Cruise Time!

Aloha. 

A lot of you will already know that we took a bit of a break from Terra Australis, and hit the high seas, cruising from Sydney to Honolulu via New Zealand and the beautiful Tahitian Islands. As we have been known to do in the past, we travelled with our dear friends Nancy & Keith, and we had an absolute blast!

We sailed on board the beautiful Radiance of the Seas, 90,000 tonnes of luxury, carrying the friendliest crew you could ever hope to meet. Captain Siendre from Norway was young and friendly, constantly walking the ship and joining in activities. His example was infectious amongst the crew, and the end result was non stop fun.

The Inside Solarium Pool.

The main pool on Deck 11.

If you have never been on a cruise, you should start saving and go. These huge modern ships can handle almost any weather, and a sea sickness pill will usually quell the queasiest tummy. Why people refuse to take them is beyond me! There is so much to do on board, it is impossible for anyone not to be entertained. It would take me pages to describe what is on offer, but just try and imagine a 5 Star luxury Resort with Casino, situated inside a monster Shopping Mall. There are dozens of places to eat and drink, two swimming pools and 4 spas, and an endless activities on tap. There is an amazing gymnasium and spa treatment area, a jogging track, huge theatre for live shows each night, a cinema with different movies every day, a kids club, a teens club, a library, card rooms, lots of on board shops, mini golf and lots of outdoor deck sports including a Rock Climbing Wall!! And all this floats and takes you to amazing places

About to leave.

Sydney shimmers.

We sailed out of Sydney Harbour just after sunset on a beautiful autumn night. The city was shimmering, and a sight to behold. The captain advised guests that the seas in the Tasman were huge, 8 - 10 metre swells!, and sea sick pills were available from the guest services desk. Those that took the advice enjoyed a great first night at sea, wobbling along the passageways. Those that didn't turned mostly green, and weren't sighted for a couple of days.

Arthur, Carolyn, John, Arnel,
Nancy & Keith.

John & Arnel.

First thing to do was familiarise ourselves with the ship. Our staterooms were on deck 4. Ocean view via porthole is cheaper than balcony rooms, and you spend so little time in your room. More money to spend on drinks and activities!! Starting on Deck 4 mid ship, is the Centrum, which is a bar, meeting place and the ground level of an atrium that soars all the way to Deck 11. It is a regular staging point for events , and people can crowd around the balconies on levels 5 to 11, to watch what is going on. It is neon lit and constantly changes colour. We quickly built up a rapport with barman Romeo, which is a good idea, as they look after you all cruise long!! That night at dinner, we met our head waiter and assistant, Arthur, very suave and stylish from Chile, and Arnel, a clown from the Philippines. They were a fantastic team, and we made sure we got them serving us almost every night! The food was wonderful, and the service from these guys was exceptional. By the time we left the ship we knew their life stories and almost felt part of the family. The Dining Room Maitre D, Alvin, did a fantastic job of ensuring we almost always got our guys. We had chosen the "Open" Dining option, which means you usually get a different table and staff each night, so our thanks go to Alvin, for making an exception for us.

On our third night, we all received a pleasant surprise when we were invited to the top Specialty restaurant, Chops Grill, as the guest of Gavin Smith, Managing Director of Royal Caribbean in Australia, and friend of Graeme, Nancy & Keith's son, who had so wonderfully rescheduled our cruise. Gavin was killing us with kindness, firstly with roses, then Champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries to the room, and now with this! It was a real treat.

Beautiful kept Marlborough Vineyards.

A visit to Brancott Estate Winery.

Our first three days were at sea. The seas had abated and the weather was showery, so we were confined to indoor activities, which meant we only had a choice of hundreds of things to do! Day 4 we arrived at our first NZ port of call, Picton. We had booked a shore excursion to the beautiful Marlborough Wine Region, to sample some of that world famous NZ Sauvignon Blanc. It was a great tour with a stop at a Chocolate Factory, an artist's village and ultimately the Brancott Estate Winery.

