Is Hawaii so expensive that cruise is a good option?

[sunviking90]

A cruise to Hawaii is definitely the smarter choice right now! Our last land visit was to Maui in December 2021 which I booked a year earlier when NOBODY was thing of travelling there and got our favourite resort for a great price. The prices there are now 3x what we paid. We also have to add 35% for our CAD dollar exchange and it’s painful! I also priced out the Westin and Sheraton in Maui which used to run around $300-$400 a night and prices now are below. They’re absolutely outrageous. They don’t change at all through the year either, whereas there used to be seasonal fluctuations.
We are just back from a 15 day return Hawaii cruise (Princess) and loved it, but having been to Hawaii on land vacations it’s always a bit bittersweet cruising there, because we want to stay! 
We’ve also done Celebrity’s 1 way itinerary a few times and as Norwaylady says Kauai is missing and our absolute favourite island. If you can tack on a few days there at least it’s worth it. So beautiful!

Edited February 15, 2023 by sunviking90

[NutsAboutGolf]

If visiting by land, you can book an Oahu hotel for your entire stay.  On a weekday, take the earliest flight from Oahu to Maui, rent a car, explore Maui and take the latest return flight that evening. Can keep your luggage i your Oahu hotel and inter-island Airfare can be had under under $100 round trip…Do the same for Kauai and the big island

Edited February 15, 2023 by NutsAboutGolf

[prmssk]

We are booked on the Eclipse this May, Honolulu to Vancouver and will be staying extra days at the beginning in Waikiki.  You can get hotels a few blocks off the beach which are a lot more reasonable.  What has been the biggest sticker shock for us is excursions which will affect a land trip or a cruise.  And going through private excursion companies often doesn't save a lot more than ship excursions.

 

In the end, I think it will be worth it but it will not be cheap. Also, looking at all we packed into our schedule, I'm really glad we are starting in Hawaii so I will have all the sea days at the end to recover. 

[rodndonna]

On 2/14/2023 at 7:37 AM, gordylad said:

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!!!

 

Location/residence of the person taking the trip to Hawaii will have a big influence for Hawaii - all of which are not in our favour of "Eastern" Canadians  😥

 

Exchange rates, flight times, time zone adjustment

 

If I was a US resident of California - I would have likely have been to Hawaii before now and multiple times. As a Canadians in the Eastern time zone, like you UK folks there is always that pull to southern Caribbean, Central America, South America , Europe .......All of which are more affordable and more accessible.

 

I am very much looking forward to our cruise to Hawaii, but the competition for future return visits will be fierce (unless we move or the Canadian dollar comes closer to par with US)

 

 

[NutsAboutGolf]

7 minutes ago, prmssk said:

We are booked on the Eclipse this May, Honolulu to Vancouver and will be staying extra days at the beginning in Waikiki.  You can get hotels a few blocks off the beach which are a lot more reasonable.  What has been the biggest sticker shock for us is excursions which will affect a land trip or a cruise.  And going through private excursion companies often doesn't save a lot more than ship excursions.

 

In the end, I think it will be worth it but it will not be cheap. Also, looking at all we packed into our schedule, I'm really glad we are starting in Hawaii so I will have all the sea days at the end to recover. 

It depends specifically what you want to do; for many renting a car is a great option 

[prmssk]

6 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

It depends specifically what you want to do; for many renting a car is a great option 

Absolutely it does depend what you want to do but car rentals aren’t cheap and many places have entrance fees. We are renting a car for the pre cruise days and those days aren’t any cheaper than our excursion days at other ports. 

[mcrcruiser]

imo it is far better to visit  the islands than to cruise . In lieu of a hotel think Airbnb  or VRBO  stay for a week & rent a car   to get around .Use the Gypsy app  for your guide .  Do at least 2 islands  for one week each  .Start with Oahu  & then Maui  We have stayed on the island many times & you really get to know them . hotels are very pricy  pm Hawaii islands . Another good way is if you know some one who would rent to you their Time Share   unit with a full kitchen .We already own a time share 

 

Now we cruise to Hawaii  because we are mid 80s 

[NutsAboutGolf]

1 hour ago, prmssk said:

Absolutely it does depend what you want to do but car rentals aren’t cheap and many places have entrance fees. We are renting a car for the pre cruise days and those days aren’t any cheaper than our excursion days at other ports. 

 

Yes but the other dynamic is most excursions are 4 hours or less (obviously exceptions exist), assuming one has the energy to utilize a rental all day the per hour cost with a rental is USUALLY cheaper.  With a rental you can beat attraction crowds by arriving early or late, can have a local meal whenever and where ever you want and explore the port destination at your own pace.  I just checked the rate for when the Eclipse is in it's overnight port in Maui in May, so TWO days, all in is $171 (plus fuel, entrance fees, possibly parking, etc), that's not expensive if one would utilize it both days

 

[realnice46]

We do a lot of cruising and have spent many land vacations in Hawaii and we have decided never to cruise to Hawaii. We prefer picking one island and staying there. Too many sea days with sometimes iffy weather. Also now with food on cruises quality going down I would much prefer the dining choices in Hawaii. We still prefer Cruising Caribbean and Mediterranean for all the port choices. It’s what appeals to you.

