17 days Circle of Hawaii vs Caribbean for 2015

[chrispb]

Hello CC fellas,

 

Good Friday to all of you,

 

I like to take a quick survey with those who have done both destination ( circle of hawaii and Caribbean) and if they get a chance to do it again, Which one to go back to and why ?

 

We live on the west coast and we like to travel to a warm place during the winter months and we're trying to decide a booking for Jan/Feb 2015. We are doing a 14 days east/west Caribbean in Feb 2014. Any input would be appreciated. Thank you in advance :)

 

Personally, I'd do Hawaii but not with HAL (I couldn't stand all those sea days - a waste of my holiday leave). I'd choose NCL for Hawaii:)

 

Caribbean islands are far too samey and just not my cup of tea.

[RuthC]

I was thinking back and we did miss one port in 2003 because the ship had to rescue a small boat and we missed Molokai and that was the last time ships stopped there.

I was always sorry I was never on an itinerary that included Molokai. It's one island I would like to add to the collection.

Closest I ever came was a helicopter flight out of (I think) Lahaina that passed over Molokai. Neat flight! :)

[TiogaCruiser]

If I could do circle Hawaii without the sea days I'd choose that in a second! Love HI, don't like sea days, especially cold ones.

 

So it is common for it to be cool/cold? For me, that's a positive. In my little experience I'm not keen on hot climate cruising.

 

JTL: your font is really small. Any chance you could increase its size? Your posts are interesting but a bit hard to read because the font is smaller than most everyones. :)

[jtl513]

So it is common for it to be cool/cold?

I've never done the cruise, and am just going on what others say.

JTL: your font is really small. Any chance you could increase its size? Your posts are interesting but a bit hard to read because the font is smaller than most everyones. :)

Hmmmm ... to me on Firefox my posts and your quote of my post look the same size as the default Ariel 3, and I see RuthC's as tiny. Sorry! Is this size 4 better? If not, I'll just go back to the default.

 

Now please see if you can get KrazyKruizers to bring hers one size down, to 4. (I think I'm on her 'ignore' list, and she doesn't see what I post. :D)

[RuthC]

Hmmmm ... to me on Firefox my posts and your quote of my post look the same size as the default Ariel 3. Sorry! Is this size 4 better?

Yes! Thanks. :)

(I think I'm on her 'ignore' list, and she doesn't see what I post. :D)

Not necessarily. She's admitted that she doesn't read every post.

Keep trying; she may read one of yours some day.

[Thebes]

Yes! Thanks. :)

 

Not necessarily. She's admitted that she doesn't read every post.

Keep trying; she may read one of yours some day.

 

Wonder where is Kazu ? Is she on a cruise ?

[Thebes]

Personally, I'd do Hawaii but not with HAL (I couldn't stand all those sea days - a waste of my holiday leave). I'd choose NCL for Hawaii:)

 

Caribbean islands are far too samey and just not my cup of tea.

 

Thanks for sharing your views. Wonder why you would choose NCL ? Is it itinerary based decision or what ?

[jimmy2x]

"Look at Joanie's pictures on her sticky here:"

 

Guess I'd have to agree. What were they thinking?

[jbhcw]

I would do Hawaii again in an instant..we sailed April of 2010 but dh would not...it was cool the whole trip...and we did miss a port..Maui...and our Luau we had scheduled:mad: He is a warm weather person and it was just not warm enough for him. I never put on a bathing suit in 15 days:eek:

 

But we also both love the Caribbean...especially in the winter time...the air always seems to feel a bit different... the beautiful water.... sunrises and sunsets are wonderful...especially the southern caribbean.

[catl331]

"Look at Joanie's pictures on her sticky here:"

 

Guess I'd have to agree. What were they thinking?

