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

[baseballsandbows]

After leaving the Thurston Lava Tube, we drove to an old area of lava flow. The road has been repaired, but the hardened lava remains on either side of the highway.

 

IMG_9306 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9312 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9311 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Then, we stopped at a place that I think was called the screaming crater. If you go to the right spot and scream, your scream bounces back and echoes multiple times. My DD had a great time with this!

 

IMG_9308 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0540 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0539 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

After the canyon, it was time to leave VNP and head to some other attractions. One of our choices was a coffee place, but since none of us on the tour were coffee drinkers, we skipped this stop and went to an orchid farm. This was a pretty stop, but the best part was the bathroom! Just a word of warning for anyone visiting VNP: use the restroom at the Jaggar museum and don't plan to use it again at the Thurston Lava Tube. The bathroom there was so disgusting that you could smell it when you were anywhere near it. The smell was so bad that we didn't go in, but there was a line of people waiting to use it. They must have needed to go badly!

 

We checked out some of the beautiful orchids.

 

IMG_9314 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9315 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

The next stop was the Mauna Loa candy factory. This was fun for most of us because you can sample the different types of flavored macadamia nuts (milk chocolate, cookies and cream, etc...). Unfortunately for my DS, he is allergic to nuts, so he didn't get to participate. They did have a snack bar, so this was the lunch stop on the tour. They had sandwiches, hot dogs, ice cream, etc... It was close to 2:00 when we got to this stop. If you are going with Mary Lou, you may want to bring a small snack. She also offered some different types of macadamia nuts as a snack at the Thurston Lava Tube.

 

And, of course, the Mauna Loa factory has a gift shop...

 

IMG_9316 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

We did buy some macadamias to take home, and our Brazilian friends were ecstatic to find Coke there. :)

Edited February 11, 2016 by baseballsandbows

[baseballsandbows]

Our last stop was a small, black sand beach. There was only one giant turtle there, but we were glad to see one! DD also enjoyed playing in the sand and water. The rest of us just enjoyed the view!

 

IMG_0541 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0549 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0552 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0573 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0577 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

After the beach, we went back to the ship. Later, I realized there was a stop I was hoping to see that we didn't visit: Akaka Falls. Mary Lou had offered to take us somewhere else, so I'm sure she would have taken us there (although I don't really know how far it is from the port). I wish I would have thought of it. But, we had a great day in Hilo and got to see a lot in a short period of time. Mary Lou was a gracious host and guide, and I am glad we chose to go with her. We could have done it on our own with a rental, but we would not have been as efficient, and she shared so much information that we wouldn't have gotten on our own. It was a great tour!

 

IMG_9323 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

Edited February 11, 2016 by baseballsandbows

[baseballsandbows]

I think we got back on board the ship a little before 4:00. This made DD very happy because she wanted to go to a lei making class. We learned how to make double leis. It was easy and fun, and the leis stayed fresh for the duration of the cruise. Double leis are more full than the singles, and they turned out great. We were proud of our creations! There had been a different lei class the day before--I think it was shell leis. We didn't attend that one, but I wish we had. Our Hawaiian ambassador, China, led the lei classes, and they are a great choice for all ages.

 

IMG_9328 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Dinner on this night was in Moderno. DS didn't feel great at the start of dinner, so he excused himself to go back to the room. He had a headache, which was made better with some rest and Ibuprofen.

 

What do I remember about this meal? I remember liking the bread, and then I remember MEAT. MEAT. MEAT. MEAT. MEAT. Seriously, after being offered about 13 different kinds of meat, I didn't want to look at meat again (at least until our next meal). :rolleyes: We liked some of the meats better than others, but we definitely left full! Like Teppanyaki, it wasn't our favorite meal of the week, but it was a great dining experience, and we were glad we gave it a try.

 

After dinner, we followed our usual routine of DD going to the kids' club. I think I went to the buffet with DS when he started feeling better so he could get some dinner, and we turned in for the night looking forward to Kona on Wednesday!

[AryMay]

Our last stop was a small, black sand beach.

 

Do you remember the name of this beach where you stopped? (Wondering if it is Richardson's Beach?) We are going to have a rental car, but hope to do much of the same things as you did on your tour when we stop at Hilo next month.

 

Thanks again for taking time to do this review...it is so helpful for others who are planning trips!

Edited February 12, 2016 by AryMay

[baseballsandbows]

Do you remember the name of this beach where you stopped? (Wondering if it is Richardson's Beach?) We are going to have a rental car, but hope to do much of the same things as you did on your tour when we stop at Hilo next month.

