POA Trip Review

[beeandkmon]

We just got back on Sunday from our Hawaii trip. I will try not to make this too long although I have a lot to report!

 

Pre Trip

Background: We are both 25 and got married a week and a half before we left. We had originally wanted to go on our trip right after our wedding but the dates just did not work out. As the wedding approached we were so happy that we were not going on our trip for another week and a half. It gave us time to get packed and have everything together after the wedding.

 

Flights: We booked our flights through Expedia and chose the cheapest option- even if they meant more travel time. Our flight back was going to include flying quite a bit out of the way. A couple of months before our trip I got an email from Expedia that I needed to call them there was a problem with both of our flights! When I talked with the people from Expedia they told me that since one flight on both legs had changed our connections were all messed up. They offered to rebook me on different flights that were so much better at no cost to me! We cut out 2 hours of travel time on the way there and 5 hours on the way back.

 

Planning: Trip adviser and cruise critic were of huge help when planning! I highly recommend utilizing them. I had everything planned and arranged before we left. I highly recommend doing this. It is not easy to figure it out on the trip especially with short port stops.

 

Packing:

-there were a lot of papers to bring (car rental agreements, directions, boarding docs, boarding passes, and so on). I picked up an accordion pocket folder ($1 @ target). I was able to arrange our papers by day so I could quickly grab everything we needed each morning. This worked great!

 

-Bring a GPS (or a phone with capabilities) if you are planning on driving. This was so helpful!

 

-If you go snorkling buy a waterproof camera before you go. We bought this one online: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Fujifilm-Quick-Snap-Waterproof-Disposable-Camera-with-27-Exposures/10297733 It was $7 online, $10 in stores here, and $15 dollars in stores in Hawaii. It actually worked okay and we got a few decent pictures.

 

-Bring snacks for the plane. Even on a 7 and a half hour flight we were not given anything but drinks. Thankfully we had packed a lunch.

 

-Pack a sweater for night time and pants. The shows were freezing on the ship.

 

Trip details coming up soon...

[greatlakesgirl]

Great start!

 

Please, make it as long as you want! We are down to a little over four months 'til our POA cruise. Can't wait!

 

I've got the accordion-style folder, too, on the suggestion of my daughter. It's working great!:)

[Molokai-Chuck]

Looking forward to more...bring it on!

And, Mahalo.

[Jodez]

I am curious about the accordion style folder :confused: sounds like a great idea but don't they usually have a lot of pockets? is there alot of wasted pockets once you put all your stuff in or is it full?

Also...... did you pack the folder in your suitcase? I would be worried that if the luggage went missing that I would lose everything :eek:

[beeandkmon]

Leaving and the First Day

 

Our flight left at 6:40 the Thursday before our cruise. Usually I would have complained about the 4:00 am wake up but I was so excited that I did not care! I ate a quick breakfast as I get car/plane sick. I had a doctor who once told me to eat a good amount and drink only a little before a trip. This has worked amazingly for me and I don't usually get car/plane sick anymore.

 

When we got to the airport thanks to an amazing friend who woke up at 5:00 on a Thursday to drive us we were pleasantly surprised to find that we could each check 2 bags for free. I had read American Airlines policies and did not think that this would be the case but it was. We each checked a bag and sped through security.

 

Our first flight was only about an hour and forty five minutes but then we had a 2 hour layover in Dallas. We got a quick meal and walked around the airport trying to stretch our legs as much as possible before the long flight. We lucked out with an exit row (Expedia's gift to us for having to change our flights- we really lucked out with that change!). After seven and a half quick (ha!) hours we finally landed in Honolulu. It was only 2:00 Hawaii time which seemed strange as it was 7:00 for us. Whenever I travel I change my watch to whatever time I am on. I find that this really helps me adjust as I am not constantly thinking "oh it really is so much later."

 

I had booked with Roberts Tours for our transportation to our hotel on Waikiki. It was $13 a person. I am not sure what a taxi would have been but I really wanted to have everything arranged so we would not have to worry about anything. They greeted us at our gate with shell leis. We opted not to pay for the flower greeting. The Roberts girl was very friendly and showed us where the bathroom was and then walked us to baggage claim. She introduced us to another representative who she said would take our bags when we were ready. Our baggage took awhile to come but as soon as it did we walked over to the small bus and we were off! I would recommend them highly for transport. They were friendly and prompt.

