Day 15--Disembarkation, Going Home, and Final Thoughts (Jan 2, 2011)

Day 15—Disembarkation, Going Home, and Some Final Thoughts

I guess all these posts wouldn’t be complete without a post of my final hours on the ship and the trip home from my 14-day cruise (officially, disembarkation day doesn’t count, so even though it is “Day 15” it is still a 14-day cruise).

Dinner on the last night was (guess I’ve said this enough times) wonderful.  The three single ladies, Evie, Dorothy, and Alice decided to go into Ensenada, so I didn’t have dinner with them, but both Jim and Cheryl were there (thank goodness I finally remembered her name—I knew it when we were in the dining room, but everytime I was writing up the day’s activities, it would just slip my mind—guess those brain cells are getting old like the rest of me).  Couldn’t decide whether to have the prime rib or the pork with orange glaze and Gede recommended the pork so that’s what I ordered—it was a great choice.  His recommendations were always good.

We were reminded that this was the last night and that the next day we would have to go home and become reacquainted with our microwaves.  The dining room staff were all wonderful the entire time—it wasn’t just the service, but the genuine friendliness and, yes the joking around they did with our table.  Gede, Made, and Teo made dinners enjoyable times during the entire cruise and I hope to see them all again someday.  Since I wouldn’t see them again, I hugged them all good-bye; I’m going to miss them.

After dinner, I changed into the clothes I’d be wearing while travelling the next day so I could put my suitcases out in the hallway as instructed.  Then I went up to the Sea View bar and looked out at the city lights of Ensenada.  Stayed out there till almost midnight (way passed my bedtime) and watched as we pulled out of Ensenada and the city lights fell away.  This was my last night, and even though it was a little chilly out, I didn’t want to miss seeing us pull away from land for the last time and watching the lights fade away.

Set my alarm for 5:00 am so I could get ready and be up top for the last sunrise and watch us pull into San Diego, and fell asleep to the rocking of the ship.

Was up, showered, dressed and carryon bags were packed and ready by 5:30 am, then headed up to the Lido deck, coffee, and sitting out on the Sea View deck.  To my surprise, we were already docked in San Diego.  It was still dark out, but you could see the USS Midway Museum ship parked next to us.  Quietly sipped my coffee and then watched as a Celebrity cruise ship arrived and docked on the other side of us.  A few minutes later, Holland America’s Oosterdam came in and docked on the other side of the Celebrity ship.

Neal, a crewmember at the Sea View, brought me another cup of coffee (like he usually does every morning) and we talked for a while.  His contract is over in another few days and he’ll be going back to the Philippines for a few months, then will start a new contract, possibly on another Holland America ship.  I’m going to miss talking with him and having him bring me coffee in the morning.

Saw a few of the friends I’ve made on the ship—Inge, Stephanie, Janet, Miss Emily (who is in her 90s), a Polish man who had his family with him and with him I exchanged hellos every time we saw each other, and a lot of other people.  We all said goodbye and wished each other a safe trip home. 

Holland America issues you a color and number for disembarkation and the color and number are based upon your travel plans with those trying to catch a plane early given early disembarkation and those who are driving or who live in San Diego staying on the ship longer.  Since I had an 11:50 flight back, my color and number were called at 8:30 (we had been cleared by customs by a little after 7:30).  I hugged Neal goodbye and left the ship.

Then it was through passport control, then finding my color group, Blue, and my luggage that had been unloaded with all the other luggage from the previous night.  Both were there and I had to lug all the bags through customs.  Yes, I could have gotten a porter, but there were so many elderly folks who needed the help, that I decided I could lug my own bags (luckily, then strapped together and were on wheels—still, two large suitcases and two carry-ons make for a heavy load.

After getting through customs, went to the shuttle bus line (I had prepaid to take the HAL transfer to the airport), turned over the luggage and got on the bus to San Diego airport.  As we pulled away, I said a silent good-bye to the Zaandam and to her wonderful crew.

All I can say about the San Diego airport was it was a madhouse!  I think all the passengers from all three cruise ships that had docked that morning were all at the airport catching planes.  I think the cruise ships recommend not catching a flight before noon not because it takes long to disembark or go through passport control or customs, or even to get to the airport since it is practically next door to the docks (I was off the ship and to the airport in less than an hour) but because the lines are incredibly long at the airport.  It took over two hours just to check luggage, then to get through security!  My flight to Las Vegas was delayed, so I didn’t actually leave San Diego till 12:30.  By the time I actually got home I was really tired and my arms ached from dragging all the luggage.  (After such a long day, maybe I need a cruise to relax!)

I guess it was a good thing I was so busy yesterday since it didn’t give me much time to think.  It’s been one year exactly since my husband died.  It’s been a year from hell (pardon my language), but I guess I survived it.  After getting home, my son and I decided to go tomorrow to the cemetery—I know that my husband would understand why I wasn’t there. 

My son had the house clean when I got home, and the dogs were fine and excited to see me.  And even though I had a good time, it was really good to be home.  Thanks to my son for being there for me and for taking care of everything not just in the past 2 weeks, but for the past year.  Thanks for taking care of your Mom—I know that your Dad would have been proud of you.

I was tired and in bed by 8:30.  Despite how tired I was, I had trouble falling asleep and woke up several times.  I guess I missed the rocking of the ship lulling me to sleep every night.

This morning I had to make my own coffee, Neal wasn’t here to get me my second cup and when I went back into my bedroom, no one had made my bed.  I guess it’s time to get back to reality.

There are some final thoughts I want to share. 

This year was been the worst I’ve ever had to endure.  Some folks might question why I would go off on a cruise, especially by myself, but it really was the best thing I could have done.  Not necessarily because it was a very nice vacation, but because I learned something along the way. 

I learned that life does go on, and I learned that I can truly enjoy myself and not just survive or go through the motions.  I also learned that I’ll be able to let go now—not completely, I don’t think you ever really completely let go of someone you love when they are gone.  Later today, I’ll go out to the cemetery and say a final good-bye.  I love my husband and I will always love him, but I can let him go now because I know that a piece of him will always be in my heart. 

