Pacific Paradise Luau, good or not?

[dagtoking1]

Has anyone done the Pacific Paradise Luau excursion through NCL? I can't find a thing about this Luau on line.

:confused:

[mollygirl2]

I have read good and bad reviews of that Luau. We went to the Old Lahaina Luau, and all I can say is I hope it is better than the one we went to. Food was really bad, 8 people at our table and we all left hungry. The entertainment was only so-so. the luau was in a beautiful setting, but for $90pp we felt like it was definatly not worth it. So many of the things are just aimed at getting tourists in, quality is not there. From what I gather most people wish they had skipped the Luau. Jan

[JPAU]

Wife and I attended it last year on PofA. Agree the food was so so (free drinks weak), but thought the entertainment was very good. Lots and lots of tables and we lucked out by getting front row center. Get on an early bus - long ride. The sunset was magnificent and one of the highlights. Enjoy.

 

SKY '03

PofA '05

SUN '06

[referee]

did not go to that one, but went to one in Lahaina called Feast of Lele...located about 3 blocks to the right from where the tenders come into Maui....food drinks and entertainment...fabulous

[dagtoking1]

Good information, all, thanks! That is the first bad thing I heard about the Old Lahina Luau so I am glad you posted it because I felt like I would be missing something good.

 

did not go to that one, but went to one in Lahaina called Feast of Lele...located about 3 blocks to the right from where the tenders come into Maui....food drinks and entertainment...fabulous

 

I'm assuming then you can walk to the Feast of Lele from where the tenders dock? Are the tenders 24 hours overnight or only until a certain time? :confused:

[electricron]

Good information, all, thanks! That is the first bad thing I heard about the Old Lahina Luau so I am glad you posted it because I felt like I would be missing something good.

I'm assuming then you can walk to the Feast of Lele from where the tenders dock? Are the tenders 24 hours overnight or only until a certain time? :confused:

 

Most NCL's Pride of ? cruises dock in Kahului, Maui.

The sole exception is that the Pride of Hawaii tenders at Lahaina on the Sept 25 2006 cruise.

The Norwegian Wind tenders at Lahaina many times on the following cruises:

10-Day Hawaii 2006: Feb 8; Mar 1, 22; Sep 27; Oct 18; Nov 29; Dec 20

2007: Jan 10, 31; Feb 21; Mar 14; Apr 4

11-Day Hawaii 2006: Feb 18; Mar 11; Oct 7, 28; Nov 18; Dec 9, 30

2007: Jan 20; Feb 10; Mar 3, 24; Apr 14

10-Day Hawaiian Escape, Vancouver to Honolulu Repositioning cruise

2006: Sep 17

 

If you're on the Prides of ?, you'll need transportation to reach this luau.

[GreytRacer]

For what it's worth..

we were told by our tour operator in Hilo that NCL had purchased the company that puts on the Luau (and many of the other tours that NCL is recommending), so it is truly an NCL experience. It almost seems like it should be part of your cruise fare, since you're eating "NCL food" and watching an "NCL show"! ;)

 

We didn't go to it, and heard absolutely no feed back from any fellow passengers. That's also why you can't find it on-line or in tour books. It is put on only for NCL passengers.

 

So we were told...:)

[foursum]

The best luau on Maui has traditionally been at the Sheraton. Fun games, good entertainment, free drinks and good food.

[dagtoking1]

It seems all the good Luau's are in the Lahaina area which means I'll need a rent-a-car overnight. Is there adequate parking for overnight at Kahului, Maui?

[ssbeard1]

Interesting to hear that you did not enjoy the Old Lahaina Luau. I made reservations there because of the recommendations on the boards. How far of a drive is the OLL from the dock's?

[SilkySal]

That was the first negative comment I've hear about the Old Lahaina Luau. I tried to book that one for 7 of us but couldn't get reservations. Now, I don't feel so bad about it. We opted for the Royal Lahaina Luau instead. Haven't heard any negatives on that one, as of yet, anyway. Anyone have comments about his one? Hope they're good cause I'm not going to change our reservations anymore. It's easy to make the reservations but a lot harder to cancel them! Gee, go figure!:rolleyes: We rented a van for that day, too.

