CaptainR

On 9/10/2023 at 7:56 PM, Daghis said:

Oh, yes! You're speaking my language. I think I almost prefer night 1 Coastal Kitchen filet over paying an arm and a leg at Chops. Yeah, no question about that! 😄

 

For me, though, the soup is the French onion. That soup is like what they used to serve in Chops and it's so good, much better than the waterier version in the MDR from my experiences. Sadly, I just can't eat anywhere near as much as I used to, so it's either the filet or the soup these days.

 

Oh, and on our last cruise with friends, one of our friends is a real meat lover, and she really enjoys dinner at Chops. Our last cruise together had us in a GS and they in the JS next door. It was nice that we could have dinner together at CK. The maïtre d', bless his heart, made sure that she could have filet every night. 🥰

Daghis - Do recall the hours that the Coastal Kitchen is open in particular the hours for dinner? Thanks in advance.

CaptainR

On 5/16/2022 at 5:22 PM, 57redbird said:

Hope I'm not opening a can of worms but....we're booked on a cruise for February/March, 2023 & wondering if we are going to need Covid tests for each island we're supposed to visit & if so, does anybody know if the ship will adminster them?  TIA!

Of course COVID testing requirements are subject to change at a moment’s notice but we sailed FP on Oceania’s Regatta in March/April of this year and the COVID requirements for FP were:

1.     Mandatory COVID test before boarding flight to Papeete plus Oceania had their own COVID testing requirements before boarding

2.     COVID test administered upon arrival at Papeete airport (no longer in effect)

3.     No additional COVD tests for each FP island were required

4.     Regatta administered COVID test to all passengers upon return to Papeete; those leaving the ship testing positive went to 5 days quarantine in Papeete; those staying on Regatta for the cruise to more FP islands and Hawaii testing positive went to COVID jail (confined to stateroom) for 6 days; unfortunately I went to COVID jail

Hope this helps.

CaptainR

10 hours ago, drkitkat123 said:

with all you have experienced with the COVID lockup, would you have made the same decision to travel if you had your time over? I am trying to weigh up the risks (mainly of being locked up, rather than getting severe COVID) for our next booked trip

Think my COVID experience was rather unique.  My cruise was for 30 days so spending 6 days in COVID jail I only was confined for 20% of the cruise.  The three ports I missed while in quarantine I had visited on first leg of cruise so I only had the regret of missing an excursion in Bora Bora that I had decided to do on second leg of cruise.  I had a balcony cabin and the weather for all six days was bright and sunny so it afforded me the opportunity to soak up lots of rays and get plenty of fresh air. Regatta’s on demand movies selection was good and I enjoyed catching up on movies I had missed.  The Masters Golf Tournament was shown basically without commercials and it was exciting to cheer for the hometown Dallas kid who won.  Of course not thrilled to spend 6 days in COVID jail but overall my burden was not that great.

Think my experience would be entirely different if say I had to serve 6 days in COVID jail for a ten-day Alaska cruise.  Now we are talking about missing 60% of the cruise and missing numerous port I have not visited.  That would have been a real bummer and guessing my attitude would have been different.  While watching on demand movies I would be  thinking I am spending a lot of money for shows I could have seen at home on HBO or Netflix.  While the room service menu was expanded to include the Grand Dining Menu, I would be thinking I spent a lot of money for meals that I am eating on my bed or eating awkwardly off that small cabin table.  I hate to be a Debbie Downer but guessing I would have carried a heavier burden on a 10-day cruise.

Knowing my nature, I am sure I would roll the dice and still go on the 10-day Alaska cruise. To quote Wayne Gretzky “You miss 100% of the shots you do not take.”  Of course some shots are better than others and easier to make.

CaptainR

17 hours ago, SophieM said:

CaptainR, it’s Jane from the 3/25 cruise. Did you get Covid?

Jane - Yes in that I tested positive at the mandatory COVID test prior to Papeete.  Viv and I were rewarded with 6 days in COVID jail. My case of COVID was very, very mild and we survived the 6 days just fine.   Well, there was one time on day 5 when I almost pushed Viv over the balcony when she was taking too long to decide on room service and then she decided to put shampoo on all my food when I wasn't looking. 

