NCL offers both a 7-Day Hawaii Cruise and a 10-Day Cruisetour package. Last December, I decided to take the Cruisetour and write about it.
When one books the cruisetour, one has a single choice to make for land accommodations:
- Hotel room with a view of the Honolulu skyline
- Hotel room with a view of Waikiki Beach
But first....
NCL scheduled me to be on the first flight out of Newark airport, with an expected Honolulu arrival time of 7:00 pm. Unfortunately, my first flight was scuttled after everyone had boarded the plane. Although the plane may have been technically safe to fly, it would not have been realistic to let this plane take off without a working water system. So the first thing I did after exiting this plane was to find a gate agent and ask for help. Thankfully, I was the first person on line asking for help, and this would prove to be the deciding factor in my getting to Honolulu in time for the first day's Oahu island touring.
Before I left for my trip, I joked about leaving on December 7th. This date must have a little curse attached to it, as the gate agent could only find one flight connection that would get me to Honolulu on the 7th. She started rebooking me on a flight which was leaving in 45 minutes, with a 3 hour layover in LA before I could get on a plane to Honolulu. Unfortunately, her computer needed to be rebooted in the middle of my reticketing. She gave me my first boarding pass and instructed me to run to the other flight's gate, as I'd barely have time to make it there. (Although she said I could get my second boarding pass when in LA, I was very uneasy with this.) Luckily, the new flight was going to take off late, and I was able to get the second boarding pass printed at the new departure gate.
At this point, I knew I should be able to make it to Honolulu OK. But what about my luggage? I found out that it would be on a later plane to San Francisco, and then on another plane to Honolulu. My bag would get to my destination before I did. So I settled down and relaxed. Thankfully, I held 2 boarding passes in my grubby hands, and protected them as if my life depended on it. United's mobile app was totally fouled up by my ticketing change, and this would cause me problems when going home.
Arriving in LA, I decided to check in with United's customer service desk at the airport. They confirmed that my bags would be in Honolulu before me. My Tile tracker told me that my bags were somewhere near San Francisco waiting for their next flight. So I was still a little nervous, but knew that I had enough clothes in my carry-on for a day or two in Hawaii. And my next flight took off on time, 3 hours after my arrival in LA. When the plane landed in Honolulu, my first task was to find my luggage, and then find my ride to the hotel. So I left the secured area of the airport and went to baggage claim. And yes, the bag did get to Honolulu before me. Then, it was off to find the ride to the hotel.
When cruise lines arrange both air and hotel bookings, they will usually have a person with a sign near the baggage claim area. One will look for that person, and he/she will direct people to the bus to the hotel. I couldn't find that person, and called for help. Eventually, I found the person and got to the hotel at 11:00 pm Hawaii time.
Once inside the hotel, I took care of registration, and received a letter telling me what to expect for the next 3 days.
- Day 1 (12/08/22):
Meet in downstairs lobby at 8:30 am and check in with NCL staff.
Afterward, the bus would take us to the Polynesian Cultural Center for the day's activities, and return to the hotel. - Day 2 (12/09/22):
Meet on bus at 7:30 am. The bus would take us to Pearl Harbor, and return to the hotel. - Day 3 (12/10/22):
Meet on bus at 7:30 am. The bus would take us to the Kualoa Valley Ranch, and deliver us to the ship for our cruise.
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The next day was the first day of touring Oahu's sites. It was a little chaotic where we were supposed to meet, as NCL didn't record that I was present for their orientation. Yet, I made it to the correct bus and we started off to the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) with a stop at the Dole Plantation.
If one doesn't know anything about bus tours, one quickly learns that bio-break bus stops are always included when traveling a distance from an excursion's starting point. In this case, our first stop was a bio-break at the Dole Plantation. Although it is listed as an attraction on NCL's promotional material, it is a store with public rest rooms that bus tours use for a halfway point when going to the PCC. Once we had a chance to relieve ourselves and do some shopping, it was off to our destination.
