Kaua’i to Vancouver – day 4 at sea

Posted on October 15, 2017 by JoeTourist

Sunday, Oct 15, 2017 – Kaua’i, Hawai’i to Vancouver, BC

Hawai’i Cruise 2017

I wake up at 4AM this morning, but manage to get back to sleep until 6:30AM. Setting the ship’s clocks forward almost daily is starting to catch up with me. I meet my friend in the Explorations Cafe for cappuccino and a snack at 7:30AM. I go to the Lido for some scrambled eggs and toast before walking the circuit on Promenade Deck a couple of times for a 1km distance. It is cool outside, so I zip up my fleece jacket, although the seas are much calmer and the wind isn’t a factor today. When I return to my cabin, I give my cabin stewards envelopes with some US$ for all their cheerful work keeping my cabin clean.

Ginny Stibolt’s final talk: Public Gardens – Traditional public gardens are well-trimmed and orderly, but newer public gardens have emphasized native plants. When I visit New York City, I want to see Highline Park – a natural park on a elevated rail bed; and when I visit Chicago – Lurie Garden.

A Belgian ship’s officer hosts an Interest Corner session: Classic Sports Cars and Photography. He shows his selection of the top ten classic sports cars for each of America and Europe, and then follows up with some of his photos from his recent helicopter tour of Kauai, including the spectacular Napili coast. (Slide show of my photos of the Napili Coast)

My friends and I go to the Tamarind restaurant this evening, on Gala Night. We all have Martinis in the beautiful but quiet Tamarind bar before dinner, and then dig into the menu to select some items we didn’t try the first time we were here. I select an Austrian Riesling wine, which goes well with the seafood that dominates the menu.

We have: spicy Thai Chicken and rice soup, Shrimp Tempura Indochine, Ginger and garlic wok-seared lobster with sake-braised oyster and shiitake mushrooms, brown rice, Java mint and coconut rice pudding, Mango Cloud – a light egg white soufflé mango sorbet. It was all excellent! I think the Tamarind is perhaps the best restaurant aboard the ship, although there is a modest premium charge to dine here.

Kaua’i to Vancouver – day 3 at sea

Posted on October 14, 2017 by JoeTourist

Saturday, Oct 14, 2017 – Kaua’i, Hawai’i to Vancouver, BC

Hawai’i Cruise 2017

I’m feeling a bit down this morning, probably because the cruise is coming to an end in a few days Reviewing my bill, they are showing a Hotel Service Charge Promotion which means the gratuity that is normally charged every day is credited.

Lawrence Tartaglino’s talk this morning: Captain James Cook – Four men on a beach: how a great navigator and cartographer influenced the development of the Hawaiian Islands and the world beyond. What I learned:

Sailed from the Arctic to Antarctic
Mapped the Gulf of St. Lawrence – helped Britain win the 7 Year War with the USA
His Great Voyages
- Transit of Venus in Tahiti
- Around the world from England to Cape Horn, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia, Cape of Good Hope – 1,074 days, mappied Terra Australis; tested the Harrison Chronometer to accurately determine longitude for the first time. His Tahitian translator Omai is taken back to England, and eventually returned to Tahiti
- Discovered the Northwest Passage, which was a secret mission
- England to Cape of Good Hope, Tahiti, Hawaii, west coast of Canada, Cape Horn, and returned to England
  - Landed at Kealakekua Bay and is taken as the Hawaiians’ god Ono. Cook decides to kidnap the Hawaiian King, where he is clubbed to death. Both William Bligh and George Vancouver on board.

Captain Scott gives the always-popular talk Ask the Captain – We learn what it’s like to captain Eurodam in a virtual bridge and engine room tour. He started his passenger ship career with the Cunard Princess, the same ship I cruised on in the 1980s from Vancouver to San Juan, Puerto Rico. He then commanded the Queen Elizabeth II before being recruited by Holland America Lines (HAL). He has been involved in the procurement of the new HAL ships at the Italian shipyard in Venice, but has also been master of the Eurodam for the last three years.

Kaua’i to Vancouver – day 2 at sea

Posted on October 13, 2017 by JoeTourist

Friday, Oct 13, 2017 – Kaua’i, Hawai’i to Vancouver, BC

Hawai’i Cruise 2017

Joe dressed in a suit and tie for his birthday dinner

It is my 65th birthday today. I go up to the Explorations Cafe for my usual morning cappuccino and pastries. Thanks to having an Internet connection while at sea, I read over 50 birthday wishes waiting for me on Facebook this morning – a great start to the day! After I finish my cappuccino, I go to the Lido and have an custom-made omelet for breakfast. A couple from Salem, Oregon sit down at my table, so we talk about the recent eclipse.

