NCL Star altered itineraries

[dodge9]

sassiecassie... yes definitely bring all the info. you have... res.# and stuff from your ta... it's always wise to do that! And yes, make sure you don't hurt our gimpy ship!

[sassycassie]

dodge9:

 

Mahalo again!! We will do as you suggest! Contacting ta first thing in am tomorrow. We'll keep after them (whoever "them" turns out to be).

 

Warmer here than 40, but not much. Can't wait for Hawaii!! You have a great trip, too. Yours will be Star's last in the Islands. They should have some kind of celebration for you!

 

Aloha

[paws43tails]

we too have had our docs for 3 weeks... in fact 2 weeks ago they sent us a duplicate copy, so now we have 2 sets... let's have some lemonaid!!

 

rhapsody of the seas 4/27/03

carnival conquest 10/5/03

<MARQUEE>

<MARQUEE]

 

star/hawaii 4/25/04... 50th birthday celebration!

 

grand princess 11/13/04... departs glaveston!

 

[ew101]

How are they getting around the Jones Act here? This ship is not US Flagged?

[smeyer418]

they will have to pay the fine...they will plead guilty with an explanation...

[SecondMate]

Hmm, that's the same way I always plead.

[minnesota pam]

Just returned from the 3-28 Star Hawaii cruise and had the altered itinerary. They don't have one of the pod thrusters working so they can't get up enough speed to make it to Fanning in the time they need so they aren't going there for the last four cruises in Hawaii. Yes, they are being fined over a million dollars. I was disappointed not making it to Fanning but I didn't let it wreck my cruise. We got an additional port in Hawaii which was Kona and an additional port in Maui which was Lahaina. Got to see more of Maui and Hawaii. Monday was the day at sea. The cruise did give us a Luau (sp) on board one night. Will write a longer report later as we just got home last night.

Aloha.

 

minnesota pam

Countin until heaven on the STAR TO HAWAII

 

NCL Sunward II 1986

Carnival Festivale 1989

NCL Windward 1995

RCCL Rhapsody of the Seas 1998

NCL Sky 2000

NCL Star 2004

[dodge9]

minnesota pam... can't wait to hear your review. I also would like to know if there were any different tours offered in Kona and Lahaina or if they were the same tours shown for Hilo and Kahului? Also is the option formal night the sea day? Thanks and Welome Back!

[SweetEmi]

Dodge, I know there are different tours in Kona because we have different things to do here and some things that you wouldn't have time to do from Hilo. I wonder if you can somehow look at the Wind's Kona excursions? (I'm pretty sure the Wind comes here) or do they have the excursions up for the Pride yet?

 

And our formal night was also on Monday on our cruise that was changed around because of a hurricane and it was a Sea Day. It also ended up being the Captain's Cocktail party day so the officers that came to the CC meeting were late because they did have to attend it (but they cut it short to come see us).

 

 

Aloha and you'll have a WONDERFUL time!

 

Emi

 

NCL Star-08/31/03 in Hawaii!

NCL Star-11/13/04 to Mexico!

Alaska summer 2005!

[dodge9]

SweetEmi.. Do you have a good recommendation on how to spend the day in Kona? I was able to get the shore tours for the canceled May 2nd cruise that goes to Kona, but they were the same tours I had listed for Hilo. The Wind Tours I can't find.

[mnstar]

Thanks in advance, Sweet Emi, for your excursion ideas with our altered itineraries!

 

Also, thank you minesota pam for your upcoming review of last week!

 

mnstar on Star 4/18! ~ wherever she may be sailing!

[SweetEmi]

How long will you all be here? Pretty much all day right? I'll see if I can find some links from the Hawaii board because I know they were there a bit ago and have much better info that I do because I don't get out much...hehehehe, but I did really enjoy snorkeling from the Fair Winds. Waipio Valley is amazing. The hotels in Waikoloa can be pretty cool - especially the Hilton. There are coffee farms you can see, there is a town not far up Mauka from Kona called Holulaloa that has a bunch of art galleries, just a small town but the area is beautiful and if you like art galleries, etc, it's nice to walk around there.