 

We had booked the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort . My mom stays at Marriotts a lot so she has a ton of Marriott points. She was nice enough to gift us with some of her points for our stay. She was actually surprised and told us that this hotel took very few points for its location. We checked in and enjoyed some pineapple infused water in the lobby (so refreshing!). Our bags were quickly put in our room and we headed out!

We walked the beach watching surfers and explored the area. We had both been to Waikiki before so we had fun looking at places we remembered. We snapped a few pictures on our walk and checked out prices for surfing lessons for the following day.

 

(I am having trouble inserting pictures- when I click insert picture I can only add a url)

 

By 4:45 we were really hungry and could not wait any longer for dinner. We ended up being really lame and eating at the super touristy Jimmy Buffet's but it was happy hour so we could not resist. It was actually not bad. We walked the beach and watched the sun set. It was only 7:00 but we were exhausted. At this point we were so thankful that we had come a few days before the cruise to get adjusted to the time change!

 

We decided not to fight it and just let ourselves sleep. So on our first day in Hawaii we were sound asleep by 7:45!! It had been a long day!

Edited October 15, 2013 by beeandkmon

[greatlakesgirl]

I am curious about the accordion style folder :confused: sounds like a great idea but don't they usually have a lot of pockets? is there alot of wasted pockets once you put all your stuff in or is it full?

Also...... did you pack the folder in your suitcase? I would be worried that if the luggage went missing that I would lose everything :eek:

Not the OP, but I hope it's ok that I jump in. :o

 

Mine has 6 pockets - one for each island (I put maps and car rental info in them), one for the cruise itself, and one labeled misc. for odds and ends. It's not that big. At least mine isn't. I'll probably put it in my carry-on.

[beeandkmon]

Not the OP, but I hope it's ok that I jump in. :o

 

Mine has 6 pockets - one for each island (I put maps and car rental info in them), one for the cruise itself, and one labeled misc. for odds and ends. It's not that big. At least mine isn't. I'll probably put it in my carry-on.

 

 

 

I bought a cheap one and it really smashed down. It did not take up that much room.

[beeandkmon]

Day 2

Since we had gone to bed so early the night before we woke up at about 4:30 on Friday. After trying to fall back asleep for a while we decided not to try to fight it and make it to Diamond Head for the sunrise. Our hotel was about 2 miles from the entrance so we opted to run there. Diamond Head opened at 6:00 but they actually let pedestrians in before cars.

 

As soon as we were let in we ran to the top with the goal to make it up before anyone else. It was awesome!! We made it to the top in about 8 minutes and another couple quickly joined us. We had 10 minutes to enjoy Diamond Head with only four people at the top. This was really neat and I highly recommend doing this if you are able!

 

At about 6:20 approximately one million people made it to the top at once. It was shoulder to shoulder packed. At this point we realized how fortunate we had been to get to enjoy the view by ourselves. The sun began to rise above the water and peak out behind the clouds. It was a beautiful sight. Once the sun was up the crowd began to inch its way down. Our walk down was crowded and not nearly as enjoyable as the empty run up.

 

**** Note- avoiding crowds will be a theme for the week ;)

 

We took the long way to run back to our hotel so we could run along the beach. We stopped off a a few points to look at the water. I thought it was so beautiful but it ended up being nothing compared with some of the things I would see later on.

 

We got changed at the hotel and walked to a restaurant that had advertised $5 for two eggs, breakfast meat, and potatoes. I don't remember the name but it had a huge sign you can't miss. The apple turkey sausage was actually awesome. Even though it is a "touristy" place I recommend for breakfast!

 

After filling up we headed to the beach and jumped in the water. After a few minutes playing in the water we could not wait anymore and decided we just had to go see about surf lessons. We chose Waikiki Beach Surfing (something like that- there is a yellow tent). We took a 1 hour lesson with just us and an instructor. The lesson also came with a free 1 hour rental to be used at anytime. This was a really good bonus!

 

Our instructor Todd was hilarious and a great teacher. After a quick (really really quick- he did not waste time) land lesson we were off in the water! I had heard that surfing was really difficult but to be honest we both thought it was pretty easy. We got up on our second tries and Todd took us farther out to bigger waves. We had a blast! Paddling back out was a ton of work! There were a few times when I jumped off early as I did not want to paddle so far back! My husband totally made fun of me for this. They sold photos of you for outrageous prices but we just had to buy one! There actually was one picture of us riding the same wave so we purchased that one.

