Jaunted

Hawaii Travel

Is the Hawaii Superferry Finally Catching On?

July 17, 2008 at 4:45 PM | 1 Comment

After lots of drama, it seems that the Hawaii Superferry is finally catching on. Seats on the boat sold out on some trips over the Fourth of July weekend, and officials say ridership is on the rise. But is that because people genuinely enjoy it?

Doubtful, says Jeff from the Beat of Hawaii blog:

The best deal through September 30 for Oahu-Maui travel is the Superferry, which is $98 round trip. But you must book by August 4.

Hawaiian Airlines and go! are doing the same duopoly that Hawaiian and Aloha Airlines did for years. The average round trip is now back at about $200, which was what it was before go! entered and sometimes dropped prices to below $20 round trip.

Ah hah! So it's not really that people enjoy the Superferry any more than they like flying; it's simply the cheapest way to go island-to-island. We will give 'em some credit though: You can actually take liquids aboard the boat!

Related Stories:
· Superferry Ridership up [KHNL, via]
· Hawaii Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: eye of einstein]

Morocco Travel

Take the Slow Boat to Morocco

April 9, 2008 at 9:00 AM | 1 Comment

Exotic Morocco is one of those countries we always want to know more about. Romantic and spicy, remote yet not that difficult to get to and holiday mecca for plenty of European travelers--we want to go.

And now we know the best way to get there: by ferry from Spain. The UK Times tells us you can get there in as fast as half an hour, but to savor the experience more, they recommend taking an older ferry to travel from Algeciras, Spain to Tangier, Morocco. It takes about two and a half hours.

Our tip is to buy a Moroccan beer on board, sit back and relax while Morocco slides into view. You'll skip all the hassles of lost baggage and flight delays that the average budget flight can bring and even if you don't find meaning in Morocco, you'll have a romantic start to your exploration of northern Africa.

Related Stories:
· Take the Ferry from Spain to Morocco [UK Times]
· Find Meaning in Morocco [Jaunted]

[Photo: ferry-site]

Hawaii Superferry

Adventures of Link: Return of the Superferry

December 17, 2007 at 5:10 PM | 1 Comment

The Hawaii Superferry is back, and along with it protests about environmental damage. After a court ordered the big ship to stop its inter-island journeys this summer, a new decision--and some action by Governor Linda Lingle--has the ship cruising again, at least until an environmental assessment is complete.

While protesters greeted the ferry when it pulled into Maui's harbor late last week, the tone has been quite civil. Maybe that's because the Coast Guard and lots of law enforcement have been watching demonstrators while toting automatic weapons?

Related Stories:
· Book Your Own Controversial Tickets [Official Superferry Site]
· "I think this is great for Hawaii," Passenger Says [KHNL]
· Delays were "very damaging to the company," CEO says [KHNL]
· Hawaii Superferry's Arrival Stays Calm [Honolulu Advertiser]
· Environmental Group Preparing More Legal Action [Honolulu Advertiser]

[Photo: eye of einstein]