John and Diane's LAST Round the World Adventure

[Johnny B]

Tuesday, January 27, 2015 - Day 23

At Sea en route to Rarotonga, Cook Islands

 

I was so tired from the great day we had yesterday that it was all I could do to stay awake for dinner and even the show afterwards. The group that sang was called “Divas 3,” and they hail from Las Vegas. Their performance, as you might have guessed, is to sing songs that were hits by famous divas, beginning with Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers singing “Rockin’ Robin.” Yes, really. After that, however, they stuck to female divas and the whole performance was pretty entertaining.

 

Today is pretty quiet around the ship and the weather is cloudy with occasional rain,

so the aft pool is not too popular. I have the last meeting of my book club this afternoon, so I spent a good part of the morning in the library finishing “The Light Between Oceans.” I still have 40 pages, but I should be able to finish it before our 4:00 meeting.

 

Papeete was a changing point for both speakers and entertainers. One of our favorite speakers, Mel Foster, came aboard, and today he’s speaking on “Byron, Bougainville and Cook” to explain the allure of Polynesia. Mel has been on many times, and he’s also been our guest for dinner. There’s also a speaker named Gerald McCormack, and I’m hoping to catch one of his lectures, too.

 

Rita Rudner (of SNL fame) was an entertainer on last year’s cruise, and she and her family boarded in Tahiti. Her show then was an hour of, literally, stand-up comedy without a single note, in a conversational tone about everyday situations - and it was absolutely hilarious. When we invited her to join us for dinner, the invitation was for the same evening, and she was nice enough to come over at the beginning of the meal and explain that she and her family had not given their servers advance warning, so she would have to beg off. Her whole family was so “un-celebrity-like” that there were only good things said about her - and that’s certainly not true of all entertainers. Anyway, she’s on and we’re excited to hear her perform again.

 

This afternoon, John wanted to take a nap, but I had to finish my book, so I took it to the indoor Lido to read next to the ocean (since it was raining outside). After I finished it, I decided to continue with my book of Agatha Christie short stories, so I headed to the library, found a comfortable chair overlooking the water, and began to read. Now you have to understand that there has been an inordinate amount of illness on the ship since our sailing 23 days ago, a combination of the flu and some kind of a cough/bronchitis. Passengers have been asked, quite nicely, I believe, to remain in their cabins if they are ill. Well, the lady near me in the library apparently did not listen to that instruction, and she coughed like she had TB - never covering her mouth. After a few of her coughs, I rose, stared at her, and then went to the Ocean Bar where everyone seemed healthy and it was quiet. I realize that it’s no fun to remain in your cabin, but there is such a thing as consideration for everyone else’s health. Oh well, that’s my rant for today.

 

This evening is formal, which means we’ll be sitting at Jeff’s table, which is always fun. Again there won’t be an officer, because it’s a Captain’s Dinner in the Pinnacle, and almost all the top officers have to attend. All 800 full WC passengers get to participate in that dinner at some point in the cruise, so I think it will be about eight formal nights before the officers are “free.” Oh well, it’s like our friend Barbie said when pointing to a bottle of wine, “This is my favorite officer,” making reference to the fact that officers hosting a table always pop for the wine.

 

Tomorrow is Rarotonga, but there’s some question about tendering in because the seas are fairly rough. We’ll see how that goes.

[Johnny B]

Wednesday, January 28, 2015 - Day 24

Raratonga - or not?

 

So . . . today’s port is Rarotonga. Whoops, that’s not right. Today’s port was supposed to be Rarotonga, but at 7:30 this morning the captain came on the PA system and said that he had tried to anchor in the area nearest to the main town, but the seas were so high that tenders would be endangered trying to get through the reef. Then the ship went to the other side of the island, where the situation was even worse - not only were there high seas, but there were waves coming in from two different directions and only a small opening for the tenders to go through - so, no Rarotonga.

 

Most people on board seem OK with this decision but there are, as usual, people who are dissatisfied with missing any port. It always seems to become “the reason I came on this cruise,” or some such nonsense. But, miss it we have and we’re now on the second of 3 sea days on our way to Alofi.

