LIVE! Crown Princess Hawaii/South Pacific 10/17 - 11/14

[janacin]

Her nausea is now physical due to her many stomach surgeries over the past decade. She can't snorkel, or helicopter or anything that puts pressure on her stomach and causes the nausea reaction - which is any physical pressure on the upper part of the stomach wall where the esophagus enters.

 

Everything helps her (ginger, green apples, OTC and prescription drugs), but nothing prevents it.

 

I've been enjoying your blogs about the trip. We were on the same cruise on the Crown last year about this time. Besides the amazing ports, the best time was on the relaxing 8 sea days on the way back to LA. Our good friends, Janet and Stan Blander are on board with you. Have a great rest of the cruise. Are you the same CC Crain who sells short wave radios?

 

Marty

[ccrain]

A little less gray this morning. Just a little. Still choppy with breezes. Today is Hiro’s Tour in Moorea. Time to get up for that tender call.

 

Yesterday weather wise was certainly mixed blessings. Gale force winds and grey skies at times, but the temperatures stayed low, so we didn’t cook. Because of the chop and the swell, snorkeling was a challenge. I can see how this location can be one of the best in the world on a clear day. The water temperature was perfect, the visibility, considering the chop, the current and the swell, incredible. Almost equal to Grand Cayman and St. Thomas. But the winds and the swell stirred up the bottom and the grey skies didn’t let the sun penetrate.

 

Yesterday was the tour with Patrick. Everything you’ve ever heard about that tour is justified. It’s an incredible tour for a great price when compared to the competing princess excursions. And Patrick himself lived up to all the hype you’ve read on line. He was charming, friendly, witty and a great host. But the people who worked with him were also great. From the singers/musicians on the Catamaran to one particular guy on one of the outriggers – it was a hoot from the get go.

 

Before I go any further I have to give kudos and a big THANK YOU to Bonni (freetocruise) on our roll call. She organized the entire outing, made arrangements with Patrick, coordinated the ship captains, helped herd us cats, and in general made the whole thing possible. And it wasn’t just a 5 hour tour. It ended up being around 7+ hours.

 

So let’s break it down.

 

We got on the first tender from the Elite Lounge. We were on-shore by 0945. Patrick was there to greet us all and direct us over to the ferry pavilion. We were on the catamaran. There were four outriggers, one of which was dedicated to the 4x4 group that would tour the island via 4x4 with Patrick himself. The cat and the other 3 outriggers would head out snorkeling. The cat is large enough for the group, with a covered lower deck and covered upper deck. Plenty of room to sit. The cat has a marine toilet. The outriggers are covered, but no toilets. They are a bit faster getting around than the cat.

 

We started off heading north from the port across the entry channel and up to a shallow (2-4’) bank. There was a heavy chop here and a current, but you could stand up on the bank. WEAR WATER OR REEF SHOES. Fins do no good here and actually can get you hurt if you try and stand or end up wiping out the person next to you. The stingrays found us almost immediately. Very large with 2-4’ wing spans. Got some great up close and personal stills and videos of them. Then the sharks found us. 3-5’ black tipped reef sharks. Got a great still of a shark and two stingrays in the same photo. It was way cool snorkeling with sharks.

 

We traveled around the various motu’s back down to the southwest, across the entrance channel to a coral area in deeper water. Much better visibility here. Lots of fish, no Nemo, giant clams, Sea Urchin, trumpeters. This was about 20’ of water. Because of the chop and the swell, a lot of people stayed on the cat.

 

Cutting back down around the island, which we would eventually circumnavigate, we headed past the Marriot, Hilton and Intercontinental hotel huts over water. Looked interesting, but only if you really want to snorkel below your bedroom.

 

At Patrick’s motu we were treated to a fire dance by Patrick himself, all the beer, wine, champagne and soda you could drink and one of the most mouth watering beach BBQ’s we’ve ever been to. They had grilled mahi-mahi and tuna, pit roasted pig, breadfruit, plantains, poi and taro. They had a spinach and chicken dish that was out of this world – it had a little coconut milk in it. They had grilled plantains and grapefruit, fresh pineapple and grapefruit. Now after snorkeling for a couple of hours I could have eaten the south end of a northbound horse, so basically anything would have tasted good, but this really hit the spot. And the winds and cloud cover kept it nice and cool. Oh, and the plates were woven coconut fronds with banana leaf liners. Pretty cool.

 

And poi you could actually eat! It was pounded poi with sugar and coconut milk added. Judy did not care for the texture. I liked it. It had great flavor.

 

The ride back was highlighted by the sighting of a huge Manta ray doing loop to loops in the shallow water. The cat skipper stopped and let us watch this huge creature come to the surface, almost seem to wave at us with one wing, go down and loop back up showing its white belly at us as it then looped back down into the depths. It did this a half a dozen times and then we had to head to the port as the winds were really starting to pick up.

