Wed 26 Sept
I woke up early at 6.00am to join Davie and Sheila for a
cuppa tea and then finish my packing. Davie and I then set off to meet up with
‘big John’ for the usual walk along the water front. It had dawned a perfect
day with a bit of a nip in the air (10C). The sunrise was fantastic high
lighting the Lions Gate Bridge and the tall buildings with an orange glow.
On returning Sheila had the usual yummy hot brekkie ready
for me. Then it was time to get ready and leave for the ship. After the sad goodbyes
to Sheila, Davie drove me to the dock.
I just got into the terminal and was greeted by John &
Louise from Ottawa. They very proudly presented me with a Guinness hat which I
wore onto the ship. Not long after Wayne arrived so after his check in I moved
him over to the where all the 4 Star Mariners were seated for priority
boarding.
The cabins were ready so we dropped off our hand luggage and
then went up to the Crows Nest to wait for Denis and Colleen. Naturally we had
a drink to test out the service. Not long after Denis and Colleen arrived so we
set off to the Mariner’s lunch in the dining room. After lunch it was the job
of unpacking and getting ready to meet up again in the Crows Nest.
I was interrupted by the phone and had my good friend Peder
the Bar and Beverage Manager welcoming me on board. He came up to the Crows
Nest to meet the gang. He even bought us a welcome aboard drink. We went to dinner after a couple of drinks.
Dinner and the service was the usual HAL excellent quality.
Wayne and I went back to the Crows Nest for what we intended to be a single
night cap. Well you know what its like with good intentions. Many of the crew
from other parts of the ship were popping up to say G’Day and welcome back.
Then Peder joined us, so we were last to leave the bar just after 1am. As usual
I had a very good nights sleep.
It is good to be home again on a Holland America ship.
Thur 27 Sept
I was awoken at 7am by the sound of knocking on my door. It
was my breakfast being delivered. I had forgotten I filled out the Brekkie
order and placed it on my door. The brekkie was Yummy and I had made a good
choice with the ham and cheese omelette.
After my shower and shave it was off to meet up with the
gang. Denis and I caught up with Peder in his office before going up to the
Crows Nest to catch up with Colleen. I drank water before going down to the
Ocean Bar to meet up with John and Louise and then I joined them for lunch in
the Lido.
I then had a 2 hour nanna nap and woke up just in time to
make happy hour in the Crows Nest. We have our bar stools claimed and are
unofficially reserved for us. I got up there 10 minutes late so I was cheered
as I made my entrance. It was good to catch up with Wayne as I had not seen him
during the day.
We had dinner with Colleen and Denis and I ordered a wine
package which the four of us will share. After dinner we went to a few of the
bars to say hello to other staff on our way up to the Crows Nest. Wayne and I
met up with Denis and had a much earlier night than the first night.
Fri 28 Sept.
I always sleep so well on the ships and slept in until
10.30am. After a shower I went up to the Lido to have a light brekkie. They had
a clearance sail of Alaskan goods so I bought a few souvenirs including a shot
glass for a mate’s collection.
The day is a bit foggy and cloudy but the seas are very
calm. The temp is in the low teens. It is a great day for having an easy day.
I called in to the Ocean Bar to catch up with John and
Louise and say G’Day to Karina the bar lady. I drank Iced water.
In doing my rounds I visited Peder in his office to catch up
with him. I had a late snack for lunch in the Lido before having my nanna nap.
Happy hour was the usual fun time and our group meets
religiously at 4pm in the Crows Nest. Only Wayne, Denis and I went to dinner as
Colleen was not feeling the best. As we know many of the bar staff we have to
do a bit of a pub crawl after dinner to the different bars just to say G’Day to
them.
We ended up at the Crows Nest and were joined by Paul the
Aussie who is in charge of security on the ship. He was very generous and
shouted us a few drinks. It was well after midnight by the time I got to bed.
Sat 29 Sept.
We arrived at Los Angeles about 7.30am so I was up and
showered and went up to the Lido for a cuppa green tea and watch the docking
procedures. We docked right beside the old Queen Mary which is a museum
attraction. After brekkie in the dining room we set off to explore. The
immigration procedures went very well and we were outside the terminal in no time
at all.
Denis and I got on the free shuttle and went for a drive
into town and back. Wayne and Colleen just had a walk around the port complex.
After a small lunch in the Lido I went down to the cabin for a nanna nap.
The usual gang
assembled for the Crows Nest Happy Hour. There were lots of new folk that had
just joined the ship here in LA. Denis, Wayne and I joined a Kiwi couple for
dinner. Colleen was not feeling well so she had room service. After dinner we
had a night caps in the Sports Bar and the Ocean Bar. It was beaut to get an
early night as I was in bed before 11pm.
Sunday 30 Sept.
I awoke about 7.30 am after a great nights sleep so I headed
up to the Lido to get some brekkie. I caught up with Dave & Ruth (a
Canadian/Kiwi) couple I had met on the Volendam on a previous Trans Pacific
crossing. They have houses in Canada and NZ; they spend the summer months in
each country and were on their annual trip down to NZ. They will return to
Canada next April for the northern summer.
I went to a talk on Tai Chi in the morning as I intend to do
the classes each day at 8am. I caught up with John and Louise at eleven for a
pre lunch drink in the Ocean Bar and then joined them for lunch in the Lido. As
usual I then had a nanna nap in the afternoon before going up to the Crows nest
for happy hour.
