Tag: travel

Portland, Maine

Thursday, August 7, 2025

I woke up at 6:30 and made my way to the Exploration Cafe for our coffees. I was prepared to stand in a long line but was pleasantly surprised – no line at all. Way different than cruises that have the Grand Dutch Cafe which always has a line no matter what time of the day. But I did miss not being able to get a raisin bun with the coffees. The Explorations Cafe had some sad-looking croissants available, but I wasn’t going to waste calories on them.

I got the first load of laundry ready to send out and then we went for a leisurely breakfast in the main dining room.

Today was a very short port day. We arrived at 7:00. The ship was cleared soon after and everyone had to be back on board at 12:30. The last time we were in Portland, we took a HAL tour that drove us to the famous Portland Lighthouse and then gave us a tour of Kennebunkport. Today we opted for a nice stroll along the boardwalk toward Fort Allen Park. It is a popular area for joggers and dog walkers as it is flat and paved. We were back on board by 10:30.

A sailing camp for children
An old garrison
The Gathering Stones – a public art display
A tourist train that would take you from port along the boardwalk and back
He serenaded us for quite some time

We spent the rest of the sunny day on the Sea View deck chatting with other guests. The sailaway was promptly at 1:00.

It was dressy night tonight and we had reservations for the Pinnacle Grill. I was in the shower and right in the middle of it, the whole large showerhead broke from the tubing and just fell off. Water spurted from the coil all over the ceiling and walls until I could get close enough to turn the water off. I was lucky the showerhead didn’t land on my head. I had a head-full of conditioner so I had to turn the water back on slowly and use the stream coming from the coil to rinse the conditioner out. I wiped down the ceiling and walls the best I could.

We’ve already had one issue with the room and that was last night when the smoke alarm suddenly started beeping. We didn’t smell any smoke. I called the room steward and he came and removed it. Said it must be the batteries. Now I had to call him about the showerhead. He said he would send a plumber. I hoped there wouldn’t be a third incident.

We had a very good meal at the Pinnacle. I got the lamb chops and Chuck had the filet mignon and lobster tail. For an appetizer, I chose the crab and corn chowder soup from the special New England section. There was a lot of corn and other vegetables and practically no crab so I can’t recommend that soup. Wish I had gotten the crab cakes like Chuck did. He said they were excellent.

We then went to the World Stage to see Breton Thunder perform. We have seen them before, but they always put on a high energy show and tonight was no exception. I hope to catch them again this trip.

We went to the last set of the Ocean Bar band. Still not very impressed. The lead female singer seemed to be losing her voice. She was drinking a lot of water between songs.

After some time in the Casino, we called it a night. Came back to the cabin to find a new smoke detector, new showerhead and coil, and the laundry that was sent out this morning returned cleaned and pressed. Very happy.

We also found the note that the clocks would move forward an hour. Boo.

Tomorrow: Halifax, Nova Scotia

Embarkation Day

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

So I slept better than I did the night before. I was up before 6:30. About 7:30, Chuck went across the street to a Dunkin Donuts. He brought back their excellent coffees and some breakfast sandwiches. After breakfast, I got all the bags repacked and tagged for the ship.

While Chuck was out and about this morning, he saw a man in a ballgown enjoying a leisurely morning stroll and a man in only his underwear singing and dancing down the sidewalk. Life in the big city. When we went out a little later just to kill some time before we had to checkout, we sat in the hotel swing and only saw some joggers and dog walkers.

At 10:45 we went to the lobby to meet with the HAL representative. The bus was supposed to be there at 11:00. At 11:15, the rep said “The bus is on its way. It’s just around the corner.” At 11:25, the rep said, “Oh, the bus just got hit by a car. Another bus is coming.” At 11:45, we were finally on a bus with the luggage. We pulled away from the curb, went one block, and were stuck in a huge traffic jam. It was stop and go all the way to the port. I knew it wouldn’t get any better once we were at the terminal. Serenity Now!

I enjoy sailing out of Boston because it is scenic and not usually too hot. I do not like Boston embarkations. The lines are typically long and slow. Today was no different. Not as bad as last year (see photo below) but long. The security screening is the worse. You would think they would at least follow the airports, but it is way stricter. I can’t think of another embarkation port that we have encountered that is worse.

September 2024 embarkation line in Boston

We had been notified that each person would also have to complete a Canadian declaration form while in the terminal. But, I guess the lines were slow enough, so they decided to put them in our stateroom instead. Thankful for small favors.

Once we finally made it out of the terminal, I thought we were home free. Nope. Not today. Once we got up the ramp, we were stopped on the promenade deck to do the final check-in to the ship. Typically, they do the final check-in once you are inside the ship.

There were two lines but one line was held up with a couple who had a small service dog. The couple was looking for all their paperwork while the HAL officer left to find someone higher up in rank to help. I wondered if they would end up getting on the ship or not.

I thought our line was moving okay until two people had to show their passports. They were waved on but then another HAL official saw something on the screen and pointed while saying “Passport Denied!” and took off after the people. The other HAL person seemed shook up. I thought she was going to stop the line, but she scanned our boarding passes and just let us keep going. Finally, we were onboard the Volendam.

We found our cabin easily and almost immediately one piece of luggage showed up. We went to brave the Lido for a lite lunch. It wasn’t too crowded. Afterwards, I went to the dining kiosk and made our specialty dining reservations.

We went back to the room and found our 2nd piece of luggage had arrived. We were able to get everything put away before the sailaway at 3:00. I met our room steward and inquired about the small refrigerator I had requested to rent for our room. He said it would be delivered before the end of the evening.

On some of the ships, like the Volendam, only refrigerators are available in verandas and above. On some of the newer ships, refrigerators are available in all of the rooms. I was glad to be able to rent one. We like to keep water and soft drinks in there.

I dropped off the Canadian Declaration form to Guest Services and then met up with Chuck at the sailaway party. It was a lot of fun as usual.

The Cruise Director and his team were very energetic. I left at 4:00 to go attend the Cruise Director’s port talk about Portland. I found out during the talk that all his talks would be recorded, and we could watch them in our cabin. Good to know.

Soon the Casino opened. It was very small but had some of our favorite machines. Chuck made sure that his free play was loaded on his card. We met the Casino host who remembered Chuck from one of the sailings on the Zuiderdam.

For dinner, we went to the Lido for their steak dinner.

We then went to the show in the World Stage – Ventriloquist Mike Robinson. He was very funny.

Once the show was over, we went to the last two sets of the Ocean Bar band. They were okay but I missed the Rolling Stone Rock bands on the larger ships.

We were ready to call it a night.

Tomorrow: Portland, Maine

Travel Days 1 & 2

Monday and Tuesday, August 4 & 5, 2025

When we have an early flight, I prefer to go to the airport the day before. Chuck indulges my nervous-traveler needs. After reviewing my travel check-list for the 3rd time and being snubbed by Pumpkin when we tried to say good-bye, we got to the shuttle office at 1:30 and left promptly at 2:00.

The driver must have been new because he had a long spiel “Buckle up – we’ll do our best to get you there on-time, let me know if you get hot or cold.” In the past, most of the drivers just say buckle up and they take off. Maybe it’s a new rule.

The van was full, but everyone was going to the airport, and the driver didn’t have to drop-off or pick-up anyone up at the auxiliary locations. Since we were just going to an airport hotel, I didn’t care but I’m sure the other passengers trying to get to their flight were anxious because the weather soon started getting worse and the traffic was snarling.

We arrived at the domestic terminal only about 20 minutes later than expected which I thought was pretty good given the conditions. While the others spread out heading for the different airlines, we went to the hotel shuttle area. With all of the construction that has been going on (and is still going on), we discovered that the hotel shuttle and the regional shuttle areas have been moved farther away from the airport exit.

We had to cross the street, go down a long ramp, and then cross another street. Instead of having someone let you know which hotel shuttle was arriving, you had to look at the sign and go to the area where your shuttle would eventually arrive. Annoying.

