NCL POA cruise, then Aulani

cgattis

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jan 1, 2009
This isn't strictly Aulani related, but I wanted to hear DISers' opinions, since I think we have a common reference point for judgement of some of these experiences. We're planning the NCL POA inter-islands cruise next summer, with a pre-night stay in Waikiki and a post-cruise Aulani stay (probably 5 nights). I'm curious to hear thoughts on the things that were easy or not easy to do in each port, the ease of car rentals, and which excursions are worthwhile to do from the ship instead of on our own (2 adults, 2 teens). We plan for sure to do PH from Aulani that first Sunday, but not really set on what else are our Oahu must-dos. Really don't want to spend more than one more day off the resort. TIA for any feedback!!
 
We did this several years ago very much like you are planning. We only stayed at Aulani 3 nights post cruise and it was just enough to make us want to return which we finally did this year. We are not organized excursion people, so I made all our plans individually and rented cars most days. On the big island we rented a car and drove up to the volcano. On the Kona side I booked a snorkeling trip but I can't remember which company I used. We took a cab to the marina. We had been to Maui before so I booked a Haleakala bike ride for my DD and DH which they loved. They were picked up at the dock I think. On Kauai we took a car up to the canyon for a picnic. Hawaii is very easily doable by rental car and I recommend it because it gives you so much flexibility to see whatever you want. During our return visit to Aulani a few weeks ago, we had a car the entire time and used it to go to Pearl Harbor, Dole Plantation, and the North Shore primarily. Enjoy your trip. The cruise is a great way to get a taste of the islands. We have done it twice and loved it both times.
 
I looked into doing the NCL POA cruise a while back, but we opted to island hop and do it on our own. For us, it worked out to be significantly cheaper.

One thing I recall is that the POA overnights in Maui. I believe the ship docks on one side of the island and places like the Kaanapali Beach region and Lahaina are about an hour away on the other side of the island. The two popular Maui luaus - Old Lahaina Luau and Feast at Lele - are both in the Lahaina area as well. I remember reading a lot of people would rent a car and book a hotel in the Kaanapali area, so they could be close to the night life and enjoy the bar at the luaus, and then return to the ship the next day.
 
We did this several years ago very much like you are planning. We only stayed at Aulani 3 nights post cruise and it was just enough to make us want to return which we finally did this year. We are not organized excursion people, so I made all our plans individually and rented cars most days. On the big island we rented a car and drove up to the volcano. On the Kona side I booked a snorkeling trip but I can't remember which company I used. We took a cab to the marina. We had been to Maui before so I booked a Haleakala bike ride for my DD and DH which they loved. They were picked up at the dock I think. On Kauai we took a car up to the canyon for a picnic. Hawaii is very easily doable by rental car and I recommend it because it gives you so much flexibility to see whatever you want. During our return visit to Aulani a few weeks ago, we had a car the entire time and used it to go to Pearl Harbor, Dole Plantation, and the North Shore primarily. Enjoy your trip. The cruise is a great way to get a taste of the islands. We have done it twice and loved it both times.
Did you get rental cars at the ports or did you have to shuttle (or cab) to the airports? I'm worried about that being a huge time suck and expense.

I'm not much on "excursions" either, but I don't really want to tackle driving up to Haleakala for sunrise on our own. Wondered if it'd be worth just paying for that one, but then I'd be stuck back in port with no rental car for the rest of the day.
 


I looked into doing the NCL POA cruise a while back, but we opted to island hop and do it on our own. For us, it worked out to be significantly cheaper.

One thing I recall is that the POA overnights in Maui. I believe the ship docks on one side of the island and places like the Kaanapali Beach region and Lahaina are about an hour away on the other side of the island. The two popular Maui luaus - Old Lahaina Luau and Feast at Lele - are both in the Lahaina area as well. I remember reading a lot of people would rent a car and book a hotel in the Kaanapali area, so they could be close to the night life and enjoy the bar at the luaus, and then return to the ship the next day.
I can see how you could do it cheaper, but I didn't like the thought of schlepping luggage for 4 that many times :( Plus the risk of flight cancellations, etc. I'm going to just ignore the cost part........!!
 
We just got back from doing the POA cruise (May 14) the spending 6 nights at Aulani. The cruise was great if you look at it as a floating hotel and a great way to see different parts of the islands. Food was just so so. The buffet was generally good, but we tried two of the free restaurants and they were not good. We kind of refused to pay for the premium restaurants to get a better sit down mean. THe buffet had lots of selections and fit the bill. Breakfast buffet was great. Room was small but good. They just got new mattresses which were awesome.

We had thought about renting a car but opted to book tours through Roberts Hawaii - rshshorex.com and were very happy with them. Also much cheaper than excursions booked through the cruise directly. We did the deluxe 3 tour package - the road to Hana on Maui, Volcano Ntnl. PArk on Hawaii, and the movie tour on Kauai. Much cheaper to book as a package of three the. Individually, and the guides were all local with lots of great stories and information. We were very happy. The Road to Hana was very "interesting" and I was glad we were on a tour rather than trying to drive it. Very narrow roads, lots of curves, and beautiful scenery that you would miss if you were the driver.

