Hawaii vacation demand is strong. Yet big concerns remain about rules, health, safety, and lost travel dollars.
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144 thoughts on “Hawaii Travel Upended By Concerns And Cancellations Amid Latest COVID Surge”
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Is it at all possible for an unvaccinated not-high-risk individual to visit relatives on Maui? I experienced very bad symptoms from my first and only flu shot 2 years ago, fever, diarrhea, headaches..
If the vaccines don’t prevent transmission why am I any more danger than someone who chose to vaccinate? What provisions are there for people like me?
Joe, You can’t assume that because you had an adverse reaction to the flu vaccine that you will have the same bad reaction to the COVID vaccine. having said that, there’s no guarantee you won’t either. In either case, even if you do have the adverse reaction some people are getting, that’s nothing compared to what might happen if you catch COVID. Ending up on a respirator is far worse than some fever and chills. Do yourself a favor, and get the jab.
Was going the first week of October to Oahu, but just canceled as there are to many restrictions. Hotel swimming pool you have to make a reservation the day before for a 90 minute slot if your lucky. All jacuzzis are closed. Restaurants are first come first served and minimal seating. Masks are required on island. 1,600 new cases of COVID per day. Medical not capable of handling all of this. I lived there up until last year. Best to wait until things turn around so we feel we are making the right decision.
Dear Tracie, that is exactly what I’m doing because right now I just don’t feel comfortable traveling where cases are high. Originally I wanted to come in 2020 but virus hit. So now I’ve decided to postpone for 3rd time for 2023. This is the smartest & safest choice I can make for myself & others. We as human beings are in this together so we need to be taking steps to help protect each other! I’m looking very forward to when I’m sitting on 🛩 traveling to Hawaii. 🌏🏖🏝🍍🥥🕶👙🛍🩴👒😍🐢🐠🌺🌞🌈🌊. It is my lifelong dream to come to Oahu for my vacation trip. My Grandfather was in Navy & in Pearl Harbor. He survived & I’ve always wanted to go to PH to pay my respects since I have a deep connection to our 🇺🇸 history. PH is #1 on my itinerary & my itinerary has been completed for months now. I figure Hawaii isn’t going anywhere, so I can wait. Stay safe & be blessed 😇psalms 31:14, 118:14, & 91:11 ❤
Thanks for keeping people informed!
Aloha BOA buddies. Hope you both are well. These covid comments are getting very boring to read on this Travel blog. They are not even discussing travel, only the virus which they can do on Facebook or their local opinion column in the newspaper. To Ava G go and have a great time. As long as you are healthy and follow the guidelines, you will have a wonderful vacation. Rob and Jeff, please post more travel news than these covid comments. They are really depressing to read. Like they want everyone to be like them. Just use common sense and be diligent and considerate of others. Mahalo appreciate you guys.
Hi Debra.
Thanks! We are choosing to not publish a large number of comments. It is challenging in these highly polarized times. We are not the information arbiters and we wish there to be as free and open a Hawaii-centric discussion as possible. Sigh.
Aloha.
Unless the Big Island imposes stricter restrictions we are still coming in October. Once in a lifetime trip that may never happen again. We will be watching closely.
Dear Andy, I’m planning my once in a lifetime trip to Oahu for 2023 & this is the 3rd postponement. I just don’t feel comfortable traveling right now where cases are high. It has been my lifelong dream to go to Hawaii, so what is alittle more time?! I’ve waited this long. This is the smartest & safest choice I can make for myself & others to be safe! We as human beings are in this virus situation together & we need to be taking steps to keep everyone safe. Stay safe & be blessed….pslams 91:11, 31:14, & 118:14 😇
Fact: Being vaccinated does not make you immune, stop you from getting infected, or transmitting covid. Mandatory pretest should have been required for all visitors and returning residents to Hawaii regardless of vaccination status. Unfortunately real science has now become fringe and state backed science has become real.
The insurance coverage is not up front. They put illness on front page and back page says covid not covered. They should have to put limitations on front where you buy it. Very disappointed cost me 2000 dollars. Very unfair.
Nov trip to BI and Maui, cancelled. Hopefully, things will lighten up bu April 2022. Sad Days!!