That night was John's birthday so we booked a night at one of the ships 6 Specialty restaurants, the Samba Grill. It is a  Brazilian Churruscaria, which is a type of BBQ, where the meat comes out on sword like skewers. It is a carnivores delight! It finished with a cake and candle, and a resounding rendition of Happy Birthday, sung by around 14 staff of about that many nationalities, all trying to sing in Spanish!!

Wellington's Westpac Stadium with
Radiance of the Seas..

Nancy & Carolyn at Wellington
Botanical Gardens.

When we awoke next morning, we had meandered across the Cook Straight to NZ's Capital, Wellington, which was pleasantly not very windy! We were tied up alongside the relatively new Westpac Stadium, which created a spectacular sight. Wellington is home to Peter Jackson Director of Lord of the Rings, a fact that would be impossible to miss as you tour around the city! Here we did a morning city tour, which included the Botanical Gardens, the Maritime Museum, and a climb to the top of the Mount Victoria? Lookout, which was spectacular. We spent the rest of the day walking the city streets of Wellington, and riding the tram to the top of town.

Poolside BBQ lunch

At the Captain's reception.

We headed out of Wellington bound for Papeete, five days cruising away. This gave us time to enjoy the ship and its endless array of activities. The days grew warmer and time around the pool was lovely. We played Bingo, without success, Trivia also without success, saw movies, attended various talks and seminars on everything from health to history and getting the most out of your digital camera. Mostly we just relaxed.There were sales at the shops, and we crossed the International Dateline. 

Docked at Papeete.

On Anzac Day, there was a wonderful service held in the auditorium, attended by all the officers in full dress uniform. When the Last Post and Reveille were played, there wasn't a

dry eye in the place. The warmer weather saw more outside activities including delicious BBQ around the pool, some fiercely competed Pool Volleyball, with teams from Australia, the Crew and the Rest Of The World. A highlight during this time for Carolyn and I, was an invitation for drinks and canapes in the Captain's Quarters. We never did find out why or how we got invited. We just joined 16 other guests in the Captain's Sitting Room. It was a real experience!

No shops, may as well
have a Margarita.

Black Sand beach at Papeete.

Day 11 we arrived at Papeete. It was a shame it was a
Sunday, as mostly everything was closed. Sunday is a church and family day, and a cruise ship wasn't going to interfere with that! We docked right in the centre of town, opposite rows of padlocked shops. Women were weeping, and men were cheering all over the ship! We had all booked a shore excursion that took us around the Island to see some of its natural treasures. It was a good tour, with a delightful young lady as the guide. English was her 5th language, and she had us in fits with some of her phrases, but she took it in great fun. We visited one of the black sand beaches, some lovely gardens, a spectacular waterfall, and a pretty good blow hole. The scenery around the island is  very spectacular with towering mountains, lush forests and beautiful blue water. 

Nancy & John
sample the local brew.

At the Falls.

We stopped for a coldie at a restaurant, and eventually made it back to town in
time for lunch. We found a pub that was open and that had a few other hardy souls from the ship, and we tucked into some delicious thin crust pizzas and some local beer, all of which was excellent.
We did manage to find a couple of shops open, but everything is very expensive in the Tahitian Islands. We had been warned, and they were right! The local precious item is the Black Pearl. There were some stunning pieces in the shops that were open, with prices stretching into the tens of thousands! Not for us! 

Today was also the 15th anniversary of Carolyn's 49th birthday, and she had requested a  special dinner at the Italian Specialty restaurant called Giovanni's. The food here was excellent, and this time we got the entire restaurant staff of countless nationalities, giving a fantastic rendition of Happy Birthday first in English and then in Italian (we think?). 

Local band greets us at Moorea.

