Experts' Advice for POH Honeymooners

[Twinkee]

Hello fabulous cruisers! I've been working on the itinerary for my upcoming honeymoon in Hawaii (POH 8/27) and would like to know your thoughts/comments/tips. We're newbies to Hawaii and want to make the most of the trip but also have time to relax.

 

Hilo:

NCL Lava Viewing Hike Excursion

 

Maui (Day 1):

Rent a car through Thrifty

Kahoma Ranch Shared Dune Buggy

Jet Skiing at Ka'anapail Beach

 

Maui (Day 2):

NCL Haleakala Crater Excursion

*Is this a hiking excursion?

 

Kona:

NCL Capt. Zodiac Raft & Snorkel Excursion

 

Kauai (Day 1):

NCL Mudbug & Waterfall Safari Excursion

 

Kauai (Day 2):

Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Tour

*What is the best time to go?

 

Post cruise we're staying at the the Outrigger Waikiki for 4 days and plan to take surfing lessons, snorkel at Hanauma Bay, hike Diamond Head and go to Germaine's Luau.

 

Also, has anyone had experience with Tom's Barefoot Cashback Tours?

 

Thanks everyone!

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

Sounds like a blast. Good itinerary from what I can see but I'm not an expert. This post should put it back on top for the experts to chime in. Good luck.

[RachieLnnn]

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! I am also going on PoH for a honeymoon on 11/26. We also want to do the Mudbug one day in Kauai and already booked Blue Hawaiian for the other day! I am excited to do a few new things on the honeymoon that we wouldn't splurge on normally.

 

However, I tend to overplan things while taking vacations, so for this one, we are planning only one "thing" a day, with plenty of time for relaxing! I know we will be tired after the excitment of the wedding!

 

Good luck - your itinerary seems great so far! Have fun and let us know how it was when you get back!

[RachieLnnn]

One more thing - we booked our Blue Hawaiian Tour for first thing the second day (8am) so that we would have time to return the rental car before the ship leaves at 2pm. I thought it would be good in case we had to cancel the helicopter flight for some reason (like if the ship was unable to dock in Kauai). We would be able to cancel within the 24 hours to get our full refund.

 

Probably not a huge deal, but since it is not a ship-sponsored excursion I would want to make sure I get a refund if for some reason we were unable to get there. This trip is our first doing excursions on our own.

 

We are planning on renting a car to go to VNP and also in Maui to drive to Hana. (I rented a convertible in Maui). In Kona we are just planning on having a day to rest up, wander around town, enjoy the ship, maybe see if we could get to a beach.

[Twinkee]

Congrats RachieLnnn!

 

I don't know about you but I'm overwhelmed with excitement for both the wedding and honeymoon!!

 

Are you booking the helicopter tour through Blue Hawaiian directly? From what I understand there is a free shuttle available. We were thinking about a 10am tour so we have time to sleep in and make it back to the ship also.

 

I'm a planning freak so I've tried to create a somewhat flexible itinerary but as you can see I need something planned for each day (to make the most of the trip).

 

Good luck with your wedding & honeymoon planning! I'll be sure to post a report when we return.

[RachieLnnn]

I didn't know Blue Hawaiian had a shuttle, I will have to check into that! I might push our tour time back from 8am...I have a feeling we won't want to wake up too early! 10 is more like it!

Have fun planning your wedding/honeymoon as well, I am so excited right now, I can't think about it too much or else I just sit there and am completely useless with a big grin on my face! Everyday I tell FI about some new thing I learned on C.C.... he is glad that it is keeping me entertained!

Oh, and to answer your question, yes we booked directly with Blue Hawaiian on their website.

Do you happen to know if there are beaches/shops near the port in Kauai? Since we plan on doing the mudbug excursion on the first day and the helicopter on the second, maybe we don't need a car after all. Hmmm.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

I've read posts that say Kalapaki beach at the Marriott is close to pier, walking distance. Shuttle available from pier to Walmart/Hilo Hatties nearby. I'm banking on that. Good luck planning your wedding. I renewed my vows 2 years ago and bought most everything on ebay. Saved a ton of money:p