dixielandings

I like the idea of bidding on Priceline or a reliable equivalent. The last thing you want in Hawai'i is to have to leave the beautiful surroundings to stay in a bad hotel, even for one night.

We've used loyalty points to stay at the Marriott on each of our visits to Honolulu. It's wonderful. Don't take the rates listed on their website as the final word - shop it.

And yes to Roberts shuttles. It's much less than a cab, and even though you will be sharing the vehicle with a busload of other people, they'll take good care of you.

I agree about seeing Pearl Harbor by way of a ship excursion. This experience is a must-see and WILDLY popular. I didn't expect the line that we encountered when we arrived, just to get into the building. You will be allowed to take very little with you into the site, too, so having a place to safely stash your belongings when you don't have a hotel will be very valuable. NCL will also be able to apprise you of other regulations you need to know in preparation for this visit. It's so special...

Hawai'i has been my favorite vacation destination EVER...and that is saying a lot. Enjoy the spirit of Aloha! You'll never forget it.

Has anyone done this recently? We are sailing on the Norwegian Getaway in a month and I'm wondering which beach this excursion sails to. It sounds lovely and gets great reviews from guests, but we really want to see Trunk Bay (we honeymooned there) and I'm wondering if I'll be disappointed if we miss it, OR if this excursion is just so great that it won't matter.

Don't you love it when a total stranger asks you to tell her how she will FEEL about something... :o Thanks.

Wow - this makes me...well, HAPPY!

We sail in May...YEA!!

Thank you! It's spring-ahead Sunday - I guess I'm tired!

I'm sorry - I'm afraid I don't understand the acronyms! PCC and UDP?

Thanks for responding!

We JUST found out about the free dining package. We booked (in January) a mini spa suite for May - will we be able to take advantage of the promo and add the dining package for free?

Another happy POA cruiser here! Yes, it is port-intensive but it was a wonderful to see Hawai'i for the first time! We did a couple of paid excursions thru NCL - and 2 days of renting a car and driving ourselves to Volcanoes Nat'l Park and up the road to Hana (my favorite day). The ship was lovely - we had only cruised once before (on Disney, which was awesome) so we had little to compare it to, but we liked it enough to repeat the trip a couple of years later with a 6mo baby and 2 grandparents!

Thank you for your responses. Most helpful. Spaniel Lover, I think you're advice is gonna cost us about $400 more than the standard balcony but looks like it'll be worth it! ;)

What is SAS - is it connected with NCL, the airport, or is it separate? Do they take you to the port or to Miami Int'l?

Thanks!

I was reading that thread earlier and had to stop! I understand people needing to vent but this is my problem with public forums - you just cannot know the person on the other end of the cyber line: whether they're telling the truth, just being overly emotional, have a beef with somebody that they're trying exact revenge on, etc. When I come to places like Cruise Critic, I'm actually seeking information and help in planning my vacation. I am here because I lack experience and hope to find other people willing to share their experience with me. It's hard to know how to decipher who is sharing true and valuable information, and who is just plain mad. Or in the case of the OP on the aforementioned thread, embarrassed. AND mad.

Apparently, this goes both ways - today is the first time I've heard the term "cheerleader" on these boards. I suppose the best way to share info is without emotion, as much as possible. In other words: "just the facts, ma'am" :o

Having said all that, I'm really glad CC is here - along with Trip Advisor and a few other sites - to answer questions and share excitement about the great trips!

Hey all -

It's been a while for us - haven't been cruising in a couple of years! We are seriously considering booking the May 24 sailing of the Getaway and have some questions:

1. We can fly Delta to Miami thru ATL OR we can fly SWA to Ft. Lauderdale and drive to Miami (we're FF with both). Should we do FLL and take the NCL shuttle or look into a cab or car service? Or is this more trouble than it's worth?

2. I want to book a balcony room; DH wants a mini-spa suite (Mr. Moneybags!) - any words of wisdom here would be great. We've done mostly balcony rooms in the past and always loved it.

Thanks and hope to see the E. Caribbean in May!

Shelley

Tennessee

This thread is awesome and is cracking me up! Getting ready to go is half the fun of any trip for me! Appropriate music is a must!!

I married a traveller so I've become pretty seasoned in 9 years of togetherness. Like some of you, I always pack on paper first - for any trip, not just vacation. This makes packing so much faster. I literally stand in my closet with a post-it and start writing down outfits. Then I just haul the pieces out and stack them up for DH to put in the suitcases (all men seem to fancy themselves superior packers :D).

One thing I'm doing on my upcoming trip that's different from other times (to see if I can get everything in a carry-on) is that I'm taking a skirt (instead of a dress) to wear for dress occasions. It's white and goes with every top I own so mixing and matching is easy.

My favorite accessory on every vacation (especially cruises) is my (fake) tan! So whatever I pack, you can bet there will be few sleeves or pants!

Ok - the birth control thing is hilarious!! We have one child and would LOVE another. Maybe our upcoming cruise is our big chance!!

:p

As to the OP question, I like to pack light as possible but there are certain things that you will be so happy to have. Most of these have been mentioned but for your top 10 list, here they are:

extra lenses

aloe

any and all charging cables (seems like a no-brainer but I can't tell you how many of these we've bought on the road b/c we thought we had them but didn't)

iPod with a good vacation playlist - island music, summertime tunes

small travel iron - if allowed and if you don't want to have borrow every time you need one. *of course, the best idea is take clothes that won't need ironing OR take wrinkle releaser spray

air freshener:rolleyes:

a supply of meds - advil, bonine (our preferred motion sickness deterrant), lozenges, tissues, etc.

Finally - this doesn't necessarily go without saying - protect yourselves from the sun. It's brutal. Hats, glasses, and lots and lots of sunscreen!