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I've recently put down a deposit on next year's birthday present to myself: I'm treating myself to a Hawaiian cruise. I fly to Honolulu, where I spend 2 days, then a day in Kauai, a day each in Kona and Hilo on the Big Island, and 2 days in Lahaina, Maui, then a few days sailing to Vancouver before flying home.

I'm looking for suggestions related to day trips in each of my ports. I've already got a couple of ideas (both from our resident former Hawaiian, Christie, and from a friend who was there a couple of years ago):

- I'm probably going to conquer my fear of helicopters by flying over Waimea Canyon on Kauai. If I have time, I'll head up to Hanalei.

- One day in Honolulu will be spent at the USS Arizona and USS Missouri, followed by (if I have time) Waikiki beach.

- One day on Maui will be spent driving the Road to Hana, which is supposed to be a spectacular drive.

- The day in Hilo will give me time to head to Volcanoes National Park.

That leaves half a day in Honolulu, a day in Kona, and a day in Lahaina. Anyone been there recently (or not so recently even), and have any suggestions?

Personally, I would not recommend the drive to Hana unless you are staying there. It is very beautiful but taxing drive because the roads are narrow and twisting and long, and the locals drive it fast.

We just got back from Hana about a month ago, and the best part of the road to Hana is staying in Hana and getting away from everything.

Just driving to Hana and back is like an endurance mission. And if you are thinking of going in the cruises' van, nothing looks grimmer than those people speeding around in those vans. It seems like a recipe for car sickness more than a beautiful drive.

For touristing in Maui, I like driving up the volcano and hiking around on top. Also beautiful scenary and it is impressive. Paia is a nice town between the volcano and the road to Hana, and has some great fish restaurants.

I highly recommend the helicopter ride in Kauai. The hiking at the Canyon is also spectacular if you can get away to do that.

Pearl Harbor is the best thing about Honolulu.

You do need more than a day for Hana and I did get car sick on the ride, but I was in the back seat.

Kauai is also a worth an extra day in my opinion.

Bixby17 wrote:Personally, I would not recommend the drive to Hana unless you are staying there. It is very beautiful but taxing drive because the roads are narrow and twisting and long, and the locals drive it fast.

We just got back from Hana about a month ago, and the best part of the road to Hana is staying in Hana and getting away from everything.

Just driving to Hana and back is like an endurance mission. And if you are thinking of going in the cruises' van, nothing looks grimmer than those people speeding around in those vans. It seems like a recipe for car sickness more than a beautiful drive.

Well, I was planning on driving it myself (renting a Jeep and setting out early). My friend who was there a year or so ago said the drive was "breathtaking". She loved the waterfalls and all the other scenery....Now you have me second guessing that!

I wonder if there's any good snorkeling in Maui...

Thanks, Bix!

kayrharris wrote:You do need more than a day for Hana and I did get car sick on the ride, but I was in the back seat.

Kauai is also a worth an extra day in my opinion.

OK, that does it... between you and Bix, I think the Road to Hana is a no-go!

As for Kauai, I've got no choice about that....the ship will only be there the one day!

Oahu was my least favorite island - although Pearl Harbor was my favorite site. Skip Waikiki, there is nothing to see. Skip Diamondhead as well. Snorkle at Hanauma Bay - you can go yourself or go on one of those excursions. They will pick you up at your hotel and supply the stuff. Bring frozen peas - the fish will sworm you as you snorkle.

Kauai - I would not miss the Napali coast - I am a hiker, which I suspect you are not, so you may want to skip it - We got to see a mama and 2 baby whales during the hike. It was not a hard hike and took a few hours.

Have a great time!

peacock2121 wrote:Bring frozen peas - the fish will sworm you as you snorkle.

Frozen peas??

earendel wrote:

peacock2121 wrote:Bring frozen peas - the fish will sworm you as you snorkle.

Frozen peas??

The fish love them - you just open the bag as you are floating along and they kinda hang in the water and the fish come right up to the peas to eat them. The fish get within inches of you then. It is amazing.

peacock2121 wrote:

earendel wrote:

peacock2121 wrote:Bring frozen peas - the fish will sworm you as you snorkle.

Frozen peas??

The fish love them - you just open the bag as you are floating along and they kinda hang in the water and the fish come right up to the peas to eat them. The fish get within inches of you then. It is amazing.

Except they don't let you do that anymore.

It was really cool. But the fish were getting to used to being fed and were getting aggresive. And it is a nature preserve so they didn't want you altering the fish behavior.

I still think going to to snorkle is worth it though. Nothing like swimming n a real life aquarium.

peacock2121 wrote:

earendel wrote:

peacock2121 wrote:Bring frozen peas - the fish will sworm you as you snorkle.

Frozen peas??

The fish love them - you just open the bag as you are floating along and they kinda hang in the water and the fish come right up to the peas to eat them. The fish get within inches of you then. It is amazing.