 

The cat dropped us off where they picked us up – at the ferry pavilion. We walked around the “town” a little bit to scout it out. There isn’t much there except for pearls and I am not going to drop $100’s or $1000’s in an out of the way place without knowing exactly what I am buying.

 

While wandering around, the tender lines dropped to almost nil and we got back to the ship around 1800. It took almost an hour to shower, transfer photos, get stuff charging and in general get our stuff together. I was not hungry at all. Judy hit the Bavarian buffet and loved the various sausages, snitzels and soups.

 

Even though I really wanted to go to the Quest Gameshow, we just did not make it. It was a long and exhausting day and we finally go to bed around 2030. If we didn’t have Hiro’s tour this morning, I would have downed a cup of coffee, or a dirty banana, and kept on going. We were so out of it, we didn’t hear the ship leave port after 2200.

 

That’s it for this morning. Got to lotion up for Hiro’s tour, grab some coffee and go get exhausted again!

 

Thanks again to Bonni for setting this all up. Patrick’s tour will be the highlight of the trip and worth every penny.

[ccrain]

I've been enjoying your blogs about the trip. We were on the same cruise on the Crown last year about this time. Besides the amazing ports, the best time was on the relaxing 8 sea days on the way back to LA. Our good friends, Janet and Stan Blander are on board with you. Have a great rest of the cruise. Are you the same CC Crain who sells short wave radios?

 

Marty

 

Not many of us with this spelling, but I don't sell radios. Glad you are enjoying the blogs.

[ccrain]

CCRAIN:

Could you please say hello to the Los Brillantes from Greg in Mexico. We have followed

them for years.

 

Thanks,

 

Greg

 

I will put it on my list of things to do.

[kerrydee]

I've been enjoying your blogs about the trip. We were on the same cruise on the Crown last year about this time. Besides the amazing ports, the best time was on the relaxing 8 sea days on the way back to LA. Our good friends, Janet and Stan Blander are on board with you. Have a great rest of the cruise. Are you the same CC Crain who sells short wave radios?

 

Marty

 

marty, i am also friends with the Blanders and their traveling companions are my cousins. that is why i am following this thread.

[Pam in CA]

So glad you enjoyed Patrick's tour. It remains one of the best and most fun tours I've ever taken. Say hello to Bonni for me. Terrific lady and awesome job to organize that. We've had some good times together. :)

[RetiredNTraveling]

A little less gray this morning. Just a little. Still choppy with breezes. Today is Hiro’s Tour in Moorea. Time to get up for that tender call.

 

Yesterday was the tour with Patrick. Everything you’ve ever heard about that tour is justified. It’s an incredible tour for a great price when compared to the competing princess excursions. And Patrick himself lived up to all the hype you’ve read on line. He was charming, friendly, witty and a great host. But the people who worked with him were also great. From the singers/musicians on the Catamaran to one particular guy on one of the outriggers – it was a hoot from the get go.

 

Before I go any further I have to give kudos and a big THANK YOU to Bonni (freetocruise) on our roll call. She organized the entire outing, made arrangements with Patrick, coordinated the ship captains, helped herd us cats, and in general made the whole thing possible. And it wasn’t just a 5 hour tour. It ended up being around 7+ hours.

 

Thanks again to Bonni for setting this all up. Patrick’s tour will be the highlight of the trip and worth every penny.

 

Charles, this was the one tour that we wanted to do the most! Reading your review was like being there and you are so right in giving Bonni the credit for a fantastic job! She carried the load and was fantastic to do so much for you guys. Tell Bonni hello from us please.

As for Hiro's we can hardly wait to see your review on that tour.

Maybe we will have someone like her when we get around to taking this cruise. Almost doesn't count.

Just Mike & Betty

[stargazers]

I was so looking forward to this excursion! I'm glad you had a great time. Now I'm hungry and there is nothing in the house that sounds as good as what you had on the motu!

 

Mike and Betty, maybe we will get to do this together sometime! Hope and prayers for Betty's continued healing.

 

Kristy :)

[RetiredNTraveling]

I was so looking forward to this excursion! I'm glad you had a great time. Now I'm hungry and there is nothing in the house that sounds as good as what you had on the motu!

 

Mike and Betty, maybe we will get to do this together sometime! Hope and prayers for Betty's continued healing.

 

Kristy :)

 

Betty has an appointment with the Cardiologist today. We'll know more after that. We

appreciate the prayers as it was God's will that we didn't get on board the Crown that morning (10-17) so he sent us a very strong message at 5:00am that morning.

 

As for taking this cruise well we are shooting for 2017 which gives us enough time to get everything under control and back on track! But I'm not sure I can go through another 2 years of planning and anticipation! :eek: :D

 

Just Mike

Edited November 5, 2015 by RetiredNTraveling

[ccrain]

Still overcast today, but no ship motion as we were docked overnight. Love overnights, as does the crew. Waking up in the morning and already being there is pretty good. We have nothing scheduled today except for some shopping.

