West Coast - Hawaii Roundtrip Cruisers Thread

[lakim]

Great thread.

 

Can anyone tell me where the cruise ship terminal is in Honolulu and how far it is from Waikiki Beach back to the terminal? Is it walkable or how much should a taxi cost for the 4 of us? We are trying to decide what to do in the afternoon if we spend the morning at Pearl Harbor. (We will be in port from 7am to 11pm.) I'm thinking we can have the taxi drop us off at Waikiki Beach after we leave PH so we'll just need to find a way back to the ship.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Great thread.

 

Can anyone tell me where the cruise ship terminal is in Honolulu and how far it is from Waikiki Beach back to the terminal? Is it walkable or how much should a taxi cost for the 4 of us? We are trying to decide what to do in the afternoon if we spend the morning at Pearl Harbor. (We will be in port from 7am to 11pm.) I'm thinking we can have the taxi drop us off at Waikiki Beach after we leave PH so we'll just need to find a way back to the ship.

 

We were on the Island Princess three years ago December and loved it. Loved the sea days and all the activities.

 

We brought our ukelele (yes, we have one) and hubby brought his guitar. Both the girl and hubby took the uke class (the instructor lent out a limited number of ukes).

 

We were docked next to the Aloha Tower Market place in Honolulu. It's not that far away from Waikiki. We walked from that beach to the Tower years ago on our honeymoon. It may be quicker to walk it than to get a taxi and get driven with all the traffic.

[cattolica]

Mary,

I promise to take good care of the ship. :-)

We are south of San Pedro down here in the OC.

No airfare was a really big factor in choosing our cruise this time. Neither of us wanted to deal with and airport this time. Nice and relaxing, we will let Super Shuttle get us to the port.

Janet

Janet I just realized after re-reading your post that you are on the cruise right before us. We can wave to each other! We also live about an hour from San Pedro in Ventura County so we love the convenience (and cost savings) of just being able to drive to the port.

[srm54]

Glad to see this as I am sailing on Zaandam 11/22. Would love to hear other tips of what to see while in port.

[karatemom2]

Great thread.

 

Can anyone tell me where the cruise ship terminal is in Honolulu and how far it is from Waikiki Beach back to the terminal? Is it walkable or how much should a taxi cost for the 4 of us? We are trying to decide what to do in the afternoon if we spend the morning at Pearl Harbor. (We will be in port from 7am to 11pm.) I'm thinking we can have the taxi drop us off at Waikiki Beach after we leave PH so we'll just need to find a way back to the ship.

 

We also docked next to the Aloha Tower Market Place when we were there on the Diamond last year. It would be walkable to Waikiki, but it is a pretty long walk. We opted to take a taxi to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for our luau the evening we were there. I think it was about $15 each way. I think you can also get there by using The Bus, but I'm not sure what the schedules are like. You could probably check the website to get a current schedule of pick up and drop off times.

[kakalina]

We have done the RT cruise about 8 times. We leave Thursday for a few days in San Francisco and then we board the Statendam for the 32 day RT Hawaii/Tahiti cruise. We are looking forward to this wonderful cruise.

 

If you have any questions about the islands I will try to answer them.

 

Lakim: There should be a free shuttle that will take you to Waikiki and other points of interest. The bus is $2

[lakim]

We also docked next to the Aloha Tower Market Place when we were there on the Diamond last year. It would be walkable to Waikiki, but it is a pretty long walk. We opted to take a taxi to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel for our luau the evening we were there. I think it was about $15 each way. I think you can also get there by using The Bus, but I'm not sure what the schedules are like. You could probably check the website to get a current schedule of pick up and drop off times.

 

Thanks, karatemom2. I've printed the bus schedules.

[lakim]

Lakim: There should be a free shuttle that will take you to Waikiki and other points of interest. The bus is $2

 

 

Kakalina, who provides these free shuttles and from where?

[cattolica]

OK I am suffering from the lack of getting on Cruise Critic all day long. :-(

Jim and I will take good care of the ship so it is ready for you on the 24th. :-)

You live in the opposite direction from the port............we are down south in the OC. I think we are going to use Super Shuttle to get to and from the port since it is slightly cheaper than parking for the two weeks and let them do the driving for us.

December seems sooooooo far away, but we have to make our final payment the end of next week, so maybe that will make it seem more real.

