Come sail with me on a virtual cruise to Hawaii on Ruby Princess

[TeaBag]

Maybe it's time now to tell my story about Lahaina.  Since we had been to Hawaii many times, we decided to mix it up with the locals and take a trip to Wailea on the bus.  This is a fair long ways necessitating a change of buses in Kahului.  We really enjoyed chatting to the locals and loved our day in Wailea.  On the way back, the joy changed.  When we arrived in Kahului, we were told there had been an accident on the main road to Lahaina but they thought it might have been cleared by now.  NOT.  We got on our bus and sometimes made headway and then it would stop, then go again and after several rounds of this I had nearly no fingernails left.  DH kept trying to calm me down saying, if we missed the ship we could fly to Kona.  We finally reached Lahaina about the time the ship was due to sail!  We ran down the street through traffic and saw a long queue.  With a sigh of relief, DH said, 'See, I told you there would be others affected by the accident."  So we joined the line catching our breath.  But not for long as someone with a brain in their head noticed us and said, "I think you're off the cruise ship.  This is the queue for the dinner cruise!"  Oh my goodness.  We were off again running like the idiots we were around the corner where we saw an officer with a radio.  He asked what cabin we were in and when I told him he said into the phone "They're here!"  The tenders were long stowed on the ship and they brought us over on a Maui tender.  What a disaster.  I didn't breathe easy for at least an hour!  So, you see, sometimes they do wait for people!!

 

Another thing, Ellie.  I have wanted to ask you since you fell in love with a steward on Chandris, (loved the story) how did you end up on Princess?  Did you know Chandris was the parent of Celebrity Cruises and that is why there is an X, which stands for the Greek letter chi, on the funnel?  I think you should book one of those 6 or 7 day Silhouette cruises around the UK for you lucky UK people while you wait for your next big adventure.

Sorry for the long post.

[cr8tiv1]

And that "Teabag" is the reason I do not recommend leaving the Lahaina area when arriving via a cruise ship.  You were lucky that if you had missed this tender return you had the option to fly to Kona.  This port has since been eliminated and you would have to fly back to LAX and PAY the PVSA penalty.  Not to mention that glorious sea days on a lovely ship.

[cnd crsr]

5 hours ago, marden1970 said:

Lahaina is  one of my favorite ports.  Needing a fix, I went to Youtube and watched a video titled Lahaina Town Maui Hawaii April 2021.  A little different seeing it without all the cruise ship passengers. 

Like you my favourite Hawaiian port is Lahaina. Thanks for letting us know about the video so I will enjoy a short visit on Maui today without all the tourists.

Gail

[cnd crsr]

Hi Ellie,

So glad we are on  Maui today! We have always loved  to wander through the park, under the banyan tree and then around the shops. It was great going back to the ship and I can hardly wait to head over to a beach and enjoy a dip before we sail away.

Gail

 

PS - now I am off to watch to visit Maui in 2021 from my  living room.

[ellie1145]

22 hours ago, DUCHESSRN said:

Sadly I do not have all the details ,my Grandmothers Brother lived  in Canada .I lived in Montreal from 1950 for a couple of years then back to UK .I did not move to USA until 1983 rather reluctantly I might add. Took me a while to settle in here .

 

Ah, so she was visiting her brother. What an elegant way to cross the Atlantic that must have been. 

 

I imagine that life must have been very different for you when you relocated to the USA. I wonder what you missed the most, apart from family of course, but did you miss that good old British standby, a cup of tea? 😉

 

[azbirdmom]

2 hours ago, TeaBag said:

