Hawaii Shore Excursion Ideas for Cruisers

When I cruised the Hawaiian Islands last year, the shore excursions were definitely my favorite part. Just being on a cruise ship is already a great vacation, but it's hard to beat the Hawaiian weather and all the activities you can partake in while visiting the islands.

Today I'll talk about a few shore excursions you may want to check out if you book a trip to the islands (a couple of these I did personally and the others are on my for-next-time list since folks I talked to on the ship had a great time doing them). Here's the list:

Hawaii Shore Excursion Ideas

Helicopter Tours

The fact that the islands were formed by volcanic activity makes for a diverse topography that is truly inspiring. The helicopter tours are expensive ($200+ per person), so if you're trying to save money on your cruise, you may not want to fork over that kind of cash for the whole family, but I think it's definitely worth doing once.

You can take a helicopter tour on different islands, but most of the folks I talked to recommended signing up for the one in Kauai, and that's just what I did.

You get to see the Waimea Canyon, which is a fantastic lush and tropical version of the Grand Canyon. It's 10 miles long, one mile wide, and more than 3,500 feet deep, and it's truly majestic. The Kauai helicopter tour also takes in the impressive NaPali Coast, much of which is inaccessible by land because of the vast cliffs with their sheer drops of thousands of feet (you'll go by them on the cruise ship if you're visiting this island, but they're even better by air!). Lastly, I think Kauai is the island to take a helicopter tour on because so much of it is undeveloped and uninhabited. You won't be looking down on housing developments here.

A note on the helicopter tours... if you get even mildly car sick you probably get helicopter sick (I'm usually fine on airplanes, but this was the air version of driving along a twisty mountain road!). Take some Dramamine before you go. ;)

Zip Line Adventure Tours

If you're an athletic adventurous type (who isn't afraid of heights!), you'll enjoy the zip line adventures. All of them involve getting into a harness and sliding down a rope at top speed, through jungle canopies and the like. Some of them also have you climbing, swimming, and enjoying other adventures while you're at it.

One of the great things about the rigorous adventure tours is a lot fewer people go on them than the more sedentary sight seeing tours. (While cruises appeal to folks of all ages and lifestyles, physically fit adventure-seeking types are on the rarer side.) You won't have to wait for head counts and slow pokes, and the transportation isn't likely to be crowded.

Zip line adventures are common cruise shore excursions, but the beauty of Hawaii's treetops make it a particularly spectacular place for this type of adventure.

Volcano Hikes & Sight Seeing Tours

One of the unique things about Hawaii (as opposed to other popular cruise destinations) is not only that the islands were formed from volcanic eruptions but that land is actually increasing each year because the lava continues to flow!

There are quite a few shore excursion opportunities that allow you to hike out to the edge and see live lava plopping into the ocean.

Distances vary, so find a hike that's just at your level. There are opportunities for just about everyone to get up close and personal with the lava.

Kona Coffee Tours

Hawaii likes to boast about its Kona coffee, and if you're a fan of the stuff (or you're just looking for an alternative to all these "active" tours), then you'll enjoy touring the coffee plantations.

An example shore excursion takes you to the Holualoa Kona Coffee Estate where you can wander the grounds, tour the processing facility, watch (and smell) the coffee being roasted, and--of course!--sample the products.

Packages of Kona coffee also make nice gifts to bring home to the coffee fans in your life.

If you're looking for other island foods to see in their original growing habitat, look into pineapple plantation tours (Oahu) and the Hawaiian Vanilla Company (the vanilla farm is often packaged with the Holualoa coffee tour).

That's all I have time to write about right now. Some other Hawaii classics you may want to look into are surfing (duh!), snorkeling, and the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu.

If you've already visited Hawaii, feel free to list some of your favorite spots in the comments below!

Winter Is a Great Time to Cruise to Hawaii

I'm heading to Mexico for my cruise this year, but last year I did a week-long cruise in Hawaii and really enjoyed it.

If you live somewhere cold and rainy/snowy, winter can be a fantastic time to escape to the Hawaiian Islands, and a cruise is a great way to do it. Usually when you visit Hawaii, you spend all your time on one island, but a cruise lets you visit four or five different ports (we did four separate islands on my NCL cruise) and see some of the less frequently traveled spots.

For fewer crowds, book your cruise when the kids are in school (avoid Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year's Eve when prices are higher and ports are more crowded).

This Hawaii Cruise FAQ can answer some of your questions on cruising the Hawaiian Islands, or you're already set to go, you can visit Travelocity to check rates on last minute cruises:

Search by Cruise Destination on Travelocity

No Casinos on Cruises to Hawaii?

If you've signed up for a Hawaiian cruise, hopefully you're not a big gambler.

On most cruises, casinos are a part of the entertainment offered, and they are quite popular with some guests.

You won't find casinos, however, on Hawaii cruises, at least not if you book with NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line). They are the only outfit that does trips that start and end in Hawaii and focus on visiting the islands (usually four separate islands).

This is because the state of Hawaii has a law that says no cruise line can start or end a voyage in Hawaii if it has gaming equipment aboard.

If gambling is important to you, you can book a cruise on another line, but the other lines start on the mainland and sail across the Pacific (a long trip with more days at sea than visiting the islands).

Pay for Ship's Shore Excursions or Find Independent Tours in Hawaii?

When you take a cruise, the price includes your meals and cabin, but if you want to go on shore excursions, you'll pay extra.

In Hawaii, you probably don't want to miss the good stuff either. We're talking about luaus, helicopter tours, mountain biking down volcanoes, rainforest hikes, cultural center excursions, and all sorts of fun adventures. But the prices can add up.

So can you save money by avoiding the cruise line's shore excursions and signing up on your own? After all, tourism is huge in Hawaii, so equivalents of all those tours must be available for folks who aren't arriving via a cruise ship, right?

Yes and yes.

Here's what a Hawaiian native suggested (someone who has been on 12 Hawaii cruises, so she knows her stuff!):

"Enjoy your cruise (likely with Norwegian Cruise Lines) it is a great way to see each of our islands. Be sure to check out the same shore excursions that they offer direct with the tour operator on line before leaving. Just FYI, like the Old Lahaina Luau is about $100. through the ship and $50.00 direct. Same luau, same seats, etc. Remember, NCL is not a non-profit company they make money where they can. Most all shore excursions can be purchased individually, don't let NCL scare you that only they will get you back to the ship on time. That's silly, these guys do this 3 times a week, they know when the ship sails, it's their business. "

Low Season Offers Good Deals and Fewer Crowds for Hawaii Cruises

If you've ever wanted to go to Hawaii, a cruise can be a great way to see the islands.

When most people visit Hawaii, they often just go to one island (often Oahu, home of famous Honolulu and Waikiki Beach), due to the hassle of flying between the islands. With a cruise, you'll get to see three or four islands, including spots that are much less crowded than Honolulu.

If you're looking to get a good deal on a Hawaii cruise, booking during the off or "low" season can be a great move. In Hawaii, the low seasons are considered late August, late November, February (minus holiday weeks), and May.

The lovely tropical climate means any time of year is great for sailing in Hawaii. Though months (i.e. January) are rainier than others, the temperatures are always warm, averaging in the 70s even in winter. Winter is a great time for whale watching, too, and since the kids are back in school, you're more likely to find the cruise ships themselves to be a peaceful retreat.