Pearl Harbor pre-cruise?

[Angsa]

We are arriving at 8:30am at HNL airport. We will probably come out of the airport at 10:00am I guess.

 

Is it possible for us to visit Pearl Harbor before going to the ship? Can we keep our luggages at the airport and take a bus to Pearl Harbor?

[swifs]

I do not think you will be able to do the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. We arrived at 745 and got tickets for a 10:30 visit to the Arizona. As we were leaving that, around 11, we heard that all the tickets had been given out. You may get lucky but I wouldn't count on it. On the other hand, if you were willing to just look at the Arizona Memorial at a distance, the Submarine Bowfin and the Battleship Missouri were incredibly interesting and did not require these special tickets. The difficulty will be in figuring out where to put the luggage- perhaps the NCL will accept them if you go straight there and then you can take a taxi back to PH.

[greydog]

You could do a quick trip with rental car from airport to "Punchbowl" Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific that overlooks Honululu. No delays or lines there and it is both emotional and scenic. Many who died in Pearl Harbor attack are enshrined there along with over 30,000 other Pacific-theatre fallen.

 

Thrifty had a shuttle between their airport location and downtown pier. Other 2-3 hour visit would be Diamond Head crater. Good Luck

[Angsa]

Thank you for the advices, much appreciated.

[beachchick]

Just wanted to mention that there is no luggage storage at the airport these days. You'll need to have it with you (which you can't do at Pearl Harbor because there's no storage for regular luggage, just bag check for small items) or go to the ship first to check it. Have you looked into pre-cruise tour options, such as Roberts Hawaii, which might include luggage storage on the tour bus/van and then drop off at the pier? (You might want to do an advanced search on this forum only for tour suggestions.)

 

beachchick

[NAS-KARR]

Might I suggest that the next time you cruise, you should consider a pre or post-cruise day or two in order to take in some of the tourist attractions prior to your embarkation.

This'll make it alot easier on you.

 

CIAO,

[dcikon2]

I don't want to scare you, but there were many people on my previous cruise who had flight delays getting into Honolulu. There were several who never made it to Honolulu and had to board the ship at the first port of call. I know of another flight with people onboard who had a delay of 9 hours. You may be charge $50 to switch you flight plans, but I really suggest that you think about it.

 

I don't know where you are flying from, but I would strongly suggest to change your plans, especially with the problems with flying these days. There is a lot to see on Oahu (Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Waikiki, North Shore, Dole Plantation, etc.).

 

Good Luck. You may have a direct flight. We had several changes, but were lucky that our flights were all early.

 

Gary

[Angsa]

Hey thanks guys for all the advices. Actually we are planning to stay for 3 more days in Oahu post-cruise, so we'll get to do things in Oahu. Just that I thought we could kill sometime by going to the Arizona Memorial first. No worries.

 

We will also purchase travel insurance so in case of any flight delays, we will be covered cost wise. Anyway maybe I am optimistic but I think we will be ok.

[cecilterwiliger]

Since you are going to be in HNL for several days afterward, and if you are really interested in doing Pearl Harbor without a line and see a thorough view of it, look into: http://www.pearlharborhq.com/ We had an excellent tour with them. They have prepaid tickets for PH, early morning, practically no wait in lines. Then they take you all over the island to the various sites involved. The lunch at the club on the base was extra, but a wonderful buffet and good value for the money.

[CC Help Michell]

Since you are going to be in HNL for several days afterward, and if you are really interested in doing Pearl Harbor without a line and see a thorough view of it, look into: http://www.pearlharborhq.com/ We had an excellent tour with them. They have prepaid tickets for PH, early morning, practically no wait in lines. Then they take you all over the island to the various sites involved. The lunch at the club on the base was extra, but a wonderful buffet and good value for the money.

 

Just as an FYI, admission to Pearl Harbor is free; you cannot obtain tickets in advance and everyone stands in line, first-come, first-served, including those on tours (unless you are a Pearl Harbor survivor).

 

If you book a tour, make sure you inform yourself of what is included for the price -- transportation and any extra amenities they may offer, such Bowfin or Missouri tours, a city tour, lunch, or as in the tour the above poster mentions, visits to other sites involved in the events of 12/7/41. The reason I say that is if you have four people doing a $20 tour that only visits Pearl Harbor (because that's all you want), you may spend $80 -- for about half that you could rent a car for the day and then have the flexibility to do other things with your day after the tour. By the way, I appreciate the link to that tour -- on our recent visit we wouldn't have had a full day for this, but when we return for a land-based vacation that looks like something right up my alley -- I've added it to my Hawaii favorites folder! :)

 

To the OP, if you will be on Oahu for several days post-cruise, will you have a car? If so, that would be your best bet for touring the Arizona Memorial -- get up early and get there ahead of the tour buses (which began arriving around 6:40 AM on the July Monday we were there).

[beachchick]

Since you are going to be in HNL for several days afterward, and if you are really interested in doing Pearl Harbor without a line and see a thorough view of it, look into: http://www.pearlharborhq.com/ We had an excellent tour with them. They have prepaid tickets for PH, early morning, practically no wait in lines. Then they take you all over the island to the various sites involved. The lunch at the club on the base was extra, but a wonderful buffet and good value for the money.

 

I just want to reinforce what MichellP has written: You did not have "prepaid tickets for PH." You had prepaid for the tour operator's transportation to get you to PH. Once there, you stood in line with everyone else for the Arizona Memorial tour tickets. As MichellP also mentions, no one (except actual PH survivors) has any priority or preference of any kind at PH for the Arizona tickets. Each day's tickets are handed out that day on a first-come-first-served basis beginning at about 7:30 am. The last tender leaves about 4 pm. Often the day's tickets for the Arizona will be gone by 11 am, but not always. Arriving any time after 9 or 10 am is a crap shoot. Entry to PH itself is free as well.

 

As additional, possibly helpful, information. Touring the Bowfin is not free. If you want to visit the USS Missouri or the new Pacific Air Museum (only phase 1 is open at this time) on Ford Island, then you also have to purchase tickets (by the Bowfin at the same ticket windows). You cannot go to Ford Island on your own as it is an active military installation. You must have a ticket to either the Missouri or PAC in order to take the shuttle from PH (at the Bowfin area). The same "no bags, purses, backpacks, etc." rule applies for the Missouri and PAC as at PH.

 

Hope this helps clarify a bit about what a commercial tour can and cannot do for you. They can pick you up early and get you to PH to stand in line right away. They can take you to other sights around the island. They can have informative guides onboard the bus/van. They cannot get you a ticket to the Arizona. They cannot guarantee you a specific time for your Arizona tour (you have to take the ticket they hand you when you're in line). They cannot send one person to stand in line for your group because everyone who wants an Arizona Memorial ticket must stand in line to get it.

 

It's definitely worth the effort!

 

beachchick

[ACruise4us]

We are arriving at 8:30am at HNL airport. We will probably come out of the airport at 10:00am I guess.

 

Is it possible for us to visit Pearl Harbor before going to the ship? Can we keep our luggages at the airport and take a bus to Pearl Harbor?

 

This is about the time we arrived at the airport as well. We rented a car from Thrifty (they pick you up at the airport) we put all our luggage in the rental car and went to Pearl Harbor. Took the tour then went over to the Dole plantation too. We took the car back and took a taxi to the ship. Plenty of time. I was worried we would be late but we did it with no problems at all.

[Angsa]

Thanks for the tips. I know PH is free and I feel (maybe I am stingy) kind of silly to pay someone 20 bucks to take me there and back, when TheBus cost $2. OK I need them to handle my luggages but still it is not like I can't visit it another time.

 

I will probably do it post-cruise now on a day when I can just go from my hotel and back by bus. FYI, I come from a RHD country and I never drove a LHD car before. I think I won't scare the Hawaiians with my driving.

 

Anyone got good suggestions on what to do when I arrive? Visit I'olani Palace? Tea at Moana Surfriders? FYI, it will be a Monday, will it be a lot less busy at the attractions?