I highly suggest spending the night in Honolulu the night before your cruise. If you stay at the Marriott, you get to proceed to the front of the line which is a great perk.
We were some of the first 25-30 people onboard. Our rooms were not ready so we went upstairs to eat. We checked our carry-on bags with reception (they even locked up our wallets in the safe), hailed a taxi, and went to see Pearl Harbor. I had heard horror stories about huge lines but they weren't bad at all. We still even made it back for the mandatory boat drill at 5:30pm.
Entertainment: The shows were ok. The sets and talent were not as impressive as I have seen on other ships. But, I have cruised a lot and I am a Broadway junkie so I am used to top-notch talent. The best entertainment came in the form on the cruise staff. They were hilarious. Their unending is what kept the ship afloat. Major Kudos to Silas, Don, Greg, and Nick! Make sure you go to the Crew Talent Show the last night onboard to see these guys in action. I was more impressed by the talent that night than by the Broadway style show or the "On the Radio" show that the ship's "performers" performed.