Are Binoculars Necessary?

[suzy5555]

I've been searching these boards trying to decide if and what type of binoculars to purchase. Most of the discussion about binoculars are in the Alaska forums. I'm cruising in October and currently the lava isn't visible by ship. Do I need binoculars for Hawaii?

 

Mahalo

[Flash4me]

Not as necessary as Alaska, but they would be nice to have.

[eh2zed]

Still nice to have when you sail into port and on certain excursions. I never go on any cruise without them.

[Arlened236]

Depending on the ship you are on when you go by the lava (usually at night) it is a much better view with binoculars. We also used them to identify ships at sea from our balcony, unusual birds and a beter view when touring the volcano's...Take them you will not be sorry.

we take small (somewhat compact ones) so they do not take up too much room in our luggage. The same ones we take to see our Chicago Bears loose :(

[mithryl]

I wouldn't go to Hawaii without them. I took a larger pair than usual (and will take then again on our next trip to Hawaii) and I was glad I did. The lava flows are definitely best with them, otherwise it just looks like red dots in the distance. But the best part was how close the whales were with the Binoculars! Wow! Many other great sites worth seeing "up close" too!

[mbisson]

Depending on the ship you are on when you go by the lava (usually at night) it is a much better view with binoculars.

 

Does this mean the lava is once again flowing into the Ocean? I know a couple months ago it stopped.

[PDAZ]

I really wish I would have had binoculars to see the lava flow and to see the whales!

[suzy5555]

I'm not going during Whale Season and it is my understanding that the lava is currently flowing in a different direction and is only visible by air.

I'm just having a hard time trying to justify the cost. I don't want a cheap pair of binoculars but don't want to spend $300 and up either. I've read some of the threads that recommend Zen-Ray Summit for $159 but I can't find any professional reviews about this brand at all which makes me skeptical. Consumer reports has Olympus 8x21 RC I - $60 as their CR Best Buy. Will something like these be sufficient?

[mbisson]

Suzy, if you know anyone who is avid for the outdoors, you might ask if they have a pair you could borrow. While I have some that I use quite a bit, I don't know that I'd want to pay much for a pair that would only be used once.

 

-Monte

[suzy5555]

Monte, that is what I'm thinking also but DH is really wanting some. I do enjoy bird watching at home so they might get used again.

 

I love your avatar - isn't that comedian a riot. He cracks me up with his old man "doll".

[hawaiilvr]

I hadn't even thought about binoculars for this trip! I found a pair of Nikon binocs on Ebay I put a bid on. I want some decent ones, but I don't want to pay hundreds. The will be a great thing to have. Our last pair broke after years and years of use at sporting events. When I read this thread, my wife and I both looked at each other and said "Duh!"

 

And to the person asking about lava, according to the USGS map found here: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/maps.html

the lava flow is quite far inland - definitely not visible from the ship.

 

happy cuising!

[BigGuy25]

I had never travelled with binoculars. But, I purchased a good pair for our Tahiti to Hawaii cruise this summer. And, I'm really glad that I did. I will now never cruise without them. They are just great to have as you pass ships at sea, pass islands in the distance, are approaching ports, and even while in port. Especially if you have a balcony cabin. I went a little overboard (bad choice of words on this site) and purchased a pricey pair of Canon auto-stabilization one's where you just push a button on top and the image "locks in" with no shakiness. I'm glad I spent the extra bucks because the feature was well worth it ... and I'll have them for a long time. Hard to believe I waited so long!

[tdiii]

We brought two pair for four people. There was so much to see, that we were glad we did. Pulling into and out of port along the coastlines and cruising the Na Pali coastline was just amazing. Even sitting in port looking around at the sights was great. I found a great selection of binoculars at Oceanside Telescope. They've got pretty good prices, too:

 

http://www.optcorp.com/ProductList.aspx?uid=108-110-646-693

[whale-watcher]

I always bring at least 2 pairs... a full sized pair to use when I am specifically watching for wildlife and scenery, and a compact pair I carry with me at all other times, just in case.

 

I also make sure there is at least one pair for every person in our group...nothing worse than loaning out your pair of binoculars just before that humpback whale decides to breach!

[poolhall junkie]

We took two pairs and really used them alot .There are alot of things to see on the coast lines.Ours cost about 60 dollars or so and they were fine.

[mbisson]

Monte, that is what I'm thinking also but DH is really wanting some. I do enjoy bird watching at home so they might get used again.

 

I love your avatar - isn't that comedian a riot. He cracks me up with his old man "doll".

 

 

Sorry Suzy, I missed your reply till just now!

If you'll use them for bird watching, it's probably a good idea then to buy them. I always keep a pair in our car. We often drive into the hills and go camping, and never know when we'll see deer, eagles, big horn sheep, and on occasion even a herd of elk.

 

Yep! I'm a big fan of Jeff Dunham (and Walter also-as well as Peanut-not to mention Jose the Chili Pepper "on a stick")...Hummm-I bet he'd get a pretty good response on a cruise ship!

 

-Monte

[dreamalaska]

I've been searching these boards trying to decide if and what type of binoculars to purchase. Most of the discussion about binoculars are in the Alaska forums. I'm cruising in October and currently the lava isn't visible by ship. Do I need binoculars for Hawaii?

 

Mahalo

 

It depends when you are going and which route you are taking. We went last winter and it was prime season for humpback whales to migrate to Hawaii. We used binoculars both on cruiseship and during our stay in Maui. I would deem it necessary.

[star gazer]

On the 15 day RT to Hawaii, the commercial routes are further north. This limits the ships that you can view with binoculars.

I always take binoculars when cruising; you never know what to expect out there.

[sceptic]

Re lava - it is not currently flowing into the ocean, and hasn't for a few months. The active lava flows (supposedly VERY NICE from 'copters) are far from the ocean and seem to have little inclination to head that way. This, of course, can change tomorrow - but for the time being the lava is high up, far from the ocean.

 

See:

http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/archive/2007/Oct/J21Erup_Overview_071012_L.jpg

 

for the current map.