Luxury Cruise from West Coast to Hawaii

[TechieTechie]

Hi,

 

I am NOT a cruise person, but my Mom really wants to visit Hawaii, and we have family on the West Coast. Thought it might be nice to do a one way cruise from the West Coast to Hawaii...then stay a few extra days to sightsee. Seems like this is not a common itinerary for a luxury line. Am I missing something?

 

Thanks

[CruiserBruce]

You would have to sail out of Vancouver due to laws preventing a US city to another US without a stop at a distant foreign port.

 

Defining luxury is a person thing. There are main stream lines that do an occasional Vancouver to Hawaii route...try Carnival or Celebrity. I would expect those cruises to be in September or October.

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, TechieTechie said:

Hi,

 

I am NOT a cruise person, but my Mom really wants to visit Hawaii, and we have family on the West Coast. Thought it might be nice to do a one way cruise from the West Coast to Hawaii...then stay a few extra days to sightsee. Seems like this is not a common itinerary for a luxury line. Am I missing something?

 

Thanks

For starters it wouldn't be legal for a cruise to originate on the West Coast and end in Hawaii without also making a port call at what is called a distant foreign port. The countries near the West Coast,  Canada and Mexico, don't qualify as distant foreign ports, they are called nearby foreign ports It's a law called the Passenger Vessel Services Act. The law is there to prevent foreign-flagged ships from providing transportation from one US port to another.

Edited February 6, 2021 by njhorseman

[CruiserBruce]

4 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

For starters it wouldn't be legal for a cruise to originate on the West Coast and end in Hawaii without also making a port call at what is called a distant foreign port. The countries near the West Coast,  Canada and Mexico, don't qualify as distant foreign ports, they are called nearby foreign ports It's a law called the Passenger Vessel Services Act. The law is there to prevent foreign-flagged ships from providing transportation from one US port to another.

They can sail out of Vancouver. 

[njhorseman]

5 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

They can sail out of Vancouver. 

Yes...I am assuming...perhaps incorrectly that "West Coast" means West Coast of the US. 

[CruiserBruce]

37 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

Yes...I am assuming...perhaps incorrectly that "West Coast" means West Coast of the US. 

Its not an assumption. A couple of cruise lines run these runs, to or from Hawaii.

[princeton123211]

2 hours ago, TechieTechie said:

Seems like this is not a common itinerary for a luxury line.

Others have tackled the fact it will almost certainly originate from Vancouver if one way (although you can do a round trip cruise from the US West Coast to Hawaii with a stop in Ensenada). But to answer this part of your question, very seldom, if ever, does a true luxury line run an itinerary that you are describing. I'm using the industry definition of luxury lines here-- Seabourn, Regent, Silversea, Crystal, etc. 

 

Occasionally you can book something like this as part of a much longer cruise. Seabourn has scheduled stops in Hawaii from the US West Coast in Jan 2022 as part of a world cruise-- but the minimum segment you can book is 39 days and you would have to disembark in Sydney, Australia at the earliest (ie you couldn't just leave the ship in Hawaii). Regent's Seven Seas Mariner will take you from San Francisco to Hawaii in Jan 2022 as well, but you would be onboard  for 18 nights and have to disembark in Tahiti. These are the most common luxury ship options to Hawaii. 

 

Ships that are more mass market, but with luxury elements, have done this in the past. I remember early in her career the QM2 did a round trip to Hawaii round trip from Los Angeles they called "Royal Hawaiian Liner". You could have booked Queens Grill on a trip like that and it would have been quite luxurious. But even these "ship within a ship" experiences are few and far between in the Hawaii market. 

 

If you are intent on luxury cruising to Hawaii most likely your best option will be to book a top suite on a larger mass market ship-- its really the only game in town barring a few of those world cruise segments. If I were looking for a luxury Hawaiian experience frankly I would prefer to fly to Hawaii and stay in a top resort like one of the Four Seasons, Montage Kapalua, etc. 

[njhorseman]

55 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Its not an assumption. A couple of cruise lines run these runs, to or from Hawaii.

I know that cruise lines make these runs from Vancouver to Hawaii. The assumption (correct or not) I'm referring to is that the OP was asking about a cruise from the US. Given that the OP is a first time poster and not a cruiser it's likely they are not familiar with the laws that regulate cruising.

