Aloha... Pride of America...fingers crossed

[sweetbasil57]

Fingers crossed hoping to set sail end of Sept... Have not heard a word from NCL. My Question is..We (and another couple) are looking at excursions.. We want to go to a Luau.. which one is the best. Should we use NCL's suggestions or find our own.Also any tips on excursions that are worth the money and great. I know we also would like to visit a pineapple plant.

 

Thanks.

[FranknBeans]

Old Lahaina Luau Its well worth the money , fresh food and unlimited drinks, all seats have good viewing. If your not young don't select the floor seating

 

https://oldlahainaluau.com/

[farmersfight]

27 minutes ago, sweetbasil57 said:

Fingers crossed hoping to set sail end of Sept... Have not heard a word from NCL. My Question is..We (and another couple) are looking at excursions.. We want to go to a Luau.. which one is the best. Should we use NCL's suggestions or find our own.Also any tips on excursions that are worth the money and great. I know we also would like to visit a pineapple plant.

 

Thanks.

 

Fingers crossed 🤞 that your PoA cruise sails because if it does, that means my PoA cruise will sail at the end of Oct.

[sugcarol]

My fingers are crossed for you as well. I have gone to different luaus and to me the Old Lahaina Luau is the best. They do not have the fire dancers, but the rest of the dances are so well done. If you are older I do recommend you ask for the table with chairs.  Sitting on the ground on pillows is not very comfortable for old bones.

[TSUmom]

Another vote for the Old Lahaina Luau

[philv]

18 hours ago, sweetbasil57 said:

Fingers crossed hoping to set sail end of Sept... Have not heard a word from NCL. My Question is..We (and another couple) are looking at excursions.. We want to go to a Luau.. which one is the best. Should we use NCL's suggestions or find our own.Also any tips on excursions that are worth the money and great. I know we also would like to visit a pineapple plant.

 

Thanks.

We are on September 25 sailing. Hoping it will go. There’s a roll call if you want to participate. We looked at excursions, but think rental cars and doing our own thing fits our interests better. We are mainly beachcombers. We get our second covid shot tomorrow and are hoping CDC updates it’s plans shortly.

[farmersfight]

5 hours ago, philv said:

We are on September 25 sailing. Hoping it will go. There’s a roll call if you want to participate. We looked at excursions, but think rental cars and doing our own thing fits our interests better. We are mainly beachcombers. We get our second covid shot tomorrow and are hoping CDC updates it’s plans shortly.

 

I hope yours will go also as it would mean mine (Oct 23-30, 2021) will also go. Don't count on the CDC to update anything shortly (especially the NSO/CSO). The CDC Director is "feeling impending doom" and is "scared". Plus, she doesn't even know what Federal agency is in charge of making the final decision to allow cruise ships to restart out of U.S. ports.

[Sailing12Away]

We had this book with us when we went to Maui several years ago, and it's great if you're interested in self driving tours to wander that island. https://smile.amazon.com/Driving-Discovering-Hawaii-Maui-Molokai/dp/0963682806/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=driving+and+discovering+maui&qid=1617074106&sr=8-2 The book will literally tell you "stop at mile marker 7, look for the dirt patch in the side of the road and park there. Walk through the cattle gate and follow the sound of the waterfall until you find it - you can't miss it." And it's all true. We found a cliff with natural pools that the locals used for diving into, and then 2 days later had one of those brave cliff divers as our waiter at the luau we attended. 

 

With the 2 overnight stays, definitely take advantage of those longs days/nights. Depending on if you're an early riser or night owl, again on Maui look into either a sunrise or sunset trip to Mount Haleakala. It's cold, so dress accordingly, but the views are fabulous sitting above the clouds. Get a rental car and wander the island on your own following that guide book - tons of hidden gems of private beaches to discover where you'll be the only person there. All the beaches are public and free for use, so don't be afraid to wander and discover.

 

On Hilo we did a tour outside of NCL with Ricky's Tours (google them). Went to the volcano national park, macadamia nut factory, and a bunch of other neat things for half the price of the NCL sponsored trips. In Kawaii we booked a private tour through these folks: http://www.hawaiianphotos.net/Kauaitours.htm

 

Price for a private tour for 4 of us was around $500 and we went to some amazing places that you would never get to on a tour bus. The best was a residential area where we parked in front of someone's house then walked down the street. There was a hidden beach down there with no one around except for us. Absolutely amazing, and when you're the only ones on the tour you can stay in each location as long as you like. 

 

You can't go wrong with anything you choose to do in Hawaii - what you should do all depends on what you enjoy (more physical activities like hiking/snorkeling, trying the local food and beer, cultural/historic things).

