The Polynesian Cultural Center has been focused on how to share aloha while adhering to the state’s health and safety guidelines, said Seth Casey, senior manager of marketing at the PCC.
He said although some of their practices have changed due to the pandemic, the spirit of aloha has not.
“Aloha is more than just saying the word, and it’s more than just giving a lei,” shared Casey. “It’s how we treat people, and it hasn’t changed.”
Gerome Romero, a sophomore from the Philippines studying biochemistry, works as a tour guide at the PCC. He shared how the center’s employees communicate warmth and aloha to visitors through body language as they follow the safety guidelines.
Romero said through using hand gestures and body movements, such as pointing while welcoming guests, visitors still feel like tour guides are communicating with them. “Even though we’re wearing masks, we always smile using our eyes.... It connects us with other people.”
Casey said in Hawaiian and Polynesian culture, they give hugs and do a lot of lei giving, but they had to temporarily suspend those practices due to safety reasons.
“We adapted it a little bit. Instead of giving hugs or handshakes, we give a shaka sign.” He said most people recognize the sign. “It is deeply rooted, not only in our Hawaiian pop culture, but also here in Laie. The shaka sign was founded here by Hamana Kalili, and we’ve got a nice, big statue of him out in our courtyard.”
Leis and new mask mandate
To follow safety guidelines, Casey explained the PCC employees don’t personally give leis to the guests anymore. Rather, he said employees hand the lei to each party and invite them to give it to each other. In this way, “they can still experience the meaning of giving a lei to another person, rather than just receiving the lei.”
According to the new mask mandate, guests only need to wear masks indoors, he said. “Thankfully, most of the PCC experience is outdoors. … The only time guests need to wear a mask is if they go into the Gateway restaurant, into any of the retail shops that are enclosed and the restrooms. Other than that, they can come without the mask on, and it has been a relief to a lot of guests because it’s hard to wear a mask all day.”
Romero echoed Casey when he said PCC employees “are allowed to take off their masks when walking around, but when they go inside the buildings, they need to put their masks on.”
Since the Aotearoa (New Zealand) village main hall is enclosed, people have to wear a mask there, Romero added.
Paying tribute
The PCC continues to treat its guests with aloha by recognizing them and paying tribute to different groups, such as visitors who served in the military, and first responders and the medical workers who are helping in the current COVID-19 pandemic, Casey shared.
“In most of our shows, we take a few minutes to recognize and thank them publicly for their service and contributions.”
The PCC treats people with respect and love as if they were members of their own family, Casey said. For example, visitors are considered long-lost cousins who come to visit the PCC from all over the world.
Romero said when tour guides are giving tours, they ask if guests are celebrating something, such as a birthday, wedding, family reunion, anniversary or honeymoon. If so, the guides hand the guests a badge that says happy birthday or happy anniversary, depending on what they are celebrating.
Casey said, “If you happen to be celebrating something, … it’s almost impossible to make it through the center without somebody congratulating or recognizing you.”
Safe travels
PCC guest Mary Pompilus, who was visiting from Orlando, Florida, shared they came because they are vaccinated. “We felt safe enough to travel at this point.” They decided to go to the center because “this is the attraction that reflects the native people from the islands in Hawaii.”
Aloha is more than just saying the word, and it’s more than just giving a lei. It’s how we treat people, and it hasn’t changed.
She said she believes the PCC is taking the required efforts to follow the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s standards because they have closed certain activities, labeled the floor for social distancing and required masks indoors.
Even though they arrived later than their scheduled time, Pompilus shared the center accommodated them and gave them an option to come back another day. They were still able to experience the canoe ride, and she said it was nice because of how descriptive and informative the tour was about the different cultures.
What stood out to her the most was the five statues in the island of Rapa Nui, or Easter Island. According to the PCC website, the statues “are called Moai, and they are handmade authentic replicas of the statues found on the 64-square-mile island of Rapa Nui. … Four native carvers from Rapa Nui honored the PCC in 2003 by traveling here to Oahu to build these sacred figures, literally from the ground up.”
The website says the Moai have captured the attention of the world and can range from 5 feet to almost 80 feet tall.
Casey said because it’s still very difficult to travel to international destinations because of COVID-19 restrictions, Hawaii is a popular destination since it is an exotic and tropical location. “It is among the top destinations in the world, but it’s still part of the United States, so for those who live in the United States, it’s safe and easy to access.”
He stated the PCC anticipated the testing and quarantine would deter more people from visiting, but guests are still willing to come. Perhaps they are just tired of being cooped up at home and want to get out, he added.
Selling out
Casey said the villages are the most visited part of the PCC “because we can accommodate up to 1,150 people per day. … Second will be the evening show at 800 people.”
He continued, “The most demanded product is our luau, and unfortunately, it’s the one we have the lowest capacity. ... Luaus in general have always been the mainstay of the visitors’ experience here in Hawaii. Even those who have come multiple times to Hawaii usually look to do a luau.”
He shared the PCC has “one of the better luaus on the island. There’s a lot of great luaus, but we consistently win awards for being the most authentic and one of the top luaus on the island.”
PCC’s reservations staff said as of Sept. 13, the Super Ambassador Luau is sold out until Dec. 9, the Alii Luau is sold out until Oct. 28, but Gateway restaurant tickets are available. Casey said, “We sell out the night show every day, and the villages we pretty much sell out every day.”
Limited capacity for now
Casey explained, “When we first opened in mid-January, we had a very limited opening. We only had one village open, which was the Samoan village. It also included a canoe ride, one luau and the night show.”
Near the end of April, he said PCC was in the second phase of reopening. The PCC opened all of the villages, including the Gateway Buffet. “Even though we can accommodate a little bit more, the capacity limits are still a fraction of what they used to be before COVID,” said Casey. •