OAHU : Swimming Beaches

Beach Directory - Oahu's Guarded Beaches [ O`AHU BEACHDIRECTORY | LIFEGUARDS'HOME PAGE | SHARKS OFHAWAI`I | OCEANSAFETY OFFICERS - LIFEGUARDS | OCEAN SAFETYDIVISION | JUNIORLIFEGUARD PROGRAM | HAWAIIANLIFEGUARD ASSOCIATION ] [ Beach& Ocean Hazards | DangerousOcean Organisms | Ocean Safety Signs: Page 1 & Page 2 | SunSafety ] [ Electronic Country Store | SearchEngines And Pages | SITE MAP ] [ SURF REPORT | MARINE WEATHER | TheBUS ] [ GUIDE TO OCEAN AND POOL SWIMMING ON OAHU : Swimming Beaches | Public Pools | Swimming Tips and Training ] Beach Directory Oahu's Guarded Beaches . . . Just Select A Beach To Which You Wish To Surf On The Web . . . By Clicking On Its Name THESOUTH SHORE -- This coastline is known for itsmany family beaches like Ala MoanaBeach - also, the state's principal and renown tourism"mecca," Waikiki .Activities like snorkeling, tide pooling, swimming, and anygeneral ocean recreation are all popular on the South Shore. Thisshore is a good place to learn and improve your aquaticskills. Caution should be taken during seasonal highsurf in the Summer. New comers should be very carefulwhen they body surf off the South shore, especially at SandyBeach . Ask the lifeguards about conditions! And, if in doubt,just stay out! Box jellyfish regularly "swarm" to Hawaii's South shoresabout ten days after the full moon. Be well forewarned; observeposted signs and be attentive to mediaannouncements. These are the most popular, guarded beaches on theSouth Shore: AlaMoana Beach Park , WaikikiBeach , HanaumaBay Nature Park , and SandyBeach . THENORTH SHORE -- This coastline, blessed withpristine white sand beaches, is known for its world-classsurfing, body boarding, and body surfing. (... And, thespectacular sunsets at SunsetBeach .) Listen to surf reports on the radio and television, orcheck out other sources like newspapers - about approachingswells and surf forecasts. Check out the local conditions fromlifeguards, surfers or fisherman before you enter into thewater. Caution is advised especially during the Wintermonths when waves may reach heights of up to twenty-five feet plus. The bestsurfers in the world ask the lifeguards about conditions, youshould, too. And, if in doubt, just stay out! From Junethrough September there are incidents of stinging limu (seaweed) along beach front near Laie. Heedpostings and warnings about it. These are the most popular, guarded beaches on theNorth Shore: SunsetBeach Park , Ehukai(The Banzai Pipeline) Beach Park , KeWa`enaBeach , WaimeaBay Beach Park , and Ali`iBeach Park . THE EASTSHORE -- This coastline known as the Windwardcoast has lush tropical beach settings which are favoritelocations for windsurfing and sailing enthusiasts. With tradewinds, Northeast winds blowing inshore 90percent of the year, watch out for the Portugueseman-of-war (stinging blue jelly-like fish - Physalia) ;they can pose a problem for beach-goers. From Junethrough September there are incidents of stinging limu (seaweed) along beach front on the MokapuPeninsula in Kaneohe Bay and Kailua Bay, especially at Kailua BeachPark . Heed postings and warnings about it. These are the most popular, guarded beaches on theEast Shore: Makapu`uBeach Park , BellowsBeach Park , KailuaBeach Park , and KualoaRegional Park . THE WESTSHORE -- This coast is more arid than theWindward coast and has many excellent beaches. This coast isknown for its great offshore fishing spots. Caution is advised during the Winter months when waves reach heights fifteen feet plus. Be sure to ask thelifeguards about prevailing conditions. And, if in doubt, juststay out! From Junethrough September there are incidents of stinging limu (seaweed) along beach front near Ewa. Heedpostings and warnings about