"LIVE" - Aloha, Radiance of the Seas May 5, 2017 Honolulu to Vancouver

[PCWalton1]

After a failed attempt by Hawaiian royalists to restore Queen Liliuokalani to power in 1895, the queen was arrested and forced to abdicate her throne. She endured a public trial in which she was convicted and later sentenced to imprisonment in an upstairs bedroom of the Palace for nearly eight months.

 

The Imprisonment Room is where the Queen Liliuokalani was held for nearly eight month following her conviction. She was denied visitors except for one lady companion.

 

In the center of the room there is now the Queen' s Quilt. The quilt was sewn by Liliuokalani and her companions during her palace imprisonment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[PCWalton1]

Keliiponi Hale: The coronation pavilion

 

 

Palace exterior

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[PCWalton1]

I had to go across the street to take a picture of this statue of King Kamehameha. It's the shot you see of the headquarters for the 5-O taskforce on Hawaii 5-O.

 

It is actually sitting outside the Hawaii Supreme court building. But I can dream.

 

 

 

 

 

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[PCWalton1]

We then used Uber to head over to Cheeseburger Waikiki. That was a pain as the driver could not figure out how to get into the palace parking lot so it was almost a half hour to get picked up and it was warm.

 

We enjoyed lunch, mahi mahi tacos for Marie and a kalua pork covered cheeseburger for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[PCWalton1]

I had that same problem on my last review Bill

 

I figured it out but it is cumbersome as you have to do it each time. First you need to make sure the circle with the check in at (at the top menu) is unchecked. This part you only have to do that once.

Then when you click Quick Reply tap the circle with the up arrow in it to get the extended menu. on the right there will be a left arrow with two lines next to it. click that and it will bring up a window about Advanced Editor. Click OK and it will work like the old editor and allow you to put spaces and text between pictures.

[PCWalton1]

I enjoy reading about the places we are traveling so I researched and found four Hawaii books, one of which was just in paperback so I read it before the cruise

 

 

This one was a paperback so I started if first It was a quick read so I finished before we left.

 

Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers

by Lois-Ann Yamanaka

Her name is Lovey Nariyoshi, and her Hawai'i is not the one of leis, pineapple, and Magnum P.I. In the blue collar town of Hilo, on the Big Island, Lovey and her eccentric Japanese-American family are at the margins of poverty, in the midst of a tropical paradise. With her endearing, effeminate best friend Jerry, Lovey suffers schoolyard bullies, class warfare, Singer sewing classes, and the surprisingly painful work of picking on a macadamia nut plantation, all while trying to find an identity of her own. At once a bitingly funny satire of haole happiness and a moving meditation on what is real, if ugly at times, but true, Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers crackles with the language of pidgin--Hawai'i Creole English--distinguishing one of the most vibrant voices in contemporary culture.

 

 

 

Reading this one on my Kindle. Another quick read

 

Mango Lady & Other Stories from Hawaii

by Ted Gugelyk

Mango Lady & Other Stories from Hawaii takes the reader on a journey not unlike a long ride across the face of a giant wave, full of unexpected turns and surprises, weaving together memories, fantasies, and personalities that stretch from long ago Hawaii to modern day Vietnam. Through all of them is the connecting spirit of the Islands, its special mana, its people, its surf, bringing times past into the present in a special, intimate way.

 

There is Mango Lady, who lived in Waikiki since childhood, watching her ancient preoccupations become irrelevant in the new bustle of development. There is “The Man to Whom Surf Cam,” the tale of a magical Urban who never failed to attract surf. There is “A November Surfer,” an adventure of a senior surfer at remote Rabbit Island. There is “Hard Port,” an intriguing pulling together of Hawaii and Russia, when a longtime surfer visits Nakhodka in the Russian Far East, the land of his ancestors. Finally, there is the flamboyant and unsettling “Captain Aloha,” a tale of two old surfing friends from Hawaii and the horrors of the war in Vietnam, a unique portrait of psychology and culture, of friendship and passing time

