REPORT: Zaandam Circle Hawai'i; April 6

[Spinner2]

Zaandam Circle Hawai'i; April 6

We're off to a great cruise! We started out with a Wave, ably captured by LaffnVegas. The Meet and Greet was lots of fun; 6 staff members dropped by to chat and I think the group enjoyed our time together. CC'ers at the Meet/Greet included Blanchard girl and DH, Davewk, with his wife, parents and 2 friends, Retireandcruz with her friend, Maureen and Greg (don't have CC names; sorry), Just4You and DH, and my DH George.

No internet access on Wednesday and a slow response from the CC board this morning, so I'm just now reviewing our first 3 days; we're on Day 4 now.

Some impressions, so far:

DEPARTURE
Two CC'ers are trying out the hotel "free parking" offer that's available now at several hotels. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Old Town where our one-night stay entitled us to leave the car in their underground secure parking structure for the entire cruise for free. Only drawback that I have noted thus far is that the ceiling is low in the underground facility; I saw SUVs there but an RV wouldn't make it. Blanchardgirl and her DH stayed at the Comfort Inn, also in Old Town, for a similar deal. Both hotels provided shuttle service to the ship and will pick up at the end of the cruise. So far, both of these services seem satisfactory and the cost for the hotel (in the $150 range, including taxes and the one night of parking that you pay for--the night you are staying there) is less than covered parking elsewhere in San Diego, to my knowledge. (You can get open air parking for less, of course.)

Check-in was fast; boarding started at noon; cabins were ready a little before 2 PM.

Beautiful day in San Diego for departure! We all worked on our tans while we were out on the forward deck for The Wave.

THE SHIP
Seems to be in great condition. The Crow's Nest observation chairs seemed ok; I'd heard that they needed some repairs, but we didn't notice any problems. They don't recline as they do on some of the HAL ships, however. The show lounge is a bit chilly; rest of the ship is a very comfortable temperature, so far. Trays are in the Lido. The musical touches throughout the ship are magical; at least to me, and we're enjoying hearing the "organ concerts" that happen periodically through the day. I have the art tour downloaded and on my ipod; haven't gotten around to doing it yet. We're aft, Lower Prom, and our in-cabin internet access is good.

THE SAILING
A lot of people seasick on Tuesday! Today, Wednesday April 8, seems calmer. I've only needed a light sweater for walking the Lower Prom track, even early in the morning, so breezes are moderate.

STAFF
Six staff members came to our Meet-Greet; the Cruise Director Michael Headla who's new to the job (started mid-January) came by when he finished his Trivia responsibilities while Hotel Manager Paul Muller, Environmental Officer Joe Parks, D.J. Lee Casey, Beverage Mgr. Joe Williams, and Party Planner Laura Thibideaux came for the entire time to answer questions and socialize with the group.

The Hawai'ian cultural lecturer Kainoa is very informative and interesting to hear.

We have experienced nothing but the best in service from our dining and cabin stewards and others around the ship which I think reflects well on the job that the Hotel Manager is doing.

Newcomer Michael Headla is interesting. Unlike most HAL cruise directors, we were told, he hasn't come up through the HAL ranks; his first job with them is as CD and he came aboard at the midpoint of an Hawai'ian sailing, worked with the current CD for the last half and then was on his own. His background is in dance, choreography, theater production (Dollywood) and sales/marketing. It's not obvious at all that he's so new to the job!

ENTERTAINMENT
The opening night show included a brief appearance of the cast and several participation games. Good audience participation led to the games being a lot of fun and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Attendance has been good at the lounge shows so far.

The second-night comic, Craig Diamond, was fun. The first production show was last night (day 3); this show cast only came aboard the last cruise so they're still settling in. And the ship was really rocking. 'Nuf said.

Except for the first-night single show the pattern has been the reversed shows (late diners see the show first) which is not my favorite but attendance is good so it must be working.

Around the ship we've enjoyed the evening music; the classical strings (Adagio Strings) is very good, the HalCats have been enjoyable (haven't heard a soloist there yet) and Tim Kelly is the pianist in the (quite smoky so I won't be there! ) piano lounge. The Neptunes are in the Ocean Bar; good dance music.

We've been promised a Coffee Chat each sea morning; so far Koinoa, Craig Diamond and CD Michael have been featured; we'll see who else as the days come along.

The entertainment staff has been very accessible; we see them out and about everywhere and they are very willing to chat with the passengers.

WHO'S HERE
Fair number of kids; we see them out and about with parents; very little during the day so they are probably at the HAL Club. Well-behaved and pleasant to be around at the pool and at meals. Lots of folks from Florida, considering that this is a San Diego-originating cruise; learned at the first Hawai'i culture talk today that a huge number will be first-time visitors to Hawai'i. Very few mobile-assist scooters have been observed so far. Lots of people are using the pools even though there's a lot of sloshing out of the pools due to the rough seas.

NOTE TO THE WISE
When housed on Lower Prom, with the track right outside, and your cabin is right on a curve of the track, it is prudent to close one's drapes if you'll have your lights on at 6:30 am when it is still gray-ish outside and many of us are out walking already. Because you can't help but see into that room while rounding the track and this morning the sight was not pretty. 'Nuf said on that, too!

SUMMARY
Great cruise, rough seas have settled down, a good time to be aboard the Zaandam.

Meet and Greet Photos next.

[Spinner2]

Internet connection too slow; will post photos later

[middle-aged mom]

Spinner2, Aloha and thanks for thinking of us while you are on your way to Hawai'i. It all sounds wonderful. You go on and enjoy your cruise; we'll be right here when you get back with your photos:)

[luvcruisn']

Thanks for posting. It's always nice to read about another cruise, even if I'm not on it!

[jimgev]

Very good information. Thanks so much. I'm looking forward to further installments as we will be sailing on the Zaandam April 21.

[MrsMuir]

Thanks, Spinner2, for your interesting and well-written reports. We'll be on Zaandam, circling Hawaii from Vancouver in a little over a year, so I will be an avid reader.

Mrs Muir

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for checking in.

[debshomespun]

Great report. Sorry to hear you had rough seas at first.

Can you tell me if they have a "happy hour" each late afternoon with 2 for 1 drinks in the Crows Nest? We had that on the 30 day Hawaii/Tahiti trip and it was great. Thinking of doing the circle Hawaii next and wondering if they have this benefit. Enjoy Hawaii, wish I was on the ship with you!

[Cruisinetta]

Hey Spinner, thanks for the report. As you know, I will be doing this same cruise next year. I am a bit surprised that there are kids on this cruise. Do they not go to school? Hey, do they have the shipbuilding contest? If they do, BUILD ONE!!! Use my design if you want. Enjoy your cruise!!!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Aloha Marney :)

Sounds like you are off to a great start, you will soon be seeing land :D

Enjoy the Islands!!!!:cool:

[scopewest]

Looking forward to your reports as this is a cruise we want to take.

[jbhcw]

Marney, thank you sooooo much for doing a live report!! I looked at the Banner Wave, thinking that will be us next April 6th:) Great to know the Zaandam is looking good, I'm very excited about our cruise to Hawaii as I will also be a first-timer there.

Hope you are enjoying your sea days and looking forward to your next report:)

[Spinner2]

Your Roll Call may have planned all this, but I don't have enough internet minutes to go check so here are some ideas:

First, Laura the Party Planner and Lee the D.J. on the Zaandam will come to your Meet/Greet if they possibly can and they would very much like to be asked, I think. Your Roll Call Co-ordinator will find a letter in his/her cabin upon arrival from the Beverage Manager about the arrangements that have been made for the event so no one will be wondering if it's all set up. He (Jim Williams) says that he e-mails many of the staff to remind them to come but if you bring some simple reminders/invitations and ask the Front Desk to distribute them I think you'll get even more staff to attend.

There is plenty to do on sea days aboard the Zaandam. It will be hard for your Meet/Greet to not interfere with activities that people will want to do and the ship staff will have to make choices too. We held our M/G at 2 PM the first sea day which interfered with Trivia. It didn't happen to be a problem for our group but the Cruise Director Michael had to run Trivia before he could come to our gathering. But he did come so don't end your event too early! Staff members here say they come as soon as they can and they were willing to chat for quite some time.

The cruise director has told us that except for the show cast, the entertainment will switch in Honolulu. So, the evening acts that we'll see on the way home will be the ones that the April 21 group will see on the way to Hawai'i. I'll let you know what those are when we have a chance to see them.

CRUISINETTA: A ship-building contest was announced in the first day's program, so no one had to prompt them to add this to the activities list. Ship-builders, get ready!

[Iris5383]

Spinner - thanks for posting. I'll be looking forward to reading about your cruise.

[jimgev]

Your Roll Call may have planned all this, but I don't have enough internet minutes to go check so here are some ideas:

First, Laura the Party Planner and Lee the D.J. on the Zaandam will come to your Meet/Greet if they possibly can and they would very much like to be asked, I think. Your Roll Call Co-ordinator will find a letter in his/her cabin upon arrival from the Beverage Manager about the arrangements that have been made for the event so no one will be wondering if it's all set up. He (Jim Williams) says that he e-mails many of the staff to remind them to come but if you bring some simple reminders/invitations and ask the Front Desk to distribute them I think you'll get even more staff to attend.

There is plenty to do on sea days aboard the Zaandam. It will be hard for your Meet/Greet to not interfere with activities that people will want to do and the ship staff will have to make choices too. We held our M/G at 2 PM the first sea day which interfered with Trivia. It didn't happen to be a problem for our group but the Cruise Director Michael had to run Trivia before he could come to our gathering. But he did come so don't end your event too early! Staff members here say they come as soon as they can and they were willing to chat for quite some time.

The cruise director has told us that except for the show cast, the entertainment will switch in Honolulu. So, the evening acts that we'll see on the way home will be the ones that the April 21 group will see on the way to Hawai'i. I'll let you know what those are when we have a chance to see them.

CRUISINETTA: A ship-building contest was announced in the first day's program, so no one had to prompt them to add this to the activities list. Ship-builders, get ready!
Thanks Marney.
We will be having our meet and greet from 10 -11 AM on our first sea day. We specifically asked for a time that would have the best possibility of attndance by ship's officers and staff. That is a great suggestion to extend an invitation to the party planner and DJ. We will definately do that.
Jim

[Spinner2]

In Hilo today; overcast for a lot of the day but no rain.

We went out to the Planetarium (one of the shore excursions from the ship) and thought it was very worthwhile. There were only a few people so a small bus was used to take us; there was a short drive through part of town and then on to the planetarium which is, I think, a part of the university. There really wasn't enough time to see all of the exhibits there, which focused on the Hawai'ian interpretation of the beginning of the universe and I would have liked another half-hour or so for that. But the planetarium show was very good and following that, we were treated to a presentation of tonight's sky, showing where we could see some well-known constellations and other night-sky features. I'd highly recommend this tour.

Tomorrow, Honolulu.

[Down-Unders]

In Hilo today; overcast for a lot of the day but no rain.

We went out to the Planetarium (one of the shore excursions from the ship) and thought it was very worthwhile. There were only a few people so a small bus was used to take us; there was a short drive through part of town and then on to the planetarium which is, I think, a part of the university. There really wasn't enough time to see all of the exhibits there, which focused on the Hawai'ian interpretation of the beginning of the universe and I would have liked another half-hour or so for that. But the planetarium show was very good and following that, we were treated to a presentation of tonight's sky, showing where we could see some well-known constellations and other night-sky features. I'd highly recommend this tour.

Tomorrow, Honolulu.





Thank you Spinner2 we are going next April. Is the ship full and what was the weather like from the mainland to Hawaii? Look forward to hearing all the information about your cruise. Enjoy.

[Himself]

I thought Kainoa was a great guide last October. He has great insight. Did he tell you the story of the job his grandfather got during WWII right after Pearl was bombed and did he tell you people of the old woman from St. Louis that came out there to go to the Arizona Memorial. I to this day cannot tell the stories without breaking down. They need to be told. I will be forever grateful to this guide for the stories he shared.

[Spinner2]

Honolulu for Easter Sunday; we were away from the ship all day. Questions answered: weather over was not as bad as the February cruisers but we had a couple of days where there were some seasick passengers. And yes, we've heard the same stories from Kainoa and important stories they are, indeed.

Kainoa tried to do a mountain excursion in Hilo; he got turned back because the snow level was too much to allow vehicle traffic!

A tale to tell from Saturday afternoon: We came in from traveling around Hilo and stopped by the Lido for a bite to eat. As my DH George was coming back to the table from picking up an extra iced tea he saw a man choking--at the desperate gasping for breath stage; a tablemate was trying to help and the woman at the table was in tears. Just as he took this in a dining steward rounded the corner, immediately grasped the situation and in one motion swooped in, managed to pull up a man much heavier than himself and successfully Heimlich him so that the morsel he was choking on flew out and the man was fine.

Our dining steward told us later that they all go to Heimlich class. Saturday afternoon it saved a man's life.

[Down-Unders]

Honolulu for Easter Sunday; we were away from the ship all day. Questions answered: weather over was not as bad as the February cruisers but we had a couple of days where there were some seasick passengers. And yes, we've heard the same stories from Kainoa and important stories they are, indeed.

Kainoa tried to do a mountain excursion in Hilo; he got turned back because the snow level was too much to allow vehicle traffic!

A tale to tell from Saturday afternoon: We came in from traveling around Hilo and stopped by the Lido for a bite to eat. As my DH George was coming back to the table from picking up an extra iced tea he saw a man choking--at the desperate gasping for breath stage; a tablemate was trying to help and the woman at the table was in tears. Just as he took this in a dining steward rounded the corner, immediately grasped the situation and in one motion swooped in, managed to pull up a man much heavier than himself and successfully Heimlich him so that the morsel he was choking on flew out and the man was fine.

Our dining steward told us later that they all go to Heimlich class. Saturday afternoon it saved a man's life.



Thank you.

[Himself]

Spinner 2 Thanks for the Sharing. Have a great day as you dock at Niwiliwili.

