Silver Sweethearts

Remember that the POA also stays in Kahului overnight on Sunday night, so you can do your Lahaina visit Sunday and not have to worry about when you get back to the ship.

If you check the website "Taxi Fare Finder" and ask to go from Kahului Airport to Kahului Harbor, it shows a cost of $13,79 plus tip. In checking two other websites, the quotes were $13-$17. Hope this helps!

You are correct. The POA docks in Kahului on Maui. It does not go to Lanai.

Just curious and with all due respect, we wonder if you have done this type of seating before? If you haven't, keep in mind that it will be quite difficult to make conversation with so many people seated so close together. Also, serving that many in your party at the same time may be too big a press for the staff and take a toll on service.

Yes - nicely done and we enjoy Regent, but we did not pay anywhere near $5,000 per night for a Grand Suite.

It appears that Regent may have added the July 22, 2024 cruise to its inaugural season for the Grandeur, and non-refundable cancellation penalties are rather stiff then (we believe around 25% for a Grand Suite). One interesting thing is that the season should end about July 1st, so your cruise is not in the inaugural season window (but maybe they extended it).

Aloha dumbth: Have you given thought to sailing the South Pacific on the Aranui 5?

Very smart choice.

Try nps.gov haleakala for that information - and/or local tour companies.

With all due respect, we are unaware of any ships that do 7-day trips around the islands year-around except for the Pride of America. Please tell us what other ships there are that just do the islands

The ship would be the Pride of America.

Ditto for our Grand Suite on the Spirit. Very nice assortment of items.

The MV China Star perhaps?

Just as a FYI, the spelling of the Palace name iis "Iolani" rather than "Ionali".

From what we understand, food service at Kula Lodge is now run by Raul Bermudez (formerly the chef at the now closed Five Palms in Kihei). As far as we know, the people who ran Cafe O Lei at the Dunes in Kahului no longer have that restaurant. The new tenants at that location have named the place "Fuego", and we believe the theme is Argentine. At least that is what we hear. It is fun trying to keep up with all the new/old/in limbo restaurants here...

One thought we have is that seating 10 people at one table makes it awfully hard for the guests to hear each other given how big the table will be.

You will be going to a place in the world that is still somewhat peaceful and serene. It isn't the Koningsdam in particular that bothers us but rather what it stands for.... Civilization. Our experience in the South Pacific has been on the Paul Gauguin, and it holds 332 passengers - the right size the islands can accommodate. No, the Koningsdam isn't huge, but why go to the South Pacific if you can't get close to it. It is a place that should be viewed up close, personally and not with 2.650 passengers trying to get ashore and view it too.

Thank you!

We haven't been there in quite some time, but we did hear that the entire property was sold last year after the long-time owner passed away. The new staff has mentioned some changes will be made. We'd be curious to know if they are working with new menus/food offerings already? Any indication of that?

Sounds like almost a full-time job though...

Our personal opinion is that you will have had a pretty full schedule to that point and your bodies might do well to take a nap to get some rest so you will be refreshed. There is really nothing to see in Kahului anyway. At the very least, have a tall cool one by the ship's pool and chill out (snooze) there. Enjoy!

Given your schedule, you will be aboard the Pride of America, which will dock in Kahului. The ship sails at 6 p.m. What sort of options do you have in mind?

We handled our own luggage for decades. Our usual items are two 50-pound suitcases and two carry-ons, as we travel in many places and climates. Now that we are in our mid-70's, moving us and our luggage through airports and hotels in various states and countries became more than just a whim. Expensive, yes, but some things are just worth the money.

Ou question is how do people cope if they end up in isolation on a ship? We fear claustrophobia would do us in.