Cruise #27 – Crown Princess – Hawaii

This was our fourth visit to the islands, however far from routine. We started the cruise by meeting Anja, the girlfriend of our buddy and “adopted” British kid , Tony Tromboney, who is one of the Princess Music Managers. Anja is Serbian and part of the Production Staff.

We got unpacked in our balcony stateroom, Lido 254 and looked forward to a nice relaxing time. On night two, we decided to go to the Princess Theater to see “Magic To Do”. We’ve seen it several times, so like to compare the Singers and Dancers.

After the first song or two, I was feeling a bit lightheaded and could barely keep my eyes open. At some point, I shut them. Next thing I know, I was laying in the stairway, the house lights were on and I had several people in my face asking if I could smile and grasp their hands. I could, but was completely unaware of what happened. I looked at my wife, Suzi, and saw she was shaking like a leaf!

Within minutes, I was helped back to my seat and the medical staff arrived. He started to check me out, but I asked if we could move out of the theater so everyone else could get back to their show. I felt good enough so walk out of the theater to a round of applause. They put me in a wheelchair and asked a few questions. I was wondering where Suzi was. She was so shaken, several people helped her, including the Head Of Security, Paul Harris. They ended up putting her in a wheelchair, too.

They took us through the innards of the ship to the Medical Center. They ran blood tests and an EKG and found nothing. They kept us there for a couple of hours. Paul stayed and comforted Suzi and conversed with me.

I was released but they wanted to see me first thing the next morning. We went down and they re-ran all of the test, and again, normal and consistent. Whew!

Although I didn’t remember a thing, Suzi was traumatized. For a few minutes, she thought she lost me. I had no color and would not wake up. She started screaming until people came to my aid and they halted the show.

The funniest part (no, really), was that I made the Facebook group for this cruise. Somebody enquired about the commotion and some one replied, “it was an elderly gentleman…”, well at 63, I’m hardly elderly, although, I did feel it at the time. Regardless, I’ve been fully checked over by my local doctors and they feel it was a combination of dehydration and low blood pressure.

So Anja was working the show and knew there was a medical emergency, just didn’t know it was me. I let Tony know via WhatsApp and he let Anja know.

The rest of the trip was “different”. I had all sorts of crew and passengers stop me and asked how I was. I was fortunate to meet most of the first responders so I could thank them in person.

We had three days at sea for me to rest and relax. In Hilo, we took a shuttle to the Farmers Market and downtown Hilo, walked around a bit, then back to the ship.

The next day / port was Honolulu. We took a shuttle to the Ala Mauna Mall via the Hilo Hattie’s bus. If you haven’t been to Ala Mauna Mall, it’s a great place to hang if you are not a beach person, like us. We’ve been spoiled as we live within 10 miles of the ocean.

The next port was Lahaina. It’s a tender port, so we decided to go ashore with Anja to grab lunch. Even with our Elite status, there was a greater than 1 hour wait (and this was after 2 hours since they started tender operations). We heard from Anja that no crew were allowed off to accommodate guests, so we just decided to stay on board and have lunch with Anja in the buffet.

We had no idea that we would never see Lahaina the same way again. Less than 4 months later, the devastating fire ripped through and destroyed most of the town. Fortunately, we had the pleasure of visiting Lahaina several times.

Next stop, Kauai. Although we had a car rental setup, I decided to rest. Suzi walked down to the local ABC Mart to buy Anja a little stuffed animal.

Time for the return towards the mainland. Five glorious days at sea, then Ensenada. I have no idea why so many people give Ensenada a bad rap. No that the have the pedestrian bridge that takes you to downtown, it’s a nice walk. Sure, the shop vendors are a bit aggressive but a simple “no, gracias” usually works.

Well another wonderful cruise, although way different. Something we hope to never happen again.

Cruise #18 – Hawaiian Islands

Our third Princess Cruise to Hawaii. This time on Ruby, one of our favorite ships. This is the first time we have done this itinerary in the Spring. Our two other sailings were in the Fall. A nice, relaxing 15 days sailing round trip from San Pedro.

No Bon Voyage Experience this trip. We used someone that was recommended through the NextDoor app to take us to the port, then back home. We got to the port about 10:30 AM (for a 4:00 PM sailing). Waited maybe 10 minutes until check-in started. We were in boarding group A.

Sailed right through security and after 1/2 hour, we were on the ship. The staterooms weren’t ready until after 1:00, so we just hung out in Horizon Court. When we got to our room, Lido 302, or luggage was already there. By the time Muster Drill started at 3:30, we were all unpacked. Sail away was at 4:15.

For the first 2 1/2 days, we were rockin and rollin. They had the pools closed but still full of water, well what was left.

