Day three: Sunday October 11, 2009
During the early hours of the morning NCL’s Pride of America continued charting courses from the Port of Honolulu on the island of O’hua to the Port of Hilo on the Big Island. We awoke early in the morning before we had docked and ascended to the decks to observe our approach. We fetched breakfast items from the buffet on the Aloha café and found seats at an outdoor table in the aft section of the ship, where we listened to the port specialist describe the port. Hilo is located on the East (windward) side of the Big island, which usually gets a lot of rainfall. However, the skies were clear when we arrived. The Big Island is double the size of the other 7 Hawaiian islands combined and is increasing in size courtesy active volcanoes spewing lava into the seas.
Following breakfast we made our way down to the 3rd level mid-ship, which is where the gangway is located to debark in all ports (the area is designated by stars and stripes carpeting). We wanted to ensure that we would be among the first group to debark the ship to ensure we were placed on the first mini-bus shuttle to retrieve our rental car at the Thrifty car rental location at the International Airport. We did in fact make the first mini-bus and were soon on our way to Volcano National Park in our yellow Jeep Wrangler (which we nick-named The Beast on account of its license plate bearing the numbers 666). The Jeep was a great choice for the trip however it was a tight fit for the third passenger to enter exit the 2nd row seat. Enroute to the park we stopped to buy flashlights at WalMart (which we knew from advance research we would need to navigate the lower unlighted lava tubes in the park). We took the soft-top down in the WalMart parking lot and were able to leave it down for most of the day. The drive to Hilo takes approximately 45 minutes. Admission to the park is $10 per car.
The Big Island of Hawaii is situated atop a “hot spot” that releases magma from the planet’s core through weak spots in the planet’s outer mantle. Kilauea volcano is 4000 feet high and ranks as the world’s largest currently active volcano. While in the park we drove around Crater rim drive and along the Chain of Craters Rd down to sea level by the Holei Sea Arch where the road was closed by lava flow. It was amazing to see the stream vents, craters and to hike into the huge lava tubes, guided by our flashlights. We spent the full day in the park. Rain began to threaten toward the end of our visit so we reassembled the soft top on our jeep to begin the return trip back to the ship.
In evening we had dinner reservations at 7 in the Lazy J Texas Restaurant. Prior to dinner we went to the Napa Wine Bar for happy hour (a selection of wine available at half price). Dinner in the Lazy J Texas Restaurant was well worth the upgrade fee. They offer a fine selection of choice beef cuts, including NY strip, t-bone and fillet mignon. For appetizers, we ordered HUGE jumbo shrimps, oysters Rockefeller (served in a bowl of coarse sea salt) and crabcakes, which were all excellent. The one miscue was the lobster bisque, which was a bit too thick and not very flavourful. The steaks came with a choices of sauces—we ordered poivre and béarnaise and both were excellent. We concluded our meal with cheesecake for dessert and cappuccinos. Service was uniformly excellent. Still not having acclimated fully to the time shift and having missed the performance in the Hollywood theatre we decided to retire early to prepare for our drive on the Road to Hana the next day in Maui
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Ahoy the shore from Hawaii (part 2 in a series)
Day 2 Saturday October 10:
Because of the 6 hour time change between Honolulu and Toronto and despite retiring after 24 sleepless hours, we were up bright and early on Saturday morning. We made our way to the Best Western Coconut lobby for breakfast, which was surprising good. Following breakfast we had the desk attendant on duty call us a taxi-cab to make the trip out to Diamond Head. No one noticed that the taxi driver had “forgotten” to switch the metre on, but his charge ($12) seemed within a reasonable range. Diamond Head is the crater of a long extinct volcano and hiking up to its summit is the number one tourist attraction in Honolulu. We wanted to arrive early, not only to beat the crowd but also to beat the heat. We began our ascent around 7:30, purchasing bottled water from the truck at the parking lot, to ensure we stayed hydrated. The hike took approximately three hours round trip, allowing for photo opportunities along the way. Parts of the lower trail are paved, others parts are rubble and dirt and parts of the upper trail require climbing up a flight of 74 concrete stairs, spiral staircases and a 225 long lighted tunnel. The vertical ascent spans 560 feet over a 1.4 km length trail with many switchbacks. The trail was constructed in 1908 as part of the US Army Coastal Artillery defense system.
