Possible to Taxi to Pearl Harbor?

[SilverDollarDoll]

Being new to the board I have been reading all the Hawaii reviews in preparation for our upcoming cruise. Most people seem to take ship tours or rent cars. Does anyone have suggestions regarding other methods to enjoy the typical cruise stops....Hilo, Honolulu, Kauai, Maui etc?

 

Has anyone taken a cab to Pearl Harbor from the cruise ship? I understand if you get there early enough you can beat the cruise tour buses. I'm just wondering if you might have done it on your own and taken a cab. Do you remember the cost? Any suggestions or help would be so helpful to us "virgin" cruisers.

 

Please give any thoughts from your experiences or what you are doing.

[CruiserBruce]

Yes, it absoluetly possible, and mentioned frequently. The cab will be about $20 each way.

[DAGVBSB]

Being new to the board I have been reading all the Hawaii reviews in preparation for our upcoming cruise. Most people seem to take ship tours or rent cars. Does anyone have suggestions regarding other methods to enjoy the typical cruise stops....Hilo, Honolulu, Kauai, Maui etc?

 

Has anyone taken a cab to Pearl Harbor from the cruise ship? I understand if you get there early enough you can beat the cruise tour buses. I'm just wondering if you might have done it on your own and taken a cab. Do you remember the cost? Any suggestions or help would be so helpful to us "virgin" cruisers.

 

Please give any thoughts from your experiences or what you are doing.

 

 

The secret to Pearl Harbor is as always... to get there early. They begin distributing tickets out to the memorial at 7:30 a.m.. By 9:00 a.m., you are looking at tickets after 12:00 p.m. and, on busy days, all tickets for the day are gone by 11:00 a.m.

 

You didn't mention which ship. If you are on the Pride of America, then it is doubtful you can get there early enough to make it since you have to wait to disembark and you will have your luggage. If you are on another cruise ship, it would depend on what time you dock and what time they would let you off.

 

Also, no bags are allowed into Pearl Harbor memorial area. You have to leave them in your car or rent a small locker outside Pearl Harbor. (this includes purses and camera bags. As one tour guide told me, if it won't fit in your pocket or is a camera around your neck...forget it.)

 

As far as touring the other islands. There are free shuttles to most shopping venues in each port but they won't get you to the sightseeing areas. There are also private tour companies, like Roberts Hawaii, that operate tours in the ports and these tend to be up to half the cost of the cruise line shore excursions. We used Roberts Hawaii (http://www.gorabbitgo.com) for all our tours last year on the POAm and it cost us half of what it was through NCL.

[SilverDollarDoll]

Thanks to both for your advice.

I'm afraid our Holland arrival of 8am will be the pits to get to PH for "early" tickets....bummer

I just confused as to a do-it-yourself attitude or pay the price and go with the ship.

 

Have either of you done the extras at PH? Speaking about touring the USS Missouri or ????binfin???? (sorry, I just remember reading something and can't remember the word).

[CruiserBruce]

Yes, we have been to the Missouri (the other vessel, a submarine, is the Bowfin). If you read down the board, there are two major threads about visiting Pearl.

 

In our opinion, and no disrepect to the memories of the events of Pearl, but seeing the Missouri was more worthwhile. Note, my mother and her parents were living on Oahu on Dec 7.

[DAGVBSB]

Thanks to both for your advice.

I'm afraid our Holland arrival of 8am will be the pits to get to PH for "early" tickets....bummer

I just confused as to a do-it-yourself attitude or pay the price and go with the ship.

 

Have either of you done the extras at PH? Speaking about touring the USS Missouri or ????binfin???? (sorry, I just remember reading something and can't remember the word).

 

 

Luckily for me, all 3 of my Hawaii cruises have been on NCL which ended in Honolulu and we took extensions after our cruise. That allowed us to get our own tours to Pearl Harbor... and yes I went to Pearl Harbor on all 3 of our trips there...it is that powerful.

