Our Anniversary in Maui

Monday, August 22nd

Because our earlier summer trip to Orlando was so highly scheduled with non-stop activities, the girls requested that we make sure this trip had plenty of down time interspersed with our planned outings. With that in mind, we spent much of the day today at the beach.

Unlike yesterday, we had plenty of sun, evidenced by our "sun-kissed" skin upon arriving back at the ship. Our shuttle took us to a beautiful golden-sanded beach in Wailea, complete with palm trees, crystal-clear turquoise water, beach chairs and umbrellas. We watched kayakers and paddle boarders, as well as the novelty of a water trampoline. Who knew?

 

Arms of lava rock on either side protected this beach from too many people. Two resort hotels overlooked the beach, and across the water was a view of a red-tinged volcano. What a view!

  

Relatively calm when we arrived, the wind picked up and within an hour the surf became rougher, though still quite swimmable, accompanied by blowing sand. Adjusting our chairs took care of the latter problem, though we did find sand in surprising places later on! The water was cooler than I expected at first, but it didn't take long to acclimate, especially as the day grew warmer. Sarah and I enjoyed reading, taking in the view, and the occasional romp in the waves. Larry and Emily were more active, Larry alternating between water and walking about; Emily lived in the water the entire time.

A lovely, relaxing way to start our anniversary.

That evening, we sent the girls off to find their own dinner and entertainment, and Larry and I had a romantic dinner in the Jefferson Bistro. The ship's French restaurant, it was suitably special for our 30th anniversary celebration.



I enjoyed a delicious four-mushroom soup and Fruits de la Mer: a puff pastry filled with scallops, shrimp, and lobster in a silky cream sauce. Larry declared his swordfish beyond reproach, as well. We shared chocolate fondue for dessert, dipping strawberries, bananas, pineapple and melon chunks, grapes, and pastry rounds into liquid dark chocolate. Healthy and sinful all at once! LOL!

Just as we finished, we were presented with a cake while three waiters serenaded us with "Let Me Call You Sweetheart". Very sweet! There was a lot of singing going on that night. This was clearly the place to celebrate special occasions! Stuffed, the cake accompanied us back to our stateroom, where we enjoyed it over the next few days - and shared it with Sarah and Emily, of course...

In an attempt to walk off some of those decadent calories, Larry and I walked around the ship's upper decks, as we made our way to the Big Island. Admiring the stars, so apparent in the ink-black sky, I witnessed a shooting star for us to make a wish on! A perfect ending to a pretty perfect day.

Cruising the Hawaiian Isles!

Saturday, August 20th

Five years ago, for our 25th wedding anniversary, we'd planned to celebrate by taking a trip to Hawaii. Then the bottom fell out of the economy and Larry lost his job. Undeterred, we promised ourselves that we would go for our 30th, come hell or high water. And that we did! Having never been to Hawaii before, we decided to take a cruise that circled the islands, making several stops along the way, and spend a few days in Oahu at the end. We took the girls along with us, of course - they would have never forgiven us if we'd left them behind!



Our last cruise was 30 years ago for our honeymoon. Things have changed a lot since then. The first thing we noticed was how strict security was. Even though we never left the US (as opposed to visiting three Caribbean countries before), we and our bags were thoroughly scanned every time we left and re-entered the ship. Secondly, our honeymoon cruise was the then-typical "dress for dinner" affair, and much of our packed clothing was more formal in nature in order to have appropriate attire. This was a "Freestyle" cruise, and was much more casual. The strictest dress code denied shorts and flip flops and required close-toed shoes for men. Certainly a more comfortable approach with two teenagers along.

After an uneventful flight across the Pacific Ocean, we arrived in Honolulu, boarded NCL's Pride of America and found our stateroom.

 

Unlike the inside cabin of our honeymoon cruise, this one had not only a window, but a balcony accessed by a sliding glass door. Considering the cramped size of our room (especially once the beds were all extended at night!), we were delighted to have the balcony to add to our living space, and afford us with ever-changing views. A rainbow greeted us as we readied to leave port.

  

We had purchased the Anniversary Package, but were still surprised to find our room decorated with anchor streamers, balloons, and signs congratulating us on our anniversary, as well as chocolate-dipped strawberries and a bottle of champagne.



Sarah and Emily took off to explore the ship and swim, while Larry and I enjoyed a glass of champagne on the balcony as we left port. After dinner later that night, we sipped more bubbly and enjoyed the warm breeze as we watched the sea birds follow the ship-produced waves across the ocean toward Maui.

Sunday, August 21st

Our first port of call was Kahului, Maui. We started the day with a volcano tour. This bus excursion took us to the top of Haleakala. The day was rainy with nothing but clouds, the remnants of a hurricane accompanying us the whole way. The result: zero visibility from 3000' up, and absolutely no view from the top . At the 10,000' mark, we were lucky to see a few yards ahead of us. Disappointing, but you can't control Mother Nature!



Our bus driver/tour guide narrated the sights we passed on the way. She showed us sugar cane fields and the sugar mill, as well as identifying much of the flora and fauna we encountered.



The highlight of the trip for me was visiting with my seatmate. Because we happened to be the last four people on the bus, our family was split up. I sat in an empty seat next to a woman from Boston, traveling with three generations of her family. She was very social and liked to talk - we were well-paired and had some lovely conversation the entire way. Nothing to see, so we just made the best of it!