Most people pick an island to stay for a week or so. Each gives you a unique experience. On the Garden Isle of Kauai, you can visit sunny Poipu Beach or go snorkeling at Ke'e Beach before hiking along the Na Pali Coast. In Maui, Kaanapali Beach beckons as a terrific place to enjoy nature and the best of civilization on the same beach,
but you can still take a break to bike down a volcano or traverse the winding Road to Hana by car. Kona on the Big Island puts you in touch with sea turltes and dolphins. Oahu is a most civilized experience in Honolulu, while the North Shore is a dream destination for golfers and surfers.
My oldest daughter Gina and her hubby Laszlo split their honeymoon between two islands, Oahu and Kauai, and they loved every minute of it. There are some tours that take travelers to three or more islands on the same trip, but I personally don't care to visit airports any more than necessary on a vacation.
My favorite way to visit Hawaii is by cruise ship. NCL America made a big spash when they brought modern, American flagged cruise ships to Hawaii for year round cruises with no foreign ports. In order to make this port intensive, all-Hawaii itinerary a reality, NCL America needed to staff their ships entirely with US citizens, and this proved to be an Achilles Heel for some travelers. As to whether understaffed ships early in the business cycle dampened demand or bringing three ships to Hawaii was simply overkill I don't know, but this summer, NCL America has cut back to one ship, the wonderful Pride of America. This is one of my all-time favorite cruises, but I must admit the service can be a little slower than on foreign staffed ships. Hopefully, now that they no longer need to provide three American crews, Pride of America is now staffed with the best professionals from the larger experiment and will never again be understaffed.
You get an overnight stay on both Maui and Kauai, a full day in both Hilo and Kona on the Big Island, and the trip begins and ends on Oahu, while unpacking only once. What's not to like?
During spring and fall, other cruise lines visit Hawaii, repositioning on their way to or from Alaska. Other ships Cruise roundtrip from Southern California or include the Hawaiian Islands as part of a more exotic sweep through the South Pacific.
From all the bumper stickers on cars I see driving around Los Angeles, Hawaii must be the ideal escape for most Southern Californians. I'm certainly a fan, and Julie and I return there regularly, sometimes with others and sometimes alone.
Most people pick an island to stay for a week or so. Each gives you a unique experience. On the Garden Isle of Kauai, you can visit sunny Poipu Beach or go snorkeling at Ke'e Beach before hiking along the Na Pali Coast. In Maui, Kaanapali Beach beckons as a terrific place to enjoy nature and the best of civilization on the same beach, 
but you can still take a break to bike down a volcano or traverse the winding Road to Hana by car. Kona on the Big Island puts you in touch with sea turltes and dolphins. Oahu is a most civilized experience in Honolulu, while the North Shore is a dream destination for golfers and surfers.
My oldest daughter Gina and her hubby Laszlo split their honeymoon between two islands, Oahu and Kauai, and they loved every minute of it. There are some tours that take travelers to three or more islands on the same trip, but I personally don't care to visit airports any more than necessary on a vacation.
My favorite way to visit Hawaii is by cruise ship. NCL America made a big spash when they brought modern, American flagged cruise ships to Hawaii for year round cruises with no foreign ports. In order to make this port intensive, all-Hawaii itinerary a reality, NCL America needed to staff their ships entirely with US citizens, and this proved to be an Achilles Heel for some travelers. As to whether understaffed ships early in the business cycle dampened demand or bringing three ships to Hawaii was simply overkill I don't know, but this summer, NCL America has cut back to one ship, the wonderful Pride of America. This is one of my all-time favorite cruises, but I must admit the service can be a little slower than on foreign staffed ships. Hopefully, now that they no longer need to provide three American crews, Pride of America is now staffed with the best professionals from the larger experiment and will never again be understaffed. 
You get an overnight stay on both Maui and Kauai, a full day in both Hilo and Kona on the Big Island, and the trip begins and ends on Oahu, while unpacking only once. What's not to like?
During spring and fall, other cruise lines visit Hawaii, repositioning on their way to or from Alaska. Other ships Cruise roundtrip from Southern California or include the Hawaiian Islands as part of a more exotic sweep through the South Pacific. 
