The Hawaiian islands offer some of the most breathtaking, exotic landscapes on earth and the combination of spectacular views, tropical sunshine and the warm, blue waters of the Pacific Ocean make them a popular destination for cruising holidays. Cruises around Hawaii usually call at the islands of Oahu, Mau and Kauai, each of which has its own unique attractions.
The island of Oahu --known locally as "The Gathering Place"-- is the home of the capital of Hawaii, Honolulu, and dinner cruises, catering for singles, couples and family groups, are popular in the area. These are typically available on a variety of different vessels and packages, which include a meal, a show, and in some cases a limousine ride and a champagne reception. For those holidaymakers who are interested in wildlife experiences, private cruises hosted by expert, educated crew members for whale watching and swimming with dolphins and other marine wildlife, such as sea turtles, can be arranged.
Maui , known as the "Magic Isle", is the second largest of the Hawaiian islands and home to the Haleakala National Park and the 10,023 feet high peak of the same name. The island, itself, is famous for the extravagance of its landscape -- gold, white, red and green sandy beaches, jungles, waterfalls and lagoons -- and flora and the shallow waters to the south and west offers some of the best whale watching in the world, especially between December and May. A variety of whale watching cruises operate out of Lahaina Harbour on Maui, along with day or sunset cruises on yachts, catamarans and other vessels.
The island of Kauai, the oldest of the eight major Hawaiian islands, is more low-key in terms of development --it is only 3 percent developed, and building is restricted to the height of a coconut palm. As a result, Kauai offers an authentic tropical paradise experience. Highlights include the Wailua River, the only navigable river in Hawaii, which visitors can cruise by riverboat, taking in lush rain forests, mountains and valleys. Kauai also has the longest coastline of any Hawaiian island, with 43 miles of white, sandy beaches and another 22 miles of sheer cliffs rising 2,000 feet or more above the sea. Cruise liners dock at the main harbour, Lihue, from which it is easy to arrange shore excursions to the nearby Wailua Falls, a 200-feet high waterfall, northwest of Hanamaulo, and Kilohana Plantation Estate.
