LemonThrower

I was there in early Feb. The property looked half full. They acknowledged I was a Gold at check in with a mountain view room in Palace and an offer of an ocean view room for extra money. I got a little upset at that point and told them as a gold I was entitled to an upgrade based on availability, not based on paying extra money. Got a decent room after that. One might ask how much extra an ocean view room would cost. If they say one is available, then ask them why as a gold or diamond you can't have it for free. That wasn't my strategy intentionally, just the way it happened but I suppose one could play that game.

stbmurray

I am a Diamond and will be on my honeymoon on an ALON 12/18-12/25. Anyone have any experience at holiday time at HWV? I am keeping upgrade expectations VERY low during this busy time, but would appreciate any input or suggestions. Also - can someone tell me who I am supposed to e-mail in advance? I keep reading I should send one, but to whom? Thanks!

stbmurray

Aha! Changed my search terms and got the e-mail address: [email protected]

fscher

Going for spring break. 6 days with kids (teens) and 6 days kidless. Best of both worlds. We have two rooms the first 6 nights while the kids are there. Anyone else going?
I will post about our upgrades (if any) during this time. If anyone has specific questions that have not already been answered in previous posts, ask away. I will do my best to get answers.

Aloha!

JDiver

Not me! Heading for BRU and Brugge next week with Mrs. JDiver. I'll look forward to your posts on your return. Have a great trip!

May the upgrades be with you...

fscher

well......
I am home. I got bumped twice and will head out tomorrow First Class on Co. Non stop from Houston to HNL then go to Kona. I started out on NW coach. I had been trying to get first, but it never opened for using ff miles. Got 300.00 from NW and 700.00 on Co. The rest of the family is there and NO UPGRADES, NO BREAKFAST COUPONS. We are diamond. With spring break starting and the way the airport was so crazy, I did suspect HWV would be full. I was hoping for the coupons though.

[This message has been edited by fscher (edited Mar 13, 2004).]

JDiver

A bumpy voyage, eh?

Good luck tomorrow - at least the seating will be better, and you have a few bucks to help compensate for the lack of coupons .

We got coupons to use in the coffee shops, or to upgrade with $ in the restaurants (also Diamond.) Ask when you arrive... I can imagine it will be packed with the Spring break crowds, but...

Bon voyage.

Abacus

We'll be at the HWV at the end of March and have a 3 year old.

A few questions about the HWV Red Sail Sports activities:

1. Red Sail Sports has a number of sailings (Snorkel Sail, Whale Watch Sail, Sunset Sail). We are avid snorkelers and would be keen to see whales, and love sunsets (I'm trying not to think about the potential damage to my wallet!). Any experiences to share would be great (and especially how well a toddler might like it).

2. Any experiences with their scuba diving program? We have done some diving and have heard that Big Island has some great diving sites. I assume they would be more expensive than others, so pointers to and experiences with other dive operations would be most welcome.

3. Finally, any other tips in general would be great.

Thanks!

Weatherboy

Other than their sunset booze cruise, I'd recommend against the Red Sail operations from the HWV.

The best snorkeling on the island is at Kealakekua Bay near the Captain Cook monument, located south of the "city" of Kona.

The best diving on the island is at Honokohau Bay just north of the "city" of Kona.

You can get to both locations via boat from the boat launch/pier at Kailua Bay located near the heart of Kailua-Kona. (Located roughly 35-45 minutes from the HWV depending on how fast you drive and if there's any slow-moving traffic on highway 19.)

The Fair Winds is a 60' catamaran that sales from Kailua Bay down to the bay surrounding Captain Cook's monument. They include a light continental breakfast (pastries/muffins/juice), a BBQ lunch (burgers), and juice/soda on board for a price around $75-$95/adult and $40-60/child. I took this catamaran around March and we did see whales splashing about when we left the boat launch. Throughout the trip there were lots of fish/birds to be seen... including flying fish that were quite remarkable. When the catamaran got situated in Kealakekua Bay, they lower slides that you can slide down into the warm water below. Others simply climbed off or jumped off the boat and snorkeled throughout the beautiful bay area. (The fare also includes snorkel gear or you can bring your own.) This sail lasts for about 4-6 hours. (They also have water "toys" on board that a toddler would love...like small inflatable rafts/foam noodles/etc. to play in the water with.)

