Report #78 Tuesday November 21, 2023 Last Sea Day Enroute To San Diego California, USA Sunny And Warmer 68 Degrees 30mph Winds 9'-12' Swell

 

Well, all good things have to come to and end, and this series of cruises is one of them.  We still are fascinated at how quickly the time flies while we are on these trips.  All of our cruise friends totally agree. 

 

A few days ago, we got the notices concerning disembarkation on Wednesday.  The first letter came from the hotel general manager, Glenn, who reminded the folks that taking the self-assist option for leaving was best for those with flights before 1pm.  That way you would not need to locate your tagged luggage in the San Diego cruise terminal, which is always mixed with hundreds of bags that look the same.  Of course, you must be able to handle all of your luggage hauling it from your room all the way to the exit and the customs check.   When we watched the folks getting off the ship after a 7 day Alaska cruise, many of them packed so lightly, all they had was carry-ons.  This is different because everyone had at least 51 days of stuff to bring.   So their time to get off will be between 8 and 9:30am.

 

The other options for debarking included having all of your bags outside the rooms before midnight, which would show up tomorrow in the terminal, arranged by color-coded tags.  The colors are brown, green, and red 1, 2, and 3.  The approximate time to begin leaving would be after 8am with the final call by 9:15am more or less. 

 

Club Orange, President's Club, and 4 & 5 Star Mariners received a package with blue tags, and we have the option of exiting any time between 8:00am and 9:30am.  And that will include us.  The HAL bus transfer was available for those who wished to be driven to the San Diego Airport or if their flight was later in the late afternoon, they offered a tour with a transfer to the airport as well.  We believe the cost for the transfer only was $29 per person.  We intend to take a taxi as the airport is only 3 miles away from the cruise terminal. 

 

By the way, no final statements are delivered to the rooms anymore.  If you wish to have a copy, it is best to visit the front desk, and they will print you one.  We did that this morning, and asked for the last page only.  We realized that we had some credit left to spend, and would do that later in the day.  Of course, if you owed any money on your registered credit card, it would automatically be billed.  And for the guest's convenience, the Navigator App will have access to your account when you return home.

 

All we need to have to get off is our room key, a luggage tag stub, and our passport to show when we pass by the Customs and Border Protection Inspection officers.  And don't bring any organic products off of the ship or you are in trouble.

 

We thought we had the majority of our stuff packed, but the rest took us all morning.  We did good, however, not exceeding the weight on all of the bags, depending on if our scale is still accurate.  Since the sun was out and the temperature was in the low 70's, we headed up to the Seaview Pool to relax for a while.  There were even folks still sunbathing even though it was very windy, this was their last chance to get that suntan. 

 

Our good buddies did the same thing coming out for some fresh air, and joined us for a while.  We're all sad to see the trip end, but with the holidays are around the corner, and we shall be busy as bees quite soon.   Captain Paul came on the speakers for his noon talk.  He extended many thanks to the crew and the guests equally as he was quite proud to have been on this particular cruise.  Sounds to us like it has been a long time since he has visited the South Pacific, even admitting some of our ports were new to him.   And he expressed his thanks with three toots of the ship's horn.  Very funny, as we have never heard that before on all of the cruises we have been on over the years. 

 

The day was full of promotions, as you might expect, especially in the Shops.  Some of us even received a personal call from the front desk girls reminding us that we had credit to spend.  That's nice because it was "use it or lose it" money.  Checking out every shop on the ship, we came up with no ideas.  So we decided to order cocktails at the dinner table, which would use up the money fast. 

 

Then we had to drink a bottle of champagne (really sparkling wine) and the best time for that was during the sunset.  The afternoon clouds had cleared up and we actually had a decent sunset after 5pm.  Maybe it looked even better due to the several glasses of the bubbly.

 

Dinner was in the dining room with a regular menu.  We had been expecting the Culinary menu like we had at the end of every Alaska trip.  But tonight, we had a different menu with many nice choices.  We did have those cocktails, then ordered a shrimp and artichoke dip with a bread stick.  It was hot and really tasty.  One of us had the cabbage bacon soup, and the other preferred the Caesar salad – hold the anchovies.  Mains were the chicken cordon bleu with potatoes and peas.  Simple and quite good.  After our desserts of a lemon meringue cheesecake, friends Leta and Bill strolled over to say goodbye.  Unfortunately, they will not be on the world cruise, but are going to Japan next year.   The grand trips have become too long for them, so they like shorter ones that leave from Seattle or Vancouver because they live near there.  We will miss them.  On the way out, we said our goodbyes to our good buddies that we will see at lunch sometime in December.  When we are all at home and not cruising, we make it a point to meet at least once a month.  Before dinner, Rosie and Randy came over to give us hugs as well.  Hopefully they will be on another cruise like this and we will meet again. Nice kids.  We will all keep in touch via the internet or the mail.

 

Back in our room, we spotted some luggage out in the hall, and we needed to do the same thing.  Checking tags and locks, it took two minutes and the job was done.  Breakfast is at 6:30am tomorrow in the Pinnacle Grill, so it is early to bed for us.   By this time tomorrow, we shall be home if the traffic is not horrible.  It is hard to predict because it is a Wednesday that many people take off for the long holiday weekend.  That might be our only savior for not getting in the middle of commute traffic.

 

Thanks for tagging along. Once again, it has been a pleasure.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

75 Pictures

 

Report #77 Monday November 20, 2023 Day At Sea Enroute To San Diego, California USA Cloudy With Periods Of Sun Cooler 75 Degrees 20mph Winds 9' Swell---Dressy Night

 

Today was day 5 on our long journey towards San Diego.   It was noticeably cooler today, but what we noticed first was the fact that the high humidity was missing.  Not that we're complaining, but we sure do miss the heat from the sun.

 

After breakfast and our morning walk, we headed back to the room with the intentions of packing more.  Somehow we got distracted with phone calls which we can make from our computer.  Took us a while to figure it out, but once it worked well, we made some family calls and also calls to check our air plans for Wednesday.  Since the world voyage is approaching quickly, we needed to contact the luggage shipping company and arrange to have our bags picked up at our home.  Also there was a deadline on that call, we decided to do it from the ship to get the ball rolling.  We had a credit with the company from previous problems with the 2023 GWV, so it helped to keep costs down.  We do get some luggage sent complimentary as well.  We have learned to live with a lot less than previous years.  Having complimentary laundry service really makes a difference in the amount of stuff you have to bring.   

 

At 1pm, we were invited with five other President's Club members to a tour of the Volendam's engine control room.  All of us were present at the meeting point at the front desk.  The chief engineer directed us to deck A where we followed him through the swinging doors of the unseen working deck of the ship.  We entered the door of the control room, and stayed behind the area where all of the instruments were located.  Once again, there were a series of panels, gauges, lights, and TV screens where cameras provide the controllers continuous photos of every area of the ship's engines and everything that makes it run smoothly.  

 

Of course, we all had some questions, especially our friend Bill, who is a retired pilot from the Air Force as well as a commercial pilot.  Most of the questions regarded the fact that this ship is considered "old" compared to the newer vessels these days.  Things have changed quite a bit since the early days.  Some for the good, most of the time.  Anyway, the chief engineer spoke about a recent problem in the laundry room, where one of the huge dryers stalled and started a brief fire.  We had read that story on one of the blog sites, but never knew it had happened here for real.  It did not sound as dramatic as the news made out, but still could have been problematic had it not been detected and fixed immediately.  Perhaps it did cause some smoke, but there may have not been a fire like we know and see fires on TV news.

 

We did take some time to catch the sun at the Seaview Pool when it appeared between the drifting clouds.  Today's temperature was recorded at 68 degrees, a far cry from the 80's we have been having.  The wind was still strong, but the currents we seemed to be fighting have subsided.  The end result is that the ship was not pitching like it was.   That sure it is big help when it comes to packing in the staterooms.   We figured by 4pm, we would have some sun on the veranda, and headed back there for the remainder of the afternoon.  The sun was setting earlier this evening, and by the time it went past the horizon, the skies were almost clear.  Still there was no green flash.

