Things to do In Hawaii on Summit

[shofer]

I am starting a new thread because I rec'd a request for this info on a different one and the host closed the thread as there were too many different topics on it.

So to answer Barb who asked...

 

I would suggest booking the ship's tour to the Polynesian Cultural center when you are in Honolulu if you have already seen Pearl Harbor. We tried to rent a car and they were all gone and a taxi wanted $120 one way to get there! So after 2x in Honolulu, we still haven't seen it. I guess that means we have to go one more time! It is closed on Sunday because it is run by the Mormons.

 

If you are quick off the ship when it docs, there are kiosks next to the pier where you can book independent tours which are cheaper than the ship's tours and don't stop for shopping.

 

Try to be awake and on the deck when the ship docks in Honolulu as there is a band playing and girls doing the Hula! It is a time-honored tradition there to do meet the ships that way.

 

I have a review on this site from our last visit in Jan, '06.

 

We did do the helicopter Volcanoes and waterfalls trip this last time. It was spectacular. The first time we took the tour of Volcanoes National Park w/the ship and it was very good. But get the one w/o the lunch. I booked late and it was the only one left and the food left much to be desired after eating on the Summit.

 

We arrived 2 days early the first time because the Hawaii cruise was a transition one and we ended it w/5 days at sea in Vancouver so we boarded in Honolulu. We did the pre-boarding "City highlights & Pearl Harbor tour". The only good part was Pearl Harbor. The rest of the time we never got off the bus so it was disappointing. They still offer that as an excursion in Honolulu.

 

If you stop in Kauai, go see the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific". It is spectacular if the weather cooperates. The beach is only 2 blocks away from the ship so that is a nice day if that's what you want.

 

We had 2 days in Maui in '02 so rented a car ahead of time and did the Road to Hana. It was really good but DH wishes he wasn't doing all the driving as it had some hairpin turns and was nerve wracking. I heard some people took it as an excursion and were getting motion sick on the bus. We only had one day the last time so I went whale watching w/Capt Steve. We were there in January so the whales were also. I imagine they will be on their way from Alaska when you are there.

 

I bought "Hawaii for Dummies" before we went the second time to I could maximize our time there and see what we wanted to see.

 

Hilo Hatties is at every port and has the best prices for Hawaiian shirts. The ABC stores have some cheaper items and we found some airline bottles of vodka that we bought for $1/each and smuggled back in our pockets. I felt like a criminal!

 

You will be wanded and have your belongings searched at every stop before they let you back on the ship. You go thru metal detctors at the entrance to the ship. At least they have a big tent up so you are not standing in the sun the whole time. They also have cold water & fruit punch and a cool, wet towel for your fevered brow under the same tent before you get back on the tender or on the ship. Security is tight.

 

Anything else, just ask or read my reviews for May,'02 or Jan, '06, both on Summit.

[judyfssw]

Thank you for the information.

[peanutter]

The first time we took the tour of Volcanoes National Park w/the ship and it was very good. But get the one w/o the lunch.

 

Shofer, did you do the VNP excursion that included Rainbow Water Falls and the Orchid place? We are trying to decide whether the extra two stops are worth it or if we just want to go to VNP. Thanks!

[hcat]

Best bargain is the flower arrangements sold at Hlo as you re-board the ship--great prices & ours lasted the entire trip...do not pass them up! Also enjoyed hula & other classes on board with the Hawaii Ambasador paki Allen who was on our Summit cruise. Seems like the Kilawea(sp?) volcano is really spewing forth these days! saw it on the new last night--looks awesome!

[Senga]

Lots of information available on the Ports of Call board.

[ISABELLA]

We've done this cruise twice. And here what we did;

In Honolulu - rented a car and drove around the island. Besides a little traffic, the ride was fantastic.

In Kawai - booked a private helicopter tour, which we will never forget as long as we live.

In Maui - went to Kanapalli beach and walked around the Lahaina - wonderful shops. Next time will take the Road to Hana.

In Hilo - rented a car - visited the Volcano Park, AKA-KA falls, Botanical gardens.

In Kona - went to the beach and Hilo Hatties.

Fantastic cruise. So much to see, so little time, but we made the best if it.

[shofer]

Peanutter,

 

The tour we did in '02 included the Orchid Farm and the Macadamia nut farm. They probably have changed it since then. If we do it again, I think there is a tour that is a lava walk across the lava field. We actually saw people doing it from the helicopter.

 

Last year,the ship was supposed to do a sail-by of Kiluaua (sp?) at the Midnight Chocolate buffet but actually did it much earlier w/o alerting the passengers because they felt everyone would leave the dining room to see it.

 

There was a lot of complaining about it by the passengers since the dining room staff was telling us one thing (like how spectacular it was!) and the ship's official version was something else. They even had the cruise director on the TV the next day w/the navigator concocting some cock & bull story about how we did pass it at the right time after all. It was so obvious a lie, it was laughable. But a lot of people were really upset.

[shofer]

We bought an orchid one at the airport in Hilo for all of $6 and it would have lasted longer if I had stuck it in the fridge!

 

Judy, I see you have someone from Lombard, IL in your group. We live 2 towns west of them in Wheaton. The Metro Chicago area is just one town after another w/o any breaks between them. Have a great cruise on Summit. We really enjoyed the sea days. No jet lag when you get to the Islands!

[judyfssw]

I have a question. Which side of the ship should you be on to see the volcano?

And, if your spouse was handicapped and needed to use a scooter, which tours would you recommend? We did go on the helicopter ride in Kauai and it was fantastic. In Honolulu, we've visited the Arizona memorial. And, on both islands, we rented a car for a ride around the island. I don't want to do the driving this time.

