This post may contain affiliate links. If you book or buy through one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read our full disclosure.
Celebrity Cruises is adding something new to its schedule: roundtrip Hawaii cruises from Los Angeles.
No flight to the islands. No one-way repositioning where you fly home from Honolulu. You board in LA and you come back to LA.
There’s a catch, though. Right now Celebrity’s site shows just two of these sailings, both on Celebrity Equinox in 2028.
What Celebrity Just Announced
The Hawaii sailings were part of Celebrity’s 2028–2029 deployment, which the line announced on August 10, 2026.
Celebrity’s own wording was simple: “new round-trip sailings to Hawaii from Los Angeles on Celebrity Equinox.”
Alaska, Hawaii and South America cruises opened for booking on September 1, 2026, so you can book both of these today.
There are two versions:
- 17 nights, departing Saturday, April 8, 2028 and returning Tuesday, April 25, 2028
- 16 nights, departing Friday, October 20, 2028 and returning Sunday, November 5, 2028
Celebrity calls both “Hawaii Volcanoes & Beaches: LA Roundtrip.” Each one leaves from the Port of Los Angeles World Cruise Center in San Pedro at 4:00 p.m.
Celebrity’s Hawaii page pitches it plainly: “reaching the islands is easier than ever.”
The Full Itinerary: 17 Nights In April 2028
The spring sailing adds a bonus stop in San Francisco on the way out.
| Day | Port |
|---|---|
| Day 1 (Apr 8) | Los Angeles, California (depart 4:00 p.m.) |
| Day 2 | At sea |
| Day 3 (Apr 10) | San Francisco, California (7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) |
| Days 4–7 | At sea |
| Day 8 (Apr 15) | Hilo, Hawaii (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.) |
| Day 9 (Apr 16) | Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., tender port) |
| Days 10–11 (Apr 17–18) | Honolulu, Oahu (overnight, arrive 7:00 a.m., depart 6:00 p.m. the next day) |
| Days 12–16 | At sea |
| Day 17 (Apr 24) | Ensenada, Mexico (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) |
| Day 18 (Apr 25) | Los Angeles, California (arrive 7:00 a.m.) |
That’s four days in Hawaii (including the Honolulu overnight), five port days in total and 10 days at sea.
The Full Itinerary: 16 Nights In October 2028
The fall sailing skips San Francisco and heads straight for the islands. It visits them in reverse order and adds a second overnight.
| Day | Port |
|---|---|
| Day 1 (Oct 20) | Los Angeles, California (depart 4:00 p.m.) |
| Days 2–5 | At sea |
| Days 6–7 (Oct 25–26) | Honolulu, Oahu (overnight, arrive 2:00 p.m., depart 10:00 p.m. the next day) |
| Days 8–9 (Oct 27–28) | Kailua-Kona, Hawaii (overnight, arrive 8:00 a.m., depart 7:00 p.m. the next day, tender port) |
| Day 10 (Oct 29) | Hilo, Hawaii (8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.) |
| Days 11–15 | At sea |
| Day 16 (Nov 4) | Ensenada, Mexico (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) |
| Day 17 (Nov 5) | Los Angeles, California (arrive 7:00 a.m.) |
That works out to five days in Hawaii across three ports on two islands, with two overnights and nine sea days.
Both versions stop in Ensenada on the way home. That isn’t random. Foreign-flagged cruise ships sailing roundtrip from a U.S. port have to call at a foreign port under the Passenger Vessel Services Act, and Ensenada is the easy one to slot in from LA.
What You’ll See In Hawaii
Both sailings stick to the same three Hawaii ports.
Hilo is on the east side of the Big Island. Celebrity points to Rainbow Falls, Akaka Falls and Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, home of Kilauea.
Kailua-Kona is on the other side of the same island. It’s a tender port, so you’ll ride a small boat to shore. This is Kona coffee country, and Kealakekua Bay nearby is a favorite snorkeling spot.
Honolulu gets an overnight on both trips. That’s enough time for Pearl Harbor, Iolani Palace and a night out without watching the clock.
The Ship
Celebrity Equinox carries 2,852 guests, according to Celebrity. She measures 121,878 gross tons and is 1,041 feet long.
Her signature feature is the Lawn Club, an area of real grass on deck. After nine or 10 sea days, that patch of green starts to feel like a big deal.
Equinox also has The Retreat for suite guests, Tuscan Grille, Le Petit Chef, the Craft Social bar and Starlink Wi-Fi. That last one matters when you’re five days from land.
2028 is a busy year for this ship. Celebrity says Equinox will sail Alaska for the first time that year, then head south for an extended South America and Antarctica season.
Why This Matters
A roundtrip from LA means no flight to Hawaii and no flight home from it. For anyone on the West Coast, or anyone who just hates flying, that’s the whole pitch.
The trade-off is sea days. You get nine or 10 of them, and four or five days in the islands. If you love the ship, that’s a feature. If you get restless, it’s a long time to look at water.
Carnival is chasing the same crowd, with its first dedicated Hawaii cruise season sailing roundtrip from Long Beach. Celebrity’s version is the more premium take on the same idea, but with just two departures.
How To Book
Both sailings are on Celebrity’s website now.
When I checked on October 26, 2026, Celebrity listed the 17-night April sailing from $1,716 per person and the 16-night October sailing from $1,741 per person. Those are based on two guests sharing, with taxes and fees included. Gratuities are not included.
Both were also tagged with Celebrity’s current “75% Off 2nd Guest” and “Up to $800 Instant Savings” promotions. Those deals change often, so prices could look different by the time you search.
Since there’s only one departure of each, cabins won’t be restocked once they’re gone. If you want a specific balcony location or a suite, book early.
Budget for the extras, too. You’ll want drinks, Wi-Fi and Hawaii shore excursions, and those add up fast. Our breakdown of the costs that don’t show up on the booking page is worth a look before you commit.
I’d lean toward the October sailing. The overnights in Honolulu and Kona give you real time on Oahu and the Big Island, and you get an extra day in Hawaii. If you’ve never seen San Francisco from the water, though, the April trip throws that in.
Would you trade 10 sea days for skipping the flight to Hawaii, or would you rather fly over and spend more time on the islands?
Featured photo: Celebrity Cruises
