POA - Hawaii LIVE Sep 30, 2023

[carohs]

Let's go to Hawaii!!! After much second guessing, it's happening and I couldn't be more excited. Traveling with me are DH, DD (8) and DS (10) and none of us have been there before.

 

Booked since June of last year, I started really planning a few months ago. My planning has consisted of scouring Cruise Critic, TripAdvisor and social media for information on Hawaii. It has also consisted of spreadsheets, lots of spreadsheets. Some people like to take notes on Word, but Excel and I are BFFs. Turns out there's so much I want to see and do it was hard to pick and limit to the time available in port, too. And also to remain within a reasonable budget. And then DH throws me a curveball - he wants to make sure we get actual relaxation time on this vacay and we don't return home more exhausted than when we left! I plan to treat the POA more like a floating hotel given that there's no sea days; besides, I'm bound to be exhausted in the evenings from all the port adventures we have planned. Hopefully we can sneak in a nap or two and enjoy some of the evening entertainment available. I'm going in with little expectations for the ship but lots of expectations for Hawaii. Could we have done a land trip? Yeah maybe, but we've never been to Hawaii so for us this will give us an opportunity to explore and decide to which island(s) we'd like to return. 

 

I will try to cover some bits of the ship but we all know this one is all about the destination! 

[lovestocruisesue]

We are doing the same trip in February for our 30th anniversary. So excited to hear all about your adventures!

[Seas2mountains]

Have a wonderful cruise!
 

We just got off the Spirit Honolulu to Tahiti cruise yesterday morning and are sitting in the airport lounge in Tahiti waiting to fly home. 
 

What excursions do you have planned? We thought Waimea Canyon in Kauai was gorgeous. We did an excursion with NCL but did not care for the hour stop in Waimea town area although others seemed to like having time to shop for souvenirs.  We had shrimp and shrimp tacos for lunch but it was only okay. 
 

We rented a car in Hilo to visit Volcanoes National Park and Rainbow Falls. We were able to enjoy the beautiful weather both afternoons as these took up our mornings but we had time to relax in the afternoon. For our stop in Maui, we stayed in the area as all aboard was at 1:30pm and most excursions were canceled due to the fires. Some smart people raved about having a taxi driver take them to a beach with many protected turtles and enjoyed watching them from a distance. There is a Whole Foods very close to the port in Maui if you need to get any snacks. 
 

I hope you have wonderful weather like we experienced.  We have been to Hawaii several times and highly recommend cruising the Hawaiian Islands.  

[carohs]

26 minutes ago, Seas2mountains said:

What excursions do you have planned?

We have two independent activities planned but not until Kauai. We are DIYing the ports and have rentals booked every day except for tomorrow and Saturday. I left some space open for beach relaxing or other spontaneous decisions. I'm hopeful we won't end up missing VNP due to this impending shut down but you know, if we miss it, we would have a very good excuse to return to the islands. I feel so lucky to one, be able to have planned this trip, and two, know that it doesn't have to be one and done for us. But next time I'm looking into renting camping gear or something cuz this budget is already feeling out of control even with my cost controlling measures. 

[carohs]

Speaking of budget. We booked an inside guarantee at the lowest rate available with all FAS offers except for airfare. Airfare was ultimately cheaper for 4 booking ourselves made even cheaper by booking basic economy, and less than that even by using points. Analyzed independent excursions vs NCL with $50 credit and still decided car rentals was the way to go. You helpful people helped me realize the potential of double up CNC and even asking for FCC after final payment. Didn't get the FCC but did get offered a negligible upgrade. Despite all that, this will hands down be the most expensive vacation our family has ever taken. 

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Looking forward to your posts. We have been blessed to divide our time between NY and Honolulu. Have sailed The POA and before that the Pride of Aloha in 2004.  The POA was also years ago so curious as to your reviews. Also took a Hawaii to Tahiti cruise but its the POA reports I am excited about as there are few postings on this board. Enjoy and have a fantastic time!

[mcmomny]

Hi!

 

The POS is still our favorite cruise of all time!

 

Like you we rented a car in every port and had a great time, if your DH is worried about not having relaxation time with a car you can stop at any beach anytime which is what we did!

 

I used an cute insulated bag as my carryon the plane which in turn was our cooler while driving, we would get waters and snacks and hit the road and stop at local places off the beaten path for lunch!

 

Only tours we booked were The Road to Hana and a helicopter flight over Waimea Canyon which unfortunately was cancelled due to weather but we had a rental car so drove there instead!

 

Have agreat time and can't wait to hear how it went!

