Bryan's Millennium Hawai'i 26 April 2009 Cruise - Plans

[bryanwal]

DAY 5 – Tuesday 4/26/09

Who: Bryan (49), Celebrity Captain’s Club

Elizabeth , Celebrity Captain’s Club

 

Plan: Kauai, Helicopter Tour of Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast

 

Actual I woke up this morning around 5:30, gently pulled back the curtain, slid open the door and stepped onto the verandah. The sky was lightening to the east through cloud-covered skies – to the west I could see the lights of Nawiliwili as we glided ever closer to Kauai. I got up several times after that to monitor our progress and then stayed out on the verandah to watch as our huge ship snaked through the harbor and gently slid, with the help of the pilot boat, up to the dock. We did some abs, stretching and yoga in the room. E mentioned she wouldn’t mind getting up early and strolling around up on deck 11, just to get the blood circulating. Maybe we’ll do that tomorrow. Around 7:30 we went up to breakfast in the Ocean Café where I picked up some fresh fruit, a cinnamon topped swirl, a poached egg on spinach, a little bacon, some muesli, a green fig or two, 2 or 3 prunes. It sounds like a lot, but it was a little of each. I also got a Diet Coke at the aft bar, using my soda card. We took our trays out to the aft deck outside, but then it started drizzling, then raining (who’d have thought that in the rainiest place on earth, it would rain! Go figure). So we schlepped our trays back in and found a table inside to finish our meals.

 

(back from our day out – I’m typing this at the desk in our cabin as we sail to the Big Island – right next to our open verandah door, listening to the sound of ship slicing through the water).

We returned to the room, reluctantly put umbrellas and a light jacket, just in case, in our backpacks and headed down to the gangway on Deck 1 at 9am. We headed on foot to the Harbor Mall, which is just past the Anchor mall but across the street, about a 15 minute walk… The guard tried to discourage us from walking, because there is a little trolley that shuttles people from the cruise terminal to those shops and beyond, but, in spite of the drizzle we wanted to walk. We arrived first at the Anchor Mall, where we should not have been surprised to see ….. an ABC Store! We poked around a little then continued down the street and across to the Harbor Mall. When we checked in at 9:30 for our 10:30 flight, she said to check back at 10 when they would make a call about whether the weather would force a cancellation. That would be a huge disappointment. We looked around the shops and at one I bought a beautiful Hawaiian shirt, black with white, creamy orange and red flowers on it and, yes, made in Hawaii. I can wear it to dinner tomorrow night, since tonight is formal night. Just before 10 we returned to Blue Hawaiian Helicopters to learn that the first two flights of the day had been cancelled. My heart dropped into my stomach when I heard that. When the phone rang at 10, the rest of us assembled waited anxiously to hear our fate – it was on! We were greatly relieved. We were given a safety briefing, outfitted with inflatable life jackets (small and unobtrusive), and forced to give up for safekeeping anything that wouldn’t fit in our pockets. At checkin we had been weighed and the computer assigned us seats in the helicopter to ensure even distribution. We were told our pilot and seat number. 12 of us, 6 for each craft, were driven in a single van to Lihu’e airport, a few minutes away. Our names were called one by one and we were seated in the helicopter and strapped in. Since I was in the center of the back row I gave the camera to E for taking snapshots. In addition, the helicopter is outfitted with 4 cameras and passengers have the option of purchasing a DVD from their flight when they arrive back at the Blue Hawaiian office. We were also outfitted with noise-cancelling earphones and microphones so we could hear the pilot, the accompanying music (selected by the pilot) and ask questions.

 

The craft took off, circled over the airport, Nawiliwili – where we flew over Millennium, then circum navigated the entire island, clockwise. Spectacular and worth every penny! We flew in and out of canyons, along cliffs, over beaches and the ocean, around (but not over) resort areas and into the crater of the extinct volcano. Upon disembarking we got to talking to two of our fellow passengers and they turned out to be Ira and Ann from this cruise’s CruiseCritic Roll Call! We hit it off like old friends, decided to have lunch and do some shopping together while waiting for our DVDs to be ready. We ate at the hamburger stand across the street, Kapolani or something like that. The burgers were really good, the fries crispy and salty and I had a mango, passion fruit, papaya, pineapple, strawberry smoothie. Ann and Elizabeth were thick as thieves as they pored over the clothing in a neighboring shop and Ira and I discussed the history of the major software players. We went back to pick up our DVDs, almost booked another helicopter flight, this time on Maui, did some more shopping, walked over to Anchor mall to buy some tropical fruit scented soaps then walked back to the ship. We enjoyed each other’s company so much and found we had so much in common that we discussed plans to get together again, so we’ll join Ira & Ann tomorrow night at the alternative dining venue in Ocean Café and they may join is for our “Taste of Kona” and “Iao Valley and Tropical Plantation” tours. Since we both booked the Old Lahaina Luau, we’re hoping we can sit together there, too.

 

After that E & went to the gym. We walked/ran on the outside track during sailaway then went inside where I finished on the recumbent bike and E on the treadmill. We saw Bruno and Ziane from dinner there. I meant to stop by the Ocean Café afterwards for a kiwi sorbet, but I forgot. We got a little appetite around 6:30 so we ordered onion/avocado/cheese quesadillas and a cheese plate from room service, using the TV, to tide us over until late seating at 8:30. It took about 35 minutes to come and was delivered by our charming and friendly housekeeper Lucy. She had also earlier delivered our laundry, all clean, nicely folded or on hangers, and my tuxedo. She asked concernedly if I had tried it on and that she was praying it would fit. Not too worry, I had gone to Men’s Warehouse to be measured and the tuxedo fit perfectly. At Ira and Ann’s suggestion, we took our bottle of champagne, a gift from our TAs Beci and Vicki, to share with our table companions at dinner. I gave it to the sommelier, a pretty young woman from Bulgaria, who said I should have brought it sooner, as it needed to be chilled. “How long could it possibly take” I wondered, “since it’s 8:30 and we won’t have dessert until 10 or later”, but I apologized and explained that my wife and I don’t drink and didn’t know about these things. The sommelier apologetically said it could be for dessert – aha! – she was thinking we wanted it at the beginning – since it takes 20 minutes for it to be chilled. I replied that that would be perfect. Soon our dining companions arrived and we shared our tales of the day. Bruno made particular mention, since he knew I’m writing this review, of his experience. They had pre-booked nothing and arrived on the pier without anything in mind, picked a likely looking tour operator, Alex, who offered Waimea Canyon tours. Alex explained that he was full, but might have some no shows. A little after 9 Alex gave them seats in his 15 passenger van and began the tour. According to Bruno, Alex was funny, informative, charming, an excellent and personable guide and charged less, $45, than most other tours. Bruno and our other French-Canadian friends were delighted with their tour.

 

For dinner, I ordered:

 

Classic Escargot Bourguignon with Maître d’Hotel Butter

Cream of Chick Soup, Toasted Almonds

Belgian Endive and Arugula Salad with Apples and Candied Pecans

Tournedos Rossini – Angus Filet of Beef with Goose Liver Pâté and Sauce Périgourdine

No Sugar Added Tulip Filled with Light Lemon Cream and Fresh Fruits

 

Everything was excellent, though I was also tempted by the Tarte Tatin for dessert. Just before dessert, the sommelier brought out the champagne and began serving it to our guests, who were confused because they hadn’t ordered it and I had kept the surprise. They were pleased and honored at the treat (thanks Beci & Vicki) and seemed to enjoy it. After dessert we excused ourselves to go to the show. E was tired (the show was at 11pm) and went back to the cabin, so I went over to the captain’s table to ask Ann and Ira if I could join them. Of course I could. I walked to the other end of deck 4 to the Celebrity Theater and sat down with Nick and Rita, saving places for Ann and Ira. They were offering free champagne and wine at the entrance to the theater for the Captain’s Toast. By the time the show started the theater was still only half full. The Celebrity Singers & Dancers performed “Simply Ballroom” and they were very good. I found out today from one of them that this is this troupe’s last cruise with Millennium. The singing was spot on, the dancing was good with crisp lines and flair. As good as it was, I found myself nodding off during the show, since it was so late, and I came back and went to bed.

