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Family Vacation Safety: from Vancouver to Hawaii in 2021

All you need to know flying from Vancouver to Hawaii with family during COVID to avoid quarantine and to stay safe: pre-flight testing, travel tips, and safety gear for the 2021 Winter season.

Hawaii had opened up to Canadians in mid December 2020 with an option to be exempted from the U.S. state’s 14-day COVID-19 travel quarantine! Yey! ..and you guessed right! Our family was on the very first flight leaving Vancouver to the tropical Maui Hawaii paradise. Now when we are safely back, we can share with you all about our experience having a family vacation in Maui Hawaii amidst the pandemic, surrounded by regulations and covid-related restrictions. 

Yet, I must say, flying to Hawaii from Vancouver in winter 2021, if only for a week, was the best decision ever. 

DISCLAIMER: at the time of this writing Canada Official travel advisories are in effect: Avoid non-essential travel outside Canada and avoid all travel on cruise ships outside Canada until further notice [Jan 2021]. In our opinion, your own situation and your own family determines whether travel to Hawaii is essential for you at this point. For our family, for example, this December vacation has absolutely been essential for many reasons that are beyond this blog post, and are not for discussion. 

DISCLAIMER: Please note, that although we will be discussing quite a bit of COVID-related info, like Hawaii pre-flight testing, mask requirements and other travel safety tips, I am NOT a medical expert, I do NOT give medical nor legal advice. I am merely discussing my personal experience travelling with my family from Vancouver to Maui Hawaii this December 2020. Please always do you own research prior to travel and consult official government websites for the most recent information. 

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***This post may contain affiliate links and we may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. All product recommendations and feedback are ours and based on personal experience.  Please refer to our Disclosure Policy. 

Quick Links

• Booking your Hawaii vacation
• Vancouver to Hawaii pre-flight covid testing
• Hawaii entry requirement to avoid quarantine
• Return to Canada
• Airport & Flight safety tips
• Safety tips when in Hawaii
• Final notes

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• 9 Best Natural Sunscreens For Kids. Organic. Chemicals-Free.[2020]
• How To Save Sun-Damaged Hair With Coconut Oil After Beach Vacation
• Simple Exercises To Do On An Airplane To Actually Enjoy Your Flight

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Booking Your Hawaii Vacation – Flights & Accommodations

The big news, of course, is the Hawaii travel quarantine exemption. 

Yet this travel option is only available through approved airlines that have partnered with the State of Hawaii on their pre-flight COVID testing protocols. 

In Canada we are looking at two airlines that have made arrangements with Hawaii – Air Canada and WestJet. Both have resumed flights mid-December 2020, and both have developed a pre-flight testing program, including partnerships with local clinics to process COVID rapid tests according to the standards of Hawaii Government. 

Family Travel to Hawaii from Vancouver TIP: when booking your flight, you have to either choose Air Canada or WestJet airline. 

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Air Canada & WestJet 

Great News: if you book a round-trip with either Air Canada or WestJet, both now include a complimentary COVID-19 insurance coverage* – medical insurance that covers you for the actual illness and the COVID-related quarantine. 

Note that, for Air Canada, in addition to booking a round trip, to be eligible for that comp. insurance coverage you also have to be an Aeroplan Member. Even your underaged kids have to be Aeroplan members. It took me 3 minutes to sign-up Cosmos for the membership, luckily he already has his own email.

Along with the covid insurance, both Air Canada and Westjet have introduced flexible booking options: if you book your flight (separately from accommodation: not a vacation package), you have an option of free cancellation or a flight change. When booking a vacation package however, you only got 24 hours to change your mind. 

Family Travel to Hawaii from Vancouver TIP: I always recommend to book your travel using a credit card that has travel benefits, or to purchase extra insurance that would cover you with both: emergency medical and free trip cancellation bonuses. Besides, travel credit cards are also perfect for insurance associated with car rental services. Find out more tips on how to save money on family travel here.

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Packages vs. Booking Separately

Booking flights and accommodation separately gives you more flexibility in rebooking and cancellation options. Yet, we have found that you save money on travel a great deal by opting in for a vacation package. 

