Hawaii Cruises: The Ultimate Guide to Hawaiian Island Cruises

Here, you will visit the romantic and rejuvenating islands of Bora Bora and Tahiti. You may also see New Zealand and Tonga on your Hawaiian island cruise that sails to South Pacific cruise ports. If you prefer a smaller cruise line, check out Un-Cruise Adventures, who offers seasonal island hopping Hawaii cruises around the islands. Both Un-Cruise and Norwegian offer overnights in various ports as well.

Best Time to Cruise to Hawaii

Visit the Maui Ocean Center to check out more sea life while staying dry. Maui also has two cruise ports, but they serve the same area and attractions. The difference is that Kahului is in an industrial area near the airport. Cruise ships dock there, but you'll need to take a tour or other transportation to see the sights. Princess Cruises is definitely the leader in the two-week, round-trip Hawaii cruise department, offering more sailings out of more homeports than any other line.

Best Hawaii cruise lines

For fewer sea days, sail from Honolulu to Vancouver on the 462-passenger Seabourn Odyssey. Seabourn’s 11-day Hawaiian itinerary includes stops in Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island and requires just six sea days, plenty of time for playing cards, lounging by the pool, and relaxing at the spa. It’s usually slower and more expensive than what you might be used to on land. The top beach to visit is Matira Beach, often mentioned as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. This is a perfect place to relax alongside dreamy palm trees on island hopping Hawaii cruises.

Popular Ports for Hawaiian Cruises

This trip aboard the 4,905-passenger Quantum of the Seas offers passengers much to do during days at sea, including a surf simulator, bumper cars, a skydiving simulator, and a 360-degree observation deck. After departing Vancouver, British Columbia, the ship spends four days at sea before it arrives in Lahaina, Maui, for a day of exploring. Options include strolling through the historic town, visiting Haleakala Crater, whale watching, and swimming at Kaanapali Beach.

Cruise To Hawaii Travel Tips And Advice

NCL Cancels Kauai Napali Coast Sailing From Its Itinerary - Beat of Hawaii

NCL Cancels Kauai Napali Coast Sailing From Its Itinerary.

Posted: Tue, 05 Mar 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Book your select 2025 departure of the below-linked small ship cruises in Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico (Baja, California) and the Galapagos Islands to lock in 2024 pricing and receive 10% off. Exclusive offers valid on new bookings only, subject to availability, and combinable with other select offers. See all cruise deals for a comprehensive list of current savings on this and other adventures.

Cruise lines modify Hawaii itineraries and donate toward Maui relief efforts - Travel Weekly

Cruise lines modify Hawaii itineraries and donate toward Maui relief efforts.

Posted: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

The best time to find Hawaii cruise deals is between Thanksgiving and mid-December. The majority of sailings are aboard the 3,080-passenger Crown Princess and Ruby Princess from San Francisco, and the 2,600-passenger Grand Princess and 3,080-passenger Emerald Princess from Los Angeles. The itinerary is offered in 2024 and 2025 on the 2,650-passenger Koningsdam and 1,432-passenger Zaandam.

Maui is the next island on the itinerary, with a luau, a drive or helicopter flight to Haleakala Crater, a scenic drive along the East Maui coast, or an underwater cruise on the Atlantis submarine. After four days at sea, the Koningsdam stops in Ensenada, Mexico, before returning to San Diego. With tens of millions visiting the Aloha state each year, take a Hawaii island hopping cruise for an entirely new, off-the-beaten-path travel experience. While day cruises are common, overnight Hawaiian Island cruises are few and far between. Staying aboard a small ship offers unique opportunities to travel in an efficient and effortless way while never missing a sunset.

Hawaii Cruise Itineraries

And on itineraries with More Ashore Late Night calls, we stay until at least 9 p.m. In port like Honolulu, so you can also experience some of the fabulous nightlife. And there’s so much to do while you’re at sea, like enjoying live entertainment, world-class cuisine, island-inspired activities and endless ocean views — plus it's all included in your cruise fare!

