Haleakala question

[dogdoc2002]

My wife and I are planning on a Hawaii cruse for November 2022 on the Pride ofAmerica. One of things we're interested in is seeing Haleakala, but 2 options have intrigued us. We've seen lots about the gorgeous sunrise excursions, but we also came across a sunset with stargazing one as well. Had anyone done both and could recommend 1 over the other? 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

I am not the best person to respond because I think both are overrated, but I'd rather be going uphill in the dark than coming downhill in the dark.

 

Whichever you choose, dress very warmly. It is often in the 30s°F and 40s°F as you are at over 10,000' in elevation. That is 2000' higher than Vail, Colorado.

[Bocadude85]

Both options have pros and cons, the sunrise is spectacular but keep in mind you will be getting up around 3am to travel to the top, typically the sunrise will be much more crowded then the stargazing. The stargazing option will have less of a crowd but you will not get to see a lot of the sights that you would normally see during the day. 

[BermudaBound2014]

I've done both. I much prefer sunset because you do not need those pesky reservations which are super hard to get. If you are going with a tour this won't effect you.

 

If you rent a car, just drive up for sunset and stick around to check out the stars. Drive up a bit earlier (3-4) to get in a nice hike at the summit if that interests you. There are great star gazing apps, you don't need a tour. This will be much less expensive if you are comfortable driving on island. 

 

If you are not comfortable renting a car, the Sunrise will ensure that you get the most use of your day by forcing you to get up in the middle of the night :). However; sunset or sunrise is both spectacular. Here is a sunset pic from a few weeks ago:

 

 

[RetroSister]

We went up in the afternoon to hike and stayed for the sunset. It was not at all crowded and felt more peaceful and personal to us. My aunt and uncle lived there when we visited and they would always recommend sunset to avoid the hurried crowds from the resorts. Resorts will always recommend the sunrise tours because they get a cut if you book through them, and you have the whole day to come back and spend money, but we much preferred the experience of sunset.

Edited April 26, 2022 by RetroSister
to make more concise

[Silver Sweethearts]

On 4/24/2022 at 6:09 AM, dogdoc2002 said:

Had anyone done both and could recommend 1 over the other? 

How about another option - a sunset cocktail and/or dinner cruise?  

[Magnetchief]

We just did the sunset. It was amazing. 
 

 

Edited May 18, 2022 by Magnetchief

[Magnetchief]

[dogdoc2002]

On 5/18/2022 at 6:17 PM, Magnetchief said:

We just did the sunset. It was amazing. 
 

 

Who did you go through? Or did you do it on your own? 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

On 5/18/2022 at 4:18 PM, Magnetchief said:

 

Was this picture taken in Australia??? 😆

[Magnetchief]

On 5/20/2022 at 11:48 PM, dogdoc2002 said:

Who did you go through? Or did you do it on your own? 

Drove up in a rental car. very easy. Nice drive down in the dark.

 

[Magnetchief]

On 5/21/2022 at 1:20 PM, scottca075 said:

 

Was this picture taken in Australia??? 😆

Lol, not sure what happened there.

 

[hmcrn]

Question about Haleakala - if we take a tour, will they let us off the ship to catch the tour at 3am for sunrise?  We are doing an overnight, so two days in Maui.  We would try to do it technically day 2.  

Is the boat tendered in Lahaina?  It doesn't say that it is on our itinerary, but then several people on these boards state that it is a tendered port.  If that is the case, i doubt they would tender us in at 3am.  🤨

On the flip side - if we do a sunset tour and dinner, how late do they let us back on board?  Especially if it is a tendered port? 

I would appreciate any advice please!  

Thank you!!!

[CruiserBruce]

Yes, ships tender into Lahaina. Whether or not they are operating tenders at 3am will depend upon the cruise line...some do, some don't. You need to ask on the board for the cruise line involved. Some cruise lines have a "curfew", such as midnight to 6am, some operate tenders the entire time.

[dogdoc2002]

On 8/14/2022 at 4:35 PM, hmcrn said:

Question about Haleakala - if we take a tour, will they let us off the ship to catch the tour at 3am for sunrise?  We are doing an overnight, so two days in Maui.  We would try to do it technically day 2.  

Is the boat tendered in Lahaina?  It doesn't say that it is on our itinerary, but then several people on these boards state that it is a tendered port.  If that is the case, i doubt they would tender us in at 3am.  🤨

On the flip side - if we do a sunset tour and dinner, how late do they let us back on board?  Especially if it is a tendered port? 

I would appreciate any advice please!  

Thank you!!!

If you're on POA, you'll be docked in Kahuli.

[CruiserBruce]

7 hours ago, dogdoc2002 said:

If you're on POA, you'll be docked in Kahuli.

If the poster is asking about tendering into Lahaina, they aren't on POA. Most ships that visit Maui don't dock in Kahalui. There is only one dock in Kahalui, and POA takes it two days a week.

[hmcrn]

17 hours ago, dogdoc2002 said:

If you're on POA, you'll be docked in Kahuli.

 

Nope - Celebrity.  

[piglet55cc]

I recently had to switch my Jan. 21, 2023 cruise on POA to Nov.12, 2022. Road to Hana was no longer available so we chose the Sunrise excursion on recommendations from my daughter. She and her husband said if you are going to the crater, you absolutely should do the sunrise. They were in Maui in late May of this year. Knowing that just seeing the crater during the day was $60 pp cheaper, I asked if spending the extra money was worth it. Both agreed that it was.

They also told us it was important to dress warm. 

[hmcrn]

Agree.  I did the sunrise about 30 years ago and loved it.  My husband has not seen it.  Our ship (Celebrity) does not offer a sunrise excursion, that's why i was trying to set it up on my own.  Doesn't look like it is feasible.