Hawaii Cheat Sheet - compiled from many contributors on the forum

[cyndepet]

What a great resource for planning our POA cruise! Thanks for putting this together.

[jmpember]

WE have done this twice and enjoyed it just as much as the first time!

It is an enjoyable evening. It is NOT hawaiin themed or connected in anyway. It is a type of magic/illusion show with a few twists.

[Maksim]

Need help with Kauai. Several people suggested to use Ken from Treadlightlykauaitours. I contacted him twice and filled in a form online. Nothing came through. Any ideas? Any other suggestions for Kauai other then rent a car and cruise ship tour? Does anyone know if there are private tours that can be arranged on shore once we get off the ship? I know that lot's of other ports have vendors right outside or even private cars / vans that offer you to take around for a reasonable price.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Not sure what kind of tour that is (active, scenic, etc.?), but on our most recent Hawaiian cruise (our third LA-Hawaii one on Princess) two years ago, we went on the Movies and Waterfalls tour. We booked it through Princess (I'm not sure if Roberts will let you book independently but the prices weren't too different). We saw a lot of beautiful scenery, had lunch at the diner featured in "The Descendants" and learned a lot about the various spots were movies were filmed on the island.

[Widebay]

What about flying over to Moloka'i Island, and do the mule walk down to Father Damiens Church & grave.

 

Did you mention Waimea Valley & Gardens on North Shore of O'ahu, then come south of the surfing town of Hale'iwa, with heaps of surf shops, cafes, etc.

 

Look out Hawaii, my wife & I will be there next year again, for a bit board riding, etc,

[azappraiser]

Need help with Kauai. Several people suggested to use Ken from Treadlightlykauaitours. I contacted him twice and filled in a form online. Nothing came through. Any ideas? Any other suggestions for Kauai other then rent a car and cruise ship tour? Does anyone know if there are private tours that can be arranged on shore once we get off the ship? I know that lot's of other ports have vendors right outside or even private cars / vans that offer you to take around for a reasonable price.

 

Check out "Wings Over Kauai" for something uniquely different. You'll fly in a plane, as opposed to a helicopter. My flight was $125... a helicopter would have been more than twice that.

[Maksim]

Thank you all so much for the advise. I actually did hear back from the private tour guy (Jay, not Ken). He was very nice over the phone and sounded like he knew his stuff. The only thing is it's too expensive. Cost is about $380 for the two of us. There are some other ones that I found on line, including "Wings Over Kauai", which is highly recommended by the board members. The only thing is, it's one hour for $125. We'll still need to supplement it with the land tour.

[punkincc]

Don't expect to see vendors lined up at the pier as you do on some Caribbean islands. It isn't done in Hawaii. Most people are prebooked for pick up either by a tour or car rental shuttle. There may be a couple of shopping shuttles.

 

But, there is a very nice beach area ( Kalapaki Beach ) within walking distance of the pier in Kauai, or you can take the shuttle which makes continuous runs. There is a shopping area which backs up to Kalapaki Bay and the beach. The Kauai Mariott with a Dukes restaurant is along the beach here. If you go, be sure to walk inside. You can reach an enclosed garden ( an old botanical garden, and the hotel was actually built around it. Lots of water features. ) Lots of shade and grass on the beach and you can rent stand up paddle boards, surf boards, etc. Paved walkway down the beach. Has something for everyone. We had lunch at Duke's outdoor bar with a nice view of the bay. You can see the cruise ship and mountain. Nice way to spend an afternoon, maybe after your Wings tour.

Edited October 6, 2014 by punkincc

[Maksim]

Thank you so much, Brenda and Vance (not sure which one of you wrote this). It sounds like a perfect addition to the plane tour. This way we can see everything from above and then relax on the beach and walk around as you suggested.

[acoralm]

Some great information on this thread.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

Some great information on this thread.

 

And a good deal of really bad, dated information.

 

That is why I would encourage people to ASK new, port specific questions and use Cruise Critic's parent company, TripAdvisor, for great, in depth coverage of the Hawaiian islands.