 

Thanks again for taking time to do this review...it is so helpful for others who are planning trips!

 

 

I don't remember for sure, but I know it was close to the port. I googled "black sand beach Hilo," and the pictures and map made me think it was Richardson's/Lelewi Beach park. I came here to respond and noticed you mentioned it by name. I do think that's it.

 

It was a small, but nice area. Most of the people there were locals. Mary Lou said there are bigger black sand beaches on the Big Island, but they required a longer drive.

 

Have a great trip!

[Kattus]

After the canyon, it was time to leave VNP and head to some other attractions. One of our choices was a coffee place, but since none of us on the tour were coffee drinkers, we skipped this stop and went to an orchid farm. This was a pretty stop, but the best part was the bathroom! Just a word of warning for anyone visiting VNP: use the restroom at the Jaggar museum and don't plan to use it again at the Thurston Lava Tube. The bathroom there was so disgusting that you could smell it when you were anywhere near it. The smell was so bad that we didn't go in, but there was a line of people waiting to use it. They must have needed to go badly!

 

We checked out some of the beautiful orchids.

 

IMG_9314 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9315 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

The next stop was the Mauna Loa candy factory. This was fun for most of us because you can sample the different types of flavored macadamia nuts (milk chocolate, cookies and cream, etc...). Unfortunately for my DS, he is allergic to nuts, so he didn't get to participate. They did have a snack bar, so this was the lunch stop on the tour. They had sandwiches, hot dogs, ice cream, etc... It was close to 2:00 when we got to this stop. If you are going with Mary Lou, you may want to bring a small snack. She also offered some different types of macadamia nuts as a snack at the Thurston Lava Tube.

 

And, of course, the Mauna Loa factory has a gift shop...

 

IMG_9316 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

We did buy some macadamias to take home, and our Brazilian friends were ecstatic to find Coke there. :)

I remember in my email exchanges with Mary Lou and Ken that I specifically asked if they could skip the orchid farm. DH and I are huge coffee drinkers, so maybe we'll go to the coffee farm instead? Hoping others in our group feel the same way!

[baseballsandbows]

I remember in my email exchanges with Mary Lou and Ken that I specifically asked if they could skip the orchid farm. DH and I are huge coffee drinkers, so maybe we'll go to the coffee farm instead? Hoping others in our group feel the same way!

 

 

Hopefully, your group preferences will line up, but this stop was really only about 15 minutes long. If you do end up stopping, you can just use it as a chance to stretch your legs and have a restroom break!

[baseballsandbows]

I am the kind of person that wants to do as much as possible when travelling. I have learned, however, that with kids and an introverted husband in tow, we need to have a little downtime. What I really wanted to do in Kona was the Captain Zodiac snorkel excursion through NCL. Instead, we decided to make Kona our more relaxing day, and we didn't plan an excursion.

 

We chose Kona for several reasons. First, it was mid-way through the cruise. Because this itinerary is so port intensive, we decided to make our own "at-sea" day. Second, Kona is a tender port. Since that can make timing a little more tricky for excursions booked directly with the vendor, and since weather can even prevent tenders from going ashore, we decided to go with the flow on this day.

 

Since we weren't in a hurry, we decided to get breakfast in Skyline. DD thought Skyline was beautiful, so we promised her we would eat there. I wasn't expecting much in terms of food quality, and I was pleasantly surprised. We had a nice, quiet, leisurely and tasty breakfast.

 

After breakfast, DD wanted to go ashore to find some souvenirs, so she and I went to get tender tickets. We were given tickets and sent to the tender immediately. We did have to wait about 10-15 minutes before boarding, but it wasn't bad. (I'm guessing it was about 10:00 at this point.)

 

The tenders take you to a pier just outside the King Kam hotel in Kona. We couldn't resist taking a picture by the banyan tree outside the hotel.

 

IMG_9332 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

There are many shops near the port, so DD took her time browsing. There are also many tour vendors at the port, so if you don't book something ahead of time and want to book a tour or water activities, you can find what you are looking for in the shopping area around the pier.

 

DD found some souvenirs, but she also found something she wanted even more: Shave Ice! It was so big that I just had to help her eat it.

 

IMG_9335 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

After shopping, I took her over to the beach at the King Kam. This beach is very small, but that was perfect for us because it was easy for me to keep an eye on her, and we didn't have to travel because it was right by the pier!

