HAWAII CRUISE PORT
As with all cruises, plan to be back onboard 30 minutes to an hour before
departure. Time is limited in some ports, so I’d think twice about booking private
shore excursions that might not get you back to the ship on time. On Norwegian
Star, we sailed away from port exactly on schedule at every stop.
Honolulu, Oahu- (depart 8:00 p.m.) Prior to the cruise, we spent two nights at
the gorgeous Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort on Waikiki Beach. It was the perfect
antidote for a 12-hour flight with a seven-year-old. This resort offers something for
everyone. White sandy beaches, snorkeling, several pools, and water sports.
There’s even an exhibit featuring warm-weather penguins.
Hilo, Hawaii (The Big Island)-(dock 6:00 a.m.-depart 1:00 p.m.) Because we
were traveling with a child we opted to rent a car at most ports. I can’t stress
enough how important it is to book weeks in advance to get a decent rate. Most
economical cars were sold out six weeks prior. In Hilo, we rented from Hertz ($36)
and drove up to the amazing Volcanoes National Park. I highly recommend this
trip for first time visitors.
Fanning Island-Republic of Kiribati-(dock 9:00 a.m.-depart 3:00)This
stop is always the cause of much discussion among passengers. Some people
absolutely hate Fanning Island. While others, like myself, thought it was well worth
the two sea days to get there and back, for an once-in-a-lifetime experience. Many
passengers try to compare the tiny atoll with privately owned islands in the
Caribbean and find it lacking. Not enough facilities, they say. Too many flies. The
beach is too crowded, etc. What they don’t understand is that Norwegian Cruise
Lines doesn’t own Fanning Island. The residents do.
Here’s the way to make the most of the Fanning Island visit. First, be sure to book
the Napali Beach excursion for $20, which includes a free t-shirt. If you do one
shore excursion on the cruise, this is it. The tenders will take you to a private
beach with hammocks, floats and bar service (though no restrooms!). It’s also
much easier to interactive with the local residents here than at the crowded main
beach. Enjoy your morning at this gorgeous beach, then catch the boat back over
to the main island for lunch.
When you arrive at Fanning Island, don’t expect a man-made resort. The main
attraction is the sweet, gracious people who live there, especially the adorable
children. Before the cruise, I researched the island on the Internet and learned the
children could use many things. School supplies, books (they’re trying to start a
library with donated books) clothes, and of course, fun toys.
My daughter, Claudia, and I went shopping and brought along about 150 small toy
animals to hand out to the children. To say this was the highlight of our cruise is
an understatement. The children’s faces lit up when they saw the gifts, and they
couldn’t wait to share them with their friends and parents.
The children graciously thanked us by bestowing many hand-made gifts on my
daughter-turtles made out of shells, several necklaces, bracelets, a grass skirt,
and hair barrettes. Our only regret was that we didn’t bring more things. My
daughter kept asking on the tender back to the ship, “When can we come back, so
we can bring more stuff?” The only thing they don’t need is candy since they do not
receive dental care.
On a practical note, Norwegian does a great job of making people as comfortable
as possible on an island that doesn’t have electricity, telephones or running
water. They set up a barbeque on the beach for lunch and provide clean restroom
facilities on the main beach. Afterwards, they pack everything back up and load it
onto the ship. Hotel Director James Deering makes it a point to be on the last
tender back to the ship every week so he can make sure nothing is left behind.
Kahului-Maui-(dock 1:00 p.m.-depart 10:00 p.m.)This stop is a heartbreaker
because it’s so short. The ship docked at 1 p.m. right on schedule Unfortunately, it
was after 2:30 before everyone cleared immigration.
The ship offers several great shore excursions in both Maui and Kauai and I
recommend splurging on these two islands. Book your excursions early because
the most popular ones sell out fast. Some of the excursions in Maui include
helicopter tours and bicycling down Haleakala Volcano. If you’re traveling with
small children, there is a free shuttle going from the port to the Maui Ocean Center
aquarium.
Again, we opted to rent a car from Hertz ($60) and drove straight to Ka’anapali
Beach. After swimming, we changed and headed to the Hoki Nui Luau at the
Sheraton. We booked the luau through the ship as a shore excursion. The food
was good and the location couldn’t be beat for watching the sunset. The locals
perform a ceremony with spears atop nearby Black Rock Beach and dive into the
water at sunset. After a quick stop in Lahaina, we rushed back to turn in the rental
car, and arrived back at the ship minutes before all aboard at 9:00 p.m.
Nawiliwili-Kauai-(dock 8:00 a.m.-depart 6:30 p.m.) Kauai embodies everything
that Hawaii is supposed to be. Lush vegetation, clear blue water and rainbows.
We picked up our Hertz car ($55) and drove to Poipu Beach. The clear, gentle
water provides a safe environment for snorkeling at all skill levels. We spotted
several species of fish, turtles and eels just a few yards off shore. The best place
to snorkel is to the right of where the sand bar separates the water. We noticed
several passengers from the ship at Poipu on a snorkeling shore excursion.