The only way we will survive covid is if people get vaccinated and wear masks. Yes, you can get covid if you’re vaccinated, but it will not be anywhere near as bad as if you weren’t. Wearing a mask may be inconvenient, but may help stem transmissions.
I get so discouraged watching the news. I saw a news article from Hawaii about anti vax protesters invading the space of a mobile vaccination site and harassing those there for vaccines. Protesters were suppose to stay on the sidewalk, but felt it was their right to get aggressive.
Vaccines do work. These people who protest have never witnessed the devastation of diseases we have been automatically vaccinated were – polio killed or crippled, measles killed (the older you were, the more likely you’d die) or left you blind. Covid will continue to mutate as long as there are unvaccinated people contracting and spreading the disease. Their hubris hurts everyone.
Dot S., I couldn’t agree more. The politicization of this pandemic is causing untold suffering and death. It’s time for people to stop listening to those politicians and talk show hosts who have a vested interest in dividing us, and simply do the right thing and get vaccinated and wear their masks. When I was a kid, they just lined us up at school and vaccinated us. No one complained, and no one was “consulted” or “did their own research”. It was the right thing to do, and the government just did it.
I suspect that I have made my last visit to Hawaii. You can’t run from covid, you can’t hide, it will be here forever and yet the state chooses fear over prosperity. I had covid, it killed my dad in June. I have wonderful antibodies, yet you don’t care. I’m the safest of the safe and you don’t want my money. Sad. 🙁
Dear Mary Kay, oh no!! I’m very sorry to hear that you lost your Dad…..pslams 34:18😇❤ I wish that covid never existed!! Stay strong, stay safe, & be blessed….pslams 31:14 & 118:14 God bless you!
I have canceled my travel plans to Big Island 2x’s now. I’m ok doing that as I want to keep safe and I also have a deep respect & love for the people and want them to be safe. 🌺
Aloha 🌺 Mariel, That is exactly how I feel also. I’ve postponed my trip until 2023 now for the 3rd time & the 3rd time is the charm, lol! It has been my lifelong dream to come to Oahu for my vacation because my Grandfather was in Navy & in Pearl Harbor. I’ve always wanted to pay my respects since I have a deep connection to 🇺🇸 history! Stay safe & be blessed 😇 pslams 91:11, 31:14, & 118:14🐢🐠🌺🌸🍍🥥🌈🌊🌏🛩🌞🌈🌊🎉🕶👙🛍🩴👒
We have a vacation to Maui in October, from the 19th-28th. We still plan on coming, we are fully vaccinated and have a Hawaii Safe Travel account. If we need to get a negative test, we will do that! We cancelled this trip last year, we plan on coming this year!!
October of this year would have been our 3rd trip to the island of Oahu. We absolutely love it there. We are canceling our trip to do our part to help the islands medical field. We are both vaccinated, but think it best to try later. We will be back in September 2022. Stay safe and Aloha.
Reading the BOH of late I am somewhat surprised by what I sense to be a between-the-lines message that a few commentators convey. The message isn’t strong yet, but I do think it present.
The sense I speak of is derived from the tone of comments along the lines of “infiltrators” “anti-vaxxer” and “… don’t let the door hit you on the way out”. Again, there are not large numbers of these. But I suggest there are enough to have one begin to wonder if perhaps COVID isn’t the primary reason for them, but rather an excuse for some other unspoken and unwritten inclination.
Unfortunately, restrictive access and movement may be a necessity. We once again witness Hawaii’s visitation rate on a downward trend. And we know from a previous slowdown such can be very economically troubling. Thus, I’m just surprised as I think some of these comments may well cause self-inflicted damage in that they just seem to me to be out of phase with what may be required for Hawaii’s economy to quickly recover.
“You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”
– proverb
The rude comments here from apparent residents are not helping Hawaii’s situation. We shoved our 2020 weeks we own into 2021, then shoved all of those elsewhere on the planet that appreciates people coming to spend their hard earned dollars. Hawaii is a lovely place, and I don’t want people who live there getting sick, the same goes for those of us on the mainland. There is far too much politicization going on with this right now. It seems that there is a push to get people to be at each others throats over vaccines, variants, tests, you name it. If we are deeply divided as a nation, we cannot stand. Keep the Aloha Hawaii, and maybe someday we will meet again….or sadly, maybe not.
