A Photo Trip Report of POA 3/25-4/8/15

[BnAv10]

Loving your review' date=' it's like I'm reliving our cruise as we did Road to Hana too :). I think you may have taken a photo of our rental vehicle, as we had a silver Ford Flex (in front of you in the photo) an followed a white suv most of the trip back with many cars behind us :). Small world!

I'm so glad you posted the photo of the rainbow, it's the first time I've ever seen both ends of a rainbow. I was stretching outside the fitness centre that morning and didn't have my phone to take a photo...so thank you for this wonderful memory![/quote']

 

Wow! It is a small world! That would be funny if I took a pic of your car! Ha! (We were in a black Jeep Wrangler btw) Did you enjoy the road to Hana? Curious if you stopped at different stops and/or did any hikes?

 

I know what you mean about that rainbow, to see the entire rainbow, right from the point it starts at the water to the other end was so amazing! Hawaii is a magical place and seems to be where rainbows end! :)

 

Thank you for following along and commenting. I was starting to think I may be talking to myself here ha! ;)

[Mom2B&Z]

Wow! It is a small world! That would be funny if I took a pic of your car! Ha! (We were in a black Jeep Wrangler btw) Did you enjoy the road to Hana? Curious if you stopped at different stops and/or did any hikes?

 

 

 

I know what you mean about that rainbow, to see the entire rainbow, right from the point it starts at the water to the other end was so amazing! Hawaii is a magical place and seems to be where rainbows end! :)

 

 

 

Thank you for following along and commenting. I was starting to think I may be talking to myself here ha! ;)

 

 

Definitely not talking to yourself lol! I think a lot of people tend to read reviews but avoid making comments that don't add meaningful content to the thread. That's where the number of views becomes useful.

We did make some stops in Road to Hana, often it was a waterfall or lookout we saw on the side of the road, others were preplanned. Like you, I had a few opinions of where to stop along the way. We loved Twin Falls and Wai'anapanapa State park, which was as far as we went. We had my parents (in their 70's) and our boys (10&7 yrs) so couldn't do some of the more difficult hikes, but we had a blast! Here are my boys at the black sand beach at Wai'anapanapa.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[BnAv10]

Definitely not talking to yourself lol! I think a lot of people tend to read reviews but avoid making comments that don't add meaningful content to the thread. That's where the number of views becomes useful.

We did make some stops in Road to Hana' date=' often it was a waterfall or lookout we saw on the side of the road, others were preplanned. Like you, I had a few opinions of where to stop along the way. We loved Twin Falls and Wai'anapanapa State park, which was as far as we went. We had my parents (in their 70's) and our boys (10&7 yrs) so couldn't do some of the more difficult hikes, but we had a blast! Here are my boys at the black sand beach at Wai'anapanapa.[/quote']

 

Thank you for saying that. Good to know I'm not taking to myself lol! ;)

 

That is so cool that you made the trip with your parents and your kids too! I'm sure you made special memories to last a lifetime.

 

That state park and black sand beach are one stop that I wish we had made but didn't. We needed to make some hard choices so we'd have time for the hike and get back before dark. Looks beautiful there. We have been to a black sand beach before so we decided to skip it, but I have heard it is an amazing place. Glad you got to stop there!

 

Thank you again for following along and commenting! Now that I know someone is still following along I'm more motivated to continue. Ha! ;)

[millineumwoman]

Oh there is more of us following along!! I'm going next May 2016 so getting ideas on what I can do lol

[greatlakesgirl]

I'm still following! Love your R2H pics. Didn't do it on our cruise, but did with my parents when we went waaaay back when I was eighteen.

[AryMay]

Definitely not talking to yourself lol! I think a lot of people tend to read reviews but avoid making comments that don't add meaningful content to the thread. That's where the number of views becomes useful.

 

Yep...that's me! I keep checking several times a day to see if you have added anything to the review' date=' but don't really have anything useful to say except "Thanks!!"

