Hawaii Cruise Blog
Day 1 12.23.08: Phoenix to LA
We left a half an hour late from home, which isn’t bad considering our history with departure times. The drive to LA was reasonably uneventful except for a few close calls with delayed braking action. The Doubletree hotel in San Pedro was a nice stay and the price ($145 incl tax) through hotels.com was excellent. I recommend this hotel for a cruise departure.
The Port of Los Angeles was different than I imagined. It wasn’t quite as gritty as I though it would be. It was very clean. The sailboats and motor yachts lined up in the slips were expensive and expansive.
Day 2 12.24.08: All Aboard the Golden Princess
The boarding procedure seemed less chaotic than when we did the cruise out of Brooklyn, NY. The bag drop off was very disorganized but the long term parking arrangement for our car was convenient. Inside the terminal the gate agents operated with the usual efficiency. We breezed through security and made our way down the gangway to the ship.
The boat departed late because of delayed flights from other parts of the country that had Princess passengers on board. I applaud his decision to live the Christmas spirit and hold the boat for the other passengers. It was a nice gift. He explained that the time would be made up at sea over the next 4 days.
Dinner was interesting. We met Brian, the Canadian who is the poster boy for frugality. He wouldn’t cough up $60 for the all-you-can-drink cup. He gave the server a hard time wondering what was free drink at dinner other than water and ice tea and milk. With all the Jesus-like love I could muster, I decided that anytime dining is much preferable to assigned dining because you could get stuck with a Brian every night for dinner. Elizabeth made some friends at the teen kickoff.
Day 3 12.25.08: The cost of the gift
In order to make up the lost time in LA the captain had the boat at 21 knots through some 20-30 foot swells. A fellow passenger and former commercial fisherman gave the sea measurement to me. The sea was so rough they had to drain all of the pools as a safety precaution because they were splashing over the sides of the pool. There were many green tinged passengers walking around. They looked like zombies, void of color and hating life. Bill and Addie Mae told us that these conditions were the worst they’ve experienced in many cruises. We made it without losing breakfast, lunch or dinner. I wonder if there is a “nearly-puking badge for survivors. We are taking Dramamine regularly which is really helping.
The food portions have a European influence with reasonable portion sizes. I’m sure some of the U.S. passengers have lodged complaints because the servings are less then basketball size.
Dinner with Larry from London was entertaining. His wife was sick for dinner so he came alone. We also had Olaf from Norway at our table. Larry is an English version of Rush Limbaugh. It was interesting getting his view on Tony Blair and the current Prime Minister. It’s apparent that political passions run high on both sides of the Atlantic.
Day 4 12.26.08: Blue skies, calmer seas
The ocean swells have calmed down somewhat but the boat still rolls, more Dramamine down the throat. The sun is shining today which brightens the mood. Marcia wondered if we should take another cruise after yesterday’s experience in the rough seas. I’m willing to make a decision after the cruise. I don’t want to write off cruising yet. This has to get better. I can’t think of the boat as a means of transportation but a destination in itself. We heard from a few passengers that the first two sailing days were about as rough as it gets.
Day 5 12.27.08: The Dead Have Returned
The boat’s load is markedly more animated and cheery today. The hallways are more crowded and both sides of the buffet are open for the first time. The crew is still kind of surly but maybe they suffered from the rough seas too. The crew may be getting tired because this boat returned to LA on Dec 24th from another Hawaii run. Marcia loves the high tea at 3:30 every day. We meet some of the most interesting people at tea. Of course, the British are experts and point out the pros and cons of the Americanized version of high tea. Generally they find it authentic although they complain that the tea is a little weak. The fitness center on the Golden Princess is below the standard of the Crown Princess we sailed to the Caribbean. The YMCA at home is much better than this fitness center. The equipment is old and worn. We’ve decided to get our exercise on the outdoor running track and the stairs, which is a surpassingly rigorous workout. We’ve backpacked the Grand Canyon but these stairs are kicking my butt. We are in decent shape and are huffing and puffing when we climb from level 5 to level 12. I can’t imagine how some of the people with a few more pounds and years are coping with this. Pray that the elevators don’t quit working. The sun made brief appearances today but mostly it was cloudy with intermittent rain. Doesn’t the weather realize we are on vacation?
