Questions for veteran Hawaiian cruisers...

[maddmaxx]

This is one incredibly helpful forum... I have a couple of last minute questions regarding upcoming Pride of Hawaii Cruise...

- Trying to convince my better half that we need to partake in the Valley Waterfall and Hiking Adventure in Kona. Has anyone done that who who can advise how streneous the "hike" is. Last year I suckered her into taking the Volcano nature walk around the rim and then down into the cauldara of a dormat volcano... sadly I told her there was an elevator on the other side of that would lift her out... there wasn't and boy howdy, was she one unhappy camper... she doesn't trust my "suggested" excursions anymore... would it be a tough hike... in other words are there any really steep inclines that would put me back in the dog house.

 

- Renting cars (Thrifty) in Hilo and Maui to do our own thing... being the paronoid person I am, would like to hear from one of you fine vets who can assure me the rental storefront is an easy shuttle ride from the pier. By the way... I didn't have any discount certificates or anything like that but Thrifty proved to be about $30 cheaper a day for a jeep.

 

- Hilo driving question... planning on making a run past Volcano Nat. Park to the Puna and Eua area to check out some property... not rich, only dreaming at this point and the prices aren't out of site for an acre... yeah, ocean view can be ocean front in a second... curious to know if anyone has made the drive to the Southern tip of the big island without cutting the return time to the ship too close... hoping to do the park again on the way back...

 

- One more excursion question... the Na Pali Explorer in Kaui sounds really cool... can anyone offer a review of that side trip? Was kind of hoping the boat would take you up on one of those magnificant beaches you see from the ship as you cruise the coastline...

 

As always... sincerely appreciate any advice that might come my way from you seasoned POH/POA/POA cruisers... thanks

[bankofdad]

Hi Maddmax,

 

Have a great cruise! I've done some of the things your thinking of, so I'll offer my experiences.

 

I can't help with your Kona question, because I like to get in the water there. Clearest of all of the islands, IMHO.

 

On our POAloha cruise (October 2004) we used Hertz in each port. Gold member, so car was waiting each time, and shuttles were very organized and the number of them running were definitely sufficient to handle the passenger/renter quantities. We used them in Maui, Hilo and our pre-cruise stay on Oahu. All three of these locations were at the airports nearest the port.

 

On our POAm cruise (October 2005) we used Thrifty. We signed up for Blue Chip service, and this helped speed things up some, but it still did not go as well as Hertz FOR US. Others have had no problems at all. We did notice that the Thrifty shuttles did not seem to run as frequently as Budget and Hertz, and we felt fortunate that we took the local office phone numbers with us on the trip. We had to call each time before the shuttle appeared (after waiting 20-30 minutes to see if it would come on it's own).

 

Thrifty shuttles in Maui and Kauai are off-site (i.e. non airport) locations. In Kauai, the office closed at 5PM, and no shuttle service was available after that. I think the office in Mauai was open later, but it would best to check that for sure.

 

In Hilo (2005), we did get off of the ship right away, called the Thrifty shuttle, rented our car (this is an airport location) and drove down to the Puna area (I loved doing this). We visited the Alahuni volcanically heated pool, walked across the lava flow to the new black sand beach and had lunch at the local ice cream/plate lunch place (forgot the name) that is right where you park your car to walk over the lava flow to the new black sand beach.

 

After leaving Hilo, we took some of the scenic routes back toward Hilo town, and diverted for a drive around the crater at VNP. We did take several brief stops, and then headed back to the Thrifty car rental counter to turn in our car arriving at around 4:30PM. This is when the problems started.

 

We were one of dozens of passengers returning around the same time, and it was a mob. Thrifty had only one shutlle going. As 5:30PM approached, we ended up enlisting the help of one of the rental car agents to call a taxi for our family of six to get us back to the ship on time. We got back to the ship (taxi) at 5:45PM for our scheduled 6PM sail away - WAY to close for comfort, IMHO. Budget and Hertz both had several shuttles running and didn't seem to have any problems at all.

 

So, if you do PUNA and VNP on the same day (i.e. you will be returning the car later in the PM in order to do this), you might want to consider someone other than Thrifty.

 

Ahhh, the Napali Coast. On our POAloha cruise we arrived in port early enough for a pre-arranged taxi to get us up to Port Allen for a NaPali catamaran up the Napali Coast. An absolute highlight of our trip! Having viewed this coast twice from the cruise ship sail around and once from a helo tour on Jack Harter, I would definitely rate the catamaran viewpoint of the cliffs as the best of the three methods to viewthe coast. (although all three methods offer stunning views). The cruise ship also offers a rigid hull inflateable (as you know, it's the NaPali Explorer - only availble through the cruise ship), but this would definitely be a rough ride. If that is your only choice (because of port times), try to get a seat in the back, as the front will be EXTREMELY bumpy. The NaPali Explore does get up close to the beaches. They have more info on their web-site.

 

Enjoy the islands and have fun!

