Report #77 Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Sea Day #6 Of 6---- Enroute To San Diego, California, USA---Broken Clouds With Showers--64 Degrees---59% Humidity---16mph Winds---10' Swells------Casual Dress

Well here we are…… day six at sea and the final one on the way to San Diego.   The temperature early this morning was 63 degrees with 59% humidity.  The winds were close to 16mph, and the speed of the ship was 18 knots.   We had a nice farewell visit with our buddy Nancy who said this trip has gone by way too fast.  We agree.   Bless her heart, she has kept one of us supplied with easy-reading pocketbooks ever since she boarded back in late September.    Then as I read them, I donated them to the exchange book section in the library.  

 

We finished packing, even though the ship was rocking, rolling, and pitching the worst of the six day trek back to California.  That was not the best condition for using the hand-held scale to weigh the bags.   Guess we will find out tomorrow at the airport if the scale worked properly.  It's just a guess on our part, but we suspect the ship's stabilizers are not out.

 

Just as we turned on the bow camera to hear the Captain's final talk, we could see rain drops hitting it.  Not the way we wished to end the trip, but perhaps it will clear up later. By the way, it did stop. For some reason,  the Captain sure sounded happy as he gave the details of the weather and the progress of the trip.   We have traveled 2546 nautical miles from Nuku Hiva and have 278 nautical miles to reach San Diego early tomorrow morning.   During the course of the afternoon, the Captain said we will have higher winds and larger swells – 9 to 10 feet.   And he hopes we will have sun in San Diego at least in the morning.   With that said he wished us all safe travels tomorrow and hope we all had a great Legendary cruise.  He admitted that he did, and maybe that's why he is happy.  Getting us back safely is also a good reason.

 

We did finally get our special President's Club disembarkation package delivered that included the black luggage tags around 1pm.  We will be able to debark anytime from 8am to 9:15am.    Then we ordered room service lunch which included mini-sliders, one grilled cheese sandwich (actually cheese sticks) and some fresh fruit.  Today the delivery worked better and it came on time.  Even though it is from the kid's menu, the amount of food is still enough. 

 

Thought we might include some of the last Polynesian facts about the pareo, monoi oil, and diving.    The pareo or sarong is the basic article of clothing for ALL Polynesians.  They are used as a skirt, dress, scarf, towel, or for men – as shorts.  Hand-painted with colorful patterns, they are ideal for the tropical temperatures as well as very useful at home if you live in a warm summer area. 

 

Monoi oil is a derivative of coconut oil infused with the essence of the tiare flower and other pleasant aromas..  Great for skin and hair,  this oil has healing powers for sunburns too.  It is often used for massages.  I purchased a small bottle last year while in Papeete's Marketplace and discovered while it was sitting on our cool kitchen windowsill, it became slightly solidified.    When the weather warmed up, it became liquid once more.  Interesting as it did not affect the quality of the oil.

 

OK, the final story is all about diving.   Diving in French Polynesia is like exploring a giant aquarium for all levels of skill.  You can dive most anywhere in Polynesia year-round with super-sharp visibility.  You might see rays, barracudas, Napolean fish, turtles, and many types of sharks if you are lucky.    The most spectacular spots in Polynesia are the Tiputa Pass in the Rangiroa Atoll and the two passes of the Fakarava Atoll.   And we were just there just over a week ago.  Thrills are guaranteed.

 

Other happenings on the ship included an auction of the Navigational Charts used by the bridge officers of this cruise.   Promotions were in each and every shop, especially the photo shop.  This is one area that we have problems with.  It seems like every time we turned around, the photographers were begging to take our photos.  Most every day or evening, they set up shop on deck five in two places, making it difficult to make our way to the dining room.   Blinding lights were hanging from the corners, and a fake fabric was taped down on the existing carpet.  To us, this was a possible tripping problem.  And for that reason, many people we know chose not to use deck five to get from the forward section to the aft dining room.  There is a dedicated studio on deck four just for taking custom photos.  Why not just use that instead?  Bottom line…it's all about the money.  There are some newer cruise lines that do not have photographers at all, and they don't seem to have problems filling their ships.  We are not asking to eliminate them, just back off and don't be so aggressive. The photo gallery's angle today was buy them and save on the tax. 

 

On a lighter and sweeter note, there was a Cake Me Away display in the Lido Market from 11:30am to 2pm.   We are certain many guests took a break from packing to treat themselves to some sweet cakes and more.   There were three sessions of trivia with animals, progressive play, and Beatlemania.  And today, they were all held in the Crow's Nest at different times of the day. 

 

Wanting to get a copy of our shipboard account, we stopped at the front desk when it wasn't so busy at the early dinner time.  They were happy to do it, although they had strongly suggested in the daily newsletter you bring it up on your room TV or the navigator app.   We like paper and prefer to keep it with this trip's info for comparison reasons or to remember what the items we bought actually cost.    It was also a good time to bring more paperback books to the exchange section of the library and pick up the brief daily NY Times newspaper.  While we were on our way to the forward elevator, a waiter gave us a bag of popcorn from the Wajang Theater.   They must have made too much for the movie, Catch Me If You Can, so we were glad to try it.  It was the one and only bag we had for the entire 77 days.  Not bad.

 

There wasn't much of a sunset tonight, so we were glad we caught that nice one last night.   The sun was setting earlier, and we forgot to check sooner.   It wasn't quite a fizzle, but close to it.

 

After a short cocktail, we headed for the dining room for dinner.   We ordered on appetizer of a seafood spring roll.  What kind of seafood was a mystery, so only one of us could have it.    A bowl of tortilla soup was a better choice, and the first time we have seen it on the menu.  The entrees we chose were the same – prime rib with Yorkshire pudding, a half of a piped potato, and root veggies.  We requested not-so-large servings, and they came just right.   Before our entrees were served, the wait staff and cooks did their farewell song, reminding everyone to please do their survey when they get home.  We always do them, giving our truthful comments.  We said our goodbyes and wished them all luck in the future.  They in turn, wished us a safe journey home and hope they see us again on another DAM ship.   Even though we were full, we did order the small serving of Baked Alaska, which was very good….not too big like in the Pinnacle Grill.

 

The final show of the Legendary voyage was titled Celtic Spirit with the World Stage cast performing  music, lively jigs, and reels.  Not so sure about the dancing, as the ship was still  moving too much for a safe show.  Usually in that case, the performers sing more.

 

All we have left to do this evening is lug the suitcases out in the hallway and hope they will be picked up.   The next time we see them will be in the cruise terminal.   Easy. 

 

Thanks for reading our journey once again.  It has been a pleasure sharing with you all.  Will do a follow-up when we get home and settled.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

75 Pictures

Report #76 Monday, November 17, 2025 Sea Day #5 Of 6---- Enroute To San Diego, California, USA---Broken Clouds With Some Sun--70 Degrees---68% Humidity---5mph Winds---10' Swells-------Dressy Dress

Day five at sea was much cooler and far less humid as we sailed towards San Diego.  Most of the early morning we had some blue skies and clouds that dropped rain showers on the horizon.  The temperature was recorded at 70 degrees, but we doubt it was that with 68% humidity and 5.1 mph winds.  There is still some rocking and rolling even though we are doing a speed of 18 knots.    

 

During his pm talk, the Captain said we had traveled 2115 nautical miles since leaving Nuku Hiva and have 709 nautical miles to go to reach San Diego.    The seas were calmer today, but it would not last.  He expected the winds to pick up to 20 knots with increasing waves and lower temperatures in the high 60's.  At least we picked the best time to do most of the packing, and we only have a little left to do.  We have already received two notices concerning disembarkation options for Wednesday the 19^th .  We will not have to collect luggage tags from the rack at the front desk.  As part of our benefits for President's Club members, we will have our tags delivered to us the day before, which will be tomorrow.   We have independent plans (a taxi ride to the airport) and will be able to disembark from 8am to 9:15am.    It should be a piece of cake, so to speak.  There were also two Delft tiles waiting for us on the bed after breakfast.  That's a total of eight for the four voyages we did. 

 

We turned in the last of our laundry at 8am, and it was returned by 2pm…..still warm to the touch.  We never did get a notice that the laundry service would stop sooner.  There was a nice note with our basket saying:  We will miss doing your laundry and we hope to do your laundry again soon.  Safe journey and see you again.  Have a good day.  It was signed, but the signature was not legible.  Anyway, we thought it was a nice touch. 

 

One of us worked on the computer since yesterday's report was not finished last night.   Sometimes you just have to give it up and get more sleep.  There have been some late nights trying to keep up with each and every day.  But that's the beauty of sea days……more time to do stuff.  The other one of us took a nice walk on the promenade deck along with the group of On Deck for a Cause folks.   This is the third one we think of this particular cruise.   It seems to work better when there is a smaller bunch of people walking at one time.   It was during his walk, that he spotted a bird….what appeared to be a brown booby all by itself.   It happened to swoop down and grab a flying fish before that fish disappeared into a wave.  We have not seen that for ages it seems.  Hoping to see more, he grabbed his good camera and both of us headed for deck six forward.   The booby had begun to fly back and forth across the bow of the ship as they often do.   That's when  we saw some movement on the bow deck and were surprised to see a white masked booby either resting or injured standing in a spot near the wall of the bow.  That's when we figured that the other bird was probably a juvenile masked booby keeping watch on possibly the mother bird.   Who knows for sure, but we had obviously disturbed them by coming out here, so we left after getting some pictures.  Back in our room, we suddenly saw the white booby fly by our veranda.   All alone, but not injured.  Within minutes, they were both gone. 

 

Today was the Zaandam Crew Show at 3pm in the World Stage.  We figured we would order a room service lunch at 2pm, then attend the show.  Up until today, it has worked out fine.  But soon it was 2:30, then 2:45pm and no lunch.  One of us decided to go to the show while the other waited for the delivery.    Calling them, they obviously had lost our order, but promised to delivery it immediately.  Well that turned out to be 3:30pm.  At least half of the show was seen by one of us.  Maybe they will rerun it on the TV for everyone to see it.  As always, the theater was filled to the max.  

 

There was still some shipboard credit left, so some more shopping was needed.  This time the purchase were three shades of  lip gloss made by Effy.  Who knew they were into make-up?   If you spent a certain amount,  you got a set of face brushes in a zippered case for free.   Now we are done and will not have to worry about retrieving the cashable amount as it was spent here.  Maybe that is their plan in the first place?  

 

There was a nice sunset, but much earlier like after 5:30pm.  Dinner was dressy tonight with the Zaandam's Legendary Farewell Ball with the officers and crew beginning at 8pm in the World Stage.  The dinner menu was gala and the most expected entrée was the filet mignon with broiled lobster.  Neither of us ordered the surf and turf, but we did try the lamb cutlet, not knowing for sure what that meant.  Our waiter Regie did not know since none of his early diners ordered it.   Well, it turned out to be the winner because it was a dead-ringer for rack of lamb, only more savory and tender as could be.   Now we know.  Appetizers were Caesar salads, a single cod slider, and the now-famous chicken noodle soup.  All good.  Dessert was the same for both of us – a chocolate sundae with lots of chopped nuts.  And as they tend to do on gala nights, there was a chocolate surprise at 9:30pm on all of deck five. 

 

And for those who preferred a quieter evening, there was a movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps in the Wajang Theater.  So much to do, and so little time left.

 

Bill & Mary Ann  

 

55 Pictures

Report #75 Sunday, November 16, 2025 Sea Day #4 Of 6---- Enroute To San Diego, California, USA----Overcast With Some Sun--79 Degrees---79% Humidity---13mph Winds---10' Swells-------Casual Dress

Day four at sea found the Zaandam doing an average speed of 17 knots with 79-degree weather with 79% humidity.  The winds were 13 mph at 8am, however the swells would increase later in the day to over 10 feet with mostly overcast skies.

 

On our way to breakfast on deck four, we encountered an "alligator"  lurking on a hand truck outside the elevator.  OK, we guess this is the "towel animal day"  where certain towels have been turned into the cutest creatures we have seen.  We did hear from other guests that these creations were here and there in the elevator lobbies, but we are not sure they were on display in the Lido pool area as they are on grand voyages.  To tell the truth, we did not take the time to look this morning.  There was a" guests vs officers  " towel folding in the atrium at 11am, so that may have been as good as it got.   In addition, there was a shipbuilding competition trail in the Lido Poolside at 2pm, so having hundreds of towel animals there may have been too much for one day to set up and remove.

 

Our morning started with some more packing, which was going well enough to continue until noontime.   Even though the ship was rocking and rolling, we stayed with the project and eventually got 98% of it done.  And since we needed to know how much stuff we used cosmetic-wise, and snack-wise, that would determine what we could spend our shipboard credit on.   So our first visit to The Shops produced nice clothes from Heli Hansen with one vest, a sweatshirt, a fleece jacket and one long-sleeved t-shirt.   They are of excellent quality and were 20% off today to boot.  Glad we checked because their selection was limited and we got exactly the sizes we needed. 

 

There was a second Mariner Recognition lunch in the dining room at noontime with about 500 more guests in attendance.  Therefore, there was no Sunday brunch today, disappointing many guests we heard.

 

The Captain came on with his noon talk and said we were 1690 nautical miles from Nuku Hiva and had another 1134 nautical miles to go to San Diego.  Slowly but surely, we are getting there.  He expected the winds to die down a notch but increase later to over 20 mph with high waves of 10 feet or more.  Within 24 hours, he said the waves would subside.   Of course, that would be the ideal time to pack for most folks.  Once again, he did not mention the sunrise or sunset times.  Turned out the sunset was another fizzle. 

 

So here is today's little bit of Polynesian facts.  The first one is all about fishing.  More than a sport, fishing is an important part of Polynesian life.   It can be net fishing on a beach, trolling, or using a reel.  Can you imagine using a spear or a harpoon fishing for mahi mahi, tuna, marlin, and even the larger tropical fish such as parrotfish, angel fish, and red snapper?  We saw many of these fish being sold in Papeete's marketplace, including the pretty reef fish.

 

Canoeing is big here.  The outrigger canoe is also called a pirogue, or in Tahitian, va'a.    These boats were originally used for traveling from island to island and were made with vegetative materials like coconut fibers for ropes, a tree trunk for the hull, and pandanus leaves woven for the sails.  Guess you could say they were ahead of their time for using recyclable things from nature.  These modern days, the outrigger canoe is a national sport with va'a clubs in every big city.   The rowers can be seen practicing between noon and 2pm or the evening at sunset.  The big Polynesian event is the Hawaiki Nui Va'a race that happens in October or November every year connecting the islands of Huahine, Raiatea, Taha'a and Bora Bora.   And we did see the monument signs showing the races that were held in each of those islands.   Pretty cool we thought, but we had just missed it by a week or so. 

 

This afternoon, we took the time to write many thank you's via the Navigator app on the computer.   The list was long.  We had to put a lot of thought into it so we did not miss any department on the ship that we dealt with the most.  Later in the day, we got return thank you's from the crew and staff members we had complimented. 

 

Taking our second walk of the day, we visited with Susie and Eddie on the promenade deck.  Susie had a birthday yesterday and we wanted to wish her a belated one.  That was followed by another shopping stop netting another Mary Frances purse.  We have decided to use all of our credit and not deal with trying to get the "cashable" amount credited back to an account when we get home.  Reading Cruise Critic, we have noticed that the transfer does not always happen in a timely manner, so we will just spend it here and be done with it as it is not a huge number. 

 

We made a stop in the Pinnacle Grill because we discovered that "there was nothing to eat" in the dining room tonight.  That's Greg and Heo's favorite quote on many a world cruise.  At least there was nothing that appealed to us.  Funny thing, we ran into Nancy on her way back from the early seating, and she admitted having lasagna because there was nothing for dinner she liked.  We had to laugh….she is such a kick and we have enjoyed our conversations with her.   We asked if she had received the photo from the Mariner Recognition Event, and she said….yes, she did.   Lo and behold, there it was in our mail slot as well.   Nice to know they saw fit to gift us at least one photo.  We will need to thank Kumar our Mariner rep for this one. 