 

IMG_9336 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9337 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Several of her buddies from the kids' club were there, and one of them found what looked like a small, dead swordfish. This became quite a hit for a little while among the kids. The fish was actually in the water; the girl picked it up and brought it to shore for everyone to examine.

 

IMG_9342 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

We stayed at the beach until we got hungry for lunch, which was probably 1:00 or so. At that point, we caught a tender back to the ship.

 

IMG_9343 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

We ate lunch at Cadillac Diner again on Wednesday. At this point in the cruise, I was starting to feel like a beached whale from all the food I'd been eating, and I 'm pretty sure I only had an appetizer. DD and I left before dessert, and this was the day that the boys said their brownie sundae was very good.

 

I decided to spend some time walking laps around deck 6. This is the deck that serves as the walking/jogging track, and it was a nice, quiet break for me.

 

At 4:00ish, DD and I went back to the lei class. This was the third and final class in the lei making series. On this day, we made a ribbon lei. We were worried when we first started because they made everyone promise not to leave before giving the lei-making process a chance. It was, in fact, difficult for us to get started, but they had cruise staff members walking around to help. Once I got mine going, it was fine, but I did have to have help at first. DD had to undo hers partway through, so she wasn't able to finish during the allotted time. This was frustrating for her, but she still enjoyed the class, and she was able to take the lei with her to finish later. We were given red and green ribbon (it was right after Christmas), but they also had many other ribbon colors to purchase if you wanted to take some home to make later. If you have a chance and are interested, the lei making classes are fun! (The classes and supplies are free; there is only a cost if you want extra supplies to take home.)

 

IMG_9414 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Next up was dinner, but we stopped for the sunset before sitting down to eat.

 

IMG_9348 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Dinner on this night was supposed to be at Le Bistro. I am sure some of you will think we are crazy, but we decided to skip Le Bistro and go back to La Cucina instead. I know Le Bistro is the restaurant that is most often praised on the boards, but the kids wouldn't have liked very many selections on the menu, so we decided to go to the restaurant that we knew everyone would enjoy. It wasn't a problem to change our reservation, and our second dinner at La Cucina was as yummy as the first.

 

This was an enjoyable, relaxing day. Coming up next: our two amazing days in Kauai!

Edited February 14, 2016 by baseballsandbows

[baseballsandbows]

First, let me say that in the last post, I mentioned we didn't go to Le Bistro for dinner on Wednesday evening. Technically, it is called Jefferson's Bistro on the POA, but it is the same concept as Le Bistro on other NCL ships as far as cuisine is concerned.

 

On Thursday, we didn't arrive into port until later (all ashore is listed as 10:00, but we were able to disembark about 9:40), but we could see Kauai waiting for us!

 

IMG_9358 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0602 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

DH took the kids back to Skyline for breakfast, but I really just wanted some fresh fruit, so I went to the buffet alone. After eating, we watched as the ship pulled into the harbor.

 

IMG_9362 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9365 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

Once we were able to leave the ship, we made our way down to the gangway. First on the agenda for the day was a flight with Wings over Kauai! There are many helicopter tours in Kauai, and I looked at all of them. Ultimately, we decided to go with a small plane tour with Wings over Kauai for several reasons. We did a helicopter tour in Alaska, and it was amazing, but we had never been in a small plane. A plane would be a new adventure for us. Additionally, the cost with Wings over Kauai was $125 per person. This was about $150 less PER PERSON than a helicopter tour. With us being a family of four, this was a significant savings. A helicopter is the only choice if you want to go down into craters or land by the waterfalls--airplanes cannot hover like helicopters can. But, we were very happy with our views, and the folks from WoK were fantastic. We would not change a thing.

 

We walked to the Anchor Cove mall from the port. There were free shuttles, but the walk was less than 10 minutes, so we never used the shuttles. When we first arrived at Anchor Cove, we decided to go ahead and purchase an overnight parking pass so we wouldn't have to worry about it later (there is no parking at the port itself). You purchase the passes in the restaurant on the end of the mall away from the harbor (I think it was JJ's). I believe we paid $20. You can go further up the road and pay $15, but we didn't mind giving up the extra $5 for convenience.

 

The folks from WoK picked us up at Anchor cove at 10:30, and we drove the short distance to the airport. At the airport, we were discreetly weighed and given the safety information, and then it was time to fly! We had amazing weather and were able to see the "Highlight Version" of the island (rain does sometimes alter flight paths or cause the cancellation of flights).

