2017 Trans Pacific Cruise Blog

2017 Trans Pacific Cruise

Oahu and Maui photos are here.

Lautoka, Suva, Lifou,and Mare photos are here.

Sydney photos are here.

Cruising Seattle to Honolulu

It's our second day on board. The flight yesterday was pleasant, as we traveled first class. It was quite nice having the extra room and attention. We were supposed to have a hot breakfast, but the food folks messed up and we had only cold stuff. So Delta has given each of us 5,000 miles as compensation. Will we ever fly Delta again? Maybe, maybe not.

Once we arrived at the Seattle airport and picked up our luggage, it took a little searching to find the Royal Caribbean folks and our transportation to the ship. We met a nice woman from LA who travels quite a bit. She had only one carry-on suitcase and a tote for the full 25-day trip. Makes us re-think our packing for our next cruise.

We had a quick drive through Seattle to the ship, swiftly found our room, and headed for the food court for a much needed late lunch. Check out photos here.

This ship is smaller and is showing its age. If we had sailed Explorer prior to Oasis, we perhaps would have appreciated the Oasis more. It is still quite nice, although we haven't been impressed with the food yet.

The first thing I did was go to the Spa and get a facial. They are really nice here. I just can't think of words to describe how relaxing. And the gal who took care of my was adorable, British, and delightful. Aaaahhhh.....

This morning we went to the fitness center about 6:30 a.m. and it was already full. We did some floor exercises, then I found an elliptical open and Mike went for coffee. I thought he said he'd meet me at the room later, so when I finished I went to the food court and picked up a plate of food and took it to the room. No Mike. But, feeling relaxed, I took a shower, primped a little, and then discovered that I'd forgotten my tablet at the fitness center. And still no Mike. I thought I'd lost both. A return trip to the fitness center was unsuccessful. Mike was in the shower when I got back to the room. And, much to my relief, my tablet was at the fitness center desk when we went back again.

We attended a lecture on the Pacific, which was boring and not well organized. Then dance class, which was an intro to Foxtrot and held on the stage of the auditorium which was way too small for the size of the crowd. So we just watched. Tomorrow, we'll dance in the aisle.

After lunch we attended another lecture, one about Hawaii. Another waste of time, actually.

The winds are unusually high, and everyone is walking around like drunken sailors. The Captain has warned ladies to not wear high heels. (Sorry, Sandra, you will have to wait for photos of me in my TrueGault shoes.) I switched from flip flops to my Sketchers. We expect the weather to lighten up maybe tomorrow. I sure hope so. On our Global Odyssey cruise we had only two days of rough seas, and we did not feel it as much as this.

This afternoon the ship hosted a reception for couples celebrating anniversaries. I was very impressed to see so many couples celebrating 50 years. One couple has 57 years.

Tonight we'll go to ballroom dancing then dinner in the main dining room.

Cheers!

Day 3, Sunday, October 8

We had a late dinner last evening and met two interesting couples. One from Austin, TX (Hello, Becky), and one from Australia. They all really love to travel. We have met several Aussies who flew to Seattle just to sail back to Sydney. They do like to party, too!

Today we are planning shore excursions. We still haven't decided what to do/see on Fiji. The excursions all seem too touristy or too much hiking for Mike's knee.

The ship has the usual shops on Deck 5 and the crew members are really good salespeople. So far, we've resisted buying anything. Well, maybe I bought some jewelry. ;)

Mike here. My comment is that we seem to be ok with the choppier motion during the 1st couple of days. During the lectures on Day 2 the stage curtains were swaying from side to side and the bow would boom from time to time for a bigger wave. Day 3 has less wave action but we still roll, all good. We were spoiled by the food on our last two Royal Caribbean cruises and this food is well below that standard.

It's warmer today with less wind and Margaret went out on the walking track for 10 laps. I did one lap and my knee said stop. When Margaret finished her 10th lap she danced up to my chair just to rub it in. We finally got some use out of our balcony and we appreciated finally using all of our room space.

Day 4, Monday, October 9

Mike here. A very lazy day at sea. We slept like logs and woke up ready to go. It was warmer and less windy and Margaret and I did a fair amount of walking. I did a mile, did my stretches and went to a Rumba class and my knee felt great.

Margaret here. This afternoon we attended an ice show, and I would say it's as good as Ice Capades. Mike was more critical. But, it was very well done. choreography was excellent and costume beautiful. Nine skaters all talented and well trained.

