KT's Cruise Odyssey, Days 1 and 2: "Aloha, Oy!"

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KillerTomato · #1 Post by **KillerTomato** » 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!

Snaxx · #2 Post by **Snaxx** » Mon May 19, 2008 8:14 pm

Welcome back KT!

Great story so far.

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silvercamaro · #3 Post by **silvercamaro** » Mon May 19, 2008 8:30 pm

Love it. Tell me more.

kayrharris · #4 Post by **kayrharris** » Mon May 19, 2008 8:43 pm

Great report so far. No photos of Joanne? Great bonding time during dinner, I'm sure.

a1mamacat · #5 Post by **a1mamacat** » Mon May 19, 2008 8:50 pm

you've continued the tradition so very well.

Looking forward to more.

praps I should actually finish mine. I think I am a few days short.

silverscreenselect · #6 Post by **silverscreenselect** » Tue May 20, 2008 3:43 am

We've become big fans of cruises since our first one three years ago, and we are signed up again for one in August.

One of the best parts for us has been the people we have been seated with at dinner tables. Carnival (which we've gone on each time... surprise, surpise, the least expensive) makes an effort to pair you up with people of your approximate age range, so we didn't wind up with some college drunks or screaming kids. At the end of a week, you really get to know complete strangers from other parts of the country.

These posts from KT and Saucy have me counting the days again.....

peacock2121 · #7 Post by **peacock2121** » Tue May 20, 2008 5:50 am

Your report is bringing back very fond memories of my Hawaii trips.

Thank you for doing this.

I want more!

MarleysGh0st · #8 Post by **MarleysGh0st** » Tue May 20, 2008 7:51 am

KillerTomato wrote: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!

How do I combine a LOL and a <grumble>®?

Yesterday's web column by Andrew Tobias goes on a riff about New York Style® Brand Original Plain Bagel Crisps®
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"MADE IN BULGARIA."

christie1111 · #9 Post by **christie1111** » Tue May 20, 2008 12:17 pm

So, where is today's installment where you remind me about just how beautiful it is in that place I used to call home.

Taping my foot!

KillerTomato · #10 Post by **KillerTomato** » Tue May 20, 2008 12:21 pm

christie1111 wrote:So, where is today's installment where you remind me about just how beautiful it is in that place I used to call home.

Taping my foot!

Keep taping. I've been way too busy at work today to get the pigs relabelled and text finished. Should have Day 3 done for tomorrow.

silverscreenselect · #11 Post by **silverscreenselect** » Tue May 20, 2008 12:43 pm

KillerTomato wrote: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!

When we visited Hawaii twenty years ago, we rented a car and stopped by the Dole plantation gift shop on our way to the North Shore. All the travel guides mentioned it and the various tour packages stopped there (which should have been a dead giveaway). We foolishly bought some of the pineapple samples they had there and then discovered that about every half mile of so down the road there was some local selling pineapple samples and you could invariably get a lot more for a lot less money.

With all those tours, they stop at the places that pay them money to stop and dump off the gullible tourists.

WWTBAM Bored

KT's Cruise Odyssey, Days 1 and 2: "Aloha, Oy!"

KT's Cruise Odyssey, Days 1 and 2: "Aloha, Oy!"

Re: KT's Cruise Odyssey, Days 1 and 2: "Aloha, Oy!&quo

Re: KT's Cruise Odyssey, Days 1 and 2: "Aloha, Oy!&