Our port of call for today was Kona, Hawaii. To be more specific, it is called Kailua-Kona and it is located on the west coast of the big island of Hawaii. It does seem more like a village than a big city such as Honolulu. There is no dock here, so we are required to take a tenderboat from the ship to town. Speaking of tendering, this was our first port we had to do this since we boarded back on September 3rd. Usually the general hotel manager issues a note listing the ports where we need tenderboats. The note says we have priority tendering for those ports. We just realized that we never got that note, probably because there were no tender ports on our itinerary in Alaska. On the original Tales of the South Pacific voyage, there were 13 ports to tender.
However, we did get a phone call from Kumar, our concierge, telling us we could go to the stairway on deck one, show our room keys, and be allowed to go down to deck A and the waiting boats without having to get a tender ticket. We are not sure what was told to the 3, 4, and 5 star Mariners, the Neptune folks, and the Club Orange guests that paid for this privilege. Last year while on this same trip, that group congregated in the Wajang Theater with special tender tickets. Since there were only three President's Club members, we were escorted down to deck A.
The weather was nice, warm, and humid. Mostly sunny and partly cloudy, the humidity was 79% and the temps were 81 degrees F. There was very little wind, if any at all. The motion of the ocean was very noticeable when we returned from dinner last night. The Zaandam was sailing between the islands of Maui and Hawaii, known for their highest waves in the world. It's a surfer's paradise we understand. Once through the two islands, we turned south and traveled down the west coast of Hawaii to reach Kona by 7am.
We left the ship at 10am, but there was still a line of guests using tender tickets. One of the staff members asked us and another President's Club member to wait by the elevator, and when the boarding resumed, we would filter into the line. Some woman asked our friend where her tender ticket was, and she said look at my room key….that's my tender ticket. Nothing more was said. We usually wait for the "open tenders" notice before leaving. The group waiting behind us was on the open tender boat. We do not see the sense of rushing over to shore so early, because nothing is open. It's different if we were on a private tour, but we were not. We find it amusing how many folks insist on being first when it comes to tendering. They may not know where they are headed, but they sure do make it a point to rush to nowhere.
There were some HAL tours here today starting with a Kona coffee and gold coast with a visit to a cloud forest for 4 hours and $220. Kona highlights was 3 ½ hours for $120, and a glass bottom boat tour was 1 hour for $100. Pelagic wildlife was 3 ½ hours for $60 and zodiac rafting and snorkel was 3 ½ hours for $160. The ho-ho bus was 1 hour for $100, but the Kona's flavors walking tour looked like fun where you eat and drink your way through town for 2 ½ hours for $230. One excursion that went to a National Park out of town was cancelled and the money refunded.
The tender pier is right in the center of town. On the left is the old hotel with a nice beach, which is open to the public. A religious temple is built there, "Ahuena Heiau" that served Kamehameha the Great in 1812. It was the center of political power. It is considered sacred and no one is allowed near it.
Turning right from the tender pier, we followed Alii Drive where historical buildings are located as well as a large number of restaurants, boutiques, and stores filled with t-shirts and souvenirs. ABC stores also line the drive and they carry a little bit of everything, including the chocolate-coated macadamia nuts. The Hulihee Palace is the next stop where Kamehameha the Great resided and many royal families to follow. As part of the National Park system, it was closed today due to the government shutdown. We toured it when it was open to the pubic without charges.
A big event is coming here on Saturday, October 11th. It is the Ironman World Championship competition. The town was alive with activity with grandstands off of the main drive, and tents set up along the entire seaside road. This event is part of a triathlon and draws a young and rowdy crowd. Across the road from the Hulihee Palace was Hawaii's first Christian church by the name of Mokuaikaua. Completed in 1837, this church was constructed with cut lava rock, crushed coral, and native hardwood trees.
Kona's Farmers Market used to be a fun place to buy produce and many souvenirs. Although it is still shown on the ship's map, it has been removed for the last couple of years. Now it is a parking lot. Along the way is the Kona Inn Shopping Village filled with some eateries and little boutiques and jewelry shops. You can find Donkey Balls there, which is comparable to the macadamia nut chocolates, coffee, and brittles. Hilo Hattie has been in this shopping village, and it is still listed on the port and shopping map, but we did not see it when we passed through the village. There are several small boutiques that have closed here as well.
We continued on passing the seawall and ended up at the Royal Kona Resort. It is one of the nicest resorts here and also a good turnaround spot. Along the way, there were many sidewalk stands that had excellent brochures and pamphlets that can be found on every island. They are really good for maps and things to do while in the islands. Crossing the street, we wandered through the Kona Marketplace where one of the big restaurants was located….the Outback Steakhouse. For the last couple of years, it has been closed down. Probably victims of the Covid outbreak in 2020 contributed to many places closing.
Further up the street, we located the stairway to Poncho and Lefty's Cantina, one of our fun places to have lunch. You have to climb the stairs, but it is worth it for their nachos and chips and salsa. Today we had a high-top table on the side with a wonderful breeze. First order of the day were beers – Kua Bay IPA, a local draft that was recommended by our cute waitress. They were ice cold and had a very nice flavor. We shared an order of carnitas cheese nachos, and followed up with one huge slice of mud pie. It was made with a stronger mocha ice cream, which we guessed was Kona coffee. Then it was covered with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. They do it right here.
Time to move on, we noticed that Alii Drive was not so busy now, because the day had warmed up quite a bit. Some of the restaurants were full of customers cooling off on the balconies with various beverages. We noticed that the Scandinavian Ice Co. was closed up tight and their windows covered. Had it gone out of business? Reading the notice on the door, we learned that it was undergoing remodeling and would re-open soon. Good to know since we have friends that never miss stopping here.
Back at the pier, we got the next tender boat for the short ride back to the ship. It was around 3pm and we were very thirsty, and enjoyed the sodas we have refrigerated. All aboard was 4:30pm. And Captain Smit came on with his news from the bridge. He announced that his 2 month job as captain was over and he would be going home from Honolulu. Captain Willems will replace him for the rest of the voyage and beyond. He added that he would love to stay, but he would have a lot of explaining to do with his wife. He continued saying that once the tenders were loaded and the anchor pulled, we would be on or way. That was well after 5:30pm. We had been seeing some good splashes in the bay while watching from the veranda. Zooming in on the activity, we realized we were watching spinner dolphins flying out of the water. That is always the frosting on the cake for us. Anyway, we have 153 nautical miles to reach Honolulu with a speed of 12 knots. The weather would remain the same as today. Also, he said the Zaandam would be docked portside tomorrow, which was a surprise to us as we have always had the view of the harbor while here.
Dinner was a shrimp cocktail with avocado, but there was no avocado. A spring roll was a starter for one of us, and Caesar salads were enjoyed by both of us. Mains were a turkey dinner and a chicken parmigiana with spaghetti. Desserts were an apple treat and a banana with a chocolate drizzle. There was a Hawaiian Concert title Divos by Erwin Urbi in the World Stage this evening. Or the movie, Midway, in the Wajang Theater.
Back to our room, we found that our jetted tub was still not working, even though a few things had been replaced. Looks like it will not be an easy fix.
Bill & Mary Ann
