Live blog from Westerdam's 30 night Hawaii and French Polynesia cruise

[Bescotti]

In 2 hours I will leave my hotel in San Diego, cross the road and board the Westerdam for its cruise to Hawaii, Tahiti and the Marquesas. While on board I will be blogging, internet access permitting, similar to what I did on the Veendam's Antarctic and South American cruise last year.

 

We have had an extremely active rollcall and Kakalina and CoolChile have done a great job organsing the M&Gs and keeping track of the nearly 200 on the roll call. I am participating in most of the private excursions including Patrick's tours in Bora Bora, plus a couple of HAL cruises in Tahiti.

 

I know someone was talking about possibly doing a live thread of the cruise but I prefer a live blog so I can upload photos and my family and friends can follow. I will check back here if anyone has any questions along the way.

 

If you'd like to follow, the link is:

 

http://bescotti.blogspot.com/

 

Bev

[hal lover]

Thanks for doing your blog. I will be checking it out often. Have a wonderful cruise!

[Typhoon1]

Thanks for keeping us updated.

 

Looking forward to hearing about your cruise.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Have a great cruise.

 

I always have trouble finding people's blogs.

[danbo]

Have a great trip, we were on the same cruise last year with Cool Chile looking after the M & G, her and her husband Rob are great people you will love them as we did, make sure to go on patricks tour in Bora Bora, we swam with the stingrays and sharks, unbelivable! cheers Borge and Inge

[kazu]

Looking forward to this - one of the trips on our 'bucket' list. As is the Queen of Horns:):) Thanks so much for posting the link and sharing with us.

 

Bon Voyage - fair winds and following seas to you and all of your roll call:):)

[dfish]

Bev,

 

Have a great cruise! I wish I were with you as our Antarctica cruise was so much fun and you helped make it that way. I'll be following the blog and living vicariously through you.

 

Debbie

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for the link to your blog, already enjoying it. Have a great cruise on a wonderful ship. Loved your pictures.

[woldridge]

I have had your blog bookedmarked for weeks waiting for this cruise to start. We are doing the same cruise this coming April and I am anxious to hear how yours cruise is and all the wonderful things you do and see. Have a great cruise.

Barb

[deercottage]

Hi Bev,

 

Look forward to your blog on the Westerdam. We are booked on the April 2013 sailing to Hawaii and Tahiti.

 

Happy Cruising,

:)

Chris.

[hpf]

Thanks for the link to your blog, i've put it in my favorites so I can catch up anytime. Have a great cruise.

Helen

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Have a great cruise ...

[TiogaCruiser]

Thanks for doing this. Will bookmark and follow.

 

Really enjoyed your Antarctic trip so much that I have a reservation in three months now.

 

~TC

 

PS: I can't help but smile & think of your blog now whenever I see an orchid on a dining table.

[boards]

when did you finally get your luggage?

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the link, looks like you are on board, ready to go.

[Bescotti]

Internet access isn't as good as I have had in the past. I have a wifi cone outside my cabin and although I get 5 bar strength, I can't login in the cabin and have to come up to the Crows Nest. Even here, the connection drops out regularly. It is just as well I brought this netbook along, as well as my iPad, as the internet manager is discouraging those with iPads from signing up for a large internet package as it is so iffy on the iPad.

 

 

The entertainment on board has been, so far, the best I have seen on any HAL cruise, or probably any cruise line I've been on. In the past I have complained that the shows are aimed at a much older demographic but that is not the case on this cruise and the shows have been very well attended.

 

 

Apart from the first sea day being a little cool, the weather has been warming up since leaving San Diego and the seas have been, what I consider, very calm. Some newbies might have a slightly different opinion but some days the ocean has been like glass.

 

 

Anyway, the tenders will be starting shortly for Hilo so I'll sign off now for another day in paradise.

 

 

Bev

[sailaway5]

Thanks for the live postings....and blog. We will be on this exact cruise next April and are looking forward to it.

 

Do all rooms on the Westerdam have DVD players? We will be in a balcony room.

 

We may have more questions for you as you visit the various ports. Thanks again so much for your "valuable" information.

 

Cheers,

Carol

[kazu]

Bev, following your blog and enjoying it very much. Nice to hear about the entertainment too:D Sounds like you are having a good time:D

 

Thanks again for the link

[Krazy Kruizers]

I am loving your reports and blog!!

 

Thank you.

[Bescotti]

We should be able to go ashore shortly as we docked about 20 minutes ago. At present I'm sitting on my balcony enjoying free wifi:D

 

And yes, Carol, I don't know about all cabins but in my balcony cabin I have a DVD. When I first arrived on board I also had them empty the mini bar in the fridge and on shore yesterday in Lahaina I bought some wine and sodas.

 

I read a lot of cruise blogs and most give some background history of the ports but with Google today I'm not bothering with that - internet time on board wouldn't allow it - so I'm mainly giving my impressions. So far I'm thoroughly enjoying it, loving the sea days, and when my numbers come up in the lottery I can see myself doing a world cruise and keeping myself entertained on it! And before you laugh about my optimism about the lottery, twice the day before I have had to make final payment on HAL cruises I have won enough on Powerball (an Australian lottery system) that I have been able to pay off the cruise and have some left over!

 

Bev

[hal lover]

Thanks for your updates! Continue to enjoy your wonderful cruise!

[Himself]

Thanks for your updates! Continue to enjoy your wonderful cruise!

 

I am also enjoying your blogs and updates. Enjoy your cruise! I love Hawaii.

[slabeaume]

Thanks for the live blog. I'm hoping to do that cruise some day. Maybe I'll have to play the lottery, too!

[Ians Grandma]

It was intersting reading about your trip to Doris Duke's home. I hope that you continue to have a great trip.

[Bescotti]

I've been complaining about the internet service on board but we have now lost satellite TV so we must just be in a 'dead spot' and once the connection is better I'll upload more photos - especially the ones of Doris Duke's home - so I shouldn't complain aout the internet when it is a shipwide problem..

 

Tomorrow we skip Monday and head straight into Tuesday as we visit Fanning Island which has no electricty or plumbing. It should be a pretty unsploiled place to visit.

 

Bev