Come sail with me on a virtual cruise to Hawaii on Ruby Princess

[ellie1145]

On 1/11/2021 at 11:56 PM, trbarton said:

Interesting to see all of those keys. I’ll see if anyone knows what all of those keys might be for. 
My best wishes for your husband & that he has a speedy recovery. My prayers are for both of you. 
 

Tom🙏

 

That would be most interesting, Tom. Can you imagine what would happen if some of them got lost? I’m always losing my keys but that would have been a disaster. 

 

Thank you for your good wishes. 

[ellie1145]

Well, it’s been a bit of a roller coaster here, with one good day followed by a bad day. DH now on his 5th lot of antibiotics so we have everything crossed. 

 

So let’s go and explore the Mighty Mo while we have a lull in the proceedings! 😉

 

Hope you are all safe and well. I wonder how things are going in Scotland (how are you Winifred?) Canada, Australia and the USA.

 

We are moving fast with immunisation and hope our turn will be next month. Can’t wait. But for now we are living a bit like hibernating hedgehogs. Better safe than sorry, and the weather has been awful. 🦔

 

[ringers0815]

Hope your husband is doing better. In Canada we are in lockdown again as this second wave has been more difficult than last winter and spring. Vaccines are being given to health care workers and people in long term care homes but the delivery is very slow. 2 vaccines approved to date (Pfizer and Moderna) but limited supply. Apparently supply will ramp up starting in April and then they can start vaccinating the general population.... Hopefully they approve other vaccines before that and we can accelerate this process. Other than that things are good. It has been a beautiful mild winter to date in Ontario but the forecast indicates winter temperatures will return soon.

[CrazyIrving]

Take care of your DH and yourself. 
 

I’m Quebec City we’re in curfew from 8pm t’il 5 am.  Lost my evening walks before bedtime. 
Just moving snow around the backyard for my sanity and fresh air.  Getting a good wallop of snow today and tomorrow. 
will enjoy myself  shoveling it up. 
 

Ive been following along all this time. 
 

it helps to keep my spirits up for the next cruise day in 2022. 
will be on the Majestic Princess in June for Alaska. 
 

the deepest I’ve been in the water since the pandemic was my bathtub. Wishing I had a little cruise ship floating around. 
 

Crazy Irving 

[ellie1145]

20 minutes ago, ringers0815 said:

Hope your husband is doing better. In Canada we are in lockdown again as this second wave has been more difficult than last winter and spring. Vaccines are being given to health care workers and people in long term care homes but the delivery is very slow. 2 vaccines approved to date (Pfizer and Moderna) but limited supply. Apparently supply will ramp up starting in April and then they can start vaccinating the general population.... Hopefully they approve other vaccines before that and we can accelerate this process. Other than that things are good. It has been a beautiful mild winter to date in Ontario but the forecast indicates winter temperatures will return soon.

 

Thank you for your kind words, ringers0815. We’ve got everything crossed for him.

 

I am glad that your vaccine programme is beginning to take place. It’s a huge operation for any country to cope with. I think we are very lucky in the UK. Over 3 million people have now been vaccinated and this is increasing daily. I must admit we are glad we are out of the EU as they seem to be in a terrible mess. Having decided to work as one unit, they are still only just rolling out their vaccine, a month after we started, and whilst every EU country is supposed to get the same proportion, Germany has managed to do a little side deal to get more than anyone else! Unbelievable!

 

We are targeted for the middle of February and hope things continue to go well with the programme.

 

Hope you continue to be in good health and to keep safe. 

[ellie1145]

18 minutes ago, CrazyIrving said:

Take care of your DH and yourself. 
 

I’m Quebec City we’re in curfew from 8pm t’il 5 am.  Lost my evening walks before bedtime. 
Just moving snow around the backyard for my sanity and fresh air.  Getting a good wallop of snow today and tomorrow. 
will enjoy myself  shoveling it up. 
 

Ive been following along all this time. 
 

it helps to keep my spirits up for the next cruise day in 2022. 
will be on the Majestic Princess in June for Alaska. 
 

the deepest I’ve been in the water since the pandemic was my bathtub. Wishing I had a little cruise ship floating around. 
 

Crazy Irving 

 

Thank you Crazy Irving.

