“Sexiest Man Aboard Ship Contest”…Tom and the “Shed”…

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The ceiling fixture in the main lounge area, the Centrum.

Cruising is ideal for us.  We love the routine we naturally slide into within a few days, hanging out with new friends, meeting more people at meals each morning, evening, and when wandering about the ship.

Yesterday afternoon Tom attended the daily “Shed,” an Australian tradition whereby men get together and shoot the breeze. He had a great time and most likely will return again each day. How unusual for us to be apart for a few hours. I easily filled the two-hour time slot working out and taking photos.

In three days, we’ll reach our first port of call, Moorea, Society Islands, where we’ll get off the ship to check out the island. It’s especially enjoyable for us when we have an opportunity to visit new locations to see if it’s a place we’d return to someday for an extended stay.

Tom refused to partake in the “Sexiest Man Aboard Ship Contest” that transpired yesterday afternoon. We both got a kick out of watching the contest poolside.

If not, it’s still interesting to see other parts of the world, the local customs, the way of life, and the dedication many islanders must exercise to fulfill the expectations of tourists constantly flooding their area.

We’re very sensitive to that fact and we make every effort to be kind, patient, and appreciative when services are provided to us. Many island nations have lived off the cruise business and tourism to sustain a quality of life that may be impossible without it.

Part of the competition was pushups. This passenger did the most number of pushups, 66, and eventually won the competition with his excellent dancing skills.

Most of the islands we’ll visit between Saturday, May 30th and June 11th have small populations, high poverty levels, and struggle to make it through life. It is through the naivety of us travelers that a simple beautiful life can be had living on a tropical island. 

But, for the masses living on these islands, life is hard, fraught with poverty, illness, and strife often without running water, electricity, and modern comforts and conveniences.

This poor guy couldn’t do one pushup.  This made Tom especially happy he hadn’t participated.

We have no delusions in our pleasant way of life of following the sun, that the people that serve us in any manner share in what appears to them to be an affluent life. For us, it’s hardly affluent when we’ve made many adjustments and sacrifices in order to live this life we’ve chosen. 

We’ve often said this and continue to remind ourselves…we are humbled by this life we live. Humbled by the beauty of the people, the environment, the way of life, and how simply one can live and find happiness at every turn.

This guy did a “moon shot” while the dancing part of the competition took place. 

Sure, it’s easy for us to say this as we lounge on a cruise ship writing to our readers today using modern technology, eating good food, and having all the “creature comforts” one could want.

From one laugh fest to another, one great philosophical conversation to another, to one enriching expose of our lives to theirs, we strive to maintain a degree of gratitude and humility.

One of the buffet tables in Romeo and Juliet, the main dining room.

However enthusiastically we share our story that often leaves mouths agape as to how we could possibly manage to let go of all of our worldly goods, the people we love, and a place to call “home” we don’t forget for a moment that is could change on a dime.

As each day comes, we find ourselves being grateful for one more opportunity to become engaged in our surroundings whether its people, scenery, or wildlife, and when, on occasion, it’s all of these.

The dining room as it was being set for breakfast.

At the moment we’re sitting outdoors near the pool in a dining area with tables and chairs drinking cold beverages on a hot, humid day and a somewhat overcast day at sea. We don’t have a complaint in the world.  The seas are relatively calm so far and that too could change on a dime. If it does we’ll be ready to take on the challenge with aplomb.

Please bear with our less than perfect photos aboard the ship. There are only so many photo ops on the ship.  However, in a few days, we’ll have more exciting photos to share of the many islands we’ll visit on the journey to Australia.

G’Day!

                                              Photo from one year ago today, May 27, 2014:

At night the island of Madeira became a cacophony of lights and magic as we enjoyed this view from our veranda. In the entire two and a half months, we never tired of either the daytime ocean views or the lights. For details, please click here.

Sorry for late posting!…Too much fun!…Update on posting while cruising…Cruise itinerary…Making new friends aboard the ship…

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Please excuse the blurry photos. I’d accidentally changed the setting on the camera effecting the quality of some of the photos. Also, with the weak wifi signal on the ship, our formatting and line spaces may be inaccurate.

Tom’s miniature lemon meringue pie for dessert at last night’s dinner.
For details for this cruise itinerary and details regarding the ship’s amenities, please click this link.

Over the next number of days while cruising our daily posts will be arriving a few hours later than usual, although we’ll continue to post every 24 hours or so. Once we arrive in Australia on June 11th and get settled, future posts will be available every 24 hours.

My breakfast this morning.

With the upcoming crossing of the International Dateline, we’ll be losing a day having experienced multiple time zone changes. We’ll cover more of that later as the time zone changes.

Last night, Tom at the bar, enjoying his unlimited cocktails, wearing his white dress shirt for dress-up night. 

The reason we’ll be running late in posting is a result of our having too much fun! What can I say? These 1400 Aussies and 200 Americans on board are the most fun group of people we’ve ever encountered on a cruise. 

They’re everywhere, ready for sharing a good story and having a good laugh. How did a nation of people have friendliness and good humor in common? Maybe we’ll figure it out over the next few years.

I ordered a small salmon plate and received this extra-large salmon plate. 

We’ve discovered that we have a lot of language nuances to learn and are making an effort to pick up everything we can in the hopes of “fitting in” into the Aussie homeland.

My view while working out on the elliptical machine.

In an effort to avoid germs and have better service, for organizing my breakfasts, which I do have when cruising, it’s easier to order my specific meals from the helpful dining concierge, Cecelia, who’s in charge of all the passengers with special diets who dine in the main dining room. She’s got mine figured out. There’s no such a service in the Windjammer Café, the buffet-style venue.

