Destination GuideHawaii & South Pacific

A special act of Congress lets this one U.S.-flagged, American-crewed ship sail a genuine round trip out of Honolulu every week of the year, calling at all five ports on this map with zero foreign detour. No passport required for U.S. citizens. If a true one-week, round-trip Hawaii cruise is what you pictured, this is the only ship that actually sails one.

Princess, Holland America, Carnival, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean all sail Hawaii, but every one of their ships is foreign-flagged — so the itinerary has to include Ensenada, Mexico (on California-based sailings) or Vancouver, Canada (on one-way repositioning sailings) to satisfy the PVSA. In practice that means either a 14-to-32-night round trip from a West Coast port with a Mexico stop tacked on, or an 8-to-14-night one-way sailing between Honolulu and Vancouver, mostly scheduled in spring and fall.

Two listings that both say “Hawaii cruise” can be entirely different vacations: a 7-night round trip that never leaves Hawaii, or a 9-to-32-night one-way relocation with a foreign stop built in. Check three things before comparing fares — is it round trip or one-way, how many nights is it actually, and which foreign port does it detour through.

The one line built specifically for this region: based in Papeete year-round, sailing 7-to-14-night round trips through Moorea, Bora Bora, and Raiatea or Huahine, plus a stop at the line's own private beach, Motu Mahana, in Taha'a's lagoon. If you book one French Polynesia cruise, this is most likely it.

This is a real growth stretch for the region — Silversea, Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Ponant and Windstar have all been adding French Polynesia sailings to their schedules in recent seasons alongside Paul Gauguin's standing year-round presence. More real choice than this region has had in years, though schedules shift year to year — confirm which of these lines is actually sailing in your travel window before you book. Still all at a luxury, small-ship price point.

Part cargo ship, part passenger cruise — Aranui actually resupplies the remote Marquesas Islands on its 12-to-14-night round trips. Air Tahiti flies there too, but seats are limited and fares aren't cheap, which makes this ship the way most travelers who want to see the Marquesas actually do it. A different product again from the Society Islands week most people picture.

Fiji-based South Pacific cruising is a distinctly separate category — mass-market ships sailing round trip from Sydney, Auckland or Brisbane, aimed at the Australian and New Zealand market. It only touches this Tahiti-based circuit through rare one-way repositioning voyages between Papeete and Fiji.

The only line sailing a real round-trip Hawaii week with no foreign detour. If a real seven days, no passport, no relocation is the goal, this is the whole shortlist.

The deepest Hawaii schedule among the foreign-flagged lines, with departures from both Los Angeles and San Francisco running roughly September through April. More date flexibility than any other mainstream option.

Runs among the longest Hawaii itineraries in the mainstream market — an 18-night “Circle Hawai‘i” round trip from San Diego is typical. A better fit for travelers who want Hawaii as part of a longer vacation than a tight one-week getaway.

The default, well-worn product — year-round Papeete departures, the private motu included, and an itinerary built specifically around this region rather than adapted from a bigger fleet's global routing.

A real alternative for travelers who've already sailed Paul Gauguin and want a different onboard style at a similar destination and price point — 2026's expanded schedules make this a realistic option for the first time in years.

Skip this one unless the Marquesas — not Bora Bora or Moorea — is actually the destination. It's a different itinerary, a different ship experience, and not a substitute for a Society Islands week.

Hawaii's most reliable weather and calmest seas run roughly April through October. French Polynesia's dry season runs May through October. Despite being on opposite sides of the equator, both halves of this guide point to roughly the same months — just for different reasons.

Hawaii's Pride of America departs Honolulu itself; every other line sails from Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle or Vancouver, which means a flight to a West Coast port either way. French Polynesia has exactly one embarkation point — Papeete — reached by international flight, with no drive-to-port option anywhere on this itinerary.

A week on NCL's Pride of America prices in line with mainstream Caribbean or Mexican Riviera cruising; the longer repositioning and relocation sailings from other lines cost more simply because they run longer, not because Hawaii itself is a luxury destination. French Polynesia is a genuine luxury price point — Paul Gauguin and its newer peers price closer to the premium and luxury lines covered elsewhere on this site than to mainstream Caribbean cruising, and that's before the flights to Tahiti, which aren't cheap or frequent either.