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE: This December 2020 was our first time booking an Air Canada package. Three people, round trip flights and 7 nights accommodation at a 4 star villa, where we got a one bedroom suite with a kitchen. The cost to us was only about $3,800 CAD, which is frankly unheard of for Hawaii. If we have booked separately for the same dates and same accommodation using my favourite Booking.com website, we would be looking at approx. $1,800 CAD in flights for three of us and approx. $3,000 additional in accommodation of the similar level as we have ended up getting. That is over 20% in savings by deciding on a vacation package.

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Choose a Smaller Property

Having an awesome family vacation in Hawaii during covid requires a bit of planning indeed.

One of the strategies that we have implemented in avoiding crowds is: we have decided on a less busy island. Compared to Oahu, with its condo buildings and resorts standing tall touching the clouds, its shopping centres and overcrowded streets and plazas, Maui island has a country feel to it. Definitely less people per square mile in Maui – means more options for a socially-distanced COVID-appropriate family vacation in Hawaii. Otherwise we would have to pay more attention to social distancing even when outdoors.

Our second strategy was to opt-in for a smaller property. We were looking for a low rise spread-out resort or a condo complex, with a private beach. Too bad the place we stayed at last time – Kahana Sunset condo complex – was all booked-up and not available. Yet our choice of Aston Maui Kaanapali Villas proved to be excellent. 

No crowds at the beach, no crowds at the hotel’s swimming pool, no line-ups next to the elevator, no overcrowded bars: just a perfect accommodation for this covid year family vacation in Maui Hawaii.

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Kitchen is a Must!

Travelling with kids always requires close coordination around meals. This is especially true today as covid pandemic is raging the world around us, and eating-out with your little ones is no longer safe. 

A good solution is to be booking a property that has a kitchen: this way you can cook and eat-in, not only saving on restaurant expenses, but being sure your meal service is covid-safe. 

Maui has all you need food eating-in: there are popular chain grocery stores on the island, such as Costco, Walmart, Walgreens, Safeway, and a number of super-cool local fish markets and farmers markets.

Family Travel to Hawaii from Vancouver TIP: there are a few flights from Vancouver to Maui Hawaii, the latest one lands at 9:43pm. At that time you know for sure that all restaurants and even food deliveries are closed. If you have booked a place without a kitchen, and are staying somewhere at the West coast of Maui (Lahaina, Kaanapali, Kahana, Kapalua), then go directly to Safeway which has a 24hr location in Lahaina. In addition to groceries, they have a deli section with hot food. 

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Mandatory Vancouver to Hawaii Pre-Flight COVID Testing

Ok so you have just booked everything for your awesome family vacation in Hawaii! Now let’s switch gears a bit, and go back to how you can safely get to your tropical paradise. 

To avoid the mandatory 14 day quarantine in Hawaii, every adult and children over 5yo must be assessed through an authorized partner lab using a very specific COVID test. Kids 5yo and are exempt.  

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Authorized Testing Partners

COVID tests are not the same. I know many of us would be tempted to shop around hoping to find a better price, and there are many different tests you can do for COVID…  yet a test acceptable in Caribbean for example, may not be accepted in Hawaii to become quarantine-exempt. Therefore, to play it safe, always refer to airline lists of authorized partners for Hawaii.

WestJet:  COMPLETE LIST of WestJet testing partners for Hawaii 

AirCanada: COMPLETE LIST of AirCanada testing partners for Hawaii can be found on their website.

As we have booked our family vacation to Hawaii from Vancouver, BC, we have ended up using the Ultima Airport Medical Clinic at the YVR airport. 

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Cost of Testing

Cost of testing varies per province. You are lucky if you live in Alberta – that is only $150 CAD for you.

Here in British Columbia, we have paid $250 CAD per person + tax.  (as of January 2021)

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When to Book Your Test in Vancouver

The Hawaii requirement is that you have to show proof of a negative result on your arrival to Hawaii, for a test that was taken within 72 hours of your arrival. Therefore don’t get confused and start counting your 72 hours out of the time of departure. It is the time of arrival, adjusted as to the time difference between Canada and Hawaii that should be on your radar. 

Also it typically takes between 24 and 48 hours to get the testing result from one of the airline's testing partners. 

The results are received by email, and you are required to upload these results into your account with the Hawaii Travel government website (on it later). 

