Mon. Nov. 16 and Tues. Nov. 17

Oahu and Maui, Hawaii

We had a nice sunny, warm day to start, but as we drove around Oahu, we encountered showers. Our last visit to these islands was 26 years ago and we were surprised at the changes around the east end of Oahu. Two lane roads were now four lanes with shopping centers and new housing developments. We saw many signs close to the north shore beaches protesting further growth. The beaches and mountains hadn't changed though and the pineapple valley in the middle of Oahu was still beautiful.
Honolulu has grown also but the city has progressed with time and the hotels all look new and refurbished.
In Maui, we shopped in Lahaina. It is much the same as we remembered , with one small mall that hadn't been there. The areas surrounding Lahaina have grown, but the growth appears to be under control.



Oahu

Haunamua Bay


Koko Head ( volcano:))



Maui
The giant banyon tree in Lahaina





To sum up the experience, it was a grand adventure. Each port was a visual treat and the knowledge we gained on other cultures was truly interesting. It is hard to pick a favorite because every time we try, we can't stop at one.Lets just say, once was enough for Fiji and Samoa but we would repeat all the other places we visited.

As for 30 days on a ship, we would prefer 15-20. We certainly had plenty to do on sea days, but by the time we were leaving Bora Bora, we had been away from home for 28 days already and felt fulfilled. We have to consider 7 of those 28 days were en-route and in Sydney. We have never vacationed that long. So as we wondered how long would be just enough, we think 3 weeks of actual cruising with 2 days at the port of disembarkation would be enough for us.

Maybe we'll feel differently when we get old:)
ALOHA!

4 Sea Days

Thurs. Nov. 12

The first of four sea days as we sail to Hawaii, the seas are calm but it is raining.







Fri. Nov. 13

Today brought sunshine and warm temps and calm seas.. How lucky we have been for 22 days. We went to the covered pool right after breakfast because the other pool was being readied for the Equator ceremony. We crossed the Equator back to the northern hemisphere at 3;00 today. The pics are of King Neptune and his queen and the crowd around the pool. We had to watch it on the big screen because of the huge crowd.
The ritual was funny as King Neptune hazed some first time crossers. Great weather for it.

Sat. Nov. 14





Woke up to this glorious sunrise. The pics are in order as the sunrise unfolded.
Saw the twin sons of Ricky Nelson perform tonight in a tribute to their dad. They are known as the band Nelson. They have normal hair now :) They sang their dad's hits and showed video of the Nelson family right back to Ozzie and Harriet. It was a very good show. They are performing again tomorrow night but this time with their music. This should be very interesting.


Sun. Nov. 15

Rough day at sea but sunny. Went to a culinary demonstration by the head Chef of the fleet. We already have his book from a previous cruise. Then we listened to a lecture on Pearl Harbor. Before dinner we went to another concert by Nelson, this time with their own music. They sure don't look like they did in the 90's

Bora Bora

Wed. Nov. 11

We found heaven on earth...Bora Bora was spectacular. The sun was shining and the lagoon was 5 different shades of blue and green. We wish our pics of Moorea could have been in sunshine as it was much more dramatic in topography than Bora Bora, but the lagoon in Moorea isn't as grand as the one in Bora Bora.

Our catamaran tour was in the afternoon and provided optimum lighting for our pics. We tendered ashore about 10:30 am to do some shopping and browsing and were on the sailboat by 12:15. There were about 30 people onboard and three crew (very young) who catered to our every need. When we anchored for an hour to swim and snorkel, they helped us on and off the boat, told us where we could stand and where the water was 6 feet. Joe used a life jacket as he felt more secure in water where he he could not touch. The coral below us was scarce and in clumps so you could easily see it when walking on the bottom. The crew kept checking on the swimmers in jackets and assisted the people to get back to and in the boat. They served rum drinks and fresh pineapple, bananas and fresh coconut. They also entertained us with song and the ukelele. Just an awesome experience.
When we returned to the ship, we went back to the cabin with sandwiches and sat looking at Mt. Otemanu from our balcony. The ship moored in the most picturesque part of Bora Bora. We also had front row seats in Moorea's harbor.
We stayed on the balcony as the ship sailed out of the harbor and got some of our best pics as we departed. Thank goodness for gigabytes as I would have never had enough film. I just clicked and clicked. As we cleared the inlet, we were greeted by a bunch of dolphins swimming and jumping alongside the ship. We got it on video. What an ending to a wonderful visit.

