Cruise or Not?

[debster818]

My husband and I are planning a trip to Hawaii in February 2010. We are planning for 2 weeks. The second week we will be with friends on Kauai. Of course we need to do the touristy things like Pearl Harbor, but what we need to know is should be do an island cruise for the first week or just fly into Honolulu and go island to island by air. What do you guys think? Price is also a consideration. Help?

[Susan-M]

I would do a land trip, but in 2 weeks, I would not attempt more than 3 islands ... and would probably divide it up with 2 nights in Waikiki, 6 on Maui and 6 on Kauai. Would also recommend flying into one island and home from another to avoid having to do an extra inter-island flight.

 

We haven't cruised there, but have done 2 land trips with more planned. (We really enjoy cruising, but Hawaii appeals to us more as a land destination than a cruise one.) We stay in condos (oceanfront) and enjoy eating meals on our lanai (more peaceful and less expensive than eating all meals out.)

 

If you do a cruise plus a week in Kauai, you'll be devoting a lot of time to Kauai, but leaving time short on other islands. However, a cruise does give you a chance to see 4 islands instead of 3.

[Addictedtwo]

You are on "cruise" site so your going to get mostly onesided answers. I think you need to do some homework island by island and just see whats feastable from a time factor and pocket book and then decide.

[CC Help Michell]

My husband and I are planning a trip to Hawaii in February 2010. We are planning for 2 weeks. The second week we will be with friends on Kauai. Of course we need to do the touristy things like Pearl Harbor, but what we need to know is should be do an island cruise for the first week or just fly into Honolulu and go island to island by air. What do you guys think? Price is also a consideration. Help?

 

See this thread -- http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=896848, further down on this page, for the most recent discussion of this issue. You will see that folks have different perspectives on the question. If you choose to go island to island by air during your first week, do plan on spending 4 hours or so each of those days in moving from hotel to hotel and in airport security and flight time.

[cruiseman40]

I'd cruise 1 week and do the land package thing the other week. I agree with Addictedtwo, what site are you in? Regardless what you choose, have a great time and wish I'm back in Hawaii.

[Susan-M]

If you choose to go island to island by air during your first week, do plan on spending 4 hours or so each of those days in moving from hotel to hotel and in airport security and flight time.

 

Yes, 4 hours is what you need to allow, but over the course of a week of cruising, the time spent for cruise embarkation, disembarkation, car rental pick up, drop-off & shuttles in each port, and allowing an hour of leeway time in getting back to the ship prior to sailing from each port, eats up a fair chunk of time.

 

Doing 3 islands by land over two weeks would only mean one extra flight vs. doing a cruise + a stay on an island other than Oahu.

[Susan-M]

I agree with Addictedtwo, what site are you in?

 

It's worth researching on Tripadvisor as well: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28932-Hawaii.html

[jojun24]

My husband and I are planning a trip to Hawaii in February 2010. We are planning for 2 weeks. The second week we will be with friends on Kauai. Of course we need to do the touristy things like Pearl Harbor, but what we need to know is should be do an island cruise for the first week or just fly into Honolulu and go island to island by air. What do you guys think? Price is also a consideration. Help?

We did a two week land tour in 2005 and a cruise in 2007 out of San Diego that visited three islands over five days. IMHO, I think the answer lies in what you want to accomplish and what your preferences are. Cruising gives you a snapshot of the islands/ports, while a land tour gives you an in-depth experience of Hawaii.

 

On our land cruise we spent 6 days on the Big Island and were able to tour the island at leisure to see Volcano National Park, the black sand beaches and all the small towns around the island. On our cruise were were in Kona for 8 hours and in Hilo for about 6 hours. We were not able to do much in each port.

 

On the land cruise we spent 3 days in Maui and saw a lot and had relaxing days at the beach or pool. On the cruise we were overnight in Lahina which allowed time to visit Mt. Haleakala and a partial Road to Hana road trip.

 

Personally, if I went back to Hawaii, I would do a two week land tour. I love the atmosphere of being in Hawaii. Last time we did 4 islands in 15 days. This time I would do 3 islands, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island. I'd fly into Maui and out of Kona. I'd skip Oahu since I've seen the main sites and would want to avoid the crowds in Waikiki. However, Pearl Harbor makes the visit to Oahu worthwhile.

 

A cruise would probably be less expensive. Hotels and meals in Hawaii can be very expensive.

[chipmaster]

My husband and I are planning a trip to Hawaii in February 2010. We are planning for 2 weeks. The second week we will be with friends on Kauai. Of course we need to do the touristy things like Pearl Harbor, but what we need to know is should be do an island cruise for the first week or just fly into Honolulu and go island to island by air. What do you guys think? Price is also a consideration. Help?

 

If you've never been there before, do it by island to island hop and skip the ship. This is of course if you like to hike, see the sites, lay by the beach etc. etc. A cruise stop even an an overnight for 7 days will push your ability to do leisure drives.

 

Kauai, Maui and Big Island would be my choice; 4 on Maui 3 on the big island. Of course if you factor in$, the food and the convenience of the cruise it may win out. YOu can eat for pretty cheap and rental car is so cheap on the Island. It all comes down to how you like to travel. One kind of Hawaii experience is all about driving around on the small roads, stopping at beaches, sites, doing a small hike to a waterfall etc. etc. Cruising will be a very different one.

 

Good luck planning, your 7 days on Kauai will be superb, it is now my favorite Island

[whale-watcher]

Yes, 4 hours is what you need to allow, but over the course of a week of cruising, the time spent for cruise embarkation, disembarkation, car rental pick up, drop-off & shuttles in each port, and allowing an hour of leeway time in getting back to the ship prior to sailing from each port, eats up a fair chunk of time.....

this was not our experience...we were in our rental car and on the road within 15minutes of leaving the ship in each port. Only in Kona did we feel that we had to return to the ship earlier than we wanted, and that was because we booked a long excursion in the port. And being back on board enjoying a Mai Tai by the pool is lot defferent than waiting inm an airport for your flight.

 

There are many advantages to a land based vacation, but we found the interisland cruise to be truly hassle-free and relaxing, ans still feel it is the best option to see as much of Hawaii as possible when time is limited.

[beachchick]

If you want to see all four islands, I suggest the inter-island cruise for your first week.

 

If you want to pick fewer islands (say even just the two: Oahu and Kauai), then a land trip is ideal. IMO, it's too much "work" going from island to another unless you have a minimum of 4 days (that's bare minimum) on the island. You might want to consider spending that first week on Oahu, where there is quite a bit more to do than just the "highlights." You could even take a day trip to Maui or the BI, where you won't be hauling luggage and such. You can grab a super early flight over, rent a car at the airport, spend the day visiting, and then grab the last flight home at the end of the day.

 

If you decide to do all land trip, it would be best to figure out whether you are more interested in spending time on Maui or the BI (and on the BI, do you prefer the Kona side or the Hilo side). An alternative would be to fly into Maui or the BI, spend 3 or 4 nights, and then fly to the BI or Maui for a few nights before going on to Kauai. If your primary reason for visiting Oahu is to go to PH, you could even take a day trip from Kauai because you will be there for a full week.

 

Just some food for thought from a Hawaii enthusiast. Also should mention that only once did my DH and I end up visiting all four main islands on one trip. It was not the original plan; we had to "punt" when our cruise was cancelled last minute because the cruise line declared bankruptcy in October 2001...Thank goodness for travel insurance! We already had air to Oahu, so we stayed there for three nights, went to Kona for four nights, continued on to Kauai for five nights, and then spent nine nights on Maui. Even with that many days the BI and Kauai, we felt "rushed" with so many travel days.

 

beachchick