Report #29 Wednesday January 29, 2025 Bahia d Opunohu, Moorea, Tahiti Anchored 8am-5pm Lunar New Year Sunny, Clouds And Showers 85 Degrees------Casual Dress

Our arrival to Opunohu Bay on the island of Moorea was very early, as we did not have that far to go from Tahiti to arrive there.  Only the early riser among us was up to take photos leaving Papeete and sailing into Moorea, mostly in the dark.   During breakfast, we waited to hear that the ship was cleared, but it did not happen.  In fact, that is Kimberly's job, but when a different voice came on the speakers, it was not her….someone had taken her place.  Our guess was that she had left the ship yesterday for an overnight stay in Moorea.  That was confirmed by another guest.  Good for her.

 

What was repeated at least three times was the agriculture warning, then followed by an announcement that it was "open tendering" around 9:30am.   Then we guessed that the excursion groups had been taken off first before it was stated we were cleared by the local authorities.   Pretty sneaky we think?

 

Speaking of tours, they ranged in time from 3 to 5 hours with the pricing from $100 to $180.  Two of them were island drives, while the other three were water-related.  Expensive, but then everything in Polynesia is pricey.   These tours still cannot compare to the ones in Easter Island as far as price is concerned.

 

Moorea is considered Tahiti's little sister with beaches, mountains, water activities, and many excursions.  A mere ferry boat ride here brings you to a whole different version of paradise.  The hustle and bustle of Papeete's traffic and downtown scene does not exist here. There are 37 scenic miles around the entire island of valleys, waterfalls, and interior plantations of bananas, pineapples, and vanilla.   A total of 18,332 people live here, and some of them commute to Papeete to work.  The highest point of this volcanic island is Mount Tohiea at 3959 feet in elevation.  Another mountain, Moua Puta has a hole in the top and is 2722 feet high.  Rotui is located between the two bays – Cook and Opunohu, and is 2949 feet high.    Finally, Moua Roa or Bali Hai is 2887 feet high. 

 

When the ship dropped anchor, the temperature was already near 80 degrees.  The humidity was up there as well.  From what we could see, it was going to be a nice, but very hot day.  We left the ship at 10:30am, taking the umbrellas just in case.  Boarding the tender was not as easy as it usually is here, due to winds that popped up.  There were plenty of helping hands from the crew members once again, and it was very much appreciated.  And the umbrella was a good idea to use for blocking the sun for one of us.

 

Our last visit here was in November, less than two months ago.   We wondered if we would see our elderly lady friend again selling her custom-made seashell jewelry.  Well, after watching the young Tahitian dancers welcoming all of us, we spotted her sitting at her table.  Her face lit up, and she actually got up and came over to us saying "bonjour".  Once again, wish we could speak French.  Of course, we checked out her creations and found a suitable necklace with different colors of shells in it.   She did try to match some earrings to it, but there were none that were even close.  With that, she insisted on a discount on the necklace.  Saying no was not an option.  Maybe next time we will find a match.  We were just happy to see that she is doing so well.  The rest of the pier market was busy with many passengers checking out the treasures.    There was a little bit of everything including fun jewelry, t-shirts, and also higher-priced pearl creations.    Making our way through the crowd of taxi drivers and tour operators, we went up the street to the main drive and turned right.  It was the start of a very hot and long hike about one hour to the Holy Steak House, a proper fine restaurant located above the now closed Intercontinental Hotel and Resort.  

 

There was a problem,  however, when we saw two of the restaurant workers getting into their car and motorcycle.  They told us the restaurant only opens at 5:30pm on weekdays, something we had not considered before coming here.  We must have been here on the weekend last November, because we had lunch at this place.  Oh well, it was a bit further up the main road (about half hour all downhill) to reach another nice venue at Taoahere Beach House.  A couple of years ago, we found this spot located right on the water's edge quite by accident.   If it was not for all of the parked cars and motorbikes outside the walled property, we may have overlooked it. 

 

Anyway, we lucked out in the fact it was opened for lunch Wednesday through Sunday.  We had to laugh because we were not sure what day of the week it actually was.  We had forgotten to study the elevator carpet before leaving the ship – ha-ha!  It was close to 12pm, and there were only a few guests sitting on the patio with a killer view of the lagoon.  But within minutes the entire railing was occupied with families that were probably staying here at the lodge. 

 

We have to mention again that the walk here was very hot with only a hint of a breeze.  Once we were down on the lagoon's edge, the winds were almost powerful.  You had to secure your napkins and glasses so they would  not blow away.  On the other hand, it felt wonderful.  We ordered large draft Hinano beers, starting with the Amber variety.   We had seen pizza advertised on their road sign, but when we inquired about it, we were informed they only cook it on weekends.  Go figure…. Our second best bet was sharing a cheeseburger with fries.  Always a safe back-up.  Many of the other guests had ordered the same thing.  We added a dessert made with a waffle covered with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and drizzled with chocolate sauce.  We really enjoyed watching the tropical fish which swam right up to the decking.  Obviously, people feed them from the patio tables.

 

It was well worth the hike to get here, but we did have a long walk back taking many pictures of course.  Now some rain showers would have been welcomed, but it never happened.  Thanks for the palm trees, breadfruit trees, and tropical mangoes and banana plants, we had enough shady spots to cool down for a few seconds.  And we had thought to buy a bottle of water for the hike back.  In most every port, we have been forbidden to take off food and drinks, except for water.  We don't like the aluminum bottles they sell on the ship because they tend to leak.  All-in-all, we estimate our walk took over 3 hours.

 

The tender landing pier at Papetoai was not as crowded as earlier.  Most of the tour groups were coming back, and there were two boats waiting to load the folks.  Our sweet lady vendor was still selling her treasures and we said our final goodbye, capturing a photo with her.   We were back onboard by 3:30pm and most happy to cool off until sail away time at 5pm.  We are headed for the next and last port of Polynesia at Raiatea tomorrow.

 

Dinner time found the entrance to the dining room decorated for Lunar New Year with Chinese lanterns and the waiters wearing red bowties.  It was a casual night for the rest of us, thank goodness.   The Lido had been turned into a China Town for dinner tonight.  We did have a special menu for the Year of the Snake with some Asian items for a change.  We tried one spring roll, a beef soup, a BBQ pork rib, and one Caesar salad for starters.   Mains were spicy duck and Asian-style chicken called General Tso.  One dessert was shared of a strawberry/chocolate tart.   Totally full…again.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

378 Pictures

Report #28 Tuesday January 28, 2025 Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia Docked Starboard Side To Pier 8am Over Night Till 4:30am On The 29TH Mostly Cloudy With Some Showers 88 Degrees-----Casual Dress

The Zuiderdam arrived to Tahiti, French Polynesia very early this morning under mostly blue skies and calm seas.  Although we have been here many times, it is always a thrill to return. 

 

In a nutshell, French Polynesia consists of 5 archipelagos that span an area of 5.5 million square kilometers.  The combined population of all of the islands and atolls is 292,151 natives with the capital being Papeete, our port of call for today.    The language is French, Polynesian, and some English. 

 

The Society Islands is the largest archipelago with two groups.  They are the Windward Islands of Tahiti, Moorea, Maiao, Tetiaroa, and Mahetia.  The Leeward Islands are Huahine, Raiatea, Tahaa, Maupiti, and Bora Bora considered the Pearl of the Pacific.  Too bad we are not stopping there this time. 

 

The Tuamotu and Gambier archipelagos include low islands and many atolls, rings of coral most with lagoons.  We have visited Rangiroa and Fakarava in the Tuamotus finding them very remote, interesting and serene.  

