Islands only

[PurpleCow]

Does anyone know which lines cruise Hawaii only, and not to and from the States? I don't want to spend 7 or 8 days at sea in order to spend only 5 days cruising Hawaii. I'd rather fly in and out and spend more days cruising the islands.

[bug_dan]

Norwegian Cruise Lines has either Pride of Aloha or Pride of America, both have 7 day itineraries of the Islands.

http://www.ncl.com/itinerary/it_pal.htm#

http://www.ncl.com/itinerary/it_pam.htm

 

NCL is the only cruise line permitted to cruise only the Hawaiian Islands.

[PurpleCow]

I'm so disappointed that one of the smaller ships doesn't do this itinerary. Guess it will have to be a land vacation for us unless we want to go on to Tahiti on the Pacific Princess.

[beachchick]

I understand your disappointment (my mom loves the smaller ships), but the reason that NCLAmerica (sub-line of NCL) is the only one permitted to do Hawaii-only itineraries is because of the passenger transportation act (or whatever the real title is--it's referred to as the Jone's act). Foreign carriers aren't allowed to transport pax from one US port to another unless they go to a "distant foreign" port as well.

 

In any case, the US company that did this for decades (Independence and Constellation) went bankrupt. For a time there were NO Hawaii-only cruises. Then NCL got an special exemption to form the separate line NCLAmerica for the Hawaii-only cruises. NCLAmerica has to be registered as a US company (I think; I know NCL is not), the ships must be staffed with 100% US crew, and all US wage and work laws must be followed.

 

The Pride of Aloha is a NCL ship that was retrofit for Hawaii only; the Pride of America is a new build that was originally contracted by the company that went bankrupt; the Pride of Hawaii will be the second new build under that same contract.

 

Is there some reason that you won't even consider one of the new ships? (Please understand that I'm not saying that's wrong, just that I'm trying to get an idea of what you mean.) I know the PoAm isn't tiny, but it's not mega either. It's been in service for several months now, so I imagine much of the crew and itinerary has smoothed out. It's worth looking into if a Hawaii-only cruise is what you really want.

 

That said, I have to tell you that we far prefer land trips to Hawaii rather than cruises. We've done only one Hawaii cruise (and enjoyed it, but we always enjoy Hawaii). We've done 5 land trips in the past 6 years and can't wait to be able to plan our next one.

 

It depends on whether you think you'll ever go back to Hawaii again. If not, then a cruise is a great way to get a "taste" of the different islands; if you plan to go again, then several days on each of two islands is a perfect land trip, IMO.

 

I hope this helps a little.

 

beachchick

[jff50]

I think that NCL also does 10 day cruises (round trip from Hawaii) that stop at Fanning Island. That involves about 3 days cruising to and from Fanning Island.

[tommy]

10 and 11 days on the Wind. TOM

[cctexan]

We too are considering doing a land trip next summer as we have done the cruise thing several times. We feel it's time to spend a little more time on the islands. One thing I have noticed is that there appears to be very few nice hotels on the Big Island that we have been able to locate. Everything we have found is rated a two star??? Don't really want a resort as we will only be staying a couple nights in both Kona and Hilo and plan to use them only as our home base. Any suggestions for hotels in these areas? I remember a hotel in Kona right where we got off the ship but can't find the name of it. Anyone ever stayed there???

[bug_dan]

cctexan,

 

I think the hotel you are talking about is the King Kamehameha. We never stayed there but did spend a few days at the Royal Kona Resort Hotel.

Thought it was very nice and not expensive.

[PurpleCow]

Thanks for your detailed answer, beachchick. I knew about the Jones Act, but hadn't thought of it in this case. Of course it would apply and good for NCL for scooping up an advantage in Hawaii. I know I'm not interested in sailing on the Pride of America. I saw the ship for a week on Regis and Kelly and I know it's just too much for us. I don't know the size of the Pride of Aloha, but I'll definitely look into it.

 

The chances are we won't get back to Hawaii. DH was in Scofield Barracks on Dec. 7, 1941 and he hasn't been back since. I know it's somewhere he'd like to visit again while he still can. We can fly over Space A, so maybe I really should consider a land visit. It's just that I love cruising so much and it's such a comfortable way to travel. While DH was in Hawaii at the beginning of the war, he was in Belgium at the end. (Somewhere in between the two I was born.) We're visiting Normandy and Ardens (Battle of the Bulge) during a land trip to the Netherlands this Spring.

