First evening - Waikiki

We arrive into Waikiki around 130PM on Thursday afternoon to catch the POA on Saturday. Was looking for advice on something very relaxing to do that first afternoon/evening that also would put us in the Hawaii Island mood. We are at the Waikiki Beach Marriot Resort for two nights. Any ideas?

We arrive into Waikiki around 130PM on Thursday afternoon to catch the POA on Saturday. Was looking for advice on something very relaxing to do that first afternoon/evening that also would put us in the Hawaii Island mood. We are at the Waikiki Beach Marriot Resort for two nights. Any ideas?

If you do not already have one planned later in your vacation you could consider going to a luau. But since you are coming from Louisiana you might be a little jet lagged so you may just consider eating at the hotel and enjoying the entertainment poolside. They will of course have Hawaiian music and possibly a dancer or two. Googling your hotel I saw this:

Featuring live nightly entertainment, our Waikiki restaurant’s poolside venue offers you a relaxing atmosphere to sit and eat or get up and dance to join in on the fun.

More reasonable in price than a luau and it's not a full night commitment. :)

Also you are in an ideal spot to just walk the beach at sunset, that's fun too.

We arrive into Waikiki around 130PM on Thursday afternoon to catch the POA on Saturday. Was looking for advice on something very relaxing to do that first afternoon/evening that also would put us in the Hawaii Island mood. We are at the Waikiki Beach Marriot Resort for two nights. Any ideas?

Check your location on a Waikiki hotel maps locator to see where you are in relation to the very upscale Halekulani Hotel. Very likely it is only a short walk down the beach or street. There is bar/restaurant located beachfront there called the House Without A Key. It is covered Lanai or lawn seating under a huge tree with views of the beach and Diamond Head. Beginning at 5:30 there is live Hawaiian music under the tree accompanied by Hula dancers who are former Miss Hawaii's. This is a very popular activity and no reservations, no cover charges, come early. The lawn tables are tiny, but we only had drinks and appys. You might want to sit on the Lanai if you plan to order meals. You can find reviews on Trip Advisor and you will find it mentioned here often. Definately puts you in the Hawaii mood.

Check your location on a Waikiki hotel maps locator to see where you are in relation to the very upscale Halekulani Hotel. Very likely it is only a short walk down the beach or street. There is bar/restaurant located beachfront there called the House Without A Key. It is covered Lanai or lawn seating under a huge tree with views of the beach and Diamond Head. Beginning at 5:30 there is live Hawaiian music under the tree accompanied by Hula dancers who are former Miss Hawaii's. This is a very popular activity and no reservations, no cover charges, come early. The lawn tables are tiny, but we only had drinks and appys. You might want to sit on the Lanai if you plan to order meals. You can find reviews on Trip Advisor and you will find it mentioned here often. Definately puts you in the Hawaii mood.

It's less than a mile they say 17 minute walk so that sounds a definite option. Walk see the beach, sit and eat, then walk back. You did so well with that, any suggestions for our first day, Pearl Harbor planned for another day. And we rather not drive on vacation we are guided tour people while travelling. Considering one of the Island Circle tours.

If you are flying from La. on that day, don't plan too much...you will be exhausted....early to bed is a given that 1st night!

It's less than a mile they say 17 minute walk so that sounds a definite option. Walk see the beach, sit and eat, then walk back. You did so well with that, any suggestions for our first day, Pearl Harbor planned for another day. And we rather not drive on vacation we are guided tour people while travelling. Considering one of the Island Circle tours.

cb is right, you will be exhausted. I think it will be a 5 hour time difference for you, and it will take days to adjust. We did "House" the day of our arrival and fell exhausted into bed very early. It felt like 3:00 am. We made the mistake of booking Pearl Harbor the next am and had a 6:30 pick up I think it was. Then straight to the ship. We were ready for bed after Muster Drill:).

We did a circle island tour on our own with rental car after the cruise. The scenery is beautiful, especially along the mountains and sea of the Windward side. Since you are not driving, it should be fairly relaxing, but it is a long day. If I had it to do over again, I would just spend the day before the cruise relaxing on the beach or at the pool followed by a nice dinner. It will probably be the last chance you'll get as the cruise is non stop. But I understand your desire to see as much as possible.

cb is right, you will be exhausted. I think it will be a 5 hour time difference for you, and it will take days to adjust. We did "House" the day of our arrival and fell exhausted into bed very early. It felt like 3:00 am. We made the mistake of booking Pearl Harbor the next am and had a 6:30 pick up I think it was. Then straight to the ship. We were ready for bed after Muster Drill:).

