Cancelled due to operational reasons?

[blondee419]

So, we had reserved an excursion through Princess for our Hawaii cruise, and I just received an email that said it was "cancelled due to operational reasons". Now I'm curious - what does that mean? The tour operator no longer has a contract with Princess? Something is or will be closed (We are in port on a Sunday)?

 

It was the Pearl Harbor/WWII Military Bases. We are mostly interested in ensuring that we are able to visit Pearl Harbor memorial, and rather than attempt to schedule myself, I'm going to pay the extra just to be sure :)

 

Thank you, hive mind!

 

~Blondee419

[Lovtotravel2]

there could be a lot of reasons they canceled. if its PH you want to see skip the expensive tours. google visit PH an order your tickets on line for the boat to the Memorial, then when you get to port grab a cab and its a short ride. There were tons of cabs when we were done to get back to port. We rented a car that day, took a cab to the airport, then after our hours at ph and driving around we dropped the car and got a cab back. We had three in our group and did the whole day for less then 1 tour price. We also found that the site was so interesting that the time the tour groups were allocating was not enough time to see it all, so glad we did it on our own. I would only change the renting of the car now that I now cabs were so easy to get.

[candide333]

The same thing happened to us on our Caribbean Princess Transatlantic cruise. We had booked an excursion to a Chateau for stop at a farmer's market, a cooking class and a tour of the grounds. Later, I found out there were not enough people who had booked this very expensive excursion. Unfortunately, there were no similar alternatives, so we took a tour to Paris.

[Colo Cruiser]

I agree it could be a number of reasons.

[easyboy]

I agree it could be a number of reasons.

Ditto.

[Pam in CA]

This is a terrific tour. I took it last year. "Operational reasons" could be anything. It could be something going on at one of the military bases, a change in ship arrival or sailing time, an issue with the tour operator, not enough people pre-booked, etc. This tour is normally offered only when the ship has a late evening sailing time.

[Thrak]

Sorry your excursion has been cancelled but urge you to go ahead and visit Pearl Harbor and the Arizona anyway. It's free but we purchased tickets online for $1 each that gave us a set time. Without tickets it's first come first served and we wanted to be sure we had a fixed time for our visit. Don't go to Hawaii and not visit the Arizona. A lot of American service men are still down there...

[Colo Cruiser]

Sorry your excursion has been cancelled but urge you to go ahead and visit Pearl Harbor and the Arizona anyway. It's free but we purchased tickets online for $1 each that gave us a set time. Without tickets it's first come first served and we wanted to be sure we had a fixed time for our visit. Don't go to Hawaii and not visit the Arizona. A lot of American service men are still down there...

 

 

I agree Brah.

[GUT2407]

Any of the reasons above.

 

Tour operator needing vehicle service is another.

 

I could probably think of 101 reasons if I tried long enough.

[Colo Cruiser]

any of the reasons above.

 

Tour operator needing vehicle service is another.

 

I could probably think of 101 reasons if i tried long enough.

 

 

107

[GUT2407]

107

 

Or even more!!

[caribill]

So, we had reserved an excursion through Princess for our Hawaii cruise, and I just received an email that said it was "cancelled due to operational reasons". Now I'm curious - what does that mean? The tour operator no longer has a contract with Princess? Something is or will be closed (We are in port on a Sunday)?

 

It was the Pearl Harbor/WWII Military Bases. We are mostly interested in ensuring that we are able to visit Pearl Harbor memorial, and rather than attempt to schedule myself, I'm going to pay the extra just to be sure :)

 

Thank you, hive mind!

 

~Blondee419

 

not enough people pre-booked, e.

 

With the cruise being over five months from now, I doubt not enough people pre-booked is the reason.

 

With that much time before the cruise, I suggest checking the list of excursions frequently and see if it (or a similar one) shows up again.

 

Of course, what others have suggested to take a cab and do it yourself is a great option.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

If you decide to tour WWII-related sites on your own, you might want to visit the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (aka Punchbowl Cemetery). Tour buses are allowed to drive past the entrance, but not enter or let off passengers, IIRC.

 

The best way to see this is by rental car, but you could take a cab I suppose. You can park next to the visitor center, and get more info there. It is beautiful in a somber way, and many WWII casualties are buried there, such as Ernie Pyle.

 

If you weren't aware, the USS Missouri is nearby (and visible from) the USS Arizona Memorial, and offers tours as well.

