Tour advice needed for Honolulu on Crown Jan. 7, 2024

[cruiseagona]

Right now, I have booked an excursion through the ship (Crown) to tour Peal Harbor. Very expensive. (My husband and I like to tour through the ship's excursion because once we had a bad experience when a tour operator almost didn't get us back to the ship on time.) But I see that we are in Honolulu until 11 PM, so that really is enough time to do a tour on our own. So I'm asking the following:

1. What is a good/reliable outside tour company to use for a Pearl Harbor tour?

2. Is it easy to get an Uber to get from the ship to Pearl Harbor and do this on our own?

3. Any other information you can provide to make this an easy process that saves us money?

[Essiesmom]

Have you asked on the Ports of Call board for Hawaii?  Also, is there a roll call for your cruise?  Folks there might be organizing independent tours.  EM

[princeton123211]

3 hours ago, cruiseagona said:

But I see that we are in Honolulu until 11 PM, so that really is enough time to do a tour on our own.

Very much so-- you will have time to tour Pearl Harbor and also spend some time in Waikiki if you want to. 

 

3 hours ago, cruiseagona said:

1. What is a good/reliable outside tour company to use for a Pearl Harbor tour?

No tour company is needed. Most of the site is owned by the Navy and administered by the National Park Service. You will need to secure free timed tickets for the boats to the USS Arizona Memorial ($1 processing fee). This can be done on the NPS website-- https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/233338/ticket/16. Visitor's center and museum before you go out to the memorial there are all free. 

 

Aside from that you can choose to do as much or as little as you would like. The USS Missouri is very worthwhile but can be redundant if you have listed another one of the Iowa Class Battleships on display around the country. 

 

3 hours ago, cruiseagona said:

2. Is it easy to get an Uber to get from the ship to Pearl Harbor and do this on our own?

Extremely easy. Honolulu is a major American city and Uber is available just like it would be in any other large US city. 

 

3 hours ago, cruiseagona said:

3. Any other information you can provide to make this an easy process that saves us money?

It would be to not use a tour company. This can be easily and inexpensively done with Uber, a little planning ahead getting tickets to the USS Arizona Memorial, etc. Complete waste of money paying a tour company to get you into a National Park that your tax dollars already pay for. 

 

With the extra time you'll have I would then suggest headed over in the afternoon to Waikiki-- tons of restaurants/bars etc to spend some time and take in the scenery. The Mai Tai Bar at The Royal Hawaiian Hotel right on the beach is a favorite and the hotel is very historic and fun to look around. 

[coo359a2]

We did the tour to Pearl Harbor and all the ships there on our own using the local bus - "The Bus".  Very easy and the bus ticket was $2 each way pp.   Called the bus information number  and was given the bus numbers to use and the location of the bus stop.

[gt1701a]

100% agree do Pearl Harbor on your own.  Make reservations for USS Arizona ahead of time and then that day you can decide what else to do.  Close to port and can easily take bus, Uber, or taxi.  Make sure to have a clear bag only if you take a bag.  

[CaribbeanBound]

We've taken The Bus from town to Pearl Harbor and back.  Easy.

[JasmineC]

On 9/14/2023 at 2:03 PM, gt1701a said:

100% agree do Pearl Harbor on your own.  Make reservations for USS Arizona ahead of time and then that day you can decide what else to do.  Close to port and can easily take bus, Uber, or taxi.  Make sure to have a clear bag only if you take a bag.  

I was looking at seeing Pearl Harbour a day or so before our cruise leaves.  To do it on your own, do you see ALL that is offered through a tour company?  I get that the admission to the National Park is free, and maybe you do have to pay to see other parts?  Arizona Memorial, Battleship Missouri, Sub, Aviation Museum, Oahu Circle Island?  Thanks for the advice.  Oh and is parking easy there?  We're renting a car for a few days too,

[gt1701a]

Make a reservation for USS Arizona $1.  Onsite you can choose what else to buy.  As far as tours I don't know since I didn't do one.  there is an audio tour you can purchase there as well.  This website has a ton of information: https://www.nps.gov/perl/index.htm (the official national park website)

[cruiseagona]

6 hours ago, JasmineC said:

I was looking at seeing Pearl Harbour a day or so before our cruise leaves.  To do it on your own, do you see ALL that is offered through a tour company?  I get that the admission to the National Park is free, and maybe you do have to pay to see other parts?  Arizona Memorial, Battleship Missouri, Sub, Aviation Museum, Oahu Circle Island?  Thanks for the advice.  Oh and is parking easy there?  We're renting a car for a few days too,

I'm guessing that you are not on a cruise because how would you be able to see Pearl Harbour a day or so before the cruise leaves? Is that the case?

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, cruiseagona said:

I'm guessing that you are not on a cruise because how would you be able to see Pearl Harbour a day or so before the cruise leaves? Is that the case?

You would tour on your own. Or, possibly, some cruise lines do pre-cruise tour, hotel and transport packages.

[JasmineC]

18 hours ago, cruiseagona said:

I'm guessing that you are not on a cruise because how would you be able to see Pearl Harbour a day or so before the cruise leaves? Is that the case?

We are in Honolulu 4 days prior to the cruise leaving and want to do some touring beforehand on our own.