[carohs]

Like LouChamp mentioned, there haven't been a lot of POA posts, and fewer still that were deeply detailed. I wanted to do this live to give the POA just a bit more love. I also did a live while on the Jewel and found that taking the time to put the day into words really helped me be present and enjoy those moments. I also have a horrible ability to recollect, or as DD puts it I forget everything. Sometimes it's nice to go back and reread those posts and think about what I'd like to do again, what I miss, and and what I would do differently given another chance. I'm optimistic that I'll be able to take the time each day to update this thread. It'll be a juggling act. 

 

I haven't slept. I'm not sure what it is. I mean I usually have a hard time falling asleep the night before but once I'm out I tend to crash hard. FitBit confirms very little deep sleep. Flight leaves in 3 hours so what to do, what to do? Not ready to start waking us all yet.

[cruiser2015]

7 hours ago, carohs said:

Let's go to Hawaii!!! After much second guessing, it's happening and I couldn't be more excited. Traveling with me are DH, DD (8) and DS (10) and none of us have been there before.

 

Booked since June of last year, I started really planning a few months ago. My planning has consisted of scouring Cruise Critic, TripAdvisor and social media for information on Hawaii. It has also consisted of spreadsheets, lots of spreadsheets. Some people like to take notes on Word, but Excel and I are BFFs. Turns out there's so much I want to see and do it was hard to pick and limit to the time available in port, too. And also to remain within a reasonable budget. And then DH throws me a curveball - he wants to make sure we get actual relaxation time on this vacay and we don't return home more exhausted than when we left! I plan to treat the POA more like a floating hotel given that there's no sea days; besides, I'm bound to be exhausted in the evenings from all the port adventures we have planned. Hopefully we can sneak in a nap or two and enjoy some of the evening entertainment available. I'm going in with little expectations for the ship but lots of expectations for Hawaii. Could we have done a land trip? Yeah maybe, but we've never been to Hawaii so for us this will give us an opportunity to explore and decide to which island(s) we'd like to return. 

 

I will try to cover some bits of the ship but we all know this one is all about the destination! 

Gee whiz, my DW thinks I obsess over some of the planning.

I use Excel for road trips - distances, estimated time, activities.

I first visited the Islands in 1978 - 4 islands, 14 days. Marvelous!

DW and I sailed on POA around 2014 with 4 days pre-cruise in Honolulu. I hope you've planned some time there either pre or post cruise.

I view POA as giving you a taste (a very sweet taste, like ripe pineapple) of the Islands. So, yes, plan your next visit enroute. We're eyeing a return to Maui - one of these days.

Enjoy!! 

 

Edited September 29, 2023 by cruiser2015

[MNcruisingcouple]

6 hours ago, carohs said:

We have two independent activities planned but not until Kauai. We are DIYing the ports and have rentals booked every day except for tomorrow and Saturday. I left some space open for beach relaxing or other spontaneous decisions. I'm hopeful we won't end up missing VNP due to this impending shut down but you know, if we miss it, we would have a very good excuse to return to the islands. I feel so lucky to one, be able to have planned this trip, and two, know that it doesn't have to be one and done for us. But next time I'm looking into renting camping gear or something cuz this budget is already feeling out of control even with my cost controlling measures. 

 

We have a group of 6 taking this cruise in December and I'd love to know your experience with rental cars.  We did the cruise in 2019 and I feel like there were a lot more options for picking up cars close to the ports.  Now it seems like they are all at the airports.  

[carohs]

5 minutes ago, MNcruisingcouple said:

 

We have a group of 6 taking this cruise in December and I'd love to know your experience with rental cars.  We did the cruise in 2019 and I feel like there were a lot more options for picking up cars close to the ports.  Now it seems like they are all at the airports.  

We rented all through Enterprise and all airport locations. I did see some offices are actually closed Sat and Sun and that did have some affect on where we rented from. 

[carohs]

Boarding is underway. Unfortunately we had a couple delays so I didn't feel like I had time to wait for coffee after getting thru security. Drat hopefully the airline coffee isn't completely undrinkable. 

[carohs]

Another first. First on Hawaiian. First time on a plane this size. 

[LouChamp]

24 minutes ago, carohs said:

Another first. First on Hawaiian. First time on a plane this size. 

Aloha.  We love Hawaiian.  Hope you will also.  About ten years ago they started flying nonstop JFK to Honolulu which I love because I can sleep on the plane and the return to NY is a redeye. I find their service commendable and generally on time except if JFK is messed up lol. They will be getting 787s soon and am looking forward to flying in them soon. Looking forward to hearing about your Hawaiian Airline experience as well as your trip. Have a super special time!

[ChiefMateJRK]

8 hours ago, carohs said:

I'm hopeful we won't end up missing VNP due to this impending shut down

What shutdown is this?

[SimplyAlbert]

We're doing this cruise in November.  I booked it three years ago at the height of the COVID shutdown at an amazing price.

