Weather Preventing Stops at Some Hawaiian Ports

[Cruzn ELM]

I noted on a now deleted thread that occasionally, due to weather conditions, the ship cannot stop at some Hawaiian ports (most notably Kona which may be a reason why they dropped that port). Has anyone experienced this for any of the other ports? We will be there in early March.

[cruiserjanet]

We didn't experience it on our cruise but I have heard of them dropping Kauai because that port is hard to manuever into if the sea is too rough.

[Pam in CA]

I noted on a now deleted thread that occasionally, due to weather conditions, the ship cannot stop at some Hawaiian ports (most notably Kona which may be a reason why they dropped that port). Has anyone experienced this for any of the other ports? We will be there in early March.

Maui is another one that is occasionally missed. I haven't missed it on my HI cruises but there was one time we should have: getting back to the ship was a 90-minute ride from hell in a tender with fierce winds and waves yet the day started cloudless and beautiful. Even the tender crew were using plastic bags. In retrospect, I'm sure the Captain regretted tendering people onshore but then he would have caught hell from passengers who thought the day would remain gorgeous. Four tenders were caught in the storm with hundreds more passengers on the pier running for cover.

 

Kona and Maui are the two tender ports so they are most affected by wind and waves, and thus are sometimes missed.

[NotWthOutablcony]

We'll be there in early March 2011, I too have read many reviews of cruisers missing Kauai, I pulled up the port on Google Earth and it is an odd inlet to get through, especially in rough waters, couldn't imagine trying. I did hear of one missing Maui though it didn't seem as though it was a port that was often missed. I can picture Pam's story perfectly, we were on a tender like that once, a lot of us thought it was fun, but some of the crew were looking a little green around the gills:D our solvent to the Kauai situation is choosing to do something there, that we could do in another port, we were going to snorkel there, but have also decided to snorkel at Richardsons Beach in Hilo which is the first stop so that we don't miss our chance to snorkel in Hawaii, if we get to go to Kauai, then great! We'll get to snorkel twice, if we don't make it, well at least we were able to do it in Hilo. While reading the reviews I noticed most ports were missed during the late season run, or the beginning of the Hawaii season, November, December and January. February, March and April seemed to run pretty smoothly, though its always the luck of the draw.

[leoandhugh]

This past season, Golden Princess and some of the HAL ships had to skip Kauai ( Nahwiliwili) because the entrance to the harbor is very narrow and the ship has to do a 180 inside the breakwater in order to dock. If the wind and waves are too high, the resistance of the huge broadside profile of some of these ships makes such an entrance and turn too risky.:)

[captainron]

Aloha Bra,

 

What's been said is true and all the ports we have discussed here at Kona, on Kauai and Lahaina in Maui are all on the west or windward side of the islands and are subjected to more inclement and unpredictable weather conditions.

 

On the Big Island (Hawaii) when the ship is into Kona, they very seldom have the weather due to the considerably less effects of the winds, htus making it easier for the bridge crew to manoeuvre in the offshore waters.

 

Ciao for now!!!

[Putterdude]

I don't think they dropped Kona due to weather, Princess just wanted make the Hawaiian itinerary a 14 day one and something had to go....which we were disappointed about as it was one of our fave ports. However I do agree Kauai is an extremely tight port and with a strong onshore wind it would make docking most unsafe and that is why it can be missed from time to time.

[judyjudy56]

We were on the Hawaii cruise in March and we had to miss Kaui because of the winds. Apparently it is a bit difficult to get into the port and if the wind is blowing in the wrong direction the ship can't make it in. We did cruise by the Napali coast and that was beautiful. Wished we could have gone to Kauai though. We had been on the same cruise in June and had no problem getting into any of the ports.

[G'ma]

I know Maui is missed sometimes due to rough seas and it being a tender port. My son lives in Lahaina and says they look forward to the passengers coming ashore to spend their lovely money...and when they can't get ashore...every merchant is disappointed!

[DeepWaterMariner]

We've missed both Kona and Lahaina. That resulted in scenic cruising of Molokai (accompanied by high winds but smooth seas) and an extra day in Hilo. Two other Hawaii cruises, both in March, we managed to make every port.