Pride of Aloha 3/11/07

[PDAZ]

Here's my review of the ports -- see "Norwegian" for the ship review!

 

Car rental: I took everyone’s advice and rented with Thrifty as a Blue Chip member. Very glad I did as the line for Blue Chips moved much quicker than the regular line. However, I would really advise considering other car rental companies. There’s nothing wrong with Thrifty, but they are very popular. The shuttles for the other car rentals left half empty while the Thrifty one was packed. In Kauai, the Thrifty shuttle was the last to arrive and only a third of us were able to get on. I was lucky to be in that first group because there was only one person working at the counter. I talked with another passenger that evening who was in the second group and he waited nearly two hours to get his car! Apparently, they usually have two people at the counter, but one didn’t show up. In Hilo, there weren’t any shuttles there when we arrived in port and the crowd was so large for the shuttles that we opted to take a taxi ($13 for the four of us) to the rental counter. Glad we did – we had our car before the first shuttle arrived. In Maui, we lucked out – the shuttle was just arriving when we came off the ship and we were among the first passengers off. The shuttle driver didn’t wait to fill up and took us right to the rental location. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any midsize cars ready; they offered us a free upgrade to a minivan or suv, but we opted to wait – about 20 minutes. The Hilo location was the only one directly located at the airport along with the other rental companies – I don’t know if we could have sneakily taken another company’s shuttle and then went to the Thrifty counter. In Maui, the shuttle driver checked our name against a list to ensure that we had a reservation – she wouldn’t take anyone without a reservation because they were sold out. In Kauai, our name wasn’t checked, but the rental location is Thrifty only so taking a different shuttle wouldn’t help! Both the Maui and Kauai locations are stand-alone sites – the Maui one was near the airport, probably on airport property. Not sure how close to the airport the Kauai location was – it didn’t seem that far from the ship.

 

Kauai: We had a car rental for the first day only. My parents were booked for the helicopter tour through the ship, but the ship cancelled all helicopter tours for Kauai because of the crash the week before. We were going to book them with a private company but after the second crash, they decided to pass on the tour. Seems like others did also – we only saw one helicopter while in Kauai. Using the Frommer guide, we headed north towards Hanalei. We first stopped at Na Aina Kai Botanical Gardens, but they weren’t open on Mondays (we neglected to read the fine print in Frommer’s). The gift shop was open however and there was a small garden in front of it that we wandered through. We saw a bunch of lizards that the gift shop attendant told us were anoles. These lizards changed color from green to brown – very cool! We picked up a guide to the flowers of Hawaii in the gift shop and this came in handy on our trip as we saw so many flowers along the way.

 

We continued north to the end of the road, stopping at scenic overlooks and two caves – one wet and one dry – both on the side of the road. The road narrows as you get nearer to the end, and it winds with a few hairpin turns (ala the Road to Hana). We weren’t able to park at the end of the road – the lots were full – so we headed back and stopped at the Princeville resort for an expensive ($100 for four) but breathtaking lunch on their patio overlooking the ocean and the mountains. We then stopped at the Kilauea Lighthouse – our favorite stop on the trip. The lighthouse itself is no longer in operation, and you can’t climb up into it, but the area around the lighthouse is a wildlife sanctuary and a birdwatcher’s paradise! There are binoculars available for check-out. The cliffs on one side are covered with sea birds – there are signs and docents to help you determine which birds are which. We saw albatross on the other side – several flew over us with their spectacular wingspans. There are also Hawaiian Geese walking about – they came right up to us (although the signs warn you against feeding them because they are on special diets). And of course, the inevitable Kauai chickens were running about. It’s also a great spot for viewing whales – we saw several but nothing more than the fluke. Incidentally, if you have a Golden Eagle pass, your group can get in free here. We finished up our day with a stop at Opaekaa Falls – you can see the falls from the parking lot so this is a convenient stop if walking is an issue. We then made a pit stop at Safeway and Walmart (hate to admit it, but they did have great prices and a good selection of Hawaiian shirts). We had no problem bringing food and drinks back on board as long as it wasn’t alcohol. We returned the car around 5 pm and the shuttle showed up a few minutes later and took us back to the ship. The last shuttle to the ship leaves at 8 pm we were told, and it’s too long of a walk if you miss the shuttle. You could always take a cab back to the ship, but you’d have to call the cab – the rental location isn’t at the airport and I didn’t see any cabs hanging around. We weren’t keeping the car for the second day so I wasn’t looking for the lots, but I didn’t see any parking lots nearby the ship – not sure where they were.