The ship continues to pitch around as it battles against strong winds from the weather trough in the North Pacific. We also experience rain squalls despite there being some blue sky visible as well. The Upper Promenade Deck is closed due to 50 mph winds!

Ginny Stibolt’s Talk this morning: Between the Land and the Sea – The Hawaiian Islands have about 750 miles of coastline. She takes a look at how reefs, wetlands, and mangroves protect shorelines and provide important habitat for birds, fish crustaceans, and more.

We hear from a new Guest Speaker this morning: Lawrence Tartaglino. His talk is titled The Four Mutinies of William Bligh – A look at each of the four mutinies in which Captain Bligh was involved, and a review of the issues, people and circumstances surrounding each incident. I learned: he joined the Royal Navy at 7 years old, sailed with Captain Cook in 1776 (Cook’s final voyage), his wife was a woman of influence that helped his career in the British Navy, and his wife referred to mutineer Fletcher Christian as “That charming young man”!

John and Wendy enjoy some bubbly at the Mariner Lunch

My friends and I attend the Mariner Lunch, which happens on each Holland America voyage where there are sea days. Our Cruise Director Nick introduces Marco van Bellegheim, Hotel Director and Captain John Scott. Captain Scott is a very outgoing man, and regales us all with his stories before lunch. I have a tasty vegetarian dish, including Eggplant red curry along with the traditional sparkling wine served at these functions to honour loyal cruisers.

This evening we celebrate my 65th birthday and both of my friends also have nearby birthdays at the Pinnacle Grill. As it turns out, the Executive Chef for Holland America is staging a special dinner this evening called Rudi’s Sel de Mer – a celebration of seafood! We enjoy ourselves immensely – the food is wonderful.

Condiments for the bread
Scallop amuse bouche
Bouillabase Marseillaises
Treat tree
Rudi’s Souffle – Salzburg Nockel
Pinnacle dining room
Salt Crust Baked Branzino with wild rice & ratatouille
Custom designed pop art plates

Kaua’i to Vancouver – day 1 at sea

Posted on October 12, 2017 by JoeTourist

Thursday, Oct 12, 2017 – Kaua’i, HI to Vancouver, BC

Hawai’i Cruise 2017

The ship’s clocks are set forward an hour last night, so I’m up a bit early this morning. I go up to the Explorations Cafe for my cappuccino and pastries, since I can’t wait for the main dining room to open up at 8AM, and the Lido’s coffee is dreadful. The ship is tossing around a fair bit as we head into a weather trough in the North Pacific on our way back to Vancouver. There are also lots of clouds, a fair bit of rain, and thunder and lightning in the afternoon, despite it being 25ºC outside.

Ginny Stibolt’s Talk this afternoon: Wake Up and Smell the Coffee – what I learnt:

Hawaii is the only coffee producer in the United States
There were 2,800 acres of coffee cultivated in 1980; 10,000 acres today
The 800 Kona coffee farms average less than 5 acres each
Typica Arabica is grown in Hawaii
Caffeine is part of: coffee, black tea, cacao, yopan & mate (made from holly)

Vancouver to Hilo – day 5 at sea

Posted on October 6, 2017 by JoeTourist

Oct 6, 2017 – Fifth day at sea – enroute from Vancouver, BC to Hilo, Hawai’i

Hawai’i Cruise 2017

There is a Deck Sale this morning beside the Lido Pool, which is always a good time to buy Holland America Line apparel at discounted prices, but I don’t find any t-shirts or golf shirts I like. The ship’s photographers are also there selling photo albums and cameras – a new sales angle for them!

Ginny Stibolt’s talk this morning: How Modern Farming Changed a Civilization – Beginning in the 1800s, farming crops such as sugar, pineapple, and others changed Hawaii in many ways. What I learned:

The last sugar mill in Hawai’i closed in 2016
Pineapples don’t ripen after being picked
Not much pineapple is commercially grown in Hawai’i now – new crops have taken over the lead, including Roundup-ready crops, GMOs, seeds, papaya, Macadamia Nuts, Cacao (source of chocolate), coffee, floral crops – native and exotic.

I go for a swim in the Ocean View pool in the stern of the vessel after lunch today. It is the first day which is warm enough outside for swimming. The water is cool, but I enjoy the exercise!

Atlys quintet at the Lincoln Center Stage - biographies — Atlys quintet at the Lincoln Center Stage biographies

My friends have been raving about the quartet playing chamber music at the Lincoln Center Stage venue aboard ship (see banner image above), so I join them this evening. The Masterworks by Brahms is an absolutely stunning performance! People are raving about this group, and the venue is full for virtually every performance.

