Having had two and a half weeks of calm seas, we finally hit wild seas on Monday morning. 4 -5 metre swell with occasional squalls hitting the ship. She's a big ship but she still managed to corkscrew around in the waves like a runabout. Lot of people being seasick - sick bags were placed all over the ship for those unfortunates who couldn't hold their stomachs. For the first time ever I started to feel unwell, but we then decided that I probably had my first hangover of the cruise given the 1.30am finish at Jammers nightclub - you guessed it, another karaoke session. After a couple of seasickness remedies (mostly gin & lemonade) I came good. The temperature plummeted outside to a chilly 10 degrees and that wasn't including the windchill factor. Out came the winter coats and scarves, although some idiots were still walking around in shorts and t-shirts. The seas calmed after we sailed into the shadow of the north island of NZ so we had only twelve hours of rough wealther.
Arrived in Auckland at 7am Tuesday and what a lovely little city. I came here in '86 on the Oriana and the water front has changed a bit. They now have a Hilton Hotel built on the pier where the ship docked, so it was amusing to be looking into peoples rooms from deck 14! Fenna and Fred headed off to find supplies so Bryce and I wandered into town a bit later. NZ prices are pretty low, so I had a great time looking at goodies to buy. The four of us then met up with our friend Jill Wolfram who is a local. Jill was just as thrilled to see us as we her. The rest of the day we went to the Viaduct and sampled local and international beers (well, the boys did). I managed to get back to the shops in the afternoon to see if there was anything from NZ that isn't sheep or rugby related - it was a bit difficult but I found a few things.
Set sail at 4pm and we all commented on how lucky we've been that every Pacific stop has been sunny, even though rain was forecast at each one. Today, Thursday, is now packing day and clearing customs and immigration. The nice people from Immigration boarded in Auckland and will clear the ship before we arrive tomorrow. From the short update Bryce just gave me when he brought me a cup of tea, two of our other lady passengers spent the whole night partying with the customs and immigration boys and apparently only just headed off to bed! Bet the government people will have little headaches when they start at 8am. He he he...
Erika & Bryce
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Just another day in Paradise
After two days sailing from Moorea, we arrived at Pago Pago, American Samoa yesterday morning (Thursday 26 Aug). Pago Pago (pronounced Pango Pango) is one of seven islands that make up this small US territory in the eastern part of the Pacific. The port is right in the small town, and the local traders set up their stalls at the pier to make life so much easier for those of us who like to shop!! Weather was very humid even though it is their winter season. We decided not to take a tour, but to walk around the area. Pago Pago was hit by a tsunami last year, and full credit to them for recovering so well. Very little signs of the damage caused by the waves.
The main industry in town appears to be fishing and fish processing, and while the other side of the port was lined with fish factories, we were lucky that there were no odours to be detected where we were berthed, or indeed, anywhere in the town. The local population is a mix of Samoans and some Americans, and all are very friendly and welcoming. We managed to locate the Sadie Thompson Inn ( from my recollection, the movie Sadie Thompson was a story based in American Samoa, and from the names of the two watering holes here, is probably correct) and the four of us retreated into the airconditioning for rehydration. Fenna and Fred then headed off in the other direction to which we had been walking to see what was at the other end of the town - turns out one bank and another bar. That's all. Bryce and I wandered back through the town, with Bryce getting some great photos of the ship with his new, super techo camera. Bryce has had a lot of fun playing with the new toy, and so far has taken over 600 photos for you all to have a look at when we get back! Ha ha ha ha ha.....
We headed back to this ship around 2.30pm and tried to cool off in the breeze that was at least blowing around the ship. We discovered that our malfunctioning toilet in the cabin had still not been fixed so Bryce raised hell down at the Pursers Office. They fixed it PDQ after that. Still had plumbers and the stewards buzzing around the cabin when we head to dinner at 8pm but all was good when we got back afterwards. Decided to make it an early night (10pm is early onboard a ship) but of course this morning I'm wide awake at 4.30am. We've worked out the best time to get onto the internet and emails, although the telecomms is still very patchy.
