Part 2, Papeete, Tahiti, Society Islands, French Polynesia…Excellent Island Tour…

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The waterfall in the park in Tahiti, a popular tourist attraction.

We didn’t get off the ship yesterday. Busy visiting with other passengers we were late getting finished with the post. By the time the photos finally uploaded due to a poor connection while in port, it was too late to go ashore and get back in time for the 4:30 pm sailing.

The embankment is protected by wire mesh and chains to keep the rocks from falling onto the roadway. The only other places we’ve seen this was in Madeira, Portugal, and Maui.

Again today with many passengers stopping to chat with us here in the Schooner Bar, we’ll be late posting. We apologize for today’s late post.

We passed through a few tunnels during the tour of the island of Tahiti.

When passengers tour with taxis on their own, the ship won’t wait to depart if there is an unforeseen delay, such as a flat tire, running out of gas, etc. Also, in reading online at TripAdvisor and other sites, there was a degree of unreliability expressed over taxi service in Bora Bora. 

On the last road to the waterfall area, numerous dogs were on the road, many asleep in the way of passing cars.

In an effort to maintain our low-stress travel philosophy, we stayed behind. That’s not to say staying behind wasn’t wonderful. It was. We hung out at the pool with our new friends from the US, Pat, and Charles from Missouri, and thoroughly enjoyed the time together.

Notice the plants inside the painted old tires.  We noticed these in several spots along the highway in Tahiti. It was raining while I shot this photo through the windshield.

After seeing Bora Bora and those adorable bungalows over the water, we’ve decided someday to return and perhaps stay for a month. We’ve found there are other less expensive options for those appealing bungalows which we’d love to experience.

Gnarly Banyan tree.

Taking tons of photos of Bora Bora from the ship, we were satisfied with our decision. Many passengers, particularly more seasoned travelers such as us, don’t get off at every port. We get off the ship when it calls to us which is more times than not.  So far, we’ve only missed one port of call.

A woman selling fruit at the waterfall park.

As the ship continues out to sea until arriving in Fiji on Saturday, June 6th, we’re extraordinarily content with plenty to do to keep us busy. Between hanging out with other passengers, attending seminars, movies, and a variety of entertainment venues, lounging by the pool, working out (for me), dining twice a day, we don’t have a moment of time to become bored or even read a book.

Bamboo growing along the pebble path.

On some days, we actually have to rush to dress for dinner. Tonight is another formal night, which is always tricky for us when many men dress in tuxedos and women in ball gowns. But, somehow we dig through our clothes to find clothes that don’t seem too casual or out of place.

During our walk through the park, we stopped to admire the scenery.

After all, we have no room or interest in such fanfare as we did when we went on our first few cruises with the proper attire on hand. Now down to so few pieces of luggage, we barely have room for a single more dressy item. Luckily, I’d purchased the few items in Princeville which aren’t dressy, although “casual dressy,” if there is such a thing.

Giant rocks in the creek.

Tom has one long sleeve white dress shirt with black pants which we hope will fit him tonight. He’s actually not eaten much on this cruise, keeping the gluten and sugar consumption under control, mostly due to his dislike of some of the options.

Boulders in the creek.

The accommodations for my meals have continued to my satisfaction at both meals surprising me at times as to the good flavor and consideration that has been exercised to comply with my restrictive diet. 

A path in the park-like area of the waterfall.

The kindly pastry chef had offered to be creative and make some type of custard type desserts for me using eggs and cream. I graciously declined his offer. He wouldn’t have used my preferred chemical-free liquid sweetener (purchased online) which deterred my interest. 

A footbridge over the brook.

We’re being mindful of constantly washing our hands and using sanitizer. So far, we’ve heard no mention of Norovirus or respiratory illness onboard which is often prevalent on cruises. 

Beautiful greenery in the park area.

Yesterday morning at breakfast we were seated at a table next to a woman mentioning she was coming down with a cough and sore throat. Again, as graciously as possible, profusely apologizing and asking her not to be offended, we arose.

