NCL 'Catch A Wave'... which Maui beach?

[puablo]

I'm going on the NCL Pride of Hawaii at the end of May, which docks in Kahului. This is the only island I'm not renting a car on (Thrifty elsewhere, of course!) because we're doing the sunrise bike tour on Day 2 and on Day 1 we're doing the 'Catch A Wave!' surfing excursion as it seems to be the best one offered on the trip. 5 hours long, then you can stay at the beach longer if you want and return to the boat at your leisure. Since I'd be going to bed at a reasonable time that night for the bike ride the next morning, this sounds perfect.

 

BUT... thanks to my research here and elsewhere, I've learned there is no beach in walking distance from the port, which then confuses me as to how I can possibly return to the boat at my leisure. I called NCL, and they said they have shuttles that come at certain times to pick you up and take you back to the boat, so we are limited to going back at one of those scheduled times. That's fine for me, but they could not tell me which beach the surfing trip was at. Does anyone know where this is, or have any guesses as to which beach it could potentially be at?

 

I ask all this because I'm trying to decide whether it will be a good enough area to while away the afternoon at, or should I return to town immediately and just rent a car for the afternoon. I'm hoping for a good beach.

[puablo]

Actually if nobody knows where they do this particular excursion, how about some deduction skills? It would presumably have to be a beach that will have decent waves in the summer, but not enough to injure the tourists who have no idea how to surf. And I would assume it would be a beach that other activities are going to be at, since I doubt they'll have the shuttle service just for the surfers. So maybe Kaanapali? Lahaina? The south side of the island? Having never been, I of course have no idea. But if the surf trip lets us go off on our own in any one of those areas, then this trip will be twice as awesome.

[puablo]

Okay now I'm just a crazy man talking to myself - but I found the answer. As always with NCL, calling repeatedly will get you different answers. Today I called back and spoke to a very nice lady who tried to help, saying "I'm looking and it doesn't say which beach it is". I tried to nudge her along, saying "well is the shuttle the same one as another excursion like Ka'anapali or Lahaina?" and she read verbatim to me what their internal description is in the system:

 

"Guests for 'Catch A Wave!' take one of the 'Lahaina On Your Own' shuttles and meet up with the tour operator in Lahaina. Guests can take these shuttles back to the ship at their leisure. A schedule will be posted, including the time of the last bus back to the ship."

 

So there we go, the NCL 'Catch A Wave!' surfing excursion in Maui is essentially the 'Lahaina On Your Own' trip, with a surfing lesson once you get there. I'm quite excited now.

[kapoho2]

I could have answered this for you....but I just got off the Pride of Aloha yesterday! Last year, while we were on the POH, my husband did the Catch a Wave excursion and I just purchased the Lahaina shuttle so I could go along and watch and take pictures.

 

The surfing beach for the excursion is right there in Lahaina. The shuttle bus drops you off near the Lahaina wharf, and the rep. from the sufing school meets the bus. You will then walk across the street to the surf shop and get fitted with all that you need and it is there that you can leave your other stuff. Everyone then walks back across the street and down a bit to the beach where the lesson will be held. After the lesson everyone can surf in that area for several hours. The instructors will be out there in the water advising you what wave to attempt to surf, etc. Then all will walk back across the street to change, etc. I believe the NCL Lahaina shuttle leaves about every hour. We took an extra hour or so after the lesson to walk around and grab a cold drink. Have fun!!