 

Yesterday was completely different, exhausting and great. We did Hiro’s tour in Moorea. This is very similar to Patrick’s tour in Bora Bora, but with a different cast of characters. We snorkeled, BBQ’ed and drank.

 

First off, the Princess shore excursions had priority on tenders. Unlike Bora Bora, where they took Elites 90 at a time, the only took two groups of 20 in the first tenders, then emptied the Elite lounge. We were worried as Hiro’s first cat takes off at 0900. But we arrived at 0855 and were the first ones on board. By 0930, the cat was full and we were off. It was raining, so the tender windows were closed and it was really stuffy in the tenders. The tender port is a little bitty thing with a few concrete piers and used for small craft only. There was a little crafts market in the pavilion at the port.

 

As an additional treat, Carmen, from the cruise staff, a JACD and on her first contract and first cruise, got the day off. Very special. She got in the Hiro line and we encouraged to join the “party boat”.

 

We were introduced to Marco and his wife Andrea. Marco was a hoot. Kept us entertained all the way over and while at the beach. We stopped in a shallow spot on the way to the Motu and snorkeled with stingrays and sharks. Lots more stingrays and sharks. There was no chop in the water, and although the overcast limited visibility, I got some great underwater footage with both the snorkel camera and the Sony action camera. Marco took some fish off with him and was swarmed by stingrays, all female. He had three at one time climbing up on this chest, shoulders and back trying to get to the food. I had as many as 6 or 7 black tipped reef sharks in camera range at one time. And it rained. Never snorkeled in a thunderstorm before, but it poured down rain. It was so cool – literally and figuratively. After snorkeling, we traveled over to the Motu, past the Princess excursion into the lagoon area. A lot of us took off to snorkel in the lagoon while the BBQ started. The furthest out in the lagoon we got, the better the snorkeling. Lots of fish, clams, crabs, sea slugs (big ones) and lots of variety of color of fish. Yellow, neon blue, black and orange, all kinds of colors of fish. There was very little current or chop in the lagoon area, although a couple of squalls came through which made the BBQ a bit interesting, so snorkeling was very comfortable in that it was easy to stay away from the coral.

 

Lunch was basic BBQ chicken, fresh tuna, pasta salad, rice and fresh pineapple. The fresh pineapple was incredible. Marco entertained us with opening a coconut and passing around fresh samples – yum and how to wear a Penar – which he demonstrated on one brave lady and one brave guy. Unfortunately most of his funniest dialogue is not printable on Cruise Critic.

We took the first shuttle back to the port. We could have waited for the next one, but wanted to shower and get everything read for our food truck outing. Besides, after eating and drinking, snorkeling was not a good idea.

 

So all in all, a great time at this particular excursion. Well worth it. Thanks Mike for finding this one and helping us get on it. Highly recommended.

 

The ship left Moorea and cruised over to Papeete arriving at 2000. Entering a port at night is always interesting and we had to watch the process. After the allowed us off, we headed for the food trucks. They are right off the docks. Like a couple of hundred yards. Picking the truck to eat at was difficult at first, but we could get pasta, pizza, burgers, French fries, fish and curries on the ship. So the choice was between Chinese food or crepes, and we went with crepes at Creperie Du Port. We started with savory crepes – Judy had the #5 with Chorizo and I had the R3 with egg and swiss cheese – and had dessert crepes as well – Judy had the strawberry crepe and I had Crepes Suzette. The Crepes Suzette had Grand Marnia in it and it wasn’t all cooked off so it had a little alcohol flavor on it. That was the only downside. It was a great place to people watch and talk to various crew members and passengers. There was a lot of people off the ship trying the various trucks.

 

We did not make the folkloric show at 2200. But from the comments this morning in the IC, it appears that the theater was packed by 2000.

 

So that’s it from Papeete. Later all…

[homeinboca]

Betty has an appointment with the Cardiologist today. We'll know more after that. We

appreciate the prayers as it was God's will that we didn't get on board the Crown that morning (10-17) so he sent us a very strong message at 5:00am that morning.

 

As for taking this cruise well we are shooting for 2017 which gives us enough time to get everything under control and back on track! But I'm not sure I can go through another 2 years of planning and anticipation! :eek: :D

 

Just Mike

 

Mike,

 

I want to wish you and Betty well and hope that you are able to take this cruise one day, you certainly were an amazing resource for everyone on the roll call. All the best.

 

Ron

[ccrain]

Its pouring down rain, but the sea is glassy smooth. Rain at sea in a calm wind and with a warm temperature is very calming and relaxing. Sort of Zen like.