 

Having the daily newsletters PLUS all of your photos is wonderful...thanks for putting in the extra time to include them. I am taking notes as I read! So much to consider as we get ready for "our turn!"[/color']

[hannibal54]

We did this cruise on 2-28-15.Thanks for the review and refreshing the memories.

[limmerb]

I too love reading your posts and seeing your photos, my family is going on the June 6th sailing and are very excited!

[pspercy]

Hana Hwy is just a twisty country road !!

 

For real white knuckle stuff drive 'round the other end of Maui :)

 

 

Did it once, wife nearly got out and walked at times, especially coming down the cliff into Kahakuloa village.

 

Enjoying your review, keep it coming:)

Edited April 18, 2015 by pspercy

[Imalismom]

<snip>

 

<snip>)

 

 

this is why I am extremely glad we have hired a tour guide :)

[Wildcatllamas]

Since you have privs for Hale Koa, I bet you also would be eligible for the military discount on the cruise since you are in the room, I would have your friend check that out. It can be a substantial savings at times.

 

Thanks for the tip. Just checked with my friend and her husband is retired military so she got us that fare as well. I will remember that for future cruises.

[Miicah]

Aww, omg, you’re totally not talking to yourself! *hugs* I know I felt like I was talking to myself when I was writing mine xP Okay, super long response coming up for everything that I missed, haha.

 

You really do love those tiki totems! Did you end up buying one as a souvenir? Lol I’m so sad we didn’t walk further down the beach to see more, but at least I can see them from your pictures ^_^ And how awesome is it that you saw a parade?

 

I know you had to wait in a line to get on, but it still looks like you get there pretty early! I mean, the pool area was still empty! And I did love that duck, lol xD

 

That’s so cool that you went to La Cucina, that food looks so tasty it’s making me hungry lol That’s a good tip about getting food at the buffet and then taking it out to the deck to eat—you can avoid the crowd and having amazing views! I’ll have to try that next time! Did you end up going to any other specialty restaurants?

 

I also give props to your husband Brad for driving the R2H! We weren’t able to drive ourselves (though I’m not sure I could’ve handled it even if we were LOL) but it certainly does have its advantages like you mentioned. I would’ve loved to see that Bamboo Forest! Maybe that was down the other trail I didn’t have time to get to =( I’m so lucky I have you guys and your gorgeous photos and videos! I’m so jelly! But that bug in your bra, not so jelly about that LOL Eww, I can do lizards but not bugs lol

 

That’s too bad about the service you had at the MDR, especially at breakfast, since I really wanted to try having breakfast there during the week. But those cinnamon rolls… *drools* And you got to see the Newlywed show, yay! Glad you enjoyed it!

 

…And now I’m sad I’ve caught up! I need another update! Can’t wait for more!

Edited April 19, 2015 by Miicah

[greatlakesgirl]

I am seriously missing Hawaii right now!!!!

[gmazz]

I am seriously missing Hawaii right now!!!!

 

I am totally with you greatlakesgirl!!! I would go back in a heartbeat if I could.

 

BNave10 I am thouroghly enjoying your review, brings back wonderful memories of our trip last March. We didn't do the R2H, that is a long time for DH to sit still. LOL really enjoyed your pictures of that.

[MandyMommyof2]

I am having a blast reading your report!!! We have been to Hawaii twice, but have never done the cruise. I have thought this was something I have always wanted to do and now you have me convinced! Seeing all of your pictures takes me back. One of the very best days of our vacation was on The Road to Hana this past September. We did the "illegal" back road and to say there were sights that took my breath away were an understatement. We had such fun as we rented a Yukon XL for my family plus my Mom and Dad so we all got to see it together. I did not drive on either of our trips on that road! I was wanting too, but for some reason my husband just wouldnt trust me :eek: I hope you did stop at Aunt Sandys for some banana bread. After two trips, I am still trying to recreate that bread :D Maui is very special to us!! I relied a lot on the Revealed books as well. I had picked up Maui first in 2013 on our first trip and then picked up Oahu in May last year. Tons of useful information in those books. Your pictures are amazing!!! And I am loving all of the food pics! Can't wait to read about your next stop!!! :) Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a great, informative review and posting your pictures.