Day 6 12.28.08: Cruisin’ Mode
We have reached cruisin’ mode after 5 days at sea. The routine of the boat’s activities and familiarity with the ship’s layout has reduced the stress level and made the days more enjoyable. We are going to the Desert Rose Steakhouse tonight for a change of dinner pace. There’s an extra $15 per person surcharge but the food is supposed to be a notch above the commoners dining room and you get your own table with excellent service. We’ll see. Plans for BI (Big Island) are firm; now we just need to get there tomorrow morning.
I discovered outside level 7 (The Promenade deck) is the perfect place to watch the waves go by the ship. The sound of the water drowns the voices and there is no music here. It’s my new favorite place to get solitary. It’s also a great walking track with 3 circuits equaling 1 mile. Elizabeth mentioned some of her friends were brought along on this trip by their parents because they didn’t have anyplace to store them for the vacation. We planned this trip to include Elizabeth, to celebrate our small family and enjoy each other’s company while she is not entangled with relationships, career or college. We are glad to have here with us on this trip and always. The weather is still mostly cloudy with occasional rain.
Day 7: 12.29.08: Stop #1 Hilo
Free shuttle to Wal-Mart and Hilo Hattie’s….got haircuts…bought some cheap local Hawaiian jewelry….traveled 2,000 miles and shopped at Wal-Mart…
Liliuokaloni Gardens….talked to a long time Hilo resident at the fish pond…rain…a cab driver that picked us up as promised…cheap jewelry…our first impression of Hawaii is a good one…most people we meet are very friendly.
Day 8: 12.30.08: Rain, Rain Go Away
We arrived in Honolulu this morning to another cloudy, rainy day. If this is the high season, I’d like to know when the good weather comes to Hawaii. The highlight of today was the tour of the Liliuokaloni palace in Honolulu. It seems the Americans have a long history of meddling in other sovereign governments’ affairs. The Queen wanted to change the form of constitution in the late 1800’s but the disaffected class, mainly non-native Hawaiians would be left out of the power structure. No worries, simply organize a group of dissidents, land some U.S. troops in Hawaii in support of the uprising and viola, regime change. I need to study this period of history. The more things change the more they stay the same. We also enjoyed Makapuu beach on the windward side. The waves were big. We sunned and swam a little. The scenery was breathtaking. Then I got lost in Kaluakai with the rental car. It ended up being a very frustrating day. Driving in Honolulu is maddening. The streets don’t line up and the traffic is awful. Now I’m stressed out. Today had some ridiculous moments. But now it’s time to let the day go. There will be a chance to begin again tomorrow.
Day 9: 12.31.08
Kauai started out well with mostly sunny skies as we sailed into Nawillilwilli. The rental car experience at National was easy enough although it’s very hard to explain to a teenager why you can’t have the convertible rental car (crime target, quick rain showers with the top down, and frequent rain are some grown-up reasons). It was easier to get out of part and navigate Kauai than Oahu but the traffic was still artery clogging.
We snorkeled at Poi’Pu at just the right time of day. The torrential rain of the century fell on us as we drove out of the bay area. The wipers couldn’t keep up. The rain stopped in time for us to find Lappert’s Ice Cream, one of Hawaii’s more famous brands. After another tough slog through Hawaii traffic, we got back to port on an early port call day, which ended at 5pm. Did I mention the weather sucks? We sailed by Honolulu as the New Year rang in. The firework display all across the southern coast of Oahu was phenomenal. The ship had many activities for New Year celebration but we missed most of them due to our middle age married person preference for sleep.
Day 10: 1.1.09
Maui was magical. We walked the beach in front the resort strip in Kanapalli and watched waves crash. The beaches are crowded but fun. The waves have an unusual way of bulking up near the shore seeming to build a wall of water without breaking. A random wave will burst onto shore carrying the screaming kids on their inflatable or boogie board. This is the first stop on the western side of an island while all of the other stops were southern or eastern ports. The western ports are drier and sunnier. The eastern and southern ports are more tropical jungle and soggy. We’ve decided to explore a week vacation to Maui soon.
tried Hawaiian shave ice today. It’s like frozen cotton candy. It’s great to be a kid for 15 minutes.
