Honolulu cruise terminals: Pier 2 and the Aloha Tower terminal

Honolulu Harbor has two cruise ship terminals, Hawaii DOT's Harbors Division says. Pier 2 is the primary one, entered from Channel Street off Ala Moana Boulevard, and Pier 11 by Aloha Tower is the alternate. Every cruise that starts in Honolulu on our schedule, up to the end of the state's calendar on May 13, 2028, is scheduled at Pier 2.

The two are separate terminals with separate entrances, so check which one your ship uses before you tell a driver where to go. Our Pier 2 page and Aloha Tower page list every ship due at each.

Which Honolulu cruise terminal does my ship use?

If your cruise starts in Honolulu, the state expects it at Pier 2. Since January 1, 2016, ships have reserved Honolulu berths through Hawaii.PortCall.com, the state's berth calendar. On that calendar, read November 14, 2026, all 99 departures on our schedule up to May 13, 2028 were scheduled at Pier 2, at the berth the state calls Pier 2B. That covers Pride of America's Saturday sailings and every departure to Tahiti, Australia and Vancouver in that window. Sailings after May 13, 2028 are not on the state's calendar yet.

Pier 2 also handles most of the ships visiting Honolulu partway through a cruise. On the calendar read November 14, 2026, it had 196 of the 214 calls listed up to May 13, 2028, departures included. The Aloha Tower piers had one settled call and 17 requests the state marks "Conflicted". That means the request clashes with another booking for the pier and is not settled, so the ship may tie up at another pier.

Two ways to check your own ship:

• Your cruise documents. Royal Caribbean tells guests to check them for the terminal before arriving. Princess says its ships typically dock at Pier 2 but that the port location is subject to change, and asks you to check your itinerary after you book.
• Our ships in port calendar. It lists every Honolulu call day by day, with the pier the state has booked.

Where is the Pier 2 cruise terminal in Honolulu?

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity give the address as 521 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96813. HDOT puts the entrance at the west end of Channel Street, off Ala Moana Boulevard. NCL lists Pier 2 as Pride of America's pier.

Royal Caribbean's directions from the airport follow Nimitz Highway, which becomes Ala Moana Boulevard. Turn right on Channel Street, across from the Restaurant Row area, and the terminal is on the right. From Waikiki, its route brings you onto Ala Moana Boulevard heading west, then left onto Channel Street.

Watch the map app. Royal Caribbean warns that Google Maps lists a second "Pier 2" that appears 4 miles from the cruise terminal, so search for "Pier 2 Cruise Ship Terminal" instead.

Where do you get dropped off at Pier 2?

In front of the terminal, in lanes HDOT set out for each kind of vehicle. HDOT revamped the area in front of Pier 2 from Saturday, September 9, 2023. It says the new layout was designed to reduce congestion on Channel Street and streamline the exit to Papu Street. Its diagram splits the space into lanes:

• Channel Street entry gate. Vehicles come in here.
• Taxi lane. Closest to the terminal building.
• Shuttle van and limo area. At the end of the building nearest the entry gate.
• Rideshare pick-up and drop-off area. For rides booked in an app.
• Friends and family area. A separate bay beside the transit lane.
• Motorcoach buses. The outer lanes.

Cars leave by the exit to Papu Street. HDOT labels the rideshare zone for both pick-up and drop-off, which matters on the morning you come off the ship.

Aloha Tower cruise terminal: Piers 10 and 11

HDOT names Pier 11 as Honolulu Harbor's alternate cruise terminal, with its entrance on the north extension of Aloha Tower Drive. The state's calendar also books ships at Pier 10, next to it, so we treat the two as one terminal. On the calendar read November 14, 2026, none of the departures on our schedule were scheduled there. Our Aloha Tower terminal page lists the calls that are, including the unsettled ones.

Aloha Tower Marketplace, at 1 Aloha Tower Drive, tells cruise guests it is "just steps from your ship." It was open 8:00 am to 10:00 pm daily when read on November 14, 2026. The marketplace says the tower's observation deck is closed per the Department of Transportation Harbors, with no expected open date, and HDOT's visitor page lists Aloha Tower as closed indefinitely.

When should you arrive at the Honolulu cruise terminal?

On NCL, at the check-in time you chose during online check-in, and in any case early enough to be on board an hour before departure. NCL runs the two ships with the most Honolulu departures on our schedule, Pride of America and Norwegian Spirit. Its embarkation rules, read November 14, 2026:

• Your check-in time. You pick an arrival time during online check-in, and it prints on your eDocs. Without one, NCL says to arrive after 12 pm and at least two hours before the scheduled departure.
• Not too early. NCL asks you not to arrive more than one hour before the embarkation time on your eDocs, because security rules may stop early entry.
• Final boarding. You must finish check-in and be on board at least one hour before the departure time on your documents, or you will not be allowed to sail. Pride of America leaves Honolulu at 7:00 pm on Saturdays, so that means on board by 6:00 pm.
• Your eDocs. Bring a printed copy to the pier, since NCL says it is your boarding pass.

Hand over your checked bags before you go in. NCL says porters take your bags when you arrive, and you then go through security and check-in. Print the bag tags from your eDocs and put your stateroom number on each one. NCL allows two checked bags per guest at up to 22.7 kg (50 pounds) each. It can take a few hours for bags to reach your cabin, and NCL doesn't guarantee your stateroom is ready when you board, so keep medicine, documents and valuables in a small carry-on.

Honolulu terminal information from Princess, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Silversea

These lines sail fewer trips from Honolulu, and their own pages say less about it.

• Princess. Ships typically dock at the Pier 2 Cruise Terminal. The port location is subject to change, so check your itinerary after booking.
• Celebrity. Lists the Port of Honolulu at Pier 2, 521 Ala Moana Blvd, and says no parking information is available.
• Royal Caribbean. Lists Pier 2 at the same address and tells guests to follow the signs at the port to their ship's terminal. Its US page sends you to HDOT for parking details.
• Silversea. The Silver Whisper voyage page we read on November 14, 2026 names Honolulu as the port but gives no pier or boarding time. Check your voyage documents.

None of these four published a Honolulu check-in time on the pages we read, so check your boarding documents.

How far is the Honolulu cruise terminal from the airport?

Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) is close by road, though the lines disagree on the time. NCL puts Pier 2 at 8 km (5 miles) and "approximately 10 minutes" from the airport, depending on traffic. Princess says approximately 6 miles and "around 20 minutes". Royal Caribbean also says 6 miles, but "approximately 30 minutes". The Honolulu airport to cruise port guide compares the taxi, shuttle, bus and cruise line transfers.

Is there parking at the Honolulu cruise terminal?

None that the state or the lines list, so plan to arrive without a car if you can. NCL's directions sheet for Honolulu says parking at Pier 2 is "Not Available", and Royal Caribbean and Celebrity list no parking information. HDOT's visitor page points instead to TheBus, Uber and Lyft, TheCab taxis, Hui car share, Biki bikes and the LeaLea trolley. If you have to drive, the Honolulu cruise parking guide lists the nearby garages and the airport's rates.

For a night in town first, see where to stay in Honolulu before a cruise. The first-time cruiser FAQ covers the rest of embarkation day.