Many of you face the same dilemma with your future Hawaii vacation.
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100 thoughts on “Can You Plan a Future Hawaii Vacation Right Now?”
Many of you face the same dilemma with your future Hawaii vacation.
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We will just keep booking…and canceling as needed. No biggie for us
We can plan and dream all we like, and those dreams are a nice mental escape right now while we quarantine. We’re all looking for comfort and answers, but it’s impossible to know when it will be possible to safely make our plans happen. For my own safety I don’t want to expose myself to a plane’s recirculated air or a cruise ship’s closed quarters, and for the safety of everyone in Hawaii I don’t want to be an unwitting and asymptomatic carrier of the pandemic. For a couple of centuries people from other places have been bringing disease to Hawaii, and we all need to work together to stop that legacy. Hawaii was my home, and I still think of it that way now, so I’m hella protective. As much as I want to be back, especially now because I want a nourishing place to quarantine, the travel wouldn’t be worth the risk to me, and the arrival wouldn’t be worth the risk to Hawaii.
This is frustrating and tough on everyone, everywhere. Unemployment bumps have stopped, evictions can begin, intesr-island cargo shipping is struggling (Young Bros), Hawaii’s ONLY daily newspaper risks being gutted, and HECO has announced that they’re going to start cutting off people’s power. People are losing incomes, especially the folks who worked two or three jobs in tourism-reliant businesses. It’s really clear right now how much of Hawaii’s economy relies on tourism, so I get why people are eager to reopen bars and restaurants and hotels, and the schools that teach keikis so parents can go to work. But going back to work is a huge and deadly risk right now, and no money we make today is worth the death of people we love – and not being able to be with them in hospital, and not being able to have a funeral.
My wife gets daily briefings from epidemiologists, and it’s clear that a total shutdown of about a month is the only way to stop or slow this thing. Everyone is struggling and doesn’t want to do that, but the sooner we do it the sooner we get a handle on this thing. Those people who think they’re somehow immune, who don’t wear masks, who visit restaurants and bars, who attend church, and who party with friends and family, are making things worse for all of us by delaying the end of the pandemic. Airport arrival numbers, quarantine cheater arrest numbers, and more should infuriate us all. Even if these people foolishly believe they’re immune, they put everyone else at risk. Because the disease can live in the air and on surfaces for days, we don’t even have to see those people
…we don’t even have to see those people for them to infect us and the people we love.
This whole situation is a pain in the butt, and we’re all tired of wearing masks and staying indoors and getting everything delivered. We all want to return as soon as possible to the people and places and things we love. But impatience and irresponsibility are quite literally killing us. Let that sink in. So yes, let’s make plans, but not assign dates to them – because impatient and irresponsible people are pushing that date further and further away from us.
Aloha Rob and Jeff!
So, Can You Plan a Future Hawaii Vacation Right Now? Sure you can!
However, clearly it’s not worth it, if you’re only going to be there for a few weeks. Personally, I wouldn’t even try, if you aren’t going for at least a month (and more like 2 or 3 months). Especially if you don’t have a place you can hunker down in for 14 days, that isn’t going to cost you an arm and a leg (friends or family, possibly). Why the heck would anyone pay to sit in a hotel room/condo, and effectively be in solitary confinement (jail)??? Haha! where’s the common sense in that?! 🤷♂️🤨
Mahalo Guys!
Hi Jim.
Thanks again! That makes 99 comments to date.
Aloha.
To the traveler who was going to Hawaii from Canada and was concerned that the borders to the US are closed… I found this today…
“A lot of Canadians don’t know they are allowed to travel by air to the United States,” Montreal-based travel expert Ricky Zhang told CBC
Hello, would anyone please be able to clarify the wording for Hawaiian Airlines reservation booked in August for future 2020 travel? My understanding is that there isn’t a change fee but you have 2 years to rebook, meaning there most like would be a fare increase so you essentially are only left with a credit? If the fare goes up, you are paying the difference, which wouldn’t be a good deal.
This is what is currently listed Hawaiian Airlines is offering two years from the date of purchase to use tickets purchased through the end of August. That date has been moving forward as the travel quarantine remains in effect.
Thank you for any help!
Susan
Hi Susan.
Yes you are correct on how that works.
Aloha.
Just call them! It will be what it will be. We’ve had to rebook twice – once it cost us $100 more 2 round trip and the other time, we got money back!
