Would we have time to visit the Memorial if we arrive in Honolulu at 1 pm and depart for the big island at 5:30 pm?

Doubt it. There's usually a wait between the time you arrive get tickets (which are free) and the time you can take the boat out there. If you arrive at 11am for example your departure time may not be til noon or 1PM. By 1PM (realistically 1:45 or 2PM by the time you would arrive) tickets may even be sold out for the day.

You would probably have better luck visiting the battleship Missouri. You depart from adjacent to the parking lot of the Memorial on a trolley out to the battleship, about a 10 minute ride each way, and the trolley seems to come often. I don't think there's usually much of a wait if any for that.

I guess you could go and hope you luck out that day and get quick tickets to the Memorial and if not, do the Missouri instead.

Thank you for your advice, Andrew. I think I'll wait till we take a vacation on Oahu just to be safe.

We arrived in Honolulu at 11:30am in mid-September on a Tuesday...Took a very long time to get our rental car and headed straight to the Arizona Memorial...All the tour buses were gone and we got our tickets to the next movie/boat to the Memorial...We had time to visit the Missouri and Bowfin too...It is a chance you will take but if you take a taxi you will probably get there just about the same time we did...If you get there and the tickets are all sold out you can always visit the Missouri as Andrew suggested...good luck!

Unless something has changed there was no cost for the ticket to see visit the Arizona and is simply the time you are assigned. Most inquiries are directed to go early to avoid the crowds but given you arrival time many have said they got in right away.

Yes, the tickets are free...I should have said all the tickets may be given out for the day...I understand they only give out so many per day...We had no trouble...best of luck with your tickets mhwhite.