Day 22: At Sea

We enjoyed delightfully calm seas overnight (any rough seas on this crossing to Hawaii will make our forward cabin location interesting) and slept well. That’s a good thing, because I hit the ground running this morning, excited about all the Hawaiian activities on today’s schedule. 

Breakfast in the Botticelli Dining Room was packed, and after nearly 45 minutes with only one cup of coffee and no food yet appearing, I finally had to leave to get to the Piazza to sign up for ribbon lei making class.  The activities staffer started by saying, “Now, don’t line up just yet…” and a line immediately formed. 😉  Here are the details: there will be four ribbon lei making sessions, these are free and each session holds 50 people. So unless there are more than 100 people clamoring to get a ticket at the sign ups in the Piazza (each person is limited to two tickets so no one can claim one for everyone in their group), just chill and don’t worry about standing in line. My ticket is for tomorrow’s 11am session. 

I went from there directly to the Princess Theater for the 10am Princess Theater enrichment lecture with Rowena, who, along with her husband Brian are the Hawaiian ambassadors for this cruise. 

A helpful map showing the wet (windward) and dry (leeward) sides of the islands

Next up we were both in the Explorers Lounge at 11am for the enrichment/naturalist lecture by (seemingly) Renaissance man Daniel, who went into an overview of the Polynesian migration and history of Hawaii and you know how much I enjoy all that. 

Sigh. It’s been too long. I’m so happy to be returning to Polynesia. Well, I was today. Yesterday I was actually having a mini anxiety attack remembering that, once you start out on this ride (a cruise to Hawaii), you can’t leave the ride before Ensenada without great financial pain and suffering. As someone for whom the mere idea of being trapped, physically or emotionally, is a nightmare, this is a slightly scary adventure. 

We went to lunch in the Botticelli Dining Room and it was nice to be relatively famished. It was also nice to see that same “old” lunch menu make an appearance. I’m still hoping for chicken korma, but the stuffed bell pepper is a favorite also. 

After lunch it was time for the first progressive ukulele session with Hawaiian Ambassador Brian. I had a decision to make here: someone who is a veteran of these cruises filled me in…towards the end of the cruise, there will be a Hawaiian concert by guests either playing ukuleles or doing the hula, and, frankly, I didn’t want to subject my fellow passengers to the sight of my swaying hips. I have never in my life played a stringed instrument (the piano excepted, but that is an entirely different sport) and decided it was time. 

G went with me for this, as he likes anything musical, and, in fact, he actually participated in this on our Pacific Princess crossing from Los Angeles to Papeete ten years ago.  As it turned out, he was a great help as he called up the finger positions on his iPhone for me to have a closer look, and, when it seemed I needed even more help, turned his phone sideways and held it next to my ukulele strings to make it easier for me to orient. Yeah, I’m not a natural but, if my fingertips survive, I’ll get there in my own time. 

We both needed a rest after that, and I returned to the cabin for the first time in six hours to recharge my iPhone and me. I walked across Deck 15 on the outside of the ship and it was mostly cloudy and definitely cool, probably in the high 50s. These Hawaii cruises in January are generally cold for two days to/ from California, and this one is proving to be no exception. It definitely wasn’t pool or Sanctuary weather. 

Tonight was not (hallelujah) a formal night, so I threw a scarf on over my long-sleeved T-shirt and added my fleece jacket and figured that was acceptable dinner attire. I will say that this cabin at the front of the ship has definitely increased the number of steps we walk. Well that plus the fact that the Elite Lounge was moved to Skywalkers for this cruise. Getting from Skywalkers to the Michelangelo Dining Room at 5pm is a journey worthy of carrying a sack lunch:  walk down the aft stairs to Deck 15, forward through the World Fresh Marketplace and past the Calypso Pool area, and down a mid ship elevator to Deck 5, always the milk run at that time of day.  The aft elevators are totally packed with people going to the Botticelli Dining Room. 

I can’t say we were hungry for dinner, but at least it was a two- and not a three-meal day for me.  We took the two bottles of MTG wine we’ve been awarded, and, not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but the Canyon Road Chardonnay has a retail price on land of about $7 or $8, and it might still be highway robbery at that. 

I noticed while we were in the Princess Theater awaiting tonight’s show with comedian/impressionist Jeff Burghart that I had missed another enrichment lecture on the history of Polynesia at 4pm.  I should be able to catch it later this evening on our cabin TV. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day! 

Jeff Burghart…what can I say? Probably the funniest comedian I have ever seen in person, without a doubt the funniest I’ve ever seen on a cruise ship. If you ever have the chance to see him- don’t miss it. If he does a single late night show in a couple of days, we’ll need to get seats three hours ahead of time. It will be packed. 

Hawaiian Ambassador Rowena said this morning that Princess wants this cruise to feel like we are in Hawaii from the minute we step on the ship in California and, except for the weather, it certainly does. Hawaiian music in the cabin corridors, lots of Aloha spirit; I’m glad I’m giving Hawaii cruises another chance. How much we enjoy this cruise and the next will definitely impact any plans we make for next winter. So far so good (though I do love those Sea of Cortez cruises too!). 