CaptainR

12 hours ago, kibutzer said:

Our meet and greet did happen after a bit of miscommunication. 

Hey Bonnie - Thanks again for managing the MG to a great conclusion.  Was glad I got out of COVID jail in time to attend.

Jon - I was glad to find out that the "beer was still very cold" when released from COVID jail.

CaptainR

6 hours ago, vlthom said:

Through word of mouth, we heard that there were a handful of positive cases and those passengers disembarked and went to quarantine in Papeete. 

A minor correction to the record in that not all the passengers who tested positive at Papeete disembarked as I was one who did test positive and then, along with wife, was placed in COVID jail for 6 days for the start of the 18-day leg of the cruise.  Believe we were the only ones in COVID jail.  During this time was treated great by my cabin attendants, dining room staff regarding room service, medical staff who visited me twice a day for temperature checks and wellness visits, and Head Concierge called every day to check on me.  Was relieved that my encounter with COVID was very, very mild. At conclusion of cruise, I felt very lucky as no doubt the Regatta staff had a large COVID issue to deal with and when I was in COVID jail it was only us. 

CaptainR

Hey Jeff – As requested I have attached (of course that would depend if I actually used the Cruise Critic posting system correctly) the CDC notice I received from Oceania regarding possible exposure to COVID-19.  Similar to others who have posted here at Cruise Critic I received the notice from Oceania in an email on March 19.  In anticipation of a possible additional inquiry I will affirm that I have absolutely no direct knowledge if a passenger was infected by COVID-19 when they where onboard the Riviera nor has Oceania provided any confirmation as to whether a passenger was infected during the February 26 cruise. Oceania only confirmed that CDC provided notification to Oceania that a passenger who sailed on the February 26 sailing has tested posted for COVID-19.

The context of the Oceania notification email has been previously posted on Cruise Critic but I will repost:

The safety and security of our guests and crew are at all times our first priority.  You are receiving this communication because our records indicate that you were a passenger on the March 11, 2020 voyage of the Riviera.  Oceania Cruises has been provided information by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that a guest who traveled aboard the vessel on the February 26, 2020 voyage of the Riviera has tested positive for COVID-19.  At this time, we are aware of no other similar cases from this voyage or the March 11, 2020 voyage and none of our crew are experiencing any symptoms whatsoever.  However, in an abundance of caution, the CDC has asked that we forward the attached to you for your review and consideration

CaptainR

CDC Maritime_INFOCard_ExposedTraveler.pdf

On 4/8/2020 at 6:00 PM, Jeffrey Lebowski said:

Riviera departed Miami on March 11th.  On March 13th, Oceania halted operations.  Those who had embarked on this cruise sat on the ship until it could dock in Miami on the 16th.

 

Those who chose to embark on this cruise were offered 100% cash refund or 125% FCC.  Those who were smart enough to avoid getting on this ship were offered only 100% FCC.

 

I am among those smart enough to not set foot on that ship given the circumstances.  

Here’s hoping that you did not separate your shoulder by patting yourself on the back for being so smart.

I embarked on the March 11 sailing so guessing you would consider me “not-so-smart.” By boarding on March 11 we experienced was a very nice “free” 5 day cruise to no-where on a ship that was less than half full (no waiting at the bars that is for sure or hunting down a deck chair), great weather, really nice fellow cruisers, and a ship that was the cleanest I have ever experienced.  The cruise staff took many extra cautions such as paper menus (single use), doors to public bathroom were secured open all the time (did make it interesting looking for the paper sign that designated whether it was a female or male bathroom), and food handling was done with many extra precautions. While the staff faced many unknowns they continued to perform their jobs with great cheer.

As we had booked airfare using Oceania they rebooked our flights for a Monday departure from Miami so no having to mess with that detail.  Additionally, all passengers where provided free transfers to the airports so if you had purchased transfers they refunded your money. I did really feel bad for those passengers from Europe who did experience difficulties in arranging new flights back home.

One small correction to your posting in that we were given the option of 100% refund or 150% FCC and not the 125% that has been posted.  The future cruise desk was crowded with many passengers taking advantage of the 150% FCC to book a new cruise.  We certainly were part of that crowd.

As always looking forward to our next cruise.

May your next cruise be  blessed with calm seas, great weather and of course virus free.

