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Last Saturday we took a tour of the Superferry, and I took a few pictures for this blog. The Alakai arrived in Honolulu in early July and remains docked at Pier 19 while the Coast Guard does its final inspections of the vessel. About 4000 people participated in the event, according to this article in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.

The main cabin is spacious and well-lit. The cafe section has plenty of tables. Voyages can range from 4 to 6 hours, and that’s plenty of time to grab a snack and talk story.

Most of the interior seating in the main cabin is located away from the windows. There are flat-screen displays mounted throughout the cabin. During the tour, the monitors showed a video that must have been shot while the Alakai sailed to Honolulu. On a regular voyage, the monitors will display interesting ocean sights captured by the ship’s video cameras.

There is a spacious first-class cabin on the bow. It costs an extra US$20 a seat. I wonder if the Superferry’s staff will be diligent about keeping the main cabin customers out of the premium areas. I’ve rarely seen flight attendants tell people to return to the main cabin, although that warning is a standard part of the safety briefing these days.

Plenty of amenities, but there’s something missing

First class is the only place where I saw accessible AC outlets, and these were few and far between. We saw perhaps 4 or 5 work carrels in this cabin. At least the few outlets that we found didn’t have a meter attached to them, as they now do at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Anyone who wants to watch a movie on their laptop needs to board the Superferry early or make sure they charged their battery.

There’s no evidence that the Superferry will offer Internet access during voyages, either.

According to an article in yesterday’s Honolulu Advertiser, two court cases regarding the ferry’s environmental impact are due to be heard soon.

While I’m glad we got a chance to see the Alakai, it seems that the Superferry’s management had planned for a smaller event:

1. There were no souvenirs available. No free pens. No t-shirts. No hats. Even the boat’s gift shop was closed! This seems like a missed opportunity to get the brand and logo out to the most interested members of the public.
2. The boat seemed short-staffed. Most of the employees were leading very quick tours of the vessel. It was hard to find anyone who could answer a question or two.
3. While the Superferry is taking reservations online and by telephone, I couldn’t find anyone who was taking Superferry reservations during the event. All those willing customers right on board the boat, and no money changing hands?
4. There is no passenger parking at Pier 19. If you want to ride the Superferry without taking your car on board, then take a cab or have a friend drop you at the pier. I hope that the Superferry adds those tips to their walk-on passengers page soon. Most of the tour groups were shuttled in from downtown Honolulu courtesy of the Superferry, and a shuttle service from a remote parking lot might be a good side business.
5. I didn’t see any rental car counters at Pier 19. Perhaps riders should call Enterprise if they need a rental car to pick them up!