Independent tours at the pier?

[crazy4cruisn]

Are there independent tours you can take at the piers in Honolulu, Lahaina, and Hilo? What about just doing a taxi tour?

[dcikon2]

There were a couple of places offering tours prior to boarding the ship in Honolulu. I believe I also saw some independent tour operators in Kauai. What are you looking to do?

 

Gary

[beachchick]

A taxi tour would be prohibitively expensive, IMO, because taxi rates are similar to those in other US cities and states. For example, a taxi tour of Maui could easily run you $250 or more. Yikes! It's not like some places where you can negotiate. There were many small tour operators at the pier in Hilo offering various island tours. In Lahaina, you can always just walk along Front St. to one of the store fronts which offer activities--Do be careful though because almost all of the "rock bottom" discounts require a 2 to 3 hour time-share presentation. Try Tom's Barefoot for slightly discounted options that you can usually book for the same day. I don't know about Honolulu, but have heard reports that there are more small tour operators there these days.

 

beachchick

[MommyJamiex4]

OMG they are making you sit through time share presentations now???? I have booked through adventuremaui, gorabbitgo, and ekahi...I am pretty certain that those are legit without any time share crap. It's amazing what they do to get you to buy. All this and i even own 1 already, LOL!

[crazy4cruisn]

Thanks Gary and Beachchick. I would just like to find an independent tour that would take me to the usual sites. I do not like the crowded ship tours that cost double the regular city tours available. The problem with the regular city tours I have found is that they all seem to set their times to NCL arrivals or hotel guests. Gorabbit (Roberts) will not book ship tours other than NCL. They said, "Maybe later."

[AlicesAdventures]

Taxi tours appeared to be available at every port, the taxi drivers are overly eager to take you all around the island. The Kona pier seems to have the most tour operators there as you get off of the ship to help you get on a tour right from the pier it’s self. Some of them seamed very affordable. We had booked all our excursions off the ship the first time we cruised Hawaii. The only desk that we booked with was in Kauai, located right out side of the port in Nawilliwilli. It was called Kauai Discount Activities (808 245 1770).

The second time around we prearranged most of our excursions on line or through that desk on Kauai, but not through the ship, they are so over priced.

Enjoy your cruise!

Alice

[beachchick]

OMG they are making you sit through time share presentations now???? I have booked through adventuremaui, gorabbitgo, and ekahi...I am pretty certain that those are legit without any time share crap. It's amazing what they do to get you to buy. All this and i even own 1 already, LOL!

 

No worries; you're fine. I'm talking about the excursion kiosks along Front St. in Lahaina and Ali'i Dr. in Kona and so forth. They will have all these really, really inexpensive things listed (like a luau for $20 or a helicopter ride for $30), but in order to get those, you've got to sign up for the time-share presentation. These places are usually tour consolidators who have agreements with one or more time-share resort. The companies you've booked with are regular tour companies that run their own tours.

 

beachchick

[crazy4cruisn]

Alice, thanks for the tip. What ship were you on? I am guessing an NCL as just about all of the private companies I have checked seem to use NCL port time for their tours. If you have time, could you share the companies you used? I will try the phone number you gave.

Beachchick,

Can you give me some companies I might check? We are on the Holland America Statendam docking Oct 1,2,3 in Hilo, Lahaina, and Honolulu at those dates.

Thanks so much!!

Nancy

[judyzoo]

A taxi tour would be prohibitively expensive, IMO, because taxi rates are similar to those in other US cities and states. For example, a taxi tour of Maui could easily run you $250 or more. Yikes! It's not like some places where you can negotiate.

beachchick

 

Taxi tours appeared to be available at every port, the taxi drivers are overly eager to take you all around the island.

 

 

So -- what's the story with hiring a taxi (rather than an actual independent tour) for just two people at any of the piers? Can it be done, or is it terribly expensive? We'd like to tour by ourselves, since DH has some wheelchair issues that need to be dealt with (collapse it and place it in the trunk) and has to make frequent stops. We were also considering the private vehicles that are available through the ship -- something like $450 per vehicle for half a day, $800 for a full day. Does anyone know how these prices compare to a taxi?

[beachchick]

Alice, thanks for the tip. What ship were you on? I am guessing an NCL as just about all of the private companies I have checked seem to use NCL port time for their tours. If you have time, could you share the companies you used? I will try the phone number you gave.

Beachchick,

Can you give me some companies I might check? We are on the Holland America Statendam docking Oct 1,2,3 in Hilo, Lahaina, and Honolulu at those dates.

Thanks so much!!

Nancy

 

I'm afraid I can't be much help with commercial tour companies because my DH and I always do things on our own. The only time we didn't was when be booked our Blue Hawaiian helicopter tour through Toms Barefoot (at their Front St. location in Lahaina). They had a slightly discounted (about 15%) price with no time share requirement. Other than that, I only know of Robert's because their buses are everywhere and people mention them often. You might try an advanced search on this forum only for "tour company" or "tour operator" and such because there have been several discussions recently which included information about a couple of tour companies.

