Here’s a last minute Hawaii cruise deal that came across my desk this morning, which is too good not to mention. The cost is less than half of what we are now seeing for comparable cruises.
The caveat is that one person must be 55+ to get these rates. I’d give them a call, however, no matter what your age. Or grab your parent or other favorite senior (we’re available).
The ship is Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas, which is highly rated on Cruise Critic.
May 3, 2008 Depart Ensenada (Mexico)
May 9-10, 2008 Lahaina (Maui)
May 11, 2008 Kailua-Kona (Big Island)
May 12, 2008 Mount Kilauea (Big Island) Evening Sail!
May 12, 2008 Hilo (Big Island)
May 13, 2008 Arrive Honolulu (Oahu)
Rates per person are $599 inside, $799 outside, and $999 balcony.
Hawaii air travelers are swimming upstream at the moment:
Soaring and unstoppable fuel costs
Bankruptcies of Aloha and ATA
Announced merger of Delta and Northwest
Financial upheaval at Go! (Mesa) Airlines
As a result, airfares are up 30% over the same time last year and it is becoming nearly impossible to find reasonable airfares for any season. Further, the whole mess is completely unpredictable.
Thank you sincerely Arthur Frommer for your kind mention of Beat of Hawaii on your site this week!
We started publishing Beat of Hawaii just over three months ago. This is a generous acknowledgment of both our efforts here and our decades as travelers and travel industry observers.
Lastly, we most appreciate our readers and those who comment on our site. It is through your continued loyal support that we wake up each morning here in Hawaii and keep the Beat going.
1. GoHawaii. Our excellent official state visitor site. You’ll find tons of information about each island, our culture, weather, events, things to do and places to stay. This is “the” place to start.
11. Tripadvisor. Check out their huge number of reviews for hotels, restaurants and activites. But consider our previous cautions.
12. Flyertalk. They have excellent destination forums with suggestions from both locals and visitors, in addition to their renowned airline and car rental forums.
Added Bonus:Hawaii Magazine. Check out their daily posts. Subscribe (we do!) to their print or digital edition published 6 times a year.
Using these sites will help you plan your best Hawaii vacation.
In addition to Wotif, we also use last minute hotel discounters Need it Now (Australia and New Zealand only), and Rates to Go which is owned by Orbitz.
Would you like a vacation in Hawaii, brief or extended, without any costs for hotels or condos? Do you have a cottage, apartment/condo or house that you are willing to exchange?
If so you may want to consider a home swap. This is a growing travel industry trend and may be a perfect solution in our stagnant economy.
I found everything from a Kauai beachfront home to a condo in Lahaina, and even a yurt in Pahoa. Properties are posted with photos, descriptions and maps.
Here are two sites to consider: Home Exchange (20,000 listings and a $99/year fee) and Home for Exchange (10,000 listings and a $59/year listing fee).
Home Exchange was featured in a recent movie called, “The Holiday.” Here’s a clip from the movie which may inspire you to consider a home swap (especially if it includes Jude Law, Kate Winslet or Cameron Diaz).
Suggestions for a successful home exchange:
Do your own research, check with your insurance company regarding liability issues, obtain additional photos or video of the property you’re considering, set up a written agreement and obtain references.
Have you ever tried this? We’d love to hear your experiences with this innovative way to travel for less.
