Dear fellow readers,
We have been blessed with such beautiful October weather, we have spent most of our time outside since we have been home from the cruise. Even today, while sitting here contemplating where to start chores on a warm, sunny Saturday morning, we figured it was time to do our review of the two trips we did. And besides, sitting and typing is a great way to dodge the fall planting, pruning, and leaf clean-up, right?
So, these two cruises were different experiences. Alaska was wonderful, as we were lucky to have had agreeable temps and little rain. With just a few sea days, and several ports in seven days, we were busy all of the time. The nice thing is that we had ample shipboard credit, thanks to the onboard bookings we did last year. HAL makes it easy to put a minimum deposit on future bookings, and during the month of October, the credits can be doubled. Then we get to add our extra credits for being members of the President’s Club, and Carnival stock owners.
But now comes the sensitive part. We had to police our shipboard account to make sure it was all there. For no good reason, the individual credits are never itemized as they are on your statement from the travel agency. They are posted as two lump sums, and if the total matches your total, then you are good to go. That’s not always the case. In the beginning of both cruises (booked separately with two booking numbers), we received notes that extra Captain’s gifts were being added to our account. But when? The nice thing is that we can track our account online, or on the interactive TV in our room. Now it was not crucial that the money was added immediately, but if we chose to take tours, it would be nice to have the amount correct. On our second cruise to Hawaii, the Captain’s gift of $200 was not added until two days before we returned to Vancouver. Had we not been watching, it may have gone unnoticed, and we would have lost it. So at that point in time, our only choice was to either buy more stuff in the shops, or drink it (which we prefer not to do).
Now we have a suggestion for using some of this “use it, or lose it” money. Why not let us apply money from there to a future cruise booking, instead of using a credit card that is not on our account? Or designate some extra tips in the form of a voucher for our room stewards and dining room waiters? Other cruise lines do this, even some in the Carnival group. We have even heard of a prominent cruise line that immediately posts all credits to your account, then allow you to use it to pay for booking tours before the cruise starts.
The internet was another story. Everything has changed since we were on the Panama cruise heading home last May on the Amsterdam. Perhaps each ship does the internet a different way, because we found that situation on the Eurodam. Instead of minutes, we now have megabytes. It sounded promising, but we ran into the same problems with this system, same as we did the previous one. People are buying packages and also 24 hour service. This means they can go online, and stay online for hours to use up their allotted time, over-loading the system. Yes, we understand that at sea, things are far different than being based on land. Put it this way, they have a long way to go to make people happy. We were quite lucky to have had our complimentary minutes turned into megabytes last for the entire 25 days. But then, we don’t do videos, movies, or social sites. Just plain and simple internet. One thing for sure, if you don’t have a hot spot right outside your room, forget trying to get online and stay on. We had to take the computer to the front desk area to accomplish anything.
The Eurodam has a pretty dining room, 2 levels, but it is densely furnished. There is little space to access the back of the room, without squeezing between the tables and the serving stations. Most walkers and wheelchair-bound folks could not fit deep into the room. The upper level was better for dinner, but the service was above excellent. Even in the specialty restaurants, we were spoiled from day one with their over-the-top attention. The only glitch we could find was the fact that the dining room lunch was not posted on the interactive TV every day. The only way we could find the menu was to literally go to the dining room entrance and read the screen. It was seldom posted until close to lunchtime also. It would help us determine where and when we chose to eat lunch. If the menu was not to our liking, we would have the choice of going to the Pinnacle, the Lido, get pizza or burgers, or indulge with room service. We did point this out to one of the nicest head waiters, Thys from Holland, at our last lunch in there. He was not aware that their ever-changing lunch menu was not available in several areas, and he promised to check into it.
A few other observations were concerning blockages in the hallways on passenger decks. We had many walkers and wheelchairs left outside of cabins in the hallway, halfway blocking the access to elevators. As for us, we could squeeze by, but not other folks also in wheelchairs or using walkers. There should be rules concerning this practice, since if there was an emergency, that could be a big problem for everyone. One lady had left her walker, complete with all of her meds in the seat, out in the hall the night of the luggage pick-up. Of course, in the morning it was gone with her luggage. She assumed that since she left it out every day, the stewards would know not to take it. From the time we went to breakfast, and came back an hour later, she was still arguing with the head housekeeper, who she insisted find her buggy. They did, and all was well, we assume, but she won’t do that again.
The final word about the rooms, we noticed that the verandas only got cleaned at the beginning of each cruise. Years ago, the room stewards would at least clean the glass and the railing, keeping it clear of salt build up. This does not happen anymore. Another crew comes in and hoses each and every veranda, including the chairs, tables, windows, floors and railings. Other than that, we had to make sure that the plug to our computer was not left unplugged, as it happened often after the room was vacuumed. A few times, the battery was low, and we discovered why.
One suggestion we had was to declare the traffic on the promenade deck “one way”, as many near accidents threatened to happen daily. Counter-clockwise seems to be the accepted direction these days, and yes, the Amsterdam has arrows pointing that way. As big as this ship is compared to the Amsterdam, there are some choke points where there is room for two people only. As luck has it, that is where you are going to collide with the wrong-way folks.
Overall, we were most pleased with every other aspect of the cruises on the Eurodam. Although this ship is bigger than we like, the itineraries at this time of year are what brought us here. Would we go back? Of course!
And now there are two rakes with our names on them to start with the fallen leaves! Until next time………
Bill & Mary Ann
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Report # 28 Eurodam's Alaska & Hawaii Cruises - Our final thoughts..... October 27, 2018 Saturday Unbelievably warm weather in Clayton
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Report # 27 October 17, 2018 Wednesday Sunny & 72 degrees
A dear friend of ours recently said if you want God to laugh, make plans. She could not have been more right, although in the beginning of the day, most of those plans went just fine. More about that later.
After a less-than-peaceful night onboard the ship, we began our day around 5am. Due to the luggage being carted down the hallway, it was quite noisy, especially when the cart tripped up on a threshold, and his luggage crashed against our wall. More than once too. This was about 11:30pm, towards the end of their time for the last pick-up.
Breakfast for us was in the dining room, beginning at 6:30am. Only, they were using one side of the dining room, and our usual table was not available. We did get a table for two, but squeezed in between other tables very close. Guess we were lucky to have had such a nice table upstairs on the railing for dinner. It was by request, since we dined there last year. Service was a bit slow, because we learned that 17 waiters were going home today, and they were off duty. Sure made a difference.
Our time for departure was 8:15 to 8:30am, so we had time to try to finish the rest of our megabytes that we had left. It was so slow, we gave up. Perhaps all of the folks that paid for plans were doing the same thing, choking the system. Hope it works better on the Amsterdam’s world cruise.
Fudging it a little, we ended behind the color tags right before pink # 1. Not a problem, since we had the perk of getting off any time we wished. The only drawback to that is the luggage might not be there yet in the terminal. As it turned out we were within seconds of the staff opening up that color-coded row of suitcase that all look alike. Ours have to be the most traveled (beat up), so they were easy to locate.
The crew working this debarkation process have it down pat. We were lined up, then eventually led to a waiting bus for the Vancouver airport, a 40 minute ride away. There are no freeways to whisk you there, but only downtown streets, which were full of commuters on this Wednesday morning.
Once at the airport, the driver let out the folks who were flying international, along with their suitcases. The nice thing here is that the luggage carts are free, so we took advantage of that to lug everything to a waiting kiosk to check in. That would have worked fine if we had picked one that the sun did not interfere with reading the passports. An agent saw our dilemma, and came to assist. She had no luck either, so we went directly to the counter, where the Westjet agent did all of the work. Our bags were all under the limit of 50#, and they were tagged and put back on our cart. Then we took them to a belt where they went into oblivion, where we hope to see them again in SFO. So far so good.