[bryanwal]

DAY 6 – Wednesday 4/29/09

Who: Bryan (49), Celebrity Captain’s Club

Elizabeth , Celebrity Captain’s Club

 

Plan: Hilo – Volcano & Waterfalls tour with CruiseCritic friends

 

Actual: I woke up early again and decided to finish yesterday’s report and upload it in the Cova Café, my favorite (and closest) wireless hotspot. I enjoyed a couple of diet cokes, a raspberry Danish and a pain au chocolat. That was first breakfast. Second breakfast would come later, and I’d worry about elevensies when the time came. I’ve been trying to post to a cruise talk list group as well as CruiseCritic. The list group hasn’t been working (it would help to have the right e-mail alias) but then yahoo seemed to think I was no longer subscribed, and that I no longer had an account, though I’ve been receiving messages. So I used up valuable internet time fixing that and will start sending trip reports to the list tomorrow.

 

Sometimes I chat with the crew members, ask about their families, training, where they’re from, etc. As I’m writing this report (Thursday at 6:30am, sitting on the aft outside dining area of the Ocean Café, overlooking the ship’s wake as we sail towards Kailua-Kona) I’ve been chatting with a waiter, a 30-year old young man named Rolando from the Philippines. He has a degree in computer science but there are too few jobs for someone with those skills in the Philippines, so he is on his 5th contract with Celebrity, so make a living. He tells me he gets to travel anyway, and meet lots of people but …. Ann was telling me about another woman who had an advanced degree but could not find work in her country. So she joined the cruise line and started out at the bottom, cleaning the public toilets. As she began her job she found herself on her knees, scrubbing toilets and crying, asking herself “What am I doing here?” Then she steeled her resolve and answered her own question – “I’m feeding my family, making more money than I could make at home.”. Still, some passengers are rather stingy, especially those that don’t understand that tipping is not optional – it’s a part of the cost of the cruise and constitutes the majority of the crew members’ compensation. On the last cruise, two doctors occupying a suite that cost $25,000 or more were supposedly unsatisfied with the service and completely stiffed the butler. The current occupant of the suite is delighted with the service, so go figure. If they had truly had problems with the service and were not merely cheap, they could have requested a different butler.

 

After posting my report I went back to the room, took care of tallying up the laundry and getting it ready for Lucy to pick up, then discovered the door wouldn’t lock. Well, that wouldn’t do at all. We found Lucy and she called Maintenance, who could not come for a little bit. Lucy assured us we could go to breakfast (2nd breakfast) , and that she would survey our room to make sure no one could go in. Sure enough, shortly after we returned and were preparing to go on our shore excursion, a little anxious about leaving our room unlocked, the maintenance guy showed up and fixed the lock. We took our breakfast out to the aft terrace but then it started to rain, so we had to take it back inside. We went walking on the track a little bit and ran into Nick from dinner, so we stopped and had a nice chat.

 

I phoned Mark from LavaTours, our tour operator, to find out what we should wear, since we would be going up to the volcano. He said that shoes, socks, shorts or pants and a shirt would be fine, but that we should also bring a light jacket. Then he had “good news” for us – instead of him guiding us, we would be guided by a native Hawaiian who had lived here all his life. He put Frank on the phone, who gave me instructions on where to meet him. Mark had other plans, but was there to greet us. Shortly Steve and Joey, from Orlando, and Stan and Dixie from Kansas, arrived. We were shown to the van – instead of the luxury SUV with leather seats that we were shown on the website we were presented with an ordinary Ford Aerostar. The promised cold drinks and tropical Hawaiian snacks were not forthcoming either. Frank was unsure of what we wanted to see and asked for suggestions. We said we didn’t know the area but expected to see the waterfalls and volcano. Frank had not been informed by Mark of how our expectations had been set, or what we had been promised. When we told him how much we were paying, $109 each, he thought that was too much for what he had been prepared to provide and that he himself was getting only $50 a passenger. Nevertheless, he was a charming and knowledgeable guide and drove us through Hilo, along Banyan Drive, through town and to Rainbow Falls. After showing us the falls and taking our pictures, he brought out his ukulele and serenaded us with “Haole Hula”, a charming song about Waikiki in the 1920’s. We stopped at the Mauna Loa macadamia nut factory for a light lunch. Dixie bought some nuts to take home. Then we continued on the Volcanoes National Park, where we saw the steam vents, the visitor’s center with its movie, the caldera overlook where we saw the giant ash/smoke plume and smelled the sulfur in the air, the Volcano Lodge with the carving of Pele in the stone fireplace – the artist saw Pele and carved what he saw. We visited a lava tube in a fern grotto and walked on a lava field (not fresh lava) from 1974. We returned then to Hilo, stopping at a black sand beach where we hoped to spot some green sea turtles. The beach was lovely but the turtles were nowhere to be found – my whole cruise is ruined! <g> Then Frank took us back to the ship. We discussed how much to tip him, since he did a good job under the circumstances and the shortcomings in the van and lack of drinks and food were not his fault - $10 per couple was agreed upon. Steve then called Mark to express our disappointment and Mark agreed to refund 25% of what we paid for the tour. Weather recap – partly cloudy, warm and humid in Hilo, cooler and humid on the mountain, with low clouds and vog (volcanic smog), which limited visibility, then thick fog on the way down – apparently rare. On return to Hilo it was overcast. Shortly after we reboarded the ship it began to rain.

 

About 5:30 I remembered that I had wanted to try the ice cream so I went to the Ocean Café and got a mango sorbet – nice but not the intense flavor I was hoping for. At 6, we got dressed for dinner – I put on the new Hawaiian shirt I bought yesterday. We explored the Emporium shopping area – lots of jewelry for sale. I saw an item I’ve not seen on other cruises – a Millennium post card booklet with post cards of all the public spaces – nice. I’ll pick that up later along with a t-shirt with a Hawaiian Tiki and “Millennium Hawaiian Cruise” written on it. I’ll buy that later, too. We browsed the photos, bought our embarkation picture and a stock shot of the ship and ordered the cruise video. Elizabeth bought a chocolate drink at Cova Café, which she loved then we went to the Waterfall Café alternative restaurant at the Ocean View Café to meet Ann and Ira for dinner. The food and service were very good and the company was even better. The menu is the same every night with nightly specials. The pastry chef from the last cruise had been fired and the new pastry chef was going to be alright. Ira said the improvement was evident – they had been very unhappy with the pastries on the previous cruises but the new pastries were much much better.

