RSVP to Hawaii Oct 30, 2010

[Boytjie]

This thread is getting lost-where are you Tom? we're very close to booking

 

Even if they haven't opened booking yet? ;)

[Tamaracboy]

Even if they haven't opened booking yet? ;)

 

We are waiting for the official announcement including prices.

 

Do they have a 'Royal Suite" ?

 

r.

[Boytjie]

We are waiting for the official announcement including prices.

 

Do they have a 'Royal Suite" ?

 

r.

 

It is an American flagged ship so no Royalty anything! :D

[RMS Olympic]

I am surprised the cruise info has not been posted yet.

My TA sent me the RSVP request form which I completed and returned to them. I also specified one of two cabins I was interested in.

But the pricing thing has me bewildered.

One advertisement on the web ( from a tour operatoer stated cabins starting at 899); in line with the NCL website for the weeks before and after the Oct 30 sailing.

But the NCL site has pricing for Oct 30th at substantially higher prices...in some cases 200-300 dollars more.

So I am very interested in what the true pricing is going to be...perhaps this is what is holding up the official advertisement.

Regardless...I am going as I have cancelled other plans and have purchased my air.

Read over the shore excursions and made tentative choices...however I have ordered info from the Hawaiian board of tourism to get further insite to see what is there. My TA also said they will be planning group excursions like they did on the RSVP Italian cruise two years ago.

Must do...

Volcano park

Pearl Harbor

Pineapple farm

Luau (no poi paleeze..Tommy doesn't do purple wall paper paste)

Polynesian cultural village (to be a real tourist) and see men in grass skirts!

And anything that is truly Hawaiian.....if the ship is in port I'm off touring.

I expect to be dead after this trip.....and smiling!

In the meantime....its get excited about the Eurodam.

Looking forward to seeing everybody!

[Boytjie]

With the Eurodam cruise just over a month away I think they will launch it while we are on the ship. A month from now we will be packing our bags!

[Tamaracboy]

It is an American flagged ship so no Royalty anything! :D

 

But Peter,

 

Queen Lilioukalani would not approve. After all, they were an independent sovereign nation until the USA took them over "for their own protection". :eek:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilioukalani

This history establishes some precedent for the election of Kings & Queens as is to happen aboard the Eurodam.

 

We also must point out that Honolulu's oldest, most venerated hotel is "The Royal Hawaiian". :cool:

 

At least SOME people know how to love and respect Royalty. And look at the $$$ that the Brits make off their quaint old custom. ;)

 

One would expect that clever marketing types would name at least one of their suites as "Royal" :D

Whether or not We can afford it is yet another matter. :(

 

HRH

[Tamaracboy]

Volcano park

Pearl Harbor

Pineapple farm

Luau (no poi paleeze..Tommy doesn't do purple wall paper paste)

Polynesian cultural village (to be a real tourist) and see men in grass skirts!

And anything that is truly Hawaiian.....if the ship is in port I'm off touring.

I expect to be dead after this trip.....and smiling!

In the meantime....its get excited about the Eurodam.

Looking forward to seeing everybody!

 

Tommy:

 

You may want to re-think the Polynesian Cultural Village.

It is run by the Morman Church and is rather much propaganda as to how good they were for the poor heathen natives.

It is all very "Sanitized" and "Disneyized" :(

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesian_Cultural_Center

I felt rather scammed because none of the advertisements mention the Church ownership, only the "shows" to get you there for their indoctrination.

These shows have become ever more Hollywood (as much as Morman Puritanism can allow). This not to disallow the actual entertainment value of these shows, which are good entertainment.

They have paid advertisements in every single brochure, and many bus excursions feature it as their main stop. (also reimbursed)

It is totally up to you, but I thought you deserved "the whole story"

 

HRH

[RMS Olympic]

Wear a flowered shirt......flip flops and have a great time.

Peter.....if HRM aka Regina Maris is on board, we will be guaranteed at least one piece of Royalty.... a Royal pain in the .........

But we luv him for what he brings to the table....whatever it is.

Reuel....just imagine bus loads of guys at the Cultural center.......the floor show will have an audience like never before.......guys who do like to wear coconut shells.

As for announcing the trip, that was already done on facebook......so why not start selling it now. Considering the trip is only 9 months away....why lose a month to seel the ship out. I can only guess there is a lead time to get print material done, magazine space etc.

