Kauai, Hawaii, USA. Photo / Unsplash
From sunsets to sea turtles, non-cruiser Wendy Petrie hops aboard a Hawaii voyage to see if holidaying on the sea really does make an inter-generational trip easier.
I’m just going to say straight away, I am not a cruise person. So, when my mum made the extremely generous offer to take our extended family on a seven-day Hawaiian cruise, I was hesitant. I enjoy making my own holiday plans, building a unique individualised itinerary, yet going off on a spontaneous tangent is something I couldn’t see us doing on a cruise.
Still, you would be mad to turn down a free holiday, and since Nana Carole is 82 years old, a cruise is admittedly a great way to travel at a slower pace and spend quality time with family.
The adventure begins with an eight-hour flight to Waikīkī and our group of nine (including my brother’s family) is the definition of an intergenetational gang, with ages spanning 15 to 82.
With a few days to spend in Waikīkī, we do the usuals. Ala Moana shopping mall, a walk up Diamond Head, Duke’s for dinner and a trip to the North Shore for some beach time and cliff jumping at Waimea Bay.
For a bit of culture, we attend the Nā Lei Aloha Show at the Hyatt Regency Waikīkī. With a balcony view over the beach at sunset, the seafood buffet is top-notch. The performance is great too, and we learn that a lei is a never-ending circle of love. The best thing is the family photo that I know will soon be in a frame on Nana Carole’s wall of photos and memories.
The next day, the kids join the dozens of hopeful surfers on famous Waikīkī beach, which is a stunning spot surrounded by mountains and palm trees. I’ve booked a canoe ride for six of us with the Waikiki Beach Boys at the Royal Hawaiian. It’s a thrill as you literally glide through the surfers in a giant waka with the head Beach Boy calling out “heads up” to the paddlers in case they get in the way!
Then, it’s cruise time. The ship has just docked that morning from the last cruise and it’s a tight turnaround for the more than 700 crew, but the check-in process for 2500 guests is slick with staggered times. The Pride of America, from the Norwegian Cruise Line, is celebrating 20 years, quite an achievement.
As we sail off with the sun setting on downtown Waikiki and nothing but ocean on the horizon, I have to say the week is looking good. What I quickly discovered, and would have realised if I had read the itinerary, is that it’s a busy cruise. Visiting four Hawaiian Islands, you’re on the move every day or two, docking in a different port. Of course, it’s up to you how busy you want to be but we are keen to explore every island.
First stop, Maui. We hire a car and head out to Makena, a great beach thirty minutes away. The water is crystal clear and the day hot. Then it’s back to Wailea and Hawaii’s popular restaurant chain, Monkeypod, for lunch. “The fish on the menu were swimming this morning,” boasts our waitress.
Driving past the fire-ravaged town of Lahaina, it sadly looks like there’s a long way to go to rebuild, even after two years. We stop in at the resort town of Ka’anapali, which is a trendy place with a great vibe.
With one more day in Maui, we head east to the Twin Falls waterfalls and to Ho’okipa Beach, where we are stunned to see dozens of majestic Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles. Back on the boat, it’s here I must talk about the food. The four teenagers’ favourite thing on the whole cruise is the “Aloha Buffet”, which ticks the boxes of quantity and quality. Plus, six specialty restaurants mean you’re spoiled for choice.
Stop two is the big island of Hawaii, where you can explore Hilo and the volcano. We loved Kona (yes, Kona coffee!), a gorgeous fishing village with great beaches. The kids and husband surf while I snorkel at Kahalu’u beach but after taking in the vibrant fish life just below the surface, I’m soon handing the snorkels around to the whole family to check it out.
Back on board and off again through the night to wake up in Kauai, the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific”. The Waimea Canyon’s colours are breathtaking, with vivid red and brown cliffs dropping away from view. We head to Poipu Beach, where the kids hire surfboards and spend hours riding waves. As night fell, we watched transfixed as the treasured Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles made their way ashore.
Our last night was spent together on the sunny back deck ordering cocktails and mocktails and trying to get that one family cruise ship photo that Nana Carole wants.
In all, it is a week that defied expectations. The days were full of activity, yet we were free to spend our time how we wished, satisfying that desire for independence.
It’s relaxing not thinking about bags and planes and even though there were a lot of people onboard, it didn’t feel crowded and there was always room for our family of nine.
Apart from the food, the second favourite thing, according to a family survey, was the staff who were genuinely lovely (a sure sign that the ship’s culture is good). The newly added Starbucks onboard, also a winner. The third favourite thing was the beds. ‘Comfy as’, say the kids.
The writer received support from Hyatt Regency Waikīkī, the Royal Hawaiian and Norwegian Cruise Line.