Our cruise experience--disembarkation and Oahu post cruise

[annecolorgreen]

We "slept in" until 7 am! :D We still had plenty of time to pack and eat breakfast on the lanai deck and grab our luggage and go. We thought we had a great plan to have our husbands take part of the luggage to thrifty, pick up a car, and drop the luggage before returning to pick us up until we found that there was a big parade in town that blocked traffic everywhere! It definitely changed our plans for the day. While we were waiting, my friend and I walked (hauling luggage) to the Aloha Tower (short walk) and stopped at a coffee shop to relax and wait. It was called the "Island Vintage Coffee Shop" and it was SOOOOO good! They used Kona coffee and I had a vintage original which I think had mac nut and coconut syrup along with espresso blended...:eek: The BEST thing I've ever had. Unfortunately, they only have a couple of locations and none in Indiana :(. ;)

 

We finally made it to our hotel--the Ilima--where we had a two bedroom efficience with a large tv area and full kitchen. It was very clean and parking was free. We got a rate of $160/night which was amazing for that in Waikiki. It was located a block from the Ala Wai Canal and two blocks from the beach. Easy walking distance to International Marketplace, Duke's at the Outrigger Waikiki, and many other places. Unfortunately, we were on the 5th floor and it loud at night and the beds were "like sleeping on a meat slab" according to my husband. I didn't have a problem. There was a full size bed in one room and twins in the other. There was a murphy bed and couch in the family room. Plenty of space and towels, etc... I was happy there.

 

We originally had other plans to do more "touristy" stuff but decided to head out to a late lunch at "Nico's" on Pier 38. Oh my. It was a hole in the wall place that served top rate food straight from the fishermen...and cheap. You sat outside to eat and, the day we were there, they had a jazz musician playing for tips outside. It was wonderful.

 

Our friends wanted to find a certain beach but I wanted to climb Diamond Head so they dropped me off and headed out. I'm so glad I did it. There was a snack truck at the end and I had some amazing pineapple afterward. Our friends picked me up and we stopped at an art show on Waikiki then back to the hotel to clean up for dinner. We drove to "House Without a Key" and took advantage of the free valet parking for customers (validated by the waiter) and went for cocktails only. Very relaxing place for a sunset and the Hawaiian entertainment was very good. Eventually, we headed out to find the Le Mariana Sailing Club for dinner. It was located in a deserted looking wharehouse area of the piers and we only found it because we took a wrong turn. If you go, call the restaurant for directions...it's easy if you know where you are going. It's kind of a throw back tiki bar with amazing mai tais and food. We had a "buy one, get one for half price" coupon from the entertainment book. We shared sweet potato fries and ALL the entrees were huge...just sayin'. My husband's double cheeseburger was VERY good and the size of his head ;). I had fish and it was SOOOO good. Our waitress was so sweet and the service was perfect.

[annecolorgreen]

This day we went to the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet and it was a great place to find souvenirs--especially if you like to bargain. It is a $1 to get in and is about a 20 min walk from Pearl Harbor in case you wondered (I did). We spent a couple of hours there and then headed out to the North Shore stopping first at the Dole Plantation. We spent about 1/2 hour there eating our BOGO Dole Whip (courtesy of the entertainment coupon) and read about some of the history and then left. It was right on the way.

 

The North Shore was an AMAZING sight! It wasn't even winter, but the waves were HUGE! We made several stops for viewing and then our friend decided he would boogie board on the beach next to the bonzai pipeline--HUGE mistake. The lifeguard realized he was an amateur and made him get out :p. We were glad...it looked so dangerous. It was fun watching the guys who knew what they were doing though!!!

 

We made a quick stop at the Turtle Bay Resort (parking was free for less than 1/2 hour) but it was kind of boring after what we had seen. I personally liked the beach area in Maui on Ka'anapali where we had stayed better. Personal preference. On down the road, we stopped at Romy's Shrimp Stand. 20 min to wait to order/40 min for the food but it was a pleasant stop. Yes, the shrimp was amazingly fresh but it was time consuming. (they all looked busy) Down the road a bit further was the Valley of Temples. A MUST stop in my opinion and I'm not into buddhism or anything like that. It was just a beautiful, peaceful place. The backdrop was the Ko'olau mountains and it was just gorgeous.

