Itinerary - February Cruise

[lv2bgoofy]

Here is what I have planned...what are your thoughts? Thanks :)

 

1. Hawaii Itinerary

 

February 16 Thursday Oahu

Arrive approx 11:30 AM get rental car from Thrifty drive to hotel Aulani Hotel- 92-1185 Ali’uni (Disney). Drive part of the North Shore – Dole Plantation – 664-1550 Kamhameha, Laniakea Beach - 61-676 Kamehameha Hwy ,Haleiwa, HI 96712 (Turtle Beach), Waimea Beach Park - 61-031 Kamehameha Highway, North O'ahu , stop at Ted’s Bakery - 59-024 Kamehameha Highway

Sunset Beach, Hawaii 96712 (stuff for breakfast tomorrow), Sunset Beach, eat at Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck or something like it, Kualoa Park - 49-479 Kamehameha Highway (Chinaman’s Hat only), La’ie Point -Naupaka St, Laie, HI 96762, Macadamia Nut Factory - 49-227 Kamehameha Hwy # A, Kaneohe, HI 96744, back to hotel via to H3

 

February 17, Friday, Oahu

Pearl Harbor – 1 Arizona Memorial Place, Honolulu, HI 96818 – After drive to Punchbowl – 2177 Puowaina Drive, Honolulu, HI 96813, Pali Look-Out - Nuuanu Pali Dr, Pali Hwy, Honolulu, HI 96817

 

, Leonard’s - 933 Kapahulu Ave Honolulu, HI 96816-1434 (malasadas), Diamond Head, Halona Blow Hole - 8699 State Hwy 72, Honolulu, HI 96805, Byodo-In Temple - 47-200 Kahekili Highway

Kaneohe, HI 96744, H3 back to the hotel

February 18, Saturday – Board Ship

Nothing planned other than checking out, returning the car and getting to the ship…probably find a ABC store along the way and pick up some stuff.

 

February 19, Sunday - Maui

Road to Hana with Valley Isle Tours – 8:05 pick-up

 

February 20, Monday, Maui

Pick up rental car from Thrifty – drive to Lahiana, Whale Watching at 11:30 with Pacific Whale Foundation, prior to tour walk around Lahiana, Banyan Tree, etc. If we have time – drive up to the volcano

 

February 21, Tuesday, Hilo

Pick-up rental car from Thrifty – drive to VNP, if time go to the waterfalls

 

February 22, Wednesday, Kona

Kona Land and Sea Tour thru NCL

 

February 23, Thursday, Kauai

Pick-up rental car from Thrifty – drive to Waimea Canyon, eat at Island Tacos, drive to the end, eat at Duke’s

 

February 24, Friday, Kauai

Take plane ride with Wings over Hawaii @ 9:30

 

February 25, Saturday L

Disembark – flight doesn’t leave til 3:15 – so need some plans?

[tommui987]

Here is what I have planned...what are your thoughts? Thanks :)

 

Off hand, I would say that it was overly ambitious!

 

You arrive close to noon-time. By the time you get your baggage, get your car and go to the Aulani hotel, I would estimate that you will take about two hours to do all that and settle in.

 

That would leave you about four hours of sunlight to do all your traveling on that first day! The road from the Aulani to the Dole Plantation would be at least 45 minutes. Then you can venture to Haleiwa, Waimea Bay (Turtle Bay). I would stop at the Polynesian Cultural Center for dinner and go back to your hotel. The dinner is nothing to write home about but the package will at least enable you to learn about the Polynesian/Micronesian culture.

 

Your second day would take about half-day at the Arizona and you would have to have reservations since the Arizona Memorial is accessible only by launch. From there you could shoot over to the Pali and the Byodo Temple (if that is your desire) though I would skip the Temple, and head towards the Blow Hole - as it is it will be a long haul.

 

Your ship does not leave Honolulu until 7:00PM. You might consider using the third day to check out of the hotel, drive up to Punchbowl, Waikiki, Diamond Head and turn in your car. If it is early enough, walk from the Pier and go to Iolani Palace and poke around Honolulu.

