October 2019 cruise to Hawaii: excursion report

[cat shepard]

Thought I would circle back and share my experiences here, since I received so much great advice here, prior to my trip. The cruise was wonderful, and I shared my opinions on the Holland America board, so I will only focus on the Islands here.

 

We spent two days in Oahu. The first day, we did our only HAL excursion. It was a Circle Oahu bus tour. We knew it would be a big bus, and that the number of people on board might slow us down, but we thought it would be a great intro to the Island. A better driver/tour guide might have improved the experience, but I would not recommend this to anyone. The driver’s one saving grace was his patience with assisting folk with scooters, wheelchairs and walkers on and off the bus. BUT he was rude, made rude comments about some passengers, made political comments, and decided on his own to skip or add stops! He even threatened to leave people behind!  The most disappointing aspect of this tour is that it did not go around the entire island. It traveled the Southeast, East and Northeast sections, and then cut through the middle of the island back to Honolulu. For the price, we could have done better on our own.

 

The second day, we did our own thing. We took an Uber to Pearl Harbor. We had tickets for the 11 a.m. boat to the Arizona Memorial, but when we arrived, we were offered tickets on the 9:15 boat - a less than 10 minute wait. We picked up our audio guide headphones, and headed for the waiting area. The film that one sees before heading to the memorial gave a much more in-depth history of the reasons behind Japan’s attack than I had ever heard before.  It was sobering. We were ushered in to the boat and made the quick trip over to the Arizona Memorial. The same sense of solemnity that one encounters at the Vietnam War Memorial, World Trade Center Memorial and Civil War battlefields, settles over one as you step onto the dock. The memorial was gorgeous against the brilliant blue sky & blue water backdrop. It is sobering to see the names of those tragically killed, and learn that survivors can chose to have their ashes entombed at the memorial, and have their names added to the memorial. The parts of the ship that were visible give one a sense of the size of the original ship. We then traveled back to shore, and toured two of the museums. We were glad we chose to rent the audio guides, because they gave us excellent info about many of the exhibits. And they were easy to use. We spent a little more than 3 hours at the memorial.

 

We Ubered back to the Aloha Tower, grabbed a quick lunch on our ship, and then headed out on foot. It was Sunday and many places were closed. We walked up to the Iolani Palace and walked around the grounds, admiring how gorgeous it was against the backdrop of the blue sky. Then we visited the statue of King Kamehameha, which really is striking. We walked a bit more and then decided that unless we were near the shoreline, it was too hot & humid to keep walking. We had a beautiful sunset that night.

 

We then headed to Maui. We had purchased a six-line zip lining adventure with Kapalua ziplines, and then a luau at Old Lahaina Luau. I would do them both again. It was clear from the minute we arrived that the folk at Kapalua we’re safety conscious. They even attached a line to our harnesses when we were climbing an odd ladder/step up to one platform. Our guides were great, and the scenery magnificent. My only regret is that we did not do 8 lines.

 

The luau was also amazing. From the moment you were greeted with a Mai Tai, to the end of the most amazing show, the sense of enjoying an authentic experience was prevalent. We had a chance to see our pig uncovered before it was served, and then treated to an excellent buffet with some delicious choices. We also appreciated the appetizers and desserts served at our tables, as well as the numerous visits from our waiter to make sure our drink glasses were not empty.  The story told by the performers, and their amazing costume- both seemed so representative of the history of the islands. It was a spectacular night, highlighted by a spectacular Maui sunset. We walked back to the tender dock in Lahaina. Thanks to @CruiserBruce, who had posted a map of the route back to the tender dock. The only info I would add, cross the street when leaving the luau, since there is no sidewalk in some sections on the same side as the luau - until you reached town. And the lighting also seemed a bit better on the opposite side, until you reached town.