Perhaps someday, there will be someone else; I’m not ready now, but at least I know that someday I will be ready.  I know that I’ll still have some difficult moments, but I also know that those moments will pass.  I’m finally ready to face the future, whatever that may bring.

To my family, especially to my parents, thank you for being there for me whenever I needed you.  To my old friends, thanks for being so supportive, and for just being my friends.  To my new friends, both passengers and crew of the Zaandam, I hope to see you all again.  To each and every one of you, I wish you all the best as we look forward to the future together. 

Day 14--Ensenada, Mexico (Jan 1, 2011)

Day 14—Ensenada (New Years Day)

Woke up at 5:30 this morning and went upstairs to have coffee.  There was no one around at all—guess they were all sleeping in this morning.  Feel a little sad to be leaving the ship, although it will be good to get home, sleep in my own bed (although the beds are very comfortable, it’s still not the same), see my son, and my basset hounds, and, yes, even go back to work.

Packed one bag late morning, then went to the disembarkation meeting at 11:00.  During the disembarkation briefing, we were told to put our checked luggage in the hallway outside our staterooms by midnight and were reminded not to pack the clothes that we will be wearing tomorrow.  As Eric, the cruise director, said, if you forget and pack your clothes in your suitcase, then you’ll be leaving the ship in your pajamas, and if you don’t wear pajamas, then the only alternative is to wear the shower curtain or the Holland America bathrobe (and I’m sure you’ll get charged for them too) .

When I got back to my room, the luggage tags, customs forms, and survey were in my “mailbox” (there’s a slot outside every stateroom where we get our “mail”).  I finished packing, leaving only the clothes for tomorrow, and for the dinner and my toiletries.  After dinner, I’ll pack the clothes I’m wearing, put the luggage out, and go to sleep early since my anticipated disembarkation time is 8:30 am.  We disembark by color and number and those with confirmed airline reservations get off first.  My color and number is “1-Blue.” 

We make a stop in Ensenada at 8:00 pm tonight—all non-US ships going from a US port and to a US port have to make an international stop (this is in accordance with the Jones Act—guess I’ll look that one up when I have unlimited Internet time).  The all-aboard time is 11:30 pm, so we’ll only be there for 3-1/2 hours.  Most people don’t get off and I don’t think I will either.

I’ve been exchanging email addresses with friends I’ve met on the ship and will “friend” a few of the folks including some of the crew who have been absolutely wonderful.

I filled out the survey giving marking everything a “9” which is the highest you can give.  I also mentioned several crew by name as providing absolutely outstanding service.  I’m going to put together some final thoughts over the next few days and post those as well.

Well, gotta get ready for dinner soon, and want to get this posted.  Just wanted to say that I’m glad I came.  I’ve had a few sad moments when I thought I should be sharing this experience with My husband (but realize that I’d never get him to go since there is no way he’d want to dress up for dinner).  Despite a few sad moments, this was the best thing I could have done.  I know that otherwise, this past holiday season would just have been too hard to get through.  I know that I’ll still have some weepy moments in my future, but I also know now that they will pass and that, yes, I can still truly enjoy myself (and not just go through the motions of enjoying myself).

Ok, enough of the introspection—I’ll post my final thoughts about the ship itself, the crew, and my impression of Holland America as a whole soon.

Thanks for “sharing” the cruise with me, and most of all, thanks to all my family and friends for being there for me during this past difficult year.

Love you all!

Day 13--At Sea (Dec 31, 2010)

Day 13—At Sea

Slept until 7:00 this morning—sure is going to be hard to get used to getting up at 4:00 again starting Tuesday when I go back to work.  As usual, went up to the Lido buffet for breakfast—this time I ate inside instead of out at the Sea View bar since it was getting chilly.

After breakfast, I attended the photo workshop on editing photos—part 1 was in the morning and part 2 in the afternoon.  Windows 7 comes with a photo editing program and is really easy to use.  I learned a lot and will be able to use it when I get home since my new computer has Windows 7 loaded.  Too bad my laptop doesn’t or I could have started editing them now.

Took a short nap in the afternoon (told you I was getting lazy on these “at sea” days).  Then read a book on my Kindle while watching the water.  It was cold out, so I sat in the Explorers Lounge and just looked out the window.

It was formal night again for dinner and the dining room was decorated for the New Year’s Eve festivities.  I had the filet mignon and lobster tail for dinner and once again, it was wonderful.  I brought the bottle of Champagne my travel agent had provided and shared it with my table mates. 

I wasn’t really in a festive mood—guess I kept thinking it was a really bad year and that I wish it had never happened.  But I am glad it’s over and thankful to all my friends and family who were there for me and who helped me get through it.

Was back in my room a little before 11:00 pm and asleep before the new year arrived.  

Day 12--At Sea (Dec 30, 2010)

Day 12—At Sea

What is it about the sea days that make me lazy—must be something in the salt air.  There are so many activities to participate in every day that I could spend the entire day going from one to the other and never stop for a moment.  Instead I usually end up going to just a couple of things, and yet the days still seem to go by so quickly.  I met Sharon, Jackie, Joan, and Ann for breakfast in the main dining room at 8:00, and once again had the Japanese breakfast.

At 9:30, I went to the Mondarian lounge where Eric, the cruise director, interviewed last night’s comedian, Chris Alpine.  Eric has been doing these interviews with the previous night’s entertainers each day.  Since I enjoyed the show the previous night and thought it was very funny, I thought the interview would be too—and I was right.  The interview was just as entertaining and the comedian had all of us who attended laughing the entire time (it was like getting a whole extra show).

I bought a few of the pictures the photographer had taken and also picked up the free one that my travel agent had arranged.  When I dropped them off in my room, I saw my room steward, Handi, and he asked if I were attending the towel art demonstration.  He also told me that he would be doing the demonstration, so I said I would definitely be there—all the crew seem to be so proud of what they do and I think they really appreciate it when the passengers take an interest.

I saw Linda, another lady travelling alone, and told her about the towel demonstration.  She had expressed an interest in learning how to do them since she runs a bed and breakfast in Stratford, Ontario in Canada and thought it would be nice if she did one for her guests now and then.  We met at 1:30 that afternoon to watch the demonstration.  It was very interesting how they fold the towels into such cute little creatures.  While it was very interesting, I didn’t buy the book since I can’t see myself sitting around making towel animals (and if it turns out that if for some bizarre reason I do need to learn this skill, why I’ll just have to book myself another cruise to learn how—oh, wait, I’m already booked for a future cruise).