 

Tonight's dinner was in the Pinnacle Grill, our final one for this 56 day cruise.  We had a drink voucher given to us by the previous Captain Whitaker and hotel director, Francois.  We almost forgot we had it, since we seldom have cocktails before dinner.  So Evelyn took care of that and had two drinks brought to our table.   Our meal was the "usual" wedge salads, clothes line bacon, warm rolls, and extra salad dressings.   Both of us had the filet mignon and skinny fries (that term always cracks us up).  The food and the plates were so hot, just the way we like it.  Desserts were orange sorbet and a chocolate souffle.  It had been another busy night for this venue, since many folks had waited until the final days to make reservations here.  Lucky for us, the majority of guests dined earlier. 

 

As far as we know, there are no more events happening tomorrow, so it will be time to finish the packing.  So far, so good.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

43 Pictures

Report #76 Sunday November 19, 2023 Day At Sea Enroute To San Diego, California USA Rain Showers Clearing In The Afternoon To Clouds And Sun 20mph Winds 12' Swell---Casual Dress

For the very first time on this extended cruise, we over-slept and arrived late to the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast.  Not by a lot, but enough the manager, Anton, was concerned.  We have not missed one single morning there, and he knew we would arrive.  Nice to know someone was watching for us, better yet that no one insisted on sitting at "our" table.  Some people are funny that way if they see an opportunity. 

 

Taking a walk outside after breakfast, we got right in the middle of a mandatory crew drill, so we finished our mile or so, and ducked back inside.  We had things to do.

 

Day four at sea had arrived and we needed to begin packing.  Of course, it was only half of what we usually bring on a 128 day voyage, but still time-consuming.  We kept a list for one of the suitcases that will not have to be re-packed for the next trip.  Then we continued to do the second piece of luggage because we had plenty of time, since it was not going to be a day to spend outside.  By the way, the weather was terrible with winds at 23 knots, misty fog blowing over the decks, and close to 12 foot swells.  We felt as if we were being told it was time to go home.    The only thing that was OK was the temperature which was about 77 degrees.  The humidity was another story as it measured at 90 %.  Sticky but warm. 

 

Weighing each piece of luggage, we came up with 48 pounds each, and we had already filled most of the third bag.  There was still one more left, and we could not figure out how we could have that much room left.  With the ship pitching so much as well as rolling, we may not be able to trust the hand-scale.   Hopefully, these conditions improve as we travel north towards San Diego, then we can weigh them once again.  We also think there is a digital scale in the area of the front desk for the folks to use.  Whether it is accurate is something we do not know. 

 

Taking a break, we went up to the Seaview Pool to find one man snorkeling with fins and lashed onto a ladder.  Guess we are never here at 3pm, because we bet he does this every sea day.  There was another couple who came up to swim.  But when they put their robes and shoes on a lounge, they blew away.  No wonder all of the chairs and umbrellas were stacked and tied down.  Sitting on the opposite side of the smokers, we lasted for a while at a table which was out of the wind.  One of the deck crew came over and offered us ice water, but we declined, thanking him.  He had few customers today. 

 

Relaxing on our veranda, while waiting for the sun to go down, not expecting much due to the overcast skies that had persisted all day.  However, we were happy to see some blue skies appear with some higher interesting clouds like two nights ago.  It wasn't the best sunset we have witnessed, but OK in our books.  We will miss seeing this when we get home, as the mountain where we live, block the sunsets. 

 

Yesterday, we had received another invite (the third one) for a tour of the Volendam Bridge.  Of course, we will not attend but it was nice to be included.  As Captain Paul promised, he extended this invite for everyone on the ship.   In addition to that, we had another invitation for an engine room tour tomorrow at 1pm.  We suspect it will be our small group of seven President's Club members, but we may be wrong.  We will make it a point to attend this one.  Finally, one of the front desk fellows came to our door before dinner and handed us tiles from this 56 day cruise, as well as a photo that was taken at the Mariner Event yesterday.  Nice touch.

 

Dinner in the dining room was special since it was Dutch-themed for The Orange Party that would take place at 8pm in the Lido Pool area.  Of course, we would miss it because we prefer to eat at the same time and place most every day.   So the menu was written in Dutch, with English explanations.  We had three appetizers, mostly to see what they actually were.  The shrimp cocktail was good, resembling the small shrimp one they have occasionally.  The corn fritter turned out to be a Dutch version which looked like a pancake.  Not only looked like, but was a pancake with corn in it covered with a sweet and sour sauce giving them a spicy taste.  Not bad at all.  The pea soup was the closest we have had to Dutch pea soup that was served while we were in Alaska.  Also very good – stick to the ribs thick.  Our entrees were different.  One of us tried the Club Orange special of the day which was shrimp linguine, looking good on that blue plate.  And the other main was the Indonesian bami goreng with noodles and satay chicken skewers.  Also very tasty.  Having a bit of room left, we both enjoyed the boschbals(sp?)  with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.  Expecting a small version of this éclair-like dessert, they came larger than we anticipated, but we were able to polish them off.  Really good…..

 

Got to catch up on sleep that we lost due to the hour ahead last night.  Changing the clocks three times in this last week has made a difference  .Just takes time to adjust. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

65 Pictures

Report #75 Saturday November 18, 2023 Sea Day Enroute To San Diego, California, USA Sunny And Windy 82 Degrees 19mph Wind Sea State: Rough 12' Swell--Casual Dress

 

Day number three at sea turned out to be another busy day.  We did try to keep our breakfast on the lighter side, but that is not always possible.  It's the healthiest meal of the day for us, and missing out on fresh berries with Greek yogurt would not be our choice.  Every day now, they are baking blueberry-filled muffins just for us, so we cannot turn them down.  And that is why we never eat lunch until 2 or 3pm.  Some days, we have gone without lunch, so we are hungry for dinner. 

 

The reason for the light breakfast was an invite we got a few days ago for the Mariner Recognition Event, the first one of two, held in the lower dining room at 11:30am.  This was done way different from what we have attended on most past cruises.  Usually, there is a medallion awarding in another area, such as  in the World Stage (grand voyages), the Explorer's Lounge or the Rolling Stones Lounge on the Zuiderdam.  Only the reward recipients and most times their spouses are invited with the highest number of sea day guests, such as the President's Club members.   Today that included the silver, gold, and platinum people that were getting their medallions as well as all of the guests that have already achieved that status.  We estimate that about half of the passengers had been invited to this affair.  This was held in the center of the lower dining room with the silver medallion guests being singled out and standing for all to see.  Honestly, they should have called them up for their medals and photos with the Captain and Glenn, the hotel manager. 

 

Moving forward, the gold and platinum folks went up one or two at a time to receive their medals and photos.  Finally, the seven of us President's Club members were singled out and recognized with our number of days we had achieved with this last cruise.  Photos were taken as well.  We felt it strange that the tables of the newly "medaled" guests had a host joining them.  That would be Kimberly, the hotel director, and the Captain.  There may have been more officers that we did not see.  We have always had a host with our group, but today, we did not have anyone.  We think the problem was that one of the members had brought another guest with them, and the seat meant for an officer was gone.  In our way of thinking, they should have given us a larger table especially if they knew we had eight people instead of seven.   That oversight was mentioned to the Captain and Glenn after most of the guests had left the room.  We really did not get a straight explanation of that either.  Just a roll of the eyes from the Captain, acknowledging the oversight.

 

Anyway, the lunch consisted of a choice of three starters of lobster with veggies, a pear salad, or a soup.  The mains were a choice of filet mignon, a fish, and a vegetarian dish.  We had the steak and it was delicious.  Wish we had lightened up on breakfast, as we could not finish everything.   Sparkling wine had been poured for the general toast, then if we wished, we could have ordered wine, as two of the guests did at our table.  One of our guests asked for more champagne, but a sweet white wine was poured instead.  Yuck….we still do not prefer wine.  Water is better.  Dessert was served which looked like two brownies with a sliver of a strawberry and a chunk of brittle.  A small piece of candied popcorn was in the center.  Coffee was offered, but by then, two of our tablemates departed.  That's when our fun began and the conversation flowed until almost 3pm.  By that time, we looked around and the waiters were done and the surrounding tables were already set for dinner.  By the way, there were no HAL tiles handed out, because we think they do not have any onboard.  There was no mention of it, so we will have to inquire about that tomorrow. 

