B2B Hawaii cruises

Sakura1017

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 26, 2019
For anyone that did B2B for previous Hawaii cruise what did you find as pros and cons. Im debating about keeping both, but the Honolulu to Vancouver was my first priority since it stopped at Hilo and the other did not.

Pro: Wouldn't have to fly back from Honolulu since that's a long flight, potentially being able to get on excursions since double the chances
Con: Can't stay at aulani, potentially up to 22 days of missed work (pre/post days)

In addition, for excursions I would probably book with Disney to avoid hassle of finding own transportation. Did u feel that u got all excursions that you wanted? Did u feel it repetitive and wished you only did one way?

Thanks!
 
If you really want, you can stay at Aulani for one night when the ship will do the overnight stop in Honolulu. Booking a room gives you access to the facilities on either side of your nightly stay.

You can also get off the ship in Maui immediately before Honolulu, fly to Honolulu, do two nights at Aulani, and re-join the ship in Honolulu.
 
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.
 
We only did one in 2015

Our friends did B2B and did one overnight at aulani instead of on ship

For us it was our first visit to Hawaii (from the UK) so had few days in Waikiki first to do island tour/Polynesian/pearl harbour etc
Then 3 nights aulani and just stayed on site
For us we loved it and would do that again rather than B2B
But all depends if you have been before
 


It seems to me that the cost of doing a B2B Hawaii cruise is fairly high, and that the money used for one of those cruises could easily fund a very nice week or more stay at Aulani or even the other non-Disney areas of Hawaii. I would have loved to fly to Hawaii, spend about a week there, then hop on the cruise back home to Vancouver!
 
It seems to me that the cost of doing a B2B Hawaii cruise is fairly high, and that the money used for one of those cruises could easily fund a very nice week or more stay at Aulani or even the other non-Disney areas of Hawaii. I would have loved to fly to Hawaii, spend about a week there, then hop on the cruise back home to Vancouver!
Actually b2b hawaii is actually cheaper than the alaska 9 night cruise that I booked in 2021. In fact, i had a 5a verandah for 3 people and that was about 18k for Alaska. Yesterday I was debating and thinking about splurging and I saw one of the hawaii cruises with concierge as 10 night be around 17.5k. I never booked with concierge so I know deposit is non refundable so I was a little worried. Thats why I withheld picking the room. Lol I am kicking myself for it now.

Its funny since I wanted the hawaii cruise with hilo on it. But when I had the nine night cruise originally with Hilo it was so hard picking an excursion.
 


I’m doing Hawaii b2b and feel like I have 2 days in Honolulu, big tour on arrival day then for disembarkation/embarkation day is to get off in the morning and do a short tour, come back to the pier around 2pm to check back in for the second cruise. (Or you could do some shopping)
I’ve done b2b before when in different cabins between cruises and the luggage moving was smooth...my cabin host moved it for me to my new cabin...he even told me to leave my hanging clothes on the hangers and he’d just carry them over...so sweet of him.
 
Hmm. Not the biggest fan of O'ahu in general. Hopefully you don't get stuck in traffic. If you CAN get off early, like Intr3pid says, two nights at Aulani would be worth it just so you can relax. Going to the North Shore (MUCH less hectic) would be my recommendation unless you're really set on Pearl (back to traffic again). AND. Big AND. If you stay at Aulani and decide to go to the North Shore, head up 750 to 80 to 99, and you can stop at the Dole Plantation Guest site and get a Dole Whip! Then again, you could also get stuck in Wheeler Field traffic on 750<sigh>.
 
3. 4 days on Kauai- to be honest other islands appeal to us. Is there that much to see and do here?

My sister and I spent four nights on Kauai last November after our time at Aulani. We didn't even get to the north side of the island except via our helicopter tour! There is plenty to do and see, but it's more outdoorsy/active. We did the helicopter tour, a sunset cruise of the Na Pali coast, and some hiking (Waimea Canyon) combined with plenty of swimming/beach time.

It's a gorgeous island, but we agreed if/when we go back to Hawaii we would like to see a new island. However, yes...I think there is plenty to do there!
 