[coyboy1971]

Here's my personally tested 2015 best of Kona list, compiled with a cruise ship's arrival and departure schedule in mind:

 

Best places to walk from the pier and eat/drink with the ship in plain view:

 

Splashers (local beer, tropical drinks, great burgers, fish tacos)

Kona Canoe Club (local beer, excellent Mai Tais, the best calamari)

Daylight Mind Coffee Company (farm to table, foodies, relaxed, elegant)

Huggo's on the Rocks (beach bar with pupus and music)

 

Best walkable place for breakfast hands down for those in the first tender ashore:

 

Island Lava Java Bistro

 

Best place to walk off the tender and rent a paddle board, kayak, etc:

 

Kona Boys Beach Shack in front of the King Kamehameha Hotel

 

Best large catamaran snorkel cruise:

 

Body Glove (right at the tender pier)

Fair Wind II (10 min taxi ride to Keauhou)

 

Best small catamaran:

 

Kamanu... Usually only 12-15 guests and they snorkel Pawi Bay (excellent!), 10 min away, leaves from Honokohau small boat harbor.

 

Best fresh off the boat fish:

 

Bite Me Grill and Bar at Honokohau. Bite Me also has a fleet of fishing boats if you like to catch your own. This harbor is where you will find numerous excellent sport fishing boat trips.

 

Best snorkeling if you're on a budget:

 

Kahalu'u Bay... Take the Kona trolley ($2) that runs up and down Ali'i Drive and rent gear at the beach. Showers and snack wagon, lifeguards, this is a very family friendly beach. You can also take surf lessons or rent a surf board.

 

Best helicopter tours to the volcano:

 

Paradise Helicopters - leaves from Kona Airport (much closer to ship than other companies) and flies luxurious Bell 407 helicopters. Not cheap. Unforgettable experience.

 

Please feel free to ask me for current, local info. If I don't know the answer, I will ask around!

 

Aloha,

 

Coy

Edited December 30, 2015 by coyboy1971

[supersecdd]

Thanks for the info!

[p11djmau]

Cowboy, the Fair Wind II site says that it is a 25 minute taxi ride from the pier to their office and boat. I am looking at the morning trip that leaves at 9:00. We will be arriving on the Pride of America at 7:00. Will this be do-able?

[punkincc]

Cowboy, the Fair Wind II site says that it is a 25 minute taxi ride from the pier to their office and boat. I am looking at the morning trip that leaves at 9:00. We will be arriving on the Pride of America at 7:00. Will this be do-able?

 

We did this one in 2014 from the POA. I was totally paranoid about missing it. You will need to get an early tender ticket to get off the ship. Pay attention to the Freestyle Daily for the location and time they start handing out tickets. Your entire party must be there when you get the tx.

 

We were in the very first tender, not sure of the time, we went straight there after we picked up the tx. Probably around 7:15 to 7:30? We walked around a bit and finally took one of a few taxis that were waiting near the pier. Probably around 7:45. As I recall it was probably around a 20 min ride. We were way early. I think there was some paperwork to do, waivers, probably, so check in at the counter right away. Nice area with picnic tables in the back near the water and boats where we waited until time to board. This was very well run, great crew. Sit near the captain up top if you can, he is very entertaining. Food was very good, and the water in the bay absolutely beautiful and calm.

 

In hindsight, if you are in a taxi around 8:00 am, you will have more than enough time to get there.

You might check in advance for names and numbers of taxi companies in Kona just in case none are at the dock, but unlikely. Whatever taxi you take, get their card with phone number just in case, but ask them to meet you at the time the boat is scheduled to return. This is what we did luckily because we saw no other taxis except our own when we got back.

Edited January 2, 2016 by punkincc

[coyboy1971]

As punkincc says, it should be doable as long as the POA is on schedule. Talk to the Fair Wind folks directly...I'm sure they've done this with other cruisers. It's a great snorkel cruise on a big, comfortable catamaran.

 

The Fair Wind II leaves from Keauhou Harbor, right next to the Sheraton, so ground transportation is usually not an issue on the way back to the pier.

 

Otherwise, I highly recommend the Kamanu. They have a van and can arrange transfers to and from the pier. It's a small enough boat, I've actually been aboard when the skipper waited for late arrivals and just extended the return time so everyone got the full cruise in.

[p11djmau]

Thank you both!! We will have 2 16 year old boys with us...would the fair wind II or the Hula Kai be a better fit in your opinion?