Musician playing at the waterfall area.

Sure, it was awkward to have to do so. But, getting sick would be very frustrating and we have no desire to take such a risk. We still have nine more days on this cruise and having the opportunity to continue to enjoy ourselves each day as we have thus far, is truly a gift.

The babbling brook.

As we’re sitting in the Schooner Bar at the moment in our quiet comfortable corner, it’s already almost 3:00 pm. The days fly by leaving us with a bucket load of great memories and friends from all over Australia, several of whom have invited us to come to stay at their homes, genuinely making such an offer that astounds us.

Another view of the babbling brook at the site of the waterfall.

Of course, we’d never actually stay in their homes, as much as we appreciate the offers. We’ve always preferred to find our own accommodations without imposing upon others. 

Our friend Jeff sipping on a fresh coconut. Benjamin, our driver is in the background in the red and white shirt.

Today, we share more photos of our tour in Tahiti, and tomorrow, well, there are great shots of Bora Bora. We worried we’d run out of stories and photos on such a long cruise although, at this point, we doubt this will transpire with much more awaiting us.

Have a terrific Tuesday. We’ll be back!

                                            Photo from one year ago today, June 2, 2014:

On this date one year ago, the locals from the Catholic church visited the homes in Campanario to sing and share the Day of Ascension. Entering our house, they continued with their lovely music while we praised them for a job well done, offering a donation at the end.  For more details from that day, please click here.

Part 1…Papeete, Tahiti, Society Islands, French Polynesia…Excellent island tour…

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Us, on the bridge overlooking the sea.

Here is an interesting link with detailed information about the island of French Polynesia including both Moorea and Tahiti. I’d mentioned providing more detailed information about the islands, but this link explains it much better that I could.

The view from the ship of Papeete, Tahiti.

As I write today again, we’re situated in our favorite spot in the Schooner Bar after a chatty breakfast in the Romeo & Juliet main dining room. There’s a tiny table onto which I can set my laptop giving me perfect ergonomics for the time it will take for today’s post and photo upload. 

This is the most comfortable spot on the ship and we can stay mildly entertained by the activity surrounding us at times; trivia or Sudoku games played in teams. On a few occasions, we joined in on the trivia games.

Typical busy city streets found anywhere in the world.

At the moment the ship has anchored a distance from the pier in Bora Bora and taking a tender is required to go ashore. Once we’re done here, we’ll unload our computers back to the cabin and take off for a little exploration of this island paradise, not unlike what we’d done yesterday in Tahiti.

Breadfruit tree.

With our friends Rene and Jeff, we grabbed a taxi at the pier, negotiating a fair price of US $20 per person for a tour of some of the highlights in Tahiti. It couldn’t have been more perfect.

There’s always a pizza place in every city.

Our driver Benjamin, who can be reached at 872 976 35, an elderly English speaking gentleman of Chinese descent who’s lived in Tahiti all of his life, was the perfect driver taking us in a safe and timely fashion to see the high points. His tour was similar to the four-hour bus tour at a considerably higher cost in considerably less time than going through the ship’s excursion department. 

Noni fruit in Tahiti.

In less than two hours we’d seen all the high points and with the photos, we were able to take, we couldn’t have been more content. The four of us were looking forward to the afternoon matinee back at the ship to see the excellent movie, Unbroken.

This cloudy view of Five Fingers Mountain.

One may ask, why in the world we want to go to a movie on a cruise ship while we’re in Tahiti?  For one, it was raining. More importantly…because we can. Plain and simple. Because we can. This cruise, like others, isn’t our once-a-year-vacation/holiday. 

The Mayor’s home in the center of town known as La Saintonge.

This is simply 18 days of our lives during which we happen to be using a cruise for transportation to Australia, during which we’re having a fabulous time, making new friends and checking out new locations we’ve never visited in the past.

