Island Princess to Hawaii island trip Sugestions

[t-time99]

Good evening everyone,

 

My lovely bride to be and myself will be taking the Island Princess to Roam the Hawain Islands leaving Los Angeles on September 21st for our honeymoon. My question for everyone is whether I should book us for the provided shore excursions or should I book some trips privetly? If anyone has any experience or sugestions, they would be greatly appreciated.

 

Also if anyone has experience booking privelty and could lead me in the right directions I would also appreciate it. I am also up for meeting anyone that will be sailing with us on this much anticipated trip.

 

Thanks,

Mike

[LARGIN]

Click here for best info... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=62

[Cruisin' Chick]

One thing to know about booking excursions for any cruise is that from time to time ports are missed. This last year, a few times the Island had to skip Kauai or Kona because of weather or sea conditions. If you book through the ship, any cancellations are taken care of immediately. You won't be charged.

 

If you book an indy excursion, make sure to get in writing the cancellation policy.

 

Also be aware that with a ship's excursion, if there's a problem getting back on time, the ship will wait for you. If you get stuck in traffic or there's a mechanical problem with the vehicle you're on...and you get back to the ship too late...you may have problems.

 

You may be paying more for the Princess-sponsored excursion, but there are some benefits, too.

[t-time99]

good point cruisin chick. I had not thought about those things.....Ok so lets change this thread. Any recomendations for the excursions for the Island Princess??

[LARGIN]

good point cruisin chick. I had not thought about those things.....Ok so lets change this thread. Any recomendations for the excursions for the Island Princess??

 

See post #2 :rolleyes:

[Pam in CA]

Patty is correct. It's not at all unusual for one or more of the ports to be missed so if you book an independent tour, make sure they either have a refund policy or don't pay in full ahead of time. Also, be aware that they can, and sometimes do, change the times in port.

 

Some of the Princess tours are pretty good so consider them when booking independent tours or renting a car.

 

As Largin says, check the ports of call. Also, check your roll call. Often, people will be on the roll call who have booked a private tour and are looking for others to share.

[JotWorld]

One thing to know about booking excursions for any cruise is that from time to time ports are missed. This last year' date=' a few times the Island had to skip Kauai or Kona because of weather or sea conditions. If you book through the ship, any cancellations are taken care of immediately. You won't be charged.

 

If you book an indy excursion, make sure to get in writing the cancellation policy.

 

Also be aware that with a ship's excursion, if there's a problem getting back on time, the ship will wait for you. If you get stuck in traffic or there's a mechanical problem with the vehicle you're on...and you get back to the ship too late...you may have problems.

 

You may be paying more for the Princess-sponsored excursion, but there are some benefits, too.[/quote']

 

It's always our policy to stick with the ship's exc's, consider the extra as Insurance;)

[meemeec]

There's a roll call for the 21 September sailing!

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=235649

[SingerEsq]

Kona -- Captain Zodiac Snorkel. Great trip. We booked through Princess.

 

We booked everything for Honolulu on our own b/c we wanted to do more than the excursions allowed.

 

Rented a convertible early morning in Waikiki. (short cab ride from Aloha Tower).

 

Went to Arizona Memorial. Get there as early as possible as there is a line.

 

Then we went to Sea Life Park for the Dolphin Adventure on the other side of the island. (Princess only offered Dolphin Discovery). Great park, GREAT time swmming with "Maui."

Sea Life Park Hawaii - Plan your day, Reserve your dolphin activitie Now!

 

Back to the ship for a shower and change. Then to the Royal Hawaiian for their luau ... the Royal Hawaiian is worth the trip even if you don't do the luau: The Royal Hawaiian | Royal Hawaiian Luau

 

Took the car back and then walked Waikiki. Cabbed it back to the ship, just before pulling out. Great day.

 

Maui: Went up to the old Sheraton Kanapali for lunch and drinks. Very relaxing.

 

We missed Kauai, but I've been there many times. Be sure to do the helicopter tour of the Island. You can book it through Princess. It's wonderful.

 

Have a great trip.

[Cruisin' Chick]

We went to Sea Life Park too, because of our then-8-yr-old. It's a very low key version of Sea World. We had booked thru Princess but you can take a bus. You'll probably be in Honolulu all day to about 10ish so this is one that you can do on your own. But if you're not into sea creatures, this may not be for you. It may be a letdown if you're into something big (like Seaworld).