Days 3 and 4 were calmer and the weather became more tropical.

Since this was the 3rd time to the Islands, we’ve already taken excursions on every island except Maui where we always just taken a walking tour of Lahaina. This time, we decided to rent cars. I did a bit of research and booked through Costco. We booked a car for the Big Island and Kauai. We were going to book Oahu but it was a Sunday and the rates were really expensive. Not only did we book a car, we booked convertibles!

First port. Hilo. Pouring rain. We got off the ship and waited about 20 minutes for the shuttle to take us to the airport to pickup our car, advertised as a “Mustang or similar”. I have owned several Mustangs but never a convertible. Too bad the rain is coming down in buckets.

We get to the airport. I check in and was told they would bring the car in a couple of minutes. Being a bit of a car buff, I heard a really throaty sounding car, more specifically, a Ford V-8. Then I saw it. A Mustang GT Convertible… Could it be? YES!!!!! It made knowing we might never be able to put the top down a little more palatable… A little.

We get in a I fire it up. I only wish it were a stick shift but… next best thing. Paddle shifters. So we headed North on Hwy 19 and looked for any road that said “Scenic”, so we hugged the coast as much as possible. We had done an excursion to the Tropical Botanical Gardens last trip but being on a bus, really didn’t know where it was. We ended up driving right past it.

When we got near the town of Pepeekeo, the rain stopped and the clouds moved away. I pulled the car over and… TOP DOWN! I let the GT’s V-8 have a little fun and wanted to make sure the paddle shifters worked properly. They did.

We drove up to Ninole before turning back. We stopped at a scenic turnout to grab a couple photos. We felt a couple of raindrops, so put the top back up. Good thing because once we started back to Hilo, more torrential rain.

Before dropping the car off, we did what every tourist must do when visiting Hawaii. Go to Wal-Mart! We got 90% of our souvenirs there… Hey, gotta do what ya gotta do.

I really didn’t want to give the car back. I was just hoping that all Mustang Convertibles through Budget on all Islands would be GT’s. Hmmm.

Next port, Honolulu. Pearl Harbor? Check. Drive around Diamond Head? Check. Drive into the crater of Diamond Head? Nope. So we booked the excursion that took us into the Crater, itself, then towards North Shore up to a Sea Life Park for a dish of Ice Cream. Nice sunny day.

Speaking of Diamond Head… When I was growing up, every time I saw an advertisement or a TV show that mentioned Hawaii, it had a photo of Diamond Head. So when we took our first cruise to Hawaii, I couldn’t wait to get a photo of the long extinct volcano. On the two previous cruises, the ship Docked at Pier 11. Great view of downtown, but no view of Diamond Head. Our first cruise excursion went to Pearl Harbor, so went away from said volcano. Cruise number two, we went around Diamond Head but we were on the wrong side of the bus… This time, we were docked at Pier 2 that had a great view. FINALLY!

Next port, Nawiliwili on our favorite island, Kauai. Off to the airport to pick up our car. Beautiful sunny day! The good news? Another Mustang convertible. The bad news, a 6 banger. Oh well. Top went down before we left the parking lot. Set Google Maps to Spouting Horn.

Although we had been to Spouting Horn before, that was on a bus. Being in an open convertible was just incredible.

We got to Spouting Horn and was not disappointed.

We thought we’d have enough time to drive all the way to the Na’Pali Lookout, so we headed that way. As soon as you pass the town of Hanapepe, the lush foliage ends and you are in the dry side. Kinda boring. I renamed the town Hana stopped pepe’ing… No water.

We ended up heading towards Wiamea Canyon. We decided to stop at one of the lookouts before actually getting to the Canyon. It was quite scenic.

We decided to head back to the wet, or dare I say “pepe” side of the island… Along the highway, we saw a turnout for an alternate way back to Lihue, so we went for it. So glad we did. Here is a little snippet of the drive. (Thanks to camera operator Suzi.)

At the end of the route? Our ship! It took us right along the road hugging the harbor.

Before heading back to the airport to drop off the car, we decided to go see Opaekaa Falls.

The last island was Maui. As mentioned, on the two previous trips we just walked around Lahaina. This time, we booked a tour that went to the Valley of the Kings. As soon as we got there. the sky let loose. Our guide said this area got between 200 to 400 inches of rain per year. I think we got 100 inches in about 10 minutes. I tried to walk to the lookout but the further I got, the heavier the rain. Had to turn back to the bus… Excuse to go back.

On the way back we stopped at the Maui Plantation. Glad we did it but not something we’d do again. It’s a small plantation where they grow quite a few different plants and fruits. Sugar cane, pineapples, mangos, papayas, bananas. They take you on a tram through the property. Part way through, the tram drivers stopped and did a coconut husking demonstration. That was fun to watch.

