526 thoughts on “Hawaii Travel Upheaval: Stakeholders Livid As Adversaries Now Concur”
Kristine N
We ended up canceling our vacation to Kauai and decided against trying to find accommodations on another island. We are pessimistic that requirements could easily change yet again. It has left a very bad taste in our mouth about going to Hawaii at all. We’ll likely look to the Caribbean or Central America for future vacations.
Jason W.
The idea that you can’t stop quarantine when your negative test comes through makes zero sense. It punishes people for something they can’t control and it encourages people to get tested as early as possible, meaning they have more time to get infected before arriving.
Emilie R
Dead people can’t hold jobs. So keeping hawaii open while covid infections are rising doesn’t make a lot of sense. Each island is it’s own county. On the mainland, two county’s right next to each other have different laws. So while many visitors are confused/frustrated about what’s going on, I suggest they look into the history and overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom. It will definitely offer some insight into the reasons behind each island actions.
Holly
We have a trip to Hawaii coming up soon; we’re planning on January in Honolulu, then February on the big island. Not cancelling yet, but definitely worried that there will be last minute changes that leave us scrambling. Given how long we plan to be there, even allowing quarantine in vacation rentals would be a little peace of mind. But no way I’m blowing the money to be locked in a tiny hotel room for two weeks. As is, I’m looking at our options in Mexico. I truly do understand the need to prioritize public health…but it seems like they had all this time to plan when travel was shut down, and this is hardly a real, functional system for travelers.
Kenneth F
When people go on vacation they want reliable transportation, reliable accommodations, reliable car rental, reliable places to get food, reliable activities and entertainment. At this time Hawaii does not have that. We are anxious to return to Hawaii but will stay home until Hawaii is reliable in all of the above areas.
Kim J
We have just canceled our Hawaiian vacation for the second time. We had plans to visit traveling between 3 islands. Kauai was one of the islands we planned to visit for a week. With the new quarantine restrictions and the problem of getting tested and results back in 72 hours we felt it was too risky to try and there is no way we have time to quarantine for most of our vacation. Resort bubbles don’t work for us because we want to be able to explore all the things Hawaii has to offer. Thank you for all the updates!
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Kim.
Thanks for letting us know.
Aloha.
Kelly K.
We canceled our family Christmas trip to Maui, we love Hawaii and were so looking forward to it! But with all the changing test requirements & issues with testing partners, we couldn’t risk it. There are 5 of us, what if we don’t get test results back in time? What if we have a false positive (some of us had covid months ago). Hawaii is a big, expensive trip. Not worth the worry & troubles. We’re going to Mexico instead.
Mike P
We had to cancel a 14 day trip in May/June 2020 to Kauai and then canceled again to the Big Island in October 2020 because they would not accept our Covid test from our local health department. We had planned to go to Kauai in Jan 2021 but we just cancelled. We are done with Hawaii. These are expensive trips and we have lost money on each cancellation, we plan on spending our hard earned money in a state the wants us to visit.
Scott M.
I am in Maui now and was concerned when there was so much change approaching our travel dates. It worked out but it was difficult to arrange all we needed for the trip. I will likely choose a destination without so many hoops in the future.
Fronn F.
California oregon washington unilaterally agree with kauaii.
West coast does the same, businessman be damned.
S
I see a common denominator in all 4 States
MN
Family of 5 that already had COVID so thought Hawaii would be a great idea. We started reading the requirements and gave up after about an hour of researching the stunningly complex rules. Going to Mexico now.
Lizzy S
I’m still hoping to Return to Hawaii in January but I’m not booking anything yet…just watching. Mahal on hi Loa for the updates. So appreciated.
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Lizzy.
Thanks. We’ll continue reporting on the changes that will be forthcoming.
Aloha.
Chiming T.
Is the mayor still getting a paycheck. Remember this and send him to the unemployment line next election.
RandyB
Aloha.
Few thoughts passed through my brain this week. Our family are spread across the islands and while we are desperate to get home and see them, they are not so desperate to see us because they are scared of us. Hawaii does not have the resources that the mainland has- we all want and need to see our Ohana but the gift of COVID is not welcome. If we were still living there we would be totally against mainland travelers coming to Hawaii given the crazy numbers on the mainland. This is an island with limited resources.
How strapped are even big cities? I had a friend who had outpatient foot surgery get an infection. He spent 2 nights sleeping in the Emergency Room because there were no beds available for him. He then spent 6 days in Raleigh hospital waiting on a hospital that could do the bloodwork he needed. He finally got transferred to UNC Chapel Hill and had open heart surgery!! Perspective: The medical care system is tapped and Hawaii doesnt even come close to the resources in North Carolina (Duke, UNC, etc.) so it is ok for Hawaii to be scared of us and maybe right now is not the time to travel home. Mahalo
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Randy.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts in recent comments.
Aloha.
Lisa T.
I did book a March Girls Trip to Maui. We are hoping a few months makes enough of a difference that we can at least have a clear picture of the guidelines and have enough available resources to comply. We want to experience the Aloha and see the whales…..fingers crossed! AquaAston again came through with a great Cyber Monday deal with a 3 day prior cancellation if needed. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone as we were all involved in trying to deal with this virus. Let’s hope that the vaccine starts to change things.
Timothy K
We plan on 7 weeks in Maui but are about to cancel if things don’t change. We don’t know from day to day what the requirements are. I frankly don’t know how residents put up with this type of inconsistent and, from all appearances, incompetent government leadership.
Chiming T.
Already cancelled my 2 weeks in Maui. Not putting my time and money on these putzes while they screw up the livelihoods of thousands on the island.
Steve r
Great post!! I completely agree and I do live here. A governmet that cares nothing for the people, driven to govern through emotional decisions.
ThomA
Pretty soon….from my perspective, it will be Hawaii for the win…and I’ll be staying home. As someone said, a trip to Hawaii is not cheap. My 25 days runs me close to $5,000!! Am I going to risk it with “will I get a test in time or not?” We have a timeshare and a kitchen, but if I’m going to be “locked up” I might as well sit at my own home where I have a hot tub and can do to the store. I can’t imagine the expense of trying to order food delivery in Kona.