CaptainR

Long time ago I use to navigate Navy patrol planes and sometimes the only navigation tool that was available over the vastness of the Pacific and Indian Ocean was the sextant.  While I could relate several good stories of my experiences with sextants my favorite sextant story is as follows:

In a boating related magazine there was a story about how an employee was retiring and because he was going to do a lot of sailing in his retirement his fellow employees decided to purchase him a really nice sextant as a going away gift.  The person, a male, tasked with procuring the sextant was having a hard time locating one so decided to go try their luck at a large sporting goods store.  Upon entering the sporting goods store they went to customer service and asked the female service representative if their store sold sextants.  The service rep starting blushing but managed to respond with “We sell all sorts of tents.  What you do in them is your business!”

CaptainR

Ken – We recently sailed this 28-day itinerary in April 2019 and the weather for the 28 days was really good with only an occasional shower.  What I did not expect was how cool the temperature (mid 60’s and windy) was on the first 2 days out of LA and the last 3 days heading back to LA.  Accordingly, be sure and bring a light coat for those days.

In regards to your comment about pricing I can report that there were approximately 5 couples on our April 2019 Cruise Critic Roll Call that rebooked for the October 2018 cruise because the pricing for their cabin was substantially lower much like the $3k difference you have noted.  Guess that just goes to show that cabin pricing can be a real mystery.

CaptainR

I have twice used Island Marketing to book a jet ski excursion to stingray city and both times it was looks of fun and well run.  As it is a small group your tour guide gives a great experience at stingray city.  Here is link to their website for Grand Cayman:

https://grandcaymancruiseexcursions.com/

It was a short walk to the transportation pickup point from the cruise terminal.  The excursion departs from a hotel and at the hotel they have a place to leave items such as towels or other clothing.  The beach where you mount the jet ski is rather rocky so be sure to wear a pair of sandals or water shoes which you can take off and put in one of the storage compartments.  Also bring some money to buy a drink at Rum Point where you stop for an hour or so.

One recommendation is to book individual jet skis instead of booking double riders.  Yes, it is more expensive but riding single provides a better overall experience.

And I thought you did put your post in the port forum.

My vote would be for the Smith Family Laua in Kauai. While the entertainment at the Old Lahaina Laua is somewhat better than the show at Smith’s Laua the food at Smith’s Laua was far better than what was served at the OLL the two times I attended OLL. The pull pork was especially a great treat. We booked the Smith Laua through Roberts Tour and they sent a large bus to the port to take us, there were about 90 cruisers from the Pride of America, to the Smith’s Laua.

I have been trying to book and prepay parking for my Vision cruise on January 22, 2018 and the date of the cruise is not coming up on the websites for Park N Cruise or Port of Galveston parking. Is it still too early to reserve???? Anyone else trying to book for that time with better results???

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Do not think it is too early to book as I have reserved a space with Park N Cruise for my January 21, 2018, Carnival Breeze cruise. If Vision of the Seas is not showing up on their drop-down menu for ships sailing out of Galveston I would just call them directly to see about booking a space. You probably will be doing them a favor letting them know that their website needs to be revised to include sailings for the Vision.

CaptainR

We have used Lighthouse Parking. They have covered parking, not indoor, and have a shuttle to and from the terminal. They have been a great place to park. Was thinking of using the Indoor parking on our cruise in November, but someone said the indoor parking is very hard to get a larger vehicle in and out of. Is Park N Cruise easy to get a large SUV in and out of the parking spots? Thanks.

Twice I have parked a full size Suburban using indoor parking at Park N Cruise and it was not that big a deal as the attendant can always assist you in getting into the parking space. Additionally when you reserve a space on-line they request the type of vehicle you will be parking such that the last time they had kept open for me a large corner parking space and it was a breeze pulling into and out of the space.

