Help me pack for 15 days to Hawaii from SF

We are going to HI next April from SF. I've been told by many people that the first few days and last few are cold and that it warms up as you get closer to HI. I've only been on Caribbean cruises where it's warm and beautiful and all you need are your bathing suits, some nice tops, shorts, capris and a couple of dressier outfits for formal nights. This cruise has me stumped a bit. We do want to go a few days earlier to SF as well. I'll do a wash halfway through. We really try to pack light as it's hard for us to lift and carry around heavy bags. Also, there's a lot of sales going on right now and I bought some things to put away, but realize that maybe it's warmer clothes I'll need to focus more on. Any advice is appreciated.

Also, I only want to bring one jacket that I'll wear on plane and not have to pack. Suggestions?

Thank you for your help!!

In addition to what you are already bringing, I would pack my BCBG sweatpants and matching jacket. Also, at least one or two pairs of long pants. San Francisco has been in the high 60's this week and foggy.

Hawaii was hot and humid this week. But April is a nice time to visit the islands. Depending what you are used to, it is between 75 and 85 degrees most of the year. It's Camelot here. Mauka (Mountain) showers usually occur in the evenings. But...there was a year with 40 days and nights of rain. Be sure to pack at least an umbrella.

Layers. Bring a lightweight rain jacket and a fleece and/or sweatshirt. One of each, and we were prepared for the range of conditions we encountered on this cruise.

Once we were close enough to the islands, the "warm" clothes were put away until we were back to roughly that same point in the trip, weather-wise, in the other direction, several days later.

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I'm doing the same thing with summer sales for our cruise next March. I prefer a cardigan to a fleece. I'm also planning on tops that coordinate with long pants or capris/shorts.

You will require some long pants, sweater or hoodie sweat shirt and a rain jacket. Most of the cooler days we wore shorts, but did have a sweatshirt on. Once the ship crosses the Tropic of Cancer it get tropical like the Caribbean. If you plan to go to to Haleakala wear a sweatshirt. It's cold at the summit.

April can be very nice but can be very cool in San Francisco in April ... you'll just not know until you check the weather report right before coming out this way. It can be in the low 40's in the early morning hours ... so just keep that in mind and pack or wear layers. We don't usually get much rain in April here but it can happen. Again, I would set aside some stuff and pack just a couple of days ahead of time according to the weather reports. I attended a St Patrick's Day Parade once in the City and it was absolutely freezing ... and I realize that is a couple / few weeks earlier than what you have planned, but is was in the 30's in SF ... so so chilly!! But, I've also been in the City when it has been in the mid-nineties ... not in April, though.

And yes, we've sailed out of San Francisco a couple of dozen times and it is usually chilly when you hit that mark near the Golden Gate bridge where the fog starts to creep in. It will most likely be on the cool side for those first two days out and then again, on the last 2-3 days sailing back into the City. Then again, this is where the layers will come in handy. You'll be ok in most areas when on the ship, though. There is one really chilly spot on the Grand in the MDR where you may need a sweater, if cold outside, don't sit too close to those sliding doors in the Horizon and one side of the casino seemed to be freezing all the time. And ... I am not one to get cold easy!! But, most of the indoor spots, other than those, are kept at a very comfortable temperature.

We just had light casual wear and light sweater and light jacket with hood. We had layers when necessary and the hood was useful when it rained in one of the islands.

I think everyone has given you good advice. You will need warm clothes, as well as lighter weight clothes for Hawaii.

You can check the temperatures we had on the cruise in April this year in the log below.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=53232971&postcount=292

We just had light casual wear and light sweater and light jacket with hood. We had layers when necessary and the hood was useful when it rained in one of the islands.

Ditto!!

Tony

We just sailed out of SF this last April to Hawaii. It's was cold. I only had a jean jacket and it was not enough. So windy on our aft deck we could not go out. Cold the day before also. Trip over to Hawaii wasn't all that warm either. Hawaii was a little warmer but not like I thought it should be. I guess I'm saying be prepared for colder weather.

