cruise.mode

Astro Flyer, I can just imagine how much that flag means to you. I would be looking for something far less precious, maybe a postcard set or a book, that kind of thing. Just a little token to let this vet know that we were thinking of him while visiting PH.

Cherie --- thanks for that website info. I will definitely take a look and get some ideas there.

I hope this question won't come off as disrespectful. We will be visiting Pearl Harbor on our upcoming trip and would like to bring some sort of keepsake (I hate to use the term "souvenir") for a friend of ours who is a veteran. Is there a gift or book shop at the Memorial?

Have been watching the National Park Service website to see when tickets will become available for our planned Sept. 30 visit. Perhaps those of you familiar with the site can just clarify something for me.

We would like to do the narrated tour, which costs $7.50. So obviously I'll be purchasing two tickets for that.

But in addition, I also have to make a reservation for two for the Arizona Memorial. Am I correct in assuming that admission to the Arizona is free?

I'm guessing that you select your time for the Arizona and then can do the narrated tour at your leisure? Does it matter which we do first?

Thanks in advance!

We will be using Johnny Cab for our airport transfers and probably getting us back and forth to Pearl Harbor as well.

Just booked E'Noa Tours this morning for their Majestic Circle Island tour. Have booked Volcanoes National Park with C Big Island.

Still working on Maui and Kauai excursions. Roberts has gotten good reviews, and they seem reasonably priced.

MaryLou's never responded to my inquiry. We did get a response from Tread Lightly, but it's a bit more than we wanted to spend.

Good luck with your plans!

Thanks so much to all of you for sharing your experiences. We usually use one of the Neutrogena spray formulas but will look into the others mentioned. I had never heard of Blue Lizard but will check it out on Amazon. I will be seeing my dermatologist in a couple of weeks and will bring all these suggestions along to see what he recommends. I know one thing for sure --- it's not worth penny pinching if the alternative means winding up with a nasty burn and lasting sun damage.

Will be sailing on POA Oct. 3, with a few pre-cruise days in Honolulu. Have heard that just about everything is expensive in the islands, so I'm guessing that includes sunscreen as well. Anyone know/remember what your typical brands of sunscreen cost? Just trying to figure out how much of this precious stuff to haul from home.

Also, is the sun so intense that it would be worth buying clothing that has SPF built right into the fabric? The DH and I don't lounge in the sun but will definitely be doing plenty of walking around. We've been to the Caribbean and have managed with hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Anything more needed for Hawaii?

We've brought along a travel clothesline on past cruises ---- can be a little awkward to manage, but it works. Sent out laundry once on RCCL ---just white items ---- came back OK for us but have heard complaints about items coming back discolored (think pink underwear LOL), shrunken, etc.

I'm assuming that Pride of America does not have a self-service laundry facility. Have any of you used the onboard laundry service? If so, have you been pleased with the results? Does anyone know what it costs, do they have a mid-week special, etc.?

Thanks for the responses. Good to know that experiences have been positive with the tour operators we're considering!

The DH and I are starting to think about shore excursions. We will not have a rental car, so we're looking at various tour companies.

We have about 3 pre-cruise days in Honolulu. One full day at Pearl Harbor on our own; one day of exploring the city on our own. We'd like a full-day general tour around the island and are looking at Circle Island Tour offered by E'Noa Tours.

Not planning anything for our stop in Kona but want to do tours in both Maui and Kauai. Some of the offerings by Roberts look appealing and less expensive than similar tours booked through NCL.

Any shared wisdom would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

When we went to Pearl Harbor, my camera was over my neck, mobile phone was in my pocket and instead of carrying a pocketbook that would qualify as carry-on luggage, I transferred needed items from my folio wallet to a smaller wallet - the size of my palm. It fit into another pocket in my dockers. Driver's license, one credit card, a few dollars.......this worked out fine for the entire day we spent at Pearl Harbor. I wasn't about to hunt down a locker.

Thanks to all of you for the info and advice. Since we won't have a rental car, it sounds like we will follow this lead!

Perhaps the ladies can help me on this one ---

How did you handle the "no bags" policy at Pearl Harbor? I don't typically carry around a ton of stuff but will obviously need ID, some $$, camera, cell phone.

Any problems getting a locker? Not a fan of cargo pants myself, but maybe it's time to invest?

Are these restrictions in place just at the Arizona Memorial, or also at Missouri, Bowfin, and Aviation Museum?

Yes! Leave your dinner dress at home!

Thanks! Relieved to hear this! That means my DH won't have to pack a suit either!

Thank you so much! Our trip was so much fun, and doing the review was a great way to relive it. It's why I read everyone else's Hawaii/POA reviews. Hope you love your trip as much as we did! :)

We are looking forward to it. This will be our first cruise on NCL, so we've got a lot to learn. Just curious --- is the dress onboard very casual in the complimentary dining venues? I would be so happy to leave the black dinner dress at home this time!

Have you considered the option to pre-reserve tender tickets to the Arizona Memorial?

When you say "pre-reserve tender tickets," are you referring to the tickets you can reserve online through the National Park Service website? Or is the tender a totally separate ticket that needs to be obtained?

Right now we are leaning towards doing Pearl on our own instead of with a tour company. There is a narrated Arizona Memorial tour available on the National Park Service website. It costs $7.50 per person and seems well worth it.

