Mele Kalikimaka, Kids! Santa Says We Are Sailing in Hawaii! (TR 12/29/15-1/10/16)

[Bonnie Voyager]

I'm sure you will have an amazing trip! When are you sailing?

 

We are sailing on our 40th Wedding Anniversary in April of 2017. We will do a week on Oahu then board POA for the 7-night cruise! :D

[gwsster]

[quote A few weeks later, the price dropped again. The OBC went down to $50, but the price dropped a little over $1,000, and we got to keep the specialty dining and 3rd/4th passengers free. I was so excited.

I confirmed that we were flying to California and encouraged them to open the next gift. In that letter, Santa said, "Do you think you are going to California just for In-N-Out? Oh-ho-ho-no! You are going to Hawaii!"

 

surprise that they will always remember.

 

Coming Up...The trip begins, and we head west!

 

I can't wait to read your review. I am traveling at the end of April with my sisters on the POA after the refurb. I was able to get a great price reduction by monitoring the rates last March. It was less expensive to get a suite with 3rd and 4th going free over 2 balconies. Woot! I am so excited as 2 of my sisters have never been to Hawaii.

[baseballsandbows]

We are sailing on our 40th Wedding Anniversary in April of 2017. We will do a week on Oahu then board POA for the 7-night cruise! :D

 

Congratulations! That sounds wonderful!

 

[quote A few weeks later, the price dropped again. The OBC went down to $50, but the price dropped a little over $1,000, and we got to keep the specialty dining and 3rd/4th passengers free. I was so excited.

I confirmed that we were flying to California and encouraged them to open the next gift. In that letter, Santa said, "Do you think you are going to California just for In-N-Out? Oh-ho-ho-no! You are going to Hawaii!"

 

surprise that they will always remember.

 

Coming Up...The trip begins, and we head west!

 

I can't wait to read your review. I am traveling at the end of April with my sisters on the POA after the refurb. I was able to get a great price reduction by monitoring the rates last March. It was less expensive to get a suite with 3rd and 4th going free over 2 balconies. Woot! I am so excited as 2 of my sisters have never been to Hawaii.

 

What a fun sister trip! I am sure the suite will be wonderful. I would have loved to have extra space at several points during our cruise. I almost upgraded a few days before and opted to stay in a balcony. I'll be sure to talk about why when I discuss our stateroom!

[baseballsandbows]

We woke up about 6 AM on Wednesday and enjoyed a hot breakfast at Embassy Suites before heading to the San Jose airport. Having never been to this airport, we weren't sure how much time to budget for the car return, security, etc..., so we left the hotel at 6:45 for our 9:05 flight. This was plenty of time, as the San Jose airport is pretty compact. Car rental return was in the parking garage across from the terminal, so returning the car and walking to the Alaska Airlines counter was super speedy.

 

One of the things we love about Southwest Airlines is that everyone gets 2 free checked bags. Like most other airlines, Alaska charges. Their fee is $25 per bag. So...our goal was to only have one checked bag. We each carried on one personal item (backpack, drawstring bag) and one carry-on size piece of luggage, and then had one larger checked bag for the family that included all our toiletries, some clothing, and some other items. One of the things we packed in the checked bag was a small sound machine. I recently purchased this for my bedroom because we had an owl outside our window that was waking me up every night. After taking it on this trip, I will never travel without it again. It was wonderful to be able to block out noises beyond our hotel room or ship cabin.

 

I felt good about our number of bags, but my goal next time we travel is to only take carry-ons. I think we are up for the challenge! On this trip, I think we could have each had a carry-on with our own clothes and toiletries, even if the boys had to take a few of my toiletries to help me fit everything into one quart-sized bag a piece.

 

We made it to the gate in plenty of time, and soon enough, it was time to board. I had checked the seating chart a few days prior to our flight, and was pleased to see that the seats next to us hadn't been purchased. My daughter and I were in a window and middle seat, with the aisle seat open, and my husband and son were right behind us in the same configuration. Sadly, both aisle seats were purchased before our flight time, so my DH and I each had someone next to us. His seating arrangement turned out much better than mine. The man next to me was very friendly, but I have never in my life heard someone snore as loudly as he did (for almost 5 straight hours). Unfortunately, he did wake up long enough for a mixed drink, which he spilled on my legs and into my seat. He tried to ease the tension by saying, "Oh, well, at least you're a mom. You have stuff spilled on you all the time, I'm sure!" I stayed my sweet, southern self, but my daughter later joked that she could tell I didn't find that funny at all! She was right!

