Live Review Koningsdam Feb 17-March 23, 2024. Hawaii/Tahiti

[Cruiseroldies]

We are on this February 17, 2025 cruise San Diego to San Diego.  Can anyone recommend a hotel near the cruise port please?  We do not know San Diego at all.  Many thanks, and greetings from Canada.

 

[d9704011]

25 minutes ago, Cruiseroldies said:

We are on this February 17, 2025 cruise San Diego to San Diego.  Can anyone recommend a hotel near the cruise port please?  We do not know San Diego at all.  Many thanks, and greetings from Canada.

 

If you're not already on the Roll Call for the 2025 cruise, suggest you join in:

 

[crystalspin]

39 minutes ago, Cruiseroldies said:

We are on this February 17, 2025 cruise San Diego to San Diego.  Can anyone recommend a hotel near the cruise port please?

On the Feb15/2025 Roll Call, I recently posted the Master List. (Post 677) You can see many are staying at Best Western Yacht Harbor -- it is not too close, but it economical (maybe a 3* hotel?) esp. if needing to park car. They have breakfast and a shuttle to the port; I am not sure how that worked out for those that stayed this past cruise!

 

Wyndham Bayside is directly across from the port, as are two or three other high-level hotels in the BRIC (as the block of buildings is called). 

Edited March 27 by crystalspin

[Cruiseroldies]

Many thanks for the hotel suggestions.  We will have a look.  Cruiseoldies

ps....will check for our names on the list

[Homer88]

@BermudaBound2014when you are answering questions, no rush-  we are on the April 2025, RT Vancouver- Hawaii trip.  Loved the whale watch in Maui last month, but I think April will be too late for another.  Where would you recommend for a day of snorkeling on Maui?

Thanks  for all you did for this cruise!  Loved all the pictures and organization!

[canadianbear]

3 hours ago, Homer88 said:

@canadianbear we made it to daughter’s in Vancouver.  Rained from northern CA to now, but looking forward to a pretty weekend and seeing the cherry blossoms.  This is such a beautiful area!  Glad you made it home safe too.  Our other daughter flies in on Friday, and we’ll head to Colorado on Monday. Our fun is continuing!

Glad to hear you’ve made it.  I hope our weather improves (but I heard snow on our local mountains is happening 🤦‍♀️).    
 

You’ve had quite the adventures & still going strong!

Safe travels.  Shoot me an email when you get home. 

[BermudaBound2014]

55 minutes ago, Homer88 said:

@BermudaBound2014when you are answering questions, no rush-  we are on the April 2025, RT Vancouver- Hawaii trip.  Loved the whale watch in Maui last month, but I think April will be too late for another.  Where would you recommend for a day of snorkeling on Maui?

Thanks  for all you did for this cruise!  Loved all the pictures and organization!

I’m currently half way across the pacific on my way to Maui and getting bored so I’ll take a stab at this one now :). 

 

Truth be told I don’t snorkel much on the south side since the condo is on the west in Kapalua with some of the best snorkeling on island nearby.

 

however; I do not recommend you cross the Pali to snorkel on the west side. I didn’t recommend that for a one day cruise stop prior to the fires and it’s worse now due to tremendous traffic on the only road into/out of the Lahaina as the clean up efforts commence. 

 

That leaves you snorkeling around Kihei. Any of the Kams are popular but my favorite spot on that side is Ulua. Some nice coral last time I was there and it’s an easy beach to enter the water at.
 

Of course you could look up Trilogy from Ma’alaea and see if you can make an excursion to Molokini based on your timeframe. 

 

If things work out like this year I’ll be on island in April again  since I plan to head to Maui after the 2025 Tahiti cruise too. If I’m on island, and not entertaining that day, I maybe able to come pick you up :).
 

Last year I was seeing whales right up until the last week of April (although not as abundant). Based on reports I’m getting they are still around right now. I’m heading out next week and hope to get to encounter some fun comp pods. End of season comp pods are a blast! 

 

 

 

[57redbird]

8 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

I’m currently half way across the pacific on my way to Maui and getting bored so I’ll take a stab at this one now :). 