Day 21: Turnaround Day

The alarm was set, as it usually is on turnaround days, for 6am, and we were in the Michelangelo Dining Room when it opened for breakfast at 6:30am (already a long line of people waiting to get in). In some very bad luck, a lady at the table just feet away from ours was at that very messy stage of a cold, which is often the case on turnaround days. Even people who thoughtfully stay in their cabin when sick have to be out and about on turnaround days. 

Our arrival at sunrise 

We ate quickly and started that usual turnaround day process when a cabin change is required, walking back and forth from our old cabin to our new cabin to see if it was vacated by its prior occupants yet. Luckily, they left early, by 7:45am (yay), and in just two trips, one for hang up clothes and one for my suitcase, I was moved out of one cabin and into another.  I quickly unpacked and then sat on the bed as G did the same, and by shortly after 8am it was all done. Easy peasy. 

In transit passengers were held in O’Malleys for nearly an hour until we were walked off the ship and, this time, had to enter the terminal and go down the escalator to do the facial recognition immigration. Except it would NOT recognize me regardless of what I did (really, saying I looked like I was rode hard and put away wet after the weekend was not an exaggeration!), so I had do an in person check in with a very friendly and social immigration agent.

Walking back on the ship, right in front of me it was immediately obvious that in transit guests who were still leaving the ship weren’t being routed into the terminal for immigration. They were simply re-entering our line. Hmmmm.  Not my problem to fix but it was clear it was eventually going to be someone’s problem to fix, as they were counting passengers going through immigration and that number wasn’t going match the number of in transits. It was soon caught and tempers got a bit heated and…oy vey, just get me back on the ship and away from that!

I de-camped to the beautiful Terrace Deck with a cup of decaf coffee to unwind until the Botticelli Dining Room opened for lunch at noon. G had not returned to the ship with me but was in search of Mountain Dew, though I really didn’t know where he was going to find it. There was nothing but a liquor store within walking distance of the port but he was lucky. They had single 16 ounce cans of Mountain Dew and he bought enough to last him until Hawaii. He found me at lunch (no small feat…the Botticelli Dining Room was a zoo). 

I had to do some solitary time in the cabin after lunch to unwind. Embarkation days are very, very people-y. But we were still around the Neptune Pool for the sail away party at 3pm, ready to join the fun. It was a stunningly beautiful day, sunny and dry with just a little chill in the air. 

Our new cabin is an inside on Lido Deck forward, which feels totally different from being on Riviera Deck aft. We haven’t been in a Lido Deck cabin since right after the start up on the Majestic Princess in August 2021. We were on the deck over the bridge, which is just steps from our cabin , for sail away which was delayed nearly an hour. We stayed out there until we passed the breakwater and then went to the Elite Lounge which is held in Skywalkers this cruise. More memories; we’ve done lots of Elite Lounges in Skywalkers on the Emerald Princess over the years. There must have been 25 dolphins frolicking behind the ship today as we sailed into the ocean with the expansive views of Long Beach and the SoCal coastline in the distance. 

The Medallion app system went down this afternoon (I had noticed the WiFi wasn’t working) and it really wreaked havoc with Michelangelo Dining Room traditional dining table reservations. Really wreaked havoc. We weren’t personally affected since we already had our table, and the system was eventually reset which straightened everything out, but it was a rough start to the cruise. 

I ordered the macadamia nut flourless chocolate cake for dessert tonight. Flourless chocolate cake was once my favorite dessert but in recent years has been a disappointment. Well, this was, without a doubt, the best dessert I’ve ever had on Princess, and that includes MTG luncheon desserts. And hopefully it will be on the menu next cruise also!

I had a tough time finding the national championship game on my iPhone tonight, and even tried the Spanish channel feed, but the servers were all full. Finally I found it on the ACC Channel and we had it on during dinner. We finished dinner at halftime and then moved to our cabin for the second half. It was on MUTS but, again, people-y. I needed to withdraw from the forced socializing the day had brought. I seriously wanted Indiana to win that game (being a B1G team), and, Lord have mercy, what a second half!  Thrilled to see Indiana finally get their turn. 

Tomorrow:  No football and lots of Hawaiian cultural activities. 😆

Day 20: At Sea

Goodnessssss, I slept poorly, still reeling from that whiplash of emotions after the Broncos win last night. Every time I woke up (which was all. night. long.) I felt like I was trapped in a bad dream and eventually I would wake up and Bo Nix’s ankle would NOT be broken. Alas, that is not the case, and regardless of how prepared the Broncos backup quarterback is, their season is over but for the anticipatory pain that will last all week.  It’s a tough situation. 

As a result, I looked a little like I had been rode hard and put away wet this morning. G eventually went the World Fresh Marketplace for breakfast but I knew what goodies were in store at lunch in the buffet, and decided to skip breakfast altogether. The cabin phone rang and that necessitated a trip to the Guest Services Desk, which, on the last day of a cruise is an extended process, and here I must back up a bit and fill you in. 

