Well, where to begin? What a whirlwind trip!

We flew to into Honolulu on Saturday – actually Friday, with the time changes! We departed from Oahu in late evening, and dinner onboard was very relaxing. Our first meal shipboard was a late dinner at the Sun Terrace – Italian casual, and made me think about our newest restaurant. I banished all thought of work for the rest of the trip!

Our first day, at Hilo, was spent visiting the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. We got to see a lava flow from Kilauea! Some had checked ahead on this: to get eruption updates before you go, visit www.hvo.wr.usgs.gov. On the way back, we visited Volcano Winery, to sample some local wines! We stopped down Banyan Tree Drive, and saw trees planted there by celebrities in the 1930s and 40s. Back on board, dinner at Terraces Restaurant that night was great - such a view!

Next we had 2 days on Maui, at Lahaina. We began with the Ekahi Road to Hana Tour – boy, was I glad to be riding and not driving! Even James Bond would have trouble on those curves! We had just a taste of it – you could spend a whole vacation, just stopping at all the beautiful little places along this over 600 mile-long road!

Later, we attended the Old Lahaina Luau, and chose Traditional seating. I didn’t expect that would mean participating in the dancing! Bob was such a good sport when they came to get audience members to join in! The food and show were wonderful. Back on board, I could still hear magic drumbeats in my head.

Next morning we joined the Haleakala Downhill Bicycle Adventure at Sunrise with the Haleakala Bike Co. We must’ve been crazy! At 4am, in pitch dark, we were taken to the top of this amazing volcano, and watched a stunning sunrise. I worried it would be hard, 38 miles downhill, but we made lots of stops to rest and take photos. We’ll be sore, but that sunrise was worth it! Offshore that night, we were tired and sunned-out, but smiling like crazy. I was asleep instantly!

At breakfast in port at Nawiliwili, I surprised Bob with the helicopter tour – he was stunned!
I forgot all about being scared when we saw how beautiful it was! Bob was like a kid in a candy store!
In the afternoon we toured the National Tropical Botanical Garden, which is actually five gardens. We got to see plants that voyagers of long ago carried across the Pacific - for everything from food, medicine, building materials, to clothing and shelter. Wow.

Two days at sea meant time to REST and explore the ship. Amazing! Room for over 1,700 passengers, but we never felt neglected for service. We met some great people at breakfast, and decided the “girls” would shop while the “boys” found a spot to hit golf balls and play ping-pong. I found a lovely dress at the Galleria for our new granddaughter. We anticipated a relaxing formal dinner at Le Bistro, and were not disappointed – very French, very chic! Our new friends joined us at the Stardust Lounge, for the show. Very Broadway - some very talented performers!

Resting meant we were ready for our day at Fanning Island. There’s no electricity or indoor plumbing on the island! When you leave the ship, it’s like stepping back in time! We boarded a shuttle to go the shallow mile to shore. So untouched – no big hotels, no highways. The cruise line set up lovely lunch stands on the beach, and we spent the day walking the island. We saw a performance by school kids at the primary school – so cute! Here we could get real grass skirts and shell necklaces actually made on the island! I felt a pang of guilt, being spoiled with my ice-cold mai-tai in the Observatory Lounge back on board, before dinner. Quite a different life there.

Two more days on board, and I was glad for a break from the sun. I was so caught up in visiting the schoolchildren on the island that I forgot the extra sunscreen! I decided to see if the spa could pamper my poor skin – thank goodness and lesson learned. We dined at the Sun Terrace again, and visited Dazzles nightclub for a bit of dancing! They had a theme night, and we enjoyed the “Fabulous 40s” music and laughing, doing our best Fred-and-Ginger impression. To end the night, we stepped out for a walk on deck. Being on the ocean at night is the best nightcap there is.

Next stop, Kailua-Kona on the Big Island. We rented a car and followed our National Park site map to Puuhonua O Honaunau, City of Refuge. It is the best preserved of the sacred places in the islands. We spent part of the afternoon snorkeling at Kahaluu Beach Park on Ali’i Drive. Black sand beach fascinates me – I think of hard rock, not soft sand! It was great to watch the sea turtles. We asked directions to the closest grocery store, and got the best souvenir for this island – some genuine Kona coffee. Yum!

Back at Oahu, we looked forward to visiting the U.S.S. Arizona and other things. The tour guide was quick to remind us that security at Pearl Harbor is tight. No purses, camera bags, etc. on the Arizona. Cameras without bags are permitted, but it felt awkward taking photos here. It was amazing to see all ages, all respectful of this resting place. After that we visited Sea Life Park, only 15 miles from Waikiki. The Dolphin Adventure swim meant I could get right in and do a belly-ride with these beautiful animals! Such a look on Bob’s face as he snapped my picture with the dolphins! In the end, we were happy to have made Hawaii more than a passing stop on another trip!