[cctexan]

Thanks, Dan. I appreciate your input on this one as we have been trying to figure out which hotel might be the best for what we are doing. I think we will check out the Royal Kona.

[cctexan]

Gosh, I guess I almost posted this twice! Sorry, guys!

[beachchick]

PurpleCow: Glad I was able to help. It sounds to me like a land trip is the way to go this time. How much time can you spare? If you can take 12 to 14 days, you can do 3 islands while still being able to get the island relaxation, aloha, hang loose thing going. My recommendation (based on what you've written and our experiences) would be to fly into Honolulu and stay on Oahu for 3 to 4 days. Do the historical sights and spend some time just seeing the island. Your choices from there depend on your preferences. Maui has Haleakala, excellent snorkeling, the road to Hana, upcountry sights (including Tedeschi winery), fun little towns, and is our favorite island. The Big Island (Hawaii) has Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, Kona coffee, great snorkeling on the Kona side and beautiful sights on the Hilo side--talk about contrasts. There are black and green sand beaches, as well as South Point (the furthest point south in the US; at least until Madame Pele decides otherwise). Kauai is the most relaxed of the major islands and is perfect for complete unwinding. There is excellent snorkeling (depending on the season it's best/safest in different locations), Waimea Canyon (worth it even if you've seen the Grand Canyon), lush greenery, and just tremendous beauty. If you let us know your preferences, we can give you more tips on what might suit you.

 

cctexan: I think that one of the reasons you see mostly extremes is that so much of the Big Island is fairly unpopulated. There are the Kohala and Kona resorts, Volcano House, and then some places Hilo-side (there's really no fancy resorts around Hilo that I know of, but I'm sure locals would have better information). King Kam in Kona gets pretty good ratings. We've only stayed in a condo one time and then one night at some little place the night we arrived last trip. I'm sorry I don't have better info for you.

 

beachchick

[spleen93]

Ah, but the Kohala resorts are SO nice ... :)

 

Spleen

[bug_dan]

Hey Spleen,

 

I thought by now you'd be sleeping right through those 2 o'clock feedings;)

[beachchick]

Oh, Spleen, you are soooo right. I'd love to spend a few weeks just staying 3 or 4 nights at several different ones, just so I could decide which was "best." LOL. I think I'd start at the Four Seasons Hualalai or maybe the Kona Village Resort...no wait, I'd probably never want to leave to check out the others. (Ah well, if wishes were horses and all that...)

 

beachchick

[spleen93]

Dan - what can I say, I'm a natural night owl, even before having the kid. We're lucky though -- she sleeps through the night without problems.

 

beachchick - yes, I'd have to agree. I'm still hoping to stay at the Four Seasons Hualalai one of these days. :)

 

Spleen

[PurpleCow]

Gee, beachchick, would you like to be our TA? What you describe sounds wonderful. We're not so much interested in beach days. I like to snorkel; DH not so much, but I can't imagine going to Hawaii and not snorkeling at least once. So how to you get from island to island? I'm not keen on tiny planes and helicopters are a definite no-no.

[sceptic]

purplecow, island-to-island flights are on either 737s (Aloha) or md-80s (Hawaiian Air). These are regular commercial jets rather than puddle jumpers. (Yes, there are some smaller planes that will land the smaller airports like Kapalua or Princeville, but the above two carry the vast majority of interisland flights.

 

Their cost varies - Aloha offers occasional deals for first or last flight of the day that can be very good. For a lot of folks who visit more than one island they just get tickets for each leg rather than a round trip. Oahu to Kahului, then Kahului to Kona (or Hilo), then back to Oahu. Every leg is the same price, and round trips are simply two legs. Each leg tends to run about $75 a person, last time I looked, but there is some variation based on time of day and # seats left.

 

(BTW, a good deal for frequent fliers is that some programs charge only 5,000 miles per leg per person. That's really not a bad deal).