it. Box jellyfish regularly "swarm" to Hawaii's Leeward shoresabout ten days after the full moon. Be well forewarned; observeposted signs and be attentive to mediaannouncements. This shore is in the driest areas of O`ahu. Be sureyou and any keiki (children) who might be with you drink plentyof fluids to avoid dehydration. Be sunsafe and sensible : Be sure to wear a broadspectrum sun block, tanning lotion, or cream with a sunprotective factor (SPF) of at least 15+ - and re-apply it everytwo hours. Don't forget your sunglasses and to wear a hat with awide brim, too! These are the most popular, guarded beaches on theWest Shore: MakahaBeach Park , Pokai BayBeach Park , NanakuliBeach Park , and Ma`iliBeach Park . Search Amazon.com for the Latest Books on Hawaii's Beaches: Keyword Search: Press Go! to Search! We strongly recommend John R. K. Clark's book, Hawaii's BestBeaches . OCEAN INFORMATION -- For adetailed description of the Pacific Ocean's marine climate, waterproperties, currents, tides, waves, etc., please visit TheOcean Atlas of Hawai`i online. You'll learn many interestingfacts, like our average surface water temperature in Winter is 75ºF (24º C) and 81º F (27º C) in theSummer. Call 596-SURF (that's 596-7873 )to hear a recorded message on conditions at various O`ahubeaches. The recording is a free service of the Surf NewsNetwork ( SNN ) and is updated four times a day, 365 days ayear, at 7 a.m., noon, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. In addition to waveheights, SNN provides information on winds, tides, and buoyreadings. TheBus : Oahu's beaches are very accessibleby the public bus service: call 848-5555 [Voice/Text (TTY)852-6080] for TheBus scheduling and routinginformation. HERE ARE SOME BASIC OCEAN SAFETY TIPS: Swim in Lifeguarded Areas Never Swim Alone Don't Dive Into Unknown Water or Into Shallow BreakingWaves Ask a Lifeguard About Beach andSurf Conditions Before Swimming If You Are Unable to Swim Out of a Strong Current, Signal forHelp Rely on Your Swimming Ability Rather Than a FlotationDevice Look For, Read and Obey All Beach SafetySigns and Symbols If In Doubt, Just Stay Out! Return to our Beach Hale (Home) Aloha Page. Or, you can also use the following links for your tour ofOahu's beaches: SouthShore , NorthShore , EastShore , and the WestShore . You can also use the following pick list to "surf" to aparticular shore or guarded beach, or learn about an importantocean safety topic: Scroll Down for Key Web Pages of ThisSite ~BEACH DIRECTORY FOR O`AHU, HAWAI`I ~ ~THE NORTH SHORE ~ Sunset Beach Ehukai (The Banzai Pipeline) KeWa`ena Beach Waimea Bay Ali`iBeach ~THE SOUTH SHORE ~ Ala Moana Waikiki Hanauma Bay SandyBeach ~THE EAST SHORE ~ Makapu`u Bellows Kailua Kualoa ~THE WEST SHORE ~ Makaha PokaiBay Nanakuli Ma`ili ----------------------------------- Sharks of Hawai`i Beach & Ocean Hazards Be SunSafe & Sensible! Dangerous Ocean Critters Ocean Safety Signs ----------------------------------- Hawaiian Lifeguards' Home Page Hawaiian Lifeguard Association ----------------------------------- WebSite Map Search this site or the Web withGoogle: Search aloha.com Web Search Suggestions, comments and recommendations arewelcomed. These pages are a project of the HawaiianLifeguard Association , a not for profit, professionalassociation of Hawaii's lifeguards devoted to the advancement oflifesaving services and public education on beach and oceansafety. WebDeveloper : This page is maintained by J. B. Lee. You canreach me by email by clickinghere . Last modified: 20-Jul-2005 02:07 PM Some of thepictures on this page are from the Fish FAQ . Areally great website to obtain more "fishy"information. Source URI:http://www.aloha.com/~lifeguards/bech_dir.html Aloha . . . e malama i kekai!

