All Reviews for Luau, Shows & Entertainment

Mai Tai Katamaran is fully booked for reservations, so it's hard to get a spot once you're there. Moreover, I think this tour is very special because you can enjoy the fireworks. The departure time is after dinner, which gives you some leeway. First, we boarded the boat and toasted with Mai Tai. After that, we cruised and docked on the Hilton side. The boat stays in a position where you can see the fireworks from either side. If I had to say, the best position is the front right from the beach. At 8:00 PM, the fireworks started. For almost five minutes, you can enjoy the fireworks without anything obstructing your view. After the fireworks, we continued cruising along Waikiki Beach up to the Diamond Head area. It was a wonderful time. However, I noticed that other boats departing from Waikiki Beach had a higher ratio of foreigners, which created a more lively atmosphere, and I really liked that feeling of being abroad!

マイタイカタマランは、現地に行ってからではまず予約できません。予約でいっぱいなので。
しかも、今回は花火鑑賞ができるということで、とても貴重なツアーだと思います。出発時間も夕飯を食べてからの出発なので余裕もありました。まずは、船内に乗り込みマイタイで乾杯。その後クルーズを経てヒルトン側に停泊。船の左右からどちからでも見えるように、泊まってくれます。強いて言うなら浜から見て右手手前がベストポジション。20:00になり花火開始。5分弱の時間、遮るものもなく花火を満喫できます。花火鑑賞後はクルージング。ワイキキビーチに沿ってダイアモンドヘッド付近までいきます。素敵な時間でした。ただ、ワイキキビーチから出ているほかの船の方が外国人比率が高いので、さらに盛り上がり、海外に来ている！という雰囲気は好きかな〜

I participated in a family trip for both families that also served as a wedding ceremony. There were relatively few Japanese guests, which allowed me to enjoy the feeling of being abroad. The weather was nice, and the views of Waikiki from the ocean, as well as the sunset and night scenery, were very beautiful and enjoyable. The food wasn't particularly delicious. The variety of drinks wasn't extensive, but the prices were reasonable and not high. The main fireworks were farther away than I expected, which was disappointing. I wouldn't recommend attending just for the purpose of watching the fireworks.

It was a memorable experience.

結婚式を兼ねた両家の家族旅行で参加しました。
日本人客は比較的少なく、海外に来た感が楽しめました。
天気が良かったのでワイキキの街を沖から見た風景やサンセットや夜景はとても綺麗で楽しめました。
ご飯は美味しいわけではありませんでした。
ドリンクの種類はさほど多くありませんが、料金は高くなく、良心的でした。
メインの花火は思っていたより遠くて、残念でした。花火を見る目的で参加するならばオススメしません。

思い出にはなりました。

It was a buffet, but there weren't many options. It seems that seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, but I arrived just in time and ended up in the last row. Moreover, right in front of me, there were reserved seats that no one was sitting in. I wish they had opened up the seats that weren't occupied by showtime. Honestly, I was standing up and watching from a very far distance, and at this price, I felt it wasn't worth it.

ビュッフェでしたが、あまり種類がありません。お席は先着順らしいのですが、時間ギリギリに行ったので最後列。しかも、真ん前正面は、席を取り置きしながら、誰も座っておらず空席。ショーの時間に着席していない席は開放して欲しかったです。すごく遠くから、立ち上がって見ていましたので正直、この価格でこれはないな。と思いました。

Staff were very welcoming from the very start of the cruise and the night just got better. Great food and fantastic entertainment. The staff couldn’t do enough for you. Would totally recommend to everyone. Wonderful way to celebrate my birthday.

I was a bit confused trying to find the meeting place, but once I got on the boat, the staff were very kind, and I was able to enjoy my time with the international guests on board! The cocktail called Mai Tai was delicious, and the scenery was beautiful, making for a wonderful time!

集合場所を探すのに少し戸惑いましたが、船に乗ってからはスタッフの方々もとても親切で一緒の船に乗船したいた海外の方々とも楽しく過ごすことができました！マイタイと呼ばれるカクテルも美味しく、景色も綺麗で楽しいひと時でした！

Last year, I signed up early and had the best seats in the third row, but this year, I ended up with seats towards the back because I registered at the last minute. This show is amazing, so it's better to sign up early!

昨年は早目に申し込んだので前から3列目で最高だったのですが、今年はギリギリに申し込んだせいか、後ろの方の席になってしまいました。このショーは最高なので早目に申し込んだ方が良いですよ！！

The captain was a nice guy.
The boat was rocking a lot, so it's not suitable for small children.
There were children who were vomiting.
It's more for adults.

船長がﾅｲｽｶﾞｲでした
船揺れが激しいため、小さい子向きではありません。
吐いている子供がいました
大人向けですね

We had a great time on this cruise. the drinks were awesome and the crew knew what they were doing. They got us right in line for the Fireworks show. epic night and the bonus was a full moon. Highly recommended.

