Getting to Hawaii..And the World. Best Values!

Hawaiian Sunset
Photo By  Arvind Balaraman

     Barbi and I have been feeling sticker SHOCK at airline prices from Salt Lake City to Honolulu lately.  Fuel prices continue to drive up the cost of Jet-A, and thus flights from here to there.  I have a work associate who has a son serving as a missionary in Hawaii (I Know! Tough gig, huh?), and they would like to return there with him, after he is finished with his service time.  I mentioned to him that airfare from Utah is running between $939 and over $1,200 per person. GAG...Gulp!  Then he stated something I have always known.  "For that kind of money, I might as well cruise there and back."  Uh, YEAH!

     I know this might not be for everyone, especially those who don't have to penny pinch.  But if you have 2 weeks, why not consider a round trip Los Angeles cruise to Hawaii?  Right now, in April 2013, published fares on Princess.com range from $1,695 for an inside to $2,595 for a balcony cabin.  you catch a quick $250 flight to LA, board the ship, and relax.  Two weeks of pure bliss!  No 6 hour flights (Both ways), in a cramped coach seat, where the comfort was left in the terminal.  Here, you can drink a Mai Tai. Get a Tan.  Catch a show.  Watch a movie on the big screen outside.  Visit 4 of the Hawaiian Islands and Ensenada Mexico.  I am telling you, there is no more comfortable and value based way to visit Hawaii!

     Fly to Hawaii ($1,000), Stay in a 4 star resort ($200 per person/per day), Rental Car ($40 per person/per day), and $50.00 for meals per person/per day for 7 days, and stay ONLY on Oahu (Honolulu).   You would EASILY spend $3,000 per person for the trip.  No entertainment. GAS for the rental car is expensive. That is an average of $428 per person/per day.

     Fly to Los Angeles ($250), Board the Golden Princess (4 Star Resort all by itself) and unpack in your balcony stateroom $2,595. Cost would be $2,845 per person. That's $203 per person/per day (Half the price).  And you are not limited to just 1 island, but 4.  A total of 44 hours spend between all the islands port time.  Minimum 9 hours. You can do about anything while you are there.

     So, when considering travelling to a distant land, consider cruising there.  I have a friend who does not like to fly, so they are boarding a cruise ship this month in Australia and cruising to Vancouver, British Columbia.  Travel between New York and London in 6 days. (No Jet Lag There)  Ft. Lauderdale and Rome in 14 days. Ft. Lauderdale and Manaus Brasil.  Los Angeles to Santiago Chile.  Vancouver to Beijing China. No matter the destination, a cruise ship can get you pretty dang close.

We Are Here For You

Dreams of Paradise

     I found myself in a boat with some other fun life loving people, as we headed away from the dock at a high rate of speed.  As we headed out to sea, we encountered our first wave to pass over.  Because of the speed we were traveling at, we soon found ourselves airborne, soaring high in the air, traveling what felt like a mile.  With a loud splash and quite a thud, we landed in the water.  We started cheering and woot wooting, when the boat came to the next wave...a larger one.  This one propelled us even higher.  But unlike the other flight, the front of the boat started to shift and point downward at a sharp angle.  Similar to the experience of one of my youth scout leaders, John, who was sitting on the back of a large river raft that went over a huge wake of some class 5 rapids on the Snake river in Wyoming; which when the front went down, John and all of his large framed body was shot upward and over the bow of the raft; I also was thrown higher up in the air as the boat plummeted down, nose first into the water.  My friends were scattered over a small area, as I spread my arms out and started soaring over the area of the accident.  I saw others who were sitting at tables close by enjoying a lunch, so I called down to them: "Hey! Help!  Right there!  Can you help..." Marty! Don't you have an early morning meeting this morning?  Huh?  Wha...  Oh!  Can't I get that dream back?

     I love the sensation of flying in my dreams.  It is one of my goals (Bucket List ya know), to don a wing suit, jump out of a plane, and soar for miles and miles, before being forced to pull my parachute cord and land safely.  Thankfully we have near supersonic aircraft that can take us anywhere in the world in no time at all.  This means we can visit paradise anytime finances allows us to.  The other day, I received a promotional flyer from Princess Cruises detailing a 28 Day cruise itinerary that is round trip from Los Angeles, and visits Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti, and Bora Bora.  Talk about Paradise!  Tahiti has been on Barbi's bucket list for years, and has been a 30th anniversary wish of ours as well.  Well, Number 30 is 2014..3 years away.  We got time to plan and save money.  When the adventure is $75 per day, the saving is even easier.  We can do this one!

     Some people think paradise is a hot beach.  Some feel it is exotic adventure in the orient.  Others, it would be climbing a tall mountain.  Where is your paradise?  What is on your bucket list?  Do you like to fly in your dreams too?