Our 25th Anniversary Adventure - Baja Mexico & Hawaii on the Inspiration & Splendor

[Jamman54]

20 hours ago, DebOinKC said:

Something that I have noticed in your pictures of the dining room at dinner, most of the table are empty. I think you said you had late seating. Did most people have Any Time Dining?

 

P.S Still enjoying your review & pictures 🙂 

 

Yes, we had Late Seating and there were a lot of empty or almost empty tables. Your Time Dining and Early Seating are the preferred dining options. 😎

[Jamman54]

Day # 15  (May 2^nd)  -  Kahului, Maui  (10 am to 11 pm).

 

Here are today’s Fun Times…..

 

 

 

 

The map channel on the television shows that we are approaching Maui…..

 

 

We were up at 6:30 am just as the sun was coming up. It’s sunny outside now, but it appears that there are storm clouds ahead. The seas are fairly calm and the temperature is 80 degrees. Here are the views from our balcony looking forward and aft…..

 

 

 

Before long, we were sailing into a rain shower……

 

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

We went up to the Lido for breakfast just as we were pulling into Kahului, Maui. I went through the line for my breakfast, and then headed up the stairs to Deck 10 to grab us a table…..

 

 

 

Patti got an omelet and then met me upstairs…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some views as we sailed into Kahului…..

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued……

[Princess Cruiser27]

Caught up with Ensenda while I was on the phone with Delta. Never heard of tuna pens circle in the water. I hate those greety people who try to sell you things on the islands. 

 

Time to get off the putter for now......

[Jamman54]

We watched a couple of outrigger canoes racing…..

 

 

 

 

We are now docked in Kahului. We have arrived an hour early…..

 

 

 

Here is the view of the port area from our balcony…..

 

 

 

 

Passengers are now getting off the ship and heading to pick up their tours or leave the port…..

 

 

This is what we are doing today:

 

Scenic Maui & Lahaina

Starting At: $69.99 / Person

*Prices may vary by sailing

 

EXCURSION DETAILS

Leaving the pier, your air-conditioned motor coach will venture through the town of Kahului, Maui to Iao Valley State Park, site of one of Hawaii’s most famous battles. In 1790, King Kamehameha I destroyed the Maui army in an effort to unite the Hawaiian Islands, changing Hawaiian history forever. The park is also home to the Iao Needle, a vegetation-covered lava remnant that rises 1,200 feet from the valley floor.

 

Surrounded by mountain cliffs and an extinct volcano, the island’s famous landmark is a sight to see. Continuing on through the Valley, marvel at breathtaking vistas of the West Maui Mountains on one side and the majestic Haleakala Crater, or “House of the Sun,” on the other. As your Journey takes you out of the Valley and along the coast you will admire views of sandy beaches, turquoise waters and the nearby islands of Lana'i and Kaho'olawe.

 

Your next stop will be the town of Lahaina which was once an important whaling village and served as the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom. Here you will have 2.5 hours on your own to explore the many shops and restaurants along Front Street before returning to your awaiting ship in Kahului.

 

NOTES:

 

•Comfortable Walking shoes are recommended.

•Tour includes 2.5 hours of free time in Lahaina so bring some money for shopping and food.

 

We get off the ship at 10:15 am in plenty of time for our 11 am Scenic Maui and Lahaina tour…..

 

 

To be continued…….

[Jamman54]

We are making our way through the Cruise Terminal…..

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the Carnival Splendor docked in Kahului…..

 

 

 

This is the tour bus waiting area. We are lined up in Section # 1…..

 

 

We are getting onto our bus. There are three busloads of passengers doing this tour today, though the buses didn’t travel together……

 

 

Our driver / guide today was named Ronnie. She was very informative , telling us all about  the important sites and views while travelling to Lahaina and the Iao Valley State Park. She gave all of us a map of Maui to help us understand where we were going.  Our bus is doing the tour today different than the description from the previous post. We will be travelling to Lahaina first, then going to the Iao Valley State Park…..

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

Here are some of the views as we travelled to Lahaina…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We can see the Celebrity Eclipse which is anchored off the coast of Lahaina…..

 

 

Ronnie takes us past the Kaanapali Beach Resort and Golf Courses…..

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

We have two and a half hours to spend here in Lahaina. Here are some views along the streets…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Segway Tour rolls by…..

 

 

 

It’s time for Husband Daycare, so Patti drops me off at the Pioneer Inn…..

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

Here are some of the beautiful views along the waterfront…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

Looking inland at the nearby mountains…..

 

 

 

We really enjoyed our time in Lahaina, and wished we had even more time there. Here are some of the views as we traveled from Lahaina to the Iao Valley State Park, which is a rain forest……

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have arrived at the rain forest and surprise, it’s raining! 😄 We are going to stop here for about 25 minutes . Though some people got off the bus to explore, most, including us, did not……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued…..