This was a return trip and we were not disappointed. The Smith family does a great job on their property, the food is AWESOME, and the entertainment is first class. I would highly recommend you try them out!

If you're in Hawaii and not heading up Haleakala or Mauna Loa, this is the best stargazing experience you can get (in my still limited experience). Greg took us through the solar system and out into the Milky Way, showing evergreens like Jupiter and Saturn together with more exotic objects like supernova remnants and binary stars (including a spectacular yellow and blue pair). Great!

We attended the 21:00 show in mid-July - dark enough, although the almost full moon did make things complicated when objects got a bit close to it. On the flip side though, getting to take pictures of that moon with your phone through the telescope lens at the end provides a great souvenir! Our seven year-old also really enjoyed the show.

About 30 to 40 people were on board (I think there were three groups from Japan). Thanks to the favorable weather, we were able to see a truly wonderful sunset. However, the issue was with the response of the boarding staff from the previous year. Perhaps because they assume Japanese people can't speak English, they didn't approach us at all. On the other hand, they actively engaged with groups from other countries (like the mainland United States and Australia), checking on drinks and snacks. My group consisted of returnee students, so there was no problem with communication in English. It's really disappointing that the quality of service changed due to stereotypes.

1船 約 30~40 名が乗船 (日本からのグループは 3 グループとかだったかと思います)
天気に恵まれたおかげでしょうが、本当に素晴らしい夕焼けをみることができました。
ただ前年だったのは乗船スタッフの対応です。
日本人=英語ができない、と思っているからか当方には声をかけてくることはありませんでした。
その一方で他の国(アメリカ本土やオーストラリアなど)からの参加グループには積極的に声をかけ、飲み物の確認やスナックの確認があります。
私のグループは帰国子女グループだったので英語でのコミュニケーションにはまったく問題ありません。
そのため、ステレオタイプが原因でサービスの質が変わるのは本当に残念でした。

We had the most awesome time on Makani Catamaran! The views of the city are beautiful and give you a very different perspective of the city from the ocean.

The catamaran is well maintained, clean, and very stable on open waters. The best place to sit is up front near the trampolines as you head out towards Diamond Head.

Captain Brad, Adam, and Tommy were very personable, and made sure that all passengers were having a great time.

We highly recommend this sunset cruise. It is so relaxing and absolutely stunning!

I thought it was a bit early for sunset. There were fewer Japanese people and many Westerners, but the reservations were fully booked.

All the explanations were in English. Among the stylishly dressed young people, it felt like being in a scene from a movie. In reality, people of various ages were enjoying sailing. The staff was attentive to all the guests.

サンセットの時間には少し早いかと思いました。
日本人は少なく欧米のかたが多いですが、予約は一杯でした。

説明は全て英語です。
華やかにおしゃれをした若者の中で、映画のワンシーンにいるかのようでした。実際には様々な年代の方がセーリングを楽しんでいました。スタッフも全てのお客さんに気を配っていました。

The location of the luau was perfect for us because it was close. The resort itself is breathtaking and immaculate. We were a party of 12 with 2 young kids and were seated right away. There were several activities for everyone before it got started. We took tons of pictures, most of them being the beautiful sunset. They singing, dancing and overall production was very entertaining. The delicious food and open bar were the icing on the cake. Overall, everyone in our party had a great time.

I took my daughter and her family to this Luau and I am so glad we bought the Royal package. It was great. We were right in front and the dancing was great and the Fire dancing was fantastic. I also liked the fact the they involved you in different activities. Food was great also. I liked the fact they will stay and take pictures with you at the end with your own camera. Overall I would definitely recommend this Luau to everyone.

The woman who gave us the lei was extremely friendly ! She even guided us the way to the terminal and gate of our connecting flight ! This was really great of her. Thank you so much for this support and the beautiful fresh lei .
Mahalo
Martin Eitz

