Cruise to Hawaii
They say it all happened when volcanoes rose from the sea. Soon, trade winds scattered the seeds that grew into incredible flowers, bamboo and fragrant papaya. Today, come to Hawaii for the unexplainable, the utterly magical, and find bright anthuriums growing wild, volcanic peaks soaring to 14,000 feet and vibrant poinsettias when it isn't even the holidays.
For all their similarity, each island has its own distinct personality. Like Hawaii, the big island, with Kilauea's crater where some say Pele, the fire goddess, lives. Maui, with remote swimming spots so beautiful, they were once reserved solely for Hawaiian royalty. And Honolulu, where the cliffs and waterfalls are often visited by spectacular rainbows.
Yet there is one thing that all of these islands hold in common. It's called 'aloha,' the spirit of welcoming.
The Islands
Hawaii (state) is the only island state and the southernmost state in the United States. Hawaii consists of the Hawaiian Islands located near the center of the northern Pacific Ocean. The state is composed of eight main islands [which are from east to west Hawaii, Maui, Kahoolawe, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, and Niihau] and 124 islets, reefs, and shoals. Honolulu is the capital and largest city of Hawaii.
Hawaii was officially nicknamed the Aloha State after becoming the 50th state of the United States and is a land area almost wholly of volcanic origin. However, some small areas above sea level consist of limestone derived from ancient coral reefs. These reefs were formed when the sea level was higher than it is now. The varied scenery in Hawaii also includes mountains rising to more than 13,000 feet above sea level; vast stretches of desolate lava beds; white sand beaches edged with palm trees; towering cliffs and brilliantly colored canyons; thick rain forests and arid thorny scrublands; and a dappled patchwork of field and forest.
In addition to the still active volcanoes of Hawaii [including one on the island of Maui, three on the island of Hawaii, and a recently discovered submarine volcano, Loihi, about 35 km (about 20 mi) southeast of the island of Hawaii], there are cascading rainbows of waterfalls and the most amazing beaches in the world for any water sport that you could imagine.
The accommodations range from simple to lavish and the beauty of Hawaii is beyond compare.