 

The Pinnacle Grill was still busy when we arrived at 8pm with folks that were using the last of their complementary dinners in here.  Sometimes a dinner here is included as part of the Have-It-All package.  Anyway, we combined our wedge salads with one slice of clothes hanger bacon and one marinated chicken taco appetizer.  Then we asked for larger plates so we could cut our iceberg lettuce without spilling it on the table or on our laps.  RJ gladly plated up our requests with no problem.  Mains were one lamb chop meal and one 8 oz. filet mignon. Our one side was ½ baked potato each with the toppings.   Plenty of food, we added a shared Baked Alaska for dessert.  One of us asked RJ if he could plate up the macaroons to go, which he did, bringing them wrapped in a  foil chicken.  They will be just right at lunchtime tomorrow.   He also remembered that I preferred the raspberry flavor the best.    

 

There was a combined show this evening with mentalist Santiago Michel and trumpet player Nathan Samuelson with a performance guaranteed to please.  The Wajang movie was Top Gun: Maverick. 

 

And so ends day 4 at sea with 2 more to go. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

No Pictures

Report #74 Saturday, November 15, 2025 Sea Day #3 Of 6---- Enroute To San Diego, California, USA----Overcast With Some Sun--80 Degrees---85% Humidity---10' Swells------Casual Dress

Day three at sea found the weather about the same as yesterday.  Even though the temperature was listed as 79 degrees, we doubt it really was that at 8am in the morning.   It was still humid at 85%, and the winds were 13.3 mph.  Light rain was in the forecast, but the most moisture we saw was caused by the deep swells and waves hitting the portside of the ship.  We feel that the Captain has downplayed the conditions we are experiencing compared to other captains such as Friso.  With the rocking and rolling of the ship, he would have warned people about being careful inside the ship as well as going on the outside decks.   We have been in worse seas for sure, but many of the passengers on this trip are elderly and need to be very careful with doing the stairs or going outside the outdoor areas.  We had hoped that the seas would improve, but that doesn't look like that is going to happen.   If there are heavy rainstorms in southern California like we are hearing on TV, then we will be rocking and rolling all the way back.  

 

One thing for sure, we have been seeing a huge increase of flying fish….like gazillions of them.  It is always fun to watch as they appear like popcorn in hot oil while we are doing our walks.  So far, we have not spotted any birds because we are so far off of the coast.  These lucky flying fish will survive unless something grabs them from below.

 

So it is a good time for another tidbit of Polynesian facts.  Today we will address honey and vanilla.  Because of the variety of tropical flowers, the honey produced in all of the islands is unique.  Every island contributes to this product, and it is still done in small batches.  Family run farms harvest the sweet honey ensuring a high quality.  There are no chemicals involved and no mass production.  However, expect to pay more for that quality.  

 

Polynesian vanilla grows on a vine.  The flowers have to be pollinated by hand to produce the vanilla bean.  It is renowned worldwide for its fragrance and strong taste.  It is also rich in oil giving it a shiny appearance.  The islands of Huahine and Tahaa produce ¾ of the local product.  Once again, the vanilla can be pricey, but what isn't in Polynesia?

 

Just for fun, we thought we would add a simple recipe for Tahitian Granola.   Here are the basic ingredients:

 

9 ounces of rolled oats

 

3 ½ ounces of shredded coconut

 

3 ounces of chopped almonds or better yet….macadamia nuts

 

2 ounces of sunflower or pumpkin seeds

 

2 ounces of raisins or dried cranberries

 

Mix together:

 

4 tablespoons of honey

 

3 tablespoons of coconut oil

 

1 tsp of vanilla extract

 

A pinch of salt and 1 tsp cinnamon

 

Preheat oven to 320 degrees.  Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Heat the honey with coconut oil, then add vanilla, salt and cinnamon

 

Combine the ingredients with the dry mix, stirring well

 

Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 20 – 25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes

 

Add cranberries or raisins after baking

 

Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container

 

Tips:  Add chocolate chips after cooling and serve with yogurt or fruit.  Sounds good to us……

 

We spent the early morning working on photos trying to catch up.  Then we decided to attend just the Mariner Recognition Event held in the World Stage at 11:30am.  We did not plan on going to the lunch since we had our hearty breakfast at 8am and usual do not eat lunch until after 2pm.  By the time we arrived at the portside entrance on deck four,  the theater was filled with the 500 people that had been invited.  We are not sure what the cut-off numbers were for this group, but there will be another lunch tomorrow for the remainder of the guests.  The one and only ceremony happened today.   The staff did it right by giving the medallions ahead of time so the recipients could wear them.  That saves a lot of time when there were so many awardees as there were today taking photos with the Captain and Hotel Manager.  We lost count with the silver, gold, and platinum medals awarded…..even more than what we see on the Grand Voyages.   At the end of the medallion awards, each one of the President's Club members were announced with their days and invited to come up for a group photo.  There was a problem.  Where we were seated in a reserved section of the lounge, the couch was SO low to the floor one of us was really concerned on how to get up gracefully from it when our names were called.   Kumar and Melanny arrived to help Nancy and Sally, then came to help me as I had not worn my back brace.  I only trust my husband for this job and he did just fine saving me from total embarrassment.  With the ship rocking and rolling, it did not help.  The photographer had a difficult time getting us all in the frame.  Even the Captain was losing patience.  And truthfully, it did not matter since we doubt we receive these photos like we always have.  We'll let you know.

 

On the way back to our room, our President's Club buddy Nancy said she would see us in a few minutes in the dining room.  We were not aware that we had an assigned table and it would be hosted by Kumar and Melanny, the very sweet Guest Relations Manager.  The other half of the PC group was hosted by the Hotel Manager.  So we relented and decided to go, and were glad we did.  We all had a fine lunch and good conversation.  The menu choices were different than the usual Mariner lunch fare.  Starters were a choice of a mixed salad, jumbo shrimp cocktail, or a soup we think.  The mains were a tenderloin steak, seabass, and a veggie plate.  Both of us had the shrimp, one of us had the fish, and the other a mystery veggie plate which turned out to be based on beets.  Flutes of sparkling wine were served for the big toast.  Missing were the rolls and butter although we did have the plates for them.  Dessert was a trio of sweet decadent chocolate.  Considering they were serving 500 people within an hour's time, they did a pretty good job.   Kudos to the chefs, cooks, and wait staff.  They outdid themselves. 

 

The Captain came on the speakers late, almost near 1pm, but with the dining room noise, we could not hear much of what he said.  He did say we were more than halfway to San Diego and about parallel to the Hawaiian Islands.   The sea swells were expected to increase and there was a chance of rain in the upcoming days.  Not exactly what we wanted to hear.  It does make packing more difficult when bouncing off of the cabin walls, but it has to be done.

 

We still had some shipboard credit to spend or lose it, so we went to the Shops and easily found a very nice watch to purchase.   The salespeople were much busier than we thought they would be, but then we only have three full days left to tie up loose ends.  We'll have to check out the other stores tomorrow to spend the remainder of the credit.  The cashable portion of our account will be credited back to an account we chose with the help of an email to come when we get home we understand.  That is a first for us as it has always been available in cash.  No more. 

 

Hoping for a sunset, we were disappointed since there was a splotch of orange on the horizon, but nothing more.  It just got dark.   

 

After cocktails, we headed for dinner at 7:30pm.  Once again, there were some different items on the menu.  We had starters of shrimp cocktail, one skewered almost warm chicken tender, and a bowl of savory chicken noodle soup.  Mains were the same – pork chops with garlic mashed potatoes and some broccoli.  Dessert was one slice of strawberry meringue cake with nuts, and one scoop of Neapolitan ice cream.   Stuffed again.

 

The entertainer of the evening was a comedian named Andrew Grose with An Idiots Guide to Marriage.  If you're in one, want to be in one, or wondering what went wrong with the last one….you need to see this show.   Top Gun was the Wajang movie at 8:30pm. 

 

The clocks went forward one hour this evening putting us on Pacific time now.    

