Hawaiian Cruise 2009: Day 6, 23 Sept.

Today is a warm and sunny day, about 27 degrees C. We are definitely in the South Pacific now and it feels great. We will enjoy the outdoor pool today.
The Shops in the Centrum had a sale today with big discounts on the already low prices. Diane bought a new necklace, pearls, and it looks beautiful on her. I bought a new camera, a sony DSC-W290. It is a quality pocket camera which will be very handy in situations where my Canon DSLR just ins't practical. The photo to the left is from the new Sony.
We spent most of the afternoon enjoying the sun, the pool and Kimo and the Spirit of Polynesia performing on the pool deck. With the beautiful weather, the pool was busy and the band was excellent as always.

















After dinner, we relaxed at the Centrum until it was time to stroll to the theatre for the evening entertainment which was a Ventriloquist act by Brad Cummings .

Later in the evening, the culinary team presented an Island Buffet. There were ice carvings and other beautiful displays of food. Not only did it look wonderful but it was delicious as well. Meanwhile, the Spirit of Polynesia were playing Hawaiian music for everyone's enjoyment. It was the kind of evening people dream about.

Hawaiian Cruise 2009: Day 5, 22 Sept.

Another relaxing day at sea and finally we are starting to feel those warm tropical breezes. Although the sky is overcast, the warmer air sure feels good.

Our activities today were listening to a talk by Jana, our shore excursions coordinator about some of the things to see and do when we arrive in Hawaii. Later, we relaxed at the Centrum, reading and doing these notes while waiting for the Art Auction to start.

The auction was quite interesting today with several one of a kind pieces up for offer. Some were very expensive such as a signed Picasso which had a reserve bid of $20,000. It didn't go. We passed on some nice Thomas Kincades which we liked but we did buy a new Fanch Ledan for out collection at home.

Since the weather was so nice, the Spirit of Polynesia was performing on the pool deck for another wonderful performance of music and the hula.



It certainly didn't hurt that the temperature was by now feeling like the South Pacific.

We had dinner at the Windjammer tonight as we didn't feel like dressing for the formal dress dinner in the Edelweiss Dining Room tonight. It was actually very nice because with most of the guests in the dining room, it was quite relaxing in the Windjammer and we enjoyed it.

The Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers were performing "Ballroom Fever" at the Broadway Melodies Theatre tonight. We were in our seats half an hour before showtime. Even so, the theatre was filling up rapidly even then for tonight's show. Lots of high energy singing and dancing. Very good show even if it was a tad loud.

We hit the casino after the show. We had a free $5. coupon for the roulette wheel which Doug parlayed up to $40. Unfortunately, that did not go far or last long once we went to the slot machines.

All in all, another great day at sea aboard the beautiful Rhapsody of the Seas.

Hawaiian Cruise 2009; Day 4, 21 Sept.

Well today is the 3rd day out from Vancouver and we can feel the outside air is perceptibly warmer. It isn't quite like summer yet, more like a Spring day at home. By tomorrow we should be able to sunbathe comfortably outside at the pool deck.

Diane enjoyed the pool in the Solarium. Because of my knee injury, I stayed out of the water and worked on these notes instead.

After a delicious lunch we decided it was warm enough to enjoy the sun at the Pool Deck. We may have stayed too long as we both got a slight burn, but on one side only. Hmmm, have to remember to turn once in a while, but at least we were able to say that we were "half-baked".

Diane went to Bingo at the Shall We Dance Lounge. She was trying to win a Seven Day Cruise for two. She didn't win the big prize but she did win $5. on a pull tab. Meanwhile, Doug was at the Centrum enjoying the music of the Spirit of Polynesia. The show included hula dancing and the playing of the conch shell.
For all of us returning cruisers, Crown & Anchor members, there was a reception at the Shall We Dance Lounge this afternoon. Capt. Sullivan greeted us along with our cruise director, Carly and the senior officers. We were also treated to Champagne and delicious finger foods followed by the music of Souled Out.

After dinner, show time was A Tribute to Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis Jr. presented by Steve Washington . He sang many of the songs made famous by both of those artists and also gave an interesting history of them. Doug enjoyed the presentation except for the volume which was quite loud. Diane was not as thrilled as it was not her favourite genre.

