RC, LOS Reveiw from April 16 sailing (long!)

[itsanita]

We had a wonderful cruise on RC’s Legend of the Seas.

Our cruise began on Friday, April 16. There were 3 couples between 50 and 60, all from South Florida. We flew into Honolulu on the Tuesday before the cruise, and stayed at the Radisson Prince Hotel on Kuhio, courtesy of Cruisesonly.com, our travel agent. The hotel was ok, but I would not recommend it at this time. Renovations are going on, along with construction all around the hotel. Hard to get in and out. We asked for a room as high up as possible with a mountain view and were given rooms on the 26th floor. The view of the mountains was beautiful. The hotel was clean, check in was easy and the location was great. We did not eat any meals there, so can’t comment on the food. We had arranged for a lei greeting at the airport, we used Honolulu Lei Greetings (leigreeting.com) and they were right at the gate. $20. per person. After checking in at the hotel, we called Alamo and they sent a courtesy van to take us to Ala Mona Blvd (the Ilikai Hotel) were we had reserved our car. We chose not to rent the car at the airport for several reasons. One, we had a free transfer included from the travel agent. Secondly, we did not want to have to go to the airport to return it on Friday, and lastly, we were afraid that the 6 of us and all our luggage would not fit in one van. Alamo also agreed to take us back to the ship on Friday.
After we got the car, we parked it at the hotel and walked down to Kuhio Beach (at Waikiki) and had a light dinner at Tiki’s and then bed. It was only 8:30 pm, but for us it was 2:30 am and we had almost been up 24 hours! Tiki’s was great for a first night, music, light food, and a beautiful view of the ocean.
We slept in the next morning until 11am (our time). However, it was only 5am in Hawaii! Had a great breakfast at a place open all night called Egg and Things on Kalakaua Ave. (parking is bad, had to drive around several times before we spotted a spot on the street). And right around the corner from the café, we found a laundry, on Ena Road, that we used on Friday (they do drop off.real cheap!).

Our first stop was Pearl Harbor. We did not get there till around 7:30. We had a little trouble finding the highway, due to the one way streets! Study the maps if you are driving. There is a lot of construction to make things even more confusing. There was a line at the memorial already but it moved very quickly as they were only giving out tickets. The tickets were all gone by 11am on the day we were there. They only allow you to bring a camera and bottled water with you. There are containers to lock your belongings in for a small fee. We also saw security in the parking lots, so we were very comfortable leaving our stuff in the van. We received tickets to the 10:40 trip and had time to wander around, visit the gift shop, and walk over and buy our tickets for the Missouri and Bowfin (used Entertainment book). When your time is called you enter a theater for a movie about the bombing. There is no need to rush into the theater. All seats are fine, as are the seats on the ferry. I did not feel it mattered where you were, either in the theater, on the ferry, or at the Memorial. It was an incredible experience, and I would not advise trying to stress yourself to get a certain seat or spot on the ferry. There is time for everyone to see it all. We took our leis with us from the airport; the ranger cut the strings for us and allowed us to throw them into the water from the memorial. Very moving.
The entire experience lasted 70 minutes. We then headed over to the Bowfin. You walk through this on your own. We also enjoyed walking through the museum, and grabbed a hot dog and coke at the patio by the submarine. Next we took the shuttle to the Missouri. We took the “Chiefs Tour”, which was a guided tour. I felt it was a little too much background knowledge and I would have been just as happy walking through the ship on my own. It was very warm…very little shade, and we had to stand around a lot while our guide talked. It depends on how interested you are in the history of WW II and all the battles etc. Take hats and water. We were done with all three around 12:30.
Next we drove to Hanauma Bay to snorkel. We were told that the parking lot is sometimes closed by 11am, so we decided to go in the afternoon. It was a good choice. There was plenty of parking ($1), and the bay was incredible and not very crowed at all. You must pay $5 per person, then see a short movie on how to preserve the coral, and then a short hike down into the bay (a shuttle is available for those who choose not to walk for $1). Snorkel gear was very reasonable and of good quality. No lockers, but changing areas are available with proper toilets. We spent over 3 hours there, leaving around 5pm. It was great, areas for young ones or beginners, and areas farther out for the adventuresome. We then traveled the loop around that end of the island, stopping at the Lanai Lookout, Sand Beach, the blow hole and coming back via the Pali Highway, stopping at the Pali Overlook. That was well worth the trip up there, great views, very windy. Not far to walk, all paved so no problems with wheelchairs..

The next day we were again up early, walked down to the beach and had breakfast at Cheeseburger in Paradise. It was the only place open at 7am on the beach. We had a great breakfast, along with the best Bloody Marys and Mai Tai’s we’d had yet. We then toured downtown with “Roberts of Hawaii”. Tour was ok, free to us via our travel agent, but I would not buy this tour. It was 4 hours, and we did not get off the bus, just drove by all the downtown landmarks. We got off only at Hilo Hatties, at our request, to use their restrooms. The tour dropped us off back at our hotel around noon. We then got our van and headed out H-3 and began our trip “around the island”. We stopped several places and had lunch at a place called Punalau. We enjoyed all the beautiful beaches, the “pipeline” and finally we made it to Matsumoto’s for an Icy. We headed back at Haieiwa. Unfortunately, by the time we drove past the Dole Plantation, it was closed, so no pineapple dole cone for us. We had stopped so many times, eating and drinking, that we skipped dinner and went straight to bed.