[Astro Flyer]

The same tour (Pearl Harbor & WWII Exclusive Military Bases HNL-110 | Honolulu, Hawaii) which was previously available on my early January cruise to Hawaii on the Star is also no longer an option. So it's not only the OPs cruise that has been cancelled but hopefully it will be be added again.

 

'blondee419'...I'd suggest calling Princess & ask them to check with their shore excursion department to determine why it's been cancelled & if there's a possibility that it'll be added again in the future.

[Lucky TGO]

Sorry your excursion has been cancelled but urge you to go ahead and visit Pearl Harbor and the Arizona anyway. It's free but we purchased tickets online for $1 each that gave us a set time. Without tickets it's first come first served and we wanted to be sure we had a fixed time for our visit. Don't go to Hawaii and not visit the Arizona. A lot of American service men are still down there...

 

I agree it's a great take. I did it when I was there.

Tony

[Wacruzr]

So, we had reserved an excursion through Princess for our Hawaii cruise, and I just received an email that said it was "cancelled due to operational reasons". Now I'm curious - what does that mean? The tour operator no longer has a contract with Princess? Something is or will be closed (We are in port on a Sunday)?

 

It was the Pearl Harbor/WWII Military Bases. We are mostly interested in ensuring that we are able to visit Pearl Harbor memorial, and rather than attempt to schedule myself, I'm going to pay the extra just to be sure :)

 

Thank you, hive mind!

 

~Blondee419

 

We took that tour last October. Really enjoyed it. It was run by the Home of the Brave Museum, a family operation. I just looked on their website and they have stopped doing the tours.

 

From their site:

 

Due to economic conditions, a substantial decrease in tour bookings, and competition from larger companies, our small mom & pop family tour business has ceased operations. The Home of the Brave Museum & Brewseum will continue to operate – please check out our websites

at http://www.hotbbc.com and http://www.brewseums.com

 

There should be other Pearl Harbor tours, but they had the only tour access to several other bases in the Honolulu area with WWII connections. Too bad.

 

Loren

[JF - retired RRT]

Sorry your excursion has been cancelled but urge you to go ahead and visit Pearl Harbor and the Arizona anyway. It's free but we purchased tickets online for $1 each that gave us a set time. Without tickets it's first come first served and we wanted to be sure we had a fixed time for our visit. Don't go to Hawaii and not visit the Arizona. A lot of American service men are still down there...

 

You're right, Thrak. DIY is the best way to do the Arizona.

We did it for $6.00.

$1.00pp for the online tickets, $2.00pp for the bus (roundtrip). The bus system is great and if you have a Medicare card it costs $1.00. Regular price was $2.50 (IIRC).

If you decide to do the bus, don't get your tickets for the Arizona too early, it takes at least 45 minutes to get there by bus. The bus stop is 2-3 blocks from the dock. At least from the Aloha clock tower port, not sure how far from the other dock. The bus system has a great map and info online (http://www.thebus.org/).

[CruzVinnieCruz]

Another option to visit Pearl Harbor is to rent a car. We rented a Mustang convertible which was reasonable priced and bought a program for the iPhone called Gypsy Guide for Oahu. This program was like having a tour guide in the car with you. We visited Pearl Harbor then took the full island tour using it.

 

It connected via Bluetooth right through the cars radio speakers. It gave all the directions and along the way pointed out places to see and just like a tour guide explained what you were seeing. At one point it directed us to pull over right after the guide rails to park, cross the road, and there would be a high degree of likelihood of seeing a sea turtle on a beach across the road. Sure enough a turtle was sunning itself on the beach.

 

Then it told us about a fresh fruit stand were we could be fruit that had already been cut and placed into plastic baggies for sale it was wonderful.

If there was longer gaps in driving between sites a narrator gave the history of the island to while we were driving. These are only a few of the suggestions the program made.

 

I could not recommend this way to tour the island enough.

 

Take care,

Vinnie

Edited August 9, 2016 by CruzVinnieCruz

[cr8tiv1]

The biggest advantage to taking an organized tour is that you may leave your belongings in the bus. Otherwise, reserving your tickets online is the best thing to do.

 

There are major restrictions to things you can take into the Arizona Memorial. A camera...that's about it. There are lockers. Rental cars are easy targets for thieves.

 

Plan your day accordingly. There are vending machines but no food services. Bring water...