 

We did a circle island tour on our own with rental car after the cruise. The scenery is beautiful, especially along the mountains and sea of the Windward side. Since you are not driving, it should be fairly relaxing, but it is a long day. If I had it to do over again, I would just spend the day before the cruise relaxing on the beach or at the pool followed by a nice dinner. It will probably be the last chance you'll get as the cruise is non stop. But I understand your desire to see as much as possible.

We are coming in Thursday and only planning a little walk and dinner then bed. Friday do just Pearl Harbor and maybe Honolulu tour with it. Saturday morning is relax and go to ship. We want to plan Pearl Harbor then not after cruise in case weather would be problem we can swap.

Have a nice dinner at Duke's... with a couple of Mai Tais... then walk back to your hotel & recharge your batteries. Hit the ground running the next day! :D

We did a luau at Germaine's the night before embarkation. One of our CCers from back east that had arrived that day couldn't stay awake for the show & went back to the bus to sleep... the 6-hour time difference really kicked his tail. :eek:

We arrive into Waikiki around 130PM on Thursday afternoon to catch the POA on Saturday. Was looking for advice on something very relaxing to do that first afternoon/evening that also would put us in the Hawaii Island mood. We are at the Waikiki Beach Marriot Resort for two nights. Any ideas?

Aloha ekajun1957 :D

After your long (10-12 hr.) flight arriving at HNL @ 1:30pm (5:30pm LA time), by the time you get your bags & ride to the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort, it will be late enough for you to check in. You may not think you are tired, but with the travel time and the 4 time zone change, when you finally lay down, you will have no problem falling asleep.

For "something very relaxing to do that first afternoon/evening that also would put us in the Hawaii Island mood", I recommend you change into beach attire, grab your sunglasses, & stroll along Kalakaua Av. on the ocean side, looking at beaches and the Prince Kuhio and Duke Kahanamoku statues. Remember that Waikiki is a destination in itself & walking on the wet sand wetting your feet & sitting on a beach watching the surfers and the other beach goers is a Waikiki activity. You will be facing the sunset if you stay on the beach or you could go to the Moana Terrace Bar & Grill at your hotel, relax and have hors d'oeuvre (pupus) or an early dinner. To avoid overextending yourselves on your first night in Hawaii, this is the limit of the activities I would recommend.

Planning a Pearl Harbor tour for Friday is a good idea since it's too late to reserve the tickets to the Arizona Memorial yourselves. Most of these tours will drive you thru the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (buses are not allowed to stop and let passengers off even to take pictures) and downtown Honolulu. If you take the early (6am, 10am LA time) tour, they say you will be back in Waikiki by 1pm, giving you time to see other Waikiki landmarks like the Royal Hawaiian (pink) & the Halekulani hotels. If you decide to walk down to the Halekulani, a little farther down the road is the U.S. Army museum at Fort DeRussy (free). Total walking distance according to Google Maps is 20min., 1 mile, but it is a little farther having walked the route myself on several occasions, I would allow several hours to walk and see.

Aloha :D

Hit the beach and chill, maybe pay a few dollard and do an outrigger canoe ride near dusk? Sip a few drinks along the beach is a great way as others suggested.

Aloha ekajun1957 :D,

Although the outrigger canoe ride near dusk is a fun activity, be aware that all passengers in the canoe have to paddle (with deference to chipmaster). To get into the Hawaii mood or as we like to call it "Polynesian Paralysis" after a long day traveling, I recommend you stroll Kalakaua Av., check out the Moana Surfrider and Outrigger hotels looking for someplace where you could eat an early dinner (check the pupu menus in the bars, I drink diet soda in the bars) and watch the 7:30pm sunset. Or go back to your hotel and relax by the pool at the Moana Terrace Bar & Grill and have pupus/dinner and watch the sunset from there.

On Friday, if you go to Pearl Harbor and do your own walking tour to the Royal Hawaiian and Halekulani hotels, and the US Army museum, that will be a full day with some time for the beach before you have dinner. On your way back from the US Army museum, you can stop in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center (same street to go to the Royal Hawaiian hotel) and have dinner there. There are a several good restaurants (including a Wolfgang's Steakhouse) and a food court in the shopping center, all of which cater to visitors.

As you have said, you are looking for "something very relaxing to do that first afternoon/evening that also would put us in the Hawaii Island mood". That is the way you need to approach your entire pre-cruise and cruise to maximize your enjoyment. There is simply too much to do and see in Hawaii to do it all in just a few short days, so I would focus on enjoying Waikiki during your pre-cruise days. If you just want to see some other stuff near Waikiki, look at the Waikiki Trolley panoramic and scenic HOHO tours. For the amount of time you have pre-cruise, I would skip the historic downtown tour.