Although the Windjammer has a specific “gluten-free” buffet area, it has a few items that work for me when many are high carb gluten-free baked goods and sugary items none of which work for me. Last night at dinner, I ordered my breakfast and tonight’s dinner in advance, giving the chef ample time to make the items suitable.

More equipment in the fitness center.

This morning we had breakfast in the main dining room. Thus, in the future will avoid the Windjammer buffet entirely. Tom was able to order what he wanted both in choices and portions and my choices worked out perfectly.

The theatre where seminars and shows are performed.

However, while dining at a “shared table” which we always do, it’s impossible not to become friendly with our table mates. The lengthy delay in posting today and most likely on most days going forward as we continue on the cruise. 

We’re out to sea with no land in sight in any direction. An announcement was made that there will no access to satellite TV for the next several days from the ship will be too far out of range. We don’t watch TV anyway while cruising. We stay out every night until we’re ready for bed, exhausted from loads of fun. 

Cruise ships often have peculiar décor.

During the day we only go to the cabin to change clothes, put away our laptops or grab an item we may need.  Today’s a busy day. As I write this now, it’s 1:30 pm. At 2:00, Tom will head to a history seminar while I visit the fitness center the second day in a row.

Having lost a degree of fitness in Kauai after being sick for a few weeks, I’m finding that working out is helping me restore my former self. Over the next few weeks I’ll continue to improve and then, when we arrive in Trinity Beach I’ll join a nearby health club for the three month stint which I’ve already contacted for rates.    

Cha cha lessons in the centrum.

Today, from 3:00 to 5:00 pm Tom will attend a men’s group called “The Shed,” an Australian tradition where guys get together and shoot the breeze over cocktails. This morning Tom explained that in Minnesota, its comparable to “Garage Logic” (his favorite radio show, which he still listens to each day when we’re on land).  I’m thrilled that he gets to do this and tomorrow he’ll fill in the details in the post.

While he’s in “The Shed” I’ll sit by the pool and read a book on my phone. Wow! This is the life! No wonder we love cruising.

It was fun to watch the dancers carry on.

When we meet back at the cabin at 5:15, I’ll be showered and dressed for dinner and Tom will do the same. Shortly afterward, we’ll head to the bar for happy hour and later in the main dining room for more lively banter and fun. We haven’t yet been to an evening show. 

We seldom find the arranged activities and shows quite our cup of tea instead, preferring to meet up with our new friends for happy hour, breakfast or dinner. 

This towel character, an elephant, was sitting on our bed last night when we returned for bed.

One more item regarding posting while on the ship: we will only be able to post eight to ten photos each day. Although we have an unlimited data wifi package, photos take too long to post, often almost two hours for more than a dozen photos. With fewer photos, we can upload the post in a more timely fashion, albeit a little later each day while cruising.

Have a terrific Tuesday! See you again soon!

                                             Photo from one year ago today, May 26, 2014:

The ocean view from our house in Madeira where we lived for two and a half months, having a fabulous experience. For more details, please click here.

Back in Honolulu after a 21 minute flight from Kauai…Out and about for shopping, fun and food!

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Crossing over a bridge in Honolulu.
Yesterday, we left the condo at 10:30 am to drive to the airport in Lihue. As always, Tom drops me off at the curbside with the luggage while I grab a skycap to take away our three prepaid checked bags while he returns the rental car.

We’ve got this routine down pat for check-in only. When we’re leaving an airport, we haul the bags ourselves, which we’re able to do with me pulling the wheeled cart with all the carry on bags and wheeling the smallest of the three bags while Tom wheels the two heaviest bags. This way, we only have to pay for assistance part of the time. 
We took the Pink Trolley to the shopping mall in Honolulu.

After the flight as we made our way to baggage claim, Tom suddenly realized he didn’t have his driver’s license in his pocket. Having to show it several times to board the plane, he kept it in his shorts pocket.

When he realized he must have dropped it on the plane, he left me outside with the carry on bags while he ran back to see if it could be recovered. Losing his license would be a fiasco when at many ports of call, showing it is required to get on and off the ship.

And, what about the rental car in Cairns, Australia which requires a driver’s license?  How would he get a replacement through the mail from afar? It was a dreadful thought. Again, “safari luck” kicked in. A kindly baggage agent ran to the plane moments before it was taking off again to recover the license, refusing to take the generous tip we offered.

The fare was $2 per person each way.

After the 25-minute taxi ride, we finally arrived at our hotel, Hyatt Place Waikiki by 3:00 pm. It was hard to believe it took so long considering the short flight. It’s all the “monkey business” in between that takes up the time, typical on every flight regardless of its actual flying time. The hotel room was small but conveniently outfitted with a big-screen TV, free wifi, and a comfortable king bed.

As I write this now, the Indy 500 just ended and before too long we’ll check out and head to the pier. Having not seen the race in a few years while living outside the US, it was exciting to see how the presentation of the race has escalated with newer video technology making it all the more exciting.

Over the past several days I’ve been thinking about purchasing a pair of white pants to go with the many tops I purchased a week ago in Kauai. To avoid putting pressure on our time, I threw it out there as a possibility if time allowed.

The exterior of our hotel, Hyatt Place. 

Yesterday, once we were settled in the room, I looked online and called Old Navy to see if they had white jeans in my size. With a few options in stock, Tom who despises clothes shopping agreed to go with me to the Ala Moana Shopping Center a few miles down the main road. 

Instead of spending $50 for the round trip taxi, we decided to take the Pink Trolley that travels directly to the mall and back. All we had to do was walk two blocks to the trolley stop in front of a hotel down the road. Within minutes we were riding on the open-air Pink Trolley, thrilled that we’d decided to do this enjoying the scenery along the way.

