Pride of America Volcano

[mpk112782]

Does anyone know if the POA still sails by the Kilauea volcano at night when sailing around the Island of Hawaii?

 

Thanks

[Sauer-kraut]

They do, but its not guaranteed that the volcano will be sending lava down the cone.

[chengkp75]

Kilauea is the most dormant its been for a couple of decades, so there is no flow to the ocean.  I believe that when there is no nightly lava show, the ship actually sails around the northern side of the Big Island, as it is shorter between Kona and Hilo that way.

[Firepath]

20 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Kilauea is the most dormant its been for a couple of decades, so there is no flow to the ocean.  I believe that when there is no nightly lava show, the ship actually sails around the northern side of the Big Island, as it is shorter between Kona and Hilo that way.

Yes, this is what we did the end of October. I don't believe that has changed.

[don't-use-real-name]

If Kilauea was doing its flaming show and the prevailing trade-winds are blowing ash fumes and gases

out to sea the cruise would not pass the southern way to Kona. In any event the passage would not be

a close by sailing - binoculars or telephoto camera lens would be a must.

With no flaming ribbons of newly made Pele lava highway - nothing to see here folks - not the droids

you were looking for - just sail the northern route to Kona.

 

The spectacular photo visual op of this cruise by is at the end of the cruise the Cliffs of Na Pali the island

of Kauai

[Firepath]

With the New Zealand tragedy, there may be no more volcano cruise-bys, even if it was doing something. Probably err on the side of caution.

[chengkp75]

11 hours ago, don't-use-real-name said:

If Kilauea was doing its flaming show and the prevailing trade-winds are blowing ash fumes and gases

out to sea the cruise would not pass the southern way to Kona. In any event the passage would not be

a close by sailing - binoculars or telephoto camera lens would be a must.

With no flaming ribbons of newly made Pele lava highway - nothing to see here folks - not the droids

you were looking for - just sail the northern route to Kona.

 

The spectacular photo visual op of this cruise by is at the end of the cruise the Cliffs of Na Pali the island

of Kauai

Back in 2004-2008, when I was working NCL's ships there, we used to get close enough that we had to monitor the sea temperature to make sure the engines did not overheat, as the lava raised the sea temperature quite a bit.  The ship would stop, and the Captain would spin the ship 360* using the thrusters so everyone got a good view.  While photos required a good long lens, the individual lava streams were visible.

 

And, somewhat different sailing a couple of miles offshore from a volcano many miles inland (surrounded by inhabitants) than putting tourists onto an uninhabited active volcano.  The videos from the ship off White Island show the explosion and plume nowhere near it.

[BirdTravels]

7 hours ago, Firepath said:

With the New Zealand tragedy, there may be no more volcano cruise-bys, even if it was doing something. Probably err on the side of caution.

How do you conclude this? Are you aware that Kilauea has been in continuous eruption for over 35 years? And that there are 190,000 permanent residents on the island and thousands of tourists on the island every day (including passengers from cruise ships like POA who makes two port calls to the island every week)? So, you don’t want to “drive by” the island, but you make two port calls and get off and explore the island a week?

[OverBored62]

My wife and I went on the POA in 2017. Although there was a flow to be seen, it was a mile away and the steam created by the flow entering the ocean obscures the view. Truthfully, the helicopter tour over the crater show much more impressive as it showed several spots of glowing red lava, and a daytime view of the same flow into the ocean. Much more expensive though, but it was a once in a lifetime experience for us. But I would suggest you research the volcano's current conditions as I have read the various flows have greatly reduced or stopped since 2018.

 

[copper004]

Taken from POA in August 2016. 

[don't-use-real-name]

18 hours ago, Firepath said:

With the New Zealand tragedy, there may be no more volcano cruise-bys, even if it was doing something. Probably err on the side of caution.

Two different types of volcanic activity -

 

The New Zealand White Island is of a destructive nature (think Mt. St. Helena's) a pressure cooker with a potential

of blowing it top and hurtling stones rocks and lava chucks in a random pattern.

 

The Kilauea is a slow moving lava flow oozing out of the belly of the beast gravity taking is course once emitted onto

the Hawaii island surface - this flow spread out over a very large substantial piece of country side taking homes and

roads all without an explosion moving at a space one could easily walk-away from.

 

The cruising by Kilauea will no doubt continue conditions suitable for it - maybe during the late evening hours

when photos like the above post would be something to see at night - daylight passage is not in the schedule

as the POA sails from Hilo to Kona at night.

 

Edited December 13, 2019 by don't-use-real-name

[Longstockingpippi1]

I sailed two months ago and there is more lava flowing so we did not sail by it.