Two nights ago (Puerto Vallarta night, so you can see why I had no patience to deal with my lost post, which, by the way, i discovered today was Autosaved in my app, so if you haven’t read that post, it’s now been published), after dinner I returned to the cabin to get my new sweatshirt to wear in the Princess Theater for that night’s show. I carried it over my arm to the theater, then put it on and almost immediately realized that my nearly new Mexican fire opal bracelet was not on my wrist. I know for certain I had it at dinner, and wondered if the act of putting on the sweatshirt had caused it to fall off. 

After the show, I was on my hands and knees on the Princess Theater floor searching under every seat within three rows looking for this bracelet, to no avail. I thought perhaps it had fallen off when I was carrying my sweatshirt draped over my wrist, but it has never been turned in to Guest Services. I know it’s on the ship, but that doesn’t help. The call from Guest Services was to tell me the loss report I filed was signed and official, and, armed with the original receipt, my credit card statement and this report, I should be able to recoup the loss either through our Princess Vacation Protection or my credit card protection. And I even have that photo I posted on this blog to provide further proof of purchase. 

Sigh. It was pretty while it lasted. I hope its new owner will treat it well. 

I was first in line at the World Fresh Marketplace when the seafood extravaganza opened at 11:30am, not because I was so anxious to be the first to load my plate with shrimp and scallops but because I wanted blog-worthy pics for this post. And then I loaded my plate with twelve shrimp and six scallops. Pure joy. 😉

A thing of beauty for seafood lovers

By the time I finished that, the pastry extravaganza was opened in the back area of the buffet. I repeated last cruise’s carrot cake and cheesecake and it’s a good thing I did, because neither tasted even a little bit as good as they did last cruise. In fact, they didn’t taste like…anything. Just sweet. What happened?

Following lunch, we made a decision to watch today’s Texans v Pats game on our cabin TV instead of on MUTS.  The cabin TVs probably have 55” screens, and that provides good viewing in a small cabin. That also allowed us to start packing up for tomorrow’s move to our new cabin. We weren’t far into the first game when we started to hear the fog horn and switched to the bridge cam channel to see it was a white out. I’m glad we weren’t watching the game on MUTS because we would likely have given up at that point. 

We watched the Ram v Bears game (a much, much better game) on my iPhone while at dinner in the Michelangelo Dining Room, each of us wearing one ear bud, and then moved to the Princess Theater for tonight’s show during half time. Where there’s a will there’s a way!

Today’s Princess Theater show was called Mic Drop Moments with vocalist Connor Bogart, who was the rock tenor in last night’s protection show Rock Opera. We missed that last night but I would hugely wager that we’ll be seeing it again in the early days of next cruise before Connor leaves the ship. His own show tonight was fabulous, so entertaining. He is such a wonderfully talented (and nice) guy. 

Towards the end of his show, my phone started lighting up with texts from my guys about the game, which had just gone into OT, so I stood with all the other guests in the smoky casino watching until the end of the game. I had no dog in that fight, but I love good football. 

We move clocks back another hour overnight which is always a happy thing, but is especially appreciated tonight as I make up for last night’s sleep drought. We’ll have a couple more time changes at the beginning of the next cruise as we have five sea days sailing to Hawaii. BTW, we may have had fog today, but the seas were very calm on this return to LA, unlike last cruise where we had a fair bit of bounce. Fingers crossed things stay smooth all the way to Hawaii. 

We stuck around the Piazza listening to party band Third Time Lucky perform Motown favorites and afterward listened to piano entertainer Brian Johnson in Crooners, the first time we’ve been there this cruise. 

And, finally…this was another healthy cruise for me. Have I cracked the code?  Perhaps, but I’ll need to do the same on the upcoming 16-night Hawaii cruise to feel confident about that. The ship usually gets the sick at about the two week mark.  With any luck I’ll escape it unscathed. 

Day 19: At Sea

As predicted, I don’t have much to report today. Well, there was that wonderful MTG luncheon in Sabatini's that featured an incredible menu, delicious food, great conversation and stellar service, but aside from that, it was a football day. 

I didn’t even take food pics at our luncheon. Talk about letting down the team!  Guess my mind was just elsewhere…

I rushed from Sabatini’s back to the cabin to change into shorts and a sun protective T-shirt and grab a Tilley hat and then run to the Calypso Pool area to claim whatever chairs I could find an hour before the Bronco v Bills game. 

Think I was just a little excited about this game?

I carried two chairs from a table into a shady spot that I knew would continue to be the shade as the sun got lower in the sky and was ready to spectate. G joined me shortly, but spent most of his time in a hot tub. 

I finally had to get my sweatshirt out of the cabin. It grew chilly in the shade, and just a little breezy. Still, it was perfect weather to watch games on MUTS.

The first game was good football, and, of course, I was thrilled by the Broncos win. I was also reminded of going through the playoffs and divisional championships leading up to the Broncos Super Bowl win ten years ago. Too bad Bo Nix’s injury is going to put an end to the season.  Talk about a roller coaster of emotions. 

The Seahawks v 49ers game is not nearly as much fun to watch. We’ve returned to our cabin to watch it in comfort and warmth…but it’s only in Spanish. What’s up with that?  I’m streaming it on my iPad for audio and we’re watching it on TV. Works for us.