My annual maintenance fee of $2k will be money down the drain. I certainly can’t spend that much at a later date to come. So it is looking more and more like 2022!
Hawaii for the win!
Lee C.
My husband and I scheduled a 3-week trip to The Cliffs in Kauai for November 2020, but postponed it a couple of months ago. We know the resort is a bubble site, but why spend the money to visit if we must stay on property and cannot enjoy the entire island’s beauty? We are scheduled to visit Hawaii Island and Maui in late February-early March, but given the current restrictions, will probably postpone that visit, also. We will eventually be able to resume traveling, but now is not the time for us.
Chris S.
Arizona is looking really nice right now. Hawaii just can’t get it’s act together. The real losers are the residents of the islands. I can choose to spend my money in AZ but residents in HI have to suffer the economic consequences for really poor decisions on the part of the politicians it elected. Barack was right when he said, “Elections have consequences.”. When you elect people who are afraid of their own shadow, this is what you end up with. South Florida is looking pretty good right now too.
Tony L.
Arizona may appear to be good, but they have had nearly 6000 people test positive each day. Traveling there may be extremely risky. I am waiting patiently for the vaccine and will gladly travel to Hawaii next Christmas!
Jo C.
I am lucky to live in Arizona, we may have cases but the death rate is down significantly. Please don’t be a fear monger.
Joerg H.
The death rate is down, but the number of cases is WAY up, so the number of deaths is up. You’re playing Russian Roulette with your life and the lives of your loved ones by not taking COVID seriously. You’re also not considering hospital bed utilization. ICU beds in AZ are at roughly 92% usage. If the upward trend continues you will soon run out of beds It’s not just beds, physical beds are relatively easy to add, it’s the staff that goes with those beds that are hard to find now. Ask anyone who works in the ED or ICU … they will be happy to tell you how overworked they are because COVID patients require more in the way of staff to care for. For example, COVID patients on a vent need to be “proned”. Basically, that means they need to be flipped over from back to stomach every few hours, and then onto their back again. It takes 4 or 5 nurses to do that. Imagine what that’s like during a 12-hour shift, where you probably have 5-10 nurses on staff in the ICU.
Mahina
The mayor is keeping those of us who live here safe. Who vacations in the middle ofa worldwide pandemic anyway? What don’t you understand? It is not safe! Our mayor is trying to keep you from coming here! Come to our island when it is safe to do so. We only have 9 ICU beds.
Joerg H.
Exactly! Who does that? I’ll tell you who, people who don’t take this pandemic seriously. Right now, folks isn’t the time to go on vacation. It’s amazing to me how people just can’t skip their vacation for 2020 and just wait until the second 1/2 of 2021 to go on vacation. I think that the real question people should be asking their elected leaders is “what are you doing to support those businesses and people that are negatively affected by the pandemic”? Right now, I think that our government is letting us down because the answer in a lot of cases is “nothing”. This is particularly true of the Federal government. It’s time they go off their butts and pass some economic relief. For example, a LOT of people are going to lose their unemployment benefits at the end of the year, and nothing is being done to stop it.
Kevin J
Such a good point! We are in the middle of a pandemic. Please people, understand that there is a light at the end of this dark tunnel and, to the extent that we get to the other side, state and county leadership helped!
Daryl D
Is it possible that the leaders in Hawaii government have no idea what’s is happening? Do they listen at all? I spoke to my property managers today and cancellations are skyrocketing. Not just Kauai. All the islands are seeing bookings evaporate as fear of arbitrary changes cause discomfort and discomfort causes people to seek safety. Safety is cancelling. Easier to walk away than worry about it. I am amazed at how many people have decided not just to cancel, but go somewhere else. Breaks my heart to see people spending in Mexico and the Caribbean when our brothers and sisters in Hawaii desperately need the jobs and income. The elected leaders should be ashamed. Wonder it they even know how incompetent they appear. History will not be kind.
Lana K
The leaders in Hawaii know exactly what they are doing.
Its all a part of the Deamoncats plan to shut down everything except BIG business, BIG tech and the FAKE news media and have total control over the little people that they want to control like sheep. They even are talking plans of eliminating private property by 2030.
A good example showing idiots like the mayor cauldwell Have No Clothes was to start tearing down Sherwood Forest in Waimanalo when the shutdowns first started so the people that pay his salary could not protest the destruction of more Hawaiian lands.
Biden, another example of their plans even answered a question yesterday about what he would do if he came in disagreement with harris, ” I would probably have to come up with some kind of disease so I could step down from office”.
So we all really know what’s going on.
SB
That quote from Biden was what he said about his time as VP with Obama.
Lana K
Nope your wrong, it was about him and harris
Joerg H.
… more conspiracy theories …
Salvatore C.
We have been to Hawaii 140 times in the last 23 years. We cancelled Thanksgiving week to Maui. Went to Disneyworld instead. Cancelled Xmas week also just now, back to Disneyworld. Feb trip to Oahu will be cancelled as soon as we plan the next Disneyworld trip. Hawaii, please wake up. Your elected Officials are clueless! We feel so sorry for our many many friends in the Islands suffering for absolutely Nothing. Florida is open and jobs are back, people are making money. We have to wear masks, which I disagree with, but the place is open. There are no surges on top of surges. Restaurants are full, people are spending money. This is a tragedy of your own making.
Rhonda
I think Kauai is going to be hit hard and quick by the loss of revenue from tourists. With the sale of Southwest flights from Long Beach to Honolulu, we were set to go to Kauai (now our favorite island!) but instead chose Maui and booked our flights for February. There is still the concern that the government will change the rules again just before we depart in February and we lose out on our VRBO as there is no coverage for cancellation due to governmental changes.