We stayed at the Hyatt Airport South again. We were on the 5th floor. They have done some renovations to the building and inside, but more is needed. Especially having more than one elevator working. We like the location. It was still misting so we decided to just go next door to the Burger Place at the Sonesta hotel.

Chuck had a burger and I had a bar-b-que sandwich. Good service and food. Pricey for what you get but not unexpected.

Watched some reruns of Big Bang Theory and went to sleep early. Wish I could have stayed asleep, but I tossed and turned all night. Just got on up at 5:00.

The hotel still offers a decent free breakfast and good coffee. When we checked out and went outside to wait for the 9:00 hotel shuttle, I saw a fire truck arrive at the Sonesta and block the road the shuttle typically takes. Luckily, they didn’t stay there very long. Not sure what the issue was.

We had a very smooth transition from the pick-up at the hotel to sitting down at our gate – 40 minutes. Couldn’t believe how easy security was this time. Typically, one of our bags goes down the naughty line to be examined. Not this time. Started talking with a couple near us who were also going on the cruise. They had flown in from Hilton Head early that morning.

With the dreary weather, I was concerned we might not take off on time, but we did. However, the pilot kept the seatbelt light on longer than usual because we were bumping along as we tried to get well above the bad weather. I watched the MineCraft movie. It was cute. Chuck watched some old reruns of Fraiser.

After retrieving our bags, we found the Holland America (HAL) representatives who escorted us and one other couple to our driver. I was glad it was him and not me battling the Boston traffic.

The last couple of times in Boston, we stayed at the Marriott Copley. This time, HAL had us booked at the W Boston (also a Marriott property). It is located in the Theater District and is a more modern building than the Copley.

Our room was ready so we dropped off our luggage. We were on the 11th floor. We found the HAL representatives to get information about the transfer to the pier tomorrow. Unlike last time, we would be responsible for bringing our luggage down to the lobby. I was okay with that change because they always picked up our luggage so early and now I wouldn’t have to rush to get everything ready.

After so much sitting today, we needed to walk around so we wandered around the Theater District and then on to the Boston Commons.

Once we made it back, we ate falafels at The Halal Guys across the street from the hotel. We enjoyed sitting outside people watching. We didn’t really care for all the pigeons watching us.

Too big to wrap up in the pita bread

After dinner, we had run out of steam and were ready to call it an evening.

Tomorrow: Embarkation

Canada Bound

We were offered a good deal on this 10-day Boston to Montreal cruise on the Holland America Volendam. Though we’ve done a similar route before, we decided to book this trip because it offered three ports we have not experienced, and we could celebrate Chuck’s birthday. I was able to celebrate my birthday on a cruise earlier this year, so this cruise was his turn.

The Volendam is one of the two smallest ships in the Holland America (HAL) fleet. We have never sailed on the Volendam, but we have sailed several times on its sister ship – Zaandam. So, we knew the Volendam would not have all the amenities of the larger ships, but it would still offer great service, good food, and enjoyable activities/entertainment. And its small size allows it to sail into ports that larger ships cannot as well as being very easy to navigate inside.

So let’s go have some fun.

Disembarkation and Traveling Home

Tuesday, April 22 & Wednesday, April 23, 2025

A decorative illustration featuring the phrase 'Home Sweet Home' surrounded by flowers and foliage.

We arrived back to Vancouver with no delay, so we were up early. We needed to be ready to depart by 8:00 as that is when we would have to catch the HAL excursion Vancouver Highlights and Airport Transfer.

We started off with breakfast in a very crowded Lido. I got cereal and fruit. Chuck got eggs and sausage and fruit. He said that his breakfast was luke-warm/cool tasting. Have never experienced that on HAL before.

Once back in the room, we gathered up our backpacks and one carry-on and went to the Rolling Stone Lounge to wait for our number to be called. The Cruise Director called it promptly at 8:00.

Everything was going smoothly until one of the port employees stopped us and said the luggage for our group was not ready yet. I could see luggage lined up under our color and number, so I told her it was there. She said “no – I have not been notified so it is not there.”