Back to Lahaina and a walk through the waterfront before getting back on the ship. Lahaina is a tender port so the line was incredibly long but kept moving.

As we set sail, it started to rain a bit. I captured a very subtle rainbow from our balcony.

After another 5 wonderful days at sea, we are at the pinnacle of the journey… Yes, the ultimate Jones Act port of Ensenada!!!

I’m sure if you are an avid cruiser, you’ve probably heard of the Jones Act. If not, maybe you’ve always wondered why you have to stop in a foreign country whenever you sail from and to a US Port. It’s the Jones Act. More specifically, it’s the Merchant Marine Act of 1920. In order for a ship that is NOT registered in the US it can’t leave, say Los Angeles, visit US ports, say Hawaii, then return to it’s final US Port, even if it’s a different US port, like Seattle or San Francisco, without stopping in a foreign port. It’s nuts, it’s crazy but it’s the law.

I digress. As we are pulling into Ensenada, I look across the bay and I see… Diamond Head? Did I pay all that money to go to Hawaii when I coulda just gone to Ensenada? Don’t believe me? Hmmmm.

We normally take the shuttle into town. Very touristy with lots of vendors and kids selling trinkets. This time, we decided to take a tour to La Bufadora, or the blowhole, through a local tour company. It was a great tour! Ensenada is huge! Wal-Mart, Costco, it’s all there. This was our first time to see the blowhole. It is worth seeing at least once.

And, we’re home. Counting down to October on the Royal Princess!!!!

T Minus 18 Days – Packing

18 days until we set sail on Ruby Princess. 15 Day Hawaiian cruise, round trip Los Angeles, This means Suzi has begun the packing process. Yes folks. It’ll take 18 days to pack.

So far, we have one 32″ spinner and one full-sized garment bag poised to be stuffed to the breaking point. This will take care of clothes but then there are all the shoes, phone charges, shoes, jewelry, shoes… You get the drill. I’m sure we’ll end up with 4 pieces of large luggage, plus carry on, plus my camera.

There is no airplane flight necessary, so no restrictions for weight or number of bags (my back might argue with that). As long as there is storage in the cabin, we’re good, right?

I’ve been told that each ship has an FPO (Fashion Police Officer), so wearing the same thing more than once could land us in the brig. I have also learned, in the past 26 years of marriage, there is a clear difference between “day” wear and “evening” wear and the two cannot be intermixed. So for a 15 day cruise, that’s 30 outfits… Each!

OK, so I exaggerate a bit but we will pack more than we need but as the saying goes, “Happy Wife. Happy Life.”

We never put all of Suzi’s things in one bag and mine in another. Even when there are no plane flights, tags can come off and we might be separated from a bag for a bit. Always good to have outfits for both of us in each checked bag. Medications, jewelry and the like are always carried on with us.

The garment bag slides perfectly under the bed. All others fit nicely in the closet. We keep one of the carry on’s open in the closet to store the 50 to 60 pairs of shoes necessary for the cruise…

Cruise #11 – Hawaii 2015

Our second cruise on this itinerary. 15 Day round trip from Los Angeles. November, 2015 on Ruby Princess. Our first time on Ruby. No Cuz, but Paul and Jody decided to join us.

Another “Princess Plus”. Princess offers a program they call the “Bon Voyage Experience”. This is available on select itineraries and allows guests to board the ship with you. It’s $39.00 per person and includes a photo, lunch in either the Main Dining Room or Buffet, and an optional tour of the ship with the Future Cruise Director. (the $39 dollars will be credited to a future cruise if booked within a certain time frame. BVE guests get to hang out until about an hour prior to setting sail.

Since we were going out of our home port, we asked Suzi’s BFF to drive us to the ship. In return, we would pay for her BVE. The best part of BVE is… As soon as In-Transit passengers board (Back to Back passengers are last to leave the ship but first to board), the BVE people get to board. So even if our designated boarding time is, say 1:00 PM, we get to board at 11:00 AM. SCORE!

After a nice lunch and tour of the ship BFF departed and we unpacked and prepared for the lifeboat drill! BTW, we had booked our favorite balcony stateroom, Lido 214.

We set sail at about 5:00 PM and at about 6:00 PM, the Captain made the following announcement. “We are expecting some rough seas ahead, so if you brought anything to help with seasickness, I would suggest using them now”. Comforting.

