Is Hawaii so expensive that cruise is a good option?

[gordylad]

I was comparing our cruise we have booked for 2024 to Hawaii with a land based holiday to Hawaii and I can't believe the cost of some hotels. Not only that on Maui a can of coke is $3.25.

 

Having never visited Hawaii I wonder what peoples thoughts are? Cheers..........

 

Fri	Sep 20	Vancouver: EMBARK
			Depart 5:00 PM
Day 2	Sat	Sep 21	Astoria: DOCKED
			Arrive 10:00 AM	Depart 6:00 PM
Day 3	Sun	Sep 22	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 4	Mon	Sep 23	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 5	Tue	Sep 24	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 6	Wed	Sep 25	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 7	Thu	Sep 26	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 8	Fri	Sep 27	Hilo: DOCKED
			Arrive 8:00 AM
Day 9	Sat	Sep 28	Hilo: DOCKED
				Depart 5:00 PM
Day 10	Sun	Sep 29	Kailua/Hawaii: TENDERED
			Arrive 8:00 AM
Day 11	Mon	Sep 30	Kailua/Hawaii: TENDERED
				Depart 5:00 PM
Day 12	Tue	Oct 1	Lahaina: TENDERED
			Arrive 8:00 AM
Day 13	Wed	Oct 2	Lahaina: TENDERED
				Depart 5:00 PM
Day 14	Thu	Oct 3	Honolulu: DEBARK
			Arrive 7:00 AM

 

[southernbreezes]

  We are booked on the same cruise. Why we decided to do it by cruise ship to visit different Islands without having to pack unpack then spend hours at the airport flying to another island. We have also gone and stayed at hotels which were not any more expensive maybe cheaper if you use a travel company that offers a package deal. I plan on spending a week in Honolulu at the end of the cruise not sure yet what hotel.

[Honolulu Blue]

1 hour ago, gordylad said:

I was comparing our cruise we have booked for 2024 to Hawaii with a land based holiday to Hawaii and I can't believe the cost of some hotels. Not only that on Maui a can of coke is $3.25.

 

Having never visited Hawaii I wonder what peoples thoughts are? Cheers..........

I took a cruise to Hawaii in 2018 (not on Celebrity) that was similar to yours.  We didn't have a stop in Astoria, but we had a stop in Kona (tender) and we had an overnight in Honolulu before disembarking.  As much as Hawaii hotels cost, cruises to/from/within Hawaii aren't exactly cheap either.

 

I thought the little slices of Hawaii I saw were great and I'd like to go back sometime.  I think you'll enjoy your cruise too.  Have fun!

Edited February 14, 2023 by Honolulu Blue

[rollie]

Hawaii is one place in the world that I would consider doing Norwegian Cruises Line.  Their 7 day cruise is spent entirely in the Islands and spend more time at each Island.  They are the only cruise line able to do this.

 

Rollie

[AmberCascades]

What Rollie said.  We did the Pride of America since, for us, it was about maximizing time in Hawaii rather than spending a lot of time going back and forth to the mainland.  The food was good, and there were some onboard activities, and some excellent excursions.  We were exhausted at the end of the day so we didn't worry too much about entertainment, although what we saw was good.  We found it was a good way to see tidbits of Hawaii all at one time instead of committing to one place for a week.

[Norwaylady]

We did the Vancouver-Hawaii cruise October 2022. 
I did a live report, you can search it up if you want to read/see pictures our adventure. Norwaylady goes b2b Alaska+ Hawaii 🌺 
We flew to Kauai after the cruise, so we went all places. Strongly recommend to stay a few days there. It’s very untouched compared to the other islands. 
 

prices on the islands are wild, even us “Norwegians” was a bit shaky💸💸

[southernbreezes]

41 minutes ago, rollie said:

Hawaii is one place in the world that I would consider doing Norwegian Cruises Line.  Their 7 day cruise is spent entirely in the Islands and spend more time at each Island.  They are the only cruise line able to do this.

 

Rollie

Look at the cruise he posted... overnight at each port so two full days 13-night cruise, 7 in Hawaii. NCL does not get good reviews for its Hawaii Cruises.

