North to Alaska - South to Hawaii & Tahiti with Bill & Mary Ann - 42 days - Statendam

[boaterette]

I sure love your reviews.Carry on.

[WCB]

Report # 28 Sailing Towards Bora Bora October 17, 2014 Friday Sunny & 82 degrees

 

Today began as a normal day, but turned into a different one by noontime. Just as we got to the aft pool, the deck crew were covering it with a net. Sometimes they will do that if it gets too rough and dangerous to get in and out of. However, that was not the case today. One sun-loving guest remarked that it appeared there was a slick of lotion on the top, but we couldn't see it. We would find out later on that it was a dangerous situation, but not what we guessed. There are always the showers on this deck to use to cool off, a second solution.

 

One good thing was that many of the regulars had left this pool to use the Lido pool. We had the deck almost to ourselves. The weather has been rather pleasant, which is nice. Most of the time when we are in this part of the world, the humidity is unbearable, as well as the heat. Not so this time of year. Or perhaps we have just been lucky.

 

Around 3pm, we picked up sandwiches at the Lido, and headed down to watch a movie, the Face of Love, a bittersweet love story with a twist. Well-acted however.

 

There were no dolphin sightings today, but we did see a couple of birds that have been following the ship. The sun set unceremoniously at 6:19pm.

 

Tonight was formal, and we had a guest, Vincent, the first officer. Treating us all to wine. He was very interesting as he told us about his career up to this point. Guessing him to be in his early 40's at the most, he has already been captain of cargo ships, before joining cruise lines. He also explained the situation we had been in a few days ago when the coupling and gasket broke. There were also electrical problems, and they really thought the cruise may have to be suspended. Thinking it was fixed completely, we learned that we are not running at top speed, so we may be late in arriving to Bora Bora tomorrow. Like 6pm instead of 4pm. Better late than never.

 

We had talked so much, we finished our entrees of veal piccata with spaghetti topped with chunky tomato sauce before we knew it. It was then, when our desserts were served, that we thought to ask about the pool closure today. Vincent answered that someone had an accident in there early in the morning. Thinking more of a cut or something like that, he said no, it was a bathroom problem. Oh boy.....TMI. And we did see at least five people swimming in that water when we arrived. Some had been practicing with their snorkel masks for the upcoming ports in French Polynesia. Now we are trying to figure out why that water had not been dumped immediately and replaced with fresh water? It remained closed all day, and still was not dumped by evening. Probably illegal to discharge it out here.

 

Vincent did talk a lot about the new ships and the updated systems they will have. One of the improvements will be a new and thorough way to sign in at the emergency muster drills. A few years ago, we noticed the boxes installed at every muster station on the Amsterdam and this ship, but they were never used. Looks like they may never be utilized, because they did not work as expected. So they sit idle.

 

One other thing we brought up concerned the interactive TV's other cruise lines have. He said that the newer ships may be getting them. He had a different angle of looking at the TV entertainment in the rooms. He suggested that if they supply too much good entertainment, such as 200 movies on demand, fewer people would be going to the money-making events on the ship. Therefore, it would be a loss of revenue. Never thought about that.

 

Vincent will be one of the officers that will stay with this ship while it is in drydock in Singapore next fall. He described some of the work that will totally convert this ship for P&O. He indicated that the dining room will be divided into several restaurants. And more cabins will be added somewhere. Smaller, for sure.

 

Looking forward to getting to Bora Bora tomorrow, even if we do not go ashore, we certainly will on Sunday.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[lazey1]

Thank you for the update regarding the ship. We will be on her for 31 days beginning 11/02.

Really enjoying your reports; it brings back so many very fond memories. We did this itinerary in 2011 and will be on the 45 Day Tales of the Pacific next year.

[cruz chic]

Thx for the update.

[Oahucruiser]

Always love reading anything that you post. Enjoy beautiful Bora Bora!

[xjust4fun]

I certainly enjoy reading your reviews, thank you so much for taking us back on this adventure. Reliving our trip there through you.

[ghjohnson]

I am really enjoying your posts WCB / Bill and Mary Ann. I am looking forward to meeting you both on the HAL Amsterdam South Pacific Adventure next October 2015.

 

Grace

Edited October 20, 2014 by ghjohnson

[WCB]

Report # 29 Bora Bora, French Polynesia October 18, 2014 Saturday Chance of rain & 81 degrees

 

In case you have wondered where we have been, there is an explanation. Ever since we were anchored in Bora Bora, we have been unable to turn on the computer anywhere on the ship, due to getting the "blue" screen, which shuts us down. It has something to do with the fact we are not compatable with the xray equipment that is set up for screening us and our stuff getting back on the ship. Anyway, this is being written as we approach Raiatea, so hope it works.

 

French Polynesia is a group of islands consisting of five archipelagos. They are Society, Australs, Gambiers, Tuamotus, and the Marquises. Located in the middle of the South Pacific, they are spread out over 1.7 million square miles. That is huge, trust us.

 

Bora Bora is one of the Society Islands, and is believed to be over 7 million years old. In our opinion, it has the most stunning lagoon surrounding the island of any other place in the world. When the sun is out, the waters within the reef are emerald to aquablue. The highest point on the island is Mt. Otemanu at 2400 feet, making the island visible for many miles away. We found two different sources that say the population is either 5800 or 9000 inhabitants, but that may include the neighboring island of Maupiti, a stone's throw away.