Other people were pointing at it too, but she wouldn’t budge until another worker came up to her and said the luggage was ready. Sad that you are so rigid you can’t believe your own eyes.

Once we retrieved our other three pieces of luggage, we found that people were having issues going through Canadian customs. We had to wait for a couple in front of us to explain to the Customs officer why they brought back a whole fresh mango from Hawaii and where they purchased it – store, farm, roadside stand. I didn’t have as much trouble bringing my boxes of macadamia nut cookies since the boxes were sealed.

Once we were past all of the security, we found the tour guide for our excursion today. He led us to a different part of the port to wait for our bus to arrive. Took a while. But, the bus was nice and roomy, and they loaded all our luggage on it for us. We kept our backpacks with us.

He provided a nice narration as we drove through Vancouver.

A large mural featuring a flower design and hands on the side of a building against a clear blue sky.
A modern architectural structure with large glass windows and a rounded facade, set against a clear blue sky in Vancouver. Flags are visible in front of the building.
Public Librar y
Exterior view of BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, featuring event calendar and promotional banners.
View of the Concord Pacific building with a large spherical structure in Vancouver, surrounded by modern urban architecture and blue sky.
Colorful street graffiti featuring the text 'SMOKEY' alongside cartoonish character art.
A historic steam clock in Gastown, Vancouver, with steam billowing out and a decorative clock face showing the time.
A Steam Clock
A carved stone figure of a woman reading, positioned on the exterior of a modern building with glass windows.
A close-up view of an artistic mural depicting stylized deer with bold black and red colors on a utility box.

We only made one stop – Stanley Park. It was beautiful. If we ever have more than one day in Vancouver, I would like to explore more of the park.

View of Vancouver's skyline with modern skyscrapers and a harbor, featuring the Chevron building and a cruise ship in the foreground.
View from the park. Our ship is at the far left.
A colorful totem pole featuring intricate designs and a figure holding a circular object, surrounded by trees and natural greenery.
Two totem poles carved with intricate designs and colorful patterns, surrounded by greenery in Stanley Park.
A beautiful flower garden featuring vibrant orange tulips, yellow daffodils, and delicate blue flowers surrounding a textured stone.
A bronze statue of a mermaid sitting on a rock in the water with a scenic backdrop.
A vibrant flowerbed featuring red tulips and blue flowers under a leafy tree in a park.
A large, modern outdoor sculpture featuring a red circular element and a triangular base, surrounded by lush green trees and shrubs in a park setting.

We arrived at the airport at a little after twelve o’clock. Our flight was not until 11:00 pm (yes, 11:00) so we were not going directly into the airport.

I had booked us a dayroom at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport In-Terminal Hotel using DayUse.com. They only give you set times that you can book during the day, and I chose 11:00 – 7:00 pm. I wish they had offered a noon – 8:00 pm choice since we didn’t get there until noon.

We walked down the sidewalk and went into the hotel. We were greeted by a hotel representative who looked at our registration and then pushed the button to open the elevator. We walked down another hallway to the reception desk to check-in.

Once inside the room, we were able to get the suitcases situated for the flight, take a hot shower, nap, and get a late lunch/early dinner from the Wendy’s at the airport food court. All too soon, it was time to check-out and take the elevator down to the airport. However, the room was great, and I wouldn’t hesitate to book it again.

We checked our luggage, went through US Immigration, and were at the gate in less than an hour. The really weird part was that we weren’t allowed in the sitting area of our gate. It was enclosed in glass and locked. There was a sign saying something about not being allowed to open until 30 minutes prior to the flight in the in-transit area. Why would they have all that nice seating and vending machines if you can’t use it?

We were able to get 2 seats outside of the area. Chuck ended up giving up his seat to a woman and he went to sit in another section. I made a couple of laps through the duty -free stores on my way to the restroom. I only bought some bottled water. The airport shops started shutting down at 10:00. At 10:30, we were allowed into the waiting room and at 11:00 we were airborne.

