Kauai HI Hotels Island

Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii HI - Hotels, Resorts, Condos - A Helpful Guide Lihue Kauai Hawaii HI - Hotels Resorts Condos - Kaui Kauia Kauii Hawii Hawai Oceanfront Beachfront Hawaii Hotels Guide Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii – Hotels, Condos – A Helpful Guide Hotels - htels - hoteles - hoteis - alberghi - hoteller - 12 languages Use this guide to learn about Lihue (LEE hoo eh), Kauai hotels and resorts, check availability and discounts, and make secure reservations with immediate confirmation. We charge NO SERVICE FEES ... and our hotel location information and unique cost codes will save you time and money. If you like this guide, please add it to your Favorites list . Banyan Harbor - Lihue - $$$ 3411 Wilcox Road, Lihue, Kauai, HI 96766 Condos - 3 floors - 148 units Swimming pool Overview | Map | Availability & Rates Kaha Lani, A Castle Resort - Lihue - $$$$ 4460 Nehe Road, Lihue, Kauai, HI 96766 Formerly Aston Kaha Lani Condos - 3 floors Swimming pool Overview | More Info | Map | Availability & Rates Kauai Marriott Resort & Beach Club - Lihue - $$$$$ 3610 Rice Street, Lihue, Kauai, HI 96766 Hotel - 10 floors - 356 rooms Swimming pool - fitness center - restaurant - lounge Overview | More Info | Map | Availability & Rates Marriott's Kauai Beach Club Villas - Lihue - $$$$$ 3610 Rice Street, Lihue, Kauai, HI 96766 Condos Swimming pool - fitness center - restaurant - lounge Overview | Map | Availability & Rates Radisson Kauai Beach - Lihue - $$$$ 4331 Kauai Beach Drive, Lihue, Kauai, HI 96766 Hotel - 5 floors - 347 rooms Swimming pool - fitness center - restaurant - lounge Overview | Map | Availability & Rates Thanks for using our Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii hotels guide. We hope you enjoy your trip. Related search terms: hotels/motels motel hoteles moteles condo rentals condos rental condominium condominiums lodging accommodations accommodation inns inn destination destinations romantic weekend getaways getaway breaks honeymoon packages holiday package holidays vacation vacations travel best choice discount rate price discounts cheap hotels budget hotel deals dog friendly in near by nearby close to around search finder Abbreviations, variants, misspellings: oceanfront beachfront the garden isle hi. hawaiian ocean front beach front kaui kauia kauii islan iland ilan ha ha. hawaian hawii hawai hawiia hawiian hawaiin hawiiee hawaiihotel hawaiihotels hihotel hihotels accomodation accomodations accomadation accomadations petfriendly dogfriendly mariott marriot mariot marriotts marriotthotel marriotthotels radison raddison raddisson radissonhotel radissonhotels MORE HAWAII HOTELS All State of Hawaii Hotels Island of Hawaii HI Hotels Island of Kauai HI Hotels Island of Lanai HI Hotels Island of Maui HI Hotels Island of Molokai HI Hotels Island of Oahu HI Hotels Aiea HI Hotels Hana HI Hotels Hilo HI Hotels Honokowai HI Hotels Honolulu HI Hotels Kaanapali HI Hotels Kahana HI Hotels Kahuku HI Hotels Kahului HI Hotels Kailua-Kona HI Hotels Kamuela HI Hotels Kapaa HI Hotels Kapalua HI Hotels Kapolei HI Hotels Kaunakakai HI Hotels Kihei HI Hotels Kohala Coast HI Hotels Koloa HI Hotels Kona HI Hotels Lahaina HI Hotels Laie HI Hotels Lanai City HI Hotels Lihue HI Hotels Maalaea HI Hotels Makaha Beach HI Hotels Mauna Loa HI Hotels Napili HI Hotels Poipu Beach HI Hotels Princeville HI Hotels Volcano Village HI Hotels Waikoloa HI Hotels Wailea HI Hotels Wailua HI Hotels Waimea HI Hotels All State of Hawaii Hotels USA Hotels - all states World Hotels - all countries Who We Are Our Privacy Policy No Service Fees Fewer Advance Charges Some Surprising Deals ! Hotel & Air Travel Packages Compare Car Rentals Order Free Travel Guides HOTEL COST CODES $ = Under $60 $$ = $60-99 $$$ = $100-149 $$$$ = $150-199 $$$$$ = $200 + AOM, Rack, Special, & Traveler's Discount Rates are for everyone. TIPS & SUGGESTIONS Tip 1 – Make reservations early. Some hotels cut off online reservations 1 to 3 days before check-in time. Tip 2 – When you make a reservation, you will