Hawaii Cruises: How Long They Really Take

Hawaii might look close on a map. But when you’re cruising there, the distance suddenly feels a lot bigger.

Unlike the Caribbean, you can’t just sail from the US and arrive a day or two later. The islands sit far out in the Pacific, which means getting there by cruise ship takes longer than many people expect.

That doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. Those extra sea days can be one of the best parts of the trip. But it’s definitely something you’ll want to know before you book.

So how long does a Hawaii cruise actually take… and why do some itineraries take much longer than others?

A Typical Round-Trip Cruise to Hawaii

Round-trip cruises to Hawaii tend to last for 14-15 nights and incorporate a number of sea days. It takes around five days of sailing for cruise ships to reach Hawaii from the US west coast, so most cruises are for 5 days of sailing, 5 days around Hawaii and then 5 days to return.

That’s quite a long time to spend at sea, so it’s important that you make sure you’re comfortable keeping yourself entertained during a cruise to Hawaii.

The cruise ships will of course be equipped with a lot of different things for you to see and do, but many people prefer the idea of stepping off the ship each day – that won’t be possible on a Hawaii itinerary.

The Shortest Cruises to Hawaii

The shortest cruises to Hawaii from a different destination tend to sail from either the US coast or from Canada and will last for 9 days. This gives the ship time to sail to the islands and then sufficient days to explore a couple of ports before guests disembark to fly home.

So if you were hoping to book 7 day cruises to Hawaii from California or other nearby destinations, you’re out of luck – by the time you get there, it’d be time to disembark.

These cruises will all be one-way and will require flights. The shortest cruises ‘around’ Hawaii are a little shorter and tend to last for 7 days, but these are fly-cruises where you will fly to Honolulu, board your ship, sail around the Hawaiian islands and then disembark in Honolulu to fly home.

If you’re comfortable with these options, this is often the best way to see Hawaii. You’ll get more time in the islands, seeing more of the ports and more of the scenery instead of a couple of quick port calls as part of a longer itinerary.

You can also combine a fly-cruise with a hotel stay on the islands, which is the ultimate way to sample Hawaii culture and soak up the atmosphere and sights either before or after your sailing.

There are also cruises that are a lot longer that incorporate Hawaii into their itineraries. Because Hawaii is quite a remote destination, ships will often use longer sailings to explore further afield destinations such as Western Samoa, Tahiti and other parts of French Polynesia.

These are sometimes offered as one-way itineraries either from the US or Canadian coastlines, although you can get return itineraries from the US – these will last around 28 days or so.

Cruises from California to Hawaii

Ports in California are the most common for cruises to Hawaii, with itineraries lasting anything from 14 nights up to epic longer journeys of 80 nights or sometimes even more. Cruises set sail from Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, giving you plenty of choices.

That choice extends to the cruise lines as well. Cruises from LA departing from Long Beach are limited to Carnival with sailings usually taking place on either Carnival Radiance.

Los Angeles (San Pedro) has cruises to Hawaii with Princess Cruises, Viking Ocean Cruises, NCL and occassionally Silversea or Viking, so you can choose between premium and luxury options here.

Hawaii cruises from San Francisco are available on Princess Cruises, Cunard, Carnival and Holland America ships. Cunard and Holland America cruises to Hawaii are longer itineraries that last at least 17 days, but Princess and Carnival offer shorter two-week cruises.

And from San Diego, you can choose between Holland America and Princess again, including sailings on the popular Koningsdam which last anywhere from 17 – 35 days.

If you want to cruise to Hawaii from California, you need to settle on a port first and then decide which cruise line is the best fit. But despite California being one of the closest states, there still aren’t any short Hawaiian cruises available.

Cruises from Florida to Hawaii

Cruises from Miami to Hawaii are available, but they are not common. The long journey means they tend to be included on world cruises only, or at least a leg of those, for luxury cruise lines.

Regent Seven Seas current ‘shortest’ option lasts 42 nights, cruising to Mexico and the Caribbean before traversing the Panama Canal and then onto Hawaii and French Polynesia.

The shortest I could find is a 35 night trip with Cunard sailing from Miami to Sydney, Australia in January, 2028.

In 2027 and 2028, it’s also possible to sail from Fort Lauderdale to Hawaii with Princess Cruises. Some sailings last just 23 nights on one-way voyages to Honolulu, while much longer world-cruise segments that include Hawaii can last over 100 nights.

Cruises from Vancouver to Hawaii

The shortest cruises to Hawaii depart from Vancouver, lasting just 12 nights on a one-way sailing. Most cruises last two weeks, including some round-trip options, but longer cruises of up to 65 nights are also available.

Vancouver doesn’t just offer the best choice when it comes to itinerary length, but also cruise line too. From Vancouver, you can sail to Hawaii with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, NCL, Holland America, Princess, Oceania and Silversea.

Some itineraries are direct to Hawaii, while others will incorporate some Alaskan ports en route, giving you the chance to experience both extremes of nature’s scenery from glacial wonders to tropical greenery.

Cruises from Seattle to Hawaii

As Seattle is not a common departure port for many mainstream lines, cruises to Hawaii tend to be longer – from 10 nights to 63 nights. They are not generally offered as return cruises, instead ending either in Fiji, French Polynesia or Australia.

There are a handful of cruise lines offering these longer itineraries, including Carnival and Holland America. Seabourn is another option if you’d prefer a more luxurious cruise to the Hawaiian islands on your way to Australia, as one leg of a larger world cruise.

Suggested read: The Best Luggage Storage Places Near Seattle Cruise Terminal

Cruises from Australia to Hawaii

Cruises from Australia to Hawaii last for between 15 and 35 nights, depending on the itinerary. The cruises all depart from either Sydney or Brisbane, with shorter itineraries being one-way. Longer round trips are available.

Cruise lines offering these itineraries vary. Royal Caribbean used to, but there are none currently planned.

The time in Hawaii for these itineraries is short – sometimes there may not even be excursions available as the arrival is on the last day.

Longer itineraries are offered by Holland America and Princess Cruises, and will either be sailings from Australia to New Zealand via the Hawaiian islands, or they’ll continue on from Hawaii to the North American coastline. These tend to visit a couple of Hawaiian islands. 

To Conclude

There are a lot of different options for cruises to Hawaii, but most of them spend a couple of days at most exploring the islands before moving onto somewhere else.

This is great if you want variety, but be aware that the high number of sea days does mean you’ll need to make sure the ship has enough for you to stay entertained.

If you want the best overall Hawaii experience, and you aren’t looking for a super-long cruise, then the recommended option would be a fly-cruise that departs from Honolulu and stays exclusively around Hawaiian ports.

You’ll get more time to put yourself amongst the Hawaiian culture and you won’t be stuck at sea for long periods of time.

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