 

I imagine you get a lot more snow than we ever do. But hopefully you are more prepared than we ever are! Half an inch and the country shuts down! 😉

 

I’m afraid I am watching a lot of TV about cruise ships, and am hooked on Border Security about Australia, and anything about flying, so I can dream and re-live and hope. 

 

Glad you are still with us and looking forward to cruising in 2022 on the beautiful Majestic Princess. I think you are very wise to plan for that. I fear that even late 2021 is looking uncertain. But we live in hopes. 

 

Take care and continue to keep safe. 

[ellie1145]

The Mighty Mo - USS Missouri

 

 

We meet up with the rest of the group and walk outside to the car park where a large coach is waiting.

 

 

 

It’s a 10 minute drive round to the USS Missouri, and we cross a bridge, getting a final glimpse of the Arizona Memorial, before arriving at the ship.

 

 

 

We approach the ship and she is a magnificent sight.

 

Christened by Margaret Truman, the daughter of Harry S Truman, and named after the state of Missouri, this battleship has a special significance for us as it was the site of the surrender of the Empire of Japan, which finally ended World War II, and which freed my F-I-L from the death camps of the Burma Railway.

 

To think that we will soon be standing on the very deck where the surrender took place is a surreal feeling. We know that, had it not been for Pearl Harbour, and the entry of the US to the war, my husband’s father would probably not have survived. But we could never have guessed that one day we would be walking its hallowed decks.

 

She looks huge, and indeed she is over 887 ft long, and 33 ft wide. Her deep draft is over 36ft, which is enormous compared to modern cruise ships.

 

When combat loaded she has a displacement of over 58,000 tons. Although she was only commissioned in June 1944, she fought in the battles  of Okinawa and Iwo Jima in the Pacific Theatre. Following the Second World War she took part in the Korean War, from 1950 to 1953. She was decommissioned in 1955 but in 1991 she took part in Operation Desert Storm, and eventually became a museum ship in Pearl Harbour.

 

This vast battleship had a full complement of 1167 officers and 1804 enlisted men, and had an incredible top speed of over 32 knots (38 mph), and a cruising range of 15,000 nautical miles at a speed of 15 knots.

 

Her armoury is impressive, and as we approach her we can see why she is called the Mighty Mo.  Her main armour is over 12 inches thick and the main battery gun turrets have 20 inch of protection.

 

We can see the huge guns facing forward and aft, nine huge 6 inch guns and twenty 5 inch guns. She also has an anti aircraft battery of eighty 40mm guns and forty nine 20mm auto cannon. The guns were so powerful that they recoiled four feet when fired.

 

 

Edited January 16, 2021 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

The Japanese Surrender and the USS Missouri

 

It was a little over 3 months before the Japanese surrender that USS Missouri became the fleet flagship, when Admiral William F Halsey Jr boarded her as commander of the Third Fleet.

 

 

USS Missouri took part in attacks on Okinawa, before making air strikes on Japanese airfields on Kyushu. She was slightly damaged by a major typhoon in June and then took part in attacks on targets around Tokyo , Honshu and Hokkaido.

 

On the 9th of August came the turning point of the war with the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The Japanese formally surrendered on August 15th, and the next day Halsey was presented with the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire by Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser of the Royal Navy, for his role in the war.

 

Preparations were then made for the occupation of Japan, and it was decided that the official surrender ceremony would take place onboard Missouri, which was quickly repainted. On August 27th, guided by the Japanese destroyer, Hatsuzakura, Missouri began her approach to Tokyo Bay, but bad weather prevented the actual ceremony until September 2nd.

 

Once onboard I will show you where it happened, and I will tell you the extraordinary story of the kamakazi pilot.

 

 

Edited January 16, 2021 by ellie1145

[PurpleTraveller]

1 hour ago, ellie1145 said:

 

Hope you are all safe and well. I wonder how things are going in Scotland (how are you Winifred?) Canada, Australia and the USA.

 

 

Hope your DH is on the road to recovery and that you stay safe and well. 

 

In Australia we are doing really well compared to much of the world. Our death toll is less than 1,000 which is awful and very sad for those familes but small in comparison to many other countries. Yesterday we only had one community transmission of Covid in all of Australia and the rest were in returned overseas travellers in hotel quarantine.