 

Despite my wet jeans, we were on the way to Hawaii, so it was all good! We were pleasantly surprised by the USB chargers on the backs of all the seats on the plane, and keeping ourselves occupied wasn't too difficult for the 5 hours and 15 minutes of flight time. Soon, we could see this view out our window!

 

IMG_8998 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Our first glimpse of Oahu was Diamond Head/Waikiki, and this was a beautiful sight to see! In a matter of minutes, we touched down at the airport and headed to baggage claim.

 

I had prearranged car service to Waikiki with Johnny Cab. For the four of us, it was $35. He was there waiting for us as we left baggage claim, and we were at our hotel in Waikiki in less than an hour after touching down. I'm guessing it was about 1:15.

 

We rented a condo at the Ilikai Resort in Waikiki. The Ilikai is next to the Hilton Hawaiian Village on the western end of Waikiki. We were very pleased with our condo. It was well appointed and very clean. I had never used VRBO before, but our experience could not have been better. Check-in was at 4:00. but Clint, the owner of the condo, texted me at 1:00 to let me know that the room was ready, and we could access it at any time. This was great news, and we went straight to the condo to drop our bags. We loved the view!

 

IMG_8999 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

You can see the Hilton's lagoon in the photo--this was a great place for kids to play, and because all beaches in Hawaii are public, we could use the lagoon and the beach/grassy areas around it.

 

After dropping our bags, we knew we had to find food. We hadn't had lunch, and our body clocks were still on central time. Our stomachs said it was 6PM. Although it was nothing to write home about, we walked a few blocks to the Ala Moana Shopping Center and just let everyone decide what they wanted from the food court. Honestly, we were all getting to the hangry stage (hungry+angry), and with kids, that doesn't work very well! Everyone found something to suit their tastes, and we finished off our meals with world-class ice cream from Dairy Queen. HA! It might not have been the most memorable meal, but it was quick, easy, and it helped all our moods improve!

 

On the way back to the Ilikai, we stopped at an ABC Store for some cereal, milk, muffins, popcorn, etc... There are ABC Stores on every corner! After getting some staples, we returned to the room, and the kids changed into their bathing suits. We all went down to the beach and lagoon for some exploring and swimming. I loved how the sun was shining on Diamond Head--so pretty!

 

IMG_0090 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

After playing for a bit, DH and my son went back to the room to watch some football (yes, they still wanted to watch college bowl games even if we were in Hawaii!), and I took my DD to the pool. My DD always makes new friends on vacation, and the pool is the perfect place for this. She met several girls from Australia and some sisters from South Korea that night, and the girls played with each other in the pool on all three of our nights in Waikiki. I enjoyed visiting with the parents and learning about their families and their cultures. We met MANY people from Australia on this trip. It was summer break for their kids, and Hawaii is close for them when you consider the distance they have to travel to go anywhere outside Australia/New Zealand. It was actually about the same amount of flight time from Australia to Hawaii as Tennessee to Hawaii, and it was fun for all of us to visit.

 

DD and I returned to the room, the kids had a popcorn snack, and we turned in pretty early--about 7:30, I think. But that was 11:30 CT, and traveling is always tiring. We went to sleep excited for the adventures to come!

 

Next...Day Three: Pearl Harbor

Edited January 16, 2016 by baseballsandbows

[A&L_Ont]

I am very interested to follow your review. We are thinking about taking our DS in a few years, when he is around your DD age. We aren't sure if we just stay on land or cruise the islands. The good thing is we have time.

 

We cruised to Hawaii from Vancouver many years ago. ABC = Aloha Brings Cash or so I have been told. The first ABC we saw was a quaint rustic looking one in Lahania. Once we got to Waikiki Beach, and like you said there is one on every block or less. Still a great spot to stop or almost whatever you need.

 

I will following along with your family adventure.:)

Edited January 17, 2016 by A&L_Ont

[A&L_Ont]

We hit In-N-Out whenever we're near one! The "secret" menu used to me larger, but it still exists:

 

http://www.in-n-out.com/menu/not-so-secret-menu.aspx

 

Rob, thanks for the menu link. We try to hit In and Out when possible but when you live in SW Ontario it isn't often.

 

I also love your avatar pic. I recognized Relic and Bruno pretty quickly. Being 44 and Canadian I remeber Sunday night was Beachcomber night.

[baseballsandbows]

At this point in the report, I am going to start breaking up the days into smaller portions so I can include lots of details about Hawaii, the cruise, and our activities. I won't try to fit an entire day into one post. Although they don't take long to read, it does take time to sit down and type, so smaller chunks makes is more doable for me!

 

We woke up on Thursday, which was also New Year's Eve, at 5:20AM. I was VERY excited about this. Due to the time change, I had envisioned our first few mornings in Hawaii starting at 3:30 or 4:00, so a 5:20 wake-up time seemed great in comparison! We got ready to go, ate some packaged breakfast foods, and headed to the bus stop across the street from the Ilikai.

 

My initial plan for Pearl Harbor was to take the Home of the Brave Tour. This tour has excellent reviews on Trip Advisor, and I thought it would be a wonderful, immersive experience for all of us. Unfortunately, because this tour is run by a family, they didn't offer tours on New Year's Eve (and Pearl Harbor was closed on New Year's Day). I looked at other tours, but none seemed to compare to the Home of the Brave Tour, so I decided to save the money and go on our own.

 

After reading information on these boards, I knew we could make it to Pearl Harbor cheaply by using The Bus. We decided to go for it, and hopped on Bus #42 not long after walking up to the stop. It was about 6:15ish, and still dark, but there were many people out and about. As we boarded the mostly empty bus, my kids walked almost to the back and claimed seats for us.

 

My DD and I took some time to document our early morning bus journey.

 

IMG_9003 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9004 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

To my great disappointment, at the next stop, a group of local teenagers got on the bus. They seemed to have been out all night. Of course, they sat on the back row of the bus, and were right behind us and a couple who appeared to be honeymooners. For about half of the trip to Pearl Harbor, they sat behind us using VERY foul language and discussing things not appropriate to discuss in public (or really even in private--it was quite offensive and made me sad for all of them considering the things they were clearly involved with so early in life). My son kept looking at me with HUGE eyes. (Yes, he is almost 14 and in middle school, and he hears a lot, but this was above and beyond.)

 

Thankfully, after 20-30 minutes, they started exiting one or two at a time, and we were left with quiet. I looked at my son and immediately threatened him with death if he ever acted like that in public, particularly in front of children. I'm sure kids love it when their parents get on to them for something someone else did!:rolleyes: At this point, my daughter said, "What? Were they saying bad words?" HA! I'm glad she is clueless and naïve enough that the conversation went over her head! The rest of us in the back of the bus weren't so lucky! Would I ride The Bus again? Yes, and we did again during this trip. BUT, we started choosing to sit closer to the front, and scoped out our seats more carefully on our other trips. For those of you used to big cities and public transportation, I guess I sound like a small-town farm girl! Maybe so! We do live in the Nashville area, which is larger than Honolulu, but it is the south, and we still hang on to old-fashioned ideas about proper public behavior! :)

 

About 7:15ish, we arrived at Pearl Harbor. You cannot take ANY bags inside the park. I knew this, so I had given my husband my ID and left everything else at the condo. We did all bring water bottles, and we were allowed to take them into the park. You can take in a camera, phone, etc... I had reserved tickets for the ferry to the memorial two months prior, and our reserved time was 9:00AM. They tell you that you need to be there an hour before to claim your tickets, or they will give them to another visitor. Although we still had plenty of time before 8:00AM, I started to panic a little. The line to pick up tickets was shockingly long. Even though we had tickets reserved, we had to wait in the same line with those guests hoping for same-day tickets. I wasn't sure if we would even make it to the window by 8:00. I found a park ranger, and she assured me our tickets would be there--they just try to scare you into getting there early because they know you will have to wait. This may not be as much of a problem later in the day, but if you arrive to Peal Harbor early in the morning, expect a long line.

 

The line moved faster than I expected--the tickets are free, so it doesn't take much time as the agents aren't having to collect payment. We picked up our tickets close to 8:00, along with the headsets for our audio tour.

 

Well, I didn't get into much detail about Pearl Harbor. More to come!!!

Edited January 17, 2016 by baseballsandbows

[baseballsandbows]

After picking up our tickets for the Arizona Memorial and our headsets for the audio tour (audio tour is $7.50 per person), we had about 50 minutes before we needed to report to the theater for the movie and ferry to the memorial. We decided to start the audio tour. Each of us had our own headsets, and we were given a map. There were numbered places on the map, and when you arrived at each location, you would push the number into the device. The tour is narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis, and I am glad we did it. My kids don't want to listen to their parents drone on about history, and they won't stop and read all the informational signs, but the audio tour presents the information like a story, and they really enjoyed it. The movie (described below) that accompanies the memorial tour gives all the basic information, but I am glad we went for the added layers provided by the audio tour.