Once we returned to the bottom of the path we purchased smoothies and shaved fruit ice to cool off. We had to wait 10 minutes for a taxi at the gate to make our return trip to the hotel. When one arrived it already had two passengers in the back seat so two of us had to overcrowd into the front of the vehicle (without seatbelts)! The driver, Lee, quoted a fare of $5 per passenger on top of what he charged his first pair of drop-offs (over $12 on the metre). Lee, upon hearing we would be boarding a cruise ship later in the day, also arranged to return to the hotel to pick us up and drive us to the cruise-ship terminal at 1 PM. It was after 11 PM when we got back to the Coconut. One of us was exhausted from our climb and decided to stay in the room and rest while we other two were intent on setting out to explore Waikiki beach.
After securing directions from our concierge, we set out on foot toward the beach, passing along the Kalakaua Ave exclusive shopping district enroute. We spurned stores like Cartier to shop for parrotwear at Jimmy Buffet’s Margarittaville. We were able to find some good quality t-shirts on the sale racks, ranging in price for $9.99 to $14.99 (plus 4.5% sales tax) and to also receive a third shirt free for every two purchased. Thereafter we cut thru to the beach beside the famous pink-bricked Royal Hawaiian beach resort. The pre noon-time beach was already packed with sun worshippers, bathers and surfers. We removed our footwear to walk barefoot thru the sand for a stretch then made our way up to a table on a beachfront terrace at the Westin Surfrider hotel and ordered refreshing Hawaiian punch cocktails before retracing our steps back along the sand to Kalakaua Ave. Outside the Royal Hawaiian shopping centre galleria on Kalakaua Ave. we paused to purchase some fresh-flowered leis from a kiosk vendor, before heading back to the hotel to rejoin the missing link in our travel party in time to go for a quick and refreshing dip in the hotel pool before Lee (or driver’s) arrival.
We checked out at the lobby just before 1 PM (having previously been granted a 1 hour extension beyond the normal check out time) and met Lee out front. Lee explained he was suffering from a bad back and required assistance loading our luggage in his town car trunk. The ride to the ferry terminal took around 15 minutes and we were promptly met by a bell hop upon alighting from our taxi. As we paid Lee the agreed on $20 fare the bellhop assisted with unloading our bags from Lee’s car and then escorted us to the initial security screening. Unfortunately the bellhop rushed on ahead with bags we intended to carry on (including on that contained a laptop) and one passenger’s boarding e-docs! Fortunately we were able to retrieve the latter in the nick of time (and the former wound up arriving at our stateroom undamaged sometime later). Once inside the terminal building we discovered tow lines-- one reserved for suites and latitude gold members and the second for general boarding. We joined the first inadvertently, not realizing we were Latitudes bronze and not gold members, but were allowed to pass through nevertheless. After the security screening, the next set of lines also separated into three forks-- one for the suites, one for general boarding and one for latitude members. We joined the third and although it was shorter, discovered it moved much more slowly because it only fed to two CSR positions. Nevertheless we were through all stages of the check-in process with half an hour and on our way aboard.
The gangway from the terminal building enters onto the 5th level grand atrium from the terminal building. We were handed our complimentary champagne as we entered and proceeded over to the dinner reservations desk immediately to make table reservations for the Lazy J Texas Steakhouse and Teppanyaki specialty restaurants (for which a $25 upgrade fee applies). Thereafter we proceeded to the elevators where we were informed that the staterooms would not be available until after 2 PM. So we were diverted onto an elevator heading up to the Aloha (buffet style) café on the pool deck to have lunch. It was after 2 PM when we finished our meal so we proceeded to our assigned stateroom (an interior cabin on the 7th floor aft). Thereafter, we conducted a self-directed tour of the ship (she made a “pleasantly surprised’ first impression) and attended part of the “shopping in ports” talk by the shopping consultant cum Latitudes hostess cum future cruise sales director (she wears many hats) in the Hollywood theatre before reporting to our assigned muster station (two levels directly below in the Skyline restaurant) for the mandatory safety drill (which was very painless but which did require passengers to fasten their safety jacket (which you have to drag to/from your room with you). We returned from the safety drill to our stateroom to find our luggage had arrived safely and proceeded to unpack. Closet and drawer space in the stateroom was ample.
