Month: February 2024

Honolulu, Hawaii

Today we arrived in Honolulu and had a scheduled HAL trip to Pearl Harbor. Normally we would do this on our own but the travel time and all aboard time did not make it easy to do this.

We met at 8:15 and and by 8:30 and were off to the harbor.

We had admission to the USS Missouri and this was first stop. Our guide would take us back to the ship at 1:30. We had a reservation to see the USS Arizona Memorial at 3:15 so we opted to stay behind and catch an Uber. A young passenger heard me ask the guide about staying behind as she also had a 3:15 reservation. She asked me if she could join us. She was young and was trying to be smart about getting back to the ship safely. She was on the ship with her mother but mom decided this was the day to get her nails done and Citra went alone.

The USS Missouri was a massive battleship built in 1944. It is parked near the USS Arizona and serves they serve as bookends to WWII. The Arizona was the beginning of WWII for the USA and the Missouri was the ship that the Japanese signed their surrender in 1945.

These guns can fire a 2,700 lb shell 23 miles with pinpoint accuracy. 6 bags of powder are used to fire each bomb. Each bag weighs 110 pounds. A bag of powder can be seen in this photo to the left of the bomb that is below the guns. The deck is teak. This ship was retired in 1955 and sat mothballed for 29 years. It was Ronald Reagan that built up the military during his tenure and this ship was outfitted with the latest technology. It served in the Persian Gulf War and then again retired in 1992. Now it is a museum. This is the last battleship to be built by the United States. The Navy uses different types of ships today such as aircraft carriers and destroyers

We spent a few hours on the Missouri. Ship living for the crew was a bit different than it is for passengers on the Zuiderdam. Crew mattresses were 1 inch thick. Three bunks high. I imagine hot and noisy. Officers mattresses were 4 inches thick and they had a private room. Mess hall was like a cafeteria. There were rooms for television or card playing. There was a post office, a lawyers office, psychologist, dentist.

We stepped off the ship and had lunch. Hot dog for me, salad for Terri. One soft drink each. $32 I think they we are going to have to add some zeros to our currency to keep up with prices.

There was a WWII museum on Ford Island. Ford Island is an active military base. I did visit the museum but was disappointed in its size. Much smaller than the Wright Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio, that I have visited numerous times. The most interesting thing I did see was a plane that was rescued from Lake Michigan. It was a training plane that crashed into the lake in 1944. 65 years later it was brought up and put back together and repainted in a shop in Kalamazoo. Later it was brought to this museum.

The door to the hangar where many of these planes are restored still has bullet holes from 1941.

The Arizona Memorial was next. Our appointment was 3:15 and when we showed up, Citra, was waiting for us. She joined us for the boat ride over to the memorial. There are many pictures of the Arizona on the web and I only snapped a few. Over 1100 died on this ship and this marks their grave. Crew who survived have had their remains interred here following their death.

We spent about 15 minutes on the Arizona Memorial and took the boat back to shore. We walked to the entrance of the National Park and called an Uber. Honolulu traffic was heavy but we made it back in time for dinner. I think Citra was relieved that she had us to travel with. No place for a young girl to travel alone.

The evening entertainment was a group from Honolulu. They came aboard and did traditional Hawaiian music and dance. It was very entertaining. Terri thought some of the girls were too plump but I found them to be thinner than the traditional polynesians I was expecting.

The ship left at 11:00. 8 sea days until we get to Guam.…

Hilo, Hawaii

Today we have a 10:48 am Tee time at the Hilo Municipal Golf Course.

The ship was at the dock and cleared by 8 am. We left about 8:15. All aboard is 4:30 and we would be cutting it close with our time. We hoped that we could get on early.

It was a little bit of a walk to get out of the port. Our Uber driver was waiting for us when we got to the exit. Tara was one of 4 regular Uber drivers in Hilo. She had 6 kids and described how her and her husband saved to travel to California and Las Vegas. Disneyland, Legoland, Universal and the like. They were there for 2 weeks but cold weather closed most of the parks and or rides.

We arrived at the course at about 9 or so and were able to start after 2 groups hit the tee. Maybe 30 minutes. Everything was handled through windows. Signs warned that a mask was necessary to enter the building. Pencils were also sterilized after use. I guess they didn’t get the message that Covid 19 is a respiratory disease and clean pencils aren’t the answer.

The course was tough. The grass was zoysia or bermuda or whatever they use in the heat. Lots of roll. Every green was elevated and 3 feet around every green was sloped away from the hole. Land here and your ball would roll all the way down. Maybe even across the cart path. This made chipping even more difficult. Not enough and the ball comes right back to you. Too much and it will roll off the back of the green. The course was fun and in good shape. Too bad neither one of us thought to take pictures.

We finished about 2:30 and went in the clubhouse for a drink. Locals were in there cussing at each other about their game. I don’t understand bald men with pony tails. I have a lot to learn I guess.

