Come Along with Bill & Mary Ann Going Full Circle on the 2015 World Cruise -114 days+

[bcnvcanada]

Congratulations on your installment into the Presidents Club.

We understand it is a great honour.

[WCB]

Report # 21 Sailing Towards Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia January 19, 2015 Monday Partly cloudy & 79 degrees

 

Another day at sea, and more things to do. First of all, we received a replacement packet of the landing and departure cards for Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. One set had the info we originally filled in whited out, while the other cards were new. We also had preliminary bills on our door, which mainly applies to the folks who will be leaving us either in Tahiti and Auckland, New Zealand. For those who are on the ship for the entire cruise, we only settle our accounts when we leave the ship in Ft. Lauderdale at the end of April. However, if there are any errors, we can fix things well before that. It's always a good idea to check the charges. We did, and found a discrepancy, which should be resolved in a day. Doesn't happen often, but it happens.

 

Tai chi master, Cathy, is onboard once again, giving instructions twice a day in the mornings. Fitness classes are also conducted by show host Jodie, AKA Mrs. Gene Young, the CD, and cycling and yoga offers sessions for a fee.

 

We heard something interesting regarding bridge games. Karen and David teach both beginners and intermediate bridge. When we were discussing viruses last night, Maureen brought up the fact that when we were on the 2010 Grand South America cruise, we had gone into the red zone for the dreaded virus. At that time, all of the playing cards had to be dumped after each day's use. New decks were used each and every day to avoid transferring the disease. Interesting.

 

One usual class offered today was the Maori Haka Warriors Dance and poi ball twirling women's dance class. We have seen that done while in New Zealand, and it is an invigorating performance. Watching is one thing, but to learn it is another. Pamela was intending to go to it, so we will ask what she learned.

 

Spa treatments have been advertised almost daily. This stretch at sea has given them a good opportunity to relax and beautify the passengers. When we were in Manta, one lady passenger had just come back from a spa treatment onshore. She was thrilled to have gotten a manicure, pedicure, and polish job for $25. Comparing that to the ship's prices, well, she made out like a bandit.

 

The weather report was totally deceiving, because partly cloudy and 79 degrees sounds pleasant, doesn't it? Well, it was not like that at the aft pool. The problem was that we had a following wind going close to the speed of the ship most of the day. This means little or no breeze, holding the humidity at a high level. We had to be most careful of the strong rays of the sun, and slather up with sunscreen. With every dip in the warm? pool, we re-applied.

 

Since dinnertime was going to be early this evening, we went to lunch after 2pm. This evening was going to be a unique one, in that we were due to be inducted into the exclusive Presidents Club. It has been many, many years in coming to achieve the magic number of 1400 pure sea days, but we have finally done it. We shared the honors with Sandra and Alan, who we met in 2005, and three other folks. So we were looking forward to this special occassion.

 

Every time we saw Henk M. he teased us about tonight. Now we were getting nervous, not knowing what to expect. The best thing was knowing with whom we would be seated. It was Barb, Don, and Peter, the purser. The time for dinner was 7pm in the Pinnacle Grill and it was formal. Barb had told us that this special event has always been held at the large table in the back room. However, there was a total of 19 present and new members, so they came up with the idea of having individual tables in the main restaurant, all hosted by the top officers from the Captain and down. Turned out to be a winner, although, many of us were seated at the window tables, where many theater-goers stopped and stared at us. Do they not know that we can see them doing this? Really unnerved Peter and Don, who suggested there should be curtains for these windows.

 

Business was first on the list. That was getting "pinned" with the gold Presidents Club pin, and then having a photo taken with Captain Jonathon and Henk M. It went quickly with only a total of seven inductees. Whew, glad that was done, and we could get on with the evening.

 

The meal began immediately with seven courses, and Dom Perignon Champagne, and a toast given by Gene, the CD. Seared wood-smoked scallops were ceremoniously served to all......all at once. The exception was me, who cannot eat shellfish. I had a prawn under the smoke glass. A rich slice of creamy foie gras followed, served on an ice cold black slate with brioche, lingonberries, and an orange marmalade to diffuse the saltiness of the foie gras. A bowl of lobster bisque was served with a four cheese tortellini with a saffron fennel and basil sauce. Honestly, with the richness of the food to this point, we were full.

 

Time for a break with a martini-glass full of strawberry granite sorbet to cleanse the palate. Up to this point, we were given two different types of white wines, one from New Zealand, and one from California. The final wine was red, of course, from Washington.

