Honest opinion about sailing to Hawaii

Hi C.B.

 

I don't see any "lies or false answers" here. They are just other peoples opinions...just as you have your own.

 

There was no mention of anyone having 15 days. No available time was stated, that is why depending on what the OP's plans allow there could be multiple options.

 

While flying direct would get you more time on land, it would exclude a cruise. Seeing that this site is cruise critic and the OP was considering a cruise, a combination of cruise and land vacation might be optimal.

 

again just an opinion

You will note the smiley face and wink after that sentence- that indicates a joke or sarcasm. The OP asked for "honest answers" (as opposed to what else do they get here?)about cruising in Hawaii.

The 15 days comes from the time it takes to typically sail from West Coast ports to Hawaii, around the islands, and back to the West Coast. These are 14-16 day cruises, with 4 or so sea days each way. That is the basis for 15 days.

Flying to Hawaii doesn't exclude a cruise. Pride of America does 7 day cruises year around, operating out of Honolulu.

Hi C.B.

Sorry for misinterpreting your post.

I guess I wasn't considering the NCL ship. At the time we went there were a lot comments about the attitude of the crew (my SIL had been on it earlier in the year). It did factor into our final decision. I haven't read up on current experiences but this would work well in conjunction with a land stay if their budget can accommodate.

Personally I enjoy the sea days, so I would still lean to a one way cruise if we were going to go again.

Luckily there is something for every taste.

have a great day

First time to Hawaii was part of a three islands in nine days guided tour (my college roomie had decided to separate from her husband so she asked me to buy his ticket). Saw many of the sites in that time that are often mentioned on this board, but we didn't go to the Big Island.

Second time, was for our honeymoon. Kauai for a couple days (with rental car) and then Honolulu for a few days. Hubby had also done a land trip previously so we didn't need to go to the usual tourism places.

The next three times were the two-week RTs from LA. This was our daughter's intro to the islands. Finally got to the Big Island. The cruise itself was the experience for us -- a great Hawaiian cultural program developed by a long time Princess CD with help from the musical duo Elua...and our time in Hawaii was a bonus.

Personally, if it was all about maximizing the time in Hawaii, I would say go for the land trip. Pick two or three places to stay at. If unsure about what places to stay at, try the cruise and sample the islands to see where you want to return to. But for my family, the Princess cruise gives a great combo of both an experience and ports. We love sea days and never find being at sea boring.

Thank you all for your information!

I think 15 days is a good apples (cruise) to apples (land based) comparison.

You can't even scratch the surface of Hawaii and its six main islands (four if you exclude Molokai and Lanai) in 15 days. At best you can get a good feel for two islands, trying to do more these days is difficult because of the time you waste in airports and packing/check-out and check-in/unpacking.

If you think you'll never return to HI ever (although I've heard THAT line from many people who then go back year after year) then I think the cruise gives you a flavor of the islands, but you have to really LOVE days at sea because you have many more days at sea than days in port.

Personally I think a land based Oahu/Kauai combo gives a better experience than the cruise. My parents have done the West Coast to Hawaii cruise three times now, but that is after living in the islands many years and going on vacation there for many more times. Now when they go to HI it is usually to stay in one place (Poipu Kauai the last 10 years for most of Sept) and do light sightseeing. A cruise is just a different version of the same thing. Long gone are the days of rushing around sight to site.

So glad I stumbled across this thread because this is exactly what we are trying to decide for winter 2017.

We are around 70 and my husband tires easily. We were trying to decide between all three options: cruise from west coast, POA or land based.

Based on this thread, I think we are down to POA or land based. Either way, being retired, time is not an issue and we were thinking about 20 to 30 days in the islands, with 10 to 15 days on each of two islands.

Or, as I read this, perhaps a POA cruise, with 10 days (using airbnb or vrbo)both pre and post. (Yet the information about interisland flights sounds a bit daunting ... we are TSA pre-check .. think that would help?)

Any thoughts? And if you had 10 days to spend on one of the islands, only once, which island would you choose?

So glad I stumbled across this thread because this is exactly what we are trying to decide for winter 2017.

 

We are around 70 and my husband tires easily. We were trying to decide between all three options: cruise from west coast, POA or land based.

 

Based on this thread, I think we are down to POA or land based. Either way, being retired, time is not an issue and we were thinking about 20 to 30 days in the islands, with 10 to 15 days on each of two islands.