Undecided about purchasing the Passport admission. It costs $65 per person, but we don't know whether or not we want to do the Bowfin.

Thanks also for your comments about using The Bus. Definitely the most cost-effective option for getting to Pearl from our hotel in Waikiki.

We did PH on our own. We reserved our tickets ahead of time and then after picking them up we purchased our tickets for the Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum. We didn't tour the Bowfin. There wasn't a line to speak of really at all and you don't have to pick a certain time for those tours, you just show up. As for transportation to PH, we had a rental car so I can't help you there. We spent the entire day at Pearl; there is so much to see!

Greatlakes girl: Thank you so much for this info and for posting your very thorough review. What a lot of work you put into it, and I know we will be referring to it throughout our planning! You have a lovely family. Glad you had a wonderful time!

For anyone who can plan ahead, the Arizona Memorial website takes reservations up to 2 months in advance to not have to stand in line & hope to get one of the Walk-In tender tickets to the Arizona Memorial.

My DH and I are planning a visit at the end of Sept. and are leaning toward doing Pearl Harbor on our own. We would like a full day there, and it doesn't seem as though the tour companies offer that (except for Home of the Brave Tours, which looks wonderful but is already unavailable for the day of our planned visit).

The dilemma is whether or not to purchase the "Passport to Pearl Harbor" through recreation.gov in advance ($65 each) or to just make the reservation for the Arizona and buy tickets to the Missouri, Bowfin, etc. once we arrive. In your experience, what are those lines like?

The other issue we have to solve is transportation to/from Pearl Harbor. We will be staying at Courtyard Marriott Waikiki Beach and can take The Bus. Just wondering whether public transportation is reliable, clean, safe, etc., as we'd probably be boarding around 5:45 am to get to Pearl Harbor by 7am as many recommend.

For me, their great public transportation system...The Bus (http://www.thebus.org)...is what I would use when having a few days on Oahu & not wanting to rent a car.

We have the same question. Will be in HNL for a few days pre-cruise and think we'd like to do PH on our own using the Passport option.

Will be staying at the Courtyard Waikiki Beach --- any info on how close the nearest bus stop is? We've heard that an early start (getting to PH by around 7am) is advised --- does the public bus run that early? Where does it drop you when you get to PH?

Thanks!

Thanks to all for the suggestions. We appreciate your sharing. Not planning to rent a car, so will have to see which ship excursions might incorporate the places that have been mentioned.

Another general question ---- are there things to do near where the ship (Pride of America) will dock?

DH and I will be sailing on Pride of America in late Sept. This will be our first (and a good chance our only trip to Hawaii).

Will be spending a few days in Honolulu prior to boarding and have plenty of ways to do that.

Ship will be making stops in Maui (one overnight); Hilo; Kona; Kauai (also one overnight).

We enjoy general sightseeing, particularly places of historical interest. Don't mind walking, aren't into water sports (or coffee!), and will have to pass on helicopter tours.

If there are any must-see/must-do excursions, we are open to your wisdom! Thanks in advance for sharing.

Has anyone stayed at the Aston Waikiki Circle Hotel on Kalakaua Avenue? Have heard it's a good value for the price, but wanted to know if any fellow cruisers have tried it. Prices don't include breakfast --- any reasonably priced places nearby?

First (and possibly one and only) trip to HI booked on POA this fall. Will be spending a few days pre-cruise in Honolulu. DH is intent on spending a full day at Pearl Harbor. By that I mean he wants to see Arizona, Missouri, Pacific Aviation Museum, Bowfin, Punchbowl.

From what I've been able to find out, Roberts Tours seems closest to what DH wants to do. But we're skeptical about how much time you actually get at each stop.

About how far are these stops in relation to one another? Are they all in the same general area?

Are we better off trying to do Pearl Harbor on our own and at our own pace or with a tour company? The tour company says that once you book, you're guaranteed entry. How does that stack up against trying to book on your own through the National Park Service website?

Any shared wisdom would be much appreciated.

[We walked from our hotel down to House Without a Key at the Halekulani Hotel. Look it up on the internet or website for the interesting tie to Charlie Chan. Many visitors consider this a must do. This is a patio/lawn lounge along the beach, shaded, and with great free Hawaiian entertainment and Hula dancer ( all former Miss Hawaii's ), starting at 5:30. Drinks and food available as well. No reservations, come early. Also, be sure to go to Duke's as well. I confess, I did not know who this Duke was before our visit. Be sure to look at all the interesting old "Duke" pictures which line the walls. If I can answer any question, let me know.

This is great info. My DH is a collector of old radio shows, so the Charlie Chan connection will be interesting for him. Sounds like a very pleasant way to ease into the island feel on the day we arrive. Still deciding how many days we want to spend on land before boarding.

We've never sailed NCL before, so it will be interesting to see how it compares to RCCL

DH and I will be making our first (and maybe only!) trip to Hawaii on POA this coming October. Any HI seasoned travelers out there who can recommend a tour company. We plan to spend a few days in Honolulu before boarding. The following names keep popping up: E Noa Tours; Roberts; Polynesian Adventures. Any experiences you could share would be much appreciated.

I can see why the bundles are attractive, but we would be booking our air separately. We've been saving up points.