 

The Australes have five inhabited islands and are located far south of the other groups of islands.  And lastly, the Marquesas have 12 high volcanic islands with no lagoons.  Only six of those islands are inhabited.  The one we often stop at is Nuku Hiva, about as remote as they get.

 

Polynesia has been described as about as dreamy as reality gets.  We agree 100%.  We have never seen waters so blue and aqua-green especially in the lagoons of Bora Bora and Moorea.  The best experience is sharing these waters with fish, dolphins, rays, turtles, coral gardens, and even sharks.  All types of sharks.  What a thrill.

 

So what do the locals eat here?   In a word…..FISH.  It is served grilled, fried, poached, and marinated influenced by the French, Chinese, and Polynesian cuisine.  Add starchy taro and breadfruit with a variety of tropical fruit, and you have a well-rounded meal.   And there is fast food as well like McDonalds and Burger King….the most crowded places we saw today.

 

And so our day began with breakfast as usual, but we had to laugh when we saw that the back entrance had been blocked by chairs.  Very funny, Tina.  We all had no  problem getting to our tables that we like.  And to make it sweeter, they served us Tahiti (Panama) rolls, which we had spotted being served at 6:30am on the bow.  Our nice waiters went and got a trayful for all of us. 

 

We went out on deck three to watch the tour groups and guests getting off to receive beautiful leis from mostly the officers and crew.  This has to be something they pay extra for, because we did not get the fancy leis on the Legendary Tales of the South Pacific last fall.   We were handed a single fragrant flower instead.   Whatever, it was a nice and proper greeting and made for good photos. 

 

We left the ship around 9:30am, walking around the many dropped blossoms all the way to the gate.   The skies were mostly blue, but there was a black cloud coming over the top of the mountains from the east, dropping some light rain.   This is very common and with the temps in the 80's, it actually felt fine.    By the time we crossed the main street to the Marketplace, the shower had stopped. 

 

We took our usual walk which took us past the nice fabric shops.  As much as I like to look, I knew better than to stop.  It was hard, but I did it.  Once I look, I find something I cannot resist.  Anyway, we entered the busy market and saw that it was decorated for the Lunar New Year, which just happens to be tomorrow.  We understand it is the year of the Snake.   Now there was one item that intrigued us and that was Monoi oil, which is made here.  It is a concoction that is made from coconut oil mixed with tiare or gardenia flowers,  sandalwood, vanilla, or coconut and jasmine.  It is used as a hair oil, ointment, sunscreen, and even mosquito repellant.  So we finally bought a small bottle of the tiare one and we will see if it is the miracle it is reported to be.   

 

Then we headed upstairs to check out the island clothing and the many boutiques selling pearl jewelry.  Gosh, it is expensive as is everything in Polynesia.  There are outside tables where the lesser quality of pearls are sold, but they are mostly costume jewelry.  One of our missions was to purchase some fresh flowers, but we would do that on our way back.  Passing by the produce and fish tables, we noticed that for the first time, that all of the fish for sale were covered with clear plastic wrap.   It sure looked much better without the flies that want to land on it. 

 

We headed out the back and towards the Catholic church, which was still closed.  We have always been able to tour it, but not for the last couple of years.  One of the nicest stores is the Hinano Shop where three new t-shirts were purchased.   From there we headed into the gardens of the Assembly, betting permission from the guard at the gate.  It is such a lovely spot with the pond and river running through it.  And not crowded.   Usually there is a display of crafts from the Australes, but only on weekends.   Today it was empty.

 

Crossing over the street, we entered Bougainville Park taking photos of the giant banyan trees and cannons on display there. With one last stop at the marketplace for flowers,  we went back to the ship to stash our treasures.  We spent an hour cooling off and downloading pictures before heading out again at 2pm.  Since we only have one full day here, we had to make it to lunch at our favorite pizza place.    It was a good thing we thought to bring umbrellas, because while waiting at the stop light, we saw lightning, and heard thunder, and it began to really rain.   It always starts lightly, then suddenly, it was a downpour.  It did cool the air off nicely.

 

By the time we reached the restaurant, the rain had slowed down a bit.  We were seated quickly, because there were few diners in there at this time of day.  Of course we ordered two draft beers in super large glasses, then split a Hawaiian pizza, what they call normale -size.  So good. We added a dessert of profiteroles which came in a soup bowl.  Upon seeing the huge dessert, we must have said wow, and attracted some attention from nearby diners.    The young lady came over and had to ask exactly what that dessert was.   After describing it, she said they will have to try that the next time they came in here. 

 

We walked through the Paofai Park, passing the Paofai Church on the way.  This one was also locked up.  We did notice that there were a few homeless-looking people laying in the side entrance ways, which you might see in any big city around the world.  That is probably one reason these doors are locked.   The park was not full of locals today due to the rain we suppose and the fact it was not the weekend.  We were back onboard with a very steep climb up the gangway by 4pm.   The remainder of the afternoon was spent processing pictures and working on reports…our favorite things to do. 

 

Before we knew it, dinnertime had arrived.  There was a Tahiti Roulette Fest in the Lido Poolside, which was a food truck-style feast where they served French Polynesian, Turkish, Mexican and Indian foods.  We checked the Vaite Plaza for the real local food trucks, but only saw a few set up.   It was the dining room for us with the usual starters of shrimp cocktail and Caesar salads.  Mains were one chicken-fried steak  (the comfort food entrée) and one English beef and Yorkshire pudding meal.   Both were very good, served hot without a long wait.  Head waiter Asep came over for a visit, and we caught up on where some of our favorite head waiters are working these days.   He said that after Covid, many of the top head waiters eventually found work in America in the hotel and restaurant industry and never returned to the ships.   Some retired. 

 

There was a special presentation in the World Stage of a local Tahitian folkloric show called Mana – The Spirit of Tahiti.  We saw this same song and dance performance last November, and can say it has not changed one bit.  Very well done and well-attended as well.

 

Tomorrow we will be in Moorea with a sail in time of 5am or so.  Doubt we will see it.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

354 Pictures

Report #27 Monday January 27, 2025 Sea Day #2 Of 2 Enroute To Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia Mostly Cloudy With Some Showers 82 Degrees 6' Swell, Windy With Choppy Seas-----Casual Night

So here we are, another sea day and another hour back on the clock last night.  Thank goodness we are done for a few days now as everyone we know including the crew are showing the results of waking up too early in the morning. 

 

This morning two more dining room waiters showed up to help the growing crowd at the Pinnacle Grill.    They are Carla and Chrestian and seem to be happy to be there.   Even Presty showed up to make sure things were running smoothly.  It is quite possible that some of the diners here have complained about the service, although for us, it has been just fine.  We are seldom in a hurry, especially on sea days.  On port days, people have tours and might be more in a rush to eat and run.  We expect a smaller crowd tomorrow because we will be in Papeete, Tahiti where there are many early excursions.

 

For the second day in a row, we have noticed there is a paragraph on the front page of the newsletter regarding health information.  The message is the same every time reminding us all to wash our hands frequently and use the sanitizer that is here and there around the public areas of the ship.  In addition, if we experience symptoms of illness (gastrointestinal or respiratory) we are to notify the medical staff immediately.  Now we are wondering if there is a reason for this repeated message, like is there a virus spreading around?   We have been very aware of  some passengers and crew coughing and sneezing, and even wearing masks.   The number of reported cases has to reach a certain percentage before it is announced to the rest of us.  We sure hope that is not the case.   In the meantime, we have been washing our hands at least 100 times a day, or so it seems.  Anything it takes to stay healthy is fine with us.