MAUI SNORKELING TOURS -

Kauai Ultralights - ultralite lessons , ecotourism and extreme adventure - Hawaii tourist activity Information. AIR KAUAI AIR TOURS KAUAI HELICOPTER TOURS KAUAI ULTRALIGHTS LAND KAUAI ATTRACTIONS KAUAI ATV TOURS KAUAI BICYCLE TOURS KAUAI ECO TOURS KAUAI HIKING TOURS KAUAI HORSEBACK RIDING KAUAI LAND TOURS KAUAI LUAUS KAUAI ZIP LINE TOURS ( KAUAI ZIPLINE TOURS ) WATER KAUAI SCUBA AND DIVING TOURS KAUAI FISHING CHARTERS KAUAI SNUBA KAUAI KAYAK TOURS KAUAI SAILING TOURS KAUAI SUNSET SAILS KAUAI SNORKELING TOURS KAUAI SURFING AND WINDSURFING LESSONS KAUAI TUBING ADVENTURES KAUAI WHALE WATCHING KAUAI NAPALI COAST ZODIAC BOAT TOURS NAPALI COAST BOAT TOURS KAUAI CAR RENTALS KAUAI HOTELS POIPU KAUAI HOTELS KAPAA KAUAI HOTELS LIHUE KAUAI HOTELS PRINCEVILLE KAUAI HOTELS WAILUA KAUAI HOTELS Air Tours Attractions ATV Tours Bicycle Tours Boat Tours Diving Tours Eco Tours Fishing Charters Helicopter Tours Hiking Tours Horseback Rides Kayak Tours 4X4 Land Tours Luaus Napali Coast Tours Sailing Tours SNUBA Snorkeling Sunset Sails Surfing Lessons Tubing Ultralights Windsurfing Zipline Zodiac Boat Tours Choose an Activity Big Island - Hawaii Kauai Maui oahu Choose another island KAUAI ULTRALIGHTS KAUAI ULTRALIGHTS Kauai Ultralights ( ultralites) Gaze upon the beauty of Kauai and unlike other aircraft there is no seat with a better view. You sit above taking in all that you can. You are an active participant pointing out what you have spotted as you communicate through your headphones. People wave as you fly by, you are more akin to a bird and people are happy to acknowledge you. For your comfort and safety: An emergency flotation device and a specially designed helmet with built in communication and noise cancellation technology is provided. You will be able to speak directly with your pilot via a radio intercom system. Age Requirement is generally between 8 years old to 75 years old. Maximum passenger weight is 280 pounds. You will be able to talk with their pilot and to one another during the flight via state of the art Radio/Intercom system. A Video and or still photographs are available of your flight experience . Professional cameras with wide-angle lens are mounted to the wing tips of the ultralight aircraft for these awesome shots of Kauai. Flight suits and gloves are provided. Closed toe shoes & socks are required (tennis shoes will work), long pants and a long sleeve t-shirt or sweatshirt are best in winter months. NOTE: 24 HOURS ADVANCE NOTICE OF CANCELLATION IS REQUIRED FOR REFUNDS. Book your Kauai Activities NOW because many of the most popular tours can be already filled if you wait until to you actually arrive on Kauai !! We will match any published internet prices ( non-timeshare). . RESERVE - KAUAI ULTRALIGHT INTRODUCTORY FLIGHTS - 30 MINUTE Introductory flt. (couples only) reg price $ 115 Your Price $107 ea. 60 MINUTE Introductory flt. regular price $ 190 Your Price $177 ea. 120 MINUTE Introductory flt. regular price $ 360 Your Price $335 .ea Call Toll Free 877-742-7893 NOW to reserve or for further information. Open 6AM - 6PM Hawaii Standard Time - If it is after hours please click the blue button and we will call you back ASAP. top © 2005 Hawaii Web All rights reserved - Photos and text Privacy Policy HAWAII ISLAND HAWAII ACTIVITIES AND TOURS - Big Island Hawaii tours and discount tourist activities - helicopter tours and much more - Reservations and information on fun things to do in Hawaii HAWAII BIG iSLAND HELICOPTER TOURS - Big Island Hawaii helicopter tours and discount tourist activities - helicopter tours and much more - Reservations and information on fun things to do in Hawaii HAWAII BIG ISLAND ATV TOURS |- Big Island Hawaii ATV tours and discount tourist activities - helicopter tours and much more - Reservations and information on fun things to do in Hawaii. HAWAII BIG ISLAND ECO TOURS - Big Island Hawaii eco tours and discount tourist activities - helicopter tours and much more - Reservations and information on fun things to do in Hawaii HAWAII BIG ISLAND ACTIVITIES Big Island Hawaii tours and