So, we now have three days at sea before reaching Auckland on Tuesday 31 Aug. We lose 28 Aug as we cross the international dateline at 2am Saturday morning, and then we're back in the same time zone as Australia. We're catching up with Jill Wolfgram in Auckland, who we all met on the Sun Princess in December 2007. Jill is the fabulous, if somwhat infamous, Kiwi who reintroduced the application of the term "slapper" during a hilarious altercation in the casino on the Sun Princess. Hoping the weather warms up in NZ before we get there but not holding our breaths - the average daytime temp is 15 degrees Celsius! Glad we packed our winter woollies for the last section of the trip.
Erika & Bryce
The main industry in town appears to be fishing and fish processing, and while the other side of the port was lined with fish factories, we were lucky that there were no odours to be detected where we were berthed, or indeed, anywhere in the town. The local population is a mix of Samoans and some Americans, and all are very friendly and welcoming. We managed to locate the Sadie Thompson Inn ( from my recollection, the movie Sadie Thompson was a story based in American Samoa, and from the names of the two watering holes here, is probably correct) and the four of us retreated into the airconditioning for rehydration. Fenna and Fred then headed off in the other direction to which we had been walking to see what was at the other end of the town - turns out one bank and another bar. That's all. Bryce and I wandered back through the town, with Bryce getting some great photos of the ship with his new, super techo camera. Bryce has had a lot of fun playing with the new toy, and so far has taken over 600 photos for you all to have a look at when we get back! Ha ha ha ha ha.....
We headed back to this ship around 2.30pm and tried to cool off in the breeze that was at least blowing around the ship. We discovered that our malfunctioning toilet in the cabin had still not been fixed so Bryce raised hell down at the Pursers Office. They fixed it PDQ after that. Still had plumbers and the stewards buzzing around the cabin when we head to dinner at 8pm but all was good when we got back afterwards. Decided to make it an early night (10pm is early onboard a ship) but of course this morning I'm wide awake at 4.30am. We've worked out the best time to get onto the internet and emails, although the telecomms is still very patchy.
So, we now have three days at sea before reaching Auckland on Tuesday 31 Aug. We lose 28 Aug as we cross the international dateline at 2am Saturday morning, and then we're back in the same time zone as Australia. We're catching up with Jill Wolfgram in Auckland, who we all met on the Sun Princess in December 2007. Jill is the fabulous, if somwhat infamous, Kiwi who reintroduced the application of the term "slapper" during a hilarious altercation in the casino on the Sun Princess. Hoping the weather warms up in NZ before we get there but not holding our breaths - the average daytime temp is 15 degrees Celsius! Glad we packed our winter woollies for the last section of the trip.
Erika & Bryce
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Bali H'ai will call you....
James A. Michener wrote Tales of the South Pacific after spending time in the Pacific during WW2, and having read the original version printed in 1946, I have always been interested in each of the little islands around Vanuatu and New Caledonia that we have visited on previous cruises. On Sunday and Monday, we visited Papeete and Moorea, and at last have seen the fabled Bali H'ai from the book. Papeete is the capital of Tahiti, French Polynesia and is a great place to visit. The ship entered the 150m channel to the harbour around 6am so we were up and watching as Cap'n Todd gently guided the good ship Dawn Princess through the marker buoys. Now, for those of you who have visited a French port in the Pacific on a Sunday and found it to be closed up, and nothing open, Papeete is different. The local tourism bureau organised for the stores etc to be open in the morning, until 12pm, and then they were holding a regular festival and market on the waterfront from 1-6pm. Very different from Noumea! The locals were extremely friendly, and speak a mix of French, Tahitian and English.
After taking a short tour to see a couple of natural highlights (waterfalls, blowholes and Captain Cook's location for viewing the Venus eclipse back in the late 1700s, we then wandered around the town. Given the warm weather we were building up a bit of a thirst, and naturally Bryce and Fred found "un petit bar" that served cold beer. The two owners don't usually open on a Sunday but in their wisdom, decided to open for the day and night. Turns out it was a very smart move for them, with 2000 Australians and NZers just across the road at le port. We were using US dollars so four drinks would work out to $20 US for just about anything to drink (beer, wine, spirits - single and double shots). We witnessed the most amazing feats of endurance, with two gentlemen from the ship consuming 5 steins of beer each (a stein holds just under 2 litres) in a three hour period. It was then time for the bar games to begin, and one of the owners jokingly brought out a bag trolley for one of these legends to get his colleague back on board the ship. Then the other one wanted his own bag trolley. Next thing we knew, Aussie blokes in the bar were lining up to have their photos taken on the bag trolleys! The locals loved it, and we women were laughing hysterically at the simple things that keep men happy.
