Hawaii advice

[jess3620]

I am working on my vacation plans for a cruise to Hawaii in 2016. I will be traveling solo (my first solo vacation) and I would love to get some advice on traveling solo in Hawaii.

 

I have been researching like crazy, and I have been finding that a lot of people who travel with others rent a car. I am very back and forth on this option with traveling alone. One, I do not have the best sense of direction (I can get lost even with a gps :D) and I know some of the roads can be quite difficult to drive on (and traffic can be horrible). Also I would like to see what is around me, not concentrate on where I am driving. But on the other hand, I would love to get in the car and go where I want to go, and stop where I want to stop.

 

For the most part, I think I am going to stick with the excursions with the ship (with this being my first solo travel trip I think I would be more comfortable with that) so renting the car (or not renting the car) would more so be when I was in Honolulu pre and post cruise. My plan is to fly in on Wed, with the cruise leaving on Sat, and fly back home on Sunday.

 

Anyone have any advice or experiences with renting a car in Honolulu? Or with using the buses? Or using other forms of transportation?

 

Thanks in advance! :)

[AlkiRagdoll]

I have travelled to Hawaii several times by myself (not cruised) and cruised solo twice (not Hawaii). My advice - avoid the ship excursions. You spend too much time not doing what you want to do (unless you indirectly want travel companions). If it were me, i would find a private guide or a private driver and just plan on being back 90 minutes before you sail (a safety cushion). Search TripAdvisor for recommendations and costs and you can then design your excursion to see what you want to see, and for as long as you want.

 

I do this on all solo trips. My recent solo trip on Celebrity to Aus-NZ i did it on the front and back end. They were my best excursions and the ship excursions a real disappointment. You have time to find the right guide - post here on CC as well as TripAdvisor, and ask feedback by being as specific as you can think to be. There were places i spent 10 minutes and others 2 hours, based on my interests. A good guide can get you entry discounts and jump the ticket line like you would with the ship tour. The cruise tours were often "drive bys" which i hate.

 

Have fun planning!

[jess3620]

I have travelled to Hawaii several times by myself (not cruised) and cruised solo twice (not Hawaii). My advice - avoid the ship excursions. You spend too much time not doing what you want to do (unless you indirectly want travel companions). If it were me, i would find a private guide or a private driver and just plan on being back 90 minutes before you sail (a safety cushion). Search TripAdvisor for recommendations and costs and you can then design your excursion to see what you want to see, and for as long as you want.

 

I do this on all solo trips. My recent solo trip on Celebrity to Aus-NZ i did it on the front and back end. They were my best excursions and the ship excursions a real disappointment. You have time to find the right guide - post here on CC as well as TripAdvisor, and ask feedback by being as specific as you can think to be. There were places i spent 10 minutes and others 2 hours, based on my interests. A good guide can get you entry discounts and jump the ticket line like you would with the ship tour. The cruise tours were often "drive bys" which i hate.

 

Have fun planning!

 

Thanks for the reply! I think for my first solo cruise I would feel more comfortable doing the ships excursions. If this was not my first time in Hawaii I would probably feel more comfortable doing the excursions alone. I am more concerned about my time in Honolulu before and after the cruise. I'm not sure if it's best to rent a car or not. I just spoke with a co-worker yesterday who's daughter lives in Hawaii. She told me that there is no need to rent a car because I can take the bus or other transportation (such as roberts hawaii) to get to the places I would like to go. So I may rent a car for the day-just to drive around and stop to take pictures and such when I want, then take other forms of transportation the rest of my time in Honolulu.

[dreamer976]

Have never done a Hawaii cruise but have been on many land vacations there, all islands (except Lanai).

 

I can't imagine that there aren't wonderful excursions that you could book, either privately or through the ship, although traffic can be a problem in Hawaii with all islands except Oahu having few main feeder roads and that "ship will know where you are and won't leave without you" would be a comfort to me. Having said that, the only island I wouldn't rent a car on (even if you're staying there overnight pre or post-cruise) is Oahu, unless you plan on leaving the Honolulu area. Parking in Honolulu is very expensive, even when staying at a hotel on Waikiki Beach) and in other places it's like trying to find a parking spot in Manhattan. My late husband and I only rented a car on Oahu once - picked it up and headed up to the north shore to spend a day. When staying on any of the other islands, you need a car; but for the day, I would rather leave the driving to someone else and enjoy looking at the scenery instead of the traffic.