discount tourist activities - helicopter tours and much more - Reservations and information on fun things to do in Hawaii HAWAII BIG ISLAND HIKING TOURS - Hawaii Big Island hiking tours - Island of Hawaii hiking tours and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. HAWAII BIG ISLAND HORSEBACK RIDES - Hawaii Big Island horseback tours - Island of Hawaii horseback tours and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. HAWAII BIG ISLAND SCUBA DIVE TOURS - Hawaii Big Island Snorkel tours - Island of Hawaii snorkeling tours and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. HAWAII BIG ISLAND FISHING CHARTERS - Hawaii Big Island fishing charters - Island of Hawaii sport fishing and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. HAWAII BIG ISLAND KAYAK TOURS - Hawaii Big Island Kayak tours - Island of Hawaii kayaking tours and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. HAWAII BIG ISLAND ZODIAC TOURS - Hawaii Big Island Zodiac tours - rafting tours on the Island of Hawaii and other fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. HAWAII BIG ISLAND BOAT CHARTERS -Hawaii Big Island boat tours - boat tours on the Island of Hawaii and other fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. HAWAII BIG ISLAND CAR RENTALS - Hawaii Big Island boat tours - boat tours on the Island of Hawaii and other fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. MAUI ACTIVITIES - Maui discount Activities - Maui tours and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. MAUI HELICOPTER TOURS - Maui Helicopter tours - Maui Helicopters and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. MAUI ATTRACTIONS - Maui tours - Maui attractions and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. MAUI ATV TOURS - Maui ATV tours - eco-tours and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. MAUI BICYCLE TOURS - Maui bicycle tours - bike tours on Maui and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. MAUI BIKE TOURS - Maui bicycle tours - bike tours on Maui and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. MAUI ECO TOURS - Maui eco tours - eco tours on Maui and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. MAUI HORSEBACK RIDING TOURS - Maui Horseback riding tours - horseback rides and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. MAUI LAND TOURS - Maui Land tours - Maui attractions and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. MAUI KAYAK TOURS - kayaking tours on Maui and fun things to do. MAUI SCUBA DIVING TOURS - Maui diving and snorkeling tours - snorkeling on Maui and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. MAUI SNUBA TOURS - Maui snuba tours - snuba tours on Maui and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. MAUI SNORKELING TOURS - Maui snorkeling tours - snorkeling on Maui and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. MAUI SNORKELLING TOURS - Maui snorkeling tours - snorkeling on Maui and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. MAUI CAR RENTALS - Maui car rentals - rental cars on Maui and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. OAHU HONOLULU ACTIVITIES - Oahu discount Activities - Oahu Honolulu tours and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. OAHU HONOLULU HELICOPTER TOURS - Oahu and Honolulu helicopters tours - oahu Honolulu helicopter tours and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. OAHU HONOLULU ATTRACTIONS - Oahu and Honolulu Tourist attractions - oahu Honolulu things to do and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. OAHU HONOLULU BICYCLE TOURS - Oahu and Honolulu bicycle tours - oahu Honolulu bike tours and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. OAHU HONOLULU BIKE TOURS - Oahu and Honolulu bicycle tours - oahu Honolulu bike tours and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. OAHU HONOLULU ECO TOURS - Oahu and Honolulu eco tours - oahu Honolulu things to do and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. OAHU HONULULU HIKING TOURS - Oahu and Honolulu hiking tours - oahu Honolulu hiking tours