The pros and cons of a Hawaii cruise

The pros and cons of a Hawaii cruise

There is a good chance that this post contains affiliate links. If you click on any of these links, I might earn a small commission at no extra cost to you (which I really appreciate, thank you!) The full disclosure policy can be found here.

Hawaii Cruise vs. Land vacation

If you’re wondering why you might want to consider a Hawaii cruise, you’re in the right place! There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to a Hawaii cruise vs. land vacation.

Hawaii cruises aren’t the right option for everyone and there are many pros and cons. However, there are some situations where a cruise of the Hawaiian islands makes more sense than a traditional land vacation.

Hawaii cruise options

The most popular cruise in Hawaii is on the Pride of America with Norwegian Cruise Lines. This cruise is 7 days and visits Oahu, Maui, the Big Island (both sides), and Kauai.

Other cruises cruise from the West Coast to Hawaii, as well as cruises from Hawaii to other Pacific Islands. However, since this is a post about Hawaii cruises, I am choosing to focus on the Norwegian Cruise Line’s 7-day cruise on the Pride of America.

The other cruises spent more time on the water (Hawaii is the most isolated place in the world!), so they aren’t truly Hawaii cruises, but only cruises that are partially in Hawaii.

For this particular blog post, I will be talking about the 7-day cruise on the Pride of America, as it is the most popular Hawaii cruise and the only one of its kind.

Is a Hawaii cruise worth it?

Hawaii cruises are different than land vacations, but that doesn’t mean one is better than the other. Here are 7 ways to know if a Hawaii cruise is right for you.

1. If you have limited time but want to see multiple islands

Most people assume that interisland travel is easy, but it’s more complicated than you think. There are no bridges are connecting the islands.

Yes, actually I get that question a lot! Click here to read more of the questions you’re afraid to ask about Hawaii. There aren’t ferries between the islands either, with the exception of a ferry from Maui to Lanai and Maui to Molokai.

While interisland flights are short, you still have to drive to the airport, arrive early, fly, drive to your next hotel or resort, etc. In most situations, this ends up taking up about half the day.

I recommend visiting one island per week, or two at the most for land vacations. This is simply because travel takes time.

Beyond that, it costs a lot more for interisland travel because it costs more every time you switch resorts. Most resorts give you a price break per night after 5 days, or sometimes even a free night. If you only stay for 2-3 days, you’ll never see this break.

2. You don’t want to worry about planning meals

If you don’t want to worry about deciding where to eat, a Hawaii island cruise might be for you! While you will probably have some meals off the ship, the majority of your meals will take place on the cruise ship and will be included in your cruise fare.

3. You have limited mobility

I recently had someone reach out to me, asking about things to do if you are older or have limited mobility. She had already booked her trip, but I wish she would have reached out to me sooner! Cruise ships are great options for those with limited mobility, as are most excursions.

If you’re dreaming of days of hiking and kayaking, then a Hawaii cruise might not be for you. However, if those things aren’t possible due to limited mobility, a cruise might be the best way to see the Hawaiian islands.

4. Do you love cruises?

This is simple, but a Hawaii cruise might be right for you if you love cruises. If you enjoy cruises, what better way to see the Hawaiian islands than by a cruise?

A Hawaii cruise is the best of both worlds for a cruise-lover, combining the ease of being on a cruise ship and the beauty of the Hawaiian islands.

Did you know that you also get to sail down the Na Pali coast? I can’t imagine a better way to view the Na Pali coast than from the balcony of your stateroom.

5. There aren’t many other “all-inclusive” experiences in Hawaii

I’m asked all the time about all-inclusive resorts in Hawaii. The short answer, there aren’t any.

Sure, some hotels have breakfast options, and even a couple with full meal options, but they are costly, and none are truly all-inclusive. A Hawaii cruise is the closest thing you’ll find to an all-inclusive Hawaii experience.

You will know exactly how much you’ll spend after booking your cruise and excursions. It might not be cheap, but when you crunch the numbers, a Hawaii cruise often ends up being more affordable than a comparable land vacation. All you need to budget after the cruise and excursions are souvenirs.