Maybe it's time now to tell my story about Lahaina.  Since we had been to Hawaii many times, we decided to mix it up with the locals and take a trip to Wailea on the bus.  This is a fair long ways necessitating a change of buses in Kahului.  We really enjoyed chatting to the locals and loved our day in Wailea.  On the way back, the joy changed.  When we arrived in Kahului, we were told there had been an accident on the main road to Lahaina but they thought it might have been cleared by now.  NOT.  We got on our bus and sometimes made headway and then it would stop, then go again and after several rounds of this I had nearly no fingernails left.  DH kept trying to calm me down saying, if we missed the ship we could fly to Kona.  We finally reached Lahaina about the time the ship was due to sail!  We ran down the street through traffic and saw a long queue.  With a sigh of relief, DH said, 'See, I told you there would be others affected by the accident."  So we joined the line catching our breath.  But not for long as someone with a brain in their head noticed us and said, "I think you're off the cruise ship.  This is the queue for the dinner cruise!"  Oh my goodness.  We were off again running like the idiots we were around the corner where we saw an officer with a radio.  He asked what cabin we were in and when I told him he said into the phone "They're here!"  The tenders were long stowed on the ship and they brought us over on a Maui tender.  What a disaster.  I didn't breathe easy for at least an hour!  So, you see, sometimes they do wait for people!!

 

 

Wow, you were very lucky!  With only one paved road as an option back to Lahaina you took a risk but all ended well.  What a story.

 

By the way thank you for your advice over on the Celebrity boards.  I am so used to Princess that it's a bit disconcerting to be learning an entirely new cruise line.  I'll probably be over there asking more questions - hoping they will be kind to a newbie!

[ellie1145]

2 hours ago, TeaBag said:

Maybe it's time now to tell my story about Lahaina.  Since we had been to Hawaii many times, we decided to mix it up with the locals and take a trip to Wailea on the bus.  This is a fair long ways necessitating a change of buses in Kahului.  We really enjoyed chatting to the locals and loved our day in Wailea.  On the way back, the joy changed.  When we arrived in Kahului, we were told there had been an accident on the main road to Lahaina but they thought it might have been cleared by now.  NOT.  We got on our bus and sometimes made headway and then it would stop, then go again and after several rounds of this I had nearly no fingernails left.  DH kept trying to calm me down saying, if we missed the ship we could fly to Kona.  We finally reached Lahaina about the time the ship was due to sail!  We ran down the street through traffic and saw a long queue.  With a sigh of relief, DH said, 'See, I told you there would be others affected by the accident."  So we joined the line catching our breath.  But not for long as someone with a brain in their head noticed us and said, "I think you're off the cruise ship.  This is the queue for the dinner cruise!"  Oh my goodness.  We were off again running like the idiots we were around the corner where we saw an officer with a radio.  He asked what cabin we were in and when I told him he said into the phone "They're here!"  The tenders were long stowed on the ship and they brought us over on a Maui tender.  What a disaster.  I didn't breathe easy for at least an hour!  So, you see, sometimes they do wait for people!!

 

Another thing, Ellie.  I have wanted to ask you since you fell in love with a steward on Chandris, (loved the story) how did you end up on Princess?  Did you know Chandris was the parent of Celebrity Cruises and that is why there is an X, which stands for the Greek letter chi, on the funnel?  I think you should book one of those 6 or 7 day Silhouette cruises around the UK for you lucky UK people while you wait for your next big adventure.

Sorry for the long post.

 

My goodness, what a story, TeaBag!

 

I was literally holding my breath wondering if you would make it in time. What a close shave you had. I can imagine your relief when you finally made it back onboard. 

 

Yes, I did know about Chandris being the precursor to Celebrity, and each time I see that ‘X’ on a Celebrity funnel it brings back memories. We have sailed on Celebrity Solstice, but Princess remains our favourite cruise line. 

 

We actually sailed on 3 Chandris ships, Australis, Ellinis and Britanis. They were lovely ships, nothing like the ships of today, but they had an elegance and a charm of their own. I remember the feeling of intense sadness when I saw Australis being pounded by the waves off the coast off Fuertaventura, when she ran aground en route to Thailand, before the sea finally took her.. 