We called for an Uber and Thomas picked us up. Retired fireman. Lived in the islands his entire life. Build like a typical Polynesian. The fireman was built like a fire hydrant. He was very interested in the world cruise and hopes to take his wife one day.

Another exhausting day. We did dress for dinner, listened to the piano trio and came back to the room to call it a night.…

Kona, Hawaii

Surprisingly, things went much better than predicted. The shipped was cleared early, border patrol did a cursory glance at passports and we were on the tender at 7:45. Our tee time was 1 pm at Makalei Golf Club. Plenty of time.

The seas were very calm and getting the clubs on and off the tender went smoothly. We were ashore quickly and hailed an Uber.

First stop was Walmart to get golf balls and a few other items. Our driver was very familiar with the golf club and encouraged us not to get the 12 pack at Walmart. Get at least a 24 pack. Beer of course. Walmart was only 7 or 8 mins away.

We finished shopping, looked at receipt and gave each other the same disturbed look since bidenomics was implemented. I guess the way to look at this is the quality of the economy. We are paying so much more for everything. The quality of the economy must be higher.

We hailed another Uber and were off to the course. The driver was a former high school teacher so we had lot’s of stories to share.

Up and up and up we went. Up to the top of mount krumpett. Sunny back in Kona, cloudy up in the mountains. I checked in at the proshop and had already pre-paid online for a $50 savings. We purchased a bucket and hit the range. This course is a favorite of locals. Not many tourists were here so the tee time was no issue.

The range was a blast. Straight down the mountain. Even the low screamers looked good.

The pro-shop manager said it was a 15 minute drive in the cart up to hole 1. The range was about halfway. We hit our bucket and checked in with the starter. He asked if we had plenty of balls. We laughed and said yes. Another 7 or 8 minute drive up and we were at hole 1.

This selfy is looking down the driving range. If you are a skier, think double black diamond to get an idea of what the mountain looks like. None of the pictures can convey what it looked like in person.

The starter did say there are lots of animals on the course. Wild pigs being one. We didn’t see any bacon running around but did see some peacocks.

The peacocks here watched for proper technique here.

The course was challenging and we had a blast. It did rain quite steadily for holes 7 through 12. We played 13 – 18 with no rain but we were already wet. I did lose a number of balls but those were wild ones. We finished about 3:30 and hailed an Uber. It did take our driver some time to come and get us. We were back in the port about 4:30 and stopped in to the “Big Kohona” for a drink and something to eat.

We took it easy the rest of the evening on the ship. We were tired and needed the rest for another round in Hilo tomorrow.…

at Sea

The night was rough but the morning was the roughest. We lost a wine glass and a bottle of wine to the floor.

We have been discussing Africa but haven’t landed on anything yet. We have had some discussions with other couples and everyone is waiting for HAL to present what they have. I suppose the itinerary can still change.

Group trivia was again difficult. What is a set of rules that precisely defines a sequence of operations? Did you say algorithm? What color is the black box on an airplane? Which director made the most movies that he was the star of?

We had dinner at the pinnacle grill with Joe and Anne. Brother and sister traveling together. We met them on the African cruise. The pinnacle is the high end restaurant on the ship. We compared notes on the tours we have done and also what we plan to do in Africa this year.

We finished the evening with cards. Tie score.

Tomorrow is the Kona tender port and US immigration. Let’s hope for calm waters and an organized immigration team. It will be nice to be in the USA again after 30 days. No cell issues, Uber issues, money issues.…

at Sea

Roughest day yet. Things are sliding off the desk in our room and items sliding off the table in the Lido. This is not a day for those who are prone to sea sickness. Waves are at 12′ with promises to hit 16′ tonight. I know that when we have flown to Hawaii, the last 2 hours are very rough. Head hitting the ceiling kind of rough. I’m guessing the wind in this area is always an issue. 2 hours on the plane is about 3 days on the ship. I’d rather be on the ship. I can’t help thinking about the plane that had the roof entire roof ripped off coming into Hawaii back in 1988. Aloha Airlines 243.

Workouts in the gym can be interesting to dangerous. I know that when the ship was climbing from the bottom of a trough my pushups became suddenly heavier. You may be thinking that I had too many cookies but that is only partially true. Free weights are almost out of the question.

Group trivia is getting noticeably more difficult. What was the name of the girl born in 10,000 BC. Did you say Pebbles Flintstone? Neither did we. The name of the most photographed mountain? How about the first American team in the NHL. I guessed Boston Bruins. Good guess.

I’ve started reading “They Thought They Were Free – The Germans 1933 – 1945 ” by Milton Mayer. Published originally in 1955, the author went to Germany to live amongst average citizens to gain a better understanding of Nazism and how it took hold. Growing up I could never understand how this happened. During the past 5 years I have gained a complete understanding and I believe it can easily happen again. There is so much corruption in our own government. What is one citizen to do? How will others view this person if they do stand up?