The Fair Winds also offers dive trips but I'd actually recommend other smaller dive trips that are run out of the same pier. (I recommend that you book the Fair Winds snorkel trip at the hotel and when you get down to the docks for that trip, roam the piers/docks for other dive trips and other specials.) On my last trip there with my brother, he did this... and booked himself a reasonable night-dive. For about $100, they outfitted him with gear + tank and took him out at sunset on a relatively small boat (maybe 6-8 other divers on-board.) At sunset, they then went underwater and explored the water in the dark with glow sticks and lanterns. He said it was an amazing dive ...and at times spooky, especially as warm / cool currents came from caverns and ancient lava tubes near the coast. Bumping into a few giant manta rays was also a highlight for his trip. (He is Scuba certified.) Obviously not something for the toddler.

Outside of the sunset sail, the only other Red Sail activity I'd recommend at the HWV is the kayak rentals they offer --if you're beginner kayakers. You can kayak around in Anaeho'omalu Bay in front of the Outrigger/Marriot around the block from the Hilton. There is little/no surf here and sea turtles do enjoy floating around with the kayakers. When I was there last fall, one sea turtle insisted in following me all around the bay. It's relaxing and convienant to kayak there, but if you're looking for a little more adventure or exercise, I'd recommend other places on the island for that.

Their sunset sail is nice but pricey ...but is convienant since it leaves from the beach next door. If you're looking for a romantic view of the sun setting, I'd recommend saving your $$$ and have a seat on a bench (or a nearby hammack) at Buddah Point in front of the HWV's Ocean Tower. There the views are free and are just as nice as if you were on the water.

Enjoy your trip!!

Sweet Willie

The Manta Ray dive (night dive) is the dive I hear fellow divers mention about Big Island diving.

For those not familiar with it, they put high intensity lights on at night which attract plankton. Mantas come into feed on the abundance of food. They did not show on our trip but they did show for my brother and many friends who have said it was easily one of if not the top dive of their lives (so far! )

edited to add: We've really never been fans of Red Sail, we (& friends) have used http://www.konacoastdivers.com/

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Visit FlyerTalk Dining http://flyertalk.com/diningfr.shtml
“I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.”

[This message has been edited by Sweet Willie (edited Mar 13, 2004).]

Weatherboy

One other thing you may want to try: playing in the snow!

There have been a series of blizzards impacting the Big Island over the last few weeks... the most recent one not only brought heavy snow to the Big Island, but a decent snowfall to neighboring Maui (down to about 8,000 feet) as well! About 2-3 feet of snow has fallen on the peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. If you see snow on the peaks from the hotel (and the current snow may linger for a few weeks), ask the conceirge about special trips up the mountains for winter excursions. Some locals offer ski and snow boarding trips (but caution: they are extremely basic and consist for the most part of a guy following you in a pick-up truck to bring you back to the top since there are no lifts/tows.) I'd imagine you can also go sledding, but not sure how a toddler would do with the altitude. (The summit is around 14,000 feet and most of the snow is in the 14,000-9,000 foot range.)

At the least, you can go on a star-gazing adventure up to the top of Mauna Kea which not only provides you with a spectacular sunset view from atop of the island, but an incredible view of the solar system. For about $150-$175, a local tour company picks you up from the hotel lobby and takes you up Saddle Road up to the summit. (You stop on the way to adjust to the altitude and to enjoy a light snack; when I went, they offered hot soup, a small sandwich, hot chocolate and a candybar/some nuts.) They also outfit you with gloves, hat, and heavy parka --the temperature up there is well below freezing, even during the daytime. The snow is dry and powdery there (the locals refer to it as Pineapple Powder)... so not the best for making snowballs. But it is fun to play around in the snow after being on the warm, sunny beaches just a few hours earlier.