 

Occasionally, the launch to the Memorial itself is not in operation. That is really the most disappointing.

 

Enjoy your day at the memorial. There are several other places to visit while you are out that way.

[Cruiserkenn]

The Princess tour Pearl Harbor and Mighty Mo is a really good one.

 

See Pearl Harbor for sure. The Mighty Mo is an added bonus. Definitely worth seeing as the sight of the surrender in Tokyo Bay.

 

I liked taking the Princess tour as there was less stress. Definitely worth the money.

 

Go for sure.

[FritzG]

So, we had reserved an excursion through Princess for our Hawaii cruise, and I just received an email that said it was "cancelled due to operational reasons". Now I'm curious - what does that mean? The tour operator no longer has a contract with Princess? Something is or will be closed (We are in port on a Sunday)?

 

It was the Pearl Harbor/WWII Military Bases. We are mostly interested in ensuring that we are able to visit Pearl Harbor memorial, and rather than attempt to schedule myself, I'm going to pay the extra just to be sure :)

 

Thank you, hive mind!

 

~Blondee419

 

You might want to check the Pearl Harbor website to see if there is a large special event of some kind on the date you'll be there. I don't know if they ever close the entire place, but it's worth checking.

[blondee419]

Thank you all for your comments!

 

We wanted to be sure that we saw the memorial, so we had reserved a spot on an excursion.

 

We decided, though, that we're going to try and get our own tickets, and probably get a car, keeping our reservation just in case I can't get the free tickets for some reason! I will keep the other tips (target for thieves, food, belongings, etc.) handy when doing the planning.

 

The reason rental car, rather than take a cab, is for one reason. We have a family member who is memorialized at the Punchbowl, and we want to be able to spend time there as well. He was on a sub that was lost off of the coast of Japan late in the war. We inherited the family home, and with it came boxes of papers. Some of those papers were the telegrams sent by the war department informing his mother and father of his disappearance and eventual declaration of being KIA.

 

Again, thanks! This is why I love this community!!!!

 

~Blondee419

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...The reason rental car, rather than take a cab, is for one reason. We have a family member who is memorialized at the Punchbowl, and we want to be able to spend time there as well...

 

I am glad you are doing this--you won't regret it. We have a friend of the family buried there, and that is why we initially went. We didn't know what to expect, but it is a beautiful spot, and a true honor to those who have served. If you are planning to bring any mementos or flowers, be sure to check Punchbowl's website first. There are strict guidelines on what can be left at the graves, being a national cemetery.

Edited August 10, 2016 by SoCal Cruiser78
clarity

[easyboy]

We have a family member who is memorialized at the Punchbowl, and we want to be able to spend time there as well. He was on a sub that was lost off of the coast of Japan late in the war. We inherited the family home, and with it came boxes of papers. Some of those papers were the telegrams sent by the war department informing his mother and father of his disappearance and eventual declaration of being KIA.

~Blondee419

Very nice of you not to forget!!!

[cr8tiv1]

Thank you all for your comments!

 

We wanted to be sure that we saw the memorial, so we had reserved a spot on an excursion.

 

We decided, though, that we're going to try and get our own tickets, and probably get a car, keeping our reservation just in case I can't get the free tickets for some reason! I will keep the other tips (target for thieves, food, belongings, etc.) handy when doing the planning.

 

The reason rental car, rather than take a cab, is for one reason. We have a family member who is memorialized at the Punchbowl, and we want to be able to spend time there as well. He was on a sub that was lost off of the coast of Japan late in the war. We inherited the family home, and with it came boxes of papers. Some of those papers were the telegrams sent by the war department informing his mother and father of his disappearance and eventual declaration of being KIA.

 

Again, thanks! This is why I love this community!!!!

 

~Blondee419

 

Most rental cars have a scan label on the side window. Hello Rental Agencies....nothing like advertising that this is a tourist car! Sometimes out of sight is safer than in the back seat, but still. Do not leave valuables in the car.

 

When you plan your trip, also keep in mind the transit time to pick up your car and rush hour traffic (which is getting worse).

 

Punchbowl is in the middle of the city. To get to it, you need to drive through some rough areas (Papakolea). No, it's not like Watts, but more Hawaiian Homestead land. Just be courteous.

 

Since you have a car, your possibilities are endless, but you won't see it all in one day. Pick and chose what your interests are.

 

Displaced Local Girl