Janet

Janet I just realized after re-reading your post that you are on the cruise right before us. We can wave to each other! We also live about an hour from San Pedro in Ventura County so we love the convenience (and cost savings) of just being able to drive to the port.

[kakalina]

Kakalina, who provides these free shuttles and from where?

 

IN front of Aloha Towers there is a kiosk with all the info. As the shuttle is provided by many merchants just about anyone there can tell you. Usually right in front of the towers. There will be a basket for tips for the driver. It is well worth it and you get a little tour on your way to Waikiki

[lakim]

IN front of Aloha Towers there is a kiosk with all the info. As the shuttle is provided by many merchants just about anyone there can tell you. Usually right in front of the towers. There will be a basket for tips for the driver. It is well worth it and you get a little tour on your way to Waikiki

 

 

Great! Thanks for the information.

[BigBearLady]

Glad to see this as I am sailing on Zaandam 11/22. Would love to hear other tips of what to see while in port.

I'm also sailing on the Zaadam to Hawaii on Nov. 22. Have you found a roll call yet?

[karatemom2]

I'm also sailing on the Zaadam to Hawaii on Nov. 22. Have you found a roll call yet?

 

Here is the link for your roll call.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=699230

[ArtsyChic]

Those are great choices for Kauai and Hilo. We are also planning on doing the Na Pali Coast tour on our cruise this year. It is supposed to be spectacular. We spent a great deal of time at Volcanoes National Park last year and it was well worth it. It is really spectacular.

 

If you haven't been to Pearl Harbor yet, you might want to consider that for Honolulu. I highly recommend a tour of the USS Missouri as well. That was a big highlight of our trip last year.

 

Which tour are you doing for the Na Pali Coast? I am looking for the name of the excursion in our packet? Is this private or through another tour group?

 

Celeste

[ArtsyChic]

IN front of Aloha Towers there is a kiosk with all the info. As the shuttle is provided by many merchants just about anyone there can tell you. Usually right in front of the towers. There will be a basket for tips for the driver. It is well worth it and you get a little tour on your way to Waikiki

 

Where do these shuttles take you? How far around the island? Can someone hit all the hot spots without booking the excursions that are pricey?

 

Thanks

Celeste

[harlee3]

So glad i found you guys, such a cool thread, some threads are getting sort of mean,,,, leaving on the golden 11-12 and have rented a car on the big island, besides the obvious "the volcano" what is a must see on the big island?, has anyone that has toured the USS Missouri tell me if there is a lot of climbing up ladders, my husband has trouble with steep stairs and ladders due to a back injury, can you tell me how hard the climbing is?we are also renting a car on Oahu and is there other must see places beside the punch bowl and pearl harbor? like maybe a tour of someplace or gardens to see?...on Kauai we are snorkeling and on Maui we are taking a plantation tour so those two islands are covered,,,any ideas for Oahu and the big island would really help me set up a sort of plan for those two islands...does the golden also have ukulele lessons? and how many are there? how much do they cost....sounds like so much fun!:D , thanks for any input anyone can give me, thanks again........

[kakalina]

Where do these shuttles take you? How far around the island? Can someone hit all the hot spots without booking the excursions that are pricey?

 

Thanks

Celeste

 

Since the shuttles are sponsered by certain businesses they will take you there. I am sure there is more than one route. That said, ours went through Chinatown, the Governors Palace, some of the major hotels, Ala Moana shopping center, and Waikiki.

 

For the major POI the bus is wonderful. You can buy an all day pass that will allow unlimited on/off. We plan to take the bus to the Dole Pineapple Plantation, and took it last year to North Shore. It will circle the entire island in 4 hours total. Obviously longer when you get on and off a lot.

[karatemom2]

Which tour are you doing for the Na Pali Coast? I am looking for the name of the excursion in our packet? Is this private or through another tour group?

 

Celeste

 

Hi Celeste. I'm thinking of booking this excursion through Princess. It's called Na Pali Expedition I believe.

[karatemom2]

Since the shuttles are sponsered by certain businesses they will take you there. I am sure there is more than one route. That said, ours went through Chinatown, the Governors Palace, some of the major hotels, Ala Moana shopping center, and Waikiki.