Happy Cruising.

[foodsvcmgr]

Just returned from a week in Waikiki and Kauai.

Although we have been on more than 65 cruises I am glad we did a land trip to experience Hawaii.

Prices are very high but there are options at various price points.

Dinners for two at full service restaurants ranged from under $100 to over $300 nightly.

We used Marriott and Sheraton at around $400/night.

There are many choices starting far less and ranging to many times that price, so everyone can choose according to their needs, wants, or budget.

[boxkite]

Having done two land vacations to Hawaii in the last two years I agree that perhaps the land vacation route is preferred. You get to spend the entire vacation experiencing what Hawaii has to offer.

 

As for the rental car, I agree with renting while in Maui or other islands but not sure about the need to rent if you are staying in the Waikiki area. For our last trip, we stayed in Waikiki for a week and did not need to rent a car. There is a private hop on hop, off bus service, Waikiki Trolley, that goes to many of the sites except Pearl Harbor. Plus plenty of bikes to rent by the hour or day to choose from.

[zitsky]

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

 

Where do you get this information about docked / tendered?

[NutsAboutGolf]

1 hour ago, boxkite said:

Having done two land vacations to Hawaii in the last two years I agree that perhaps the land vacation route is preferred. You get to spend the entire vacation experiencing what Hawaii has to offer.

 

As for the rental car, I agree with renting while in Maui or other islands but not sure about the need to rent if you are staying in the Waikiki area. For our last trip, we stayed in Waikiki for a week and did not need to rent a car. There is a private hop on hop, off bus service, Waikiki Trolley, that goes to many of the sites except Pearl Harbor. Plus plenty of bikes to rent by the hour or day to choose from.

 

There's def things to do and see on Oahu outside of Waikiki but there's nothing wrong with staying put on Waikiki.  Part of the land vs cruise decision is if you're okay with a ton of sea days if going on X

[foodsvcmgr]

Totally agree that no rental car needed if staying in heart of Waikiki.

[NevadaCruiser2023]

On 2/14/2023 at 1:50 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

 

Hawaii is uber expensive.  I finally got to visit Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial, but with the prices of everything, we'll not be going back.  

[stoshb]

Just got back from our every other year trip to Kauai and have some random observations.

 

1). Find your favorite Time Machine and go back a few years to get a Hawaii time share.  High price but still much cheaper than hotel rates

 

2) On this trip we watched a number of ships come in for the day.  They arrived late and left early.  This is an island to savor and rushing around on a bus is not that.  With their schedules they missed the totally magnificent sunset Napali cruises.  As with many cruise stops, you just can not see Kauai by just getting off the ship and walking to the few local shops.  There are two luau's worth doing and generally, ship is gone when they start.

 

3) In my mind a cruise is a great way to see Hawaii the first time, but you sure miss a lot by not doing land stays.  As I said above you will only touch on what there is to offer.

 

4) Do not plan on "seeing" Hawaii by flying between islands.  You check out of one hotel in the morning, take an hour to get to airport plus need to get there an hour early, fly to next island takes less than an hour, then getting from the airport to next hotel is at least another hour to wait for your room to be ready.  You just spent well over a half day and the days are really short because they are far south.  Change islands more than once and a huge part of your time is involved in travel.

 

5) Food costs are HIGH and there are little options to help on that. Even at today's prices we can eat in Dallas for under $30 for couple, all inclusive.  You are lucky to get a meal for one person at that price.  Twenty dollar hamburgers were the standard fare.

 

6). If you enjoy the hassle of a big city, Honolulu will feel right at home, but with a great view.  In my daydream world I would spend my last years in a high rise condo in Waikiki.  Spend all my time watching the ocean and having a car service to get my needs.  Never leave the condo.  Of course I need to win the lottery to make this work.

 

7) I love cruising and I love Hawaii.  They are just two different activities.  Do the cruise to enjoy life on-board and to just taste the grease things on the islands.  Do Hawaii to sit back and relax.

 

😎 Pictures taken from my hotel room.

 

[realnice46]

3 hours ago, boxkite said:

Having done two land vacations to Hawaii in the last two years I agree that perhaps the land vacation route is preferred. You get to spend the entire vacation experiencing what Hawaii has to offer.

 

As for the rental car, I agree with renting while in Maui or other islands but not sure about the need to rent if you are staying in the Waikiki area. For our last trip, we stayed in Waikiki for a week and did not need to rent a car. There is a private hop on hop, off bus service, Waikiki Trolley, that goes to many of the sites except Pearl Harbor. Plus plenty of bikes to rent by the hour or day to choose from.

We usually rent a car for 1 day to circle the island , that seems to be enough.