Vegetation view from the bridge at One Tree Hill.

It was interesting to see Tahiti. Although it’s a beautiful island it didn’t call to us to return at some time in the future to stay for an extended period. The image we had in our minds of Tahiti was very different from reality starting out in the major city of Papeete which not unlike many other major island cities is busy, noisy, and filled with local and tourist traffic.

What a view at One Tree Hill.

Once Benjamin drove us beyond the hustle and bustle, of Papeete the island began to look somewhat similar to Belize in its massive amount of lush green vegetation, old run-down structures, a few historic buildings, mountains, and ocean views. I suppose after Kauai, Hawaii we’re a little spoiled. 

Closer view of the peninsula in the bay in Tahiti.

For many, Tahiti could be an ideal vacation spot staying in one of the many tropical themed hotels with boundless views, sports, and amenities. For us to live there, it becomes an entirely different scenario. 

Our wonderful new friends from Australia, Renee, and Jeff.

However, seeing the beautiful points of interest provided us with a degree of affection for its quaint and eye catching scenery and seemingly friendly people.

Instead of walking over the rickety stairway, Benjamin suggested we follow the path below to access the expansive view of the bay. The single Banyan Tree at the top of the steps was the basis for the name, One Tree Hill.

Back at the ship in time for the matinee, the four of us and two more, the couple we’d met at breakfast, Dee and Ron headed to the theatre for the heart wrenching, well-done movie.

Church in the center of town.

By the time we returned to our cabin, it was 5:00 pm, time to get dressed for dinner and head to the bar for happy hour. Happy it was, that hour until at around 7:00 pm we made our way to dinner for another fine evening of lively banter with more Australians at our table. 

Another church in Papeete, Tahiti.

After dinner, we went to the show, a ballroom dancing extravaganza that was highly entertaining. We’d had another perfect day aboard the ship. We’re not yet halfway through the cruise and excitedly anticipate each day as it comes.

Monument denoted Captain James Cook’s landing in Tahiti. Dark clouds were rolling in.

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with Part 2 Tahiti since we had more beautiful points of interest to share than we could possibly post in one day.

Walkway to the beach area near the monument.

Have a pleasant start to the new week!

                                               Photo from one year ago today, June 1, 2014:

The charming streets of Ribeira Brava, our most convenient location for shopping in Madeira, Portugal. For details from that post, please click here.

Part 2…Moorea, Society Islands, French Polynesia…A tour at sea…

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A scenic view during our visit to Moorea.

Let’s face it. We’ve seen a lot of islands, most volcanic, some less so, some stunning, others with similarities we’ve seen on past cruises and in our travels. Getting off the ship at every port is less important to us than some others who are on vacation/holiday.

This is the interior of the lifeboat which tendered us to the pier in Moorea.

For us, we happen to be living on a ship for 18 days, using it as a means of transportation, as we’ve always had, and sightseeing is not on our radar every day in our travels.

Huts above the water.

As I write this we’re sitting in the cool and comfortable Schooner Bar on deck four with air conditioning, comfy chairs, and a nice little table onto which I can set the laptop as I write.

More huts above the water often for rent for higher prices than a regular hotel rooms

After we’ve uploaded today’s post, we’ll be going ashore to grab a taxi to take us to see some sites and take photos to post here tomorrow. 

Mountain scenes in every direction.

We’re in Papeete, Tahiti. As much as one thinks of Tahiti as girls dancing in hula skirts, palm trees, and icy drinks, when we look outside, we see only a city with tall buildings, traffic, noise, and smog. Surely, a drive away from the city one would easily find that the tropical image we have in our mind exists.

When most tourists visiting a destination such as Tahiti, they grab a taxi or shuttle to take them to their tropical resort which most likely will be a paradise-like environment of all that bespeaks tropical vacation. Only leaving the resort for tours and dining, its an entirely different experience than for our way of life.

Another boat passing us as the sky darkened and it began to rain.

