At Sea / Day 12 - Cruising in the Times of COViD

Aloha Everyone,

50 years ago, J.J. and I took our first Trans-Pacific voyage from the Port of San Pedro to Manila, Philippines. It took 21 days with 5 ports of calls including Honolulu, Yokohama, Taipei, Hong Kong and Manila. This was when America was involved in the Vietnam War. We recall being the youngest couple on board amidst senior military officers and their families.

This nostalgic 50th Anniversary celebration was recognized with a chocolate mousse cake in the dining room. We shared the cake with our table mates of the evening and reminisced the time. Needless to say, that voyage made a huge impact on my life.

Aloha -- Cathi

At Sea / Day 11 - Cruising in the Times of COViD

Aloha Everyone,

Laundry day. On our previous cruising experiences which lasted more than a week, passengers were given a small paper laundry bag which you can put your soiled laundry and have them washed, folded and delivered to your stateroom the following day for a flat charge.

It seems COVID changed such extra service. The two of us decided to use the onboard laundromat. After talking to other passengers who were doing their laundry, we learned that one must get free tokens to purchase soap & fabric softener then usage of washer and dryer is free.

J.J. and I used our time efficiently. By end of the day JJ walked 2.2 miles and I walked 5.2 miles.

Aloha -- Cathi

At Sea / Day 10 - Cruising in the Times of COViD

Aloha Everyone,

Trying my best to maintain my equilibrium and avoid getting seasick on our return leg of 5 conservative sea days.

For breakfast at Da Vinci Restaurant, I chose oatmeal with milk, brown sugar, raisins and cinnamon, followed by plain scrambled egg and a slice of wheat toast.

On board Grand Princess, there are three formal dress nights. Some passengers we spoke to mentioned that they brought 5 outfits appropriate for such evenings. This is their chance to have souvenir portraits taken and bring home prints and digital albums to share with families and friends.

On such evenings, J.J. and I enjoy dining at the Horizon Restaurant where servers are dressed and it is our understanding that menu items are the same as in the “formal dining room”. The difference is that we have option of choosing our food based on inspection rather than flowery menu description which often does not match with reality.

Aloha -- Cathi

Port of Kahului, Maui - Cruising in the Times of COVID

Aloha Everyone,

Hawaii economy as everywhere in the USA has been struggling due to the pandemic. While return of cruise ship could bring business to some tourism sectors, we witnessed desperation in trying to maximize business by taxi drivers.

On our way to Ka’ahumanu Mall, our taxi driver discredited the mall saying there is nothing there and talked other 3 people with whom we shared.the ride to go to Lahaina instead. She charged us $10 for a 5 minutes drive. The rest paid $180 for the Lahaina ride. On our return ‘to the ship, we shared our ride with another couple. The driver insisted that he will charge us individually. Once he received consent from us, the driver became friendly and talkative. J.J. and I don’t fault the driver to make hay when there’s opportunity. We realize that cost of gasoline in Hawaii is very high.  Unfortunately encounters with taxi drivers left bad taste in our mouths. I couldn’t help wonder if there was a better way to discuss expected fares.

Going to the Kaahumanu Mall gave me a chance to enjoy local farmers produce and get my walking done while J.J. had Starbucks coffee with fellow passengers.

Aloha -- Cathi

Hilo, Hawaii / Day 8 - Cruising in the Times of COViD

Aloha Everyone,

Due to COVID, there is no shuttle bus to a nearby shopping center that has a Walmart. I felt sorry for the lady representing the Hilo Tourism office. To people’s question about free shuttle schedules there were no pleasing answers. Yes, we may be able to get a sticker to get onboard a free shuttle to Historic Downtown Hilo but then you must take a public bus to return. The bus will drop you off outside of the pier and the walk is approximately 15-30 minutes to reach the cruise ship. Too many loose ends, J.J. and I ended up waiting for a taxi for half an hour before getting one.

Taxi driver was very happy to see us sharing his woes and how bad the business has been. His repeated request from us to call him when we are ready to return. We agreed. He was not available when needed. We ended up waiting for another 45 minutes to get a taxi back to the ship.

I prefer solid ground to walk on. All the waiting time for a taxi meant more steps for me to walk. I ended up another day exceeding my daily 5 miles target.

Aloha -- Cathi