[lostchild]

3 hours ago, TechieTechie said:

Hi,

 

I am NOT a cruise person, but my Mom really wants to visit Hawaii, and we have family on the West Coast. Thought it might be nice to do a one way cruise from the West Coast to Hawaii...then stay a few extra days to sightsee. Seems like this is not a common itinerary for a luxury line. Am I missing something?

 

Thanks

 

I don't think it would be much fun to do as a non-cruise person.   It is 5 days of sea days instead of 5 hours flight.   I think most people would rather spend those 5 days at Hawaii.

Edited February 6, 2021 by lostchild

[KeepCalmBearOn]

You can do a 15 day round trip from the West Coast of the U.S. or a 10 night from Vancouver on Royal Caribbean, Holland American, Celebrity and even Disney has one.

[daetchief]

Regent Seven Seas often has West Coast cruises that stay over in Honolulu.   I recommend the SFO to Tahiti in Jan 2022.  It will be in Honolulu overnight.   I live on Oahu and will sadly be disembarking in SFO.  I asked my TA if I could stay aboard until Honolulu?   She said Yes...  But you'll need to pay all the way to Tahiti ...   Oh Well?

[princeton123211]

On 4/21/2021 at 1:50 PM, daetchief said:

I live on Oahu and will sadly be disembarking in SFO.  I asked my TA if I could stay aboard until Honolulu?   She said Yes...  But you'll need to pay all the way to Tahiti ...   Oh Well?

Not sure if your TA had all the facts there-- a foreign flagged vessel transporting you between two American ports directly would technically be in violation of cabotage laws. In addition to the full fare to Tahiti there may be an additional fine or the cruise line could deny you the ability to do it outright until you got to the next foreign port. 

[Ashland]

I'm booked on a Transpacific from Honolulu-Vancouver...Will I be able to add on an Alaska cruise as a B2B? I'm thinking that this will be no problem...right ??

[njhorseman]

41 minutes ago, Ashland said:

I'm booked on a Transpacific from Honolulu-Vancouver...Will I be able to add on an Alaska cruise as a B2B? I'm thinking that this will be no problem...right ??

Where do you finally disembark on the Alaska cruise you want to add on? If it's in Vancouver, you're fine. If it's in the US you're not, unless your cruise has visited a distant foreign port, which is unlikely on that type of itinerary.

[Ashland]

26 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

Where do you finally disembark on the Alaska cruise you want to add on? If it's in Vancouver, you're fine. If it's in the US you're not, unless your cruise has visited a distant foreign port, which is unlikely on that type of itinerary.

The schedule hasn't opened yet but hoping it's Vancouver with Celebrity...if it's Alaska I might try to just change to RCI. We'll have to check out all options. Thanks

[cruisinskier]

5 minutes ago, Ashland said:

The schedule hasn't opened yet but hoping it's Vancouver with Celebrity...if it's Alaska I might try to just change to RCI. We'll have to check out all options. Thanks

Ashland, any published cruise itinerary would meet the required regulations.  You should have no problem adding an Alaska itinerary once the Eclipse ends in Vancouver. 

 

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, Ashland said:

The schedule hasn't opened yet but hoping it's Vancouver with Celebrity...if it's Alaska I might try to just change to RCI. We'll have to check out all options. Thanks

I'm not sure if this is what you're saying, but if you're changing ships after the first cruise then what I said isn't true. Cruising on two different ships on individual legal itineraries will always result in a legal itinerary.

[Ashland]

6 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

I'm not sure if this is what you're saying, but if you're changing ships after the first cruise then what I said isn't true. Cruising on two different ships on individual legal itineraries will always result in a legal itinerary.

Yes...I understand about changing from X to RCI and know this doesn't matter.

 

I believe since my Hawaii-Vancouver stops in Victoria I could then add Alaska as a B2B staying on Celebrity regardless of where that Alaska cruise ends...right...wrong?

Edited April 27, 2021 by Ashland

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, cruisinskier said:

Ashland, any published cruise itinerary would meet the required regulations.  You should have no problem adding an Alaska itinerary once the Eclipse ends in Vancouver. 