 

It is an island and surrounding motus full of hotels and resorts with huts that are built over the waters that are teeming with tropical fish. They come with a price, however. Friends of ours stayed there for one night while on the world cruise, and paid the lowest price of two accommodations. Came to about $700. a night, and included a continental breakfast, but no other meals. Guess we will stay on the ship tonight, since we will be anchored here overnight, and leave tomorrow after 11pm.

 

We went to the bow around 3:30pm to watch our entrance into the reef. Unfortunately, the skies were heavy with clouds, casting a grey color on the water and even the island. Different shades of grey. One good thing, was there was no rain. This is the end of the dry season here, and the heaviest of rains do not appear until next month and December. We had arrived early enough to be able to get off of the ship by 4pm, but that did not happen, because we had to wait for the French officials to clear the ship. They took their sweet time coming onboard. When they did go through the passports, they singled out three individuals and requested them to appear in the Hudson Room for further screening. By 6pm, we were free to go.

 

Since we knew it would be dark soon, and most everything would be closed, we had not intended to go to shore until tomorrow. But the opportunity presented itself to be first in line with a handful of passengers, and since we are 5 star Mariners, and did not need tender tickets, we took the short ride over. Yes, most everything was closed, but we did get some great shots of the Statendam all lit up in the bay when the sun went down shortly after 6pm. We were not alone, since the Silver Shadow, an all inclusive ship, was anchored in the bay already. We sailed on her a few years ago from San Francisco to Alaska to LA, and found the experience quite elegant.

 

Now from past trips here, landing on Saturday night is not the same as Saturday night where most of us live. The islanders tend to close up everything tight to prepare for Sunday, their day off. We did know that the most popular destination on Bora Bora is a place called Bloody Mary's. Everyone wants to go there, despite the fact that it is small in size and extremely touristy. With that in mind, all the folks getting off of the tenders from both ships, took the local transport to the restaurant. We knew that might be a mistake, but usually the place is closed on Sunday. So it was tonight or not at all.

 

The only other source of dining, were several vans that had set up a makeshift BBQ area right behind the souvenier hut. The aroma of the chicken cooking on the grills was wonderful. Small plastic tables and chairs filled the sand parking lot for this venue.

 

As for us, we got on the tenderboat, joining tablemate Mary, who also wanted to step onshore tonight. A total of four of us went back to the ship for the 10 minute ride. Later that night, after dinner, one of the Cruise Critic members came to us and said there was a mob scene at Bloody Mary's. When they went inside, they were asked if they had reservations, which of course, they said no. There was no room for dining at all, and barely a spot at the tiny bar to get a drink. He told us the prices were sky high, and the service was so slow, most folks left. We have never been there at night, so our experiences there have been positive. One good thing, however, was that the owners said they would be open tomorrow until lunchtime. This is never done, so with two ships here, they re-considered. Perfect.

 

There was a BBQ on the Lido deck this evening, so there were only four of us for dinner.......Rita, Rodger and us. It was nice to visit with them once again. Since they have never been to French Polynesia before, we were able to tell them all we knew about the area. This is the place for anything to do with the water. Such as snorkeling, diving, boating, etc. There can be a problem though, if one is not able to access the water from hanging ladders and such. You never know what type of boat will be used on a tour. We found that out years ago, when we took a covered boat to swim with the sting rays and the sharks. Once in the water, not one of the ladies had the upper body strength to get back on the boat with a swinging metal ladder with only a few feet of rungs in the water. Good thing that was in the sting ray area. When we got to the sharks, only two fellows got in the water....Bill and our friend Rod. The rest of us watched and filmed the black tip reef sharks and the even bigger lemon sharks under us. Thrilling for some, terrifying for others. They say these sharks are not a danger to humans, but there is always a first time for everything.

 

Tomorrow will be a full day on this island in paradise. The ship is scheduled to pull the anchor at 11pm, so we should be able to fit in everything we wish to do, depending on what is opened. Sunday is usually a big church day, with most islanders being Protestant or Catholic. It is quite a sight to see the ladies dressed in white and the men and children in their Sunday best, filling the churches with the most wonderful music.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 30 Bora Bora, French Polynesia October 19, 2014 Sunday Sunny? & 81 degrees

 

We left the ship around 9:30am, and since there was no need to get tender tickets, there was no backup with the line to get off. Much to our delight, the sun was out with a few white clouds floating around in the sky. This would be the perfect weather for the folks that were doing the water sports. As with most tropical islands, mornings are the best with showers happening in the later afternoons. We would find this out later on.

 

There is a lot to do on this small island, but we feel that if you wish to snorkel and see the coral gardens and hundreds of varieties of fish, Bora Bora is THE place to do it. You'll see giant manta stingrays, turtles, parrot fish, and the so-called "harmless" black-tip reef sharks. It does come with a price to do these tours with the ship. Granted, you are guaranteed transportation to and from, a stop on a motu with a beach, and probably no facilities anywhere you may land. Or, you can do the same type of tour directly with the locals.

 

Another nice trip is the drive around the island, which is 32 kilometers around. Way back when World War 2 was happening, a military armada from the US came over to Bora Bora. There were 4450 troopers along with 178 officers. From February of 1942, they were responsible for building roads, airstrips, gas tanks, and installing canons. In little over a year, it was finished, although the main battlefront ended up in the Philippines. You can see the relics left from this era on the island tour. The island sights are also seen from 4x4 vehicles, which you can rent if you are brave enough to attempt it.

