WCB

Report #51 Thursday October 26, 2023 Lautoka, Fiji 8am-5pm Docked Starboard Side To Pier Cloudy With Periods Of Sun 82 Degrees Part #1 Of 4.......77 Pictures------Casual Dress Lautoka, Fiji, on the island of Viti Levu, was our port of call for today. It’s the second largest city in Fiji, and is the sugarcane king from the industry that put this place on the map. If memory serves us right, it was the world’s desire for the sugar product that enticed people from India and China to come here for work in the plantations and factories. Years later when the demand decreased, many of the descendants of the Indians and Chinese never left, and became an important part of the society. From what we saw today, the Fujians are the minority, and the Indian and Chinese are half of the population. There were some tours offered here today that included a day cruise on a catamaran to an island beach for $180 for 5½ hours. Tivua Island and a zipline excursion were both $180 for 4½ to 5½ hours. How about a thermal mudpool treatment? That ran $150 for 3½ hours. An essence and factory tour was $130 for 4 ½ hours, while a trip to Nadi was $90 for 3 ½ hours. A shuttle ride to downtown Lautoka was $10 per person. This shuttle used to be provided for free compliments of Jack’s Department Store. No more. The ship arrived early to the port of Lautoka, a very busy commercial port. There are many factories here such as the Sugar Mill and a wood chip facility. Big rig trucks were coming and going all day long. We were cleared after 8am by the local authorities and reminded that no food, fruit, sandwiches, or animal products and flowers were not allowed off of the ship. If anyone attempted to do so, there could be a significant fine. There was no mention of beverages, so we brought a bottle of water. No problem. We left the ship by 10:30am when all of the tours had left. Several souvenir tents were set up at the end of the long pier. There was a wide array of island clothing and accessories – all good prices from what saw. The vendors were more than happy to take US dollars. In case you needed some small items in town, there was also a money changer on the pier. And of course, there were the massage ladies offering their services. The walk to downtown was one we have done many times. Walking out of the busy port area, we followed the dusty sidewalk to the main drive. The big trucks were parked along the way, and when they drove past us, they really kicked up the fine dust on the street. Nice that we have complimentary laundry because our clothes would need to go there at the end of the day. We got to town within 30 minutes. When the morning started, the skies were basically blue. It was much hotter than yesterday. However as the day advanced, the clouds began filling the sky, which helped keep the temperatures down. This whole area looked very dry to us, and we suspected they were due for some rain. It didn’t happen today, so we got lucky. This city is quite different from Suva, which is more British than anything. Here we felt like we had stepped back into the 1950’s. The town was created to take care of the local workers so it is a mix of Fijian, Indian, and Chinese. The Indian holiday of Diwali or the festival of lights was in full swing. It also doubles as a reason for many sales. Last year we saw the sidewalks decorated with flowers made with a type of chalk and lined with small luminary candles. We did not see that today. Probably too dangerous to have lit candles burning. We headed right for the marketplace which has a produce and fish market even bigger than we saw in Suva. Everyone greeted us with “bula” and were happy that we took photos of their products. We learned what jackfruit looks like, even when cut in half. It is full of large white seeds, which the vendor was collecting in a dish. Among the assortment of fruit and veggies, we saw other products like the coconut oil sold in small bottles. They also sold different types of kava roots, which is like an alcoholic drink. The basic roots are from a peppermint bush or tree, and in the past, were chewed by the natives to make a mash for fermentation. Christian missionaries taught them how to use pestles and mortars to grind the sinuous roots….much more sanitary. Having reluctantly participated in a few kava ceremonies, we recall the numbing effect the muddy-looking drink was on the lips. Sharing the beverage served in one large container was not the best idea, but that was the custom. For that reason, if a tour included this welcoming event, we passed on the tour as it is considered rude to say no thanks. On one side of this huge market was a separated fish market. You went into a side door and the display was behind a glassed-in room. The tiled counters had what was left of the day’s catch. A large variety of fish were laid out for sale. Among them were parrot fish, red snappers, barracuda, several others we did not recognize. Of course there were flies, but the fellows kept them off with big handheld fans. Before the day was over, all of the fish would be sold. After getting lots of photos, we continued back to downtown and walked by numerous shops. Many of them sold the Indian saris and all of the trinkets that go with the dress. One store that most folks go to is Jack’s, which is a department store, but also a good place for authentic Fijian articles. We purchased our first set of cannibal forks here. Yes, it really did happen in the far distant past, but it is not a factor these days. Or at least we think so. There is a nice local park here by the name of Waterfront Park. Today there were many tents set up with locals selling even more clothing and purses and such. This is one place we feel the tourists can bargain for good deals. At the bottom of this park is the seawall. Located there is a hotel called Tanoa Waterfront. We looked around the front of the hotel, and did notice a restaurant along the side. But it appeared closed. Perhaps it is only for dinner service. We have never eaten lunch in this city. The only place we recognized was a McDonalds. Everything else was Indian and Chinese food with several bars in between the shops. Staying on the waterfront, we cut back to the main road, avoiding the heavy traffic with the buses and trucks. We were back to the ship before 2pm, just in time to order a room service lunch. Everything came exactly as we ordered it, and the wait was only ½ hour. All aboard was 4:30pm, and we set sail shortly after that. By now it was really overcast and cloudy, so the sunset at 6:10pm was minimal. We watched it from the veranda as we sailed around the island on the way to tomorrow’s port of Suvasuva. It was a good time to open the chilled bottle of sparkling wine we have had since day one. It was still quite warm outside, and the drink was most welcomed. Dinner had a few favorites of breaded chicken tenders with a honey-mustard sauce. So good. The split pea soup was not anything like Dutch pea soup. It was thin and almost yellow in color with shreds of celeriac, carrots, and chives with bits of sausage. Traditional Dutch pea soup is way better we think. But the mains of spaghetti with two meatballs was perfect. A slice of garlic bread comes with it. Dessert was a strawberry cheesecake which we planned to share. Then Risman our waiter said he had brought a very frozen hot fudge sundae and would we like it. Twisting our arms, we said OK. He was right, it was much better tonight, so we ate them both. One more day of “bula” greetings and we will be gone from Fiji. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #50 Wednesday October 25,2023 Dravuni Island, Fiji At Anchor 8am-5pm Cloudy With Lots Of Sun 78 Degrees Sea State Choppy With Strong Wind Part #1 Of 4......80 Pictures---Casual Dress Dravuni Island, Fiji, is a tiny dot of an island belonging to the Kadavu Group. Less than 1 square mile, it has a small village with white sands, tall palms, and azure waters. There are no vehicles or roads as we know them on this island. But there is a long stretch of beach where the guests can sunbathe and snorkel, although we have not seen a lot of tropical fish there. You can do some hiking, visit with the friendly locals, or simply relax within steps of the tender pier. The weather looked promising but the wind was acting up, leaving us to wonder if tendering might be problematic. That was the case last year when we visited this island. The swells were too great for safe tendering and the port had to be cancelled. Guess it was a “go” today, because tender-ticketed folks were summoned down to deck one around 8:15am. They were calling two groups at a time. This was still in effect at 10:30am when we went off of the ship. We are not sure how the walker/wheelchair guests would get down the outside stairs to the waiting boat. The wind was blowing hard as well, although the swells were moderate. The ride took 15 minutes or so. At first glance, we noticed that there were many more buildings in the way of housing since the last time we were here in 2019. Souvenir floral shirts and sarongs blew sideways on the numerous clothes lines strung between the palm trees. Sure gave a lot of color to the scenery. Several make-shift tented massage tables lined the beachfront. Shoulder and neck massages were $10 while a full body massage was $20. Hair-braiding was $20, but no one offered to do mine since it was already braided. Many of the local ladies had tables set with various island jewelry made with seashells and carved wood. Passing the primary school house, we saw a lot of little kids running amuck, obviously out of school. We did notice a few donation boxes here and there such as for school supplies. Then we wondered why the donations that were meant for Fanning Island could not have been brought here? Although this village is far smaller than Fanning, the needs must be the same. We continued going right from the tender pier and found we were on our way towards the tallest peak there. We remember passing by the pens where they confine their pigs when they have company. Today there were at least seven adult hogs and three cute little babies. These little pigs did not wander far from the mother, who was caged. It seemed that every hut had chickens. Someone had put down an opened coconut and a hen chicken was drinking the juice and eating the coconut meat. They are smart little birds. Following the path, we began the climb through the thick foliage and trees. This is where it began to get steep in parts. Only one of us went forward, while the other waited on a bluff where there was a cool breeze. Looking down the side of the ridge, we noticed there was a planting area in the gully with bananas, coconuts, and possibly other crops. Access to this side of the island is not easy, so the other pathway went to the top of the peak. The locals have cut away the slippery pathway and created steps to use. Many people who knew their abilities did not have a problem with the vigorous hike, but others did. It’s not so bad going up, but going down can be hard on the knees and ankles. And the worst time to find out is when you are halfway down. Best to be cautious we always say. Back down to the beach area, we walked around the houses, which were basically empty. Most all of the adults were selling something on the beachfront. We had been told there was no snorkel gear to rent, but we did find a few vendors along the way with tons of them. Judging by the number of cruise ship guests we saw in and around the water today, there will be a lot that will be sunburnt. The temperature was a cool 77 degrees with a nice breeze blowing. That can be deceiving and painful, so we did not plan on a day in the sand and water. The sandy beaches looked good, but there was a lot of coral and volcanic rocks in the water. Without aqua shoes, it might have been dangerous. Making our way to the opposite end of the island, we saw the new and the old cemetery. Their tradition is to have a picnic on the gravesite. The family will leave a blanket or beach towel to spread out on the concrete, and have a meal there. The plates and silverware are left there for the next time. Then the path continued to a very small but empty beach. It was much cooler and obviously turbulent here. These islands can hide an undertow, so swimming here may be dangerous. We headed back to the tender pier and got on the boat in minutes. All aboard was 4:30pm, but we were ready to leave by 1:30pm. We had taken a bottle of water, but by now, we needed a lot more than that. Back by 2:30pm, we ordered a room service lunch. Guess what? Everything came as ordered. We had Cobb salads (entrée-size) and a shared club sandwich. Sitting on the veranda reading actually got cool enough to need a sweatshirt. There was a coolness in the breeze. At least we did not have any rain today, which was perfect. There was no good sunset tonight, but there sure was a nice dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. We think most of the guests had an exhausting day, because the restaurant was half full. The sun, hiking, and swimming had done their job. Anyway, we had our usual wedge salads with delectable bacon. Mains were medium-cooked lamb chops with nothing else on the plate. No bean smear or whatever they call it. We teased manager Anton that we like our lamb chops “naked”. He liked that. We added the sides of fries and mushrooms to the plate, and now the dish was full. We pondered over what we might have for dessert but got side-lined with a conversation with Anton. Feeling the best idea was to pass on dessert, we ordered nothing. Tomorrow’s port will be Lautoka on the other large island of Fiji. It will be another day for a nice walk. