Explore the world with Pete & Judy on the 2018 Holland America Grand World Voyage

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 20, 23 Jan 2018

 

Mooera

 

Today was day three of our four consecutive port days, and this will be another tender port, which requires us to get a tender ticket. I had arranged for a rental car from Albert Transport Tours. They would meet us at 9 AM at the tender landing. When I made the reservation we had no idea where our tender pier would be located. Most cruise ships tender to either Cooks Bay, or Opahuna Bay. It’s not terribly important to know the exact tender location in advance, because all tour operators will know where your ship is located and will meet you at your correct spot. If you had planned to walk to a location, for example the Intercontinental Hotel, then knowing your tender location would be more important.

When they published the “When and Where”, the location of our tender pier was listed as Cook’s Bay. At some point they made an announcement that our location had changed to Opahuna but I paid little attention because I knew that Albert transport would find me regardless of our final location.

 

Tender Tickets

 

I arrived at the Lido Dome at 6:50 AM to get in line for a tender ticket. Even though I arrived 20 minutes earlier than I had for the previous tender port, I was further back in line, almost to the door to the Lido, the head of the line was near the Dive Inn. Once the line started to move I ended up getting a ticket in Blue Group 6.

 

Tendering started around 8 AM. Our group was called at 8:30 AM. We arrived at the tender pier ashore a few minutes after 9 AM.

 

Welcome

 

We are greeted by women passing out flowers and then proceeded through the gauntlet of tables were local residents had set up a variety of pop up shops. There were numerous people offering a variety of private tours, so if you don’t have anything scheduled already, I am fairly confident that you’d be able to find something available once you arrived. We quickly found our driver from Albert transport. There was another couple who did not have a reservation for a rental car and Albert transport was able to accommodate them.

 

 

Car Rental

 

I had originally scheduled the car for eight hours, but when we were checking out the car, the attendant only charged us for the four hour rate since we would be back within six hours regardless. The cost for a four passenger automatic transmission car with air conditioning was $80 for four hours. Even if we had to pay the 8 hour rate it was only an additional $15.

 

Circle Island Tour

 

We headed off planning to drive around the island counterclockwise, stopping whenever we saw something of interest. The only two spots we were specifically planning on stopping was at the Belvedere Lookout and an agricultural school that sold juice and jams.

 

We were on our way at 9:30 AM. The total time from boarding our tender to departing in our rental car was about 45 minutes. Driving was very easy, the roads were well-maintained and wide. The cars are left hand steer and driven on the right side of the road. The speed limit was 60 km/h and traffic was very light.

 

As we drove around the first half of the island, we stopped about three times to take photographs of the beautiful scenery which was ever present. After about three quarters of the way around the island, we came across a large local grocery store called Champions. We stopped there for about 30 minutes and picked up some snacks and a few souvenirs.

 

Continuing our drive we stopped at a local golf course called the Green Pearl Golf course. We were surprised to find that the Pro shop was closed, the parking lot empty and no one was playing. We asked around later and people told us that the course should have been open, so we never did understand why it was closed when we visited.

 

Juice Store and Factory

 

Next up was a rum and juice factory and store called Manutea. We saw a sign that indicated that tours might be available but we didn’t inquire. Tours may have been for larger pre-arranged groups. We went into the store consisting of one large room selling a variety of rum based juice drinks and souvenirs. The bar offered free samples. We tried all the different varieties and found them to be quite delicious, but we didn’t buy any, partially because we didn’t want to deal with the uncertainty of bringing them backboard ship. We did hear later that some people managed to bring the alcoholic juice back on board because the juice is packaged in a milk carton type container that at first glance does not appear to be an alcoholic beverage.

 

Hilton Overwater Bungalows

 

The Hilton water overwater bungalows was our next stop. We walked around the spectacular hotel grounds. We walked out on the pier where the bungalows are located and managed to peek inside one that was vacant. Judy and I spent one night here on our 2016 cruise, and we enjoyed it immensely. I highly recommend spending a night in one the bungalows if your situation permits.

 

Belvedere Lookout

 

The only time we left the main road circling the island was when we drove up to the Belvedere Lookout. It took us about 15 minutes to get to the top. It took us longer than it would have otherwise since we were following a very slow tour bus for the last half of the drive. The Lookout is definitely worth the trip. Once you arrive, plan on spending about 10 minutes to fully soak in the view. We saw some signs for some hiking trails but we didn’t investigate further.

 

Agricultural School

 

On the way back down the mountain we stopped at the agricultural school were they sell jams and juices along with some smoothie type drinks. The jams were small sets and were about $20 for seven jars. We didn’t buy any.

 

Shopping and back to the ship

 

After we refueled our rental car we dropped it off back at Albert’s transport and spent about 25 minutes shopping for Tahitian pearls and other items at the adjacent store (also run by Albert’s), which has free Wi-Fi. To summarize, we left the rental car place at 9:30 AM and returned the car about 2 PM. A four hour rental would be sufficient and you can manage your time at the various photo stops to stay within the four hours.

 

The Albert’s transport van took us back to the tender pier where he spent a few minutes browsing the various temporary shops, before heading back to the ship. We were back in our room at 3 PM and I went up to the Dive Inn and brought back hamburgers for a late lunch.

 

Even though we didn’t spend that much time in the sun, we were still hot and sweaty and it was good to get cleaned up, relax and take a nap.

 

We enjoyed another wonderful dinner where I ordered a New England chicken pot pie which was outstanding.

 

Queen's Lounge

 

Hyperion Knight was the featured performer this evening in the Queens lounge. We had enjoyed his performance on our Canada and New England cruise back in October 2016 were we also have a chance to get to know him better when he joined us for dinner. Hyperion puts on a wonderful show combining his amazing skills as a pianist, a good sense of humor, and a dash of music history. It’s a great combination and this is a show you don’t want to miss. During the course of the show he mentioned that he will be practicing daily in the Explorers lounge around 9 AM and is open to taking requests.

 

His parents raised him near Berkley, California, and named him after the Greek God, Hyperion. He joked that he grew up at a time when other children were being named Moonbeam and felt lucky to end up with Hyperion.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 21, Bora Bora

 

Bora-Bora is our final port of our four day stretch. We are scheduled to arrive at 8 AM and not depart until 10:30 PM. I never did understand why we were staying so late as there weren’t any evening tours and there wasn’t any nightlife that I was aware of.