A ukulele store we passed on the ride.

When we were in Honolulu/Waikiki last October for 11 days, we walked everywhere instead of taking the trolley. But, as the day wore on and wanting to have dinner at our favorite local restaurant, Cheeseburger in Paradise, taking the trolley ensured we could accomplish it all.

And we did accomplish it all. Not only did I find a pair of white pants, modeling them for Tom while he sat in a chair in the fitting room, but I was also convinced I’d found exactly what I wanted when he smiled and gave me the thumbs up. I think that the first time Tom had ever been in a fitting room with me.

A blurry photo of a Banyan tree which lines the boulevard in Waikiki.

The only item I needed to complete my wardrobe for the cruises was a pair of high-heeled shoes, preferably with a cork wedge-type heel for added stability. Recently, tossing a pair of shoes, I was down to five pairs. I had no qualms about replacing the sixth pair with something new and attractive in light of three upcoming four dress-up nights on the cruise.

In no time at all we found the shoes and were back on the return trolley, getting off at the correct stop for the restaurant.  It was 7 pm. All had worked out as planned, we had a great time and didn’t have to wait more than a few minutes to get a table. The dinner was great as expected. I had my usual Cobb Salad and Tom splurged with a burger and onion rings.

Before dark, we arrived at the restaurant for another great meal.

By 11:00 am, we’ll be checked out of the hotel and shortly on our way to the pier taking a shuttle arranged by the hotel for $17. Cruise check-in begins at noon.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with ship photos and more. Please check back then!

Have a safe Memorial weekend!

                                               Photo from one year ago today, May 24, 2015:

A breathtaking view from our veranda of the private home we rented in Madeira, Portugal for two and a half months. We were never tired of this view. For details from this date, please click here.

Coffee, tea and me…Tom’s worries about cruising…What about Norovirus in today’s news?

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Beach view.

In this morning’s news its reported that two ships, Royal Caribbean’s owned Celebrity Infinity and also our upcoming ship, Legend of the Seas, have been stricken with hundreds of cases of the dreaded Norovirus. 

Here’s a portion of the article with the full article here:

“Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has two ships at sea along the west coast of California and Mexico, where passengers are experiencing gastrointestinal ailments that include vomiting and diarrhea.

An outbreak on the Legend of the Seas, on a two-week cruise ending tomorrow, sickened 114 passengers, about 7 percent of the total, and two crew members said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Infinity, part of the company’s Celebrity line, reported 106 sick passengers, or about 5 percent of the total, on a cruise ending Monday.

Outbreaks of norovirus on cruise ships aren’t uncommon during the winter season. Cruise line operators are required to report the total number of gastrointestinal cases, with online updates posted when they account for more than 3 percent of passengers and crew.”

Tattoo shop in Kapaa.

By the time I sat down to start my computer, Tom had already sent me the article. However, while I was getting ready to begin my day, Tom mentioned the following to me, “When we’re on the ship, take extra teabags each time you make a cup of tea. On this long cruise, they’ll probably run out of your favorite tea.”

I giggled aloud. That had never occurred to me. Once, a few cruises ago when they ran out of Earl Grey, my choice over their other options, a tea I never purchase when we’re “landed.” It was no big deal. 

Café along the Kuhio Highway, the main highway in Kauai from the north where we’re located to the south past Lihue where the airport is located.

A few days later, Earl Grey tea bags magically appeared. Either the ship picked it up at a port or someone bothered to go into the storage area to finally open an awaiting supply. 

My dear husband remembers these three days that I didn’t have Earl Gray tea. I drank Lipton. It was no big deal. But, for him, he was concerned that I didn’t have what I wanted. (I only consume tea with a jolt of caffeine so those fruity flavored herbal teas have never appealed to me).

Clothing store in Kapaa.

Drinking hot tea is only important to me a few times a day while on a cruise, once in the morning, two mugs full, and the same around 4:00 pm each day. The remainder of the time I drink iced tea or water.

My first choice of morning beverage is always coffee which we now have every morning using real cream. My way of eating prevents me from using half and half which contains too much milk sugar. Rarely do the ships have real cream available. On a few occasions, I’ve been able to get it. Instead, in the mornings on the ships, I drink plain tea. It’s no big deal.

Rainy day, sandy beach view.

Tom’s suggestion to take extra tea bags to save in the event they run out is pointless to me. Why would I always want my small pockets filled with tea bags, which are always full anyway with business cards, my phone, a tube of lipstick, and a cruise ID card?

Plus, it drives me nuts to see others loading up on supplies that they want to save to take home. We don’t do that. We can buy our own tea bags and stir sticks when we get to our next location. 

Mountain view with a fire nearby.

Of course, Tom worries about the norovirus. Based on the small percentages that actually become ill and the zillions of times per day we wash our hands and avoid touching anything, we’ve never had norovirus on these past 10 cruises. 

On three prior cruises, we did come down with the “cruise cough.” It’s hard to avoid someone coughing on the elevator or even in one’s face. On the last ship, on our way to Hawaii, while I was getting my breakfast (using a cloth napkin wrapped around my hand which I tossed in the bin before eating), I saw a man sneeze on a bunch of clean white plates and then walk away.

Views out to sea.

I stood at the plates to prevent anyone from taking one until a staff member walked past me so I could report it. I watched as they cleared every plate and washed the general area. How much of this actually occurs that we don’t know about?

Based on this, why would anyone choose to cruise? For us, it’s plain and simple. We have a blast doing our thing each day and basically attending a party each night when we meet six or eight new people at our dinner table from all over the world with whom we engage with considerable laughter and animated conversation. It’s so much fun! 

