Feb 18 - At Sea

Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - Day 15

For some reason, neither of us sleep well and then we over sleep so get off to a slow start. After breakfast Dick goes to trivia and Carolyn goes to a presentation on our visit to Auckland. Dick joins her and catches the last 20 minutes or so. We then listen to a presentation by Joe Kess on “The Pacific War: Australia, America and the Allies Meet and Defeat Imperial Japan.” This talk was rather trite and could have been so much better.

We cross the equator into the Southern Hemisphere about 9:30AM and King Neptune conducts the traditional crossing the line ceremony where those who have never crossed before, ‘Pollywogs,” are initiated into the ranks of the “Shellbacks,” those of us who have done so previously. Today is the first really pretty day. The seas are calm and the sky is deep blue with fluffy white clouds. For the first time the water is that rich deep blue one associates with the South Pacific. People are out working on their sun burns!

After a light lunch, we watch the Kim Novak movie, “Bell, Book and Candle.” We both enjoy her performance opposite Jimmy Stewart. Carolyn then heads for Afternoon Tea and Dick heads for the room to work on the blog and to watch the evening news.  4:00PM here is 8:00PM at home! Hard to catch the news with this time difference.

Tonight is another formal night and the World Club party is being held. We get ready for dinner and Dick goes up to check it out while Carolyn finishes dressing. She is moving slow, but the back is less painful. Yesterday’s day in bed seems to have helped. Dick finds out that the three most traveled on this cruise have over 6000 days between them!

Carolyn got some blue cheese from the Lido mid-afternoon. Before dinner we open the bottle of Chandon Brut the Cottages at Napa gave us as an anniversary gift for cocktails in the room. The pear butter we got at the Market in Napa is perfect with the blue cheese and all goes well with the Chandon!  Dinner is good as usual for the formal night with escargot for Dick, coconut soup for Carolyn then Caesar salad and surf and turf topped off with cherries jubilee for both of us.  Back to the room and lights out!

Feb 17- At Sea

Tuesday, February 17, 2015 - Day 14

The day is overcast and rainy with rolling seas...not the best of days for some. After our usual dining room breakfast and Dick’s morning trivia, we attend another lecture by Joe Kess, “Islands in the Sun - Tonga and the Two Samoas.” He had a good slide show and gave the history of these islands since their discovery in the 1700s. That was followed by a lecture by Denny Whitford, “Coral Reefs.” He explained how the islands in the South Pacific develop around volcanic activity. He had many slides of the creatures of the reefs and showed many of the deadly, dangerous ones unique to the South Pacific. These two lecture series are very enjoyable!

Carolyn gives into the pain, loads up on medicine for her back and naps most of the afternoon. Dick plays Skyrim on his computer for several hours. It is very quiet in our cabin this afternoon....but hey we are cruising!.

We went back to the dining room for the first time in three days. Everyone asks about us...seems we were missed. Normally our head waiter checks with Carolyn about the next day’s menus to see if any adjustments need to be made to avoid soy products in dishes that appeal to her. Since we had not been there last night to do this, the head waiter comes over to check out Carolyn’s order. It is really an easy menu with roast sirloin, strawberry soup and hearts of palm salad for Carolyn. Dick has a grilled tuna steak, the strawberry soup and another soup. The soups are very good. Dessert is chocolate souffle and blueberry cream pie with blueberry sauce. The ship is still rolling some so a another good night to sleep.

Feb 16 - At Sea

Feb 16, At Sea

Monday, February 16, 2015 - Day 13

A welcome quiet day at sea began when Dick finally awoke shortly after 7AM. Strong winds with rain showers have the ship rolling around. The coffee Barista, Rito from Luzon in the Philippines, told Dick of the government run training schools that supply much of the staff to cruise lines. The topic came up when Rito mentioned he had been going to leave the ship in Sydney, as his nine month contract would be up, but he had agreed to stay on for an additional 38 days and leave in Hong Kong because his replacement had not completed his training and could not come on board until Hong Kong. These schools train thousands of young Filipinos to work on ships all over the world. He also said that Filipinos who work on ships are the largest source of foreign exchange remittances into the Philippines.

Dick goes to trivia as usual. Then at 11:15AM, we go to the theater to listen to an interview with the 1950s Hollywood actress Kim Novak. She starred in such movies as “Picnic” and “Bell, Book and Candle.” She must be right at 80 years old and appeared, from the balcony, to be well preserved but also to have had one too many facelifts! They showed a video about her art work and we found many of her paintings to be quite attractive. She has a unique use of color. She also talked about her days as an up and coming movie star, her relationships with her various leading men and the fact that the acting career came about by accident, painting has always been her first love.