Next day we were at Moorea. Charles Darwin on one of his journeys, described Moorea as "a picture in a frame" with its towering peaks and aquamarine lagoons inside the protective reef. We have long wanted to visit, and were not disappointed by its beauty. It is a honeymooners playground. We moored just outside the small harbour, and used the ships tenders to go ashore. We were met by hula girls and a band, and a well organised gauntlet of market stalls.

Leave some for Us!!

We did the stalls which had some nice things but were again very expensive, then took a taxi to the shopping village, which was equally expensive. We had booked an afternoon tour, so had time for a local BBQ'd lunch of Poulet et Frits (Chicken & Chips), and had to fight off the local hounds,  who were the most undernourished lot I've ever seen. They must only get fed by the tourists! Still, they were pretty well behaved, and no one lost a limb.

The real Bali Hai.

The afternoon tour around the island, was run by a local character called William, who claimed ownership of, and a bloodline to, everyone on the island. He was an absolute

Famous Over Water Resort
Bungalows of Moorea.

scream, telling us that his Polynesian name meant "beautiful boy". He owned half the businesses on the island, had worked on the film set of South Pacific, but had declined a starring role. His old bus headed off around the island on very narrow roads. We headed up to the mountain lookout, where the hairpin turns meant we did almost as many miles in reverse gear as forward, and were politely told that Japanese Tourists were much lighter and easier on his bus! From the lookout we gazed upon Bali Hai, and thankfully William didn't burst into song. I'm still not certain whether we got a history of the islands or a day out with Tahiti's answer to Benny Hill! We stopped at his wife's black pearl shop, where he begged us to buy something, otherwise he wouldn't be getting any "dessert" for a long time. When we returned to the jetty, I wasn't sure whether to give him a tip or ask for a loan!

Leaving beautiful Bora Bora.

That evening, as we sailed out of Moorea we could only watch and wonder at what those early explorers must have felt when they found these idyllic islands. We slowly headed out through the reef on course for our next day in paradise at Bora Bora.

Walking the beaches at Bora Bora.

In the morning we were anchored at Bora Bora. The heavens had opened and we couldn't see dry land. But despair soon turned to joy, as the storm had passed and brilliant sunshine took its place. Our scheduled tour on the lagoon was again looking good. Bora Bora, as a beach destination, was even more beautiful than Moorea. The clear aqua water and the reef that encircles the island, provides fabulous sheltered waters. Our tour here was for only 8 people on a small speed boat to look at the waters of the reef, its sea life and then swimming at one of the many beaches. The two hours just flew by. Damian, our guide was a lovely French guy, who showed us a great time as we sped across the lagoon. However his smile dimmed a little when we hit the coral at speed with the propeller. Thankfully the damage was minor.

Warm waters of Bora Bora.

 After the tour we jumped into one of the many taxis and headed out to find the legendary "Bloody Marys" Bar and Restaurant. First we found a lunch spot where we had a

Drinks at Bloody Marys.

sandwich and chips. We weren't game to ask what was on the sandwich, I can only say I've never seen it before, but it tasted good, and the baguette was to die for.
We jumped on one of the Truck buses that ferry people up and down the island, and found our way to Bloody Mary's. It was surprisingly good, so we had a bloody mary, bought a T-Shirt in the shop, and the girls were fascinated by the water feature in the ladies powder room! We were sad to leave Bora Bora. Another day at the beach would have been lovely, but sadly not to be.

30 Years of Love& Marriage.

Nancy & Carolyn with Chef David.

