Pride of America sailings during Humpback season January to March

[Ready to Sail!]

Have any of you who have done this cruise during the months when the Humpback whales are around the islands tell me if you had sightings from the ship while sailing island to island?  

 

Also, if you sailed during these winter months did the ship ever have to skip the Napali Coast  because of weather?  

 

We have been to different islands many times during the winter which is actually our favorite time to go since it is fun to sit on our lanai and watch for the whales spouting off shore.  On the other hand we have been to Kauai twice during the early winter months and both times the sea was too rough for us to go out on a boat excursion to the Napali Coast.  We are thinking the cruise might be a better choice to get this done and checked off my bucket list!  

 

Would appreciate any input.  Am thinking of trying either next February or 2024.  Thanks.

 

[kelib]

1 hour ago, Ready to Sail! said:

Have any of you who have done this cruise during the months when the Humpback whales are around the islands tell me if you had sightings from the ship while sailing island to island?  

 

Also, if you sailed during these winter months did the ship ever have to skip the Napali Coast  because of weather?  

 

We have been to different islands many times during the winter which is actually our favorite time to go since it is fun to sit on our lanai and watch for the whales spouting off shore.  On the other hand we have been to Kauai twice during the early winter months and both times the sea was too rough for us to go out on a boat excursion to the Napali Coast.  We are thinking the cruise might be a better choice to get this done and checked off my bucket list!  

 

Would appreciate any input.  Am thinking of trying either next February or 2024.  Thanks.

 

They usually only sail between islands at night so a little hard to see whales in the dark 

Edited July 18, 2022 by kelib

[Ready to Sail!]

10 hours ago, kelib said:

They usually only sail between islands at night so a little hard to see whales in the dark 

So we should book when there's a full moon?  Seriously, yes I realize that and that there are really no sea days except maybe the afternoon cruising the Napali Coast, but there are mornings and evenings arriving and departing ports also.  Well, maybe I should have left the Humpbacks out of my question.

 

So, have any of you that have done this cruise during the winter months had a problem with the ship needing to avoid the Napali Coast for weather reasons?  The only reason to consider this cruise is that it is the only cruise that does the Napali Coast.  And yes, we have been on many cruises and do know that weather can be a big factor no matter how large the ship.  We do prefer Hawaii in winter (yes. so we can see the Humpbacks!)  but maybe for this purpose should consider later spring.  I really would appreciate others opinion on this. 

[chengkp75]

12 hours ago, kelib said:

They usually only sail between islands at night so a little hard to see whales in the dark 

Which is why the bridge officers have night vision goggles to wear when the ship transits the whale sanctuary between Oahu and Maui.

 

I worked the Pride of Aloha doing the same cruises for 4 years, and never once missed the Na Pali Coast once.

Edited July 18, 2022 by chengkp75

[Ready to Sail!]

44 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Which is why the bridge officers have night vision goggles to wear when the ship transits the whale sanctuary between Oahu and Maui.

 

I worked the Pride of Aloha doing the same cruises for 4 years, and never once missed the Na Pali Coast once.

Thank you!  That is the answer I needed.  And full moon won't help, but  night vision goggles will. So good to know also.  I will book in the winter and enjoy the coast and also take my googles for whale watching on the balcony at midnight.  Wonder if I can get snorkeling goggles with night vision?  So much to think about now!!! Seriously,  thanks again.   

[Sea saw 56]

Last time we sailed NCL in Hawaii, we went on a Whale Watching excursion the day we were at Maui.

We have been on many Whale Watching tours in many different areas, but this one was probably the best ever.  The naturalist on the boat dropped microphones into the water to allow us to hear the whales "talking" to one another.  They got us quite close.  

[Sea saw 56]

Forgot to mention it was right around March 9th the year we went.

[Ready to Sail!]

49 minutes ago, Sea saw 56 said:

Last time we sailed NCL in Hawaii, we went on a Whale Watching excursion the day we were at Maui.

We have been on many Whale Watching tours in many different areas, but this one was probably the best ever.  The naturalist on the boat dropped microphones into the water to allow us to hear the whales "talking" to one another.  They got us quite close.  

We've done whale excursion on Maui also.  We would probably repeat that as we remember it being a really good trip.  We usually do Condos in Hawaii but really don't enjoy Maui anymore and yet it probably is the best island for whale sightings.  January, February are suppose to be peak months but March is still probably good also. Thanks so much for the input.

[BermudaBound2014]

I'm fortunate enough to live on Maui January-May, primarily due to the whales. The largest concentration of whales is in the Maui Nui basin (area between Maui, Molokai, and lanai). With that said, whales need to travel through other areas to get to the Maui Nui basin (this is where they birth or mate). I believe you will see whales from the ship.

 

With that said, whale watching from Maui will absolutely guarantee whale sightings. You will likely dock in Kahalui and I would recommend Pac Whale out of Maa'laea Harbor. If you get to the Lahania side of the island, I prefer whale watching on zodiacs. Ultimate Whale Watch, Captain Steves, or Hawaiian Ocean Adventure are all great options. 

 

I'm a humpback nut! Enjoy 🙂

Edited July 18, 2022 by BermudaBound2014

[Ready to Sail!]

4 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

I'm fortunate enough to live on Maui January-May, primarily due to the whales. The largest concentration of whales is in the Maui Nui basin (area between Maui, Molokai, and lanai). With that said, whales need to travel through other areas to get to the Maui Nui basin (this is where they birth or mate). I believe you will see whales from the ship.

 

With that said, whale watching from Maui will absolutely guarantee whale sightings. You will likely dock in Kahalui and I would recommend Pac Whale out of Maa'laea Harbor. If you get to the Lahania side of the island, I prefer whale watching on zodiacs. Ultimate Whale Watch, Captain Steves, or Hawaiian Ocean Adventure are all great options. 

 

I'm a humpback nut! Enjoy 🙂

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll print this out and save.  Yes, I think docking in Kahalui is correct. 

[BermudaBound2014]

2 minutes ago, Ready to Sail! said:

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll print this out and save.  Yes, I think docking in Kahalui is correct. 

 

Traffic from Kahalui to Lahania (west side) can be terrible. There is only one safe way to move from the east side of the island to the west and that is across the Pali Hwy. One little snafu on the Pali and traffic can be backed up for hours on end. No joke.

 

The safest bet when docking at Kahalui is to not cross the Pali because cruise ships are so darn time sensitive. No worries though, Maa'Laea harbor has a plethoria of whale watching trips. The ocean center aquarium is also right there at the harbor. They have an AMAZING 3D Whale video (albeit short) if you are really into whales. Pacific Whale is a fine organization and they will have several sailings for you to choose from. Several places to eat and shop at the harbor also. The aquarium and Tantes  have a good Mai-tai happy hour after the whale watch too. If I just had one day in Maui, I think spending the day at Maa'Laea harbor would be just swell :). 

[Ready to Sail!]

2 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Traffic from Kahalui to Lahania (west side) can be terrible. There is only one safe way to move from the east side of the island to the west and that is across the Pali Hwy. One little snafu on the Pali and traffic can be backed up for hours on end. No joke.

 

The safest bet when docking at Kahalui is to not cross the Pali because cruise ships are so darn time sensitive. No worries though, Maa'Laea harbor has a plethoria of whale watching trips. The ocean center aquarium is also right there at the harbor. They have an AMAZING 3D Whale video (albeit short) if you are really into whales. Pacific Whale is a fine organization and they will have several sailings for you to choose from. Several places to eat and shop at the harbor also. The aquarium and Tantes  have a good Mai-tai happy hour after the whale watch too. If I just had one day in Maui, I think spending the day at Maa'Laea harbor would be just swell :). 

Excellent advise. We haven't been to Maui in about 5 years and remember traffic everywhere being so bad we said we would probably never return for an extended stay.  Sadly this is true of most of the islands these days, exept wonderful Molokai.   Anyway, we will not want to bother renting a car even though the cruise is an overnight stay, remaining in the Kahului area will be just fine for us.  I remember  an aquarium in Maalaea.  There is one in Kahului also, or am I mixed up? Well, I think you've given us plenty of ideas to keep as busy as we will want to be.   

[BermudaBound2014]

13 hours ago, Ready to Sail! said:

Excellent advise. We haven't been to Maui in about 5 years and remember traffic everywhere being so bad we said we would probably never return for an extended stay.  Sadly this is true of most of the islands these days, exept wonderful Molokai.   Anyway, we will not want to bother renting a car even though the cruise is an overnight stay, remaining in the Kahului area will be just fine for us.  I remember  an aquarium in Maalaea.  There is one in Kahului also, or am I mixed up? Well, I think you've given us plenty of ideas to keep as busy as we will want to be.   

