All Reviews for Toddler-Friendly (Ages 2-4)

Had a great time seeing the whales. One of the crew ladies was a little rude but overall it was a great time. Would recommend it to anyone looking to see some whales.

This is an excellent company to tour with. The weather could have been better, but that is out of their control. They were very friendly and professional, and the boat was clean and fun. Would consider them again, snorkeling was okay, I've had better and worse.

The Japanese guide, who is 75 years old, spends half a year in Hawaii and half a year in Tokyo, and he certainly doesn't look like a senior citizen. It was wonderful to see him enjoying his life. Thanks to him, I was able to communicate in Japanese, and I think it was great that I got to see whales multiple times. I would love to go again.

日本のガイドさんが75歳でハワイに半年、東京に半年と後期高齢者にはとても見えません。自分の人生を謳歌されて見えたのが素晴らしかった。お陰様で日本語は通じるし、クジラも何回も見ることができて大変良かったと思います。
また、行きたいですね。

It was a fantastic and impressive show that my husband, who visited Hawaii for the first time, thoroughly enjoyed! However, there were hardly any Japanese people on Maui, and my husband, who doesn't understand English, couldn't follow the explanations or guidance.

I also only understood a bit (just everyday conversation), so I was anxious about communication, but I was busy supporting my husband... haha.

Since it's an overseas trip, it's natural, but be aware that it won't be like Honolulu, where you see Japanese people everywhere.

On the other hand, everyone was really friendly, and the show was incredibly lively! I definitely want to go again!

ハワイが初めての旦那さんも大満足な迫力ある素晴らしいショーでした！
ただ、マウイ島には日本人がほとんど居らず、英語の分からない旦那は説明や案内が分かりませんでした。

私も聞き取りのみ(日常会話程度)だったので、コミュニケーションには不安でしたが旦那のフォローで手一杯に...笑

海外旅行なので当たり前ですが、ホノルルのような見渡す限り日本人のようにはいきませんので注意。

その代わり、みーんなノリが良くてショーも最高の盛り上がりでした！
また、是非いきたいです！

A Wonderful experience! The day was beautiful, the guide was knowledgeable, the bus was comfortable, and the food was very good. We are not the sort to get up in the middle of the night for a sunrise tour, so we signed up for the sunset version instead and will view the video in reverse:-) But seriously, we enjoyed the spectacular as-advertised views, along with the narrative. Our only discomfort came with the cold temperature at the summit. Despite the fact that we were prepared, it still got pretty chilly! If you're going, take the suggestions regarding warm clothing seriously!

Good food! Lots of fun! Beautiful location! Good family entertainment!

Thoroughly enjoyed this experience despite the early start and the freezing temperature! Collected from our hotel at 3am by Netty. Very informative time on the coach, which was very comfortable but also allowed some time to nap before arriving at the mountain top. It was very cold despite wearing lots of layers ( we had been warned!) and our hotel had lent us blankets. Had about an hours wait before the sun started to come up. The sunrise was beautiful. We stopped for a good breakfast on the way back and returned to our hotel around 11am.

THIS TRIP is worth waking up in the middle of the night to catch the sunrise ABOVE CLOUD Level. Beautiful! Thoughtful bus driver also brought hot water and coffee and packaged pastries for visitors to snack on before the actual breakfast. Thank you Nettie, bus driver, for an awesome experience!!!

Preston was our driver for the tour and he was hilarious. He managed to make our entire group laugh and stay engaged on our ride up to Haleakala. We felt safe with him as our tour leader and driver and would assure anyone going with Preston that you would have a great time. I HIGHLY recommend anyone considering the visit to view the sunrise to go with a tour group as the drive up is completely dark, on extremely narrow roads, and quite difficult to navigate. We had a care rental for our entire trip but were incredibly glad that we went with the route of having an operator take us up and down the mountain. The tour was informative and just so easy--from pick-up to drop-off.

My family was blown away with how close the whales were to our boat. Two whales came right up next to our boat and lifted their heads for pictures. My family was very happy with the experience. It gets very rocky so a bigger boat for smaller kids would be suggested.

The experience was nice...the whales could have been a little more cooperative & shown themselves more, but that’s nature....we had a very nice time....not over crowded (16 guests), that helped!! Our guide was very informative regarding the whales as he travels with them back to Alaska every year....

I participated in a whale watching cruise in Maui! Despite making a last-minute reservation just three days after arriving on the island, they were able to accommodate my request for a Japanese guide.

The weather was great on the day of the cruise, and not only did we encounter several whales, but we also witnessed a lot of action. At the end, we were even able to see a big jump from the whales about four times, which made for a very satisfying experience!

