Hawaiian Cruise- Exploring Hawaii on an Unforgettable Cruise!

Hawaii has always been a bucket list item for my husband and I. Neither of us had ever been to Hawaii, let alone on a Hawaiian cruise. Recently, we decided to make a visit to Hawaii happen! After lots of research, we couldn’t decide on an Island to visit. So, we decided to visit them all! A Hawaiian Cruise was the perfect choice for us. It allowed us to see and do so many things that we never could have done by staying in one place! What an adventure. I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to top this vacation. Keep reading for info our Hawaiian cruise itinerary, Hawaiian cruise packing list, the islands we visited, shore excursions, ship info and lots of tips. Aloha!

In this article:

1. A brief overview of Norwegian Cruise line
2. Day by day itinerary of our Hawaiian Cruise including what we did off the ship each day
3. Packing list full of everything you’ll need

Norwegian Cruise Line

After lots of research on different Hawaiian Cruise options, we picked Norwegian, The Pride of America. Basically, because they fit in well with our budget and they had a lot of sailing date options. There are a few cruise lines that offer Hawaiian Cruise sailings. Do some research, but don’t get too hung up on the ship amenities. You’re going to be spending so much time ashore enjoying the islands, you won’t have much time to spend on the ship.

Our ship, The Pride Of America was nice. Our rooms were clean and well taken care of. The food during our entire Hawaiian Cruise was good and plentiful! The entertainment was wonderful although we were often so tired from exploring Hawaii, we didn’t feel like we could stay up late enough to really enjoy it!

Hawaiian Cruise: Day by day breakdown

Here’s a quick overview of how we spent our days on our Hawaiian Cruise. There are so many different things to do and places to go. We opted to do most things on our own in place of traditional shore excursions. We did do a couple of excursions through the ship, but we mostly did our own research beforehand and did our own thing. We were really happy with our choices!

Day 1- Honolulu, O’ahu

To kick of our Hawaiian cruise, we had to take an early flight to Hawaii! Our super early flight and landed in O’ahu at around 11:15 am. We planned to explore Pearl Harbor that morning, but we were too tired. The jet lag hit us hard!

We decided to take a ride share straight to our ship. Check-in was a breeze. You don’t need a passport for this cruise if you’re an American citizen, just a driver’s license. We were greeted with a beautiful lei on the ship. Next, we grabbed some drinks and found a quiet spot while we waited for our room to be ready. Did we doze in the sun in our chairs while we waited? Absolutely!

As soon as soon as our stateroom was available, we unpacked and took a quick nap to really recharge before dinner(we’re so old!). That night we choose to eat at East Meets West for some Asian cuisine. There are 5 complimentary restaurants to choose from on The Pride of America Hawaiian Cruise. After dinner our delicious dinner, we were ready to call it a night. Jet lag’s a killer!

Day 2- Kahului, Maui

On our first full day on our Hawaiian Cruise, we got up bright and early, ready to explore Maui! The port of Kahului is very industrial. We had booked a rental car through Enterprise before our vacation. The car rental shop was within walking distance of the port. We walked about 1 mile(an easy walk) to pick it up. Once we were settled in our rental car, we were ready to explore Maui! I had read about the Road to Hana online before our trip and knew I had to experience it for myself. So, we pulled up the GPS and headed in that direction.

Road To Hana

The road to Hana is magical. This was one of my favorite activities from our entire Hawaiian Cruise! It’s completely magical. I know I used that word before, but there’s really no other way to describe it. There are tours that will take you on the road to Hana, but we chose to drive ourselves. We went this route so we could have more freedom to stop and explore as we wished.

We didn’t have a real live tour guide, but we found an even better alternative! We downloaded the Shaka guide from the Apple app store and it made our entire day perfect! The app guides you along using your location(not data) to direct you where to stop, gives you history, local legends and points out the best place for banana bread. I can’t say enough about this app! It led us to so many cool destinations! We explored a bamboo forest, lava tubes, a black sand beach, blowhole, splashed in swimming holes and saw countless waterfalls thanks to this guide. Check it out!

We started on the road to Hana around 9:30 am and made it back around 9:00 pm. We parked our car at the Maui Beach hotel($5 per night) and walked back to the ship. It was about a 15-minute walk. We were pretty tired from our day of exploring! A quick dinner sounded perfect to us. The Cadillac Diner was the perfect choice to finish out our day on our Hawaiian Cruise.