At dinner we were seated with six Aussies. Another lively conversation. They all travel so much we seem like beginners. Their excuse is that in Australia, being isolated, one needs to take long trips in order to get away. So they just fly somewhere in the world they'd like to see, hop on a ship, and sail home. Of course, I had to ask how they feel about gun control. They were unanimous that it was the thing to do. They all had guns or rifles that the government purchased from them and they had no problem with that. They all could speak fluently about the shootings in America. I am continually impressed with how much people from other countries know about America. Seems to me like they know more about what's happening than most Americans.

Day 5, Tuesday, October 10

Mike here. Another great nights sleep, gentle rocking motion, no early morning todo's. Much windier today. I did a couple of laps on the walking track and my knee was complaining about moving from side to side as much as I walked forward. We thought we would go to the fitness center instead but this ship is full of early morning workout passengers. We'll try later today. Another Rumba class today on a too small stage with too many people.

We love coming back to our cabin after dinner and finding a towel animal. How do they do that?

Honolulu and Maui

Day 7, Thursday, October 12

Honolulu

Margaret here. We wanted to do and see things that we hadn't already, so we booked a Natural Highlights of Oahu tour, and we weren't' disappointed. After having been on field trips with Eric Grimm, our standards are pretty high, and our tour guide this trip is right up there. She was extremely knowledgeable and articulate about the geology, the flora, the people. We visited Diamond Head crater (no, we did not hike up), Halona Blowhole, Makapu'u Lookout, and others. Most interesting was a garden that is maintained by local volunteers for the purpose of teaching visitors about native plants and animals. I wish I could remember the name. (I think I took a photo of the sign.)

We asked the bus to drop us off at the Queen's Palace, and were awestruck at its beauty. They have only an audio tour, and it was an excellent source of info about the history and politics of the islands.

Hungry, we found a restaurant at the end of a pier, gulped down a couple of beers and food, and headed back to the ship. We had no idea that a hot shower could feel better than it did that evening.

Day 8, Friday, October 13

Lahaina, Maui.

Mike here. Margaret is relentlessly pursuing the get Mike to snorkel agenda. She booked a dolphin watch and snorkeling excursion. I will let Margaret put in more detail but it was a 1.5 boat ride each way and title omitted the part where the crew said "boy it's never been this choppy" and "watch Mike feed the fish".

Margaret here. Well, I've been on dive boats where we went out to a reef, did some great snorkeling and/or diving, then headed home feeling great. Not so today. We were on a 57-ft catamaran with 88 passengers in some of the roughest seas the crew has seen in a while. Actually, it started out quite calm, and Mike even complimented me on my choice of tours. He has since taken that back. It soon got pretty rough, so the crew took us another 15 minutes away to another cove to snorkel. Visibility was not great, but we did see some interesting coral and fish. Thanks to a short tutorial about them, we were able to recognize them although we'd already forgotten their names except for the yellow tang and parrot fish.

After an hour in the water, we all returned to the ship, and lunch was offered, but the crew cautioned everyone to not eat. Nevertheless, they still spent the entire 1-1/2 hour return trip handing out barf buckets and bags.

Yes, a nice warm shower felt really really good.

Check out the photos of Hawaii and Maui here. The catamaran was operated by a research facility. It actually was pretty impressive.

Now, we enjoy seven, no just six, days at sea before docking at Fiji. Surprise we lose Friday.

Day 13, Wednesday, October 18

We are enjoying these leisurely days at sea. There is some schedule we "must" follow, however. First, in the morning, some tea and a croissant, then exercises and walking. I, Margaret, have been keeping up, wearing my Gear watch and logging 4,000 or more steps a day. Mike is doing quite well walking. It's just when the ship moves a bit that it seems to bother his knee.

We really enjoy evening dinner, where we share a table with others. We've met some delightful people. Most are from Australia, several Canadians, and a few from the U.S.

Monday pool side they held a sexiest man competition where 4 men our age acted out like teenagers. It was quite hilarious.

Yesterday we crossed the equator and they held a King Neptune ceremony that only Mike can explain. Check out the photos. I've put the ship-board photos in one album and arranged shore excursions in separate albums. Trying to stay uncluttered.

We've enjoyed dance lessons, although it's quite crowded. Mike has really picked up the cha cha. Today will be swing dance lessons.

I may go to a wine tasting this afternoon. Then again, I may just opt to lounge by the pool and read or take a nap.

Day 14, Thursday, October 19

Margaret here. So, I stand corrected. We have only six days at sea until we arrive in Fiji. Since we cross the international date line, we will totally miss Friday. Go to bed tonight, and wake up, POW, it's Saturday. I'm wondering if our daily newsletter will read "Day 15" or "Day 16"?