Kathy
Yes I had a flight for 12/9 to Kauai to visit my family that lives on the island. I ha emotional seen my family for a year now and this is difficult for me as I am a senior citizen and I have 4 small grandchildren on the island
Bernie P
My husband and I love the Hawaiian Islands so much. We have much family history connected to the Islands and would love to return. But it seems things are so uncertain as far as the requirements to travel to the Islands and it appears the requirements can change with little notice. I will be staying current with Beat of Hawaii but I do need more clarity before I book another trip. My heart goes out to all the people of Hawaii.
Paul W
I’m from the Midwest and we usually, like most here, go to Florida. We’ve been locked at home for the duration, and my employer has been emphasizing that I can work from anywhere so decided to treat the family and book two weeks over the holidays on the Island of Hawaii–super new and exciting for us. This was in a fit of optimism just after the new no quarantine policy was adopted. Big mistake. I can move my flights, but not my rental. Now I’m facing just forgoing the 10k and having to stare at my family for two weeks in a cold, funless dark winter or jump on that Delta flight and risk being locked in a room for the duration once I arrive. And the 72 hour window is ridiculous. There are hardly any ‘approved vendors’ in the Midwest–all the spots fill up right away, it’s impossible. If I do get there apparently the locals will hate me for it. All we want to do is hang out in the condo and then go hiking and maybe to the beach. But the attendant criminal risk of an inadvertant infraction makes me feel like I’m in Ocean’s 11 or something. What a nightmare. Florida is so boring and developed and trashy that we were really getting tired of it, but I tell you for a vacation where I just want to relax and not encounter major legal jeopardy it sounds pretty nice right now. I might just switch my Delta credits over to first class to Ft Myers and bit the bullet and rent another condo in Florida if I can find it. Sounds so much nicer than worrying about having to go to jail on your vacation. Not sure if we ever get back to Hawaii. My wife and I honeymooned on Kauai and were looking forward to getting back in the area, but I suppose some things are just better left in the past. I am sympathetic to the limitations on health care facilities in the area, so I don’t want to say I don’t get it. But Hawaii has a big transient population, at some point they need to invest there IF they want to sustain tourism.
Camille
We have been coming to kauai almost every year for 20 years. My oldest son is 13 and has been spending every summer in Kauai since he was 1 years old. We are all missing what feels like our second home. We canceled our trip this December for the fourth time this year when we heard about the shutdown. We rescheduled for next summer are usual time to visit hoping that we will be able to visit without 14 day quarantine. We will not spend our 2 week vacation at a resort bubble. Also I go to Kauai every year to find new makers. I have a small boutique in San Francisco where I sell Hawaiian made products in my mainland shop. I have been ordering products from kauai makers online since March but even for me retail has slowed down and I cannot buy more inventory. I really feel for the small businesses on the island that rely on tourism. It’s heartbreaking. San Francisco Is one of the few cities that have been doing well masking and taking the necessary safety precautions but there is a rise in COVID19 cases which was expected this winter so we are going back to more restrictions to keep us from getting to a place where we don’t have enough ICU beds. It is disappointing to cancel our trip for Christmas when we had already scheduled our flights, accommodations and COVID19 test, but I understand wanting to protect Kauai especially if they have limited ICU beds but I disagree with the Mayor if he plans to open up Kauai after the vaccine becomes available. I think that it will take some time to get it to folks like me and my kids. The only way to save Kauai’s economy is to allow folks with negative COVID19 test to enter and everyone needs to wear a mask everywhere and not gather with folks that are not in their family. Prayer for my friends in Kauai struggling to survive economically and hoping everybody stays safe. 💛
Charlie B.
We have a trip planned to Oahu,Maui & Hawaii at the end of January and have been keeping our fingers crossed. The resent changes have indeed made us reconsider. As this is a rather big & expensive trip for us, we feel we may still be missing some experiences we had hoped for.
Camille
We have been coming to kauai almost every year for 20 years. My oldest son is 13 and has been spending every summer in Kauai since he was 1 years old. We are all missing what feels like our second home. We canceled our trip this December for the fourth time this year when we heard about the shutdown. We rescheduled for next summer are usual time to visit hoping that we will be able to visit without 14 day quarantine. We will not spend our 2 week vacation at a resort bubble. Also I go to Kauai every year to find new makers. I have a small boutique in San Francisco where I sell Hawaiian made products in my mainland shop. I have been ordering products from kauai makers online since March but even fir me retail had slowed down abs I cannot buy more inventory. I really feel for the small businesses on the island that rely on tourism. It’s heartbreaking. San Francisco Is one of the few cities that have been doing well masking and taking the necessary safety precautions but there is a rise in COVID19 cases which was expected this winter so we are going back to more restrictions to keep us from getting to a place where we don’t have enough ICU beds. It is disappointing to cancel our trip for Christmas when we had already scheduled our flights, accommodations and COVID19 test, but I understand wanting to protect Kauai especially if they have limited ICU beds but I disagree with the Mayor if he plans to open up Kauai after the vaccine become available. I think that it will
take some time to get it to folks like me and my kids. The only way to save Kauai’s economy is to slow folks with negative test to enter and everyone needs to wear mask everywhere and not gather with folks that are not in their family. Prayer for my friends in Kauai struggling to survive economically and hoping everybody stays safe. 💛
Bob A.
We love the island and the entire state but this is just too risky. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all, especially those trying to keep above water; however, it is just too risky to even consider coming back anywhere in the forseeable future. At age 74, our time is running out and we can only hope for the future. Thanks for keeping us informed and we’ll look forward to better times.
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Bob.
We’re with you. Thanks again.
Aloha.
ELIZABETH H.
3 of us had a trip planned for Kauai and moved it forward to Jan. However, I don’t know if I can book a flight , if flights are CXD to Kauai. If Kauai does not lift the quarantine, I would definitely go to another island. I think it was a hasty decision, when there was a program in place that just needs some kinks worked out. HI as a whole was “holding steady” compared to the surges on the mainland.I am all for a more rapid result pretest to assure results on arrival; and even a 3 day quarantine for a post test; or a rapid post test. Something reasonable that will not shutdown the economy. So hard on businesses to open and close. I hope there is resolution in the near future.