 

Regarding where to stay and for how long, the one thing to remember is that a travel day from island to island is just that - a travel day rather than a vacation day. You have to pack, check out, drive to airport, return car, go to airline desk, wait, get on plane, take flight (short), get off plane, get luggage, get car, drive to next place, check in.... bleh. That's most of the day right there.

 

One island that doesn't do this to you is the Big Island. If you stay for a few days in Kona (or farther north on the Waikaloa shore - FANTASTIC hotels there) you can simply toss your stuff in the car, check out, and drive leisurely to the other side of the island, sightseeing along the way. The extra cost for dropoff of a car picked up in Kona and dropped in Hilo (or vice versa) isn't big at all. And because you're buying interisland air fares by the leg, it's no difference in price than a round trip Oahu to either airport on the big islan.

 

Anyway, try and keep the island hopping to a minimum. To me, 12 - 14 days is two islands, not three, because that's just too many days going from island to island. It's so expensive just to get to Hawaii - try and stretch it to 15-17 days and three islands is more palatable.

[spleen93]

Aloha is running a special right now where the first flight of the day can be had for as low as $35/person. Of course, this is something insanely early like 5:30 am or so .... but hey, if you're looking for bargains ...

 

http://www.alohaairlines.com/Interisland.php

 

Spleen

[beachchick]

PurpleCow: Actually, I'm just a mainland girl who fell in love with the islands. DH used to work there several weeks a year (mostly Oahu, but some on the BI), but that was before he met me. So, he was already experienced.

 

For snorkeling, two choices that might work if your DH isn't much into it. First, you could do an excursion to Molokini (Maui) or Kealakakua Bay (BI) on one of the larger boats. Even if your DH doesn't go in the water, the ride is nice and the trip will typically include food, drinks, etc. (GO IN THE MORNING--I cannot emphasize this enough. The wind and waves kick up in the afternoon, throughout the islands, making afternoon excursions harder, plus sometimes they go to "alternate" sights that aren't as good, IMO.) Second option would be to go to one or more of the excellent snorkel beaches and have your DH stay on the beach as your spotter. Before we bought DH his own lightweight wetsuit top that's typically what he did in Hawaii. I always liked that he was keeping an eye on me, just in case. Most of the best beaches and spots for snorkeling don't have lifeguards, so it's really not a good idea to go without a partner or a spotter. Now we snorkel together--love it. You don't have to stay all day at any of the spots, especially if you have a car. We've hit three or four spots in one day sometimes, just staying a little here and there. Other times, the beaches or coves just invite you to pull up some sand and relax for hours. I will tell you that neither of us is into lying in the sun and crisping. If we plan to hang out for a while, we always scope out the places where we are likely to find some shade, pull out a book, or just look at the water and waves.

 

sceptic: Normally, I'd agree about 2 islands, but PurpleCow wrote that they probably won't go back again. An early morning flight is not ideal, but is doable, as long as it's island-to-island direct. There are fewer of those these days, so you really have to scope out which flights to book. It seems like there tends to be only one direct flight each way, each day (or at least, that was what we found this summer).

 

For me, the ideal Hawaii trip is 16 to 18 days (and 12 days is an absolute minimum, which we did once but stayed on one island only). A week on one island, followed by at least a week on another...ah, perfect. But when ACV went bankrupt in 2001, we had to scramble into a land trip. We ended up with 4 nights BI, 4 nights Kauai, 7 nights Maui. Personally, I wouldn't want to do that again. You are right--it's a great deal of effort, but if this is the one and only trip, it may be worth the effort. I'm absolutely with you that the longer the trip, the better. I'd stay a month if we could afford it.

 

BTW, our most recent interisland flights were on Boeing 717s. Fantastic smaller (not puddle jumper) jets. Really nicely laid out and smooth--so smooth that the very experienced senior pilot was able to loop us low and slow over the center of Maui when we had to circle before landing. WOW, what a view.

 

beachchick

[bug_dan]

I'd also look into the possibility of flying into either Maui or Honolulu and making your return flight to the mainland from the one you didn't fly into. We also had planned on cruising on the Independence in 2001 and switched to a land trip. With the heightened secuity and 2 hour requirement before a flight, traveling between the Islands was not a pleasant experience.