 

We had originally planned on driving out to Waimea Canyon, but we ran short on time – my step mom has bad legs so we were moving a bit slow. I think we could have made the trip in time if we were on our own. However, we met a couple coming back from the canyon at the car rental return, and they said it was fogged in – they made the trip for nothing! We tried to book the tour to the canyon for the next day, but it was filled up. I don’t know if they were able to see the canyon either – it seemed cloudier the second day than the first.

 

On the second day, my parents took the ship tour to the Kauai Botanical Gardens, and they enjoyed it. I went off in search for a laptop adaptor which we managed to forget to bring. The staff at the reception desk kindly tried to charge ours but they had a different Dell model than ours. They suggested Radio Shack and sent me on the Kmart shuttle. Kmart is located at the mall – a fair sized mall with a Macys and Sears and the usual mall shops. I found Radio Shack, but they didn’t have an adaptor L. BTW, Walmart and Hilo Hatties are right next to each other so either shuttle will work to those locations. Kmart is the other direction, so you need to take the Kmart shuttle only. If you want to purchase leis, they are available at Walmart in the refrigerator at the front of the store.

 

The ship left early in the afternoon, and an hour or so later, we were on the promenade deck (port side) for the Napali coast viewing. The ship’s cultural director narrated for us over the speaker system – very helpful! The coast is really spectacular – made me wish I had booked a balcony cabin on the port side! As is, I found a dry spot on the deck and sat down. They didn’t have chairs on the promenade on this ship – disappointing! I missed a good deal of the coast because we were joined by a whale that breached about ten times right in front of the coast – he distracted me! It was very windy along the coast – I recommend a tight fitting hat or hair bands to keep the hair out of your face.

 

Hilo: We were about half an hour late getting into Hilo because of the wind and current so we had a late start. We took a cab to the car rental location at the airport (about ten minutes from the ship) and our cab driver pointed out the roads we needed to take – very easy driving here! We first headed up to Volcano Nat’l Park – wide roads, not at all steep. The Golden Eagle pass will get you in free here too. We stopped at the visitor’s center – didn’t stay long – too crowded and then walked across the street to Volcano House and went straight through to the back viewing area -- quite a nice view of the crater. We then continued on the entire loop around the park, stopping at the various lookout points. I was a bit disappointed with the park. I had hoped to see flowing lava or hot spots and there were none on the main loop. The only excitement was the steam vents. I know I’ve heard others say they saw the moving lava, but they must have been off the main loop, and we weren’t able to hike because of my step mom’s legs. I’d recommend finding out in advance where you can view the lava.

 

We then stopped at Thurston Lava Tube. There are stairs down to the tube so step mom couldn’t make it, but the rest of us went through. I’m bad at judging distances, but it didn’t seem that far of a walk once you get down the stairs – maybe half a mile? The main tube is lighted and cave-like; there’s an additional tube trail but you need flashlights to see in it. The trail to and from the tube is jungle – very lovely!

 

We then headed out of the park and back to Hilo. We hit a downpour and it actually rained the whole time I was driving but conveniently stopped when we hit our next destination – Akaka Falls. The road up to the falls goes through a quaint little town and a housing area; then you hit wide open plains and wonder if you’re on the wrong road but keep going! The falls are in a little pocket of jungle in the midst of this. Again, there were stairs down to the falls so step mom stayed in the parking lot but at least she got to look at the jungle which was gorgeous! If you go, don’t stop at the first falls on your left – this isn’t Akaka Falls – you need to keep going on the trail. It’s a long trail – Frommers says a mile loop – but it’s well worth it. The falls are spectacular – you’ll hear the thunder long before you see them.

