Prelude: We have been on an abbreviated version of this cruise, the Hawaii and French Polynesia portion (March 2019), and absolutely loved it. It has probably been my favorite cruise so far and I’m eager to take what I know and see if it can possibly be improved on.
Why would you want to repeat a cruise you might ask …. Well, a couple of reasons. The most consequential reason is that this 45 day cruise cost us a whopping $800 (not including the excursions which added about another $3000, well before all the cancellations anyway). The reason is Covid. You see, we were on a South American cruise in 2020 when COVID shut the world down. We ended up with Covid and confined to our ocean view (porthole) cabin for the majority of the cruise while the cruise line attempted to offload us somewhere in the world, and not on THEIR ship. We eventually ended up back in Fort Lauderdale, FL with the entire cruise cost rolled into a 2-1/2 times future cruise credit or we could have taken a refund. We decided to take the credit. That got us this 45 day cruise plus another 18 day cruise in Dec22/Jan23 in the Caribbean including a partial Panama Canal transit. (In case you’re curious, the price tag for this cruise would have been $22,000!!)
The next reason is my love of warm weather vacations and Jeff and my love of snorkeling.
This is the first time that we will be sailing with someone that we met on a previous cruise … introducing Jeff and Kathy Mather from Colorado, who we met on our Amazon River cruise a few years back. Update: We heard from Kathy a couple of days before we left home. She had come down with Covid and there wasn’t enough time for her to test negative so they had to cancel the trip. We are totally bummed and will definitely miss their presence on this sailing.
So, while I’m not keen on doing things I’ve already done before (think rereading a book), this cruise is about 2 weeks longer than the one we were on previously. They’ve added American Samoa, Samoa, Fiji, Cook Islands and Tonga to the itinerary. Unfortunately, before we boarded/or shortly thereafter, we were notified that we would not be stopping at American Samoa and Bora Bora was also removed from the itinerary.
We have cruised twice since that ill-fated South American cruise. We were on the last cruise ship back to the US when COVID shut the world down, and we were on the first cruise ship out when it opened back up. Then we took another (repeat) Alaska cruise (because I got an UNBELIEVABLE deal) and unfortunately, I ended up with COVID again after we returned home from that cruise.
For this cruise we had to present evidence of a negative Covid test prior to sailing and proof of full vaccination.
Sunday, October 2, 2022
OKC to San Diego – travel day
Early rise – 4:30, got to airport about 5:45, luggage came in underweight … yes! – all FOUR suitcases! All flights were on time and FULL, but I can’t remember the last time I was on a plane that wasn’t totally full (with the exception of the flight home from the COVID cruise). We got the shuttle to the hotel within 10 minutes, checked in 4 hours early for an extra $25 and took a nap. Ate at Melt! A grilled “everything” cheese place, walked for miles in the downtown area and then sacked out knowing that we were here and the cruise terminal is literally right across the street from our hotel.
Monday, October 3, 2022
Sail from San Diego, CA US 5pm
Sea Day (1)
We checked out of the hotel at 11, but our boarding time was 12:30 so we parked our butts in the lobby. Another couple said they took part of their luggage over early (brilliant, why didn’t I think of that?), since we had 4 bags and 2 backpacks, Jeff took 2 of the bags over early and then we visited with fellow cruisers until it was our time to go. We have the Verifly app (I don’t think it’s a Holland only thing) so got to skip the passport and Covid information checkpoint. Next was boarding pass and check in, then the x-ray machines. Standing in line there was a sign of prohibited items …. The last two items were fixed blade knives – Jeff left his diving knife at home (that got us a visit with ship security on a previous cruise), but the LAST item was drones. After a deep sigh (since I read nothing online about them being prohibited, I came up with a contingency plan since we were carrying a drone (!) …. If we couldn’t get through security, we had enough time to take the drone to the post office and mail it home to ourselves and get back before sail off …. No worries, we sailed through the x-ray line and boarded. Went directly to our room, unloaded our backpacks and then waited for our luggage to arrive. Nothing came at the same time … they just kind of dribbled in … but that meant that unpacking wasn’t overwhelming. We like to get all settled in before we explore the ship so this worked out great.
Muster drill is no longer done with EVERYONE on the outside deck where your muster station is located. Now you go to your muster station, at a time that is convenient to you, but before the ship sails, and they show you the proper way to put on your lifejacket. The actual safety briefing is done in your room on the television.
We had our snorkel gear which took up ½ of a large suitcase and then we had 2 more large suitcases, a small suitcase and 2 backpacks. Definitely felt like we brought the kitchen sink! But it is a 45 day cruise. We’ll see if we wear everything we brought but it looks like I’ll be wearing my sweater every night because it was cool in the dining room this evening. After dinner we came back to the room to get a jacket and discovered that I didn’t pack my sweater. Oh no! I’m going to have to go shopping!!
Pretty sure that we didn’t know about this before we boarded, but masks are required except if you are outside or actively eating or drinking.
At our dinner table tonight was Jean and Dave from Virginia Beach, Mary and Pat from Minneapolis, and Noreen and Bob from Arizona. So, we ended up at a table for eight instead of six. It’s much easier for us to hear everyone at the table when it is a smaller group but it is what it is, we’ll see how this plays out.
We were delighted when we read about the music venues onboard. They have the Rolling Stones Lounge for rock and roll, and the Ocean Bar was billed as country music but it turned out to be the piano bar playing dueling pianos – good singers but not our type of entertainment. They also offer a dance band so all the couples that take dance lessons can get their money’s worth and show off. They are also the main stage band when needed for a show. And of course, this is Holland, so they have Lincoln Center which does chamber music.
We went to the Casino tonight because the mainstage entertainment was ‘meet your entertainment team’ … hard pass on that one. I ended up playing video poker. Down $4 tonight, don’t think I’m going to get rich on 25 cent bets but it is amazing how many great hands I get. I think the computer is trying to entice me to increase my bet! Jeff managed to lose all of his $30 tonight.
This was the first night that we turned the clocks back an hour. I don’t mind this direction but coming back isn’t going to be any fun.
Tuesday, October 4, 2022
Sea Day (2)
This is our first of many sea days and multiple time zone changes. Hang on, here we go!
Hit the Promenade deck to walk this morning at 7 and was surprised how many people were out walking already. After a quick shower we went to breakfast and then headed to the pool. It filled up quickly and by 10 all the chairs were taken. This is a smaller ship so there are not as many places to find outdoor seating. Same goes with the Crow’s Nest, which is a combination bar, lookout lounge area that has tables to work jigsaw puzzles and a very small library of travel books. If you want a good lounge chair in this air-conditioned comfort you probably have to have your place staked out by prior to 8 am!
Yesterday was chilly so didn’t do the pool but today was gorgeous. It was about 77 degrees with a nice breeze at the pool at the back of the ship. I was out from about 9 until 2, Jeff called it quits about noon. When I got back to the room, I couldn’t believe how red my face was. I have only been out of the pool at home for just over a week and I have a good base tan. My swimsuit bottoms are cut a little differently than my home swimsuit so I ended up with a red stripe at the top of one leg.
Tonight’s dinner was at the Pinnacle Grill. It is Holland’s premier steakhouse and there is an upcharge but we both had 4 dining credit each so we’ll eat here 2 more times and once at the Italian place.
The food and service are impeccable. We both had filet mignon, mine 7 oz and Jeff’s 10 oz. It was cooked to perfection and you could cut it with a fork. There was a “pre” dessert of white and chocolate truffles followed by a chocolate souffle for Jeff and Baked Un-Alaska for me. OMG, we were so full but it was so good!
After dinner we went to the mainstage show “Swing, Swing, Swing” with the dancers and singers. It was our first introduction to them and they were good. It was also a plus that the sound guy knew where to put the sound level. Some cruises they put the sound level so high you can’t even understand the singers.
We finished the evening at the Rolling Stone listening to some great live music and making fun of the way people dance. My rule here is that if you make fun of others then you are precluded from participating in the same activity. It’s funny that Jeff and I give nicknames to people on board that we think look like someone else. There is Jane, the secretary on the Beverly Hillbilly’s … remember that old show? Then there is Jackie from the Connor’s … not so much that she looks like her but her mannerisms and the way she moves.
Tonight the clocks were set back one hour.
Wednesday, October 5, 2022
Sea Day (3)
This is our first “dressy” night but the day started much like the previous one – walk one hour, shower, breakfast, pool. We got ready early and went to the Ocean Bar to watch the good dancers and then joined our table companions in the main dining room for dinner. Surf and Turf was the main menu item and Jeff’s prime rib just couldn’t match up to the Pinnacle filet. I had pasta.
We managed get to the Captain’s talk late at the main stage and listened to him introduce his executive staff. His name is Frank Van der Hoeven. He is very understandable over the speaker and doesn’t have the heavy Italian accent that most captain’s do – probably because I don’t think he’s from Italy but I don’t remember where he’s from. He is also young at 59. He talks every day at noon and gives us our position and the temperature, how far we’ve traveled so far and how deep the water is where we are currently at. Today the water was 14,000 ft deep!
The Captain’s talk was followed by a female singer, Rachel Tyler, singing Broadway tunes. She put on an excellent show and had previously been part of the cast of Las Miserables. She will be back for another show later in the week.
We ended the evening listening at the Rolling Stone Lounge.
The clocks moved back another hour tonight.
Thursday, October 6, 2022
Sea Day (4)
We changed the clocks another hour again last night so we are now 4 hours behind OKC. I got out to walk at 6:15 and did my full hour. Frustrated by the people that jog on this deck – not allowed – and I have never seen so many elderly people nearly get run over having to stumble out of the way.
We had mandatory Covid testing done in our staterooms with the room stewards verifying our results. Happy to say we are both negative. Maybe they will relax the masking rules.
Didn’t spend as much time at the pool today, although it was still 77 degrees, it seemed really warm and I have 2 more sea days before Hawaii and don’t want to be too burned.
Jean and Dave weren’t at dinner this evening. Jeff and I both had lasagna for dinner. It was poor at best. Marie Callender’s frozen lasagna is so much better. We did go to the main stage show which was a comedian, Chris Strait … he was so-so. The entertainment on board was rather sparse this evening. We ended up calling it an early night. We did get some good news this evening. The cruise director announced that Bora Bora was back on our itinerary so as soon as the main stage show was over, I got onto the internet on my phone and rebooked our favorite snorkeling tour that I had to cancel when they removed the stop. I think we’ll pass on rebooking the rental car since we are only in Bora Bora for the day, we were previously scheduled for two days. They also changed a bunch of ports around since they added this stop back in.
Friday, October 7, 2022
Sea Day (5)
Walked at 6, light at first and then crowded by the time I finished an hour later. Entertainment this evening was Rachel Tyler’s second show “Straight up … with a Twist.” She acts like a true diva but her singing is good.
The Covid testing went well so masks are no longer required just strongly encouraged.
Saturday, October 8, 2022
Sea Day (6)
The water depth today was 16, 500 ft.
Entertainment this evening were the ship’s singers and dancers in “Ever After” a journey through fairytale classics.
Tonight the clocks were set back one hour.
Sunday, October 9, 2022
Hilo, Hawaii, US 8am to 6pm
Thrifty car rental
Last evening Captain Frank said we were running with no exterior lights, a requirement by the islands of Hawaii, so as to not attract any non-native birds or insects to the islands. We had big rolling waves last night that made it difficult to walk the hallways but great for sleeping.
We docked right on time this morning and were let off the ship at 8am. We were greeted on the gangway by Holland personnel and each of us received a lei, very similar to the ones that we made on board ship. Those flowers, we were told in our lei making class, actually come from Singapore … so much for native flora … lol.