I had dinner reservations that night for the Pinnacle Grill (it’s the premier restaurant that you normally have to pay extra to dine there, but my travel agent had provided a complementary dinner).  I didn’t want to miss it since I’ve heard so many great things about the Pinnacle Grill, but the previous night I found out that the Chef’s Dinner was planned for this same evening in the dining room and I didn’t want to miss it.  The Chef’s Dinner includes a small show the dining room staff puts on before dinner.  I thought about changing my dinner reservations to a lunch, but then decided I would just change my reservations to 5:30, have dinner at the Pinnacle Grill, then go to the main dining room for my 8:00 dinner (Ok, call me a pig for having two dinners, but I did skip lunch so I could do this, and yes I’m still taking the stairs, so hopefully I can still fit into my clothes when I get back).

When I got there, John and Winnie (they were the ones from Cruise Critic who organized the cabin crawl at the beginning of the trip) asked if I would join them, but I decided to eat alone.  I know some people would think that was strange, but it was nice to just spend some time by myself for a change, and I really don’t have a problem eating alone.

The dinner in the Pinnacle Grill was outstanding!  I ordered the crab cakes, filet mignon with béarnaise sauce, and asparagus (skipped the potatoes since I knew I was having another dinner in a few hours).  The waiter served a bread basket with four kinds of bread, three kinds of butter (regular, sun-dried tomato, and garlic herb), and three kinds of salt (although I can’t imagine why I would need three kinds of salt).  Then the waiter came over with a tiny sample (about two bites) of some kind of ahi tuna in soy with tiny bits of pear and said it was complements of the chef and he hoped I would enjoy it.  I have no idea what it is called, and I know it sounds strange, but it was absolutely wonderful.  The crab cakes were the best crab cakes I had ever had.  There were two tiny crab cakes, each about three bites, so at least I wasn’t going to be totally stuffed.  The filet was so tender, the béarnaise sauce was perfect, and the asparagus was cooked just right.  After eating all that, I had planned to skip dessert, but when the brought me the menu and I saw that crème brulee was listed, I couldn’t pass it up—I had read so much about how great the Pinnacle crème brulee was—it was their signature dessert, I had to try some.  It came in dish that had three wavy stripes and in each “stripe” there was a different crème brulee, vanilla, coffee, and chocolate.  It really was out of this world.  I could easily eat here every night and be in heaven!  Thank goodness the portions are small (for those who like you eat a lot, you can always ask for a second entrée or however much you want).  I thoroughly enjoyed this dinner.

When I went to the main dining room for my second dinner, I explained to Gede that I had already eaten and that I was there for a second dinner—he laughed. I did tell him all I had planned on having was the lobster bisque, but he said I had to have “Act 1, Act 2, and the Act 3” courses since that was part of the show.  Thank goodness they weren’t huge portions or courses.  There were no napkins on the tables and we actually pointed that out—Gede explained that was part of the show.  At a couple of minutes before 8:00, all the dining room stewards disappears, then at 8:00 the narrator announced thanked everyone for attending the Chef’s Dinner and announced all the dining room stewards would perform the “dining room steward ballet.”  With all the appropriate music and very exaggerated movements, the waiters all danced into the dining room and danced around all of us placing napkins on our laps.  This was followed by Act 1—which was a duck, mushroom, and asparagus pâté.  Act 2 was the salad and again the waiters all left the dining room and then danced in with large salad bowls and twirling plates on the ends of long poles—this had to be challenging since the ship had started rocking a bit since we were once again in the Pacific Ocean.  They put on quite a show, and then when the music was over, served the actual salad course.  The next course was the entrée and I had ordered the lobster bisque instead of a full dinner (there was no way I could eat a full meal!).  After the entrée course, the waiters once again disappeared and the announcer announced the Baked Alaska dance (Act 3) and in trooped all the dining room stewards carrying baked Alaska desserts, with they served with flourish.  They all seemed to enjoy dancing around and some were actually laughing as they danced around the passengers.  Yes, I did have a very tiny bit of the baked Alaska.  By the time my second dinner was over, I was stuffed even though I actually ate very little in the dining room!!!

As I was leaving, Gede asked if I would be attending the dessert extravaganza.  This was being held on the Lido deck and would start at 10:30 pm, but would open at 10:15 to allow for pictures to be taken.  I did go up and take pictures, but no matter how great all the desserts looked, there was no way I was going to even try any.

Day 11--At Sea (Dec 29, 2010)

Day 11—At Sea

After coffee and breakfast and just relaxing on the deck, I went to the scrapbooking get-together at 9:00.  It was fun; I put one page together (it’s ready to put in a picture once I get home) and I’m taking home a few scrapbooking embellishments I can use to create more pages later.

At 10:30, I went to Bingo—the prize was either a Caribbean or Mexican Riviera cruise!  Sat with Jackie at bingo and unfortunately, neither of us won.  Darn—just can’t seem to get a free cruise at all, so it looks like I’ll have to save enough to go on another cruise, since I am definitely hooked! 

With that in mind, I went over to the Future Cruise Desk and put down a $100 deposit on a future cruise.  With that deposit, I’ll receive $50 in on board credit on that future cruise and I have 4 years to book it.  Once I decide which one I want to go on, I can have my travel agent book the cruise and they will get the credit so I’ll still get all the benefits that American Express gives (and hopefully it will be similar to what I received on this cruise).  Since I already know I’ll go on another cruise, I went ahead and put the deposit down, especially since I’ll get half the deposit back on that next cruise.

After putting the deposit down, I went up to the Explorer’s Lounge and logged into Facebook and checked emails, then found a quiet corner to read and watch the ocean for a while. 

The English High Tea was this afternoon and since I hadn’t had lunch, I went to that at 3:00.  Sharon and Ann (another “new widow”) were there and we sat at a table together.  I’m starting to enjoy the late afternoon tiny finger sandwiches, scones, pastries, and hot tea; it’s just enough to tide me over till the late dinner.  I’m going to miss afternoon tea when I get back—hmmm, wonder if we can start having an afternoon tea break in the office every day (what do you think Alissa and Tina—we can skip the tiny sandwiches and go straight for the scones and pastries?).

