Not really Aulani but hey, news is kinda slow right now
Saw a recommendation already for Sail Trilogy, and they do look awesome. We’re thinking of staying down in Wailea though, and I’d been looking at going out of there instead (just to minimize the ride time, just in case I can convince my non-boat-loving DH) to go with us, and to give him less drive time to drive us there and back if he doesn’t. Anybody have any recommendations or any “bewares??” Mahalo!!
I did Sail Trilogy for two snorkeling tours December 2019 and loved them. They are a little more expensive, but you get more with them (good food and drinks). However, they don’t include transportation with their tours.
The first time I went to Maui, I stayed in Kihei which is right next door to Wailea. I was often in Wailea at the resorts dining and my resort was on the main drag across from the beach. While the area was ok, there wasn’t much to do on that side of the island. On that trip I did organized tours of the Road to Hana and Mt. Haleakala Sunrise tour. On my own, I drove to Lahaina (about 1 hour away), Iao Valley, and Maui Plantation.
This past December, I stayed in the Kaanapali Beach area and loved it a lot better than Kihei. That trip I did two Sail Trilogy tours, Discover Molokini and Discover Kaanapali. I also did whale watching with Pacific Whale. If you plan to do Discover Molokini with Sail Trilogy, that leaves from the Ma’alaea Harbor which is closest to Wailea (about 30 minutes). It took me about an hour drive from Kaanapali driving in the dark for the 7am departure I took. I took the early tour for two reasons. The first was I was concerned about parking at the harbor and the second was that reviews said the seas get rougher in the afternoon. You will have to pay to park at the harbor and the machine only takes exact change. I don’t remember if they take cc. Make sure you have lots of ones and put more time on then you need—this should be done immediately after finding a parking space. That gives you time to arrive early and then visit the stores after. You put your parking ticket on your car dashboard before you lock the car. I did snuba at the crater and Sail Trilogy gave the most complete briefing I’ve ever had in the couple of times I’ve done snuba on other vacations. I snorkeled at the second site. You can also pay extra to snuba there. A photographer is onboard and will take pictures of you in the water for purchase afterwards. Make sure you have your cc if you want these. The boat is docked across from the General Store on the main level of shops and there are restrooms on the second floor (use the stairs) in the outdoor mall area.
The Kaanapali snorkel trip left from the beach at Kaanapali Hotel which was 15 minutes down the road from my resort. Sail Trilogy validated parking at the end of the trip and you parked in the hotel’s garage. I believe the other Sail Trilogy tours leave from Lahaina. If your Lahaina tour is under three hours, you can park in the free lot. Otherwise, you will have to pay to park. Be sure to read the website information carefully so you know which harbor the boat leaves from. Although Sail Trilogy lists an itinerary for Kaanapali, it can be changed by the captain if there is bad weather. This happened on my tour, so we snorkeled Turtle Town and Wailea instead of where we were supposed to go. Since I had already snorkeled Turtle Town on the Molokini trip, I was kind of bummed. However, I still had fun.
I really liked that Sail Trilogy was very customer service oriented. They do require you to put your bags below deck, but you could go in your bag as often as you needed during the trip. They also pretty much waited on every guest and always asked if you needed anything. Food and drinks were brought to you so you didn’t have to get up. They also offered seconds once everyone was served. If you have dietary restrictions, there is a link on their website to the food recipes. They did roll call after every snorkeling session and after everyone boarded. I’ve been on a lot of snorkeling tours and no other tour has ever done that. I enjoyed their tours so much that I plan to book with them again when I go next year.