2012 cruise to hawaii

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Please find below a daily diary of our cruise from Sydney to Hawaii on the Rhapsody of the seas from 13 - 30 April 2012.

It may seem boring and mundane but I like to keep boring records of our adventures.

Day 1 - fri 13
Joined ship at 1100. First drink Pool Bar 1105. Next drink at RBar then schooner bar followed by Viking crown lounge. Anita happy, square bear available on cruise. Drunk heaps.

Day 2 - sat 14 Drank some more. Anita shaking like a shithouse door. Went to the meet and greet. Won the lucky raffle, a pack full of royal caribbean stuff, hat, umbrella, travel mug, baggage tags, pen, highlighter and more.

Day 3 - sun 15 Slow morning, reading in crown lounge, Anita sunbaking. Clocks forward one hour. Had another drink.

Day 4 - mon 16 Arrived noumea at 7am. Went ashore for a wander, got back on board before it pissed down rain. Had a drink or two. DAA in the VCL. Sailed at 6pm, next stop - isle of pines. Entered the daily trivia question - why do they refer to the toilets on a ship "the head".

Day 5 - tue 17 Isle of Pines. Arrived @ 7.30. Had breakfast delivered and ate it on the balcony. Won the daily trivia question. Spent the morning reading and gaming in the VCL. Anita sunbaked. Isle of pines looks very nice. It's an island or a group of islands with pine trees on them. Off the grog for 3 days due to medication.

Day 6 - wed 18 Another non eventful sea day. We did have a plane buzz around us. Day 2 dry.

Day 7 - thu 19 Port Vila. Woke to entering harbour. Had breaky, a few cups of tea and headed ashore around 9.15. Went to the duty free shops and eventually to prouds where Anita got her 2 gold chains and watch. Really nice stuff. Come back on board, had a nap. Spent the arvo in the VCL. Clocks forward one hour during the night. (Brisbane + 2 hrs).

Day 8 - fri 20 At sea. Real windy today. Highest seas since leaving around sea state 3. Morning in VCL. First drink - cocktail of the day (sparkling mai tiki), then hello corona for me and xxxx gold for Anita. Up in VCL awaiting for Anita to arrive for our usual sundowners at around 4pm having a few or more J/D and cokes and a no show!!!! finally after a few hours of minding her a seat gave up went to room she wasn't their was leaving to go to schooner bar and finally we meet again for another session and trivia in the schooner bar before we attend the casino with no luck once again.

Day 9 - sat 21 - 1/2 way Woke up alongside Suva. Anita has put a message in the daily news for everyone to read that it was my birthday from all the family!!!! Had breaky on the balcony. Went ashore around 9.30 raining and humid. Walked around and bought 2 Fijian shirts for me at Prouds. Returned onboard had a few beers to recuperate, luncheoned in the Windjammer and spent the arvo in the VCL. Met some tasmanians in the schooner bar and shock and horror - had a few beers and a good laugh. One female, Simone was ex RAAF and her hubby Grant. Sailing tonight at 5pm. Sea day tomorrow. Clock forward another hour tonight.

Day 10 - sun 22 Sea day. Got up at 8ish went to breaky and then to VCL. Nicer day at sea today SS1. Still no sign of marine life yet. Having a slow morning, see what the arvo brings?? Arvo Anita had a sun bake, I had a relaxing watch of the movie "groundhog day". Went to the r bar and watched the sea go by. Had a drink of course. Moved to the schooner bar for the music tv themes trivia and of course a drink. Had dinner, then a spa and swim in the outdoor area while watching the big screen before retiring with a drink.

Day 11 - mon 23 Apia - arrived 8am. Very hot and muggy. Went for a long hot walk stopping at Aggy Grays for a drink then going into the centre of town where the clock tower is then around the main block and got a taxi home. Alot nicer in the airconditioner so that's where we stayed for the rest of the day. Had a swim in the solarium. Sailed at 8 pm

Day 12 - mon 23 Crossed the international dateline last night so that's why 2, 23rds. Arr Pago Pago 8am. A lot like bora bora. Very small town lots of handicraft markets. Not a great deal else. Had a slow morning onboard. Pretty slow arvo too. Anita's first drink was at 5pm! My first dry day, two more left. Ship sailed at 8pm, casino opened at 9 and by 10 I had a $100 win. Caught up with grant, mark, tony and Anita at the pool bar.