At most ports there were very inexpensive trolleys that stopped at many places, or trolley tours that were reasonable. There are rental car shuttles that will pick you up at the pier too. Lots of easy options.

Also, at almost every port there is an ABC store within walking distance where you can pick up water, soda and snacks at good prices.

In Kalipacki/Lihue on Kauai there is a burger joint called the Beach Hut just a short walk from the pier with amazing burgers and shakes and a view from the upstairs seating that can't be beat. Our best meal of the cruise.

Another tip we learned too late....wait til the swap meet to get your souvenirs. Same stuff everywhere.....much cheaper there.

Any other questions, just ask :)
 
We did Aulani and the PoA last year, but did the Aulani stay first.

Rather than book a ship's excursion in the ports, we (party of 5 adults) simply got off the boat and negotiated with one of the taxi van's for a 3-hour tour of their island. We told them we wanted to see what they thought was the best of the island. It worked out great. We avoided large bus crowds and the delays of people getting on/off at each stop. It was also less expensive for each of us.
 


In most cases we had to take a short shuttle ride to the car, but it wasn't too much time wasted. Even after shuttling to the car, we still beat the excursion crowds on every island. We always reached our destination before the excursion buses got there. We were usually finishing up as they were arriving.
 
In most cases we had to take a short shuttle ride to the car, but it wasn't too much time wasted. Even after shuttling to the car, we still beat the excursion crowds on every island. We always reached our destination before the excursion buses got there. We were usually finishing up as they were arriving.
Great to hear!!! Thanks for the info!
 
OKWJan Thanks for your insight and advice. We are doing PoA followed by 8 nights at Aulani in October. I just found out that another friend is doing PoA next week followed by Aulani for 7 days. LOL.
 
The DIS Unplugged audio and video Podcast devoted 2 episodes to this as well. I think it was in the last 2 years. They did POA and Aulani split stay. Nice way to hear 5 opinions at once.
 
It's the best way to do a Hawaii vacation IMO. POA offers a terrific overview of the islands, and Aulani offers a great place to relax afterward.
 
OKWJan Thanks for your insight and advice. We are doing PoA followed by 8 nights at Aulani in October. I just found out that another friend is doing PoA next week followed by Aulani for 7 days. LOL.
Trip report, please!!! We'll be doing the same next year and love any feedback!!
 
I will post a trip report. I have friends who are scheduled to depart on the PoA tomorrow followed by Aulani. I am not sure what their experience will be like because Tropical Storm Darby is headed for Hawaii and due to strike the islands of Hawaii and Maui Saturday and Sunday. The ship's itinerary is going to Hawaii and Maui first so I am sure that they will be rerouted.
Also try the boards on www.cruisecritic.com for more information on the ship and itinerary.
I am getting into more palnning for the cruise and Aulani now.
 
I will post a trip report. I have friends who are scheduled to depart on the PoA tomorrow followed by Aulani. I am not sure what their experience will be like because Tropical Storm Darby is headed for Hawaii and due to strike the islands of Hawaii and Maui Saturday and Sunday. The ship's itinerary is going to Hawaii and Maui first so I am sure that they will be rerouted.
Also try the boards on www.cruisecritic.com for more information on the ship and itinerary.
I am getting into more palnning for the cruise and Aulani now.
I will post a trip report. I have friends who are scheduled to depart on the PoA tomorrow followed by Aulani. I am not sure what their experience will be like because Tropical Storm Darby is headed for Hawaii and due to strike the islands of Hawaii and Maui Saturday and Sunday. The ship's itinerary is going to Hawaii and Maui first so I am sure that they will be rerouted.
Also try the boards on www.cruisecritic.com for more information on the ship and itinerary.
I am getting into more palnning for the cruise and Aulani now.
Soooo....did you ever write that trip report?? :teeth: I'm getting into the last stages of my planning and I'd love to hear anything else I can about POA!! Happy new year!!
 
We just got back from doing the POA cruise (May 14) the spending 6 nights at Aulani. The cruise was great if you look at it as a floating hotel and a great way to see different parts of the islands. Food was just so so. The buffet was generally good, but we tried two of the free restaurants and they were not good. We kind of refused to pay for the premium restaurants to get a better sit down mean. THe buffet had lots of selections and fit the bill. Breakfast buffet was great. Room was small but good. They just got new mattresses which were awesome.

We had thought about renting a car but opted to book tours through Roberts Hawaii - rshshorex.com and were very happy with them. Also much cheaper than excursions booked through the cruise directly. We did the deluxe 3 tour package - the road to Hana on Maui, Volcano Ntnl. PArk on Hawaii, and the movie tour on Kauai. Much cheaper to book as a package of three the. Individually, and the guides were all local with lots of great stories and information. We were very happy. The Road to Hana was very "interesting" and I was glad we were on a tour rather than trying to drive it. Very narrow roads, lots of curves, and beautiful scenery that you would miss if you were the driver.