 

At 10 the captain announced that we were at the lava flows and that they were particularly spectacular tonight. We would first pass on the starboard side, then turn and pass on the port. Steve and Joey had invited us to their Celebrity suite to view from their balcony so we rushed down there but the ship was turning by the time we got there so we went to Ira and Ann’s verandah. It was very nice, but not close enough to get a really good view. Then the ship turned to allow viewing from the starboard side again and pulled up to within a ¼ mile of the flows, so we rushed to our cabin. As we stepped out on to the verandah our jaws dropped open with wonder as we saw the immense clouds of steam, underlit with orange light as the lava flowed into the sea. From time to time we could see the bright orange lava itself flowing over the land and sometimes as huge globs dropped into the sea – astounding, savage and primordial. It reminded me of our experience at the Hubbard Glacier in Alaska in its raw nature. Fire and ice. Then the ship turned again and we hurried back to Ira’s cabin to gawk some more. I shall never forget the awesome sight.

[monkeyinthemiddle]

I am enjoying my vicarious visit to the islands. I can feel the humidity. The Big Island has so much to see. I am very excited for you that you got to see the lava's sea entry. It is truly an awesome site. Your comparison of the Alaskan glaciers to the lava viewing has me looking forward to our cruise this summer to Alaska, 1st time.

[monkeyinthemiddle]

http://www.konaweb.com/ You need to go all the way to the bottom of the page to see it. Looks like a nice day, not too voggy.

[sealegs2008]

Hi Bryan,

 

Enjoying reading your posts. We are from the UK and we are off on Millennium in 4 weeks today for our first Alaska cruise and first with Celebrity.

 

I've been reading up as much as I can about the state of the ship and what the refit will provide..do you have more news?

 

Can you also tell me what extras you have had to pay for i.e ice-cream, coffees, hot chocolate, pastries etc.

 

We are in stateroom 7000 and 7001..I hope they have plenty of space.

 

I look forward to your reply..enjoy your cruise.

 

Regards

 

Steve

[kjfrozen]

Bryan;

(and E), thanks so much for the daily updates. I was on the Mille from Auckland to Hawaii (and live on Oahu... lucky me!). I met Ira & Ann on the cruise from Auckland, yes, they are wonderful people! I've been to all the islands (except Molokai), I haven't taken a helicopter tour of Kauai yet, that is still on my to-do list. On the roll call for the Auckland cruise, I posted my blog a few times. I didn't do it every day, but shared many of the shipboard experiences that you have had. Roger would like to do the Alaska cruise, I've heard it is the best cruise you could ever take. I lived in Alaska for 18 years before moving to Hawaii about 7 years ago. I've been all over Alaska, including many of the ports that the Mille stops at.

 

From what I understand, the refurbishment of the Mille in Vancouver includes the majority of the "hotel" section, to include new carpeting and such. I think someone said there would be over 500 people working on the ship while it was in dry dock.

 

I miss our waiter, his name was Jorge. He was the best. He would entertain us with tricks and puzzles at dinner time. We started off with late dining, but after three days, found it was just way too late for us to eat, so requested permission to switch to early dining (as our other table mates did) and had no problem switching. I'm glad we did. (Jorje was our waiter on early dining). Hopefully you'll try the Olympic at least one night, the service was awesome!

 

I think the HR director told us that there were about 200 that were sailing all the way from Sydney to Vancouver! Wow! Speaking of which, on the Auckland roll call (April 12th), I posted names of several of the key persons on the ship.

 

You mentioned wanting to do a Meditteranean cruise. I'm hoping to do one next summer (possibly the one you mentioned). My middle daughter will be graduating next year with her PhD in Ancient Philosophy, so it seems appropriate that a cruise with stops in Greece would be appropriate.

 

Okay... I'll let you go. I'll look forward to your posts. Keep up the good work and tell Ira & Ann that Kris from Hawaii said hello (tell them "she's the one that jumped off the Sky Tower in Auckland... they should remember me then).

 

Thanks again!

- Kris

[bryanwal]

I would be interested in hearing who the main officers and CD will be on the Millennium if they are staying on for the Alaska sailings.

 

I confirmed yesterday that James Callahan will be staying on in Alaska as cruise director.

[bryanwal]

Monkey - yes, i count both the lava flows and the glaciers as unforgettable highlights of my cruises.

 

Steve - the state of the ship is just fine, don't believe everything you read from nitpickers. Of course, there is wear and tear but there are 1800 passengers aboard. Stuff is there if you look for it, but we're not looking for it and are very happy. The refit will replace carpets, soft furnishings, etc. They will discontinue tableside service in the Olympicand are adding another specialty restaurant. Some cabins were already refurbished during the Sydney drydock.

 

Ice cream and pastries are free. Hot chocolate and coffee in the buffet are free. Specialty coffees in Cova Cafe are $3 to $6.

 

Kris - we've book a reservation for the Olympic for Sunday night. Steve & Joey will join us. Joey also likes trivia games and so we will be trivia buddies. Wow 200 people? That's a lot for B2B2B!

[bryanwal]

DAY 7 – Thursday 4/30/09

Who: Bryan (49), Celebrity Captain’s Club

Elizabeth , Celebrity Captain’s Club

 

Plan: Kona – Taste of Kona excursion

 

Actual: I got up early again, and since I couldn’t fall asleep I arose, got dressed and went to type up my report on the fantail of the Ocean Café. How lovely. The waiter came round with pastries and I indulged. The third and fourth time he came by I told him he was positively evil. At 6:40 the bartender showed up. I asked her when she opened and she said 7am but could she get me anything. I told her I didn’t want to inconvenience her and that I could wait, but she offered again, so I asked for a Diet Coke. Soon Nick from our table came by so I invited him to sit down and then Rita came, so we had a nice chat while they ate. After that, I went down to the room to see how E was getting along and she was hungry, so I went back up to ocean café to be with her while she ate, intending to go to Cova Café afterward to post my report. It turns out that the OC is a wireless hotspot, so I posted the report there, and ate a coddled egg with ham & cheese (second breakfast). We stayed in the room afterwards, read on the balcony, and just relaxed for a change. These port intensive days can wear one out. When the open tendering was announced we decided to ashore to explore the town and get a bite to eat before our 1pm shore excursion. On the way down, we stopped at the internet café to send Ann and Steve a reference to a book I recommended. The computers there are slower than my laptop and it took 8 minutes – Celebrity’s way of making ends meet, I guess.

 

The tendering didn’t take long. They had the boats out for those who are afraid of tendering – they were the chicken tenders. Lol We decided we had to try the famous Hawaiian shaved ice while we were here – I got passion fruit/guava & E got coconut milk/banana. Hers was kind of bland. They also do it where they put ice cream in the bottom. That sounded kind of strange so we passed. We also thought we’d get a little cash but the ATM fee 3.25, which I found kind of steep, so once again we passed. We explored the shops and took pictures of the lovely waterfront. As it was getting to be afternoon and we had our 1pm excursion we asked a shopkeeper where we should get lunch. She had no hesitation in recommending Splasher’s, The hostess greeted us with a cheery “Aloha!!”, handed us menus and told us to sit wherever we liked, while simultaneously doing 12 other things. We picked out our sandwiches, a BLT for E and a ½ lb burger with chipotle and jalapenos for me. When the server brought our orders he said, “here, this is for you”. I replied, “yes, and for 12 of your friends” the servings were so large. And we had a whole 15 minutes to wolf it down, let’s just say, we did it justice. Just as we were leaving, Steve & Joey arrived. I told them we recommended the place and asked the hostess to take good care of our friends.

 

We made our way back to the tender pier, walking along the seawall and taking care not to get wet with the waves splashing over the wall. Our Taste of Kona tour was waiting on the pier. There were 16 passengers plus the driver, the tour operator, and Celebrity staff person, all in a Polynesian Adventure shuttle.