Day 3- Kahului, Maui

Our Hawaiian Cruise gave us 2 days in Maui, which was great because we wanted more time to explore this beautiful slice of Hawaii! The morning started with a hike up Waihee Ridge Trail. My hubby is a hiker. I am not. The hike was 4 miles round trip. Honestly, it was tough for me. If you’ ve got kids or aren’t an avid hiker, halfway would be perfect. The views are extraordinary and now that it’s over I can say it was totally worth it! It was a little misty while we were there which added to the beauty.

After the hike, I was ready for some beach time! Some locals recommended Paia Beach. It was close and not crowded at all. We were about to leave when my husband spotted a family of sea turtles right by the shore! Talk about a dream come true! We spent lots of time watching them play in the waves. I could not get over how big they are up close!

After the beach, We dropped off the rental car and headed back to the ship for the evening. We ate dinner was at the Skyline Restaurant and we were awake enough to see the show in the theater, “Lights, Camera, Music”. The show was great and we fell asleep while we sailed away from Maui and on to our next adventure on our Hawaiian Cruise.

Day 4- Hilo, Hawai’i

Today was spent on the big island! I knew from my research that I wanted to spend the day at Volcano National Park. We reserved a car from Enterprise before our trip. Enterprise had a shuttle that picked us up from the ship and took us to the rental location. It was very convenient.

From there it was a fairly short drive Volcano National Park. Our favorite tour guide Shaka Guide did a wonderful job guiding us through the parks and giving lots of history along the way. We’d never been anywhere like this and it was incredible to see! We made lots of stops to explore and really enjoyed our self guided tour.

On our way back to the ship we had to stop by the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory. I was expecting to learn more about the process of growing and harvesting macadamia nuts, but they basically just have a store, a small restaurant and you can peek in a few windows of the factory. I was expecting more, but it was still fun. Well worth the stop if you love macadamia nuts as much as we do!

After we returned our rental car, Enterprise drove us back to the ship. We enjoyed dinner at the Liberty dining room and an amazing magic show, WONDERS! A Magical Experience in the Hollywood theatre.

Day 5- Kona, Hawai’i

Today was spent exploring the other side of the big Island, Kona! We booked a snorkeling shore excursion from a touring company. You can check them out here. We were picked up just off the pier by one of our guides and joined a small group of about 15 people. We boarded a small boat and set off towards Captain Cook’s monument.

On the way there we stopped by Dolphin Reef and we were lucky to spend about 30 minutes watching a family of dolphins play! Watching the 4-month-old baby dolphin play in the water was a highlight! Afterward, we went to Captain Cook’s monument to snorkel. The snorkeling was great! The water was warm, clear and there were hundreds of fish! After snorkeling, the crew of the ship had a lunch of sandwiches, chips, fruit, and dessert prepared for us. It was very good. While we ate, our guides told us the interesting story of Captain Cook and his history in Kona.

After we were dropped off from our snorkeling excursion, we spent some time exploring Kona on foot. You can walk right off the pier and find shops, a beach, and restaurants to enjoy. It rained that afternoon, so we took cover in Hulihe‘e Palace. This former vacation home to Hawaiian royalty was an interesting stop. We found some good food and lots of good souvenirs shops on our way back to the ship. That evening we ate in the Aloha Cafe and enjoyed the Vocal Group: These Guys Worldwide. They put on a great show!

Day 6- Nawiliwili, Kaua’i

Stopping in Kaua’i was something I’d been looking forward to for our entire Hawaiian Cruise! Before our vacation, we reserved a car through Enterprise. Enterprise had a shuttle that picked us up at the ship and took us a few miles to the Lihue airport where we rented a car.

We spent the day exploring beaches and hiking using the Shaka guide. We were impressed with their tours in Maui and Hilo. I couldn’t imagine exploring the island without them! One of their recommended stops was Anini Beach for snorkeling. Imagine my surprise when a sea turtle swam right in front of me! Amazing!

Unfortunately, we were unable to visit Haena state park and beyond. Advanced reservations are now required. We had no idea! We were a little disappointed to miss out on things like Kalalau Trail, Hanakapiai Falls, and Kee Beach. If you’re going, make sure you make reservations ahead of time. You can make reservations here. Even though we couldn’t explore that part of the island, we had plenty to keep us busy! Hiking to a swimming hole with a rope swing finished out our day!

Day 7- Nawiliwili, Kaua’i

On our Hawaiian Cruise, we got 2 days in Kaua’i! We decided for our final day we would go big and do a helicopter tour! It was worth every penny. A shuttle from Safari Helicopter Tours picked us up from the ship and took us to their office first thing in the morning. After a safety briefing, we were taken to the airport. Our helicopter tour lasted 60 minutes. It included over 100 miles of amazing Kauai scenery. We flew over the Na Pali coastline, Waimea Canyon and Waialeale. This was our favorite part of the entire trip. The breathtaking views that can only be seen from the air were incredible! We will remember this for the rest of our lives.