Now Friday, the day we boarded the ship. We got up nice and early (very easy for us as we were still trying to get off east coast time) and drove to Diamond Head. We were there by 7:30, almost alone. We climbed the side of the crater; the only moderately difficult part was the many stairs. It was nice and cool on our way up, but on the way down it was already getting warm and crowded. I suggest this trip early, no flashlights were needed as they have installed lights, and although closed shoes are most definitely a help, my girlfriend and I did the hike in flip flops! I would take water and a cell phone…there is no one around to help you if you have any problems. We were done by 9:30 and went back to the Egg and Things for breakfast, but it had a 45 minute wait. We dropped off our laundry and wandered down Ena towards the ocean and found a small deli that was open for breakfast. It had a great breakfast and fast! The owner was a former pilot for Pan Am and sent us to the Marina next to the Hilton Hawaiian Village where there was FREE parking. We left the van there and walked through the hotel as well as several others along the beach. We then went back to the hotel, packed and drove to the port. We parked in an area for Aloha Towers and our husbands got the ticket stamped (free parking) by having a drink at Don Ho’s bar. (So the parking actually cost us a $30 bar tab!) We walked right onto the ship, it was around 2:30 pm…it was handled very well with no waiting at all. Pictures and then on to the cabin. We checked out our cabins, our table for dinner, had a drink of the day, and then headed to Punchbowl. Left a lei there, as a member of our group had an uncle buried there. Beautiful place. Then back to Waikiki, where we had spent very little time. We planned to valet park at HHVillage and then walk up and down the beach. Valet was full, but we were able to park in HHV’s parking garage without any difficulty. Stopped at Dukes for a lei and a drink. Fun place, very crowded. Then picked up our laundry, dropped off our car at Alamo and they drove us back to the ship. We made it in plenty of time for dinner at 8:30. The next morning, we walked from the ship to Aloha Towers (typical tourist type stores), around downtown, and to Chinatown. The guys bought us Lei’s at Cindy’s…prices from $3-$20. We stopped for water, soda, some extra alcohol, some flowers for the cabin, and then back to the ship in plenty of time for the 5:30 lifeboat drill. All in all a very nice time in Oahu. A few comments…the traffic was awful, roads being closed for construction, parades etc. Many one way streets. But I think the bus would have been much too time consuming for us. We would still advise a car rental if you have a couple of days to spend here. There are ABC stores on every block. Use them for water purchases, liquor, and even some souvenirs. They seem to be the cheapest on the Island.

The Ship
The Legend of the Seas is a beautiful ship, not too large, easy to get around. The staff were all friendly to us and accommodated our every wish. We ate most of our breakfasts in our cabins. We had all dinners in the dinning room, so can’t comment on the buffet in the Windjammer for dinner. The menus were good, presentation excellent, food quality good to great, just IMO. We did have a few breakfasts and an occasional lunch there, and found the menu varied and quite adequate. I am just not fond of buffets, so my opinion may be a bit off. The indoor spa and pool area does serve hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and wings, and pizza every afternoon with GREAT French fries. None of us used the spa area except for some of the free classes the last 4 days that we found to be pretty lame. However, if you go behind the spa and the gym, you will find a great area with lounge chairs and bar service that is much less crowded than around the pool. Since it is in the stern of the ship, very little wind, which was nice since the 4 days back were cool and windy. We spent most of our late mornings and early afternoons there on the way back.
The shows were pretty good, I was surprised. We had a couple of comics that were excellent and a husband and wife that had separate shows and were both great singers. The Quest is always great, not to be missed. We did miss a couple of shows, due to total exhaustion at the end of our day.
The first 3 nights were casual Hawaiian. ( I noticed sundresses, capri’s for women, long pants with Hawaiian shirts or collared shirts for men).
The first formal night was on the forth night…many tux’s, I was surprised.
5th and 6th nights were casual Hawaiian.
7th night was Smart Casual or Country Western
8th Casual, 9th Formal, 10th Smart Casual, 11th Casual.
Hard to tell the difference between Casual and Smart Casual….some men wore jackets, but most did not. Some women dressed up a little more.

We used the electric cord we brought, the coffee mugs, never used the flashlight or the clothes line. Glad to have the travel clock, used it as both a night light and a way to tell the time without having to turn on lights to check our watches. Did not need the shoe holder, plenty of space for all our belongings.

