POA review in progress: March 4-11, 2017, Room 7518

On the third day, we woke up as we were coming into Hilo on the big island.

I had looked forward to Hilo for just one reason: I wanted to see a real, active, volcano. How many of us know about volcanos only from Gilligan's Island?

One tour for the little time we were in port was to volcanos national park. You get packed in a bus and shuttled from spot to spot in the giant park, with a stop at Rainbow Falls, the macadamia nut factory and an orchid grower. Will there be souvenirs? Of course!

Sadly, the lava lake was below level,

So we just saw steam. Hot stinky steam. It was really cool, though..

And then I became a Hawaii cliche. I almost hate to admit it, but I actually love what I got.

I picked a Pearl. And I liked it.

There were actually two pearls in my ugly oyster! I steered the sales lady away from the white gold (dude, I just picked a peal, stop trying to oversell it) and went to silver, choosing a setting with two plumeria. It was fun.

Later on the ship, we set the Pearl in a second ring for our daughter. The setting was much cheaper there.

We wandered around on a lava field, watched steam come out of the ground and later walked through a nature area that ended with a long lava tube.

Definitely a trip worth booking.

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I almost forgot! Bad thing #3 happened that night!

If you're considering this trip, you know what happens between Hilo and Kona: the ship passes by an active volcano flow into the ocean.

We had so much angst over this when we were booked into a portside balcony, since this can be seen on the starboard side. We sucked it up and went out on deck to join the party.

Problem #1: We left Hilo late, so the viewing was at 10:30 rather than 9:45 pm.

Problem #2: About 8 minutes before we reached the viewing area, the captain came on the intercom: due to a passenger' medical emergency, the ship was turning around, immediately, and heading back to Hilo. We were 4 hours out of port but there were no other options.

Wow!

I don't know when the ship entered Hilo. The passenger was tendered off. When I asked af the desk the next day, they said he was stable and expected to make it.

So we arrived in Kona several hours late, which led to a lot of scrambling over shore excursions. Luckily, we booked our Captain Zodiac snorkeling excursion for the afternoon.

This is a great trip but your ass is going to be bruised. There's no way around it. You sit on the side of the raft, hold onto a rope for dear life, and go bouncing over the waves.

Don't even bother with a hat.

We settled in the cove where Captain Cook's memorial sits, donned flippers, masks and snorkels and plopped in. Wow. It was amazing. So many blue and yellow fish!

On the way back, we stopped by a really cool sea cave.

Another pro tip: do not put your room key and drivers license in your pocket during this ride! Because when they fall overboard, there's no net to grab them with and they will float into the cave. And while a guide may try to rescue them, the waves are strong.

I have no idea how this fellow traveler got back on the boat.

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Enjoying your review and nice photos.

Loving your review! Planning to book for next year.

Great review. Just a smidgen of sarcasm, a dollop of irony, and a big chunk of frivolity.

Well done, madame! Well done, indeed!

Can't wait to read the rest...and take our POA cruise in about a year.

Thanks!

Bob and Alice

Loving the review. I did one of those zodiac snorkel tours in Hilo, to see the Manta Rays. We now refer to it as the zodiac rodeo. Yes your backside takes a beating, dashing over the waves. I lost my sunglasses overboard, as we stopped at our destination, when I flipped my visor off. Tried to grab em, but my arms are to short to reach over the side of that boat.... the guide asked if I wanted her to go get them for me....as we watched them drifting down away from us. I initially said no, they were cheapies that could be replaced, she laughed, and dove in after them. Caught them too, about 15 feet down, and brought em back to me. Needless to say they got a bigger tip than normal at the end of the night.

We also did Captain Zodiac in Kona. It was one of our best excursions ever! Saw so many dolphins, whales, and even sharks next to our raft. Captain Chris was great - when he heard other rafts/boats with a wildlife sighting he would deviate over to that location and hang out till we had enough. My toes were sore from having them under the rope in the bottom of the boat trying to hang on! Loving your review.

Emily is Epic Experience Maui (website by the same name) and it was about $450 for two, which included transportation, water and snacks. She talked with my husband extensively beforehand about what we wanted to see and our athletic level and put together our tour based on that. She has a few other tours as well.

 

 

 

 

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Excellent! That's one port down. And a few more of your suggestions to go!

Thanks!!!

We also did Captain Zodiac in Kona. It was one of our best excursions ever! Saw so many dolphins, whales, and even sharks next to our raft. Captain Chris was great - when he heard other rafts/boats with a wildlife sighting he would deviate over to that location and hang out till we had enough. My toes were sore from having them under the rope in the bottom of the boat trying to hang on! Loving your review.

I laughed when I read this because I could write exactly the same words about our tour!!

The highlight of my whole POA cruise was seeing a whale shark swimming around our zodiac raft for quite a long time. The only thing that could have topped the experience was being able to jump in the water and swim WITH the whale shark (our guide did this!)

I also ended up with bruised, swollen feet from tucking them under the rope to hang on...but it was a necessary! What a wild ride!! I definitely can recommend the Captain Zodiac tour!! :D

This is great! It feels like I'm sitting in the room talking with you. You've got a wonderful writing style.

Glad you enjoyed your trip.

We're going on April 29 (for our 30th anniversary) and I had a couple questions I was going to ask to recent passengers, but I'm going to wait until you finish your review in case you answer them.

This is great! It feels like I'm sitting in the room talking with you. You've got a wonderful writing style.

 

Glad you enjoyed your trip.

