Suggestions for off ship excursions with my 71 year old Mom on Pride of America

[OBX]

My 71 year old mom and I will be cruising the islands of Hawaii on Jan 19--on the Pride of America--any suggestions on some things that anyone thought were really fun and a must see. She is in great health--however, no snorkeling, helicopters, etc. She has a fear of water and heights. Would love some suggestions? We are looking to just mainly relax but would love some advice on the must sees--

[carontori]

My 71 year old mom and I will be cruising the islands of Hawaii on Jan 19--on the Pride of America--any suggestions on some things that anyone thought were really fun and a must see. She is in great health--however, no snorkeling, helicopters, etc. She has a fear of water and heights. Would love some suggestions? We are looking to just mainly relax but would love some advice on the must sees--

 

 

I did POA three years ago with my Mum and we found the best way to go was to rent a car in each port. It's really easy to get around and there's lots to see and do. We drove to the volcanos and the Mauna Loa macadamia nut factory in Hilo. Toured Oahu and saw the beautiful beaches. We got to see some awesome views from the cliffs. Going to a Luau is a must. My Mum loved it. The food was great the the entertainment was awesome!

[hazeleyez3]

I would also suggest just renting a car on each of the islands, and get the "Revealed" books. There is one for each island and have a ton of information in them.

 

We didn't go to them, but my cousins fell in love with some of the botanical gardens. They have them numerous places, but I think the ones they like was in Hilo.

 

I also agree that you have to do a luau, but I would say maybe do one on Maui or Oahu. The one that the ship has, from what I heard, was a complete madhouse.

 

There's also Volcanos National Park. A lot of the terrain isn't really high, so she might enjoy that.

[GoldieAZ]

I did the POAm with my 71 yr old Mom last Mothers Day week and we had a wonderful time. Mom does not swim, so that eliminates any activities that involve going into deep waters. :) We got an upsell to PH suite 10000, and it became the trip of my Mom's life (She was so shocked all week at the room and service! )

Waikiki- Arrived 2 days prior. Rented a car thru Thrifty and did Pearl Harbor and the circle around Oahu in one day. After PH, went to the Dole Pineapple Plantation, Had a great lunch and shave ice on the North Shore, and ended up at the Polynesian Culture Center for the later part of the afternoon. We stayed at the Sheraton Princess Kulhulani (sp) with a great view of the beach. Also visited the Sheraton Royal Hawaiian and the adjacent beaches and did some shopping in Waikiki with some good dining.

 

All other islands rented a car thru Thrifty (Blue Chip for quick check out).

Hilo - Volcano National Park for a few hours, Black Sand Beach for some photos, Rainbow Falls, and some other sites. Kona - Coffee Plantation (forget the name but its up in the hills), Four Seasons resort and others for beach views and photos, and the Seahorse Farms (Mom got to hold a seahorse!)

Maui-- Lahaina self-walking tour with early lunch and some shopping and a driving tour of Ka"anapali resort area. No road to Hana or sunrise at Haleakala Crater as with my adventurous husband, but we covered a lot a places with views and Hawaiian history. Kauai involved an NCL Luau (mom's first and better than the private one I've been on ), and a drive to Princeville and beyond. Good lunch over there and some awesome shave ice too. Saw the Kilaeau lighthouse and some nearby housing areas. I would recommend the "Revealed Books" for each island as suggested by others. They were quite helpful in deciding what to visit on both my cruises to Hawaii. Also shopping for souveniers at Costco, KMart, WalMart and ABC are great options. UPS does ship from Hawaii at LAND rates and takes just a couple days more to get home if you go crazy with your purchases. For 72, Mom is very healthy and walks every day. Next month, the tours I arranged on the NCL Sun to the ruins in two ports should offer her less of a challenge than they do for me !!! She keeps me active and I enjoy every cruise with her (and also those that I get to take with DH too)

 

GoldieAZ