[horseymike]

6 minutes ago, southernbreezes said:

Look at the cruise he posted... overnight at each port so two full days 13-night cruise, 7 in Hawaii. NCL does not get good reviews for its Hawaii Cruises.

If you have never been to Hawaii , the cruise is a good way to experience it. You may see or do somethings that will consider returning on another trip after you have sampled it via the cruise.🛳️

Hope it goes well for you. Aloha.

[chemmo]

2 hours ago, gordylad said:

I was comparing our cruise we have booked for 2024 to Hawaii with a land based holiday to Hawaii and I can't believe the cost of some hotels. Not only that on Maui a can of coke is $3.25.

 

Having never visited Hawaii I wonder what peoples thoughts are? Cheers..........

 

Fri	Sep 20	Vancouver: EMBARK
			Depart 5:00 PM
Day 2	Sat	Sep 21	Astoria: DOCKED
			Arrive 10:00 AM	Depart 6:00 PM
Day 3	Sun	Sep 22	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 4	Mon	Sep 23	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 5	Tue	Sep 24	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 6	Wed	Sep 25	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 7	Thu	Sep 26	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 8	Fri	Sep 27	Hilo: DOCKED
			Arrive 8:00 AM
Day 9	Sat	Sep 28	Hilo: DOCKED
				Depart 5:00 PM
Day 10	Sun	Sep 29	Kailua/Hawaii: TENDERED
			Arrive 8:00 AM
Day 11	Mon	Sep 30	Kailua/Hawaii: TENDERED
				Depart 5:00 PM
Day 12	Tue	Oct 1	Lahaina: TENDERED
			Arrive 8:00 AM
Day 13	Wed	Oct 2	Lahaina: TENDERED
				Depart 5:00 PM
Day 14	Thu	Oct 3	Honolulu: DEBARK
			Arrive 7:00 AM

 

Whilst hotels are expensive in Hawaii we spend 8 nights in Waikiki beach before a TP cruise and loved every minute! Just so much to do and so easy to do it. 

 

We stayed at the Park Shore Hotel. It is very much at the end of the resort offering fantastic sea views with real balconies, overlooking Diamond Head to the side too. We were woken every morning to the tooting of the elephants and chattering of the monkeys from the zoo next door. So many hotels offer balconies that are simply opening doors with a rail, our balcony had proper tables and chairs you could enjoy.  Bus stops outside…Much lower in price than many hotels as it doesn’t have lots of facilities but its rooms have coffee makers, fridges…which can help with the $$$ savings. We ate breakfast on our balcony most days watching the early surfers enjoying the waves. Different rooms offer different things so if you do consider this property look at the details.

 

We didn’t get to see the other islands other than a day stop in Maui at the start of our cruise, perhaps some day, but we wouldn’t have missed our island visit. I would suggest, as others have, to consider the itineraries of other lines too but I definitely would not miss out on adding on an island stay.

Edited February 14, 2023 by chemmo

[RMac713]

We are flying to Hawaii this summer.  My daughter lives there for a few years (Husband is a marine).  We have DVC timeshare points so we are staying at Aulani on points.  The flight is the money sucker, though.  That would still be an issue with a cruise.  

[maggieq]

2 hours ago, gordylad said:

I was comparing our cruise we have booked for 2024 to Hawaii with a land based holiday to Hawaii and I can't believe the cost of some hotels. Not only that on Maui a can of coke is $3.25.

 

Having never visited Hawaii I wonder what peoples thoughts are? Cheers..........

 

Fri	Sep 20	Vancouver: EMBARK
			Depart 5:00 PM
Day 2	Sat	Sep 21	Astoria: DOCKED
			Arrive 10:00 AM	Depart 6:00 PM
Day 3	Sun	Sep 22	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 4	Mon	Sep 23	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 5	Tue	Sep 24	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 6	Wed	Sep 25	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 7	Thu	Sep 26	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 8	Fri	Sep 27	Hilo: DOCKED
			Arrive 8:00 AM
Day 9	Sat	Sep 28	Hilo: DOCKED
				Depart 5:00 PM
Day 10	Sun	Sep 29	Kailua/Hawaii: TENDERED
			Arrive 8:00 AM
Day 11	Mon	Sep 30	Kailua/Hawaii: TENDERED
				Depart 5:00 PM
Day 12	Tue	Oct 1	Lahaina: TENDERED
			Arrive 8:00 AM
Day 13	Wed	Oct 2	Lahaina: TENDERED
				Depart 5:00 PM
Day 14	Thu	Oct 3	Honolulu: DEBARK
			Arrive 7:00 AM

 

The prices of hotels are just crazy on Maui/Wailea.   Some more than 2 x pre Covid.   This is one reason we would prefer to do a cruise and the unpack once part.  I do think either way once you include flights and excursions this could add up to be more than a European cruise for us.  