 

Besides, it has been my experience that taking guided bus tours are much more informative than reading travel books and driving yourself. They are able to tell all kinds of interesting facts and are usually pretty entertaining. Read the reviews of different companies and enjoy.

[jess3620]

Have never done a Hawaii cruise but have been on many land vacations there, all islands (except Lanai).

 

I can't imagine that there aren't wonderful excursions that you could book, either privately or through the ship, although traffic can be a problem in Hawaii with all islands except Oahu having few main feeder roads and that "ship will know where you are and won't leave without you" would be a comfort to me. Having said that, the only island I wouldn't rent a car on (even if you're staying there overnight pre or post-cruise) is Oahu, unless you plan on leaving the Honolulu area. Parking in Honolulu is very expensive, even when staying at a hotel on Waikiki Beach) and in other places it's like trying to find a parking spot in Manhattan. My late husband and I only rented a car on Oahu once - picked it up and headed up to the north shore to spend a day. When staying on any of the other islands, you need a car; but for the day, I would rather leave the driving to someone else and enjoy looking at the scenery instead of the traffic.

 

Besides, it has been my experience that taking guided bus tours are much more informative than reading travel books and driving yourself. They are able to tell all kinds of interesting facts and are usually pretty entertaining. Read the reviews of different companies and enjoy.

 

Thank you for your reply dreamer! I agree with many of the things you said. I would much rather look around and really enjoy where I am at then being trying to navigate around a island that I am unfamiliar with. I feel like I will miss out of such amazing scenery.

 

I enjoyed most of the tours that I took through NCL when I was in Alaska. I do not see a problem with taking the ships excursions. And like you said, they tend to be more informative and I like that about them. I have also been comparing some of the ships tour with different companies and many of them (the ones that I was interested in) seem to be pretty comparable. There are some differences with a few of them but I would be willing to pay a few bucks more for the piece of mind knowing the ship would not leave if my tour booked with NCL was late.

 

In Alaska one of the tours I was on was on was running a tad late. We were called and the driver explained where we were and that we were on our way. We made it back in time (barely) but we were still waiting for another tour group. If they had been out on a tour on their own, we may not have waited for them.

 

A friend of mine told me driving in Honolulu was horrible. She said it's just not worth it to rent a car there. That's why I asked this question-to get some more advice. I appreciate your advice on the topic. Was it worth it renting the car to go out to the North Shore? Thanks so much! :)

[Faith77]

I just got back from my Grand Princess cruise over the Christmas/New Years holidays. I did all shore excursions on the 4 islands we stopped at.

 

I had a good time on all 4 excursions. Princess has lots of choices. All my excursions were 4-6 hours. Then I just walked around the port. I do this when I'm in new to me ports on a cruise.

 

You have lots of choices. You could check out/book private excursions and even check in with the Cruise critic roll call and put something together with others on your cruise. Just something to think about--Maui is a tender port. I booked a 1pm excursion and figured I'd walk around the port before meeting up on the dock. It took me forever to get off the ship and I was disappointed that I had no time to check out the port on my own. Otherwise it was a wonderful cruise. Faith

[dreamer976]

Was it worth it renting the car to go out to the North Shore? Thanks so much! :)

 