 

We then sailed to Kona, our first stop on the Big Island. We had arranged a helicopter tour with Paradise Helicopters, and were thrilled with our choice and this tour.  The company sent a driver to pick us up near the tender dock which was very convenient. Our pilot was very knowledgeable and gave us great info during the entire 2 1/2 hour trip. The diversity of the Island, the colors of the water, the black & green sand beaches, the rifts from past earthquakes, fissures from old eruptions, Kilauea’s crater & steam fissures, 1,000 foot Oceanside cliffs, pods of dolphins, narrow valleys carved by ancient tsunamis, a crashed WWII B-52 bomber, and a keyhole at the end of a narrow valley with a 2,000+ foot drop with waterfalls cascading down the side of the cliff walls - were ours to marvel at and enjoy. It was phenomenal.  And we learned the next day from our guide in Hilo, that Paradise Helicopters had offered its assistance during last year’s eruption. They provided free trips to USGS and National Park personnel to monitor the eruption, and to residents, who had evacuated their homes, so they could check on their property. We were doubly glad we had given them our business. The company then had their driver take us to the Seahorse farm, for our next tour.

 

The Seahorse farm was very interesting, and the feeling of having one wrap its tail around your fingers is fun. And I was even introduced to several Sea Dragons, a species I had never even heard of before - and very cool looking. Though the tour might be a bit over-priced, they use the funds to continue their rescue efforts, which is a good use of funds.

 

Our final stop in the Islands was Hilo. We had worked with DeWaine T., one of the Tours by Locals guides, to customize a tour. He was great. First he was the only one, who responded to my email questions, with any detail or with any suggestions. Secondly, he was so knowledgeable, and fun! Four of us traveled with him and our tour included the Hilo Farmer’s Market, Queen Lili’s Park, Rainbow Falls, Kaumana Caves, a lava tube, Akatsuka Orchid Gardens, Hilo Coffee roasters, and Volcanoes National Park.  He really gave us a sense of history and culture during the drive. I truly got a sense of the magnitude of lava flows when we went down into Kaufman caves. My favorite picture is one of our guide at the base of one of the sides of the tube. It really gave me a sense of scale. The National Park was also great. No lava flowing, but the steam from the fissures was everywhere. And you could really feel the heat.  Perhaps the only thing I might skip was the Orchid garden. Though the flowers were beautiful, it was more like a nursery than a garden. All the flowers were indoors. But a minor issue when compared with how much we enjoyed the rest of the day. Even the weather cooperated - the predicted rain held off until we were driving back to the ship.

 

Thank you to everyone who shared their info on this forum, you helped make my visit very memorable.

 

Ann

 

 

 

 

Edited November 24, 2019 by cat shepard

[disneyochem]

Thanks for sharing your experiences.  Sounds like you had a great time.  We’re heading out on our cruise this December so enjoyed reading your report.

 

We are also planning on getting an Uber to Pearl Harbor.  How was the process?  Were you able to be picked up at the port or did you have to walk somewhere?  TIA!

[Beachiekeen]

Great report! I might just copy your Maui day next time!

[cat shepard]

6 hours ago, disneyochem said:

Thanks for sharing your experiences.  Sounds like you had a great time.  We’re heading out on our cruise this December so enjoyed reading your report.

 

We are also planning on getting an Uber to Pearl Harbor.  How was the process?  Were you able to be picked up at the port or did you have to walk somewhere?  TIA!

We ordered our Uber as we walked out of the terminal and asked for it to pick us up at the Old Spaghetti Factory in front of the Aloha Tower. It took just a few minutes, even though it was early on a Sunday morning. And almost no traffic! Note: if your ship is not docked near the Aloha Tower, it will be different. I believe someone mentioned there is an actual set waiting place. You might need to ask where it is.
 

And it was a great trip! Enjoy yourselves, December is literally right around the corner!

Edited November 25, 2019 by cat shepard

[disneyochem]

12 hours ago, cat shepard said:

We ordered our Uber as we walked out of the terminal and asked for it to pick us up at the Old Spaghetti Factory in front of the Aloha Tower. It took just a few minutes, even though it was early on a Sunday morning. And almost no traffic! Note: if your ship is not docked near the Aloha Tower, it will be different. I believe someone mentioned there is an actual set waiting place. You might need to ask where it is.
 

And it was a great trip! Enjoy yourselves, December is literally right around the corner!

Thank you.

 

33 days until sail away.   Not that I’m counting......😁

[ILOVEHI50]

Thanks for taking the time to share your excursion experiences.  Which seats did you have at the luau?  Did you get the ones up front on the ground, or were you seated at a table?  I have booked the ones up front; but can change to the table's; if we would prefer.  