 

The remainder of the passengers will have the same event tomorrow afternoon.  That should include the one and two star Mariners, which must be half of the guests onboard. 

 

Since the temperature was in the low 80's, we went to the Seaview Pool to relax in the sun for a while.  There were scattered clouds and we noticed that the humidity was only at 75%.  With 20mph winds blowing across the decks from the northeast, the heat was tolerable.  The seas had become rougher we thought with swells up to 12 feet.  We are pitching and rolling noticeably much more than yesterday.  Sadly, there was no sign of the booby that had been tagging along. 

 

Sitting on our veranda, we actually got chilled after the sun went down.  It was another nice sunset, but nothing like last night's.  As we travel further north, we expect it to get cooler every day.

 

Dinner was in the dining room with a good hot soup of baked potato and cheddar cheese.  One of us had the veal tataki, and both of us had the small salad.  Mains were the prime rib plate with a small baked potato and beans with carrots.  Looked pretty….tasted good.  Dessert was an apple tart right out the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Perfect.  Three alternates for dinner this evening were the Canaletto, the Tamarind pop-up for $35 in the Pinnacle Grill and a Seafood Boil in the Lido for $35 as well.  For that reason, the dining room was not crowded tonight.

 

Entertainment in the show lounge was the women of Gravity, a singing group back on the stage with an all new show.  Gosh, we never saw the first one.  Hard to burn the candle at both ends.  Tomorrow we have to seriously begin to pack.  Hate to wait until the last minute.  Oh yeah, the clocks went forward for that final hour.  Now we are on "home" time for us. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

56 Pictures

Report #74 Friday November 17, 2023 Sea Day Enroute To San Diego California, USA Sunny And Warm 85 Degrees Sea State 6'-9' Swells---Casual Dress

 

Day two at sea revealed it must have rained during the night, as our veranda was wet.   It was even more apparent when we took our morning walk on the promenade deck.  The port side was soaked, while starboard was dry.  The clouds that were floating over, appeared to be breaking up and we could see some blue sky.  It would be a warm day after all.  Checking the weather channel on the TV, we saw that the temperature was 81 degrees and the humidity was 78% still rather high as we sail north of the Equator now.  The wind speed was 8.7 mph and it looked like the ship was moving along at 18 knots.  This should be good enough to get us to San Diego as expected.

 

At 11am, the Captain did a lecture in the World Stage with the subjects of the navigation of this cruise to this point, Antarctica voyages, and the Ukraine charter where he was the Captain at the time.  We sure hope it is televised and we can catch it later. 

 

During his noon talk, Captain Paul mentioned that we were sailing the Doldrums, referring to the flat seas and little swell in the waters on this side of the Equator.  The lack of wind also kept the name appropriate.  But there was one factor that we learned later on that we are fighting a current coming from the north, which is causing the ship to pitch quite a bit.   The rolling has been controlled slightly due to the use of the stabilizers, but we still need to be careful walking.  That was a good enough excuse for us to stay at the Seaview Pool chatting with good friends until our assigned time for the Bridge Tour. 

 

At a little before 1pm, we met with our fellow President's Club members on deck eight near the spa.  From there, we were going to be led to the navigation deck, however, there was a problem.  It seemed that there was an engine that lost power due to a pump leak.  The officers went into motion to solve this problem, and the tour was cancelled for one hour.  We thought we felt some strange vibrations at the aft pool that were new to us.   By the time we went back for the tour, the problem was resolved and the speed picked up to almost 20 knots.  Thank goodness for that good news.

 

We went back to the pool and waited out the hour by drinking ice water and watching the one and only booby that seems to have followed the ship since leaving Nuku Hiva.  This bird would swoop over the waves, then disappear for a while.  We bet this masked booby was at the bow, sitting on top of the flagpole.  At 2pm, we gathered once again to be led to deck seven and the navigation deck.  We were all greeted by Sharon, the 3^rd Officer, who had piloted the ship out of the bay in Nuku Hiva, as well as bringing up the anchor she had dropped early in the day.    Today she was the leader and an excellent officer to explain with great detail everything we were seeing on the bridge.  The ship was actually on "auto pilot" as we saw all of the controls set to keep the ship going in the right direction, correcting any deviations that occurred by the second.  Every security camera was visible from multiple screens.  Communication devices had more than one back-up in case of power failure.  Compasses are still used in addition to computerized gauges and satellite connections.  One large power board showed every deck and every set of fire doors, which can be closed with a touch of button here.   As well as joy sticks to control the direction of the ship, its propellers, and side thrusters, there is also an old- fashioned wheel, although small, that can do the same thing with the steering.  As you can imagine, every single thing is documented every minute of the day.  We saw the watchman, who keeps his eyes on the horizon, a hard job for sure, and the several officers who have their specialized jobs.  Many of them were sitting and working in an office behind the bridge.  We asked several questions one of which was what were the "barber" chairs for.  Set against the back wall, these chairs are meant for the pilots and their team that board the ship in every port.  And for tired officers too we suspect.  And by the way, one of the first things we spotted was the masked booby resting on top of the pole in the bow.  We were right with our guess.  The Captain mentioned that they were not pleased with the mess the bird was making, but the bird would have a ride until it either flies elsewhere, or ends up in San Diego.  And we did hear that the Captain wants to give every passenger the chance for this same tour, which will be a nice gesture.  It is seldom, if ever, done these days.

 

We had quite a nice sunset this evening……a very different type to be exact.  It began around 5:30pm with a sky full of small clouds, well below those nasty-looking black clouds.  The sky lit up and lasted for a long time.  It faded as the sun dipped down below the cloudy horizon, but re-appeared 20 minutes later with almost a repeat performance.  This one was a keeper.

 

Dinner was back in the dining room, although the tables were spotty to say the least.  We believe that the guests are going to the Pinnacle for a Tamarind pop-up or to the Canaletto for a change.   The appetizers were good again with smoked chicken slices and a rutabaga/cauliflower base.   Salads were mixed with oranges, asparagus, tomatoes, and lettuce – hold the blue cheese please.  Mains were the veal chop with a tasty mushroom gravy.   Sides were mashed potatoes, snap peas, and asparagus, which they must have a lot of.  We did have this entrée while on the world cruise, but tonight these chops had been cut in half widthwise.  Just as well as it was more than we could finish.  Saved a little room for sliced pineapple and vanilla ice cream and one snow berry chocolate tart with meringue on top.  

 

Tonight the entertainer was Comedian Sid Davis with a performance titled "Common Sense".  The other three choices were entertainers in the Mix, Ocean Bar, and Explorers Lounge.  Never a dull moment here.

 

Tomorrow we have been invited to another event with the Mariner's Lunch.  Should be interesting.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

89 Pictures

Report #73 Thursday November 16, 2023 Sea Day Enroute To San Diego, California USA Mostly Sunny Clouds And Showers Late Afternoon 80 Degrees Sea State: 3'-6' Swells---Casual Dress

 

Well we have begun the 6 day run towards San Diego, and all seems to be going OK.  It was a mostly sunny day with temps in the low 80's.  It did cloud up in the late afternoon, but so far, no rain.   For that we are glad.

 

We had a little surprise on our veranda early this morning.  Opening the drapes, we spotted a bird that had taken refuge on our deck.  It appears to be a bridled tern, and possibly injured.  We could not see anything visibly wrong with it, but obviously that is not a normal behavior.   It did not seem to have any fear of us , although we did not go outside to check it.  Sometimes, these birds are attracted to the lights that are on during the night.  Usually they fly into a window by accident, so we don't know if that was the case today.  On our way to breakfast, we informed our room steward that we had an unexpected visitor.  He promised to check it out.  When we returned an hour later, the bird was gone.

 

Working on photos and reports, we spent most of the morning in the room.  There was another 10am brunch in the dining room, which we never attend.  In a way, that gives the early morning waiters a chance to sleep in a little later, we assume.  That meal lasts until 12:30pm, and there is no regular lunch served in the dining room.  It's like a 2 for 1.  Of course, there is always the Lido breakfast and lunch.