 

Or, as I read this, perhaps a POA cruise, with 10 days (using airbnb or vrbo)both pre and post. (Yet the information about interisland flights sounds a bit daunting ... we are TSA pre-check .. think that would help?)

 

Any thoughts? And if you had 10 days to spend on one of the islands, only once, which island would you choose?

30 days in the islands sounds like heaven. I find it very difficult to choose, which is why I like the POA. And if you're a first timer, how do you know what you'd like until you've seen it? But if I absolutely had to choose, I'd probably choose Kauai. It has some spectacular topography, the Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coastline. If you can splurge on a $$ excursion just once in the islands, a helicopter tour of Kauai is unforgettable.

A close second would be Maui. Simply love upcountry and Haleakala. But then again, the water around the big island of Hawaii is crystal clear, and there is the volcano. But, O'ahu, IMO, although overshadowed by her sisters, has some pretty spectacular stuff on her Windward coast that rivals anything I've seen on the other islands. Tough choice.

A family vacation in Hawaii is better served by a land trip. While cruises are always nice, you need more time ashore then you will get from a cruise. However, if you could spare 2 weeks plus the money, there is a case to be made for a combination of land and the Pride of America. We should mention that the "Pride" is the only ship routinely cruising Hawaii because of US laws (PVSA) which puts many restrictions on the ability of a ship to move between US ports. And this works against that ship since they must crew the vessel with a very large number of Americans (who are not always the best crew members).

The big question for a land trip is "how many islands" and we certainly recommend some time in Oahu and more time on Maui (our favorite island). But with the time and the money you might want to cram in 4 islands :).

Hank

Based on this thread, I think we are down to POA or land based. Either way, being retired, time is not an issue and we were thinking about 20 to 30 days in the islands, with 10 to 15 days on each of two islands.

 

Or, as I read this, perhaps a POA cruise, with 10 days (using airbnb or vrbo)both pre and post. (Yet the information about interisland flights sounds a bit daunting ... we are TSA pre-check .. think that would help?)

 

Any thoughts? And if you had 10 days to spend on one of the islands, only once, which island would you choose?

Last things first.

If I had 10 days (think in nights though, not days) to spend on one of the islands, only once, it would have to be Oahu. It has the sights to everyone thinks about when they think Hawaii like Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, etc. It also has the remarkable beauty like Kauai. I would split 10 nights on Oahu though with some nights in Waikiki and then the rest either North Shore or Ko Olina depending on what your interests are.

If you had 20 nights it is easy enough to do a POA cruise and two land based destinations, like Oahu and Kauai or Oahu and Maui. I think the Big Island needs at least 10 nights and a split, with some time on the Kohala Coast and some time in Hilo or Volcano.

If you have 30 nights you can certainly see all four of the large islands, but I still wouldn't. I think 3 islands would be plenty. The airports aren't daunting, but they also are not the easy thing they once were pre-hijackings/pre 9-11.

If I had to choose between cruise and land based, I'd take land based while you are still young.... and trust me, my 86 year old parents would think you are just kids..... do the active stuff now, while you still can.

We just finished a Hawaii visit and cruise. Been retired since since 2007 and this was our first visit to the state; we love to cruise and really like our sea days!

We spent five incredible days in Honolulu at a hotel and kept busy every day from 6 AM to after 10 PM.

On the sixth day, we caught the Celebrity Solstice on its way from the south Pacific to Vancouver, to begin the summer's Alaskan cruises. Departing from Honolulu, we spent 4 days on three other Hawaiian islands before heading northeast for a five restful sea days, arriving in Vancouver.

We have to admit that stay already has us planning to return to Hawaii in 2 years!

If you want a classier experience with only one long plane ride consider Solstice twice yearly repo HNL-Vancouver in Spring or Fall. Stay a few nights at Waikiki. Also Princess does several 15N RTs from California. You can probably use Southwest for either at air savings domestically.

We have done r/t from San Diego for 15 days and quite frankly would never do that again. Although we love sea days, it was way too many at once. And honestly we didn't see any more of the islands than when we did the NCL cruise thru the islands.

Wish everyone could do the NCL cruise the way we did, but not everyone has the time. We spent a week before and another week after the week long cruise. We have done 12 land trips to Hawaii, and think that is our favorite thing.

Whatever you decide, Hawaii is wonderful, and after the Spirit of Aloha gets under your skin you will devise more ways to return!!

Thank you for all the advice on how to split up time on the islands.