Took a little less than half an hour for the rental car shuttle bus to show up. Since we have done this the previous two times we’ve been here we knew the drill, where to go, etc. and we were on the road within 5 minutes of picking up our rental car. Our first stop was the Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden located on Onomea Bay. Last time we were in Hilo we did the state trail which cuts through the gardens. This is a 17 acre garden that has not only Hawaiian native plants but plants from other tropical locations. We spent about 2-1/2 – 3 hours here and took a ton of pictures. We also saw a couple of lizards and a family of muskrats foraging for mangoes. The path down AND back up is very steep but once we got closer to the ocean it leveled out some. I took nearly 100 pictures of the flowers, trees and scenery.
The Bioreserve was founded in 1978 and opened to the public in 1984. It took 6 years to hand clear the tropical jungle and create winding trails. Later an additional 20 acres was purchased and the entire 37 acres was donated to establish a non-profit nature preserve ensuring that this area on Onomea Bay will be forever protected.
After the garden we made a trip to Walmart … yes, top of the list is Mr. Davis’ Dr Pepper. We paid an exorbitant price but it IS Hawaii. We asked our room stewards if we could bring them something back and after telling them we wanted to do something for them, they agreed on Sun Chips. So, it was Dr. Pepper, the chips, some Goldfish because besides being addicted to Dr. Pepper, Mr. Davis has to have crunchy stuff to munch on. The only thing crunchy we’ve found on board is cereal.
I forgot to pack my black sweater. You wouldn’t think you’d need one on a tropical island, and you don’t, but you do need one if you’re wearing sleeveless tops in the dining rooms on the ship 😊 So we went to Ross, TJ Maxx and had no luck. Ended up at the mall and found one at Macy’s.
After the mall, we grabbed a burger (actually 2 burgers, plus fries and one drink for $23 at Jack in the Box!) and then ventured down the road about 30 miles to try and find something we haven’t seen before. We ended up at a place on the map called …. Wait for it …. “Hawaiian Beaches”. We were totally expecting …. Beaches … but alas, no! Apparently, it is the misleading name for a housing addition that had NO BEACHES! It ended up being a photo op of the coastline with waves crashing. After that little excursion we returned the rental car and caught the shuttle back to the pier. EVERYONE commented on Jeff’s Dr. Pepper that we were carrying on board. He encountered a few kindred souls that were probably upset they didn’t think to buy DP which is not available on the ship.
Entertainment this evening was comedienne Chris Strait.
Monday, October 10, 2022
Honolulu, Hawaii US 8am – overnight
Waikiki hop on/hop off bus
Today was reminiscent of a prior trip to Honolulu. While we weren’t in danger of missing the ship (which nearly happened last time) since it is staying here overnight, nothing seemed to go our way today.
We walked about half a mile to the closest hop on/hop off bus stop and waited for the bus to arrive. I had pre-purchased tickets before we left home. After waiting for over half an hour Jeff called the office and they informed him the pickup time was 10:35. But what’s going on? 35 past the hour has come and gone. Another couple from the ship came up and asked us if this was the pickup spot and asked us about how it worked. I told them, then showed them the schedule and the husband replied “we have a while to wait”. With new eyes I looked at the schedule and then looked my phone. I mistakenly assumed the pickup was every hour on the hour at 35 minutes after …. And it is, but only starting AFTER 10 am. So much for getting out before it gets hot.
We were by the King Kamehameha statue and had already taken pictures so we walked across the street to the Iolani Palace – the home to Hawaii’s last reigning monarchs. It was the official royal residence and the center of the Kingdom’s political and social life until the overthrow of the monarchy in 1893. It was also where Hawaii officially became a state of the United States. And to follow our unlucky day, it was officially closed today because it’s Monday.
When the hop on/off bus finally showed up the driver told us that we couldn’t get on until everyone that was currently on board had reboarded (there was a brief sightseeing stop here). He said it was only fair to the people that had been on board all morning. I told him that we didn’t have any choice where we boarded the first time, this was our closest location to board. In the end we got a seat but I’m reminded why we typically don’t do hop on/off buses. In the future, the lesson learned here is that with the money we spent on the tickets we could have gone everywhere we wanted with Uber and probably still saved money.
We rode the bus to the Waikiki shopping stop (been there, done that previously), changed buses and were dropped off close to the zoo. The original plan today was to get to the zoo EARLY before it got HOT. That didn’t work out. It was after noon and it was hot. We went ahead and went into the zoo and it was a total bust. Not only were the animals mostly hiding from the heat but a large number of them were in quarantine and not available to the public because apparently Covid can be spread to certain animals. How was the zoo you ask? As Jeff put it …. “we got to see a lot of the pictures of animals.” Now we can mark the Honolulu zoo off our list, even on a good day with all the animals out it would not rate in my top 10 of zoos we have visited.
From the zoo we managed to find another hop on/off bus that took us to the Ala Moana center. It is an outdoor mall with over 300 shops – billed as the largest in the United States. Malls of America is the largest indoor mall in the U.S. I needed to get a prescription transferred to CVS here and filled …. And yes, there was a CVS in the Mall. Also Target, WalMart, Nordstrom, Macys and 100s of other stores.
If you do business with CVS then you know the pharmacy is closed from 1 to 2 for lunch. What time did we arrive? Before 2! See how our day is going? We did walk around and found that they had the chips that our room stewards liked so we got 2 bags and 2 12 packs of DP zero. Yesterday we bought regular DP because that was all we could find. We talked about picking some more and decided that we would make a special trip back tomorrow for more DP zero.One thing did go our way… I was able to successfully transfer my prescription and get it filled. It was now a little after 2 and we hadn’t had lunch. Our hop on/off schedule showed that our bus could take us back to our starting point would be across the street at 10 after the hour so we had just missed it. We grabbed a bite to eat at the food court and went out to wait for the next bus.
We looked at goggle maps to see how far away the ship was docked. It said it was a 35 minute walk. We can do this! So, we set off. We were having a hard time keeping goggle maps up on our phone but how can you miss a big cruise ship … right? Well, we walked and walked and walked and were not seeing any cruise ships. We passed a harbor full of berthed yachts (later we found out this was where the opening scene for Gilligan’s Island was filmed with the boat leaving the marina) and walked a bit further. It is 85 degrees out with humidity of about 150%. I finally sat down and rebooted my phone to get the map back up. Originally, I had asked for directions to Pier 2. This time I asked for directions to Cruise ship Pier 2. Can you guess what happened? It is the OPPOSITE direction. Not only do we have to walk another 35 minutes back to our starting point but we have to walk another 45 minutes past that! ….. I’m in @#$ing flip flops!! On top of that I’m still dealing with effects of Long Covid and my stamina is horrible. At this point we SHOULD have called an Uber. Did we? No. Why? I don’t know. Trudging in the heat and the only thing I’m truly grateful for at this point is that we didn’t buy 3 12 packs of DP!!
We FINALLY spotted the ship and by the time we got to our room you could wring the sweat out of our clothes. I ended up with 3 blisters! I know, we should have called an Uber. But it gets better …. Wait until you read tomorrows entry.
We showered and headed to dinner. We knew Jean and Dave were going to a luau, but Bob and Noreen didn’t show so it was us and Pat and Mary. We had a nice visit and then went to the mainstage show which was supposed to be Polynesian dancers and music. We got there so late that, like a Baptist church service, the only seat we could find was in the front row.
The show started off with the hula girls, transitioned into the guys dancing, then back to the girls. There was one male dancer that looked like a chubby white guy complete with a beer gut. I got a kick out of watching him because he was also apparently new to the show and kept watching the other dancers to see if he was doing it right. Then he came out by himself and the emcee asked if anyone knew what a Haka dance was? Of course, Jeff knows, and we’ve watched videos of it because it is so interesting. It is a Polynesian warrior dance … you should watch a video of one, but better than that, watch this video. The emcee asked for a couple of male volunteers from the audience and I strongly encouraged Jeff to participate. He went up on stage and the rest of the story is …. Well, watch for yourself …. Jeff is now a local celebrity on board!
You will have to go to my Facebook page to see the video of Jeff doing the Haka – the learning curve for importing videos is pretty steep, I’m trying but I’m not there yet!
Tuesday, October 11, 2022
Honolulu, Hawaii US overnight – midnight
Waikiki hop on/hop off bus
We got off the ship early this morning with two things in mind. We are going to do the hop on/off and get to see some of the sights we missed yesterday (Punchbowl Cemetery, Chinatown) and pickup more DP zero from Target.
We get into the cruise terminal and there is a hop on/off bus in the parking lot. Jeff said maybe we can get on that one. I told him that it was probably for an excursion. He asked them if they were going by the Ala Moana center and they said no but that one (pointing down the parking lot) is a free shuttle that goes and runs continuously all day. SERIOUSLY?? We could have caught a free shuttle from the mall and I wouldn’t have 3 blisters right now!!
We took the free shuttle then hustled outside and across the street to catch the hop on/off for the “Heroes and Legends” route that we only got to do a portion of yesterday. This roundtrip was 120 minutes and it got crowded and hotter the longer the day wore on. I did get to see the final two stops plus Chinatown, and I now don’t care if I ever come back to Honolulu.
The mainstage show tonight was a movie – South Pacific, so we passed. In hindsight, I thought they were showing the original movie but it was the 2001 remake with Glenn Close. Oh well!
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
Nawilliwili, Kauai, Hawaii US 8am – 6pm
Jewels of Hawaii: Allerton & McBryde Tropical Gardens and Waterfall
Kauai is such a laid-back island with a small-town feel. There wasn’t much traffic on the two-lane roads as we made our way to the gardens with our guide, Michael. Michael is a transplant to Kauai. In a previous life he had been a park ranger on another island and one of his friends told him about the opening at the garden. He was a natural tour guide, just the right amount of attention, laid backness, humor and knowledge to make for an entertaining day.
Our first stop was a blowhole which was operating magnificently for us. There was only one other small bus parked here and we stopped long enough to get pictures and a bathroom break for the weak bladders in the group.
We had about another 15 to 20 minute drive to get to the gardens which was on someone’s “top 50 places to see before you die” list. To get into the gardens we passed a private golf course on the coast that had a $20 million home on the green closest to us. Michael said the adjoining 1-1/2 acres had sold for $28 million. Yes, the views were phenomenal …. But dang, that’s a LOT of money!
When we entered the gardens, the area to the left was being set up for a wedding with a covered tent. Michael Creighton (author of Jurassic Park) had been married here and afterwards had gifted some of money to the park which they used to put in a bathroom for the area.
So, the Jurassic Park reference is intentional because the latest film had scenes that were shot in the park, as well as Donovan’s Reef (John Wayne and Lee Marvin), From Here to Eternity (Burt Lancaster), and the Descendants (George Clooney).
The gardens were set up in a series of six “rooms” each of which had a water feature. Since the land is held in a trust, there were certain stipulations made, one being that the statutes be allowed to age naturally and not be cleaned or repaired.
The garden encompasses 117 acres and had at one time been a sugar plantation. Now it is a living laboratory, dedicated to the research and conservation of tropical plants. There are 117,300 plants in the collection and over 13 million seeds in the seed bank.
Was it one of the top gardens in the world that we’ve visited? … no, but Michael did relate some interesting stories about the films that were shot here.
The waterfall portion of our tour (we’re on a South Pacific cruise and it is mandatory that all tours include a waterfall!) required a stop after we left the garden to a different location on a road where a landowner allowed access to the waterfall on guided tours only. As we passed through a gate that had to be unlocked Michael said to watch out for “brown cow droppings” to which one of our fellow (New York) passengers exclaimed “the cows aren’t going to chase us are they?”. It just makes you wonder if these people have never been in the “real” world before.