[hi4fun]

I am particularly interested in your live reporting, I will be taking this cruise April 21st

:):):)

[Spinner2]

On my iphone watching the surf so this will be brief and probably badly spelled. Beautiful day after rain in Honolulu last night. We are taking a biplane ride this afternoon on our own--not a HAL excursion. While we are out today the carpets on our corridor are getting their routine cleaning--the corridors and cabins.

Someone asked a about drink specials--don't know as we drink wine at dinner and not much else alcoholic but I'll try to notice. There was a half price Internet special the other day--time used between 2 and 4 was charged at half price.

[Himself]

I hope the biplane ride is to your liking. On Kaiwaii, you will probably notice coffee growing.
You have never heard of Kawaii Coffee. However, I am told that if you drink Starbucks Coffee, they use coffee grown on the Beatiful Island of Kawaii.

[kryos]

We are taking a biplane ride this afternoon on our own--not a HAL excursion.
Awesome!

Let us know how you liked it. I wanted to do that and had found a guy (Jim Reed) who did aerobatic biplane rides on Kauai. Sadly, the one time I was set to go with him, he got called into work and had to cancel (he's fire chief of Kauai) and since that time he no longer offers them.

Bit I'm thinking of doing aerobatic soaring on Oahu next March. But a biplane sounds like awesome fun with the open cockpit.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[Iris5383]

Spinner2 - Thank you again for the live reports!

[fridayeyes]

Hey Spinner, thanks for the report. As you know, I will be doing this same cruise next year. I am a bit surprised that there are kids on this cruise. Do they not go to school? Hey, do they have the shipbuilding contest? If they do, BUILD ONE!!! Use my design if you want. Enjoy your cruise!!!

Just FYI - the local schools where I am are out on Spring Break this week. We only get one week, but some schools get two, and those on year-round schedules can be off for 4 weeks at a time.

[Himself]

Today your ship arrives in Lahina, Maui. As you tender in and get off the ship, please do me a favor. Please go sit under the Banyon Tree for me. I can't be there and I always go sit under the Banyon Tree while I am in Lahina. Have a great day in Lahina.

[Spinner2]

FOR HIMSELF
Himself, we did indeed sit under the Banyon tree. Today we were watching a bunch of folks who must be moving to Lanai; they had boxes, furniture, luggage; everything you can imagine! Many jokes around the pier about how all of this stuff will sink the ferry. The tree is as lovely as it has always been; we've always sat under it while here too.

SCHOOL KIDS
Cruisinetta and others, most of the school-age kids on board can be seen at times with their workbooks and other school essentials. They are all delightful kids and have been enjoyable to have around. Our dining steward says that there are 30 aboard this cruise.

SHORE EXCURSION REPORT
A couple of tours to think about, for you April 21 Zaandam cruisers:

Yesterday, in Kauai, we took a biplane ride to look at waterfalls. This is an absolutely wonderful tour and we thought it much better than the helicopters which are the more usual flight experience. This company, Tropical Biplanes (tropicalbiplanes.com or 808.246.9123), was "discovered" by Blanchardgirl who is on our Zaandam sailing; she shared the info with the Roll Call and we're sure glad that she did.

The plane will hold 2 of you, plus the pilot; unless both of you are pretty small it will be a little difficult for both of you to do photography with big cameras, but should be fine for one "serious" photographer and one sight-seer or two regular-sized cameras. The space in the seat is cozy, but very comfortable. The pilot will make you feel absolutely safe about the trip and will give you cloth helmets with built-in goggles if you want to use them; you'll also find headphones in the helmet so you can hear his splendid travel commentary and a microphone so that you can talk too. The flight is pretty quiet and the views will just be spectacular. Because there are just the two of you he can tailor the ride to what you want. When we contacted him he called us back very quickly to set up details and kept in touch with us the day we arrived on the island so we'd know how his schedule was working out with the weather and such. We would highly recommend this trip; he has been in business for some time but is too small an operation to try to negotiate some deal with the cruise ships.

The safety straps, etc. for doing rolls and acrobatics are in the plane and perhaps that's an option that can be arranged!

Next time we're here we plan to reserve a biplane again with this firm. At about $200 for a half-hour (that's for both persons, not per person) the price is very fair we thought, considering what we've paid for similar experiences.

Today (Tuesday April 14) in Maui, we took the ship's excursion for snorkeling and this was another excellent trip. A bus took us over to the harbor that's by the aquarium; sorry I don't remember the name of the harbor and don't have any paperwork with me as I sit in the library looking out at the ocean while I write this. We were served pastries and drinks on our way over to the volcano crater and received the usual instructions about snorkeling safety. We took our own equipment but I didn't hear any complaints about what the tour supplied; they also rented wetsuits for ten bucks--and I was glad to have it; the water is still chilly here and there's a lot of wind.

I don't think we've ever snorkeled in water so sparkling clear; it was just delightful. It wasn't necessary to swim far from the boat at all to be right at the crater's edge. There were noodles and boogie boards for those who needed some extra support and we were in the water for over an hour. Then, back on the boat, we were taken across the channel to an area where there are a lot of wild turtles; some participants swam with them and then came aboard to eat lunch; others ate and then swam with the turtles. The lunch was just what you'd want after a morning in the water--rolls, nice roast beef, turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions; Maui chips, cookies and drinks, including alcoholic punch and beer, all included in the price. There were underwater cameras for rent too; they provided a battery change on those between the two water encounters and at the end loaded your pictures onto a CD for you to take with you.

Also available was a "Snooba" experience and I wanted especially to mention that. First, from what I could tell, some had paid for this as part of the shore excursion, others added it on board so it looks like you can wait to decide if you want to do this. While some might want the experience of being able to dive instead of staying close to the surface as snorkelers to, others might not want to be tethered so close to the boat where the air support was. The snooba folks got to go down onto the floor of the ocean (probably 25 feet) but they were tethered side by side, near the ship, so couldn't swim over closer to the crater. It's all in what you would like to do; both groups enjoyed their water time, I think. They will accept children as young as 8 for the snooba; there were young children snorkeling too although they tired out pretty quickly; the water was chilly and choppy.

The tour was advertised as 5.5 hours; we left the tender port at 8:30 and didn't get back until 3:30 so it was a very generous 5.5 hours--more like 7 hours. We were in the water more than 2 of these hours and there were whales and turtles spotted from the decks so more wildlife was seen than just fish and underwater turtles.

Another great experience and I would pay for this one again.

I do think, from what I pieced together from online, that there is great snorkeling up the beach a bit from where the Zaandam's tendering dock is located. It's called Black Rock and there are good snorkeling spots all along that 3-mile beach. I mention it because I believe it is possible to get there easily by taking the free shuttle to Whaler's Village; it's supposedly right across the street. We obviously didn't go, but those who want a good spot and who want to go on their own might consider this. Google "Black Rock Maui" and I think you'll find plenty of information.

I should also mention for the April 21 cruisers, that this week at least, the tender trip is pretty rough at Maui. I've known them to cancel a tender port for no more chop than we were in while the tender was loaded at the ship. It was calm at the Maui dock end but out in the area where cruise ships must anchor, the waves were quite strong today. Lots of being slammed into the seats as you try to find one to collapse into! This might be too much motion for individuals with mobility issues although I saw a lady with severe mobility problems exiting a tour bus when we left our snorkel boat for the bus ride back to the ship, so people certainly did manage.

