Pearl Harbor & Polynesian Cultural Center & PCC luau in same day???

[elephant98]

Hi all,

 

We will be sailing on NCL's Pride of Aloha. We will be doing a two night pre-cruise stay at the Hilton Hawaiin Village on Waikiki. There are several sites that we would like to see before we start our cruise. However, the most important to us are visiting Pearl Harbor, the Polynesian Cultural Center, taking in a luau, and getting some quality beach time. The first night we will be arriving in Oahu at 3pm Hawaiin time, after 13 hours of travel. So, assuming that the first night we will be rather low-key and adjusting to the time change, it is really only a day and a half (boarding on the Pride of Aloha around 4pm the morning we check-out).

 

If we rent a car, do you think it is feasible to do BOTH Pearl Harbor (Arizona Memorial and U.S.S. Missouri) and the Polynesian Cultural Center on the same day? From reading other threads on this site, it appears that we should arrive at Pearl Harbor as early as possible (i.e., 7 am) in order to get tickets to visit the Arizona Memorial. After visiting the Arizona, we would like to visit the Missouri, which is apparently nearby. After visiting Pearl Harbor, I was thinking that we could then go to the Polynesian Cultural Center and stay the rest of the day, then taking in their evening Luau.

 

If it is feasible to both on the same day, then the morning we check-out of our hotel is free for us to lounge on the beach and drive around the island in the afternoon before going to our ship.

 

Is this schedule too aggressive? I was considering doing the Polynesian Cultural Center/Luau the first whole day and then Pearl Harbor on the morning we check-out of our hotel to go to the cruise. But, then we won't not get in any beach time. Any suggestions???

[bug_dan]

While the PCC events start around noon, there is no hard and fast rule that you have to be there at that time. I would think you would have plenty of time to go to Pearl Harbor and then the PCC. For lunch, if you're into Mc D's there's a nice one at the entrance to PCC or there are several restaurants that others have recommended on the way there. Also you can grab a bite to eat inside the PCC grounds.

[scottcaps]

Is it possible to do PCC and Pearl Harbor in the same day? I would say yes, but it will take the entire, full day and you will probably be completely exhausted. The key is to make sure you get up early and get to the Arizona Memorial early to be in line to get early tickets. Getting up early should be easy for you if you are coming from the East coast, since your body's clock will still be on EST.

 

Many of the group buses get there very early, so you can find yourself in the back of a very long line, even getting there at 7 am. I do not think that Missouri has the lines and timed tickets that Arizona does - we didn't do the Missouri during our trip there last April. While you wait on your time to go out to the memorial, you can take in the museum and get some snacks and gifts. Be aware that you are not allowed to take any bags into the Memorial (camera bags, backpacks, purses, diaper bags, etc). Assuming you get one of the early tickets, you probably won't be done at Arizona before 10.

 

The drive from Pearl Harbor out to PCC is not that long, provided that you don't make too many sightseeing stops along the way (there are some great beach parks along the North Shore, plus the surfing beaches, which I could sit at for hours watching the surfers do thier stuff).

 

Then, it just depends on how much you want to get out of the PCC - do you want to take in every detail, read every plaque and see every demonstration, plus the luau or do you want hit the highlights? Your answer to that question might be the answer to your dilemma. If you really want to savor the PCC and get everything out of it, you might want to wait for Pearl Harbor till your second morning and spend the first day at PCC and maybe a bit of time on one of the North Shore beaches.

[spleen93]

I think it's very doable to do both Pearl Harbor and PCC in one day. Agreed that it'd be a long day but not as tiring as, say, doing the road to Hana and a luau on the same day.

 

Spleen

[elephant98]

Thanks to everyone for your replies. You have given me some very useful information from which to make a decision.

[Sea Island Lady]

We were completely exhausted after going to the memorial and the Missouri. We were glad that we had nothing planned for the rest of the afternoon and evening. We awoke at 5:00, left for the Arizona at 6:15 and arrived at 7:00. After the Arizona, we took a shuttle over to the Missouri (go through the parking lot to catch shuttle - someone can show you). Remember that you cannot take any items larger than a wallet or camera (no camera bags allowed) into the memorial and leaving such items in your car can be subjected to theft. On the return, we went by the PunchBowl cemetery, but did not get out. We arrived back at our hotel at 2:30 and had just enough time for lunch and a quick swim in the ocean before getting ready for dinner. After dinner, we barely made it too bed before we dropped!