 

The major problem is that you are trying to get as many sights as possible and not considering the distance and time involved. The island of Oahu is not circular - i.e. you cannot drive to the North Shore from Aulani without going back eastward to the H2 and then going westward on the H2. The H2 ends and then you have to proceed on a two lane road to Haleiwa and the North Shore. The road from Haleiwa to the entire North Shore to near Kaneohe is two lanes and traffic can be heavy and the roads are not straight line but curvy following the shoreline.

 

Anyway, prioritize your sightseeing and good luck!

[lv2bgoofy]

Thanks for your comments....we aren't interested in the PCC - I have already been there and once was good enough for me. My main things to do is Turtle Beach, Arizona Memorial and the Temple and seeing the H3 - all else will be cake if we can fit it in.

 

Why do you suggest not doing the Temple?

[sassyredhat]

I think the Feb 17th is waay ambitious. ;)

It took us 2 days to do all that. :)

Pat

[Travelicious]

Island Taco - great choice!

[tommui987]

Why do you suggest not doing the Temple?

 

Nothing is wrong with seeing the Temple. It just was a comment that you were trying to accomplish too much in one day. Mentioned the PCC as a good point to grab a bite and return to the Aulani.

 

The Aulani is an exciting place to be - that whole complex there is great. But it should be regarded as a destination point. But it is not a great place to use as a base to see the island of Oahu. If you wanted to eat dinner in Waikiki for example, it would take you easily about an hour plus to get there from your hotel and perhaps as long as two hours in the rush hour.

[tommui987]

Sorry to rain a little more on your parade but as you may know, some really high surf comes to Oahu during the winter months. As of last night, the surf reached about 30-feet though today it may diminish to 20-feet today.

 

The TV newscast was on the bumper-to-bumper traffic on the road around the North Shore during the winter - and the fact that it took over an hour, almost two, to get from Haleiwa to Waimea Bay and the need for the City and County to get another by-pass road for certain stretches and parking.

 

Just something for you to consider in your planning for the 16th.

[lv2bgoofy]

Not really concerned - whatever we get done - we get done and the rest can wait for the next trip back. We are DVC members do coming to Oahu and staying a week would be pretty easy to pull off.

 

Heck I'm in Hawaii for 10 days - cant get much better than that!

[beachchick]

Overall, ambitious, but that's what some people want: Go-go-go-go-go every day and come home ready for a rest. That's not how we prefer to visit the islands, so I'm a bit of a nut on the "take time to stop and smell the plumeria" thing. I'm sure many do enjoy hopping from place to place to place, but sometimes (maybe often) their memories are less personal or intimate and more "Oh yeah, we stopped there for a few minutes" when they see the pictures.

 

In any case, your February 16th arrival day is not even reasonably doable. There is simply no way to cram all that in after getting off the plane, renting a car, and checking in at the hotel. Best case, you'd leave the hotel about 1-1:30. The route you have planned will take a few hours overall flat driving with no stops. Add in the stops and you're looking at a good 7 hours or maybe more, depending on how long you stay at various places. As it's a travel day as well, you'll have been on the go and up for quite a while before you even get started. Sunset will be at about 6:30, so you're going to lose the light partway through your time.

 

Your February 17th itinerary is also extremely aggressive, especially after a travel day that's filled with touring.

 

Otherwise, it's a busy itinerary, but certainly not impossible or really overdone.

 

Aloha! :)

 

beachchick

[debster818]

Here is what I have planned...what are your thoughts? Thanks :)

 

1. Hawaii Itinerary

 

February 16 Thursday Oahu

Arrive approx 11:30 AM get rental car from Thrifty drive to hotel Aulani Hotel- 92-1185 Ali’uni (Disney). Drive part of the North Shore – Dole Plantation – 664-1550 Kamhameha, Laniakea Beach - 61-676 KamehamehaHwy,Haleiwa, HI 96712(Turtle Beach), Waimea Beach Park - 61-031 KamehamehaHighway, North O'ahu , stop at Ted’s Bakery - 59-024 KamehamehaHighway