CaptainR

deburn – On cruise ships I attempt to avoid looking at the actual cost of a bucket of beer as the sticker shock may limit my consumption of such. Would rather just get all the bad news at once on the morning I am leaving the ship when I look at the onboard bill they slip under my cabin door. However, believe that a bucket of beer, which would consist of five 16oz domestic beers, was around $25 plus the gratuity. Good news is that they were more than willing to combine different flavors of beer and even once prepared a bucket made up of only Hawaiian brewed beers. We were in cabin 8610 which is a port side cabin.

franma – We stayed one night prior to the cruise date and one night after the POA’s return. On both occasions we rented two large cars because we wanted to see some of the sights on Oahu which included the USS Arizona Memorial and rental cars met our needs. If you are looking for transfer service from airport, hotel, and cruise pier, I would certainly take a look at Roberts Tours who provide such service.

Thanks to all who posted nice comments about my review.

CaptainR

Not as timely as I wanted to be in posting this item but as each cruise I take is greatly enhanced by the wealth of information I receive from CruiseCritic thought I would take a few moments to share a few items from my recent June 15-22, 2013, cruise on Pride of America around the Hawaiian island in hopes that I may be able to return the favor of enhancing one’s cruise.

My Gang: My travel party consisted of eight which included my wife, two sisters and their spouses, one mid-twenty year old niece and my 80 year old mother. With the exception of the niece we are all experience cruisers (I have 20+ cruises) and except for my wife and I the others were new to travel to Hawaii. The reason for the cruise, as if one really needs a legitimate reason to go on a cruise, is that my mother last year wanted to sail on a theme cruise, that being the Turner Classic Movie cruise on Celebrity, and she was certain it sailed to the Hawaiian islands. While she and I did sail together on this TCM cruise earlier this year the cruise departure point was Miami and was only for 5 nights so going to Hawaii was not really part of the itinerary. However, my mother still wanted to do a Hawaiian Island cruise so she offered to pay (more like a bribe) the cost of the airfare and cruise for all of us if we would take her. Thus the real reason for the cruise is that it was free! Well almost free in that no way would Mom ever consent to pay for my on-board bar tab – she may be very generous but she is not fool hardy.

So that is how the 1%ers live! After booking the cruise and being the bad son I am, I told my mother that since it was a really long flight to and from Dallas to Hawaii that we should fly first class. She consented. What an experience which I will reduce down to saying that the flight over to Hawaii was so enjoyable that I was actually looking forward to the return flight to Dallas. Downside is that I will never, ever, be able to go vacation in Hawaii again as my wife will now only go there if we fly first class. Clarification: My wife proof read this review for me and provides the clarification that she would have no problem going back to Hawaii with me in coach and her in first class.

This is the #%^*#$ check-in line! After getting rid of the luggage we preceded in doors to the check-in line. Guessing they were attempting to do some type of promo for the ship’s spa as the temperature in the building was very warm and humid, similar to a spa sauna. This was no doubt the slowest check-in process I have ever encountered. After standing and sweating in line for about 30 minutes the check-in fairy provided her blessings in that a NCL representative came through the line looking for previous NCL cruisers. As we were ones he then directed us to the Priority Boarding Line in which there was no one in line. In very little time we had cabin keys, exited the sauna, and walked aboard the POA.

Shape of the Lady. Going to admit that I most likely saw only about 50% of the POA (like I have no idea where the gift shops and photo store are located but on the other hand even if I was blindfolded I could easily lead you to the Waikiki Bar) but what I did see was first rate. It was obvious that the 2 week dry dock she recently experienced made her look great and they were still working on upgrades as we actually received new carpet in our cabin mid-week of the cruise. The fitness center was also first rate and stayed open 24 hours which is unusual for a cruise ship. Of course I tend to avoid fitness centers while on cruises as using a treadmill or stairmaster makes my beer foam. One item of note is that it was rather unusual to see the American Flag flying off the stern of a cruise ship but great to see it there.

Skipper and Gilligan (the crew). Thought the crew and the service they provided was above average for a cruise ship. One item I did note is that as it was mostly American there was a lot of good nature bantering between the cruise staff which is most likely not a concept that works between multi-cultural cruise staffs. Believe this good nature bantering plus the fact the staff seems to get a lot more time ashore than a typical Caribbean cruise itinerary contributes greatly to good morale of the staff. We received a notice that new carpet was to be installed in our cabins on the day we were in Kona which was the day my mother was intending to stay onboard in her cabin because of the tendering process. A call to guest services quickly resolved any issues as they stated they would simply delay replacement of her cabin’s carpet until our disembarkation. Special kudos to Shelia and Todd of the Waikiki Bar who provided great service and always made sure there was lots of ice in my beer bucket. Make that buckets.

