Pearl Harbor Question

[jacarmn]

My DH, 14yo DS, 12yo DD, and I are planning a Pearl Harbor day pre-cruise. We are planning on using The Bus from Waikiki because I understand it's a pretty good public bus system.

 

We want to arrive early, hopefully by 7am to get our tickets.

 

Does everyone have to be there at 7am to get all four tickets or can just one of us (either DH or I) leave Waikiki before the rest of the group and get the tickets before the others arrive? I understand that if you arrive at 7am then your tour time might not be until 10am or 11am give or take. It would be easier with our kids if they don't feel so rushed. Any advice would be appreciated.

[marym933]

Everyone getting a ticket must be present.

[vbmom87]

My DH, 14yo DS, 12yo DD, and I are planning a Pearl Harbor day pre-cruise. We are planning on using The Bus from Waikiki because I understand it's a pretty good public bus system.

 

We want to arrive early, hopefully by 7am to get our tickets.

 

Does everyone have to be there at 7am to get all four tickets or can just one of us (either DH or I) leave Waikiki before the rest of the group and get the tickets before the others arrive? I understand that if you arrive at 7am then your tour time might not be until 10am or 11am give or take. It would be easier with our kids if they don't feel so rushed. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Each person wanting a ticket much be in line. No one else can pick up your ticket.

 

http://www.nps.gov/valr/planyourvisit/upload/visitor_tips_rack_card-3.pdf

[riofriotex]

My DH, 14yo DS, 12yo DD, and I are planning a Pearl Harbor day pre-cruise. We are planning on using The Bus from Waikiki because I understand it's a pretty good public bus system.

 

We want to arrive early, hopefully by 7am to get our tickets.

 

Does everyone have to be there at 7am to get all four tickets or can just one of us (either DH or I) leave Waikiki before the rest of the group and get the tickets before the others arrive? I understand that if you arrive at 7am then your tour time might not be until 10am or 11am give or take. It would be easier with our kids if they don't feel so rushed. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

My understanding was that everyone had to be there. However, when we went on May 22, I dropped off my elderly parents, aunt, and husband near the gate so they could start walking up to the ticket booth, and went to park the car (very close, as we had a handicapped sticker). By the time I got to the ticket booth, they already had the tickets for all of us.

 

Now, I don't know if it was just because they were asking for just one more ticket than the number of them, or if the ticket distributor thought they saw five people where there were only four, or if they just don't give big numbers of tickets out to single persons (such as with a tour bus) but are more flexible with smaller groups. It will be interesting to read the experiences of others here.

 

Edited to add - it might also have been because my aunt is a nun. People don't seem to question her!

[jacarmn]

My understanding was that everyone had to be there. However, when we went on May 22, I dropped off my elderly parents, aunt, and husband near the gate so they could start walking up to the ticket booth, and went to park the car (very close, as we had a handicapped sticker). By the time I got to the ticket booth, they already had the tickets for all of us.

 

Now, I don't know if it was just because they were asking for just one more ticket than the number of them, or if the ticket distributor thought they saw five people where there were only four, or if they just don't give big numbers of tickets out to single persons (such as with a tour bus) but are more flexible with smaller groups. It will be interesting to read the experiences of others here.

 

Edited to add - it might also have been because my aunt is a nun. People don't seem to question her!

 

Thanks for the info. I know the websites say you have to be there to get a ticket, but I'm sure they are flexible concerning this. Has anyone else ever picked up tickets for their group without everyone being there?

[vbmom87]

Thanks for the info. I know the websites say you have to be there to get a ticket, but I'm sure they are flexible concerning this. Has anyone else ever picked up tickets for their group without everyone being there?

 

Frankly, I would go by what the website says, not by what someone posts here. Even if someone posts that they were able to get tickets for someone not in line, it doesn't mean you would be treated the same way.

[jacarmn]

Frankly, I would go by what the website says, not by what someone posts here. Even if someone posts that they were able to get tickets for someone not in line, it doesn't mean you would be treated the same way.

 

True that...

[riofriotex]

Frankly, I would go by what the website says, not by what someone posts here. Even if someone posts that they were able to get tickets for someone not in line, it doesn't mean you would be treated the same way.

 

I completely agree with vbmom87 and was not advocating in my post that you try to get tickets for your whole group if they aren't all there. As I said in my post (but apparently not clearly enough), I believe it might have been a combination of the ticket distributor thinking s/he saw five persons when there were only four (maybe assuming someone in an adjacent group was part of ours?), and the obvious fact that my mother moves slowly and my aunt is a nun (respect for elders/religious sort of thing?). Any "flexibility" might have been for the latter reason. :)

 

If you'll note too I was posting my answer at the same time as the two previous to mine -- our posts are time-stamped two minutes apart. I was just sharing my experience, not advocating that one break the rules. Furthermore, I WAS there - just not up at the ticket counter yet because I was parking the car. Perhaps one of my relatives pointed me out approaching the ticket counter and the tickets were issued.

 

Don't think it would kill the 14YO and 12YO to get up early. :) If you are going to Pearl Harbor the morning after your arrival in Honolulu, you will probably be all up early anyway because of the time change.

[Giantfan13]

Now I don't know, but, I'm sure, there are always exceptions made, especially for handicapped people. Some people just cannot stand in line for any length of time, and if they saw that they were handicapped and needed to be seated, or in the shade, or whatever, I would think exceptions would be made.

 

Cheers

 

Len