 

Our biggest project of the day was washing our shoes.  After a day of walking the roads and the detour with the construction, our tennis shoes were noticeably soiled.  Using the bathtub worked quite well, although it may take a day or so for them to dry.  Putting them outside helped when the sun hit our deck.  Otherwise, with the high humidity, they take forever to dry.  Good thing we remembered to bring spare shoes. 

 

Before we are out of the tropics, it is a good time to mention the practice of tattoos.  The word "tattoo" comes from the Tahitian word tautau or tattow, the actual sound made by the tapping of their ancient tools.  It is believed that the reason for these permanent markings of the skin was indicate hierarchy or one's rank within a society.  It could indicate sexual maturity, family lines, and one's interests.  Tahitian tattoos are based on the four elements of Water, Earth, Wind, and Fire.   They are meant to give each and everyone their own identity. 

 

When the Europeans brought Christianity to the South Pacific, tattoos were frowned upon.  They were banned and considered a desecration of the body.  After years of suppression tattoos have returned as cultural symbols of Polynesia.  These days, you see them everywhere in every country. 

 

The main tool used was a comb of sharp needles carved from a bone, shark teeth, or seashell.  The second tool was a wooden stick to tap over the comb, puncturing the skin thus inserting the pigment or ink.  This would take two sets of hands, since the skin had to be stretched for the artist to tap in the ink.  Must have been painful, but both men and some women did it.  Mostly the men. 

 

In Samoa, the tattoos were geometric patterns representing people, animals, seagulls and centipedes.  Typically the Samoan warrior would have tattoos that began at the waist, then extended to just below the knee.  In Tonga, the patterns were geometric patterns of triangles and bands of solid black.  Once again they went from the waist to the knees.   In some cultures such as New Zealand, the Maoris will tattoo their faces to appear fierce to their enemies.  It works.  Will there be tattoos in our future?  No way Jose…..

 

We sent some time at the aft pool enjoying the nice weather.  While there, a good friend joined us and we chatted for a while.  Then Captain Paul came on the speakers for his daily report.  He mentioned that the sea swells were between one and two meters, and there was a current preventing us from achieving the speed of 18 plus knots for the moment.   We were doing around 17 knots, and would eventually need to make up the lost time in the following days.  None of us wishes to be arriving late to San Diego with all of the flights and travel plans set now.

 

Dinner was in the Pinnacle Grill, which we did enjoy more since we had skipped lunch today.  It was a bit of a surprise to see the restaurant full of customers this evening.   Anton came out to greet us in the hall, asking permission to delay our seating for a few minutes.  It seems that someone had accidently given our table away, not that our name is on it, but he knows we like the window tables.  This time we were seated in the booth next to the window tables.  Not a big deal, we were happy to be seated.  The service was a little slower than usual, but we did get our usual salads and bacon starters.  Both of us ordered the lamb chops with a side of fully loaded baked potatoes.  Very good as always, we split an almost Baked Alaska for dessert. 

 

We also had a time change of ½ hour forward tonight.  Now we only have one more hour to go to be on home time.  Everyone received the notice about the process of going home concerning luggage tags and times to debark.  More details will arrive in a few days from now.  There was an invitation to a mariner's brunch on Saturday as well.  And tonight, Joice the assistant hotel manager, found us at dinner and said we were invited to a special event tomorrow for the seven President's Club members.  She said another invite had been sent, but we did not find it by 9:30pm.  We will have to hunt her down and ask the details tomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

18 Pictures

Report #72 Wednesday November 15, 2023 Anchored At Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, Marquesas, French Polynesia 8am-5pm Partly Cloudy With Sun 90 Degrees Sea State -Calm---Casual Dress

 

What a better way to end the South Pacific ports than with a visit to Nuku Hiva located in the Marquesas Islands.   There are 12 islands that make up this archipelago, but only 6 of them are inhabited.  There is a total of 9350 people that live here in an area that is spread out over 350 kilometers.  Due to the distances between the islands, each one has kept its own personality, customs, and even language.  Access to these remote islands is by boat or airplane. 

 

Our destination today was Nuku Hiva, the second largest island in all of French Polynesia with Tahiti being the largest.  The size of this "high" island is 330 square kilometers with about 3000 people.  The main village and administrative center of the Marquesas is Taiohae and our port of call today.  All of the Marquesan islands are considered high due to the fact they do not have lagoons, but are volcanic mountains so to speak.

 

Sailing into the scenic and protected Taiohae Bay, the bow was opened at  6:30am for the folks that wanted to enjoy the voyage into the harbor.  Watching from our veranda and the bow channel on the TV, we could see a handful of people that showed up for this sail-in.  From a distance, the island was in the typical sun haze, until we got closer.  It was a spectacular view, as always, coming into the bay that was filled with many small and medium pleasure craft.   It is quite common to see the "yachties" living on these boats, and using a small dinghy to come shopping in town for food and supplies.  Also spotted were many birds…mostly white terns, noddies, and a few frigatebirds.

 

We left the ship about 10am when open tenders were announced.  It seemed to be taking quite a while for the ticket numbers to be called, and we soon found out the reason why.  Our boat filled quickly, and we were waiting at the tender landing before leaving right away.  They needed to stall for the other boat to come back before we could proceed.  The problem turned out to be a very high step from the tender to access the concrete landing at the dock.  There was an usually low tide this morning which did not help.  To prevent any accidents, the crew was taking extra precautions helping the folks out of the boat and also going back into the boat when it was empty.  Lucky we have long and strong legs, but not every one does.  There was at least one elderly couple that decided not to attempt it, and stayed on the boat to ride back to the ship.  Can't say we blame them, as they knew their limits and despite all of the talks and warnings, we sure do not remember anyone saying there was a big step to get ashore today.  It was mentioned in Fakarava, but not here.

 

There was one HAL tour offered here today at two different times.  It was a scenic 3 hour drive to Taipivai Valley for $140.  Private vehicles were used, as there are no tour buses here.  It took the folks from Taiohae to the lush vegetation of the valley above the village with stops at many viewpoints.  The roads were winding, steep, and rocky. And if you are subject to car-sickness, don't go.  Besides small villages you would see churches and maraes,  and there was a stop at Hooumi for a cold beverage.  If we remember right, there is a small black sand beach there.  In addition, the drivers may not speak good English and their cars and mini vans may not have air-conditioning.  Can't be picky on such a small island.

 

Kimberly's talk also mentioned the fact that there were Marquesan horses here, and also wild pigs and goats.  And fish was in their diet of course.  There was no snorkeling here and few beaches.  The murky waters can hide sharks such as hammerheads and sometimes the great whites.  For that reason, few of the local people venture far into the bay.   This island is also famous for the filming of a Survivor series back in 2001.  Colette Beach or Bay was mentioned although it is abandoned now and it is not easy to access.  Complicating the search for this beach, is the fact that "no seeums" or biting insects are rampant there.  According to Kimberly, these almost invisible insects can leave you with big itchy welts.  She suggested if you were going there, you would need insect repellant and lots of it. All good advice, but we think it was best not to go there at all.

 

First of all, it was much hotter than it looked.  We think the high topped out at 90 degrees, and being closer to the Equator, the humidity was up.  We took our normal walk through the produce market, craft store, and the info desk shop.  Then we headed towards the old church, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Catholic church built in the 1800's using wood and stones from all of the Marquesan Islands.  We learned from one of our buddies, that some of the stones were brought here from as far as Europe.  But there was a problem, because the church was not opened to walk into the interior.  There was re-modeling and construction going on, and according to the sign, it would not be completed until December of this year.   Oh well, we did have the chance to look through the opened doors along with the crowd of people on the morning tour.  There were at least one dozen vehicles parked in the lot when we arrived, with each one holding four to six customers.  We got photos, then left.

