On our way Home!!

This is our last day; we sure hated to see this day come.

As soon as we woke we checked the television to see what the situation was for Hawaii. We were relieved to know that it was not as bad as Japan. We are sure that Joan and Ian are fine.

Then we went to Horizon court for breakfast. We sat with a couple named Charlotte and Larry. They were very nice and they may just decide to do the South American cruise.

Afterward we went for a stroll around the ship and we had a specialty coffee in La Patisserie. We decided to just have a quick sandwich for lunch and then we began to pack. About this time the ship pulled into Ensenada. It is a pretty port and the captain assured us that there was no concern about rising and falling water levels here.

We boarded our bus and travelled with Tom and Florence.

The trip around town was no great hell but the trip to the Saint Thomas winery was quite nice. Then we went to the convention center. It is a grand building with quite a history about its different uses. There were crafters there but I resisted and bought nothing.

We were a little late getting to dinner but we had warned RUI that we might be a little late.

This was the baked Alaska night and the parade of the chefs and waiters and junior waiters. It was a very nice evening. We gave our tips to Rui and Paulo and said a sad good bye to all of our table mates. It sure was a good group.

I tried again to check in and print a boarding pass but had no luck. The internet service here leaves a great deal to be desired.

Then we came to our cabin to finish the packing. It is never as Easy to get everything into the suitcases and I don’t understand because I didn’t shop on this trip.

We have a bottle of red wine that we didn’t even open. I guess we will have to open it and at least have one sip... No I think we will leave it for Efrain

Well tonight someone asked me what was the most memorable part of this cruise and I can’t answer that question. We had a wonderful time and made many many good memories. It will be so much fun to do the Panraven book of this cruise.

Coastal cruise coming up in May.:-)

Last Big Show in the Princess Theatre

Dessert Extravaganza

In front of Skywalkers, Final Formal Night

Final Formal Night

Thursday March 10^th

This is our last full sea day and we have lots that we want to do. This vacation is entirely too short.

We went upstairs for breakfast and visited with a very nice couple from Florida. After breakfast we went to the photo department and made the final decisions on which photos we will buy. We decided to buy four and we got one for free. I checked out the pictures on the camera and our photos from evenings are very good so we generally bought the port pictures. Of course we have signed up for the photo book with Panraven. I enjoy doing them and they are such a nice result.

Today is the dessert extravaganza and we viewed it and took lots of pictures but we made sure to be back in our cabin when it came time to sample some of the wonderful treats.

We had a small sandwich in our room and then I went to the art auction. It is a champagne auction and the final one of the cruise. This was my last chance to possibly win something. I did not win but it certainly was fun to watch the big spenders at work. One lady bought her husband a 16,000.00 painting. Apparently it was to be a surprise. Some surprise when he sees the cruise bill.

This is the final formal night and it is the champagne waterfall and lobster night. We got ready early and we went up to Skywalkers for drinks before dinner. As usual the lobster was great. After dinner we went to the Princess theatre for the big show. It was great and I got some nice pictures.

After the show we walked a little and could not decide what to do next. We decided to come back to the cabin to change while we decided what to do next.

Well we made the mistake of turning on the television in the room and of course there was the live coverage of the quake at Japan. Unbelievable!! We were glued to the TV and did not turn it off until well after midnight.

Second Formal Night

Champagne breakfast.

Beautiful Hawaii

Ken and I at The Fern Grotto

Wednesday

Wednesday March 9^th

This is another sea day and we have decided to try to get a few things checked off of our list.

We had a late breakfast and after we had eaten we ran into Heidi and Terry and we invited them to come to our cabin for drinks this afternoon. They are coming at 4:30. I called room service and ordered the chocolate covered strawberries and 4 champagne glasses delivered to our room at four o’clock.

I checked out the clothing sale and found nothing I wanted.

