KT's Cruise Odyssey, Days 1 and 2: "Aloha, Oy!"
Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 8:09 pm
Saucy inspired me to do my own Cruise Diary, so…
Day 1: Pittsburgh to Honolulu
Got up at 5 AM to make a 7:40 flight to Phoenix. You’ve gotta love first class (I used all my USAir Frequent Flyer miles….). Big, roomy seats, a tasty breakfast (OK, it was fruit and yogurt with granola, but I was still on my diet until we got to Kauai!), a bad movie (“Mad Money”) which I ignored and watched “There Will Be Blood” on my ‘puter.
This was then followed by another really really long flight to Honolulu (a chicken pasta dish and “Seabiscuit” – also ignored in favor of a nap). But once I got off the plane in Honolulu, I knew I wasn’t in Kansas anymore…the air smelled fresher, the airport has all these cool lanais everywhere, it was warm and sunny. I caught my transfer to the ship, and checked in. The check-in process was less-than-perfect, with very long lines, but eventually I got up to my cabin, unpacked, and set off to walk around downtown Honolulu, Chinatown, and the Aloha Tower marketplace. Honolulu is a very friendly town, and I enjoyed walking around very much, but dinner time was approaching and I wanted to get back to meet my tablemates.
Well…make that “tablemate” – singular. We’re at a table for four, but the other two never showed up…that night. Joanne seems nice, though, generally. But I had hoped for a nice big table with lots of personalities and stories…but all I got was Joanne. Ah well. Dinner was good (a nice light fish dinner, no dessert), but I was too tired to really enjoy it.
I managed to make it to 9 PM before collapsing (which was 3 AM for me).
Day 2: Honolulu
Pictures: http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/ll23 ... Day%201-2/
Got up early (but late enough to already seem to be adjusted to Hawaii time) had a small breakfast (fruit, one small danish and coffee…just 24 more hours till the end of my diet!) and went to my first shore excursion: Pearl Harbor and the North Shore Experience. We went first to Pearl Harbor, which was sobering. The Arizona Memorial is quite a place. I also met a retired Marine Corps general who was signing his book (“War in the Pacific: America At War” by Jerome T. Hagen). Interesting guy…I haven’t read the book yet (probably on the plane back [ed. note: I still haven't read it, but it's next on my list]), but it looks pretty good. You'll see some pics in the photobucket tht are labelled "Tears of the Arizona". This is the sheen of diesel fuel which slowly drips up from the ship, just a few drops at a time. The lei mixing with the Tears was particularly touching.
Next, off to circle the island. We made a few stops (generally at gift shops and such), but it was a very pretty drive. That word describes Oahu fairly well: pretty. We did stop at Sunset Beach, and did a driveby of Banzai, home of the famous pipeline….but unfortunately, the surf was way flat, and we didn’t see much. We also stopped at the Dole Pineapple plantation, where I picked up some candied pineapple rings. Of course, when I got home and looked at the label, I discovered they were made with THAI pineapple. What a rip!
One of the most amazing sights was coming back in to Honolulu. It was just after a brief shower (the only kind I had to deal with in the islands), and a rainbow literally exploded over the city. Not just a little bow…a HUGE explosion of light and color. Simply spectacular, although the pictures didn’t come out. I did get some wonderful pics of the local flora and a few wild chickens...
Dinner was simple again. Just Joanne again. I wouldn’t say we started to run out of things to talk about…yet. Joanne has been on 21 cruises, and is maybe in her late 60s. We discussed the tour (she was also on the same excursion I was), and the ship.
Speaking of which….The Spirit is a nice enough ship. It took me several days to figure out where everything was, and how to get around. That evening was pretty short, since I was still trying to get used to the time change. My cabin, with a big balcony on the seventh (“Verandah”) deck. Nothing around, above or below me but other cabins, so it was nice and quiet. My steward, Jaime, never forgot my name, and always had a towel animal ready. The bed was actually pretty comfortable, and while the bathroom was on the small (and shower-only) side, I was never cramped. And the balcony was a real treat…the views of the different ports were great.