 

I would suggest that, do to the limitations of Pearl Harbor, that you book a tour of Pearl through either your cruise ship or through a private tour company. They know the limitations of the cruises and can make the proper arrangements to make sure you get out to the Memorial. Many of these also include tours of the Missouri and the Bowfin (the sub.).

 

I have not been to the Bowfin as I am claustophobic and might not do well on that ship...but I have been to the "Mighty Mo" and it is extremely interesting. We think cruise ships of today are big...the Missouri was built 70-80 years before most cruise ships of today and she is huge. I highly reccommend touring her.

 

Again, your best bet is probably through the ship or tour company. Roberts Hawaii and some of the other tour companies are usually much cheaper but make sure that they guarantee that you will make the all aboard call of your ship. Not all companies guarantee that. (I know Roberts does.) Many of these companies have tours similar to the cruise lines that they offer on the other islands as well for about 1/2 of what the cruise lines charge. We used Roberts Hawaii (http://www.gorabbitgo.com) and loved it. We were usually a stop ahead of the NCL tour buses the whole time.

[DAGVBSB]

Yes, we have been to the Missouri (the other vessel, a submarine, is the Bowfin). If you read down the board, there are two major threads about visiting Pearl.

 

In our opinion, and no disrepect to the memories of the events of Pearl, but seeing the Missouri was more worthwhile. Note, my mother and her parents were living on Oahu on Dec 7.

 

One other thing that is neat is that they have the Missouri "parked" in front of the Arizona. (almost nose to nose if the Arizona was still afloat.) It is really neat to see the bookends of WWII (begining of US involvement and the site of the signing of the surrender) like that.

 

 

When I was there last year, there was an Arizona survivor who was going out to the memorial. (according to the Park Ranger, there are 19 survivors left alive and they can go out to the Memorial anytime and don't need tickets or have to wait.) This gentleman was getting on the launch which was loading as we were returning. He was escorted by the Commander of the Memorial site. All the passengers on both launches stood and applauded him. It was an extremely moving experience as well. The park ranger that I talked to said that that particular survivor still lives in Hawaii and visits the memorial at least twice a month on Sunday mornings because that is when the attack occured. (this was a Sunday morning about 9:30).

[Jasperdo]

My wife and I took a taxi to Pearl Harbor in January. We were on the Golden Princess, docked at the Aloha Tower Terminal. There is a taxi stand right outside the building. Everyone there was going to Pearl Harbor. We shared a 7 passenger van, and it cost us $5pp, and that included the tip. We left the ship as soon as we could debark, around 7am. We were in Pearl Harbor before 8am, and were given tickets for the 8:15am tour.

 

After the tour we spent a few hours looking in the museum and walking the grounds. We took the city bus back into Honolulu. It was right up at the street corner, cost us $2.50 pp, and took us right to Iolani Palace, which we explored after lunch.

[cccole]

Are you staying in Honolulu the night you get back? If your only option is to go early then I would recommend a taxi as soon as you can get off the ship. If you get tickets for a tour 2-3 hours later, you can always visit the Missouri or the Flea Market. Otherwise...I am in the minority who enjoy Pearl Harbor in the afternoon when the tours and everyone who has arrived by 8:00 a.m. are gone. If an afternoon tour is a possibility for you there are many more options. Cherie

[CruiserBruce]

Are you staying in Honolulu the night you get back? If your only option is to go early then I would recommend a taxi as soon as you can get off the ship. If you get tickets for a tour 2-3 hours later, you can always visit the Missouri or the Flea Market. Otherwise...I am in the minority who enjoy Pearl Harbor in the afternoon when the tours and everyone who has arrived by 8:00 a.m. are gone. If an afternoon tour is a possibility for you there are many more options. Cherie

 

OP is on HAL. They will be in port for the day. It is not the end of their cruise.

[SilverDollarDoll]

The secret to Pearl Harbor is as always... to get there early. They begin distributing tickets out to the memorial at 7:30 a.m.. By 9:00 a.m., you are looking at tickets after 12:00 p.m. and, on busy days, all tickets for the day are gone by 11:00 a.m.