[Skeezics]

Loved our Hawaiian cruise about a year ago.

 

Hilo: rented a car and did Volcano Park and Hilo Hatties

 

Honolulu: took bus to Diamond Head and climbed (would recommend for anyone who is able. . .we are in our 60's. Great view from the top) Then got off in downtown and had lunch and took cab back to pier. Had dinner at

Chef Mavro. Alan Wong's was unfortunately closed.

 

Kona: time was shortened in port so got off and had breakfast walked around bought some coffee and got back on board. We were going to rent a car but felt with the shortened time would be a waste.

 

Kauai: Took a cab up to the town area, really nothing to see, then walked back, down hill to the port looked around, had a lovely lunch at Dukes overlooking the beach.

 

Maui: walked around the Lahaina, had reservations at Pacific O's which is about a 15 minute walk to the left of the pier. Is on the water. Great food. The waits to get back on the tender grew to be 2hrs as the afternoon progressed. Fortunately we only waited about 20 minutes. Road to Hana really takes ALL day. Once you get to Hana the interesting things (Bamboo Jungle, grottos are further) The best way, is to take a day to get to Hana, stay at the Hana Ranch for two days and then back. That way you can really enjoy the area. One activity I would highly recommend, if it is offered, is the bike ride down from the crater. Is amazing. Starts really early in the morning.

 

This cruise was a great way to revisit Hawaii low key. Will do it again when we are older and don't want to fly, since is easy to do from Southern Cal. (Looked back and seemed all we did was eat . . . think we might be foodies!)

 

PS: Our cruise was on the Summit and was the last Hawaiian cruise that season just before the ill-fated repositioning and Alaskan cruise. So, eventhough they never explained the shortening of ports and our late arrival into Long Beach, wasn't difficult to figure out why after reading of all the troubles. The hint should have been that the ship was several hours late when boarding in the beginning. But was still a great cruise for us.

[shofer]

Hi Judy,

 

I would check the level of fitness needed on the shore excursion and whether they offer a handicapped bus. You might have trouble getting a scooter on the bus. I know when we did the Fern Grotto, they managed to get people in wheelchairs there but the terrain was uneven. Since Celebrity offers handicapped cabins, they must make allowances for the shore excursions.

(I would hope.)

 

I can understand that you do not wanting to drive everywhere. Check the Ports of Call board and ask if anyone has booked a private tour in Hawaii. You might get some good ideas.

[RLM77]

I f your overnight is at Lahaina. You can rent a car there (Hertz will pick you up at the tender pier) which will give you lots of additional flexibility. Better still, you can park it overnight within a couple blocks of the pier. Expensive ($20-$25) but worth it.

 

If you're willing to deal with some fairly challenging driving, I recommend both the Hana road and the drive to the summit of Haleakala. We didn't do either of these things during our cruises, but did them both on a land trip (in the pre-digital camera era, so no online photos, unfortunately). Both are outstanding.

 

If you would rather drive less challenging routes, the beach at Makena is magnificent. A somewhat long drive from Lahaina but a prettier and much less developed beach than those closer to town. A boat ride to and snorkel at Molokini crater is another crowd favorite. The whales have not yet arrived in October, so a whale watch will not be an option.

 

For a less traveled Maui excursion, drive upcounty (fabulous views along the way) to the Maui Winery and taste through their wines. It's the only place I know of where you can taste and buy pineapple wine (their grape wines are also good:) ). The Maui Ocean Center is nice, and fully accessible, but the other opportunities I mentioned are better if you've never been before.

 

We had an overnight in Honolulu on one of our cruises, so we rented a car there. If you're up for a one day rental, the Tantalus drive is wonderful. You loop through a very upscale suburb to a state park at the top of a mountain with much remaining tropical flora. There are some wonderful overlooks of Honolulu along the way as well. It's probably too expensive to do in a cab, however, and there are no excursions that I know of that go that way. It's a bit of a hassle to rent a car for just a few hours, but may be worth it in this case.

 

If you choose not to rent, the Punchbowl is quite interesting. Mosaics along the central colonnade provide an excellent encapsulation of the Pacific War. If you're fortunate to run into "Brother Gregory", he will also provide you with much of the backstory. And he won't accept tips, asking you instead to give the money to the poor. I'm sure we're in the minority, but we found the Punchbowl more interesting and more moving than the Arizona.

 

Driving (or taking an excursion) to the north shore and the banzai pipeline is a great trip. The surf won't be too extreme in October, but the beaches are wonderful all year. We also took an excursion to the Byodo-In Temple which was magical.

 

At Hilo the "must do" is the volcano. You can drive there (approximately 35 miles), take a shore excursion, or take a 45 minute helicopter trip. If you do it on the ground, be sure to walk into Kilauea crater and, time permitting, onto the lava fields. There are some ancient petroglyphs along one of the longer trails.

 

Kona is less interesting. I recommend a beach trip or perhaps the Atlantis submarine. Check the excursions Celebtityis offering; you may find something that appeals.

 

Check out our pictures below, I think I touched on everything.

Have a great time,

 

Rich

[Spender Nui]

If you're going to overnight in Maui you might consider going to Haleakala. The sight at sunrise is unbelievable. It can't be described.

[shofer]

Hi Judy,

 

You asked which side of the ship was best to see the volcano and I can't answer that since we never saw it. Sorry.

 

Sue

[judyfssw]

Sue, I'm so sorry that you missed the volcano. I sure hope that we get to see it. That may be the night that we have our dinner on the balcony so we don't miss it.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.

[sasset]

Rich:

 

Where is the car park that you mentioned in Lahaina?

 

Thank you and regards