and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. OAHU HONOLULU SCUBA DIVING TOURS | Oahu and Honolulu scuba Diving tours - oahu Honolulu diving tours and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. OAHU HONOLULU SAILING TOURS - Oahu and Honolulu sailing tours - oahu Honolulu sailing tours and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. OAHU HONOLULU SNUBA TOURS - Oahu and Honolulu snuba tours - oahu Honolulu snuba tours and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. OAHU HONOLULU SUNSET SAIL - Oahu and Honolulu sailing tours - oahu Honolulu sunset sailing tours and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. OAHU HONOLULU SUNSET SAILING TOURS Oahu and Honolulu sailing tours - oahu Honolulu sunset sailing tours and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. OAHU HONOLULU BOAT CHARTERS - Oahu and Honolulu sailing tours - oahu Honolulu sailing tours and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information. HONOLULU CAR RENTALS - Oahu car rentals - rental cars on Oahu and fun things to do - Helicopter tours, boat tours, eco-tours and much more - Hawaii tourist activity Information top

Hawaii Rental

Hawaii apartment rentals, Hawaii apartment for rent, Hawaii rental, Hawaii rent, Hawaii furnished apartment, Hawaii housing, Hawaii sublet Hawaii Apartment Now there is a Hawaii Apartment where Tenants and landlords that need Hawaii Apartment or an apartment to rent, can search our listings of apartments for rent, sublets and roommates or place an apartment for rent advertisement so renters can contact you. Hawaii Apartment at Sublet.com has made Finding a Hawaii Apartment to sublease, or rent your apartment or room is easy with Sublet.com . Sublet.com is the rental place to find a Hawaii Apartment ! The Hawaii Apartment at Sublet.com to provides a dynamic marketplace of apartments for rent and roommates so that anyone seeking Hawaii Apartment can find an apartment for rent or roommate with relative ease. With our Hawaii Apartment tenants and landlords can search for a Hawaii Apartment on the internet at Sublet.com to find an apartment, sublet or roommate that is perfect for you. Let Sublet.com find an apartment, sublet or roommate for you. Our Hawaii Apartment also provides extensive relocation resources to get in touch with your people renting Hawaii Apartment. Hawaii Apartment for Landlords and tenants subleasing, subletting, renting their apartments, rooms or houses, or searching for a Hawaii Apartment or if you are searching for a roommate, Sublet.com is the most comprehensive and user friendly website for apartments for rent, sublets, and rooomates. The Hawaii Apartment at Sublet.com provides such features as New Listing email updates for Hawaii Apartment, direct access to landlords of Hawaii Apartment. Details descriptions and photographs of Hawaii Apartment. Sublet.com Provides rental contracts and agreements to facilitate your housing needs. Sublet.com Can provide apartment owners with live statistics of apartment seekers that are interested in there apartments. And Sublet.com is the only online website that will provide phone support for Hawaii Apartment seven days a week. A division of Spyder Web Enterprises www.sublet.com www.cityleases.com www.metroroomates.com www.thesublet.com www.getawayrental.com

Hawaiian Recipes These are

Hot Lists ADVERTISEMENT - Remove ads with Recipezaar Premium Get our free newsletter Eater's Digest : | Sign in Home Recipes My Stuff Community Tools Marketplace Help Search: All Recipes Only My Cookbook by Ingredient by Recipe ID # Kitchen Dictionary Member Names for advanced... Organize your recipes online Recipezaar Premium only $24.95 — Take the Tour Top 40 Hawaiian Recipes These are current rankings based on recent data and change daily. Recipes that have been reviewed highly recently and/or have been added to a large number of cookbooks recently. More on how these are calculated... 