We decided to just have a banana for lunch. We went to the ice cream bar and had a vanilla chocolate swirl. Then we went looking for and found the cookie man. We each had a peanut butter cookie and cold milk. Finally we went to deck 15 and played 2 rounds of mini golf. It is a very difficult course but we had fun. Ken got a whole in one; I did a lot of drag shots.

Then we came back to our cabin and we tidied up, showered and waited for our guests. It was very nice Terry and Heidi enjoyed their visit and we got to know them better. Then we all went to dinner arriving almost 10 minutes late.

We had scallops and they were delicious. Dessert was the ménage a trios, always fun and always tasty.

The show for tonight is Motor City and because we have seen it at least 8 times we decided to pass and we went to the pool and hot tub again.

We picked up glasses of water and went back to our cabin and called it a night.

We had checked of mini golf and ice cream and cookies and chocolate strawberries off of our to do list of this cruise.

Tomorrow we will have to select our photos and do our surveys.

I tried to download pictures for you but we are so far out to sea that it is difficult and you may have to wait till we get home to see the pictures.

We have 5 hours in Edmonton airport and perhaps there will be WI fi there and I can try then. But in any case I will send pictures when we get back to Abbotsford.

Tuesday, March 8^th, 2011

This was a day to relax and enjoy being on the ship. We were quite lazy. We roamed and ate and did very little. We checked out the photos in the photo gallery. We could not find the group picture so we had one of the gals find it in the computer and we had her change the template and ordered one. We also had her locate the one at Lahina and we ordered that as well. They will be ready tomorrow.

After lunch I went to the Art Auction. I did not purchase anything and I did not win anything. Terry and Heidi were there and they purchased a Thomas Kinkaid.

Ken and I listened to some music on his player and we got ready for dinner. We had fun as usual. This is a very good group.

The show in the Princes Theatre starred Carlos Oscar and he was a load of laughs. We had seen his show when we were on the Island but it was great even the second time.

We came back to our stateroom and we finished the champagne and called it a night.

Monday, march 7th

We have sailed and this is the first of 4 sea days.

We made it a special day by ordering Champagne breakfast. It was wonderful as usual. We could not eat outside because it was quite windy but it was special anyway.

After breakfast I went down and got a ticket for the ribbon Lei making. We were so full from breakfast that we had a glass of milk and one of our muffins for lunch. At two o’clock I went to the class. The ribbon weaving was a bit tricky but I did master it. It is not what I would consider a lei but the technique could be used for a belt or some other accessory.

In the afternoon we laid down and had a little rest.

Tonight is the Captain’s Circle party so we got dressed up in our finest and away we went to the party. It was a very elegant affair as usual. We sat with a very nice couple and enjoyed the short party. Then we were off to dinner. We are really enjoying our dinner group. When the photographer arrived we asked to have a group picture taken instead of individuals.

After dinner we went to the Princess Theatre for the show by Lisa Donavan. She was good but not great. After the show we went to Horizon Court and got a drink and took our pills and we watched TV for a little while.

We heard that our volcano had actually erupted producing lava but we could not find coverage of it on television.

We called it a night.

Sunday, March 6th

Today we are on the island of Maui and we docked at Lahaina.The morning was bright and sunny and we could not believe the number of whales that were there to greet us. It was amazing, there were at least 6 of them breaching and splashing and blowing as we arrived. We could see the lighthouse at the dock and that was a another pleasant extra.

We had breakfast gathered our things together, called Al and Del and went down to the Vivaldi dining room to get our tender ticket. In the entire wait and the boarding and travelling and docking and disembarking took about an hour which was about what we expected.

We headed for the Ban Yan tree and browsed around for a few minutes. The tree is large and I mean large. It was planted in 1873.There are lots of vendors set up under the shade of the tree. By now it is threatening to rain. I went to one of the little shops across from the tree and Ken kept his eyes open for Al and Del. I found a very pretty moo moo and Ken found Al and Del. They have rented a car for their time on the island so they picked us up and drove us around for most of our time ashore. They took us to a wonderful craft fair and I found a very nice abalone necklace. They also took us to the condo where they have been staying. It is wonderful. Ken and I walked in the ocean so we could at least say we were in the water at Hawaii. For lunch we went to a Bubba Gump. It is a chain and the sayings etc are from the Forrest Gump movie. The food was very good.

