Hawaii Cruises: Everything You Need to Know Before You Book

The Complexity of Hawaii Cruising Cruising Hawaii is extraordinary — the volcanic landscapes, the black sand beaches, the waterfalls, the whale-watching, the snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, the Road to Hana — but it comes with a complication you don't encounter on Caribbean or Mediterranean sailings. The Jones Act (the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886) requires that ships sailing between US ports be built and flagged in the United States. The only major cruise line that operates inter-island Hawaii cruises is Norwegian Cruise Line, using its Pride of America. Norwegian Pride of America The Pride of America is a US-flagged ship homeporting in Honolulu and sailing a dedicated 7-night inter-island Hawaii itinerary year-round. It calls at Kahului (Maui), Hilo and Kona (Big Island), and Nawiliwili (Kauai). This is a genuinely excellent itinerary — you see four of the six major Hawaiian islands in seven days. The ship itself is older (2005) and doesn't match the scale of Norwegian's Breakaw…