 

Once again our plan was to rent a car, which I had reserved online through Europcar. I prepaid the $95 fee. We ended up putting in $10 in gas so the total cost was $105. We shared this with another couple, so it worked out to about $25 a person which is quite reasonable when you compare this to other circle the island tours.

 

Tendering again

 

Our car reservation was not until 10 AM. With tendering starting at 8 AM, it didn’t feel it was necessary to arrive early to get tendering tickets. I got in line at 7:30 AM and got tickets in Red Group 12. I spoke with other people who needed to get on one of the early tenders to meet their prearranged private tour. They arrived at 6:00 AM and the line was already stretching from the Dive-In almost to the doors to the Lido. They said there was one couple who arrived at 5 AM and used their towel animals to hold their spot in line. I was surprised that towel animals were successfully used as placeholders, but I did find it amusing that it actually worked.

 

Once the tendering started around 8 AM, numbers were called off fairly quickly. Many people get an early ticket, so they depart any time after their number was called, but this can cause some early tenders to leave with empty seats if they don’t initially call enough numbers. We didn’t have to be ashore until 10 AM, but I felt comfortable that my Red Group 12 would get me ashore close to 10 AM. As it turned out the tendering went very quickly and by 9:30 AM they had already called for open tendering meaning that tickets were no longer required. I would suggest to avoid scheduling anything ashore before 10 AM (for an 8 AM arrival) in tender ports if you want to avoid the hassle of dealing with tender tickets.

 

Note: We received a note later in the day from the Hotel Director requesting that everyone return unused tender tickets to the front desk. When we ultimately went ashore it was open tendering so we didn’t need tickets, so I handed my tickets to the person scanning our cards as we left the ship. Sometimes people will get a ticket for one day with the intention of using it on a subsequent day. This tactic is often unsuccessful as it is difficult to predict which color will be used on any particular day and where they might start the numbering. For example people may think that they are alternating between blue and red beginning with Group 1 but may be disappointed to find out that the next port they start using red 30 as the first group. It will be interesting to see how the tendering works at our next port on Cook’s Island.

 

 

We headed down to Deck A around 9:30 AM. Our timing was perfect as the tender was almost full when we arrived, and it departed almost immediately after we boarded.

 

Renting a Car

 

There was a small group of musicians greeting us when we arrived along with a dozen or so people hawking various tours or rental cars. While we had a car reserved, you probably could have found a car available after you arrived.

The Europcar rental office was a short walk from the tender pier and having looked up the location ahead of time on Google Maps, I found it sooner than I might have otherwise.

 

Completing the rental paperwork was a breeze and we were soon on our way – this time heading clockwise around the island. We were on the road by about 10:30 AM and once again the roads were is great condition with a 60 KPH speed limit. This island is much smaller than Moorea – maybe 18 miles around.

 

Circle the Island

 

After about 10 minutes of driving, we spotted a tour bus stopped along the side of the road. I figured I would stop behind them and see what they were doing. We took some nice photos of the lagoon before we crossed the street and discovered a small shop/factory that dyed Pareo’s using a type of sun bleaching process. There were a couple of folks playing Ukuleles and they were more than happy to play my Tahitian favorite – Vinni Vinni, Vanna Vanna.

We found a few items that we were interested in buying, but discovered that the prices here were non negotialble – they held firm – and since it was more than we wanted to pay – we moved on.

 

As we continued around the island we would stop every 10 minutes or so to take some pictures or take a closer look at something of interest. We found a beautiful scene, photographed here, that was breathtaking.

 

 

At one stop we spotted an older man pushing a wheelbarrow filled with coconuts. He stopped near us and examined some coconuts that were on the ground – we gathered he was looking for coconuts that were already sorta dried out that he may use to make something.

 

We had read about the WW II era naval guns that are located on the sides of the mountains, but most of these are only accessible by 4WD vehicles. The Europcar rental car agent showed us the location of one gun that was accessible by a 2 WD car, but we were unable to find the turnoff. The agent said there was a sign, but we never saw one. If you want to see these guns, I would recommend more research regarding their location or take a tour that is dedicated to seeing the guns.

 

Bloody Mary's

 

Toward the end of our circle island tour we stopped by Bloody Mary’s, the famous tourist attraction. We got some $10 Bloody Mary’s and some $13 Cheeseburgers and our total lunch bill for 4 people was $90. The food was OK, but you wouldn’t come here just for the food or the Bloody Mary’s – you are paying for the experience of eating at Bloody Mary’s!

After lunch we headed back to town, only a few miles away, and returned the rental car at 2:15 PM – the entire trip, including a leisurely lunch took 4 hours.

 

The town consists of a collection of tourist shops selling shirts, pearls and other stuff that you will find everywhere in French Polynesia. We spent another 20 minutes wandering thru a few shops before we headed back to the ship.

 

Dinner

 

In the Lido Market this evening they decorated for a Polynesian Cook-In. They set up an auxiliary bar, showed off a roasted big and were chopping up some coconuts to make some interesting drinks.

Our dinner guest this evening was Hyperion Knight. He is an engaging conversationalist and is wonderful dining companion. We all enjoyed his numerous anecdotes about his background and experiences in the music business.

 

Queen's Lounge

 

Tonight in the Queens Room was Nathan Coe Marsh, a magician similar to Fred Moore, and in fact they both used one of the exact same tricks in their respective shows. Nathan would engage audience members for virtually every trick, and his presentation was good and the tricks were fine, but I felt that he took too long to complete each trick which made the show seem to drag.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 22 - At Sea

 

It was nice to have a sea day after 4 straight port days. This was the longest stretch of port days for the entire cruise. For the remainder of the cruise, our longest stretch will be 3 in a row.

If you have any inkling that you may be bored on sea days during a world cruise – fugetaboutit. Grand Voyages, and particularly Grand World Voyages are chock full of activities from dawn till midnight. Check out the daily programs, which you can find on my blog, and then compare them to daily programs from my normal cruises (also on the blog) and you will see what I mean.

 

Morning Activities

 

Our routines by now are well established, but I will try to sample each activity at least once during the cruise.

Judy’s Morning Tai Chi class has progressed to step 10 – ‘Wave Hands in the Clouds’.

