West Coast - Hawaii Roundtrip Cruisers Thread

[sailsalot]

Hi everyone!

 

My new hubby and I will be doing the Golden RT Hawaii cruise for our honeymoon in Nov.! It will be our first time to Hawaii and our first cruise on Princess, so we're very excited. We're in our 30s and looking for fun, adventurous excursions. We're thinking of the zipline, but there are several different ones listed for different ports. Does anyone know if one is better than the others? Also, has anyone tried the horseback riding excursion, and if so, was it any good?

 

Thanks for any help and info!!

[Cruiser from MS]

I to am sooooo glad to find this thread. We are crusiing on the Golden March 18 and are so excited. I am so looking forward to the sea days and the days in Hawaii. This is a dream come true for my husband and myself. My mind is racing with thoughts about things we might want to do. This will be our fourth cruise but the first on Princess. I know this cruise and Hawaii will be everything we expect it to be and that's WONDERFUL.......:)

[ArtsyChic]

FYI to December 24th cruisers and other being in Honlolulu on Tuesdays..the Hanauma Bay Preserve is Closed on Tuesdays...bummer..I figured it out looking at the bus schedules. It looked like a really great place too...:(

 

Celeste

[puzzled1952]

We are taking the Celebrity Mercury 15 day cruise out of San Diego in November this year. We dock in Honolulu on November 11 at 3 PM and leave on November 12 at 8 PM. We want to see Pearl Harbor early on the 12th, and then would like to explore the island until late afternoon, leaving plenty of time to get on board before the ship leaves. We can’t seem to find any excursions that would allow us to do both. I think we should rent a car and do everything we want on our own schedule. I have the following questions about logistics:

 

First, we have read that Oahu roads are heavily traveled. Will traffic jams be much of a problem?

 

Should we try to rent the car on the day we dock so we will have it all set for the next day (so we can hit Pearl Harbor early)? If so, will we be able to park it near the cruise ship?

 

What car rental companies would you recommend?

 

If we make a reservation now, is there a chance they won’t have a car for us?

 

Will we have to cab to and from the rental agency, or do they do pick up/drop off?

 

Last – does anyone have a suggested itinerary of “must see sites” that we can accomplish in the one day. Pearl Harbor will be our first stop. We would like to get there very early so we can avoid crowds and then get on our way to see the rest of the island. Given the limited time we have, we know we will just get a taste of what the island has to offer so we want to make the most of our time.

We are a couple of active 50-somethings traveling with eight other family members ranging in age from early 20’s to late 50’s. We are not sure yet how many would want to do a non-ship excursion. As few as the two of us to possibly eight.

 

Thanks to all in advance for any advice you can give us.

[trikeman]

When you go to Akaka Falls have on good walking shoes, it's a hike but well worth it. In Hilo is also a water fall Rainbow Falls, sometimes it's a double rainbow and the neat thing is it's in town. Flew to the VNP with a reporter the last time there. We got a little to close for me, the pilot showed us when we got back where the paint had bubbled. The reporter kept saying closer and the pilot complied. I know you will have a great time there. Throw a flower in the water off the ship, they say if it goes to shore you will return one day.

[srm54]

There is a roll call for the 11/22/2008 Zaandam sailing to Hawaii, but it is not very active. There were only two of us that were posting regulary and unfortunately the other gentleman and his wife had to cancel their plans due to his wife's illness.

[karatemom2]

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.

 

beachchick

 

Beachchick I don't think any of us are referring to those types of questions when we talk about "bashing". If someone has come to the Hawaii board looking for information on what type of Hawaii cruise would best suit them I think that's a perfectly reasonable and helpful question.

 

I think what most of us doing roundtrip cruises don't appreciate is when we come here, having already made our decision and booked a cruise that suits our desires, and ask a question about an excursion and get criticized for our lack of port time, choice of roundtrip cruise, choice of cruiseline, etc. It happens frequently and I think the response to this thread is ample evidence that many feel slighted and put off by the tone of this Board at times. I'm so glad I posted this thread as I now can see clearly it's not just me who feels this way.

 

And if you think it doesn't happen, the current Pearl Harbor thread is a very good example of why some people just give up posting questions at all.

 

I think we all welcome helpful information and advice, but I don't think anyone comes here with the intention of debating their vacation choice or being placed in a position of having to defend why they chose a particular itinerary or cruiseline. That's why I hope that we can keep this thread a friendly, supportive and informative place to exchange information without fear of judgment or criticism. Let's leave the debates to the politicians!

[jillybabes]

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

 

 

In your opinion, what month would be best to cruise to Hawaii on the Golden Princess??? I understand that the weather going over could be bumpy and chilly, but how about once you get to Hawaii...Have a great time in SanFrancisco and on your Hawaii/Tahiti cruise...Later, Jill:cool:

[cvanhorn]

We are taking the Celebrity Mercury 15 day cruise out of San Diego in November this year. We dock in Honolulu on November 11 at 3 PM and leave on November 12 at 8 PM. We want to see Pearl Harbor early on the 12th, and then would like to explore the island until late afternoon, leaving plenty of time to get on board before the ship leaves. We can’t seem to find any excursions that would allow us to do both. .