 

News Bulletin: The captain just came on again and said that a large storm is brewing to our west, over Alofi, Niue, our next scheduled port, with winds from 40-50 mph, seas of 12 feet, and rain just bucketing down. So . . . there goes Alofi (which I had never heard of, let alone visited). Captain Jonathan’s alternative, rather than staying at sea until Monday, is to arrive in Tonga two days and a half early, giving us two full days there, so that when we sail from Tonga, we’ll be back on shed-ule (as our British captain says it).

 

Travel always requires rolling with the punches, and no type of travel more so than by ship. John and I have missed ports in the past, including Split, Pitcairn Island, The Falklands, and Ascension Island because of high seas or storms, and Gambia and Senegal because of the threat of Ebola, but there’s nothing we can do about it, so we just have to make the best of it. If you’ve read many of these entries, you know how I feel about sea days, so while I’d like to get to a port I’ve never been to before, like Alofi, I think I can make do with a couple more sea days.

 

Last night’s performer was Eliot Finkel, an excellent pianist who plays with a great deal of flair. He’ll perform again in a few days, but it will be an all-classical performance, so I’m really looking forward to it. Speaking of entertainment, since Rita Rudner is on board, the movie in the Wajang Theatre today is “Peter’s Friends,” one she wrote and in which she co-starred. I’ll be there at 2:00 to see it.

 

Now we’re all snuggled into our sailing home for the next few days, and I, for one, can bear the changes, although it would have been nice to see this tiny little port.

[RuthC]

My time in Rarotonga is one of my fondest memories of my first cruise in the South Pacific. A shame to miss that lovely little touch of Merry Ol' England with the Polynesian flair.

But as you say, that's quite literally "rolling" with the punches. The seas do that to you sometimes.

 

Thanks again for your lively reports.

[Johnny B]

Thursday, January 29, 2015 - Day 25

STILL at sea - en route to Tonga

 

Here we are, with sunshine and warm weather and yet another lovely day at sea. It’s been about five days since we had this beautiful weather, and it was just the luck of the draw that it turned out to be quite nice for our snorkeling day in Bora Bora. Since I’m still sporting a red back, however, I think I’ll avoid the sun today.

 

Since today is Thursday, tomorrow should be Friday, but instead it will be Saturday, since Tonga is just on the other side of the International Date Line. We lose an entire day, but we make up for it on the 24 times we set the clocks back an hour. In fact, in the captain’s update at lunch today, he said that we would set our clocks ahead 23 hours, but it would be easier to just set them back one hour and remember that it’s a day later when we wake up. Oh, the joys of travel!

 

Last evening, we skipped the Queen’s Lounge show and went up to the Crow’s Nest with some friends, since on the ship, unlike at home, it seems that 10:00 is too early to go to bed. Instead, we found quite the party up there, with Darcy and the Amsterdam Orchestra playing and singing some great dance music and about 50 or so people to keep us company. You know it’s a good time when the bar servers are out on the dance floor, rockin’ out.

 

There is a great deal to do each evening on this ship, as last evening proves. What we’ve learned, however, is that the orchestra is contracted to work five hours a day, including rehearsals, and if they are needed for the evening show, they can’t play in the Crow’s Nest. Last evening, however, they played from 7:00 until 8:00 and then later until midnight (when we gave up and hit the sack).

 

If you like more mellow music, then the Ocean Bar is the place for you. They have a three-piece band which plays mostly slow dance tunes. Since this is a grand cruise, we have dance hosts, six gentlemen who come on board to provide partners for the single ladies. We know a couple of those single ladies who wouldn’t come on these cruises if there wasn’t someone to dance with. Three of the hosts dance in the Ocean Bar, while the other three are in the Crow’s Nest.

 

This evening’s show will no doubt be very well attended, since Rita Rudner is performing, and her opening act is her 12-year-old daughter, who plays the guitar and writes songs. I went to see “Peter’s Friends” yesterday and, even though it’s a movie from 1992, it seemed very topical. I guess since Ms. Rudner wrote it, she gave herself an incredibly funny part, as the only American at an English house party of old friends.

The theatre was jammed full of people.

 

Since there will be no need for the orchestra at tonight’s show, I guess we can look forward to another night of dancing in the Crow’s Nest. I hope so.

[Johnny B]

Saturday, January 31, 2015 - Day 26

At Sea right now - Arriving in Nuku’alofa, Tonga this evening

 

OK, it’s over. We crossed the International Dateline and no one suffered a bit. We lost a full day (or at least 23 hours) and we’re now a day ahead of most of the South Pacific and all of the U. S. I’m really glad that my MacBook tells me the day of the week and time at home in California because otherwise I’d be lost as to when to call home.