 

I'll check on some links.

 

Emi

 

NCL Star-08/31/03 in Hawaii!

NCL Star-11/13/04 to Mexico!

Alaska summer 2005!

[mnstar]

Hi, sweetemi ~

 

We will be in Kona on Tuesday from 7am -> 6pm, then Hilo on Wed. from 7am -> 6pm

 

My dh and I would like to visit a coffee plantation, perhaps?

 

Is the party at your house???

 

Also, we be spending Thursday in Lahaina. We'd like to take The Road to Hana, but we are not interested in driving it ourselves. Does anyone know of a "small minivan-type tour" that will take us there based on the ship's port times (7am-11pm?)I assume the ship will be offering additional tours at these new ports? Minnesotapam or anyone else from last week have any info on this?

 

Thanks!

 

mnstar on The Star on 4/18 ~ whever she sails to!

[mnstar]

I forgot to mention ~ my TA said today that he was "99.9% sure" that our shore excursions would be moved to accomodate our new itinerary (e.g., Hilo excusions on Monday would automatically be moved to Tuesday.) But, that new excursions added at the new ports would require signing up (i.e., standing in long lines) on the ship.

 

What has been the experience of those of you who have faced changed itineraries in the past, including last week?

 

Thanks!

 

mnstar ~ still on The Star on 4/18 ~ just glad to go wherever it may sail!

[minnesota pam]

Just off the top of my head--body still rockin from the ship so my brain is also rocky. They did switch the shore excursions we signed up for ahead of time to the correct day in port. I can't remember if they offered a tour from ship for the road to Hana but I did see tour vans on the road. My husband and I rented a car and did it ourselves. The driver was able to see all the wonderful sights. However, we did it in reverse--we went to the winery first and went south to east to north to Hana--even drove on a road that the map from the rental car place said we shouldn't have gone--you can go, it is just pretty bumpy tar road with alot of single lane stuff but it was the most beautiful spots to see. We missed most of the traffic on the road to Hana from the North to east. I would recommend getting a car. Maui was the best island--with the most to see. We rented a car in both ports in Maui and circled both parts of the island. It is alot cheaper than the shore excursions and you see so much more and can stay longer at the places you want to see.

In Kona we saw the coffee plantation Greenwell--this is where all the other coffee growers send their coffee beans to process. Very interesting. After that we drove to Southpoint--the most southern spot in the United States. Really not much to do in Kona.

I will try to get a review off by this weekend with in depth reviews of what we did on each island.

Tip--if you are planning on renting a car when you return to Honolulu--do it with the cruise ship on one of the first days on board. It is with Budget and they can arrange for the car to be at the cruise ship on Sunday for an extra $5.00--cost us $15 to take a cab to the Alamo rental place. They guy on the ship who takes care of car rentals isn't the nicest.

Also--they have increased the prices on the restaurants to $15.00 per person now. On our cruise hardly anyone used these restaurants--you could get in almost any night without a reservation. The food in the main dining rooms, Blue Lagoon, Market Cafe and the Grill were more than adequate and quite good.

Will write more this weekend.

 

minnesota pam

Countin until heaven on the STAR TO HAWAII

 

NCL Sunward II 1986

Carnival Festivale 1989

NCL Windward 1995

RCCL Rhapsody of the Seas 1998

NCL Sky 2000

NCL Star 2004

[SweetEmi]

MNSTAR: I knew there was a post somewhere I was supposed to respond to about a party, but I couldn't figure out where it was! I wish!! Wouldn't that be fun.

 

Anyway...on our cruise. There were VERY long lines lined up before they opened for the shore excursion office. There are forms you can fill out and put in a drop box. Didn't do that myself, but it is worth a try. I don't personally know how they are about changing around shore excursions because I booked one from NCL and called and confirmed that they indeed had it booked, but I never did get any tickets for it on the cruise (and did not get charged for it). It was for a city that we were going to on a different day than regularly scheduled.

 

Your cruise is a little different in that they have a little more time to change around the excursions and stuff, whereas our itinerary was last minute.

