Polynesian Dreams on the Oceania Regatta
7/29/2025 to 8/18/2025

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Page 1 – Pre-Trip in Honolulu, Embarkation, Ship
Page 2 – Ship (Continued), Cabin, Activities, Entertainment
Page 3 - Ports of Call: Nawiliwili, Kauai; Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Page 4 - Ports of Call:    Nuka Hiva, French Polynesia; Rangiroa, French Polynesia; Raiatea, French Polynesia; Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Page 5 - Ports of Call:   Bora Bora, French Polynesia - Day 2; Papeete, Tahiti

Ports of Call

Nawiliwili, Kauai – Day 1

As we approached Kauiai early in the morning, we could see its beauty.

We booked a helicopter tour through Ali’I Tours (https://iflykauai.com/kauai-helicopter-tours/). With 70% of the island not accessible by car, a helicopter tour is the only way to some of the most beautiful parts. A benefit of this company was that they used smaller helicopters that we could book for just the two of us. They also allowed us to fly with the doors off to get better photos without glare from the windows. We left the ship almost an hour early since we read that it can be difficult to get an Uber or taxi at the port. We were thrilled when we found a taxi waiting at the ship to take us to the airport that was just ten minutes away. It was a very windy day, and we were concerned if they would be able to do the tours. When we arrived at the airport, we saw helicopters taking off and landing, so we assumed everything would be OK.

When we arrived at the office, were told that it was too windy for the small helicopters to do the tours. I was so disappointed. I did a helicopter tour in Kauai 20 years ago and so wanted Cathy to be able to see the beauty of the island from above. They asked if we wanted to reschedule for the next day, but we already had a different tour booked, plus it might have been too windy then too. We assumed that other helicopter companies were already booked, but we were willing to call around. She told us to call the company across the road, Blue Hawaiian Helicopter (https://www.bluehawaiian.com/en/kauai). They said that they did have an opening for an 11:30 AM tour. We were thrilled! Our original tour was for 10:30 AM, but since we were there early, we walked over and were signed up before 10:00 AM. We ended up being on a 10:30 AM tour, just like our original plan.

We would be on a tour with a family of three, so there would be five in the helicopter, the maximum. There were two in the front with the pilot and three in the back. They assign the seating, and I assumed correctly that I would be in the middle seat in the back. The best place for balancing the weight load and the worst place for photos. I was just so happy that Cathy had a window and could experience this unique adventure. I took a photo of our helicopter from the building.

When it was time to load up, they took photos of us with my iPhone.

Our pilot was Marshall. We were very pleased with him.

This was my view toward the front. Not great! I was able to take some photos through the side windows, but the best views were from the right side of the helicopter and the woman next to me was taking lots of photos too. This meant that I would mostly have an obstructed view. I was able to take photos from Cathy’s window, but reflections were an issue. I was able to take enough acceptable photos to help remember what we saw.

It was a very enjoyable tour, and the pilot did a great job with his narrative. We were pleasantly surprised at how smooth the ride was with the high winds. Had we been able to do the original tour with just the two of us with the doors off, I could have gotten so many great photos, since it was such a clear day. We first flew over the port where we could see the Regatta from above.

We continued along looking down on the towns and coastlines. We then moved across the mountainous center of the island where we flew through Waimea Canyon, which is called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

The main draw of a helicopter ride in Kauai, is to see the gorgeous Nā Pali Coast. We were so lucky that we had a clear day to experience it.

We then moved to the northern part of the island near the towns of Haena and Hanalei, where we could see beautiful beaches and small towns. The popular resort town of Princeville is nearby.

We then headed back into the mountainous center of the island. We flew into Mt. Waialeale, one of the wettest places on earth with an average rainfall of 373 inches per year. The volcano has a 5,148 foot elevation.

After landing, we took an Uber back to the ship. For the afternoon, we decided to see where the little trolly that stopped next to the dock went to. The driver said that it went to the mall and back around every 20 minutes. He also said that there was a nice beach near the mall. That sounded like a great way to see a little more of the beautiful island.

The “mall” wasn’t much of a shopping center. There were a couple small restaurants, but we had already eaten. The shops weren’t that appealing and there were many empty store fronts. The driver told us how to get to the beach, which was our main destination to begin with. Across the road from the “mall” were nice hotels, restaurants and shops.

