Hawaiian Islands Cruise ship from Vancouver trip report
Jul 12th, 2007, 03:20 PM
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Hawaiian Islands Cruise ship from Vancouver trip report
To those who responded to my "Hawaiian Islands - little time, many questions" thread, many thanks for your help. Sorry it has taken me so long to write a report. Here is a start.
To recap, my husband and I went on a round-trip cruise (Zaandam) to Hawaii from Vancouver in April/May. My husband is not flying long distances for medical reasons and our main purpose for this trip was to see Lahaina where he used to paint back in the '70s; therefore, our visit was different than it would have been without this history. I had never been to Hawaii.
Stops were:
Hilo
Honolulu - 2 days
Kona
Lahaina
During the ship's stay in Honolulu, we took an Island Air flight to Kapalua Airport on Maui (only $32.10 ea. one way - cheap!) and we stayed overnight at the Lahaina Inn, then rejoined the ship in Honolulu the next evening.
HILO
We rented a car in the morning and drove straight to Rainbow Falls. I liked these falls better than I expected (yes, there was a rainbow). Very easy access right by the parking lot. There's also a trail to the left up to the top of the falls. Mango trees, wild ginger, palm trees - our introduction to Hawaii was wonderful.
Next was Akaka Falls where we took the suggested route of the trail to the right to see the less visible and smaller Kahuna Falls before Akaka Falls. We very much enjoyed this walk through the tropical jungle (big bamboo!). We also enjoyed the farmland / cane field (?) scenery driving to them.
Other than a stop for ice-cream at a roadside store, our next stop was at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. To me, these outstanding gardens were worth the trip to Hawaii. I could spend a week in there taking pictures of the interesting collection of trees and flowers, not to mention the waterfalls, stream & ocean. I'd never seen a cardinal in my life and didn't expect to in Hawaii, but here we did. The entrance is 120 feet above sea level so it's a bit of a hike uphill to come back out, but golf carts can be hired for those less mobile. Entrance fee was $15 each and worth every penny. The gift shop has a good selection of books.
Everyone said to expect rain in Hilo. We set off with ponchos and an umbrella but didn't need them. It rained for only about five minutes just as we got to the gardens (they supply umbrellas anyway). Otherwise it was gloriously sunny and hot. It seemed that it was 82° F. every morning in Hawaii.
The ship's itinerary was altered and we had less time in Hilo than expected. We didn't get to see much of the town unfortunately, but what we saw looked clean, tidy and very green. I should say though, that I didn't really care for the area around Banyan Drive.
In a nutshell: I loved the Hilo area and would like to see more of it.
Car rental Hilo
Went without a hitch although I'm glad I had my printout of the price I was quoted on email because they told me a different price in person. Car looked new and was in perfect condition. Unlike our experience with Enterprise in Eugene, Oregon, nobody at National tried pushing any extra insurance or other costs onto us.
Rental: $42.77
Gas at Island Mini Mart by airport: $10.78
TOTAL: $53.55
The ship's nighttime cruise by the lava flow wasn't even announced (!) and it was rather unspectacular.
To recap, my husband and I went on a round-trip cruise (Zaandam) to Hawaii from Vancouver in April/May. My husband is not flying long distances for medical reasons and our main purpose for this trip was to see Lahaina where he used to paint back in the '70s; therefore, our visit was different than it would have been without this history. I had never been to Hawaii.
Stops were:
Hilo
Honolulu - 2 days
Kona
Lahaina
During the ship's stay in Honolulu, we took an Island Air flight to Kapalua Airport on Maui (only $32.10 ea. one way - cheap!) and we stayed overnight at the Lahaina Inn, then rejoined the ship in Honolulu the next evening.
HILO
We rented a car in the morning and drove straight to Rainbow Falls. I liked these falls better than I expected (yes, there was a rainbow). Very easy access right by the parking lot. There's also a trail to the left up to the top of the falls. Mango trees, wild ginger, palm trees - our introduction to Hawaii was wonderful.
Next was Akaka Falls where we took the suggested route of the trail to the right to see the less visible and smaller Kahuna Falls before Akaka Falls. We very much enjoyed this walk through the tropical jungle (big bamboo!). We also enjoyed the farmland / cane field (?) scenery driving to them.
