Sailing with Norwegian – A Unique Experience

While in the midst of planning your honeymoon in Hawaii, you’re likely torn between staying on the islands or cruising around them.  If you’re taking two weeks off work for your trip, consider sailing with Norwegian as you may get the best of both worlds!  Since Norwegian only offers seven day cruises in Hawaii, beginning and ending in Honolulu, you’ll have flexibility in your plans.

You don't have to sacrifice romance when planning a unique honeymoon.

Two Week Honeymoon Game Plan:

  • Book a roundtrip flight to Honolulu.  (Lots of sites to choose from: SideStep, Travelocity, Hotwire, CheapTickets, Orbitz, Hawaiian Airlines or ask a reputable travel agent).
  • Book your 7-day Norwegian cruise.  Do comparison shopping; don’t necessarily book through Norwegian directly.
  • Plan to stay for a week in Honolulu after your cruise.  You’ll be surprisingly tired after jumping from island to island from your beautiful ship and will need the rest!

Unlike other cruising options, which typically have only four ports of call among the Hawaiian islands, the Norwegian cruise sails to Honolulu, Kona, Hilo, Maui and Kauai.  The benefit here is that you have the opportunity to visit both sides of The Big Island (Kona and Hilo), not just one or the other as with other options.  Both regions have a very different atmosphere and, even though they’re on the same island, there are very different things to see and do on either side.  So if you’re looking to spend a good amount of time in as many areas as you can, the Norwegian cruise makes for a well-rounded trip.

Here’s a tip: sign up for Norwegian’s e-mail list, so that you have the opportunity to score deals such as free upgrade to a room with a balcony or a discounted cruise.

Just remember to enjoy some flexibility to make your honeymoon your own!  Follow our advice:

  • Get the best room, with a balcony, that you can afford on your ship (it will make a difference as even the largest, most expensive staterooms are quite small compared to typical hotel rooms on shore).
  • Do tons of price shopping for your cruise.
  • You don’t have to stay in a five star resort in Honolulu to have a fantastic time; price shop and use yelp.com!
  • Think about renting a car on each island your ship disembarks; by doing this and avoiding the excursions Norwegian plans, you will save hundreds of dollars and have a more unique, romantic experience.
  • Public transportation is easily accessible in Honolulu, so that you can enjoy Waikiki and downtown Honolulu without having to rent a car.
  • However, rent a car for at least a day while in Honolulu so that you can explore what Oahu has to offer (which is quite a bit!).

Many Choices with Royal Caribbean

Rhapsody of the Seas - Pools

The pools on Rhapsody of the Seas. Image Courtesy of caribbean-cruises-report.info.

Royal Caribbean’s most up to date Hawaii cruises

Royal Caribbean is known among cruise-goers as one of the absolute best cruise lines available.  Even when my husband and I sailed on Princess, we heard again and again how much better Royal Caribbean was (especially the food).   Don’t get me wrong; sailing with Princess was an amazing experience and I wouldn’t change a thing about it.  I honestly have a hard time imagining how it could have been any better!

Unlike Princess and most of the other cruise lines, Royal Caribbean offers a variety of options for those interested in heading to Hawaii.  There are currently two ships sailing to Hawaii: Radiance of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas.  Whichever one you choose, you will be guaranteeing yourselves an experience of a lifetime.  But since you do have an option, you may as well compare the two!

Ship Features Radiance of the Seas Rhapsody of the Seas
Overall theme

Open/airy/glass windows throughout

Artistic; themed bars and lounges

Sports Bar?

Yes

No

Rock Climbing Wall?

Yes

Yes

Number of Pools

1

2

Maiden Voyage

March 10, 2001

May 19, 1997

Decks

12

11

Crew

859

765

Passengers

2,112

1,998

% of outside cabins w/ balconies

~71%

~40%

The other amenities and features are near identical; both ships feature the same spa service, dining rooms, dining options, exercise room, lounges, cabins, etc.  The main difference between the two ships is the “feel.”  Radiance is for those who want to experience the beauty of the ocean and their destinations as much as possible.  Rhapsody is for those who want to experience as much as they can, possibly doing and seeing different things each day, as Rhapsody features some very unique design and artwork throughout the ship.  Not that Radiance doesn’t have amazing aesthetics as well; glass is elegantly used throughout every design on Radiance, purposely crafted to impress every guest.

Now, on to the voyages!  None of the cruises that Royal Caribbean offer are round-trip as they either begin or end in Vancouver/Honolulu.  Depending upon your ship of choice and your departure point, your trip will last between 11 and 13 days.

