CruisingGrandmaW

Aloha Clay: Thank you for sharing your cruising experience. Very much enjoying your humor and commentary. Love all the pictures. Great job - so nice to cruise vicariously with you.

HaHaHa on the Walmart Shuttle "line-cutter" patrol. Once, when in Kauai, hubby & I waited in a Walmart Shuttle line. We had over an hour wait for the one small shuttle that day. Luckily it wasn't too hot & back then my knees were good. But I laugh, because in my old age now --- I can SO see myself being part of the line-cutter patrol. 🤣🤣🤣 The line we waited in that day, had line-cutter patrol also. A group of passengers who used their walkers to block anyone trying to cut line. 🤣 So enjoy your commentary. Living in San Diego - Hawaii cruise is one we frequently take. You've given us a new place to eat - Ponds. As always thank you for sharing your cruise with all of us.

Hi Clay - so enjoying your Live Report. Re: Covid Tests & Face Masks. Yes there are 2 other HAL ships sailing towards Hawaii right now. The Zuiderdam & the Westerdam. All boarding passengers had to have a COVID test. Passengers In-Transit had to have another Covid test like you. All ships are having passengers wear face masks until they reach Honolulu. (This is off their Cruise critic blogs) I'm going to make a POSITIVE assumption: HAL is taking extra precaution to minimize COVID on these longer cruises. Wanting to ensure everyone is Covid free as they depart from final port prior to Honolulu. Then wearing masks until Honolulu which is normally minimum 3-4 day transit --- giving time for COVID to surface for passengers who may have flown etc. May the Force Continue to be With you --- Enjoy your Cruise

That's Great News. FYI there are 2 other HAL ships sailing towards Honolulu. The Konningsdam & the Zuiderdam. HAL had Passengers In Transit perform another COVID test just as they head out to Hawaii. They also must wear mandatory Face Mask until they reach Honolulu. I'm assuming HAL is taking EXTRA precaution on this longer cruises to minimize passengers from catching COVID & having to quarantine. So I would say "HATS OFF for HAL"...... in trying to ensure a wonderful cruise for all!

FANTASTIC NEWS about Bora Bora - there were so many unhappy passengers over the previous cancellation of Bora Bora & other itinerary changes. Having that great news so early into this cruise along with the Great Food including lobster --- should really appease those who were cursing HAL pre-boarding. I am SO happy for all of you - chance to see Patrick again in his OhLaLa Firedance attire!! 🤣

Thank you Bill & Mary Ann for continuing to Post with the challenge of at times slow/non-working internet. Your blog/comments mean so much to us following you. Sailing vicariously thru your Posts.

I would recommend you look into a Patrick's Tour. Do a combo boat lagoon/beach BBQ and a 4x4 drive around the island. You don't need to go snorkeling or get into the water --- but the colors of the water are not to be missed via a boat....such a different experience than seeing the water by land. The boat excursion does stop in shallow water that you can stand in at a couple of their stops. The Beach BBQ at Patrick's private beach is great fun & you can also wade into the beautiful warm water from the shore. The lagoon is calm & shallow near his beach.

Hi Mary Ann& Bill Love your blog etc. Have followed you since the 2019 Amsterdam B2B 28 Inca/51 Tales of Pacific. When we sailed the 51 Days you were about 3 cabins forward from us. We often saw you taking pictures from our Verandah. While we've never met in person - seeing your interaction etc on ship - we can tell you are wonderful people. We've been following the CC Roll call for the upcoming Tales of Pacific; as we're doing Hawaii/Tahiti in Feb 2023. As a result of following the CC Roll call; wanted to give you heads up --- many people fuming about the itinerary change. The Captain & Henck might appreciate knowing a storm's brewing that could crash upon them in San Diego of these highly disgruntled passengers.........praying they don't run into maintenance issues or lukewarm food -- as the volcano of frustration may very well explode. Maybe with Captain knowing this they can plan ahead to smooth out all the ruffled feathers. Like a couple stiff drinks the first night for everyone....to put them in a happy mood. 😂 You can check with your Friends Denise & Howie about all of this; if interested. I LOVE HAL. My husband & I are extensive travelers/cruisers --- one must learn to go with the flow and expect "things happen". The more often one travels - the better the chance of running into an occasional disappointment. One must Move forward and enjoy as the positives always far out-weigh the negatives. (Like not having to do laundry, housekeeping & cooking...HaHaHa 😂😂) Continue to enjoy your cruise into the South Pacific ... those beautiful waters are beautiful warm waters are beckoning. Here's hoping the angry wave calms before San Diego boarding & doesn't affect your wonderful cruise.

