Luau on Oahu

[Missouri travel girl]

Going on the Golden April 27, and some of the group want to do a luau. From the itinerary it looks like the only opportunity will be in Oahu, any suggestions would be so helpful. Also would love any ideas for ziplining on any of the islands.

Thanks,

Roni

[MTJSR]

Take the Polynesian Cultural Center tour thru Princess and one is included in the show. Seems to be the most popular way to get in a luau while on Oahu. Have a great trip, we sure did.

[Missouri travel girl]

Thanks, were you on the Golden? What other excursions did you do?

[LARGIN]

Going to the luau at the Polynesian Center is an all day tiring affair. We preferred the one in Kauai which included a trip down river to the Fern Garden..

 

http://www.princess.com/find/excursion/exDetails.page?tourCode=LIH-102&t=H

[MTJSR]

Yes we were. Our group did Randy's tour in Hilo and we did the Pearl Harbor tour with the lunch at the officers barracks in Oahu. They loved Randy's tour (I didn't go) and we all loved the Oahu tour. Very very informative and covers lots of things. The Golden is awesome, crew was fantastic and the Hawaiian couple Dave and LeiAloha (ELUA) really make the trip special. Enjoy!

[MTJSR]

Going to the luau at the Polynesian Center is an all day tiring affair. We preferred the one in Kauai which included a trip down river to the Fern Garden..

 

http://www.princess.com/find/excursion/exDetails.page?tourCode=LIH-102&t=H

 

It certainly is not a drive thru luau:D but at least you will get to see half the island.

[dfields1814]

We just got off the Golden. We took a Princess excursion to the Polynesian Center. You pretty much have to do it through Princess if you want to see the night show which was pretty good. We got back to the ship at 10;30 for an 11:00 sail away. We were the last two to board the ship. The luau there - not to sure how authentic - was huge. There must have been several hundreds of people there. They served the food in as quick as could be expected - well organized. But it was so big, with so many people....... The parade of boats was pretty good but you have to get there early for a good seat. My recommendation for the center would be to get the tickets for the luau and the show, watch the parade then ditch the guide and see the center on your own. It was overpriced. But I do believe there is no way you can see the night show, drive back to Honolulu, return the car and then shuttle back to the ship by 10:30.

 

On Hawaii we went to the Volcano National Park. We went through Princess. There was about 6 buses filled with people. but the buses were staggered so we did not all show up at the same place at the same time. It was OK. There was a new vent so part of the road was closed. They don't take the bus to where the lava flows. The guide was great.

 

On Maui we went whale watching. This was a big disappointment. We did see a few whales. but we went with Princess and was put on a boat with all kinds of other people who also wanted to see the whales. You can imagine the result. We had better luck in Cabo.

 

On Kauai we once again to a Princess tour to Waimea Canyon. Once again we were on one of several buses with lots of people. The guide was really good. They took to the lookout and that was about it.

 

I just got lazy and let Princess do the excursions for me. We will be in Hawaii in Oct. This tme I am renting cars. A lot of the fellow passengers were doing this on the Golden. I learned my lesson.

[5:00_Somewhere]

I hate to be a sour puss, but I have to say, whatever you do, AVOID Germaine's. It was a long and uncomfortable bus ride to get there and again to return. It was long and boring with very bad food and just generally the worst part of an otherwise wonderful cruise and polynesian vacation. We had friends who did the Cultural Center and the Royal Hawaiian luaus, and they raved about both.

 

Again, sorry to be a wet blanket. I know you'll have a great time, and a luau can be a lot of fun. Just not Germaine's luau.

 

Happy cruising!

[ckrcjr]

We have done the PCC luau as well as Paradise Cove. The PCC is much larger and we preferred Paradise Cove - which we just did two weeks ago. Paradise Cove is located in a fantastic location and the food is delicious. The show is great and all the seats are good. Lots of activities beforehand.

 

We have never been to Germaine's but would recommend Paradise Cove - have a great time wherever you go!