Other than a stop for ice-cream at a roadside store, our next stop was at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. To me, these outstanding gardens were worth the trip to Hawaii. I could spend a week in there taking pictures of the interesting collection of trees and flowers, not to mention the waterfalls, stream & ocean. I'd never seen a cardinal in my life and didn't expect to in Hawaii, but here we did. The entrance is 120 feet above sea level so it's a bit of a hike uphill to come back out, but golf carts can be hired for those less mobile. Entrance fee was $15 each and worth every penny. The gift shop has a good selection of books.
Everyone said to expect rain in Hilo. We set off with ponchos and an umbrella but didn't need them. It rained for only about five minutes just as we got to the gardens (they supply umbrellas anyway). Otherwise it was gloriously sunny and hot. It seemed that it was 82° F. every morning in Hawaii.
The ship's itinerary was altered and we had less time in Hilo than expected. We didn't get to see much of the town unfortunately, but what we saw looked clean, tidy and very green. I should say though, that I didn't really care for the area around Banyan Drive.
In a nutshell: I loved the Hilo area and would like to see more of it.
Car rental Hilo
Went without a hitch although I'm glad I had my printout of the price I was quoted on email because they told me a different price in person. Car looked new and was in perfect condition. Unlike our experience with Enterprise in Eugene, Oregon, nobody at National tried pushing any extra insurance or other costs onto us.
Rental: $42.77
Gas at Island Mini Mart by airport: $10.78
TOTAL: $53.55
The ship's nighttime cruise by the lava flow wasn't even announced (!) and it was rather unspectacular.
Jul 12th, 2007, 03:38 PM
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HONOLULU
I wish we had more time there because it looked very nice - prettier than I expected. We only had time to shop in the Aloha Tower Marketplace on the 2nd day where I bought children's clothes and chocolates. I wish I'd bought the 10 packs of coffee there instead of waiting to get to Kona.
We didn't book a shuttle to the airport because we weren't sure what time we'd need it. Everyone told us there was no shuttle when we disembarked from the ship, but right outside the door was an outfit called Mahalo. They seemed a little disorganized and proved to be unreliable on the return trip (I understood they were new) but their van took us to the airport for only $6 each, if I remember correctly.
My favourite part about the drive to the airport was seeing all the yellow trees. Someone said they are called, aptly enough, Golden Trees.
I wish we had more time there because it looked very nice - prettier than I expected. We only had time to shop in the Aloha Tower Marketplace on the 2nd day where I bought children's clothes and chocolates. I wish I'd bought the 10 packs of coffee there instead of waiting to get to Kona.
We didn't book a shuttle to the airport because we weren't sure what time we'd need it. Everyone told us there was no shuttle when we disembarked from the ship, but right outside the door was an outfit called Mahalo. They seemed a little disorganized and proved to be unreliable on the return trip (I understood they were new) but their van took us to the airport for only $6 each, if I remember correctly.
My favourite part about the drive to the airport was seeing all the yellow trees. Someone said they are called, aptly enough, Golden Trees.
Jul 12th, 2007, 03:43 PM
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LAHAINA
Day 1
The flight to Kapalua was a delight. It was very windy at that airport, but the wind was blowing right up the runway. Here, I thought we would find a shuttle but had to take a taxi to Lahaina. It was pricey at somewhere in the range of $30-$40 (with tip), but the driver was very friendly and we used the same company, Kaanapali Taxi, for our return to the airport the next day.
My husband was pleasantly surprised that Lahaina hadn't changed that much since he was last there. Stores had changed of course, and there are more galleries but basically it looked the same. His biggest disappointment was that the Lahaina Broiler is now Bubba Gumps. We had lunch there for the sole purpose of sitting at the oceanside spot where he used to have breakfast. The burger was just okay, floors looked dirty. My favourite thing about Bubba Gumps was a sign on the wall that read, "Flying is the 2nd greatest thrill known to man. Landing is the 1st."
