Our last day in Hawaii

While the rest of the ship’s passengers fought their way through the Aloha buffet, we had a relaxing breakfast at the Lazy J….steak and poached eggs. James escorted us off the ship---once again, avoiding the long departure lines. It would have been perfect….except when we went to the VIP area to collect our bags, my bag wasn’t there. Evidently, ‘bag switching’ is a common problem—people walking off with the wrong bags. This group evidently was one of the worst they’ve ever had. They had over 10 people with missing bags. Instead of doing our last minute shopping, we spent the morning waiting for someone to realize their mistake. When the last bag left had a green ID tag, they found the culprit. Fortunately, they were only at the Hilton and once their bags were delivered, they got back into a taxi and returned my bag. It was a bit amusing to see this grossly obese woman pulling my bag out of the taxi and realizing what a surprise it would have been to her to find my clothes instead of her plus-sized ones.

We got to the airport early—and got through security in the “Gold Lane”---easy, peasy. Our flight home wasn’t so bad. We got onto the plane at 2 PM, got our dinner and wine (and more wine and Courvoisier). We got into Los Angeles with an hour layover. When we got onto the 10:45 PM flight, we were amused to find one of the first class passengers—a huge St Bernard “service dog”.

We had a few more glasses of wine and a few Baileys and slept. We arrived in Orlando at 6:30 AM and went home for a quick nap and Sunday afternoon at the Freezer.

Flying over Kauai

We got room service in our room again this morning….steak and eggs for both of us. We had to get to the Blue Hawaiian Helicopter offices by 9:45. After a safety video and picking up our safety pouches, we took a van to the airport with 10 other people. They have 2 helicopters flying once an hour—quite a business! We were surprised when they led us to the helicopter, the EcoStar, and showed us to our front row seats. I was seated next to our pilot, Dawn, and Mom had the window seat—with amazing views.
What a spectacular way to see the island.

We took off and headed to the Hanapepe Valley, then to Mana Waiapuna (also called Jurassic Park Falls). We flew through the Olokele Canyon and into Waimea Canyon (The “Grand Canyon of the Pacific”).

We saw the most beautiful waterfalls and stunning scenery before flying to the Na Pali coast and the Bali Hai Cliffs.

Dawn flew us into Mt Waialeale, the heart of an ancient volcano and the wettest spot on earth—with an average rainfall of 450-500 inches annually. It was breathtaking to fly into the center of a crater with 5000 foot walls and 3000 foot waterfalls surrounding us.

The 50 minute ride literally flew by and we were landing back at the airport—the highlight of our trip!

We stopped to do some final shopping before heading back to the ship for our last night. We had lunch at the Lazy J, did some last minute shopping before we started our packing.

We stopped for a class in making “Towel Animals”.

Every day our housekeeper would leave us these charming little animals on our bed—made from just a few bath towels.

Our last evening and we enjoyed the sail-by of the Na Pali coast with a glass of wine and canapés. Absolutely lovely!

George, Our Butler

Dinner at the Skyline Restaurant and we ended the evening with a Jacuzzi bath. So relaxing!

The Skyline Restaurant

Photos courtesy of Flickr

Kauai

We were doing a stellar job of trying everything on the Lazy J menu. Today was Crab Cakes Benedict with two poached eggs, toasted English muffin and dill hollandaise for me and Fruits de Mer in Brioche (lobster and scallops in toasted brioche with a poached egg and choron sauce) for Mom.
We got off the ship, picked up our rental car and marveled at the beauty of the island of Kauai. This island is everything that you imagine when you think of Hawaii….lush tropical forests, staggeringly beautiful coastline and beaches and sleepy little towns. We drove north up the coast, stopping to see the Kilauea lighthouse.

Four species of birds come to Kilauea to nest—red footed boobies are the most visible. And, of course, the local chickens/roosters are everywhere.

We stopped at the end of the road to see a gorgeous beach before heading into the tiny town of Hanalei.

We checked out the local grocery—milk was $5.99/gallon! We did a little shopping and stopped for a local favorite- Shave Ice.

We got their special- the “Bali Hai Sunrise”….shave ice covered with mango, passion fruit and asian plum sauce on top of a huge scoop of macadamia nut ice cream. It was heavenly!

Even the local birds were hoping for a sample.

