The Holland America Grand Circle Island excursion is listed for US$149.95, but I got $20 off from my Have-It-All package, and then another $20 off since the the tour operator is no longer including lunch in the tour. As it turns out, this excursion doesn’t much resemble the description given at all. First, we drive around the island in the opposite direction, and secondly, we miss many of the stops, so it ends up being mainly a day of driving with only limited opportunities to get off the bus to either shop or see the sights on our own.
Joe at Halona Blow Hole with Wawanalu Beach behind, south shore of Oahu
We do not stop at Hanauma Bay Marine Preserve since it remains closed to visitors since COVID-19, so I have no opportunity to take photos, even from the top of the cliff. The lack of humans during the pandemic has allowed the ecosystem to recover, so only visitors with permits are allowed in now. We stop at the Halona Blow Hole so I have time for a selfie before we hit the road again. I appreciate the 20 minutes we have at the Byodo-In Temple, although it is full of visitors, so it’s very crowded.
We drive north along the beautiful east coast, passing by both the Polynesian Cultural Center (where we were originally to stop for lunch) and the Kualoa Ranch. We stop at a macademia nut farm to shop, but it is packed with people from other tourist buses. We are stuck in multiple construction zones along the way, which is certainly frustrating for all of us. We only drive by the famous north shore beaches: Makapu’u Point, Sandy Beach, Sunset Point Beach, and others – no stops.
A surfer girl with her surfboard on the Hale‘iwa strip
Our lunch stop is in the surfing town of Hale‘iwa on the North Shore, where we have 1.5 hours to eat, shop, or do what we wish. I have an exceedingly expensive cappuccino and then wander along the main street that is lined with surf shops, restaurants, and shave ice places. I find some very nice Men’s Holoholo shorts in the Kahala shop, and buy a pair despite the US$88 price! I forgot to pack shorts for this trip for some reason…
We visit the Dole Pineapple Pavilion, which I detest, but at least we have 20 minutes off the bus. We are running late, so we miss the Nuuanu Pali Lookout (which would have redeemed this excursion for me), and drive directly back to the ship on the freeway. Needless to say, I’m frustrated and tired after this ordeal. I should have stuck to my original plan for today: take a taxi to the Bishop Museum.
After showering and putting on fresh clothes, I have a vegetarian pizza and a beer for dinner on the Panorama deck. There is a beautiful sunset over Honolulu, and later the ship departs Honolulu harbour around 10PM, bound for Kaua’i.
Sunset over Honolulu harbour with the ship’s stack and an aircraft climbing out
Storm clouds over the West Maui mountains behind Kahalui and harbour
The ship is docked in Kahalui harbour by the time I get up this morning. There is no rush, since my snorkelling excursion doesn’t leave until Noon. After breakfast, I spend the morning taking photos of the north shore of Maui, Kahalui and the harbour, and the storm clouds over the West Maui mountains from the top decks of the ship.
PacWhale Eco-Adventures’ Catamaran hosts the Turtle Snorkel Adventure excursion today. We leave the harbour terminal at 12:15PM by bus to Maalaea Bay boat basin, and board a large power catamaran just before 1PM. The captain chooses Olowalu Bay on the west side of Maui as our snorkelling location, which is the same bay I snorkelled at back in 2017 when I took an excursion from Lahaina. We have lots of time for snorkelling, and they provide beer, wine, other mixed drinks, along with a BBQ lunch afterwards. I’m glad this is a Holland America excursion, since the tour boat has some engine problems just before we dock, so it is a slow process to maneuver alongside and disembark our rather large group. We arrive about a half hour late to the ship, but they wait for us.
As the ship is about to leave port at 6PM, the storm clouds over the West Maui mountains behind the city and harbour become even more dramatic looking than in the morning, as they are now backlit by the setting sun. Likewise, the slopes of Haleakala are reflecting the light from the setting Sun, creating an intense red hue as we sail out of the port this evening on our way to Honolulu.