Roger W
We were planning on a trip to Maui Dec 4th. But due to the strict testing and the lack of official testing sites near me we didn’t think we could get an appointment at the right exact time to get our test and results to qualify for a Hawaii’s rules. The nearsightedness of the governors blessed tests and sites made us realize we were going to lose money if one little thing went wrong. We come to Hawaii every year and we love it, but it seems like the culture there is changing and they don’t seem to like tourist as much. Next year we’re going to use our Marriott units in I Hawaii to go to Newport Coast in California. It doesn’t seem like Hawaii has their act together.
Mark
My wife and I had a trip to Maui scheduled for January. Given the uncertainty around whether a quarantine will be in place on Maui in January, we have cancelled our trip and will try to reschedule when there is more certainty that Hawaii will not have quarantines. Hopefully we will be able to make our 25th Hawaii trip during the summer of 2021. Aloha!
Stephanie A.
That is a much better plan!
Our Hawaii State Director of Health AND the CDC both just recommended against travel at this time, as
Covid-19 is surging across much of the Continental US.
Most residents are supportive of our mayors’ and Governor’s goal of keeping Hawaii as the state with the lowest rate of infection in the country!
(And of course rule making Has been erratic: which drives everyone – resident and visitor alike, crazy!)
Another important point is that there is near universal agreement that the neighbor islands cannot be lumped together with Oahu: the medical facilities Are very different on each neighbor island, and certainly from Oahu. It makes no sense to pretend that there can be one set of rules applicable statewide: although this certainly presents problems for visitors, airlines, and other visitor related businesses.
Curtis C.
Has the Garden Island Grille in Koloa survived the pandemic? We love the food and Thursday night live Hawaiian music. The owner is a transplant from my wives home state of Michigan and he was going to put a lot of money into remodeling the restaurant. Hope all is well.
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Curtis.
We don’t even know them. Will check it out.
Aloha.
Andy
Hi Curtis,
I’m sorry to tell you that the site has been permanently closed. I just drove by it this morning…
Barbara M
That is one of the saddest things I’ve read yet on this site!!!
Linda T
This is not the year to travel- to Hawaii or any other spot. Hard as it is to postpone an adventure, that’s what the covid virus has done to all of us. Until the vaccine is widely distributed, traveling to the Islands or just about anyplace in the world is on hold. No one to blame and plenty of unhappiness to go around- it’s all Covid related.
Mary K.
They are permanently closed. 🙁
Roy H
Aloha Guys
Today we went shopping at the King’s shopping center on the Kohala coast. This is mostly a high end shopping center, close to several resorts. Usually this center is bustling with a few thousand people. Today maybe 40 people. I would say maybe 40% of the shops, stores and restaurants were open. It was a surreal experience. UPS was trying to make deliveries but there was nobody home. Roy’s was open as was Tommy Bahama’s. I’m not a big fan of the non locally owned stores, prefer to shop at the stores that are locally owned.
Mahalo Guys
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Roy.
Thanks for that update from the Big Island.
Aloha.
Keith B.
We have been going to Hawaii once or twice a year for decades. This year we had to cancel our initial trip in April due to the initial Covid limitations. We were excited to book another trip to depart in late November when we heard that the 14 Day quarantine requirement was being lifted. As the departure date grew near and they changed the rules again, it became obvious that we were risking being subject to a 14 day quarantine which is entirely unworkable. So, regrettably, we cancelled our second trip as well. We now plan to wait until after there is a clearer set of guidelines before we will even consider booking the next trip to Hawaii.
Patricia O.
We were on Maui in March and April for our annual 2-month stay. This was during the early days of the pandemic and when the initial state shutdown began, right after our arrival. There was no official quarantine then, but arriving flights had stopped. Strict stay-at-home orders were in place, beaches were closed, take-out only from a very few restaurants scrambling to figure that out. Even condo complex pools, lounges, BBQs were closed. Returning flights to the mainland kept getting cancelled, and getting ourselves home in late April was pretty tricky.
None of this was fun. Our condo felt smaller each week 😕
We are scheduled to return for our usual March/April. But now we’re not so sure. We may skip this year, a first in 26 years. We are watching everything very closely, but a lot of uncertainty.
Our hearts go out to our Maui friends and family struggling to stay afloat. It is so tough on them and is not easy for anyone.
Thanks Beat of Hawaii, our go-to source for up-to-date info. You are appreciated.
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Patricia.
Thank you. We appreciate the update on your recent experience and on planning for your next trip. Please let us know what you decide.
Aloha.
Rey and Carla M
We arrived on Maui yesterday using wahlgreens as our test location 72 hours prior to leaving home. Test results came back at the 36 hour mark with info being downloaded to safe travel site Wednesday nite. Arriving yesterday the wait to get thru Covid screening was about 15 minutes a somewhat longer wait of an hour plus at the car rental booth. Many restaurants are open and we’re enjoying the lack of traffic and crowds on the west side. The local economy needs visitors do what you can to come over especially with the great airfares. Rey & Carla M.
Suzanna G
Rey & Carla M.
I was so happy to read your positive comments about Maui. We’re scheduled to be there Dec 30th to celebrate our daughter’s 25th birthday. You give me hope we will make it there. Thank you!
JSP
We have been traveling to Hawaii the past 10 years , twice some years. We had to cancel both of scheduled trips this year…..Kauai being the focus for this year since we have never been to this island……it appears Hawaii will be off our list for a very long time, possibly no more travel if they implement mandatory vaccines.
Michael S.