After dinner we headed to the Liberty main restaurant for dinner at around 6 PM. We were seated without delay in a section near the aft window. Service was polite and pleasant but with long delays in food arrival between courses. Nevertheless the food temperature and quality was good. Among the entrees our party selected were jerk chicken with plantains and dirty rice, Mahi mahi and salmon from the everyday menu. Dessert selections included a banana soufflé and a Bavarian cream. We passed on coffee in order to make it upstairs to the upper decks to enjoy the “lights of Honolulu” sailaway. Thereafter, still acclimating to the time shift, we adjourned to our staterooms to retire for our first evening.
Still to come: Our day in Hilo at Volcano National Park
Because of the 6 hour time change between Honolulu and Toronto and despite retiring after 24 sleepless hours, we were up bright and early on Saturday morning. We made our way to the Best Western Coconut lobby for breakfast, which was surprising good. Following breakfast we had the desk attendant on duty call us a taxi-cab to make the trip out to Diamond Head. No one noticed that the taxi driver had “forgotten” to switch the metre on, but his charge ($12) seemed within a reasonable range. Diamond Head is the crater of a long extinct volcano and hiking up to its summit is the number one tourist attraction in Honolulu. We wanted to arrive early, not only to beat the crowd but also to beat the heat. We began our ascent around 7:30, purchasing bottled water from the truck at the parking lot, to ensure we stayed hydrated. The hike took approximately three hours round trip, allowing for photo opportunities along the way. Parts of the lower trail are paved, others parts are rubble and dirt and parts of the upper trail require climbing up a flight of 74 concrete stairs, spiral staircases and a 225 long lighted tunnel. The vertical ascent spans 560 feet over a 1.4 km length trail with many switchbacks. The trail was constructed in 1908 as part of the US Army Coastal Artillery defense system.
Once we returned to the bottom of the path we purchased smoothies and shaved fruit ice to cool off. We had to wait 10 minutes for a taxi at the gate to make our return trip to the hotel. When one arrived it already had two passengers in the back seat so two of us had to overcrowd into the front of the vehicle (without seatbelts)! The driver, Lee, quoted a fare of $5 per passenger on top of what he charged his first pair of drop-offs (over $12 on the metre). Lee, upon hearing we would be boarding a cruise ship later in the day, also arranged to return to the hotel to pick us up and drive us to the cruise-ship terminal at 1 PM. It was after 11 PM when we got back to the Coconut. One of us was exhausted from our climb and decided to stay in the room and rest while we other two were intent on setting out to explore Waikiki beach.
After securing directions from our concierge, we set out on foot toward the beach, passing along the Kalakaua Ave exclusive shopping district enroute. We spurned stores like Cartier to shop for parrotwear at Jimmy Buffet’s Margarittaville. We were able to find some good quality t-shirts on the sale racks, ranging in price for $9.99 to $14.99 (plus 4.5% sales tax) and to also receive a third shirt free for every two purchased. Thereafter we cut thru to the beach beside the famous pink-bricked Royal Hawaiian beach resort. The pre noon-time beach was already packed with sun worshippers, bathers and surfers. We removed our footwear to walk barefoot thru the sand for a stretch then made our way up to a table on a beachfront terrace at the Westin Surfrider hotel and ordered refreshing Hawaiian punch cocktails before retracing our steps back along the sand to Kalakaua Ave. Outside the Royal Hawaiian shopping centre galleria on Kalakaua Ave. we paused to purchase some fresh-flowered leis from a kiosk vendor, before heading back to the hotel to rejoin the missing link in our travel party in time to go for a quick and refreshing dip in the hotel pool before Lee (or driver’s) arrival.