After lunch and a bit more touring we said our good byes and came back to the ship.

We had a bit of a rest and then went to Skywalkers for a Mai Tai and then went to dinner. After dinner we decided to go to the pool instead of going to a show. Ken did both the pool and the hot tub but I only did the hot tub.

Then we each got a couple of glasses of lemon water and called it a night.

Kauai

Another day has come to an end. Saturday, March 5^th

Today we are on the Island of Kauai .Here we have a tour of the fern grotto and a river cruise. We gather in the Princess Theatre and get to our bus. We have a driver named Don and he takes us to the river where we board what is basically a barge with benches and a roof. There are musicians on board and they sing and dance and entertain us all of the way to the Grotto. It is a VERY beautiful place. We have time to drink it all in and we are entertained again. It is here that Elvis is supposed to have filmed some of the movie Blue Hawaii.

We return to our boat and on the return we have a narrator who tells us all about the history of the area.

Don returns us to the ship but he also tells us a little about the area and he drives us through town on the way.

Our entertainment tonight is a new show called Stardust… we loved it. The singers and dancers performed the old songs from the forties and they were so very good

Drive along the North Shore.

Kanoelani drove us along the north shore and we continued through the lush valley of the temples and on to Kaneoha Bay. Here there are glorious world famous surfing beaches. We saw Turtle Beach and sunset beach. This is not the best surfing time so we were not treated to surfers riding the waves. We will be able to remember seeing them when we see the competition on television.

Next Kanoelani took us to Byodo-in Temple. It is so beautiful and peaceful. The hills were shrouded in clouds but it was still beautiful. Ken and I rang the bell and made our wish and I fed the little birds. What a beautiful place this is !!

Our return included a tour of a macadamia nut factory as well as a drive past the Chinaman’s hat Island.

Polynesian Cultural Center

Polynesian Cultural Center,

After we left the Dole pineapple plantation we drove up the coast past beautiful surfing beaches Kanoelani pointed out places where movies and television series had been filmed.

When we arrived at the center she explained that with the center it was important to be in the right place at the right time. She had us get into line for the buffet; we were first to eat and first to get away. The food was good and plentiful. Next we went to the display by Samoa, then Tonga and then to the dance display on the barges. In between we roamed and looked at displays and crafts. It was really very special and there were many beautiful flowers etc. All in all we spent 3 hours there and it was definitely worth it.

Sights at DOLE

Dole Pineapple

Our next stop was a visit to the Dole Pineapple center. Pineapple is not KING any more but there is some grown on the island.

The center had lots of displays and beautiful landscaping. Kanoelani recommended that we try the PIineapple whip. We did and it was wonderful. Basically it is soft ice cream with pineapple pureed into it.

She also said it was a tourist trap and we should stay away from the shops. She was correct . Ken priced a set of coasters at 25.00 and they were nothing special.

We were here for a little over a half hour.

Back on the bus and off to the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Our Surprise visit to Pearl Harbor

We leave the ship.

Our View as we docked

Honolulu

Friday, March 4^th

Where do I begin?? This was such an amazing day.

We set the clock for 5:30 and we got up early to see the ship arrive in Honolulu. I am amazed that it is such a big city. The views are spectacular. We are docked at pier 10 right under the Aloha Tower.

When we left the ship the photographers were not there so we got a security guard to take our picture.

