How to spend the morning we disembark

[Suskies]

We are on the 2/1/2020 POA, disembarking Saturday 2/8. Our flight leaves at 2 PM.

 

We're thinking of taking a taxi or Uber from the pier to the airport, checking our luggage, then taking another taxi/Uber to a nearby waterfront hotel (Hilton Hawaiian Village? Outrigger Reef?), having brunch at a waterfront restaurant there, then around noon taking another taxi/Uber back to the airport. Is this a doable plan? Thank you!

[princeton123211]

4 hours ago, Suskies said:

We're thinking of taking a taxi or Uber from the pier to the airport, checking our luggage, then taking another taxi/Uber to a nearby waterfront hotel (Hilton Hawaiian Village? Outrigger Reef?), having brunch at a waterfront restaurant there, then around noon taking another taxi/Uber back to the airport. Is this a doable plan? Thank you!

This is a lot of running around and needless expense with Uber. If you are going to head to a hotel on Waikiki for brunch, just bring your luggage with you and check it at that hotel. They are more than happy to hold it for you while you eat. You'll save yourself at least an hour overall when you factor going to and from the airport and checking bags. 

[mimicruising]

We have cruised the Hawaiian Islands twice. We checked our luggage to the airport and then walked to the nearby mall with our carryon luggage. We saw a movie, had lunch and did a little shopping. 

[Suskies]

17 hours ago, princeton123211 said:

This is a lot of running around and needless expense with Uber. If you are going to head to a hotel on Waikiki for brunch, just bring your luggage with you and check it at that hotel. They are more than happy to hold it for you while you eat. You'll save yourself at least an hour overall when you factor going to and from the airport and checking bags. 

That was our original plan, but we've been reading that hotels won't check your luggage unless you're a guest. People have posted that, even if you buy a ResortPass (which we won't need), most hotels won't hold your luggage. Is your experience different?

[Suskies]

13 hours ago, mimicruising said:

We have cruised the Hawaiian Islands twice. We checked our luggage to the airport and then walked to the nearby mall with our carryon luggage. We saw a movie, had lunch and did a little shopping. 

Thanks for the idea! What mall did you go to?

[Beachiekeen]

6 hours ago, Suskies said:

That was our original plan, but we've been reading that hotels won't check your luggage unless you're a guest. People have posted that, even if you buy a ResortPass (which we won't need), most hotels won't hold your luggage. Is your experience different?

This is what I was told when we were looking into ResortPass--that only guests of the hotel could store their luggage and that was the determining factor in our decision not to do it.  

 

My BIL had a 2:30 flight originally and was planning to go straight to the airport after we got off the ship.  We had also talked about storing our luggage at the pier (not the airport) and having breakfast, then going back to get the luggage and go to the airport, but logistically that is kind of a hassle like the PP said.  It turned out his flight got delayed but he probably would have just gone straight to the airport.  

 

Another thing we talked about doing was storing luggage at the pier and doing a short walking tour of Honolulu.

[princeton123211]

18 hours ago, Suskies said:

That was our original plan, but we've been reading that hotels won't check your luggage unless you're a guest. People have posted that, even if you buy a ResortPass (which we won't need), most hotels won't hold your luggage. Is your experience different?

Yes- that is what they will tell you in advance but not what will happen when you show up. Make a reservation for breakfast/brunch in advance and most 4-5 star hotels will be happy to check your bags for a few hours. Recommendation would be Halekulani or Royal Hawaiian. 

[Beachiekeen]

I read reviews on Resort Pass of people having to store their luggage in their cabanas—that is what made me look into it in the first place. There is no way I would have shown up with my family of six and all of our luggage just to be turned away. The hotels are doing themselves a disservice by discouraging it because sometimes you can’t take that risk.

Edited December 2, 2019 by Beachiekeen

[yalesmom]

We're going to Pearl Harbor.  You can store bags there for $5 per bag.

[princeton123211]

15 hours ago, Beachiekeen said:

The hotels are doing themselves a disservice by discouraging it because sometimes you can’t take that risk.

It also depends on what sort of hotel you are trying to store bags at. A mass market 3-4 star hotel is going to have a stricter policy thats enforced than a 5 star hotel that tries to emphasize hospitality. If word at the Sheraton Waikiki got out that they would store bags for you, everyone would try and store their bags there. Make a reservation at the more upscale Halekulani for brunch and show up-- they aren't going to turn you away for having your bags. 

[Beachiekeen]

1 hour ago, princeton123211 said:

It also depends on what sort of hotel you are trying to store bags at. A mass market 3-4 star hotel is going to have a stricter policy thats enforced than a 5 star hotel that tries to emphasize hospitality. If word at the Sheraton Waikiki got out that they would store bags for you, everyone would try and store their bags there. Make a reservation at the more upscale Halekulani for brunch and show up-- they aren't going to turn you away for having your bags. 