OK, I didn't know that. I was thinking the peas were to put on your bruises like an ice pack.

christie1111 wrote:Except they don't let you do that anymore.

It was really cool. But the fish were getting to used to being fed and were getting aggresive. And it is a nature preserve so they didn't want you altering the fish behavior.

That's probably a good idea - it's like not feeding the bears in Yellowstone to keep them from becoming dependent upon humans for food.

christie1111 wrote:I still think going to to snorkle is worth it though. Nothing like swimming n a real life aquarium.

elwing and I were supposed to go on a snorkling excursion on our first cruise but the weather didn't permit it.

It was very fun.

Rules happen when fun hurts other living things.

Well, I've never been, but I'm a gonna go as soon as I can! I can't do cruises--I hate having my itinerary set for me.

The guidebooks are everywhere--next to the bed, in the bathroom, everywhere I turn. So I know my husband is totally hooked after one visit...

Driving the road to Hana is a beautiful and exciting experience, but it eats up a lot of time and if your time on Maui is limited there are other things that time can be better spent on.

Snorkling on Maui is no. You can take a small snorkeling excursion to Molakini (underwater crater), but when I was there, it wasn't too impressive, but I was comparing it to Jamaca.

Driving up to the top of Haleakala (volcano) is a must do. Start well before sunrise (1 1/2 hours before) so that you can watch the sunrise from there, if it is not cloudy or raining.

For a fun hike, hike up to the Iao Needle. Allow a couple of hours.

What time of year will you be there? If the humpbacks are there you should schedule a whale watching boat ride.

KillerTomato wrote:I've recently put down a deposit on next year's birthday present to myself: I'm treating myself to a Hawaiian cruise. I fly to Honolulu, where I spend 2 days, then a day in Kauai, a day each in Kona and Hilo on the Big Island, and 2 days in Lahaina, Maui, then a few days sailing to Vancouver before flying home.

I'm looking for suggestions related to day trips in each of my ports. I've already got a couple of ideas (both from our resident former Hawaiian, Christie, and from a friend who was there a couple of years ago):

- I'm probably going to conquer my fear of helicopters by flying over Waimea Canyon on Kauai. If I have time, I'll head up to Hanalei.

- One day in Honolulu will be spent at the USS Arizona and USS Missouri, followed by (if I have time) Waikiki beach.

- One day on Maui will be spent driving the Road to Hana, which is supposed to be a spectacular drive.

- The day in Hilo will give me time to head to Volcanoes National Park.

That leaves half a day in Honolulu, a day in Kona, and a day in Lahaina. Anyone been there recently (or not so recently even), and have any suggestions?

Helicopter flight on most any of the islands is well worthwhile. Kaua'i is a good choice for that.

Definitely go to the Arizona memorial. Hanuama bay is more interesting to me than Waikiki as is the North shore, but I have spent a lot of time on Oahu. As noted good snorkeling there but can't do the peas anymore.

I too think Hana in a day may be too much and prove more work than fun. Driving up to the top of Haleakala is easier to do and well worthwhile as is driving into the Iao Valley State Park in West Maui. But everything is a longer drive from Lahaina, where the ship probably docks, and driving to Hana would be a tough haul. If you like magic and will be in Lahaina for the evening consider checking out the show at Warren and Annabelle's. I have only seen Warren Gibson, the owner perform and thought it to be well worth the cost. But I like magic shows.

I don't find that much appealing about Kona. I would try to drive up to the top of Mauna Kea if I had access to a car. South Point and the hike to the green sand beach is also kind of interesting.

Kealakekua Bay, where Cook arrived and was later killed is close to Kona and fairly interesting. Some snorkeling there. I saw a number of turtles there when I last visited.

By the by, my current avatar is a picture of me standing next to the lava flows from Pu'u O'o in Volcanoes National Park.

tanstaafl2 wrote:
By the by, my current avatar is a picture of me standing next to the lava flows from Pu'u O'o in Volcanoes National Park.

So, inquiring minds want to know: is that lava a'a or the other kind?

silvercamaro wrote:

tanstaafl2 wrote:
By the by, my current avatar is a picture of me standing next to the lava flows from Pu'u O'o in Volcanoes National Park.

So, inquiring minds want to know: is that lava a'a or the other kind?

All I know for sure is that it was hot! Could feel it through my shoes and it melted the soles ever so slightly. Father away it was quite jagged and sharp. I stumbled once and had to put a hand down for balance, getting a nice cut for my trouble.

A long hot challenging hike to get to the active flow but well worth it!

Most all of it is a mix, usually starting out as pahoehoe, and then changing over to a'a as it cools and fragments. What you see in this picture is mostly pahoehoe bacause it is still hot although there are some spots that have changed over to a'a. Farther from the main flow it is mostly the very sharp a'a.

tanstaafl2 wrote: All I know for sure is that it was hot! Could feel it through my shoes and it melted the soles ever so slightly. Father away it was quite jagged and sharp. I stumbled once and had to put a hand down for balance, getting a nice cut for my trouble.

