<p>I understand sitting on a beach with a tropical breeze and a sunset. I don’t understand the point of a Hawaiian cruise. Are the islands that different from each other that it is worth going from one to another? Do you get off the ship, spend the day on the beach, and then go back to the ship?</p>
<p>H and I will celebrate our 25th anniversary this year (after we find out where S is going to college and how much it will cost.) ;)</p>
<p>Mary, I do not get the cruise thing. Yes, the islands are very different, if you step away from the beach! We usually get a condo, rent a car and explore the beauty of Hawaii on our own. Hawaiian Air provides very convenient inter-island transportation, and it is possible to visit 2 islands in one week.</p>
<p>Some people just like cruising, I guess. You only need to unpack once, you spend the night in the same bed, yet you still get to sample many different islands (and yes the Hawaiian Islands each have their own character). It’s not my cup of tea, but the cruise companies must be on to something – there must be a market there.</p>
<p>My parents went on one through NCL. They said the cruise ship was like a floating hotel. They normally let you off the boat at about 7 am and you have to be back on by a certain time. They saw Volcanoes National park, went on the road to Hana and some other things.</p>
<p>I’m with BunsenBurner on this. The water around the islands is pretty much the same, but each island has unique attractions … very few of which can be appreciated from the dock!</p>
<p>Going on a cruise through the Hawaiian islands is going to all four major islands without having the need to unpack. The positives are that you can see all four islands, see the highlights (on Oahu for instance, Pearl Harbor, Punchbowl etc.) of all the islands. You can also control the cost of the vacation because your food is included in the cost of the cruise, but not the liquor and on most ships the gratuities. The downside (saying this as someone who has been to the islands 23 times) is that you don’t get the “feeling” of each island. Each island is different, and it is not just a beach.</p>
<p>A friend of mine went on a Hawaiian cruise for her 20th anniversary. She and her H both loved it. They hadn’t been to Hawaii before so they felt they got to see a little of everything. I have been to Hawaii several times, to three of the islands, and I would do the cruise. </p>
<p>One of the things I do not like about some of my previous vacations are the times we rented condos and last time, a house. I do not want to shop for food, cook, and clean up a kitchen on vacation, even if we eat out some of the time. I told my H I wouldn’t do it again. If we can’t eat out, then I might as well stay home. So, with the cruise, you would get nice meals and someone else to clean up.</p>