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

No Pictures

Report #73 Friday, November 14, 2025 Sea Day #2 Of 6 Enroute To San Diego, California, USA----Crossing The Equator Day----Partly Cloudy, 79 Degrees, 78% Humidity, 16mph Winds, 8'-10' Swell---Casual Dress

Day two at sea began much the same as day one at sea.  The temperature might have reached 79 degrees with 78% humidity, but the winds of 15.4 mph helped cool the air off.   The skies were mostly overcast, and the sea swells were significant, although the Captain did not mention the wave height.  He is maintaining a speed of 17 knots which might contribute to the excess spray we are getting on the portside of the ship.  Our veranda remained damp all day and is getting salt-crusted. 

 

Our special breakfast mornings are coming to an end soon, and we will really miss being spoiled every day.  We have not missed a single day ever since we boarded back in early September. 

 

Our buddy Nancy stopped by to share info on the upcoming Mariner Recognition Event that will take place tomorrow.  Yesterday, we did receive an invitation in appreciation of our loyalty as President's Club members.  The ceremony will be held in the World Stage, deck 4, at 11:30am using the portside entrance.    We found it odd that there was no mention of a lunch to follow.  Truth be told, we are not big fans of the lunch , so it would not make a difference to us if there was none.  When we were on the 7 day Alaska cruises, there were no guests getting medallions, so there was no ceremony at all.  Then when this legendary voyage began, a Dutch couple got inducted into the club, and we did attend the pinning which was held for 11 of us in the Crow's Nest.  Short and sweet.  A dinner for the group was held in the back room of the Pinnacle Grill at 5pm, but at the time, one of us was not feeling well, and we did not attend.   So much for parties…..

 

Today was a good one for photo work….like over 1000 pictures to sort and choose.  It would take the better part of the day, and the reports will be arriving soon.  It was a good time to research another Polynesian subject and that is the art of the Dance.    Tahitian dance to be exact.  As soon as they can walk, the kids of Polynesia learn to dance.   It is in their blood and will use any excuse to express themselves.  There are hundreds of dance schools with students of all ages.  It is a celebration of their culture, power, pride and ways to express love and war. 

 

In July every year, the Heiva i Tahiti, is a festival in Tahiti that brings hundreds of dancers and musicians together for a parade with an explosion of color, music, and dance.  Locals will wear magnificent costumes decorated with flowers, feathers, and even pearls.  High energy singing, dancing, and percussion with drumming makes it a wonderful and significant event.  Even the tourists are invited to join in the fun parade we heard.    Well worth seeing if you are ever visiting in the month of July. 

 

It also took part of the morning to begin packing some of the little stuff in the hanging shoe bag and sorting through used prescription bottles and the like.  It is starting to look better with some of the things that we have used and containers we no longer need.   Perhaps we will not have overweight luggage after all.    

 

The Captain came on the speakers with his daily update, informing us that we did cross the Equator last night during the wee hours.  We are now sailing in the North Pacific.  We are currently in the middle of nowhere far off of the coast of Mexico and a tiny island occupied by a handful of Mexican soldiers.  We have traveled 840 nautical miles from Nuku Hiva and have another 1984 nautical miles to reach San Diego.   He is keeping our speed between 18 and 20 knots to put us ahead of schedule a bit.  He claims the waves are 6 – 7 feet, but it feels like much higher than that.  Walking the promenade deck this afternoon was not so easy as the ship was rocking and rolling.  One side is wet, and the other dry.  Fewer people were using the teak lounges. 

 

The usual suspects were the activities today, although they are getting heavier in the promotions.  There was a "swim the Equator" event at the Seaview Pool and we are sure there were some participants.  There was a lecture by Dr. Beeman at 2pm all about how humans arrived in the South Pacific, but we have already briefly covered that subject.   Trivia remains the most popular activity onboard we think.   

 

There was a different type of menu this evening with it titled Chef's Menu.  Not the Culinary Menu they used to have, just different items.   For starters, we had two types of salad, one crab patty and a bowl of minestrone soup.  It was tasty, but not exactly the type of minestrone that comes thicker with macaroni.  Mains were one halibut dish and a 16 ounce? ribeye steak.  Had to try it but also knew it would not be the same as what they serve in the Pinnacle Grill.  Regie our waiter said as much.  This steak was half the thickness, still tender and covered with gravy, which was actually good.  The ones they serve in the Pinnacle are enough for the two of us. Desserts were one lemon tart and a few slices of fresh pineapple, like that is different. 

 

There was a choice of a movie, Gladiator II in the Wajang at 8:30pm or the show in the World Stage with Jocelyn Ng with her electric violin playing rock and modern hits, promising a thrilling finale.   And so much for day two at sea. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

No Pictures

Report #72 Thursday November 13, 2025 Sea Day #1 Of 6---Enroute To San Diego California, United States--Partly Sunny 77 Degrees, 77% Humidity, 12' Swell--Rough-----Casual Dress---Orange Day

Day one at sea has found the temperatures to still be in the high 70's and a 77% humidity.  The winds in the morning were 17.2 mph, but we believe that they increased a lot during the course of the day.  The Captain is maintaining a speed of 20 knots, so we are experiencing some rocking and rolling.  That would increase as the day wore on.

 

Today was dubbed "Orange Day" with a splash of orange for the dinner theme.  This is the first orange event of this 56 day cruise, but we did have one evening the same as this on every Alaska 7 day run we did in September.  Gosh that seems like ages ago.

 

The Pinnacle Grill had few customers this morning since we think people have chosen to sleep later.  With so many warm and humid ports in a row, the guests have become exhausted.  At least speaking for ourselves, we sure needed some days at sea to "re-boot".  Now we have them….six full days to recharge the battery to relax before beginning the packing.  Not ready to tackle that quite yet.

 

One of us worked on two days' worth of photos and catching up on news.   Then while one of us was completing yesterday's report, the other took a promenade deck walk for an hour.  He came back  with stories of up to 20 foot sea swells,  a mist from the wave sprays that soaked the portside deck, and very strong winds making walking difficult.  Only the starboard side of the promenade was usable since it stayed dry.  I was more than happy to be busy in the room instead, although the exercise would have been good for me.  When the ship has so much motion like today, walking on the promenade deck really tweaks the hips, knees and ankles.  So why bring on more pain I say? 

 

We had room service for lunch, keeping it light with mini-sliders, a little bit of coleslaw and a shared plate of French fries.  Watermelon strips were enough for the sweet tooth.  We had to save ourselves for a Pinnacle Grill dinner this evening at 8pm. 

 

We had a call from the front desk reminding us to pick up our passports.   That's funny, since we did not see that printed in today's newsletter.  Nor did we hear it announced that they were being hand back to us on every elevator landing midship.   It only took a minute to retrieve them, handing back the receipt we got when turned them in before we reached French Polynesia.  Then on the way back, I returned seven books to the library.  The exchange section had several donations,, but there was already one lady who had her eye on what I left on the shelf.  I still have 5 more to read.  

 

Anyway, this is a good time to do some pearl info.  Known worldwide as "black  pearls", they're known as Tahiti Cultured Pearls and come from the remote lagoons in Polynesia.  The black-lipped oysters also called Pinctada Margaritifera cumingi  are the ones used in the pearl farms of the Tuamotu and Gambier archipelagos.  Did you know that if you opened as many as 15,000 oysters, you may find one natural pearl?   Actually it was the shell of this oyster that was in demand in Europe to use for button-making.   These real pearl  gems were so rare they were the Pearl of Queens and the Queen of Pearls.  

 

This industry is really fairly new since the first culturing began in 1961 in the Bora Bora lagoons.  With the Japanese techniques of grafting (seeding), it took two years for the first successful harvest.  The farms were set up in remote areas of the atolls where the care was long and fragile.  These gems were recognized by the proper institutes and jewelry confederation earning them an international reputation.  The cultured pearls are gauged by the diversity of size, shape, surface quality and their colors, which range from pale grey to black with other shades of green, dark grey, turquoise and eggplant.  These are said to be the most desired, although it is up to the beholder…..you the buyer. 