 

Yesterday was partly sunny to mostly sunny, no rain. Hot and humid in Papeete. We did one of our favorite activities – went to the local market – the Papeete Marche – just a couple of blocks from the ship. It had everything from fish to bananas, from clothes to jewelry. Really cool and interesting. We spent hours wandering around the place taking pictures, talking to vendors, drinking, snacking, window shopping. No hard sell either, nothing like the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. We missed a large part of the fish market, but were still able to see whole parrot fish, a type of snapper and some beautiful tuna sections. The flowers were intense in color and in scent. Beautiful arrangements. The handmade jewelry was beautiful mother of pearl, and the Pareos were bright and colorful. It was not necessary to have local currency, but we did have it and it was appreciated and made things a bit cheaper than using US$.

 

We also went into various shops along the ‘esplanade’ area and found a book showing 50+ ways to wear a Pareo. We picked up some presents for Christmas for the kids as well. Almost stopped to get something to eat and drink, but nothing on the menus interested us. Mainly French centric cuisine and we were looking for something a bit different.

 

So that was our day in Papeete. Hanging out at the local markets mainly. Not a cheap excursion considering how much we spent, but fun nonetheless. We probably purchased things from half a dozen vendors and shop keepers and had fun communicating with all of them. One spoke only French, but we were able to get our message across and she was able to answer. It was kind of cool actually.

 

Unfortunately I have caught my cruise head cold. So for me it was a Nyquil night. But I did make it down to deliver Greg’s message to Los Brilliantos last night. It was kind of like, ‘oh yeah, thanks, who? Oh that Greg! Yes, thank you very much!’ So Greg, consider message delivered.

 

So let’s look at the first sea day patter. Tonight is formal night. Zumba is back on this morning with Sasha, so his Achilles tendon is apparently ok. There are four lectures today, one from each of our lecturers (Joe Condrill, Sharron Fall, Ronald Bowers, Frank Sandstrom). Natural wonders of the world, Mysteries of the Atlantic Ocean, Manson Family Murders and Aviation Development in Germany. There is a week long murder mystery challenge by the cruise staff. Bingo. Ukulele class, a Waltz class, Princess Pop Choir part II, Hula class, the first part of the Princess Heptathlon – basketball shootout, Origami, Boat building competition start and a couple of trivias including an Ocean’s trivia under the Discovery at Sea program.

 

Tonight has Saving Mr Banks on MUTS, the Marriage Match game, Pop Stars Heat #3. The headliner in the theater is Heather Sullivan – a piano recording artist. Jamie is doing Skywalkers disco tonight with a Michael Jackson hour to start. Los Brillantes has a couple of sets in the Piazza.

 

That’s the morning update – later all!

[ccrain]

What a difference 400+ nautical miles makes. Blue sky morning, very few clouds, no rain, light swell, very little chop. Warm tropical breezes and my head cold is progressing, which means it’s getting better. Might do Zumba this morning.

 

Yesterday was not much of anything. I concentrated on Nyquil and rest, and going to a couple of lectures. Judy, Paul and Elizabeth went to sign up for the murder mystery, but half the ship was there. The rules were quite strict. And rule #1 was the first complaining or whining would end the game! Apparently you are given a target via photograph, and you are to kill that target, but only in hallways, not while they are eating or drinking or in shows, but only in transit and not ambushed on the way to their stateroom. Once killed you are to surrender your photograph and it is posted in the photo gallery with a red x on it. Sounded interesting, but I was in no condition to participate.

 

So let’s get right into the patter. Zumba is this morning. Looks like Sasha is back and his injury is ok. There are three lectures today. Straits of Gibraltar, Murder in Marlon Brando’s House and French Aviation Through World War One. There is a photography class, a genealogy introduction, a pastry demonstration, a service club get together, napkin folding, bingo, vodka tasting, art auction, line dance class. Lawn bowling is the second event in the Princess Heptathlon, a Crab Sorting competition (Discovery at Sea) at the upper pool (sounds messy). Arts and crafts class is a palm tree bookmark, pop choir rehearsals, Kingman: The Secret Service is the afternoon movie in the Princess theater, Princess Grapevine, the free one for elites, is this afternoon, and there are a couple of trivias.

 

Tonight’s headliner is Fernandez a hypnotist, Pub Night, the Production Show version, is in Explorer’s twice tonight. Los Brillantes is in the Piazza, as is Fusion since Explorer’s is hosting pub night. And finally MUTS has Batkid Begins.

 

Oh and tonight we have our Crown Grill dinner with Paul and Elizabeth.

 

So lots to do and see today – I hope I feel up to it…Later!

[cr8tiv1]

I am enjoying this thread. Thank you for taking the time to keep us all updated. You thoroughly post what is available each day. I haven't seen (or missed reading) any Hawaiian cultural events such as musical entertainment, activities, ukulele lessons, etc. Is there a group on board? Does seem rather strange to have the Los Brillantes so often on a Polynesian cruise.

 

What's your take on the Wheelhouse transformation?

 

Are they still offering a Pub Lunch somewhere on the ship?

 

Missed all those enrichment lectures when I was on the Crown doing a Coastal. Looking forward to my Golden trip (LA - Australia) in the far future.