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Personal Experience

Here is our own personal example – how we planned for Hawaii pre-flight covid testing to avoid quarantine: 

• Our family vacation flight to Maui from Vancouver was on December 19th at 5:50pm. 
• Our arrival to Maui was at 9:43pm local time – which is 11:43pm Dec 19 in Vancouver. 
• Therefore the earliest we could have taken the test would be Dec 16 at 11:43pm Vancouver time
• Our “safe” window therefore was Dec 17 in the afternoon: enough time to account for any flight delays out of Vancouver, and full 48 hours given to the lab to complete the testing and send us back the result. 
• We ended up booking our tests for 11:45am for Dec 17th
• Our testing results arrived at 11:50pm on Dec 18th – about 36 hours from the time of testing. 
• We still had enough time to upload the results into the Travel Hawaii government account. 

Family Travel to Hawaii from Vancouver TIP: at the time of booking your COVID test with a partner lab you have to have your booking with Air Canada or WestJet already. They won’t test you unless you are able to show your confirmed tickets!

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Hawaii Government Entry Requirements to Avoid Quarantine

I have mentioned the Travel Hawaii government website a few times already, so let me explain to you what it is all about.

To avoid quarantine when travelling to Hawaii from Vancouver you must set up a Safe Travels Hawaii account for each travelling adult at travel.hawaii.gov.

On the website they will ask details on your flight, your travel documents, where you’ll be staying. + you must upload a recent selfie of yourself to that account.

Once you have received your negative COVID tests results, you should log back into the Safe Travels account, complete the Travel Health Questionnaire and upload a PDF copy of your negative test results. You will receive a personalized QR code into your email within 24 hours.

At the time of boarding your flight from Vancouver to Hawaii, you’ll be asked to show the Safe Travels QR code and negative test result to the airline staff.

On arrival to Hawaii, you’ll be hoarded into a separate section of the airport to complete the final screening process, where you will be asked again to show the personalized QR code and negative test results. That's it! if you do all of it right, you will likely avoid quarantine in Hawaii!

Family Travel to Hawaii from Vancouver TIP: If you travel with kids, your kids can be entered into your Safe Travels Hawaii profile as “accompanied minors”: which means you will be uploading their tests and selfies into your profile too!

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[NEW. CANADA.] Mandatory COVID Testing to Return to Canada

At the time when we travelled, COVID testing to enter Canada wasn’t an option yet.

However as of January 7, 2021 anyone boarding a flight to Canada requires a negative COVID test.

Learn more on what you need to know about new COVID rules. And always refer to the official government websites to ensure you have the latest pandemic and travel information.

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Vancouver Airport and Hawaii In-Flight Travel Safety

What else can you do to ensure you can make it to Hawaii safely? Here are some tips:

Getting to the Airport

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It is best to avoid public transportation in getting to the airport. You won’t likely want to catch the covid virus last minute and spend what was supposed to be an awesome Hawaii family vacation at a hospital bed or in quarantine, would you?  

I would not risk it asking friends or family to drop us off too, as there is that 14-day mandatory quarantine requirement on coming back. Surely you won’t want to endanger your loved ones.

Historically, when traveling to Hawaii, Cuba, Mexico, Europe or anywhere else, we have been driving our own car to the Vancouver airport, and booking the Park'N Fly option. Yet their main parking lot is two SkyTrain stops away from the Departures terminal of YVR. 

This time we have paid a bit more, yet got ourselves a spot at the YVR P1 parking lot right across the Departures entrance. This allowed us to skip most of the exposure on the way to the airport.

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Avoid Line-ups: Check-in At Home

Another exposure point that kept me nervous was the check-in line up. 

If you have an option to check-in at home, print your boarding passes, and use the airport machines to get the luggage tags skipping the line-up – do so!

In our case, since we were bringing in our son’s car seat and had to register it at the counter, we couldn't bypass the airline staff interaction. 

Here you can use one of the two strategies:

First: come really early, as early as possible, so there are not too many people around yet. 

Second: keep your kids as far away from the line-up as possible. Park them at the corner somewhere far off, but visible, and once your turn is up, call them to approach you. 

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Masks and Face Coverings 

As per Transport Canada requirement, applicable to both Air Canada and WestJet flights, children over the age of 2, face coverings are a mandatory requirement. 

