see just fine. I was heartbroken but what are you going to do? I have not received my refund yet but Blue Hawaiian gave the impression of being a great company and everyone I spoke to who went were very pleased with the experience. We made a trip over to the Kalapaki beach which was a really nice place to spend the day, but it was pretty windy so we headed back to the ship to relax by the pool. There are not a lot of lounge chairs so good luck finding any that are not saved. I tried to console myself with a large pineapple drink (it was great but it cost almost $12 but that is a lot less than a helicopter ride) The drink did not work so when we set sail I got myself a brownie sunday at Cadillac Café and watched as the tug boat spun in circles in a farewell salute to the POA. That hit the spot and I was back on my feet. We watched the Jimmy Buffett tribute band play by the pool. What can I say about the Na pali coastline sail by – breathtaking! You can get a good seat at the Waikiki Bar in the back of the ship. At around 5:15 you sail by on the left hand side of the ship then the captain turns you around and you can see the whole thing again on the right hand side of the ship. Pictures can not even come close to what this looks like in real life. At the end we saw a beautiful sunset and headed off to dinner – can I say that I was so sick of eating by this point??? :( The Farewell show was very nice with a variety of all of the evening shows and entertainers that had performed all week.

 

Na pali coastline

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Day ten: Oahu Saturday - We had breakfast and disembark ship around 8:30 - 9 a.m. We had no problem getting a shuttle to pick up our rental car. First stop was Dole Plantation. We tried the dole whip which was good. It was fun to see how pineapples grow but there is a fee if you want to rome the gardens, take the train, or take a shot at the maze. Next we were off to the north shore. We stopped at every beach. One had sea turtles laying on the beach and some eating close to shore. The waters were calm and beautiful at Waimea bay. We rented snorkel equipment from a surf shop ($6.50 for 4 hours or all day for $9) because the water was not as ruff as we expected for winter time on the north shore. When we returned the rentals they were having an autograph section with some of the top surfers in the world. The young girl who had her arm bitten off by the shark and appeared on the Oprah show was there along with around nine others. We wanted to try shaved ice on the north shore (66-087 Matsumoto - Kamehameha Hwy.) somehow we never found this place. We did find Romy's shrimp North Shore – we read that sometimes there is a long line. We waited for around 15-20 mins. The shrimp ponds are directly behind the building. Attention picky eaters: Be warned they serve the shrimp or choice of prons with the shell & heads/legs still on unless you order the fried shrimp. Locals brought coolers with cold beer in it - I wish I had done the same. We went all the way past Polynesian Cultural Center to a beach called Bathtub beach. It was just gorgeous but we needed to hurry back to see the sun set on our last day on Sunset beach. The perfect ending to our wonderful vacation. Our flight was for 11 p.m. this night and we did not make it home until around 5 p.m. on Sunday. I am still exhausted but I know we saw everything we possibly could in our time on the beautiful islands of Hawaii – ALOHA :cool:

 

 

Crazy kids at Waimea bay – north shore

[kwbound]

Great review and pictures...thanks for posting. You did a lot of the things we did. Wasn't the spinning tugboat funny? I'm sorry you missed out on the helicopter tour. It was one of the highlights of our trip. But now you have a reason to go back!!

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Thank you for the wonderful review! It sounds as if you had a perfect time. Your pictures were wonderful. I can't wait to go!:D

[kapoho2]

What a nicely done review. Mahalo for taking the time to share your vacation with all of us!

[Raison]

Thanks for the review, it sure sounds like you had a great time! I have noted some of your hints for our trip. Lovely to see the photos also.

[sue402001]

I enjoyed reading your review and pictures 105263 from one Michigander to another. Your the first person who has mentioned (that I've noticed) that you can buy a lei at the airport baggage claim so thanks for the heads up.

[ohmandy99]

Great review! So envious that you saw dolphins on your Captain Zodiac excursion! We did the afternoon trip and our captain tried hard to find some as his morning tour had seen pilot whales and dolphins, but I guess they must have been "morning mammals" as all we saw was ONE turtle.

Seeing a "baby the size of a football", oh my gosh, how precious!! :)

[Kylie]

Thanks for sharing the information & pictures of your cruise! Makes me even more anxious for our trip in May. We've cruised to Hawaii with NCL 2x already and can't wait to go back.

 

When we were in Kona and dolphins put on a show - you could see them from the ship jumping out of the water and doing flips in the air. We did Capt. Zodiac too - great excursion.

[J&RLOVESTOCRUISE]

Thank you for your review and pictures!

 

I do have one question, how far from the Hilo Airport (where you pick up at Thrifty is Banyon Drive and the Queen's Garden?

[tone1]

Really enjoyed seeing your pics and reading your review. Sorry that you missed the helicopter ride, but at least you're all back safe and sound, and hopefully, you can always plan a trip to go back to Kauii and get a chance to do the helicopter tour then.:) Your pics of the Napali coast from the ship are fabulous, so it doesn't sound like you missed the most beautiful sight there.

 

How did you find the food at the buffet and the main restaurants? Was it satisfactory? Did you try any specialty restaurants?

 

Hilo - did you find yourselves rushed at VNP considering that you did the Falls and factory first? Did you get to drive any of Chain of Craters Road? Did it seem busier at VNP during the afternoon - more cars, tourists, buses, etc? I'm trying to figure out if I should do VNP first and then try and make Richardson black sand beach and/or Rainbow Falls or if I should try it the opposite way like you did. Thanks!