[casavaha]

CCRAIN: Thanks for saying hello to Los Brillantes. I should have told you to say

Gregorio and Coral. They know me better with that name.

Also thanks for the live reporting.

 

Greg

[ccrain]

Blue sky, light swell, nice temperature, good food, hot coffee, heading into the northern hemisphere this afternoon. My head cold is subsiding. Nyquil, lots of liquid (including a little Sambuca) and lots of sleep. I managed a short run in the gym yesterday followed by about ½ the Zumba class before I thought I’d better slow it down. I tried the omelet station in the HC yesterday for the first time. It’s been good enough to pull Judy away from lunch. They make a mean omelet and with double fresh jalapenos as well!

 

Last night was our dinner in Crown Grill with Paul and Elizabeth. The food was excellent, as usual. Between the four of us we had the scallops, beet salad, onion soup, ribeye, filet, veal, lamb chops and the carpaccio. I had the carpaccio of lamb loin as a starter for the first time. It was pretty good. Judy and Elizabeth had the scallops and salad. Paul had the salad and onion soup. I have a love hate affair with good French onion soup – it tastes so good, but the cheese is burning hot! Elizabeth had filet and she likes it blue – and it was perfectly cooked, as was Judy’s ribeye, Paul’s ribeye and my veal and lamb chops. (Yes, I did both mains because I could not make up my mind.) All of our meat was perfectly cooked as was the lobster and the sides. This time I liked the veal better than the lamb. Dessert was the special Love dessert, the peanut butter bar, for me. Judy had the molten chocolate cake and Paul and Elizabeth had the lemon merengue pie. All very, very good.

 

Last night was also the ‘production show’ Pub Night. It’s the corporatized version, in Explorer’s, of the traditional Pub Night the English CDs used to do in Vista on the older ships. We remember our first Pub Night when Samantha Hawker Thomas was a JACD in 2004 on the Island – our 3rd cruise. It was a lot more risqué and a lot more spontaneous back then, and the balloon popping games were a lot of fun and more interactive with the audience. They used to do ‘If I were not upon the sea’ as a closing number in the old pub nights, now its done as a closing to the International Crew Show. Its still a lot of fun, but its pretty scripted and not as spontaneous. Unfortunately with 3000+ passengers, not everyone is going to get to see it. We got there as soon as the first show ended and almost didn’t get a seat.

 

Jamie did the British Invasion music trivia between shows. He really loves his job and it shows. He does a mean Mic Jagger impression!

 

Speaking of 3000+ passengers, it is surprising how they all disappear during sea days. Oh sure, it can get crowded during peak times in the dining lines, but you can always find a quiet place somewhere. Skywalkers has become the reading lounge during the day, as well as Crown Grill – which is also used as the board games lounge.

 

So let’s look at the patter today. We have four lectures today. Natural Disasters in the Pacific, Starlet Shot in Spector’s Castle – Why did the inventor of the Wall of Sound shoot a starlet in the foyer of his mansion, Jimmy Doolittle and the Panama Canal. Football is on today as well. (BTW, we are two hours behind LA and we push the clocks ahead tonight.) Zumba is later this morning due to church services. There is both an interdenominational and an LDS service.

 

There is a Pub Lunch in Crown Grill, bingo, a friendship bracelet class, ukulele class, hula class, ballroom class, pop choir, journaling, an improv workshop with Joe Montanari, ring toss is today’s Princess Heptathlon event, spelling bee and two special trivias – an Animal Planet trivia and a West End Musical Trivia.

 

Tonight is Rock and Roll night. Stargazing is on as well. Vocalist Christopher Riggins is the headliner in the Theater, Nicole has a Disney trivia and Kelvin has a R&R trivia tonight as well.

 

That’s it for the day…later!

[ccrain]

I am enjoying this thread. Thank you for taking the time to keep us all updated. You thoroughly post what is available each day. I haven't seen (or missed reading) any Hawaiian cultural events such as musical entertainment, activities, ukulele lessons, etc. Is there a group on board? Does seem rather strange to have the Los Brillantes so often on a Polynesian cruise.

 

What's your take on the Wheelhouse transformation?

 

Are they still offering a Pub Lunch somewhere on the ship?

 

Missed all those enrichment lectures when I was on the Crown doing a Coastal. Looking forward to my Golden trip (LA - Australia) in the far future.

 

Rowena and Brian got off the ship in HI. The only cultural events are passenger supported such as Hula and Ukulele class. The mariachi band is very, very good and since the Crown did coastals and Mexico before this cruise, and will after this cruise, they just kept them on. They play a large variety of music and they are the best band on the ship right now.

 

We did not care for the Salty Dog foodwise, nor the pub tables. We like the concept, but they needed to minimize the restaurant footprint, put in some regular height tables, and improve the food. A Gastropub is supposed to give you unique flavor combinations or spins on classics.