The slopes of Haleakela reflecting the light from the setting Sun
I have a look at the Main Dining Room for breakfast around 9AM, but the line up puts me off, so I have a Cappuccino, blueberry muffin an a fruit/yogurt parfait in the Royal Dutch Cafe, which is not busy. I have a chicken burger, fries and a Dos Equis XX beer for lunch, eating at the Lido Bar, since there is no other nearby seating.
I booked this cruise partly to try out Holland America’s Pinnacle class ships, which Koningsdam is the first built, with capacity for 2,600 passengers. I’m finding this ship is significantly more crowded, with line-ups or no seats left at most popular venues. Even though Holland America’s smaller ships have fewer venues, I never encountered these problems on past voyages. Perhaps some of the crowding is due to inexperienced staff still learning how to be efficient when serving passengers, but I think they were generally doing a great job under the circumstances.
Turtle and coral in Olowalu Bay, Maui
Guide to Hawaiian Reefs – Naturalist John gives another comprehensive talk, this time about reefs to be found in Hawai’i
Coral polyps are the living part of coral
7,000 species in NW Hawaiian reefs
Fringe Reef
Lanidai, Oahu – pristine
Barrier Reef
Kanaohe Bay, Oahu – manmade harm
Atoll
Kure Atoll, NW Hawaiian Island
Hard Corals
Soft Corals – look like plants, no stoney skeletons
Species (Hawaiian names)
Trigger fish
Long-nosed Butterfly fish
Urchins (wana)
Surgeon fishes
Yellow tang
Convict tang
Parrot
Butterfly
Wrasse – 600 species
Morris Idol – looks like an angelfish
Trumpet fish
Lionfish – Dragonfly fish
Squirrel fish
Octopus (He’e)
Sharks (mano)
Black-tipped
Manta Ray (hahalua)
Jellyfish (olea)
Man-O-War
Nudibranch
Green Sea Turtle (Honu)
Monk seal
Joe with his 70th birthday cake in the Tamarind restaurant
Today is my 70th birthday, the reason I’m on this cruise. I have a reservation at the Tamarind Asian Fusion restaurant for dinner, so I get dressed up before heading up to the Tamarind bar for a Tanqueray 10 Martini to start things off. Once seated, I have a glass of Proscecco sparkling Italian wine with my starter: Chinese Five Spice Baby Back Ribs with masago, pineapple, red chili, scallions. My main course: Mongolian Barbeque Lamb Chops with baby bok choy, toasted sesame seeds, mirin plum sauce with Oyster Sauce, Dungeness Crab Fried Rice. As usual, the staff are right on top of things, bringing me a chocolate happy birthday cake with some lychee sorbet.
When I return to my stateroom to freshen up, my room steward brings me a chocolate cupcake with birthday wishes from the captain. I end the evening in the Crow’s Nest lounge, where I meet some friends for drinks. What a wonderful birthday, celebrated on my terms aboard this beautiful ship!
Celebrating Joe’s 70th birthday in the Crow’s Nest lounge with Marilyn and Lyle aboard Koningsdam, sailing the North Pacific Ocean
The ship changed time zones last night to Hawai’i time – back another hour.
Lox, cream cheese and bagel for breakfast
I couldn’t face the lines to have breakfast in the Lido or the Main Dining Room, so I ordered breakfast last night to have in my stateroom. So this morning I enjoy my favourite bagel, lox and cream cheese, fruit, yogurt and pastries. I ordered breakfast for 9AM, so I have time to pick up a cappuccino from the Explorations Cafe ahead of time. I also get a Perrier sparkling water to take back to my stateroom to put in the fridge for later. So decadent!
I go for a walk on the Upper Promenade Deck after breakfast. It is 21ºC and 82% humidity outside this morning at 10AM as I walk around the ship twice, which gives me 19 minutes of my 30 minute daily target for exercise. The view of the wake from the stern tells me we are getting closer to tropical waters, since the colour is now a lovely blue colour (see banner image above).
