The island of Maui is much different than Oahu in that it is more about nature than anything else. Known for their spectacular sunrises and sunsets from the volcano Haleakala, it is also famous for their waterfalls, bamboo forests and black sand beaches.
There were several excursions offered here today, but due to a glitch in their software, we can only give you details on a few of them that they printed. Maui Tropical Plantation and Ocean Center was 4 hours for $220. Out of Kahului was a trip to Paia Town and rainforest trek for 5 hours and $239. Iao Valley and upcountry Maui was 5 hours for $300. Finally, a Hana Road adventure & picnic was almost 9 hours and $450. According to a local flyer, the Road to Hana is one of the most spectacular trips in the world. It does include a picnic lunch, which we all know is a roadside boxed lunch with a beverage.
Our port of call for Maui has always been the village of Lahaina. However, since the devastating fire of 2023, that area is closed off to tourists these days. A notice was printed on a map saying that parts of Lahaina are restricted areas and out of respect for the residents, they ask you to stay away so they can heal and re-build. We did hear from friends that the ancient ficus or banyan tree did survive and is growing. It is not the first time a fire struck Lahaina. We were not aware that Lahaina was the first capital of Hawaii until it was moved to Honolulu in 1845. A major fire in 1919 burned down most of the buildings on Front Street, the main drive.
Now the cruise ships dock at the commercial port of Kahului located on the north top of the island. The Zaandam sailed into the port by 6:30am and was docked portside. It was raining with passing showers. We did catch a fleeting rainbow, always a sign of good luck as we were told by Pinnacle Grill Caroline, who gracefully did her little happy dance for us.
After breakfast, we headed back to the room to do some internet work like we always do. There was a knock on the door, and the room service waiter came in with a tray of a bouquet of flowers, a dozen Coke Zero's and a tray of sweets.....all gifts from Leonie, the hotel manager. It wasn't time for our bi-weekly perks, so we were not sure what the occasion was. We wrote a thank you note and hope to see her soon to thank her in person. She is one of the most thoughtful managers we know.
We left the ship by 10am, well after the showers stopped. It is a long walk from the ship, through the terminal, then passing through a cyclone- fenced trail to the main street in town. Accordinig to the ship's map it is a ¾ mile hike to the Maui Mall Village across the highway. This port area used to be filled with feral cats, and someone used to leave kibbles in old tuna cans for them. Apparently they have been removed because we saw none.
Maui Mall Village is directly across the street, filled with mostly essential grocery stores, pharmacies, car shops, hair salons, entertainment center, and various types of eateries. And there are the fun stores such as TJMaxx and Ross, dress for less. We needed to do some shopping and ended up with some bargains in the blouse department at Ross. These stores always seem to be the busiest with the locals and today was no exception. The check-out line at TJMaxx was too long, so we opted for Ross instead.
It was time for lunch, and we went to the Ale House, a local sports bar and grill near Wendy's and other fast-food places. I was already full of customers because of football we think. We ordered a Stella draft beer and a bottomless Diet Coke. We followed up with a giant 14-inch pizza topped with sauce, 2 types of cheese and Kalua shredded pork. Their thin crust is probably a frozen shell, but the toppings make up for it. Absolutely no room for dessert, we made one last stop at Longs Drugs for a bag of pretzels. You never know when we might get hungry, right? Many shoppers there were crew members, among them dining room maitre'd Dwi and his waiters along to carry back bags full of Halloween decorations. We all hustled back just in time to miss the coming showers, which eventually came down heavy.
Back onboard, we used the time to figure out the dreaded computer again, which seems to have a mind of its own. Captain Thomas gave his talk at 5:45pm, announcing that we would require two tugs to get us safely out of the harbor due to high winds. We seemed to recall that last year we had a two hour wait to leave here. The next port of Kona was 120 nautical miles away, and we would need a speed of 12 knots to arrive on time. It will be a tender port, which we really don't like all that much. We will have 15 knot winds along the way with a 5-foot swell. The sunset this evening was 5:54pm and the sunrise will be 6:22am.
At dinner, we had Caesar salads, bang-bang shrimp (because we like the name), one chicken noodle soup, and mains of one chicken/turkey Wellington (really ?) and one ½ order of beef brisket. The mystery Wellington had a pile of spinach hidden under the slice of meat.....something that is not to our liking for several reasons. We asked our waiter and head waiter Betty why they do that. They had no idea why and promised they would check that before serving the entrees. Our theory is that the cooked spinach came with another entree, and they cooked too much. Hiding it under another meat entree, they get rid of it. Maybe we're wrong, but this is not the first time this has happened. No dessert tonight.
The entertainer this evening was a lady named Barrie Kealoha, an Island Girl with story-telling heritage with music as well.
One last port in Hawaii will be Kona. Looking forward to one last Aloha.....
Bill & Mary Ann
