"Treasures of Cruising the World" with Bill & Mary Ann: Report #27 Honolulu, Hawaii January 26, 2017 Thursday Sunny & 80 degrees Part #1 Of 3 86 Pictures

The next two days spent in Hawaii will be on the island of Oahu, and in the city of Honolulu. It is the capital of the state, as well as the southernmost major city in the United States. Although it is not as lush as some of the other wetter islands, it does have well over 400 high-rises, ranking it fourth in the nation.

Sometime in the 11^th century, the Polynesians arrived, but it took centuries before the city showed promise as a central hub. These days, millions of tourists world-wide come here for the surf and sand. There is much to see and do here, so the shore excursions offer 14 tours, ranging from $40 to $260.

The biggest attraction has to be a visit to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial, stark reminders of the attacks of WW11 in 1941. We know it was quite a lesson in history the first time we visited Pearl Harbor. Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head, and the Atlantis submarine tour are high on the list. An evening visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center or a sunset dinner cruise might entice some guests. And there is always the Ho-Ho trolley, or an expensive 50 minute helicopter tour around the island.

And did you all know that the shops and major department stores at Ala Moana Center are located in the world's largest open-air shopping center? At least that is what our port guide says. It also houses Hilo Hattie's with the Hawaiian gifts, souvenirs, and matching tropical clothing.

So, on with our day. It began rather pleasant, with temps in the 70's and a light breeze blowing. Barely a hint of humidity. Last October, it was a far different story…….it was hot and sticky, almost unbearable. Guess January is more tolerable than October.

We left the ship, which was docked at the Aloha Tower, and headed towards town. We did have the option of taking a complimentary shuttle to the shopping mall, thanks to Hilo Hattie's. But we chose to walk the distance, like we always do. Walking slowly and taking photos along the way, we ended up at Waikiki Beach and the Hawaiian Hilton Hotel complex. It's always a pleasure to stroll the white sands on our way towards Ft. Derussy. Following side streets, we wound our way to the Hard Rock Café. Time for a well-earned lunch, we split their new Heineken burger, like we did in San Diego. It was every bit as tasty here. Downing a couple of diet sodas, we relaxed for an hour until we resumed our hike.

But before we left, we made a visit to the new store next door, which happened to be a Tommy Bahama store. Last December, we had gotten a $50 reward card for a future purchase. It expired today at midnight. Lucky for us, the timing was just right for our stop here today, because they had just the shirt we were looking for. The sweet salesgirl handed us at least seven samples of men's and women's colognes, something our store at home does not do anymore. These tiny samples will last for the entire cruise….perfect size.

At the oldest part of the Ward Center, we stopped at another small boutique, where a few more items got added to the wardrobe. Kind of a late birthday gift, and the best place to find unique quality clothing for a long time to come on this trip.

We got back to the ship by 4:30pm, cooling off in or room and working on photos. No sail away tonight since the ship is here until tomorrow after 3pm.

There was a sunset, however, which we did catch a glimpse of right before a moving cargo ship blocked the view on the horizon. Of course, the sky was clear of clouds, and there may have been that chance for the "green" flash. Guess we will never know.

This evening there was a Hawaiian Cook-In taking place from 5:30 to 8pm at the Lido Market and Dome. This took the place of the BBQ that was always held around the mid pool. Only drink stations were around the center pool, while all of the food was served as usual inside the lido restaurant. We took photos of the affair from deck nine, while visiting with friends on the railing.

Everyone but one was present at the table for dinner tonight. The entrees served were the same as the ones at the BBQ, we were told. So we tried the Korean ribs, but were disappointed for the first time. One of us got a plate of mostly small round bones…….little meat on them. Since they are braised for many hours, the meat must have fallen off the bone. Appeared we got the last of the servings for the night. Oh well, there was always dessert, and we could have two if we wanted. The upside down pineapple cake with vanilla ice cream kind of made up for the meager meal.

A special local show was held early at 9:30pm in the Queen's Lounge. It featured the Drums of Polynesia, direct from Maui, with exotic music and stunning dances. Most of us lingered after dinner, and did not leave the room until close to 10pm. We sort of forgot the show was ½ hour early this evening. More than likely, it was the same group we saw last October.

Another change in tonight's schedule was Piano Bar's Debby Bacon, playing under the stars by the Seaview Pool at 7pm. Jim and Maureen did go to listen to her, and really enjoyed it, although they admitted it did get nippy back there after the sun went down.

Today was the end of the first segment. The Cruise Log was left on our mail slot showing that we have traveled a distance of 6862 nautical miles so far. By the end of this trip in April, we will have 5 times that amount or more.

Bill & Mary Ann

PS We want to address the few comments concerning the upgrade process with HAL. We feel that to make things simpler and more fair, our sea days earned should be treated like frequent flyer miles. That would simplify things, and be completely fair for all.

Nice way to welcome cruisers