When I Went: Dec. 29, 2011-Jan. 7, 2012
Was That the Best Time of Year to Go? It was chilly here in Dallas. It was nice in Hawaii, and the waves were big in spots. Great fun.
Why I Went There: A family member treated 17 people to a cruise to all the islands. Fantabulous!
Who Went With Me? My girlfriend, her daughter, sister, and brother with their besties, as well as a few family friends.
We Stayed Here: The Imperial of Waikiki and a Norwegian Cruise Liner Pride of America
[mapimage url=”http%3A%2F%2Fmaps.google.com%2Fmaps%2Fapi%2Fstaticmap%3Fsize%3D200x200%26sensor%3Dfalse%26markers%3DHawaii%26zoom%3D5″]You Won’t Want to Miss: Hiked to the Waipio Valley on the Big Island. The black sand beach and large waves are not to be missed, but the trek is not for everyone, and it takes a good hour or so to reach the bottom and two hours to get back to the top. Also played Puakea Golf Course on Kauai, which was tremendous.
Eat Here: Local hot dog stands are amazing — no lie.
Play Here: Maui beaches
If I Went Again: I’d skip Waikiki. It was like visiting Plano with a beach: very commercial and crowded.
How Did You Get There From Dallas? American Airlines direct to Honolulu
Other Tips For Fellow Travelers: Norwegian was amazing: super friendly service, terrific food (and lots of it), as well as uncrowded with ease of movement about the ship. There was great entertainment and lots to do each day.