Allure of the Seas

In the Caribbean Sea aboard Allure of the Seas – September 4, 2012

This ship is a floating Latino nursery. The majority of the passengers are gigantic Latino families with hoards of children. They arrive at the dining room for dinner starting at nine in the evening and eat dinner well into the night. That includes all children of any age as well as babies. Tonight we had stereo crying babies along with our Caprese salad. Even though it clearly states in the Cruise Compass that no shorts are allowed in the dining room people still come in shorts and tee shirts. No good.

The ship appears to be full but we were able to find chaise lounges in the adults only solarium so I am happy about that. We relaxed in relative peace and quiet and were not on any sort of schedule.

The entertainment has been excellent so far. We have seen a late-night comedy show, a Broadway-type production of Chicago and a water show, a la Cirque d Soliel. No problem making reservations or getting decent seats.

It rained in Nassau so we didn't spend much time walking around. Besides, we've been there a million times. Today was a sea day. Tomorrow we will get off in St. Thomas, head for Magens Bay and shop in town. We really don't need anything but I am sure we will find something to buy. They have a good flea market there beside all the better stores.

Our stateroom is very large and has a floor to ceiling picture window which overlooks the front of the ship. I like it. I am ahead in the casino so far but I play small so I can't lose much.

The seas were about ten feet yesterday but we didn't feel the ship moving at all and today it is like a giant lake out on the ocean with beautiful warm Caribbea gentle breezes. It doesn't get any better than that.

HOME

We are home now and I am already looking for the next thing to do.  Our trip was wonderful.  I learned to dance the real hula, make Hawaiian jewelry, meet new people, connect with old friends from previous cruises and best of all, saw my family in person.  There is nothing like hugging and kissing your daughter and sister.  It's the best.

I loved the sea days but had no real time to relax.  I thought I would read but there was no time for that either.  I loved revisiting Hawaii and found new things to love about it.  The highlight for me was the trip to Mt. Kiluea.  There is nothing like that jittery feeling of standing atop an active volcano or wandering through a lava tube. 

I was awed by the sheer power of the sea.  Being in a fairly large ship in 20 foot seas and 80 mile per hour winds made me appreciate the life of a sailor plus a bit of trepidation.  I must admit that when my water glass went flying across the room I got a little apprehensive, not to mention fearful when I saw the waves coming too close to my deck 8 cabin!  Mother nature is a powerful girl and I am just a little fish in her sea.

Hoping to be on the waters again soon, bye from sunny Florida.

Bagpipe Parade, Victoria

My new boyfriend, The Hunk

Seaside Promenade, Victoria

Chinese school, Chinatown, Victoria

Government House Vivtoria

Last Day

Today is the last day of our marathon cruise. We leave the ship early tomorrow morning for the overnight in Seattle and then home. It was a gorgeous day here in Victoria, B.C. It is lovely here and the people are so nice. We walked for miles in the mild temperature and bright sunshine. We saw the government buildings and the stately old Empress Hotel. They are celebrating the Highland Games and there were men in kilts playing bagpipes all over the city (photos to follow). Of course, we followed them...right into beautiful pub.




We had a really good time on this ship. The crew is wonderful and we really felt like it was our home. Everyone knosws us by name and we were treated with the utmost respect at all times.

Along the Columbia River waterfront

Astoria

The town was originally discovered by Lewis and Clark and developed by John Jacob Astor, hence the name Astoria.  The population is ten thousand and it sits directly on the banks of the Columbia River.  The main industries are fishing, canning, logging and tourism.  It is very small and very quaint.  Everyone is very nice.  There is a Coast Guard base here.  I thought we might need them the other night but we made it.

They say it rains a lot here but today is beautiful with bright sunshine. We will walk the river walk for about a mile to return to the ship.  I need the exercise.  One more chocolate croissant and I might explode.  There is a cute little outdoor market right at the pier which requires my presence..

Logging operations at the docks of Astoria

Lobby of Astoria Hotel

Downtown Astoria

Liberty Theater, downtown Astoria

Astoria Seaside Tram

Schmoozing with the captain

Brunch buffet

Tempest at sea

Sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge

Freezing my ass off in San Francisco Bay

View os San Francisco from the bay

Ferry Landing at lunchtime

Sisters on the Bay

Cable Car

San Francisco Cable Car

Tempest

Last night in the middle of dinner the captain and his entourage came over to our table to personally ask us how things were going so far. Needless to say, we were surprised, We assured him that all was well and that we were having a great time.




Later in the evening we noticed that the wid was picing up and the seas were increasing in size. No problem, or so we thought. By about eleven we were in the middle of a raging tempest whichhas not let up well into this afternoon. I got no sleep last night due to howling winds, strange noises and creeks and things banging throughout the entire ship. They closed all the outside decks for safety. The early morning winds were clocked at 85 mph and the seas at 20 ft. I almost rolled out of bed several times and my water glass went flying across the cabin and spilled all over the floor. Barf bags are strategically placed all over the ship. As of now, about three in the afternoon, it is still blowing and howling outside and the spray has soaked our veranda which is on the eighth floor. There is no let up in sight and I am trusting that this old girl will make it to Astoria, Oregon. Some of the cre is seasick. A lot of the passengers are too. I am sleep deprived. However, all shipbord activities appear to be proceeding as usual. I might want to re-think my ideas about a transpacific crossing unless it is in a Los Angeles class submarine.



As of 10:30 this evening things have calmed down but we are still rocking and rolling. Things are operating normally throughout the ship and maybe I can get some sleep. We dock in Astoria at about eight in the morning. It is supposed to be very small and quaint.

SAN fRANCISCO DAY TWO

Girls shopping day today. We went Union Square and shopped till we dropped. I almost fell asleep writing this sentence. I was so happy to spend time with daughter, sister and cousin. I will be quite sad for the rest of the day. There is nothing like a big, close family. It was great catching up on all the family gossip.



San Francisco is just abou the same it has always been. A few more panhandlers (one actually had a pan), a few more reconstruction sites, a few more expensive restaurants and coffee places, a few more oddballs wandering around and the most glorious place to see on a bright, sunny day.



We are just waiting for the ship to pull out at five pm and slide under the GGB (the local fond term for the Golden Gate Bridge). If the fog doesn't envelope it we shall try for a good photo opportunity.



Jerry is still obssessing over the hugely expensive meal we had last night. The restaurant is owned by a famous local chef and the food was delicious so who cares? You only live once and you earned it.

Having Tea

Pagoda in the Japanese Tea Garden

Peaceful gardens in the middle of the city

San Francisco skyline

With daughter and sister

Phyllis and Jillian on the water wheel bridge in the gardens

Japanese Tea Garden

SAN FRANCISCO

SPENT THE DAY SIGHTSEEING WITH THE FAMILY. IT WAS SO WONDERFUL BEING ABLE TO HUG AND KISS THEM. WE WERE ALL OVER THE CITY ENDING THE DAY WITH AN ASIAN FUSION YUMMY DINNER. TOMORROW IT'S SAUSALITO. THE WEATHER IS GORGEOUS WITH A BRIGHT SUN AFTER THE MORNING FOG BURNS OFF AND MILD TEMPERATURES. STILL IT'S A BIT COOL FOR US WARM WEATHER FREAKS SO I BOUGHT TWO JACKETS. I AM STILL ABOUT EVEN IN THE SHIP'S CASINO. MAYBE I CAN DO BETTER ON THE WAY TO VANCOUVER. WILL TRY TO GET SOME PHOTOS ON. WE WENT TO THE JAPANESE GARDENS IN GOLDEN GATE PARK AND THE SCENERY IS GORGEOUS.

Approaching San Francisco

Century approaching San Francisco


We have been on this ship for so long that we are on a first name basis with all the officers. I expect them to put me to work any minute. It's fun. The cre is very visible and friendly. We are like one big happy family.



Today there were parties and things to do all day since we were at sea. This evening we had dinner with two officers. Great food and great wine.



Tomorrow we go under the Golden Gate Bridge at 6:45 am. I don't think I will be up to see that. We plan to dock at Pier 35 at about 8 am. I am lookng forward to spending two wonderful days with family.

Catalina

Yesterday was the last day of the first cruise and the first day of the second cruise. Two consecutive cruises are called Back to Backs or B2B in cruisers lingo. We are in that category. We changed cabins with a minimum of effort and went off the ship to sightsee once again and do a little local shopping in San Diego.


Today we spent the day at Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles. We have been there several times throughout the years we lived in California. Things haven't changed much. The Casino is still there. Now it is a movie theater. The ferrys still run back and forth all day. We call them the barf ferries because everyone always throws up on them. It is a rough twenty six miles to LA. There are no cars allowed on the island and the means of transport is the golf cart. Just like the Villages in Florida. People still come over for the weekends to party. Everything is still overpriced. Some things never change and Catalina is one of them.

Tonight we met some of the new officers who just signed on. Tomorrow there is another party with them. Tomorrow night we will be having dinner with the Chief Engineer at the Captains Table. I know the wine will be great and after a few glasses I will be speaking Greek.

Century Part Two

Yesterday was the last day of the first cruise and the first day of the second cruise. Two consecutive cruises are called Back to Backs or B2B in cruisers lingo. We are in that category. We changed cabins with a minimum of effort and went off the ship to sightsee once again and do a little local shopping in San Diego.


Today we spent the day at Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles. We have been there several times throughout the years we lived in California. Things haven't changed much. The Casino is still there. Now it is a movie theater. The ferrys still run back and forth all day. We call them the barf ferries because everyone always throws up on them. It is a rough twenty six miles to LA. There are no cars allowed on the island and the means of transport is the golf cart. Just like the Villages in Florida. People still come over for the weekends to party. Everything is still overpriced. Some things never change and Catalina is one of them.

Tonight we met some of the new officers who just signed on. Tomorrow there is another party with them. Tomorrow night we will be having dinner with the Chief Engineer at the Captains Table. I know the wine will be great and after a few glasses I will be speaking Greek.

Doing the hula with the Hawiian band

Doing the hula in front of the whole ship

Sea turtles on Hilo

Spectacle

Spectacle

Well I have made a spectacle of myself once again. Tonght was the last formal night and we got ourselves all dressed up. Actually, we looked pretty good.

On the way back from our delicious lobster dinner we had to walk through the main lounge which was packed with people listening to the Hawiian musicians playing their ukuleles and singing Hawiian songs. They asked if anyone had taken the hula class and would dance on the stage while they played. Of course I had to do it. It was just me and the two guys. I remembered everything I learned in class and did the whole dance and got a rousing round of applause. I can't believe I did it. People were coming up to me afterward telling me they didn't know anyone could shake so well. I am now a celebrity on Celebrity! I am having so much fun. Tomorrow it's Mexico.                                     

Hilo Part 2

Hilo, Part Two

After visiting Volcano National Park we stopped at an orchid farm and the Mauna

Loa macademia nut farm where we stuffed ourselves with all flsvors of macademia nuts and of course, macademia nut ice cream. Our guide finished the tour with a stop at a local farmers market where we tasted new fruis such as

white pineapple and apple-bananas. Yummy! We didn't even mind the rain. Hilo is also the quiet part of the big island, giving it the feeling of old Hawaii.    

Dancing with the stripes

Dancing With the Stripes

Last night we went to the specialty restaurant to celebrate two anniversaries, ours and our friends. There were six of us and we had a very special meal with very special wines and a plethora of decadent desserts. We were all nauseous at the end of the meal because everything was so rich. It's noon right now and I haven't eaten a thing yet.

After dinner I decided to once again make a complete fool of myself and entered a dancing contest with one of the officers as my partner.n How do I get myself into these predicaments? We did six different dances in front of the whole ship. I must be truly insane! But it was fun and I got a tee shirt, luggage tag and a pen for my efforts. Hardly worth the embarrassment.

Tonight is the last formal night and I hope I can fit into my dress. Then we have to change cabins for the trip from San Diego to Vancouver. It's been great so far. We met some really nice people, renewed friendships with others that we met on former cruises, and so far have had great service from the crew. I just wish I had more time to rest. We dash from one activity to another. I will need a vacation after this cruise is over.

Inside the lava tube on Hilo

The Kiluea volcano

Jerry entertaining the purser staff

Mid Pacific

In the Middle of the Pacific




Still overcast and cool. Seas are pretty calm. Today was our last hula lesson. We are all so said. I hope I remember how to do it because it is reaaly fun and very relaxing.



We just cme from the Gala Brunch and I am ready to use a barf bag. There was so much food there I could hardly look at it. Ugh! I am over buffets. We are going to the specialty restaurant with two other couples tonight and the mere thought of it is making me ill.



Later this evening I will try to sign up to Dancing with the Stripes activity where you are paired up to dance with an officer who doesn't know a thing about dancing. Should be hilarious whether or not I get picked.



Time to rest.

Leaving the islands

Leaving Hawaii




Last night was formal night and we all cleaned up very nicely. We are so elegant. The food was delicious, the show was wonderful and we went to a 70's party late at night. Most of the passengers were asleep for hours so only the younger people (in their 60's and 70's) were up late enough to attend this party. The band played 70's music and we danced while trying to remain upright because the ship was rockin' and rollin'.



Our cabin neighbors are Russian and they are loud and obnoxious. We had to talk to the people at guest relations to tell them to lower their television which was blasting loud before 7 am. Last night at 1:30 am our smoke alarm went off and we had to call someone to shut it off without creating a mass panic on the ship. So this morning when the Russians' television started blasting I was ready to kill someone. We called guest relations again and that worked. If they do it tomorrow they will be found floating in the Pacific if the sharks don't get them first. Thank goodness for my hula class which calms me down and makes me feel wonderful. The last class is tomorrow and I will be so very sad. I love the hula and now understand the culture behind it, thanks to our wonderful hula and Hawiian crafts teacher, June. I can now make Hawiian jewelry and dance the hula and actually know what I am doing. So much fun! I think I could take a cruise around the world and not be bored for one moment.

HILO part two

Hilo, Part Two




After visiting Volcano National Park we stopped at an orchid farm and the Mauna

Loa macademia nut farm where we stuffed ourselves with all flsvors of macademia nuts and of course, macademia nut ice cream. Our guide finished the tour with a stop at a local farmers market where we tasted new fruis such as

white pineapple and apple-bananas. Yummy! We didn't even mind the rain. Hilo is also the quiet part of the big island, giving it the feeling of old Hawaii.

Hilo, Big Island

Hilo and Volcano National Park


Big Island of Hawaii



The captain did a sail-by of Kiluea at night and we saw faint lava flows sliding down the mountain. We docked early in Hilo, on the opposite side of the island from Kona. Kona is the dry side of the Big Island and Hilo is the wet side and it is lush, green and lovely. It is the location of the active volcanoes as well.



We met our private tour guide who we were with for the entire day. It rained all day but that did not stop us. We went up into the clouds to see Kiluea, a volcano which is extremely active these days. The central crater spews smoke and ash. All over the mountain side vents spew smoke and gasses. You can walk on cooled lava. We went througha cooled lava tube. Fascinating. We also went through a rain forest We saw Rainbow Falls, A beautiful waterfall. We watch five seismographs showing all activity on the volcano in real time. The needles moved constantly, showing constant volcanic activit righ beneath us. The guide told us that ifwe hear rumbling we should follow him and run like hell!

Waiting for the volcano sail by

Waiting to sail by the volcano.




Some thoughts while waiting to see the Kiluea by night.

Everyone has been looking for whales. We saw a spout. Nothing else. There are some people on this ship who are as big as whales. And they just keep eating.

A woman lost her shoe in the ocean while getting into the tender. It was really funny. I hope this ship doesn't sink because these tenders don't appear very seaworthy. Jerry and I were just kidding around with the crew members. They are so cute. I think they like us because we stay up after 9 pm. The rest of the passengers eat dinner at six and are in bed by eight. It is like a ghost ship at night. We have the whole place to ourselves.

Maui and Kona on the Big Island

Century


Maui and Kona



Maui is stll laid-back. Lahaina is still the lazy old place I remember. There are just some more shops. ABC Shops have taken over the islands. They have everything but mostly Hawiian things. We went to Ka'anapali Beach for four hours. This is a beautiful horseshoe-shaped beach which goes on for miles. There is a very nice high-end shopping center in the middle with good restaurants. We ate a pineapple hot dog (sounds gross but is not) and Maui potato chips...really healthy.



We had to tender for these two days which has been hellish to say the least. The seas are a little rough and the crew practically throws us on and off the tenders and we have to sit there in the sweltering tenders (lifeboats) till they are full, bouncing around like corks. Some people were getting sick but not us. We were just sweating like pigs.



When we finally got to the beach the water was great for swimming, although at one point I thought the current would take me to China. It really was nice.



The Big Island - Hawaii



Today in Kona I have been drinking Kona coffee all day and bouncing off the walls. We have been shopping for tourist junk all day. In between these activities we took a trolley ride around Kona and enviorns to see whatever there is to see. Kona is very laid-back too. In fact, half the locals look like they are barely alive. Just like the majority of the passengers. That's o.k. We are still in the kiddie program and are hanging out with others from the program. We are laughing and having fun, probably at the expense of others.



Tonight we are doing a drive-by of Kiluea, the active volcano, at night. It should be exciting if the clouds allow it. Tomorrow we actually go up to the volcano with a guide. I'm so excited about that. I can't wait to see it. I hope I don't turn into a lava statue of myself.

MAUI