Cruise To Hawaii (2010)

 

 Prolog

In January 2009, I celebrated my 59^th birthday with my family, along with Nadav, the new addition to our family, who was born a couple of weeks earlier. At the end of the event, Tova made an announcement: “Next year, the whole family will all celebrate Abba’s 60^th birthday on a cruise!”

Danny, who was dating Emly at this time, was invited as well.

At the beginning of March 2009 I contacted Sherry, my travel agent, and we started to look into possibilities. The one that attracted my attention from the start was the round trip cruise from Los Angeles to Hawaii.

I made the reservation, initially for the February 14^th, 2010 but then learned later on that Gary could not make the trip, because of conflicts in his schedule. I called Sherry again and we set our date to February 28^th, 2010 aboard the Golden Princess.

Around October 2009, Odie called and told me that Joy will not be able to make the trip, as she started a new job and could not afford to take a lengthy vacation. On February 26^th I drove to John Wayne’s airport to pick Odie, Sole, Orion and Joy, who in the meantime quit her job and started a new career. She took the opportunity to visit us and her friends in Orange County. However, it was too late to add her to the trip.


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Day 1 – Sunday, February 28^th, 2010

 

Two shuttles were arranged to pick us up. One pickup from Woodland Hills and the other pickup from Yorba Linda.

We arrived at San Pedro Port and spotted the beautiful vessel. We went through the registration and security processes and climbed aboard.

The Golden Princess weighs 109,000 tons, can accommodate 2,600 passengers, which are attended by 1,100 crew and staff. It is 951 feet long and 201 feet high, with thirteen passenger decks. When the Golden Princess entered service in 2001, it was considered to be the biggest Princess cruise at sea.

After a light lunch on the 15^th deck’s buffet restaurant, we toured the ship, when we heard something like: “Oh My God!! I can’t believe it, it is Avi & Tova!!! What are you doing here??” I looked at the man who was so excited about seeing us. He looked familiar but I could not remember from where. His lovely wife was standing next to him. I mean, they look so familiar and yet I could not place them. Tova asked me (in Hebrew): “Who are these people? Do you know them?” to which I replied: “I think we cruised with them before”.

The gentleman recognizing our embarrassment said: “Hey it is me. Paul! Your tenant from Bardilino”. I stood there with my mouth wide open. Paul and Jeanette are our tenant from Las Vegas. I did see them both, a couple of time before but I guess that seeing them on a cruise ship did not click-in my brains. Nevertheless, I was extremely happy to see them both.

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I had to make arrangement for dinner’s seating, as our status was “Free Style Seating” and we actually wanted to have the same table at the same dining room for the entire trip. I met with Angelo, the guy in charge of all dining rooms, and he was able to arrange that for us.

Later on we participated in the Life Boat Drill and then returned to our spacious charming cabin to unpack, and also signed up for the Internet services.

We all met for dinner at 5:30 and met our waiter Benjamin and his assistant Rochel both from the Philippines. Our ellipse-shape table was big enough to have us all (7 adults and 5 kids) seating comfortably. Food was excellent and the service was perfect.

After dinner we all went to the Princess Theater, on deck 7, to enjoy the “Welcome aboard Showtime” and a comedian by the name of Al Brown, who was not funny at all.

We returned to our cabin at around 11:00.

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Day 2 – Monday, March 1^st, 2010

 

As I woke up (around 8:00), I stepped into our balcony as a large school of dolphins welcomed my day. By the time I ran back to the room to grab my camera, they had gone.

After breakfast I decided to attend John Maxtone-Graham lecture he named “The Only Way to Cross”, about life aboard the great North Atlantic liners. John was able to fascinate me and the rest of the audience for 60 minutes and I decided that I will attend all of his lectures during the trip.

The following are some facts about this amazing man:

John Maxtone-Graham was born in New Jersey in 1929 of a Scots father and an American mother. Three months later, the crash of the stock market forced the family to move to London (Hence, his beautiful accent). His first Atlantic crossing, at the age of six months (!), was the first of hundreds to follow. He attended schools on both sides of the Atlantic. After graduation, he was drafted into the United States Marine Corps. He later became a Broadway stage manager for, among others, Helen Hayes, Sir John Gielgud, and Orson Welles. Perhaps his most pyrotechnical employment was stage managing Tennessee Williams's The Night of the Iguana with Bette Davis and Margaret Leighton.

In 1972, his first book, The Only Way to Cross, became the bible of the ship buffs, still in print after 35 years. Other books followed.