In any case, we’re loving this cruise for the people and the friendships we continue to build each day at breakfast, dinner, and the other venues around the ship.  How we got so lucky, we’ll never know. But, we continue to revel in our surroundings on all terms and during all conditions.

Tom is seated at a table a few tables over from me with a favorite couple we’ve met, Renee and Jeff, older than us, more fun than one can imagine. 

The boat stopped to pick up debris floating in the ocean.

After the game and my uploading today’s post, the four of us are heading out to take a taxi to see the sites for an hour or two. I have to stay away from their table while they play due to my open computer which may broadcast to the other players that potentially we could “cheat” looking up answers online. Of course, we’d never do such a thing but, we certainly understand the possible perception.

Huts built into the hill with a sandy beach below.

Last night, we avoided the show after another fabulous dinner with new people we met at a shared time and again this morning at breakfast meeting another lovely couple. We were almost the last of the diners to exit the dining room.

Lots of parasailing.

Today, we’re completing the posting photos from yesterday’s boat tour in Moorea, Society Islands, French Polynesia. We were able to take a good video of spinner dolphins but, when I attempted to upload it to YouTube, the timer stated it would take 2462 hours to finish.  We may post it on a future date when we have a stronger signal. Tomorrow, we’ll be back with photos from today’s tour of Papeete, Tahiti.

Finally, we were back on the ship.

As of today, we’ve been on the ship for one week. With many days remaining and the level of enjoyment, we’re experiencing this may go down as one of our favorite cruises for the social element. As for the ports of call, they are proving to be similar to many other ports we seen to date and more we’ll see in the future.

A close-up view of a hut over the water.

Have a restful Sunday. We’ll excitedly be back tomorrow.

                                              Photo from one year ago today, May 31, 2014:

Tom was relaxed in Madeira while we were out to dinner in Ribeira Brava, the closest village to Campanario where we lived for two and a half months. For details from that post, please click here.

Part 1…Moorea, Society Islands, French Polynesia…A tour at sea…

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Vacation/holiday huts set into the side of the mountain

With few tour options that appealed to us on the island of Moorea, located in the chain of islands, Society Islands, which is a part of French Polynesia, we opted for the Eco Tour on a three hour boat ride that was intended to tour around the entire island.

The ticket we purchased for the tour.

Unfortunately, a giant wave/swell was expected to hit the north and west sides of the island later in the day today and our eco tour guide, Terry, informed us that we’d need to stay away from that side of the island.

View of the shore from the boat.

However, once we got going, somehow we ended up on the west side. The waves were huge and the boat with only 11 of us passengers and two crew rode the waves quite well, although we bounced about considerably throughout the “three-hour tour.” This boat ride would not have been suitable for the seasick prone.

The pier where passengers exited the tender boats to go ashore.

Tom wrote about the three-hour tour on his Facebook as we’re sitting in the Schooner Bar at the present and one of his FB friends commented, “You know what happened in the last three-hour tour?” (Gilligan’s Island). We sure laughed out loud over that comment.

Most of the homes in Moorea are located along the water, although some appear to be located in the mountainside.

Waves and swells aside, the hard pounding boat tour made taking photos very tricky when it was nearly impossible to hold the camera steady. 

The cost of the tour was listed at $129 per person which we booked yesterday morning. Later in the day, Tom had heard another passenger at the “Shed” guy’s get together, that he had received a 10% discount card left in his cabin earlier in the day. We hadn’t received such a coupon.

More homes along the coast.

With a bit of pressure exercised by Tom at the tour excursions desk, he was able to convince the rep that we should be entitled to the 10% discount as well. As a result, our cost for both of us was down to about $235 making it slightly more palatable.

The greenery in the hills reminded us of Kauai.

With the high cost of extras aboard ship, we continue to watch our budget being highly selective as to what we charge for our onboard account. Preferably, we can go on tours we arrange on our own or with other guests at a considerably lower cost than those offered on the ship. However, this particular cruise’s ports of call appear to have certain safety risks in one going out on their own. 