receive a confirmation email. Print a copy of this message to take with you ... and don't delete the original email until you have completed your stay and know you have been billed correctly. Tip 3 – Our hotel cost codes are based on the lowest peak season rates available to all guests. We do offer discount rates for corporate and government employees, AAA and AARP members, seniors, and other special groups. But we do not base our cost codes on these discounts. Off-season room prices may be much lower than our cost codes indicate. This is especially true for coastal hotels during the winter. Tip 4 – The earlier in the day you check into a hotel, the more likely you will get a room or suite that matches your preferences. More tips – Learn more about this guide and how to use it effectively . Help improve this guide – Please send us corrections, new info, and comments about hotels where you have stayed. Home • USA Hotels • World Hotels • Tips • Feedback • View or Cancel Reservation • Contact Us Hotel-Guides.us – Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii, USA © 2006 Hotel-Guides.us, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from Hotel-Guides.us Inc .

Maui Windsurfing Sails Refine

Compare Prices and Read Reviews on Hot Sails Maui Windsurfing Sails at Epinions.com Join Epinions | Help | Sign In All Categories Beauty Books Business & Technology Cars & Motorsports Computer Hardware Education Electronics Games Gourmet Health Home & Garden Hotels & Travel Kids & Family Magazines & Newspapers Movies Music Musical Equipment Online Stores & Services Outdoor Gear Personal Finance Pets Restaurants & Gourmet Software Sporting Goods ---------------------------------- Related Deals Home > Sports & Outdoors > Windsurfing Sails We found 17 results for Hot Sails Maui Windsurfing Sails Refine these results by Type Race (5) Slalom (3) Wave (9) view more Search Results Showing 1-15 of 17 items Page 1 2 - View all Next Hide photos Sort by Name or Rating Sort by Price Compare Hot Sails Maui Stealth 1999 Hot Sails Maui · Freeride 1 consumer review Compare Hot Sails Maui Stealth 2000 Hot Sails Maui · Race Compare Hot Sails Maui Diva Hot Sails Maui · Wave Compare Hot Sails Maui SpiderLok Wave 1998 Hot Sails Maui · Wave Compare Hot Sails Maui Sonic 1999 Hot Sails Maui · Race · Slalom Compare Hot Sails Maui Sonic 1998 Hot Sails Maui · Slalom · Race Compare Hot Sails Maui Fusion Hot Sails Maui · Freeride · Bump N Jump Compare Hot Sails Maui Slide 1999 Hot Sails Maui · Wave Compare Hot Sails Maui Ozone Wave Hot Sails Maui · Wave Compare Hot Sails Maui Mach 2 Hot Sails Maui · Race Compare Hot Sails Maui Mach 1.1 Hot Sails Maui · Race Compare Hot Sails Maui Hyper Hot Sails Maui · Slalom Compare Hot Sails Maui Fusion Wave 1999 Hot Sails Maui · Wave Compare Hot Sails Maui Fusion Wave 1998 Hot Sails Maui · Wave Compare Hot Sails Maui Slide 2000 Hot Sails Maui · Wave Showing 1-15 of 17 items Page 1 2 - View all Next Refine these results To refine the 17 results above, select a more specific characteristic that best defines what you are looking for from the list of links below. More Options by Type Bump N Jump (1) Freeride (2) Race (5) Slalom (3) Wave (9) Featured Resources Windsurfing Direct Free Shipping. Save on Closeout 2005 & latest 2006 Windsurf Gear. www.windsurfing-direct.com SurfingSports Windsurfing Closeout Pricing On Killer Gear. We Guarantee You Will Be Stoked. www.surfingsports.com AirForce Sails Custom Cruising & Racing Mainsails, Headsails & Spinnakers. Value Add! www.airforcesails.com Windsurfing Specialists Windsurfing Experts for 21 years, Our Staff is Ready to Assist You. www.isthmussailboards.com 40% Off On Windsurf Gear Save 40% On Windsurf Equipment, Sails, Booms, Masts, Wet/Drysuits www.The-House.com Help | Member Center | Message Boards | Site Rules | User Agreement | Privacy Policy | Site Index About Epinions | Careers | Contact Epinions | Advertising Epinions | DealTime USA | DealTime UK | PriceTool | Shopping.com | Rent.com © 1999-2006 Epinions, Inc. Trademark Notice Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.

