Cruise Hawaii??

[cjcruiser27]

Can anyone tell me if cruising to Hawaii is worth paying for all those sea days to get there? NCL offers cruises from HAwaii but I would rather go with another line. Just wondering if you stay busy enough with all the sea days involved...I know it should be relaxing but ...thank you!..

[cruisingrightalong]

Depends on the type of person you are...but me yes yes yes and yes would go it alone.

 

We took the Radiance from San Diego (one of our favorite cities) and took my Dad along (my Mom had passed away 2 weeks before and I "threw' him onto the ship). At 85 he did not get off even at any port but Oahu where he had served in the Navy. But, he met people that just loved him. He would sit and people watch and tons of stuff. Did not have to "babysit" him at all. And he isn't a reader so thought he might be bored! Think everyone on the ship called him DAD!

 

I would do it in a heartbeat even alone. But I can entertain myself and like to talk to people so would make acquaintances on board. We love the Radiance class ships for all the glass and one can never tire of looking at the sea on it! You see it wherever you turn.

 

Ask questions if you would like.

Lou

[cjcruiser27]

I am not hesitant about going alone, cruise solo all the time. My friends don't have the time or $$$. I am 44 and single and always have a great time cruising, it's an addiction! I'd love to go to Hawaii but just trying to see what is the best way to go. I thought about Celebrity but will check the Radiance. Carnival seems the cheapest but would like something better.? Thanks! And how nice of you to do that for you Dad!

Depends on the type of person you are...but me yes yes yes and yes would go it alone.

 

We took the Radiance from San Diego (one of our favorite cities) and took my Dad along (my Mom had passed away 2 weeks before and I "threw' him onto the ship). At 85 he did not get off even at any port but Oahu where he had served in the Navy. But, he met people that just loved him. He would sit and people watch and tons of stuff. Did not have to "babysit" him at all. And he isn't a reader so thought he might be bored! Think everyone on the ship called him DAD!

 

I would do it in a heartbeat even alone. But I can entertain myself and like to talk to people so would make acquaintances on board. We love the Radiance class ships for all the glass and one can never tire of looking at the sea on it! You see it wherever you turn.

 

Ask questions if you would like.

Lou

[flamomo]

We did a 15 day cruise R/T LA <-> Hawaii on Princess last year and loved it. Boredom was never an issue, as there was a huge number of activities available every sea day. So one could be as busy or as laid back as they preferred. We found no drawbacks with this cruise, and I am planning to do it again, as a solo, next Spring on the Diamond Princess. The roll call for the cruise I am booked on is a great starting place to make acquaintenances that can carry forward into the cruise. The people that I have met there already know that I do not expect them to make up for my lack of a cabin mate, but they are very welcoming.

Some posters discourage others from going to Hawaii this way, saying they think flying there and spending more time in the Islands is better. But we found the sea days very pleasant, and since it was our first visit to Hawaii, the amount of time in the ports was enough to let us sample the essence of Hawaii. We loved the entire trip, and I can't wait till I go again - - using the same itinerary and means of getting there.

[cruisingrightalong]

Oh one hint....if you take the May 14 day on Radiance..it will be a bit chilly two days going out and the last 2 days coming back. September might be a bit warmer because it has "heated" up in the mainland states.

 

My daughter was stationed in Hawaii for 4 years as a medic at Tripler Army Hospital. So we made the trip over twice by air and once by ship. The ship trip she had already shipped out to where? MAINE! What a difference!

 

Enjoy whichever group you take ...oh and p.s. on the Radiance class you can sit outside at the Windjammer and enjoy your meals watching the wake go by!

 

Lou

[kitty9]

I would not hesitate to take a solo cruise to Hawaii on Celebrity. I love sea days more than anything. I did a 17 day Pacific crossing from LA to Hong Kong this past March, with only a one day stop in Honolulu, and I loved it.

[cruisinryan]

Can anyone tell me if cruising to Hawaii is worth paying for all those sea days to get there? NCL offers cruises from HAwaii but I would rather go with another line. Just wondering if you stay busy enough with all the sea days involved...I know it should be relaxing but ...thank you!..

 

I don't know if this is still an active question, but here's some advice/opinion/experience from me:

 

First, I sailed solo recently on NCL Pride of Aloha (all Hawai'i) and loved it. Pride of Aloha is a beautiful, smaller ship. NCL is not solo friendly, but it was not nearly as bad as some "solo on NCL" posts make it sound. The worst part about NCL was dealing with their extremely unfriendly "customer service" on the phone pre and post-cruise.