 

The breeze was a bit better by the water, but that's when we ran into more road construction.  There were a few backhoes and a lot of men working on a huge project of re-configuring the road.  Much of the seawall property with the fields, moais, and outdoor patios were detoured by a new road.  Not wanting to climb more hills than we needed, we stuck to the dirt path and around the workers.  This brought us to the school area, the local beach front, and the old cemetery.  There used to be a monument for the writer/sailor Herman Melville (1819 to 1891) whose book Typee put this place on the map.  One of us was fortunate to have found this book in the library and read it thoroughly before our arrival here.  Although some of his writing about he and his friend, both teenagers at the time, being held captive upon leaving a whaling ship, may have been stretched to make it more appealing.  But most of his writings were factual concerning the natives he met and how they managed to live with them for a time.  The subjects in his book dealt with basic survival, cannibalism, warfare among the natives, and relationships with the tribe.  It sure put a different face on what we were seeing today.  There used to be a Herman Melville memorial near the cemetery, but sadly, it was removed as it was deteriorating over the years.   Perhaps a new one is part of the road project.

 

Finding our way back to the main road, we followed it until we reached the sign for the Nuku Hiva Pearl Lodge.  It was quite a climb to get up the steep and rocky road in the worst heat of the day, but we made it.  We ran right into friends Rosie and Randy who had also come up here for the cold beers.  We told them a story of a man from the ship that was coming up here to go to Colette Bay, which we knew was not this way.  He insisted it was, and we said nothing.  Near the lodge, we found him asking some local girls where the way was to this bay and beach.  As far as we know, there is no road that goes that way, so we do not know where he ended up.  

 

Entering the resort restaurant, we were greeted by the waiter/waitress? who recognized us from being here often.  Welcoming us back, we were seated in the shade and the million-dollar breeze.  We ordered Hinanos, which came in cans that were ice cold.  Even the glasses were frosted.   We shared a Neapolitan pizza with fresh rolls with butter as starters.   Staying for 1 ½ hours, we ended our meal with a shared chocolate volcano cake with vanilla ice cream.  Upon leaving, we were invited back and we said – same time and same place in a year from now, God-willing.  Sadly, it was time to head back into the heat, hoping for a better breeze along the way.

 

Going down on the exposed beach, we walked halfway back in the wet black sand before going back to the road.  Very few folks were coming our way now, as we think the majority of them had already gone back to the cooler ship.  Going from tree to tree for shade, we got back to the dock by 2pm just missing the tender that left.  A line of 20 or more folks were already there enjoying the water and lemonade drinks while they waited for the next boat.  A crew member was handing out wet chilled washcloths to help cool us off. Usually we do not use them, but today it was nice.  

 

Sitting at the middle exit area of the tender, we were lucky to be the first ones off and heading up the platform steps.  That first blast of air-conditioning was very welcoming.  Cooling off in our room was even better with the help of a cold shower and more than a few sodas.  All aboard was 4:30pm, but the loading of the final guests took longer than expected as a swell had come up, and loading was slower than earlier. 

 

Captain Paul came on the speakers around 4:30pm, and congratulated his crew with the tendering operations today.  Reading between the lines, it sounded as if some guests were not happy with the slowness of the ride going and coming back.  He apologized for the inconveniences, but that can be expected sometimes.  He added that the 3^rd officer, a female that joined in Papeete, would pull the anchor she had dropped 130 meters, and sail the ship out of the bay.  Under his supervision of course.   We have 2929 nautical miles to reach our final destination of San Diego, and it will take 18.4 knots of speed to arrive there.  It will also take three engines to do it.  Finally, sunset would be 5:50pm and sunrise would be 5:20am tomorrow. 

 

Dinnertime snuck up on us, and we ordered excellent mixed salads, a bowl of chicken dumpling soup, and one shrimp/pork spring roll.  Mains were fajitas with seasoned rice, peppers, sour cream, guacamole, and slices of tender and tasty steak cooked medium rare.  We heaped it all in the flour tortilla, savoring every bite.  What fun for a change.  This chef does Mexican cuisine quite well.  Maybe we can ask him to serve enchiladas, a favorite meal for us at home.  Desserts were one brownie cheesecake, and a plate of sliced pineapple with vanilla ice cream. 

 

Looking forward to six lazy days at sea as we head towards home.  Well, not quite lazy as we will have to begin packing……

 

Bill & Mary Ann

382 Pictures

Report #71 Tuesday November 14, 2023 Sea Day Enroute To Nuku Hiva, Taiohae, Marquesas Sunny With Broken Clouds 81 Degrees Sea State: 6' Swell

 

Finally, a day at sea to kick back and do as little as possible.  It was going to be another warm day with temperatures in the low 80's even at 9am.  The humidity is still 73%, but much better than what we had yesterday in Fakarava.   Light rainfall was predicted, and we did see it on the horizon, but they were able to steer the ship around it.  We recall the days of not so long ago, when a favorite beverage crew member, Manny, would come and warn all of us at the Seaview Pool that a giant squall was up ahead, and we needed to get our stuff gathered and run under the overhang.  Sometimes it began as a drizzle then turned into a sudden downpour flooding the decks.  These days we doubt there would be any warning.  In fact, seeing everyone suddenly getting soaked might be entertainment for the crew and those crew members in the navigation deck with the cameras.  Just kidding of course.

 

Breakfast was at 8am, which is better than 7:30am.  No rush to go anywhere, we took our time and enjoyed several cups of coffee.   The almost daily cappuccino for one of us will be a hard habit to kick when we go home.  After breakfast, we went to the promenade deck for a mile or so walk.   It happens to be the same time that the hosted deck walk happens, and some of the folks sure don't know the rules of passing.  Where we come from, a polite "on your left" is nice.  But here, some people just storm around you in the most inconvenient places, such as rounding the corners.  The best part of this walk is that most of the rude folks leave after once or twice around the deck.  Today there was a 10am cooking demo in the World Stage, so that drew the folks back inside thank goodness.

 

Yesterday we all received a notice that the passports would be handed back to us between 10am and noon.  We were asked to bring our passport receipts to the mid elevator landings on the deck you lived on.  As we were just coming back from our walk, we ran into our Mariner host, Arnold, who gladly gave us the passports without the receipt.   Good timing.  We will not need these until we leave for home on November 22^nd. 

 

Working in the room until 12pm, we headed off to the Seaview Pool to get some fresh air and sun.  It was warmer than we thought in the sun as compared to sitting on our shaded veranda.    We had learned from a friend that there was an Indonesian lunch in the dining room at noontime, but it was not advertised anywhere.  Checking the lunch menu in the dining room on the TV we saw that the menu was totally Indonesian.  Checking the Daily newsletter revealed not one word about this special lunch.  Someone has been dropping the ball on some of these events.  Even during Kimberly's pep talk at 9am, she did not mention it.  

 

We have been forgetting to check our shipboard account on TV since their accounting is not always detailed enough.  And for some unknown reason, a few of the charges had been put on from September, then taken off…not once, but twice.  Looking closer, it looked as if one of our credits for the internet package had not been credited.   The best thing was to take an older statement down to the front desk, and have them explain it.  They could not figure it out, so took it to their finance department, who would get back to us later.  That was fine, at least it was in motion.  An hour later, we had a phone call saying a new statement would be sent to our room.  Someone had gone back and removed the charges and credits, and added three credits for the internet, which should have been four.  So confusing, they promised to check deeper, discovering that the initial cost for our package was already credited and printed at the lower rate.  No one told us that in the beginning, so now we know.  And due to the poor conductivity in our room, they promised somewhat of a credit for our inconvenience.  Anything credited is better than nothing.  All of our buddies have admitted they have never had such good connections to the wifi, but then their rooms are situated better than ours is on deck six.  We learned later that other folks on decks 6 and 7 are having issues as well.  It's not just us.  We have been told that in time, all of the staterooms will have their own hotspot, the same as the newer HAL ships.  Now we have to rely on the hallway hotspots, which in our case, is blocked by too much metal they told us.  That's why propping open the door helps sometimes.

 

Lunch was Dive In burgers – one hamburger and one chicken.  No fries, even though they said they were cooked fresh.  We can live without them.   Finishing up yesterday's photos and report, we enjoyed the sunset again tonight.   Even with the dark clouds, it was pretty when the rays hit the water.   If we continue sailing in this direction of northeast, we should see the sunsets all the way back.  So much better than last year, when it rained most of the way back to San Diego.

