Haljo1935

Mariner lunch was today (day 13 of a 16 day cruise); invitation was received yesterday. There were 2 lines of officers and senior crew greeting us as we entered MDR Numbers were for 5* Mariners Officers & sr crew sat at various tables with passengers. Captain gave a nice champagne toast thanking us for our loyalty and getting them through the pandemic. It was very nice. Menu was definitely special, neither regular lunch menu nor PG menu

You can use the drink voucher at any bar for any drink ($11 max) - it does not have to be the Mariner Cocktail. Enjoy!!

You were probably on with me - that's exactly how they did it for me. Then they burn and scrub the grill clean after (and before the next meal) so no worries. Our chef did ask if that was ok with the table.

Yes, I agree it's a good move even though we didn't have one at our table. I don't recall seeing it before either.

I do have more spa pictures for you, just need to get them posted.

The one last month on NS was also good.

Tomorrow's Daily Steward says tomorrow is last day to send laundry - that means they're preparing to kick us off 😪

A few additional pictures from Kona. This is a full picture of the tree. This is turning right out of the pier, heading toward Hilo Hattie's. Not sure if he was catching anything but he was trying You can see our ship from the beach end and from WM. There may not be a shuttle to WM, but Uber is just under $8. This is where Uber driver picked us up - it's right across from the market. Gliders Hilo Hattie's is in this "mall." Which way to the beach? Local Monopoly

In Kona, there is a swimming & snorkeling spot right at the tender pier. Apparently, also public restrooms that they're really proud of - no, I mean REALLY proud of - did you see the sign?! I couldn't get it in one shot, but that flag is right in front of Kamakahona Beach. They may want to rethink that marketing plan 😳 Directly across the street is a huge tree and a souvenir store - save your time and $$, stop in ABC instead of going down to Hilo Hattie's. We found everything from t-shirts and water shoes to liquor, Hawaiian wine, coffee, chocolate and everything in between. HAL has a tent set up for you to wait for the tender. We didn't need it as there was no waiting, but the ice water and cold towels were nice. You can also borrow an 🌂 if you need one. Thanks, HAL!!

Oops, I cut part of the wheel off - now I have a reason to go to the casino 😏 You can put your losing scratchers in the hopper - if yours is drawn, you get to spin the wheel.

Relaxtion Room to chill in while waiting for your treatment. Similar to the ceramic lounge area, but the seats aren't heated. Great views while checking in at the Spa. Tree in the spa coordinates well with the painting - it's almost as if there was a plan 😉

The Shops has you covered if you forgot your splash of orange for the party tonight.

Preparing for art auction in Rolling Stone Rock Room. Wonder what it means if you share a seat with one of those cute little statues?

Yes, passengers do have to fill out paperwork and provide documentation as required for each port. But no one says they have to get off at any port. I agree the crew member has likely been provided in an effort to help minimize issues. If they were actual service dogs, that wouldn't be necessary as proper service dogs don't create a nuisance (as I think all of us here have agreed). While I can name a few cruise ship positions I wouldn't mind having, I do not want the job of speaking with non-compliant passengers as it relates to pets. Ugh

Not all these pictures are from today; they're misc pictures taken across the time onboard. If there's something you want to see, just let me know - 3 days left. Are we playing Mahjong or "Deal or No Deal?"🙄 The views up here are fabulous - so is the coffee and, well - everything!

Sun getting serious about setting east of Hawaii Bow Cam view Aft Cam view

And you brought the 🍍

Oh, girl, how do you keep cruising? Pressed turkey and no $2.36 port credits...

Hawaii tourism department wants to hear from me! Sounds exciting, doesn't it? I received this 2 page survey the other day; today I found the box 📦 to drop it off. So, I guess I should read through it to see what they want to know. Some people got them loose in their mail drops; others, myself included, got them in an envelope with our cabin numbers. The survey results are to be confidential, but since it doesn't indicate the survey itself is, I'm sharing the survey questions with you. And, of course, the picture of the 📦 in case you want to drop yours off. Invitation Front page Back page

Many officers and senior crew were lined up greeting passengers as we entered the MDR for the Mariners Lunch. They were lined up at both doors and into the dining room - very nice welcome. Numbers were for certain passengers to sit at specific tables. Officers had reserved assigned seating; this is the Director of F&B. Menu Captain gave a champagne toast🥂 thanking Mariners for helping them get through the pandemic - he's happy to see so many back on HAL cruising again and said he appreciates us saving their jobs. It was a nice toast and nice lunch.

Bye bye, holiday decorations 😢 Florist is holding a table where the gingerbread village once stood. This was the focal point, but it was all lovely and very detailed. Difficult to capture the entire display from the front. Here's from one end

Indeed - we can always put more on, but only have so far we can go the other way 😳 That's an entirely different cruise, lol

Thanks so much! The celebration on the ship continues with Mariner lunch today. I know it's not for the holiday, but I like to think it's special. 😏

Ooh, how lovely; sounds scrumptious.

Bringing something with sleeves is a great idea - I've been wearing a lightweight long sleeve shirt like a jacket around the ship. So much so, people probably think I wear the same clothes everyday, lol. I do not need it in the library, though. Thermostat in the cabin stays about in the middle. The line may be hard to see.