Seeking a place for a family birthday celebration?
Friends of mine will soon be celebrating an important birthday, worthy of a grand celebration. They like the thought of a oneweek cruise – to be enjoyed by as many as 15 people – but can’t find a new and novel sailing. They have often cruised the Caribbean, they have been to Alaska, gone on a memorable Mediterranean sailing and one to Asia, and they went on a former one-week sailing to the port cities of Canada’s East Coast. So, where next?
My suggestion: the islands of Hawaii. Still suffering from the month-long eruptions of a famous volcano, which then was followed by inclement weather, Hawaii is hurting in tourism from those events. And yet the attractions of Hawaii have recovered, and the islands are as delightful as ever.
They also are reached in reasonable fashion. They do not require a trip by air lasting a dozen (and sometimes even more) hours, as Asia and South America do. From the West Coast of the U.S., one flies for only six hours to Honolulu and, once there, boards Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America cruise ship for a sevenday sailing among at least four islands.
The Pride of America is the only ship currently permitted by law to make a thorough cruise of Hawaii without first starting from a foreign port.
From Honolulu, passengers first board the ship and make a land-based visit to Waikiki Beach and Pearl Harbor. From there, on a Saturday evening, the vessel proceeds for a day and a night to Maui, then to the Big Island, with its now-dormant volcano.
The seven-day cruise allows you a unique view of these famous islands, which have played such an important role in the geography of the Pacific.
The Pride of America is a fine ship that has recently been refurbished and made up-to-date, and one can enjoy the memorable trip for a reasonable amount of money without first exhausting him- or herself in a seemingly endless flight.
Arthur Frommer is the pioneering founder of the Frommer’s Travel Guide book series. He co-hosts the radio program, The Travel Show, with his travel correspondent daughter Pauline Frommer. Find more destinations online and read Arthur Frommer’s blog at frommers.com.