Day 13 - tues 24 Day 1 of 5 sea days before Honolulu. nice sailing day about SS1 and 10 - 15 knots of wind. Spent the morning at the VCL. Had an afternoon nanny nap then listened to the music or some poor variation in the R Bar. It was a reggae band who murdered some good bob marley tunes and elvis spun in his grave, probably drilled himself a mile or so out of his box.Anita had a day off the grog!!!

Day 14 - wed 25 - ANZAC DAY Day 2 of 5 sea days. ANZAC Day ceremony on the pool deck at 6am then a full service in the auditorium at 9.30am. Service was very nice with a huge attendance. Spent the morning at the VCL again. Just before lunch we passed 2 older vessels, the second one had markings similar to B72Q4 or BZZQ4. I'll have a look at Janes ships when I get to Hawaii. Definitely Chinese markings on bow. Different afternoon, swim, VCL, lounged around on deck 10 in the shade, played pokies won $60. Anita drank with the others. After tea had another swim, played pokies again, no wins this time.

Day 15 - thu 26 Day 3 of 5 sea days. Woke an hour earlier due to a confusing message re clocks forward an hour, oh well heaps of room at the windjammer for breaky. Crossing of the line ceremony at 1030 even though we actually crossed at 4 mins past midnight this morning. Good theatrics, bloody hot on upper decks. From there to the schooner bar for a few pre lunch beverages. Afternoon nanny nap then off to the VCL for pre dinner drinks. After dinner went to the casino then to the centrum for a surprise guest, he was 25 mins late - it was Patrick McGee, a singer from one of the shows.

Day 16 - fri 27 Day 4 of 5 sea days. Clocks did actually go forward through the night so we are now on Hawaii time. Had breaky with the captain this morning, nice guy. Went to the centrum to watch a display / competition of cake decorating between the head chef and the entertainment manager, Casey. Very funny with Casey pouring almost a full bottle of cherry brandy over his cake. Then schooner bar for pre lunch drinks. After lunch we watched the miss biceps competition at the poolside then schooner bar for drinkies and pre dinner drinkies. After dinner, pokies and casino then schooner bar and bed.

Day 17 - sat 28 Slow start, up at 9ish, breaky then to the casino for a last dabble then cash in our points and Anita got a tshirt and I got a key ring dice thing. Up to the VCL for quiet time and diary update. Then pre lunch drinks at the schooner bar. Caught up with tony and mark, both crook. Lunch. To the theatre for the guests talent show. Pretty average but they all tried really hard. The last guy doing la Bamba was the best. Off to the VCL again for pre dinner drinks then dinner and off to the show. Very funny comedian/juggler. The finale show was in the main centrum and was amazing with the aerial acrobats spinning and twisting in the air by bungee cords and the singers and dancers doing their thing. To finish, you guessed it, off to the schooner bar where we caught up with mark and partner, luddy and wife and tony and wife and a few others whose names escape me. That finished off the day nicely.

Day 18 - sun 29 Hawaii. Ship pulled alongside at 6.15am. Very early start with breaky at 6.45am, customs clearance at 7.45am then back to the room for Anita's nanny nap. Headed ashore for a leg stretch to iolani palace, king kameamaha statue and to Gordon biersch brewery for a lunchtime beverage. Free wifi at Gordon biersch so I'll see whose online. Quiet arvo with a few beverages and the same after dinner with the drunks.

Day 19 - mon 30 Left the ship at 9am. Went to our condo, pacific monarch. Luckily we got our room straight away. Room 802 ocean front. After settling in we caught a bus to Safeway and grocery shopped. While there we joined the Safeway club and got a $32 discount - bonus! After we got a taxi home it was time to put the feet up for a while. Went for a night wander and then retired for the night.

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Comments

[Steve]

Where are the versions of Anita's performance at the karaoke bar?

[ma kettle]

surprise
i am very surprised and quite proud of you both for Staying on the wagon this trip.Not to have 1 drink on that long sea voyage was a great effort luv ma