I had previously participated in whale watching in Oahu, but the number of whales and how close we could get to them was completely different. I'm really glad I joined this tour in Maui. Due to the geographical features, it seems that there are more whales visiting Maui than Oahu. I highly recommend this activity for anyone visiting Maui during the whale watching season! :)

マウイ島　ホエールウォッチングクルーズに参加しました！
マウイ島に到着してからの申し込みで、3日後という急な予約であったにも関わらず、日本語ガイドさんのリクエストにも応えて頂けました。
当日は天気もよく、何頭ものクジラに出会うことができただけでなく、たくさんのアクションも見ることが出来ました。
なんと最後には大きなジャンプ姿も4回ほど見られて、大満足の体験でした！
オアフ島でもホエールウォッチングに参加したことがあったのですが、クジラの数や、見れる近さも全然違い、マウイ島でこのツアーに参加できてとてもよかったです。地形の特性上、オアフ島よりもマウイ島の方が訪れるクジラの数が多いようです。ホエールウォッチングの時期にマウイ島に来られた方は是非お勧めしたいアクティビティです:)

We climbed the stairs between the sandy beach and the double-headed boat when the waves were calm, following the crew's signal. Depending on the timing, we got wet up to our thighs, and some people were excitedly shouting "Yay!" When we got on the boat, we sat on the deck and didn't go inside; the crew brought us drinks, egg sandwiches, and fruit. It seemed that this service was to prevent us from missing any whales while eating and drinking on board.

As we headed towards a whale that was slapping its fins in the distance, we unexpectedly got quite close to a breaching whale, but we only saw the last splash. After that, while praying for another breach and aiming my camera, it breached again. In total, we witnessed 10 breaches, numerous fin slaps, and 14 tail slaps, which was amazing; I don't think I'll ever see that many breaches again in my lifetime.

I was disappointed that I didn't know how to order the photos they took. I think it was necessary to register via email in advance?

砂浜から双頭船の間の階段を波が来ないときをクルーの合図で登ります。タイミング次第で太ももあたりまで濡れます、キャーと言って喜んでいる人もいました。船に乗ったら船上に座って中には入りませんでした、飲み物、卵サンドイッチ、果物をクルーが持ってきてくれました。船の中で飲んだり食べたりしているとクジラを見過ごすかもしれないので、このようなサービスだそうでした。
　遠くでムナビレをバチンバチンとしているクジラに向かっていくと、なんとかなり近くでブリーチング突然だったので最後の波しぶきぐらいしか見えませんでした。そのあともう一回ブリーチングしてと祈りながらカメラを向けているとブリーチングしました。結局10回ものブリーチング、ムナビレをバチンバチン多数、尻尾でバチンバチン14回と最高でした、もう一生こんなに多数のブリーチングを見ることはないと思います。
　撮ってくれた写真の注文の仕方がわからなかったのが残念でした。前もってEmailの登録が必要らしかった？

Our driver (Jason?) made for a great trip. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate on the day we took the tour, but Jason’s commentary and fantastic sense of humor were sunshine on the rainy day. If (when) we return to Maui, we will definitely take this tour again in hopes of seeing the sunset from Haleakala.

This was the first time for everyone in our group of six! We all had an awesome time and really enjoyed getting to see the whales up close. We had been watching them from the shore all week and ended our trip with this experience! So happy we spent the money and took the time to do it!!!

Departing from the far right dock at Lahaina Harbor. There is no parking at the dock, so I recommend the free public parking located to the north. The boat is comfortable, and we even spotted something that looked like a whale. Once we arrive at Lanai Island, there is a bus that goes to the Four Seasons. The beach is peaceful and highly recommended. I think it's a great idea to take a little trip there during your stay in Maui.

ラハイナ港の一番右の船着場から出航です。船着場には駐車場が無いので北側にある無料の公共駐車場がオススメです。船は快適。鯨らしきものも見えました。ラナイ島に着くとフォーシーズンズ行きのバスが出ています。ビーチも平和でおすすめです。マウイ島滞在中にちょっくら行くのも良いと思います。

The sunrise from Haleakalā was breathtaking. I highly recommend it.

Even though there are entry restrictions, about 450 people visit every morning, so it gets very crowded. During this tour, I was given various tips on where to wait, allowing me to see the sunrise from the best position.

As noted, you need to prepare for the cold as you wait at the summit, which is 3,000 meters high, about an hour before sunrise, similar to what you would need for a ski resort. If it’s too cold, you can also view it from inside the visitor center. Although it will be through glass, it seems there is heating inside.