After the show, we hit the casino for a while. Tonight was Doug's night as he doubled his $20. investment in the slots.

Hawaiian Cruise 2009; Day 3, 20 Sept.

Today was a day for swimming at the Solarium pool, art at the Centrum, and listening to Hawaiian music. It was also a day for a hard lesson for Doug. After a good breakfast at the Windjammer Cafe, we went swimming. I wore my bedroom slippers on my feet and slipped and fell on a slippery spot on the wet deck. I hit the deck hard with my knee, splitting the skin back about an inch or so. My foot was badly bruised as well, perhaps from a broken toe. Guess that is the end of my swimming for a couple of days. Lesson learned: Don't wear slippers around the pool deck.


After changing and fixing up my knee as much as possible, Diane & I went to the art auction to see what was being offered. We saw some work by Fanch Ledan that we liked and some Tarkay that Doug liked and Diane didn't. In the end, we did not buy anything but we were given a couple of very nice Peter Nixon's, "Memories of Florence I".


Later on, Spirit of Polynesia was performing in the Centrum, so of course we had to take that in. It is always a great show which we both truly enjoy.


Wonderful baked shrimp dinner in the dining room followed by a musical revue, The Piano Man by the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers in the Broadways Melodies Theatre.


We visited the casino after the show. Diane entered a slots tournament. While she did not win anything that way, she did win enough on the slots later on to be up about $40. for the night. That's always a good thing.

Hawaiian Cruise 2009; Day 2, 19 Sept.

Today was our first full day on board. Since we are still in northern waters, the weather is still cool at this time of year. It will take another couple of days to get into the warmer water and air. Consequently, we spent the morning at the indoor Solarium pool rather than the main pool which is open air. The wave action is fun and being able to float vertically is a terrific experience.

We attended one of the many art auctions and presentations by Park West Galleries today. Anyone familiar with cruising will know that art auctions are an entertaining and educational experience on most cruises. Today was no exception and we enjoyed the lecture about art collecting. The auctioneer's catch line was, "If you don't own a Peter Max; get one." Max is well known, especially for his Liberty series which features the American flag and the statue of liberty in bold colours.

After the auction, Kimo and the Spirit of Polynesia were performing in the Centrum. As always, they were amazing and the dancers were beautiful and performed several authentic Hawaiian and Tahitian dances.

Supper in the Edelweiss Dining Room was formal this evening as the first day at sea is when the captain hosts the Welcome Aboard Reception. Our captain for this cruise is Capt. Rick Sullivan, a Canadian. We learned a little bit about him and were introduced to the other senior officers and department heads. Throughout the reception, we were treated to free champagne and hors d'oeuvres. They certainly know how to make you feel welcome.


The recption was followed by the show at the Broadway Melodies Theatre, featuring pianist, Craig Dahn. His performance was energetic and very entertaining, featuring music ranging from the classics to Rock 'n' Roll. More information about this artist and even a 5 minute show are available at http://www.craigdahn.com/ .

Hawaiian Cruise – at sea Days 2 -6

Sept. 19 through 23 (part 1)

Dining:

During the cruise, we made fairly detailed notes each day but after a while we found that each day at sea started to fall into a pattern, which would make for a somewhat boring read.

The first thing everyone raves about on a cruise is, of course, the food. It never fails to amaze me how they can prepare so much food for so many diners and it always has 1st class presentation and tastes exquisite. It matters not whether one is dining in the Windjammer Cafe which is buffet style, or the sit down dinners at the dining room, on Rhapsody, the Edelweiss Restaurant. For this cruise we chose to try the “anytime dining” rather than the normal first or second sittings. It was nice to have the freedom of dining on our schedule, however, we found that we missed the fellowship of having the same table-mates and wait staff every evening. The next cruise, we will go back to the regular arrangement.

Swimming:

Some of our favourite activities on board are swimming and other activities around the pools. Rhapsody has two pools, Solarium and pool deck pools. Which one you use depends upon your preference at the moment or the weather. Both pools are warm and salty. Also, they are designed to reflect the water wave motion of the sea, which is a lot of fun when the ocean is active. The pools can get quite wavy and occasionally slosh back and forth with some force.