It was a formal night for dinner so we got a bit tarted up
with a coat and tie. Wayne was a scratching for dinner as he was not feeling
well so it was just Denis Colleen and I. We also invited our new Kiwi friend
Stewart to join us as his wife had taken ill and didn’t feel up to going to a
formal dinner. There was a bit of a swell in the ocean so there was a bit of
movement making some folk a little sick.
After dinner I met 2 couples from Kurrimine Beach just south
of Cairns and we discovered we had a few mutual friends. So I chatted with them
until midnight.
Mon 1 Oct
I was up at 6.30am and went up to the Lido to have some
green tea and bickies before Tia Chi. I enjoyed my first lesson and felt good
afterwards.
I then went to brekkie before getting my washing ready for
the laundry. I made the usual visit to say G’Day to Peder in his office and
then I was off to organise some Wifi time.
Today is the second of 4 consecutive sea days between LA and
Hawaii and the seas have calmed down a lot and it is a nice sunny day. There
are more Yanks (465) than Aussies (353) on board, but there are 3 more Aussies
than Canadians (350).
After Lunch I went to the free Wine Tasting for 4 Star
Mariners and as usual was most enjoyable. I was seated beside an exocentric
Yankee and as I had shorts on she started off by feeling my knee. Later on
while talking with her hands she knocked over a glass of red wine all over the
front of my white shirt and then proceeded to pour white wine over the stains
and rub me down. Well I made a quick retreat to my cabin to change my shirt in
time for happy hour in the Crows Nest. It made a good story to tell the troops.
The 2 Kiwis (Stuart & Lorraine) have joined our group
for Happy hour and as dining mates for dinner. We had a full complement of 6
for dinner as the sickies were well again. Our bar stools are reserved for us
by the boys each say for happy hour.
We had another early night well before 11pm as we only had 2
night caps.
Tues 2 Oct.
I was up early and by 6.30am I started my 2 mile walk around
the deck. Then it was off to brekkie before Tai Chi. As the numbers have
expanded we had to move up to the basketball court so every one could join in.
The young Life stylist Jeremy (a Tassie bloke) was ecstatic with large crowd
and with the number of guys attending.
I caught up and had a cuppa tea with the gang just finishing
off their brekkie on the Lido deck. Peder came over and chatted with us for a
while and I finally got down to the cabin to have a shower etc about 10.30am.
I had a beaut fish stir fry for lunch with John and Louise.
Then it was time for the nanna nap.
The air con duct developed a condensation leak just outside
my bathroom door so when the maintenance guys come to fix it I had just got off
to sleep.
Anyway to cut a long story short it was fixed very promptly and the
guest relations officer sent me a gift of chocolates to make up for any
convenience caused. It is so good being back on a HAL ship.
Happy hour was a rehearsal for Denis’s birthday which is the
3rd and it was the third already in Oz but we will celebrate tomorrow the 3rd
local time. The Indonesian waiters sang happy birthday to him at dinner and
presented him with a small cake.
We had a bit of a late night and I didn’t get down to bed
until about 1ish.
Wed 3 Oct
I was a bit sluggish and slept in but made myself get up to
do the walk before Tai Chi. I think I should have an alcohol free day today but
as it is Denis’s birthday I think there will be no chance of doing that. We had
a late brekkie and sang Happy Birthday to Denis when he arrived on the Lido
deck.
It was a slow morning and the seas are still very calm as
this is the forth and final consecutive sea day and tomorrow we arrive in
Hawaii.
I didn’t have a nanna nap this arvo as I have been holding
court on the Lido deck. The troops did a great job getting the pool area and
bar ready for the Oktoberfest party tonight. The German beer and music was very
popular.
Because it was Denis’s birthday we had our own party in the
Crows Nest and then went to the Canaletto restaurant for dinner. The crew
turned on a beaut night for us and I’m sure Denis will not forget his 66th
birthday celebrations.
We finished the night with a night cap in the Crows nest.
Thur 4 Oct
I was up and on the deck doing my 2 mile walk by 6.45am as
we cruised into the Port of Hilo in Hawaii. It was a warm overcast tropical
day. After the walk I met up with the mob for brekkie and to plan our day. I
arranged to go on the shuttle with Loraine and Stuart to Wal-Mart and the other
large shops in the nearby complex.
I bought a new $10 watch and a more expensive one costing
$48.00. I got a new pair of cargo shorts from Macys reduced by 70% for $14.99. What a fantastic sale price.
We then went to Starbucks for the Wifi which was a bit to
slow to download the photos to my blog. I have made a start but it tool 35
minutes to post 9 photos so I will finish it off when I find a faster Wifi
hopefully tomorrow in Honolulu.
We had a late lunch back on the ship about 13.30pm so it was
after 2.30pm by the time I got down to the cabin. By the time I tried on my new
shorts and set my new watches it was too late to risk having a nanna nap before
happy hour.
It was a beaut sail away from Hilo in the early evening with
all the lights of the city and up the hills. Dinner was the usual fun meal and
the Kiwis have become permanent table mates with us, so our table has been
upgraded to a six seater.
After dinner it was a few night caps at the Ocean bar and I
was in bed by 11pm as we are planning a big day in Honolulu.
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