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Thank you everyone for your responses. I tend to be colder than the average person so I think I'll prepare with some extra layering. Better to be comfortable. Really appreciate all the help.

I think everyone has given you good advice. You will need warm clothes, as well as lighter weight clothes for Hawaii.

 

You can check the temperatures we had on the cruise in April this year in the log below.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=53232971&postcount=292

Thank you so much!!

I get cold easily, so I always have a light sweater to wear, even on the ship. Sometimes the lounges can be chilly with that AC. My husband forces me to stick to one suitcase because we are 4 people in a room and the less we bring, the better. So I bring things that can mix and match easily, and we do laundry once or twice during a 15 day cruise. Not my favorite thing to do on vacation, but since it's cold in the begging and end of the cruise when the weather changes I wash clothes so that I can use it again when it gets cold on the way back. I will re-ware jeans (not just one use, unless I spill something). I bring long dresses with my sweaters for layers (comfort purposes-it's like lounge wear).

It was so cold on our last cruise I bought blankets in Ensenada to use on the ship! The weather in Hawaii will be nice and comfortable in April though. So while it's cold for about 5-6 days, the other days will be better.

Have fun on vacation!!

Don't forget appropriate footwear -- I live in Teva sandals that can withstand sun, rain, sand, sea, and even cold with socks.

I've done a 14 night RT from San Diego and a one way from Hawaii back to LA. Both times the sea days have been cool/cold/damp/windy, so layering is the best way to go.

Once in Hawaii, the weather was tropical and beautiful, but on both cruises, we did not book a balcony and were glad that we didn't - just too many days when it wasn't anything we could use and enjoy.

We just had light casual wear and light sweater and light jacket with hood. We had layers when necessary and the hood was useful when it rained in one of the islands.

Yup. Pretty much it. And it all fit in our carryon.

You'll need a jacket for San Francisco and Volcanoes National Park.

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We just did that exact cruise in April and it was very windy and cool (dare I say cold---I live in Central Texas so am used to warm weather). Wore long pants and sweats during the crossing (all sea days-going and coming back) and really couldn't enjoy our balcony too much because the wind was so strong and COLD! That being said, Hawaii was beautiful weather and shorts and sundresses are fine. Love the self serve laundromats on Princess and I always bring my own detergent pods and dryer sheets in a ziplock baggie. They have replaced the coin machines with room card for payment.

Thank you for that update about the room card for the laundry. The change machines never seemed to work properly,and it was a hassle to try to remember to bring a roll of quarters. This sounds much simpler.

Don't forget appropriate footwear -- I live in Teva sandals that can withstand sun, rain, sand, sea, and even cold with socks.

Just a warning ... if you want to hike up on the volcano, they require close toed shoes. Once up there, you will see why.

We live in SF bay area, although we are in South Bay in San Jose, where the day's high is usually higher by 10-15 degrees. SF is always "wet" cold. Foggy and penetrating wind in the morning and evening. April will not be that warm. I'd pack a lined windbreaker with a warm hat. Definitely not shorts weather. We sometimes sail out of SF and I always end up hurrying back to inside after 10 min of sail away party. MUTS can be brutally cold, too.

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Weather is a funny thing. We just spent 7 weeks on the road - mostly in Canada and Alaska. People were saying how HOT it was. It was 74 degrees. I told them it was 109 - 112 at home during that time. Longest stretch of over 100 degree weather in history. We missed it all. :)

People deal with weather differently. Tonight I put the last 26 screws in my front deck. It was 94 degrees out but it wasn't a "hot" 94 degrees. I know that doesn't make sense to many but, to some, it will make perfect sense.

Some freeze when sailing out of SF and others don't. While I find it cold I don't find it "cold". By all means take a sweater or jacket but, unless it is extra windy, I don't find it all that bad. Perhaps I'm just weird. (My kids certainly think so. ;p)