[cccole]

The Hale Koa luau gets good reviews and is right on Waikiki. There is also a luau at the Royal Hawaiian. These luaus are not every night though so they may not be possible for some cruisers. Cherie

[sha88]

We did this and really enjoyed it. It takes place on the beach and the sunset was beautiful. They pick you up from your hotel or close to it in Waikiki (kinda of a long drive out to the lauau because of the traffic), but we thought it was worth it. It was the only luau we could really fit in our itinerary and turned out well for us.

[mrs_fitz]

I definitely recommend Polynesian Cultural Center. I have been 4 times now because that is the one that we go to whenever family visits. Their new show, Ha - Breath of Life - is really good! It is an all day affair but you can opt out of touring the villages in the day and just do the dinner & night show.

 

I personally haven't gone to see Paradise Cove or Germaine's though. My best friend has gone to both PCC and Paradise Cove's and prefers the former.

[ArizonaTracie]

A Hawaii guide book I am reading does NOT recommend Germains.

[cruiseman40]

Had all the info on Oahu luaus earlier, but too lazy to find it now.....

[lisacas1]

We did this and really enjoyed it. It takes place on the beach and the sunset was beautiful. They pick you up from your hotel or close to it in Waikiki (kinda of a long drive out to the lauau because of the traffic), but we thought it was worth it. It was the only luau we could really fit in our itinerary and turned out well for us.

 

I agree, Paradise Cove has the BEST luau on Oahu. The location is gorgeous. It can be a little pricey but if you purchase an Entertainment Coupon book for Hawaii they usually have a 20 or 25% off coupon in there.

[Cruisin' Chick]

A few months ago we did our second RT Hawaii cruise on Princess (exactly five years to the day after our first one). We didn't do any excursions this time -- booked the cruise pretty late so we decided just to stick to the port city and walk around, etc.

 

But you did pick the best cruise around by booking the Golden. Elua brings a lot of aloha spirit and activities to the ship.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

Those that said not to do Germaine's please tell me why not. I booked and prepaid already for this luau this July. I read good things about it but nothing real recent. We are looking for a luau that will shuttle us from Waikiki with a beach setting luau so maybe we need to reconsider and book the Paradise Cove luau. I can't do PCC because I don't want to spend all day there. My intention is to do Pearl Harbor in the morning and be back to the hotel by 3 to freshen up for the luau.

Edited April 9, 2011 by AZ Karaoke Girl

[lisacas1]

If you've never been to a luau, Germaines will be fine. I believe it's just a preference if you compare it to PCC and Paradise Cove. Paradise Cove was my first luau and it was amazing, very authentic and not cheesy. If it's already booked and prepaid I wouldn't worry about changing it. Visit tripadvisor and search for paradise cove vs germaines and you'll find a few reviews explaining the difference between the two.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

I did the Royal Lahaina Luau at Kaanapali beach in Maui last trip. Looking at Tripadvisor, Germaine's and Paradise Cove get about the same kind of reviews. Lots of positive and negative equal. By reading about them both, I think they will be very similar to our Maui luau and since it is already booked & paid for, I guess we'll take our chances. A lot of people complaints are about the long bus ride and the industrial park that you have to pass thru. I don't care about those things. I want a beach setting with a decent show. Looking at the pictures of Germaine's it looks very similar to my Maui luau. see pics below:

[JLDMED]

We'll be in Honolulu on the Golden from 7 am to 11 p.m. Is it possible to do Pearl Harbor in the morning and then the luau at Paradise Cove in the afternoon/evening? Don't wanna miss the ship!

 

If you've done this, please share the details of the process, including transportation. THANKS!!!

 

P.S. I know it'll be a LONG day...but I can sleep when I get home! :)

[ddloml]

If you've never been to a luau, Germaines will be fine. I believe it's just a preference if you compare it to PCC and Paradise Cove. Paradise Cove was my first luau and it was amazing, very authentic and not cheesy. If it's already booked and prepaid I wouldn't worry about changing it. Visit tripadvisor and search for paradise cove vs germaines and you'll find a few reviews explaining the difference between the two.