Sunset Beach, Hawaii 96712(stuff for breakfast tomorrow), Sunset Beach, eat at Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck or something like it, Kualoa Park - 49-479 Kamehameha Highway (Chinaman’s Hat only), La’ie Point -Naupaka St, Laie, HI 96762, Macadamia Nut Factory - 49-227 Kamehameha Hwy # A, Kaneohe, HI 96744, back to hotel via to H3

 

February 17, Friday, Oahu

Pearl Harbor – 1 Arizona Memorial Place, Honolulu, HI 96818 – After drive to Punchbowl – 2177 Puowaina Drive, Honolulu, HI 96813, Pali Look-Out - Nuuanu Pali Dr, Pali Hwy, Honolulu, HI 96817

 

, Leonard’s - 933 Kapahulu Ave Honolulu, HI 96816-1434 (malasadas), Diamond Head, Halona Blow Hole - 8699 State Hwy 72, Honolulu, HI 96805, Byodo-In Temple - 47-200 Kahekili Highway

Kaneohe, HI 96744, H3 back to the hotel

 

February 18, Saturday – Board Ship

Nothing planned other than checking out, returning the car and getting to the ship…probably find a ABC store along the way and pick up some stuff.

 

February 19, Sunday - Maui

Road to Hana with Valley Isle Tours – 8:05 pick-up

 

February 20, Monday, Maui

Pick up rental car from Thrifty – drive to Lahiana, Whale Watching at 11:30 with Pacific Whale Foundation, prior to tour walk around Lahiana, Banyan Tree, etc. If we have time – drive up to the volcano

 

February 21, Tuesday, Hilo

Pick-up rental car from Thrifty – drive to VNP, if time go to the waterfalls

 

February 22, Wednesday, Kona

Kona Land and Sea Tour thru NCL

 

February 23, Thursday, Kauai

Pick-up rental car from Thrifty – drive to Waimea Canyon, eat at Island Tacos, drive to the end, eat at Duke’s

 

February 24, Friday, Kauai

Take plane ride with Wings over Hawaii @ 9:30

 

February 25, Saturday L

Disembark – flight doesn’t leave til 3:15 – so need some plans?

 

 

We have booked with Wings over Hawaii but were advised by CC people to book on the first day in case the weather does not cooperate...you can then try to fly on the next day. We will be there in April. After the flight we booked Roberts Tours to Smith Family Luau at 4:30. Our flight is 11:00. We were told not to book too early because the fog may have not lifted. Who knows......you just hope for the best.

 

I was wondering how long the drive is to Waimea Canyon from port. We are thinking about doing this, but our ship leaves at 2:00 (on board by 1:00) and don't know if we should rent a car and be able to do this by 12:30 (to play it safe)? Any help?

[lv2bgoofy]

That is interesting....I had it booked for the first day and on the advice of people on CC changed it to the second day since even if they do cancel you on the first day due to weather that they won't have any opening for the second day either so it wouldn't much matter. And that with the weather that the later in the day it is the more likely it is that you would have the weather issue.

 

From Google Maps - it states that it is 36 miles equivelent to one hour to Waimea State Park from Lihue Airport - which is where we will be picking up our car. I'm sure that isn't to the top so that gives you something to go on.

[debster818]

There is so much to read and so many opinions. I suppose that you could be correct on touring the following day...they may be booked. I also would guess that even if Wings told me that they would get us up on the second day if weather wasn't good, they very well can't do that if they are booked solid. Oh well. We will all hope for the best. (my husband is not thrilled to go up in a small plan.....he is doing it because I want to...lol) If the weather is not good, we will just have to find something else to do.

 

Wish we would be in Kauai the second day for longer...6 would be good. Things I would like to do, but am afraid we won't have the time....guess we may have to come back to Kauai....someday.

[lv2bgoofy]

You are right there are so many opinions and what is right for one may not be right for another....my biggest suggestion is just going with it....we will be in Hawaii - it can't get much better than that plus what you don't get done gives you an excuse to save up and come back another time to enjoy what you missed this go around.

 

If you don't have anything planned for day 2 - you wouldn't have a problem making it to Waimea that day - just get an early start - say at least about 8.

 

If you have time find CruisingGoddess posts on her cruise and read through it...one of the best that I have read on here.

 

Hope your cruise is awesome!