The islands

Our first stop was Maui. They announced that tender tickets would be given out starting at 7am, so a couple of us were there to get them. There was no line for the tickets at that time and we were on the first tender off the ship…around 7:30. We called Alamo and the shuttle was there to take us to the airport to pick up our reserved van. By 8:30 we were on our way to the “Road to Hana”. We stopped in Pia, got drinks and sandwich lunches from a little “Box Lunch” place that also gave us a cooler for a $5 deposit. The road was incredible, we stopped many times to admire the scenery and the water falls. We had a picnic lunch at Kauanahina St Park, stopped at Puaakau to see the black beach and blowhole, to name just a few places. We had decided that we would probably only make part of the trip, but traffic was rather light and we had no trouble making it all the way to Hana. We had ice-cream cones and coffee at the Ranch Restaurant, and then headed back. We stopped a couple times on the way back, returned the cooler for our $5, and our last stop was at Baldwin Beach, where we had earlier decided to shower and change into our Luau duds so we would not waste any time going back to the ship. We had brought bathing suits, thinking we might be swimming, but it was windy and the waters were pretty cold to us south Florida folks, so we were not temped to swim. Baldwin had outside showers that we did not use and proper toilets and a dressing area. I feel anyone can make this drive on their own, just go slow and be careful.

We made the “Old Lahaina Luau” with ½ hour to spare! We had a great time there, the show was wonderful, the drinks continuous, the food fair to good. A great experience. We then drove back to the harbor, parked behind the Burger King for only $3.00. And then, believe it not, we were on the 3am tender the next morning. We headed to Mt Halakala for the sunrise. We took coffee in the mugs were brought with us and blankets from the ship. We were in sweat suits and still froze! We entered the park at 4:50am and made it to the top with 20 minutes to spare. We were amazed at the beauty of the sunrise. We were above the clouds (make sure you go to the top viewing area) and the sight was incredible. Unfortunately, 10 minutes or so after the sunrise, the clouds moved in. We drove back down the mountain, stopped at Kula Lodge for breakfast. Very good, service was good but VERY slow (Hawaiian time). The gardens behind the restaurant were worth the stop. Spent some time walking thru them, taking many pictures.
It was about 11am when we finished breakfast and headed to the Iao Valley/Needle. According to the map it was practically on our way back, so we decided at the last minute to take the quick detour. It was well worth it. What a beautiful area, deep in the valley. Many easy trails to follow. We spent more time there than we thought we would. A quick stop at the Harley Dealer in Kahului (its on the road we were traveling back to the port), then back to the ship. The road from Lahaina to Kahului was just beautiful, a treat in itself. We had a quick lunch, then onto the one of the 2 excursions that we booked through the ship. We took a 2 hour whale watching trip with the Pacific Whale Foundation. We were lucky enough to see at least 10-12 whales, including a mother, baby, and a whale that entertained us for several minutes flapping on his back. We were at the end of whale season, so we were very lucky.
The ship left Maui at 6 pm, and we were all on one of our balconies, enjoying room service cheese and fruit, along with our own cocktails. We split up in time to shower and dress for supper. You can either bring alcohol aboard in you checked luggage, or buy it from the ship, pay an additional $9. and bring it to your room legally. We bought several bottles from the ship and they only made us pay the $9 once. Not a bad deal at all. Needless to say, this was one of the nights we skipped the show and went straight to bed!

Next stop was Kauai. We booked an all day tour with “Movie Tours” on our own. They were at the dock to pick us up at 8:30 and we were returned to the dock around 4:30 – 5:00. The tour was great. It took us all around the Island in a small bus. We saw many of the highlights, the areas were movies were made, and were then able to view the movie on TV screens in the bus. It was fun to see it on film, and then walk there in person! They fed us lunch at a lovely beach…and then dropped us off at Will Squires Helicopters for our included helicopter flight. I must say that their staff was not nearly as friendly as our guide and driver from the Movie Tour. We were all a little nervous about the flight and they did not go out of there way to be pleasant or to make us feel comfortable. But once they drove us to the airport and we got on the helicopter, we were much more comfortable. Our pilot was very professional, and the flight was incredible. Probably the highlight of our trip and something not to be missed! Wait till we make our friends look through our hundreds and hundreds of pictures! Our flight lasted about 1 hour, and they took us back to the ship. Again, we all met on a balcony at 6pm and enjoyed cocktails and finger foods that we got from room service as we left the port.

We woke up early in Kona, as we had our second and last excursion that we had booked through the ship. The Zodiac Trip at 8:15am to Kealakekua Bay. The price was the same either way, so we went with the ship so we would be off on the first tenders. The Zodiac ride was a treat in itself, very fast, very rough. Would not recommend for anyone with back or neck problems. The scenery was great, with a running commentary from our driver about what we were seeing. We spend a little over 1 hour snorkeling in the bay. There equipment was very good. We had a couple of non-swimmers with us, and they did fine using life jackets and/or bogie boards to float on. The fish were plentiful. Well worth the price.
We were back on the ship by around 12:30, had lunch and then wandered around the small town of Kona. We were told by our Zodiac guide to go to Wal-Mart if we wanted coffee or nuts, as they are very fresh there and much cheaper that the small stores in town. We felt bad for the small stores, as Wal-Mart had a free shuttle to their store that was busier that the wharf area. We did check out the prices in town and then got the shuttle. The items were identical, and cheaper at Wal-Mart. We loaded up with coffee, nuts and more water and took the shuttle back to the ship.

