As residents prepare for the Superferry, the company is prepping the island on what it takes to travel via ferry. Protests aside, the “Alakai” will launch its first official voyage Aug. 28 after years of discussion and planning. “We are
As residents prepare for the Superferry, the company is prepping the island on what it takes to travel via ferry.
Protests aside, the “Alakai” will launch its first official voyage Aug. 28 after years of discussion and planning.
“We are excited to move forward,” Superferry Kaua‘i Port Manager Jolene Valente-Witt said.
With sentiment about the ferry running the gamut from excitement to strong opposition, there’s no shortage of interest on Kaua‘i in the ship and the service it hopes to provide.
On Sunday, roughly 3,000 people will check out the vessel.
“For the first time in an awfully long time, we have an opportunity to alternatively travel between our islands,” Terry O’Halloran, director of business development, said.
But who is likely to use the service?
Superferry advertisements thus far have addressed passengers with atypical baggage — from the farmer with his produce, to the family of athletes with surfboards and canoes in tow, to the football fan with an SUV and hibachi grill for University of Hawai‘i tailgating.
“We ship people and vehicles,” O’Halloran said. “We don’t ship cargo.”
While the Alakai does fill a void in inter-island transportation — cargo shippers transport goods and planes transport people — only time will tell if the targeted demographic is strong enough to keep the business afloat.
Of course, there’s always the walk-on passenger. However, the lowest Superferry rate for an adult traveling solo between Kaua‘i and O‘ahu is $44. That’s a few dollars more than the $39 fares available on many go!, Hawaiian and Aloha airlines flights — and promotions have, at times, dropped that figure as low as $1 one-way.
Without a price advantage, it remains to be seen how many travelers will be interested in a three-hour Superferry voyage once the novelty wears off.
That novelty, though, has peaked curiosity enough to fully book two community preview events on O‘ahu last month and Sunday’s event on Kaua‘i. And it’s sure to spill over into initial ticket sales, which O’Halloran says have been strong since reservations opened.
Regardless, commuter flights can’t compete with the Superferry’s more comfortable, roomy accommodations. (The Alakai has been outfitted with 34 flatscreen televisions, couches, dining areas and panoramic views.)
While boarding the Superferry is less restrictive than getting on a plane — you can bring water bottles and there’s no need to take off your shoes — the vessel does have its own requirements:
• Passengers bringing plants must have Department of Agriculture certification, and cars and tires must be dirt-free.
• Pets are allowed in the vehicles during the voyage, and service animals are permitted in the passenger areas.
• Travelers taking a vehicle must have a valid driver’s license, registration and insurance. If the vehicle is not registered to the driver, the driver must bring an “authorized-to-move” form, available online or at any Kaua‘i Re/Max office, which will notarize the document for free.
The facility at Nawiliwili will open the gates two hours before scheduled departure and close them a half hour before the vessel leaves — no exceptions, O’Halloran said. Cars and drivers with the appropriate documents will enter the facility, undergo screening and then proceed to the queuing lanes to wait to drive aboard the vessel.
There is no overnight parking for walk-on passengers.
The best deals are on the Web when made two weeks in advance.
For more information, visit www.hawaiisuperferry.com.