[CaribbeanBound]

Yes, you can easily do it. Enjoy your day!

[orderby]

Yes, the Arizona Memorial and the PCC are entirely doable in one day. A week ago Saturday, this is what we did:

We arrived Friday evening, rented a car and stayed at the North Shore at KeIki Beach Bunganlows. Saturday morning, jet lag helped us to get up early. We left at 5:30 AM and drove to Pearlridge Center, where we had breakfast at Anna Miller's on Hwy 99, open 24 hours. I had an omelet and my husband had eggs benedict. Both were very good. Then at 7 AM we drove to the USS Arizona about 1.5 miles to the USS Arizona on Hwy 99, passing Alamo Staduim, got in line, and were on the second boat out. The preview film is outstanding! We were finished at 9:30 AM. Having seen battleships before, we passed on the USS Missouri. Then we drove across the island on the Pali Highway, took the scenic rain forest drive Nui Pali, stopped at the overlook, and drove to Kailua Beach Park, where we stayed for about 1 hour. It was very scenic with many wind surfers. We had lunch at Boot's and Kimo's in Kailua (great macademia nut pancakes but VERY rustic). Then we proceeded up the windward coast to the PCC. We arrived there at 2 PM, and spent about 2 hours there. We enjoyed our time there and did learn quite a bit. Using the Entertainment Book coupon, we both received admission for $35. We could have done the Luau and Horizons show also very easily, but decided to catch sunset from our beachfront hammocks on the North Shore instead!

[bambam]

Yes, its doable, but ask yourself if you want to cram that kind of a schedule in on a vacation trip.....seriously - split it up....

 

I would really suggest that you sleep in (a little), have a really nice drive up to the north shore, take in some serious beach time for a couple of hours, go to the PCC and spend the day/evening learning about the people and the cultures, take in the luau and evening show.

 

Wake up early the next day, take in Pearl Harbor and the Missouri, go back to the hotel, check-out, drive over to Lanikai Beach or other beach near Diamondhead, spend a nice early afternoon beach hour or two, then do your embarkation thing at 4:00 or so....

 

If you do both PH and PCC in the same day - you will be "rushing" to fit it in, i.e., you will miss the beauty of Oahu on the drive up, and you will end up being physically wasted when the day is over...

 

Either way, stop and smell the leis.... :D

[Ka Honu]

... and that's the best advice I've heard all day.

[orderby]

In my defense, a few caveats:

The effects of jet lag after an 11 hour flight had us rising early.

We saw only the Arizona Memorial, not the Mighty Mo.

We only visited PCC for a few hours , and did not stay for laua or show.

We only had 2 days on Oahu precruise. We stayed on the North Shore.

We crashed early that night (more jet lag).

We stopped and smelled many lei's; it did not seem rushed to me!

Orderby

[spleen93]

I still think it's doable in a day. But understand that different people have different schedules. If you only have a day or two on Oahu, you may have to cram things in together. If you're staying a week, that's another matter .... :)

 

Spleen

[Gerry]

Aloha!

 

My husband and I were in Hawaii about two weeks ago. We arrived at 2:30pm Hawaii time (back home it was 8:30pm), checked into our hotel and hit the beach for a couple of hours. The next day, we took the city bus to Diamond Head and climbed Diamond Head in the morning. We had booked a tour for the PCC which picked us up at our hotel at 12:30pm. We spent the day at PCC which included the luau and their fabulous show and arrived back at our hotel around 10:30pm. We did not find it too exhausting as we rested on the bus coming back. The next day we had scheduled another tour to take us to Pearl Harbor and the Missouri. You could very easily do that trip in the morning. Our hotel even had special tours to Pearl Harbor the morning of our embarkation and they dropped you off right at the ship. It was a real early morning pickup if I recall to do it that way, but you might want to check at your hotel to see if they do the same thing.

 

We simply loved all the islands. Each one was unique. I certainly am ready to go back again and I hope it will be soon.

 

I'd like to thank all the people on these boards who were very helpful in answering all my questions before our trip. That means Spleen, Sue Bee, etc. You are all superb in my book!

 

Gerry

Cape Cod, MA

[spleen93]

Gerry - glad you had a great trip! :)

 

Spleen