 

Tonight's suggested dress was "dressy" and there was a Volendam Ball – a gala dance with the officers and crew.  The trouble with that was it was scheduled at 8pm, right in the middle of our dinner time.  Would we attend it?  Probably not, but normally the time would be 9:30pm.  A few years back, it was 10pm.  So we figured that the early time targeted the early diners who could attend the dance, and still be in bed at a decent time.   We found it funny that this affair would be scheduled now, an evening before the final port day.  Since we have eight more days left, seven of them sea days, it might have been better to have the ball on one of those evenings.  Again, what do we know?

 

Anyway, dinner was good with offerings of new appetizers.  We ordered coated and fried ricotta cheese on a bed of spinach and a tomato sauce.  They were small servings, but really tasty.  One of us had the chicken broth soup and the other the Caesar salad which finally came with fresh romaine lettuce.  Mains were one chicken alternate dinner and the other was the crispy roasted pork belly.  It does sound strange, but it was good.  We have been told  by those who know that pork belly has been one of the popular items on the Australian menus lately.  Desserts were the lemon custard-filled phyllo dough pouch with a strawberry and pineapple slice.  Very good as well.  Desserts will be another thing to stop when we get home, as it has become a sometime habit while onboard.  This time we are happy with the reduced portion size of the sweet treats.

 

Tomorrow we will be in Nuku Hiva, our very last stop of this long cruise.  Where has the time gone???

 

Bill & Mary Ann

42 Pictures

Report #70 Monday November 13, 2023 Anchored At Fakarava, Tuamotu, French Polynesia 8am-5pm Sunny And Hot With Some Clouds 86 Degrees---Casual Dress

 

We have arrived to a new archipelago – the Tuamotu islands and atolls which number 80 in total.  This area is the most spread out compared to the other archipelagos we have visited so far.  The total population of this area is 16,880 inhabitants within 20,000 square kilometers, but only 775 square kilometers of dry land.   Only 6% of the total of French Polynesians live here and have jobs linked to tourism, fishing, copra production, and even nuclear testing by France in the past. Pearl farms produce the most luxurious black pearls in the lagoons, and they supply the market with 98% of the gems.   But the real wealth, it is said, comes from the underwater world, also known as their lagoons. 

 

Today's port of call is the atoll of Fakarava, meaning beautiful in Tahitian.  It is the second largest atoll, with Rangiroa the largest as well as the capital.   There are about 845 residents of this atoll with only 16 square miles of dry land, but has a massive lagoon with 1121 square kilometers.  There are 30 kilometers of coral-packed roads on this atoll.  We suppose the best way to describe an atoll is comparing it to a string of pearls.   The land portion is a ring of coral (the pearls), while the center of the necklace is a lagoon.  Much of one side of this lagoon is not a solid coral reef, but consists of a series of motus, making circumnavigation impossible.  Many places can only be reached by boat. 

 

There are a few cars, several pick-up trucks, and one wooden school bus like "le truck".  There were no HAL shore excursions offered here today, however some folks were able to book something independently prior to the cruise.  The tours would be strictly related to the water like snorkeling, diving, or boating.  It is reported that Fakarava has some of the best diving in Polynesia with hundreds of reef sharks.  Kimberly mentioned that these "harmless to people" sharks have only had 24 recorded attacks here, which is way too much for us.  She said these reef and grey sharks are called foxes of the seas.  There are also nurse sharks that hang around the shores of the lagoon in the village, as we would find out on our walk.

 

One thing for sure was that it was going to be a most uncomfortably hot and humid day.  Like oppressive heat with little breeze.  Nothing like last year's visit where we had record hurricane winds, thunder and lightning with a tropical downpour.  Today there were passing clouds, but no rain in sight.  It was so hot, we almost wished it would rain.   Temperatures reached 86 degrees but felt a lot more than that with the humidity.

 

Very early this morning, passengers began to gather on the bow to watch the entrance through the north opening of the atoll.  It is called Garuae pass and it the widest pass in all of French Polynesia at 1.6 kilometers from end to end.  The other pass is in the southern part of the ring of coral and is called Tamakohua.  The turbulence created in these passes is massive, causing a rushing flow of water that comes in and out with the tides.  It can be tricky getting ships through it.  Many times dolphins like to hang out in these passes because the fishing is good.  However, we saw none today.  Sailing into the center of the lagoon outside the village of Rotoava, they dropped anchor, and we had to use the tenders to get ashore.

 

We stayed onboard until 10:30am, then headed down to the boat.  It was easy boarding as the waters were calm today and the ride only took about 15 minutes to the village.  We were all greeted with island ladies handing out the fragrant tiare flowers with the band playing in the backround.  We did not choose to go swimming here, but many of the guests did just that.  Remembering that there were sharks lurking in the shallows, we were just as happy with a long walk.  There were a few shops at the pier landing, but we knew there was nothing we needed.  Many of the over-heated guests went inside these shops because they had air-conditioning and fans. 

 

Turning right at the main road, we passed by the primary school and a nice-looking restaurant called Hirinaki Lounge.  It looked closed, but may have opened for guests later in the afternoon.  Most all of the cafes along the road would not open until dinnertime.  And that included the place that had pizza.  The shoreline of the lagoon began here, and was already filled with folks swimming and sitting on their striped blue and white beach towels from the ship.   It looked like the invasion of the body snatchers.  We sure hope these folks knew to wear aqua shoes or flip-flops because it is mostly broken sharp coral and volcanic rocks to navigate to get into the water.   The waters are shallow and covered with smooth dark rocks with some sandy spots.  If you watch long enough, like we did, you can spot the nurse sharks as they slither over the smoother rocks in search of the small fish.  Some of these can measure over 7 feet in length.   We spotted one within a few yards of walking the beach.  Most people think they are harmless, but we did hear a story from friends that actually saw a nurse shark jump up at a woman who was taking a picture bending over to do it.  The shark caught her in the chest, and both the lady and shark had to be pulled out of the water and have its jaws pried off of her.  Harmless, don't think so.   Never underestimate a wild animal in their own element.  As swimmers, we are prey, and out of our element. 

 

Continuing up the road, we passed many homes and a few shops, mostly closed as they always are this time of year.  We came across the Catholic Church that was built with coral rocks in 1874.  The interior is painted a soft blue and gives one the feeling of coolness even if it was not.  On the outside, there were a few island ladies selling some shell jewelry.  Some people were checking it out when another lady guest from the ship was going to enter the church with only an open shirt over her swimsuit.  The local ladies actually yelled at her and stopped her in her tracks, reminding her it was a church and she should not go inside dressed like that.  Sometimes people are clueless.

 

We took the time to walk to the back of this church to see the old cemetery.  People still decorate the grave sites with silk or plastic flowers, since they last almost forever.  Also in the back were public restrooms, about the only ones we saw today.  Good thing we brought some water with us, as the heat was melting us rapidly.  Kimberly had warned everyone not to drink any island water since it is from rainfall.  Even the locals drink bottled water.

 

Going onward from here, we noticed several people had gotten rides in local pick-up trucks and even rented bikes.  Some of the cruise passengers rented bikes, but should not have attempted that without some prior thinking.  We have seen a man fall while riding a bike a few years back, and when he went down on the coral-based road, he was cut to ribbons.  Something did happen later on involving bike riding, but not until we had boarded the tender for the ride back.

 

So our destination was Havaiki Pearl Lodge where a small outdoor eatery is located by the name of Snack Le Requin.  It was noontime by now, and there was a line of eight or more people ordering food and beverages at the shack's window.  It was more crowded than we expected, but we were in need of something cold to drink, and while we were at it, we may as well share a cheeseburger and a pile of fries.  We had forgotten, but they did accept credit cards here, as long as the internet stayed running.  There was a 20 minute wait for the line to move, but we did get some nice seats at a table in the shade to eat our food.  Since there were six chairs, a nice lady and her friends asked to sit with us.  They did not speak English, only French, but we recognized them from being at the Seaview Pool every day we went back there. By the time we finished our meal, they were still enjoying their drinks.