Mayor of Kauai is out of his mind. If he thinks this gets him the Governor’s mansion, I think he’s delusional
Erika
My husband and I vacationed in Kauai, Nov 2017. We loved it! It was beautiful and couldn’t wait to return. Last Christmas, we gave our three children a trip to Kauai. My parents were going to join us. Unfortunately, our June 2020 trip to Kauai was cancelled! We rebooked for Thanksgiving, hoping this junk would be figured out. Unfortunately, nope! It wasn’t a risk we were willing to take with all of the rules changing daily! It’s too expensive to vacation in Kauai under these rules and conditions. You are completely at their mercy. We cancelled our trip again and vacationed in beautiful, warm, sunny Florida for a week instead! We made great memories and were welcomed there! We hope to return to Kauai someday, but a lot is going to need to change first! It’s sad to see what their leaders are causing to happen to this beautiful island!
Comments are closed.
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We ended up canceling our vacation to Kauai and decided against trying to find accommodations on another island. We are pessimistic that requirements could easily change yet again. It has left a very bad taste in our mouth about going to Hawaii at all. We’ll likely look to the Caribbean or Central America for future vacations.
The idea that you can’t stop quarantine when your negative test comes through makes zero sense. It punishes people for something they can’t control and it encourages people to get tested as early as possible, meaning they have more time to get infected before arriving.
Dead people can’t hold jobs. So keeping hawaii open while covid infections are rising doesn’t make a lot of sense. Each island is it’s own county. On the mainland, two county’s right next to each other have different laws. So while many visitors are confused/frustrated about what’s going on, I suggest they look into the history and overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom. It will definitely offer some insight into the reasons behind each island actions.
We have a trip to Hawaii coming up soon; we’re planning on January in Honolulu, then February on the big island. Not cancelling yet, but definitely worried that there will be last minute changes that leave us scrambling. Given how long we plan to be there, even allowing quarantine in vacation rentals would be a little peace of mind. But no way I’m blowing the money to be locked in a tiny hotel room for two weeks. As is, I’m looking at our options in Mexico. I truly do understand the need to prioritize public health…but it seems like they had all this time to plan when travel was shut down, and this is hardly a real, functional system for travelers.
When people go on vacation they want reliable transportation, reliable accommodations, reliable car rental, reliable places to get food, reliable activities and entertainment. At this time Hawaii does not have that. We are anxious to return to Hawaii but will stay home until Hawaii is reliable in all of the above areas.
We have just canceled our Hawaiian vacation for the second time. We had plans to visit traveling between 3 islands. Kauai was one of the islands we planned to visit for a week. With the new quarantine restrictions and the problem of getting tested and results back in 72 hours we felt it was too risky to try and there is no way we have time to quarantine for most of our vacation. Resort bubbles don’t work for us because we want to be able to explore all the things Hawaii has to offer. Thank you for all the updates!
Hi Kim.
Thanks for letting us know.
Aloha.
We canceled our family Christmas trip to Maui, we love Hawaii and were so looking forward to it! But with all the changing test requirements & issues with testing partners, we couldn’t risk it. There are 5 of us, what if we don’t get test results back in time? What if we have a false positive (some of us had covid months ago). Hawaii is a big, expensive trip. Not worth the worry & troubles. We’re going to Mexico instead.
We had to cancel a 14 day trip in May/June 2020 to Kauai and then canceled again to the Big Island in October 2020 because they would not accept our Covid test from our local health department. We had planned to go to Kauai in Jan 2021 but we just cancelled. We are done with Hawaii. These are expensive trips and we have lost money on each cancellation, we plan on spending our hard earned money in a state the wants us to visit.
I am in Maui now and was concerned when there was so much change approaching our travel dates. It worked out but it was difficult to arrange all we needed for the trip. I will likely choose a destination without so many hoops in the future.
California oregon washington unilaterally agree with kauaii.
West coast does the same, businessman be damned.
I see a common denominator in all 4 States
Family of 5 that already had COVID so thought Hawaii would be a great idea. We started reading the requirements and gave up after about an hour of researching the stunningly complex rules. Going to Mexico now.
I’m still hoping to Return to Hawaii in January but I’m not booking anything yet…just watching. Mahal on hi Loa for the updates. So appreciated.
Hi Lizzy.
Thanks. We’ll continue reporting on the changes that will be forthcoming.
Aloha.
Is the mayor still getting a paycheck. Remember this and send him to the unemployment line next election.
Aloha.
Few thoughts passed through my brain this week. Our family are spread across the islands and while we are desperate to get home and see them, they are not so desperate to see us because they are scared of us. Hawaii does not have the resources that the mainland has- we all want and need to see our Ohana but the gift of COVID is not welcome. If we were still living there we would be totally against mainland travelers coming to Hawaii given the crazy numbers on the mainland. This is an island with limited resources.
How strapped are even big cities? I had a friend who had outpatient foot surgery get an infection. He spent 2 nights sleeping in the Emergency Room because there were no beds available for him. He then spent 6 days in Raleigh hospital waiting on a hospital that could do the bloodwork he needed. He finally got transferred to UNC Chapel Hill and had open heart surgery!! Perspective: The medical care system is tapped and Hawaii doesnt even come close to the resources in North Carolina (Duke, UNC, etc.) so it is ok for Hawaii to be scared of us and maybe right now is not the time to travel home. Mahalo
Hi Randy.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts in recent comments.
Aloha.
I did book a March Girls Trip to Maui. We are hoping a few months makes enough of a difference that we can at least have a clear picture of the guidelines and have enough available resources to comply. We want to experience the Aloha and see the whales…..fingers crossed! AquaAston again came through with a great Cyber Monday deal with a 3 day prior cancellation if needed. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone as we were all involved in trying to deal with this virus. Let’s hope that the vaccine starts to change things.
We plan on 7 weeks in Maui but are about to cancel if things don’t change. We don’t know from day to day what the requirements are. I frankly don’t know how residents put up with this type of inconsistent and, from all appearances, incompetent government leadership.
Already cancelled my 2 weeks in Maui. Not putting my time and money on these putzes while they screw up the livelihoods of thousands on the island.
Great post!! I completely agree and I do live here. A governmet that cares nothing for the people, driven to govern through emotional decisions.