Tues. Nov. 10
Papeete, Tahiti

We arrived in Papeete at 8:00 last night. This morning the sun was shining! We got lovely pics today but Tahiti is not as breathtaking as Moorea. We took an island tour in the morning and spent the afternoon at the pool. It was very hot and humid. There was a Folkloric show given by the Tahitians late this afternoon and I have some video from my camera , but not enough bandwidth to post it. Tonight we are crashing. Tomorrow is a big day. Bora Bora!



A black sand beach



Lighthouse at Venus Point in Tahiti

Mon. Nov. 9

Moorea-French Polynesia

It was overcast most of the day but Moorea made our hearts smile. There are not enough superlatives to describe this South Pacific Island so I'll just post some pictures.

Talofa from Samoa

Samoa
Thurs. Nov. 5 and Fri. Nov. 6
Talofa!

We visited Western Samoa and American Samoa on these two days. They are the same in geography and beauty, but different in income and progress. The family is of great importance to them both with chiefs in every family. They live in groups as big as 200 family members. In Western Samoa, the homes are completely open with no doors or windows. In Pago Pago (American Samoa) they have windows and doors and even air-conditioning.They speak the same language but with different dialects.
We found them interesting and learned a lot about the Samoans but we would not return.There doesn't seem to be a push for tourism. They like the peaceful quiet of their island.
Next up will be 2 sea days and then Moorea. :)

Fiji

Fiji
Wed. Nov. 4 and Wed. Nov. 4

You read it right. We got back the day we lost going to Australia today. On the first Nov. 4th we went to Fiji.
On the second Nov. 4th we are at sea. :) We have to change the clocks ahead an hour tonight to further confuse the situation. Oh well, this will probably be posted on Thurs. Nov. 5...I think.....

Fiji never got the memo that Joe and Judy were arriving....It poured. By the time we arrived at our excursion destination (the Fiji Cultural Center) the rain had stopped and we managed to see the Fiji Firewalkers and a demonstration of life in a Fiji village of the past. Did I mention they used to eat people? Blech!

The countryside was lush with tropical vegetation but the little villages we passed were depressing. We were in Suva and they get a lot of rain where as the other major Fiji Island (Vanua Levu) is the one that gets the sunshine. We did not get to see beautiful beaches in Suva. Our guide told us that the resorts are located on the best beaches and most of the beaches in this part of Fiji are black sand. The sand on Vanua Levu's beaches is white.

We had a nice warm sunny sea day today and enjoyed the aft pool. Tomorrow is Apia, Samoa. We have a tour of the island and a beach stop. We hope to be able to go for a swim.

Mon. Nov. 2 and Tues. Nov.3

Two sea days in a row makes one want to contemplate the meaning of life.....ahem...no, I haven't been drinking. I just have been having deep thoughts about this cruise and I feel like sharing:)

Once again we have been blessed with good seas and sunshine. The weather is getting warmer the farther north we travel. I am ready to pack our jeans and long sleeves into the suitcase and shove them under the bed.
We can only say that the first part of our journey was amazing. The people we met in Sydney and New Zealand were friendly and helpful. The majestic landscape of New Zealand was impressive and the memories of our visit will last for years to come.

We have spent a lot of time assessing the cruisers on board and are finding that we probably have the least number of cruises on the ship. We have spoken with people who leave one cruise and get right on another. It is nothing for them to be away from home for 60-90 days at a time. Some spend 6 months a year cruising. A lot of the cruisers walk around the ship with the days schedule of activities in hand as well as with a book or a deck of cards. I can't even keep my eyes open for 5 minutes reading on the ship. The gentle motion puts me right to sleep. We don't feel we fit the mold of the typical cruiser that we have met on board.
Our motivation for cruising is to explore the world. Yes, we enjoy the relaxation the sea days afford, but we look forward with anticipation, the ports we will visit. We have spoken to people who don't do anything in the ports. We can't relate to them.

We went to another lecture of John Maxtone-Graham's today. He is a cruise ship historian who has taken us on a trip through the history of the Ocean Liners. His lectures are so informative as well as entertaining and he fills the theater every time. He finished his stories to 1980 and his next series of lectures will be on the cruising industry from 1980 to the present. This is when the purpose of the ship changed from transportation to and from Europe to entertainment that returned you to your point of origin.

Tonight is formal night and we will attend the festivities. This is the second of 4. We only plan to attend 2.

Back from our evening....we saw two good shows . One was by the Princess performers and themed on rock and roll. The other was a guitarist from Australia that performed folk songs and John Denver songs. He was very enjoyable.
We had lobster thermidor and halibut for dinner. The food has been quite good, with only a couple of disappointments. Here are some pics of our day.