 

Our last stop was at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens. Frommers called it a "little-known Eden by the sea" – no kidding – this is way off the beaten track! We were convinced that we had made a wrong turn but we found it! A tad expensive -- $15 a person to get in. It was raining a bit, but they did have umbrellas you could borrow while in the garden. Unfortunately, what Frommers doesn’t mention is that you need to be in shape to do this tour. There are steps and steep inclines all the way down. My parents started it but didn’t get very far – I probably should have asked for a refund since they weren’t able to do it, and the cashier didn’t mention the steepness of the trail when we purchased the tickets, but we were running late so I didn’t bother. The garden itself is stunning – a hillside jungle with lots of flowers. We heard a lot of birds but didn’t see any – we actually wondered if they were playing a tape of bird songs! Be warned though it is quite a trek getting up the trail! With all the walking and climbing we did, I think Hilo is solely responsible for our lack of weight gain on this cruise!

 

We headed back to Hilo and made it to the airport at quarter to five. The shuttle didn’t show until slightly after five, but the driver said not to worry – there were long lines to get back on ship. He was right – apparently our late arrival in port and the rain had delayed several of the ship tours. There were more buses arriving while we were in line.

 

Volcano viewing: The announcement said the viewing was at 10 pm, but we were on deck at 9:30 and could already see it. We were on the promenade (deck 6) and had no problem viewing it. When the ship turned, we went to the other side – plenty of room. Words can’t express how spectacular this is – it has to be seen! We thought that the best viewing was after the ship started moving again – we seemed to be closer and you could pick up the sulfur smell.

 

Kona: We were lucky – apparently the ship that was in Kona the day before wasn’t able to dock because of choppy seas. We had perfect weather – blue skies and calm water – but it was very warm – high 80s at least if not higher. We didn’t rent a car here, and I’m glad we didn’t. Everything seemed close by and our shuttle driver in Hilo warned us that the traffic could be heavy in Kona. It did look a bit slow in town. We booked the nature and dolphin cruise through the ship for the morning. Tendering was easy – our tour met in the theatre and they walked us down to the tender as a group. The cruise left from the same dock where the tender arrived. The cruise was fabulous – the guide was entertaining and we saw so many dolphins! We came across two pods with at least thirty in each pod according to the guide. The little ones were jumping and spinning for us. Great pictures!

 

After the tour, we took one of the shopping shuttles to Bubba Gumps. I forget which shuttle it was – there were several shopping shuttles at the pier – I just asked the drivers until I found one that was going near the restaurant. We arrived before the lunch crowds and were able to get a table outside right next to the water. There was a turtle floating around in the cove – he provided our lunchtime entertainment! Another expensive lunch ($100) but totally worth it!

 

After lunch, we wandered around the shops a bit, bought some Kona coffee and then took a shuttle back to the dock. My parents had an afternoon glass bottom boat tour (booked through the ship), which they enjoyed. They said they saw plenty of fish – lots of colors – but no more turtles. I just wandered around town and looked at the sights. There are actually beaches on both sides of the dock – nothing spectacular, but the water looked shallow and calm.

 

