CindyP1954

We just booked the Captain Zodiac for September, but your post has me a bit worried. We're fairly fluffy and have pretty much zero upper arm strength. Besides holding onto the raft being difficult, how do you get in and out? Do you have to hoist yourself out of the water? If so, I think we may be out!

Thanks to anyone who can advise us!

Jamie and Jan

I would say this is not for you, honestly. They do put a ladder down to get out of the water, and there are people on board to help you up, but it still is not easy. I suggest you do something a little less strenuous.

We just returned from our cruise yesterday. I would not suggest Captain Zodiac for anyone who isn't in great shape or the elderly. You have to really hold on tight to keep from flying out of the boat. It was a great excursion, though, and the snorkeling was fabulous!

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Some of the excursions provide lunches, so be sure to check before you go. Also, bring a few ziplock bags with you (as some other folks mentioned), and make a couple of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to take along! Fruit, bagels, whatever will stay fresh - everyone wanders out of the dining room with a few snacks for the day!

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Any concern walking around Waikiki alone at night? I'm cruising solo and will likely be solo on our port stop in Honolulu........daytime activities are set, but is it a safe part of the city to walk alone at night?

We ate dinner at Hula Grill last night which is right in the heart of Waikiki Beach overlooking the ocean. It is actually not far from House Without a Key. Walking back to the hotel I was AMAZED at how many people were out - hundreds and hundreds! Tons of high end shopping- beautiful and I would say EXTREMELY safe. I wouldn't have had a problem walking alone.

We ate dinner at Hula Grill last night which is right in the heart of Waikiki Beach overlooking the ocean. It is actually not far from House Without a Key. Walking back to the hotel I was AMAZED at how many people were out - hundreds and hundreds! Tons of high end shopping- beautiful and I would say EXTREMELY safe. I wouldn't have had a problem walking alone.

It took about 20 minutes from airport to Waikiki Beach. We are getting on our cruise ship this afternoon, so I don't know how long it takes to get there from here.

Thanks for this info. We will be there on a Friday night, so it might be a little busier, but we will be there by 5:30 just in case. We will also be at the HHV and wasn't sure how long the walk was. Did you go via the beach or on the street?

We walked on the street. Easy walk, I wore high wedges without a problem.

We went to House Without a Key last night. We got there around 5:30, sat at a table outside, listened to the singers and watched the beautiful dancers, enjoyed a cocktail with no pressure to order dinner until we were ready. Had Ahi burgers for dinner - watched the sunset, enjoyed the beautiful breezes, and it would highly recommend it to anyone. At 5:30 there was no wait at all. Lovely evening. We are staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort and it was about a 10-15 minute walk. Tomorrow night we are going to Dukes- also highly recommended.

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Wow, great advice. Thank you!

Thank you so much! Still trying to find my way around Cruise Critic so I will have to look for the Hawaii Message Board.

Thank you so much! I'm still learning how to get around Cruise Critic, so I appreciate your advice!

Hi, we are cruising on July 26 on Pride of America for the 7 day Hawaiian Island cruise. We've booked several excursions through the ship already, waterfall and rainforest hike, Kilauea Volcano biking, Captain Zodiac snorkel and raft and dolphin adventure and Mokihana helicopter ride. Has anyone been on these excursions and have any useful tips for us (what to wear, temperature etc)?:)

trose27,

We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise. We particularly enjoyed the people! Dinners were such fun, we immediately found our own group of friends,which continued growing and growing until there wasn't a table large enough to hold us all! Food was good, not spectacular, but the wine was excellent, and the glasses were never empty. Everyone was extremely friendly and accommodating. Cabins were extremely small, but we found nooks and crannies for our luggage and it wasn't a problem. The tours from the ship were wonderful. Every one of them. Monet's gardens exceptionally beautiful and memorable. Normandy was a wonderful trip. We spent 3 days in Paris on our own after the cruise, staying at the hotel Mountparnasse. Location of the hotel was excellent, and we could see all of Paris from our window. We went to the Musee d' Orsay, Montmarte, Palace of Versailles, Eiffel Tower, and as far as dinners go, we just ate in restaurants near the hotel and the meals were outstanding, and house wine is always a great choice. If I can think of anything else, I'll post later. Hope you have a wonderful time!

Mooneydiva,

Thank you again for all of your help!

Wonderful! Very helpful. I appreciate your help. I may have more questions later, hope you don't mind!

Mooneydiva, I have a few questions regarding the AMA river cruise Paris to Normandy. Did you stay in Paris on the 9th and 10th days? Did you take the Paris City Tour and Musee d' Orsay and the evening Parisian Cabaret at Paradis Latin? If so, are these things we should do? Also, the 10th day offers the Seine Cruise and Montparnassee Tower, with the Montemarte tour in the evening. Did you go on these tours as well? Or, would we be better off going out on our own? What do you advise?

I appreciate the information. We are counting down the days. Our first river cruise...should be interesting!

Thank you for the info! We are definitely looking forward to this cruise and I appreciate all of your positive comments!

Has anyone recently returned from this trip? We are going in a few weeks. Any comments or advice for first time river cruisers?