 

Last night was Rita Rudner, preceded by her daughter who played the guitar and sang three songs, two of her own composition and one by Taylor Swift. For a 12-year-old, she has an amazing amount of poise and self-confidence, and her songs were really very good. Then her mom came out and we laughed non-stop for almost an hour. Because her humor is so conversational, it’s not jokes that can be repeated, so it really is one of those situations where “you just had to be there.” If you get the opportunity to go to one of her shows in Las Vegas, you won’t be sorry. Happily, she’ll be performing again next Wednesday (or Tuesday for you).

 

It was really hot and sunny this morning, and when friend Cathy came in for Trivia, she said “It’s just too hot!” While we were playing, however, we looked out the windows and saw that it was just pouring rain, and that continued for a couple of hours. Now there are some scattered clouds, but it’s mostly blue. It’s an interesting thing how when your “hotel” moves through the ocean, it can enter any number of weather zones. Hopefully, the blue skies and only partial clouds will last through our two days in Tonga.

 

It’s 4:00 now, and we’re supposed to board our pilot at 7:00 and dock just about 8:00. It was supposed to be an hour earlier, but the ship at the dock now is delayed in sailing, so we’re delayed in arriving. In the captain’s noonday message, he told us that it was important for us to get there this evening, because airplanes and ships are not allow to land or dock on Sundays. There are very strict “Sunday laws” in Tonga, and everyone arriving must abide by them. We know that all stores will be closed tomorrow, but we’re still hoping to wander around as well as perhaps find and attend the Wesleyan church. Vocal music at South Pacific churches must be heard to be believed. We’ll be here until late Monday, so the conflict on Monday will be sightseeing vs. watching the Superbowl in the Queen’s Lounge. Such First World problems we have.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Diane, I am very much enjoying The Light Between Oceans. Do you have the title of the next book? Thnaks. Barbara

[localady]

I hope you all choose Tonga over the SuperBowl. ;)

There are always replays of that, but not of a day in Paradise! :p

 

Hope you enjoy whichever option you choose!

Edited January 31, 2015 by localady

[DebbieJ]

subscribe. What a wonderful scene you set with each posting. Thank you for doing so.

[Johnny B]

Sunday, February 1, 2015 - Day 27

Nuku’Alofa, Tonga

 

If you are ever on a South Pacific island on a Sunday, go to church. It doesn’t matter whether you’re Christian, Jewish, Muslim or an atheist, do it and you’ll remember it for a very long time. If for no other reason, go for the music.

 

After we docked last night, and after we finished dinner, we went for a walk in the dark through Tonga’s capital and largest city to find the Wesleyan Church, a Methodist church in the middle of town that seats 2,000 worshippers. Having found it, we also found that church was at 10:00 today.

 

We left early and arrived at about 9:30, finding seats near the front. After we’d been sitting for about five minutes, a warm, resonant male voice began a song and then other voices joined in. It was unlike any singing I have ever heard and it continued beautifully, through other songs - all in Tongan - until it was time to begin the service.

 

As we sat there looking around the huge sanctuary, we noticed that there were two areas in the front of the church (the “crossbar” area) where only a few people sat. One of them also had some beautifully embroidered red kneelers on them and we laughingly said that that area must be for the king. Well, guess what? It was! Shortly before the service began, he and the queen came in through a side door, knelt in prayer, and then sat in their chairs. Apparently the royal family has been Methodist for a very long time, and this particular parish is the king’s home church. He was very attentive throughout the service, and when communion was served, he and the queen came down from their “box seats” - but of course they were served first.

 

The music continued to be wonderful throughout the 90-minute service, with a brass band, a choir dressed in white, and the same style of song, with one person beginning a song and others joining in. The words, in Tongan, were shown on a screen at the front of the church, so we did our best to join in.

 

There must have been about 1500 worshippers present, and the minister, who spoke in both Tongan and English, commented that there were more visitors than they’d had in a long time. Because of the numbers present, communion took a great deal of time and ended with more than a hundred children coming to the front for a blessing from the pastor. All things considered, it was a wonderful experience and we’ll never forget it.

 

After coming back to the ship for some lunch at the Dive-In, a Sunday tradition, we headed back out for a walking tour of the city. Because of “Sunday Laws,” it was pretty darned quiet downtown, and because of the heat and humidity, we spent only an hour on our tour.

