February 27 - Crossing the International Date Line

I broke down and bought the ship's internet yesterday.  Partly because the price fell to a rate that didn't give me palpitations and partly because as we start visiting ports I've never been to before I don't want to spend limited port time on my computer.  So here I am, sitting in the Crow's Nest enjoying a panoramic view of the very calm sea.

Feel free to skip directly to the photos at the end.

Here are some random observations from the last couple of days.

• Yesterday I went to the Dive In for lunch.  I love their burgers and sweet potato fries more than I should.  As I waited for my food to be ready a gentleman asked if he could share my table.  We ended up spending almost two hours together, chatting over our burgers.
  
  Jim is a 90 year old widow from Las Vegas who has done five world cruises plus a LOT of other cruises and travel.  His stories were fascinating.  His dad was a career Navy officer and got Harry Truman to recommend Jim to the Naval Academy.  Wow.  He went on to tell me a story about a rowing competition.  He was on a team with Jim Lovell who went on to be Commander of Apollo 8.
  
  Jim went on to tell me stories about his career as an engineer in the Army Corps of Engineers and then for Boeing where he tested missile launches.  We also talked about his 57 year marriage and then chatted about child rearing and respect and the changes we've both seen over the years.
  
  It was a lovely couple of hours.  One of the things I really enjoy on this trip is talking to seniors who've lived such amazing lives and have wonderful stories to tell.  I'm going to steal one of Jim's lines - when asked what he does on such long cruises, his stock reply is "As little as possible."  He shares my view that it's nice that they have a variety of entertainment options but that doesn't mean you have to go to them.
• I hate elevators.  I've been stuck in elevators three times prior to this trip.  Once, on a Sunday morning, in a closed bank with no one else in the building (I worked there and was putting in some overtime).  Then on an elevator in San Francisco, between the 22-23 floors.  And one horrible time in Jamestown NY. 
  
  It was Superbowl Sunday and I'd met a couple guys on my flight in that morning and we met in the bar at our hotel to watch the game and drink some beer.  I left at half-time to go back to my room.  And got stuck in the elevator.  Do you know how long it takes to get an elevator repairman during the Superbowl?  It seemed very long since I'd had a couple of beers and had been heading to the bathroom.  I held it but set a land speed record getting to the bathroom once they finally had the doors open.
  
  The elevators on the Amsterdam seem to have problems.  It is not unusual to have at least one in a bank of four to be out of order.  This morning, the forward bank of elevators that I typically take had two of the four out of commission.
  
  Twice so far I've been "stuck" briefly in the elevators here.  Both times only lasted a few minutes but were scary.  The first time after I pressed the floor I wanted, the doors shut then all the floors lit up but the doors wouldn't open and we didn't move.  After a few minutes of me breathing hard and pressing the "door open" button repeatedly, the doors did open.  The second time I pressed the floor I wanted, the doors closed and we started moving but stopped at every floor but the doors wouldn't open.  The elevator finally took me back to deck 8, where I'd started and the doors finally opened.
  
  It always makes me happy to be on an elevator with someone carrying food and drinks.  At least if we get stuck we'll have sustenance. 
• Big news about breakfast in the Lido.  Seems they took the suggestion of a passenger to have a daily breakfast special.  I noticed the other day they had a plate on display with steak and eggs.  Yesterday was stuffed French toast.  I didn't pay much attention and didn't realize they were only there for that day.
  
  Today I sat next to a woman who was happily eating biscuits and gravy.  I had my standard fruit and shot of muesli.  She explained that the dish was the new daily special.  Dang.  Good for my diet but I LOVE biscuits and gravy.
• The ship celebrated Mardi Gras yesterday, in a very low key way.  They handed out bead in the Lido and MDR and had special lighting for a party in the Crow's Nest.  I didn't go so don't know what they did or how many people were there.  One of the bar servers and I were talking yesterday and she said after 8 p.m. there are typically only 10-15 people there.
• The flowers are back!  I've enjoyed all of the creative fresh flower arrangements around the ship (there were no fresh flowers on the Zuiderdam and Westerdam last year when I was on) so was very disappointed when suddenly all the large vases were empty.  Good news, new flower arrangements have appeared and they're beautiful.  A bit surprising that the theme seems Asian instead of Polynesian but who cares.
• Rumors are flying!  As the Corona Virus spreads, the speculation about the impact on our itinerary grows.  I can't imagine how challenging this is for HAL corporate.  One of the hot rumors is that we'll skip anywhere in/near Asia and instead spend more time in New Zealand and Australia.  Since we're due to arrive in New Zealand in a few days, they'll need to make the decision soon, if there's any truth to the rumor.
  
