12/24-12/31 POAM trip report

[penorment]

Ah yes, the Mai tai bar. I was horrified at how many times those words appeared on our hotel bill. Yes we had 2 lunches at the Mai tai bar because we really liked it. I loved the pupu plate. It had coconut shrimp, spring rolls and teriyaki chicken on it. And I have a very weak spot for mai tais and I really liked these. I even had one before we went to the luau.

[beechparty]

Do you pay for the lunch at the bar and pay for just the drinks or do you pay for both?

Thanks for all the information, it's been great.

One other question: Did you enjoy the scenic cruising on Friday or did you do ship things or both? What times are the best times to plan eating on the night volcano viewing and the scenic cruising?

Thanks again.

[penorment]

I am not sure which bar you mean but the Mai Tai bar at the Royal Hawaiian requires you to pay for your lunch and drinks!! They have lots of tables surrounding the bar and we sat and had lunch twice after our cruise adn sat at the bar a few times too!! They are right on the beach and have entertainment and we really enjoyed the place.

 

The scenic cruising on Friday was great. The captain got quite close to shore so you could really see the cliffs which had a mist clinging to them. He did not turn however so you could see them from port side. Our penthouse ws port so we spent quite a bit of time watching from our cabin as well as on deck. A whale decided to wave goodbye to us as we cruised by adn we saw dolphins too.

 

The volcano viewing is late around 10 I think so eat by 7-7:30 to ensure you are out in time. Our scenic cruising was around 2 because we left Kauai at 6AM. The ships leave Kauai at different times depending on the week you cruise.

[beechparty]

THanks for all the information. I was confused about the bar and thought you were talking about a bar on the ship, sorry.

Again, your reviews have been great and full of information. Thanks for coming back and reporting.

[bankofdad]

Again, your reviews have been great and full of information. Thanks for coming back and reporting.

 

I agree! I picked up some nice tips for our pre-cruise plans on our next trip. Thanks again!

[gladiola]

Thank you for your thorough and positive review. I will be sailing on May 20th and staying in a Penthouse Suite on deck 10. What was the name of your butler and were you happy with his services? What type of extra things did he provide?

 

I am thinking of renting a car in Maui, is there a rental company you recommend and how accessible is parking?

 

I've been reading the reviews am I'm perplexed by the differences in experiences. For some, the ship is dirty, food terrible , cabin dirty and crew nasty. Someone on same cruise, ship is beautiful, room is clean and food is great. Do you have any opinion as to why this may happening based on your own experience aboard this ship.

 

Anything you could share will be appreciated.

 

Thanks again...

[penorment]

W e had 10516. Our first butler was John but he had a family emegency so we got Jeff. We did not use the butlers much because we were on the go so much but they will take great care of you. As Jeff said, want ice cream at night , you got it.

 

We used hertz in Maui, convertible was great. Parking no problem, right at dock.

 

I think the reason for the wild range of reviews is partly due to the wild range in service. We got lucky but others in my party did not have really good cabin service; missing towels, ice, coffee etc. If they asked for it, they got it but they shouldn't have to ask. If you didn't have reservations, after a long wait for dinner any glitch can seem magnified. We got good waiters and waitresses, I heard many others complain. And then again, there are some people who like to complain. i did not go to Little Italy but the rest of my party did. Some felt the service was excruciatingly drawn out and others thought it fine. Related people with different perceptions. I loved the cruise and I should point out I have stayed in some of the top rated properties in the world as well as 4 star restaurants in Paris even(which I loved every minute of)..My husband travels a lot (75%) so we have been able to see a lot of the world and this vacation rates as one of my favorites.

[penorment]

We had numerous Mai Tai's there, and they are very good! The food is good also. Between the four of us, we tried a number of things on their menu, including the wings, the sampler plate, nachos, sushi, etc and all were excellent. The menu is oriented towards snacky type items, burgers and some sandwiches, nothing fancy. We never seemed to have an issue with getting a table, but only were there during the day (lunch time and in the afternoon), we did not try to get a table in the evening, so not sure about the crowds at that time. Great view (right on the beach), great Mai Tai's, and excellent snacky type food. What could be better?