We checked out at the lobby just before 1 PM (having previously been granted a 1 hour extension beyond the normal check out time) and met Lee out front. Lee explained he was suffering from a bad back and required assistance loading our luggage in his town car trunk. The ride to the ferry terminal took around 15 minutes and we were promptly met by a bell hop upon alighting from our taxi. As we paid Lee the agreed on $20 fare the bellhop assisted with unloading our bags from Lee’s car and then escorted us to the initial security screening. Unfortunately the bellhop rushed on ahead with bags we intended to carry on (including on that contained a laptop) and one passenger’s boarding e-docs! Fortunately we were able to retrieve the latter in the nick of time (and the former wound up arriving at our stateroom undamaged sometime later). Once inside the terminal building we discovered tow lines-- one reserved for suites and latitude gold members and the second for general boarding. We joined the first inadvertently, not realizing we were Latitudes bronze and not gold members, but were allowed to pass through nevertheless. After the security screening, the next set of lines also separated into three forks-- one for the suites, one for general boarding and one for latitude members. We joined the third and although it was shorter, discovered it moved much more slowly because it only fed to two CSR positions. Nevertheless we were through all stages of the check-in process with half an hour and on our way aboard.
The gangway from the terminal building enters onto the 5th level grand atrium from the terminal building. We were handed our complimentary champagne as we entered and proceeded over to the dinner reservations desk immediately to make table reservations for the Lazy J Texas Steakhouse and Teppanyaki specialty restaurants (for which a $25 upgrade fee applies). Thereafter we proceeded to the elevators where we were informed that the staterooms would not be available until after 2 PM. So we were diverted onto an elevator heading up to the Aloha (buffet style) café on the pool deck to have lunch. It was after 2 PM when we finished our meal so we proceeded to our assigned stateroom (an interior cabin on the 7th floor aft). Thereafter, we conducted a self-directed tour of the ship (she made a “pleasantly surprised’ first impression) and attended part of the “shopping in ports” talk by the shopping consultant cum Latitudes hostess cum future cruise sales director (she wears many hats) in the Hollywood theatre before reporting to our assigned muster station (two levels directly below in the Skyline restaurant) for the mandatory safety drill (which was very painless but which did require passengers to fasten their safety jacket (which you have to drag to/from your room with you). We returned from the safety drill to our stateroom to find our luggage had arrived safely and proceeded to unpack. Closet and drawer space in the stateroom was ample.
After dinner we headed to the Liberty main restaurant for dinner at around 6 PM. We were seated without delay in a section near the aft window. Service was polite and pleasant but with long delays in food arrival between courses. Nevertheless the food temperature and quality was good. Among the entrees our party selected were jerk chicken with plantains and dirty rice, Mahi mahi and salmon from the everyday menu. Dessert selections included a banana soufflé and a Bavarian cream. We passed on coffee in order to make it upstairs to the upper decks to enjoy the “lights of Honolulu” sailaway. Thereafter, still acclimating to the time shift, we adjourned to our staterooms to retire for our first evening.
Still to come: Our day in Hilo at Volcano National Park
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Imprisoned at sea!
This very annoying (from my perspective) interruption to my Hawaiian cruise series blog is brought to you by the NCL America line's Pride of America medical department acting under the auspices of the US Centre for Disease Control (“CDC”).
I boarded a Hawaiian island-hopper cruise aboard the NCL Pride of America at the port in Honolulu on Saturday October 10th. I am traveling in a group with two others. At embarkation, we were presented with the standard issue medical questionnaire and since all of us were feeling well, we answered all of the questions honestly, disclosing no known symptoms of nausea or upper respiratory infections. However, several days later, on Tuesday October 13th, after several days of suffering with cold/flu like symptoms (of increasing severity), one member of our travel party reported to the medical centre sick bay around 9:00 AM for treatment by the on duty attending physician—Dr. Ali Yasser.