 

Life onboard continued with all of the usual activities.  It was another great day, as the Captain said at noontime.  Too bad we were not able to hear his talk well because the volume has been turned down in the rooms.  He gave the miles left to go to reach Tahiti, which we think was 300 nautical miles.  Then he said we were passing some small islands or possibly atolls on the horizon.  Sure enough, we could see them faintly in the far distance.  Then we began to see some birds such as white terns and possibly a few albatross.  Not many of them, but a few that came from those islands.  They were here for a couple of minutes, then gone just as fast.  We did get a few of photos.

 

The arts and crafts group orange were into their project of the week.  We notice the groups on the way to lunch at 2:30pm.   It seems to be working better with several smaller groups as opposed to the larger group that used to take up half of the Lido.   The salad server knows exactly what we like in our custom salads, and always greets us with a smile.  The same goes for the sandwich maker, and ice cream server.  Although she has run out of the good sugar cones, we hope to see some arrive after we leave Papeete. 

 

The dinner menu always features some locally-themed items.  One of those was the lumpia appetizer and a main of sweet and sour shrimp.  Along with a bowl of tomato soup, it was a satisfying meal.  A shrimp cocktail with aioli sauce, a Caesar salad, and the everyday chicken dinner was plenty for the other one of us.  One shared dessert of a strawberry tart was just right.    We have to mention the two passengers that have appeared a few times at the table for six across from us.  Usually this table is empty.  But for the second time, a couple has been seated there with a menagerie of ten small stuffed animals.  They have lined them up facing their plates, like their own little zoo.  There has to be a reason for this, but we are not ever going to ask.  In the past, we have seen the same thing, but usually only one stuffed animal is used for photos of places they visit.  Never at dinnertime though.  Oh well, whatever floats their boat, right?

 

There was no live entertainment tonight in the World Stage, but there was a movie,  Gauguin: Voyage to Tahiti.  Our Australian buddies would have declared a night like this a "dark" night.  Tomorrow we bet the Tahitian singers and dancers will come onboard to entertain the folks.  Seems like we just saw their show, because we just did last November while on the Tales of the South Pacific cruise.  Time sure flies…..

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

44 Pictures

Report #26 Sunday January 26, 2025 Sea Day #1 Of 2 Enroute To Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia Mostly Cloudy With Some Showers 82 Degrees 6' Swell-----Dressy Night

With all of the recent time changes, it is getting difficult knowing what the time is.   Is breakfast at lunchtime?  Or lunchtime….dinner?  Normally, we do this time back drill over a longer period of days, giving us time to adjust.  And we are not done yet, as tonight there has to be another hour back to be on Papeete time on Tuesday.  Perhaps having Sunday Brunch this morning might give many guests a chance to sleep in later.    Or not.

 

It sure did not affect the Pinnacle Grill breakfast, as it was busier than usual.   Now there is a line of folks at the door 15 minutes before they open.  Presty happened to stop by to say hi, so we asked him if the dining room brunch was really that popular with the passengers.   We have not noticed any request for guests to sign up for reservations recently, so we wonder if the charm of brunch has worn off.  Perhaps so, because Presty admitted that there are more diners in both the Pinnacle and the Lido because people do not want to wait until 9:30am for the brunch, which is simply a combo of regular breakfast and lunch entrees.  Nothing fancy.

 

We did have a nice display of a rainbow early this morning while enjoying our several cups of coffee.  When the Captain gave his noon talk, he commented that it was another beautiful day, but we have been tending to take these days for granted.  With that said, he continued to tell us we may be in for some rain…heavy at times with intense winds without warning.  This is common this time of year in this part of the world.  On one trip years ago to French Polynesia, we could not see our hands in front of our faces due to such torrential rain while on Belvedere Point in Moorea.  On another cruise not too long ago, the Captain cancelled the stop at Moorea because tendering would be next to impossible.  We are keeping our fingers crossed that it won't be as bad as suggested, but who knows? 

 

With the day at sea, we relaxed and worked on the many photos from yesterday's stop in Pitcairn.  It was also a good time to watch a late afternoon movie (a Western no less), and looking forward to possibly a great sunset.   And it sure did not disappoint us.  With the time changes, the sun dipped below the horizon around 7:30pm.   With the several layers of clouds, the sky lit up beautifully, and we had the time before dinner to film it right from our veranda. 

 

For a change, dinner was "dressy", which really means something different for everyone.  The menu was presented differently with some semi-formal starters and entrees.  Appetizers were served like escargot (not a favorite of ours) or shellfish ceviche.  That starter was OK but really needed an aioli dip to make it tastier.  A safer bet for the non-shellfish eater among us was the mozzarella tapenade appetizer and also a garden and Caesar salad.  Our entrees were the same…..lamb chops without the sides that came with them.  One of us ordered French fries and the other rice pilaf.  A word to the wise:  always ask how these chops are served as far as doneness goes.  We asked for medium, but both plates came with rare chops. , bordering on raw.  In hind sight, we should have sent them back, but the waiters always seem to disappear when you need them.   The meat was tasty as long as you did not look too closely at them. They were nowhere near as savory as the lamb we had in the Pinnacle Grill, but then they serve a higher quality of meat there.  From now on, we will request medium well or well done. 

 

Desserts were one cinnamon-flavored rice pudding with one raisin, and a plate of sliced watermelon, which was really good.  Our waiter laughed when we informed him the rest of the raisins were missing in the pudding.  He promised to add more the next time it is served.  Sometimes we feel that by dining later at 7:30pm, the kitchen is running low on some of the favorite items, and we get what's leftover.   The pendulum has changed with early dining being the most wanted or anytime dining these days.  It seems that the most sought after time is 6pm now.  Not for us…at least not yet.

 

The entertainment for the evening was a comedian by the name of Marc Yaffee  doing a skit on mid-laugh crisis.   He would be poking fun at his elderly parents, growing older, and putting up with today's changes.  Hmmmm, we are not sure how well this crowd will like that.

 

One more hour back, and we are on Papeete, Hawaii, and Rarotonga time.  And the clocks should stay that way for at least a week.  Fine with us.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

89 Pictures

Report #25 Saturday January 25, 2025 Pitcairn Island, British Overseas Territory----Anchored 7am-12pm Service Call Only----Mostly Sunny With Some Clouds 79 Degrees 4' Swell----Casual Dress

Our port of call today was not really a port of call as we know it.   Nor was it a service call for shore excursions, since there were none.  No, today's stop was a visit for the folks that live on the smallest British Overseas Territory of Pitcairn Island.    One of the most remote places on earth, Pitcairn is also the smallest territory in the world.  Actually, there are four islands that make up this group.  Along with Pitcairn, there is Oeno, Henderson, and Ducie Islands ….the last three are uninhabited except for some rare birds.

 

The population varies from 47 people in 2021 to 35 in 2023.  The size of Pitcairn is 18.15 square miles, however most of it is dramatic volcanic cliff sides.   It is very fertile and the locals are able to grow a variety of fruits and veggies.  Their main source of protein is fish, chicken, and eggs.  According to the experts, the purest honey in the world is produced here from disease-free bees.  And it is expensive and one of the many items that are sold from Pitcairn. 

 

The life expectancy has been listed as 50.4 years for all natives.  However, during the mayor's lecture, he said there are some elderly ladies in the 90's.  Several years ago, we do remember meeting Irma Christian, a many-time great grandmother of Fletcher Christian of the Bounty saga.  This lady was in her 90's and still able to climb the ladder from their longboat to board the ship.   Pretty good…..

 

A few cruise ships stop here, perhaps 10 to 15 a year, but there are also private yachts, expedition-type vessels, and chartered boats for birders.  They do offer a vacation stay as well. The islanders sell curios such as woven pandanus baskets, models of the Bounty, and many wood carvings.  Postcards are very popular where they can be stamped with the Pitcairn stamp and mailed from here to your home anywhere in the world.  Don't expect it fast, however, as the mailboat only stops here every other month.  We have done this, and it did work.  The card arrived by June after we were home from the cruise for a month.  