 

We had to stop our tour at 8:50 to go to the theater. We showed our tickets and were admitted into the theater with the 9:00 group. The movie explains the events of Pearl Harbor with footage from the day and interviews of survivors and lasts about 25 minutes. It was very well done. After the movie, we boarded the ferry for the memorial itself.

 

From the Visitor's Center, you can see the Battleship Missouri (Mighty Mo), the airfield on Ford Island, and the Arizona Memorial.

 

IMG_0104 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

The ferry ride allowed closer views.

 

IMG_0111 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0115 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

As we arrived at the memorial, another group was leaving. You have about 20 minutes to walk around until the next group arrives and your group returns to the ferry. It is very quiet, and most people are very respectful. Considering that this memorial is the final resting place of those aboard the Arizona, the somber mood was very appropriate.

 

A former gun turret still rises above the water...

 

IMG_0119 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

The ship below the surface...

 

IMG_0129 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9012 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

Oil is still seeping out from the remains of the ship.

 

IMG_9027 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

The names of those we lost are beautifully displayed.

 

IMG_9010 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Over the summer, when I was talking to my dad about our plans, I learned information about December 7th, 1943, that I hadn't known before. Part of the Pacific Fleet was at sea and was supposed to return to Pearl Harbor prior to the morning of the 7th, but they were delayed by a storm. Had they returned in time, even more of our fleet would have been damaged (possibly altering the course of the war), and more lives would have been lost. One of the ships delayed by the storm was the USS Enterprise, and my grandfather was on it. I knew he had been on the Enterprise during the Battle of Midway, but I had no idea he had come so close to being in Pearl Harbor on that fateful day. This gave me much to consider as I stood on the memorial. My dad wasn't born until 1946, after my granddad returned from the war. I am so thankful for that storm, but also so sorry for the lives that were forever changed by the events of that day!

 

IMG_0132 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Coming Up...Pearl Harbor, Part 3!

[baseballsandbows]

Over the summer, when I was talking to my dad about our plans, I learned information about December 7th, 1943, that I hadn't known before. Part of the Pacific Fleet was at sea and was supposed to return to Pearl Harbor prior to the morning of the 7th, but they were delayed by a storm. Had they returned in time, even more of our fleet would have been damaged (possibly altering the course of the war), and more lives would have been lost. One of the ships delayed by the storm was the USS Enterprise, and my grandfather was on it. I knew he had been on the Enterprise during the Battle of Midway, but I had no idea he had come so close to being in Pearl Harbor on that fateful day. This gave me much to consider as I stood on the memorial. My dad wasn't born until 1946, after my granddad returned from the war. I am so thankful for that storm, but also so sorry for the lives that were forever changed by the events of that day!

 

 

 

 

 

I meant 1941, but I can't edit it now for some reason.

[RobTheGob]

Rob, thanks for the menu link. We try to hit In and Out when possible but when you live in SW Ontario it isn't often.

 

I also love your avatar pic. I recognized Relic and Bruno pretty quickly. Being 44 and Canadian I remeber Sunday night was Beachcomber night.

 

Haha! Thanks - I use the avatar often, but it's rare to hear that they're recognized! I'd love it if they'd start playing the OLD (pre 1985) Beachcomber shows!

[RobTheGob]

On the way back to the Ilikai, we stopped at an ABC Store for some cereal, milk, muffins, popcorn, etc... There are ABC Stores on every corner!

 

ABC's are very handy - but as you know, they are EXTREMELY pricey...

 

I was replying that there was a Foodland in Ala Moana Center - but I read that it's closed until the summer! Another option is the Food Pantry in Waikiki, on Kuhio.

 

If you can handle carrying milk all the way back - it'll save you close to 50% on most things!

[Sauer-kraut]

Wow the tour of Pearl Harbor has really changed since I was there in '74. On the memorial was a veteran and he did a tour and talk there. I don't remember a movie but do remember we took a smallish boat out to the memorial.

Thanks for the pictures.

[baseballsandbows]

Wow the tour of Pearl Harbor has really changed since I was there in '74. On the memorial was a veteran and he did a tour and talk there. I don't remember a movie but do remember we took a smallish boat out to the memorial.

 

Thanks for the pictures.

 

 

Our audio tour did have a few tracks we could listen to at the memorial itself, but there was no veteran talk. That would be neat! Unfortunately, we have fewer and fewer PH vets with the passing of time.

