Star of Honolulu: BEST Dinner Cruise
Most POPULAR dinner cruise in Hawaii. Honolulu, Hawaii. Yummy Dinner. Ocean view. Sunset. What is one place that you can find all three of these…that is NOT a regular restaurant?
The Star of Honolulu DINNER CRUISE. After dinner, we headed up to the 4th floor observation deck to relax on the lounge chairs sipping a Mai Tai.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase through my links I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.
Adventure At A Glance
Duration:
2 hours **Extended time to 3 hourson Friday Fireworks.
Starting Point:
Pier 8, Aloha Tower Marketplace | Honolulu | OAHU
Group size:
Varies
What's Provided:
Luxury Menu: Dinner, 1 “champagne,” two (2) drinks
What to Bring:
Photo ID (21+ years)
Our Experience:
We'll go over getting there, the menu, entertainment and the show, exploring the boat, and lastly my review. We chose the “Deluxe” menu option.
Watch YouTube video
Check out this YouTube video on our full trip
Our Experience | Luxury Menu
We absolutely demolished our 1st course (appetizers) and our 2nd course (salad)!
Getting There
- Shuttle $18-19pp, roundtrip
The Honolulu harbor is about 4 miles (6.5 km) from Waikiki. The easiest way to get there and the one that I would recommend is to take the Star of Honolulu‘s shuttle bus. It makes it super easy, worry-free, and if you have a couple cocktails on the boat, you don't have to think twice about it. - Taxi or Rideshare (Uber/Lyft)
If you prefer to go in a smaller group, you can also take a taxi or a ride-sharing app like Uber or Lyft. I checked the pricing for Uber and Lyft and it ranged from between $15 to $25 one way from Waikiki to the harbor, depending on when you called it. - Drive Out
If you opt to drive, they do have parking. The closest parking is going to be by Pier 5 and Pier 6. Keep in mind, Star Panel does not validate for parking.
Entertainment
When you walk up to the boat, you're greeted with pier side hula. Once you get on the boat, they do have musicians playing. As the night progresses, they also do a Polynesian show. They have hula, Tahitian dancing, and lots more. They also end it with a little fun show as well showing Aloha over the years. If you're looking to see a little bit of hula, this might be the dinner cruise for you.
Exploring the Boat
For our dinner, we were sat on the third deck, which is really nice. A lot of people who do the dinner cruise, I noticed, stayed within their deck and didn't really explore much of the boat. However, there's a completely open observation deck which is on the fourth floor, the very top floor. It's easy to access. There are stairs.
This boat is the only ADA compliant dinner cruise on Oahu. There are ramps and an elevator on the boat for wheelchair access to all decks – including the top floor observation deck.
Seating
It's important to note that the BUFFET option is in a group table of about 8-guests. This means that if you are less than 8, you'll be mixed in with other people.
For the CASUAL and LUXURY options, you'll be at a group table of about 8-guests. For these sit-down menu options, you can UPGRADE to get the “CELEBRATION PLAN” which means you get a private table and souvenir photo (value: $30.00) for each party of two. So, if you are a party of 4-guests and you do the upgrade, you'll get two (2) photos. If you're doing the Luxury option, I think the upgrade is worth it especially if you plan on buying the souvenir photo anyway.
Upgrade Option | Celebration Plan
Celebration Plan: +$30.00pp (minimum of 2 guests)
That gets you a private table, window seating, and one (1) souvenir photo for every 2-guests (Souvenir photo value: $30.00). We opted for the Celebration plan.
The Review
I absolutely love this dinner cruise. I was chatting with my friend to get her take on it as well and she loved it. What's really interesting is that for a dinner cruise that was serving so many people, the food came out on time at the right intervals and the food was hot when it came out. Our lobster was hot. Our steak was hot. Everything was at the right temperature – which I really appreciated.
As for what you can wear on the dinner cruise, it's completely flexible. You can opt to dress up or dress down. I chose to wear a maxi dress and some nice sandals.
Overall, I absolutely love the Star of Honolulu and completely recommend it. It's great for a date night, for girls night, for celebrations. They also even offer an add-on where you can add on cake orders if you're celebrating a birthday or other event.
Value
In terms of value, this dinner cruise is a great out-of-the-box option. Let's take the Buffet, for example, which runs about $100 per person. You get:
-Sunset sail (2 hours)
-Buffet dinner
-Polynesian Show
A sunset sail in Waikiki will run around $40-75. A Buffet dinner in Waikiki would run around $40-50. Plus, you also get a Polynesian show (Hawaiian hula, Tahitian, Tongan, and so forth).
The Menu
Ws a 5-course meal with steak and lobster. The lobster was delicious, absolutely delicious, and so was the steak. If you don't like steak or lobster, or perhaps want something else, they do offer menu substitutions.