 

I loved Hawai'i so much I came home and booked again! ... now booked on Celebrity Mercury for March 16, 2008. This cruise might work for you. It's 12 nights, with 7 days in Hawai'i and 5 sea days back to the mainland. 7 days in Hawai'i is more than most (non-NCL) cruises which are usually only 5 days in Hawaii out of 15 nights.

 

It starts in Honolulu and ends in Ensenada, Mexico. You debark in Ensenada, but NCL has a transfer from there to San Diego airport, so you're not stuck in Mexico.

 

The itinerary is as good as I've seen (other than NCL), with 2 day overnights at all the best ports (Honolulu, Lahaina, and Kailua-Kona), plus a day at Hilo. That's 2 days on Oah'u, 2 days on Maui, and 3 days on the Big Island. One note, Lahaina and Kailua-Kona are both tender ports, so that's 4 days of tendering, if that's an issue for you (personally I love tendering) -- but these ports are charming, and would not be nearly so if they had big ship piers.

 

Also, Celebrity has some good senior discounts now (if that works for you), and some travel agencies will give you free pre-paid gratuities, maybe even OBC or coupon books too.

 

I hope this helps (writing about it got me excited again!).

[cjcruiser27]

Definitely a cruise to look forward to!!

I don't know if this is still an active question, but here's some advice/opinion/experience from me:

 

First, I sailed solo recently on NCL Pride of Aloha (all Hawai'i) and loved it. Pride of Aloha is a beautiful, smaller ship. NCL is not solo friendly, but it was not nearly as bad as some "solo on NCL" posts make it sound. The worst part about NCL was dealing with their extremely unfriendly "customer service" on the phone pre and post-cruise.

 

I loved Hawai'i so much I came home and booked again! ... now booked on Celebrity Mercury for March 16, 2008. This cruise might work for you. It's 12 nights, with 7 days in Hawai'i and 5 sea days back to the mainland. 7 days in Hawai'i is more than most (non-NCL) cruises which are usually only 5 days in Hawaii out of 15 nights.

 

It starts in Honolulu and ends in Ensenada, Mexico. You debark in Ensenada, but NCL has a transfer from there to San Diego airport, so you're not stuck in Mexico.

 

The itinerary is as good as I've seen (other than NCL), with 2 day overnights at all the best ports (Honolulu, Lahaina, and Kailua-Kona), plus a day at Hilo. That's 2 days on Oah'u, 2 days on Maui, and 3 days on the Big Island. One note, Lahaina and Kailua-Kona are both tender ports, so that's 4 days of tendering, if that's an issue for you (personally I love tendering) -- but these ports are charming, and would not be nearly so if they had big ship piers.

 

Also, Celebrity has some good senior discounts now (if that works for you), and some travel agencies will give you free pre-paid gratuities, maybe even OBC or coupon books too.

 

I hope this helps (writing about it got me excited again!).

[cjcruiser27]

Can anyone tell me what time of year is better for going to Hawaii, spring or the fall?? Maybe it is beautiful year round! Also, do you think it is better to book in advance or do you get a better deal at the last minute sales? Thanks for any input.:)

[UofMGoBlue]

Hi cjcruiser27,

 

I just got back from Hawaii on January 12th and it was beautiful and well worth the trip! We had great weather with only a little bit of rain on the wet side of the islands. However, the cruise before us was very rainy and we heard several comments from the staff regarding the torential rains the week before. The staff congratulated us for bringing the great weather with us on board. I would guess it is just the luck of the draw during rainy season (Nov-Mar/Apr ?).

 

You may want to post your question on the Hawaii Board. You may get a better response from people who have travelled there throughout the year.

 

Don't be put off by the rain. Hawaii is beautiful wet or dry!

 

I usually book over a year ahead of time. When I see something I like I go ahead and book. I keep an eye on the prices. If there is a dramatic price change, I call my travel agent and unless the new prices are for new bookings only they will adjust my invoice for the lower price.

 

Good Luck!

 

U of M

[Sansouci]

Can anyone tell me what time of year is better for going to Hawaii, spring or the fall?? Maybe it is beautiful year round! Also, do you think it is better to book in advance or do you get a better deal at the last minute sales? Thanks for any input.:)

 

When I was there last May the weather was absolutely gorgeous. The tradewinds had just come in so they moderated the temperatures. I mentioned wanting to come back again and was told by a Maui resident to avoid coming during the months of Nov. thru Feb. (rainy, cooler, and the water is rougher). However, if you wanted to go whale watching, I think the season for that is winter.

 

I booked at the last minute and got a great deal, but it's always a good idea to keep an eye on the prices so you'll know what the range is for the type of cabin you're looking to book.