 

We still have restrictions such as caps on numbers in pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes as well as

limits on numbers at weddings, funerals and sporting events. We must sign in to all public venues to enable contact tracing if a positive case goes to the venue. Masks should be worn on public transport and in enclosed spaces such as cinemas. We also must socially distance and use hand sanitiser everywhere we go. 

 

However we are able to live fairly normal lives, travel within our states and as the borders between states reopen even interstate. We are very lucky! 

 

Our vaccination program will start next month and hopefully with the rest of the world eventually be able to return to normal. 

 

Thank you for keeping us all entertained with your journey and we can all hope that we will cruise again one day. 🚢

 

[CrazyIrving]

Just got back in from shoveling and a quick walk before the 8:00 curfew. 
This will be a good time to look forward to cruising. 
 

hope the video uploads 

[trbarton]

Thanks for taking us along & for you detailed history. I’m set to sail on December 8, 2021 from San Francisco to Hawaii. Hoping we can cruise by then. 
 

The distribution of the Vaccine here in San Francisco is a real challenge. There was concerns as to how many doses they could get but no planning as to how one can make an appointment or get the vaccine shot. I only waited 1 hr & 20 minutes where other people waited over 4 hrs & then got disconnected. I’m scheduled in a few weeks for the 1st shot & then go back in approximately 21 days for the 2nd shot. 
 

I’m aware that I will need the vaccine card to show I had the shot which I will keep in a folder on my phone. 
 

Tom😀

[cr8tiv1]

This was just added to my FaceBook page.   Thought you might be interested in the information. The link is about the bridge you rode over to the USS Missouri.

 

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/hawaii/admiral-clarey-bridge-hi/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=hawaii&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=nlbuttonB1&fbclid=IwAR3TYTHM8_XtNgbeUF8rI62hkLDTfAqMBZ_5-54fRzka_p8RxKEC2TsRaCM

 

I am having issues with either my server or CC....so if this doesn't work, copy and paste.

Edited January 17, 2021 by cr8tiv1

[donswife]

Hi Ellie,

I have been enjoying bits and pieces of both this journey and also your adventures in Singapore onward to the Majestic Princess. I visited Hawaii as a young teen and the South Pacific when I was 8 years old, so I am enjoying the memory jog!   I'm sure they are quite different now!  I love your writing style and miss my dear friends who returned to the UK after several years here in Vancouver, Washington.

 

I hope your husband is on the mend. 

 

Karen

[ellie1145]

11 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

This vast battleship had a full complement of 1167 officers and 1804 enlisted men

Apologies, may I correct this typo.  It should, of course be 167 officers.

Was writing late at night and mistyped.😔

[TRUEBLUE66]

Hi Ellie,

              Have been continuing to follow along when I get the time! Sorry to hear about DH. Hope he's better soon.

Retired from my job of 30+ years end of 2019 so we could increase our travelling but now working full time again as a postman. Very busy time but never been fitter!🚶‍♂️

Just waiting for another round of cancellations, this time on the Regal B2B in May /June. If someone has told me last year when I booked they probably won't go ahead due to covid I would have laughed!🙄

Lockdown much tougher this time around for many, well those of us obeying it! 😒

Hoping for vaccine by Easter as we just fit into the 55+ group now!

Anyway, keep up the good work when you get the time as lots of us are enjoying your trip and find it a great diversion.🛳️  

[CruzinNoony]

We just booked a cruise to Hawaii out out Los Angeles for Jan. of 2022.  Keeping my fingers crossed  that we sail.   My thoughts and prayers are with your husband.  I hope he gets a little better each day.  Meredith

[ellie1145]

On 1/16/2021 at 10:27 PM, PurpleTraveller said:

 

Hope your DH is on the road to recovery and that you stay safe and well. 

 

In Australia we are doing really well compared to much of the world. Our death toll is less than 1,000 which is awful and very sad for those familes but small in comparison to many other countries. Yesterday we only had one community transmission of Covid in all of Australia and the rest were in returned overseas travellers in hotel quarantine.

 

We still have restrictions such as caps on numbers in pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes as well as

limits on numbers at weddings, funerals and sporting events. We must sign in to all public venues to enable contact tracing if a positive case goes to the venue. Masks should be worn on public transport and in enclosed spaces such as cinemas. We also must socially distance and use hand sanitiser everywhere we go. 