ハレアカラから見るサンライズ、感動しました。おすすめです。
入場制限がかかったとはいえ、毎朝４５０人位の人達が訪れるとのことで、非常に混雑します。今回のツアーでは、どこで待っていれば良いか色々教えてもらったので、ベストポジションでサンライズを見ることが出来ました。
注意書きにも書いてありますが、日の出の１時間くらい前から３０００ｍの山頂で待つので、スキー場に行く位の防寒準備が必要です。どうしても寒い場合は、ビジターセンターの中からでも見ることが出来るとの事です。ガラス越しにはなりますが、暖房は入っているようです。

We had a great time whale watching! The crew made all the difference. They were very knowledgeable about whales. From serving food and drinks to taking pictures so we could just enjoy the whales, it was great. So good, since they had openings, we went on the next trip!
We will see them next year for our whale watching trip!

What an amazing trip! you will not be disappointed! Diane picked us up at our Condominium and we picked up other passengers and went to have a continental breakfast. While at the home base, they give you extra layers of coats, ear muffs, and gloves to wear. We were prepared and had our heavy winter coats, but took these extra provisions just in case. I was so glad that we did! It was awesome to layer up as it is very cold before sunrise at the top and you do stand out in the cold as the sun begins its ascent.

One of the other guides or park rangers performed a chant as the sun rose which was very special.

Our Guide Diane was really great! So cheerful and personable the entire time. She drove safely up and down the mountain (we were SO glad we chose to do the tour instead of attempting to drive it ourselves). Diane peppered the journey with insightful facts and history. We learned so much about the history of Maui, culture of Hawaii, indigenous and protected species, and so much more! Truly a joy!

After sunrise, we also went up to the Summit, then stopped at several places on the way back down the mountain for sight seeing before heading to Breakfast. The Hot Chocolate was the best I have ever had! Great food!

Could not be more thrilled with this tour! Highly recommended

I prefer traditional hula (kahiko), and although there were luau shows at the hotel where I stayed, most of them were Polynesian shows. That's why I deliberately chose this "Traditional Luau & Hula Hawaiian Show - Old Lahaina Luau." As I expected, the show featured a lot of traditional hula (kahiko), and I was satisfied. Those who prefer fire dancing may not be as pleased. The meal was served buffet-style, with dishes generously plated according to the order of each group's seating. The drinks were all-you-can-drink, and the poke was very delicious. I also requested through Veltra to have a "floor seating" arrangement in advance. Cushions were provided, so there was no need for additional mats. Moreover, since we were in the front row, taking photos and videos was perfect without anyone's head getting in the way. I recommend requesting front row seating. There is parking available, but I parked at the Lahaina Cannery Mall parking lot on the opposite side, which was spacious and, of course, free. I highly recommend it!

私は古典フラ（カヒコ）が好みで宿泊ホテル先でもルアウショーはあったのですがルアウショーの多くはポリネシアンショーの為敢えてこの「伝統ルアウ＆フラ ハワイアンショー オールド・ラハイナ・ルアウ」を選びました。思った通りショーの内容は、古典フラ（カヒコ）が多く、満足しました。ファイアダンスが好みの人は満足しないかも知れません。食事も席毎グループの順番でビュフェスタイルでお皿にしっかり盛り付けしました。ドリンクも飲み放題でポキがとっても美味しかったです。席もあらかじめveltraさんに依頼し”床に座る席”にしてもらいました。座布団が用意されていましたので敷物は不要でした。しかも最前席でしたので写真・ビデオ撮影も人の頭も邪魔にならずバッチリでした。最前列を依頼する事をお薦めします。駐車場はありますが反対側のラハイナキャネリー・モールの駐車場が広くこちらに駐車しました。無論無料でした.....是非お勧めします。

Wake up early, super early, for the most amazing sunrise you’ll see, if you are an adventurer. It’s cold up there, super cold so prepare for that. Before sunrise, marvel at the stars. They’re so cold you can touch them. Gloves, hats and warm coats needed, but its soooooo worth it!! The sunrise is spectacular! And once it comes up, the crater is like nothing you’ve ever seen. Turn to your right and look up at the science stations there also. You’ll want to stay!

I went to see the show with my husband on our honeymoon. The show was great. The food was a little dry but not too bad. We enjoyed the night out and it was definitely a great experience.

This was a very enjoyable evening. The crew did a great job serving everyone and the food was excellent. The captain did a wonderful job steering around the thunderstorm that was in the area. We also had a whale entertain us slapping its tail to the beat of the music.