 

Pub lunch is every once in a while in Crown Grill on a sea day. Today for example.

[traveling1969]

Good morning from the Crown. Another pleasant day at sea.

 

Finally getting a chance to post as it's been one frustration after another. It started with most of my minutes dropping off. No log-out issues here. I usually do it at least twice and often three times so that wasn't the problem. The internet manager said I have over 200 minutes left although the log-in message says almost none. I showed her, she waived her magic wand and viola; back to normal.

 

The signal has been non-existent as of late; painfully slow. Between checking emails and keeping up with flights, bills etc., the minutes are rapidly dwindling. Have to save some for necessities and keeping in touch with home so I probably will just post occasionally and short bursts at that. I could buy more minutes but my frugal gene kicks in and won't let me (Harry, tell it like it is...you are CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP). There, I said it myself so others (are you out there Donna?) won't have to. A big thank you to CCRAIN for keeping the thread going. Without those posts, this would be a slender thread indeed. I will be sure to post a comprehensive review when we get back stateside.

 

A big Bon Voyage to our friends who are soon to board the new Anthem of the Seas for a Caribbean sojourn. Wish we could be in two places at once.

 

The weather today is warm and sunny which means I'll be hiding out in one of the lounges with a good book. Give me 70 degrees and a light zephyr and I'm happy.

 

I made the final for the Princess Pop Star competition so wish me luck. Had to change from my old stand-by, Mack the Knife, to a new song for me, Chantilly Lace. Can you believe a karaoke catalog without Mack the Knife? They didn't even have my second choice Your Song by Elton John. Go figure. Doesn't matter though; it's all in good fun.

 

Off to the pub lunch and will try to post again tomorrow..

 

Harry

Edited November 8, 2015 by traveling1969

[BarbaraP]

Where do they have Zumba:confused: Also do they have an Alfredo's in Sabitini's for lunch?

[traveling1969]

Where do they have Zumba:confused: Also do they have an Alfredo's in Sabitini's for lunch?

Jumba has been held in Club Fusion and we have seen no mention of Alfredo's in the Patter.

 

There's been a bit of grumbling regarding the mariachi trio which plays often in the Piazza. Some have questioned that choice of music as this is, after all, a Hawaii/South seas cruise but I have found them to be very entertaining. I would imagine that a South Seas-type band might night have a sufficient variety of music to entertain daily but who knows?

 

The Hawaiian duo who began the cruise were very good and many folks were sorry to see them leave the ship in Hawaii. We too would have enjoyed listening to them as they were very talented and certainly thematic.

 

Internet has been much better today but we have been unable to access our email site (Time/Warner Cable) or our airline (Delta). Hope that changes by check-in time for our flight.

 

Harry

[Working 2 Cruise]

Where do they have Zumba:confused: Also do they have an Alfredo's in Sabitini's for lunch?

 

No Alfredo's on the Crown.

 

So happy you're having a great time. Thank you for your reports! I was booked on this cruise but had to cancel. Hopefully, I can do this in 2017!

[caribill]

Internet has been much better today but we have been unable to access our email site (Time/Warner Cable).

 

Harry

 

Try using http://mail2web.com/

 

Just enter your TWC sign in. You can receive your messages, reply or compose new messages. The ones you send will be as if you sent them from home using TWC.

 

Only drawback is you must be online to do all this.

[ccrain]

Oh am I dragging tail this morning. Hard day’s work, late night, losing an hour – so I am definitely in need of a caffeine infusion – and this vanilla latte is really hitting the spot. A trip to the gym and a late Zumba class, culminating in the Rock and Roll night dance party was a lot of fun.

 

We did stop by StarGazing, after wasting 2 more hours of our lives watching Inside Out on MUTS, but it was so crowded, there were no seats available, so we watched Kelvin do R&R music trivia, which is a show in itself.

 

The weather is still very warm, minimal seas, light breezes this morning. Perfect for another day at sea. The murder mystery is progressing. Herb, Holomoku, is now dead, and did not get his target.

 

So let’s look at the Patter today. Zumba is back this morning. (But this morning I am not going to go to the gym first.) There are three lectures: Rick Kid Killers of Beverly Hills, Nostradamus Speaks to Us, Vega and Other Lockheed Designs. Bingo. Pop Choir. (The killing continues in Survivor or the Murder Mystery.) Line Dance class. A Mexican buffet this afternoon. The Heptathlon event is croquet today. Arts and Crafts is a Pineapple tote bag. NFL football is on MUTS.

 

Tonight’s headliner is Comedian Tim Wilkoe. A new musical game called Musical Breakout. There is also a Love Boat Disco Deck Party.

 

So the coffee clatch is heating up and its time to go. Later!