 

This evening is the “All American Tailgate Barbecue” on the midships Lido deck, planned as a preview of the Super Bowl show tomorrow in the Queen’s Lounge. We still haven’t decided where to eat, but there’s no doubt that we’ll find something for dinner.

 

P. S. We've just received our new book club selection, "The Bone People," about Maori/European conflicts in New Zealand.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Your church experience on Tonga sounds wonderful. And thanks for the new title for the Book CLub.

Is the author Keri Hulme and was it published in the 1980s? If so, it is on its way to me from the Public Library. Thanks.

Edited February 1, 2015 by SJSULIBRARIAN

[brazilgirl]

Delightful report so far! Really enjoying it!

[ScottishMaid]

Enjoying your descriptive blog and impressed that you find time to post every day. Thank you for the Book Club titles. Is Chris there with Emily to take turns in running the Book Club or is Emily the only librarian this year?

Jill

[Johnny B]

Monday, February 2, 2015 - Day 28

Tonga

 

Tonga is really quite a lovely place. The people are friendly, with greetings from almost everyone, and even the dogs left us alone. Henk, the Hotel Manager, said that he and his wife Crystal were chased by some dogs yesterday while riding their tandem bicycle, but they threw them part of their lunch, so were able to get away.

 

If Sunday Laws kept downtown quiet and almost car-free yesterday, today everything was up and running, with people everywhere and the public market buzzing along. It seemed like every Tongan we passed had a pleasant greeting, and some even engaged us in conversation, learning that we were from California and yes, we were on that big ship.

 

The clothing here is unique. About half the men wear an ankle-length lava-lava, which we would call a wrap-around skirt. They top that with a short-sleeved shirt, and then, if it’s formal wear (church, legal business, some jobs), they tie a piece of tapa around the waist with a woven leather belt-like device. In Hawaii, we’re used to tapa being the result of pounding and dying, but here it’s simply woven from dried plant fibers. Every single Tongan in church yesterday was wearing his or her tapa, and we read that any business conducted with the government (court, marriage licenses, etc) requires that the tapa be worn. It’s simply a traditional garment and is used to show respect.

 

Our activity this morning was a verrrrry long walk. We’ve been here before, and while we knew we’d see new things if we took a tour, we decided that what we wanted to see was the everyday life around the city. We headed down a road which parallels the beach, watching fishermen pulling in nets amongst the wood and chicken wire “fences” that are built to make their fishing more productive. The highlight of our watching was seeing a full-sized pig standing about a foot deep in the water, rooting around for seaweed and fish. How often do you get to watch a fishing pig? We also passed an elementary school on the first day of their school year. The kids were adorable in their uniforms, which apparently varied according to grade, from boys wearing lava lavas to girls in bright red uniforms as well as three or four other choices.

 

After we finished our 3-4 mile walk, we arrived back in town and spent a short time in a cafe to use their internet, such as it was. It was lovely to just sit and enjoy the breeze, since the weather is so darned hot and humid. Then we wandered through the public market, but didn’t buy any of the produce, carvings, jewelry or tapa that we found for sale. I only wish I’d had one of those woven fans during church yesterday, since it seemed that every local woman had one.

 

The heat and humidity finally forced us back into air-conditioned bliss on the ship, and after dropping off our umbrellas, computers, and other miscellany, we wandered down to the Queen’s Lounge to check out the Super Bowl food. Wow, what a spread. It began with mini hot dogs (with mini buns), sliders, chicken nuggets, all the makings of nachos, potato salad, quesadillas (my favorite), sub sandwiches, shrimp cocktails, and frosted brownies. I must have forgotten something, but there was more food than the combined football teams could have eaten! We watched until half-time so we could see the Katy Perry show, which was pretty darned good, if I do say so myself. Then it was back to the cabin to do some writing - and here I am. Now the score is 24-14, Seahawks, and the guy who ended up with 4 and 4 in the pool won $200 at halftime and another $100 at the end of the third quarter. I’m sure he thought he had lousy numbers, but isn’t that always the way? I’m just holding out hope for the end of the game, since that’s $500 and I could use it in Auckland and Sydney. Hope is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?