 

Then came the entrees of black cod with a vegetable/risotto side, ending with two slices of milk-fed loin of lamb. There was a potato, beet and natural au jus on the side. The chef's sweet surprise contained a dark chocolate shell filled with sliced bananas soaked in a liquere. Surrounded by balls of melon, the entire plate was drizzled with a rich vanilla sauce.

 

We still were not done. It happened to be Don's birthday, our tablemate for the evening. Actually, his 75th, a milestone. Being a longtime President Club member, the staff graced him with a huge carrot cake, a birthday song from the group Alley Cats singing doo-wop, and the entire Pinnacle Grill staff. How nice was that? Of course, we all had a piece of delicious carrot cake before exiting by 10:30pm. What a night to remember. Upon leaving and giving his final congratulations, Captain Mercer said that this was the best inauguration dinner he has ever attended. Peter heartuily agreed. We think we had the best table in the room.

 

Good thing we had an extra 1/2 hour back on the clock tonight. Yes, that is a strange one, but it does happen here and there in parts of the world.

 

Two more sea days, and we will be in Nuku Hiva.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Vict0riann]

What a wonderful evening! Thanks for sharing it with us - and most of us will never reach that "pinnacle" of 1400 actual sea days!

[hallpau]

Bill and MaryAnn....just a note of congratulation for your induction into the President Club which is quite an acheivement. Wish we were on the cruise to personnally congratulate you but I'm sure we'll be on the same DAM ship sometime in the future.

 

Mike and Pauline

[cruz chic]

Sounds like a great night. Thx for sharing it with us.

[KirkNC]

Congrats on the Presidents Club! That's a lot of sea days.

[snookymom]

Congratulations.

[Cruzin Terri]

Congratulations on your induction into the President's Club.

Terri

[thetexasaggiecruiser]

Congratulations and sounds like it was a wonderful evening. Thank you for these wonderful updates and hope you stay well.

[PathfinderEss]

Congratulation on being inducted into Presidents Club.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Congrats on the Pres. Club... I hope one day we will be invited as well..

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

Edited January 21, 2015 by we're sailing away....

[jbhcw]

Congratulations on joining the Presidents Club...I always enjoy reading your blog...thanks for continuing to do that for us landlocked folks:)

[WCB]

Report # 22 Sailing Towards Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia January 20, 2015 Tuesday Partly cloudy & 79 degrees

 

After last night's excitement, we had a difficult time going to sleep. Sometime around 2am, we were awakened with the sound of coughing, coming through the ventilation system. Can you imagine that so many of the passengers have come down with this virus, they cough all night? Since both of us have a touch of a cold, we sure hope we don't catch this upper respiratory thing. While we were walking the outside decks yesterday, we remarked how many folks sounded like barking seals laying on the teak lounges. It's just so hard to escape. Even our host, Tom M., has taken to his room for three days now. That is a first.

 

The usual activities were taking place on the ship. Barbara H. is already up to things to do and see in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, while the future cruise duo, Thom and Tina, are pitching the grand cruises in 2016. While some folks were on their way to the showlounge with sweaters and jackets to hear the lectures, we were on our way to bake in the sun on the aft deck. Once again, it was blazing hot out today. But that does make sense when we study the world map we have in our room. We are still very close to the Equator, and won't be heading south until we leave Nuku Hiva. Then we should pick up some stronger breezes, we hope.

 

There was a surprise waiting for us on the bed this afternoon. They had delivered the photo we had taken at last night's special event with Captain Jonathon and Henk M., placed in a nice leather folder. Along with it was another letter of congratulations and a complete list of the perks that go with being a Presidents Club member.

 

Dinner was formal this evening. That would make two in a row for us. Seems that we are both nursing colds now, so we almost changed our minds about going to the table. Barb planned to join her longtime friend Don, who was having his second birthday celebration at his table tonight. Stuart has been ill for the last two days, and had wisely decided to sit out tonight's meal. So it would be Maureen, Pamela, and the two of us. Sometime this morning, Maureen decided she would like to invite the entertainers to our table. And since we had four empty seats, and they are a four man group, we had the Alley Cats join us. Sometimes the professionals do not like to mix with the passengers, but these guys were most open to the idea.