It was worth it to us. We had, a couple of days earlier, gone on a tour bus up to the Polynesian Cultural Center. This was an all day trip and the bus had taken us up the east coast (breathtaking) to get there. We were there in plenty of time to see the Parade of Boats (not sure if this was what it was called, but if you read about the PCC I'm sure it'll be mentioned), walked to and through all of the different "islands", saw their little shows, had a bite to eat and stayed for the Luau stageshow. Very good. Anyway, since we had heard so much about the north shore and didn't get to see much, if any of it, we picked up a rental very early and drove to Pearl Harbor to get in line before it opened. I know things have changed at Pearl Harbor now and I really would encourage you to read about the best way to get in these days - buy tickets in advance? I'm not sure. Walked around their visitor center, entered the theatre for their film presentation, then boarded the boat to go out and onto the memorial. This is a very emotional experience and while I wouldn't call it "fun", it will definitely stay with you forever. Left Pearl Harbor, went to a McD's for breakfast, then headed up the highway (H1 or H2, can't remember, but it cuts up through the center of Oahu) to the Dole Pineapple Plantation, which I believe is still there. Nice to see, nice gift shop, worth the stop, but not earth-shattering if you miss it. Made it all of the way north and just drove around the north shore and the various beaches, many of which are world-famous, such as Sunset Beach. If you're there in the winter, it'll be crowded and the road lined w/parked cars as everyone wants to go to surf or watch the surfers. Mid afternoon we made our way to the Turtle Bay Hilton and had lunch at a restaurant which overlooks their pool area and Turtle Bay, beautiful! We walked the grounds and the shoreline for quite a while before leaving, then drove back down the east coast so that we could stop at a few places along the way, including Hanauma Bay (sp?), and some of the beautiful neighborhoods east of Diamond Head Crater (the ones you could drive through, many were gated). Great day, beautiful scenery and yes, I would recommend it.

 

You didn't mention which cruise line you'd be interested in for Hawaii, but another poster to your thread mentioned that when visiting Maui, they were tendered off of Lahaina. NCL does not do this - they go into a dock up in Kahalui. While this location is much closer to access the Road to Hana or going up to Haleakala, I would much rather be moored off of Lahaina, especially if you would be going during whale season, which is the end of November through April (approximately - the whales can't read a calendar). Watching them is a sight to behold!

 

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy! Hawaii is very addicting, it gets right into your blood.

[jess3620]

It was worth it to us. We had, a couple of days earlier, gone on a tour bus up to the Polynesian Cultural Center. This was an all day trip and the bus had taken us up the east coast (breathtaking) to get there. We were there in plenty of time to see the Parade of Boats (not sure if this was what it was called, but if you read about the PCC I'm sure it'll be mentioned), walked to and through all of the different "islands", saw their little shows, had a bite to eat and stayed for the Luau stageshow. Very good. Anyway, since we had heard so much about the north shore and didn't get to see much, if any of it, we picked up a rental very early and drove to Pearl Harbor to get in line before it opened. I know things have changed at Pearl Harbor now and I really would encourage you to read about the best way to get in these days - buy tickets in advance? I'm not sure. Walked around their visitor center, entered the theatre for their film presentation, then boarded the boat to go out and onto the memorial. This is a very emotional experience and while I wouldn't call it "fun", it will definitely stay with you forever. Left Pearl Harbor, went to a McD's for breakfast, then headed up the highway (H1 or H2, can't remember, but it cuts up through the center of Oahu) to the Dole Pineapple Plantation, which I believe is still there. Nice to see, nice gift shop, worth the stop, but not earth-shattering if you miss it. Made it all of the way north and just drove around the north shore and the various beaches, many of which are world-famous, such as Sunset Beach. If you're there in the winter, it'll be crowded and the road lined w/parked cars as everyone wants to go to surf or watch the surfers. Mid afternoon we made our way to the Turtle Bay Hilton and had lunch at a restaurant which overlooks their pool area and Turtle Bay, beautiful! We walked the grounds and the shoreline for quite a while before leaving, then drove back down the east coast so that we could stop at a few places along the way, including Hanauma Bay (sp?), and some of the beautiful neighborhoods east of Diamond Head Crater (the ones you could drive through, many were gated). Great day, beautiful scenery and yes, I would recommend it.

 

You didn't mention which cruise line you'd be interested in for Hawaii, but another poster to your thread mentioned that when visiting Maui, they were tendered off of Lahaina. NCL does not do this - they go into a dock up in Kahalui. While this location is much closer to access the Road to Hana or going up to Haleakala, I would much rather be moored off of Lahaina, especially if you would be going during whale season, which is the end of November through April (approximately - the whales can't read a calendar). Watching them is a sight to behold!

 

Whatever you decide to do, enjoy! Hawaii is very addicting, it gets right into your blood.

 

I booked myself on the Pride of America (NCL) in Jan 2016. I think I may plan to rent a car for a day and do some exploring on my own. Then schedule pick ups for the rest of my adventures. That way I get a day to make stops when I want and some time to just sit back and look at the scenery while in Honolulu.