A long hot challenging hike to get to the active flow but well worth it!

Most all of it is a mix, usually starting out as pahoehoe, and then changing over to a'a as it cools and fragments. What you see in this picture is mostly pahoehoe bacause it is still hot although there are some spots that have changed over to a'a. Farther from the main flow it is mostly the very sharp a'a.

Thanks! I learned about a'a and phoehoe (although I couldn't remember the word today) when I was in getting-ready-for-Millionaire mode, but I'm not sure I ever really knew the difference. Just seeing the red glow in that lava tube makes that area seem like a scary place to hike.

silvercamaro wrote:
Thanks! I learned about a'a and phoehoe (although I couldn't remember the word today) when I was in getting-ready-for-Millionaire mode, but I'm not sure I ever really knew the difference. Just seeing the red glow in that lava tube makes that area seem like a scary place to hike.

It wasn't just glowing, that sucker was alive! Well, still moving anyway. It was fascinating, despite the heat, to sit there and watch the flow meander its way down the hillside. Of course one had to pay attention to make sure one of the flows didn't pop out beside you and meander over your foot!

And of course being a guy, which by its nature means being a child at heart if not in practice, I had to burn a few things as well as melt the occasional penny or two!

BackInTex wrote:Driving the road to Hana is a beautiful and exciting experience, but it eats up a lot of time and if your time on Maui is limited there are other things that time can be better spent on.

Snorkling on Maui is no. You can take a small snorkeling excursion to Molakini (underwater crater), but when I was there, it wasn't too impressive, but I was comparing it to Jamaca.

Driving up to the top of Haleakala (volcano) is a must do. Start well before sunrise (1 1/2 hours before) so that you can watch the sunrise from there, if it is not cloudy or raining.

For a fun hike, hike up to the Iao Needle. Allow a couple of hours.

What time of year will you be there? If the humpbacks are there you should schedule a whale watching boat ride.

First off, thanks to everyone for your suggestions... IMO, planning a trip like this is nearly as much fun as taking it, and I've got 6 months to plan, so fun times are to be had!

I'll definitely look at Iao and Haleakala hard. Unfortunately, the one bad thank about doing this as a cruise is that you're limited to when you can get off the boat, if it's tendered at a port rather than docked. I'm not sure about Lahaina, but if it's tendered I may not be able to get on the road that early...

I've been snorkeling in the Bahamas and really enjoyed it. I know I'll have one day doing it, and I'm probably looking at Hanauma Bay on Oahu for that. Rumor has it it's the best snorkeling in Hawaii. The alternative is Hanalei Bay in Kauai, but I don't know how much time I'll have in Kauai.

BackInTex wrote:Driving up to the top of Haleakala (volcano) is a must do. Start well before sunrise (1 1/2 hours before) so that you can watch the sunrise from there, if it is not cloudy or raining.

When Jeff and I went to Maui 16 years ago, we did a bike ride down Haleakala. We were driven to the top before sunrise, then once the sun was up, we rode down. It was with a tour group and we ate breakfast near the bottom.

I wouldn't recommend the drive to Hana. There are a lot of twisty narrow roads and I didn't enjoy it.

When we went to Hawaii, which, I can't believe, is now 20 years ago, we rented a car so we could get to some out of the way places. The best beaches on Oahu are not on Waikiki, which is way way overcrowded but o the east and north shores.

From my knowledge of cruises, you don't actually get a lot of time on site on any half day excursions, so going to those beaches is probably out.

Good spots to see that would be close in are Diamond Head or Punchbowl Cemetery.

We also went to Kauai, and seeing Waimea Canyon in some fashion is a must.

I don't know if you are looking at booking excursions through the cruise line or not, but there's plenty of reliable private tours available. If you do some online research, you can find a greater variety of itineraries offered and at lower prices as well.

PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:

BackInTex wrote:Driving up to the top of Haleakala (volcano) is a must do. Start well before sunrise (1 1/2 hours before) so that you can watch the sunrise from there, if it is not cloudy or raining.

When Jeff and I went to Maui 16 years ago, we did a bike ride down Haleakala. We were driven to the top before sunrise, then once the sun was up, we rode down. It was with a tour group and we ate breakfast near the bottom.

I wouldn't recommend the drive to Hana. There are a lot of twisty narrow roads and I didn't enjoy it.

The road to Hana is only worth it if you are staying in Hana. And is better seen from the front seat.

We recently stayed 5 days in Hana and I could have stayed forever. We had a local showing us around and he took us places that are hard for tourists to go. Nice hiking and beaches in those parts. It also helped that our friends were staying some place where they had lots of fruit trees. There was more fruit than you could possibly eat. The avocados were the biggest tastiest ones I've ever eaten in my life.