[PurpleCow]

You are so helpful! We can stay as long as we like. DH is retired and I can work anywhere I can get online for a lttle while every day or two. Flying over and staying for 3 weeks probably isn't much more expensive then flying over and cruising the islands for a week. If we have to we can fly over Space A and stay for a while at the military facility. Not my preference because of the uncertainty, but do-able.

[beachchick]

PurpleCow: It's great that you can get away like that. Wonderful! Yes, plan at least 3 weeks, especially if you can snag space at one or more of the military facilities. There have been some posts of late about those on Oahu and Suebee stayed on the BI (at VNP) last summer. You can do a search for her posts and it should come right up for you. We saw the facility and it looks terrific.

 

Here's Suebee's thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=207740

 

I forgot to mention last night that we were not charged a drop fee on the BI this June. We rented in Kona, dropped in Hilo. This was with Avis, but we had originally booked with another company (can't remember which now) and they also didn't have a drop fee on a 4 day rental. I don't know if that's normal now or not.

 

BTW, the Entertainment Book coupons, such as free day or weekend special, aren't valid in Hawaii (that rude little "48 contiguous states and Canada" clause), but the EB rental discount "code" for Avis saved us an additional $30 on our already discounted rental. Then on Maui, it saved us and additional $95 on our 2 week rental, bringing our per day cost, including taxes and fees, to $16 for a 4-door, midsize. IMO, get the book if you plan to rent a car. It paid for itself on our overnight hotel in Kona; then saved us $125 on car rentals, plus the coupons we used for this and that, like food. We barely used it because so much is based on Oahu, but even so saved at least $300 on this trip--which paid for dinner at Mama's Fish House on Maui plus dinner at Pestos in Hilo.

 

bug dan: So, when was your "surprise" land trip? We were there in November into early December. The heightened security was indeed a pain. However, the flights weren't full so it wasn't as bad as I had expected. The only upside (if you can call it that) was that so many people had cancelled trips. We got great rates and did many things we might not have done otherwise, plus NO crowds at all anywhere so we got lots of personalized service. I was even able to snag a spot at DolphinQuest at the Waikoloa at the very last minute--that hardly ever happens. I am so glad I didn't hesitate--what an experience. I suppose we could have cancelled our trip, but there's just no way we are NOT going to Hawaii whenever we can. Thank heavens for travel insurance.

 

beachchick

[PurpleCow]

PurpleCow: It's great that you can get away like that.

Oh, just one of the benefits of getting older, beachchick. As I mentioned upthread, DH is a Pearl Harbor survivor. He was only 20 when the Japanese rained those bombs down on his barracks, so you do the math. Helps to make up for the creaky joints, sagging jowls and reduced income.

Here's Suebee's thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=207740

Thank you! Suebee is VERY helpful.

BTW, the Entertainment Book coupons, such as free day or weekend special, aren't valid in Hawaii (that rude little "48 contiguous states and Canada" clause), but the EB rental discount "code" for Avis saved us an additional $30 on our already discounted rental. Then on Maui, it saved us and additional $95 on our 2 week rental, bringing our per day cost, including taxes and fees, to $16 for a 4-door, midsize. IMO, get the book if you plan to rent a car. It paid for itself on our overnight hotel in Kona; then saved us $125 on car rentals, plus the coupons we used for this and that, like food. We barely used it because so much is based on Oahu, but even so saved at least $300 on this trip--which paid for dinner at Mama's Fish House on Maui plus dinner at Pestos in Hilo.

What coupon book is this? Something from the rental car company? We generally use AAA for car rentals. Should we book privately in order to take advantage of discounts?

[bug_dan]

Beachchick,

 

We had booked our cruise for over New Year's, so when it was cancelled, we did the land trip over the same time. Our air travel got messed up when we flew from Maui to Oahu and they printed my boarding pass with David instead of Daniel. The agent who printed it couldn't change it, but he did get us through initial security. It was at the gate that I had to go through extra security.

We finally got it straightened out and it was a great trip.

 

PurpleCow,

 

The Entertainment book can be obtained online or some groups in your area may be selling them to make money.

http://www.entertainment-book-offers.com/new-book/offer20c.php?path=enb-6eng-gls-101c2f

For a "land" tour, they are a better value since there are many coupons for dining that one usually can't take advantage of when cruising.