PoAm - Excursions with ship or wothout?!?

[PoAMHoneymoon]

hI.

 

From anyone who has been on the POAM - are there options to do things in ports if you do not take excursions? Are you close to beaches in Hilo?Kona?Kauai?Maui?

 

Also, lets say I want to go see Volcano National Park in Hilo, but do not want to spend a fortune with the ship excursion, when you go off ship, do people come to the ship with their cars and vans orgnaizing small trips for smaller amount of money?

 

My concern is that we cannot afford to rent cars and buy excursions at all the ports but we want to do things in the islands - let it be organized or walking - Any suggestions?

 

Thanks so much!

 

Shawn and Amy

 

PS - Why did no one write any reviews for November on POAM? There were so many 9/05 and 10/05 but non from 11/05 - does anyone know why?~!?!?!

[bankofdad]

hI.

 

From anyone who has been on the POAM - are there options to do things in ports if you do not take excursions? Are you close to beaches in Hilo?Kona?Kauai?Maui?

 

Also, lets say I want to go see Volcano National Park in Hilo, but do not want to spend a fortune with the ship excursion, when you go off ship, do people come to the ship with their cars and vans orgnaizing small trips for smaller amount of money?

 

My concern is that we cannot afford to rent cars and buy excursions at all the ports but we want to do things in the islands - let it be organized or walking - Any suggestions?

 

Thanks so much!

 

Shawn and Amy

 

PS - Why did no one write any reviews for November on POAM? There were so many 9/05 and 10/05 but non from 11/05 - does anyone know why?~!?!?!

 

Hi Shawn & Amy,

 

There are tons of things to do on your own in Hawaii, but to see most of it, you'll need to either rent a car or do a ship excursion (which are pricey). Rental cars in Hawaii are very cheap, especially if all you need is a compact ($20-25/day if you shop around). There's tons of info on this topic on the Hawaii forum on these boards.

 

Also, if you buy the Wizard Publication "Revealed" guidebooks (most bookstores have them, $13-14 each), you can find so many fun things to do on your own for free on each island, you don't need to pay for an excursion if you're on a tight budget.

 

Have a great time on your cruise!

[CruisinMK]

Kona is a wonderful walking town, the tenders drop you off at one end. I did captain zodiak tour through ship, was best excursion ever. But if you wanted to save money and don't mind walking a lot I think that'd be great too.

 

Hilo is more industrial, not much near ship but you could rent a car and drive to kilauea volcano on your own. I've seen the volcano before a so we just stayed on ship to take a breather.

 

On Kauai it is wonderful to drive, you can head out to the lighthouse, waimea canyon (and mountain above it) or a beach. There is a beach not far from cruise ship also. The car base rate for us was $25, but came out to $40 after all the taxes and fees, actually that included gas so not bad. It's a minor hassle to get the car, but if you expect that it's nothing you can't handle. Everything is beautiful on Kauai so get off your bum and take advantage of the opportunity to see it both days!

 

You can stroll Lahaina, kind of a tourist trap more than Kona but still charming. I'd rather walk Kona. Lot of nice places to drive on Maui, you can go up to Haleakela, also Iao Needle is a beautiful must see... You could snorkle off Kihei. If you set aside enough time, you could do Hana & 7 sacred pools, that'd be great. Better have a really good driver and high tolerance for long/windy driving for that though.

[flashdog_1]

This thread is 4 years old and I'd love some input from people who have done lots of research or experienced it first hand. I'm talking free and fun, near ports or easy driving in rental, bus rts etc. Should I buy a guide? ha I will!

 

We are on the tightest of budgets, so any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

[auducky2]

We did 2 shore excursions with NCL, everything else we did on our own. In Kauai, there is a beach (Nawiliwili Park) within walking distance of the port. We chose to do the ziplining (it was incredible!) and the luau. I was trying to figure out how to do a luau on our own, but there wasn't any that coincided with time and place so I had to do the one with NCL if we wanted to do one at all.

[mking8288]

To help answer the question - what's one approximate budget for going to Hawaii & taking POA cruise?

