Winter Travel Deals--Hawaiiby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 16 Dec 2007 01:30 PM Whale watching season is in full swing in Hawaii. Numerous cruise companies throughout the Hawaiian Islands are currently running deals on popular whale watching adventures, but there's one operator who is offering a special that's almost too hard to pass up. Atlantis Navatek Cruises is one of the foremost whale watching cruise operations on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. It offers 2 1/2-hour mid-day cruises along the picturesque Diamond Head and East Oahu shoreline and it includes a lunch buffet. And now, all cruises come with a company-backed guarantee: "See a whale or sail again for free!" Navatek operates Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull vessels, which lift its passenger compartment above the ocean surface, limiting wave action against the vessel. Meaning if you are prone to motion sickness you will likely fare well on this cruise. What's more, Navatek is considered one of the most luxurious whale watching cruises in the state. The 140-foot vessel seats 300 guests and offers spacious upper and lower outdoor observation decks, along with two interior dining areas that are carpeted, air-conditioned and have large picture windows to enjoy the beautiful scenery. In addition to the lunch buffet, guests have access to an onboard expert naturalist who helps riders search for humpbacks while providing insightful commentary about the animal's behavior and characteristics. If you go the entire cruise without seeing a whale you are offered a complimentary pass good for use on another cruise minus the lunch. (Lunch is available for an additional fee.) The Whale Watch Lunch Cruise departs daily through April 6, 2008. The cost is $62 for adults, $31 for ages 2 through 12, and includes the lunch buffet and complimentary round-trip ground transportation from Waikiki. If you haven't booked your winter trip to the Aloha State yet, now is the time to do so. ATA is presenting a "Hawaii Sale," with bargain fares for travel to and from the islands through March 7, 2008, from nearly 50 cities served directly by ATA Airlines or though codeshare service provided by Southwest Airlines. The catch: you only have until Tuesday to book your reservations. Here are some off-peak, one-way coach sample fares: Los Angeles to/from Honolulu, $134 Las Vegas to/from Maui, $169 Reno to/from Kona, $209 Salt Lake City to/from Maui, $239 A final note: Fares are non-refundable. Related Articles: Cruising the Pacific on a Ribcraft Traveling To Hawaii---With Your Pet Hawaii--Visiting the Big Island's Best Waterfalls Hawaiian 101: "Was that Mauka or Makai?" Adventure Travel--Swimming With Sharks Adventure Travel--A Trip to the "Valley of the Kings" Visiting the World's Largest Outdoor Shopping Center Destination: Hawaii--A Great Family Beach Visiting Hawaii's "White Mountain" Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanttravel tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags hawaii, Hawaii whale watch, Oahu, travel deal, whale watching Discuss this article
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