Last day was Hilo. We rented a car from Alamo, shuttle was waiting for us at the port. The town of Hilo is a bit of a walk from the port. IMO a car is a must here. Have nothing but good things to say about Alamo.
We drove to Volcano N’l Park. Did the Crater Rim Drive, Jaggar Museum, Rift Zone, Halemaumau Crater, Devastation Trail, Thurston Lava Tube and all the overlooks. If you have the time, you must do it all. Water and closed shoes are needed here, although one of us was still in flip flops and managed fine! The walk to the lava flow was 6 miles the day we were there, over very rough terrain, so we had to skip that. We did get to see the lave flow the night before, around midnight, from the ship as we went around the island from Kona to Hilo.
When we left the park, we turned left instead of right and drove a short mile to the Volcano Winery (volcanowinery.com). We sampled all their wines and spent an enjoyable hour there. We then stopped at the Volcano Golf Course on the way out, for lunch and to pick up a few golf shirts as souvenirs. From there the day went down hill according to our husbands. Shopping was a must as this was our last stop and we had spent very little time looking in stores. Hilo Hatties came to our rescue. The store is on the way back to the ship, and near a large shopping area. We barely made it back to Alamo and the ship in time with all our bags.

The last four days back were wonderful. I am so glad we chose to end the trip with the sea days. I am afraid if they were first, we would be so anxious to get to Hawaii that we would not have appreciated them as much. For us, the last four days were restful. We talked about the things we did, enjoyed the activities on the ship, looked at our video and digital pictures on the cabin TV (bring your cords, as the TV’s have the outlet needed to view pictures and videos!), and with all that extra time on our hands, we booked our next cruise. The Mediterranean, June of 2005! The ship also took one hour away each night as we returned, helping us adapt to the time change.

We were concerned about the border crossing, but it went very smooth. Everyone had to be off the ship by 8am in Ensenada. The departure started at 5:45 am! If your transfers were through the ship, you were given a color code and time (depending on your flight and/or travel plans). When it was your color/time, you simply left the ship and boarded the same "color" bus. NO lines or customs in Ensenada. Very easy... If you were traveling independent, you could leave any time after the ship cleared (around 5:30 am), but if you were still in the port by 8am, we were told you would be escorted out of the port area by Mexican security.

We left the port in Ensenada at 6:30 am and were in the San Diego airport at 9:40am. At the American crossing, we left the bus, all the luggage was taken off the bus, we each claimed our luggage and walked into the building, put it through the scanners and then went out the back door where the bus was waiting. The luggage was put back into the bus and we were on our way. We were asked if we were American, when we said "yes", they never even asked to see ID or our custom card that we had filled out. Took our bus 20 minutes..I timed it. My understanding is that some buses had only to get out with their carry ons. I guess it was the luck of the draw. Our flight was at 3:30 because of the horror stories we had heard about the border crossing. We were told to allow 6 hours. As it was, our wait was longer at the airport than it took to get there!!

Thanks to everyone on the boards…Spleen, Suebee, Sweetemi….for all your help and information. Our trip went like clockwork, due to all the information I gained on these boards. I guess I will start haunting the Europe boards now. After all, I only have 13 months to plan! Thanks again everyone!

Anita



We had a wonderful cruise on RC’s Legend of the Seas.

Our cruise began on Friday, April 16. There were 3 couples between 50 and 60, all from South Florida. We flew into Honolulu on the Tuesday before the cruise, and stayed at the Radisson Prince Hotel on Kuhio, courtesy of Cruisesonly.com, our travel agent. The hotel was ok, but I would not recommend it at this time. Renovations are going on, along with construction all around the hotel. Hard to get in and out. We asked for a room as high up as possible with a mountain view and were given rooms on the 26th floor. The view of the mountains was beautiful. The hotel was clean, check in was easy and the location was great. We did not eat any meals there, so can’t comment on the food. We had arranged for a lei greeting at the airport, we used Honolulu Lei Greetings (leigreeting.com) and they were right at the gate. $20. per person. After checking in at the hotel, we called Alamo and they sent a courtesy van to take us to Ala Mona Blvd (the Ilikai Hotel) were we had reserved our car. We chose not to rent the car at the airport for several reasons. One, we had a free transfer included from the travel agent. Secondly, we did not want to have to go to the airport to return it on Friday, and lastly, we were afraid that the 6 of us and all our luggage would not fit in one van. Alamo also agreed to take us back to the ship on Friday.
After we got the car, we parked it at the hotel and walked down to Kuhio Beach (at Waikiki) and had a light dinner at Tiki’s and then bed. It was only 8:30 pm, but for us it was 2:30 am and we had almost been up 24 hours! Tiki’s was great for a first night, music, light food, and a beautiful view of the ocean.
We slept in the next morning until 11am (our time). However, it was only 5am in Hawaii! Had a great breakfast at a place open all night called Egg and Things on Kalakaua Ave. (parking is bad, had to drive around several times before we spotted a spot on the street). And right around the corner from the café, we found a laundry, on Ena Road, that we used on Friday (they do drop off.real cheap!).