We arrived at PCC about 30 minutes before its official opening. That gave me enough time to eat some lunch before entering the park. Once inside, it was off to tour the exhibits for Hawaii, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti, and Aotearoa (New Zealand). All exhibits were staffed by people native to the islands, demonstrating things that are special to their cultures. Of these exhibits, it's hard to know which ones I enjoyed most. Could it be the music presentation of Tonga, where the audience is encouraged to clap their hands and stomp their feet? Or, could it be the Samoans climbing the coconut trees to retrieve coconuts at the top of the trees? There is so much to see, that one needs to plan in advance to see as much as possible.
One thing that visitors to PCC should know. There is an evening Luau at PCC. Several people on my tour stayed at PCC for the Luau. If one chooses to stay for the Luau, they will need to arrange their return to the hotel. (I'm not sure if this can be arranged through the cruise line, or separately through the bus company.) If I were to do this trip again, I'd have figured out how to stay for the Luau and return to the hotel when it is over.
All too soon, our visit ended, and it was back to Honolulu for the night. The cruisetour leaves people on their own when at the hotel to find their own food for breakfast and for dinner. So it's advisable to use Yelp to find a good place to eat and take an Uber to get to the restaurant and back.
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The second day on Oahu was one where we'd be staying in the Honolulu area. Today was our Pearl Harbor day.
Since Pearl Harbor is still an active military installation, visitors have a minor, but annoying inconvenience when visiting the site: all handbags must be clear, so that the contents are visible at all times. This means that most women on the trip would need to purchase clear plastic "stadium bags" before their visit to Pearl, or check their bags at the visitors center.
After an initial scan of the bus by Pearl Harbor security, we were allowed to enter the base. Our first stop was the Battleship Missouri, where we left the bus to tour the ship for about an hour or so. This is the same ship on which Japan signed the surrender documents which put an end to World War 2 in the Pacific. Visitors get to stand on the same deck where these documents were signed.
Once done with the USS Missouri, the bus took us over to the Pacific Aviation Museum. This site is located where Pearl Harbor's original airfield was. In the above picture, one of the original buildings (I believe the control tower) is in view behind the "Gooney Bird" in the foreground.
Inside the first building is a large collection of aircraft used in war. If one is into the study of war in the air, this would be a good place to start. However, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the number of planes on display, and the history of one plane blurs into the other by the time one leaves the building.
Nearby is the exhibit dedicated to Bob Hope. I grew up watching his specials on TV, and he was well known for entertaining servicemen in war zones. The United States was fortunate that he immigrated to the US when he was young. I can't imagine anyone more American than Hope, a man who was there for his adopted country when we needed his services most.
Before reaching the Ranch, we stopped by a shop where we could buy Macadamia Nuts and Jewelry. (You'll notice that chickens are all over the island - they are an invasive species, and they will be found on almost every Hawaiian island. ) By now, I was starting to get hungry and noshed on a few of these nuts before we finally arrived at the Ranch.
The visitors center at the ranch is relatively low key. This is where we had a box lunch that we ordered the day before, then learned about cargo plants and animals brought to the Hawaiian islands by Polynesian sailors.
The first morning after I boarded the ship, we made port in Maui. I had my choice of several shore excursions for the day, and I chose "The Road to Hana" tour. The segment of the road we were on took us from Kahului to the town of Hana.
The Hana Highway (colloquially referred to as The Road to Hana) is a 64.4-mile-long (103.6 km) stretch of Hawaii Routes 36 and 360 which connects Kahului to the town of Hana in east Maui. To the east of Kalepa Bridge, the highway continues to Kipahulu as Hawaii Route 31 (the Piilani Highway). Although Hana is only about 52 miles (84 km) from Kahului, an uninterrupted car-trip takes about 2.5 hours to drive, since the highway is very windy, narrow, and passes over 59 bridges, of which 46 are only one lane wide.[6] There are approximately 620 curves along Route 360 from just east of Kahului to Hana, almost all of it through lush, tropical rainforest. Many of the concrete and steel bridges date back to 1910 and all but one are still in use.