 

I was so glad we did this flight as soon as we arrived. I felt like we got a great overview of the entire island. It was breathtaking and amazing to be able to see the magnificent beauty of the island from the air. At the end of the flight, the gracious folks from WoK offered a DVD of our specific flight for purchase (which includes the video, audio, and in-flight discussion), but even though we declined, they still emailed us a pic and gave us a DVD of a generic flight free of charge. Not many companies do that anymore!

 

017 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9367 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9366 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0607 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

The right side of the plane is best for views. We all got to sit on the right side. They put me in the last row because she said that would be best for pictures.

 

IMG_0606 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

And now the flight pics...

 

We left the airport and flew past the harbor toward the south side of the island. You can see that the airport and harbor are actually inside an extinct crater. The side of the crater where the airport and harbor are located collapsed, but the remaining circle of rock is visible.

 

IMG_0609 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0611 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0613 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0615 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0616 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0617 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

Poipu, where the Spouting Horn is located, and Koloa are towns on the south side of the island. This is the drier side of the island as well.

 

IMG_0620 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

This fishing hole was historically significant, but I don't remember why. Wish I would have taken notes!

 

IMG_0621 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

We turned to the northwest to fly across the island toward the Napali Coast. On the way, we saw the landscape become more rugged, and we saw Manawaiopuna Falls, aka Jurassic Falls.

 

IMG_0622 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0625 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0627 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0628 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

More flight photos to come!

Edited February 14, 2016 by baseballsandbows

[Kattus]

Poipu, where the Spouting Horn is located, and Koloa are towns on the south side of the island. This is the drier side of the island as well.

 

IMG_0620 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

This fishing hole was historically significant, but I don't remember why. Wish I would have taken notes!

 

IMG_0621 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

We turned to the northwest to fly across the island toward the Napali Coast. On the way, we saw the landscape become more rugged, and we saw Manawaiopuna Falls, aka Jurassic Falls.

 

IMG_0622 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0625 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0627 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0628 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

More flight photos to come!

 

 

Beautiful! We're booked on an airplane tour with Airventures for the first morning in Kauai, hoping we get the same weather as you did!

[baseballsandbows]

On to the Waimea Canyon...

 

IMG_0633 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0638 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0639 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0642 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0643 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0645 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

IMG_0646 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0649 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0651 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0654 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

And on to the Napali Coastline...

 

IMG_0655 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0656 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

IMG_0657 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0658 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0659 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0667 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0671 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0662 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

We now interrupt the coastline to bring you the highlight of my day. The water was so clear, and we got to see two sets of whales. It was so amazing to see them from above!

 

The first sighting was a pair.

 

IMG_0663 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

We also saw a pair of rays.

 

IMG_0677 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Then, my favorite group of three...

 

IMG_0678 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0679 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0680 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0681 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

Edited February 15, 2016 by baseballsandbows

[baseballsandbows]

We turned around the end of the Napali Coast to the north side of the island.

 

IMG_9373 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Our pilot told us that this formation is called Pete's Dragon.

 

IMG_0685 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9378 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

We turned inland near Hanalei Bay and Princeville.

 

IMG_0691 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0694 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0695 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

We headed toward Mount Waialeale, one of the rainiest spots in the world.

 

IMG_0696 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0697 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0698 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0700 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0702 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0705 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

IMG_0707 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0711 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

On the way back to the airport, we passed Wailua Falls (aka the falls from the television show Fantasy Island). From the air, you can see there are actually three falls, but it only looks like two from the lookout at ground level.

 

IMG_0715 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0718 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Our flight with Wings over Kauai was a perfect start to our days in Kauai. Even if we had been forced to leave right after this, I would have felt like we had a great overview of the island. I'm so glad we did this first. Originally, I had planned to do it on our second day, but when our port arrival time was changed from 8 to 10 on the first day, we had to rearrange plans to fit everything into the schedule. Doing the 11:00 flight time was perfect for us, and then we were better able to decide what we wanted to see in the rest of our time. More on that later!

[baseballsandbows]

Beautiful! We're booked on an airplane tour with Airventures for the first morning in Kauai, hoping we get the same weather as you did!

 

I hope you do as well. It was beautiful!

[Chelleum]

I just booked this cruise for Nov 2017. Reading your review is helping me plan on things I want to do and see. Can't wait to read the rest.

[baseballsandbows]

I just booked this cruise for Nov 2017. Reading your review is helping me plan on things I want to do and see. Can't wait to read the rest.

 

You will have a lot of fun planning! I enjoy that almost as much as the trip!