Tomorrow: off to Kauai, the highlight of my trip, and the end of my diet!
Day 1: Pittsburgh to Honolulu
Got up at 5 AM to make a 7:40 flight to Phoenix. You’ve gotta love first class (I used all my USAir Frequent Flyer miles….). Big, roomy seats, a tasty breakfast (OK, it was fruit and yogurt with granola, but I was still on my diet until we got to Kauai!), a bad movie (“Mad Money”) which I ignored and watched “There Will Be Blood” on my ‘puter.
This was then followed by another really really long flight to Honolulu (a chicken pasta dish and “Seabiscuit” – also ignored in favor of a nap). But once I got off the plane in Honolulu, I knew I wasn’t in Kansas anymore…the air smelled fresher, the airport has all these cool lanais everywhere, it was warm and sunny. I caught my transfer to the ship, and checked in. The check-in process was less-than-perfect, with very long lines, but eventually I got up to my cabin, unpacked, and set off to walk around downtown Honolulu, Chinatown, and the Aloha Tower marketplace. Honolulu is a very friendly town, and I enjoyed walking around very much, but dinner time was approaching and I wanted to get back to meet my tablemates.
Well…make that “tablemate” – singular. We’re at a table for four, but the other two never showed up…that night. Joanne seems nice, though, generally. But I had hoped for a nice big table with lots of personalities and stories…but all I got was Joanne. Ah well. Dinner was good (a nice light fish dinner, no dessert), but I was too tired to really enjoy it.
I managed to make it to 9 PM before collapsing (which was 3 AM for me).
Day 2: Honolulu
Pictures: http://s289.photobucket.com/albums/ll23 ... Day%201-2/
Got up early (but late enough to already seem to be adjusted to Hawaii time) had a small breakfast (fruit, one small danish and coffee…just 24 more hours till the end of my diet!) and went to my first shore excursion: Pearl Harbor and the North Shore Experience. We went first to Pearl Harbor, which was sobering. The Arizona Memorial is quite a place. I also met a retired Marine Corps general who was signing his book (“War in the Pacific: America At War” by Jerome T. Hagen). Interesting guy…I haven’t read the book yet (probably on the plane back [ed. note: I still haven't read it, but it's next on my list]), but it looks pretty good. You'll see some pics in the photobucket tht are labelled "Tears of the Arizona". This is the sheen of diesel fuel which slowly drips up from the ship, just a few drops at a time. The lei mixing with the Tears was particularly touching.
Next, off to circle the island. We made a few stops (generally at gift shops and such), but it was a very pretty drive. That word describes Oahu fairly well: pretty. We did stop at Sunset Beach, and did a driveby of Banzai, home of the famous pipeline….but unfortunately, the surf was way flat, and we didn’t see much. We also stopped at the Dole Pineapple plantation, where I picked up some candied pineapple rings. Of course, when I got home and looked at the label, I discovered they were made with THAI pineapple. What a rip!
One of the most amazing sights was coming back in to Honolulu. It was just after a brief shower (the only kind I had to deal with in the islands), and a rainbow literally exploded over the city. Not just a little bow…a HUGE explosion of light and color. Simply spectacular, although the pictures didn’t come out. I did get some wonderful pics of the local flora and a few wild chickens...
Dinner was simple again. Just Joanne again. I wouldn’t say we started to run out of things to talk about…yet. Joanne has been on 21 cruises, and is maybe in her late 60s. We discussed the tour (she was also on the same excursion I was), and the ship.
Speaking of which….The Spirit is a nice enough ship. It took me several days to figure out where everything was, and how to get around. That evening was pretty short, since I was still trying to get used to the time change. My cabin, with a big balcony on the seventh (“Verandah”) deck. Nothing around, above or below me but other cabins, so it was nice and quiet. My steward, Jaime, never forgot my name, and always had a towel animal ready. The bed was actually pretty comfortable, and while the bathroom was on the small (and shower-only) side, I was never cramped. And the balcony was a real treat…the views of the different ports were great.
Tomorrow: off to Kauai, the highlight of my trip, and the end of my diet!