[Butterbean1000]

On 5/25/2019 at 9:59 AM, Jamman54 said:

Here are some Port of Call photo ops…..

 

 

 

We are being led to our tour bus outside, but first this nice doggie will sniff your stuff to make sure you are not bringing any food into the country…..

 

 

Once we are on the bus we meet our tour guide for the day Riga…..

 

 

We are leaving the Carnival Inspiration behind……

 

 

 

We are heading to La Bufadora (The Blowhole). It is about a forty five minute drive to get there…..

 

 

 

 

 

We have arrived. Here is our bus driver. We forgot his name so we’ll just call him Pedro…..

 

 

To be continued…..

My husband and I will be celebrating our 40th on our Oct Breeze cruise.  How did your steward know it was  your anniversary?  Did you let him know ahead of time?

[Butterbean1000]

36 minutes ago, Butterbean1000 said:

My husband and I will be celebrating our 40th on our Oct Breeze cruise.  How did your steward know it was  your anniversary?  Did you let him know ahead of time?

Sorry for the double post, I tried to edit, but the edit button disappeared.  I'm referring to your cruise on the Inspiration.  Did you have cabin decorations there also?

[Jamman54]

43 minutes ago, Butterbean1000 said:

My husband and I will be celebrating our 40th on our Oct Breeze cruise.  How did your steward know it was  your anniversary?  Did you let him know ahead of time?

 

In your Cruise Manager under Guest Details click on the edit link. There you will find a section for special occasions where you can let them know if you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary, etc.

 

I indicated that it was our anniversary on both cruises. I didn't do the decorations on the Inspiration, only the Splendor, which I had to pay for.

Edited June 7, 2019 by Jamman54

[Jamman54]

After leaving the rain forest it was only about a twenty minute drive back to the port where the Carnival Splendor was sitting there waiting for us…..

 

 

 

We were back on board around 4:30 pm. As we passed the Medical Center Patti took the opportunity to document the open hours…..

 

 

 

 

Back at the cabin we found today’s towel animal……

 

 

We were hungry so we decided to have an early dinner at the Deli…..

 

 

Here is the Deli menu and today’s Special…..

 

 

 

The Deli worker is preparing our sandwiches…..

 

 

I had the sauerbraten special, and Patti had a turkey wrap. We also shared a plate of fries…..

 

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

While we were eating we watched people paddling canoes and kayaks…..

 

 

 

 

 

After eating we head back to the cabin to relax before tonight’s show. We run into our stewards Kadek and Alex in the hallway…..

 

 

We made our way to the Spectacular Theater for the 9 pm show. Carnival has invited some local entertainers to put on a show for us tonight….

 

 

 

There was some pre-show fun with an audience member…..

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

Our Cruise Director Lee Mason introduces the show…..

 

 

The show ran for about an hour and was great. Here are some scenes from the show….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

The show continues…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are the members of the band…..

 

 

 

 

 

To be continued……

[Jamman54]

The show continues…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some audience members join the group on stage…..

 

 

 

 

The Finale and bows…..

 

 

 

 

To be continued…..

[Jamman54]

After the show Patti and I met and posed for pictures with some of the cast members…..

 

 

 

 

We walked the Promenade on our way back to the cabin for the night. Kiara Taylor was playing on the Promenade by the Oceanview Bar…..

 

 

 

They were having a mini martini tasting at the El Mojito Bar…..

 

 

 

Coming up next:  Honolulu, Oahu and an early morning surprise!

 

[Butterbean1000]

53 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

 

In your Cruise Manager under Guest Details click on the edit link. There you will find a section for special occasions where you can let them know if you are celebrating a birthday, anniversary, etc.

 

I indicated that it was our anniversary on both cruises. I didn't do the decorations on the Inspiration, only the Splendor, which I had to pay for.

Who knew?!! Thanks so much.  BTW, happy anniversary.  I always enjoy your reviews. 

[Jamman54]

1 hour ago, Butterbean1000 said:

Who knew?!! Thanks so much.  BTW, happy anniversary.  I always enjoy your reviews. 

 

Thanks! Glad to be of help.

[jimbo5544]

Another great review Jeff, a Hawaiian cruise is on our bucket list.

[Mike981]

Where the heck have I been?! Such a wonderful trip review! I need to go back and look at your others. Thank you for bringing back memories from our last family cruise on the Splendor a couple of years ago.

You both have wonderful smiles. 🙂

[MistyRo76]

Here’s what’s I’ve been waiting for - HAWAII!!! I have not read any reviews on a Hawaiian itinerary, so this is gonna be fun! 

 

Crazy how quickly the weather changes in Hawaii (at least judging from your pics). The island looks beautiful though! 

[JaniceB]

Wow fantastic review.  I had missed quite a few posts while I was on the Horizon last week.  This cruise is on my bucket list.  Can't  wait for more.  Your next stop is my birth island.  Hope you had a great time.