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once There Was Fire: A Novel of Old Hawaii

by Stephen Shender

Once There Was Fire brings a little-understood, historically remote era to life through the words and actions of its memorable characters: Kamehameha, his strong-willed and rebellious consort, Ka‘ahumanu, his favorite brother, Keli‘imaika‘i, and Kamehameha’s sons, nephews, comrades in arms, haole advisers, and bitter enemies. The novel invites readers to see Hawaii of the mid-18th and early 19th centuries as the old Hawaiians themselves might have seen and experienced it on the cusp of their passage from splendid isolation to the wider world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii

by Jack London

The House of Pride, first published in 1912, is a collection of six short stories by Jack London, all of which take place in Hawaii. London traveled to Hawaii on at least three occasions, and it became the predominant setting for the writings of the second half of his career. He loved the climate and the landscape of the islands, and was fascinated by Polynesian history and culture.

[Shelley61]

Bill, I am BEYOND excited at your live report. There are now 2 live threads for the same cruise, so it will be interesting to see the comparisons between your experiences.

 

Hawai'i is not somewhere that I had considered visiting until a few years ago, but now I would absolutely love to go. Your report so far is fascinating, and proves there is a lot to see an do in Hawai'i beyond a cruise. If only it wasn't 17 hours on a plane for us from here in the UK!

[travelgoddess1]

So excited to see your thread, Bill -- I have been waiting for it a long time now. Things are off to a great start! Love the 5-0 video with the MacNut pancakes, I can taste them now!

 

I'm so glad you were able to keep the FC flight a surprise -- special birthday present for Marie!

 

If I can't be there, your thread is the next best thing! (Love the quilts in the Royal Palace!)

 

<3 (y):)

[Sunny AZ Girl]

So excited to see your report, Bill! I will be following along.:)

 

I am waiting for the 2019 release from RCI for this cruise. I am hoping that it is longer than the 2018 10 night cruise. You have a perfect itinerary. We are currently booked on the Solstice for spring 2019, but I already know that the Radiance dates will be better for us. I am also hoping that the price will be less as our Solstice Deck 3 OV cabin is about $5000 for 10 nights for the two of us.:eek:

[floatel_lvr]

Once we board Radiance we will be staying in cabin 9092, a D1 balcony cabin just aft of the centrum elevators. A good central location with a deep balcony so hopefully with a lounge chair or two.

 

Hi Bill and Marie,

First, happy birthday to Marie. Will be following along since we are doing the 11 day reverse of this in September. Have a great trip!!!

Rich and Patti

[stripe]

Thanks for the book suggestions. I too like to read books set in the location we will be traveling to. I'm making a note of these for future reference.

Will be looking forward to following your review!

 

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[NaeMarie]

Good afternoon! Great review so far, thank you for taking us along!

 

Happy birthday to Marie!!

 

 

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[dani negreanu]

Hawai'i is not somewhere that I had considered visiting until a few years ago, but now I would absolutely love to go. Your report so far is fascinating, and proves there is a lot to see an do in Hawai'i beyond a cruise. If only it wasn't 17 hours on a plane for us from here in the UK!

 

Hawai'i is a magic place.

For us, it was almost 22 hours flight (15.5 from Tel Aviv to LA, and then 6 hours from LA to Honolulu).

Worth every minute, I'd be back tomorrow:D

 

Bill, thank you, as always, for a very enjoyable review. Following avidly. Many happy returns to Marie :hearteyes:

[PCWalton1]

Bill, I am BEYOND excited at your live report. There are now 2 live threads for the same cruise, so it will be interesting to see the comparisons between your experiences.

 

Hawai'i is not somewhere that I had considered visiting until a few years ago, but now I would absolutely love to go. Your report so far is fascinating, and proves there is a lot to see an do in Hawai'i beyond a cruise. If only it wasn't 17 hours on a plane for us from here in the UK!

 

Thanks. hopefully the two threads will give you different perspectives on these beautiful islands.

[PCWalton1]

So excited to see your thread, Bill -- I have been waiting for it a long time now. Things are off to a great start! Love the 5-0 video with the MacNut pancakes, I can taste them now!