 

We're going on April 29 (for our 30th anniversary) and I had a couple questions I was going to ask to recent passengers, but I'm going to wait until you finish your review in case you answer them.

My wife and I are on that cruise too, can't wait!

With all the cold weather we have its nice reading a review where everyone is in shorts and t-shirts.

Following, I'm booked solo for next May, my 60th. Trying to gather as much info as I can. Love your writing style almost seems like I'm there already lol. Debbie

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Final island!

From Kona, we departed for Kauai, aka the place where they film lots of movies, aka one of the most beautiful spots in the world!

We woke up, as usual, as we were pulling into port.

We had planned to visit Waimea Canyon but for some reason, actually booking how to get there slipped both of our minds. Also, we'd slept in and had a luau scheduled for that night. Also, we were both feeling battered after the Zodiac!

So we went shopping. Hit Hilo Hattie's like a couple of tourists. Bought a few more presents. Nothing terribly exciting.

Later we grabbed cab and went to the hotel for the luau -- we picked this one because it was on the beach and got raves from a friend who visited last year.

I really wish I downloaded the photos from my big girl camera -- this was spectacular.

I was obsessed with this dancer. She was gorgeous and gave such good face. I'll have to upload the photos when I finally process this weekend because the fire dancers in particular really gave me joy.

I don't get to use my camera enough in my current job. It felt so good to have it back in my hands again, even if I only brought just one walk-around lens.

Anyway, because of my photo obsession, we made sure to book premium seats so we were right up front. I barely needed to zoom (oh but if only I had my 2.8!).

The food was great! There was squid and a few other small apps on the table. The dinner was kaluha pork, huli chicken, grilled beef, some kind of fish and poke. We did not enjoy the poi, but the purple taro rolls were good. Lots of salads. Our plates were groaning like it was Thanksgiving.

Oh right. Open bar. The blue hawaiis do not taste alcoholic but whee! I wasn't as much of a fan of their version of mai tai. They also had beer, non-alcoholic punch and soft drinks. Dessert involved a pineapple cake and something chocolate and a few other things I don't remember because you remember those blue hawaiis?

Tip: if you are celebrating your birthday, prepare to dance on the stage with the other birthday boys and girls. This is why my husband refused to admit we were celebrating our anniversary. They made those couples dance together in the aisles, though.

Behold, our lei collection: flower and kukui nut leis from luau, shell leis from boarding the ship and a greeting from Hilo Hattie.

Daily lei classes were offered on the ship. It was weird to get to Logan Airport and see everyone in dark clothes with no leis.

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A few photos from the big girl camera:

More to come! I'm wading through a ton of pictures and I haven't even touched the last day's helicopter pix!

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Which luau was this? Love the pictures! Can't wait for the rest!

Which luau was this? Love the pictures! Can't wait for the rest!

Havaiki Nui at the Grand Hyatt on Popiu Beach.

Havaiki Nui at the Grand Hyatt on Popiu Beach.

Thanks! We are taking my mom to Kauai next year on a land vacation. Her first trip so I want to make sure she sees a luau!

Eagerly awaiting the rest. :)

great review

Loving your review! I'm missing Hawaii so much right now.

Me too! I should start in on my helicopter and Na Pali coastal pictures later tonight but in the meantime...

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Hope you find time to finish your review, it is very entertaining and informative. DM, DD and I will set sail next year

I know, I'm almost wrapped up!

Will hopefully have time to write about our last day on Kauai and wrap things up. There's a helicopter and possibly dinosaurs. And the world's most expensive nap.

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Loving you review. We are considering a Hawaii vacation and looking at all the options. Coming all the way from UK it's important that we get it right so your report is very helpful...............And fun too.....

Aloha! Time to wrap things up!

And on our final day on Kauai, we went up in a helicopter!

The time in Kauai is really short -- just a day and a half -- and you can't get too far away from the ship. Unless, of course, you fly. And it seemed like everyone on the boat was going to either Jack Harter or Blue Hawaiian to do just that.

First of all, this is the helicopter with closed doors. I don't mind helicopters. Heights without doors freak me out, however, and it was the first time my husband had ever been on one. It was a really gentle flight, however.

They warn you when you book to wear dark clothing so your reflection doesn't spoil your photos. They also will weigh you and assign positions based on your weight. We ended up with two women and a little girl around 4....

... who fell asleep about 5 minutes after takeoff and proceeded to take a very expensive nap!

I put this picture up first because when I sent it to my son, he begged me to tell him we weren't wearing fanny packs! They aren't -- they are floatation devices with a complicated instruction list which, thankfully, we didn't have to follow.

The whales probably appreciated it.

We flew around Waimea Canyon, past waterfalls and setting used in Jurassic Park and Raiders of the Lost Ark. We flew down the Na Pali coastline. We did NOT crash into any ridges, although my husband is positive the pilot missed by thismuch at least once.

Then it was back to the ship, where we gathered on the pool deck for a cookout and some alcoholic drinks.

Finally DH and I settled in on our deck for the grand finale: the sail up the Na Pali coast. So beautiful!

This is why you need a balcony.

The one downside: the guy on a balcony near us believed he saw a campsite on a beach. "I see people." "Yes, those are definitely people." And so on. Over and over.

All through dinner, my husband and I randomly said "I see people."

That night, we had to pack up our suitcases and admit the sad fact: our trip was coming to an end.

The only morning I was sad to see an island in the distance was the next day, when we pulled into Oahu.

Disembarkation was so much easier than actually getting on the boat!

I will have some final thoughts a little later.

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