Honolulu cruise question from the UK

[1160451]

Hi Everybody,

 

UK based cruiser here, we usually cruise in Europe with P&O, Fred Olsen and Thomson but are thinking of cruising to Honolulu in January.

 

Our question is during the 4 days out and 4 days back to the mainland what will the conditions be like.

 

We have just spent 3 days on board from Liverpool to Maderia and we were a little stir crazy as the weather was not suitable for swimming or taking in the sun.

 

Thanks for any help.

[Northeastal]

It is very difficult to predict what the weather will be like at any particular time but assuming that you would be sailing out of San Pedro (LA), then in January it can be cool.

 

In addition, the currents going down / up the pacific coastline are such that the first day and a half out of San Pedro can be a bit choppy and this can be replicated on the way back.

 

I think that you options for sunbathing will be limited but depending on which ship you would sail on, there may be an undercover pool.

 

Notwithstanding this, you have chosen a wonderful cruise, I did this in 2008 in September, in fact it was our first Princess cruise and my DW and I were hooked.

 

In terms of "stir crazy", I do not know which P & O ship you were on but certainly the Princess ship will be much larger that your other ships and accordingly the options of things to do on sea days are exceptional.

 

In my view you will not be short of things to do and often will find yourselves dashing from one event to the other. There really is something for everyone.

 

If you are flying from the UK to LA, then it might be cheaper to arrange your own flights, this is what we did. In addition, if you are flying all that way, I would suggest having two or three days in the LA area prior to your cruise and I can recommend the Santa Monica Beach area as a base for sightseeing.

[Mr. Bubble]

We did the same cruise several years ago. Heading out of San Pedro it was a bit misty and drizzly. The first few days were cool but things warmed up on the third day and it was pleasantly warm through the time we left the islands. The seas were a bit choppy for 2 days leaving the islands but not unbearably so. Otherwise, we had smooth seas.

 

You will enjoy this cruise.

[robtulipe]

We've done two Hawaii cruises from the US west coast. Our experience with both was that the two sea days closest to the mainland tend to have the rougher seas and cooler air temperature, high fifties to low sixties degree F. Once closer to and in the Hawaiian Islands the seas were slight and the air temperature much warmer.

Here's what I posted on another thread on this subject on the Hawaii port of call threads at

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=62

 

We did the Feb. 16th Golden Princess Hawaii cruise this past Winter and got this information from the Log of the Cruise.

The sea were moderate for the first two sea days and the daily high temperature was 58 and 59 degree F. On the third sea day the temperature was 67 deg. F and the seas still moderate. The fourth, temperature was 74 and seas slight.

Temperature ranged from 76 to 79 for our four port stops and seas were slight when cruising between ports.

Return sea days temperatures were 74, 70, 61 and 59 and seas were slight for the first three days and moderate for the fourth.

Ensenada stop temperature was 59 F and seas moderate for the return to San Pedro.

[Essiesmom]

If you have sailed Ventura or Azura, the ships should be very similar. The seas should be no rougher than the Bay of Biscay, probably a lot less rough! EM

[Princess Patches]

I have sailed from LA to Hawaii in November and we had very smooth sailing and warm temperatures. I was able to use my balcony every day. There are a lot of activities on sea days including Hawaiian themed activities such as flower lei making, hula lessons, and ukulele lessons.

[IECalCruiser]

Sea conditions can vary, but expect potentially rough seas and potentially windy, rainy weather for the first day or two. You should usually have warm weather on deck after that. The three Princess ships sailing to Hawaii, Golden and Sapphire from LA and Star from San Francisco all have a covered pool. In addition there are many activities on board during the sea days and you might have to miss an activity because of conflicts. We loved the sea days on our Hawaii cruise on the Golden.

 

You never know about weather near LA. Several years ago on a Mexico cruise we had 55 degree temps, rain and 35 knot winds on our last day up the Baja coast to LA. On the same cruise this year it was sunny and people were soaking up the sun on deck in loungers and in the hot tubs until at least 5:30pm.

[1160451]

Hello again everybody,

 

Appreciate the replies they are just perfect for making our mind up.

 

Happy cruising

[captainron]

If Lahaina (Maui) is your last port of call in the islands, you will find that tendering in Lahaina can be good or bad. For the most part have found it not too bad.

 

Where you will notice the weather and wind change is when you round the northwest tip of Maui and head out into the North Pacific. Looking ashore north of Kaanapali from the ship you can actually see where the wind whips up the waves.

 

The time in the islands and the day leaving Maui is great for enjoying the sun and (even with a bit of wind) the Lido deck where protected can still be enjoyable as is the Aft Pool (deck differs by vessel).

