Hawaii Cruises From the West Coast
Two weeks or more, the open Pacific and a landfall to remember.
Get Pacific Crossing QuotesSailing to Hawaii the Old-Fashioned Way
Before jets, the way to reach Hawaii was by ship, and you can still do it. Round-trip Hawaii cruises from the mainland cross more than 2,000 miles of open Pacific, spend several days in the islands and then sail home.
These voyages typically run 14 to 18 nights, and some are longer. Expect four or more consecutive sea days in each direction. On a round trip from California, foreign-flagged ships usually add a call at Ensenada, Mexico, on the way home to satisfy U.S. cabotage law; from Vancouver, the voyage already begins in a foreign port. Islands visited usually include Oʻahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauaʻi, though a few voyages see only three of the four.
Where They Sail From
| Departure port | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles (San Pedro) | Round-trip Hawaii voyages, often with a stop in Ensenada on the return |
| San Diego | Round trips, including some longer circle-Hawaii voyages |
| San Francisco | Seasonal round trips, especially in autumn, winter and spring |
| Seattle and Vancouver | Round trips and one-way sailings, often around the start and end of the Alaska season |
Lines with Hawaii sailings from the West Coast or Vancouver in the 2026–27 season include Princess Cruises, which has holiday voyages round trip from Los Angeles and San Francisco, and Holland America Line, which has long Hawaii voyages from San Diego and Vancouver. Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean mainly offer one-way Vancouver–Honolulu sailings. Deployments change every year, so our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise always confirm the current schedule when they quote.
Are the Sea Days a Plus or a Minus?
For many travelers, the crossing is the vacation: lectures, classes, spa time, long lunches and nothing on the horizon but the Pacific. Clocks move an hour at a time on most nights, which makes jet lag a non-issue. If you are retired or can take two or three weeks off, it is a relaxed way to reach the islands.
The trade-off is time. If you can spare only a week, an inter-island cruise from Honolulu gives you many more island days. Sea conditions also vary; the open Pacific can be lively in winter, so pack seasickness remedies if you are prone to it, and choose a cabin low and near the middle of the ship.
Combining Hawaii With Something Bigger
- One-way repositioning: sail Vancouver to Honolulu, then fly home, or the reverse.
- South Pacific voyages: some long sailings from the West Coast continue from Hawaii to Tahiti and the Marquesas before returning.
- Transpacific voyages: occasional sailings continue from Hawaii to Australia or Asia.
For packing on a long voyage, see Cruising Checklist. If you are still choosing between a crossing and other long voyages, our sister site A Voyage Travel compares voyage types and lengths.
Sail to Hawaii From the Mainland
Tell us your departure city, how many nights you have and when you can travel. Our cruise advisors at Mister Cruise will compare West Coast and Vancouver Hawaii voyages and send free quotes.
Get Pacific Crossing Quotes