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Itinerary ? w/regard to cruising by lava flows in HI


mlbcruiser
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I've been looking at some cruises to HI. If a ship doesn't make a stop at Kona, is it very likely it would still do a night time cruise past glowing lava flows on the Big Island? I haven't seen notation of that on the Princess cruises I've looked at that only stop in Hilo.

I have seen it listed on another line but not sure it's a good choice for us.

 

Also, is Kona a port that would be a mistake to miss and is Hilo better? Or just easier to reach for most ship itineraries?

 

Thanks for any info!

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I've been looking at some cruises to HI. If a ship doesn't make a stop at Kona, is it very likely it would still do a night time cruise past glowing lava flows on the Big Island? I haven't seen notation of that on the Princess cruises I've looked at that only stop in Hilo.

I have seen it listed on another line but not sure it's a good choice for us.

 

Also, is Kona a port that would be a mistake to miss and is Hilo better? Or just easier to reach for most ship itineraries?

 

Thanks for any info!

We've sailed Princess several times in Hawaii & since eliminating Kona each time the ship sailed north from Hilo en route to Honolulu.

 

The last time our ship stopped in Kona was over a decade ago when the ship slowed down offshore of Ensenada to pay the local authorities their fees. However now ships need to dock in Ensenada for the day which might be one reason why Kona was eliminated. Also being a tender port it was iffy due to conditions which could also happen in Lahaina Maui which for me has much more to offer than Kona.

 

Kona & Hilo offer different options and if choosing just one would prefer Hilo because of Volcanoes NP, lush scenery with waterfalls and better roads.

 

Having the possibility of sailing past lava flows would not be a deciding factor for us because it's unlikely that there'll be anything to view.

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Thanks for the info! One cruiseline particularly mentions scenic cruising past such an area and, of course, I've seen photos of glowing lava flows at night. It makes sense that this isn't ALWAYS the case anyway.
The Carnival Legend positions herself between the 2 very distinct lava flows. The Pride of America gets very close. One passenger said they could see the lava flowing in a large tubular stream on the P of A.

 

 

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We just got home from sailing on the Carnival Legend reposition cruise, from Vancouver to Hawaii

where we had wonderful night time views of the lava flows as our route was from Hilo for a day then to Kona for a day. There were 2 different areas, but very close together (lava field & 3 spouts pouring into the ocean).

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Unforunately, the Carnival ships (incl. the Legend) aren't visiting HI at the time we are planning to cruise. IMO the pricing for POA is rather pricey as compared to higher rated lines. But of course, it is an option. I wonder what the lava will be doing first qtr. next yr.?

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Saw the lava last weekend, it was fantastic. We were on Solstice on her one way cruise. Never guaranteed though.

 

 

 

Excellent news. We are on her for the April version in 18. Hopefully will get to see it also.

 

 

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