Hilo

Yes — this is the single best reason most ships call Hilo. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is 45 minutes south of Pier 1 on Highway 11, covering Kīlauea (the most active volcano in the United States) and the much larger but currently dormant Mauna Loa. Cruise-line ship excursions run $90–160 per adult for a 5–6 hour bus tour with stops at the Kīlauea Visitor Center, Steam Vents, the Jaggar Museum overlook (when open), and a section of Chain of Craters Road. Independent operators charge $75–120 for the same loop and tend to spend more time at fewer stops. The self-drive option is the cheapest if you can secure a rental car — Enterprise and Hertz have Hilo Airport counters about 10 minutes from the pier, but the cars sell out fast on cruise mornings; reserve weeks ahead. Park admission is $30 per vehicle, good for seven days. Whatever you do, leave Hilo by 9 a.m. — the drive is twisty and the eruption viewing area can change overnight.

Different sides of the same island, almost opposite weather and feel. Hilo is on the windward east coast, gets 126 inches of rain a year, and is the larger residential town — about 44,000 people, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, a working harbor, and the Volcanoes side. Kona (Kailua-Kona on the leeward west coast) gets around 25 inches, is the resort and snorkel side, and is a tender port — ships anchor and shuttle passengers in. Most Hawaiʻi-loop itineraries, including the year-round Pride of America roundtrip from Honolulu, call both ports on consecutive days: one for the volcano and rainforest side, one for the beach and reef side. If your itinerary only includes one, expect Hilo on volcano-focused sailings and Kona on snorkel-focused sailings. The drive between the two is 1.5–2 hours each way and is not a sensible day-trip on a cruise day.

Rainbow Falls yes, Akaka Falls if you have a full day. Rainbow Falls in Wailuku River State Park is 10 minutes by taxi from Pier 1, free admission, with a paved viewpoint a few hundred feet from the parking lot — best light is morning when sun on the spray creates the rainbow the falls are named for. Plan 30 minutes total and combine with downtown. Akaka Falls State Park is 30 minutes north up the Hāmākua Coast, with a $5 per person entrance fee and a $10 parking fee, and a half-mile paved loop trail through bamboo and ginger to the 442-foot single-drop falls. The trail has stairs and is not flat. If you have already committed half a day to Volcanoes, skip Akaka; if you are doing a half-day around Hilo only, Akaka pairs well with a Hāmākua coastline drive and a stop at What's Shakin' for a smoothie.

Yes, especially if you want a Hawaiʻi memory that is not a t-shirt. The Hilo Farmers Market at the corner of Kamehameha Avenue and Mamo Street downtown runs every morning of the week, with the bigger vendor days on Wednesday and Saturday (200+ stalls) and a smaller daily market the other days. Expect papayas at $1 each, fresh poke bowls for $10–14, malasadas, lilikoi (passionfruit) curd, fresh-cut pineapple, ʻōpihi limpets when in season, and a row of plant-medicine and lei vendors at the back. Cash is preferred at most stalls; some take cards or Venmo. It is 15–20 minutes on foot from Pier 1 along the bayfront, or a $10 cab, and is the easiest way to see the actual downtown rather than the tourist shops on Banyan Drive. Closed by 3 p.m. so go on the morning side of your cruise day.

Probably, and no. Hilo averages 126 inches of rain a year — one of the wettest cities in the United States — and you should plan on at least one shower on a cruise day, regardless of season. The rain is usually passing rather than all-day; locals do not own umbrellas, they own rain shells and wait five minutes. Volcanoes National Park sits at 4,000 feet elevation and has its own weather, often cooler and drier than Hilo at sea level but sometimes foggy enough to obscure the caldera. The eruption viewing, if Kīlauea is active, is visible day or night and is unaffected by rain. The east-side rainforest, including Akaka Falls and the Hāmākua Coast, looks better in mist than in sun. Pack a light waterproof jacket, expect to be slightly damp, and do not cancel a tour because of the morning forecast.

Cards work for almost everything; cash helps at the farmers market and for small tips. The cruise-day shuttle, taxis, rental car desks, restaurants, the Volcanoes Park entry station, and Akaka Falls all take contactless or chip-and-PIN. The Hilo Farmers Market is the main cash holdout — many small stalls are cash-preferred and a few are cash-only, though more take Venmo or Square each year. Currency is U.S. dollars; Hawaiʻi has no separate state currency and no Canadian-dollar acceptance. Hawaiʻi state sales tax (GET) is 4.712% on the Big Island and is usually included in the displayed price at markets but added at the register at restaurants and shops. ATMs are available at the Bank of Hawaii branch on Waianuenue Avenue downtown and at the airport. Carry $40–80 in small bills if you plan to tip a tour guide ($5–10 per person on a half-day bus) or buy from the market.