Travel With Tukey Blog

50th Anniversary Cruise – Day 28 – Disembarkation

April 27, 2019

Our lovely cruise has come to an end. Our bags are packed, the room cleared, checked and double checked. The long process of waiting for disembarkation has begun.

Reminiscing about our cruise, Tukey and I realized that the last 28 days have been the longest time we have spent together, like, ever, without the interruptions of work or other activities. We have enjoyed being together 24/7. It has been an apt celebration of 50 years of marriage, and  has underscored the constant love we have for each other. We keep saying we’d like to stay on for another 28 days!

We have made some wonderful friends while on board, and plan to stay in touch, visit each other and perhaps even cruise together again in the future. We taught Tommy & Brenda to play Pinochle. They taught us a form of progressive Rummy, and introduced us to George and Eileen, who also learned Pinochle. We played Left, Right Center with them, but George and Tommy kept winning the pot. Brenda and I played in the Ukelele Band together.  She bought an ukelele in Hawaii, and I was able to help her learn to play it. We also made friends with Keith and Vicky from Canada, with whom we shared a lot of common ideals. Finally, we really enjoyed our dinner companions, John and Cheryl. John is an artist, and gave us a private showing of the 9 oil paintings he created on the cruise. They own a vacation home in Mariposa, near Yosemite, and invited us to come and visit them there sometime.

50th Anniversary Cruise – Day 20 – Bora Bora

April 18, 2019

Our last stop before heading home was the beautiful isle of Bora Bora, a destination spot for the rich and famous. Here you can rent a hut or house built on stilts over the water for anything from $600 to $6000 per night. We opted for the $5 per person (each way) bus to take us down to Matira beach, a beautiful mile long stretch of white sand bordering the brilliant turquoise water. Finally, we donned our swim suits and got into the water, just so we could say we swam in the South Pacific. The accompanying photo is proof. Note that it was raining. But the water was bathtub warm, and the rain cool and soothing, so no complaints. As we returned to the boat, we caught a troupe of native dancers entertaining on the pier. 

50th Anniversary Cruise – Day 19 – Moorea

April 17, 2019

Tukey’s health prevented her from going out on Moorea, so Dave went walking with the promise to bring back pictures. He walked a mile or so down the road that circumnavigates the island. The mountain descends steeply to the road, where there is barely enough room for the road and a house and small yard on either side.

Dave walked far enough to get a nice view of our ship, the Star Princess, and capture the iconic pointed spire that rises ​​​​​​​from the core of the island. Moorea is bedecked with lovely flowers, so he could not come back without at least one flower picture. The heat was nearly unbearable, so it’s a good thing Tukey did not try to go out.

50th Anniversary Cruise – Day 18 – Tahiti

April 16, 2019

We arrived early at Papeete, Tahiti. Tukey and I disembarked quickly and made our way on foot to the Community of Christ headquarters a few blocks from the pier. There we were greeted by Evangelists Peter and Didi who presented us with lovely leis made of shells. Didi and Peter are standing closest to Tukey in the photograph to the right. Peter was kind enough to drive us back to the marketplace and help us hire a taxi to take us around the island.

The island tour took 4 hours with stops at several scenic places including a lighthouse, beaches, grotto and a lovely garden with a beautiful waterfall. 

Back on the ship in the afternoon, we joined our friends for drinks and snacks in the Skywalker lounge. The captain announced over the loudspeaker that there was a rainbow off the port side. We took this picture of the rainbow over Papeete. If you look closely, you can see a double rainbow in the image. Beautiful!

50th Anniversary Cruise – Day 16 – At Sea

April 14, 2019

We’re on our way to Tahiti. Last night I was treated to my first view of the “Southern Cross,” a constellation visible only from the Southern hemisphere. This morning, to a beautiful rainbow. Today was a quiet day. I did my morning 4 mile walk (14 laps around the Lido deck), and Tukey did her 15 minutes on the treadmill. We went to hear a lecture on Tahiti. In the afternoon, we played a couple of hands of Pinochle, then met some friends in the Skywalker lounge on deck 17 for snacks. They just don’t feed you enough around here ;). We took a late dinner with 3 fun couples we have met on board, then went dancing for a few minutes. Since we have to set the clock up an hour tonight, we decided to retire early. What a life!