The other two of us in our travel party reported with her to lend our support and waited for her in the medical centre reception area. About half an hour after arrival there and following an examination, the two of us waiting in the reception were ushered in to join the patient in an examination room. We were advised that our patient had tested positive for Influenza A and would be confined to her stateroom under quarantine for 5 days (until Saturday morning). We were also advised that, even though we had not been sharing a common stateroom with her (our cabins were separated by three decks, hers forward, ours aft), because we had been in contact with her (within 6 ft), enroute to the ship, at the dinner table and on our port excursions that we were also under suspicion of being of being infected with the Influenza A virus and would have to undergo testing. We submitted to the testing voluntarily. It took about 12 minutes to get the test results. Our two tests came back negative.
Despite receiving the negative test results for two of us, after checking with head office by phone, Dr. Yasser returned to advise us that we would also have to submit to quarantine and be confined to our cabin for at least three days (until Friday morning). We were further advised that we would also have to submit to re-testing for fever / the virus on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings (nurse visits) before being released from quarantine. If we test positive on these subsequent occasions, our stateroom quarantine could be extended until Saturday as well.
As an alternative to stateroom quarantine we were offered the opportunity to debark the ship and to fly home or to make independent arrangements for accommodations on shore and flight arrangements to re-join the ship in port on Friday morning. Because of the incremental costs making that choice would entail, that was really not a viable alternative for us, so we quickly rejected it. After that, we were given respiratory filter masks to place over our noses and mouths, which we were told to don. We were then told to return to our cabins. We made our way unescorted from medical to our staterooms through the general passenger hallways and elevators. Of course, there were many questions to answer from inquiring passengers and crew that we met along our path from the 3rd deck to the 7th.
Once we were back in our staterooms we were contacted by Charles, the head room steward, who made arrangements to relocate us from the staterooms that had originally occupied (inside cabin on a the 7th deck) to balcony staterooms on the 10th deck (presumably on the assumption that having access to an open air balcony and sunlight would make a 72 hour in-cabin “house arrest” more tolerable). We also had to make arrangements for crew members to return a rental car that we had parked near the ship in port parking that we were required to return to Thrifty by 3:30.
Dr. Yasser made a subsequent visit to our staterooms to conduct a quick routine ear nose and throat examination. We then packed our clothes and moved up to our new staterooms. Since then, we have not left our room. We have had to call in all our meal orders for room service delivery. The room service menu is much more limited than dining room menus, however we have been supplied with dining room menus to order dinner from between 5:30 PM and 10:00 PM. Our stateroom attendant has come by to exchange linens and provide us with ice but to date has not entered our stateroom to clean.
As for activities to occupy ourselves in our room, the options are very limited. Other than staring out at the ports (wonder what fun we are missing out on a shore) there is a small TV set (with a snowy picture) and we have our laptops along. We have been using our laptops to review digital photos we took from our first few days on freedom on the cruise and to browse the internet. We have requested a credit to defray the high costs of web surfing at sea and were advised that our request would be forwarded to a senior passenger service crew member but so far no one has contacted us to follow up on our open request, 18 hours later.
In short, this is an experience I would not wish on my worst enemy… a heartbreaking way to have a dream vacation suddenly unravel. While I understand there is a need for the ship to be cautious and follow CDC protocols to protect the health of other crew and passengers and prevent a mass flu outbreak on board, particularly when H1N1 is expected to return with a vengeance this flu season, I do take exception to how our situation has been handled so far. No one has asked us what crew and/or passengers we may have had interaction with in the ships restaurants, lounges or excursion buses to contact them for testing. Also passenger services has not been especially pro-active in contacting us to ensure we are comfortable while suffering under “house arrest”. No one has offered to run to the library to check out books for us to read or to run to the games room to get us board-games to play to while our hours of incarceration away. No one offered us an on-board credit to defray the cost of purchasing internet packages (or even responded back to our inquiry with respect to that (quite reasonable) request- we had to call passenger services back later). Likewise, our outstanding requests to replace a broken coffee-maker and a room service menu have gone unresolved for a prolonged period.
