Update to yesterday afternoon: Shortly after lunch at the Patio, the Captain announced that we were heading straight into a good-sized rainstorm. We headed back to our covered loungers, fully expecting to wait it out like we had earlier in the morning. Quite a few other folks had the same idea.
Well… there was no waiting this one out! 🌧️ It turned into a heavy downpour with lots of wind, and suddenly everyone was scrambling indoors. By the time we made it inside, I was completely drenched. At least spirits were high—lots of laughing and people making the best of it.
We retreated to our stateroom, and Debbie had the great idea of doing laundry. She was originally planning to do it on Wednesday when we’re in Kauai (we’ve been there so many times that we weren’t even sure we’d get off the ship). There are two laundry rooms on Deck Five, each with two washers and two dryers—and they’re free to use. They even provide free laundry detergent. We always bring our own washer and dryer sheets, though.
We won’t qualify for free laundry as a perk until we reach 50 sea days, which will happen on our next voyage. Close… but not quite there yet! 😄
At his noon announcement, the Captain let us know to expect rough seas last night, with the worst of it forecast around 2:00 am. We have to say, out of at least a dozen cruises in and out of Hawaii, these have been the roughest seas we’ve experienced. Is it due to the smaller size of the ship, or the time of year? We’ve never cruised to Hawaii in January, so this is new territory for us.
As we were getting ready for the evening, I discovered that the Laker game was going to be on our TV tonight. Well, being forever Laker fans—and with the prospect of rough seas—we changed our plans. We opted for a quick sushi dinner at The Club at 6:00 and then headed back to our room for the game.
By 6:00 pm, the ship was already really rocking! 🌀Overnight we experienced the roughest seas of the voyage so far — it was rock’in and rolling! I actually didn’t mind it; it’s the side-to-side rolling that usually gets us. Last night, though, it was more of that bouncing type of movement.
This morning we visited the Colonnade for breakfast for the first time, and it was very nice—plenty of seating and truly impressive table-side service. Debbie had her half-gallon of black coffee (okay, I’m exaggerating… but she doesn’t come to life until the morning caffeine kicks in!). I, on the other hand, stick to a cappuccino two or three times a week. Neither of us can handle much caffeine later in the day if we want any hope of falling asleep at a reasonable hour.
We kept breakfast light, enjoying just a couple of delicious pastries while doing some people-watching—one of my favorite pastimes. 🤣
We got off the ship at 10 a.m. and grabbed a taxi right outside the terminal for the ride into Waikiki. We’ve been here many times over the years, most recently just a year ago. It was perfect weather!
Debbie has a long list of favorite stores in Waikiki and, as the professional shopper that she is, feels obligated to check in on all of them. I usually find myself standing outside doing some top-notch people-watching (and this is prime territory for it) while she does her thing. Today was no exception—though I’m happy to report that I, or more accurately my wallet, survived with Debbie not buying much at all. 😄 We did both make a purchase at Jam’s World, a store we both really like!
Lunch was at my favorite spot in Waikiki, Paia Fish Market. The original location is on Maui, and this one sits on the backside of the International Market Place.
I’s not fancy and there’s no ocean view, but it’s well-priced and absolutely delicious.
Debbie had the giant shrimp quesadilla, and I had the blackened Ono with Cajun rice. I also enjoyed a Bikini Blonde beer.
After lunch, we walked over to Ala Moana Mall, where Debbie tried really hard to buy something. No luck—but lucky me! We then continued on to Ward Center. Debbie was clearly desperate at this point and gave TJ Maxx and the Crazy Shirts outlet a shot…still no luck. 😪
We walked the rest of the way back to the ship, logging about five miles total. Not bad at all. We’re not sure where we’ll be dining tonight, but I’ll be sure to update that in tomorrow’s blog.
