Voyagers of the Pacific Lū‘au — Attraction in Hawaii

I knew when booking this that it would be very touristy. And it was. For sure, it was worth seeing a luau once in your life, but I wouldn't come back to this one. They cram as many people in as possible and with trees in the way there were many seats that had zero viewing of the stage. People in the middle needed to stand which made the people in the back even more unhappy (nothing like a rude tourist yelling at you). I ended up leaving the luau and going right outside to view it. You can see better if you just go for free and sit outside. I ended up sitting next to the grandmother of one of the dancers and it was a much nicer experience with her by my side. I had called to make my reservation for our large group of 13. I was told that if we got there by 4:30 (doors opened at 4:45) we would have no issue getting preferred seating (at an add'l cost that we were willing to pay). Got there at 4:30 and nope, no preferred seating. We were only lucky to have a reserved table because of our size. Still had horrible seating though thanks to being right on a tree. I was saddened more as we went to dinner at the hotel restaurant the night we left (great place, open sea front) and noticed a sign that said if you stay at the hotel you are guaranteed preferred seating for the Luau. So yeah, that wasn't mentioned on the phone and explains a lot. The food was as expected, but there were few options for picky kids (my son, granted is getting food therapy so we are used to it). The poi (I know it can be better) was a very sad example, so I feel bad for people that think that is what poi is. They have recently changed the parking at the hotel. The process of getting a ticket when you drive in, then having to get it validated and THEN going to a machine to confirm it only to still pay just $3 when you exit was bull. That was not necessary. Park for free a few blocks away if you want your life to be easier. We all know parking shouldn't be that hard. My opinion is, if you want to SEE a Luau go and sit in the hotel lobby/pool area at 7. If you want to eat Luau food, go to the restaurant as they serve the same food there. If you want the full experience, go ahead, but expect it to be very touristy and...

The whole experience was such a treat for the whole family. The dances were very captivating and it was very cool to learn about the historical significance of each tradition and island. The food was great and there was a good assortment. Our server and bartender was very kind and on top of his tables, never went more than a few minutes without a check in or being offered another drink. The overall environment was so comfortable and friendly; easy to meet new people at the tables. The crowd was very supportive of the dancers and participatory when invited. The MC and band did very well at engaging the crowd and keeping a pace; felt like there was never silence because they would even play background music during the dancing transition.

I did my research prior to arriving and saw it's best to arrive early in order to get your parking validated (if not staying at their hotel) and to find a great table. For this reason my group ended up being the first in line. This was good because larger groups had tables blocked off (whether or not a VIP) to ensure they sat together, this made open seats for smaller groups even more scarce. The website also mentions wearing closed-toed shoes; I'd suggest that if it were a colder month or your feet tire of sandals quickly because there wasn't a lot of walking besides to and from the parking lot.

I only have a few gripes from this whole experience and the first is the parking situation. There seems to be enough parking for the event if you're driving in, but their parking validation drops the exit price to $5.00 instead of a true validation. My other complaint is regarding the photos. There is a spot where they will take your photos in front of the ocean prior to the show starting. While the photo turned out great, it's an extra $25 to purchase. With the cost of the experience so high (and I understand the cost of staffing, food, and decor) it still seems they try to make the pennies when they can by still charging parking and extra photos.

Overall I'd give the experience 5 stars but the extra charging for parking and photos was a bit annoying and inconvenient. Great family fun if you're looking for an evening...

The host and show were great. The musicians and performers were amazing and exciting to watch.

Scott, our waiter, was awful. Smarmy and inattentive, he made it very clear to us that the venue was understaffed and he was having a hard time. I get it. But you don’t put that on your guests. Having worked in the service industry for much of my adult life, I understand that not every day is a great one, and I know that any service job is incredibly challenging, I can’t imagine what working at a resort is like, but it’s bad form to spread that to your customers.

When we tried to speak to a member of the staff about these issues he very aggressively approached our party to interrupt and took a tone and posture that borderlined threatening. For a moment I thought he was going to get physical with my stepfather, who is a veteran of two wars; while no one deserves this treatment, I think we can all agree that that our service members deserve better than this. He made my family incredibly uncomfortable.

Amazingly, after all this his attitude just got worse. His patronizing tone and constant micro aggressions were noted by everyone in my party as well as customers at adjacent tables within earshot.

My family and I travelled 4500+ miles to be here on this once-in-a-lifetime trip, and we chose to spend my birthday night at the Royal Kona Luau. My mother was especially looking forward to this and had been talking about the Royal Kona Luau for months leading up to our vacation.

What was supposed to be a fun evening has left me feeling as bitter and salty as the pork we were served.

SHAME on Royal Kona for overworking their staff and for letting an employee like Scott work anywhere near paying customers.

I would have left these comments on Royal Kona Luau’s website, but their Reviews section conveniently leaves out anything that isn’t glowing or flattering.

I never like to say anything bad about anyone and I resent the fact that I have to leave a review like this, but I feel obligated to let management know that they’re letting customers down by overworking and understaffing...