Tomorrow, Kona; this trip is, as always, going by way too fast.

DINING ROOM SERVIVE
I've been forgetting to mention how efficient service in the dining room has been. We have a table for 2 but a table for 6 across from us has been doing as well as we have in finishing dinner in a reasonable time. We arrive promptly for dinner at 8 and we are always out by 9, sometimes sooner, and we eat all courses plus dessert. I'm sure we could have a slower pace; Bambang asked us the first night if the flow was about right or if we wanted slower or faster service. We're fast eaters but he and Made have sure been able to keep up just fine. If we want to see the evening's show we've been going to the 7 pm one (hate that arrangement!) but I think we could make the 9 pm one (the one that's supposed to be for the first-dining-seating guests) with only a bit of a rush on dinner. We like to eat in the dining room and usually eat all 3 meals there; I've noticed that at breakfast and lunch, when you sit where you happened to have been seated on other days, that the stewards at that station remember you and often remember what you like. We've thought the service at these two "open seating" meals to be the best we've had on any HAL ship.

THE PIANO BAR
The one thing we'd enjoy but haven't been able to do is to sit in the piano bar after dinner, with perhaps an after-dinner drink and enjoy the piano music. The piano is rather close to the smoking area and the tobacco odor is so strong near the piano that we're choosing to do something else instead. This isn't a problem where the string quartet is based so we listen there after dinner, or to the trio/vocalist, but we'd really like to enjoy the piano too. We're fortunate where our cabin is to not have smokers nearby; the corridor there is always smoke-free.

[DutchByAssociation]

THE PIANO BAR
The one thing we'd enjoy but haven't been able to do is to sit in the piano bar after dinner, with perhaps an after-dinner drink and enjoy the piano music. The piano is rather close to the smoking area and the tobacco odor is so strong near the piano that we're choosing to do something else instead. This isn't a problem where the string quartet is based so we listen there after dinner, or to the trio/vocalist, but we'd really like to enjoy the piano too. We're fortunate where our cabin is to not have smokers nearby; the corridor there is always smoke-free.

On a past Volendam cruise (one has to think the layout would be the same on Zaandam), we were able to either sit in the booth/banquette areas with tables that was more of the "proper" Piano Bar, or there was more seating by the windows across the hallway but still close enough you could feel included since you're literally about 6 feet further away than the furthest chairs and tables.

Is that a solution that would work for you so you can enjoy this venue?

Just a suggestion. Continue to enjoy your cruise! :)

[mudscraper]

Awesome!

Let us know how you liked it. I wanted to do that and had found a guy (Jim Reed) who did aerobatic biplane rides on Kauai. Sadly, the one time I was set to go with him, he got called into work and had to cancel (he's fire chief of Kauai) and since that time he no longer offers them.

Bit I'm thinking of doing aerobatic soaring on Oahu next March. But a biplane sounds like awesome fun with the open cockpit.

Blue skies ...

--rita
Rita
Do it. Everyone should experience the joy of Silent Flight in a glider.
Be warned. Then you`ll start flying lessons and purchase your own bird.



Rich

[kryos]

The safety straps, etc. for doing rolls and acrobatics are in the plane and perhaps that's an option that can be arranged!
I don't think Tropical Biplanes will do aerobatics with passengers. I contacted them in the past, when I was looking for a wild biplane ride, and the nice gentleman there referred me to Jim Read.

But your ride sounds wonderful. Maybe I will consider that for my next trip ... even though it will be a relatively "tame" ride. :)

Blue skies ...

--rita

[Down-Unders]

FOR HIMSELF
Himself, we did indeed sit under the Banyon tree. Today we were watching a bunch of folks who must be moving to Lanai; they had boxes, furniture, luggage; everything you can imagine! Many jokes around the pier about how all of this stuff will sink the ferry. The tree is as lovely as it has always been; we've always sat under it while here too.

SCHOOL KIDS
Cruisinetta and others, most of the school-age kids on board can be seen at times with their workbooks and other school essentials. They are all delightful kids and have been enjoyable to have around. Our dining steward says that there are 30 aboard this cruise.

SHORE EXCURSION REPORT
A couple of tours to think about, for you April 21 Zaandam cruisers:

Yesterday, in Kauai, we took a biplane ride to look at waterfalls. This is an absolutely wonderful tour and we thought it much better than the helicopters which are the more usual flight experience. This company, Tropical Biplanes (tropicalbiplanes.com or 808.246.9123), was "discovered" by Blanchardgirl who is on our Zaandam sailing; she shared the info with the Roll Call and we're sure glad that she did.

The plane will hold 2 of you, plus the pilot; unless both of you are pretty small it will be a little difficult for both of you to do photography with big cameras, but should be fine for one "serious" photographer and one sight-seer or two regular-sized cameras. The space in the seat is cozy, but very comfortable. The pilot will make you feel absolutely safe about the trip and will give you cloth helmets with built-in goggles if you want to use them; you'll also find headphones in the helmet so you can hear his splendid travel commentary and a microphone so that you can talk too. The flight is pretty quiet and the views will just be spectacular. Because there are just the two of you he can tailor the ride to what you want. When we contacted him he called us back very quickly to set up details and kept in touch with us the day we arrived on the island so we'd know how his schedule was working out with the weather and such. We would highly recommend this trip; he has been in business for some time but is too small an operation to try to negotiate some deal with the cruise ships.

The safety straps, etc. for doing rolls and acrobatics are in the plane and perhaps that's an option that can be arranged!

Next time we're here we plan to reserve a biplane again with this firm. At about $200 for a half-hour (that's for both persons, not per person) the price is very fair we thought, considering what we've paid for similar experiences.

Today (Tuesday April 14) in Maui, we took the ship's excursion for snorkeling and this was another excellent trip. A bus took us over to the harbor that's by the aquarium; sorry I don't remember the name of the harbor and don't have any paperwork with me as I sit in the library looking out at the ocean while I write this. We were served pastries and drinks on our way over to the volcano crater and received the usual instructions about snorkeling safety. We took our own equipment but I didn't hear any complaints about what the tour supplied; they also rented wetsuits for ten bucks--and I was glad to have it; the water is still chilly here and there's a lot of wind.

I don't think we've ever snorkeled in water so sparkling clear; it was just delightful. It wasn't necessary to swim far from the boat at all to be right at the crater's edge. There were noodles and boogie boards for those who needed some extra support and we were in the water for over an hour. Then, back on the boat, we were taken across the channel to an area where there are a lot of wild turtles; some participants swam with them and then came aboard to eat lunch; others ate and then swam with the turtles. The lunch was just what you'd want after a morning in the water--rolls, nice roast beef, turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions; Maui chips, cookies and drinks, including alcoholic punch and beer, all included in the price. There were underwater cameras for rent too; they provided a battery change on those between the two water encounters and at the end loaded your pictures onto a CD for you to take with you.

