Price of Excursions

[CGreenhills]

Hi,

 

My hubby2be and I are off to Hawaii in Jan/Feb next year for our Honeymoon, sailing on the Queen Victoria. Its our first cruise and our first trip to Hawaii so I'm a little bit lost and confused.

 

I'm trying to work out a bit of a budget so we can save up but I cannot find anything at all that tells me what to expect for excursion prices. Cunard don't release the info until late October.

 

I know this will vary from ship to ship and what excursion is it but I'd love just a guess on some of the more popular ones like helicopters and stuff.

 

We're only stopping for a full day in Hilo, Honolulu and La Haina and a full day plus evening in Nawillwili.

Can anyone help or point me in the right direction to look?

thanks

Claire

[Fitzemt]

It is cheaper to book excursions directly rather than thru the ship, and transportation is not a problem. Either rent a car and drive yourself, or some attractions will pick you up at the pier. Just got back and here are the prices we paid:

Blue Hawaii Helicopter tour: $196.00

PCC: $45.00

Old Lahaina Luau: $92.00

Maui Zip LineTour: $199.00

Captain Zodiac Snorkeling $ 115.00

Pearl Harbour: Free...extra if you go on Missouri and Bowfin (get coupon book)

Golf: $135.00-$225.00 depending on where you play + club rental ($35.00)

[DAGVBSB]

We used Roberts Hawaii at http://www.gorabbitgo.com. We found their prices to be about half of what NCL charged for the excact same excursions.

 

Lahania is a nice town to just go to shore and wander the shops and craftsmen. Lahania is a tender port, btw.

 

There are also usually tons of free shuttles in each port to places like Hilo Hatties, Wal-Mart, K-mart and shopping centers. You can ask those drivers if any shopping venues are nearby.

 

In Kauai (Nawillwili), there is free shuttle to the Anchor Cove shopping Center. You can take that shuttle and then walk straight through the strip shopping center to the rear and you will be on a very nice public beach where you can swim, lay out or just play in the ocean.

 

If you are going to Pearl Harbor, I strongly urge you to do it through the ships excursions or through a private tour company (Roberts or the others mentioned). It is extremely important that you get to Pearl Harbor early or you will use up your entire day there. They begin distribution of the free launch tickets to the Memorial at 7:30 a.m. and they are usually all handed out by 11:00 a.m.. We got there at 7:30 and got 9:00 a.m. tickets. By 9:00 a.m., they were handing out 12:00 p.m. tickets.

No purses, bags, backpacks, fannypacks or camera cases can be taken into the Memorial area. They have to be left on the bus or you have to pay to have them stored. (Cameras are ok as well as anything you can put in your pocket. Cell phone cases are also ok)

[CGreenhills]

thanks guys that's really helpful I'll have a look at those links.

 

I have no idea what a tender port is though so I think I'll have to have a google search or two!

[riofriotex]

I have no idea what a tender port is though so I think I'll have to have a google search or two!

 

A tender port is simply one where you will board a smaller boat (in the case of the Pride of America, it's its own lifeboats) and be ferried ashore. The port at Lahaina is not deep enough for cruise ships.

[GypRasc]

Attached are pdf copies of lots of tour companies I've compiled. One is a complete alpha file list with the other lists broken down by island. I know there are more tour companies than are on this list but this is a good place to start. Enjoy & congrats on the marriage!

Websites for Hawaii Excursions - Complete Alpha List.pdf

Websites for Hawaii Excursions - Big Island.pdf

Websites for Hawaii Excursions - Kauai.pdf

Websites for Hawaii Excursions - Maui.pdf

Websites for Hawaii Excursions - Oahu.pdf

[Budget Queen]

So much of Hawaii, is simply, drive up sightseeing. :) So a very good option is to have a rental car in each port, and plan your day. Head to your library and take out Hawaii Travel books, Fodor's, Frommer's Revealed, etc are all good ones.

 

This is a rock bottom cost option, that is superb. :)

[ozzy_emg]

Attached are pdf copies of lots of tour companies I've compiled. One is a complete alpha file list with the other lists broken down by island. I know there are more tour companies than are on this list but this is a good place to start. Enjoy & congrats on the marriage!