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #49 Tuesday October 24, 2023 Suva, Fiji 8am-11pm Docked Starboard Side To The Pier Bunkering Fuel All Day Cloudy With Rain Showers 75 Degrees Part #1 Of 4.......64 Pictures----Casual Dress Today’s port of call was our first one in Fiji…..Suva, the capital. The magic word for the day was “bula”, because just about everyone you see will greet you with their favorite hello. Even the little kids. The locals are very friendly, and smile when we say “bula” in return. By the time we got outside on deck three by 8:30am, the police band had already played for the guests and were gone. Darn, it really is a kick to see the brass band with the fellows dressed in their lavalava skirts. The tour groups were filing off of the gangway, filling several coaches that were waiting right there a few feet away. There were seven excursions today starting with a longboat ride for 4 hours and $70. An eco-trek was $90 for 3 ½ hours while the museum and Thurston Gardens was $60 for 3 hours. We did that for free by walking there from the pier. The jewels of Fiji tour was $180 for 6 hours and a day at the South Pacific Resort was $150 for 7 hours. Finally a zipline was $140 for 2 ½ hours. A village tour that included a kava ceremony was $90 for 3 ½ hours. We have visited Suva several times and find it is an easy place to navigate. Downtown is steps away from the pier and it includes the Suva Municipal Market, which has everything you might be looking for in the way of produce, some souvenirs, and clothing. We always take a walk through there for the colorful photos. Then on the way back, we always stop outside to purchase the tropical bouquets of flowers for our room. Directly up the street from this massive market is the fish market with several varieties of locally-caught fish. From there you can find modern malls and shops. The two most well-known fast food chains are here – Burger King and McDonalds. Obviously they are favorites of many locals. Tourists too who always go there for the wifi. We headed past many banks and stores, stopping at one of them which happened to be a fabric store. There must have been 100 bolts of the prettiest floral tropical fabrics, so we asked if they took US dollars. The answer was yes, although we are not sure she heard us correctly. We said we would be back. Our first stop was at Thurston Gardens for a stroll through their landscaped park. There are certain trees planted there that house the large fruit bats, and they were there in large numbers today. A few were flying around, but most all of them were hanging around – upside down as they like to do. Occasionally, they open their wings to cool down. Continuing up the seaside road, we came across the palace with a guard at the gate. He has a lonely job there standing at attention, until a load of tourists stop to take his photo. Just like the British guards in London, they do not engage anyone in conversation….just stand at attention. We always stroll the seawall here watching the locals and some of the birds that will dive for fish. Today we saw terns, and maybe two blue herons, some shore birds, and a bunch of common mynah birds. We made it as far as the Chinese Embassy then turned back since the road was under construction and closed. There were a few guys casting gill nets in the shallow reef waters without a boat. We could see the fish jumping right off of the shore, so they must be easily caught. Truthfully, there are several outlets for water drainage, and we suspect they are old sewer water pipes. The sea water here appears to be quite murky and no one swims in it. There was a nice breeze blowing, and even though the skies were foreboding with dark rain clouds, it never did rain. Taking our time, we were ready for lunch by 1pm, and went to the Grand Pacific Hotel, a blast from the British past. It is really the nicest hotel in town, and they serve a wonderful lunch. And if you visit there around 3pm, they serve a high tea in the lobby. Quite proper in fact. We went right to the patio and pool area and were lucky to find a table for two. To say you are not rushed here is an understatement. Eventually a waitress arrived and handed us menus. She took our drink order which was two local Fiji Gold Drafts. Ice cold. Then we ordered a 10- inch BBQ chicken pizza to share, which took a while to arrive. No rush, we ordered another round of beer and relaxed while watching a young boy enjoy the swimming pool all by himself until his dad joined him. After splitting delicious the pizza, we ordered a slice of pumpkin cheesecake with a side of pistachio ice cream. Refreshing, it was the perfect end to the meal. Leaving by 3pm, the lobby and bar were getting busy with new guests arriving. On the way back, we did stop at the fabric store, where the saleslady said the owner might not take US dollars. There was a floral print that stood out among the rest, so after asking the owner, he said yes to the money, and then measured 2 ½ meters for a mere $7 USD. Good deal. There are some things that are hard to resist and that has to be unique t-shirts and fabrics from various countries. Then we did stop at the market to pick up two bunches of tropical flowers, which were tied with ribbons by the vendors before they handed them to us. Another $10 USD well-spent, although we do know they will come with a few ants. There are rules that we are not allowed to take off food or plants, but we can bring back just about anything we wish in the way of food stuff and flowers. We boarded the ship around 4pm after passing the many vendors at the gate offering cheap massages and hair-braiding. No thanks, and “bula” was exchanged by all including us. Relaxing on the veranda was good for one of us, while the other worked away with photos of the day. We had the best seats for a sunset, but it ever developed….way too many clouds on the horizon. Still no rain. Dinner was interesting with several Indian seasoned appetizers and mains. One was an empanada, which was actually very good….not too spicy. Caesar salads for both of us, and one main of Club Orange leg of lamb (excellent) and another with the roasted chicken with the pasta on the side. Funny thing….they forgot the penne pasta, and only put the sauce over the chicken. Go figure…. And ordering Lea & Perrins for the lamb did not happen as they have substituted Frenchs instead. Not the same by a mile, we said no thanks. Desserts were one chocolate tart and a small rum cake totally drenched in good rum for a change. Really tasty. As we are still composing this, the ship has not left the port and it is 11:30pm. Guess the bunkering of fuel took longer than expected. Looking forward to Dravuni Island tomorrow although we heard some talk about rough seas due to a passing hurricane somewhere. Hope it isn’t true. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #48 Monday October 23,2023 Sea Day Enroute To Suva, Fiji Cloudy And Cooler With A Constant Breeze 72 Degrees Sea State 5-7 Foot Swell Part #1 Of 1........38 Pictures-----Dressy Night There wasn’t much of a sunrise this morning, and the day would end with the same scenario…….a partially hidden sunset due to rain clouds. Guess we have to have days that are not terrific to appreciate the ones that are. The weather today surprised us. Gone were the steamy hot temps we have been experiencing. Replacing that was a nice breeze and a comfortable mostly sunny morning and afternoon. The Volendam has dropped further south and away from the Equator, so perhaps that is the reason for tolerable temperatures. We hope it lasts. For a change, the dress suggestion was “dressy”, although it was not reflected in the menu choices. It seems that we have begun to run low on some food items such as fresh produce. Only the strawberries are left for breakfast but the bananas are still holding up. No more blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries. We understand that there will be a shipment for the Volendam in Suva, Fiji, tomorrow’s port. And Captain Paul mentioned in his noon talk that we are in need of bunkering fuel. Now we understand why our scheduled departure time from Suva is 11pm. In fact, the Captain added that if the bunkering is a slower than normal process, we may be leaving later than 11pm. Not a problem since we are close to the next stop at Dravuni Island, a tender port that is basically a short beach day. Once again, Kimberly, the cruise and travel director, had to have two sessions for the Unlocking Fiji lecture in the World Stage. She only has today to cover four upcoming ports in Fiji, so they expected a full house for the guests to learn all about this area. Usually the explorations team give a snippet of info on every tour offered in these ports, but we did not see it listed today. We spent the late morning visiting with friends at the Seaview Pool, while enjoying the nice breeze for a change. We noticed that unless you flag down one of the bar staff crew, they do not come around and offer beverages. The few that are working at this pool seem to congregate near the bar and out of the sun. And if you happen to be sitting under the overhang where smoking is allowed, then you get service. Retreating to our room for ice cold sodas, we decided to try for a room service lunch again. But this time after placing the order over the phone, we added that yesterday’s quesadilla turned out to be chicken soup. It was good, but was not ordered. The waiter thanked us for pointing that out, and promised it not to occur again. On most ships that we have ordered room service, after it is delivered, we receive a call from them confirming that everything is OK. They do not do that here. Following the deliverer’s advice yesterday by calling the order again, got us nowhere, since they never answered the call. Dinner was not really special considering the dress code. It appeared to us that the majority of folks dine early, because the lower dining room is almost empty by 8pm. Of course tonight, there was an event in the casino called “Casino Royale” which began at 8pm. Besides games and music, they offered a free slot tournament and lessons in blackjack and roulette. If it wasn’t the casino event, then maybe it was the performance of Annie Gong playing her instruments in the show lounge that drew the guests out of the dining room. Back to dinner, we ordered the tomato bisque, and a Las Vegas-style Cobb salad. OK, we said what exactly does Las Vegas salad mean? Turned out to be slices of marinated rare steak slices over the top of salad fixings. No lettuce was involved. That was a creative way to hide the fact there is little of the lettuce left. Anyway, it was good for a change. We both ordered the BBQ pork ribs which were not as good as the baby back ribs they had over a week ago. These were mostly bone and little meat, although tasty, we were a bit disappointed. Finally the dessert arrived, but late. One of us ordered two scoops of chocolate chip ice cream…not a complicated item. Turned out they could not find any that was still frozen, leading us to think that there is a problem with the freezer on the ship. None of the ice creams or frozen yogurts have been coming to the table frozen. So the best thing we can do is not order it anymore. It has been the same scenario in the Pinnacle Grill for dinner as well. There are other choices and also the choice of no dessert at all. Fewer calories to burn off. We checked the weather in Suva, Fiji tomorrow on the TV. It showed N/A….wonder why? Going online, we found the possibility of rain. Bring out the umbrellas…… Bill & Mary Ann

Report #47 Sunday October 22, 2023 Apia, Samoa 8am-5pm Docked Starboard Side To Pier Rain, Rain And More Rain 77 Degrees Part #1 Of 4......74 Pictures---Casual Dress Some days you wake up and you think you are in “bizarro-land”, like when strange things take place out of the ordinary. Today was one of those. To begin, we crossed the International Dateline and Saturday disappeared. How did we know it was Sunday? Well, of course, the elevator carpet said it was Sunday…duh. Then during breakfast, Kimberly our cruise director came on with a special warning that we all needed to wear masks onshore today. What??? They would be handed out at the gangway as well as at the front desk. Now either the locals are all sick, or they think we are contaminated. No one was happy about that. And even though this was not printed in the newsletter, the local authorities were willing to stamp people’s passports if they chose to do it. There was a line at the front desk. We have been advised never to do that, because some countries consider the passports violated and will not accept them. Even worn edges on the pages can cancel the document. And these days, many countries no longer stamp them as they are electronic. We wanted to say – don’t do it, but it is none of our business. After breakfast, we always go to deck three to walk. This morning we could hear a brass band playing on the dock, but when we started to go out the double doors, we were stopped by security guys. Someone had just fallen on the soaking wet deck and were being rolled to the medical center on a gurney. These teak decks are very slippery when wet, especially the handicap ramps. As he was wheeled away, the band played on…..and they were good. We did notice that none of the locals on the pier were wearing masks. And why not? Later back in our room, Captain Paul came on the speakers to say a mistake had been made, and masks were no longer required, but optional. Now the crazy thing about our visit was that today was a Sunday, and not much was opened. In addition to that, there were no shore excursions. Glad to hear we did not have to wear masks because it was ridiculously hot and muggy out. And raining, even more than yesterday. We hung around the ship until after 10am. We still need to go to the library to get better internet, so that takes time. Now is when the fun started, or not. When we got out of the elevator on deck A, the lobby was jammed full of people waiting to go ashore. We all wondered what was up with that? There was a problem with the stability of the gangway, due to excessive turbulence while alongside. The security people were trying to fix it, so people could re-board the ship. Now if there was a place to possibly get Covid, this would be it. We could not even get close enough to an elevator to leave the lobby. Standing in the line, we could not help but notice a single elderly lady in front of us with a backpack filled with a snorkel mask, fins and beach towel. Where in heaven’s name would she consider snorkeling here? Someone had written a name of a beach, which she claimed was a 5 minute walk from the port gate. She asked the security girl on the ship if she knew where it was. She had no clue and suggested she ask a taxi driver. As far as we know, the only safe place to swim or snorkel is over an hour or more ride to a resort out of town. Another foreign couple were also packing snorkel gear and were racing towards downtown looking for a beach. Hello…..there are no beaches here and the waters are muddy from the river that flows into this bay. And that’s not mentioning the garbage that floats in this harbor. Who knows…maybe they knew something we did not. Passing the Sheraton’s Aggie Grey’s Hotel, confirmed the fact that they are still closed for renovations. Too bad as that was the best place for a good lunch on past visits here. Services were in full swing at two churches nearby. But we know that being dressed correctly is important on a Sunday. Once mass was over, we would feel OK seeing the interiors of the churches. We continued walking on the seawall which with the driving rain and surf, it kept us rather damp. Umbrellas did help. It did let up around noon. With most everything closed, the streets were deserted, except for some persistent taxi drivers offering cheap rides to anywhere. Even the Info center was closed for the day. Passing the central clocktower, government building, and a main bank, we strolled to the very closed fish market. We recall the days when everyone did their food shopping on Saturday, so Sunday was a day to rest and a day for church. It has remained that way in this part of the world. Back to the main street, we found the only place opened for business was McDonalds, and a nice one at that. It was full of mostly cruise ship guests doing internet or using the restrooms. Way up the street, we found a local veggie/produce market opened with a few local customers shopping. Everyone we passed said ”hi” to us. Further down the next street, we found the main arts and crafts market totally vacant….eerily so. We spotted one guard watching over the complex. Guess there will be no lunch out today. We went back to the ship, but not before stopping at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral. The morning mass had ended long ago, and we did