Preview the fabulous harbors and Island treasures you'll visit on a Hawaiian Islands cruise:

HONOLULU
Hawaiian Island of O‘ahu

Honolulu is the capital city of the state of Hawaii and the seat of government for the City and County of Honolulu (which encompasses Oahu and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands stretching to Midway and Kure). Downtown Honolulu sits on the shores of sheltered Honolulu Harbor, where large cruise ships began to arrive in the 1920s and continue to make port today.

This sophisticated city is packed with attractions and things to do, most not more than a 10-minute taxi ride from the harbor. With several hours to spare you can visit world-class museums, Waikiki Beach, historic Pearl Harbor and some of the best shopping spots in the Pacific.

Photo: Aloha Tower stands watch over Honolulu Harbor, where cruise ships arrive and depart one block from downtown Honolulu

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Hilo Bay

HILO
Hawaiian Island of Hawai‘i

As one of the oldest towns in the state, Hilo offers a rich mix of contemporary and historical attractions. Special places to visit include the Pacific Tsunami Museum (tsunami in 1946 and 1960 largely destroyed Hilo Town), fish auctions, street markets, fabulous gardens, and a renovated downtown area with cafes, shops, and a historic theater.

The Hilo area, second in population to Honolulu, is also home to the University of Hawaii-Hilo and records more than 130 inches of rain annually, possibly making it one of the wettest cities in the United States.

Photo: Picturesque Hilo Harbor with Mauna Kea in the background




Kailua Bay

KAILUA-KONA
Hawaiian Island of Hawai‘i

Built on layers of lava, hot, dry Kailua-Kona is the Kona Coast's busiest visitor destination. The town features Victorian-style structures, new shopping malls, condominiums, a few hotels, boutiques and restaurants strung out along its waterfront and a bit farther south on Ali'i Drive.

Photo: The sunny town of Kailua-Kona sits on Kailua Bay

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KAHULUI/WAILUKU
Hawaiian Island of Maui

Kaahumanu Church
Combined with neighboring Wailuku, Kahului houses the island's largest population and is Maui's heart of business and industry. Its harbor is the island's only deep-water port, providing a shipping avenue for Maui-grown sugar and pineapples since 1880. Wailuku, the seat of government for the County of Maui, is nestled at the base of the West Maui Mountains. Missionaries settled here in the 1800s, bringing New England-style traditions and architecture — including the white-steepled and stone churches that, with the help of Maui-born Queen Ka'ahumanu, ushered Christianity into the Islands.

Photo: Kaahumanu Church, Wailuku Town

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Lahaina Harbor

LAHAINA
Hawaiian Island of Maui

Lahaina's main drag, Front Street, is packed with art galleries, nightlife and dining opportunities. Start at one end of the street and window-shop its entirety; this alone is several hours of enjoyment.

This area is also rich in Island history. Kamehameha I chose Lahaina as his seat of rule when he united the Hawaiian Islands, and it is here he built the Islands' first "Western" structure, the Brick Palace (1801). (The capital of Hawaii was moved to Honolulu in 1845.) In the early 1800s European whalers and Christian missionaries arrived, introducing Western customs to the people of Lahaina.

Photo: Lahaina Harbor, in the shadow of the West Maui Mountains




Wailua Falls

LIHUE
Hawaiian Island of Kaua‘i

On the Garden Island you'll make landfall at Nawiliwili Harbor, only 5 minutes from Lihu'e. Once a major sugar cane center, Lihu'e (population approximately 10,000) is the Kauai County seat and home to some must-do historical stops — including the Kauai Museum, Grove Farm Homestead, and a variety of old churches. Catch a taxi and tour the sunny beaches and historic towns of the island's south shore, or take a quick trip north to scenic Kilauea and Hanalei.

Photo: Wailua Falls, just north of Lihu'e

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Fanning Island

FANNING ISLAND
Republic of Kiribati

Some cruises take a detour to this South Pacific island. Spend a leisurely day among the hospitable people of the island, located about 1,200 miles south of Hawaii. Many visitors fall in love with the atoll's white-sand-ringed lagoons and brilliant blue water. The residents are friendly, the food is good and the scenery is simply out of this world.