 

There isn't an aquarium in Kahalui that I'm aware of. 

 

You can easily grab Uber to the Ocean Center/Maa'laea Harbor. If you are super motivated you can also walk to the bus stop and take Maui Bus for $2 each way ($1 if over 55). Just sit in the front to avoid tweakers 😉 

 

As mentioned, with such very limited time in Maui I'd be perfectly happy spending the day in Maa'laea. Between Ocean Center Aquarium, Whale Watching, happy hour, some shops, and the harbor activities I could easily burn an entire afternoon at a nice leisurely pace. 

 

Not sure what month you are going but I'll be there January - May HMU 🙂 

Edited July 19, 2022 by BermudaBound2014

[Silver Sweethearts]

21 hours ago, Ready to Sail! said:

 Anyway, we will not want to bother renting a car even though the cruise is an overnight stay, remaining in the Kahului area will be just fine for us.  I remember  an aquarium in Maalaea.  There is one in Kahului also, or am I mixed up?    

It seems a shame that you are not going to avail yourselves of all that Maui has to offer.  Kahului is strictly a commercial/industrial area that has nothing to offer visitors.  The best advice about what to do there is to get away from there.  We suggest you might skip the tourist areas and head Upcountry for a less crowded and more peaceful look at Maui.  Google the area to see if it appeals.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

We have done the POA three times and the Napoli Coast cruise was one of my favorite days.   Two of our cruises were in March and on one cruise we were unable to dock in Kona due to winds and rough seas so the captain took us on a slow figure 8 through the “national park” .  We saw numerous whales, far more than we saw on any Alaska cruise.  It was a leisurely day on the balcony with a blue Hawaiian or two.  

[BermudaBound2014]

13 hours ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

It seems a shame that you are not going to avail yourselves of all that Maui has to offer.  Kahului is strictly a commercial/industrial area that has nothing to offer visitors.  The best advice about what to do there is to get away from there.  We suggest you might skip the tourist areas and head Upcountry for a less crowded and more peaceful look at Maui.  Google the area to see if it appeals.

 

I hope the OP doesn't mind this slight diversion.

 

@Silver Sweethearts I do love spending time in the upcountry. It's gorgeous and a nice retreat from the heat.  We golf at Pukalani for their very reasonable prices. Have visited the lavender farm, oceans vodka, goat dairy, the winery and Ulupalakua ranch. Since you live upcountry, what are we missing? I haven't spent much time in Makawao other than a quick visit to the general store. Insider tips for nice hikes perhaps? You are always very helpful. 

 

 

[Ready to Sail!]

17 hours ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

It seems a shame that you are not going to avail yourselves of all that Maui has to offer.  Kahului is strictly a commercial/industrial area that has nothing to offer visitors.  The best advice about what to do there is to get away from there.  We suggest you might skip the tourist areas and head Upcountry for a less crowded and more peaceful look at Maui.  Google the area to see if it appeals.

Thank you for your thoughts.  We have been to Maui numerous times and been to the Upcountry, Hana and stayed at different areas on the touristy side.  I agreee Upcountry is wonderful, like a different world from the hustle bustle and traffic issues in the rest of the island.  We will certainly think about doing it again,  we just know we don't want to head over to the otherside.  Our main reason for considering this cruise is the Napali Coast.  We have been to Kauai several times and going again in October but doing a coast excursion hasn't worked out so cruise sounds like a good change from Condos and have better luck at cruising the coast.  We are in Maui for 2 days so probably should find something, but probably through a ship board excursion.   

[Ready to Sail!]

5 hours ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

We have done the POA three times and the Napoli Coast cruise was one of my favorite days.   Two of our cruises were in March and on one cruise we were unable to dock in Kona due to winds and rough seas so the captain took us on a slow figure 8 through the “national park” .  We saw numerous whales, far more than we saw on any Alaska cruise.  It was a leisurely day on the balcony with a blue Hawaiian or two.  

We love the Hilo side but weather can be different.  I think it is too bad this cruise doesn't sail south between Hilo and Kona for a chance to see possible Lave flow.  Maybe they do when there is enough eruption flowing into the ocean.  So, I would say you probably lucked out with backup option.  Thanks for sharing. 