[105263]

tone1: food at the buffet and the main restaurants were great. We were not expecting much after all of the reviews but were very pleasantly surprised.

 

I thought we would feel rushed with our heavy schedule in Hilo, but we ended up having plenty of time at VNP. We drove half of the Chain of Craters Road and could have done the full circle with no problem. It did not seem busy at VNP. It was a little cloudy in the morning up at the volcano so it worked out better that we spent the morning down by the water it cleared up by afternoon and we had perfect viewing.

 

The Thrifty shuttle bus driver was actually extremely helpful in Hilo and would answer any questions we had about the area. We had seen the black sand beach in Maui so we did not head over to Richardson.

 

J&RLOVESTOCRUISE: The Hilo Airport to Banyon Drive and the Queen's Garden is only around 5 - 10 minutes drive by car.

[FloatYourBoatSince2003]

Glad to hear you had a great trip! Terrific review - thanks so much for posting.

 

I have also put hiking to the Secret Falls on my wishlist with Kayak Wailua and I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. I too have my teenaged daughter with us - apart from the cute guide what were her impressions of this excursion? How long did it take?

 

Sorry you missed the helicopter ride. I want to plan for it on our second day too, but I guess that means you're gambling with the weather...Not sure the pineapple drink would cut it for me either :(

[105263]

FloatYourBoatSince2003, This excursion is well worth the money, and turns out to be the same trip other companies ask double for. It took 4 - 4.5 hours all together. We were told that the mud on the trail can be half way up to your calf on the wettest days. My daughter is 14 and she had a blast! Her favorite part was swimming in that beautiful waterfall. It was quite an adventure.

[stlfamof6]

thank you for your review! we are taking our four children on this cruise in May and I have been hoping to read about fun activities for teenagers. I have a couple of questions, how many people were in your group, did you just have one teen? What were her favorite things about the trip and do you have any other tips for traveling with kids this age? How is the air temperature riding out to the snorkeling excursion in Kona and how did you dress, swim suit and cover up? I have been on other boats early in the morning and it was quite chilly with the boat driving fast.

[FloatYourBoatSince2003]

FloatYourBoatSince2003, This excursion is well worth the money, and turns out to be the same trip other companies ask double for. It took 4 - 4.5 hours all together. We were told that the mud on the trail can be half way up to your calf on the wettest days. My daughter is 14 and she had a blast! Her favorite part was swimming in that beautiful waterfall. It was quite an adventure.

 

Thanks for your quick reply...just went over your review again and you did a lot of things I'm hoping to do... I'm dropping hints to my guys (two sleepy teens) about wanting to do Diamond Head at sunrise and by coincidence hitting Leonards after the hike... I keep telling them that getting up early the first few days will be no big deal because of jetlag and they're looking at me rather doubtfully :D. Did your daughter enjoy it?

 

When we booked the trip last July the idea of sunrise at Haleakala seemed like a good idea but as time went on I'm not too sure. I'm impressed you guys did it. Normally that sort of thing is right up my alley and my guys are used to it but my only concern is burning out too soon since we have a very full itinerary in the works (as did you). We're thinking of doing the sunset instead or just pay a visit first thing in the morning (post sunrise!) but sunrise is a must-do if we ever do a land-based vacation in Maui. How did you find your energy levels after the early wakeup?

[FloatYourBoatSince2003]

we are taking our four children on this cruise in May and I have been hoping to read about fun activities for teenagers.

 

sltfamof6 - Hope it's ok if i send just a quick note to you - We're going in March (three families with a total of 6 teens) so I'll let you know how it goes! Have your guys ever tried surfing lessons? Mine did it this past March and they hope to do it again in Hawaii. Loads of places to take lessons - especially in Oahu.

[stlfamof6]

floatyourboatsince2003-yes, would love to compare notes on what you are planning with your teens. Surf lessons is on our list, I have been searching for the most economical way to do it though and haven't booked anything yet-except rental cars or rather, minivans. Excursions for 6 people are PRICEY!!! I am a newbie on this site, so if there is a way for us to chat privately, let me know how to set it up. thanks.

[cruisinskier]

Thanks for a great review and your pictures bring back lots of great memories!!

[FloatYourBoatSince2003]

floatyourboatsince2003-yes, would love to compare notes on what you are planning with your teens. Surf lessons is on our list, I have been searching for the most economical way to do it though and haven't booked anything yet-except rental cars or rather, minivans. Excursions for 6 people are PRICEY!!! I am a newbie on this site, so if there is a way for us to chat privately, let me know how to set it up. thanks.

 

It doesn't have to be a private conversation - there are probably lots of parents with teens wondering the same thing. Maybe start a new thread (if you haven't already) so that we don't hijack this thread - that way others can chime in too. My knowledge of Hawaiian excursions are more limited, although I've planned independent family excursions for other cruises that were designed to get the biggest bang for the buck - so we're on the same page there.

 

Having the cars is great btw. For example, we didn't book surfing for ourselves - just the kids (I'm a wimp) but we had LOADS of fun watching and filming the kids last year. That helps to cut down the cost if not everyone wants to actively participate. It's harder to do that through the ship where it's sort of a one-price-for all sort of thing.

 

In the meantime I'll look up what I found for surfing...

 

ps: thanks 105263 for letting us borrow a little space on your terrific review - and we welcome any more "teen in Hawaii" wisdom you have to offer. :)