 

The pearls must display a continuous pearly layer of 80% of the surface and cannot show the underlying nucleus.  If they do not qualify, they are considered "rejects" and cannot be sold.  However, the pearls we always see being sold at the Marketplace in Tahiti certainly can be of the lesser quality because they sell for much less than at a jewelry boutique.   The size is measured by its diameter and is about 8 to 12 mm.  The shapes can be round, semi-round, semi baroque, and circled.  The quality is judged by the luster and ability too reflect light.  You will know the difference when you see them in good light.  Category A is the most desired and expensive, followed by B, C, and D, the pearls without that luster.  Common shades are green, grey, black, blue, golden, silver and purple, while the most desired are eggplant, rainbow, and green shades as we stated.  Once again, that's the story in a nutshell. 

 

We had hopes for a nice sunset, but there were few clouds on the horizon and very few in the skies.  The sunset fizzled at 6:30pm.   Dinner like we said was in the Pinnacle Grill at 8pm.  Now that we are in the final week of the cruise, we expected it to be crowded.   To our surprise, it was not crowded at all.  Arsa mentioned that due to the rough seas, he had as many as 9 cancellations with seasick people.  Like we said, it got worse as the evening went on, making walking anywhere more difficult.  It did not affect our meal at all.  We both ordered the wedge salads with the small taco appetizer.  The pieces of glazed BBQ chicken in these small tacos is simply delicious and we are liking them as much as the clothesline bacon.  They are listed on the Polynesia side of the menu, so we suspect they will remain as long as the ship continues to go back to the Hawaiian Islands. 

 

Our mains were lamb chops and the small filet mignon.  Sides of a half potato with toppings and a shared bowl of sauteed mushrooms was plenty for us.  We saved room for a shared order of Baked Alaska.  We sure have enjoyed our tie spent in here, and will miss it when we go home.

 

There was the Orange Party in the Lido poolside at 9pm as well as a show with Nathan Samuelson playing the trumpet.   We could hear the start of his show at 8pm, then once again as we left the restaurant at 9:30pm.   As for us, we rocked and rolled our way to our room hoping tomorrow's seas will be better.

 

Bill & Mary Ann 

 

24 Pictures

Report #71 Wednesday, November 12, 2025 Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, Marquesas, French Polynesia 8am-4:30pm Anchored And Tendering--Broken Clouds, 79 Degrees,16mph Winds, 75% Humidity----Casual Dress

Well our final port of the Tales of the South Pacific was today with Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, Marquesas, French Polynesia.  There are 12 islands in this archipelago, but only 6 of them are inhabited and are spread over a distance of 350 kilometers.  There are limited exchanges between the islands, so each one has its own personality, customs, and even language.  Nuku Hiva is the largest island with 330 square kilometers.  Arriving by ship like us, the scenery coming into Taiohae, the administrative capital, is described as stunning.  We agree since we have been lucky enough to have visited here many times over the years.  In fact, the Marquesas Archipelago was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as recently as July 2024.

 

The Zaandam approached the island, but it was shrouded with a sea haze at about 6:30am.  As we got closer to the Taiohae Bay, the haze lifted enough to get some pictures of white terns and the ever-elusive white-tailed tropic birds, which we never seen here before.  They were quite a distance away, but we knew what they were by the length of the tails.  There were some frigates overhead and a few noddies as well.  The ship dropped the anchor at 7:30am, and proceeded to lower tenders to be ready at 8am.   

 

In a nutshell, Polynesia was populated with successive waves of Southeast Asian migrants beginning 30,000 years ago.  Incredible knowing that they found their way by navigating the stars.  These islands here were the first to be settled.  For 300 years they remained cut off from the rest of the world until the Europeans arrived.  Wallis was the first to set foot in  Tahiti, followed by Captains Cook, Bligh, and Bougainville.  Then the missionaries came to evangelize the population.  Eventually France imposed her protectorate in 1842, annexing the kingdom to the French State in 1880.  Nuclear testing by the French took place during the 1960's and later was banned.  The government changed hands several times over, leaving the independence party in charge since 2023.  There was a significant slump in their economy after Covid but has since recovered nicely.  

 

There was one excursion here with 2 different times.  It was a scenic drive of Taipivai Valley for 3 hours and $140 with a refreshment but also advised to bring your own water.  Sometimes the locals will offer a similar drive, but we seem to remember it costing $50 per person back then. 

 

The tender ticket folks were being called off the ship when we were still at breakfast.  We are not sure that a lot of things would be opened that early, but this would be the last place for the guests to get free wifi.  It has come to our attention that a whole lot of people did not purchase the ship's internet plans.  They are expensive, but that is one thing we do not mind buying with our shipboard credit.  Now that Starlink is involved, the internet is so much better than it used to be in this part of the world.  

 

We waited like we always do until around 10am before heading down to deck A and the tender boat platform.  It just so happened that leaving when we did, we ran into the most exciting event of the day.  Once off of the boat, we headed for the pier where we saw some guests looking in the water and using their cell phones to take pictures.  That could only mean one thing…….  they were seeing sharks.   We bypassed the island singers, drummers,  and "haka" dancers to find a fisherman was feeding these large black-tip reef sharks scraps of fish.  We counted at least five or six of them as they surfaced quickly to snatch the food and go back into the murky waters.   A few years ago when we were with friends Denise and Howie, we watched as another local fellow attached a huge fish head to a rope, then threw it in the deep water off this pier.  It took a couple of them to hold onto that rope when the sharks hit the head, trying to get away with it.  Now we know why no one swims here.  Yikes.

 

As we walked towards the road, we saw even more sharks swimming around the tender boat and near the shallow sandy beach close by.  As long as there was bait in the waters, these sharks will not leave, which tells us that the fishermen feed them scraps every day.  It was purely the luck of the draw we came over when we did. 

 

The usual tropical produce was set up on tables under a roof as well as some island seashell jewelry.   The entrance to their info center had been closed off due to work being done on the building's roof.  However, we were still able to pick up one of their excellent maps with lots of helpful information in it.  I will be saving these maps as in the future who knows if they will still be printed?

 

As always we walked the road on our way to the church.  The temperature today was 79 degrees with 75% humidity.  The winds were 16.6 mph and there were some sprinkles when the ship was anchoring at 7am.   For the rest of the day, there were broken clouds, sun, and humid heat.  The Notre Dame Cathedral was located about 1 mile from the tender landing and up a side street.  It was very Marquesan and partly European in its design.  Two tall steeples flank the arched opening, both leaning now with the ravages of time.   Inside the church are stained glass windows, beautifully crafted wooden carvings, and local stone.   It is said that the wood from all of the Marquesan Islands has been used inside this iconic cathedral.  It is surrounded by tropical scenery, an elementary school and a small outdoor chapel, making it the pride and joy of the islanders.   And it is a great place to cool off in the shade of the mature mango and breadfruit trees reminding us how much we like it here. 

 

We came upon Tohua Temehea, an ancient ceremonial site with more stone tikis and statues with a covered shelter and restrooms.  This area has been restored over the last couple of years where it appears some activities and events take place. There is a nice building where we saw some locals coming outside with covered containers of food.  We reached the old Paahatea cemetery which we found in terrible condition.  The fencing of concrete pillars were cracking apart and fallen over in a heap.  The monument in tribute to Herman Melville is no longer there, also having deteriorated over the years.   Hopefully the locals will find the money  and time to restore this area and the monument. Anyone who has taken the time to read Melville's Typee will have a better understanding of what life was like centuries ago. 

 

Eventually the road ended along the shoreline.  There is a stretch of beach where the locals come on weekends to have BBQ's and swim.  More eating than swimming we recall.   It is not unusual to see a few Marquesan horses tethered nearby and around this area because there are more shade trees here.  Today there was little activity because it was a weekday. By taking the last right-hand turn, we hiked up the steep dirt road to the Nuku Hiva Pearl Resort perched on the side of the hill.   We were happy to see some of our buddies up there  and not the crazy scene we saw in Fakarava.  The difference today may have been this venue was not printed on the ship's map, and most of the passengers would not care to walk this far.   With few, if any, taxis, access was not easy.  That was fine with us because we had no problem getting a good table for two on the patio under the trees.  Paradise does not come cheap in this part of the world, as we well remembered.  We enjoyed a very expensive French Polynesian lunch.  Even with sharing the food, not sharing the five Hinano beers, was over $84 USD.  We had the ham and cheese bagel with a fried egg and a basket of French fries.  Two delicious hot fresh rolls with butter from France were served with our beers .  Then we added a dessert of chocolate volcano cake with one scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream.  It came decorated with a tiny deep blue flower as it always has.  And we could have used their infinity pool , as some guests did, but the view with the pleasant breeze was good enough for us.  One thing for sure is that they never rush you here and we appreciated that. 