Hawaii Volcano

Hawaii Volcano Ages Reply to ASK-AN-EARTH-SCIENTIST Subject: Ages of the Hawaiian volcanoes Could you tell me when the different Hawaiian islands were formed? ..and Subject: Active Hawaiian Volcanoes How many volcanoes are active at this present time in hawaii?    Each of the Hawaiian Islands is generally older than the next whenone moves up the island chain from southeast (the Big Island) to northwest (Kure). In fact, the chain continues beyond Kure as a series of now-submerged former islands known as seamounts. It is important to remember,however, that the time over which various active volcanoes on the islandsremain active is long (hunders of thousands of years) so that significantoverlap in ages occur on neighboring islands. Take for instance Haleakala on Maui: Although itis a great distance away from the presently erupting Kilauea, Haleakalalast erupted only about 200 years ago.    Currently there are 3 volcanoes that we would classify as active in Hawaii: Kilauea, actively erupting since 1983 Mauna Loa, which last erupted in 1984 and is building for a new eruption inthe next few years Loihi, which erupted in 1996 The Dormant volcanoes are: Hualalai, last eruption in 1801 Haleakala, last erupted in ~1790    Here is some additional general age information from the book Volcanoes in theSea , 2nd Ed. by Macdonald, Abbott and Peterson (1983).This book can be purchased at: www.uhpress.hawaii.edu . Island Volcano Age (million years) Hawaii Mauna Loa 0.1-0.5 Kohala 0.06-0.45 Maui Haleakala 0.41-0.86 West Maui 1.2-1.6 Kahoolawe Kahoolawe 1.0 Lanai Lanai 0.81-1.5 Molokai East Molokai 1.3-1.75 West Molokai 1.5-1.8 Oahu Post Errosional 0.03-1.3 Koolau 1.8-2.6 Waianae 2.2-3.8 Kauai Koloa 1.41-1.43 Makaweli 3.5-4.1 Napali 4.4-5.7 Nihoa Nihoa 7.5 Necker Necker 11.3 Dr. Ken Rubin, Associate Professor and Mike Garcia, Professor Department of Geology and Geophysics University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822 Return to the Ask-An-Earth-Scientist © page

Hawaiian Bed Spread

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Hawaiian Cruise

Cruise Ship Profiles Cruise Lines - American Hawaii Cruise Home Photo Gallery Cruise Talk Cruise Search Cruise News Search -- Search CruisePage -- Book a Cruise - CruiseServer - Search Caribbean - Search Alaska - Search Europe - 866.469.4733 Forums Cruise Talk Rail Talk Air Talk Destination Talk Hotel Talk Buy Stuff Evolution of the Ocean Liner Poster Reviews - Ship Reviews - Dream Cruise - Ship of the Month - Reader Reviews - Submit a Review - Millennium Cruise Community - Photo Gallery - Join Cruise Club - Cruise News - Cruise Survey - Cruise Jobs - Special Needs - Maritime Q & A - Sea Stories Industry - New Ship Guide - Former Ships - Port Information - Inspection Scores - Shipyards - Ship Cams - Freighter Travel - Potpourri Shopping - Shirts & Hats - Books - Videos - Reservations - Vacation Specials - Web Deals Contact Us - Reservations - Mail - Feedback - Suggest-a-Site - About Us Travel Resources Reservations Destinations Hotels Air Travel Cruise Travel News/Weather SHIP PROFILE American Hawaii SS Independence TravelPage.com Rating : Submit your review here Operator: American Hawaii Cruises Year Built / Last Refurbished: 1951 / 1994 Length / Tonnage: 682 / 30,900 Number of Cabins / Passengers: 406 / 872 Officers / Crew: American / American Operating Area: Year-round Hawaii Telephone / Fax: Tel 150 2244 / Fax 150 2244 Review by Mark H. Goldberg, TravelServer.net, Cruise Editor Hawaii captures you, soothes and enchants you, she lets you hangloose and envelop yourself in the bright colors of her land andsea. Sail the INDEPENDENCE and it won't be long before you'redecked out in a loud, colorful Hawaiian shirt and enjoying lifethe Old Hawaiian Way. Simply because the State of Hawaii iscomprised of islands, the ideal way to approach them is from thesea and the best way to see them is by this wonderful old cruiseship. Able