Regardless....I have my form already submitted to the TA and credit card number on file......

Eurodam...5 weeks away....lets see...get my hair done...not applicable

lose weight........maybe a few ounces at the most

attitude.......working on it

clothing...this time less is more. But Formal night???????what to do?

Will ask that question on the Eurodam thread.

[jimnbillnpa]

Even if they haven't opened booking yet? ;)

 

Details, details. A month is close, isn't it?

 

I am surprised the cruise info has not been posted yet.

My TA sent me the RSVP request form which I completed and returned to them. I also specified one of two cabins I was interested in.

But the pricing thing has me bewildered.

One advertisement on the web ( from a tour operatoer stated cabins starting at 899); in line with the NCL website for the weeks before and after the Oct 30 sailing.

But the NCL site has pricing for Oct 30th at substantially higher prices...in some cases 200-300 dollars more.

So I am very interested in what the true pricing is going to be...perhaps this is what is holding up the official advertisement.

 

 

This is what we were confused about as stated in the earlier post and why we hesitate to make any hotel/air arrangements at this time. I know everyone says they have it from the horse's mouth, however, we prefer to err on the cautious side and see it in print first. Additionally, we are hoping to see some shipboard discounting, since it is only 6 months away. They will have to have incentives to sell it fast.

 

 

I'm sure all these questions will be cleared up soon enough, in the meantime, SEE YOU ON EURODAM, BOYS!!!!!:D

[Darrell6t]

The new Out magazine has a ad from RSVP listing a cruise to Hawaii for November 2009. Did someone really do that? Or do they have the date wrong in a national magazine?

[Boytjie]

The new Out magazine has a ad from RSVP listing a cruise to Hawaii for November 2009. Did someone really do that? Or do they have the date wrong in a national magazine?

 

The dates are wrong in the ad: all off by one year.

[AlohaChuck]

The cruise is up on their web site, booking starts on January 21st.

 

Come enjoy Paradise

[RMS Olympic]

I'll be there!:D

Airfare...purchased;)

Cabin...selected:cool:

TA has signed form and credit card number.:eek:

As I am doing a 2 night precruise....will need a hotel. May choose the OutRigger on the beach. As I am not a big lover of hotels...not sure whether it pays to chooose an exspensive hotel. The Ocean Castle looks very questionable.

Any first hand knowledge of hotels would be appreciated..

While on Eurodam next month....if you are there and are going to do the Hawaiian cruise....lets talk!

[jimnbillnpa]

I'll be there!:D

Airfare...purchased;)

Cabin...selected:cool:

TA has signed form and credit card number.:eek:

As I am doing a 2 night precruise....will need a hotel. May choose the OutRigger on the beach. As I am not a big lover of hotels...not sure whether it pays to chooose an exspensive hotel. The Ocean Castle looks very questionable.

Any first hand knowledge of hotels would be appreciated..

While on Eurodam next month....if you are there and are going to do the Hawaiian cruise....lets talk!

 

How are you able to guarantee your cabin, Tom? Bill and I were selecting tonight and calling Nick tomorrow morning.

[RMS Olympic]

I picked out the cabin and told the TA to get it.......I think they already notified RSVP of my choice. As my booking will be on the first day (Gold Alumni) I am pretty sure I will get one of two cabins I specified. Unless someone has the same criteria as I have and chose the same...which I doubt.

I just hope the $100 discount per person for outside cabins is double for me as I am booking as a single with the double surcharge.

I'll get that confirmed tomorrow.

But at least I'm going!!!!!!!!

Now to get ready for Eurodam................

[M&D]

I'll be there!:D

Airfare...purchased;)

Cabin...selected:cool:

TA has signed form and credit card number.:eek:

As I am doing a 2 night precruise....will need a hotel. May choose the OutRigger on the beach. As I am not a big lover of hotels...not sure whether it pays to chooose an exspensive hotel. The Ocean Castle looks very questionable.

Any first hand knowledge of hotels would be appreciated..

While on Eurodam next month....if you are there and are going to do the Hawaiian cruise....lets talk!

 

We stayed a few days prior the the POA Cruise in September 2008 at the Ohana Waikiki Beachcomber and loved it. It was right in the middle of everything. The rooms were big, clean and comfortable. The only downside was that the pool was under construction but that should be finished by now. The lower floors can be a little noisy because of the traffic, but if I were to do the cruise again, I would stay there again.

