Polynesian Cultural Center worth it without luau?

[vbmom87]

The show was good and the luau was ok, but spending the whole day at PCC was a total waste of time. THey spend about 4 hours taking you to various artificial "villages", then you wait 1 hour to be let into the luau which lasted about 1 hour before they take you over to the show. The "villages" were completely boring and if you wandered around by yourself there was NOTHING to do. They only do a little presentation at each of the "villages" when a large group is taken there. We were so upset that we had chosen to go to the PCC for the whole day, as we felt like we wasted 4 hours of our very limited time on our Honolulu port stop there. We could have spent that time either in Hololulu or going elsewhere other than sit at the PCC for 4 hours. If you go to the PCC only go for the luau and show. DO NOT go for the "villages" tour--this is very artificial, boring, and if you want to walk around on your own they look at you funny and keep asking you if you are ok. I felt like we were being held prisoner there and if we didn't go along with the group that we were looked at as being somehow strange. We felt very uncomfortable and were glad to leave.:mad:

 

It seems like the PCC is something that people either really enjoy or really find a waste of time. I have been doing a lot of reading about it on both this forum and on Trip Advisor. I would have to say that the majority who bother to post really enjoy the day, but there are others, who like you, did not find it an enjoyable way to spend the day.

 

We did purchase a package that includes a guide to take us around. I couldn't find an option to just buy a show ticket. Since we have to eat anyway, and there doesn't seem to be much around there in terms of restaurants, we opted to eat there too. I am still trying to decide how early to get there. We were thinking two o'clock so we could see the highly recommended Canoe Pageant. We are starting our day at the north shore, so I think we will play it by ear.

 

Thanks for your perspective. It is good to learn how others perceive the things we are considering doing.

[MC40528]

I also had concerns about whether the PCC would be worth it after reading reviews. It definitly was the highlight of Oahu for us. We were at the PCC on the Friday before our cruise April 9, 2010

 

We went with the Ali'i Luau package. We arrived at Noon, but things really don't get going until 1:00. We had no trouble looking at the guide map and finding our way around the villages. The guided tours looked like no fun because they were being marched around with no time to explore on their own. Sure we crossed our path several times, but no big deal. The canoe pageant was great, we got there 10-15 mins early to get a seat. We enjoyed the interactive experinces in each of the villages. Weaving was one of our favorites. The students were passionate about their culture and seemed happy to be there.

 

By 5:00 we headed to the luau. It was so much fun to get a fresh flower lei. Then they seated us in a tiered pavillion. We enjoyed the company of the others at our table. Nice linens and plates. Nice singing, dancing, and music while we ate.

 

Then we headed over for the show. Our seats were the front row of the upper section. No problem at all to see. The show is amazing, way better than what we saw on Kauai. Huge cast with a lot of special effects.

 

I was worried about the drive back after, but it wasn't bad at all. Before we knew it, we were back to Wakikii.

[vbmom87]

I also had concerns about whether the PCC would be worth it after reading reviews. It definitly was the highlight of Oahu for us. We were at the PCC on the Friday before our cruise April 9, 2010

 

We went with the Ali'i Luau package. We arrived at Noon, but things really don't get going until 1:00. We had no trouble looking at the guide map and finding our way around the villages. The guided tours looked like no fun because they were being marched around with no time to explore on their own. Sure we crossed our path several times, but no big deal. The canoe pageant was great, we got there 10-15 mins early to get a seat. We enjoyed the interactive experinces in each of the villages. Weaving was one of our favorites. The students were passionate about their culture and seemed happy to be there.

 

By 5:00 we headed to the luau. It was so much fun to get a fresh flower lei. Then they seated us in a tiered pavillion. We enjoyed the company of the others at our table. Nice linens and plates. Nice singing, dancing, and music while we ate.

 

Then we headed over for the show. Our seats were the front row of the upper section. No problem at all to see. The show is amazing, way better than what we saw on Kauai. Huge cast with a lot of special effects.

 

I was worried about the drive back after, but it wasn't bad at all. Before we knew it, we were back to Wakikii.

 

 

Thanks for sharing your experiences at the PCC. We are looking forward to our day there.

[irismike]

The one I saw said they have a buffet lunch not a luau Need help. Thanks.

[vbmom87]

This is a very old thread. I suggest you contact the venue direct (check website or email) to get the more current accurate information.

 

Or you can start a new thread, being very specific with your question.