The luau itself was amazing. My family and I enjoyed participating in the pre show activities while learning about true polynesian culture and traditions. It's a smaller luau with only about 200 guests but with the smaller number of patrons you really get to interact and learn from everyone involved.
The host for the activities, Uncle Bob, has a great sense of humor as do the men that do the "cooking" and food prep demonstrations. These men are no joke, they even climbed up the coconut trees. They teach you about a traditional tribe welcoming and uses the guests to act as the tribes while explaining the rituals associated with welcoming guests to their community.
Not a huge selection of foods to sample but everything there was delicious. Kalua pork, teriyaki chicken, macaroni salad, green salad with macadamia nuts, rice, rolls, chantilly cake from Teds Bakery and a coconut type of jello dessert.
The family band that played music during dinner was Amazing. Those kids can really sing! The dancing was very traditional, not just girls in coconut bras and hula skirts, but real polynesian dancing showcasing dances from a variety of the polynesian islands. I was a VIP guest and we were right at eye level with the stage but it looked like most people would have quite a good view of the stage. We also got to go to the buffet first and got great souvenirs. My husband and I got hand fans, my son got a wooden Maui-type hook necklace and my daughter got a wood beaded bracelet that said Hawaii with hibiscus flowers printed on it. After dinner and show on your way out you were able to speak more with the staff and dancers and take pictures with them.
If it was your birthday we all sang happy birthday and you got an extra piece of cake, if it was your anniversary or honeymoon they brought you onstage for a slow dance and gave you a nut lei.
All this plus you get entry into the Waimea valley where you can swim in a waterfall and see beautiful trees and foliage!

We were the only Japanese people there. Hardly anyone spoke English. Suddenly, there was cheering and applause as everyone teased a man who arrived late. The man stylishly apologized, and even though the departure was delayed, it turned into a fun event! Last time I got seasick on a dinner cruise, so I was advised not to drink citrus beverages the day before to prevent seasickness, and I felt great!

日本人は私達だけでした。英語はほとんど喋れません。
突然、歓声と拍手がして、遅刻した男性を皆で茶化しました。
男性もカッコよくお詫びして、出航が遅れたのに、それすらも楽しいイベントになりました！。前回ディナークルーズで船酔いしたので船酔い防止に、前日から柑橘系の飲み物を取らない事を教えてもらったので体調もベストでした！

The climate is refreshing, so it's not as humid as a beer garden in Japan. The show was enjoyable, and the food was delicious.

However, the venue might be a bit hard to find...

気候が爽やかなので、日本のビヤガーデンみたいに蒸し暑くありません。
ショーも楽しく、料理も美味しかったです。

が、会場が少しわかりづらいかな…

The cruise was a great experience and value. Super friendly crew!

It may have been due to the bad weather the day before, but there was more rocking than expected, and many people got seasick (myself included). I was enjoying the scenery while feeling the breeze outside, but I started to feel unwell and couldn't enjoy the drinks or food at all... Among the passengers, there was a woman who became seriously ill, and the yacht had to make an emergency U-turn before the fireworks started, and she was taken away by the waiting ambulance. The staff were consistently friendly and attentive, and it was impressive how they handled the sick passenger with care. This was unavoidable, but in the end, we couldn't see the fireworks. There was an apology to all passengers for not being able to complete the tour, and they explained that negotiations for refunds and other compensations could be made, but there has been no contact since then. No one can be blamed, but I feel like I missed out. Even those who usually don't get seasick might want to take precautions just in case.

前日まで天候が悪かったからかもしれませんが、想定以上の揺れで、船酔い者多数でした（自分も含め）。外の風にあたりながら気持ちよく景色を楽しんでいたのですが、途中から気分が悪くなりお酒も食事も全く楽しめず…。中でも酷く体調を崩された女性がいて、花火が打ちあがる前にヨットは急遽Ｕターンし、待っていた救急車で運ばれていきました。スタッフは終始フレンドリーかつ気配りをされていて、急病者にも丁寧に対応をされていたのが印象的です。こればかりは仕方ないのですが、結局花火も見れずじまい。全乗客に対し、最後までツアーを行えなかったことに対する謝罪があり、返金等の対応も交渉できるという説明がありましたが、特にその後連絡はありません。誰も責められませんが、なんだか損をした気分です。普段船酔いしないという方も、念のため予防策はとっておいた方が良いかもしれません。

The dinner was delicious and the portion size was just right for us. The show was diverse and we enjoyed the Hawaiian atmosphere. Additionally, sitting at a table by the stage was impressive, and it was great to interact with the members of the show.

ディナーは美味しくボリュームも我々にはちょうど良かった。
ショーもバラエティに富み、ハワイの雰囲気も味わえてよかった。また、ステージサイドのテーブルで迫力があり、ショーのメンバとふれあいもありよかった。

During our first trip to Hawaii, we decided to sign up for a Hawaiian show. We went in early June, and since it was in the evening, the sun was still shining when we were shown to our seats, which were directly in the sunlight. There was nothing to block the sun, so the seats that weren't in the shade (the ones directly in front of the stage) were extremely hot until the sun went down. Fortunately, we were seated in a shaded area, which was a relief.

The meal was a buffet, and since many people were going to get food, I was a bit worried about whether there would be enough left. However, it turned out fine. (There was a system in place where the area for getting food was determined, and you couldn't go up to get food unless you were called by the staff.)

We enjoyed the event even from our seats that weren't directly in front, and the dancing was wonderful. The male hula dancers were incredibly impressive and surprised us.

