A couple weeks ago, I watched the Hawaii Super Ferry, Alakai (which means “ocean path” in Hawaiian) coming in, from the Ala Moana Beach Park. It was a pretty amazing sight, and I could tell that people around me were getting excited too. Today, Hawaii Super Ferry hosted a free tour of the ferry for 4000 lucky individuals (wish I was there too…). Many visitors seemed to like the amenitites they provide, and the vessel seemed very comfortable. If you were not one of those lucky people who got to preview the ferry today, don’t worry. Hawaii Super Ferry is planning to set up more free tours in the near future, and those dates will be announced soon. I did sign up for their newsletter, so I will keep everyone posted about the dates. Or you can sign up yourself as well.

I didn’t know that you could pay extra $20 for an access to the first class lounge (Hahalua Lounge). You can have wider reclining seats not to mention a free drink and snack. Since it takes about 3 hours to either Maui or Kaui from Oahu, $20 is definitely worth it.

They already started taking reservations for the travel dates between September 5th and January 15th. However, the Super Ferry expects to have their inaugrual service sooner than that, possibly sometime in August. They still need to complete crew and staff training, route familiarization, and final U.S. Coast Guard certification to begin their services. They are offering daily routes to Kaui and Maui from Oahu. Once the second ferry arrives in 2009, we will be able to take the ferry to the Big Island as well. When you make a reservation, remember that 14-day advance purchase web fares are $8 cheaper than the normal fares. The fares are also $10 cheaper if you travel between Tuesday and Thursday. Oh, don’t try to get to the terminal too late since they will close the terminal 30 minutes prior to a departure.

It is true that nowadays we can get unreasonably cheap airfares for interisland traveling in the mist of the fare wars among three island airlines. However, with the declining quality of airline services, I expect that the Super Ferry will make a pretty significant impact on interisland traveling. Of course, there will be a time when we need to get to outer islands faster, but if you do have some time to spare to breathe fresh salty air, Hawaii Super Ferry will be a wonderful option to have.

So are you intrigued? Here is the story done by KGMB that you can watch to get further insight on Hawaii Super Ferry. Enjoy.

• The Super Ferry is Running
• Maiden Voyage!
• West Oahu Ferry Starting Services in the Summer of 2007

Tags: Hawaii Superferry

               
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