Took a short nap after tea since I planned to attend the Indonesian Show.  There were actually three shows.   The regular show was a comedian—the regular show is scheduled twice each night:  8:00 for those who have early (5:30) seating for dinner and again at 10:00 pm for those of us at the late (8:00 pm) dinner seating.  But tonight, there is a special show at 11:00 pm which is put on by the Indonesian crewmembers. 

Dinner once again was excellent.  Our table has a habit of lingering over after dinner coffees and have had a cappuccino every night.  Tonight our dining room stewards (Gede, our primary waiter, and Made, our assistant waiter) were in the Indonesian Show at 11:00, so I’m sure they wanted us to hurry up and leave, but we didn’t notice.  So our wine steward, who has been very friendly, funny, and entertaining, came up to the table and very politely and respectfully said that he has called our limousine and our driver is waiting outside to take us wherever we would like to go—what a polite and cute way to tell us it was time to leave (we were almost the last one in the dining room).  Of course, we all laughed, and took the hint and left.  The service has been excellent and all the staff very friendly and courteous.

I did attend the comedian show and he (Chris Alpine) was very good and had us all laughing the entire time.  The Indonesian Crew Show was very good.  Made, our assistant dining room steward was the narrator and he entertained us with facts about Indonesia between introducing the different acts.  Our crew performed a few traditional dances and sang a few songs.  It was not a professional show by any means, but I think I enjoyed it so much because I had met some of the crew and because they seemed to be having so much fun putting the show on and really seemed to enjoy themselves.

Got back to my room by 12:30 (latest I’ve stay up in a very long time).  Never did do laundry—oh well, I have just enough clothes to last the rest of the trip, and tomorrow is another day (and I’ll probably not do laundry then either).

Day 10--At Sea (Dec 28, 2010)

Day 10—At Sea

Wow—where did the day go?  During the four days we had port calls, I started looking forward to the “at sea” days to just relax and not have to be anywhere or go any place.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the excursions I had scheduled, but I think I like the “at sea” days even more. 

I did manage to sleep in till shortly after 6:30 this morning, and was up at the Lido for breakfast around 7:30.  Just sat around, had coffee, and chatted with folks off and on in between reading on my Kindle (I really love my Kindle!).  The sun was actually shinning and only a few clouds around.  Thought about doing some laundry, but never seemed to get around to it—maybe tomorrow (or maybe not).  There are laundry rooms on Decks 1, 2, and 3 for those who want to use them; there is also the option of filling a laundry bag that is in the staterooms and for $25.00—everything you put in the laundry bag (as much as you can stuff in) will be cleaned, pressed, and back in your stateroom before the end of the day. 

Not much to tell you since I really didn’t do much of anything.  I did go up to the Explorations Lounge and posted Days 8 and 9 to Facebook, so hope you had a chance to read those.  We also changed our clocks forward an hour at 2:00 in the afternoon.  It was really strange to change the clock in the middle of the day, but apparently, that is to prevent the night shift crew from losing an hour of rest (and as the cruise director explained, for the guests it really shouldn’t matter what time it is).  Several experienced cruisers recommended scheduling exercise time for an hour at that time (from 2:00-3:00), since before you know it, you’re done. 

I’ve been warned that the sea and salty air have a tendency to shrink your clothes and I think they might be right (it couldn’t be all the food they serve, could it?).  I’ve been taking the stairs instead of the elevators and walking around the ship quite a bit too, so hope that helps a little.

I did see Jackie (a member of the “new widows’ club” we’ve sort of formed).  She asked if I’d like to join her, Sharon, and a couple of others for dinner in Canaletto’s, the Italian restaurant, on New Year’s Eve.  I told her I had already planned on having dinner in the dining room with my table mates since that is the last formal night and the menu was going to be lobster tail and filet.  I also planned to bring the bottle of Champagne that my travel agent provided to share since I haven’t opened it in my stateroom and didn’t plan on drinking it on my own.

It was formal night again—the fourth one we’ve had.  Dinner was absolutely wonderful!  I had the shrimp cocktail, cream of artichoke soup, lobster tail with potatoes and asparagus, and the chocolate soufflé and cappuccino for dessert.  Luckily, the portions aren’t huge, so even thought I’m not used to eating so many courses for dinner, I have been eating it all.  And I didn’t have lunch—just wasn’t hungry—so I don’t feel too bad. 

Once again, I didn’t go to the show.  None of the shows so far have appealed to me.  The great thing (as I’ve said before) is being able to do what I want and, more importantly, NOT doing what I don’t want.  Looked at the activities sheet for the next day and there are a couple of things I’d like to do, so I’ll probably participate in a few (or maybe not—just depends on what I feel like doing at the moment).  Only a few more days left (unfortunately).

Day 9--Lahaina, Maui (Dec 27, 2010)

Day 9—Lahaina, Maui

This turned out to be my favorite port of all!  Lahaina was a tender port—the ship would not be able to dock, but would anchor off shore and we would take the tenders, covered motorized lifeboats, to shore.  To do this, you had to go to your assigned lounge, either the Mondrian Lounge, where the shows are held, or to the Wajang Theater, where movies are shown, and get an assigned color, then wait for your color to be called.  Those with scheduled excursions had priority.

At 8:00, I was in the Mondrian Lounge and waited for my color to be called.  Jill was on the same excursion so we ended up going together and was on the same bus.  The tour took us to Iao Needle in Iao Valley State Park, then to the Maui Ocean Center.  Our tour guide was again very knowledgeable about the area, but when describing the sights or flowers or whatever, would describe it as “preddy…preddy…preddy” in a very slooooow accent.  Every now and then, he would break out and sing a Hawaiian song, and in the middle of it, would say, “come on, you know the words” which of course none of us did (reminded me of Slammer from the 92nd who would sing the old fighter pilot songs and also would stop and say, “you know the words”).