Edited February 14, 2023 by maggieq

[gordylad]

2 minutes ago, maggieq said:

The prices of hotels are just crazy on Maui/Wailea.   Some more than 2 x pre Covid.   This is one reason we would prefer to do a cruise and the unpack once part.  I do think either way once you include flights and excursions this could add up to be more than a European cruise for us.  

you know its funny you said that because my wife just said to me what is the cost of the cruise including flights, hotels etc [we are from the UK] and when I told her she gasped and said we could book the Caribbean and Europe for the cost.............now she has me thinking!!!

[Mimiya11]

Our first trip to Hawaii was on the Norwegian's Pride of America.  As a previous poster advised, it is a good choice as it starts and ends in Hawaii so not all those sea days.  But....service and food were very average to poor.   We focused more on the ports than the cruise itself, which was our goal. 

We have been back to Hawaii 4 times since that cruise (land) as recent as this past December. 

It was very expensive from meals to groceries to hotels so I would definitely do a cruise for your first time.    

[Markanddonna]

I think a cruise in Hawaii sounds like a great idea- better pricing and more efficient.  I've been there several times, once on a transpacific to Australia.

[ILgirl]

I am also on this cruise and it is a good fit for me for several reasons.  The Edge is my favorite ship and I was able to secure a solo IV which is my favorite cabin, especially cost wise!  I’ve never been to Vancouver and am excited to spend a few nights exploring the city prior to boarding.  I’ve wanted to take a transatlantic so having 5 days at sea gives me a small taste of that experience.  It will be my first visit to Hawaii as well so that’s another check off of the bucket list.  Also having almost two years from booking to save  up for what will be my biggest cruise to date is great!  Happy cruising!

[paulh84]

If exploring Hawaii is your ultimate objective this itinerary is not great. Two tender ports and a fairly restrictive amount of time on land is what you are left with. Part of the appeal of Hawaii for us is getting a car, packing up some food and exploring the island for the day. We were frequently away from the hotel for 10-12 hours at a time. Honolulu/Waikiki is really overrated. It feels like any other city with a tiny of Hawaiian culture mixed in. That one is without question a pass for us. Prices on land are expensive but you can frequently find a hotel with an included breakfast then get an early dinner and be fine with two meals per day. Everything closes down fairly early on the islands anyway. 

[rodndonna]

Thanks for kicking my butt everyone ...

 

we were looking at this cruise last week and very interested but still pondering -I just checked back in and almost all the Sunset verandahs are gone (I think there was only 1 booked first time I looked) - so yikes - We booked!

 

We were back and forth with POA and this one, but price wise they are similar (actually I think this was less), gives us a good first crack at Hawaii, first time for multiple sea days and what I believe is a much nicer ship than POA.

 

 

[Texed]

17 minutes ago, ILgirl said:

I am also on this cruise.  Also having almost two years from booking to save  up for what will be my biggest cruise to date is great! 

 

 Congratulations on being able to do a great cruise.  I can relate to the saving up for a cruise.  I remember when my two sons and I would mow yards after my regular job in the afternoons.  We would sock that money away until we had enough to pay for our next cruise.   😊

[southernbreezes]

22 minutes ago, paulh84 said:

Honolulu/Waikiki is really overrated. It feels like any other city with a tiny of Hawaiian culture mixed in. That one is without question a pass for us.

Honolulu was and is my favorite but we did stay at the Halekulani which I can not afford today.