Cyber cafe (look for the pink umbrellas) across the street from the banyan tree was good and much cheaper than emailing from the ship. It is conveniently near the ice cream shop on the corner where we soon became fans of coconut/pineapple ice cream cones.
I liked the ABC stores and found their prices often better than Hilo Hatties. I bought about 30 packs of Hawaii post-it notes and several tea towel sets. There was a great looking bikini store on Front St., for those young enough to wear bikinis. I also liked walking by the Wo Hing Temple on Front Street just to hear the tinkly music wafting from it.
Lahaina Inn: Formerly the Lahainaluna Hotel. We had to stay there just to relive my husband's experience, mainly to be on the very same lanai. I loved hearing the mynah birds in the trees across the street. I had to keep reminding myself that I was in Hawaii because something about Lahaina made me think of a mix of old British India, Malaysia and Santa Barbara. Would we stay at the Lahaina Inn again? No. It was fine for this experience but lacked warmth and friendliness. Perhaps I should have mentioned the tiny ants on the table in our suite to the manager (who was not unfriendly but not particularly helpful either) but my husband has a bug phobia and I didn't want to send him off the deep end.
We thought the Plantation Inn looked nice, although it's away from the water. The shady outdoor dining area looked especially inviting on that hot evening. Also liked the appearance of the Lahaina Shores Beach Resort which does have a waterfront location (next to Pacific'O and I'O restaurants). The Pioneer Inn is a classic - I wonder what it's like to stay in?
So did we eat at Pacific'O or I'O, or even at David Paul's right under our hotel? No. My husband mentioned peanut butter sandwiches and we were off to the Foodland grocery store for supplies. Don't laugh or groan - remember, we'd been eating, eating, eating on the cruise ship for about a week previous to this, so we weren't craving another fabulous dinner.
In the evening people lined up along the seawall to watch the sun set and a woman blew a conch shell. I don't know if that's a nightly ritual or not.
Day 1
The flight to Kapalua was a delight. It was very windy at that airport, but the wind was blowing right up the runway. Here, I thought we would find a shuttle but had to take a taxi to Lahaina. It was pricey at somewhere in the range of $30-$40 (with tip), but the driver was very friendly and we used the same company, Kaanapali Taxi, for our return to the airport the next day.
My husband was pleasantly surprised that Lahaina hadn't changed that much since he was last there. Stores had changed of course, and there are more galleries but basically it looked the same. His biggest disappointment was that the Lahaina Broiler is now Bubba Gumps. We had lunch there for the sole purpose of sitting at the oceanside spot where he used to have breakfast. The burger was just okay, floors looked dirty. My favourite thing about Bubba Gumps was a sign on the wall that read, "Flying is the 2nd greatest thrill known to man. Landing is the 1st."
Cyber cafe (look for the pink umbrellas) across the street from the banyan tree was good and much cheaper than emailing from the ship. It is conveniently near the ice cream shop on the corner where we soon became fans of coconut/pineapple ice cream cones.
I liked the ABC stores and found their prices often better than Hilo Hatties. I bought about 30 packs of Hawaii post-it notes and several tea towel sets. There was a great looking bikini store on Front St., for those young enough to wear bikinis. I also liked walking by the Wo Hing Temple on Front Street just to hear the tinkly music wafting from it.
Lahaina Inn: Formerly the Lahainaluna Hotel. We had to stay there just to relive my husband's experience, mainly to be on the very same lanai. I loved hearing the mynah birds in the trees across the street. I had to keep reminding myself that I was in Hawaii because something about Lahaina made me think of a mix of old British India, Malaysia and Santa Barbara. Would we stay at the Lahaina Inn again? No. It was fine for this experience but lacked warmth and friendliness. Perhaps I should have mentioned the tiny ants on the table in our suite to the manager (who was not unfriendly but not particularly helpful either) but my husband has a bug phobia and I didn't want to send him off the deep end.
We thought the Plantation Inn looked nice, although it's away from the water. The shady outdoor dining area looked especially inviting on that hot evening. Also liked the appearance of the Lahaina Shores Beach Resort which does have a waterfront location (next to Pacific'O and I'O restaurants). The Pioneer Inn is a classic - I wonder what it's like to stay in?
