I had posted in a different thread my thoughts on doing a b2b... I keep entertaining the thought... We kinda made up our mind not to, but I keep thinking about it.. I know we can get a stateroom as things will open up. We were originally booked on the YVR to HNL that got cancelled.. This one had Hilo. and was only 9 nights. Now we are booked again but no Hilo, overnight on Kauai and HNL.
Here are my thought right now and its keeps changing lol.. Keep this in mind:
It's me and my mom, she will be 71 when we sail in 2022. She is fit but not the fittest. Mobile, no real health issues but not a "strong" type of person. More on the frail side. We are also flying in from Germany. So a 12 hour flight just to get to the westcoast.. We HAVE to do an overnight to break up flying to or from HI.
Pros:
1. More relaxing type of trip. Only one long haul flight.
2. No need to figure out AGAIN HNL hotels and flight back home. For me a stress finding which westcoast gateway works best to fly home to and connect to FRA.
3. Another FE experience
4. Hilo
5. Vancouver is then familiar, no added stress of thinking ok, where do we go, getting off the ship, getting to hotel and airport for a different gateway.
6. Big plus: no luggage issues! for the cancelled cruise I already calculated excess baggage fees for all the shopping we will do. I am an expat so I plan to do some basic shopping too. Need my hot sauces etc...
7. We like sailing. one more trip to get to Gold.
Cons:
1. Main one: really only one day for HNL and there is sooo much to see, We had originally planned a 2 night add on after the 2020 cruise. With the current sailiing we get one night as part of the cruise. Not sure how much touring time one gets with a B2B on the em/dis embarkation day? will
DCL figure out a system if they have so many? for HNL we had planned to do the Kahlua Ranch movie tour ( that beach in the area) , Waikiki Beach, Visit Aulani to buy pins and stuff, possiblity Pearl Harbour. Not sure if a B2B allows all this.
2. We are GTY and most likely will not have same cabin. So packing still an issue.
3. 4 days on Kauai- to be honest other islands appeal to us. Is there that much to see and do here? For the love of God why isnt Maui the overnight as with other cruise lines. sorry my vent on that.
4. We have a Hawiian air oneway credit from the cancelled cruise.. This will most likely expire anyways ,but if it doesnt we have a 800 credit we will give up.
5. Price.. we like cat 9C and higher. even that and onboard costs we are looking at 6000. As I posted in the other thread.. that is 600 a night... 5 of those nights are sea days... We enjoy sea days.. but I have feeling I will be thinking by then we could have used one or two of those days and money to see more of HNL..
6. Work. We are reorganizing and who knows where I will be, or my boss. This requires almost a month off.
So obviously the Cons outweight the pros really.
But why do I keep thinking about this.?? I think maybe I have trip planning exhaustion? spent past year and half working on the 2020 sailing and also saving my mom a long flight back and dealing with that luggage issue.