OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SHORE EXCURSIONS and ACTIVITIES 

Kauai - (Nawiliwili)

1. Kauai is the most amazing island to see from the air ... we recommend an Air Kauai helicopter tour. You are spending thousands of dollars per person to come to Hawaii ... it only makes sense to spend another $200 to really see the islands while you are here. There is no better way to see a lot in a short period of time. Air Kauai is a short 5 minute cab ride from the harbor and their helicopters have all been modified with oversized Plexiglas windows for superior visibility. It's a longer tour in a better helicopter using a company with a perfect safety record compared to the helicopter tours the cruise ships offer. For more information go to Kauai helicopter tours.

2. Ever heard of zip line tours? This is a blast! You wear a harness and clip onto steel cables that are stretched from one side of a small valley to the other. You soar over the jungle canopy with the greatest of ease! Backcountry Zipline is a short cab ride from the cruise ship. These are a LOT of fun ... be sure to check out this page at Kauai zipline tours.

3. Kayak up the Wailua River and hike into the rainforest to see Secret Falls, an amazing waterfall and swimming hole. On this excursion you'll feel like the cruise ship crowd is a million miles away! For more information go to Kauai kayaking tours.

Maui - (Kahului)

1. The famous downhill bike tour - either a sunrise tour or day journey. This tour includes pick-up at Kahului Harbor, transportation to the summit of Haleakala, all the biking equipment that you need, and the guide service down the mountain. It's a 38 mile downhill coast with amazing scenery along the way. This tour can be arranged for your second day in port. Our rate for this tour is significantly less than what the cruise ships charge for the same experience. Maui Bicycle Tours

2. Pride of Maui Molokini snorkel. Only morning tours reliably get to Molokini because of afternoon trade winds. This is a 10-15 minute cab ride from Kahului Harbor and can be done on your second day in port. Molokini Snorkel Tours

3. Hana tours - instead of the larger vehicles that the cruise ship uses, you can do a small group Hana tour in a 13 passenger vehicle with pick-up at the harbor. Hana Tours

Other cruise lines have itineraries that spend the night on Maui but they do it at Lahaina. They typically run tenders all night, so you do have some flexibility ... but keep in mind that you can't reliably plan a tour or activity for the first two hours or so after your arrival on day one because it might take you that long to get to shore. There are a variety of good Maui luaus for you to choose from on the West Side. In season you can do a whale watch in Lahaina. Parasailing and Atlantis Submarines is also available.

Big Island - (Kona)

Your time in Kona is severely limited by the lenght of time it takes to tender to shore, and the fact that none of the cruise ships spend the night there. You can do parasailing or Atlantis Submarines while you are there. Other than that, you'd need to arrange something tailored to your limited time in port ordered directly from your cruise ship.

Big Island - (Hilo)

Hilo has very few tours available, other than what the cruise ship has to offer. We recommend that you rent a car and drive up to Kilauea Volcano. You'll get to see more of the park than on an organized tour ... including the possibility of hiking out to see the active flow (depending on conditions of course). The helicopter tour over Kilauea is very popular, but this is NOT the helicopter tour we recommend. Most people are disappointed with the amount of lava they get to see, and this flight is not nearly as scenic as helicopter tours on Kauai. If you have the money to do two helicopter tours, then go for it. Otherwise, fly over Kauai!

Oahu - (Honolulu)

Most cruises originate here ... if you are staying an extra day or so you might consider Sea Life Park and their dolphin interaction programs. Pearl Harbor is a must see.