Moorea, like most islands, were created by volcanic eruptions.

Plus, if we choose a private charter tour, if there’s a breakdown, flat tire or it runs out of gas, we could conceivably not make it back to the ship on time. The ship won’t wait. However, if we’re on a ship sponsored tour, the ship will wait. 

A fisherman headed out fishing.

We can only imagine how difficult and stressful it would be to miss the ship, having left passports, money, and digital equipment on the ship. I can’t imagine this is a risk we want to take in countries that may have had a few less reliable private tours.

House along the shore.

We made it back to the ship on the “tender” which in this case, is the ship using its lifeboats to ferry passengers back and forth to the pier when there’s no port large enough to accommodate the ship’s massive size. Using a tender has been the case in about half of the ports of call we visited on our previous 10 cruises, this being the 11th. This doesn’t bother us at all.

The huts for rent along the shoreline in Moorea.

As for last night, we attended a fabulous comedy show in the main theatre enjoying every moment after another engaging dinner in the Romeo and Juliet dining room. At this point, we can honestly say that every meal we’ve had in the dining room has been delightful. Again, the Aussies, are a fun lot of people.

Terry, our marine biologist had a sense of humor and was a good teacher.

This morning, we had to be ready to board the tender by 8:15 which required an early breakfast. We made it in plenty of time, each having a light meal to avoid feeling too full. The food continues to be acceptable for me with the special accommodations the restaurant staff is providing.

Tomorrow will be one full week we’ve been on the ship with 11 more days until we arrive in Sydney. The time isn’t moving too quickly that it’s getting away from us. We’re absorbing and relishing in every moment, living one precious day at a time, never for a moment forgetting how grateful we are for these experiences, never for a moment, taking any part of our lives for granted.

These huts are located in the ocean which is very popular with tourists.

We’ll be back tomorrow with Part 2, Moorea, Society Islands, and some facts about the island and again, we’ll be getting off the ship to tour the next port of call, Tahiti. Gosh, this is such fun!

It’s Saturday night! Have a good one!

                                                    Photo from one year ago today, May 30, 2014:

A weather phenomenon in Madeira grabbed our attention as dense could be rolled into the island created an interesting scene of the village and mountains.  For more details. a video and photos, please click here.

Cruising…Lost in the minutia while out to sea…Late posting tomorrow due to morning tour in Moorea…

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View of the sea before the seas became rough.

Today’s our fifth day at sea. It’s been easy to get lost in a pleasant routine of building relationships, eating reasonably good food, watching seminars, movies, and presentations, and lounging poolside for short stints.

The past few nights we’ve added the 9 pm live shows to our routine and have thoroughly enjoyed each of them.  By 11 pm, we’re ready to retire to our cabin for a hopefully good night’s sleep to begin again the next day.

We’re never bored or antsy. We spend little time in the cabin other than to sleep, shower, and change clothes for the evening. Since neither of us is able to nap, we never stop to lay down or snooze as some cruisers do.

Rough seas have precipitated the closing of the swimming pool.  Walking about the ship has been tricky the past 24 hours as the rough seas have increased.  Of course, neither of us suffers from any seasickness.

Overall, the majority of the passengers are over 50 and Australian, as I mentioned earlier, some of the most lively and animated people we’ve met anywhere. We’ve also spent time with equally fun Americans, we’ve met of the 200 onboard.

The overall Australian theme aboard the ship has been an excellent intro for us into Australian life and lingo.  Tom, who’s had a blast at the men’s club, the “Shed” will attend again today after missing yesterday when we attended a movie with our new friends, Pat and Charles.

After finally watching the highly acclaimed, “The Imitation Game,” we highly recommend seeing this superb movie, which particularly appealed to both of us, me for the technological aspects and Tom for its World War II era. 

The casino, which we continue to ignore preferring not to lose any money.