When the bus dropped us off, I wandered around the town of Lahaina, which is a really cute, quaint town.  Right by the dock, the largest banyan tree in the United States covered an entire city block.  I think it had 18 tree trunks, but is considered one single tree since there is just one main trunk and several other trunks all connected through the branches.  Banyan trees are all over all the islands and are very interesting trees. 

This was the only port where we saw another cruise ship.  The Crystal Symphony was anchored off our port bow (left forward side—see I am learning some sailing terms). 

The last tender was set for 4:30 and I took the tender back to the ship around 3:30—didn’t want to take any chance of missing it.  There were several tenders going back and forth and when I got off mine, I went up to the Lower Promenade Deck and watched all the tenders being hooked up and raised up and secured.  The middle part of the Lower Promenade Deck was blocked off since that is where they store all the lifeboats and the tenders had to be raised to that level and secured above the deck.  When you walk around the deck (which goes all the way around the entire ship), you walk under all the lifeboats.  It was interesting watching how they raise it up and secure it.

Once the last tender was secured, we set sail (wonder why they call it that since we don’t have sails).  I watched as land slowly disappeared over the horizon.  Today was the warmest day we’d had, around 78 degrees and very humid, and the days ahead would get progressively colder as we returned to San Diego.  The captain came over the loudspeaker and explained the route we would be taking and also said that there was a weather system that would cause some turbulence (which means that we would have some rough seas ahead) over the next few days.

Dinner that night was a Dutch theme night and they served both Dutch and Indonesian food.  There were little Dutch hats for everyone which all the folks at my table wore; not everyone at all the tables wore the hats, but I guess we all felt that we should just go with the flow.  Of course, most of us didn’t look the least bit Dutch, but hey, when in Rome (or on a Dutch ship…).  My waiter, Gede, recommended the Indonesian dish Bami Goreng (I think that’s how it was spelled) which is a noodle dish with pork and chicken—it was a little bit spicy, but very good—apparently, Indonesian food is very popular in Holland.  I did have a Dutch appetizer and Dutch apple pie with raisins for dessert along with my cappuccino (one of the few times I’ve had dessert). 

After dinner, I went out to the Sea View deck and visited with Stephanie (whom I’ve seen several times) and Inge, the German lady I had met the previous day.  Haven’t really managed to read very much on this cruise since it seems I spend so much time just visiting with all the different folks I’ve met (not all of them I’ve listed) over the past few days.

I know a few of you are probably wondering if I’ve met any single men on board since all I seem to mention are the women I’ve met, and yes there are a few solo men (although the women definitely outnumber the men).  There’s Peter, who I’ve seen at breakfast a few times—he’s from Australia and is in his 60s, Kurt who is from Seattle and in his late 50s and Inge’s brother, Ludwig, is in his late 60s (I’m just guessing at all the ages).  All are nice to just chat with occasionally, but just to let you all know, I’m simply not interested and for now, don’t consider myself “available.”  Maybe someday, that may change, but not yet.  I’m simply enjoying doing what I want to do whenever I want to and sometimes sharing activities and conversations with other people I’ve met.

The towel origami animal of the day was another unrecognizable creature sitting up with kind of a “butt” face (you’ll understand what I mean when I finally get the pictures loaded up).  The first of many sea days tomorrow, and I have absolutely nothing planned—might even sleep in!

Day 8--Honolulu, Oahu (Dec 26, 2010)

Day 8—Honolulu, Oahu

Tried to sleep in a little since I knew I was booked for the luau that night and wouldn’t get back to the ship till around 10:30 pm.  No such luck—oh well.  Followed my usual routine:  took a shower, got dressed, and headed for the Lido Deck for coffee.  Sat outside at the Sea View Bar and watched the sunrise; had eggs benedict for breakfast this time.  Only a week and I’m already in a routine.  But apparently I’m not the only one, since the same people come up at around the same time. 

Hadn’t seen either Sharon (the widow I met in the terminal who lost her husband just a month ago) or Jill (the widow who lost her husband in March and lives a few blocks from me) in a few days, but then again, there are over 1,400 people on this ship.

The ship docked in Honolulu at Pier 10, right next to the Aloha Tower.  Only thing I had planned to do was go shopping that day and attend the luau dinner show that evening.  Janet was up on the Lido Deck when the ship docked and she had decided she was going to go shopping with me.  We left the ship and wandered around in the shops around Aloha Tower.  Then I told Janet that I was taking the shuttle to go to the mall and eat lunch at the Japanese Department store.  She said she really didn’t like Japanese food and preferred Chinese food, so we parted ways.  I’ve found out that on benefit of cruising alone is that I can be selfish and do whatever I want to do.

Got on the shuttle for the Ala Moana mall, but turns out that all shuttles take you to Hilo Hatties (the chain tourist souvenir shop that is on every island and that that all the cruise ships have shuttles to).  Once at Hilo Hatties, I found out the shuttle for Ala Moana wouldn’t leave for another 30 minutes, so I broke down and did some shopping. 

(Alissa and Tina:  Yes I’m bringing chocolate back to the office—macadamia nut Hershey kisses.)

Finally got to the mall and found out it was the day after Christmas (OK, so I sorta knew that, but didn’t REALLY realize what that meant).  I think every person on the island, with only a few exceptions, was at the mall!  It was wall-to-wall people.  I did manage to find the Japanese department store, had lunch there, and bought a couple of books, then took a taxi back to the ship to meet the excursion folks and get on the bus for the luau dinner and show. 

At 4:30, met the tour guide for the excursion who told everyone the tour had been cancelled.  They were expecting a big storm to hit sometime around 7:30 or 8:00 pm and, since the luau is an outdoor event, they were cancelling.  We were told that our costs had been credited to our shipboard account.  Several people complained (there always seem to be a few people who seem to complain about everything), but I really wasn’t that disappointed.  I had been to a luau at the Hale Koa (way back when) when my husband and I visited Honolulu with some friends from the old 92nd squadron.  And to tell you the truth, I was tired, and didn’t want to stay out that late (must not be getting my vitamins, since it can’t be because I’m getting older!).

Went up to the Sea View and met a very nice lady from Germany.  Inge is from Frankfurt and is travelling with her brother, who had moved to California back in the 60s.  She speaks very good English and I got to practice my German (which is very rusty, especially since I haven’t used it much since we left Germany in 1997).  I did enjoy taking with her about all the places we knew in Germany as well as talk about some of the German food (what is it about cruise ships and food?).