6. You’ll always have an ocean view

For many people traveling to Hawaii, an ocean view is a must. As with most things in Hawaii, that ocean view comes at a premium.

While it’s true that not all staterooms are ocean view, many of them are, and you’re never far from an ocean view if you need one.

I highly recommend splurging for the balcony if possible; it’s completely worth it!

7. You only have to unpack once and never worry about your luggage

Thinking of traveling to four islands and unpacking four times is exhausting! Furthermore, one of my top Hawaii travel tips is to never, ever, leave anything valuable in your car. That’s hard to do if you’re always on the move.

This problem is entirely avoided by cruising around the islands. You only have to unpack once, and you never have to worry about where to put your luggage.

How a Hawaii cruise is different than other cruises

A cruise in Hawaii is different than other cruises you may have taken before. For many cruises, the destination is the ship itself.

On a Hawaii cruise, the ship is beautiful, but Hawaii is the real destination. You will spend more time on the island but still have the option to spend as much time on the ship as you’d like.

A Hawaii cruise will cost more than a comparable cruise of the Caribbean, etc. Everything costs more in Hawaii, and if you plan to visit, that’s a fact that you’ll have to get used to.

Hawaii cruises do cost a bit more, plus you’ll have to pay to get to Honolulu. However, Norwegian runs promotions all the time that offer free or reduced airfare.

Make sure to check with your Travel Agent to see what promotions are currently available. I have a Master’s Certificate with Norwegian Cruise Lines and always keep up with the latest promotions and updates.

Book your Hawaii Cruise with a Hawaii Travel Agent

Not only do I have my Masters’s Certificate with Norwegian Cruise Lines, but I also specialize in Hawaii vacations. I’m only taking on a few new clients for 2021, so make sure to contact me for availability.

If you’re trying to figure out if a Hawaii cruise is right for you, make sure to contact me or go ahead and fill out a custom travel request, and I’ll get back to you ASAP. We can figure out if it makes more sense to cruise or book a traditional vacation.

Dreaming of Hawaii, but not ready to travel just yet? Sign up for my newsletter! You will receive a weekly email with travel tips, Hawaii deals, and more.

Sign up below. If you love these posts and want to support my blog but aren’t ready to travel yet, you can buy me a coffee to show your support. I ❤️coffee!

Other options for visiting Hawaii

If you’re still considering your options, check out some of my popular Hawaii vacation posts for tips on a more traditional Hawaii vacation.

9 Gründe, warum eine Hawaiikreuzfahrt besser ist, als ein Urlaub in einem All-inclusive-Resort

With its sheer natural beauty, warm hospitality, seemingly endless activities and attractions, it’s no wonder a record 9.3 million travelers visited Hawaii in 2017. But which is better, visiting Hawaii by land or by cruise?

Norwegian Cruise Line offers a no-hassle, stress-free vacation experience in Hawaii with a multi-award winning itinerary incorporating 4 beautiful Hawaiian islands – Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai – with 2 overnight stays in their 7-Day cruise onboard Pride of America. And when you cruise with Norwegian, you get to enjoy Hawaii for half the price of a land vacation. Still not convinced? Here are 9 Reasons Hawaii is Best Experienced by Cruise.

1. You’ll sail the Hawaiian Islands from the get-go.

Because she’s a US registered ship, there’s no need to include a lengthy sailing from a US mainland port to get to Hawaii, to begin with. You’ll start your cruise in Hawaii from Day 1.

2. Inter-island transportation is provided by your cruise ship.

While island hopping sounds like fun, in theory, it’s no fun to waste precious vacation time paradise trying to book flights, followed by standing around airports waiting to take those flights. But you’ll also save money on inter-island transportation if you cruise with Norwegian since you’ll be going from island to island on board your cruise ship. The average price for inter-island transport on a land vacation is close to $1,500 for two people. You can save that money and use it to book your next cruise instead!

3. It makes financial sense.

While a traditional land vacation may sound appealing at first, the truth of the matter is that the cost of meals, transportation, and hotel stays quickly adds up. An average hotel rate of $319 per night will run you over $2,000 for lodging alone. Add in about $1,200 for meals for two over the course of one week and you’re already over $3,500. In contrast, meals, transportation, and lodging are all included in your cruise fare with Norwegian.