On the way out of the park the elusive ‘Alae ‘ula – a Hawaiian moorhen, was spotted on the side of the road and I managed to get a really bad picture of his backside.
It was an uneventful drive back to the pier after a short stop at the visitor center which was outside the garden grounds – an opportunity to shop a little and go to the bathroom. I asked Michael during the stop if he would mind dropping us off at the intersection where he turned to take us back to the ship so that we wouldn’t have as far to walk to the shopping area. He said he’d take us there but not to say anything to the others, just stay on the bus.
It was in the shops that we discovered t-shirts for $46!! Needless to say, we didn’t enrich that shop owner. There ended up being a free shuttle back to the boat so that was a win-win for us (and my poor blistered feet).
Tonight’s entertainment was comedian Sid Davis – he’s pretty good, enjoyed his show.
Thursday, October 13, 2022
Kahului, Maui 7am – 6pm
Haleakala Crater and Maui Ocean Center
This was supposed to be our favorite stop in Hawaii, we were really looking forward to our second trip to snorkel the Molokini Crater but due to a port change that excursion was dropped. In its place we signed up for the Haleakala Crater and Maui Ocean Center with lunch included.
We were supposed to leave the ship at 7:30 but due to the fact that not enough security personnel had shown up at the cruise terminal we weren’t allowed off the ship until they could bring more security people in. Captain Frank did extend our time in port and said that our excursions would remain the full length. Our excursion was supposed to be 6 hours. We finally ended up getting off the ship at 9:15 and after about 20 minutes of standing in queue and getting checked in, we boarded the bus and headed for the crater. It was a 45 minute drive from sea level up to 10,000 feet and was a nearly constant series of hairpin curves that jostled us from side to side and made me extremely sleepy. This drive is said to be the greatest change in elevation in the shortest distance in the world. We passed from the agricultural habitat into the forest and then the summit habitat.
Once at the top we had a short hike to the summit to view the crater. I had read that the crater is usually socked in with clouds or the view of the ocean is socked in – you’re usually not lucky enough to see both. I did manage to get a couple of good pictures looking down toward the ocean as we were making our way up. Once we climbed to the summit overlook, we were disappointed to find that it was filled with a cloud. Several people that beat us to the top turned around and went back down. With nothing else to do we kind of hung out and were amazed when the clouds in the crater started clearing out. It cleared enough for us to view how deep the crater was, but we were unable to see how long it was.
In years past, tours would bring groups up to the summit to view the sunrise and then they would bike down. There had been enough accidents that the bike riders are only allowed to descend starting at 6000 ft (remember the summit was over 10000 ft). There is also a trail that starts at the summit, goes down the volcano and then follows the road to Hana for the adventurous souls who have the time and stamina.
Coming back down from the summit to the visitor center we spotted a chukkar – which is a non-native bird that was introduced to Hawaii for hunting. It has acclimated well to the summit area. We have also seen them in Washington State. This little guy wasn’t afraid of anyone and liked having his picture taken.
On the way down the driver spotted a billy goat. I didn’t get a picture of him because I spotted him too late. He was a big ole goat! The driver said you can get a permit to kill a Billy goat but you’re not allowed to kill a pheasant.
Our next stop was the Maui Ocean Center which was billed as the premier aquarium in Hawaii. We were also supposed to have lunch here. When we first arrived, we were led into a planetarium type of theater and given 3D glasses to watch a film on humpback whales. At this point I was so sleepy from the constant back and forth coming down the volcano and now they put us in a dark room … nap time for me for sure! What I did see of the film was very well done. At one point I opened my eyes and there was a humpback whale EYE right above me, staring at me!
After the movie we rushed to the restaurant to claim our meal so we’d have ample time to explore the aquarium. We had our choice of fish or a burger with fries. Jeff got one, I got the other and we split it so we both had the same thing. The fish was good, the burger was okay. We rushed out and found the shark exhibit. I knew we were in for a disappointing experience when we entered the building and were met with written exhibits, and then around the next corner the same thing, and the next. We finally found the large aquarium that held a number of different kinds of sharks, two large rays and various fish, none of which we had seen in the water on previous snorkeling excursions. There was another exhibit with jelly fish and another with turtles and that was the extent of it. To say we were disappointed would be a major understatement. The aquarium in Jenks OK does a better job at aquarium exhibits then this place did.
Tonight’s entertainment was BBC Earth Presents. They take BBC Earth shows and accompany them with music. We passed on this.
Friday, October 14, 2022
Kona, Hawaii US 7am – 4pm
Tender
We have explored Kona quite thoroughly on previous times here so we waited until mid-morning to venture out as this is a tender port. When we got to shore there was an information desk set up. We asked about the trolley and were told that it was free today and Jeff’s brother Shannon had told me this is where the Ironman competition is held and there was a sign, which they pointed out to me. Today was our last grocery shopping day in the United States so we were either going to Walmart or Target to pick up Dr. Pepper among other things.
When the trolley arrived, we actually found a seat and then about 10 minutes later we were at Target. The driver said she would be back in an hour at the same location, someone asked if she took time off for lunch and she said no. We shopped and finished in about ½ hour and headed outside to wait. For most of that half hour we found a bench in the shade with our shopping cart next to us, loaded down with 3 more 12 packs of Dr. Pepper and a bag of miscellaneous snacks. You would think that a cruise ship would have enough food, and they do, but if you want nuts or chips or crackers, you are SOL. About 10 minutes before the trolley was supposed to be at the stop, we put the cart away and carried our stuff around the corner and found a small bit of shade to wait. No benches here. Well, we waited, and we waited and we waited. I called Mom thinking as soon as I got on the phone with her that the trolley would show up. We had a lengthy conversation and after we hung up, we waited some more. A full HOUR AFTER the trolley was supposed to be there, I called for an Uber (not going to repeat Honolulu … well, there was no way I was going to walk back to the ship but we were done waiting). Another elderly couple standing nearby said they had tried Uber but couldn’t get it to connect and asked if there was enough room if they could split the cost with us. It was a Honda SUV so there was enough room for all of us and the fare was a whopping $8, they handed me a $20 and I gave it back to them and told them to just pay if forward.
We got back to the pier and there seemed to be a thousand people standing around. I left Jeff with the groceries while I walked down the sidewalk to get a picture of the Ironman sign. Our Uber driver told us that the Ironman competition had been the previous weekend and that 5300 people participated in it. So sorry that we missed the crowds … NOT!
Sailed through security with all the soda pop and a bunch of people looking at us like we were nuts or they were sorry they hadn’t thought of it. We now have enough Dr. Pepper in our room so that Jeff can ration out 2 cans per day for the remainder of the cruise.
Tonight’s entertainment was “Cantare Presents: Stage and Screen”. It was a 4 man group singing Broadway and Film songs.
Update: a day or two after we left the news started reporting earthquakes on the island and we continued to hear on the news about them continuing while we were on the cruise. Then 2 weeks after we got home the Mauna Loa volcano erupted.
Saturday, October 15, 2022
Sea Day (7)
Got up fairly early and walked on deck 10, a lot less people than on deck 3, but it is in full sun. Came back to the room and showered. Then up to the Crow’s Nest to pick up the daily puzzle, breakfast and then spend a few hours at the back pool. I forget how HOT it gets out here. Jeff lasted about an hour before he went in search of shade. I made it to one pm, then went inside to shower for the second time. At dinner there wasn’t a thing on the menu that looked appetizing, so we went to the buffet and had a ham and cheese sandwich. Walking through the indoor pool area we ran into one of our dinner couples, Bob and Noreen, and visited with them until it was time to go to the mainstage show.
Tonight’s entertainment was the second show by comedian Sid Davis. We really enjoyed his first show. This one was good too, but his timing seemed a bit off tonight, still a good show. Afterwards we listened to the new band in the Rolling Stone theater and then played (fed) the slots for a bit before calling it a night.
Sunday, October 16, 2022
Sea Day (8)
Went to church service at 8, then back to the room to change into swimsuits, breakfast and then settled in on the back pool deck. That lasted about 2 hours and then we ran into a nice rain shower. It, momentarily, cooled things down for an hour. We shared our outside table with a lovely couple from the UK, who live south of London about a block from the “Jurassic” beach. They came over a couple weeks early, into Los Angeles, and visited Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Tahoe, and Palm Springs before boarding the ship in San Diego.
After that, Jeff got something for a light lunch and we came back to the room. Tonight is “dressy” night and it takes a while for my hair to dry AND I needed to catch up on my blog. Now, I can happily say I’m caught up.
The entertainment this evening was “The rich variety and heartfelt melodies of virtuoso pianist: Hyperion Knight” … we did not attend. First of all, the title of the show was off putting and secondly, who names their kid Hyperion?
Monday, October 17, 2022
Cross International Date Line – lose day – skipped
Tuesday, October 18, 2022
Sea Day (9)
Cross International Date Line – We didn’t cross it twice but since we crossed it yesterday and we skipped yesterday, then it never really happened, right? Or something like that!
Cross Equator
We were previously scheduled for Fanning Island so today was another disappointing cancellation to our itinerary … I so loved Fanning Island on the last cruise.
The clocks moved back another hour this evening.
The entertainment was the third show for comedian Sid Davis.
Wednesday, October 19 ,2022
Sea Day (10)
There is a group on board, Hawaiian Ambassador’s, that have been with us since San Diego and talk about all things Hawaiian, and then one stays on with us as we travel through the South Pacific islands. Not only do they give informative information on the islands and their history but they also teach the Hula, how to make leis, how to play the ukulele and are available to answer travel questions. This afternoon we went to the Hawaiian ambassador’s talk on Samoa.
The clocks moved back yet another hour this evening.
The entertainment was “Cantare presents: All In.”
Thursday, October 20, 2022
Apia, Upolo, Samoa 9am – 6pm
Manu Sina Beach – We cancelled this excursion
We received information the previous evening that the excursion that we had for today had changed. It was a couple of sightseeing stops (and on this cruise sightseeing seems to always refer to waterfalls) and then ended with some time on the beach. Our notice said that this property had been damaged when the volcano erupted in January off the coast of Tonga and resulted in a tsunami which caused the damage. The property owner decided to rebuild on higher ground and went on to say that access to the beach required negotiating 60 uneven steps down to the beach and if you happened to be there at low tide you wouldn’t be able to swim. Hence, the cancellation. That gives us more money to spend on laundry and the casino since we get it back in on-board credit. I haven’t checked to see what happens if we don’t spend it all.
We arrived at Samoa on time. However, the local authorities came on board to check the ships health logs before they would clear anyone to get off the ship. This is NOT American Samoa, that stop was also removed from our itinerary. We were told that we needed to exchange money and they would have a local bank person on board. Jeff got in line to exchange money while I got all our snorkel stuff lined out and set up the underwater case for my phone so I could take pictures. That was a learning curve in itself because this will be the first time I’ve used it. We left Jeff’s phone on the ship because we knew we would be leaving our stuff on the “beach” while we were in the water. We finally got clearance to disembark and grabbed our stuff and headed to the gangway.
While the ship was tying up there were local performers on the pier calling out with conch shells, and performing – dancing and singing. By the time we got off the ship they were gone. We knew we didn’t have very far to walk to get to the “Deep Marine Reserve” which was supposed to be a good snorkel location. We passed Bob and Noreen who were coming back in and they said that everything was far away (the market and the cultural center) and it was already HOT!