 

And you might wonder where the power comes from.  It is provided by generators that run on diesel.  The electricity is on from 6am and off at 10pm.   Solar power has also come on the scene, cutting some of the use of the generators.    And a few more facts that we found interesting are the food and drink.  One of their staples is breadfruit, which is cooked unripe and roasted to a char in an open fire.  It is said to taste like potatoes or chestnuts.  At one time, alcohol was forbidden, but these days it is OK to have a drink in Christian's Café on Friday nights. 

 

Most of the locals belong to the 7^th day Adventists church, which dates back to the mutineers of the 1790's.  There are two constables (policemen) and there are 11 species of sharks in the surrounding waters.  There is no airport, so the only way to access these islands is by boat.   Finally the closest island is in French Polynesia and if someone requires medical attention beyond the help of the local clinic doctor, they must be taken by boat to Papeete to be treated.  More serious problems mean you have to fly to New Zealand. 

 

We spotted the island well before 7am this morning.  While we were eating breakfast, the ship dropped anchor in Bounty Bay.   Lucky for us, the view of the northeastern side of the island and Adamstown was in our sight the entire day.    We watched as the longboat came out of their small sheltered harbor with some of the locals and their treasures to sell.  The Lido Poolside was used for the Pitcairn Craft Market Set-Up which started at 8am and closed at 11am.  It turned out to be a beautiful day for their visit with mostly sunny skies and warm temperatures.  Knowing that this would be a very crowded melee, we went to deck 10 and took some photos from above the pool area.  The area outside the doors to the pool deck was jammed solid with passengers anxious to buy the curios.  Since this is about our 5^th or 6^th stop here, we already own these souvenirs and t-shirts, so we did not need to fight the crowd. 

 

Then we noticed another group of people loaded on the same longboat for a ride back to the island.  Using binoculars, we spotted some of the ship's officers, a few of the shore excursion people, and Kimberly, our cruise director.  What a thrill for them to be allowed to step on this remote island.  Thinking back to 2020, when we arrived on the Amsterdam, Captain Mercer, his wife Karen, and Henk and Christel made the same trip ashore.  Lucky them.

 

One of the things we remember most here besides the history of the mutineers, are the birds.  Specifically, the red-tailed tropic birds.   We spent the entire time we were here outside in search of these graceful birds, but never did see any.   They do nest here and raise their chicks between November to March, but we figured we were here too early this time.  What we did see were hundreds of white terns, a few frigates, and some brown noddys. 

 

At 10:30am, the mayor of Pitcairn, Simon, gave an excellent talk on the island accompanied by pictures on the big screen in the World Stage.  In an hour's time, he described what life is like on this tiny island, then answered many questions from the audience.  Simon said he had moved here 25 years ago from England with his American wife, admitting it takes a certain type of personality to adjust to a life here.  Most of the young kids leave the island to be educated in New Zealand, which is the case with many South Pacific Islands.   In most cases, the kids choose not to return except for visits.  By 11:30am, Simon wrapped up his session and joined the rest of his "family" to return to shore in the longboat. 

 

Captain Friso came on with his noon talk declaring today a total success.   He added that he and the staff had sent provisions with the islanders to take back home.  The most important of these provisions were the several tubs of ice cream, followed by some cases of alcohol, we are sure.   Non-perishable items such as flour, sugar, and rice are normally gifted as well as catsup and eggs.  In return, we heard that fresh fish were given to the chefs onboard to be cooked and served in the Lido this evening.   All-in-all, it was a great visit.

 

We have two days at sea now as we sail northwest towards Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia.  The Captain expected favorable conditions with temps around 79 degrees and 4.5 foot waves.  There may be a gentle breeze, but also some passing rain showers.  Sounds good to us.

 

We were back in the dining room for dinner and ordered some different appetizers.  One was a tortilla soup, far better than the everyday chicken soup, and a dip of white cheese, sausage bits and avocado with onions.   It came with three tortilla chips, but it took an addition slice of bread to finish the delicious dip.  One of us ordered the tenderloin beef and the other had farfalle with chicken slices in a red sauce.  Perfect and not too filling.  Our waiter had the last piece of the birthday cake from last night, so we finished that along with one serving of custard dessert. 

 

The Billboard Onboard team of Stephen Coakley and Gabriel Greenwood performed in the World Stage tonight  with songs that have brought them around the world. 

 

And we had another card in or room to set the clocks back an hour, putting us on Alaska time.   And we're not done yet, as we are not on Polynesia time yet.   Certificates were given to all of us for today's visit at Pitcairn Island. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

172 Pictures

Report #24 Friday January 24, 2025-- Happy Birthday Mary Ann---Day #2 Enroute To Pitcairn Island, British Overseas Territory----Mostly Sunny With Some Clouds 75 Degrees----Casual Dress

Today was a most welcomed sea day, and also a special day for one of us.  Namely….a birthday.  It is an occasion that I prefer to fly under the radar, but that was not to be. 

 

On our way to breakfast, we discovered a large birthday greeting card hanging on our door with the cutest little clothes pins we have ever seen.   OK…..someone let the cat out of the bag.  The assistant manager of the Pinnacle, Able, whispered a happy birthday as we entered the room.  That was sweet.

 

Arriving back to the room, there were two balloons on the door with the card.   Going inside was a nice surprise with a gift of flowers from Shiv, our most favorite head of housekeeping, several cards, and a triple layer "cake" created with red and pink dining room napkins.    That was from our room stewards.  Then the phone rang, and it was Jennifer from the front desk wishing me a wonderful day.  Finally, a single chocolate cupcake was delivered with a birthday card from Captain Friso.  Emails from family and friends poured in as well.  What a way to start the day.

 

The weather could not have been nicer with temps in the 70's.  Wave heights were no more than 3 feet and the winds were gently blowing.  Even with some partly cloudy skies, the sun warmed up the day nicely.  If there were showers, they remained on the horizon.  During our morning walk, we saw no fish and only one bird, possibly a booby.  Why only one, we don't know.  It must have hitched a ride from Easter Island.  

 

Lectures were delivered at the World Stage starting from 10am with POW'S and the casualties of war, followed by the complexity theory at 11am, and ancient ingenuity with secrets lost to time at 1pm.   On a lighter note, a movie called My Penguin Friend was shown at 2pm.    That is one feature we miss on this class of ship, and that is the Wajang Theater.  It just seemed more cozy for those films which were shown sometimes twice a day on sea days. 

 

Queen Elizabeth tea was served at 3pm and one day we may try it.  That is close to our lunch time, so adding pastries and savory snacks is not do-able.

 

After lunch, we did some internet searches on Pitcairn Island, our brief stop tomorrow.  This is a very special spot in the world and the history is beyond interesting. 

 

Dinnertime rolled around, but tonight we went to the Pinnacle Grill for the first time this cruise.  We usually order the same starters and mains, and tonight was no exception.  Wedge salads with no bleu cheese, dinner rolls, and one order of clothes-line bacon were the starters.  One of us had the lamb chops and the other a ribeye steak.  French fries, the skinny ones (yeah, right) was the only side we needed.  The steak and the lamb were mouth-watering tender and seasoned perfectly.  The grade of meat here is top-notch in our opinion.   We had already decided not to order dessert, but our waiter had brought forks and spoons.  He also brought a tray of three little macaroons, the new replacement for the chocolates.  

 

We were about ready to depart, when the waiters, Tina, and Able came along with a special birthday cake, unlike any cake we have ever seen.   It was a piece of art made with red velvet cake in the form of a fish maybe.  The top was covered with a cream cheese frosting and dotted with fresh berries.  The entire outside had thin chocolate candy cut in triangles.  It looked like fins on a fish.  In the old days, you never would have heard any birthday songs, but now we do.  In fact, we were the third table to have the celebration.  The group sang the song then had me blow out the "candles"  or the little battery-powered luminaries.  Tina cut a small portion for us to share, and we donated the rest to the wait staff. 

