Halehuaka_i

Here’s an option in Waikiki: https://pennyswaikiki.com/ There’s also great coco puffs from https://www.lilihabakery.com/

You are correct, https://boards.cruisecritic.com/profile/53697-keepcalmbearon/, when a cruise ship is in port there is more demand and availability with Uber. In which case Turo or other car rentals would work. But plan ahead! You are still competing with the other passengers for rentals, and booking software will adjust prices accordingly.

I have taken Uber from the Līhuʻe airport to my home near Poʻipū and it cost about $50, so to ʻEleʻele would probably be around $75. It appears the Uber drivers hang out near the airport, so you should be able to get one fairly easily. For the return, I would prebook a taxi, you can google Kauaʻi Taxi for contact info. The Turo option would be better if the car can be dropped to the port. It would give you some flexibility to explore before the Nāpali Tour. It’s dynamic pricing, but should be about $100. And the Nāpali tour is really special!

If you drive to the North Shore on Memorial Day weekend (any day) you will sit in traffic for hours. Better to visit the Arizona Memorial and the Missouri because there may be special displays and events for the holiday weekend. Get an early start, pack a little cooler with drinks and take the rest of the day to drive to the west side, that’s Waiʻanae, Nānākuli, Makaha, Pokaʻi Bay, on to the end the road at Yokohama Bay. The farther you get from the city, the more locals you will see. Please be respectful of the land and the people. Many locals think tourists are arrogant and entitled.

I suggest the Ala Moana Hotel. Big mall next door with shopping and all kinds of food. Big beach park across the street if you need to take a run or catch some sun and sand. Taxi or Uber to and from airport and port.

When we booked our Japan cruise on the Diamond Princess, there was some confusion on which port we would use in Yokohama, Osanbashi or Daikoku. At the time, Japan was just opening up to cruise traffic after their Covid restrictions. We did depart and arrive from Osanbashi. During sailaway, we were on deck to see Yokohama Bay, and watched as we sailed under the bridge. It seemed so close we thought we would strike the bridge! Keep your fingers crossed that you will use Osanbashi. It’s walking distance from many hotels, or a short taxi ride.

Definitely drive around the island! Go west from Honolulu, and if you’re early, stop at the Arizona Memorial. Then continue on to the North Shore, and just keep going clockwise to the Nuuanu Pali. Before you go, pick up a cheap foam cooler and fill it with drinks and snacks so you can stop along the way.

We went on the Diamond Princess Spring Flowers sailing in late April. We booked two tours through the ship. One was a one hour bus ride to the the samurai village that we wanted to visit. Unfortunately we had to wait for one person (who was a no show!), which forced us to rush at a couple of stops. The other was at the port of Busan, which we had no idea where to go and what to see. The port at Busan was under construction, so walking away wasn’t feasible. The tour was pretty boring, a stop at a museum, then at the Lotte Mall! We separated from the tour at this point and walked around the fish market area, then found several buses for cruise passengers to return to the ship. For the rest of the ports, we walked wherever possible, and took cabs where available. Do your research and you will find lots of info on your ports. Most street signs and train station signs are western lettered. Most cab drivers we met did not speak English, but we told them our destination and it worked out fine.

Correct, there is no tipping in Japan. BUT, we’re from Hawai’i, and always bring little packets of macadamia nuts for front desk, housekeeping, cab drivers and sometimes restaurant servers. The Japanese people love HawaiʻI, and our little gift is always appreciated.

The company is Tianjin OUYA Automobile Rental Service Co., Ltd. I did not find this on my own, I booked it through Booking.com. There is also Jayride, which specializes in airport transfers. I tried to get Jayride to take us from the pier to our Tokyo hotel but they said they only do airport transfers. The transfer I booked from Haneda to Yokohama cost us $22 per person. It was nice to not deal with taxis or the train to get to Yokohama. One tip I have is give yourself time to clear immigrations and schedule your pickup accordingly. It took us almost an hour and I had to pay extra to have the driver wait for us. Sorry, that info is for getting TO Yokohama. For getting to Tokyo we did use Tianjin. Sorry for the confusing answer!

I agree. Get yourself to Yokohama and get some sleep. There are lots of hotels that are walking distance to the Osanbashi Passenger Termimal, or take a taxi if you have a lot of stuff. We stayed at the Sotetsu Fresa Inn, Yokohama Sakuragi-cho. Includes breakfast, Japanese style, but a Westerner would find something to enjoy. It's clean, charming and a short walk to the pier.

We traveled as a group of 8, so I booked a van transfer from Yokohama to our hotel in Kamata. The ride cost us $22 per person, and I reserved through Booking.com. One difficulty was I was unfamiliar with the pickup point at the Osanbashi Passenger Terminal, and didn't get to confirm with the transfer company until we were off the ship and through customs/immigration. Anyway, let me know if you want more info on this option. Otherwise, taking the train is the best option. Research the train lines, and Narita Express may be a good option. Then take a cab to your hotel.

Mahalo for the review! We are on the April 20th departure. Do I understand correctly that we have to clear immigration at every port?

That's correct, les37b. I just finished registering, and it's a bit confusing. Just remember it's better to do this at home than standing in line at Customs & Immigration.