I was able to travel to Maui during the winter season, so I decided to enjoy whale watching and made a reservation in advance with VELTRA. This is definitely an activity you should participate in if you travel to Maui.

First of all, there are numerous whale watching tours in Lahaina. The tour I participated in had its check-in and departure point at the main loading dock right in front of the Pioneer Inn in Lahaina, where there were more than ten operating booths. Despite this, I saw several people who tried to sign up on the day and were turned away due to being "fully booked," with alternative dates suggested. I think it's better to make a reservation in advance.

It was quite a windy day, but I had no worries about seasickness (though this is just my personal opinion). Of course, it wasn't completely smooth, but it was more like the sensation of a theme park ride rather than the kind of rocking that causes seasickness, and it had quite a sense of speed.

As we departed from Lahaina Harbor and saw the streets of Lahaina, it was truly wonderful. Just this view felt worth the price (laughs). In the first half, we didn't see many whales, but in the second half, we were able to see whales up close quite frequently. The staff was friendly, enthusiastically pointing out, "Look over there!" and "Ten o'clock direction!"

Most of the passengers were not Japanese, but there were no particular issues as we didn't need to converse with each other. The shape of the boat was large enough to accommodate about 40 people, and it was two stories. Most passengers enjoyed the activity on the upper deck. There was also a bar corner (with soft drinks available, of course). There was no pressure to order drinks.

As for some advice, I recommend fully charging your camera or smartphone battery. You never know where the whales will surface. They have a behavior pattern of "suddenly surfacing with their snout, then diving headfirst into the water, and finally showing their tail before submerging," which lasts about 20 seconds. Therefore, to capture that decisive moment, you need to keep your camera ON at all times. I missed out on taking good photos because my battery wasn't sufficiently charged (T_T). Also, while cruising, it can be quite windy, so be careful not to get blown away.

　冬の時季にマウイ島に旅行することができましたので、ホエールウオッチングを楽しむことにしてVELTRAさんで事前に予約しました。
　マウイ島に旅行される場合はぜひ参加したいアクティビティです。

　まず、ラハイナでは数多くのホエールウオッチングツアーがあります。今回参加したツアーはラハイナのパイオニアインのすぐ前のmain loading dockが受付・出港場所ですが、ここだけでも１０を超える営業小屋？がありました。それにもかかわらず当日に申し込みをしようとして「満員」ということで断られ、別の日などを提示されていた方を何人か見かけました。事前予約しておいた方が良いと思います。

　当日はかなり風が強い日でした。しかし船酔いなどの心配はまったくありませんでした（ただし個人的な感想です）。もちろんまったく揺れない訳ではありませんが、船酔いのする揺れではなく、遊園地の乗り物のような感じのけっこうスピード感のあるものでした。
　ラハイナ港を出港して、ラハイナの街並みを見るととても素晴らしいものでした。これだけでも料金の元を取ったような感じでした（笑）
　前半ではあまりクジラを見ることはできませんでしたが、後半になるとかなりの頻度でクジラを近くから見ることができました。スタッフもフレンドリーで、「あっちに見えるぞ」、「１０時方向だ」などと熱心に対応してくれました。

　乗客のほとんどは日本人以外の方でしたが、お互いに会話が必要な訳でもなく特に問題はありませんでした。
　船の形状は４０人くらいが満員の大きさで、２階建てです。ほとんどの乗客は２階部分でアクティビティを楽しみます。一応、バーコーナー（もちろんソフトドリンク有り）もあります。飲み物のオーダーを強制されるようなことはありません。
　
　何点かアドバイス的なことでは、カメラやスマホのバッテリーは十分に充電しておくことをお勧めします。クジラはどこに顔を出すか分かりません。「ギューンと口先から顔を出して、そのまま海面に頭から潜っていき、最後にテールを出した後に水中に潜る」という行動パターンです。この間、２０秒ほどです。そのため決定的瞬間を撮影するためには、いつもカメラをONにしておく必要があるからです。私は充電が十分でなかったため、良い写真を撮りはぐってしまいました(T_T)
　それから会場をクルージングしていると風が強いです。飛ばされないように注意して下さい。
　

I really can't say enough good things about our tour guide Henry; he was the best! He was very knowledgeable and funny. He even took some amazing pictures of us once we got to the top. One of the best memories of our trip was this tour. If you are planning a trip to Maui, I recommend doing the sunset tour.

We have been to several luaus on our many trips to Maui and this one is by far the best !! Food, entertainment, view.....everything was just perfect !! Would definitely recommend this activity if you are looking for a truly authentic luau. You won't be disappointed.

