Need advice for a Hawaii cruise

[Luvs2roam]

There are 3 couples wanting to go to Hawaii and have decided to take a cruise for our first trip there. We like the idea of unpacking once instead of going from island to island packing and unpacking. We all have only cruised Royal Caribbean so we have no other cruiseline experience. We are looking for any information good or not so good you might have if you have done a cruise to Hawaii. A co-worker was not impressed with Pride of America. I know that Royal has only a couple of cruises to Hawaii and also Celebrity which we have never cruised on also goes to Hawaii. We would be flying out of Boston and looking at 2010 or 2011 maybe in the spring.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[margaret91326]

We did the Radiance of the Seas for two weeks in september leaving from San Diego. We had 4 days at sea, 6 days around the islands and then 5 days back. The days at sea were cold. Once you leave the california coast the jet stream changes and the air is in the low 60's. For us, that was to cold to sit out around the pool area. So for several days at sea we were stuck in side trying to find things to do. Then same on the return. In retrospect I dont' think I would do this again. I would prefer to fly to hawaii and then tour around. I could have sat at home reading for the 9 days that we had at sea. Just my opinion on our trip. The ship itself was great. Our cruise director Kirk was the best. It's all up to what you like to do.

[JudeeJim]

We took Holland America round trip from San Diego to Hawaii. We stopped at 5 different ports on 4 Islands. It is a 15 day cruise and it was wonderful. Holland America is a great line and I highly recommend them. There are other lines that do the round trip to Hawaii. It was so nice to only have to unpack once.

 

Judee

[cujosmom]

There are 3 couples wanting to go to Hawaii and have decided to take a cruise for our first trip there. We like the idea of unpacking once instead of going from island to island packing and unpacking. We all have only cruised Royal Caribbean so we have no other cruiseline experience. We are looking for any information good or not so good you might have if you have done a cruise to Hawaii. A co-worker was not impressed with Pride of America. I know that Royal has only a couple of cruises to Hawaii and also Celebrity which we have never cruised on also goes to Hawaii. We would be flying out of Boston and looking at 2010 or 2011 maybe in the spring.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

We did a Celebrity roundtrip Hawaii from San Diego (great city to sail from) - 14 nights. I believe it was 4 days over and 4 days back. Having had land vacations in Hawaii, it was a perfect way to go back for just a day at each island. Rented a car at Honolulu, Kona, Hilo, and on Kauai. On Maui (Lahania) we just took the bus to the beach for the day. We stopped in Enscenada, Mexico for only 1 hour to make our roundtrip "legal" for the Jones Act.

 

The month we went was November.

 

If no one has been to Hawaii, it is also a good way to get a "taste" and see if there are specific islands you would want to go back to and spend more time on a land vacation.

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

We have done round trip to Hawaii 3 times. Twice on the Radiance and once Serenade. All good!!!!! RC has discontinued this itinerary....so if this is what you are looking for you will have to look at other cruise lines.

 

I will agree to a point about it being cold the first few days to and from on the sea days....we had no problem finding things to do or keeping busy. If you are a real pool or sun person I can see their point about being cold and lack of things to do. If you like sea days this itinerary is great otherwise it may not be to your liking. If 3 couple are cruising, I feel there should something for everyone.

 

ITA about just unpacking once! That is one of the really great things about cruising!

 

ITA also about Pride of Amercia.....do your homework here.

It is very port intensive, no evening entertainment and no casino (if that is of interest) Customer service is lacking and hit or miss on Freestyle Dining. Some will rave about NCL others not.....we are in the NOT category. If you should go with NCLA Pride of America, do a pre or post stay so you can see Honolulu.

 

Good luck in finding the cruise that is right for you......its a shame RC isn't offering full round trips.....the ships were always full.....so it can't be lack of interest!!!

 

***

[ladylawyer]

We did the Radiance of the Seas for two weeks in september leaving from San Diego. We had 4 days at sea, 6 days around the islands and then 5 days back. The days at sea were cold. Once you leave the california coast the jet stream changes and the air is in the low 60's. For us, that was to cold to sit out around the pool area. So for several days at sea we were stuck in side trying to find things to do. Then same on the return. In retrospect I dont' think I would do this again. I would prefer to fly to hawaii and then tour around. I could have sat at home reading for the 9 days that we had at sea. Just my opinion on our trip. The ship itself was great. Our cruise director Kirk was the best. It's all up to what you like to do.

 

We were also on the Radiance and had quite the opposite experience (other than my agreement that Kirk Detweiller is GREAT). Maybe we went at a different time of the year. Ours was in May. I would have loved to lay out and enjoy the nice sun, on the sea days over, but I was TOO danged busy. So many activities ... we were running from one to the other.