 

For the shoppers, there are souvenier shops with fairly reasonably priced items to the high end certified black pearl stores. Clothing offered here comes in the form of t-shirts and pareos....in every shade and color you can think of.

 

Our plan for the day began with a $5 each shuttle ride to Matira Beach, about 5 miles from Vaitape and the pier. It is public with facilities, and is gorgeous. Best part is that it is free. It is here that you can swim in the azure shallow waters, looking for sting rays and small tropical fish. Right near the entrance to this beach, is the Intercontinental Hotel Bora Bora. You can pay the price of 6500 French frans each (about $72 US) for a day pass at this hotel. It entitles you to the use of the beach, lounges, umbrellas, and use of the bathroom and changing facilities. You are not allowed to use the hotel's pool however. What you do get is lunch....a three course meal, but the beverages are on you. We saw several couples going that route this morning.

 

Since we are not huge fans of sand ending up all over us, we just took off our shoes and carefully walked the narrow strip of coral-covered sand for about a mile. The tide was up, and for the most part, people do not sunbath here. Staying in the water is the best way to avoid the worst of the possible sunburn you may get. Many locals were enjoying the water today, since it was Sunday. Was fun watching the little kids running in the surf without a stitich of clothing on. So darn cute.

 

Eventually, we ran out of beach and ran into barbed wire blocking the path. Putting our shoes back on, we walked the road until we reached Bloody Mary's. By then we were sure ready for some ice cold beers. Today the place was not crowded, which was perfect. We were seated, had our order taken, and sipping beers within minutes. There is no pizza here, but very good burgers and quesidillas. We split one of the appetizers, chicken quesidilllas with chopped salad, with a particularly good bean dip, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa with chips. Before we left, we made the obligatory stop in each of the restrooms to see the "special" decorations, which are x-rated. Had to have a new t-shirt as well. Should mention here that sometimes it is a better idea to use a credit card, because you end up getting the better exchange rate. They gladly took any credit card.

 

Several of the tour shuttles were stopping here for the folks to see the place. So it was a good time for us to leave. We ended up climbing in the back of a longbed truck with about eight other folks. Some of the waiters were also there and recognized us. They kindly squeezed in to make room for us. This sure beats doing the organized tours. We can do things in our sweet time, and being that the ship was leaving late, there was no rush to get back.

 

At the pier, we saw Mary, who was waiting to join a tour. Concerned about her sugar level dropping, she had bought a package of 4 small bananas, and shared half of them with us. They were sweet and ripe, almost creamy to the taste. Nice of her. From there, we went through the souvenier hut and found most of the shell jewelry to be pretty pricey. Across the street, we walked through a few shops that carried t-shirts and pareos. In one shop, a young fellow was mounting black pearls. He showed us the drill and the different types of pearls he had for sale. We have seen loose pearls in the Papeete market, but never had the chance to ask more details about them. This nice guy explained how the pearls are cultivated. A special oyster is seeded with a nucleus of a shell made from a Mississippi shellfish. It takes 2 to 3 years for the oyster to coat this shell with nacre, or the pearly substance you see on the outside. Depending on how thick the coating is, the more the pearl costs. If you are in the market for the highend pearls, it is better to buy them from a dealer that actually xrays them right in your presence. You know what you are buying, but you are talking big bucks here.

 

It had started to drizzle when we went into the store. Within minutes, the rain came down so hard we could hardly hear the jeweler talking. Now that's what we call rain. It stopped as fast as it had begun, leaving puddles the size of ponds in the hard pack sand of the parking lot. We did a little more exploring up the road, but really there was nothing more to see.

 

Taking the next tender back, we got on the ship before the next wave of rain hit. This would happen all afternoon until the sun went down without a good sunset, we might add.

 

We were all back for dinner, comparing our stories of the day. We all did something different and everyone seemed to really enjoy their day here. Right after dinner, the Silver Shadow left the bay, and we expected that we would go right after her. Watching out our window, we did not leave until well after midnight. Guess Raiatea is very close to here. And that is our port of call for tomorrow.......another lovely day in paradise.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[cruz chic]

Thx for the update.

[WCB]

Report # 31 Uturoa, Raiatea October 20, 2014 Monday Scattered showers & 80 degrees

 

Raiatea is an island consisting of 67 square miles and is located a mere 55 kilometers from Bora Bora. No wonder we left so late last night and still arrived here on time early this morning. The city of Uturoa is the second economic spot after Papeete in Tahiti. The population is about 12,800 people, again, most all employed by the government and the tourist industry. They have deep lagoons, a reef, high mountains, and even a navigable river, the only one of its kind in French Polynesia. There is a beautiful yacht harbor near town. Many of these boats go to the surrounding motus to bring guests to snorkel and party. Two mountains are both over 3300 feet high and quite hikable. Surrounding hills have bamboo forests, chestnuts, mango, and guava trees. A major crop here is the vanilla bean and the tiare flower.

 

The town of Uturoa is colonial-style, resembling Papeete, only on a much smaller scale. There are 3 banks, 2 post offices, a hospital, pharmacy, and markets. We are not sure what a roulette is, but they have one here. And of course, they have pearl farms, a big industry here.