 

There are some good hotel reviews on tripadvisor and we booked directly from the hotels website.

 

 

M&D

[RMS Olympic]

I'll look into the Ohana....Ive been on Travelocity, Hotwire and cheap tickets....saw the Ohana.

 

If I get there Thursday afternoon, that gives me that night and all of Friday before boarding sat. Any suggestions on how to best maximize that full day on Friday? Since I do not plan on renting a car...are there day tours you would recommend...or just do beach time?

I plan on doing the full day tour post cruise that keeps you busy till the late flight time departure......so I dont want to duplicate the sights.

Suggestions most appreciated.

Oh, I got my copy of Out Traveler in the mail...saw the incorrect dates for the trip....cant imagine the reaction of RSVP who spent money on the ad.

The phone calls that must have generated....

Tom

[M&D]

I'll look into the Ohana....Ive been on Travelocity, Hotwire and cheap tickets....saw the Ohana.

 

If I get there Thursday afternoon, that gives me that night and all of Friday before boarding sat. Any suggestions on how to best maximize that full day on Friday? Since I do not plan on renting a car...are there day tours you would recommend...or just do beach time?

I plan on doing the full day tour post cruise that keeps you busy till the late flight time departure......so I dont want to duplicate the sights.

Suggestions most appreciated.

Oh, I got my copy of Out Traveler in the mail...saw the incorrect dates for the trip....cant imagine the reaction of RSVP who spent money on the ad.

The phone calls that must have generated....

Tom

 

There are lots of tours you can take that probably wouldn't duplicate what the ship post cruise offers. Make sure to see Pearl Harbor of course and if you are not doing it on the cruise, a dinner at Paradise Cove Luau, though touristy, is quite enjoyable. You are going to see so much of the Islands I probably would make Friday a rest day/beach day/people watching day and give your body a chance to adjust to the time change. And of course have a Mai Tai or 4 at Hula's. The sites there can be quite nice! :)

[RMS Olympic]

Hulas is on my ta do list for sure. I am hoping I can meet up with fellow cruisers and do the Luau.........love pig. I guess ya are what ya eat.:D

This trip is really getting better....just got off the phone with the airline and to my surprise they came through for me.

I booked Tampa Phoenix Honolulu out and the same route on the return. I used my frequent flyer miles to upgrade, but at the time the first class seats were not available on the Tampa Phoenix, Phoenix Tampa legs. The airline said to check back later but confirmed the transpacific legs in first class. well this morning I was told that once I accepted the partial upgrade, I could not add the other legs which were now available. That once accepted, any new upgrade needed more miles. Well I was polite but asked for customer service...instead they did the upgrade anyway as a one time courtesy. After all those years of flying this airline...they came through for me...

So its first class all the way........daddy likes it!

The excitement is growing........not just another Caribbean milk run!:D:D:D

[sfgoguy]

 

If I get there Thursday afternoon, that gives me that night and all of Friday before boarding sat. Any suggestions on how to best maximize that full day on Friday? Since I do not plan on renting a car...are there day tours you would recommend...or just do beach time?

Tom

 

Tom, check out the 1/2 day tour of Shangrila, Doris Duke's Waikiki residence (shipped over from Morocco) it's fascinating and the kind of place God would build if he had that much $$$$. Booking is only through the Honolulu Academy of Art museum and you have to go to the museum to board a van for the house. I don't recall the px, but it wasn't much and it is fun. ;)

 

You can also try for a horizontal hula lesson...most anyone at Hula's will be glad to instruct. :eek:

[RMS Olympic]

Horizontal hulu is reserved for people like you.........of soooo many talents. :D

I only do it inverted like a sloth....yeah baby.

Perhaps you should come to Hawaii........so I can be seen in the presence of one of the Island Gods........

To see the employees at Hulas bow as you enter.....a true Kodak moment.:cool:

[jimnbillnpa]

We stayed a few days prior the the POA Cruise in September 2008 at the Ohana Waikiki Beachcomber and loved it. It was right in the middle of everything. The rooms were big, clean and comfortable. The only downside was that the pool was under construction but that should be finished by now. The lower floors can be a little noisy because of the traffic, but if I were to do the cruise again, I would stay there again.