 

So much for flying under the radar, but it was sure a great day.  And much appreciated.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

14 Pictures

Report #23 Thursday January 23, 2025 Sea Day #1 Of 2 Enroute To Pitcairn Island, British Overseas Territory Mostly Cloudy With Some Showers 6' Swell, 18mph Winds -72 Degrees----Casual Dress

It was nice to have the extra hour to sleep in this morning, although one of us still wakes up at 3am.  If we think this is bad, wait until a few more days when the clocks have gone back a total of three hours three days in a row.  Technically, we will be eating breakfast at 4:30am.  We were awake early enough to catch some of the sunrise as well as watching the sunset well after we finished dinner.

 

According to the Captain, today was a beautiful day even though we had overcast skies and showers all morning.  We have about a 5 foot swell with winds expecting to decrease later in the day.   The temperature was almost balmy at 75 degrees.  The only other news was that the crew will have a drill tomorrow morning while we are out at sea.   We find it interesting to watch how well the crew are trained to react to various sudden events.   Back in 2009, there were drills that dealt with possible terrorist threats.  Now that was really sobering when all of the guests were required to go in the hallways and sit down in case we were in danger of missile attacks.  We are happy those days are behind us….hopefully.

 

It was a day for sales in the Shops, shore excursions, future cruises, the spa, the photo studio, and fireball bingo.   We think most folks were happy to have a day to recover from two days of touring Easter Island.  Easy activities included lectures, arts and crafts, watercolors, and a  movie in the World Stage.    We just realized there is a dance instructor, Matthew, onboard and he was teaching East Coast swing.  Learning to line dance is much easier.  And ballroom dance hour is still happening, but in the Rolling Stones Lounge.  And for the attitude adjustment, Happy Hour is still offered, but only for drinks under $11. 

 

We kept busy most of the day with catching up on photos and reports from the last two days.  It was a little on the damp side walking the promenade this morning, but nice since most folks did not come outside.  Dinnertime snuck up on us with the time change, but it was still very light outside.  Starters were one Caesar salad and a tomato/quinoa salad with no dressing.  Our waiter said it had dressing, but obviously he never tried it.  That applies to many of the menu options.  The waiters can only advise what the early diners liked the best.  One of those mains was prime rib, which was on the menu tonight.  The entrée of coq au vin was OK but there were many bones involved.  But dessert was a treat.  We both ordered the bosche bal or the chocolate éclair.  There was a pop-up Morimoto dinner in the Pinnacle Grill, so many folks went there instead. 

 

Entertainment was a piano vocalist, Dean Stansby with a show on his life.  And for the second night in a row, we put the clocks back one hour.  The waiters really like that.  We also received two certificates for our monumental visit to Easter Island…….again.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

12 Pictures

Report #22 Wednesday January 22, 2025 Day #2 Easter Island, Chile Tender Port Anchored---Depart At 4pm Mostly Sunny With Some Clouds 82 Degrees----Casual Dress

During the wee hours of the morning, the ship was reacting to the swell of the ocean just enough to give us the feeling that we were moving.   It could be described like going over speed bumps in a vehicle, and often enough that it woke one of us up often.  Previously, the Captain warned us it was normal and we need not to be concerned.  As calm as the waters looked, they were not.  It was most evident today watching the guests load on and off of the tenderboats once again.

 

It was just getting light when the tender service began at 8am.  This time we got our tender tickets right after breakfast, not knowing how long it would take for our number to come up.  Lo and behold there was no line and we were asked if we were ready to go right away.  No, actually we had to gather our things in our room first before leaving.  With that, we were handed the number ahead of the current number they were calling soon.  We knew from yesterday' operation that our ticket number would be accepted even after it had been called.  Needing some time to work on yesterday's photos before leaving, we left for the tenderboat around 9:30am.  The boarding was easy, and we even had the pleasure of riding to shore with some of the crew members who had been given two hours to see the island.  They were thrilled like kids in a candy store.  It was the first time visit for most of them.  All of the guests insisted that the crew be let off first since their time was so limited.  All aboard for them was 2pm, and 3pm for us.  Our time had been shortened from 3:30pm and if we heard correctly, the last tender from the ship to shore was 12pm.

 

As well as the tour shuttles, there were some taxi fellows and a few ladies offering less expensive tours to the major sites.   They would have to be adjusted to fit the time we had ashore and still be back to the marina before the last tender boat going back.  So out of curiosity, we asked a local lady that was using her own car to take people around.   The first problem was that she spoke no English, but referred to the map as to where she could drive us.  The next negative was that she could offer us 4 hours of driving to vista points for photos only.   No entry fees to any other sites, such as the quarry were included.  It was like pulling teeth to get her price, but eventually she whipped out her cell phone and printed $200.  While she was searching for a price, one of us was checking out her small vehicle which had smooth tires coated with mud.  No thanks was our reply, which we said politely but firmly.  Then she yelled out another price as we walked away, not taking no for an answer.  Again we shook our heads no.  Then she turned her car around and followed us for a little way until she finally gave up.   There were many more passengers coming up the road behind us, and we are certain she will get some customers soon.  Later on, we did see her with people in her compact car. 

 

The first thing most of the crew did was check out the half dozen souvenir tents, then walk the main road until they found a vista point to try their cell phones.  We're fairly certain they could pick up free internet here as well.  There really was no interest with the crew members for site-seeing, but they may find a local café for some Chilean cuisine and bragging rights to say they were here. 

 

We followed the same path we took yesterday, chatting along the way with some folks that recognized us from previous world voyages.   One of the nicest comments we have heard was from a couple that had read our blog for many years, and decided to try a world cruise since they liked what we wrote.   Always nice to hear because we tell it like it is.

 

There seemed to be even more locals out and about today, especially the kids.  Having picked up a nice tourist magazine at the pier, we learned that there are about 7750 residents on this island (2017 census).  The total distance from Chile to Easter Island is 2298 miles and the distance to Tahiti from here is 4621 miles.  In the center of Hanga Roa, there is an area where families and kids can swim safely in a protected section of the shoreline.  Today we saw a group of girls and boys getting lessons on boogie boards and finally small surf boards.  Most of them appeared to be quick learners, and maybe some of the girls were first in getting the balance part correct. 

 

A bit further up the road is one of the main streets of Hanga Roa where there is a small marina for fishing boats.  Yesterday we had spotted a huge turtle here and decided to go and look for it again.  Just about then, a fisherman came into the marina with  his morning catch.  We could see he had caught three medium-sized yellow fin tuna.  He brushed the headless fish with a hand broom with sea water.  We heard that they sell them to the local restaurants in the area.  No wonder we see so much ahi tuna, sushi, and other seafood varieties on the menus.  Can't get any fresher than that.  And we bet that was the school of fish we saw last night.  The size was right as was the feeding frenzy on the surface.

 

We did spot some tropical fish and even some pufferfish under the outboard motor boats.  Then we saw the huge turtle swimming under the boats too.  It was next to impossible to get a photo of it.  Even the young show-off kids jumping and diving in the water did not scare the turtle.  By the way, signs are posted in this whole area warning people not to touch or feed them as it is against the law.  

 

One of the main streets in town goes up the hillside.  We never took the time to explore up here, so today we did.  There were a few small shops offering some t-shirts and local fun jewelry, but some did not take US dollars.   A couple of doors up, we came upon a very small artist's boutique who did accept US dollars.  We purchased a pair of black and white tiny seashell earrings to match a collection of Polynesian necklaces.  While paying the owner, she kindly put a lei of frangipani flowers around my neck as a gift.   Now that is something I will remember always. 