 

The only bad thing about the Super Bowl on the ship is that the cool commercials get cut out, and we just get to watch one ESPN commercial after another. I don’t quite know why that happens, but in all the years we’ve watched this sports event on the WC, we’ve never seen any of the incredibly expensive commercials.

 

We sail at 4:00, in about half an hour, and after two days at sea we’ll be in Auckland. We do love New Zealand, partly because our daughter did a year’s exchange there, and we’re anxious to visit again.

 

P. S. Yes, the author is Keri Hulme and Emily is on her own in the library this year. No Chris.

[Traveling Dot]

I was wondering how many are in the book club? Also how does everyone get the books you are reading? I have never seen more than one book for any title on the ships I have been on.

 

Thanks for writing this blog. I am enjoying it while we are stuck here in New England in one snow storm after another. Snowing again today and late start at work (11 am) so I get time to read your blog this morning.

[Johnny B]

Tuesday, February 3, 2015 - Day 29

 

Sadly, we have now left the South Pacific, and even though New Zealand is a part of Polynesia, it just won’t be the same. However, between the excitement of the Super Bowl (who in their right mind would make that call?) and the sailaway party, it seems that most people have put this part of the world in the back of their minds and are looking forward to New Zealand and Down Under. Even the movie today, “Whale Rider,” is one situated in New Zealand, albeit 13 years ago.

 

The events on board have now shifted to New Zealand, with Barbara presenting an introduction to that country along with things to see and do in Auckland. The Show Chef David is preparing green lip mussels today, a dish that our daughter learned to love while on exchange in New Zealand. Mel Foster, who has presented some fascinating lectures on the South Pacific, is going to speak on “Maoris, Missionaries, and Settlers” today. Apparently it was almost the last country in the world to be colonized, and he refers to it as “the other Land Down Under.”

 

This evening we’re hosting our friend Andy in the Pinnacle. He’s a 20-something young man who is returning to Dunedin, NZ, for the second year of his master’s study in geophysics. Andy is a 1-2-3 dinner person: one starter, two main dishes, and three desserts. We think that the huge meat items available in the Pinnacle will be just his style, so we’re looking forward to the size of his eyes when he sees the menu. He disembarks in Auckland, and we will be wishing him well on his continued program of study.

 

The sky is blue, the oceans are fairly smooth, and we have two more days at sea. Life is good.

 

P. S. Regarding the Book Club selections, Emily gets 35 copies of each of them, and they do not go on the shelves. She announces a day and time to collect them, and we queue up to get them.

[tommui987]

Apparently it was almost the last country in the world to be colonized, and he refers to it as “the other Land Down Under.”

 

Love reading about your experiences.

 

I heard the New Zealanders refer to OZ as "West Island".

[Johnny B]

Wednesday, February 4, 2015 - Day 30

At Sea - almost to Auckland, NZ

 

It’s been a wonderful day. Blue skies, calm seas, and a chance to do good. Today is World Cancer Day, and the commemoration on board was “On Deck for a Cause,” the fund raising event sponsored by Holland America Line. It includes a chance to donate, get a great tee shirt, and walk a 5K with dozens and dozens of other passengers, crew, and officers. It began with one suggestion from one passenger and has now raised over five million dollars. Don’t ever think that YOU can’t make a difference.

 

When you make your contribution at the front desk, you get a nicely rolled up white tee shirt which has a small HAL insignia on the front and the “On Deck . . . “ on the back. We then joined all the others in the third floor Atrium, where we had a pep talk from Gene, and then crowded out onto the ship’s deck to begin. We were to walk 12 laps to cover the 3.1 miles (plus a bit), after which there was cake, blue lemonade, fruit, and cookies. John and I walked with our friend Cathy, and were lapped by a few of the tall, long-legged folks, including Captain Jonathan, who wore a black tee shirt that simply said “CAPTAIN.” That pretty much says it all. We skipped the cake, but the blue lemonade was darned good.

 

Afterwards, it was almost time for Trivia, so as soon as I showered, I headed up to guarantee our seats because sometimes there are problems. Today was the end of the first segment, so it was time to add up our scores to see how many “Grand Dollars” each team won. All our answer sheets were stapled together with a total score written on the top. We came in second overall, but the best part was that we earned three (what we used to call) “Dam Dollars” for every point, giving our team 768 of those little blue devils to divide, along with what we’ve been earning every time we came in first, second, or third.