[baseballsandbows]

It was a little after 10:00 when we returned to the Visitor's Center from the memorial site. Immediately after stepping off the ferry, my DD found this. It had nothing to do with Pearl Harbor, but she had just finished studying invertebrates in science, so she was excited. She's never one to shy away from critters.

 

IMG_9029 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Next, we finished up some of the points of interest on the audio tour that we hadn't seen before the memorial portion.

 

IMG_0103 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

We did skip one portion of the audio tour. There were two small museums within the tour. I think they were called "Road to War" and "Attack." We didn't have time for "Attack" before our ferry time, and by the time we returned, we were getting very hungry. We decided to head to the Missouri Battleship for a tour and some food. There is a hot dog stand at the Visitor's Center, but there are more food options available at the Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum. We bought tickets for the Missouri at the Visitor's Center, and then took a shuttle bus to Ford Island for the Missouri Tour. (We did not visit the Bowfin Submarine or the Pacific Aviation Museum--it would have been too much in one day with the kids in tow.)

 

Once we arrived at the Missouri, we stopped for food. Of course, it was all overpriced, but it hit the spot!

 

IMG_0148 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Then, we started to tour the ship. The weather was perfect. It was sunny, upper 70's, and a there was a breeze. Our shuttle bus driver kept warning us about having water at the Missouri, and he was so right. It felt much hotter on the deck of the ship, and this contributed to some fatigue and grumpiness from my two adorable children. ;) Instead of following along with the guided tour as I had planned, we opted to tour the ship ourselves. I'm sure we would have gotten much more bang for our buck with the tour, but with kids, you sometimes have to make changes on the fly to keep the troops happy.

 

IMG_0144 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0153 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

IMG_0156 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

The Surrender Deck--the spot where the war with Japan ended.

 

IMG_9033 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

I couldn't be a sailor. I'm WAY to claustrophobic to live in these quarters!

 

IMG_0158 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

The Missouri, was an amazing sight to see. We all enjoyed the visit, despite the heat and our fatigue setting in. We had planned to go back to the Visitor's Center to see the "Attack" museum that we had missed earlier (they will allow you to turn your headsets in and get a raincheck if you want to return later), but we decided to call it a day and head back to the Ilikai. It was about 2PM, and we had been gone for 8 hours. A little relaxation time was needed!

[baseballsandbows]

After leaving Pearl Harbor, we returned to the Ilikai on The Bus. As we rode through downtown Honolulu, we passed the Iolani Palace. I wish I had taken a picture, but since I didn't know where it was located, I didn't have my camera ready.

 

When we got back to the room, DH and DS decided to hang out on the couch and watch the second BCS Semi-Final game. It was Alabama vs. Someone. Being Tennessee fans, we usually cheer for any team playing Alabama (but Alabama usually wins anyway).

 

DD didn't care anything about the football game, so I took her down to the pool where she played with her new BFF's from Australia. They even took the time to watch the sun set together.

 

IMG_9039 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9035 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

It was New Year's Eve, but we knew there was no way we would make it all the way to midnight, even with the promise of fireworks on the beach. We had adjusted to the time change a little bit, but not THAT much. We ordered pizza, celebrated the New Year on central time (8PM Hawaiian time), and then went to bed about 9PM. At midnight, however, I woke to the sound of massive explosions. Truly, after visiting Pearl Harbor, I couldn't help but imagine an attack. It was very loud and intense, but only lasted about 10-15 minutes. We had the sound machine on, and amazingly, DH and the kids never woke up. I couldn't believe it, but I guess they were very worn out from the day!

 

Coming Up: Our Parasailing Adventure!

[sunnyvegas]

We are heading to Hawaii in June so definitely enjoying the review :).

 

Cannot wait to read more!

[bonesj0nes]

Sailed POA in September as part of our honeymoon and it was an experience of a lifetime. Thanks for posting - I am enjoying your review and hope your time was as memorable as ours!

[Crazy planning mom]

Will be doing the same trip in 2017 with our teenager. Your review is very helpful.

[baseballsandbows]

Sailed POA in September as part of our honeymoon and it was an experience of a lifetime. Thanks for posting - I am enjoying your review and hope your time was as memorable as ours!

 

Will be doing the same trip in 2017 with our teenager. Your review is very helpful.

 

Thanks for reading!

[baseballsandbows]

I woke up to a beautiful view on New Year's Day. The scene was tranquil considering the explosions that had taken place only hours before!

