all aboard the pride of hawaii

after taking my first cruise down the mexican riviera earlier this year, i learned a few things that other cruising newbies may not be aware of like . . .

• someone else tidies up your room not once, but twice a day!

• the ability to take a nap (or two) while traveling to your next destination

• never worrying about where to go for dinner. or breakfast. or lunch. or snacks (lots and lots of snacking opportunities abound on a cruise ship)

that being said, if you have always thought a cruise around the hawaiian islands would be fun then hele on over to norwegian cruise lines. it's not every day that you have the opportunity to travel on a brand spanking new ship, and, if you do your home work, you might be able to score a cruise on the pride of hawai'i (going on her maiden voyage this summer) for as little as $799 per person.

although your time ashore can be limited, with a little planning and research you can definitely travel off the beaten path and avoid the somewhat touristy & overpriced shore excursions.

flumin' da ditch

if you find yourself on the big island and are looking for something different to do you might enjoy flumin' da ditch. it's pretty relaxing as adventures go with plenty of time to enjoy the scenery while you leisurely navigate down the old irrigation canals in north kohala. and, since there's not that much paddling involved it's perfect for younger kids or grown-ups who don't feel like doing too much work.

if you go, try to schedule your reservation on any day but monday. flumin' da ditch is located in small yet funky hawi which is also home to one of the best restaurants on the island. at least that's what i've heard since the bamboo restaurant was closed the day we went flumin' da ditch on our honeymoon.

learn from my mistake and make your reservation on tues-sun so you can dine at the restaurant. if you want to check out the food before you go, keep an eye out for the big island episode of rachael ray's $40 a day on the food network.

{update | feb 21st, 2007: due to the october earthquake, flumin' da ditch tours have been stopped for safety reasons, but if your heart is set on this mellow adventure take a peek at flumin' kauai style}