My sister and I spent four nights on Kauai last November after our time at Aulani. We didn't even get to the north side of the island except via our helicopter tour! There is plenty to do and see, but it's more outdoorsy/active. We did the helicopter tour, a sunset cruise of the Na Pali coast, and some hiking (Waimea Canyon) combined with plenty of swimming/beach time.

It's a gorgeous island, but we agreed if/when we go back to Hawaii we would like to see a new island. However, yes...I think there is plenty to do there!
Yes I read it's more outdoors, active.. Unfortunately my mom is limited in that aspect. She is mobile but can only hike paths that are flat, not bumpy.. She can do incline but has weak ankles, and balance issue.. Stepping over things is the issue. So rule of thumb if a trail is doable for a stroller, my mom can walk it.. We want to see the Waimea Canyons.. etc.. I saw online there are many look out points from doing a drive.. Does any type of hike trail come to mind that is maybe 2 miles AND has places for a quick sit and rest? We do like to get moving but no rock climbing, no bumpy hikes to get a better view...

Also we want to do a beach too.. do you happen to recall any beaches where it has a gradual incline or easy entrace to the water? My mom also had issues on some beaches where once where you have to fight your way out of the water to the beach, almost like a huge step, KWIM? where you keep sliding back before you hit hard sand to get out of the water... We had a real issue on Conzumel the beach was shallow way out but getting into the water was an issue for MANY people.. had a huge dip with moving sand hills on the water edge... We watched some poor guy who needed 2 people to help him get out of the water. ( he had weight issues and it was rocky too)


I guess one benefit if the island is not so tourist overun, there is less traffic, we hope. we plan on getting a car.
thanks!
 
Hmm. Not the biggest fan of O'ahu in general. Hopefully you don't get stuck in traffic. If you CAN get off early, like Intr3pid says, two nights at Aulani would be worth it just so you can relax. Going to the North Shore (MUCH less hectic) would be my recommendation unless you're really set on Pearl (back to traffic again). AND. Big AND. If you stay at Aulani and decide to go to the North Shore, head up 750 to 80 to 99, and you can stop at the Dole Plantation Guest site and get a Dole Whip! Then again, you could also get stuck in Wheeler Field traffic on 750<sigh>.
We loved Oahu! We did a lot of driving around the island and only spent about 20 minutes actually sitting in traffic. I think you just have to time your trips. We weren’t going or coming from work so it was ok for us.

We have the Hawaii cruise booked but only one way. Too much to see to not have time to stay. We did five nights at Aulani last time. We may do two nights this time but will probably rent a house instead of a hotel.
 
I saw online there are many look out points from doing a drive.. Does any type of hike trail come to mind that is maybe 2 miles AND has places for a quick sit and rest?
I think we ended doing the Cliff Trail in Waimea; but we started from a trailhead near the parking lot and that section was extremely muddy and difficult after some recent rain. There is also the Iliau Nature Loop, which offers a very nice view of the canyon and was easy to access from the road.
do you happen to recall any beaches where it has a gradual incline or easy entrace to the water?
We were staying at the Grand Hyatt, so we spent most of our time at Shipwreck beach. There was a red flag warning during our entire visit, so the surf was always pretty rough. If my memory is correct, I would say this is probably one to avoid. I also took a quick dip at Kiahuna Beach, which was a bit calmer.

I know this isn't the most helpful advice, but hopefully somebody else can chime in! I think that the port is near Lihue, which is about 30-60 minutes away from some of these spots by car. We didn't spend much time in town, so I'm not sure what kind of activities are available on that side of the island.
 
We loved Oahu! We did a lot of driving around the island and only spent about 20 minutes actually sitting in traffic. I think you just have to time your trips. We weren’t going or coming from work so it was ok for us.

We have the Hawaii cruise booked but only one way. Too much to see to not have time to stay. We did five nights at Aulani last time. We may do two nights this time but will probably rent a house instead of a hotel.
That is true. Timing is everything there. And all that said, Honolulu has my most favorite cookie store EVER. If anyone ever has a chance, stop at the Cookie Corner at Bishop and S. King. Worth EVERY penny.
 
