Maui: Haleakala at dawn, the Road to Hana and whales from Kahului.
Every Maui call now uses Kahului Harbor, a working port on the north shore 10 minutes from the airport, where ships dock and you walk straight off; Lahaina, the old tender port on the west side, was destroyed by the August 2023 wildfire and as of 2026 its harbor is open only to a few local boat operators, not cruise tenders. From Kahului the island’s big three are within reach: the 10,000-foot Haleakala summit, the Road to Hana with its waterfalls, and a snorkel boat to Molokini, and many ships give you an overnight to do two of them. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls at Maui from every line, priced with taxes, fees and port expenses included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.
Three ways to do Maui
The volcano, the Hana road or a boat and beach day; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.
Haleakala summit
- A 90-minute drive from the pier to the 10,023-foot crater rim, above the clouds, with views across to the Big Island; bring a jacket, it can be 40 degrees
- Ship tours run 5 to 6 hours for about $120 to $180; sunrise trips on overnight calls include the $1 park reservation that independent drivers must win 60 days out
- Downhill bike tours from the park boundary are the adrenaline version, about $150 to $200
Best for: first-timers, photographers, overnight calls
The Road to Hana
- 620 curves and 59 bridges along the rainforest coast to Hana: Twin Falls, the Keanae peninsula, Wainapanapa’s black-sand beach and banana bread stands
- Only on long port days: ship tours run 8 to 10 hours for about $250 to $330 with lunch, and they turn around at Hana so you are back for all-aboard
- Independent drivers should rent at the pier, leave by 7:30 and not go past Hana
Best for: long or overnight calls, nature lovers, people who hate buses but love a drive
Molokini snorkel or a West Maui beach
- Molokini crater snorkel boats leave Maalaea harbor, 20 minutes from the pier, for 3 to 5 hour trips with gear and lunch, about $130 to $200; whale watching December to April about $60 to $90
- Kaanapali Beach and Whalers Village on the west side are about 45 minutes by cab or rental car, with snorkeling at Black Rock
- Closer: Kanaha Beach Park for windsurfers 5 minutes from the pier, or the Maui Ocean Center aquarium at Maalaea, about $50 adults
Best for: families, snorkelers, whale season
Maui cruises: SmartCruiser picks first
Every cruise that calls at Maui from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.
SmartCruiser picks
Sorted by what you save, biggest firstEvery cruise that calls at Maui
Stack any filters, then pick a sortPrices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.
Home ports that sail to Maui
Maui is on nearly every Hawaii itinerary, from the weekly Honolulu loops to the long round trips from the West Coast; pick a home port and the list above narrows to cruises leaving from there.
Things to do in Maui
Nothing is at the pier itself, so plan a tour or a rental car; here is where the day goes.
Which lines call at Maui?
Every Hawaii itinerary includes Maui, now always at Kahului, from Pride of America’s weekly overnight to the long West Coast round trips.
When to go
Maui’s coast is 80 to 88 degrees all year, with the north shore wetter than the leeward beaches; December to April brings the humpback whales and the most West Coast sailings, and the summit of Haleakala is cold in any month.
Maui questions we answer every day
Where do ships dock in Maui, and what happened to Lahaina?
All ships now use Kahului Harbor on the north shore, a commercial port with two cruise berths where you walk straight off; the airport is 10 minutes away and the Queen Kaahumanu Center mall about a mile, usually with a free shuttle on ship days. Lahaina, the historic tender port on the west coast, burned in the August 2023 wildfire. The small-boat harbor reopened in December 2025 for a handful of local tour operators only, mooring is still prohibited and cruise tendering has not resumed as of fall 2026; the state’s rebuild of the harbor wharf and ferry pier is scheduled to run into late 2027. Any itinerary that still lists Lahaina will be handled at Kahului.
How do I get around and what do taxis cost?
Nothing is in walking distance, so plan transport. Rental car counters are at the airport with free shuttles from the pier, and a car is the best way to do Iao Valley, Paia and the beaches on your own; reserve ahead, because ship days sell out. Taxis and Uber and Lyft meet the ship: about $20 to the airport area, about $40 to $50 to Maalaea or Wailea and about $80 to $100 to Kaanapali each way. The Maui Bus is $2 but too slow for a port day. For Haleakala and Hana, take a tour.
What about money, phone service and the time zone?
It is the United States: dollars, US phone plans with no roaming (coverage drops on the Hana road and at the summit), and cards everywhere. Hawaii Standard Time is 2 hours behind the West Coast in winter and 3 in summer because Hawaii skips daylight saving; check whether your ship keeps ship’s time. Since January 2026 Hawaii charges an 11 percent accommodations tax on cruise fares for the nights the ship is in Hawaiian waters, and the prices on this page include it.
Is Maui safe?
Yes. The risks are nature, not people: the Hana road is narrow with one-lane bridges and no cell service, the summit is cold and the air is thin, and the ocean on the north shore has strong currents, so swim at lifeguarded beaches. Leave nothing visible in a rental car at trailheads and waterfalls, and respect the closed areas in Lahaina, which are still a recovery zone.
What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?
On a one-day call, Haleakala or Molokini; on an overnight, do the Road to Hana on day one and the summit on day two. Book Hana and Haleakala through the ship: they run 6 to 10 hours, the ship waits for its own buses, and the sunrise tours carry the park reservation you cannot get on short notice. Molokini boats from Maalaea and whale watches are easy to book independently on long port days.
Do I need a passport for a Hawaii cruise?
Hawaii is domestic, so US citizens on Pride of America’s loops from Honolulu need only a government photo ID, and the West Coast round trips that add an Ensenada, Mexico stop are closed-loop, so a photo ID plus an original birth certificate works. We recommend a passport for everyone, and any sailing that starts or ends in Vancouver requires one. Non-US citizens need a passport and any US visa or ESTA.
Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?
Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses, including Hawaii’s 2026 cruise accommodations tax. Flights, hotels, shore excursions, drinks and gratuities are extra.
Talk to a Maui cruise specialist
We know which Hawaii sailings give you an overnight in Kahului for both Haleakala and Hana, and which carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit, so call to check availability and book. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.