 

For the adventurous, you can rent canoes, windsurfers, kayaks, hobby cats, kitesurfers, and the stand-up paddle boards.

 

For the mysterious side, Raiatea is considered a sacred island. It contains the largest marae in Polynesia. Just to remind you all, a marae is an open-air temple consisting of a platform made from stone and coral rock. The famous one here goes by the name of Taputapuatea, and is dedicated to Ora, the blood-thirsty god of war who demanded human sacrifices. A shocking custom, it was halted when the missionaries arrived from Europe.

 

We were here one year ago, when we walked to find the perfect pizza at an advertised cafe in their tourist booklet. They failed to print that it was only open for dinner. By the time we located the restaurant, we had walked halfway to their airport. Funny thing was we found the best pizza and Hinano beer on tap right across from the ship in the shopping center. So that was our plan for today. Stay close to town.

 

It took half of the morning to catch up with photos and reports. We did miss the welcome band and dancers that performed on the pier, but did get out in time to get the small but fragrant tiare flower, the symbol of the Polynesian Islands. These flowers grow on this island at a certain elevation, and are used in the production of a special coconut oil lotion.

 

We left the ship around 11am, and walked through the pier terminal shops on the way to the marketplace. This market is a two story building with the fruit, veggie, and fish market downstairs, and a very nice craft market upstairs. Not planning on buying anything, we ran across a shell necklace that matched so well, we had to get it. Right outside the market was a stage with a band playing Tahitian music. Two little girls were native-dressed and danced for the crowd. They were irresistable as they showed off for the crowd, prompted by their moms.

 

Continuing on, we walked the waterfront past the nearby marina to the yacht club marina a mile or two up the road. There is a nice park that lines the water with several cement benches along the way. Palms and pines helped to shade the area, but you had to watch out for the holes left from the landcrabs.

 

We kept walking until we reached the first gas station. It was then we realized we were almost as far as we were last year. Knowing that the Cubana Cafe only served their pizza up to 2pm, we decided to take our time and walk back. Island time is different here. They are in no rush to get you in and out of the restaurants. We got to the cafe around 1pm, ordered a margerita pizza and Hinano draft beers. It was close to 3pm by the time we left. Good thing the ship was only 50 feet away.

 

After cooling off in our room for an hour, we went back out to walk through town. We ducked into the marketplace to find two lady florists completing two flower arrangements. They were so colorful, we bought one with at least three dozen flowers and ti leaves in it. All that for a mere $10.

 

There was supposed to be a special sailaway on the bow from 5 to 6pm. However, it was cancelled and moved to the Crows Nest. We decided to go to deck 12, and we were sure lucky we did. Little did we expect that we would see not one, but two whales as we sailed away from the island. Thought we were seeing things when we saw the spout fly in the air. From the looks of them, we would guess they were humpbacks.

 

At 7:30pm, we were invited to the Crows Nest for before or after dinner cocktails with the Captain, Hotel Director, and the Cruise Director. Many other officers were there too. The party was short, though, and by the time we got our drinks, we had 10 minutes to drink them before we went to dinner. Whatever the reason, these gatherings are rather nice.

 

Tomorrow we will be in Papeete, Tahiti.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 32 Papeete, Tahiti October 21, 2014 Tuesday Scattered showers & 78 degrees

 

Today began much differently than we had hoped. Yes, it was raining, and not lightly as we ate breakfast in the dining room. We watched a major delivery of supplies to the ship from where we sat. All of the crew were dressed in raingear or worked under umbrellas. Actually, it was rather interesting watching the culinary chef open the cases and check out every bit of produce. Even went to the extent of tasting tomatoes, melons, and assorted fruit. Nothing but the best.

 

The island of Tahiti happens to be the largest of all of the islands in French Polynesia. It is 651 square miles with a total of 200,000 natives, including their sister island of Moorea. Papeete, the city where we docked, is the heart of French Polynesia, its capital, and administrative center of government. It also has the biggest airport, which we can agree, since we have flown here twice in past years. Now we much prefer to sail the distance.

 

Tahiti has lagoons, archaelogical sites, hiking, swimming, and black sand beaches. The highest peak, Orohana, is 6970 feet high. Snorkeling and diving is popular in some spots, although we have never gone on those tours here. It is reported that you can see 1000 species of reef fish such as sharks, dolphins, tuna, bonita, jackfish, rays, turtles, and humpback whales (seasonal). Smaller sea creatures that you may find in the market are shrimp, shellfish, lobster, crabs, sea urchins, and clams.

 

Can you believe someone figured out that Tahiti gets 2346 hours of sun yearly. The tradewinds keep the island fairly cool during the dry season, which runs from July through October. That could be what brought people here over 30,000 years ago from southeast Asia. Fertile volcanic soil, and the fact that people could survive well in this area continued to fill the neighboring islands with natives also.

 

The Europeans began to travel here in 1767....namely Wallis, Cook, Bligh, and Bouganville. Following them were the missionaries that changed their way of life forever. France took over control by 1880 and has remained in possession ever since.

 

Since it was raining, and we had some catching up to do with the computer work, we did not leave the ship until 11am. We headed for a fabric shop where they sell 10 million bolts of tropical prints in cotton and rayon. Always find another floral print that goes with everything. From there, we headed for the Municipal Market, which is considered the soul of Papeete. It is two floors of everything you need with 7000 square meters of space. During the week, they open at 4am to 6pm. Early, because that is when the fresh fish and produce are delivered to the vendors. By the time we got there, most of the fish were sold. The lower level has a flower stall, fresh fruit and veggies, and assorted souveniers. You can find woven products, which come from the Austral Islands, and wood and stone carvings from the Marquesas.