Even though we both got the pre-check TSA OK, it meant nothing here in Canada. We assume since we are US citizens, we are required to empty out our stuff and take the shoes off. Drats! Now we recall that same scenario happened last year on our way back home. At least, the camera bag did not have to be screened closer, like they did in SF.
Finally, we went through the US Customs area, where we scanned our passports at a kiosk, had photos taken, answered several questions, then proceeded with our printed receipt to the agent. The process was easy with good directions, and we passed, so to speak.
The last set of doors dropped us right into a myriad of duty-free shops in hopes we still had the desire to part with more money before we left the country. We have to add that Vancouver’s airport is modern, clean, and offers free wifi. We were able to download all of the required security stuff within minutes….really fast compared to the ship’s speed. So nothing has really changed there.
Our flight was on time and scheduled to leave at 12:45pm. Up to now, everything had gone according to our plans. The flight was mostly full, but quick and uneventful. The complimentary soda, cookies, and pretzels were meager, but better than nothing. In fact, one of us had squirreled some crackers and ship candies just in case we needed it. We did, and it would do until we got home.
Now this is when things went awry. After landing around 3pm, we found our luggage easily, loaded it up, and went to find our pre-arranged ride and driver. This is when “God laughed”. We had emailed a service we have used only twice this last year, and it was set up and confirmed just a week ago online. We did not feel the need to re-confirm today. In hindsight, that would have been wise. Turns out, no one was waiting near the baggage pick-up, or anywhere near there.
Calling at the courtesy airport phone, we discovered our reservation had slipped through the cracks. This was not what we wanted to hear, although the boss said call him back in 10 minutes, and he will advise us if he has a driver in this area. He apologized, and said a driver was on the way from Lafayette (in the east bay), and would arrive in about one hour. That was better news, but with commute traffic, who knows?
We hauled our stuff to one of those desks with a plug, where we could charge the computer while typing this report. No free wifi here, unless we went through Starbucks, located right behind us. Thinking we had to at least 5pm to wait for the driver, a nice young fellow showed up at 4:30pm. This is when a cell phone would have been handy. Other than having us paged, like we suggested, the driver was simply searching for two people, looking lost and desperate. Took him 15 minutes to figure out we were the right ones, just keeping busy while waiting.
We don’t think this fellow works for the car service, but is a friend of the owner from Clayton. Located in San Francisco, he was not familiar with where we lived, although he had a nifty GPS screen in his town car. By the time we reached his vehicle in the parking garage, it was after 5pm, and right in the middle of the worst commute time. Truthfully, this can occur from 2pm onwards, so nothing new to us. What should take over one hour, took two hours, getting us home by 7pm. Not bad considering we have been stuck for three hours on the last two trips back from SFO. That can become torture with sore backs and knees, but better than having to over-night in town. We were totally grateful to have a ride home, no matter what extra time it took.
So when we rolled into our driveway, it was a shock to find someone waiting in his car for us. Turned out the owner came out to apology for the mix-up, and absolutely refused payment for the ride. No matter how much we insisted, he said it was on him. But Bill did chase down the driver and gave him a tip despite being told not to. We had made use of the extra time at the airport while we waited, and chilled out thinking of the song, Don’t Worry…Be Happy. A good stress reliever. We told the owner that we would be customers for life.
Good to be home, even though we had to scrounge for something to eat. Keeping it light for a few months now in preparation for the big one in January will be wise.
Once again, thanks for trekking along with us….and we will be back!
Bill & Mary Ann
PS We shall be back with quick thoughts about what we liked, but also what we did not like….there were a few things along the way.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Report # 26 Day at Sea October 16, 2018 Tuesday Partly cloudy & 72 degrees
Our final day at sea turned out to be a clear, sunny one with a stiff, fresh breeze. If you looked hard enough, there was at least one spot on the promenade deck with a sunny lounge with blocked wind. There were a few of these on the starboard side. Located on the port, we won’t see any traces of sun on our veranda until 4pm if we are lucky. All-in-all, the seas and the weather have been fairly decent on all of the sea days going to and coming from Hawaii this time of year.
The gifted internet minutes, which converted to megabytes, was sufficient to last for 25 days for us. We basically did emailing and a little bit of updating. Doing all of the updates suggested would have used all of our megabytes, so we did not do it. So we were not using any of their plans, which were available from the beginning of each cruise, or pay-by-the-day packages.
While we were emailing in the atrium, one of us checked out our final statement, and we were delighted to find we had more refunds on Hawaiian port charges. Not a whole lot, but a little over $10 each. Only that amount would be added to our card, but not the remaining shipboard credit we had left. At least, the refunded port charges were cashable. But, we still need to find something small for $35, something that weighs almost nothing. Spending most of the morning packing, we are about at the limit on each suitcase. By the way, there is a digital scale for all to use near the front desk.
Last chance for a dining room lunch, we went around 12:30pm. No need to stop at the kiosk, the head waiters simply give us the go-ahead to seat ourselves. That has worked out nicely for this 25 day trip for breakfast and lunch. There seems to be rotating waiters daily at these meals, so we have gotten the chance to visit with some familiar waiters as well as new ones.
The closer we got to the land, the colder it got. Few people were outside without being covered up with hats and jackets. Better time for snowball bingo, team trivia, and party bridge, which seems to be a full house most every day.
Happy hour continued at 4pm in the Billboard Onboard and Ocean Bars, as well as the 9pm Crow’s Nest. We only strolled through the Crow’s Nest once, but did notice that there was a limited library there. We overheard two ladies talking in the elevator about the lack of good reading material on this ship. Makes sense, because most people don’t want to overload their suitcases with that extra weight. Of course, e-books on a Kindle will eventually replace real books someday, sadly.
While finishing up the last of the packing, we took the time to film the sunset…the final one of this cruise. But there was a bonus to be seen…..whales, at least 4 of them, appeared quite a distance from the ship, but unmistakable with their blows. So we did get some good shots of them with the sun setting and a couple of birds thrown in for good measure. Great way to end the final sea day as the trip comes to an end.
Dinner for us was originally planned in the Pinnacle Grill, but we changed our minds for two reasons. There were a few good items on the dining room menu we had not had as of yet, and also, we intended to wear our going home clothes. That meant jeans and collared shirts, not that it really matters anymore, since the general population wears almost anything these days. We always hold the thought that once we sit down, no one can spot the Levi’s.
Before our meal service began, the dining room manager and his boss came by for a chat. Asking where and when our next cruise will be, we told him the grand voyage in January of next year. Both of them said they would love to do a world voyage, but are holding out for the 2020. Reynold, the dining room manager said he has never been to South America or Antarctica. And if his “boss” would allow it, he might put a request in for it. His boss? Turns out it is his wife. Anyway, the head staff members have been more than thoughtful, checking up on us throughout these past 25 days.
Expecting to see a movie in the Mainstage, we were surprised to see a combination of the past three entertainers doing two shows. The show lounge on this ship is tiered on three decks and has no blockages with pillars that we could see. Also, we did not see any side screens like on the Amsterdam.
At least twice this cruise, we have turned in the Let Us Know cards to give praise where we think it is due. When we drop off the cards at the front desk, they hurriedly open them up and read them. Nice to see the smiles on their faces, especially when we include them in the compliment department. In our opinion, these folks deserve the medals!
One last stop in the shop, and we used the last of the credit. Then it was off to the room to pull out the luggage for pick up. Hope we see it in the terminal tomorrow.
We shall follow up with our final thoughts on this Alaskan and Hawaiian trip once we get home and settled. In the meantime, it has been a pleasure sharing our adventure with you all!