We now had 4 more days at sea as we headed for Hawaii. Our
first stop is just a day stop at Lahaina on Maui, and then Honolulu. But first there are more celebrations to have. 1st of May Carolyn & I celebrated our 30th Wedding Anniversary, and what more special way to celebrate it than with our dear friends Nancy & Keith. We had celebrated our 25th with them in Shanghai. They ordered us French Champagne, and our friendly waiter Romeo had it iced up and ready to go. For dinner, we had booked one of the great treats on a cruise ship, the Chefs Table, in this case an intimate fine dining experience for no more that 16 people. Tonight there were just 11 of us, and what a fun crew they proved to be. Across from Carolyn & I sat Robert & Martha, from Germany. Martha came from the same bubbly stock as Carolyn & Nancy, so our end of the table was ready to party. Our other guests were three Aussies, two from the Gold Coast, and Fay from Glebe, and

Our Anniversay Cake.

a lovely couple from America who were probably wondering what was happening, though they certainly warmed to the task as the wine flowed! The dinner and the accompanying wines were outstanding. The lovely chef David would first bring out one plate of the course and explain in detail how it was prepared. Then whilst he was getting our food ready to serve, our wine waiter, who's name I can't remember, probably because he was a bit of a wanker (trying explaining that term to a German!), would run us through the wine we would be served. For a wanker he picked some nice wines, and I have now remembered why he was such a wanker. He had the nerve to bag good old Aussie Wine!! Anyway, all the food and wine was amazing, and to top it all off Nancy & Keith had organised an Anniversary cake, served by all the crew who burst into a version of Happy Anniversary to you! We were all having such a lovely evening, so Fay asked for more wine, which quicky arrived, and the party continued. The ladies all received a copy of the menu and a souvenir cooking book featuring the signature dishes of the chefs from the various Royal Caribbean cruise ships. We finally pulled up stumps after 4 hours of total enjoyment. They'll be talking about that "Chef's Table" for some time!!!

King Neptune arrives for the
Crossing the Equator ceremony.

Next day was the day we crossed the Equator. Now in nautical terms this has special significance. Those who have already crossed the Equator are known as "Shellbacks", whilst those yet to cross are known as "Pollywogs", and have to be initiated. The ceremony took place around the pool. A number of poor volunteers had to kiss dead fish and were pelted with raw eggs and spaghetti and flour, all in the presence of King Neptune (The Captain) and his wife and motley crew. It was a scream. Thankfully we escaped the carnage, but witnessed it all from a safe distance.

The Equator crossed, it was now full steam ahead to Hawaii. More relaxing days around the pool, more trivia, more bingo, more cocktails, more food, more parties at both the pool and at the Centrum. The fun just goes on and on. Last day at sea is the big Bingo day. They play games in both morning and afternoon, and two lucky guests got to share the Bingo jackpot of over $7,700.00. Not Bad at all! But alas we weren't the lucky two.

Rental car on Maui

The drinks Paddle at Bubba Gump's
Shrimp House.

We anchored just off the shore at Lahaina, Maui, on day 17, and were tendered ashore after doing all the customs and immigration stuff, that went surprisingly smoothly for such a lot of people. It is more than 20 years since we were last in Hawaii. We decided to hire a car and do some self guided touring, which proved a good decision. We went across to the other side of the island and toured around the resort and wealthy homes districts. It was a warm but showery day, and we found a great lunch stop back at Lahaina called Bubba Gump's Shrimp House. It was themed with all things Forest Gump, and the food was great as we sat beside the sea looking out to the Radiance of the Seas anchored just off shore.

Last night on board, we had a big night farewelling Arthur and Arnel. They did a parade of all the wait staff through the two levels of the main restaurant, and they all sang to us. Afterwards, Carolyn and I danced away the night at the Centrum party (yes John actually danced!), and then it was time to get the bags packed and outside the cabin for our early morning arrival into Honolulu.

View from our hotel balcony.

A lot has changed since we last walked the sands of Waikiki Beach, and boy has the skyline changed. Leaving the ship was sad, but a wonderfully smooth operation nonetheless. At a little after ten we were in the reception of The Embassy Suites Hotel. The Embassy Suites are just what the name suggests, one bedroom suites with all facilities. It was the biggest place we've stayed in since leaving Lilyfield!! Our tariff include full breakfast, and wait for it, free happy  hour, every night from 5.30 to 7.30! Full bar with nibblies, and every second night a band came in and entertained us as well. We all got upgraded to Ocean View Rooms on high floors, so Paradise was found!

