Hawaii Small Ship Cruises Hawaii Island Hopping
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Southwest operates flights from HNL to Kauai (LIH), Maui (OGG), Hilo (ITO) and Kona (KOA). However, know that you will be going through Honolulu on those flights, so if you wanted to fly nonstop from Kona to Kauai, your best bet is probably Hawaiian Airlines for that type of route. From HNL, it should only take about 30 to 45 minutes of flight time to get to the other major Hawaiian island on a nonstop flight. If you can lock your main flights into or out of Honolulu, you can trust that the rest of the logistics can be worked out later. To help you plan a seamless Hawaiian vacation, we're breaking down all the ways you can get around the islands that make up the Aloha State. Snorkeling every day in a wide diversity of settings was our favorite activity.
Night Circle Hawaii
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. Leave airport travel and hotel bag-packing behind to go Hawaii island hopping in style and ease. This 17-day voyage from Los Angeles takes place aboard the Viking Star, an all-veranda small ship that carries a maximum of 930 guests. The first stop is the Big Island, where guests can view Kilauea by helicopter, visit waterfalls, or explore Hilo Bay by kayak.
Round-trip Hawaii cruises from the West Coast
The small but mighty Kauai is one of the best Hawaii ports for outdoor, nature-based adventure. Get your cameras out for the rocky landscapes of the Waimea Canyon and the breathtaking cliffs of the Napali Coast. If you like hiking or kayaking, you've come to the right island, but you can also take it easy on any number of nearby beaches. Learn about Hawaiian history at the Mauna 'Ala royal mausoleum and the Iolani Palace, or Hawaiian culture at a luau or the Polynesian Cultural Center.
Holland America: 17-day Circle Hawaii - Round Trip from San Diego
When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. A variety of cruise lines call on Hawaii -- Princess, Crystal, Holland America, Royal Caribbean -- but Norwegian Cruise Line has the only big ship based there, sailing from Honolulu. Expedition lines like UnCruise Adventures sail Hawaii's smaller islands. What to bring on a Hawaii cruise depends on which cruise you're taking. If you're on a weeklong sailing on casual NCL, you can skip the dressy clothes and prioritize casual outfits that work with whatever beachy or sporty excursions you've got planned in Hawaii. Sun hats, sunglasses, reef-safe sunscreen and water-friendly shoes are all must-pack items.
On average, roundtrip interisland flights will cost about $150, depending on the islands. Flight times are typically so short that flight attendants barely have time to hand out beverages, so don’t worry too much about keeping yourself entertained. For example, flight time between Honolulu, Oahu and Kahului, Maui (probably the most popular route with tourists) is capped at 30 minutes on average. If you’re lucky enough to snag a window seat, there’s nothing quite like the view of taking off from one stunning tropical island and touching down on another. Cruisers seeking a less traditional, more carefree Hawaii experience can have it from November to April aboard UnCruise Adventures' 36-passenger Safari Explorer.
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 an itinerary that includes both Maui and Mickey, this cruise aboard the 875-stateroom Disney Wonder is perfect for families and Disney lovers alike. Departing from Vancouver, you’ll spend the next six nights at sea, with entertainment ranging from Broadway-style musicals with Disney characters to a Marvel-themed superhero academy in the Oceaneer Club for kids.
While rain is common, your small ship captain can navigate to windward and leeward sides of islands to take advantage of unique microclimates and steer you away from rain storms. Taking a Hawaii island hopping cruise can truly ensure you land in the best weather during your vacation. Royal Caribbean Cruises will offer 9-night, 12-night and 13-night Hawaii cruises beginning in 2014.
Non-Stop Travel Presents an Exclusive Island Cruise Offer for Kama‘aina - KHON2
Non-Stop Travel Presents an Exclusive Island Cruise Offer for Kama‘aina.
Posted: Mon, 09 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Travelers with more time on their hands can also visit Hawaii as part of longer Pacific island cruises with Holland America. 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. Travelers on a longer Hawaii sailing on a line like Princess will want to bring nicer clothes for dinners on board, as well as plenty of activities for all those sea days. That could include books or an e-reader, a packable board game, a knitting project or a journal.