I am copying and pasting the info into a Word document to save and study.

I think first thing I am going to need is a good map of HI :D

Thank you for all the advice on how to split up time on the islands.

 

I am copying and pasting the info into a Word document to save and study.

 

I think first thing I am going to need is a good map of HI :D

Agreed !!!! We want to try something different for our next cruise but it looks like HI will probably not be it via cruise ship . Maybe Alaska !

We have done r/t from San Diego for 15 days and quite frankly would never do that again. Although we love sea days' date=' it was way too many at once. And honestly we didn't see any more of the islands than when we did the NCL cruise thru the islands.

 

Wish everyone could do the NCL cruise the way we did, but not everyone has the time. We spent a week before and another week after the week long cruise. We have done 12 land trips to Hawaii, and think that is our favorite thing.

 

Whatever you decide, Hawaii is wonderful, and after the Spirit of Aloha gets under your skin you will devise more ways to return!![/quote']

 

Is there a way I can direct message you to pick your brain about HI ?? like where to stay and what to see ?

Is there a way I can direct message you to pick your brain about HI ?? like where to stay and what to see ?

I'd recommend joining TripAdvisor and reading the Top Questions in the Oahu Forum and picking the brains of the people there. It is a better source for a land based vacation than Cruise Critic and it is Cruise Critic's parent company.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g29222-i37-Oahu_Hawaii.html

We went through the same situation...trying to decide whether to do a cruise or a land vacation. The friends we traveled with were adamant that they did NOT want to spend 10 sea days and have just 4 days in the islands but they WERE willing to do the Pride of America cruise that spends 7 days visiting four of the islands.

Once our planning began, we discovered that the POA would be doing a one-time cruise from San Francisco to Hawaii and that seemed like the perfect compromise for us. We got to see a glimpse of three of the islands and then tacked on several more days on Oahu at the end. At the time we booked, the cruise was far less money than what we would have spent for airfare to Hawaii + hotel and meal costs so it was win-win. The four days at sea were a fun way to relax and get in the Hawaiian spirit...there were lots of Hawaiian based activities, crafts, history, food, etc.

I realize that ours was a unique situation, but there might be other cruiselines that do one-way cruises to Hawaii as well. You would have to weight the costs and see if this would be something you would enjoy. Normally the POA cruise is one of the most expensive 7-day cruises around...we just got lucky when we booked.

I read many trip reports prior to our cruise to help decide what we wanted to do...I like the personal stories much more than just reading guide books.

After we got home, I did a day-by-day report of our cruise on my blog and included lots of photos. I did this journal mostly to help me remember the trip, but you might find it useful in your planning. It will give you an idea of what is possible to see on each island if you decide to go to the cruise route. I also covered the four extra days that we spent on Oahu which would give you some ideas as well.

The link to the blog is: My Souvenir Memories Blog

I would be happy to answer any questions you have either on this thread or you can contact me through the blog. I know I was totally overwhelmed by the planning at the beginning so can relate to how you feel!

 

The link to the blog is: My Souvenir Memories Blog

 

I would be happy to answer any questions you have either on this thread or you can contact me through the blog. I know I was totally overwhelmed by the planning at the beginning so can relate to how you feel!

Thanks for the link. Added it to my HI bookmarks and will study it once I get that map :D

I'm not interested in spending 9 or 10 days at sea to spend 4 days in Hawaii, so round trip Hawaii cruises from California don't appeal to me. However, I've been interested in the one-way repo cruises between Honolulu and Vancouver for years, and will finally be on the 12-night Radiance of the Seas repo cruise in May 2017. It has a similar itinerary to NCL's Pride of America, with overnights in Maui and Kauai, plus Hilo and Kona. Then it spends 5 days at sea to get to Vancouver. Most of the Hawaii repo cruises are 10 or 11 nights, so I was very pleased with this 12-night itinerary.

I am well aware that you can't see it all in a day or two per port, but that's true of just about any cruise - except perhaps in the Caribbean.

We are going to Hawaii in Sep on the Carnival Legend on one of those repo cruises. I selected that cruise for a number of reasons:

• We get 5 sea days in the start of the trip to get adjusted to the time zone changes and to relax
  
• We hate to fly long distances and this helps on one end as we only have the long fight on the way home compared to taking the Norwegian cruise from Honolulu.
  
• We can spend the extra 5 days, compared to sailing both ways on the Miricle, in Hawaii. In this case we have a hotel booked in Waikiki for 5 nights.
  