On the POA, your first port is Kahalui, Maui. I would rent a car (shuttle will pick you up at Kahalui harbor) and drive to Lahaina (the first capital of Hawaii) looking at the landmarks and shops. Then drive to Kaanapali and look at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa and the Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka'anapali, then on to the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua. These luxury hotel/resorts and the beaches that front them are amazing. This is about a 40 mile drive from Kahului and with stops should take up the entire day, giving you time to drive back to the harbor, park, and eat dinner aboard. Reviewing this should give you an idea if you want to drive the second day before you sail for Hilo, Monday night. One good thing about driving on Maui is that you really have to try hard to get lost.

If you like these ideas, let me know & I'll make further suggestions.

Aloha :D

Aloha ekajun1957 :D,

 

 

If you like these ideas, let me know & I'll make further suggestions.

 

Aloha :D

At Kahului we thought of taking the Taste of Maui tour as it hits shops and things the wife would like and another day not driving just laying back. That would give us lay of the island and we could pinpoint where the next day to go straight to with a rented car. Relaxed drive to few spots missed on the tour and then head back to the boat.

Then when we get to Hilo do a volcano / Water falls tour and then rent car next day in Kona.

Then rent car in Nawiliwili first day and end the day at a luau. Next morning I was told there is a trolley to get over to a beach and hotel area in Nawiliwili and we relax on beach few hours the last day.

When we return on Saturday we are leaving Honolulu late on Sunday so chance to relax and get in just a bit more of Oahu and Waikiki and Honolulu.

Of course if others have suggestions on tours or other activities we are very open to suggestions.

I would enjoy a nice dinner and consider having it somewhere where there is a show.

Keith

At Kahului we thought of taking the Taste of Maui tour as it hits shops and things the wife would like and another day not driving just laying back. That would give us lay of the island and we could pinpoint where the next day to go straight to with a rented car. Relaxed drive to few spots missed on the tour and then head back to the boat.

Then when we get to Hilo do a volcano / Water falls tour and then rent car next day in Kona.

Then rent car in Nawiliwili first day and end the day at a luau. Next morning I was told there is a trolley to get over to a beach and hotel area in Nawiliwili and we relax on beach few hours the last day.

When we return on Saturday we are leaving Honolulu late on Sunday so chance to relax and get in just a bit more of Oahu and Waikiki and Honolulu.

Of course if others have suggestions on tours or other activities we are very open to suggestions.

Aloha ekajun1957 :D,

I did a search on the Hawaii thread and found this link. Please read it carefully. I've seen several posts by Susan-M who has been posting on the Hawaii thread for quite a while.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1869357&highlight=taste+of+maui

Hilo, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park & Rainbow Falls State Park is a good choice for the day.

Kona, (actually Kailua-Kona) the NCL shore excursions seem to have the best variety. Otherwise, I would just spend the day looking around at the shops and hotels and relaxing on the ship. There really isn't any beach in the area, mostly lava and unless you have somewhere in particular you want to see, I wouldn't rent a car in Kona.

Nawiliwili, renting a car is a good idea but do you know what you want to see on Kauai? There is no road that goes completely around the island. If you head west to Waimea Canyon and the Kalalau Valley Lookout, that's a little over 42 miles, then 48 miles back thru Lihue to the Smith's Garden Luau. Google Map says 3 hrs. driving. If you are going to drive out to Waimea, on the way back, you might stop at Poipu Beach Park which is one of the best beaches on Kauai. You'll probably want to spend a couple of hours at this beach relaxing, so stop on the way back from the Kalalau Lookout and pick up a picnic lunch.

For the Smith's Family Garden Luau, you can book thru NCL $99, or directly online $78 http://www.smithskauai.com/garden-luau/. NCL charges for the transportation, but since you have a car, why not save and drive yourself.

On your last day, take the shuttle over to Kalapaki beach and walk to the Kauai Marriott Resort and look at the gardens on the upper level. The resort uses the Kalapaki beach and Duke's Barefoot Bar http://www.dukeskauai.com/menus/barefoot-bar opens at 11am for pupus and drinks.

Aloha :D

Following. These are all excellent suggestions.

It's less than a mile they say 17 minute walk so that sounds a definite option. Walk see the beach, sit and eat, then walk back. You did so well with that, any suggestions for our first day, Pearl Harbor planned for another day. And we rather not drive on vacation we are guided tour people while travelling. Considering one of the Island Circle tours.