 

Aloha and enjoy.You can always "Escape Completely" with Princess.

 

Ciao for now!!!

[Pam in CA]

January is our "winter" and daytime temps are usually in the low 60's on the beaches. It can also be rainy although it doesn't rain a lot during the day. The California Current starts up in the Gulf of Alaska and flows along the coast of California down towards Baja California. This is very, very cold water and as you cross the current after leaving San Pedro, it can be rough, both coming and going from port. Once you pass through the Current, you're in warmer water and temps will climb. For some coming from a colder climate, it won't feel cold. :)

 

On longer cruises with lots of sea days, more activities are pre-planned by the CD so there's more to do than on another cruise where if you miss a port, the CD has to scramble to plan activities. There are lecture series, usually more than one series, plus craft activities, that you don't see on other cruises in addition to the usual trivia, bingo and bridge games.

 

FYI, if you're on the Golden, she has a covered pool area which is perfect for when the weather is a bit too cold to sit outside. If it's sunny, you can lounge in the sun which will stream in from the glass roof.

[caribill]

The seas should be no rougher than the Bay of Biscay, probably a lot less rough!

 

Gee, no rougher than what is shown below

[triple7tahoe]

One thing not mentioned earlier-On our trip to Hawaii a year ago, the ship missed two of the four Hawaii stops for weather related issues. If you are taking the trip to see Hawaii you could be very disappointed.

We love the sea days and have been to Hawaii a few times so it was not a problem for us. For many of the others on board, especially those that had travelled the distance you would there was much discord.

[sassyredhat]

Well said by everyone. :)

Our 3rd Hawaii cruise is for April 2012. We like April because the humidity is lower, for me, and we have never missed a port because of choppy seas.

However, the whales are usually gone by March. We live in San Diego and see whales, so it isn't an issue for us.

Our son chose Sapphire, which will be getting upgrades in Jan. 2012.

Pat

[COMBOY]

Hi Everybody,

 

UK based cruiser here, we usually cruise in Europe with P&O, Fred Olsen and Thomson but are thinking of cruising to Honolulu in January.

 

Our question is during the 4 days out and 4 days back to the mainland what will the conditions be like.

 

We have just spent 3 days on board from Liverpool to Maderia and we were a little stir crazy as the weather was not suitable for swimming or taking in the sun.

 

Thanks for any help.

 

Usually the first 2 days or last 2 days the weather can be cool and overcast. Rain is always a possible and sea conditions can be a tad rough mid Pacific. The problem is weather that time of year can be very unpredictable as winter storms come down from the gulf of Alaska. The daily mean temp is 58 degrees 15c and avg low 48 degrees 9c and Jan to Mar is our rainiest months. Living on the west coast I've seen sunny and warm conditions in Jan (like you see for the Rose Parade) to miserable rainy and cold conditions. Any cruise from Dec to March is going to have that problem. Sea conditions may cancel a port or two and it probably too cool to be around the pool until you get closer to Hawaii and indoor activities are a must. The best time is Oct/Nov and Apr as the weather is more predictable and warmer and the probability of rain is much less. Summer is the best month unfortunately all the ships are in Alaska or Europe. If I were flying all the way from the UK and wanted warm pool weather in Jan I'd either fly directly to Hawaii and stay at a resort or just go some place in the southern hemisphere where it's summer. The reason many people do the cruises from the west coast in Jan is for those that don't like to fly or people from very cold climates like the Mid west US or Canada where they don't have to fly or drive far to get out of the middle of winter and snow.

[CHOPPERTESTER]

We went in Sept 10 on the Carnival Spirit. The first day out of Vancouver was cool but then it warmed up and hardly any waves at all for the next four days.

 

The Carnival crowd on a 12 night Vancouver-Hawaii is not the same as a 5 day Caribbean cruise. We are going again in Sept 12 prior to the Spirit heading to Asia.

 

The five days at sea allowed us to get use to the time changes so by the time we hit the islands for our 7 days there we were well relaxed and ready to go.

 

Great value for money (balconies at $110 US per night) and beats the NCL 7 day local cruises in Hawaii hands down. Overnight in Maui, overnight in Oahu, two stops on the big island, and you can't miss visiting Kauai.

 

Four days at sea, 4 stops and then 4/5 more days at sea (Don't forget Ensenada) should be changed to a 17 night cruise to give you 7 nights in the islands.

[1160451]

Thanks again everybody for all your comments.

 

After speaking with our friends it looks like we will be cruising the Car'bean in January.

 

Again all your help appreciated.