April 29, 2016 sailing towards Ft Lauderdale

KWell we have been without internet for two days now, we are in never, never land. The seas are a bit rough, about five ft and head winds of 45 KTS. It is 75 F and the map finely has the land on the screen, so it won't be too much longer now, and maybe that means we'll get the internet back  I hope I can get this to post, but we'll see.  

Around the ship for the last couple days have been sort of busy, we had the Neptune crossing, but didn't get to see it as they scheduled the wine tasting at the same time. That type of thing has been a problem the whole cruise. I don't think the cruise director is very swift. And we have had rain again, first sea day it was sunny then rain and clouds, it makes things kind of a downer. Everyone in our group has  has made the best of it, but it is hard not to wish for a bit of sun. 

So I will try to show you some of the fotos of the happenings around the ship

Here is a picture of the Philippino show. 

Yesterday we went to the mariners luncheon, it is to honor the people who are most traveled. 

Then day befor we had a Gala Night, better known as formal night. This is our group. 

And Jim passing out YUM YUMS after dinner. 

Later,,,, got to see if I can this out. 

Welcome to Nuku Hiva

Well it finely happened,,,,,,, we had SUN!

It is really pretty and it was very bright! We have been in shade too long!  It was also hot,hot,hot. Small island, not a lot to do, except wait in long lines for the tenders, and a wee bit of shopping, but it was wonderful to see the sun. 

Ed wanted to go down to the queens lounge early to get an early tender ticket, and I grumbled all the way, when the blond doesn't even get time for coffee,,,,, well you know. But as it happens it was the very right move. Tendering was a real challenge on this island, and unless they fix this on, Nuku Hiva I know we will never get off at that port of call again. Long story, and the only tour offered was awful, according to Bill and Irene, thank god we hadn't booked it. 

Tikis are a big part of the culture here

Because we left early we got back in time for lunch and spent the afternoon here in the aft pool. 

When every one returned and met for dinner, we had lots of stories to tell. One of them was from Ed. In the visitors center, we bought post cards, but they didn't have stamps, we were now in the Marquesas, so they have there own government and stamps. So they sent him to the post office. What looked like just around the corner turned out to be up a big hill when he asked a lady in an SUV, I guess the look on his face made her offer him a ride up the hill. Phew,, when he got there, the postmaster, said they couldn't take dollars!  But after a bit, and Ed telling him, they didn't have stamps at the visitors center, he finely figured out how he could do it. 

Tommrow is a sea day, and I will elaborate on the food in the dinning room and the cabin crawl. Good night. 

Sunday, April 24, 2016 Sailing towards Nuku Hiva

Ok so now we are at sea, and it is warm and sunny!  81 F and the ship's clocks will be set another 30 minutes forward. We did that last night too, sense we had a sea day, I am not sure why they didn't just make it an hour tonight, instead.  Oh well. 

We got our passports back this morning, and Kainoa gave another location talk on Nuku Hiva. He is very good. 

Tonight we are going to the Pinnacle Grill for dinner with the group it should be fun. The stakes were really good and the shrimp cocktail were like little lobster tails. We ate too much, but had fun. 

Early to bed as Ed wants toget on an early tender in the morning. 

April 23, 2016 Opunohu, Moorea

We sailed across the bay to the island of Moorea, and anchored in Opunohu bay. Last time we were in Cooks bay, so this was all new to us, it didn't really matter as it was raining before we were able to get tender tickets. By the time we got to the island it was raining hard, we whroe our swim wear, thinking we outdoor get a excursion to swim with the stingrays and sand sharks, but that wasn't going to happen. The market was under cover, so we just did a bit more shopping. And got in line to go back to the ship, when we got to the ship, it was again a downpour and we had to climb an outside stairway in the pouring rain. Good thing we wore our suites, we were now as wet as we could be. 

Can you tell it is raining?

Pape'ette, Tahiti April 22, 2016

Capten Rens van Eerten, changed our itinerary, we will now be in Papeete, Tahiti today Friday, from 6:00 to 1:00 AM  on Saturday the 23rd, the short cruise across the bay to Moorea. Instead of the reverse, seem we need fuel., and stores. Well that is ok with us as when we awoke in Tahiti it wasn't raining. At least not at first.   

This is a big city, and it was sweltering hot and humid. So we were going across the street, to find the market, we missed last time we were here, because it wasn't opened. And we had no excursion booked, and many had been canceled. 

I was feeling a bit under the weather, with a yucky cold so, we didn't do much. They had a show with dancers in the theater, but we knew we would never get in, as our dinner time makes it so we would not be able to get there early enough to get seats,,, oh well. 

Making coconut milk

Flowers in the market. 

View of the city from or balcony. 

This was in our mail box:

Dear guests,

As you know we have been experiencing some unpleasant weather conditions,,,,,, that have caused cancellations of port calls as well as excursions---------- I have been in contact with our home office and as a special gesture of goodwill we are pleased to provide each of you with a Future Cruise Credit equal of15% of the base cruise fare you paid for the 30-day sailing which began April 2, 2016. Additionally we are pleased to provide an onboard credit of $100 per person for your enjoyment on this sailing. This will be posted tonight to your shipboard account. (And it was) 

Would you say they were trying to make up?

Bora Bora April 20-21, 2016

Well we finely arrived and anchored in Vaitape, Bora Bora, where were suppose to be. We anchored in the bay, and it rained,,, again. But later in the day. It cleared enough to take the tender ashore. So we put on our clothes, that could get wet without being to provocative and bumped across to the pier. 

When it rains here, or really rains!  

First on the agenda, was to check on our reservations for Bloody Mary's, we went to the visitors center, and they called and confirmed all was in order. So now it was a hunt for pearls. Kainoa, was on the dock, and he sent us accros the street to Alberts, and many $$$$ later we came back to the ship, to get ready to go to dinner.  

The shuttle to Bloody Mary's was to pick us up at 6:15, not knowing how long the shuttles would take we all decided to error on the side of being early, and luckily we hit it all right and then had to wait an hour for the bus. It finely came, now there was 18 of us!

When we arrived and checked in, we were all set to see the menu.

This is our menue

So we all ordered and waited for it to get to us, meanwhile, it again started to rain, and hard, it even came through the thatched roof. We had fun, ate,  and left on the 8:15 shuttle back to the dock not wanting to go back in the rain. 

Well we didn't make that, by the time we got to the dock, it was pouring, and lightning and thunder, a real show, they couldn't launch the tender. We waited under the eve for about an hour. And would you believe this was our tender, that would take us back to the ship!

Notice the number, LOL 

It was a bumpy ride back, and fireworks were still going on, but all was well and we returned wet, but with a great story!

We all felt sorry for the crew who had to keep going back and forth, until midnight. 

The next day it was cloudy, with off and on rain, but we needed to go a ashore again to get post cards and look for more treasures, all the shore excursions had been canceled because of the weather once again. So we found the cards, and went to a little place to sit down, and luckily ran in to Val and Jim who had snaged a table. 

Even we got back to the ship, the clouds opened up again and it poured. So we said good by to Bora Bora. 

Our welcome even in the rain. 

They still have phone booths. 

Tonight's dinner?