get to see the beautiful interior without interrupting anyone. Walking past the series of vendors under a long tent, we decided to check out some trinkets. A portable Western Union trailer had been brought into the port area to sell local currency, as we were led to believe the vendors would not accept US dollars. We have always used US dollars here, so this was a test. Finding a pair of coconut earrings, we paid $4 in US cash with no problem. And there were signs in all of the shops and even McDonalds that they took all credit cards. Not sure where the folks got that information. Maybe it was the same source that said we needed to wear masks? Working on photos, we decided to try room service once again for lunch. This would be the third try since the beginning of September. The last two deliveries were incorrect, but we did not say anything. Today, we ordered one quesadilla and two large Cobb salads. The salads were fine, but the quesadilla was a bowl of Chicken noodle soup. What? We stopped the delivery waiter outside in the hallway, and said we got the wrong order. He showed us the slip which said soup, not quesadilla. We’re not crazy, we never ordered soup and the waiter taking the order repeated quesadilla. Go figure. The waiter’s answer was to call room service again, and order what we needed. So we did, and were put on hold. They never answered our call. So one of us ran up to the Dive-In Grill and got two burgers to go. And it did not take 40 minutes like our room service order, it took less than 10 minutes. Guess we will need to tell someone that cares that the service here has not be the best. Captain Paul said that by using the side thrusters all day to stabilize the ship, they damaged three of the ships lines. We never remember having such problems docking here, but the river did look like it was over its banks. The Volendam left the harbor before 5pm, and we sailed across the top of the north island, and southwest between another island. We watched for another sunset from deck six forward, but were disappointed as it was not that great. We did happen to meet some nice folks that have sailed on some world cruises the same time we did. Also nice to hear that some of our little hints have been read and helped out with setting up their room. Time for dinner, we ordered soup, salad, and one turkey dinner and a chicken meatball entree with rigatoni. Both were quite tasty. With two simple desserts we were on our way home. The entertainment this evening was Shades of Buble, with a trio of singers. We heard through the grapevine that there has been problems with the sound equipment personnel onboard. Hate to admit it, we seldom attend the shows. Good news was that the clocks went back one more hour this evening. Fine with us. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #46 Friday October 20, 2023 Pago, Pago American Samoa Docked Port Side To Pier Cloudy With Rain Showers 80 Degrees Part #1 Of 4.......77 Pictures-----Local Greeters & Performance On The Pier----Casual Dress The Volendam arrived to American Samoa early this morning under heavy clouds and slightly rough seas. It was still warm and muggy, but not as oppressive as it has been the last two or three days. There was a large group of locals waiting on the commercial dock to greet us. They were dressed in native clothing of lavalavas or sarongs for the fellows, and white shirts and red pants for the ladies. They performed Samoan singing and dancing for at least an hour. Sure is nice to see such a welcome, as these greetings do not happen often anymore. Here are a few fast facts about American Samoa. There are five volcanic islands and two atolls that make up American Samoa. The total land area is 76 square miles, but adding the marine waters, it is the size of Oregon or the country of New Zealand. Now that is impressive. Temperatures average in the 80’s and the water temps are about the same. It is tropical, so expect a lot of rain, like today for instance. There is a reason it is a rain forest. The national park here is the only US park in the South Pacific. The people here are regarded as the largest full-blooded Polynesian race left in the Pacific. We stayed onboard until the majority of folks had left the ship. Some of the tours included myths and legends for 3 hours and $110. An ava (kava) ceremony for 3 hours was $120. A taste of Samoa was $140 for 3 hours, while an east side and beach tour was $90 for 3 hours. Probably not the best day for the beach, but that is something you never know before you book these tours. The weather can be unpredictable in this part of the woods. There was a crew drill on the ship at 9:30am, but it was done by 10am. We thought that by then the passing showers might clear away, and it might be nice. However, the showers became heavier and finally turned to driving rain. It came in spurts, but really never let up for long. From here on out, we will bring our umbrellas like we did today. Sure helped having them. The Volendam shared the commercial port with containers being moved and dispersed all day. It was quite noisy sitting on the veranda. The only plus was that the rain never got the balcony wet except on the starboard side. All of the souvenir stands have been removed from inside the port gate to elsewhere along the shoreline. Guess it is a security rule. We left the ship around 10:30am and headed towards downtown. The first big stop was at the produce market and the souvenir shops inside the building. We did a quick stroll through the market where we did not need anything. Continuing down the street, we noticed many new buildings going up. Mostly government buildings it appeared. Tax dollars at work – USA tax dollars to be exact. We are sure this island was affected by Covid with no tourists coming here. Hopefully, the ships are back and the people are getting back on their feet. Passing many shops and businesses, we stopped briefly to sit under a traditional fale or palapa. It was raining steadily now and appeared it was not going to let up. Many buses passed by, but not the traditional kind. These are small colorful shuttles that hold maybe 20 people with no windows. They are island-style air-conditioned. These old vehicles are what they use for the tours. There were a number of taxi drivers who beeped at us, offering rides. No one walks in the rain here…..except some of us. Anyway, we continued around the end of the harbor, and headed towards the tuna factory. In fact there are two well-known ones located here – Starkist and Chicken of the Sea. We think they employ many of the locals and between the fishing vessels and the factories, there must be many jobs. Some trees along this side of the harbor house fruit bats. They can be seen hanging upside down either curled up tight or fanning their big wings. They are nocturnal, and rarely fly during the heat of the day. We did spot a restaurant on the hillside called Paradise. It used to be a pizza place, but since it was still early, we decided to wait until we got back to town. Taking our time, we turned around before the aroma of cooking tuna hit us. Took over an hour to get back. Passing the ship, we continued for a mile or so to Goat Island Café located at Sadie’s by the Sea Hotel. We found a good table outside which was out of the driving rain. We ordered Corona beers, since they did not have local draft beer. Lunch was a shared appetizer of chicken/cheese nachos. It came missing the sides of guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. We asked, and our waitress apologized and brought us the sides. We finished our fun meal with a slice of chocolate cake, mainly because they were out of the Key lime pie. It rained all the way back to the ship where we arrived by 3pm. Despite it all, we still managed to get some good photos. Took the rest of the afternoon to process them and write today’s log. Once again, our veranda stayed dry, and it was fun watching the car traffic and pedestrian traffic the rest of the afternoon. All aboard was 5:30pm, and the ship pulled away from the pier before 6pm. Miss Samoa had returned with some of her friends to say farewell to us. Was a nice way to end our stay here, even though it was a very wet one. Dinner was back in the dining room where we ordered very tasty chicken and veggie spring rolls. So good, we doubled the order. A Caesar salad for one of us and a tomato/mozzarella cheese tower for the other. Mains were one oxtail plate with mashed potatoes, and the other was a vegetarian Asian noodle dish with lots of sauteed veggies. Nice for a change. Desserts were the sticky date pudding, which looked nothing like it sounded. One of us had sliced bananas and strawberries. Risman offered a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, and we said OK. When he said one scoop, he meant a tiny scoop, which made us laugh when he brought the glasses. Noticing other folks that ordered ice cream, they had at least 4 scoops in the glass. The trick is knowing how to order it. We finished early, which was perfect. It had been a long day, and we were ready to call it a night. And there was only a movie in the World Stage. It was Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Bet we already saw it. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #45 Thursday October 19, 2023 Sea Day Enroute To Pago, Pago Samoa Sunny With Some Clouds 84 Degrees Calm Seas 6 Foot Swell Part #1 Of 2........62 Pictures-----Casual Dress Well, today is finally the last sea day we will have as we approach the island of American Samoa. It has been a seven- day run without the stop in the middle at Fanning Island. We did experience a fine morning while circling the atoll, but now we are all ready to step foot on solid ground again. After breakfast, we took our usual walk out on the promenade deck. We found the seas to be quite unusual with a silky satin look about the swells. This does happen occasionally when there is little wind with no noticeable swell. There wasn’t a wave breaking except where the ship cut through the water. It remained this way until later in the afternoon when we picked up the wind and began to have some rocking and rolling, or should we say pitching. Although the temperatures were in the mid-eighties, the humidity was up to 72%. To say it was “sticky” was an understatement. With the wind speed at 3.2 mph coupled with broken clouds, the day remained plenty hot and muggy. When we had to go to the library to send emails, we noticed that there were few places to sit. We came to the conclusion that when it gets this hot outside, the folks stay in the air-conditioned areas of the ship. Can’t say we blame them. The library area was full of people, mostly ladies, playing board games or cards. The puzzle tables had ladies sitting around them, chatting away 100 miles a minute. A few gals were reading, while some pretended to read, but were really asleep. This sort of gave us a glimpse of what life must be like in a retirement home. On the other hand, there were folks lined up to get beginners bridge instructions in the Hudson Room. And a cooking demo was hosted by the executive chef, Javier, in the World Stage. He was grilling shrimp. There has been a dance sessions to learn different moves every sea day, and a ballroom dance hour in the Ocean Bar at 5pm. Afternoon tea is still served in the upper dining room at 3pm, but that is right after our lunchtime, so we have yet to attend. It is difficult to keep lunch light, but as long as we stay out of the dining room and Lido, we are good. There’s a first time for everything, and today was no exception. At 2pm, there was the usual port highlight talk delivered by travel director Kimberly. Shortly before that, she announced that no more people would be allowed in the World Stage because it was filled to capacity. Those people who were sitting on the stairs had to leave since it was against the safety rules. So in order to accommodate everyone interested, she was going to repeat her lecture at 3pm as well. The talk was all about Pago Pago and Apia…both in Samoa and American Samoa. To be perfectly honest, these islands are interesting, but they are not considered over-the-top ports like Singapore or Hong Kong for instance. We believe the only reason for the overflow was due to the excessive heat outside. The World Stage is a cool place out of the heat. Being that the clocks were turned back one hour, the sunset was shortly after 6pm. Back outside deck six forward, we waited until the bitter end to see what there was of another South Pacific sunset. It was less inspiring than last night, but pretty just the same. And there was a strong breeze which we liked for an hour or so. Dinner was in the Pinnacle Grill, however we forgot to tell our dining room waiters last night that we would not be there tonight. About 7:45pm, the maître ‘d, Johny, strolled into the restaurant and came over saying that’s where you both are. We guess they were waiting, like they have started to do, with a loud greeting from all four head waiters. It’s rather amusing, but also a bit embarrassing as they announce our entrance every night. We are trying to figure out how to sneak in without detection. The only option is to enter with several other folks at the same time. But the problem with that is most everyone eats early these days. Anyway, our meal was wonderful as always with our wedge salads, savory bacon, filets with baked potatoes….the smallest they can find. Dessert was more complicated than we expected. One of us ordered the crème Brule, and the other sorbet. We waited and waited, and finally Anton the manager came over and said all of the sorbet was melted and not suitable to serve. I did say that’s fine, I can live without it, but he insisted they would find some frozen sorbet within a few minutes. Finally it arrived, and it was watermelon sorbet and pretty frozen. They would not accept no as an answer. Like we said, they have spoiled us in here. Looking forward to seeing Pago Pago again. It’s a nice place to take a hike and go out to lunch. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #44 Wednesday October 18, 2023 Sea Day Enroute To Pago, Pago Samoa Sunny And Hot 85 Degrees Sea State Calm Little Wind Part #1 Of 1.......64 Pictures-----Casual Dress Another day at sea brought with it slightly warmer temperatures and what felt like higher humidity. At times, there was little wind and it almost felt like we were “swimming” instead of walking the promenade deck. Even as early as 9am, the heat had risen for the day. If there was breeze at all, it was a following one. We had to laugh, remembering how chilly it was while sailing in Alaska, which really was just weeks ago. We had another lazy day relaxing at the Seaview Pool for an hour or so. After high noon, the Captain always comes on with his daily updates, and has been ending his log with some interesting questions given to him in a box by the front desk. Some of the queries are legitimate while some are actually funny. One simple question was the average age of the guests onboard this cruise. The answer was 70 years old, but that’s due to the fact we have two very young children belonging to the hotel manager. Dropped the average for sure. Another question was why is the tissue box in the bathroom located so close to the toilet? Hmm, never gave that a second thought truthfully. The Captain’s answer was, “I have no idea…it is above my pay grade”, drawing chuckles from the crowd around us. Today the Captain had a Q&A session in the World Stage and took on many questions, so by the time he came to his noon talk, he admitted he was questioned- out. We have been used to Captain Mercer (now retired) giving his idioms on the Grand World Voyage, so hearing current questions is a nice twist. It was so warm today that there were few people even in the Lido Pool area. Ordering some lunch in the Dive-In took less than 5 minutes. We have given up ordering the naked fries there since they always come in a greasy clump. Maybe they are doing us a favor. Going out on deck six forward was a good spot to watch the sun go down. We finally had a breeze up there, as well as a few other folks that discovered this spot. Today there were fewer clouds and the sky was mostly blue. And because of that, the sunset was not spectacular. We all agreed that the best ones have been in Hawaii. But we do have some time going forward to capture many more sunsets. An added bonus was seeing two little birds flying around the bow of the ship. About the size of swallows, they do not appear to be seabirds. But that would mean they jumped onboard around Fanning Island. It would not be the first time we have seen such stowaways. One time a pair of pigeons stayed with us from Europe to Florida. Hope they liked living in the USA. This evening was different as far as dinner was concerned. We had been given an invitation to an exclusive party for President’s Club members with Pinnacle and Neptune suite guests as well. We felt the time of 8:15pm was a bit odd, so we decided to have Caesar chicken salads for dinner (excellent combination), leave the dining room early, and hoped the food served there would be in the dessert department. Well, we were wrong. The gathering was held in the Atrium on deck three outside the offices of the head managers. We were greeted with trays of champagne and wine, which we really do not drink often, and more trays of nice hors d’oeuvres, but no desserts. Oh well, we ordered after dinner drinks of Kalua and crème de cacao, which came half wrong. The Kalua was a Bailey’s Irish crème, which I would have taken but the waiter disappeared. On the other hand, we did get to talk to nice officers such as Russel, the beverage manager, and the new food and beverage manager who boarded in Hawaii. We also questioned the internet manager, who we met last week, about tomorrow’s message in the newsletter concerning the connectivity of the internet. This note explained that the speed may be slower and the connection lost due to our geological location. Strangely enough, he knew nothing about this message and was surprised because we have the new Starlink system running now. Well, time will tell on this story too. Captain Paul joined us and we chatted for some time, mostly about people we all know. We also touched base with Arnold, the Mariner rep onboard. We had a question regarding the President’s Club Mariner benefits that may have changed recently. Again, he knew nothing about any changes, but wants to see our emailed flyer on the computer tomorrow. We shall be happy to show him what we received. We were about to call it a night when we spotted friends Bill and Leta, who we figured did not make it to the party. We visited for 20 minutes, then it got so warm in the atrium area, we said goodnight to all. And an added bonus was one hour back on the clocks tonight. We always like that. One more sea day will have us in Pago Pago, American Samoa. Bill & Mary Ann

The Port Essentials Flyer is a half-page paper that lists a few facts of the port we are currently visiting. It also has the port authority name address, and phone number listed on it in case you need to contact them. This form of information began with the beginning of the Tales of the South Pacific cruise. Hope this answers your question. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #43 Tuesday October 17, 2023 Sea Day Enroute To Pago, Pago, Samoa Cloudy Hot And Humid 85 Degrees Sea State Flat And Calm Part #1 Of 1.......51 Pictures---Casual Dress Last night around the wee hours of 3am, the ship passed the Equator and the International Dateline. This is considered a Golden Crossing with the coordinates of 0 degrees North and 160 degrees West. Which makes us worthy of being Golden Shellbacks, which we already are more than once. In fact we also passed the Emerald Crossing earlier this year when we were at the Equator and the Prime Meridian off the coast of West Africa. There was supposed to be a buoy on the exact spot, but it could not be found. Must have sunk. Anyway, the King Neptune Ceremony took place at the Seaview Pool, although we thought for sure it would be held in the Lido Pool as it usually is. So after the Captain’s talk, we went to the back and took seats at a table along the starboard railing. That’s when we noticed that the area was being transformed into the stage for the big show. Chairs were being brought to every level for the folks to watch the event. And shortly, the area filled with guests…vying for the best spot. We had not intended on staying for it, since we have seen so many of these shows, but since we had good seats, we did not want to give them up. At exactly 2pm, the ship’s horn blasted to commence the ceremony with King Neptune and the Mrs. along with the judges (officers), and the judge (Kimberly). The pollywogs were the crew members and the show seemed to go on and on. We did not actually see the fish that they had to kiss, but our buddy showed us a photo of the ugliest monk fish that her friend took. Instead of being mounted where we could all see it, the fish laid in the bottom of the display. The best part of the show was when the Captain was invited to jump in the pool. And he did just that, followed by every officer that participated. It was rather amusing, since we have only seen one captain do that over the years. At that time, it was on a Princess ship, and they had the captain walk the plank. Kimberly had to admit she was a pollywog, so she really got slimed and dumped in the pool. The crowd loved it as they did today. Later in the afternoon, we all received certificates of the event, dated and signed by Captain Paul. By the time it was finally over, we figured we had sat outside for almost 2 ½ hours. And we did get a bit toasted despite the sunscreen. Still it was worth it to secure our place for the show. On the way back, we picked up some food from the Dive-In and enjoyed it in the coolness of our room. The remainder of the afternoon was spent with photo sorting and reading a good book. Taking a later walk, we watched the sun go down, or at least the sunset without seeing the actual sun go down. There was some nice color, but not the fabulous sky we have come to expect. The weather remained warm and muggy all day and into the evening. Lucky for us, the seas have been calm. Dinner had a few new items such as shrimp and cheese quesadillas. Salads followed with mains of the everyday chicken plate and a fettuccine with pot roast bolognaise sauce. Both tasty although they could have been hotter. We keep forgetting to ask our waiters for hot entrees. The World Stage had a movie at 8pm instead of live entertainment, which was Amelia. This is also on the TV, so we don’t know how full the show lounge would be. We passed on the movie, since the sun really zapped us today. We still have a couple more sea days before we arrive to Pago Pago. Also, we received an invitation to an exclusive party for President’s Club members, Pinnacle, and Neptune suite guests tomorrow at 8:15pm in the Atrium deck three.. We found it odd to be asked at that time of day, because that is our dinner time. Perhaps we can sneak into the dining room earlier and be done by 8:15pm. Our waiter Mario said that would work for him and Risman. Time will tell. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #42 Monday October 16, 2023 Scenic Cruising Fanning Island 7am-1pm Cloudy With Sun 84 Degrees Sea State 3-4 Foot Swells Part #1 Of 3.......77 Pictures.....Casual Dress The Captain began circling Fanning Island (also known as Tabuaeran) around 7am. This island is actually an atoll that belongs to the Line Islands and is part of Kiribati. One other place we have visited often belonging to Kiribati is Christmas Island, but that is located 200 miles away. There are about 1990 residents living on Fanning, but when we visited in the past, we saw mostly women, children, and a few elderly men. The younger men were always far off involved in the coconut industry as well as fishing and seaweed cultivating. When tourists like us invade the island, a series of tables are set up near the tender landing. Very unique souvenirs are sold such as wooden-carved knives complete with ever-so-sharp shark teeth. Many items made with seashells are bowls, platters, baskets, and jewelry. And everything is really affordable. The tender landing is located in a small village that happens to have remains of what was an NCL picnic/rest area, which is long since abandoned. We learned later on during Kainoa’s talk that NCL had a ship that toured the Hawaiian islands, and in order to satisfy a foreign port stop for the Jones Act, this island served that purpose. Once the Pride of America started Hawaii cruises, and it was registered in the USA, the need for NCL’s cruises and private island faded. The port essentials flyer handed out yesterday mentioned “fun facts” about Fanning Island. They included the fact that there is no electricity, no plumbing, no restaurants, or bars on this entire island. No plumbing means no public restrooms. Honestly, how much fun is that? Perhaps that is one reason the scheduled visit was for 5 ½ hours. Kainoa talked on the aft channel at 10:30am, which we could listen to as we slowly sailed around the island. What we see as a coral atoll with a lagoon in the center today, was once a huge island. Over the millenniums, the island began to erode in the center, leaving the wide ring of tree-studded coral. This island has a total of 13.2 square miles of coral and a 42 square mile lagoon of the prettiest colors of aqua blue you will ever see. The deepest part of the lagoon is only 49 feet deep. It is believed that the first people to reside here were Polynesian, specifically the Marquesans. Today the people that live here are Micronesian and speak a dialect of Gilbertese and some English. The Captain turned the ship so the folks on the starboard side could view the sights as well. A few scattered facts we gathered from Kainoa’s talk were that there is some WWI history here, and an aerial view of the atoll resembles a footprint. There were no reports of Covid here, even during the height of the pandemic. As many times as Kainoa has been here, he admitted to never seeing the other side of the island. Same for us, and it was a wonderful way to spend the morning without having to use the tender boats. Even though the temperature was around 84 degrees, we were “melting” on our veranda. With the ship doing a mere 8 knots, there was little to no breeze. Being so close to the Equator made a difference as well. There is really no need for money here, which by the way, is the Australian dollar. People live with bartering and very well may be subsidized by the government. We did not hear the details, but there is a general warehouse for everyday necessities, like a supermarket. Common foods eaten are fish, pork, locally-grown veggies and fruits, and probably Spam, which is a favorite of the South Pacific Islanders. Recalling what we learned while on Christmas Island, the average age for men was 50 while the ladies may reach 70. They blamed it on the fact that the main diet consisted of mostly snack-type foods which are high in fat and salt, and low on nutrition. But that was 20 or more years ago, and maybe things have changed since then. The main mode of transportation is canoes, with a few vehicles like old pick-up trucks and jeeps. The biggest concern of the locals is that the kids are sent to school when they are older, and many choose not to return. For that reason, the population has declined over the years. And there is no hospital to speak of. If there is an emergency, the patient would have to be flown elsewhere….not an easy thing on such a small piece of land. The Captain talked at noontime and said we would be leaving the island by 1pm. He would increase the speed to 14 knots which was really fine with us. Increased speed = nice breeze. We had the best place on the ship to view the island tour…right from our veranda. And the best aspect of the morning for us had to be the number of birds we saw. Today’s varieties were the white terns, brown boobies, frigates, and most of all….. tropic birds. They were the big surprise of the day that we did not expect since we have never seen them here. We spotted them flying higher than most birds, flapping their wings rapidly, soaring and dropping like airplanes do when they hit turbulence. First there were two, and eventually there were several. Of course over a thousand photos were taken during the duration of the morning. No kidding…. The job of downloading would take the rest of the afternoon. At the end of the Captain’s talk, he mentioned some exciting news that we would be doing the “Golden Crossing” of the Equator and the International Dateline sometime between 3 and 4am. No, we will not be awake for this one. But there will be a King Neptune Ceremony tomorrow and trust us, we do have many of those certificates. Dinner was casual, but when we got to the dining room, we noticed the waiters had on their bowties. That is usually done on a “dressy” night. Even some of the appetizers were formal ones like shrimp cocktails, foie gras, and escargots. We had the cocktails and a niçoise salad with tuna. Normally the tuna is flaked and barely there. Tonight, we each had a seared filet of tuna steak along with the salad fixings. Very good, but almost enough for an entrée. One of us had the steak Diane (not extraordinary) and a Southwestern manicotti dish which was vegetarian. Both good, but the salad was the best. Entertainment was an instrumentalist (flautist) by the name of Paul Stepien with a variety of musical styles, promising a breath-taking journey. If that is not your cup of tea, then there is always the Ocean Bar Band, piano bar entertainer, and the Classical duo in the Explorer’s Lounge. Never a dull moment. Tomorrow will be another day at sea as long as we get the blessing from King Neptune…… Bill & Mary Ann