 

The second floor has numerous fine shops with higher -end jewelry, clothing, and t-shirts. There is also a fairly good restaurant there. Outside the market, you can find tablecloths, pareos, and black pearls in many settings. This is where you can buy small pouches of pearls for $20 to $75. Whether they are quality, we do not know, so have never taken the chance. None of the pearls are drilled, so unless you are handy, you would need to bring them to a jeweler.

 

Continuing on, we walked past the local McDonalds, where we heard that a big mac costs $8. Across the street from McD's is the Assemblee Territoriale or the Assembly. Curious to see it, we found it was not open to the public, but the attached Queen's Garden was open to tour. It was well laid out, and tucked under huge palm trees. Meandering pathways led you to a flowing creek and eventually to a pond with many fish, carp, and even a few three foot long eels. One large duck kept them company. This garden was so far off of the beaten path, few folks were there.

 

From there we walked the Vaima Center which is full of boutiques, bars, restaurants, banks, and travel agencies. Near there is the Catholic church, Notre Dame Cathedral, built in 1875. Inside is a quite unusual Madonna and child, carved out of wood. The child is holding a breadfruit, the symbol of fertility in Polynesia.

 

Across the street, we entered Bouganville Park, where a statue of Bouganville, the French explorer, sits overlooking the harbor. On each side of his bust, are canons from the ship Zelee, a 1914 warship. This park has streams full of fish, water lilies, and bouganville plants in it. By now, however, the rain had started to fall, so we decided to make a stop back at the marketplace and buy some tropical flowers for our room. We did have umbrellas, so the rain did not matter. In fact, it felt really good.

 

We took an hour break on the ship, catching up on photos while the internet was fairly good. With most folks off on tours, and the ship conducting several emergency drills, not many people were using the internet. By 2pm, we headed back out, and were surprised to find that the skies had cleared up, and most of the rain showers were gone. We walked the waterfront, which has been under construction for the last three years or more. Gone are the older boats that used to be docked here. It eventually connected to the park that lines the harbor, another nice addition over the years.

 

By the time we were opposite the Evangelical church across the road, we knew to cross the street to find L'Api'zzeria, our favorite place for lunch in Tahiti. Of course, we ordered a margerita pizza to share and two Hinano beers. What makes the difference with the pizza here, is the fact they have a wood-fired oven, which gives the crust a smoky flavor and crispy bottom. The nice part about this restaurant is that they have patio dining, covered with trellising and tenting. It can rain hard, but you would never get wet. The floor is gravel, and you sit under ceiling fans.

 

Eventually, we had to leave, although the ship was not due to pull out of the harbor until 3am. Walking back towards the ship, we followed a sign that pointed out a craft market. That was dangerous, because we found some nice locally-made shell necklaces and bracelets. Being that it was the end of the day, the ladies were dropping their prices, so they made a couple of sales with us.

 

We walked through Vaiete Square, where the locals were starting to set up their "roulettes" for the night. Even though it sounds like gambling, we learned that roulettes are fast food on wheels. More like tail-gate parties, a bunch of locals set up BBQ's and serve finger food and even desserts, like crepes. This would be where many of our crew members will end up this evening while on their breaktime.

 

While we were getting ready to leave for dinner at 8pm, the Silver Shadow pulled into the harbor across from us. Sure looked nice all lit up as she backed into the slip. Good timing for us, because they will have the city to themselves tomorrow, like we had today.

 

Dinner service was speedy tonight. There were two reasons for that......a one time show at 9:30pm featured "Tamariki Poerani", a local dance troup we have seen the last couple of years on this trip. They performed many traditional Tahitian dances, and were very professional. We did tell our tablemates not to miss it. The other reason for quick service was the fact our waiters were anxious to go ashore for some fun. Too bad the rain had started again, but that will not stop them.

 

Tomorrow, we should wake up in Moorea....hope the sun comes out by then.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[I&J Cruisers]

I'm enjoying your posts. Thank you for sharing.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ger_77]

I would love to travel with the two of you - you find the most interesting little spots most of us on regular tours miss! I am just wondering, are you posting on Facebook again? I'd love to follow you and your photos there as I did with your last cruise.

 

Smooth Sailing !:) :) :)

Gerry

[iflyrc5]

Thanks so much for all the great information - we are leaving on Feb 13 on this same cruise.:D

[WCB]

Report # 33 Opunohu Bay, Moorea October 22, 2013 Wednesday Scattered showers & 79 degrees

 

Today's port of call was a particularily beautiful one......Moorea, French Polynesia. We never tire of waking up to see Opunohu Bay, or sometimes Cook's Bay with their jutting volcanic peaks right outside our window. The island of Moorea is a mere 12 miles away from Papeete, but is as different as night and day compared to the traffic-filled crowded streets on their sister island, Tahiti. With only 80 square miles, this island is laid back as it gets. And the locals are friendly. There are about 17,236 residents, who mostly commute to work in Tahiti.

