Port or Starboard to Hawaii ?

[Texas_firefighter]

I did not see this anywhere on the forum so I'll ask. Does anyone have a reccomendation as to booking a room on the port or starboard side on a cruise to Hawaii from the mainland ? Is there any reason why one side would be better than the other ? Thanks.

[Bucky3]

If you have a balcony, you would want to be on the side of the ship that will let you view the volcano as you pass it during the night. This, of course, depends on your ship's itinerary. If your ship goes from Kona to Hilo, for example, you would want to be on the port side of the ship. If you go from Hilo to Kona, you would want to be on the starboard side. Sometimes the captain will turn the ship around so that both sides will have a view. Since passing the volcano usually happens late at night, it is nice to be able to watch from your own balcony especially if it happens at 2AM which was the case on our December trip. If the volcano is not "performing" on the night you pass, I don't think one side or the other is a big deal for Hawaii. It's a wonderful cruise!

[spleenstomper]

Are you cruising just to Hawaii or to Hawaii and then around the islands? I'm not familiar with the cruises from the mainland to Hawaii.

[Texas_firefighter]

To Hawaii and around the islands. Not sure of the order ,however.

[spleenstomper]

We booked Port, but I don't know that it matters. "They" say that when you are in ports, the port side is noisier and looks at industrial sites, whereas starboard looks at the ocean. But we're not going to be on the boat while we're in port, so I don't know that it matters; plus DH and I actually like looking at activities rather than the ocean.

 

I heard Port has a view of the Ne Pali (sp?) coast of Kauai and I *thought* I read somewhere that you can also see the lava from port, but then I read someone said starboard and then someone else said they turn the ship so that port AND starboard both see the lava...

 

I think in the end it is probably 6 one way, half dozen another...

[Texas_firefighter]

Ok,thanks. I had read something about the busy port activity as well. I'm not so much cocerned with that ,as we will be off the ship as well. I just wanted to be on the "good" side for sightseeing. We will be going to Kauai some time along the route.

[Bucky3]

What ship will you be on? Your itinerary will give you the port order.

[cruisecrasy]

Hope there are some experienced 'mainland to Hawaii cruisers' who will be willing to answer a couple of questions for me. I wld be most grateful!!

 

Curious whether the Carnival Spirit will travel to view the lava flow into the ocean off the Big Island? Itinerary shows first stop after Vancouver is Kona, then north west to Kauai, then south east to Hilo, then north again & 2 stops on Maui before Honolulu. Doesn't seem to leave any time to visit the 'flow"...

 

Will the ship 'do' the Na Pali coast off Kauai & if 'yes' what time of day wld be involved?

 

Thanks in advance..

[Texas_firefighter]

Hope there are some experienced 'mainland to Hawaii cruisers' who will be willing to answer a couple of questions for me. I wld be most grateful!!

 

Curious whether the Carnival Spirit will travel to view the lava flow into the ocean off the Big Island? Itinerary shows first stop after Vancouver is Kona, then north west to Kauai, then south east to Hilo, then north again & 2 stops on Maui before Honolulu. Doesn't seem to leave any time to visit the 'flow"...

 

Will the ship 'do' the Na Pali coast off Kauai & if 'yes' what time of day wld be involved?

 

Thanks in advance..

 

 

Thought I'd regenerate the post to give it another chance.I would like to know this as well.

[CruisinMK]

I think the vast majority of cruises do lava viewing, but there are some oddballs that don't. If you see Hilo and Kona next to each other on an itinerary then that ship should do it.

 

Only the American flagged NCL ships do the Na Pali coast.

[cruisecrasy]

I think the vast majority of cruises do lava viewing, but there are some oddballs that don't. If you see Hilo and Kona next to each other on an itinerary then that ship should do it.

 

Only the American flagged NCL ships do the Na Pali coast.

 

Thanks for info on Na Pali coastline.

 

Have heard from a Carnival supervisor and she said YES, the Spirit from Van to Hawaii in Sept does the night lava cruise past but didn't know the ports have been changed for this Sept (the ports are days apart - first stop now is Kona and last stop is Hilo before Honolulu). I find that information odd 'cause it means a special trip south to cruise by the flow but...thats the info she gave me. Also chatted with another cruiser who did this same ship & approx same itinerary last Sept and YES it did the cruise by - but the ports were different soooo who knows???

I am nervous about being one of those 'oddball' cruises mentioned...how about u??