April 27, On to Hawaii!

Human behavior is so fascinating. Take me and my wife, for example. When we’ve had a few days of excursions and being on land, we say we are ready to get back to the suite and do nothing. When we are on the ship a few days without touching land, we say, we can’t wait to get to shore and off the boat. There’s just no pleasing us! (LOLOL). And clearly, these are “First World problems”, as the saying goes.

I note that this date last year, we were eleven days into our long (eventually 56-day) RV road trip, and we were in the vicinity of Harrisonburg, VA in the Shenandoah Valley area: visiting caverns and touring Harrisonburg – home to Eastern Mennonite University, where our brother, David, was a visiting faculty member for many years. It is also the home to James Madison University and the Joshua Wilton House restaurant, one of the best restaurant experiences we’ve ever had A-N-Y-W-H-E-R-E! Now, one year later, I am writing the blog post from the balcony of a large cruise ship, sailing somewhere between French Polynesia and Honolulu, Hawaii.

The first day out of port was a laid-back day, as you might expect, so here is a brief bullet list of what we did throughout the day and night:

Ø Breakfast

Ø Complete and post the April 25 blog post entry

Ø Start and complete the April 26 blog post entry

Ø Lunch

Ø Walk the ship track

Ø Play Fuzeball and air hockey

Ø Ride the North Star Experience (more about this later in this post)

Ø Play cards

Ø Visit the Concierge Lounge; get clarification on the upcoming customs and disembarking processes

Ø Dinner at Izumi (Japanese and sushi restaurant)

Ø Prepare tip folders for select ship’s crew whom we plan to give extra tips.

(Morning view, seated in the Coastal Kitchen

(A heads on view of the North Star Experience, taken earlier while walking Deck 15.)

Let me give you some more details about the North Star Experience (NSE). The North Star (picture below) is a “ride” on the ship. Essentially, it is a 15-20 minute excursion, in which you step into an enclosed, but transparent chamber, and a massive crane lifts you up to 300 feet above sea level. The crane then slowly swings you into a 90-degree or perpendicular angle from the ship’s line of travel. The crane then slowly moves you 180 degrees, such that you are then at a 90-degree angle on the other side of the ship. Finally, the crane brings you back to center, in line with the ship, and lowers you into your starting point, in order to step out of the ride.

You have to make a reservation to ride it. I did so yesterday and enjoyed the ride with two families of four – one Australian and one Brazilian – an Australian couple, and another solo passenger, a black woman. What follows are clusters of pictures I took while inside, and some pictures that Patrise took from her outside vantage point. She had no interest in riding, as heights are a bit unnerving for her.

(View of the pool deck, before the lift; selfie before lift; Arlene, the crew inside operator)

(View of the port side of the ship; view of the port side of ship; view of afternoon sun on port side of ship)

(View of the ship's stacks, while moving from port to starboard; view of the other single passenger taking photos; view from port side looking to rear of ship.)

Horizon view from starboard side; view of ship's forward area from starboard; view of pool deck and ship's aft, while on starboard side in the North Star Experience.)

Here are some of Patrise's outside photos, to show you how this looks from the deck of the ship:

(The North Star begins to lift; the North Star at full height; the North Star lifts, close-up)

(The North Star Experience at its full height, centered over the ship)

(The North Star Experience at full height, turned to the port side [left] of the ship)

(Patrise in a deck chair below [Sun's glare makes it hard to see her]; outside operator opening door; returning to center to exit)

(Izumi place setting)

(Before the meal is served, seated at Izumi Japanese restaurant)