A trip to Kapaa on a sunny day.

Plus, stopping at various ports of call either on small group tours or on our own, is an enriching and rewarding experience. How else can one possibly see so much of the world in a relatively short period of time?

Worry? Yes, he’ll worry. But, not me. Until I’m eating onion sandwiches and sewage is running through the halls, I’m not about to worry.

                                              Photo from one year ago today, April 14, 2014:

The winding roads and fast driving by our driver made me car sick for the first time in decades. I was grateful when we finally returned back to the riad after cutting the trip short by a few days. For details, please click here.

Exciting future bookings…He just can’t wait! A year ago, a terrifying visitor! See photo…

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Low lying clouds over the ocean at 5:00 pm.

When a cruise line has special pricing, Tom starts chomping at the bit. He can’t help it. He loves cruising. That’s not to say I don’t love it. But, he loves it more. 

Not only does he love the cruise itself but he absolutely is fascinated with the planning and booking process. He researches cruisecritic.com for comments from recent cruise passengers on past cruises as to the best cabins for the particular ship, the appropriate side of the ship, port (left) or starboard (right) for the best views during the cruise based on the locations, and the best promotions and packages to choose.

View across the side yard on yet another cloudy day.

As he’s gathering all the information, he writes down all the particulars, (in this case he wrote on a brown grocery bag when we couldn’t find a pad of paper), performing financial analysis as to the best options, average daily rates, and benefits to taking the cruise.

Oh, good grief.  I stay out of the cruise planning.  He need only tell me where, when, and how much and I’m happy. Once we’ve booked a cruise, he reads me the data from the “cruise confirmation” documents that arrive in my email upon booking and paying a deposit, enabling me to enter the pertinent data into various sheets in our Excel workbook: Itinerary, Deposits Paid, Cruises Booked.

A nice feature of booking cruises is the fact that one can cancel with a 100% return of the deposit up to 90 days before sailing. If not canceled, at that 90-day point, the balance is automatically charged to the credit card on file. Partial deposits may be refunded as a sail date approaches based on the number of days of the cruise and the dates the cancellation is requested. 

A lone tree survives the strong trade winds.

To date, we’ve canceled only one cruise which was well before the 90 day period, receiving a 100% deposit.  After sailing on the Norwegian Epic, we decided to cancel a future cruise, we’d booked on the Epic a second time. We hadn’t liked the ship, although it survived the 50-foot swells at sea for three days. 

The Epic was poorly designed to our liking, too large and difficult to maneuver from area to area.  In addition, the design of walking through the bathroom to get into the cabin was particularly unappealing, leaving no privacy when showering and dressing. Gee, a girl (or guy) has to have a few private moments now and then!

Yesterday, after Tom spent time-off and on over the past several months, researching possible future cruises and after spending considerable time since the family departed, he was ready to book two cruises. 

Usually, when booking cruises we’ve had to pay a $450 deposit per person, resulting in tying up $900 of our money for as long as two years into the future. 

When we’d booked several cruises, we disliked the idea of a cruise line having that much of our money for such an extended period. It made no sense at all. But, waiting to book a cruise could result in a lack of availability of preferred sailing dates and cabin selection.

A single shrub against the backdrop of the roaring sea.

While on our last cruise from Vancouver to Honolulu on the Celebrity Solstice, we prepaid two cruise deposits in advance for $200 each, a promo-only offered onboard the ship. It wasn’t necessary to choose which cruises we wanted at that point. The deposits would remain in place indefinitely until we chose cruises.

Yesterday, our prepaid $200 deposits came into play when we booked the two cruises, three and a half months apart, on the Celebrity Solstice, the same ship that brought us to Hawaii in October 2014.

Today, we’ll share the details of the first of these two cruises and tomorrow, the second, leaving us with a total of five cruises booked in the future, all of which we’ll list collectively in tomorrow’s post.

Budding lilies in the yard.

Here are the details of this cruise we booked yesterday, oddly sailing on the day of our four year anniversary of leaving on our journey to travel the world. We booked an upgraded cabin resulting in a total cost for a balcony cabin on the starboard side for an unobstructed view (of lifeboats) for a total of $4143.81 including tax and gratuities for both of us. Here are the details, including the itinerary.

FastDeal 11541
14 nights departing October 31, 2016 on
Celebrity’s Celebrity Solstice
Brochure Inside $2,598
Our Inside $1,249
You Save 52%
Brochure Oceanview $3,198
Our Oceanview $1,599
You Save 50%
Brochure Balcony $3,598
Our Balcony $1,699
You Save 53%
Brochure Suite $7,198
Our Suite $3,599
You Save 50%
The prices shown are US dollars per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability. They include port charges but do not include airfare or (where applicable) airport or government taxes or fees.
Important Note: Visas are required for this itinerary.
ITINERARY
DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE   DEPART
Mon Oct 31 Singapore 5:00pm
Tue Nov 1 At Sea
Wed Nov 2 At Sea
Thu Nov 3 Benoa, Bali 8:00am 5:00pm
Fri Nov 4 At Sea
Sat Nov 5 At Sea
Sun Nov 6 Darwin, Australia 8:00am 4:00pm
Mon Nov 7 At Sea
Tue Nov 8 At Sea
Wed Nov 9 Cairns, Australia 9:00am 5:00pm
Thu Nov 10 Airlie Beach, Australia 9:00am 5:00pm
Fri Nov 11 At Sea
Sat Nov 12 Brisbane, Australia 8:00am 5:00pm
Sun Nov 13 At Sea
Mon Nov 14 Sydney, Australia 6:00am

On some of our cruises, we return to the cities and countries we’ve already visited.  We never mind this fact.  For this cruise, we’ll have already been to Sydney, Cairns, and Bali. However, we don’t mind the redundancy at all. Seeing an area from a cruise ship is an interesting part of the experience that we never fail to enjoy.