We bypassed all the taxis that were waiting at the pier and walked about 3 blocks and saw a homemade sign that indicated the entrance. It was a dirt road that had deep, water filled ruts and curved around so we couldn’t see the beach yet. Once we made it around the curve we came to the entrance. It was rustic at best. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any pictures (explanation coming) but I’ll try my best to give you a good visual. Besides the muddy road leading in, the entire area was covered with a canopy of trees. There was a homemade sign on wood that said that the entrance fee was $5. The entire “area” was gated off with boards, broken down cars, and fencing – rustic is a really generous word. You had to look through the entrance to see the water. The entrance was a hut with a thatched roof but inside there was a price “menu” and a local young lady behind a counter. She said that it was $5 US or $10 Talah (local currency). The local money was the better deal. We paid her and she pointed out where we needed to swim to and said past that point it dropped off very deep and that there wasn’t any reason to swim to the east. Once past the entrance area there were some covered wooden tables where we put our stuff. She informed the couple behind us that it was advisable to wear shoes in the water. One look at the “beach” and we saw why. From our table where we staged our stuff there was about a two foot drop off down to the beach. The beach wasn’t sandy. It was covered with old coral and rocks. I wouldn’t want to walk on that in bare feet.
I got my camera case out and the first thing I noticed was that my phone had received a notification. My phone is “enshrouded” in this waterproof case and there is no way for me to clear the notification and repressurize the case because I didn’t bring the necessary tool with me (it’s a learning curve!). So, dang it, no underwater pictures on my phone but we did bring our good old trusty underwater camera – the drawback is that the pictures have to be transferred to the computer before they can be uploaded to the blog. Bummed out to say the least. I was really looking forward to this new underwater phone camera case. Guess it will have to wait until next time.
Jeff has swim shoes and I have waterproof sandals so once we had all our stuff and our safety vests on, we headed down to the water. Jeff could get his fins on over his water shoes but I walked out a ways in the water and then sat down and tossed my sandals back on the shore, hopeful that no one would walk away with them.
Once we started swimming, we were immediately met with some kind of sea grass that we’ve never seen before. It was kind of a milky translucent color and curly. It was interesting to look at and it looked very delicate. We didn’t have to swim very far and we started encountering coral and fish. One area where the reef was close to the surface and really shallow to swim over managed to cut up Jeff a little bit. We spent about an hour and a half in the water. We saw some trigger fish and some other fish that we’ve never seen before. The only thing unusual that we saw were some teal colored sea slugs. They stood out and didn’t look real.
When we finished, we found a different way back to the beach that bypassed the shallow area over the reef. The tide was coming in so it was a really quick swim back in. And YES, my sandals were still on the beach.
We visited with a couple of ladies that were vacationing on the island from New Zealand and offered up a band-aid to one that had a pretty good cut on her knee from the coral. They asked if we were from the cruise ship and were interested in what our itinerary was. After we told them they said we were “living the life.”
We hustled back to the ship to grab a bite to eat, change clothes and head back out again. Going back out we passed Pat and Mary who were traveling incognito (we didn’t recognize them because they were wearing their masks. We were told that the local authorities required that we wear our masks the entire time we were off the ship). They had been to the cultural center and the market and said it was a pretty far walk so we opted for a taxi.
The first young man that asked if we wanted a taxi didn’t speak very good English. We asked how much to go to the market. I thought he said ten dollar but Jeff said he said ten talah – which would have been a good deal. We ended up catching a taxi when we got to the main street …. For ten talah!
I was really glad that we took a taxi because it was about a 15 minute ride and we wouldn’t have been able to find the market on our own. It was a large covered area with a cement floor. About half of it was devoted to fruits and vegetables and the other half to local crafts. The crafts included lots of very colorful fabrics. I actually saw a woman working the fabric. They take a thick piece of rubber about three foot square and cut out a design. A colored fabric is placed over the rubber and a paint is rolled over the fabric leaving the design on the fabric (relief pattern). There were also lots of goods made with coconuts. They make a soft, pliable type of paper and there were a lot of hand-woven items using the “hair” of the coconuts. I bought a phooey. It is a handle that has braided coconut hair attached to it. It is something that is used by the chiefs when they are talking and also used during funeral services. I also got a small square of the coconut paper with a turtle painted on it.
Most of the men that we have seen here are large and that was reflected in the shirt sizes that we were seeing. The only ones that Jeff liked were in 2 or 3XL. We did find him a nice one on the pier when we returned to the ship. Most of the men here wear a mid-calf length black wrap skirt with flip flops and a loud Hawaiian shirt, although the younger men seemed to have made the transition over to long shorts. We were told they are very religious and we had to cover our knees and shoulders – that was the women, but the men got a pass on the knees and shoulder thing.
When we left the market, we took another taxi to the Catholic Church. It had the most amazing wooden ceiling. It was cool inside because there were doors all around the church that were open and let the breeze flow through. When we left the church, we took another taxi back to the pier.
Tonight’s entertainment was Hyperion Knight … for the second time, we didn’t go.
Friday, October 21, 2022
Sea Day (11)
Late afternoon Captain Frank told us that we had increased our speed and would be arriving in Suva the afternoon before we were scheduled to because someone on board was in need of medical care.
We were originally scheduled to be in American Samoa today but that port was cancelled before we even left San Diego.
We went to the late morning talk on Fiji. Tonight’s entertainment was “Encore!” It was singers and dancers with hits of stage and screen.
The clocks change ANOTHER HOUR tonight! If you’re keeping track … it’s now 7 hours difference from San Diego.
Saturday, October 22, 2022
Sea Day (12)
Because we changed the clocks last night I got up early again to walk. Headed out about 5:45. As soon as I got on the sport deck I was met with about 6 people walking the wrong direction which is really weird and unusual for this deck. I headed around the corner and not only was the wind blowing really hard it had also started raining. I made my way to the nearest door only to find two crew members rolling up water hoses that they had used to wash off the deck blocking the way. By the time I got back around the corner to a door I was soaked. I headed down to the Promenade deck to walk there because it is covered. I don’t like walking on this deck because it is usually crowded and there are too many people that walk the wrong direction or are jogging (which they aren’t supposed to do). It was still really windy and hard walking but at least it was covered.
We arrived in Suva about 3 in the afternoon and anchored in the bay. We had to wait for a Princess ship to leave at 5 before we could tie up to the pier. Once we were docked, we were told that we were free to go ashore. They suggested that we not take very much money and leave jewelry on the ship. We decided evening was not a good time to be exploring a new city with that kind of suggestion. We have an excursion tomorrow that leaves at nine in the morning.
Got back from dinner tonight to find that the tour operator for our excursion tomorrow has cancelled it. We are not having much luck with excursions on this trip so far.
Tonight’s entertainment was “Cantare presents: Timeless”.
Sunday, October 23, 2022
Suva, Viti Levu, Fiji Islands 8am – 11pm
Colo-i-Suva Forest Park and Waterfall – CANCELLED BY TOUR OPERATOR
We arrived about 18 hours early here because someone on board required medical attention but had to wait in the harbor at anchor for another cruise ship to leave in the morning before we could take its place at our appointed time.
Woke up early but didn’t walk because we were going to get off the ship after church. I don’t know why but I thought church service was at 8:30 and at 2 minutes until 8 Jeff said we need to go. What? Apparently, the service starts at 8! We rushed downstairs and as soon as we got into the room I realized that we ran off without our masks (and there were a lot of people coughing). Jeff went back to the room to get them and still managed to get to the service before it started … that means it didn’t start on time and our room is really close by… LOL. As soon as the priest started talking the cruise director came over the intercom … which overrides and shuts down all the microphones, so the priest laughed and sat down to wait it out. Fiji is very particular about what can be brought off the ship. A lot of people, me included, will take items off the buffet line for lunch or as a snack. The only thing we could take off was bottled water.
After church we ate at the Lido buffet, then back to the room to change and head out. We did have an excursion scheduled for today – a forest park …. And wait for it … another WATERFALL!! The tour operator cancelled it because there was a good chance of rain today and there weren’t good walking trails. Probably saved someone from breaking a hip! Anyway, we headed out on our own. The first thing that I noticed was the Sunday is apparently laundry day on the tug boats!
We followed a group of people down the sidewalk who looked like they might know where they were going. Two by two, they either turned back or got into a taxi. The last couple in front of us finally turned around. They were Mark and Diane from Huntington Beach, California. They said they do this cruise or the shorter 30 day cruise every year. Since it’s Sunday here, the major market is closed but we did pass a small, enclosed straw market so we turned around and headed for that and visited with them along the way. They wanted to hear all about our COVID cruise on the Zaandam.
At the market Jeff found a couple of pairs of earrings for his sister and I got a carved mask. We could see a grocery store from the ship so we headed there next. I always like to check out the different products that they have and the prices. We didn’t need see any Dr. Pepper so it’s a good thing we loaded up in Hawaii. The most amusing thing I found in the market was Fiji water … in Fiji, imagine that! Jeff said here, they just call it water!
Our cruise director had told us that the people here are very friendly, which kind of goes against the announcement to not carry much cash or wear jewelry, but every single local person that we passed greeted us with “Bula” which means hello. They would grin very big when we returned the greeting or beat them to it.
We did pass a bakery that had fresh bread loaves in the window and a smaller fruit/veggie market that also included a stall with beautiful flower arrangements. There was some kind of root for sale, no idea what it was, I think it might be taro.
One elderly man stopped us on the street and told us that his friend, Meko, could take us to a local market run by their village. It’s like we encountered in Dominican Republic, the street people get a kickback from the shop if they bring someone in and they buy something. We did find Jeff a tank top and got a Fiji rugby shirt for Trent. When Jeff was checking out, the girl behind the counter told him to put his cell phone in his front pocket. On the way back to the ship we got hit with the sob story that Meko’s house had burned down and could we help out his family. Lucky for us, on the way back to the ship, he found another couple to take to the shop.
We ended up walking back to the ship in a fairly heavy drizzle, which was better than it being hell hot. They were exchanging currency on board before we left but we didn’t do the exchange before we got off this time. During the cruise directors talk on Fiji he said that they were the only country in the world to have a 7 dollar bill. It was issued to commemorate the Fiji rugby team’s bronze medal in the 2020 Olympics. After we got back on board, Jeff went to the money exchange and got a 7 Fiji dollar.
I have heard that Fiji is a beautiful island but unfortunately due to a cancelled excursion and it being Sunday, we didn’t get to see much besides the waterfront.
Really looking forward to Dravuni tomorrow. Mark told us the best place to snorkel and he learned it from someone else. Diane said the shelling is really good too.
We ended the evening helping Pat and Mary complete a jigsaw puzzle and then played cards for a while before calling it a night.
Tonight’s entertainment was the movie Castaway which we’ve seen so we passed.
Here’s an interesting aside about this location … this is the furthest away from home that we will be on this cruise. We are 6,613 miles away from home. Everything after this is making our way back … slowly.
Monday, October 24, 2022
Dravuni Island, Fiji 8am – 5pm
No excursions
Tender
When we got to Dravuni in the morning the wind was sustained at about 29 mph. From the balcony I watched as 4 skiffs raced past the ship. It turned out that they were the temporary buoys! The men in the skiffs held up red and green flags to denote where the reef was located. Once we got anchored, they put four tender boats in the water. They were being tossed around like toys in a bathtub.
We went to breakfast early, gathered all of our snorkel gear, got the underwater phone case set up and headed down to pick up our tender tickets. I was surprised when we got there that there were less than a dozen people waiting for tickets. No sooner had we set down than a crew member approached and informed us that they were calling off this location because the water was too rough for tender operations and the captain would be making an announcement shortly. What can you do? You can get mad but that isn’t going to change the situation. You can be disappointed – and that was definitely where I was. This trip is fast turning into a very expensive shopping trip and not a cruise. We have so much on-board credit because of all the excursions that have been altered so considerably that we’ve cancelled them, or they have been cancelled by Holland or the tour operator.
