About Hawaii Cruises That being said, there are a handful of sailings departing from Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Vancouver.

Yes, you can cruise from the U.S. mainland to Hawaii, but the itineraries are influenced by the Passenger Vessel Services Act (PVSA). This law requires foreign-flagged ships (which include almost all major lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Princess) to visit a distant foreign port before returning to the U.S. Therefore, cruises from California (Los Angeles, San Francisco, or San Diego) to Hawaii are typically 15- to 18-day round-trips that include a stop in Ensenada, Mexico, or Fanning Island. These cruises involve four to five full days at sea crossing the Pacific each way. If you want a cruise that stays exclusively in Hawaii without the long ocean crossing, Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America is the only major U.S.-flagged ship that sails 7-day inter-island itineraries starting and ending in Honolulu. In 2026, more boutique and luxury lines are also offering "repositioning" cruises that sail one-way between Vancouver and Honolulu in the spring and fall, providing a shorter 8- to 12-day option for travelers who only want to cross the ocean in one direction.