Mahalo for supporting Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Enjoy this free story!
The Disney Cruise Line, which made its debut in the Hawaiian Islands in 2012, is returning next year for another limited engagement.
The addition of two 10-day Hawaii cruises, between Honolulu and Vancouver, British Columbia, aboard the Disney Wonder were announced Monday.
On Sept. 7, 2015, a 10-day cruise will sail from Vancouver to Hawaii island and then on to Kauai and Maui before docking in Honolulu. On Sept. 17, 2015, a cruise will leave from Honolulu, sailing on to Maui, Hawaii island and Kauai before docking in Vancouver.
The cruise announcement said guests would enjoy the famous beaches of Waikiki, go to the summit of Haleakala Crater on Maui, explore Kauai’s tropical gardens and waterfalls, and visit an active volcano on the Big Island. Bookings begin May 21. Staterooms aboard the 964-foot ship start at $1,650 per person based on double occupancy.
Disney has not sailed in Hawaii since its inaugural isle cruises in the spring and fall of 2012 attracted as many as 2,700 passengers. Those sailings were timed to celebrate the August 2011 opening of the Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, which is also owned by Disney Cruise Line’s parent company, The Walt Disney Co.
"Disney Cruise Line sailed to Hawaii twice in 2012 for the first time in our company’s history," said Rebecca Peddie, Disney’s manager of public affairs. "Our guests loved those itineraries and the Aloha Spirit of the islands, so we’re thrilled to be returning for two more sailings in 2015."
While Peddie said Disney doesn’t have any plans for a permanent schedule in Hawaii, its latest offerings will augment the isles’ existing cruise market, which experienced a 33.3 percent year-over-year drop during the first quater of 2014.
During the first three months of 2014, Hawaii Tourism Authority statistics showed that 44,100 visitors entered the islands aboard 25 out-of-state cruise ships, down from the 66,089 visitors who came on 34 cruise ships during the first quarter of 2013.
When adding the number of visitors who came by air to board a cruise ship, the number increased to 73,513 in the first quarter of this year, down 19.7 percent from the same quarter last year.
| Day at Disneyland now costs $96
ANAHEIM, Calif. » The price of a ticket at Disneyland is creeping closer to triple digits.
A single-day ticket for either Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park is now $96 for those 10 and up.
The $4 hike went into effect Sunday and is about the same as previous boosts, which usually happen about once a year. Single-day ticket prices have more than doubled since 2003.
The cost for annual passes went up, too.
A Disneyland statement says the price hikes were brought on by a variety of factors but that the tickets represent a great value given the breadth and quality of attractions and entertainment at the parks.
Associated Press
|
71
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM