cruising in May

[shazz43]

Is May a good time to cruising the islands, is there any positives and negtives, thanks for any info:confused:

[riofriotex]

Here's an article on Cruise Critic about best times to cruise:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=133

We went in May this year. In our case, it was mostly dictated by work schedules - May is the absolute best (and almost the only) time for me and my aunt to take vacations. I enjoyed the fact that the ship was NOT full of children. The weather was pleasant but not too hot. The only drawback I can think of is that May is past whale-watching season

[Sunny AZ Girl]

May works out best for me, also. I can now only take a longer vacation between May 1 and Oct. 31 due to work, so that is somewhat limiting. As far as cruises are concerned, as riofriotex mentioned, there are fewer children at that time of year. School is either not out or just out and families are not into the real vacation mode yet. Note - I do not have young children anymore. If I did I may have a different priority and want there to be more kids on board. April (after spring break and Easter) and early June have also been good for us in the past.

 

While May is officially in hurricane season, they are more rare at that time of year. I have never had a problem. As a matter of fact our seas have always been extraordinarily calm for our May cruise. Perhaps we have just been lucky!:cool:

 

Prices tend to be lower than the peak winter or summer months, so that works out well, too. More excursion $$$$!!!

 

Check out the POA on May 14. We have a Roll Call going. We'd love to have you join us.:D

[shazz43]

thanks for the replies about May, i didn't realise it is hurricane season:rolleyes:,

but Sunny AZ Girl, what did you mean by more excursions $$$?

What is the weather like?

 

Thanks again

[Sunny AZ Girl]

thanks for the replies about May, i didn't realise it is hurricane season:rolleyes:,

but Sunny AZ Girl, what did you mean by more excursions $$$?

What is the weather like?

 

Thanks again

Hurricane season officially begins May 1, but September is the highpoint of hurricanes. As I said, I have never been impacted and we cruise April - early June almost every year.

 

We like to take excursions in port. They have a price, so by saving on the cruise fare by sailing during the 'shoulder season' we have more money to do those excursions. Some people say it will give them more $$$ for drinks onboard, but since we drink very little I prefer to think of it as excursion money, LOL.;)

[vbmom87]

thanks for the replies about May, i didn't realise it is hurricane season:rolleyes:,

but Sunny AZ Girl, what did you mean by more excursions $$$?

What is the weather like?

 

Thanks again

 

I am not sure where AZ Girl found this information, as that is contrary to what I found. Can't say who is correct as I don't know. However, when I researched going, I read that hurricane season was in the fall. After reading lots of threads about the best time to go, we narrowed it down to May and Oct. We nixed Oct because of it being hurricane season. As mentioned, hurricanes are VERY RARE in Hawaii. However, I didn't want to be there the one year that a hurricane hit. We planned this cruise as a once in a lifetime happening.

 

Here is why I chose May:

 

Not too hot

 

Not the rainy season

 

Not peak travel season

 

Waters likely calmer

 

Waterfalls likely flowing well

 

Flowers in bloom

 

 

Although seeing the whales would have been great I am sure, we decided whales were not a priority. I didn't want to be in HI for rainy season, or be traveling during the winter from the mainland with its snowstorms. I read a sad story this past winter of someone traveling in February. They planned their trip to arrive in Honolulu on Thursday for the Saturday POA sailing. The lived on the East Coast and it was hit by one of the many snowstorms last winter. They were never able to catch a plane to get there by Saturday.

 

Each time of the year has its pluses and minuses. We ended up loving MAY. There were lots of flowers in bloom, temps were moderate, no humidity, only rain was in Maui driving through the rain forest, waterfalls were flowing....it was just great!!!!!

[riofriotex]

While May is officially in hurricane season, they are more rare at that time of year.

 

From the National Weather Service National Hurricane Center: "Hurricane season in the Atlantic begins June 1st and ends November 30th. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins May 15th and also ends November 30th."

 

We were actually a little disappointed on our May 22 cruise that there weren't MORE flowers in bloom. Our guide for Road to Hana said they weren't quite at their peak yet.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

From the National Weather Service National Hurricane Center: "Hurricane season in the Atlantic begins June 1st and ends November 30th. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season begins May 15th and also ends November 30th."

 

We were actually a little disappointed on our May 22 cruise that there weren't MORE flowers in bloom. Our guide for Road to Hana said they weren't quite at their peak yet.

You are absolutely correct. I was thinking that the hurricane season began May 1, but I was wrong on that. It begins May 15. Of course we are cruising May 14!:eek::D As I stated before, hurricanes are rare at that time of year. The autumn months are at the greatest risk.

[beachchick]

April-May and October-early November are our favorite times to visit. While we love Hawaii any time of the year, those two times are best for us. May and into June is absolutely splendid. Waters are warming and calmer, rainier season usually over (note: rainier; there's some rain year round), flowers blooming and waterfalls lovely (unless it's been a low rain year), not too hot and not too humid. Ahhhh....

 

beachchick

[shazz43]

thanks everyone for the replies, they have been quite positive, can someone give me some idea what the day time temps are and nights?

thanks again ;)

[vbmom87]

thanks everyone for the replies, they have been quite positive, can someone give me some idea what the day time temps are and nights?

thanks again ;)

 

Here is some info on temperatures in Hawaii:

 

http://www.hawaiigaga.com/WeatherGuide.aspx

 

We found May temperatures very comfortable. The places we needed a light jacket were:

 

1. The ship was quite cool and it was the norm for us to wear a sweater or light jacket most of the time.

 

2. The day we drove the Road to Hana it was rainy, which makes you cool, especially when the driver needs to put the air conditioning on to defog the windshield. ;)

 

3. If you go to the top of Haleakala on Maui, it will be quite cool and windy up there.

 

 

Other than these three locations, we didn't need any kind of wraps/jackets day or night. It really couldn't have been more perfect. I do not like humidity, which was another reason we chose this time of the year. We just loved May!!!

 

As far as the flowers, I do have to say that I expected to see more. However, our Road to Hana driver told us we were seeing a lot of flowers. The thing is, the flowers are so different in Hawaii from what we have back on the USA mainland. Even when we did a garden tour on Kauai, the flower gardens were just so different. They don't the massive display of color I am used to seeing here.

 

You will love Hawaii in May!!!

[riofriotex]

As far as the flowers, I do have to say that I expected to see more. However, our Road to Hana driver told us we were seeing a lot of flowers. The thing is, the flowers are so different in Hawaii from what we have back on the USA mainland. Even when we did a garden tour on Kauai, the flower gardens were just so different. They don't the massive display of color I am used to seeing here.

 

You will love Hawaii in May!!!

 

You are right, vbmom87, about the flowers. I think we too were just expecting more, but we were told they had not quite peaked yet. No matter, for all the reasons you gave (plus having fewer kids on the ship - a plus for us), May was an ideal time to go. I would add though that we found it to be a little cool/windy at Volcanoes National Park, so one might want to bring a light jacket there as well.

[shazz43]

thanks everyone for the replies,helpful, this would be our first time to Honolulu, we are coming from Australia its a long way, and want to get it right,probably a lot more questions to come,lol

 

Thanks again

[vbmom87]

thanks everyone for the replies,helpful, this would be our first time to Honolulu, we are coming from Australia its a long way, and want to get it right,probably a lot more questions to come,lol

 

Thanks again

 

You will love it. Are you spending any time on any of the island before or after your cruise?

[shazz43]

yes plan on arriving in Honolulu 2 days before and then stay an extra 4 days after, to give us time to explore a bit more and of course shopping

:D, more questions to come,lol