Back on the boat and I can’t relax. After 10 days and 4 ports of call, my stress level is about the same as when I left LA. Love keeps no record of wrongs. So far, this vacation has done little to reduce my stress level and may have increased my blood pressure. I paid for this?
Random thoughts:
I Jump and then sink
Walking suspended
The sled on a rope
Pull the heavy load
A few inches forward
Enabled but wondering why
Day 11:1.2.09 Sea Day
It’s usually not a good sign when the ship’s captain announces that taking motion sickness tablets is advisable for the next 24 hours. The forecast is for rain and rough seas. The Pacific Ocean in the winter is not a nice place to be sailing. We have all caught a nasty cold virus to add to our pleasure. We go to high tea most afternoons at 3pm. Marcia loves it and I enjoy it too. The group at our table was an odd combination of British and Canadian people. We felt excluded by them in their conversation. I guess the Canadian woman didn’t want to share her companions with us. Some people never grow out of the circle of petty jealousy found in the teenage years. Oh well, just more validation that the assigned dining option is not the right choice for us. We could get stuck with some terrible dinner companions.
Day 12:1.3.09 Sea Day
I think we are all getting a little tired of the cruise now. The weather has been gloomy, cold and windy and the seas have been rough. We think of our day on the beach at Maui. Our colds now have become worse which makes sailing even more unpleasant. So we sleep and eat, a lot. We do some reading, play some DS and think about tomorrow. Elizabeth commented yesterday that this cruise is too long. She’s been remarkable content with the trip until yesterday. It could have something to do with a rift with her cruise friends. She’s not hanging out with them anymore.
Day 13:1.4.09 Sea Day
The seas were rough again and the wind was howling at 20 knots headwind. It was too cold to be outside. The chaise lounges were empty around the pool. So we spend our time bouncing from dining room to dining room. The meals are almost always excellent. The crew wrapped yellow caution tape around the table near us at tea today. Then a guy with a white hazmat suit and mask came and disinfected the table and chairs. Apparently someone left their lunch on the table after halfway digesting the food. We sat with a 27-year-old woman from the U.K. who is a professional polo player and substitutes for the Windsor Team when another rider is absent. She frequently subs for William and Harry when they are away on business.
Day 14:1.5.09 Sea Day
We met a very nice couple from Dallas at breakfast today. We had a great discussion about church and struggles we both have with the organization. We expressed disbelief at the single-minded focus of church bodies to build buildings. This obsession with creating worldly monuments to the detriment of saving souls is troubling. I had hoped to avoid talking about the real world issues during vacation. I wish we had exchanged contact information. The husband is a former assistant police chief and would have made a great mentor for me. I snoozed on that one.
Day 15:1.6.09 Ensinada, Mexico
We took an impulsive tour of Ensinada today after docking in Mexico. We bought some last minute tickets on a tour bus to La Bufadora. It’s a big risk to take a tour not affiliated with the ship because if you don’t make it back by the time the boat casts off, too bad for you. The tour guide was very pleasant in her broken English. I was humbled and reminded of American arrogance because I, like many Americans, speak only English whereas most of the developed and developing population speaks English as well as their native language. We made it safely to the blowhole, paid to go to the bathroom, ran the gauntlet of street vendors, bought some nice pottery and cheap sunglasses, toured some abject poverty in the city and made it back to the ship in plenty of time.
Day 16:1.7.09 Port of Los Angeles
Home again. Unfriendly Homeland Security agents greeted us at the gangway. It’s no wonder the rest of the world finds us unfriendly if this is their first exposure to the country. Maybe someday we’ll be less of a police state. The 6-hour drive to Phoenix is in front of us. I miss the fried chicken and sugar donut from the ship’s buffet. This wasn’t the most relaxing vacation but it was a great adventure. I’m sure we’ll cruise again, God willing. Thank to God for the resources to take this wonderful trip with family.
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