Guess where I've been

Can you guess where I have been?

I didn't lie to anyone that my computer was undergoing changes, I just didn't want to announce to the world that our home was going to be empty for two weeks. I've discovered it is really a small world and amazingly easy to put 2+2 together. I don't think anyone who reads and comments here is dishonest, but we never really know who lurks and might have ugly ideas.

Enough with the negative and on to the positive: Hawaii was a wonderful vacation!

We flew into Honolulu on a Wednesday, spent two full days there going to the Polynesian Cultural Center (more to come about that in days ahead) and visiting Pearl Harbor. On Saturday we boarded the Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America. We cruised for 7 days, visiting Maui; Hilo and Kona on the big island; and Kauai before returning to Oahu.

Our good friends John and Lynn traveled and cruised with us. They returned on Saturday but Bill and I took a side trip to San Francisco for a few days. We got home yesterday and are playing catch up today. Laundry, paying bills, returning phone calls, etc but you know what? It is all good. We had a great time but it is good to be home even if the sky is gray and it is way too cold for shorts and sandals.

I have a ton of photos to go through and will try not to overload you with too many of them. For today I'll just post a few of us and of our accomodations.

Do we look happy to be taking off?

We were able to use frequent flier miles and fly first class for each leg of the trip. Wheeeeee! The extra leg room and amenities were much appreciated, especially when you are in the air for more than 9 hours straight. Here are our seats for the Atlanta to Honolulu part of the trip.

We received the first of many leis throughout our trip after exiting the plane.

In Honolulu we stayed at the Sheraton Princess near Waikiki Beach. It offered a waterfront view. They didn't lie...you just had to stand on the balcony and look between tall buildings to see the water.

Onto our stateroom and a few views of the ship. The ship's comedian joked that while seated on the toilet, it was possible to lean over the sink to brush your teeth, then lean sideways into the shower to wash your hair while remaining seated. He was right! That isn't a complaint though, just a funny comment on efficiency.

This is our third cruise (the first two were with Carnival Cruises) and I am still amazed to see grand salons that look like movie sets from Gone with the Wind. Do you expect to see a stairway like this on a ship?

 

And look at the ceiling above the stairs:

How about a Conservatory on board? I immediately thought Professor Plum probably killed Colonel Mustard in here with a candlestick.

Norwegian Cruises feature Open Dining, meaning that you choose a restaurant or the buffet without an assigned dining time, assigned table and dinner partners. The four of us enjoyed this, but as the days went by, we began to think that the other way was more efficient. On Carnival (which may have changed since we last cruised 13 years ago), you committed to either an early or late seating throughout your cruise. We sometimes ate at the buffet, a few meals in one of the restaurants, but the little Cadillac Diner was our personal favorite.

There were plenty of activities on board even without the shore excursions which we did most days. One afternoon was a crafts class. Hooray!!!  I made a kakui nut lei. The first one was free. I won't mention how much I spent on supplies to make more here at home.

I've gone on much longer than intended. I apologize. I will get back to laundry after one last picture taken the night the ship launched. I can hear the music and feel the warm air when I look at this. Ahhhhhhhh......