After heading back to the ship to freshen up (after about five hours of international relations building) we then visited the festival and food market at the port. Little vans were set up with their various cuisine, tables and chairs. The locals were all out in force, with the police closing off the roads to let everyone roam freely. A wonderful atmosphere, and definitely a place to visit again. We returned to the ship, and then headed for Moorea at 5am the next morning. Moorea is 15 miles away from Papeete, and is the beautiful, mystical island that Michener describes as Bali H'ai in his book. We could see Moorea from Papeete, and it is very much shrouded in mist and clouds from that distance. Sailing into the small bay where we were anchoring on Monday morning was amazing, as the mountains rise up a very short distance from the coast. And they are spectacular. Fenna and Fred did a tour around the island that turned out to be longer than they expected, but well worth the effort. Bryce and I decided to walk around the little market that was set up where the ships tenders dropped us off, and then caught a taxi to the Intercontinental Hotel a few miles up the road. The scenery was breathtaking, and the colours of the water really outdo anything we've seen elsewhere in the Pacific.
Once all were back on board in the late afternoon Cap'n Todd swung the ship around and headed out through the coral reefs into a golden sun set. We gathered at the Oasis Bar at the back of deck 14 and watched Moorea slip back into her misty mantle, with a full moon rising over her.
Erika & Bryce
After taking a short tour to see a couple of natural highlights (waterfalls, blowholes and Captain Cook's location for viewing the Venus eclipse back in the late 1700s, we then wandered around the town. Given the warm weather we were building up a bit of a thirst, and naturally Bryce and Fred found "un petit bar" that served cold beer. The two owners don't usually open on a Sunday but in their wisdom, decided to open for the day and night. Turns out it was a very smart move for them, with 2000 Australians and NZers just across the road at le port. We were using US dollars so four drinks would work out to $20 US for just about anything to drink (beer, wine, spirits - single and double shots). We witnessed the most amazing feats of endurance, with two gentlemen from the ship consuming 5 steins of beer each (a stein holds just under 2 litres) in a three hour period. It was then time for the bar games to begin, and one of the owners jokingly brought out a bag trolley for one of these legends to get his colleague back on board the ship. Then the other one wanted his own bag trolley. Next thing we knew, Aussie blokes in the bar were lining up to have their photos taken on the bag trolleys! The locals loved it, and we women were laughing hysterically at the simple things that keep men happy.
After heading back to the ship to freshen up (after about five hours of international relations building) we then visited the festival and food market at the port. Little vans were set up with their various cuisine, tables and chairs. The locals were all out in force, with the police closing off the roads to let everyone roam freely. A wonderful atmosphere, and definitely a place to visit again. We returned to the ship, and then headed for Moorea at 5am the next morning. Moorea is 15 miles away from Papeete, and is the beautiful, mystical island that Michener describes as Bali H'ai in his book. We could see Moorea from Papeete, and it is very much shrouded in mist and clouds from that distance. Sailing into the small bay where we were anchoring on Monday morning was amazing, as the mountains rise up a very short distance from the coast. And they are spectacular. Fenna and Fred did a tour around the island that turned out to be longer than they expected, but well worth the effort. Bryce and I decided to walk around the little market that was set up where the ships tenders dropped us off, and then caught a taxi to the Intercontinental Hotel a few miles up the road. The scenery was breathtaking, and the colours of the water really outdo anything we've seen elsewhere in the Pacific.
Once all were back on board in the late afternoon Cap'n Todd swung the ship around and headed out through the coral reefs into a golden sun set. We gathered at the Oasis Bar at the back of deck 14 and watched Moorea slip back into her misty mantle, with a full moon rising over her.
Erika & Bryce
Friday, August 20, 2010
No More Pollywogs!