 

Since our time was limited, we headed back to the same Restaurant Pea Rapanui where we dined yesterday.  This time we got a table right on the edge of the beach below.  Actually it is more rocks than sandy beach, and the attraction is the presence of many sizes of turtles.  They are after the algae that grows on the rocks and are not bothered by the kids attempting surfing or people swimming in the surf. 

 

Once again we enjoyed two Corona beers with an order of French fries and catsup.   We did share a dessert of chocolate and  vanilla ice cream.   The place filled up solid by the time we left.  There was still a long walk to get back to the little harbor, and we took our time doing it.  The sun had come out with few clouds, and it was heating up.  At least there was no rain today, because we had packed the umbrellas of course.

 

Back at the pier, we saw that Shiv, the head of housekeeping, was still working with the tender operation.  Thinking he was here for hours, he said he had gone back to the ship and just arrived to assist for the final hours ashore.  Kimberly was also helping as well as enjoying one of those small pineapples.  She confirmed that this was her first visit here, which we suspected due to the thrill in her voice with the arrival messages.  We told her to keep up the enthusiasm because it gives everyone that special shot of energy that she displays.

 

We made one last sweep by the souvenir tables, then boarded the boat without tender tickets.  The security staff knows us from previous cruises and welcomes us back every time we see them.   Boarding the tender here was a piece of cake, but that was not the case at the ship's platform.  The waves and swell were acting up, making debarking a dangerous thing.  We always wait to be among the last to go off.  When there is that much movement, you have to wait for the timing to be just right to jump on the platform.  Well, one of us had a surprise when I was told to jump, while the fellows on the boat held me back.  Good thing I listened because unknown to us, a rope had broken and the boat was drifting away from the platform.   Whew….saved by the crew for real.  The boat driver had to turn the boat around and approach the entrance where a better rope was used.  We have heard of these almost accidents, but never expected to be part of one.  Believe us….once was enough for a lifetime.

 

We were back to the room by 3:30pm and were on our way by 4pm heading towards the next service call at Pitcairn Island in a few days from now.   Ice cold sodas and relaxing on the veranda took up some of the afternoon.  Having taken so many pictures the last two days will keep one of us busy for two days to come.  Never a dull moment we say.

 

Our dining room waiters had missed us last night and we let them know we had dined onshore.  We promised to let them know when we would be missing, but sometimes things happen and plans change.   Tonight's menu had some new items such as a cabbage, tomato and bacon soup.  Sounds strange, but it was quite good.   Caesar salads and one shrimp cocktail were the starters.   Entrees were one chicken Kiev and lamb ossobuco, another first on the menu.  Both were very tasty and filling.  But we saved room for the strawberry sundae which was refreshing.  

 

Good news was a notice that the clocks went back one hour finally.   We're still a few hours off, but that will change soon as well.  There was a show in the World Stage with instrumentalist Andy Buenger as the artist with his classic rock tunes.   As for us, with all of the hiking we did the past two days, we welcomed the extra hour of sleep and turned in right after dinner.  It was still light outside.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

302 Pictures

Report #21 Tuesday January 21, 2025 Easter Island, Chile Tender Port Anchored 8am Overnite Leaving At 4pm The Next Day Clouds With Showers And Alot Of Sun 82 Degrees----Casual Dress

The Zuiderdam arrived to Easter Island two hours ahead of time because we could, according to the Captain.   Best to be there and get the ball rolling as long as the local officials showed up early as well.   It was still dark when we dropped anchor in the waters off of the island, and it was overcast and raining lightly.  No doubt it will be a wet and muddy walk today, but that's nothing new.

 

Easter Island belongs to the country of Chile, where 17 million people live that speak Spanish.  We did not get the numbers of natives that reside on this island because the TV port talk was not working correctly.   What makes Easter Island a magnet for visitors?  It has to be the mystery surrounding the presence of the massive carved stones called "moais".  They can be described as a volcanic-carved figures that sit on a platform of rocks.  Perhaps they were created to represent clan ancestors or not.  Some have the eyes of obsidian, while most of them do not.  And why are the majority of them facing inland and not the ocean?  And how in the world did the natives haul them here without modern equipment?  So it's the mystery the perpetuates the need to know…..or not.

 

There were some tours here today….most of which we have done.   Many of the tours were 3 hours, with one at 5 hours.  They ranged in price from $300 to over $500.  But the one that surprised us was an overnight at a lodge with some of the same tours included for a bit under $3000 per person.  Wow…..  And guess what?   It was sold out.

 

The Pinnacle Grill was already filling up well before 7:30am and we did see some new people that we have not seen before.  Our buddy Don informed us that the special breakfast service for our group in the upper dining room had been cancelled due to lack of participation.  So the prodigal son returned, he joked.  

 

We passed by the Chilean officials in the hallway.  They had the ship cleared by 9:30am, and the tendering could begin.    The final word was that everyone needed to get  tender tickets….no exceptions.  We were not ready to go over too early, so we waited until the ticket line was empty to get our tickets.   We were handed orange # 1.   Those folks who waited in the line from 6am, had been given blue 1 through 42.    By the time all of those numbers were called, it was well after 11am.  We waited in our room until the number was called.

 

Boarding the tender was not easy, as the waves were causing the boat to rise and fall without notice.  There were several well-trained staff helping all of us to board safely.  Making our way to the front of the boat, several passenger hands came out to assist me because the boat was hitting the side of the ship causing us to go sideways.  We have seen worse conditions on past cruises where some guests were injured and the tender boats were damaged.   Damage like blown-out windows where we had to crawl through one of the shattered windows and onto a floating pontoon to access Anakena Beach, the only safe place we could disembark that day.  By the time we left, even the pontoon was mostly destroyed.   And many times, the tender service was suspended in the afternoon, and no one else was allowed to come over to the island.  Almost witnessed a mutiny that day.

 

The ride to the small boat harbor on the island did not take very long.  The good thing was that this small marina was very protected and getting to shore was much easier.  Even at that, there were at least six or more crew members helping each guest to get off in one piece.   From there, we began our very long walk through Hanga Roa, the main village, then onto the road that followed the coastline.  We assume many people took the ship's tours here, despite the fact that they were really pricey.    Walking here has always been nice, and we could access the moais at Ahu Tahai, a ceremonial site where most of the small tour buses stopped.  The map we were given stated that the distance from the marina was .5 of a mile.  We think they got the decimal point wrong, and it was more like 4 miles to the site. 

 

Many new restaurants and night time bars have popped up since the last time we were here.  There appeared to be a concert venue in the process of being built on the water's edge.  That could be another reason for the numerous eateries.  Our last visit was in 2020 where all travel was eventually suspended.  It looks like to us that they have rebounded well since then. 

 

There was a large cemetery located on top of a hillside that was fenced off along the road.  It appeared that the upper end where we walked was fairly new with dates in the 2000's.  It is a common practice for the families to decorate the gravesites with flowers either fresh or made from plastic or even silk.  So along with the most beautiful over-sized bushes of camelias, this was the most colorful spot on the island.  

 

We have to mention the horses.  There are reportedly more horses than people that live here, and they are free-roaming.  On our way to the moais, we came across a few horses grazing off of the roadside.  Several more were near a house with a corral that was opened.  It had begun to rain, and these horses headed for the trees to get out of the showers.  They were pretty tame and welcome being scratched on their heads by both of us.  They reminded us of the horses on Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas, since they are on the smaller side like these.

