Lahaina tender time and private tour questions

[Aquaticdreams]

 

This will be our first trip to Hawaii. We’re considering taking a private tour in Maui and I need to figure out what time I could actually schedule it for. We will be arriving in Lahaina at 8:00 AM. I assume people who are taking a Celebrity excursion will be the first to tender out. I’m wondering if anyone who has experience tendering at this port can advise how long it should realistically take to tender out and get over to Lahaina. I’m also trying to figure out the rest of the day. We’re in port until 6:00 PM so I think we should be back on board by 5:30 at the very latest. What time would we need to be back to Lahaina in order to get a tender back on time? Lastly, another option is we might want to spend a few hours at either Ka’anapali or Kapalua beach and a few hours shopping in Lahaina. How much travel time would we need to allow for cabs to and from the beach? It would be ideal to do a short tour, go to the beach, and shop but I don’t know if it’s realistic with tender and transportation time factored in. Thanks!

[bigsky]

9 hours ago, Aquaticdreams said:

 

This will be our first trip to Hawaii. We’re considering taking a private tour in Maui and I need to figure out what time I could actually schedule it for. We will be arriving in Lahaina at 8:00 AM. I assume people who are taking a Celebrity excursion will be the first to tender out. I’m wondering if anyone who has experience tendering at this port can advise how long it should realistically take to tender out and get over to Lahaina. I’m also trying to figure out the rest of the day. We’re in port until 6:00 PM so I think we should be back on board by 5:30 at the very latest. What time would we need to be back to Lahaina in order to get a tender back on time? Lastly, another option is we might want to spend a few hours at either Ka’anapali or Kapalua beach and a few hours shopping in Lahaina. How much travel time would we need to allow for cabs to and from the beach? It would be ideal to do a short tour, go to the beach, and shop but I don’t know if it’s realistic with tender and transportation time factored in. Thanks!

We visit Maui yearly and love it! From the ships I see that are tendered in, they're pretty close. Once you get on the tender, shouldn't be more than 5 min. I've only seen ships right out in front of the shopping area. So can't imagine it taking that long...5-10 depending on how fast they go. They'll probably have you back at the tender by 5.

Kaanapali beach area is wonderful! I would go over to the Whaler Village area. They have an outdoor shopping mall with nice shops with restaurants as well. Nice snorkeling area by black rock. You can visit penguins, swim, eat, snorkel....This area is about a 10 min drive from Lahaina.  Lahaina has lots of shopping and just a must stop area to see along the water. Visit the banyan tree, shop, eat....(shave ice at Ulalini's!)

Since you're relying on a taxi, a nice day would be spent at Kaanapali beach IMO. Then come back to Lahaina say, 3:00. Can finish up your day there and you know you won't miss the tender cuz it's right there by the banyan tree area. This would give you  few hours to walk Lahaina. Any ?'s, feel free to ask!

[Aquaticdreams]

Thanks, this is very helpful. I’m still trying to find out how long the wait would likely be to even get on the tender in the morning. If there’s time to do a short tour in addition to spending a little time at the beach and Lahaina is there anything you could recommend? I would really like to see Iao valley or the west Maui mountains but I know there wouldn’t be enough time to do all that. So I need to identify something else that would allow us see some of the beauty of the island in a shorter period of time. Thanks for any suggestions!

[princeton123211]

9 hours ago, Aquaticdreams said:

If there’s time to do a short tour in addition to spending a little time at the beach and Lahaina is there anything you could recommend?

If you want to run to the beach real quick, the closest to you will be Kaanapali just to the north of Lahaina. Its about a 10 minute Uber ride north of where you will be and has a bunch of hotels plus a small shopping area. Take the Uber to Whaler's Village which will put you in the middle of the stretch of beach. 

 

Extremely nice beach and very accessible. Some highlights for a bite to eat will be Hula Grill, Leilani's and Monkeypod at Whalers Village to eat. For drinks the Tiki Hut at the Kaanapali Beach Hotel is a fun locals spot for Mai Tais. The Grotto Bar at the Hyatt is a lot of fun. 

