To say we were excited to pull into our first Hawaiian port is an extreme understatement. After four rough days at sea everyone onboard was anxious to set foot on land and get our first taste of Hawaii!
Almost everyone had their heads poking out over their verandahs or were on the decks to get a view of the ship docking at the Port of Hilo. Although there had been numerous announcements the day before and the morning of arrival to be patient in the process, people still rushed to gangway locations making it frustrating and complicated for the officers to complete their necessary safety duties. The Cruise Director, Christiaan Abbott, used a few moments before the night time show asking everyone to please be patient during the docking process as this was the first time the Wonder had ever docked in Hilo. They were nervous something may have been miscalculated and the berth wouldn’t accommodate the ship, or the gangways would be too short; etc. All the things we don’t ever think about had the crew at full attention and on pins and needles during the docking process.
We were also warned numerous times that Hilo is the wettest place in the United States, once receiving 122 inches of rain in one day! It was obvious as we pulled in how true that was. The fog was so thick you couldn’t see anything and all of a sudden land appeared! Around the same time the land became visible so did little tugboats alongside the ship, they were doing 360 degree turns and shooting off their water cannons in welcome. The popular tour company Blue Hawaiian flew over head spreading tropical flower petals in the water as the ship pulled into port. It was quite the fanfare and I thought it was very nice and welcoming and really proved how far the hospitality of the Hawaiian people will reach! There were hula dancers outside along the walkways and cast members greeted each disembarking passengers with flowered leis for the women and tree-nut bead necklaces for the men.
I knew they weren’t kidding about the rain when they were handing out complimentary Disney Parks rain ponchos at the gangway. Yes, I just used the words “complimentary” and “Disney Parks rain ponchos” in the same sentence; I know...I couldn’t believe it either!
As we exited the ship I noticed that the Port of Hilo (like most ports) was in a very industrial area. So much so you’re not sure you’re actually in Hawaii until you navigate your way out of the cluster at the port transportation area. For a first time arrival the port was pretty organized. There was a covered walkway (once again proving how much rain they must receive each day!) that was divided into two sections: coming and going.
Signs were posted along the walkway for tour meeting locations and directional signs were overhead for those not embarking on port excursions. A short walk through the covered walkway brought you out to a chaotic area filled with the transportation options I mentioned. There were two rows of tents set up, the first along the wall of the visitors center building was for a free shuttle to Hilo Hatties for shopping, a free shuttle to Wal-Mart, and a line for taxi’s (which was incredibly long). Across a short pedestrian walkway was the second row of tents, which were labeled for rental car shuttles, etc. These tents were quite crowded but it seemed like things were getting in order after a few minutes.
We found the pedestrian walkway with the help of a few friendly security agents and began our walk into town. We honestly had no idea where we were going, we just knew we wanted to walk...to feel the land beneath our feet and find somewhere to eat that felt a tiny bit authentic. The rain started the minute we set foot off the ship so we donned our ponchos and got to it. There were very small uneven paths on the side of the road, which were quickly getting very muddy, they were also very close to the main road so it’s important to pay attention to traffic and puddles. The rain varied from a list mist to an all out tropical downpour. The massive amounts of rainfall reminded me of Catastrophe Canyon on the Backlot Tour, however this wasn’t a stunt. The locals didn’t seemed phased by the downpour at all and didn’t even seem to notice the incredibly loud sound from the rain hitting the roofs.
We had heard of a place called Ken’s House of Pancakes so we set out for breakfast. It was a very homey diner feeling with a massive menu. If you can’t find something on their menu then it doesn’t exist, the hardest part is choosing something to eat! We decided on breakfast since we hadn’t had “real” eggs in days (as in...from a chicken, not powdered). The omlettes were FAR larger than we anticipated-taking up an entire plate all on its own. The omlette was fluffy and delicious and all the ingredients were a great quality. The hash-browns were thin and grilled till they were crispy and then the pancakes came. Oooh the pancakes...the pancakes will make you want to kiss the cook; which is why I suspect they’ve been in business since the 1970’s. Breakfast was overfilling and delicious and a bit expensive; but when you consider the cost of everything in Hawaii I suppose it wasn’t bad in comparison, the average cost was about $16.00 per person for a breakfast with a coffee. The meals are MORE than enough to share. The best thing about Ken’s is the syrups. They have four different pancake syrups...kokona, passion, guava and regular. Try them all...I dare you to try to pick a favorite!
After Ken’s we walked a bit more (back toward the ship) and came across a place called Ponds that is aptly named, as it’s on a pond. This restaurant on the water had large windows that were open so the fresh air could blow through and sat over a pond with gigantic koi fish and turtles. They had a number of specialty drinks and the service was great. The staff was very friendly and helpful and our only regret was that we didn’t have any room to fit a morsel of food.
We parted with our company after our food and drink frenzy and went to Richardson beach, which is about 4 miles from the port (a $13 cab ride) and it was gorgeous. This black sand beach has a vast yet intimate feel all the same time.You can see the waves crashing up against the lava rock that’s prominent on this beach. The black sand beach portions are separated by lava rock and large trees and are spread out down the coast. Enormous sea turtles greeted us while we stood on the lava rocks at the edge of the water. They were the largest i’d ever seen and I almost accidentally stepped on one. I was moving closer to the water via the rocks and then the large rock I was going to step on suddenly moved and I screamed. The rock wasn’t a rock at all, but was an enormous sea turtle looking for some adventure. They are fascinating and swam very close to the lava rocks and we were able to get pictures, etc. They are stunning creatures to see up close and i’ll admit I kept thinking one was going to stick his head out of the water and say “Duuuuuuddeeee”, just like Crush. We did a little bit of an impromptu hike to get a better view and although we probably should have been a bit more prepared (for instance having tennis shoes instead of flip flops would have been a good start) the view was beautiful. There were more sea turtles in the little pools inside the lava rock relaxing and getting some sun on shore they are really fascinating creatures.
There are quite a few beaches along the coast, including Waiuli Beach Park, which is a short walk from Richardson Beach, or one stop before you get to Richardson Beach if you’re in a cab. This beach looked beautiful as well and had a picnic area as well as public restrooms. I think the only difference was that this beach didn’t have black sand. All the beaches were very clean, no pets were allowed and the locals seem to love the beaches as much as the visitors do.
The security officers near the port gates were friendly and answered questions about beaches, cab fare, etc and also checked our shipboard cards and photo i.d. before we were allowed to re-enter the port area for security screening and re-boarding.
There were things to do in port but we opted to not plan a shore excursion or pay to be transported to the sightseeing areas like Akaka Falls, Rainbow Falls, etc. as these places were far apart on this “Big Island”. When I saw the fog cover in the morning and the down pouring of rain I was glad I chose not to book a helicopter excursion in this port as the visibility would have been limited.
Tips and recommendations for Hilo:
If you’re a US citizen leave your passport in the safe in the room and carry your photo i.d. with your Key to the World Card for disembarking and re-boarding.
Get a tourist map for Hilo before you plan your shore excursions and adventures. This island is more spread out than the others so prioritize what you want to see and do before you arrive to make sure it’s a reasonable plan.
Plan on rain! Pack for rain and bring a poncho of your own if you don’t want to risk being without one (there’s no guarantee DCL will provide them again). Wear shoes and clothing that you don’t mind getting wet because you probably will. This is a port you have to be prepared for the elements so don’t let the rain ruin your day, it will come and go.
You might want to carefully consider helicopter rides at this port because the rain can cause a lot of fog.
The ship docks at the Port of Hilo, if you go left...you’re heading toward the beaches, if you go right you’re heading to “town”.
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