HAWAIIAN CRUISE FEBRUARY 2013

MONDAY 2/4 I am writing this in looking back. It is Monday Feb. 4. Not a a great start getting to this point but getting better each day. The Tues. night before we were to leave I got horribly ill with stomach flu. No symptoms after Weds. but not feeling good.Thank goodness I had packed the weekend before. Took all my strength to get my hair done Thurs.We leave on Friday and I really haven’t eaten since Tues. Made it on the plane. Then landing at LAX we needed to get the hotel shuttle to the LAX Hilton.Waiting to get shuttle after a bit of a walk, I got light headed and fainted at the bus stop. Thank goodness for the people around me, I didn’t hit my head. Went down slowly. It was just that I hadn’t eaten for four day. Did eat at the hotel which was very nice and felt better. Now the group has a saying, eat, eat, eat, you don’t want to faint like Ellen. We had met our traveling companions, Dal and Ansel Hindley and Carol and Dennis Miller, as well as Sam and Sherrie Claggett. TUEDAY 2/5 Sitting watching people go by. I am on the Promade deck on a nice couch facing forward which is the best place for me to sit. I can see the sea outside also by a great window. Cool outside but not cold. It is very refreshing. I walked completely around the ship on the outside Promade deck. Didn’t need a jacket and just had my flip plops on. No strain at all. Takes about 15 min for me. Ralph and I had breakfast at the buffet this morning instead of our room. We went to the Casino but had no luck. Yesterday we kept busy doing not a lot. Had a formal night last night (filet) and went to a show. The show was ok. The night before was better. Heather Sullivan (?) was solo act and could really sing and play the piano. Standards from the great women singer-song writers of the 20th century, including Dolly Parton and Patsy Cline. Noon Captain announced 66 degrees and partly cloudy slight seas and about 800 miles from Hilo going about 25 mph. I am in Explores lounge watching the "horse races", wooden horses and dice are employed and you can will money and place bets. :) Back from a cheeseburger by the pool and reading my book on our balcony. Had to buy a sweater jacket with natical print to sit out side. Weds Feb. 6 At the covered wave pool. Super nice water. Enjoying it a lot. Last night we had scallops for dinner which were fantastic. Then we saw a comedian who was great, Carlos Oscar. He will be on TV The View in about 4 weeks. Ralph and I got up late 9ish and went to breakfast. Then to the Internet care. Met up with Millers and Hindleys at the pool. Lounging and enjoying. Hawaii 2013 Created using Notebooks by Droid-Veda LLP Feb-23-2013 OAHU Thurs. 2/7. 4pm In Honolulu! ! Went to the casino for a while after dinner last night. Early to bed because we had to leave at 7:45 am for our tour. Had a great tour guide around the city stopped at Kamahamaha statue downtown and saw the"punch bowl " cemetary and inactive volcano crater. Went to Pali Point for the view, super windy. On then to Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial. Very impressive. Spent some time there then shopped at the shops next to our ship. We came into harbor this morning right next to the Aloha clock tower. Can see it outside our balcony. Just a great day. Weather warm and sometimes sprinkly but really nice. Saw a huge rainbow on our tour. Came back to rest and have dinner on board. Saw a great show of Hawaiian dance. MAUI Friday 2/8 7:30am. Stars were super bright last night. We are whale watching from our balcony as we have breakfast. There must be 5 out there. Two were very close to the ship next to a tender. 7:30 pm Met by SS to go to the tour. We were tendered over then met the bus. Off we went for a super ride along the magnificent coast then lots of switch backs going up 10000 ft from sea level in 37 miles. Took a little over an hour. It was a beautiful warm sunny day. At the top a tremendous crater and fantastic land scape, black and orange volcanic soil, black lava boulders. Just a bit cooler on top but sunny. Then to go back down the volcano with great views of sea, valleys and distant mountains. Never seen anything like it. Lunch was provided at Cassanovas in a little Maui town then looked around the shops there. Back through sugar cane and pineapple growing areas. Tendered back to the ship. Had dinner with SS and went back to our room. GREAT DAY! KAUAI Sat. 2/9 4pm Had another great day on Kauai! Watched the docking with a tug boat right into harbor early this morning. It was bright sunny and warm. Got on our bus to go to the canyon called the Grand Canyon of Hawaii. Much more lush follige along the way again up a volcanic mountain. Beautiful canyon was very impressive. Then down the mountain with a stop at a shop (of course) . Then back to the ship for lunch. Then went on shuttle to beach and shopping area. Got very warm. Had a nice dinner in the dining room with everyone there. Went to the casino, spent my money and came back to the cabin. Monday2/112:30 AT SEA, by the pool SUN HAWAII THE BIG ISLAND We left the ship about 10am for our tour. Saw a great deal of the island on the way to Volcano National Park. Sunny and beautiful day. Saw the huge Kileaua crater still smoking away. Saw steam vents around the park and stopped at a lave flow area that was rugged black lava rock. Then we went on to walk through a lava tube about a quarter mile through, dark, damp and rough walking. Lighted through it. It was in an incredibly lush forest with noisy birds. On the way back, we stopped at a macadamian factory. I had the most wonderful chocolate and coconut macdamian nut ice cream. Fantastic flavors together. Only rain we had was at that Created using Notebooks by Droid-Veda LLP Feb-23-2013 factory and that was the rainy side of the island. Got back on the ship about 3:30. It was a full day. Had a prime rib dinner with everyone then went to a comedy show which was really good, Troy? ?. Today we are back at sea and I am by the pool. Ralph did a load of laundry. Have a great leisurely day. The pool has big waves so it gives you a workout. Good movies on board, Lincoln and Argo. Just enjoying days at sea, sleeping late and casino time and eating! ENSEMADA MEXICO Friday 4:15pm Have had several days at sea.Don’t know what we have done but time went pretty fast. Got up late, went to casino, ate too much, etc. Was a bit cool for a couple of days. Today is warm and sunny. We have been on the balcony watch the ship dock and many sea gulls fly around. Packed for pick up tonight. Can’t believe it is time to leave. Had our Valentine lobster dinner last night. Today cashed $240 from two bonuses on slots! That was nice. Very good trip. Nice steak dinner tonight. All packed. Had nice breakfast in dining room before disembarking about 9:30am and getting through customs and on to LAX. HOME Sunday 2/17/134 pm Great to be home. Yesterday was a long wait in airports (LAX and Las Vegas) but all on schedule and home about 11pm. Will miss Albert and Englebert putting napkin in my lap and serving me dinner.Loved our trip. PERFECT SEAS AND WEATHER. Created using Notebooks by Droid-Veda LLP Feb-23-2013 Link to pictures of our trip on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4807179210328.2173503.1021595628&type=3&l=e5b76efc47..