 

As it turned out, there was never a lull in the conversation all evening. This group of four are part of a larger group of 20 singers. So they are on several ships as well as having regular gigs in major cities. Their music is from the 50's and 60's, and mainly doo-wop, tunes we all know well. They were full of stories about performing on other cruise lines, while trying to see some of the world as they go from gig to gig. They will have one more show tomorrow night, so we have one more chance to see and hear them. We heard enough last night at the special dinner that we'd like to hear more. The evening flew by quickly.

 

The singers and dancers were doing a show called Variations. Doubt we go, because these colds have sort of zapped our energy. And besides, we have another hour back on the clock tonight, so an extra hour of sleep will do us good.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[seaside sally]

Congratulations to both of you!

 

I so enjoy reading your posts -- look for them every morning as I am drinking my coffee

 

Thanks so much for taking us along -- it truly is appreciated! :)

[wander]

Congratulations on the President's Club!

 

Before ready about it in your tread I had already seen pictures of the two of you at the induction, special dinner and celebration for all of you "newbies" on Jeff F's blog. Great pictures and the two of you looked terrific! How much fun!

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Congratulations, thank you for doing your blog year after year, and your pictures on Jeff's blog are fabulous.

[WCB]

Report # 23 Sailing Towards Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia January 21, 2015 Wednesday Partly cloudy & 79 degrees

 

This is our eighth day at sea, but our last one before arriving to the Marquesas and the island of Nuku Hiva tomorrow. You don't realize the massive size of this ocean until you sail for days without seeing anything but water. Anyway, it will be nice to be on firm land once again, even if it will only be for seven or so hours.

 

We've still been talking about last night's dinner today, as we had such unusual dinner guests, the Alley Cats. They spoke about being on different cruise lines, and their various experiences on them. Sometimes they get separate rooms, but not always. They had us laughing when telling us how some of the guys snore, or sleep-walk. On this ship, they have their own rooms and are quite pleased with it.

 

We got on the subject of the new monster ships, like the Royal Caribbean new vessels. They have all the bells and whistles you can think of. One amusing story had to do with a "robot" bar, where the mixed drinks were made by tiny robots. You ordered your beverage on a computer, the robot comes out with the shaker with the appropriate liquids, then it is shaken and poured right in front of you. Pretty unbelievable, but what a concept. Even if you did not care about the drink, the method of getting it was worth the price.

 

The leader of the Alley Cats also added that a very helpful tool on the new ships is the interactive TV. We have seen this on other ships also, where you have access to your shipboard account, or you can peruse the daily menus in every restaurant, or play one of 200 movies at your convenience. He claimed that reservations can be made on your room TV for ice skating, art classes, or computer lessons, etc. You don't just show up and expect to get into these activities. Of course, there are many more passengers on these mega ships, so things have to be run differently.

 

One of the younger fellows of the group told a story about part of his job while working on a ship, not as the entertainer, but as part of the crew. He said that every night after the final show was over, each crew member had to scrub down a section of seating and tables in the showlounge. He said they had to scrub not only once, but twice every night. And that leads to today's story of the virus we have onboard right now.

 

This bug has spread like wildfire now, and finally the Captain addressed that it has become a problem onboard at his daily afternoon talk. All he could say was to wash your hands frequently, and stay in your room if you were having severe symptoms. In hindsite, we wish there had been the 48 hour service in the Lido and the dining room like they have done in past years. It could have helped to prevent this outbreak.

 

It was unforgivingly hot today, with a slight breeze of 5 knots, and temperatures in the low 90's. The new lounges at the aft pool were literally sticking, like melted, to the decking. Even our shoes stuck as we walked. We lasted only as long as our lemonade did, and the glasses of ice water provided by the bar staff. The water in the pool was hot, like a spa. That suggests to us that this water has not been dumped and replaced, although we could be wrong. Considering that this virus can be spread easily, a swimming pool could be a culprit, especially one with hot water.

 

We did more visiting with new folks and old friends today than anything else. Think we all are ready for some land time tomorrow. Not a lot of people have been to this island in the Marquesas, so we have been sharing what we know about it. Bet we have been there at least six times over the years. It is the same today as it was back 20 years ago.

 

We had a total of three at dinner tonight. Pamela and Stuart had said they would return after a two day absence, but she was waiting for us in the entry to the dining room to say they were not coming. Stuart has not been recovering from this cold bug as fast as he thought. Being that he is a doctor, he wants to be very cautious about staying isolated. Maureen was out with friends to the Canaletto, so that left Barb and us. Actually, it was nice, because it gave us a chance to talk about people and things only the three of us know about. The service was rapid tonight, and we did notice that there were many people missing at their tables. As each table emptied out, we spotted the waiters getting ready for a total spraying tonight. All the table tops and serving stations are covered with tablecloths, then the entire dining room is disinfected with something really strong.