The captain did come on the speaker and explain that the conditions were too poor and we would not be tendering at this location. He said that one of the tenders had broken a bow line and water was coming over the ship’s tender platform.
We watched as it took hours for the tender boats to be returned to the ship. It was clearly evident that this was the correct decision to be made but still disappointed.
I have no doubt, especially after our “Covid” cruise, that the crew does have alternative entertainment options that they can put into place at a moment’s notice in order to fill the free time created by large holes added to the itinerary. What was a bit unexpected was hearing the cruise director come over the speaker and announce an open bar …. At 9:30 in the morning!
We did end up taking a nap on the back pool deck after it warmed up a bit in the afternoon, but the wind continued to be brutal.
After dinner we returned to our room to find out the Holland has cancelled ALL excursions for Roratonga, Cook Islands, which is a two day stop later in the week. The reason? Apparently adequate insurance was not in place. <Heavy Sigh>
The mainstage entertainment this evening was a ventriloquist named Mike Robinson. It was good to laugh. We rounded out the evening playing cards with Pat and Mary. Found out that the bar in the Crow’s Nest actually shuts down in the evening. We had the whole place to ourselves!
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
Lautoka, Fiji 8am – 5pm
Research let me know that there was no good snorkeling on this Fijian island. I got up and walked the sport deck at 5:45 and watched as we came into port. It is truly amazing the difference between today and yesterday. While today remains cool, low 70s, the water is so calm today. It’s incredible to believe that we are in the same area as yesterday.
So today ends up being yet another shopping day. It is also a holiday here, so a lot of the regular shops and public market are closed today. There is a department store that is offering a free shuttle to downtown. We shopped (and bought) and then walked around for a couple of hours. The main street in town is lined with Royal Palm trees and is lovely. We did find a public area where Queen Elizabeth II visited in 1953 and planted this Golden Shower tree. <pic>
We were surprised to find a large Indian presence in the city. Lautoka is also known as Sugar City. It is the 2nd largest city in Fiji and has the 2nd largest sugar mill in the South Pacific. We found a time capsule that indicated that the sugar mill was established in 1903 and indentured laborers were brought here from India to work in the mill and on the sugar cane farms. Most closed store fronts, and the department store we were brought to, had departments devoted to traditional Indian wear.
Once we returned to the ship we got a quick lunch. Jeff read on the balcony, and I napped for a bit. Today was overcast and mild temperatures with rain off and on throughout the day.
Tonight’s entertainment was the singers and dancers in “Your Song” an Elton John tribute.
Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Sea Day (13)
What can I say? It was a sea day!
We did go to the talk on Tonga and the Cook Islands by the Hawaiian Ambassador.
This evening’s ship entertainment was a comedian from the UK named Paul Adams. He started off slow but made up for it. He had a real edgy sense of humor. He called his jokes two hitters. If you didn’t laugh when he told it, then you laughed when the person next to you explained it. Someone in the audience said something to him and he told them to shut up. Then he apologized by saying “sorry, I thought I was on a Carnival ship….. PLEASE shut up!”
And the clocks you ask? After all it’s been a couple of days, so we set them FORWARD one hour tonight.
Thursday, October 27, 2022
Nuku alofa, Tonga 8am – OVERNIGHT
Oholei Beach & Hina Cave Our excursion was cancelled.
When I walked first thing in the morning, about 6:30 since we lost an hour, I only made about 3 laps and then had to come in because what started out as a heavy mist turned into a pretty decent rain. When I got back to the room Jeff was up and we went out on the balcony to watch as the ship came into port. We ended up being greeted by a relative short-lived rainbow, but a rainbow none the less. It took us a while to tie up to the pier. It is shallow and the ship is much longer than the pier. We came into the pier slowly and sideways aided by a tugboat. This is the first time that the Zuiderdam has visited Nuku ‘Alofa Tonga so there was a ceremony on the pier where the ship is presented with a plaque. We were also greeted by the Police Band and dancers.
We went down to breakfast and then took out to explore. Pat was supposed to hook up with a group of people that were going snorkeling and since we were here for 2 days we thought that we would see how he fared before we picked a snorkel spot.
There was an information booth set up on the pier and we asked where to go for the best snorkeling. She informed us that it would take 5 to 6 hours to walk to the location of the best beaches! We checked with the taxis and they all wanted $100 US roundtrip but we didn’t ask if that included them waiting for us while we snorkeled. One Tongan dollar costs .41 US, so that taxi ride would cost us about $60. We decided to take a walk instead and see what we could find on our own.
The information that we got from the tourist booth offered a 2 hour walking tour of the town which basically included government buildings … not why we came here. I could really give a rat’s ass about seeing the department of statistics building. Instead, we headed west, which is the direction of the new volcano, although we can’t see it. We went past the Royal Palace. Mary told us that it was built in the early 1900s from a kit that was purchased from New Zealand. Tonga is the only county in the South Pacific that is a Kingdom and is ruled by a monarch.
We followed the breakwater and headed west. There were signs up that no fishing is allowed in the area and if you’re caught you are subject to a fine of $250,000. I guess they are pretty serious about you not fishing in the area! After we had walked for about a mile, we made our way over the breakwater on to the beach. It was covered with coral and rocks and not easy walking … but the shelling was great. We found so many cool shells that we had to sit down and go through them to see what made the cut and what got left behind. We made it nearly to the point but turned around and headed back because Jeff’s heel was bothering him and truth be told, my feet and knees were hurting. I brought my cheap, lightweight tennis shoes and they are okay for walking on deck but not so much on cement or rocks.
Lots of locals park on the grass next to the breakwater and just sit in their cars. As a matter of fact, no matter where we walked people were sitting in their cars. Jeff said maybe they live in their cars. One lady told us “you have a nice ship” as we walked by and asked where we had come from. We told her San Diego and she laughed and told us she was from Oakland … go figure!
English spoken by the locals here was great, it wasn’t so good in Fiji. It was cute talking to the young girls who seemed to delight in talking to us and practicing their English.
We probably walked for 3 hours and when we got back to the ship we grabbed some lunch and then settled in on the back pool deck … that means we took a nap! The dinner menu wasn’t too appetizing so we decided to take another walk towards the inland water to see if it had a beach but we never made it. We did get within half a block of the water but it appeared to be someone’s property so we detoured to the main road.
On our walk we did see a lot of dogs running around, some beautiful flowers, a bunch of chickens, and 3 hogs running loose. We got back to the ship a little after 5:30, showered and then went to the Lido for dinner instead of the main dining room. We ate out by the back pool and were treated to a beautiful sunset. The cruise director came on and said that the locals would be doing a fire dance on the pier at 7:30 so we headed back to our room to watch from our balcony (we’ve totally lucked out since we are in a starboard room). We did see Pat and Mary in the Lido and agreed to get together in the morning if the weather is decent. The plan is to share a taxi, do a little sightseeing and maybe snorkel. Pat’s snorkel group yesterday didn’t materialize so we’re on our own.
During our walk before dinner, we passed a big billboard on the side of a building advertising car rentals. I looked online to see if they had any information and it looked like we could rent a car for less than $100 – the taxi rate.
The local fire dancers put on a good performance this evening. They had both male and female dancers.
The ship’s mainstage entertainment was a movie that we didn’t attend.
Friday, October 28, 2022
Nuku Alofa, Tonga OVERNIGHT – 5 pm
Since we did so much walking yesterday, I was able to justify not getting out of bed early this morning. We made it down to breakfast about 8 and Pat and Mary were interested in sharing the rental car if we could work it out instead of a taxi. We did talk to one of our neighbors who said he had heard some horror stories about the taxi tours and that they were told that the beaches were closed due to glass.
We headed out after breakfast to the rental car place and made sure that we could park the car next to the pier before we left. We did check on the pier with the tourism people and they didn’t know anything about the beaches being closed so I suspect the taxi drivers just didn’t want to deal with that.
I thought it was about 2 blocks away from the rental car place and it ended up being about 10 blocks away. Luck was on our side because after we arrived a bunch of people showed up behind us. They said they had a smaller car for $100 local or a mini van for $156 local. We opted for the mini van which put us at about $94 US. They told us we needed to fill up the tank before we returned. When I asked where the nearest petrol station was, she said if we came by the office they would drive us to the petrol station and then take us to the ship. Wonderful customer service!
Oh yes, they drive on the wrong side of the road here and if that doesn’t strike you as fun, well then throw in a couple of roundabouts and a bunch of stray dogs, and rain … that really ups the fun factor!
We were headed to the west side of the island with the intent of finding the following: a good beach to snorkel from, flying foxes, a three headed coconut tree, the tsunami rock and blowholes. The first mistake was heading east instead of west. I got us turned around and headed down the road that we walked down the previous day next to the water. I soon discovered I had made the incorrect assumption that this road ran the full length of the island. I was wrong. We turned around, dodging a multitude of dogs, and headed back toward town. We found a fairly busy looking road and assumed it was the one we were looking for even though Tonga doesn’t appear to have a budget for road signs.
The speed limit varied between 50 and 70 kph but I managed to get behind someone that drove about 40 kph. The only thing scarier than driving on the wrong side of the road and roundabouts is passing another car. Since we had hours to kill, I opted to safely stay behind said slow car. We finally came to a sign that directed us two different directions depending on what we wanted to see first. We opted for the flying foxes since we had apparently missed the 3 headed coconut tree (oh darn!). The sign said that it was 11 km ahead. Well, 11 km ahead got us to the end of the island … and there wasn’t any beach here. There was another couple here from the ship that had also rented a car. We exchanged disappointment that we hadn’t found the flying foxes.
We turned around to head back to the sign. Pat got on google maps and said he thought if we took the next side road we would get to a beach. Good call! There was no one else there and we spent about ½ hour picking up shells. The sand here was the “chunky” sand. The kind when you get it between your toes or between your heel and sandal you definitely know that there is sand there. The kind when it gets wet it sticks to you like flypaper … that kind of chunky sand. It was surprising that we didn’t find any of the types of shells that we found yesterday, these were totally different and the only difference from yesterday was that we were on the other side of the island. Wish we would have had more time here because I love looking for shells but we had some more important touristy stuff to find.
We returned to the one touristy direction sign. The next stop was tsunami rock. It was supposed to be a big rock that came on the island when it was hit by the tsunami in February of 2022 as a result of the new volcano that erupted. The sign said it was 6 km. There were a few cars here when we arrived. Fairly certain that we never saw the tsunami rock but there was a wall of rocks in the water that went as far as I could see in either direction and when the waves hit them there was some blowhole action and big splashes. We went down to the beach and took a few pictures. The idea was if this beach didn’t look good enough to snorkel that we would go back to the first beach. Well, when we got back in the car … it wouldn’t start. The good news is that all aboard time isn’t until 4:30 and it is about 11 now so we have plenty of time to work this out … at least we hope that’s the case. I called the rental car company and told them the car wouldn’t start and they asked where we were. They said they would send someone out with a different car. Thank goodness we weren’t at the first beach we stopped at because I don’t know if I could have explained to them where we were. In the meantime, Jeff, Pat and I decided to snorkel and Mary said she’d stay with the car.
The other couple from the ship with their rental car were here also. I offhandedly asked them if they ever found the flying foxes and they said yes. He explained to me where to go – look for a church on one side of the road and a cemetery on the other side. The flying foxes are in the tree in the middle of the cemetery. Good to know, hope we get to see them.