Actually, many ports of call in our upcoming cruises may be repeats at some point. But, the fact that we have an opportunity to see new locations as well only adds to the experience. For both of us, being on the ship itself is delightful giving us an opportunity to interact with other travelers, making new friends along the way.

Booking these two cruises leaves a few holes in our itinerary. During the upcoming four months in Kauai, we’ll be busy filling those gaps and considering the last booking we have scheduled to date, the end of the second cruise, March 13, 2017. Our goal is to always be booked for the upcoming two years. 

As a result, we’ll soon begin booking beyond March 13, 2017. How exciting, that will be!

Photo from one year ago today, January 10, 2014:

It’s hard to believe it was a year ago that Tom spotted the Mozambique Spitting Cobra next to his bare foot as we sat on the veranda in Marloth Park.  He jumped away while I ran for the camera.  This jittery photo was a result of my hands shaking a bit as I shot this through the clothes line rack when the snake tried to get into the house.  Tom moved it with the mop as shown in the right side of the photo.  For more details on this story, please click here.

Hello, Lahaina, Maui…We’ll also see you soon!…

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When the trolley in Hilo stopped to pick up passengers in a strip mall, we spotted this orchid.
The thought of returning to live on these various Hawaiian Islands is exciting. This morning at 7:30 am, our ship anchored in Maui, again requiring a tender boat to get to the shore to the village of Lahaina. Since we’ll be back in Maui in less than two weeks we decided to stay on board today and tomorrow, before disembarking on Sunday. Many of the tours and shuttles are off for shopping in Lahaina. We’ll visit Lahaina later on our own.
Gazebo at the park in Hilo.

With constant WiFi problems, honestly, I’m anxious to get on land where we’ll have a good signal. This has been frustrating. In our effort to post each day, I’ve literally spent hours attempting to upload two or three photos a day. Even the MiFi from XCOM Global is receiving a poor signal.

It’s easy to post text only. But, surely our readers enjoyed seeing some photos while we sailed across the seas. Hopefully, by the time we embark on our next cruise in May 2015, technology will have improved for a better signal aboard the ship.

Pretty scenery at Liliuokalani Gardens.

We have many wonderful photos to share that we’re unable to upload due to the poor signal. Once we’re situated in our condo in Waikiki and our laundry is done (almost out of clothes), we’ll be excited to post many of these photos of the various islands we’ve seen.

Once we get these “backed-up” photos presented, we’ll continue to explore each island on which we’ll live sharing new photos and stories along the way. We look forward to doing so.

Shoreline in Hilo.

After visiting cooler climates these past several months, we certainly can feel the impact of the scorching heat in Hawaii, especially today in Maui. We like the warmer weather and in a short time we’ll be used to it as we had in
Africa for almost nine months. 

Overall, most of our travels have included hot weather except after we arrived in Madeira, Portugal, where the average temperature was in the 70’s. In Hawaii, this time of year, most days will be in the humid, sun-scorching
80’s. 

We took the trolley in Hilo enabling us to get some good shots along the shoreline..
With AC in each of the locations in which we’ll live, we’ll have a comfortable mix of cool air inside and warmth when we’re out and about, ideal to our liking. As always, there’s a short period of time for adjustment to our
surroundings, the culture, the way of life commensurate with each locale.
With only 11 days upcoming in Oahu, we look forward to settling in for the six weeks in Maui, where today we need only look across a short expanse of the sea where it awaits us in all of its glory.
Sky at dusk in Hilo.

Again, we’ll continue to attempt to post photos while lounging in air-conditioned comfort aboard the ship in the luxurious Sky Lounge knowing full well that in almost 48 hours we’ll be off the ship to begin our almost eight-month stay in the beautiful Hawaiian Islands. Yum.

Photo from one year ago today, October 4, 2013:

It’s hard to believe that we were in Kenya a year ago, packing to leave the next days for a safari in the Maasai Mara, one of the most extraordinary experiences of our lives. On this date, one year ago, we experienced a power outage that prevented us from posting. Starting tomorrow, one year ago, we began the life-changing safari in the Maasai Mara. Of course, we’ll share photos each day on our daily one year ago posting at the bottom of each new post.

Hello, Kona, Big Island, Hawaii…We’ll be back soon…

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Sunset from our veranda.

After sailing all night, yesterday morning, we arrived on the opposite side of the Big Island to the city of Kona, the second largest city on the Big island with Hilo as number one.

This particular port requires passengers to board a “tender,” a smaller boat used to transport passengers to the shore when the ship is too large to dock at the pier.

Is this a houseboat, island or floating property? Once we can get a better signal we can figure it out.
They used the ship’s lifeboats as the tenders, as opposed to using locals tender boats that are often contracted to facilitate the needs of the various cruise ships arriving in the port.

Although we wanted to avoid the crowds on the tender boats knowing we’ll be on this island beginning on December 1st for a period of six weeks, we decided to go ashore to check out the city of Kona. 

View of a small portion of Kona’s shoreline.

Once we arrived at the pier we boarded the local trolley for a 90-minute ride around the Kona area, taking many good photos. Unfortunately, the poor WiFi signal on both the ship and the MiFi has prevented us from posting many photos. 

(It’s taken hours of persistence to post the few photos we’ve included here each day. We’ll catch up and post some great new photos once we get on land for a better signal. Thanks for your patience).

