Honolulu Sunset Sailing and Friday Night Fireworks Cruise

did you know that every Friday night in Honolulu there is a fireworks display off of Waikiki Beach? It’s true! The Hilton Hawaiian Village on Waikiki does a weekly fireworks display for everyone to enjoy, and one of the best ways to do that is on a catamaran. We had a great time out on the Na Hoku 2 watching the fireworks from Honolulu Bay. Whether you are going out on a Friday for the fireworks display or any other evening for just a sunset sale, this is a wonderful catamaran trip to plan for.

Do you like getting out on the water when you’re traveling? If so, this could be a great addition to your visit to Honolulu, whether it’s your main destination in Hawaii or if you’re just doing a weekend trip in addition to visiting other Islands. If you have any questions about sailing on the Na Hoku 2 catamaran or planning your time in Honolulu, please leave a comment or send us a note. We are always happy to share more and help you plan a great Aloha trip.

Highlights of Honolulu Sunset Sailing

When you’re planning your Honolulu sunset sailing or if you’re hoping to do a Friday night fireworks trip, there are quite a few options. In general we’re not too picky about the boats we go out on as long as they’re an eco-conscious company and they are offering a good tour at a reasonable price, but I have to say the Na Hoku 2 catamaran in Honolulu is one of the nicest boats we’ve bene on anywhere for a group catamaran type trip. I know there are extra fancy boats out there, but if you’re looking at the different boats that do snorkeling and sunset cruises from Oahu, the Na Hoku 2 is up there. Between the well maintained soft decking to the seating areas and even the over-water netting, it’s all very nice.

If you get to be in Honolulu for a weekend, the Friday night fireworks sunset cruises, which happen every Friday weather permitting, are all pretty great. We recently had a beautiful sailing that was all about the views (and even a few dolphins) as the sun went down and then the standard fireworks on Waikiki. If you aren’t familiar with catamarans and sunset sailing in Hawaii, the experience tends to including Hawaiian music, slowly making your way on your journey, and an open bar. It’s such a chill evening, and yes, it’s appropriate with kids.

We’ve done “booze cruise” catamarans in Hawaii, the Florida Keys and Mexico, and of all of them the sailings in Hawaii have been the most tame and family friendly. For us, that’s a good thing. If you’re looking to be out on a boat partying it up at sea, maybe you need to just straight up plan a Mexico trip because Cabo will set you up. Here though, we’ve enjoyed each evening boat trip, and our kids really had a great time on the Na Hoku 2 relaxing all around the boat and chatting with people. Our keiki always make friends with the bar tenders who keep their POG glasses full, and it is fully fun family experience.

Tips for a Great Honolulu Sunset Cruise

Be sure to arrive to the Kewalo Basin Harbor at least a half hour ahead of your sailing time to ensure that you are in the right place, that you get checked in, and so you don’t miss your sunset sailing, especially if it’s a Friday night fireworks sailing. Being prompt when it’s a boat tour is extra important. Island Time more applies to land operations than boating. Sunset sailing catamarans in Honolulu do still go out if it’s raining. If the seas are big and it’s unsafe they’ll cancel their trips, but in general the boat goes out no matter what. Hopefully the weather will hold for your trip, but if not, just know that since it’s most often clear for sunset trips, if you get a little rain that’s actually a little special! 😉

Anytime you’re going out on a boat, think about the people you’re bringing with you and if it’s something they’re going to enjoy as well. Our family spends a lot of time on boats out on open water so doing something like the Na Hoku 2 catamaran is an easy boat trip for us. Catamarans like this tend to be a lot more smooth on the seas than a single hull ship, but even on the more calm waters of Honolulu people who are sensitive to ocean motion may not be at ease out on the water. If you’re somebody who gets seasick, do whatever you need to do in advance of getting onto the catamaran for your sunset sailing trip so that you don’t get sick. I avoid most motion sickness medications because they tend to make me groggy and I want to be alert and awake for my tour. I’ve found that children’s motion sickness medication is effective for me and doesn’t knock me out. ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR about things like medication. I am NOT a physician and am only sharing from my own experience.

When you’re planning your trip out on the Na Hoku 2 (or any of the Honolulu sunset sailing trips) be sure that you’ve had your dinner before getting out on the water, especially if you’re planning on enjoying the open bar situation. There’s not food on sunset sailings unless you specifically choose a dinner cruise so you need to be sure everyone is at least a little fed before you embark on your Honolulu sunset sailing.

Being Prepared the Honolulu Fireworks and Sunset Sailing

Going out on a catamaran at sunset if fun and beautiful, but once the sun goes down so does the temperature. Honolulu stays pretty warm at night, but when there’s a breeze off the water you’re going to want a sweatshirt of light jacket once the sun is fully down. It’s still not bad though and there are sheltered parts of the catamaran that you can have less wind and stay more mellow. There aren’t bad bugs out on the water at all, so you don’t need to worry about the insect repellant. If you’re heading out on an earlier catamaran trip or if you’re really sensitive to the sun, you may want to apply a little sunblock in advance (NOT on the boat) just because the setting sun really does reflect off the water quite a bit. I don’t tend to worry about it because a sunset sailing in usually such little sun exposure, but everyone is different.

Since the point of the Na Hoku 2 Friday night sunset sailing is to see the fireworks on Waikiki, be sure that you bring your camera or camera phone along. If you’re using a phone, you’ll be able to get photos very easily if you know how to work it well and adjust the settings for fireworks photos. If you’re bringing a big camera along, fireworks photos from a boat are really difficult due to the motion of the ocean, but if it’s very calm and you can be really steady, a very high shutter speed might work out for you. I found that my phone photos turn out better from a boat than my DSLR.

Parking for Na Hoku 2, Makani and Hawaii Nautical Sailing

There is limited parking at the Kewalo Basin Harbor (where the Na Hoku 2, Makani, Hawaii Nautical and other boats depart from) but there is some to the west of the marina and off Ala Moana Blvd, but it’s limited. I find that due to traffic before sunset and the parking situation, it’s actually easier to get an Uber to the marina. You could try to find parking, but if you’re unsuccessful you’ll be in a pickle, either with a big parking ticket or having to park very far away and then missing your boat.