Hawaii Cruises

 

Things to see and do in Honolulu, Oahu

Pearl Harbor National Memorial. Honolulu's must-see site commemorates the events of December 7, 1941 – Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor – and honors the more than 2,400 Americans whose lives were lost that day.

The memorial encompasses several important landmarks, but most excursions will only include a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial; if time allows, you can tack on outings to the USS Missouri Memorial, the USS Bowfin Museum, and other significant locations. Regardless, you'll want to be sure to reserve your place as early as possible: these are among Hawaii's most-visited attractions, and tours always sell out quickly.

Polynesian Cultural Center. This living museum and theme park – six separate Polynesian villages spread across more than forty lush, tropical acres – is Oahu's most popular cultural attraction (and an excellent option for families and other groups). Highlights include live Polynesian music and dancing with fire knives, luau buffets, and a large marketplace featuring traditional Polynesian foods and handicrafts.

Kualoa Private Nature Reserve. 4,000 sacred and stunning acres – and three unique and fully immersive experiences for one all-inclusive price.

First, you'll tour famous film and television locations in the reserve's Ka'a'awa Valley, a.k.a. "Hollywood's Hawaii Backlot" (Jurassic Park, Lost, and many other notable movies/series have been shot here). Next, you'll venture deep into a jungle rainforest aboard a custom-built vehicle prior to concluding your outing with a tranquil "Taste of Kualoa Farm" trolley tour. Packages include an all-you-can-eat buffet lunch.

Flightseeing over Diamond Head and other Oahu attractions. Climb aboard a helicopter or a seaplane and view "the Heart of Hawaii" from the friendly skies! Aerial highlights include the Waikiki shoreline, the Koko Crater Trails, and Diamond Head State Monument, Oahu's majestic volcano crater.

Atlantis Submarine Adventures. Travel beneath the sea for an up-close encounter with Hawaii's amazing marine life. Your state-of-the-art, 48-passenger vehicle – the world's largest recreational submarine – descends deep into the waters of Waikiki, where you'll pass right alongside green sea turtles, tiger sharks, and giant rays and eels (as well as shipwrecks, sunken airplanes, and other reef structures).

Things to see and do in Kahului, Maui

Haleakalā National Park. Maui's mammoth centerpiece, well over 30,000 acres of spectacular natural scenery that's roughly divided between two sections.

There's the desert-like "summit" section, site of the Haleakalā Crater (unquestionably the park's chief attraction), and the coastal Kipahulu section near Hāna, home to bamboo forests, cascading waterfalls, and other scenic splendors. The park's seemingly endless series of trails make it a paradise for hikers, and its summit is one of the very best places for taking in a Hawaiian sunrise and/or sunset.

Hāna Highway (a.k.a. "the Road to Hana"). This incredibly scenic driving route, situated along Maui's northeast coastline, begins in Kahului; its "official" endpoint, however, remains in some dispute (there are many who would argue that the route, in spite of its nickname, extends well beyond Hāna). But what's not up for debate are the breathtakingly beautiful landscapes – and the dozens of amazing adventures – that you'll encounter along the way.

The ride is not for the faint of heart, though (the highway's dramatic twists and turns are legendary), so you'll want to consider leaving the wheel to an experienced local/professional driver.

Go golfing on one (or more) of the world's best courses. Looking to hit the links while you're in Hawaii? If so, then Maui is the place to be. The island is home to several of the game's most highly regarded courses including the Bay Course at Kapalua (designed by Arnold Palmer and architect Francis Duane), the Wailea Golf Club's Gold Course (the award-winning creation of Robert Trent Jones II), and the Plantation Course at Kapalua Bay, consistently rated as Hawaii's top golf course and the home of the PGA TOUR's annual Sentry Tournament of Champions.

Shop ‘til you drop. Kahului is Maui's busy commercial center, and several of the archipelago's biggest and best shopping spots are within a short walk of the pier including the Maui Mall and the Queen Ka'ahumanu Center (both destinations are also home to good restaurants, movie theatres, arcades, and other diversions).

The Maui Swap Meet, open weekly, is another highlight. And when you're done? Laze along the secluded shorelines of beautiful Kanaha Beach Park, one of the ports best-kept secrets.

Things to see and do in Lahaina, Maui

'Iao Valley State Park. This sacred location, less than an hour's drive from downtown Lahaina, offers outdoor enthusiasts more than 4,000 verdant acres to explore. Its best-known feature is the iconic 'Iao Needle, the green-mantled rock spire that rises more than one thousand feet into the air. There are any number of trails that you can follow that will lead you to the Needle, but the park's most popular is the half-mile Lookout Trail and Ethnobotanical Loop, which passes through a gorgeous botanical garden.

Attend a luau. You can attend a luau – a traditional Hawaiian feast accompanied by traditional Hawaiian song, dance, and other entertainments – in pretty much any port of call that you'll visit on your Hawaii cruise. But Lahaina's are among the island's biggest and most lively; examples include the "Drums of the Pacific" luau at the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, located just steps from cliff-lined Ka'anapali Beach, and the "Old Lahaina" luau, available seven nights a week at an oceanside location along Front Street, Lahaina's leading thoroughfare.

