MaraMemories's Blog

Day 71–Monday, Dec. 5, 2011–Los Angeles, CA

maramemories — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:06:00 +0000

This is a late posting, but we docked and shipped home 4 large suitcases. We will stay in LA for the day and fly home tomorrow, getting in around 10 PM. What a superb voyage! The Amsterdam really feels like home.

Sunrise in LA.

Day 65 – Tues., Nov. 29, 2011 – Honolulu, Hawaii

maramemories — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 02:43:00 +0000

After 5 days rocking at sea we reached Honolulu, Hawaii. Everyone had to proceed through US Customs and Border Protection inspection. We had to bring our passports for a face to face check and were given a Clearance Card to get off the ship.

We took a shuttle into town and walked around and did some shopping. It was a beautiful day. We decided not to go downtown to the International Market. Someone told us they are going to close it. We ate at a fast food place and it was not cheap. Not too many bargains in Hawaii. We caught the last shuttle at 4:30 and went back to the ship. I wanted to try to get up to the North Shore to see if we could see a pipeline, but we really needed more time.

Tonight there was a wonderful Drums of Polynesia Cultural Show with dancers and after that was the wonderful Filipino Crew Show. Nestor stole the show with his last number. He was dressed as half woman and half man and sang in both voices.

“You can finish school but you can never finish your education.” ~ Zig Ziglar

Day 64 – Mon., Nov. 28, 2011 – At Sea

maramemories — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:15:00 +0000

These last posts will not have much because all sea days are about the same, except for today! We had the Wii Olympics Closing Ceremony today and I placed first, even had a higher score than the men! It was a lot of fun and we will have to buy a few more Wii games. At 5 pm it was 75º F and we are 220 miles from Honolulu. We have sailed 18,870 nautical miles. Our entertainment tonight was a variety show starring Jimmy Tamley, David Pengelly and Nick Lewin. We have been rocking on the ship.

“If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world, and that his heart is no island cut off from other lands, but a continent that joins to them. ~ Francis Bacon

Day 63 – Sun., Nov. 27, 2011 – At Sea

maramemories — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:36:00 +0000

The ship was rocking all last night and continued through the day. There was no painting this morning because today was the silent auction of our paintings in the Atrium on 5. Any money raised will go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The Wii Olympics continued with 100 pin bowling. There weren’t too many women there because there was another Mariner’s Brunch today. They will compete with the men this afternoon. The rest of the day had the usual activities – bean bag toss, arts and crafts and speakers. The show tonight was Siobhan Phillips, with song, comedy and general frivolity. She talks with a high English voice and sings a beautiful alto/tenor. She was very enjoyable.

“Television enables you to be entertained in your home, by people you wouldn’t have in your home.” ~ David Frost

Day 62 – Sat., Nov. 26, 2011 – At Sea

maramemories — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 03:48:00 +0000

Today was the King Neptune Ceremony to honor crossing the Equator. We actually did this last night at10:49 pm. The Pollywogs had to kiss the fish and have “stuff” poured over them and then were either dunked in the pool or had to sit and bake in the sun. Everyone on the ship is now officially a Shellback. As always it was a lot of fun.

At two o’clock the ship’s clocks were set one hour forward. The usual activities continued for the day. The seas started to get rocky again.

The entertainment tonight was singer, humorist David Pengelly playing the ukulele.

“If you can look back on your life with contentment, you have one of man’s most precious gifts – - a selective memory.” ~ Jim Fiebig

Day 61 – Fri., Nov. 25, 2011 – At Sea

maramemories — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 18:11:00 +0000

I let Ray sleep in for his birthday and met him later in the Lido. When Ray went to shuffle quoits, everyone sang Happy Birthday to him. I went to the Pearl string to finish my pearls.

I did Wii and then went down to the dining room for the Mariner’s Brunch at 11. It was really a lunch with champagne, shrimp cocktail and filet mignon. It was better than the dinner menu. We each received a Delft tile coaster. There was men’s Wii Olympics, ladder ball and arts and crafts. At 5 pm there was 17,600 feet of water below the ship, 79ºF with a humidity of 81%. We had to get our passports from the font desk today. We will need them in Honolulu.

The table gave Ray a card and Bonnie and Rich bought him a drink. Ray had chicken pot pit for dinner. After dinner the waiters sang for Ray and brought him a cake. The casino had raffle specials.

The entertainment tonight was the excellent magical comedy of Nick Lewin.

