Cruising in Hawaii - Brendan O'Connor

I was so very fortunate to “live” in Hawaii for 2 months and have firsthand knowledge of cruising the Hawaiian Islands.

I was based in Honolulu and worked for Royal Caribbean International as a Guest Services Purser, the only cruise line then that offered inter-island cruises to all 4 Hawaiian Islands.

Honolulu is the port for the Island of Oahu, and the other 3 Islands are Hilo (otherwise known as The Big Island), Kauai and Maui (known as the flower island).

Maui was my favourite island and I did not like Honolulu that much as I felt it was over commercialised, however, I would certainly recommend that your clients take a Hawaiian Cruise as no two islands are the same.

The Hawaiian Islands are a cluster of Islands in the North Pacific Ocean and you can visit Hawaii anytime of the year. Summer is between April and November when it is warmer and drier while winter is between December and March and is a bit cooler. The weather however, can be quite unpredictable with rain at anytime in short, sharp bursts!

Golfing enthusiasts will be impressed by the quality of the golf courses on all 4 islands and others will want to be driven along the 11 mile crater rim of the 5,000 ft high Kilauea Volcano near Hilo.

Shore excursions are a plenty, passengers can take a journey to the Waimea Canyon, Waikiki Beach, or to the Volcano National Park. Surfing and Scuba Diving are very popular here too.

I would suggest selling a Balcony Stateroom to your clients as the views are breathtaking and the Aloha Welcome is very friendly and courteous. Sailaways are special too.

Today NCL are the only cruise line that offer round-trip cruises from Honolulu with the Pride of America based there throughout the year. NCL also offer stopovers in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco or New York. The Pride of America offers a 10 night fly/cruise “freestyle” package for 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Other cruise lines that feature Hawaii are Holland America Line and MSC Cruises.

Warm Regards
Brendan O’Connor, Belfast.
ACE Ambassador of the Year 2010