We had arranged for our own tour through a company called Discover Hawaii Tours. We received am e-ticket with instruction on where to meet our tour and so we disembarked and away we went. Of course we wondered if we would end up in the right place at the right time, but there was no need to worry. We were met by our guide Kanoelani. She was a slim, attractive Hawaiian lady and she was driving a large van. When we boarded she called us by name and assured us that we were in the right place. She also said that she had taken another group of people to Pearl Harbor and she was going to pick them up and they would be with us the rest of the day. Even thought Pearl Harbor was not included in our planned tour we would have a half hour there to explore and look around a little while we waited for the others to join us. So away we went!! As we drove along Kanoelani told us about the city. She was amazing.

We parked and she told us where and when to meet her. I got a stamp for my National Parks Passport. I did not bring my book so I will have to cut and paste. I took some pictures and Ken was enjoying the new museum.

I was surprised by how busy it was even though it was early in the morning. Of course there was lots of patriotism in evidence.

Surprisingly enough there were lots of Japanese nationals there as well.

 Soon it was time to meet our guide. We boarded the bus and amazingly the guide called each and every one of us by our first name. This was the first time that had happened.

Flowers in my cabin

Kilauea Caldera Lets off steam!!

Sunrise overHilo

We Arrived!!!

We are Here!!

We arrived in Hilo around seven, we were up at six and we went for breakfast and saw the sun rise. It was pink and colorful. Humpbacked whales came out to greet us.

 We had breakfast with an interesting couple. He is or was a professor at Penn State and he is from India. Her name was Carolyn and she was a red head. They were fascination breakfast companions with lots of stories.

We hurried back to our rooms and picked up our back packs and headed for the Princess Theatre. That is where we were to meet out tour. There were literally hundreds of us there. But it went smoothly and we were on the last bus. That meant it was not full, which was a plus.

Our first stop was the nut factory, interesting but not exciting. Next we went to the Volcanoes National Park. It was fantastic. While there I realized that I no longer have my National Parks Passport. It was stolen when the truck was broken into. It had many many stamps, including ones from Alaska. Dam Thieves!!! I purchased a new book and got the first stamp for it.

We went to visit the Kilauea Caldera and the Jaggar Museum. While we were at the Caldera it actually blew off steam twice. Truly amazing. Apparently it is something that seldom happens and our guide said that only 2% of the visitors to the park ever see it blow and we saw it twice!! I have some amazing photos and if and when I can get this netbook to download them I will send you some.

We walked through a lava tube, definitely a new experience.

All in all we had a wonderful tour, our guide was great and the weather co-operated and it was so very interesting.

When we got back to the dock we roamed through the booth of crafts by the locals. I bought an artificial Lei and matching hair clip, ken got a new cap and last but not least I bought a cabin flower arrangement. It is made with ginger blossoms and anthodium. It is mainly red and purple. I just love it. I have a picture of it as well.

We came on board and got a bit of rest. I tried without success to get pictures downloaded. Then we dressed for dinner and went topside to see the sail away. Again the humpbacked whales were there to say good bye.

We went down to dinner and after dinner we went to the evening show. It starred a ventriloquist named Joel Leder. He was good and we had a few laughs.

We came back to our cabin and Ken called Joan to tell her we will call when we get back to the ship tomorrow evening. Our tour starts at 8:30 and it goes until 5:30, so it will be a long day. Early to bed tonight.

Wednesday

This is Wednesday, March 2^nd. This is our last sea day before we reach Hawaii. Our first island is Hawaii and we dock in Hilo. The weather is much improved and so we have been able to get some sun sitting out on the balcony.

This morning we had breakfast in the dining room, went to a lecture on Hilo so we will know what is there. We have a tour of the Volcano National Park.

Then we had lunch and toured around some of the ship that we had not seen yet. There are 2 more pools on deck 16 and we had not seen them yet.

Then I spent some time blogging. I am having trouble getting pictures downloaded and the connection is soooooo slow. I keep seeing my minutes disappear.

We went to dinner and brought Abbotsford pins to all of our table mates.