to produce a maximum of 55,000 shaft horsepower at 150rpms, her steam turbines geared to twin screws are a sight tobehold. When she was new the INDEPENDENCE showed how powerfulthat is when she steamed at just over 26 knots on her trials offCape Cod. By international rules, when new, the INDEPENDENCE was theeleventh largest liner in the world and certainly one of thefastest. The big question was...would anyone care? For spoken intones of a flat declaratory to a shrill protest the cry "No onetravels in an American ship!" was heard in steamship agencies andsmart parties the world over. Experienced travelers and neophytesalike looked upon American ships with a bemused condescension,secure in the "knowledge" that in terms of food and service,those "Yankee" liners just couldn't produce - the foreign linerswere better. American ships had a severe image problem. Yet theAmerican twins INDEPENDENCE and her identical twin CONSTITUTIONsoon proved themselves extraordinarily popular, hostingglittering rosters of notables intent on sailing under the "Starsand Stripes". Movie producers were drawn to them. Cary Grant andDeborah Kerr starred in "An Affair to Remember" costarrinq theCONSTITUTION. After United States Lines stodgily rebuffed Desilustudios, American Export sent plenty of material and film footageof the twin liners to Hollywood. Who among us can ever forgetLucille Ball "landing" by helicopter on the after Bridge Deck ofthe CONSTITUTION? And yes...THIS is the INDEPENDENCE the agent onthe pier mentioned when he told a distraught Lucy that she couldget to Europe on the following sailing... So great was theirpopularity that in 1958 American Export Lines sent both ships formajor overhauls. Fitting additional First Class cabins, theforward ends of their superstructures were massively altered. Forall that, against the ANDREA DORIA and CRISTOFORO COLOMBO andlater the LEONARDO da VINCI and the superliners MICHELANGELO andRAFFAELLO on the "Sunny Southern Route", the American liners justcouldn't compete. The results of a projected trio of 20,000 ton express liners forthe Mediterranean route, these ships began to take shape as farback as 1940 when American Export Lines, Inc. planned for thefuture. It would be YEARS before any such ships were built andwhen they were, there were two, not three. And bucking anAmerican Export Line tradition, the two ships were not givennames beginning with "EX" but were instead named for historicU.S. Navy frigates. Had the intended third sister been built, shewould likely have been named CONSTELLATION. Asking for inputfrom many quarters, it is Gustavo Pulitzer, famed Italianinterior designer who should be given first initial credit formany of the pleasing touches in the ultimate form of theseclassic liners. Noted American industrial designer Henry Dreyfussin collaboration with the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporationdeserves credit as the designers of the INDEPENDENCE and hersister CONSTITUTION. With the help of mail contracts and buildingsubsidies to pay the $25,000,000 each ship cost (that's over $150million each, in TODAY's dollars!) two ships were laid down atBethlehem Steel Company's Quincy, Massachusetts yards at thevery end of the 1940's, the INDEPENDENCE on March 29, 1949, theCONSTITUTION on July 12th. Their plans included many eventualdefense and military needs so safety provisions, fire proofing andrapid convertibility to trooping requirements took first place inthe design of the pair. And the INDEPENDENCE is still a very safeship today! Debuting with a 53 day cruise to the Mediterranean, Red Sea andIndia in 1951, the INDEPENDENCE got into service before theItalian postwar liners came out and captured the cream of theItaly trade. And even had the competition been less, theINDEPENDENCE and CONSTITUTION would have been hard pressed tomeet the enormous costs of operating under the American flageither on their regular Atlantic service or