Cheap Luau alternative

[barante]

We just got back from Hawaii. We were on the Carnival Miracle out of Long Beach, a nice town. Anyway, we never did a luau because we didn't like the high prices nor the problems getting from faraway locations back to the ship by sailing time. At one port, the ship brought Polynesian dancers to do a free pre-sail show.

 

However, I gave a birthday party to friends at a restaurant of their choice in Honolulu.They selected Makino Thaya Makittii, a Hawaiian seafood buffet. http://www.makittii.com 808-923-2260.

 

The restaurant is in Waikiki. The lunch was something like $13 pp. The reason that I mention this in regards to luau is that at night, for $20, they offer the buffet plus some kind of show. Call for details, times.

 

The restaurant resembles a traditional Hawaiian village and the perforance is outside while seating is inside.

Edited December 28, 2013 by barante

[Susan-M]

Just curious - how was the food? Tripadvisor reviews are very negative for this restaurant, although a couple of people said that the show was OK.

[barante]

As I said, this was our friends' choice. I thought that Carnival food was superior to this restaurant's offerings, which were similar to what one gets at many of these Korean/Japanese all-you-can-eat places that go under naes such as Tappanyaki and Hibachi grill.

 

Now here is my take: One reason I decided not to spend big bucks for a luau -- and a Carnival package, including transportation, ran for about $160 pp. !!! -- is the likely reality that food is just all-you-can eat food.

 

However, if seeing some Hawaiian luau-type programming is the goal, then this one may be an alternative. The point of my post is that there are cheap alternatives. I am told that several restaurants/hotels offer similar cheap lauau-type deals.

 

This restaurant is withkin eighkt blocks of the International Market. Getting back to the ship on time won't be a problem.

[indigo38x]

As I said, this was our friends' choice. I thought that Carnival food was superior to this restaurant's offerings, which were similar to what one gets at many of these Korean/Japanese all-you-can-eat places that go under naes such as Tappanyaki and Hibachi grill.

 

Now here is my take: One reason I decided not to spend big bucks for a luau -- and a Carnival package, including transportation, ran for about $160 pp. !!! -- is the likely reality that food is just all-you-can eat food.

 

However, if seeing some Hawaiian luau-type programming is the goal, then this one may be an alternative. The point of my post is that there are cheap alternatives. I am told that several restaurants/hotels offer similar cheap lauau-type deals.

 

This restaurant is withkin eighkt blocks of the International Market. Getting back to the ship on time won't be a problem.

 

Quick question about the food - Do you recall if the cold food was on ice and/or if the warm food was under heat lamps? I read some reviews that made it seem they were worried about potential food poisoning... Thanks in advance for the info!

[lovebears]

We just got back from Hawaii. We were on the Carnival Miracle out of Long Beach, a nice town. Anyway, we never did a luau because we didn't like the high prices nor the problems getting from faraway locations back to the ship by sailing time. At one port, the ship brought Polynesian dancers to do a free pre-sail show.

 

However, I gave a birthday party to friends at a restaurant of their choice in Honolulu.They selected Makino Thaya Makittii, a Hawaiian seafood buffet. http://www.makittii.com 808-923-2260.

 

The restaurant is in Waikiki. The lunch was something like $13 pp. The reason that I mention this in regards to luau is that at night, for $20, they offer the buffet plus some kind of show. Call for details, times.

 

The restaurant resembles a traditional Hawaiian village and the perforance is outside while seating is inside.

 

 

Which port did Carnival bring in the dancers? I don't want to be off the ship and miss the show. We go on the Miracle in September

[barante]

That was in Kahului. Because it was inside and subject to the ship's safety regulations, no flames. Just dancers and music. It wasn't much beyond some 50 minutes of folkloric entertainment.

 

On the previous leg, a six-day Mexican cruise, Carnival brought in 20 Mexican dancers and musicians for a free show. Excellente. Carnival also offered a terrific free show of Scottish bagpiping and dancing in Glasgow.

 

We debated whether to luau or not. Decided not to,and have no regrets. The ship's show was enough.

 

The luau Carnival offered was very aggressively priced but included back and forth transportation. I wasn't going to pay Carnival's prices but, then again, I was not going to get lost some 20 miles from the city in trying to reach the ship after the luau.

 

Instead of luau, we had lunch with a friend in Honolulu and were taken around the Big Island by a cruiser couple we met on a TA two years ago. That's what made our trip to Hawaii, not a pig roasted in the ground. Perhaps.

[CaribbeanBound]

Cheap alternative: buy a pork chop and throw it on the grill.

Okay, maybe not.