Nieuw Amsterdam - 17-Day Circle Hawaii from San Diego

Where this cruise calls, day by day

9 ports and 9 sea days over 17 Nights.

1. Day 1

   San Diego, CA

   United StatesDepart

   San Diego is one of the easiest cruise arrivals in the country: the B Street and Broadway piers sit directly on the downtown Embarcadero, with the aircraft carrier USS Midway permanently moored a few hundred yards along the same waterfront. The Gaslamp Quarter is a flat ten-minute walk. It works as both a turnaround port for Mexico runs and a pleasant one-day call.

   • USS Midway Museum, with the flight deck and hangar open to walk
   • Balboa Park's museums and the San Diego Zoo
   • Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, the original Mexican-era settlement
   • The ferry across the bay to Coronado and the Hotel del Coronado

   Getting ashore

   Docks downtown at the B Street or Broadway Pier; the Gaslamp Quarter, Midway and Little Italy are all walkable.

   Best months

   Year-round (Sep-Oct warmest and clearest; May-Jun often grey until afternoon)

2. Day 2 · At sea

3. Day 3 · At sea

4. Day 4 · At sea

5. Day 5 · At sea

6. Day 6 · At sea

7. Day 7

   Maui (Kahului)

   United StatesPort

   Kahului is Maui's cargo harbour, and it looks it - fuel tanks, a container yard and no reason to linger at the pier. It is a purely functional gateway to an island where the good things are an hour away in opposite directions. Lahaina, once the standard shore excursion, was destroyed by fire in August 2023 and is still rebuilding; treat it as a community in recovery rather than a sightseeing stop.

   • Haleakala National Park summit at 10,023 feet, above the cloud layer
   • The Road to Hana, which realistically consumes an entire port day
   • Iao Valley State Monument and its needle-shaped peak, close to the harbour
   • Maui Ocean Center aquarium and the Maalaea coast

   Getting ashore

   Docks at the commercial harbour in Kahului with nothing walkable nearby; a tour, taxi or rental car is essential.

   Best months

   Year-round (Apr-Oct driest; Dec-Apr for humpbacks in the Auau Channel)

8. Day 8

   Hilo

   United StatesPort

   Hilo is the wet, green, unpolished side of the Big Island - it takes well over 100 inches of rain a year and looks nothing like the resort coast. The pier is an industrial one a few miles from a downtown of old plantation-era storefronts. Nearly everyone uses the day to get to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which is roughly 45 minutes inland and the reason ships call here at all.

   • Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea's caldera rim and the Thurston lava tube
   • Rainbow Falls and Akaka Falls, both short stops close to town
   • Liliuokalani Gardens and the Pacific Tsunami Museum in downtown Hilo
   • Mauna Kea visitor station on the slope of the mountain

   Getting ashore

   Docks at a commercial pier a few miles from downtown Hilo; shuttles or taxis are needed, and the volcano park is a separate 45-minute drive.

   Best months

   Year-round (Apr-Sep drier; volcanic activity varies and can change what is open in the park)

9. Day 9

   Kona (Kailua-Kona)

   United StatesPort
   Kona (Kailua-Kona) port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
10. Day 10

    Honolulu

    United StatesPort
    Honolulu port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
11. Day 11

    Honolulu

    United StatesPort
    Honolulu port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
12. Day 12

    Kauai (Nawiliwili)

    United StatesPort

    Ships dock at Nawiliwili, a commercial harbour just below Lihue on Kauai's southeast corner. There is little at the pier itself beyond a beach and a hotel, but the island is small enough that a single day reaches either Waimea Canyon or the north shore - not both. Many itineraries give Kauai an overnight or a long call, which is what makes the far corners worth attempting.

    • Waimea Canyon and the Kalalau Lookout over the Na Pali cliffs
    • Wailua River boat trip to the Fern Grotto
    • Poipu Beach and the Spouting Horn blowhole on the south shore
    • Hanalei Bay and the Kilauea Point lighthouse and seabird refuge to the north

    Getting ashore

    Docks at Nawiliwili Harbor about two miles from Lihue; there is no walkable town, so a tour or rental car is effectively required.

    Best months

    Year-round (Apr-Oct drier; Kauai is the wettest main island, and winter closes north-shore roads after floods)

13. Day 13 · At sea

14. Day 14 · At sea

15. Day 15 · At sea

16. Day 16 · At sea

17. Day 17

    Ensenada

    MexicoPort
    Ensenada port guide: where ships dock and what to do ashore
18. Day 18

    San Diego, CA

    United StatesArrive

    San Diego is one of the easiest cruise arrivals in the country: the B Street and Broadway piers sit directly on the downtown Embarcadero, with the aircraft carrier USS Midway permanently moored a few hundred yards along the same waterfront. The Gaslamp Quarter is a flat ten-minute walk. It works as both a turnaround port for Mexico runs and a pleasant one-day call.

    • USS Midway Museum, with the flight deck and hangar open to walk
    • Balboa Park's museums and the San Diego Zoo
    • Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, the original Mexican-era settlement
    • The ferry across the bay to Coronado and the Hotel del Coronado

    Getting ashore

    Docks downtown at the B Street or Broadway Pier; the Gaslamp Quarter, Midway and Little Italy are all walkable.

    Best months

    Year-round (Sep-Oct warmest and clearest; May-Jun often grey until afternoon)