Superferry service between islands

[hope54 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close hope54]

Hawaii Interisland Travel - The Alternative to a Hawaii Inter Island Flight

Service to begin June 2007. Oahu to Maui to Kaui and back to Oahu each day. Interesting alternative to travel interisland!

Hope

[marcmuff Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close marcmuff]

How cool is that!!!

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Hawaii tends to be very anti-development. I think the SuperFerry is a cool idea and I will use it frequently.

Read this article that shows how desperate some are to kill this project:

starbulletin.com | News | /2007/02/15/

Basically, the Hawaii State Senate is trying to force an environmental impact study to determine the effects of the SuperFerry on whales and stuff. What a crock. They just want to do anything they can to delay or kill the project.

It's amazing to me that Outrigger got Beachwalk approved with politicians like these.

[bevvy5 Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close bevvy5]

I love the idea. One of the reasons we're not going to two Islands in '08 is that whole day lost for the hop between Islands. By the time you pack everything up for a plane as opposed to chucking it in the trunk, turn in the rental car, get a new rental car, grocery shop again, it's gruelling.

We use the ferry frequently between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. I can't imagine having to fly!!

Let's hop it gets off the ground -- er -- let's hope this flys -- er, you know what I mean!!

Bev

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

Great idea! I'm surprised someone didn't think of it earlier.

I have used some of the interisland ferry services in the Carribean like Sint Maarten to St. Barths. Sint Maarten to Saba, Sint Maarten to Anguilla, Guadeloupe to Dominica to Martinique, and Florida to Freeport. It makes for a good alternative, especially on short hops.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Great idea! I'm surprised someone didn't think of it earlier.

I have used some of the interisland ferry services in the Carribean like Sint Maarten to St. Barths. Sint Maarten to Saba, Sint Maarten to Anguilla, Guadeloupe to Dominica to Martinique, and Florida to Freeport. It makes for a good alternative, especially on short hops.

I don't know that it's a case of someone not thinking of it earlier, but more a case of economics. Some of the anticipated fares that I've seen are not much of a savings from inter-island air fares.

The key to viability for me, as an annual visitor to the islands, is how much savings, if any, I might realize from taking a rental car on the ferry, because unless there's a significant cost savings, I"m not going to ferry from Maui to Kaua'i or the Big Island to Kaua'i.

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

It's great to have another option. It does come down to economics. With a larger family it may make sense since the airfare costs add up fast with a family of four. As it is now we try to stay on the same island for multiple weeks anyway to save the money and hassle.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

Maybe a hydrofoil passenger service would be viable in Hawaii. I have used those on Florida to Freeport, St. Thomas to St. Croix, and Constanza (Romania) to Istanbul routes.

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Saw on the news that the Superferry made it. Reservations are now open.

Hawaii Superferry Opens Reservations This Saturday!
Reservations for inter-island travel on Hawaii Superferry’s Alakai will open at 6 a.m. this Saturday morning! Customers are encouraged to make their reservations online at Hawaii Superferry A Whole New Way To Get Around The Islands for the best fares. Customers may also make reservations by calling 1-877-HI-FERRY (877-443-3779) from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. HST, seven days a week. Commercial and group customers should contact a Hawaii Superferry sales manager at 808-853-4115 (8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday) for assistance with reservations.

Reservations will initially be accepted for travel September 5, 2007 through January 15, 2008. Upon completion of crew and staff training, route familiarization, and final U.S. Coast Guard certification, Hawaii Superferry anticipates that inaugural service will begin sooner, with travel dates beginning in August. Hawaii Superferry will announce those dates, once determined.

Hawaii Superferry A Whole New Way To Get Around The Islands

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

I think this is such great news that I made a sticky of the thread.

[JudyS Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JudyS]

...Basically, the Hawaii State Senate is trying to force an environmental impact study to determine the effects of the SuperFerry on whales and stuff. What a crock. They just want to do anything they can to delay or kill the project....

Of course, planes also have a huge environmental impact, due to such issues as fuel consumption. The intense noise, and the fact that planes resemble predatory birds when viewed from below, can also affect the behavior of wildlife.

I suppose it's possible that the ferry has an equal or greater environmental impact, but I'd tend to think that flying is worse until I see evidence to the contrary.

I still haven't taken my first Hawai trip, but I welcome this alternative for inter-island travel.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

I just went to price out some fares for Oahu to Maui and Oahu to Kauai. It is really expensive given their 30% fuel surcharge.

I think it's cheaper to rent a car and fly on one of the cheap fares. That's a bit disappointing.

[Juleen Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Juleen]

From what I've heard and read the ferry will be much slower than flying even considering all the wait time at airports. However, for locals, it'll be great! They can fill the car with goodies for auntie, add the kids and dogs and drive on. I haven't heard yet how the rental car agencies will handle this situation. Should be interesting. We'll be on island Kauai mid July to mid August so will have to take a look!

[4ARedOctober Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close 4ARedOctober]

Still only Oahu and Maui......I need Big Island and Kauai.

[Juleen Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Juleen]

Superferry

Actually, there was a hydrofoil ferry many years ago between the islands--probably around 30 years. We actually had tickets on it to go from Oahu to Maui, but it went broke before we got to do that. I don't want to cause an uproar but I do have a concern about the speed of the ferry hitting the whales during whale seson. I have read some discussion about perhaps slowing it during that time or banning its use. On the other hand, I can understand how the locals could use it to go visit Auntie Malia on Kauai. Cram the car full of goodies and kids, drive on board and arrive with a car to use. There has also been some discussion about rental cars being able to use the ferry. The last I heard, several of them have said, no.