Help me with some details finalize our Maui plans

[YadaYadaJodi]

Pride of America, Kahului, Maui

Arriving Sunday, 9/3/2017, at 8am

Departing Monday, 9/4/2017, at 6pm (we will want to get onboard by 4pm)

 

Main plans:

2 day car rental

Sunday, Old Lahaina Lu’au

Monday, Haleakala at Sunrise (already know we need to book reservations)

 

Sunday – rent car, explore western Maui using “Gypsy” App, attend luau

Monday – get up early to drive to Haleakala for sunrise, explore area between there and ship (using “Gypsy”App) before returning rental car prior to boarding

 

I’m looking for help with the following issues specifically:

Sunday – we would like to explore various beaches & sites – the problem is trying to avoid driving all the way back to the ship to get cleaned up for the luau.

Do any public beaches or other facilities offer any real (able to use soap/shampoo/hair dryer) shower facilities?

If not, are there any other options that you can think of? Spa facilities at local hotels? Hotel that offers day facilities? Renting a “cheap” hotel room? Other?

Would the cost of a hotel room be somewhat offset by price for parking overnight at airport and taxi(Uber?) from airport to ship that night and back to airport in the morning if we decided to go the cheapest hotel room and actually stay the night and not just use it during the day? Any help on what those costs might actually be?

Our only other option seems to be to avoid the water and tread lightly on the beaches to try not to get too sweaty/dirty. We’re not interested in shopping at all. We would prefer to see the various beaches and other sites.

 

Monday – if we wind up back on the ship Sunday night, is airport parking the best (only?) option for parking our rental car overnight? Is there any problem past at certain time to get a taxi from airport to ship? I’m thinking we would be needed one about 9:30/10:00pm. I’m assuming this would be too late for any complimentary rental company shuttles, correct?

How early do we need to leave ship to get taxi (Uber?) to where we parked car and get to Haleakala in plenty of time for sunrise? Are taxis readily available at that hour? Again, I’m assuming the rental carcompanies don’t offer free shuttles this early, correct?

Again, any help on estimated cost of overnight parking at airport and a taxi to/from?

 

I actually can’t believe I’ve gotten my DH to agree (consider?) the late night followed by the early morning. We’re talking maybe 3 hours of sleep in between? I’m thinking that this will be a once in a lifetime trip though so I don’t want to pass either up. We’ll see if we actually get up in time for the sunrise or blow it off and go later.

[Beachiekeen]

It looks like the spa at the Westin on Kaanapali Beach offers a day pass but the website does not say how much. The Montage in Kapalua offers a pass for $55 that includes access to their spa pool. Westin which would be much closer to OLL. Kaanapali Beach does have a paved beach path for most of the way, so you could walk the beach path, see the hotels, have lunch and a drink, etc. without getting too sandy. There are no facilities though, other than the bathrooms at the resorts. Kapalua Bay in Kapalua does have the outdoor showers and restrooms, but I wouldn't want to get totally ready there.

 

If you didn't want to get too beachy and sandy, you could walk the beach path in Kaanapali, then drive to Lahaina and walk along Front St., see the Banyan Tree and courthouse, get some shave ice, etc. You could also drive to Kapalua Bay, walk the coastal trail (paved), drive to the Nakalele blowhole and hike down (just don't get too close), drive back through west Maui to Lahaina and sightsee before OLL. So there is definitely other stuff to do besides beaches that could fill your day. The drive along the west Maui coast is lovely with overlooks you could stop at.

 

I plugged in your dates to hotels.com and the Lahaina Inn came up at $119 and the Kaanapali Ocean Inn at $135 for Sunday 9/3. Both charge $15 for parking. These would be places to clean up and get some sleep and not much else but they wouldn't cost much more than day passes and both are close to OLL (just don't have too many mai tais!) :). So for not much more than a day pass for two, you would have a place to clean up for OLL, park for the night and then not have to worry about transferring in order to get to Haleakala for sunrise.

 

On a clear day, Haleakala is beautiful any time of day. If you don't make sunrise, it's still worth seeing and there are lots of places to explore upcountry on the way back to the ship.