The parking structure was a little hard to find. Once parked bring the ticket to meet at the beach and they would validate it. Everyone turned up on time and our group had 32 people. The catamaran was clean, spacious and well equipped with 2 restrooms, a shower, a bar and enough indoor and outdoor seating. All 4 crew members were nice and friendly. Coffee, cinnamon rolls & fresh fruit were SERVED for breakfast. We saw some whales on the way but they weren’t close enough. We stopped at Olowalu. Water was calm and snorkeling was good. Lunch was served at 10:30am. BBQ chicken was delicious and they grilled them on deck. People can do more snorkeling after lunch and we set off around 11:30. I was hoping we would see more whales on our way. Don’t expect to spend too much time whale watching on this tour. There are some cheaper tours out there, I’m not sure how those compare. We saw some boats with tons of passagers on board. We arrived back at Kaanapali Beach at 1pm.

I participated alone and was a bit anxious about not being able to speak English, but I really wanted to see the sunrise, so I joined the tour. I initially considered renting a car, but it was definitely the right choice to go with the tour. Just not having to drive on those winding roads was enough, but the guide was very considerate and I was able to see the beautiful scenery while listening to the sunrise chant, which became a lifelong memory. The summit was very cold, and since we had to wait for quite a while for the sunrise, I couldn't bring warm clothing and a hat, but I think it would be good for women and children to have hand warmers if possible. After watching the sunrise, we warmed up with hot coffee, tea, and bread on the bus before heading down the mountain for breakfast. Even though I didn't fully understand the guide's explanations on the way there and back, I was able to grasp about half of it. We had breakfast at the golf course's rest house, and then they provided transportation back to the hotel. It was a very good tour.

一人で参加、英語が話せないので英語ガイドさんで不安もありましたが
どうしてもサンライズを観たくて参加しました。当初レンタカーで行こうと
考えていましたが、ツアーにして正解でした。あのくねくね道を運転しなくて良いだけでも充分でしたが、ガイドさんが何かと気を使ってくださり
素晴らしい景観をサンライズのチャント？オリ？を聞きながら自身の目で
観れた事は一生の思い出となりました。山頂はとても寒いので結構な時間サンライズを待つので防寒着と帽子、持って行けませんでしたが出来ればカイロが有った方が女性、お子様には良いかと思います。サンライズを観終わると
バスで温かいコーヒー紅茶とパンで暖をとり山を下り朝食へと向かいます
行き帰りの道中ガイドさんの説明を解らないながらも必死？で聴き半分位は
理解出来ました。朝食をゴルフ場のレストハウスで食べてホテルまで送迎して
いただき解散とても良いツアーでした。

It was the season, so I was able to see a lot! We even saw breaching! Although it was far away, we saw it twice right in front of us. The Japanese guide also came along and provided explanations about the highlights and why whales inhabit Maui during this time, making it a very fulfilling whale watching experience.

シーズンなのでたくさん見れました！しかもブリーチングまで！遠くでしたが正面に2回も。日本語ガイドさんも来てくださり見所とか、なぜこの時期マウイ島に生息しているのかとか、解説もしていただけたのでとても充実したホエールウォッチングでした。

The boat was a catamaran. Since we boarded right up to the beach, you should be prepared to get wet. There were no Japanese staff, but we managed just fine. Even though I thought of whales as wild animals, my expectations were high! When a whale came close, it was so exciting. Finally seeing a whale was a dream come true! Thank you for showing up. There were some snacks available, but we were so focused on the whales. The sea conditions were calm that day, with clear skies and little wind, so the conditions were quite good. I think our family was lucky. The next day when we went to the beach, the waves were really strong, and it looked like getting on the boat would be even more difficult. After all, dealing with nature, the weather, sea conditions, and the appearance of the whales, I can only feel gratitude. I will never forget the whales that our whole family got to see.

船はカタマラン。ビーチギリギリまでつけての乗船なので、ハッキリ言って濡れるの覚悟が必要です。
日本人スタッフさんは、いませんがなんとかなりました。
クジラは野生の動物だからと思っていても期待は高まりますね❗️クジラが、近くに出てきてくれた時は興奮ものです。
念願叶ってのクジラさん‼️出てきてくれて、ありがとうでした。
ちょっとした飲食もありましたが、クジラさんで、いっぱい、いっぱいでした。
この日は、海況も穏やかで晴天、風もあまりなく、コンディションは良い方でした。
私達家族はラッキーだと思います。
翌日ビーチに行ってみると、うねりがすごく、船に乗るのがさらに大変そうでした。
やはり自然相手、天気・海況・クジラさんの出現は感謝しかありません。
家族全員で見れたクジラさんは忘れません。