Top Oahu Cruises & Sailing - page 18

Our party of 9 Adults, booked the Sunset Cruise for our last evening in Hawaii on the 18th April, and it was the perfect end to our holiday. We boarded our ship 'The Star of Honolulu' at 4.45 pm and were met by four traditional Hawaiian dancers who performed on the quayside for us. We were shown to our table on the lower deck, and given a Mai Tail cocktail as a welcome drink, both alcoholic and non alcoholic options were available. You could also purchase a traditional Hawaiian lei at this point. We then had time to chat and listen to a Hawaiian singer, before leaving port at 5.30 pm. It was at this point we were invited to the buffet table in the adjacent room. We queued along the outside deck. Although the line was long, it moved quickly. There was a wide selection of food, and waiter service was available to purchase drinks from the bar. These were reasonably priced. The ship follows the Honolulu coastline until it reaches Diamond Head. This is a great opportunity to take photos of the many hotels and skyline from the port side (left). Sunset for us was at 6.51 pm, and we moved to the top deck on the starboard side (right) for a better view. The ship had three levels, and access is gained via the stairs. There was plenty of space alongside the railings to capture your best sunset photo, if you were reasonable and took turns. We did not find this to be an issue. On returning to the lower deck restaurant, we watched a South Pacific dance show that lasted about 15 minutes and showcased traditional dancing from the South Sea islands of Hawaii, Maui and Haiti, to name but a few. Each had a costume change and the dancers were amazing. As we neared port, the music continued, and it moved seamlessly into party music, that included 'The Twist, and YMCA etc. The atmosphere was fantastic as everyone danced all over the deck. We finally docked at 7.30 pm. If I had a slight criticism, and it feels harsh to say, I would have liked more announcements to know what was happening. I was aware of the sunset time; others may not have. I also did not know the dance show was happening and could have very easily remained on deck and missed it completely. I felt lucky to have seen it. This trip has everything you could want from a 2-hour sailing, and it felt like the perfect way to end our holiday. If you choose not to take this trip, you will have missed out. I strongly recommend it. Aloha!