 

Our extended (DW's side) family of 6 spend a total of 11 days in Hawaii, 7 nights on POA - we had deals on 3 OV cabins (instead of 2 balcony w. 3 per cabin at same $$) and our non-cruise bills came to $520 each (total spend was $3,120 - including 3 nights in Honolulu, 1 pre-cruise & 2 post w. departure flight in the evening) excluding personal shopping, onboard charges, airfares but covered just about everything else - we didn't use any NCL excurisons at all. Doing our own driving, GPS navigated & paid a total of like $35 for park admissions or vehicle parking fees.

 

Renting a car is the key as we could go everywhere (actually minivan for 9 nights, split among Thrifty, Dollar & Hertz base on lowest pricing w. availability) & we researched ahead of time, also went thru & use all the colorful guides, coupon books & freebies at the hotel/piers upon arrival to get the latest.

 

A rental car is needed if you want to see things like VNP, Road to Hana, sunset (vs. sunrise) in Maui, the Falls & Canyon in Kauai and far more economical than taking excurisons, except in Honolulu where you can ride along city buses (without luggage or large carry-ons as they are crowded) even to beaches outside the "Waikiki" core).

 

Without wheels, you option is to walk (not exactly hiking either) around the piers in Kona. wait in lines for free shopping shuttles to Kmart & Hilo Hattie at Hilo in the industrial piers at both Maui and Kauai. There is an ultra tiny small beach that you can swim in (and wave to the NCL tender boats) next to the pier in Kona & a nicer beach 10 minutes from Kauai's Lihue industrial pier. With just 8 or 9 hours on the Big Island's ports, time isn't on your side to take advantage of all it has to offer & choose from.

 

What we saved for not doing excurisons help us stay on a great budget - we went to G's Luau in Honolulu at only $60 p/p with coupon discount, hotel transfers - and everyone was amazed on what it the final cost (aside from the cheap airfare bargins we found & cruise fares/onboard charges, etc.) - on 11 days of virtually non-stop activities on the move, with barely a chance for sea days, bingo or trip to the casino or "wait" for room service. And, yes, we even managed to order wine, beer & soda when dining in speciality restaurants.

[Louise45]

We are a fan of Roberts Hawaii after last month. We are going back next year and intend on using them again. We were really impressed, the prices were lower and the local drivers/tour guides were so knowledgeable because they all lived them there their entire adult life, some even born there. Here are examples of how much we saved.

NCL

VNP/Rainbow Falls $99 ea. (Roberts $45 ea.)

Maui Plan./Ocean Center/Iao Valley $95 ea. (Roberts $55 ea.)

Haleakala Crater $59 ea. (Roberts $35 ea.)

Waimea Canyon $53 ea. (Roberts $35 ea.)

Historic Kona $52 ea. (Roberts $35 ea.)

 

This alone is a savings of $306! We had a great time. They are funny and entertaining, some even sing to you! Here is the website for cruising

www.gorabbitgo.com

 

This one is for you stay in Honolulu, we used them for Pearl Harbor/City Tour & Grand Island Circle Tour. Both were great. We learned so much. I personally would never rent a car in Honolulu. There is the $2 bus that goes most anywhere with a bus schedule and shuttles for shopping. You can use Roberts to for getting back and forth to the pier to your hotel, very cheap. http://robertshawaii.com/

 

And in Kauai, someone mentioned the beach nearby, there was a free shuttle that takes you to the shopping center that is right beside the beach! Have fun.

[Giantfan13]

We were also on a tight budget when we did Hawaii. If that's the way it is, you need to rent cars at every port, and just do your own thing. Car rentals are very inexpensive, and you can go and see everything without any real cost. Stop for a quick lunch, some shaved ice in the PM and after that, your only costs are the souveners.

[travelteach326]

We did the rental car thing in each port. We were very happy to be able to go at our own pace. Took a small cooler along for water and soda. Very relaxing - no stress.

[CC Help Michell]

You've received great advice on this thread. Robert's Tours is a great option, competing with NCL for your tour money and offering comparable excursions in many cases.