  I was at Guest Services today on my regular movie run and overheard a guest asking about what changes might be coming.  The official answer is that as soon as HAL in Seattle informs the Captain, he'll let us know.  As of now, we're continuing on our planned itinerary.
  
  The other rumor is that Orlando Ashford, HAL President is coming on board.  His wife, son and others have been on board since Ft. Lauderdale.  I'm guessing that he's a wee bit busy since the entire fleet is being impacted by the virus and their stock prices are tanking.  But, could be a good PR move since some of the most loyal passengers are on this ship.  Who knows?  I just know I'm very happy to not be the one making the decisions.
  
  Bottom line, it's out of my control and I'll be ok with whatever they decide is most prudent.
• Well, that's disappointing.  I just got a voicemail message from a stranger.  He's mad because I called him two days ago and hung up on him.  Except I didn't.  My guess is that one of the evil robocall companies is using my phone number to make their calls.  I did the same thing last year - called back the local number that had called me.  It was a very nice lady who had no idea her number was being used.  If you know of something I can/should do about it, please let me know.
• I'm off to lunch now.  Tomorrow is Tonga and I'm looking forward to a new country and seeing how it compares to Samoa since I almost ended up in Tonga as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
  
  Here are some photos.   Just kidding.  After trying to upload photos for a couple of hours, I give up.  I'll try again later.  Currently the internet is just too slow on the ship.

 

Took a minute to wrap my brain around this one.  Today is February 29 and Google says it's March 1, just to make things more challenging.

No Wednesday for me!

Sooooooo good.  I'm going to learn to make cappuccino mouse.

The flowers are back.  Ironic that they have a Chinese theme, given the virus situation.  Also interesting that we're deep into the South Pacific but no tropical flowers.

Everyone was talking about how calm the seas were all day.  Literally, all day.  Beautiful and happy we weren't under sail.

February 22, 2020 - Day 50 - Papeete Tahiti and Catching up on the Pacific Crossing

I can't believe I've been cruising for fifty days.  It is so different than being on a short cruise.  It's more like moving to a new, small town, where you are treated like royalty and the town happens to move.

The days tend to blur together, especially when you have a stretch of sea days.  Conversations often include phrases like "Yesterday...or maybe it was the day before.  Or was it last week?  Anyway, sometime after Antarctica..."  I'm not complaining, mind you.  Part of the joy of this cruise is the absolute luxury of doing as I like, when I like.  While I tend to have a routine, I also just do whatever I want, in the moment.  Yes, I do that at home, too but feel more "obligated" at home.  When you're at sea, who's going to complain because you stayed up reading until 3 am and choose to have breakfast in bed at noon?

We've been incredibly lucky on this cruise.  We have had virtually no rough seas.  A few days with big swells but they tend to be rhythmic which makes it easier to stand.  I still only shave my legs on port days, though, since I hang on when I'm in the shower, even when the seas are smooth.

Most on board were very excited to arrive in Easter Island.  Because the large swells there tend to make it hard to tender, passengers are only able to disembark there about 50% of the time.  We were in luck.  But it wasn't easy.  Because of the conditions and since I've been there I opted not try it and am glad I didn't.  I've seen a few people on crutches after tender mishaps and the rumors are that two crew were injured helping passengers.

It was a great decision to stay on board.  The ship was almost deserted so it was like having a private yacht for the day, with excellent views.

After a few more wonderful days at sea, we stopped for a few hours at Pitcairn Island.  Pitcairn is a very small, rugged and beautiful island inhabited by descendants of the crew of the Bounty.  Because of the rough conditions, there is no chance of accessing the island but instead, the island people come on board to sell their crafts and honey.

I promised my cabin stewards that I would buy them souvenirs so braved the crowds to buy a couple of magnets.  The way passengers were behaving, you would have thought they were giving away keys to heaven.  So crowded with some shoving and angry words.  I very quickly went to the first table, bought the magnets and left.

After our quick stop in Pitcairn it was back to more sea days.  3?  4?  Can't remember but they were each wonderful.

Today, a Saturday if you believe the rug in the elevator, we're in Papeete, Tahiti.  I've been here before and didn't want a tour but thought I might get a taxi to ride around for a bit before finding a spot with WIFI.

That changed a bit when I was leaving the port and fell.  I'm fine, although I'm guessing I'll be a bit sore tomorrow with some bruises on my scrapped knees.  I fell because the cobblestones were uneven and I was busy gawking at the scenery.  The bigger cause, though, was because when I get off the ship now, I get vertigo.  I experienced this on two cruises last year but since we had rough seas then I was hoping it wouldn't be an issue.  If you've experienced "landsickness" and have a cure, please let me know!