If you really want, you can stay at Aulani for one night when the ship will do the overnight stop in Honolulu. Booking a room gives you access to the facilities on either side of your nightly stay.

You can also get off the ship in Maui immediately before Honolulu, fly to Honolulu, do two nights at Aulani, and re-join the ship in Honolulu.

Can you really stay off of the ship when it is overnighting in a port? If so, I assume you have to be back early in the morning to disembark before reboarding for your B2B. Seems like you would have to leave Aulani VERY early.

And is there no problem getting off on Maui and rejoining the ship in Honolulu?
Yes, I've heard that people who get left at a port can fly to the next and rejoin, but does DCL not frown on this?
 
Can you really stay off of the ship when it is overnighting in a port? If so, I assume you have to be back early in the morning to disembark before reboarding for your B2B. Seems like you would have to leave Aulani VERY early.

And is there no problem getting off on Maui and rejoining the ship in Honolulu?
Yes, I've heard that people who get left at a port can fly to the next and rejoin, but does DCL not frown on this?
Yes, you can stay off the ship all night, when it overnights in a port. I agree about having to be back fairly early though to check out on the first cruise.

Legally, there's no issue with leaving the ship in Maui and reboarding in Honolulu, although there could be CBP issues. It would need to be arranged with the ship/cruise line prior to leaving the ship as to whether they will allow it, and what the procedures would be. Probably best to make all those arrangements before the cruise even happens.
 
Thanks, PrincessShmoo. There may be another option for those not wanting to fly.
Can you book a round trip hawaii cruise out of Vancouver and depart the cruise in Hawaii and not return? The Holland America Koningsdam sails from Vancouver on April 10th, arriving in Honolulu on April 18th. You could spend a lttle more than two weeks in Hawaii and return on DCL. Even though you miss the ride back, the HA cruise would be cheaper than doing Disney TO Hawaii, and you get (quite a bit of) time in Hawaii.
 
Thanks, PrincessShmoo. There may be another option for those not wanting to fly.
Can you book a round trip hawaii cruise out of Vancouver and depart the cruise in Hawaii and not return? The Holland America Koningsdam sails from Vancouver on April 10th, arriving in Honolulu on April 18th. You could spend a lttle more than two weeks in Hawaii and return on DCL. Even though you miss the ride back, the HA cruise would be cheaper than doing Disney TO Hawaii, and you get (quite a bit of) time in Hawaii.
Legally, yes. BUT, it has to be arranged by HAL if they will set up debarkation process once in Hawaii, that's up to them. Typically, such early departures on US cruises are not allowed, although they often are on European cruises. You'd also have to pay for the full round trip cruise on K'dam.

The K'dam cruise on April 10th is in 2022. I don't think that'll work for next April.
 
Can you really stay off of the ship when it is overnighting in a port? If so, I assume you have to be back early in the morning to disembark before reboarding for your B2B. Seems like you would have to leave Aulani VERY early.

And is there no problem getting off on Maui and rejoining the ship in Honolulu?
Yes, I've heard that people who get left at a port can fly to the next and rejoin, but does DCL not frown on this?
Yes, you very much can stay in the city when a ship is in port overnight. In fact, for cities that are farther away from the port, the ship (though not Disney) may arrange a nice excursion to stay overnight in a hotel, while arranging transportation at both ends. Like these examples:
https://www.celebritycruises.com/pcp-excursions?duration=3&interest=100000007000000013
That said, you don't need to sleep at Aulani - just need to book the room and check in. The ship arrives in Honolulu on May 5, so you leave the ship and get on a car rental shuttle, pick up the rental car, and set out on the drive to Aulani. The Pearl Harbor Memorial will be on this route, so you can visit it in the morning.

Check into Aulani with a day bag. The room won't be ready yet, but that's no problem. Just hit the resort and enjoy it for the rest of the day.

Late in the evening, drive back to the ship. Park at the pier, and sleep in your stateroom. Clear the B2B check-in the next morning. If you are up for it, return to the resort early, enjoy the half day, return the car, and get back on the ship in the afternoon.
 

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