 

After our lesson we were exhausted. It was only 11:00 am and we had already ran to diamond head, ran up, ran back, and surfed for an hour. We walked to an ABC store (they are so hard to find!) bought a bottle of water and some pineapple. We then sat down and talked about how every part of our bodies hurt.

 

I had actually gotten pretty scraped up surfing and the salt was irritating. We decided to grab some Neosporin (thanks ABC) and shower. We then walked to the International Marketplace for some lunch and an afternoon of shopping. We picked up a bunch of stuff that we don't really need and spent way to much money. When we ran out of money (ha) we went for a long walk around Waikiki.

 

For some reason we were given 2 free drinks at our hotel so we went back to enjoy so Mai Tai's. A band was playing and we sat by the pool enjoying our drinks.

 

 

 

We went out to find some dinner and ended up at round table pizza. It is a sports bar and I believe a chain. I know we are lame. It was actually really really good. What was really neat was that they were showing a surfing tournament on some of the TVs.

 

We made it till almost 9:00 before going to bed. Progress!! We went to sleep with dreams of our cruise for the next day!

 

*****This is turning out way longer then I planned. Its hard to pick and choose details!

[hill6]

Congratulations on getting married

 

Great review so far. Can't wait to read more

 

United messed with one of our flights too when we went last year. We ended up on the direct flight there instead of a connecting one. It ended being a good thing as we had bad weather and our original flight was cancelled.

[seventhwardhustler]

We just got back on Sunday from our Hawaii trip. I will try not to make this too long although I have a lot to report!

 

Packing:

-there were a lot of papers to bring (car rental agreements, directions, boarding docs, boarding passes, and so on). I picked up an accordion pocket folder ($1 @ target). I was able to arrange our papers by day so I could quickly grab everything we needed each morning. This worked great!

 

-Bring snacks for the plane. Even on a 7 and a half hour flight we were not given anything but drinks. Thankfully we had packed a lunch.

 

good info! i usually have a binder but i think the accordion will be flatter and lighter. i was hoping a full meal will be served but i'll make a point of bringing snacks anyway--we're traveling with a toddler.

[travelgirl87]

good info! i usually have a binder but i think the accordion will be flatter and lighter. i was hoping a full meal will be served but i'll make a point of bringing snacks anyway--we're traveling with a toddler.

 

I would definitely suggest checking your airplane reservation for an indication of meals to be served or available for purchase. Remember that Atlanta-Honolulu is a domestic (not international) flight and a lot of airlines have really cut back on what is provided. A long flight with cranky (and hungry!) adults isn't fun let alone the same situation but with a toddler along.

 

We had a 10 1/2 hour flight out (left 9 am, arrived 1:30 pm with 6 hour time change) when we flew and we were served drinks but no food on United. Limited food was available for purchase but it was rather processed and was also pretty pricey. Luckily, we were prepared and had brought along our own munchies as well as picked up breakfast items at the airport before the flight.

 

Safe travels.

[3onTour]

Enjoying your review immensely! We leave in about 2 weeks...

 

Question?: what type of snacks are we allowed to carry on? Sandwiches? Will we get through security with food items? We are also traveling with a toddler (2 yr). ATL to HNL is a 10 hr flight:eek: we do plan to bring crackers, etc for her.

 

Thanks for any help provided

[Midnight Blue]

Enjoying your review immensely! We leave in about 2 weeks...

 

Question?: what type of snacks are we allowed to carry on? Sandwiches? Will we get through security with food items? We are also traveling with a toddler (2 yr). ATL to HNL is a 10 hr flight:eek: we do plan to bring crackers, etc for her.

 

Thanks for any help provided

 

I fly frequently domestically. Crackers and other dry snacks are no problem at security. Sandwiches probably won't be a problem. Liquids are the problem -- you can't bring bottled water, soft drinks, etc. Anything liquid has to be 3.4 fluid oz or less and placed in a clear, quart sized, zip top plastic bag. There are exceptions for baby formula and medicine. From the TSA website:

 

"Medications, baby formula and food, and breast milk are allowed in reasonable quantities exceeding three ounces and are not required to be in the zip-top bag. Declare these items for inspection at the checkpoint. Officers may need to open these items to conduct additional screening."

 

The website also says containers of the following items larger than 3.4 oz will be a problem: salsa, syrup, salad dressing, creamy dip, peanut butter, jams, jellies, soup, gravy, oil and vinegar and... wait for it... cranberry sauce.

