Hawaii Cruise

Author: Thomas Carroll
Date of Trip: October 2012

Our trip began with two flights going from New Jersey to San Francisco to Honolulu. A much better choice would have been a non stop flight with Hawaii Air. We arrived in Wakiki Beach feeling too exhausted to do much. The next day we really did enjoy Diamond Head, the beach, a show, and dinner. If we had booked an extra day before the cruise, we could have taken the full island tour which we missed for lack of time. The following day we boarded our cruise ship, the Pride of America. It is the only ship that does all the major islands of Hawaii in 7 days, with overnight stays in Maui and Kauaii.

This was a great way to get an overview since it was our first trip to Hawaii. Another change we would make, in retrospect, is not to book so many tours. We did as many as 3 in one day! Most days we did 2, and only on one day did we just go to a beach and relax. Our goal was to try to see it all and by the end of the cruise we realized we should have taken it a little bit easier and enjoyed more activities on the ship. We found the cabin to be very small, and the balcony also. The food on the ship was just ok, but the entertainment in the theater was very good. We think it was a great way to do Hawaii. We certainly did see everything, and have wonderful pictures and memories to prove it!

We do recommend using Roberts of Hawaii for tours and transfers to the airport. Their prices were about half that of the cruise ship and they were great to work with, also.