 

Car rental is also frequently a good choice. We rented a car in Kauai and had a great time exploring the North Shore. The second day we took a ship-sponsored excursion to Waimea Canyon (our only ship-sponsored excursion of the whole trip -- we wanted to be sure we were back in time for sailaway with the early sailing time for our cruise).

 

The beach next to the pier in Kauai which others have mentioned is called Kalapaki Beach, and it's a great budget-friendly option. You can find more information and photos in this thread -- http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=955932&highlight=kalapaki

 

We rented a car at Hilo and drove to Volcanoes National Park (admission $10 for the vehicle).

 

We splurged on Maui excursions -- taking a small van for the Road to Hana (we did not want to drive ourselves there, for several reasons), and booking an independent excursion to see sunrise on Haleakala and then bicycle down from the summit afterwards (you now can only bicycle down from outside the National Park borders).

 

At Kona we wanted to snorkel at Kealakekua Bay, so we booked an independent excursion there. However, Kahulu'u Park, up Ali'i Drive from where the ship tenders at Kona, is a more budget-friendly option for snorkeling and a beach day, and Kona itself is a nice place just to walk around and shop.

[flashdog_1]

In doing research I found the Roberts site and liked the prices. Then I found another, even cheaper but it says nothing about being picked up at the pier. I think you have to get to the hotels they leave from. It's called Hawaiiactive.com. Not knowing how far away those hotels are from the pier, at a $50 per person savings on the movie tour, surely we can still save with $100 difference! Anyone have any experience with them?

[Louise45]

I've only used Roberts and was really impressed. They picked us up at our hotel in Oahu and at the pier on each island. Each time we had a local who gave us so much information as we traveled it was priceless. I took notes as they talked so I could type it up later. I didn't see a movie tour on the Hawaiian site, I was looking on Kauai, I think Roberts has one here. I took the Hanalei Tour with Roberts and we stopped at 2009's Best Beach! http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/05/22/summer/main5033511.shtml?source=search_story

I looked at the prices on that website and they look much higher than what we paid. Hope this helps.

And remember Roberts has a 60 year business there. Read this

http://www.robertshawaii.com/about-us/index.php

[Flyingirl]

We had the Revealed books and thought they were great information. The problem was the maps when we got out there in the book were hard to follow and see the sights at the same time. We bought a Nelles Map of Hawaii Islands before going and that saved us some time in navigating. But, we knew where we wanted to go based on the books we read beforehand.

 

Maui- we rented a car and initially had it for 2 days. Turned it in after one. We went to the Iao needle which was great! Went to Lahania which was cute to see but neither of us is shoppers. Went to Hookipa Point to see the surfing/windsurfing as we both windsurf and had always heard about this area. Very cool to see the good guys at work but way out of my league even if we could have rented stuff. Drove a small part of the Hana highway. There was no wind for kiteboarding lessons and you can not rent surfboards on the beach. Have to rent them inland and take them out yourself. Not really feasible for us since I am still on an 11ft board. If I had to do it over- I would have booked an excursion to Molokini on this port as we were not really impressed with Maui. (But, I don't like just sitting in a hot car as I know a lot of people like Maui.)

 

Hilo- rented a car from Hilo. Have reservations at couple of different places at the airport. The Thrify shuttle was a 10 person van and it was a long drive. (We just took a taxi to the airport that was $16 one way. And, to tell you how frazzled peoples nerves were- my husband went to the stand to ask the price and then another couple said they would split it with us. It was a mini van and my husband and I being younger (40's) and in better shape crawled in the back. When we got to the rental spot- they bailed and the driver had to come and lift the seats to let us out. I would like to believe they did not mean to be so rude on purpose - just worn out from the pushing to get on the shuttle and frazzled by the time they split the cab with us.) One computer checking people in. Hertz had cars but the walk up was very expensive. If I had 2 reservation I could have picked who had the shorter line. I am sure that is not the answer the rental car people want but-- that is what I would do. The rental car here was cheap and worth it!

