Category: Star Princess

The Last Post

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Don’t blame me, the title was Gail’s idea. It will likely be the final post of this trip. In summary, it was the coolest and roughest Pacific crossing ever. Three out of four days in Hawaii were great, only the storm on our second day on the islands caused problems. We skipped the port of Kauai, the Captain opting to wait out the storm in Honolulu. As it turned out the weather was bad on all the islands that day.

It was still a lovely way to enjoy the holidays. The food was good as was the entertainment. We encountered quite a few passengers with whom we knew from previous Christmas cruises. Dancing was good, musically, and better when the floor was staying in one place. It turns out that roller coaster dancing is not so easy.

The disembarkation went smoothly and we were off of the ship, with luggage and on board the bus for our transfer to LAX by 8:15 AM. We arrived at LAX Terminal 2 about 9:00 AM. There was no-one at the Westjet check-in counter and we were not charged for our checked bags. I did not challenge that decision. LAX is under construction, again, and what airport is not? After the check-in process in Terminal 2 we were directed to our boarding gate in Terminal 3. It was not a long trek although we did have to walk outside to pass the construction zone.

Now all we can do is wait. Hope the weather is favourable or our return.

Aldous Huxle

To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.

Ensenada then home again

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I managed to get some photos uploaded today. If you click on the email post and visit the web site you should be able to find them. Click on the Christmas Cruise 2019 under the Photo Gallery menu.

January 1, 2020 and Gail is in rehearsal for the Aloha ‘Oe Farewell Show where the ukulele and hula students show what they have learned. Dave and Leialoha, the Hawaiian ambassadors and entertainers work with groups of passengers during sea days to teach several melodies and hulas. This year there will be around 150 passengers performing this year.

Without doubt this has been the roughest Pacific crossing we have experienced a dozen trips. It has also been one of the coolest. It seems we have always been at the edge of a storm system but I suppose we should be glad it was only the edge. I don’t mind the motion of the ship; Gail and others find it uncomfortable to varying degrees.

Princess Cruises has been introducing a high speed internet service called MedallionNet but not yet on this ship. I was surprised to learn that it will be implemented this year even though the ship will leave the Princess fleet in 2021. It is interesting how our expectations change. When I first began the travel journal I was happy to have any internet service on board even if it often vanished when far offshore. The current service provides reasonably reliable service globally but not at speeds needed to deal with the amount of data associated with photos and video. The new services like MedallionNet which are becoming available on most ships is capable of meeting the demands of streaming music and video. Coincidentally, I am currently reading a book titled “TUBES, A Journey To The Centre Of The Internet” by Andrew Blum. This book takes me back through my career with computers which began before the Internet.

We are in Ensenada today, January 2 and it is sunny but not hot. Never-the-less it is warmer than home in Burlington. We have enjoyed traveling with a number of people we have met on previous cruises and today we started our good-byes. Tomorrow we start home.

I managed to check-in with WestJet and get electronic boarding passes with no difficulty this year. Last year it was extremely difficult as the ship’s internet was paralyzingly slow. Today was just fine.

See you all soon.

Hilo then back at sea

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It has been several days since the last posting. The internet has been spotty and too unreliable to even get much in the way of email much less upload a post or photos. Perhaps things will improve while we are at our berth in Ensenada.

Since leaving Hilo the weather has been overcast and grey. The seas have been heavy, the wind has been strong and the outside decks have been closed. Although the ship has handled the rough seas quite well, the decks have been in continuous motion. Walking from port to starboard the trip may involve both uphill and downhill sections. People walk the length of the deck look like they have consumed way too much alcohol, weaving from side to side. The elevators sway and make strange clunking sounds.

However, today, our last sea day before the port of Ensenada, Mexico is bright and sunny. The open decks are once again available for us to walk outside.

Hilo greeted us with a warm sunny day although somewhat overcast. We spent the day just enjoying the warmth that has been uncharacteristically missing this trip. The ship was quite empty with most passengers taking advantage of the last island port.

Among the decorations around the ship are a number of wreaths constructed by various departments. Each department seams to have attempted to use an appropriate motif. Eventualy, there will be photos.

When we departed Hilo for the five day return to continental North America with a stop at Ensenada, Mexico. On the first evening we indulged in the Crown Grill steakhouse thanks to a gift certificate from our travel agent Laurie. It was also a formal night but the floors were too bouncy for much dancing. 

New Years eve was another formal evening. We managed to dance a little. I think the floor was still moving too much but perhaps we are becoming accustomed to the motion.

Honolulu Day 2 and Maui

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The weather on this 2019 Christmas day in Honolulu, Hawaii is overcast and drizzly with mist covering the hills down to the sea. The winds are strong. Strong enough that the ship’s lateral thrusters are being used to hold the ship on the berth and reduce the strain on mooring lines. Out beyond the breakwater waves are rolling ashore relentlessly, probably making west coast surfers overjoyed.

Everyone with whom I have spoken seems to have taken a positive view of the Captain’s decision to skip the Kauai call. I have been to the Port at Nawiliwili numerous times and the entry is difficult under good weather conditions. The harbour entry is narrow requiring a slow right turn into the breakwater opening followed immediately by a left turn and complex rotation of the ship to the berth. It would be nearly impossible to execute in high winds. This is compounded by the fact that the harbour can only be used during daylight hours. Honolulu is a much more desirable place to be marooned.

We spent our first morning in Honolulu by taking the free shuttle to Hilo Hatties at the Ala Moana centre. There was a half hearted search for a muumuu, which failed, followed by a quick trip to the nearby Walmart to pickup our first supply of macadamias and a few other items of opportunity. In past years only the shell lei provided on arrival at the centre was the only credential required to take the return shuttle. This time the lei was required to obtain a return trip ticket from the Hilo Hatties cashier. This assures that everyone actually visits the shop.

Our afternoon found us walking, for about an hour, to the Foster Botanical Garden where we walked for another hour or so. The majority of blooms were done for the season except for the conservatory greenhouse. There were, however, many species of shrubs and trees that aren’t seen in our home region.There were still a number of butterflies in one area of the garden and I managed to get one to pose briefly. Caterpillars were busy gorging on leaves in hopes of becoming butterflies someday. A tiny gecko also posed for us before we left the garden. During a stop at the gift shop we met a local couple and chatted for a while. We have always found locals very friendly. Upon learning that we planned to return to the ship by taxi the couple, Linn and Faye, offered to take us back the pier. I guess strangers are just friends you haven’t yet met.

We sailed on schedule, 17:00, after our extended stay in Honolulu as skies cleared and seas calmed. This morning found us in Maui harbour under sunny skies and nearly calm seas. We joined passengers on a ship’s tender for the trip from our anchorage to the port. It was a beautiful morning to walk the streets of the little village and enjoy the best day of the current trip. We had a tender all to ourselves for a late morning return to the Star Princess. We look forward to smooth seas for our trip and stop at Hilo tomorrow.

There are a few photos from the Foster Gardens in the sidebar.