NCL Lava Viewing Hike?

[fabby50]

My understanding is that the lava flows are not reachable by hiking right now. So, my question is, if you are already booked on the lava hiking excursion, do they take you on a hike to different areas or do they just cancel your tour? I would hate to find out they cancelled it completely and the other hiking tours are already booked. I'm hoping they just explain it to you and take you on an alternate hike.

 

Anybody???

[Disneyworld]

If you are on an NCL ship, they use ARnott's lodge for this hike. We also were originally booked on this hike, so we called arnott's lodge and spoke with Annette who is the manager there and she said that they are substituting this hike for a 3 1/2 mile hike to Kilauea Iki Crater. If you go to www.arnott'slodge.com website you'll learn more about this. She said that pax are given the option to take this replacement hike or to cancel without any penalties.

Hope this info helps.

[fabby50]

Thanks - that's exactly what I was hoping to hear - that they would offer you a substitute hike. What did you think of your hike? My husband and I are in pretty good shape and often find the hiking to be more like strolling - did you get a workout?

 

Thanks again!

[Disneyworld]

We actually have not gone on our cruise yet. We leave on the 29th of Sept.

We looked further into this tour since DH really wanted to see lava and when we found out the pattern of the lava flow had changed was when we inquired about this. So, we are not taking the substitute tour. Instead we are taking heli ride island tour with NCL from Kona that takes us around the island as well as over the volcano. so that we can rent a car and take our time seeing VNP and perhaps even attempt this new tour on our own since the Hawaii Revealed book described it and said that it takes about 2 hours if you don't stop and 4 hrs if you take your time. They said that it is considered a moderate hike. Doesn't sound like it is strenuous like the original hike. We were really disappointed when this hike got cancelled since we actually were looking forward to the hike. But, since then, DH actually injured his knee, so it is best that we aren't doing that strenuous hike. Hope you enjoy the new tour.

[Ka Honu]

I'm a bit confused as to why anyone would book a tour company to take them on a hike over trails already well-mapped and marked by the National Park Service. I can understand the lava hiking excursion if the flow is accessible but "off the beaten track." In that case, a guide would be a good thing. Unfortunately, the flow is now pretty much inaccessible and hiking tours aren't going there. Although it's possible, that's not likely to change between now and the time you sail.

 

If you want to hike one of the trails in HVNP (like the one they're suggesting as a "substitute"), save your time and money, rent a car, and drive up to the park. The National Park Service provides plenty of online guidance including maps and descriptions of various day hikes (go to http://www.nps.gov/archive/havo/visitor/hikeday.htm) and you have the benefit of doing the hike that fits your style without having to be with a group of people whose desires and abilities may or may not match yours.

 

Recommendation: Keep the tour reserved for now and make arrangements to also rent a car. Take a look at conditions a day or two before you sail and cancel one of the reservations. OBTW, there's no apostrophe in arnott's web address.

[almostparadise]

If you are on an NCL ship, they use ARnott's lodge for this hike. We also were originally booked on this hike, so we called arnott's lodge and spoke with Annette who is the manager there and she said that they are substituting this hike for a 3 1/2 mile hike to Kilauea Iki Crater. If you go to www.arnott'slodge.com website you'll learn more about this. She said that pax are given the option to take this replacement hike or to cancel without any penalties.

Hope this info helps.

Actually, we're now doing a Mauna Ulu hike. We feel that this hike is much better than the Kilauea Iki Hike. The hike up is fairly simple, however, the ground is extremely fragile and it is possible to break through the many shallow lava tubes that extend from the summit.

Go to the shore excursion briefing the night before and they will explain to you what we're doing at the moment. You have at that time to cancel if you wish. This picture is at the beginning of the hike. The mountain in the distance to the right of the picture is where they'll be hiking to.

Will you be onboard the America?

[sceptic]

FYI, if they're going to the brink of Mauna Ulu, it's an awesome hike. It is considered an "adventure" hike in Revealed, and the sight of that huge pit will make you swallow very very hard. It is, in its way, as remarkable a "short" hike as you can do in the park. (By "short" I mean it looks like a short distance, but will take you a while to get there.)

 

And yes, the Pahoehoe is shelly. You might break through here and there, so ALWAYS wear long pants and hiking boots. It's the sort of hike that would be nice to go with somebody who's done it before. Here's the key - there are NO trails to the summit of Mauna Ulu. You're going cross country.

 

I'm not a huge fan of guided hikes in VNP when so many of the trails are so terrific. This is an exception. The people at Arnott's lodge are offering something pretty wild here.

[fabby50]

Thanks for the info - maybe lava will be flowing by our trip in December, and if not, it looks like a great alternative is available that is "off the beaten path" - something we love. I like going with guides to new areas - they are always full of good stories about the area you're hiking and you usually get to go somewhere normally not travelled.

[Lake TravisJK]

Does anyone know who Princess uses for the "Kilauea Volcano Hiking Adventure" and where that hike goes?

We are on the Pacific Princess and have booked that hike for next Monday, 24Sep.

[almostparadise]

Does anyone know who Princess uses for the "Kilauea Volcano Hiking Adventure" and where that hike goes?

We are on the Pacific Princess and have booked that hike for next Monday, 24Sep.