[farmersfight]

5 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

We had this book with us when we went to Maui several years ago, and it's great if you're interested in self driving tours to wander that island. https://smile.amazon.com/Driving-Discovering-Hawaii-Maui-Molokai/dp/0963682806/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=driving+and+discovering+maui&qid=1617074106&sr=8-2 The book will literally tell you "stop at mile marker 7, look for the dirt patch in the side of the road and park there. Walk through the cattle gate and follow the sound of the waterfall until you find it - you can't miss it." And it's all true. We found a cliff with natural pools that the locals used for diving into, and then 2 days later had one of those brave cliff divers as our waiter at the luau we attended. 

 

With the 2 overnight stays, definitely take advantage of those longs days/nights. Depending on if you're an early riser or night owl, again on Maui look into either a sunrise or sunset trip to Mount Haleakala. It's cold, so dress accordingly, but the views are fabulous sitting above the clouds. Get a rental car and wander the island on your own following that guide book - tons of hidden gems of private beaches to discover where you'll be the only person there. All the beaches are public and free for use, so don't be afraid to wander and discover.

 

On Hilo we did a tour outside of NCL with Ricky's Tours (google them). Went to the volcano national park, macadamia nut factory, and a bunch of other neat things for half the price of the NCL sponsored trips. In Kawaii we booked a private tour through these folks: http://www.hawaiianphotos.net/Kauaitours.htm

 

Price for a private tour for 4 of us was around $500 and we went to some amazing places that you would never get to on a tour bus. The best was a residential area where we parked in front of someone's house then walked down the street. There was a hidden beach down there with no one around except for us. Absolutely amazing, and when you're the only ones on the tour you can stay in each location as long as you like. 

 

You can't go wrong with anything you choose to do in Hawaii - what you should do all depends on what you enjoy (more physical activities like hiking/snorkeling, trying the local food and beer, cultural/historic things).

 

Thanks for posting this valuable information! It is really valuable when someone who has been there and actually done the things in the guide book and verifies it's true & accurate. I definitely will be buying the Maui guidebook and probably also the Oahu guidebook.

 

I definitely planned on renting a car in Honolulu pre-cruise (will be there 4 days pre-cruise) but really hadn't thought about renting a car during the overnight stays. Hmmm...

[sugcarol]

9 hours ago, farmersfight said:

 

Thanks for posting this valuable information! It is really valuable when someone who has been there and actually done the things in the guide book and verifies it's true & accurate. I definitely will be buying the Maui guidebook and probably also the Oahu guidebook.

 

I definitely planned on renting a car in Honolulu pre-cruise (will be there 4 days pre-cruise) but really hadn't thought about renting a car during the overnight stays. Hmmm...

I got the books as well and so worth the money.

[Sailing12Away]

On 3/30/2021 at 5:10 AM, farmersfight said:

 

Thanks for posting this valuable information! It is really valuable when someone who has been there and actually done the things in the guide book and verifies it's true & accurate. I definitely will be buying the Maui guidebook and probably also the Oahu guidebook.

 

I definitely planned on renting a car in Honolulu pre-cruise (will be there 4 days pre-cruise) but really hadn't thought about renting a car during the overnight stays. Hmmm...

On Maui the shuttles to all the car rentals were right there when you got off the ship, so super easy to get to the car pickup. We drove halfway to Hana with a bunch of short stops along the way for short hikes and photos with waterfalls. Then drove into Lahaina to the Maui brewery for lunch and beers. Then headed up the mountain to catch the sunset. When we eventually drove back to the airport to drop the car back off, we ended up taking a taxi back to the port - but I'm sure an Uber/Lyft would have been a bit cheaper.

 

We had did the sunrise on our first visit to Maui, so on the POA we opted for the sunset views. But both are stunning and quite the experience. The book I referenced above is a bit outdated at this point - but waterfalls and beaches don't move. So use it for those references - not any of the restaurants or stores that may have closed since then and you'll be fine.

[knight2096]

On 3/28/2021 at 3:15 PM, sweetbasil57 said:

Fingers crossed hoping to set sail end of Sept... Have not heard a word from NCL. My Question is..We (and another couple) are looking at excursions.. We want to go to a Luau.. which one is the best. Should we use NCL's suggestions or find our own.Also any tips on excursions that are worth the money and great. I know we also would like to visit a pineapple plant.

 

Thanks.

Good luck and I hope it sails, I have been to Hawaii a few times and have always loved it (Only by land so far) My fingers are crossed for your sailing it is such a beautiful place.

[farmersfight]

7 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

On Maui the shuttles to all the car rentals were right there when you got off the ship, so super easy to get to the car pickup. We drove halfway to Hana with a bunch of short stops along the way for short hikes and photos with waterfalls. Then drove into Lahaina to the Maui brewery for lunch and beers. Then headed up the mountain to catch the sunset. When we eventually drove back to the airport to drop the car back off, we ended up taking a taxi back to the port - but I'm sure an Uber/Lyft would have been a bit cheaper.

