Cruise from Hawaii

Has anyone done one? Thinking this might be a more inexpensive way to tour all the Islands. My 4 kids will be joining us so I'm trying to find what will be most cost effective. This is for 2018 for my 40th bday. Thoughts?

Re: Cruise from Hawaii

We have never done a Hawaiian cruise but know several people who have. We go to Hawaii frequently.

Cruising the islands "can" be cheaper, but you will literally get a super quick overview of each island. The islands are so beautiful and each is so different, I wouldn't recommend cruising. Instead, pick what you'd really like to see/do and choose your islands from there.

You will still need to pay for airfare to and from the HNL. You will need to do excursions (or rent a car on each island for the day) and do your own thing. Also, you will not want to be running back to the ship for lunch/dinner every day. It will eat up too much time, so you will be eating out.

There are plenty of ways to save on a Hawaiian vacation: rent a condo instead of a hotel, do your own excursions rather than group tours of things, eat at less expensive places and if you have a condo, you can have some meals there.

One of our favorite things to do is stop at a supermarket, pick up some sandwich fixings and some snacks and picnic at the beach for lunch or dinner!

Trust me - a little over 24 hours on each island is NOT enough time to really enjoy anything.

Re: Cruise from Hawaii

Re: Cruise from Hawaii

Here's a quick breakdown:

Oahu - lots of family friendly activities but I don't think you get the true feeling of Hawaii. It's the most developed island. Iconic sights like Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach, etc. A lot of competition so deals on rooms can be found. North Shore of Oahu is quieter but you are further away from everything.

Kauai - super quiet and romantic. I think it's the most expensive island. Not a whole lot to see and do except for some natural sights (Waimea Canyon, Napili coast, etc. Most of the really beautiful hikes would be too much (especially for the 5 year old).

Big Island - cheapest island. Unlike any other place in earth. Volcano National Park is a must-do. Beautiful family-friendly resorts, but much more quiet than say Maui.

Maui - has a little bit of everything. Lots of activities for every one. Great beaches, Haleakala crater, whales (depending on time of year) waterfalls. It's our favorite island - we hit Maui every single trip.

Depending on how long you go for, you can do a split trip - if you book far enough in advance you can score some pretty reasonable inter-island airfare. So, if you want to see Pearl Harbor, you can do 3 nights on Oahu and the rest of the time in Maui.

Re: Cruise from Hawaii

Re: Cruise from Hawaii

Our first trip, we did with a TA. Now we do a combination of TA, booking ourselves, believe it or not, Costco Travel has fantastic prices for Hawaii.

March can be pricey. Winter is peak season (people go for the whales) and people from the west coast go for their school breaks like we go to the Caribbean.

I can recommend some for you to look at. On Maui, the Kaanapali Alii, Honua Kai, Westin Ka'anapali villas, are some that pop into my mind, but there are so many others. The ones I mentioned are all in the Ka'anapali area, there are lots more in Kihei and Wailea.

Hawaii is definitely one of those places that you can make work on a budget. You just need to do your homework. There isn't much you can do about the airfare, but you can definitely bargain hunt for places to stay, food, etc.

Go to the trip advisor forums - there is a lot of information there.

Re: Cruise from Hawaii

Thank you!!

Re: Cruise from Hawaii

don't forget - you will lose 2 days traveling.

We now fly overnight both ways - it requires a stop, but it works out better for us jet lag-wise. You may not feel that way.

We leave here around 6:30 pm and arrive early morning (before 7 am HST). Coming home, we leave as late as possible and arrive late afternoon/early evening of the next day. There is one direct Hawaiian airlines flight a day from HNL to JFK - it leaves late afternoon and arrives early the next morning at JFK (like 7-8 am).

Cruise from Hawaii

My in laws cruised the islands on Norwegians Pride of America Ship last fall. The cruise line had various offers which really helped with the cost. For them the 3rd and 4th passengers were free in their room. I believe they stopped at 4 islands and were at each overnight. They rented a car in each island and toured on their own. The cruise was not super pricey. The expensive part was the plane tickets. I really liked the deal and wished we could have gone, but the cross country flights, time to adjust would have been too much for my kids 4,4 and 6. I think you guys will have a blast. Go for it.

Re: Cruise from Hawaii

We did 4 days in Oahu and 6 days in Maui and thought that was perfect. We probably could have done 1 less day in Oahu. For kids I think Maui is probably the best island.