Carolyn on Waikiki Beach

The plan for Hawaii was simple. The girls would shop, the boys would golf and help carry the shopping, with a little sightseeing thrown in for good measure. But before anything can happen, John has to get his Reuben Sandwich fix. I can't enter the US without finding a Deli  and having one of these classic sandwiches. As luck would have it "Giovanni Pastrami" was just across the road, and the sandwich was delicious. All that shaved pastrami, sauerkraut, fantastic dressing and gooey grilled cheese, YUMMO! But be warned, it doesn't carry the Heart Foudation Tick of approval. After lunch it was around the pool, and into the brochures to plan the next 5 days.

With help from the concierge, two games of golf were booked. The first at the Hawaii Prince Golf Club, and the second at Ko'olau Golf Club, a course built within a volcano and rated the toughest layout in the entire USA. The concierge said it was a must do. We'll see! The girls won't have to go far to shop. We are surrounded by shops, shopping centres and markets, and there are shuttle trollies and buses to whisk them to any venue deemed too far to walk. So first night after big sandwiches for lunch, and loading up at the Happy Hour, we decided on an early night, after a walk around the local shops, which conveniently stay open til 10.00pm.

Keith & Golf Hawaiian Style.

Next morning, after a hearty breakfast, Keith and I were picked up by the Hawaii Prince Golf Club bus, and transported out to the course, about 40 minutes away. The club is a 27 hole layout. We were decked out with full Taylor Made hire sets, which were well used but good. We were sent out to play the "B" nine followed by the "A" nine. It was all very nice and pretty quiet. It suited our standard of golf, with enough waterways and bunkers to keep us honest. Whilst waiting in the pro-shop after the round, I got chatting to the staff who asked if we'd be playing some more golf. I said we were booked at Ko'olau Golf Club on Thursday. There was one of those pregnant pauses, then one of the guys told me they had a good special on the Precept balls. He added that the rule of thumb at Ko'olau was that you'd lose one ball for each stroke of your handicap!!!! He's got to be kidding?

You just never know who you
will meet shopping!

Back at Happy Hour, we learned that the girls had successfully trollied their way to the giant Alla Moana Shopping Mall, and had a great day shopping and relaxing. Next day we planned to do the serious shopping day to the Waikele Outlet Centre, where there is plenty of choice and cheap cheap prices. The Shuttle bus for the 30 minute ride was full of Aussies, all in search of a bargain! We definitely weren't disappointed. Hundreds of outlets and big brands like Guess, Calvin Klein, Gap, Tommy Hilfiger, Osh Kosh B'Gosh, Adidas, Nike, Converse, Izod, Samsonite. The list just goes on and on, and we didn't get anywhere near seeing it all in our 6 hour stay. Oh, and they have this extra thing in America when you go shopping. It is called SERVICE. There are lots of staff and they are happy and helpful, and it doesn't cost any extra. Wonder if it will catch on back home?? Going home, they had to call in an extra bus! Not for us of course! Those other people had bought suitcases from Samsonite and filled them with goodies. Almost everyone needed an extra seat for their shopping bags! Thankfully, happy hour was still in full swing when we got back to the hotel. Boy did we need a drink!! That night we wandered up the street to PK Changs Chinese Restaurant. I think this is a chain. It is the only Chinese restaurant I've been to where I didn't see any Chinese! Still we all had a great meal with "my names Bob and I'll be your waiter tonight". You've just gotta love the way they do the whole service thing in the states.

Keith, Mike & John at Ko'olau.

