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

[ellie1145]

On 8/5/2021 at 12:21 AM, Belle said:

Thank You Ellie, I do to. Everything keeps changing day to day.

Now new rules for cruises to follow for awhile---at least cruises not cancelled,

their still sailing.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise and you get to cruise as soon as you want.

 

This time next week we hope to be onboard Regal Princess, cruising to…………. Nowhere. Just 3 days but better than nothing! 

 

Fingers crossed we make it, despite the Medallion app. 🤣

[ellie1145]

Outside the bus there are more women selling items, and they have set up some displays of their wares on the pavement.

 

 

 

 

 

What catches my eye is a lady with a gorgeous little baby boy on her back. What happens next brings a smile to my face.

 

 

As she attempts to sell her wares this little one, unbeknownst to her, starts to lean out towards a display of necklaces and bracelets and hats.

 

 

 

He clearly has his eye on something just out of his reach.

 

 

A little hand reaches out while she is busy talking to a friend.

 

 

Oblivious to what is going on, mum carries on with her conversation, while the baby grabs a cap from her display.

 

 

At one point he nearly drops it, but he hangs onto the cap for grim death.

 

 

Finally he has it safely in his grip.

 

 

 

Meanwhile a little toddler crawls about the pavement, curious about all the things dangling from the display.

 

 

 

I look round, and to my amusement I see that the baby has escaped from his mum, and is toddling away with the precious cap in his hand. He is so cute, we cannot help but smile.

 

 

 

What a difficult life these ladies must have, trying to earn a living, whilst managing babies and toddlers.

 

I nip off the bus and take a look at what they are selling, and buy a couple of bracelets to take home. I don’t really need them but feel sorry for the poor children, in the intense noonday heat.

[ellie1145]

I Jumped Ship!

 

You must be wondering where on earth I have got to - or maybe you haven’t! 🤣

 

In fact it may have been a welcome respite from my ramblings!

 

But I have to tell you that I have been on my first cruise since January 2020 and it was great!

 

We have just returned from a cruise to nowhere on Regal Princess out of Southampton, for 3 nights, and we really enjoyed it, despite Covid. The only downside - it wasn’t long enough!

 

I hope to be able to do a review of our trip soon and I promise not to take so long.

 

But in the meantime I must try and finish this marathon virtual cruise ASAP, as we have a couple more cruises booked in the near future. 

 

So with apologies for my tardiness, dear Cruising Adventurers, let’s get back to Ensenada.

Edited August 20, 2021 by ellie1145

[cr8tiv1]

Welcome back Ellie,  My take:  you didn't want to end the Hawaii Cruise.  Sure hope you had a magnificent time cruising to nowhere.  

[ellie1145]

Back to the Ship

 

 

The doors close and the driver pulls out of the square and heads back to the ship. We watch out of the window and see a little more of Ensenada.

 

 

 

We pass three huge busts with the sunshine bouncing off these gigantic golden heads. This plaza is known as La Plaza de Las Tres Cabezas, and honours three men from Mexico’s past.

 

Venustiano Carranza was one of the main supports of the Mexican Revolution, and was elected President in 1917.

 

In the centre is Miguel Hidalgo, a Mexican Catholic Priest and a leader of the Mexican War of Independence. His passion was to liberate the poor, and the people joined him in a rebellion against the European born Spaniards. Sadly, he was executed by firing squad in 1811.

 

On the left is Benito Juarez, who was one of the most powerful figures in Mexican history. He was a lawyer and a politician and was dedicated to equal rights for his nation’s indigenous people, as well as being an advocate for Democracy. He was elected as President of Mexico for 5 terms, from 1861 to 1872, and was a progressive reformer.

 

 

 

The Mexican flag is flying high over the port, 350ft up on a tall pole. As it flutters and undulates in the wind we see the colours of Mexico, red, white and green. In the centre is an eagle eating a snake, which represents and ancient legend in which the gods told the Aztecs that they would find the perfect place to build their city where they saw an eagle, sitting on a cactus, eating a serpent. This led them to a spot which is now the main plaza in Mexico City.

 

 

We glimpse Ruby Princess in the distance, shimmering white in the bright Mexican sunshine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ellie1145]

4 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Welcome back Ellie,  My take:  you didn't want to end the Hawaii Cruise.  Sure hope you had a magnificent time cruising to nowhere.  