[MagnoliaBlossom]

On each of our cruises we did do a sail y of the lava flow.  Once it was spectacular, the second time puny and the third, it was not flowing at all.  But I’ll never forget that first time.

[Ready to Sail!]

3 hours ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

On each of our cruises we did do a sail y of the lava flow.  Once it was spectacular, the second time puny and the third, it was not flowing at all.  But I’ll never forget that first time.

Were those on the Pride of America?  I thought it normally traveled around the north end.  I'll bet it was! We've seen some lava from land (as close as we felt it was safe to get) but seeing it drop into the ocean must be spectacular.  Lucky You!  

[chengkp75]

6 minutes ago, Ready to Sail! said:

Were those on the Pride of America?  I thought it normally traveled around the north end.  I'll bet it was! We've seen some lava from land (as close as we felt it was safe to get) but seeing it drop into the ocean must be spectacular.  Lucky You!  

When Kilauea was flowing to the sea (in the early 2000's) all three NCL ships sailed around the south side of the big island.  The ship was stopped, and rotated on the thrusters so everyone got a view.  We couldn't get too close, as we had to monitor the sea temperature and if it got too high, the engines would start to overheat.  But, I think the flow into the sea stopped in 2008-2009, and they went with the shorter northern route around the Big Island.

[AllenO]

We did this cruise twice, but the most recent was in February 2019 right before the shutdowns, but we had a great time.  We saw a few spouts from the ship, but the best viewing was on Maui where we took a whale watching excursion.  The whales were everywhere.  Saw breaches, lots of fin waiving and tons of  sightings one after the other. Don't count on great sightings from the ship.  Take an excursion. 

[kbnovak]

We were very lucky to see mating humpbacks in November in the pass between Maui and Lanai. 

Edited July 20, 2022 by kbnovak
error

[teamwanderer]

On 7/18/2022 at 8:02 PM, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Traffic from Kahalui to Lahania (west side) can be terrible. There is only one safe way to move from the east side of the island to the west and that is across the Pali Hwy. One little snafu on the Pali and traffic can be backed up for hours on end. No joke.

 

The safest bet when docking at Kahalui is to not cross the Pali because cruise ships are so darn time sensitive. No worries though, Maa'Laea harbor has a plethoria of whale watching trips. The ocean center aquarium is also right there at the harbor. They have an AMAZING 3D Whale video (albeit short) if you are really into whales. Pacific Whale is a fine organization and they will have several sailings for you to choose from. Several places to eat and shop at the harbor also. The aquarium and Tantes  have a good Mai-tai happy hour after the whale watch too. If I just had one day in Maui, I think spending the day at Maa'Laea harbor would be just swell :). 

Question;  I thought Pali Hwy was in Honolulu.  Is there another Pali Hwy that can take you from Port Kahalui (East) to Lahania (West) and they reverse? If yes, could you also give the route # for I am not able to find Pali Hwy, Maui.   Im on POA Dec 3rd and will be renting a car to travel hopeful North to NW to West to Lahania and then back across to Port Kahalui.  Any suggestion of route and sites would be greatly appreciated

[BermudaBound2014]

Route 30 is Honoapallani Hwy or the "Pali". This is the route you 'must' take from Kahului to Lahaina. I say must because your rental car agreement will be void if you elect to drive #340"Kahekili hwy". The Kahekili road really is one lane only most of the way and it makes driving the Road To Hana look like a picnic. Locals do not like tourists driving on this road and will make no bones about letting you know. Right around the top 'x' in the photo below there is a sign indicating you are leaving the state hwy (it's very near the Olivine Pools). This is as far as you want to go before turning around and heading back to Lahaina. 

 

On a side note, the Pali was closed again yesterday right around Olowalu due to a car accident. Since the Pali (#30) is really the only way to get from one side of the island to the other a fender bender can cause quite the delay and if there is a major accident and the Pali actually closes it is a standstill. My neighbor said it was a 5 hour trip to get back from Costco in Kahalui to Kapalua.  Accidents are happening more frequently with the crowding. This is why I'm hesitant to recommend heading to the West side from Kahalui if you are only in Maui for a day. There is plenty to do on the East side of the island (Road to Hana, Haleakala, Wailea, Maaleaa, Upcountry, etc..) without the risk of that darned Pali acting up.