 

Sorry not to have more info for you, but DH and I are rather independent and just book a car for both land trips and cruises.

 

beachchick

[beachchick]

So -- what's the story with hiring a taxi (rather than an actual independent tour) for just two people at any of the piers? Can it be done, or is it terribly expensive? We'd like to tour by ourselves, since DH has some wheelchair issues that need to be dealt with (collapse it and place it in the trunk) and has to make frequent stops. We were also considering the private vehicles that are available through the ship -- something like $450 per vehicle for half a day, $800 for a full day. Does anyone know how these prices compare to a taxi?

 

Regular taxi service is going to be expensive. There's no getting around that. Whether some independent operators do island tours for a flat rate, I don't know; however, if Hawaii regulations allow it, I'd suspect there may be options at the pier. I checked on taxi tours on Kauai just for grins one time. The company I found offered various tours that were about $60 per hour. So, you can see tht the cost would be fairly high if you want a long tour. However, you might want to search the web for Hawaii taxi companies and see which ones list actual tours (as opposed to only doing point to point service).

 

I don't really know what non-regular taxi touring might be available at the piers that day. I don't know what the regulations are regarding private taxi owners.

 

beachchick

[judyzoo]

Beachchick,

Thanks for your input. I'll see what I can find out.

[crunchberry]

Just returned from NCL POH on Aug 6 -

 

On Hilo - there are a number of independent tour guides right off the ship. We went with one hawaiin guy, he had a van for 20 - 8 hours - saw EVERYTHING - Lava tubes, Lava fields, crater, mac nut factory, big island candies, orchid farm, turtle beach, waterfalls and rainforest - all for $40. and he was extremely informative of the island, cultures, stories, science - absolutely wonderful.

 

On Kauai we talked to Jo from Kauai taxi service (her taxi was sitting at pier) into taking us around the island for 3.5 hrs for $150 for the two of us. It was cheaper than NCL price - and if we would of had three to six people - would of been the same price. Prob can talk any taxi driver into it. Saw wonderful beaches, jumped off a pier, (too fun), stopped at a fruit stand and had strawberry papaya which was unbelievably good - well worth the money.

 

Hope it helps!

 

Crunch (gayleadlp@msn.com if more questions)

[Dbedros]

Can you give me some companies I might check? We are on the Holland America Statendam docking Oct 1,2,3 in Hilo, Lahaina, and Honolulu at those dates.

Thanks so much!!

Nancy

 

We have the same problems as we will be on HAL's Zaandam in the islands 11/10/07-11/14/07. We also prefer private tours when ever possible. Originally we were renting a vehicle in Hilo, but will be using crunchberry's tip concerning the tour operators at the pier. In Kona we have to play it by ear due to the tender situation. In Lahaina we decided to take beachchick's suggestions on getting around and see the city as we wanted a Luau and OLL is very convenient. We only have one day in Honolulu and are using Platinum Limousine that we found through Hawaii Activities for a private tour. They gave us a very reasonable price for 8 hours in a sedan. We will take a taxi to Pearl Harbor, do the tour and get picked up from there to start our private tour. Nawiliwili will be a ship tour as we only have a short time there. Continue to search the boards and you will find something that will be acceptable.

[judyzoo]

We only have one day in Honolulu and are using Platinum Limousine that we found through Hawaii Activities for a private tour. They gave us a very reasonable price for 8 hours in a sedan. We will take a taxi to Pearl Harbor, do the tour and get picked up from there to start our private tour.

 

Dbedros,

 

Is Platinum Limousine a private tour that can be reserved ahead online? it sounds like something that might be suitable for us, especially since you say it's a reasonable price. Would you be willing to give me their email address or website? (Don't worry; we won't be trying to butt into your reservations; we don't sail until April!).

 

Judy

[CC Help Michell]

Just returned from NCL POH on Aug 6 -

 

On Hilo - there are a number of independent tour guides right off the ship. We went with one hawaiin guy, he had a van for 20 - 8 hours - saw EVERYTHING - Lava tubes, Lava fields, crater, mac nut factory, big island candies, orchid farm, turtle beach, waterfalls and rainforest - all for $40. and he was extremely informative of the island, cultures, stories, science - absolutely wonderful.

 

Hope it helps!

 

Crunch (gayleadlp@msn.com if more questions)

 

That sounds like a great overview of the Hilo side of the BI! A few of those are things we plan to do on our next, land-based trip, for sure, and the price is right -- very.

 

However, I will say that for us VNP was our first priority, we spent nearly our full day there, and we still didn't see "everything." We didn't get to do the Kilauea Iki hike due to time constraints, we didn't have time to walk to the end of Chain of Craters Road, or to do some of the other walks with the rangers that looked great. We don't have volcanoes here at home (though we do have waterfalls, candy factories, etc), so for us seeing everything we could was very important.