At most ports there were very inexpensive trolleys that stopped at many places, or trolley tours that were reasonable. There are rental car shuttles that will pick you up at the pier too. Lots of easy options.

Also, at almost every port there is an ABC store within walking distance where you can pick up water, soda and snacks at good prices.

In Kalipacki/Lihue on Kauai there is a burger joint called the Beach Hut just a short walk from the pier with amazing burgers and shakes and a view from the upstairs seating that can't be beat. Our best meal of the cruise.

Another tip we learned too late....wait til the swap meet to get your souvenirs. Same stuff everywhere.....much cheaper there.

Any other questions, just ask :)
Do you have a detailed TR out there? I'm like a POA sponge right now--trying to soak up every tidbit of info I can before we sail!! pirate:
 
Do you have a detailed TR out there? I'm like a POA sponge right now--trying to soak up every tidbit of info I can before we sail!! pirate:

Check out the Cruise Critic POA board. I got a lot of good info from there before my POA cruise last year.
 
Check out the Cruise Critic POA board. I got a lot of good info from there before my POA cruise last year.
Definitely been reading there, but I love hearing from DIS'ers since I know we often have the same frames of reference. Did you post a TR you could link?? If not, how about some highlights?? :) My biggest worry is getting my rental cars picked up and returned in the various ports, how long that might take, and hassle of doing it with the family of 4.
 
Definitely been reading there, but I love hearing from DIS'ers since I know we often have the same frames of reference. Did you post a TR you could link?? If not, how about some highlights?? :) My biggest worry is getting my rental cars picked up and returned in the various ports, how long that might take, and hassle of doing it with the family of 4.

We only did a rental car the first day on Kauai and it was crazy. I knew all the airport rental places were in the same area so when we got off the ship and a rental car van came up...we jumped on it (family of 3). Unfortunately, so was everyone else. My family got on early but the rest was a pushing match and a standing room only van ride to the rental location. The second day on Kauai we did a ship's excursion (kayak trip) that was right at the port, so no hassle. In Hilo we did an excursion to the volcano with a company that used a van, so it wasn't crowded and beat all the big buses up there. We live in Kona so we stayed on the ship. However, as others have mentioned, there are taxis lined up waiting for the tenders and you can negotiate with to go anywhere you want. There is also a hop-on-hop-off shuttle that hits some major spots around Kailua-Kona, depending on what you want to do. There is a rental car desk at the hotel next to the pier but I'm not sure if they rent to non guests (it's Dollar). On Maui we did a private jeep excursion that took us anywhere we wanted to go. It was spendy but fun and the local gal who drove us was knowledgeable and nice.

As I mentioned, we chose to rent a car only once because we wanted to do a zipline on Kauai. We had done it before and it was worth doing again. We just didn't want to hassle with a rental car at all the ports but a lot of people did, and back on board, no one complained about their rental car experiences. It was a great cruise and I'm looking at the ship sitting off Kona right now! We'd love to do it again someday. We're headed to Aulani on 1/14 and looking forward to experiencing that as well.
 
We only did a rental car the first day on Kauai and it was crazy. I knew all the airport rental places were in the same area so when we got off the ship and a rental car van came up...we jumped on it (family of 3). Unfortunately, so was everyone else. My family got on early but the rest was a pushing match and a standing room only van ride to the rental location. The second day on Kauai we did a ship's excursion (kayak trip) that was right at the port, so no hassle. In Hilo we did an excursion to the volcano with a company that used a van, so it wasn't crowded and beat all the big buses up there. We live in Kona so we stayed on the ship. However, as others have mentioned, there are taxis lined up waiting for the tenders and you can negotiate with to go anywhere you want. There is also a hop-on-hop-off shuttle that hits some major spots around Kailua-Kona, depending on what you want to do. There is a rental car desk at the hotel next to the pier but I'm not sure if they rent to non guests (it's Dollar). On Maui we did a private jeep excursion that took us anywhere we wanted to go. It was spendy but fun and the local gal who drove us was knowledgeable and nice.

As I mentioned, we chose to rent a car only once because we wanted to do a zipline on Kauai. We had done it before and it was worth doing again. We just didn't want to hassle with a rental car at all the ports but a lot of people did, and back on board, no one complained about their rental car experiences. It was a great cruise and I'm looking at the ship sitting off Kona right now! We'd love to do it again someday. We're headed to Aulani on 1/14 and looking forward to experiencing that as well.
Awesome info.

So, since you're in Kona.....I'm planning our Kona day to just hang near the pier. Will definitely hit Kona Brewing as Fire Rick is my #1 favorite IPA. Had considered a Zodiac ride but just realized they are 3-5 hours long and my DH with his health issues will NOT go somewhere away from a bathroom that long :( So now I'm kinda considering an outrigger canoe ride so we won't be pressed for time to do one (Kona boys) while we're in Waikiki. Then thought we might just hang at Keiki Beach and/or fish off the pier (my kids love to fish). Thoughts???

Also, which zip on Kauai? Doing the tubing (Kauai backcountry) and thought about adding their zip. THANKS for the info!!! :)
 

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