He started lecturing aboard France in 1972 and, ever since, has continued lecturing to passengers all over the world. Ashore, he lectures at New York's Metropolitan Museum, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Geographic Society among others.

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After the lecture I entered the Internet Café’ on board and then met with Odie, Sole, Orion, Danny, Emly, and Gary for lunch. We had the best Fish-n-chips!

The afternoon hours were spent on my laptop. I promised myself to complete a project before this trip will end.

We all met at the dinner table and then entered the Princess Theater to watch the production show Caliente, performed by the Golden Princess Singers & dancers.

We were back in our cabin at 11:30

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Day 3 – Tuesday, March 2^nd, 2010

 

After breakfast I joined a room filled with passengers to listen to John Maxtone-Graham for his second installment of his lecture.

Around lunch time I met with Tova and together we participated in a culinary demonstration followed by a sushi buffet.

I spent the next three hours on my laptop programming away.

Dinner attire was “Formal” and we all met for portrait taking session.

We returned to our cabin where I changed to comfortable cloths and then climbed up the stairs to the 14^th deck, to watch the movie “Up” under the stars with Danny & Emly. It was windy & cold but the blanket, provided by the ship and the complimentary pop-corn, helped us stay warm.

I returned to my cabin around 1:00 am!

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Day 4 – Wednesday, March 3^rd, 2010

 

I had breakfast with Sharone & Elan and then went to the theater to listen to John-Maxtone-Graham’s lecture.

After checking my email at the Internet Café, I joined Tova at the pool side, enjoying the warm sunshine.

We all met for lunch – Italian Style and then posed for a family portrait, taken by one of the passengers, at the pool.

Two of the ship’s crew showed off their talent carving ice.

Once again I spent the afternoon on my laptop and then went swimming with Emly & Danny, Sharone, Gary and the kids.

After dinner we were entertained by a magician named Gaetano at the theater and then joined a quiz show where Danny won a bottle of Champaign.

 

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Day 5 – Thursday, March 4^th, 2010

 

After breakfast, with Sharone, Elan and Tova I once again joined the amazing John Maxtone-Graham and then return to the cabin for a nap.

For lunch we all met at the poolside and had a soup buffet.

After a couple of hours of working on my laptop, I grabbed my camera to watch the Survivor’s game where Emly, Danny and Sharone participated.

I returned to our cabin to view a spectacula sunset.

We all met for dinner and then went to Odie’s cabin to smoke cigars, drink wine, and play backgammon.

After tonight’s show, which featured an English comedian we went to the buffet to have a late night’s snacks and then retired to our cabin at around 11:00.

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Day 6 – Friday, March 5^th, 2010

 

I woke up at 6:15 as the ship approached Hilo, Hawaii.

The island is a coastal town, the youngest (a mere 800,000 years old!), and the largest settlement on the island of Hawaii, (4,038 square miles and still growing). The island itself is also called The Big Island. Hilo features a tropical rainforest climate, with substantial rainfall throughout the course of the year. Hilo's location on the eastern side of the island of Hawaii, makes it the wettest city in the United States and one of the wettest cities in the world. An average of 128 inches of rain fell on Hilo International Airport annually. At some other weather stations in Hilo the annual rainfall is above 200 inches!

Hilo is considered to be the cradle of Hawaiian civilization, the birthplace of kings and the dwelling place of the goddess Pele. Many Hawaiians believe that Pele still dwells alone in the vast fire pit crater of Halemaumau and it said she still appears to human either as a beautiful young Hawaiian woman or as an ugly old crone. Hilo is also a source of much Hawaiian folklore, a place where history is accessible and where past and present fuse together to add a special mystical quality to its shores.

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We all had breakfast and at around 8:00 we left the ship, after five full days at sea, for a full day on this beautiful island.

Odie and I took the shuttle to pick up the reserved Rent-A-Car vans, while the rest of the family waited for us inside the huge hanger next to the ship.

Our first stop was at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The 377 square miles park was established in 1916 and has been honored as a World Heritage Site since 1987.

We stopped at the Visitors Center to watch a "welcome" video about the attractions in the park and then took the road and stopped a short mile later to view steam coming out of the ground. We took a narrow path to arrive at the rim and watched an active volcano’s smoke released to the air.

We then continued on Crater Rim Drive, passing through desert, lush tropical rain forest, and arrived to the main attraction, the summit of Kilauea and got to see many views of the crater.