50th Anniversary Cruise – Day 14 – Apia, Samoa

April 13, 2019

Three days ago there was no tomorrow. Let me explain. We went to sleep Tuesday the 9th of April and woke up the next morning, Thursday the 11th. In the night, we had crossed the international date line. So, we completely missed Wednesday the 10th.

Tomorrow we cross the line again going the other way. So tomorrow there will be no yesterday. Or, more accurately, yesterday will be today (not today’s today, tomorrow’s today). Because today is Saturday, April 13th, and so is tomorrow. I hope that makes things clear.

All of this means we get to wish our son, Mike happy birthday twice in a row, as his birthday is the 13th of April. Happy birthday Mike. Happy birthday Mike.

We did not book an “excursion” for today, but we wanted to see the island, so we hired a taxi. The day was hot, we got a late start, and we planned to be back on board at 2:00pm to meet our card playing friends. We explained carefully to the taxi driver that we wanted just a 1 hour tour of as much of the island as we could see. He said, in broken English, no problem – 40 minutes around the island. Two hours later, we asked, “Are we getting close?” “No,” was the answer. “No?” “Yes.” “How much longer?” A short pause, then, “Oh, about half hour.”

Lesson learned: On Samoa, there is no “hurry.”

The island, Upolu, was first inhabited by Polynesians 3 millennia ago. The culture is laid back and friendly. Everything is organized around family and religion – predominately Christian. On our 2 ½ hour tour, we were treated to views of luscious tropical forests, panoramic vistas of the Pacific ocean, quaint villages and traditional open air homes – simply a roof supported by surrounding pillars over a raised floor. What a beautiful place!

We arrived back at the ship just a couple of minutes late for our rendezvous with Tom & Brenda.

50th Anniversary Cruise – Day 15 – Pago Pago, American Samoa

April 13, 2019

The island of Tutuila is a vision of deep, verdant green. Pago Pago (pronounced by locals, “Pongo Pongo”), the capital of American Samoa, is more village than city. We purchased an excursion, “Island Tour and Village Way of Life.” We travelled on a bus that gives new meaning to the term, “Woody.” Built on the chassis of an old pickup, the passenger compartment, indeed, the entire rear of the bus is built of wood. The seats are wooded benches and the windows are Plexiglas sheets that slip down into the wooden sides most of the time to provide welcome ventilation. Colorfully painted, the 5 coaches make quite a site maneuvering through the narrow streets in caravan.

Our guide was a lovely high school senior, born and raised on the island. She will attend college there, then plans to move to Utah where her aunt lives. Though she has travelled between the Samoan islands, she has not yet been “off island.” 

We stopped at several beaches and parks along the way, then arrived at a demonstration of the “Village Way of Life.” As we arrived, three Samoan men were demonstrating how Samoan’s cook their food in a pit using river rock, banana leaves, taro leaves and burning coconut shells. After husking and cracking open a coconut, one of them used a wooden tool to shave the coconut meat out of the shell. Combining the shavings with some coconut milk and massaging it in a ball made from husk fibers wrapped in a leaf, they created the thick white coconut mild they use in cooking. They wrapped some spinach soaked in this elixir in banana and taro leaves to create a ball which they placed in the “oven” between hot river rocks to cook for about 45 minutes.

Several huts spaced around the yard held examples of Samoan cuisine and native crafts. The spinach similar to what we saw prepared was delicious, combined with chicken or tuna fish. There were also samples of breadfruit, dried banana, mango and coconut. At one station we sampled the seeds from which they make a local brand of cocoa. And next to it, samples of the actual cocoa drink, served by three precious children of the island.

After we sampled the food and culture, we were entertained by male and female dancers. Dave then volunteered to participate in the “Princess Ceremony.” A lovely young girl (8 years old) dressed in a regal costume with huge hair danced a beautiful hula. Dave and one other volunteer danced with her, in return for which they were each presented with the gift of a Lava-Lava, or pareao, the traditional skirt worn by Polynesian men and women alike.

