After years of planning, much environmental scrutiny and at least one start-up delay, it appears that Hawaii Superferry will begin inter-island service on 28.08.
The ferry will operate daily between Oahu and Maui, and Sunday-Friday between Oahu and Kauai. Each trip will take about three hours. A second ferry due to come online in 2009 will add another daily round-trip between Oahu and Maui and commence service between Oahu and the Island of Hawaii.
When the ferry was first proposed, it sounded like a money-saver for Hawaii Islands residents, many of whom found island-to-island air travel beyond their means. Then the idea was pooh-poohed as more air service came online, increased competition and brought airplane ticket prices down.
Others warn that the air competition can’t last forever and predict that some operators will be forced to leave the market, taking cheap ticket prices with them.
Some wonder whether a ferry service will be able to make a go of it. Ferries in Hawaii Islands have been attempted, and abandoned, in the past .
But maybe this is an idea whose time has finally come to stay. Hawaii Islands residents will be spared car-rental money by taking their own vehicles. Vacationers will get a feel of the Pacific and, hopefully, gain a better appreciation of the land.
There’s nothing like approaching the Islands from the ocean to engender respect for their unique place in the world.
The ferry will operate daily between Oahu and Maui, and Sunday-Friday between Oahu and Kauai. Each trip will take about three hours. A second ferry due to come online in 2009 will add another daily round-trip between Oahu and Maui and commence service between Oahu and the Island of Hawaii.
When the ferry was first proposed, it sounded like a money-saver for Hawaii Islands residents, many of whom found island-to-island air travel beyond their means. Then the idea was pooh-poohed as more air service came online, increased competition and brought airplane ticket prices down.
Others warn that the air competition can’t last forever and predict that some operators will be forced to leave the market, taking cheap ticket prices with them.
Some wonder whether a ferry service will be able to make a go of it. Ferries in Hawaii Islands have been attempted, and abandoned, in the past .
But maybe this is an idea whose time has finally come to stay. Hawaii Islands residents will be spared car-rental money by taking their own vehicles. Vacationers will get a feel of the Pacific and, hopefully, gain a better appreciation of the land.
There’s nothing like approaching the Islands from the ocean to engender respect for their unique place in the world.
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