 

Another 15 minutes north from there is the Kapalua Resort area with the Ritz Carlton and Montage. Both would be an alternative if you wanted something more upscale but the beach on the north shore of the island isn't as nice as Kaanapali and isn't really safely swimmable-- they have people die swimming there almost monthly because of the heavy currents and rocks. 

 

In Lahaina itself, Fleetwoods on Front Street is a great spot to grab a drink. Its owned by Mick Fleetwood and the classic rock vibe is strong. Go all thew way to the top for the roof top bar. 

[bigsky]

10 hours ago, Aquaticdreams said:

Thanks, this is very helpful. I’m still trying to find out how long the wait would likely be to even get on the tender in the morning. If there’s time to do a short tour in addition to spending a little time at the beach and Lahaina is there anything you could recommend? I would really like to see Iao valley or the west Maui mountains but I know there wouldn’t be enough time to do all that. So I need to identify something else that would allow us see some of the beauty of the island in a shorter period of time. Thanks for any suggestions!

Yes, those darn tenders! You really can't schedule anything too early in the am due to that. Iao Valley is on the other side of the island. You can spend as much time as you want there...short hike or longer. Depending on traffic, can expect a 45 min drive over there. So that's 1/1/2 hrs of driving. Have to figure out what your must do's are. Kaanapali beach is a minimum of two hours there. I'd want at least 3. Lahaina, you may like a few hours there. This would be my last stop so you can just spend as much time as you have left there. Maui is definitely a place you don't want to be rushed. So many places to visit and explore. Happy to answer any questions. 

Were you looking to do an excursion thru the ship? 

[Aquaticdreams]

On 8/4/2019 at 7:56 AM, bigsky said:

Were you looking to do an excursion thru the ship? 

The ship’s excursions for Maui don’t look all that great. I was hoping to find a short private tour if I could do it early enough to leave time for the beach and Lahaina. My husband would be happy with just the beach and shops but I’d like to see some of the island too. I kind of feel like we’ll miss the beauty of the island if that’s all we do. As far as the ship tours there is a two hour trilogy catamaran sail that might at least let us see the coastal scenery. But even that starts late and goes to 12:30. So far I haven’t figured out the best way to spend the day. (Thanks for the info on Iao Valley. It sounds like it’s not feasible).

[cat shepard]

Have you looked to see if there are any Tours by Locals offered? If there are, you might find something interesting.

[bigsky]

7 hours ago, Aquaticdreams said:

The ship’s excursions for Maui don’t look all that great. I was hoping to find a short private tour if I could do it early enough to leave time for the beach and Lahaina. My husband would be happy with just the beach and shops but I’d like to see some of the island too. I kind of feel like we’ll miss the beauty of the island if that’s all we do. As far as the ship tours there is a two hour trilogy catamaran sail that might at least let us see the coastal scenery. But even that starts late and goes to 12:30. So far I haven’t figured out the best way to spend the day. (Thanks for the info on Iao Valley. It sounds like it’s not feasible).

If u do the catamaran til 12:30, u have time to take a taxi/Uber to Ka’anapali beach just like a 10 min drive north. Great beach! They have Whalers Village for shopping or go back to Lahaina where you’ll Get back on the tender and shop there til it’s time to get back on. Walking around Lahaina is a must. If u want beach time, Ka’anapali is great cuz it’s nice and close. 

Driving along the coast north of Ka’anapali would be wonderful, but u need much more time and a 🚗. 

Enjoy! I’m going back last minute trip for my birthday in a few weeks and in January for our annual winter trip. 🐳🌺🌈🤙🏖

Aloha... ask any ?’s

[cb at sea]

There is no way you'll see all Maui has to offer in a short day...Maui requires at least a week, if not longer!  We spend 10 days there on a land vacation, and still didn't see everything....but we were able to touch on quite a lot!

 

Read up on it, see what interests you most...and do that.  Then, go back on a land vacation and spend some time there!  It's worth it!

 

[MJB1437]

How are the waves at Ka'anapali?  We were there a few years ago and couldn't get near the water because the waves were so big and breaking close to shore.  It was very disappointing.  We were there a few years before that and I don't remember the surf being so bad.

[Silver Sweethearts]

1 hour ago, MJB1437 said:

How are the waves at Ka'anapali?  We were there a few years ago and couldn't get near the water because the waves were so big and breaking close to shore.  It was very disappointing.  We were there a few years before that and I don't remember the surf being so bad.