Anyway, after the group of very kind (and good looking) Tahitian men helped me up and gave me a place to sit to collect myself for a minute, I just walked a few blocks into town and went into the first cafe I came across.  "Do you have WIFI and may I use it?"  "Yes, of course."  "May I buy something to drink?"  "Certainly!"  "Can you accept USD?"  "Of course!".  I got an orangina (why is that not a big thing in the USA?) and being encouraged to sit anywhere in the small, very casual cafe, I logged on to the very speedy internet.

Then I saw the food at the next table.  A whole fish.  Since I'm still "moving" even though I'm sitting in a chair on land, I opted to just stay here instead of paying for a mini-tour.  My lunch of fried fish and a French baguette was delicious.  Gotta love having the server bring a container of freshly caught reef fish over so I could choose which size I wanted.  And only $14 USD for the drink and food.  Eating the deep fried reef fish with my fingers made me feel like I was back in Samoa.  But the best part?  Even though I'm right in town, not a single passenger in sight!

Some of the other patrons of the cafe where I'm typing this.  They've now been replaced by ship's passengers.

Lunch at the Gauguin Cafe in Papeete. Very casual, no view but fans, very friendly and accommodating staff.  Highly recommended.

We're not in South America anymore!

Locals performing by the ship, with a HUGE yacht in the background.

The yacht was too big to get in one photo.

My dessert yesterday.  They called it an alfajores (which is a kind of cookie in Argentina).  It was actually a flourless chocolate cake with dulce de leche and delicious.

The seas in the South Pacific have been very calm.

Lunch yesterday was salmon, veggies and fried zucchini.  We've been at sea for 50 days and I've lost 10 pounds.  Hurray for me!

Breakfast was a crepe, bacon and sausage.  Usually it's just oatmeal but this was a sea day treat.

I like this artificial sweetner.

I had lunch at the Pinnacle Grill for the first time ever the other day.  I started with a salad, then a filet with bleu cheese, scalloped potatoes and asparagus.  Normally $15 USD, I get a 50% discount because of my 4 star Mariner status.  Worth it.  No sea view but only a couple of other patrons and wonderful service.

It rained for about 30 minutes one day.  

A chocolate brownie with coffee  ice cream and caramel corn at the Pinnacle lunch.

Salad at the Pinnacle. 

This is my dinner about 4 days a week.  Cheese and dried fruit with Saltines.

The shopping was more like being in a Rugby scrum when the people from Pitcairn came onboard.  I was happier being upstairs.

The rugged terrain of Pitcairn.

My view of Pitcairn at breakfast

Jamestown, Pitcairn Island.  The mail truck comes every two months.  Imagine 60 people living here, in 9 families.  I couldn't do it.

The dock in Pitcairn

Dinner appetizers in the Lido the other night.  Duck pate.  Is it just me or does the plating look "suggestive"?

Today we got one for Tonga. 

Typical desserts at the Lido, available at lunch and dinner.  Plus, the ice cream station is open all day and evening.  Did I mention I've lost 10 pounds.  I've been working on walking off the desserts.

I had the ship to myself during our stay in Easter Island.

A tender, making the long trip to Easter Island.  A lot of the crew were late getting back from their breaks because it took over an hour to get from the island to the ship.

Easter Island

If you look very closely, there are several Moais on shore between the two sail boats.

Noon in the Lido.  Normally, it is packed.

Tandoori chicken and lamb vindaloo with garlic noodles.

It took 5 hours to get everyone from the ship to the island.  Although passengers were asked not to line up in the halls, this is what happened.

Because I was too chicken to take the tender, I just took photos from the ship of Easter Island.

Thunderstorms were predicted in Easter Island but all we got was a rainbow.

I've been loving my Fitbit but the no breathe band started to rot my arm.  It's healed now and I'll try again, wearing it looser.

Wine bottle from Chile, rose was a Valentine's gift from Holland America.  It's still looking good.

Every lunch and dinner there is a fish option and that's what I've been eating most.

All over the ship, the crew wore festive/cheesy outfits and handed out a variety of chocolate treats.

I got See's Truffles from my travel agent and these truffles from HAL.

And I thought no one would remember me on Valentine's day.

Fresh fruit for breakfast!

We got to give input on the 2022 world cruise itinerary.  HAL needs a new CIO, though.  This is a typical example.  The instructions were incorrect and they hadn't loaded the survey.  It took them five days to figure it out.  On the bright side, I put down a deposit for the cruise (which is almost sold out).  Whether or not I'll go will depend on price and the eventual itinerary.

This is what it's like at sea.  The view from my cabin.  I never get tired of it.