Cruise line for Hawaii

[Kimbels]

Recommendations for best cruise line to Hawaii please. We are 55 year old couple looking to see as much of Hawaii as possible. Don't want anything real formal but also not looking for a party boat. Thank you!

[57redbird]

When we were vacationing on Maui we saw the Pride of America, anchored at Lahaina, which does island cruises--- read the reviews & wouldn't recommend it.

[Keith1010]

Best will vary by person.

 

On the most part two different itineraries.

 

NCL offers a R/T Hawaii cruise starting and ending in Honolulu as they have a ship that is flagged as part of the USA and they don't have to stop at a foreign port. It's a 7 day cruise and you could certainly spend some time pre and/or post cruise Hawaii.

 

Other cruise lines offer a 14 day (some 16) R/T out of Los Angeles or San Francisco or San Diego that includes four days at sea on the front end and four at the end of the cruise with stops at several Hawaii ports. Cruise lines included Princess and Celebrity and a few others.

 

A few others stop at Hawaii but start and end in different places such as starting in Japan or starting in California and ending in other locations but typically they do not spend much time in Hawaii.

 

You may wish to enlist the help of a TA who specializes in cruises to help you with this.

 

Keith

[cb at sea]

If you really want to see Hawaii, you will fly there and do a land vacation. A cruise gives you such limited time, that it's barely a "taste"....you'll need at least 10 days on a land vacation....longer if you want to go to all the islands. An Hawaiian cruise isn't like a Caribbean, where the ship is the big deal...it's mainly transportation between your ports.

[paul929207]

We have sailed Princess to Hawaii round trip LA. Wonderful cruises

[lasekeye]

We sailed with Carnival Legend on a repositioning cruise on her way to Australia for the season. 10 days from Vancouver to Honolulu, where we stayed 3 days before flying home.

I have read that the Legend with be staying in Australia full time now, but I would think that another ship may take over that itinerary.

[Shmoo here]

Recommendations for best cruise line to Hawaii please. We are 55 year old couple looking to see as much of Hawaii as possible. Don't want anything real formal but also not looking for a party boat. Thank you!

We've taken Disney to Hawaii, and are planning a Princess trip soon. I'd recommend either one of those.

 

Couple of things:

1) You won't get a whole lot of Hawaii on a round trip out of LA, SF, SF, or any other west coast departure port, because in a, say, 2 week cruise you're only "in" Hawaii for 4 days tops. As noted, to really see Hawaii, a land trip is best.

 

2) Typically longer cruises are not "party" cruises.

[taglovestocruise]

We did Pride of America in 2007 when the reviews were absolutely horrible. The reviews were so awful that AAA would not recommend it. Did the 7 day cruise and found nothing to complain about. Ship was very clean, crew was attentive and friendly, did the ship luau excursion and was completely happy. Just my 2 cents worth. happy cruising.

[Cruisingirl2012]

We are planning a Hawaii cruise from Vancouver

 

 

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[MCC retired]

We were very pleased with our Pride of America 7 night Hawaii Cruise

a few years ago.

The islands are the highlight as are ashore most every day and

Service just okay from the US Crew . Dinning was very good as we enjoy Freestyle .

Arrived a day early in Oahu .

Prices though are now thru the roof since it is the only ship permitted

to cruise r/t from Honolulu.

 

 

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[Silverado6x6]

I have been checking the Emerald Princess out, good reviews. I'm 61, but i too would say its far better to do a land vacation for the islands, you get only a day excursion per each island coming off a cruise ship. Still researching but if i had a wish it would be a week on Oahu, another on Maui and then a RT to Tahiti and back. But i live in Alaska so i have to fly into Oahu of course.

[cachouonacruise]

We did the 10 day cruise from Hawaii to Vancouver on Celebrity Solstice in May 2017! (we’re also in our mid fifties). We spent 4 nights at the Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu, prior to the cruise. Our experience was fabulous, the crew exceptional, the food good to excellent. The captain made the ship turn on itself at night at sea, in front of the active volcano.

 

We would do it again in a heartbeat!

 

Good luck in selecting your cruise and enjoy!

 

 

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[gerelmx]

We are on Celebrity Eclipse 28 day B2B2B Vancouver-Hawaii-Vancouver-Los Angeles for Sept/Oct 2019, Also there is a Round trip form LA Oct/19

[Nic6318]

Hi

 

So if you are willing to put up with the service on the NCL Hawaii cruise, you will have more days visiting the islands. You would have to fly both ways. One big plus to this choice is that you can add on days to see more.