[ccrain]

Ahh, Vitamin IB. Nightime pill of choice and preventer of morning aches and pain. The weather is warm, cloudy, humid. The latte is hot, sweet and full of Vitamin C – as in Caffeine. The last couple of days are great examples of long sea voyage cruising. Coffee to open the bleary eyes, sweat your tuckus off in the morning with Zumba, sweet power nap during lectures, couple of game shows, dance all evening, interspersed with period of really good food, tasty cocktails, conversations with friends, rinse and repeat.

 

We do enjoy the ports too. Even those we’ve been to many times before. Always something new we can try or go to see. My philosophy is an adaptation of an old adage: ‘better to have gone and seen and been disappointed than to never have gone and been ignorant of the experience. Even disappointment is its own reward with memories, knowledge and experience.’ Something like that.

 

Yesterday’s highlights were the Mexican buffet, which we hit around 12:30. The first task is the finding of the table. The weather was perfect for outdoor dining. Not too hot, not too much sun, overcast, light breezes. The best method of outdoor table finding is the circle and evaluate technique. This is very similar to a common parking lot technique with a little twist. Instead of following someone from the store to their car, you are walking briskly and quickly around evaluating the state of people’s plates and doing an on-the-spot extrapolation of their progress and estimated completion time. Now it is not proper to stand and await their leaving of the table –circling like a buzzard is just uncouth. Ideally you want their rear end to clear the personal space area around the table before you slide into their vacated spot, and you have to be careful about partner swapping. Nothing is more embarrassing than to slip into a freshly vacated chair only to startle the person across the table whom had not planned to be leaving.

 

So you must circle the deck, searching for the right circumstance and position, preparing to take shortcuts in able to time your next arrival at the table with the steward cleaning off the table or just prior to their reaching the table to clear. That’s perfect timing.

 

Once capturing and occupying the table. One partner invariably performs a smash and grab and recon of the buffet line, imparting methods of approach and attack to the partner upon return, while the other partner occupies the table and defends it against others who are circling and evaluating.

 

This method worked well at the Mexican buffet yesterday. Add to that a couple of 24k Gold Margaritas, a whole bowl of finely diced jalapenos and some great guacamole and you had the making of some really, really tasty nacho’s. They had ground beef, chicken, taco shells, a couple of really good salsas, sour cream, chips, refried beans, cheese.

 

They had ship drills at sea yesterday, so we just stuck around the cabin. We had pre-show drinks with Paul and Elizabeth and then went to see Tim Wilkoe in the theater. Good show. Some really funny moments. We went to late seating with Paul and Elizabeth and had one of the Princess dinners with Prime Rib. The Prime Rib was good, but I didn’t care for the duck with the demi glace that much. We left before dessert to make the party. Catalina is their waitress and she is absolutely precious. Paul and Elizabeth have sailed with her more than us! And she seems to really enjoy when we show up for dinner. Her husband, Erno, is one of the head waiters. Both are from Romania and are great to sail with. Unfortunately, she might have to quit after her current contract ends and remain at home to take care of parents. She will be missed for sure.

 

The party is the third major remake of the Princess Deck party format we’ve seen over the years. Apparently the Ultimate Deck Party is now out of style. The new deck party uses the MUTS screen to show videos of Love Boat cast commentary. Apparently the thought process is to integrate the videos with dances by the dance troupe with the passengers. It’s actually much better than the Ultimate Deck Party and the 15 line dance montage.

 

Kelvin had to move the deck party from MUTS to Fusion because of wind and rain. It still worked ok. The sequence was a couple of passenger dance songs, and the floor was packed. Then the dance troupe came into a cleared floor and danced to the Love Boat song played on the video screen with scenes of princess ships over the past 50 years. They did a couple of songs. Then the passengers were invited to join in and we went through a couple of line dances culminating in a soul train/Grease promenade of the passengers dancing between two lines of the dance troupe. A couple of more passenger dance songs, then another dance troupe performance and then Isaac, on the screen taught a new line dance – the Isaac. The dance troupe and the cruise staff then changed into afro wigs, bright red jackets and moustaches – and then performed the line dance.

 

It was a blast. Of the corporatized deck parties, this is the best integration of the dance troupe, video and passenger participation. The best deck parties have been the ones designed and run by the CD. Tim Donovan’s Caribbean deck parties, Dave’s HI deck parties were memorable. (We never cared for the Ultimate Deck Party because of the 15 line dance montage. Passenger participation is key and unless you have 2 or 3 dedicated classes, you just can’t learn the entire 15 line dance sequence.) The one thing that would have made this party even better would have been the standardization of the line dances with the dance troupe and then teaching of those specific line dances during line dance class on the day of the party. There were only 3 line dances. Easy to learn. Nicole, the line dance instructor, did not know which ones would be performed at the party – although electric slide was one – which everyone knows. The hustle line dance at the party was a variation on the standard Princess hustle line dance. By standardizing the 3 dances at the party, the line dance instructor can at least introduce us to the dance so we spend more time enjoying the dance than learning it.