So did we eat at Pacific'O or I'O, or even at David Paul's right under our hotel? No. My husband mentioned peanut butter sandwiches and we were off to the Foodland grocery store for supplies. Don't laugh or groan - remember, we'd been eating, eating, eating on the cruise ship for about a week previous to this, so we weren't craving another fabulous dinner.
In the evening people lined up along the seawall to watch the sun set and a woman blew a conch shell. I don't know if that's a nightly ritual or not.
Jul 12th, 2007, 07:00 PM
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April, this is an interesting trip report, thanks for writing it. It sounds like you had a good trip and got to the spots that were important to you.
How long did it take to get from Vancouver to the islands?
How long did it take to get from Vancouver to the islands?
Jul 12th, 2007, 11:52 PM
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LAHAINA
Day 2
I am so glad I got to experience a morning in Lahaina because it is one of my favourite memories of Hawaii. We sat on the lanai listening to the birds, then wandered the town and barely saw a soul.
Once Longhi's opened, we went there for breakfast. The atmosphere and service were pleasant and I still crave their macadamia nut pancakes. If we had been staying longer, I think we would have been eating quite often at Longhi's.
I went for an early morning walk to Baby Beach, which is not a bad little beach for being so close to town. I walked by the Seamen's House & Hospital to a beach access in an attractive neighbourhood, strode out to the beach and found almost no one there! A lone fisherman was in the water. (But I groaned at seeing a cruise ship approaching. ;-) Soon this quiet town would be full of people. I must say though, after hearing about the traffic and crowds in Lahaina, we found it not to be so. In fact, we never felt crowded anywhere we went in Hawaii.)
I walked in the water, then left the beach to visit the large copper & bronze Buddha statue at the Lahaina Jodo Mission. The statue was backlit at this time of day, which made for an interesting mood in photos. There is a temple and a large bell on the grounds. A peaceful spot.
I returned via the beach. Thanks to the kind neighbours who supply tap water for people to wash sand off their feet.
Later we checked out of the hotel. Our flight back to Honolulu wasn't until suppertime and I wanted to get in the water somewhere in Hawaii, so we caught a bus for only about $1 each to Whalers Village Shopping Center and went straight out to Ka'anapali Beach.
It becomes awkward when you have luggage, no matter how little, and nowhere to clean up after being at the beach. Hooray for the Trilogy Ocean Sports Beach Activity Center folks, who offered to keep our bags behind their counter for free. But, it turned out that we rented a cabana from them (for about $16 or $18 - can't remember), which solved all our problems. My husband can't stay in the sun because of reactions to medications so, with a covered cabana, he could sit in the shade on the beach while I went in the water. It wasn't crowded here either. The sand was searing hot and there was quite an undertow in the water near the shore. I didn't go in far but a big wave tossed me like a dead fish onto the beach. I had a fun time at Ka'anapali Beach.
After I hosed off, we walked up the beach to the Sheraton, but wound up back at Whalers Village where we had lunch at Leilani’s Beachside Grill if I have the name right. The food was fine - nothing to write home about, but who cares in that location.
Kaanapali Taxi got us to the small airport well before our flight with Island Air, and it was an uneventful trip back to Honolulu. If all airports and airlines were like that, I would want to fly more often.
Back at Honolulu, an airport worker told us of a shuttle company that charged about $20 to take the two of us back to our ship by the Aloha Tower. It was dusk by then and the Aloha Tower Marketplace was looking festive lit up. After dropping our belongings in our cabin on the ship, we went back out to do some shopping. We found a good viewing spot of the ship out the back of the marketplace.
Day 2
I am so glad I got to experience a morning in Lahaina because it is one of my favourite memories of Hawaii. We sat on the lanai listening to the birds, then wandered the town and barely saw a soul.
Once Longhi's opened, we went there for breakfast. The atmosphere and service were pleasant and I still crave their macadamia nut pancakes. If we had been staying longer, I think we would have been eating quite often at Longhi's.