 

salgal

POAL 6-18-06 (Honolulu)

[Sailor Cali]

Salgal53, I wasn't able to find info on the Royal Lahaina Luau on these boards, either, but I did find a few good customer reviews elsewhere on the web, so we're doing that one too. I'll be sailing 5/13 PoAm, so I'll let you know how it turns out!

[kml1211]

I have never heard a bad review of the Old Lahaina Luau either! In fact, I have been told by every single person I know, that has been to Maui, that this is the absolute best Luau and something they would never miss.

 

We're going to the OLL, so I hope my friends were right!

 

I have heard VERY bad things about the Pacific Paradise Luau, but then again, everything is subjective.

 

I think that for us mainlanders we should just be thankful to be able to experience any kind of Luau we can find. I have to believe that your WORST day at a Luau is still better than your BEST day at work!

 

KML

[dagtoking1]

"I have heard VERY bad things about the Pacific Paradise Luau, but then again, everything is subjective."

 

What did you hear bad about it?

[kml1211]

If you look a little bit farther back in the threads there is one titled "Luau Question" where several people refer to the NCL Pacific Paradise Luau as the worst experience they had in Hawaii.

 

But, if I remember correctly, a few people said they enjoyed it.

 

Old Lahaina is often referred to as the "best", but I have seen threads that have toted other luaus- sometimes on other islands- as their favorite. As I said, it's all subjective.

 

It depends on what you are most interested in, I guess. It sounds like the Paradise Cove luau is very good as well.

 

OLL has been described as more authentic than some productions. But, then again, others might be a little crazier and interactive.

 

I would suggest visiting the websites of these luaus and seeing which appeals to you most! If you are doing anything BUT the NCL excursion, you will most likely have to rent a car. I was very resistant to this idea, but now see that it will allow us the freedom to explore.

 

The website for Old Lahaina Luau is:

www.oldlahainaluau.com

 

You can print off a fact sheet that tells you the entire menu and other facts about the luau.

 

Good Luck!

 

KML

[SilkySal]

Salgal53, I wasn't able to find info on the Royal Lahaina Luau on these boards, either, but I did find a few good customer reviews elsewhere on the web, so we're doing that one too. I'll be sailing 5/13 PoAm, so I'll let you know how it turns out!

 

You're on your cruise now. I am anxiously awaiting your luau review on the Royal Lahaina luau. Don't forget to post!:rolleyes:

 

salgal

POAL 6-18-06

[kickson]

I'm also thinking about going to the Royal Lahaina Luau on my cruise. Does anyone have specifics on what time the Luau ends? My concern is that if I go on my first day on Maui, I may get there later than the 5:30 start time. If I go on the second day, it may end too late for me to get back to the ship!

[SilkySal]

I'm also thinking about going to the Royal Lahaina Luau on my cruise. Does anyone have specifics on what time the Luau ends? My concern is that if I go on my first day on Maui, I may get there later than the 5:30 start time. If I go on the second day, it may end too late for me to get back to the ship!

 

Kickson,

We are going to this Royal Lahaina luau on the first day in Maui. The ship arrives in port early in the morning. The luau check-in time is 5:00pm at the Royal Lahaina Resort desk. The luau starts at 5:30pm. I think it lasts 3-4 hours. Since the ship-sponsored luau is on the 2nd night for us, I don't think the ship will leave until around 10:00 pm, which will probably be the same for you. I booked our luau for the first night just to be sure we could make it to and from the ship on time. We (7 of us) rented a van for both days. Anyway, check out the Royal Lahaina Luau at www.hawaiitravelnetwork.com for more info.