 

We're doing three days in Oahu, the 7 day cruise, and then a week in Kauai.  We opted for NCL excursions in Maui, our own in Hilo and Kona, and one NCL in Kauai and one on our own.  We then have another week to enjoy Kauai on our own.

 

Looking forward to your review.

[Ellis1138]

30 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

What shutdown is this?

In the standard fashion of our government, there is a possible shutdown coming because they can't agree on the budget.

 

A note here: VNP the park itself (as well as Haleakala) will probably remain open, however the Visitor Centers and restrooms would not, if there's a shutdown. 

 

My husband and I are going on the PoA in the end of February for our double birthdays, so I will follow this thread. I'm especially interested in any tips like how long it takes at each port to get off the ship and make it to a car rental place and how long it takes at Kona, the day we tender. I've been to Hawaii twice on non-cruise vacations, so the "what to see on each island" I know. The ship is the wild card. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

9 minutes ago, Ellis1138 said:

In the standard fashion of our government, there is a possible shutdown coming because they can't agree on the budget.

 

A note here: VNP the park itself (as well as Haleakala) will probably remain open, however the Visitor Centers and restrooms would not, if there's a shutdown. 

 

My husband and I are going on the PoA in the end of February for our double birthdays, so I will follow this thread. I'm especially interested in any tips like how long it takes at each port to get off the ship and make it to a car rental place and how long it takes at Kona, the day we tender. I've been to Hawaii twice on non-cruise vacations, so the "what to see on each island" I know. The ship is the wild card. 

Thanks.  I had (blissfully) forgotten about that.  I remember the last time they did this DW and I were heading to the Grand Canyon.  The shutdown ended about a week before, and our Canyon visit was magical.  We were literally the ONLY people enjoying the canyon at many of the overlooks.

[scubacruiserx2]

 Congratulations on your cruise to Hawaii . Because of the costs and distance from South Florida we have only been twice . In 2001 on a cruise to the big 5 islands with a week stay in a Kauai in a condo for our 25th and in March of this year with a week's stay in Kauai . We loved it and visited Duke's Canoe Club for lunch and a sail away of the POA . It's only a 10 minute walk from the ship and has the best place for cheap souvenirs on the island ( ABC ) . See a map here .

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Kalapaki+Beach,+Lihue,+HI/Kauai+Cruise+Ship+Terminal,+Kanoa+Rd,+Lihue,+HI+96766/@21.9576694,-159.3555256,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x7c071ee9d3b67121:0xa3743c0e00c13d8a!2m2!1d-159.3501759!2

 

Duke's has a great lunch , beach , beach volleyball games to watch , canoe rides ($69 p.p) for an hour on the waves and the best desert on the island , Kimo's Hula Pie . Big enough for 4 at $14 total .

KIMO’S ORIGINAL HULA PIE ADDITIONAL CHARGE chocolate cookie crust, macadamia nut ice cream, hot fudge, toasted mac nuts, whipped cream | $14

 

 

Canoe rides

 

 

POA sail away

 

 

 

And if you're really up for an adventure , there's a helicopter ride 3 miles away that flies around the whole island over the port , through the Waimea grand Canyon , along the amazing Na Pali Coast a close encounter with Mt. Waialeale , a volcano that is one of the wettest places in the world .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Waialeale

 

 If you would like we will show you photos or videos of the flight . Have a fantastic Cruise ! 😎

 

Edited September 29, 2023 by scubacruiserx2

[Seas2mountains]

10 hours ago, carohs said:

We have two independent activities planned but not until Kauai. We are DIYing the ports and have rentals booked every day except for tomorrow and Saturday. I left some space open for beach relaxing or other spontaneous decisions. I'm hopeful we won't end up missing VNP due to this impending shut down but you know, if we miss it, we would have a very good excuse to return to the islands. I feel so lucky to one, be able to have planned this trip, and two, know that it doesn't have to be one and done for us. But next time I'm looking into renting camping gear or something cuz this budget is already feeling out of control even with my cost controlling measures. 

I think you are making a great decision to DIY with rental cars at the ports. We wish we would have done that in Kauai to go see Waimea Canyon as we would have rather had lunch at Duke's or even on the ship instead of in the town of Waimea. Due to the stop in Waimea that was not listed on the NCL tour description, we were much later getting back to the ship than projected. 

 

I look forward to reading your live review! We did consider POA but found the itinerary and cost of being on the Spirit for 12 days in a balcony was so much less than POA. I do understand how expensive the POA is compared to other NCL itineraries and do get how this is quite an investment. We take the same approach that you do about knowing that you may return to these ports in the future and don't need to see every sight with each stop. 