The evening show was a comedian and he was so very funny. I just wish I could remember the jokes and pass them on to Len. His name is Steve Moris.

After the show we walked and listened to music in a couple of venues and then we called it a night. We have the alarm set for six.. we want to see the ship come into Hilo.

Tuesday March 1st

^The air has that tropical feel to it.

We decided to go to the dining room for breakfast and it was very nice. We sat with 2 other couples and it turned out that they were both from Medford Oregon but had never met.

After breakfast we went to the art gallery. I wanted to show Ken the Kinkaid but it was not on display.

We went to the photo department and found all of our photos. I inquired about the photo book and bought it. We also put deposits on 2 future cruises.

We had lunch in our room as we did yesterday. Because it was much nicer we were able to enjoy the balcony. Working on a tan,

After lunch I went to my class on making a lei. It was fun and I have a beautiful orchid lei to wear to dinner tonight.

After the class I came back here to get ready for dinner. I had to shower and do my hair. I kept one orchid to put in my hair. I will wear my long flowered sundress and Ken will wear his Hawaiian shirt. I hope we can get some pictures.

We did get some and I will try to send them.

We went up to Skywalkers and had a cocktail and then we went to dinner. Lots of fun and good food as usual.

After dinner we went to the theatre and we saw the show…Do You Want To Dance?? It was really good. They made some changes since we saw it but they were changes for the good.

After the show we changed our clothes, put on walking shoes and we walked the deck. It was a lovely warm evening. After our walk we came inside and had specialty coffee before we went to bed.

Monday February 28th/2011

,

This is a new day in many ways.

The ocean is as smooth as glass with no sign of speed bumps. And I feel much better, no sea sickness today. Hip Hip Hurray!!!!

We went to Horizon Court for breakfast and we sat with a very nice couple so that made it even nicer.

After breakfast I went to the sale, bought 2 pashimas, Ken walked his mile. I lined up for a ticket to the class on making Lei with live orchids. There was a registration for that and ukulele lesson yesterday but I was not feeling well enough to stand in line. But today I got a ticket and I will make one tomorrow. They are beautiful and made with real orchids. I can’t wait.

Then we met in the Princess Theatre where we listened to the lecture on Kauai. It was very good and I am sorry I missed the one yesterday on Hilo.

We stopped by the fruit and vegetable carving demonstration and I got some great  picturtes. They even made a squirrel using egg plant. Ken was not impressed. I loved the cauliflower poodle dog

For lunch I went to Horizon Court and got each of us a sandwich and a piece of pineapple, a cookie and iced tea. We are trying to be good with food and that buffet is murder. We ate our lunch here in our cabin. It is still too cool to enjoy the balcony.

Next Ken had a nap and I went to the Champagne art auction. Of course I went to look and drink and not to buy. Bad idea!! We are now  the proud owners of a Thomas Kinkaid print. It is Sea of Tranquility and it is the one with the lighthouse. I know it will look wonderful in our living room. There was a special draw for a free work of art and the drawing was for people who had made a purchase …. I won. The print is called Salon de Music and it is by John O’Brien. That is not framed but they will let us know the cost if we should decide to have it framed. Anyway I was away a lot longer than I planned and Ken was concerned by the time I got back here. He had actually gone to look for me.

We quickly changed and went up to Skywalkers longue for a glass of Port. Then to the dining room for dinner. As usual it was superb. Ken and I both had halibut.

Next was the welcome by the captain. They were serving free cocktails and Ken and I each had a rum punch. It was very crowded so we made our way to the Princess theatre to see the show but by the time we arrived there were no seats. We went to theWheelhouse bar. The band is called EXTREME and they have a lovely soft mellow sound and it is not too loud. We stayed and had a dance and finished our drinks. We left there and posed for photos since it was formal night. By then we decided to call it a night and we went back to our room. The sea had gotten rough and we wondered if the dancers would be able to do the second show.

The gentle rocking of the ship put us to sleep.