 

This afternoon, after we had lunch and after John had lessons in Pickle Ball, it was time for dollar redemption, and between what we had earned this segment and the dollars we saved from last year, we had 560 to spend. That bought us a “charge all cable” and a portable power bank, for a total of 400 bucks. There were lots of other things, but the “charge all” will save us having to drag along our gallon zip-lock bag of individual chargers, and the power bank will enable us to recharge wherever we may be. Pretty cool, huh?

 

This evening will be great for two reasons: it’s a formal night (and I’m getting my hair done up - you must be so excited!), and Rita Rudner is on for her second show, since she’s disembarking tomorrow. We do like to dress up, so this evening’s dress and accessories are already hanging up on the room hooks and my hair appointment for 6:15 is coming up shortly. It should be a great evening, and we’re looking forward to Auckland tomorrow.

[cccole]

What a great sea day. Can't wait to see Jeff's pictures of your "do" at the formal evening festivities. Cherie

[Johnny B]

Thursday, February 5, 2015 - Day 31

Auckland, New Zealand

 

Welcome to New Zealand. This is a wonderful country, and we’ve taken full advantage of our first day here. We headed out with two “business” goals: to return a phone call that had to be made on a USA business day and to mail the first of four “care packages” to our kids in Davis. We look for things that we think the three of them would like and send a box of goodies at the end of each segment, but only from countries which have a history of getting our packages home. New Zealand and Australia are good candidates, as are Singapore and Hong Kong (even though we’re not going to the latter this year).

One of the favorites of our granddaughter is the collection of bedtime chocolates that we save and send to her each segment.

 

One of the things that tickle me about Auckland is the traffic signals. The light will turn green for one direction, and then green for the other directions, but then noise begins and it’s pedestrian time. During that 40 seconds or so, you can walk either direction - or you can walk diagonally across the intersection. At home it can be annoying to cross in one direction and then have to wait until the light turns the other way to complete your crossing, but not here. It’s sort of like a large game of “Chinese Fire Drill,” but all perfectly legal.

 

After we completed our tasks, we decided that we needed to see some of the outlying areas of Auckland, so we bought ourselves tickets for the HOHO (hop-on, hop-off) bus, which in Auckland has two loops, red and blue. We saw all kinds of new things: Bastion Point, the Aquarium, about a dozen rose gardens, the historic Civic Theatre, and the beautiful Auckland Museum. We didn’t get off everywhere, but we did want to take a closer look at Bastion Point, which has a wonderful view of the harbor. Also, we hopped off at the Auckland Museum, which is a beautiful building containing exhibits which highlight the European and Maori history of the country. The museum also has a lovely little cafe, where we shared a panini and a salad.

 

Finally we got back to the downtown area, just across from our ship, and we spent some time in a three-story mall, looking for things from the film Frozen for our 8-year-old granddaughter, who is in love with all things from the movie. After our brief but non-productive shopping visit, we headed back “home,” so I could gather what I needed and head back for a pedicure - I know you wanted to know that. Wearing flip-flops almost all the time, my little toes and feet are really feeling the wear and tear and needed some care. Now all is well; my feet are happy and my toes are pretty.

 

This evening we decided that it would be fun to have dinner off the ship, so we headed to the America’s Cup Viaduct Harbour, a place that’s great fun because of all the restaurants and bars surrounding a harbour full of beautiful yachts, including those used in the America’s Cup race. In fact, it’s possible to book a ride through the bay in one of those racers, which we did in 2008. Passengers get to assist in trimming the sails, turning that little wheel (which has a name I have completely forgotten), and all the other things necessary to make the yacht sail smoothly and quickly across the bay. We recommend it highly.

 

Dinner was at O’Hagan’s Pub, where we’ve eaten before. It’s very casual, has great fish and chips and some very nice draft beers and ciders. The current excellent exchange rate makes the cost of dinner a little less expensive, and it was a good time.

 

Tomorrow we’ll have to decide what to do; it may include a ferry ride to another island or a bus ride to somewhere. Who knows?

[erewhon]

Thank you for your reports.

 

Welcome to New Zealand, hope you enjoy the remainder of your visit.

[boards]

Thanks for the information on Auckland. We have been there twice and didn't try the hop-on and off bus and also the three story mall, didn't know there was one, now we have to go back again. We needed an excuse, now we have one. We have been to the pier and enjoyed it too.