[Foxycourt95]

Great Review looking forward to reading more!

[jaybee1965]

I am hoping to do this cruise in August (still holding out for a price drop) but am going to Hawaii regardless as we have the airfares booked. Is August still considered peak summer holiday time in Hawaii or for mainland USA? I know we are not allowed to mention TA's but anyone care to comment about online bookings with various cruise deal websites - good or bad experiences - or traps for non US residents?

[BnAv10]

Oh there is more of us following along!! I'm going next May 2016 so getting ideas on what I can do lol

 

Thank you so much for following along! I hope that you have a wonderful time. The planning is half the fun, isn't it?

 

I'm still following! Love your R2H pics. Didn't do it on our cruise, but did with my parents when we went waaaay back when I was eighteen.

 

Thank you for following along! Thank you for the compliment on the pics too. R2H was so beautiful and definitely something i'm glad i got to experience. A once in a lifetime adventure!

 

Yep...that's me! I keep checking several times a day to see if you have added anything to the review, but don't really have anything useful to say except "Thanks!!"

 

Having the daily newsletters PLUS all of your photos is wonderful...thanks for putting in the extra time to include them. I am taking notes as I read! So much to consider as we get ready for "our turn!"

 

Thank you for following along! I really do appreciate the feedback, it keeps me going knowing that my review is helpful and people want me to continue and i'm not just talking to myself ha! I am so glad to know that the pics and the dailies are helpful too. I am sure you are going to have so much fun when it's your turn!

 

We did this cruise on 2-28-15.Thanks for the review and refreshing the memories.

 

Thank you for following along! I know that reading other reviews as well as writing my trip report does make me relive all the fun and beauty!

 

I too love reading your posts and seeing your photos, my family is going on the June 6th sailing and are very excited!

 

Thank you for following along! How exciting that your trip is coming up soon! It will be here before you know it!

 

Hana Hwy is just a twisty country road !!

For real white knuckle stuff drive 'round the other end of Maui

Did it once, wife nearly got out and walked at times, especially coming down the cliff into Kahakuloa village.

Enjoying your review, keep it coming

 

Thank you for following along! They sure do know how to build windy roads that take the breath away in Hawaii! :eek:

[BnAv10]

Aww, omg, you’re totally not talking to yourself! *hugs* I know I felt like I was talking to myself when I was writing mine xP Okay, super long response coming up for everything that I missed, haha.

 

You really do love those tiki totems! Did you end up buying one as a souvenir? Lol I’m so sad we didn’t walk further down the beach to see more, but at least I can see them from your pictures ^_^ And how awesome is it that you saw a parade?

 

I know you had to wait in a line to get on, but it still looks like you get there pretty early! I mean, the pool area was still empty! And I did love that duck, lol xD

 

That’s so cool that you went to La Cucina, that food looks so tasty it’s making me hungry lol That’s a good tip about getting food at the buffet and then taking it out to the deck to eat—you can avoid the crowd and having amazing views! I’ll have to try that next time! Did you end up going to any other specialty restaurants?

 

I also give props to your husband Brad for driving the R2H! We weren’t able to drive ourselves (though I’m not sure I could’ve handled it even if we were LOL) but it certainly does have its advantages like you mentioned. I would’ve loved to see that Bamboo Forest! Maybe that was down the other trail I didn’t have time to get to =( I’m so lucky I have you guys and your gorgeous photos and videos! I’m so jelly! But that bug in your bra, not so jelly about that LOL Eww, I can do lizards but not bugs lol

 

That’s too bad about the service you had at the MDR, especially at breakfast, since I really wanted to try having breakfast there during the week. But those cinnamon rolls… *drools* And you got to see the Newlywed show, yay! Glad you enjoyed it!

 

…And now I’m sad I’ve caught up! I need another update! Can’t wait for more!