BTW… When you call them, immediately to to prompt #8. They will text you from there. it’s usually within minutes but once I got hung up, I disconnected, did the routine again and it was barely a minute.
I just rented a condo as a renter for 3+months on Maui in search of a longer term home. Will I be able to quarantine at my condo? Will a taxi be able to take us there from the airport? This is first week of September. Mahalo
Hi Kelly.
Long term as far as we understand is 6 months. Otherwise, it is a short-term rental and no you cannot quarantine there. Taxi is fine.
Aloha.
So if it was changed to a long term rental I could then quarantine there? Mahalo Kelly
Hi Kelly.
Perhaps. Best to check with the county.
Aloha.
Found this posted yesterday…
People who are required to self-quarantine for 14 days must designate a hotel or motel as their designated quarantine location. No person who is subject to the mandatory self-quarantine is allowed to stay in a short-term or vacation rental.
Barbara,
I too had troubles finding anyone who would administer the NAAT test.(No one does) Hawaii’s governor revised that ruling. It’s now acceptable to use any covid test as long as it’s an approved government lab. There many approved labs. However, getting a test in a timely manner is another kind of animal. Hope this is helpful.
As of tonight, it still says NAAT test. And another poster mentioned the two tests are the same but I can’t even find that confirmation. Will check with a doctor tomorrow and will let you know.
Aloha, I am so very saddened by the closures and admittedly selfishly since my husband and I should be getting all geared up for our 2week stay on Maui beginning Aug 28–this one was to be extra special my MAUI-50 but even more than my selfish reasons for wanting my MAUI-50 is that more and more it appears we will not see our Kea Lani OHana and we are very concerned for all of those working at resorts or all of the tour operators and bartenders and waitstaff–I am a travel agent working on automation for over 20 years and I have been furloughed since March–we also adore MAUI but most of all those faces we love and can’t wait to see–we are keeping hope and good thoughts and a lot of prayers for all calling Hawaii home –this impact has to be incredibly difficult as it is for most of us and we hope you all stay well and safe an healthy and we will see you all again–I am going to have my MAUI-50 even if I have to do it later than expected.
MAHALO for all the updates and important info
A Hui Hou
MAUI No Ka ‘Oi
Much love,
AlohaSister
Hi AlohaSister.
Thanks.
Aloha.
At this time with how things are going I cancelled my flights to OGG and Hilo indefinitely.
I have come to the conclusion it is way too much of a hassle and anxiety over SD (Too many people don’t SD at all) it would just make my vacation not a vacation.
I think people should just wait until 2021 because truthfully your vacation isn’t worth potentially spreading the disease. I don’t want to put anyone at risk here or on the islands.
Don’t be selfish and reschedule if you can, or else good luck to you
We are in a state of flux for November. Originally planned 3 weeks/3 islands starting the first week in Kauai with friends. That was cancelled. Our second week is/was on Maui. Have a condo reserved privately and a deposit down on that. Needless to say, that condo owner is ghosting my texts to inquire on even adding those Kauai dates we cancelled on to my original reservation. I am little worried about the owner being silent. I have some time on this, so watching what Hawaii does with their opening plans as that may be what he is doing as well.
The last part of my trip was 3 nights on the BI. Owners have been responsive and flexible if i want to readjust. Our flights aren’t in stone.
It will be just the wife and I. Although we do like to go to restaurants and happy hours, etc. We could avoid that if the vibe or social distancing aren’t working for us. We can make our own gourmet meals and enjoy the scenery by ourselves if that’s the case.
Just read GoHawaii.com post of 08/03 that as of September 1, 72 hour positive will be required as before BUT NOW it will be for an NAAT TEST and I cannot find a single lab in our city of 850,000 that conducts that test!
I thought this also, but check this link
https://asm.org/Articles/2020/April/COVID-19-Testing-FAQs
Doesn’t that state that NAAT is aka PCR?
It appears so which will definitely explain my inability to find reference to it as everything references PCR! For once!!! Good news – well, if you can find a PCR test that doesn’t require you sitting on a line for 5 hours and returns results in a week! This has got to get better? (I’d tried referencing NAAT vs PCR and couldn’t even find that so mahalo for the link!) I bet too many folks were getting the Antibody Test and thinking they created a substitute for the PCR!