Again, Wednesday night was “formal” night, the third on this 12-night cruise, an unusually large number for this length of cruise. Of course, we no longer have formal wear or in Tom’s case, not a tie, dress shirt, or sports coat. Instead, he has worn his white long sleeve BugsAway shirt on each of the three formal nights.

Kona shoreline.

For me, formal night is easier. Wearing one of my three “roll-in-a-ball” long skirts with a tee-shirt, a long scarf, a belt, and a few pieces of costume jewelry and I’m as formal as I can be with what I have on hand. Many men were dressed in tuxedos and women in sparkly evening gowns.

When we were seated at the sharing dinner table for 10 with our less than formal wear, it only took a few minutes for us to settle in with the formally dressed others to become comfortable. 

When asked where we’re from and we explained our nomadic lifestyle, they all agreed that hauling a tuxedo and evening gown around the world made no sense at all. In moments, we were entrenched in delightful conversation and our attire, although clean and tidy, was quickly forgotten.

We took one of these lifeboats, used as tenders to get passengers from the ship to the pier.

Last night, Thursday, we dined with a fabulous couple we met earlier from Cruise Critic, Susan, and Mark, who hosted the slot pull last week. We took an instant liking to them and were excited to dine with them as a foursome in the dining room (casual, last night).

We couldn’t have had more fun, laughter, and also deep and meaningful conversation. How fortunate we’ve been to meet so many wonderful people on cruises, many of whom we remain in touch from as far back as our original cruise in January 2013.

Almost every morning at breakfast and every evening at dinner, we’ve met new people, each with their own interesting story to tell. We find that in many cases people are curious as to how we manage our lives without stuff or a home. They ask many questions that we happily answer candidly including the hard parts. 

I suppose if the tables were turned we’d be asking the same questions. At times, even Tom and I look at one another asking, “How in the world are we pulling this off?” 

A very dear friend from Minnesota wrote to me a few days ago, telling me I could share with her in an email “what it’s really like” as opposed to the relatively cheerful tone in most of our posts, which she reads almost daily.

I wrote back to her, unable to wipe the smile off of my face, telling her there is no “what it’s really like” other than that which we share here. Tom and I are not fighting in the background. We’re not running out of money.  We aren’t ill and hiding it. We aren’t wrought with worry and concern, keeping it to ourselves.

Our posts are presented in a vein of “what you see is what you get.” There’s no hidden agenda, no mask or veil from which we hide our true selves. Many wonder if we have an end date in mind that we don’t reveal. Not at all. Our answer to this query is simple, “We’ll keep going as long as our health is good enough to continue on.”

Maintaining our budget ensures we never run out of money, although with inflation, surely in time, we’ll have to trim some of our expenses to account for the differences. But, even that, doesn’t intimidate us. We know how to sacrifice and trim. After two years of living on a strict budget, we’re getting good at this, if we do say so ourselves. 

Tightwads? Maybe a little. Frugal? Maybe a lot. But, the motivation is sound and the result is rewarding. At the end of this month on October 31st, we’ll have been gone from Minnesota for two years. 

Time flies when you’re having fun.

                                               Photo from one year ago today, October 3, 2013:

When our driver Edmond drove us to the market in Diani Beach, Kenya, we usually spotted baboons on the side of the road. On this particular date a year ago, the power was out in the house in Kenya as we packed for our upcoming safari in the Maasai Mara, a few days later. Please click here for details.

Hello Hilo, Big Island, Hawaii!…An unexpected outing!…New photo of us in Hilo…

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Here we are at Liliuokalani Gardens in Hilo. Sam, our overly friendly taxi driver, took the photo.

It was tempting to get off the ship to go see the two houses we rented on the Big Island for the holidays with our family. But, we’ve decided to wait in order to be surprised.

The scenery along the shores of Hawaii is lovely.

The pier in Hilo is located in a highly industrial area and we’d have had to walk for miles to get to any points of interest. 

As we entered the Port of Hilo, Hawaii.

Also, we’ll be back on the Big Island for six weeks in less than two months, saving sightseeing to do with our family members when they start arriving on December 6th.

The last time we went to a Walmart, a store we never visited in our old lives, was in Cabo San Lucas in Mexico on January 6, 2013, when we got off the ship, the Celebrity Century, to purchase our first camera. Here’s Tom in front of the Hilo, Hawaii Walmart. See below as to how we ended up at this store, an entirely unplanned outing.

However, we decided to take the free shuttle into downtown Hilo. Well, of all things, we accidentally got on the bus going to Walmart! We couldn’t have laughed harder. 

Leis for sale in a refrigerated case at the Walmart store.

After spending $126 in Walmart, we weren’t laughing quite as hard. We purchased nuts, a couple of shirts, self tanning cream, shampoo, toothpaste and a few odds and ends.

Our ship is behind the Pacific Princess in the foreground.

Tom got “overly grumpy” when we had to buy a cloth bag to carry our purchases since Walmart in Hawaii doesn’t use plastic bags. I couldn’t have been more thrilled with their concern for the environment. 

Near the Liliuokalani Gardens in Hilo.

After we made our purchases, we found our way to the waiting area for the free shuttle to return us and others to the ship. The expected wait time was 15 minutes at most. 

At the Liliuokalani Gardens in Hilo.

As we waited while sitting on a bench, a friendly-looking taxi driver asked if we wanted a ride back to the pier.  Did we have food stuck in our teeth proving we were passengers of the latest cruise ship to arrive in Hilo?

I asked Sam, “How much?” 

Sam answered, “$12.”

I answered, “Na, too much!”

Sam answered, looking at the camera hanging from my shoulder, “How about $10 with a stop at a gorgeous site to take photos?”

The park was lovely.