Our first stop was Pearl Harbor. We did not get there till around 7:30. We had a little trouble finding the highway, due to the one way streets! Study the maps if you are driving. There is a lot of construction to make things even more confusing. There was a line at the memorial already but it moved very quickly as they were only giving out tickets. The tickets were all gone by 11am on the day we were there. They only allow you to bring a camera and bottled water with you. There are containers to lock your belongings in for a small fee. We also saw security in the parking lots, so we were very comfortable leaving our stuff in the van. We received tickets to the 10:40 trip and had time to wander around, visit the gift shop, and walk over and buy our tickets for the Missouri and Bowfin (used value coupon book). When your time is called you enter a theater for a movie about the bombing. There is no need to rush into the theater. All seats are fine, as are the seats on the ferry. I did not feel it mattered where you were, either in the theater, on the ferry, or at the Memorial. It was an incredible experience, and I would not advise trying to stress yourself to get a certain seat or spot on the ferry. There is time for everyone to see it all. We took our leis with us from the airport; the ranger cut the strings for us and allowed us to throw them into the water from the memorial. Very moving.
The entire experience lasted 70 minutes. We then headed over to the Bowfin. You walk through this on your own. We also enjoyed walking through the museum, and grabbed a hot dog and coke at the patio by the submarine. Next we took the shuttle to the Missouri. We took the “Chiefs Tour”, which was a guided tour. I felt it was a little too much background knowledge and I would have been just as happy walking through the ship on my own. It was very warm…very little shade, and we had to stand around a lot while our guide talked. It depends on how interested you are in the history of WW II and all the battles etc. Take hats and water. We were done with all three around 12:30.
Next we drove to Hanauma Bay to snorkel. We were told that the parking lot is sometimes closed by 11am, so we decided to go in the afternoon. It was a good choice. There was plenty of parking ($1), and the bay was incredible and not very crowed at all. You must pay $5 per person, then see a short movie on how to preserve the coral, and then a short hike down into the bay (a shuttle is available for those who choose not to walk for $1). Snorkel gear was very reasonable and of good quality. No lockers, but changing areas are available with proper toilets. We spent over 3 hours there, leaving around 5pm. It was great, areas for young ones or beginners, and areas farther out for the adventuresome. We then traveled the loop around that end of the island, stopping at the Lanai Lookout, Sand Beach, the blow hole and coming back via the Pali Highway, stopping at the Pali Overlook. That was well worth the trip up there, great views, very windy. Not far to walk, all paved so no problems with wheelchairs..

The next day we were again up early, walked down to the beach and had breakfast at Cheeseburger in Paradise. It was the only place open at 7am on the beach. We had a great breakfast, along with the best Bloody Marys and Mai Tai’s we’d had yet. We then toured downtown with “Roberts of Hawaii”. Tour was ok, free to us via our travel agent, but I would not buy this tour. It was 4 hours, and we did not get off the bus, just drove by all the downtown landmarks. We got off only at Hilo Hatties, at our request, to use their restrooms. The tour dropped us off back at our hotel around noon. We then got our van and headed out H-3 and began our trip “around the island”. We stopped several places and had lunch at a place called Punalau. We enjoyed all the beautiful beaches, the “pipeline” and finally we made it to Matsumoto’s for an Icy. We headed back at Haieiwa. Unfortunately, by the time we drove past the Dole Plantation, it was closed, so no pineapple dole cone for us. We had stopped so many times, eating and drinking, that we skipped dinner and went straight to bed.

Now Friday, the day we boarded the ship. We got up nice and early (very easy for us as we were still trying to get off east coast time) and drove to Diamond Head. We were there by 7:30, almost alone. We climbed the side of the crater; the only moderately difficult part was the many stairs. It was nice and cool on our way up, but on the way down it was already getting warm and crowded. I suggest this trip early, no flashlights were needed as they have installed lights, and although closed shoes are most definitely a help, my girlfriend and I did the hike in flip flops! I would take water and a cell phone…there is no one around to help you if you have any problems. We were done by 9:30 and went back to the Egg and Things for breakfast, but it had a 45 minute wait. We dropped off our laundry and wandered down Ena towards the ocean and found a small deli that was open for breakfast. It had a great breakfast and fast! The owner was a former pilot for Pan Am and sent us to the Marina next to the Hilton Hawaiian Village where there was FREE parking. We left the van there and walked through the hotel as well as several others along the beach. We then went back to the hotel, packed and drove to the port. We parked in an area for Aloha Towers and our husbands got the ticket stamped (free parking) by having a drink at Don Ho’s bar. (So the parking actually cost us a $30 bar tab!) We walked right onto the ship, it was around 2:30 pm…it was handled very well with no waiting at all. Pictures and then on to the cabin. We checked out our cabins, our table for dinner, had a drink of the day, and then headed to Punchbowl. Left a lei there, as a member of our group had an uncle buried there. Beautiful place. Then back to Waikiki, where we had spent very little time. We planned to valet park at HHVillage and then walk up and down the beach. Valet was full, but we were able to park in HHV’s parking garage without any difficulty. Stopped at Dukes for a lei and a drink. Fun place, very crowded. Then picked up our laundry, dropped off our car at Alamo and they drove us back to the ship. We made it in plenty of time for dinner at 8:30. The next morning, we walked from the ship to Aloha Towers (typical tourist type stores), around downtown, and to Chinatown. The guys bought us Lei’s at Cindy’s…prices from $3-$20. We stopped for water, soda, some extra alcohol, some flowers for the cabin, and then back to the ship in plenty of time for the 5:30 lifeboat drill. All in all a very nice time in Oahu. A few comments…the traffic was awful, roads being closed for construction, parades etc. Many one way streets. But I think the bus would have been much too time consuming for us. We would still advise a car rental if you have a couple of days to spend here. There are ABC stores on every block. Use them for water purchases, liquor, and even some souvenirs. They seem to be the cheapest on the Island.