- First-Course: Appetizer Bar featuring Imported and Domestic Cheeses, Crackers, and a Fresh Seasonal Tropical Fruit Display
- Second-Course: Hawaiian Greens with Purple Endive, Waipoli Baby Romaine, Grape Tomatoes, and Housemade Lilikoi Tarragon Vinaigrette
- Third-Course: Whole One Pound Plus Nova Scotia Maine Lobster, with Fresh Lemon, Clarified Butter & Citrus Ponzu
- Fourth-Course: Tenderloin of Beef with Sweet Madeira Wine Sauce, Housemade Idaho Russet and Big Island Okinawan Mashed Potatoes, and Sauteed Fresh Seasonal Vegetables
- Fifth-Course: Mango Mousse Cake Freshly Baked by Elvis Bakery® with White Chocolate Garnish
- Others: Freshly Baked Furikake Lavosh & Sweet Butter Breadsticks, Freshly Brewed STAR's Custom Kona Blend Coffee by Hawaiian Paradise Coffee®, and Mighty Leaf® Organic Teas
You can sub out either option for either chicken, fish, or a vegan choice. But for many substitutions, you have to let them know 24 hours in advance. You wouldn't be able to let them know the day of once you get on the boat.
Menu substitution
- Vegan, Vegetarian & Gluten-Free Substitution: Zucchini Napoleon with Lomi Tomato, Tofu, and Asparagus with Balsamic Reduction and Vine-Ripened Tomato and Wild Rice with Pesto sauce
- Chicken Substitution: Rosemary Olive Oil Chicken and Chicken with a Sweet Madeira Wine Sauce
- Fish Substitution: Fish of the Day with Beurre Blanc and Island Salsa
More Menu Options
There are four (4) menus to choose from:
- Buffet
- Casual (3-course meal | steak, crab, & BBQ chicken)
- Luxury (5-course meal | steak & lobster)
- Signature (5-course meal | fine dining)
Menu | Casual
Check out our video and review on the CASUAL (3-course meal | steak, crab, & BBQ chicken) menu:
Casual
- First-Course: House Salad with Waipoli Baby Romaine, Vine Ripened Tomatoes, Sesame Star Puff Pastry, and Housemade Papaya Seed Dressing
- Second-Course: Entree of Canadian Snow Crab Legs, Tenderloin of Beef & BBQ Chicken with Port Wine Sauce, Fresh Lemon, Clarified Butter, and Citrus Ponzu, Housemade Mashed Potatoes, and Sauteed Fresh Vegetables
- Third-Course: Macadamia Nut Ice Cream by IL Gelato
- Others: Freshly Baked Poi Loaf by Elvins Bakery with Butter, Freshly Brewed STAR's Custom Kona Blend Coffee by Hawaiian Paradise Coffee®, and Mighty Leaf® Organic Teas
Dinner Substitution Menu:
Vegan, Vegetarian & Gluten-Free Substitution: Grilled Tofu and Vegetable Napoleon with Pesto Gnocchi
Fish Substitution: Fish of the Day with Beurre Blanc and Island Salsa
Click here for a dietary information on the Star Dinner Menu.
Alternative entrees of fish, chicken or vegan options available with 24 hours notice.
Drink Menu: Mai Tai, Blue Hawaii, Chichi, Lava Flow, and Other Tropical Drinks, Beer, Wine, Scotch, Bourbon, Vodka, Rum, Brandy, Juice, and Others
Menu | Buffet (Pacific Star Dinner Menu)
- Entree: Salt Crusted USDA Choice Top Round Grade Roast Beef Carving Station, Fish of the Day with Coconut Curry Sauce, and Baked Misoyaki BBQ Chicken
- Sides: Vegetarian Yakisoba*, Steamed White Rice*, Hawaiian Potato Macaroni Salad, Sumida Farms Watercress, Tofu & Beansprout Salad*, Vine-Ripened Tomato* and Japanese Cucumber* Platter, and Big Island Mixed Greens* with Sweet Bread Croutons and Citrus Vinaigrette*
- Dessert: Homemade Chocolate Macadamia Nut Brownies, Macadamia Nut Cookies, Coconut Cake, Green Tea Tiramisu, and Seasonal Fresh Fruit Platter*
Vegan selections are marked with a (*)
Click here for a dietary information on the Pacific Star Dinner Menu.
Grilled Vegan Garden Patty available with at least 24 hours notice
Drink Menu: Mai Tai, Blue Hawaii, Chichi, Lava Flow, and Other Tropical Drinks, Beer, Wine, Scotch, Bourbon, Vodka, Rum, Brandy, Juice, and Others
Yes to Hawaii is an affiliate partner with Hawaii Activities. If you purchase a tour/activity with the links that we provide, we will receive a small commission – at no additional cost to you! We love sharing what each tour is like so you can choose the best tours/activities for you and your family. We love helping take the guesswork out of your Hawaii trip! Booking the tour through our links helps support us bring you free Hawaii and travel content every single week. Thank YOU!
DOWNLOAD THE FREE GUIDE
WHERE SHOULD WE SEND YOUR HAWAII TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE?
Island:
- Oahu
Type:
- Sea
Activity:
- Dinner Cruise
- |
- Sailing