 

Hawaii Magazine explains it (read:  the bottom line is that waves vary due to the weather)::  

 

"If you’re in the Islands during the winter and early spring months and notice a high surf advisory on TV or signs admonishing you to keep out of the water, it's nothing out of the ordinary for a Hawaii winter. Our location in the middle of the Pacific means that Hawaii's seasonality is impacted by, and manifests in, ocean patterns.

Every year, winter storms sweep across the northern Pacific sending predictable swells toward Hawaii’s coasts. Generally speaking, the state's northern and western coasts get all riled up by winter storms, while the southern and eastern coasts are calm. This pattern flips in the summer when tropical storms more frequently impact the southern and eastern coasts (though summer waves are almost never as large)".

 

[Aquaticdreams]

On 8/7/2019 at 6:48 AM, bigsky said:

Enjoy! I’m going back last minute trip for my birthday in a few weeks and in January for our annual winter trip. 🐳🌺🌈🤙🏖

Aloha... ask any ?’s

Happy birthday and have a great trip!

[Aquaticdreams]

7 hours ago, cb at sea said:

There is no way you'll see all Maui has to offer in a short day...Maui requires at least a week, if not longer!  We spend 10 days there on a land vacation, and still didn't see everything....but we were able to touch on quite a lot!

 

Read up on it, see what interests you most...and do that.  Then, go back on a land vacation and spend some time there!  It's worth it!

 

Yes that’s exactly the problem! There’s just too much I want to see. My dream had always been to do the Road to Hana and I would have been thrilled with just that. But the ship’s excursion was cancelled 😥 so I’m trying to narrow down a plan b from a long list of second choices. I’m sure we’ll love whatever we end up deciding to do.

Thanks for the tip on Tours for Locals. I’ll check them out. 

This info on Ka’anapali is interesting. I can’t swim so I’ve been reading to find out if Ka’anapali or Kapalua beach has calmer waters. There are conflicting articles about this. Some say a particular beach is calm and another says it’s dangerous. Our Maui day in port will be November 3. Not sure what to expect that time of year.

[princeton123211]

1 hour ago, Aquaticdreams said:

This info on Ka’anapali is interesting. I can’t swim so I’ve been reading to find out if Ka’anapali or Kapalua beach has calmer waters. There are conflicting articles about this. Some say a particular beach is calm and another says it’s dangerous. Our Maui day in port will be November 3. Not sure what to expect that time of year.

Kaanapali is generally calm-- almost a lake (most of the time). The surf can pick up, but it's not seasonal-- we've had calm spells in summer, rough surf in winter and vice versa. 

 

Kapalua on the other hand is on the North shore and is generally rough and unswimable-- people literally die swimming there because of the combination of rough surf and rocks. The Ritz Carlton, which is the major hotel there, has a small beach which is technically public but you need to go through the resort to get to. Its not worth the extra trip up there-- the beaches in Kaanapali are nicer and calmer. 

[bigsky]

8 hours ago, Aquaticdreams said:

Happy birthday and have a great trip!

Thank you!

[bigsky]

10 hours ago, MJB1437 said:

How are the waves at Ka'anapali?  We were there a few years ago and couldn't get near the water because the waves were so big and breaking close to shore.  It was very disappointing.  We were there a few years before that and I don't remember the surf being so bad.

Wow! I’ve never seen huge waves there. This is the beach we always stay on when we visit. Hubby always surfs here, but they’re small. I wouldn’t worry at all. Maybe if there’s a storm out there, any place maybe a little rougher. If u want a beach day, this is the place cuz u can ship, swim, see penguins, have the best shave ice, ... If u want to get a yummy dessert, get a hula pie at the hula grill right there on the beach! Plus this is pretty close to Lahaina. 

[lovecruzin]

The tender ride itself isn't that long but Maui tenders take some time! If you want to get off first thing, I would give yourself an hour to get ashore from when you leave your cabin. This is probably more than enough time but it can be a slow process with a long line.! If you go later, then 20-30 min. We have been first on the tender and often wait 10 plus minutes for them to get everyone loaded.

Ship excursions will have priority, usually you can get ahead of the line if you have Captains Club status or are in a suite.