We walked over to the beach area. The water was rougher than I would want to swim in, but there were plenty of people enjoying it.

What really impressed us was something we had never seen before, eFoil boards. We were watching people riding these surfboards a foot or more above the water, plus they were going against the waves.

After doing some research, I found that that there are several types of hydrofoil boards or foil boards. A hydrofoil is attached to the bottom of the surfboard, which gives it more control. With the eFoil boards, they have an electric motor that powers the board. How cool is that! My first thought was how much time could one of these motorized boards actually run for. I found that in 2021 a father and son crossed the 23-mile English Channel in an hour and 44 minutes at an average speed of 13 mph. They only had 4% battery left, but they did it. What a great water sport!

We caught the trolley back to the ship where we relaxed and just enjoyed being in Hawaii.

Nawiliwili, Kauai – Day 2

We were supposed to dock in Maui on this day, but the itinerary changed months ago, probably due to the conditions in Lahaina after last year’s fire. Since Kauai is my favorite of the islands, I was pleased to have an additional day there.

We booked a ship excursion called Hollywood IN Hawaii-Movies And Waterfall. It would allow us to visit more of the island, especially the north side. So many movies were filmed on Kauai including Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Blue Hawaii, South Pacific, Donovan’s Reef, etc. We had a very fun tour guide named Kaleo. He was also a movie lover who knew so much about so many movies that he shared with us.

Everywhere we stopped he would tell us which movies were filmed there and show us video clips from the movies on the video screens in the large van.

I don’t remember what movies were shot where, but the places were quite beautiful. Our first stop was at the Ahukini Landing. The water was very active. Although the water was quite rough, it sure was enjoyable to watch. However, it is not a good place to swim. The warning sign was quite descriptive. It said "SUDDEN DROPOFF Bottom drops off abruptly, you could drown IF IN DOUBT DON'T, GO OUT"

The pillar at the end of the breakwater was standing straight up in some other photos I saw of it. It does get battered by the waves.

Our next stop was at the Wailua State Park where we would see the 151-foot tall Opaekaa Falls. It was used in Blue Hawaii, Donovan’s Reef, Fantasy Island and others. There is a long trail to get to the bottom of the waterfall, but we settled for the faster to capture upper view. We had way too many places to see to spend time on one waterfall.

Across the road was the curvy Wailua River. That location was used in Blue Hawaii where he sang a song.

We stopped at another filming location, but the main thing that grabbed our attention were all the chickens. They were everywhere! Kuaii has a problem with way too many wild chickens. Sadly, they don’t taste good, so they aren’t a human food source.

We next stopped at another scenic ocean view. A beautiful place but not one that I would go swimming.

Our next stop was really special, the Anahola and Kalalea Mountains. Just a gorgeous place with a nice resort in the valley. The backdrop was also used for the resort in Six Days, Seven Nights starring Harrison Ford.

Kalalea Mountain, also known as Kong Mountain, due to how it looks like King Kong’s head, was used in the opening scene of the first Raiders of the Lost Ark movie.

We next stopped at a drop-dead gorgeous place, the Kilauea Lighthouse overlook. I could have stayed there for a long time just looking down at the waves crashing against the rocks.

For lunch we stopped in the beachside town of Hanalei, one of the towns we saw from the helicopter the previous day. We had an hour to find a restaurant and enjoy the town. Kaleo recommended a few restaurants for the group including the Kalypso. It was a winner!

We had an outstanding lunch. The people at the table next to us raved about the calamari, saying it was the best they ever had, so we had to order some. It was much thicker than what we are used to, but delicious.

Cathy and I shared a blackened shrimp wrap and Kalua pork quesadillas. Just outstanding!

On the way back, we passed by another beautiful beach.

Kaleo also told us about the Hōkūleʻa. It is a double-hulled voyaging canoe. It was launched in 1975. It is best known for its 1976 voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti using only traditional navigation techniques. They were trying to prove the Asiatic origin of the Oceanic people. They proved that they were able to have purposeful trips rather than just drifting to a destination. He also showed us a most interesting and informative video about it on the way back to the ship. We would hear about the Hōkūleʻa many times from our enrichment lecturer and our tour guides. It was a big deal.

When we returned to the ship, I took some photos of the area. I liked the breakwater and lighthouse near the dock.