The shops are having a 75% off sale today and I need a pair of shorts, but I don’t see any on sale. I talk myself out of going to a free massage sampler in the spa, instead going up to the Explorations Cafe for a second cappuccino. I find a spot in the Captain’s Lounge, which is is a bit quieter, since it’s partitioned from the activities going on in the Crow’s Nest lounge.
Captain’s Noon Report: It is 1,100 nm to Kahalui, and we have sailed 1,200 nm from Vancouver. We need to average 17.3 kts to arrive in Kahalui on time at 4AM on October 14th.
Dutch pea soup and Beenham sandwich – Royal Dutch Cafe
I very much enjoy the Dutch pea soup and Beenham sandwich (ham and mustard on a crusty corn role) for lunch in the Royal Dutch Cafe. This cafe is quickly becoming my favourite for a quick meal or snack, and they are open from 7AM to 8PM, so it’s very convenient when other food venues are busy.
I attend a complementary James Suckling Wine Tasting offered this afternoon in the Main Dining Room for 4 & 5 star Mariners. I’m not a wine connoisseur, however I find the five wines presented to us interesting, and some I even like, despite the high prices (up to US$78) for a bottle. The sommelier relates interesting history for each vintner, gives us the strong points offered by each wine, and what foods go best with each.
James Suckling Wine Tasting
Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut NV, Columbia Valley, Washington State – nice bubbly, but too dry for me
Los Vascos Chardonnay 2019, Domains Barons de Rothschild, Colchagua Valley, Chile – not for me
Domaine Ott Rose 2019, Clos Mireille, Cotes de Provence, France – beautiful earthy undertone over dried fruit, but light-tasting. The best of the five wines for me.
Craggy Range Pinot Noir 2015, Martinborough, New Zealand – OK, but not a wine I would buy
Ruffino Modus 2015, Super Tuscan Blend, Tuscany, Italy – a very good, full-bodied red
Hamachi, salmon and scallop ceviche in Nami Sushi/Tamarind
I go to Nami Sushi for dinner this evening, which is part of my favourite Tamarind restaurant, but it is priced a la cart. I have a Tanqueray 10 Martini in the bar, and then I’m seated at the sushi bar. I have Hamachi, salmon and scallop ceviche to start, and Penang chicken curry and Jasmine rice for the main. Both are delicious, and very much worth the US$24 charge to have a civilized dinner instead of doing battle with the crowds at the Lido, or coping with the long lineup at the Main Dining Room.
Seven Worlds One Planet in Concert – 7:30pm – World Stage, 2 & 3 – Breathtaking footage from BBC Earth’s Seven Worlds One Planet with live orchestration performed by the Koningsdam Lincoln Center musicians.
We changed time zones last night to Alaska time – back 1 hour. I go down to the Grand Dutch Cafe for breakfast: cappuccino, blueberry muffin and a fruit & yogurt parfait.
Seabirds of the North Pacific – Naturalist John basically takes us through his biology thesis during his 45 minute presentation in World Stage. No doubt it was too deep for most of the audience, but he certainly knows his oceanic species, as my notes reveal.
Cold to warm water – San Francisco to Hawaii
Diving birds close to the North American coastline
Shearwaters – surface and swim underwater
Brant’s Cormorant – diver
Tufted Puffin – skimmers
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot – red feet, divers
Brown Pelican – plunge divers very close to shore
Western Gull – eats anything
Subsurface Predators near Hawai’i
Humpback whale
Spotted, Striped & Bottle-nosed dolphin
Elephant seal
Hawaiian ocean birds
Black-footed Albatross- dynamic soaring
Layson Albatross – 7-8′ wingspan
Leechy
Hawaiian Petrel
Wedge-tailed Shearwater – sensitive to artificial lights – collisions
Frigatebird – stealing food, don’t have webbed feet so they drown if they land on the water
White, Red-tailed Tropicbird – long tail feathers
Brown & Black Noddy – plunge divers
Sooty Tern – most abundant
White Tern – urban nesters
I attend the Kahului, Maui Port Talk, but I don’t pick up any useful information that I don’t already know. Since there are no lines at 1PM, I have lunch in the Main Dining Room. I’m seated by myself between two server stations, so it’s very noisy. I have a Heineken beer and a rather uninspiring Croque Monsieur.