 

I stopped by the Lido Dome at 9 AM for the class on how to weave an Island Treasure. The tables were full, but not overflowing. Here is a picture of the “Island Treasure”.

 

 

Texas Hold’em continues to be very popular, with the time people start to queue getting earlier and earlier. I won’t go down any earlier than 10 minutes prior to sign-up and am willing to take whatever sessions may be remaining. Most people are only signing up for one of the two daily tournaments so that most everyone gets to play in at least one game.

 

Since I didn’t make the Texas Hold’em cut, I was able to spend more time with the knitting group.

 

I am starting to learn the 2 x 2 rib. Progress remains slow, but steady.

 

Hyperion Knight

 

We wanted to watch Hyperion Knight practice at 10 AM in the Explorers lounge. When we went down there at 10 AM we were disappointed to find that he was just wrapping up as he moved his starting time to 9AM to deconflict with another activity in the Explorers lounge at 10:30. Susan, from our table, arrived early and was able to listen to his practice.

 

Hyperion cheerfully took requests from the audience and provided interesting commentary as he practiced. He is a marvelous performer and an all around nice guy. Don’t miss his show if he is playing in your area. He does play with a variety of Orchestras around the country so check out his website if you are interested. His next gig will be in Honolulu in the next few weeks.

 

Afternoon Activities

 

Judy’s drawing class today was sketching from a slide of Michelangelo’s David from several vantage points.

The craft project today was a drop earring that had a flower shape with 2 beads. Attendance at crafts has stabilized to around 100 guests. Judy get’s there about 10 minutes before the scheduled starting time and is usually one of the last to arrive.

 

During the Captain’s noon navigational update, he discussed the current sea state and that it was not looking good for tendering into Cook’s Island tomorrow. This port has a reputation for getting cancelled due to strong wave conditions affecting tendering operations. I don’t think anyone will be too surprised if we aren’t able to get ashore.

We had lunch by the pool today and I tried the Lido Market salad bar. You are not allowed to make your own selections and must tell the attendant what you would like. They have several people waiting on guests, so the line moves quickly. The salad bowels are huge – about the size of a volleyball cut in half.

 

Texas Hold’em

 

I suffered a “bad beat” today which knocked me out in third place. I had an A 6 with the flop being A 4 2. We were both “all in” and had our cards face up after the flop. My opponent showed a Q 7 and I was felling pretty good when the Ace appeared and he had nothing. My joy was short lived when the next two cards were Queens giving him Three of a Kind. I have had my share of being on the other side of these, so it all sorta works out in the end.

 

Pub Trivia

 

Our march to mediocrity continues at Pub Trivia. We learned that Hyperion Knight, the virtuoso pianist, is an avid trivia player. We have spotted him at Pub Trivia and I think he also participates in the morning trivia edition as well.

 

Ben Sacks

 

Our dinner guest this evening was the drawing instructor, Ben Sacks. Ben is from Leesburg VA. He discussed the cruise mural he is working on that will be five feet high by seven feet wide when complete.

 

The Queens Room

 

We enjoyed a wonderful show this evening by three male vocalists called “The Knights”. They featured the music from the various British “Knights” of the music industry; Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Tom Jones among many others. Their show was high energy from start to finish. The fabulous Amsterdam Orchestra accompanied them and had the opportunity for solo performances from each band member. The show opened with music from Elton John: Crocodile Rock and Circle of Life, and continued to the Beatles with a beautiful rendition of the Les Misérables favorite “One Day More” along the way.

[kazu]

Great reports! You have some great entertainers indeed!

[DeeniEncinitas]

Enjoying your adventures Pete. Keep them coming.

Denise:)

[KirkNC]

Ben is an incredibly talented artist. He was on the 2017 WC and his mural was amazing. We ended up buying a smaller version of one of his prints, it is hanging in our family room as I am writing this.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Just got caught up.

Wonderful reports.

[erewhon]

Catching up with your reports, thank you.

[Keith1010]

I have been enjoying the posts.

 

Thank you for taking the time to post.

 

Keith

[az4ship]

Thank you for taking the time for these reports. Love them

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 23 - Cook Island

 

When the Captain came across the public-address system this morning, I fully expected him to announce that we would be skipping Cook Island due to the current sea state. However, I was pleasantly surprised when he explained that he would be putting the tenders in the water soon and would bring out the local immigration officials to clear the ship.

Our plan for today was to rent a car from Avis and drive around the island with Rick and Margaret. I reserved the car for 9:30. With tendering starting around 8 AM I figured we would have plenty of time to get ashore, plus there is usually a 2-hour grace period for most car rental reservations.

 

Tendering

 

I went to the Lido Dome at 7:30 AM, which was the advertised starting time for passing out tender tickets. When I arrived, the line was already gone as they started passing tender tickets out a little early. Once they start passing out tickets, the line moves quickly. They added a warning to the tender ticket instructions for today saying that “cutting in line”, or “saving spaces” is “not allowed”. I wasn’t around to see if this was still happening, but since we weren’t in any hurry to get ashore, I didn’t worry about it.

 

When I received my ticket, it was Blue 31. To thwart people who were saving tickets from earlier ports and were hoping that their Blue 1 from Nuka Hiva would work today, they started with Blue 40 and worked backwards. That meant that my Blue 31 would be the 10th group called. At some earlier ports when I arrived 40 minutes early I was in Group 6, so I was only 4 groups further back when I arrived at the tender ticket starting time and I didn’t have to wait in line.

 

Tendering started around 8 AM and was going slow. The water was too deep to anchor, so the ship was hovering using its Azipods and Thrusters to remain stationary. Normally when we are tendering, the ship appears motionless and only the tender boats are moving. Today we could see the ship moving as well as the tender boats. See the Captains blog for more details here

 

They announced that people with scooters, walkers or otherwise needed extra assistance will not be permitted to go ashore.

 

An hour after tendering started they had yet to call a number. Tenders have been leaving and I suspect they are full of people on HAL tours.

 

Mark, the event manager, is responsible for making most of the announcements on port days. Today we had the usual warnings about not taking any food ashore, but before he signed off he added that it was illegal to possess more than $10,000 NZD. After the second time he made this announcement he chuckled – “We know who you are – put the money back in your safe.” I suspect that each country has a series of mandatory announcements that must be made in each port and that Mark is simply reading a prepared script.