 

Any individual published itinerary will be legal but combining back to back cruises on the same ship may result in an illegal itinerary...and this happens every year on Alaskan itineraries. 

For example, if @Ashland is taking a cruise from Honolulu to Vancouver followed by a cruise from Vancouver to Sitka on the same ship, both the Honolulu to Vancouver and Vancouver to Sitka individual itineraries are legal, but the combined Honolulu to Sitka cruise would not be legal absent a distant foreign port call...which is essentially impossible on this type of itinerary.

[njhorseman]

14 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Yes...I understand about changing from X to RCI and know this doesn't matter.

 

I believe since my Hawaii-Vancouver stops in Victoria I could then add Alaska as a B2B staying on Celebrity regardless of where that Alaska cruise ends...right...wrong?

Unfortunately, wrong . A port call in Victoria isn't meaningful or necessary because the ship will already be going to Vancouver. One Canadian port is as good as another. 

 

If your Alaska cruise that starts in Vancouver ends anywhere in Alaska the combined cruises are not legal even though the individual cruises are. The reason the combined cruises are not legal is that you would be embarking in Honolulu and disembarking at a port in Alaska, which requires a port call at a distant foreign port to be legal. No port in Canada, Mexico, etc. qualifies as a distant foreign port . the closest distant foreign port on this type of itinerary is Fanning Island and I doubt your cruise from Honolulu stops there.

 

This problem arises every year when people want to book certain b2b cruises and then find out the b2b isn't legal even though the individual itineraries are.

 

Even worse...some cruise lines have been known to mistakenly allow these illegal b2b bookings initially only to come back later and tell the passengers they can't take the cruises.

Edited April 27, 2021 by njhorseman

[Ashland]

5 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

Unfortunately, wrong . A port call in Victoria isn't meaningful or necessary because the ship will already be going to Vancouver. One Canadian port is as good as another. 

 

If your Alaska cruise that starts in Vancouver ends anywhere in Alaska the combined cruises are not legal even though the individual cruises are. The reason the combined cruises are not legal is that you would be embarking in Honolulu and disembarking at a port in Alaska, which requires a port call at a distant foreign port to be legal. No port in Canada, Mexico, etc. qualifies as a distant foreign port . the closest distant foreign port on this type of itinerary is Fanning Island and I doubt your cruise from Honolulu stops there.

 

This problem arises every year when people want to book certain b2b cruises and then find out the b2b isn't legal even though the individual itineraries are.

 

Even worse...some cruise lines have been known to mistakenly allow these illegal b2b bookings initially only to come back later and tell the passengers they can't take the cruises.

I appreciate all your information....So my best option is to probably go from Celebrity to an RCI ship even if I have to spend a few days in Vancouver...it could be worse ..... right 

[njhorseman]

Just now, Ashland said:

I appreciate all your information....So my best option is to probably go from Celebrity to an RCI ship even if I have to spend a few days in Vancouver...it could be worse ..... right 

You can also go from one Celebrity ship to another...and even on the same day. Whatever ship and itinerary you find most appealing. The key is that any change of ships makes the trip legal. 

I hope you find  a combination you like.

[KeepCalmBearOn]

Doesn't B2B mean Back To Back, and doesn't Back To Back by definition mean two different cruises?

[njhorseman]

7 hours ago, scottca075 said:

Doesn't B2B mean Back To Back, and doesn't Back To Back by definition mean two different cruises?

For purposes of the PVSA what determines the legality of an itinerary is where you, the passenger, embark and where you, the passenger, disembark, not whether you were on one cruise, two cruises or twenty. Simply, it's not legal for a passenger on a foreign flagged ship to embark in one US port and disembark in a different US port without the ship having called on a distant foreign port. 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

1 hour ago, njhorseman said:

For purposes of the PVSA what determines the legality of an itinerary is where you, the passenger, embark and where you, the passenger, disembark, not whether you were on one cruise, two cruises or twenty. Simply, it's not legal for a passenger on a foreign flagged ship to embark in one US port and disembark in a different US port without the ship having called on a distant foreign port. 

 

I am very well aware of PVSA, but the times we've done B2B we've have disembarked at the end of the first cruise, gone through CBP and then reembarked for the next cruise.