Hawaii Vacation - Norwegian Pride of America - November/December 2014 - Day 6 – Kono – The Magical World of Seahorses

Wednesday December 4, 2013

Today room service was again very good and on time and then we headed to tender to shore. The tender is the lifeboat and enclosed, so it can make people sick so if you are prone to motion sickness as for a folding seat. And check out the water because it was so clear! I wish we included the sub because it would have been cool to do that as well, but there is always next time.

Once there we were all loaded onto a large bus and brought to the farm, which was very close. We had to wash our hands up to our elbows, so just avoid any lotions or sunscreens till afterwards. The guide explained the whole conservation process of the seahorses and how they were saving the species. It was very interesting and information I was never aware of.  Keep in mind, this is not a zoo, but a working seahorse farm to increase the population of the curly fishes.

We got to see the maternity ward and learn the whole process. The poor males are the ones to carry the babies, give birth and then get knocked up again within minutes by the females. They also mate for life, which is why most domesticated seahorses do not last very long in captivity. We saw more seahorses and then got to meet the 3 sea dragons they were trying to help out with breeding.  Last we got to hold a seahorse in our hands. It is so cool how they wrap their little tail around your fingers. They had a small aquarium area where different species of sea horses and a gift shop. It was really special.

Back on the ship we had some lunch at the buffet and then to the back area to just lounge and relax. It was very relaxing with the most perfect view. They had christmas music playing very low and this lady got up and complained about it. I think the couple were complaining about everything and anything, but we managed to ignore them and enjoy our wine and view of the hawaiin volcanoes.

Eventually, we got so sleepy we thought naps were in order so we went back to the coffin room and took a little cat nap for an hour before heading off to the coffee/wine bar for the night. We ended up making a ton of friends there since we spent hours there and got to know lots of the ins and outs of the Pride of the America. The cruise director even stopped by to talk with us since we were always there and bought us some drinks. 



Book your next vacation - www.cruisescouter.com

Hawaii Vacation - Norwegian Pride of America - November/December 2014 - Day 5 – Hilo - Volcanoes National Park – Akaka Falls

Tuesday December 3, 2014

Got an early start with room service and it came exactly on time with everything we needed. I have sailed some other lines where it is a gamble if it would come, so I was very happy with room service.

The excursion we picked was through Norwegian and called the crater hike and Akaka falls through Arnott’s tours and David was our guide. First off he was extremely knowledgable about Hilo and was above and beyond when it came to everything with the tour. I would do any tour he was leading in a heartbeat.

We first drove up the mountain, which took about an hour and learned all about volcanoes and the hike we were going to take. Once at the top we were given rain ponchos and walking sticks, both needed and started our 4 mile hike after hitting up the bathrooms. The hike down was good and they do keep up a rigorous pace, which does not leave much time for photos, but I was able to get a few photos here and there. The area is a tropical rainforest and after about 1.8 miles you hit the crater where you need to go down steep hills and steps.

The crater is covered in jagged molten lava rock so you need to be careful, but our guide was very good and helped everyone along the way. Once on the smooth area it felt like we were on another planet. We could walk up to these steam vents and you could feel the heat as you put your hand near it. The whole area was amazing and this is truly a once in a lifetime experience.

Now for the hard part, we had to walk back up to the summit, which was over a mile away. It was rough and I understand now why this is a difficult trek and not good for people with breathing issues. Even in my most fit body I would have had issues, but I made it and so did everyone else. Once on top we had a bathroom break and a chance to walk through the lava tube. The tube was cool, but more of a “I did this” type of thing. Also, wait for the visitor center for the bathroom because the lines were long.

We got back in the small bus and headed to the visitor center and were served lunch, water, turkey wraps with local produce and chips. It was perfect. We got to go to the observatory edge and watch the lava lake from a distance. Unfortunately, you can not see the lava and were told only at night you can see the red glow.

We left the park and David gave us a nice quick tour of the city, there is not much to it and explained to us the reasoning because of the tsunamis. He also took us to various hidden places where we could see some out of the way things like banyon trees donated by the famous and a coast line drive.

Last was the Akaka falls and this was incredible. I could spend all day in that area hiking those trails and just looking out onto those falls. Everything looked so clean and refreshing.

The tour lasted about 8 hours and was worth it. It just was an amazing experience and I would be thrilled to do it again even.