 

Heading back, we came across more nurse sharks, and actually got some good photos of them lurking around the many swimmers.  Not sure these folks saw the sharks as they blended so well with their surroundings.  If nothing else, we could stand in the shade of the casuarinas and palm trees watching these creatures doing their thing.  On past excursions, we have gone on tours where we swam with white and black tip sharks and did not really like the feeling of being possible snacks for them.  Viewing from the shore was just fine with us. 

 

We did see a little dog playing with what we thought was another fat dog.  It turned out to be a small pig, who stopped in its tracks when we whistled.  Must have been a pet or next Christmas's dinner, who knows?  Many folks were on their way back to the tenderboats like us.  The sun and heat could really take a toll on you.  While we waited for the tender to take off,  a police vehicle arrived with an injured lady and her friend.  What a shock to see it was the two ladies that joined us at lunchtime. She could barely walk, and it took three crew fellows to lift her carefully into the tender.   It just so happened that one of the most helpful crew members was our waiter Mario.   Later on, he told us she had an accident while riding the bike, falling on the coral road.  Ouch, that must have hurt.  Mario thought she may have broken an ankle because he said it did not look right.  Lucky that the police officer had driven them to the pier.  Within 10 minutes of getting off of the tender, we heard the call for the medical staff.  Hope she will be OK.  There is a hospital in Nuku Hiva, but we are not sure how much can be done there as far as complicated broken bones are concerned. 

 

All aboard was 4:30pm, and Captain Paul came on the speakers with the sail away info.  The plan was to lift the anchor, then turn around and sail out of the north passage the way we had come.  We now have 514 nautical miles to reach Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas in two days from now.  The speed needed will be 14.8 knots.  Hot temperatures can be expected tomorrow as well.  Finally, the clocks would need to advance ½ hour, one of those few places in the world we have to do that.  The extra ½ hour ahead will be in a few days, followed by the final hour forward before reaching San Diego. 

 

Sailing through the turbulence was interesting, but not as bumpy as the one in Rangiroa.  We had hoped to see some dolphins, but there were none.  What we did enjoy was watching the sun go down before the ship turned northeast.  There were considerable clouds blocking the full sun, but it was just as nice as a clear horizon. 

 

Dinner was back in the dining room where we were greeted by a new head waiter Koes.  He has taken Bayu's place and remembered us from many cruises.  Now he will join the band of greeters as we all enter through the doors on deck five.  We try sneaking by them, but they see us every time.  It's their fun for the day.  Mario greeted us with the details of the accident this afternoon.  We told him he was a good guy for being such a big help.  We ordered one grilled shrimp appetizer (really good), and a bowl of tomato soup (even better).  Salads were a panache of greens with tangerines and pear slices.  Who knew how nicely they go together?  Mains were one Club Orange roasted lamb and one duck entree with smashed red potatoes and peas.  Both quite tasty.  Desserts were a small slice of a chocolate cake and sliced pineapple…both with a side of a tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Service was quick because our fellows only had us and another table of guests.  Guess the heat got to most everyone today.

 

There was a show tonight with a group called Gravity, three singers from the UK taking folks on a musical journey.  And with the clocks going forward, we called it a night.  Really looking forward to a lazy day at sea tomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

370 Pictures

Report #69 Sunday November 12, 2023 Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia Day #2 Docked On The Eleventh Leave Today At 5pm Cloudy Very Humid Rain In The Mountains Sunny In Town 86 Degrees---Casual Dress

 

Our second day in Papeete began even warmer than yesterday.  The predicted rain of 30% never did appear in town, although we could see showers up high in the mountains.  That's why it is so green everywhere.  Lots of water.

 

We stayed onboard once again getting some computer work done in our room.  All aboard was 4:30pm, so we still had plenty of time for a nice walk in the humid heat.  We more or less re-traced our steps from yesterday, checking the Marketplace in case they might open up for a few hours.  What we did find were a few of the flower vendors with what they had left over from yesterday's bouquets and cut flowers.  The group was sitting outside the locked gates of the building.  This time we did not need any more flowers since we had a nice bouquet from the florist onboard.  And knowing they come with ants, we did not want those either. 

 

What we did find open was the tourist info office where we collected maps of almost every French Polynesian island for future use.  Along with the two travel guides, we are set when we come back here again.  So much of the useful printed maps and brochures are not around anymore, so none of this collection will be tossed.

 

There were a few more souvenir tables set up by the info office, which really reminded us of the ones that were always under the thatched-roof huts across the street.  Remember when the Tahitian singers and girls greeted you at the info center coming out of the dock area?  Well that is all gone now, but these vendors across the boulevard look the same.  And they did not have that special purple shell we are searching for.   Maybe next time……

 

Continuing up the side street, we walked past the Cathedral expecting it to be open for Sunday mass.  Well it was still locked up.  And we are not sure the Assembly Building was opened either.  Glad we discovered that area yesterday.   Of course, LA Pizzeria was closed, so we walked across the street to Paofai Park and Gardens.  Turning left, we followed the marina all the way to the end where To'ata Square is located.  There is a grouping of grandstands there with an open-air theater for concerts and the like.  We read that it can handle up to six thousand people, although we are not sure where that many people could park cars.  Nothing was happening there today, so we sat on the rock wall admiring the harbor down at this end.  It is very close to the airport and the planes were landing regularly. 

 

Making our way back along the waterfront, we stopped once again at Le Moana for a snack of crispy French fries, two more Hinano beers and a shared banana split.  Since we had reservations in the Pinnacle Grill this evening, we wanted to keep lunch light.  Maybe not the healthiest, but that's what vacations are for, right? 

 

We did learn a few words that were helpful with ordering food and drinks here in Tahiti.  Taofe means Tahitian coffee with a touch of vanilla.  Firi firi means doughnuts with coconut milk.  Pia is beer and pahua is a giant clam.  Uru is the fruit of the breadfruit rich in vitamins, and mape is the Tahitian sweet chestnut.

 

Coming back along the marina, we noticed that several grids of steel have been "planted" along the sea wall with corals.  They attract the fish, and in time it will be a live reef.  Better than snorkeling and it is completely free.  We got back to the ship after 2pm, and had ice cold sodas to cool off.   By 4:30pm, the rain clouds appeared to be closing in over the mountains, and soon it was raining.  We could smell it before it came down.   The rain continued until we were far off of the island and heading northeast towards the atoll of Fakarava.

 

While downloading photos, we listened to Captain Paul with his plans for today's departure.   He was still waiting for 30 people to get back from a tour, so leaving was close to 5pm.  He was turning the ship over to the third officer (under his supervision of course) to take the ship out through the tight reef opening.  From recently reading the book Typee by Herman Melville, we knew that there were a number of old sailing ships that sunk trying to access this harbor.  Many of them were whaling boats.  And some of the remains are still there we understand.

 

We will be sailing into the atoll of Fakarava, located in the Tuamotu Archipelago tomorrow morning.  We have 245 nautical miles to go and need a speed of 17.1 knots to get there.  The Captain added that we might expect some squalls and showers along the way, but tomorrow will be another hot and humid day.  He did not mention if it would rain.  Last year was a different story.  We had sudden hurricane winds and torrential rain while there.  The coral road turned into a flowing creek going over and into our shoes as we walked back to the tender area.  We still laugh about it now, but we got soaked to the bone.  Umbrellas were useless.

 

As we stated, dinner was in the Pinnacle Grill with our favorite wedge salads and candied bacon.  Honestly, that is quite enough to fill us up these days, but we did add the smallest filet mignons and potatoes.  We shared the almost Baked Alaska while visiting with friends Bill and Leta who happened to be eating at our breakfast table.  Always a pleasure to reminisce over the last 21 years of sailing together on many long voyages. 

 

Only two more ports left, and we will making that long sailing back to San Diego.  Where has the time gone???

 

Bill & Mary Ann

154 Pictures

Report #68 Saturday November 11, 2023 Day #1 In Papeete, Tahiti 8am-Over Night Docked Port Side To The Pier Sunny With Clouds 85 Degrees---Casual Dress

 

Well here we are in Tahiti and the capital of French Polynesia, Papeete.  Up very early, we watched as the Volendam sailed into the busy harbor.  Although it was cloudy, there was no rain, so that was a plus.  The Captain turned the ship around, backed in, and docked port side this time.  We think the reason for a certain side for docking has a lot to do with loading supplies and probably taking on fuel and water.  Normally, we are nose-in, but not so today.  This is better for us, because we will have a view of the town for two days now. 