But now it’s snorkel time! We grab all our stuff and head for the water. The beaches have a lot of glass on them. Don’t know if that is tsunami related or just trash. The water felt cold. I found a rock to sit on and put my flippers on, then tossed my water sandals back up on the beach. Jeff was already off and gone. I tried to walk out a little way but with the wave action and uneven surface it was best to just lay down and start kicking. For the most part it was really shallow. There was about a foot of water over the coral and rocks but there were furrows, or deeper areas where you could swim and work your way further from the shore but the entire time it only got about 2 feet of water over the rocks/coral. This was definitely my least favorite spot to snorkel. There were very few fish. I probably saw a total of 6 tiny fish. The only thing halfway (un)remarkable thing that I saw was a dead lobster.
We spent about half an hour in the water and when we got back to the car the replacement vehicle had arrived. Mary had moved some stuff from the old car to the new car but still had to get out all our snorkel stuff. The new van was definitely an upgrade. It was bigger, wider and the A/C worked wonderfully. The only weird thing was we couldn’t figure out how to turn off the radio. The controls on the panel were in English but the nav screen controls and radio were in some Asian language … we couldn’t even figure out how to turn the volume down … but eventually got it off.
We left in the new car with the next stop, hopefully, would be the flying foxes. We returned to the main road and made a turn heading back the original direction. I swear we didn’t go one block and our first indication that we were at the correct place were the non-airconditioned tour buses lining the road. Looking left was a church, then across the street was a cemetery with a crowd of people lining the fence. And, lo and behold, the tree in the middle of the cemetery was laden with huge flying foxes hanging upside down like snoozing Draculas … it was one of the coolest things that we saw on the trip!
If you’ve never driven on the wrong side of the road with the driver controls on the wrong side of the car and the wrong side of the steering wheel, well, it’s very interesting. The gear shift in this car was on the dash in the center but left of the driver. The turn signals are on the right side of the steering wheel and the lights and windshield wipers on the left – just the opposite of US cars.
Thinking we were taking the road along the beach back to the city we instead found ourselves traveling more inland with no water views – although you would think we would be sick of looking at water as many sea days as we’ve had. Along the way the skies opened up and it rained fairly hard. Soon enough we found ourselves back in Nukualofa and I quickly got my bearings. After successfully negotiating not one but two wrong way (to us) roundabouts, we arrived back at the rental car lot. We repacked our snorkel gear, wadded up our wet towels and then the lady at the rental car place drove us back to the ship after she checked the gas gauge. Of course, it hadn’t moved hardly at all because all we did was drive back from the beach. The major miles were put on the first vehicle which was now located in a repair stall.
We had a nice visit with her during the short drive to the pier and talked mostly about the tsunami. She said it was pretty scary, although the water did not make it up to the rental car lot which was about 10 blocks from the pier. Contrary to the other islands that we have visited so far and those in French Polynesia, Tonga is FLAT. It is considered an atoll. I can’t imagine being on this flat island with a tsunami warning going off and wondering where high ground is. She said the ash was up to the curbs, there was a sonic boom and the sky turned dark. The volcano erupted about 5 in the afternoon which seems to be the rush hour time worldwide and here was not the exception. We asked what they did with the ash and she said that it is good for farming. While we did see some taro being grown, we didn’t really see any other type of crop. Didn’t really get a chance to visit with her about what sustains their economy here as there really wasn’t any evidence of any type of industry or farming. Someone said that they found the market but all we saw that catered to tourism were the tents set up by the pier.
We got back to the room and rinsed off the underwater phone case and the swimsuits, hoped in the shower to get the saltwater out of my hair then lounged around the remainder of the afternoon. We did watch the locals retrieve a covered tent that had blown into the water – the wind on the pier was brutal. Later, before sail off and dinner, the minister of tourism was back on the pier with the police band and the dancers. They put on a lovely show that we watched from our balcony and a prayer was said for our safe journey home while we pushed away from the pier.
Jeff commented, and I have to agree with him, that our welcome and send off here was impressive. It was not only entertaining, but heartfelt.
The entertainment this evening was Ventriloquist Mike Robinson. He said that he’s been doing this since high school and went so far to say that a guidance counselor had a grant and purchased his first figure (they are otherwise called dummies, but that isn’t correct) since he couldn’t seem to keep his butt in school. He has been on tours with the likes of Phyliss Diller, so he has been around a while. He has definitely honed his craft but also incorporated magic into his act too.
Today we had to revisit our muster station. I guess we’ve been on board for so long they want to help us remember where to go.
Saturday, October 29, 2022
Cross International Date Line
Sea Day (14)
This is our first of two sea days with both of them being Saturday. Since we will cross the International date line today, we will repeat Saturday again tomorrow and be back on the same day as at home. It is a dreary, windy, cloudy day. The captain said last night and today the ship would be “pitching” due to oncoming waves and the stabilizers have no effect on those so we are getting tossed around pretty good. We have mainly had to deal with “rollers” which are waves that hit the ship from the side. I don’t know that I can distinguish between the two without being told or looking at the window. It doesn’t matter which ones, I still look like a drunkard walking down the hallways, but I have lots of good company.
We have reservations to eat at the Cantaletto, which is the specialty Italian restaurant this evening. They called this morning to confirm our reservation and asked which Saturday we would like to dine, today’s Saturday, or tomorrow’s Saturday. We checked out the main dining room menu and decided to go with this evening. Update: while the service was exceptional, the food was awful. They serve the very same lasagna that they serve in the main dining room, and it is nothing to write home about. Although, we had dining credits and didn’t pay extra, if you don’t, then you pay a $20 per person upcharge to get the same thing we could have had for dinner anyway. We couldn’t even get garlic bread; they said it had to be preordered the day before. Insert eye roll here!
The mainstage show was a documentary on Waikiki that we opted not to go to.
I’m hopeful that the nighttime skies will clear off at some point so that we can see the Southern Cross. (update – it never did) I also need to get a video of the water draining the wrong direction in the sink before we cross back over the equator.
Our Groundhog Day, our second October 29th, was pretty much the same. Very overcast, cool, with rain showers…. So we opted to for the most part just stay in the room. Tonight’s mainstage show was comedian Paul Adams from the UK. He has a really dry sense of humor and besides a few new comedy sketches, I’ve heard most of his material from other comedians already. But, still good to get out of the room.
Today, they picked up our passports for review in anticipation of our visit to the French Polynesian islands.
Well, what has it been, a day? Time to move the clocks forward another hour.
Sunday, October 30, 2022
Rarotonga, Cook Islands 8am – 5pm – Cancelled by Captain
Aroa Beach Break cancelled
Tender
The first thing that happened was Holland cancelled ALL tours at this location (about a week ago) because they couldn’t get adequate insurance. I spent a little bit of time online trying to figure out what we could do on our own and decided we’d get a taxi to take us to one of the resorts and get a day pass to use their facilities. In the end the captain said that the winds were too high to hold the ship at anchor so he called off this stop. We’ve had 15 ft seas and sustained winds at 45 mph or better. While I am totally disappointed that yet another location has been cancelled, I completely understand. It just puts too many people in peril, especially since it’s a tender port.
The weather was icky. Overcast, cool and raining off and on all day. We opted to stay in the room after breakfast, especially since there continue to be cases of Covid on board and although most people are wearing masks, there are some that aren’t – and they tend to be the people that are actively coughing.
Tonight’s entertainment was BBC Earth Presents Planet Earth II in Concert. While Jeff and I have seen all of the BBC Earth series, we opted to go because we’ve been stuck in the room for 3 days and there isn’t anything else to do.
Monday, October 31, 2022
Aitutaki, Cook Islands 8am – 5pm
Tender
This is a little island that is part of the Cook Islands. It is relatively flat. Looks like high ground is about 500 ft above sea level. The information that I had found online said that the majority of cruises tend to call off this stop because it is very difficult to get into. We were so very fortunate that the winds were coming across the island so the area right outside the reef was only seeing about 3 foot waves. According to the captain, it was still a challenging stop and required constant monitoring and repositioning of the ship. It was made difficult also because of the narrow channel and low tide for the tender boats. As a result, when the tenders began operating this morning they were limited to half capacity. We were in group 11 and got off the ship about 9:30.
I asked the local security officer on the pier where to go to snorkel and she pointed down the beach. I had read the best location was a mile away and while we were waiting for our tender number to be called the crew said it was at least a 20 minute walk to swim.
Once on shore we headed the direction that we had been pointed to and ended up walking behind about a dozen other people from the ship. After walking about half an hour, we came upon a resort. The people in front of us had turned in here so we did too because the road in front of us looked like it started to make a turn inland instead of following the beach.
The grounds were lovely and the young lady at the front desk said we were welcome to walk through to access the beach. Once on the beach we continued heading away from the pier. We walked about halfway to the point and it appeared that the water was now going sideways along the shore instead of coming into it. We decided if we were going to get into the water, this would be the location. Someone had said that they had seen snakes in the water. While we didn’t see any snakes there were a tremendous amount of sea cucumbers …. Just lying there waiting to be stepped on. They don’t move around, they are just there … and they are gross squishy! It was really shallow, so we just had to lay down and get to snorkeling. It eventually got deeper. There were a few places with coral and of course, that is where the little fishies hang out. We saw mostly the little black and white striped fish but once we got into deeper water there were a few Sargent Majors. I did see one fish that I’ve never seen before. I had to watch him for a while … he looked like someone had taken a bite out of him and he was only half there.
After less than an hour in the water it started to rain and got cloudy so we decided to head back to the ship, via the shoreline instead of the road. Of course, as soon as we got out of the water, dressed and all of our stuff put away, the sun came out. It was a nice leisurely walk back. The sun came out and it got hot. I need to figure out something different for my snorkel stuff because the strap on the bag is rough and it is uncomfortable over my shoulder and too long and heavy to carry from my hand.
The captain said that this was his first time at this location and the ship’s agent said we were the largest cruise ship to visit here. There were challenges with the current keeping the ship fairly stationary and the channel for the tender boats only allowed one in at a time. He bid the island farewell with 3 blasts from the horn.
This was a little bit of paradise out in the middle of nowhere. The yards were covered with flowers that had been blown off the trees. Everything was green and clean. The roads looked good. The houses were old and weathered but everything still looked neat and taken care of. The beach had “chunky” sand and just about all of the good shells had residents so not many shells coming home from here. Jeff did find a big clam shell that still had both sides. He hand carried it all the way back and then left it on the tender boat for some lucky shipmate.
We did end up leaving here an hour earlier than planned because weather was supposed to be moving in but I’m looking out now and seeing more blue skies than we’ve seen in a week!
The entertainment tonight you ask? Well, it is Halloween. The place to be and the place to be seen if you were in costume was at the Rolling Stone Lounge. Mainstage was showing the movie Hocus Pocus, but the real entertainment was at the bar. Jeff stayed in the cabin this evening because his foot was bothering him and I went and people watched. The costumes were great!
Tuesday, November 1, 2022
Sea Day (15)
This morning presentation was “Unlocking Tahiti, Fakarava and Nuku Hiva.”
Entertainment was singers and dancers doing “Chart Toppers.”
Wednesday, November 2, 2022
Bora Bora, French Polynesia 8am – overnight
H2O Snorkel AM
Tender
When we first got onboard, we were told that the itinerary had changed and we were no longer going to visit Bora Bora so I cancelled our excursion there. Then it was back on but only one day instead of two. I immediately rebooked our excursion with a tour operator we had previously used and were very happy with.
This is a tender port and because we were not taking a Holland excursion, we needed to be onshore for our pickup at 9. Along with Mary and Pat, who were also doing a non-Holland excursion, we managed to get on the first tender boat out. It is always much nicer to wait on the pier than on the ship.