 

Since we only rented a car at Hilo, I can say that it took about 10 minutes to get from the port to the airport and cost $16 each way before tip. The taxis were lined up and very available at all ports. We rented from National and the pick-up and drop-off was very easy with no lines. At the Hilo airport, there is a special phone to use to request a taxi pick-up and it took about 2-3 minutes from the time we called to have the taxi arrive. 

 

I hope you are able to visit VNP whether the government shuts down or not. As long as they allow access at the park gate and give a map, you will be just fine with seeing the sites and do not need the visitor center to be open. Since you are traveling with kids, be sure to save time to walk through the lava tube. That was really neat to walk through the cave like area in the dark. 

 

https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/day-hike-nahuku.htm

 

Embarkation at the port in Honolulu was very different from what we experienced in other NCL embarkation ports. While our check-in time was at 10:30am-11:00am, when we arrived just before 10:30am, we had to wait with our bags until about 10:40am when they would allow the porters to take the bags. We had to wait in a line to have access to a stapler as we usually had the porters staple the tags when we arrived at the port. They had only one stapler and that was why they had us in the same line as people who arrived without tags.  After dropping our bags, we were directed to the security line which did not open until a little after 11am. Once the security line did open, people went from security to check-in and then immediately on the ship with no waiting. For people with mobility challenges or who found standing to be challenging, it would be better to arrive later as there was no sitting involved or chairs available when waiting to drop bags or to go through security. I don't know if this is how it works for POA or if there were unique delays with the Spirit?

 

Looking forward to your review! Have safe travels and enjoy the beautiful Hawaiian Islands and weather! 

[vacation44]

Will be following along and have a great vacation.    I remember reading your Jewel posts and look forward to hearing about this trip.   

[MNcruisingcouple]

1 hour ago, Seas2mountains said:

I think you are making a great decision to DIY with rental cars at the ports. We wish we would have done that in Kauai to go see Waimea Canyon as we would have rather had lunch at Duke's or even on the ship instead of in the town of Waimea. Due to the stop in Waimea that was not listed on the NCL tour description, we were much later getting back to the ship than projected. 

 

I look forward to reading your live review! We did consider POA but found the itinerary and cost of being on the Spirit for 12 days in a balcony was so much less than POA. I do understand how expensive the POA is compared to other NCL itineraries and do get how this is quite an investment. We take the same approach that you do about knowing that you may return to these ports in the future and don't need to see every sight with each stop. 

 

Since we only rented a car at Hilo, I can say that it took about 10 minutes to get from the port to the airport and cost $16 each way before tip. The taxis were lined up and very available at all ports. We rented from National and the pick-up and drop-off was very easy with no lines. At the Hilo airport, there is a special phone to use to request a taxi pick-up and it took about 2-3 minutes from the time we called to have the taxi arrive. 

 

I hope you are able to visit VNP whether the government shuts down or not. As long as they allow access at the park gate and give a map, you will be just fine with seeing the sites and do not need the visitor center to be open. Since you are traveling with kids, be sure to save time to walk through the lava tube. That was really neat to walk through the cave like area in the dark. 

 

https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/day-hike-nahuku.htm

 

Embarkation at the port in Honolulu was very different from what we experienced in other NCL embarkation ports. While our check-in time was at 10:30am-11:00am, when we arrived just before 10:30am, we had to wait with our bags until about 10:40am when they would allow the porters to take the bags. We had to wait in a line to have access to a stapler as we usually had the porters staple the tags when we arrived at the port. They had only one stapler and that was why they had us in the same line as people who arrived without tags.  After dropping our bags, we were directed to the security line which did not open until a little after 11am. Once the security line did open, people went from security to check-in and then immediately on the ship with no waiting. For people with mobility challenges or who found standing to be challenging, it would be better to arrive later as there was no sitting involved or chairs available when waiting to drop bags or to go through security. I don't know if this is how it works for POA or if there were unique delays with the Spirit?

 

Looking forward to your review! Have safe travels and enjoy the beautiful Hawaiian Islands and weather! 

 

Thanks for the details about car rental!  That's very helpful.  We're also considering using Turo, which often will drop the vehicle for you right at the port.

[carohs]

The flight was great overall, the coffee on the other hand, well let's just say beggars can't be choosers. We had plenty of butt space and DH had plenty of knee space. They did walk around offering snacks for purchase at very reasonable prices and then came around with sausage breakfast sandwiches and drink service. We even got a rum punch on offer. Yaas. There was so much Hawaii info and entertainment available. Even the preflight safety info was done with Hawaiian sights. Definitely in the vacation mood now. As an added plus we got probably one of the smoothest landings ever; I heard more than felt the touchdown. My only complaint was that they seemingly expect you to dress like you're headed to Alaska ❄️🥶. Would fly again! 

[carohs]

[carohs]

Poor injured birdie near baggage 😥