Walking Distance to Beaches - with kids

[Raze]

Aloha,

 

I've read through some of the posts about beaches near the cruise terminals. I was wondering if there were any specific thoughts on beaches within walking distance of the cruise terminal, or at least via a bus. We have a 3 and 5 year old. Planning to bring car seats, but would rather find a way not to bring them to the beach. Anyone have any recommendations for getting the family to a nice beach via a short walk or bus ride? (A way to go without the seats.)

 

These are the ports:

 

Honolulu

Hilo

LAHAINA

KAUAI(NAWILIWILI)

 

Brian

[teacherman]

In Kauai, you can exit the terminal and take a free shuttle about 1/4 mile to some small shops. (Anchor Cove Mall-??) From there, you can walk about 5 minutes to a BEAUTIFUL public beach outside of a LUXURIOUS hotel. Nice beach with both sand and grassy areas to lay on. Nice view of the ship from the beach. A couple of beachfront restaurants are also there. There were cruisers, hotel guests, and quite a bit of crew members all enjoying this beach when we were there last September.

[Raze]

In Kauai, you can exit the terminal and take a free shuttle about 1/4 mile to some small shops. (Anchor Cove Mall-??) From there, you can walk about 5 minutes to a BEAUTIFUL public beach outside of a LUXURIOUS hotel. Nice beach with both sand and grassy areas to lay on. Nice view of the ship from the beach. A couple of beachfront restaurants are also there. There were cruisers, hotel guests, and quite a bit of crew members all enjoying this beach when we were there last September.

 

Wow, thanks for the great info.

 

Brian

[Raze]

Wow, thanks for the great info.

 

Brian

 

I just read about Black Rock on Maui. Wonder if there is a bus there?

 

Brian

[sceptic]

If you are docking in Kahului the answer is no, there is no decent public transportation from there to Kaanapali, the location of Black ROck. If you are tendering in Lahaina there is local shuttle service from there to Kaanapali. It is inexpensive and relatively frequent. I suggest you google on "Lahaina Kaanapali bus" (or some such) for the latest info.

[Raze]

If you are docking in Kahului the answer is no, there is no decent public transportation from there to Kaanapali, the location of Black ROck. If you are tendering in Lahaina there is local shuttle service from there to Kaanapali. It is inexpensive and relatively frequent. I suggest you google on "Lahaina Kaanapali bus" (or some such) for the latest info.

 

Thanks, we are tendering in Lahaina.

[Raze]

Are there any ideas for things to do in Kauai that are around the port or easily accessible (via bus)? Taxi is not an option as we won't have car seats for the little ones.

 

Kauai(Nawiliwili), Hawaii

 

Thanks,

 

Brian

[serenity27]

In Kauai, you can exit the terminal and take a free shuttle about 1/4 mile to some small shops. (Anchor Cove Mall-??) From there, you can walk about 5 minutes to a BEAUTIFUL public beach outside of a LUXURIOUS hotel. Nice beach with both sand and grassy areas to lay on. Nice view of the ship from the beach. A couple of beachfront restaurants are also there. There were cruisers, hotel guests, and quite a bit of crew members all enjoying this beach when we were there last September.

 

This is great info! I looked for this exact thread before I started my own, as we are also looking for beaches near the port to go sailing, kayaking, etc. We are going on excursions but will want to see more of the area before we return to the ship. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[Raze]

Someone mentioned that Poipu Beach is great for the kids. Anyone been there and know how easy it is to get to from the terminal using a bus?

 

It's in Kauai

 

Brian

[Sunny AZ Girl]

We are currently planning on beach time in Kauai near the port (Kalapaki Beach). Here is more information on Kalapaki Beach.

 

I had previously read about a shuttle bus to a local beach in Kona, but am not sure if it is still in operation or what condition the beach is in after the tsunami. Maybe someone else could answer that question?

[Budget Queen]

Someone mentioned that Poipu Beach is great for the kids. Anyone been there and know how easy it is to get to from the terminal using a bus?

 

It's in Kauai

 

Brian

 

You have to drive here, it is no where near the cruise ship. And if a "bus" were available, it would not be the best use of time.

[Budget Queen]

We are currently planning on beach time in Kauai near the port (Kalapaki Beach). Here is more information on Kalapaki Beach.

 

I had previously read about a shuttle bus to a local beach in Kona, but am not sure if it is still in operation or what condition the beach is in after the tsunami. Maybe someone else could answer that question?

 

In Kona- pre damage, all you had to do was walk around the harbor and find yourself a beach. Several "beaches" (if that is all you are looking for) to choose from. Just a matter of how far you want to walk.

[Raze]

Someone mentioned that Poipu Beach is great for the kids. Anyone been there and know how easy it is to get to from the terminal using a bus?

 

It's in Kauai

 

Brian

 

We rented a car from Enterprise at the airport and plan to drive to Poipu Beach for the day. They say it's about a 30 minute drive. Anyone do this before?

 

Brian

[smrtypnts]

We rented a car from Enterprise at the airport and plan to drive to Poipu Beach for the day. They say it's about a 30 minute drive. Anyone do this before?

 

Brian

Everyone seems to rent from Thrifty, can you tell me why you opted to rent from Enterprise? Just wondering.