Speaking about food—the ship was having a bar-b-que out on the Lido pool deck which is in the center of ship and is the covered pool area that evening.  Actually, the Lido pool is covered when it’s cold or cloudy, and the roof opens up when it’s sunny, or warm—on this trip, it’s only been open a few times.  I haven’t spent any time in this area.  I usually go through the Lido buffet to the Sea View pool/bar area—there are more people and more kids/teenagers at the Lido pool deck versus very few people and no children/teenagers at the Sea View.  Children/teens are allowed in the Sea View pool/bar area, but they just don’t seem to like it there—it’s much quieter, there isn’t music blaring from the loudspeakers and there is no food there except what you bring from the buffet.  The Lido pool area has hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, a taco bar, and pizza available all day long and that is what a lot of people (particularly children/teens) want.

Anyway, since the ship was hosting a bar-b-que on the Lido deck, I went over there.  They had chicken, ribs, and steaks they were actually grilling, along with baked potatoes, corn on the cob, and salads.  Since my table mates and waiter weren’t expecting me in the dining room, and since I was really tired and didn’t want to wait till 8:00 that night for dinner, I had a salad, ribs, small steak, and a half of a baked potato at the bar-b-que. 

I was back in my room by 8:00—all the crowds really wore me out (and the humidity didn’t help either).  Once again, I wasn’t sure what the towel animal of the day was.  Oh, I did find out what the animal was from Day 6—the creature that was lying on its stomach and had legs stretch out behind as well as front legs.  It was a dog and as soon as someone told me that, I recognized that it really had been a dog.  But I really have no clue what Day 8’s towel animal was at all!  (I’ll post all the pictures of the towel animals sometime after I get home—just takes too long to do it from the ship.)

I set my alarm for 5:30 since I had to be ready by 8:00 for the excursion (and wanted time to eat breakfast first—which I don’t do at home).

Just before I fell asleep, Sharon called on my room phone.  She told me she had been off the ship since it arrive in Hilo, Hawaii.  She has another son who is living on Oahu; she had originally planned to just meet up with him while the ship was in dock in Honolulu, but then decided at the last minute to get off the ship and fly from Hilo to Honolulu to spend Christmas with him.  She got back on the ship here in Honolulu.  I was glad she had called since I hadn’t seen her in a while and was a little worried about her since she had just lost her husband.  I was glad to hear that she hadn’t been holed up in her cabin and that she had enjoyed her time with her son.  I told her I was on an excursion the next day and hoped to run into her somewhere on the ship.

I was asleep by a little after 9:00 and never noticed when the ship left Honolulu at midnight heading for Maui—our last island. 

Day 7--Nawiliwili, Kauai (Dec 25, 2010)

Day 7—Nawiliwili, Kauai

Christmas Day!  I woke up and remembered it was Christmas and got a little teary thinking about all the great Christmas’s in the past that my husband and I had shared.  Even thought about just holing up in my room and not go off on the excursion tour I had planned, but decided I needed to get out and make the best of it.

Had breakfast out on the Sea View Deck outside the Lido since we weren’t scheduled to arrive in Kauai until 10:00.  Called my son and my parents.  Also, saw all the same people I keep running into in the mornings—people are definitely creatures of habit, and I am too it seems since I go the same places around the same times.

There was another beautiful sunrise again, but cloudy.  Kauai is called the garden island and it was easy to see why as we approached.  It was green and extremely lush. 

As we approached the island, the cruise director made an announcement that he wanted to inform the passengers that there seems to be an incident they were monitoring and wanted us to be prepared for.  Apparently, the captain and bridge crew were seeing something on the radar that appeared to be a large object and several smaller objects and would informed us once they understood the nature of the radar sightings.  About 5 minutes later, the cruise director stated they were in communications with the vessel and that the individual had identified himself as Santa Claus and requested permission to come aboard.  The cruise directed then asked all the good boys and girls and their parents to make there way to the Mondarian Showroom since Santa Claus had asked to see them all.  Apparently Santa Claus manages to find children everywhere—even on a cruise ship! 

Unlike some cruise lines, there weren’t many children on board, but it was nice that the ship had Santa Claus make a visit for those few who are on board.

Once the ship docked, I made my way downstairs and waited while the ship cleared customs.  I was scheduled for the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific” excursion and had to meet the group on the pier at 10:15. 

It must be a popular excursion since there was a huge group of us going.  They had us bunched up in a square made up of several lines and boarded the buses in groups—looked like there were six buses going all together.  Jim and his wife (the couple from my dinner table) were on the same bus as I. 

Our driver and tour guide was outstanding!  The excursion was scheduled for 5 hours and could have been very boring if he wasn’t so knowledgeable and entertaining.  It took about an hour and half to get to the canyon.  Everyone was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, but I had on a turtleneck and jeans.  I think I was the only one that was comfortable both on the bus and at the canyon since the air conditioning was running on the bus and the canyon was at about 3,000 feet altitude.  It was very chilly up at that altitude. 

Unfortunately, we didn’t see the canyon.  When we got up there, it was completely fogged in!  I did climb the steps to get to the overlook and even took a picture of what I saw (clouds all inside the canyon).  Our driver apologized, and then did his best to entertain us on the drive down.

When we got back on board the bus, our driving announced that he had received a call from his office and was told to let us know that the security procedures for getting back on board had changed.  When the bus arrives back at port, a security officer would board and check everyone’s passport and shipboard card.  At that time he would ask us for the code that would allow us to enter the pier area.  Our driver informed us that to make it easy for us to remember, the code would be the state fish of Hawaii and then told us what the state fish was—humu-humu-noki-noki-aha-a-a!  Then he asked us all to repeat it—of course we all butchered it and couldn’t say it at all.  He had us laughing the entire rest of the trip trying to say the “secret code” that would allow us back on our ship.  He cautioned us that if we couldn’t say it, we would be taken to a holding area and forced to eat poi (which apparently tastes like wallpaper paste).

