Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 129; Flight Crew Type 1542
Communication Breakdown
Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airport
Flying ILS Runway 35 in PHLI. Broke out of IMC conditions several miles out on final. Saw [a] very large cruise ship steaming from left to right out of harbor with course that would cross the short final in front of Runway 35. It appeared to me that the ship's vector would cross ours on a very short final 1 mile. I directed the First Officer to query the Tower if this ship was going to be a problem with our final. The Tower's answer was something like '...they (the ships) don't coordinate with us.' I elected to fly high on the final glide path; approximately one dot high; to ensure adequate clearance over the cruise ship but was also considering a go-around because of the height of the ship. It turned out that we did; in fact; cross directly over the ship on short final. If I had stayed on the ILS glideslope the clearance would have been very uncomfortable. Had this been IMC conditions and with any deviation at all below the glideslope; there may have been inadequate clearance over the ship. Although I was able to fly a little high and conduct a stabilized approach in this instance; it seemed like a potentially hazardous situation that should be better coordinated in the future.
Air carrier Captain reported having to fly high on the glidepath while on the ILS Runway 35 to PHLI to avoid a possible collision with a large cruise ship passing directly under.