So, there are lots of ways to do it, but this option works for us. BTW, the Legend only does this trip once a year. It also does a reverse trip in May of each year, but that schedule is always subject to change.

If you want to learn a bit about each island and what to do, I created a website for our cruise. Check my sig. John

We are going to Hawaii in Sep on the Carnival Legend on one of those repo cruises. I selected that cruise for a number of reasons:

 

 

• We get 5 sea days in the start of the trip to get adjusted to the time zone changes and to relax
  
• We hate to fly long distances and this helps on one end as we only have the long fight on the way home compared to taking the Norwegian cruise from Honolulu.
  
• We can spend the extra 5 days, compared to sailing both ways on the Miricle, in Hawaii. In this case we have a hotel booked in Waikiki for 5 nights.
  

 

 

So, there are lots of ways to do it, but this option works for us. BTW, the Legend only does this trip once a year. It also does a reverse trip in May of each year, but that schedule is always subject to change.

 

If you want to learn a bit about each island and what to do, I created a website for our cruise. Check my sig. John

In 2012 and 2014 we did the September repositioning cruise on Royal Caribbean and really enjoyed it. However last month we did the opposite direction cruise (Hawaii to Vancouver) and found we liked it even more. Some of the reasons:

• We live in Seattle so we got the only flight out the the way at the beginning of the cruise.
   
  
• We got to spend two days pre-cruise on Oahu to enjoy that island before sailing. Next time we will spend three days.
   
  
• We were more active in the ports as we knew we still had the five days at sea after the islands to relax before heading home.
   
  
• A small thing but we could buy some beautiful tropical flowers at the Kona public market to enjoy in our stateroom for the next week. On the September cruises we didn't buy flowers as the cruise was almost over by the time we hit Kona.
  

We are not abandoning the September cruises completed as we are booked again in 2017. Overall the at seas days on the September cruise are a little warmer so there are more on deck activities. They both have there plues and minuses. :)

We started going to the Islands well over 30 years ago and eventually bought a home on Maui.

We have also cruised to or from or past the islands on a number of occasions. A cruise will give you some idea of what you can see on each island and help you decide if you want to return and how much time you would wish to spend on the various islands, as they are all quite different. Some people, such as ourselves, enjoy sea days, others don't. Additionally, the weather may be fine but there are occasions when it isn't.

If you really want to get a feel for Hawaii then land based vacations are the way to go. There have been times when we have spent two weeks on Maui, then two weeks on the Big Island and then two weeks on Kauai and wished that we had spent more time.

Not sure that there is any right or wrong answer to your question, it's all a bit subjective. I think you will probably find that once you've been there you will want to return.

We had been ti HI 3 times before our cruise: once to Oahu, once to Maui, and once to visit both. Then we did the POA cruise, and I think it's a great first or even only HI trip. We found the character of each island to be very different, and I think the cruise was a good way to sample 5 ports. Then if you decide you want to re-visit any at another time you'll know which ones you like best. Oahu is bustling, with traffic jams worthy of Dallas. Other islands have more unspoiled beauty spots, and Maui has lots of outdoor activity. Give them all a try on a cruise, kind of like a hop-on hop-off bus tour.

I think what you need to figure out is what do you want to get from your visit to Hawaii'?

What plays a factor? $$, time, sites/islands, mode of travel?

We were stationed on Oahu for almost 4 years. I never went to any of the other islands until we took our first cruise from LA - 14 days.

For us, it was perfect as we got to unwind and rest before and after visiting the islands.

We are going again in October and probably will do it again as it was enjoyable for us.

When going with a group everybody has wants.

Good luck figuring out how you want to visit the islands and aloha.:D

I took 3 Hawaii cruises. First one on RCCL years ago. We flew into Honolulu and stayed a few days pre cruise. Cruised the islands then across to Enscenada (before they would allow it to end in a US port). It was a good introduction to Hawaii. Went on Princess RT out of CA a few years ago. Not much time spent in Hawaii but the activities onboard the ship on sea days were Hawaiian themed and fun. Last one was on RCCL in April Hawaii to Vancouver. We did a 3 day pre cruise in Oahu. The island stops were nice but the 5 sea days across the Pacific were too long and a bit boring.

If I did it again and only had a couple weeks, I would do 1 week land and 1 week on the POA. The long flight from the Midwest is a killer. The more time you spend in Hawaii the better.