What to bring with us on shore excursions

[50thBdayCruise]

Leaving on POA on March 7th. We've decided to do all our shore excursions through NCL rather than deal with renting a car.

 

Is there anything we need to bring with us on these tours, such as bottled water, or do the tour companies provide refreshments? Also, is there any rule against bringing snacks from the ship?

 

The only thing I know for sure is that we need to bring towels for the snorkeling trips.

 

Is there any place where we might need bug spray? I don't want to bring it on the trip if we won't need it.

 

Only three weeks to go! I'm counting the days... :o

[50thBdayCruise]

If it helps, the tours we're doing are:

Maui - whale watching in the a.m., sunset at Haleakala, Molokini snorkel

Hilo - Volcanoes Nature Deluxe

Kona - dolphin snorkel catamaran

Kauai - Mountain Safari Advanture and Hollywood in Hawaii

Oahu - North Shore Adventure

[hrgal]

I have the same question about my excursions (for the same trip!). My tours are:

Maui (day 1) – Tropical Plantation, Iao Valley and Maui Ocean Center Tour

Maui (day 2) – Haleakala Crater Tour

Hilo – Volcanoes National Park

Kona – Body Glove Snorkel

Kauai (day 1) – Zipline in am and Luau in pm

Kauai (day 2) – Jungle Falls by Kayak

Perhaps the sightseeing tours like the first three days are different from the activities for the last three days. Do you just leave items in the van/bus/boat that you need with you but don't need at that moment or are there lockers? For example...money, room cards/ID, sunglasses while snorkeling, etc.

I have been reading this BB and haven't actually seen this question so sorry if I missed it! Thanks!

[Spikesgirl]

Haven't been on the excursions with PoA, but have some expereince with Hawai'i. Take bug spray, you will need it. I would take a bottle of water, just to be on the safe side. We usually just buy a bottle and keep refilling it. Sunscreen, a hat and sun glasses are also helpful, as it takes just minutes to get a ruby red glow from the tropical sun.

 

Most snorkeling tours will provide you with a snack and fruit juice, but that's not usually the case with a bus tour. There will be stops along the way to pick snacks up though. Don't take anything other than prepackaged food from the ship, no fruits, especially. Even though other will say it's fine, it's a good practice to get into.

 

Bus tours usually keep the driver with the bus and you can keep things upon the bus without fear of losing them. The same thing holds for snorkeling trips - if something vanishes, there is a limits number of suspects. These folks have all been checked out by the cruiseline and will not be going through your stuff while you're on their excursion. Doing something private and leaving stuff unattended on shore, whoever, is a very bad idea. Rule of thumb is to never take anything on shore that you can't afford to lose or keep your hands close to it at all times - this applies to all shore excursions, not necessarily Hawai'i.

 

The level of activity of the excursions doesn't vary from the start of the cruise to the finish - our most strenuous tours have quite frequently been towards the end. On Princess, there is an activity scale, from mild to very active. prehaps NCL has the same on their web site.

[kapoho2]

Please don't forget to take enough cash so you can tip your driver and your tour guide at the end of the day!!

[Bucky3]

I would not go on a boat snorkel trip without a light weight jacket or wind breaker or sweatshirt as it can be cool on the water. Also, going to VNP, take a jacket. You may not need it, but it can be very cool and/or rainy up there. It is not as warm there as it is in Hilo. We have never needed bug spray, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to have it with you. Aloha!