Overall, you’ll pay half to take a Hawaii cruise with Norwegian than if you book a traditional land vacation. With a traditional land-based booking, a one-way island-hopping flight will cost about $180 per person. But with a cruise, your inter-island transportation is included.

Also, eating land-based meals in Hawaii can get expensive. But you can enjoy the complimentary restaurants on board Pride of America.

And of course, there’s the Free at Sea Promotion: For most stateroom categories on Pride of America sailings beginning January 5, 2019, you can choose up to 6 free offers including free or reduced airfare, free shore excursions, and free specialty dining. Learn more here.

4. Top-rated Excursions.

You can even book your Norwegian Cruise Line shore excursions before you leave home (there are 84 to choose from!), which provides peace of mind in knowing you’ll be getting top-rated tours.

5. You only have to unpack once.

Chances are if you’re a first-time visitor to Hawaii or even if you’re a repeat guest, you’re going to do some island hopping. This could mean packing and re-packing several times over, but on a cruise, you’ll only do it once.

6. You’ll always have an ocean view.

But some hotel rooms won’t. Even if you’ve booked a hip Studio Inside stateroom for just yourself, or a Family Inside cabin for 4, you’ll always have an ocean view when the ship is docked at the pier!

7. Maximized island time.

With the most time in Hawaiian ports over any other cruise line – almost 100 hours including 2 overnight stays – you’ll have the freedom to do what you want when you want.

8. Efficient planning.

If you’re limited on vacation time (and who isn’t) a cruise provides a pre-planned itinerary, sailing to 4 Hawaiian Islands in 7 days.

9. The newly refurbished Pride of America herself!

Here are the facts:

sails her 7-Day itinerary roundtrip from Honolulu all year round, so you can vacation in paradise whenever the time is right for you.
• There are 12 restaurants and bars, along with 15 restaurants including Italian, French, and steakhouse Specialty Dining.
• Because you’ll be sailing in US waters, Galleria shops and boutiques onboard Pride of America stay open all day long.
• To keep you active, there’s an outdoor sports court, a jogging track and a fitness center, plus outdoor pools, Mandara Spa & Salon, and a Spa Thermal Suite.
• There’s also a kids’ pool and a video arcade, along with hot tubs, a casino, and an art gallery.
• Pride of America entertainment includes the 60’s style Band on the Run production and the thrilling Le Cirque Bijou performance.

Being able to spend more time in port will give you the chance to experience Hawaii like a local, including both sunrises and sunsets in Maui and Kauai! And if you choose, there’s an option to add on a 4-Day Hawaii Cruisetour land package in Oahu for even more time in the Aloha state.

Voted ‘Best Hawaii Itinerary’ for 13 consecutive years, Pride of America and Norwegian Cruise Line are proud to showcase the 50th state to both newcomers and repeat visitors alike. In fact, Hawaii continues to boast a repeat visitor rate of 81%, the highest of all major market areas. Impressive!

9 Gründe, warum eine Hawaiikreuzfahrt besser ist, als ein Urlaub in einem All-inclusive-Resort

With its sheer natural beauty, warm hospitality, seemingly endless activities and attractions, it’s no wonder a record 9.3 million travelers visited Hawaii in 2017. But which is better, visiting Hawaii by land or by cruise?

Norwegian Cruise Line offers a no-hassle, stress-free vacation experience in Hawaii with a multi-award winning itinerary incorporating 4 beautiful Hawaiian islands – Oahu, Maui, Hawaii, and Kauai – with 2 overnight stays in their 7-Day cruise onboard Pride of America. And when you cruise with Norwegian, you get to enjoy Hawaii for half the price of a land vacation. Still not convinced? Here are 9 Reasons Hawaii is Best Experienced by Cruise.

1. You’ll sail the Hawaiian Islands from the get-go.

Because she’s a US registered ship, there’s no need to include a lengthy sailing from a US mainland port to get to Hawaii, to begin with. You’ll start your cruise in Hawaii from Day 1.