Aloha
We have lived on Maui for almost 20 years and really loved our life we are retired and have been at our summer home in Alaska. Been able to live a normal life. The friendliness up here is wonderful. Been reading the comments from back home and sadly realize that people are not really wanted there. It is so very sad. Despite enduring winter we are considering relocating up here. Warm friends are a good trade-off for warm weather
As I write this, we sit in Kauai, on a vacation that has been postponed already, twice. As fully vaccinated travelers and healthcare workers, we decided to still make the trip, even to just lay low and social distance at our resort. No one will see us out and about, as we understand the healthcare crisis, first hand. Our timeshare weeks are piling up, and we stood to lose two of them (which we paid handsomely for) if we didn’t come. We also stood to lose our airfare voucher. If Hawaii wants people to cancel, the travel industry needs to be more cooperative. Thank you for still sharing a remote and socially distanced hammock and a couple of palms with us for the next couple of weeks! I promise,we won’t be leaving anything behind, (except for what we contribute to the local economy).
We are heading there Saturday and are just like you, just the two of us, fully vaccinated, all we want is the aloha, sunshine and relaxation at our resort mostly, with a little sight seeing . We waited to plan this trip, and if we were in a large party type vacation, we would reconsider, but it’s just us and we will respect the virus and do our part, just as we do here at home. We will be grateful every day. Mahalo!
Dear HV, I’m glad that you are relaxing!! Have fun & be safe😊 I wanted to tell you thank you very much for serving your community & the 🌎 we live in!! ❤ It takes very special people to work in the health care system. I’ve postponed my trip to Oahu for 2023 & this is the 3rd time doing so. I’m OK with that because it is the smartest & safest choice I can make for myself & others to be safe. It has been my lifelong dream to come to Hawaii for my vacation. I. Looking very forward to the day when I’m sitting on 🛩 traveling! 🌍🏖🏝🌞🌈🌊🐢🐠🌺🍍🥥🕶👙🛍🩴👒My Grandfather was in Navy & I’ve always wanted to go to Pearl Harbor to pay my respects since I have a deep connection to 🇺🇸 history! He survived. Stay safe & be blessed 😇 Pslams 31:14, 91:11 & 118:14
We have booked our third visit to Waikiki in April 2022. Coming from Canada is still tricky given international rules and border issues. We are waiting to see what happens when the fall season is in full swing here and make a decision before year end.
Dear Greg, I was suppose to come to Hawaii in 2022, but I’ve postponed until 2023. It has always been my lifelong dream to come to Oahu for my vacation😍🐢🐠🌺🌏🛩🌞🌈🌊🕶🛍👙🩴👒 I’m looking very forward to when I’m sitting on 🛩 traveling to Hawaii 😊 Take care & stay safe! Psalms 91:11
Looking forward to great deals for our upcoming trip.
We have a cruise to Hawaii planned for late February 2022. At this point I am wondering if Hawaii is even allowing cruise ships to dock? This is our first trip to the Islands and we “were” very excited but, based on this latest news I’m not sure this is going to happen.
We are still on the fence about going. I think (my opinion) it’s ridiculous that Hawaii is deterring visitors when they depend so much on tourists money to survive. This to me leads me to believe that they are wanting government money to survive and not have to work. This would be our third time in canceling our trip in the last 12 months. Thankfully Southwest is an amazing airline that is very flexible. We travel every year in Oct and Feb. Maybe we’ll go and deal with the new rules (that only apply in Hawaii) and maybe we won’t. We just don’t know. Maybe we will find a new vacation place.
Hawaii is our favorite vacation location. We had plans to travel in November 2020 and moved to May 2021. Due to restrictions, we canceled our trip. We would love to return at sometime in the future, but with condition that currently exists that will not happen anytime soon. Vacation should be a time to have the freedom to travel without restrictions. I am not a medical expert, but I feel covid is going to be with us for many years.
Thanks for the info!
Aloha BOH buddies, as always,thanks for the updates.Got our email from the Westin Princeville today wondering if we are still arriving in October. Am still wanting to go, so just taking it day by day with your updates. Mahalo.
Hi Debra.
Thanks. We hope it all works out. Please let us know how your time on Kauai goes.