 

The first place we visited was Original Hawaiian Chocolate. They make only Kona chocolate, Hawaiian chocolate – grown and manufactured here on the island. They gave us free samples of 3 kinds of chocolate, milk, dark, and a rare type, Criollo. We went into the grove of cacao trees, saw the pods in all stages from flower to ripe pods, they walked us through each step, split a pod, showed us the beans covered in sweet milky white coating. We thought he was going to let us taste the white stuff but he set it right on a not so clean table, and three geckos came and started licking the it. We saw the beans drying in flats, and they showed us the roasting, winnowing, grinding for hours and hours until liquid, addition of sugar, vanilla, etc. , pouring into forms, cooling. Then of course we were escorted into the store where therirproduct was sold – we bought some to take home.

 

Next we drove to Kona Joe’s – high above sea, with beautiful views. Our guide was Michelle – perky, enthusiastic and friendly. She explained how they grow their coffee on trellises and how the beans were harvested. We saw bean grading, sorting, grinding, and roasting – and were served free samples of different kinds of coffee (we didn’t imbibe). She explained what Kona coffee is, that it must be grown in a certain geographical area on the island of Hawai’i around Kona, and processed there. She also gave a free fresh banana muffin, and a Kona Joe’s mug.

 

Our final stop was Kona Natural Soap Company. We were shown around an orchard, saw pineapple growing, mango, papaya, ginger, bananas, etc. The method of propagation and uses of the plants were explained. We were escorted into the workshop\kitchen\store where the soap is made. Jerry and Marty are two men who were in the rat race on the mainland and wanted to live their dream. So they studied soap-making for two years, got help from 2 other soap makers and a biochemist neighbor, and through trial and error found their niche in the natural soap world. They are now 3 years in production, selling direct, on-line and now, through shore excursions with the cruise lines. They will give you a sheet with the different natural essences listed (honey, lavender, mint, thyme, lemon, etc) and what problems they will help solve (sleeplessness, tension, anxiety, etc.) They told us that if it smells good to you (and is natural), then it has something you. We bought some soap (it’s more meaningful if you have a personal connection with the maker), then reboarded our bus back to Kona.

 

On the way back, we passed by the beautiful new LDS Kona Temple, but my camera wasn’t ready, so I didn’t get a picture. It’s on the map provided by the ship, marked “Mormon Church”. At the pier a tender was waiting. Cold washcloths were being handed out, which we immediately applied to the back of our necks. We waited a long time in the tender and passed the time watching young men rowing crews practicing in the harbor. I called Ira and Ann to tell them they missed a good excursion and Ira invited me to go to the t-pool with him. The thelassotherapy pool is filled with salt water and has jets around it and places to lay and relax – it helps soothe away tension. Eventually E came by to visit and we realized it was almost show time. I changed and we went to the Celebrity Theater to see Janine Reed, the Diva from Down Under. She belted out a few tunes, and was quite entertaining. With Janine, what you see (and hear) is what you get – she lays it all out there. Quite enjoyable.

 

After the show we met up with Nick & Rita, who were in the theater too, and chatted a while before heading to the Emporium shops where I bought a dark blue “Hawaiian Islands” t-shirt with a large tiki and palm trees on it and “Celebrity Cruises” in small print. I also picked up the post card book. Then, since it was not yet time for dinner, E & I sat in the Cova Café and listened to Tony Swamy, a guitarist/vocalist who holds forth there.

 

For dinner I ate:

 

Seared Scallops with Thai Green Lemongrass Emulsion

Portobello Mushroom Terrine with a Basil Herb Salad (the server tried to discourage us from ordering this, but we’ve learned not pay attention to his suggestions – his tastes don’t match ours – and Michel and I both enjoyed this dish)

Chilled Strawberry soup

Belgian Endive, Celery Root, Pear, Dried Cranberry and Candied Walnut salad

Roasted Long Island Duckling with Grand Marnier Citrus Glaze

Exotic Passion Fruit Cream Cheese Torte

 

After dinner, we went for a walk topsides on deck 11 on the track. My, was it windy up there. I felt like if I jumped in the air I’d get blown off the ship! After 3 laps we decided to cut our losses and retire.

[bryanwal]

DAY 8 – Friday 5/1/09

Who: Bryan (49), Celebrity Captain’s Club

Elizabeth , Celebrity Captain’s Club

 

Plan: Maui – visit Ka’anapali resort area, Old Lahaina Luau

 

Actual:

For the first time on this vacation so far I slept in until 8. We decided to check out the AquaSpa Café – right above us – for breakfast. There was muesli, papaya, bananas, pears, apples, oranges, kiwis, fresh juices, light yogurt, organic yogurt, cereals, pastries – a wider variety of fresh fruit than we had seen in the buffet until this point. We ate in the AquaSpa area, which is warmer and more humid, of course, than the seating in the buffet. However, it’s less noisy, more peaceful.

 

The plan was to go to Maui in the morning, come back for lunch, rest, go to the gym, meet Ira, Ann, Joey, Steve, Stan & Dixie on the pier at 5:15 to go together to the luau.

 

E & I took the tender around 10, when open tendering began, then took a green Roberts shuttle to the Whaler’s Village at Ka’anapali. The shuttle makes the circuit every ½ hour or so until 2:30pm. Also, there is an hourly Maui public bus for $1. We window shopped in the expensive shops, including Louis Vuitton, then walked along the beach walk, a landscaped walk that runs along the beach between the resort hotels and the beach proper. We looked at the menus of the numerous beachside restaurants, though we weren’t hungry yet and probably wouldn’t be before we left, due to our late breakfast. We really liked the menu at Tropico at Westin Maui: it was original and appropriate to the islands. They only serve dinner but we’ll keep it in mind for when we come back on some future vacation. We also liked the landscaping and the pools at this resort – we would like to come back here to stay on a future trip. At Ka’anapali there are lovely beaches, palm trees and beautiful tikis carved from dead trees. When we were done, the public bus was waiting so we took it back for $1 each, exact change only. It stops 2 places until Lahaina Center: Cannery Mall and near the Hard Rock Café on Front Street. We got off at the Hard Rock Café to shop along Front Street. We popped into a corner ice cream stand for a shaved ice. E asked for vanilla but the server drizzled on blue vanilla, which E found unappetizing. Moreover, it dripped and the tables are sort of a metal mesh, with holes in the table top. Thus, the blue dripped right through onto her pants and on the floor. What an idea, to have such tables in an ice cream parlor. She traded her shaved ice for some ice cream.

 

After some more shopping we took the tender back to the ship. Cold towels were available on the pier, also cold water & punch. James Callahan, CD on board, was on the tender and told me he will be continuing in Alaska. We were back on ship around 2pm. Since we were too hungry to go to the gym right away, we dropped our stuff off in our cabin and went to the Aquaspa café for lunch – I had ratatouille Monegasque, fresh bread, chilled tropical fruit soup, and a gratin of fresh fruit. After a rest reading and nodding off on the verandah, we went to the gym where I did the recumbent bike for 25 minutes.

 

After showering and dressing in our new luau wear we went to deck 1 to meet the gang for the tender. Stan and Dixie would meet us at the Luau but SmileyRiley (Bryan, Cathy and Riley) from the roll call were there. Ira and Ann hadn’t made it back to the ship and were waiting for us on the pier. Nick and Rita tendered over with us but wanted to walk and so did not join us in the long taxi queue in front of the courthouse. We were behind an Indiana group of 38. Most of the taxis held 6, so we had a little wait, but not too long. Our group was 9 so we divided up 4 & 5 in two taxis. E & I rode with Ira and Ann. It cost $6.70 to go there, plus tip. Ira picked up the tab and I paid on the way back.