 

You can purchase water, soft drinks, etc. to carry on the plane once you have cleared security. And any food you purchase at the airport ***once you clear security*** is fine to take on the flight.

 

Check the TSA website for more information. Have a good flight!

[azappraiser]

I fly frequently domestically. Crackers and other dry snacks are no problem at security. Sandwiches probably won't be a problem. Liquids are the problem -- you can't bring bottled water, soft drinks, etc. Anything liquid has to be 3.4 fluid oz or less and placed in a clear, quart sized, zip top plastic bag. There are exceptions for baby formula and medicine. From the TSA website:

 

"Medications, baby formula and food, and breast milk are allowed in reasonable quantities exceeding three ounces and are not required to be in the zip-top bag. Declare these items for inspection at the checkpoint. Officers may need to open these items to conduct additional screening."

 

The website also says containers of the following items larger than 3.4 oz will be a problem: salsa, syrup, salad dressing, creamy dip, peanut butter, jams, jellies, soup, gravy, oil and vinegar and... wait for it... cranberry sauce.

 

You can purchase water, soft drinks, etc. to carry on the plane once you have cleared security. And any food you purchase at the airport ***once you clear security*** is fine to take on the flight.

 

Check the TSA website for more information. Have a good flight!

 

You can carry on bottled drinks that you purchase after going through security from one of the gate side gift shops... they're a bit over-priced, but at least you'll have something beside what the FAs serve.

[3onTour]

Thank you for the info! :D I will try very small slider (small bun)type sandwiches that may hold up a few hours, like turkey & veggies in an insulated container.

Edited October 16, 2013 by 3onTour
Spelling

[3onTour]

Looking forward to more of the review from beeandKmon:)

[beeandkmon]

To answer the question about food we packed subway sandwiches and lots of other munchies. On a long (and boring) flight food is a huge distraction. I would not assume that you are getting a meal on a flight. These days that is rare even on a long flight.

On to the review!

 

Day 3

 





 

When we woke up early on day 3 we tried to fall back asleep. We really wanted to get a little more on the time zone so that we could enjoy some of the evening activities on the cruise. When we finally did get up we walked out to find some food and then hit the beach. We had the free surf board rentals from the day before so we grabbed boards and hit the waves. It was a lot harder with out an instructor. Our instructor had told us exactly when to go so when we were on our own we had some trouble and missed a lot of waves!

We hung out at the beach for a bit and then went upstairs to shower and pack. Once we were packed we headed out to get food. Ideally we would have waited to eat on the ship but we had not eaten much for breakfast and were really hungry. Surfing also really works up an appetite! We ate at Wolfgang Puck express. It was actually delicious and I highly recommend!

Our shuttle (Roberts) was scheduled to pick us up at 2:00 but we had to be out of the room by 1:00. We would have had to be out by 11:00 but I had asked for a late check out. We played cards in the lobby for the last hour (I won) and waited for our ride. The Roberts shuttle was very prompt in picking us up. Our driver gave us interesting information on the way. Some of the other passengers got angry as we had to stop at other hotels on the way and it took some time. I had been warned of this though so it did not bother me.

There were not any lines at check in. It does take some time as you have to drop off your bag, go through security, check in, and do a few other things. They gave me a nice flower lei to wear which made my day! When we got on the ship our room was ready so we dropped off our backpacks and explored the ship. It seemed like a pretty standard cruise ship to me with the exception of the American décor and the lack of casino.

We went to our mandatory muster drill. Our station was in the main dining room. This was the easiest one I had ever been to. We sat at a table and chatted with a group of people from the Philippines. They were very nice and we saw them around the ship the entire week and would trade stories from our day. Its fun how this always happens on cruise ships. You seem to keep seeing the same people everywhere.

There was a sail away party on deck with a barbeque so we decided to do that instead of go to the dining room. There was music playing and we wanted to see the ship pull out of the harbor. Unfortunately the sun set before we pulled away so it was mostly dark.

We went to the welcome aboard show where we were introduced to the crew. We ended up in the theater a little early and had fun observing our fellow passengers. The majority of the passengers were over 65 on the ship and there seemed to be very few children. This may be because it was an October cruise and may also be because it is an expensive cruise.

The comedian, Bud Anderson, was very funny and we really enjoyed him. His humor was fairly adult and I noticed a few people left during the show. We went to bed after the show with dreams of Maui the next day!