However, according to the same Transport Canada regulation: “Children older than 2 but less than 6 years of age who cannot tolerate wearing a face covering are exempted from wearing a one, provided that the adult responsible for the child ensures a face covering is readily available to the child prior to boarding the flight.” 

I have actually had to use this exemption, as at some point, when my 4yo Cosmos became sleepy and wanted to have a nap, he kept taking his mask off. When the crew started insisting I kept it on (while my child was close to hysterical), I had to refer back to the regulation to calm down the flight attendant. 

PARENT TIP: if you travel with kids under 6yo. It may be a good idea to have Transport Canada regulations printed and with you, in case your child cant tolerate the mask. 

Interestingly, there is no requirement to have a medical mask on you. You can have a non-medical mask, provided it meets the following criteria off the AirCanada website (WestJet has the same instructions on theirs): 

“Acceptable face coverings are made with protective layers of absorbent fabric (such as cotton) that snugly fit over the nose and mouth and are secured to the face with ties or ear loops. A non-medical mask or face covering with an exhalation valve or vent, or made with mesh or lace fabric, a neck gaiter, a bandana, or a plastic face shield/covering have been deemed ineffective in the protection against COVID-19 according to requirements outlined by Transport Canada and as such they do not qualify as acceptable face coverings when travelling with us.” 

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Plastic Face Shield

Although a plastic face shield has been deemed ineffective against COVID when used as a stand-alone protection device, I still find it extremely useful when transiting through airports and public places.

I got my son Cosmos a fun NASA face shield: while he enjoyed wearing it over his mask, I was confident that he wasn’t touching his face. It's a win! 

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Consequences of non-compliance with Mask requirements

Simply put: if you do not comply with the mask requirement, you can be fined or jailed. You will definitely be reported to Transport Canada and may face travel restrictions in the future. 

But, hey, why would you not comply? It is good karma! 

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But what if I have a medical exemption to the mask rule?

Yes, there are indeed exemptions that are allowed according to the Transport Canada website. Some people can be allowed to travel without a mask. Yet, that is a lot of hustle in my opinion to enforce your exemption. First, you have a valid medical certificate confirming that there is a medical reason preventing you from wearing a face covering during your travel. Secondly, in case of AirCanada, you have to contact Air Canada Medical Assistance Desk and to receive an authorization from them not to wear a face covering during the flight. And lastly, you will need to present the negative results of covid test that was taken 72 hours prior to departure.

However as per the recent news, as of January 7 2021 anyone and everyone traveling to Canada now will have to present a negative test result AND quarantine on arrival… Whether or not all this is worth it, I can not judge: that is an individual case for every individual. It is just good to be aware of this hustle. 

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Family Travel from Vancouver to Hawaii TIP: I know many of us avid travellers are quite used to walking the isle and stretching. However during COVID times we should limit our movements around the isle and airplane cabin. Don’t you worry, here is a cool airplane stretching exercise routine you can perform right within your seat!

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Your Maui Hawaii Family Vacation Covid Safety Tips

Wear Mask

Masks are mandatory all across Maui Hawaii when you are indoors. There are certain areas outdoors you could be asked to wear a mask too, like around the swimming pool area if it is too crowded. Luckily we have selected our accommodation right, and did not have to deal with crowds outdoors.

• No, you are not asked to wear a mask at the beach. Beach parties are banned anyway.. 
• Yes, masks are required when visiting a grocery store, a fish market, an open-air farmers market, and when pumping gas at a gas station outdoors.
• No, you won't need to wear a mask when snorkeling or surfing. But yes, you will need a mask when taking a surfing lesson.
• Yes, masks are required when walking the busy streets of Lahaina or Waikiki.
• Yes, masks are required when eating out at restaurants and bars, except when sitting at your table and actually eating.
• No masks are not required when hiking Haleakala Volcano in Maui. Yet face coverings are recommended when watching sunrise or sunset over Haleakala Volcano and there are other people around you. 

Regardless of whether or not you wear a mask, always remember to exercise social distancing outdoors when other people are around.

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Avoid Public Transportation: Rent a Car

One of the best ways to avoid interactions with other people is to avoid public transit. 

Yes indeed, renting a car in Hawaii is somewhat expensive: we have spent about $850 CAD for one week on the cheapest available option. 

