Pride of America shore excursions report

[mooline]

For any of you planning a cruise on POA, here's a quick rundown of the shore excursions our family enjoyed in each port.

 

Maui- day 1, we did private horseback riding through Triple L ranch, upcountry. This was our only non-ship excursion. It was a simply wonderful experience and I've posted some details in a thread called “Horseback riding - any islands" on this board

 

Maui Day 2 - Molokini Crater and Turtle snorkeling tour. This was fulfilled by PAC Whale adventures. We had a wonderful crew, very attentive, and took time to fit all of us with wetsuits (optional charge) as well as supplying food (light breakfast and yummy lunch). The crew took great care of us and was very helpful to everyone on the tour. Note, though that it's easy to get seasick on the boat to the snorkeling sites, so be sure to sit in an open area or take meds if you have any issues. Molokini was amazing- crystal clear, lots of fish. The water is chilly but the wetsuit makes it bearable. Turtle town was a bit murkier, but still nice, though unfortunately we didn’t see any turtles.

 

Hilo: Two of us did the Crater Hike and Waterfall Walk - such an incredible sight looking into Kilauea' steamy crater. It's a very steep, narrow, and rugged trail into the crater, both up and down. Be prepared for significant physical exertion and be sure to wear good shoes! A nice sandwich boxed lunch was provided. The visit to Rainbow Falls was the first stop and it is breathtaking… we did see the rainbow at the bottom of the falls!

 

Two others did the Zipline and thoroughly enjoyed the 8 Zipline course. The favorite was the last course, about a half mile long, over impressive forest and a spectacular waterfall.

 

Two others did the Waterfall and Farm tour, they enjoyed it, and got to crack their own macadamia nuts. This tour was pretty low key, not much walking. They did see a small waterfall

 

Kona: we all opted for the Gold Coast and Cloud Forest tour. The tour started with a shot hike along the beach to see ancient petroglyphs, and an opportunity to stroll the shore, spotting sea turtles… we saw two! Second stop was for coffee… we thought we'd be visiting a coffee farm, instead it was a little store with very pleasant people and samples of coffee. There was a bit of education about the coffee growing and roasting process. Finally, we went to the most amazing site, the privately owned Kona Could Forest. Hiking a winding, steep and uneven path, we saw an abundance of plants, some macaws and other birds ( in cages). It was an awe-inspiring experience and a decent workout!

 

Kauai: we only did one tour, the Kauai Outfitters Hidden Valley kayak tour. It was a blast to kayak down the river immediately adjacent to the port. Mountains soar up alongside the river, the scenery is lush and breathtaking. Following g the kayak, we walked about half a mile along a very muddy, rugged and narrow trail, to a  brackish water pool with a big rope swing… yes! 5 of the 6 of us took the plunge into “refreshing" (chilly) water! This tour suggests water shoes, but you'd be better off to bring a pair of hiking shoes fit the walk. It's quite challenging with flimsy footwear. Although this was just a half day tour, the guided provided sodas and locally made cookies for the boat ride back to the launch site.

 

Happy to answer any questions that anyone has about any of these tours.

[philv]

Looks great! We will be back to Hawaii in 2024 on POA. Can’t wait!

[Bluesmama]

Am very interested in that Crater Walk - but not sure if we’ll do the ship’s excursion or go on our own. I have read reviews that it’s considered “moderate” with some difficult areas. And was this the IKI trail that you were on? Could you give me an idea of the amount of time you were hiking here? 

we’ll be on the POA in late May. 
thanks for the review.

[mskaufman]

We were on POA last week (report on the NCL Board) and did all different excursions.

 

Maui Day 1 - Road to Hana with Roberts.  Very scenic.  Lots of waterfalls.

Maui Day 2 - Sunrise at the Crater - Wow!!

Hilo - Volcanoes NP - A little underwhelming.  Thought we would see some lava but only steam coming out of the crater.

Kona - DIY - Shopping in the am and beach near the tender port in the pm.  Had lots of shaved ice.

Kauai - Beach in the day.  Walking distance from the boat although there were free shuttles.  Very nice beach.

Kauai Day 2 - Waimea Canyon. Very impressive. 

 

Happy to answer questions.  Will post photos and videos when I get home. 

[ULCajunCruiser]

On 7/20/2023 at 1:46 AM, mskaufman said:

We were on POA last week (report on the NCL Board) and did all different excursions.

 

Kona - DIY - Shopping in the am and beach near the tender port in the pm.  Had lots of shaved ice.

 

Happy to answer questions.  Will post photos and videos when I get home. 

Is this the Kam Kam beach??  Have heard its a good little spot and have heard its not worth it!!   Do you have an opinion??   We are still not sure what we will be doing in Kona, so a beach this close would be great!!

TIA

[mskaufman]

Sorry, don't know the name.  It is the little beach by the tender port.

[Fouremco]

9 hours ago, ULCajunCruiser said:

Is this the Kam Kam beach??  Have heard its a good little spot and have heard its not worth it!!   Do you have an opinion??   We are still not sure what we will be doing in Kona, so a beach this close would be great!!

TIA

This article may help you decide if it's worth it or not: https://bigislandguide.com/kamakahonu-beach-king-kam