What Paradise Cruises does

Paradise Cruises, operating as Star of Honolulu, is a family-owned Hawaii tourism company founded in 1953 that runs Hawaii's largest dinner cruise vessel from its home port at Aloha Tower Marketplace, Pier 8, in Honolulu Harbor. The company operates a custom-built ship equipped with state-of-the-art stabilizers, a panoramic 360-degree observation deck, and the only ADA-compliant design (including elevators) of any cruise vessel in the Hawaiian Islands. Its core offering is a three-tier sunset dinner cruise (Buffet at $128.88, Deluxe 5-course at $178.95, and Signature at $218.82 adult pricing), each combining gourmet dining with live Hawaiian entertainment including the proprietary Moku Ola show. Supplementary products include seasonal whale watching cruises (January through March), holiday-themed specialty cruises (Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Independence Day, New Year's Eve), cocktail-only sunset cruises, and full-vessel private charters for corporate events, weddings, receptions, and school or sports groups.

Name

Paradise Cruises

Legal name

Star of Honolulu

Website

https://starsofparadise.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Paradise Cruises, doing business as Star of Honolulu, operates Hawaii's largest dinner cruise vessel from Honolulu Harbor, offering tiered sunset dinner cruises, seasonal whale watching, holiday specialty cruises, and private charters serving Oahu tourists, local residents, military families, and corporate groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dinner Cruise & Hospitality Tourism

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721), Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Day & Short-Horizon Private Cruises (Half-Day/Day/Overnight) (THAEAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sightseeing & Scenic Boat Tours (Harbor, Sunset, Dolphin/Whale Watching) (THAJAJAA), Specialty-Themed Private Cruises (Wellness, Diving, Culinary, etc.) (THAEAEAG)

Keywords

• Dinner cruises
• Whale watching
• Sunset cruises
• Private charters
• Hawaiian entertainment

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Dinner Cruise Tickets: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales for sunset dinner cruises. Three tiers: Buffet ($128.88 adult), Deluxe 5-Course ($178.95 adult), and Signature ($218.82 adult). Includes dining, entertainment, and scenic views. Child pricing available.
2. Whale Watching Cruises: Seasonal whale watching cruises offered January through March. Separate ticket pricing for this specialty experience focused on marine wildlife observation.
3. Holiday & Special Event Cruises: Premium pricing for special occasion cruises including 4th of July, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and New Year's Eve. Higher price points due to exclusivity and special programming including fireworks.
4. Group & Event Charters: Private event bookings for corporate incentive trips, receptions, weddings, school groups, and sports teams. Customized pricing with free quote system. Revenue from both ticket sales and premium service packages.
5. Cocktail Cruises (No Dinner): Seasonal cocktail-only cruises offering sunset views without meal service, targeting customers seeking shorter, more economical experience.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Paradise Cruises (operating as Star of Honolulu) operates Hawaii's largest dinner cruise vessel, offering sunset dinner cruises in three tiers (Buffet, Deluxe, and Signature), seasonal whale watching cruises (January–March), themed holiday cruises, and private charters for corporate events, weddings, and group functions. All cruises depart from Aloha Tower Marketplace in Honolulu Harbor and sail along the Waikiki, Diamond Head, and Kahala Gold Coast waters, combining gourmet dining, live Hawaiian entertainment, and scenic ocean views.

Product overview

Star of Honolulu operates as a unified hospitality platform offering sunset and dinner cruises as its core products, complemented by seasonal whale watching, holiday specialty cruises, and private charter services for events and groups. The portfolio spans three distinct cruise tiers (Buffet, Deluxe, and Signature) differentiated by dining level and exclusive amenities, plus sister brands including Waikiki Luau, Rock-A-Hula Show, and Royal Star Hawaii Deluxe Tours that provide bundled Hawaiian experience packages. The company leverages its status as Hawaii's largest dinner cruise vessel with state-of-the-art stabilizers and ADA-compliant facilities to serve individual travelers, families, and corporate groups seeking comprehensive Oahu experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rock-A-Hula: Waikiki luau, Hawaiian show, theater and private events.
• Royal Star Hawaii