 

I have been debating if I want to do a whale watch while in Hawaii. I did one in Alaska and it was amazing. I loved every min of it. I am sure I would love to experience it again, but there is also many other things I would like to experience. So I may skip it while in Hawaii. :rolleyes:

[dreamer976]

I booked myself on the Pride of America (NCL) in Jan 2016. I think I may plan to rent a car for a day and do some exploring on my own. Then schedule pick ups for the rest of my adventures. That way I get a day to make stops when I want and some time to just sit back and look at the scenery while in Honolulu.

 

I have been debating if I want to do a whale watch while in Hawaii. I did one in Alaska and it was amazing. I loved every min of it. I am sure I would love to experience it again, but there is also many other things I would like to experience. So I may skip it while in Hawaii. :rolleyes:

 

What a great time of year to cruise! You will definitely see whales in many locations, while at sea or in port, if you're paying attention and if the seas aren't too whipped-up. They're still there, but white-caps make them much harder to see.

 

As far as the rental for a day, I would encourage you to get active on your roll call - perhaps someone(s) of like minds might be interested in doing the same thing, leaving you the opportunity to split the cost (get a nicer vehicle) and have lots of laughs during your trek!:D

[jess3620]

What a great time of year to cruise! You will definitely see whales in many locations, while at sea or in port, if you're paying attention and if the seas aren't too whipped-up. They're still there, but white-caps make them much harder to see.

 

As far as the rental for a day, I would encourage you to get active on your roll call - perhaps someone(s) of like minds might be interested in doing the same thing, leaving you the opportunity to split the cost (get a nicer vehicle) and have lots of laughs during your trek!:D

 

That's a wonderful idea! Thank you so much your all of your information. You have been so helpful! I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions and to offer your advice! :)

[ChiGal1962]

Just made my first trip to Hawaii on a Celebrity cruise in October. I was solo. I actually did shore excursions in most places, because they just fit with the experience I wanted to have at the time. I got to see a lot of the various islands and have some fun, no hassle adventures.

 

I was on my own twice. I chose to spend one day in Maui just wandering around Front Street, right by the pier. It was a great, relaxing day.

 

The other time was in Honolulu and that's only because we happened to hit there right when the government shut down, so all of the Pearl Harbor excursions were canceled.

Unfortunately, because it was unplanned, I hadn't done my research. So just getting off the ship with the intent of "wandering until I figured it out" was a disaster! A number of other folks from the ship were very confused about how to find the buses, where things were, etc. I ended up going back to the ship and enjoying a lovely day at the pool.

 

As for touring in general, check out your roll call. There were a LOT of people organizing private tours with operators that they had dealt with before, and were happy to join up with others. (And from the pictures, a good time was had by all!) If you want to go the private route, but still want to be with other folks, that would be an option.

 

Have fun!

[zoncom]

Also booked on Solstice Vancouver to Hawaii,Fall 2014. Great ship. itin.Last time there 20 yrs. ago. I recommend on Oahu THE BUS. Goes around the island.Relax, look at Ocean. I recall road as curvy.hilly.You cannot enjoy the scenery when driving these conditions. Also cheap. Be sure to check out the DK Eyewitness guide to Hawaii.Excellent pictorials.

[OhJinkies]

Jess, I've been planning my POA Hawaii cruise for over a year. I've still got a couple of months before we sail but thought I'd share with you what I'm doing. Now I am spending a LOT of money on this trip but I've been planning/paying for the past year. I don't know when I'll make it back to Hawaii, so for me, the extra money is worth it...

 

Traveling from east coast and arriving in Honolulu on a Tuesday afternoon, checking in to the Park Shore Waikiki. Early dinner and walk on the beach -- maybe check out

Taking a half-day Pearl Harbor/City Tour with Discover Hawaii on Wednesday morning (afternoon is free as I'm sure I will be jetlagged). Early dinner again.

Taking a sunrise photography tour on Thursday morning (afternoon is once again free -- I may try doing an outrigger canoe experience in Waikiki). Meeting up with a former co-worker who lives on Oahu to attend Germaine's luau, which I won from a podcast contest.