 

We had did the sunrise on our first visit to Maui, so on the POA we opted for the sunset views. But both are stunning and quite the experience. The book I referenced above is a bit outdated at this point - but waterfalls and beaches don't move. So use it for those references - not any of the restaurants or stores that may have closed since then and you'll be fine.

 

Cool 😎, thanks. I should literally follow in you guys' footsteps when I"m there. Q: did you guys also rent a car during the PoA's other over-nighter?

[Sailing12Away]

1 minute ago, farmersfight said:

 

Cool 😎, thanks. I should literally follow in you guys' footsteps when I"m there. Q: did you guys also rent a car during the PoA's other over-nighter?

I may still have some of my old Google map files saved of spots we wanted to hit, can share with your personal email when I find it.

 

On Kuai my sister had her heart set on the Jeep mudbuggy tour from NCL, so we slept in late for a change and did that the afternoon of day one. The four of us shared a buggy together and you hit a ton of spots straight from there jurassic park film which was neat. But you will get filthy. I had to throw out my shorts and tank top when I got home, the mud didn't wash out. I had a permanent stripe from where the seatbelt was across my chest and on one butt cheek where I kept bouncing off the seat. You have the option of borrowing clothes from the company - so take advantage of that if you care about your stuff.

 

Day two we booked a private photography tour for the four of us through an outside company. Again, I'll share all my info if you like.

[farmersfight]

26 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

On Kuai my sister had her heart set on the Jeep mudbuggy tour from NCL, so we slept in late for a change and did that the afternoon of day one. The four of us shared a buggy together and you hit a ton of spots straight from there jurassic park film which was neat. But you will get filthy. I had to throw out my shorts and tank top when I got home, the mud didn't wash out. I had a permanent stripe from where the seatbelt was across my chest and on one butt cheek where I kept bouncing off the seat. You have the option of borrowing clothes from the company - so take advantage of that if you care about your stuff.

 

 

A Jeep mudbuggy tour? Throw me in that mud pit!

 

[Sailing12Away]

[farmersfight]

11 hours ago, Sailing12Away said:

 

Great picture! Looks like everyone was having fun since everyone has a smile on their face (albeit with mud in between their teeth...).

[BermudaBound2014]

Few things I would add to try to help:

 

1) I agree and highly recommend a car on Maui. You will sail into Kapalua which is the biggest town here and has the airport so pick up will be simple. Sooooo much to see and do here please don't short yourself. Rent a car and do it on your own.

 

2) I also highly recommend the gypsy app over any tour book. It literally talks you through the road to Hana and explains everything you are seeing as you go by and includes much more detail than the book (plus it's cheaper). The app also avoids private property trespassing. Many tour books recommend hikes which are on private land and this has caused some very bad feelings with the locals.

 

3) Recently Maui has started to require reservations at state parks. For example, you can no longer just show up at the black sand beach. The national park also requires a reservation for the sunrise now and they are SUPER hard to come by. I recommend doing it for sunset (no reservation required). Plan accordingly.

 

4) Finally, When covid hit, the auto rental companies offloaded many vehicles to the mainland. This has caused a significant shortage of rental cars on Maui. The shipping industry is also effected by covid and is ver7 slow to get the cars back. Hopefully this issue will all be sorted out by the time HI opens up to cruising, but as a fyi, I may recommend you reserve a car immediately and cancel it if your cruise doesn't sail (typically car rentals do not require a cash deposit). For next week, the cheapest small sedan is $722 a day and a convertible was running in excess of $1,500 a DAY!

 

Rental car prices skyrocket as Hawaii sees surge in tourists | Hawaii Tribune-Herald (hawaiitribune-herald.com)

 

Hope that helps!

[Silver Sweethearts]

8 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Few things I would add to try to help:

 

1) I agree and highly recommend a car on Maui. You will sail into Kapalua which is the biggest town here and has the airport so pick up will be simple. 

 

The POA docks in Kahului.

[BermudaBound2014]

54 minutes ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

 

The POA docks in Kahului.

::hangs head in shame:::: Of course, I knew that. I'm living in Kapalua. No port here lol. Thanks for catching my mistake 🙂

 

Edited April 3, 2021 by BermudaBound2014

[phissy]

Thinking the same when reading post....

Kapalua is beautiful , great beach for snorkeling, love it.

but, yeah,

POA docks right next to OGG. If you look at map of Maui, it is the north part of “the neck” of the lady. We rented car when we cruised. Shuttle buses for rental firms waiting. Very easy to do rental car for exploring Maui.

We Drove to Kaanapali and our favorite spot for whale watching.
Lots to see and do on Maui.