We couldn’t have jumped up quicker, taking Sam up on his kindly offer. As soon as we got into his air-conditioned minivan, we all engaged in animated chatter as Sam drove us to the Liliuokalani Gardens, an exquisite park on the way back to the ship.

Oddly, Sam told us he lives on “Lyman Ave” in Hilo, pulling out his driver’s license to show us. Serendipity.  We’re hardly wanted to say goodbye to Sam after an outrageously fun time with him during the drive and at the gorgeous park. Its funny how the least expected situations turn into the most fun of all. 

An enchanting footbridge in the gardens.

Over the extended periods we’ll spend on each of three of the four islands we’ll have plenty of time to see everything that appeals to us. No paid excursion would have been more fun than our time with Sam.

As for Hilo, we searched for a bit of general information on the Hawaiian Islands and found the following. As time goes on, we’ll acquire knowledge that we’ll share with our readers as opposed to quoting other web sites. 

For now, we’re Hawaiian newbies and we prefer to be careful of that which we write until we become more knowledgeable over the next many months:

“The Hawaiian Islands (Hawaiian: Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) from the island of Hawaiʻi in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll. Formerly the group was known to Europeans and Americans as the “Sandwich Islands“, a name chosen by James Cook in honor of the then First Lord of the Admiralty John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich. The contemporary name is derived from the name of the main island, Hawaii Island, as a pars pro toto.
The US state of Hawaii occupies the archipelago almost in its entirety (including the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands), with the sole exception of Midway island, which is instead an unincorporated territory within the United States Minor Outlying Islands.
The Hawaiian Islands are the exposed peaks of a great undersea mountain range known as the Hawaiian-Emperor seamount chain, formed by volcanic activity over a hotspot in the Earth’s mantle. The islands are about 1,860 miles (3,000 km) from the nearest continent.“

In these short few days in Hawaii, it’s odd for us to grasp that Hawaii is a part of the US, other than for its abundance of US products, services and of course, its economy. It appears comparable to other many other resorts/vacation/holiday island we’ve visited in other parts of the world.
 

Of course, we enjoy the easy availability of products and services from which we’ve been far removed for much of the past two years. Seeing the familiar products, chain restaurants, markets, and hotels is both refreshing and disappointing when we’ve found great pleasure is being detached from all the hype.
 
We’ll have ample time in the future to once again feel removed from the hustle and bustle of life in the US when again we take off for more remote locations in not too distant future.  
 
In the interim, we’ll enjoy every aspect of living in Hawaii, experiencing each of these  islands, each with its own unique persona. From what we saw on Tuesday in Honolulu, the prices may not be any higher than we experienced in the past locations.

With only five days and four nights until we disembark the ship, we have that wonderful feeling of not being disappointed that the cruise is ending, knowing that which lays ahead will be equally enjoyable.

                                          Photo from one year ago today, October 2, 2013:
 
None of our photos were posted on this date. However, we did post a story about “worrying” we loved to share with our readers who may have missed it. Please click here for details.

A flowerful walk in Honolulu…New photos…Preparing a post as opposed to uploading a post…

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Wow! The greenery and flowers in Hawaii amazed us as we walked the streets of Honolulu taking these photos.

Yesterday, we had mixed feelings about getting off the ship in Honolulu. The heat, the humidity, the lines at the ship’s security both coming and going, and the fact the port of Honolulu is located in a mostly business district, made it somewhat unappealing.

Add the fact that we’ll be on this island for a combined 20 days over the next several months, our plan has been to see the sites while we’re on our own, as mentioned in yesterday’s post. Why pay to see the city when we’ll be able to grab a free or low-cost bus directly outside our condo?

Many exquisite flowers bloom year-round in Hawaii 

With our family coming to Big Island, paying exorbitant fees to go sightseeing at this point becomes less of a priority when we’re watching our spending to a “t” in preparations for the upcoming big expenses for December/January.

In any case, we decided to “wing it” and head off the ship for a walk-in busy Honolulu, staying out for a few hours in the bright hot sun, stopping periodically to take photos.

We seldom find orange flowers but in Hawaii…

The location for taking photos wasn’t ideal when we’d have had to walk considerable distances to make our way to more “natural” areas away from the skyscrapers.

However, the time wasn’t wasted when the Hawaii I knew from 30 years ago, loomed before us with beautiful flowers growing at every turn. As our readers are aware, we both have a penchant for exquisite vegetation, particularly flowers.

Tom is thrilled to be in Hawaii.
Tom has become my expert “flower spotter” with a keen eye at long distances, often inspiring us to continue on an otherwise unlikely path for a single photo. Yesterday, was no exception as my “overly bubbly” self squealed with delight each time we stopped for a shot.

Too far away from good scenery photos plus, taking photos of skyscrapers holds little interest in finding flowers a most appropriate subject. We share these with our readers today, our favorites of the lot.

Beautiful!

I haven’t mentioned much about the new camera we purchased at a price of US $369 (duty-free) on our last cruise. It’s a relatively inexpensive Canon Power Shot SX50 that does everything we could possibly need or want. 

Why not purchase a higher caliber camera? The answer is simple. With constant travel, humid and hot weather conditions, we’d rather purchase a new camera every few years for the latest and best technology in a reasonable price range than cart around an expensive camera we’re fearful of losing, dropping, or having fall prey to rough handling and weather conditions.

These flowers so well depict Hawaii’s gorgeous colors.

Oddly, we still use the old Sony camera when we want to slip it into a pocket and not bear the weight around my neck. Since I don’t carry a handbag except on “travel days,” this newer Canon is heavier requiring a bigger commitment when carrying it around. 