This eight-day cruise aboard the 36-guest Safari Explorer begins in Kona, on the Big Island, with a champagne welcome from the captain. The next two days feature a hike up the slopes of Hualalai with a naturalist guide, night snorkeling among Giant Pacific Manta rays, and plenty of opportunities for swimming or kayaking. On Maui, guests can stroll through historic Lahaina, snorkel among coral and sea turtles, or kayak in a marine sanctuary. Lanai is the next island, where guests can paddleboard or kayak past 1,000-foot-high sea cliffs, go snorkeling, or visit the quaint Lanai Culture and Heritage Center. On Molokai, guests can learn how taro is cultivated and turned into poi, or they can hike to a spectacular waterfall in Halawa Valley. At the Molokai Museum, a lesson on the island's history is followed by a pa'ina (feast), complete with traditional music.

Princess and Seabourn also include Hawaii on longer cruise itineraries. In 2024, Seabourn is offering a 145-day cruise from Los Angeles to Athens, Greece. That itinerary includes port days in Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island before sailing around New Zealand and Australia en route to the Middle East and Greece. Spend one sea day cruising the Great Barrier Reef and the others treating yourself to spa days, meals with new friends, and drinks under the stars. The luxury cruise line Azamara plans to sail from San Diego to Hawaii, Bora Bora, and Tahiti in January 2025.

Passengers disembark the next morning at Kaunakakai, where they can either transfer to Molokai Airport or extend their stay. The islands of Hawaii are popular with families, couples, retirees, groups of friends, and really anyone who enjoys warm weather, tropical scenery, and the Aloha spirit of the 50th state. Each island offers a different climate, attractions, environment, and style, and even on the same island, there are major variations depending on location. On Oahu, for example, there's bustling Honolulu on the south shore and the more secluded surfing paradise of the North Shore. On the Big Island, the Hilo and Puna regions on the east coast are wet and heavily forested, whereas the Kona region, on the west coast, tends to be much drier. This trip was a blissful contrast to the "touristy" experience one often finds elsewhere in Hawaii.

You’re constantly aware of the power of nature in Hawaii, where the lush scenery is like something out of another world. Jagged cliffs, beaches of glittering black sand, ribbon-like waterfalls cascading from emerald escarpments, and smoldering volcanoes catch your eye at every turn. You’ll see pounding surf, limpid lagoons, and sometimes a snowy cap on the highest mountains. Your adventure starts by viewing historical points of interest while off shore from the village of Kailua-Kona. While zipping down the coast on these fast and fun Zodiac Hurricanes...

But, you don’t have to forgo the energy and nightlife of a city on your trip to the Aloha State. Oahu is the best Hawaiian island to visit with small or large groups as it offers something for everyone. Sail along the city-lined shores on a two-hour sunset dinner cruise with your favorite friends. Attend a luau and savor traditional Hawaiian food together and meet other guests at your table. Or, stop into any of the tiki-style bars and toast with companions, old and new. As the most popular destination in the Aloha State, Oahu is undoubtedly included among the best Hawaiian Islands to visit for those looking to disconnect from reality and reconnect with friends.

You can visit Hawaii without a passport on a closed-loop sailing (one that begins and ends in the same U.S. port). Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America and UnCruise's Safari Explorer, both U.S.-flagged vessels, are the only cruise ships based in Hawaii. Other lines and ships offer there-and-back Hawaii itineraries from ports like San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Several cruise lines, including Holland America, Princess Cruises, and Viking Cruises, call on ports in Hawaii, with many of them traveling to or from the United States or Canada. Norwegian Cruise Line is the only company that sails exclusively between Oahu and neighboring Hawaiian islands. The Pride of America, a United States-themed ship, makes stops in Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island before returning to Honolulu, a perfect home base for visiting Waikiki Beach and Pearl Harbor.

Holland America is popular with cruisers ages 60 and older, many of them retired, who have time to enjoy longer itineraries on ships that offer good value with a focus on culinary and musical enjoyment. Two of Koningsdam's most popular venues are its live entertainment area with three venues — B.B. Zaandam will also sail 51- to 56-night Tales of the South Pacific itineraries that visit multiple islands in Hawaii and French Polynesia along with ports in the Cook Islands, American Samoa and Fiji. That means passengers enjoy five or six days in Hawaii on Kauai, Oahu, Maui and the island of Hawaii.

We know the destinations you'll be visiting and what there is to see, do and experience. We offer you a variety of excursions to choose from, in every port you'll visit. These unique itineraries allow you to explore two of the world’s most popular destinations, Hawaii and French Polynesia, in one vacation. Departing from Pape’ete or Honolulu, these itineraries have been designed to help you make the most out of your time in the region.