 

The name of Moorea translates to "yellow lizard", but the real shape of the island resembles a heart, or even a bird. Besides many volcanic mountains, the highest being Mt Tohiea at 3959 feet, there are deep green valleys, waterfalls, sacred maraes, and tikis. Crops of pineapple, bananas, and vanilla grow here. Coconuts and related copra products keep many islanders busy. Staple food crops are taro, yams, and sweet potatoes. Tuna, mahi mahi, and swordfish are plentiful, but their meat is imported from New Zealand. Chicken and pork are raised locally.

 

There are lots of thing to do, but the first and foremost has to be the water sports. Snorkeling from a catamaran is the best way to swim with the rays and sharks. Boats also take folks to see the dolphins, as Mary told us later on. She got to see the spinner dolphins, lucky girl.

 

Touring the island takes everyone up high to Belvedere Point for a view from 790 feet above the lagoon. One can also rent cars, scooters, or bikes to see the island. If you happen to be here later into the evening, you can go to a luau, like in Hawaii. The food is cooked in the ground on hot stones, and wrapped in banana leaves. It is steamed for 3 to 4 hours and considered the feast of the gods. Hmmm, the feast of the gods for us is PIZZA.

 

We knew if we tried hard enough, we could find pizza on this island somewhere. Tendering to shore by 11am, we walked the small pier area. Nothing had changed since the last time we were here last February. The big difference today was that there was going to be rain. No doubt in our minds. This time, we packed the umbrellas just in case.

 

When you reach shore, there are souvenier tables set up on both sides of the short road to the main road. Some of the local pearl shops bring some of their collection down to this pier, and probably sell a lot of it. We always search for the little elderly lady, who makes her own shell jewelry. And there she was today, sitting at her table making colorful necklaces and earrings. We easily found a nice shell necklace, paid her price, thanking her. With that, she picked up a pair of matching earrings, and put them in our little bag. How about that? Wish we had bought more, because one of us spotted something that would match an outfit, but decided to look later. Of course, it was gone.

 

Hiking the road, and stopping frequently to take photos along the way, we made our way to the Intercontinental Hotel, about a 3 mile walk from the pier. We had two things going for us this morning. It was partly cloudy with a nice breeze, and the sun was not out full bore. Lastly, the road is flat about all of the way.

 

It is not a boring walk, since we passed a bay where some terns were diving for fish. Dozens of land crabs have holes in the sand all the way along the roadside. It is amusing watching them dive in and out of their cubbyholes, while looking for food. There are also several stands of fresh fruit being sold roadside by the local ladies. They even sold some white rum to go with the fruit. Sounded good to us.

 

Eventually we found the hotel buried in palm trees down a private road. Once we reached the hotel and walked through the huge open-air lobby, we were treated to a most beautiful sight. Two pools and indoor and outdoor dining areas faced a nice stretch of white sand beach. It was the perfect spot to have a beer or two and eat lunch. There were a lot of choices, but the most appealing was the pizza, like that's a surprise. It was simply heaven to be able to sit and relax under the huge canopy of the patio umbrellas. It was a good thing that these umbrellas were so big, because shortly after we sat down, it began to drizzle. There is no such thing as a little drizzle in Polynesia. The rain got heavier, and before we knew it, the waiters came to help move the tables further under the canopy. We had to watch our stuff so it did not flood under our table and chairs. The best thing about this sudden shower was that it instantly cooled things off. Sure felt good. Most of the hotel guests either stayed in the pools.....they were already wet, so what's a little more water?

 

While we waited for pizza, we were served french rolls with butter imported from France. How civilized. The pizza was delicious and the beer was even better. An hour flew by so fast that we knew we had to take the last of the photos here, and continue our journey. The walk back took about an hour and a half. The rain had stopped, however, so the hike was pleasant. By the time we got back to the pier and the tenderboats, we sat for awhile on the rocks while sharing a soda. Because of the high humidity, we were soaked. It would feel great to go back to the ship to cool off with a gallon of ice water.

 

Good timing, once again, because the rain came back just as we entered the waiting tenderboat. Several folks ran to catch the boat. They had just come back from a snorkeling tour, and were already wet. One lady squeezed next to us, and reported how excited she was with her tour. She saw loads of fish, rays, and sharks. We remember that's how we were....it was a thrilling experience. If this lady had taken the tour with the locals, she would have been happier, we think. She could have saved a whole lot of money. We are sure that many guests took advantage of the tour packages being sold on the pier in Papeete yesterday. You could get a 4 to 5 hour tour with a BBQ brunch for $60. a person. Very reasonable we think. If we had not done this many times in the past on ship tours, we may have bought the tour.

 

We got back to the comfort of the ship by 3:30pm, and worked on photos until sailaway time around 5pm. The rain had stopped, but the back deck was soaked. In this humidity, nothing dries quickly. We did get some nice photos as we left the island behind. The clouds never left the peaks completely, but we did get treated to a spectacular sunset for a change.

 

The feeling of everyone at our dinnertable was that they liked this island about the best so far. We agree that Moorea still remains the least commercial and unspoiled of the islands. Not that we have seen all of the remote islands of the Society Islands, but if you like nature at its best, we say come here.

 

Tomorrow we will be visiting an island of the Tuamotus, Fakarava. It will be a first for us, and we are looking forward to it.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[PathfinderEss]

Your reports make me feel like I'm back there again.:)

Thanks for all the updates.