 

We had intended to go see the Alley Cats tonight, but it was only 9:20pm, and we were done with dinner. No way did we feel like walking the deck for 40 minutes, waiting for the start of the show. Barb tried to entice us to join her at Debby Bacon's Name That Tune game in the Piano Bar, but we passed. A hot bath, a movie, and typing reports would end the evening for us.

 

On yeah, we got unexpected gifts tonight with two Blunt umbrellas sitting on our bed. The Captain did say there was a 10% chance of rain tomorrow, so these may have come at a good time.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 24 Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, French Polynesia January 22, 2015 Thursday Mostly sunny & 82 degrees

 

Land, ho! We have finally arrived to the Marquesas Islands, an archipelago of 12 islands. Specifically, we have anchored in a bay off of Nuku Hiva, and the village of Taiohae, the capital of these islands. It is all part of French Polynesia, which has a total of 3500 square kilometers with a population of 245,405 people. The official language is French, although these islands have tried to maintain their native Marquesan language in modern times. As an example of the size of the area that encompasses all of the 117 islands, it is the size of Europe. Now that is impressive.

 

Nuku Hiva consists of 205 square miles, making it the second largest island, next to Tahiti, in French Polynesia. There is an airport on the northern end of the island, but the rest of the territory is full of valleys, rugged vistas, and waterfalls. Besides rhythmic dances, the natives have made tatooing an artform. Most all of the people here, including the ladies, sport tatoos of some kind. Wood sculpture, tapa cloth, and petroglyphs are other attractions. An effort is being made to reforest the peaks with sandal trees. Supposedly, the best time to visit here is in the cooler and drier season, which is May through October. We know from experience, that when it rains here, like in December, it rains cats and dogs.

 

The first announcement made this morning concerned restrictions on bringing certain foods over to the island. It is forbidden to bring fruit, meats, cheese, or anything fresh on the island. It was the second announcement that got our attention. Gene mentioned that due to the waters being shark-infested, they have warned against swimming in the bay or at any of the beaches around the island. With that, we looked out our window with high-powered binoculars and spotted several clusters of reef sharks feeding on rather large fish a short distance from the ship. You could spot the telltale dorsal fins as they broke the surface. Then later, after breakfast, we could see some manta rays also feeding right under the surface. Trust us, there will be no way we are going swimming here today.

 

In fact, we were in no big rush to get over to the island early, since we were just here last October. Things run on "island" time here, which means the locals would be in no rush to have their wares set up for us. So we ended up eating a nice breakfast, then going down to deck A around 9:30am. By then, the first tour group had gone ashore, and several of the tour ticketed passengers were tranferred. We left when the tender boats were open, with no tickets. Although, we would have been allowed to jump the line, and be first, we chose not to.

 

We kept our eyes peeled for sharks, but most of the earlier activity had calmed down. Getting to the pier, we exited the boat (not easily, because it was low tide), and found we were greeted by a group of native singers and dancers. The drums were being played, giving us the eerie feeling of what it may have been like centuries ago when many of the natives were cannibals. Half of the souvenier tables were set up compared to last October. However, it only took moments to locate a perfect match of a necklace for the earrings I was wearing. Vowing not to buy anything, that did not last long. The interesting thing about this island jewelry is that it's made with an orange and black seed that is supposedly toxic. Some countries have banned it. Not planning on eating it, so it should be OK.

 

The little internet cafe was full of folks trying to email. For the price of a drink, the internet looked cheap or free. But with that many people using it, we wondered what the speed would be like. The few small shops were full of customers, so off we went on our hike, which would end up at the Pearl Resort. It did take most of two hours for us to walk the beachfront slowly. We made several stops along the way. The best one was walking up the road to see the church. The Cathedral of Notre Dame Des Marquesas is a highlite here. The church is famous for their wood carvings made from native rosewood and purple woods. One of our most memorable visits here was when mass was in progress one Sunday morning. We waited outside, listening to the wonderful singing coming from the church. They must have lifted the roof. When everyone began exiting, they were mostly all dressed in white, all with fancy hats. It was obvious that Sunday was their big day of the week, actually as we remembered how things were back when we were little.