 

Our next attempt was for surf lessons at Kailua Beach but we couldn't find it!!! If you want to go there, don't try to use a GPS. On the way back from there, we stopped at the Nu'uanu Pali Wayside park--just a warning, there are no restrooms there. It was a beautiful site of the city and the drive was nice too.

 

Back to the hotel, we went on a Puka Dog waikiki hunt and found it and saw the sunset in front of Duke's. After a walk along the Ala Wai Canal, we headed back to pack and sample some pineapple wine our friends bought in Maui. Still hungry, my friend and I walked to the Prince Kuhio Hilton Hotel for mac nut pancakes/coconut syrup--OH MY!!!!!!!!!!!!! We ate like a tiny portion of it and brought the rest back in a CAKE box! So good though! (we took a cab back as it was late at night and we thought it safer)

[annecolorgreen]

Up very early for tours of Pearl Harbor--USS Arizona and Missouri and we had a wonderful experience. we arrived about 6:40 am and they started giving tickets out about 7 am. The people in the tour had to stand in lines but then the tour guides went up to the office to get tickets. We were in the first group so headed straight over to watch the 20 min. film and then walked around the area and gift shop. At 8:00 we boarded the boat to go out to the memorial. Wow. The oil droplets still coming to the surface were sobering. After that, we went to see the "Mighty Mo" and that was much more interesting than I thought it would be. We had entertainment coupons for BOGO but they gave us all three tickets for $10 instead of $20. (one friend was surfing) We did the cheaper, self-guided tour (with audio) but it was more than enough for us. Before heading back, we stopped at the Punchbowl Crater and Cemetery and it was an awe-inspiring experience. The tour groups just do a drive through--we were happy to stop and get out. It was beautiful.

 

Back to the hotel to grab our bags and check out and then dh and I stopped at Hilo Hatties for last minute loot. THAT was an experience!!

 

HOME!

[ohmandy99]

I enjoyed your review Anne. Sounds like you need a vacation after this vacation! How did the kids make out while you were away?? It was nice meeting you at the meet and greet! Thanks for setting it up.

 

The newly wed ;)

[sue402001]

I can only hope that I have as wonderful time as you did Anne!

[annecolorgreen]

It was great to meet you! The girls did fairly well...some last minute cleaning went on :rolleyes:. My married son had lots of drama while we were gone which we attempted to ignore (and are still trying). He and his wife are both drama queens so they thrive on it.

 

I had one night of work off and it's been tough.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Once again, a wonderful review! I have to ask....what is a Puka Dog??????:D

 

We are thinking of spending a few days pre-cruise in Kailua in a vacation rental. My plan is to go back to Honolulu early the first day and go to Pearl Harbor, the Arizona, the Missouri and Punchbowl. Then DH, who is a Hawaiian shirt fiend, wants to stop at Bailey's to pick up some shirts. After that I wanted to go to the North Shore as you did, making a short stop at the Dole Plantation before heading back to Kailua. From your description it sounds as if we will have time. Do you agree or would you suggest a different plan?

[annecolorgreen]

do you have to be back at a certain time? if not, then yes. I would definitely try to get the first round of tour tickets at Pearl Harbor though. You would hate to waste any time. If you happen to miss the first tour but get the second, they do have a nice snack bar at PH so you could get some coffee.

 

A Puka Dog is a hot dog stuck down inside a yummy bun (toasted on the inside) with various toppings. There is even a veggie dog. http://www.pukadog.com/public-relations

[Sunny AZ Girl]

do you have to be back at a certain time? if not, then yes. I would definitely try to get the first round of tour tickets at Pearl Harbor though. You would hate to waste any time. If you happen to miss the first tour but get the second, they do have a nice snack bar at PH so you could get some coffee.

 

A Puka Dog is a hot dog stuck down inside a yummy bun (toasted on the inside) with various toppings. There is even a veggie dog. http://www.pukadog.com/public-relations

OK the Puka dog sounds interesting. I love a good hot dog, so it sounds like something I would like.:D

 

No need to get back at any special time that day. It would be nice to complete the drive before dark so we don't miss a thing, though.:)

[annecolorgreen]

There is a Puka Dog in Kauai at the Poipu Beach area in a little shopping center and in Waikiki by Duke's Lane (International Market). Both are a tad tough to find (we used a GPS but still had to really look to find them). Asking directions once you are in the area would be a good plan. :D

[Semi Retired]

I did some googling and have Dog The Bounty Hunter on my list of to-do's. The office is 9 blocks up from the cruise dock.