Pretty soon….from my perspective, it will be Hawaii for the win…and I’ll be staying home. As someone said, a trip to Hawaii is not cheap. My 25 days runs me close to $5,000!! Am I going to risk it with “will I get a test in time or not?” We have a timeshare and a kitchen, but if I’m going to be “locked up” I might as well sit at my own home where I have a hot tub and can do to the store. I can’t imagine the expense of trying to order food delivery in Kona.
My annual maintenance fee of $2k will be money down the drain. I certainly can’t spend that much at a later date to come. So it is looking more and more like 2022!
Hawaii for the win!
My husband and I scheduled a 3-week trip to The Cliffs in Kauai for November 2020, but postponed it a couple of months ago. We know the resort is a bubble site, but why spend the money to visit if we must stay on property and cannot enjoy the entire island’s beauty? We are scheduled to visit Hawaii Island and Maui in late February-early March, but given the current restrictions, will probably postpone that visit, also. We will eventually be able to resume traveling, but now is not the time for us.
Arizona is looking really nice right now. Hawaii just can’t get it’s act together. The real losers are the residents of the islands. I can choose to spend my money in AZ but residents in HI have to suffer the economic consequences for really poor decisions on the part of the politicians it elected. Barack was right when he said, “Elections have consequences.”. When you elect people who are afraid of their own shadow, this is what you end up with. South Florida is looking pretty good right now too.
Arizona may appear to be good, but they have had nearly 6000 people test positive each day. Traveling there may be extremely risky. I am waiting patiently for the vaccine and will gladly travel to Hawaii next Christmas!
I am lucky to live in Arizona, we may have cases but the death rate is down significantly. Please don’t be a fear monger.
The death rate is down, but the number of cases is WAY up, so the number of deaths is up. You’re playing Russian Roulette with your life and the lives of your loved ones by not taking COVID seriously. You’re also not considering hospital bed utilization. ICU beds in AZ are at roughly 92% usage. If the upward trend continues you will soon run out of beds It’s not just beds, physical beds are relatively easy to add, it’s the staff that goes with those beds that are hard to find now. Ask anyone who works in the ED or ICU … they will be happy to tell you how overworked they are because COVID patients require more in the way of staff to care for. For example, COVID patients on a vent need to be “proned”. Basically, that means they need to be flipped over from back to stomach every few hours, and then onto their back again. It takes 4 or 5 nurses to do that. Imagine what that’s like during a 12-hour shift, where you probably have 5-10 nurses on staff in the ICU.
The mayor is keeping those of us who live here safe. Who vacations in the middle ofa worldwide pandemic anyway? What don’t you understand? It is not safe! Our mayor is trying to keep you from coming here! Come to our island when it is safe to do so. We only have 9 ICU beds.
Exactly! Who does that? I’ll tell you who, people who don’t take this pandemic seriously. Right now, folks isn’t the time to go on vacation. It’s amazing to me how people just can’t skip their vacation for 2020 and just wait until the second 1/2 of 2021 to go on vacation. I think that the real question people should be asking their elected leaders is “what are you doing to support those businesses and people that are negatively affected by the pandemic”? Right now, I think that our government is letting us down because the answer in a lot of cases is “nothing”. This is particularly true of the Federal government. It’s time they go off their butts and pass some economic relief. For example, a LOT of people are going to lose their unemployment benefits at the end of the year, and nothing is being done to stop it.
Such a good point! We are in the middle of a pandemic. Please people, understand that there is a light at the end of this dark tunnel and, to the extent that we get to the other side, state and county leadership helped!
Is it possible that the leaders in Hawaii government have no idea what’s is happening? Do they listen at all? I spoke to my property managers today and cancellations are skyrocketing. Not just Kauai. All the islands are seeing bookings evaporate as fear of arbitrary changes cause discomfort and discomfort causes people to seek safety. Safety is cancelling. Easier to walk away than worry about it. I am amazed at how many people have decided not just to cancel, but go somewhere else. Breaks my heart to see people spending in Mexico and the Caribbean when our brothers and sisters in Hawaii desperately need the jobs and income. The elected leaders should be ashamed. Wonder it they even know how incompetent they appear. History will not be kind.
The leaders in Hawaii know exactly what they are doing.
Its all a part of the Deamoncats plan to shut down everything except BIG business, BIG tech and the FAKE news media and have total control over the little people that they want to control like sheep. They even are talking plans of eliminating private property by 2030.
A good example showing idiots like the mayor cauldwell Have No Clothes was to start tearing down Sherwood Forest in Waimanalo when the shutdowns first started so the people that pay his salary could not protest the destruction of more Hawaiian lands.
Biden, another example of their plans even answered a question yesterday about what he would do if he came in disagreement with harris, ” I would probably have to come up with some kind of disease so I could step down from office”.
So we all really know what’s going on.
That quote from Biden was what he said about his time as VP with Obama.
Nope your wrong, it was about him and harris
… more conspiracy theories …
We have been to Hawaii 140 times in the last 23 years. We cancelled Thanksgiving week to Maui. Went to Disneyworld instead. Cancelled Xmas week also just now, back to Disneyworld. Feb trip to Oahu will be cancelled as soon as we plan the next Disneyworld trip. Hawaii, please wake up. Your elected Officials are clueless! We feel so sorry for our many many friends in the Islands suffering for absolutely Nothing. Florida is open and jobs are back, people are making money. We have to wear masks, which I disagree with, but the place is open. There are no surges on top of surges. Restaurants are full, people are spending money. This is a tragedy of your own making.
I think Kauai is going to be hit hard and quick by the loss of revenue from tourists. With the sale of Southwest flights from Long Beach to Honolulu, we were set to go to Kauai (now our favorite island!) but instead chose Maui and booked our flights for February. There is still the concern that the government will change the rules again just before we depart in February and we lose out on our VRBO as there is no coverage for cancellation due to governmental changes.