Our last stop before turning in the rental car was the Lihu’e Lutheran Church—Hawaii’s oldest Lutheran Church.

We got back to our room to find a plate of the most decadent chocolate brownies…our “suite” treat! We did our last lei making class—this time a ribbon lei (much more challenging than the previous two!)
Dinner and an evening in the hot tub.

The Big Island - Kona

Determined to try everything on the breakfast menu, we were at the Lazy J bright and early. I tried the French toast; Mom had the Belgian Waffle with Grand Marnier Strawberries. James stopped by to tell us that we would have priority boarding onto the tender. Once again, we were escorted to the head of a long line (with a few disgruntled passengers asking why we got ‘special treatment’ as we passed them by). James simply looked at me and said, “They’ll get over it”.

We took the short tender ride into the town of Kona. The hawkers were in full force with the ever present shuttles to Walmart, Kmart and the local malls. We decided to try one of the mall shuttles—and were surprised when one of the stops was Target! We found a cute store selling unusual Hawaiian jewelry – bought an adorable Hawaiian Christmas ornament shaped like a paw.

Back in the town of Kona, we walked through the town, stopping in the Moku’aikaua Church, the first Christian church on the islands.

Across the street was the Hulihue’e Palace, the home of Hawaii’s second governor.

We tendered back to the boat and decided to get dinner served to our room. George arrived at 6 PM, set out a white tablecloth and our dinner of pork tenderloin, lamb shank, spring rolls, cheesecake and chocolate decadence. It gave us the chance to get ready for the Captain’s VIP Party at 7PM. The “suite” guests were treated to a photo with the Captain and his officers and a party with free flowing champagne. We met a lovely Australian couple in line and chatted with them while we swilled champagne.

Another night in the hot tub before crashing into bed.

The Big Island - Hilo

Lazy J again—this time Steak and Eggs…a gorgeous filet with 2 poached eggs!
We landed at the Big Island at the town of Hilo. The Thrifty rental car wasn’t as efficient as Maui, but we finally got our rental car and headed south to Volcanoes National Park. The park was about 30 miles south and an easy drive. The park has two semi-active volcanoes—the steaming Kilauea Caldera, at the summit of the youngest and most active volcano on earth. Unfortunately, since the Japanese tsunami, the lava has been driven underground. So, what we saw was a lot of steam vents in a landscape of pumice and hardened oceans of lava.
It looked a bit like the Iron Range in northern Minnesota—with steam. We stopped to see the views of Kilauea at the Jagger Museum and drove through the park on “Chain of Craters Road”.

By this time, we had had our fill of craters and lava and decided to drive back towards Hilo. We stopped at an Orchid Farm (basically a tourist stop to buy orchid plants). James recommended a stop at the Big Island Candy company.

We sampled our way through their wonderful chocolates and shortbread cookies and took a few boxes home. With time to burn before we could get the rental car shuttle, we drove through the town of Hilo and made a stop at Hilo Hatties. (Gas- $4.19)

We made it back to the boat for our second Lei Making class—this one with fresh orchids. They were gorgeous—and so easy to make.

We dined at the Liberty Restaurant again—spring rolls, an empanada, mahi-mahi and chocolate raspberry truffle. The ship was really rockin’ and rollin’ as we headed towards the other side of the island.

Maui and a Day on the Ship

After an exhausting day, we slept in and decided to spend the day on the ship. I ordered room service from the Lazy J and at 9:00, George brought our Eggs Benedict and fresh fruit plates to our room. What luxury!

Room Service in our Suite
We spent the day doing a bit of shopping –on “Newbury Street”, had lunch at the Aloha (our first and last buffet experience on the cruise).

The Aloha Buffet

As we walked by the Lazy J, we thought we’d stop in for a cup of coffee…and couldn’t resist the “Warm Espresso Chocolate Brownie”. Fortunately, we shared—it arrived with two huge brownies, a scoop of macadamia nut ice cream and caramel brittle.

On the Ship
Back at the room, we got comfortable and watched “The Help” before our Kukui Nut Lei Class.

Back to the room with our newly made Lei’s and we found a plate of canapés and got ourselves a glass of lovely New Zealand sauvignon blanc wine. We decided to do a shared table for dinner—so we could make the 7:00 show. We should have stayed at the dinner table—the entertainment left a lot to be desired. We left early, watched a bit more of “The Help” and ended the evening in our hot tub.