The Solarium pool is inside making it nice when the outside weather is cool and cloudy. It is always warm and humid in the solarium. The spa is adjacent to the pool area and both have the same decorating theme.

There is also a small lunch counter there where you can get a burger, hot dog, pizza, ice-cream & etc. The Windjammer Cafe is also close by if you want more than that to eat. Of course, you have to cover up a little bit to go there. The Windjammer is a “No shirt, No shoes, No service” place, but that’s OK.

There is also the main pool outdoors on the pool deck. The pool is bigger than the solarium and has two levels of lounging chairs, full bar and easy access to the Windjammer. The pool deck is also the main place for entertainment. Besides open swimming, there are various pool activities organized by the cruise director’s staff.

Pool Deck looking aft

Diane enjoying the pool

Corner of pool showing ledges that help generate waves.

Spirit of Polynesia plays at the Pool Bar fwd of the pool.

Doug & Spirit of Polynesia Dancers.

The water in both pools is normally warm but can vary from day to day depending on the sea and air temperature. They are great for relaxing after returning from ashore. They are all filled with salt sea water, so are very buoyant. I can always float on my back, but in these pools, I can even float vertically with my head almost clear of the water. It is a strange feeling when you are not used to it. Both pools also have hot tubs which are kept quite warm, almost hot.

Entertainment:

Entertainment is another activity that is never lacking on a Royal Caribbean cruise, and this cruise was no exception. As you go from one area of the ship to another, there are bars, lounges, atriums and the theatre where music and shows of any number of genres are encountered. Usually, some of the entertainment is geared toward the destination of the cruise. In this case, we were very pleased to see that the Spirit of Polynesia was featured. Kimo Baird and his troupe of musicians and dancers are authentic Polynesians, speaking, playing and dancing in the language and spirit of the Islands.

The evening entertainments can be divided into two types. The first is the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers. They are talented performers who present Las Vegas type shows, glitzy production numbers backed and supported by the ship's own orchestra. Their shows are full of energy and colour with amazing sets. The only thing I would change would be the volume set by the sound engineer. I find it a little too loud for my liking, but that is the way things are done today.

The second type is represented by the showtime headliners. They are acts covering a wide range of entertainment representing magicians, jugglers, singers or instrumentalists of the classics to rock'n' roll or comedians. These will be acts who have been on television, Broadway or Vegas and always very entertaining.

Hawaiian Cruise 2009; Day 1

18 Sept.

Neither of us had slept very well the previous night; just too excited I guess, contemplating the adventure ahead of us.

With the packing all done and the sun shining brightly, we left for the cruise ship terminal with our good friends and neighbours, Bob and Isabel, who had kindly offered to drive us down.  At the terminal at Canada Place in downtown we breezed through US Customs then sat down to wait for our turn to board.

Part of the procedure was filling in a short health form.  Diane and I had both had a bit of a cold within the previous week and answered the question on the form in the affirmative.  Big mistake as we then had to wait to be cleared by the ship’s doctor before we could board.  As the doctor was busy with another matter on board, our wait lasted for about an hour.  After the doctor finally arrived and asked us a couple of questions and took our temperatures, we were finally cleared to board the RHAPSODY OF THE SEAS.

Once aboard, we found our cabin, an outside one which meant we had a porthole or window.  As soon as we got our bearings, we picked up our cameras and went exploring and we wanted to be on the upper deck for the departure at about 5:30 PM.

 

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Leaving Vancouver at Sunset.         On our way to Hawaii

Technorati Tags: Vancouver Harbour,sunset,cruising

As you can see from the last shot of Vancouver Harbour, it was well into evening by the time we cleared the port.  Time to enjoy a wonderful meal in the Edelweiss Dining Room.  We had opted for casual “My Time” dining meaning that we have flexible dining hours and do not have the same table or waiter all the time.

By the time we finished dinner, it was time to go to the Broadway Melodies Theatre for the evening show.  Our entertainer tonight was David Orion, a comedian, a star search winner who was the opening act for Jerry Seinfeld at one time.  David Orion's home page.

After the show we stopped for a while to listen to Hawaiian music by the Hawaiian Trio.  Excellent!

  Broadway Melodies Theatre            Hawaiian Trio