 

It just goes to show that people can do the same thing and have different experiences. If you like RCI, and it's activities, stay with it. Keep in mind that your choices are limited for 2010 ... maybe in 2011? However, if you'd like to try something different, try another line. What is it they say? Variety is the Spice of Life! :D

 

Heck, you'll be on a cruise. It's all good!!!

[aloha of the seas]

I have done 2 one way cruises on separate occasions. The first was from Vancouver to Hawaii; 5 days at sea, Hilo, Kona, Maui, Kauai and Honolulu. The second I flew into Hololulu and basically reversed the cruise but ended up in Ensenada where we were bussed to San Diego. On the first cruise the first couple of days were a little too cool for sun bathing, but you do have the advantage of the Hawaiian current ,that is similar to the Gulf Stream, which keeps the weather warm. We did have more warm weather sailing into Ensenada, but I did not enjoy the bus ride.

 

One other thing you can think about, if you choose the one way from Vancouver, there is nothing stopping you from staying extra days in Hawaii. That is exactly what we did after our cruise. Matter of fact we went to UPS and shipped home any unnecessary clothes from the cruise to lighten our suitcases.

 

Whatever you decide to do, this could very well be the cruise of your lifetime. I think of it as such. It is truly beautiful. Don't spend too much time inside once your in the islands or your likely to miss some of nature's most glorious work. Kauai's Napali coastline is a must see. If you are lucky Kilauea will be erupting when you pass by at night. On Maui, the Road to Hana is very tropical and the road to the top of Haleakala is like going to the Moon. Good Sailing, Murf

[ammcem]

We've never cruised to Hawaii. We've visited Hawaii eleven times for 10-14 days each since 2003. Each and every island has enough to keep a vacationer busy for at least two weeks. You could fly into any of the islands and make yourself at home at a beautiful resort or condo without having to pack/unpack but once.

 

A one day or overnight visit to any of the islands doesn't begin to do them justice. The whole experience of Hawaii is how the feel of the islands permeates your bones after you've been there a day or two.

 

I would think a one-way cruise with a stay on one of the islands afterwards would be a good compromise....a brief visit to each of the islands followed by at least 5 days enjoying one of them would be nice.

 

Of course, I'd never refuse a chance to visit Hawaii via a cruise ship or otherwise...it is an amazing place.

[pepsicruiser]

I'm just giving my opinion on visiting this beautiful state. I've traveled there 3 times. 2 land bases and 1 cruise on RCCL. If this is going to be the only time you can see yourself going to Hawaii I'd opt for the land trip. There is so much to see on the different islands and being on an island for half a day is not going to give you the the true experience of the port. But if you could do a land base trip and then take the cruise, on the cruise you could revisit the places you already were and pick what you wanted to see again. Again what I am stressing is to spend so much for a trip and not see whats there would be a shame.

[BobbyK]

I've done the long trip twice with Celebrity. Each time I was able to experience the customs, historoy, cullture of Hawaii before, during and after the port experiences. I loved it, most of the time. Yes, four straight sea days is overwhelming but I did really relax and read some wonderful books. I also met some wonderful people. I'm looking at doing this trip again next year but it will be with Princess (based on available cruie). :cool:

[ubdkjrb]

That is one of the benefits of doing Hawaii with NCL. The last I knew, they were staying overnight in both Maui and Kauai. This gives you a chance to do a some of the things a one day stop wouldn't allow.

 

Peter

[cruisecrazymama]

I have to agree with ammcem and pepsicruiser. While I can see your point about packing/unpacking once, there is soooo much to experience we didn't mind . As ammcem said. Hawaii gets into your soul. The culture, the beauty, the people. You end up feeling like you are a part of it all. Even overnight isn't enough time to truly experience Hawaii. It's more than just a beautiful state. Probably the most amazing, is how you can drive from one side of any one of the islands, and be in a completely different eco climate. DH and I did three islands in 14 days, and when we go back, we will do one island for 14 days. That way we have a reason to go back again and again and again.... Hey, have to cover all the islands right:D

[romanrob]

Did New Years 2007 on Pride of America with a dozen others. Beautiful ship, terrible, terrible service. American crew is not an advantage. Too busy talking amongst themselves to take care of the cruisers. We all had the same experience, go with the international crew, they know who butters their bread.

[janazaz]

I vote for land vacation only in Hawaii. There's too much to see and do. We've been going to the Hawaiian Islands for too many years to count and we even did a cruise around the Islands but there's NO WAY I could ever cruise just cruise around them again knowing what's in store if you had 3-5 days in each location to explore.