[Johnny B]

Friday, February 6, 2015 - Day 32

Auckland, New Zealand

 

It’s Waitangi Day in New Zealand - bet you didn’t know that. It is a holiday that commemorates the day the Maori Chiefs signed over their land to the English. As you can imagine, it’s a holiday to most, but not to all. As with many holidays in the States, it is more of just a day off for many people, but all the stores and tourist sites are still open.

 

Overnight ports are just the best. We don’t have to rush around trying to get everything done in one day, and if we don’t do something one day, we can do it the next. That’s the way it has been here. Yesterday we took the HOHO bus for a few hours, which left us today to do our shopping and have a great excursion.

 

Today’s first outing was to the nearby shopping mall, whose third floor is made up entirely of The Warehouse, a discount store selling everything from motor oil to clothing to candy. We couldn’t decide which of four items from the movie “Frozen” to buy for our granddaughter, so of course we bought all of them. Since the oversized Cadbury chocolate bars were on sale for an amazing price, we also bought a few of those, some of which will no doubt go in the next “care package.”

 

After delivering the goodies to our cabin, we walked next door to the pier and bought passage to the nearby island of Devonport, a charming spot which is almost more English than England. It is full of cute little shops, lovely restaurants, and one great pub called “The Patriot.” Our friends Alan and Sandra (Alsas) had told us about their delicious lunch of green-lip mussels and fries, so that’s where we headed. When our daughter was in New Zealand on exchange, she came home loving beer, the All Blacks rugby team, and mussels. In California and in France, we’re used to cute little mussels with dark blue shells, but they are nothing in comparison with these. First of all, the name: they are called “green lip” because the shells are edged in a bright green (as John showed on Facebook). Then the size! I’ve had smaller steaks! Not really, but they really are soooo much bigger than what we’re used to. And then there were the fries - more wedges of fried potatoes than what we’re used to, but they were crispy and delicious. It was a thoroughly satisfactory lunch and, when we returned to the ship, made us realize that, yes, another nap was in order.

 

Now it’s sailaway time, but because it’s been raining on and off all day, it’s been moved to the Crow’s Nest. I’d rather be outside on Deck 8, but all things considered, I’d rather be dry. Auckland has a beautiful skyline, and it really is beautiful backing away from it and watching the buildings get smaller in the distance.

 

Tomorrow is The Bay of Islands, which we’ve not been to but have been told it’s beautiful. We really know little about the place, but I’m sure we’ll know a lot more by tomorrow at this time.

[windsor26]

You will love the historic Bay of Islands particularly if you take the ferry over to Russell which was of course the original and first Capital of New Zealand before Wellington

 

Have a great time there :)

[Johnny B]

Saturday, February 7, 2015 - Day 33

Waitangi, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

 

This cruise just keeps getting better and better, if such is possible. Today we anchored in the middle of the Bay of Islands (144 of them, I believe) and we tendered to the lovely town of Paihia, near Waitangi, which is considered the birthplace of New Zealand, because in a lovely little park area, on the side of a hill and within sight of the water, the Maori chiefs signed over the entire country, North and South Islands, to the British. Since yesterday was Waitangi Day, today was the day to take everything down from the national holiday celebration (as well as the Maori protests which always take place on the same day).

 

The town of Paihia is small and very friendly, as is most of New Zealand. We walked the main street, saw dozens of people seemingly hanging onto the outside of the city library for free wifi (it looked like bees surrounding a hive), found some nice stores, and then decided to walk the mile and a half to Waitangi, so we could see where the treaty was signed. When we got there, we found out that it cost NZ $25.00 to see the actual building where the treaty was signed, so we opted out, and since our legs were about to give out, we took the free city shuttle back the way we had walked.

 

All aboard today was at 2:30, which was the time that sailaway began. Since this is the beginning of a new segment (the first one beginning in Ft. Lauderdale), today’s sailaway was a great party around the midships Lido pool, highlighted by food stands and free wine and beer. Talk about a popular place! First we sat by ourselves, but then friends began finding spare chairs and joining us, and we talked and laughed, and alternated between some excellent NZ Sauvignon Blanc and Diet Coke. The party was supposed to end at 4:00, but because everyone was having such a good time (and no one had jumped into the pool), it was extended until 4:30. At that time, many of our friends headed back to their cabins, so we moved over and joined another group of friends, where more laughter seemed to be the sound of the day. Alan, one of the funniest men we know, was simulating a telephone conversation while holding a large carrot to his ear. Maybe you did have to be there.