Bill & Mary Ann
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Report #25 Day at Sea October 15, 2018 Monday Partly cloudy & 80 degrees
Come on guys…..80 degrees? Try 60 degrees, and that is probably tops. It has remained mostly cloudy, but at least, we do not have any rain. The seas have behaved nicely as well. What has been missing are any signs of flying fish, or birds. Yesterday morning, during our walk, two gals, on the younger side, claimed to have spotted humpback whales. But looking harder, we could see nothing but waves, suspecting this was a way to begin a conversation with the folks passing by. Works every time. That brought to mind a man who swore he saw hammerhead sharks while scenic sailing off the coast of eastern Australia a few years back. Seems every time he saw one, it just slipped below the surface. Who knows?
Breakfast in the dining room was really quiet, because it appeared a lot of guests are sleeping in later. Setting the clocks ahead catches up with everyone eventually. We should have one more hour to set ahead this evening to be back on Pacific time.
We all received the disembarkation package this morning. It had the letter with instructions for the process we will have when Wednesday comes. Luggage tags co-ordinated with our flights were included with another Canadian declaration card to hand off when we debark. Then, if memory serves us right, we will have to do the kiosk for Canada re-entry, then proceed to the USA customs check. But we still have today and tomorrow on the ship before we have to deal with it.
We took the opportunity to begin packing at least one suitcase. Gosh, we missed the Le Vian presentation in the Ocean Bar once again. They were handing out 1 carat midnight sapphire just for attending. We will never know what that was all about, or how much these sapphires were worth. Passing through the lounge later, we saw at least 100 folding chairs jammed in there. Guess they had a large crowd. If you say “free”, they will come.
During his noon time talk, Captain Scott had some better news. It seems that the man who needed a transfusion last night, had three donors come forward. That was a miracle, and helped to stabilize him. Despite that, the Captain did admit our speed had been increased to 22 knots, just in case we needed to get to land sooner. He said that once he gets the OK from the doctor, he may slow down, and go 17 knots like we should be traveling. The plan now is that we reach the coast off of Vancouver by midnight tomorrow, pick up the pilot, and be docked before 7am on Wednesday morning.
Lunch was in the dining room, which also was not busy. One of us had had the room service chicken noodle soup and pasta, while the other had a salad and mini-burger. Just enough, although we added dessert – one sherbet, and one plate of profiteroles. Our waiter came running with extra vanilla ice cream, not ordered, but we declined. Just too easy to over-do it. And besides, we needed to save ourselves for our last dinner in the Tamarind tonight. The final evening will be in the Pinnacle Grill.
Sweatshirts were needed for our afternoon walk, and we did notice far less folks outside. Perhaps they were staying inside playing bridge, mahjong, learning how to cook Asian dumplings, or playing trivia. The games here are just that…..games without prizes or DAM dimes, like on the grand voyages. On this ship, the winners take a bow and that’s all. That’s how it should be….not competitive.
There was a fleeting sunset tonight, not the same as we have witnessed coming from the Hawaiian Islands. And with the time changes, it has been setting earlier every other day. Before we knew it, the time for dinner came at 8pm. It was off to the Tamarind for a gala night. Everyone dining in the Tamarind on deck 11 was dressed formally, even the ship’s officers, who seem to congregate here for their dinner often.
We ordered our favorites which included spring rolls and tempura shrimp, which is served with a particularly good papaya salad. Thai beef salads followed, then entrees of a wasabi-crusted steak and a platter of tempura vegetables were served. One side of brown rice rounded out the meal. What is nice with dining up here is the fact that our food arrives freshly cooked and hot. It does not sit on a serving table, waiting for eight other diners to be served. Don’t get us wrong, the waiters do try hard, but sometimes our food has been only slightly warm in the dining room.
Desserts were the fortune cookie and coconut rice pudding, which does not taste like coconut at all. We were too early for the 10pm show in the Mainstage, but since we have already seen it, we headed home instead. 1000 Steps was the performance by the singers and dancers of the Eurodam, their final show of this cruise.
The Captain maintained over 20 knots for the remainder of the day, so we assume the patient is not out of the woods yet. Also, the clocks went ahead for the final hour tonight. It is getting harder to wake up in the morning for us and the crew.
Expecting cooler weather tomorrow, our final full day at sea.
Bill & Mary Ann
Monday, October 15, 2018
Report #24 Day at Sea October 14, 2018 Sunday Partly cloudy & 80 degrees
The suggested high today was listed as 80 degrees. There is no way it was anywhere near that, as we have reached the halfway point from Hawaii to Canada, our final destination. If it reached 60 degrees, we would be surprised. Perhaps few people even read the front page of the When & Where paper.
Another Mariner Reception and Lunch took place today. About 300 higher day Mariners were invited to the Mainstage for more medals to be awarded. The lunch in the lower dining room followed with over 600 invited, we understand. Same as yesterday. So the options for those who were not part of the special lunch today, like us, had a few options to choose from. There’s always the Lido, the Dive-In Grill, the Pinnacle Grill, and New York Pizza. Besides picking up a few snacks, we have not eaten in the Lido, the Pinnacle, or gotten burgers at the Dive-In Grill on either of the cruises. We did try to pizza once, but never went back. The last option was room service, and that is what we did today.
We are really impressed with the food presentations delivered from room service on this ship. With the three times we dined in-room, everything we ordered came on the tray. And we never had to wait more than 20 to 30 minutes tops. The entree salads, in particular, have been very good. And the soup, chicken noodle, always arrived piping hot. The service came with a smile, and also followed up with a phone call to see if all was done to our liking.
A guest speaker, Greg Redfern, spoke today about NASA and where they are headed with manned spacecraft and rockets. The lounge filled quickly with interested customers.
Other activities included continuing sales in the shops featuring tanzanite, amber and fashion watches to name a few. Cariloha, the bamboo products, has shown up on the ships too. The first store of that kind we saw was in Hawaii years ago. Now you can find them in the Caribbean, Asia, and Alaska, to name a few. And they still hand out the free bamboo necklaces without asking.
Other venues quite active this sea day were the several lounges, mostly the Ocean Bar during the buy one, get one for $2 beverages. It has to be the most convenient meeting place for pre-dinner cocktails, located on deck 3 above the atrium. Even though there are many other bars scattered around the ship, this one seems to be the busiest. We wonder why???
The Art Gallery is located in a nice spot on deck 2. This is one venue we have not seen transported to public areas of the ship, like they do on the Amsterdam (not the Grand Voyage). Guess we can say it is understated, but available for those who are art collectors.
This afternoon, in between walks that totaled perhaps 5 miles, we took the opportunity to watch the different Alaska made-for-TV episodes in our room. We are liking this interactive system, and really wish it could make its way to the R-class ships. Perhaps the larger flat screen with the panoramic scenery makes the difference. In the three weeks we have been here, we have not seen half of what they offer.
While watching yet another sunset from our veranda, Captain Scott came on the speaker with an alarming request. It seems that they have a seriously ill patient in the medical center, who was in dire need of a blood transfusion. The Captain put out a call for a type O negative donor, but only those who have the certified donor card. This is the very first time we have ever heard this on a ship. We pray that with a larger passenger and crew population, there is at least one person with that blood type. Obviously, the ship is too far out from land for a medical evacuation, but that may happen in the next few days. In the past, we have been on trips where the captain speeded up to get a patient to land. Time will tell, and we will keep our fingers crossed for the ill person.
Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill, but with the Sel de Mer venue, the second one of this Hawaiian trip. Their special charger plates are very amusing, as each one is created with a design made of food items. It could be sliced veggies, lettuce, avocado, seafood, bones from seafood, and a variety of grains. Whimsical, each plate has a name to it to match the design. Rudy Sodamin himself takes credit for the plate ware art, but we think he had a lot of help from someone with a creative sense of humor.