 

((((MIICAH))))) Thank you so much for following along and commenting on my trip report! You are so kind! And thank you for the shoutout on your AMAZING trip report as well! (If any of you haven't already seen MIICAH's trip report, you gotta check it out!

 

You are so right, i should have bought a tiki totem! Ha! I really did love them! I've been thinking about buying one! My husband and i have been talking about moving to a new place. Once we do, our plan is to turn our patio/lanai into a tiki bar, and i want to get a tiki totem to add to it! If and when that happens, i'll be sure to share pics! If anyone knows where i can get such a thing, please advise!

 

And that gross bug... really grossed me out and freaked me out and i made Brad get out of the shower and kill it for me immediately LOL. I thought it was way to creepy for me to handle on my own. Thank God for my husband who handles all creepy crawlers for me lol! He is a saint.

 

More trip reporting coming up shortly! Stay tuned! And thank you for reading!

 

I am seriously missing Hawaii right now!!!!

 

ME TOO! :)

 

I am totally with you greatlakesgirl!!! I would go back in a heartbeat if I could.

 

BNave10 I am thouroghly enjoying your review, brings back wonderful memories of our trip last March. We didn't do the R2H, that is a long time for DH to sit still. LOL really enjoyed your pictures of that.

 

ME THREE! ;-)

 

Thank you so much for following along and the comment about the pics. I'm so glad you are enjoying them!

 

I am having a blast reading your report!!! We have been to Hawaii twice, but have never done the cruise. I have thought this was something I have always wanted to do and now you have me convinced! Seeing all of your pictures takes me back. One of the very best days of our vacation was on The Road to Hana this past September. We did the "illegal" back road and to say there were sights that took my breath away were an understatement. We had such fun as we rented a Yukon XL for my family plus my Mom and Dad so we all got to see it together. I did not drive on either of our trips on that road! I was wanting too, but for some reason my husband just wouldnt trust me :eek: I hope you did stop at Aunt Sandys for some banana bread. After two trips, I am still trying to recreate that bread Maui is very special to us!! I relied a lot on the Revealed books as well. I had picked up Maui first in 2013 on our first trip and then picked up Oahu in May last year. Tons of useful information in those books. Your pictures are amazing!!! And I am loving all of the food pics! Can't wait to read about your next stop!!! Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a great, informative review and posting your pictures.

 

Thank you so much for following along and your comments! That sounds like an exciting adventure you had in maui! I wish we had stopped at Aunt Sandy's. We stopped right across from there but didn't buy anything. Mmmmm now i want banana bread! Those Revealed books are SO GREAT! Thank you also for the compliments on the pics and the report. It means a lot to get the nice feedback!

 

Great Review looking forward to reading more!

 

Thank you so much for following along!

 

I am hoping to do this cruise in August (still holding out for a price drop) but am going to Hawaii regardless as we have the airfares booked. Is August still considered peak summer holiday time in Hawaii or for mainland USA? I know we are not allowed to mention TA's but anyone care to comment about online bookings with various cruise deal websites - good or bad experiences - or traps for non US residents?

 

I think that August is considered a peak time to travel. Any time when the schools are out i would imagine. I am not the expert with the most experience on booking on various websites, so you might want to try searching the forum about that. However, when i've researched in the past, i have come to the conclusion that i typically get the best bottom line deal when dealing directly with the cruise line. And by doing so, i get to also hand select exactly where and when and still get the best price. But i would advise again, searching the forums and perhaps posting your own thread for some more advice on that topic.

 

MAHALO TO EVERYONE for following along and the feedback. It's nice to know i'm not talking to myself!

 

UP NEXT: HILO, HAWAII!

[lanord]

I am eager to read the rest of your review, and hope you get all or most of it posted before we leave For. Hawaii. THIS. THURSDAY! :D Can you tell I'm getting a little excited!

 

On pins and needles for Hilo... :p

[BnAv10]

I am eager to read the rest of your review, and hope you get all or most of it posted before we leave For. Hawaii. THIS. THURSDAY! :D Can you tell I'm getting a little excited!