 

I'm so glad you were able to keep the FC flight a surprise -- special birthday present for Marie!

 

If I can't be there, your thread is the next best thing! (Love the quilts in the Royal Palace!)

 

<3 (y):)

 

Thank you Karen, We soooo wish you were here with us. We will get together someday, I am sure.

[PCWalton1]

So excited to see your report, Bill! I will be following along.:)

 

I am waiting for the 2019 release from RCI for this cruise. I am hoping that it is longer than the 2018 10 night cruise. You have a perfect itinerary. We are currently booked on the Solstice for spring 2019, but I already know that the Radiance dates will be better for us. I am also hoping that the price will be less as our Solstice Deck 3 OV cabin is about $5000 for 10 nights for the two of us.:eek:

 

We did get a great itinerary with the two overnights. We had the 2018 booked but cancelled due to the short length, We will be heading to Asia on Ovation instead.

 

Hi Bill and Marie,

First, happy birthday to Marie. Will be following along since we are doing the 11 day reverse of this in September. Have a great trip!!!

Rich and Patti

 

That should be an amazing time, have fun, :)

[PCWalton1]

Thank you everyone one for the well wishes and the birthday greetings for Marie.

 

Last night we passed on going to Hula Grill and elected to eat here at the hotel again. This time it was at Biba's Courtyard Grill. A beautiful evening to sit outside and enjoy a meal.

 

Marie had what they called Chinatown Style Mahi Mahi.

 

 

 

I had their fresh catch which today was opah sauteed in butter and garlic.

 

 

A nice Kona Longboard topped off the meal.

 

 

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[PCWalton1]

After dinner we strolled around the hotel grounds and then along the beach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We finished the evening at the beach bar for drinks and a little live music.

 

 

 

 

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[CruisinMama2003]

Following along, always love your reviews! Also, thanks for the hotel info, we are retired military as well :) safe travels to you both!

[stripe]

After dinner we strolled around the hotel grounds and then along the beach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We finished the evening at the beach bar for drinks and a little live music.

 

 

 

 

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We stayed at Hale Koa last fall. Beautiful and affordable!

 

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[PCWalton1]

Following along, always love your reviews! Also, thanks for the hotel info, we are retired military as well :) safe travels to you both!

 

We stayed at Hale Koa last fall. Beautiful and affordable!

 

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It is a great hotel at an amazing price. But book early as it fills up. We originally were not going to fly over until today but I realized I had another day of vacation to work with so we shifted out to April 30th, Only concern was the hotel as it showed May 1st as full, However I called and they found room for us so now we have 5 nights in this beautiful place, :D

[PCWalton1]

Aloha,

This morning I hopped the number 13 bus over to Leonard's for some fresh malasadas.

 

 

I bought a half dozen, 4 original and 2 custard. Enough for breakfast both today and tomorrow.

 

 

 

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[PhilNDebbieAtSea]

I had to go across the street to take a picture of this statue of King Kamehameha. It's the shot you see of the headquarters for the 5-O taskforce on Hawaii 5-O.

 

It is actually sitting outside the Hawaii Supreme court building. But I can dream.

 

 

 

 

 

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Love this!!! [emoji175]

 

 

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[bobmacliberty]

Bought a delicious iced Clover brewed Rwanda Maraba.

 

 

Is that a coffee or some sort of infectious disease? :D

 

Very much looking forward to your review. Seems like you just did the same/similar cruise a few months ago. Has time flown by or was it really just that recently? Either way, love your reviews. This will be one of the first retirement cruises that we do (hopefully sooner rather than later) and I'm making a list of the local restaurants that you are visiting. Mmmmm...pancakes.

[PCWalton1]

Is that a coffee or some sort of infectious disease? :D

 

Very much looking forward to your review. Seems like you just did the same/similar cruise a few months ago. Has time flown by or was it really just that recently? Either way, love your reviews. This will be one of the first retirement cruises that we do (hopefully sooner rather than later) and I'm making a list of the local restaurants that you are visiting. Mmmmm...pancakes.

Actually it was last April so time really has flown. [emoji3]

 

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