 

The largest ceremonial site that we could access walking was Ahu Tahai with three or more restored moai and one that had the eyes restored.  This is one of the most visited spots for photos, as well as a nice collection of souvenirs on tables under tents at one far end.   The last time we were here, we purchased a t-shirt with the moais.  The same vendor was here today and recognized his gray t-shirt looking as new as the day we bought it.   Most of the costume jewelry was the same you might find in Polynesia or even Hawaii.  And there was a small assortment of seashell trinkets.

 

On our way out of the fenced site, we saw one of the tour groups on Easter Island's Culture excursion.  Standing under a large tent, they were all treated to a tribal dance, learn about traditional games, and the best part -   having their bodies painted with natural paint (mostly their faces.)  Fun to see, but we were glad it was them and not us.

 

After getting all of the photos we needed at the moai sight, we continued further up a very muddy and steep road to more remote sites.  There is a small area with a park for the young kids with nice benches and even a place to get out of the rain. There were no kids there yet, so it was the perfect spot for one of us to take a break, while the other one continued exploring.    The view was spectacular and the silence was even better as there were no tour groups here.    Several horses were grazing nearby and were fun watching their antics with each other. 

 

Out of the blue, a local fellow rode by on his horse heading back the way we had come.  Then he returned with the rest of the herd galloping by just like a scene from Bonanza, one of the many westerns we used to watch.  The young fellow stopped long enough to ask if I spoke Spanish.  No, sorry, just a little.  Then he pointed to the ship and I said "si".  With that he said "hola" and took off not to be seen again.  Sure wish I had studied Spanish and not French way back in the high school days.  It is a much more universal language in today's world.

 

Eventually the better hiker among us returned and we headed back to the Restaurant Pea Rapanui for much needed Corona beers.  Plain empanadas were served, followed by a shared plate of chicken, mushrooms, and cheese-covered French fries.  How this was an entrée for one person is a mystery to us as the plate was heaping full.  We took our time enjoying the food while we watched from their open-air patio built over the waves.  Locals were down below in a protected cove and many surf boarders were playing in the gentle surf.  Noting the dozens of canoes and kayaks onshore, boating and rowing have to be the number one sport here for the young and old.  

 

It was time to continue our hike back to the marina, taking some time stopping at the major view points on the way.  The sun was peeking out more by this time of day, and it was getting hot.  No doubt, we will have a slight sunburn by tonight.

 

The ride back was quick, but unloading at the ship took forever.  The swells made debarking slow but dangerous, and thanks to the crew once again, we made it back safely.    It was close to 6pm by the time we returned.    And for the first time this trip, we did not go to dinner.  We were not hungry after our late and ample lunch.  There was time for hundreds of photos to process, and relaxing time to soothe the over-worked knees for one of us.   The Coke Zeros never tasted so good.

 

There is always a first time for things and tonight was one of them.  With all of the visits we have made here, we never spent the night and had the pleasure of a second day.   It still was light by 8pm, and when going outside on the veranda, we spotted a huge area of turbulence about 200 yards across from the ship.  The longer we watched, we decided there was a school of tuna fishing for their dinner.   They broke the surface just enough to be certain they were not dolphins.  By 9pm, two outrigger canoes full of teenagers rowed around the Zuiderdam.  That sure keeps these kids in good shape.  Then when darkness finally came, the lights of the town and villages lit up softly.   Unlike Manta and Lima, these night time lights were spread out just like the single family homes are scattered about.  No high rise concrete towers here.

 

The Captain came on with news of the day, taking credit for getting us here successfully.  Tomorrow's schedule had been tweaked so the last tender back from shore would be at 3pm, instead of 3:30pm, due to the difficulty of the transfer to and from the island.   Well that would work for us, giving plenty of time ashore if we chose to return.  No doubt in our minds, the tours would be first to go over.  After a good night's rest, we hope to be re-charged and ready to return even if it is only a few hours.  We shall see……….

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

309 Pictures

Report #20 Monday January 20, 2025 Sea Day #4 Of 4 Enroute To Easter Island, Chile Mostly Sunny With Some Clouds 3' Swell 75 Degrees Slight Wind-----Casual Dress

Day four at sea began with mostly sunny skies and warmer temperatures.  Even the Captain made that announcement at his noon talk that it was a beautiful day, adding that we are doing a speed of 18 knots with 300 nautical miles to arrive to Easter Island.  The waves were moderate with about a three foot swell.  Later in the afternoon, it clouded up and it appeared we were passing through a series of showers on both sides of the ship.  But what is really strange is the fact the sun has stayed up until after 9pm, which obviously, we are not on real time.  That will change after we leave Easter Island with several time changes in a few days.   

 

What helped make this day even better was discovering we were getting a signal coming through for the TV reception around 9am.  It wasn't great or very consistent, but at least we were able to watch most all of the inauguration coverage, a very important day in American history.  Truth be told, we only missed a few hours with walks and lunch as the only interruptions.  We could envision a technician going outside and holding the darn antennae to get the most of the connection that was possible.  Once the main portion of the inauguration  was finished, it seemed that we lost the signal again.   We suspect the closer we get to the island, the better the reception will be.  And it was nice to be in touch with civilization once again.

 

Kimberly delivered her talk on Easter Island at 11am.  We ducked into the World Stage briefly about 15 minutes prior to her talk.   She was already warning folks not to sit on the stairways, or block the aisles, so it must have been filling up rapidly.  Then she reminded everyone that this talk would be repeated on our TV's later, but there is a problem with that.  Ever since we have sailed on this ship back in 2023, there has been a problem with the programs that are filmed to be shown later on.  This applies to the port talks, the shore excursion descriptions, and talks by the shore ex group.  The volume only goes halfway on the scale on our TV's, and there are stops quite often with the filming….like it is re-booting.  Later this afternoon we attempted to watch her Easter Island port talk, only to find that the feed stopped and went back to the beginning.   Over and over.  What's up with that? Oh well, we have been to this part of the world more than once, so we know it very well.

 

One thing that is irritating to us like a thorn in our sides, is the fact the priority tendering for the President's Club members has been suspended for this port for the next two days.  It has been denied to all of those who have been given that perk including Neptuners and others.   Currently, there are only 26 qualifying guests in the President's Club group, and we figured perhaps half or more of that number will be taking a tour.  A few members we know are using motorized scooters, so they cannot go off at all.  That leaves about 10 passengers to filter into the line of tender boat people.  In the past, we have all been allowed to join the line before open tenders were announced and it never presented a problem.  Several years ago, our group was escorted down another flight of stairs to deck A.  Now we are being denied.  Go figure….  Has this perk been eliminated and we don't know about it?  We shall dig a little deeper as we do not give up easily.

 

Eating dinner at 8pm was like going to lunch at 2pm.  It was that light outside with no sign of the sun setting.  Our starters were lamb kebabs but without the skewers.  Maybe the chefs think we will hurt ourselves if they were served as we know it.   There are many times we have commented that this grand voyage is like being in an "OFH" as our buddy Barb would say.  Of course, that stands for old folks home, and we mean nothing bad by that comment.  It is what it is and Holland America has a reputation for catering to an older group.  Not that there is anything wrong with that, as Jerry Seinfeld used to say.    Anyway, out mains were a full turkey dinner complete with the strangest-tasting cranberry sauce we ever had.  Someone must have seen the need to stretch what they had left, and added strawberry jam to the cranberries.   No kidding, they can't fool all of us all of the time.  A shared dessert of a chocolate mousse cake which was not mousse at all but more like flourless chocolate cake was all the sweet we needed. 

 

There was a comedian on the stage tonight by the name of Marc Yaffee who did a skit on his twists and turns of his life.   And as always, there are always the other lounges that have bands or an orchestra playing from 8 to 9:45pm and beyond.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

No Pictures

Report #19 Sunday January 19, 2025 Sea Day #3 Of 4 Enroute To Easter Island, Chile Mostly Sunny With Some Clouds 6' Swell 75 Degrees 18mph Winds-----Casual Dress

Did anyone know that today is Popcorn Day?  We sure did not know this, but then, most everyday has a special theme to it and the staff here likes to add it to the Daily newsletter.

