Closest snorkeling and beaches by cruise ports

I've never been to Hawaii before but my husband and I are looking into a 15-night Hawaii cruise from SFO at the end of April. I have a few questions...

1. We don't want to venture too far away from the cruise ports and I was wondering what are the best snorkeling beaches close to the cruise ports in Hilo, Honolulu, Maui and Kauai?

2. If snorkeling near a cruise port is not an option, are there any good beaches within walking distance?

3. Had anyone done the wild dolphin snorkeling excursions? Any recommendations for that?

Thanks in advance!

We love swimming and snorkelling in Hawaii but I don't think there are any worthwhile beaches within walking distance of the ports.

Driving in Hawaii is quite easy and rental cars are inexpensive... many people rent cars on their port days to explore some of the highlights and stop at some amazing beaches.

I would encourage you to go to Hawaii, but to rethink sticking close to the ports and missing out on some of the wonderful highlights on each island.

I disagree that there are no worthwhile beaches near the ship in any port. In Kauai, Kalapaki beach is lovely little beach in front of a very nice hotel. We took paddle boarding lessons with the "Kauai Beach boys" and the second morning, a turtle swam within five feet of me, something that did not happen at the more distant, less "accessible" beaches. That said, Kauai is the only port with such a beach in walking distance.

el henry

Yes, Kalapaki would be an option; but hard to imagine going to such an incredibly scenic island and only getting that far.

Kalapaki beach could be an option but I agree with Susan-M that a rental car is a better option than walking from the pier.

A 15 day roundtrip from SF...are you sailing Princess?

If so I'd recommend a rental car in Hilo to see the sights (waterfalls, volcanoes) because I'm not aware of any great beaches. Renting a car on Kauai gives you the option to see some of the lush beauty of the Garden Isle. Many of the north & east facing beaches can be rough with Poipu Beach on the south end one of the best. On Oahu traffic can be bad (USA Today recently rated Honolulu #2 only behind LA for the worst USA traffic) & their bus system...The Bus...is a good alternative. You can take The Bus to Pearl Harbor, Waikiki Beach or other places around Oahu. If going to PH another option is a cab to get there quicker & has been posted that it costs about $35 & you could use The Bus to return to the ship or to Waikiki. If you're sailing Princess then you'll tender into the small West Maui town of Lahaina. There is an inexpensive ($2 ?) bus to Ka'anapali where a good snorkeling spot...Black Rock...is located on the north end of the beach. As I recall a cab costs about $20 & as you can read in another current thread there are plenty of things to do for the day...eating, shopping & beach activities.

Go to the roll call for your cruise for things like independent tours organized by those sailing the cruise. Also look through the list of discussions on this Hawaii board for a wealth of information about a cruise to Hawaii. The Hawaii Visitor's Bureau has a helpful website (http://www.gohawaii.com) to plan your trip.

Thanks Astro Flyer that was informative. I'm taking the same cruise but out of LA instead of SF.

Thanks Astro Flyer that was informative. I'm taking the same cruise but out of LA instead of SF.

You're welcome & we've enjoyed a couple of those cruises. :) We've spent a lot of time in Maui & on a cruise we get to "island-hop" without flying between islands. :D

I agree with Astro. Black rock in Maui is great. In Hilo, Richardson Beach Park is a five-ten minute taxi ride ($20). It is a great little black sand beach with great views and pretty good snorkeling. I did the Princess cruise out of Los Angeles three times and the whole family had a great time.

I agree with Astro. Black rock in Maui is great. In Hilo, Richardson Beach Park is a five-ten minute taxi ride ($20). It is a great little black sand beach with great views and pretty good snorkeling. I did the Princess cruise out of Los Angeles three times and the whole family had a great time.

The public transit bus is an easy option to go to Richardson, and a lot cheaper than $40.00 r/t/ taxi. We enjoyed our day there. Just be aware of the bus schedule, and don't miss the first or the last bus.

Thanks Astro Flyer that was informative. I'm taking the same cruise but out of LA instead of SF.

Is sf or la better grand princess or star princess better ship?

Kauai: Renting a car in Kauai does give you a great opportunity to see a lot of beautiful places, but lets be clear, it's an EASY 15 minute walk to Kalapaki Beach from the ship. I was just there last month.

We stayed at the Marriott Kauai Beach Club. It's right near to the pier. We watched cruise ships come and go from our lanai.

When you're docked, look inland to your right. You'll see the Marriott Kauai Beach Club. They have a gorgeous beach (Kalapaki Beach). All beaches are public in Hawaii. You can rent some ocean sports gear there. Chairs and umbrella's are also available for rent. You can also whale watch from the hotel, and probably the back of the ship too. We saw lots of whale activity in Nawiliwili Bay.

Directly to the left of the resort is a lot of restaurants in two small strip malls on both sides of the street. There are also a few shops in each. Both strip malls are about a 3 to 4 block walk from the ship. A very easy walk.

The strip mall to your right as you're walking up the road is Anchor Cove and it has an ABC Store, a Crazy Shirts store, Tropic Isle Music Company, a jewelry store, JJ's Broiler (Sports Bar), and another restaurant (with a bar/coffee house that serves a good breakfast by day and sushi at night), and a few other stores.

The strip mall another block up on your left is Harbor Mall which is mostly bars and restaurants but does have at least one fun shop to browse. Harbor Mall also offers a free trolley shuttle for cruise ship passengers. The restaurants and bars include: The Feral Pig, Fil-Mart (Filipino food), Gingbua: (Thai food), Halo Halo Corner (Hawaiian Shave Ice), Kalapaki Joes (Sports Bar), Mariachi's (Mexican), Put It In A Pita (Greek food truck beside the Nawiliwili Stream next to the mall), Rocco's Pizza, Splash Café (Crepes and sandwiches). Shops include Beachrail Hobby & Collectibles (cool store, worth the browse), Elite Hunters Hunting Shop, Kauai Island Treasures, and a few others.

If you want to share a rental car or taxi, there are 4 small shopping centers and malls not too far away: Lihue Shopping Center, Rice Shopping Center, Kukui Grove Shopping Center (with a separate Costco and K-Mart nearby), and the Kuhio Mall Shopping Center. There is also a Wal-Mart a little further inland from the Lihue Shopping Center. You'll not want to attempt to walk to any of these, but they're all less than 10-15 minutes by car.