On Music Walk: La Musica Latina – Lincoln Center Stage quartet
On Music Walk: La Musica Latina– the art of the Tango. This performance by the Lincoln Center quartet reminds me of my visit to Argentina and Uruguay in 2020.
Later in the afternoon, I return to the Crow’s Nest to enjoy the Aloha Sunset Music Hour again. I have some good conversation with my fellow Canadians while enjoying two very nicely made Tanqueray 10 Martinis.
I have to wait for over an hour to be seated in the Main Dining Room for dinner, since it is Canadian Thanksgiving today. I find the turkey, stuffing and vegetables are nothing special, but I appreciate the effort by the chefs and enjoy the company of my fellow Canadians while seated at a large table for dinner.
I attend a meet-and-greet for the Facebook group for this cruise this morning. There is a good crowd, but of course there are a lot of old folks like me, and mainly Canadians! It’s held in the Captain’s Lounge, a private function area in the Crow’s Nest.
High Dive Beyond Meat burger with fries
I have lunch on the Lido Pool deck, having a Dive In (Impossible) burger and fries, along with a Heineken beer. The burger tastes very good and the fries are nice and crispy. Since I purchased the Have-It-All (HIA) package, I’m having beer, wine and cocktails at every opportunity, since they are included.
I see a World View Films: Where the Crawdads Sing – a 2-hour love story movie with murder involved. I almost get up and leave the World Stage a couple of times due to disturbing scenes, but manage to sit through the whole movie – a first for me for many years.
Kalehua, Kimo, Lani & Braddah J in the Crow’s Nest Lounge. Aboard Koningsdam, North Pacific Ocean
There are a group of four Hawaiians aboard for our Vancouver to Hawai’i segment. They entertain everyone during Happy Hour in the Crow’s Nest with their Aloha Sunset Music Hour, a combination of Hawaiian music and hula dance.
It is Dressy Night aboard ship, so after having drinks and conversation with a couple from the mid-west and another couple from Kelowna, B.C., we decide to have dinner together in the Main Dining room. I stop in my stateroom to put on dressier clothes before meeting them downstairs.
The ship’s Step One Dance Company performs: Humanity in the Main Stage this evening, a great performance with a South Beach vibe which I enjoyed while sipping a Benedictine & Brandy liqueur.
I have a coffee in my hotel room this morning before I repack my big bag and check out of the Metropolitan Hotel, walking 10 minutes downhill to the nearby Canada Place cruise ship terminal, arriving at 10:30AM. I pre-clear US Customs and Immigration, and then wind my way through the various Holland America check-in procedures. This is the first time I’ve used Priority Boarding, since I’m now a 4-star Mariner, but we end up waiting in the terminal for almost an hour before boarding commences. I must have missed the bag drop earlier, so I wheel my big bag up the gangway, all the way onto the ship and to my stateroom, arriving at Noon.
After a quick lunch in the Lido, I wander around the various venues, since the Koningsdam is my first Pinnacle-class ship. I have a martini in the Crow’s Nest Lounge, hanging out there for awhile admiring the view of beautiful Vancouver harbour on a sunny afternoon. Later this afternoon, I meet some friends on the Sun Deck 11 as we watch our departure from Vancouver. I have my GoPro action camera fastened to my verandah rail shooting a time lapse video of the ship’s beautiful evening departure, while I’m elsewhere on the ship observing and photographing our departure using my Canon R5 mirrorless camera.
Grilled prawns in the Canaletto
Once we are clear of Vancouver, heading south through Georgia Strait, I finish unpacking and get dressed for dinner. I head for the Main Dining Room by 6:15PM, but is very busy on this first evening of the cruise, with huge lines of people waiting. I decide to have dinner at Canaletto (an Italian specialty restaurant), where I drop-in. There’s hardly anyone up there this evening, and I’m fine with paying the US$12.92 charge (discounted from the regular $18 since I’m a 4* Mariner) in order to have a quiet place to eat with excellent service. The food is very tasty: Canaletto salad to start (green salad with candied pecans and vinaigrette), Grilled prawns with rice pilaf as the main, and I have an Affogado for desert and a cappuccino to finish.