 

We left the resort after 2pm and walked the deserted beach half of the way back.  A few more couples were headed to the resort, but they would only have time for drinks if they wanted to make it back to the ship on time.  All aboard was 4:30pm.  We passed by the Monument of the Dead, a tribute to fallen soldiers with more stone sculptures some of which reminded us of Easter Island moais.  The Tiki Tuhiva, a newer statue celebrating Marquesan culture came into view as we hiked back along the beach. 

 

Checking out the souvenir tables, we saw nothing that caught our eye, so we came home without any treasures.  This time we left just our footprints in the sand.  Then as we neared the ship's drink tents, we saw three more sharks right along and under the tender boat.  Gosh, this was our lucky day for shark-sightings.  The security guys had to remind everyone that the show was over and we needed to board the boat.  We did stay long enough to drink some ice-cold water and lemonade before heading back for the short ride. 

 

The Captain came on with his update talk after 4:30pm saying the boats would be loaded back and the anchor lifted.  We had a long way to go to San Diego, which we could not catch the distance since he talked very fast as he always does.   He said we would be doing between 18 to 20 knots for the first three days at sea, then taper off the last three.  He did not mention that the ship would be rocking and rolling due to some high swells and winds.   The temperature should remain around 80 degrees and the clocks would go forward that ½ hour this evening. 

 

Sailing around the east coast of this island made us realize how big it is.  We got to see the cliffs of Belvedere lookout and the bay that went into the Taipvai Valley where Melville's story was about.   Then we swung north east for the long haul back to San Diego, which will take six sea days.   

 

Dinner was more Mexican tonight.   We both ordered the tostada, which was very good, although only one of the plates was warm.   Go figure?  One shrimp cocktail flooded with a spicy dressing and one mixed salad were also starters.   One of us ordered the enchilada which was filled with pulled lamb for a change.  Extra salsa was needed since the enchilada was on the dry side along with the rice.  Could have asked for more shredded cheese, sour cream and guacamole, which we will remember if they serve it again.   The other entrée was the pork belly from the Club Orange menu.  It looked a lot better than the enchilada.  Desserts were one scoop of vanilla ice cream and the always pleasant pineapple chunks.

 

We slept really good last night with the ship's motion and all the walking we did.  Only one thing woke one of us up and that was dreaming of those sharks.  Riveting to say the least.  Looking forward to relaxing days at sea to catch up on our escapades.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

611 Pictures

Report #70 Tuesday, November 11, 2025--Veterans Day--Sea Day Enroute To Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, Marquesas, French Polynesia Partly Cloudy--79 Degrees--12mpn Winds--71% Humidity-----Dressy Night

First and foremost……Happy Veteran's Day and Remembrance Day

 

And to honor this special day, there was a commemorative service held in the World Stage at 10:45am followed by a request from the Captain for two minutes of silence.   Amen.

 

We woke up to mostly blue skies and a few scattered clouds for a change.  The high of the day would be 79 degrees with 71% humidity.  The winds were 12mph which helped cool the breeze off compared to the last two days we spent in the Tuamotus.    We enjoyed another nice breakfast where we heard from Violet about two shark attacks that occurred yesterday.  One of the ones bitten happened to be Santi who said she was nipped on her toe.  Lucky she still has that toe.   Violet was lucky to escape unscathed, but that wasn't the case for one of the Effy salesgirls who had a very nasty bite on her calf we heard.   We have done our share of snorkel tours where you swim with the black-tip reef sharks or the much larger lemon sharks.   Then you realize that you are not in your element, but in the shark's domain.  Anything can happen at any given time, no matter how much you are told "they don't bite".  The two nurse shark attacks that we heard about yesterday was proof enough for us.   Taking the photos from the sliver of beach was just fine and dandy with us.

 

This morning was also a good time for a haircut, and they were not too busy.  Came out nice I may say. 

 

Before we arrive to the last archipelago of the Marquesas,  we figured it was a good time to explain a little more about the art of tattooing, as it was and still is part of their ancient culture.  Going back in time, tattooing would show the social status of the person as well as their life story.   Each and every person in the Marquesas, even the women, sport tattoos of some sort.  As in today's culture, it is a way to distinguish yourself from each other.  Their bodies were their canvas so to speak.

 

Then came the missionaries and eventually the practice was banned for over 150 years.  In time, these designs became fashionable worldwide and it is not usual to see many people sporting a tattoo or two no matter what age you happen to be.  Warning:  be careful of the design you chose since they are permanent and can last a lifetime. 

 

There was a lecture at 9am with Dr. William Beeman about Captain David Porter, the War of 1812, and the battle of Nuku Hiva.  All of the port talks have already been recorded, so if you needed to catch up on Nuku Hiva, it is there on your TV.   There is one tour there, repeated a couple of times during the day and there is still space available.  And there is still time to do a behind the scenes tour of the ship's restricted areas for $179 per person.    Never thought we would see the day when there were charges to do this.  Up to recently, we have seen the behind-the-scenes tour one department at a time for free. 

 

It is not too late to make a visit to the future cruise consultant and book something in the future.  No strings attached and you will not lose your deposit if you chose to cancel it.  We believe it stays on your account for future use.  And Crawford Lyons presented a six-string shredder, which we do not have a clue as to what that is about.   Origami folding, watercolors, golf putting and pickle ball games were there for the doing.  Beer tasting for $15 sounded better.

 

We kept busy working on photos for last two ports we just visited.  Another book was read, and we had Lido sandwiches in our room around 3pm.  All in all, a most pleasant day for relaxing on the veranda with a nice breeze. 

 

The Captain came on with his noon talk and spoke more about Veteran's Day and his appreciation for the support shown by many guests.  He said we were already halfway to Nuku Hiva having gone 270 nautical miles since yesterday at a speed of 15 knots.  We have an additional 277 nautical miles to go to reach Taiohae, Nuku Hiva tomorrow morning very early.   The sail in is not to be missed.  This evening, he expected 20mph winds decreasing to 10 to15mph tomorrow.  The temperature should be around 79 degrees with partly cloudy skies and a chance of sprinkles.  Sounds good to us.

 

Dinner was Gala tonight with the special Gala menu.   Starters were one serving of a seafood cocktail and one bowl of hot chicken noodle soup.  The "doctored up" version that Regie brings has been excellent.  We had two different salads with fresh lettuce, then the entrees for both of us were the lamb chops.  One came with a baked potato and toppings, while one of us had the rice pilaf with sliced zucchini.   Gravy on the side thank you.  The chops were on the small side, so Regie gave us three instead of two.  Dessert was one Lindt chocolate syrup sundae with vanilla ice cream….hold the marshmallows.  One of us had some sweet fresh slices of pineapple.   So refreshing. 

 

A mentalist was the performer tonight with mind-blowing feats.  And our last port will be tomorrow in Nuku Hiva – a place we really like to visit.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

39 Pictures

Report #69 Monday, November 10, 2025 Fakarava, Tuamotu, French Polynesia---Anchored And Tendering To Shore--8am-4:30pm--Cloudy With Showers--79 Degrees, 11mph Wind, 76% Humidity---Casual Dress

Today's port of call was similar to yesterday's stop at Rangiroa.  Only smaller.  Fakarava, formerly called Havaiki, is another atoll in the Tuamotu group, and used to be the capital of this archipelago until it was moved to Rangiroa.  It is a mecca for divers since this atoll is classified as a Natural Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, a distinction given to 6 other atolls in this area.  There are 845 residents and the main village is Rotoava, the closest to the Garuae Pass in the north part of the atoll.  Actually, this pass is the largest one in all of French Polynesia with an opening of 1 mile from tip to tip.   The Zaandam entered through this northern pass before 7am and dropped anchor outside of Rotoava.  