 

So the bottom line is that this deck party is much better than the Ultimate Deck Party and has a really good balance. The performance dances of the dance troupe are great for getting your toes tapping and your feet moving. Then getting to actually dance with them is great, and the promenade is a special treat as well.

 

Fusion kept playing well past the end of the official party. At one time Jamie looked very lonely, so Judy grabbed him. I grabbed Joe, but neither of us could decide who would lead, so I switched over to Carmen and danced with her a while. We danced until I was about 10 steps from a blister on the bottom of one middle toe. We finally came down enough to go to bed around midnight. A very successful day and night.

 

Tonight looks to be another busy night with Country Western night in Explorer’s. Probably going to skip Zumba this morning. It’s time to get the rest of the shopping done, letters written, cash distributed, etc. Lots going on in the patter. Three lectures: Death of Natalie Woods, Charles Lindbergh, and the glory of Rome – Saints and Sinners. Fruit and Vegetable carving in the Piazza. On Deck for the Cure is today. There is Tequila tasting today. Bingo, of course. An art auction, of course. Paper crafts in Arts and Crafts class. A black jack tournament. A couple of texas holdem tournaments, but these are not well attended. Princess needs to reconsider their rake percentage. Ballroom dance class. Afternoon movie is Thunder Road, the Mad Max remake. The Princess Heptathlon event is a basketball shoot out. Finding Bigfoot is on this afternoon. Another Princess grapevine. A knotted necklace class. Pop choir rehearsals. A couple of trivias and a 240th Marine Corps birthday party!

 

This evening’s headliner is vocalist Heather Sullivan. They’ve moved Los Brillantes to the Wheelhouse, which is great news except we have to be in Explorer’s. They are an excellent dance band and deserve a better dance floor than the concrete and tile of the Piazza. (IMHO they are best band on the ship.) So Country Western is on tonight followed by the Yes/No gameshow.

 

So it will be another late night tonight…Later all!

[ccrain]

Out of the tropics and into the northern hemisphere. Gale force winds, very choppy seas. The stabilizers are vibrating this morning and last night was one of the roughest nights of the cruise. Wind buffeting of the ship put it in all kinds of motions, several of which were large enough to wake me up. Judy will not be up today for sure. And probably no Zumba for me either. The deck is moving a bit much even for me. It might be one of those hunker down days.

 

Yesterday was get all the shopping done day. Ordered some flavored rum to take home to our dog sitter. Delivered gifts to a couple of the cruise staff – did I mention Jamie and Sam are engaged? Talked with Jamie for a while. Looks like a wedding in Australia in a couple of years. Hmmm. Wonder if we’ll get an invite.

 

Last night was a dance night. We basically started with Fusion in Explorer’s and stayed there the entire evening through the Body Part trivia, Country Western night and the Yes/No game show. The Body Part trivia was great. Jamie was the MC. So he had one answer to the question, which was a part of the body. Like ‘a part of a river’. Bottom was Jamie’s answer. But mouth was another answer. So the audience was the judge of any alternate answers. That was the funniest part of the game. Alternate answers and an audience reaction. The audience voted by cheering to yes or no on the alternate answer.

 

Country Western night was disappointing. Primarily because of lack of organization. Instead of leading the group in the various line dances, the staff would let dancers start on their own – mainly freestyle - and then a bit later in the song, start a line dance group on one side. No instruction, just letting people follow the visual cues. We knew all the line dances, so it wasn’t a problem for us, but a lot of people didn’t. And I did miss the honky tonk stomp with alternating lines. That is always fun. Tush Push was a train wreck. Too many people trying a pretty fast and complicated dance for the first time – we just sat back and watched the chaos ensue. No bang bang game. Not sure why not.

 

After Country Western night was the yes/no game show. That’s always fun. 3 minutes of intense concentration to win a 35 cent bottle of Champoo! It was fun to watch. Kelvin came in during the show, which featured Nicole and Jamie doing the questioning, and gave away a few bottles of bubbly. Jamie had the best time – about 6 seconds, but gave away more Champoo than Nicole, but not as much as Kelvin.

 

So that was it for the night. Now for the daily patter. The ship motion will definitely put a damper on the activities today. Judy will probably spend a lot of time in bed or down here in the Piazza.

 

Since today is Veteran’s day there is a general service in the theater hosted by the Captain. There is a passenger talent show coming up, so signups are today. Three lectures: Marilyn Monroe, Amelia Earhart and Rule Britannia about the British monarchy. Pop choir rehearsal. Arts and Crafts, a jewelry bag. Bingo. Ukulele class. Line dance class. Bar wars. Furious 7 is the afternoon movie in the theater. The Princess Heptathlon event is Bocce today. Another improv workshop. And a couple of trivias.

 

Tonight headlines Fernando the Hypnotist and the International Crew Show. Jurassic World is on MUTS. A new gameshow this evening – ‘Who am “Eye”’. Sounds intriguing.

 

So that’s it for this morning. Have a great veteran’s day!