 

We went to Germaine's 4 years ago, and thought it was fine. DW & DD are picky eaters, but they found plenty of food to enjoy. If you like Mai Tai's, the ones at Germaine's were well made;). (DW doesn't drink and the DS & DD were under 18 at the time, so I had 12 mai tai coupons available for my use!:D) The PCC is run by the LDS, so there is no alcohol served at their luau.

[Ninja50]

Those that said not to do Germaine's please tell me why not. I booked and prepaid already for this luau this July. I read good things about it but nothing real recent. We are looking for a luau that will shuttle us from Waikiki with a beach setting luau so maybe we need to reconsider and book the Paradise Cove luau. I can't do PCC because I don't want to spend all day there. My intention is to do Pearl Harbor in the morning and be back to the hotel by 3 to freshen up for the luau.

 

We just returned from our wonderful holiday in Hawaii which included Germaine's luau. We had a great time!!

Buses will pick you up at your hotel (or one close by) late afternoon. The 40 minute or so bus ride has a guide. The luau is well organized and is located on a beautiful beach where you can watch the sunset. Our experience is that there are about 400+ guests. Food was great and plenty of it. Lots of drinks too. Lots of entertainment (singing, dancing etc.) The ladies in the audience are invited onstage to learn some hula moves which was a lot of fun. The bus returns you to your original pick up location about 10pm. Our party of 4 had a great time.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

Thanks Ninja. Sounds like what I'm looking for. I'm certainly not expecting a gourmet meal but hula dancing, fire dancing, a fun emcee, some bongo drums, and beach sunset and I'll be a happy camper. Of course the MaiTai's too.:D

[RetiredNTraveling]

We'll be in Honolulu on the Golden from 7 am to 11 p.m. Is it possible to do Pearl Harbor in the morning and then the luau at Paradise Cove in the afternoon/evening? Don't wanna miss the ship!

 

If you've done this, please share the details of the process, including transportation. THANKS!!!

 

P.S. I know it'll be a LONG day...but I can sleep when I get home! :)

 

Aloha! I know it has been several years since you took you cruise. However, after reading all of the other comments, I noticed that you didn't get a reply to you questions about attending the luau at Paradise Cove and being able to get back to the ship in time. We almost never book outside of PCL Excursions. But the 10 hr luau through PCL do not interest us. Please let us know of you experiences at the luau you chose and was it worth it. This will be our second cruise to Hawaii and couldn't get things arranged to do a luau after the 5 hr Pearl Harbor tour (which was unbelievable in our opinion).

By the way we are in our early 70's and simply do not rush worth a darn, and like you said: Don't want to miss the ship!

 

Thanks in advance,

Just Us! ;)

[Dreamer115]

Aloha! I know it has been several years since you took you cruise. However, after reading all of the other comments, I noticed that you didn't get a reply to you questions about attending the luau at Paradise Cove and being able to get back to the ship in time. We almost never book outside of PCL Excursions. But the 10 hr luau through PCL do not interest us. Please let us know of you experiences at the luau you chose and was it worth it. This will be our second cruise to Hawaii and couldn't get things arranged to do a luau after the 5 hr Pearl Harbor tour (which was unbelievable in our opinion).

By the way we are in our early 70's and simply do not rush worth a darn, and like you said: Don't want to miss the ship!

 

Thanks in advance,

Just Us! ;)

 

We were in Honolulu in September and went to Chief's luau at Sea Life Park. We absolutely loved it. I know you can get transportation to it, although we had a car rental for that day. You can swim with the dolphins in the afternoon if you like and then go to the luau in the evening. The food was ok, but the entertainment amazing. It is a little smaller than some of the others too so a little more intimate. We are cruising to Hawaii again in 2015 and I know we will go there again.

 

Connie