 

It is really sad that so many of these beautiful and historic ships have been either sent to the breakers yards or have sunk. What an ignominious end to a glorious career. But unfortunately they are too costly to preserve, and only a couple of ships have ever been successfully saved - the Queen Mary, for one, and the Rotterdam. But what amazing tales they would have told about the design of ships and how they transported people across the world, with their wondrous interiors and beautiful teak decks.

 

So they can only live on in our memories, and hopefully, in photographs. 

 

It’s funny you should mention cruising round the UK on Celebrity as, against my better judgement, we have just booked a 6 night cruise on Sky Princess at the end of September. I had felt that I really didn’t want to do such an itinerary, particularly because of the prospect of bad weather, but my addiction to cruising is such that I suddenly realised that it didn’t matter where the ship was going, I needed to be on a ship sooner rather than later.

 

I have no idea whether this cruise will actually take place, but we thought it worth the risk, as there will have been several cruises before ours for Princess to see if they will work. 

 

I have to admit that I can’t wait to board Sky Princess, and should we make it I will definitely do another virtual cruise if you would like me to. Knowing what a treacherous piece of water the Irish Sea can be I can only hope that the weather will be kind to us. Otherwise I may have little to report apart from where to find a sick bag.....😉 

[ellie1145]

2 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

And that "Teabag" is the reason I do not recommend leaving the Lahaina area when arriving via a cruise ship.  You were lucky that if you had missed this tender return you had the option to fly to Kona.  This port has since been eliminated and you would have to fly back to LAX and PAY the PVSA penalty.  Not to mention that glorious sea days on a lovely ship.

 

Oh my goodness, what a disaster that could be! I guess this is one place you need to do a ship tour? Or has anyone had any success organising their own tour of this beautiful island?

[ellie1145]

1 hour ago, cnd crsr said:

Like you my favourite Hawaiian port is Lahaina. Thanks for letting us know about the video so I will enjoy a short visit on Maui today without all the tourists.

Gail

 

I shall be joining you, too, Gail, to see a little bit of Lahaina. 👍

[ellie1145]

1 hour ago, cnd crsr said:

Hi Ellie,

So glad we are on  Maui today! We have always loved  to wander through the park, under the banyan tree and then around the shops. It was great going back to the ship and I can hardly wait to head over to a beach and enjoy a dip before we sail away.

Gail

 

PS - now I am off to watch to visit Maui in 2021 from my  living room.

 

Well, Gail, I will see you on the tender after we’ve had a quick bite to eat. Don’t forget your ‘ cozzie!’ (Swimming costume) The water is looking good!

🏊‍♀️🏖️

[ellie1145]

Back to the ship for lunch

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, as we leave Lahaina the clouds are rolling down over the hills, and covering the blue skies. But ahead, Ruby Princess is still basking in the sunshine. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 18, 2021 by ellie1145

[DUCHESSRN]

6 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

 

Ah, so she was visiting her brother. What an elegant way to cross the Atlantic that must have been. 

 

I imagine that life must have been very different for you when you relocated to the USA. I wonder what you missed the most, apart from family of course, but did you miss that good old British standby, a cup of tea? 😉

 

I did miss a good cup of tea and many other things .Friends and family of course . Fish and Chip shop ,decent curry , Eastenders ...mainly I think the scenery and familiarity . In 2002 my Mother got ill and I was in UK for 5 weeks took Compassionate leave from work. After 2 weeks I felt as if I had never left . Of course it is so different now ,especially in London .

 

[TeaBag]

8 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

And that "Teabag" is the reason I do not recommend leaving the Lahaina area when arriving via a cruise ship.  You were lucky that if you had missed this tender return you had the option to fly to Kona.  This port has since been eliminated and you would have to fly back to LAX and PAY the PVSA penalty.  Not to mention that glorious sea days on a lovely ship.

We would never book even a private tour with others from the ship, at a port that was followed by a long sail at sea.  I hadn't thought of the PVSA!  That would have been an expensive bus trip!😀   I hadn't noticed that Kona is gone either.  It is not on our 2023 Celebrity cruise either.  They have added Kailua instead.  Why oh why don't they go back to Kauai?