 

I guess I just don't want someone to be misled that taking a quick trip around Crater Rim Drive and seeing the crater, lava fields, and walking through the Thurston Lava Tube is the same as seeing "everything" in VNP. There are also Chain of Craters Road, Volcano House, the Visitor's Center, the Steam Vents, the Sulfur Banks, the Rift zone, the hike to Halemaumau (Pele's home), Jagger Observatory, etc.

 

Doing "everything" (or close to it) at VNP won't be for everyone -- for many (maybe even most) people just getting a "taste" of it is sufficient, and that's great -- they will be well satisfied to say "we went there." But if the subject really interests you, or you are a little bit science geeky like us, or you find the other-wordly quality of the landscape there captivating, a quick "drive-by" likely will just leave you... planning your next Hawaii vacation! :)

[Sally Forth]

So -- what's the story with hiring a taxi (rather than an actual independent tour) for just two people at any of the piers? Can it be done, or is it terribly expensive? We'd like to tour by ourselves, since DH has some wheelchair issues that need to be dealt with (collapse it and place it in the trunk) and has to make frequent stops. We were also considering the private vehicles that are available through the ship -- something like $450 per vehicle for half a day, $800 for a full day. Does anyone know how these prices compare to a taxi?

I've posted a separate thread asking if anyone knows the name of the cabdriver with the wheelchair accessible cab who works in Hilo. His name is Jay or JD. I had his card somewhere but lost it. He have us an impromptu three hour tour for $40 and we had a wonderful time. We ended up giving him $75 because we went over three hours. He's a nice guy and his van can go places the tours can't because of the size of their bus.

 

He gave us the whole story of the 1946 Hilo tsunami. He also lived through a bad tsunami in 1960 and we were fascinated with his stories of how they got the warning and pulled everything up to high ground in a couple of hours. He showed us where his family's home used to be. He took us to a fruit stand, went up and bought about $10 worth of fruit we'd never seen before and then we sat at a picnic table and he cut it up and told us what we were eating.

 

If you can find him at the pier, book him quick. He was just a good guy with a lot of stories, but that's what DH and I like.

 

Viv

[Dbedros]

judyzoo,

 

I am always willing to share information and sometimes tours. This is because I have acquired some wonderful guides because of these boards. I am using them in November, so I will let you know how it turns out.

 

This is the web site: Click here: Platinum Limousine Hawaii Limousine Activites Circle Island Tour

 

but I actually contacted them through this web site:

Click here: Hawaii Activities – Hawaii tours, attractions, adventures, and activity planning.

 

This is the person that worked with me:

 

Heidi Tsuneyoshi

Sales Manager

(808) 732-1462

heidihawaii@helloworld.com

 

The Hawaii Activites website has a private Circle Island Tour that was less but we wanted some specific sites and time frames so they directed me to Heidi at Platinum who actually does this tour for Hawaii Activities. This made the cost a little more. I checked out several other companies first.

 

If any of this get knocked out post your email and I will send the information to you.

[Dbedros]

judyzoo,

 

I am always willing to share information and sometimes tours. This is because I have acquired some wonderful guides because of these boards. I am using them in November, so I will let you know how it turns out.

 

This is the web site, but it does not show the sedan: Click here: Platinum Limousine Hawaii Limousine Activites Circle Island Tour

 

but I actually contacted them through this web site:

Click here: Hawaii Activities – Hawaii tours, attractions, adventures, and activity planning.

 

This is the person that worked with me:

 

Heidi Tsuneyoshi

Sales Manager

(808) 732-1462

heidihawaii@helloworld.com

 

The Hawaii Activites website has a private Circle Island Tour that was less, but we wanted some specific sites and time frames so they directed me to Heidi at Platinum who actually does this tour for Hawaii Activities. This made the cost a little more. I checked out several other companies first that would have cost $500 to $700.

 

If any of this get knocked out post your email and I will send the information to you.

[Dbedros]

judyzoo,

 

I am always willing to share information and sometimes tours. This is because I have acquired some wonderful guides because of these boards. I am using them in November, so I will let you know how it turns out.

 

This is the web site, but it does not show the sedan: Click here: Platinum Limousine Hawaii Limousine Activites Circle Island Tour

 

but I actually contacted them through this web site:

Click here: Hawaii Activities – Hawaii tours, attractions, adventures, and activity planning.

 

This is the person that worked with me:

 

Heidi Tsuneyoshi

Sales Manager

(808) 732-1462

heidihawaii@helloworld.com

 

The Hawaii Activites website has a private Circle Island Tour that was less, but we wanted some specific sites and time frames so they directed me to Heidi at Platinum who actually does this tour for Hawaii Activities. This made the cost a little more. I checked out several other companies first that would have cost $500 to $700.

 

If any of this get knocked out post your email and I will send the information to you.

[judyzoo]

Dbedros,

 

Thanks so much for all that great information! I'll check those sites and see what I can find. It may be just what we need. And I'd love hearing how it went after you return. Hope your cruise and tours are perfect!

 

judyzoo