Honolulu and O'ahu: Cruise Travel

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Cruise Travel

When Pan Am's amphibious Hawaii Clipper touched down on Pearl Harbor's waters in 1936, it marked the beginning of the end of regular passenger-ship travel to the Islands. From that point on, the predominant means of transporting visitors would be by air, not by sea. Today, however, cruising to Hawaii is making a comeback.

Norwegian Cruise Lines offers four "freestyle" cruises (no set meal times, less formal clothing, more nightlife choices) with seven-day Hawaii itineraries on three U.S.-flagged ships, Pride of Aloha, Pride of America, and the newest, Pride of Hawaii.

Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, and Royal Caribbean cruise lines circle Hawaii in a number of itineraries that typically begin and end on the U.S. west coast. Most of these itineraries include a port of call in Honolulu.

Even if you choose, as most travelers do, to travel by air to the Islands, you can get the flavor of what the luxury-cruise era in Hawaii was like by checking out Aloha Tower Marketplace's Boat Day Celebrations in Honolulu. Vessels stopping here are met upon arrival by hula dancers and the kind of entertainment and floral festivities that once greeted travelers almost a century ago. Contact Aloha Tower Marketplace for a boat-day schedule upon arrival.

To get the best deal on a cruise, consult a cruise-only travel agency.

Information

Aloha Tower Marketplace (1 Aloha Tower Dr., at Piers 8, 9, and 10, Honolulu. 808/528-5700. www.alohatower.com).

Cruise Lines

Carnival (888/227-6482. www.carnival.com). Celebrity (800/647-2251. www.celebritycruises.com). Holland America (877/724-5425. www.hollandamerica.com). Princess (800/774-6237. www.princess.com). Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (866/562-7625. www.royalcaribbean.com).