 

Truth be told I don’t snorkel much on the south side since the condo is on the west in Kapalua with some of the best snorkeling on island nearby.

 

however; I do not recommend you cross the Pali to snorkel on the west side. I didn’t recommend that for a one day cruise stop prior to the fires and it’s worse now due to tremendous traffic on the only road into/out of the Lahaina as the clean up efforts commence. 

 

That leaves you snorkeling around Kihei. Any of the Kams are popular but my favorite spot on that side is Ulua. Some nice coral last time I was there and it’s an easy beach to enter the water at.
 

Of course you could look up Trilogy from Ma’alaea and see if you can make an excursion to Molokini based on your timeframe. 

 

If things work out like this year I’ll be on island in April again  since I plan to head to Maui after the 2025 Tahiti cruise too. If I’m on island, and not entertaining that day, I maybe able to come pick you up :).
 

Last year I was seeing whales right up until the last week of April (although not as abundant). Based on reports I’m getting they are still around right now. I’m heading out next week and hope to get to encounter some fun comp pods. End of season comp pods are a blast! 

 

 

 

We just left Ka anapali January 22 --- not too many whales left.

[BermudaBound2014]

5 minutes ago, 57redbird said:

We just left Ka anapali January 22 --- not too many whales left.

Did you mean March 22? I’m part of a group that collects data on the numbers. It’s no longer whale soup as expected but there are plenty left according to my data sources. 

[BermudaBound2014]

I know the question about my disappointment with HAL tours has been asked a few times so let me tackle that question. Of course this is only my experience. Ymmv

 

The HAL Hollywood in Kailua was ok. I paid $179. HAL raised the price to $279 for those on next years cruise. It’s a rip for $279 but they do take you to lots of pretty spots. Our tour guide wasn’t the best but I was on the bus with a great group of friends that made the time go by nicely. It was my favorite of the three Hal tours I did. 

 

I can not recommend the next two HAL excursions. The first was Ohana Catamaran from Papette (note, they also have Ohana catamaran from Moorea which will likely be much better because the water in Moorea is much better for snorkeling.  The description says you snorkel in a lagoon. Be aware that in FP, a lagoon is everything inside the coral reef. Basically we anchored in a boating lane in water that was about 25-30 feet deep. There was minimal coral and fish.  The hygiene standards on the catamaran weren’t great either. People with me on the tour got $25 rebated. I did leave a note in navigator and asked them to call me. They never did. I could have followed up too, but for a measly $25 I didn’t want the negative energy. The tour is not as described. I’d give that one hard pass if you want snorkeling. It’s a nice boat ride. 
 

I should also mention that I do not recommend any snorkeling in Papeete for the very same reason (you don’t snorkel in a lagoon, you snorkel in a boating lane). Tahati by boat went to a very similar area. I know people pleased with tahati by boat but there were also those who were not pleased. The waters off Papeete are not in the same league as our other stops.  There were turtles, but there are turtles everywhere. There are also dolphins at the entrance way to the lagoon, but you can see these from the ship at sail in. iMo the best thing to do when in Papette is a land tour because the water here just isn’t as nice. I used Eden tours (pdf information file is in this years roll call and I’ll repost when I get home). I do recommend Eden tours for a lovely circle island tour.

 

Next year I hope to skip Papeete entirely and head to Moorea for a few extra nights. More on that in another post. 
 

The last tour I did with HaL was the photography tour in Mooraea. I had improper expectations for this tour as I was hoping for info on aperture and focal length. A more in depth class like other photo tours. Instead, the host concentrated solely on composition. She showed a couple cool tricks but it just wasn’t my vibe.

 

All in all I was very disappointed in HAL tours and was reminded why it’s been many years since I purchased a cruise line shore excursion. I do acknowledge that ship tours are much easier and if you don’t make it to an island you are refunded. Given the medical emergency we had that prevented us from Fanning island, and the weather that prevented the cruise before ours from docking in Maui, it’s important to read all terms and conditions of any non-ship tour you may book as port stops just aren’t guaranteed. 