Yesterday (Thursday 19 Aug) we crossed the equator so the ship held a traditional crossing the line ceremony complete with King Neptune, mermaids and jailers. As Bryce and I have never crossed the equator by sea we were pollywogs, and had to join other pollywogs in King Neptune's jail! We were taken from the jail (a sectioned off area on Riviera deck by the pool) in groups of four to kiss the head of a fish, and then sit down in front of the court (the rest of the passengers etc). The judge of the court would read out the charges (we were accused of having too much fun) and then the court would pass judgement (guilty, of course). The mermaids then slimed us with spaghetti, custard coloured with food dyes and occasionally raw eggs. Fortunately, one of the ladies in choir warned me to wear my swimmers instead of clothes, but some people didn't have a clue what they were in for. After the ceremony, we were put into the poolside shower and hosed off with hot water.
The worst part was the bloody fish! Marcus, our ship's DJ, was in charge of getting everyone to kiss the fish. We've gotten to know Marcus really well, given the several nights we've spent in the nightclub dancing, oh, and singing karaoke. I thought I was being clever by doing the sideways air kiss, and just pressed my cheek very lightly to the side of the fish. Marcus then got me when I was sitting in the chair and rubbed the thing all over me! Guess you could say he got his revenge for having to play all the "old" tunes in the nightclub for us. By this stage, a lot of other pollywogs had been through the ceremony so the fish was looking the worst for wear, with it's tail section falling apart and exposing yuk all over the place! Bryce copped it worse, though, as Marcus shoved the broken end of the fish INTO HIS MOUTH! It took him several beers afterwards to get rid of the taste, and naturally we had to get back to the cabin to shower off the gunge. Our steward had to get rid of the towels as they stank of fish and started to smell out the bathroom!
Having subjected ourselves to this time honoured tradition, we are now no longer pollywogs, and have joined that special group of sea farers known as shellbacks!
Erika & Bryce
The worst part was the bloody fish! Marcus, our ship's DJ, was in charge of getting everyone to kiss the fish. We've gotten to know Marcus really well, given the several nights we've spent in the nightclub dancing, oh, and singing karaoke. I thought I was being clever by doing the sideways air kiss, and just pressed my cheek very lightly to the side of the fish. Marcus then got me when I was sitting in the chair and rubbed the thing all over me! Guess you could say he got his revenge for having to play all the "old" tunes in the nightclub for us. By this stage, a lot of other pollywogs had been through the ceremony so the fish was looking the worst for wear, with it's tail section falling apart and exposing yuk all over the place! Bryce copped it worse, though, as Marcus shoved the broken end of the fish INTO HIS MOUTH! It took him several beers afterwards to get rid of the taste, and naturally we had to get back to the cabin to shower off the gunge. Our steward had to get rid of the towels as they stank of fish and started to smell out the bathroom!
Having subjected ourselves to this time honoured tradition, we are now no longer pollywogs, and have joined that special group of sea farers known as shellbacks!
Erika & Bryce
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Book 'em Danno
A great day in Hawaii yesterday. The ship sailed past Diamond Head and Waikiki before heading into the very narrow channel that enters the Port of Honolulu. Porpoises were playing in the water off our starboard side as we glided through the channel markers to the pier. As the port is in the city of Honolulu, we walked to the main post office to send of mail (yes, there should be some postcards arriving) and it was a very pretty place. Lots of greenery and shade, and most of their original colonial buildings are well maintained, and being used by government agencies. I could just imagine Steve McGarret standing on the steps of the court house!
Caught a bus out to the main shopping centre Ala Moana with Fenna & Fred, but after an hour it was just more of the same - very pricey boutiques such as Chanel, Prada, Ferragamo etc. We jumped onto a shuttle to Waikiki and then walked from the eastern most end of the strip, taking in the famous beach and hotels. The water is the most amazing colours of aqua and blue. Lots of people here as well given it is still US summer holidays, so Bryce & I have agreed we have to come back outside the summer season. Fenna & Fred came here 12 years ago and found "the pink hotel". We went to find it and turns out it is the Royal Hawaiian! Had to have a drink under their umbrellas in front of the beach and pretend to do what the rich people do, but one drink was definitely enough. Bryce and Fred headed back to the ship while Fenna and I did some more shopping (yes, Fenna spent quite a bit of time shopping which is very unlike her) before catching a taxi back to the ship. All in all, a top day. Now at sea for five days before we reach Papeete, Tahiti.
