Last night, 10-year-old Kaleinani Kamali'i had one of those memories that will last a lifetime: a sleepover at the Bishop Museum following a three-hour cruise from her home on Maui.

But it may have Kaleinani's grandmother, Jane Kamali'i, who was more thrilled by the trip.

"It's an awesome idea. Very exciting," Jane said.

The two were among 38 youngsters and seven adults from the Boys and Girls Club of Maui who got to spend the night in the museum's science center as part of a new program offered by the Hawaii Superferry.

The idea, company officials said yesterday, is to provide occasional free transportation to deserving nonprofit groups traveling between islands for educational purposes. The company expects to offer such trips to other groups about once a month, said Lani Olds, Superferry's director of customer experience.

For the Maui youngsters, some of them making their first trip to O'ahu, the 24-hour experience offered a little something for everyone: adventure (and video games) on the open sea, history lessons, a chance to see the Islands from the ocean as the first Hawaiians might have, a hands-on night in the museum's Science Adventure Center and planetarium, time in the gift shop, and an early morning (5 a.m.!) wake-up call for a trip back home.

"It's a good opportunity and fun, too," said Kaleinani, who was looking forward to learning something about volcanoes and stars at the museum following the ferry trip, which left some kids "a little woozy" but undaunted once they were back on dry land.

Olds said the ferry's Manta Explorer program is designed to help youngsters continue learning about the islands. For the inaugural voyage, the company partnered with the museum and Polynesian Adventure Tours, which donated the services of a 57-passenger bus and driver from Maui to accompany the children on the ferry and give them a lift to the museum.

Hi'ilani Shibata, director of the museum's educational programs, said the partnership will allow the museum to expand its educational mission to those who might otherwise not have a chance to visit O'ahu. The museum's 12-year-old sleepover program has hosted Neighbor Island groups in the past, but this is the first time any group has arrived by ship, she said.

"It's one more way for us to share the museum's resources," Shibata said.

Jane Kamali'i, who grew up in Honolulu, said she couldn't remember visiting the museum as a child, but brought her own children there when they were growing up. Now that she lives on Maui, the chance to return to the museum with her granddaughter was too much to pass up, she said.

"Being here adds to understanding her history and culture. It's all good and very educational," she said.

After they visited the exhibits in Hawai'i Hall, stopped at the Hot Spot volcano exhibit area, and headed over to the planetarium, the evening was just getting started. Still ahead were dinner, an island survival game, free time in the Science Adventure Center and maybe even a little sleep.

By 6:30 this morning, the group was expected to be back on the ferry headed home.

Reach Mike Leidemann at mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.