 

IMG_9044 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Planning this day of our vacation was challenging! For one thing, it was a national holiday, so many of the places I looked at were closed. One of the things I wanted to do was visit Koloa Ranch for a movie tour, ziplining, and/or other activities. Unfortunately, they weren't open because of the holiday. Next, I planned a trip to the Dole Plantation, North Shore, and the Polynesian Cultural Center with Roberts. I paid in full and had confirmation, but about two weeks out, I happened to check their website. The tour I had booked was no longer offered. Instead, they were only taking people to the PCC, and the price was more than what I had paid for the Dole/North Shore/PCC combo. I emailed Roberts to make sure that I was still confirmed for my trip. They emailed me back and said that, in fact, my tour had been cancelled, and "they were in the process of notifying guests." They said I could have a refund or apply my balance to another tour. Perhaps they really were in the process of contacting guests, but they had already taken the time to update their website to all the new offerings, and I felt they could have taken the time to update a paid customer, particularly only two weeks before my trip. I requested a refund.

 

In hindsight, this probably worked well. I had been on the fence about whether my teenaged son would want to spend the day at the PCC, and as it turns out, all he really wanted to do on New Year's Day was watch college football bowl games. My DD was so exasperated with this, but it was his vacation, too. So, my DD and I decided to ditch the boys and do something exciting!

 

We have tried twice to parasail while on Disney Cruises (at Castaway Cay, which is their private island). Both times, our excursions were cancelled due to high winds. So, DD and I decided to start 2016 at 1,000 feet above the Pacific! Neither of us had done this before, so we were very excited and a little nervous at the same time.

 

The Ilikai is right next to the marina, so it was a short walk to the tour operator. We used Paradise Watersports, and they were great. The lady who met us at the pier was extremely friendly, and the two guys who took us out were fun, but also reassuring as they dealt with a boat full of scaredy-cats. None of the six passengers had parasailed before!

 

It was a GORGEOUS day. The operators actually told us that we should appreciate the cloudless sky. They said that doesn't happen over the mountains very often.

 

P1000229 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

We headed away from the Waikiki shore, and the first couple went up. DD and I were able to go last, which was reassuring, as both of the other couples had a great time. They looked very small and far away from the boat!

 

P1000246 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Here's my DD right before we flew off the back of the boat.

 

P1000247 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

Up, Up, and Away!

 

P1000253 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

P1000258 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

P1000264 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

P1000262 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Parasailing is very smooth. You really just feel like you are floating. It was beautiful and serene, and we really enjoyed it.

 

As you come down, you can accept or decline the offer of a "dip" into the water before returning to the boat. Of course, my DD wanted to be dipped. As we went in and out of the water, I thought, "That wasn't so bad!" Then, the driver dipped us another two times, with the third being a major soaking experience. My DD was thrilled. I could have left with the first dip and been very happy, but the guys knew that my DD would love seeing her mom drenched!

 

This was a great way to spend the morning. For the amount of time you spend in the air (ours was 10 minutes, and I think that's pretty standard), it's pricey, and I probably wouldn't pay to do it again, but it was one of those things that I am glad I did once, and it was a great memory to make with my daughter.

 

P1000265 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[missaud]

This is a great review. We have been to Hawaii before on POA, but we are going again for my 60th in 2017. My sister and her husband will be coming with us this time. She has never been. So in all of your research, do you think it was less expensive to add the extra days on your own rather than book the 11 day cruise with NCL handling all the extra tours and transportation?

[baseballsandbows]

This is a great review. We have been to Hawaii before on POA, but we are going again for my 60th in 2017. My sister and her husband will be coming with us this time. She has never been. So in all of your research, do you think it was less expensive to add the extra days on your own rather than book the 11 day cruise with NCL handling all the extra tours and transportation?

 

 

I didn't really compare the price with what NCL offered, but I would guess that our condo was cheaper as it was significantly less than the Hilton. Our condo was

less than $200 a night (he has since raised the price to a little over $200). This was a great price, especially during the biggest holiday season of the year. I am thinking NCL uses Marriott, but I would guess most of the big resorts are similar in price, which would mean our condo was cheaper than what NCL would offer.

 

I haven't mentioned this yet, but I would not encourage friends to stay in Waikiki. So, that means I wouldn't use the NCL add-on if we went back. I will write more about this later today.

 

I do think there is a definite up-side to having someone handle the details. If you already know you want to stay in Waikiki, and you like what NCL offers, sometimes paying more for less hassle is worth it.