Reply #25: I squeezed in as much as I could during the stops [View All]

[Awsi Dooger]

The ship would typically dock from 6 AM to 6 PM. I'd have a quick breakfast and then grab the rental car and hit my itinerary. I did a great job this time totally ignoring the group excursions and forging my own path. I could manage much more that way and at cheaper cost. We stopped at Hilo, then Maui for two days, back to the Big Island to Kona (my least favorite, kind of the Hawaiian version of Gatlinburg, at least near the dock) and finally to Kauai.

But you're absolutely correct, the stops are much too brief. I took the cruise since I got a very good deal on it, and it would enable me to hit many of the islands in short order, before my time share exchange in Waikiki Beach to follow. I enjoyed that part of the trip much more, taking in the Pearl Harbor sites, etc. Next time I'm have to prioritize the other islands for longer periods and also the ones I missed, like Molokai.

Oh yeah, another highlight was the twisting drive to Hana on Mauai. That was our overnight stay so I was able to take my time.