I understand but by the same token, if I am spending $400 at the Sheraton Waikiki on a pool cabana, they should hold my bags.  And when I specifically asked if they would, they said no, knowing I was going to spend $400.  So why then would I risk it?  Four people have alot of bags, I can't show up and have my plans for the whole day ruined.  

 

In the end, I am sure you are right, and I get what you are saying but it was the deciding factor for us not doing it.  Luckily the Royal Hawaiian did accommodate us and we had a fantastic day so they got our money instead of the Sheraton or Outrigger.

Edited December 3, 2019 by Beachiekeen

[princeton123211]

1 hour ago, Beachiekeen said:

I understand but by the same token, if I am spending $400 at the Sheraton Waikiki on a pool cabana, they should hold my bags. 

They absolutely should-- no dispute there. You are spending the same amount of money that some of their overnight rooms go for. In this case it seems like a day room would have been a better spend than the cabana (although you would still have to spend some more for chairs down at the beach). 

 

1 hour ago, Beachiekeen said:

Luckily the Royal Hawaiian did accommodate us and we had a fantastic day so they got our money instead of the Sheraton

In the end the Sheraton did end up with your money-- same ownership (not just the management company) as the Royal Hawaiian. 

[Beachiekeen]

10 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

They absolutely should-- no dispute there. You are spending the same amount of money that some of their overnight rooms go for. In this case it seems like a day room would have been a better spend than the cabana (although you would still have to spend some more for chairs down at the beach). 

 

In the end the Sheraton did end up with your money-- same ownership (not just the management company) as the Royal Hawaiian. 

Ha, you are right!  🙂  The RH was absolutely wonderful from start to finish.  Although I do think charging $60 for chairs and an umbrella is over the top for what you have to pay to stay there.

 

And to be fair, I only called 3 hotels on Resort Pass:  Sheraton, Outrigger and Prince Waikiki and Prince Waikiki said they would be happy to hold our bags.  The Sheraton pass was overpriced anyway.  But after two nos, hubby was like forget it.  It all worked out but I did want to make people aware that it can be an issue.  

[princeton123211]

13 minutes ago, Beachiekeen said:

The Sheraton pass was overpriced anyway.  But after two nos, hubby was like forget it.  It all worked out but I did want to make people aware that it can be an issue.

And I think you were smart with the day room at the RH because you technically get access to the Sheraton's pools as well as a guest of the RH (although it doesn't work in reverse for guests of the Sheraton to use the RH facilities). 

[Beachiekeen]

2 minutes ago, princeton123211 said:

And I think you were smart with the day room at the RH because you technically get access to the Sheraton's pools as well as a guest of the RH (although it doesn't work in reverse for guests of the Sheraton to use the RH facilities). 

Yes in hindsight, this was the best idea ever.  We were tired after the cruise and I am very glad we weren't having to walk around hot Honolulu or fighting Waikiki traffic but instead were lounging by the pool, reading, walking the beach, etc.  Every report I read where someone had done this on the last day said it was worth it, and I 100% agree!

[dizzy1949]

On 11/30/2019 at 3:58 PM, mimicruising said:

We have cruised the Hawaiian Islands twice. We checked our luggage to the airport and then walked to the nearby mall with our carryon luggage. We saw a movie, had lunch and did a little shopping. 

How far a walk is it to the mall?  Thank you.

 

[sippican]

On 12/3/2019 at 2:38 PM, Beachiekeen said:

Yes in hindsight, this was the best idea ever.  We were tired after the cruise and I am very glad we weren't having to walk around hot Honolulu or fighting Waikiki traffic but instead were lounging by the pool, reading, walking the beach, etc.  Every report I read where someone had done this on the last day said it was worth it, and I 100% agree!

 

So, to clarify, what exactly did you do at the RH; meal reservations, a day pass, a day room?  How did you manage transportation? 

We are also looking at options for debarkation day.

[Beachiekeen]

1 hour ago, sippican said:

 

So, to clarify, what exactly did you do at the RH; meal reservations, a day pass, a day room?  How did you manage transportation? 

We are also looking at options for debarkation day.

We rented a room.  I emailed and asked them if they would be willing to give us an early check in and they agreed.  So we had a room with regular privileges, a place to store our bags, etc.  Hubby and I spent the day at the pool, ate lunch at the pool, walked on the beach, etc., my FIL watched a movie at the room, MIL spent some time at the pool with us and then found a shady spot in the breeze to read a book.  We all took turns using the shower and cleaning up.  We took a cab from the pier to the hotel.  It was a really nice day.

 

I had read several reports of people doing this prior to our trip.  Some choose the Hilton Hawaiian Village, also the two Outrigger hotels are popular.  There are certainly less expensive options than Royal Hawaiian.

 

Resort Pass is another option however you don't get room privileges and two of the three hotels I contacted said they would not hold our bags.

 

I made a list and posted it somewhere of all the options I came up with for debarkation day.  In our case, we only had like 6 hours to kill.  Alot of people do Pearl Harbor on disembarkation day, but we had already done it pre-cruise.  That's a good option though.  Also you can store your bags at the pier until 6:00 pm.