Products and services

• Buffet Cruise Pacific Rim Buffet dinner cruise featuring the Moku Ola show and signature Mai Tai, with views of Waikiki, Diamond Head, and the Kahala Gold Coast. Adult pricing at $128.88, child at $76.96. Targeted at tourists, families, and value-conscious travelers seeking an all-in-one sunset dinner cruise experience.
• Deluxe Cruise Five-course dinner cruise with champagne toast, two premium beverages, jazz during dinner, and the Moku-Ola Show - Voyage of Life, followed by Dance Pa'ina party. Adult pricing at $178.95, child at $107.55, infant free. Targeted at couples and special occasion celebrants seeking a premium dining and entertainment experience.
• Signature Cruise Top-tier luxury dinner cruise with champagne toast, two super premium beverages, Bon Voyage Hula, live piano during dinner, and Jazz Trio Show. Features exclusive access to the Top Deck Super Nova Room. Adult pricing at $218.82, child at $131.66. Targeted at luxury travelers and high-end special occasion celebrants.
• Whale Watch Cruises Seasonal whale watching cruises operating January through March in Hawaiian waters, offering opportunities to view humpback whales and marine wildlife. Targeted at tourists, nature enthusiasts, and seasonal visitors during Hawaii's whale migration season.
• Holiday Cruises Specialty themed cruises for holidays including Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Independence Day (4th of July), and New Year's Eve, with themed entertainment, dining experiences, and fireworks finales. Includes Casual Buffet and premium Celebration Lobster & Steak options for July 4th event. Targeted at families, couples, and groups seeking holiday celebration experiences.
• Groups & Events / Private Charters Private charter services for group events including incentive and corporate events, receptions and weddings, and school and sports group outings. Includes virtual tour and free quote options for custom event planning. Targeted at corporate event planners, wedding parties, school groups, and sports teams seeking customizable private event experiences.
• Cocktail Cruise No-dinner cocktail cruise option offering sunset views without meal service, targeting customers seeking a shorter and more economical sunset experience aboard the Star of Honolulu vessel.

Quantifiable outcome

• 23,000+ five-star reviews across sister tour brands

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Waikiki LuaucoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSister brand within the same parent company ecosystem offering bundled Hawaiian experiences. Cross-promotional partnership offering combined luau and cruise packages with shared promotional codes (e.g., STAR20). Targets tourists seeking multiple Hawaiian activities.
• Rock-A-Hula ShowcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSister brand offering Hawaiian show and theater experiences. Cross-promotional partnership with bundled ticket offerings including Waikiki Luau and Rock-A-Hula Show with Fire Knife Dancing. Shared booking platform and promotional programs.
• Royal Star Hawaii Deluxe TourscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSister brand offering Oahu motorcoach tours including Pearl Harbor tours and Grand Circle Island tours. Cross-promotional relationship driving customers between dinner cruises and land-based tours. Features 23,000+ five-star reviews and shared promotional codes.
• TripAdvisorcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThird-party review and booking platform. Certificate of Excellence recipient (2015-2018). Platform provides credibility through verified customer reviews and serves as booking referral channel.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Royal Hawaiian Luau / Old Lahaina Luau: Royal Hawaiian Luau and similar luau operators provide Hawaiian dinner-and-show experiences that compete for the same tourist activity dollars, particularly as bundled alternatives to a dinner cruise evening.

Direct peers

• Body Glove Cruises: Body Glove runs whale watching, sunset, and snorkel/dinner cruises from Waikiki, offering overlapping whale watching and scenic cruise products with similar pricing tiers and tourist customer base.
• Hawaii Nautical: Hawaii Nautical offers snorkel, sunset, dolphin watch, and whale watching cruises on Oahu and the Big Island, competing for the same Waikiki-based tourist customer with adjacent water-experience products.
• Atlantis Cruises: Atlantis Cruises operates dinner, sunset, and whale watching cruises from Waikiki on Oahu, directly overlapping Star of Honolulu's core product set (sunset dinner cruises, whale watching, private charters) in the same harbor and tourist catchment.
• Sail Maui: Sail Maui offers catamaran sunset, snorkel, and whale watching sails, overlapping with Star of Honolulu's leisure cruise experience offering for inbound Hawaii visitors.
• Pacific Whale Foundation: Pacific Whale Foundation operates eco-focused whale watching cruises and ocean tours out of Maui, directly comparable to Star of Honolulu's whale watching product line in experience type and target tourist.
• Holo Holo Charters: Holo Holo Charters runs catamaran snorkel, sunset, and whale watching tours primarily out of Kauai and the Big Island, serving the same Hawaii inbound tourist with similar water-based experiences.
• Ali'i Kai Catamaran: Ali'i Kai operates premium sunset dinner catamaran cruises and whale watching out of Waikiki, competing for the same tourist segment with a multi-deck catamaran format comparable to Star of Honolulu's premium tiers.
• Pride of Maui: Pride of Maui operates a large luxury catamaran for whale watching, snorkel, and sunset dinner cruises out of Ma'alaea Harbor, comparable in scale and premium positioning to Star of Honolulu's largest-vessel dinner cruise product.

Broad incumbents

• Norwegian Cruise Line (Hawaii itineraries): Norwegian operates multi-day inter-island Hawaii cruise itineraries carrying a portion of the same tourists that visit Oahu for dinner cruises, representing a broad incumbent in the Hawaii leisure cruise category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Paradise Cruises