 

In my opinion a crusie just doesn't do these islands any justice at all. NCL was the worse cruise line ever and they would never be part of my future travel plans - especially to Hawaii.

[CaboWabo62]

Having lived in Hawaii and having spent time in most of the Islands towns and cities, seeing the Islands from the ocean was a whole new perspective.

The best sightseeing cruise we've been on. We rented cars in most ports and had overnights in port on all Islands.

NCL has since retired the Pride Of Aloha (ship was showing her age). But 10 days cruising the Islands was great. Best time of year is mid February if you want to see the Humpback whales birthing season.

[cb at sea]

I agree that to really "experience' Hawaii, you should do a land-based vacation. There's just no way to really get the full flavor when you're only in port for a few hours.

[Ohunion Cruzers]

At Maui, pre-book your luau....or book as soon as possible. The good ones sell out fast.

 

Here is a link to one. This one is on the beach - Beautiful sunset pictures.

http://www.mauiprincess.com/luau.htm

 

Some of the luaus are inland.

[sassyredhat]

If you're just looking at comparing cruise lines, I can give you our opinions, based on our two 15 dayers-- RT San Diego.

 

Our first 15 dayer was on HAL's Statendam. The 2nd, which was April 2008, was on HAL's Zaandam. Zaandam is our favorite ship.

 

HAL has smaller ships (1900-ish pass.), and is a bit more "sedate" than CCL or RCL for example.

 

That said, we had booked a 14 dayer on Golden Princess in April 2010, but we had to cancel.

 

Pat

[hazeleyez3]

I have done Hawaii twice.

 

One land-based in Honolulu and Maui

 

One cruise on NCLA. Left from Honolulu, went to Kona, overnight in Maui, overnight in Kauai, and Hilo.

 

The cruise itself was horrible, but the ports were fantastic. I will agree with others...a cruise will not give you enough time to fully appreciate the state. We did the cruise for our honeymoon because my husband couldn't decide which island he wanted to go to (not to mention it was easier on our wallets - especially after a big wedding). I figured if we did the cruise we could at least get a taste of which islands we had more interest in and then go back for a land-based vacation.

 

Two main suggestions...

 

1.) There is a "Revealed" collection of books...one for each island which is written by Hawaii residents. The books were excellent...gives you very specific info on points of interest (even some that visitors might not hear about), restaurants, activities, etc.

 

2.) If you do the cruise and get the collection do not do ship excursions. Make arrangements to rent cars in the ports and go about your own way. It will give you much more freedom with your timeframe. We went to see Akaka Falls - got there about the same time a tour group did; however, we were done and on our way while the tour bus was still there (and scheduled to be there another 10 minutes).

[LAnn]

We loved our cruise on the Pride of America! To me those 15 day cruises to Hawaii from San Diego are just too many sea days with too little time actually spent in Hawaii.

 

We spent three days in Honolulu before the cruise and one day following it. It was a nice to spend time on one island yet see the beauty and diversity of other islands during the cruise as well. Being able to overnight in Maui and Kauai, as one other poster pointed out, was great, too. I agree with the advice to get the "Revealed" books and to rent cars in the ports. I also highly recommend getting a balcony on this cruise -- it is well worth it.

 

Someone mentioned that there is no entertainment in the evenings on this cruise but there were shows every evening, a live band played in one lounge, a piano player in the champagne bar, and there was disco dancing among other things. However, I don't think there's much to do on the ship if you stay on it while in port, though I don't know why anyone would want to. And I thought the service was fine. It's not like being on Royal Carribean, but if your focus is on experiencing the Hawaiian islands, this cruise is a great way to do that!

[Toddcan]

Wow...

 

I can see how people would prefer another cruise line to NCL, but really, we had a BLAST on our Pride of Aloha cruise!! yes, the crew was American, and yes, they had a high turnover rate, but wow, oh wow... was the cruise ever fantastic!

 

Sure, things could have been "better", but really.. it's Hawaii!! Only NCL has overnight at 2 ports.

 

Sailing past the volcano at night, and the Na' Pali coast.. wow, felt like we were in heaven!

 

I would not ever do the Hawaiian sailing from the mainland.. 2-3 days out and 2-3 days back? Maybe if the weather was tropical, but it's not during those 4-6 sea days... that would drive me nuts :)

 

So, my vote: Pride of America, which is a newer ship.