Pride of America sails round-trip from Honolulu every Saturday year-round. As a U.S.-flagged ship, it's the only large vessel permitted to sail this way. Not only do you skip the long Pacific crossing that most cruise ships do to reach Hawaii, but passports are not required for U.S. citizens, and you can tack on pre- or post-cruise stays on Oahu.
Cruising primarily in the polar regions and Pacific, she allows her guests to experience luxury, gastronomy, wellness, entertainment and active programming in remote destinations. The itinerary is offered in 2024 and 2025 on the 2,650-passenger Koningsdam and 1,432-passenger Zaandam. Once you've decided how you want to cruise Hawaii, you can seek out the best cruise fares so you're ready to say "Aloha!" to an incredible vacation when the right deal pops up.
Lahaina is a major tourist destination for its restaurants, shops and boat tours, but ships must anchor and transport passengers to shore via tender boats. The islands of Hawaii only offer a few cruise ports for ships to visit. (UnCruise Adventures is the exception, calling in a few smaller places that the big ships can't go.) All of them are top-notch, so it's hard to say which one is the best overall. If you're looking for a longer itinerary, sailing round trip from the west coast of North America, or a small-ship adventure cruise, you'll have the biggest selection of cruises between October and April. You can experience all the beaches, water sports, lush scenic areas and Polynesian culture without having to settle for just one island — or deal with the hassle of flying between them. You can use a variety of airline miles to island-hop around Hawaii, but most of them bring you right back to the same Hawaiian Airlines operated flights.
That means passengers enjoy five or six days in Hawaii on Kauai, Oahu, Maui and the island of Hawaii. Hawaii cruise options are somewhat limited — just a fraction of what's available in the Caribbean — and many itineraries involve multiday crossings from the West Coast. Only one cruise line offers Hawaii itineraries throughout the year; most others visit during specific months or when repositioning ships in spring and fall.
Specialty restaurant Manfredi's serves an extensive menu of Italian specialties, while The Chef's Table offers rotating five-course themed menus, including Asian, French and California-inspired. The ships feature many of Princess' popular dining venues, including Alfredo's Pizzeria (a sit-down venue serving personal-size pizzas), Crown Grill for steaks and Sabatini's Italian Trattoria. There's plenty of outdoor space for soaking up the sun — including an adults-only sun deck — and a dazzling Piazza for enjoying cocktails, gelato and pop-up street performers. For any cruises listed, Cruise Critic does not guarantee any specific rates or prices.
The shorter, one-way sailings are a good compromise for travelers who don't want to take a full two weeks or can't imagine 10 days at sea on one vacation but do want some relaxing time on the ship. The longer one-off journeys are more for folks wanting to explore a wide swath of the Pacific, with Hawaii being a small part of that deep dive. Some lines offer just a few round trips while others offer months of Hawaii cruises. Because most cruise ships are flagged in another country, they cannot offer interisland cruises. The rest must sail long cruises at least one-way, if not round trip, from the west coast of North America.
Passengers disembark the next morning at Kaunakakai, where they can either transfer to Molokai Airport or extend their stay. The best cruise for you depends on how much vacation time you have, how many islands you want to visit, whether you're looking for overnight port stays and how you feel about multiple sea days in a row. If you do book your island hop with United, you'll need to get your Hawaiian Airlines confirmation code to select your seat directly with Hawaiian. Our experienced team can help you find the latest discounts, explain the ins-and-outs of Hawaiian Island cruises and secure your dream Hawaii interisland cruise at the best rate. From early-booking deals to discounts on new routes, browse our current deals on cruises around Hawaii for ways to save.
The hour-long journey will cost you about $30 one-way (kids $20), but there are only five departures and returns each day, so you have to plan day trips carefully. Book select Baja, Hawaii or Galapagos small ship cruises with AdventrueSmith and unlock special exclusive savings today. We enjoy hiking and getting out there, we want to experience things that others could only read about. We didn't want to completely rough it on our honeymoon but we also didn't want the resort or the 2,000 person cruise ship. Additional guest favorite destinations on board include the RedFrog Pub, Alchemy Bar and WaterWorks aquapark.
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