Maui: My favorite island! We rented a car for both days and headed out for Lahaina. I tried to pre-book a whale watch excursion with the Pacific Whale Foundation but they have a 24-hour cancellation policy, and I didn’t want to lose the money if the ship couldn’t dock or if we ran into traffic or whatever, so I opted to buy tickets at the pier. We first went to the Atlantis booth and bought tickets for the 10 am submarine tour for my parents. We left them to wait for the tour – there are benches under a canopy – and my daughter and I headed for Cheeseburger in Paradise. They’re open for breakfast, and you can get a cheeseburger for breakfast but no veggie burger. Very sad – I had been looking forward to my Hawaiian veggie burger! We booked the 12:30 whale watch so we picked up subs for lunch to eat on board. My parents really enjoyed the submarine tour – I had taken it a few years ago and thought it was ok, but they raved about it. The whale watch, however, was the highlight. We booked the 12:30 tour because we had luau tickets through the ship and we needed to be back by 4 pm. The whale watch was 2 hours, which gave us plenty of time to drive back to the ship. Some group, not sure if it was the cruise ship, had booked the 1:15 whale watch – there were only two seats available. The 12:30 whale watch was practically empty – I doubt there were more than 30 onboard – so we had plenty of room to move about. We saw many, many whales – according to the crew, it was an unusually good sighting. We saw all the behaviors – breaching, fin slaps, tale slaps – and we had a mother and calf pass right in front of the ship. Amazing! Highly recommend the Pacific Whale Foundation tour – try to get on one of the less crowded tours.

 

We left Lahaina at 2:30 and headed back to the ship. It took us maybe 30 minutes to get to Lahaina in the morning; it took us 90 minutes to get back to the ship! There was construction along the route, and traffic was backed up almost to Lahaina. We crawled along at a snail’s pace… We arrived back at the ship just as the busses were loading for the luau. Parking lot one (right across from the ship) was already filled; I parked in lot two, which was around the corner (a very short walk back to the ship). When we got in line, the excursion crew told us that the luau was being moved inside because of rain and that there would be no fire dancers. We were offered the chance to cancel without penalty, so we opted to do so. A luau without the beach and the fire is just a buffet! We hadn’t seen any rain, but apparently Makena, (where the luau was -- Maui Prince resort) was getting wet. I stopped by the excursion desk later to book my parents on a tour for the next day, and there were several passengers turning in luau tickets – apparently several tours didn’t make it back in time because of the traffic. I don’t know if they would have allowed you to get a refund if you were on your own and didn’t make it back in time.

 

Just a note about parking… we left before 7 am the next morning and noticed that many cars in lot one and part of lot two were blocked in. Maybe they were dock staff who didn’t have an issue with this since they were there for hours but I wouldn’t be surprised if some were passengers. I’d make sure you parked in a spot that would allow an easy exit.

 

On day two, my parents went on the Best of Maui tour, which included a trip to the Iao Valley, a tram tour of the Maui Tropical Plantation and lunch there and a trip to the Maui Ocean Center. My daughter and I also headed out for the Iao Valley – we arrived just at seven when it “opened” and had the place to the cats and ourselves for a while. We then headed back to Lahaina, this time to have breakfast at the Pioneer Inn. They used to have fantastic muffins there, but no muffins now so we settled for their equally wonderful French toast with coconut syrup. We then wandered around the craft fair under the Banyan Tree before heading off in search of a beach. We ended up at one of the beaches along the route 30 – clear, calm waters and close to the construction in case the traffic started to back up again. However, we left around noon and the traffic was light. We hung out in the Maalaea harbor area for a while – not much to do there and it’s very windy. My parents returned from their tour around three – they enjoyed the Iao Valley and the plantation but thought that the aquarium was a bit over-rated. After resting, we headed out for dinner. One of the crew had recommended the Hideaway Café – it’s close to where the ship is docked and they have an enclosed patio that looks out on the water. On Saturday, they have a dinner buffet that has all the luau favorites along with a salad and soup bar, and since it was St Patrick’s Day, they also had corned beef and cabbage. It wasn’t cheap – I think it cost $18.95 a person – but the food was good, and the parking lot was packed with locals by the time we left – always a good sign.

 

Oahu: We booked the Pearl Harbor/city tour so we took our luggage with us instead of using the EasyFly option. We were off the ship and on the tour bus very quickly – so quickly in fact, that our driver included a drive by Waikiki Beach. The city tour consisted of driving by the palace and the government buildings and driving through the Punchbowl cemetery. We didn’t get off the bus until Pearl Harbor. We arrived there about 10 am and picked up tickets for the 11:30 tour. We wandered around the exhibits and the food tents until our tour time. There’s an optional tour of the submarine Bowfin that you could do while you were waiting for your tour – I think it cost $10 – and it was next door. The tour of the Battleship Missouri was also next door, but I didn’t catch the price – I’m not sure if we would have had time to do that tour. The Pearl Harbor tour consisted of a short film (20 minutes maybe) and then the ride across the bay to the memorial. I think we had 15 minutes on the memorial before they brought us back. The bus then took us to the airport.

