Can You Take Your Car on a Cruise to Hawaii? The Short Answer: No.

Standard cruise ships do not carry passenger vehicles. There are no ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) cruise services to Hawaii from the U.S. mainland or elsewhere.

Why Not?

• Ship Design: Cruise liners are built for passengers, not vehicle decks. Car-carrying ferries (like Channel Tunnel shuttles) are fundamentally different vessels.
• Distance & Logistics: A Pacific crossing (2,500+ nm from LA) at 20 knots takes 5+ days each way—economically unviable for a car deck.
• U.S. Cabotage Laws (PVSA): Foreign-flagged ships (almost all cruise ships) cannot transport passengers—or their cars—directly between two U.S. ports without a foreign stop. Hawaii is a U.S. state.
• Import Regulations: Even if a ship could carry cars, Hawaii enforces strict vehicle import rules (safety, emissions, title, duty). Shipping a car via container (Matson, Pasha) is the standard method.

Alternatives

• Ship your car via ro-ro or container from LA, Oakland, or Seattle (~2–3 weeks, $1,500–$3,000+).
• Fly and rent—far simpler for visits.
• Repositioning cruises (e.g., Alaska to Hawaii) still don't take cars.

Bottom line: Leave the car at home. Cruise lines move people; freight lines move cars.