I went for an early morning walk to Baby Beach, which is not a bad little beach for being so close to town. I walked by the Seamen's House & Hospital to a beach access in an attractive neighbourhood, strode out to the beach and found almost no one there! A lone fisherman was in the water. (But I groaned at seeing a cruise ship approaching. ;-) Soon this quiet town would be full of people. I must say though, after hearing about the traffic and crowds in Lahaina, we found it not to be so. In fact, we never felt crowded anywhere we went in Hawaii.)
I walked in the water, then left the beach to visit the large copper & bronze Buddha statue at the Lahaina Jodo Mission. The statue was backlit at this time of day, which made for an interesting mood in photos. There is a temple and a large bell on the grounds. A peaceful spot.
I returned via the beach. Thanks to the kind neighbours who supply tap water for people to wash sand off their feet.
Later we checked out of the hotel. Our flight back to Honolulu wasn't until suppertime and I wanted to get in the water somewhere in Hawaii, so we caught a bus for only about $1 each to Whalers Village Shopping Center and went straight out to Ka'anapali Beach.
It becomes awkward when you have luggage, no matter how little, and nowhere to clean up after being at the beach. Hooray for the Trilogy Ocean Sports Beach Activity Center folks, who offered to keep our bags behind their counter for free. But, it turned out that we rented a cabana from them (for about $16 or $18 - can't remember), which solved all our problems. My husband can't stay in the sun because of reactions to medications so, with a covered cabana, he could sit in the shade on the beach while I went in the water. It wasn't crowded here either. The sand was searing hot and there was quite an undertow in the water near the shore. I didn't go in far but a big wave tossed me like a dead fish onto the beach. I had a fun time at Ka'anapali Beach.
After I hosed off, we walked up the beach to the Sheraton, but wound up back at Whalers Village where we had lunch at Leilani’s Beachside Grill if I have the name right. The food was fine - nothing to write home about, but who cares in that location.
Kaanapali Taxi got us to the small airport well before our flight with Island Air, and it was an uneventful trip back to Honolulu. If all airports and airlines were like that, I would want to fly more often.
Back at Honolulu, an airport worker told us of a shuttle company that charged about $20 to take the two of us back to our ship by the Aloha Tower. It was dusk by then and the Aloha Tower Marketplace was looking festive lit up. After dropping our belongings in our cabin on the ship, we went back out to do some shopping. We found a good viewing spot of the ship out the back of the marketplace.
Jul 13th, 2007, 12:53 AM
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April, I'm glad you enjoyed Aloha Tower Marketplace! I can't remember if I gave you coupons or not. Was Michelle, the port lecturer, helpful?
Do you still need the coffee? Email me....I believe Bad Ass Coffee will ship at a reasonable price.
Do you still need the coffee? Email me....I believe Bad Ass Coffee will ship at a reasonable price.
Jul 13th, 2007, 10:10 AM
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Aw, thanks, MelissaHI, that's very kind of you. We did buy coffee later in Kona (roadside) and Lahaina (Bad Ass Coffee store near the banyan tree), so we have enough. I think we might have got a better deal at the Aloha Tower Marketplace though. We bought chocolates in those cute Hawaiian shirt shaped boxes there and I believe we saw them later elsewhere at a higher price. Yes, you did give me coupons. I can honestly say that if I was to do the trip over, I would buy more at the Marketplace. For one thing, it couldn't have been more convenient to the ship which made it very easy to drop purchases back in the cabin.
Although we saw very little of Honolulu, I saw enough to know I'd like to spend more time on Oahu.
I'm not sure who Michelle is. Was she at the tour desk? The Exploration Series lecturer was Olga and I found her very interesting especially because of her experiences in Central America, hiking the Inca Trail, etc.
Although we saw very little of Honolulu, I saw enough to know I'd like to spend more time on Oahu.
I'm not sure who Michelle is. Was she at the tour desk? The Exploration Series lecturer was Olga and I found her very interesting especially because of her experiences in Central America, hiking the Inca Trail, etc.
Jul 13th, 2007, 03:32 PM
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KONA
I guess the whole trip couldn't be perfect.
Kona was a port where passengers had to be tendered to shore. Since we didn't know when we would be able to get off the ship, I rented the car for later than I normally would have. The plan here was visit Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park (Place of Refuge), a coffee farm and maybe the seahorse farm. I think the car rental set the day off on the wrong foot - and it's amazing how I lose interest in things when I'm hot and tired.