The Howells, Mary Ann, Ginger, and the Professor (the passengers). Almost unanimously, the passengers consisted of a lot of great folks looking to have a great time and not once did I observe any passenger berating a staff member as though there were their personal servant – that cannot be said of all my cruises. There were lots of first time cruisers, lots celebrating special events and several families from Australia and Europe. Most passengers were like us in that they had either pre or post cruise plans to stay on the inlands for a few days.

Battle of the Bulge: Really enjoyed the food on the POA. Breakfast in the Aloha Cafe was good (there are 3 omelet stations so not much waiting) especially the fresh fruit section. Not by design but we had one dinner in the Aloha Cafe which for dinner was rather under-whelming. One lunch was at the Cadillac Grill and as others have suggested try the $4.50 milk shakes as they are well worth it. Additionally the on deck grill lunch provided from noon until 1400 of the Kauai sail away was tasty. Ate dinner twice in the Skyline Restaurant in which the service was good and the food quality was average for a cruise ship. Had previously read on CruiseCritic that long pants were required of men to dine in the Skyline Restaurant but that was simply not the case as no one was turned away for wearing shorts though others should have been for wearing ball caps and shirts that bordered on being tank tops. We did dined at Cagney’s and most of us thought it was worth the extra $30 dollars. By far our best dining experience was Teppanyaki which was greatly enjoyed by all in my family so well worth the extra $25 per person. For our cruise on the POA the old saying that “You come on board as a passenger and leave as freight” was certainly applicable.

Liberty Call! Liberty Call! So here is a brief run down on “What I did Last Summer” in regards to our port visits:

Maui (Sunday) – Off the ship by 0800 to catch rental car van to airport and were back at the cruise ship parking lot by 0900. Went to Kanapalli Beach, specifically Whalers Village, where we had booked advanced reservations with UFO Parasailing (http://www.ufoparasail.net/). Parasailing was not on my hit parade of things to do in Hawaii but it was done at the request of my niece. However, the staff at UFO Parasailing was great and the actual ride between the three islands (Maui, Lanai, and Molokai) was first rate. Following the ride we did a beach side lunch at the Hula Grill which was most enjoyable. For dinner that night we drove the short distance to Mama’s Fish House (http://www.mamasfishhouse.com/) (reservations are almost a must for this place). Yes drinks are expensive ($15 for a mai tai) as are entrees (average price is about $45) but dining at Mama’s Fish House is one of those great dinning events one should experience.

Maui (Monday) – Reveille was at 0200 with a muster time of 0245 for our Haleakala Sunrise and Downhill Bike excursion we booked with NCL. At about 0201 I was trying to remember why I thought several months ago that this would be a good excursion to take. The sunrise was great to experience in that twice before I had attempted to drive up Haleakala to experience the sunrise only to arrive about 5 minutes late each time. Had previously biked down Haleakala with Maui Down Hill and had a great time but there were only 5 riders to contend with in our group. On this excursion, also with Maui Downhill, there were 16 riders which caused a few issues. One such issue was that they always place the slowest rider in the front and they set the pace. For us the slowest rider was a lady who had not ridden a bike in over 25 years. Needless to say the pace was rather mundane at times. I did notice that another tour group operating that day was Haleakala Bike Ride which allows for everyone to go down the mountain at one’s own pace. A fellow cruiser I spoke with later told me that they had done this excursion in which they were down the mountain by 0900 and having a beer at a local bar while waiting on the other bikers to complete the ride. Sounds like my type of bike ride.

Hilo – Booked the Hilo/Volcano National Park excursion with Ricky’s Tour (http://rickystourshawaii.com/Home_Page.html). Our tour meet time was for 0830 and Ricky was promptly there at 0820. There are several review postings about Ricky’s Tour on CruiseCritic so will not go into great detail other than to say we all had a great time with Ricky and he was especially helpful to my mother in regards to assisting her in and out of the van plus answering her numerous questions including the ones she asked more than once. While it would certainly be cheaper to just rent a car to see Hilo and the Volcano National Park Ricky’s knowledge and stories greatly enhanced the tour for us. For the lava flow viewing we went up port side on deck 13 at 2100 and positioned ourselves just before the Waikiki Bar. We then “borrowed” some chairs from the starboard side of the Waikiki Bar and awaited the lava sail-by which of course was just spectacular. Do not miss this one event.