 

If I knew then…: I wouldn’t have planned on seeing all the sights on the first day in Kauai and would have pre-booked an excursion for the second day. I think you could do Hanalei and Waimea Canyon on the same day, but it would be a very rushed day.

 

I would have checked up on the lava viewing information before heading out to VNP. The crater is impressive, but I really didn’t need to see it from every angle – I could have skipped several of the stops and headed for where the action was!

 

I would have picked a different botanical garden for Hilo – there were three that we were considering, and had I known that this one was so steep, I would have picked another.

 

I would have booked a hotel room in Maui for the night and went to a luau in Kaanapali. This was my original plan, but when I called NCL, I was told we had to be onboard at night. My itinerary showed that we left port at 9:30 on both nights and I had heard that we did in fact pull out to sea for the night. I asked on this forum and received conflicting information so I wasn’t comfortable booking a room and a luau. Turns out the ship doesn’t leave dock and the gate is open 24 hours if you want to get on or off ship.

 

I would have rented a car in Oahu. The tour wasn’t bad, but I would have liked to get off the bus in the city and walk around. Also, our flight didn’t leave until 8:30 pm so we didn’t need to be back at the airport at 2 pm!

[CruisinMK]

when I called NCL, I was told we had to be onboard at night. My itinerary showed that we left port at 9:30 on both nights and I had heard that we did in fact pull out to sea for the night. I asked on this forum and received conflicting information so I wasn’t comfortable booking a room and a luau. Turns out the ship doesn’t leave dock and the gate is open 24 hours if you want to get on or off ship.

 

If you're on a foreign flagged ship you must on the ship overnight, even if the ship just goes from Kahului to Lahaina (both on Maui). If American flagged you can get on and off whenevah

[PDAZ]

You were one of the ones who told me so the first time I asked... I should have listened to you! But others told me differently and with NCL telling me I had to stay onboard -- I didn't want to lose a deposit if I found out when we docked that I couldn't stay off the ship.

[Duffys wife 1957]

Great Review:D

[patnkat]

:eek:

 

Help! We are on POH next Monday 3/26. I have Thrifty booked, but I would prefer Avis or National. (Avis is sold out in Hilo)

 

:D

[kkjbb1]

Great summary of your trip. It was very informative and helpful. We are going with a group of 10 in October, and I will be sure to keep in mind all of your suggestions.

 

Thanks again.

[PDAZ]

I don't remember seeing Avis, but I saw Hertz, National, Dollar and Alamo shuttles. None of the rental locations is that far from the ship -- check with them to see if they'll pick you up.

[whenzuc]

an informative and helpful review. THANKS

[swalkr]

We ended up at one of the beaches along the route 30 – clear, calm waters and close to the construction in case the traffic started to back up again.

 

Do you remember what the name of the beach was along route 30?

[PDAZ]

I don't remember it -- I've tried looking it up on the internet but no luck! You can see the beach from the road. I think it was the last pull-off before you reached the cliffs heading towards Maalaea (or going the other way, heading to Lahaina, it's the first pull-off after you pass the cliffs and are at beach-level). It's a fairly long stretch -- there was plenty of room to pull off the road. There's actually several road-side beaches heading into Lahaina. I just thought this one was especially nice.

[Coolcruise02]

If you're on a foreign flagged ship you must on the ship overnight, even if the ship just goes from Kahului to Lahaina (both on Maui). If American flagged you can get on and off whenevah

 

Is this only for Maui? We were overnight in Honolulu on the Summit (foreign flagged ship) and it was not an issue to come and go all night.