 

As suggested if you really want to see Hawaii, you need to fly there and spend time at each island.

 

Other cruise lines, will give you a one way (to/from), or a round trip, usually about five island stops. Again a one way cruise would allow you to extend you stay, by however many days you choose. A round trip cruise will give you a "lot" of sea days. At least nine, so you need to enjoy being at sea.

 

As far as which cruise line (apart from NCL), I would say just choose the one that fits your budget, timeframe, and itinerary (there might be small differences). The reason I say this is that I have never seen anyone complaining about their cruise to Hawaii, no matter which cruise line (except for issues on the NCL ship).

 

We went on Carnival roundtrip and had a great time. Be sure to check the "Hawaii" port of call threads. Take your time deciding what you want to do.

 

hope this helps

have a great trip

[flamomo]

I have cruise round trip LA or San Francisco to Hawaii with Princess 5 times. Very enjoyable every time!!

[Cruise Junky]

If your goal is to see as much of Hawaii as possible don't even consider a return westcoast cruise. 2/3 of your time will be at sea. NCL pride of America is a great way to see al of the islands or you could do a one way out of Vancouver and spend extra time there at the beginning or end, depending on which way you sail. Or completely abandon the ship idea and just pick two islands and go and do a land trip and really absorb the Hawaiian culture.

[trish1c]

We sailed the Pride of America as a way to conveniently get from island to island without having to fly & deal with TSA. For that purpose it was fine because we cared about the islands not the ship. It was not a cruise in the sense that you have time on board to enjoy the amenities. First there aren't many on board amenities. Second the cruise is rocky . . . all those famous Hawaiian big waves have an effect on the cruise ships. Finally, there isn't much night life because everybody is so tired from their excursions.

 

If you want a cruise experience POA is not your ship. If you want to get from one island to the next, it was just fine.

[jdvmd]

Ncl.

[Silver Sweethearts]

When we were vacationing on Maui we saw the Pride of America, anchored at Lahaina, which does island cruises--- read the reviews & wouldn't recommend it.

 

The Pride of America on its normal schedule docks in Kahului and only anchors at Lahaina in rare cases of problem conditions at Kahului Harbor.

[pseudoware]

... looking to see as much of Hawaii as possible.

 

Flight from mainland, rent a car, enjoy for a few days, island hopper, repeat...

 

Sorry, flying to HI only to get on a cruise ship makes zero sense to me. Spending two weeks for only a few hours on each island isn't much better (I've done it).

 

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[trish1c]

I would not have done it without the overnights in some ports. Especially Maui it made it easier to take our time on the Road to Hana.

[NantahalaCruiser]

Recommendations for best cruise line to Hawaii please. We are 55 year old couple looking to see as much of Hawaii as possible. Don't want anything real formal but also not looking for a party boat. Thank you!

My choice would be a one-way cruise from Vancouver, BC to Honolulu with a few additional on-land days and then flight back home.

 

Take a look at the Celebrity Eclipse 11N 9/22/19 sailing - nice feature of this cruise is overnights in Hilo on the Big Island and Lahaina on Maui.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Recommendations for best cruise line to Hawaii please. We are 55 year old couple looking to see as much of Hawaii as possible. Don't want anything real formal but also not looking for a party boat. Thank you!

 

 

 

A cruise is how to see as "little" of Hawaii as is possible. Each island is worthy of at least a 3-4 day visit. Fly there and island hop or just do a single one- I recommend Kauai.

 

 

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[trish1c]

A cruise is how to see as "little" of Hawaii as is possible. Each island is worthy of at least a 3-4 day visit. Fly there and island hop or just do a single one- I recommend Kauai.

 

That is so subjective. I would have been bored out of my skull with 3 days on Kauai.

 

I enjoyed the overview of multiple islands & came to the conclusion that we were best suited to the City aspects of Waikiki. The overnights were fine for us but more than an overnight on some of the islands would have been so dull.

 

We'll probably never return to Hawaii so I was really glad we saw multiple islands through the cruise. Yes, if you want more of an immersion experience, a cruise is not the way to go but that is true of any port.

[Cruise Junky]

That is so subjective. I would have been bored out of my skull with 3 days on Kauai.

 

 

I think you haven't done enough research about what to do on Kauai with that claim.