Also available was a "Snooba" experience and I wanted especially to mention that. First, from what I could tell, some had paid for this as part of the shore excursion, others added it on board so it looks like you can wait to decide if you want to do this. While some might want the experience of being able to dive instead of staying close to the surface as snorkelers to, others might not want to be tethered so close to the boat where the air support was. The snooba folks got to go down onto the floor of the ocean (probably 25 feet) but they were tethered side by side, near the ship, so couldn't swim over closer to the crater. It's all in what you would like to do; both groups enjoyed their water time, I think. They will accept children as young as 8 for the snooba; there were young children snorkeling too although they tired out pretty quickly; the water was chilly and choppy.

The tour was advertised as 5.5 hours; we left the tender port at 8:30 and didn't get back until 3:30 so it was a very generous 5.5 hours--more like 7 hours. We were in the water more than 2 of these hours and there were whales and turtles spotted from the decks so more wildlife was seen than just fish and underwater turtles.

Another great experience and I would pay for this one again.

I do think, from what I pieced together from online, that there is great snorkeling up the beach a bit from where the Zaandam's tendering dock is located. It's called Black Rock and there are good snorkeling spots all along that 3-mile beach. I mention it because I believe it is possible to get there easily by taking the free shuttle to Whaler's Village; it's supposedly right across the street. We obviously didn't go, but those who want a good spot and who want to go on their own might consider this. Google "Black Rock Maui" and I think you'll find plenty of information.

I should also mention for the April 21 cruisers, that this week at least, the tender trip is pretty rough at Maui. I've known them to cancel a tender port for no more chop than we were in while the tender was loaded at the ship. It was calm at the Maui dock end but out in the area where cruise ships must anchor, the waves were quite strong today. Lots of being slammed into the seats as you try to find one to collapse into! This might be too much motion for individuals with mobility issues although I saw a lady with severe mobility problems exiting a tour bus when we left our snorkel boat for the bus ride back to the ship, so people certainly did manage.

Tomorrow, Kona; this trip is, as always, going by way too fast.

DINING ROOM SERVIVE
I've been forgetting to mention how efficient service in the dining room has been. We have a table for 2 but a table for 6 across from us has been doing as well as we have in finishing dinner in a reasonable time. We arrive promptly for dinner at 8 and we are always out by 9, sometimes sooner, and we eat all courses plus dessert. I'm sure we could have a slower pace; Bambang asked us the first night if the flow was about right or if we wanted slower or faster service. We're fast eaters but he and Made have sure been able to keep up just fine. If we want to see the evening's show we've been going to the 7 pm one (hate that arrangement!) but I think we could make the 9 pm one (the one that's supposed to be for the first-dining-seating guests) with only a bit of a rush on dinner. We like to eat in the dining room and usually eat all 3 meals there; I've noticed that at breakfast and lunch, when you sit where you happened to have been seated on other days, that the stewards at that station remember you and often remember what you like. We've thought the service at these two "open seating" meals to be the best we've had on any HAL ship.

THE PIANO BAR
The one thing we'd enjoy but haven't been able to do is to sit in the piano bar after dinner, with perhaps an after-dinner drink and enjoy the piano music. The piano is rather close to the smoking area and the tobacco odor is so strong near the piano that we're choosing to do something else instead. This isn't a problem where the string quartet is based so we listen there after dinner, or to the trio/vocalist, but we'd really like to enjoy the piano too. We're fortunate where our cabin is to not have smokers nearby; the corridor there is always smoke-free.




:):):):):)

[Himself]

You mentioned that as you get to Kona, you think the cruise is going to fast. I always get that same feeling. I usually feel a bit down after I leave Kona. I feel like I am leaving paradise. The first time I was in Hawaii was in 1980 and my comment was that when God closed Paradise after the fall of Adam and Eve, he forgot to close Hawaii.

[Nancyquilts]

"I do think, from what I pieced together from online, that there is great snorkeling up the beach a bit from where the Zaandam's tendering dock is located. It's called Black Rock and there are good snorkeling spots all along that 3-mile beach. I mention it because I believe it is possible to get there easily by taking the free shuttle to Whaler's Village; it's supposedly right across the street. We obviously didn't go, but those who want a good spot and who want to go on their own might consider this. Google "Black Rock Maui" and I think you'll find plenty of information."

I don't know about a free shuttle. We usually take the bus that's on the street behind the street across from the Pioneer Hotel and Banyan Tree. You walk through a mall and the bus is in the back of the mall. I think it's only a dollar or two.

[kryos]

Rita
Do it. Everyone should experience the joy of Silent Flight in a glider.
Be warned. Then you`ll start flying lessons and purchase your own bird.

Lord, let's hope I don't get that addicted. I buy my own bird and then I'm not gonna have the money to cruise anymore. :)

Blue skies ...

--rita

[Spinner2]

KONA (APRIL 16)
I have the best tour to tell you about!

CHOCOLATE! WONDERFUL CHOCOLATE!
One of the things we'd really wanted to do on this trip was to find the chocolate candy store/factory that we heard so much about on our last trip to Kona. But that was 2 years ago and while it was a "featured shop" in the HAL Kona fact sheet, to our disappointment it wasn't there this year. (We hadn't been able to get there because our volcano tour took all day, came back late, so no chance to go.) But once on the pier, we picked up one of the freebie magazines and found it again. The problem was then obvious--they're not at the pier any longer but up near the airport in a new commercial area. Clearly advertising with a cruise line isn't much help when they are a distance away. And, I'm thinking that with the move away from the pier, the cruise lines must not have been the major source of their sales; they probably get more business from people on their way to the airport.

So we called them and asked how we might get there. And we were told that they would come and get us. That's right! They would drive down to the pier and pick us up! It was ok that there were only the two of us; we weren't asked to commit to spending any certain amount; just wait at the front entrance of the hotel because it's an easy place for a car to pull into and they'd be down in 10 minutes. And they were.

Driving back up to their facility we learned about cocoa growing in the Kona area; how the growers work together to get crops and product to market, what the chocolate factory produces, etc. Once there, a sample tray was produced and pieces of their most popular chocolates were produced. We were urged to ask to taste anything that interested us; to "not be shy" about asking. Upshot was, we were driven back to the shop with lots of wonderful handmade chocolate, very full tummies (I couldn't wait until I could get a glass of milk to balance out all that sweet stuff!) and the feeling that we'd made new friends.

So, upcoming cruisers, you might plan on your roll call to get two or three couples together and set it up with the chocolate people to come get you at a set time so that you can plan the rest of your day to include this fun place. It would be even more fun for several people to go together. We were there about an hour; travel time was less than 15 minutes each way and we could have left sooner; we were enjoying ourselves and stuck around to watch more candy being produced. As soon as we were done we were driven promptly back to the pier.

I forgot to bring the contact info with me up to the library where I'm writing this so I'll post it later. It's the Chocolate Factory at Kailua.