Aloha.
My favorite place on earth no longer welcomes me so I will be taking my vacation dollars elsewhere. Vacation property being sold and all economic gains this state makes from me and my property will go to a locale far less driven by political subterfuge. Good luck Hawaii.
For weeks I have debated canceling our family trip to the Big Island scheduled to start Sept. 21. I’ve been hoping that Covid rates would level off as the summer season wound down. But they haven’t. All I’ve been reading is that it’s a bad time to visit and the healthcare system is overwhelmed. I even read that it would be irresponsible and immoral to travel now. So today I cancelled. Did I do the right thing? I have no idea. I’m sad and disappointed and hoping that we can visit sometime soon.
Hello , we just canceled for the 2nd time since the pandemic started. I think for all the reasons you mentioned you absolutely did the right thing. It would be unsafe, unwise and disrespectful to the lovely people of Hawaii to travel now. Haven’t they been disrespected enough as history shows? So bravo! May you have peace of mind.
Dear Angelina, well said! I agree. ❤ can’t wait for my turn in 2023!!
Dear Cindy, yes you did the right thing by taking steps to protect others & we as humans are in this together. I was suppose to be coming in April 2022 but right now I just don’t feel comfortable traveling where cases are high. I’ve postponed until 2023. It has been my lifelong dream to come to Oahu for my vacation & I can’t wait for my turn!! 🐢🐠🌺🍍🥥🌎🏖🏝🛩💺🌞🌈🌊 take care of yourself, stay safe, & be blessed 😇 psalms 91:11 & 118:14
We’re both very healthy, in our early 60’s, fully vaxxed, and still plan to make our 3 week trip to Hawaii in October. Incidentally I know of several fully vaxxed individuals here in CA that have had very mild breakthrough infections. We’ll mask up and be cautious, just as we do daily here on the mainland. We’re willing to take the risk that, if we contract covid, it will be mild. We’ll stay at our own vacation rental on Maui (refurbishing and updating), and add another week at another vrbo for our own R & R. Then on to Kauai briefly, just to refurb our rental there, then on to the Hale Koa Hotel on Oahu for a week. This will be our 3rd trip to Hawaii since covid. Our many close associates and staff on Hawaii are happy to see tourism return to the islands, and we’re happy to support them. No one knows how this virus will eventually evolve, but we’ll consult with our medical professionals, get boosters or new vaccines, or whatever the heroic scientists and researchers come up with. After Gov. Ige’s statement on Aug. 23 to consider not going there, we reached out to about a dozen different guests that were scheduled to rent our condos in Sept. and Oct., reiterating that Hawaii was NOT shut down, a private rental is very safe, and they could reschedule if they’d like. Almost all responded, and said they were fully vaxxed, and were very much looking forward to a vacation. Most said they will voluntarily get pre-tested, even though it’s not required for vaccinated travelers, for their own protection, and for Hawaii. The sky is not falling, we’re going to keep living our lives, cautiously and conscientiously. Mahalo for your informative articles, keeping up all posted on the happenings on those beautiful islands!
Being a resident of Maui and a very cautious and protective one at that when it comes to Delta and COVID surge, I would like to thank all the visitors that did cancel or reschedule for a safer time. I know it was a tough decision and you should give yourself a huge pat on the back. Your decisions will protect us, and most importantly your choice will protect the one hospital and their staff that you may need when you do visit here in the future. Our 1 wonderfully staffed hospital is only capable of what one great staff can do.
Aloha Anne, you are very welcome! My original plan was to come in 2020 but virus hit. I postponed for April 2022, & now I’ve decided to postpone for 3rd time for 2023. The 3rd time is the charm, lol! It has always been my lifelong dream to come to Oahu for my vacation & going to Pearl Harbor to pay my respects is #1 on my itinerary. My itinerary has been completed for months now. My Grandfather was in Navy & in Pearl Harbor. He survived! We as human beings are in this virus situation together & we definitely need to take steps to protect each other! I’m looking very forward to the day when I’m sitting on the 🛩traveling to Hawaii🐢🐠🌺🍍🥥🌏🏖🏝🌞🌈🌊🕶👙🛍🩴👒📅 I figure Hawaii isn’t going anywhere so I can wait. I just don’t feel comfortable traveling where cases are so high. Stay safe & be blessed 😇 pslams 91:11 & 118:14
Dear Anne, I started my Hawaii research back in 2019 & I’ve been learning a few things. For example, the Pink Palace of the Pacific was closed to the public after Pearl Harbor happened. The hotel grounds were used for our military to rest & recovery. That was definitely very 🌺🌸interesting to find out about. 😊
We had planned for a 16 day trip in November, but just canceled all of our reservations. Unfortunately, too much unknown and risk at this time. Hoping to reschedule for 2022.