[dani negreanu]

Thanks, Coy, for the updated "best" of Kona. Much appreciated.

 

Looking at it, I'm wondering if, coming from a "sunshine & beaches" country (beside other not so pleasant things), is there something else interesting to do in Kona, beside "water activities"?

 

We don't mind renting a car, but can settle to wander around and eat some fresh fish/sea food at one of the recommended restaurants.

 

We are mainly interested in the fabulous views those islands are famous for.:)

 

Dani

Edited January 2, 2016 by dani negreanu

[coyboy1971]

Thanks, Coy, for the updated "best" of Kona. Much appreciated.

 

Looking at it, I'm wondering if, coming from a "sunshine & beaches" country (beside other not so pleasant things), is there something else interesting to do in Kona, beside "water activities"?

 

We don't mind renting a car, but can settle to wander around and eat some fresh fish/sea food at one of the recommended restaurants.

 

We are mainly interested in the fabulous views those islands are famous for.:)

 

Dani

 

Great question! I'd suggest renting a car and heading south...first stop, Royal Hawaiian Coffee Company. They have a nice self, guided tour, a small museum, and a very easy lava tube you can walk through. Free samples of all their coffee. This is an historic, working, coffee mill. Great views from their elevation.

 

Next stop, Pu`uhonua O Hōnaunau a National Historic Park. This is the best preserved "city of refuge" in the islands and is a national treasure and very sacred to the Hawaiian people. Very shady, easy to see in 1-2 hours, flat terrain. I do recommend mosquito repellent as a precaution. You can pick some up at an ABC or Long's. Parking is $5 if you don't have a National Parks pass. Admission is of course, free. This is old Hawaii, circa 1300 AD. Ancient temples, Palm grottos, a beautiful view of the ocean. Excellent small bookstore, and great ranger lectures. Great photo ops.

 

Head back toward Kona stopping for lunch at Managos... Very old Hawaii, circa 1900 AD. Butterfish, Ono, and other fresh off the boat fish lovingly prepared by local ladies in a 100 year old hotel kitchen. This is as authentic as it gets. Stop in the Kona Chip Company next door after lunch and pick up some genuine local chips to enjoy back on the ship as you sail away.

 

It will truly be a day of time travel, but will show you Hawaii in a different light. This is the itinerary I plan for guests for our non-beach days.

Edited January 2, 2016 by coyboy1971

[dani negreanu]

Thanks, again, Coy, for the detailed reply. Looks great, right what I was looking for.

 

Our time in port is 7AM -- 5PM.

 

It is a tender port. Since we'll be doing "our" thing, we'll not have priority tendering. Assuming we'll be out around 9.30Am, have the car at 10AM, can we manage to be back in 5.30-6 hours (at 4PM at the latest?)

[coyboy1971]

Thank you both!! We will have 2 16 year old boys with us...would the fair wind II or the Hula Kai be a better fit in your opinion?

 

Both are very nice. I prefer the Fair Wind II because there's more shade and the seating is more open feeling to me.

[coyboy1971]

Thanks, again, Coy, for the detailed reply. Looks great, right what I was looking for.

 

Our time in port is 7AM -- 5PM.

 

It is a tender port. Since we'll be doing "our" thing, we'll not have priority tendering. Assuming we'll be out around 9.30Am, have the car at 10AM, can we manage to be back in 5.30-6 hours (at 4PM at the latest?)

 

Yes... We do that itinerary in 4-5 hours max, because we don't like leaving our dog at home any longer than that.

[dani negreanu]

Yes... We do that itinerary in 4-5 hours max, because we don't like leaving our dog at home any longer than that.

 

Excellent news, thanks :)

[sparkle]

Coyboy, is the Seahorse Farm still a nice place to go to? We went there on a Ship excursion 3 years ago. At first I was skeptical, but being able to put your hands in the tank and have a seahorse wrap his tail around your fingers turned out to be very cool! Very informative.

 

We've been to Hawaii on 4 cruises and have the 5th one booked! We love the islands. Very laid back/ "hang loose" feeling! not like getting the nonstop hustle of some islands/destinations.

 

Thanks for all the info! Great thread!

[princess-mommy]

We will be cruising in December. This has been very helpful!