2. Inter-island transportation is provided by your cruise ship.

While island hopping sounds like fun, in theory, it’s no fun to waste precious vacation time paradise trying to book flights, followed by standing around airports waiting to take those flights. But you’ll also save money on inter-island transportation if you cruise with Norwegian since you’ll be going from island to island on board your cruise ship. The average price for inter-island transport on a land vacation is close to $1,500 for two people. You can save that money and use it to book your next cruise instead!

3. It makes financial sense.

While a traditional land vacation may sound appealing at first, the truth of the matter is that the cost of meals, transportation, and hotel stays quickly adds up. An average hotel rate of $319 per night will run you over $2,000 for lodging alone. Add in about $1,200 for meals for two over the course of one week and you’re already over $3,500. In contrast, meals, transportation, and lodging are all included in your cruise fare with Norwegian.

Overall, you’ll pay half to take a Hawaii cruise with Norwegian than if you book a traditional land vacation. With a traditional land-based booking, a one-way island-hopping flight will cost about $180 per person. But with a cruise, your inter-island transportation is included.

Also, eating land-based meals in Hawaii can get expensive. But you can enjoy the complimentary restaurants on board Pride of America.

And of course, there’s the Free at Sea Promotion: For most stateroom categories on Pride of America sailings beginning January 5, 2019, you can choose up to 6 free offers including free or reduced airfare, free shore excursions, and free specialty dining. Learn more here.

4. Top-rated Excursions.

You can even book your Norwegian Cruise Line shore excursions before you leave home (there are 84 to choose from!), which provides peace of mind in knowing you’ll be getting top-rated tours.

5. You only have to unpack once.

Chances are if you’re a first-time visitor to Hawaii or even if you’re a repeat guest, you’re going to do some island hopping. This could mean packing and re-packing several times over, but on a cruise, you’ll only do it once.

6. You’ll always have an ocean view.

But some hotel rooms won’t. Even if you’ve booked a hip Studio Inside stateroom for just yourself, or a Family Inside cabin for 4, you’ll always have an ocean view when the ship is docked at the pier!

7. Maximized island time.

With the most time in Hawaiian ports over any other cruise line – almost 100 hours including 2 overnight stays – you’ll have the freedom to do what you want when you want.

8. Efficient planning.

If you’re limited on vacation time (and who isn’t) a cruise provides a pre-planned itinerary, sailing to 4 Hawaiian Islands in 7 days.

9. The newly refurbished Pride of America herself!

Here are the facts:

sails her 7-Day itinerary roundtrip from Honolulu all year round, so you can vacation in paradise whenever the time is right for you.
• There are 12 restaurants and bars, along with 15 restaurants including Italian, French, and steakhouse Specialty Dining.
• Because you’ll be sailing in US waters, Galleria shops and boutiques onboard Pride of America stay open all day long.
• To keep you active, there’s an outdoor sports court, a jogging track and a fitness center, plus outdoor pools, Mandara Spa & Salon, and a Spa Thermal Suite.
• There’s also a kids’ pool and a video arcade, along with hot tubs, a casino, and an art gallery.
• Pride of America entertainment includes the 60’s style Band on the Run production and the thrilling Le Cirque Bijou performance.

Being able to spend more time in port will give you the chance to experience Hawaii like a local, including both sunrises and sunsets in Maui and Kauai! And if you choose, there’s an option to add on a 4-Day Hawaii Cruisetour land package in Oahu for even more time in the Aloha state.

Voted ‘Best Hawaii Itinerary’ for 13 consecutive years, Pride of America and Norwegian Cruise Line are proud to showcase the 50th state to both newcomers and repeat visitors alike. In fact, Hawaii continues to boast a repeat visitor rate of 81%, the highest of all major market areas. Impressive!

Source https://www.amyfillinger.com/hawaii-cruise-pros-and-cons/

Source https://www.ncl.com/travel-blog/why-hawaii-is-best-experienced-by-cruise

Source https://www.ncl.com/travel-blog/why-hawaii-is-best-experienced-by-cruise