We had a nice dinner last evening, sharing a table with two Aussies. We've learned that a large group from Australia took a tour of British Columbia prior to the cruise and they saw snow for the first time. It was fun listening to them talk about it.

We attended a great show last night with songs and dance meant just for us seniors. I know they included "At Last" just for Mike and me, right?

It rained yesterday, and it's raining again today. No problem, as we attended a lecture on Mystery Island, went to dance class, and now I'm updating this while Mike relaxes on our veranda and reads.

This photo was taken before we even boarded the catamaran. We were not smiling when we returned.

Sporting my TrueGault shoes at Dizzy's Lounge. Yes, we danced!

Fiji

Lautoka, Fiji will be Day 16 (15), Saturday.

Mike here. I've been letting Margaret do the posting. The Internet has been spotty in the middle of the Pacific ocean, go figure, and she gets first priority to upload pictures. I've been stealing some internet cycles but mostly to check email and keep my ereader full.

And we lost Friday! They have inserts in the elevators to help us keep track of the days of the week and they skipped Friday and now say Saturday. I know we will make the day back up when we fly back but a day at sea is much more enjoyable than a day gained in an airline cabin.

We are attending the music shows on the ship and they have ranged from ok to very good. Tonight we have an interesting show. A guitar player has had a regular gig at one of the bar venues and he has attracted such a large following that they have given him the big theater tonight.

Lautoka was a bit of a bust. There were some interesting shore excursions that we could have taken, but they were way more expensive than we expected and offered less value. We elected to stroll through the town center and it was way too touristy. Margaret was feeling the heat and we came back to the ship early, showered, read awhile and she is taking a nap. (which gives me access to the Surface to write this note)

Our dinner last night was with two other couples and we had a very nice dinner. One couple was from texas and he is a youth coach for a developmental soccer team, "The Texans" that is run and certified under the auspices of Manchester United. He said that there are other Premier teams doing the same in the US but not Arsenal.

Margaret here. Check out the photos here.

This evening was attended a performance by an amazing musician. Piano, vocals, and very entertaining. The curtain opened, but no one was on stage. Then we heard Andrew Lloyd Weber music and saw a piano rising from beneath the stage. The pianist was wearing a cape and white half-mask. Yes, he was playing his own arrangement of Masquerade. And it got better from there. What fun!

At dinner we met another Australian couple who love to travel. No surprise there, but these two take the cake. They just came off 10 weeks in Europe. We talked a lot about home exchanges (yes, Anne and Rich, we talked about you). And they've been to 26 of our 51 states. Maybe some day they will be guests in Oak Park.

Most of the trinkets vendors were selling were not anything I'd want. And many, we're told, would not be allowed in Australia. I did buy a dress made here in Fiji. Tonight is Tropical Night, so Mike will wear his new Hawaiian shirt and I'll wear my new dress.

Suva, Fiji Day 16, Sunday.

Margaret here. Suva turned out to be more of what we had expected Fiji to be. Lazy, lots of beaches, friendly people, tropical. We walked for about a half hour along a path that follows the shoreline until we came upon an open area. Surrounding it was a government building, a huge "football" field, the Thurston Gardens, and the Grand Pacific Hotel. We watched some folks playing soccer, and met two men with coaches shirts on taking photos of each other. Of course, we offered to take a photo of them together. One was from Tunisia, the other from Algiers. They were here to coach teenagers.

We walked on through the gardens where the Fiji Museum is located. We had been told that it's a small museum, not too impressive. Quite the contrary! It is a delightful museum, rich in island history and culture. There is even an relic from the HMS Bounty. Be sure to check out the photos here.

Day 17 is a sea day, but Mike acquired a cold that's been knocking out many (lots) of the people on the ship, so I spent the day attending lectures about the Loyalty Islands and video recording the dance lesson (waltz). Spent the afternoon lazing around, reading and people watching.

Mystery Island, Vanuatu Day 18, Tuesday

Mike here. Margaret and I had cancelled our snorkeling tour on Mystery Island since I and half the ship had caught a cold. I went to the ship's med center and $275 later I had generic OTC bottles of Dayquill and Nyquill.

We knew when we woke up this morning that we would have an off day while the rest of the ship would do excursions...except that early this morning there was a medical emergency and the ship took off to get within helicopter range of another island to evacuate a patient. Now we all get an unscheduled sea day.

2 of 3 cruises that we have been on have diverted to evacuate a passenger. In retrospect, considering the amount of gray hair, canes and wheelchairs on board, I'm not all that surprised.

Later Tuesday afternoon - Margaret is feeling a slight sore throat. Good day to just take it easy, watching the foggy sea and now an island as we cruise along.