 

For the major POI the bus is wonderful. You can buy an all day pass that will allow unlimited on/off. We plan to take the bus to the Dole Pineapple Plantation, and took it last year to North Shore. It will circle the entire island in 4 hours total. Obviously longer when you get on and off a lot.

 

We are considering doing the day pass on The Bus as well. Do you know if it stops at Diamond Head? We want to do the hike to the top.

[karatemom2]

has anyone that has toured the USS Missouri tell me if there is a lot of climbing up ladders, my husband has trouble with steep stairs and ladders due to a back injury, can you tell me how hard the climbing is?

 

We did the guided tour of the USS Missouri last year and it's a great tour. Some of the spaces are very tight and there are some stairs to climb, not really ladders, but narrow metal staircases. My father-in-law has back problems as well and although I think he could have managed, it might have been difficult for him. You can visit the USS Missouri and just explore on your own in the public areas without doing the guided tour. That way you could just explore parts of the ship that are more easily accessible for your husband.

 

any ideas for Oahu and the big island would really help me set up a sort of plan for those two islands...does the golden also have ukulele lessons? and how many are there? how much do they cost....sounds like so much fun!:D , thanks for any input anyone can give me, thanks again........

 

On the Big Island you might want to think about renting a car and visiting Volcanoes National Park. It is really spectacular. The Golden will have ukulele lessons and they are free. On the Diamond last year they offered them a couple times a day on most sea days both going over and coming back. You can also take Hula lessons!

[kakalina]

We are considering doing the day pass on The Bus as well. Do you know if it stops at Diamond Head? We want to do the hike to the top.

 

Yes it does, It's the best bus system around.

Virgil

[Putterdude]

Hi Mary;

 

We will be thinking of you and your family over Christmas. As you know we are doing a full Panama transit on the Coral on Jan 6th then have a 14 night southern Caribbean booked for Jan 2010 on the Grand. I think we would like to do something in the E & W Caribbean before returning to Hawaii; perhaps by then they will have reinstated Kona even if that pushes in back to 15 days....I live in hope.:)

[Cruisin' Chick]

So glad that the RT bashers have stayed away. Many of us prefer the round trip from the West Coast. If my family wanted to stay in Hawaii for a vacation, we wouldn't go on the Pride ship (the one that's left for its remaining time). We would stay in a hotel.

[beachchick]

So glad that the RT bashers have stayed away. Many of us prefer the round trip from the West Coast. If my family wanted to stay in Hawaii for a vacation' date=' we wouldn't go on the Pride ship (the one that's left for its remaining time). We would stay in a hotel.[/quote']

 

Even though my DH and I aren't interested in the mainland r/t cruise, I've been following this thread watching for interesting ideas and experiences. I just want to say that many who you might consider "bashers" really are not. I completely agree that some have the "why bother to cruise Hawaii if so much of your cruise is going to be spent at sea?" attitude. They are quite wrong, IMO. It's not my place to tell someone else what they should (or should not) prefer. I can only give my best opinions and experiences to help others choose what's best for them.

 

However, I fear (and I hope I am wrong) that you might have lumped some of us who ask "what is your main goal for this cruise?" into the bashing group. I think it's really very important to find out what someone is looking for in a Hawaii cruise before advising one way or the other. If spending as much time of the cruise in Hawaii as possible is the goal with the traditional cruise and ship time being secondary, then PoAm is an excellent choice. If having sea days and a more ship-oriented experience is primary with Hawaii being a wonderful destination, but usually with less time in the islands, then the mainland r/t cruises are an absolutely first-rate choice. (And don't forget the repositioning one-way options in spring and fall; those itineraries are ones my DH and I have considered. Almost the best of both worlds: Several sea days and a full week in the islands. What's not to love?) Of course, the issue of no casino or any gambling on PoAm is important for some as well. It doesn't matter to us, but it's a valid consideration.

 

Anyway, I think it's wonderful that there are options for everyone so that we can all experience Hawaii in the way that suits us best. For us, the best way is and always has been a land stay. We thoroughly enjoyed our PoH cruise, but I doubt we'd do it again and it's definitely not for everyone.

 

beachchick

[ArtsyChic]

We are considering doing the day pass on The Bus as well. Do you know if it stops at Diamond Head? We want to do the hike to the top.

 

Mary....here is the website that you can see the routes and things to check out the stops. We will probably do this also for the December cruise.

 

http://www.thebus.org/

 

Celeste