I understand it is free to tour the Arizona but the lines can be long. I've seen where I book a tour of the Arizona and Pearl Harbor. Will this guarantee no waiting in line and/or guarantee we'll get a ticket when we show up? I don't want to waste time getting there and not getting tickets that day and having to repeat the visit. Thanks

As far as I know, the only way you can get out and onto the actual memorial site is through the Park Service's boats.(When you get to there, you get a ticket with a certain time/group and you go when your group is called). I believe the private boat tours you see advertised just take you past the memorial but not onto it. I don't know if group bus tours that include the Arizona Memorial have some special arrangement for a block of tickets that eliminates the wait--- you might inquire with the tour company and see.

janeq is right - the only way on the Arizona is through the service. If you go early enough, the wait won't seem so long. When you go at high noon it gets 'tiring'.

My friend works for the Park Service there. Unless you are very very VIP, everyone lines up to get the free tickets for the same day. You get the tickets from the Park Service, watch a (mandatory) 20-minute educational film, very moving, I choked, and board a Navy launch which travels to the actual memorial site of the Arizona. We arrived at 9 am on a weekday and got tickets to the 10 am session. Of course go early if you wish. The tour companies either go past Pearl Harbor as janeq said, or drop you off and stay in the parking lot and you wait in line by yourself. The bus ride there is long, some hotels arrange for shuttles to Pearl Harbor.

Just another opinion - I took my sons to Pearl and arrived about 8:30 - got tickets easily for the 10am tour. Time enough to look through the museum and book store - watched the film, went to the memorial, then took a tram to the Bowfin and Missouri - well worth the time. The Missouri is amazing - hard to imagine how big the Arizona or other ships were unless you see her up close. Loved the Bowfin as well. Takes 3/4 of a day but very memorable.