Edited October 17, 2013 by beeandkmon

[beeandkmon]

Day 4

 

We woke up in Maui very excited for our day. We were able to disembark at 8:00 and we wanted to be ready to go. A lot of people complain about buffet ship breakfasts. It is crowded and people fight to get to the front of the line. I for one absolutely love cruise ship breakfast buffets. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and I love that you can get a little bit of everything. The banana pancakes with caramel sauce were awesome. If you like turkey sausage it was always available at one of the pancake/waffle stations but only at one so you have to look!

 

I had booked our car rentals through Discount Hawaii Cars. Our Maui rental was at Alamo. I was a little nervous about finding the correct place to be but the dock was well marked. There was a sign pointing us where to wait for rental cars. The shuttle was a large bus and it was full. Our shuttle driver drove by the parking lots and explained to us what to do if we wanted to park at the pier for the night. It is free to park at the Maui pier, which is nice.

 

As we rolled along to the airport we quickly realized that all of these people would be getting in line at the same time and the last one off the bus would end up waiting for a long time. We were sitting mid bus so we realized our line would still be fairly long. This is when I noticed that there was a door in the middle of the bus. We are both fairly small and quick so when our door opened we had our backpacks ready and shot off the bus. We ran to the entrance and were the first ones in!

 

As soon as we got in we realized it was completely unnecessary to create such a spectacle of ourselves as they had about 6 counters open. They worked quickly and within a matter of minutes we were in our car. We had booked an economy car for the price and ended up with a Ford Fiesta. This is a small car so if you are a tall person make sure you don’t end up with this one!

 

Our first stop for the day was hiking. Originally we had thought about going to Haleakela to hike but with the government shut down this plan got scratched. I know a lot of people were really disappointed on our ship that things that had planned to do were shut down. We made it a point to not get down over these things. Nothing works out perfectly on a vacation so its important to be flexible and not let bad things ruin your vacation. The government shut down did not put a damper on our vacation, but it really could have if we had the wrong attitude.

 

We ended up hiking Waihee Ridge Trail. It was about a 20-minute drive although it was pretty close to the ship. There were a lot of switchbacks and the road was pretty curvy. The hike was about 4.5 miles and not too strenuous. It was pretty much uphill on the way there and downhill on the way back. The hike had some beautiful parts and we were able to see the ocean and our ship on part of it. I have a feeling the top would have been really pretty but unfortunately it was really foggy and we could only see about 2 feet in front of our face!

 

The ship was on the way to our next location so we stopped in for lunch. I was really impressed by the Asian section in the Aloha Café. Once we were finished we headed out to Iao valley. This is only a few minutes from the ship. The hike here is really easy and is more of a walk then a hike. I thought the valley was beautiful though. If you are looking for a beautiful site and don’t want to have to walk far I would recommend this one. This stop only took us about a half hour and we had planned for it to take a lot longer.

 

With more time on our hands then expected we ended up driving to Lahaina to walk around. Here we split our very first shaved ice of the trip. They do not make shaved ices on the main land like they do in Hawaii!! They were fabulous. We walked into a bunch of shops. I really wish the POA would dock in Lahaina, there is just so much to do.

 

We drove back to the ship and showered for dinner. The skyline had a “cabaret night” were they play music while you eat. The music sounded really good but we realized that with the volume it was playing at we would not be able to hold a conversation if we ate there. We decided to head up to the Liberty where we could still here the music but also hold a conversation.

 

Random dining room tip: If you are lactose in tolerant the Aloha Café has smart balance but they don’t bring any out in the MDR. I am sure I could have requested it but instead I just grabbed a handful from Aloha and would bring my own to dinner each night in the main dining room.

 

I have heard that dinner can be really slow in the MDR but our dinners tended to be really quick! The first night it only took a half hour. This may be because there was only two of us and we always knew what we wanted right away. We also did not order dessert as I don’t eat dairy and since my husband is very allergic to nuts we both stay away from them. This really does not leave many dessert options.

 

I think this is the night we saw the NCL singers and dancers perform songs from movies. They were pretty good and I was entertained. We went to bed right after the show as we had to get up very early the next day.

Edited October 17, 2013 by beeandkmon

[beeandkmon]

Our alarm went off at about 5:00 am on our last day in Maui. Even though it was early I jumped out of bed in excitement. We got ready quickly and headed up to the Aloha Café. While breakfast officially opens later starting at 5:30 you can get fruit, cereal, and other cold foods.