 

The lagoon surface is 1121 square kilometers, and the dry land is 16 square miles….typical numbers for a coral atoll, although Fakarava is the second largest atoll in Polynesia.  The other  village of Tetamanu,  is located at the southern pass and it is called Tamakohua.   There are numerous pearl farms, which we cannot see for the size of the lagoon is massive.  And there are also wild atolls,  desert beaches with pink and white sands, and grey and nurse sharks as well as groupers that come here in July to reproduce. 

 

We have visited this remote atoll many times over the years, but today's experience was different since way too many guests and crew have learned about the better places to eat and drink, thanks mostly to the ship's printed map.   We left the ship by 10am, to find we had a 30-minute wait for the next tender boat.  Why, we do not know other than they had problems bringing returning guests back onboard.  The ride over was short and easy.  The temperature was 79 degrees, with 76% humidity with 11.2 mph winds and a chance of light rain.  Hope they are on target with the rain, since we had already seen a couple of nice rainbows and heavy-looking showers on the horizon.  On a past stop here, we had a massive thunder and lightning storm followed by hurricane-style rains and winds that left us soaked to the bone.  For that reason, we packed the umbrellas today, but never really needed them.….of course.  We do bring water, however, and usually drink it a sip at a time just to keep hydrated.    Very important. 

 

We started our walk by turning right passing the primary school, village buildings, and a few eateries that would not open until later.   There were a couple of souvenir sheds at the tender landing, but we chose to bypass them this time.  Too many people were already crowded in them.  We remember bikes were for rent here as well, and the price was $50 for the day.  We have seen so many people fall from these bikes, losing control on the concrete roads with a lot of sharp coral in them.  One elderly lady was cut up so badly, they had to wrap her arms and legs with beach towels a few years ago before taking her back to the ship.      Better to walk here or stay on the ship. 

 

There was one mini-market, a gas station, and home after home on the lagoon waterside as well as across the road..   A few boutiques were here and there, and several dive shops that offered scuba or snorkeling.  There were no ship excursions, but we do know some Cruise Critic groups pre-arranged some private tours here.  Along the way, we kept an eye out for the nurse sharks that can be up to 6 feet long.  They patrol very close to the shoreline in shallow lagoon waters.  We have been told they are harmless, but the words "shark" and "harmless" do not go together.  These creatures will slither over the dark coral rocks, and you cannot see them until they move.  In shallow water, their fins barely break the surface of the waters.    Today we spotted at least five of them in the mile walk we took along the sandy shores.  These are wild sharks and the swimmers in the water assume they are OK with them.  We had heard from a very reliable source a few years back, that a lady had been bitten by one that sunk its teeth into her chest and would not let go.  They had to take her and the shark to a clinic to have it surgically removed.  Good grief, what were they thinking.  And what were the people thinking today with these sharks lurking in the shallows???  We would hear more stories later this evening about these "tame" sharks.  We are quite happy to take photos from the beachfront, thank you.

 

We continued on to the Catholic Church built with coral blocks in 1874.  You could call it the seashell church since everything inside has shells in it such as the lights, the walls, and the ceiling.   Speaking of the ceiling, it is a medium shade of blue giving it much cooler feel about it.  Heavenly you could say.   Some local ladies were selling seashell jewelry naturally and also bottles of water.  In the back of the church is a large cemetery that we always visit.  Many of the dates on the well-worn headstones showed that people did not live long here. 

 

The beach seekers were less and less down this way, and eventually there were only a few left down this far end.   We continued on the concrete road, where it turned, but we went straight on the dirt road.  That path eventually led to the Havaiki Pearl Lodge with beach bungalows and a lovely dining room and bar that only opened for dinner.   The Snack Le Requin, more or less a fast-food shack, is located on the same property.  There is a large open-sided palapa with several tables where you can watch people sitting at sunken tables and benches in the shallow water.  But there was a huge problem today.  There were too many customers and not enough cooks to cook for the crowd in a timely manner.  We had arrived at noontime, which was not the best time to get here.  There were no available tables, even though some folks chose to eat then leave their things on the chairs to save them.  Not nice people.  Very inconsiderate. 

 

The way it works here is you line up to place your order, pay for it, then wait until they bring it to the counter.  There were at least 10 folks in line and it was not moving fast at all.  Taking some photos of the in-the-water tables, we spotted our buddies Rosie and Randy with their lady dinner mates.  They had arrived early enough to get the best table at the end of the covered patio with a good breeze and view.   Rosie kindly offered to share their table with us, but we said thanks, we would be moving on.  A gal that worked there offered to set up a table and chairs for two, so we said that would be nice.   But when one of us waited for 20 minutes to order, and the line was moving at a snail's pace, we decided to leave.  It's not like we would be going hungry, but beer would have been nice.  Some of the aromas drifting from the kitchen were not the best…very fishy.

 

Oh well, we backtracked like many other folks were doing and saw even more sharks making their way along the shoreline.  Our cute waitresses from the Pinnacle Grill happened to be on one of those beaches.  Santi was relaxing on the narrow sandy beach, while Violet was out in deeper water with some other waiter friends. Just as we waved at her, they freaked out and screamed then started heading back to the shore very quickly.  They had spotted the 6-foot nurse shark making its way towards them and hurried to get out of its way.  Maybe that was not the best idea, as it seems to excite these creatures.  We will have fun teasing her tomorrow at breakfast and sharing a story of a horrible attack a few years back. 

 

There was one more possible restaurant/bar closer to the pier landing called Hirinaki Lounge and Restaurant. It was opened when we passed it earlier, so we decided to check it out.  Nope, it was packed with hungry and thirsty folks who took every seat in the place.  So it was back to the ship for us with a quick and easy tenderboat ride at around 2pm.    We ordered room service mini sliders with a side of coleslaw and a plate of hot French fries to share.  By the way, the room service fries are the same as the Dive-In fries, but not all stuck together.   It was a perfect lunch and way better than the food at the shack in the village.  With so many people going there, the beer would not be cold anyway.  Our sodas in the refrigerator were ice cold, better than warm bottles of beer any day.

 

We cooled off doing computer work and reading until the all aboard time of 4:30pm, when the Captain came on with his update talk.  He said we had 548 nautical miles to reach Nuku Hiva in the Marqueses  and will have a sea day tomorrow….thank goodness, we all need one. He expected winds of 25 to 20 knots with temps in the 80's tomorrow.  And the clocks will go forward ½ hour tonight to put us on the correct time for Nuku Hiva.   There were showers everywhere on the horizon and another rainbow to see before we left going through the same pass we had entered in the morning.   The sunset was a "fizzle"….way too many clouds.

 

Dinnertime had some better choices this evening in the dining room.   Our waiters and head waiter Liberty promised the best Caesar salads ever, apologizing again for the unacceptable salads we had last night.  After starters of a halibut patty and a veal tataki, the salads did look way better.  We both ordered the prime rib, which was very good.  Dessert was a slice of carrot cake with a cream cheese frosting. 

 

Before we left the dining room, Zhandy, the Pinnacle Grill assistant manager appeared and relayed a story of people getting bitten by those sharks today.   One of them was waitress Santi, who was nipped slightly, but one of the lady Effy employees had a bad bite on her calf.  What part of " wild sharks" did they not understand?  An experience like that will stay with them forever and the scars will be a reminder.

 

The entertainer of the evening was a comedian by the name of Andrew Grose with a hilarious show of male versus female psyche.  The movie "Erin Brockovich" was shown in the Wajang Theater…another oldie but goodie. 

 

Looking forward to a relaxing day at sea and perhaps an overdue haircut.