On the way back, we were able to take photos with the dancers in the lobby, which made for a great memory for us, as we had never seen authentic hula before.

初めてのハワイで、ハワイアンショーを見てみたいと思い申し込みました。
行ったのは6月上旬、夕方からなのでまだ陽も落ちてなくて座席に通される時間帯は日差し直撃。
特にさえぎる物もないため、陰になっていない席（ステージ正面席）は陽が落ちるまでは暑さ地獄。幸運にも横っちょの陰の席だったので助かりました。
食事はビュッフェで、かなりの人が取りにいくので「残っているのかなぁ～」と少々不安ではありましたが、大丈夫でした。（ビュッフェを取りにいくエリア順が決まったいました。ボーイさんからそのエリアへ声がかからないと勝手に取りにいってはいけない仕組みでした）
イベント自体は正面席でなくても十分に楽しめましたし、踊りも素晴らしかったです。男性フラが迫力満点で驚きました。
帰りには、ロビーで踊り子さんたちと写真が撮れましたし、
一度も本場のフラを見たことない私たちにとってはとても良い思い出になりました。

The sunset was gorgeous and service very good. Food was fine, entertainment ok.

It rained during the day, so we were indoors after it got dark. The location is a bit hard to find, so it’s better to arrive early. I reserved a golden seat, but it was positioned too far to the side from the stage, and the angle was blocked by equipment like speakers, which was a bit disappointing. It was a buffet style, but if you miss the timing, there can be a long line, and some items run out quickly. I read in other reviews that golden seat guests had priority, but it seemed like regular ticket holders were the first to grab food, and we followed after them. The taste was generally good.

夜にはやみましたが日中雨が降ってたからなのか室内でした。場所は少しわかりにくいため、はやめに行った方がよさそうです。ゴールデンシートを予約しましたが、ステージからサイドすぎてスピーカー等の機材で遮られてる角度で少し残念でした。バイキング形式ですが、とるタイミングを見失うとすごい行列で無くなってしまうものもありました。他のかたの口コミでゴールデンシート優先とありましたが、普通に一般席の人がいの一番にとっており、それの後に続いた感じでした。味は普通に美味しかったです。

What a great cultural experience. Ideal for all ages & families! A big day, but a great day learning about pacific cultures :)

It was enjoyable to listen to stories about traditional Hawaiian plants in the garden of the Bishop Museum. Although I was a complete beginner, I had the valuable experience of taking hula dance lessons from a qualified instructor while learning the meanings of the songs. At the end of the hula lesson, I asked our guide to take a video of us dancing on my smartphone, and they kindly agreed.

After the hula lesson, we did lei making. The string part of the lei is also woven from grass, and we insert flowers at the end. Since the flowers wilt within a day, I stored them in the refrigerator as soon as I returned to the hotel and wore them out that evening. While I can't bring the flowers back to Japan, I can take the ring part without the flowers (customs is fine with that; it seems they microwave it before use). Once back in Japan, I can dry them and preserve them as dried flowers.

ビショップミュージアムの庭でハワイ伝統の植物の話を聞くのは楽しかったし、全くの初心者でしたが歌の意味を習いながら、専門的な講師の資格を持つ先生からフラダンスのレッスンを受けることができ、貴重な体験ができました。フラレッスンの最後には、ガイドさんに自分たちの踊る様子をスマホで撮ってほしいとお願いしたところ、快く引き受けてくださいました。
フラレッスンの次に、レイメイキングをしました。レイの紐（輪っか）の部分も草で編み、最後に花を挿します。花は1日で萎れてしまうので、ホテルに戻るとすぐに一旦冷蔵庫で保存し、夜のお出かけ時に着けて出かけました。花は日本に持って帰れませんが、花を抜いて輪っかの部分だけなら日本に持ち込めます（税関大丈夫とのこと。使う前に電子レンジにかけてるみたいでした）。日本に持って帰ったら乾燥させ、ドライフラワー状態で保存することができます。

Open bar good place to sit if you have to. Fun night out.

Nicely organized and fun filled event. Just performance isn’t that high level. Dancers were ok but not really professional level of dancers. Food was good. And overall experience was very good.

The Toa Luau was a great first luau for our family (30 to 60 year olds). Waimea Valley itself is beautiful; definitely come at least 2 hours early to be able to walk to the waterfall and enjoy the scenery. The pre-luau activities like weaving grass head bands, husking coconuts etc were fun. The show itself was fantastic too - they performed authentic ceremonies and dances from different Polynesian islands. The host was hilarious! Only slight downside was the food was only mediocre. We are all vegetarian and our main entree was bland quinoa; but we were happy there was even a vegetarian option (you have to request ahead of time though). Overall this luau is definitely worth it and we will recommend it to all of our family and friends!!