Category: Cruising

A Perfect Day at the Glacier

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 Our original itinerary took us to Sitka on September 17. Well, that has been moved to September 22. We last saw the sun as we were entering the Queen Charlotte Strait, just north of Vancouver Island. Since then the skies have become grey and rain has intensified. Icy Strait Point is east of several islands whereas Sitka is exposed to the North Pacific. Hubbard Glacier is still on the itinerary even though it is accessed through a narrow channel. So, as of dinner time September 17 we are still at sea.

The seas have been moderate. Some passengers feel it more than others but I’m sure it is preferable to what we would have experienced had we attempted to reach Sitka. However, just at dinner time, 6 to 8 pm, we were exposed to the ocean as we came around one island and before we could be sheltered by another island. That was when we felt the 5 metre swells. It’s then you realize the ocean can toss our ship around like a toy.

This Monday morning, September 18, we find ourselves berthed at a place called Icy Strait Point. Our exact position is 58.135222 degrees north and 135.450714 degrees west. It is a Tlingit indigenous community noted historically for a fish cannery It is now the only private cruise ship port. Today’s temperature is listed as 10 degrees celsius (50 ° F) with overcast and occasional rain. Later in the afternoon the rain stopped and we took a very short walk ashore. Although we did not get to the village we did get to stretch our legs a bit.

The entertainment has been quite enjoyable. The production show “Encore” was extremely well done. Vocalists and dancers performed brilliantly with excellent orchestral support. We have found that there are four groups each of which has something to offer. A husband and wife duo, “Plus 2”, performs danceable material. Dave Barrett is a guitar and vocal entertainer who is very listenable and, occasionally, danceable. The party band is called “Ocean Club” and plays a lot of rock and latin tunes that are typically way too long for dancing beginning to end. We have met a couple from Vernon, BC who also enjoy dancing. Jillian and I have joined forces to dance things our significant others don’t like. We managed to get Ocean Club to play a salsa that didn’t last more than five minutes although it was close. There is also a string duo, “Mimosa Strings”, that play a lot of classical favourites and perhaps a tango or two.

The morning of Tuesday, September 19 was fantastic. Sun was brilliant and skies were clear. When we awoke at 06:30 we were just entering Yakutat Bay. Mount St Elias was poking up through the clouds. We progressed up the bay into Disenchantment Bay and the Hubbard Glacier came into view just as we were finishing breakfast. Once near the glacier the ship was rotated 360° such that everyone having an ocean view would be able to see the spectacle. So although it was not necessary we did go up to Skywalker’s Lounge on deck 18, almost the highest point in the ship. The ship made its way slowly back out to sea and toward our next port of call, Juneau.

The photo collection from Sept 16 to 19 should give you some idea of the change in weather. It would be nice if the weather remained as it was today particularly since the aurora may be visible through a clear sky.

Marcel Proust

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

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.

And now for the rest of the story

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Merry Christmas to all from Honolulu, not Nawiliwili.

This has been the most unique of Hawaii cruises. We have come to expect a bit of rough weather coming out of Los Angeles but this year the expected day or two became three days before we began to get smoother sailing. Well, today we were scheduled to arrive on the berth in Honolulu at 07:00 but because of continued poor sea conditions we were over an hour late. Since our scheduled departure was 23:00 the late arrival was of little consequence.

At noon the captain announced that we were not finished with stormy seas and that tomorrow’s Christmas Day stop in Kauai was cancelled. We are now staying overnight in Honolulu and departing for Mauai on the evening of December 25. Kauai is a daylight only harbour and requires some very precise maneuvering to reach the berth, something which factored into the Captain’s decision.

Now to speculate, Maui harbour is very shallow and we will be at anchor, not at a berth so bad weather could be a problem there. Speculating further, Hilo harbour is no joy to enter even in calm seas. Hmmm.