 

There are some good hotel reviews on tripadvisor and we booked directly from the hotels website.

 

 

M&D

 

This sounds great!

 

I'll look into the Ohana....Ive been on Travelocity, Hotwire and cheap tickets....saw the Ohana.

 

If I get there Thursday afternoon, that gives me that night and all of Friday before boarding sat. Any suggestions on how to best maximize that full day on Friday? Since I do not plan on renting a car...are there day tours you would recommend...or just do beach time?

I plan on doing the full day tour post cruise that keeps you busy till the late flight time departure......so I dont want to duplicate the sights.

Suggestions most appreciated.

Oh, I got my copy of Out Traveler in the mail...saw the incorrect dates for the trip....cant imagine the reaction of RSVP who spent money on the ad.

The phone calls that must have generated....

Tom

 

We are planning on arriving Tuesday. Still not sure about the car.

 

Tom, check out the 1/2 day tour of Shangrila, Doris Duke's Waikiki residence (shipped over from Morocco) it's fascinating and the kind of place God would build if he had that much $$$$. Booking is only through the Honolulu Academy of Art museum and you have to go to the museum to board a van for the house. I don't recall the px, but it wasn't much and it is fun. ;)

 

 

Would LOVE to do this.

[RMS Olympic]

Perhaps we can plan to meet up in Homo-lulu when I arrive on Thursday...beverages and dinner at someplace really interesting.

I am going to continue to look at hotles...especially the Ohaha and also the two Outrigger hotels there in Waikii.

I am waiting to gey confirmation on my cabin 7058; RSVP told my tA no problem. It was either 7058 or 7558 that were requested.

These are obstructed view cabins...but these two are unique...if the exterior photos of the ship are correct.

The cabins on this deck have the large opeings like the balcony cabins, normally I would have expected just a small window. But the two I selected are in between a small tender and a large one....the space appears to be wide open so little or no blockage. So more light and perhaps...if I am right a view if limited.

Now to find a special person to share special moments with...before they thow me into the volcano:D Perhaps window shopping on Eurodam will yield a few prospects:p

See ya in a few weeks.

[jimnbillnpa]

Perhaps we can plan to meet up in Homo-lulu when I arrive on Thursday...beverages and dinner at someplace really interesting.

I am going to continue to look at hotles...especially the Ohaha and also the two Outrigger hotels there in Waikii.

I am waiting to gey confirmation on my cabin 7058; RSVP told my tA no problem. It was either 7058 or 7558 that were requested.

These are obstructed view cabins...but these two are unique...if the exterior photos of the ship are correct.

The cabins on this deck have the large opeings like the balcony cabins, normally I would have expected just a small window. But the two I selected are in between a small tender and a large one....the space appears to be wide open so little or no blockage. So more light and perhaps...if I am right a view if limited.

Now to find a special person to share special moments with...before they thow me into the volcano:D Perhaps window shopping on Eurodam will yield a few prospects:p

See ya in a few weeks.

 

Tom-we're booked 7184 (stern balcony-new for us) and friends David and Rick are next door, 7182. Nick at RSVP is awesome. AND...I just got off the phone with MAX!!!-.....maybe.....maybe....:D

 

Now we just need to figure out how to cover the frameshop for two weeks! Dinner date Thursday night! We'll keep you propped up/awake at the table so you adjust a little faster;)

[RMS Olympic]

Glad you got the cabin you wanted.....now you can pee off the stern!!!!:D

As for flying into Homo-lulu...I am not too worried about the time change. Since I have the first class seat....I shouldn't be too stressed.....and if I can take an abien as soon as I take off out of Phoenix....and get a nap I should be fine.

Last Spring I flew ro HongKong (14 hours out of San Fran...in coach. Although I was on fumes when I hit Hing Kong, I still made the party at the hotel. But now a year older...a nap will probably be needed. Regardless...a hot shower upon arrival, a clean t-shirt, shorts and flip flops....and I'll be ready to go.

I cant tell you how excited I am to see some new sights....with nice guys from previous cruises (tis you tis you).......pineapples, volcanoes, waterfall, beaches, roasted pig, hula girls...I mean hula boys, and getting leied in public......luv flowers.

I hope this is a sign of the future for RSVP......something new each year...virginal like us:D:D:D