Mele Kalikimaka a Ha'oli Makahiki Hou

(Merry Christmas and Happy New Year)

This greeting is brought to you by the 19 very lucky participants who joined us on our first Hawaii Cruise Tour.  We arrived in Honolulu on December 7 which just so happened to coincide with the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor.  Some of the survivors were staying where we were at the Waikiki Marriott and we were honored to meet them.  A word about this hotel's accessible accommodations; AMAZING!!!  The fully accessible rooms were huge, each had three beds (1 king and 2 doubles).  The king bed was higher but the doubles were lower and easier to get into from a wheelchair.  The bathroom had an excellent roll-in shower with an attached seat and controls you could reach. There was also a standard second bathroom for your able-bodied companions.

From the moment we landed in Honolulu, we were impressed by the Spirit of Aloha and the friendly attitudes of all.  This was evident throughout our trip wherever we went.  People were always kind and helpful.

We spent three nights at the Marriott.  We enjoyed a fantastic group dinner at Duke's Waikiki in the Outrigger Hotel.  We rolled/walked there covered in ponchos in an effort to escape the rain but it was well worth it.  Delicious food and a wait staff that went above and beyond including going to the salad bar for those of us who could not.  The next day was spent touring the Polynesian Cultural Center where we enjoyed a traditional Luau.  On December 10 we boarded NCL's Pride of America, the only purpose built ship that sails the Hawaiian Islands.  This was my first group with NCL and I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  I am happy to report that NCL exceeded my expectations and all of us were quite impressed with the service and the accommodations.  There was an Access Officer on board and she was always making sure everything was good with our group. When an issue needed solving, she was quick to have it fixed and we were very impressed with the response time.  The shore excursions assistant manager was diligent in making sure our accessible shore excursions went as planned.  He checked in with me before and after our tours and delivered an outstanding product.

We had a free day in Maui but there was accessible transportation to take those of us who wanted into Lahaina Town for the day.  The next day we visited the Maui Ocean Center and the Maui Plantation.  Kona is a tender port so many of us stayed on board where we enjoyed glorious weather and all that the ship had to offer.  Many of us used the pool where we were assisted using the pool lift. Those that could disembark took advantage of helicopter tours or a visit to Kona's Coffee Plantation.  Our time in Hilo was spent visiting Volcanoes National Park which was a highlight of our trip for many.  It was quite cool and we learned that this area has 11 of the 13 climate zones in the world.  Very interesting!  Our first morning in Kauai included free time and we were able to roll/walk to shopping, the beach and the Marriott Resort.  There were also free accessible shuttles to take people around the island.  Later in the day we visited another plantation and went to another luau.  We were all in agreement that we enjoyed this luau better than the first.  Day two in Kauai found us at Waimea Canyon, Hawaii's equivalent of the Grand Canyon.  It was quite beautiful.  We finished our day with a visit to Spouting Horn and Kauai Coffee Company.

The group experienced several of the specialty restaurants on the ship.  They were all wonderful but I think we all liked Teppan Yaki the best.  

We concluded our trip with a visit to Pearl Harbor after disembarking the ship. We had a fantastic group of people, repeaters and new travellers as well.  We all enjoyed each other's company and, once again, experienced the magic that happens with our groups.  Won't you join us next time?  You'll be glad you did!