 

We really liked the Hilo excursion (Windward/waterfall or something like that). Even our little one who's not into sightseeing liked it.

 

Another thing to consider if you're going to just go to the beach: many of the stores (Hilo Hattie's, K-Mart, etc) have free shuttles to their stores. You may find one going near the beach or stores you want to visit.

[threecats]

I'm not a fan of the ship's excursions, because you tend to get larger groups with them. In Hawaii, we just rented a car in every port and did our own sightseeing. Driving on the islands is easy, so if you like to be independent, I can highly recommend it. Just make sure to leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Our Hilo excursion had just ten passengers on it.

[LuvRVacay]

We did this trip a couple of times and it was wonderful. The first time we booked our excursions through the ship and found we saw a lot in the short time we were on each island. We especially liked Volcanoes National Park hike we did in Hilo - the guide was extremely knowledgeable and an added bonus was hiking off some of the massive quantities of food we manage to consume onboard. We also enjoyed the natural highlights tour in Oahu. Last time we went on our own in Oahu up to Diamond Head and hiked up which was a lot of fun and while in Maui we took a cab to Kaanapali beach was really nice. We had plenty of time to walk on the beach, visit the shops and have a great lunch overlooking the beach. Whatever you decide hope you have a wonderful trip.:)

[ssapiers]

If you never visited Pearl Harbor it is a must see with a side trip to the USS Missouri. Its very moving to stand over the Arizona.

 

Also the we did the outrigger canoe in Kona than went to a coffe plantation to get 100% Kona coffee

 

Bill

[SingerEsq]

As for crowds, I agree ... sometimes ship excursions have a lot of people, which slows you down. That's why we rented a car in Honolulu.

 

I agree with the above poster, that Sea Life Park is not Sea World. It is a very small, well maintained sea park that's been there for decades. It's rather quaint. We thoroughly enjoyed it, but we can watch a sea lion sun itself and find amusement in that.

 

As for Capt. Zodiac in Kona ... you meet right at the pier and there are maybe 12-15 people in your boat b/c that's all they hold! :eek: That you can book through the ship, but you can probably book direct. Not sure if there's much of a price difference.Kona Hawaii Captain Zodiac Raft cruises snorkel whales dolphins

 

We also rented a car in Hilo which allowed us to tour Volcano Nat'l Park on our own, and then go to Rainbow Falls as well. We were supposed to do the waterfall Kayaking through Princess but it was cancelled due to high seas. :(

 

As others have said, it is important to get the company's cancellation policies if the ship does not make it into port. But I have found that most companies offer refunds under these circumstances. We've booked everything on our own for the Caribbean.

[flamomo]

We took this cruise in Jan. of this year. We did our excursions thru Princess, and they were all great.

Hilo - Volcanoes National Park - very worthwhile. The tour guide was very informative.

Honolulu - USS Arizona and City Tour - it's awe-inspiring at the Arizona, The city tour took us all around the city, as well as up into the mountains to Nu Pali Park. The views from up there overlooking the north side of the island are just spectacular.

Kauai - no excursion - we took the free shuttle (tips only) from the pier to Hilo Hattie's to shop a bit, then returned to the ship to change to beach attire. We took another free shuttle from the pier to the beach at Kalapaki Bay, which is close to the pier. It's in front of a hotel, and pretty quiet. (In Hawaii, all beaches are open to everyone.)

Maui - we were there during whale watching season, so we did that excursion and it was thrilling. Afterward, we wandered around the huge shopping area right by the pier. Hundreds of shops, restaurants, etc. Very relaxing way to spend a few hours.

Congratulations on you upcoming wedding. What a wonderful choice for your honeymoon. The Island is a beautiful ship, and Hawaii is a beautiful place.

Happy sailing and happy days!

[t-time99]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. My fiance wants to swim with the dolphins. Does anyone know if you actually get to swim with them, or is it lame. If so does anyone know if you can actually swim with them on a seperate tour?? THanks

[paulfredo]

We have been to Hawaii many, many times..., and have cruised around the islands, and the only way we would go is on our own. There are reputable tour booking companies that aren't going to give you any hassle if a port gets missed. Hawaii is easy to do on your own. If the worst happens, and you miss the ship (not likely, but it is a possibility) there are lots of inter-island flights... not hard to catch up like it is on other cruises... unless you miss a return leg, of course.

