Day 2 Kauai: NCL/POA Princeville with Car Rental

We plan to go to Princeville on Day 2 of our cruise. Unfortunately the POA leaves earlier than usual on that day (and I know it's so we can view the Napali Coast).

Is this going to be do-able?

Any suggestions to help are welcome. Car rental tips, etc. We know that parking near the pier is an issue (not many spaces available).

.................

For Day 1, we have booked a tour with Captain Andy's and have to be at the Port Allen area by around 2:45 or so..... So we thought we would do the Canyon on Day 1 and maybe spend some time along the south beach area until it's time to go to Captain Andy's.

......

I wish we could do Princeville on Day 1, and then drive on down to Port Allen, but I'm afraid we would be playing "beat the clock" all day long. But maybe I'm wrong... Maybe doing Princeville/Port Allen the first day would work without problems....and then we could do the canyon on Day 2.

We'd like to take our time heading up to Princeville, have a nice lunch at a place along the beach and then head on back. So I'm just assuming that Day 2 would be better.

Again...all helpful info is welcome. Thanks.

We plan to go to Princeville on Day 2 of our cruise. Unfortunately the POA leaves earlier than usual on that day (and I know it's so we can view the Napali Coast).

 

 

 

Is this going to be do-able?

 

 

 

Any suggestions to help are welcome. Car rental tips, etc. We know that parking near the pier is an issue (not many spaces available).

 

 

 

.................

 

 

 

For Day 1, we have booked a tour with Captain Andy's and have to be at the Port Allen area by around 2:45 or so..... So we thought we would do the Canyon on Day 1 and maybe spend some time along the south beach area until it's time to go to Captain Andy's.

 

 

 

......

 

 

 

I wish we could do Princeville on Day 1, and then drive on down to Port Allen, but I'm afraid we would be playing "beat the clock" all day long. But maybe I'm wrong... Maybe doing Princeville/Port Allen the first day would work without problems....and then we could do the canyon on Day 2.

 

 

 

We'd like to take our time heading up to Princeville, have a nice lunch at a place along the beach and then head on back. So I'm just assuming that Day 2 would be better.

 

 

 

Again...all helpful info is welcome. Thanks.

Problem number 1: if you want to see the NaPali Coast during a port day, you'll need a boat or helicopter tour. There's no road along the NaPali.

Problem number 2: you can't "drive down" to Port Allen directly from Princeville because of ..... you guessed it - the NaPali Coast and, of course, the Barking Sands Missile Base. You'll have to head back the same way you got up there.

Do yourself a favor and book a helicopter tour of NaPali (lasting at least an hour).

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We have arranged a dinner cruise for Day 1 to see Napali Coast (it heads out from Port Allen). .... we have to be there at 2:45.

We want to see Princeville just to see Princeville either on Day 1 or Day 2.... We figure it will have to be Day 2 (since we want to do the canyon at some time) and we want to make sure that we have enough time to give it quality time.

This will be at a different time altogether from when we do the Port Allen to Napali Coast Dinner Cruise. And that is why I have posted this. We also know that to get from Princeville to Port Allen that we would have to drive along the coastal highway and not directly through the center of the island.

This is why I am asking about the time factor.

Sorry I didn't make myself clear enough. Will we have enough time to go to spend some quality time in Princeville on Day 2 (omitting Napali altogether)?

Helicopter....forget it. ... I've done it before and it was claustrophobic nightmare for me. But thanks for the suggestion. Never again. Lol.

We have arranged a dinner cruise for Day 1 to see Napali Coast (it heads out from Port Allen). .... we have to be there at 2:45.

 

 

 

We want to see Princeville just to see Princeville either on Day 1 or Day 2.... We figure it will have to be Day 2 (since we want to do the canyon at some time) and we want to make sure that we have enough time to give it quality time.

 

 

 

This will be at a different time altogether from when we do the Port Allen to Napali Coast Dinner Cruise. And that is why I have posted this. We also know that to get from Princeville to Port Allen that we would have to drive along the coastal highway and not directly through the center of the island.

 

 

 

This is why I am asking about the time factor.

 

 

 

Sorry I didn't make myself clear enough. Will we have enough time to go to spend some quality time in Princeville on Day 2 (omitting Napali altogether)?

 

 

 

Helicopter....forget it. ... I've done it before and it was claustrophobic nightmare for me. But thanks for the suggestion. Never again. Lol.

