Day 28 - HILO, HAWAII

 Date: 2/2/2024       Day 28                       Port: HILO, HAWAII

Description: Situated on the Big Island of Hawaii, Hilo greets guests in its historic downtown area, packed with restaurants and shops. As beaches are high on any visitor’s list, be sure to head to beautiful Hilo Bay Beachfront Park, a black-sand mecca for surfers and canoeing enthusiasts. Other local attractions include Pana'ewa Zoo, the only rainforest zoo in the United States; Nani Mau Gardens, where a tram ride takes you past such highlights as the iron bell tower and lovely orchid pavilion. Spectacular day trips are available, from volcano tours to kayaking adventures to trips to hiking tours in Akaka Falls State Park.

Planned Excursion: VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK   Canceled  

4.5 Hours            Moderate Activity            # ILO-001: Free

Visit Hawaii’s only UNESCO World Heritage site.  Drive along a volcanic crater rim, stopping at dramatic overlooks.  Stand so close to a volcanic crater that you will hear steam hissing from the fissures.

Todays Notes:  As we were coming into port this morning the ship experience heavy rolling from the ocean swills as we rounded the corner into the protected harbor.  I was shaving and Cathy was in the shower and I told her to hang on as I suspected we were maneuvering in the harbor.  As it turned out we just had a few things toppled over in our cabin, no damage.  However, when we went up for breakfast we found both the buffet and pool deck closed.   Being a 6 star cruise line they do complete table settings for all meals.   All these table setting, plates, glasses, forks, spoons and table clothes, much of it hit the deck breaking.  It was a real mess that they had to clean up before opening.  About this time the captain announced that he had decided to cancel this stop due to forecasted worsening weather conditions. The ship was nearly ready to be tied up to the pier, which we certainly could have done.  I believe the captain was worried about getting out of the harbor later in the day and being trapped in harbor.   We later learned that all the hot tubes and swimming pool lost their water.   It was a real mess on the pool deck.