Got back to the ship around 5pm and took a little nap and then relaxed in the coffee/wine bar till our late reservation for Teppanyaki. We did the late seating and were lucky enough to be seated with 3 senior crew members. It was really nice to get to know them all and we had a great time.

The food, again they were heavy handed with oil, but otherwise it is very similar to any other hibachi. The fried rice was very good. Miso soup could have had more tofu. Seaweed salad was yummy.  Chicken and steak were prepared perfect. It was all very good and the chef had some really cool tricks I have never seen before. Also, they do just have green tea ice cream, but it was not on the menu, so just ask for that. 

Off to bed.

Book your next vacation - www.cruisescouter.com

Hawaii Vacation - Norwegian Pride of America - November/December 2014 - Day 4 – Maui - Haleakala Sunrise and Summit

Monday December 2, 2013

Woke up at 3 AM and off for a hour plus ride to the Haleakala volcano. Our tour driver gave information about the island, yet in this monotone voice, which gentle nulled us all to sleep. Once we got there it was FREEZING! Do take a warm jacket, robe, towel, gloves, and hat. The temperature dropped to the 30s. I think I even got some cold wind burn today. Ow! It was really cold and so we tried to wait as long as we could before going to the observation point at 6AM. It is a mob scene up there so try to get a good spot early.

The view was impressive. It was a myriad of colors that changed with each minute. The clouds below looked like cotton and only enhanced the experience because it made it realize you were up 9,000 feet. When the sun rose, it lite up the whole sky and everyone was in awe. This is really worth the trip, but I strongly suggest to dress really warm, you can not over do it. We went up to the summit afterwards for more photos and were up above 10,000 feet at that point. It was really cool.  The drive down shows how the foliage goes from barren to full and soon enough the whole bus was out from our monotone driver. It is not a bad thing since we were all exhausted.

Got back and went to sleep and then up and had some buffet and then relaxed in the lounge for the afternoon and into the evening. The bar staff is very friendly and nice.

For dinner we went to the Cadillac diner and the mozzarella sticks were AMAZING! Get these above all else. The burger and fries were good, but we are finding they are very heavy handed with oil. Come to think of it everything is very oily. Do you want some burger with your oil? I think we will try to ask them to tone it down a little. 

Off to snooze.

Book your next vacation - www.cruisescouter.com

Hawaii Vacation - Norwegian Pride of America - November/December 2014 - Day 3 – Maui

Sunday December 1, 2013

We woke up and did breakfast in the Cadillac diner. This was typical diner food and very good. My only complaint would be that the eggs were slightly too oily, just a tad less and they would have been perfect.

This was the perfect start for our awesome visit to Sears in Maui (yes, I am being sarcastic). They have a shuttle outside that is free and goes to a shopping center. One would assume it was island type shopping, but no it was a mall complete with Sears and everything else. We walked because the wait for the shuttle was taking forever and these people kept savings spaces in line for their group of 20. Yet, walking was a bad idea. It was way too hot and gross out and it was a typical street with strip malls all over. We came immediately back annoyed at the waste of time. 

We walked to this small beach 5 minutes away that was said to have some turtles, but all we found were crabs roasting on the rocks. It was nice for the distance walked and we got some good photos.

We had some time before the Lahaina Laua, which I booked via viator, so we relaxed and then got ready. Try to go in with people on this trip if you do it because the taxi is very expensive, $75 one way. The driver was nice and pointed out various things and got us there in one piece and arranged a pick up for us. Lahaina is also a very cute area so I would suggest going early and doing some shopping there first. It beats Sears.

The Old Lahaina Laua was amazing and worth the trip and price. Our server was Devin and he was very charismatic and friendly. We got some photos, saw some carvers, dancing, coconut openings and then the pig cooked within the ground brought up from the ground.  All food and premium drinks were included. The food was interesting, but not really what I typically like. We tried tuna and octopus poke, which was good, and the poi, which was gross.  Who eats that stuff?

The dancing was traditional and was a tour through the history of the island. It was exceptional and entertaining. I would only suggest you get a table up front for a better view. Overall, it was an amazing experience and our whole table enjoyed it, who were all couples and very friendly as well. I would definitely suggest it. 

At the end our driver was waiting right outside and drove us back to the ship so we could catch a few hours sleep. It was a great experience and end to the day!

Book your next vacation - www.cruisescouter.com