Mele Kalikimaka, Kids! Santa Says We Are Sailing in Hawaii! (TR 12/29/15-1/10/16)

[baseballsandbows]

Our original plan was to go on the flight with Wings over Kauai, go back to the ship for lunch, and then pick up the rental and go exploring. Once we were at the airport, however, we realized we could save time by picking up the car after the flight instead of returning to the ship and then catching the rental shuttle back to the airport. We asked the WoK folks to take us to the rental area instead of the port, and they happily obliged. Then, we just had to hope that the agency would have our car ready an hour earlier than what I had requested. We were lucky that they did have a car ready, but for those going to the airport for a flight who also plan to rent a car, you can just go from one spot to the other in minutes. Our flight was for 11, so I should have booked the rental for 12:15. My original car reservation was for 1:30, but by going straight to the rental counter from the flight, we saved 30-60 minutes of driving time, waiting for shuttles, etc...

 

After picking up the car, we drove back to the ship and hit the buffet for lunch. With full bellies, we went to explore. My original plan was to go to the Waimea Canyon, but during our flight, I asked our pilot what he would do. Because we got a good glimpse of the canyon from the air, and because the weather was good on the north shore that day, he suggested that we go to Hanalei Bay, near Princeville. So, we followed his advice and headed out. I'm so glad we listened to him. Princeville is an adorable little town, and the scenery around Hanalei Bay was beautiful. I've never been to Vietnam, but it reminded me of scenes I have seen in pictures with rice paddies and mountains, and all of this was right next to the beach! There was one spot where we could have taken a photo, but we didn't realize there was an overlook until after we passed. I'm so sad we didn't turn around and go back for a photo. It was truly beautiful. I wish I could show you the scenes I can see in my head!

 

These pictures are from the beach looking back at the mountains, but you can't see the amazing scenery in between the palm trees and mountains.

 

IMG_0723 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0746 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0749 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0747 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0748 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

I don't know why we didn't take beach gear, but we got to Hanalei Bay without swimsuits. So, we just spent some time walking and playing on the beach. My DD found a coconut, and spent a good amount of time trying to crack it open. She was quite determined.

 

IMG_0727 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0743 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

She involved her dad and brother as well.

 

IMG_0735 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Uh-oh. Dad broke the stick, but the coconut wouldn't crack.

 

IMG_0738 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

At some point, she decided to get it wet, and then she started trying to peel off the outer layer. She probably spent 30 minutes doing this.

 

IMG_0742 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Finally, she got the outer layer off. I guess I am ignorant when it comes to coconuts, but I didn't know there was an outer and inner layer. Once she got the outer layer off, she cracked the inside part on a rock and found the treasure inside. For some reason, there was no milk, but she did taste the coconut itself. Again, I guess I am coconut ignorant, but I thought there would be liquid in there.

 

DD was very proud. It's funny how we saw amazing sights and had exciting experiences all week long, but cracking this coconut on the beach is one of her favorite memories from the trip. Whether traveling with kids or not, sometimes it's the moments when we slow down and just enjoy the location that are the most special.

 

IMG_0752 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

Edited February 16, 2016 by baseballsandbows

[baseballsandbows]

It's been a busy week, but I am going to try to finish up the report this weekend!

 

After a beautiful day of exploring Kauai, we returned to the ship for dinner. DD was always happy to find towel animals waiting.

 

IMG_9402 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

This was the view off our port side balcony as we prepared for dinner.

 

IMG_9405 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9404 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Unfortunately, the view from our window at Cagney's during dinner was out the starboard side, and we were viewing an ugly, industrial port. That didn't affect dinner, however, and we enjoyed our meal at Cagney's for the second time. DH and I ordered rib-eye, but I went straight for the kid-favorite sides of mac-n-cheese and fries this time so I didn't have to steal from my children. Very yummy. Once again, the Oreo cheesecake did not disappoint! That and the crepes at the buffet were our favorite desserts of the week.

 

After dinner, DH, DS, and I played shuffleboard for a bit while DD went to the club. We went to bed ready for our last full day in Hawaii!

[baseballsandbows]

On our second day in Kauai, we planned to go ziplining. DH and I had never ziplined before, but the kids had done small lines at camp. DH, however, is NOT a risk taker, so we let him off the hook to enjoy a morning on the ship alone. The kids and I were up by 6:00, eating breakfast in the buffet by 6:20, and off the ship by 6:45.