Yes I had a flight for 12/9 to Kauai to visit my family that lives on the island. I ha emotional seen my family for a year now and this is difficult for me as I am a senior citizen and I have 4 small grandchildren on the island
My husband and I love the Hawaiian Islands so much. We have much family history connected to the Islands and would love to return. But it seems things are so uncertain as far as the requirements to travel to the Islands and it appears the requirements can change with little notice. I will be staying current with Beat of Hawaii but I do need more clarity before I book another trip. My heart goes out to all the people of Hawaii.
I’m from the Midwest and we usually, like most here, go to Florida. We’ve been locked at home for the duration, and my employer has been emphasizing that I can work from anywhere so decided to treat the family and book two weeks over the holidays on the Island of Hawaii–super new and exciting for us. This was in a fit of optimism just after the new no quarantine policy was adopted. Big mistake. I can move my flights, but not my rental. Now I’m facing just forgoing the 10k and having to stare at my family for two weeks in a cold, funless dark winter or jump on that Delta flight and risk being locked in a room for the duration once I arrive. And the 72 hour window is ridiculous. There are hardly any ‘approved vendors’ in the Midwest–all the spots fill up right away, it’s impossible. If I do get there apparently the locals will hate me for it. All we want to do is hang out in the condo and then go hiking and maybe to the beach. But the attendant criminal risk of an inadvertant infraction makes me feel like I’m in Ocean’s 11 or something. What a nightmare. Florida is so boring and developed and trashy that we were really getting tired of it, but I tell you for a vacation where I just want to relax and not encounter major legal jeopardy it sounds pretty nice right now. I might just switch my Delta credits over to first class to Ft Myers and bit the bullet and rent another condo in Florida if I can find it. Sounds so much nicer than worrying about having to go to jail on your vacation. Not sure if we ever get back to Hawaii. My wife and I honeymooned on Kauai and were looking forward to getting back in the area, but I suppose some things are just better left in the past. I am sympathetic to the limitations on health care facilities in the area, so I don’t want to say I don’t get it. But Hawaii has a big transient population, at some point they need to invest there IF they want to sustain tourism.
We have been coming to kauai almost every year for 20 years. My oldest son is 13 and has been spending every summer in Kauai since he was 1 years old. We are all missing what feels like our second home. We canceled our trip this December for the fourth time this year when we heard about the shutdown. We rescheduled for next summer are usual time to visit hoping that we will be able to visit without 14 day quarantine. We will not spend our 2 week vacation at a resort bubble. Also I go to Kauai every year to find new makers. I have a small boutique in San Francisco where I sell Hawaiian made products in my mainland shop. I have been ordering products from kauai makers online since March but even for me retail has slowed down and I cannot buy more inventory. I really feel for the small businesses on the island that rely on tourism. It’s heartbreaking. San Francisco Is one of the few cities that have been doing well masking and taking the necessary safety precautions but there is a rise in COVID19 cases which was expected this winter so we are going back to more restrictions to keep us from getting to a place where we don’t have enough ICU beds. It is disappointing to cancel our trip for Christmas when we had already scheduled our flights, accommodations and COVID19 test, but I understand wanting to protect Kauai especially if they have limited ICU beds but I disagree with the Mayor if he plans to open up Kauai after the vaccine becomes available. I think that it will take some time to get it to folks like me and my kids. The only way to save Kauai’s economy is to allow folks with negative COVID19 test to enter and everyone needs to wear a mask everywhere and not gather with folks that are not in their family. Prayer for my friends in Kauai struggling to survive economically and hoping everybody stays safe. 💛
We have a trip planned to Oahu,Maui & Hawaii at the end of January and have been keeping our fingers crossed. The resent changes have indeed made us reconsider. As this is a rather big & expensive trip for us, we feel we may still be missing some experiences we had hoped for.
We have been coming to kauai almost every year for 20 years. My oldest son is 13 and has been spending every summer in Kauai since he was 1 years old. We are all missing what feels like our second home. We canceled our trip this December for the fourth time this year when we heard about the shutdown. We rescheduled for next summer are usual time to visit hoping that we will be able to visit without 14 day quarantine. We will not spend our 2 week vacation at a resort bubble. Also I go to Kauai every year to find new makers. I have a small boutique in San Francisco where I sell Hawaiian made products in my mainland shop. I have been ordering products from kauai makers online since March but even fir me retail had slowed down abs I cannot buy more inventory. I really feel for the small businesses on the island that rely on tourism. It’s heartbreaking. San Francisco Is one of the few cities that have been doing well masking and taking the necessary safety precautions but there is a rise in COVID19 cases which was expected this winter so we are going back to more restrictions to keep us from getting to a place where we don’t have enough ICU beds. It is disappointing to cancel our trip for Christmas when we had already scheduled our flights, accommodations and COVID19 test, but I understand wanting to protect Kauai especially if they have limited ICU beds but I disagree with the Mayor if he plans to open up Kauai after the vaccine become available. I think that it will
take some time to get it to folks like me and my kids. The only way to save Kauai’s economy is to slow folks with negative test to enter and everyone needs to wear mask everywhere and not gather with folks that are not in their family. Prayer for my friends in Kauai struggling to survive economically and hoping everybody stays safe. 💛
We love the island and the entire state but this is just too risky. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all, especially those trying to keep above water; however, it is just too risky to even consider coming back anywhere in the forseeable future. At age 74, our time is running out and we can only hope for the future. Thanks for keeping us informed and we’ll look forward to better times.
Hi Bob.
We’re with you. Thanks again.
Aloha.
3 of us had a trip planned for Kauai and moved it forward to Jan. However, I don’t know if I can book a flight , if flights are CXD to Kauai. If Kauai does not lift the quarantine, I would definitely go to another island. I think it was a hasty decision, when there was a program in place that just needs some kinks worked out. HI as a whole was “holding steady” compared to the surges on the mainland.I am all for a more rapid result pretest to assure results on arrival; and even a 3 day quarantine for a post test; or a rapid post test. Something reasonable that will not shutdown the economy. So hard on businesses to open and close. I hope there is resolution in the near future.