I assume the helicopter you did was in Alaska at a glacier- so boring!

Take a Xanax and do the NaPali helicopter, which will also do the Canyon. This is THE once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Princeville is pretty much a large hotel/condo neighborhood with some stores and Hanalei Bay. The nearby town of Hanalei has some interesting shops and the Tahiti Nui Bar (think George Clooney in "The Descendants"). As small as Kauai is, traffic could easily mean more than an hour to get from Nawiliwili to Princeville.

Captain Andy is okay for a boat ride- been around for a very long time. Check Costco for discount coupons. If your back can take it, you could do a much faster ride along the NaPali with a Zodiac tour.

Not sure if I am making myself clear: there is no coastal road from Princeville to Port Allen on the west side. You'd have to drive all the way back around the eastern side including dealing with the traffic in Kapaa and Lihue.

Whatever you do, buy "The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook." It is the absolutely best travel guide for Kauai.

As for food, there are many terrific restaurants. We vacation there often and our regular favorite is The Beach House in Poipu. Closer to Nawiliwili Harbor is Duke's Canoe Club. Want the "local" bare bones food experience? Hamura Saimin in Lihue.

Finally, next time you head to Hawaii, do a land vacation -just too much to see and do for a cruise to be worth it.

Helicopter- Helicopter- Helicopter.

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Ajtravler66 thank you for the Port Allen to Napali Coast Dinner Cruise idea. Now my wife and I only need to figure out what to do from 10 till 2pm...

Any ideas on that side of the island would be greatly appreciated. We have a rental car so we can move around but don't want to wander around to much. This is the end of a 14 day vacation so just looking to chill last 2 days of POA

And no not doing a helicopter, just looking for a beach to snorkel and maybe a restrant for a light lunch.

Ajtravler66 thank you for the Port Allen to Napali Coast Dinner Cruise idea. Now my wife and I only need to figure out what to do from 10 till 2pm...

 

 

Any ideas on that side of the island would be greatly appreciated. We have a rental car so we can move around but don't want to wander around to much. This is the end of a 14 day vacation so just looking to chill last 2 days of POA

 

 

And no not doing a helicopter, just looking for a beach to snorkel and maybe a restrant for a light lunch.

The Canyon is really worth seeing. I cannot help you with snorkeling, but I do remember driving along the northeast coast road and seeing some really special beach area there. Hopefully we can find that again.

I liked Spouting Horn on the southern part of the island. I think I could have watched it for an hour or more.

Princeville was just a neat looking resort town. We had lunch at some hotel restaurant but I could not tell you precisely which one (it was back in 2010). The view was magnificent.

The guy posting above has a good travel guide to recommend. He seems to know quite a bit about the place. So it might be worth checking out. I think I'll do the same.

Oh cool looks like they finally released a gypsyguide for Kauai to the Google Play store. Not even on the website yet. Going to be using this on Maui and Oahu

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gypsyguide.tours.gypsyguidetour.hi.k

...thank you for the Port Allen to Napali Coast Dinner Cruise idea. Now my wife and I only need to figure out what to do from 10 till 2pm... Any ideas on that side of the island would be greatly appreciated...

I'd spend some time in the Poipu Beach area, right on the way to Port Allen. There is a lovely state park beach there as well as another nice beach in front of the Sheraton Hotel. Someone mentioned The Beach House Restaurant for lunch - we thought that was our secret place! It's not a cheap, fast lunch - very good food, a little pricey, with a fantastic view of a perfect little bay. There's also Brennecke's Beach Broiler right at the Poipu Beach park - haven't been there in several years, so check reviews on TripAdvisor. Another option - you'll pass a small local market on the road from Kaloa to Poipu; stop and buy yourself picnic supplies and eat at the beach park.

I'd spend some time in the Poipu Beach area, right on the way to Port Allen. There is a lovely state park beach there as well as another nice beach in front of the Sheraton Hotel. Someone mentioned The Beach House Restaurant for lunch - we thought that was our secret place! It's not a cheap, fast lunch - very good food, a little pricey, with a fantastic view of a perfect little bay. There's also Brennecke's Beach Broiler right at the Poipu Beach park - haven't been there in several years, so check reviews on TripAdvisor. Another option - you'll pass a small local market on the road from Kaloa to Poipu; stop and buy yourself picnic supplies and eat at the beach park.

Oh love the idea of a picnic lunch on a beach some where...