As with all cruises, plan to be back onboard 30 minutes to an hour before
departure. Time is limited in some ports, so I’d think twice about booking private
shore excursions that might not get you back to the ship on time. On Norwegian
Star, we sailed away from port exactly on schedule at every stop.
Honolulu, Oahu- (depart 8:00 p.m.) Prior to the cruise, we spent two nights at
the gorgeous Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort on Waikiki Beach. It was the perfect
antidote for a 12-hour flight with a seven-year-old. This resort offers something for
everyone. White sandy beaches, snorkeling, several pools, and water sports.
There’s even an exhibit featuring warm-weather penguins.
Hilo, Hawaii (The Big Island)-(dock 6:00 a.m.-depart 1:00 p.m.) Because we
were traveling with a child we opted to rent a car at most ports. I can’t stress
enough how important it is to book weeks in advance to get a decent rate. Most
economical cars were sold out six weeks prior. In Hilo, we rented from Hertz ($36)
and drove up to the amazing Volcanoes National Park. I highly recommend this
trip for first time visitors.
Fanning Island-Republic of Kiribati-(dock 9:00 a.m.-depart 3:00)This
stop is always the cause of much discussion among passengers. Some people
absolutely hate Fanning Island. While others, like myself, thought it was well worth
the two sea days to get there and back, for an once-in-a-lifetime experience. Many
passengers try to compare the tiny atoll with privately owned islands in the
Caribbean and find it lacking. Not enough facilities, they say. Too many flies. The
beach is too crowded, etc. What they don’t understand is that Norwegian Cruise
Lines doesn’t own Fanning Island. The residents do.
Here’s the way to make the most of the Fanning Island visit. First, be sure to book
the Napali Beach excursion for $20, which includes a free t-shirt. If you do one
shore excursion on the cruise, this is it. The tenders will take you to a private
beach with hammocks, floats and bar service (though no restrooms!). It’s also
much easier to interactive with the local residents here than at the crowded main
beach. Enjoy your morning at this gorgeous beach, then catch the boat back over
to the main island for lunch.
When you arrive at Fanning Island, don’t expect a man-made resort. The main
attraction is the sweet, gracious people who live there, especially the adorable
children. Before the cruise, I researched the island on the Internet and learned the
children could use many things. School supplies, books (they’re trying to start a
library with donated books) clothes, and of course, fun toys.
My daughter, Claudia, and I went shopping and brought along about 150 small toy
animals to hand out to the children. To say this was the highlight of our cruise is
an understatement. The children’s faces lit up when they saw the gifts, and they
couldn’t wait to share them with their friends and parents.
The children graciously thanked us by bestowing many hand-made gifts on my
daughter-turtles made out of shells, several necklaces, bracelets, a grass skirt,
and hair barrettes. Our only regret was that we didn’t bring more things. My
daughter kept asking on the tender back to the ship, “When can we come back, so
we can bring more stuff?” The only thing they don’t need is candy since they do not
receive dental care.
On a practical note, Norwegian does a great job of making people as comfortable
as possible on an island that doesn’t have electricity, telephones or running
water. They set up a barbeque on the beach for lunch and provide clean restroom
facilities on the main beach. Afterwards, they pack everything back up and load it
onto the ship. Hotel Director James Deering makes it a point to be on the last
tender back to the ship every week so he can make sure nothing is left behind.
Kahului-Maui-(dock 1:00 p.m.-depart 10:00 p.m.)This stop is a heartbreaker
because it’s so short. The ship docked at 1 p.m. right on schedule Unfortunately, it
was after 2:30 before everyone cleared immigration.
The ship offers several great shore excursions in both Maui and Kauai and I
recommend splurging on these two islands. Book your excursions early because
the most popular ones sell out fast. Some of the excursions in Maui include
helicopter tours and bicycling down Haleakala Volcano. If you’re traveling with
small children, there is a free shuttle going from the port to the Maui Ocean Center
aquarium.
Again, we opted to rent a car from Hertz ($60) and drove straight to Ka’anapali
Beach. After swimming, we changed and headed to the Hoki Nui Luau at the
Sheraton. We booked the luau through the ship as a shore excursion. The food
was good and the location couldn’t be beat for watching the sunset. The locals
perform a ceremony with spears atop nearby Black Rock Beach and dive into the
water at sunset. After a quick stop in Lahaina, we rushed back to turn in the rental
car, and arrived back at the ship minutes before all aboard at 9:00 p.m.
Nawiliwili-Kauai-(dock 8:00 a.m.-depart 6:30 p.m.) Kauai embodies everything
that Hawaii is supposed to be. Lush vegetation, clear blue water and rainbows.
We picked up our Hertz car ($55) and drove to Poipu Beach. The clear, gentle
water provides a safe environment for snorkeling at all skill levels. We spotted
several species of fish, turtles and eels just a few yards off shore. The best place
to snorkel is to the right of where the sand bar separates the water. We noticed
several passengers from the ship at Poipu on a snorkeling shore excursion.
CRUISE-INFORMATION.COM
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