[ma_in_ak]

Last year I suckered her into taking the Volcano nature walk around the rim and then down into the caldera of a dormant volcano... sadly I told her there was an elevator on the other side of that would lift her out... there wasn't and boy howdy, was she one unhappy camper

 

LOL I'm sorry but that is just funny in so many ways. :D

[ilya12000]

So what is the most interesting in Kauai: Na-Pali coast, Waimea canyon, Vailua river or just heli or air tour? What are you recommend for first time Hawaii cruisers?

Thanks,

Ilya

[bankofdad]

MHO, of course, but our catamaran tour up the NaPali was the best. Second was the helicopter tour (we took the 90 minute deluxe tour with Jack Harter).

 

One thing I forgot to mention, though, is depending on the time of year you're cruising and what time you arrive in port, the catramaran tour may not be an option. If you're sailing in the winter months (mid Oct -April), most operators only do one tour daily, leaving Port Allen sometime between 7-8:30AM (depending on the operator - we used www.holocharters.com and they left at 8:30AM). The surf conditions along the NaPali and up on the North shre can get very rough, especially in the winter. During the summer months they'll do a morning and afternoon sailing, with the morning tour leaving very early in the AM, but the PM trip is hit or miss depending on the surf. This leaves the rigid hull infateable (NaPali Explorer - through the cruise line - as your only option.

 

If none of the above appeals to you or your group, we really enjoyed renting a car and driving up to the north shore, taking in a lot of stops in between with the help of a good guide book. Lots of info on all of these options on the Hawaii forum on these boards.

 

Have a great cruise!

[ilya12000]

Thank you, Bankofdad. I lean meantime to any combination of heli tour and trip to Waimea canyon. What is better: to take the trip from the ship ($53/person) or to rent a car and just drive to there? We are family: 2 adults and dauther 12 years old.

 

Best,

Ilya

[beachchick]

Thank you, Bankofdad. I lean meantime to any combination of heli tour and trip to Waimea canyon. What is better: to take the trip from the ship ($53/person) or to rent a car and just drive to there? We are family: 2 adults and dauther 12 years old.

 

Best,

Ilya

 

My advice is to rent a car and do it on your own. This will give you the freedom to stop where and when you want. You can also stop in the town of Waimea, which is worth the time. You might want to drive down to Poipu to the beach park and/or Spouting Horn (very cool blow hole) as well. If you all like beaching, Poipu is a good family choice. Waimea is well worth the time.

 

You'll want to do the helicopter first thing in the morning. I believe the locations are at the airport, so if timing allows, you may want to get off the ship ASAP, grab the rental car shuttle, rent the car, drive right over to the helicopter location, and then you'll be good to go after your flight. If you are on one of the "Pride of" ships, you can take a picnic lunch off the ship with you (be sure to bring a small cooler and ziplocs or containers for ice); if you are not, then you cannot take fresh food off the ship, but there are plenty of places to stop and grab a bite or picnic food.

 

Renting a car is a snap. Reserve in advance and then just take the company's shuttle from the pier to the airport location (no companies have locations at the pier). It's about a 10 minute shuttle ride. The only possible downside is that whomever drives won't be able to simply sightsee (since you kinda have to keep your eyes on the road). Nevertheless, there are so many places to stop and take it all in that my DH never has a problem doing the driving. And we'd rather be in control of our own destiny (so to speak).

 

beachchick

 

p.s. to maddmaxx: Did your DW really think there was an elevator to take you back up to the crater rim? Oh dear! :eek: I know many find it amusing, but to be honest, I wouldn't blame her for not trusting you to tell her the truth about things like this again. I have to ask why you would want to "sucker" her into doing something you knew she wouldn't like? Not a great way to spend a vacation, IMO.:( Sounds to me like you'll need to re-earn that trust by going over excursions/activities carefully with her to show her that you won't do it again. Oh, and a pretty flower lei plus a nice box of chocolate covered mac nuts when you get to the islands might go a long way toward staying on her "good" side.:D

[ilya12000]

Thank you for advice, Beachchick.

I'd like indeed to take Heli excursions from the morning. Our disembarkation in Kauai is at 8 am (after Fanning Islands, we are on Norwegian wind). So we want to rent a car first and go to heli tour. What time should I book this tour on? I don't like to spend time for waiting, but from another point of view I don't want to miss my flight. What is the realistic time to book the tour?

 

Thanks in advance for advices,

Ilya

[maddmaxx]

Just caught your post regarding duping my wife... in all honesty she says I keep things interesting for her. I'm kind of spontaneous and free spirited in some ways. The highest compliment, ok, second highest compliment she has given me is that life is never boring... ok, maybe sometimes I'm boring... and yes, I do often find myself investing in roses and chocolates from time to time... actually, those things don't cut it any more... I'm into the jewelry stage these days... the price I pay to keep her, ok, me entertained! Wait until she finds out our helicopter ride in Hilo is in a small, high performance bird with no doors... yeah, I see a pearl necklace in her future.

 

Aloha!

[beachchick]

maddmaxx:

 

I'm into the jewelry stage these days... the price I pay to keep her, ok, me entertained!

 

Ah ha! In that case, rather than pearls, you might want to consider looking at some of the beautiful Hawaiian Heritage jewelry on the islands. It's really lovely and certainly not your everyday kind of jewelry gift. I think that would definitely go a long way to pay for your entertainment. LOL.

 

beachchick