@cruzingnut We've always purchased a couple of foldable fabric storage cubes (can buy cheap at Dollar Stores). They fit easily in luggage & cheap enough we just throw away rather than take home. They work nicely on the shelf beneath the bathroom sinks. Gives you a lot of additional storage for your toiletries.

Hello - Re Bottled Water Don't know about all the cruise lines - but Holland America offers one gallon of distilled water @$2.95. You can order them either pre-cruise or during cruise & specify what day you want them delivered to your stateroom. Holland America - you'll find in their "Purchase Beverages".

@rkacruiser Re: Hearing aids. First & upmost importance of wearing hearing aids --- did you know it's all part of our cognitive thinking process? My Audiologist is the one who educated me on this. You can look up on the internet for information. Also, I purchased my "Kirkland Brand" hearing aids from Costco - Apprx price $1700. They are adjustable via a program you downloand onto your Cell Phone. (You do not need internet connection to use it) You can then adjust your hearing aids to eliminate "party noise" which is helpful when in noisy rooms such as crowded restaurants. You can also limit how far of a range you want your hearing distance to expand to; along with the perimeter of hearing. (For example limit so I can only hear the person just across from me.) I also like to use the adjustment -- so I can only hear those talking behind be. It's nice to hear what people are saying about you behind your back. LOL.

@jwb3843 - You will love this cruise We are on same Itinerary Sail Date 02/18/2023 on the Konningsdam. Laundry - After 100+ cruises --- we've learned to pack LIGHT LIGHT LIGHT Less to pack, less to unpack upon boarding ship, and less to unpack & launder when we get home. We have always found "The Bag" the best way to go. You can get a lot into one bag. Below is the link to HAL's current pricing on Unlimited Laundry - $210 Unlimited Laundry Package - 35 Days | Packages & Gifts | Holland America Line PS: We've even done by the bag as close to leaving ship -- less to wash when I got home LOL. Eventually if you sail HAL enough - you'll quickly gain Mariner Stars - @ Level 4 you get free laundry. Entertainment Celebrity vs HAL I have cruised both lines. HAL's entertainment is not as good as Celebrity in my opinion. But you will still enjoy. HAL, to me, is leaning towards their Music venues on what I call the "Music Walk" - where BBK, Billboard etc is located. People really enjoy singing along with the dueling pianos in the Billboard --- then dancing at BB Kings. HAL's environment is different than Celebrity -- now that we're in our 70s we really enjoy HAL now better than Celebrity. Can't remember if you said you had booked your cabin already, I agree with those who say the Inside Cabins of Konningsdam are smaller than on other ships. My husband & I tried it once -- never again on the Konningsdam (Pinnacle Class) I'd encourage you to take an outside Cabin with unobstructed view. Ocean View vs Veranda/Balcony --- We take a veranda on long cruises like this -- ONLY because sometimes it's nice to get away from people & just be in your own "cabin/home" alone. The water colors on this cruise are fantastic & the weather perfect for sitting on veranda. We use ours all the time. I've begun booking our snorkeling excursions with private vendors already -- as they can book quickly. (We going 2/23 - so it's early for you). I've always enjoyed brining my own snorkel gear. But want to give you 'heads up" that all the vendors I've been in contact with tell you to bring your own snorkel gear. Covid I think has changed things & they are no longer offering gear. This may change again by 2024 --- but just a "heads up". Ship Movement We've taken 3 cruises out of San Diego per season until Covid hit. We've always run into some rough sailing the 1st day & half leaving & returning to San Diego. Nothing that bad --- but one year it was SO bad that they shut the Lido & closed the pools. We had a front Ocean View Cabin & they covered our window (never knew they did that) as the waves were high & crashing as high as our windows. Many people had motion sickness But this was only once, again 1 day out from San Diego & it was the 3rd week of Dec. You will gleam a lot of information off your Roll Call for your specific cruise. Excited for you --- you'll enjoy it!!

HI ROXYBEAR Re: People not getting dressed up for Gala Night. I have the answer to that --- after we've all been homebound for almost 2 years due to Covid; none of us can fit back into our fancy clothes. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

@petoonya I first visited the FP when Wind Song was still sailing. (Wind Song Has burnt since). It was a magical time back them - no cars on Moorea yet just scooters. My thought - if they can keep just the smaller ships & then those no larger than the 650 passenger cruise ships - the islands may have best of both worlds. The islanders have had an improved level of lifestyle since larger ships & more tourists have come to the islands. We see the difference....esp in Moorea. But it has been at some cost to them & the beautiful islands they inhabit. We've found we have to go to islands such as Maupiti (30 min ferry ride from Bora Bora) to get the pristine waters, coral & fish.. (Love staying on the Auria Motu that faces the lagoon - you can walk across lagoon to main island at low tide) but it's VERY primitive.,,not for most people's tastes. I guess bottom-line in what I'm trying to say but got side-tracked with memories....... Don't feel guilty about the 650#. Wear your ecological sunscreen & get the work out to passengers on your Cruise Critic Roll Call about the sunscreen. I wished the cruise ships would do a better job of informing passengers BEFORE cruise about sunscreen Okay --- stepping off the Soap Box

I agree with you BigKahuna - too many ships & too many passengers (besides infrastructure not being able to support) is ruining the snorkel conditions and coral. When we first visited the islands there were NO Hotels on the outer Islets of BoraBora. One could snorkel off the Public Beach near InterContinental and see lots of fish. In Moorea @ Sofitel (1995 before they remodeled hotel) - there was still lots of live & active Coral close to the shoreline. When last there in 2019 one had to rent a motorized assist to get you out near the Reef to find active coral. They say that all the chemicals in the non-ecological friendly sunscreens people use is damaging the coral beds. My love for FP --- I would want anything to protect it.

@canadianbear. Last time we were in Rarotonga (around end of Dec 2019 on a Holland America Tales of the Pacific Cruise) there was a local Public Transit Bus stop right at the Tender Pier. It was quite efficient. Most independent snorkelers were taking this bus (we did also but not for snorkeling as it was a rainy day) - Perhaps check to see if it stops at the locations you want to snorkel at. The bus driver was VERY accommodating. Cruise Passengers were asking to be dropped off at locations the bus normally did not stop at. You might search the internet for their Local Bus route - see if that would work for you. Local bus ran pretty frequently - so it may be a easier way to go than renting a car. Also I believe this is one of those Ports that sometimes due to bad weather a cruise ship sometimes has to bypass - it was touch & go for us. Only on the day before the Port did we know if Cruise Ship was going to make it. So another reason for looking into the Transit Bus vs a Rental Car.

@Petoonya You are a wealth of information. Was also looking for the best place to jet ski. So you're Raiatea recommendation is just what I was looking for. Question: Do you remember how rough the jet ski ride was? I jet skiied in my younger adult years -- but hubby hasn't. I was used to Colorado River or open ocean (live in San Diego) jet skiing. Hubby has never been; I'm not sure how rough a ride would be on the Lagoon - hoping smoother than open ocean. Thanks for any input. By the Way very familiar with Seal Rock. When we used to Motorhome fulltime - we would often stay at the Marina RV Park in Waldport. We also stayed at the Seal Rock RV park before it took in so many permanent Park Models. Love the Oregon coast. We also rented a furnished home for a year (the furthest Northern point along Shoreline Drive in Florence.Heceta Beach) we were last home on beach before the long stretch of unoccupied beach looking towards the lighthouse. For USA Coasts - there is NOTHING like the Oregon coastline!

Hi Jah Jongg We are on same Konningsdam Cruise leaving San Diego on 02/18/2023 My husband & I are very much interested in going to Havaiki Lodge for the day while in Fakarava on 3/14/2023. I've sent an email to Havaiki Lodge to arrange this. Can we stay in touch via email with each other on progress towards making this happen. I did not want to post this info directly in the Cruise Critic Roll Call for our cruise. 2 Reasons: Didn't want a bunch of conversation on the roll call going back & forth if this Lodge no longer allows cruise passengers day use. Don't know if Lodge could accommodate a large number of cruise passengers showing up as they look like a small facility and could not handle a large group. I'm hoping they will take a small number of passengers via a Day Use Reservation. I'll let you know what I find out if you'll be so kind to email me so we can converse via email. Thank you, Carolyn AKA CruisingGrandmaW