By the time the movie was over, we wandered about the ship, eventually heading back to our cabin to dress for the party we were invited to for all Crown and Anchor members, a priority points club comparable to “frequent flyers.” Oddly, the party was held in the theatre, not necessarily a good venue for a party. 

A smaller ship such as this, Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas, with a capacity of 2076 passengers is in the category we prefer. With fewer people, it’s actually easier to make and maintains friendships when it possible to find each other again, as opposed to the much larger ships where it’s easy to get lost in the crowd.

Again last night, we had dinner at a 10 seat-sharing table sitting next to older travelers with much more experience than us. Hearing their stories encourages us to consider locations we may have dismissed in the past. How brave many of them are who are well into their 80’s and 90’s, giving us hope that we may be able to carry on for years to come.

View from an upper-level balcony overlooking the Centrum, the center area of the ship.

After dinner, we watched a fabulous comedian at the theatre. It was interesting to hear so much of the humor geared toward the Australians and how quickly we are picking up their humor. 

Although I prefer not to stereotype people, in general, the Australians are one fine bunch of people. Their sense of humor leaves us roaring with laughter and easily getting in on the fun with our own quips.

Tomorrow, we’re going on a fabulous tour on the island of Moorea with a marine biologist. After reading many reviews on TripAdvisor for suggested activities on this small island, this seemed most appropriate for us.  Many comments we read suggested we chose tours offered by the ship for safety reasons. Although we prefer small tours arranged on our own or with others, in this case, we feel this was a better decision.

Returning to our cabin, this pin was awaiting us.  We are now officially Platinum members with a long way to go on Royal Caribbean to reach a tier with many benefits.

As a result, we won’t be posting until after we return from the tour. Please be aware that tomorrow’s post won’t be available online until later in the day than usual. Good signal providing, we’ll be back with exciting photos and stories of our tour.

Also, if you do not see a post on a specific day, it is due to the fact that the ship’s Internet is down which we’ve been warned could but may not, transpire at some point between now and June 11th when we arrive in Sydney.

These mechanical devices are used for the aerial acrobats.

Thanks to all of our readers for following along with us on cruises. We realize our photos are not as exciting while out to sea as at other times, but as we come to several great ports of call over the next several days, we hope to amp up the adventure.

Happy Friday!

                                             Photo from one year ago today, May 29, 2014:

Ironically, one year ago today we posted information on this cruise we are on at the present while we were living in Madeira, Portugal. For details from that post, please click here.

Crossing the Equator in a few minutes…Hilarious King Neptune Celebration poolside…

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King Neptune is getting ready to start the Equator crossing ceremony.

Soon we’ll be crossing the Equator and the ceremonies poolside is about to begin. We’re sitting at a table near the pool with new friends with Pat and Charles from Missouri, USA and having a blast.

The dancers heading out to the main area.

From Wikipedia, here’s info on the crossing of the Equator:

“The ceremony of Crossing the Line is an initiation rite in the British Merchant Navy, Dutch merchant navy, Royal Navy, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, Russian Navy, and other navies that commemorates a sailor’s first crossing of the Equator. The tradition may have originated with ceremonies when passing headlands, and become a “folly” sanctioned as a boost to morale, or have been created as a test for seasoned sailors to ensure their new shipmates were capable of handling long rough times at sea. Sailors who have already crossed the Equator are nicknamed (Trusty/Honorable) Shellbacks, often referred to as Sons of Neptune; those who have not are nicknamed (Slimy) Pollywogs (in 1832 the nickname griffins were noted.”

There he is, King Neptune, the festivities have begun.

Soon the polliwogs will participate by the swimming pool as a celebration of our crossing the Equator. I’d never heard of a pollywog until this cruise which refers to those who’ve volunteered to be indoctrinated through a ritual that includes breaking eggs on their heads and tossing them fully clothed into the pool.

The human resource manager getting “egged.”

