Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Maui - anything close to Cruise Port

teamwanderer

By teamwanderer,
in Hawaii

 Share

Recommended Posts

teamwanderer

teamwanderer

Posted
Posted

Will have (2) days (1st week of Dec 2022)  in Maui.  The ship (POA) will be docked at Pier 1 Kahului Harbor.   Day 1 we are renting a car and traveling up Hwy 30 West Coast and then dinner in Lahaina.  Day 2 we did not want to rent a car and was hoping there was someplace close to travel to by Uber or Taxi.  Was wondering if Baldwin Beach was doable and / or worth it.   Any suggestions would be appreciated. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
princeton123211

princeton123211

Posted
Posted
16 minutes ago, teamwanderer said:

Day 1 we are renting a car and traveling up Hwy 30 West Coast and then dinner in Lahaina.

You'll enjoy Lahaina-- great spot to walk around and have dinner. Make sure to make reservations. Just make sure to take Honoapiilani Highway (30) and don't take Kahekili Highway North from Kahului (Highway 340). That road is genuinely dangerous but to someone who hasn't been there before, departing from where you are, it could look like a fun way to drive around and see the island. All of Honoapiilani Hwy to and North of Lahaina is very safe. 

 

20 minutes ago, teamwanderer said:

Day 2 we did not want to rent a car and was hoping there was someplace close to travel to by Uber or Taxi.

You're in an industrial port area adjacent to the airport. There really isn't much at all for tourists immediately by the port. Paia is nice and you could Uber there but finding an Uber back might take a little time. Frankly just keeping the rental for the 2nd day would let you see more but I get where you're coming from. 

 

20 minutes ago, teamwanderer said:

Was wondering if Baldwin Beach was doable and / or worth it.   Any suggestions would be appreciated. 

I've gone to Baldwin before but never swam. There is a breakwater there but be warned, on the North side of the island, the surf can be wild there sometimes and be outright dangerous. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BermudaBound2014 Great Review Rare

BermudaBound2014

Posted
Posted

If you just want to hang at a beach and don't want to uber, the closest beach to the port is Kanaha (not to be confused with Kahana). This is the best windsurf beach on the island and it's quite entertaining to watch. It is very close to the port. I'd walk there (but I'm a walker). It used to be sketchy/uncomfortable due to the large homeless population, but last year they totally cleaned up the area. I take all my visitors here for their last photos before I drop them back off at the airport.

 

Totally walkable

image.png.0a21966a87952f32029dc24728e36ac5.png

 

 

This is Kanaha... you can actually see the ship in the background:

image.png.9844b23869b7f7e2b7f943fd0ff59269.png

 

 

Taking an Uber to Paia and hanging in town or at Baldwin will also give you a very nice day. You should be able to catch an uber from there back to the ship because if Paia has anything it's traffic. Paia is a hippy little beach town and it's quite fun for the day. Lots of eclectic shops and food choices. 

 

Keeping the car for day 2 and doing these on your own isn't a bad idea either :). 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
princeton123211

princeton123211

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, teamwanderer said:

We had recv a suggestion to take a NCL Zodiak Whale Watching excursion for 2 hours in Kahului, but didn't think going on Dec 5th would be the best for seeing Whales in Kahului.

December is definitely whale season-- December 5th you are sort of at the very beginning so can be a tiny bit hit or miss. The whale watching is better on the other side off of Lahaina (where they tend to congregate in the protected channel between Lanai and Molokai) but there will be whales on the other side too. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Silver Sweethearts

Silver Sweethearts

Posted
Posted

Here is NCL's explanation of the zodiac tour:  (the "scenic ride" would have to be to Ma'alaea Harbor by bus or van, as no tours leave Kahului Harbor by water).  We would ask where the zodiac is going to go that other vessels can't, since as far as we know there are strict rules for everyone in search of whales to follow.  Drive up the coast to Lahaina/Ka'anapali/Kapalua as we believe you first intended to do.  Even if no whales, it is a very nice drive.

 

From NCL: Zodiac Whale Watching Adventure

DETAILS

3 hrs Estimate Duration

Cruise through the National Humpback Whale Marine Sanctuary in a Zodiac, a vessel that is ideal for speedy maneuvering and up-close viewing of marine creatures. 

 

After departing from the pier, you will enjoy a scenic ride across the neck of Maui to lovely Maalaea Bay on the island’s southern shore. Here, you’ll board a Zodiac vessel that can navigate into areas other vessels can’t, offering you a close-up view of the marine life. 

 

You will be cruising into the National Humpback Whale Marine Sanctuary. It is one of the favorite mating and birthing grounds for humpbacks because of the water’s ideal temperature and depth and the scarcity of killer whales, which are the young humpbacks’ most feared natural predators. 

 

As you zip through the water, you can expect to see humpback whales putting on a spectacular show of breaching the surface, tail and fin slapping, and spy hopping, where only the whale’s head pops out of the water. The males are known for their singing as part of the mating ritual. Humpback whales come to Maalaea Bay each year to breed after a month or so of migrating from their feeding grounds in Alaska, nearly 3,500 miles away. 

 

To enhance the whale-watching experience, a naturalist will be onboard explaining the whales’ behavior during this time of the year. Feel free to ask questions during the two hours or so spent on the water. which you will return to Kahului. 

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...
KeepCalmBearOn

KeepCalmBearOn

Posted
Posted
11 minutes ago, teamwanderer said:

Sorry my Oct 3rd post did state Kahului.  Typo after CruiserBruce reply of Kahalui.  NCL Whale Watcher is Kahului.

 

I feel like you are not listening to people.

 

When the NCL website says "Kahului", it is referring to the PORT the ship is docked at, NOT where the Zodiac tour leaves from. Maybe NCL is vague about where the boat actually leaves from so you don't book the same tour on your own, but there is no doubt that the Zodiac is leaving from Māʻalaea.

 

Yes, you will leave from Kahului, get on a bus and drive to Māʻalaea for the whale watch tour.

 

https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/shore-excursions/search?destination=Hawaii+Cruises&port=OGG&priceRange=0+4000&sort=searchWeight&sortOrder=asc&perPage=12&startingRecord=12

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...
teamwanderer

teamwanderer

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Sorry another question.  Decided on renting a car and picking it up from airport location.  We will need to find a spot to park over night within walking distance to Kahului Harbor.  Is there parking lots without time limits that are okay with overnight parking.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...