Q and A
Reunion in Hawaii
Q.  Relatives in the United States and Australia want to have a reunion in Hawaii in late 1998 or early 1999. There would probably be 35 altogether, with ages ranging from 3 to 85. Club Med would be ideal, but there are no Club Meds in Hawaii. Are there places that might fill our needs? -- Dorothy Harper Levinson, Cranbury, N.J.
A.  Bear in mind that you should be able to negotiate a group hotel rate; how favorable a deal you strike depends on when you travel. Here are a few of the many possibilities that might be suitable, along with some tips from reunion specialists.
The Kona Village Resort, with 125 rooms in thatch-roofed cottages on the Big Island, operates on the all-inclusive plan, with breakfast, lunch and dinner included in the rate, as well as the use of kayaks, Sunfish sailboats and snorkeling equipment, an outrigger canoe, tennis and volleyball. It has a free children's program for ages 6 to 12, with activities such as rock painting and fishing contests. Younger children may participate if accompanied by an adult.
Rates start at $395 for two people and range up to $680. Additional adults in a room, $160; children 6 to 12, $110; children 2 to 5, $55, and those under 2, $25. Information: (808) 325-5555; fax (808) 325-5124.
The Hilton Waikoloa Village, also on the Big Island, is a 1,241-room, 62-acre oceanfront resort on the Kohala Coast, with a four-acre swimming and snorkeling  lagoon, beach and three pools. Here meals and activities are priced separately except for some free activities such as tai chi, yoga, water aerobics and an instructional golf clinic.
Guests can arrange to have encounters, supervised by a trainer, with some of  the 10 Atlantic bottle nose dolphins that live in a separate lagoon at the resort. For children aged 5 to 12, the cost is $45; for adults, the cost is $85, and there is a lottery because it is so popular.
The resort has two 18-hole golf courses ($82 including cart), eight tennis courts ($20 for 90 minutes, or $30 on clay) and a 25,000-square-foot spa. Red Sail Sports, an adventure outfitter, offers daily scuba and snorkel trips and other cruises.
Camp Menehune is geared to those aged 5 to 12, with crafts, games and swimming; $45 a day.
There are six restaurants, ranging from northern Italian to Japanese, all with children's menus, and eight lounges.
Regular rates for double rooms start at $210 a night for two, and range up to $340. Two children may stay free with parents. Information: (808) 885-1234, fax (808) 885-2900.
On the island of Kauai, the 600-room, 50-acre Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort and  Spa offers five acres of saltwater lagoon with kayaking ($7.50 an hour), scuba diving ($110 for a two-tank offshore dive) and snorkeling ($5 a day for gear). There are two pools, one for adults and another with water slides and volleyball. An 18-hole golf course is within walking distance; greens fees are $85 (for guests) for 18 holes.
The 25,000-square-foot spa, where guests pay $10 a day for admission, has a 25-yard lap pool, whirlpools and sauna and steam rooms.
The resort has four restaurants and four lounges, one of them serving as a disco on weekends and another with live entertainment.
Camp Hyatt for children aged 3 to 12 (2 with a sitter) costs $45 a day, including lunch.
Rooms start at $275 a night for garden view and range up to $465. One or two  children can stay free in the same room with their parents. Information: (808) 742-1234, fax (808) 742-1557.
Resort spokesmen said you should expect help from a staff member in planning  any group meals or activities you wish to organize.
You are wise to be thinking now about a reunion in 1998. According to Edith Wagner, publisher of Reunions Magazine in Milwaukee, Wis., two years is not too  much lead time.
Ms. Wagner's biggest single caveat: "Set your dates and stick to them. A lot  of people change their dates because one person can't come and then find two people can't come on the second date."
Paula Sheagley, a reunion consultant and manager in Colorado Springs, recommended that you obtain a contract from the hotel listing rooms and prices agreed on and suggested that you give yourself plenty of time to get deposit money from participants.
She also said you should think carefully about how structured you would like  the trip to be. In any event, breakfast and dinner should be group affairs, she  said. As for the rest of the trip, although people may want to go their own ways some of the time, she added, "keep in mind the one reason you're getting together." New Orleans Summer
Q.  I am planning a trip to New Orleans this summer and need information on hotels and the city's transportation system. -- Rick Novikoff, Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
A.  Hotels go on sale during the city's steamy summer. For example, the 100-room Hotel de la Poste, at 316 Chartres Street in the French Quarter, (504) 581-1200, which currently charges $150 to $165 for a double room, drops rates to $99 and $109 from June 15 to Sept. 15. For an accommodations guide, contact the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau at (800) 672-6124.
The city's transportation system includes its famous streetcars in addition to buses. The fare on buses and streetcars is $1 ($1.25 for the streetcar along  the riverfront). A Visitour pass permits unlimited riding on streetcars and buses for $4 for one day, $8 for three and can be purchased at hotels and gift shops.
Rooms Fit for Royalty
Q.  We own the sixth edition of a book titled "Castle Hotels of Europe" by Robert P. Long, published by Prentice-Hall in 1984. Do you have any idea whether these accommodations in Europe's castles are still available? -- Virginia Katims, Seattle
A.  The book you own is now out of print, according to a spokeswoman for Prentice-Hall, but you should be able to find recent information about castle stays in individual European countries in the "Charming Inns and Itineraries" books published by Karen Brown's Guides; many of the lodgings are in chateaux, villas and other historic buildings. One caveat: illustrations are drawings, not photographs. Most of the books cost $16.95. They are available in some bookstores or through Karen Brown's Guides, Box 70, San Mateo, Calif. 94401; (415) 342-9117 or fax (415) 342-9153. Shipping and Handling are $4 for the first book, 50 cents for each additional copy.
JANET PIORKO