50th Anniversary Cruise – Day 6 – Hilo, Hawaii

April 4, 2019

We arrived at Hilo at 7:00 in the morning, on a bright, clear day. Mauna Loa displayed her lovely form for all to see, a rare sight on the island I’m told, as it’s often cloudy and rainy. We had purchased a kayaking excursion, so after a bit of yoga stretches and a good solid breakfast, we disembarked. The shuttle from the pier was short – only about 10 minutes, and we all hopped into a kayak and paddled off across Hilo Bay and a short way up a small river. At the end of the paddle we came upon a pretty waterfall and a pool where several of the guests dove in for a short swim. One even followed the guide up to the top of the waterfall and rode the falls back into the pool below, a drop of 10 or 12 feet. Our guide then amazed us by climbing the vines dangling from a huge banyan tree, swinging about like Tarzan, then diving back into the river. After this short rest, we paddled back to the beach. I thought we did well, but after we got back, Tukey confessed the waves had felt a little daunting.

50th Anniversary Cruise – Day 5 – Sunset over the Pacific

April 3, 2019

As evening began to fall, Tukey and I decided to take a stroll around the Promenade. The weather had finally warmed up to the mid 70’s, and it was a beautiful day, with fluffy clouds along the horizon. As we approached the bow of the ship, we saw the sun shining through, streaming rays down to the ocean, and creating a lovely silver lining among the clouds. A perfect ending to another perfect day. Well, not quite the end. We then went dancing to our favorite band on board – The Statics.

50th Anniversary Cruise – Day 4 – At Sea

April 2, 2019

We’re settling in to the rhythm of things…plenty to do every day…it’s just a matter of choosing the activities we like best. Yesterday we enjoyed an interesting talk on volcanos, describing how the islands of the Pacific were formed. Hawaii, it turns out, at over 36,000 feet from its base on the sea floor, is the tallest mountain on earth, if you count the part under water. Above water, it rises only about 14,000 feet from sea level.

We finally met another couple who like playing cards. Yesterday they taught us a form of progressive rummy, called “Texas Rummy.” Yes, they’re from Dallas, Texas. Nice folks. Today we’ve talked them into trying out Pinochle, which we will teach them.

The seas have been very calm, with very little noticeable motion of the ship, despite doing over 20 knots the entire way. The speed is most noticeable at dinner, when we are seated just above the engine room. It’s like dinner and a massage at the same time! Weather has been cool so far, but it’s warming as we sail southward. Today, the ambient air temperature is about 77 degrees Fahrenheit. I enjoyed sitting on our balcony for an hour or so this morning, reading my book.

50th Anniversary Cruise – Sunday – Our First Full Sea Day

March 31, 2019

The chefs came to the piazza today and displayed their artistic side. Beginning with a bowl of fruits and vegetables, a paring knife, some wooden skewers and a pair of side-cutting pliers, they fashioned these marvelous works right before our eyes. A fun display of talent! 

50th Anniversary Cruise - Day 1 - Embarkation

March 30, 2019

We’re Away!!!

Embarkation is a stressful event at best. Today it was made a bit worse due to construction at the airport. We were required to walk half a mile from baggage claim to the place where we could meet the bus to transfer us to the pier. Fortunately, Princess personnel were there to lead the way. Thanks to the airport for providing a wheelchair so Tukey didn’t have to walk the whole way.

Even then, we had to wait a half hour for our bus to arrive. But once loaded, all we had to do was sit back and enjoy the 40 minute drive to the pier. Because this is my Princess Academy graduation cruise, we are privileged to travel with “Elite” status. There are many advantages to this status, and one of them is being allowed to go directly from the bus to embarkation. Less fortunate travelers were required to sit patiently in a large seating area to await their “boarding time.” Still, the line was almost 20 minutes long.

Finally, though, we were on board and went directly to our stateroom, where we could rest and relax. After enduring a “safety meeting” and enjoying our first dinner in the elegant dining room, we were under way. Here is the view back towards the pier as we sailed away.

Tenaya Lodge

March 23, 2019

We had a wonderful time at the Tenaya Lodge in Fish Camp just outside the south gate into Yosemite.  This hotel is completely handicap accessible.  Beginning this spring they will have an ADA complient bus driving visitors into Yosemite for tours.  They have several restaurants and  threir pool and spa are handicap accessible (with a hoyer lift).  Their lobby has flag stone which makes which are a little bumpy for wheelchairs and walkers but that is just in the lobby.