If I am staying on maui for 6 what would you do the 2 days the ship is docked in Maui

[stuNYC]

I will be flying to Maui for 6 nights after the 7 day POA cruise. Are there any excursions that are "most see" that are more reasonable then or unavailable from tour vendors during my 6 day land stay. I intend to rent a car during my extended stay and drive to Hana and stay there overnight. Is one night in Hana enough?

[West Maui]

Aloha, Stu,

 

First, where are you staying on your land vacation (in Maui)? That could make a difference for recommendations on things to do, because of driving times, ease of sites, etc.

 

I think one night in Hana is enough for most folks; are you booked into the hotel already?

[stuNYC]

Aloha West Maui

 

I haven't booked hotels in Lahaina or Hana but I want a hotel that is right on the beach with an ocean front view. I was thinking about the Sheraton in Lahaina. Any suggestions on hotels or excursions on or off the ship would be greatly appreciated.

 

FYI, My cruise starts on 1/23/10 and I will be on Maui from 1/31 until 2/6. I Intend to stay in Oahu two nights before cruise and night before flight back to New York.

[West Maui]

Aloha, again, Stu,

 

Is it just adult(s) on your trip? If so, I would say that the Kaanapali strip is a good choice.

That is where the Sheraton is, but also the Hyatt, the Westin, and the Ali'i condos. If it's adults only, I wouldn't do the Marriott-it's time share and very heavy on kids stuff any time of year. The other hotels have kids' areas too, but they're a little more separated, IMO.

 

You might also want to consider Maui Kaanapali Villas, the Westin Villas at Kaanapali Ocean Resort, and Honua Kai. These are slightly north of the 'main drag' of Kaanapali, but nice condo properties. All three of these have restaurants on site-MKV is the most causal, Honua Kai and the Westin Villas are much newer and more resort themed.

 

It's tricky here---the zip code for Lahaina actually covers from Lahaina all the way to Kapalua, so you need to watch locations carefully.

 

The Hotel Hana is the only real hotel in Hana. Don't panic when you see the prices........call them and see what you can get. There are some B&B's, but be careful--very careful. You might want to check tripadvisor for reviews.

 

Gosh-activities. Oh, boy.........if you do a search of these boards first--maybe by keyword "luau" or "zipline" etc., then you could narrow down what you like the sound of? You'll find tons of info on both tours during the cruise week and on land before and after!

 

It's really great that you are coming in early and spending a little time to acclimate, and I hope-do Pearl Harbor before your cruise.

[flamomo]

If you would be on Maui during "whale season", definitely take a whale watching excursion. Seeing humpbacks up close is amazing.

[poolhalljunkie]

We stayed in Maui a week before the cruise. There is so much to do and see. Here are a couple of sites that will give you an idea what is available. (Adventuremaui.com) (Shoretrips) .You will be there when the whales are in and that is incredible. Alot of the whale watches and snorkeling is out of Lahiana. That is a great town. We rented a car for 1 day off the ship and drove around parts of the island we had not made it to. We stayed on the ship the second day. It was almost empty. Have a great time.

[Iwannabeatraveler]

I have sort of the same questions! We are going to Maui over Thanksgiving and have only 4 days. We fly into Maui and arrive late in the evening and will do a sleep cheap near the airport. I am trying to figure out the best way to manage our time getting to where we want to go on the island. I want to do the the road to hana and stay at the Hotel Hana, we want to do the Haleakala ( sp?) crater sunrise thing with either a horse ride into the crater or doing the bike back down thing. I figured we would spend a night in Kapalua and go to the Lahaina Luau. I also thought we would do a night down near Wailea. Would it be best to do hana 1st, then backtrack and go to Kapalua then drive over to Wailea? Or should we do the crater stuff first, then go to hana , wailea, then Kapalua? I am having a hard time figuring which plan of action does the least backtracking!

Thanks for the help!

[sceptic]

Iwanna, your plan of spending a night in Hana, and near the airport, Kapalua, and wailua sounds... dreadful. The thought of having to up and move every day is vacation hell. Maui is not that big!

 

I suppose if you're arriving late a "sleep cheap near the airport" makes some sense, but I'm not aware of such a place. It isn't like a typical mainland airport with the retinue of comfort suites near the airport.

 

Don't fret so much about backtracking. If you want to stay in all those places you'll do a lot of driving just to get from Hotel A to Hotel B, and no amount of careful planning will change that.

 

But if you're of a mind to do these things regardless of the consequences:

 

Haleakala first day - you're still on mainland time. Don't know about the bike thing or horse thing, though. Contact appropriate tour guides. After Haleakala, head to Hana for the 2nd night. Enjoy O'heo Gulch the 2nd day without the crowds, etc.

 

For 3rd/4th nights - Whether you stay in Wailua then Kapalua or vice-versa is irrelevant. You will save no time or driving by picking one before the other.

[Beach4me]

Iwanna...the other consideration (besides all the great points sceptic made) is that there are several hotels offering stay 3 nights get one free, etc. If you change hotels every night, you would not be able to take advantage of these types of deals. I agree with sceptic 100%..."dreadful" is an appropriate description of the thought of changing hotels every day. If you do it, please post your thoughts on it afterwards.

 

OP - my favorite location on Kaanapali is the Westin Resort. They have an adults only pool, btw. But be aware that it is a 100% non-smoking property and they are very serious about it.

 

I love to sit on the balcony and look at the ocean/watch the whales when I'm in the room. I've always had wonderful views from the Westin.