Oahu Dinner Cruises; An Unforgettable Experience

Are you looking for great food, delicious drinks, and a night of fun with views that are to die for?

If so, then an Oahu dinner cruise is just what you’ve been looking for!

With options for couples, families, and friends, Oahu has something for everyone. It is fabulous to know you can still pack up and bolt off to a tranquil retreat away from the workplace and home.

Here’s a brief overview of how the tours compare to each other.

And there’s few places that can top Oahu, Hawaii. With a beautiful landscape, culture, and cuisine, Oahu is the perfect destination to enjoy a dinner cruise.

The best cruises let you discover exotic food and drink, indulge your mind in stimulating live shows, and show your significant other to a fabulous night overlooking the water.

After doing extensive research, taking a look at customer reviews, and analyzing what every tour had to offer, we came up with a list of the 3 best dinner cruises on all of Oahu. They are:

• Star Sunset Dinner Cruise and Show
• Oahu Island Style Buffet Cruise
• Honolulu City Lights Sunset Dinner Cruise

Below we’ll do a full comparison of each cruise, giving you all the information you’ll need to make the best decision.

We’ll sample:

• Routes and Oahu Dinner Cruises Overview
• Entertainment (Oahu style!)
• Food Servings
• Value for Time and Money

Without further ado, let’s compare the top dinner cruises on Oahu waters right now.

For more of our top Oahu tours and activities, as well as dinner cruises on other islands, check out these popular articles:

CRUISE

DETAILS

Routes and Cruise Overview

First up is the Star Sunset Dinner Cruise and Show. If you are not a big boat fan, you might still relish the Star of Honolulu, the charming cruise ship you’ll head out to sea on for the dinner and show on this cruise. It is a magnificent 232-foot, 1500-passenger floating island—the largest cruising the Island waters. Perfect for a 2 hour trip around Oahu.

When you finally board the Star of Honolulu, you’ll be spoiled with a 2 hour cruise that embraces the ocean with views of Diamond Head and beyond. This daily cruise has departure at 5:30 pm and return at 7:30 pm. Friday night cruises last an hour longer to enjoy the Fireworks with return around 8:30 pm.

If it’s your first time sailing out to sea, you’ll have confidence in knowing the ship has three types of stabilizers and is A.D.A certified to operate on the route.

That means no matter what weather conditions you come across, you can rest assured of you and your loved one’s safety on these tours. Make sure to bring a light jacket though because those nights can get a bit chilly on these sunset cruises!

But when the skies are clear and the sun is dancing, the Star of Honolulu has 4 voluminous decks to help you indulge in sunbathing and the best views possible. All decks are flanked by a number of bars and 6 delightful dining rooms. This makes it a spectacular dinner cruise that any one would want to check out when visiting the islands.

There are private lounges on deck, too. So expect a relaxing time, where you can pamper and cuddle, make memories, and shun all worries for the moment. Oahu is the island of romance.

And if you’d like to take some amazing photos, Just take one of the 2 elevators to their 60-foot deck up front. It offers the best spot to bathe in refreshing sun rays as you unwind, coupled with the best panoramic views of the sparkling sea.

Want to get picked up? If you’re staying at a hotel located in Waikiki, they offer pick-up for a fee if you notify them at least 24 hours in advance. They have a pick-up schedule that covers 15 pick-up spots throughout Waikiki (be sure to check with them to locate the exact place they can pick you up).

“An Oahu dinner cruise is the perfect way to experience the beauty of Oahu combined with a night of entertainment”

Next up, we’ll take a look at the route and overview of the Island Style Buffet Cruise. If you are looking for more than a sea ride, then this cruise might be the one for you for a couple of reasons.

Their vessel, Majestic, is smaller than the Star of Honolulu but offers spectacular views from the indoor dining and entertainment areas. So, if you prefer an indoor experience—indulging in live entertainment, delicious food, and exotic wines—or are celebrating a fête in your life, the Majestic is a great place to do it. It has three decks, and all of them come with drink and chit chat spots, making it an ideal Oahu tour for smaller groups or couples.

Once you board the Majestic dinner cruise, you’ll get settled and set sail for the evening at 5:30pm. Over the next two hours, you’ll grace the Waikiki coastline, taking in the scenic palm botanicals and winding your way across the enduring presence of Diamond Head.

It feels almost magical. It is truly special if you can share the experience with someone else—a friend or a spouse. The glorious sunsets and picturesque views of Waikiki and Honolulu’s skyline, especially at dusk, make for a good time to be at sea.

Last but certainly not least, let’s take a look at where you’ll be headed on the Honolulu City Lights Sunset Dinner Cruise. When you need to feel the wind in your hair, the sun on your skin and your gaze on the azure Pacific water, you might want to consider the Sunset Dinner Cruise. It kicks off at 5:30 pm and goes until 7:30 pm almost every day.

One great thing about this cruise is the complimentary transportation from select hotels in Waikiki. So, if you have a few too many cocktails, you’ll be in good hands (check beforehand to see if your hotel is included).

With this cruise, you get volumes of open space to enjoy the Hawaiian sun, gorgeous views of Waikiki’s coastline, Honolulu’s skyline and lights, as well as the stunning Oahu sunset. The sun sets at about 7:30 pm around mid-year, so make sure to get a comfortable seat or soak it in on the trampoline nets out back.

Alternatively, you can roam around the Makani Catamaran’s deck. From there you’ll be able to take in the expansive scenery of Koko Head, Diamond Head and Koko Crater. As with the other cruises, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to snap some picturesque photos on these tours, so don’t forget your camera.