 

So here is a little update on what we learned about French Polynesia.  There are a total of 280,000 inhabitants, living on 118 islands, on 5 archipelagos measuring 5.5 million square miles.  How's that for massive numbers?  Most of the population here between Tahiti and Moorea as it is the administrative and economic center of the country.  Described as having majestic villages,  fabulous lagoons, volcanic mountains, restored ancient sites, hiking trails and even world-class surfing, what is not to like about visiting here?  Once again, it is all about the water, beaches, boating, snorkeling and diving as well. 

 

There was one big problem, however, and that was today happened to be Armistice Day in France and a holiday here.  And because of that most everything in town was closed. We did not realize this until we ran into our good buddies who came back steaming from finding the Municipal Market closed down tight.  We all agreed we should have been told that it was a holiday, but it did not happen, even when the staff onboard learned about it, nothing was announced.  In our way of thinking, had they known shops and cafes were closed today, the shore excursions could have sold a lot more tours.  Like duh?  And with tomorrow being Sunday, most things would be closed again.   Going back months ago, perhaps HAL could have re-adjusted the itinerary getting us here on weekdays and not a holiday and a Sunday.  But hey, what do we know?

 

Of course we still went off of the ship around 11am, and headed towards town, via Vaiete Square where the food trucks would be located later in the evening.  The new terminal building looks almost completed now, but is still not opened.  Most of the square is closed off with a cement wall, and appeared reduced in size.  Our first stop after crossing the main street was at the information office.  At least they were opened and also had excellent city maps and the Tahiti and Moorea Travel Guide for 2023. 

 

From there, we strolled the main street finding most of the shops and pharmacies closed.  A few street vendors had tables of souvenirs set up outside the closed businesses.  They had plenty of customers with the cruise ship guests that were not on tours.  Speaking of which, there were seven excursions offered today and tomorrow as well.  A west coast tour for 4 hours was $130, and the east coast one for 2 ½ hours was $100. We have done both in the past.   A 4 hour 4x4 thrilling adventure was $120, and a lagoon discovery was $140 for 3 hours.  Lagoon cruising was 3 hours for $140 while the Ohana Catamaran swim for 3 hours was $140.    A sunset sail with a refreshment for 2 hours was $140.  That seems to be the magic price. 

 

So we headed past the fabric store that has sold us so many yards to make blouses, but they were shut down.  Just as well, as one of us already has enough forever.  The big Marche or Municipal market was a ghost town….totally empty of shoppers, vendors, and cars vying for a parking spot.  The outside tables were void of everything we usually see.  Only some kids and a few homeless guys were laying around doing nothing since it was a holiday.  What did we miss at the Marche?   Besides the outside tables of black pearls and shell jewelry, we missed the fruit and veggie offerings which included breadfruit, taro, sweet potatoes, bananas (hope the ship get some today), pineapples, limes and mangoes.  The fish section always sells tuna, mahi mahi, swordfish, parrotfish and red snapper.  There are aisles of woven baskets, hats, monoi oil products, seasonings, and tropical flowers.   On the second level are the higher end jewelry shops and clothing stores.  They even have a small café upstairs that is popular with the ship guests.  We always buy flowers, and take loads of pictures.  Not happening today though.  By the way, they do not accept credit cards here we were told.  Cash only – Pacific French francs and US dollars work well.

 

Walking across the street, we went to the Notre Dame Cathedral (1875), the Catholic church always open.  Today, it was locked up tight.  Perhaps tomorrow it will be opened for Sunday masses.  Perhaps we might hear some of the participants singing during the service.

 

Guess what was opened for business?  McDonalds of course.  There were people dining outside as well as driving through for take-away.  Smart move for everyone.

 

Now came a big surprise.  The outdoor pavilion and the gardens of the French Polynesian Assembly were opened to the public.  It has been a few years since we have been able to visit here.  The Assembly Garden and the Queen's pond are around the back and accessed by following the rocked pathway.  The High Commissioner's residence is adjacent to this garden, but well fenced off.  Paul Gauguin's banyan tree is planted there as well as a monument of General de Gaulle, but they are also located behind the tall fencing.

 

The garden has ponds that always housed eels…very large eels, but we could not find any today.  Among the almost ready to bloom water lilies were small fish and some koi carp.   There are a few benches to relax here and lots of shade from the mature trees.  Not many people had discovered this garden yet, so we had it almost to ourselves. 

 

At the pavilion of the Assembly building was a huge craft display with tables full of shell jewelry, woven hats, baskets, and artistic pieces of shell-decorated branches and trees.  Some of the pieces were quite pricey as were the heavy shell necklaces.  With so many tables of trinkets, you would thing  we could locate a matching pair of purple shell earrings for the necklace we bought in Mo'orea.  Nope not one set was right.  There were far more necklaces, bracelets, and even rings, and the least amount of earrings.  Looking closer at the locals, we noticed they did not wear earrings.  They did wear tattoos well though.  While we perused the treasures, we listened to the band and singers that were entertaining the customers.  We had stayed for at least an hour, happy to have found something opened. 

 

Crossing the street, we went into Bougainville Park to take more photos of the trees , flowers, and meandering creeks.   There were no eels here as well.  They must have been removed.  There may have been a memorial there today because the cannons of the Zelee and Seeadler ships were under a tent with a pillar of names near the bust of Bougainville, one of the early discoverers. 

 

From here we continued walking up the boulevard to find the biggest disappointment of the day – La Pizzeria was closed for the holiday.  No delicious Hawaiian pizza for us today, or tomorrow for that matter.  They are always closed on Sundays.  Darn…..  Passing the Evangelical Church, we crossed over to Paofai Park and Gardens along the waterfront.  Recalling seeing friends Rich and Peg dining at a nice-looking café called Le Moana along the harbor, we took a chance and went up the steps to check out their menu.   Surprisingly, it was not really crowded yet even though it was past noontime.  We ordered two large pints of Blonde Hinano draft beers, which went down easy.  There were many fish items on the menu as one might expect, but there were also burgers.  So we had a cheeseburger with fries to share.  They were generous with the fries and glad they were since they were piping hot.  Topping it off, we ordered one dessert of profiteroles, and they were wonderful as some folks walking by us agreed.  Time to head back to the ship, we got back walking the waterfront park by 3pm.  Sure was nice cooling off in the air-conditioned ship. 

 

Of course, it was a perfect time to process those photos and work on reports.  The one Kindle we own was not able to be updated since there was no wifi at the restaurant.  From our veranda, we could watch the activity on the waterfront as well as the city traffic.  Kept us occupied until it was time for the sun to set after 6pm.   Going to the front on deck six, we joined a small number of folks doing the same as us….catching the last rays of the sun.  There was a wide band of dark clouds on the horizon, so the sunset was not a great one.  We took photos anyway.  Checking out the night roulette area at Vaiete Square, we saw only one or two trucks.  Perhaps that was not happening at all tonight.

 

Time for dinner, we found the dining rooms almost empty.  We think it was due to the fact that there was one local show in the World Stage at 8pm with Mana – The Spirit of Tahiti – singers and dancers and musicians.  They always command a good crowd.  However, it was right in the middle of our dinner time, and being that we have seen the show many times, we enjoyed the quick and excellent service tonight.  We ordered the crispy spring rolls which Mario served with the extra sweet and sour sauce we like.  So good, they could have been our main tonight.  The Caesar salad was skimpy, so the chefs had not accessed the new lettuce yet.  One of us ordered the veal parmigiana with linguine and the other an Asian dish of sukiyaki with sliced beef.  Both were good and not too much.  Desserts were a little cheesecake with sliced strawberries (no sugar added) and one hot fudge sundae.  Just in case the cheesecake was too small, Mario brought over another sundae, which we split.  Not that we needed it, Mario and Risman always worry we don't have enough.  Trust us, we are doing fine in the dining department.

 

We are overnight here, and have not decided what we will do tomorrow.  Whatever that may be, it will involve walking for sure.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

373 Pictures