[buchie614]

There are 3 couples wanting to go to Hawaii and have decided to take a cruise for our first trip there. We like the idea of unpacking once instead of going from island to island packing and unpacking. We all have only cruised Royal Caribbean so we have no other cruiseline experience. We are looking for any information good or not so good you might have if you have done a cruise to Hawaii. A co-worker was not impressed with Pride of America. I know that Royal has only a couple of cruises to Hawaii and also Celebrity which we have never cruised on also goes to Hawaii. We would be flying out of Boston and looking at 2010 or 2011 maybe in the spring.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

We did the POA and we were NOT impressed at all with it. I suggest you research before booking this line. However, whatever line you go with, enjoy. We flew directly into Hawaii and caught the ship, no casino, not much as far as entertainment goes, and the anytime dining was a hot mess. Just my opinion of course.

[alexmay]

We usually sail RCL, have been to Hawaii twice on land, and went on Pride of a Aloha a few years ago. It was very differen than a typical RCL cruise, but we had an amazing time. We went with very realistic expectations and had a blast. The crew was very friendly, just not as formal as a typical cruise. The relaxed atmosphere of the islands carries on to the ship and it was an extremely relaxing week. We probably didn't see as much as we did when we vacationed on land, but since we had been there twice before, that was okay with us.

[Phamer55]

Do what I'm doing in April 2011 - cruising to Hawaii on the Carnival Spirit. You fly to San Diego, check in at the pier, then they bus you (complimentary) to Ensenada (going into Mexico past the border is no problem, it's coming back that is slow). Then you board the ship and have 5 sea days to Hawaii. It will be interesting how I feel having so many sea days in a row, but I'm looking forward to just relaxing and getting rested before the real fun starts. Then there are 7, count 'em, 7 days in a row in Hawaii, including overnights in Maui and Oahu. Such a great itinerary. I know, it's Carnival, who I've not yet tried, but the Spirit is a fairly new ship (lots of balcony cabins), so I don't think I'll have any problems sailing on her. You can stay longer in Honolulu if you like after the cruise (the cruise ends on a Friday, so you could stay the weekend). Also, with the cruise starting on a Sunday, add yourself a weekend in beautiful San Diego. Wow, this is going to be so fun, too bad I have to wait until 2011 (same cruise in 2010, but we're taking the kids and the 2011 one will overlap spring break). Check out the itinerary:

 

Sunday, April 10 Ensenada, MX 9:00 PM

Monday, April 11 At Sea

Tuesday, April 12 At Sea

Wednesday, April 13 At Sea

Thursday, April 14 At Sea

Friday, April 15 At Sea

Saturday, April 16 Hilo, HI 8:00 AM 6:00 PM

Sunday, April 17 Kona, HI 8:00 AM 6:00 PM

Monday, April 18 Kaui, HI 8:00 AM 6:00 PM

Tuesday, April 19 Maui, HI 8:00 AM

Wednesday, April 20 Maui, HI 6:00 PM

Thursday, April 21 Honolulu, HI 8:00 AM

Friday, April 22 Honolulu, HI 8:00 AM

[hazeleyez3]

Do what I'm doing in April 2011 - cruising to Hawaii on the Carnival Spirit. You fly to San Diego, check in at the pier, then they bus you (complimentary) to Ensenada (going into Mexico past the border is no problem, it's coming back that is slow). Then you board the ship and have 5 sea days to Hawaii. It will be interesting how I feel having so many sea days in a row, but I'm looking forward to just relaxing and getting rested before the real fun starts. Then there are 7, count 'em, 7 days in a row in Hawaii, including overnights in Maui and Oahu. Such a great itinerary. I know, it's Carnival, who I've not yet tried, but the Spirit is a fairly new ship (lots of balcony cabins), so I don't think I'll have any problems sailing on her. You can stay longer in Honolulu if you like after the cruise (the cruise ends on a Friday, so you could stay the weekend). Also, with the cruise starting on a Sunday, add yourself a weekend in beautiful San Diego. Wow, this is going to be so fun, too bad I have to wait until 2011 (same cruise in 2010, but we're taking the kids and the 2011 one will overlap spring break). Check out the itinerary:

 

Sunday, April 10 Ensenada, MX 9:00 PM

Monday, April 11 At Sea

Tuesday, April 12 At Sea

Wednesday, April 13 At Sea

Thursday, April 14 At Sea

Friday, April 15 At Sea

Saturday, April 16 Hilo, HI 8:00 AM 6:00 PM

Sunday, April 17 Kona, HI 8:00 AM 6:00 PM

Monday, April 18 Kaui, HI 8:00 AM 6:00 PM

Tuesday, April 19 Maui, HI 8:00 AM

Wednesday, April 20 Maui, HI 6:00 PM

Thursday, April 21 Honolulu, HI 8:00 AM

Friday, April 22 Honolulu, HI 8:00 AM

 

 

What a great itinerary!! Especially with the add-ons like you mentioned. We love sea days....hopefully they will have it for 2012. I'll have 3 weeks vacation then so I can still do another vacation.