To get a glimpse of how Hawaiʻi's cruise industry is faring, one need only to visit Aloha Tower Marketplace. It overlooks Honolulu Harbor and one can see the cruise ships slipping in and out of port.
According to Shannon McKee, the president of Access Cruise, Inc., 2026 has been a strong year for Hawaiʻi’s cruise industry.
The travel industry consulting firm has tracked cruise activity for around three decades and was hired by the state to keep an eye on which way the tide is turning for the cruise industry.
“The cruise lines are watching, and they're booking and really scheduling out anywhere from three to five years,” McKee told HPR.
McKee discussed the impact of global events on Hawaiʻi's cruise industry as well as local concerns like the potential effect of the Green Fee, including the imposition of new cruise taxes and limits on the number of cruise ships that stop in Hawaiʻi’s ports.
“The cruise industry, I have to say, is very progressive,” McKee said, but acknowledged the state has targets in place but the cruise industry is "not necessarily aligned with.”
This story aired on The Conversation on June 12, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