After lunch it is quiet around the ship and the boat is rocking away. We read and work on sorting the best pictures into a separate file for the book Carolyn will eventually make of the trip based on the blog. The beating we took yesterday on the bus still has us a little tired and Carolyn’s back is bothering her. Neither of us feel like dressing formal for dinner so we have drinks in the room and go up to the Lido about 8:30PM where we had it pretty much to ourselves. Carolyn has a small steak, mashed potatoes and a tasty broccoli dish. Dick has a grilled New Zealand fish along with the mashed potatoes and the broccoli dish. We top the meal off with cones of soft serve ice cream.  This is something we rarely do but the room service menu for dinner is rather limited. The Lido food is pretty good and we enjoy our meal in the quiet setting with out having to get dressed up.

Feb 15 - Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii

Sunday, February 15, 2015

The ship drifted from Honolulu to Lahaina on Maui during the night, all of 90 miles or so. It is still breezy and the sea is somewhat choppy. We have a tour that is to meet in the theater at 8:15AM to tender ashore. As happened the last time we were here on Holland American, the harbor master is being a jerk and holding up the tenders, forcing them to come in one at a time. For not the first time in our life it pays not to be early. There are four buses of about 40 seats each scheduled for our tour. We get to the theater at 8:15AM as they are passing out the last tickets for bus #6 and starting on bus #7, the fourth of the buses on our tour. As we sit down, they call groups for two buses for the other all day tour and two of our four buses. Then we wait and wait and wait some more. About 9AM the Captain comes on the PA and says that he is working on clearance for our tenders to land....???....what the heck....two full tenders left 30 minutes ago! Well things do not get moving again until about 9:30AM, over an hour later than planned, and we do not get ashore until 10AM. Fortunately, we are not in the two groups that are loaded into the first three tenders and then spend an hour and more bouncing around just outside the harbor entrance before being allowed to land.

There is total confusion on shore as there is the first group of people standing around waiting to board the buses for the other tour and two buses for our tour. At this point no one has told us our tour number is actually the number of our bus. So, of course, we try to board bus #5 only to be told our bus is on the way. Finally, the first three buses leave and three more pull up. There are no numbers or tour names on any of the buses and again we try to board the one right in front of us and are again told no that bus #6 is the other bus! Dick is less than happy at the point, so Carolyn checks on the other buses. Ours is the first bus and, by the way, hurry up they are waiting for us!! Since we are last on, we have our choice of the last six rows of seats and we each get our own row giving us plenty of space. See, late is not always bad!

We are off aboard "Robert’s Hawaii" bus #6 for our trip up to Haleakala National Park and the edge of the volcano crater at 10,023 feet above sea level. The driver of the bus is "Wally" and we will come to hate the sound of his voice before the day is over. The AC in the bus is not working and it quickly becomes warm and stuffy. Wally prattles constantly with the microphone turned up too loud. Once again, we hear of the wonders of living in the "People Republic of Hawaii." We constantly hear of the wonders performed by the government for the people. There is a pervasive since of entitlement and the right to use "OPM" (Other People’s Money) to provide those things you want out of life.

The ride up the mountain offers spectacular views in all directions since the sky is clear with the exception of VOG (Volcanic Smog) from the erupting volcanoes on the Big Island. Once we are on top of the mountain we find beautiful and other worldly views and can see all of the Hawaiian Islands with the exception of Kauai. The temperature is in the 40s and there are some patches of ice among the rocks. The views down into the crater are impressive. We see the last survivors of the "Silver Sword", a beautiful, cactus-looking, silver plant that only blooms once every 35-37 years and then dies. It has become a victim of chance. It only grows at the top of this crater and there are only a few hundred plants left.

On the way up the mountain we pass numerous bicycles coming down and a few even trying to ride up. The 10,000 foot ride down the mountain must be quite an adventure if you don’t splatter yourself somewhere along the way, having missed one of the innumerable hair-pin turns!

Because we are running more than an hour late, we are only allowed 25 minutes instead of the original 40 minutes at the top but that is enough. There are four buses in our group and we are now heading for lunch at Maui Tropical Plantation where the plan was to have about 90 minutes for lunch and to explore the plantation which is a collection of artisan shops and tropical gardens with banquet facilities. We were supposed to have lunch at 1:30PM and do not actually get there until 2:45PM. Needless to say, 160 grumpy, hungry people exit the buses!! The setting is lovely and lunch is a tasty cream of onion soup with a small piece of grilled chicken with rice, vegetables, Hawaiian style, a roll and bread pudding.

