Q.   I have a group of 50 who would like to do a one day tour of the Big Island of Honolulu.  Who should I contact for this information?
A.  Please go to the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau website, www.gohawaii.com.  You will be able to find all of the suppliers that provide that service for you.  For example a few are Polynesian Adventure Tours and Robert’s Hawaii.  If you would like direct contacts for any of those suppliers please e-mail me at Stacey@visit-oahu.com and I would be more than happy to provide them for you.

Q.     Does the Navy still have free trips to the Arizona Memorial?
A.  Yes they do.  The Arizona Memorial is the historic site at Pearl Harbor.  It is free and open to the public but remember you need to get a ticket to go over to the Memorial and the tickets cannot be reserved in advance.  The tickets are given out daily and are provided until we run out.  So please get there early to ensure that you will get a ticket.
You can pre-book a Pearl Harbor Tour, which is basically the transportation to the Arizona Memorial, but once you get there you will have to wait in line like everyone else to receive a ticket.  So again it is free but it is something that you cannot reserve or be guaranteed.

Q.     Can you provide the website for the schedule of incoming cruises?
A.  Yes the web address is http://www.alohaboatdays.com/00schedule.html.  This is an important insider tip.  On the days that we do have a cruise ship in town most of the passengers want to go to Pearl Harbor.  That means you can be waiting in line for 4 hours just to get a ticket and another few hours before you can go over to the Memorial.  Just to clarify our insider tip- it is best not to schedule your clients on a day a cruise ship is in town.

Q.     Is the shuttle handicap accessible for those not able to transfer from a wheelchair or scooter?
A.  Yes the shuttles are handicap accessible.  Thank you for bringing this up.  I am actually working on a webinar with ADA Travel because I know we receive a lot of requests for information like this.  I actually had a travel agent on a FAM trip with us and we were even able to get her on the ship Battleship Missouri.  Someone there volunteered to take her in an elevator and brought her onto the deck.  The same holds true for the Arizona Memorial-a Navy personnel will be able to assist anyone that needs it.  If this is a topic you are interested in please e-mail me at Stacey@visit-oahu.com and I will make sure you are invited to my webinar on the island of Oahu and wheelchair accessible travel.

Q.     I have a child who is 7 years old.  Would it be appropriate for him to visit?
A.  Yes it would and I can say that from personal experience.  My son is now 8 but I took him for the first time when he was just 5 years old.  It was in July and we had to wait in lines for long hours and I was worried about bringing a young child.  I found, at least for my son that day, it was very educational for him and touched him in a way that it is now one of his favorite things to do.  When we have family or friends visiting he always wants to go back to Pearl Harbor.  As a parent we have to know the personality of the child and profile the patience of the child if they are going to be in line for that many hours.  It is also a good idea to bring lots of snacks.  The concession stands at the Arizona Memorial are very, very limited and hungry children seem to get agitated and impatient.  Just a little insider tip from a fellow mom J but yes I would definitely bring them along.

Q.     Is there anyway to get a copy or DVD of the 23 minute film at the Arizona Memorial?
A.  I am sorry but I do not know the answer for this, but if you e-mail me I will happily contact the manager at Pearl Harbor and get you the answer to that.

Q.  Is this webinar available to view again?
A.  Yes we have recorded it and posted it on MailPound.com.  Please click here to view.