I have been setting my clocks back an hour most evenings before I go to bed since we are sailing westward. As of 2AM we will now be on Hawaii Local Time, so there will be no more time changes until we start sailing back to Vancouver.

Vancouver to Hilo – days 3 & 4 at sea

Posted on October 5, 2017 by JoeTourist

Oct 4, 2017 – Third day at sea – enroute from Vancouver, BC to Hilo, Hawai’i

Hawai’i Cruise 2017

Ginny Stibolt’s talk this morning: Hawaii: A Timeline of Paradise – The origins of the beautiful Hawaiian Islands, the nature of their plants and animals, and how the natural aspects of this paradise have changed over time. I learn that native species in Hawai’i are rare, and even rarer now that many invasive species of plants and animals have been brought in by settlers.

My friends and I go up to the Lido for lunch, but can’t find a table, so we go down to the dining room and have a very nice lunch with a couple from Langley, BC, and a woman from south Florida.

Oct 5, 2017 – Fourth day at sea

As is my habit while aboard ship, I go up to the Explorations Cafe for Continental Breakfast: the essential cappuccino, a blueberry cake and some muesli. I find a chair in the adjacent Crow’s Nest Lounge with a forward-facing view and chat with a woman from Parksville and a man from Seattle. The man from Seattle is folding US Dollar bills into origami figures he invents. One is a dress shirt and a tie – very clever!

I meet my friend in the Explorations Cafe for coffee at 10:30AM, and then sit outside on the Upper Promenade Deck 3 to listen to the first four chapters of my Margaret Atwood Audible book The Handmaid’s Tale. I go down to the main dining room for lunch, and sit at a table with the woman from Richmond and her mother from Sidney again – even on a ship this big, you can bump into people more than once! I have a lovely spinach and mushroom salad with grilled salmon on top and some frozen yogurt for dessert.

Ginny Stibolt’s talk this afternoon: Ancient Farming: Roots of a Civilization – she follows up yesterday’s talk by describing how Polynesian wayfarers brought seeds, cuttings, and root stock of plants they’d need in unknown lands (Hawai’i).

This evening, my friends and I have dinner at Tamarind, a Pan-Asian restaurant featuring the cuisine of Southeast Asia, China and Japan. We are all very impressed with the food and service. Our selections:

Jewels of the Sea – shrimp-filled wontons with sliced baby bok chop, lemon grass-sesame broth
Crisp Fried Soft Shell Crab with Thai dipping sauce
Hoisin-Lime Glazed Sea Bass – pan-seared, wok-cooked Asian greens
Penang Red Curry Coconut Chicken – spiced chicken, snow peas, eggplant, zucchini, pimientos, opal bail, lemon grass, lime juice, red curry, coconut milk
Taiwanese Braised Pork Belly – soy-egg, pickled vegetables, sticky rice, bok choy with oyster sauce
Mango Cloud – light egg white soufflé mango sorbet
Thai Mini Doughnuts – chocolate, mango & ginger sauces

Vancouver to Hilo – day 2 at sea

Posted on October 3, 2017 by JoeTourist

Oct 3, 2017 – Second day at sea – enroute from Vancouver, BC to Hilo, Hawai’i

Hawai’i Cruise 2017

At Ginny Stibolt’s talk this morning: Rainforest: The Most Diverse Ecosystems in the World, I learn:

Photosynthesis and respiration are equal and opposite natural cycles
Only about 20% of oxygen produced is supplied freely to outside the rainforest, 80% is consumed internally to the rainforest
Forests only temporarily sequester carbon, unlike oceans where carbon is more-or-less permanently sequestered
In Borneo, 700 tree species are found in 25 acres
80% of insect species are found in tropical forests
Old cellphones are being used in the Amazon to detect the sounds of chainsaws cutting trees, and transmitting reports back to authorities. They are powered from solar panels.
Costa Rica is restoring their rain forest by planting at least 15 native species of plants and trees

It is 19ºC at noon today, but when I was outside on Promenade Deck walking four circuits, I was wearing my fleece jacket zipped up because of the cool breeze. I go to the Explorations Cafe at noon for a cappuccino and have a chocolate chip cookie and a couple of little cocktail sandwiches for a lunchtime snack, since I’m skipping having a big lunch today. This afternoon the mv OOCL London container ship sails very close to the Eurodam (see banner image above).

