Advice on pre cruise stay please

[DGK]

We will be sailing P.O.A. end of May ( our first cruise and first trip to Hawaii ). Thank goodness for this wonderful site as we have learned so much!!!! It will take a 14 hour day of travel and we arrive late on a Thurs. evening. We are booked into the Waikiki Mariott for Thurs. and Fri nights prior to cruising on Sat. We then have full days planned for each of the islands including a mix of car rentals , Lahaina Luau and Captain Zodiac on the Big island. Never have we travelled this far or dealt with a large time change. Would you advise on Fri and Sat morning to catch a bus to the International Market and relax by the beach and pool prior to our busy schedule or would you attempt to fit in Pearl Harbor ? There will not be anytime after the cruise to do any touring. This site has alerted me to the line ups and waits at Pearl Harbor and wonder how you would advise a pre cruise stay. I appreciate your comments sooo very much, DGK

[DAARR5]

I was wondering the same thing! We were in Hawaii 18 years ago for 1st Anniversary, but now I don't know. :D Also will be taking 12 1/2 hours to get there from NJ and I was wondering if we will be ready for bed by 5pm since it will be 11pm in NJ!!!!We might be up at 3a, trying to figure out what to do now!!:p

 

Also, the time difference?? I read somewhere the Hawaii soes not observed DST so what is the time difference for Eastern, 5hr or 6? Right now it is 2pm is it 9am or 8am in Hawaii? :confused:

[spleen93]

Currently, it's a 6 hour time difference between the east coast and Hawaii. Yes, Hawaii does not observe DST.

 

Spleen.

[bellacarmella]

Check my report "Just Back from POA" posted last week. We arrived from New Jersey at 3:00 Hawaii time. We got up ate 5:00am EST for a 7:00am flight. We did have a hard time getting to sleep as we where well over our regular day hours. We did have a hard time making the adjustment to Hawaii Time. It took me 3 days. We did Pearl on the morning of the cruise and it worked out perfect. If I were you I would definately take it easy on Friday. Find a beach and try and recoupe your energy you will need it for the Islands.

[DGK]

Thanks everyone, Bellecarmella if you were to do all over again are you saying you would spend the day Fri. relaxing and avoid Pearl Harbor ?

[beachchick]

Our last trip to Maui, I had trouble sleeping one night and finally just got up about 5 am. It got light about 6 am, so I took a walk. Sure enough there were many people from the East coast, wide awake and wandering around looking for coffee. DH had told me about this, but I had never seen it because usually I wouldn't get out of bed that early unless the house was on fire. I'm glad we only have a 2 or 3 hour change. It's pretty easy to adapt.

 

I would recommend that you relax on your first day. Go to the beach and pool. Visit the International Marketplace and/or Chinatown (great place to get leis). Let your bodies adjust. Second day, yes I recommend that you get up early and go to Pearl Harbor. It's well worth the effort. There are no words to describe the feeling when you are standing on the Arizona Memorial looking down at the ship and knowing what happened and how many brave and honorable men (and women) died on O'ahu that day. I guess I would say the modern or current equivalent would be if I went to New York or Pennsylvania, there is no way I would not go to Ground Zero or the Flight 93 Memorial. It's too important, too lump in your throat not to go there. At least that's how I feel about Pearl Harbor.

 

beachchick

[DGK]

Thanks Beachchick for the great suggestions. When you did Pearl Harbor did you go on an organized tour or on your own ? Approx. how much time did you spend there ? Appreciate everyone's advice, DGK

[ERAMP76]

I would do just the opposite. We flew in from Texas and stayed two nights pre - cruise on Waikiki Beach. The first morning we were wide awake about 3:30 am. We had rented a car, so we grabbed some breakfast about 6:30 and then drove over to Pearl Harbor. There was a line beginning by about 7:00, but it was not that long when we got there at 7:30. We got on the 2nd tender out to the memorial.

 

After our tour there, we drove over to the swap meet at the stadium & bought our souvenirs. We then went back and zoned out on the beach for the afternoon.

 

On the 2nd morning we slept in, ate a late breakfast, walked the beach, & went to the rental car office. They shuttled us over to the pier about noon.

 

We thought this was allowed us to be fresh & acclimated to the time change by the time we began the cruise.

[beachchick]

Thanks Beachchick for the great suggestions. When you did Pearl Harbor did you go on an organized tour or on your own ? Approx. how much time did you spend there ? Appreciate everyone's advice, DGK

 

We were doing a land trip, so we went on our own, but we always rent a car anyway so we can do our own thing and plan around our preferences. After we got our tix, we had about a 1 hour wait for our tender out to the Memorial. We visited the land part of the complex and then watched the movie (it's pretty much mandatory for each group, at least as far as I could tell). Then we went out the Memorial. I think we were there about 45 minutes; not longer than that. I really wasn't paying attention.

 

Just an FYI: Going on an organized tour will not help you get tix faster or have a shorter wait. No one, and I do mean no one except the Pearl Harbor survivors groups, gets priority tix. Everyone has to stand in line and get their own ticket, even tour groups.

 

beachchick

[DGK]

Wow thanks everyone for all the great ideas. After your input we would now like to fit Pearl Harbor in which brings me to another question. How do you suggest we get there from the Mariott ? We have pre booked car rentals for all the islands so far except Ohau. Any suggestions is it better to rent a car or take a tour or bus ? 23 more sleeps an we are on our plane !!!! Thanks, DGK