Why did we not get an earlier flight? We prefer direct flights on Delta, and this was the only choice. We could have gotten one-stop flights, but we would have arrived late at night. I even looked at staying one more night in Vancouver to see if a different direct flight would be available. Nope. 11:00 pm was it.

Another disappointment with this flight was that, even though I booked directly with Delta, it was actually a WestJet flight, which is a partner with Delta. There was no in-flight entertainment or WIFI. Chuck put his neck pillow against the window and tried to doze. I read my Kindle. I was glad I had my lightweight jacket as the plane was cold. They did serve some snacks, and I got some ginger ale and a cookie. Chuck was asleep. I was glad we ate a big Wendy’s meal. I did have some extra snacks in my backpack in case Chuck woke up.

We arrived a little after 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday. We didn’t have to go through Immigration again since we did it in Canada. But once we picked up our luggage, we had to take the bus over from the International Terminal to the Domestic Terminal to catch our shuttle home. That is a pain. I hope they extend the underground train over there eventually.

There is a lot of construction going on at the airport and today it was affecting the shuttle area. Normally, the hotel shuttles use one lane and the regional shuttles use the other. This morning, they were both having to use the regional lane.

The shuttles were backed up around the corner. The airport personnel were doing the best they could to keep the shuttles moving and helping people find their correct shuttle. Fortunately, they completed the work prior to 7:00 and the hotel lane re-opened.

Our shuttle arrived on time, and we were the only passengers. We were able to stretch out with the bench seats all to ourselves. Our driver was a very chatty woman but that didn’t stop me from putting my neck pillow on the window and snoozing until we reached the shuttle office.

On our way home from the shuttle office, we stopped by Walmart to pick up a few essentials. We then collected all the held mail and then braced ourselves for the scolding we would be getting from Pumpkin.

And scold he did. Loudly and All..Day..Long. Home Sweet Home.

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius

Sea Days

Thursday, April 16 – Monday, April 21, 2025

Just as the sea days blurred going to Hawaii, they blurred coming back from Hawaii. Making matters worse this time though is that we would move our clocks ahead three times and we would be packing to leave on the last sea day.

One weird thing I was asked to do was complete a Hawaii Tourist Survey and return it to Guest Services. I thought it was a weird survey because it asked questions about “what we were going to do in Hawaii” and I was completing it after we left Hawaii. Anyway, I completed it best I could and turned it in.

Because of the time change, we usually slept late so my daily activities normally consisted of reading and going to afternoon presentations. It was beginning to get colder again so pool time was out for me.

We tried to play in the Casino during the day when it wasn’t as crowded. They gifted us with 3 big bottles of water. I appreciated them but I wish we had gotten those earlier in the trip, but we did manage to finish them.

We enjoyed pre-dinner drinks at the Ocean Bar. We went to a couple of evening shows on the world stage. We saw singer Emily Yates. She had a lovely voice and could imitate several female singers.

I really enjoyed the sand art show by John Thiering. He would create images in a large box on stage and his creations would project onto the large screen. All set to music. It was very unique. Chuck was not as impressed as I was.

We attended at least one set of the Rolling Stone Lounge band each evening. The night the band was off, we attended the sets in the BB King Lounge. We did not go to the Orange Party this segment. It was held in the Lido Pool area, so I heard there was more room to move around versus holding it in the BB King Lounge.

And we ate.

One day we went to the Mariner’s Luncheon and we each had the poached lobster appetizer, filet mignon, and the chocolate plate. We were fortunate to have one of the ship’s engineers and his wife join us at the table. He had some interesting stories. The ship doesn’t always offer a luncheon to recognize its repeat guests so I’m always happy when they do.

We had another Tamarind dinner and we repeated our choices of crispy duck and wasabi-crusted beef tenderloin. Other nights, we were either in the main dining room or the Lido. You don’t have to worry about us. We found food.

Then, just like that, our bags were packed and outside the room ready for pick-up in Vancouver. Good times flew by.

