Question Shore Excursion

Hi Everybody,

I´m planning my POA Cruise and the shore excursion with NCL are very expensive compare to other destinations. So I would like to know if there are also local companies on the port who offers shore excursion. I know this from the Caribbean cruises - When you out the ship a lot of people try to sell their tours - It´s the same one the Hawaiian islands ?

Has someone experience with that ?

Thank you very much

Tom

Hi Everybody,

 

I´m planning my POA Cruise and the shore excursion with NCL are very expensive compare to other destinations. So I would like to know if there are also local companies on the port who offers shore excursion. I know this from the Caribbean cruises - When you out the ship a lot of people try to sell their tours - It´s the same one the Hawaiian islands ?

Has someone experience with that ?

 

Thank you very much

Tom

No, it is not the same as in the Caribbean. Most of the ports are industrial, with limited access. There will not be vendors lined up. The exception may be Kona, but why take a chance on not finding a good value. How will you know they are reputable and provide a better experience than the guy standing next to him? That said, if you have done your research, there are private companies that provide a cheaper and better experience than the cruise lines do.

The best value in Hawaii is to research each port for sightseeing possibilities, book a car in advance, very inexpensive and the shuttles pick you up at the port. Just head out on your own to see what you want at a fraction of the cost a tour would be. Discount Hawaii Car Rental is often recommended. No advance payment, no cancel fees.

You cannot compare Hawaii with the Caribbean. For example, ALL tour guides need to be state regulated and ALL taxies are metered.

Why would you expect turs to be the same price as the Caribbean? Also, most tours are directed toward other than cruise ship passengers that make up very little of the tourist trade.

Why don't you do an internet search on Hawaii tours and get some idea of the cost and if they are available from the ports or only hotels.

For Hawaii, you definitely need to plan in advance. We also noticed that the price of the excursions through the cruiseline increased significantly in price as the cruise got closer.

This board has a wealth of information about the different excursions offered through private companies. We used Roberts, Valley Isle, and Marylou's and were pleased with all of them. We were also pleased with the excursion we booked through NCL!

Thanks everybody for the feedback, I will do some research and have a look what excursion are could be booked by a local company.

thanks

@donray : cool down, I don´t expect the same prices like Caribbean, but compared, also to Europe, the prices are much higher (fact).

I booked MaryLou's tours for both Hilo and Kona. We had MaryLou's son Kyle for both and he was excellent. I would highly recommend them. Book early though because it is a family company with only a few vehicles.

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A guidebook on the Hawaiian Islands will put you ahead of the game! There is rarely a need for a guide for most things....rental cars are the norm...and once you've learned something about Hawaii and each island, it's easy to DIY!

If you don't want to drive and want inexpensive tours and don't mind big bus tours try Roberts. I think they have special pricing if you book tours for 3 or more ports.

I agree with previous poster - Marylou's at Hilo and Kona are great, have a good reputation and small group tours. We were with Marylou in Hilo. I think the cost was $85. You need to book ahead.

In Kona we got off the tender and hopped onto a trolley bus for $2. This took us to 2 different beaches. You can get off at one of these for a couple of hours and then pay another $2 to go back to the port (pay attention to the return times, you would not want to miss the last tender), or you can stay on the bus without paying any more and use it as a mini tour, doing the loop back to the port. Then get off and have a wander around the shops. It looks like there is also a beach at a hotel near the port in Kona, to the left as you get off the tender. We didn't go there, I just saw it as I came back to the port. There are several shuttle type buses so take care to get the correct one depending on where you want to go. We took the one that went to Magic Beach and another beach further along that I cannot remember the name :o

On Maui we had a great tour with Maui Paradise Tours. You can book a private tour (we did, a party of 3 for about $130 each) and they will take you wherever you want, or you can share a van with a few others for a bit less money ($99). Haven't seen much mention of this tour company here on cruise critic but they have good reviews on trip advisor and we were very pleased with the communication before the cruise and upon arrival at the port, and we really enjoyed the tour. You need to book ahead for this one.