Anyway, our choices of salads and steak frites were excellent once again. The beef has to be the best you can get. Even better than the steaks in the regular Pinnacle Grill. We always dine at 8pm, which has become among the latest of the dining times these days. The room was about ¾ full, which is understandable, since at $49 per person, it is the priciest of the venues. Of course, the exception is the cellar master’s wine pairing meal, which we think is well above the $100 price. We ended the meal with the apple tatin with salted caramel ice cream in the center. And two cups of French-pressed coffee, one of which was decaffeinated, we hope.
Entertainment was a singer by the name of Claire Gobin, a musical sensation, who brought quirkiness, exuberance, and glamour to the stage. Strolling through the music venues, we could hear her singing all the way to the Casino, which was quite busy tonight. And Billboard Onboard with the two piano guys was standing room only. Country music was their theme tonight, and the guests were liking it.
And as always, we had a plate of truffles waiting in our room, compliments of Sel de Mer. Rudy’s postcard was also left with a recipe for salt crust baked branzino, a fish.
Tomorrow will have to seriously begin to think about packing. Yuck…..
Bill & Mary Ann
Report #23 Day at Sea October 13, 2018 Saturday Partly cloudy & 80 degrees
We woke up to heavily overcast skies with a crisp breeze blowing across the decks. Still on the warm side, it was clear that we are no longer under the influence of the balmy seas surrounding the islands. Tomorrow, we may need to put on the sweat shirts when we go outside for our walks. At least it is not raining, although the port side gets a lot of sea spray, which drips off of the tender boats.
During breakfast, one of the friendliest headwaiters stopped by for a chat. Later this morning there will be the first of the Mariner Society’s reception and lunch. We had an invitation asking us to arrive at 11am to the Mainstage, deck 2, starboard side. We understand that over 300 Mariners have been invited to this ceremony, although, there are so many members on this cruise, there will be a repeat tomorrow. So we kept breakfast as light as we could, not always easy.
The suggested dress code was smart casual, which is the description for dinner time most evenings. However, when we joined the line to enter the show lounge, there were many gals and fellows in t-shirts and shorts, with no intentions of changing for a few hours. Not that we are clothes snobs, but we think it is nice to respect those that choose to follow the rules. Oh well, it did not matter, since no one in charge said a word, like they used to in the “old days”.
The receiving line consisted of Glenn Cowley, the hotel director, Erin, the cruise director, and Julie, one the nicest customer service reps. She has been most helpful dealing with our few situations, and continued today with escorting us to our saved seats in the front row on deck one. This show lounge is gigantic compared to the one on the Amsterdam. It covers three decks, and it most impressive. And cold. The air conditioning here is close to frigid.
We were offered drinks of our choice, which we declined. There are no tables in this lounge, like on the R-class ships, but only seating like you are in a typical movie theater. A drink holder pulls out of the seat’s armrest. So we had a ringside seat directly across from the medals to be awarded spread out on a table. Erin, the cruise director, began the ceremony with a short and sweet talk, then introduced the hotel director and the Captain, who did the honors. We counted close to 100 bronze medallions, 12 silver, and 5 gold. There were no platinum awardees today. And definitely, no President’s Club pins given. If all of the 100 day medallions were given out, we will end up here until after noontime. As it turned out, only half of the bronze folks were present, so it went quicker than we expected. A few of the very elderly couples decided this was a great time to converse with the Captain, but he smartly moved them along by suggesting they pose for the photo. One younger couple, upon getting their medallions, hooted all the way up the aisle, waking everyone up. One of us said loud enough for the Captain to hear…..boy, I wish I was drinking what she did. Captain Scott thought that was quite amusing, but agreed.
We were called last, and introduced as President’s Club members with over 2200 days. A photo was taken, and we should see it in our room by the end of the day. One other gentleman also was acknowledged as well.
When all the awards were done, we were escorted out of the lounge by a waiter, who attempted to lead us to the dining room, and a table reserved for the high number members. Since we were surrounded with folks going the same way, one wayward man stepped in between us, and ended up taking one of our seats at a large center table. That left only one chair, and obviously, no room for the two of us. Embarrassed, headwaiter Mega came running, and we asked to be seated at a table for two. He apologized, and led us to a window table, where we assumed no one else would be seated there. We were so sure, that we ended up drinking both glasses of champagne.
Oops, two nice ladies looking for seats asked to join us. Since there were no more places left, we said sure, but we were sorry to have finished off their champagne. The waiter did eventually bring them flutes of the bubbly with their lunch. Turned out these two gals, mom and daughter, looked familiar, and we discovered they had been on the Eurodam last year, and some of the same Hawaii cruises we did on the old Statendam. So lunch ended up being fun, and not stuffy with a large table of 10.
The menu was totally different from the Alaska Mariner lunch. We had a choice of a shrimp, mango, & cherry tomato salad, or a butternut squash & coconut lemon grass soup (really good by the way). A petite tenderloin with veggies, a salmon dish, or an eggplant vegetarian plate were the choices. Dessert was the best – Lilikoi & coconut tart, lemony and creamy. Tiles were handed out at the dining room entry when we left. We have to add that the food choices have been revised for every meal, at least on this ship. Given new names, there are few appetizers or entrees that are the same since we left our last cruise last May.
Walking off some of the calories after lunch was invigorating. It had cooled off even more. The folks that had been on the teak lounges earlier, were now covered up with their towels instead. By tomorrow, we think very few people will be out here on the promenade deck.
Before going up, we checked out the shops and the choices for spending the rest of our credit. We discovered that even more credit had been added, due to the Captain’s extra gift. We had assumed it was already factored into the balance. The particular sales fellow we dealt with in the beginning of the cruise was not there. So we decided to come back later. One thing we noticed different in the shop from last year, is that Oprah’s corner has gotten smaller, with far fewer items for sale.
Catching up on emails and watching some TV, the afternoon dissolved. Before we knew it, the sun was setting, and it was a fairly good one.
Dinner was in the dining room with some more different food choices. It has been fun trying some of the various soups and salads. The main for both of us was Rudi’s roasted chicken, the same as always. Barb….eat your heart out….they had sautéed calves liver with apples and pancetta tonight. Naturally, we thought of you.
The clocks went ahead one more hour tonight, leaving us one more hour to go before we are back in Vancouver.
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Report #22 Day at Sea October 12, 2018 Friday Partly cloudy & 80 degrees
Our first day at sea after leaving the big island of Hawaii began like any other sea day, this is, until later in the afternoon. Things can occur that can turn the day on a dime, so to speak. But more about that later. The biggest event for us this morning was seeing some small flying fish, and one lost, perhaps injured, gull, that a crew member rescued from the promenade deck.
There has been a difference in the weather, even with one day at sea, and a day away from Hawaii. The humidity must have been cut in half, and the warmth is much more tolerable. Even though the newsletter stated a high of 81 degrees, it was nowhere near that. Still pleasantly warm, we doubt the heat of the tropics will stay with us for much longer.
Now that the folks on the ship have our undivided attention, the ship’s promotions have begun. That is…..the sale of everything they have to offer. Not that these things are “on sale”, but just in case you have missed each and every department that sells stuff, now it the time to spend that money. The first ad arrived for the Wonder Photo Shop where you can bring your cruise memories to life. At any other time in the past, you were able to purchase cameras and photos only, but now there is an array of souvenirs to collect. And personalized items can be created right onboard. Today’s class was buy one personalized mug, and get the second one free. Prices are not posted anywhere that we can see in the photo gallery.
A variety of jewelry has been promoted in the shops such as Swarovski, Australian pearls, Majorica pearls, Le Monde, and a new unveiling of Kallati. We searched for Brighton jewelry, but saw none by that name. With a little more shipboard credit to spend, we might have to check it all out.