 

The first tender group, Blue 40, was finally called at 9:30 AM. Our number, Blue 31 (the 10th group) was called at 10:21. We were down on Deck A at 10:24. Today it took 10 minutes to get on the tender. There was so much sea motion that the tenders were moving quite a bit in relation to the ship and loading was appropriately going slow. Henk, the Hotel Director, is once again personally supervising the tender loading operation.

 

I captured the motion of the tender, along with Henk photo bombing my shot, in a video that is posted on the blog at www.theinsidecabin.com

 

Our visit to Cook Island was reported in the local press. Read about it HERE

 

Once ashore, Chamber of Commerce representatives were available in a small, covered shelter. They were available to answer questions, pass out maps and other literature. A man, dressed in native garb, was singing and playing a guitar to welcome us to the Cook Islands.

 

Renting a Car

 

The women sitting behind the welcome desk was very helpful. She gave us a nice local map and pointed out some highlights we should consider visiting. Our plan for today was to rent a car from AVIS which was located about ½ mile away. When I asked her for directions to the AVIS rental agency, she offered to call AVIS because she said that they would come and pick me up. At this point I was about 90 minutes beyond my scheduled pick up time. I had always planned to walk to the AVIS rental location, which isn’t that far, but getting a ride would save us some time and energy. After a brief conversation with AVIS, the chamber of commerce lady told me that AVIS would be down in a few minutes to pick me up.

 

On past visits you were required to get a Cook Islands driver license to rent a car here. This is no longer the case as long as your home license is appropriate for the type of vehicle you are renting. If you are licensed for automobiles and motorcycles at home, then you can rent those same vehicles here on your home license. If you don’t have a motorcycle endorsement back home, then you WILL need to get a Cook Island motorcycle/scooter license if you want to rent a motorcycle or scooter. These rules can change quickly, so be sure to check for the latest requirements for your trip.

The biggest change for people from North America and Europe will be the location of the steering wheel in the rental car. It will be on the right-hand side. This takes a little getting used to, but it is quite manageable, so you shouldn’t be discouraged from renting a car here for this reason alone. Your first mistake will likely be getting into the passenger seat where you thought you would find the steering wheel. After you get situated on the correct side of the car, take some time to familiarize yourself with the locations of the various controls. The turn signals and windshield wiper levers will be reversed from where you expect to find them, so be prepared to turn on your wipers when you wanted to signal for a turn.

 

NOTE: I recommend getting an automatic vs a manual transmission if you are getting a right hand steer car. While the shift pattern, clutch, brake and gas pedal are all in the same relative positions, I find that having one less thing to deal with is beneficial while you are becoming familiar with driving on the left side of the road. Renting a car with a manual transmission is almost impossible in the USA, but it is common to see a manual transmission option in other countries so be sure to read the car description carefully when you make your reservation. If you are planning on taking advantage of your credit card car-rental insurance option, read the fine print before you leave as New Zealand is often one of the excluded countries. I always get the maximum insurance offered by the rental car company, which I never do in the USA, but I don’t want to have to deal with any issues while on a cruise.

 

 

We made our reservation at AVIS, but we did notice a local agency renting cars that was much closer to the tender landing. I always prefer to make a reservation, but if you don’t have one, then going to one of the local agencies to see what may be available is worth a shot.

 

There isn’t any need to get an International driver license as long as your local license is in English. I have rented cars all over the world and have never been required to produce the International one.

 

Starting out

 

Our plan was to drive around the island, stopping at any scenic spots that we come across or anything else of interest. Going counterclockwise, we drove back thru the center of town before settling in to the two lane road that circles the island. As usual, we used MAPS.ME to keep track of our position in addition to a local tourist map that shows some highlights and points of interest.

 

After stopping a couple of times to enjoy some scenic views, we came across a turn-off for a waterfall. The waterfall is at the end of a private road and there were some folks charging $5 NZD for access.

 

NOTE: Unlike French Polynesia, where dollars are readily accepted, you will need NZD in the Cook Islands. Most places take credit cards, but sometimes you need local cash to facilitate small purchases like this. We have found that VISA is the most commonly accepted credit card, followed by Mastercard and American Express, so we always take one of each when we travel to cover most contingencies.

 

 

The waterfall was about 50 feet high and fed a picturesque pool of water. Some local children were splashing around in the shallow water. We did get bothered by some mosquitoes or something similar on our legs, so I would recommend putting some repellent on your legs if you plan to venture off the main road.

 

While enjoying the view, we struck up a conversation with two German tourists, Anna and Louisa. They are spending a year working as nannies in New Zealand in what they called their “gap year” – the year between High School and College.

 

Matutu Brewery

 

Continuing our drive, we stopped at the Matutu Brewery located on the south side of the island. I discovered this brewery on Trip Advisor and they mentioned that they offered tours at Noon and 1 PM. There is a sign marking the turnoff, but it is small, and unless you are looking for it, you may easily miss it.

 

The brewery looks like a converted house and the entire operation takes place in two connected rooms. The tour cost $10 NZD and includes 3 glasses of their beer. Calling this a tour is misleading – it is more of a lecture – since you remain seated for the entire hour. We found the experience interesting, but it is very small, and nothing like what you may have seen on other brewery tours.

 

Matutu only makes about 20 cases a day which they sell to local bars and stores. They don’t add any preservatives, so the beer must be refrigerated and has a shelf life of less that 2 months. They cater to the tourists as the locals won’t pay the higher prices they charge for a beer that is produced in such small quantities.

 

Around the Island

 

Our next stop was a small grocery/convenience/gasoline store. The gasoline pumps were marked with a stern warning: “Strictly No Self Service”. We always enjoy stopping at these types of stores to see what types of local products are offered and we often meet local residents who are invariably friendly and have interesting stories to share. We chatted up a couple from Alaska who spends the winters here house sitting for a variety of people over several months. They have come to make friends on the island and have been coming here for the last 13 years.

Muri beach, located on the east side of the island, is a very popular spot for tourists with a nice beach, restaurants, cafes and bars. It is too far to walk – about 6 miles – but you can get here via the local bus or a taxi if you don’t have car.

We didn’t stop at Muri beach, but continued on back to town to return the rental car.