Car rental Kona
National car rental didn't mention until we got to the airport to pick up the car that they only had TWO shuttles back to the cruise ship area, at 2:30 and 3:30. What kind of rental day is that? The car company in Hilo (where the car was nicer and cheaper, by the way) had no such condition. Was I supposed to know to ask about this beforehand??
We could take a taxi of course but one reason for renting a car is to save money, not spend it needlessly on a long taxi ride in bumper to bumper traffic. We couldn't believe the traffic in Kona.
One of the ship's tours would have been a better use of our time here.
Independent:
Car rental: $57.70
Gas: $11.50 approx (lost receipt)
Total: $69.20 + bad mood
Kona highlights tour: (which we should have taken)
Painted Church, Place of Refuge, Royal Kona coffee store. Relaxing in air conditioned bus. 3½ hours. $50 ea.
Total: $100 + probable good mood.
Place of Refuge
It was further away than I thought. $5 entrance fee to parking lot is valid for several days I believe. Palm trees, sand, ocean, history - a lovely and interesting spot that I highly recommend. My husband's only complaint was that there weren't benches for him to rest on while I scouted around in what felt like 100° heat. If anyone can tell me what the odd, small tree is that has roots sort of like a banyan tree but looks like a dead stick, please do. It was not far from the Hawaiian checkers game. I believe the interesting tree in the parking lot was a Noni tree - another one new to me.
***
We didn't go to the coffee place on the hill with the great view of the bay people had told us about because the view would have been obscured by haze that day. We did stop by a stand just off the road and bought coffee there. Coffee sample was really good and a bonus was seeing a Brazilian cardinal.
We should have gone for lunch somewhere and cooled down and relaxed - we could have spent many more hours in Kona. But my focus became catching that fool shuttle back to the dock.
Maybe I would learn to like Kona on a longer visit, but on this day, I just wanted to get away from this scrubby, lava covered, over-trafficked place. Not my idea of tropical paradise.
Back at the dock we caught one of the vans running up to Hilo Hatties. They gave us shell necklaces, which little girls back home liked. The store didn't impress me and I didn't buy much there.
In a nutshell: I'd be in no hurry to return to Kona.
I guess the whole trip couldn't be perfect.
Kona was a port where passengers had to be tendered to shore. Since we didn't know when we would be able to get off the ship, I rented the car for later than I normally would have. The plan here was visit Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park (Place of Refuge), a coffee farm and maybe the seahorse farm. I think the car rental set the day off on the wrong foot - and it's amazing how I lose interest in things when I'm hot and tired.
Car rental Kona
National car rental didn't mention until we got to the airport to pick up the car that they only had TWO shuttles back to the cruise ship area, at 2:30 and 3:30. What kind of rental day is that? The car company in Hilo (where the car was nicer and cheaper, by the way) had no such condition. Was I supposed to know to ask about this beforehand??
We could take a taxi of course but one reason for renting a car is to save money, not spend it needlessly on a long taxi ride in bumper to bumper traffic. We couldn't believe the traffic in Kona.
One of the ship's tours would have been a better use of our time here.
Independent:
Car rental: $57.70
Gas: $11.50 approx (lost receipt)
Total: $69.20 + bad mood
Kona highlights tour: (which we should have taken)
Painted Church, Place of Refuge, Royal Kona coffee store. Relaxing in air conditioned bus. 3½ hours. $50 ea.
Total: $100 + probable good mood.
Place of Refuge
It was further away than I thought. $5 entrance fee to parking lot is valid for several days I believe. Palm trees, sand, ocean, history - a lovely and interesting spot that I highly recommend. My husband's only complaint was that there weren't benches for him to rest on while I scouted around in what felt like 100° heat. If anyone can tell me what the odd, small tree is that has roots sort of like a banyan tree but looks like a dead stick, please do. It was not far from the Hawaiian checkers game. I believe the interesting tree in the parking lot was a Noni tree - another one new to me.