 

Hopefully someone else can help you structure your day.

[Silver Sweethearts]

I plugged in your dates to hotels.com and the Lahaina Inn came up at $119 and the Kaanapali Ocean Inn at $135 for Sunday 9/3. Both charge $15 for parking. These would be places to clean up and get some sleep and not much else but they wouldn't cost much more than day passes and both are close to OLL (just don't have too many mai tais!) :). So for not much more than a day pass for two, you would have a place to clean up for OLL, park for the night and then not have to worry about transferring in order to get to Haleakala for sunrise.

 

We aren't offering any opinions here except to say you pretty much get what you pay for. The inns are at those prices for a reason. Also, driving from Lahaina to Haleakala in the middle of the night is not something we would personally want to do as part of a vacation unless you like driving in the dark in an area unknown to you.

[YadaYadaJodi]

It looks like the spa at the Westin on Kaanapali Beach offers a day pass but the website does not say how much. The Montage in Kapalua offers a pass for $55 that includes access to their spa pool. Westin which would be much closer to OLL. Kaanapali Beach does have a paved beach path for most of the way, so you could walk the beach path, see the hotels, have lunch and a drink, etc. without getting too sandy. There are no facilities though, other than the bathrooms at the resorts. Kapalua Bay in Kapalua does have the outdoor showers and restrooms, but I wouldn't want to get totally ready there.

 

If you didn't want to get too beachy and sandy, you could walk the beach path in Kaanapali, then drive to Lahaina and walk along Front St., see the Banyan Tree and courthouse, get some shave ice, etc. You could also drive to Kapalua Bay, walk the coastal trail (paved), drive to the Nakalele blowhole and hike down (just don't get too close), drive back through west Maui to Lahaina and sightsee before OLL. So there is definitely other stuff to do besides beaches that could fill your day. The drive along the west Maui coast is lovely with overlooks you could stop at.

 

I plugged in your dates to hotels.com and the Lahaina Inn came up at $119 and the Kaanapali Ocean Inn at $135 for Sunday 9/3. Both charge $15 for parking. These would be places to clean up and get some sleep and not much else but they wouldn't cost much more than day passes and both are close to OLL (just don't have too many mai tais!) :). So for not much more than a day pass for two, you would have a place to clean up for OLL, park for the night and then not have to worry about transferring in order to get to Haleakala for sunrise.

 

On a clear day, Haleakala is beautiful any time of day. If you don't make sunrise, it's still worth seeing and there are lots of places to explore upcountry on the way back to the ship.

 

Hopefully someone else can help you structure your day.

 

 

Beachiekeen -

Thank you so very much for such a detailed answer! Definitely helped us with some options!! Much much appreciated! :D You have given me some great ideas to help figure everything out! Mahalo!!

Edited February 17, 2017 by YadaYadaJodi

[YadaYadaJodi]

We aren't offering any opinions here except to say you pretty much get what you pay for. The inns are at those prices for a reason. Also, driving from Lahaina to Haleakala in the middle of the night is not something we would personally want to do as part of a vacation unless you like driving in the dark in an area unknown to you.

 

 

Thanks, Silver Sweethearts for your thoughts. We appreciate the 'you get what you pay for' reminder on the cheaper hotels. We still may go that route since it may just involve a shower and a nap (either before or after the luau (or both)).

 

Unfortunately, we will be making the drive from Lahaina toward Kahului at night no matter what we do - whether it's right after the luau or at 2 in the morning. I considered turning in the rental car that first night and booking a tour for the Haleakala sunrise to avoid the early driving but I like the flexibility too much of doing it on our own. Right off the bat, we can decide to go later if we're too tired to get up. If we do get up and go for the sunrise, 1. I'm sure there will be other cars/buses on the road to follow and 2. We can play our day by ear depending on our energy level vs. being committed to a tour.