 

Thank you so much for the lists. They are an excellent start for planning our holiday.

[FlyingCoach]

We used Roberts Hawaii at www.gorabbitgo.com.

 

Thanks for this suggestion. We travel in April 2011 and will be booking several through Roberts.

 

FYI: They have an A+ rating through the Better Business Bureau, so along with the comments on this board, we feel comfortable using them.

[Browezilla]

NCL lists prices to give you an idea: http://www2.ncl.com/excursions/search?qs=N%3D4294967015%2B4294967067%26Ne%3D8057%26Nr%3DAND%2528p_Record_Type%253AS%2529

 

I'm always a little reluctant to recommend first time cruisers book their own excursions, however, it really doesn't get much easier to do it than in Hawaii. Just be aware of the risks, e.g. it's your responsibility to get back to the ship on time, what time you need to get back to the ship, the ship takes no responsibility if you miss it, etc. It just takes a little extra planning, but not bad. If you rent cars, know how to get back to the rental location! We got caught in Marseille once where the pickup was different from the drop off. Now that was exciting :-)

[Sunny AZ Girl]

NCL lists prices to give you an idea: http://www2.ncl.com/excursions/search?qs=N%3D4294967015%2B4294967067%26Ne%3D8057%26Nr%3DAND%2528p_Record_Type%253AS%2529

 

I'm always a little reluctant to recommend first time cruisers book their own excursions, however, it really doesn't get much easier to do it than in Hawaii. Just be aware of the risks, e.g. it's your responsibility to get back to the ship on time, what time you need to get back to the ship, the ship takes no responsibility if you miss it, etc. It just takes a little extra planning, but not bad. If you rent cars, know how to get back to the rental location! We got caught in Marseille once where the pickup was different from the drop off. Now that was exciting :-)

I agree. First time cruisers may want to stick with a ship excursion, although Roberts would be a very good option in Hawaii. Once you are comfortable with the ship routine then going out on your own is more feasible. I would especially recommend a ship tour in a tender port unless you are planning to stick close to the ship. It takes more time to tender than to just walk on and off of the ship! Even though we are experienced cruisers we consider ship tours for convenience in tender ports, although we do have a car booked from the King Kam Hotel in Kona since it is so close to the ship. We plan to drive down the coast and snorkel near the Place of Refuge, then drive back and visit a few other recommended sites, coffee plantations, etc depending on how much time we have.

 

In Honolulu I would NOT rent a car for one day. Take a tour there.

 

For the OP - have a great time! And congratulations on your upcoming marriage.:)

[cruiseman40]

Great Job!

 

 

Attached are pdf copies of lots of tour companies I've compiled. One is a complete alpha file list with the other lists broken down by island. I know there are more tour companies than are on this list but this is a good place to start. Enjoy & congrats on the marriage!

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

My first cruise was to Hawaii and I arranged rental cars at most ports & planned excursions on my own just through internet searches. It worked out well for us. When I go to Mexico, I won't drive there so I typically book ship excursions since you are in a foreign country and anything can happen. Hawaii is totally different and very easy to do on your own. I agree that you can get books & read. I have Kauai Revealed and Oahu Revealed books which give maps & details of various sights to see as well as pronunciation of Hawaiian words/vocabulary.

 

The prices that you saw listed on here are per person prices so keep that in mind. Excursions can add up quickly which is why if you are on a budget, the rental car is a good option. For me, the cruise & airfare ate up most of my budget and I still spent $1500 above the initial cost of the cruise & flights. That is a lot of money to me and we didn't do much excursions. We parasailed, snorkeled, & a luau. The rest including the USS Arizona was on our own with rental cars. In Kauai, we drove to waterfalls, Lydgate beach park, went as far north as we could go to Ke'e Beach. My next trip this July I will be going the other direction so I can see Waimea Canyon. We may go to the waterfalls again and maybe Lydgate again for our friends to see but won't have time to go all the way to Ke'e beach. Easy on your own.

[Browezilla]

... When I go to Mexico, I won't drive there so I typically book ship excursions since you are in a foreign country and anything can happen. ..

For the original poster, I believe Hawaii/USA will be a foreign country. I would advise to always have your passport with you.