Bingo is the name of the game with the Paradise Lotto Jackpot over $350,000. Nice to win with a $2 ticket, but we believe this might be a lotto drawing between the entire fleet. Snowball bingo, or a win a bingo cruise happen every day, while slot tournaments were held twice this afternoon. This is one area we have not frequented, since it really is not on the “beaten path” on our strolls.
The Greenhouse Spa and Salon have been featuring miracle weight loss, anti-aging solutions, instant wrinkle remedies, and top to toe specials. We have heard from more than one spa manager that this area of the ship is the most productive with sales. Speaking of cosmetics, we have read in every Hawaiian booklet that by the year 2021, all sunscreens and lotions containing oxybenzone and octinoxate will be prohibited for sale. It has been proven to cause detrimental effects on reefs, causing bleaching and death of coral. Good grief…….wonder what it has been doing to our skin??? Checking the protective over-the-counter lotion we have been using for years, we discovered that these chemicals are indeed in the potion.
America’s Test Kitchen put on a show with blue ribbon breakfasts. So far, we have not taken the time to attend a class, especially since we can access several episodes on the room TV. That way, we have the opportunity to choose what is being cooked.
Have you ever heard of an Astrophotographer? We have not, but if you went to a talk by Greg Redfern, you would learn all about it. It deals with learning the basics of photographing the sea and the sky, both really difficult subjects.
Lunch was back in the dining room for us. The head waiters have spoiled us by saving a table for two by the window every day. This afternoon the menu had two favorites of ours, spaghetti Bolognese, and a pork carnitas, a tortilla filled with the meat, salsa, rice, and beans, with a mild hot sauce. Both of us had the RR, which is rocky road ice cream, although that can double for rum raisin. We had the waiter laughing with that one. Not a meal goes by without at least one of the head waiters asking how we liked the food. Actually, breakfast and lunch in the dining room has been more enjoyable than at dinner. Our waiter seems to be stressed when all of his clients show up, and to be truthful, when they bring out 10 entrees at once, our food has been less than warm at times. It has been only recently that one of us has requested very hot soup and entrees, and yes, it has been served that way for the most part. Assuming that the waiters know you like it hot, is not always the case.
So back to our PM story. Around 5 o’clock, there was a “blip” with the power. This happened once before when we were docked in Seattle, we think. At that time, the crew were plugging into the shore power, but it did not work. It did not affect anything big at that time, although our TV had to be re-set. Today, the ship came to a dead stop, and the TV shut down. The programming had been blown, as well as some of the ship’s source of power. It was obvious that the TV programming was the least of their problems. Shortly after the ship stopped, Captain Scott came on the speakers to announce we had a “blip”, a mere hiccup, which would be resolved soon. No need to panic. He assured everyone that the kitchens were still operational and we had running water. Oh boy….our biggest concerns are food and water. Like we’re going to starve….we think not.
The ship drifted where we lost our direction momentarily. Our neighbors were out on their veranda, as many guests were, and made the comment, “Wonder if the Captain will drop anchor?” In possibly 8000 feet of water, we suspect the answer to that was NO. But it was amusing. Eventually, we resumed sailing, but only on one engine. And that had to be shut down to start the opposite one. Around 6:30pm, we were back in business, sailing in the correct direction and proper speed. The thought of being stuck out here was a sobering one. The TV resumed around 6:45pm.
That did give one of us a chance to photograph the sunset, as well as a rainbow. Mostly cloudy skies prevented the sunsets we have seen while in Hawaii.
Tonight we had reservations in the Tamarind Restaurant. As always, we were warmly greeted, and led to a window table. We both ordered the Thai salad with either shrimp crackers or rice crackers. Three types of dips were placed in tiny bowls in the center of the table. We put these dips and sauces on the crackers. One of us had the spring veggies rolls, and the other sate skewers. Tasty as ever. Mains were the wasabi crusted steaks, a small serving, but perfect. Sides were brown rice and steamed veggies. Desserts were our favorites…..the fortune cookie and one rice pudding. Coffee is good in the Tamarind, but there simply was no room for it.
Happy campers, we check out the show One World, which we did see on the previous Alaskan cruise. Putting the clocks ahead last night, left us pretty tired tonight. We suspect we will lose another hour tomorrow.
Keeping our fingers crossed we do not have a repeat of the “power blip” again. That could delay our return to Vancouver.
Bill & Mary Ann
Friday, October 12, 2018
Report #21 Hilo, Hawaii October 11, 2018 Thursday Partly cloudy & 80 degrees
The island of Hawaii is the largest of the Hawaiian Islands. With 4,028 square miles, it is larger than all of the other islands combined. The population is 173,057 people, who must like rain, since the average is 130 inches a year. This island also houses 5 major volcanoes. However, not the biggest, Kilauea Volcano gets the most attention, because it has been spewing since 1983 and continues to this day. It is considered the most active volcanoes in the world. Two other volcanoes are Mauna Kea, now dormant, at 13,796 feet high, and Mauna Loa at 13,677 feet. However, if you measure Mauna Loa from the floor of the Pacific, the total elevation becomes 56,000 feet, the most massive mountain on the planet. All of these are considered shield volcanoes, massive and broad mounds.
Hawaii offers many activities which include surfing, diving, kayaking, fishing, and hiking. The majority of these activities can be found on the Kona side (west) of the island. Some of the products produced in the state are Kona coffee, fruit, veggies, cattle, chocolate, vanilla, and honey. Macadamia nuts, papayas, orchids, and bananas are the specialties here.
The city we docked in was Hilo, the capital of the island. The population is 43,263 people that live in this “city of flowers”. This town never really became a tourist haven with all of the trappings, mostly because of the rain. Most visitors opt to go to Kona on the dryer side of the island. And on this coming Saturday, the 13th, the 40th annual Ironman Triathlon will take plan in Kona, which draws a big crowd. Trips to Kilauea can be accessed from there as well. There are some resorts and hotels on Hilo Bay, but they have remained much the same as they looked back in the 50’s.
Shore excursions included 2 helicopter trips over the volcano. One was $330 and the other was $460. Good way to see Kilauea and the volcanoes park, without the long bus ride. Several bus trips went there too. Sight-seeing had several tours from $100 to $180, some with a bag lunch. Lastly there was a zip line for $210 to $300, or snorkel tour for $270.
A strange thing happened this morning after a number of guests had left the ship after we docked at 8am. Someone had made a mistake by printing the all aboard time at 5:30pm, when it should have been 4:30pm. By the time it was announced, our head waiter buddy said 690 people had already left. Oops….We assume that the majority of these folks were on ship tours, so they would be able to contact the operators. Technically, we were scheduled to leave the port at 5pm, but we suspect it will be later than that. The Captain certainly does not want to leave anyone behind again.
Once again, we had a light breakfast, resisting the blueberry muffin, although they have been very good on this ship. After attempting emailing, we left the ship around 11am. The internet can be tricky at times. With the three plans that people have bought, it allows them to have from 200 to 500 megabytes per day. We are suspecting that these folks are going online and staying on, limiting the rest of the passenger’s access to the sights. The package prices have been adjusting by the day, with the Social plan costing $10 a day. The Surf plan runs $15 a day, and the Premium package runs $20 a day. All three plans are priced for the next 6 days until we debark in Vancouver. There have been times when we cannot even log in because of the traffic.
Our first project of the day was a trip to Walmart. Not that we needed much, but one of us likes to check out the fabric department. Anyway, that was the longest line once we went through the cruise terminal. It was about a 20 minute wait, but we did make the cut. It can be done, but you can walk there. With the heat and humidity, we chose not to. With the ride there, a quick stroll through the store, and the ride back, it took a little over an hour. Two big buses were running today.