Kona – For my Caribbean cruises I have used Island Marketing (http://www.hawaiicruiseexcursions.com/BigIslandOutriggerTours.htm) for several excursions and for Kona I used them to book a combination beach/snorkeling/outrigger ride (a one hour ride around the harbor area) at a price of $60/person. Off on one of the first POA tenders and made the short walk to the Kona Boys shack which is located on the small beach close to the tendering pier. The attendant, Chris, immediately set us up with nice beach chairs and umbrellas in a prime spot on the beach plus fitted us with snorkel gear. We greatly enjoyed this relaxing time until about 1015 when the worst possible thing could have happened – everyone else got off the ship and joined us on the beach. When we first check-in at Kona Boys they informed us that their outrigger was “still in the shop” but they would be taking us up the coast (of note, the Kona Boys provided a bag for our valuables which they locked away in their safe) to experience a remarkable outrigger experience. How correct they were in that we got to experience a ride on a replica Tahitian outrigger which is used to teach Hawaiian students about their culture and heritage. After a very short use of the motor the “claw sail” was hosted and we enjoyed 1.5 hours sailing the Kona coast while our instructor, Chief, provided us with informative tells of Hawaiian lore, entertained us with his great ukulele and Tahitian drum playing and announced our arrival back into port by blowing of the conch shell. It was a truly great Hawaiian experience. Kudos to the Kona Boys for arranging this substitution as they could just have easily said “the outrigger is busted – here is $20 compensation.” Upon return to the beach did some snorkeling which was worthwhile.

Kauai (Thursday) – My brother-in-law recently purchase a Nikon camera with more features and functionality than the original space shuttle. So for something different we did an excursion with Kauai Photo Tours (http://www.hawaiianphotos.net/Kauaitours.htm). Because of need to be back to the ship by a certain time we could not book one of their standard tours but had to arrange a private tour which was somewhat pricey. However, by the end of the tour we no longer thought the tour was pricey as our guide, Matt, took us to many wonderful locations on Kauai and was a master in demonstrating to my brother-in-law so many uses of his Nikon camera. Accordingly, Kauai Photo Tours is highly recommended. Being in Hawaii we had to do the luau thing so for that evening we went to the Smith’s Family Luau (http://www.smithskauai.com/luau.html) which we booked through Roberts Tours (http://www.gorabbitgo.com/) (price $99) and would guess we were joined by about 80 others from the POA on the bus ride to the luau. I have been to several other Hawaiian luaus and the Smith’s Family is by far the best I have ever been too. The grounds are just beautiful, the facilities first rate, food and drink service is quick and most unusual for a luau is that the food was really good. No I am not lying and it is not because of the numerous mai tais I had consumed - it really was good and one could go back for seconds which I did for the delicious pork. Our table hostess, Allyson, escorted my mother through the serving line and carried her plate back to the table. Mom wanted to give her a small tip to show her appreciation and basically had to pry Allyson’s hand open to take it. The show is performed at a different location and Allyson arranged for Mom to be driven on a golf cart to the stage area. Her driver was Mr. Smith, yes THE Mr. Smith of the Smith’s Family Luau, who seated her mid-stage on like the 50 yard line. When we finally joined Mom she was saving us great seats around her by using her walking stick to fend off anyone attempting to set near her. The show was most enjoyable and at the end they provided a tram to drive guests back to the parking lot. So if in Hawaii and have the need or want to go to a luau I would highly recommend the Smith’s Family Luau. To quote Jim Bob Briggs the famous drive in movie critic: I give it 4.5 stars out of 5. Check it out!