I go to see an hour-long video this afternoon produced by the BBC: Earth Inside Earth: A Privileged View. This is very interesting, highlighting wildlife photographers working in the Empty Quarter of the Arabian Desert in Jordan, with Capuchin monkeys in SE Asia, and with breeding Adela Penguins in Antarctica.

Vancouver to Hilo – first day at sea

Posted on October 2, 2017 by JoeTourist

Oct 2, 2017 – First day at sea – enroute from Vancouver, BC to Hilo, Hawai’i

Hawai’i Cruise 2017

I have breakfast in the main dining room this morning. I am seated at a large table with five other British Columbians from Sidney, Richmond, Nanoose Bay, and Vernon. Obviously this cruise appeals to Canadians, especially those of us from the west coast, since it departs and returns to Vancouver.

Speaker: Ginny Stibolt

My friends and I are very pleased with presenter Ginny Stibolt, a botanist, naturalist and dedicated gardener. She gives wonderful talks about the natural world around us almost every day we are at sea on this cruise. This morning’s presentation is: Oceans: The Real “Lungs” of the World. – “We can thank the oceans’ plants for the oxygen in our atmosphere”.

This afternoon, there is a presentation “Make the Most of Your Visit to Hilo and Honolulu” by the onboard EXC Guide Eve. I’ve visited Hawai’i so many times, I could probably give this presentation, however I attend anyway so I can pick up any updated information about our first two ports-of-call in Hawai’i.

Joe sipping some Prossecco in the main dining room on Gala Night

It is Gala Night this evening aboard ship, which means most people are dressed in their best. My friends and I go to the main dining room at 5:30PM, and although there is a long line to get in, we are given a window table on the top level normally reserved for fixed seating guests. I order escargots, arugula salad, and beef tenderloin steak with prawns (see photo in the banner image above). We have a bottle of Proscecco sparkling wine, which goes nicely with pretty well everything we order, including my steak and prawns.

After dinner, we go to the main showroom to join the captain in a toast to a successful voyage, and then stay for the Off The Charts – Billboard Hits Rewind show, which is excellent…performed by the ship’s entertainers. This show is quite a big step up from the ship-board shows I’ve seen on other Holland America ships. I don’t know if HAL is upgrading all their shows, or this is unique to their larger ships like the Eurodam.

French Polynesia to San Diego – day 6

Posted on March 15, 2014 by JoeTourist

2014 Hawai’i-French Polynesia cruise

March 15, 2014 – Saturday – French Polynesia to San Diego – Day 6 at sea

Today is a strange and melancholy day for me. I go to a couple of events this morning, but I’m restless and anxious to leave the ship and return home. The entertainment staff are doing their best to keep us all busy with lots of events scheduled, but I just don’t have the patience for it. I’m not even interested in working on my journal or photos today.

I try to watch a movie this afternoon, but I just can’t stand the slow pace of the story, so I walk out. I catch the end of the Hula & Ukulele rehearsal by the passengers who have been learning how to dance and play during the cruise. They did very well! I actually came to the Showroom to hear the Third Officer Mikko talk about Icebreakers in his native Finland, which I find closer to my interest. Obviously I’m a techie guy at heart!

There is a parade of serving staff in the Rotterdam dining room this evening. It is truly amazing to see the hundreds of serving staff who make the passengers life aboard ship so wonderful. They get a well-deserved ovation, as they are recognized for all their dedication and hard work. Some may say this is simply a pitch for tips, however I can see the pride in the faces of the men and women as they parade through the room.

French Polynesia to San Diego – day 5

Posted on March 14, 2014 by JoeTourist

2014 Hawai’i-French Polynesia cruise

March 14, 2014 – Friday – Cruising from French Polynesia to San Diego aboard Statendam – Day 5 Sea Day

I check on my flights home on the United Airlines website and find they are on schedule. I always check in at the counter when I arrive at the airport, since I have to check my big bag and get seat assignments. It is too complicated and time-consuming to check in online while aboard ship, although many passengers no doubt do this.

I attend two talks put on by the ship’s officers today. Both are informative, and there are lots of questions from the audience.

10AM – Virtual Engine Room Tour with Chief Engineer Silbert Whyte, the Chief Engineer talks about the engines, power, and other infrastructure systems in the ship.
2PM Virtual Bridge Tour with Statendam’s Navigational and Safety Officer (also the First Officer) talks about the bridge, navigation and other bridge functions.

We have our last formal night this evening, and it is also the Black and White Ball later this evening, so the Rotterdam dining room is decorated once again. The tenor and the soprano from the ship’s troupe sing classic songs this evening in the Showroom, and an orchestra is assembled from the various musicians aboard the ship to back them up. It was well done – I enjoyed it.