1. Crockpot Hawaiian chicken by Lisa in Oregon :o) I love crockpotting and this was easy and very good to make. we all enjoyed it. (#28900) 2. Hawaiian Kabobs by MizzNezz The marinade is the key to these great kabobs. They only need 1 hour in the refrigerator to marinate. (#32503) 3. Beef Teriyaki by Rita L This tropical dish can be broiled as well. Be sure to soak the skewers in water before threading the meat and pineapple on. I'll even soak them in the marinade. (#125838) 4. Pacific Rim Chicken Burgers With Ginger Mayonnaise by Sharon123 This recipe came from Kristine Snyder, Kihei, Hawaii, and was the $25,000 grand prize winner in the National Chicken Cooking Contest. (#65297) See more Hawaiian Recipes... ADVERTISEMENT - Remove ads with Recipezaar Premium Back to Top | E-mail this Page Your Account My Stuff My Cookbook My Shopping List Edit My Profile Premium Membership Logout Recipes Browse Categories Browse Cookbooks Search Request a Recipe Post Your Recipe Recipes A-Z Explore Community Forums Marketplace Site News A Random Recipe Recent Searches Help F.A.Q. Support Forum Cooking Q & A Forum Kitchen Dictionary Measurements Convertor Contact Us Fine Print Terms of Service Privacy Policy About Us Jobs Add Recipes to Your Site Advertise Here © 1999-2006 Recipezaar 10.0.0.2

Hawaiian Cruise

CANOE Travel - Activities - Hawaiian lines crusing -- January 25, 2006 Canada USA Mexico Central America Caribbean Africa Asia Australia/Oceania Europe South America Tips Trends Cybertrips Q&A Books -- Active Vacations Adventure Art Cruises Cultural Cybertrips -- Fall Getaways Families Golf Holidays Romantic Ski More -- Bed & Breakfast VIA Rail Canada All-Inclusive Vacations starting from C$747 Discount Travel Deals Tips on managing your debt -- Contest E-cards Newsletter Forum Feedback Atevo Travel Guide Currency Calculator Weather Travel Advisories Passport Canada Info Canada Customs Info Travel Health Tips World Airports Links Great Canadian Lakes Great Canadian Parks Great Canadian Places Great Canadian Rivers Natural Tourist Park Wardens Ski Canada -- Destination: HONOLULU, Hawaii Hawaiian lines crusing Norwegian Cruise Lines finds success in Hawaiian waters By JAYMES SONG -- Associated Press Cruise liner on the move at night. -- Photographer: Andrew Gunners, Getty Images Hawaii's cruise ship industry floundered in the days following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as the state's sole interisland cruise operator was flooded with cancellations while bookings plummeted by 50 percent. American Classic Voyages Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection just 38 days after the attack and shut down its Hawaii operations, scuttling plans for two new ships. Since then, however, the Hawaii cruise ship industry has made an aggressive recovery. It has seen unprecedented growth, led by Norwegian Cruise Line and fueled by vacation-starved baby boomers. What used to be a seasonal business with a few ships making calls here, is now a year-round mainstay with Hawaii's ports bustling with activity. "For us, it's a huge market," said Robert Kritzman, NCL's executive vice president and managing director of Hawaii operations. "Very few people have cruised Hawaii. There's an untapped market still there and Hawaii is a phenomenal place to come through." Norwegian, which operates the U.S. subsidiary NCL America, is betting big on Hawaii, spending $1.4 billion on three luxury liners to serve the islands. The Miami-based company estimates it will own about 85 percent of the cruise ship market here by 2007. The 1,900-passenger Pride of Aloha was the first, introduced in 2004. Formerly the Norwegian Sky, it was redesigned with a Hawaii theme and reflagged to a U.S. vessel, allowing it to carry passengers solely between U.S. ports. The brand new 2,100-passenger Pride of America made its debut in June 2005 as the largest U.S.