How about looking into a Photography Tour? You don't need to have a fancy camera... some people just use their phone. I did a sunrise tour with Oahu Photography Tours last year and am booked with Blue Hawaii Photo Tours next month. Both offer sunrise, sunset, or all-day tours at very reasonable rates. And... they'll pick you up and drop you off at your hotel. Great way to see some of the islands' beautiful scenery.

With regard to the camera; we had a honeymoon couple on our tour last year that only brought their iPhones. Our guide showed them how to change some of the settings and even had a tripod adapter for the phone. They ended up with some incredible pics. If you have a DSLR, the guides will help you get the most out of your camera, regardless of your level of expertise.

Both companies offer small group tours, with a max of 7 people. They also have top reviews on Trip Advisor.

Does anyone have info on the outrigger canoes? Is it easy to find one to paddle? Are they expensive?

For a relaxing evening your first night I would suggest the Banyan Court at the Moana Surfrider, you think you are in Hawaii of the 1960's, or House Without a Key. Both offer casual dining and very enjoyable Hawaiian entertainment and you can take a nice walk in the warm waters of Waikiki when the crowds are gone. Another personal favorite is Lulu's. Great food with great views. It can get hectic so maybe not for your first night when you just want to sit back, take a deep breath, enjoy the fact that you have actually arrived in Hawaii, and listen to the waves and music. But keep Lulu's in mind for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on other nights. You can always head to the beach in front of the Outrigger Waikiki and try to get an outrigger ride and then relax for the evening. JMO Cherie

For a relaxing evening your first night I would suggest the Banyan Court at the Moana Surfrider, you think you are in Hawaii of the 1960's, or House Without a Key. Both offer casual dining and very enjoyable Hawaiian entertainment and you can take a nice walk in the warm waters of Waikiki when the crowds are gone. Another personal favorite is Lulu's. Great food with great views. It can get hectic so maybe not for your first night when you just want to sit back, take a deep breath, enjoy the fact that you have actually arrived in Hawaii, and listen to the waves and music. But keep Lulu's in mind for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on other nights. You can always head to the beach in front of the Outrigger Waikiki and try to get an outrigger ride and then relax for the evening. JMO Cherie

Thanks some had mentioned"House" and Banyon Court, need to write it down now

We took the Pink Line bus and got off near the Outrigger from there we walked to the beach and took a catamaran for a tradewinds sail, beautiful view of Wakiki and Diamond Head from the catamaran.

Flying to Hawaii from the East Coast is pretty tiring, or at least it certainly was for us. We stayed close to the hotel (Hilton Hawaiian) because we were simply beat by the time we got there.

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See now too much to choose from and that's biggest problem with Hawaii

See now too much to choose from and that's biggest problem with Hawaii

Aloha ekajun1957 :D

Too Much To Do In Hawaii! Is exactly correct. Many people think that if they take a cruise in Hawaii with short port stops that they can experience Hawaii.

In all of our traveling, we have never found that a short port stop is long enough to experience any area or city. It's like going to Disneyland thinking that you can experience it in one day. IMPOSSIBLE! Flying to Hawaii and staying on one island for several days is the only way to actually get the feel of any one of the islands. A cruise should only be considered to whet your appetite for Hawaii.

Since you said that you wanted "something very relaxing to do that first afternoon/evening that also would put us in the Hawaii Island mood", I figured that you were like my wife and myself and liked to take our time and not feel like we are rushed. My suggestions are written with this focus in mind.

Here is a link for a review from a lady from Arizona that visited back in 2011 that had a few pre-cruise days then went on the 7 day POA cruise. What she did is more along the lines of a relaxing first visit to Hawaii. She realized that they would have to return to Hawaii to actually get a full experience each of the islands. I don't know that they ever returned to vacation here but it sure sounds like they loved their 10 day Hawaii experience. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1419574

Figure that it's like visiting Las Vegas. I really like to visit all of the big hotels and casinos and walk around and look at the opulence, sample the restaurants, see the shows, then if I have extra time, gamble back at the hotel I'm staying at to earn comps. That way, I can take my time and make sure I get sufficient rest during our stay (we normally stay at least a week and rent a car so we can drive to all of the different hotels), eat nice meals, and shop. Many people visit Las Vegas for just 2-3 days and rush to do everything at once or feel they missed something. Visiting Hawaii is the same thing. Every visit, something has changed, things are renewed.

Aloha :D

We arrive in Honolulu late sept for 3 nights. Can you give me some must do's as we board our cruise Oct 2. Thanks :)

Rakuroda thanks for that and this is a relaxing scouting trip