[psuboater]

The answer is -- it depends. If you live in a city where there's already a high cost of living, the cost is negliable. If you're living somewhere besides a HCL city, then it will be a sticker shock. Living in Seattle, we didn't see that much of a difference. That being said, we used Marriott points to stay at the Marriott Wailea in Maui. We also made a stop at the Costco right next to the Maui airport (pro tip - this will be the cheapest place to fill up your rental car before returning), and bought soda/wine/snacks/alcohol to enjoy in our room to keep costs down. We skipped a formal breakfast to focus on lunch and dinner. The food on Hawaii to me is worth the cost - if you are a fish/sushi lover, I had some of the best dishes of my life there. 

 

So much of hawaii's experiences is best explored on foot, and the port intensive schedule might not give you enough time. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

9 minutes ago, stoshb said:

Just got back from our every other year trip to Kauai and have some random observations.

 

1). Find your favorite Time Machine and go back a few years to get a Hawaii time share.  High price but still much cheaper than hotel rates

 

Great photos...To comment on this, there are three key reasons to at least think twice about a timeshare, #1 after you die, they often get transferred to your family #2 maintenance fee and #3 massive assessment fee.

 

Airbnb are often cheaper and in some cases better than hotels but if one wants a hotel, here's an example on Kauai...Hotwire has the Sheraton at a reduced rate, all in $378/night (about a $500 savings over booking directly); is that cheaper than the average timeshare with fees?

 

[tupper10]

I would not do a cruise to Hawaii. First of all some of your ports are tender ports and if the weather is iffy you will not get to land.  So essentially you will have a load of sea days and not see very much of Hawaii. I would pick one to two islands you wish to see and do those.  We stayed in VRBO's  which were much cheaper than the hotels.  The food prices are high but by eating breakfast, lunch in our apartment it saved us a fortune.  Decide which islands you want to go to,  and then book intra island flights as well as the one from the mainland. As others have said I would try to stay at the islands you pick for more than a day or two.,or pick one island to see. If you do want to do a cruise than I would do the NCL one that goes to all the various islands, it will give you a quick taste of each island but not much more than this.  

[southernbreezes]

We have stayed in Hawaii for extended periods of time and like it. Never would I consider a timeshare, condo, etc. My wife is on vacation also so no cooking, cleaning making the beds, etc.

We are cruising to Hawaill because we love cruising the sea days are wonderful. I would never consider NCL its not for us. As far as tendering my cruise says none but with the Edge Class ships having the magic carpet it is not an issue if we do. Flights to Hawaii from Florida are long over 13 hours many over 20 hours Vancouver is 8 hours. The same can be said about every vacation destination fly and stay longer but we cruise there then stay then fly home.

[Cruise Junky]

We have two Hawaii land trips coming up this year. We also spent a month there last September. We’re lucky we’ve been renting from a guy for years and he’s kept the rates reasonable.  Friends of ours on Kauai have a time share, their maintenance just went up to $10k a year so I wouldn’t go that route.  VRBO and Airbnb still seem ok.  We stay up at turtle bay on the golf course.  Eating out has gotten very expensive but you have Costco liquor to off set that.  🍹🍹

[NutsAboutGolf]

3 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

We have two Hawaii land trips coming up this year. We also spent a month there last September. We’re lucky we’ve been renting from a guy for years and he’s kept the rates reasonable.  Friends of ours on Kauai have a time share, their maintenance just went up to $10k a year so I wouldn’t go that route.  VRBO and Airbnb still seem ok.  We stay up at turtle bay on the golf course.  Eating out has gotten very expensive but you have Costco liquor to off set that.  🍹🍹

 

Yup!  Common story about time shares...Everything is great for a decade while the maintenance fee are reasonable, then ownership changes hands and the new owners want to jack up the fees 20x.  And at anytime, they can charge a special assessment fee and those are usually sky high.  They're less valuable now because of VRBO/AirBnb and often you find time share rooms on VRBO/AirBnb to rent on a night basis

[ljk76]

Another great option in to rent a condo through VRBO or the like. We spent a week in Maui in a one bedroom condo directly on the beach, with a great lanai view. Less than half the price of hotels.  We were pleasantly surprised that the prices at the full size grocery weren’t too horrendous. We were just selective on what we bought. Even wine was only $1 more for our go to.perhaps you could do the cruise, then add on the condo? I’ve done three “styles “ of visits, plane trips between islands, cruise, one week relax and chill. All have merit.

[Cruise Junky]

11 hours ago, southernbreezes said:

We have stayed in Hawaii for extended periods of time and like it. Never would I consider a timeshare, condo, etc. My wife is on vacation also so no cooking, cleaning making the beds, etc.

We are cruising to Hawaill because we love cruising the sea days are wonderful. I would never consider NCL its not for us. As far as tendering my cruise says none but with the Edge Class ships having the magic carpet it is not an issue if we do. Flights to Hawaii from Florida are long over 13 hours many over 20 hours Vancouver is 8 hours. The same can be said about every vacation destination fly and stay longer but we cruise there then stay then fly home.

It is absolutely not an 8 hour flight from Vancouver.  It’s 6 1/2 at most and usually quicker with a tail wind.