Fortunately, Suzi and I haven’t been affected by seasickness. I was a little queasy the first two cruises but never sick. Since then, we have encountered some pretty rough seas without issues. Well, it did get rough. During the night, the ship was making groaning noises like we’ve never heard. We were on a good roller coaster. The next morning, when we headed to the Buffet, we saw that the crew had taped seasickness bags all along the hallways. We didn’t think it was that rough. At least not now. Then we got to Horizon Court and there weren’t a lot of people there. The rough seas lasted 2 1/2 days…

First port, Hilo. Suzi and I took the tour to the Botanical Gardens. This truly was a photographers paradise.

The next port was Honolulu. All four of us booked the Scenic Drive of Pali Coast. We drove around Diamond Head, then up to the Pali Coast Lookout before heading back to the ship and downtown Honolulu.

Next stop was Kauai. Of all the port locations in Hawaii, Nawiliwili is my favorite because of the warehouse on top of the hill.

Suzi and I booked the Wailua River and Fern Grotto excursion.

Next port was Lahaina, Maui. Suzi, Paul and I did a walking tour that I found online. They offered 28 points of interest. We didn’t get to all but did get to quite a few including the old jail. This old jalopy was sitting in front.

And we’re on our way back for 5 relaxing days to Ensenada. Never got off the ship. Next day, home (after a stop at the Future Cruise Desk where we made our next deposit…)

In closing, the Ruby Princess became our favorite class of ship. Although we liked the separate desert areas in Horizon Court on Star Princess, the Main Dining Room on Ruby had restrooms and four elevators. Oh, it also had a Gelato Bar!!!!! 3 scoops for $1.50!

Cruise #9 – Hawaii 2013

Our first Hawaiian Cruise. 15 Day Round trip from Los Angeles, December, 2013 on the Star Princess. The Three Musketeers, however, being 15 days and feeling a bit cramped in a Mini Suite on the Island Princess, Cuz got his own stateroom. We were on Lido 214 and Jerry, right next door in Lido 210. We enjoyed this Stateroom so much, we book it whenever it’s available.

I’ve always admired this class of the Princess line with Skywalker’s Lounge over the stern with the angled walkway.

We were all prepared for our next 5 days at sea.

We always choose traditional late seating. Reasons? More time in port and we like to build relationships with the staff, especially the ones that feed you…

We ate in the Amafi Dining Room, located on Deck 6 Aft. I would not recommend Amalfi for mobility-challenged passengers for two reasons. There are no restrooms in or near the dining room. You must go upstairs. For those with challenges, there are only two elevators that service Deck 6.

Being this cruise was in early December and heading towards Hawaii, there were a lot of WWII Vets on board. Unfortunately, there were 4 less passengers by the end of the cruise. Very sad but I guess if it’s your time, no better place than during a cruise.

First Port was Honolulu, Oahu. Never having been to Hawaii, Pearl Harbor was a must, especially at this time of year, December 10th. Jerry had been several times so opted to grab a cab and go into Waikiki Beach. Suzi and I booked the USS Arizona Memorial and City Drive excursion. You can’t not get choked up going to the USS Arizona.

After getting back to the port, we went to the top of the Aloha tower and grabbed this shot of the ship.

Next port was Nawiliwili, Kauai. All three of us booked the tour for Wiamea Canyon with a stop at Spouting Horn. Suzi and I grabbed a seat on the bus together while Jerry found a seat next to a single gentleman. By the time we reached our first stop at Spouting Horn, the two were best friends (Jerry could start a conversation with anyone…) Jerry introduced us to “Paul”. Paul was on the cruise with his wife, “Jody” but she opted to stay on the ship.

It turns out Paul and Jody live 5 miles away from us. Since this cruise, we have remained close and get together for dinner once a month. We have also been on 3 additional cruises with them. Small world. Here is a short clip from Spouting Horn.

Next stop was Waimea Canyon. When they said it’s the Grand Canyon of Hawaii, they weren’t kidding. Not as breathtaking but much more lush. Kauai ended up being our favorite island.

Next stop, Lahaina, Maui, which was a tender port. The three of us booked a whale watching excursion. On the plus side, the tour boat picked us up from the tender pontoon of the ship. On the minus side, it’s really early for whale watching, so we saw one younger whale that was way out in the distance. Even with a 300mm telephoto, nothing. Here is a shot near the harbor

Next Port was Hilo on the big island. We all went on the excursion to Volcano National Park. (Photos still not processed. Will update soon!)

Time for another 5 day journey, this time to Ensenada (Thank you Jones Act). Along the way we had a pretty good deck party.

We arrived in Ensenada. I booked all three of us on a tour to “The oldest Winery in Ensenada”. Princess mis-advertised. The tour went to the retail outlet downtown for “The oldest Winery in Ensenada”… I made sure to let Princess know about this and they have since corrected the information.

And…. Time to book the next cruise and take advantage of a Future Cruise Deposit.