***
We didn't go to the coffee place on the hill with the great view of the bay people had told us about because the view would have been obscured by haze that day. We did stop by a stand just off the road and bought coffee there. Coffee sample was really good and a bonus was seeing a Brazilian cardinal.
We should have gone for lunch somewhere and cooled down and relaxed - we could have spent many more hours in Kona. But my focus became catching that fool shuttle back to the dock.
Maybe I would learn to like Kona on a longer visit, but on this day, I just wanted to get away from this scrubby, lava covered, over-trafficked place. Not my idea of tropical paradise.
Back at the dock we caught one of the vans running up to Hilo Hatties. They gave us shell necklaces, which little girls back home liked. The store didn't impress me and I didn't buy much there.
In a nutshell: I'd be in no hurry to return to Kona.
Jul 13th, 2007, 03:42 PM
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That's great to hear, I'm glad that you enjoyed what little you did see! I actually do not know how the prices compare for souvenirs and chocolate, but many tourists in Waikiki have told me the same thing--that our prices are better.
Michelle is the port lecturer or shopping concierge on the Zaandam. Nice blonde gal with glasses. Did you enjoy the Holland America Line?
Michelle is the port lecturer or shopping concierge on the Zaandam. Nice blonde gal with glasses. Did you enjoy the Holland America Line?
Jul 13th, 2007, 04:00 PM
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I only actually heard her in the theatre once, along with Olga, so I didn't really take advantage of her expertise.
I haven't cruised a lot (had cruised once each with Holland America, Princess, Celebrity) but am a fan of Holland America. For some reason, our trips with them (this was our second) get off to rocky starts, but then everything is great. The food and the service were A-1 in my opinion. I think everyone got a kick out of the 'towel animals' left on their beds every night. Entertainment and activities were a little lacking. As far as ships go, I liked the Maasdam better. Zaandam looked a little worn, and, because we booked so late, we were stuck with a cabin without a balcony for the first time. The crowd was elderly. Maybe because it was a round trip, it allowed people with walkers and wheelchairs to travel. One man called it a "hospital ship" and hated it. Me, I like seniors so it didn't bother me.
I haven't cruised a lot (had cruised once each with Holland America, Princess, Celebrity) but am a fan of Holland America. For some reason, our trips with them (this was our second) get off to rocky starts, but then everything is great. The food and the service were A-1 in my opinion. I think everyone got a kick out of the 'towel animals' left on their beds every night. Entertainment and activities were a little lacking. As far as ships go, I liked the Maasdam better. Zaandam looked a little worn, and, because we booked so late, we were stuck with a cabin without a balcony for the first time. The crowd was elderly. Maybe because it was a round trip, it allowed people with walkers and wheelchairs to travel. One man called it a "hospital ship" and hated it. Me, I like seniors so it didn't bother me.
Jul 14th, 2007, 07:53 AM
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LAHAINA again
How happy I was to get back to wonderful Maui the next day. We'd spent a couple of days there on our own but now the ship was anchoring (off shore) and this was its last stop in Hawaii.
I won't go into detail on what we did on our last day here, but for part of it we wandered some of the back streets, past the old prison and by a Catholic church where we stopped in to buy a (distinctly Hawaiian) rosary for someone.
Kudos to the senior musicians and hula dancers who greet cruise ship passengers. A nice touch. Also to the friendly ladies who make leis on the Baldwin House lawn. My husband used to always take plumeria (best smell in the world, he says) leis home with him, so he bought one here to put in our cabin. Only $5.
I did some last minute shopping - Bad Ass coffee and more stuff at the ABC stores. If I'd known those boxes of dirt-cheap milk chocolate covered macadamia nuts in the ABC stores were so good, I might have bought a whole suitcase full.
My husband has been to Hana and Haleakala before and I didn't want to push him out of his favourite town, but, in retrospect (here we go again) we could have done so much more with this day. If I'd known to begin with that the cruise line was going to extend the hours here, I probably would have booked a luau. We should have at least taken a tour or rented a car. By this time, the heat was giving my husband considerable grief, with heat rashes and swelling, for instance, which took him some time to recover from once we got home.
In a nutshell: I'm sure I will see more of Maui some day!