If the snow is there when you are, I recommend the trip up. (More snow is in the forecast for this week; it snowed so heavy on Tuesday that Saddle Road was closed and the roads up to the observatories were closed for snow removal.)

cjd

We returned from the HWV last week. As diamond, we were given an upgrade to a Lagoon Tower room overlooking the Dolphin lagoon. I had e-mailed and requested this location previous to our visit because we had stayed there on an earlier visit and loved the location. As diamond we were given access to the Executive lounge in the Ocean Tower without asking. Each morning it was a very pleasant walk along the coastal footpath and took about 15 minutes at an easy pace. However after 2 mornings at the Exec lounge, we found it was so busy and we had to wait for seats and clear our own table. Following advice given by ac/elite in a previous thread, I politely mentioned this at the reception desk saying how disappointed we were with this lounge and asked if it would be possible to eat in the restaurant. We were then given pre-printed HHonors breakfast certificates for use in the Palm Terrace restaurant. This was much better with a great choice for continental breakfast or upgade to full buffet for $7. At the Orchid cafe, they were only worth about $12.75 towards all the seperately charged items, so the Palm Terrace was the place to eat. Overall, it was a wonderful vacation, except the points from all our meals did not post - but that's in another thread!

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Chris

PDX Bill

My wife and I were at HWV in December and took the snorkel sail one morning. It was her first snorkeling experience (except for some practice time in the lagoon) and my third. We had a great time, saw plenty of fish and coral, had a knowledgeable guide in the water with us and saw several whales. They took us to a good site with several underwater arches to dive through.

We also went out to Captain Cook's. We drove down to a small local park and rented a kayak there for $50 (probably too much, but it was convenient). We paddled over to the monument and snorkeled for a while, stopping on the way to let some dolphins swim around our boat. The snorkeling there was more interesting than the Red Sail tour, but it wasn't as convenient and the rocks out by the monument are rough and sharp - wear booties!

We thought the Red Sail tour was a good introuction and would do it again. If you are more experienced, you may want to go straight to Captain Cook's.

SECKART

If you decide to go with Red Sail Sports @ HWV, when I went to their cabin/office near the Dolphin Quest area, they offered us a special of 50% off any and all excursions for the week if you bought a 65.00 or so per person package to use their on-site amenities (kayaks, paddle-boats, lifejackets, etc.) ONLY in lagoon-not allowed in ocean. If you planned multiple tours/excursions, this could be a real cost savings if they still offer this deal-we were there in May 2003 and did a snorkel tour with the package and still came out ahead of renting equipment for 1 full day for the lagoon and buying the tour outright.

As a first time snorkeler, I appreciated the instruction and assistance of the employees, more advanced snorkelers might be disappointed with the amount of time spent on explanations/safety/outfitting people in gear. Their version of "all inclusive" b-fast and lunch just meant rolls, fruit and juice as you get on board and sliced deli meat, bread and chips with open bar in the afternoon. They were preparing for their sunset cruise as we got off, which I was told was wine/beer/mixed drinks, cheese/meats with crackers and fruits/veggies to snack on while cruising.

JDiver

If you like diving, I recommend Dive Makai Charters for their great services- they give intense critter-oriented briefings, use steel 72's and take you to see what most folks don't even know exists underwater.

Some folks complain about DMC because they go at two speeds -slow and stop. But then again, that is how you get to meet all the critters they know intimately.

They depart for their trips from the pier by the King Kamehameha hotel. Most of their clients are multi-repeat clients, and their Lio Kai II dive boat carries 12 people.

Aloha.

[This message has been edited by JDiver (edited Mar 14, 2004).]