 

The Old Lahaina Luau exceeded everyone’s expectations. It was in a gorgeous setting, right on the beach. We were greeted with a Lei anad escorted to our pre-assigned tables, some with chairs and some on mats, according to what we had requested when we made our reservations. There was an open bar with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. We were sitting at the same table as Jim & Judy, Teme and Gary, Ira and Ann from the roll call. At first we were encouraged to explore the grounds and observe or participate in various cultural demonstrations. There was live music all the time and the sunset was breathtaking. Then the dinner began, with the usual luau fare. While we were still eating, the show started. After the show we waited around and visited until the crowd thinned and had no trouble finding a cab ride back.

 

There was a huge line for the tenders, so it took quite a while to get back on board. There was a comedian scheduled and we were irritated that the comedian was scheduled for a port night, so we’d miss him. Well, he probably was telling the same old cruise ship jokes anyway.

 

Today was very nice and all agreed that the luau was well worth it. Good thing, since I was the first in the roll call to propose it. If it hadn’t been good, I suspect I’d be spending the 5 sea days hiding on the ship! LOL.

[bryanwal]

DAY 9 – Saturday 5/2/09

Who: Bryan (49), Celebrity Captain’s Club

Elizabeth , Celebrity Captain’s Club

 

Plan: Maui – visit Lahaina, Iao Valley excursion

 

Actual: We had to get up early this morning so we could meet at the RendezVous lounge at 7:30. I got up at 6 to get ready and be out of the way for when E got up. We went up to the Ocean Café at 7 and I was surprised that it was not crowded with early risers on shore excursions. I had some quiche. I wanted the outside edge, with the crust, but had a devil of a time getting the server to understand that. Finally he understood ‘outside edge’ and cut off a piece without the crust. I said, no, I want the crust too – that’s the good part. He finally go it and gave me the rest of the now quicheless crust. We ate outside on the fantail (aft) and I took advantage of the proximity of the bar to have my morning pick-me-up (Diet Coke). I’m making good use of the soda card.

 

We went down to deck 4 using the aft stairs, which are accessible in the buffet only from the middle of the starboard side, and into the Rendez Vous lounge. I registered and picked up shore excursion stickers for each of us and waited for our group to be called. Once on the dock we were directed to a gathering area where we were informed that due to a bus breakdown there would be at least a half-hour delay. The organizer told us we could go shopping or whatever and then check back. We crossed the street to Whalers General Store, where we saw good manager’s specials on macadamia nut candies to take back home as gifts or for the office. Note to self: check back here later.

 

At the predicted time our bus, another gaily colored, tropical flower decorated “Polynesian Adventure (Graylines)” bus, arrived and we boarded. Our Hawaiian guide, Peaches, spoke very slowly and clearly, telling uss tales of Hawaiian mythology, what the place names mean, described the sights all along the way. We went to the subtropical rain forest in the beautiful Iao valley, sacred to the Hawaiians, where we got out to walk around and take pictures. Next, we saw the memorial garden commemorating the people of different nationalities who came to work the plantations. From there we went back down into the lowlands where we stopped at Maui Tropical Plantation, We boarded a tram ride which took us all over to see the different kinds of plants cultivated here; papaya, guava, mango, pineapple, ginger, kukui nuts, etc. After the tram we visited the market where we indulged in the wonderful ice cream – I had coconut pineapple ice cream and a scoop ofguava sherbet. We bought sugar reduced pineapple, guava, and mango jams, perfumes, pineapple brittle and tropical brittle; When we returned to town the driver dropped us off at Hilo Hatties (did she get a kickback?), where we were greeted at the door with shell leis. There was a broad selection of things, especially clothing, but the prices were not particularly good except for the daily special – today it ws 16-month 2010 calendars for 99 cents. On our way back, we stopped at Whalers General Store and bought macadamia chocolates of various kinds as gifts. We also stopped at a grocery store and bought mint herbal tea for after dinner.

 

There were not too many people waiting for the tender at 2pm. I sat next to a woman who talked & talked, describing all of her health, finances, etc. stuff you don’t tell strangers; I listened politely since I suppose she needed to talk. Another woman came with her daughter to dump her husband’s ashes in the sea off Oahu. He died last October.

 

We dropped off our purchase and went to the lunch buffet. Then I posted yesterday’s report in the Cova Café and checked e-mail – there was a lot since I was unable to check yesterday due to a day-long internet outage.

 

I worked out at the gym – stationary bike, upper body weight circuit. Not keeping up with my prodigious eating on this trip – there will definitely be some serious dieting when I get home. While in the gym, I noticed that the ship turned completely around. We began to sail around the west side of Maui and then across the north to sail home, after bidding a sad “Aloha” to Hawai’i.

 

After a shower, we went to the variety show, visited with Teme & Gary, looked for our photos in the photo gallery, bought a Celebrity carry on bag in Emporium to help us get all our stuff home, then headed for dinner. I ordered:

 

Spinach Turnovers with Creamy Emmental Cheese Sauce

The Captain’s Fish Bisque

Watercress, Orange and Avocado Salad ( I ordered a different salad, but this is what they brought – my cruise is ruined! LOL)

Fettuccine Alfredo

Bananas Foster

 

One side of my menu was in German.

 

Claudine at our table has an allergy to sea salt so the maitre d’ brings the next day’s menu every night so she can order. At the next dinner they will have each dish specially prepared for her, without sea salt or any salt water creature.

 

I brought my own mint herbal tea for after dinner. They had told me they didn’t have mint herbal tea any more because they switched from Lipton to Bigelow, which doesn’t carry it. I showed them the Bigelow name right on the label.

 

We urn forward our clocks 1 hour tonight, so after resetting my alarm, I posted my report at Cova Café then came back to go through the ‘mail’:

Received invite to connections party for tomorrow

Received Olympic reminder

Received a survey from Hawaii, asking for details of how much we spent in multiple categories at each island. As if I’m going to dig out my receipts and tally up everything I spent. Well, I’m only going to guess at the figures – I’m still on vacation after all!

[Texed]

Bryan,

Thanks for all the reports, nice. :)

[bryanwal]

Hi Texed and Jacquie,

 

I'm glad you're enjoying them. It takes a lot of time to write them up, but they make a nice souvenir.

 

Bryan

[CruisingChick]

Bryan,

 

OMG what a wonderful report of your cruise. I'm jealous. I wish I was there!!!

 

Anne Maria

[bryanwal]

Thanks Anna Maria. I hope that someday it will be our turn to be jealous of some fabulous cruise you'll be taking! This has been a wonderful cruise and a dream for us to travel to Hawai'i.

 

- Bryan

[bryanwal]

Sorry, "Anne Maria" (i misspelled your name in the last post :( )

[bryanwal]

DAY 10 – Sunday 5/3/09

Who: Bryan (49), Celebrity Captain’s Club

Elizabeth , Celebrity Captain’s Club

 

Plan: Day at sea, connections party, cabin crawl, trivial pursuit, Olympic

 

Actual: I got up at 8, wrote and read while E did her yoga and morning rituals. We ate breakfast at the AquaSpa – they had fresh papaya again, though it was not quite ripe or at least not juicy and flavorful. I sprinkled it with a little Splenda, which helped. I also had some melon, cantaloupe, veggie omelet, diet coke. Every other day we’ve been putting dirty clothes out to launder. They charge by the piece. On Tuesday they will have a special, all the laundry you can stuff in the paper laundry bag without tearing it, for $29.

