Hawaii superferry woes have become a positive
December 5th, 2007
Negatives work in Hawaii Superferry’s favor
When I first heard about the Hawaii Superferry coming to the islands I really wasn’t all that excited about it. As a travel agent the Superferry was not offering commissions or any incentive to sell the service. Additionally, I thought that the price point was too high for most people and that tourists wouldn’t really want to spend three hours on a ship no matter how beautiful the scenery is when they could fly in just a few minutes to any of the other islands. I thought the Superferry would live or die on its own merits and the marketplace would dictate its success or failure.
As time went on, and all of the negatives surfaced about Hawaii Superferry with regard to environmental factors, it put the Superferry front and center in the media. I think it turns out that this media attention has actually been very good for the Hawaii Superferry cause. Suddenly they became the "underdog " and everybody loves the underdog right? It put their CEO on all of the newscasts and gave them an opportunity to rally support for the Hawaii superferry. This has all been very good for their publicity and has really made people feel like they should now be able start the service.
While the jury is still out as to whether or not the SupeFerry will be a success, it sure has created a lot of controversy and in the long run all has helped the Hawaii Superferry cause and their business model.
Entry Filed under: Big Island, Hawaii Vacation Links, Kauai, Maui, Oahu
9 Comments Add your own
1. Malia | December 5th, 2007 at 11:21 am
I was on the first voyage of the Superferry to Maui and enjoyed it very much. We were able to see the neighbor islands from views that most people never get an opportunity to see. I think it will be a great way to visit the neighbor islands instead of flying. I really don’t understand why people are so upset by the Superferry when you have the cruise ships and barges constantly coming and going. I think the majority of people on Kauai and Maui do support the Superferry and its just a small minority that do not.
2. Tara | December 5th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
Exactly! I’ve noticed that some of the more vocal oponents are those whose interests are served by NOT having the competition that the Superferry will bring. Would you rather pay Young Brothers several hundred to ship your car one way interisland or less than a hundred to take it on the SuperFerry?
And Pacific Whale Foundations assertions that the Superferry will be damaging to sea life. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the SuperFerry has yet to injure any sea life, while the Pacific Whale foundation has recently hit whales.
http://starbulletin.com/2006/05/07/news/story07.html
http://www.mauinews.com/story.aspx?id=25711
3. Isabel | December 5th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
After reading the comment from Malia, I can’t wait to ride it! I think my kids will really enjoy it as well. They are actually having a $29 special right now!
4. Mark's Surf Widow | December 5th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
As a wife of a boat Captain, I know the situation of the Super Ferry first hand because one of Mark’s long time co-workers became the one of the 3 Skippers on board the SuperFerry….meaning He is the one driving the ship to the outer island. Yes there has been alot of controversy surrounding the ship going in the Hawaiian waters, but what else could we offer anyone as an alternative to the busy airports? My answer….take the wonderful scenic view of the 3 hour ride to Maui, breathe in the incredible ocean water smell, see the dolphins maybe, catch a whale or two, and enjoy the peacefulness of the ride. Here’s what you can say you will NOT have to do….take off your shoes, allow someone to open your bags, dump your stuff out, run a scanner over your body, while they feel for what ever maybe in my undergarments, run to catch a plane, that ends up sitting on the runway, feeling heated in a cabin full of people that didnt’ have a chance to take a shower, and still pay WHAT!?! $100 to fly over to Maui….wait…and you can have a drink on the SuperFerry, use your lap top the whole time, watch a movie, allow your kids to have some freedom to move around…and oh yeah…..enjoy the space of the seat you are in, instead of being crammed between some folks who really love to grind!
I say….take your car, drive it on board and enjoy the ride…isn’t that WHY YOU CAME TO HAWAII IN THE FIRST PLACE?!?!
5. Mark's Surf Widow | December 5th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
As the wife of a local Boat Captain, I know first hand how important it is to the local people for this Super Ferry to survive, my husband’s co-worker of 5 years became one of the 3 Skippers of that ship! his name is Craig and he told Mark that many of the local people want this option of travel and I say, ABSOLUTELY WE DO!
here’s our only means of travel options to visitors and ourselves…drive to the airport, park our car, pay $10 for each day that we are there, wait in long lines to check in luggage, just to have someone say, oops, that bag is too heavy, pay an extra fine and then when you finally get on board, oops, the plane is not ready to go because they are waiting on one more passenger who decided they were going to carry ALL of their luggage on board for a 21 min flight to Maui, and when the plane finally ready to go, you get crammed between some folks who really love to grind….minus any extra space that might be possible, you grin and bear until you land, and then, the pilot comes on the speaker to say that there is a delay in pulling up to the gate….what’s the alternative….you drive from your home to the SuperFerry, you drive your own car or rental onto the ship, with what…your own bags in the trunk…take a seat in a comfortable lounge where they are serving cocktails and juice and your kids get to roam around and have some fun in the keiki section, while you work on your lap top, or take photos, smell the ocean, feel the wind on your face, see a dolphin or whale possibly, and then what….get in your car, and drive off the ship and enjoy the beautiful scenic ride….isnt’ that what you came to Hawaii to do in the fist place!?! ENJOY THE RIDE!?