I also now understand why the balcony stateroom that is our jailhouse went un-booked earlier. It is located directly under the pool-deck, which creates two problems: first, the edge of the deck protrudes to overhang the balcony—while this enhances shade, shelter and privacy, it limits the amount of sun you get and also creates noise problems as deck furniture is re-shuffled for events at dawn and dusk.
I will post further updates as our quarantine progresses, presuming my “condition” doesn’t suddenly deteriorate such that I am unable to sit up and write…
For now I am signing off from the MS Prison of Aloha
I boarded a Hawaiian island-hopper cruise aboard the NCL Pride of America at the port in Honolulu on Saturday October 10th. I am traveling in a group with two others. At embarkation, we were presented with the standard issue medical questionnaire and since all of us were feeling well, we answered all of the questions honestly, disclosing no known symptoms of nausea or upper respiratory infections. However, several days later, on Tuesday October 13th, after several days of suffering with cold/flu like symptoms (of increasing severity), one member of our travel party reported to the medical centre sick bay around 9:00 AM for treatment by the on duty attending physician—Dr. Ali Yasser.
The other two of us in our travel party reported with her to lend our support and waited for her in the medical centre reception area. About half an hour after arrival there and following an examination, the two of us waiting in the reception were ushered in to join the patient in an examination room. We were advised that our patient had tested positive for Influenza A and would be confined to her stateroom under quarantine for 5 days (until Saturday morning). We were also advised that, even though we had not been sharing a common stateroom with her (our cabins were separated by three decks, hers forward, ours aft), because we had been in contact with her (within 6 ft), enroute to the ship, at the dinner table and on our port excursions that we were also under suspicion of being of being infected with the Influenza A virus and would have to undergo testing. We submitted to the testing voluntarily. It took about 12 minutes to get the test results. Our two tests came back negative.
Despite receiving the negative test results for two of us, after checking with head office by phone, Dr. Yasser returned to advise us that we would also have to submit to quarantine and be confined to our cabin for at least three days (until Friday morning). We were further advised that we would also have to submit to re-testing for fever / the virus on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings (nurse visits) before being released from quarantine. If we test positive on these subsequent occasions, our stateroom quarantine could be extended until Saturday as well.
As an alternative to stateroom quarantine we were offered the opportunity to debark the ship and to fly home or to make independent arrangements for accommodations on shore and flight arrangements to re-join the ship in port on Friday morning. Because of the incremental costs making that choice would entail, that was really not a viable alternative for us, so we quickly rejected it. After that, we were given respiratory filter masks to place over our noses and mouths, which we were told to don. We were then told to return to our cabins. We made our way unescorted from medical to our staterooms through the general passenger hallways and elevators. Of course, there were many questions to answer from inquiring passengers and crew that we met along our path from the 3rd deck to the 7th.
Once we were back in our staterooms we were contacted by Charles, the head room steward, who made arrangements to relocate us from the staterooms that had originally occupied (inside cabin on a the 7th deck) to balcony staterooms on the 10th deck (presumably on the assumption that having access to an open air balcony and sunlight would make a 72 hour in-cabin “house arrest” more tolerable). We also had to make arrangements for crew members to return a rental car that we had parked near the ship in port parking that we were required to return to Thrifty by 3:30.
Dr. Yasser made a subsequent visit to our staterooms to conduct a quick routine ear nose and throat examination. We then packed our clothes and moved up to our new staterooms. Since then, we have not left our room. We have had to call in all our meal orders for room service delivery. The room service menu is much more limited than dining room menus, however we have been supplied with dining room menus to order dinner from between 5:30 PM and 10:00 PM. Our stateroom attendant has come by to exchange linens and provide us with ice but to date has not entered our stateroom to clean.