Aimee with H2O Snorkel met us on the pier before 9 am. We had a chance to visit with her before the others showed up. When we were last here it was her, her husband, one boat and one daughter. They were traveling their way around the world. Then Covid hit. During the time since we were last here, they’ve grown the business to 3 boats and added another daughter, which Aimee assured me was NOT a Covid baby!
Same drill as last time and just as enjoyable, although this was a larger boat and there were 3 couples on board instead of two that we had last time. First, we hunted for and located the large, 14 ft manta rays and spent some time in the water with them. They were really deep and don’t photograph well at those depths. When we were headed back to the boat, Jeff and I were together and way ahead of everyone else. When I put my head in the water and Jeff and I were swimming right next to each other, one of the manta rays had been in front of us and it did an end over end flip and went right underneath us. Way cool!
Then we moved on to my favorite part, snorkeling the coral garden. This is fairly shallow water and tons of fish and colorful clams and coral. Diego, our guide, pointed out thousands of convict fish swimming and we managed to get into the middle of them and take a video. This was the second location that I’ve been able to use the underwater case for my phone and it is working great. Now I need to figure out how to edit the photos.
Our next stop was supposed to be eagle rays followed by a much deeper location with coral and a steep dropoff on the other side of the reef. Diego couldn’t find the eagle rays so we convinced him to go ahead and take us to the reef. On the way to the reef, we came across a pod of dolphins (about two dozen). The water coming over the reef made for some difficult snorkeling going against the current and Diego eventually located the eagle rays in deeper water so we got to see them too. Good excursion!
This evening was yet another movie that we didn’t attend. Mary and Pat are attempting to teach us how to play Mah Jong so that was the entertainment this evening. Hint: Mah Jong and alcohol don’t go together!
Thursday, November 3, 2022
Raiatea, Society Islands, French Polynesia 8am – 5:30pm
Raiatea Coral Garden Drift Snorkeling
This is the same excursion that we did the last time we were here and just like before there are three boats. You get out of the boat in shallow water, take all your snorkel gear with you and walk up the Motu (a South Polynesian name for a little island) to the other end where you get in the water, put on your snorkel gear, give your water shoes to the guide and then follow one behind each other as you DRIFT through the coral garden – very little swimming is required because the current takes you. We always try and be at the back of the group because most everyone is interested in staying right behind the guide and setting a time record to get to the other end instead of looking at all the beautiful stuff under water. Somehow, some guy got behind me and kept crawling up my butt and running into me. The guide that was bringing up the back finally stopped him and made him go around us.
We did the drift snorkeling twice and then had about 20 minutes free time to swim around. As soon as we got into the boat to head back to the pier, the skies OPENED UP. It had taken us about half an hour to get to this location and that was with the throttle down. Here we go again, get out of the water on to the excursion boat and get pelted with rain … and it was a rough ride. You couldn’t see anything but white because it was raining so hard and the constant jarring of the boat coming down on the water killed my tailbone. Plus, we were wrapped up in towels and bent over trying to stay warm which made for a very uncomfortable neck and rear end ache for a full day afterwards.
After we got back it was hot shower, clean up equipment, dinner at Lido then one set of music and called it a day.
Mainstage entertainment was another movie that we didn’t attend.
Friday, November 4, 2022
Mo’orea, French Polynesia 8am to 4:3opm
Ray feeding and Motu beach picnic
Once again, we did the same excursion that we did last time we were here … because we enjoyed it so much. It is feeding the rays and sharks and then a beach picnic with opportunity to snorkel.
This is a tender port and when we got off the tender, we walked directly across the pier onto the excursion boat. The day started off without rain, but it was mostly cloudy which kept the temperature down. The boat only goes SLOW …. VERY SLOW, which was <thankfully> the exact opposite of yesterday. We slowly made our way around the island and past the closed down Intercontinental Hotel with it’s over the water bungalows. We were told that they were shuttered during Covid and have not reopened. The hotels don’t own the land, they have a long-term lease, but have not given up their lease. The property is definitely showing its age and effects of not being cared for.
The next stop was a large sand bar where all the excursion boats gather. The guides have chum so the sting rays and sharks are always on the lookout for a new boat coming in because they know they will get fed. Since we’ve done this before and there really isn’t anything to see, and it would be chilly getting out of the water and back on the boat, we elected to watch everyone else. Typical of this type of excursion – you don’t see anything if you’re STANDING in the water, you only can see what’s going on if you have your face in the water. Maybe two or three people actually put their face in the water. One lady had her snorkel mask on her head but her hair never got wet!
After too long of a stop here we finally headed to the motu (see previous day for definition!) It was about 10:30 and they were going to have 2 different demonstrations – what you can do with a coconut and how to make ceviche. That would be followed by a buffet lunch. We opted to head up the beach and drift snorkel.
It was exactly as I remembered it. Lots of coral, lots of fish, varying depths of water, and this time the current didn’t seem to be as strong as last time we were here. Further away from the picnic area and closer to the water coming over the reef, the water was pretty murky. The further we got away from the crashing waves over the reef, the clearer the water got and there also seemed to be more fish. We spent about 2 hours in the water and then went in for lunch. After lunch we headed back out to snorkel some more. How many other people from our excursion were in the water snorkeling … exactly the same number as the last time …. ZERO! These people had snorkel equipment and why they would want to sit at a picnic table and do nothing but wait for the boat ride back is beyond me.
We took hundreds of pictures. This time we saw some huge sea cucumbers, an anemone, tons of fish, some kind of eggs, a couple of very small urchins and one BIG fish that the guide said was a Stregler … I need to look it up. He said if you get close to its home that it will bite you!
We got loaded up onto the boat to head back just about the time the rain moved in – it’s starting to feel like Groundhog Day with the weather! I don’t mind being in the water and getting wet, but riding on a boat and travelling SLOWLY back to the ship in the pouring rain was NO FUN!! We were soaked to the bone and COLD…AGAIN! There was a straw market set up on the pier but we bypassed that and went directly back to the ship.
When we were on the tender we noticed that the ship’s small rescue boats were in the water. We found out later that one of the tenders ended up on the reef. Don’t know how or why. They did have to put the passengers in life jackets and transfer them to another tender to return to the ship. We missed the excitement!
After a HOT shower and rinsing off all our equipment and swimsuits we took a short nap before dinner. We ended up eating at the Lido because nothing in the main dining room looked appetizing. After dinner we did trivia, watched the band for a set and then called it a day.
We left Mo’orea at 4:30 and arrived early at Papeete, Tahiti at 8:30pm. We did not get off the ship this evening and guess what the entertainment was? You got it, another movie that we didn’t watch.
Saturday, November 5, 2022
Papeete, Tahitia, French Polynesia overnight – 5am
We have lucked out with our starboard room. We are facing the city of Papeete and docked next to us is this huge yacht, the Ionian. A quick internet search tells me the owner is an American billionaire, not a Russian Oligarch (although one was seized in Fiji this year)! This cutie comes with an annual operating budget of $10 million a year and a price tag of $160 million!
We got out fairly early and headed to the shopping area. We walked up and down the streets and revisited some shops from last time. Stumbled upon the market (which closed at noon), bought some vanilla, wandered around some more, keeping mainly under overhangs because it was raining, and finally put on our rain ponchos and headed back to the ship. After we dried off and got lunch we took a nap.
Ate at the Lido and then got in line for the “Spirit of Tahiti” Polynesian dance/song show. There was only one showing and this show is the highlight of mainstage entertainment for the entire cruise. They only opened to doors to the theater 45 minutes before the show and the place was packed to the gills.
The show was great! Very entertaining. Then we listened to music for a set and called it a night.
Sunday, November 6, 2022
Papeete, Tahitia, French Polynesia overnight – 4:30pm
We ate breakfast and got out fairly early this morning. It’s Sunday so the majority of the shops are closed today. Our plan was to find the grocery store and then walk back along the “Boulevard Pomare” … a park with a nice cobblestone walkway and lots of playground equipment for the kids. We walked about 20 minutes to the grocery store and picked up some chips. There was no Dr. Pepper, but Jeff has done a great job on limiting himself to 2 a day from his stash and getting the rest of his caffeine fix from Coke on board.
The park area was full of people from the ship, locals with their kids and people from the marina. Off in the distance you could just make out Mo’orea shrouded in the clouds.
Tahiti is actually made up of two islands, both volcanic that “grew” together. The larger one where we are docked is called “Tahiti nui” and the smaller one is “Tahita iti”.
We are “backed” into the pier so we can see the city from our balcony. We are also sharing the pier with two huge yachts. One if called the Suri and the other, more glamourous one is called the Ionian that I wrote about yesterday. Well, when we went out, we found around the corner from us, a bi-hull called the Hodor. I looked it up online and it is owned by the same American billionaire. It is a $30 million “toy hauler” and follows around the Ionion. Must be tough!
Looks like we are doing Lido again tonight and there is a “man of memory,” Tim Crosbie, for the entertainment this evening. He touts himself as a nerd and trust me, he was a nerd with a capital N! He could solve a rubik’s cube and name how many turns it would take. He also quoted a bunch of useless facts, like how many different combinations are on a Rubik’s cube, 9 quintillion, and if you put the information on a sheet of paper it would reach from the stage to Pluto and back again x number of times.
Monday, November 7, 2022
Fakarava, Tuamotu, French Polynesia 8am – 5pm
Tender
This is the flat island that is MILES long and not very wide. It looks like you can stand on one shore and throw a rock into the water on the other side. Last time we were here we walked down to the topless beach. This time we opted to just walk to the “rough” water side and look for shells. The skies looked like it could rain at any point and Jeff insisted we bring the ponchos. Good call because we hadn’t been on land for 5 minutes and the skies opened up. Rain squalls moved in and out the entire time we were on the island.
It’s a pretty beach in a rough sort of way. It’s all broken coral and shells with big rough rocks in the water. We walked to the point where the island looks like it turns a corner (and also looked like we might be coming up on a garbage dump) when we noticed that the skies had turned very dark. We had already been rained on half a dozen times but donned the ponchos one more time and moved from the beach to the road for the walk back. We passed a small cemetery and walked through it during a momentary respite from the rain. We nearly made it back to the tender when it started thundering and raining really hard. We found a covered area to get out of the rain and wait it out. Although it never really quit raining, it did slow down and we got to the tender and returned to the ship.
Tonight’s entertainment was Dance Fever on the main stage. It pretty good production of song and dance.
Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Sea Day (16)
It was dressy night tonight. The main stage entertainment was a group called Jukebox Rogues doing a Frankie Vallie set. The Frankie impersonator looked like PeeWee Herman and sounded like him too. It was a just ok show with way too much bad falsetto for us.
Guess what happened to the clocks today? We set them 30 minutes FORWARD! Never heard of such a thing, but it was so we’d match the time tomorrow at Nuka Hiva. Guess we are headed towards home now.
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Taiohae, Nuka Hiva, French Polynesia 8am to 5pm
Tender
This was our last stop. Because of the way the pier is situated only one tender could be at the pier at a time so the comings and goings from/to the ship was lengthy. We did manage to get on a tender as soon as we were ready to go ashore. We’d walked up to the “alien” on the hill (see pic) the last time we were here so we skipped that part. We did walk to the beach on the other side of the alien and looked for shells. There were some people in the water swimming even though they had been told that the fishermen put all the scraps from cleaning the fish in the water by the pier and that brings the sharks in close to feed.
It turned out to be a rather warm day with nothing to see so we ended up walking the length of the other beach also. When we got to the end there were a bunch of rocks, Jeff opted to go around the corner but I found a spot in the shade on a rock to wait for him. I was entertained by a tidal pool that had about a dozen fish in it and was surrounded on all sides by crabs. I don’t know why the crabs are icking me out so bad this trip. They just look like ginormous spiders. Probably doesn’t help that Jeff scared one and it ran right toward me! When Jeff came back from around the corner he said there was a guy from the ship over there without any clothes on … glad I missed it.