After our tour, we walked to the shopping area near the ship. We found some food, more souvenirs and enjoyed a little more beach time. Our ship left Kaua’i at 2:00 pm. Around 5 pm we sailed past the Na Pali coastline. This was one of the highlights of our Hawaiian Cruise! Seeing this view again from the ship was amazing! We enjoyed a relaxing evening on the ship.

Day 8- Honolulu, O’ahu

Today, we woke up to the knowledge that our Hawaiian cruise was over. This was sad, but we still had an entire day to enjoy O’ahu! A a ride share took us to pick up a rental car and then we went right to Pearl Harbor National Memorial. We spent a few thoughtful hours here learning about the history of this important place and remember the people who lost their lives here.

That afternoon we made our way to the Polynesian Cultural Center. We spent an enjoyable afternoon there. It is such a fun place! I was wishing we had more time to explore and enjoy it. I guess we’ll just have to go back! We attended a Luau there that evening. The food was delicious! Afterward, we saw Ha: Breath of Life Show. We loved it! The dancing and costumes were incredible. This was a perfect way to end our trip!

We stayed at a hotel near Waikiki Beach that night and caught an early flight home. We enjoyed our Hawaiian cruise so much! I can’t think of a better way to see Hawaii! Now, we just have to decide which island was our favorite so we can go back! If you’re considering a Hawaiian Cruise, I would definitely do it! It’s an amazing way to tour Hawaii!

Packing List for Hawaiian Cruise-

I did a lot of research trying to decide what to pack for our Hawaiian Cruise. Here’s a complete packing list for your cruise, so you can save some time. I recommend packing light! You really don’t need much. I packed using these amazing packing cubes! Seriously, so great! They kept my thing so organized and I can’t recommend them enough! I’ve included other links to some of my favorite items, but make sure you check out all my cruise recommendations from Amazon!

Carry On Bag:

You will not have your luggage with you for a few hours after you board the ship. It’s important to have anything you need with you while you’re waiting for your luggage to arrive.

• Wallet and travel documents
• Eyeglasses/contact case and solution
• Essential medications and over-the-counter products like ibuprofen, antacids and motion sickness supplements
• Cell phone
• A swimsuit
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Reef-safe sunscreen
• Book
• Portable charger for your electronic devices
• A reusable water bottle
• Hand sanitizer
• Extra change of clothing

On Board:

For the ship, you’re going to want light, breathable clothing.

• Sandals
• Swimming suits
• Swimming suit cover-ups
• Flip flops
• Underwear
• Pajamas
• Light sweater or sweatshirt
• Shorts
• Skirts
• Capri Pants
• Blouses
• Khaki shorts
• Short-sleeved shirts
• Dress
• slacks
• collared shirts for men
• Dress shoes

Toiletries:

A hair dryer and shampoo/conditioner are usually provided on the ship if you prefer not to pack them.

• Toothpaste
• toothbrush
• mouthwash
• Razors and shaving cream
• Deodorant
• Makeup
• Perfume or cologne
• Tweezers
• nail clippers
• A curling iron or flat iron
• Combs, brushes
• Shampoo, conditioner, hair gel
• Feminine hygiene products

For Shore Excursions:

• Comfortable land-to-water shoes. I highly recommend Tevas or Chacos
• hooded sweatshirt
• light rain jacket (it will rain at some point!)
• flip flops
• lightweight, active clothing
• bathing suit
• towel
• garbage bag for wet or muddy clothing
• lightweight backpack
• snorkel gear
• selfie stick
• reef safe sunscreen
• hat with a drawstring (it can get windy!)
• wet wipes to clean muddy hands and feet
• hand sanitizer
• chapstick
• portable charger for your phone
• sunglasses
• bug spray
• snacks
• refillable water bottle

Extras for your Stateroom:

• Alarm clock
• Magnetic hooks
• Magnetic clips
• Over the door organizer
• Cruise compliant power strip
• Hanging toiletry bag
• Pou-pourri
• Pop up laundry hamper

I hope you find this information helpful as you plan your own Hawaiian cruise! Please let me know if you have any questions. I also an expert at planning Disney vacations! If a Disney Cruise is in your future, you’ll want to check out my post Everything You Need To Know About A Disney Cruise for lots of helpful information!

Mahalo!