 

I do appreciate all thoughts from you and others! Sometimes you need that voice of reason. ;)

[edmonton2]

Unfortunately, we will be making the drive from Lahaina toward Kahului at night no matter what we do - whether it's right after the luau or at 2 in the morning. I considered turning in the rental car that first night and booking a tour for the Haleakala sunrise to avoid the early driving but I like the flexibility too much of doing it on our own. Right off the bat, we can decide to go later if we're too tired to get up. If we do get up and go for the sunrise, 1. I'm sure there will be other cars/buses on the road to follow and 2. We can play our day by ear depending on our energy level vs. being committed to a tour.

 

I do appreciate all thoughts from you and others! Sometimes you need that voice of reason. ;)

 

We did the drive to Haleakala in February and saw an absolutely spectacular sunrise! I am so glad we got up early to see this (we drove from Lahaina). The roads are well marked and there are reflective cat's eyes most of the way. One thing to be aware of though, since Feb. 1 there is a new reservation system if you are taking a rental/personal vehicle. The cost is minimal, but without a reservation you won't be allowed into the park until after 7am. See this thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2427272

 

If you have the time, I would recommend doing this in a rental car instead of a group tour. After the sunrise there are a lot of interesting things to see on the crater (short walks, hikes) and a few restaurants on the way down. We really enjoyed taking our time to explore a bit.

 

 

Something else to be aware of if you plan to explore Iao Valley State Park - the park is temporarily closed due to heavy flooding - http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/maui/iao-valley-state-monument/

Hope this helps!

[YadaYadaJodi]

We did the drive to Haleakala in February and saw an absolutely spectacular sunrise! I am so glad we got up early to see this (we drove from Lahaina). The roads are well marked and there are reflective cat's eyes most of the way. One thing to be aware of though, since Feb. 1 there is a new reservation system if you are taking a rental/personal vehicle. The cost is minimal, but without a reservation you won't be allowed into the park until after 7am. See this thread http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2427272

 

If you have the time, I would recommend doing this in a rental car instead of a group tour. After the sunrise there are a lot of interesting things to see on the crater (short walks, hikes) and a few restaurants on the way down. We really enjoyed taking our time to explore a bit.

 

 

Something else to be aware of if you plan to explore Iao Valley State Park - the park is temporarily closed due to heavy flooding - http://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/maui/iao-valley-state-monument/

Hope this helps!

 

 

Thanks, so much for the encouragement! Yes, I did know about the need for the reservation - thanks to this wonderful website called Cruise Critic! ;)<3 I have my calendar marked to request a spot as soon as the reservations for that day become available.

 

For anyone else traveling by car - the park entrance fee is separate, there is an after hours self-service machine to pay the entrance fee. But for us I found out on their website that persons 62+ qualify for a lifetime "Senior Pass" to National Parks. You are not able to purchase this pass at the self-service machine. But, fortunately my DH qualifies and so I plan to have him purchase a lifetime pass in advance. Since Haleakala National Park has a per-vehicle entrance fee, I believe this pass will allow us both in. It allows the holder + 3 additional passengers in the same vehicle. If I'm reading everything right I think this pass will also work at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. If you're a Senior, Military, or traveling with a 4th-grader I recommend checking out: America the Beautiful Passes (not just for Hawaii either).

 

Back to our Maui plans, we have made a tentative reservation in Lahaina and will probably be staying there overnight. I feel weird paying for a hotel when we are also paying for a cabin on the POA but I feel justified since we will be saving so much money by touring on our own vs. with a company for the 2 days on Maui. :p

[Trend]

Does does the senior discount for the park only apply to US citizens?

[punkincc]

Does does the senior discount for the park only apply to US citizens?

 

 

According to the official website, you must either be a US citizen or permanent resident ages 62+. Green card holders ok. The passes work for National Recreational Areas as well as National Parks.

 

It makes a difference whether the charge is per person or per vehicle. I believe if it's per person, the card holder plus 3 admitted. If per vehicle, the entire car, but read it yourself. I tried to post the link, but couldn't get it to work.

 

Also note that the pass does not work for Commercial vehicles. If you are on a paid tour into a park, and the tour does not cover your entry, you will not be allowed to use your pass, but will have to pay.