Name: American Express® Gold Card
Brand: American Express

Quick summary

Honolulu Harbor serves as the main cruise port for Oahu, conveniently located near downtown Honolulu and Waikiki.
Most cruises from this port visit other Hawaiian Islands, with some longer itineraries reaching destinations like Fiji, Tahiti or the continental U.S.
The port has two main piers (Pier 2 and Pier 11), and knowing your specific departure location is important for smooth embarkation.
There is no on-site parking or park-and-cruise option, so travelers typically use taxis, ride-hailing services or shuttles from the airport.

What to consider

Aloha Tower Marketplace near Pier 11 offers limited short-term parking, but availability is not guaranteed and rates may vary by season.
Public transportation is available via TheBus, but stops are not directly at the terminals, requiring a short walk with luggage.
No hotels are within walking distance of the port, and none offer dedicated port shuttles or stay-park-cruise deals.

What you'll miss from the article

Detailed guidance on transportation options, nearby hotels, dining and shopping for a seamless pre- or post-cruise experience in Honolulu.

Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.

The Honolulu cruise port, officially known as Honolulu Harbor, welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. It’s located not far from the heart of Honolulu, making it relatively easy to explore the city’s best attractions and neighborhoods. It’s also just a short drive from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) and the hotel-filled hub of Waikiki.

Most cruises departing from Honolulu Harbor sail around the other Hawaiian Islands, stopping at Kauai, Maui and the Big Island. Some longer-journey cruises take sailors to other Polynesian islands, like Fiji and Tahiti, and other destinations as far as the continental U.S., Canada or New Zealand.

Regardless of where your cruise takes you, your time in Honolulu will make for a beautiful sailaway into — or sail-in from — the Pacific Ocean.

Honolulu cruise port address

Pier 2
521 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96813

Pier 11
23 Aloha Tower Drive
Honolulu, HI 96813

The two piers are only about half a mile apart, but it’s important to know which one you’re sailing to and from to make the journey as easy as possible.

Honolulu cruise terminal information

Cruise lines sailing from Honolulu

Cruise ship sailing into Honolulu, approaching Diamond Head and skyscrapers — Pride of America approaching Honolulu cruise port. NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE

Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America is the only cruise ship to offer weekly departures from the Honolulu cruise port year-round. All other lines that embark or disembark guests are sailing one-way eastbound or westbound transpacific cruises, often with stops at other Hawaiian Islands.

Nearly all cruise lines use Pier 2; Pier 11 serves as the alternative cruise port for a second ship. Cruise lines that dock at Honolulu Harbor include:

For more information, visit the official Hawaii ports cruise schedule website.

Related: The best Hawaii cruises in 2025 and 2026

Honolulu cruise terminal directions

From Waikiki: Head west from Waikiki on Kalakaua Avenue or Ala Moana Boulevard. Then take Ala Moana Boulevard to Channel Street, which will bring you to the cruise port (Pier 2). The drive should take you about 15 minutes.

From the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu: Head north on Rodgers Avenue and turn right on Hawaii Route 92. Turn right on Channel Street. The drive should take you about 15 minutes.

From Ko Olina on the west side of the island: Take Interstate H-1 east to Exit 18A for Hawaii Route 92E/Nimitz Highway toward Waikiki. Follow the same directions as provided above for the airport. The drive will take at least 40 minutes.

From Haleiwa on the North Shore: Take Interstate H-2 south to Interstate H-1 east, then follow the same directions as above. The drive will take nearly an hour.

Honolulu cruise port parking

On-site parking

There are no parking garages at the port itself. Aloha Tower Marketplace, near Pier 11, does offer short-term parking (parking for less than a month) when available, though it’s not guaranteed. Prices for this lot hover around $20 per day, though it can vary by availability, seasonality and length of stay.

Park-and-cruise

Similarly, there aren’t any park-and-cruise options for the Honolulu cruise port. Your best option is to take a taxi or ride-hailing service.

Airports near Honolulu cruise port

HNL is the only major airport on Oahu and will be the airport you’ll fly into to get to the Honolulu cruise port. It's about a 15-minute drive from the port.

All major U.S. airlines, as well as several international ones, fly into this airport, with Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines being the most prominent.

How to get to the Honolulu cruise terminal from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL)

Exterior view of Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport with control tower — Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL). MICHAEL VI/GETTY IMAGES

Some cruise lines offer transportation between the airport and the cruise terminal, though this is often reserved for travelers who have purchased their airfare through the cruise line as well.

If that option doesn’t work for you or isn’t available to you, a few independent shuttle services can fill the gap. Try LeaLea (starting at $22 per person), Speedi Shuttle (varies but around $25 per person) or Honolulu Airport Transfer ($30 to $40 per person).