All of that paired with a five star steak dinner and an Oahu sunset never looked better!

Overall, the Honolulu City Lights Sunset Cruise is a great option if you’re the type that likes to bring the party, or spend some alone time with a loved one.

Entertainment

When we look at the entertainment value of each cruise, all three offer lively activity and room to enjoy your friends’ company. But, there’s also private lounges if you prefer a more private experience with a loved one, close friends, business partners or colleagues.

Another feature that all three cruises offer is a special Friday night sunset plus Fireworks tour. It is a Friday-night-only festivity, so if you want to add a little bit more to your experience, make sure to book it then. The fireworks light the sky courtesy of Waikiki’s Hilton Hawaiian Village.

A 3 course dinner makes for a romantic evening and adds up to being one of the best tours and activities for couples when visiting the island of Hawaii.

Whatever occasion you’d like to celebrate, all three allow guests to indulge in a little partying. So, if you’re thinking birthday parties, weddings, promotion celebration, or what have you, they allow it.

To mix it all in, all dinner cruises offer a full bar selection of drinks. You can get yours from any of the bars lined up on the decks.

Thanks to its spectacular size, the Star of Honolulu cruise ship obviously tops out as the cruise with the most bang for your buck, for anyone wanting to enjoy a wide range of cruising delights. Their Friday fireworks and sunset dinner cruises extend an extra hour, plus you can catch all the firework over the ocean action from the deck for an extra $10. Now that’s some hospitality; Hawaii style!

Call us now to book your Oahu Dinner Cruise.

The Star Sunset Dinner Cruise has a classic show currently showing. They call it 60 Years of Aloha. Essentially, it is a story about a young couple who continue to embark on their long (and seemingly illustrious) journey together through the deep blue Pacific.It is a colorful spectacle, the largest and most elaborate of the three cruises reviewed. Along with that, they also have a fun welcome ceremony they call the Welcome Hula on the pier-side of the ship.

The Island Style Buffet Cruise and Honolulu City Lights Sunset Dinner Cruise also have a variety of live shows, entertaining audience participation, live Hawaiian music, and a number of other live shows that go on until sundown ensuring you’ll have fun. Check out their cruise cards to find out what they have lined up for you. Or, maybe you’ll let them surprise you!

Also, since all three cruise options operate around the same route, all of them offer Turtle sightings and a chance to cruise alongside dolphins.

Also, if you’re lucky and go during the right time, you’ll have the opportunity to see herds of Humpback whales. They swim into the warm waters of Hawaii from chilly Alaska to breed and calve. This is a seasonal festivity, but you can arrange to catch it between mid-December to around mid-April.

Food and Beverages Available on the Oahu Dinner Cruises

It is not a dinner cruise without the food now is it? Rest assured there is a lot going on for foodies and everyone who loves a good drink or two.

You’ll encounter a rich mixture of island cuisine (delicious and nutritious seafood and Hawaiian drinks that make for a perfect dinner) on all the cruises, similar to an Oahu luau. That includes hot and cold selections as well as both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to choose from.

Interestingly, though, they also allow you to come with your own drink and some food on the Catamaran (Honolulu City Lights Sunset Dinner Cruise), provided you clean up after yourself. This is a little known fact since they don’t publicly advertise it. However, the menu has a number of gluten-free and vegetarian plates aboard, too. If you’re looking for a truly delicious meal, we must say the Island Style Buffet Cruise’s menu is by far the richest and yummiest of the trio—with options like Garlic Shiitake Teriyaki Chicken, the Pacific Catch of the Day, and a unique Chef’s Selection for dessert, this buffet just can’t be beat. On top of that, they also include one complimentary drink.

But, if you love yourself some crispy crabs and juicy beef, the Star Sunset Dinner Cruise and Show has a whole serving of those. They’ve christened it the “all-you-can-eat-crab and tenderloin of beef” buffet dinner.

We do advise that you find yourself a good seat that is not too far off from the main dining areas. Although there is plenty of crab to go around, if you love crab like I do you’ll want to sit close so you can enjoy all-you-can-eat crab.

The great thing about all three is that there is so much to choose from with each Oahu dinner operator, and you’ll find you need a couple of minutes just to decide on what you want to have.

One thing is for sure though, the Mai Tai is one popular drink around these shores, so expect it on all three dinner cruises.

About their Cancellation Policies

Looking at the three cruises, they all have similar cancellation requirements that they’ll let you know up front. If for any reason they cancel your cruise, they expressly state that they can (and will) refund your money 100%. But, if you have to cancel your trip, you have to alert them 24 hours prior to the time you are required to check-in. If cancellations are made within this time or in the case of no shows, they keep the full amount. No partial refunds for you.

(Check for additional information on Aloha Tower, Kewalo Basin Harbor, Hawaii, and Waikiki)

Bottom Line

These are the top Oahu dinner cruises for good reason, and all have unique traits that makes them special and resonate with what it means to have the best Hawaiian experience you can imagine (not your normal tour). They all offer a sunset dining experience with lots of food and drinks to choose from. The entertainment offerings are on point and the crew members friendly (and they know how to get the party started!).

But, they also offer slightly different packages in-between, so you’ll need to consider what works best for your distinct taste and cruising needs. That is the surefire way to enjoy the best Oahu dining cruise experience around.

Ready to set sail for a night of entertainment, great food, and beautiful views of Hawaii?