Day 1 - Thursday, September 22: Vancouver
Among the world's most liveable cities - diverse, cultural, beautiful - this culinary capital treats you to fresh local seafood, farm-to-table produce, and authentic Asian flavors. West Coast architecture - modernism with a woodsy bent - emerged here. But while downtown shines with steel and glass, its epicenter is green Stanley Park, a 1,000-acre oasis of spectacular beaches, trails, and views. North of town, ride scenic Sea to Sky Highway along the coast and through the forest toward Whistler, 2,200 feet above sea level. On your way, behold lofty Shannon Falls and brave the heart-pounding Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge.
Sail away party at 4:30 PM
Day 2 - Friday, September 23: First of 5 Days at Sea
Five days at sea to relax, refresh and recharge. A variety of onboard activities and entertainment for all levels of interest and will be offered by the cruise staff. How much or how little you choose to do is up to you.
Day 3 - Saturday, September 24: At Sea
Day 4 - Sunday, September 25: At Sea
Day 5 - Monday, September 26: At Sea
Day 6 - Tuesday, September 27: At Sea
Day 7 - Wednesday, September 28: Hilo, Hawaii
Located on the lush coast of the Big Island, Hilo is home to two of the most spectacular waterfalls in all of creation: Rainbow Falls in the south and the mammoth Akaka Falls in the north. Hilo is also home to Volcanoes National Park and the imposing Kilauea Volcano.
Day 8 - Thursday, September 29: Kona, Hawaii
This was once the seat of power from which the great King Kamehameha ruled his island empire. Located on the picturesque Kona Coast, where some of the world's best coffee is harvested, Kailua-Kona is close to the marine sanctuary of Kealakekua Bay. This snorkeling haven is also home to the Captain Cook Monument.
Day 9 - Friday, September 30: Maui
Two full days on the island of Maui where you can;
• Get high in a helicopter soaring over the dormant Haleakala volcano and peer down on the spectacular Manawainui Valley waterfalls. Play 18 panoramic holes of golf from 1,100 feet up a mountain slope overlooking the Pacific.
• Take a cruise to do some whale watching for acrobatic 40-ton humpbacks. Spot wild spinner, bottlenose, and spotted dolphins from a catamaran off the Maui coast at sunset. Jump in among the dolphins as they do their flips and leaps on a snorkel adventure off the coast of Lanai.
• Learn about Hawaii’s agricultural foundations by touring a working plantation. The local cuisine was invented in the first millennium when Polynesians arrived on the first cruises to Maui. They planted taro, coconuts, sugarcane, sweet potatoes, and yams in the rich volcanic soil, and cooked meat and fish in earthen ovens.
• Discover how in the 18th century, Europeans and Americans developed sugarcane and pineapple plantations, and in the 19th century, cruises to Hawaii brought labor from China, Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Portugal to work the fields. They all brought their own cuisines.
• Try a "Hawaiian plate lunch," any combination of rice, kalua pig, pork or chicken laulau (wrapped in ti leaves), dried beef, and lomi salmon, poi (starchy taro), and coconut cream pudding. Saimin is Hawaii’s traditional soup, with noodles inspired by Chinese chow mein in a broth evolved from Japanese dashi. Poke (po-káy) is raw seafood salad, similar to ceviche, featuring chunks of tuna or octopus, with sea salt, kukui nuts, and local seaweed.
• Try a glass of shaved ice, Hawaii’s iconic frozen treat. Japanese laborers shaved blocks of ice, then poured fruit juice over the shavings. Updates include strawberry, pineapple, even red adzuki beans as a sweet paste.
• Shop for local specialties including macadamia nuts — plain, salted, honey roasted, or chocolate covered. The first macadamias arrived from Australia in the 1880s. Today they are iconic. Another gift that says "Hawaii" is local jewelry — pearls, koa-wood rings, pendants with sea turtles or sandals. The ultimate souvenir of Hawaii cruises would be the aloha shirt, aka Hawaiian shirt. Created in the 1930s for tourists—boldly patterned, brilliantly colored, with Polynesian motifs—the aloha shirt was adopted by locals in the 1960s and now qualifies as office attire.
Day 10 - Saturday, October 01: Maui
Second day on Maui
Day 11 - Sunday, October 02: MOUNT KILAUEA, CRUISING
The Big Island has grown over 500 acres, thanks to the active nature of Mount Kilauea, Hawaii's youngest volcano. This molten masterpiece also happens to be one of the world's most active, and likes to show off when the sun goes down. You'll have a front-row seat to this nighttime spectacle, watching as the fiery lava flows blaze down the mountainside while you cruise by. You'll never think of fireworks the same way again.
Day 12 - Monday, October 03: Honolulu, Hawaii
Home to most of Oahu’s population, the port city of Honolulu extends across the southern shores of the island and offers multiple fascinating attractions. From Pearl Harbor to Iolani Palace, the only royal palace in the United States, there’s so much to discover on a cruise to Honolulu. Visit the Honolulu Museum of Art for beautiful art collections that reflect Hawaii’s contemporary cultural landscape, including superb Asian art and fascinating Pacific and Polynesian artifacts. Experience the Hawaiian tropical rainforest on a short 2-mile hike along the Manoa Falls Trail or visit the 200-acre Lyon Arboretum, which has one of the largest collections of palm trees in the world and over 5,000 tropical species flourish. Then, head over to in Honolulu’s Chinatown neighborhood for tasty noodles, juicy dumplings, and fresh seafood. Disembark and transfer to airport or continue your vacation by extending your stay on one of Hawaii’s beautiful islands.