it’s easy to complain about the bread and butter that is tourism when a family can make ner $100k on unemployment..
Let’s see what the sentiment is this winter… Christmas presents don’t pay for themselves.
Hello Sean.
Excellent point.
Lots of that here on the mainland as well. Positions available signs at many many businesses but no takers.
Let’s see what the sentiment is when extended unemployment and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation end and energy policy and inflation driven price increases start to bite.
I am going to wait until November to decide whether to visit. I have travel insurance but my VBRO rental sayys Covid is not a valid reason for canceling.
Wow Joyce, I think that covid is a good reason to cancel. VBRO….this is a health crisis.
Thank you for always providing great information. We had hoped to visit Maui this last summer, but we postponed our plans indefinitely as we figured the mass amount of visitors along with all the covid policies would make things simply not what we desire out of the vacation. We plan to wait it out, what that means exactly is somewhat TBD. We have no current plans to take the shots, and have no desire to visit while the state is struggling to keep up with the number o travelers.
It appears that more than a few, including Hawaii’s government, are receiving their wish.
files.hawaii.gov/dbedt/economic/data_reports/special/total/Total-Aug21.pdf
A comparison of daily air passenger count (excluding Canada and inter-island passengers) in Hawaii between 1 August, 2021 and 31 August, 2021, show a decline from 35,555 passengers on the 1st to 16,924 on the 31st.
Further review indicates an accelerating loss trend occurring in the second half of the month.
What is unclear is whether the trend continues, how long it may continue, and where the bottom is.
“Deja Vu All Over Again”
― Yogi Berra
I have a trip to Maui booked in October, but am seriously considering canceling due to constantly changing pre-arrival requirements and restrictions once there. There are just too many things that could go wrong and ruin an expensive vacation. My sister and I like to take a trip every October, often to Hawaii, but might be staying closer to home again this year. 😢
Thanks for keeping us updated!
Thanks for your regular updates. We are continuing with our plans to fly from Oakland to Lihue this Saturday and we’re expecting to have a wonderful relaxing time at our timeshare in Poipu beach. Mahalo!
We just returned from Kauai after 18 days. 4 days in Princeville then 14 days in Poipu.
Vaccinated?
Get your wrist band from the airline at your check in or gate and you can walk right thru at the Lihue airport baggage claim.
Have your QR code for car rental and for your check in at the resort. Then that’s it!
Other than trying to get restaurant reservations, it was mostly like the 17 years before 2020 for us.
Car rental? Since we’re moving there, we already shipped a car.
Just remember, don’t be impatient with the people who have shown up to work!
Just like here on the mainland those waiting on the government free money to dry up have not gone back to work. A sign at the Chicken in a Barrel in Hanalei offered $35hr pay! Jo Jo’s shaved ice was closed at 12 noon on a Saturday.
Aloha BOH Bro’s
I’ll try and keep it under 2000 characters.
From all my reading on BOH and other travel sites many who postponed travel to Hawaii have reached the end of their grace periods.
It’s either use it or lose it, so the majority of those folks are coming.
I truly believe that most posters on BOH and other travel sites tend to be responsible travelers and older, like over 60. My thought is a majority of folks traveling to Hawaii now verses last summer are over 60, responsible and vaccinated.
As per vaccine passports, we’ve been on convention to Hawaii many times you’re constantly asked for your lanyard with convention ID to enter restaurants and meetings located on property.
So I dug up a couple of old convention lanyards and plan on shoving our CDC vac’s cards in the plastic cover and pretend we’re at a convention.
Pick your fights carefully folks we’re required to show ID everywhere these days one more card isn’t throwing away our rights.
Canceled first trip to Big Island for early November. Too much uncertainty.