 

However we are able to live fairly normal lives, travel within our states and as the borders between states reopen even interstate. We are very lucky! 

 

Our vaccination program will start next month and hopefully with the rest of the world eventually be able to return to normal. 

 

Thank you for keeping us all entertained with your journey and we can all hope that we will cruise again one day. 🚢

 

 

Lovely to hear from you down there in Oz, Purple Traveller. 

 

So glad to hear that things are pretty normal in Australia. If you can stay isolated from the rest of the world until more countries have it under control then you will be hopefully avoid the sort of catastrophic death and infection rates that we are experiencing in Europe and elsewhere. I am so pleased to hear that Australians are keeping safe by using masks etc. It really is the way to go and supports any vaccination roll out. 

 

We long for normality but it seems a long, long way off, even with the vaccine. Today over 1800 deaths, Can you believe it? But we are almost getting used to such numbers. 

 

So pleased that you are still enjoying out journey. 

 

Take care and stay safe. 

[ellie1145]

On 1/17/2021 at 12:33 AM, CrazyIrving said:

Just got back in from shoveling and a quick walk before the 8:00 curfew. 
This will be a good time to look forward to cruising. 
 

hope the video uploads 

 

Hi there CrazyIrving. I couldn’t get the video to open so I am guessing it shows us some snow?

 

Take care and stay safe.

[ellie1145]

On 1/17/2021 at 1:35 AM, trbarton said:

Thanks for taking us along & for you detailed history. I’m set to sail on December 8, 2021 from San Francisco to Hawaii. Hoping we can cruise by then. 
 

The distribution of the Vaccine here in San Francisco is a real challenge. There was concerns as to how many doses they could get but no planning as to how one can make an appointment or get the vaccine shot. I only waited 1 hr & 20 minutes where other people waited over 4 hrs & then got disconnected. I’m scheduled in a few weeks for the 1st shot & then go back in approximately 21 days for the 2nd shot. 
 

I’m aware that I will need the vaccine card to show I had the shot which I will keep in a folder on my phone. 

 

Tom😀

 

Hi Tom! Hope you are staying fit and well. 

 

Glad you are enjoying sailing along with us all. Fingers crossed for December 2021. 🤞

 

I really hope that California begins to come out of this terrible pandemic son, and that you are able to get your vaccine. 

 

Good luck! 

 

 

 

[ellie1145]

On 1/17/2021 at 2:48 AM, cr8tiv1 said:

This was just added to my FaceBook page.   Thought you might be interested in the information. The link is about the bridge you rode over to the USS Missouri.

 

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/hawaii/admiral-clarey-bridge-hi/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=hawaii&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_content=nlbuttonB1&fbclid=IwAR3TYTHM8_XtNgbeUF8rI62hkLDTfAqMBZ_5-54fRzka_p8RxKEC2TsRaCM

 

I am having issues with either my server or CC....so if this doesn't work, copy and paste.

 

What a brilliant article, cr8tiv1. How fascinating Thank you so much for posting it. 👍

 

 

[ellie1145]

On 1/17/2021 at 5:51 AM, donswife said:

Hi Ellie,

I have been enjoying bits and pieces of both this journey and also your adventures in Singapore onward to the Majestic Princess. I visited Hawaii as a young teen and the South Pacific when I was 8 years old, so I am enjoying the memory jog!   I'm sure they are quite different now!  I love your writing style and miss my dear friends who returned to the UK after several years here in Vancouver, Washington.

 

I hope your husband is on the mend. 

 

Karen

 

Hi Karen

 

Lovely to have you along with us on Majestic and Ruby. Glad you are enjoying the adventure. 

 

Husband is a bit up and down which is why I have been AWOL. 

 

Thank you for your kind thoughts. 

[ellie1145]

On 1/17/2021 at 9:58 AM, TRUEBLUE66 said:

Hi Ellie,

              Have been continuing to follow along when I get the time! Sorry to hear about DH. Hope he's better soon.

Retired from my job of 30+ years end of 2019 so we could increase our travelling but now working full time again as a postman. Very busy time but never been fitter!🚶‍♂️

Just waiting for another round of cancellations, this time on the Regal B2B in May /June. If someone has told me last year when I booked they probably won't go ahead due to covid I would have laughed!🙄

Lockdown much tougher this time around for many, well those of us obeying it! 😒

Hoping for vaccine by Easter as we just fit into the 55+ group now!