 

I visited many websites and read reviews when trying to choose a zipline company. After researching, my first choice was Koloa Ziplines. Their first time slot of the day, however, was 8:30, and I wanted a little extra cushion with time since we had to return the car to the airport, catch a shuttle, and be back to ship by 1:30. Skyline, which was also in Koloa, had an 8:00 zip, and this extra 30 minutes made me feel less worried. (In the end, we made it back in PLENTY of time, so if you are looking at the 8:30 zip with Koloa, I think you will be fine.)

 

We left the Anchor Cove parking lot at 7:00, and made it to the Skyline office at 7:25 for our 7:30 check-in. We were weighed, signed our lives away at the waiver computer, and had time for a bathroom break before boarding the van. We had a really fun group of people with us, which made the excursion even more enjoyable. One family was from Ireland, and others were from New Hampshire, Arizona, and California. I think all of us were on sailing on the Pride of America.

 

2016-01-08 08-33 22 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

There were eight lines. The first was a breeze, and they got more exciting from there. On the longest line, the guide was very doubtful that my kids would make it all the way across (apparently this is common when the wind isn't blowing from the right direction), and he is trained to get anyone who gets stuck to the other side), but everyone in the group made it across. I think my kids were so worried about getting stuck out there that they listened to every piece of advice and followed them all!

 

I did purchase the photo package. It was only $15. There was no professional photographer--only the guides with iPhones, but I was very happy with the pictures, and felt it was well worth the $15. We had a really great morning. I am so glad I did this with my kids. It was an experience that we will always remember. We will have to force DH to come next time!

 

2016-01-08 09-19 0 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

2016-01-08 09-01 4 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

2016-01-08 08-58 9 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

2016-01-08 08-37 16 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

2016-01-08 09-01 2 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9461 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9474 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9477 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9453 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Not sure if this will work, but this one is a video. You can click to watch it.

 

IMG_9459 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

Edited February 20, 2016 by baseballsandbows

[baseballsandbows]

We returned to the Skyline office about 10:00, giving us plenty of time before our all aboard time of 1:30. We decided we needed one more taste of Hawaii before returning to the ship. We left Skyline and drove to the Koloa Mill Ice Cream and Coffee shop in a cute strip of stores we had passed on the way into Koloa. We wanted some shave ice before leaving! DD got hers with just the ice, but DS got condensed milk on his, which was called a snow cap. He was very happy with this, but I preferred the plain ice version.

 

IMG_9484 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

After the yummy treat, we returned to the Lihue airport. My favorite part of the drive was the tunnel of trees.

 

IMG_9485 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9487 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

We returned the car about 11:00 and were able to hop right onto a shuttle to the pier. We were probably back to the ship by 11:15, ready for lunch. The kids wanted one more meal at Cadillac Diner, so we headed there to make them happy.

[baseballsandbows]

After lunch, we had several hours at sea before we would be sailing past the Napali Coast. I took time to pack up our stuff and spent some time on the balcony reading. It was raining on the island, but it never rained on us.

 

IMG_0774 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0777 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0783 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Just a side note: We took advantage of the laundry special on Thursday. It was $20 for as much as you could stuff in a bag. We needed a few items cleaned, and we had some leftover OBC, so we filled up the bag with the necessaries. Everything was returned by Friday evening. I missed having self-serve laundry rooms like they have on DCL. You can't beat only $1 per load to wash and $1 to dry. Really helpful for a family that is gone from home for 13 days!

 

We neared the Napali coastline around 5:00. If you went to the outside decks, you could hear a narration. We chose to enjoy it from our balcony.

 

I only had two disappointments during this trip. The first was my dislike for Waikiki. The second was that it was cloudy as we passed the Napali coastline. I had dreamed of the pictures I would get with the setting sun shining on the coastline, but it was not meant to be. It was still beautiful, but not as visually stunning as it would have been with the sun.

 

As we first turned around the coastline, a whale breached not far from our balcony. You could hear squeals of delight from all over the ship. It was near the location where we had spotted the whales during our flight--I wish I had been camera ready! I did manage to get a picture of its hump.

 

IMG_0790 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Now for the coastline pics...