Book a snorkeling or scuba-diving excursion in Lahaina Harbor. You won't have to travel far to discover the aquatic treasures hidden among Maui's colorful reefs. A wide range of exciting water-based activities, including snorkel and scuba-diving outings via catamaran, are available within (or just beyond) Lahaina Harbor, which is where your cruise ship will dock. It's also one of the islands' premier whale-watching locations throughout the winter and spring.

Tour the town's historic streets aboard a Segway®. See Lahaina's most celebrated attractions in a unique and contemporary way! Never ridden a Segway before? No problem: your excursion begins with a thirty-minute training session, and communication radios keep you connected to your tour guide throughout. Once you're on your way, you'll hit all of the town's highlights including its famed banyan tree, the Jodo Mission, Hale Pa'ahao Prison, and Kamehameha Iki Park.

Things to see and do in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Hualālai Volcano (Hidden Craters Tour). The Big Island of Hawaii is Hawaii's "youngest" island, geologically speaking – and it's still growing (literally), broadened by the lava from its active volcanoes, which flows to the island's shorelines, cools, and hardens into molten rock.

One such volcano is Hualālai, located east of Kailua-Kona, and visitors to the Big Island can tour its upper slopes. To get there, you'll hike through a pristine cloud forest and navigate a portion of a lava tube; upon reaching the summit, you'll stand on the edge of the volcano's dramatic craters, where you'll gaze into their depths and soak up stunning views of the Kailua-Kona coast.

Kohala Waterfalls. Journey off-road into some of the Big Island's most jungle-like terrain (much of it private, and strictly accessible via guided excursion) to view over a half-dozen magnificent waterfalls sprinkled along Kohala's northern coast.

Your tour includes transportation to and from Kona, a visit to an ancient Hawaiian taro-farming site, a picnic lunch at one of the island's most panoramic lookouts, and a refreshing plunge-pool swim at the base of the final waterfall that you'll visit.

Tour one of Kona's famous coffee plantations. Kona is one of the globe's leading coffee-producing regions, and its bold and flavorful beans are beloved the world over. You can learn more about this rich Hawaiian tradition – and sample a freshly brewed cup – at any one of Kona's many coffee plantations, orchards, and estates. The most authentic (and expensive) beans are harvested in Kona's north and south, but you'll find places to tour throughout the Big Island; leading examples include the Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation, Hula Daddy Coffee, and Greenwell Farms.

Pay a visit to Anaeho'omalu Beach. This long, picturesque crescent of black-and-white sand is arguably the Big Island's most beautiful beach.

Named for the ancient fishponds that you'll pass as you make your way to its shoreline, but more commonly referred to as "A-Bay," Anaeho'omalu is especially notable for its placid, bay-sheltered waters; unlike much of Hawaii's surf, A-Bay's is calm, making it an exceptionally good spot for kayakers, paddleboarders, snorkelers, and other watersports enthusiasts.

Things to see and do in Hilo, Hawaii

Volcanoes National Park. Essential. Hawaii's most-visited attraction, the Volcanoes National Park is the site of Hawaii's two most important and impressive volcanoes: Kīlauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the biggest "shield volcano" (i.e. highly fluid volcano) on Earth.

The park is enormous – well over 300,000 acres of incredible land – so there's only so much you'll be able to see in a single day. Plan ahead and make the most of your time there: highlights within the park, beyond its two world-famous volcanoes, include the Kīlauea Iki Crater, the Thurston Lava Tube, the Sulphur Banks Trail, and the Chain of Craters Road.

Waipi'o Valley. Breathtakingly beautiful and historically significant – it was, for many years, the full-time home of Hawaiian royalty – Waipi'o Valley is yet another terrific option for lovers of the great outdoors.

Surrounded by enormous cliffs, some of which are close to 2,000 feet tall, the valley is home to Hawaii's tallest waterfall (Hiilawe Falls) and the Hamakua Heritage Corridor (a memorable route along the coastline, which culminates in the panoramic vistas available via Waipi'o's famous lookout). You can explore the valley on foot, via horseback, or aboard an all-wheel-drive vehicle, but be mindful: portions of the land are privately owned, so take care not to trespass.

Rainbow Falls. If Kohala hasn't already sated your appetite for incredible waterfalls, then Hilo surely will! There are many beautiful examples worth exploring here – including the Akaka Falls and the Kahuna Falls – but Rainbow Falls is a standout: its morning mists, when they catch the sun, throw off colorful rainbows that circle/ring the base of the falls. And while the waterfall itself is comparatively modest (less than 100 feet tall, as opposed to its neighbor in Akaka, which tops out at more than 400), it's easily accessible, there's no admission fee, and there are other natural attractions close by.

Mauna Kea. This dormant volcano is the highest point of elevation in all of the Pacific; measured from its base at the bottom of the ocean, it's the tallest mountain in the world.

It'll take about two hours' worth of driving to reach Mauna Kea's summit, but it's worth it: the views, needless to say, are staggering. You'll just want to keep in mind that it can get chilly up there (Mauna Kea is occasionally dusted with snow), and the extreme altitude can also be a challenge (once you reach the summit, you'll be breathing in nearly half as much oxygen as you were at sea level)!