The Ship
The Legend of the Seas is a beautiful ship, not too large, easy to get around. The staff were all friendly to us and accommodated our every wish. We ate most of our breakfasts in our cabins. We had all dinners in the dinning room, so can’t comment on the buffet in the Windjammer for dinner. The menus were good, presentation excellent, food quality good to great, just IMO. We did have a few breakfasts and an occasional lunch there, and found the menu varied and quite adequate. I am just not fond of buffets, so my opinion may be a bit off. The indoor spa and pool area does serve hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and wings, and pizza every afternoon with GREAT French fries. None of us used the spa area except for some of the free classes the last 4 days that we found to be pretty lame. However, if you go behind the spa and the gym, you will find a great area with lounge chairs and bar service that is much less crowded than around the pool. Since it is in the stern of the ship, very little wind, which was nice since the 4 days back were cool and windy. We spent most of our late mornings and early afternoons there on the way back.
The shows were pretty good, I was surprised. We had a couple of comics that were excellent and a husband and wife that had separate shows and were both great singers. The Quest is always great, not to be missed. We did miss a couple of shows, due to total exhaustion at the end of our day.
The first 3 nights were casual Hawaiian. ( I noticed sundresses, capri’s for women, long pants with Hawaiian shirts or collared shirts for men).
The first formal night was on the forth night…many tux’s, I was surprised.
5th and 6th nights were casual Hawaiian.
7th night was Smart Casual or Country Western
8th Casual, 9th Formal, 10th Smart Casual, 11th Casual.
Hard to tell the difference between Casual and Smart Casual….some men wore jackets, but most did not. Some women dressed up a little more.

We used the electric cord we brought, the coffee mugs, never used the flashlight or the clothes line. Glad to have the travel clock, used it as both a night light and a way to tell the time without having to turn on lights to check our watches. Did not need the shoe holder, plenty of space for all our belongings.

The islands

Our first stop was Maui. They announced that tender tickets would be given out starting at 7am, so a couple of us were there to get them. There was no line for the tickets at that time and we were on the first tender off the ship…around 7:30. We called Alamo and the shuttle was there to take us to the airport to pick up our reserved van. By 8:30 we were on our way to the “Road to Hana”. We stopped in Pia, got drinks and sandwich lunches from a little “Box Lunch” place that also gave us a cooler for a $5 deposit. The road was incredible, we stopped many times to admire the scenery and the water falls. We had a picnic lunch at Kauanahina St Park, stopped at Puaakau to see the black beach and blowhole, to name just a few places. We had decided that we would probably only make part of the trip, but traffic was rather light and we had no trouble making it all the way to Hana. We had ice-cream cones and coffee at the Ranch Restaurant, and then headed back. We stopped a couple times on the way back, returned the cooler for our $5, and our last stop was at Baldwin Beach, where we had earlier decided to shower and change into our Luau duds so we would not waste any time going back to the ship. We had brought bathing suits, thinking we might be swimming, but it was windy and the waters were pretty cold to us south Florida folks, so we were not temped to swim. Baldwin had outside showers that we did not use and proper toilets and a dressing area. I feel anyone can make this drive on their own, just go slow and be careful.