That is V2.0 The first thing they tried was taking out the real pool and putting in a very shallow thing with loungers in it so that they could put inside cabins below. That was a disaster that spilled water into those cabins in all but the mildest seas with no turns. So the present "mess" is an attempt to fix that problem. :)

[take us away]

Have cruised many, many times to the Caribbean over the past 40 years. Originally from MN, hated winter and we could get cheap cruises especially when we went B2B. Have to say, the Caribbean has become way TOO commercial and overcrowded in recent years. Have found it to be horribly tourist-packed with almost everything on an island geared toward the tourist. Do miss the 'real' Caribbean. It is getting to where 2-3 ships will be in port at a small island and then everyone 'fights' for transportation, shopping, etc. Have seen 10 ships in St. Thomas with 1 more in St. John's Island. Last year we encountered 5 other ships in the Grand Cayman with 3 being super ships (at least 3000 px) plus Disney. Our little Prinsedam looked like a life boat. You could barely walk thru the pier area to get to town there were so many people. Hawaii still is more laid back and with fewer ships in port, much easier to navigate around each island and the real Hawaii can still be found. Have never had a HI port cancelled - just luck I guess.

 

You need to decide what you want to do on your holiday and select accordingly.

[sail7seas]

Thanks for sharing your views. Wonder why you would choose NCL ? Is it itinerary based decision or what ?

 

 

 

NCL's Pride of America sails around the Hawaiin Islands and does not have to do the roundtrip California to Hawaii and back long days at sea. They met terms agreeable to bypass PVSA rerquirements so all their time is spent in warm weather and around the islands. Other non-U.S. flagged vessels must stop at foreign port and thus must do the west coast embarkation and long voyage getting to and from Hawaii..... including sometimes cold/cool weather and rough seas.

 

[startwin]

I've never done the cruise, and am just going on what others say.

Hmmmm ... to me on Firefox my posts and your quote of my post look the same size as the default Ariel 3, and I see RuthC's as tiny. Sorry! Is this size 4 better? If not, I'll just go back to the default.

 

Now please see if you can get KrazyKruizers to bring hers one size down, to 4. (I think I'm on her 'ignore' list, and she doesn't see what I post. :D)

 

Your font looked the same size as mine - at least to me.

[kazu]

Wonder where is Kazu ? Is she on a cruise ?

 

I'm around - just have no words of wisdom as have not done Hawaii (at least, not yet) so no post ;)

[kazu]

I've never done the cruise, and am just going on what others say.

Hmmmm ... to me on Firefox my posts and your quote of my post look the same size as the default Ariel 3, and I see RuthC's as tiny. Sorry! Is this size 4 better? If not, I'll just go back to the default.

 

Now please see if you can get KrazyKruizers to bring hers one size down, to 4. (I think I'm on her 'ignore' list, and she doesn't see what I post. :D)

 

this size is just fine for me John - I'm using Google chrome

 

I join with you in wishing the font would come down on KK's posts, but I think she's made it clear she won't do it.

[cruisin'girl]

 

 

 

NCL's Pride of America sails around the Hawaiin Islands and does not have to do the roundtrip California to Hawaii and back long days at sea. They met terms agreeable to bypass PVSA rerquirements so all their time is spent in warm weather and around the islands. Other non-U.S. flagged vessels must stop at foreign port and thus must do the west coast embarkation and long voyage getting to and from Hawaii..... including sometimes cold/cool weather and rough seas.

 

the possibility of rough seas from the west coast to Hawaii would make me avoid this cruise also. We had relatives who did it and everyone on the ship spent the entire voyage across the Pacific in their cabins. Outside decks closed and it was so bad there was no way to enjoy anything on the ship. Too many sea days for me to begin with, but there are many reports of very rough sailing on this cruise, not just this one extreme example.

[TiogaCruiser]

I've never done the cruise, and am just going on what others say.

Hmmmm ... to me on Firefox my posts and your quote of my post look the same size as the default Ariel 3, and I see RuthC's as tiny. Sorry! Is this size 4 better? If not, I'll just go back to the default.