We unloaded our purchases, and went right back out to begin our walk towards the restaurant for lunch. The place we like is The Pond, and is located within a mile or so from the ship. It is a small mom and pop operation, but what makes it unique is that it sits over what is called Ice Pond, part of the harbor where fresh water streams into the ocean. And the food is good. We were seated right at an opened window, where we could watch the kids jump off the fence into the water off of the road. Crazy boys and some girls too. Their favorite trick is to jump with the purpose of drowning passer-bys. Trust us, it was so warm and sticky today, we doubt we would have objected. With the threat of rain in the forecast, we had packed the umbrellas, assuring us that NO rain would fall. And it did not.
The hike to Ponds Hilo did not take as long as we had recalled. This local restaurant is more what you would call a mom and pop operation….not a chain. It is built partially over Ice Pond, where a natural spring dumps 50 degree fresh water into Reeds Bay. Directly below the restaurant is a rocked off pond filled with massive koi carp and a couple of sea turtles. Getting a prime table at a window was lucky, because we could watch the fish, as well as the kids that were jumping off of the roadside fencing into the brackish cool waters. Their point is mostly having fun trying to get anyone who passes by soaked, by accident, of course. Kids will be kids. By the way, the students are on fall break now, so families were out and about in the parks enjoying the day like we were.
Lunch was a Caesar salad, taquitos, and one sweet dessert of brownies with vanilla bean ice cream. All good. After we finished, there was just enough time to make our way around the bay. Passing Reeds Bay Park and Resort, the Bayview Banyan, and the Grand Naniloa Hotel, we headed towards the park. This walk was on Banyan Drive where 50 banyan trees had been planted back in the 1930’s to the 1950’s. Famous people actually planted these such as Cecil B. DeMille, Louis Armstrong, Amelia Earhart, Franklin Roosevelt, Babe Ruth, and Richard Nixon among others. Continuing on, we walked by Uncle Billy’s Hilo Bay Hotel and the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel, as well as the Banyan Golf Course.
At this point, we entered Queen Liliuokalani Gardens, a 30 acre Japanese garden with ponds, pagodas, and stone lanterns. While cutting through the center, we saw one mongoose briefly before it ducked into the volcanic rocks. In Hilo Bay we could see some of the downed trees that washed up during the last hurricane that went through here. The official hurricane season in Hawaii is June 1st to November 30th. A foot bridge leads from the gardens to little Coconut Island, where families picnic and swim in the bay. There are public restrooms there, and what is left of an old bridge. Kids climb this rock to jump off into the water below, all trying to out-do each other. We did not have time to take the walk there today.
If we did have the time we could have kept going and followed the bay to downtown Hilo, as we were halfway there. Must history is displayed in town, especially the details of the horrible tsunami that hit here in 1946 and 1960, whipping out most of the downtown area near the water. These days there are warning systems in place, as well as a well-built bulkhead to break the effects of a tsunami.
We made it back to the ship with time to spare. There was a final sail away party on the aft deck, but we found it much more comfortable watching from our veranda. Located on the port side, the sail out of the harbor was in full view. Everyone had made it back on time, we assume, so the departure time was about 5:15pm. We snacked on pizza-flavored Cheezits while we slowly left Hilo Bay. The only wildlife we saw was a flock of egrets, and some smaller black birds. Although there were dark and heavy clouds all around us, we did not get any rain. The bad thing was that both Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea volcanoes were covered in clouds and fog, so we never saw them.
What we did see with the help of the powerful camera lens were orchards of pineapples and bananas on the outskirts of town. Also viewed was the Singing Bridge where the Wailuki River dumps into the bay. We know there is a story to this, but it’s been a long time since we heard it. So for the final time, we say aloha to this beautiful state. Good time to add the meaning of the word: ALOHA. “A” stands for akahai or kindness, expressed with tenderness. “L” stands for lokahi, meaning unity, expressed for harmony. “O” is oluolu, or agreeable expressed with pleasantness. “H” is haahaa for humility expressed with modesty. Finally, “A” is ahonui , patience with perserverance. Someone on a nearby veranda was playing his ukulele as we left the port….quite appropriate.
Dinner for us was back the dining room. Surprisingly, the area around us was full of guests. There was little that was appealing on the menu, but we did score with some newer items. One of those was crispy fried meatballs and one pho soup. The everyday-available chicken was prepared differently without the bone and roasted skin. Still good, just different.
The clocks had to be set forward this evening, something neither the guests or crew like to do. We will have 2 more to go before we are back on Pacific time.
Five days at sea now, and we will be back to Vancouver on Wednesday.
Bill & Mary Ann
Click link to see Pictures 1 of 3
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Report #20 Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii October 10, 2018 Wednesday Partly cloudy & 80 degrees
Today’s port of call was the island of Maui – the Valley Isle, and the second largest of the Hawaiian chain. Despite being larger, they have fewer people with 145,000, who are described as friendly and laid-back. Two million visitors come here in a year, making it the most visited island.
Pineapples, sugar cane, cattle ranches, and rain forests keep the islanders employed. Haleakala Volcano has been dormant for 200 years, and rises to 10,023 feet in elevation. It is the destination of many tourists to this island.
And this was our only tender port of this trip, as well as the Alaska cruise. Yesterday, everyone had been given directions to collect tender tickets, unless you were booked on a tour. They would get priority over the rest of the guests who were on their own, as it should be. As for us, we have gotten a phone message saying all we needed to do was present ourselves to someone at the front desk, and we would be escorted to the tender landing without having to get tickets. As we were not in a big hurry to get to shore, we did not feel the need to beat the crowd. But at other times, it has been most appreciated.
Anyway, the actual port was Lahaina, which also translates into the cruel sun, as it can be extremely hot here. The average temperature given in today’s newsletter was 70 degrees. Have no idea where they got that from, because even at midnight, we doubt it would be 70 degrees. The population of Lahaina is 11,704 people, who are mostly in the tourist-related industry. At one time, this village was the missionary and whaling community, and also the home of the Kamehameha kingdom. Today it is obviously tourist-geared with dining, shopping, and nightlife spots. There are 5 museums, boutiques, eateries, and art galleries. High end resorts and hotels are located north of here in Kaanapali and Kapalua. If you are into golf, you would be in heaven.
One of the most well-known facts is that Maui is a haven for the humpback whales. The season begins in November and ends in April. The whales migrate from the North Pacific to mate and calve. These humpbacks are 40 to 50 feet in length and weigh 45 tons. It is estimated that four to five thousand whales migrate from Alaska, after feeding for months.
A myriad of tours were offered today with a drive to Haleakala having the most options. They ranged in time from 6 to 9 hours, some with picnic lunches, costing from $110 to $290. It was recommended for folks with motion sickness to take proper medication prior to the tours, because the road has many twists and turns.
Two helicopter rides over the summit of the volcano ran from $330 to $440 for 3 ½ to 7 hours. No guarantee of seeing it due to fog or clouds. Did we mention that the photo department rents Go Pro cameras for $30 a day? Might be interesting if you are doing a once-in-a-lifetime flight.
Easier excursions included riding segways, a catamaran ride, snorkeling, and hiking. The Atlantis submarine ride would run $140 for under 2 hours. And lastly, there would be time for an evening luau –all-you-can-eat buffet, including the song and dance of Polynesia. Since the last tender would be at 10:30pm, this is the first time we have seen this tour on the books.
A leisurely breakfast was a good way to begin the day, especially with many guests on tours. The dining room was not full to the brim. Getting the same table has been nice, since the waiters know our orders almost by heart now. The rest of the morning, we caught up with some computer work. For some unknown reason, Cruise Critic has been giving us some trouble posting, but it is their doing, not ours. Reports will be resuming as soon as they are back in business.