 

Can't help with the car rental, but come to our rollcall for this cruise and wade through (it's a long one)..

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=539531

 

Many of us have gotten together for Germaine's luau on the 11th and then the Enoa Tour #3.

 

http://www.fun-hawaii.com/island-oahu/tours/enoatours/enoa-tours.htm

 

on the 12th which leaves at 0615 and returns at 1600 (4pm). If booked as talked about on our rollcall both Germaines and Enoa will pick our group up at the port.

 

Hope you join us on the rollcall! Cliff

[kakalina]

In your opinion, what month would be best to cruise to Hawaii on the Golden Princess??? I understand that the weather going over could be bumpy and chilly, but how about once you get to Hawaii...Have a great time in SanFrancisco and on your Hawaii/Tahiti cruise...Later, Jill:cool:

 

Spring and fall. We have gone in Sept/Oct, Jan/Feb and Mar/Apr. JMO but the spring is the nicest and the water is reasonably warm then.

[jillybabes]

Spring and fall. We have gone in Sept/Oct, Jan/Feb and Mar/Apr. JMO but the spring is the nicest and the water is reasonably warm then.

Thanks so much for you fast reply...Enjoy your cruise...

[karatemom2]

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.:)

 

Hi Frank!! I wish you were headed back to Hawaii with us, but I know you will have a great time on your Panama Canal cruise!!

 

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

 

Thank you Celeste!!

[karatemom2]

Hi everyone!

Also, has anyone tried the horseback riding excursion, and if so, was it any good?

 

Thanks for any help and info!!

 

We haven't tried one yet, but we are thinking about doing it this year. My daughter is 9 so she is finally old enough for most of the horseback riding excursions. I was looking at Parker Ranch or Waipio Valley Horseback Riding on the Big Island.

 

If anyone has any feedback on those tours please share your comments.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Beachchick I don't think any of us are referring to those types of questions when we talk about "bashing". If someone has come to the Hawaii board looking for information on what type of Hawaii cruise would best suit them I think that's a perfectly reasonable and helpful question.

 

I think what most of us doing roundtrip cruises don't appreciate is when we come here, having already made our decision and booked a cruise that suits our desires, and ask a question about an excursion and get criticized for our lack of port time, choice of roundtrip cruise, choice of cruiseline, etc. It happens frequently and I think the response to this thread is ample evidence that many feel slighted and put off by the tone of this Board at times. I'm so glad I posted this thread as I now can see clearly it's not just me who feels this way.

 

And if you think it doesn't happen, the current Pearl Harbor thread is a very good example of why some people just give up posting questions at all.

 

I think we all welcome helpful information and advice, but I don't think anyone comes here with the intention of debating their vacation choice or being placed in a position of having to defend why they chose a particular itinerary or cruiseline. That's why I hope that we can keep this thread a friendly, supportive and informative place to exchange information without fear of judgment or criticism. Let's leave the debates to the politicians!

 

Thank you for posting this. Yes, I wasn't saying that everyone else is a basher. But I do remember from some of the early (eg. around December 2007) PVSA threads that some people were trying to discount the wish of those of us who want to keep the round trips to Hawaii available. There shouldn't be any attempts on politicians or cruiseline CEOS to try to eliminate any options (round trips, one ways to and from Hawaii, and the interstate cruises).

[karatemom2]

Thank you for posting this. Yes' date=' I wasn't saying that everyone else is a basher. But I do remember from some of the early (eg. around December 2007) PVSA threads that some people were trying to discount the wish of those of us who want to keep the round trips to Hawaii available. There shouldn't be any attempts on politicians or cruiseline CEOS to try to eliminate any options (round trips, one ways to and from Hawaii, and the interstate cruises).[/quote']

 

I agree Patty. I'm so relieved that we seemed to have dodged that bullet for now. It would be a real loss for so many who enjoy having those cruising options available.

[beachchick]

Beachchick I don't think any of us are referring to those types of questions when we talk about "bashing". If someone has come to the Hawaii board looking for information on what type of Hawaii cruise would best suit them I think that's a perfectly reasonable and helpful question.

 

Phew. That's a relief.

 

I think what most of us doing roundtrip cruises don't appreciate is when we come here, having already made our decision and booked a cruise that suits our desires, and ask a question about an excursion and get criticized for our lack of port time, choice of roundtrip cruise, choice of cruiseline, etc. It happens frequently and I think the response to this thread is ample evidence that many feel slighted and put off by the tone of this Board at times. I'm so glad I posted this thread as I now can see clearly it's not just me who feels this way.

 

Yes, it's true that some do criticize members who've already booked the r/t cruises (or even the one-way repo ones). I would certainly feel annoyed with those kinds of snarky remarks. It's quite off-putting when someone acts that way.