We had to wait for quite a while to get a tender back. There were probably 500 people lined up to go back to the ship. True to Murphy’s law, we were the cutoff point and were the first ones on about the 5th tender boat since we’d been in line.
Our internet connection has been down for about a week and the guy that was going to fix it was flown in on a charter plan and got on the tender before ours …. Maybe we’ll have internet back tonight!
We were watching the sail off from our balcony and I looked down and saw Mary, one of out table mates. I yelled at her and said “I thought you were on the 8th floor” and she said she was BUT she started not feeling good and tested positive for Covid.
She called medical and told them about her sore throat. Someone showed up at their room to test her and Pat. They called her and told her that she tested positive and Pat negative. She would be moved to a different room and Pat would continue to be tested daily. They asked her how long it would take her to pack and then Security showed up at her door to escort her. They then put her on an elevator, which they locked out and did not accompany her in the elevator but the same security was waiting for her on the 6th floor to escort her to her Covid cabin. One entire length of the forward starboard side was behind closed sea doors and has DO NOT ENTER signs up. She was let into her room but not given a key. She could order whatever she wanted from room service and she said she watched a lot of movies! On her final day they showed up to test her at 6:30 in the morning and then called her a couple of hours later to say she could return to her room. Pat continued to test negative the entire time. She was given the drug Paxlovid to the tune of $700. It is an anti-viral medicine. She said she never really felt bad the entire time. There was also supposed to be another hallway that is being used for isolation of Covid patients.
Tonight’s entertainment was a comedian named Jeff Wayne. He said he hasn’t worked in 2 years … trust me when I say that was very evident. He definitely hadn’t been working on his timing or his routine in the 2 years he took off. The only big laughs that he got were from other comedian’s jokes.
Thursday, November 10, 2022
Sea Day (17)
Internet is fixed! Captain Frank did say we were heading into no man’s land … ahem, ocean… and there would still be periods of time that we wouldn’t be able to access a satellite for internet.
It definitely feels like we are the only ones on the earth when we are out here in the middle of the ocean. We don’t see any other ships, there are no contrails in the sky, no birds, no insects … we haven’t even seen any flying fish this trip but they’ve been spotted by others.
Tonight’s entertainment was Tom Crosbie again. He’s funny in a very nerdy way.
Friday, November 11, 2022
Sea Day (18)
Cross Equator
There was a special service today for remembrance of Veteran’s Day and Armistice Day. And today we will cross the equator. The captain commemorated the observance by a 2 minute silence that was bookended by the ship’s horn. If you are in the middle of nowhere and the horn is blown … can anybody but us hear it?
Ran into Mary’s husband today. He said that she is likely not going to be released until Sunday and that she thought she was doing better but has now lost sense of smell and taste.
Neptune ceremony is today but I don’t think we’re going to go the way everyone is coughing. Tonight’s mainstage show is the Jukebox Rogues doing “Masters of the Musicals”.
Saturday, November 12, 2022
Sea Day (19)
Set clocks forward an hour this evening.
Entertainment this evening was “It takes 2” with the main two singers and dancers.
Sunday, November 13, 2022
Sea Day (20)
It was so incredibly windy today.
Jeff went to the Mariner luncheon with the Captain and I stayed out on deck. I finally gave up on being on the back deck and came inside to find Jeff watching a Kung Fu movie … which I don’t do. I tried to retreat to the balcony but it was incredibly loud outside with the wind and the waves. I didn’t really want to leave the room and have to mask up in a public space so I did the next best thing … I put a towel in the bathtub and closed the door and crashed in there while Jeff finished his movie. Sometimes I just get totally overwhelmed with noise and have to cocoon myself.
It was dressy night tonight, our final one. The special item on the menu tonight was filet mignon and even though it was petite … it was good.
The entertainment this evening was Jeff Wayne, the comedian. I usually give everyone a second chance but he was so lame I didn’t want to go. Mary and Pat have been teaching us how to play Mah Jong so that’s what we did until nine and then we went to watch the last set at the Rolling Stone Lounge.
Monday, November 14, 2022
Sea Day (21)
Today was overcast and very windy again so after breakfast we came back to the room. This is still better than being at home where they are expected to get up to 3 inches of snow today. I’ve spent the time working on this blog and going through all the paperwork to see what will survive for the trip home and what gets tossed. We did take a 2-1/2 hour break and went to see the movie Jurassic Dominion. It was okay, pretty predictable.
At the captain’s noon announcement, he said we still have 937 nautical miles to go and for those that were keeping track that would put us into San Diego about 15 hours early. The reason that we have sped up is because there is a crew member in need of medical care, and we are racing to the point where the Coast Guard can meet up for a helicopter pickup. After that we will slow down and plan on arriving at our appointed time.
Tonight is our last dinner at the Pinnacle Grill. We will follow that with the entertainment of the Jukebox Rouges and then Mah Jong. We ended up missing the mainstage show because dinner at the steakhouse took over 2 hours! But we did enjoy playing Mah Jong with Mary and Pat. It is definitely not a game that you can be successful at if you’re drinking!
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
Sea Day (22)
It started out like a typical sea day for this cruise…. Overcast and windy. It did eventually clear off in the afternoon but the temperature never got over 70 degrees and with the wind, I choose to stay inside and start packing.
We knew that there was going to be a medical evacuation today and the captain came on at around noon and went into a lot of detail (he’s the best captain!).
We were in the room and I heard something that I haven’t heard in a month and a half … an airplane! The reconnaissance plane showed up first and made a couple of passes of the ship. About 10 minutes later the tanker/refueler showed up and the recon plane left. Then both helicopters showed up at the same time. They took a couple of trips around the ship and then one came in on the back pool deck. The helicopter wasn’t able to land, and hovered for about 5 minutes and then pulled up and took off. The helicopter that was on our side of the ship kept doing laps in our line of sight. We could still see the tanker flying higher in the air and making larger laps. At this point a lot of people left the deck that we were watching from but I thought I could still hear the second helicopter (my line of sight was blocked). I walked to the other side of the ship and the other helicopter was doing the same type of laps on the other side of the ship. I passed an officer who I overheard say that the first helicopter had dropped off the medic (and we’re assuming the transport basket). The 3 aircraft continued doing the same maneuver for nearly 25 minutes.
We had been doing top speed of 19 knots before the aircraft showed up and we had slowed down to less than 10 knots. Thankfully the seas were calmer today than they’ve been in a week. The ship was still pitching some (up and down from front to back). There are lamp posts on the back deck that are probably 8 ft tall plus the canopy areas on each side of the back deck. The pool is more forward, but the area where the helicopter had to be hovering holds 4 rows deep of deck chairs … still not very big!
After 25 minutes the helicopter that had been on the other side of the ship came over to the side we were on and came in to hover over the back deck. He got so low that I could only see a little bit of one rotor blade. After less than 5 minutes he lifted off and flew over the bridge of the ship, joined with the other helicopter and they didn’t waste anytime heading off toward San Diego, 420 nautical miles away.
The captain came on and said that the evacuation went off without a hitch. He also said that two rescue boats and divers and crew were no longer on standby. It also turned out that the evacuation was done by the Air Force and not the Coast Guard.
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
Sea Day (23)
Final goodbyes to our friends at the Rolling Stone Lounge. Finished packing and put our suitcases out.
Thursday, November 17, 2022
Debark San Diego, CA US 7am
We were informed that we would dock prior to 7, get cleared and first off would be shortly after 7. Our group transfer to the airport was supposed to get off at 8:20. It was a full hour later before we got off and we ended up queued in a long line to go through immigration. It was moving at a snail’s pace. I wasn’t worried because our flight didn’t depart until 3:20, but Bob and Noreen’s flight was at 11:30. We did see them in line in front of us and they should have made it to the airport in time to catch their flight.
You can’t check luggage more than 4 hours before your flight and we arrived at the airport prior to 11 so we found a spot inside to sit and wait. I turned on my phone and it said it wasn’t connected to a network. Numerous tries of restarting and turning it off and on didn’t work so we spent the next hour with Jeff on his phone to TMobile to get my phone connected. Then did the same thing on my phone for Jeff’s to make sure they were both connected to the network. Something screwy with TMobile Sim cards and they haven’t completed the switchover from Sprint to TMobile yet. Anyway, that’s fixed. We checked in the bags and then found a spot to park our butts while waiting for our flight. We shared ONE hamburger and ONE order of fries to the tune of $20 … talk about a captive audience.
Traded a couple of texts with Mary – I’m fairly certain that they were home before our flight departed from Phoenix to OKC and they went to Minneapolis! When we arrived at OKC I made a quick trip to the bathroom and when we got to baggage claim our luggage was already on the carousel. Pretty certain that it somehow managed to come in on an earlier flight.
Recap
Our first South Pacific cruise had much better weather. We had more than our fair share of rain and high winds this time around. The winds attributed to a couple of ports cancelled at the last minute but Holland cancelled American Samoa and Bora Bora before we ever boarded the ship. The post Covid world also contributed to some shore excursion cancellations. The entertainment on board was not up to Holland standards. There were way too many movies on the mainstage, especially when you can watch movies in your room on demand. The food in the main dining room was just okay, but they also served the same food at the buffet. I don’t think I ever ate a dessert in the MDR, it just wasn’t worth the calories. The specialty steakhouse was awesome food and service wise. Our room stewards were overworked, underpaid (I’m sure), and incredibly helpful, pleasant and efficient. The bartenders were superior. While others were saying that the ship had run out of vodka, our bartender had it stashed for the regulars 😊 The band in the Rolling Stone Lounge when we first came on was awesome. In Hawaii they switched out everyone but the lead guitarist. The 3 singers that they brought on board were glorified karaoke singers, they had to sing their lyrics from their phones. The band members, however, were great. The laundry service was phenomenal. I wish my laundry came out that good at home.
We met some really nice people and we met some real weirdos … you decide which group you belong to if you’re reading this – I’m not naming names! (haha, just kidding, everyone was awesome!)
We lost track of how many people think it is acceptable to wear a bathrobe to the buffet – seriously? Call room service! I don’t want to see your thong, polka dot underwear … or lack of underwear … showing through the back side of your robe <insert eye roll here … amazing, I’ve only used this twice!!>
Most everyone treated the crew wonderfully, but there were those standouts that were short, ill tempered, rude, and entitled. I seriously nearly saw a fist fight between a couple of old women on the pier because the porters DARED to move people in WHEELCHAIRS in front of them in line. What is this world turning into? I saw a woman frantically waving her ship card in the Lido so someone would get her a coke that she could have picked up at the bar on her way into the buffet <insert another eye roll – so much for only two>.
Cruising is still working out the bugs in the post Covid world with new help and supply chain issues. Everyone just needs to learn to go with the flow.
In the end we had a grand vacation (can you have a vacation when you’re retired?). It was wonderful to have the room cleaned everyday and the bed turned down at night (although the chocolates on your pillow are now reserved for dressy nights only, unless you’re in a signature suite, then it’s pretty pricey chocolates every night). We were fed 3 times a day and there was entertainment of some sort every day and every night. This was the first cruise where I didn’t feel like the entertainment venues shut down a couple of days before the end of the cruise. And laundry, how could I forget the laundry? It was great to send it out and get it back all nicely ironed and folded …. by someone other than me!
It was great to get away and make new memories, meet new people and see new places … and it’s great to be home!
PS I have not posted any of my underwater pictures or videos … I’ll update at a later time (I have Christmas cookies to make!).
PSS planning the next trip now 😊