Wanting to go to hawaii...cruise or fly?

Question

I want to go to Hawaii next year but I'm not sure if I want to take a cruise there or fly and stay in a hotel. If I go, I want to stay for about a week or two. Which would be the most reasonably priced? A two week cruise? Or plane+hotel? Also, I know some cruises do military discounts, do hotels do the same?

Please answer based on experience.

(I'm not sure how much the hotels are in Hawaii, plus I know I'd have to count in food, and small things like travel fares)

Answer 1

I Have 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. You can get cheaper rooms if you stay a few blocks away from the beach in other properties.

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 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 next 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, Haliaaka. 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 will cost about $1200 to $1500 depending upon when you want to go and what cabin you choose.


You can use this site to look at hotels and rates. Hawaii has many places where you can eat for about the same price as in the mainland US. Places like TGI FRidays, Dennys, Olive Garden, McDonalds, and other local places that are comparably priced. Just stay away from the hotel restaurants.

http://www.virtualtourist.com/hotels/North_America/United_States_of_America/Hawaii_State_of/Oahu/Honolulu-772327/Hotels_and_Accommodations-Honolulu-TG-C-1.html

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. 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.

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. For information about tours and things to do, click on the link below for Roberts Hawaii. They do tours on all of the islands.

Answer 2

Fly Cruise Hawaii

Answer 3

My husband and I just got back from Hawaii. After checking into all of the possibilities on ALL of the travel sites. We went with a cruise. We Flew to Hawaii and took the Norwegian Cruise line cruise around the islands. We flew into Honolulu, boarded the ship. Stopped 1 full day in Hilo, went from there to Maui, stayed 2 days then 1 day at Kona, and 2 days at Kauai and then back to Honolulu. IT WAS WONDERFUL we are going back next year.We already made our reservations on the ship. After all the research we found it to be the least expensive. Food and lodging is included in the price of the cruise as is all entertainment on the ship. Even with the price of the flight round trip from Reno NV. We spent less than 5000. And we got to see more than just one island. We couldn't decide which island we wanted to stay on so this was better for us. The price of the nice hotels was really high. And food on the islands is high too. Even burger King wanted 12.00 for just a hamburger meal. So we ate on the ship. Do some searching on the travel sites like orbitz and travelocity. That way you can compare.
Good luck and Aloha!! lol

Answer 4

There are very few cruises to and from hawaii from California anymore. When you do find one it is usually a repositioning cruise and does not make the round trip. The round trips from Calif to Hawaii have all been 32-35 days and cover many polynesian islands.

Generally there is enough to keep you occupied for a week on any one island in Hawaii. I would not recommend Oahu just because of the crowds but there are some great places to go there, hence the crowds. I like the island of Hawaii, and have been several times. I have found the best deal is to find a timeshare you can rent by the week, so you have a kitchen and can then save on some meals.

Any of the islands are great though.

Answer 5

The plane ride is long enough--a cruise that long in open water would be excruciating! I've been on long Caribbean cruises that have nice island stops every day, those are WAY fun.

I love Hawaii, but you have to plan it. Get yourself a travel agent or go online and pay attention to package deals. Then when you are ready to pay you will know what a good deal looks like. Pay attention to what people say about hotels. I stayed at the Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, very nice but FREAKING expensive. (I didn't have to pay, but yikes!)

Don't go to Honolulu, stay somewhere else, preferably a smaller island with less tourist traffic. It was just SO touristy.

Answer 6

In Hawaii will energizes you the fresh, floral air energizes you. The warm, tranquil waters will refresh you and the breathtaking, natural beauty renews you so now is about the time to know this amazing place, starting from with hotelbye because look around! There’s no place on earth like Hawaii. In Hawaii, the six unique islands offer distinct experiences that will entice any traveller. In Hawaii you will discover your ideal travel experience. Waikiki is one of the Hawaii islands and is the Hawaii's biggest tourist attraction. A suburb of Honolulu, Waikiki is easy to reach and offers all the amenities and entertainment of a modern city. At the end of the crescent shaped beach is the extinct volcano known as Diamond Head Crater, adding a spectacular backdrop to the incredible sun drenched beach.

Answer 7

Hotelling and eating in Hawaii is expensive, but you would only be on each island for a few hours (anywhere from 4-12) if you take a cruise.

If you really want to explore, then hotel. If you want to see a lot of islands relatively quickly and get a nice taste of everything, then cruise.

Answer 8

well its up to you!
but i suggest going there like 3 days earlier and then taking a cruise! :]

i recently wen to hawaii on a cruise! it was a lot of fun :]
and we got too visit a lot of nice beaches and some of hawaiis main attractions. the cruise is a also a good choice because u dont have too worry about the cost of food,which is gooood :]

Answer 9

House to the State Capitol, Honolulu may be the vibrant epicentre of Hawaii and an area worth visit, like you will see with hotelbye . In Honolulu you will find every thing from old landmarks and treasured monuments to world-class shopping and a flourishing arts and lifestyle scene. Home to the majority of Oahu's citizenry, the sprawling town of Honolulu develops through the entire south-eastern shores of Oahu, from Pearl Harbor to Makapuu Point, encompassing world famous Waikiki. Pearl Harbor is among Honolulu's greatest tourist attractions. Though it is house to the Navy's Pacific Fleet, visitors can take a visit to see the USS Arizona Memorial, and the USS Missouri.

Answer 10

taking a cruise would be cheaper but if you fly, you have more independence and aren't on a time schedule. my husband and i are going to Hawaii next year and will fly & stay in Maui at the Diamond Hawaii condos

Answer 11

It's up to you.......

Both cruises and hotel usually offer military discounts and many businesses in Hawaii also offer military discounts if you have your id.

Good luck and happy travels!