 

The problem not mentioned with the cruise line tours is they are mostly cattle tours. You go with too many people at their pace. I find it hard to not keep mooing. LOL. IF safety is your primary concern, then there may be an advantage to the ship tours. Otherwise, Hawaii is one of the places where it is easy to do your own thing.

 

paulfredo

[2Ports]

the Pacific Whale Foundation's Molokini Crate & Turtle Arches snorkel trip - if you like to snorkel (or have never tried it) DON'T miss Molokini. Not sure if Princess offers this trip - we were on another line with horrible service and worse food (which I will not name here but whose initials are NCLA). Also, Volcanoes Nat'l Park is spectacular; enjoyed the Body Glove snorkel trip; there are waterfalls everywhere.

[teachergal29]

We are going on the Island in Oct. Hoping that the Princess excursion of snorkeling in Maui to the Molokini Crater and the Kilauia Volcano tour are good choices. ???? We are only in Kauai for 4-5 hours (bummer!!)so not interested in any of the excursions in that amount of time. Really wanted to see the Fern Grotto, but it is closed at present due to mud and rock erosion. Don't know about Kona. Honolulu, want to do on our own, maybe rent a car. We've already seen the Arizona and the PC. Anyone know the cost of renting a car for the day in Honolulu??? Thanks:)

[SingerEsq]

We are going on the Island in Oct. Hoping that the Princess excursion of snorkeling in Maui to the Molokini Crater and the Kilauia Volcano tour are good choices. ???? We are only in Kauai for 4-5 hours (bummer!!)so not interested in any of the excursions in that amount of time. Really wanted to see the Fern Grotto, but it is closed at present due to mud and rock erosion. Don't know about Kona. Honolulu, want to do on our own, maybe rent a car. We've already seen the Arizona and the PC. Anyone know the cost of renting a car for the day in Honolulu??? Thanks:)

 

Kilauea is on the Big Island. That you will see at Volcano National Park (I would get a rental rather than take a tour, personally). Haleakula is on Maui. Haleakula is a pretty far drive to and from and to do Molokini the same day ... don't think you'll have time to do both. Haleakula is somewhat of a crap-shoot weather wise .... every time I've been up there, it's been so foggy you could not see anything. I would opt for Molokini in Maui.

 

You have enough time in Kauai to do the helicopter tour ... DO IT. It's the greatest.

 

I think we paid around $75 for our rental in Honolulu ... a fun Mustang Convertible.

[SingerEsq]

If the worst happens, and you miss the ship (not likely, but it is a possibility) there are lots of inter-island flights... not hard to catch up like it is on other cruises... unless you miss a return leg, of course.

 

You miss the ship in Hawaii on the Island roundtrip from LA (with a required stop in Ensenada) and you've just violated the Jones/Passenger Services Act .... you will more than likely receive a healthy fine upon reboarding in addition to the cost of your inter-island flight.

[SingerEsq]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. My fiance wants to swim with the dolphins. Does anyone know if you actually get to swim with them, or is it lame. If so does anyone know if you can actually swim with them on a seperate tour?? THanks

 

The Dolphin Adventure as Sea Life Park allows you about 45 minutes with a dolphin and about 8 other people. You get to do a body surf and a foot push, as well as other interaction with the dolphin. They treat the animals very well (I thought) and the dolphin really seems to enjoy the experience. We all thought is was worth it.

 

Note, the Dolphin Discovery that Princess offers at Sea Life (or did last Feb) is just petting and touching. No actual swimming.

[Cruisin' Chick]

We did the Princess Molokini snorkeling trip but not sure what the name of the company. Old rickety ship. On the way to the first site, we saw male whales battling it out for the lady whale.

[sunshine426]

Just jumping in with our experience on the Island Princess (heavenly). It was our first cruise, so I did a lot of homework and cruise critic was a great starting and ending point for me. From the roll call I met some wonderful friends, and ended up joining their excursion and "Discovered Scuba". Loved it, and would never had known about this as it was not a ship offered trip. We did book a ship's excursion on Hilo since it was such a short day, did a bike riding trip around the volcanoe crater rim and again loved it. Other days we rented cars and figured out where do go by reading the ports of call info page.

 

I actually like tours, becuase it relieves the pressure of map reading to someone else, and I often learn so much more from a local guide. One thing we have noticed, if you pick a more strenous excursion...look for the icon of a hiking figure, it seems to have a lower number of people on the tour, and a more active group if you are looking for that. Other than that have a great time. Drink some Mai Tai's, watch some sunsets and chase a few waterfalls.....Aloha