We made the “Old Lahaina Luau” with ½ hour to spare! We had a great time there, the show was wonderful, the drinks continuous, the food fair to good. A great experience. We then drove back to the harbor, parked behind the Burger King for only $3.00. And then, believe it not, we were on the 3am tender the next morning. We headed to Mt Halakala for the sunrise. We took coffee in the mugs were brought with us and blankets from the ship. We were in sweat suits and still froze! We entered the park at 4:50am and made it to the top with 20 minutes to spare. We were amazed at the beauty of the sunrise. We were above the clouds (make sure you go to the top viewing area) and the sight was incredible. Unfortunately, 10 minutes or so after the sunrise, the clouds moved in. We drove back down the mountain, stopped at Kula Lodge for breakfast. Very good, service was good but VERY slow (Hawaiian time). The gardens behind the restaurant were worth the stop. Spent some time walking thru them, taking many pictures.
It was about 11am when we finished breakfast and headed to the Iao Valley/Needle. According to the map it was practically on our way back, so we decided at the last minute to take the quick detour. It was well worth it. What a beautiful area, deep in the valley. Many easy trails to follow. We spent more time there than we thought we would. A quick stop at the Harley Dealer in Kahului (its on the road we were traveling back to the port), then back to the ship. The road from Lahaina to Kahului was just beautiful, a treat in itself. We had a quick lunch, then onto the one of the 2 excursions that we booked through the ship. We took a 2 hour whale watching trip with the Pacific Whale Foundation. We were lucky enough to see at least 10-12 whales, including a mother, baby, and a whale that entertained us for several minutes flapping on his back. We were at the end of whale season, so we were very lucky.
The ship left Maui at 6 pm, and we were all on one of our balconies, enjoying room service cheese and fruit, along with our own cocktails. We split up in time to shower and dress for supper. You can either bring alcohol aboard in you checked luggage, or buy it from the ship, pay an additional $9. and bring it to your room legally. We bought several bottles from the ship and they only made us pay the $9 once. Not a bad deal at all. Needless to say, this was one of the nights we skipped the show and went straight to bed!

Next stop was Kauai. We booked an all day tour with “Movie Tours” on our own. They were at the dock to pick us up at 8:30 and we were returned to the dock around 4:30 – 5:00. The tour was great. It took us all around the Island in a small bus. We saw many of the highlights, the areas were movies were made, and were then able to view the movie on TV screens in the bus. It was fun to see it on film, and then walk there in person! They fed us lunch at a lovely beach…and then dropped us off at Will Squires Helicopters for our included helicopter flight. I must say that their staff was not nearly as friendly as our guide and driver from the Movie Tour. We were all a little nervous about the flight and they did not go out of there way to be pleasant or to make us feel comfortable. But once they drove us to the airport and we got on the helicopter, we were much more comfortable. Our pilot was very professional, and the flight was incredible. Probably the highlight of our trip and something not to be missed! Wait till we make our friends look through our hundreds and hundreds of pictures! Our flight lasted about 1 hour, and they took us back to the ship. Again, we all met on a balcony at 6pm and enjoyed cocktails and finger foods that we got from room service as we left the port.

We woke up early in Kona, as we had our second and last excursion that we had booked through the ship. The Zodiac Trip at 8:15am to Kealakekua Bay. The price was the same either way, so we went with the ship so we would be off on the first tenders. The Zodiac ride was a treat in itself, very fast, very rough. Would not recommend for anyone with back or neck problems. The scenery was great, with a running commentary from our driver about what we were seeing. We spend a little over 1 hour snorkeling in the bay. There equipment was very good. We had a couple of non-swimmers with us, and they did fine using life jackets and/or bogie boards to float on. The fish were plentiful. Well worth the price.
We were back on the ship by around 12:30, had lunch and then wandered around the small town of Kona. We were told by our Zodiac guide to go to Wal-Mart if we wanted coffee or nuts, as they are very fresh there and much cheaper that the small stores in town. We felt bad for the small stores, as Wal-Mart had a free shuttle to their store that was busier that the wharf area. We did check out the prices in town and then got the shuttle. The items were identical, and cheaper at Wal-Mart. We loaded up with coffee, nuts and more water and took the shuttle back to the ship.

Last day was Hilo. We rented a car from Alamo, shuttle was waiting for us at the port. The town of Hilo is a bit of a walk from the port. IMO a car is a must here. Have nothing but good things to say about Alamo.
We drove to Volcano N’l Park. Did the Crater Rim Drive, Jaggar Museum, Rift Zone, Halemaumau Crater, Devastation Trail, Thurston Lava Tube and all the overlooks. If you have the time, you must do it all. Water and closed shoes are needed here, although one of us was still in flip flops and managed fine! The walk to the lava flow was 6 miles the day we were there, over very rough terrain, so we had to skip that. We did get to see the lave flow the night before, around midnight, from the ship as we went around the island from Kona to Hilo.
When we left the park, we turned left instead of right and drove a short mile to the Volcano Winery (volcanowinery.com). We sampled all their wines and spent an enjoyable hour there. We then stopped at the Volcano Golf Course on the way out, for lunch and to pick up a few golf shirts as souvenirs. From there the day went down hill according to our husbands. Shopping was a must as this was our last stop and we had spent very little time looking in stores. Hilo Hatties came to our rescue. The store is on the way back to the ship, and near a large shopping area. We barely made it back to Alamo and the ship in time with all our bags.

The last four days back were wonderful. I am so glad we chose to end the trip with the sea days. I am afraid if they were first, we would be so anxious to get to Hawaii that we would not have appreciated them as much. For us, the last four days were restful. We talked about the things we did, enjoyed the activities on the ship, looked at our video and digital pictures on the cabin TV (bring your cords, as the TV’s have the outlet needed to view pictures and videos!), and with all that extra time on our hands, we booked our next cruise. The Mediterranean, June of 2005! The ship also took one hour away each night as we returned, helping us adapt to the time change.

