Knowing These Critical Issues May Save Your Hawaii Vacation

This isn’t exactly the Hawaii you know from the past. Stay clear of trouble in today’s challenging times.

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66 thoughts on “Knowing These Critical Issues May Save Your Hawaii Vacation”

  1. Thank you, as always, for keeping us updated with more detail than just “Things are busy! Plan ahead!”.

    I’m looking forward to reports from Beat of Hawaii readers as they make their visits – I’m another long-booked traveler wondering what things will be by the end of summer.

    And thank you for the reminder that this hits the people living in the middle of this and working through this crunch extra-hard. I hope more visitors realize that coming as things open up again means we have to be patient. And when we are good visitors it helps bring things back faster. (Because obviously Beat of Hawaii readers are good visitors who tip well, follow instructions/rules and have a good attitude about set-backs. We just have to convince other people to be more like us.)

  2. Thank you Beat of Hawaii for keeping us updated on travel to Hawaii and how things are going. We plan on a trip in December and hope things have improved by then. Again thanks for all your updates!!

    1. Hi Ellen.

      You’re most welcome. Thanks for your first comment, and hope to see you back soon.

      Aloha.

  3. Mahalo for all of your helpful “inside info” from your vantage point in the beautiful state of Hawaii. I am wondering if you know whether the situations you have described are just as true on the Big Island as on Kauai, Maui and Oahu? Please let me know if the restaurants there are having the same understaffed issues as on the other islands. We have flights, vrbo and car (Turo) reservations for early September. I am hoping that there is significant improvement in all the tourist related issues by then. Mahalo for your thoughts on this.

    1. Hi Patrice.

      Thanks. We had you covered on your side note re name by the way. These issues are definitely statewide.

      Aloha.

    2. It’s unfortunate that things have gotten out of control. On the mainland, people can’t get child care for their kids so they have to quit work to care for them. I’m sure it’s the same in Hawaii; maybe even more so. In terms of eating at a restaurant; why not order “to go” and find a nice picnic table at the beach or spread a blanket out and watch the sunset that way? Isn’t that one of the best views you can get?

      Thanks BOH for updates and info; I plan upon being flexible when me and my family go to Oahu in late November…..booked everything a year and a half ago.

      1. Hi Reg.

        Thanks for all your comments. We’re glad to hear you are returning to Oahu this fall.

        Aloha.

  4. I had figured this would happen which is why I was afraid to push out our travel for a 3rd time to August. Our schools start late, so I’m hoping it won’t be as bad at the end of summer. But I made sure to rebook our car rental as soon as we moved it, booked all activities months in advance. Even now, restaurants are already pretty booked for 2months out. I know people were begging for Hawaii to reopen, even me, but with the lack of employees and everything that has happened over the year. I wish the state could have done a slower phase of maximum occupancy to be able to get everyone reacclimated. Summer is a busy time, especially for for places like california and hawaii. If plane flights are sold out and you have a lack of employees, dont add more flights. Keep hotels to a 60 or 75% occupancy. Its going to take a lot more time for everything to settle and heal.

    1. The problem with this is the state can’t control the number of flights, the airlines would need to self regulate and we all know that won’t happen because it’s a supply and demand issue and the Fed isn’t going to get involved. If the seats are full, you can’t limit available rooms because people need a place to stay and the hotels/resorts need to recoup their losses, whether understaffed or not. Us residents are with you..we wish it would have been better controlled and more gradual, but everyone knows about the poor leadership we’ve had during Covid, and sadly, it continues. Thanks

  5. If you are collecting more on unemployment than a job, the job isn’t paying enough. Food service is notorious for this. No one should need to work multiple jobs to support a family. With regards to AirB&B and VRBO, at one time they were “Vacation Rental By Owner”. We use to find such unique places and interesting owners. Now real estate agencies have come in and there are an incredible amount of fees tacked onto your rental. We always enjoy finding a home away from home on vacation, but it’s getting tougher to find reasonable rentals.

  6. We are currently vacationing on Kauai. Yes, there is a shortage when it comes to finding a restaurant to eat. If you do, expect to spend 50-60 dollars for two for lunch. Plan on doing more in home eating. Shop early for groceries. We found shelves empty in Foodland refrigerated cases and plan on spending high prices. Try and catch local farmers markets for produce. Going to the beaches go early to avoid crowds. Hanalei road closure is causing lines of cars to be backed up past Princeville. Parking is also a real issue.
    They are begging for help.
    Kapaa, expect traffic delays when traveling south due to an over amount of traffic. Crazy, never witnessed this in the 30 years we have been coming here.

    1. Guests must be having fun cause I clean vacation rentals and they are trashed.Learn to take shoes off.Keep to sand out.Most of us cleaners have to provide (toilet paper paper towels dish soap sponges our own coins to do laundry detergent trash bags.If you leave a place dirty leave a TIP.

      1. my daughter rents a private car and the condition in comes back in!!! Just horrid. You know people don’t live this way at home… how could they?
        You really learn lot about human nature in this field of work.
        Maybe they are so angry and resentful that they couldn’t have their vacation sooner, they had to wait so long, that they take it out in an immature way and act inconsiderately? I just don’t know.

      2. Even if you don’t leave the place dirty, leave a tip. The housekeeping staff has had a tough year and I know they need and appreciate it.

    2. I am looking forward to finally moving to Hawaii for good! We are looking to leave California and head to the Big Island by the end of the year. We have our home there and have traveled there even during the pandemic. We have tested for Covid so many times going to Hawaii. We have quarantined, we have used Instacart for groceries, we are fully vaccinated, we have seen the fear and distrust that has been instilled in many people. We have also seen the hurting businesses and disrupted lives of those trying to keep their businesses afloat. I miss the Aloha. But I know it is still there. I love Hawaii and I am looking forward to living in a beautiful and amazing place soon.

  7. Wow! Quite the word picture. We’re thinking the Hawaii department of tourism isn’t thrilled with this portrayal. Think we might have to consider out winter Wailea vacay rental.

  8. An amazing circumstance but the same supply side shortages are being felt in all the other 49 states and around the world. We will see what happens when the extra unemployment insurance ends in September for labor but some of the other circumstances like rental cars with the chip shortage is going to take a while to sort itself out. Do you recommend delaying travel to 2022?

  9. Hawaii had more than a year to figure this out. No vision. No planning. No leadership. Best to go elsewhere. Very sad. Always enjoyed our stay on the northshore for 13 years.

    1. well stated! “as if” they didn’t know that tourists would one day return?? Just really dumb of them.

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