Thursday was the long awaited golf game at Ko'olau Golf Club. Our "host' for the day was Mike, who whisked us away in his mini van on the 40 minute drive to the course. Mike was unbelievable. The first golf joke was delivered as we left the hotel driveway, and they didn't stop all day. There is a famous Robin Williams skit in which he interviews a Scotsman on how & why the game of golf was invented. It is absolutely hilarious! Mike recited the entire piece, which goes for like 10 minutes!!! We pulled into a gateway that heralded The Ko'olau Presbyterian Church, to which I asked Mike if this was part of the joke, to which he replied "did you hear about when God, Jesus and Moses headed out for a game of golf? Well God won the toss (he always does) and teed off first. He snap hooked his drive into a coconut tree, and it ricocheted 100 metres down the fairway, falling into a small stream, where it landed on a turtle who sent it flying out into the deep stream to be swallowed by an old catfish, that got swooped on by a sea eagle, who as he was flying away was attacked by a condor and dropped the fish which landed hard on the 1st green dislodging the ball from its stomach which then rolled into the cup!! Moses turned to Jesus and said, I hate playing with your dad!!!" Mike just said, hope for one of those days!!

John & Keith with the fairway
at their back.

In the pro shop you are overwhelmed by the golf balls on sale.!! Outside you are shocked by how little golf course you can see!! I purchase the 15 bonus pack of Pinnacles, whilst Keith, either exuding confidence or simply so stunned he was having trouble concentrating, purchased a basic box of 12. I kid you not, but in the photo to the left, that is the fairway behind us. You will see a very small patch of green in the distance. This one is a 200 yard carry across jungle. Every hole had a long carry over jungle. Some had 2 or 3 carries. When you ran out of fairway you ran out of fairway! Usually a drop into another ravine. And just when you thought it couldn't get worse, every green was surrounded by deep cavernous bunkers. The scenery was amazing, and you have plenty of time to take it in as you search for balls!! Thankfully sanity prevails with a local rule that allows a ball lost in the ravine to have the next shot played from a drop zone on the other side of the ravine. Without this rule, on holes like 18 (Hardest on the course), you could easily be playing 15 off the tee!!

Still we wouldn't have missed it for the world. It was an amazing day out. For those interested, the course has a USGA Rating in Tournament Layout, of 78.2.  I lost 18 golf balls and Keith lost 15, but Mike found about 50, to add to the huge bag he carries in the back of his buggy! We arrived back, ready for Happy Hour, and scarred for life! Oh and yes, Mike told jokes all the way home as well!! There is a nice touch next to the clubhouse, three large wooden crosses. I started to ask Mike about these, but he just said "Respect those that have gone before you!!" Looks like we didn't have such a bad day after all!!

Lunch at Turtle Bay Resort.

One of the North Shore's famous
Shrimp Trucks.

That night, our last, we enjoyed a lovely Italian meal at a delightful restaurant quite near our hotel, set in garden. With the warm balmy weather, we had a lovely final night. Carolyn & I took one last walk around the bright lights of Waikiki, and for our final day, we had hired a car to drive ourselves over to the famous beaches of Oahu's North Shore. Those names that the Beach Boys made famous, like Waimea Bay, Sunset Beach, the Banzai Pipeline, are all here. The scene is all beach culture and relaxed. There are homes and fences made from old surf boards, and surf board letter boxes everywhere. The food trucks, which are popping up all over the world, are prolific on Oahu's North Shore. They sell mostly shrimp and Tacos and sandwiches. We didn't quite get Nancy to sample one, but I think she was showing signs of weakening to the temptation. Instead,we stopped in at Turtle Bay Resort, a wonderful golf and beach resort on the North Shore. We had a terrific simple lunch by the water.

Beautiful weather every day!

Back at home, we sampled one last happy hour, and watched one last sunset. Tonight we even got a fireworks display, though Donald Trump's Hotel next door, partially blocked the view.

We had enjoyed a fantastic few days in Hawaii. The weather had played its part, and everything had gone to plan. Our thanks to Jenny at Ramsgate Travel who put the whole thing together, and our special thanks to Gavin Smith, Managing Director of Royal Caribbean in Australia, for making the changes that couldn't be made, and then spoiling us all the way to Hawaii.

This was special holiday with our special friends Nancy & Keith.