 

There are some very old trees planted at the church. Two types of them are the mango and the breadfruit. Seems that many birds make these trees their homes. Stand still long enough, and you'll see angel terns, sparrows, doves, a few frigates, and perhaps some seabirds. We do know there is a stray flock of parrots nearby as well.

 

Continuing up the road, we passed the Monument to the Dead, the cemetery, the basketball court, and the school, which was in session. Some rock tikis on the shoreline resembled the moais of Easter Island. There is also a monument dedicated to the author Herman Melville (1819 to 1891), who wrote the novel Typee. Based on his story of deserting a ship, he hid on this island until he was captured by the cannibals. Surviving this experience, it became the basis of his novel.

 

Despite the nice breezes blowing, it was still hot today. It was a relief to find our way to the out-of-sight hotel, the Keikehanui Pearl Lodge, situated on a knoll above the beach. It was like paradise there, sitting on the patio under a large umbrella. We ordered Hinano beers and split an Italien panini with crispy French fries. Sure was good. The owner invited us to use their swimming pool, which would have been nice, but we did not wear our suits under our clothes today. It was a nice gesture. Since all aboard time was 3:30pm, we did not want to linger too long. It was a long walk back. If need be, we could have taken a ride from the hotel driver for a few dollars per person. But we did want to walk the beach to look for unusual seashells on the way back.

 

Stopping many times under the canopy of trees, we got back to the pier before the last tender boat. We made it back to the ship in time to attend the sailaway party at the aft pool. Lots of folks were there today to watch us exit the bay. Expecting strong winds, we found that the breeze was following us, and it still remained warm. We will have one and a half days at sea now as we head for Tahiti, another paradise on earth.

 

Dinnertime found one of our "family" missing.....Pamela. Her husband Stuart was back, but Pamela seems to have gotten a second round of the cold bug. There was not much that appealed to us on the menu this evening. So we ordered from the alternate side. We had one shrimp cocktail, French onion soup, and a New York strip steak with a baked potato. We were most pleased with our choices. Dessert was a peach cobbler and coffee/chocolate ice cream. Skipped the show of David Pengelly, a singer, humorist, and banjo player because we were dead tired.

 

One good thing is that the clocks went back that other 1/2 hour tonight. That is always a plus.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 25 Sailing Towards Papeete, Tahiti January 23, 2015 Friday Partly cloudy & 77 degrees

 

Despite the fact that Captain Jonathon mentioned showers in the forecast today, we seemed to make it through the day with mostly sunny skies, and warm, humid temperatures. It is incredible to think that we are surrounded with so much water, but it brings little relief to the heat that can be felt on the outside decks. The new lounge chairs and even your shoes have continued to stick to the decking, as if melting. We can always spot the newbies who innocently begin walking the pool deck without shoes, only to find their feet are burning off. You'll never see anyone sprint as fast as an Olympic runner going from their chair to the pool.

 

The same guest speakers gave their talks today.....one about flying in planes today, and the other about Paul Gauguin. The entertainer, David Pengelly, spoke about coffee beans. Now that's different. The computer classes have continued, but we have yet to attend a class. We hope the techspert will repeat his classes many times during this entire cruise. That way we are sure to get in there without waiting in line.

 

We noticed that a new happy hour was added to the itinerary yesterday. It is from 6 to 7pm, and is directed towards the late diners we think. That shows that someone is listening, and responding to the written requests. So it does make a difference to speak up to make things fair and square.

 

This evening, the Pinnacle Grill is offering a French Polynesian Dinner, with 6 courses accompanied by wine. It is $79. a person and begins at 6:45pm. After reading the menu, it looks similar to the courses at the Presidents Club dinner we enjoyed last Monday. The meal will begin with a prawn, marinated tuna, lobster and scallop brochette, a coconut sorbet, and a slow roasted sucking pig with veggies and rice. Dessert is banana poe, with vanilla ice cream. Wines come with every course, and the meal is finished with Grand Marnier liqueur.

 

We watched a silly movie while downloading photos late this afternoon. It had been so hot at the pool, we needed to cool down in our room after lunch. Around 6pm, we went outside to watch the sun go down. We discovered that it had rained pretty good. The skies were heavy with black clouds, so the Captain's prediction came true after all. Keeping our fingers crosssed that it will not rain a whole lot in Tahiti the next two days.