Maui and the Feast at Lele

We decided to make it a lazy morning. The only thing we had to do was the luau in the evening. We used our cappuccino machine and had our first cup of coffee lounging in bed. The TV channel selection was limited, but we were able to find MSNBC (better than the other news option, FOX!).

We headed to a late breakfast at the Lazy J and realized that we were not going to lose any weight this week. They had a buffet table laid out with juices, breads, rolls, croissants, fruits, cereals and breakfast meats. But who could indulge in any of that when the menu featured things like “Tahitian Vanilla Challah French Toast with cinnamon-scented macerated berries and mascarpone” (Mom’s choice) or “Buttermilk Hot Cakes with walnut butter and caramelized bananas” (My choice). With coffee brewed fresh at the table, we managed to eat almost all of this scrumptious breakfast.

The weather wasn’t ideal as we headed off the ship. We got our Thrifty rental car and directions to Lahaina. But first, we made a stop at the local Walmart. We wanted to pick up a copy of “The Help” to watch in our room and also check out the prices and see how the locals shop. Wine was priced reasonably, but milk at $4.00 a gallon—and gas at $4.84 took our breath away. We checked out, surprised to find that Walmart doesn’t use ANY plastic bags. You bring your own bag—or buy a cloth bag when you check out. Hooray for Walmart!

The drive to Lahaina was on a 2 lane, twisty road over a small mountain. The good news about these islands—it’s easy navigating. There aren’t that many roads and the signage is good. We got into Lahaina—a coastal town of shop after shop after shop and 3 hour parking (which is enforced). We got a great parking lot on the main drag and walked and walked and walked, in and out of small stores selling pearls, black coral and Hawaiian souvenirs. It was interesting to talk with one of the local shop keepers about the harvesting of black coral. Hawaiian Black Coral -- the Hawaii State Gemstone -- is collected by hand by divers at depths that exceed 200 feet.
At Banyan Tree Square, we saw the largest Banyan tree in the U.S.

It was planted in 1873 and today stands 60 feet tall, with its branches reaching across the better part of an acre.
We had to move the car (our 3 hours were over) so we took a drive north to see the resort area, Ka’anapali. It’s lined with high rise ocean front hotels and condos and lots of golf courses. With time to spare, we stopped at a local beach shack, Aloha Mixed Plate, for a glass of wine and a taste of their famous “chutney coconut prawns”.

Before we knew it, it was time to head to the Feast of LeLe on Lahaina Beach.

We were greeted with an orchid lei and escorted to our front row table. They handed us the traditional Hawaiian ‘mai-tai’ when we walked in. We promptly took a sip and ordered wine.
The menu was a four course gourmet dining experience. Each course represented a modern twist on traditional island cuisine We started off with traditional polynesian banana, taro and sweet potato chips served with a tropical ginger salsa.

As the sun began to set, the show began with chants, songs and hula dance from Hawaii. John had warned us of the “fat hula dancers”. Boy was he wrong- these girls were gorgeous!

As we watched the show, we were served the first course-- mango sauce poi, kalua pork, fresh island fish with pohole ferns and heart of palms salad.

The luaus second course came from New Zealand, with very athletic dances of the Maori culture. Our Maui luau course included country green duck salad with poha berry dressing, kukupatties-Maori fishcake with mussels, salmon and scallops and harore kumara – roasted mushrooms with sweet potato.

The Tahitian creation chant set the scene for the third course including Fafa- steamed chicken and taro leaf in coconut milk, marinated scallops on the shell and E’iota – posson cru.

The final luau dish represented Samoa, celebrating Flag Day--a Samoan two day festival of food, fun, dancing and singing. At this point, we were about to burst, but managed to try the supasui, a grilled steak dish with baked breadfruit and a shrimp and avocado dish with passion fruit. When they brought a dessert tray out, we thought we couldn’t eat another bite, but did try the Caramel Macadamia Nut Tart and the Chocolate Truffles.

The Samoan fire knife dance was amazing—and we were so close we could feel the heat from his torches. The weather held out and we had a wonderful evening.

The drive home was less than fun….driving through the mountains with a trail of cars behind me. We managed to re-fuel the car (although a power outage had caused major problems with the computers across the island—no credit card transactions could be processed. We got back to the boat, exhausted and very full.

Pearl Harbor and the Pride of America

We awoke to a beautiful Hawaiian rainbow.
Fortunately, we both slept well and with our body clocks still on east coast time, our 6:30 AM alarm didn’t feel so bad. We made some in-room coffee, ate our ABC muffins and yogurt and met our tour bus driver for our ½ day tour of Pearl Harbor and Honolulu.

Just 3 days before our visit, the site was filled with WWII veterans, survivors of Pearl Harbor, celebrating the 70th anniversary of the attack. The memorial is on the U.S. Naval Base, about 45 minutes west of Waikiki. After a short documentary film on the Pearl Harbor attack, you board a Navy shuttle boat to the Memorial.

The Arizona Memorial was quite moving….the oil still seeps out from the ship on the bottom of the bay.

After visiting the memorial, we drove through the National Cemetery of the Pacific, known as “The Punchbowl”. The long drive was lined with gorgeous banyan trees.

From there, we drove through downtown Honolulu’s Chinatown and their corner “lei stores”. Honolulu is a much bigger city than I expected and the traffic is non-stop. The freeways are jammed, even on a Saturday morning. The downtown business high rises blend into the hotels and condos of Waikiki Beach to the north.
We got back at 1:30 and grabbed our bags to head to the ship. We had an entertaining ride with a Korean cab driver. He had us in stitches talking about his life as a cabbie and his over achieving children.

The Pride of America docked in Honolulu
Photo courtesy of Flickr
When we arrived at the port, we checked our bags and looked at a line that looked blocks long. We, however, were able to walk directly to the front of the line and got processed through immediately.

After the obligatory "photo" inside, the long lines continued, but we followed the signs for VIP’s and were personally escorted to the ship and greeted with a glass of champagne and met James, the concierge.
The “suite” guests had use of the Lazy J Restaurant for breakfast and lunch. While the rest of the ship was fighting for space at the Aloha Buffet, we were treated to a lovely, quiet lunch before making our way to our room.

On the 12th floor, down a private corridor of suites, we found the bright green door leading to our “Bird of Paradise Suite”.

What a sight—we walked in to find a bottle of Moet Chandon champagne chilling in a silver ice bucket, plate of cookies on the counter, fresh fruit basket and a gorgeous tropical flower arrangement on the table. Within minutes, our personal butler, George, rang the bell and took us on a tour of our suite.
He showed us how to use the coffee/cappuccino machine, the 3 HD TV’s (in the living room, bedroom and bathroom), the Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom and the hot tub on our deck! The room was paradise.

The kitchen area was complete with stocked refrigerator, wine and champagne glasses and cappuccino machine. (George left us a liquor list to choose the wine/liquor that we needed for the week.)

The décor was tropical—murals and carpeting in shades of fuchsia and green. Our living room had a small dining table, sofa and 2 chairs and a glass coffee table as well as a deck outfitted with a PC.

Outside the sliding glass doors, we were delighted to find our HUGE deck—a table and 4 chairs, two lounge chairs and our own private hot tub.

With views of Honolulu harbor from the deck, we could have stayed there forever.
The View of Honolulu from our Balcony
But, there was still a bedroom, walk-in closet and huge bathroom to explore.

What a joy to have a huge walk-in closet with make-up station. We had more than enough space to unpack everything from our over-stuffed suitcases.

Our Walk-In Closet
In the bathroom, we had double sinks, a gigantic walk-in shower, bathroom and a large Jacuzzi tub. (And, for that time when we “entertained”, we had a ½ bath, as well).

Since our luggage hadn’t arrived, we decided to take a tour of the ship. The theme is “Americana”—from the giant seal of the U.S. in the lobby, to the themed restaurants, “The Liberty, Skyline, Jefferson’s Bistro, Little Italy, East Meets West, the Aloha Cafe and the Cadillac Diner”. Only weeks away from Christmas, the ship had a large decorated tree on the grand staircase.
We had dinner at the Liberty Restaurant….mahi-mahi, shrimp, key lime pie. We got back to the room to find our luggage (even with my smuggled wine boxes). After unpacking, we just relaxed in our gorgeous suite and watched the ship leave Honolulu, bound for Maui.