 

Bill & Mary Ann  

 

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Report #68 Sunday, November 9, 2025 Avatoru, Rangiroa, French Polynesia 8am-4:30pm Anchored Using Ships Tenders Sunny And Hot--82 Degrees--12mph Winds--72% Humidity-----Casual Dress

Today we were exploring a different archipelago of French Polynesia and that was the Tuamotus with a total population of 16,880 residents living on 80 atolls.  This area is 775 square kilometers in 20,000 square kilometers of water surface.  Just a reminder, an atoll is a ring of coral that surrounds a lagoon in the center.   It can be compared to a broken string of pearls, since the coral may not be connected all the way around.  Rangiroa's coral ring is 142 miles around, and some of it is only accessed by boat.  Rangiroa is the largest atoll here, the second largest in the world, with 2 main villages at Avatoru and Tiputa.  A total of 2710 people live here.  Both villages are located with wide passes from the ocean to the lagoon. 

 

The most luxurious black pearls come from 98% of the pearl farms located here. This area is famous for its amazing dives where you can see grey and hammerhead sharks, manta rays, turtles, napoleons, and dolphins.  Also not to be missed are the pink sands, Reef Island, Blue Lagoon and the reef Aquarium.   There were a few tours here that were repeated two or three times during the day.  One was a glass bottom boat ride for 1 hour and $89.  There was a drive to the Gauguin Pearl Farm for 1 ½ hours and $30.  Then there was a snorkel of the Aquarium at the Tiputa Pass for 1 hour and $110.   We have been to the pearl farm the first time we walked this part of the atoll and did see how the special oysters were "seeded" and cultivated until they become ready to harvest.  Very interesting to learn the process and understanding why they cost so much.  Besides the water activities, you can also get unique tattoos here. 

 

The Zaandam was at the opening to the Rangiroa atoll at 6:45am where we entered the lagoon at Tiputa Passe.  We watched for possible dolphin sightings, but there were none today.  It is written that this massive lagoon with 50 shades of blue and green waters is so big that the entire island of Tahiti can fit inside of it.   Impressive. 

 

We left the ship at 10am, right before open tenders were announced.  We had been concerned about the tender drop-off point, which could have been on the Tiputa side where you cannot access the other side without taking a water taxi.   This occurred a few times when another ship was anchored here.  Today we were the only cruise ship here, so we got to tender to the "right" side.  What we did not know was that since we were here last, maybe five or six years ago, a brand new tender landing had been built in the back of the Kia Ora Resort and Spa.   What a major improvement.  And we also noticed there were a larger number of new over-the-water- bungalows on the same property.  Things must be looking up for tourism here.  By dropping us off here, it saved walking an extra mile or more. The temperature was already 81 degrees with the humidity at 72 %.  A nice breeze of 11.5 mph was much appreciated. 

 

The Zaandam's shade and drink tents were set up as were a few tented tables of island souvenirs.   We think we have about all of the seashell creations we need like forever.    Many guests came over this far to swim and snorkel from a sandy beach here near the hotel.  We took a left turn following the dirt road back out to the island's main road.    Directly across this road was the Pacific Ocean side with a shallow reef separating the waves from the coral beds.  Lots of cruise guests were there already in that water and walking the coral-laden beach.  You definitely needed the correct footwear to walk or swim here.

 

We continued up the concrete road with little shade and four concrete bridges to cross on the way to the airport.  We stopped at every single tree that provided some shade while we passed some older shoreline homes and new ones being built.  No one was working on these homes today because it was Sunday.  We did see some folks from the ship riding bikes that they had rented near the tender pier.   It took us quite a while to arrive at their airport.  By now, it was noontime, and the sun was shining high and hot in the sky.  We knew that if the airport was open, we could cool down and sit for a bit in the open-air terminal.   It was opened and from what we saw, people were waiting for an airplane to land.   This airport is on a 300 meter wide runway called a land tongue.  If there are no flights coming or going, it is locked up.  Just as we got there, a small Air Tahiti airplane landed and the guests debarked, while the new guests boarded.   The ones that got off immediately lit up cigarettes while the new passengers smoked until the final seconds before the flight.   The plane took off as we made our way further down the road. 

 

Our destination was the Hotel MaiTai Rangiroa about a 20-minute hike from the airport depending on how many trees we stopped under.  We arrived to the hotel at 12:30pm and made our way down their driveway to the restaurant on the lagoon's edge.  It was called The Blue Lagoon Restaurant.  Appropriate.  The bartender/waitress greeted us by saying if we were not guests of the hotel, we could not dine there.  OMG, one of us was about to die from the heat and must have looked a fright, because once the waitress saw our disappointment, she changed her mind, and seated us near the opened window with a wonderful breeze.  We told her we have never been turned away as a visiting guest at any MaiTai Hotel around the world, helping her to make an exception.  I swear, I would have laid down on the floor and cried since there are no other places like this nearby.  Even the closest small market was locked down today because it was Sunday. 

 

Little by little, the hotel guests began to appear, some wearing skimpy swimsuits, going into the pool and jacuzzi.  The Hinano beers never tasted so good.  It took a total of five bottles of beer before we felt close to normal again.  We shared a large ham, cheese and tomato panini with a pile of French fries at no extra charge.   Ending the meal with our favorite French dessert of profiteroles was perfect. 

 

Except it was time to move on if we wanted to take our time hiking back.  All aboard and the last tender was 4:30pm,so we estimated that it might take close to 1 ½ hours to walk  back in this heat.  It was already 2pm, and the clock was ticking.  It just so happened that two ladies who had eaten lunch near us, were checking out.  They had arranged for a taxi/van to take them to the nearby airport.  We happened to find their nice lady driver waiting outside the resort.  We asked if we could get a ride back to the pier, and she suggested that we use the same taxi we had to get here.  When we told her we had walked all the way, she seemed shocked and agreed readily to drive us back for $20.  Well worth it to us, we climbed in and were on the way to the airport with the other ladies.  We know we could have done the walk back, but in this heat, we preferred the ride more.  When the ladies got out, they wished us well and actually apologized for the high heat today.  They admitted they did not like it either as they lived in cooler Tahiti and Raiatea.  Then four more people arrived from the last plane that landed, and we were on our way back to the Kia Ora Resort. 

 

We could see a tenderboat pulling alongside, so we went directly to the new wooden pier and rode back sitting across from Cruise Director Clare.   We had a nice conversation all the way back to the ship, all of us saying that we needed to take 20 showers to cool off.  We asked Clare if she had been chosen as the Cruise Director on the 2026 Grand World Voyage, and she said no….it was a rumor that someone started on Facebook or something like that. 

 

In our room by 3pm, we cooled down with sodas and a soak in the jacuzzi tub followed by photo work and report writing. The Captain came on with his daily talk saying that all were onboard and we would be sailing out of the  lagoon by 5pm.  We have 66 nautical miles to reach Fakarava tomorrow by 6:30am and will drop anchor by 7:30am.  It might be a little cooler at 78 degrees with a small chance of rain.  Hmmm, where have we heard that before?  We have been in historical rains in Fakarava, so heavy we have never forgotten it.   Time will tell….There was a  nice sunset which we could see right from our veranda. 

 

Dinner was a mixed bag once again.  The Caesar salads looked really bad with brown romaine lettuce.  It was so covered with dressing, we did not see it right away.  Didn't they just get new deliveries in Papeete?  So we stopped eating them, and showed Liberty, who agreed they were not right, offering to bring us another one.  No we were happy with the chicken soup and pork and seafood spring roll.  One of us ordered the spaghetti all 'Amatriciana with spicy tomato sauce, crisp pancetta and basil with parmesan cheese.  The plate was so hot it could have melted through the table.   However, the alternate chicken dinner was downright cold.   Neither of our waiters were at the station, so we continued to eat the food.  Finally Regie came by and we told him the chicken was cold.  He offered to bring another plate, but we said no.   Then one of the cooks came out of the kitchen to ask about the problem.  She offered to bring another one.  No thanks, but please inform the cook that the meal was not even lukewarm, but cold.  Liberty came by and asked about it as well.  He promised hot food from here on out.  We shall see…..  The dessert was fine with ice cold mint chip ice cream, and one peanut, brownie with vanilla ice cream sundae.  Both cold as they should be.  

 

A violinist by the name of Jocelyn Ng played classical and electric violin, promised to be an unforgettable experience.   Sorry, but it will be forgettable for us since we were really tired from the heat today and needed to retire for the evening.  One more atoll tomorrow……Fakarava.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

368 Pictures