Advice on Maui or Honolulu

Advice on Maui or Honolulu?
My fiance and I have decided for our honeymoon to go to Hawaii. We plan on staying at either Maui or Honolulu for 5 days then do the 7 night Hawaiian cruise so we can visit the other islands. The cruise ships leaves Honolulu. My question is whether we should just stay 5 days in Honolulu to relax and enjoy it or go to Maui for the 5 days and take the 20 minute flight over to Honolulu the day the ship leaves. The cruise will be docking in Maui for 2 days. I've heard that Honolulu is pretty much just like a city and very commericalized. is there anything fun to do there? Any recommended resorts?
Honolulu - 6 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
If you will be docking on Maui for 2 days, then I would definitely suggest staying on Oahu. Yes, Honolulu is a city, but Oahu is much more than Honolulu. There is snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, beautiful beaches all over the island, swimming with the dolphins on the Waianae coast, the zoo,the Polynesian Cultural Center, art on the fence at Kapiolani Park, views from the mountains, hiking, shopping, good restaurants. People who diss Oahu tend to be folks who stayed in Waikiki & never looked at any of the rest of the island. And Waikiki can be fun too, it just isn't all there is to see here.
2 :
I've lived on Oahu, Molokai, and Maui. I could easily fill five days on a visit to either island. Fun things to do on every island! It's going to come down to personal preference. Oahu has more Asian restaurants, but you're not going to run out of places to eat on Maui, either. If your interest is military history, Oahu has an obvious advantage over Maui. If you want to enjoy some snorkeling, surfing, swimming or sunbathing, all of that is easily done on either island. The big difference is that there's often a lot of traffic and city in between the places you want to go on Oahu. There are a million people on Oahu on any given day. About a hundred thousand visitors, and about 900,000 residents trying to get to school, work, canoe practice, shopping, and home. Maui probably has almost as many visitors, but 1/7 the resident population, and Maui is slightly bigger in area. When a cruise ship like the Pride of America is docked at Kahului Harbor, it's the largest building on Maui, by far! Both locations are pretty sparse on visitors right now. I went to a popular restaurant with a great view the other night, and had half the dining room to myself for twenty minutes. I added a glass of wine and a dessert to my tab and my calorie count out of a sense of community. Sooner or later, their business will affect my own job prospects, indirectly since I work for the government.
3 :
I live on Maui and vacationed on Oahu this summer. I was totally overwhelmed by the sheer number of people in Waikiki and Ala Moana. I vowed to never go there again! Maui is growing, no longer the rural island it once was, but there is lush beauty and South Maui boasts BIG,GORGEOUS beaches with lots of space for you, your towel and your babe. Check out VROB, vacation rental by owner, Two Mermaids B & B. The resort areas are wonderful and I visit the Wailea Resorts often to dine and relax but are very expensive. Visiting the island of Lanai on a day trip from Maui is worth the effort. 45 minute boat ride from Lahaina. Beautiful beach and there are dolphins swimming in the bay often so bring your fins!
4 :
Oahu, Honolulu, reminds me of a mini Las Vegas. The City is rich in Hawaiian Culture. However, it is always overwheming with Tourists. It depends on what you are looking to do while on the Island of Oahu (e.g. relax, Shop, visit beaches). I personally would go to Maui. It is less crowded, and more of what 'hawaii' means. The beaches are less crowded. However if you like to sight see and go-go-go then Oahu is for you! Resorts I Recommend: (Not all properties are clean, please read reviews online!!!) These are just a few that I sell weekly, there are others but it depends on your budget, if you want a view, on the beach? etc. Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach Hilton Hawaiian Village Moderate Resort: ResortQuest Waikiki Beach Hotel Economy: Ohana East
5 :
My husband and I have spent time in both Oahu (1 week there on our honeymoon a few years ago) and on Maui. If you like to do lots of outdoorsy stuff like hike, explore, ziplines, lava tubes etc, we found more variety in the activities available on Maui. It is so much less commercial than Oahu. Of course, Maui also has fantastic snorkeling and scuba diving spots as well. If you want to read more about our experiences on Maui, check out this page: http://www.paradise-found-in-maui.com/things-to-do-in-maui.html You can also click on the tab on the left for Maui Relaxation for more on our Maui experiences. We also prefer our beaches to be un-crowded, and Maui had plenty to offer in that regard as well. http://www.paradise-found-in-maui.com/kaanapali-beach-maui.html http://www.paradise-found-in-maui.com/maui-beach-vacation.html On the other hand, if you like more of a big city feel, then Oahu is the perfect place for you. There's still lots to do, but it has less of a wild feel than Maui. On Oahu, we went to the zoo, a bus tour around the island, Waikiki (we stayed 2 blocks from the beach), the Polynesian Cultural Center (order the Hawaii edition of the Entertainment coupon book for this... the coupon for the cultural center more than paid for the book!) and of course, we took in some shopping too (although I'm not hugely into shopping... it was mostly just to pass the time). So, IF you love a more natural setting, and outdoorsy adventurous-type activities, I'd recommend you spend the 5 days on Maui. There's still places like Lahaina where you can do some shopping, and lots of restaurants to choose from, but overall, it's a much more private, laid-back setting than Oahu. If you prefer people watching, shopping, and entertainment geared for a crown (Ex. Polynesian cultural center), then I'd spend your 5 days on Oahu. I hope this helps! Have a great honeymoon! Sheralyn :)
6 :
If you're going to be on your honeymoon, I would recommend Maui by a mile! I think you'll be disappointed with Oahu once you get there, but that really depends on your take of relaxation. We've been to Maui a number of times for a good reason. Maui has a little bit of everything, but still feels like you're on an ISLAND as opposed to Oahu in which you'll feel like you're in southern california. In Maui, the beaches are less crowded, no big commercial buildings, no traffic, very laid back and 5 days won't be enough with all the things you can do. We love Maui so much my husband and I got married on the beach in Wailea. As far as recommended resorts would depend on your budget. The resorts down in Wailea such as The Grand Wailea and the Fairmont are awesome hotels with beautiful grounds but can be pricey. If you are more on the budget friendly side, I would recommend ResortQuest Mahana Kaanapali. We have stayed here once and we were so pleased. They offer ALL oceanfront condos with a full kitchen which is a great value for your money. We're headed to Hawaii in a couple of weeks ourselves...have a great honeymoon!