We are renting a car (mini-van actually) on all 4 islands and not doing any DCL tours. We had such success doing our own tours in Alaska, we're trying it again. It just makes sense with our group of 5 (4 adults, 1 child)
What we love about this option is allowing us the flexibility to spend as little or as long doing something as we like or changing our minds mid-stream if something "better comes along."
We are driving to the Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island and planning on spending most of the day there with the 70+ ILs spending more time at the Visitor's Center and at the look-outs while we hike a few trails between milestones.
We are going to the Maui Tropical Plantation and letting the ILs explore the the Plantation/Tram ride while we take an ATV tour with Green Zebra Adventures (kids 4-12 can ride along with parents!). Then we'll head all together to the Iao Valley State Park with maybe a stop at the Hawaii Nature Center or the Tropical Gardens of Maui if the mood strikes us! Then we plan to drive towards Lahaina with maybe a stop for a hike at Ma'alaea Beach Trail (Kihei) or the Olowalu Petroglyphs (Lahaina) and enjoy Lahaina before our Luau.
In Oahu, we're planning for a beach day - spending some time at Waikiki as well as a probable trip to Hauname Bay. We may spend the afternoon doing a hike to Manoa Falls or Kalawahine Trail or we may just lounge around like beached monk seals and enjoy the warm waters.
In Kuaui, we're planning to stop by the Kilohana Plantation on our way up to Wailua Falls and then we're planning on heading to the Kamokila Hawaiian Village so that we can kayak/hike to the Secret Falls and the ILs can take a guided (no paddling required) outrigger canoe ride to the Fern Grotto. ON the way back down, we'll likely stop at Lydgate Beach State Park for its awesome kid-friendly snorkeling and Kamalani Playground. Then, we may head to the southside of the island to hike/drive some of the Koloa Heritage Trail to see Spouting Horn, Poipu Beach, and the Pa'a Dunes.
We've got several "contingency" plans depending on what we feel most like doing each day and having a car (for about $50-80/day) in each place gives us that flexibility.
Hope this is a helpful take on "going it alone"
Steph
We weren't able to get a Palo brunch reservation so if anyone is putting together another (non-celebration) one, Curt and I would love to join you.
Does anyone remember if the doors in our cabins are medal or wood?
The bathroom doors are metal (I'm pretty sure I used magnets on them!) while the sliding closet doors are wood I'm pretty sure. The doors into the staterooms are metal of course since we can all use our fab magnets on them.
Hope that helps!
Corinna thank you....you have helped me get a little handle on what I am doing and I am pretty sure at this point I don't owe you money so we are good.
Val could you PM me because I am pretty sure you are one I owe and I can't find last e-mail with final cost details from tee shirts. Need amount and paypal account. I am only half way through everyplace I need to change account numbers for automatic deposits and payments... ugh, what a mess and time waster this has been.
Also did you do Doubletree reservation separate instead of with Dis group? Or did you upgrade what they help for us?
Hope to work on FE gifts this afternoon watching Oscars since they start so early.
Is this new form and we need to send it again, even if we are on the list already.....sorry, i'm a little confused....
I would definitely love to do the Mojito and Caiphirinha tasting again; I hope they have one.
A question for someone who have been on longer cruises before.....is the price for photo CD the same as for 7 day cruise or is it higher? Not sure yet what to do, but I know there will be a lot more photo opportunities in 15 days then we had on our first 7 day cruise last year when I just bought a photo package on the ship.....
Do you know if there is a place to buy the photo CD in advance? And does the photo CD come with all printing rights?
I just had an idea that I want to run by the group. A number of you talked about having a group photo taken with the 153 of us in our cruise shirts (and of course anyone else who wants to join in). Vista Prints has a banner I can have made that we can hold in front of us. Is these to cheesy? What would would want on the banner? The images and text on our shirts identifying the cruise and year?
I just had an idea that I want to run by the group. A number of you talked about having a group photo taken with the 153 of us in our cruise shirts (and of course anyone else who wants to join in). Vista Prints has a banner I can have made that we can hold in front of us. Is these to cheesy? What would would want on the banner? The images and text on our shirts identifying the cruise and year?
I personally love group photos.....HOWEVER, I know that Shutters has a "sitting fee" policy where they charge a large amount of money supposedly for group shots like that. On past cruises I have been with folks who have an "in" and were able to get Shutters to do it for free.....but other times I know they have been unwilling to do that-----so would we be looking for Shutters to do the photo? Or maybe just some other friend/family/DIS person or CM to take it with one or more digital cams and then post and/or email it around?
if anyone has contact info for~ Hayley Little and Stephanie Kiesel - please pass it alomg. i think we have found the extra four with the recent posts for Palo brunch From Susie and Curt, Sam and I.
Thanks.
I think we were talking about someone taking it with some of our personal cameras. Like was discussed for the Champagne Girls gathering. Just need a non shirted volunteer ...Is this what you were thinking Val?
By the way how are wedding plans going? And how is your baby????
I just had an idea that I want to run by the group. A number of you talked about having a group photo taken with the 153 of us in our cruise shirts (and of course anyone else who wants to join in). Vista Prints has a banner I can have made that we can hold in front of us. Is these to cheesy? What would would want on the banner? The images and text on our shirts identifying the cruise and year?
As for our (fur)baby----he's wonderful. I don't know HOW I'm going to cope with being without him on the cruise for two weeks. I think I'm going to go get him a "helper dog" vest so the ship has to allow him to come on the trip with us!
Erik....Mom has macular degeneration and her sight has been slowly deteriorating...we could always say that Merlin is her seeing eye dog!!!!! LOL!!!!
I personally love group photos.....HOWEVER, I know that Shutters has a "sitting fee" policy where they charge a large amount of money supposedly for group shots like that. On past cruises I have been with folks who have an "in" and were able to get Shutters to do it for free.....but other times I know they have been unwilling to do that-----so would we be looking for Shutters to do the photo? Or maybe just some other friend/family/DIS person or CM to take it with one or more digital cams and then post and/or email it around?
I LOVE the idea in theory!
One idea would be to have the group gather (standing) on the floor of the atrium and look up - with the photographer(s) on the little balcony above - that way all the faces would show and the bodies wouldn't take up any room.
Of course a banner wouldn't really show in that configuration, would it?
Your right, I asked about having Shutters take photos for us once and there was a $75 sitting fee PLUS we would have had to buy the pictures. Didn't you take group pictures of the Champagne Girls above the lobby for us once? We all gave you are cameras and you took pictures for us, with camera after camera after camera? Maybe we could get some one else to take the shot for us