BC Pilot leaving the Koningsdam offshore from Victoria
I attend this evening’s presentation in the Main Stage – The Origin Story: Holland America Line. Jayme the Cruise Director tells the 300-year story of Holland America Line, which is quite interesting and a well-done multimedia presentation. He even mentions more recent history, where in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, Holland America worked hard to get their guests home, and to later repatriate all their crew to their home countries.
The Koningsdam is offshore from my home town of Victoria, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island around 9:30PM, where the BC pilot leaves the ship. My stateroom is right above where he transfers to the boat to take him ashore, so I get a great view of the action.
The ship arrives in Juneau at 8AM and my floatplane excursion doesn’t leave until Noon, so I have plenty of time to have breakfast and look around the city. Juneau is the state capital of Alaska, so in addition to tourism, the city has the government and some industry to base their economy on. There are nice plazas, a developed waterfront, the shops are plentiful and appear to be prospering. Before returning to the ship, I check out where Wings Airways dispatches their seaplanes from, which is only a 5-minute walk from where the ship is docked.
Five Glacier Seaplane Exploration
The pilot selects me to sit in the co-pilot’s seat, so that’s a real bonus, allowing me to see out the front of the aircraft as well as having a side window. We soar over the lush wilderness of the Tongass National Forest, catching our first glimpse of five distinctly different and majestic glaciers making up a section of the 1,500-square-mile Juneau Ice Field. We fly over the deep crevasses and azure blue meltwater pools of the Norris, Hole-In-The-Wall, East and West Twin Glaciers and lake, plus the impressive five-mile-wide Taku Glacier. Of the 36 named glaciers comprising the Juneau Ice Field, the Taku Glacier is the largest. The Annex Creek power station is visible as we fly along the Taku Inlet. There is a verdant valley between the foot of Norris and Taku glaciers and Taku Inlet.
We end the flight by overflying the harbour and city before landing on a southerly heading, returning to the dock. I buy a souvenir t-shirt and ball cap combo from the seaplane office before returning to the ship. I have lots of photos and video taken with my iPhone 13 Pro on this spectacular flight in clear and sunny weather – well worth the expense for this excursion.
I have a pizza and a beer from NY Pizza aboard the ship, sitting in the shade beside the Sea View pool on the stern, overlooking the city and harbour. It’s a lovely warm and sunny day. In fact, Juneau breaks a record today set back in 1946 for the hottest day: 28ºC (82ºF). Our Belgian cruise director complains about getting a bit of a sunburn today!
Since I have the drinks package, I’m making a point of ordering cappuccino and alcoholic drinks anytime I want one. Today I had two cappuccinos with breakfast, the beer with lunch. I also have another cappuccino in the late afternoon at the Explorations Cafe, where Maria, the young barista thanks me for leaving a complimentary comment using the Navigator app a couple of days ago.
I skip dinner or even a snack this evening, since the personal-sized pizza I had this afternoon was 6 slices, which filled me up. I attend the 7pm Step One Dance Company Presents: Humanity and send a comment through Navigator app: “This is my first MainStage show viewed on this voyage, which I thoroughly enjoyed! Please pass on my congratulations to the performers. I know it must be tough to play to a mostly empty house, but their enthusiasm and professionalism shone through.”
I spot my first small Humpback whale at 9:30PM this evening from my verandah as we pass through Frederick Sound. The ship is making 20 knots to Ketchikan, so there is only time to grab binoculars, not my camera.