 

At 10:30 we had the CruiseCritic Connections party at Michael’s Club – it was lots of fun, too short, fun to meet more folks whom I’d only met virtually. Coffee, tea, juice, water, and pastries were provided. James Calhoun, the Cruise Director, came and said a few words. James informed us that 510 passengers did the B2B Sydney-Auckland-Honolulu and that 178 passengers who started in Sydney are continuing all the way to Vancouver (B2B2B). He also admitted to frequenting the CruiseCritic boards, though only as a lurker.

 

We went to lunch at 1pm – there were no free tables in the shade, so we found something by a window inside. We’ve learned to circle the entire buffet once because there is different stuff all over. I enjoyed a spinach & cheese lasagna, some chicken mole, green beans & carmelized onions, tiramisu, and a white chocolate mousse on caramel mousse. Outside the café by the midship elevators they were selling Celebrity shirts, t-shirts, polo-shirts, and sweatshirts at 50% off. I bought a nice dressy gray polo shirt for $30 and we got two Celebrity Hawaiian-themed t-shirts for $20 total.

 

At 2pm we met in one of the aft conference rooms on deck 3 for the cabin crawl & poker. Steve had prepared sheets of paper that showed the kinds of hands you could win with and Pat prepared name tags and a wonderful directions sheet on card stock that listed all the cabin types we were going to visit, plus directions from the starting point to each cabin in turn. We visited 9 types of cabins from an outside ocean view (nice) through the various verandahs, cc, sky suite, suites, culminating in a visit to John’s beautiful penthouse suite, with the door open to Pat & Cliffs adjoining SS/Oversized suite. Once again John proved the gracious and generous host and he catered with sandwiches, cheese, pastries, champagne, mimosas, butlers, etc. We took pictures, figuring we wouldn’t have that opportunity again.

 

Steve, Joey, Ann, Gary, Teme and I gathered at Michael’s for a game of trivial pursuit – Alas, no such game could be found on board so the emcee posed 20 questions, many quite obscure. We got 7 out of 20 right. The winners got 10 of 20 and won free Celebrity t-shirts. The rest of stayed after having a comparison chat of cruise lines.

 

I excused myself to go work up an appetite for dinner by visiting the gym – 4-5 laps walking & running on track, 25 minutes on bike. The weather was warm and pleasant all day, with calm seas, 6 ft swells over a 17,000 ft depth.

 

Just before 7 we met Steve & Joey in front of the Olympic. The entrance and first dining room of this restaurant were salvaged from the SS Olympic first class dining room, sister ship to the lamented Titanic. The spacious tables were set for 4, as opposed to the 8 sitting at the same size table in the Metropolitan. The service was very attentive but not obtrusive. Removal of plates and placement of new ones was deftly coordinated by two waiters simultaneously. While the menu is presented as 4 courses – appetizer, entrée, cheese & dessert, in reality you may order what you wish. In our case, we wanted more appetizers. I had:

 

Surprise appetizer – cold chicken relish

Bisque de homard (lobster bisque)

Goat cheese soufflé (their wonderful signature dish)

Escalope de foie gras (melt in your mouth)

Surf & turf (melt in your mouth filet mignon with a prawn, scallops and lobster tail)

Chocolate soufflé

Mint herbal tea (my own)

Petits fours

 

The service was not rushed at all, there was no rush to turnover the seats – the table was ours for as long as we wanted, which turned out to be about 2 ½ hours, as we rolled out of there at 9:30pm. We missed “Sideshow Bert” (erroneously referred to as “Sideshow Bob” in the flyer distributed with today’s program).

 

Before retiring, I went toe the Cova Café to check the web and post a report. I couldn’t resist getting a mini millefeuille at the Cova Café. Swamy the guitarist was playing.

[tentimecruiser]

Sounds like you are having a great time. Thanks for the information. My sister and I are looking forward to our first Alaska cruise on the Millenium in early June.

 

I loved our trip to Hawaii a few years ago. We enjoyed sightseeing in a convertible, walking on the beach, kayaking, snorkeling and walking to the Volcano. Our son learned to surf and it joined diving as his favorite hobbies, he even returned to Hawaii to surf two years ago. We visited most places on Oahu and the Big Island. As a south Texas girl I was cold in Hawaii....wore a light sweater a lot and a wetsuit when in the water. We were certainly moved by our visit to Pearl Harbor, especially since the average age of the soldiers that died was just 19....the same age as our oldest son at the time of our visit.

[bryanwal]

DAY 11 – Monday 5/4/09

Who: Bryan (49), Celebrity Captain’s Club

Elizabeth , Celebrity Captain’s Club

 

Plan: Day at sea

Actual:

Woke up at 7am. We changed time again last night. I took some pictures of the beautiful sunrise from my balcony. The weather is again warm and pleasant. While waiting for E to rise I went to check e-mail in the Cova Café. Had a Diet Coke, a walnut muffin, and a hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was much better and richer than the one in the buffet – I’ll have to tell E about it.

Went back to check on E and see if she was up. She was not – we lost an hour in the time change and the patch makes her sleepy a little. So I went out to the fantail at the back of the buffet, picking up some fresh orange slices, pineapple and some mushroom quiche (with the crust!). I ordered a Diet Coke from the Ocean Bar and I read while a ate; a book entitled “If I Were Not Upon the Sea” by Joyce Gleeson-Adamidis, her stories as a social hostess on many cruise ships, including Celebrity Zenith, Horizon, Galaxy, Mercury and Millenium. She married a Captain. The book is informative and entertaining, though the writing is sometimes a little stilted and the facts need checking. Off the stern I could see frigate birds accompanying the ship – they can travel and stay far from any land.

 

I called E to let her know where I was so she could join me. Rita joined me. Then E came and finally Steve & Joey. They had an appt with the future cruise salesman to discuss their med cruise next summer. All the Celebrity Med cruises are in flux because they’re moving Solstice to a year-round Caribbean itinerary. Celebrity can make as much money or more on those 7 night cruises as they can on the longer cruises. Steve told us later that the future cruise salesman knew less than they did – he just looked stuff up on the internet, like anybody could do.

 

We went to the internet café to read Kevin’s weekly e-mail, then to wooden loungers in the aquaspa to read. The loungers are one size fits one and get uncomfortable after a while. The seas are rougher today – water is sloshing out of thet pool. There are 12 foot swells today expected to grow to 18 ft. I started to get a little queasy sitting there, so after a 12:15pm foot & ankle massage ($41) with Sahira, I went down to cabin to put on scopalomine patch. I noticed during the massage that my ankles were quite swollen, the left way more than the right. Sahira said that water retention is common on a cruise ship and that ankle swelling can be caused by movement of the extra muscles required to maintain balance while at sea, especially when you’re exercising.

 

After that we were off to lunch at the Ocean café – I had a cobb salad, some cole slaw, and black bean soup dressed up with hot pepper flakes and garlic from the pizza bar. Joey saw me and invited us to sit with him & Steve and Teme and Gary. I saw Ira and Ann and told them where the others were sitting and to save us a seat. Went looking for E – she had found a nice table outside but came inside to sit with our friends while we chatted and ate. Ira went off to play bridge, as he does most cruises. The rest of us went to the tables outside the casino to play cribbage, which Teme & Gary taught. Though confusing at first, it was fun. After two hours of that I went to look for E who had gone to the gym. I didn’t find her in the stateroom or the gym, so I went walking with my iPod on the track, 5 or 6 laps, then back to the cabin. E had gone to get some pizza. We showered and got ready for 7pm boogie wonderland show by the Celebrity Singers and Dancers, followed by Celebrity Singing Star (Millennium Idol) which we’ll only be able to stay at until 8:30, though it’s designed for between seatings. We will meet T & G, J & S to join us. Maybe Rita & Nick and I & A will be there, too. The highlight of the show was a really campy Village People medley including a YMCA climax. For Celebrity Singing Star – Cece from Seattle was one finalist – her French husband is from Dijon.