 

Yesterday during his noon talk, Captain Friso stated that we are all alone out here in the middle of the ocean with no other ship traffic.  No commercial ships or cruise liners to be seen anywhere.   And what makes it even seem more isolating is the fact that we have lost the signal for the TV.   In the beginning of last week, we began to get pixelating periodically with pastel green and pink colors interrupting the programs.  Then the screen would go blank, although the sound was still there.   This was occurring while in Manta as well as Lima.  Then yesterday around dinnertime, all we could get was the "Not Available" notice on every channel.    That meant no current news and no football games.   This lasted all day long, and we know there must be a whole lot of sports fans in particular that were not happy campers.    Being cut off like this really made us feel very alone. 

 

Reporting this to the front desk folks, all we learned was that the techs are working on it.  Has something broken we asked?  There was no good answer, only apologies for the inconvenience.  We have been doing this blog on every world cruise since 2005, and going back to those times we visited Easter Island, there was no problem with reception.   We would have documented it.   And there was no promise of when this will be fixed.  It sure is a good thing that we have access to plenty of movies and in-house programming.  We even discovered a channel that has short programs on relaxation and sleep help.  Now that is new.  We are keeping our fingers crossed that the closer we get to Easter Island, the better the chances are that we will get the signal again. 

 

We are happy to report that the internet service has not been affected.  It may be a bit on the slow side at times, but it has remained functional.  

 

Today's Captain's talk revealed that the weather is the way we like it.  That is – sunny and calm seas.    However, he still puts a bit of doubt on the port of Easter Island as far as the tendering service.  Right now, he says it is 70% favorable, but with 4 foot swells, we may have problems.   We have about 1248 nautical miles to go and have a 1 to 2 meter swell with little wind.  We do notice that technically, we should have had a time change or two by now, but Easter Island's time is the same as Chile, the mother country.   We bet that after we leave for Pitcairn Island, we will be putting the clock back like three days in a row.  That should be fun……

 

We had a very relaxing day with our usual activities which included a couple of long walks outside, watching two good movies, catching up on internet work, and reading on the veranda.   It was a good day for lectures, although Kimberly has not delivered her talk on Easter Island yet.  Perhaps she is waiting until tomorrow so the info is fresh in everyone's minds.  

 

Happy hour preceded dinner, then we both ordered the popular starter of  breaded chicken tenders, Caesar salad and hot lentil soup.   Mains were really comfort food with sliced roast beef pot roast and veal meatballs.  Both were served with mashed potatoes.   Different, but it worked.  Desserts were one lemon sorbet and a Tres leches panna cotta.  

 

A piano/vocalist, Dean Stansby, was the entertainer this evening featuring "Where the Music Takes Me".

 

Bill And Mary Ann 

 

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Report #18 Saturday January 18, 2025 Sea Day #2 Of 4 Enroute To Easter Island, Chile Mostly Cloudy With An Occasional Shower And Some Sun 4' Swell 69 Degrees ---Formal Dress

Day two at sea began on a dreary note weather-wise.   The skies were totally overcast blocking any chance of a sunrise.   In fact, we just realized we have been missing the sunrises and sunsets due to the fact that the direction we are headed, the sun rises in the aft of the ship and sets on the starboard side forward.  We have many days to capture some good Polynesian sunsets however, which will be coming up sometime next week. 

 

It was a good day for bird watching and flying fish- catching by the birds.   For a while in the morning, the clouds parted and we had some beautiful blue skies.  That made a much better backdrop to film the action.   It was almost warm while we walked the outside deck.   This is the first world cruise that we have noticed so few people using the promenade deck.  There are many teak lounges, but few customers.  Probably when we get closer to French Polynesia, the folks will come back outside.

 

Today we had to fill out a form for the Chilean government saying we will comply with local regulations when going to Easter island, part of Chile.  Specifically, it involves an agricultural and livestock affidavit stating that we will not be carrying vegetables and animal products off of the ship.  We were given the choice of filling out the forms they provided or go online to fill them out.   Marking the boxes "no", we signed the forms and will carry them with us when and if we go ashore.

 

The usual sea day activities took place today, with a few exceptions.  One was an added potato buffet for the Lido lunch, described as a comforting feast for every potato lover.  Now that's different.  Canaletto was the pop-up venue in the Pinnacle Grill at the usual price of $25 plus gratuity.  We recall when this dining venue was free when it was first introduced.

 

So a few days ago we promised you all a story, which we will call The Mysterious Saga of the Luggage.  It began when we left the Zuiderdam's Grand World Voyage last May.  We shipped a total of nine pieces of luggage using the ship's luggage service.   Six of the bags were shipped complimentary, and three were paid for by us.  For the first time we remember, they asked us to start putting our luggage outside the rooms a couple of days ahead of our final day.  That would help the staff move the enormous amount without a lot of stress.  So that's what we did, leaving three bags for the last evening.  Every piece was labeled with at least two luggage tags as well as address labels on the insides.  The UPS tags had gone missing by the luggage agent in Puerto Rico, so the official tags would be added later on.  None of us were happy about this, but what choice did we have?

 

For some unknown reason, Bill said jokingly remarked that we will never see those last three pieces of luggage again.  So we get home and a few days later, the luggage begins to arrive, a few pieces at a time.  Some were damaged, and some were later than their promised delivery date.  But three were still not delivered for a week after that.  Then another week went by.  After dozens of emails and phone calls describing the suitcases, one of the three showed up.   Two more weeks went by….no luggage, and you may have guessed by now…..we never saw them again.  By mid- summer, we were asked to put in a claim with the shipping company complete with a description of the missing items and as many receipts of purchase we could supply.  It just so happened that without extra insurance coverage, only the suitcases were covered for loss….not the contents.   Unfortunately, most of the lost items were formal clothing, custom-made by the Princeton Tailors from Hong Kong as well as many new sport coats, formal dresses and new dress shoes etc.   We did get some compensation from other sources, but nowhere near the actual value lost.

 

We deliberately did not mention this until now because we did not want to freak out the world cruise folks that were in the process of shipping their things mid- December.  In all of the years we have done world cruises, this is the first time we had this happen (and we hope the last).    Our UPS fellow at home said that these things do happen all of the time, and when tracking the bags, they are not necessarily where they say there are.  He added that chances are we will not ever see them again, but stranger things have happened. 

 

Tonight was the second formal evening with the theme of Casino Royale.   The dining room was decorated in both entrances with gambling items and red lights.  The place settings had red napkins and some playing cards were scattered on the tables.  The actual event was held in the Casino at 8:15pm to 9:30pm where complimentary gaming lessons, a free slot tournament, and fun table games like playing poker with some officers would occur.  Raffle prizes would be held, although you had to be present to win.  It's a night of Bond – style with glamour, games and entertainment.     The only problem with us attending was that was our dinner time.  Oh well……

 

Speaking of dinner, the menu was not the usual surf and turf.  In fact there was no steak or lobster offered.  Not even escargots, which is usually a formal night staple.  We did order a very tasty Cobb salad with slices of tender tenderloin steak.  Hold the bleu cheese please.  Every day shrimp cocktails and mains of lamb chops and beef short ribs were quite good.  Desserts were one slice of vanilla/chocolate cheesecake and a pecan pudding-filled donut which did satisfy our sweet tooth. 

 

The entertainment in the World Stage was the Classical Trio from the Explorer's Lounge.  A good choice since they seem to be most popular with many of the guests.

 

And so ends day two at sea.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

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