2016 Solar Eclipse Cruise map in SE Asia aboard the Volendam
In March 2015, I booked a Holland America cruise in southeast Asia, which takes me to the southeast Asian countries of: Singapore, Burma/Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The Volendam leaves Singapore on February 16, 2016 on the 30-DAY ASIAN ADVENTURE & INDONESIAN SOLAR ECLIPSE COLLECTOR cruise, sailing north to Malaysia, Burma/Myanmar and Thailand before returning 15 days later to Singapore. We spend two nights in Singapore, and then depart again on the Solar Eclipse portion of the cruise, which sails south to a variety of ports in Indonesia. We observe the solar eclipse on March 9th in the Makasar Strait, between the islands of Borneo and Sulawesi. Weather permitting, our ship will be positioned on the eclipse centreline, which will give us 2 minutes and 45.5 seconds of totality. The cruise terminates in Singapore with an overnight at the dock on March 16 & 17.
My booking is actually two back-to-back cruises, both departing from Singapore. I am paying the Single Supplement (150% of one fare) for a cabin on the Main Deck. As I write this in November 2015, Holland America indicates some classes of cabins on this cruise are Sold Out.
The Sun in eclipse totality – 3rd contact & diamond ring
Sky and Telescope are running their solar eclipse tour aboard the same ship, however I did not book with them since I wanted a 30 day cruise, and their arrangements are for either 9 days or 15 days. I board the Volendam two weeks earlier in Singapore than the S&T tour’s departure date and visit three more SE Asian countries, which appeals to me. The downside to booking directly with Holland America instead of through S&T is that I won’t be able to attend their enrichment presentations while aboard the ship. To be honest, I don’t much care about this, since there are only two or three of their presentations I would want to attend. I don’t really need any coaching on the technical aspects of observing a solar eclipse while aboard a ship, since I have experience from the 2012 Solar Eclipse Cruise aboard the Paul Gauguin in the Coral Sea.
In May 2015 I booked my flights from Vancouver to Singapore through Cathay Pacific airline. This is optimum timing from the departure date to get the best fare possible. If I booked this fare today (some six months later), the airfare would cost many hundreds of dollars more, since it is closer to the departure date.
After we leave Panama, we have two days at sea before arriving in our first port of call in Peru. I know many people who have yet to take a cruise have concerns about “sea days”. In particular, the question is often asked: what do you do with yourself? Perhaps you can find answers to this important question by reading my travelogue below.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011 – Day 10 – At sea
Today and tomorrow are “sea days” until we reach our first port in Peru. I look forward to sea days, however some might wonder what happens aboard ship on these days when we are not in a port. How do you avoid tedium?
Sports Deck stern bar & entertainment screen and lounging pool
Well, for starters there are 52 activities listed on today’s program starting at 7:00AM and finishing at midnight…or later, if you are up to it! These are just the planned activities offered by the ship’s Explorations staff. A sampling: listening to enrichment and travel information lectures, playing trivia, staff interviews, spa & acupuncture treatments and exercise programs, food cooking demos, playing games (bridge, trivia, shuffleboard, tennis, ping pong, chess), learning to dance, wine tasting, learning about computers, watching show lounge performances, listening to music in bars and lounges, dancing, or watching first run movies and recorded concerts.
Activities you do by yourself or with travel companions might include: reading a book, walking around the deck, drinking and eating, snoozing, writing a journal or novel, working on crafts and hobbies, swimming, sunbathing, taking photos (ships interior), planning your next cruise, cruising the Internet, playing board games, calling home, booking upcoming shore excursions, shopping, gambling, walking the decks for exercise, or meeting and sharing stories with fellow passengers during meal times, and of course people watching.
So what did I do today?
I have breakfast in the main La Fontaine dining room, sharing a table with a couple from Texas. He is a dedicated birder, she is a retired Spanish teacher, and they are both very well traveled. We spot a Spinner Dolphin out the window as we eat and converse. After breakfast, I fast walk a kilometer around the Lower Promenade Deck before going to the show lounge to listen to the tail end of an interview with the three young men who are the Matinee Idols group (on-board entertainment). I stay to listen to Lisa the travel consultant talk about things to see and do in Peru, taking some notes. Later in the morning, I drop into the Culinary Arts Center to see the Pinnacle Grill chef prepare Prawn Bruschetta and Steak Diane, complete with yummy samples. Afterward, I update my travel journal in the Explorations Lounge, and then meet my friends beside the Lido pool for a light self-serve taco lunch.