Tomorrow – Disembarkation and traveling home

Nawiliwili, Kauai

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

This was a new island for us today. On one prior trip, we had to miss it because of bad weather. On the other trip, the island was not included on the itinerary. I was looking forward to our tour today. As soon as we finished our room service breakfast, we headed to the world stage to wait for our tour to be called.

Our HAL tour today – Grand Canyon of the Pacific

About The Excursion – Experience one of Kauai’s most popular attractions, Waimea Canyon — often called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

From the lookout at 3,400 feet in elevation, take in the unsurpassed view of the 2,857-foot-deep canyon and the surrounding countryside. The canyon’s dramatic size combined with the reds and browns of exposed volcanic rock and the blues and greens of lush tropical vegetation truly create a magnificent sight.

Stop at Kauai’s Spouting Horn blowhole before your return to the ship and your guide will tell you the legend of who makes the sound and why.

This excursion is a popular one and there were several busses heading to it. We found our bus without too much trouble.

It was a nice roomy bus. Our guide, who also served as the bus driver, had lived all her life on the island so she had plenty of island information as well as personal stories about life on the island. Made the trip on those winding roads seem to pass quickly.

Our first stop was an area to see some active blow holes. One was very impressive – spewing water and mist high into the air every few minutes.

Our next stop was the Canyon. Even with all the tourists, we were able to find some nice viewing areas. It was very impressive.

I also couldn’t get over all the chickens that were zipping here and there. Our guide said they are all over the island, but they were not good to eat – too much muscle from running around. I also saw a sign that said not to feed the feral cats. I wondered if the cats thought the chickens weren’t good to eat. I didn’t see any of the cats.

On our way back to the ship, we stopped at a small town where we could shop or have a bite to eat. Chuck and I and another couple got some coffee at a shop. We chatted, drank coffee, and people-watched. Just before getting back on the bus, I wandered through a crafts market, but nothing jumped out at me that I wanted or needed.

Once we were back on the ship, I used the HAL Navigator app and ordered lunch from the Dive In burger restaurant. By the time we made it up to the area, my phone alerted me that our burgers were ready for pick-up. I like using the app for the New York Deli and the Dive In. Beats standing in line.

We were delayed leaving because of the need to do a medical disembarkation. I hated that the person(s) was having to be disembarked on the smallest of the islands that we visited. I hope everything turned out okay. They would be having a long flight back to the mainland.

Since we were leaving the state of Hawaii, the Casino re-opened and it was packed. We played for a while and then went to the Rolling Stone Lounge.

We had a late dinner in the main dining room. We each ordered the carne asada. It is one of my favorite meals in the main dining room, so I ate it before I realized I wanted to get a photo. Google will have to show you a similar carne asada meal. Chuck had never had it. He was not a fan.

Google Image

We went back to the Rolling Stone Lounge. After the next set was over, I called it a night while Chuck went to play some cards.

It was an enjoyable day and I’m glad we were able to finally visit the island.

Next- Five Sea Days back to Vancouver

Kona, Hawaii

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

The last couple of times we have come to Kona, we took a snorkeling tour out to Kaawaloa Cove and the Captain Cook Monument. The snorkeling is wonderful but we thought we’d do something different today.

We did cancel the hike we had planned today because of the poor experience we had on Maui. Our Plan B was just to walk the town and visit the HuliheÊ»e Palace, the MokuÊ»aikaua Church, and the Farmer’s Market.

Since we had no set schedule, we ate breakfast in the main dining room and then went out to the Sea View area to enjoy the nice day and have another cup of coffee. We ended up meeting a couple who remembered us from the 2022 South Pacific cruise. Small world.

Kona is a tender port. Since we had received no paperwork about priority tendering, we made our way to the BB King’s Lounge to pick up a tender ticket. When we got there and the greeter looked at our keycard, we were told that the priority tendering waiting area was down the hall in one of the conference rooms. We walked down the hall. Nobody else was there so we got a cup of coffee to wait. As soon as we sat down, the security woman announced that a tender was ready for us. No cup of coffee for us.