 

IMG_0803 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0806 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

IMG_0812 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0818 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0821 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0822 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9501 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

The ship turned and began to leave the shore. It was time for our final dinner! La Cucina had been a family favorite, so we decided to eat there for a third time. The sun tried to peek through as we were seated, but it was too late to help with the coastline pics and it was minutes from sunset.

 

IMG_9513 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

We enjoyed our final dinner and also went by the buffet to get one last crepe for dessert. We were sad that it was our final evening, but after being gone for almost two weeks, we were also looking forward returning home and to seeing our sweet dog as well. DD spent a final evening in the kids' club with her new friends, and then we turned in for one more night of being rocked to sleep by the waves!

[greatlakesgirl]

Na Pali is still beautiful, even with the clouds. Great pics, and you did an outstanding review. Well done!

[baseballsandbows]

Na Pali is still beautiful, even with the clouds. Great pics, and you did an outstanding review. Well done!

 

 

Yes, it is! Thank you, and thanks for reading! I'll do one more post for disembarkation morning, and then I guess my vacation will officially be over!

[Kattus]

I'll be sad to see your trip review end, you did a great job and offered a lot of helpful tips for me!:):)

[baseballsandbows]

We weren't in a hurry when we woke up on Saturday. Our flight wasn't until 3:30, so we wanted to stay on the ship for as long as we could. Since we weren't rushing, we decided to go to Skyline for breakfast. This wasn't the best idea. On the last day, they have a limited menu, and they were out of butter and other items. However, after eating in Skyline, I went up to the buffet to get some fruit, and they had butter and several of the food items that we couldn't get in Skyline. Perhaps this was an usual experience, but I would recommend the buffet over Skyline on the last day.

 

At 8:45, they called for everyone to be out of their staterooms. At first, we thought we would just sit in a lounge for a while, but there were many people still on the ship, and these people were taking up all the room in the public areas. So, we decided to leave for the airport. I think that most of the people still on the ship were waiting for their luggage group to be called before leaving, but we carried our own bags off, so we were free to leave.

 

Side note: Why do we carry our own bags off the ship? Several years ago, I forgot to leave pants out for myself when we set our bags out the night before disembarkation. I had to wear pajama pants off the ship. While this might be trendy with teens and shoppers at Wal-Mart, I don't want to do that again. Since that time, I've always kept our luggage with us. This guarantees that I always have my clothes! :rolleyes: (No disrespect to Wal-Mart shoppers. I shop there, too, but I don't shop in my PJ's.)

 

As we left the port area, I noticed that there was a spot where you could leave bags for the day. If you have a late flight, this might be an option. You could do something in Oahu and return for your bags later.

 

With a 3:30 flight time, we had a long wait, but not long enough to go somewhere else in Oahu, so we walked out to hail a cab. There was a line of cabs waiting, and they were almost all minivans--very helpful for families with lots of bags! We made it to the airport by 9:30, and only had six long hours to wait!

 

There are lots of shops and restaurants at the airport, which helped pass the time. We also sat for quite a while and listened to some musicians. They were very entertaining.

 

IMG_0830 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Parts of the HNL airport are open-air, so we also tried to soak up the last few mintues of heat before returning to winter!

 

We boarded our flight with Alaska Airlines and said good-bye to Hawaii at 3:30. We landed in Oakland at 10:30 and spent the night at the Hampton Inn near the airport. On Sunday morning, we returned to the airport for the flight back to Nashville. We were startled back to reality as we exited the plane in Nashville. It was 13 degrees! And, the next morning, when DS got up for school, our bodies thought it was 2AM. It took about a week to fully adjust back to central time, and I'm still waiting for our temperatures to feel like Hawaii! Come on, spring!

 

Overall, we had a great cruising experience in Hawaii. Although I still prefer the DCL product as a whole, the specialty restaurants on the POA earned high marks, and I wouldn't hesitate to sail NCL again if the itinerary and price were right. I'm very thankful we had the opportunity to get such an amazing overview of the major Hawaiian islands. It was a wonderful vacation! For all of you planning and looking forward to your own trips to Hawaii, I know you will have a wonderful time.

 

Thanks to everyone for reading. I guess all vacations and trip reports must come to an end at some point! :(

[budgetfairytale]

Thank you for your wonderful trip report! Doing this sailing in June and got some great ideas from your report. :)