Taxi service from HNL airport to the Honolulu cruise terminal

Taxis are widely available at HNL, and a ride to the Honolulu cruise terminal usually costs around $40. Designated taxi pickup locations at HNL are limited, but all are on Level 1, usually found at the center medians outside of the baggage claim areas.

Uber (around $30) and Lyft (around $20) are both popular transportation options between the Honolulu airport and the Honolulu cruise terminal. Consider swapping the big-name ride-hailing services for the locally owned Holoholo (around $25) instead. For all three companies, the pickup locations at HNL are found along the center medians on Level 2, specifically the ones in front of lobbies 2, 5/6 and 8.

Public transit from the airport to the Honolulu cruise terminal

The only public transportation option to get from HNL to the Honolulu cruise terminal is the public bus, simply called TheBus ($3 per ride). To get to either pier, you’ll ideally want to take Bus 20, which departs every 20 minutes.

For Pier 11, you’ll get off at the S. King Street + Bethel Street stop in the middle of Chinatown. It's about 0.3 miles from the port entrance. This ride takes about 30 minutes. For Pier 2, you’ll get off at the Ala Moana Boulevard + Opp South Street stop and walk the remaining 0.2 miles. This ride takes just under 40 minutes. Keep in mind that since neither of these stops is actually at the cruise terminal, you’ll have to lug your suitcases the remainder of the way.

Honolulu cruise terminal services

Porter services	Yes
Wheelchair services	No
Accessible ramps and lifts	No
Bathrooms	Yes
Wi-Fi	No
Waiting area and seating	Yes
Luggage storage	Yes

While there is no Wi-Fi at the port, the Aloha Tower Marketplace near Pier 11 does have free Wi-Fi.

Hotels near Honolulu cruise port

Hawaii hotel room with bed with white linens and walls of windows overlooking the water — Aston at the Executive Centre Hotel. ASTON

There aren’t any hotels within reasonable walking distance of the Honolulu cruise port, but there are many within a 15-minute drive. No Honolulu hotels offer designated port shuttles or stay-park-cruise promotions, so you’ll need a taxi or ride-hailing service to get you to the port.

Aston at the Executive Centre Hotel

Located in the heart of downtown Honolulu, the Aston at the Executive Centre Hotel is primarily targeted at business executives, but it’s one of the closest accommodations to Honolulu Harbor, just under a mile away. Part of the Aqua Aston A-List program, this hotel offers modern guest rooms, plus a few converted condo-style suites with full kitchens.

Ala Moana Hotel

Adjacent to the popular Ala Moana Center, the world’s largest open-air shopping center, and a 10-minute drive from Honolulu Harbor, the midrange Ala Moana Hotel is perfect if you’d like to stock up on essentials — or grab a new cruise outfit or two — before embarkation day. It’s also part of the Accor Live Limitless loyalty program.

Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort

Why not stay in famous Waikiki before heading out on your cruise since the city is just 15 minutes from Honolulu Harbor? The luxurious yet family-friendly Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort — bookable using Hilton Honors points — is right on the shores of Kahanamoku Beach.

Restaurants near Honolulu cruise port

Aerial view of Oahu with sandy beach and green park in the foreground and skyscrapers in the distance — Ala Moana Beach and Kakaako, Hawaii. AGALIZA/GETTY IMAGES

It’s easy enough to make your way from the Honolulu cruise port to some of the city’s best foodie hubs. Chinatown is just a couple of blocks away from Pier 11. There are countless eateries serving up delicious Asian cuisines, but The Pig & The Lady has long been a favorite of locals and visitors alike. It's a great choice — if you can snag a table.

Kakaako, another nearby Honolulu neighborhood, is the place for modern, trendy food finds and is just under a mile away from Pier 2. You’ll specifically want to visit Salt at Our Kakaako, a beloved hub of shops and eateries, for a variety of up-and-coming spots to grab a bite.

Related: Best dining credit cards

Shopping near Honolulu cruise port

If you need to pick up a few snacks before your cruise, pop over to Palama Express, a tiny convenience store within the Aloha Tower Marketplace — a small shopping area just steps from Pier 11. You’ll find a limited selection of Asian-inspired snacks, drinks and prepackaged meals.

For a more extensive selection, head to Safeway and CVS (called Longs Drugs) found side by side behind Chinatown on the Pali Highway, about a five-minute drive from Pier 11 and a 10-minute drive from Pier 2. Between the two, you should be able to find the necessities, including snacks, drinks and sunscreen.

If neither of those options suffice, you can’t go wrong with the Ala Moana Center, right outside of Waikiki and just 10 minutes from the ports. Here, you can find everything you could possibly need, including a Target, another Longs Drugs (CVS), two ABC stores (tourist-focused shops), a Foodland Farms (local grocery store) and about 350 more shops.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

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