Repositioning cruise from Vancouver to Honolulu

[TheGallopingMajor]

We are planning a repositioning cruise from Vancouver to Honolulu following an Alaska Cruise in September.  Has anyone done this repositioning cruise? There are 5 consecutive days at sea, which concern us slightly in terms of the weather.  Are we right in saying that as we are heading towards Hawaii the weather should get warmer.  Apologies if this is a dense question but we live in the UK.

 

Many thanks in advance.

[Host Kat]

1 hour ago, TheGallopingMajor said:

We are planning a repositioning cruise from Vancouver to Honolulu following an Alaska Cruise in September.  Has anyone done this repositioning cruise? There are 5 consecutive days at sea, which concern us slightly in terms of the weather.  Are we right in saying that as we are heading towards Hawaii the weather should get warmer.  Apologies if this is a dense question but we live in the UK.

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

Hello @TheGallopingMajor

 

Your thread has been moved to the Transatlantic, Transpacific, Repositioning & Trans-Ocean Cruises forum where it will be on topic. Many of your fellow Cruise Critic members that have sailed repositioning cruises frequent this forum and provide feedback here. Browse through the thread titles on this forum looking for threads of interest. You may find your fellow Cruise Critic members have already posted questions and received answers that may be of interest to you. 

 

I suggest you research the UK Cruisers forum. That is where you can learn from others just like you! And for chatting about cruising or just about anything else with other UK cruisers, do not forget to check out The Pub forum.

 

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So sorry this is so long, but I sincerely hope this information will be helpful.

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat

[Heidi13]

16 hours ago, TheGallopingMajor said:

We are planning a repositioning cruise from Vancouver to Honolulu following an Alaska Cruise in September.  Has anyone done this repositioning cruise? There are 5 consecutive days at sea, which concern us slightly in terms of the weather.  Are we right in saying that as we are heading towards Hawaii the weather should get warmer.  Apologies if this is a dense question but we live in the UK.

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

Departing Vancouver in September you could enjoy fairly smooth sailing, but you may also encounter one of the first frontal depressions. Early September has higher chances of fairly smooth sailing, while the potential for storms increases by the end of the month.

 

The Master has a number of routing options, which will probably depend on weather. The shortest distances are a Great Circle or Rhumb Line, but they steam into the prevailing winds for a few days. Last time I did the same sailing, we steamed down the coast for a day, with the current pushing from the North, then altered for a Rhumb Line sailing to Hawaii. This option would get warmer faster.

 

Even in September, our daytime highs are often in the 20's or 30's. Temps will initially drop as you depart Vancouver, then increase gradually. Temps in Honolulu will probably average around high 20's/low 30's. In August and early September, our local Vancouver temperatures can match Honolulu, although this week our temps have cooled to highs of 28C.

 

Since you are completing b2b cruises, which I assume are on the same ship, you need to consider your embarkation and disembarkation ports. If the Alaska cruise starts in Vancouver, you have no Cabotage Law issues, but if your Alaska cruise embarks in Seattle, Seward or Whittier, by disembarking in Honolulu, you will violate the US Cabotage Act - PVSA. The cruise lines generally pick up these issues, but if they don't, they are liable to fines, which are charged to the pax.

 

[TheGallopingMajor]

Many thanks for such a prompt and detailed response to our question.

 

We had no idea of the US Cabotage Act - PVSA, as our cruise was starting in Seattle we would definitely have been in breach, had we indeed been allowed to book it via Celebrity.  

 

Oh well back to the drawing board to find another cruise 😄 thank you again for your response.  It is much appreciated. 

[Port Power]

On 7/25/2024 at 10:56 PM, Heidi13 said:

Since you are completing b2b cruises, which I assume are on the same ship, you need to consider your embarkation and disembarkation ports. If the Alaska cruise starts in Vancouver, you have no Cabotage Law issues, but if your Alaska cruise embarks in Seattle, Seward or Whittier, by disembarking in Honolulu, you will violate the US Cabotage Act - PVSA. The cruise lines generally pick up these issues, but if they don't, they are liable to fines, which are charged to the pax.

 

 

The Alaskan cruise boards in Seattle but ends in Vancouver.  The cruise to Honolulu starts in Vancouver.  Surely that covers the cabotage laws?  Not knowing the exact itinerary, are there any port stops in between the two countries?

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, Port Power said:

 

The Alaskan cruise boards in Seattle but ends in Vancouver.  The cruise to Honolulu starts in Vancouver.  Surely that covers the cabotage laws?  Not knowing the exact itinerary, are there any port stops in between the two countries?

 

The US PVSA does not consider cruises, only your port of embarkation and where you disembark. If you board in one US port and disembark from the same ship in another US port, the ship must visit a distant foreign port.

 

You must cross the Pacific to reach a distant foreign port, or South America, south of Panama.