 

It was still dark as we made our way to our car. We had an easy 20 minute drive to our destination and found it easily. We had booked a snorkeling tour through Redline Rafting (http://www.redlinerafting.com). Check in time was at 6:30 and we were set to depart at 7:00am. I booked with this company because of their stellar reviews on Trip Advisor. We were originally going to do the Pacific Whale foundation but decided against it as we decided we did not want to be one of 200 people on a boat.

 

Redline rafting uses a small boat with a maximum capacity of 24. Because it is small it can launch closer to Molokini at a small pier. When we arrived we checked in and signed our waivers. We were given a wet suit to wear; which is a huge plus! They offered to loan us really nice digital cameras. If you like your pictures you can buy the memory card for $30. We didn’t as we had brought our own but I think those who did got really good pictures, as they were nice cameras.

 

We were given a lot of warnings on redline from them in advance. They warned us that this was going to be a wild ride and we should not go on if we are pregnant, have a bad back, or get motion sick. You also have to be at least 10 years old. You should really take this warning seriously! This trip is NOT for the faint of heart!!!

 

As we got on we were told that the back of the raft would be the most calm and the front the most wild. We are the kind of people who sit in the very front when told something like this! The raft was really neat. Everyone has a seat facing out and you are also allowed to sit on the float things around the edge.

 

We were set to leave at 7:00 and by 6:51 all 20 of us were seated and listening to our final safety instructions. I absolutely hate it when you wait forever for an excursion to go off so this really made the day start off well! We zipped to Molokini and were there in less than 10 minutes. The boat stopped at a beautiful point where we could see 5 Islands. They served us delicious looking (I did not eat one) cinnamon rolls and brought out an absolutely beautiful fruit tray. After eating we sailed further into Molokini and were given a brief talk about the best spots.

 

Because it was so early there was only 1 other boat there with a handful of people. Sean (our driver) told us that in another hour there would be 2,000 people! Getting up early was not fun but it was totally worth it to avoid the crowd! We jumped in the water and began to look for fish. Kelly (one of the redline guides) got in the water with us and would point out interesting fish and good snorkeling spots. We saw an eel; which was pretty cool and a whole lot of fish. After snorkeling for a while everyone seemed to drift back to the raft so Sean pulled. Since there was so few of us we were able to operate the tour on our own pace. We saw a very large group of dolphins as we pulled away.

 

The next stop was pretty awesome and something very few other boats do. We drove around to the back of Molokini. There is a crevice on the back that has very deep water. They call this the “elevator” because they way the waves come in you are picked up and dropped down up to 10 feet! We saw an octopus and a jellyfish, which was really cool. Again Kelly got out to point things out in the water. We would not have found the octopus or the jellyfish without her in the water pointing it out. She was a huge help during the snorkeling. After spending a little too much time in the elevator I began to feel a bit sick so I retired early to the boat. A few other people were feeling it too!

 

As soon as we started moving and were out of the waves I recovered quickly and felt 100% better. We were now going to take a little break from snorkeling and look for some dolphins. Sean told us that we would head out where we would be much less protected from wind and waves and that we should stay seated and hold on. We started moving fast and the front of the boat jostles up and down as the water sprayed us in the face. Everyone was smiling and laughing and you could just tell that everyone was having a great time!

 

Sean slowed down and told us that it was now going to get crazy. My husband and I looked at each other in surprise. We had been sure that the “crazy” part had already happened! A lot of times tours seem to really play it “safe” and not do anything too exciting so this was a really welcomed surprise! Sean told us that we would be fine if we stayed seated. He turned up the music to star wars battle music and we were off! This was the craziest ride I have been on. We were absolutely flying over the waves and dropping down quickly. Water was drilling us in the face. I screamed at every wave we hit and could not wipe the smile off my face!

 

We arrived at a cove where dolphins like to hang out. Sean drove us around the cove explaining the history of it and the lava marks. We didn’t find any dolphins but we had seen some earlier so that was ok.

 

Next we headed out to Turtle Town, again beating any crowds. It was really good snorkeling here and we saw a bunch of turtles. When we got tired we headed back to the boat and Sean had set out a wonderful lunch. There was a great deli tray with veggies to top your sandwich and three kinds of delicious bread. There was also a pasta salad and lots of soft drink, juice, and water choices. You could really tell that they did not just go the “cheap” way in feeding us. The quality of the food was excellent and after snorkeling all morning we were really hungry!