After a somewhat rushed visit, we to return to the bus at the set 3:30PM and find that our driver has left to get a new bus as he has figured out the AC compressor is not working. Explain to me why he could not have waited until we return to the ship; another 30 minutes or so. The new bus arrives and we get back to town at 4:20PM. The last tender is supposed to leave at 4:30PM and when our 160 arrive the line is already at least two full tenders long. The ship’s host comes aboard the bus and tells us he would like for us to get in line. But understands we don’t want to stand in the sun so we can wander around if we like, but PLEASE watch the line and join it when it gets shorter. The Captain must be pulling his hair out! We look out toward the ship and see three tenders bobbing around outside of the harbor and one just entering.

Carolyn had made the comment earlier that she had hoped she would have time to walk around the town some, so we do just that. There is a Sunday craft market under the big Banyan tree in the square which we explore and then hit a couple of shops around the square where she buys a swimsuit coverup and a couple of hand made bracelets. The line has moved some by now so we walk over and sit on a ledge near the line. Things are moving painfully slow since there are lots of boats, ferries and dinner cruises trying to move in or out of the harbor. Dick finally gets in line and Carolyn walks around taking some pictures. The sun is very low in the deep blue sky...good time for picture taking.

The last tender was to have been at 4:30PM and it does not load until 5:30PM and we are on it. It has been a long day! The ship finally sails around 6PM and we watch whales spouting in the distance while having a drink or two on our balcony. We have our stewardess bring us a bucket of ice, order some food from room service and get two personal sized pizzas from the Lido. Dick breaks open a bottle of Brandlin "Henry’s Keep" Proprietary red wine 2011 and we are in for the evening!

Feb 14, Honolulu Hawaii Day 2

Saturday, February 14, 2015

We sleep very well and wake to a blustery, rainy morning. The clouds are low on the hills to the North and they drop down to our level by 9AM and it begins to rain steadily. We take the opportunity to work on the blog and our pictures so that we are posted through yesterday by late morning.

It Stops raining about noon and the clouds lift so it is time to get out and finish our exploration. About 1:30PM, after a light lunch, we go ashore and find a taxi. He takes us to a bank to replenish our US currency, taxis are very expensive in Honolulu, and then to a pharmacy for a necessary, Dick’s knees are hurting and then out to Pearl Harbor. They have cancelled all trips out to the Arizona Memorial due to the windy weather. Of course, at 3:00PM the water is quite calm with just a fresh breeze blowing. We had not planned to go out there again but are sure some people are very disappointed. Also, for future reference, you are not allowed to carry any type of bag or purse into the museum area and must store it for a cost of $3 to $5 depending on the size. Carolyn is carrying a small pouch with our passports, her credit cards and a small amount of cash so there goes another $3. All total we had planned about $200 for taxis, which is less than a private car and driver or taking a ship’s tour, so for the two days it has not been too bad.

We watch the new film about the events of December 7, 1941 and it is well done and quite moving. We then take a look at the new museum area and do not think it is as well done as the old one. Maybe we missed something! After buying Jack his first pin of the trip and a few more pictures of the area, we catch a cab back to the ship.

There is a notice on our door that the excursion we had planned for tomorrow has been cancelled due to the weather. We will get a full refund and opt to take another tour that is still available. While Carolyn is working on those logistics, Dick works on the blog and downloads the day’s pictures.

The sun is out in full force by sail away so we have a nice view of the island.

Since it is the Valentine Ball tonight, we get cleaned up and decked out in red in honor of the occasion. Dinner is one of our favorites, rack of lamb. That and a salad and dessert along with some wine have us asleep at the table so no ball for us...just back to the room and bed.

Feb 13, Honolulu, Hawaii

 

Friday, February 13, 2015 - Day 10

 

The ship is late getting to Honolulu due to consistent heavy seas since leaving San Francisco. We arrive at Pier 10/11 beside the Aloha Clock Tower about 11:30AM. Since we are late, the morning has seen our usual routine of breakfast, trivia and a morning lecture. 

After lunch, we go ashore and find a taxi with a very pleasant and accommodating driver. We first head for the National Cemetery (The Punch Bowl) where we try to find the graves of two U.S. Marines Dick thinks are buried here but neither is listed and there is no one to provide any assistance. We do find the grave of the writer/reporter, Ernie Pyle. He was killed during the battle for Okinawa and was much mourned by the soldiers and Marines as he was one of them.

