Why sail Hawaii
Island-hopping Hawaii by air means four hotels, four check-ins, four rental cars and a domestic flight every other morning. The ship replaces all of it. You wake up on Maui, and the next day on Kauai, and the bags never move.
The two very different itineraries
Inter-island, round-trip from Honolulu. Seven nights, four islands, almost no sea days, Maui, Hilo and Kona on the Big Island, and Kauai, usually with an overnight so you get a full day and an evening. Because it never leaves US waters, this route is sailed by the one US-flagged ship in the business, Pride of America.
Round-trip from the West Coast. Fourteen to seventeen nights, of which four or five at each end are open Pacific. Far cheaper per night, and a genuinely different vacation: the sea days are the point. Ideal if you want the crossing.
The islands
- Maui (Kahului): the road to Hāna and the sunrise at Haleakalā, which starts at three in the morning and is worth it.
- Hawai’i, from Hilo: Volcanoes National Park, rainforest, waterfalls.
- Hawai’i, from Kona: dry, sunny, the coffee coast, and the best snorkeling and manta dives.
- Kauai (Nawiliwili): Waimea Canyon and the Nā Pali coast. The prettiest island, and the one most worth an overnight call.
What to know before you book
Hilo and Kona are the same island, two days apart. People book excursions assuming otherwise and end up doing a two-hour drive twice.
Cars sell out. On an inter-island sailing, rental cars at each port are booked by other passengers weeks ahead. Reserve early or take the ship’s tour.
