Hawaii cruises 2026–2027: inter-island or round trip from the mainland

Best time for a Hawaii cruise

Hawaii is warm all year, so the timing question is really about which cruises run and what you want to see.

• November to April: the main season for mainland round trips. Princess says its Hawaii cruises sail from September through April, and most other lines follow the same pattern because their ships spend the summer in Alaska. It is also humpback whale season: NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary says whales can be seen from shore and at sea from November through April. The trade-off is weather. The Hawaii Tourism Authority puts average daytime highs around 78°F and says November to March are the wettest months, mostly on the windward (northeast) sides of the islands.
• May to October: Hawaii’s summer, with average highs around 85°F, calmer water on most beaches and drier weather. Pride of America is the only regular option in these months, apart from a few one-way repositioning cruises in spring and fall.
• Holidays: Ruby Princess has a 16-day holiday sailing from San Francisco over New Year. See our Christmas and New Year cruises guide.

Inter-island vs round trips from the mainland

Inter-island (Pride of America)

7 days round trip from Honolulu, year round. Calls at Maui (overnight), Hilo, Kona and Kauai (overnight), with Na Pali Coast scenic cruising. No sea days. You fly to Honolulu.

Round trip from the West Coast

14 to 16 days from Los Angeles, San Francisco or San Diego. About four sea days each way, four or five Hawaiian port calls, and a stop in Ensenada, Mexico, on the way back.

Round trip or one way from Vancouver

Longer round trips (Holland America) and one-way repositioning cruises between Vancouver and Honolulu in spring and fall (Royal Caribbean, Celebrity). One-way trips need a flight home.

Why the difference? Pride of America is the only U.S.-flagged cruise ship. Under the Passenger Vessel Services Act, foreign-flagged ships can’t carry passengers purely between U.S. ports, so their Hawaii round trips must call at a foreign port, such as Ensenada, and that’s why they start on the mainland. Carnival’s 14-day trip from Long Beach, for example, has eight sea days, four Hawaii ports and Ensenada. Our Pride of America ship guide explains the inter-island option in full.

Lines compared for Hawaii

• Norwegian Cruise LinePride of America is the only ship doing a 7-day inter-island cruise, every week of the year. The pick for time on the islands.
  From $613 per personChecked September 2026
• Princess CruisesThe widest choice from California: 16-day round trips on Emerald Princess from Los Angeles and Ruby Princess from San Francisco, September to April.
  From $514 per personChecked September 2026
• Holland America LineRound trips from San Diego and Vancouver on mid-size ships, with Hawaiian cultural programming on board.
  Fares change daily; check current prices
• Carnival Cruise LineUsually the lowest fare: 14-day round trips from Long Beach on Carnival Radiance from November 2026 through the winter, plus a 15-day trip from Seattle on Carnival Spirit in April 2027.
  From $1,099 per personChecked September 2026
• Royal CaribbeanOccasional one-way repositioning cruises, such as a 12-night Vancouver to Honolulu trip on Anthem of the Seas.
  From $598 per personChecked September 2026
• Celebrity CruisesOccasional one-way spring repositioning cruises from Honolulu to Vancouver, timed for the start of its Alaska season.
  From $1,174 per personChecked September 2026

Typical length and price

The 7-day Pride of America trip is the only short Hawaii cruise. Everything else is 14 to 17 days round trip, or 8 to 12 nights one way. Island Princess also runs a 32-day South Pacific and Hawaii voyage from Los Angeles in September 2026.

On a per-night basis, mainland round trips are often cheaper than Pride of America, because sea days pad out the fare. Pride of America usually costs more per night, and you add a flight to Honolulu, but every day is a port day. For both, budget for excursions: helicopter flights, snorkel trips and volcano tours are the main extra in Hawaii. One-way repositioning cruises are often the cheapest per night, before the one-way flight. The verdict pass shows our dated from-price.

Departure ports

• Honolulu, Oahu: Pride of America’s home port, and the end or start of one-way repositioning cruises.
• Los Angeles and Long Beach: Princess from San Pedro and Carnival from Long Beach.
• San Francisco: Princess round trips.
• San Diego: Holland America round trips.
• Vancouver, British Columbia: Holland America round trips and spring or fall repositioning cruises.
• Seattle: occasional trips, such as Carnival Spirit’s 15-day Hawaii cruise in April 2027.

Hawaii cruise sailings snapshot

Ports of call

• Honolulu, Oahu: Waikiki, Pearl Harbor and Diamond Head. Mainland ships often stay late or overnight.
• Kahului, Maui: the Road to Hana, Haleakala and, in winter, whale-watching trips.
• Hilo, Big Island: the wetter east side and the base for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
• Kailua-Kona, Big Island: the drier west side, with snorkeling and coffee farms. Ships anchor and tender guests ashore.
• Nawiliwili, Kauai: Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast.
• Ensenada, Mexico: the required foreign stop on most mainland round trips, usually a short call near the end.

Hawaii cruise FAQ