Day 4: Molokini Crater Snorkel Tour - June 20, 2011

Day 4: Molokini Crater Snorkel Tour in Maui - June 20, 2011

The heavens above were kind enough to bless me with a rainbow upon my wakening as a birthday gift this morning. Rainbows, snorkeling and Maui - what more could a girl ask for on her birthday?

Snorkeling trips have got to be my favorite type of excursions. I love everything about them. The feel of the vibration of the boat's motors beneath my feet, the sun beaming down on me, the gentle sway of the waves and the ocean breeze blowing wisps of hair every which way. And I'm surrounded by blue beneath and above - the simmering blue of the ocean dotted by bubbling white caps and the serene blue of the sky with its powdery white clouds echoing the waves below. The Maui mountains make an impressive backdrop as we sail onward.

So our snorkeling adventure begins. Off to explore the Molokini crater, a dormant volcano set amidst the vastness of the Pacific. This tour is conducted by the Pacific Whale Foundation and all our guides are college-educated marine activists. Raised by a marine biologist and with my own little biology degree, I think this is cool! As we're traveling to our snorkel site, our guides give classes on fish and the environment out on deck.





After a short trip, the crater looms ahead. Yes! I will pay the 10 bucks for the wet suit top. With water temps of just 71 degrees, I'm wondering how I'm going to survive this. Chasing tropical fish with the underwater camera has my ears popping. But after the swim, all I can think is... Wow! Was that worth it! Crystal clear waters and the most live coral we have ever seen. Before you know it we're off to the next site where turtles are said to abound. Time to suck it up and plunge into the chilly waters again. Two sea turtles joined us in our swim. The way back to the boat was a little challenging, because the winds and surf kicked up. Blue lips when I emerge from below are a testament to just how cold the water is here.





Maui is the 3rd windiest place in the world according to one of the biologists onboard, making for a bumpy ride back to the harbor. Chilled to the bone, I was real impressed with myself for being prepared: long-sleeved shirt and quick dry pants. But to no avail. One big wave splashes through the rails and I am soaked to the bone. That was one cold ride back!

NCL has another little surprise waiting for us when we reach our cabin, chocolate-covered strawberries! we took them out on deck with some decaf coffee and watched the rowers practicing in the waters below.
Tonight's dinner is in Lazy J's Steak House, one of NCL's specialty restaurants. Time to celebrate my birthday. It also happens to be formal night or as NCL calls it, "Dress up or not Night". They believe in freestyling, so everyone pretty much does as they like. We decide to dress up a bit for the occasion. The food was great and we were stuffed to the gills. As we were about to drag our full bellies away from the table, the waiters brought me a cake and sang Happy Birthday. We packed that cake to go!

Tips for this excursion: If you love snorkeling, consider this one because the water clarity was perfect and the coral was beautiful! Take Dramamine if you are prone to motion sickness. Due to windy conditions, this ride may be bumpy with large swells. Take warm clothes for after the snorkel. Due to the winds and cold water, you will be chilly. Rent the wetsuit top. It's worth the money! Take a little bit of cash for the gift shop afterwards.

Day 3: Road to Hana - Maui - June 19, 2011

Day 3: The Road to Hana - Maui - June 19, 2011




Our first port day is in the beautiful isle of Maui. Father's Day. Lon discovers a Father's Day card the girls have delivered to his suitcase for the occassion. Nice way to start the day.

We've received so many rave reviews on "The Road to Hana", we decided to check it out ourselves and booked the excursion through NCL. Tom, our driver, knew the route like the back of his hand and part of the thrill, at least for Lon, was Tom's peeling around curves on the edge of a cliff. Everyone knew we were from the South when Lon let out his, "Yeehaw", in approval. The winding, hilly road with hiar-pin curves that often narrows to one lane is not the right choice for the faint of heart or the passenger who forgot to take his dramamine. But the reward was a day of changing landscapes that included sugar cane fields, cattle ranches, waterfalls, mountains & valleys, lush tropical foliage and dry arid plains, and our favorite - a black sand beach with lava boulders. We were introduced to the Rainbow Eucalyptus, a tree that looks as if it were painted in stripes and left in the forest to dry. One of our stops included Aunty Sandy's Banana Bread stand where we sampled authentic home-baked bread which was delicious! To top off the day, the tour ended with a quick stop at a winery where we sampled some pineapple wine. We took just over 300 pictures on this 9.5 hour tour.

