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I have not cruised to Hawaii yet but we have a cruise to Hawaii booked for this September departing from San Diego. In addition, I been to Hawaii 5 times and flew over each time.
The airfare from an East coast city will cost between $700 and $800 if you make early reservations. Hotel rooms in Hawaii, especially in beach front hotels, are very expensive. You can expect to pay $200 to $300 a day depending upon the hotel, location and whether you want ocean view or ocean front. The last time that we went, just 3 years ago, our hotel bill for 10 nights (on two different islands) was about $2600. We stayed 5 nights on Oahu and 5 nights on Maui. BUT, you can get cheaper rooms if you stay a few blocks away from the beach in other properties. And all of the islands have hotels away from the beaches that are cheaper.
The flight to Hawaii is very long, especially from the East coast. So it will take a day of your vacation to get there and another to get back home. But its worth it. There is a lot to see in Hawaii and you need a couple days on some islands to see all of the attractions. That is the drawback of a Hawaii cruise unless you fly there, or stay there additional days to give yourself more time to see things.
Norwegian cruise line is the only major line that starts its cruises in Hawaii. Other lines like Princess, Royal Caribbean and Holland America have cruises TO Hawaii departing from the West Coast of the US. Those cruises are generally 14 or 15 days or more because you spend 3 or 4 days on the ocean getting there. I will see how that is as we have booked a cruise to Hawaii from San Diego for this year.
The NCL cruises begin in Oahu and visit 4 or 5 islands during the 7 day cruise. The cruise will give you a flavor for Hawaii, allow you to visit some attractions, like Pearl Harbor and the volcano, Haleakala. But if you want days of beach time you need to go and stay.
An option would be to either fly there 3 or 4 days before a cruise, or stay 3 or 4 days after a cruise. A 7 day cruise on an NCL ship will cost about $1200 to $2000 depending upon when you want to go and what type cabin you choose.
Hawaii has many places where you can eat for about the same price as in the mainland US. Places like TGI FRidays, Denny's, Olive Garden, McDonalds, and other local places that are comparably priced. Just stay away from the hotel restaurants.
If it was my first trip I would fly there a few days early, see some things and then do the cruise.
Here's some more info about Hawaii for you:
When you arrive in Hawaii look for the free booklets in the airport which describe the activities on the island and have coupons for tours and gifts. The booklets also contain maps and guides, lists of attractions, bus routes and fares, and lists of restaurants and shopping establishments. If you cannot find them in the airport, they will also be available in news racks on the street, in hotel lobbies and in some shops. There will be a booklet for each island with the title Maui Today, or Oahu Today, etc.
The top things to do in Hawaii are:
1. Oahu Island: Go to Pearl Harbor to see history at the US Arizona Memorial. You can drive or take the bus there; no need to book a tour. There is no admission charge but you need to go early because the site is popular and the wait for your free tour can be about an hour. In Waikiki you can browse around the International Market across from Waikiki Beach, go on a sunset dinner cruise on Waikiki bay, try an outrigger canoe ride on Waikiki, go for a sail on a catamaran on Waikiki Bay, or visit Diamond Head park. If you like to snorkel go to Hanauma Bay which has perfect flap water for snorkeling on a reef.
2. Oahu Island: If you are on the island of Oahu go to the other side of the island to see the great deserted beaches (get a rental car for a day or two). Take highway 99 north toward Waimea and stop at the Dole pineapple plantation for a tour. Parking in Honolulu at hotels and lots is about $15 to $20 a day so keep the car for your drive and then turn it in or parking fees will eat you up.
3. Oahu Island: The Polynesian Cultural Center is a great place to learn about authentic Hawaiian life. But understand that its run by the Morman church and there are NO alcoholic beverages served there, not even beer. You can buy tickets to tour the place, and another type ticket that allows you to stay for the evening luau.
4. Maui Island: If you go to Maui, you gotta do the downhill bike ride. I don't recommend the sunrise one because you have to get up at 3:00 AM to get started up the mountain and its cold up there that early. If you are a romantic do it, but otherwise no. There are different bike companies and some don't take you all the way to the top, and some don't guide you back down. You can come down by yourself, there's only one road with just a little traffic, but if you are squeamish about riding in the street, a company that accompanies you down will help watch the traffic for you. I have been twice and prefer Maui Downhill to the others. These companies have web sites They will pick you up at your hotel, take you to their shop to pick out a wet-suit (for the cold and mist/rain shower maybe) and gloves and helmet; then take you up the mountain; then follow your group down so they can block traffic for your ride; then afterwards take you back to your hotel. Expect this activity to take 75-80% or more of the day.
5. Maui Island: The Road to Hana is a great drive (you need a rental car). It’s a 45 mile winding road that takes 4 hours to drive. Its like driving through the jungle; has a bunch of one lane bridges. Then drive past Hana to the Seven-Pools attraction and go for a swim.
6. Big Island of Hawaii: go to the Volcano National Park. Also go see Akaka Falls. If you like horseback riding, go to the Parker Ranch and go for a guided ride. Drive to the south end of the island and see a black sand beach. If you want to do tours on any island I recommend Roberts Hawaii. They do all types of tours on all of the islands. |
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