Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Port Reviews

Pretty easy to take the tenders in and walk around the little town for a couple hours and get back in the line for hour and a half to reward the tenders.

Visited: Feb 20, 2022

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Glassbottom boat excursion would not recommend it. Wandering around is ok

Visited: Feb 27, 2022

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Good port, but we would rather have had the day on Maui. Did a ship based excursion that was nice, however, it lacked the quality of similar tours by non-ship providers that we observed ... better vans with more room and amenities

Visited: May 04, 2022

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Lovely

Visited: Apr 10, 2022

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Luau was nice but not as extensive as before COVID

Kona was fabulous. The port in Kona can't handle a cruise ship, nor do they have tenders, so the staff of the Miracle had to use their lifeboats to ferry passengers from the ship to the dock. This process was a bit cumbersome, and our first driver took a very long time to get us alongside the pier, but we got there. Once on Kona, we went on a snorkeling excursion with Captain Zodiac. This was AMAZING. Our guide Amber, and driver (whose name started with a K and I can no longer remember) were super. Instead of taking us directly to the snorkeling area, they took us out to a "fish feeder" which is like a bird feeder in the ocean used to attract fish. There we got to see dolphins, pilot whales and two oceanic sharks. Our driver got us very close to the whales which was super cool. Then, on to the snorkeling area. The snorkeling was great, the water was warm and clear. They had snacks on the boat, cookies, chips, fresh pineapple and soft drinks. Then, we headed back along the shore. Our driver got us very close to the caves and lava tubes which was cool. Then back to the pier where we enjoyed the local flea market and swam at the nearby beach. All in all, an amazing day.

Visited: Dec 08, 2019

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Kohala waterfalls adventure - the description says you must be able to walk 1 mile over uneven terrain. It might be 1 mile of walking, but it includes lengthy inclines and man-made steps in the forest. I think that it's fairly classified as moderately strenuous. It’s a one-hour drive on paved roads to get to the location and one hour again to return. There is no Pinz Gauer as noted in the tour description, but that’s a good thing (the guide was surprised that a Pinz Gauer was mentioned in the tour description and said he would get it changed because they haven’t used them for years). We rode in an air-conditioned van instead of a Pinz Gauer for the off-road portion of the trip, which is much nicer, but this off-road portion of the ride to the trailhead is teeth chattering-ly bumpy and adds another 10 minutes to the drive both ways. Our guide was very informative, and the walk was interesting. The waterfall dip is refreshing if you choose to partake, but the rocks are slippery with moss (your guide will help you across the rocks). Walking sticks, backpacks, towels, snacks, and water were provided at the beginning of the hike. A ham or turkey sandwich lunch was included at the end of the hike outside on picnic tables with a beautiful view.

Horrible system of tendering from ship taking 2 hours and not leaving enough time for touring the island. Very disappointing. If you go, sign up for an excursion. That way you leave early enough to get back in time.

Never even got off the ship due to a back problem, but I've done this cruise twice before and this is a fun, laid back port to visit.

Ernie was a very good guide and we enjoyed seeing the coffee plantation and the turtles.