Hawaii Superferry summer numbers up; $49 one-way promo fare

In April, I posted about “The seemingly optimistic Hawaii Superferry sailings,” generating a small flurry of comments, with most casting an unfavorable light on the controversial ferry between Honolulu, Oahu, and Kahului, Maui. The ship’s passenger numbers were reportedly low back then.

However, it seems that at least one tide has turned: Passenger numbers this summer on the 350-foot-long Alakai have seen an “upward incline,” according to media reports.

I checked in with Superferry’s spokesperson, Lori Abe, about the Fourth of July holiday weekend sailings. “We did have a few voyages that were completely booked during the four-day Fourth of July weekend [Thursday–Sunday],” Abe said in an e-mail. “More than 6,000 passengers and 1,600 cars voyaged aboard Hawaii Superferry over that weekend, surpassing the 5,500 passengers and 1,500 vehicles reported over the Memorial Day weekend.”

Are we seeing a trend toward more locals and visitors using the ferry? Time will tell, as airfares continue to fluctuate as does the number of visitors to the islands.

If you’re eager to see for yourself what all the Superferry fuss is about, you can take advantage of their current $49 one-way (pre-tax) promotional fare for travel through Sept. 30, 2008. See more details on the Superferry site.

Have you ridden the Superferry? Please share your thoughts about it in the Comments below.

— Susan Derby, Special to the Los Angeles Times

[Photo: Superferry interior; Annie Wells / Los Angeles Times]

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This entry was posted on Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 10:52 am by Susan Derby and is filed under Deals, Hawaii, Islands & Beaches, Maui, Oahu, Tours & Cruises. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.