 

[cat shepard]

1 hour ago, ILOVEHI50 said:

Thanks for taking the time to share your excursion experiences.  Which seats did you have at the luau?  Did you get the ones up front on the ground, or were you seated at a table?  I have booked the ones up front; but can change to the table's; if we would prefer.  

 

Our old knees made us opt for a seat at a table. We were in the middle - great view.

 

The only downside was if we wanted to take a pic, we needed to wait until someone in the front section sat down or walked by. Not a big deal, but something to think about.

 

 

[ILOVEHI50]

1 hour ago, cat shepard said:

Our old knees made us opt for a seat at a table. We were in the middle - great view.

 

The only downside was if we wanted to take a pic, we needed to wait until someone in the front section sat down or walked by. Not a big deal, but something to think about.

 

 

Thanks for your advice.  I have opted to change ours to the table seating.  I forget we are not as young as we use to be.  We are not cruising until next September; so since seating is based on when the reservation is made, we should be in good shape I hope.    Again, thank you for posting regarding your excursions.  I have cars reserved at each port, and more than likely we will be touring on our own most of the time.

 

[cat shepard]

10 hours ago, ILOVEHI50 said:

Thanks for your advice.  I have opted to change ours to the table seating.  I forget we are not as young as we use to be.  We are not cruising until next September; so since seating is based on when the reservation is made, we should be in good shape I hope.    Again, thank you for posting regarding your excursions.  I have cars reserved at each port, and more than likely we will be touring on our own most of the time.

 

You will enjoy this event, and meal. Keep your reservation number handy. Others can link their reservation to yours. So if you have a Roll Call on your cruise, you can post your reservation & others can link theirs to yours and you will be seated together.

 

 We ended up with a group of 16, and because they linked their reservation to mine, they all were in the middle tables. I think I booked in March or April for our October luau, so you are in great shape.

 

Enjoy! 
 

Ann

Edited December 2, 2019 by cat shepard

[Firepath]

Thanks for the report. It's always fun to see what things others did in the different ports. Gives me some good ideas for the next trip. 

[travels2c]

I would like to try the zip line tour with Kapalua Ziplines on Maui.  My experience with some zipline companies is that they won't let you take your cell phone or small digital camera for photos.  They claim it is for safety reasons but I tend to think they just force you to buy their photos at the end of the tour.  Were you able to take your own photos?  Also, what arrangements did you make to get to Kapalua?

Thank for sharing your tour experiences. Sounds like you had a great time.

[cat shepard]

21 hours ago, travels2c said:

Yes, @Travel2c you can use your cell phone, several people did. No one had a small camera, so you might want to check first. 

 

But here is the MOST important thing to consider: I had planned to take pics and video my friend while zipping - since we were in tandem. But the scenery was so spectacular, and the thrill of the run just took over and I did neither. Not even on the 2000+ foot run.  
 

Now if you had a GO Pro mounted to your helmet, that would give you a great video and let you enjoy the runs. We did not purchase the video, but I would have liked to have one pic of our “take off”.

 

Transportation:

We got off the tender; walked to the waiting taxi line, and taxied to Kapalua. If you have time, you could check Uber, might be a bit cheaper. We did not have that luxury. It cost $30+tip.

 

While on the way to Kapalua, we arranged for our taxi driver’s brother - also a taxi driver, to pick us up at Kapalua and take us to Old Lahaina Luau, since our timing was so tight.  He was waiting when we walked out of Kapalua’s office. This ride cost $25+tip.

 

Enjoy the run!

[nycruiser2006]

Great info.  We too are planning Pearl Harbor on our own.  I have read that you must pre-order your tickets ahead of time through the national parks website.  Also -is there a fee or are they free?  Since I am only 45 days out, they say I must go on-line 24 hrs before we will be in Honolulu.   Is this how you secured your 11 am Arizona boat tickets?

Edited December 22, 2019 by nycruiser2006

[cat shepard]

On 12/21/2019 at 10:34 PM, nycruiser2006 said:

Great info.  We too are planning Pearl Harbor on our own.  I have read that you must pre-order your tickets ahead of time through the national parks website.  Also -is there a fee or are they free?  Since I am only 45 days out, they say I must go on-line 24 hrs before we will be in Honolulu.   Is this how you secured your 11 am Arizona boat tickets?