on cruises throughthe Mediterranean or to the Caribbean. By the late 1960s theseAmerican liners were desperate for money and American ExportLines entered into an agreement with Diner's Club/Fugazy to jazzup the twin ships. Only the INDEPENDENCE was actually updated toappeal to a "mod" generation and when she appeared with Harlow'seyes peering out from her halo of a "mod" sunburst on her whitehull, eyes rolled in contempt. Before the ship lover knew it, sheand the CONSTITUTION were gone from our lives. Withdrawn by 1968,the CONSTITUTION went into idleness at Jacksonville, Floridafollowed a few months later by the INDEPENDENCE which was laid upat Baltimore with their fleet mate ATLANTIC. Reports of a sale ofone or both of the sisters to Chandris came to naught. A plan tooperate the INDEPENDENCE on charter by Wall Street Tours, aManhattan based travel company also went nowhere. Should theyfind buyers willing to operate them, they would be but shadows oftheir former selves. The ships were idle for years until 1974 when fabled Chineseshipowner C.Y. Tung came to their rescue. Buying the pair with anobligation to return them to the control of the United Statesgovernment in time of war, he had each ship's twin funnelsrepainted with his signature livery, a red chrysanthemum on buff.Prefacing each ship's name with "OCEANIC", he sent them to HongKong. Some work was found for the OCEANIC INDEPENDENCE but nonefor her sister which now rode at anchor in the shadow of VictoriaPeak. For a while in 1975 the OCEANIC INDEPENDENCE shuttledbetween Lisbon and Angola carrying refugees, mostly civiliansfleeing Angola to Portugal Lisbon. Then, despite several goodintentions, she was again retired and returned to lay up. When Matson and later Pacific Far East Line went out of thepassenger business leaving the piers at Aloha Tower bereft ofpassenger tonnage save the occasional cruise caller, C.Y. Tungsaw possibilities where others saw problems and investigated thepossibility of operating his beautiful OCEANIC INDEPENDENCE as acruise ship among the Hawaiian Islands. But since Congressthought to protect American ship owners and shipbuilders as earlyas 1886, any ship operating Hawaii cruises would have to haveAmerican registry. American ships sold abroad are ineligible toreturn to U.S. registry except in time of war. Though Americanbuilt, the ship was now registered abroad and THAT could havebeen a big problem for the proposed weekly cruises through theHawaiian islands. Unanimously approved by both the U.S. Senateand House of Representatives in 1979, an Act of Congress broughtthe OCEANIC INDEPENDENCE back under the Stars and Stripes andallowed American Hawaii Cruises to go into business. The pleasanttask of refurbishing the graceful vessel for modern cruisingbegan. Eliminating class distinctions, upgrading cabins on thelower decks and altering the decor to include the soft atmosphereof the Hawaiian Islands, the OCEANIC INDEPENDENCE was ready tobegin a new life. Wearing a traditional Hawaiian lei at her stemas she arrived off Honolulu for the first time, she paused offPearl Harbor long enough to drop a wreath in memory of Americanforces killed in the surprise attack there on December 7, 1941. But after that, at least since her maiden sailing on her 7 daycruise circuit of the major islands on June 21, 1980, the gentleHawaii of the tradewinds reigns supreme aboard this wonderfulship. In the meantime American Hawaii Cruises has changed handstwice and the newest owners, who also own the wonderfulMISSISSIPPI QUEEN, AMERICAN QUEEN and DELTA QUEEN decided toupgrade and substantially improve the INDEPENDENCE. In 1994 theship was withdrawn from service and sent to Newport NewsShipbuilding and Drydock Company where she was extensivelyrefitted and prepared to last another forty five years! Conceived to be an example of luxurious modernAmerican living at sea the INDEPENDENCE still offers relaxedelegance in a bright and airy