 

Back in town

 

The final tender was in 2 hours, so we decided to walk the ¾ mile back to the ship and do a little shopping along the way.

There was a wedding at a local church that finished a few minutes before we walked by. Everyone was dressed in very colorful outfits and it was fun to watch the group of happy people who were on the Church’s front lawn taking pictures.

Back where we started, the Chamber of Commerce people were all gone, but there were still a few tents set up selling local goods and tourists items. There was a nice selection of items here and we were surprised that some of the best shopping for this type of stuff was so close to the pier.

 

The tender ride back to the ship was smoother and fortunately less exciting than the one in the morning. The crew of the Amsterdam did a wonderful job of getting everyone ashore and we learned later that over 700 guests were able to enjoy the Cook Islands for a portion of the day.

 

Back on the Ship

 

Since today was Australia Day, the theme for Pub Trivia was everything Australian. The questions were very hard, and we only had 3 correct answers with the winning team getting 7 correct.

 

Popular choices for dinner this evening were the Australian Meat Pie and the Sweet and Sour Shrimp.

 

Queen’s Lounge

 

Gary Arbuthnot was the featured performer this evening. He played a wide variety of popular and Celtic tunes using a flute and penny whistle. Toward the end of his show he played a stirring rendition of “Danny Boy” which he mentioned was one of his late Father’s favorite songs. Gary is an incredible musician and puts on a wonderful show.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wonderful reporting.

Checked out all the extra links -- great.

Glad you had a wonderful day in spite of rough seas and starting a little late.

[Underthemoonlight]

.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Keith1010]

I am really enjoying your posts.

 

Continue to enjoy every minute.

 

Keith

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 24 – At Sea - 27 January

 

Sea Day

 

Another sea day was welcome after our long day ashore yesterday.

 

Coffee Chat

 

I went down to the Explorer’s lounge around 9 AM to watch Hyperion Knight practice before his interview with Hamish at the 9:30 Coffee Chat. One of the many features I enjoy about cruising in general and Grand Voyages in particular, is the variety of outstanding live performances available. A special bonus is the opportunity to talk with artists afterwards and gain a greater appreciation for their incredible talents.

 

Hyperion played for about 20 minutes, only stopping when it was time for the crew to set up for the 9:30 show.

Hamish always does a wonderful job interviewing his guests on Coffee Chat. He asks the questions that are on everyone’s mind and then gives the guests plenty of time to expand on their answers.

 

Hyperion showed talent for the piano when he was a small boy and received a lot of support from his family while growing up. He ultimately attended the Julliard School where he was able to hone his talent. After graduation, he discovered that earning a living as a musician required perseverance and a willingness to adapt to what the market was will to pay for. His first job was with a restaurant associated with the Cleveland Clinic where he played with some string instruments in almost an Adagio type of setup. It was here that he realized that he needed to expand his range to include more popular tunes that the audience was always requesting. He still practices 6 hours daily to stay sharp and work on new material.

 

After a few years of honing his skills in satisfying audiences, he had an opportunity to work as a substitute for an ill cruise ship pianist on short notice. Years later, Hyperion is a fixture on Holland America and other cruise lines in addition to maintaining a busy schedule playing with orchestras ashore.

 

Texas Hold’em

 

Playing the morning Texas Hold’em games requires you to arrive at the Casino cage 40 minutes in advance. I arrive when they are open and take whatever games are is left, which is the 3:00 PM game and sometimes the game at 1:30 PM. I played twice today, finishing in the money once.

 

Knitting

 

Not playing in the morning Texas Hold’em game gave me more time to work on my knitting. I did about 8 rows today – slowing progressing toward finishing my first ball of yarn.

 

Afternoon around the ship

 

Judy and I met for lunch by the pool, where I enjoyed a bowl of Hot and Sour soup and some sushi while Judy continues to get her turkey and provolone panini.

 

There wasn’t any drawing class today because the Wajang theatre, which is also America’s Test Kitchen, was being used for a baking class for the children in Club HAL. This allowed Judy to get to crafts 30 minutes early which she discovered wasn’t really early at all, as most people are now getting to the craft area, which is in the Lido Market, port side, aft, a full 2 hours early to eat lunch and then linger until class starts. Nevertheless she did manage to snare one of the available crafts which involved making a paper bead and stringing it on a bracelet.

 

 

Pub Trivia at 5 PM continues to be a lot of fun, but we have never finished in the top tier.

 

Dinner

 

Dinner continues to be amazing. The selections are always outstanding and the service is incredible. We are seated at a 10 top but still manage to finish by 9:30 and only stay longer when we choose to linger over coffee or tea.

 

Queen’s Lounge

 

Frank King was the headliner in the Queen’s Lounge this evening. I have seen dozens of cruise ship comedians over the years and he in one of the best. He show is titled “Comedy and Conversation” with Frank King which set the expectation that he would engage with the audience more than you might expect from a comedian. The house lights stayed up as the show opened which was a sure sign that audience participation is sure to follow.

 

Much to my pleasant surprise, Frank didn’t wander into the tired terrain of commenting on the size of the late-night show nor calling out audience members who wandered in a few minutes late. Instead he launched into a very timely series of jokes commenting on the recent situation aboard regarding tender tickets and how he may be in the middle of a black market selling tender tickets from his stateroom. His other observations about cruise ship life and life in general was refreshingly original and quite funny. On the few occasions he engaged with an audience member he skillfully elicited numerous humorous interactions without insulting anyone or resorting to other gimmicks. He concluded his show with an amusing narration of a slide show showing various signs that he as accumulated over the years.

Frank King is an outstanding comedian. If you have the chance to catch his show – it is a must see.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great reporting.

Love the bead bracelet.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 25 – Alofi, Niue

 

Planning for a port visit

 

Niue is an island that isn’t visited very often by cruise ships and there isn’t a lot of tourist infrastructure. This is the only port of the entire cruise where HAL didn’t offer a single shore excursion. When planning for a world cruise, or for that matter, any cruise, I spend almost as much time researching each port as I will ultimately spend visiting that port. I scour the usual internet travel sites: Fodors, Frommers, Tripadvisor, Cruise Critic, other travel blogs, You Tube VLOGs etc. If something looks interesting I will contact tour operators, local business owners, tourist agencies to nail down operating hours, maps and other points of interest.