We left the ship close to 11am, showing our room key, and getting down to deck A from deck one with the approval of a customer service gal. Two tender boats were being filled next to each other. One had outside stairs to navigate, while the other had a platform right to the boat entrance. Way better, because the swells were acting up by now. We recall times when the tendering stopped in Lahaina due to 4 to 5 foot swells, making it unsafe to transfer anyone to shore. If you did not leave early, you would be out of luck. Then you were never guaranteed that you could tender back to the ship. And there have been other trips in Maui that were cancelled altogether because of the dangerous conditions. Today we were lucky.
Once ashore, which was slow-going, we headed right to the famous banyan tree, which was planted in 1873. Today it reaches over 60 feet high, covers 2/3 of an acre, and is ¼ mile around. It might have spread even wider if the asphalt roads were not surrounding it. It sure provides much needed shade in such a hot place. And for that reason, it is perfect spot for the local vendors selling trinkets and art work.
Speaking of selling stuff, that is the name of the game in this town. The waterfront is chock full of boutiques of typical souvenirs from Hawaii. Hordes of passengers as well as visitors from all over the world crowded the narrow sidewalks as we made our way through town. Even though it was before noontime, restaurants and cafes were full of customers. We chose to wait until later, since we just ate breakfast, it seems.
We continued with our walk, which took us past the now-closed Hard Rock Café. It used to be our favorite restaurant for lunch. So far, nothing else has moved in, even though right next to this restaurant are the Outlets of Maui. It houses 30 or more brand name shops with some deep discounts. We know this because many of the crew like to shop here, and they know bargains. One of the stores is Hilo Hattie, where you can find hundreds of Hawaiian-print clothes and other products. In the beginning of this cruise, the port shopping guides gave out flyers for these stores where if you got them stamped in each port, you could get a free kukui nut lei necklace (worth $6.99 at an ABC store). Or, for free, you can receive a complimentary seashell necklace. Or can you? For the second time in two years, the girl that was gifting those turned around and sort of ignored us. One of us was determined to get the necklace, so upon leaving, we asked for one. Her question was, “Are you from the cruise ship?” Guess we did not fit the profile, and she was not going to give us anything. How stupid was that? It was enough to deter us from buying anything in this store.
Then we resumed our walk to Baby Beach, about another mile up the road. Today the street was closed to traffic due to a water line being replaced by the county workers. On the way, a resourceful local was selling beach chairs and boogie boards, some of them Tommy Bahama. Recently this summer, we saw these in Costco, so we assume there is one of those warehouses in Maui.
Once we navigated the narrow road between the houses, we found the beach full of young families enjoying the gentle surf and shallow, warm waters. The little ones were digging holes to China and filling them endlessly with sea water. Some of the young fathers were doing the same, having as much fun as their kids. We walked to the old decaying pier, where the beach ended, spending some time cooling off under some trees. It was nice watching the surfers catching waves on the outside of the reef. Soon they were joined by snorkel boats, some larger than others. Dozens of tourists jumped in the waters, probably thinking they were the only ones there. Then we saw another boat come, and more people dove in the same spot. Boy that must be fun trying to see the tropical fish with masks and snorkels. By the time we left, there were three boats.
Had we crossed the road at this point, we would have been close to the Lahaina Cannery Mall, and halfway to Kaanapali. With the heat of the day, we had gone far enough. Lunch was calling us.
Back in town, we made our way to Kimo’s, a nice restaurant on the water’s edge. The breeze was priceless. We had about a 10 minute wait, which was not bad. Seated on the patio covered with umbrellas, we ordered two salads and beers. By the best part was dessert, which was free. Last year, we dined here and saved the receipt, which entitled us to a complimentary Hula Pie with the purchase of two entrees. The print had faded terribly on the old receipt, but our waitress said it would still work. Good deal. Now we can save the new receipt and it will be good until our next visit.
On our way back towards the tender boats, we strolled by one of the shaved ice stores. These Hawaiian treats are made from block ice, which is finely shaved, and firmly packed into a mound. It is drizzled with a variety of syrups according to your tastes. Even better, some are made with a scoop of ice cream in the center. People were lined up to the street waiting to buy these.
Back to the coolness of our room was so nice, we stayed there until dinner time. Tonight we have reservations in the Pinnacle Grill, and glad we did. The menu did not look too exciting in the dining room. We both had Caesar salads with a shared order of shrimp with American sauce. They gave us three jumbo prawns, which were quite good. Even better were the lamb chops with side of mashed potatoes, fries, and mushrooms. Desserts were lemon brulee tart and an almost baked Alaska. And that’s all folks…….
There was a live show in the Mainstage. A fellow by the name of Tyler Bryce was featured as one man, many voices. Sounds like he is a singer that blends comedy with his impressions of famous singers.
Tomorrow, we will be in Hilo, and our final stop in Hawaii.
Bill & Mary Ann
Click link to see Pictures 1 of 3
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Report #19 Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii October 9, 2018 Tuesday Chance of rain & 82 degrees
It was evident that the second day of our stay in Honolulu began with some showers through the late evening hours. Our balcony and railing was wet, and we knew that no one had been hosing during the night. In fact, we had a notice yesterday, that all of the verandas would be cleaned sometime before noon. That’s nice, since there has been a significant amount of salt deposited on every surface. We think the last time the deck was cleaned was before we left Seattle back on September 29th.
Another notice we got was an invitation to a complimentary cooking class today at 1pm in America’s Test Kitchen. However, we had other plans, and chose not to go again. With five days at sea ahead of us, why have this class on a port day? And to add to this, we had been informed that this class was not “hands on” due to the larger-than-usual 3 to 5 star members onboard this cruise. So we declined.
The same tours were offered today, with the exception of the evening Polynesian Cultural Center. Germaine’s Luau would be tonight only. You may ask what’s for dinner at a luau? The main items include Kalua pork, BBQ chicken, fish, or lomilomi salmon. We read somewhere that if you want some lobster or crab legs, you paid $20 extra. Sides included rice, poi (made from pounded taro root), fresh fruits, and haupia, a coconut dessert. Traditionally, the meal is served buffet-style, and is conducted table by table, as there may be hundreds of diners there.
Leaving the ship around 11am, we made our way to the Ala Moana Hawaii’s Center, or the world’s largest open-air shopping mall. There are over 350 stores and restaurants in this multi-level complex. It has the nickname of the “granddaddy of them all”. Major stores are Nordstrom’s, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, and Target. Besides walking from several nearby hotels or from the ship, like us, buses and trolleys run there too. Most of them cost $2 each way. From the ship, a free shopping shuttle was provided by Maui Divers Jewelry or Hilo Hattie’s, both going to the mall and even Walmart. You are obligated to attend a Maui Divers tour, where they hope you are enticed into buying something expensive. Then you are free to go. Coming back, you are given a sticker to get the free ride back to the pier. The times are about from 10am to 4pm. At the very least, it is an alternate way of getting around without melting in the heat of the day. And it really beats taking a taxi. A great idea is what our friends do while here for a month. They get a senior bus pass, and ride any bus for free. Great idea.
Nordstrom’s was added to this complex a few years ago, so we are not too familiar with the entry point. Right past the parking garage, we located an elevator that took us up to the second level of the store. From there, we found our way into the heart of the complex. Since it was noontime, we headed for the upper level with the full service restaurants. Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Co. is where we had a credit waiting on our Landry’s card. That is always a nice thing. So there was room, and we did not have to wait, which was also a nice thing. Diet Pepsi’s and one burger, and one chicken sandwich were our entrees. Rounding out the meal, we shared a generous slice of key lime pie, piled with whipped cream. Made in-house, it had to be one of the best ones we have eaten in a long time. The tart and tangy filling was smooth and silky, rich and creamy. Not exactly “diet”, it had the least amount of calories compared to their other desserts. How’s that for rational thinking? Oh well, it is a vacation, where you can indulge and worry about it later.