 

Hello, cr8tiv1, how lovely to see you still out there. 

 

You could well be right about not wanting to finish the cruise. What on earth am I going to do with myself? Well, apart from going on cruises that is…….😂

 

It was amazing, just the thrill of being on a ship again, not to mention the joy of looking at the ocean from our balcony, plus three wonderful soufflés! What could be better? Well, the weather, for sure, it was not kind to us, but the ship was so stable we never once felt the rocky seas. Maybe just a little hint of walking like a drunken sailor once or twice! 

 

It felt pretty safe and they were certainly doing their best. The staff were simply wonderful.

 

I am preparing a review of that cruise at the moment, and will post as soon as I finish this one. 

[ellie1145]

Back on the ship we grab something to eat in the buffet before returning to our cabin to do some packing. We don’t have long to get organised, and we must get off the ship early to join our group for the ride to the airport.

 

We decide to go up on deck to get some fresh air and to take a last look at Ensenada. The sun is shining and it’s a beautiful day.

 

People are beginning to drift back to the ship,  ready for our final sail away soon after 4.30 pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 20, 2021 by ellie1145

[Westaussie]

Lovely to see you back!  Look forward to your report on Regal, believe my cousin was on the first one but haven't heard from her.  Looks like our February cruise to NZ will be cancelled, no ships here during our summer.  Love your photos of Mexico, have only been to a couple of ports there.

[azbirdmom]

Catching up on your virtual cruise after I disembarked an actual cruise last Sunday.  It was fantastic to be back onboard again.  Different but fantastic.  So glad you got to do the real thing too!

[Reader0108598]

22 hours ago, ellie1145 said:

I Jumped Ship!

 

You must be wondering where on earth I have got to - or maybe you haven’t! 🤣

 

In fact it may have been a welcome respite from my ramblings!

 

But I have to tell you that I have been on my first cruise since January 2020 and it was great!

 

We have just returned from a cruise to nowhere on Regal Princess out of Southampton, for 3 nights, and we really enjoyed it, despite Covid. The only downside - it wasn’t long enough!

 

I hope to be able to do a review of our trip soon and I promise not to take so long.

 

But in the meantime I must try and finish this marathon virtual cruise ASAP, as we have a couple more cruises booked in the near future. 

 

So with apologies for my tardiness, dear Cruising Adventurers, let’s get back to Ensenada.

Ellie you don't ramble you helped us stay semi sane 🙂

Edited August 21, 2021 by Reader0108598

[chipz]

Great to hear you had a wonderful cruise!  I'm oh, so jealous.

While you were gone, I read azbirdmom's review of her Alaska Cruise.

So happy she had such a good time. I'm anxious to get back aboard.

Fingers-crossed our October and December cruises out of So. Cal are a go.

[margord]

I am so very jealous of you being able to take a cruise.  We are supposed to be on Regal out of Southampton for the trans-Atlantic back to Ft Lauderdale.  My fingers are crossed that we will be able to take this cruise and it will not be cancelled.  I can't wait to continue reading the end of the Hawaiian cruise as well as the review of your 3-day cruise.

 

Marilee

[CruzinNoony]

Hi Ellie,  I got a bit distracted for awhile but have now been reading a few pages of your review every day and I finally caught up!!  I have enjoyed, so much, reading about your adventures on the Ruby.  I'm looking forward to your review on the Regal.  We are going to Hawaii next January on the Grand and I have a question about where we can get some Saimin.  Are there places near the pier in any of the ports?

[ellie1145]

Back again!

 

Once again, I must apologise for my absence! You must be fed up waiting for this marathon cruise to be finished! But life has intervened. In fact you could probably have built Ruby Princess quicker! 🤣

 

Well, we have had a very busy time, with two amazing Seacations, and the prospect of a fantastic cruise round the Greek Islands on Jewel of the Seas on 11th September - 9/11.

 

Tomorrow, Jewel will sail out of Limassol en-route to her first port, suitcases will have been delivered and dinner will be served in the dining rooms, but sadly, we will not be on her.

 

We returned from Anthem of the Seas on Sunday and on Monday evening our twice vaccinated son rang us, and to be honest I thought he was joking when he said ‘Mum, I’ve tested positive!’  

