Our two week trip to Hawaii was twenty years in the making and my wife and I considered all our travel options very carefully. We booked an Un-Cruise Hawaii for the week of March 5 through 12. For us, the total $9,500 fare is a significant amount and we came into the trip with very high expectations. I would never have imagined that our expectations would be so thoroughly exceeded and that we would finish the week so delighted with the experience.

In our mid-fifties, we consider ourselves physically and intellectually active; we are not content to travel to a warm clime and spend all of our time on a beautiful beach with a book. At first glance, being on a small cruise boat/yacht might sound confining but this was not the case at all. Instead, every day was full of activities, sightseeing, and learning from the time we woke up until we fell asleep exhausted at the end of the day. That said, my “gushing” should not mask the fact that this cruise would not be for everybody. The majority of the guests were very active and if you are not able to get about easily, you may want to consider another, less physically demanding, adventure. The value proposition is largely centered on unique Hawaiian activities. Also you might not be happy with the cruise if you are not “social” but more on this aspect later.

Our Yacht, the Safari Explorer carries 36 passengers and 15 crew. It is a converted research ship. The condition of the passenger common areas and cabins is very comfortable, clean and well kept. It has a full compliment of “toys” (kayaks, paddle boards, exercise equipment, DVDs, library, etc.) and nothing was wanting in that respect. The Bar was very well stocked with top shelf wine, craft beer and liquor. It should be noted that for our week, there were only 16 passengers booked- I understand this is an anomaly that occasionally happens (I tried to book other dates that were full). Read more