My excursion was on the Kahului to Hana segment of this road. I do not recommend that cruisers rent cars and make this drive themselves, due to the many curves and narrowness of the road. It is extremely picturesque, and shutterbugs will want to stop at every turn to record images for posterity. (If I were driving my own vehicle, I'd be one of the major reasons for traffic jams on this road.)
Halfway along our journey, the tour guide stopped at a local snack shop where we could purchase sodas and other snacks. The one thing she recommended highly was their freshly baked banana bread, still warm from the oven. It did not disappoint. I wish I could taken a case home to share with my family. At least, I know of one place I'll get out of the bus when I take this trip again.
When we arrived in Hana, it was time for lunch. The tour guide provided us with soft drinks, salad, and wraps of our choice. All too soon, it was time to return to the ship. Along the way, we stopped by a shop that sold local craft items (jewelry), and then proceeded home. Unfortunately, the tour guide's bus had electrical problems and stalled along the road. I was a little worried, as none of our phones had cell reception in this area, and it would take a while to get mechanical help. (This is a good reason for people to choose cruise line sponsored excursions, as the ship would have waited for us had we needed "rescue".) Luckily, she was able to get the bus started again after 20 minutes, and we made it back to the ship with no more incidents.
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The next day would be the ship's last day at Maui, and this time I chose the shore excursion to the top of the Haleakala Crater, an active shield volcano that covers 75% of Maui. If one has the right weather, the views along the trail and of the crater are breathtaking. If one has the wrong weather, the clouds will obscure the views at the top of the crater. Unfortunately, my tour was on one of those bad weather days.
When we started up the mountain, it was a sunny 84° outside at sea level. However, at the visitors center near the top of the mountain, it was a foggy 33° outside. I was very glad I took this trip in December, as I was comfortable as I had my winter coat with me
Our first stop was a chocolate factory a short distance from the pier. Like most other first stops to the main attraction on the excursion, this one gave us just enough time to take a needed bio-break and buy some product to snack on along the way.
Finally, we made it to the Kona Brewing Company. I was disappointed in their product for reasons that beer connoisseurs would appreciate - they do not adhere to the Reinheitsgebot. They flavor their beers. Like the Germans, I am not stuck up in regard to beer. I do enjoy Belgian Lambics, and respect them the way Germans do. The only exception I might make for beers not following German beer Purity Laws is for shelf stability. In that regard, American beers brewed with rice maintain a consistent, but less enjoyable flavor, are acceptable to quench a thirst on a hot summer's day.
Our last port stop on this cruise before debarkation was Kauai. This was the one day that I decided to rest on the ship, as I had booked a shore excursion to the Kalamaka Luau that evening. If I had to do it all over again, I might have booked another excursion for the daytime, such Kauai, the Director's Cut, or the Kauai Helicopter Adventure given by Shore Excursions Group. Given that NCL is no longer offering a sail-by along the Na Pali coast, I'd likely choose the Helicopter Adventure on day 1 in Kauai, and take a cruise line offered shore excursion on day 2 in port.
Our tour guide explained that many plantation roads were lined with trees for practical reasons. Before the automobile, there was no such thing as air conditioning for people bringing goods to market. So, shade trees were planted along many roads, so that the tropical sun would not be making people feel excessively uncomfortable.
The ship had been setting up its Christmas Decorations for the 6 nights I was on the ship. By the time the 7th night arrived, almost all of the decorations were in place. I'd have loved to be on this ship for a Christmas or New Year's cruise. However, given that these are US holidays and that many venues are closed for the holidays, sailing on these holidays is not advised unless one can skip a port's usual activities on the holiday.
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