 

My research into Niue revealed some interesting caves, pools and other scenic spots along with a chance to visit the Washaway Café which is only open on Sunday. Walking to all these spots was out of the question so the only option was to rent a car or to try and find a local driver or tour agency. If a car rental is reasonably available, that is always my preference as the flexibility of having our own transportation is hard to beat. I found several different car rental agencies and after sending email inquiries to all of them I settled on a company called Niue Rental because of its pricing and responsiveness to my email queries.

 

Niue Rentals was located about ½ mile from our expected shore side tender location. We were prepared to walk to the office if necessary, but they said that they would meet us at the wharf.

 

I had planned to meet them at 9:30 AM, but that was before the uncertainty surrounding our tendering was fully understood. Fortunately, most rental car agencies are flexible with reservation times, but I always prefer to be as close to my reservation time as possible, particularly if they are going to meet me at a designated pick up spot.

 

My cell phone carrier, AT&T didn’t offer any service on this island, making it impossible to call them regarding any last-minute changes to our schedule. Fortunately, most shore side operators are very familiar with cruise ship operations and they understand that flexibility is essential for everyone.

 

Tendering - again

 

Since I didn’t need to be on the first tender, I waited until the tender ticket table opened for business at 7AM before heading up to get my ticket. The line hadn’t started moving at 7AM and my spot at the end of the line was all the way back into the Lido Market near the beverage station. Once the line started moving, it only took a few minutes to reach the front where I received my ticket – Red 34 or the 7th group to be called. At this point I couldn’t be sure if I would have to wait 15 minutes or 90 minutes before my number would be called.

 

Since the sea conditions were smooth and there weren’t any scheduled HAL tours that would command the first few tenders, I expected today’s tendering would proceed much faster that it might have otherwise.

Sure enough, tendering went very quickly and at 9:30 AM we went down to deck A and boarded our tender. Sea state was smooth and we were ashore in 10 minutes.

 

Getting the rental van

 

After asking a few people we found Stanley from Niue Rentals who had arrived on the wharf a few minutes earlier. We didn’t notice anyone selling tours or rentals, but many other people were meeting prearranged tours or rental cars.

In a few minutes we were at the Niue Rental office, competed all the paperwork and were on our way. Stanley told us to leave the van at the wharf with the keys in the ignition when we were done for the day. They would pick it up later, fill the tank for us when the gas station opened at 6 PM, then charge my credit card for the actual cost of the gas.

 

We had originally planned to drive around the island, but Stanley advised us that there was nothing to see on the island’s east side. He explained that since the east side roads were so poor we didn’t have time to complete a circumnavigation even if we wanted to. He circled his recommended stops on our map and we were on our way.

 

Touring the northern portion of Niue

 

The roads are narrow, full of pot holes and we didn’t go much faster than 25 mph. The steering wheel is on the right side, but since the roads are so narrow, everyone drives down the center until another car approaches when you move over to the side to pass. You can see a scanned copy of the map we used on the blog.

 

We headed north about 5 miles to our furthest point of interest: Matapa Chasm.

 

NOTE: Most of the time as you were driving around Niue you couldn’t see the ocean as the view was obscured by trees and other vegetation. The points of interested are all well marked with signs that provide more information about the attraction. Clean, semi-portable toilets (complete with water for flushing) were available at most of the stops.

The Matapa Chasm is located about a 7-minute walk down a well-worn path. People with mobility issues would find this challenging, but it is a fairly easy walk over gently sloping, but uneven terrain. This spot was the exclusive bathing pool of Niuean Royalty in ancient times. The end of the trail opens to a small canyon with a tidal pool that opens to the ocean several hundred yards further. It was overcast most of the day with sporadic light rain sprinkles, but never long enough for us to put on our rain jackets.

After visiting the Matapa Chasm, we headed back toward town stopping at the other scenic spots along the way. We always try to go to the furthest spot first and then work our way back toward the ship so if something gets delayed we will be getting ever closer to the ship as the day goes on.

Our next stop was the Limu Pools – which is home to a variety of sea life – and is near the village of Namukulu which was favored landing site of early settlers. Getting to these pools was a short walk down an path and then some wooden and metal steps that were quite slippery due to the rain. We spotted a few people snorkeling in these pools, and we spotted a few very bright blue fish, but from where we were standing it didn’t look like a particularly interesting snorkeling site.

We continued down the road to the Palaha Cave, which is an easily (relatively) accessible cave system with a giant window opening to a reef flat – and is only accessible during low tide. The cave is at the end of a short trail, followed by wooden steps. The cave is very open and once inside you can see an opening to the sea and sky. Accessing the cave requires you to carefully travel over uneven rocks for about 30 feet. Not recommended for anyone who may not be comfortable moving and almost hopping from rock to rock.

 

On the way out, we spotted this large spider which we couldn’t identify. If anyone knows what kind it is, please leave a comment.

 

 

Our final stop before we returned to the central part of Alofi was Avaiki which was another large tidal pool and cavernous opening. Only accessible during low tide, this spot requires you to scamper, going hand over hand, over uneven rocks and then wading through shallow water. It was very interesting spot, but getting there requires a high degree of balance and coordination along with wearing shoes that you didn’t mind getting wet.

It was now a little after Noon as we headed back into central Alofi. The town was now filled with cruise ship passengers, that were mostly congregated around the visitor center and a few open restaurants. We planned to stop in the visitor center on the way back and see if we could find any interesting souvenirs, but by the time we returned around 3 PM, everything was closed. If shopping here is important to you, take advantage of any opportunity when you find open stores.

 

Lunch at the Washaway Cafe

 

We were getting a little hungry, so we didn’t stop in Alofi but continued to Avatele Beach on the southern side of the island. Here we found the Washaway Café, which is only open on Sunday. The café is nestled amongst the trees and is covered but open to the elements. There are a few tables completely outside with a similar number inside. The café is self-service. You go behind the bar and grab your own beer or soda from coolers, marking your selections into a spiral notebook to facilitate paying when you are ready to leave. For food orders, you write down your selections into a different spiral notebook and then hand it too the cook who will get started on your order. When your food is ready, they will bring it to your table. The menu was limited to burgers, fish sandwiches and pizza. Our group ended up ordering a few things from every category and it was all quite tasty. Paying for the meal is on the honor system. You point which items in each notebook are yours and they total things up. Some patrons actually forget to pay for their meal and seek out the owner later in the week to pay him.

