Noordam in Honolulu
In Honolulu the ship docks within walking distance of a variety of things to do. It’s just under a kilometer to the Aloha Tower, where there’s great views of the cruise ship from the end of the pier. On the way there we saw the Waikiki trolley go by. There are a number of statues and historical buildings within walking distance of the ship. People can also get transportation out to Waikiki or other area attractions if they’d rather go there. City busses are the cheapest way to travel for those wanting to go farther than their own feet can take them. Faster and more direct but higher priced service is available from Uber, Lyft, or taxis.
bikes for rent, bus, and trolley
The Waikiki trolley doesn’t go to the port, but we saw it in a couple places not far from there so it’s also a possibility for transportation to more distant places if people don’t mind walking a bit to find it. We also saw a bunch of bikes for rent alongside of a road so people who like to get around by bike could have that option as well, again if they didn’t mind walking out of the port a bit to find them.
Iolani Palace
Chinatown is just over a mile and a half away. Iolani Palace is just under a mile and a half from the port. There are lots of little shops near the dock, and it’s just under 2 miles to Ala Moana Center, the world’s largest open air shopping center.
Diamond Head
Diamond Head is just over 5 miles away by road and can be reached by bus in slightly under half an hour. There is a small entry fee to get into the park, and a trail there for hiking in the crater. The hike is less than a mile each way, but the trail is steep and uneven.
Waikiki Beach
It’s about 3 and a half miles from the cruise port to Wakiki Beach so it is within walking distance for those who don’t mind a bit of a hike, but most will either take the bus, taxi, or other transportation to get there.
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is 9 miles away. Lots of excursions go there. You can get there on your own, but it’s expensive to get there unless you take the bus. If you want to be sure to see things like the Arizona Memorial making reservations in advance is recommended.
shuttle at the port
The port building was mostly wide-open space, with some sort of ship on display in front of many folding chairs. There were not any last-minute tours right at the port, but there was a free shopping shuttle to town. The port itself didn’t have much to offer, but it’s a quick walk from the ship out to the street.
flower in Honolulu
Excursions from the ship included several different tour options to Pearl Harbor, the Atlantis submarine (which we saw getting towed out of port from our balcony on its way to wherever they start the tour), a Polynesian cultural center, a tour out to the north shore of Oahu, a rainforest walk, tour of diamond head, a visit to a valley for a history tour, a bus tour around the island, a hop on hop off bus, or a scenic drive.
Japanese ship docked near the Aloha tower
People can also book things through outside sources before the cruise. There are lots of options of things to do there, but for specific activities mostly if you make your plans in advance.
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