[cr8tiv1]

20 hours ago, TeaBag said:

We would never book even a private tour with others from the ship, at a port that was followed by a long sail at sea.  I hadn't thought of the PVSA!  That would have been an expensive bus trip!😀   I hadn't noticed that Kona is gone either.  It is not on our 2023 Celebrity cruise either.  They have added Kailua instead.  Why oh why don't they go back to Kauai?

 

Just looked up your 2023 cruise.  Interesting itinerary (HNL to Vancouver?).  Mount Kilauea??? No such island.  Lahaina overnight?  Kailua-Kona is the formal name for Kona.  Kona is not on any Princess cruises.  That's fine with me.  I enjoy Hilo much more.  

 

Aren't you going to join Ellie and her entourage when "WE" do another Hawaii cruise from LA?  Hint, hint, hint....Wouldn't that be awesome.

[TeaBag]

Well, you see, we'd have to fly to LA for that one, but really it would be worth it to meet all of you wonderful people!  I am bummed that our plan to meet Ellie in Southampton before our Aug 26 cruise this year got shafted.  Celebrity cancelled it.  The Sept 4 one is still on the books but a lot of people are cancelling it too, as will we.

Is the LA cruise  LA return?  I'm sure I mentioned somewhere that we like to stay in Kauai in the timeshare for 2 weeks and then sail home.  It takes away the bitterness of having to leave Hawaii!

You are so right about Kona Kailua!  Duh!  We always just knew it as Kona.

i like that the cruise is 12 days in 2023.  it has always been either 10 or 11.

 

Edited May 20, 2021 by TeaBag

[ellie1145]

On 5/18/2021 at 2:08 PM, margord said:

I am loving this blog, as I did the one prior.  Is there a chance there will be another one after this?  It really helps to pass the time while waiting to cruise again.  I just had another cruise (this makes 9) cancelled.  This was on the Enchanted Princess for a 22-day sail in the Med.  It is depressing.  I want to get back to causing.  We booked as trans-Atlantic in November and am hoping that it will not also be cancelled.  In the mean time, I live through your blogs.

 

Marilee

 

Thank you, Marilee. I am thrilled to hear that you are enjoying this blog.

 

I would be happy to do another if anyone is interested. 

 

I am so sorry to hear about your cancelled cruise on the beautiful Enchanted Princess. No wonder you are feeling depressed. We have a transatlantic booked from Barcelona on Harmony of the Seas on October 31st, and it is now unavailable, as it has disappeared from the listings. 

 

Unless the CDC change their policy it won’t sail as it is a 14 day cruise. We are considering cancelling anyway, as we don’t really feel comfortable about the flight back, and need the pandemic to be under better control.

 

We are also nervous about the CDC’s recommendation that masks are no longer needed for fully vaccinated people, which is very worrying as how on earth can you tell who is vaccinated and who isn’t? Although we are fully vaccinated we will continue to wear a mask and practise social distancing, and it’s heartening to see how people here in the UK are remaining alert, and continuing to do both.

 

Cancelling will be very disappointing as we love transatlantic, but better to be safe than sorry. 

 

Fingers crossed that you will be cruising safely in the not too distant future. 

[ellie1145]

On 5/19/2021 at 4:04 AM, DUCHESSRN said:

I did miss a good cup of tea and many other things .Friends and family of course . Fish and Chip shop ,decent curry , Eastenders ...mainly I think the scenery and familiarity . In 2002 my Mother got ill and I was in UK for 5 weeks took Compassionate leave from work. After 2 weeks I felt as if I had never left . Of course it is so different now ,especially in London .

 

 

Yes, a good old cup of tea is something I would miss, too. Nothing quite like it! 😉

 

[ellie1145]

On 5/19/2021 at 5:51 AM, TeaBag said:

We would never book even a private tour with others from the ship, at a port that was followed by a long sail at sea.  I hadn't thought of the PVSA!  That would have been an expensive bus trip!😀   I hadn't noticed that Kona is gone either.  It is not on our 2023 Celebrity cruise either.  They have added Kailua instead.  Why oh why don't they go back to Kauai?