 

Teme & Gary booked RC May 15th Barcelona R/T cruise on Brilliance, same as Steve & Joey. Ann told Ira they should book, too and that we should book even if we are only just thinking about it – cruising is as much about the company, meaning a group of friends as it is about the destination. Ann’s position is, if you’re thinking about having the idea of possibly considering that you might want to look into a particular cruise, book a spot and decide later.

 

Our assistant maitre d’ told me that no changes were planned for the Olympic service, rumors to the contrary. Also there had been rumors that there would no longer be a baked Alaska parade, but those are not true either – our baked Alaska parade will occur on Wednesday for formal night.

 

For dinner, I had:

 

Pork and Green Peppercorn Rillete with Country Baguette and Herb Salad

Roasted Vegetables and Goat Cheese Crostini

Farm Fresh Lettuces, Plum Tomatoes, Cheddar Cheese, Eggs and Olives (not what I ordered)

Argentinian Steak Churrasco with Stacked Potato Chips, Chimichurri Sauce

Coconut Dacquoise, Passion Mousse, Anana Marmalade

 

Then we headed up to Cosmos for the introductory portion of the Boogie Wonderland party, to watch the dancers a little before going to bed.

[bryanwal]

DAY 12 – Tuesday 5/5/09

Who: Bryan (49), Celebrity Captain’s Club

Elizabeth , Celebrity Captain’s Club

 

Plan: Day at sea

Actual: The weather when I woke up around 6:30 was foggy. After 7 I went up to the Ocean Café by way of the AquaSpa and the pool. Everything was wet and though the fog had lifted it was cool and drizzly outside – there would be no breakfast on the fantail this morning. I decided to try Asian breakfast this morning, garlic beef, eggs with spicy peanut sauce, hot pepper sauce on the side – mmmmmmmm good. I topped it off with a Belgian waffle with strawberries and whipped cream. A strange mix, perhaps, but can’t we all just get along?

 

I then took the elevator down to deck 3 to visit Guest Services. I wanted to know if I could increase the tip on my account (today is the last day to change the automatic tip). She didn’t know! She didn’t even whether I could put more tips on my account at all and that I should check back after 9 when accounting is in.

 

I went to Cova Café to post my report then asked a technician where was a phone to call my cabin – he lent me his own cell phone (well, celebrity’s cell phone), which I thought was nice. I called E to see if she was ready to eat. She was so I met her at the cabin and went with her to the buffet to keep her company while she ate breakfast. While at the cabin, though, I changed from shorts and sandals, to jeans, shoes & socks – it’s noticeably cooler today.

 

Back down to guest services, they gave me the form for adding the tip, no problem. Also, E brought our shipboard charge summary – at first I thought it totaled $2000 and began wondering, how could we possibly have spent that much? Then I looked again in better light (darn these aging eyes!) – it was only $1000, including all the tips. I disputed an internet charge – the agent at the desk said he’d contact the internet manager and have the charge removed and would leave a message on my phone to let me know. I asked the agent where we’d be docking in Vancouver. Celebrity told me on the phone that it would be Canada Place, but now the agent is telling me that it’s Ballantyne Pier. Oh well, I’ll pop off an e-mail to QuickShuttle letting them know where I’ll pick them up for the ride home.

There was another passenger at the desk complaining about the automatic tips “I don’t want you doing it for me, I want to control my tips, get them off there” but with sort of an angry nasty tone. Geesh, just ask for the form and be polite – no need to carry on.

 

We went up to the pool area to find a couple of chairs to sit in and read. We found two that were not loungers and which were facing the sea, behind glass. As I watched rain pelt the glass, I noticed every once in a while a big snowflake! Dorothy, we’re not in Hawai’i anymore!

 

Ann has been attending a lecture series by crime writing author Cathy Ace and quite enjoying it, so we agreed to meet at the cinema to hear this woman. We found Ira already there and joined him. Ann arrived presently and we saw Michel, Claudine and Ziane from our table as well. Ms Ace held forth on “Spies, Saboteurs and Saviors: On the Page and On the Screen”. She was quite entertaining and funny. We’ll go again tomorrow. At the end of the lecture we went up to the buffet to meet Teme, Gary, Steve & Joey for lunch. It seems everybody’s now booking Brilliance of the Seas r/t Barcelona for May 15th, 2010. E’s not going for it – she wants more Greece. I’ll see if I can persuade the group to change, though I think Joey is set on visiting Venice. Both the May 3 and May 15 itineraries do Livorno, Civitavecchia and Naples.

 

After lunch we all agree to meet on deck 4 to play games again. E wants to check out the big sales at the shops. She finds a cute little black dress marked down from $60 to $10 and buys it. Every woman must have a simple black dress. E is off to the gym, while I join the gang for cribbage and scrabble. At 4, I excuse myself to go to the gym, too. I do 25 minutes on the bike, an upper body circuit and 3 or 4 laps outside – it’s warmed up a little, though the ship is rocking. At 5pm Steve & Joey have invited us all over to their suite for hors d’oeuvres. Alfred the butler makes several appearances to provide a new basket of French bread, some water or other forgetting things. S&J are delighted with his service. I had forgotten to tell E about the party so we call her several times to let her know where we are. At 5:20 or so we finally get her and she comes right over. She had been up to the buffet to check out the canapés to tide her over until late dinner. We nosh on cheese, crackers, mini pastries, and an olive oil and dipping flakes that Ann picked up in New Zealand. Except for me & E, wine flows freely. What a pleasant way to spend an hour, eating, chatting. I hope we can keep in touch with these people – I really love them. At 6, S&J leave for dinner but we remain in the cabin for a little while longer, until I excuse myself to go clean up for dinner.

 

At 7 we meet up at the Celebrity Theater to hear Joni Butler sing. She has quite a set of pipes and does Streisand, Midler, Minelli, etc. Quite enjoyable. We stick around for “Everybody dance – starring you!”, the dance portion of the talent show. The male contestants dance first, each with a partner from the Celebrity Singers and Dancers. Basically, they stand mostly still while the women dance around them and do all the work. The female contestants, however, are working as much as their partners and do quite a good job. After that we head to the dining room for dinner – the food is good, the company is wonderful, we’ve really had a lot of good luck with the folks we’re meeting on the cruise,

 

I ate:

 

Prosciutto, Fig, Gorgonzola Cheese, Balsamic Reduction (though we think it was really goat cheese)

Seafood Gumbo, Spicy Sausage

Mesclun Greens, Cherry Tomatoes, Grapes, Raisins and Pumpkin Seeds, with Creamy Lemon Garlic dressing

Veal Scollopini, Braised Fennel and Artichoke Ragout, Marsala Morel Infused Sauce

Tarte aux Abricots Amandine, Papaya Sorbet

 

Now, back to the Celebrity Theater for the Starring You awards ceremony, and before and after, more talk about cruise plans. Cece from the night before did a great job and sang an “Over the Rainbow” parody about overweight women. Although she should’ve won, they told her in advance that she was ineligible Ann is afraid she’ll end up being the mother type in our group. I counter that she’s the older sister who teaches the rest of us to swear, smoke, drink, gamble and carouse! LOL. She likes that! Every time we get together, Ann and Ira regale us with tale of their cruise adventures. I forgot to mention that at the Captain’s Club reception yesterday, Ann received a bouquet of roses – she was the passenger present with the most cruises on Celebrity – 44! There is another passenger on board with 100 cruises under his belt, but he was honored elsewhere.

