The Bucket List: Hawaii Cruising
♦ This column is part of a series on travel.
Hawaii is an incredibly beautiful mix of ocean/ beaches, landscape, ancient kingdoms and cultures, World War II history, and volcanoes. With so many unique sights and experiences, who doesn’t have Hawaii on their bucket list?
Hawaii is composed of eight (six of which you can visit) islands, each filled with very unique experiences. So which island should you choose? I say, why not experience 4 different islands and 5 different ports all in one vacation? While inter-island flights are reasonably priced ($100$200 roundtrip), why not cruise the islands for a week and only have to unpack once.
In my opinion, and I’ve done both, the absolute best way to maximize an Hawaiian vacation is flying to Honolulu, Oahu and boarding Norwegian’s Pride of America, the ONLY large US flagged cruise ship in the world. All other Hawaiian cruises are required to start in California, Canada, or Mexico and have 6-8 days at sea (I’m not a fan of days at sea).
The Pride of America offers an incredible 100 hours in port during their seven night cruise, including 34 hours on Maui. I mean, isn’t that the reason you go to Hawaii, to spend time on the islands?
There are overnight stops at Maui and Kauai so you can enjoy those islands without having to worry about rushing back in time to catch the ship’s departure. No other cruise ship spends anywhere near 100 hours in port while in Hawaii. In Maui I would recommend either renting a car or joining a guided excursion along the famous “Road to Hana”, a beautiful journey that includes lush rainforest and majestic waterfalls. The overnight stay in Kauai is a great time to experience an authentic Hawaiian Luau.
The island of Hawaii, also known as the big island is where you can see the volcano, from a safe place (or an unsafe place, if you dare). There are two stops on the big island and they could not be more different. The area around Kona is volcanic and dessert with almost no rainfall while the northeast area around Hilo is lush rainforest and rains almost every day. As you journey from one exotic island to the next, learn about the Hawaiian culture from native ambassadors on board the ship. Island hop in style, with 18 restaurants, excellent family accommodations, spacious suites, and more balconies than any ship that cruises Hawaii – perfect for whale watching, witnessing Kilauea Volcano or taking in the dramatic views of the Napali Coast.
This is the only cruise that starts and ends in Honolulu. By starting and ending in Honolulu, you can fly in early or stay later and spend extra time before and after your cruise exploring and visiting Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach, the Polynesian Cultural Center (a must do), and much more.
So, when is the best time to visit Hawaii? Well, there really isn’t a “bad” time to visit Hawaii but the best weather is often found in April, May, September and October. Those are my favorite months to visit Hawaii. These are also the months when you can find some of the better travel bargains.