Aloha~! A Photo Trip Report of the POA - 10/11/14

[Miicah]

 

 

 

 

 

[Miicah]

 

 

 

Our last stop was at a winery, where you’re able to go to a free wine tasting. I would’ve gone, but I left my ID back in the van (we all know I was going to get carded if I tried, haha) and I didn’t feel like walking back to get it, haha. There is a washroom here if you need to go.

 

 

 

[Miicah]

 

 

Can’t remember who this was a statue of but I believe he was Japanese.

 

 

 

She’s getting a bit rusty! I think she’s due of a dry dock sometime soon.

 

 

[Miicah]

Our first towel animal! Was super excited to see one in person after all the pictures in reviews I saw of them. I couldn’t figure out what half of ours were but we kept them all throughout the week, haha. I wanted to take them all home with me!

 

 

 

Our daily treat delivered by our butler Jose.

 

 

Today we had dinner at Skyline. These are the stairs I was mentioning that lead up to Liberty.

 

 

The menu. The list on the right stays the same for the week, and the one on the left change daily.

 

 

[Miicah]

 

 

 

There’s a live band singing while we ate. As a fellow alto sax player I liked that the alto sax got some solos, haha.

 

 

Our view from our seat. Better than the deck view at Cagney’s, haha.

 

[Miicah]

When we were done we walked around a bit and took part in the night’s photoshoot (had to build up that portfolio and all, haha).

 

 

 

 

Now that I think about it, I think that necklace here was what my mom got for free from the store where their bus stopped, haha.

 

 

We stopped by the Shout It Out movie trivia at the Gold Rush but it was already on its way and we had an extremely early excursion the next day, so we headed back to our cabin and called it a night.

 

The next day is coming up soon!

[mgoose1]

So following this! My dream trip. Your pictures are great.

[greatlakesgirl]

Those trees with the really cool bark are the painted eucalyptus trees. Love your pics of the RTH!

[bosnatis]

Great review. We will be on the POA on April 4th 2015. We are staying in suite 13002 so your review is perfect for us.

[luv2cruise391]

Your posts and pics are great. We sail January 17 - hoping to see more soon!

Any tips on best time to check in at pier?

[Lorey2007]

Lahaina On Your Own - Round-trip

This round-trip motorcoach transfer is a convenient and cost effective for you to travel to historic and charming Lahaina. The ride takes approximately 45 minutes each way, along a scenic route. Your motorcoach will make two stops – at Hilo Hattie's, shopping mecca for all things Hawaiian and at the flagpole next to the Lahaina Wharf. Dozens of boutiques, shops, restaurants, and historical sites are within easy walking distance from both locations

 

Is this the same excursion your Mom was on? We are booked for this one through NCL but I'm expecting it to be downtown Lahaina and not the outlet mall. What do you think?

__________________

***Lorey***

[Silver Sweethearts]

Lahaina On Your Own - Round-trip

This round-trip motorcoach transfer is a convenient and cost effective for you to travel to historic and charming Lahaina. The ride takes approximately 45 minutes each way, along a scenic route. Your motorcoach will make two stops – at Hilo Hattie's, shopping mecca for all things Hawaiian and at the flagpole next to the Lahaina Wharf. Dozens of boutiques, shops, restaurants, and historical sites are within easy walking distance from both locations

 

Is this the same excursion your Mom was on? We are booked for this one through NCL but I'm expecting it to be downtown Lahaina and not the outlet mall. What do you think?

 

Hilo Hattie's is at the far end of Front Street in the so-called outlet mall, which is merely a collection of stores grouped together. Lahaina wharf is at the other end of the shopping/dining area on Front Street. Stroll up and down Front Street between the two places and you will have seen most of the shops, restaurants and historical sites. If we recall, Micah said her mother missed seeing the historic Banyan tree in Lahaina. If her bus did stop at the wharf, the tree is right there. It is so big you walk under it. Perhaps she was looking for something smaller and more like a regular tree.

Edited January 1, 2015 by Silver Sweethearts

[Lorey2007]

:)

Lahaina On Your Own - Round-trip

This round-trip motorcoach transfer is a convenient and cost effective for you to travel to historic and charming Lahaina. The ride takes approximately 45 minutes each way, along a scenic route. Your motorcoach will make two stops – at Hilo Hattie's, shopping mecca for all things Hawaiian and at the flagpole next to the Lahaina Wharf. Dozens of boutiques, shops, restaurants, and historical sites are within easy walking distance from both locations

 

Is this the same excursion your Mom was on? We are booked for this one through NCL but I'm expecting it to be downtown Lahaina and not the outlet mall. What do you think?

 

Hilo Hattie's is at the far end of Front Street in the so-called outlet mall, which is merely a collection of stores grouped together. Lahaina wharf is at the other end of the shopping/dining area on Front Street. Stroll up and down Front Street between the two places and you will have seen most of the shops, restaurants and historical sites. If we recall, Micah said her mother missed seeing the historic Banyan tree in Lahaina. If her bus did stop at the wharf, the tree is right there. It is so big you walk under it. Perhaps she was looking for something smaller and more like a regular tree.

 

Thanks we plan on walking from one end to the other and avoiding the outlet mall.