We made several stops getting back—one at the inevitable souvenir shop where I bought a postcard of what I should have seen.  I’ll but the picture I took in the scrapbook of what I saw along with the postcard of what I should have seen. 

Our driver told us the island was overrun by—suspenseful pause—killer chickens (lol)!  Apparently the very aggressive colorful chickens the Polynesians brought with them when they arrived have bred with the domestic European chickens brought over by the missionaries and the result was wild, colorful, but less aggressive chickens.  And since Kauai has no mongoose or other “chicken enemies” the chickens are everywhere.  Our guide told us that sometime during the tour we would have an uncontrollable urge to photograph the chicken and recommended that we just give into it and take a picture or we would return to the ship and be unable to sleep that night wishing we had a picture of the famous killer chickens of Kauai (lol).  As I said, he was very entertaining throughout the entire 5 hours.

We also stopped along the coast at a place where the waves shoot out of a blow hole in the lava and goes off every minute or so—kind of like Old Faithful, but much more often.  Our tour guide provided a running commentary of everything we saw as we drove by, interspersed with jokes.

Got back to the ship by around 3:45 and once the security guard had boarded and checked all of our IDs, our tour guide said, “OK, everyone, on the count of three—one, two, three.”  We all yelled, “humu-humu-noki-noki-aha-a-a”!  Well, maybe we didn’t really all say it, but we came close.  The security guard cracked up laughing.

So despite not having seen the actual “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” I had a good time, and yes, I did get a couple of pictures of the famous “killer chickens of Kauai.”  I’m so glad I went on the excursion since it kept me from getting sad and depressed.

Once back on board, went up to the Sea View Bar deck to relax and watch the ship pull away.  Neil, the deck crewmember asked what I wanted to drink and I asked him to surprise me with something cold and fruity.  He brought over a layered drink, white on the bottom and red on top, that turned out to be a pina colada on the bottom and strawberry colada on top—it was very refreshing.

Dinner that night was formal again and most of my table mates had the traditional turkey or ham—since I wasn’t really “doing” Christmas, I had a shrimp cocktail and the Chilean Sea Bss with lobster ravioli.  It was wonderful!!

Went back to my room by 10:00 and was asleep shortly after. 

I’m writing this as we arrive in Honolulu and will post it before I get off the ship.  Hope everyone had a good Christmas and that you enjoyed your time with family and friends.

Day 6, Hilo, Hawaii (Dec 24, 2010)

Day 6—Hilo, Hawaii

Got up, took a shower, and was up on the Lido deck for coffee a little after 6:30.  It was warm and humid.  As soon as the sun came up, you could see the island off in the distance—there were still quite a few scattered low-hanging clouds around so occasionally the island would be obscured in the low clouds. 

We were scheduled to arrive in Hilo at 8:00 and little-by-little, we were getting closer.  I decided to get breakfast and take it out on the deck to eat.  The excursion I had signed up for wouldn’t leave till 12:30, so I was in no hurry to leave the ship, and could enjoy breakfast while watching the ship pull into port and dock.

About half an hour after we had docked, the captain announced that we had cleared customs and could go ashore.  He reminded everyone to be back on board by 4:30 for a 5:00 departure. 

I decided to take the shuttle to Hilo Hatties which is pretty much a tourist store with Hawaiian products.  Left the ship at a little after 9:00, took the shuttle, and looked around the store.  There are some very nice things, but nothing I had to have.  I did buy four 2011 calendars since I liked the pictures inside—they were all different calendars.  They were on sale for 2 for a dollar!  I plan to cut the calendars up and use them as embellishments in my Hawaiian scrapbook (when I get around to doing one of course).

Got back to the ship by 10:45 and went up to the Lido for lunch before getting off the ship for the excursion I had booked.  I had signed up for the Waterfalls Spectacular and went on a van with 12 other people (and the driver of course).  The tour lasted about 3-1/2 hours and included Rainbow Waterfalls, and Akaka Waterfalls, as well as a sightseeing trip through several parks.  The scenery was beautiful with lush “rainforest-type” plants.  It rained several times during the excursion, but the rain didn’t last very long each time.  Unfortunately, it rained every time we stopped to see a waterfall and stopped when we were on the van.  I had my umbrella so it wasn’t a problem, and the driver also had umbrellas for everyone to use as well.  Water, juice, soda, and snacks were provided on the bus.  The driver was also our tour guide and he seemed to know quite a bit about the waterfalls, the volcanoes, the two tsunamis that wiped out Hilo in 1946 and again in 1960, and the trees, palms, and flowers that we drove by or saw at the stops.  He did a good job and I’d recommend taking the tour. 

Unfortunately, the time in port wasn’t that long so it was back on the ship (and yes, I did make it on time).  By 5:00 the ship’s horn went off and we pulled away from the dock.  Came back to my room and started writing this journal.  Boy am I tired!  I think the hiking and the humidity has really worn me out.  It’s 7:00 now, so I’m going to get ready for dinner.  There is a special International Holiday Show tonight being put on by the crew, but I think I’m going to skip it—it doesn’t start till 11:00 tonight. 

Dinner was wonderful.  We had prime rib with Yorkshire pudding.  Everyone was getting in the holiday spirit.  Jim and his wife (and I can’t seem to remember her name—on the tip of my tongue…) brought four little bud vases with Hawaiian flowers in them to the table and gave one to me and each of the three ladies at our table who were also travelling alone to brighten our room for Christmas.  It was so very nice of them to do that. 

Did skip the holiday show and going to bed early.  Not sure exactly what the towel origami of the night is, but it looks like some kind of “creature” laying down on its stomach—these are very creative.  There is a book you can purchase showing you how to do these, but while I think they are really cute and creative, I’m not ever going to be making these.  Instead, I’ll just continue to enjoy the ones my room steward is making each night.

Hope you all have a very nice holiday.

Day 5--At Sea (Dec 22, 2010)

Day 5—At Sea

Managed to sleep in till 6:30 this morning!  And I didn’t make my bed this morning before meeting Sharon for breakfast in the Main Dining Room (wow, I may actually be getting the hang of this vacation thing).

