WHEN THE ECONOMIC CRISIS hit Hawaii in late 2001, other guidebooks were already at the printers. The Maverick Guide to Hawaii, however, revised its schedule to include many late changes in the tourism scene in the Fiftieth State. On page 193 is an example of a major change you won't find in another guidebook this year:
. 193 CRUISING INTERISLAND The sudden and unexpected bankruptcy of
American Hawaii Cruises (American Classic Voyages) in 2001 left the
Islands without a major
Hawaii-based cruise ship for several months. The two old ships, SS Independence
and © 2002, Pelican Publishing
Company, Inc.
OAHU, THE CAPITAL
ISLAND
SS Patriot, had been making week-long voyages around
the state for so many years, islanders thought they were indispensable,
and financially unsinkable.
Now, however, a well-established Miami-based cruise line, NCL Limited
(Tel. 800-327-7030), has taken up the slack with a beautiful, brand-new,
just-off-the-assembly
line vessel, the Norwegian Sky, which will make
Honolulu-based island voyages fifty-two weeks of the year. It will be
joined in September, 2002 by a sister ship, the Norwegian Wind,
which will only be based in Hawaii during the winter months.
As
foreign-built ships, they are prohibited by U.S. maritime law from
carrying passengers from one American port to another American port
without also calling at a foreign port along the way. Accordingly, in
addition to visiting Honolulu (Oahu), Lihue (Kauai), Lahaina (Maui),
and Kona (the Big Island), the ship also sails about 900 miles to the
south for a short visit to Fanning Island in the Pacific nation of
Kiribati.
Fares
for these seven-day ocean excursions begin at $900 per person, double
occupancy, and that’s for a viewless inside cabin. Outside staterooms
with a balcony, etc.,
will run more like $1,200
up. Of course,
that includes transportation between the islands, accommodation, most
food, entertainment, etc., and an opportunity to experience several
islands without packing and unpacking for each stop. It does not include
alcohol and tipping, which can add up to a considerable amount on a
cruise.
So far, I
have managed to sail on this ship only for a day and a night,
to get some idea of its general appeal from the passenger's point of view.
My initial impression is that like its predecessors, it may take some time
before the islands’ aloha
spirit is thoroughly imbued upon the administration and the crew. Veteran
cruisers on the Independence, may miss the friendly, sometimes
happy-go-lucky,
approach taken by waiters and others from the young, all-American,
Hawaii-based crew, now replaced in the Sky with generally reserved,
foreign personnel, some of whom are not terribly well versed in English.
Still
it’s a beautiful ship, with all the modern conveniences seen on the high
seas in the twenty-first century. One welcome innovation: There is no
assigned seating, and passengers may choose from among no less than 10
different restaurants, each on a different theme. You’ll also find a
modern showroom/theater, two pools, and some excellent children’s and
teen’s
facilities, too. Who can tell how the Sky and the Wind will fit in to
Hawaii? Only time!
In addition
to those Hawaii-based cruises, some folks still experience Hawaii on
foreign-based cruise ships
that call in one or more island ports before going on to other exotic
spots in the Pacific. Like the home-based ships, most will continue to lay
in near the Aloha Tower in Downtown Honolulu.
A few lines set up special Hawaii cruises by beginning their voyage
in San Diego and, after visiting some Hawaiian islands, returning to North
America by docking in Ensenada, Mexico (within busing distance of San
Diego). Or they may make these voyages in reverse--in either case,
complying with the law that requires at least one foreign port on the
trip.