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We headed back to the main gate of the park and then took a side road to visit Thurston Lava Tube. The cave forms when spatter from a river of lava gradually builds up walls and a ceiling. Then, when the flow of lava stops and the last of its passes downhill, the cave is formed. The cave is at least eight feet high and stretches for at least the length of a football field. The lights spread around the tube, revealed beautiful shapes and colors of minerals leeching from the rock.

We then decided to head down to the ocean to witness some wild life and red sands. We stopped at few other craters witnessing up close how the land was destroyed by hot lava during the past years and the sites were amazing.

The kids started to get hungry and impatient. We then decided to change our plans and started to head back towards the port.

At around 2:00 we stopped at a small village and bought some necessities at the local supermarket and then at a restaurant to nibble on some fish tacos and burritos. In my opinion this one hour that we had spent there, was a waste of time as we did not have a chance to tour some other sites on the island..

Our last stop was at the world-famous Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts Factory - the home of the "Hawaiian Nut". We entered the Gift Shop, sampled the delicious products and ended up purchasing few boxes filled with delicious chocolate. We also took a self-tour of the processing line at the factory.

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We returned to the ship at around 4:30.

After dinner we watched Kellie Karl, a comedy hypnotist from Las Vegas, who entertained us for about an hour.

We went to sleep at around midnight!

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Day 7 – Saturday, March 6^th, 2010

 

 

We woke up at 6:30. The ship has already docked at the port of Honolulu, Hawaii.

We all had breakfast together. Gary, Sharone, and Nadav stayed onboard the ship, as they observed Shabbat, and Emly & Danny where scheduled to meet a friend and spend the day with him.

Odie, Sole, Orion, Tova and I rented a van and started our journey on the island of Oahu.

Oahu known as "The Gathering Place” is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the State of Hawaii. The island is home to about one million people (approximately 75% of the resident population of the state, with approximately 75% of those living on the "city" side of the island (Honolulu)

We drove the coast and arrived at Dole Plantation. Originally operated as a fruit stand beginning in 1950, Dole Plantation opened to the public as Hawaii’s "Pineapple Experience" in 1989. Today, Dole Plantation is one of Oahu’s most popular visitor attractions and welcomes more than one million visitors a year (!)


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We toured the grounds and then continued our ride, looking for a quiet beach. We ended up finding a great location: a quiet beach that looked like a lagoon. There were some rocks about 50 meters from the beach, which blocked the waves and hence a small pond was there just for us.

We spent the next 2 hours there. The kids had a blast. Sole, which was waiting for this day the most so she can spend time swimming, had an announcement: “I feel free”, she said as soon as she stepped foot on the warm white beach sands.

It was hard to separate the kids from the beautiful beach as they reluctantly said goodbyes to this beautiful and peaceful place.

We drove on the gorgeous highway as the ocean on our left was just breathtaking. We stopped at a couple overlooks, which took our breath away and finally arrived at Waikiki Beach from its western entrance.

Waikiki Beach is a neighborhood in Honolulu, which extends from the Ala Wai Canal (a channel dug to drain former wetlands) on the west and north, to Diamond Head on the east.



The Waikiki skyline is dotted with an abundance of both high-rises and resort hotels. The beach is actually fairly short, with half of it, marked off for surfers. For some distance into the ocean the water is quite shallow, although there are numerous rocks on the bottom. The surf at Waikiki is known for its long rolling break, making it ideal for long boarding, tandem surfing and beginners.

The kids by now were both hungry and tired. We made a quick decision to return to the ship, a short 5 miles away.

We arrived at 6:00 and after dinner were back at our cabins exhausted. We were asleep as soon as our heads lay on the comfortable pillow.

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Day 8 – Sunday, March 7^th, 2010

 

After waking up I went to the balcony to watch a beautiful Lighthouse in the port of Kauai, Hawaii at Nawiliwili.

We decided that today Tova & I will have a day on our own as the kids opted to be by themselves.

After breakfast Tova & I were driven, by a shuttle, to the Rent-A-Car agency and “landed” a beautiful Dodge RAM track (red colored) and started our journey.

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Our first stop was at Wailua River, where we boarded a riverboat, cruising for about 40 minutes on route to the Fern Grotto. After landing, we enjoyed a short nature walk through the rainforest, leading to the lush Fern Grotto.

The Fern Grotto is a geological wonder of Kauai. Ferns grow upside down from the roof of the grotto, which was formed millions of years ago. Native Hawaiian plants and colorful exotic tropical plants provide a rain-forest atmosphere. At the grotto, we were serenaded by Hawaiian musicians playing traditional, local songs. The acoustics within this natural amphitheater are fantastic and greatly enhance the singing and guitar accompaniment. We were told, by our guide, that this was the second most visited attraction in Hawaii (After USS Arizona) and that thousands of couples were married at this romantic and unique spot.

