Aulani in Jan? Good or Bad idea

[CruznLexi]

Next year is our big 10 Aniv and we would love to go to Aulani weather we do it on cash or points. How is Jan? Also waiting on both RCI and Disney to post fall 2012 rates for cruise. Rumor is the WOnder will go to Hawaii in 2012 in May/Sept. Then we can just stay a few nights 4 on points if I can get in. Or pay the cash.

 

[DenLo]

The weather in Honolulu for January averages in the low 80's during the day and upper 60's to low 70s at night. Sounds like nice weather to me. Although the ocean might be cooler. The water around Hawaii doesn't warm up until April or May and cools down in the fall/winter.

As to the rumor about the Wonder going to Hawaii, the Jones Act would require any non U.S. flagged ship to make a port of call in another country (and Canada and Mexico cannot be used as one of the foreign countries) in order to let passengers embark or disembark in Hawaii. There are no exceptions. So the Wonder would have to travel from Hawaii to Tahiti (or another Polynesian island, not a U.S. Territory either like American Samoa) and back for passengers to get on or off in Hawaii. Or the Wonder would have to be enroute to Australia or Japan then it could pick up passengers in Hawaii or let them off on the return trip.

 

[Donna M]

I thought Canada and Mexico do count.

 

[DenLo]

Not for Hawaii, it has it's own special rules. Canada and Mexico count for mainland U.S. cruising only. Somebody was extra protective of Hawaii when the Jones Act and it's amendments were passed.

Now you could embark in Canada or Mexico and travel directly to Hawaii. But you cannot travel from mainland United States and travel via Mexico or Canada and disembark in Hawaii nor board in Hawaii and return to Hawaii unless you travel to another country. That's why cruises are round trip out of California to Hawaii. The cruise line would be heavily fined even allowing someone to disembark. I've read articles where someone became ill while onboard and the cruise line would allow the sick passenger off in Hawaii but not any relatives because it would be a violation of the Jones Act. Hopefully there are exceptions when the ill passenger is a child. I understand it's a very complicated law. But still very popular with longshoreman unions and congress so it's doubtful that it will change soon.

There are exemptions for American flagged ships, but cruise lines have found that it is difficult to run a cruise ship under U.S. laws. Can you imagine the overtime costs a cruise line would incur each day? Check out the history of NCL in Hawaii. They have some ships as U.S. flagged, but have problems making it profitable.

 

[CruznLexi]

Yes Mexico does count RCI, Hal, Princess do R/T from LA and stop inEnsenda for less than 2 hours we did this on RCI in 07. I would Imagine they would do a cruise which stops in Ensenada and goes to Hawaii and then does HNL to Canada and then the reverse on the way back.

 

[DenLo]

Yes Mexico does count RCI, Hal, Princess do R/T from LA and stop inEnsenda for less than 2 hours we did this on RCI in 07. I would Imagine they would do a cruise which stops in Ensenada and goes to Hawaii and then does HNL to Canada and then the reverse on the way back.

I agree that ships can do a round trip, I have done that cruise a couple of times. However, the ships cannot disembark passengers in Hawaii. The passengers must return to mainland U.S. I believe we are comparing apples and oranges. Roundtrip cruises out of the United States have different rules than cruises embarking or disembarking in Hawaii.

Here's a pretty basic definition of the Passenger ship version of the Jones Act.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Vessel_Services_Act_of_1886

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Not for Hawaii, it has it's own special rules. Canada and Mexico count for mainland U.S. cruising only. Somebody was extra protective of Hawaii when the Jones Act and it's amendments were passed.

Actually, the reason that Canada and Mexico don't count is not because of special rules for Hawaii. The real reason is that there are different rules for one-way cruises between two U.S. ports than for closed-loop cruises that begin and end in the same U.S. port.

Although the restrictions are often blamed on the Jones Act, which is also a maritime law, the applicable law here is the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA) of 1886.

A closed-loop cruise that begins and ends in the same U.S. port only needs to stop at a foreign port. For such cruises, ports in Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean count.

However, a one-way cruise between two U.S. ports must call on at least one distant foreign port, such as a port in South America, Asia, Europe, or the South Pacific.

It's the same reason why no foreign-flagged cruise line offers cruises between New York and Florida with a stop in the Bahamas.

 

[DenLo]

. . . .

However, a one-way cruise between two U.S. ports must call on at least one distant foreign port, such as a port in South America, Asia, Europe, or the South Pacific.

It's the same reason why no foreign-flagged cruise line offers cruises between New York and Florida with a stop in the Bahamas.

I guess I just said it wrong, but what you posted is exactly what I meant. People will not be able to cruise from the U.S. west coast to Hawaii on a one-way cruise.

Thanks for clarifying the law.

 

[DenLo]

Next year is our big 10 Aniv and we would love to go to Aulani weather we do it on cash or points. How is Jan? Also waiting on both RCI and Disney to post fall 2012 rates for cruise. Rumor is the WOnder will go to Hawaii in 2012 in May/Sept. Then we can just stay a few nights 4 on points if I can get in. Or pay the cash.

The weather in Honolulu for January averages in the low 80's during the day and upper 60's to low 70s at night. Sounds like nice weather to me. Although the ocean might be cooler. The water around Hawaii doesn't warm up until April or May and cools down in the fall/winter.
. . .

After seeing all of the flooding in Hawaii this past week maybe January is not the best month. January, February and some of March are the rainy months for Hawaii. The current rainfall amounts are excessive and higher than the norm but I thought I should revise my earlier statement. I have been to Hawaii in March and it was usually just rain showers for 10 or 15 minutes and then the sun came out. But then I've been in Hawaii in May and there was three days of rain. We did all of the touristy tours with raincoats on. But on other trips to Hawaii in both March and May it was sunny and beautiful.

Hope you have a great time.