Sea Days

      Of the 18 day duration of the trip, there were 6 'sea days' at the beginning and end, with 6 days of exploring on three of the Hawaiian Islands. The first six days were not only useful in terms of getting a feel for the ship and the ins a outs of this type of travel, but they were very enjoyable. 

      We were about 36 hours into our journey, heading southwest, when it was announced that the ship would be heading back toward Astoria, due east of us, so a US Coast Guard helicopter could do a medivac. It was an interesting procedure to witness, and after the excitement was over, we changed course once again, and now being behind schedule, the ship sped up from its usual 16 knots to 20. 

     We learned the lie of the ship but were still confused as to the location of our room each time we returned to it. You had to be there. The signage and directions were all good and once we learned fore and aft, port and starboard, we made fewer and fewer mistakes as we made our way to various locations onboard. We lived on deck 4 and soon learned that the dining room was one deck below us, and the buffet was 5 above us. This information had top priority in my age addled brain. 

     We noticed immediately that the ship was not only beautiful, but very well maintained and squeaky clean. Part of our daily routine was walking the 'promenade deck' for exercise every morning. There was always a crew or two cleaning, painting, fixing and inspecting all aspects of the ship. There was very little, if any, wear and tear on and in the ship even though it is around 10 years old. There was luxury and cleanliness at every turn. 

The design and architecture were stunning.

The art work on the wall of the gallery and the hallways were changed almost daily.

Each elevator lobby had a different sculpture in the center of the area. 

The casino was alive with whistles and bells and was very heavily used. Not by us, I might add.

There were several specialty bars and music venues with various genres of music to delight the ears and other senses. 

Here we look down two decks to the wonderful art gallery where there were many displays and art auctions.

Our usual morning walk along the promenade deck, encircling the ship. Four laps equaled a mile. We are more into steps than distance. Our average step count at home is around 6,000 per day. On our vacation, we averaged around 8,000 with a top day of 19,000. 

The grand staircase that took you down from the casino to the BB King Blues Bar. 

The Dutch Cafe. 

The "World Stage" where we enjoyed many wonderful lectures and shows, the entertainment running from movies, to comedians, singers, dancers, impressionists, and our favourite, Annie Gong, a Chinese musician who played an electronic digital accordion. I know. I almost did not go but went to see both shows and she was nothing short of amazing.

     It did not take us long to discover the excellent quality of the food. The service everywhere was super friendly and helpful, especially our two room stewards, Tri and Andre.  The post cruise survey that is sent to all guests, got a straight 10/10 in all categories.