“I travel a lot; I hate having my life interrupted by routine.” ~ Caskie Stinnett

Day 60–Thurs., Nov. 24, 2011 – At Sea

maramemories — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:20:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving! A few things we missed today was the smell of turkey cooking and football (Satellite TV is out). It was a busy day. No cards arrived for Ray in American Samoa yesterday. I guess their time of 4-6 days delivery was wrong. I will give him one of the ones I made in crafts. Ray went to sports and I went to a pearl stringing class to learn how to string the pearls I bought. We also continued with the Wii Olympics and I had my hair cut again by Violetta. I had crafts and then had to get ready for a formal Mariners cocktail party at 4:15. We finally received our 100 day medallion and were told to wear them to the party. Everyone got their picture taken with the Captain and Hotel Manager. The dining room was decorated in red, white, and blue. We had a nice turkey dinner.

The show was a repeat performance of Avalon, again very good. Emily is the Librarian and was also on the world cruise with us. Our gift tonight was a set of postcards done in watercolor by Stephen Card.

“If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live.” ~ Lin Yutang

Day 59 – Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011 – Pago Pago, American Samoa

maramemories — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 02:57:00 +0000

Pago Pago (pronounced Pahngo Pahngo) is the capital city of American Samoa, a territory of the United States of America, where tourism, entertainment and tuna canning are the primary industries.

We decided not to take the Cruise Critic tour to the east side of the island and to Lisa’s Barefoot Bar for lunch and a swim. There was a nice market right off the ship with lots of stalls.

We then walked into the town and went to the Internet, $2. for 15 minutes each. Not much time and they cut you off at the end. Most places you pay when you finish. There were other stores in the Fagatogo Square where Ray had a shirt made. We went into the food store and picked up a few things. They use the US dollar. Everyone we met was very friendly. The Park Rangers were onboard and gave talks. We had lunch on the ship and all aboard was at 4:30 pm.

The entertainment tonight was very funny ventriloquist Jimmy Tamley.

“Stories can conquer fear, you know. They can make the heart bigger.” ~ Ben Okri

Day 57–Tues., Nov. 22, 2011–Suva, Fiji, Part 1

maramemories — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 02:30:00 +0000

Today is the first our two Tuesday, November 22nds. We will cross the International Date Line tomorrow. On Fiji’s Taveuni Island, you can straddle the International Date Line. The people of Fiji know their nation as ‘Viti’ – Fiji is a (presumably Tongan) mispronunciation. Bula! Fijians are known for their traditional greeting as much as for their fine lapita pottery. People of East Indian descent outnumber native Fijians b a slim margin in contemporary society, but almost all of the land is still controlled by ancestral Fijians.

We had a band entertain us at dockside and they continued to play when it started to rain. We went ashore and headed for the tan building on the far right, the Curio & Handicraft Market. Almost everyone there sells the same things. We had a bit of luck.

We then walked a bit around the town and did some more shopping. This is where you can find quilled cards made by deaf students for about $5. US.

Lunch on the ship and then I worked on blogs and got on the Internet. The maps that the ship gives you are by Lodestar Maps and they are just horrible. You really have to ask for a local map when you get off the ship. When we sailed at 5 pm it was 79º F.

The entertainment was an encore performance of “Dancin’ Fool”. It was a good show but we did not go.

“After the verb ‘to Love,’ ‘to Help’ is the most beautiful verb in the world.” ~ Bertha von Suttner

DAY 58 – TUES., NOV. 22, 2011 (PART 2) – AT SEA

This is our second Tuesday to make up for the date line. The US east coast is now ahead of us instead of behind. There were lots of activities on board, but we took it easy. There was another day of the Wii Olympics and other sports. We made another card in crafts. I went to the shops to meet with Jane Gordon to learn how to string my pearls that we bought in the shop last night. I didn’t get them finished so I worked on them in the cabin after dinner. The show tonight was the Amsterdam Orchestra.

We got a blurb about TV Satellite at sea and how we will probably lose it. I hope I can get online.

“I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.” ~ Thomas Jefferson

Day 56 – Mon., Nov. 21, 2011 – At Sea

maramemories — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:05:00 +0000

Today was a rocking and rolling day at sea. It wasn’t as bad as the beginning of the cruise, but the bags were out by the elevators. We had all of the usual activities. When we went up on the sports deck on 9, it was so windy that Mark cancelled shuffleboard and gave us all a Grand Dollar. Clarence’s hat was blown off his head up onto the net. We had the Wii Olympics and Ray and I went to a class on Windows 7. We lost an hour today as the ship’s clocks were set forward at 2 pm. There was a pearl string demonstration also. I’m still working on the cross stitch and quilling. Our TV coverage has had some blackouts and signal problems.

After dinner the entertainment was juggler Luke Burrage. He was very good but did drop things a few times as the ship was rocking. We then found out the clocks would be set forward another hour at 2 am.

“The most wasted day of all is that during which we have not laughed.” ~ Sebastian Roch Nicolas Chamfort