How does a lei greeting work

When you arrive in Hawaii by plane or ship, or car or train:eek:, how does the lei greeting at the airport work?

Do you get it from the Chamber of Commerce or Vistors Bureau, or your airline gratis; or do you pay someone at a stand for one?

If it is free, do you tip the girl/boy who gives it to you/wife?

Do they charge for pictures, or can you take for free? Do you tip for that?

I come from the desert and not used to these things:D

When you arrive in Hawaii by plane or ship, or car or train:eek:, how does the lei greeting at the airport work?

 

Do you get it from the Chamber of Commerce or Vistors Bureau, or your airline gratis; or do you pay someone at a stand for one?

 

If it is free, do you tip the girl/boy who gives it to you/wife?

 

Do they charge for pictures, or can you take for free? Do you tip for that?

 

I come from the desert and not used to these things:D

Unless you arrange/pay for it ahead of time you will not get one. We had them at the airport on our first trip years ago but the travel agent we had at the time paid for them as a perk. We did it again in 2007 as we were bringing my sister and BIL for their first trip to the islands but once again we arranged for it (and we had to pay that time).

If you want to have one (they do smell great for a couple days :)) you could Google and find numerous outfits to arrange it with. Depending on the company, they will be waiting with a sign (and a checkoff list). Have fun!

Bill

You will also see a rolling mall cart where they sell different kinds at the airport, its located by the luggage carousel or you can purchase from any of the million ABC's stores throughout Hawaii.

But the cheapest is in china town where most of them are made and much more reasonable.

Thanks all.

When I googled it, I found they were very expensive.

And wife said she really didn't care for one.

Thanks all.

 

When I googled it, I found they were very expensive.

 

And wife said she really didn't care for one.

I also have a good wife like that.

As a woman, it's not all it's cracked up to be....the flowers get tangled in longer hair...and they don't stay fresh very long. Unless it's at no charge to you, forgo it!

I received two of them on our last trip - one was when we arrived at our hotel Aulani and the other was when we boarded the POA and both stayed very fragrant and fresh for 3 days easily....I did put them in the refrigerator in our room when I wasn't wearing it and I was also told that they would last over a week if you wrapped them in paper towels.

Did you have to order the one on POA or did they give it to everyone when they boarded?

Did you have to order the one on POA or did they give it to everyone when they boarded?

Everyone that I know of got one...I wasn't expecting it. They give the women a flower lei and the men get a shell lei. After you get those you are sent to have your picture taken and then on for the rest of registration before boarding the ship.

You will also see a rolling mall cart where they sell different kinds at the airport, its located by the luggage carousel or you can purchase from any of the million ABC's stores throughout Hawaii.

But the cheapest is in china town where most of them are made and much more reasonable.

There are also lei shops in the terminals when you get off the plane, long before you get to luggage claim. We often buy them there on our way home to give them to friends when we get back. BTW, if you are staying on the island for a day or two many hotels provide them at check in to all guests.

Been to Hawaii many a time, the only time I got a lei was on a Costco deal. It was pretty silly affair, a lady standing at the airport with a sign and give put it over my neck and that was it.

When staying at some higher end hotels they will also give you a lei when you arrive at check-in or by the valet, YMMV.

Not at all like the movies I remembered when I was young when getting of the airpline.

On our last visit our hotel gave the ladies flower and the guys a shell one.

When you arrive in Hawaii by plane or ship, or car or train:eek:, how does the lei greeting at the airport work?

 

Do you get it from the Chamber of Commerce or Vistors Bureau, or your airline gratis; or do you pay someone at a stand for one?

 

If it is free, do you tip the girl/boy who gives it to you/wife?

 

Do they charge for pictures, or can you take for free? Do you tip for that?

 

I come from the desert and not used to these things:D

I can't imagine going to Hawaii and not getting one. Growing up and watching it on TV I think I expect one. Even if I have to pay for it.