As for activities to occupy ourselves in our room, the options are very limited. Other than staring out at the ports (wonder what fun we are missing out on a shore) there is a small TV set (with a snowy picture) and we have our laptops along. We have been using our laptops to review digital photos we took from our first few days on freedom on the cruise and to browse the internet. We have requested a credit to defray the high costs of web surfing at sea and were advised that our request would be forwarded to a senior passenger service crew member but so far no one has contacted us to follow up on our open request, 18 hours later.
In short, this is an experience I would not wish on my worst enemy… a heartbreaking way to have a dream vacation suddenly unravel. While I understand there is a need for the ship to be cautious and follow CDC protocols to protect the health of other crew and passengers and prevent a mass flu outbreak on board, particularly when H1N1 is expected to return with a vengeance this flu season, I do take exception to how our situation has been handled so far. No one has asked us what crew and/or passengers we may have had interaction with in the ships restaurants, lounges or excursion buses to contact them for testing. Also passenger services has not been especially pro-active in contacting us to ensure we are comfortable while suffering under “house arrest”. No one has offered to run to the library to check out books for us to read or to run to the games room to get us board-games to play to while our hours of incarceration away. No one offered us an on-board credit to defray the cost of purchasing internet packages (or even responded back to our inquiry with respect to that (quite reasonable) request- we had to call passenger services back later). Likewise, our outstanding requests to replace a broken coffee-maker and a room service menu have gone unresolved for a prolonged period.
I also now understand why the balcony stateroom that is our jailhouse went un-booked earlier. It is located directly under the pool-deck, which creates two problems: first, the edge of the deck protrudes to overhang the balcony—while this enhances shade, shelter and privacy, it limits the amount of sun you get and also creates noise problems as deck furniture is re-shuffled for events at dawn and dusk.
I will post further updates as our quarantine progresses, presuming my “condition” doesn’t suddenly deteriorate such that I am unable to sit up and write…
For now I am signing off from the MS Prison of Aloha
Ahoy the shore from Hawaii (part 1 in a series)
Day one: Friday October 9
I am currently traveling with a group of three (along with Gary and his sister Cathy), making my first trip to the Hawaiian island group. We are on a 7 night cruise of the Hawaiian islands aboard the NCL cruise line’s Pride of America. We left our Toronto apartment at the crack of dawn on Friday October 9th in order to make our 7 AM flight to Vancouver’s YVR airport, aboard Air Canada. Check-in at Pearson went without a hitch. The 767 was fully loaded but boarding went smoothly and our flight remained on time. The seatbacks were equipped with a VOD system and I watched “My Sisters Keeper” (featuring Cameron Diaz)—a real tear jerker and the intense Iraq war drama “The Hurt Locker” (excellent).
We had arranged our travel plans so we had an 8 hour stopover in Vancouver to tour and stretch our legs before begin the second leg of our flight to Honolulu. We picked up our rental car—a Toyota Corolla sedan from Thrifty—at the airport and were soon on our way. Unfortunately, enroute from YVR airport to the city, a wide load truck carrying a heavy load of stone sideswiped us on the drivers’ side knocking off the back of the rear view mirror. The driver—a 22 year old kid--- didn’t even realize that he had hit us and continued along. I was in the passenger seat and so jumped at the next red light intersection to confront him. He pulled over to the side, admitted he was at fault and we were able to get his name, company name and vitals to lay a claim for damages.
Thereafter we proceeded on to Stanley Park. We stopped in the park at a few points--- the aquarium, the prospect point look-out near the Lions Gate Bridge (where we had lunch), near the totem poles / sea wall / lighthouse and finally at the tea house (where we enjoyed afternoon tea). Lunch ot the Stanley point deck was delicious. Gary ordered a cheeseburger with a smokey and peameal bacon and fries. Cathy ordered a club sandwich and I had haddock fish & chips. At the teahouse Cathy had a cup of Earl Gray tea, Gary had a chocolate mouse and I ordered a poma-tini (a cosmopolitan type martini with pomegranate juice substituted for cranberry). Before we knew it, it was time to head back to YVR to catch our flight! We reported the damage to the rear-view mirror when we turned the rental car in, passed on the information we had collected from the at fault driver and were advised that a claims agent would be in later touch.