So far, we’ve been pleased with the photos which don’t look a whole lot different than the photos we took using the Sony, minus the spots on the inside of the lens (which require I use an app to remove them). The new camera is usually a better option.

I can’t recall seeing yellow hibiscus.

Yesterday, when we walked around the immediate Honolulu area we’d brought the Canon resulting in some fairly decent photos we’re pleased to share here today.

Based on the time zone over the next eight months, we’ve found that it’s necessary to write each post the day prior to it being uploaded to our site. The web software allows us to upload a post at a specific date and time which we’ve set for 3:00 am Mountain Time.

This is the Hawaii I recall; hot, humid and hazy, and gorgeous.

The reason we’ve done this is for those readers who were used to seeing a new post when they awoke in the morning. When we were in Kenya, exactly one year ago, we were located in the East African Time Zone. The time difference between Hawaii which is located in the Aleutian Time Zone and Kenya is a whopping 13 hours. 

Along the way in our travels over these past almost two years, we’ve made an attempt to ensure that readers can expect to see our posts at familiar times of the day. It may not have always been perfect but, we try.  Please write to us if you have any comments or question regarding this topic

We’ve never seen this plant.

Thus, as I write this post it is September 30 in the afternoon. However, it will become available in the upcoming middle of the night here in Hawaii. As a result, we set it up to automatically post at 3 am. 

First thing each morning, Tom proofreads for errors while I make the necessary corrections which may not appear corrected until after you’ve already read the post.  Please excuse our errors. This is a reality of posting the equivalency of an essay each and every day, a perfect scenario for making errors that are easily missed by my own proofreading.

Vibrant color.

Today, as you read this, we’ll be on our way to Hilo on the Big Island as the cruise sails into Day #8, soon ending on Day #12, back in Honolulu. This particular cruise continues on to Sydney, Australia on October 5th, the day we disembark. On May 24, 2015, that we’ll board RC Legend of the Seas for our journey to Sydney, Australia.

We love cruising. We love life as homeless nomads. We’re both grateful and appreciative of this life we live. Please continue to share this journey with us. We appreciate and love that you do.  

                                            Photo from one year ago today, October 1, 2013:

Ironically, it was one year ago today, that we booked the condo in Club Intrawest in Vancouver, that we left only eight days ago to board this ship. For details from that date, please click here.

Arrived in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii…Photos…

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The city of Honolulu has grown into quite a metropolis.

It’s been 26 years since I’ve been to Hawaii. In my old life, BT (before Tom), I’d visited the islands on many occasions, each time enthralled by its beauty, reveling how each island offers its own unique environment and
charm.

Skyscrapers, office complexes, restaurants, hotels, and shopping line every major boulevard in Honolulu.

The Honolulu/Waikiki Beach area is a mass of people, vehicles, noise, and exorbitant prices, considerably more than I recall from many years ago. Nothing about this overcrowded area bespeaks the magic of Hawaii. The pace serves to remind us of why we prefer more remote locations.

The sky view is constantly changing when each of the islands has unique weather systems.

On October 5th, after visiting other islands by way of this cruise ship, as shown on this list below, we’ll return to Honolulu where we’ll disembark the cruise to stay for 11 nights: (See the list below for the dates we’ll stay in the islands)

Mon Sep 29 Honolulu, Oahu, HI 1:00 pm 

Tue Sep 30 Honolulu, Oahu, HI 8:00 pm 

Wed Oct 1 Kilauea Volcano, HI (Cruising) 

Wed Oct 1 Hilo, Hawaii, HI 11:00 am – 8:00 pm 

Thu Oct 2 Kona, Hawaii, HI 11:00 am – 8:00 pm 

Fri Oct 3 Lahaina, Maui, HI 8:00 am 

Sat Oct 4 Lahaina, Maui, HI 6:00 pm

Sun Oct 5 Honolulu, Oahu, HI 7:00 am  

Blue sky, blue sea, and vegetation depict Hawaii even in densely populated areas.

Here are our scheduled dates to remain in the Hawaiian Islands over the next
several months:

  • October 5 to October 16 – Waikiki Beach, Oahu
  • October 16 to December 1 – Maui
  • December 1 to January 15 – Big Island
  • January 15 to May 15 – Kauai
  • May 15 to May 24 – Honolulu, Oahu
Not unlike any other major city by the sea.

These extended dates on US soil will provide us with the opportunity to be with our family at Christmas on the Big Island, get medical checkups, have our teeth cleaned, do our taxes for 2014, renew our second
passports and any other necessary “paperwork” awaiting us. 

By the time we leave in May, we’ll be ready for the next exciting leg of our journey where we’ll spend over a year in Australia and the South Pacific.

They say driving and finding a parking spot in Honolulu is a nightmare. We’ll take taxis and buses while in Honolulu/Waikiki for twenty days, eleven on the front end, and nine on the back end of our almost eight months stay in the islands.

In all, we’ll be spending 20 days in the Honolulu/Waikiki area in the next almost eight-month resulting in a decision to avoid any tours during the ship’s short stays in the various ports of call. This island is the only one of four islands where we won’t have a rental car.

Several tourist boats were at the pier where the ship docked.

Surely, we’ll enjoy time on Oahu, seeing the sites and leisurely visiting points of interest with our condo in Waikiki as a base. Once we’re settled next week, we’ll be able to assess our location and means of public transportation which is readily available in the area.

Yesterday afternoon after the passengers disembarked for their tours, we found ourselves comfortably situated in chaise lounges by the pool. For once, it was easy finding a good spot for some fun in the sun.

Back at you tomorrow with more!

                                         Photo from one year ago today, September 30, 2013:

Flowers at the restaurant on this date one year ago. For details, please click here.