As the participants kneel to have the raw eggs broken over their heads the crowd is roaring and laughing over the fun antics. It couldn’t be more fun. At the moment, the hosts of the party just dumped cups of flour on top of the heads of those that had been egged. The crowd roars some more.

One of the hosts of the ceremonies, the Cruise Director.

The inclusion of various staff members in the festivities only adds to the frenzy of the crowd; the human resources manager and various ship officers. It makes us all laugh at how it must have been Roman times when people were mocked in the square especially when the staff members are being beaten with wet pasta.

It appeared that every passenger was watching the festivities.

Why is it we humans get a kick out of such festivities, I’ll never know. Perhaps, part of our humor is over the fact that we’re just happy it’s not us out there being egged, floured, and beaten with wet noodles. In any case, it’s rather humorous and neither of us is exempt from this good humor.

The “kiss the fish” ceremony.

Now, the environmental managers are having to “kiss the fish” which is hilariously followed by more egg breaking and flour dumped on their heads and down their shirts, and finally, full bowls of cost red pasta sauce dumped over their heads.

The second cruise director getting egged.

Now, passengers are volunteering for the final part of King Neptune’s Equator ceremony as a dozen seniors and a few younger passengers kneel on the floor to be indoctrinated as “pollywogs,” as those who are experiencing crossing the Equator for the first time in their lives. 

Getting “floured.”

Again, the broken eggs, the flour and the wet pasta, and finally, the red pasta sauce and the crowd is going wild.

Getting “pasta noodled.”

Today, we share these photos, tongue in cheek, admiring the brave souls who volunteered to be spectacles of themselves. The final volunteer was one of the cruise directors who are hilarious and a great sport.

Pasta and pasta sauce on the head of a brave passenger.
The Cruise Director getting floured.

As of this moment, we have crossed the Equator and are in the southern hemisphere for the next almost two years to come. The adventure has just begun!

What a brave guy!


Photo from one year ago today, May 28, 2014:

An ocean view in Madeira, Portugal one year ago.  It was at this time one year ago we began making some new plans for the future. Please click here for details.

“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.

Sailing takes me away to where I’ve always heard it could be…Ship couldn’t leave…

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Balcony view of our cabin.

With a party to attend at 9:30 am today, I wanted to be able to stay and enjoy ourselves without leaving early to upload today’s post. Thus, I’m rushing a bit. We’ll check back later for error corrections.

Consistency means a lot to us and to our much appreciated worldwide readership which last night grew well over 300,000 reads. Perhaps, that’s nothing compared to millions of other sites but, for us who aren’t necessarily bogged down by these numbers, it’s astounding.  hanks to all of our readers for the dedication to following along with us.

As for today’s heading, this song has been running through my brain over the past few days. The next few lines in this 1980s song continue with:

“Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free

Well it’s not far back to sanity, at least it’s not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away and find serenity
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see
Believe me”

Our cabin, small but well equipped.

Ah, these words not only bring back memories from another era of my life when I was single at the time, owned a 26′ Chris Craft cabin cruiser that I kept in a slip on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota, had two kids, owned a house and a business and life was a combination of raging responsibility and occasional carefree fun at age 32.

This song also holds true today for the joy and freedom we experience in our daily lives. We’ve already met and made friends with a lovely couple from Australia, Judy, and Mal, whom we’ll surely see again. And last night, at dinner we had an excellent time with Michael, Allison, Jenny, Jenny, (two named Jenny), and Ken, again all from Australia.

View of Honolulu.

The ship is supposed to be on it’s way to Australia and the South Pacific, where we’ll live for the next almost two years. However, last night there was an announcement regarding mechanical problems. Here we are at 9:00 am Monday and we still haven’t sailed away. We’re still in the harbor in Honolulu.

This morning the captain announced we’ll be ready to sail by noon, 13 hours later than last night’s schedule 11 pm departure. We’d never experienced a late departure of a cruise ship. Hopefully, it’s not a sign of things to come.

Tugboat.