 

Our last snorkeling spot was a place they call “turtle arches” there are a lot of turtles here as well as massive underground arches. Sean told us that if we were good divers we could swim under one of the massive arches. I did not attempt this! I believe he said you would have to swim 18ft deep! We were the only boat at turtle arches and were able to see a lot of turtles up close. Sean stood on the boat and would point out turtles for us to swim towards. They had told us that turtle were really “chill” and that if we floated quietly on the surface they would swim up to us to check us out. This was completely true and one came up within two feet of my face! I also saw a baby turtle following around a mom turtle.

 

When we all grew tired of snorkeling it was almost 12:30 and we were scheduled to be back between 12-12:30. We jumped back on the boat and headed back to the pier. I cannot recommend Redline Rafting enough. The guides were amazing and really went the extra mile to give us an enjoyable day. At one point Sean even pulled my hair out of my mask for me so it wouldn’t leak. Sometimes I really feel like tours are trying to take advantage of you. This was the absolute opposite with redline. We left a little early and arrived back a little late (not annoyingly late of course!), they gave us delicious food, did not charge us for the wetsuits, and were helpful with the snorkeling. The best part was the amount of time we spent in the water. It felt like we got so much snorkel time!

 

We had planned on driving to the beach that was a minute away but we were exhausted! We had spent at least 3 hours in the water and that is tiring! We talked about how we should feel bad going back to the ship and wasting the rest of our day but we decided that if we pushed ourselves too hard everyday we would just get really cranky and not enjoy our vacation.

 

We opted to drive back to the ship, get a snack, shower, and take a nap. It was dress up (or not) night on the ship and we went with the not. The gentleman at the table next to us was wearing a full tux! A lot of people went very casual at dinner but I wore a sundress most nights and my husband wore khakis and a polo. Dinner went by quickly and we headed over to see that shows/game shows. We pretty much filled up every night with activities. We are big fans of all of the shows and games. A lot of people choose to cruise Hawaii as an easy way to transport you from the islands. We really love that after a crazy day of activities we have a book listing options of what to do and where to eat and we don’t have to do any thinking or planning to have a good time!

 

 

Wow a little wordy….. haha

[PCWalton1]

This is terrific, thank you for taking the time to post your experience. If you want to post pictures you would need to load them online first. For my reviews I use Flickr, some people also use Photo Bucket.

thanks again for posting.

Bill

[beeandkmon]

Hilo was the port that "almost" got ruined. VNP was closed (what a HUGE disappointment to a lot of people!!) Thankfully we had made the decision to do a helicopter tour here! We had gone back and forth as I know Kuaui is the most beautiful for helicopters, but we really wanted to fly over a volcano!

 

When we woke up it was raining! I had booked through Safari Helicopters before the trip. They are the cheapest and they also pick you up at the pier so that is a huge plus. They also fly out of Kuaui. When we got into the van our driver explained to us that because of the weather we may not get to fly. If you miss your time they can't push back your trip as they are booked all day.

 

When we arrived the trip before us had been canceled! They did our safety briefing anyway. A few minutes later the pilot said we could go if we left NOW! The helicopter had two people in the front and four in the back. My husband and I sat on one side. Even though he was in the "middle" he still had a great view. We saw lava burning up trees, a waterfall, and a smoking volcano. We really enjoyed it and I was surprised how smooth it was! Our pilot did a really good job of making sure both sides got great views of everything.

 

When we got back they ended up canceling the flight after us. How lucky we were!! We headed back to the ship and decided to eat at Cadallac. The food was fine, nothing great. We had planned on going in to downtown Hilo but it was POURING. We decided to play cards in the conservatory instead.

 

I went to the flower lei making class (my husband said he could not come up with anything less fun so I went alone). I really enjoyed it! There were plenty of people there by themselves so I ended up talking to a few people. One lady had come all the way from England. However, I was shocked to learn she did not even get off the boat in Maui! This was a far (and expensive!) cruise to go on if you just stay on the ship! If you enjoy staying on the ship there are much cheaper options!!

 

We had a lot of activities we wanted to do and could not figure out a time for dinner so we ended up in the buffet. This was a cruise first for me. It was actually very good and the uncrowded atmosphere in Aloha was nice.

[cruisinmeme]

Really enjoyed reading your review!

A few questions....crazy ones. lol

You mention the shell lei at the airport. Was it for sale, or a gift?