North Shore Oahu is one of my favorite places to escape. It's famous for it's huge waves and being home to the charming surf town, Haleiwa I could spend the day watching the surfers. Loved the Polynesian Culture Center, Pearl Harbor, and the National Memorial Cemetery, just so much to see and do. Eating out is inexpensive! This cruise gives us 4 full days on the Big Island, 2 full days on Maui then I will stay 4 days on Oahu then 4 days on Kauai. Then fly home to beautiful Jupiter Florida.

[dpdeedee]

We love to cruise and have 3 cruises booked for 2023 & 2024.  We also love Hawaii and have been to all the islands several times on their own.  In January we rented a condo in Maui with friends from Boston (who also love to cruise) and we all agreed 10 days wasn't long enough.  A Hawaiian cruise will give you a very small sample of Hawaii.  However, if you want to get the full Hawaiian experience, pick an island and rent a condo that overlooks the ocean for a week (or even longer).  You won't regret it.   

[irvington]

Land trips in Hawaii are incredibly expensive. We are about to head there for a land trip with a group rate at a hotel, but it is still shockingly expensive compared to when we used to travel there 4 to 10 years ago. And food prices are quite expensive too. Restaurants are dear, but it’s also hard when you rent a house to grocery shop for anything like you would at home.

I adore Hawaii, and can’t wait for my upcoming trip, but want to be realistic about how expensive it is.

[NMTraveller]

We have been to Hawaii 7 times.  All land trips.  I would do a land trip myself unless you really want all of those sea days.

[jbcallender]

Each island has a different character and different experiences.  Cruising allowed us see more of each island and its features.  We did stay in Waikiki for three days after out cruise and visit a lot of Oahu. 

[Mark_K]

On 2/14/2023 at 4:50 AM, gordylad said:

I was comparing our cruise we have booked for 2024 to Hawaii with a land based holiday to Hawaii and I can't believe the cost of some hotels. Not only that on Maui a can of coke is $3.25.

 

Having never visited Hawaii I wonder what peoples thoughts are? Cheers..........

 

Fri	Sep 20	Vancouver: EMBARK
			Depart 5:00 PM
Day 2	Sat	Sep 21	Astoria: DOCKED
			Arrive 10:00 AM	Depart 6:00 PM
Day 3	Sun	Sep 22	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 4	Mon	Sep 23	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 5	Tue	Sep 24	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 6	Wed	Sep 25	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 7	Thu	Sep 26	Cruising: CRUISING
Day 8	Fri	Sep 27	Hilo: DOCKED
			Arrive 8:00 AM
Day 9	Sat	Sep 28	Hilo: DOCKED
				Depart 5:00 PM
Day 10	Sun	Sep 29	Kailua/Hawaii: TENDERED
			Arrive 8:00 AM
Day 11	Mon	Sep 30	Kailua/Hawaii: TENDERED
				Depart 5:00 PM
Day 12	Tue	Oct 1	Lahaina: TENDERED
			Arrive 8:00 AM
Day 13	Wed	Oct 2	Lahaina: TENDERED
				Depart 5:00 PM
Day 14	Thu	Oct 3	Honolulu: DEBARK
			Arrive 7:00 AM

 

Personally, I would do a two or three island land trip for my first visit.  Long enough at each island to get more than a shore excursion or two.  Also, the first (or last) 4-5 days of a Vancouver-Hawaii cruise are nothing to write home about.

 

A can of Coke might be $3.25 on Maui, but 2 12 packs might also be $19.00 at Walgreens.

[Silkroad]

I haven’t yet taken a cruise to Hawaii, but I would love to be able to join the one you’ve booked. I have traveled to the islands once (from the American east coast). We had been invited to visit friends who’d transferred to Honolulu. We stayed with our friends for a week, after which we flew to Kauai to spend eight nights in a condo rental on a beautiful little bay. Everything in Hawaii is expensive - even for those of us who needn’t exchange currency- because most goods must arrive by ship. 
 

If we were able to join your cruise (fingers crossed!) we’d spend several days in Vancouver pre-cruise and at least a week in a condo on an island we haven’t visited together (Hawaii or Maui). One cost savings trick is to look for food trucks or little eateries that have lines of locals outside. If I smell appetizing food and I see police officers, medical personnel and construction workers queuing outside, I join the queue. Regardless of your decision, I hope you have a wonderful trip!

Edited February 15, 2023 by Silkroad