hawaiian shore excursions

[bigred]

We have booked our Hawaiian cruise for next January on NCL Pride of America. We are experienced cruisers but have never been to Hawaii. We are cruising for a week and then staying on either Kauai or Maui for a week. So, has anyone taken this cruise? I have been doing a lot of research and I have some definite ideas but would like to hear your opinions. Definitely interested in whale watching, dolphin watching, luau, botanical gardens, waterfalls, rain forest, anything nature. However, a little leery of anything to do with volcanoes. We are pretty adventurous . . . whitewater kayaking and such. I would do the ziplines but Paul is scared of heights. We are traveling with two other couples. We like the unusual and off the beaten path. I am always digging around until I find something no one else has ever done before. We would rent a car and go on our own as a definite possibility. Let me hear from you all. Thanks in advance. Bigred

[RNSANE]

If you stay on Maui, do try to get over to Hana...it would be nice to overnight there, so you don't have to rush the trip - the winding roads aren't for speedy travel, to say the least. It's a special place - more like the Hawaii of the past, with spectacular scenery. Also, just once, it is quite exciting to go up Haleakala before sunrise, and bicycle down. As for shows, Ulalena has won accolades from the NY Times, Conde Nast

Traveler, the San Francisco Chronicle. See it if you get a chance.

On Oahu, try to get over to Byodo-In Temple in Kaneohe. It is breathtakingly beautiful replica of a 900-year-old temple in Kyoto prefecture, Japan. Its Lotus Buddha is the largest buddha carved in 900 years. I have been there so many times and am always stunned by the beautiful setting and serenity of its surroundings.

Another place I enjoy is the Polynesian Cultural Center at Laie - about an hour from Waikiki. The different villages give you a great picture of the cultures that make up Polynesia, their dances, traditions.

[RayColey]

On Maui, I second the Hana road trip, but you probably don't have time to do both Haleakala and the Hana road. Either is nice, but Hana is unique (my avatar was taken on that road).

On Oahu, the Polynesian Cultural Center has to be the top attraction. if you have all day, from Honolulu go through Hawaii Kai to Hanauma Bay (brief stop if you can find parking), and continue past the blowhole (parking always available) right around to Kailua and Kaneohe. Stop by the Byodo-in on the way to the Cultural Center. All doable in one day. In Honolulu, the view from the Punch Bowl is fabulous. For shopping, the Ala Moana center is probably best, and the public beach at Ala Moana beats the heck out of Waikiki.

On the Big Island, from Hilo, you can drive up to the Volcano National Park and spend anywhere from one to eight hours there. The caldera is generally solid, so you can walk right across it (over a mile). The other great sight is Akaka Falls and the nearby botanical garden. On Kona side, you can drive up to the "Tree Molds", where lava flows covered the trunks of trees and burned them out, leaving a mold of the tree trunk - looks like an Alice in Wonderland setting. There are green and black sand beaches, but the location keeps changing because of lava flows - check when you arrive, because some of them are near Hilo and some are near Kona.

Kauai has beautiful sights, too, but the large cruise lines don't stop there anymore.

For car rentals, cheaper "Kamaina rates" exist, but you need a local (Hawaii) address to get them.

[Michelle19]

I was wondering about renting cars and doing our own thing In Hawaii as well. ?

[hazelson]

I have to second Carmen and Ray's opinion.

The temple is a must.

It was so serene and headstones in the cemetary were very unique!

Also the punchbowl cemetary and the Missouri were a great experience.

[DebbieandJerry]

We've cruised Hawaii twice. First time was fly to Oahu and cruise the islands. We rented a car in Oahu because we were there the longest. Just went to Avis and got it the same day we were there. Second time, we sailed from San Diego to the islands. We went online and rented cars prior to leaving Tucson simply because we were going to be there over Spring Break. Got to Oahu to learn that the company we rented from had gone out of business. (We didn't advance any money, just had the reservation). So we ended up using their bus which was fabulous. For a couple of bucks we got to tour the entire island and get off once and return once for free!

We were there overnight in Maui but never made it to Hana. I agree. Rent a car and go to Hana. If you chose not to do that, Maui is easily accessible by foot or the Hattie shuttle.

Didn't need a car on the big island because we went to the volcanos on one side and snorkeling on the other. Also found ourselves walking to the beautiful gardens and waterfalls.

All of our excursions "we did on our own". They are pretty much the same as the ship's excursions. Leave from the same places. The tour operators are very aware of ship's leaving port times and truly get you back with plenty of time to spare.

Have a blast!

[zebra]

If this is your first trip to Hawaii - specifically Oahu, I would also suggest a visit to Pearl Harbor memorial ... it is VERY moving!! Also try and go to a Luau, we enjoyed that.

Edited March 26, 2011 by zebra

[MonicaHand]

we booked a few tours with www.hawaiicruiseexcursions.com and had great experiences with them. Check for specials when you are booking, we got an online special at https://hawaiicruiseexcursions.com/SpecialDiscountSecure.html and got a cheaper rate

[Jan115]

we booked a few tours with www.hawaiicruiseexcursions.com and had great experiences with them. Check for specials when you are booking, we got an online special at https://hawaiicruiseexcursions.com/SpecialDiscountSecure.html and got a cheaper rate

Thanks for the recommendation!

[WeCruiseToo]

While cruising Hawaii we did a mixture of Cruise Line excursions, third-party excursions and just exploring on our own. We did rent cars on three of the islands and everything worked out great.

Our biggest recommendation: even though meals are included in your cruise, be sure to eat some ashore – there’s a lot of food in Hawaii that’s amazingly delicious!