[Lorey2007]

Miicah, thank you so much for posting the Freestyle Daily. I am an obsessive planner and since I booked my cruise last June I have been looking for these. Again I am loving your fantastic review I look for it everyday.:)

Edited January 2, 2015 by Lorey2007

[Imalismom]

Miicah, thank you so much for posting the Freestyle Daily. I am an obsessive planner and since I booked my cruise last June I have been looking for these. Again I am loving your fantastic review I look for it everyday.:)

 

Me too! We are going in July and I have been looking everyday for more posts from you... I will be sad when you post the last post....

[Miicah]

So following this! My dream trip. Your pictures are great.

 

Thank you so much for following along! I hope you get to go on your dream trip some day!

 

Those trees with the really cool bark are the painted eucalyptus trees. Love your pics of the RTH!

 

Yes, that's it! Thank you, haha. I'm glad you liked them ^_^

[Miicah]

Great review. We will be on the POA on April 4th 2015. We are staying in suite 13002 so your review is perfect for us.

 

Thank you! I know deck 13 is especially hard to get information on, so I'm glad I can help somehow!

 

Your posts and pics are great. We sail January 17 - hoping to see more soon!

Any tips on best time to check in at pier?

 

Thanks a bunch! Your trip is coming up soon, so lucky! To beat the lines, either come really early or later in the afternoon. I think we reached the pier at maybe 11:30AM or so, and though the lines for the baggage and security wasn't all that bad, the line for check-in (if you're not in a suite) was insane. So perhaps try to be at the pier at around 10.

[Miicah]

Is this the same excursion your Mom was on? We are booked for this one through NCL but I'm expecting it to be downtown Lahaina and not the outlet mall. What do you think?

 

Miicah, thank you so much for posting the Freestyle Daily. I am an obsessive planner and since I booked my cruise last June I have been looking for these. Again I am loving your fantastic review I look for it everyday.:)

__________________

***Lorey***

 

That is indeed the excursion my mom was on. It looks like Silver Sweethearts has helped you out, though! I'm not sure which stop my mom got off on, but from her pictures it looks like she saw both the wharf and the mall, so I guess Lahaina's a small place.

 

And you're welcome! I'm glad the Freestyle Daily is helping you. Thanks again for continuing to follow, read and reply!

 

Hilo Hattie's is at the far end of Front Street in the so-called outlet mall, which is merely a collection of stores grouped together. Lahaina wharf is at the other end of the shopping/dining area on Front Street. Stroll up and down Front Street between the two places and you will have seen most of the shops, restaurants and historical sites. If we recall, Micah said her mother missed seeing the historic Banyan tree in Lahaina. If her bus did stop at the wharf, the tree is right there. It is so big you walk under it. Perhaps she was looking for something smaller and more like a regular tree.

 

I didn't realize Lahaina was that small! Going by her pictures, it seems like my mom saw the wharf and went to the mall, but knowing my mom she could've been right under the tree and not know what it was, haha.

[Miicah]

Me too! We are going in July and I have been looking everyday for more posts from you... I will be sad when you post the last post....

 

Awn, thank you so much! I know it'll be sad once I post the last post, too :(

[Miicah]

 

 

 

[Miicah]

Day 10 – 10/13/14 – Maui, Day 2 (Happy Thanksgiving!)

 

Today we had the Haleakala Sunrise Deluxe tour with NCL in hopes of seeing the famous sunrise at the summit. I’ve heard varying statistics about the chances of us seeing it—one person said two out of the five times they’ve went they’ve seen it, and our tour guide said 70% of all the tours he took up there saw it. So we weren’t entirely sure which to go with, but seeing how early we had to wake up for it, I know everyone in our group wanted to see it, haha.

 

I forgot to take a picture of it, but as we were driving up you could see several fires going on down below—I think it was sugarcane or something that the owners were burning. Less hot to do it in the dead of night than when the sun is up.

 

Now we’re from Canada, and we know cold and snow better than the majority of Americans (except for Alaska, who suffers up here with us, haha). I mean, you guys close schools with like 5cm of snow, come on, haha. So when they said it gets cold up there, I didn’t think much of it. But let me tell you, it is cold up there, haha. I mean, it wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t have to stand there for like two hours to claim the best spot, and then there is a windchill I didn’t factor in, haha. Our guide was saying the temperature in Fahrenheit that I didn’t understand, but he claims it was like 10 degrees Celsius. There was no way in hell that was 10 degrees Celsius, haha. Especially with the windchill—and according to him those were some of the milder winds he experienced.

 

So yeah, if you guys plan on going up there, bring the layers, hat, gloves, everything, haha. Our guide did have some extra sweaters that you can see us wearing in the picture below, but I wished I had some leggings because just my jeans weren’t doing it for me, haha.

 

 

Our guide told us the brightest star there was Jupiter, and that it was a good sign if we could see it so clearly.

 

 

Unfortunately, the clouds started to blow in late because of the wind and we were not able to see the true sunrise. Luck was not on our side!

 

 

 

 

Edited January 3, 2015 by Miicah

[Miicah]

 

Some people climbed this hill thing (that our guide says you’re not allowed to climb), though if it got them above the clouds to see the sunrise who cares, right? Haha, I wonder how it looked like to them.

 

 

 

 

 

[Miicah]

At least we were able to see it pop out from between the clouds. It wasn’t as magnificent, but it still was a beautiful sight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Miicah]

 

 

 

 

 

[Miicah]

To warm up we went into the Visitor’s Center (where you could also watch the sunrise—not the best spot but definitely the warmest once it’s open). There’s also a washroom nearby.

 

 

 

 

After that we went back to the van and headed to the highest point, where the famous observatories are.

 

 

 

You can sorta make out the POA docked!