Getting to our dinner table was exciting with the ship rocking. Terri thought the dining room looked empty. Maybe they are in line for cookies or maybe tossing cookies?

We listened to the piano trio and they did a nice Hadyn piece. The night before they did cello and violin duets of popular music. The violinist kept rushing, rushing, rushing…. I was surprised the cellist could keep up. I’m sure it was keep complete sight reading off of some app. We used to call them fakebooks. A book of leadsheets that a band could BS their way through if they needed to. I don’t know what they are called today.

Jose Sarduy gave a second show today. He was good and it didn’t bother him that some of the jokes fell flat. He just kept at it and gave a good show.…

at Sea

Another time change puts us 4 hours behind home. One more change will put us on Hawaiian time.

The seas keep getting rougher. Sometimes when you walk across the ship it feels as if you are walking up hill. White caps as far as the eye can see.

Our morning routine really focuses on the gym when we are at sea. We have been doing an abs class at 7:30 am right after breakfast. 30 mins of abs and then the gym. I tried the elliptical the other day and it felt great. Later my knee said “no, not a good idea”. Our balcony is a great place to do some stretching in the morning. The sun is hot but the air is definitely getting cooler

Formal night and then a “Great Gatsby” theme. Many of the women had dresses from the 20s. Some of them could really pull it off. We listened to the piano trio and then played some cards.

Golf in Kona and Hilo. Kona is a tender port with the immigration nonsense before we can board. I hope this doesn’t delay us.…

at Sea

Seas appear calm but the swells are huge. Makes everything a bit more difficult except sleeping. We have gone back another hour but seem to be behind our actual position. Currently we are on Pacific time and will have 2 more time changes before we reach Hawaii on Tuesday.

All passengers have to meet U.S. Customs on Tuesday morning with our passport in hand. I’m not sure how these officials even operate with a straight face anymore. Here is a ship full United States citizens. All have had successful careers and have donated to the US treasury every April 15. Meanwhile, back on the southern border, non-citizens are allowed to come in freely, no passport, no ID. They are given transportation deep into the country where they may be housed in a hotel, given a drivers license, and in some cases given social security paid for by donations from US citizens.

We spend most mornings in the gym and most afternoons on the balcony. We have enough reading to keep us occupied.

The evening entertainment was DJ Bucciarelli, a male vocalist that did mainly female pop hits. Carol King and Carly Simon were his favorites. He did do some James Taylor also. He shared a lot of his life story and how he was discouraged from pursuing music. He did have quite a high opinion of himself but his act did not support that opinion. Terri flashed me a 2. I gave him a 7.

We finished the evening by watching the movie about Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. I don’t think folks that weren’t yet on the planet in 1973 know all of the controversy surrounding this game. Women at the time were very proud that King beat Riggs. Today we have men pretending to be women in order to beat them. I’m not sure why today’s women are not up in arms.…

at Sea

Another day heading due west to Hawaii. Ocean is as smooth as can be. No land anywhere.

We received a letter from Henk, the hotel manager, about the itinerary change. It seems that some passengers were angry that we were bypassing India. Henk explained that careful consideration has to be given to which ports have availability on which dates. The location of ship provisions that are placed around the world. Timing and fuel usage. Henk said there is no way we could may a stop on India and then head south to go around Africa and end up in Fort Lauderdale on May 11. Other ships have been re-routed also. Future cruises also are taking a hit on the area in question.

Today was the donut buffet in the Lido.

I did stop after group trivia. Very fresh. Made on board. I gave them a 7. I like kryspi kremes.

Group trivia went well. Third place. Atomic number of hydrogen was a gimme. I did remember the competitor to spacely sprockets in the Jetson’s. Cogswell Cogs. Where is the land of milk and honey? Which has more wrinkles per square inch. Prunes or raisins? What the famous 4 word line from Jerry Mcguire?

A muster station drill must be done once per month and today was the day. Things have changed a lot from the past. In the past, one had to suit up in a life jacket and meet at the life boat station assigned to your room at a specified time. Now, no life jackets, report to the station between a certain time and have attendant scan your key card. Go back to your room and watch the mandatory safety video. Most people turn it on and leave the room.

Dinner and then the piano trio. I know they don’t practice but instead discuss what they each already know and then the ability of them to sight read before a live audience. They admitted as much at a chat Kimberly had with them last month. They are all accomplished players and pull off this feat daily with no issue.

We decided to skip the Zuiderdam singers and dancers and went up to play cards. I think Terris is up 3 to 2. One of the officers came up to the deck to present a star watching event. He took a laser and pointed out the many different stars by name. We continued with cards but did view the stars from our balcony later. It’s incredible how many stars can be seen with the naked eye. Growing up in Detroit, we were limited to the big dipper and the moon. Too much light pollution to see anything else.…