The owner opens this place only on Sundays since everything else is normally closed and he has another place that is open during the week. He said that they get two flights a week from Auckland (3 hours away by air) with each flight bringing about 100 people.

On the way back to Alofi we spotted these large wooden panels painted as a variety of superheroes. We stopped to take a few pictures and tossed in a few coins to their donation box.

Our final stop was a scenic overlook that gave a great view of the Niue coastline. It was also billed as a whale watching spot, but we didn’t spot any as it was the wrong time of year.

As I mentioned earlier, the town was closed up by the time we returned. We found an open art gallery but didn’t find anything of interest.

We left our van on the wharf, with the keys in the ignition, and headed back to the ship. After we arrived there were only 12 people left ashore, and I suspect that it was mainly the people running the shore side tender operation.

 

Niue Summary

 

Niue was a pleasant surprise which exceeded our, albeit low, expectations. Renting a car is a must if you want to see anything other than the few shops in town. Driving here is easy so don’t let that discourage you, but I would make a reservation to ensure a car is available. We were told that we may have to get a Niue drivers license, but since it was a Sunday they said the police station was closed for this purpose and we didn’t need to worry about getting one.

I headed up to the Sailaway after Pub Trivia but by the time I got there at 5:30 everybody and all the special appetizers were already gone.

 

Our evening aboard

 

Dinner continues to be incredible. We haven’t had anything that wasn’t fantastic. Our expectations for dining were high, but the wonderful crew of the ms Amsterdam continues to impress us with the total dining room experience.

The Knights put on an encore performance this evening. Their show is fantastic, high energy and extremely entertaining. My only mild criticism was that their wonderful West End vocals are too refined to sing Rod Stewarts “Maggie May” which requires more gravelry and gritty vocals. Imagine Karen Carpenter singing “Jumping Jack Flash” – it’s good but not quite right. Nevertheless, the show is outstanding and highly recommended.

 

Edited February 1, 2018 by The-Inside-Cabin

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wonderful report.

Sorry -- I don't know what kind of a spider that is. He does look nasty.

[Floridiana]

Your report brings memories of when we were in Niue years ago. Lovely! Did you take photos? (more than the 2 I see.)

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Your report brings memories of when we were in Niue years ago. Lovely! Did you take photos? (more than the 2 I see.)

 

Check out my blog for more photos. menus and more. There is also a link to a video showing our tendering to Cook Island

 

http://www.theinsidecabin.com

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 26, January 30th - At Sea

 

Crossing the dateline

 

Early this morning we crossed the International Date Line. We skipped January 29th and advanced all clocks 24 hours. During the World Cruise we will cross 24 time zones. Since we travel westbound that means that there are 24 times that we will have 25 hour days. Most world cruises travel westbound to avoid the other option of twenty-four 23 hour days followed by a bonus day when you cross the dateline eastbound. On some ships they advance clocks in the middle of the afternoon, to avoid losing an hour of sleep at night.

 

Morning activities

 

I have given up on getting to the Texas Hold’em sign up early. They open the casino at 9 AM and most people are already in line by 8:30. Since so few people arrive between 8:30AM and 9:00AM, I realized that there was little benefit in getting there before 9 AM. I arrive right after they open and take what ever games are left. They are now offering 4 games a day and I find myself going to the 3:00PM game most often.

 

Scheduled for 9 AM today was a class in the Lido Dome titled: “Learn to Make Your Own Maori Poi”. I incorrectly assumed that this was a class making a food dish called “poi” which is often served at Hawaiian Luaus. Once I arrived I realized that we were going to make the Poi balls – which we learned was redundant since Poi means ball in the Maori language.

 

Even though I arrived a few minutes late, there were a few empty sets and plenty of supplies available. I jumped on an empty seat and twenty minutes later, I was the proud owner of a handmade Maori Poi!

 

 

Queen’s Lounge Lectures

 

I stopped by the Crow’s nest to show off my Poi to all the knitters before heading to the Queen’s Lounge for two presentations. The first was on the HAL sponsored overland tours this cruise which was immediately followed by the guest speaker Milt Keiles who would be presenting on the topic “South Pacific Cultures”. I estimated that the Queen’s Lounge was probably 50% to 75% full for both presentations.

 

Afternoon Activities

 

Judy attended Ben’s drawing class which today was an art history lecture instead of actual drawing. She learned about ‘killer rabbits’ depicted in Medieval Art and saw examples of Etruscan funeral figures that are smiling.

After a few consecutive days of making the Craft class cut, all the craft projects were handed out by the time Judy arrived, about 10 minutes before the scheduled starting time.

 

After Pub Trivia at 5 PM, the ten people from table 303 assembled in the Casino for a Texas Hold’em training session. The Casino hosts were very accommodating to our request for a special training session for our group. The dealer spent about 10 minutes explaining the various poker hands and the structure of playing Texas Hold’em. This orientation was followed by a mock tournament where everyone started with $4000 in tournament chips.

 

Judy won the first hand with a full house, beating a straight and a flush which also appeared on the same hand. Despite Judy’s initial good fortune, I don’t expect to see her in the real tournaments anytime soon.

 

Spotlight Show

 

From time to time, the Cruise Director will schedule what is called a “Spotlight Show” which will feature an especially popular entertainer or a cast singer who gets an opportunity for a solo performance. These shows are typically at 7:15 PM which gives folks on both early and late seating an opportunity to attend.

 

Hyperion Knight was the featured entertainer for today’s Spotlight show. Once again he put on a masterful performance peppered with interesting commentary about the history and insight into the pieces he was about to perform. He concluded his show with a mesmerizing performance of piano concerto “Rocky 2” by Sergei Rachmaninoff.

 

Dinner

 

Dinner featured two tantalizing choices – Beechers Macaroni and Cheese and Hungarian Goulash. I enjoy both and asked for an appetizer sized portion of the Mac and Cheese. Never hesitate to ask for more than one entrée at dinner if you can’t decide between two choices.

 

Queen’s Lounge

 

Frank King and Nathan Coe Marsh split the show tonight in the Queen’s lounge. Nathan did a fine job and his show was much better that his first. He performed a marvelous illusion where he managed to join and separate some wedding rings he borrowed from audience members.