 

You didn't mention which ship. If you are on the Pride of America, then it is doubtful you can get there early enough to make it since you have to wait to disembark and you will have your luggage. If you are on another cruise ship, it would depend on what time you dock and what time they would let you off.

 

Also, no bags are allowed into Pearl Harbor memorial area. You have to leave them in your car or rent a small locker outside Pearl Harbor. (this includes purses and camera bags. As one tour guide told me, if it won't fit in your pocket or is a camera around your neck...forget it.)

 

As far as touring the other islands. There are free shuttles to most shopping venues in each port but they won't get you to the sightseeing areas. There are also private tour companies, like Roberts Hawaii, that operate tours in the ports and these tend to be up to half the cost of the cruise line shore excursions. We used Roberts Hawaii (www.gorabbitgo.com) for all our tours last year on the POAm and it cost us half of what it was through NCL.

 

 

Too bad for us, we are on HAL and she doesn't dock until 8am so there goes the early exite. Thank you ALL so much for your words and pieces of information. I started thinking I had to take a ship tour for 40 to 70 each. Now I might consider taxi or bus. Will we be missing much to miss the city tour? Again, thanks, you all make it sound so exciting and doable.

[SilverDollarDoll]

Luckily for me, all 3 of my Hawaii cruises have been on NCL which ended in Honolulu and we took extensions after our cruise. That allowed us to get our own tours to Pearl Harbor... and yes I went to Pearl Harbor on all 3 of our trips there...it is that powerful.

 

I would suggest that, do to the limitations of Pearl Harbor, that you book a tour of Pearl through either your cruise ship or through a private tour company. They know the limitations of the cruises and can make the proper arrangements to make sure you get out to the Memorial. Many of these also include tours of the Missouri and the Bowfin (the sub.).

 

I have not been to the Bowfin as I am claustophobic and might not do well on that ship...but I have been to the "Mighty Mo" and it is extremely interesting. We think cruise ships of today are big...the Missouri was built 70-80 years before most cruise ships of today and she is huge. I highly reccommend touring her.

 

Again, your best bet is probably through the ship or tour company. Roberts Hawaii and some of the other tour companies are usually much cheaper but make sure that they guarantee that you will make the all aboard call of your ship. Not all companies guarantee that. (I know Roberts does.) Many of these companies have tours similar to the cruise lines that they offer on the other islands as well for about 1/2 of what the cruise lines charge. We used Roberts Hawaii (www.gorabbitgo.com) and loved it. We were usually a stop ahead of the NCL tour buses the whole time.

 

 

Thanks so much for all you information. I think I'd love to see the Missouri or the Might MO as they call her. I'm just not sure how we will do it. We don't leave until 2-12 so I think I'll have lots of time to research. The ship doesn't leave until 11pm so I'd like to find some kind of Luau to go to also. Any suggestions? Thanks bunches.

[Boytjie]

We did the USS Arizona, USS Missouri and USS Bowfin all in a morning before checking out f our hotel at Noon and boarding the Pride of America.

 

It was a bit too rushed. We got there early and had 8:15 tickets to the Arizona. Much as the Missouri is interesting to see, if time is short I'd suggest doing the Arizona and USS Bowfin since the Missouri is a shuttle bus ride away.

[syr101]

What time should we plan to get off the ship to see the Arizona. Should or can we get tickets before hand. We are planning to taxi from the Solstice to PH. any ideas or thoughts would be appreciated.

[CruiserBruce]

What time should we plan to get off the ship to see the Arizona. Should or can we get tickets before hand. We are planning to taxi from the Solstice to PH. any ideas or thoughts would be appreciated.

 

4 year old thread...

 

If you are going to do PH on your own, you get your tickets on line from the National Park Service.

 

Lots of info down the board on booking the tickets (free, but with a small service charge), and timing.

[Nancyquilts]

Yes. You can now get your time from the Park Service. They want you to pick the tickets up an hour before your tour, but there is plenty to see before the tour. The new movie is even better than the old one. I see no reason to take the ship's tour when it is so easy to go on your own. The last time we took a taxi out and TheBus back.

Edited January 23, 2015 by Nancyquilts