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On the way back, two beautiful girls were dancing inside the boat and even tried to teach us the Hula Dance, while a quartet was playing lovely tunes.

   

Our next stop was to view the beautiful river from up above. We arrived to the spot and enjoyed the majestic Opaekaa Water Fall, Located off the north branch of the Wailua River.

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We took Highway 50 east from Kalaheo and turned right on Highway 520, Maluhia Road where a Tree Tunnel was formed on both sides of the road on the way to Po'ipu. We learned later on that day that the trees tunnel started when a Scotchman who began cattle ranching in South Kauai, planted these Eucalyptus Trees over 150 years ago.

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We pulled out the sandwiches and fruits we had prepared earlier and sat at a park right on Pahio Beach, consuming the entire meal while roosters, who walked freely on the beach, were waiting for some leftover bread crumbs and chips

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The beach itself was covered with lava and the sight was amazing.

 

A short distance from where we had stopped we found the world famous Spouting Horn. We witnessed how water, forced into a lava tube by the surf, gushes into the air making an eerie hissing noise. The ancient Hawaiians believed that Kaikapu, a lizard goddess, was trapped by a clever fisherman in the lava tube and the hissing is the sound of her angry roar.

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On our way back to the ship we spotted a Starbucks Coffee Shop. We could not resist the temptations and entered to sip a delicious cappuccino.

We returned the car and after arriving to the ship we were treated to watch Nadav, while Gary & Sharone used the free time for a much needed long nap. When I went out to the balcony I watched a beautiful sight of clouds "hanging around" the mountain in front of us.

After dinner we visited the theater for a spectacular show featuring Motown songs.

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Day 9 – Sunday, March 8^th, 2010

 

We woke up at 6:30 as our ship approached the port of Lahina at Maui, Hawaii.

Known as the Valley Isle, Maui is the 2nd largest island in the Hawaiian chain. It is known for long stretches of beautiful beaches and the landmark Haleakala Crater, the House of the Sun.

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Maui is also the breeding ground for the Humpback Whale, who winters here before returning to Alaska. It is approximately 48 miles long and 26 miles wide, totaling 728 square miles. Maui County includes the islands of Maui, Lanai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai.


Right after breakfast we disembarked and split into two groups. Emly, Danny, Sole, Yaara and I decided to board a small boat and experience Whale Watching, as the rest opted to tour the island.


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We decided to meet the other group later and started our whale watching experience. The small opened boat was sailing against the waves as we all got soaked. It took about 45 minutes to arrive at the spot where Humpback whales activity was spotted. 


The boat’s captain revealed some interesting facts about the humpback whales in Maui:
North Pacific Humpback Whales seem to choose the Maui area for a number of reasons:

 

Water Temperature

The new calves are born without a protective blubber layer so they need the warm water to survive. Since Hawaiian water temperatures average around 75 degrees. This creates a more suitable environment for the newborn calves.

 

 

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Topography

Maui's unique topography is another reason why the humpback whales spend their winters here. Maui County is made up of a four island group; Maui, Lanai, Molokai, and Kahoolawe.
The islands shelter and protect the waters. As the islands are in such close proximity, they form a shallow basin at the bottom as compared to the deep surrounding Pacific Ocean waters at 1 to 3 miles depths. The average depth in the area off Lahaina is only about 300 feet.
For humans, 300 feet is considered well beyond our safe diving range, but for a 45 foot humpback whale, 300 feet is just right. Humpbacks seem to prefer "shallow/protected" waters and spend the majority of their lives in waters that are 300 feet or less.

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Lack of Predators

Another reason to come to Maui is that Hawaiian waters are virtually predator free for the humpback whales. Humpback whales have very few natural predators. There are a few species of sharks that will feed on the sick, the injured, and the young. Their only other predator, besides humans, is orcas, the killer whale.


In Hawaii, we rarely see orcas as they prefer colder waters. The humpbacks encounter orcas on a regular basis in Alaska, and as such, around 20% of humpback whales bear scars from orca attacks.
We were fortunate as we found and watched a mother whale teaching her newborn tricks and maneuvers in the ocean, while other whales gave us a treat climbing above water and then dive.

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The whole experience took about an hour and we then returned to the port, all soaking wet but with memories for a lifetime.