 

Kona- The rental car here was expensive as we got it at the hotel off the pier. Not enough out of town to see to make it worth it. Kona was walkable and some fun things there. Great spot for an ocean swim. As in long swim if you are a triathalon type. Kona brewery was walkable. There was some coffee places set up. Cute diners. And, I think you could rent SUP boards right there too. We paid $60 for the car and then $60 for a kakak to go to Capt Cook point. Was worth it for us as the snorkeling was great over there and there was spinner dolphins in the bay.

 

Kauai was worth the car for 2 days even though you leave early the second. Went to Waimea Canyon. Got there early before it fogged in. Really is a canyon! Went to the end of the road on the north and hiked part of the trail. Beautiful! Wish we had gotten there earlier to hike more as there is a waterfall 4miles in. Next day got up early and had a coffee at a local coffee shop on the way to the north shore to SUP in the bay (good boards and paddles and it was $20 for the first hour and $10 each additional.) Was great and there were waves to play with or the river if you want calm covered by trees! Lots of snorkelers, surfers and SUPers.

[cruiseman40]

Hope this helps:

http://www.kauaidiscovery.com/

http://www.visitmaui.com/

http://www.gohawaii.com/big_island/

http://visitormagazines.com/

http://www.driveguidemagazines.com/oahu_maps.html

http://www.driveguidemagazines.com/maui_maps.html

http://www.driveguidemagazines.com/big_island_maps.html

http://www.driveguidemagazines.com/kauai_maps.html

http://spotlighthawaii.com/

http://www.hawaiimagazine.com/

hI.

 

From anyone who has been on the POAM - are there options to do things in ports if you do not take excursions? Are you close to beaches in Hilo?Kona?Kauai?Maui?

 

Also, lets say I want to go see Volcano National Park in Hilo, but do not want to spend a fortune with the ship excursion, when you go off ship, do people come to the ship with their cars and vans orgnaizing small trips for smaller amount of money?

 

My concern is that we cannot afford to rent cars and buy excursions at all the ports but we want to do things in the islands - let it be organized or walking - Any suggestions?

 

Thanks so much!

 

Shawn and Amy

 

PS - Why did no one write any reviews for November on POAM? There were so many 9/05 and 10/05 but non from 11/05 - does anyone know why?~!?!?!

[flashdog_1]

Your quote "We had the Revealed books and thought they were great information. The problem was the maps when we got out there in the book were hard to follow and see the sights at the same time. We bought a Nelles Map of Hawaii Islands before going and that saved us some time in navigating. But, we knew where we wanted to go based on the books we read beforehand.

 

Maui- we rented a car and initially had it for 2 days. Turned it in after one. We went to the Iao needle which was great! Went to Lahania which was cute to see but neither of us is shoppers. Went to Hookipa Point to see the surfing/windsurfing as we both windsurf and had always heard about this area. Very cool to see the good guys at work but way out of my league even if we could have rented stuff. Drove a small part of the Hana highway."

 

Did the rental car company supply you with useful maps, or did you ask about how to get to Iao Needle? Did you have trouble with an advance reservation for the car?

 

I haven't found an excursion other than "Lahaina on your own" which is basically a bus ride there (which also stops at a store), then they pick you up at 3 p.m. that goes to Lahaina.

 

I am interested in combining some of what you did, that is, to see the Iao Needle and Lahaina in a rental car. Not knowing my way around, is this feasible? I guess if you did it I can. How are the roads to Iao Needle? We don't want too much stress!

 

We'll have done the Road to Hana by excursion the day before. Thanks

[whale-watcher]

Roads to Iao and Lahaina excellent, and navigation is easy. We purchased an inexpensive Garmin before our cruise, and programmed in all of the sites we planned to visit....it was a VERY worthwhile investment!

[flashdog_1]

Roads to Iao and Lahaina excellent, and navigation is easy. We purchased an inexpensive Garmin before our cruise, and programmed in all of the sites we planned to visit....it was a VERY worthwhile investment!

 

I have a portable GPS already. Did yours plug into the lighter in the car? Thanks