If you travel to Hawaii by yourself, it may make sense to get a shuttle to your resort – to get to Lahaina from the Kahului Airport on Maui, for example, you’ll be paying about $100 USD.

But if you travel to Hawaii with family, especially during COVID times, you’ll have a better peace of mind if you get your own car. 

Having a car will also help you with the next Hawaii family travel tip: eating-in.

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Eat-In

If you followed my recommendation earlier – at the Booking Your Hawaii Family Vacation Accommodations topic above – you likely got a condo or a suite with the kitchen. And just like that you have removed one of the largest COVID exposure threats. You can now safely eat-in, and control both the quality of your food and the location of your kids. 

To be honest, we still did eat-out every day: we took to having our lunches out trying as many of the little local places as possible.  But we always chose the timing carefully as to not visit a restaurant at its busiest. Our lunch was typically taken between 2pm and 4pm. 

Breakfasts and Dinners were taken in-house. We got our groceries from the 24hr Safeway in Lahaina and from a local Fish Market at Kaanapali Village.

One thing to remember during your family vacation in Hawaii: most of the dining places on Maui are closing their kitchens at roughly 8:00-8:30pm, and by 9:00-9:30pm most of restaurants are closed. 

There are a few places that do food delivery and take-out, yet almost none are open past 10:00pm.

Family travel to Maui TIP: if your flight arrives late – like our flight from Vancouver to Maui that got in at close to 10:00pm – your best bet is to stop by that 24hr Safeway location, get groceries and cook your own meat at your condo or a suite. 

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Use Own Snorkeling Gear

Frankly, the idea of renting the snorkeling gear has always grossed me out. But why would you risk it during the COVID pandemic? No matter how much the snorkel is sanitized, it was still sitting in someone else’s mouth! 

If you have your own snorkeling gear at home, bring it with you – Hawaian reefs are totally worth it! If you do not yet have snorkeling gear, but want to try it out: don't buy it where you live, buy it here in Hawaii! There are plenty of specialized little shops around the island that sell every kind of water gear. There is also the Walmart next to Kahului airport, where you can get your snorkel really cheap.

Find out what else to bring and not to bring with you to your Hawaii vacation using our ultimate Hawaii packing guide!

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Avoid Crowds by Skip Tours – Use Self-Driving Tour Apps

Yeah… that’s a bummer. 

Did you want to go whale watching while in Hawaii? Or take a group tour of the pineapple plantation? Probably next time.. 

Yet, don’t be upset, as there is much to see on the island without the experience of riding an overcrowded vehicle. All you need is your own rented car, a mobile phone and one of the self-guided tour mobile apps. 

Shaka Guide is a driving tour app that is not only super-informative but also extremely fun! We absolutely loved it when exploring Maui the very first time, and have enjoyed it during our latest trip too. Apparently, once you purchase the tour, it does not expire! They have tours of all the Hawaian islands to offer.

The local dude narrating these tours has a really cool sense of humor. He is telling Hawaiian legends, introducing you to historical places, stunning nature sites, off-the-beaten-path wonders, spicing it all up with jokes, anecdotes, and Hawaiian music. We absolutely recommend it to take the most out of your Family Vacation to Hawaii, especially at the time of covid.

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In Conclusion: travel Vancouver to Hawaii is possible in 2021!

Despite the risks, here in Vancouver we jumped at the opportunity to visit Hawaii this winter. In retrospect, we should have stayed longer… 8 days is simply not enough after almost a year of pandemic-related isolation. I still believe however, to travel to Maui was the best decision for our family.

If you also decide to venture out to get a break and to spend a week or two at magnificent Hawaii beaches, I hope my post helps you out navigating all the complexity around COVID travel. 

DISCLAIMER: Please note, that although I discussed quite a bit of COVID-related info, like Hawaii pre-flight testing, mask requirements and other travel safety tips, I am NOT a medical expert, I do NOT give medical nor legal advice. I merely discussed my personal experience travelling with my family from Vancouver to Maui Hawaii this December 2020. Please always do you own research prior to travel and consult official government websites for the most recent information. 

More Hawaii!

For more tips visiting Hawaii, other family-friendly destinations we have been to, subscribe to our newsletter!

Stay safe, happy and healthy! 

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Enjoy!

Cheerfully yours,

Alexandra, Alex & Cosmos

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