TIPS: You’ll find more Hawaii pictures in the reviewsof the Rhapsody of the Seas and the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Click on any of these shots for a full-sized view.

A Plumeria bloom in Oahu, Hawaii. These flowers are not only beautiful, they have a magnificent fragrance. Luckily, you can take the scent home by purchasing some high quality plumeria cream at any local ABC Store.

The lovely beach at Kaanapali, on the south side of Maui. This is where you’ll find many of the major hotels, and on calm days some nice snorkeling and swimming.

The waves at Ho’okipa beach…an incredible and memorable sight

Crashing waves near the blowhole along the shores of Oahu – beautiful! Here is a video of these waves:

Driving with a rental car is easy and safe in the Hawaii’an islands. Here is a shot of the northern coast of Oahu on a gorgeous day. Click to get a better view of the waves and the lighthouse.

Watching the famous sunset from the beach in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Oahu.

A plane leaving from Kahului airport on the north shore of Maui…and a pretty nice beach too!

Twin Falls in Maui, accessed by the driving along the famous ‘road to Hana’ and then taking a very long hike through stunning tropical forest. This hike is not for the faint of heart, nor the disabled. Be sure and stop along the highway, by the way, and enjoy fresh cocnut, sugarcane, pineapple and other local produce. Yum!

The beautiful, lush mountains in Maui. Often on all islands we found it raining at the mountaintops and sunny down below where we were.

A surfer about to enjoy the waves at the beach in Kapalua, a lovely and exclusive resort area in Maui. This area of the island gets more breeze and rain than down below where it’s lower, and is a bit cooler and a lot lusher. The port town of Lahaina is both charming and very hot and sticky!

The grounds of the Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua, Maui

Turtles frequent this beach in Kailua-Kona on the big island. The beach is called Kahalu’u and is known as turtle beach. Many people come here to swim and snorkel.

Big old tree in the center of the town of Kailua Kona. Not sure what it is…banyan? Ficus?

For those of you with questions about a cruise sailing out of Miami, here are some tips:

• You can stay at any number of hotels the night before or after your cruise, either by the airport or downtown, which is only a few minutes away from the Port of Miami. Most airport hotels have complimentary shuttles to and from the airport, and there is also a shuttle available for a charge that will take you from the airport (MIA) directly to the cruise terminal of your choice. Try Orbitz for good pricing on pre-cruise hotels, or Priceline for even deeper hotel discounts. You should be able to catch a cab from your downtown hotel to the terminal for about $10, whereas it will cost you between $20 and $30 from an airport area hotel.
• Transportation from the pier to the airport runs from $9-$10 per person for a shuttle (you will share with others) and approximately $24 per ride for a taxi. You can also arrange for transport through various local tour companies, your cruise ship line or possibly your hotel.
• For the various cruises we have taken, we find that arriving earlier allows for the best embarkation experience. It’s usually less busy between the hours of 11am and 1pm, before the masses begin arriving. In this way, we usually get to board the ship and look around before it gets crowded, and although the rooms aren’t usually ready we don’t mind and enjoy having the ship to ourselves.
• TIP: Always ask at the check-in counter and then again at the guest relations desk (after muster, to ensure they have a final passenger count) if any upgrades are available. Sometimes you can receive a complimentary or low-cost upgrade to a better room, and enjoy it for less than you would have paid at the time of booking. It’s always worth asking!

If you should have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. You can reach me at admin@travel-like-a-pro.com.

Royal Caribbean’s Jewel of the Seas, sailing out of Miami at sunset (it was turning around). She looked glorious!

A row of pretty cruise ships leaving the Miami port on a Monday evening. Two Royal Caribbean ships, two Carnival ships and a Norwegian ship. As seen from the deck of the Navigator of the Seas

On the deck of the Carnival Fascination while docked in Miami

Freedom of the Seas docked in Miami port

Downtown Miami in the background, as seen from our cruise ship deck (Freedom of the Seas)

Cruise ship terminal at Port of Miami

Biscayne Bay as seen from a cruise ship deck in Port of Miami. Also note the parking garage immediately adjacent to the cruise terminal/s

Downtown Miami, including the massive entertainment complex, as seen from Royal Caribean’s Freedom of the Seas

Loading up the ship on turnaround day. There were dogs sniffing each skid of goods to check for illegal substances.

FLeaving the ship on turnaround day in Miami. Over the bridge you can just see the marina and Bayside Marketplace, a great place to have lunch or dinner and watch the cruise ships (before or after your trip).

The beautiful Freedom of the Seas docked in Miami

Royal Caribbean’s cruise terminal in Miami

A barge in Biscayne Bay

A view of some of the beautiful homes and boats in Miami, from the deck of the Carnival Fascination

The shipping canal in Miami, out of which all the cruise ships sail

Norwegian cruise ship docked in Miami

Last few minutes on board the Carnival Fascination before disembarking in Miami