[bryanwal]

My sister and I are looking forward to our first Alaska cruise on the Millenium in early June.

 

You should love it. Alaska is spectacular and the Millennium will be fresh out of rehab, so it should be sparkling!

[jm2cc]

I love reading your blogs. I have never been on a cruise and reading your blogs really gives a good idea of what life on board is like. I will be on the Millie NB on June 12th. I am getting very excited! Again, thanks for your posts - they are appreciated.

[raymay]

Brian...I love to read your journal. Its a real escape as you are an excellent writer. Thanks for the many days of fun reading...

[bryanwal]

Jm2cc and RayMay: Thanks for your kind words. I'm glad that you're enjoying the blogs.

[bryanwal]

DAY 13 – Wednesday 5/6/09

Who: Bryan (49), Celebrity Captain’s Club

Elizabeth , Celebrity Captain’s Club

 

Plan: Day at sea, meet the gang for brunch at the Metropolitan,

Actual: We changed the clocks for the final time last night. I woke up this morning to calm seas and clear sunny skies. Stepping out on the balcony, however, revealed the weather to be considerably cooler than before. No more shorts for me on this trip. Over the course of the morning, though, the cloud cover returned. In the afternoon it cleared again.

 

E said she was hungry and wanted something before the brunch at 10:30 so we went to the Cova Café to take the bite off our hunger – she had an almond croissant, pain au chocolat and a hot chocolate for her, and a Diet Cook, chicken mushroom croissant and almond croissant for me. I checked e-mail while I was there. Days 11 & 12 weren’t ready for posting so I held off on them.

 

We dropped the laptop off at 7084, then headed to the Rendez Vous to meet the gang for brunch buffet in Metropolitan. We got there a few minutes early and watched a woman playing tennis with the Nintendo Wii. Shortly everyone else arrived and we entered the dining room and were escorted to a large table for 10 by the window. One more poor hapless soul was shown to our table. I’m not sure if he was included in the conversation or not – he was at the other end of the table. For the brunch, there was a beautiful layout with ice sculptures and fresh flowers. They had paella, different fish and shrimp dishes. truffled eggs, various versions of eggs benedict, all kinds of hot & cold meats, fruit, pastries, mimosas and champagne ($5). When the sommelier came by our table, she had no takers. I asked for a Diet Coke and she gave me a face and told me to go get it myself! My cruise is ruined!! LOL

 

We missed the debarkation lecture while we were at the brunch. It should be rebroadcast on TV, but we couldn’t find it for the rest of the day.

 

From brunch we went to the Cathy Ace lecture in the cinema, this time focused on cop shows and she was entertaining as ever. Tomorrow she’ll be expounding on super sleuths and detectives, including one of my favorites, I hope, Jessica Fletcher. As charming as JB was, though, I think I’d run the other way if I saw her coming and there’s no way I’d spend a night in Cabot Cove, the murder capital of the US. While I was waiting I wrote up ‘business cards” with contact info to give out to the gang and table mates, using note papers I got at the internet café. We agreed tol meet at deck 4 to play games at 1pm, like on the other days. At a or so I went the to tables outside of the casino. No one showed up for 35 minutes. While I waited I worked on my report and posted it online. Finally, figuring our wires got crossed (the tables were turned, never knew I had such a lesson to learn – I need a new attitude!) and seeing there people waiting for the table, I packed it in and went back to the room, left a message with Steve & Joey saying I’m sorry I missed them, then went up onto the track with E to walk. It was kind of cool and downright cold in some spots, so E went back to the cabin to get our fleeces. I walked 9-10 laps (1/4 mile each), listening to electronic/dance music on ipod, which helps my pace. Back at the room again I called joey – they were waiting for me for games, but some confusion existed because they say they were there at 1, then shortly after that they were in the casion. Oh well. Joey told me that they had all switched the May 3 Greek itinerary so we could all travel together. Friendship is more important than itineraries and being young, they can go to Venice some other time. I had an appointment with Wes, the future cruise guy at 3;30pm so I went to the trivia game in the Rendez Vous lounge. I randomly joined a team of 3 others, and got 10 out of 15 answers. I went to meet with Wes, passing S & J and Teme & Gary playing cribbage nearby (good thing because Teme had answers to my Brilliance questions which Wes didn’t have) – we went ahead and booked 3 May 2010 Barcelona, Greek cruise on Brilliance of the Seas. Jim & Judy may join us as well. We’ll be a group of 11 if every one comes!

 

Steve and Joey once again invited us to a wine & cheese party at their suite at 5 – talked about next year’s trip, what we should see in each port, etc. Ira and Ann had the most information and things to say about the ports. We set some ground rules – no one is obligated to anything in particular or to remain with the group. We can go our own ways, or not, in each port. We’ll try to arrive 2-3 days early in Barcelona and stay at the same hotel.

 

Back in the cabin, started packing , dress for formal night, with me in a tux and E in the lovely black Hawaiian dress she bought on Kaua’i. We went to the photo shop to try to find our embarkation photo: it wasn’t on the wall so we used the self serve kiosk to find it and also the first formal night couple’s photo at the dining room. The latter had a big grey stripe across the bottom, so no good. We also set aside a couple of the volcano lava flow photos, and went to the atrium to take formal portraits a backdrop of the ship at night and another with the with atrium as background. We stopped by Michael’s club to listen to a jazz singer/pianist to pass the time before dinner. We’re having dinner with our table mates for the last time, since the CruiseCritic gang all agreed to have dinner on the last night at the Waterfall Café. We’ve really had good luck meeting such wonderful people, both at our table and the CruiseCritic folks. Before the dinner service started Bruno had the idea to take pictures of all of us on the stairs in the dining room. So we had Cecilio, our assistant waiter come over with us and all our cameras to take pictures. Soon other tables copied our idea – Bruno regretted not having copyrighted it!

 

For dinner, I ate:

 

Molten Cube of Brie Cheese Tiffany Box

Cream of Broccoli Scented with Lemon Oil

Radicchio, Watercress, Green Leaf and Tomato salad

Beef Wellington – Angus Beef Tenderloin with Lyonnaise Potatoes, Sauteed Spinach and Truffle Cream Sauce

Baked Alaska

 

The beef was so tender (medium rare) that I could cut it with a fork. The pastry on it was underdone, but that’s because I would have had to order the meat more cooked, which would have been a shame. They performed the traditional baked Alaska parade and we all sang “Auld Lang Syne”

 

After good byes, we hoofed it over to the Celebrity Theater for iBroadway, a show tune review by the Celebrity Singers and Dancers (CSD). Sat with Teme & Gary, Ira & Ann, Jim & Judy. Jim & Judy have decided to join us on the Med cruise. Now we are 11.

 

iBroadway – wonderful show, full of energy and amazing vocals. This was CSD’s last production show together, as they will be going theier own ways after this cruise. They got a standing ovation. Ira and Ann say it’s the best production show they’ve ever seen and that this is a cast that actually likes each other. Larger cast (15) than we saw on Mercury or Oosterdam.

 

Teme & I went to internet café to check Idol standings – Alysson Iraheta got voted off.