Our little group of 8 - ages 50 - 85 (I'm the baby) left NYC 3 days early so we could experience some of Oahu before getting on the ship. Our TA got us a fantastic package that included First Class air, 3 nights in Waikiki, transfers, the 7 night cruise, a couple of tours, etc, all for a little over $4000 each. Over a third of that was the airfare! Everyone agreed that the 1st class airfare really made the difference. Not only are the seats MUCH more comfortable, but they fed us, about every half hour, it seemed.

Our hotel, the ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Hotel, was nice, and right across the street from the beach. They have their "Breakfast on the Beach" buffet every morning down by the pool. We chose to sit there and eat, and listen to the guitarist and watch the hula dancer. There was a nice variety, and everything was tasty. We ate dinner a couple of times at their restaurant, Tiki's, and liked the food and atmosphere very much. The only thing we didn't like about the hotel was the elevators - they're possessed! Everything else was great.

Our second day there, we all got up early and took a guided tour of Pearl Harbor and the North Shore. Even though we were there at least 1/2 hour before they opened, we had a long line in front of us. We were in group two. As always, a beautiful and moving program. Then we went to the Dole Plantation (Dole Whip with pineapple chunks. Yum!), the North Shore beaches, stopped at the Ko'olau Golf course for lunch, ended at the Nu'uanu Pali Lookout, and then back to Waikiki. It was a long day, but worth it for all of the beautiful scenery. Friday, four of us went on the Atlantis Submarine. It was nice, but not a must see, in my opinion. Then we went to dinner at the Golden Dragon in the Hilton Hawaiian Village. A little pricey, but the best Chinese food I've ever had. Just as we were finishing our dessert, their weekly fireworks went off. The next day, we checked out and transferred to the ship. Read more