Roberts vs NCL vs car Rental Excursions

Aloha, Our group of 6 are taking the POA cruise next March and I've been "nominated" to explore excursion options. I've looked at the Roberts tour packages and they seem very attractive, especially when compared to NCL's prices. Would certainly appreciate any input you guys may have and /or if you think renting a car on each island is the best way to go. Many thanks.

Do you have someone in the group who likes to research and plan do-it-yourself exploring, and someone who is OK with driving the group in a mini-van? If so, I would consider renting a mini van (or car if not everyone is doing the same thing in each port) on Maui for both days, in Hilo (to explore VNP) and on Kauai at least for the first day.

Kailua Kona would be fine for renting a car too.

Private tours would be a good option if you want the arrangements/driving taken care of by someone else.

The only time we took a tour through NCL was in Kailua-Kona. We took a snorkeling excursion there and would definitely do this again. It was excellent snorkeling at Captain Cook's Monument. We rented a car in all other ports since we like to explore on our own and don't like our time to be pre-determined.

1. You need to visit Volcanoes National Park when in Hilo. You can do this by renting a vehicle. Make sure to drive both roads and walk thru the lava field. Restroom facilities are limited in the park. You probably will have time to do some shopping or visit another place.

2. We drove to Waimea Canyon as soon we got to port in Kaui. Later that day we took a snorkeling tour to the Napall Coast. We booked this on our own. The 2nd day we drove to Poipu Beach and other places.

3. Haleakala is worth visiting when on Maui. I wasn't impressed with the beach at Ka'anapali. Perhaps it was too windy the day we visited. Lahaina is a fun place to see as well as the Needle near the port.

Make sure to arrive in Honolulu a 2-3 days prior to your cruise. There were too many people on our cruise who experienced difficulties flying and not getting the time to see Oahu. You should see the North Shore.

Tours can be a good thing. We have taken tours in the past. We prefer tours with smaller groups. This may be a good idea if you want to do the Road to Hana and don't want to drive it.

If you have someone who does not mind driving a van, you could put together your own "excursions" We rented cars every day except in Kona (DH took a ship's diving excursion and I shopped) and since we were on POA the 2nd, shorter day in Kawai we did the plane ride over the island - really wonderful.

If you have a mixed group where some want to have maybe a few hours of light touring, or want more robust excursions (kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, etc) then ship excursion might be in order.

You need to sit down with your group, gage their interests and then make an itinerary and how you will accomplish everything.

We used Roberts for two days last week.

They may be cheaper, but they are not the best.

We could not wait to get off the bus with our driver, Ernest.

The rest of our tours with Polynesian Adventure Tours (Gray Line) were great!