Pre-order tickets become available 60 days before the date you plan to visit. They usually offer tickets after 11:00 a.m., and leave the earlier tickets available for walk-up visitors.

 

There is a small service fee to order your tickets. I believe it is less than $2. You can reserve tickets for whatever time is still available. BUT, if you arrive early on the morning of the date of your visit, you might be able to get walk-up tickets - which is what happened to us. We had reserved online for the 11 a.m. boat to the memorial, but went early, planning to visit the museums. When we arrived and went to pick up our tickets, we were offered tickets on the boat leaving in ten minutes. So we just visited the museums afterwards.

 

BTW, when you order online you have the open of pre-purchasing headphones with an audio guide feature - which we did, and appreciated the additional information given throughout the museums. I believe that was around $12/person. 
 

I believe there was at least one more option available- with a tour guide, but I am not sure.

 

Since I had my tickets 60 days before my visit, I am not familiar with the info you mention at the end of your post. If you tried to get tickets and there were none available, I would plan to go early in the date of your visit - as early as 8 or 8:30 a.m., if you can manage it, and get your tickets that way.

 

Good luck, I know it will be worth what ever planning you need to do to make it happen.

 

Ann

[nycruiser2006]

Thanks for the information.  Really helps to know what to expect.  I was on a cruise at the 60-day mark and couldn’t get online that day to reserve tickets.  So we will try for the 24-hour window or just get there super early as you suggested.  Thanks again.  Happy New Year!

[cat shepard]

Happy New Year!  Enjoy yourselves!

[rwest898]

Would it be possible for you to tell me how much it was to go with DeWaine.  Thank you

[cat shepard]

32 minutes ago, rwest898 said:

Would it be possible for you to tell me how much it was to go with DeWaine.  Thank you

It was $650 for up to five people plus an additional $20 per person entrance fee to Volcanoes National Park. It was an all day customized tour that was an hour longer than his longest pre-set tour, though he did not charge us extra for that hour. The fee and included lunch.

 

He had shorter preset tours that were cheaper.

 

Hope this info helps.

[rwest898]

Thank you.  It is just me and my husband so I don't know if this tour takes that into consideration and takes other people who are looking to tour.  I guess I will figure it out because I did message him.  Thank you for getting back to me so soon.

[cat shepard]

1 minute ago, rwest898 said:

Thank you.  It is just me and my husband so I don't know if this tour takes that into consideration and takes other people who are looking to tour.  I guess I will figure it out because I did message him.  Thank you for getting back to me so soon.

If you are on a cruise, start a roll call and mention that you are looking for people to join you and how much it would be per person.

[rwest898]

Good idea.  I will mention it.

[cat shepard]

2 hours ago, rwest898 said:

Good idea.  I will mention it.

Good luck. The price was so worth it for me - just to be able to walk in a lava tube. I never expected it to be so huge. Here is a pic to show you the scale of the lava tube.

[doclifton]

To:

cat shepard

Read your review.  Excited to go on our cruise this October Onboard the Norwegian Pride of America.

 

Can you tell me the name of the tour company you used in Hilo?  Your tour sounded amazing.

 

doclifton

[cat shepard]

1 minute ago, doclifton said:

To:

cat shepard

Read your review.  Excited to go on our cruise this October Onboard the Norwegian Pride of America.

 

Can you tell me the name of the tour company you used in Hilo?  Your tour sounded amazing.

 

doclifton

Hooe you have a wonderful cruise!
 

We used DeWaine T. With Tours by Locals. He was amazing! The picture above shows him explaining the different layers of the lava tube to us.

 

He has some preset tours that might cover your wish list, but if you email and tell him what you want to do, he will work with to customize your visit.  He even provided walking sticks, which really helped during the descent into the lava tube.

 

The only thing we would skip in hindsight, would be the Orchid place. The flowers were beautiful, but it was more like a nursery. Though they had some locally made unique items in their gift shop. 
 

Enjoy your visit!

 

Ann

[Xaintrix]

Really appreciate you sharing the experience with the bus tour in particular.  Was about to book it, but now will reconsider striking out on my own.  While drivers may vary, I wouldn't want to get stuck in a similar situation if I can help it.