 

And if you think it doesn't happen, the current Pearl Harbor thread is a very good example of why some people just give up posting questions at all.

 

Hm...Yes, it's gotten rather heated. What a shame.

 

I think we all welcome helpful information and advice, but I don't think anyone comes here with the intention of debating their vacation choice or being placed in a position of having to defend why they chose a particular itinerary or cruiseline. That's why I hope that we can keep this thread a friendly, supportive and informative place to exchange information without fear of judgment or criticism. Let's leave the debates to the politicians!

 

Sounds reasonable to me. We can disagree and we can even debate when opinions are sought, but there's no reason to have to defend choices you've already made that you know are right for you.

 

beachchick

[karatemom2]

Thanks beachchick. I'm glad you understand and hope you will be a regular contributor to questions here. You are a wealth of information!

[law1956]

So glad to see this thread. I'm starting to plan a R/T Hawaii cruise and was wondering about some excursions-it seems like the only stop to attend a luau ( I know- a little tourist-y but it's my first trip there!) would be Honolulu because of the extended time at port no matter what cruise line you look at. I also want to see the Pearl Harbor Memorial. Is there a way to fit in both? It's hard to estimate the time line from the cruise excursion info on the websites. Has anyone been able to do both?

Thanks for any info-

[karatemom2]

. I have the following questions about logistics:

 

First, we have read that Oahu roads are heavily traveled. Will traffic jams be much of a problem?

 

Should we try to rent the car on the day we dock so we will have it all set for the next day (so we can hit Pearl Harbor early)? If so, will we be able to park it near the cruise ship?

 

What car rental companies would you recommend?

 

If we make a reservation now, is there a chance they won’t have a car for us?

 

Will we have to cab to and from the rental agency, or do they do pick up/drop off?

 

That's great that you have an overnight stay. I think the car rentals are at the airport, so you need to check with the company you rent from to find out if they have shuttles that will pick you up and return you to the port. With your overnight stay a rental car does seem like the best way to see a lot in the most expedient and cost effective way, especially if you want to explore outside of town. There is traffic so just be sure to allow extra time if you need it. If you reserve your car now I would think they would still have supply, but I wouldn't wait too much longer. Better to reserve and then cancel if you change your mind. At least that way you know you have a car on hold. We always had really good luck with Budget, but a lot of people rent from Thrifty in Hawaii. I'm not sure about parking it at the port, maybe someone else can help with that question.

[sassyredhat]

Hi everyone~~~We've sailed RT Hawaii from San Diego twice now. The last one was in April on Zaandam, the other on Statendam.

 

The first time we did all the must see tours, so in April, we did some "off-beat" fun tours. I'm not sure if Princess goes to Kona now, but there is an educational facility which breeds the endangered seahorses. It's a great place.

 

Another tour we enjoyed is in Lahaina (Maui). It's an evening event called Ulelena. We have been twice now. It's not a Cirque de Soliel thing, but it has that feeling. It is hard to describe, but you should see it.

We loved it !!

 

We are already booked for 2 cruises in 2009, but I am looking to Princess for 2010. We have never sailed Princess, so I am reading everything I can.

 

We have been very happy with HAL, but I am looking for a new experience.

 

So, thanks you guys, for all the info.

 

Pat

[karatemom2]

So glad to see this thread. I'm starting to plan a R/T Hawaii cruise and was wondering about some excursions-it seems like the only stop to attend a luau ( I know- a little tourist-y but it's my first trip there!) would be Honolulu because of the extended time at port no matter what cruise line you look at. I also want to see the Pearl Harbor Memorial. Is there a way to fit in both? It's hard to estimate the time line from the cruise excursion info on the websites. Has anyone been able to do both?

Thanks for any info-

 

We were able to do both last year in Honolulu. On Princess our port stay is 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. which gives you a pretty full day. We went to Pearl Harbor, USS Bowfin and USS Missouri first thing in the morning and spent most of the day touring there. We got back to the ship around 3 p.m. and took a bit of a rest and then headed back out to a luau at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki that evening. It was touristy as you say, but completely fun! So yes it is doable if your port stay in Honolulu goes into the late evening.

[judydoc]

This is a wonderful site. We are going in November and have never been to Hawaii. We were wondering what excursions we should do.

 

Thankyou

[law1956]

Thanks, karatemom2, for the quick response! Did you take a ship tour for the morning and a cab to the luau in the evening?

[karatemom2]

Thanks, karatemom2, for the quick response! Did you take a ship tour for the morning and a cab to the luau in the evening?

 

We did both on our own. We took a cab to Pearl Harbor an back and a cab to the Royal Hawaiian and back. It was about $50 roundtrip to Pearl Harbor and about $30 roundtrip to the Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki Beach.

[LUVLBI]

Hi everyone! We are taking the RT Hawaii cruise from San Diego in October and are very excited to go. We have heard so many nice things about this trip! We have a few excursions planned, but are especially looking forward to seeing Pearl Harbor.