 

Our four friends who make up Black Tie - Con, Sue, Yuri and Val - boarded in Auckland, and it is great to spend time with them again. Yuri and Val were coming to our table tonight, so we agreed to meet in the Crow’s Nest. At dinner, we talked and laughed and spent almost two hours just catching up with all four of our lives and what’s going on with their kids. We had decided to attend the show after dinner, but as we headed to the Queen’s Lounge, we found out that the ballroom dancers scheduled had to be cancelled because, all of a sudden, the ship was hitting a bit of a rough patch, and it wouldn’t be safe to be dancing on a slick wooden stage. Instead, they decided to show tomorrow’s movie, but since we’d already seen it, we took a pass. The ship is certainly doing some rocking and rolling as I write, but the captain said it will smooth out during the night.

 

We do realize how lucky we are, and we just love every day of this great adventure.

 

P. S. We didn't get to Russell because our time here was limited. Maybe next visit. Thanks for the recommendation.

[maggiemou]

Saturday, February 7, 2015 - Day 33

Waitangi, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

 

This cruise just keeps getting better and better, if such is possible. Today we anchored in the middle of the Bay of Islands (144 of them, I believe) and we tendered to the lovely town of Paihia, near Waitangi, which is considered the birthplace of New Zealand, because in a lovely little park area, on the side of a hill and within sight of the water, the Maori chiefs signed over the entire country, North and South Islands, to the British. Since yesterday was Waitangi Day, today was the day to take everything down from the national holiday celebration (as well as the Maori protests which always take place on the same day).

 

The town of Paihia is small and very friendly, as is most of New Zealand. We walked the main street, saw dozens of people seemingly hanging onto the outside of the city library for free wifi (it looked like bees surrounding a hive), found some nice stores, and then decided to walk the mile and a half to Waitangi, so we could see where the treaty was signed. When we got there, we found out that it cost NZ $25.00 to see the actual building where the treaty was signed, so we opted out, and since our legs were about to give out, we took the free city shuttle back the way we had walked.

 

All aboard today was at 2:30, which was the time that sailaway began. Since this is the beginning of a new segment (the first one beginning in Ft. Lauderdale), today’s sailaway was a great party around the midships Lido pool, highlighted by food stands and free wine and beer. Talk about a popular place! First we sat by ourselves, but then friends began finding spare chairs and joining us, and we talked and laughed, and alternated between some excellent NZ Sauvignon Blanc and Diet Coke. The party was supposed to end at 4:00, but because everyone was having such a good time (and no one had jumped into the pool), it was extended until 4:30. At that time, many of our friends headed back to their cabins, so we moved over and joined another group of friends, where more laughter seemed to be the sound of the day. Alan, one of the funniest men we know, was simulating a telephone conversation while holding a large carrot to his ear. Maybe you did have to be there.

 

Our four friends who make up Black Tie - Con, Sue, Yuri and Val - boarded in Auckland, and it is great to spend time with them again. Yuri and Val were coming to our table tonight, so we agreed to meet in the Crow’s Nest. At dinner, we talked and laughed and spent almost two hours just catching up with all four of our lives and what’s going on with their kids. We had decided to attend the show after dinner, but as we headed to the Queen’s Lounge, we found out that the ballroom dancers scheduled had to be cancelled because, all of a sudden, the ship was hitting a bit of a rough patch, and it wouldn’t be safe to be dancing on a slick wooden stage. Instead, they decided to show tomorrow’s movie, but since we’d already seen it, we took a pass. The ship is certainly doing some rocking and rolling as I write, but the captain said it will smooth out during the night.

 

We do realize how lucky we are, and we just love every day of this great adventure.

 

P. S. We didn't get to Russell because our time here was limited. Maybe next visit. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

I have been following you and the rest of the members of this thread now for a number of weeks . Reliving my time in the various ports of call. Wonderful memories. We had a great time in Tonga last year and also an interesting time in Russell. I posted my world cruise events from the last two years on another forum and now they are published in book from. I wish you many more happy days and I am glued to your reports carry on your good work and have a great time.. :D

https://www.cruise.co.uk/forum/109-cruise-news/40276-maggiemou-s-adventures-under-downunder-new-zealand.html?highlight=maggiemou+zealand