 

That is certainly very good advice, TeaBag. I had not thought about that, but it would be catastrophic on this cruise as we had 5 days at sea so would have had to fly to Ensenada! 🙈 

[ellie1145]

20 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Aren't you going to join Ellie and her entourage when "WE" do another Hawaii cruise from LA?  Hint, hint, hint....Wouldn't that be awesome.

 

Watch this space, cr8tiv1.......

 

We are considering a cruise from LA to Tahiti and Hawaii and then on to New Zealand - September 24th, 2022.  Tahiti is on my ‘bucket list.’ Mind you, there are rather a lot of sea days! 

 

 

 

[ellie1145]

18 hours ago, TeaBag said:

Well, you see, we'd have to fly to LA for that one, but really it would be worth it to meet all of you wonderful people!  I am bummed that our plan to meet Ellie in Southampton before our Aug 26 cruise this year got shafted.  Celebrity cancelled it.  The Sept 4 one is still on the books but a lot of people are cancelling it too, as will we.

Is the LA cruise  LA return?  I'm sure I mentioned somewhere that we like to stay in Kauai in the timeshare for 2 weeks and then sail home.  It takes away the bitterness of having to leave Hawaii!

You are so right about Kona Kailua!  Duh!  We always just knew it as Kona.

i like that the cruise is 12 days in 2023.  it has always been either 10 or 11.

 

 

I’m so disappointed that your August 26th cruise has been cancelled by Celebrity. It would have been amazing to meet you. But we will take a rain check and hopefully it will happen one day. Fingers crossed! 🤞

[JF - retired RRT]

31 minutes ago, ellie1145 said:

We are also nervous about the CDC’s recommendation that masks are no longer needed for fully vaccinated people, which is very worrying as how on earth can you tell who is vaccinated and who isn’t? Although we are fully vaccinated we will continue to wear a mask and practise social distancing, and it’s heartening to see how people here in the UK are remaining alert, and continuing to do both.

 

Same here. 

Maybe, they should brand the letter "V" on our forheads.😷

[ellie1145]

Here comes the bride!  🍾👰

 

As we make our way back to our cabin we are delighted to see this beautiful bride and her new husband. What a pretty dress! 

 

 

DH and I renewed our vows on Grand Princess a few years ago and it was a beautiful occassion.

 

 

Back in our cabin I peer out of the window and to my surprise see some huge fish swimming below. I'm afraid that our view at the best of times is pretty limited due to the lifeboat outside our window, but you  may just be able to discern them in the water. 

 

[ellie1145]

4 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Same here. 

Maybe, they should brand the letter "V" on our forheads.😷

 

I like that suggestion, JF-retired RRT. 😄

 

Or maybe those who have not been vaccinated should wear a t-shirt with 'I haven't had the jab' on it. 

[ellie1145]

‘It was an itsy bitsy, teeny weenie yellow polka dot bikini....’

 

After a quick bite to eat we gather up our belongings, and make our way to the tender station. I am a little disappointed that I won’t need to get an Elite Tender Ticket, which means that I have no use for my ‘I’m Elite!’ T-shirt either. 

 

 

 

The tender is waiting and we make our way onboard swiftly and are soon skimming across the water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is a lot sunnier than this morning, but ahead we can see the clouds drifting down over the mountains. 

 

It’s a beautiful sight to see. 

Edited May 20, 2021 by ellie1145

[cr8tiv1]

31 minutes ago, ellie1145 said:

 

Watch this space, cr8tiv1.......

 

We are considering a cruise from LA to Tahiti and Hawaii and then on to New Zealand - September 24th, 2022.  Tahiti is on my ‘bucket list.’ Mind you, there are rather a lot of sea days! 

 

 

 

 

I won't be on that cruise, but might be able to offer you my tour guide experience in Honolulu.  Still working on that trip.