Boarding the ship was painless. We arrived at noon and within 30 minutes, our bags were whisked away (we kept our carry on with us on the cart). By 4:00 pm when the bags hadn’t yet arrived, we grabbed our laptops and headed to the bar. 

Before it was time to dress for dinner, the bags were awaiting us outside of our cabin door. I’d been wearing the same clothes for two full days and was anxious to unpack and freshen up to get ready for the evening. 

Lobby bar.

Two things are different on this cruise than on the 10 cruises over the past 27 months. For one, this time Tom purchased the drink package for the first time at $57 per day, $1026 for the entire 18 night cruise. 

At the ship’s prices of $10 to $12 a drink (in a small glass), economically it made more sense. Tom is generally a lightweight drinker but why shouldn’t he splurge a little and have all he wants? Besides, that’s part of the fun of the venue; cruising, schmoozing, and whooping!

Honolulu.

Luckily, this cruise ship doesn’t require both of us to purchase a package or he wouldn’t have done it. That rule prohibits the “sharing” of one package. All I drink is water, iced tea, plain coffee, and hot tea, definitely not worth a “package” when all of these are included in the fare.

What precipitated Tom’s decision to purchase the drink package was the second item that’s different on this cruise. We were able to purchase an unlimited wifi package for the entire cruise, suitable for two devices concurrently, for a grand total of $299! 

A barge and tugboat from our balcony.

A package such as this had never been available on any past cruises when we often paid well over $1000 for metered wifi, jumping off and on to avoid ringing up a bigger bill. We’d sign up for two $400 packages, using every last minute. Writing and posting alone would eat up most of that.

You may ask, why would we be online when we’re on a cruise? When we’re not eating, participating in activities, going on tours, hanging out with others, attending parties, seminars, and movies, or reading books, our lives continue as always. 

A view looking up.

A cruise for us is not a vacation/holiday. It’s a continuation of our worldwide travels and daily lives that happens to be on a ship which we use for transportation when possible. The tasks we continue to document and the searching for future locations continue regardless of where we are, on a ship or on land. Tom enjoys Facebook, email, and Ancestry.com. I enjoy researching our travels and my other interests.

Plus, we particularly enjoy staying in touch with friends and family wherever we may be. Yesterday while we were relaxing in the main lobby bar, I received a Skype call from my dear friend Chere. I admit the signal was bad and will be worse out to sea but we had an opportunity for a few minute conversations to be resumed once we’re on land.

Luckily, we can’t be pressured into buying art aboard a ship. We don’t own a wall!

As for the ship, Royal Caribbean’s Legend of the Seas is old and a bit worn in spots. A toilet overflowed before we boarded and there was an awful stench in the hallway outside our door. We addressed it with the maintenance department. They explained that they’ve made the repairs but, the smell remains until the carpets are all cleaned this morning. We shall see how that goes.

Otherwise, it’s not unlike the other ships on which we’ve sailed in the past. The cabin is small as always but has a full-sized sofa and coffee table which makes us happy that we don’t have to sit on the bed when we stop in to relax, unwind or watch the news. 

A short time later, the band began to play.

More on the ship later as we continue on and become more familiar. We’re content, excited to spend these 18 days and night aboard ship, see the sites and ports of call along the way, and to interact with the many people we’ll meet during the days and at dinner. 

The view from the main lobby area.

So far we haven’t met any Americans. This cruise ends in Sydney. In speaking with many Australians, they arrived in Honolulu early for the beginning of their vacation, then taking the cruise back home.

Tom, shortly after signing up for unlimited drinks. Check out his eyes!

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with a reminder of the upcoming itinerary, more ship photos, and perhaps people photos.

We hope our US friends and readers have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day especially in remembering the powerful message on this important holiday.

                                           Photo from one year ago today, May 25, 2014:

Gina, the property manager, brought us this gorgeous rose. For more details on our post from one year ago, please click here.

Synonyms for “Hopefully”

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.