That is done by Hawaiian Walkways. You may want to call or email them to find out. I believe that it goes either to Kilauea Iki or Pu'u Huluhulu (maybe even Mauna Ulu), but not too sure which. I think it depends on the ship, weather, time, etc. There are two Princess ships in on that day, the Diamond and the Pacific Princess. Let them know which one you're on. Toll free 1-800-457-7759 or email hiwalk@aloha.net

[santaloveroh]

We took the Volcanoes Nature Deluxe Tour the week of 9/3 when we were on the POH. We booked thru NCL. This is done by Hawaii Forest & Trail. Their web address is www.hawaii-forest.com. While we certainly could have done the same trails by renting a car and using the maps, the information that our guide gave us was nothing short of fascinating. From information about the volcanoes themselves, how pit craters are formed, plants and birds in the rainforest we walked through and on and on. This is a very small tour with only 10 people. I know I learned about many, many things that I would have not known if I had done it on my own. This tour was from Hilo. They also do a waterfall tour on the Kona side (not thru NCL). I wish I would have known about that one. He was that good.

 

[mexicruzr]

I've joined Hawaii Forest & Trail for a trip up to the summit of Mauna Kea, which was awesome. If you ever spend time on the Big Island I highly recommend this trip. We had a hot dinner at a private ranch at the bottom of the access road, and then went to the summit in their 4x4 van for a sunset star gazing show. If their other hikes are organized like that one, they're top notch. I've never done a tour from Arnott's, but I have found useful reviews of their hikes on hostel review sites at:

http://www.bug.co.uk/reviews/hostels/Pacific-Islands/Hawaii/Hawaii-The-Big-Island/sbr/date_desc/423/arnotts-lodge.htm

and:

http://www.hostelz.com/hostel/507-Arnott%27s-Lodge

[almostparadise]

Many guests didn't realize how strenuous the lava hike was. Here is a review from Frommers,highly respected travel people.

 

http://www.frommers.com/cgi-bin/WebX?128@@.ef2c65e

[whale-watcher]

We took the Volcanoes Nature Deluxe Tour the week of 9/3 when we were on the POH. We booked thru NCL. This is done by Hawaii Forest & Trail. Their web address is www.hawaii-forest.com. While we certainly could have done the same trails by renting a car and using the maps, the information that our guide gave us was nothing short of fascinating. From information about the volcanoes themselves, how pit craters are formed, plants and birds in the rainforest we walked through and on and on. This is a very small tour with only 10 people. I know I learned about many, many things that I would have not known if I had done it on my own. This tour was from Hilo. They also do a waterfall tour on the Kona side (not thru NCL). I wish I would have known about that one. He was that good.

 

thanks for the review...this sounds great. I have heard good things about this company before.

[fabby50]

Almost Paradise - that's exactly what we're looking for - something challenging and unique! I noticed in the review they recommended taking a backpack, water, and gardening gloves. Are these things the tour opperator will provide or should I pack gardening gloves for the two of us?

 

Thanks!

[almostparadise]

Almost Paradise - that's exactly what we're looking for - something challenging and unique! I noticed in the review they recommended taking a backpack, water, and gardening gloves. Are these things the tour opperator will provide or should I pack gardening gloves for the two of us?

 

Thanks!

You are provided with water, gloves and granola bars for the hike.

But remember, the review in Frommers was when the lava was reachable. At this point, it is not so they are substituting a hike to Mauna Ulu crater instead. The mountain in tha background of the previous picture. How soon is your cruise?

[fabby50]

We are on the December 10th Pride of Hawaii cruise. I know there's no lava now, but maybe something will change by then, who knows? My experience with guided ship tours is the tour operators provide you with anything you might need that you might normally not pack for a vacation, which is one of the reasons I like taking organized tour. Thanks for the info -

[almostparadise]

We are on the December 10th Pride of Hawaii cruise. I know there's no lava now, but maybe something will change by then, who knows? My experience with guided ship tours is the tour operators provide you with anything you might need that you might normally not pack for a vacation, which is one of the reasons I like taking organized tour. Thanks for the info -

 

December 10th is a couple of months away so who knows. Anything is possible. You may get your lava viewing after all. Every so often the owner goes up in Island Hoppers airplane to see the path of the lava and if there are any reachable outbreaks.

[RSWBADGER]

We have done the "Lava Viewing Hike" twice with Arnott's (Booked thru NCL), back in 2005 we started the hike at the end of "Chain of Craters Road", this past March we entered thru the "Back Door" as the guide called it, from Kalapana Pahola Road, Hwy. 130. Unfortunately the access is now closed due to the current lava activity.

 

We were given water, granola bars, gloves to wear, and after the hike we were given a subway sandwich to eat.

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[HiloSunshine]

 

[Budget Queen]

My husband and I are in pretty good shape and often find the hiking to be more like strolling - did you get a workout?

 

QUOTE]

 

It's just about a given, that ANY ship booked hike, is only going to go as fast and challenging as the weakest participant. Most are pretty tame. You might want to book something privately at your level??

[almostparadise]

My husband and I are in pretty good shape and often find the hiking to be more like strolling - did you get a workout?

 

QUOTE]

 

It's just about a given, that ANY ship booked hike, is only going to go as fast and challenging as the weakest participant. Most are pretty tame. You might want to book something privately at your level??

That is so true with a small group because you'll only have your guide and your pace will be at the level of the weakest. With a big group like in the picture, guides are staggered along the way so the fittest participant will pass the group and be up ahead with the lead guide. You will probably not end up with the same group you rode to the park with.