 

Aloha!

Emi

 

NCL Star-08/31/03 in Hawaii!

NCL Star-11/13/04 to Mexico!

Alaska summer 2005!

[mnstar]

Hi, sweet emi ~ what are your favorite things to do in Kona? Where do you take your friends when they come to visit?

 

Thanks from all of us still headed out on The Star to Hawaii

 

mnstar

[SweetEmi]

Star: I just typed up a big thing in the Hawaii board and I'm at work so I can't do it again, but depending on what my friends or family wants to do...we might go snorkeling at Kahalu'u, visit some of the beautiful botanical gardens in the area, go to some galleries, do some shopping, head out to Waikoloa and go to the Hilton and look at all the art and sculptures and see the dolphins and while there, go to King's shops for some more shopping. Head up here where I work where it is Paniolo Country and so some sightseeing and then head out to Waipio Valley and on the way back stop at Tex's Drive Inn for some fresh, hot malasadas. Or head south and go to South Point, which is the southern most point of the United States, just to say you've been there.

 

Oops...I better get back to work, more later,

 

Emi

 

NCL Star-08/31/03 in Hawaii!

NCL Star-11/13/04 to Mexico!

Alaska summer 2005!

[minnesota pam]

SweetEmi:

I wish you had posted all the wonderful ideas of places to see while in Kona earlier. I guess I will just have to go there again to see all those sites. What we did see while driving to South Point was spectacular though. I am glad we spent the time going there. Has the rain stopped? Every island we visited had lots of mist and rain and the local people said that this was a little bit more than usual. In fact, On Kauai they had "chocolate milk" surf because all of the recent rains.

 

minnesota pam

Countin until heaven on the STAR TO HAWAII

 

NCL Sunward II 1986

Carnival Festivale 1989

NCL Windward 1995

RCCL Rhapsody of the Seas 1998

NCL Sky 2000

NCL Star 2004

[SweetEmi]

Pam: Oh...the rain in Kona was awful last night and this morning! I'm glad I was able to go to sleep because it was very loud. So loud that it was hard to work and so I put some off until this morning and it was almost the same this morning...booo hoooo. (I do transcription and I had a hard time hearing the docs).

 

Thanks Pam for saying there wasn't much to do because it got me thinking...*smile* We are more country around here, but there is still a lot to do if you look hard enough...hehehehe

 

Emi

 

NCL Star-08/31/03 in Hawaii!

NCL Star-11/13/04 to Mexico!

Alaska summer 2005!

[gardencat]

Sweetemi,

hey thanks for the list of things to do in Kona. Since our May 2 cruise has been canceled we are going to be spending 6 days in Kona. My daughter wants to try scuba diving and I want to spend a day at Volcanoes National Park but you've given me some great ideas for the other days.

If you can tell me and if you have the time what is the best route for the Kona area to the national park?

Thanks

[SweetEmi]

http://www.nps.gov/havo/home.htm

 

I would just take the highway and head South. You'll see signs pointing to Volcano on the highway in Kona if you look. It says on the map on the above website that it is Hwy 11. (We don't call them their proper names here...hehehe) You can't miss it. There is only one highway that heads that way and it goes right there.

 

Aloha!

Emi

 

NCL Star-08/31/03 in Hawaii!

NCL Star-11/13/04 to Mexico!

Alaska summer 2005!

[gardencat]

Thanks for the reply SweetEmi.

Don't call them by their proper names huh? Guess that makes it easy to tell the locals from the tourists. Oh well with my sickly white skin, fresh from a long Canadian winter I'd probably stand out pretty much any way. ( By the time I get to the big island though it might be lobster red skin if I'm not careful.)

[SweetEmi]

Yeah...If you say the Queen K Hwy people will think you live here. Plenty who live here don't have a tan (but the red ones are usually noted as tourists) because when you live here, you generally try to stay OUT of the sun as much as possible.

 

Aloha,

Emi

 

NCL Star-08/31/03 in Hawaii!

NCL Star-11/13/04 to Mexico!

Alaska summer 2005!