which luau and where?

[rockymo]

Will be on cruise in Feb 07 Have overnights on Maui and Kauai and want to do a luau, but they all seem to be pretty far and I'm told the taxi will be $$$$ Is this true? Is there a closer luau alternative? Are there shuttles? No one can seem to tell me anything but to rent a car--we are reluctant because of alcohol consumption and unfamiliar roads. Thanks

[Stepilyn]

My husband and I traveled on POH recently. We rented a car for the time in Maui. We had a reservation to the luau called Feast at Lele, in Lahaina. It is a very easy ride to Lahaina. Doors open for the luau at 5:30 and the evening ends around 8:30. It is not a traditional luau in the sense it is not a buffet, and they have tables for 2, you don't have to share a table. The location is the best; directly on the beach and sunset was perfect. We are not drinkers so I can't say how strong the drinks were; we both had the non-alcoholic punch drinks. We were celebrating my birthday so the dessert brought to our table had birthday greetings on the plate.

 

If you rent a car, you would park it overnight near the pier and then have it available for the next day since the ship doesn't sail until 6 p.m. We picked a beach to relax at, and then ended up at the agency to return the car. They then shuttle you back to the ship. I am the driver in the family; my husband cannot drive due to medical issues. I am a senior citizen and I found driving this route no problem.

 

Have a great trip.

[hq82271]

As far as I'm concerned, there is only one LUau to see, the Old Lahaina Luau in Lahaina. Very authentic, great dancers, great food, great location. Ride from port is not at all hairy or long (about 40 min.) This is the one to go to...don't miss it.

[scsagh]

Is the Old Lahaina Luau one that you book on your own or is there an NCL excursion there? If it is on your own, is rental car pretty much the only option, or are there other options. We will have 2 adults and 2 teens.

 

Thanks!

[gerena]

Which luau does the NCL use. Old Lahaina? Just want to compare prices of doing it on our own or going with the ship. If we have our car in the area, we can just stop off there. Is there plenty of parking at Old Lahaina?

[dagtoking1]

You will be in Maui for two (2) days. Do yourself a favor and rent a car for at least the first day. They make it so easy for you with a shuttle right at the port to take you to the rent-a-car which is very close. You don't even have to pay to park your car over night at Kahului. You will have the car the entire day and can explore Lahaina and see the sights before going to the Old Lahaina Luau which you should book on your own as far in advance as you can because the seating is done by when you book your reservation and they almost always sell out. If you don't rent a car you will spend much more on ship's excursions. I think our car was only a little over $40.00 and we returned it on the second morning...well worth having. Because we had the car we not only did the Luau but saw Lahaina, Iao Valley, and lots of sights on the North shore that we wouldn't have seen without a car.

 

NCL's luau is just for NCL guests. It's put on by NCL. While I didn't hear anything bad about it on the ship you have to remember that it's huge with over 1000 guests. There have been many negative posts about NCL's luau on this board as well as a few good ones. The Old Lahaina Luau is about the same price and highly professional. The first thing they do when you walk in is hand you a Mai Tai with a fresh orchid in it and put a fresh flower lei around your neck. I was quite taken with the whole experience. The only bummer is the drive back to the ship which is a bit curvy and dark but if you take it slow and don't worry about the cars behind you that want to zip through you'll be fine. I'm glad we rented cars in Maui and on Kauai.