I was in Hawaii almost thirty years ago and was greeted at the airport with a lei that I didn't expect. I really loved the two that I received and am looking forward to my lei greeting again next year. I have to agree - can't imagine going and not getting one....and I don't spend money usually frivolously.

When you arrive in Hawaii by plane or ship, or car or train:eek:, how does the lei greeting at the airport work?

 

Do you get it from the Chamber of Commerce or Vistors Bureau, or your airline gratis; or do you pay someone at a stand for one?

 

If it is free, do you tip the girl/boy who gives it to you/wife?

 

Do they charge for pictures, or can you take for free? Do you tip for that?

 

I come from the desert and not used to these things:D

We usually order ours through the same company we use to pick us up from airport to our hotel. It's usually less expensive this way. The person who delivers the lei also shows you to the vehicle that takes you to your hotel. We also tip the person who delivers it $1. It's a great feeling to have someone come up to you and place a beautiful flower lei around your neck while leaving the baggage claim area.

To keep it fresh for up to a week, spray it with water and keep it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. By the 7th day the leaves will brown a little at the edges but the fragrance gets stronger and better. The last 3 days of our trip we keep it hanging in our room to dry out, then we cut the cotton string (so it won't get caught around an ocean critter's neck) and throw out from the ship while leaving Kauai, making a wish that we will return again.

There are also lei shops in the terminals when you get off the plane, long before you get to luggage claim. We often buy them there on our way home to give them to friends when we get back. BTW, if you are staying on the island for a day or two many hotels provide them at check in to all guests.

We stopped there and bought one - very reasonable $10-$12 for a nice one and they had a nice variety in all price ranges.

I don't what sites you googled that indicated a flower lei was a budget breaker, but I purchased one from a table in front of Duke's restaurant in Waikiki for $6 a couple of years ago. Keep your eyes peeled while in Hawaii and you can find one for an affordable price. Most women love them. I wore mine for 3 days and it smelled heavenly. Put it in the frig at night.

When we went to Hawaii last summer, my daughter was very anxious to have a lei greeting, so we arranged it through our travel agent. As another poster said, it was no big deal. As you got off the plane, a woman with a bunch of leis draped on her arm handed you one as she was busy checking your name off a list. My daughter actually arrived from Australia the day after we did and we met her at the airport. She walked right by the woman doing the greeting and met us outside, so I brought her back in to get her lei. Would we do this again? Absolutely not. I can't remember the exact cost as it was arranged with our transportation to the hotel, but it was not cheap. If I had known we would get 3 more leis: at the PCC luau, as we were boarding the POA and at the Old Lahaina Luau in Maui, we wouldn't have wasted our money. Having said that, only you know how you feel. If you feel you must experience an airport greeting on your first trip to Hawaii, go for it!

We actually bought a very nice one from some kids on the beach last night for $10--it was a fundraiser for their school group. Very nice and reasonable. And we got a shell lei from our hotel on checkin.:)

Can you make any sort of arrangements when arriving at the ports from the cruise ship?

Unless you arrange/pay for it ahead of time you will not get one. We had them at the airport on our first trip years ago but the travel agent we had at the time paid for them as a perk. We did it again in 2007 as we were bringing my sister and BIL for their first trip to the islands but once again we arranged for it (and we had to pay that time).

If you want to have one (they do smell great for a couple days :)) you could Google and find numerous outfits to arrange it with. Depending on the company, they will be waiting with a sign (and a checkoff list). Have fun!

 

Bill

what is the site where you have your countdown eeoo??? i tried it and it doen't work!

Bottom line, no such thing as a free lei. ;)

Didn't even get a lei greeting on my first two times in Hawaii and those were land trips (including my honeymoon). But on my last trip (second time cruising RT to Hawaii), I took two of the lei making classes on the Golden Princess for no charge. Learned how to make orchid and ribbon leis. When I got home, went shopping for ribbon so I can make more. There were also heirloom lei making courses for $18.

I can't imagine going to Hawaii and not getting one. Growing up and watching it on TV I think I expect one.

I totally agree ! :D