[Raze]

Everyone seems to rent from Thrifty, can you tell me why you opted to rent from Enterprise? Just wondering.

 

Oh, really? We are going with another couple and they set it up. Why Thrifty over Enterprise?

 

Any feedback on driving in Kauai and getting to the beach?

[MilliesMom]

I found a GREAT book worth purchasing before you cruise to Hawaii.

 

Hawaii by Cruise Ship

 

The 2nd edition of this book was just released in Jan 2011. It tells you about the islands, where the ship docks, what is withing walking distance and so much more. Definitely worth purchasing.

[fendbass]

Brian, we did that on our first trip to Hawaii. You can call a rental agency to pick you up as soon as you walk out of the terminal. Go to the office, do the paperwork, and your are on your way. About 15-30 minutes to Poipu Beach. Watch your speed, the road to Poipu Beach is a favorite speed trap

 

Make sure that you leave the beach in plenty of time (I think we left at 2:30) to get the car turned in. When I did this, the last shuttle to the cruiseport left at 4pm, and the ship left at 5

[beachchick]

Oh, really? We are going with another couple and they set it up. Why Thrifty over Enterprise?

 

Any feedback on driving in Kauai and getting to the beach?

 

No reason at all except that somewhere along the way Thrifty started being recommended here. Sometimes they do have lower rates on a couple of specific discountcarrental websites, but that doesn't make them "the" company to use for Hawaii cruises. In fact, there have been times when using Thrifty is not only more expensive, but more time-consuming. If there are 400 passengers with Thrifty reservations, you can bet that it will take much more time to get the shuttle and get through the rental process (even with Blue Chip). We check all the major companies and go with the one that has the lowest price for the days we want. We've never had any major issues with any Hawaii rental, whether land visit or cruise.

 

As for driving on Kauai and getting to Poipu. Driving on Kauai is easy; once you get out of Lihue, there is only one road to the turnoff for Poipu. There are two options into Poipu from there, but they converge along the way. There can be traffic into and out of Lihue, so plan at least 45 minutes from the airport to Poipu and another bit of time for parking. Get a good map and figure out where along the Poipu area you want to go. Poipu beach park is wonderful, but it's not the only beach option there.

 

beachchick

[Raze]

Brian, we did that on our first trip to Hawaii. You can call a rental agency to pick you up as soon as you walk out of the terminal. Go to the office, do the paperwork, and your are on your way. About 15-30 minutes to Poipu Beach. Watch your speed, the road to Poipu Beach is a favorite speed trap

 

Make sure that you leave the beach in plenty of time (I think we left at 2:30) to get the car turned in. When I did this, the last shuttle to the cruiseport left at 4pm, and the ship left at 5

 

This is great information - thank you so much!

[Raze]

I found a GREAT book worth purchasing before you cruise to Hawaii.

 

Hawaii by Cruise Ship

 

The 2nd edition of this book was just released in Jan 2011. It tells you about the islands, where the ship docks, what is withing walking distance and so much more. Definitely worth purchasing.

 

Shucks - sounds like a great book - we leave Wednesday so I don't think I can get it in time.

[Raze]

No reason at all except that somewhere along the way Thrifty started being recommended here. Sometimes they do have lower rates on a couple of specific discountcarrental websites, but that doesn't make them "the" company to use for Hawaii cruises. In fact, there have been times when using Thrifty is not only more expensive, but more time-consuming. If there are 400 passengers with Thrifty reservations, you can bet that it will take much more time to get the shuttle and get through the rental process (even with Blue Chip). We check all the major companies and go with the one that has the lowest price for the days we want. We've never had any major issues with any Hawaii rental, whether land visit or cruise.

 

As for driving on Kauai and getting to Poipu. Driving on Kauai is easy; once you get out of Lihue, there is only one road to the turnoff for Poipu. There are two options into Poipu from there, but they converge along the way. There can be traffic into and out of Lihue, so plan at least 45 minutes from the airport to Poipu and another bit of time for parking. Get a good map and figure out where along the Poipu area you want to go. Poipu beach park is wonderful, but it's not the only beach option there.

 

beachchick

 

 

Thanks for the great info!! Very helpful.

[smrtypnts]

Oh, really? We are going with another couple and they set it up. Why Thrifty over Enterprise?

 

Any feedback on driving in Kauai and getting to the beach?

There's a program called the "Blue Chip" program with Thrifty, that you can set up ahead of time. Then when you go to rent your vehicle it's all ready for you, with a special line for those that are part of the free Blue Chip program.

So you're in and out in a flash.

 

I can't answer your Kauai/Beach question.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

When I first booked our cars there were 6 of us, so I rented mini-vans in all ports. I went with lowest price and ended up with about a 50-50 split between Thrifty & Dollar.

 

Then we lost one couple, plus we revised our plans to not use rentals in Kauai or Hilo. So we ended up booking mid-size cars through Thrifty in Maui & Kona because they were cheaper. Then we booked through Thrifty in Honolulu, also. In Honolulu Thrifty was about $10 more than Budget, but only Thrifty provided a free shuttle to the port after we cropped off the car, so they got our business.

[MilliesMom]

Shucks - sounds like a great book - we leave Wednesday so I don't think I can get it in time.

 

Check your local Barnes & Noble. They just might have it. Have a wonderful cruise.