Luau Kalamaku, Luau Ohana, or Smith Family Luau

DW and I will be on POA first week in April. We want to go to a Luau on Kauai. Will have a rental car to visit Waimea Canyon in the daytime. It appears we have three choices: NCL Kalamaku tour, Roberts Ohana , or the Smith Family Luau. Anyone have an opinion on the preferred luau? Would appreciate any comparisons.... George

DW and I will be on POA first week in April. We want to go to a Luau on Kauai. Will have a rental car to visit Waimea Canyon in the daytime. It appears we have three choices: NCL Kalamaku tour, Roberts Ohana , or the Smith Family Luau. Anyone have an opinion on the preferred luau? Would appreciate any comparisons.... George

I believe - but am not 100% positive - that the Robert's Ohana tour goes to the Smith Family Luau.

We went to the Smith Family Luau (booked direct) and had a very nice time. The food was quite good and the drinks flowed freely. However I will warn you that the seats for the performance were extremely uncomfortable metal benches. I just could NOT get comfortable!

Here is a link to some reviews Kalamaku:

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g60623-d1748998-Reviews-Luau_Kalamaku-Lihue_Kauai_Hawaii.html

Personally its not for us because of the cattle herding feeling, anywhere from 800 to 1000 will attend from the ship and they staggers the buses so that things don't get backed up. We prefer and more intimate show.

Here is a link for Smiths

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Search?q=Smith+Family+Luau&geo=28932&pid=3825&returnTo=http%253A__2F____2F__www__2E__tripadvisor__2E__ca__2F__SearchForums__2D__g28932__2D__i36__2D__a__5F__scope__2E__2__2D__qOhana%252B%252BLuau__2D__Hawaii__2E__html

As for Roberts Ohana you may have it wrong as I didn't see anything on their website nor could i find any review's and Ohana means immediate family. If wrong post some more info.

Puddles is correct now I remember that they use Smiths because they also do the river ride and luau inclusive as pkg as well as separate.

I believe - but am not 100% positive - that the Robert's Ohana tour goes to the Smith Family Luau.

 

We went to the Smith Family Luau (booked direct) and had a very nice time. The food was quite good and the drinks flowed freely. However I will warn you that the seats for the performance were extremely uncomfortable metal benches. I just could NOT get comfortable!

Interesting comment on not being able to get comfortable. My partner and I travel with travel cushions and take them everywhere, on planes, restaurants especially if its going to be a long dinner affair.

Thanks for the valuable inputs. I was confused with respect to Roberts, as they advertise the Smiths luau separate without transportation , then they advertise the Ohana luau with transportation but don't mention Smith's.

About how far is the Smith's luau from the cruise ship?

If you book your luau with Roberts from their shore excursion webpage, their Island's Best Luau - Kauai is the Smith's Family Luau. And it includes transportation from the ship. I just booked it for our cruise and the Roberts rep confirmed it is Smiths.

http://www.gorabbitgo.com/activities_schedule_all.php

Went to this last week, gardens were beautiful, show was good but food was awful. The benches at the show do have cushions now.

We did exactly what the OP was asking about: Had a rental car, did Waimea Canyon during the day, then Smith's Luau in the evening.

Smiths was fine. Nice location, pretty gardens to stroll in, reasonable food, plenty of free drinks, and a decent show that was meant to be an overview of various forms of dances brought to Hawaii by the Polynesians and others. I'm guessing 300 to 400 guests?

We booked Smith's directly on line, and I was very impressed when they called us here on the mainland about a week before our cruise to see if we'd need transport to the Luau. Nice people, a very friendly family-run operation.

..........

 

About how far is the Smith's luau from the cruise ship?

Smith's is in Wailua, and is normally about a 15 minute drive from the pier in Nawiliwili...unless you're doing it during "rush hour" in which case it can take longer.

I can confirm that Robert's Island's Best Luau is Smith's Family Luau. This includes transportation.

We booked this for our cruise back in February and was so glad we got to go. We have been to Hawaii a few times and never experienced a luau. So this was a first. :) Lovely grounds, delicious food and great entertainment. Just loved it!!! :D

I've been to over 5 luaus over the years and majority of all the luaus are basically caddle herding feeding type. Interesting enough if you think about going to Sizzler, Hometown buffets restaurants and some wedding receptions are basically the same concept of herding/cattle feeding, but in a smaller scale....

Here is a link to some reviews Kalamaku:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g60623-d1748998-Reviews-Luau_Kalamaku-Lihue_Kauai_Hawaii.html

Personally its not for us because of the cattle herding feeling, anywhere from 800 to 1000 will attend from the ship and they staggers the buses so that things don't get backed up. We prefer and more intimate show.

Here is a link for Smiths

 

http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Search?q=Smith+Family+Luau&geo=28932&pid=3825&returnTo=http%253A__2F____2F__www__2E__tripadvisor__2E__ca__2F__SearchForums__2D__g28932__2D__i36__2D__a__5F__scope__2E__2__2D__qOhana%252B%252BLuau__2D__Hawaii__2E__html

 

As for Roberts Ohana you may have it wrong as I didn't see anything on their website nor could i find any review's and Ohana means immediate family. If wrong post some more info.