 

My immediate reaction was to laugh, as he can be a bit of a joker, but no, he had done a lateral flow test which returned a positive.

 

By 9 o’clock the next morning he was having the NHS test which also was positive. 

 

There started a manic few hours trying to contact RCI and being frustrated by the impossibility of getting through to them. We eventually spoke to the USA who couldn’t help with a UK booking, but after a 2 and a half hour stint on the telephone we finally cancelled. Thankfully we will get a full refund.

 

So with the cases packed, ironing done (and I HATE ironing!) and everything ready for the off we are ‘all dressed up with nowhere to go.’

 

We cannot see our son, of course, as he is probably still infectious and it is a real worry in case he should become more ill. 

 

Just a word of warning, his symptoms did not fit the normal ones quoted by the NHS (new continuous cough, loss of taste and smell plus a fever). In fact, an expert, Professor Tim Spector of King’s College London, is calling for more symptoms to be added to the list.

 

It now appears that the vaccinated are more likely to experience ‘cold like symptoms,’ including a sore throat, runny nose, headache and sneezing. Exactly what our son experienced. 

 

So do test yourself if you experience these symptoms - for your sake and everyone else’s. Goodness knows how many people are roaming around with Covid thinking they have a mere cold. 

 

It’s hardly surprising as people seem to have forgotten that Covid has not gone away, and are being far more blasé about the whole pandemic. It has certainly shocked us that it is so easy to catch.

 

So I haven’t been around to finish this long-winded cruise but I will try to do better in the next few days. 

 

Anyway, I hope that all my Cruising Adventurers are fit and well. I’m really looking forward to reading Azbirdmom’s review of her cruise as soon as I get a spare moment. 

 

 

[ellie1145]

On 8/21/2021 at 4:14 AM, Westaussie said:

Lovely to see you back!  Look forward to your report on Regal, believe my cousin was on the first one but haven't heard from her.  Looks like our February cruise to NZ will be cancelled, no ships here during our summer.  Love your photos of Mexico, have only been to a couple of ports there.

 

Hello, Westaussie!

 

The cruise was fantastic, just what we needed, and we felt very safe onboard Regal Princess, as they are taking Covid very seriously.

 

So sorry to hear that your cruise to NZ will be cancelled. It seems that the chances of visiting either Australia or NZ in the near future are still very slim. It is very disappointing I know, as we long to return to the ‘Land Down Under.’

 

Glad you have enjoyed the photos. 

[ellie1145]

On 8/21/2021 at 3:50 PM, azbirdmom said:

Catching up on your virtual cruise after I disembarked an actual cruise last Sunday.  It was fantastic to be back onboard again.  Different but fantastic.  So glad you got to do the real thing too!

 

So glad you enjoyed your cruise. It is wonderful to be back to cruising. Long may it last, although I am not sure if it will continue during the winter with no problems. 

 

I am looking forward to reading all about your cruise as soon as I have a moment to spare. So glad you have done a blog about it. 

[ellie1145]

On 8/21/2021 at 8:55 PM, Reader0108598 said:

Ellie you don't ramble you helped us stay semi sane 🙂

 

So glad to hear that! 🤣

 

Writing has certainly helped to keep me sane! (Or semi sane! 😉)

Edited September 10, 2021 by ellie1145

[azbirdmom]

Very sorry to hear that your son is ill!  Hoping the vaccinations prevent him from feeling any worse.  And I also hope that the rest of your family stays healthy, including you.

[ellie1145]

On 8/21/2021 at 11:55 PM, chipz said:

Great to hear you had a wonderful cruise!  I'm oh, so jealous.

While you were gone, I read azbirdmom's review of her Alaska Cruise.

So happy she had such a good time. I'm anxious to get back aboard.

Fingers-crossed our October and December cruises out of So. Cal are a go.

 

We really did! Although it was only three days it was wonderful to be back at sea, even if we didn’t really go anywhere.

 

It’s good to hear that Azbirdmom had a great cruise. I’m so looking forward to reading all about it. 