Did you get the subway sandwich after security or before?

I have read there is a check in place at the hotel, ran by ncl. I don't know if everyone can use it or if you book the hotel thru ncl. We are doing the cruise tour package, hotel and flight all thru ncl. The prices to eat at the Marriott is UNREAL!!!

I can say you'll seemed to got as much out of the trip as humanly possible.

[beeandkmon]

Really enjoyed reading your review!

A few questions....crazy ones. lol

1.) You mention the shell lei at the airport. Was it for sale, or a gift?

2.) Did you get the subway sandwich after security or before?

3.) I have read there is a check in place at the hotel, ran by ncl. I don't know if everyone can use it or if you book the hotel thru ncl. We are doing the cruise tour package, hotel and flight all thru ncl. The prices to eat at the Marriott is UNREAL!!!

I can say you'll seemed to got as much out of the trip as humanly possible.

 

Not crazy questions at all! Okay maybe a little but the more information you have before you go the better!

**I numbered your questions to make it easier!

1.) We booked transport through Roberts. They met us at the gate and gave everyone a shell lei. You could pre pay for a flower one. While getting on the ship everyone gets a lei as well.

2.) We bought the subway the night before- no problem through security. We also brought chips, cookies, granola bars, and pretzels. This was a huge distraction on the flight and we also got hungry!

3.) I am fairly certain you only get this service if booked through NCL- we did not check in at the hotel. We did not eat any meals at the Marriott. There are so many good restaurants you can walk to.

 

And yes we did get as much out of it as possible. We decided we need a vacation after that vacation!

Edited October 20, 2013 by beeandkmon

[beeandkmon]

Kona is a tender port so we decided to do an NCL excursion. I don't typically like the ships excursions but we thought this would make it a little less stressful. We did the kayak and snorkel trip. We met in the Hollywood theater and all got on a tender from there. There were only 11 people on our excursion, which is awesome for a ship trip! I think this one is always small.

 

We took the van to a pier and were given instructions and put in our Kayaks. Our guides were very nice and helpful. They gave us instructions and off we paddled. It was about a mile and a half to the snorkel spot. The kayaking was very fun. We were given a chance to jump out and swim in 300 ft water. The snorkeling spot did not have the best sea life but we had a great trip. We were able to climb up on some rocks for a quick snack before paddling back. I would not go on this trip if you are looking for great snorkeling, but if you like kayaking and just want to have a fun time I would recommend it.

 

They offered to drop us off at the farmers market on the way back. We did not take advantage of this but it was a nice offer. Ideally we would have had our things ready for an afternoon in Kona. We really wanted to drop off our towels and change though so we took the tender back. It really did not take too much time.

 

When we got back on the island we walked around and shopped. Kona is a great port town and you don't need to have an excursion planned, although ours was really fun! We went into a lot of shops and of course had to get a shaved ice! We stayed on the island until the very last minute and made our way back to the ship.

 

Kona really wore us out and we were very lame that night. We took a nap, went to dinner, went to the show (I believe this was "oh what a night-so so so good, but this may have been the day before?). After the show we went to sleep!

[cruisinmeme]

Not crazy questions at all! Okay maybe a little but the more information you have before you go the better!

**I numbered your questions to make it easier!

1.) We booked transport through Roberts. They met us at the gate and gave everyone a shell lei. You could pre pay for a flower one. While getting on the ship everyone gets a lei as well.

2.) We bought the subway the night before- no problem through security. We also brought chips, cookies, granola bars, and pretzels. This was a huge distraction on the flight and we also got hungry!

3.) I am fairly certain you only get this service if booked through NCL- we did not check in at the hotel. We did not eat any meals at the Marriott. There are so many good restaurants you can walk to.

 

And yes we did get as much out of it as possible. We decided we need a vacation after that vacation!

 

 

You have a very good way of explaining yourself, thus making answering questions comes easy for you. Thanks.

The reason I ask about the lei...you know how it is on some of the ports someone puts a necklace on you and puts their hand out for cash. I am most certain Hawaii is not like this, but I just don't have time to haggle over something I don't need or want.

Our time in the air will be LONG. Coming out of new Orleans. First layover I'd just one hour and just an hour after we leave. So then over 9 hours straight in the air. I can't live on trash and snacks that long. A subway sandwich would hit the spot. The menu they sale on flights suck.

I am sure we will find plenty of good places to eat from wedn. Thru Saturday while we are there.

Thanks again