Friday -- back with Discover Hawaii for a full-day Ultimate Circle-Island Eco Adventure tour (will see North Shore, Kualoa Ranch, Byodo-In Temple, etc.) Will see fireworks from beach.

Saturday -- free morning and then board the POA (solo studio). May check bags and wander around Honolulu a bit (Iolani palace, etc.) before ship sails.

Sunday/Maui -- Booked small-group "Road to Hana" tour with Valley Isle excursions.

Monday/Maui -- Booked small-group Haleakala Sunrise expedition -- leaves at oh-dark-hundred. Rest of day free to rest/recover.

Tuesday/Hilo -- Joining fellow roll call members on small group AINA tour of Volcano and Rainbow falls. Picked this one as it includes Chain of Craters road and a lava field hike. Originally planned to rent a car and do VNP on my own but would prefer professional guide and some company this day.

Wednesday/Kailua-Kona -- Nothing scheduled, whew! Just plan to have a leisurely day/lunch in town.

Thursday/Kauai -- Booked "Heaven and Earth Quest" tour through the ship that includes a helicopter ride and small group van tour.

Friday/Kauai -- Booked Waimea Canyon excursion through the ship.

Saturday/Honolulu -- Disembark and rent a car, drive to Ko'Olina. Check into Aulani for one night. Just plan to enjoy the resort and relax, have a nice dinner.

Sunday -- Spa treatment at Aulani. Return to Honolulu, drop off rental car. Old friend from childhood picking me up for dinner and will drop me off at airport for return flight.

 

So my schedule is jam-packed but I tried to plan some downtime in there as well.

[OhJinkies]

Jess, I've been planning my POA Hawaii cruise for over a year. I've still got a couple of months before we sail but thought I'd share with you what I'm doing. Now I am spending a LOT of money on this trip but I've been planning/paying for the past year. I don't know when I'll make it back to Hawaii, so for me, the extra money is worth it...

 

Traveling from east coast and arriving in Honolulu on a Tuesday afternoon, checking in to the Park Shore Waikiki. Early dinner and walk on the beach -- maybe check out

Taking a half-day Pearl Harbor/City Tour with Discover Hawaii on Wednesday morning (afternoon is free as I'm sure I will be jetlagged). Early dinner again.

Taking a sunrise photography tour on Thursday morning (afternoon is once again free -- I may try doing an outrigger canoe experience in Waikiki). Meeting up with a former co-worker who lives on Oahu to attend Germaine's luau, which I won from a podcast contest.

Friday -- back with Discover Hawaii for a full-day Ultimate Circle-Island Eco Adventure tour (will see North Shore, Kualoa Ranch, Byodo-In Temple, etc.) Will see fireworks from beach.

Saturday -- free morning and then board the POA (solo studio). May check bags and wander around Honolulu a bit (Iolani palace, etc.) before ship sails.

Sunday/Maui -- Booked small-group "Road to Hana" tour with Valley Isle excursions.

Monday/Maui -- Booked small-group Haleakala Sunrise expedition -- leaves at oh-dark-hundred. Rest of day free to rest/recover.

Tuesday/Hilo -- Joining fellow roll call members on small group AINA tour of Volcano and Rainbow falls. Picked this one as it includes Chain of Craters road and a lava field hike. Originally planned to rent a car and do VNP on my own but would prefer professional guide and some company this day.

Wednesday/Kailua-Kona -- Nothing scheduled, whew! Just plan to have a leisurely day/lunch in town.

Thursday/Kauai -- Booked "Heaven and Earth Quest" tour through the ship that includes a helicopter ride and small group van tour.

Friday/Kauai -- Booked Waimea Canyon excursion through the ship.

Saturday/Honolulu -- Disembark and rent a car, drive to Ko'Olina. Check into Aulani for one night. Just plan to enjoy the resort and relax, have a nice dinner.

Sunday -- Spa treatment at Aulani. Return to Honolulu, drop off rental car. Old friend from childhood picking me up for dinner and will drop me off at airport for return flight.

 

So my schedule is jam-packed but I tried to plan some downtime in there as well.

I meant to say when I arrive on Tuesday, I may check out the Torch lighting and Hula on Kuhio Beach at 6:00 p.m.