Superferry
 

What is the latest on the Superferry from Honolulu to Maui and the Big Island.

It was a hot topic when I was in the Islands in 04, but I can't find much on it on the 'net.

It seems like a good idea to me, if only because I dislike the Interisland flying drill. It would be really nice if they allowed rental cars to be dropped interisland.

According to the website www.hawaiisuperferry.com, the first ship is expected to be delivered in late 2006, with service to begin in early 2007.

It's been described as an "Airplane on Water":?
http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=33312

There was a thread on this recently with a lot of facts & opinions. Also do a search at www.starbulletin.com and www.honoluluadvertiser.com for the news stories--last I heard, service to Maui is starting at the end of the month. I already boarded it for a preview and will be riding it on a trial run tomorrow.

I've seen several threads on here and tripadvisors mostly on Kauai forums some on Oahu. It's not suppose to start service to the BI until the second one arrives in '09 if I remember right.

I can tell that many folks on Kaua'i are not happy about this thing coming to their island. They call it the Stuperferry.

Here's the thread, one of many:
http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34956532

Ain't going to The Big Island anytime soon, if at all.

I predict financial failure.

Perhaps I'm incorrect, but wouldn't the giant cruise ships (including the 3 NCL ships stationed in Hawaii) do more damage than the superferry? Anyone know the statistics for pollution by the ships in Hawaii's waters?

went to the openhouse yesterday out of curiosity. it's okay. not planning on using it, not on these channels anyway, unless ss1.5, not likely. cost of r/t to include vehicle for 3 is $583. outrageous. we had the hydrofoil when i was a kid. they went under, don't see how the superferry will do any better.

Just rode it this morning! Very nice, all the kids on board loved it. I guess if you are a family traveling inter-island, it's a good thing. I am not their target market, though, so it's hard for me to say.

I wish them the best of luck...

Reply to <font color="blue">MelissaHI<font color="black">,
Where did you go?
How long did it take, was the ride rough((?))</font></font>

I don't see how it can attract enough passengers to stay in business. It made sense when the airlines did away with coupons and air fares were high. Recently, it seems the interisland fares have come down quite a bit (although maybe that's temporary, until Go puts Aloha out of business, who knows). With the fuel surcharges, it would cost around $476 for two adults, one child, and one car for a round trip (including discounts for advance and internet booking). That seems like a lot.

I don't have anything against the ferry though. The big cruise ships are allowed to dump raw sewage so long as they are three miles out (not such a great distance, IMO). The ferry, however, claims they collect all sewage and dispose of it when it returns to land. Also, any rain, water, oil, etc., runoff from the vehicles that are being transported is also collected and disposed of when returning to port, not at sea. They claim to have people watching for whales also.

If all that is true, I think the ferry is less damaging to Hawaii than the big cruise ships. But from a practical point, I just don't see how they will get the ridership they need.

It was just a test run, we didn't land anywhere. We rode out of Honolulu Harbor, a little southeast, then westward toward Waianae but not quite. Then we turned around and came back. it was 1.5 to 2 hours max.

The ride was a little rough because we had to go slow till we passed the bouy outside Honolulu Harbor. The kids onboard thought it was a carnival ride.

Be warned that if you pay in advance for a reservation on the super ferry and the company fails before your trip, you will probably lose your money.

I'm looking forward to giving it a try, myself. No need to return my rental car and rented snorkle gear just to re-rent them all on the next island. And no airport hassle! The first service starts late August and I'll be trying it out in October.

Whenever I take the little ferry from Lahaina to Lanai I always see local families returning with coolers full of Costco purchases. I expect Honolulu retailers will get a big benefit from similar shopping trips.

But it isn't just for tourists and local families. I'm excited by the potential for better produce and restaurant food. Neighbor island farmers have two equally bad choices when it comes to getting their produce to Oahu: expensive air delivery or an infrequent and extremely slow (multi-day) cargo ship. Now they will be able to get their goods to Honolulu without even unloading their truck.

Just as bobludlow giddily describes his anticipation of how shopping will so dramatically improve, environmental activists and local people are extremely concerned about the potential to spread invasive and non-native species and pests from one island to the next. Perhaps Bob has never had to live next to Coqui frogs.
Also, there are big box stores and Hilo Hatties on every island except Lanai and Molokai, and it's not as if locals are going to spend thousand's of dollars in Honolulu.

cheaper to fly...check go! or aloha airlines. They have inter-island flights for less than the superferry and get there in 1/2 hrs time.
Its not just about pollution. Its also about the safety of the Humpback whales. I agree with the prediction of financial failure. Why spend the afternoon on a stomach-dropping ferry when you can get from Kaua'i to BI in a half hour!

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/ap...708220405/1001

surprised passengers got seasick? people didn't put the emergency brakes on? one lady complained her car got salty and now had to take it to the car wash.

funny

Oahu has 7x the population of Maui and 15x the population of Kauai. Anyone who thinks that the shopping is &quot;just as good&quot; on the neighbor islands is misinformed. Likewise anyone who thinks they could fit just as much in two under-20-pound checked bags plus one carry-on as they could in their own car, truck, or RV.

Coqui frogs have already been found in all of the major islands, and the superferry is working with the Hawaii Invasive Species Council to minimize environmental risks. Why a coqui would prefer the superferry to the hundreds of other boats, barges, and planes constantly cruising between the islands is beyond me, though. Maybe they are as &quot;giddy&quot; as I am about the prospect of an alternative to Aloha's cramped seats.