[skiing seminole]

Report # 1 Getting Ready to Go September 20, 2014 Saturday Still warm temps in the high 80's

 

Where has this summer gone??? We have been busy non-stop with numerous household projects since coming back from the 2014 world cruise last May. It seemed like we would never conquer the over-grown weed problem and get those vegetable gardens going. Good thing we got the tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and cucumbers plants in late May, because it took until now for them to produce and ripen in time. Just in time to be canning every day for weeks now. The next time we see sliced tomatoes and sauted zucchini will be while on the ship. And the best thing about that, is someone else has prepared and cooked it for us. Hurray!

 

The summer was a very pleasant one, despite the fact we are in a drought. Hardly a day went by that we were not in the pool in the hot afternoon......much appreciated after pruning trees, stacking wood, painting eaves, taking care of the animals, and gardening. No rest for the wicked, we say. Thank goodness we took time to enjoy many BBQ's with the kids and grandkids, and meeting family and friends for breakfast and lunch as often as we could. Like we said, the summer flew by all too quickly.

 

Our next adventure will take us to Vancouver, where we fly on Sunday morning. We will board the Statendam, a Holland America ship, and sail to Alaska on a seven day inland passage itinerary. Yes, we have done this trip more than a few times, but we are really looking forward to seeing the ports again. We are not sure what kind of weather to expect this late in the season, so we are taking the raincoats and umbrellas. In the past, we have been quite fortunate to have had mild weather wth little rain, but in this part of the world the weather can turn on a dime.

 

On September 28th, we return to Vancouver, and set sail for the west coast of the USA to San Diego. From there, we head across the vast Pacific Ocean to the islands of Hawaii. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the hurricanes stay away.

 

Continuing south, we head across the Equator towards French Polynesia, where we will hit several exotic ports of call. Our final stop will be in Nuka Hiva before heading towards San Diego on November 2nd, and finally back home.

 

Just about all of the last minute stuff has been done, which is always a headache, but necessary. Like packing, for instance. Following a strict list, we have tried to keep our luggage at three bags and carryons. Hopefully, they do not weigh a ton. We have got one more day to get it right.

 

Since we have this old computer, we will continue posting, as long as it works. Still doing our research on getting a new one before next year.

 

Stay tuned...........

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Enjoy your trip. If you stop at Fanning Island walk over to Bruno's home and say hello. Google Bruno Fanning Island very interesting Frenchmen. Dennis

[Cruisung Lady]

Good morning Bill and Mary Ann

 

We are taking this trip on December 15, 2014, could you tell me if the islands have ATM machines.

 

Really enjoying your reviews

[TiogaCruiser]

Were throughly enjoying your posts. Thanks for taking the time.

 

One question: where in the world have you had the BEST pizza?

[WCB]

Report # 34 Fakarava, Tuamotu French Polynesia October 23, 2014 Thursday Sunny & 81 degrees Part One

 

A completely new port for us, Fakarava is the second largest atoll of the Tuamotu archipelago. It is one of 76 such atolls comprising this group of islands. It is located 280 miles from Tahiti, and is shaped like a rectangle with a huge lagoon in the center. The coral strip of land is 40 miles long, and the lagoon is 17 miles wide. There is an entrance to this lagoon that is the widest of all atolls. Finally, Fakarava has been designated with the status of another UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. And there are only 797 people that live here.

 

Compared to the other islands we have visited so far, this one is by far, the least commercialized. What brought this area to life is the black pearl industry, as well as the water activities. Reportedly among the best in the world, Fakarava offers a terrific spot for serious divers, seeking to swim with grouper, barracudas, and hammerhead sharks. But to do this, you have to boat 30 miles out to sea. In the coral gardens of the lagoon, you can see reef fish, black tip sharks, sting rays, turtles, and dolphins. Parrotfish are numerous, and a lesser slipper lobster can be found here.

 

We were anticipating tendering over to shore to find this postcard perfect white sand beaches with crystal clear waters and shady palm trees everywhere. We were not disappointed. On the pier, we were greeted by a group of local fellows playing drums and ukeleles as we disembarked the boat. A large tent was set up with some vendors selling more of the seashell jewelry. It looked suspiciously the same as what we saw in Tahiti. Only it cost a little more. Makes sense that everything has to be shipped here, and to do that, there is a small airport and helipad on one part of the island. There is not much to make the natives self-sufficient in the way of agriculture. There is always the abundance of coconuts, but meat and chicken must be brought in. We did see some empty cases of frozen young chickens from the USA in a side yard of a home.

 

So what do they eat on an isolated island in paradise? Lots of fish. They like raw fish salad, and clams cooked in curry and coconut milk. Favorite vegetables are taro root, breadfruit, and sweet potatoes. A nice dessert is cooked bananas and a poe, which is a paste made from bananas, papayas, and pumpkin.

 

Even though we were tendered to the largest village of the island, Rotoava, there were few places we could call restaurants, especially in the pier area. According to the materials we have read, there should have been a hotel here, but one of the locals told us it was closed. Speaking of information, we had picked up a travel planner booklet while at Raiatea's tourist. desk. It was dated 2012 and titled Tahiti. Almost passing it up, because it was a large booklet, we took it anyway for reading in our room. Well, it turned out to be priceless with all the maps and info on every island on all five archipelagos in French Polynesia. For future trips, this booklet will be most useful. So we will do some research on the White Sands Hotel that should have been here. Another good tidbit was that there are no banks or ATM's on this island. Few places took credit cards, but cash was readily accepted.....US dollars or Euros.