The second leg of our flight from YVR to HNL was also aboard a 767 and was similarly crowded. On this leg of the journey, I used the seatback VOD system, I watched the comedy The Hangover (about a bachelor party in Vegas gone wrong) and an interesting feature documentary (Art and Copy) about the advertising business.
By the time we arrived at HNL we had been awake for over 20 hours and were feeling quite groggy. After collecting our luggage from the carousel (it all arrived in one piece) we caught our cab to the hotel—the Best Western Coconut-- we had booked for a single night pre-cruise to catch some shut eye. The hotel was surprisingly clean and tastefully decorated for a Best Western, although the mattresses were a bit on the soft and lumpy side. We retired around 10 PM, exhausted, to ensure we would rise in time to get out to Diamond Head around dawn to begin our hike to the summit.
Still to come—Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach stroll, Embarking the NCL Pride of America
I am currently traveling with a group of three (along with Gary and his sister Cathy), making my first trip to the Hawaiian island group. We are on a 7 night cruise of the Hawaiian islands aboard the NCL cruise line’s Pride of America. We left our Toronto apartment at the crack of dawn on Friday October 9th in order to make our 7 AM flight to Vancouver’s YVR airport, aboard Air Canada. Check-in at Pearson went without a hitch. The 767 was fully loaded but boarding went smoothly and our flight remained on time. The seatbacks were equipped with a VOD system and I watched “My Sisters Keeper” (featuring Cameron Diaz)—a real tear jerker and the intense Iraq war drama “The Hurt Locker” (excellent).
We had arranged our travel plans so we had an 8 hour stopover in Vancouver to tour and stretch our legs before begin the second leg of our flight to Honolulu. We picked up our rental car—a Toyota Corolla sedan from Thrifty—at the airport and were soon on our way. Unfortunately, enroute from YVR airport to the city, a wide load truck carrying a heavy load of stone sideswiped us on the drivers’ side knocking off the back of the rear view mirror. The driver—a 22 year old kid--- didn’t even realize that he had hit us and continued along. I was in the passenger seat and so jumped at the next red light intersection to confront him. He pulled over to the side, admitted he was at fault and we were able to get his name, company name and vitals to lay a claim for damages.
Thereafter we proceeded on to Stanley Park. We stopped in the park at a few points--- the aquarium, the prospect point look-out near the Lions Gate Bridge (where we had lunch), near the totem poles / sea wall / lighthouse and finally at the tea house (where we enjoyed afternoon tea). Lunch ot the Stanley point deck was delicious. Gary ordered a cheeseburger with a smokey and peameal bacon and fries. Cathy ordered a club sandwich and I had haddock fish & chips. At the teahouse Cathy had a cup of Earl Gray tea, Gary had a chocolate mouse and I ordered a poma-tini (a cosmopolitan type martini with pomegranate juice substituted for cranberry). Before we knew it, it was time to head back to YVR to catch our flight! We reported the damage to the rear-view mirror when we turned the rental car in, passed on the information we had collected from the at fault driver and were advised that a claims agent would be in later touch.
The second leg of our flight from YVR to HNL was also aboard a 767 and was similarly crowded. On this leg of the journey, I used the seatback VOD system, I watched the comedy The Hangover (about a bachelor party in Vegas gone wrong) and an interesting feature documentary (Art and Copy) about the advertising business.
By the time we arrived at HNL we had been awake for over 20 hours and were feeling quite groggy. After collecting our luggage from the carousel (it all arrived in one piece) we caught our cab to the hotel—the Best Western Coconut-- we had booked for a single night pre-cruise to catch some shut eye. The hotel was surprisingly clean and tastefully decorated for a Best Western, although the mattresses were a bit on the soft and lumpy side. We retired around 10 PM, exhausted, to ensure we would rise in time to get out to Diamond Head around dawn to begin our hike to the summit.
Still to come—Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach stroll, Embarking the NCL Pride of America
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