TODAY AT SEA
The first Mariner's Lunch; my DH George and I are 100+ days so we were sent "table cards" with a fixed place to sit. It appeared that they seated all medallion holders at reserved tables (I counted 8 tables and there may have been more) and everyone else just filled in as they wished at other tables. The menu was the usual choice between salmon and beef; I had the beef and it was very tender; the bernaise sauce on it was good. Those who had the salmon said it was fine too. Cruise Critic member Maureen from our roll call got her 100-day medallion today. This trip they didn't give out the little miniature frames with the menus; didn't matter to us as we have 3 sets of those already, but some may want to know that they might not get them.

The coffee chat today was with the Hawai'ian interpreter who shared more about last night's volcano sail-by (which was splendid by the way and I'll have photos for that eventually); there was a cooking class with the pastry chef today (the free kind) and a chat with the environmental officer who brought the film you may have seen before and an updated one featuring all of the community projects that HAL is involved with. It was quite an extensive list.

There continues to be more to do aboard the ship that anyone can possibly do. Picking and choosing goes on daily.

QUESTIONS FROM EARLIER POSTS
Those who wonder about what the biplane ride might offer in the way of acrobatic rides; just call the guy, using the number I posted earlier. He's very friendly and will answer questions I'm sure, then you'll have current information.

Dutch by Association, I know exactly the seats far back down the hall from the piano bar that you're thinking of. We have tried sitting there; they are generally available. But the smoke odor is still obvious there (not as bad, but it's there) and this is such a participatory venue--people are shouting out songs to hear, there are little "guess the tune" games, all that fun stuff. The back seats are too far out of the range for that. We'll just choose other things to do for this trip. I appreciate your trying to help.

PHOTOS
I have plenty of internet minutes left (with our iphones fully operational in Hawai'i and thus available for us to get e-mail and read internet favorites) we haven't needed as much time. For Hawai'i and probably Alaska trips, I won't need to buy as much in the future. So, I'm going to try again to put up some photos.

[Spinner2]

Pretty good connection today, so I'll try again. First, meet and greet photos; one of the group and some of the staff attendees . . .

http://www.wilde.org/cruise/z-cc-mg.jpg


http://www.wilde.org/cruise/z-officers.jpg

[RuthC]

CHOCOLATE! WONDERFUL CHOCOLATE!


It's the Chocolate Factory at Kailua.
I did not know about this place. But now that I do, I shall remember. Thanks for the info. :D

[Spinner2]

Ruth, I was thinking of you as I wrote about the chocolate!:D

These photos are from the biplane, showing waterfalls:

http://www.wilde.org/cruise/z-biplane1.jpg

http://www.wilde.org/cruise/z-biplane2.jpg

http://www.wilde.org/cruise/z-biplane3.jpg

and the plane:

http://www.wilde.org/cruise/z-biplane4.jpg

[Spinner2]

And finally, so VERY ROUGH photos from the lava flow sail-by last night; these need a lot of noise reduction but we don't carry that much software with us so the fine-tuning will have to wait until back home:

http://www.wilde.org/cruise/z-pele1.jpg

http://www.wilde.org/cruise/z-pele2.jpg

http://www.wilde.org/cruise/z-pele3.jpg

[Nancyquilts]

Great pictures:D. Thanks for posting them. Nancy

[Himself]

Spinner2:
Great pictures but much more awsome when you are on the ship and see them with the naked eye. Have a safe voyage home.

[Down-Unders]

And finally, so VERY ROUGH photos from the lava flow sail-by last night; these need a lot of noise reduction but we don't carry that much software with us so the fine-tuning will have to wait until back home:

http://www.wilde.org/cruise/z-pele1.jpg

http://www.wilde.org/cruise/z-pele2.jpg

http://www.wilde.org/cruise/z-pele3.jpg


Can't wait!

[Spinner2]

Another very busy day at sea; there is more on the program than anyone can possibly manage to do.

COOKING CLASS
Today I went to the Culinary Arts hands-on cooking with our guest chef Pichet Ong (a different one for you who will be joining the ship on April 21 as this chef is only here for this cruise) where we all prepared lunch items which were then served to us. Lots of hands-on, very fun.

WORD TO THE WISE RE THE PINNACLE GRILL:
Little short people like me might have to lean forward in the chair to reach items placed toward the middle of the table--the butter, bread basket, etc. When leaning forward the chair will tip the occupant into the table. Worry not; the table will stop you from landing in the floor but it is a disconcerting feeling! I asked around; not just me has noticed this! The front legs of the chairs are very far forward so there's nothing to balance the 4 legs of the chair if you lean forward.

It will be very hard to leave the ship in San Diego!

[Himself]

Spinner2:

I am glad you are staying occupied at sea. You say it will be hard to leave the ship in San Diego. That is a sign that you have really enjoyed this voyage and that is good. You must be about half way home, as I figure it.

[Spinner2]

Fun Culinary Arts Center activity this afternoon.

From the audience 2 "guest chefs" were chosen, along with 2 sous chefs and 3 judges. The chefs had about 20 minutes to prepare a dish, using the ingredients they were given; there was salmon, pasta--already cooked, various fresh veggies--some diced, others were whole, a selection of herbs, spices, garnish items, etc. There was a selection of common pantry items too.

After the dishes were complete (took less than 15 minutes!) the judges tasted and commented on taste and presentation, as did the resident chef. A winner was chosen. It was fun to watch!

I posted this information on the roll call for the Apr 21 Zaandam cruise, but for others who wanted it here is the contact info for the handmade chocolate place:
Kailua Candy Company
Cathy Smoot Barrett, President (the one who came to get us at the pier)
808.329.2522 or 800.622.2462
kailuacandy.com

[takemewithyou]

I posted this information on the roll call for the Apr 21 Zaandam cruise, but for others who wanted it here is the contact info for the handmade chocolate place:
Kailua Candy Company
Cathy Smoot Barrett, President (the one who came to get us at the pier)
808.329.2522 or 800.622.2462
kailuacandy.com

Oh, how I wish I knew that they would come pick you up and take you to their store when I cruised in Dec.! Everything seems to have shifted to a shopping area up near the airport!

[Big Al B.]

Marney, thanks for the great commentary. It's certainly whetting our appetite for October. If it's not too much trouble, what is the cost of the unlimited laundry package for the cruise? Thanks a lot.

[off2ctheworld]

Thanks for the great reporting of this cruise. It is on our short list!

[flashdog_1]

Appreciate your detailed review!

[Spinner2]

Won a cruise!

Won a cruise!

Actually, it's DH's lucky day, technically, anyway; he bought and filled out the cruise lottery slips. But it was me who was in the room when they announced the winner!

It's the usual week's Caribbean cruise, inside cabin, we must pay the taxes/port charges. But it's a nice prize and we will certainly use it! It sure makes leaving the ship a little less bittersweet.

Very depressing it was, coming back from breakfast to find that Andreas had made up the room beautifully (and early!) as he always has, but with the difference this morning being that on the bed were our luggage pieces, dragged out from under the bed for us and placed on the mats.:eek:

About the candy store: We didn't know they would pick you up either! I just called and asked them what our options were.

So, my last "word to the wise" for this trip will be: ASK! You never know what goodies might come your way!

[RuthC]

Won a cruise!

Won a cruise!

Actually, it's DH's lucky day, technically, anyway; he bought and filled out the cruise lottery slips. But it was me who was in the room when they announced the winner!

Congratulations! Enjoy looking forward to it when you are being dragged off the ship.

[Himself]

Spinner2:

Congratulations on winning the Cruise. May you have a safe journey after you sadly dis-embark the ship tomorrow. And, may you and your DH enjoy the Carribbean Cruise you just won.
Aloha!
And for all your great posts, may I say Mahalo!

[Down-Unders]

Won a cruise!

Won a cruise!

Actually, it's DH's lucky day, technically, anyway; he bought and filled out the cruise lottery slips. But it was me who was in the room when they announced the winner!

It's the usual week's Caribbean cruise, inside cabin, we must pay the taxes/port charges. But it's a nice prize and we will certainly use it! It sure makes leaving the ship a little less bittersweet.

Very depressing it was, coming back from breakfast to find that Andreas had made up the room beautifully (and early!) as he always has, but with the difference this morning being that on the bed were our luggage pieces, dragged out from under the bed for us and placed on the mats.:eek:

About the candy store: We didn't know they would pick you up either! I just called and asked them what our options were.

So, my last "word to the wise" for this trip will be: ASK! You never know what goodies might come your way!


Well done!

[Spinner2]

Using out my last 10 internet minutes here.

Tonight's final show showcased the last 3 entertainers we've enjoyed--Chris Nicholson (guitar), Mike Robinson (and Terrance his "dummy") and George Solomon. All 3 were so much fun tonight; I even got to sing a bit with George Solomon and trust me; I can't sing!

Thanks for the good wishes regarding winning the cruise.

And for all of the traditionalists, I am pleased to announce that the traditional Indonesian good-bye song was sung in the dining room tonight!

Almost packed; for those coming aboard in San Diego, the expected arrival time of the ship is 6:15 am so get to those hotel windows and look for it!

I will be the last one off, kicking and screaming . . . .:)

[Cruisinetta]

Marney you can join me on the same cruise next year. April 6, 2010. C'mon, we'll build the Spamdam. :D

[GTVCRUISER]

Kainoa was a great ,I looked foward to his talks on sea days on my Hawaian Cruise on the Zaandam. Kainoa Photo

[RuthC]

George Solomon entertained! Wow! Lucky you! :D He's great. Does he still have as much energy as ever? I get exhausted just watching him. And the man can sing, too.

[Spinner2]

I think the CC'ers coming aboard today will get to hear George Solomon as well as Nicholson and Robinson; I believe they are staying on.

We are waiting our departure call; today they asked us to leave the cabins by 9 am so we are in the library. As usual the halls and steps are jammed. Why would anyone choose to wait in those less comfortable places?

Once home I'll get photos together and posted and I'm sure others from the roll call will have their own reviews.

I'm on my iPhone so please overlook misakes!

[pattigay]

Thank you so much for your insights. We'll be on the November 7-22 and can hardly wait! I'm really prone to mal de mer so hope we have relatively smooth sailing. Your comments have been really helpful. Did they have a "Hawaiian night" with island dress suggested? Our previous cruise had one and I would like to pack for it if that is the case. Again, thanks.

[Iris5383]

Spinner - I'm also interested in Hawaiian night and what to wear. And CONGRATULATIONS!!! on winning a cruise!! :) Have you ever won anything on board before? Loved the photos of the waterfalls.

One more question. I will be on this trip Nov 22nd. Have not been on a cruise longer than 10 days before and I wasn't ready to leave that one. Is it easier to leave if you've been there 15 days?

P.S. Looking forward to seeing the photos you post.

[RuthC]

Did they have a "Hawaiian night" with island dress suggested?

Spinner - I'm also interested in Hawaiian night and what to wear.
When I've done this cruise, every night in the islands (5) was "Hawaiian casual" for the dress code. If you don't have enough clothes to bring with you, plan to buy some there.
One more question. I will be on this trip Nov 22nd. Have not been on a cruise longer than 10 days before and I wasn't ready to leave that one. Is it easier to leave if you've been there 15 days?
LOL! No. I never gets easier, IMO. :D

[Sleepladypalmdesert]

Yeah, a lot of folks wore Hawaiian fashions the entire time, except formal nights. You will be fine and it you have those types of items to wear, bring them. I got a really cute dress at Hilo Hatties and even wore it the other nigh to Ruths Chris for my birthday dinner. I got literally tons of compliments on it.

[Susie51]

Thank you for posting. I have only read pages 1& 2. Tomorrow I'll have more time. Your detailed review is very enjoyable to read.

[Iris5383]

When I've done this cruise, every night in the islands (5) was "Hawaiian casual" for the dress code. If you don't have enough clothes to bring with you, plan to buy some there.

LOL! No. I never gets easier, IMO. :D


So, Ruth, you are advising I go shopping and maybe have another cruise in the works as I leave the ship . . . I like that advice!

Wish I had box of chocolates to leave at your door :D:D.

Laura

[Iris5383]

Yeah, a lot of folks wore Hawaiian fashions the entire time, except formal nights. You will be fine and it you have those types of items to wear, bring them. I got a really cute dress at Hilo Hatties and even wore it the other nigh to Ruths Chris for my birthday dinner. I got literally tons of compliments on it.

SleepLady - How much does a cute Hawaiian dress cost at Hilo Hatties?

[Spinner2]

Not a lot of time to write; all those clothes straight from the Zaandam laundry are clean and beautifully pressed, but alas, the wonderful Zaandam service did not extend to coming along to put all of it into closets and drawers. I'm ready for a break though!

So, a few comments on Hawai'ian clothing:

The crew began wearing Hawai'ian shirts as soon as we reached our first port and pretty much wore them daily in the dining room/Lido during evening meal service; sometimes, all day. The passengers, it varied. Nothing was said about what to wear but many people did get into island-style dressing. Just4You and her DH had beautifully-matched Hawai'ian clothing. Others wore such clothing now and then; I didn't pay enough attention to remember about what the percentages might have been. I never thought that even half were island-dressed though.

People who were taking hula lessons tended to wear their Hawai'ian clothing whenever they were at lessons, performing, etc. Something of this nature went on every day I think, so there were certainly people who got a lot of enjoyment out of dressing in the islands style.

Once in Hawai'i there were many opportunities to buy appropriate clothing other than Hilo Hattie's, which I thought was more expensive than the other places that I noticed. If you're just buying items to wear for this occasion, you probably don't need the Hilo Hattie quality; everything I saw of theirs was really nice--and somewhat expensive if you plan to only use this clothing for the cruise. (In the neighborhood of $75 and up, for nicely-tailored and very cute long dresses, and at this time of year there were sales.) It's hard to say, though; everyone's thoughts about clothing and what's appropriate varies so much. And how much you think you'll wear them at home. Also the opinions of cruisers as to how much into the "Hawai'ian spirit" they want to get into enters into the clothing decisions, I think.

You will never feel out of place if you want to wear islands-based clothing on this cruise; there will always be people who will be joining you. It doesn't really matter about the percentages; it's a cruise to Hawai'i, and it's fine to enjoy that. Do what you'd enjoy, I'd say.

Above all, if you're aboard when Kainoa (or a similar interpreter) is there, immerse yourself in what he (or she, if it's a woman) has to say. You will learn so much! Kainoa, by the way, will continue with the ship while it is in Alaska; he has much knowledge about that area to share, too. He's a great asset to the ship's culture!

FYI, I learned from some crew members that they planned to drop a lot of their Hawai'ian decorations, clothing, etc. in San Diego today as they will be replacing items with fresh new ones when they return from their Alaska weeks and this was their last chance to store those older items in San Diego. Not that I saw anything wrong with what they had! New is always fun though.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED:
For me, 15 days is not too long at all for a cruise and no, it never gets easier to leave. I feel such a sense of "community" onboard ship and I hate losing that feeling. I know it will happen again on the next cruise, but you do lose the community that you had for the length of each particular cruise even when you keep in touch with some of the individuals. The longer you're there, the deeper you're immersed in that cruise's shipboard community--at least that's how it works for me. It does help to have another cruise planned!

This past cruise, the future cruise planning person was (to put it nicely) not very helpful. I was by no means the only one who thought so; if I hadn't heard it elsewhere (from travel professionals aboard the ship) I wouldn't be saying it since individuals may always see things differently. So, for the first time in awhile, we didn't pick any specific cruises to book while on board. We did reserve an "open" booking--paid our deposits, just didn't name a cruise to attach it to. And we have the free cruise to work into our plans, of course.

I did win $59 once in a bingo game where I had a single card--given to all who attended a culinary arts event when the idea was new and they had to do something to get people in to check it out. We have always bought 3 free-cruise lottery tickets and sometimes I've played the final snowball bingo jackpot or the "win a cruise bingo", but that's been the extent of our wagering on board. We added up what we have spent in all of our cruises (14) on such pursuits and figured that it's less than $300. So we've not spent more than the value of our prize trying to win it!

A cruise director once mentioned that it's amazing how often the person who wins the free cruise bingo game, the cruise lottery, or the snowball jackpot also wins one of the other two. I've seen that happen twice! What should be the odds of that? Amazing.

Now Cruisinetta, you KNOW that I'd not be of any help at all in building the ship, but this ship runs a great contest. We may be ready to do the Hawai'i cruise again this time next year; can't promise! But I do promise you an e-mail soon with photos of what was entered in the ship contest for our cruise; there were sea trials in both the pool and the jacuzzi with 6 entries (I think) and DJ Lee ran a very efficient, and fair, contest, I thought. He gave each contestant plenty of time to show off the model and he didn't allow people to "promote" the ships to hype up the judges--I've seen ship contests recently where the judges seemed to base their decision on the cheering and carrying-on of the crowd, rather than on the ships. DJ Lee read the commentary provided by the builder instead.

The rest of you, if you're considering this itinerary, do consider going when Cruisinetta goes (Apr 6 2010) so you can see her at work on her model and enjoy seeing it in the water. It'll be an added bonus for your trip!

COFFEE CHATS
A really great feature that I've not mentioned enough was the coffee chat which happened every single morning that we were at sea, featuring all of the entertainers on board, Kainoa, the cruise director, the navigation officer, the environmental officer and probably some who I've neglected to mention. Each one was really fun and informative. The onboard entertainment was out and about--extremely available to passenger conversation--during their time on board. I've never been on a HAL cruise that kept up the coffee chats during the entire time. They were held in the Discovery Lounge so the attendance was good--people walked by, got intrigued, and came in to stay awhile. They usually lasted most of the hour.

SHOW TIMES
I know I've mentioned how much I'd prefer a "late show" for the late diners, but I have to say that I see their logic in not doing this very often. Several performers mentioned in casual conversation that before their own "night" came up they attended both performances of whoever was on for earlier nights and that the attendance at the 9 pm show was always low (this would be the show set up for the early diners). While I hate getting ready for the evening events early enough to make the 7 pm show, the attendance was very high, even a huge balcony crowd, and the energy in the room reflected this. We loved the Solomon show so much that we went back after dinner to the 9 pm show to see the end of the show again. I don't think there were 50 people there. No energy at all in the room, compared to what we'd seen just a couple of hours earlier. (The final night, when dinner for everyone was earlier and the shows were post-dinner for each group, the last 3 entertainers shared the stage for a variety-type show.)

Back to the emptying of luggage . . .

[Down-Unders]

I think the CC'ers coming aboard today will get to hear George Solomon as well as Nicholson and Robinson; I believe they are staying on.

We are waiting our departure call; today they asked us to leave the cabins by 9 am so we are in the library. As usual the halls and steps are jammed. Why would anyone choose to wait in those less comfortable places?

Once home I'll get photos together and posted and I'm sure others from the roll call will have their own reviews.

I'm on my iPhone so please overlook misakes!



By the way was the ship full?

[jbhcw]

Spinner, thanks for so much information, looking forward to your pictures and any other tidbits you may offer:)

We are sailing on the April 6th 2010 that Cruisinetta is on, and looking forward to seeing a shipbuilding contest:D

I am looking forward to the total experience, and plan to start reading the oldie Hawaii by James Mitchner again:)

Also, a tidbit here, the Holiday Inn on the Bay is open for bookings for April 2010:)

[Cruisinetta]

Oh Marney, you make me blush. :o:p

[Susie51]

Congratulations for winning the free cruise!

[Himself]

Spinner2:

Your comment on Hil Hatties is right on. I could not agree with you more.

[RuthC]

COFFEE CHATS
They were held in the Discovery Lounge . . .
:confused: :confused: :confused: Betting you mean either the Explorers Lounge, or the Piano Bar, but not sure which.

I'm not a fan of Hilo Hattie's clothes. I don't care for the quality of the material; the cotton isn't pre-shrunk. I bought one dress there, and was very glad I didn't have it hemmed. When I washed it, it shrank several inches in length. Good thing it didn't shrink in width! At least I can still wear it.
Royal Hawaiian makes much nicer clothes. You can find them in many places. I wear them all the time at home in warm weather.

[Spinner2]

Explorer's Lounge, Ruth C! (Late night does that to me!)

Can't speak about the quality of the Hilo Hattie clothing; I'd defer to Ruth on that. I've never washed any of it; do own one shirt that I bought on sale there during this past trip. Only wore it once, very briefly, and then as an overshirt, so it's not been washed yet. Now that I've been warned, I'll rinse it out in cold water.

[Spinner2]

Just4You has completed her blog about this cruise; she's posted it over in the Member Reviews. Be sure to check it out HERE (http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=54149).

[Iris5383]

Just4You has completed her blog about this cruise; she's posted it over in the Member Reviews. Be sure to check it out HERE (http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=54149).

What a great review! Obviously a wonderful trip.

[Sleepladypalmdesert]

This was a wonderful review. Having taken this trip in February....it brought back all of the great memories. I agree, this is a great way to vacation.

[Himself]

Spinner2
I just hit the link you gave me and read the review of the cruise. It brought back many fond memories. Reading your reports kind of brought back many fond memories of my own cruise to the Hawaiians last fall. Thanks for taking the time and for linking that review for us. I think this Irish kid from Illinois has a little Hawaii in his blood.