 

Walking the concrete road, we asked directions to the beach and possibly a place to eat. The nice fellow who was renting bikes said to go right until the road stopped. The prices for a bike ranged from $10 to $20 for the day. Many folks were lined up to do this. The island is flat as a pancake, so pedaling should be easy. With one exception. As we began our hike, one of the local fellows took a spill off of his bike, and came up bleeding all over. Gosh, and he was young and should know these roads. Later in the afternoon, we saw the same fellow, all bandaged up from his wrists to his elbows, his leg and his neck. One heck of a road burn.

No bikes for us..........

 

The group of primary kids were on their way to the cafeteria across the road. They were cute, walking hand-in-hand, all excited about seeing the crowd of tourists today. They love their pictures taken. Asking a local shop owner, we learned that only about four ships stop here in a year's time. So they are not really set up to handle large groups of tours yet. Come to think of it, there was only one 90 minute boat and snorkel tour offered today. Pricey at $100.

 

Near the school, was the Rotoava Church with the Fakarava cemetery in the back. This church was really neat with seashell chandeliers with a spot for candles. The ceiling was gently vaulted and painted skyblue. This church is still in use today.

 

It was not hard to find the beach, although we could call it slivers of beach and sand. You could not get into the lagoon water without aqua shoes. The shoreline and the surf was full of coral and rocks. Once past the obstacles, we did see many people snorkeling offshore.

 

Hundreds of photos were taken by the time we passed by huge trees full of terns, fields of palm trees heavy with coconuts, shoreline pines, and conservative homes. The only real market we saw had small amounts of everyday items and food stuff. It looked more like a tiny 7 Eleven. The islanders are big on snack food, like chips and candy.

 

Wondering where they get their water, we saw that every roof had gutters that drained into barrels. Some homes had huge water reservoirs that probably have pumps to get the water distributed through the house. Our guess is that the vegetation survives on humidity and rainfall. Despite the fact that the sky was full of dark clouds, it never rained a drop today. Would have felt good, and justified carrying the umbrellas. But that's why it did not rain.

 

Following our map, we knew we should have arrived at the Havaiki Pearl Guest House, located near the end of the island. We found it tucked under the canopy of heavy trees. Not your typical hotel, this place was a series of bungalows with one central hotel building in the middle. A snack shack was built facing the beach, and had several empty tables available. Perfect. At the snack window, we placed our order of a cheese panini with two pints of ice cold Hinano beers. The freindly waitress/cook handed us a beeper, gave us the beers, and directed us to sit anywhere we wished. Right at the end of the covered patio, and next to the water was the best to get the breeze. This is where things got interesting............

 

Right off of the sandy beach, were submerged round wooden picnic tables with chairs. Big enough for four people. We watched two couples, who were also passengers from the ship, as they ate cheeseburgers and fries while sitting waist-deep in the water. Sure looked cool, but while they were dining, someone yelled shark. No kidding, there was a four foot reef shark coming right for them. Oblivious to the fact that four of us jumped on the wooden pier to take pictures, this shark circled them several times before moving on. They never saw it. Good thing they are "harmless" to humans, which we all knew. Truthfully, we were most happy to be out of the water at the time.

 

There was a cute dog that begged food at the tables here. One person took a plate of fries out on the wooden pier to feed him. Funny, he showed little interest in the fries, probably wanting the burger more. It was then that the man threw the remaining fries into the water. Out of nowhere, came several terns to pluck the fries out of the water. Bet that had something to do with attracting that shark. That was our fun for the day. Time to go.

 

Backtracking, we got to the pier by 3pm. The last tender was 4:30pm, but because of the heat, we think most folks came back early. Forgot to mention that on the way over this morning, a fellow in a heavy wheelchair was hauled down the ladder to the tenderboat. It took 5 sailors to get him into the boat. Got to give them credit, they do this with a smile, never complaining.

 

Sailaway was at 4:30pm at the aft pool. We stayed on deck 12 to watch where we exited the lagoon. Seemed like we were headed towards rapids, that looked terribly shallow. However, it must have been the spot where the laggon drains into the open ocean, creating rough waters. But it was deep enough to transit with the help of a local pilot. We were able to see him leave the ship from the hanging ladder over the side. People on the promenade deck were watching as well, and clapped when he landed in the waiting speedboat.

 

The sun went down behind thick, black clouds, producing little color in the sky. Not a good one tonight.

 

We now have a much needed day at sea before we arrive to the final port of Nuka Hiva. Gosh this trip has gone by fast..........

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS Most everywhere you go in Polynesia, there are ATM's. Today was an exception. As for the best pizza in the world, it's a hard call, but perhaps Naples, Italy has the edge.

[Lizzie68]

Another great report. I really miss you two when you're not cruising.:D

[freeholdfriends]

I have really enjoyed your writing. Very entertaining. I must ask you if you have ever been to NJ? The BEST pizza you will ever taste. We have thick crust, regular NY stle and my favorite, the thin crust. We found it to be better than the pizza in Italy.

[seattle sojourner]

We are taking this cruise next October, on the Amsterdam, with some small changes/additions to the itinerary. How wonderful to read along and get excited about 2015! Thanks for including all of us readers in this trip.

[cruz chic]

Interesting read. Thanks for the update.