In the early afternoon I go back to the show lounge to listen to Willie Friar, who talks about The Life of Peru Through the Years, an enrichment presentation that reviews the history, culture, and life today in Peru, with an emphasis on Lima and Machu Picchu. This is the first guest lecturer on this cruise. Both my friends and I previously mentioned this omission to Thom, the Cruise Director. To his credit, he was already on the issue with their head office, and Willie boarded the ship in Panama City. It’s too bad she didn’t board the ship before we transited the Panama Canal, since she was head of the Canal Authority’s public relations before she retired. She could have enlightened us on the San Blas Indians and the history of the Canal earlier in the cruise!
Server finishing our Steak Diane at the table in the Pinnacle Grill
My friends and I go to the Pinnacle Grill this evening for a special dinner since it is formal night. For starters, we have Caesar Salad (made from scratch) and Lobster Bisque. My friends both have Steak Diane and I have Filet Mignon and giant prawns for our main course. For dessert we all order the same: Cherries Jubilee, which is flambéed at the table. Having Cappuccinos all around finishes things off nicely! All the food is superb, as we always expect from the Pinnacle Grill. The young maître ’d Martijn keeps things moving in the restaurant, and is the gracious host. Our dinner service takes two hours, which makes for a nice evening…worth getting dressed up for.
The ship crosses the Equator into the Southern Hemisphere around 11PM local time. The ship is making good speed at nearly 20kts, despite having a headwind of some 34kts. Our arrival in Trujillo, Peru the day after tomorrow appears to be on schedule.
Thursday, December 1, 2011 – Day 11 – At sea
For breakfast this morning I again go to La Fontaine the main dining room. This morning I have a delicious Italian Frittata, which is made with egg whites, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and a dollop of sour cream. I also have two cappuccinos and take my time talking with my fellow passengers at the breakfast table, easing into the morning as I like to do when I’m home.
Although I’m getting excited about seeing Machu Picchu, our first port of call in Peru tomorrow is Trujillo. I am taking a shore excursion to see some of the ancient sites: Huaca Dragon (dragon temple) and Chan Chan Citadel in the nearby Moche Valley, and the caballitos de totora (reed boats) at Huanchaco Beach. It should be an interesting day…my first in Peru. I go to the show lounge later this morning to listen to Willie Friar’s talk about Trujillo and Pisco, which gives some good background information.
King Neptune reads the charges to the Pollywogs
There is a King Neptune Ceremony held this afternoon to initiate those crew members who have not crossed the Equator before (Pollywogs). Thom the Cruise Director is the “Prosecutor”, and either the captain or one of the senior officers plays “King Neptune” (hard to tell who is under that big wig). Once the Pollywogs have been “charged”, they have to kiss a giant fish and get slimed with spaghetti and goo before they jump into the Lido pool.
We are currently sailing down the coast of Peru, but we are sufficiently offshore to not see any land. We do spot some fishing boats and freighters, as well as some sea birds. We are sailing through the cold Peru ocean current (9°C water temperature) which brings the air temperature down to 20°C this afternoon despite us being only 5° south of the equator. Out on the open decks, people are wearing light jackets, while many are staying inside today. Some of the Pollywogs were visibly shivering once they got wet. Apparently tomorrow in Trujillo we should experience mild, but not hot temperatures, although we will still have to wear sunscreen to avoid sunburn.
We have a wonderful Indonesian-themed dinner in La Fontaine the main dining room this evening. I then go to the main show lounge, where the Trio Passión Española from Barcelona puts on a terrific show of flamenco and “Spanish jazz”. Nancy Ruth – vocals and guitar; Luis Robisco – guitar; Paquito Escudero – percussion. Nancy happens to be from Sidney, BC, Canada, which is a half hour drive from where I live! Looking back on the cruise so far, I have gone to more live entertainment in the last 11 days than I have attended in the last year at home.