 

Good luck!:D

salgal

POAL 6-18-06

[kickson]

Hi Salgal,

 

My problem is the first day in Maui is the first day of the cruise. My airplane won't arrive until 3:00pm, and then I have to get to the ship to check-in and maybe go over the ship drills??? Not sure if 5:00pm would be too early for me to make. Can I show up an hour late? Then of course on the 2nd day the ship leaves at 9:30, which means I need to be back by 9:00pm. Will the Luau end before that? So, not sure what to do. The 1st day in Maui would be ideal, just don't know if I can make it in time. Plus, the price is fairly decent compared to the other Luaus.

[SilkySal]

Hi Salgal,

 

My problem is the first day in Maui is the first day of the cruise. My airplane won't arrive until 3:00pm, and then I have to get to the ship to check-in and maybe go over the ship drills??? Not sure if 5:00pm would be too early for me to make. Can I show up an hour late? Then of course on the 2nd day the ship leaves at 9:30, which means I need to be back by 9:00pm. Will the Luau end before that? So, not sure what to do. The 1st day in Maui would be ideal, just don't know if I can make it in time. Plus, the price is fairly decent compared to the other Luaus.

 

Kickson,

I see your dilemma.:rolleyes: If it were me, I would call the Royal Lahaina Resort to ask if you could arrive late and, at the same time, you could ask how long the show lasts. You may be able to do a quick check-in, drop off your luggage and go the luau the first night. (You can ditch the drills.) Or, if you prefer the 2nd night, you could just be sure to leave in enough time to make it back to the ship. We have rented a mini-van for both days, so have a more flexible time schedule. I'm not sure how easy it would be to make it back to the ship on time if you don't have a rented vehicle. Anyway, either option may work for you but I would call the resort to ask both questions.;)

 

Another option is to book the luau through the ship and be guaranteed not to miss sailing.

 

Good luck and hope you enjoy your evening!:D

 

salgal

POAL 6-18-06 Honolulu

[kickson]

Hi Salgal, thanks for some great advice. The 1st day would be best since that's when I'll most likely have a rental car. Just worried about jet lag now! Also crossing my fingers that I can do a late check-in! Have a great trip!

[CanuckCruizer]

Has anyone been to the Hyatt Regency Drums of the Pacific Luau? RCL offers it for $146 each and you can buy it direct for $76. It sounds good but would like to hear some firsthand reviews. We were considering the Old Lahaina Luau, but found out it is authentic Hawaiian with only hula (no other Polynesian dancing etc) and no fire/knife show. It seems like the Drums of the Pacific are very professional entertainers compared to the other luaus I have read about. Any feedback would be helpful!

 

Thanks,

Canuck

[SilkySal]

Canuck,

As I posted earlier, go to www.hawaiitravelnetwork.com and you will see ALL of the available luaus for Hawaii. We have reserved spaces for the Royal Lahaina Luau in Maui at $67 per person and have rented a vehicle for our 2-day stay in Maui. You can book on-line through this web site at no additional charge. Don't think you'll find anything cheaper.:rolleyes:

 

I'm still waiting to hear a review for this luau. Good or bad, this is the one we picked. And, this one does have the "fire" show!:eek: GOOD LUCK!

 

ALOHA!

salgal

POAL 6-18-06 Honolulu

[CanuckCruizer]

salgal - Thanks for the info. I have seen a review of the Royal Lahaina but can't remember if it was good or bad -ha ha. There are some reviews on trip advisor too.

 

Canuck

[lambs2]

We also booked the Royal Lahaina Luau for the first night we will be in Maui on our PoAm cruise, 6/5. Actually, we originally booked it when we were going to be on the Pride of Aloha sailing May 17, but when that cruise was cancelled :eek: , and we rescheduled June 3 on the Pride of America :) , we were able to just change our reservations for the luau :D . We read some really good reviews about it and even saw a Travel Channel film about it that made up our minds! I will be glad and give a report when we return after June 11!!

 

_________________________________________________________________

 

NCL Pride of America,Hawaii, June 3-10, 2006

RCCL Voyager of the Seas, Bermuda, Nov 2005

HAL Veendam, Alaska , May 2005

Costa Americano, 2002

HAL (old) Nordam, 2000

Commodore 1984

Scandinavian Seas 1983