 

[phnett]

We are in  port in Lahaina two days for Sept RCCL cruise, 1 day we want to do on our own.

What is the best Rental to get to close to Lahaina?

2. On 2nd day I do not know if we can make a private excursion that requires us to be at docks at 6:15 

are you limited on when they start to run tenders  for the next morning? 

is there a limit on how late the tenders run at night when the ship staying over? 

Edited May 28, 2020 by phnett

[CruiserBruce]

2 hours ago, phnett said:

We are in  port in Lahaina two days for Sept RCCL cruise, 1 day we want to do on our own.

What is the best Rental to get to close to Lahaina?

2. On 2nd day I do not know if we can make a private excursion that requires us to be at docks at 6:15 

are you limited on when they start to run tenders  for the next morning? 

is there a limit on how late the tenders run at night when the ship staying over? 

If you do a quick look around the board, you will find that a car rental sprang up sort of in downtown (eastern side, the side away from where you tender ashore), so you will probably need a taxi/Uber to get to it. Otherwise, as commonly discussed here, all the car rental places are on the way to the airport...also requiring a taxi/Uber. None are shuttling, that has been mentioned.

 

The fly in the ointment here is the rental car companies are starving right now. So, there may, or may not be some of these locations operating when you get there.

 

As to getting off early on day 2, most cruise lines run their tenders around the clock, although with severely limited hours during the night. When you are on board, check for the specifics of their limited service, and plan accordingly for your tour.

[Budget Queen]

On 8/9/2019 at 9:10 AM, bigsky said:

Wow! I’ve never seen huge waves there. This is the beach we always stay on when we visit. Hubby always surfs here, but they’re small. I wouldn’t worry at all. Maybe if there’s a storm out there, any place maybe a little rougher. If u want a beach day, this is the place cuz u can ship, swim, see penguins, have the best shave ice, ... If u want to get a yummy dessert, get a hula pie at the hula grill right there on the beach! Plus this is pretty close to Lahaina. 

I have.   In fact there was a drowning when I was there.   A friend had an extremely challenging time getting back in on another trip.     Hawaii waters are extremely unpredictable.    

[Budget Queen]

On 8/4/2019 at 12:41 AM, Aquaticdreams said:

Thanks, this is very helpful. I’m still trying to find out how long the wait would likely be to even get on the tender in the morning. If there’s time to do a short tour in addition to spending a little time at the beach and Lahaina is there anything you could recommend? I would really like to see Iao valley or the west Maui mountains but I know there wouldn’t be enough time to do all that. So I need to identify something else that would allow us see some of the beauty of the island in a shorter period of time. Thanks for any suggestions!

Do you have any priority?    If not it can be hours to get off.  Depends on how many tenders and size of ship as well.      Last tenders are frequently posted as an hour prior.    Another issue is traffic.  Don’t underestimate it.  

[princeton123211]

14 hours ago, Budget Queen said:

In fact there was a drowning when I was there.   A friend had an extremely challenging time getting back in on another trip.     Hawaii waters are extremely unpredictable.

That tends to be on the North shore particularly around the Ritz Carlton in Kapalua. A beach like Kaanapali and Wailea tend to be very calm-- sometimes almost lake like. 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

On 5/28/2020 at 2:23 PM, phnett said:

We are in  port in Lahaina two days for Sept RCCL cruise, 1 day we want to do on our own.

What is the best Rental to get to close to Lahaina?

 

Assuming you mean you have an RCCL cruise September 2020, you'd better reserve NOW. In the discussion of how to reopen Maui, while reducing the impact from visitors is to cut the rental car inventory in half. It is already hard to rent a car at peak times on Maui. If they implement the policy, it will be nigh on impossible and expensive if you can.

 

Avis sends shuttles to the cruise landing area; not sure on anyone else.

 

On 5/29/2020 at 5:25 PM, Budget Queen said:

I have.   In fact there was a drowning when I was there.   A friend had an extremely challenging time getting back in on another trip.     Hawaii waters are extremely unpredictable.    

 

Most of the drownings of visitors in Hawaii isn't due to high surf conditions, it is from people who aren't in shape going beyond where they should. Heart attacks and exhaustion are the causes.