 

Tomorrow around noontime, we should be docked in Papeete, Tahiti. The first thing we will look for is pizza, of course.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[I Luv Crusin]

Bill and Mary Ann,

Thank you so much for taking us along with you on your cruise! I just started reading and have caught up-slow day at work!

 

I was curious about the little dog comment. Do people bring their pets dogs on the cruise? My co-worker was curious. Of course I know service dogs are OK.

 

The longest cruise I've done is a 12 day Med but some day we would like to try some longer cruises.

 

thanks again and smooth seas!

[WCB]

Report # 26 Papeete, Tahiti January 24, 2015 Saturday Chance of rain & 82 degrees

 

Since we were not due to arrive to Tahiti until noon, the day began as any other day at sea. The only difference was that there was no sun, and it was raining off and on all morning. This is the first day we have had some steady rain, so considering the part of the world we are sailing in, that's pretty good. At least it was much cooler. Humid as all heck, but with a breeze.

 

Another thing that set this day apart from the others, is that it was one of our birthdays. On our door, we had a big Happy Birthday cake sign, and a card from our travel hosts and our agent. Nice way to start the day, but everyone knows it's someone's birthday here. So much for keeping it quiet.....

 

After breakfast, we went to the bow to watch the sail into Papeete's harbor. In all of the times we have been here, we have never been awake for the sail into this harbor. So it was a surprise to see the massive waves that were hitting the bulkhead along the waterfront. Captain Mercer had mentioned that a storm had been hanging around this area for days now, so we must be seeing the residual waves from it. Watching the pilot boat coming out to us, it would be a while before the ship was eventually cleared.

 

While waiting on the bow, we talked at length with a couple of guests we have met on previous cruises. He related a story to us about his expensive camera, and an accident that happened a few years ago. He said that while riding in the tenderboat in the very front seats in the bow, the waves kept hitting the window/door right in front of them. Suddenly a big wave hit, and the window actually flexed enough to let the wave flow through the window and hit him and his camera head on. That was all it took to shut the camera down. The bad news was that he and his wife were about to go on an overland trip, and now he had no camera.

 

Since this was not his fault, he went to the front desk upon returning, and he was told they would cover the costs of a replacement camera. That was welcomed news, but even with a shipboard credit, he was unable to purchase anything like that on the ship. Here's where it gets good. He was able to locate the camera online, at a good price he added, then had it delivered to Seattle. The CEO and his entourage were leaving to join the ship for the Mariner Appreciation Days, so they were the ones to deliver the camera to him. They arrived right before his overland trip, and he had his new camera. Love the story.

 

We had company in port today. The Oceania Marina and the Paul Gauguin were already docked in the harbor. The Marina appears to be a very nice ship, mid-sized, with about 1250 passengers. It was launched in 2011, and sports many balcony rooms. From what we understand, the dress code is smart casual all of the time. No ties are allowed.

 

The Paul Gauguin is another lovely vessel, considerably smaller than both ships, and holds only 332 passengers. It is owned by the same company that owns the Intercontinental Hotels in all of the nearby islands. It is known for its retractable aft marina platform, where you can waterski, windsurf, kayak, and snorkel. Scuba diving is available, but it's not free. Their dress code is also relaxed with no formal evenings. There is little entertainment, but there are guest speakers. They will possibly be leaving this evening, because we did hear and see their muster drill around 5pm.

 

Now you would think that with three ships in port, all of the shops, markets, and cafes would be opened today on Saturday? Not so in Tahiti. We could say that half of everything was opened, and some of those open for only half a day. Knowing this, we were among the first guests to leave the ship today. Papeete's Marketplace was our destination. We really did not need anything in the way of souveniers, but we do love to take colorful photos in the market. It is two stories of flowers, fruits, fish, pastries, vegetables, pareos, hats, bags, carved wooden objects, fabrics, and ethnic deco. Oh, did we mention black pearls? That is the big item they sell here. Anyway with all of the shops and one very large cafe, the square footage of this building is 75, 350 feet.

 

The flower section still had many bouquets left for sale, and the local vendor said they would be opened until 5pm. We definitely would stop back here after lunch. Cutting past the cathedral, we walked through Bouganville Park, where the handicraft group had set up tables under tents. They did have some interesting seashell jewelry, but when we heard them quoting people various prices for the same item, we decided not to do any business here.