[57redbird]

35 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Did you mean March 22? I’m part of a group that collects data on the numbers. It’s no longer whale soup as expected but there are plenty left according to my data sources. 

Yep -- meant March 22...

[Mary229]

@BermudaBound2014 I often use HAL tours particularly in remote locations. On this cruise I had HIA plus a large OBC.  I ended up canceling two tours based on my early tours.  I did like the McBride Botanical Gardens but only because that garden is only by tour - they do not allow private entry.  I also liked my crater tour in Papeete but I think this would be better as a private tour.  We managed to enjoy the other tours but I would choose not to do them again.  As a group these tours were lacking and as I said I usually like the HAL tours I select. These were not to the standard I have come to expect 

Edited March 27 by Mary229

[oregonian17]

On 3/20/2024 at 8:58 PM, crystalspin said:

Hello to my erstwhile comrades!

Especially hand-crafters and @Homer88. Already thinking about next year's cruise...

 

How did the Hudson 1 & 2 work out? Did people continue to show up on sea days, especially the latter 7 or 8 days, whatever it was..

As for the crafters, I had 2 or 3 show up most days. I had 14 people sign up. Enjoyed chatting away. I showed up mostly everyday but didn't stay long. Naptime since I'm a night owl. Really enjoyed my daily visit with the gamers. What a great bunch you were.They seemed to have loads of fun. I gave away most of the yarn. I don't knit so you'll be happy to know Elizabeth that Kathy has an after school program that teaches the kids to knit so she took a lot of it. I feel bad for Homer88 (Mary Pat) who put in a lot of time and energy for her lists.She had 70 people that signed up and the most they had any day for games was 10. All good things must come to an end and this cruise was wonderful. Sad to see it end but we have booked the Seattle to Sydney cruise in Oct '24 on the Westerdam. Be safe and healthy.Till we meet again 

[Homer88]

@BermudaBound2014Thanks!  And have a marvelous time in Maui!  Say Hi to Jules from us.

[julia]

So agree with @BermudaBound2014 regarding the Ohana Catamaran from Papeete...  we ended up on this s***show last year because our call on Kauai was cancelled due to high winds.  Scrambling to use our HIA excursion funds (with not much to choose from), we settled on this tour.  It was not only boring, the so called snorkeling was rather dangerous.  I'm a young 60-something and went down the catamaran ladder and literally got pulled out.  Thanks to good fins and strong arms, I was back up that ladder (after helping two older folks) in a few minutes.  A ski-doo had to rescue several others.  I took the time to fill out a review form on this excursion, but now see that it was useless.  Damn. 😲

[josumello]

42 minutes ago, julia said:

So agree with @BermudaBound2014 regarding the Ohana Catamaran from Papeete...  we ended up on this s***show last year because our call on Kauai was cancelled due to high winds.  Scrambling to use our HIA excursion funds (with not much to choose from), we settled on this tour.  It was not only boring, the so called snorkeling was rather dangerous.  I'm a young 60-something and went down the catamaran ladder and literally got pulled out.  Thanks to good fins and strong arms, I was back up that ladder (after helping two older folks) in a few minutes.  A ski-doo had to rescue several others.  I took the time to fill out a review form on this excursion, but now see that it was useless.  Damn. 😲

Thanks for this info. I was going to book this as I thought it might be easy for DH. Will probably now look to booking land tour in Tahiti. 

[canadianbear]

42 minutes ago, josumello said:

Thanks for this info. I was going to book this as I thought it might be easy for DH. Will probably now look to booking land tour in Tahiti. 

We went on a different day that BermudaBound went on.  The snorkel isn’t great but it was easy to get off & back on when you’re on a catamaran if you snorkel.  We only booked it because we had extra OBC we had to use.  
 

We enjoyed the vibe of it & staff who were great.  It was actually relaxing & a fun time for us. 