 

Frank’s show was hilarious, and as good as his first show was, this one was even better. He recounted amusing anecdotes about his experience in a hospital after his heart attack. Frank has incredible insight into the human condition and an amazing ability to see the light side of almost any event.

 

As always, more pictures on the blog at www.theinsidecabin.com

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Just arrived in Auckland - finally have some decent internet. Will be catching up today on posts

 

Here is the video showing the tendering on Cook Island

 

 

 

 

[YOUTUBE]

[/YOUTUBE]

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 27 - At Sea - 31 Jan 2018

 

Coffee Chat

 

The Knights were the “Coffee Chat” guests this morning. Simon is the leader of the group which he created as a concept back when he was a cast performer on a cruise ship a few years back. There are now 6 Knights, including 3 women. The shore show uses all six while only 3 of the men perform on the ships. Simon is trying to put together a charity reunion show of the actual Knights in the future.

 

Morning Activities

 

Judy asked if I wanted to learn a new stitch today at 10 AM knitting. I said sure, but discovered that there are only really 2 knitting stitches – a knit or a purl – and everything else is simply combining these basic stitches in different sequences. I am closing in on finishing my first ball of yarn. Yeah!

 

The HAL singers and dancers were in the Queen’s lounge today at 11 am to answer a few questions and then host a back-stage tour. This is an exceptionally talented group and we have seen 2 shows so far, with the third show this evening. They are all on a 10-month contract and will stay together for the rest of this cruise, putting on a total of 10 different shows. The group has a lot of positive energy which really shows in their performances and we are looking forward to seeing the rest of their shows.

 

The ship motion remains significant and if they had to cancel this evenings show, I wouldn’t be shocked. It is forecast to get better later, so I am optimistic that the show will go on this evening.

 

We had lunch by the pool once again, with Judy getting her signature turkey and provalone panni while I continue to browse the lido looking for something new to sample. I settled on the ramen bar and was served a steaming hot bowl of delicious noodles.

 

While we were eating, the comedian Frank King happened by and we chatted for a bit and ended up inviting him to dinner tomorrow evening which he graciously accepted.

 

Afternoon Activities

 

Pub Trivia was an interesting mix of attire as many folks with early seating were all ready dressed up in their finest. While us late seaters were still wearing Hawaiian shirts and shorts.

 

Gala Night

 

Tonight, was a Gala Night with the theme “Bowlers and Bumper Shoots.” Bowlers are derby style hats – presented in sparkly gold and silver while the “Bumper Shoots” are umbrellas with dozens and dozens hanging, opened, from the ceiling in the dining room. Even though the Gala night dress code has changed and the only requirement is a collared shirt, the World Cruise guests on this cruise are dressing like its 1999 – at least at late seating on the upper level. Things may be different at early seating, but seeing men in tuxedos is a common occurrence this evening.

 

Our table was hosted this evening by Mark the Event Manager. We had a great time learning more about his background and some of the challenges he faces every day. He will be aboard during the drydock after this cruise where one of the major changes will be a change to the deck 4 seating layout of the Queens Lounge to provide for better sight lines.

 

The ship has run out of shrimp for the shrimp cocktails, so they are substituting a crab legs cocktail in its place, which is quite good. The headline entrée was the Surf and Turf which was spectacular is both taste and presentation. For dessert? What could be better than our all time favorite: the Cappuccino Bomb, which is coffee ice cream, inside a dark chocolate shell, served with chocolate sauce and berries.

 

Queen’s Lounge

 

The HAL singers and dancers lit up the stage with an amazing performance of the HAL favorite “The Midnight Hour”. This is a wonderful, high energy show, which will have you tapping your feet, clapping your hands and ready to dance in the aisles. The show opens with a sensuous performance of “Fever” and concludes with the classic “Midnight Hour” with a nice bouncy version of “Valerie” featuring the female singers and dancers in the middle of the show.

 

 

More pictures on the blog at www.theinsidecabin.com

 

We received another pillow gift this evening - a nice universal adapter set. Pictures on the blog

[Krazy Kruizers]

Enjoying your reports.

The video of the rough waters and tenders -- great.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 28, Feb 1, At Sea

 

I spent most of today backing up my photographs and catching up on writing my blog posts for the past few days.

 

Here is what I have brought with me as far as computers and associated technology go.

• My main machine: Microsoft Surface Book Laptop – Windows 10: This laptop is powerful enough to run full featured photo editing and video editing software and to render videos in a reasonable amount of time.
  
• Judy’s Laptop: Toshiba Portege – Windows 10
  
• Epson Perfection V39 scanner – this is a very light scanner that is powered by a USB port and it doesn’t require an additional power adapter.
  
• Canon Pixma iP110 portable printer – battery operated and wireless – I can charge it up every 2 weeks and then can use it without needing a power adapter.
  
• 2 Mini IPADS for reading books and other applications
  
• IPhone 5s
  
• IPhone 6s
  
• 6 external hard drives – 2 are used to provide a double backup of all my photos and video. 2 have been imaged with the two laptops hard drives before I left so I can restore the laptops to the Jan 4th configuration and 2 are used for continuous file history backups.
  
• Numerous USB sticks for sharing photos
  
• Iphone SD card dongle to share photos with friends who cannot accept a USB stick and only have an Iphone or IPAD.
  

While I was holed up in my cabin, Judy was out and about with her normal routine: Tai Chi, Knitting, Drawing and Crafts.

 

Ben talked about how to draw boxes during his drawing class today.

 

Judy missed the cut for Crafts. People are getting their earlier and earlier and if you are not in place at least 45 minutes in advance you may be too late. Today the project was earrings and a notecard. Dawn attended her first Craft class and made a nice pair of earrings.

 

We had our best score for Pub Trivia today: 14. The theme was Dance Trivia and the special guests were the HAL dancers! All of my time spent watching Dancing with the Stars paid off as it helped me with several questions.

 

Frank King, our favorite comedian, joined our table this evening. We had a great time learning more about his business and he shared numerous humorous anecdotes about his adventures on the high seas.

 

Hyperion Knight and Gary Arbuthnot shared the stage this evening. We have seen them both several times before and thoroughly enjoyed their shows once again.

 

Pictures and more on the blog at www.theinsidecabin.com