6. impeachLingle.org | December 6th, 2007 at 10:19 am
Hawaii Superferry the underdog? Give me a break. They bought our governor, they’ve got connections to Bush and Cheney. They don’t care about the environment. They’re mostly funded by YOUR tax dollars and they are causing all kinds of problems to the neighbor islands.
I would urge you to look at the facts instead of the rah, rah PR that is being put out.
The facts are kinda boring…traffic snarls, mixing freight and passengers in a harbor that was maxed out in 2003, bad placement of the barge where harbor pilots and the Army Corps of Engineers had warned of problems, etc. etc.
Not flashy, not interesting except to those of us on Maui who are affected by these problems…but none the less, problems that would have been avoided had the superferry not illegally omitted the public planning process.
The EIS in Act 2 (which was the Superferry Bailout Bill) lacks the crucial requirement of a real EIS — FIXING the identified problems.
To ride the Superferry before the fix these problems is to disrespect the people of Maui. And believe me, we are pretty mad about this inconsiderate behavior.
7. admin | December 6th, 2007 at 10:34 am
All ai am saying is that this negative publicity is working in t”their” favor I am not much of a supporter of the Superferry just to set the record straight!! however al ot of agents here are and I respect that and all positions, Mahalos for you postings, please keep up the effort!!
8. Tara | December 6th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Aloha Karen,
You urge us to look at the facts, well where are the facts?
You make many emotional over the top statements; where is the proof? Real proof, not tin-foil hat diatribes about the neo-con agenda, blah blah blah, ad nauseum. And why refer to the SF as a whale killer? So far they have yet to hit one single whale. I bet the Pacific Whale Foundation wishes they could say the same.
As for the traffic on Maui, it was bad long before the SF was even in the concept stage. Must be all those mainland transplants.
What is disrespectful to the people of Maui is to assume that everyone shares your beliefs.
9. Gabriella | February 7th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
I am considering taking my family on the superferry to Maui.
I have owned and sailed my own 33 foot sailboat for 17 years and have had several trips back and forth through the Molokai channel to Maui in it. My last memorable trip was without an engine. I was pregnant with my first child, it was Christmas time, and in the early morning, before even the first ripples of wind, a mother whale brought her newborn to the surface to breath, holding it up as it took its first gasps of air. The male circled the mother, aggressively asserting itself near us, the obvious intruders. I was beyond words. And even more so after delivering my own 3 children in the perfectly protected hospital setting. My own greatest fear on those trips was to be run over by the tug and barges at night. I contemplated on the whales often as I delivered my children. They obviously couldnt do anything about the fact that our boat was drifting there windless that morning. The best the male could do was threaten us by circling the mother. What do those birthing whales do with all that tug and barge traffic when they are delivering?
I want to go on the superferry and see for myself.
In Washington, I was mortified at the swath of destruction the high speed ferry to Seattle produced. We ran into several large bird groups, splattered all over the windshield, I could see other animals dodging the hull at the last moment in the water. Did they make it? I dont think so. And, we hit a log, so hard, that the captain stopped the boat and went to look at the porthole to the rudder to see if there was damage.
I guess, I mostly wonder about the speed. Can the sea animals hear the boats coming, can they do anything if they are delivering? I always marveled that during the whale birthing season, the tugs and barges werent forced to go outside of the Molokai channel.
So, I have mixed feelings about the “Super” ferry. We ride the ferry system in Washington State all the time. The slow Ferry that is.
By the way, those of you whining about the cars, I beg of you to make your politicians put airports conveniently on the bus and metro routes. I am embarrased that they are even considering bypassing the airport in Honolulu’s metro. What a bunch of shmucks! And by the way, those whining… are you riding the bus? I have ridden those tiny cramped busses with no space for luggage in Maui - have you?
In Portand there is a lovely metro that takes you and all your luggage for only a few dollars to downtown. It is spacious, convenient, and runs into the night. No rental cars, no busses to rental cars, no fees at hotels for rental cars, less accidents from inexperienced drivers, and joyfully, less pollution.
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