We were planning on a trip to Maui Dec 4th. But due to the strict testing and the lack of official testing sites near me we didn’t think we could get an appointment at the right exact time to get our test and results to qualify for a Hawaii’s rules. The nearsightedness of the governors blessed tests and sites made us realize we were going to lose money if one little thing went wrong. We come to Hawaii every year and we love it, but it seems like the culture there is changing and they don’t seem to like tourist as much. Next year we’re going to use our Marriott units in I Hawaii to go to Newport Coast in California. It doesn’t seem like Hawaii has their act together.
My wife and I had a trip to Maui scheduled for January. Given the uncertainty around whether a quarantine will be in place on Maui in January, we have cancelled our trip and will try to reschedule when there is more certainty that Hawaii will not have quarantines. Hopefully we will be able to make our 25th Hawaii trip during the summer of 2021. Aloha!
That is a much better plan!
Our Hawaii State Director of Health AND the CDC both just recommended against travel at this time, as
Covid-19 is surging across much of the Continental US.
Most residents are supportive of our mayors’ and Governor’s goal of keeping Hawaii as the state with the lowest rate of infection in the country!
(And of course rule making Has been erratic: which drives everyone – resident and visitor alike, crazy!)
Another important point is that there is near universal agreement that the neighbor islands cannot be lumped together with Oahu: the medical facilities Are very different on each neighbor island, and certainly from Oahu. It makes no sense to pretend that there can be one set of rules applicable statewide: although this certainly presents problems for visitors, airlines, and other visitor related businesses.
Has the Garden Island Grille in Koloa survived the pandemic? We love the food and Thursday night live Hawaiian music. The owner is a transplant from my wives home state of Michigan and he was going to put a lot of money into remodeling the restaurant. Hope all is well.
Hi Curtis.
We don’t even know them. Will check it out.
Aloha.
Hi Curtis,
I’m sorry to tell you that the site has been permanently closed. I just drove by it this morning…
That is one of the saddest things I’ve read yet on this site!!!
This is not the year to travel- to Hawaii or any other spot. Hard as it is to postpone an adventure, that’s what the covid virus has done to all of us. Until the vaccine is widely distributed, traveling to the Islands or just about anyplace in the world is on hold. No one to blame and plenty of unhappiness to go around- it’s all Covid related.
They are permanently closed. 🙁
Aloha Guys
Today we went shopping at the King’s shopping center on the Kohala coast. This is mostly a high end shopping center, close to several resorts. Usually this center is bustling with a few thousand people. Today maybe 40 people. I would say maybe 40% of the shops, stores and restaurants were open. It was a surreal experience. UPS was trying to make deliveries but there was nobody home. Roy’s was open as was Tommy Bahama’s. I’m not a big fan of the non locally owned stores, prefer to shop at the stores that are locally owned.
Mahalo Guys
Hi Roy.
Thanks for that update from the Big Island.
Aloha.
We have been going to Hawaii once or twice a year for decades. This year we had to cancel our initial trip in April due to the initial Covid limitations. We were excited to book another trip to depart in late November when we heard that the 14 Day quarantine requirement was being lifted. As the departure date grew near and they changed the rules again, it became obvious that we were risking being subject to a 14 day quarantine which is entirely unworkable. So, regrettably, we cancelled our second trip as well. We now plan to wait until after there is a clearer set of guidelines before we will even consider booking the next trip to Hawaii.
We were on Maui in March and April for our annual 2-month stay. This was during the early days of the pandemic and when the initial state shutdown began, right after our arrival. There was no official quarantine then, but arriving flights had stopped. Strict stay-at-home orders were in place, beaches were closed, take-out only from a very few restaurants scrambling to figure that out. Even condo complex pools, lounges, BBQs were closed. Returning flights to the mainland kept getting cancelled, and getting ourselves home in late April was pretty tricky.
None of this was fun. Our condo felt smaller each week 😕
We are scheduled to return for our usual March/April. But now we’re not so sure. We may skip this year, a first in 26 years. We are watching everything very closely, but a lot of uncertainty.
Our hearts go out to our Maui friends and family struggling to stay afloat. It is so tough on them and is not easy for anyone.
Thanks Beat of Hawaii, our go-to source for up-to-date info. You are appreciated.
Hi Patricia.
Thank you. We appreciate the update on your recent experience and on planning for your next trip. Please let us know what you decide.
Aloha.
We arrived on Maui yesterday using wahlgreens as our test location 72 hours prior to leaving home. Test results came back at the 36 hour mark with info being downloaded to safe travel site Wednesday nite. Arriving yesterday the wait to get thru Covid screening was about 15 minutes a somewhat longer wait of an hour plus at the car rental booth. Many restaurants are open and we’re enjoying the lack of traffic and crowds on the west side. The local economy needs visitors do what you can to come over especially with the great airfares. Rey & Carla M.
Rey & Carla M.
I was so happy to read your positive comments about Maui. We’re scheduled to be there Dec 30th to celebrate our daughter’s 25th birthday. You give me hope we will make it there. Thank you!
We have been traveling to Hawaii the past 10 years , twice some years. We had to cancel both of scheduled trips this year…..Kauai being the focus for this year since we have never been to this island……it appears Hawaii will be off our list for a very long time, possibly no more travel if they implement mandatory vaccines.
Mayor of Kauai is out of his mind. If he thinks this gets him the Governor’s mansion, I think he’s delusional
My husband and I vacationed in Kauai, Nov 2017. We loved it! It was beautiful and couldn’t wait to return. Last Christmas, we gave our three children a trip to Kauai. My parents were going to join us. Unfortunately, our June 2020 trip to Kauai was cancelled! We rebooked for Thanksgiving, hoping this junk would be figured out. Unfortunately, nope! It wasn’t a risk we were willing to take with all of the rules changing daily! It’s too expensive to vacation in Kauai under these rules and conditions. You are completely at their mercy. We cancelled our trip again and vacationed in beautiful, warm, sunny Florida for a week instead! We made great memories and were welcomed there! We hope to return to Kauai someday, but a lot is going to need to change first! It’s sad to see what their leaders are causing to happen to this beautiful island!