 

On pins and needles for Hilo... :p

 

OMG I AM EXCITED FOR YOU! :-) Not sure i'll be able to finish my whole report before THURSDAY but I am SURE you will have a WONDERFUL time anyway! I will be posting about Hilo in mere seconds though, so stay tuned! :) And if there is anything specific you have questions about regarding the cruise or ports of call, i am happy to help if i can. And if i can't answer, i have a feeling someone else following along on this thread can. :)

 

Mahalo for following along and your PATIENCE! :)

[BnAv10]

Tuesday, March 31 Pride of America (POA)

 

 

[BnAv10]

Tuesday, March 31 Pride of America (POA) continued

 

Today we sailed into the port of Hilo, on "the Big Island" of Hawaii.

 

 

We again had breakfast early in the a.m. on the back (aft) lanai of the ship after picking up our breakfast in the Aloha Cafe Buffet. We loved eating "al fresco" even though it meant our food got cold a lot faster.

 

On this particular day, one peculiar thing that happened was that all the tables and the floor on the back lanai of the ship were covered in bits of black dirt. We speculated what it was and never really got a good answer. An NCL employee discovered it and started wiping down the tables. I asked her what it was and she said that she honestly did not know. I thought that perhaps it was volcanic ash. I can't say definitely though.

 

This (we think) was also the day that we saw whales spouting in the distance while eating our breakfast. They were a distance away and did not breach, so we did not get any pictures. It was still very exciting!

 

After breakfast we walked back through the buffet and loaded up a plate with easy to go items to pack for our lunch on the go later, i.e. croissants, muffins, fruit. Once back at our cabin we packed these in ziplocks and into our backpacks they went. We also had pretzels in a ziplock as well as a luna bar and a power bar. (we always like to have some bars for "just in case" when taking a hike.)

 

Side note: we picked up large bottles of Hawaiian water whenever we were in each port, a couple bottles each time, and just put them in our backpack and took them back on the ship. The bottles of Hawaiian water were 99 cents each at the ABC store. I think we saw them for 89 cents each at walmart and another supermarket on the islands.

 

We headed down to the gangway at just about 8 a.m., and were able to walk right off. Our shuttle van was waiting for us for Avis.

 

Last time we did this cruise/itinerary, we tried to fit in a couple stops for waterfalls in addition to the Volcano National Park. This made for a very rushed day and short changed our visit to VNP. So i vowed to go back someday and spend more time exclusively in VNP. I finally got to fulfill that promise!

 

We went straight to VNP and headed for our hike trailhead. Our plan was to do the Kilauea Iki trail. The left turn to go towards that trailhead is immediately after entering the park, and we missed it. So after realizing this and backtracking, we eventually found the trailhead.

 

Note: there are no restrooms at the trailhead for the Kilauea Iki trail. However, there are restrooms at the entrance to the Thurston lava tube. They are a bit hard to find, not really good signage, and you can't see them from the parking lot, but they are there.

 

It is recommended that you do this trail counterclockwise to make it easier (dealing with the elevation) so we followed that suggestion. It was a beautiful exciting hike! It was a lush walk down through a rainforest before getting to the bottom of the crater. Along the way we saw a lot of unique and cool looking vegetation. And once in a while we would get a sneak peek of the crater and steam vents below. Otherworldly i think is an appropriate word for this hike as well as VNP as a whole.

 

 

 

 

 

[BnAv10]

Tuesday, March 31 Pride of America (POA)‏ continued

 

At the bottom of the crater, the park set up big piles of rocks so that hikers would know where to go to stay on the trail. It was cool looking to see all those piles of rocks everywhere along with the steam vents, probably adding to the surreal otherworldly feeling.

 

 

I took a very short video to try to capture this, but this video is too short and fast moving to really capture it. But i'll share it anyway!

 

[YOUTUBE]kXY2PRwKZXQ[/YOUTUBE]

 

I took a lot of pictures on this hike!

 

 

 

 

 

[BnAv10]

Tuesday, March 31 Pride of America (POA)‏ continued