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – Day 1

As we were approaching the big island of Hawaii, we got our first glimpse of Mauna Loa in the distance.

We were told a few weeks before the cruise that we would not be going to the port of Hilo and would overnight in Kailua-Kona. This was a big problem, since excursions to Volcano National Park take much longer from Kona than than Hilo. We planned on taking the $109 excursion from Hilo but had to instead find a tour from Kona to get there. The only tour offered by the ship was one for $379 that also included a visit to a black sand beach. Additionally, it had to be done the first day, since we would have to leave port the next day at 1:00 PM rather than the original 6:00 PM. With that tour being sold out when the announcement was made, the only option was to find a private tour. We found this one through TripAdvisor, LINK. This worked out much better, since we would be able to circle the whole island of Hawaii, rather than just going the southern route to see the national park. Plus, it was over $100 cheaper per person. Our tour guide for the day was Kerry. We were so glad he was a good guy, since we would be with him for 11 hours.

We had a very comfortable van with a great speaker system, area-controlled AC and USB ports. It’s a good thing, since Kerry told us that the drive we would take around the island was 280 miles.

Our first stop was at the Bay View Farm, a Kona coffee farm. We would learn about the harvesting and milling process while also tasting some of their coffees. We first looked at some of their coffee plants.

They also showed us banana and bread fruit trees.

In one area, they were spreading out the coffee beans to dry.

Next to the store and coffee sampling area, I got a kick out of the cat with a lei around his neck. He received a lot of attention and petting.

We tasted a few of the different coffees. They tasted good, but the prices were very high in my opinion. Many purchased some coffee to take home.

Our next stop was to the Punalu’u Beach. Black sand beaches are so beautiful with the blue water in the background. However, they aren’t great for swimming with the large stones and sharp volcanic rocks. Kerry told us that if we were lucky we might see some green sea turtles on the beach. I liked the monument at the entrance to the beach with a woman lying on a sea turtle’s back.

When we got closer to the beach, Kerry said that we were probably in luck, since people were standing around where the turtles normally come ashore.

Sure enough, there were two of them relaxing on the beach.

At the other end of the park area, the waves were crashing in. We thoroughly enjoyed watching them.

We next drove to our main destination, Volcanoes National Park on Mauna Loa. Since this would be my third visit to the park, I didn’t expect it to be any different, but I was very wrong. This is what the caldera looked like in 2012. It was approximately a half mile across in diameter.

After a 2018 eruption it increased in size to 2.5 miles after the crater sank 1,600 feet into the earth. It was very different looking.

After getting our fill of photos, we got back in the van to do more exploring. We passed by an area with some steam vents. This is where rainwater has seeped down to the hot rocks and comes back up as steam.

Our next stop was at the Thurston Lava Tube. The tube is where there had been a lava flow and the outside of the flow cooled while the remaining lava flowed out of the tube. The path down to the tube was through a lush fern forest. It was steeper than I remembered, but perhaps my aging 13 years just made it seem that way.

The entrance to the tube looks like an entrance into a cave.

The lighting illuminated the tube nicely. You did have to be careful where you walked, since there are puddles, rocks and narrower areas where you need to make sure you don’t hit your head.

At the end were a series of step back up to the lush forest.

Our next destination was the Big Island Candy plant and store.

Upon entering, we were given a sample of some of their products. They were quite tasty. We first saw the large production area. This was a big operation.

We then walked through the shopping section. My first thought was “Wouldn’t this be a great place to get souvenirs”? You are probably thinking that the souvenirs wouldn’t even make it back to the ship. We controlled ourselves and still have some of the macadamia cookies and coated macadamia nuts still in our house as I am writing this review. They won’t be around much longer though.

We then headed to our first waterfall of the tour, Rainbow Falls. We could view it from just next to the parking lot. It is 80 feet tall and makes for nice photos.

Our next stop was close by, the Akaka Falls. Kerry told us that we would have to go down several sets of stairs and inclined paths to see the falls, but that it would be worth it. He was right. Seeing the 442-foot-tall waterfall was definitely worth the effort.

After over an hour’s drive along Hawaii’s beautiful coastline, we came to the Waipi’o Valley Lookout. We were not allowed into the valley, since it can only be accessed by 4-wheel drive vehicles and tour operators require special permits. The valley is 2,000 feet below the mountain peaks.