modern decor reflecting the naturalbeauty and colors of Hawaii. The INDEPENDENCE has acres of deck space and both open andcovered promenades. The design of the ship includes a pair ofwings over the old Sea Isle Club, once the First Class pool. Fromthere you have an eaqle's view of the festivities on the afterdecks. It's also a great place to see and not be noticed...Justbeyond the former Sunlane Club, now called the Ohana Lounge isthe big swimming pool and its surrounding lido is the scene ofmany a party. The main public rooms are the semicircularCommodore's Terrace...aft on Kamaa'ina (formerly Promenade) Deckwhere evenings are welcomed with a cocktail and a tune from thetalented pianist. Next is the Hoi Hoi Showplace where sightlinesare mostly good and the efforts of the cruise staff and twoHawaiian dance troupes are shown during nightly shows.Centerpiece of the INDEPENDENCE's public rooms, though, is theKama'aina Lounge...newly thought out and opened up during herrecent refit...so it now extends to the floor to ceiling windowsof the former glass enclosed promenade. Tropical in decor it'sworth a visit if only to write a postcard home...if you can evenremember you had a life before you came to Hawaii. One deck below are the Ohana Lounge and the Ohana Buffet...theformer providing seating for people feasting from the buffet aswell as offering a venue for some late night entertainments. Waydown deep in the ship is a cinema while in spaces once occupiedby Tourist Class public rooms on Maui (formerly A) Deck are thegym and a conference center. There are generally two sittings at dinner, mostbreakfasts and lunches are served in open sittings. Down in the420 seat Hibiscus Dining Room on sailing night there's a buffet.The more intimate 110 seat Orchid Dining Room doesn't operate onSaturday night...it opens for breakfast on Sunday morning. "Aha!"you'll think if you are skeptical of American tonnage - the hotdogs. "There must be something fishy here...Is this an Americanship? This is a sumptuous set up and it looks good," you'llthink. That's what I thought the first time and every time I'vesailed since as I pile on enough shrimp, roast beef and assortedfoodstuffs to choke a pig. A steward brightly garbed in an Alohashirt will escort you to a table and your culinary adventurebegins. For a change I cannot say enough about the food in theINDEPENDENCE. Maybe it's because my expectations were low ormaybe because the food is so good...in fact the food is usuallybetter than good and I'll spill the beans...one feisty old lady,a Mrs. Gottrocks in her own right...and something of a cruiseship reviewer proclaimed the only cruise ship to serve betterfood than she ate on the INDEPENDENCE was the SEA GODDESS I, anaccolade I surely second.... You will eat so well aboard this ship I'd be surprised if you'reable to muster up the curiosity to investigate the midnightsnack. If the lunch buffet doesn't tempt you and the menu in the DiningRoom does, GO...even if you feel less than hunger pangs. Iremember sitting down and thinking "Drat!, foiled again! No HotDogs" - but for simple meals there are great burgers assembled asyou like them, a big sandwich and several choices of hot dishes. Every brochure in the business trumpets the praises of the shin'scuisines so loudly that few can really deliver. American HawaiiCruises has always underplayed its claims to wonderful foodthough the food aboard the INDEPENDENCE is a treat. Somewherebehind the scenes in this American operation must be a Jewish orItalian grandmother demanding that all hands be overfed! Underlining the contemporary American way of living, there was solittle cleavage between First and Cabin class spaces it seemedthat most cabins were interchangeable between the two. And therewas a lot of truth in that for 40% of the 1,003 berths in eachship were interchangeable among classes. Only 205 berths werepermanently graded First Class, 109 always Cabin Class and 258full