 

Our favorite restaurant was just a few blocks up the road. Hidden behind canvas shades, we first thought the restaurant was closed. Guess they dropped the canvases to keep the rain out. Yes, they were open and about full of customers. Can't describe how good the ice cold Hinano beers were. The rain had stopped, but the humidity was at 99%. Beer was a lifesaver. And the pizza we ordered, a large Margherita, was excellent. Just like we remembered it. As a special treat, we ordered a banana split to share. Thinking it may be small, it came on a huge plate mounded with extra creamy whipped cream sprinkled with toasted almonds. Good thing we came here today, because they are closed tomorrow. Sunday is their day off, like it used to be where we grew up many years ago. For us, it was church day, and a day of rest for our parents. It was also a special day for dinner, which might include a beef roast with potatoes, and even a decadent dessert, like apple pie. Spending an afternoon in Golden Gate Park was also a Sunday activity. Oh, the good ol' days......Well, that's the way it still is here in paradise.

 

Picking up two generous bunches of tropical flowers, we headed back to the ship to cool off for a while. It was fun taking apart our first bouquet of flowers, most of them spent by now, and adding the new ones. We made a mess, but cleaned up every bit of it. And it didn't turn out half bad when we were done. These should last until Sydney maybe.

 

Taking a walk outside the ship, we watched as the roulettes set up for their fast food melee later on this evening. This is the ultimate tailgate party, where food vans gather in the park near the ships, and cook local foods like fresh fish, crepes, pizza, and a bevy of foods we did not recognize. We would seldom indulge in the cuisine from these mobile restaurants, but we know it is popular with the crew, who should have time off this evening to come here.

 

There was a Polynesian BBQ in the Lido Pool area at 5:30pm tonight. Checking it out from deck nine, we found the cooks BBQing skewered chicken, shrimp, and salmon. Under a tent with sneeze guards, we spotted pork ribs and many side salads and veggies served by staff members. Desserts were set up in the taco bar area, and the best one looked like pineapple upside down cake. Lines of hungry guests began from both ends, but there appeared to be a lack of tables for everyone. Right during the middle of the affair, the sky opened up, and it rained heavily. Quick-passing, but very, very wet. Murphy's law, but not unexpected.

 

Debby Bacon was scheduled to play piano under the stars, but that was cancelled, and moved to the Piano Bar. A one time for everyone show was held in the showlounge at 9:30pm. They had invited the Hei Toa Nui Tahiti dance and singing group to perform for us. We had intended to go see them, but not all plans go as expected.

 

Dinnertime came quickly, and we were off to join our table. We had our doubts that everyone would be there, since Pamela was really not well. As it turned out, we were all there, and we had a wonderful surprise with friends, Leslie and Handler joining us. That made my birthday perfect. Much to our surprise, our wine steward poured champagne for all of us, compliments of Jacques, the head sommelier. Bet this has something to do with being in the Presidents Club, because this was a first for any of our birthdays. At the end of our meal, our waiters brought a birthday dessert of lemon meringue pie. They had written happy birthday, Mary Ann, in chocolate on the plate. Sweet. Great way to end a very nice day.

 

Since there were few folks in the dining room tonight, we got out before 9:30pm. Perfect. We could take a walk around the promenade with Barb, then peek into the lounge to watch 10 minutes of the show. Well, we got to talking with a couple that we all knew, and before we knew it, it was after 10pm. Oops, missed another show. Oh well, if all goes as planned, we may be back here next fall, and will see the show then.

 

Tomorrow we will catch up on local statistics on Tahiti and neighboring Moorea, where we are not going this time. Darn......

 

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[regnig]

A belated Happy Birthday to you! So many thanks for your daily reports. :D

[cruz chic]

Thx for the updates.

[RuthC]

We had company in port today. The Oceania Marina and the Paul Gauguin were already docked in the harbor. The Marina appears to be a very nice ship, mid-sized, with about 1250 passengers. It was launched in 2011, and sports many balcony rooms. From what we understand, the dress code is smart casual all of the time. No ties are allowed.

Yes, Oceania has a smart casual dress code all the time. On that line it's a real "smart casual", with people dressed very nicely for dinner and the evening. Much more dressed up than seen on HAL.

However, ties most certainly are allowed. Although not seen on the majority of passengers, they are seen on board, as are sport jackets.

[Folk Singer]

Congratulations on joining the Presidents Club...I always enjoy reading your blog...thanks for continuing to do that for us landlocked folks:)

 

 

And Snowed in.