The first thing I needed to do, as we disembarked the boat, is to find myself a new pair of shorts and a new shirt as they were soaked with salted ocean water. I left the group at the dock and found a nice little boutique where I purchased the needed clothing.

When I returned to the group, I found out that Tova had called and she was on a “trolley” touring this side of the island. I thought this was a great idea and asked Danny & Emly if they would like to do the same. They agreed and we went to the Tourist Information booth nearby to get some directions. They had told us that we need to board a bus first to take us to the trolley.


We started to walk towards the bus stop and visited the Banyan Tree, the oldest in the state of Hawaii, which came from India in 1873. At the time, it was only eight feet tall. Now the tree stands about 50 feet in height, spans approximately 200 feet in length, and shades nearly two-thirds of an acre. It was an amazing sight.








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As we crossed the main street, looking for our bus, I walked ahead when Emly called me and announced that she and Danny decided not to do the "trolley tour" and they decided to take the girls with them, find the rest of the group and to do another attraction. I stood there all humiliated as I realized that they opted to let me be on my own without even asking me if I would like to join them. My first reaction was to take Yaara with me, as I promised Sharone & Gary that I will take care of her. I was so upset and angry as this had never happened to me. I gave them both a piece of my mind as they left, taking Sole with them. I felt used and unwanted at the same time.


Yaara and I waited at the bus station, when a local merchant told us that we had just missed the bus (while having the scene with Emly & Danny) and the next one will arrive in one hour. I decided to walk on Front Street. We stopped for a pretzel and ice cream, and consumed them sitting on a rock where the beautiful bay was in front of us. We then strolled along with hundreds of tourists in this famous street.



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We reached the end of the street and returned towards the dock, as I heard familiar voices: Sharone, Gary, Tova, Nadav, and Elan were inside a store and needless to say I was so happy to see them. We walked together and then arrived to the ferry, which took us back to the ship.





I took a nap for the rest of the afternoon and woke up to view a spectacular sunset over the ocean skies.




Danny & Emly have not joined us for dinner. They “were too tired”. After dinner we went to the Vista Lounge to view a remarkable performance of a juggler, Jonathan Stamp, which mixed his act with some comedy routines. It was great.


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We returned to our cabin and I watched Michael Jackson movie “This Is It”.


We moved our watches one hour forward.


Note: As of today, neither Emly nor Danny approached me to explain their behavior that day.

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Day 10 – Tuesday, March 9^th, 2010

 

A windy morning welcomed us as we were sailing the pacific. We joined Rachel & Danny, our new friends from Canada, for Breakfast.

The “Only Way to Cross”, with John Maxtone-Graham, has resumed at 10:00 and there was no way in the world that I would miss it. I actually enjoyed his lectures for his personality and the style of his deliverance more than the actual subject. He could have lectured on any subject and the results would have been the same: Pure enjoyment.

After the lecture I met with Gary & Nadav at the golf course and enjoyed watching my little grandson chasing golf balls and hitting them so he could chase them again.

The fruit buffet at noon was great and after consuming the fresh and juicy fruits I returned to my cabin to work on my laptop.

I spent the afternoon watching the Survivor's Quarter-Final. Sharone & Danny survivded the challanges and will appear in the Semi-Finals.

Today we had the Captain Welcome Back party. We dressed formal and looked so nice.

After dinner we enjoyed the Golden Princess Dancers and Singers performing Cinemastic.

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 Day 11 – Wednesday, March 10^th, 2010

 

We woke up at 9:00 for another day at sea.

The routine of Breakfast, lecture, lunch, working on my laptop repeated itself.

After lunch, the chef of this beautiful vessel, prepared a desert buffet for everyone to enjoy. The presentations was out of this world and it tasted like heaven.

After dinner we went to the theater to enjoy a singer/comedian, by the name of Duncan Tuck, and then met with Rachel & Danny and talked for the next couple of hours.

We moved our clocks one hour ahead and when we finally went to sleep the time was 2:15 am.

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Day 12 – Thursday, March 11^th, 2010

 

The morning started to become a routine of Day At Sea: Woke up at 9:00, breakfast, John Graham Lecture, This time he was reading the phone book, in a very special way.

Later, I joined Elan & Orion at the Golf Course and enjoyed wathing them, chasing the balls and having fun.

We all met for lunch on the poolside deck. Today we enjoyed a Lebanese Buffet, featuring some of our favorite food: Falafel, Kabob, Humus, and Eggplant salad.

In the afternoon I was next to the pool watching the semi-finals of Survivor. Sharone advanced to the Finals, which took place right afterwards.