Met Sharon in the Main Dining Room for breakfast at 8:00.  We were seated at a table of six with four other people.  I keep meeting more and more people and trying to keep all the names straight isn’t easy.  The menu had all the usual breakfast items, but also had several international breakfasts including a Full English Breakfast, a Dutch Breakfast, etc.  I ordered the Japanese Breakfast which included miso soup, rice, tamagoyaki (which is like an egg omelet), and grilled salmon.  I asked them to skip the green tea and just bring hot water since I brought my own Genmai-cha green tea bags.  The breakfast was excellent although the service was the slowest I’ve seen (they were pretty busy).

After breakfast, I went upstairs to the Sea View Pool and had coffee and read my book.  The sun was out today and it was announced that the temperature was 71 degrees—definitely warmer than it had been.  A few wispy clouds around, but it was getting clearer.  Read my Kindle while sitting outside enjoying the nice weather.  Several folks were lounging around the pool (I sat at the tables near the outdoor bar). 

Thought about going to the Digital Workshop to hear about editing photos, but it was so nice out.  Janet showed up and sat down at my table and we sat there till about 11:00.  Then went inside to the Lido and had lunch (decided to have a light lunch and just had clam chowder and a salad).

After lunch, saw Debbie in the hallway (I met her at the Indonesian High Tea earlier in the week and she asked it I was going to the tea that afternoon.  We arranged to go together. 

At 1:00, I met Janet at the Trivia Contest—guess we (there were five altogether on our team) weren’t too good since we only got 13 out of 20, but it was fun.  Met Debbie for the tea at 3:00 and again had a light snack of tea, tiny finger sandwiches, scones, and even had a small dessert (a strawberry chiffon dessert that was about an inch square).  Didn’t want to eat too much since it was another formal night and the Main Dining Room was serving Surf and Turf (shrimp and filet instead of lobster and filet). 

After tea, I decided to spend a few minutes uploading yesterday’s notes and writing this up before getting dressed up for dinner.  Going to try to get to the show tonight since it is supposed to be an entertainer who does “musical comedy”—not sure what that is, so I guess I’ll find out.  We’ll see if I actually attend since by the time the late dinner is over, it will be almost 10:00 and the show starts at 10:00.

 ****

I did end up going to the show.  The entertainer played the guitar and sang and he was pretty good, but between songs, he told jokes and his jokes were pretty lame.  He should stick to playing the guitar and singing and give up trying to be a comedian. 

The towel origami of the night was a lobster—at least I think it’s a lobster.  Tomorrow we arrive at the Big Island and will be docking in Hilo, Hawaii.

Day 4--At Sea (Dec 22, 2010)

Day 4—At Sea

This was the third sea day and the ship wasn’t rocking quite so much.  Got up early (of course) and went up to the Lido to get a cup of coffee and took it out to the Sea View Pool area, which is aft (or at the back end of the ship) right outside the Lido buffet.  I watched the sunrise again and it was beautiful with only a few clouds.  The deck crew got out all the lounge chairs as the sun came out and set out towels on each one—this was the first day they did this at the Sea View Pool (the Lido pool is covered, so most people went there).  After about an hour, the deck crew gathered up all the towels and sure enough, within another 20 minutes, it started raining.

Went inside to the Lido for breakfast and this was the first day that we could actually serve ourselves at the buffet.  The first two days, we weren’t allowed to help ourselves to anything and they had servers everywhere to serve you—couldn’t even get your own coffee or glass of juice.  I was told this cuts down on the spread of any Norwalk virus.  Once the first few days are over and there isn’t an outbreak, then people are allowed to help themselves and it becomes more of a “true” buffet.

Mid-morning, I attended the Digital Workshop on creating videos using Microsoft Live.  It was only a 45-minute class, but did learn all the basics on how to put together a slide show with music and learned how to embed videos.  Now I’ll just have to play with it when I get home to see if I can actually do it with my cruise photos.  Unfortunately, I haven’t taken many pictures yet. 

Skipped lunch today since I planned to attend the Dutch High Tea at 3:00.  I’ve been eating three meals a day, which is much more than I usually do—sure hope the clothes I brought with me still fit by the time I get home.  J

Saw my room steward and he reminded me I was on vacation and he wanted to know if I was working (since I had my laptop out on the vanity).  He said I should be relaxing and on vacation and also that I didn’t need to make my bed in the morning—that he would take care of it (what can I say—it’s a habit to make my bed). 

So I took his advice about relaxing, and I did take a nap this afternoon for about an hour and a half (I am on vacation after all). 

Went to the Dutch High Tea at 3:00 and saw Sharon there.  We sat at the same table with four other ladies and had tea and little finger sandwiches and scones.  We finalized plans to have dinner that night at the Italian restaurant, Canneletto. 

Met Janet for bingo at 4:00—unfortunately, I didn’t win (oh well).

The “new widows” club, Sharon, Jackie, Jill, and I all had dinner together.  I ordered a salad and the veal.  As soon as we ordered, the waiter came back with a large tray of antipasto, and we selected what we wanted (I had salami, olives, mushrooms, calamari, and zucchini—there was also tomatoes, onions, prosciutto, yellow squash, and eggplant—what a great antipasto tray and how nice to be able to pick what you wanted from it).  The veal wasn’t as tender as it should have been, but the flavor was good.

I decided to go to the Main Dining Room for breakfast the next day instead of the Lido and Sharon said she’d join me there tomorrow morning.

Didn’t go to the show that night either since it was a pianist playing and I wasn’t really interested.  Instead, after dinner, went up to the Crows Nest for an after dinner cocktail and to listen to the DJ playing music; the theme was “through the ages”—he started with the 40s, then played music from, the 50s, then 60s, then 70s, all the way up to today.  Stayed there later than I usually stay up, and since I ate dinner early instead of my usually time of 8:00, went to the “midnight snack” which tonight featured Japanese food.  I had tempura, fried tofu, cucumber salad, and sushi—they also had teriyaki chicken, sashimi, and a few other Japanese foods, along with some regular American sandwiches, salads, and desserts.  (Good thing I skipped lunch!)

Finally went back to my room to go to bed.  The towel origami of the day was a turkey—they sure are creative on making these little animals out of folded towels.  Tomorrow is our last full day at sea before we start making port calls—wonder if I’ll be able to sleep in a little later and not get up at 5:00!