We then head for the Nuuanu Pali Overlook, site of the 1795 battle in which Kamehameha I defeated the Oahuans and added Ohau to his Kingdom. The overlook offers a magnificent view of the windward, North Shore of Oahu. Windward is very descriptive as the wind is blowing a gale up the cliff face. There is even the famous "Upside-Down Falls" where the consistent wind appears to blow the water in the falls back up the cliff.

From here we head to Waikiki Beach and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Traffic for most of the taxi trip has been extremely heavy and the final tab is $90 plus a $15 tip for being so accommodating.

It is quite windy on Waikiki Beach and the lobby of the Royal Hawaiian is open air so the wind is howling in and through the public areas. We find the Mai Tai Bar on the beach and snag a beach side table. What luck! The place is packed! We order two drinks and a snack to share. Talk about expensive, $57.21 including an $8 tip! We do get some nice photos though. Plus, Carolyn’s favorite passtime is watching the waves especially with a drink in hand.

 

Drinks on the ship are also expensive so we head for a liquor store and stock up on bourbon, cokes, bottled water and a corkscrew. We were surprised to learn that there is not a corkscrew in our suite. This is just one small sign of the cost cutting efforts on board ships these days.

Tired and loaded with our purchases we find a cab and head back to the ship through extremely heavy, Friday evening, rush hour traffic. This fairly short trip is so slow that the final tab here is $34.70; some above the sugested cost of around $25.

Note to self: find an ATM and restock US currency.

Back on board we dress for dinner and have another drink while watching night come to Honolulu. Carolyn had ordered the shrimp tempura last night to be made up for us as a main course. We both like tempura and it was good. Just have to remember if you order off menu you have to remember to also order sides as the kitchen doesn’t automaticly put a side on the always available or the off menu items. We had plenty as Dick had potatoe soup and Carolyn had a hearts of palm salad and we both had Bananas Foster for dessert. Plus, we ordered another bottle of a nice white wine we found the other night.

Once again, we do not last long after a "light supper" and head for bed.

 

 

Feb 12, At Sea

Thursday, February 12, 2015 - Day 9

7:00AM, time to get up! But it is dark! Where is the sun? Pull back the drapes to a rainy, dark sky with 11-12 ft. waves! Ship is fairly stable but it has slowed from to 19 knots from 23-24 knots of the last few days.

On the way to find coffee, Dick hears a break-in PA announcement of a "Code Alpha" in Suite 8015. Three young men who are wiping down railings near him drop everything and run for the nearest entry to crew country. Wonder what that is all about? The coffee Barista says a Code Alpha is a medical emergency! Hope all turns out well.

Coffee at the coffee bar and breakfast as usual. Then to our daily routine of trivia and lecturers...Port Lecture at 10AM, How on Earth does it Fly? by Captain Rigby at 11AM and Tropical Cyclones by Denny Whitford at 12:15. The Captain comes on the PA half way through the Port Lecture to announce that we will be late getting into Honolulu on Friday, hopefully by noon. He blames the strong swells we have been experiencing for most of the time since San Francisco. He does announce that we will stay in Honolulu through 6PM on Saturday and will proceed to Lahina on Sunday and then make up the lost day on our run down to Pago Pago. We shall see. Of course the sole topic of conversation around the ship the rest of the day is about all the changes to the ports on this cruise. We are just excited to have an overnight in Honolulu and not miss Lahina!

At lunch we sit with two ladies (widows) from New Zealand and a couple from Australia. One of ladies from New Zealand is originally from Tanzania. She is second generation Tasmanian and her husband was third generation. He and his family before him were farmers. They were chased out in 1980 when the government nationalized the farms. She and her husband moved eventually to the Bay of Islands of New Zealand and set up a Lodge...interesting story.

At 2PM we go to the Kess’ lecture on the movement of people across the islands of South East Asia and the Pacific and the development of the many languages. Dick then disappears back to the room and Carolyn goes to knitting and tea. Later she visits with the tour people since the port lecture got cut off due to having the same announcement in English, German and then Japanese!

We spend some time downloading pictures from around the ship then dress for dinner and go to the Commodore Club forward on deck 10 for drinks and watch the ship rise and fall as she plows through the big rollers.

Dinner is very tasty once again. Carolyn has chicken done in a cordon blu style with ham and goats cheese and Dick has leg of lamb with a nice pink center just the way he likes it. We top the meal off with chocolate lava cake, fudge sauce and white chocolate ice cream then "waddle and roll" back to the cabin. The ship is really rolling so good sleeping again tonight.