Kona

Can someone please tell me if it is worth the cost to rent a care in Kona?? I have a tour in Hilo but am wondering what there is to see in the time we have in Kona which is 10am to 5pm. and also does the carnival Miracle allow us to bring on pineapples and Lei's... thank you all in advance for you help...:confused:

Can someone please tell me if it is worth the cost to rent a care in Kona?? I have a tour in Hilo but am wondering what there is to see in the time we have in Kona which is 10am to 5pm. and also does the carnival Miracle allow us to bring on pineapples and Lei's... thank you all in advance for you help...:confused:

The last time I rented a car in Kona was several years ago but traffic returning to town was slow. We barely got our car back to Enterprise (in an industrial area) & got one of the last tenders.

Here's a link to some good info including advice about a $2 shuttle van to Kahalu'u beach.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2216083

I think this is what you're looking for, the Honu Express Shuttle:

 

http://www.konaweb.com/forums/shuttle.shtml

 

It's $2.00, note that the driver does not make change. I didn't look at any of the stops so I don't know if it will help you out or not.

 

Have fun on your cruise! We loved it! :)

 

ETA: Yes, just looked - it does stop at Kahalu'u.

Can someone please tell me if it is worth the cost to rent a care in Kona?? I have a tour in Hilo but am wondering what there is to see in the time we have in Kona which is 10am to 5pm. and also does the carnival Miracle allow us to bring on pineapples and Lei's... thank you all in advance for you help...:confused:

You might look into Mary Lou's Big Island Tours. We did them when we stopped on the Hilo side, but they also do tours from the Kona area. They are highly recommended both here on Cruise Critic and also on Trip Advisor. Max of 6 people per tour, each conducted by Mary Lou, her husband, or her son. So only 18 spots available. It's like being taken around by your own family. It was a lot of fun and I highly recommend.

As far as the fruit and flowers, we were on the POA and I wore leis back to the ship more than once. The pineapple.....not sure. Is it going home by ship or airplane? I know Hawaii has very strict agriculture inspections. I would maybe check the Dole website for info. You might have to have it shipped direct.

Can you give me an idea of what Mary Lou charges for her tours? Where did you go and what did you see on her tour? Thanks.

Can you give me an idea of what Mary Lou charges for her tours? Where did you go and what did you see on her tour? Thanks.

I believe it was around $75 per person. It was pretty much a full day, but you would probably have time to shop a little at the end. Keep in mind our tour was in Hilo, not Kona. Not sure what the possibilities are for Kona, but I believe if you email Ken they will respond with a list of possibilities for sites to see, if they are not listed on the website itself. They are one of only a very few tours which are allowed to meet you "inside" the pier area itself.

For Hilo of course, the main attraction was Volcano National Park. We also made a stop at a coffee grower where we had a little "tasting" of the different varieties, an orchid farm, Rainbow Falls, a "nut" place, a beach where turtles came to rest and feed. I probably forgot something. We were able to keep ahead of the big tour buses. It was very pleasant only being with two other couples, both from our cruise. During the tour we were provided Maui chips and a variety of nuts to snack on. One stop had enough time for a quick lunch if desired. At the end of the tour we each were gifted a box of chololate nuts. They really treat you like family.

This was our first visit to Hilo so we really had no idea what the possibilities were although we had seen a list of possible stops. If there is something you especially want to see, let them know when you book. It is possible to do a strictly customized tour, but not sure what the price is. Otherwise, Mary Lou ( or Ken or Kyle ) will ask if anyone has any special requests at the start of the tour. If not, she will make a suggested itinerary and you are off. They seem to be very flexible but of course, majority rules if the others are not interested, so if there are specific things you want to see let them know upfront and you are more likely to be accommodated.

I'm huge fan of a car rental in Kona. Simple pick up right at the dock- is well worth the cost in my opinion. I don't want to waste my time, waiting on Enterprise to pick me up/drop off.

Place of Refuge is an interesting area, superb snorkeling, right nearby. 2 step- just jump off the lava shelf. :) With a car, you can duplicate a lot of what the "tours' include Painted Church, coffee plantations, etc. Depending on where you go, you can get some spectacular views.

Hawaii (the island) is probably my favorite Hawaiian destination. Extremely variable when there extended timeframes. I travel there at least yearly.