We went back on the inside streets, passing different stores on what is left of Ward’s Center. On the far end of the first strip mall shopping, we used to frequent a place called Cookies, where they sold some unique island clothing at reasonable prices. The entire section of that complex is totally gone now….an empty lot with a parking garage. This property is probably worth a fortune due to its location. So we expect to see something big rise out of the ashes, so to speak. We do believe that Cookies has two more locations on Oahu, but not near this area.
Yesterday, upon returning to the ship, there was no line of guests waiting to board. Today, that was not the case. We must have hit at least two buses coming back from tours, plus people coming back, so the line had to be 100 people long. It was obvious that many crew members had gone shopping to stores like Ross, Target, and Walmart. There were only two xray machines set up, and that slowed the process. Do you know how many people still don’t know that they need a photo ID as well as their key card to get back into the terminal? Coming into any US port requires close scrutiny from the security officers. They take their jobs seriously and for good reason.
We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in our room, watching the harbor traffic from the balcony. We lucked out when the Captain docked starboard side, or else we would be looking at an ugly building. A couple of huge ships were escorted into the harbor with tugs, while the Star of Honolulu and the Atlantis Adventure’s Majestic, left for their 2 hour dinner cruises. The larger of the two, The Star of Honolulu, offers a sunset buffet of roast beef and a few beverages for $90 and tax. An all-you-can-eat crab meal runs $107 plus tax. There is a live form of entertainment as well.
On the Majestic, they have an appetizer buffet with drinks from $99 to $129. They also have entertainment, while both vessels have a fireworks show every Friday.
We watched as they departed the harbor around 5:30pm, and then saw them come back around 7:30pm.
One other small yacht advertised a dinner sailing for $50 with a steak and seafood meal. For a 2 hour ride, that might be the better deal.
Earlier in the day, we had seen fit to put some of our positive comments on one of the Let Us Know cards, or whatever they are called now. There are several crew members that have gone out of their way with service, and we always like to single them out. So this evening before dinner, the Head Housekeeper stopped by to say thanks for our praise. Then he offered to do more for us if we requested, especially since we have requested very little in his opinion. Wow, how nice. Now if the chefs could take out the calories from the delicious food, we would be happy campers.
Dinnertime was back in the dining room. Our section was full, so our waiters had to be on the move. In fact, they are so efficient, we are pretty much done by 9pm. Again, we had a visit from the Culinary Manager, who asked what more he could do to make our stay better. Nothing, we said, as everything has been to our satisfaction. Now maybe he is the one to ask about the excess calories.
We tried the little coconut-crusted pork meatballs, soup, salad, and entrees of sweet and sour chicken. The only disappointment had to be the dessert. You would expect a dessert called a torte with walnuts would have walnuts in it. Not one nut anywhere. We truly believe our waiter brought the wrong dessert, but he claimed the cake with the meringue on top was correct. Oh well, we already did dessert in town, and passing this one up was a wise idea.
No show tonight, but they did put on a movie – Pearl Harbor at 8:30pm, one time only. Quite appropriate, but we have seen it more than twice for sure.
All aboard was 10:30pm, with a sail out of Honolulu Harbor by 11pm we assume. Doubt we stay up for the view. Tomorrow we shall be in Maui with a later than usual all aboard time of 10:30pm.
Bill & Mary Ann
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Report #18 Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii October 8, 2018 Monday Chance of rain & 82 degrees
The Eurodam sailed into the sheltered harbor in Honolulu and tied up at Pier 2, where she will be docked for two full days. Sometimes, we are docked near the Aloha Tower, but not today. Actually this pier is a bit closer to the downtown area, where we like to walk.
But first, here’s a little info on the island of Oahu, which translates to the gathering place in the Hawaiian language. It has a total of 597 square miles, with a population of about 905,000 people of many descents such as Polynesian, Chinese, Japanese, European, and actual Hawaiian natives. And it is one of the major holiday destinations in the South Pacific. Although tourism is tops for jobs here, the government employs many. In the old days, sugar and pineapples were produced here, but not so much today.
Honolulu is the capital of all of Hawaii, and houses the government facilities. The city, largest in the island, has a population of 390,738 people. Honolulu’s harbor handles millions of tons of freight a year, while nearby Pearl Harbor is the hub of military installations, which utilizes 25% of Oahu’s acreage.
Downtown Honolulu has a booming metropolis with towering hotels and wonderful beaches, such as Waikiki. Restaurants and bars abound with modern malls selling everything under the sun. Island residents own 600,000 vehicles, with only 1500 miles of roads. Expect traffic all day, but more so during commute hours. Mmmm, sounds like home to us.
Tours offered here involve visits to Pearl Harbor, which is deep with WWII history. Four different tour types run from $110 to $250. Site-seeing by bus or helicopter can cost from $35 to $330. There are adventure tours and even a dinner cruise ($150) or a luau ($130). A popular way to see some sights is by taking the Hop on Hop off bus.
After getting some internet work done this morning after breakfast, we headed out for our annual walk towards downtown and eventually, lunch. We made our way to the Hawaiian Hilton, and then on to Waikiki Beach. It sure was going to be a warm and sticky day, and although rain had been in the forecast, there was none that we could foresee. What we did not foresee were some events that would drastically change our evening plans. More on that later.
We ended up at the Hard Rock Café, sipping Coke Zeros, and sharing a bacon cheeseburger. We also added a one dessert of an apple cobbler with caramel ice cream. Finally, we made a sweep through the shop downstairs, and found new city t-shirts. All was well with the world.
Heading back towards the ship, we could hear the extra loud sirens of a fire truck turning at the Hawaiian Hilton. That was followed by a police car, and shortly thereafter, an ambulance. We suspected there may have been an accident that occurred where we had just come from. What we did not know was that they were heading to the Hale Koa Hotel, where our friends were staying for the month of October. The friends we were planning on meeting for dinner this evening. Maybe they would know what was happening in town this afternoon.
So we got back to the ship around 3pm, cooling off in our room until 5pm. We showered and set off once again for the Aloha Tower and Gordon Biersch Restaurant. Our meeting time with our buddies was 6pm, and they usually are there before us, holding a table. Well, we were first tonight, and we held the table. Ten minutes went by, then it was 20 minutes, and we knew something was wrong. Did they get the date wrong? Since none of us have cell phones, only computers, we had no way of checking with them, or them with us.
That’s when we spotted our friend, but alone. Something had happened, and would you believe, the fire truck, police car, and ambulance was for our friend, Bill. He had suffered some unexpected complications from a previous injury before their trip to Hawaii, causing a sudden fever and symptoms that resembled a stroke. Calling the hotel concierge, they called 911, and thus the sudden ride to the nearby hospital. Evaluating his condition, they decided to keep him over night to run tests, then start him on treatment. He was in good hands, although knowing him, he would have much rather been with all of us drinking his favorite beverage of beer. It was fortunate that we were able to spend some time with our friend, and help give her the support she needed, even if it was only a few hours.
The restaurant would be closing soon, so we walked with her to the bus stop and waited until she boarded the right one, taking her back to the hotel. Hopefully, all will turn out OK, and they can continue their relaxing stay in Honolulu until the end of the month. Never in a million years did they see that coming. The next time we meet will be on the 2019 world cruise, where we have 4 months to visit with them.
Several of the crew members, including our room steward, were on their way to town. They primarily go in search of free or cheap internet, with perhaps a little partying in the mix. They deserve the break.
Tomorrow will be another full day in Honolulu, when we probably will resume hiking and exploring like we did today.
Bill & Mary Ann
PS The internet prices seem to be created to fit the length of a cruise, and some daily prices have also been different. Nothing is in printing.