Greetings all! We have been most fortunate to have visited Fanning Island several times on past cruises, and we did feel bad for those who so looked forward to this stop today. A plain Danish pastry with a slice of cheese? Who knows, it might catch on. And good pizza anywhere is a favorite for us. Captain Paul is very tuned in to every aspect of dealing with guests we are learning. And we did not hear of any problems that may have sprung up with the announcement. Most everyone understands. That was not the case a few years back on a world cruise when the tenders at Easter Island were stopped. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #41 Sunday October 15, 2023 Sea Day Enroute To Fanning Island Rain Showers And Some Sun 85 Degrees Sea State 4-6 Foot Swells Part #1 0f 1.......40 Pictures----Casual Dress This morning’s sunrise was most unmemorable as far as color goes. There were just too many clouds for the sun to shine through them. It appeared we had been going through passing showers through the evening, which is most common considering where we are right now. The temperatures have remained warm and the humidity high. Also typical of the area around the Equator. We spent the late morning at the Seaview Pool relaxing at a table along the side railing. It really is the best place to catch a breeze. Many folks were stretched out on the lounges getting burned very rapidly. This equatorial sun can be very damaging if one is not careful. However, while enjoying the fresh breeze, one of us decided to try a strawberry daiquiri. It was just as refreshing as the ones we had while in Half Moon Cay. This could turn into a dangerous habit. Captain Paul came on the speakers for his afternoon talk, and something in his voice gave us the impression that we might not be going to Fanning Island. There was nothing specifically that we could put a finger on, just a hint of hesitation while describing some of the conditions at the tender platform that we may encounter. If the seas remained like they were today, there should be no problem. Still, we were doubtful that this tender port would happen. Perhaps that is due to the fact that we have missed it in the past about as many times that we have successfully made it there. Judging from the chatter on social media websites, we knew some folks would be bringing donations to the island. It had been made clear that those who chose to bring things to give away, would have pack them off themselves. There would be a collection booth near the tender platform to leave the donations. We ordered a room service lunch for a change. Two entrée-size chicken Caesar salads were ordered, which arrived without the chicken. The waiter had repeated the order back to us, but whoever fills it, forgot the chicken. Then we split a roast beef panini, which is about half the size that it used to be. Probably better for us to have smaller portions, but we have to keep that in mind when ordering. It did take all of 40 minutes to arrive. After lunch we turned a movie on by the name of Being Rose, a very deep and almost depressing movie. We watched it until the end literally because the main character died. Then it was time for a walk. There are far fewer folks walking the promenade deck at 5pm, mostly because they are off to an early dinner. Although it was still warm on one side, there are less people out and about. At one point, we stopped in the forward area to take in the breeze. Always on watch for flying fish, we did see some a good 50 yards off of the ship. That is odd to see these fish popping up so far off. It was possible there was something under them giving chase. Lo and behold, up jumped two large dolphins, followed by several more. They were pretty far out there, but we happened to have the small camera with us and got some shots. At one point we guessed there were at least a dozen of them keeping up with the ship’s speed. So fun to watch. Within a few minutes, the entire railing was full of people watching like us. It always pays to “stop and smell the roses”. The sunset would follow, but once again, it was not a memorable one. Too many rain clouds on the horizon blocked the setting sun. All we got was some color in the nearby clouds. Time to get dressed for dinner,so we went back home. Dining room dinner was a varied menu, unlike any other so far this whole trip. We are not seeing a repeated menu like we had on the 7 day Alaska runs. This menu is full of South Sea-like items that go with the area. A particularly good appetizer was a shrimp and artichoke heart cheddar cheese dip with one bread stick. Actually it took a slice of bread to finish the entire bowl which we ended up sharing. Salads were a mixed red and romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and croutons minus the salmon. Mains were chicken cordon blu – one with the potatoes and peas, and one with linguini and sausage. It was a great combination. Just as we finished our ice crem and yogurt desserts, Captain Paul came on the speakers. Guess what? The port of Fanning Island had to be cancelled. Now the reason was one we have never heard before. Turns out the Kiribati customs officials could not make it to the island tomorrow to clear the ship. Despite the fact this has been on the itinerary since day one, they claimed there was no flight or a suitable vessel for the locals to get to the island on time tomorrow. The scheduled arrival time had been 7 or 8am with a departure time of 1:30pm. It was a short window, but it was not to be. Now here is where the story got interesting. The Captain announced that he would personally be at the front desk to answer any questions that the guests may have. And he specifically added not to engage with the front staff crew members as they were not responsible for this deletion. We sure hope that he warded off any unpleasant confrontations, although we cannot imagine anyone not understanding the situation. The final decision to abandon the planned stop is really made from the people in Seattle. On addition there would be no problem with refunding any tours since there are none on the tiny little island. Captain Paul did add that the donations that the guests planned on taking over to shore would be stored on the ship for their next stop in January of 2024. For some unknown reason, we were not at all surprised with this change of plans, but never expected the reasoning behind it. So the plan for tomorrow is to circumnavigate the 14 mile island, then head off for the next port in Samoa. Like we always say: expect the unexpected. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #40 Saturday October 14, 2023 Day At Sea Enroute To Fanning Island Sunny With Some Clouds 85 Degrees 7-8 Foot Swell Part #1 Of 1.......28 Pictures-----Casual Dress Today’s highlights included another brunch at sea from 10am to 12:30pm with three choices of breakfast, lunch, and desserts. It’s not for us, however, since we are still enjoying our morning meal in the Pinnacle Grill. We do have the entire menu memorized, but still manage to try different items occasionally. Another activity that was not really promoted was The Fun Fair at 3pm in the Lido pool area. While waiting for our Dive-In lunch order to be prepared after 2pm, we noticed that the lounges surrounding the pool were being removed by some of the housekeeping staff. Busy as bees, they had the place clear of chairs and were setting up long tables along the windows. One set-up was a table full of beer and sodas. Our burgers were done quickly, so we did not stay to see what was happening. On a world cruise, this usually happens towards the end of the trip, and is advertised for a week prior. From what we read, the participants would play games and collect raffle tickets. Then at the end, there would be a drawing for special prizes. At the taco bar, there was a special dessert area set up for the occasion. We heard from headwaiter Bayu later on that many people had a great time there. We spent the day doing very little except for reading and internet work. A trip down to deck five is still needed to send and receive big files. We are glad it is close to our room. The only other event happened after we reported that the filter in the ceiling needed replacing. We have been having sneezing fits every so often, and think that when these filters were replaced, we happened to be moving into this room from deck one. Since the room stewards were bringing in our luggage and hanging clothes, the repair fellow with the new filters skipped this room and never came back. We could see the old filter was very dirty, so now we know there is a clean one. Hopefully, no more sneezing. The small flock of boobies were gone today, but we still saw some flying fish. We did capture a few shots of them as they “flew” across the tops of the waves. With no birds hunting them, they will live to see another day. Unless there is something hunting them from beneath the waves….. Back in the dining room for dinner, we ordered salads and mains of BBQ short ribs and one prime rib. The general consensus was that the ribs won out. The sauce they use is particularly tasty and the ribs were moist and tender. Better than we recall having on the grand world cruise. Desserts were simple – frozen yogurt, sliced strawberries and bananas (they have really helped the leg pain) and one little hot fudge sundae. There was a planned star gazing with Captain Paul at the Seaview Pool at 9pm. However, before we came to dinner, it was drizzling outside. These activities are always weather-permitting, so we do not know if it happened. The other option was a movie in the World Stage – an older flic, The Descendants with George Clooney. It began at 8am, so that would not work for us either. Probably a better plan was to catch up on much needed sleep. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #39 Friday October 13, 2023 Day At Sea Enroute To Fanning Island Sunny With Some Clouds 79 Degrees 6-8 Foot Seas Part #1 Of 1......50 Pictures-----Dressy Night Today happens to be Friday, the 13th, and what a better way to start it was with a battery-operated smoke alarm going off loudly in our room at 6:30am. Why, we don’t know, but we are not sure what type of alarm it was because everything on it was written in Dutch or German. Obviously, it was not wired into the ship’s system, or else someone would have showed up at our door. We called the front desk and were told they were sending a room steward to check it out. A young fellow arrived within minutes and said it may be due to a low battery. There was no smoke, although one of us smelled something electrical, but by then, we had the veranda door opened. This might be a unit that detects cigarette smoke. Hopefully a new battery will take care of it. As we head due south, the weather has remained mostly sunny and partly cloudy. The temperature at 9am was in the high 70’s, but we are certain that it will get warmer as the day advances. No rain in the forecast now. We all received the American Samoa traveler health declaration forms this morning. It was helpful that a sample guide was included to fill it out correctly. It did ask if we had been vaccinated for Covid, were tuberculosis free, had a fever or cough, rash or trouble breathing and a few other similar inquiries. No was the answer to all except the booster. We don’t believe the rest of the countries care about the health of the visiting guests. The last couple of years the biggest concern was Covid and the boosters we had gotten. Also, before we entered every country, we had to be tested on the ship. All of that is gone now….forever we hope. Except for a morning walk, we had a lazy morning hanging out in our room as usual working on the blog. Lunch was a run to the Dive-In for a hot dog and a cannonball burger. Nine times out of ten, riding the elevator back to the room, someone will offer to push your floor button. It can be done packing the tray and plates, but it helps when someone offers. One lady told me that she heard someone ask another woman guest to push a button for her, and this person said “I am not your slave”. Can you believe that? Takes all kinds….. Other activities today included talks on the up- and- coming ports and the shore excursions available. Talks included the agriculture of Hawaii and the influence of Hawaiian education around the world. Perhaps this will tie into the ports we are soon to visit. There were Spa Specials advertised as well. You could treat yourself to 75 minutes of massage, eye treatment, facial, foot and ankle massage, and a scalp massage….all for only $179. Bet there were some takers. Acupuncture, teeth whitening, and posture analysis were also offered. We had a great performance of the masked boobies all afternoon as a group of two became four, then seven and eventually 10 birds flying in formation. There were few flying fish, but that did not stop them from hunting for hours. Taking a seat on a couple of teak lounges on deck three, we watched as the sun began to go down. There was some color in the sky, but nothing like we saw while in Honolulu. Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill with wedge salads and clothesline bacon. Mains were savory grilled lamb chops with mushrooms and a baked potato. It was nice to see the guests dressed in something other than t-shirts and shorts or baseball caps, since it was “dressy” this evening. Anyway, dessert was a couple of little scoops of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. Just right. We passed on the tray of chocolates since we seldom eat them. The entertainer tonight was a magician Scott Pepper, CW’s network show Masters of Illusion. The first show at 7:30pm must have been full, since we saw the procession of folks going from the World Stage, past the Pinnacle Grill, and off to whatever. We know that down this hallway is a bank of elevators and the stair wells. You cannot get to the other end of deck four since the kitchen is located in the center. So there must be a long wait for the elevators to ride. Captain Paul announced today that we will not be changing the day when we cross the International Dateline before Fanning Island. Normally, we lose one day, but keep the same time. There are no buildings of any consequences on that island with clocks, so it should not confuse anyone if the day is off by one. When we cross back over the line, the time and day will be correct for a while. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #38 Thursday October 12,2023 Honolulu, Hawaii Day #2 Docked Over Night Starboard Side To Pier 2-- Leave 11pm Mostly Sunny And Hot 85 Degrees Part#1 Of 2 .......77 Pictures----Casual Dress At breakfast this morning, we met the new Pinnacle Grill manager, Anton, the 3rd manager of this combined trip. Yesterday Bagus, # 2 manager, told us he was moving to the lower dining room as a head waiter beginning today. He also thanked us for the compliments we had given him, and reassured us that we would like the new man. We trust he is right. We stayed onboard until almost noon working on the computer to keep up to date. We still have to go to the library to send the larger emails, as our room still has problems with the signal. No matter where we move the computer, the signal just isn’t strong enough to send things in a speedy manner. The library is much better. On a positive note, the laundry has been delivered same day service, or in today’s case, over- night service. A nice hand-written note was included with our stuff asking if we are satisfied with their laundry service. It was signed by Alex Maha, whom we need to thank for the super-fast service. It did give one of us a chance to see the tours for Honolulu today. It surprised us that the Ho-Ho bus was $75 for 1 hour. Actually the circle they take is one hour, but you have many stops you can make if you have the time to do them all. A similar trolley with a tour guide ran $90 for 1 ¾ hour circle ride. An easy coach drive to circle the island was $140 for 8 hours, while Oahu’s scenic shores was $120 for 4 hours. Pearl Harbor for 5 ½ hours was $140 and the one suitable for wheelchair access was also the same time and price. A vigorous hike up Diamond Head for 3 ½ hours was $220. We happened to be onboard long enough to listen and watch the extensive Coast Guard drill that began at 9:30am. Today that drill included dropping the tender boats and also the life rafts. It was interesting watching the inflatable life raft open near the water. Never seen that done before. The drill continued until close to 11am. We happened to ride the elevator with Captain Paul when we returned to the ship later, and he was so proud to say the ship and crew had passed these tests with flying colors. In fact, he said the scores were among the highest ever. Nice to know we are in such capable hands if the need arises. Today’s walk was a bit shorter with our destination being the Ala Moana Center which has 350 plus stores and restaurants on four levels no less. One can get lost here without the help of a map, which are still available throughout the mall. It was not quite as warm as yesterday, and leaving a little later helped with the trade wind breeze that comes in the afternoon. And of course, we had a bottle of water to keep us hydrated. Lunch was first on the list of things to do. We found this at California Pizza Kitchen on level 4. This is one of our favorite spots at home, and we were not disappointed with the BBQ chopped salad and the same BBQ chicken pizza. Fresh sourdough bread was served with a bowl of seasoned olive oil while we waited. For a Thursday afternoon, the restaurant was about full of customers. Funny thing was we were seated in a booth we had a year ago. Déjà vu. After a leisurely meal, we went in search of some necessities we could not get while in Hilo. First on the list was popcorn, a light snack we like for our room. Needing some other toiletries too, we ran into a Target at this mall. They had everything on our list. Once again, we were shocked to see many items in Target’s section of Longs Drugs that were under lock and key. We had to request a store helper to unlock the cabinet for a bottle of Tylenol. Guess shop-lifting exists in all big cities, not just San Francisco. One last stop at a smaller Longs netted us a pound bag of Halloween Snickers. Our supply of Ghirardelli’s chocolate squares are dwindling…heaven forbid. With all of our nifty cloth bags full, we headed back to the ship and arrived by 4:30pm. Sure was nice to stash our stuff, and sit back and relax for a while. We had a sunset, but it could not compare to the one we saw last night. There were far fewer clouds, so the color wasn’t as intense. Just as the sun was going down, the Le Boreal sailed out of the harbor. Originally, we had been scheduled to depart earlier, but Captain Paul extended the time to 10:30pm to give crew members more free time here. And we forgot to mention that last night, the dining room was about empty during our dinner time. What we failed to read was that there was an 8pm Drums of Polynesia local show in the World Stage. We know from experience that most all of the guests love to see the Hawaiian and Polynesian dancers that come onboard. Dinner for us was back in the dining room with starters of one shrimp and chicken appetizers. Caesar salads followed with mains of veal meatballs with spaghetti and tomato sauce with grated cheese. Huli huli chicken was the other entrée with a bed of pineapple and macaroni salad. Different, but good. Desserts were banana frozen yogurt with sliced bananas and a chocolate-coated pudding-like treat. On the stage tonight was a gal named Annie Gong, an instrumentalist we have seen before on several cruises. She still puts on a good performance. We will have a few days at sea now as we sail south towards Fanning Island. We will also be crossing the international Dateline, losing a day in the process. Bill & Mary Ann

Greetings all! Thanks for the nice comments as well as the hints offered. We are getting a late start today due to photo processing and reports. The Command hooks will work well as long as you clean the spot first with alcohol. Sometimes we noticed the room attendants using an oily cloth on the walls. Now we know the correct spelling for the Forbidden Island. Appreciate your input SanDiego1. Thank you LouChamp for the info concerning the new work being done. Nice to have someone in the know. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #37 Wednesday October 11, 2023 Honolulu, Hawaii Day #1 Docked Starboard Side To Pier 2 - 8am-Overnite To 11pm On 10-12-23 Cloudy With Sun 80 Degrees Part #1 Of 5......77 Pictures-----Casual Dress The Volendam sailed into the port of Honolulu just as the sun was rising. We were docked at Pier 2 Cruise Ship Terminal, and shortly after we arrived, the Ponant’s Le Boreal took the pier near the Aloha Tower. It’s been a while since we have seen another cruise ship in port with us. But with her small size, we doubt it will make any difference in a city as large as Honolulu. It appeared the weather was going to be nice today with some clouds, but some sun too. We watched as some of the tour groups went off after 9am, and thought it felt comfortable outside. However, we know better, as the day wore on, the temperatures climbed. We noticed there were no flower leis being handed out as the guests left. But then maybe that is only done on grand cruises. We had balcony cleaning as was announced last night with a special letter. Since it was planned for 8:15 am to noontime, they advised us to keep our drapes closed. We bet these fellows have seen more than they wanted when the guests forget to shut the drapes and are perhaps getting dressed for the day. We stuck around until 10:15am, then headed off for our long hike. Surprise…surprise. There were boxes of purple and white orchid leis being put around each and everyone’s necks as we passed by the line of officers waiting at the gangway. The hotel director, Glenn, graced us with the flowers then asked if we wanted a photo with the Captain. Seeing that he was already involved with another couple, we said no, that was OK. We thanked him and continued on our way. Then we heard the Captain behind us saying he did not have the chance to introduce himself, and added that perhaps sometime during the course of this trip, we would have dinner with him in the Pinnacle Grill. We thanked him and went on our merry way. Leaving the ship and walking the street, we noticed the clouds blew away and the breeze stopped. One of us made the mistake of not bringing some water, which we know better. It is a long walk before we reach a place to buy some. From here on out, we will take it with us at every port. Along the Ala Moana Blvd, we pass some open lots and car dealers. There are always wild chickens in the bushes and the grassy fields. Today we passed one hen with about seven little newly-hatched chicks. Then about 20 feet up ahead of us, was a man and his wife coming back to the ship. He had picked up a wayward chick that had wandered into the crosswalk halfway across the intersection. The man was still looking for the mama hen when we passed him. Not sure what he did with the little creature, but we are sure the mama would come back for it. By the time we came across the marina with all of the touring fishing boats and whale-watching vessels, we noticed that some big projects were in progress across the road. This used to be the last section of the Ward Centre, which has been demolished and is turning into something else. In a year’s time, not much has been accomplished except creating a gigantic mountain of dirt. At the marina, there is only one display of the marlin left in the grass section. Where the rest have gone, who knows? Reaching the park area where a long stretch of public beach is located, we noticed there were fewer homeless folks there. Now they have nice tents and giant umbrellas for shade. Many have cooking utensils and BBQ’s. Most are living directly across from the Ala Moana Shopping Center where they have easy access to many types of fast food. Crossing the Ala Wai Canal, we passed by the marina made famous by Gilligan’s Island TV series. One you get that tune in your head, it is hard to erase it. Waikiki is the next stop with all of the highrise hotels. The one we always stroll through is the Hawaiian Hilton. It was really busy with guests coming and going today, so things are looking up here in Honolulu for the tourist industry. Reaching the famous Waikiki Beach, you could barely see the sand for all of the umbrellas and sunbathers. And boy, was it hot or what? We could hear a lot of folks complaining about the heat today. One thing for sure, there will be many sunburnt people tonight. Our destination was the Hard Rock Café. We arrived by 1pm, and took a perfect table by the edge of the balcony upstairs. A beautiful breeze was blowing. The first thing we ordered were two draft beers – Heinekens. Then we decided to try the new Messi chicken sandwich with fries. The chef’s name that created the new sandwich is named Messi, but the actual sandwich is messy. The breaded chicken has a mayo sauce that keeps it moist, but messy. Very good, we added two more beers before we finally cooled down. Wearing a HRC t-shirt from Copenhagen began a good conversation with our waitress, who has been to many HRC overseas restaurants. These days if you wear one of the t-shirts, you can get an automatic 10% off of a store purchase. We did take advantage of that before we left. Taking our time hiking back, we got back to the ship by 4pm. We never left the room until dinnertime, keeping busy with photos and reports. We never appreciated our tower fan as much as today. Ice cold Cokes also helped. Before we left the room, the sun set was worth filming. At dinner, we ordered some different appetizers of lumpia, garden salads, and a chicken dumpling soup. Mains were the same for both of us….fajitas with marinated steak, salsa, seasoned rice, sour cream, a tortilla shell, and extra servings of guacamole. Excellent choice, we will have them again if they show up on the menu. Desserts were sliced bananas and strawberries, and one hot fudge sundae. The frozen yogurt was somewhere in the delivery, but could not be located until tomorrow. We are overnight here, and will have a full day tomorrow. Will try to view the tours available for tomorrow. Missed doing that today before they were wiped from the TV. Sweet dreams…… Bill & Mary Ann

Report #36 Tuesday October 10, 2023 Nawiliwili, Hawaii Docked Port Side To Pier 8am-6pm Cloudy With Periods Of Sun 85 Degrees Part #1 Of 4........77 Pictures-----Causal Dress After circumnavigating the island of Kauai yesterday, we completed the circle by entering the bay of Nawiliwili this morning at 7am. Watching from our veranda, it was a tricky maneuver for the pilot to bring the ship into the dock. He did it with ease, although we have always been told that the Captain is always at the helm, and the pilot gives the directions. The ship was cleared by the local authorities a bit after 8am. As for us, we stuck around watching the tour buses fill. It’s amusing to see the people trying to out-walk each other to get to the “best” seats in the bus. Been there, done that. We are glad we took as many tours that we did back in the early days. These days….not so much. Speaking of tours, there were a few to Waimea Canyon – one was a small group for 5 hours at $170, or a large group for $130. It is a must see in our opinion, and it is the luck of the draw to see it without the fog descending. It is visible one minute, then gone the next. An excursion that takes in the Hollywood movie scenes was 6 ½ hours for $270, while the Tropical Gardens and Waterfalls was 5 ½ hours for $210. One that we did years ago was a Wailua River cruise and the Fern Grotto, where Elvis sang one of his famous songs for 3 hours at $150. The 8 hour version was $230. Lastly, Discover Kauai was 6 ¼ hours for $210 and a Plantation Railway Train ride was $90 for 2 ½ hours. Last year when we were on this same cruise, we learned there was no longer a free shuttle to the shopping mall in Lihue, a 10 minute ride from the pier. However there were free rides to Anchor Cove or a mini mall near the cove. Truthfully, it is a 10 minute walk from the terminal to get to both the shops and also Kalapaki Beach. We left the ship around 10am and headed towards the beach and the Sonesta Hotel by Marriott. Last time we were here, it was warm and sunny, which shortly changed to cool and rainy. Taking the umbrellas insured us that it would not rain today. Turned out to be correct even though it felt like rain, it stayed away. This hotel has a lovely garden full of native species of flowers and trees like hibiscus, frangipani, flame trees, mangrove palms, banana plants and tall coconut trees. Woven in and around the garden is a pond with waterfalls and fountains. The pond is full of mature colorful koi carp. During the day, these fish are fed pelleted food and they swim right up to the very edge of the shallow steps leading to the pond. Little kids love watching it…..we do too. Continuing along the paved walkway, we passed by the hotel’s huge swimming pool (guests only) then onto the stretch of sandy beach. This is where most of the crew will go if they are allowed off of the ship. They must take turns getting some free time in the ports. Situated along this beach is Duke’s Canoe Club, a perfect spot for lunch. It was afternoon by now, so we did have a 10 minute wait for a table. For a change we decided to try the Tuesday special of carne asada cheese nachos with teriyaki marinated grilled steak strips. Surprise…it was really tasty. The beers were Duke’s Blonde Ale, brewed in Kona for this restaurant. Ice cold, they were refreshing with a slice of lemon on the glass. But the best had to be Duke’s Hula pie, a real treat made with an Oreo cookie crust, macadamia nut vanilla ice cream, covered with whipped cream and surrounded with hot fudge sprinkled with more nuts. Now that was a perfect ending to a fun meal. We made our way back ducking in and out of the shops. There was an ABC store, the equivalent of a CVS or Walgreens, but when it got too crowded, we exited quickly. We can wait until tomorrow for shopping in Honolulu. Actually, we learned that our 2 day stay there has been extended for a departure time of 11pm, giving the crew some extra time off after the dinner service is ended. Getting back to the ship by 2pm, we kept busy until sail away at 6pm. The Captain had reminded everyone to be back onboard by 5:30pm sharp, as he wanted to leave immediately after that. On one of our visits here, we witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets we have seen. We figured we would miss it, since the skies were mostly cloudy. Well we were wrong as the sky developed some pretty neat rays as the sun went behind the cloudy mountains. Had we gone inside earlier, we would have missed it. The dining room dinner menu reflected the area we are visiting…..everything with a Hawaiian theme. We stuck to the regular Caesar salads, one tomato soup, and for a change…..the Club Orange alternate of roasted pork belly slices served over warm pineapple with mashed potatoes and gravy on the side. Guess you can call it the “blue” plate special referring to the blue plate it is served on. Desserts were sliced bananas and one hot fudge sundae. Tomorrow we will be in Honolulu on the island of Oahu, just a mere 100 miles away from Kauai. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #35 Monday October 9, 2023 Happy Canadian Thanksgiving Scenic Cruising Around The Island Of Kauai And The Jurassic Coast Mostly Sunny And Warm 82 Degrees Part #1 Of 5......77 Pictures-----Casual Dress Originally, our port of call would have been Lahaina, Maui one day this week. Obviously, due to the wildfires that caused such destruction, the port was eliminated, and a day of scenic cruising was substituted. Which brings us to today with a pleasant afternoon of scenic cruising of the Jurassic Coast of Kauai. After a nice breakfast that included sliced bananas to help with the muscle cramps, we took a slow walk around the promenade deck to discover we were already sailing quite close to an island, but which one? We knew that after leaving Hilo on the big island of Hawaii, we traveled across the north part of the island then turned passing Maui’s southwest coast. Turned out we were sailing by Oahu. Sure would have been nice if there was some commentary while we passed so close to this island. It was close enough to see huge clouds over the island’s center dropping massive amounts of rain. Spending time at the Seaview Pool, we chatted with our buddies. We all agreed it was going to be a very hot day, but a good one for that afternoon sailing. The plan was to pass Oahu, then go between the islands and continue up to the east and north coasts of Kauai. Kauai is among the smallest of the Hawaiian chain, but it is the oldest geologically. Millions of years old. It is also the wettest if we remember correctly. Rainfall is measured in feet and not inches. It has been given the name of the Garden Isle for the reason it is so green. Average rainfall annually is 373 inches. It is no wonder that the swollen rivers have cut the canyons that resemble the Grand Canyon in the USA. Watching the scenery from our veranda was wonderful, however the heat of the sun made us feel as if we were cooking under a broiler. The Captain had slowed the ship to 8 knots, so there was very little breeze. Our Polynesian Ambassador, Kainoa delivered the commentary at 3pm which could be heard on the bow TV station in our rooms. Too bad it was not broadcasted throughout the ship, but it was not. One of us had to pop in and out of the room to catch what he was saying, which turned out to be a good way to try to keep cooler. The bow was opened as well for the folks to view this coastline. Kainoa mentioned that few ships are allowed to sail on this side of the island, so we should consider ourselves lucky. We certainly appreciated seeing the dramatic cliffs that at one point went up as high as 4000 feet. The original people to inhabit this island were of small stature but considered strong and sturdy. They mastered pond making where fish could be stored for future use. In time, the Marquesans and the Polynesians traveled here to live. Captain James Cook landed here in the 1800’s and life for the natives probably was never the same. European diseases were introduced which was bad. Kainoa mentioned that fishing is fantastic here. Often seen are the humpbacks who come here to have their calves beginning in November. He added that the orcas will travel here during the calving season and will attack the weaker females and young whales. Tiger and white sharks are commonly seen. There is one great white shark that is said to be over 20 feet long and has been spotted in and around the islands for several years. That would keep us out of the waters. Hawaiian monk seals are located on the other side of the island. After slowly sailing past the dramatic cliffs, the Captain turned the ship so the folks on the starboard side could view the special sights. Then around 4:30pm, we headed towards a very private island called Miihow or the Forbidden Island. Not sure the spelling is correct. But the story has it that this small island was sold to the Sinclair family from New Zealand for $10,000 back in the 1800’s. They were searching for an area where cattle and horses could be raised. The twist in this story is that the family was offered property where Waikiki is located, but the offer was rejected. Anyway, the combined families of Sinclair and Robertson still own the island, which by the way, has no running water or electricity. Hard to imagine this day in age. So the men run the ranch, but the women collect tiny seashells that only exist on this island, making it into very expensive jewelry. For instance one necklace with these shells could run about $6200. Wow. As always, we kept watch for the birds around the island. There were a few boobys and seabirds we did not recognize, but the best surprise was sighting some tropic birds. They flew so fast and at a distance too far to see for sure. But the camera caught them, and we could see the long tail feathers that they have. These birds prefer tall cliffs to fledge their young, then fly out to sea to search for food. We both said that as many times that we have visited Kauai, we have never seen this part of the island. The best way to do it is by helicopter, which we saw a few flying over the canyons and the dramatic cliffs. We all agreed that today’s scenic sailing was spectacular. Hoping to catch a glimpse of the other private island, all we saw was the outline of it on the horizon. The sun had gone down, and darkness descended. We figured that we needed the extra time to sail around this island so as not to get to tomorrow’s port of Nawiliwili too soon. Tonight’s dinner was special for Happy Canadian Thanksgiving. Starting with sesame crispy chicken tenders, one soup, and a salad, we had the full turkey dinner, just like we have on our Thanksgiving. Of course it would not be complete without a slice of pumpkin pie. All of it was delicious once again. Hope that the weather holds up like it did today. Could not have been better. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #34 Sunday October 8, 2023 Hilo, Hawaii Docked Port Side To Pier Sunny With Lots Of Clouds And Afternoon Showers 82 Degrees Part #1 Of 4.......76 Pictures-----Casual Dress Well, whale-watching on our approach to Hilo was a bust. There were none to be seen, although we really did not expect to see any humpbacks. What we did see was another brief, but nice sunrise. Waking up early does have its benefits. The ship was cleared at 8am while we were having breakfast, and we noticed there was a stream of folks passing by our window on their way to the World Stage to get “stickered” for tours. There were several excursions that included the Volcanoes National Park, the longest being up to 7 hours for $260. Shorter tours with the Volcanoes National Park included gardens or waterfalls for 3 ½ hours for $170. Hilo highlights was 3 ½ hours for $130, or Old Hilo and Akaka Falls for 5 hours for $110. A more strenuous excursion was a 6 ½ hour bike adventure for $170. A drive to Mauna Kea at 13,804 feet in elevation for 4 ½ hours ran $280 with a box lunch. Some of these tours included a stop at either the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory or the Big Island Candies. Today is Sunday, and we are not sure those factories would be operating. Definitely their shops will be opened to buy the candy and nuts. At 9:30am there was a one hour crew drill, which is announced in the rooms as well as the entire ship. Since it interrupted the TV news, we figured we would catch up on the news later on, sad as it may be. Before we left, we watched as the tour groups went off. A number of the officers, included Captain Paul, were outside wishing the excursion groups a good day. That’s nice to see. We heard there had been a medical debark when the gangway was set out, followed by some folks boarding that may have missed the ship in San Diego (we are just guessing). We set out around 10:15am expecting to join the long line for the Walmart shuttle. Once we got the shopping taken care of, we intended to take our usual hike. Well……when we stopped at the info desk, we overheard the local gal telling someone that there was no shuttle for Walmart. Did we hear that right? Yep, the lady repeated that same info that the shuttles were not running due to security reasons or some strange reason that the buses created a hazard while turning left. Huh? At first we thought that they were not here because it was a Sunday. Nope, they were not running at all any day of the week. She suggested that we could take the morning only shuttle to the fruit and veggie market in Old Town, or call for a taxi. There were no taxis in sight, so we just headed out of the port area, turned right at the highway and walked towards town. Passing Reeds Park, we went towards the water and some benches we knew were there. One of us had pulled a calf muscle and really needed to stop. Nothing really helped ease the pain, except proceeding slowly to get the circulation going. It was going to slow us down somewhat, but we were this far and turning back wasn’t in the cards. Stopping at Ponds Restaurant was an option, even though it was 11:30am, the healing powers of a draft beer surely would help. By the way, it did help. The good thing was that it wasn’t crowded yet, and we got seated near two windows that were wide open. This small but good restaurant is built over the Ice Pond where fresh water comes from a natural cold spring, making the waters brackish. Directly under the café is an enclosed pond full of turtles and koi carp. You can dine and watch the activity right below your window. We ordered a cheeseburger with fries and draft beers. Our friend Leta had been out for a walk, and spotted us sitting in the window. She came inside to buy a bottle of water and stopped to say hi before heading back to the ship. Little did we know, some other friends had seen us too. After an hour of relaxing, we resumed our walk around the kids jumping off of the railing along the Ice Pond. Their aim is to soak anyone innocently walking past them. That’s why we took a wide path and walked in the bike lane. When we reached Banyon Drive, another buddy came across the street from the corner restaurant. They had also seen us sitting in the window, even taking our photo. By stopping to chat, we thwarted another attempt at a soaking by some older high school girls. They got tired of waiting for us to pass by, and dove in the pond. Too bad. Banyan Drive is an older hotel area from the 1950’s or earlier. At one time, many famous people had a banyan tree planted with their names and dates on plaques. One of the most famous was George Herman “Babe” Ruth, back in the early 30’s. Probably all of these donors have passed on, but these trees will live on forever. We entered Lili’uokalani Park full of ponds, Japanese ornamental statues and bridges, blooming trees, bamboo groves, and the best of all…..mongoose. We knew a good spot where a nice marble bench was near a volcanic rock outcropping, and we might see the little critters hiding under the green growth. And we were correct, as out popped a little mongoose looking for something to eat. As long we did not move, it came really close, until a lady came along with a dog. We still got some good shots of it. We circled back and hiked out to Coconut Island, or as the natives call it Mokuola. There is an active attempt at putting back the names of many icons to the original Hawaiian language so they do not become lost in time and memory. Many families were having a picnic while the kids swam or dove from the old bastions of a bridge. The BBQ’s were lit and tents were put up. The day had started out cloudy, with the sun peeking through. But knowing that the weather can change on a dime, it could rain. It felt like rain. Guess what? On our way back, it rained. We had stopped to pick up a Coke, because even with the clouds, it was really warm and humid. We are only allowed to bring a sealed bottle of water that can be bought on the ship. The same rules applied in Alaska as well. That’s when the rain began, heavy enough we could barely see the ship as the shower passed by it. Oh well, we had left the umbrellas on the ship, so we just stood under some of the old banyan trees and actually stayed pretty dry. It let up long enough for us to get back to the Volendam without getting wetter. To make things easier, before going out of the terminal, the officials were using facial recognition. There was no xray at all in this terminal. The ship did that instead, and it did slow the line down somewhat. We happened to come back the same time as a couple of the tour buses. It was good for one of us, since inching up the steep gangway slowly worked just fine. We spent the rest of the afternoon working on photos, reports, and simply relaxing. All aboard was 5:30pm, and we left the dock shortly afterwards. We stayed on our veranda to watch the sail away instead of going to the Seaview Pool. We understand that as the ship went out of the bay at the end of the breakwater, the rain resumed. The dining room dinner was perfect tonight. There was a good choice for us with appetizers of crispy spring rolls served piping hot, and Caesar salads….hold the anchovies please. Mains were veal parmigiana served over a bed of spaghetti and grilled zucchini. Extra marinara sauce made it even better. Desserts were one hot fudge sundae and a bowl of frozen strawberry yogurt with a side of sliced bananas. Great combination. We were happy, but tired campers. The World Stage was “dark” tonight as our buddies Greg and Heo would say. We have noticed a pattern with closed venues. Entertainment in the Explorers Lounge is dark two nights a week. The Mix bar and the World Stage are each closed one night a week. We believe that occurred even more often while on this year’s world cruise. This must have something to do with the contracts of the entertainers. Hate to admit it, but in the old days, nothing ever closed. But then, nothing stays the same forever, does it? Replacing the entertainment at 9pm was a Masquerade something-or-other. Not a “ball”. Masks that had been created a few days ago in a craft class could be used, but just for fun. To tell the truth, we only saw one couple donning the masks. The ship is now heading towards the island of Kauai, passing our original call at Lahaina, Maui. That port had been cancelled months ago after the devastating fire that wiped the historic town out. Lahaina was such a unique town and we are happy to have fond memories of our many visits there. Kimo’s for hula pie was one of those memories as was the gigantic banyan tree that is hopefully on the rebound. So we shall be doing scenic cruising along the east and north coastline of Kauai. Sounds like a neat plan. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #33 Saturday October 7, 2023 Sea Day Enroute To Hilo, Hawaii Partly Cloudy With Periods Of Sun 75 Degrees Part #1 Of 1.......74 Pictures---Casual Dress Day number five at sea made all the difference with the temperature and the humidity. We are now experiencing the tropics for sure. It’s no wonder that many guests came out early for a deck walk before it got even warmer. Too bad the working crew decided to close off the forward section of the promenade to do some overhead work using power tools. We all agreed it would have been better to do this job tomorrow when the ship is docked and the people would be ashore. Perhaps this type of work is not allowed while the ship is docked. Who knows? Today there was another 10am to 12:30pm brunch in the dining room. We looked up the menu and it is a three-course meal. There are two courses offered (limited choices) and dessert. Back in our room after the brief walk, we found the veranda’s sun to be intense. That reminded us to put some suntan lotion on the list for tomorrow’s shopping in Hilo. Nothing worse than an unexpected sunburn. Lunch was via room service. It was a bit disturbing when we were asked if we were isolated. Of course, the answer was heavens, no. Obviously, some people are sick, but how many? So when the waiter arrived with our food, we could not help but ask him if many folks are currently sick. Hesitating at first, he admitted that there are many ill people. From exactly what, we don’t know, nor has anything come close to being announced. All we know is that we need to be more cautious with hand-washing and using sanitizer. Avoiding crowds is also a good idea. Captain Paul did his usual talk after 12pm, but this time he added his condolences for any guests who had family and friends in Israel during this sudden attack. The N. Statendam just happened to be in Ashdod the day before, but it has been reported that the ship had left and all was well. We spent a better part of the afternoon glued to the TV. On a positive note, the Captain said to be sure to watch for whales tomorrow upon entering the port in Hilo. Many years ago, we did see the spouts on the horizon, but that was in January. Around 4pm, we went to the Ocean Bar to listen to the music of the pianist, which led to the Ballroom Dance Hour. We get a kick out of the dance couples enjoying the music as well. Friends Rosie and Randy happened along, and we spent some nice time chatting. By 6pm, we headed back to the room for a cocktail while watching what there was of a sunset. Watching the bow channel on TV, we noticed a few more folks have discovered the secret spot for viewing the west-setting sun…..deck six forward. It was the dining room for dinner with starters of a quesadilla and an egg wrap without hoisin sauce, which may have contained oyster sauce. Our waiter had them substitute the sweet and sour red sauce we love. Mains were one pork Weiner schnitzel and a rigatoni dish with chicken meatballs…..the closest to the beef meatballs one of us has been craving. Naturally, the meatballs and spaghetti entree was last night’s dinner and we were in the Pinnacle Grill. Both mains were quite good. Dessert was a chocolate sundae and frozen vanilla yogurt, both of which came with the triangle cookie. Wonder where they have been hiding these? The clocks went back one hour tonight to be on Hawaii time. Land ho….here we come. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #32 Friday October 6, 2023 Sea Day Enroute To Hilo, Hawaii Overcast And Cloudy Skies With A Little Sun 72 Degrees Part #1 Of 1........15 Pictures---Casual Dress With the hour back on the clocks last night, there was a line of guests waiting for the Pinnacle Grill to open for breakfast shortly before 8am. Ready or not….here we come. A new breakfast waiter, Agus, took our order for a change. We think we surprised him with all of the coffee we drink. The number of morning walkers doubled today. For one thing, there was no rain and even though the clouds persisted, it was warmer and a little more humid. And to top it off, there were a few masked boobies chasing after the flying fish. Studying their behavior, we think once these birds are full, they will land and rest on the water for a while. Since the closest island is Hawaii and over 700 miles away, we know these birds are true sea birds, and only go to land to raise their young. Another little observation we made is that the promenade windows are not cleaned with squeegees anymore. Years ago, we did a last-minute Alaskan cruise, taking any room we could get. That happened to be a window room on deck three. Every morning around sunrise, we woke up to the screech of our windows getting cleaned. Sort of like nails on a blackboard, we vowed never to book a room on that deck again. Now the cleaning is nearly silent. Checking out the activity at the Seaview Pool area, the Captain came on with his noon talk. He speaks so clearly, as does the cruise director, that his every word can be understood. Anyway, he and his staff captain had a bet on the type of sea birds that have been following the ship. Captain Paul guessed they were petrels, while the staff captain said they were laysan albatross. Their final decision was that they were the albatross, so the Captain gave this one to his friend. Now, in our opinion, these birds were the masked boobies, fitting the size, weight, coloration, and the areas they frequent. Perhaps they were seeing different birds that we did not see, but we know the behavior of these birds is far different from petrels or albatross. The sun had come out off and on today, so we took advantage of that on our veranda. Lunch was two burgers from the Dive-In, while we finished watching the movie Australia on our TV. We like that feature of being able to watch movies without having to get DVD’s at the front desk. When it is working, the newer flat screen interactive TV’s are a big improvement from what we had on the Amsterdam. For some reason, we have lost some of the signal around 3pm every day this week. It’s not like there are mountains to block the signal. Eventually, it comes back. It was the Pinnacle Grill for dinner this evening. It was not very busy at 7:30pm, so we got excellent service as always. The wedge salads were perfect with the hanging bacon. We both ordered steaks – one a filet and the other a smaller rib eye. French fries and mashed potatoes were the sides. Dessert was vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and pineapple sorbet. Nothing fancy, just refreshing. The show of Musicology with the Step One Dance Company must have been well attended since the crowd of folks filed by our “window” while we were eating dinner. We have seen this on the N. Statendam and enjoyed it. Tomorrow will be day number 5 crossing the Pacific. Ready to be landlubbers soon. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #31 Thursday Sea Day Enroute To Hilo, Hawaii Heavy Overcast With Showers And Some Sun 72 Degrees And Calm Seas Part #1 Of 1......... 4 Pictures........Casual Dress A mist of heavy fog greeted us early in the morning. Not quite thick enough for the foghorn, but enough to add a chill to the air and make the decks slippery. Good time to head for breakfast and some nice hot coffee. Captain Paul happened to make a surprise visit to the Pinnacle Grill about the same time a gentleman seated close to us was deep in a conversation with the manager about why he was not allowed to invite a friend to breakfast here. Unless that friend was in a Neptune Suite, they would not qualify to use this venue. When the Captain entered and stopped by this table, the man asked who he was….possibly another manager? Oh that was not the right thing to say, however the Captain did explain that’s how it works in here. The fact that this single person was paying double for his Neptune Suite did not make a bit of difference. With that said, he left the room. Anyway, we did finally get to meet Captain Paul, who seems very friendly, reminding us of Captain Friso who did the first half of the world cruise this year. Trying to solve our internet problems, we spoke to Joice, the assistant hotel manager, who was most helpful. Long story short (more or less) the signal in our room is weak at best. So Joice sent two IT fellows to our room within minutes to trouble-shoot. Checking the two hallway hot spots, they found them working. However, the signal in our room was all over the place. With his own laptop, one of the IT guys discovered that the distance from the hot spot made a difference in the reception. Our desk is located next to the veranda door, and the furthest spot from the hallway. As a test, we placed our laptop on the coffee table, and we got a better signal. Go figure…. Leaving the door opened also increased the signal strength, although that is not an option for us. Nothing was really solved, except for moving the computer around. Even with the upgrade of Starlink, it is not perfect. The rest of our day was more pleasant as we visited with friends. The drizzle had ceased for a while, so we went to the Seaview Pool to see if the sun was coming out. We did run into good friends and spent some time chatting. The sun eventually disappeared and it began to drizzle lightly. Most folks just sat in it. Oh well……we will get to the tropics soon we think. Lunch was Dive-In again. We did see that there was a dessert special in the Lido and while we were outside, and we did see people coming out with waffle cones that were dipped in chocolate. We stopped eating the ice cream cones when all they served were tiny old-fashioned cones on the world cruise. Other fun activities included Hawaiian bracelet making, ukulele playing, hula dancing, and aloha sunset cocktail hour. Lectures presented further education on volcanoes and iconic Hawaiian symbols. We spent some time walking the promenade and watching for flying fish, some of which were huge. No birds today. These flying fish will survive to see another day. Then at 5pm, we strolled by the Ocean Bar to find Ballroom Dancing Hour in full swing, as were the many couples who were also in full swing. Reminded us of dances one might learn at the Arthur Murray studios. Dinner was good with starters of Caesar salads, a Thai beef salad, and a bowl of bean soup. Mains were a diced short rib meat sauce with linguini….one of our favorites. And guess what was another item for dinner? Liver and onions….Barb. We thought about you. We had enough room for one hot fudge sundae and a toffee fig pudding. Good thing the portions are small. Showtime was a comedian John Wing guaranteed to make you laugh. And the clocks rolled back one more hour this evening. We believe there will be one more hour before we reach Hilo. Fine with us. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #30 Wednesday October 4, 2023 Sea Day Enroute To Hilo, Hawaii Partly Cloudy With Lots Of Sun And Afternoon Showers 72 Degrees Part #1 Of 1..........20 Pictures Coming back to our room after breakfast, we were surprised to find that neither of our room keys worked. We went straight to the front desk, where they made new keys. One of the fellows followed us up and tried each card. Still did not work. We waited in our room until the second set was printed, and when the fellow tried them, they both worked again. No explanation other than they had lost their magnetic strip, We do know putting your key card in a purse with magnets for closures, can erase memory. That might apply to one of us, but not both at the same time. Sure hope this is not going to happen again. During our morning walk, we saw the crew removing dozens of aluminum pouches from the tender boats overhead. Curiosity got the better of us, so we asked the workers what these were. They said Seven Oceans on them, and it turned out to be drinking water that is always stored in the boats in case of emergency. We assume they were dated and were being replaced. We always wondered how fresh water was stored in these boats, and now we know. You learn something new almost every day. Currently, we have good friends traveling on the Zaandam on the East coast. We asked them if the day of the week was printed on their Daily program. Yes, it was, and she even sent us a photo of the front page. In fact, it was the largest printed word on the front of the newsletter. We took the computer down to show this to the hotel director, but he was not in his office. But Joyce, one of the officers of a different department was there. After hearing our story concerning the lack of the day being on the newsletter, she took a photo of it with her phone, and promised to show the person who is responsible for the printing. Now we highly doubt it will be added, but we did not like being told yesterday that it was not happening on any other HAL ship. Cannot fool us old-timers…… The weather was warmer today, and we had some sun on the veranda. However, while sitting outside, a close-by neighbor appeared to be ill with a constant nasty cough. We could not help but hear him telling someone that the doctor put him on antibiotics due to his advanced age. Good grief…..we hope this is not the start of the Covid virus. Come to think of it, more than once, our room steward has asked if we were feeling OK. Then in the dining room a few nights ago, after ordering a bowl of chicken noodle soup, the head waiter asked if we were feeling seasick or ill. Nope…one of us loves chicken noodle/spaghetti soup. Anyway, it is enough for us to continue being careful with handwashing and sanitizer use. And avoiding crowds. For a change, we went up to deck nine aft right above the Seaview Pool. Enough sun was shining through the passing clouds, so we relaxed on the lounges for an hour. The outside speakers are working perfectly now, and when Captain Paul came on with his noon talk, we understood every single word. Valerie, the cruise director also spoke clearly and distinctly. Looking down below at the pool area, we can say that ½ of the lounges were occupied. Only a few folks were swimming in the clean cool water. Lunch was our Dive-In usuals – burger and chicken sandwich to go. Getting the food at 2pm only takes 10 minutes at the most. The only other event was seeing the start of the flying fish…some huge but most medium-sized. Later in the afternoon, a couple of boobys appeared. It was most entertaining watching them perform for us with soaring and diving for the fish. We expect to see many more of these cool birds the further south we drop. Then by 3pm, it began to sprinkle off and on. Nothing big, but it sure cooled the air off in a hurry. Dinner was German-themed. Now that is something new for the dining room. Lately, these special themed dinners have been served in the Lido, not in the dining room. Our salads were fairly simple, but the fried cheese was really tasty as was the beef soup with one dumpling. Our waiter is taking 30 seconds to heat the soup in the microwave and it has made a huge difference…so much better tasting. Mains were one Weiner schnitzel and the Club Orange special of Peruvian chicken. For no special reason, we have never ordered that meal, so tonight was a good time to try it. Of course it comes on a nice blue plaid plate. It was a half of a small chicken perhaps Cornish game hen and was seasoned nicely with a crispy skin. Very good. Desserts were one small fudge sundae and two tiny scoops of frozen strawberry yogurt. Yogurt has not been written in the menu, so we found out it is available every day. The World Stage hosted Humanity by the Step One Dance Company…..again. We would have missed the beginning because our meal went well past 9pm. Bill & Mary Ann