Our last day at sea on the way to Kauai found very warm temperatures, higher winds, and muggy. The TV weather channel stated we had clear skies, but that was not the case. There were lots of clouds and some sun off and on all day. We even had a couple of showers that did not last very long.
We had a busy morning with photos and research while watching for any sign of wildlife. There was nothing at all to see today except for a nice sunrise.
There were ongoing lectures in the World Stage with a Q&A session with Kainoa, and later a talk on the Jarvis Moon. Pearl Harbor was the subject of speaker William Beeman. And there was a port talk on Maui and Kona. There were three sessions of trivia and Hawaiian-themed hula lessons and ukulele playing. An afternoon treat for some was a Hawaiian tea and aloha music poolside. Promotions filled up the rest of the day.
Captain Thomas was right on time with his daily updates. The Zaandam has sailed 2033 nautical miles from San Diego and has another 292 nautical miles to go to reach Nawiliwili tomorrow. The ship's speed is 16 knots. We are experiencing calm seas with a swell of 8 feet. He described Kauai as the Garden Isle with dramatic scenery with tons of rain. It happens to be the oldest of the islands also. Afternoon light showers are expected. Typical Hawaii.
We had a light lunch since we were invited to an early (for us) cocktail gathering with the Hotel Manager, Leonie and Captain Thomas. The gathering was shared with the Neptune folks. It was in the Crow's Nest from 4 to 5pm where we were greeted by many officers and staff members. There was a section set aside for the President's Club members, and it appeared that all of us showed up. We were offered any drink of our choosing followed by numerous servings of fancy hors d'oeuvres. Making it even more fun, the Captain asked to join all of us, staying until the party ended. He is very friendly and quite at ease with the guests.
Dinnertime had a few items we liked on the menu. Starters were Thai beef slices with pickled veggies. One of us had the shrimp taco as well. The mains were linguini with beef short rib meat and a sliced tenderloin meal. The plates and the food were served nice and hot, thank you. Dessert was one scoop of pistachio ice cream and a round serving of cheesecake that tasted like the real thing. Sometimes it resembles the Jello cheesecake in a box.
The World Stage Cast put on a show with sounds of the 60's with the theme of feeling groovy.
Looking forward to stepping on firm ground tomorrow.
Bill & Mary Ann
