Ok, so there's so much great information on this site that I find myself overwhelmed at all of the possibilities. I figure it better to just post our specific itenerary and get some of your wonderful feedback.

We are flying into Maui in June for our honeymoon. We are leaving from Oahu 12 days later, and want to also spend time at Kauai as well. We desperately need suggestions on how best to allocate our time between the islands, and also where to stay, in order to maximize our sightseeing potential. We want to splurge on accomodations at maybe one island, and do the rest economically. Your help is much appreciated.

I would stick with only Maui and Oahu since you only have just 12 days.

I think 3 islands in less than two weeks would be too rushed, wasting too much precious time moving hotels, going to the airports, etc..

Maui: I would splash out (nicer hotel or resort) on Maui. Feast of Lele or Old Lahaina Luau and U'lalena are great entertainment options. I like the town of Lahaina. See the crater of Haleakala.

Oahu: For something modest but with great island flair look at The Breakers or The Hawaiiana Hotel on BeachWalk in Waikiki. These hotels are reasonably priced, smaller, independently owned with lots of aloha spirit (~$150/night).

Partly because of the city of Honolulu there are many options of things to see and do. All the natural wonders of Oahu, but also great sight-seeing opportunities like Chinatown, Iolani Palace, Bishop Museum, Pearl Harbor, and all.

I would rent a car on Maui. You can get by with or without one for Oahu.

On Maui, I would go to the Old Lahaina Luau and shopping in the quaint town of Lahaina. Maui is a great island for relaxing on the beaches.
In Oahu, I would go to Pearl Harbor, the Polynesian Cultural Center and sightseeing in the beautiful and lush North Shore.
On both islands, I would rent a car.

I agree with Suze, that for your time span, 3 islands would be too hectic. Oahu and Maui would work just fine. There is so much to do on Maui you could easily spend 7 days there (or a little less if you prefer).
I would highly recommend getting the new 4th edition of the travel book Maui Revealed to map out what you wish to do ahead of time. That can also give you an idea of how many days you want to allocate.
Have a great honeymoon!

Congratulations on your marriage!

I must second the suggestion that you stick with two (2) islands, whichever two (2) you choose. In honor of the honeymoon, why not enjoy, decompress, relax, and save a horserace type of a trip for next time? I would visit Oahu and Kauai, but the mix is totally up to you, of course.

I would also limit luau to one or none. IMHO, these are overpriced and overrated tourist trappy things, and you already saw fireeaters on TV dozens of times anyway.

Where to stay.. Well, it kid of depends on what you mean by splurge and economize. I would venture out to suggest that you refrain from spending too much (whatever this might mean) on Oahu, since there are many-many options available and stay at the Hyatt on Kauai but, again, this would be me.

Anna Roz

Thanks for your advice. I was definately worried about all the time spent with the island hoppin/hotel-changin, but we are more the adventureous/explorer types than the big city/museum/culture center types, which is why we were drawn to Kauai over Oahu. The available flight schedules just weren't as accommodating for us as we would have preferred, and so we have to fly out of Oahu. Not that I'm complaining, cause we do want to surf Waikiki. We also wanted to do the road to Hana and snorkel on Maui for sure, and were thinking we could just relax and do some hiking on Kauai.

What about doing 5 nights on Maui, 4 on Kauai, and 2 on oahu? Too much? Darn, I wish I had one more night!!! Oh well. Que sera sera.

Well, yes, if you don't mind all the hassles of multiple airports, car rentals, and packing and pulling luggage, your idea of 5 nites/4 nites 2 nites split could work and be a lot of fun. For me, I would rather minimize the travel stresses and maximize the relaxation times --- especially on a honeymoon. But I realize you might be of a different temperament on that issue. If so, it could certainly work and you'd have a great time.