Erika & Bryce
Caught a bus out to the main shopping centre Ala Moana with Fenna & Fred, but after an hour it was just more of the same - very pricey boutiques such as Chanel, Prada, Ferragamo etc. We jumped onto a shuttle to Waikiki and then walked from the eastern most end of the strip, taking in the famous beach and hotels. The water is the most amazing colours of aqua and blue. Lots of people here as well given it is still US summer holidays, so Bryce & I have agreed we have to come back outside the summer season. Fenna & Fred came here 12 years ago and found "the pink hotel". We went to find it and turns out it is the Royal Hawaiian! Had to have a drink under their umbrellas in front of the beach and pretend to do what the rich people do, but one drink was definitely enough. Bryce and Fred headed back to the ship while Fenna and I did some more shopping (yes, Fenna spent quite a bit of time shopping which is very unlike her) before catching a taxi back to the ship. All in all, a top day. Now at sea for five days before we reach Papeete, Tahiti.
Erika & Bryce
Monday, August 16, 2010
Four Days in a Leaky Boat
Ok, we're very late in updating the blog, but the internet connectivity is woeful.
Have had a great four days at sea, but the weather is variable. Cold and windy for the first couple of days and then warm, with sunny periods in between tropical down pours.
We can read our emails, but can't get replies out. Mum, would you please let Rochelle and Scott know this? Thank you.
Erika
Have had a great four days at sea, but the weather is variable. Cold and windy for the first couple of days and then warm, with sunny periods in between tropical down pours.
We can read our emails, but can't get replies out. Mum, would you please let Rochelle and Scott know this? Thank you.
Erika
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Viva Las Vegas!
Yes, it's exactly like Elvis says it the song. An overwhelming muddle of casinos trying to outdo each other with either opulance and grandeur or out and out, in your face, brashness. We arrived on Saturday afternoon to a hot 41 degrees. The coach trip out there from Los Angeles was ok; after getting through traffic hold ups caused by grass fires, we could see that there really is nothing at all out in the Mojave Desert apart from Joshua trees and yukkas. The ride was 4.5 hours with a 20 minute break in the world's worst truck stop. It seemed like Saturday was the day for combined populations of California and Mexico to head to Vegas by coach, and every one stopped at Barstow at the same time.
The Flamingo was one of the first casinos built on the Strip, and is very much a traditional casino/hotel set up. Fenna and Fred had a room on the 24th floor and the view across the back of the Flamingo's gardens and out across the city was pretty. Bryce and I were on the 4th floor (by choice) and had a closer view of the gardens. Saturday late afternoon we met up with two other couples that are also sailing on Dawn Princess on 11 Aug, who weere chatting online with before leaving Australia. Colleen and Vaughn, and Sue and Brian had flown direct from NZ and were on their fifth day in Vegas when we caught up with them.
Sunday was great. We caught the fountains at the Bellagio on our way out of town to shop, and the mix of Frank Sinatra and the coordinated water spouts was just brilliant. Had lunch at the Venetian on Monday, in the replica of St Marks Square, with opera singers seranading us. Completely over the top!
Erika & Bryce
The Flamingo was one of the first casinos built on the Strip, and is very much a traditional casino/hotel set up. Fenna and Fred had a room on the 24th floor and the view across the back of the Flamingo's gardens and out across the city was pretty. Bryce and I were on the 4th floor (by choice) and had a closer view of the gardens. Saturday late afternoon we met up with two other couples that are also sailing on Dawn Princess on 11 Aug, who weere chatting online with before leaving Australia. Colleen and Vaughn, and Sue and Brian had flown direct from NZ and were on their fifth day in Vegas when we caught up with them.
Sunday was great. We caught the fountains at the Bellagio on our way out of town to shop, and the mix of Frank Sinatra and the coordinated water spouts was just brilliant. Had lunch at the Venetian on Monday, in the replica of St Marks Square, with opera singers seranading us. Completely over the top!
Erika & Bryce
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