Anyway, keep up the good work when you get the time as lots of us are enjoying your trip and find it a great diversion.🛳️  

 

Hello there, TRUEBLUE66. Lovely to hear from you up in Scotland,  and glad you are well. Fingers crossed for the vaccine. We are still waiting south of the border and probably have another month or so to go. We really want to get the vaccine in time for our daughter’s baby to be born in March or earlier. 

 

It does seem incredible, doesn’t it, that all those cruise ships are sitting there empty of guests, and that we haven’t been able to cruise for a year. This time last year we were on Allure of the Seas and had absolutely no idea at all what was about to happen. Who could have predicted this?

 

In fact we believe my DH probably contracted coronavirus onboard Allure of the Seas at the end of January, or on the plane journey home, but although he had all the symptoms (some of which were not picked up as being linked to Covid as he was never seen) and was ill for a long time, we could not get a test for love nor money. And by the time we put two and two together he needed an antibody test and that was not available either. So we have no confirmation. He will still need a vaccination anyway as its months since he was ill. 

 

Lockdown is certainly tougher and to be honest, apart from shops being closed there seems to be as many cars on the road as normal. 

 

Hope you continue to enjoy our Hawaiian adventure. 

 

Take care and keep safe. 

[ellie1145]

On 1/17/2021 at 7:36 PM, CruzinNoony said:

We just booked a cruise to Hawaii out out Los Angeles for Jan. of 2022.  Keeping my fingers crossed  that we sail.   My thoughts and prayers are with your husband.  I hope he gets a little better each day.  Meredith

 

Thank you so much, Meredith for your kind words. 

 

Hope you get to sail to Hawaii in January 2022   🤞

 

 

[ellie1145]

Well, dear Cruising Adventurers, I’m sorry I have been AWOL, but DH has had a difficult few days. We are waiting for test results and hope that now they will get to the bottom of it all.

 

I’m so pleased to hear from you all from around the world, and glad that you are fit and well. 

 

🇺🇸 🇺🇸🇺🇸 🇺🇸🇺🇸

America is like a second home to us, and we have been watching the momentous events happening in the USA today. We hope that it is the start of something good. We certainly hope that now the vaccination programme will begin to make rapid progress.

 

Keep safe everyone, and continue to ‘wash hands, wear your masks, and make space,‘ to make sure you are ready and waiting for cruising to restart! Can’t wait, but it’s going to be a long time I’m afraid. 

 

But whenever it is, we WILL be ready! 🤣 🚢🚢

[ellie1145]

The coach takes us across the Admiral Clarey Bridge, which is an amazing 4,600 ft in length, and which joins Oahu to Ford Island, where the Mighty Mo is docked. It is a feat of engineering and took 2 years and 70 million dollars to construct.

 

Admiral Clarey was a highly decorated officer, and this amazing bridge is actually a floating bridge, one of only a few in the world. It’s floating moveable section is the largest in the world.

 

 

Whilst Ford Island was used by the Navy for submarine and battleship maintenance, it was also home to many military families stationed on the island. Before its construction is the 1990s, these families had to use Naval ferry boats to travel to and from Oahu.

 

The 930 ft floating pontoon section can be retracted to allow the largest aircraft carriers and battleships to pass through.

 

 

The coach parks and we all get off.

 

 

Our guide tells us when we should return for the journey back to the main Visitors Centre. However, unfortunately, this is where we come unstuck. Now I’m not blaming anyone, (least of all, DH 😉 🤣), but somehow DH and I mis-hear. Although at the time we thought we had listened carefully, you will see that we really mess up...... more of that later....

 

 

 

 

 

There is a long path leading to the ship and there are flags lining it. The upper sections of the Mighty Mo can be seen in front of us and we walk towards her.

 

Some people take the opportunity to use the bathrooms here - a good tip if you should visit sometime.

 

 

There is a huge gangway ahead of us and we make our way towards it. 

 

 

Then we are ready to start the tour, so off we go. Hope you have all arrived safely at the entrance.

 

Don’t take too long in the bathrooms! The Mighty Mo is waiting and she does not like stragglers..

😉

 

Edited January 20, 2021 by ellie1145