Dear Craig, Since the cases are so high right now I don’t feel comfortable traveling anywhere where the cases so I’ve decided to postpone my 1st trip for the 3rd time.
I’ve postponed for 2023
Cancelled my November trip. To much vacillation by the governor, lt governor, and mayors. Nobody seems to have a clue about anything.
It would appear we will cancel for the 3rd year in a row as Hawaii has effectively shut down family travel as children are not able to be vaccinated. All of the ever changing and inconsistent policies do not make me want to come back. I have been an annual visitor the the islands for over 25 years. As the islands made a choice to become totally reliant on tourism, I do not feel making things as difficult and expensive as possible is in their best interests, yet that is what is happening. My vacation dollars may well be spent elsewhere!
Vaccine passports are absolutely ludicrous. The only variant out there is delta. The vaccines have proven to do little to protect against it, and do nothing to stop the spread. So implementation of a passport system does nothing. It is counterproductive if a negative test is not required along with it. We have been going to Kauai for 20 years, usually twice a year. We will not get the experimental vaccine. If required we will dump our timeshare and quit going, because one required they will probably never eliminate the requirement. It is too bad it has come to this. The anti science approach is destroying the Hawaiian economy.
First, the vaccines have been shown to be very effective at preventing severe COVID. That is exactly the problem that that Hawaii is trying to solve. Their hospitals are being overrun by the unvaccinated. Many of the COVID “surges” have been via restaurants, therefore, only allowing people who are vaccinated to work or eat in restaurants makes perfect sense. Next, the Phizer vaccine has received full FDA authorization (no longer emergency authorization), so if your hesentency is about using an “experimental” drug, get the Phizer vaccine and you’re good to go.
It was and still is an experimental vaccine – the current human trials are not over until 2023. It normally takes 8-10 years to get a vaccine approved by the FDA and this vaccine was approved in less than a year – the long term effects are still unknown. This is not your traditional vaccine which uses an attenuated virus but a synthetic gene-based vaccine – This experimental vaccine was never tested on humans until now. It skipped the animal trials and was tested on humans for only two months before granted EUA. Good luck on finding the FDA approved Comirnaty – since the supply of Comirnaty is limited and there is still a huge stockpile of the EUA vaccine, the FDA has authorized its use interchangeably with the EUA vaccine. With an approved vaccine, the drug company can be sued for injury or death from the vaccine, not so with an EUA vaccine. I’m willing to bet Pfizer is going to see if they can get liability protection (like the EUA vaccine) on the approved vaccine before they will manufacture more.
Bye!
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Hi Cyndie T.
Thank you for your sage advice about swinging doors. Doors can sometimes do surprising things.
I think it was just last year when a few of us were finishing up leaving through a doorway when all of a sudden the door flew back and hit the owner right in the hip on the wallet. Terrible injury. Very expensive, and I’m not sure if there has been a full recovery or not.
Don’t worry, we’ll watch out for that door behind us.
“Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else.”
― Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead
This is the third time we have planned this trip. It was a gift from my daughter,and has become a huge headache. Each time we have had to reschedule and lose money. We are fully vaccinated, very healthy, older citizens. We are supposed to be there in October. We have just a short time to pull the plug,I don’t know what to do!
Dear Ava, yes it definitely is a big mess for everyone. I’ve postponed my 1st trip to Hawaii 3 times & now I’ve decided for 2023. The 3rd time is the charm, lol!! I just don’t feel comfortable traveling where cases are so high. I figure Hawaii isn’t going anywhere, so I can wait. Am disappointed but this is the smartest & safest choice I can make for myself & others. Yes I agree with you that it is definitely mind boggling trying to plan a trip to Hawaii with the covid! 😐 Stay strong & you will go to Hawaii when it is meant for you to go. That is what some of my friends & family are telling me! Stay safe & be blessed 😇pslams 91:11 & 118:14 🐢🐠🌺🍍🥥🌏✈💺🌞🌈🌊🕶👙🛍🩴👒
Thank you to Carl E and others like you for staying home and making my upcoming trip safer and more pleasant. I will happily provide proof of vaccination and contribute to Kauai’s economy.
Hello Carl…perhaps you should stay away from doors and doorways as well.