King Kamehameha the Great was hidden in the valley until he was five years old to protect him from the warring clans. Hawaiian legend prophesized that a light in the sky with feathers like a bird would signal the birth of a great chief. Historians believe Kamehameha was born in 1758, the year Halley’s comet passed over Hawaii. The clan chiefs wanted to kill him before he could come to power. It is a beautiful place.

The drive back to the ship took over an hour. It gave us a chance to see the very arid area of the big island. We could see the volcano Mauna Kea in the distance, with the white observatories on top. It is the hightest peak in the state and tallest mountain in the world when measured from its base on the ocean floor. My lens was too short to get decent photos of the observatories, but you can get an idea from the blown-up image.

Unlike the lush tropical forests we previously drove through, we were now seeing dry brown scrub brush. I was fascinated with the fluffy looking brush.

After a very long touring day, we arrived back at the ship at around 6:45 PM. It had been a most enjoyable tour seeing a wide variety of attractions and beauty.

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – Day 2

This was the day we originally planned to do the Volcanoes National Park. With that ship tour being cancelled, we needed to take a different ship tour to keep our 25% discount on the other five ship tours we previously booked. We found one that was OK, even though it covered part of the same part of the island we visited the previous day. It was called Historic Kona. Our tour guide, Steven, was a good one and a very nice guy.

Our first stop was at the Royal Kona Coffee Company. It is in a beautiful setting overlooking the ocean.

We sampled several of their blends while enjoying the scenery. Once again there were shopping opportunities.

Below the building is small lava tube. Since we had plenty of time, I walked down to take a look. The walk was further and steeper than I expected. It also wasn’t worth seeing, especially after the Thurston lava tube. It was so short, it didn't need any lighting.

On our drive to our next destination, I hoped to be able to take a photo of a sign I saw the previous day in the same area that I thought was very funny. I didn’t see the sign, but I was able to get a copy of the company's coffee bag label online that was the same thing.

Our next destination was St. Benedicts Catholic Church, normally referred to as the Painted Church. The building was completed in 1902 and painted by a Belgian missionary. He was an untrained folk artist who did an outstanding job of making this quite a unique church. It is still a working church.

Upon entering, we saw that this was going to be a very special church.

The further in we walked, the prettier it got.

The untrained artist self-taught himself very well.

The attendant at the church told to walk to one side of the altar where we could see where the face of Jesus was painted in a hidden place that couldn’t be seen from most of the church.

Outside was a cemetery overlooking the ocean.

In front of the church is a monument to St. Damien, who ministered to the leper colony of Molokai from 1873 until his death from leprosy in 1889. He is the patron saint of the Diocese of Honolulu. He was canonized in 2009.

Steven provided us with a little ukulele entertainment while we walked around the grounds. He also told us to look at the flowers that looked like crab claws on one of the plants.

The last stop on the tour was the Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park. It was a place of refuge to avoid death for those that had broken the ancient Kapu laws. I previously visited it twice before and wasn’t thrilled about a third one. My main memory of the park was that it was very hot due to all the black lava rock. This day would be better since it was a milder day with a nice breeze. As you walk into the grounds, the blue water and green palms against the black lava rock is striking. The views looking out to the small temple are gorgeous.

Around the temple are several statues of gods guarding the area. The first temple at this location was constructed in 1650 AD.

There were many beautiful views in the park.

Across from the temple, there were people swimming and sunbathing on the lava rock.

We walked around a different area of the park. It is surrounded by the Great Wall standing 12-feet tall and 18-feet wide.

We kind of got trapped by the walls, until we found an opening we could pass through to get back to the main area. There were two a-frame structures with displays in them. One had a woman demonstrating how to make head dresses with leaves. There was also an old outrigger canoe in the building. The other building just had old storage containers.

We walked back to the main facility to wait for Steven to tell us when to board the bus back to the ship. There was interesting artwork on the walls.

We made it back for the last tender at 12:30 PM. Even though it wasn’t my first choice of tours, it turned out to be a pretty good use of the remaining time on the island.

Once onboard, we would have four full days at sea before arriving at our next port. I was concerned if there would be enough activities to keep me occupied. I was wrong, there were plenty of activity options, as well as time for relaxation. On one of the days there was a crossing the equator celebration. Certificates of accomplishing this goal were delivered in our cabin.