*****
Things that surprised me about Hawaii
- It wasn't humid
- People really do wear flowers in their hair.
- The ukelele suits Hawaii perfectly.
- I actually like macadamia nuts. A lifetime's opinion was apparently based on eating stale nuts at some point many, many years ago.
- I REALLY liked Hawaii.
How happy I was to get back to wonderful Maui the next day. We'd spent a couple of days there on our own but now the ship was anchoring (off shore) and this was its last stop in Hawaii.
I won't go into detail on what we did on our last day here, but for part of it we wandered some of the back streets, past the old prison and by a Catholic church where we stopped in to buy a (distinctly Hawaiian) rosary for someone.
Kudos to the senior musicians and hula dancers who greet cruise ship passengers. A nice touch. Also to the friendly ladies who make leis on the Baldwin House lawn. My husband used to always take plumeria (best smell in the world, he says) leis home with him, so he bought one here to put in our cabin. Only $5.
I did some last minute shopping - Bad Ass coffee and more stuff at the ABC stores. If I'd known those boxes of dirt-cheap milk chocolate covered macadamia nuts in the ABC stores were so good, I might have bought a whole suitcase full.
My husband has been to Hana and Haleakala before and I didn't want to push him out of his favourite town, but, in retrospect (here we go again) we could have done so much more with this day. If I'd known to begin with that the cruise line was going to extend the hours here, I probably would have booked a luau. We should have at least taken a tour or rented a car. By this time, the heat was giving my husband considerable grief, with heat rashes and swelling, for instance, which took him some time to recover from once we got home.
In a nutshell: I'm sure I will see more of Maui some day!
*****
Things that surprised me about Hawaii
- It wasn't humid
- People really do wear flowers in their hair.
- The ukelele suits Hawaii perfectly.
- I actually like macadamia nuts. A lifetime's opinion was apparently based on eating stale nuts at some point many, many years ago.
- I REALLY liked Hawaii.
Jul 14th, 2007, 10:14 AM
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hmmm, I'm a little surprised that you say Hawaii is not humid. I think you just came at a good time! Then again, it's a matter of perspective. I talked to a guy from Miami who told me, "You don't KNOW what humid is until you've been to Miami!"
This is a charming trip report. I had to laugh about your discovery that mac nuts are delicious! Another addict is born....
This is a charming trip report. I had to laugh about your discovery that mac nuts are delicious! Another addict is born....
Jul 16th, 2007, 11:04 AM
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April, a great trip report altogether! Charming, as you said, Melissa.
I like your "things that surprised me". Talking about the humidity, I know it is humid there--my naturally curly hair lets me know that-- but I think because there is almost always a good wind blowing, it doesn't feel still and muggy like it can here in MO. The air in Hawai'i feels alive, not sultry.
I like your "things that surprised me". Talking about the humidity, I know it is humid there--my naturally curly hair lets me know that-- but I think because there is almost always a good wind blowing, it doesn't feel still and muggy like it can here in MO. The air in Hawai'i feels alive, not sultry.
Jul 25th, 2007, 10:22 PM
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April, I came back to this thread to re-read your Kona experience since you referenced it on the cruise board. I didn't realize you missed the sea horse farm! Shanghainese made it sound so magical; I'm so sorry you missed it. The whole rental car nightmare sounded bad, too! Were there other ships in port that day? I don't recall the traffic always being like that.
p.s. I like the mood-o-meter.
p.s. I like the mood-o-meter.
Jul 25th, 2007, 10:56 PM
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I'm sorry I missed it too.
A Norwegian ship had been taking the same route but I can't remember if it was in Kona at the same time we were. I didn't see many passengers renting cars though.
A friend had stayed in Kona for three weeks and mentioned the traffic being very bad at certain times of day. We couldn't figure out why so many people were even in that place with the dreary landscape. Maybe someone here has a theory.
A Norwegian ship had been taking the same route but I can't remember if it was in Kona at the same time we were. I didn't see many passengers renting cars though.
A friend had stayed in Kona for three weeks and mentioned the traffic being very bad at certain times of day. We couldn't figure out why so many people were even in that place with the dreary landscape. Maybe someone here has a theory.
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