[Haljo1935]

13 hours ago, julia said:

 ...It was not only boring, the so called snorkeling was rather dangerous.  I'm a young 60-something and went down the catamaran ladder and literally got pulled out.  Thanks to good fins and strong arms, I was back up that ladder (after helping two older folks) in a few minutes.  A ski-doo had to rescue several others.  I took the time to fill out a review form on this excursion, but now see that it was useless.  Damn. 😲

Thanks for sharing - that's scary. Especially for people who only scuba (or any water sport) occasionally may not realize what strength they've lost until it's too late. You go one year, no issues, get out/in the boat easily - next time you get pulled away and find yourself at the mercy of a rescue team. 

[mustgo]

I have been following along with you on this spectacular trip and enjoying it thoroughly.  We booked the cruise for next year but your reports have helped us decide that we are just too old to enjoy it in the way that we have in the past. We are 86 and 88 and now must just enjoy the memories and we do have wonderful ones.  That is such gorgeous water. We could enjoy it without the snorkeling but climbing in and out of boats can be a problem even for the views.

[julia]

1 hour ago, mustgo said:

I have been following along with you on this spectacular trip and enjoying it thoroughly.  We booked the cruise for next year but your reports have helped us decide that we are just too old to enjoy it in the way that we have in the past. We are 86 and 88 and now must just enjoy the memories and we do have wonderful ones.  That is such gorgeous water. We could enjoy it without the snorkeling but climbing in and out of boats can be a problem even for the views.

@mustgo   If you are both fairly mobile, then I would say to keep your booking and just enjoy the ship.  Although this itinerary does involve using tenders, you can easily avoid the more difficult ones (it's discussed in each port talk).  The crew is very good in assisting on/off tenders, and helping with gangway walkoffs at piers.  Even if you decide to stay on board at each port, you'll have beautiful, sunny, gorgeous views to enjoy.

[Cruiseroldies]

Hello "Must Go".......we are also in our 80s......have given up snorkeling as well because of the entrance into the water from catamarans.  We just came back from 27 days in the Caribbean and yes, we were on two catamarans just along for a beautiful afternoon ride.  Do not give up just because we are all in our 80s but be careful.  All the best in your decision.  

[SFO Peter]

Where snorkel in Kihei?  Took cab to kihei and rented equip. Saw plenty beach no fish and no coral.

 

Paid for this 2024 cruise but did not make it on board due to health matters.  Got port fees and tax refunded.

 

peter

[Riversedge]

22 hours ago, Cruiseroldies said:

We are on this February 17, 2025 cruise San Diego to San Diego.  Can anyone recommend a hotel near the cruise port please?  We do not know San Diego at all.  Many thanks, and greetings from Canada.

 

We stayed at the Wyndham Bayside and loved it.  Walkable to the port and restaurants

 

[BermudaBound2014]

3 hours ago, mustgo said:

I have been following along with you on this spectacular trip and enjoying it thoroughly.  We booked the cruise for next year but your reports have helped us decide that we are just too old to enjoy it in the way that we have in the past. We are 86 and 88 and now must just enjoy the memories and we do have wonderful ones.  That is such gorgeous water. We could enjoy it without the snorkeling but climbing in and out of boats can be a problem even for the views.

 

Aloha and thank you for following along. I met folks in their 80s who were doing just fine on the excursions, but only you know your physical limitations. Some of my best buds were in their 70’s and running circles around the younger folks. Based on this year’s demographics, you would be in the median age range. Plenty of ports without tenders to explore and the only two that are a bit sketchy are Fakarava and Nuka Hiva.

 

If you do decide to go, I would be more than happy to help you both if you needed it, and if you get hooked up with the amazing CC family I’m sure there are others. I never once felt alone and knew that if something happened where I found myself in need, the community would come thru. While you can always find mean spirited people online, I have found that overwhelmingly people on CC lead with kindness.

[BermudaBound2014]

1 hour ago, SFO Peter said:

Where snorkel in Kihei?  Took cab to kihei and rented equip. Saw plenty beach no fish and no coral.

 

Paid for this 2024 cruise but did not make it on board due to health matters.  Got port fees and tax refunded.

 

peter

 

Sorry we missed you Peter.