The tender was bobbing up and down so we had to be careful stepping from the ship’s landing to the tender. I was glad it was a short ride over.

At Kona, we were met by another security officer who said we had to be extra cautious stepping from the tender to the Kona landing as there had been several tripping incidents on earlier tenders. Luckily, nobody on our tender tripped or fell although one man seemed shaky.

The first stop I made was to the tourist booth to ask about the Farmers Market. Me – “Is the Farmers Market nearby?” Attendant – “Oh sorry, they are not open on Tuesdays.” Me – “Even with a cruise ship in port?” Attendant – “Sorry, they’ll be open tomorrow.” Oh well, strike one off the list.

We made our way down the street to the Palace that was the vacation home of the Hawaiian Royalty built in 1838. I was looking forward to the tour inside.

Pretty scenery as we walked down the street

Strike number two off the list. The Palace was under renovation. No tours.

We crossed the street to go to the Mokuʻaikaua Church which is Hawaii’s earliest Christian Church built in 1820. We were met at the gate by a very nice gentleman who informed us that the Church was closed for renovation, but we were welcomed to walk the grounds outside. Strike number 3 partially off the list.

Since I couldn’t tour any place today, I could do the next best thing – shop and eat.

There were lots of shops selling shave ice, but I saw a sign in a shop that was advertising Dole Whip. I missed my chance in Hilo to get some Dole Pineapple Whip, so I was glad I would get a second chance.

I went up to the counter. Me – “I would like a cup of Dole Pineapple Whip, please.” Attendant – “We only have Coconut flavor today.” Me – “No pineapple?” Attendant – “We have no pineapples, so coconut is the only flavor.” Me (looking at a line of fresh whole pineapples sitting on the market shelf outside of the window) – “Okay, I really wanted pineapple and don’t want coconut but thank you anyway.” Attendant – “Have a great day. Come again.”

This was really not my day. At that point, we joined the line for the next tender back to the ship.

When we returned to the room, we found a nice gift from the Casino. It was not Dole Pineapple Whip, but they were good. 😊

We spent another nice afternoon at the pool and participated in the sailaway party.

Good-bye Kona

We ate in the Lido enjoying their Hawaiian-theme night. We had ribs, fresh pineapple, and paella. They did not offer any Spam (which is a Hawaiian staple) but they did have a whole roasted pig on the carvery if you wanted to pretend you were at a luau.

We then went to two sets of the Rolling Stone Lounge band and then called it a night.

It had been a beautiful day for a stroll.

Tomorrow – Nawiliwili, Kauai

Honolulu, Hawaii – Day 2

Monday, April 14, 2025

Chuck is still congested but seems to be getting better. Several of his buddies have the same symptoms. He has been sharing our supply of DayQuil and NyQuil which is a nice thing to do. However, I started worrying that we wouldn’t have enough to get him through his bout and/or help me if I came down with it.

I suggested an Uber trip to Walmart. He agreed and after breakfast in the Lido, an Uber picked us up at the port and took us to the Walmart Supercenter.

When you walk into this Walmart, you are inundated with Hawaiian products and souvenirs. I was hooked immediately. Meds? What meds? There are macadamia nut cookies and candies and Hawaiian coffee to buy. I even talked Chuck into buying a very nice Hawaiian-made shirt.

The store was very crowded with both tourists and locals. We eventually leave the souvenir area and did buy the OTC meds we needed and a few toiletries. I was glad I had brought our own large plastic shopping bag because they charged for the regular plastic bags. I had remembered from a previous Hawaiian visit that stores charged.

Once we were back to the ship, we had a Lido lunch and then spent the rest of the nice day at the pool. The time passed quickly, and it was soon time to get ready for our Pinnacle Grill reservation.

As usual, the Pinnacle Grill did not disappoint. Chuck had the crabcakes, ribeye, and a warm chocolate stroopwafel cobbler with chocolate sauce and ice cream. I had the seafood bisque, braised beef short ribs, and chocolate ice cream. They also gave us a couple of macarons.