For example, if you choose to sail on the Radiance of the Seas, departing from Vancouver, British Columbia and arriving at the end of your trip in Honolulu, you will have sailed for 11 nights.  All choices have at least these ports of call: Kona (on The Big Island), Kauai and Maui.

The only cruise that lasts for 13 nights sails on the Rhapsody of the Seas, departing from Honolulu and arriving at Vancouver.  Why 13 days?  Right before disembarking at Vancouver, you will make a stop in Seattle, Washington.  Of course, this cruise is quite a bit more expensive than the other choices.

Helpful links:

Current Hawaii cruises with Royal Caribbean

CruiseCritic.com review of Radiance of the Seas

CruiseCritic.com review of Rhapsody of the Seas

Sail, Cruise and Dine on Your Honolulu Honeymoon

Leave the Waikiki area to enjoy some scenery off-shore!

For most newlyweds, a honeymoon to Honolulu will likely mean relaxing on Waikiki,  taking in the sights, renting a car to explore the island, and of course, shopping.  But these are all land activities!  You’re on an island, and your trip won’t be complete without venturing off the sandy shores onto a ship or catamaran, even if just for a couple hours.  Honolulu has got you covered with a multitude of options for day cruising on a catamaran, sunset booze cruises and romantic dinner cruises.

Each link provided below will lead you to even more options with each company, such as high-speed sailing, watching fireworks from your boat, (Hilton lights up the skies every Friday night) and Dolphin tours.  Browse before you book!

Catamaran – Snorkeling

There are quite a few companies that offer sailing for a couple hours, whisking you away from Waikiki and into the ocean, stopping for an hour’s worth of snorkeling, then taking some time to sail around the coastline for some sightseeing and some great photo opportunities.  If you’ve never done this type of sail before, you’ll find some of the best catamaran snorkeling adventures in Honolulu.

Outrigger Catamaran has sailing and snorkeling in the morning every day of the week.  Reservations are required in advance.  The cost isn’t too bad, either: for $47 per person, you’ll get to sail for 2-1/2 hours, with snorkeling in between.   The crew of Outrigger make sure that you’ll have a great time with drinks for a few bucks and a visit to a cove filled with sea turtles.

Another fantastic option is the Maita’i Catamaran offering the Underwater Adventure Sail.  For just $45, you’ll board with their entertaining crew for two hours, eat an included lunch and snorkel at some of the best spots they can find.  This only sails on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, so plan in advance.

Catamaran – Booze Cruise – Daytime & Sunset

If you love to drink, meet new people, watch the sunset, drink, dance to some Hawaiian music, and drink some more, then you need to go on a “booze cruise.”  If you’ve never heard that term before, well, it’s pretty self-explanatory…cruise while you drink all you can handle!  Keep in mind that these types of cruises typically don’t offer food.

The wildly popular, colorful ship Na Hoku II departs five times daily (four daytime, one in the evening) for 1-1/2 hour cruises.  For just $25 ($30 for sunset cruise), you’ll get music, entertainment from the lively crew, and all you can drink.   This is a serious good deal!   The sunset sail is definitely more popular, so you’ll want to book ahead of time.

Outrigger Catamaran offers different packages for different folks, but their sunset cruise is one of the best booze cruises out there.  For $39, you’ll get to watch the sunset while sipping unlimited drinks served by Captain Rabbit (yes, Rabbit!).  If you want to ride the Outrigger other times of the day, you will have to pay for drinks.  For all you can drink, take the sunset cruise and book it well in advance.

Sunset Dinner Cruises

The Star of Honolulu offers a variety of options for every budget.  However, if you’re willing to splurge a little (it is your honeymoon, after all), we highly recommend the Five Star Sunset Dining and Jazz.  For $172 per person, your three hour cruise includes a welcome reception, a 7-course gourmet French style dinner (menu changes quarterly), three alcoholic beverages and live entertainment (jazz, Hawaiian musicians and hula).  For an extra $10 per person, a motorcoach can transport you from Waikiki.  For extra luxury, spend an additional $60 per person for a limousine to take you both to the ship.  In my opinion, this seems a bit frivolous; you won’t be spending much time in the limo!

For those on a tighter budget, Star of Honolulu offers more casual options, such as the Star Sunset Dinner and Show for $88 per person and the Three Star Sunset Dinner and Show for $128 per person.

An even less expensive option is the Ali’i Kai Sunset Dinner Cruise for $66 per person.  This much more casual option offers a buffet dinner (versus a sit-down dinner with Star of Honolulu), Polynesian dancers and live music.

Whichever option you choose, you’ll still experience a Hawaiian sunset from the deck of a cruise ship.  It doesn’t get much more romantic than that!