We were concerned about the border crossing, but it went very smooth. Everyone had to be off the ship by 8am in Ensenada. The departure started at 5:45 am! If your transfers were through the ship, you were given a color code and time (depending on your flight and/or travel plans). When it was your color/time, you simply left the ship and boarded the same "color" bus. NO lines or customs in Ensenada. Very easy... If you were traveling independent, you could leave any time after the ship cleared (around 5:30 am), but if you were still in the port by 8am, we were told you would be escorted out of the port area by Mexican security.

We left the port in Ensenada at 6:30 am and were in the San Diego airport at 9:40am. At the American crossing, we left the bus, all the luggage was taken off the bus, we each claimed our luggage and walked into the building, put it through the scanners and then went out the back door where the bus was waiting. The luggage was put back into the bus and we were on our way. We were asked if we were American, when we said "yes", they never even asked to see ID or our custom card that we had filled out. Took our bus 20 minutes..I timed it. My understanding is that some buses had only to get out with their carry ons. I guess it was the luck of the draw. Our flight was at 3:30 because of the horror stories we had heard about the border crossing. We were told to allow 6 hours. As it was, our wait was longer at the airport than it took to get there!!

Thanks to everyone on the boards…Spleen, Suebee, Sweetemi…and everyone else for all your help and information. Our trip went like clockwork, due to all the information I gained on these boards. I guess I will start haunting the Europe boards now. After all, I only have 13 months to plan! Thanks again everyone!

Anita

Celebrity Summit-Alaska 2002
Norwegian Bahamas 2003
RC EOS Mexico 2003
RC LOS Hawaii 2004
RC BOS Mediterranean 2005

[bug_dan]

Anita,

Just want to thank you for that great review. Sounds like you had a wonderful time, keep coming back to this board and sharing your experiences, many of us will benefit from them.

Mahalo,

Dan

Infinity Panama Canal 10/17/2004

[itsanita]

Thanks Dan, we did have a great time, mostly because of what I learned from these boards.

RC BOS Mediterranean 2005
RC LOS Hawaii 2004
RC EOS Mexico 2003
Norwegian Bahamas 2003
Celebrity Summit-Alaska 2002

[hardingk]

Thanks for the freat review! I have been checking the boards several times a day for someone who was on the 4/16 sailing!

We leave on Thursday for our LOS Hawaii cruise and can't wait! I have learned so much from these boards that has helped plan our trip!

Just one question for you though, what type of cabin did you have? We are in a cat D. Thanks!

___________________________
RCL~Navigator 8/2003, Majesty 7/2003, Radiance 4/2003, Monarch 8/2002, Nordic Empress 8/2001
Celebrity~Century 7/2001 & 7/1998, Horizon 7/1991

Future Cruises:
[url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?q=Y&a=tpc&s=927093444&f=1683059817&m=1513051247&p=3"]Legend of the Seas 5/7/2004[/url]
[url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=1683059817&m=3883087867"]Enchantment of the Seas 8/30/2004[/url]
[url="http://messages.cruisecritic.com/2/OpenTopic?a=tpc&s=927093444&f=1683059817&m=2413078377&r=7333062777#7333062777"]Brilliance of the Seas 1/14/2005[/url]
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2004;5;7;18;00;00&timezone=GMT-1000[/img]
Till Hawaii on the Legend of the Seas!

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2004;8;30;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]
Till Belize on the Enchantment of the Seas!

[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=0000ff&cdt=2005;1;14;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]
Till the Panama Canal on Brilliance of the Seas!

[itsanita]

We too were in a Cat D. We had an aft cabin. Lots of storage room, great balcony. A bit of a vibration in the back and it rocked a bit when moving. Have a geat time! Aloha

RC BOS Mediterranean 2005
RC LOS Hawaii 2004
RC EOS Mexico 2003
Norwegian Bahamas 2003
Celebrity Summit-Alaska 2002

[bobnsandi]

Thank you for your review Anita. We'll be aboard the LOS this December (San Diego -> Ft. Lauderdale), so we were most interested in the ship herself.

Did I understand you that it is permissible to take alcohol aboard in your checked luggage? Also, did you use the ship's laundry at any time, or just the one in Honolulu?

Again, thank you for taking the time to post.

[itsanita]

bobnsandi,
I doubt that RC "allows" alcohol to be taken on board. We saw many bottles taken away from people carring it onto the ship, with the understanding that they get it back at the end of the cruise. However, if it is in your checked luggage, I suppose they don't know about it, and I doubt your steward will tell...he wants his tip! But you can buy it on the ship and take it to your room after paying the $9.00 charge. Still cheaper than buying all your drinks.
We did use the ships laundry service a couple times. My husbands tux shirt, and some other stuff. Can't remember the exact price...not cheap, but not really bad. They did a good job.

RC BOS Mediterranean 2005
RC LOS Hawaii 2004
RC EOS Mexico 2003
Norwegian Bahamas 2003
Celebrity Summit-Alaska 2002

[spleen93]

Thanks for the review, Anita! Glad you had a great time!

Spleen

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