We almost waddled right off to bed after we finished, but we managed to rally to attend one session of the Rolling Stone lounge band. Then we waddled back to the room.

Tomorrow – Kona, Hawaii

Honolulu, Hawaii – Day 1

Sunday, April 13, 2025

I assumed that after the ordeal yesterday, we would wake up stiff and sore. We did not. However, Chuck woke up congested. There has been an uptick in coughing and sneezing around the ship. Luckily, I pack a mini-pharmacy for every trip. Time to break out the DayQuil.

We had arrived in Honolulu for our overnight visit.

We had a relaxed morning and an early pizza lunch at the New York Deli. Our plan today was to pay our respects at Pearl Harbor. There were many tours we could have taken there but we decided to take an Uber to and from the site and explore on our own.

In my opinion, you should have a reservation to go out to the USS Arizona. There is a stand-by area, but you are risking not visiting the memorial if no slots open up. For today’s visit, I got our tickets in January on the website Recreation.gov. I chose the 2:00 time slot.

We caught an Uber at the port at 12:30 and we arrived at the site before 1:00. That arrival gave us plenty of time to go to the restroom, walk through the displays, and watch a film describing the attack before our 2:00 reservation.

We had a slight hiccup before we went to the display area. I had gone into the little food mart to buy us a bottle of water. When I came out, I noticed that Chuck no longer had his ship’s keycard in his lanyard. On closer inspection of the holder, we could see a tear at the seam so it must have slipped out.

We weren’t sure if it had come out in the Uber or in the park. I suddenly remembered I had taken his photo outside of the park and, yes, he did have it then.

I told him we’d have to retrace our steps and hope for the best. So, we did.

Or at least he did. I did not follow him back into the men’s room. I thought it was a long shot, but he came out holding the card. Yes, it was in the urinal. Yes, he washed it thoroughly. No, he didn’t put it back in the lanyard. It went into a zipped pocket.

It would not have been a disaster if he hadn’t found it. I would have to go to ship security to have them come to the port entrance to verify that he could come back on the ship. Then we’d get another card at guest services. But it would have been annoying and time-consuming so I’m glad he beat the odds and found it.

Now we could wander through the exhibits without having that worry nag at us. For a small space, they had an impressive amount of artifacts.

Then we went into a theater to watch the film which included Roosevelt’s “Day in Infamy” speech. The film was sobering and heart-breaking.

Soon a serviceman could be heard announcing (bellowing) that the 2:00 tour should start lining up. We did as we were told and then presented our tickets before we entered the auditorium.

We listened to a park ranger explain the rules of visiting the Arizona. He also told a story about four friends from Detroit, all under the age of 18, who lied about their ages and joined the Navy. They were excited to go to Hawaii when they were stationed at Pearl Harbor – a great adventure for these city boys. Two survived and two died that day. Not many dry eyes in the auditorium.

It was a short boat ride over and the military personnel emphasized several times that we were visiting sacred ground and to not take photos as you entered the monument (you could take them once you entered and once you left) and to not post on social media while you were there. Once we exited the boat, a group at the memorial boarded the boat to go back to the pier.

We had plenty of time to contemplate what happened there and say a prayer for all those who lost their lives.

Just a small sample of the names

Once the next boat discharged its passengers, we took it back to the pier. We walked down the path toward the USS Bowfin. You can also tour it for a fee. We had accomplished what we had planned so we did not go to it.

USS Bowfin

We also did not tour the nearby USS Missouri although we talked to a number of people who did and were happy they did.

We walked back to the Uber pick up spot and we were back on the ship by 4:00.

We visited with people on the Sea View deck until almost 6:00. At that time, we headed for the world stage to watch a group of local singers and dancers perform some traditional music and dances. We enjoyed the show.

Afterwards, we opted to go eat in the Lido. When we finished, Chuck said his congestion was coming back. We called it another early night and hoped that the Nyquil would help.

Today was a special day. My deepest gratitude to all you men and women who have served and are serving to keep us free.

Tomorrow – Honolulu – Day 2