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Sharone took second place missing the champ by only few seconds. It was a real thriller, especially the last task, which was to untie the knots of a frozen rope.

Sharone jumped into the Jacuzzi and with the help of the hot water she was able to unfreeze most of the knots but her competitor, a policeman from Orange County, was a bit faster and a lot stronger and as I mentioned, he was able to beat her by only few seconds.

There was one picture of the competition, which keeps coming back to me: The reaction of Yaara, realizing that her mom lost the competition. She cried and many tears covered her beautiful and innocent face…

After working on my laptop, for the rest of the afternoon, I joined everyone to dinner.

The show tonight featured the “International Crew Show” where many crew members came on stage to show off their talents. It was very entertaining!

At midnight we joined Sharone, Sole and Yaara for a special buffet, featuring lots of different dishes, all look so beautiful and tasty too!!

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Day 13 – Friday, March 12^th, 2010

 

We woke up rather late (10 am… what a life!) and after breakfast I read a book for a couple of hours.

We then all met at the Kids Club to watch all the kids performing. It was so beautiful to watch your grandkids’ talent on display. Sole, Yaara & Elan were marvelous with the Hula Hoops and on the dance floor.

We all dressed up for the Shabbat Services and joined about 40 other Jews to celebrate the coming of Shabbat.

I was hoping that Gary will take over and conduct the services, but Gary, Sharone and the kids were late and one of the other guests took control and he did a remarkable job.

Yaara & Sole blessed the “Ha-Motzi Lechem” and did a fantastic job. After the ceremony, one of the passengers came to me and said: “Their singing made the trip for me. I will never forget this moment”

Dinner was exceptionally good as one of the items on the menu was the Lobster and the other was the “Alaska Bake”, which were introduced by the entire waiters’ crew, singing and walking by with the wonderful dishes

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At around 7:00 we joined the rest of the passengers to attend the “Captain’s Gala Farewell Cocktail Party” which was conducted at the Piazza.

Right afterwards we entered the theater to view the production show “Stardust”, which was by far the best show for the entire cruise.

 

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 Day 14 – Saturday, March 13^th, 2010

 

After breakfast I joined a very crowded theater for John Graham finale’. His wife, Mary, joined him today and both had entertained us for the next hour with sketches from all walks of life.

At around noon, the ship arrived to Ensenada, Mexico. Tova & I were first in line to walk off to shore. We climbed the shuttle, which took us to the city’s central where we found a van to take us to the Blowing Hole attraction.

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Inside the van we found Paul and Jeannette. We were now close friends!

The tour guide gave us a short description of this charming place:

Known as the "Cinderella of the Pacific", Ensenada is located 70 miles south of the international border with the USA, a 90-minute drive from San Diego. Its warm Mediterranean climate, friendly atmosphere and accessibility by land, air, and sea have made Ensenada a favorite tourist destination for many years, and Mexico's second most-visited port-of-call for major cruise lines and pleasure boats.

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After an hour of driving we arrived at the Blowing Hole: This popular site is a wave-driven blow-hole, which is called La Bufadora in Spanish and is located on the hills at the southern end of Ensenada Bay.

We walked through an open-market and arrived at the rocks, which creates the attraction. I watched as the waves enter a small hole at the bottom of the rock and then, a second later, the water bursts out, blowing outside to all directions.

We walked back through the market and stopped for some Fish Tacos at a small restaurant, where we sat at the balcony, consuming the tacos, sipping beer, and watching the blue ocean.

We returned to the ship and packed our luggage as tonight was our last one on the ship. Later on we joined the rest of the gang for dinner. They also had a good time in town.




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We said our goodbyes to our head waiter Benjamin and to his assistant Rochel, as tomorrow we will be arriving to San Pedro, California.

There were many activities after dinner.

We first enjoyed the Amateur Competition, where few passengers demonstrated their talents in singing and dancing. The winner was an excellent singer, who mesmerized the crowd with a wonderful performance.





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The “Princess Pop Star Final & Aloha ‘OE Farewell” took place later on and we enjoyed watching the crew giving us their version of “If I will not be upon the sea”.

At night we joined the Vista Lounge to watch the legendary ventriloquist Willie Tyler (and his puppet Lester), who has appeared in many television commercials, sitcoms, and movies. He got his first big break in 1972 on Rowan & Martin;s Laugh-In.

 

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 Day 15 – Sunday, March 14^th, 2010

 

We woke up and there was the (now familiar) pier in San Pedro.

Three hours later we were unpacking our luggage at home.


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