time Tourist Class. That flexible passenger arrangement gaveAmerican Export Lines tremendous leeway in following marketdemands. Highlight of modern American living were cabinsconvertible to sitting rooms by day. Most cabins are still soequipped and that sofa you use in the afternoon is a verycomfortable bed - because it's not a pull out...the sofa back folds down to reveal a thick comfortable mattress. TheINDEPENDENCE is a one class ship now offering a dazzling 13different varieties of private quarters from tiny Category GBudget Cabins (both inside and outside available) to a CategoryAAA Superior Suite...Category D is the lowest grade for two lowerbeds but for this cruise...your cabin is not where you will wantto be. Take a look at an outside cabin on A deck forward. Decorated withHawaii in mind, it has a Hawaiian name as well as a number. It'sbig enough to sleep four comfortably and the round portholereminds you you are aboard ship. Once you unpack you will bepuzzled by the surfeit of storage space for there are enoughclosets for a dowager and enough drawers for an apothecary. What is small, though, is the shower...but that good Americanplumbing is happily in evidence. American Hawaii Cruises is very"INTO" Hawaii...so much so that one of the most popular employeesaboard ship is the KUMU, the Hawaiian story teller....whose jobit is to tell the visitor as much as possible about Hawaiianlore, customs and culture... Around twilight time on Saturdayevenings, passengers gather in the Hoi Hoi Showplace for aHawaiian Show, one show aboard ship I'm glad I saw. Thisextravaganza of Hawaiian music and hula dancing and memories ofthe "Aloha" that evening will remain with you long after theINDEPENDENCE stops sailing. With the full range of usual cruiseship activities enhanced by some like lei making and ukelelelessons apropos in these parts, it's not hard to imagine how mostpassengers spent their day at sea. I saw some at breakfast in theDining Room where the extraordinary personalities of friendlystaff broke the ice of a first morning at sea. I saw others atthe breakfast buffet while I was on my way to stock up withlogoed souvenirs in the ship's signature shop. But a visit to theNavigation bridge of THIS ship always gets me and I alwaysvisit...even if only for another look at the framed noticeinstructing the officer on watch to take the ship immediately tosea in the event of a nuclear attack. My favorite Hawaiian island is always the one I'm on and I thinkI'd like to keep with the INDEPENDENCE until I have done everyshore excursion the line offers... and at last count there are 56of them. Getting ready to board the INDEPENDENCE I grin like ahyena even before a lei is placed around my neck and I pause forthe obligatory mug shot cruise lines like to sell boardingpassengers. Even before sailing the INDEPENDENCE offers a lot ofthe Hawaii experience but for me one of the best is the moment ofdeparture on this unique American flag ocean liner. Once out ofthe harbor the ship turns to port and is soon off Waikiki. Sunday - It's not far from one island to the next but Sundays are spent at sea and for most of the day from nearly anywhere outon one of her 23,000 feet of open dock space, you can look outand see islands, Kahoolawe, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, depending uponthe circuitous route the Captain chooses to navigate. An activesort, I spent usually spend Sunday afternoons aboard theINDEPENDENCE in a deck chair outside the Surfrider Bar, hardlyable to pause later for some fresh popcorn. When Monday morning comes...be ready for a wonderful time onKauai, the Garden Island. There should be time for a drive out toHanalei Bay. If there is a prettier spot than that end of Kauai,its not on this planet. It's vaguely around the corner from theNa Pali coast, a formation of lushly covered steep cliffsshrouding pretty beaches accessed only by boat orhelicopter.Compelling is the word