Kauai (Friday) – Nothing special as most went shopping but one of my brother-in-laws and I just walked over to the nearby beach for some beach time. Found out that the nearby Duke’s opened at 1100 and at 1101 we were seated at the end of the bar enjoying cold Kona Longboards and the awesome view. We were having such a great time there that we thought about just staying at Duke’s for the rest of the day and then go rent a car and drive to Honolulu to meet the ship when it pulled in on Saturday but the bar tender, Milo, was nice enough to point out a couple of minor flaws in that awesome plan so we abandon it. At 1315 Milo pointed us in the general direction of the POA and we managed to board in time for the last sail away. For the Na Pali coast sail-by our cabin steward unlocked the dividers between our balcony rooms so that as a family we could enjoy this event together. The passenger in the cabin next to ours leaned over and stated he had requested that the dividers be open but was told no and wondered how we had managed to do so. Simply told him that we had asked “real nice” but did not tell him that most likely it was because we had been providing additional tips to the cabin steward throughout the week.

What do you mean I have to get off the ship! As with every cruise sadly that day comes. I enjoyed one last trip to the Aloha Cafe buffet for one last grazing at the awesome fruit station. At 0900 they made a public announcement that everyone must depart the ship so we reluctantly dragged ourselves off the ship to retrieve our luggage and find the rental car courtesy shuttle.

Hints from Heloise: Here are some ideas that hopefully will be of value for your Hawaiian cruise on the POA.

Binoculars: Bring a pair as they will greatly enhance your viewing of both the lava and Na Pali coast sail-by.

Use of Porters at the Pier: When there is a long line for check-in of baggage, simply locate a porter who will take your luggage and you get to avoid 30+ minutes of standing in line while hauling around your entire luggage. A nice tip to the porter is a great investment to avoid this hassle.

Disembarkation Instructions. Not much information was given out on disembarkation of the POA. Being experience cruisers not an issue for us but if new to cruising (and as noted I met a lot of first time cruisers on board) thinking it could be rather confusing. So if the POA is your first cruise do not be shy about asking about the disembarkation instructions.

Unless you like long waits avoid Dollar Rental Car for Post Cruise: After locating our luggage we arranged for a porter to haul our luggage to the rental car shuttle area. He asked what rental car agency we had and upon informing him it was Thrifty he responded “Great! Just be glad it is not Dollar. Not sure why but Dollar is very slow about sending shuttle vans to the Pier.” Sure enough we walked outside the cruise terminal and there must have been at least 75+ persons waiting for a Dollar shuttle. For Thrifty there was a shuttle waiting and we were immediately off to the Thrifty rental agency.

Validated Parking: Not sure if it is a new trend but on several occasions when we parked in paid parking lots and had our parking ticket validated by a vendor but the validation did cover the complete cost of the parking. Such as at Whaler’s Village the validation only covered $21 of the $33 parking tab. Bottom line is be prepared to pay the shortage not covered by the validation.

Kona Beach Area. If you go to the small beach near the Kona tendering area an ABC shop is just around the corner (as at most places in Hawaii) which can be used to purchase drinks and snacks during you stay on the beach.

USS Arizona Memorial. As others have noted you may go online (http://www.recreation.gov/welcome.do) and pre-select a date and time for your trip to the USS Arizona Memorial. The $1.50 spent on this pre-reservation is well worth the cost of avoiding the lines and helping you plan your trip there.

GPS for marking location. There is a GPS app for iPhones (guessing there is a similar for Android) which can be used to mark places of interest as to where you have been. For example on Kauai we went to several off the path locations for picture taking and to find our way back there on a return to Hawaii or share with friends my sister marked them on her iPhone using this app. Marking a spot could also be done with any GPS unit or of course with any GPS equipped camera.

Gordon Biersch. As we did not depart home to Dallas until Sunday we went to the Gordon Biersch brew pub for dinner on Saturday night. Other than of course for their beers, reason for selecting this place is that it is located at the Aloha Towers Pier which is right next to where the POA docks in Honolulu. At 1900 one can clearly see (that is if one is not crying because you are not on the POA) the POA departing Honolulu thus it makes for a great picture taking opportunity.

Kona Beer Pub at airport. For those individuals like me needing one last fix of a Kona Longboard or other Kona beer before that trip back to the mainland there is a nice Kona Beer pub located within the Honolulu airport.

Not sure what my expectations were before departing on this cruise. However if the intent of a family vacation is to have a great time, share new experiences together and make lasting family memories then no doubt our cruise on the POA was a great success.

Our cruise was blessed with beautiful blue skies, fair winds, and following seas. May your cruise be as blessed as was ours.

CaptainR