Lifou, Loyalty Island - Day 19, Wednesday

Mike here. One interesting fact about these islands is that they are not volcanic. They are uplifted coral atolls and continue to rise above sea level at more than a centimeter a year. This contrasts to other south pacific island nations that are in danger of vanishing with rising sea levels.

After a tour of a vanilla drying factory we took a glass bottom boat tour around the tip of the island and flushed a turtle and a black tipped shark.

Maré, New Caledonia - Day 20, Thursday

Mike here. Mare was our last South Pacific stop and it was just what we needed. 20 minute Van ride to Yejele beach. Long white coral sand beach and lagoon protected by a barrier reef. We snorkeled over the coral inside the lagoon, watched the fish and just enjoyed a perfect day of blue skies, blue water and pleasant temperatures. After another enjoyable dinner at a shared table we adjourned to the piano bar.

Day 21, Friday, Oct 27, 2017

10th Anniversary Day!

Margaret and I have things planned for today. We did a behind the scenes tour today - engines, trash disposal, laundry, kitchen and food storage and ended up on the bridge. Tonight we have a Chef's Table late dinner complete with multiple wine pairings. We made sure to have a light lunch today and get naps.

Check out the photos of the ship here.

Sydney, Australia - Day 23, Sunday Oct 29

Mike here. At 5AM, I peeked out the balcony drapes and we were slowly gliding through Sydney Harbor. I grabbed a cup of coffee and went up to the bow to watch us slowly approach the city center. When I saw that our side of the boat was going to give us a balcony view of the opera house, I went back to the room to wake Margaret. The ship docked directly across from the opera so we had a great view and pictures of dawn over the opera house.

We were all packed and got off the ship by 9:15. Pretty easy immigration process although we had to have our wooden cannibal fork examined to make sure it was pest free.

Our travel company (Online Vacation Center) put us in the Grace Hotel (MacArthur's headquarters during WW2). Rather than wait for them to get our room ready we got subway passes and went back to where the ship docked and got on a ferry to Manly Bay. Back in Sydney proper we strolled to a Sunday Market and back to the hotel for Margaret to take a long nap. Average dinner in an Irish Pub and another stroll by a different harbor.

Margaret here. What Mike neglected to say was that we went to the Queen Victoria Station to catch a train back to the harbor. But we got slightly side-tracked. The QVS is a beautifully restored shopping arcade, with multiple floors and high-end shops. Since I had promised Mike a new wedding band for our 10th anniversary, I had my eyes open for a jewelry store. As soon as I saw one, we decided to check it out. We did end up selecting a white gold band, and chose 3 sapphires for them to set in. We arranged to pick it up on Tuesday morning. Now, Mike and I have matching wedding rings.

Every Saturday and Sunday in the Rocks area, Sydney holds a market for locally grown and designed merchandise. It was amazing. We found a delightful young artist who designs cards, playing cards, and lots of other things relying on her visual impression of her friends and family. Very creative. Of course, we had to support her efforts.

Still not feeling well, we slept a little later than planned on Monday. Breakfast at the hotel was great, then we headed off to get the Hop On Hop Off bus. We've found that this is a really good way to get to know one's way around a city. At a stop at the Opera House, we bought tickets for a tour on Tuesday and had a light lunch and Venician sprits. That evening we found a cozy Spanish restaurant and enjoyed paella and Rioja.

Tuesday morning we toured the Opera House. What a magnificent structure! Please check out the photos. We were impressed with the "Writers' Walk" along the harbor. I took lots of photos of this series of brass plates embedded in the cement walkway commemorating famous writers. Then we hopped on the train back to Queen Victoria Station and picked up Mike's new ring. It's really beautiful.

After dropping off our souvenirs and Mike's ring (it was sealed for customs inspection, so he couldn't wear it yet), we headed back to the QVC to take the train to the Circular Quay (pronounced "kee"). We just missed a ferry to the zoo, so we grabbed a tuna sandwich from Subway. The ferry ride gave us a good view of those crazy people who paid $300 to walk over the top of a bridge. The zoo was another really cool experience. You take a cable car up the hill, then walk down back to the ferry. The giraffes have a breathtaking view of the harbor. It is a really well planned and cared for zoo, and we got to see kangaroos, koalas, and lots of indigenous birds.

We had dinner at a harbor-side restaurant and made our way back to the hotel to get ready for our return home on Wednesday.

When we asked about luggage, the concierge told us to just put our suitcases out in the hall, and a porter would pick them up at about 5:30 in the morning. Put them in the hall? Won't someone steal them? He replied, "Why would anyone take them, they're just full of dirty laundry!"