On our rerturn to the ship, we quickly prepared for the VIP cocktail party with the Captain & Crew in the Lanai Martini Bar. All the officers introduced themselves and continued to exude the Pride's spirit of Aloha! Now we're off to pack bags for the Molokini Snorkel Tour in the morning.

Hawaii Day 2: Pearl Harbor & Boarding Pride of America

Day 2: Pearl Harbor then Boarding the Pride of America - June 18, 2011





Little did we know how exhausted we would be by the end of this day when we woke up bright and early to another beautiful morning in paradise. Learning to pace ourselves on these vacations might be a good idea, but who has time for that when you have to see every sight there is to see in the land mass furthest and most isolated from all others? To catch our tour bus at 6:20 a.m., we got up at 5 - not too difficult considering our body clocks know the true time at home.

Robert's Hawaii provided our Pearl Harbor / USS Arizona & City Tour. We were lucky to have Kevin as our tour guide, a transplanted mainlander who had been in Hawaii since the 70's. He was a wealth of knowledge about the history of Pearl Harbor and Hawaii in general.

The number of people we met along this trip who had visited Hawaii decades ago and decided to make it their home was intriguing. Last night at the luau we met a woman from Wisconsin who had grown up on a diary farm. After completing an internship as an Occupational Therapist, she never went back home except for visits. We heard these stories over and over as people explained how they fell in love with this oasis in the sea. By the way, Germaine's Luau last night was a fun experience in an open air setting on a secluded beach. The fire handlers were the most impressive to watch. Now, back to Pearl Harbor...

The grounds of Pearl Harbor are a tranquil and beautiful resting place for the young men who had their lives so violently taken from them on December 7, 1941. The short film shown before you board a boat to be taken to the Arizona Memorial is often described as "moving". I can't think of a better descriptor, so I'll leave it at that. We saw footage we have never seen before, and it made me think about what it must have really been like for my Great Aunt when she peered into that bomber's eyes as he flew over her home as she was hanging clothes out to dry that day. Stationed there with her husband, I had heard the story many times of how the Japanese flew down so low she could actually see his face as he flew by. Pearl Harbor was an experience anyone who visits Hawaii should make time for.

Kevin, our tour guide extraordinaire, completed our day in Honolulu with a city tour that ended with a drop off at Hilo Hattie - Hawaii's tourist one-stop shop spot. Matching Hawaiian shirts and a pineapple swirl later and we're off to board our ship. On my way to the ship, I kept reflecting on how appropriate it was to end the day stepping onboard a ship named The Pride of America after beginning our day at Pearl Harbor.
Reflections on Oahu: Hawaii's climate is just about perfect. Warm but not hot, no humidity, gentle breezes. It calms you, cools you and warms you all at the same time.

Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America:




This cruise terminal is not as high tech as many of the others, but because of that, it gives you more of a personal feel as you're being checked in. We were greeted with a fresh flower lei. They certainly know how to spread the Aloha spirit! More surprises await us. In our cabin, we find sparkling wine from the Captain along with a VIP cocktail party invite. Thanks Captain Nesheim! By this time, we're feeling pretty welcome and at home in our floating resort on the sea, but fatigue is setting in. Tonight we'll stick with the buffet and drag ourselves to the Welcome Aboard Show. The comedian was so funny he kept our eyes from slamming shut. What a full day! Time to prepare for tomorrow. Pride of America is a pretty little ship with all kinds of nooks and crannies to be discovered. Simply put...I like this ship!

Tips Upon Boarding: Make specialty dining reservations for the week early on that first day if you have a favorite. Teppanyaki is our favorite and they book up fast! No need to pack a hairdryer. NCL's hairdryers are actually really good. One thing I really like that NCL does - coffee in the cabin!