 

I hope you make it onto your cruises. 🤞

[ellie1145]

On 8/24/2021 at 5:45 PM, CruzinNoony said:

Hi Ellie,  I got a bit distracted for awhile but have now been reading a few pages of your review every day and I finally caught up!!  I have enjoyed, so much, reading about your adventures on the Ruby.  I'm looking forward to your review on the Regal.  We are going to Hawaii next January on the Grand and I have a question about where we can get some Saimin.  Are there places near the pier in any of the ports?

 

Lovely to have you back, CruzinNoony. 

 

I’m sure you will love your cruise to Hawaii. 

 

I’m also sure cr8tiv1 will have the answer to your question. Or AF-1 🤞

Edited September 10, 2021 by ellie1145

[ellie1145]

15 minutes ago, azbirdmom said:

Very sorry to hear that your son is ill!  Hoping the vaccinations prevent him from feeling any worse.  And I also hope that the rest of your family stays healthy, including you.

 

Thank you, azbirdmom, we are hoping it will be mild. But as you know, this Covid virus is still full of surprises. We have everything crossed. 

[cr8tiv1]

   On 8/24/2021 at 6:45 AM,  CruzinNoony said: 

 

Adapting to new mini….

 

old fashioned saimin and lilikoi chiffon pie:  Kauai Hamura's. I’m trying to find a way.  First time was via Walmart shuttle.  Don’t think it will be an option now.  Second time…had a friend.  Next time…bus to Hamura's/LYFT back to ship.  
 

Oahu has Palace Saimin on King Street.  Sekiya's in Kaimuki (on hop on hop off route).

[ellie1145]

Our Final Afternoon Tea

 

 

We finish doing a bit more packing and then make our way down to the dining room for a quick afternoon tea, before joining our friends for the afternoon trivia. We are looking forward to finding out who has won the Progressive Trivia, and how we have done. So far we have no idea as our quizmaster refuses to give us any information. He says the result will be posted in the library later and we have to live with our impatience. We’ve never taken part in a Progressive Trivia like this one - and we hope never to do so again!

 

It is sad that our little group will soon take leave of each other, but we decide to meet up for the final Farewell Trivia this evening at 9.15 pm in Club Fusion. We sit chatting for a while and then we make our way back to our cabin to do a little more packing and get ready for dinner.

 

 

We just have time to take a walk on deck to see a beautiful sunset. What a way to end our cruise, with the sun dipping low on the horizon and the sky ablaze with gold and pink and grey. Then it’s back inside to have a final Ultimate Pina Colada before dinner. Neither of us is a drinker, but I have learned to enjoy three alcoholic drinks after years of not finding anything I liked the taste of. My three favourites are pina colada, Pimms, and Baileys on the Rocks. Just the one, of course! 😉

 

 

 

We will miss this ship and the wonderful people we have met on our adventure to Hawaii

 

 

 

[DUCHESSRN]

Ellie I do hope your son is better soon ,fingers crossed nobody else in the family is infected .

 

Yes Covid is alive and well ..our Hawaii cruise on Ruby this Christmas from San Francisco was cancelled yesterday ,feeling sad after reading your lovely review .

I like Ironing fond memories of my Granny ironing and listening to Womens Hour ..do they still have that in UK.

Off on Majestic to Alaska on Sunday . I will have a scone or 4 for you.

[ellie1145]

7 hours ago, DUCHESSRN said:

Ellie I do hope your son is better soon ,fingers crossed nobody else in the family is infected .

 

Yes Covid is alive and well ..our Hawaii cruise on Ruby this Christmas from San Francisco was cancelled yesterday ,feeling sad after reading your lovely review .

I like Ironing fond memories of my Granny ironing and listening to Womens Hour ..do they still have that in UK.

Off on Majestic to Alaska on Sunday . I will have a scone or 4 for you.

 

Thank you for your kind words.  We hope so too. 🤞🏻
 

I’m so sorry to hear about your cancelled cruise, DUCHESSRN. Let’s hope that you will make it to Hawaii in the future. 
 

Thank you for offering to have a scone or 4 for me. I am already salivating……😏

 

I am thrilled to hear that you like ironing so I will be sending you regular parcels of my ironing. There is nothing so satisfying as giving pleasure to others.🤣

 

Yes, we do still have Woman’s Hour, but now it’s in the morning.

 

Hope you have a wonderful time on Majestic. She’s such a beautiful ship.
 

 

Edited September 11, 2021 by ellie1145