Honolulu airport to ship

[jgreenwo17]

DW and I are sailing on the Solstice out of Honolulu. I have never been to Hawaii before and am curious as to the best way to get to the pier from the airport. Taxi, shuttle, limo, lightrail? We are arriving many hours before the X shuttle so just want to get on board and enjoy the amenities onboard before sailing out the next evening.

 

The ship won't sail out of Honolulu until day two. Once aboard and settled in, will X let you off the ship to sightsee, shop, etc? I figure there will be over 24 hours in port before she sets sail. Not sure if we should try and cram something in Honolulu on day 1. (Or not). Day 2 we will do about a 6 hour excursion to the AZ memorial and aircraft museum. Will there be time to visit the north shore after that?

 

Sorry, I am such a neophyte when it comes to Honolulu and what to do upon arrival.

[kitty9]

The traffic in Honolulu is absolutely horrible, so whatever you decide, be sure to build in time for that. You could be gridlocked in traffic for hours. With a 6 hour tour on day two, there's no way you could get to the North Shore and get back to the ship on time unless you don't sail until 10pm or later.

 

You can come and go from the ship as you please.

[tutuwahineLV]

Hi jG. Taxi or shuttle are your choices, light rail is being constructed and wont be avail until '17 at least. ;). Taxi will run you between 40-50 dollars. Roberts Hawaii has a shuttle that is less than 10 per person. check them out at gorabbitgo(dot)com under the transportation tab. I've used Roberts Rabbit several times to get from the airport to a hotel in waikiki and would not hesitate to use them again.

 

Are you on the 4/28 trip going to vancouver? if so we'll be on the trip with you. Am looking forward to some wonderful sea days....:D

[hulamoon]

The secret to Honolulu traffic is to go against commuter traffic. if you follow that logic you will be ok. Unless, there is an accident, or someone takes out a pedestrian overpass, or tsunami warning. The last two are pretty rare however.

 

Going from airport to dock is pretty simple, its not so far.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

I would rent a car from Enterprise if you are arriving early in the AM. You can pick it up at the airport and drop it off at the Enterprise location near the port (looks like it is in walking distance of the port). The rates for the day would be $95 for a compact car including the drop off fee. Call Enterprise to get a quote and to see if they have a night drop box if you return the car after closing time at 6PM.

 

There is no sense in getting to the cruise ship before 10AM because they probably won't even start with the checking in until at least 11AM

 

The car rental would be so worth it! A. It is easy to drive in Hawaii. B. If you head to the North Shore in the early AM- the traffic will be coming the other way into Honolulu.

 

I doubt it matters what time you board the ship on the first day but check with Celebrity.

Edited January 23, 2014 by rebeccalouiseagain

[jgreenwo17]

Thanks for the reply! The shuttle sounds like the ticket to get to the ship. If we have time, we might try to rent a car to drive to the north shore on day one.

 

If there is a cruise critic meet and greet on this sailing, I hope to meet and thank you again.

 

JG

[jgreenwo17]

Thanks Rebecca! I may take the shuttle to the ship and if there is time and desire, rent a car near the pier to go to the north shore.

[CaribbeanBound]

Getting a bus or shuttle from Airport to cruise terminal is actually difficult as almost all go to Waikiki and the port is in downtown Honolulu, unless you pay for Celebrity's transfers. Taxi is easiest and will cost ballpark $30 to pier. If you don't have much luggage (like just carry ons), the bus is also an option. $2.50 per person. Take bus #20 from departures deck at airport. 30 minutes.

Edited January 26, 2014 by CaribbeanBound