What will be the best way to travel to Hawaii, fly and rent a rental car or cruise ship?

NOW THAT'S THE WAY TO GO. IF YOUR GOING TO GO AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF TIME THEN THE CRUISE SHIP IS THE WAY TO GO. THEN WHEN YOU GET THERE RENT A CAR SO YOU CAN SEE THE HOLE ISLAND. IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO ALL THIS KEEP IN MIND, HAVE A FANTASTIC TIME AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING BACK IN THE STATES. IT'LL ALL BE HERE WHEN YOU GET BACK. i HOPE YOU AND YOUR HUBBY OR BOYFRIEND HAVE THE BEST TIME OF YOUR LIFE. AND DO ALL THIS WITH NO PAIN AND NO STRAIN WHEN YOU GET BACK I'D SURE LOVE TO HEAR HOW IT WAS.

Interesting answer the guy above me gave. I especially liked the part where he said "back in the states." Um, Hawaii IS a state!

Anyway...
In my opinion, you don't get to see enough of the islands if you take a cruise. You can see them from a distance, but once you disembark the ship and go onto the island, your time there is very limited. Most people will pay extra for shore excursions (they're VERY expensive!) and get to see 1 or 2 highlights. If you do some research and choose one or two islands that you're particularly interested in, you can see much more if you just fly there and spend several days. Here are some highlights of the four "main" islands:

Oahu - shopping, dining, nightlife, Waikiki Beach, Hanauma Bay, amazing beaches.

Maui - Haleakala at sunrise, 'Iao Needle, the road to Hana, Lahaina town.

Kauai - great beaches, Waimea Canyon, Hanalei Bay, Na Pali coastline.

Big Island (Hawaii) - Volcanoes National Park, Place of Refuge, Kailua-Kona town, Pacific Tsunami Museum.

A cruise ship will take you to several islands and you can rent a car at each port to explore on your own.

But I would much rather just choose one or maybe two islands and visit on land. You don't have to worry about the ship's schedule or getting back to the ship at the end of the day. You can spend several days in one place, doing whatever you want to do, and return to your hotel whenever you please. (Plus, most hotel rooms are much larger than a ship's cabin).

If this is your first visit, I would recommend Maui - lots to do, great beaches, dormant volcano, lovely towns of Hana and Lahaina, and great snorkeling.

If you want to visit another island (inter-island air is a little over $50 or $60 one-way), you could go to the Big Island to see the active volcano, or go to Oahu and visit Honolulu and Waikiki.

Yes. The best way is to cruise all of the islands and get a rental car when you arrive at each one. If you know anyone in the travel business, ask for an interline fare.