for the helicopter trip theline offers for a look at those cliffs which rise majesticallyfrom the sea. It's a toss up as to which is lovelier...Kauai orMaui but since the ship arrives at Kahului, Maui on Tuesday foran overnight call, you have plenty of time to check it out anddecide for yourself IF YOU CAN! Maui, so deservedly popular withvacationers, exudes a charm of her own. From the jumbled strandsof spaghetti paved into a road called the Hana highway, a 55 milecourse through landscape inordinately compelling to the majesticIao valley, Maui is a sensual delight. Never mind that AmericanHawaii brings a fabulously rousing Hawaiian show to entertainpassengers here. It's during the Maui call that American Hawaiioffers a shore excursion like no other. Uncommercial in theextreme, it's Tour 32 (at least it USED to be), not a trip forthe queasy or the debile. Leaving the ship's side at 3:30 AM,participants follow a tour leader and bike down the slopes fromthe summit of Mt. Haleakala, 10,000 feet above sea level.MAGNIFICENT! On Thursday the INDEPENDENCE calls at Hilo on the Big Island ofHawaii where you can pick up another rental car and drive it toAkaka Falls, catch another look at Volcano National Park, drivedown the Chain of Craters Road and maybe have lunch in town.(Whatever you do...DON'T bother with the buffet at VolcanoHouse...) To me it is near Hilo, sleepy, rainy little Hilo, wherethe air is gentlest and the breeze softest. Kona on the bright,dry side of this big island is the next port and the INDEPENDENCEanchors there on Friday mornings and the tender gives youflawless views of the ship as it pulls away, runs alongside andcuts across the liner's gently raking bows. Coffee plantations,macadamia nut farms and the Parker ranch are on this side of theBig Island. After the INDEPENDENCE clears Kona on Friday evening, my leiwent into the sea from the after deck. I know that it washedashore and will bring me back...A week in the INDEPENDENCE speedsby like an hour, drawing all to soon to a close. This graciousGRANDE DAME really does turn on its ear for all time must be thatabsurd old saw, "No one travels in an American ship" for here inthe waters of Hawaii the INDEPENDENCE is deservedly popular, anAmerican ship that wins the hearts of most who sails with her. The "who's who" of who has sailed in the INDEPENDENCEor CONSTITUTION at some point in the ship's career really doesread like "Who's Who" for so many names in that book have been onthe ships' passenger lists. It was President Reagan who happilysigned the bill to bring the CONSTITUTION back under Americanregistry. He was familiar with these ships and had been aboardthe INDEPENDENCE for a Governors' conference back in the 1960'swhen he was Governor of California. A framed photograph of himand Mrs. Reagan hangs in the ship's wheelhouse. It is said thatwhen he took the helm the ship veered slightly to the right... People demanding nonstop 24 hour a day loud action accompanied bypulsating bass may not enjoy a cruise in this ship (though I'd besurprised if there is ANYONE who doesn't enjoy a 7 nightINDEPENDENCE cruise). This ship is particularly popular withpeople over 40 who seem to enjoy the sock hop, pajama party andother events calculated to please us aging "boomers" but there isa lot here for everyone - from toddlers to great grandpa!. The first time I set out for Honolulu to takethis ship I hoped for the best and expected the worst. Visions ofplastic cups, paper plates and hot dogs, motel modern style andindifferent American service filled my dream track the nightbefore my first sailing in this ship. Well I needn't haveworried! That cruise was marvelous. Now, after a multi-milliondollar refit and plenty of attention to detail, the ship exudes awarm, friendly Hawaiian air. In a nutshell...this ship and her 7night Hawaii cruise is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. 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