 

Now please see if you can get KrazyKruizers to bring hers one size down, to 4. (I think I'm on her 'ignore' list, and she doesn't see what I post. :D)

 

Yes, thank you so much! In my (safari iOS) browser your font now matches the vast majority of the community. I'm not sure ( don't recall) if KKs is always larger. Will have to make it a point to check. :)

 

PS. I think you other half's is small too..... :D

[Thebes]

 

 

 

NCL's Pride of America sails around the Hawaiin Islands and does not have to do the roundtrip California to Hawaii and back long days at sea. They met terms agreeable to bypass PVSA rerquirements so all their time is spent in warm weather and around the islands. Other non-U.S. flagged vessels must stop at foreign port and thus must do the west coast embarkation and long voyage getting to and from Hawaii..... including sometimes cold/cool weather and rough seas.

 

 

Thanks S7S. What is PVSA ?

So with NCL, one has to fly to Hawaii i assume and then catch the ship in Hawaii ?

[GeriatricNurse]

I've never done the cruise, and am just going on what others say.

Hmmmm ... to me on Firefox my posts and your quote of my post look the same size as the default Ariel 3, and I see RuthC's as tiny. Sorry! Is this size 4 better? If not, I'll just go back to the default.

 

Now please see if you can get KrazyKruizers to bring hers one size down, to 4. (I think I'm on her 'ignore' list, and she doesn't see what I post. :D)

John, is this font on Arial (with an 'a') 3, done on IE (8), too small/large or just about right? :)

 

[rafinmd]

Thanks S7S. What is PVSA ?

So with NCL, one has to fly to Hawaii i assume and then catch the ship in Hawaii ?

 

PVSA is the Passenger Vessel Services Act, sometimes mistakenly called the Jones Act (Similar law affecting freight). A foreign flag ship may not carry passengers between US cities without calling on a distant (outside North/Central America) on the way. Since HAL ships are based in the Netherlands, they cannot say, pick up a passenger in Los Angeles and disembark them in Hawaii without a big detour. They could do something like a cruise from Vancouver to Honolulu and then a second one from Honolulu to Tokyo, some cruise lines do that; not sure about HAL.

 

For NCL you do need to fly to Hawaii. They could do a cruise from LAX to Honolulu, but apparently have decided that does not make economic sense.

 

Roy

[catl331]

They could do a cruise from LAX to Honolulu, but apparently have decided that does not make economic sense.

I think their PVSA exemption only allows them to do Honolulu round-trips without the need to visit the 'near' foreign port of Fanning Island.

[rafinmd]

I think their PVSA exemption only allows them to do Honolulu round-trips without the need to visit the 'near' foreign port of Fanning Island.

 

That paragraph was in regard to NCL. Their Pride of America is a US flag ship and is completely exempt from the PVSA.

 

Roy

[cartervan]

A couple of comments about the original question:

Our favorite cruise line is HAL, but last February we chose Celebrity to go to Hawaii because they still sail by the volcano on the Big Island at night. HAL does not. It was a wonderful cruise (I happen to love sea days) and we liked the Celebrity Century a lot (their smallest ship) but they don't have the retractable roof over the pool and it was too cold to enjoy their version of the Lido deck out on the cool Pacific Ocean. So if it's warmth you're after.....

Since you're on the west coast--why not take a Panama Canal cruise through to the Caribbean? That way you'll only have to fly cross country one way?

[chrispb]

Thanks for sharing your views. Wonder why you would choose NCL ? Is it itinerary based decision or what ?

 

Yes, fly to HNL then Pride of America for 7 nights to either 4 or 5 different islands. For us, it's heck of a flight so we'll do it when I retire and can make it part of an extended trip to the South Pacific and NZ.

Can't wait:D

[catl331]

That paragraph was in regard to NCL. Their Pride of America is a US flag ship and is completely exempt from the PVSA.

Part of the PVSA says that to be exempt the ship must have been US built, and Pride of America was only partially US built. Pride of Aloha and Pride of Hawaii were completely foreign built, hence the need for a special exception for all three.