-flagged cruise ship ever. By the time its sister ship, the Pride of Hawaii, is built and arrives in the summer of 2006, the company will have three year-round lavish cruise ships -- as well as a seasonal foreign-flagged vessel -- carrying an estimated 8,000 passengers per week. "Being able to welcome an additional 8,000 people on a weekly basis will allow us to continue to grow our economy because we are almost at our capacity where our land-based accommodations are concerned," said Marsha Weinert, the state's tourism liaison. In July 2005, Hawaii hosted 22,725 cruise ship passengers, up 57 percent from July 2004, according to the latest state figures. Hawaii had 151,164 cruise passengers this year through July 2005, up 34.6 percent from the first seven months of 2004. About two-thirds of the visitors are extending their vacations and staying a couple days in hotels or time-share units. John Hansen, president of the North West Cruiseship Association, projects the number of cruise ship passengers in Hawaii will exceed 400,000 in 2006, up from about a peak of 150,000 annually before the 2001 terrorist attacks. However, the rapid growth can be seen worldwide. In 2004, nearly 10.5 million people took a vacation cruise, an increase of nearly 40 percent from 2001, according to figures on the Cruise Lines International Association's Web site. Hansen said that five years ago there were just four key cruise ports: Los Angeles, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Vancouver, British Columbia. Today, there are more than 20 key homeports that have emerged including Honolulu, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, Boston, Baltimore, Norfolk, Va., and Jacksonville, Fla. Many states are pouring millions of dollars into upgrading their cruise facilities to cash in on the cruise boom. Kritzman said a major benefit of a cruise vacation is value. Included in the fare are transportation, lodging, food and entertainment. "We think it's a great way to see Hawaii, especially for the first-time visitor," he said. "They get to see all four major islands while packing and unpacking once." The ships also provide a unique vantage point of the islands, sailing sail past the glowing lava fields of Kilauea volcano on the Big Island, the remote green peaks of the Na Pali coast on Kauai's North Shore and the urban cityscape of Oahu. Kritzman said the growth wouldn't have been possible without federal legislation enacted after the terrorist attacks. The law exempts NCL's ships from a rule that prohibits foreign-built ships from operating between U.S. ports. It also requires the cruise line to employ American crews and abide by all U.S. labor laws, including paying overtime. NCL estimates that labor on a U.S. vessel costs more than three times that of a foreign-flagged vessel. But not everyone has been a fan of the cruise ships. Environmentalists say cruise ships harm Hawaii's sensitive ecosystem, including its pristine coral reefs, and threaten the rural charm of the islands. They have long complained about a lack of oversight and laws regulating the cruise ship industry in Hawaii. "This is not Florida. This is a fragile island that is creaking under the weight of people," said Cha Smith, executive director of KAHEA, an advocate for environmental and native Hawaiian causes. KAHEA is working on launching a program called, "Na Maka O Ke Kai," or the "Eyes of the Ocean," encouraging people to report fouled water or debris left behind by cruise ships, which they call "giant floating cities." Kritzman said his state-of-the-art ships go far beyond what is required by law. The ships are self-sufficient, each generating its own electricity and drinking water. The vessels also treat sewage through a high-tech filtration process with the sludge heated and dried to be offloaded or burned in the ship's incinerator. "I think this is a very low-impact form of tourism. We think this does not have the same impact as building a resort," Kritzman said. If You Go... NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE AND NCL AMERICA: http://www.ncl.com/ or (800) 327-7030. KAHEA: http://www.kahea.org/ or (808) 524-8220. Spontaneous Escapes From C$250 Toronto to Santiago de Cuba $597 + tx $199 Toronto to Camaguey $597 + tx $199 Toronto to Puerto Plata $497 + tx $274 Vancouver to Varadero $835 Calgary to Mazatlan $579 -- Click here to sell your vehicle hotelier.ca Get great deals on hotels with hotelier.ca