On Board Activities

Aloha Everyone,

There are a lot of great on board activities that J.J. and I have enjoyed so far. This morning, I attended a digital camera seminar where I was to pick up some new tricks and techniques regarding how to use my iPhone 5s.  I had just purchased this phone about a week ago, and I am still learning how to use it.

There was a fun Aloha Polynesia Show which featured cultural music and dances of Tahiti, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga and Hawaii.  It was professionally executed with talented dancers and musicians.

This afternoon, I attended an ice carving demonstration by the ship board culinary team.  They carved a beautiful sculpture out of a 300 pound blocks of ice.

My biggest concern was insufficient safety around the demonstration. Children were running right up to the display to pick up shards of ice while the sculptor was busy concentrating on his creation using sharp chisel. It seemed like an accident waiting to happen.

Tonight we'll be watching the Showtime presentation featuring the greatest moments of the Hollywood Musical.

Aloha -- Cathi

Exploring The Pride of America Cruise Ship

Maui in the background

Aloha Everyone,

This morning, I spent some time exploring the Pride of America, our home for the next week.

The Pride of America has some wonderful amenities for their guests to use.  They have a great spa, salon, fitness center, and sports court, as well as three swimming pools, a kid's pool and 5 different hot tubs. Every evening, the Hollywood Theater hosts productions to entertain their guests, and of course there is also an internet center for those who are unlucky enough to have to do work while they are cruising.

In terms of dining, there are a total of 13 different options for the guests to choose from. Depending on your mood, you can grab a quick bite to eat at the casual buffet, have a nice meal at the semi-formal dining room, or even dress up and enjoy one of the formal restaurants. Of course, there are also 11 different bars on board the Pride of America if you want to enjoy an adult beverage or two.

The maximum number of guests on any given cruise is approximately 2,500 people.  On this trip, it was announced that there were 2,100 guests plus 940 crew members.  Most of the food and entertainment was inclusive of your passage fair, though you have to pay an additional charge if you decide to eat at one of the specialty fine-dining restaurants. Also beverages, such as soft drinks and liquor, are items that you have to purchase separately.

Below are a couple of pictures that we took around the ship. Enjoy!

Aloha - Cathi

Main Lobby Sitting Area

Grand Stairway

Upper Deck

Pride of America - Leaving Honolulu Harbor

Aloha Everyone,

J.J. and I managed to check into our cabin on the Pride of America a little bit early thanks to the fact that we are repeat customers on Norwegian Cruise Line.  Our cabin is quite nice and we are happy that we decided to get a balcony, thought our view while we are still docked is lacking.

Our view from our cabin while still at port.
One Waterfront Towers can be seen in the distance

We had our mandatory life boat drill before we left Honolulu Harbor.  Then the two of us decided to have an early dinner at one of the restaurants on board.

Roasted garlic polenta cake with tomato basil sauce 

Grilled mahi mahi with light papaya sauce on couscous

Medley of seasonal fruits

After dinner we watched the sunset and the Oahu skyline disappear as we set sail towards Maui.

Sunset from Honolulu Harbor

Looking forward to a wonderful cruise and the opportunity to meet some interesting people.

Aloha -- Cathi

Bags Are Packed - Preparing to Board Cruise Ship

Aloha Everyone,

Our bags are packed and we're ready to go!  We have said our final goodbyes to our home in Hawaii and will now be embarking on the first leg of our journey:  A week long cruise around the Hawaiian Islands!  J.J. and I are exhausted from our last minute cleaning and packing, and look forward to relaxing on the cruise ship.

Aloha -- Cathi

Final Yoga Class in Hawaii

Thank you to my yoga family at the Regency Park for the wonderful, heart-warming send-off this morning.  Each and everyone of the participants have helped me with my own journey towards learning about myself.  I am forever indebted to them for caring enough to spend early morning hours practicing asanas, kriyas and chanting words which have no immediate meanings to most of us.  Today, we all rejoiced together that we successfully completed what Kumu Keahi jokingly referred to as Cathi's yoga boot camp, a 52 minutes of Kundalini Yoga and meditation.

As one we empty one dresser or one closet, things are getting piled up on the floor.  I am optimistic that these shall be cleared by tonight at 7:00 pm or by my normal bed-time.

Tomorrow is our move-out day from the place we called home for over a quarter of a century.  J.J. and I leave with light heart as if we are going away to college looking forward to begin our adventure.

Aloha -- Cathi

“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu