Day 35 - Sun 10/14/18 Papeete, Polynesia

We woke up to our first full day in Papeete, Polynesia. While we are still in Paradise, this city represents a much more urban perspective with traffic, narrow streets, generally run down buildings (except for the government ones), and a number of homeless people. It still has a lot of charm with an extremely French emphasis. Given that it was Sunday, most businesses were closed except for the fish market which was open until 10am and the Tourist Information office until noon. In general Tahitians seem to be religious and there are lots of churches of various denominations 

We walked the downtown area to gain familiarity with the layout and purchased $50 pp tour tickets for a round the island tour which started at 1pm.

After a quick lunch in the Lido I obtained an ice cream cone and headed downstairs to get off the ship. I had fortunately allowed for some contingency time as I was stopped at the gangway and couldn't take an ice cream cone off the ship even though the only restriction was for meat and produce. So I scarfed it down and met my wife at the the gangway as she had forgotten her phone in our stateroom.

We found our tour and learned that instead of 20 people on the tour, there would be 30 (4 more were added later at the Le Meridian hotel). There was also a concern that we would only would be getting 3-4 stops instead of the six we purchased our tickets for.  

Off we went and in the end the tour went very well and we stopped at 7 places:

1. Arahurahu Ceremonial site 

2. Grotto de Maroa (fern grotto)

3. Jardins d' eaude Vaipahi

4. Waterfall

5. Blowhole ( very cool )

6. Venus Point (landing location for Captain Cook, Bounty, and the London Missionary Society)

7. Sunset overlook

Back at the port we ran into friends from the ship and ate a dinner under the stars and cooked from one of the many food trucks that set up in the area. The chow mein was so yummy and once the sun went down it was very refreshing to sit there and chat and eat a meal together.

Back onboard, the only evening activity was an excellent high energy Polynesian cultural dance show. It's really interesting to see how the character of the ship has changed. It's totally full at 1250ish passengers and about 180 of us are carryovers from the last cruise which had less than 1,000 passengers. There are many French speaking passengers including a number of Tahitians as well as about 60 children. There's also a Chinese contingent, and the passenger average age probably dropped from 70 to 55. And many more people are staying up late and using the casino. It remains to be seen how many passengers are 4-5 Mariners and how the dynamics of the new passengers will affect tendering. Stay tuned.

Day 34 - Sat 10/13/18 Moorea, Polynesia

Early this morning we arrived in Moorea, but we weren't up to see it. We were anchored in a beautiful bay just inside the atoll reef. It was a majestic sight with the steep green mountains surrounding us. Moorea was the film location for the movie The Bounty which was about the mutiny on the Bounty.

We tendered to shore on a local cruise boat that was open and quite comfortable. Our guide met us at the dock and we all walked a short distance to his outrigger equipped boat. The tour company was Moorea Miti Tours and I highly recommend them.

Our tour was first a long boat ride into the bay behind the Maasdam and then we headed to a relatively shallow area where we swam with the rays and the black tipped reef sharks. We could pet the rays, but the sharks kept their distance which was okay. From there we moved to another location nearer the reef where it was a coral garden and we swam looking at the coral and the fish that inhabited the area. There was quite a current in the area so we had to swim against the current and then drift back with it.  

We then enjoyed a terrific hand prepared BBQ lunch on the beach. One of the crew prepared the ceviche like dish by first cracking the coconuts (we got to help and I cracked two), and then mixed up the entree and used the coconut milk squeezed from the shaved coconut meat. Our meal then was comprised of the ceviche like dish, BBQ chicken, fried bananas, rice, coconut bread, and water. Afterwards another crew member demonstrated weaving hats from palm leaves and treated us with a lesson in the use of traditional plants for their medicinal powers.

Back at the tender dock, we perused the many vendors and my wife purchased an 8 string hand made Tahitian ukulele from the builder. It's made of mahogany and is quite pretty and robust. We tendered back to the ship and showered and sent another bag of laundry out for cleaning (it's free for us as 4 star mariners). There was a brief presentation on Papeete which is our final port of call for this voyage and the Captain announced that he would be leaving the ship for his 2 months vacation, and we'll get a new captain tomorrow. Also we'll arrive at the next port tonight at 8pm.  

As the ship began its sail away, the passenger Ukelele band did one final performance up in the Crow's nest. Angela and a couple others played their new ukuleles. And a good time was had by all.  

We enjoyed a LIDO dinner with Erik and Marilyn whom we have cruised with before. As we were finishing dinner, the lights of Papeete came into view. So we all adjourned to deck 12 and 13 to watch the sail in. We tied up across the pier from a very large luxury sailboat and on the next pier over is another cruise ship, but we could not make out the brand in the dark.

Tonight, Angela went to the Gone with the Wind movie and I updated this blog.  

These 34 days have been pretty special and it may become my favorite cruise so far. Easter Island and Pitcairn Island were both special for very different reasons. Tahiti is truly paradise, and Ecuador and Peru were nice first visits for us. We'd certainly rather come to Polynesia than visit the Caribbean or Hawaii.

Tomorrow we have something special planned with another couple. Stay tuned for that.  

Day 33 - Fri 10/12/18 Bora Bora, Polynesia

It's hard to say this, but it was just another day in Paradise! Bora Bora was the first of the High Islands meaning that the mountains formed by the volcanoes have not yet collapsed like they have on our two previous stops. We didn't have specific plans for this port but considered renting bicycles for a ride around the island, As we reached shore side, cruising friends Guy and Mattie asked that we join them on a round the island trip in the back of a Ford Ranger equipped with seats along the bed rails and a tarped roof at a cost of $35 per person. I thought for a moment and then said yes. And off we went.  

Our chauffeur stopped periodically at places she knew to be scenic. But she also would stop where we wanted to as well. But the real treat was when she took us to her home and there was a morai like we saw on Easter Island. The rocks were hewn from coral and volcanic rocks. While they currently don't assign spiritual significance to the morai, they definitely have preserved it. There was also a stop at a dock built by the Americans in 1942 as part of the war effort even though there was no fighting here. We also saw a decaying bunker.  

Back at the tender port area, we got some more French francs from the local cash machine and did some shopping including purchasing makings for a picnic lunch. Those makings were comprised of a baguette, some sliced meat, some Maasdam branded cheese (the irony was not lost on us, and some Coke Zeros. The total cost was just over the equivalent of $10US. We found a spot to sit in a nearby parking lot, and enjoyed our lunch. We continued shopping and at a hardware store we found some unique anti-slip shelf liner yardage with a sea motif. So we bought a meter of it for use in our motor home.

We had a late night departure but there is absolutely nothing to do in Bora Bora at night. So we came back to the ship and had our customary dinner in the LIDO before going to the 9pm story time with Kiona (not that good) and then the 9:30pm show with the Irish magician / comedienne. It was not well attended as most people were busy packing. Out of about 1,000 passengers, only 182 are continuing on for the next two week segment.

Tomorrow is a busy day with a snorkeling trip in Moorea. Stay tuned.

Day 32 - Thu 10/11/18 Rangiroa, Polynesia

Day two in Paradise was even more spectacular than day one. We had a morning snorkeling tour which was scheduled to depart at 9:45am. We tendered ashore and did a bit of shopping before our zodiac from Yaka Plongee showed up. We were boated over to the dive shop where we donned wet suits and the rest of our gear before reboarding the Zodiac for a speedy ride out to a protected reef area nicknamed the Aquarium.  

At the Aquarium, there were literally thousands of fish of all shapes and colors. We swam with Black tipped sharks, moray eels of various sizes, and lots of other species big and small. It was the most fish plentiful area we have ever snorkeled in the world!

Afterwards we reborded the Zodiac and sailed out the channel in an attempt to see dolphins. The outgoing tide was pretty strong and it was a rocky ride into the open Pacific Ocean outside the atoll. The dolphins were there and we enjoyed many sightings. We then sailed back through the cut and back to the dive shop where we turned in the wetsuits and enjoyed a cup of tea. We were then driven back to the pier area.

We ate a ceviche-like dish at a little cafe and tried to use their WIFI, but it was overloaded. Before getting in the tender line, we walked to the beach adjoining the break in the atoll that we had just sailed through. It was impressive to see it from that perspective.

Back onboard the Maasdam, we showered and went up to deck 13 to watch the sail away which was impressive as we threaded our way through the narrow channel with a stiff wind from our starboard side. Tonight was gala night and surf & turf was the featured attraction in the main dining room, so we at there with an interesting couple from Mesa, AZ. We followed this with a lecture on Genders in Polynesia.  

The Unexpected Boys performed their last show this segment but we learned they'll be on the next segment as well. We attended both the 8pm and 10pm performances with Story Time with Al Trujillo and the chocolate extravaganza sandwiched in between.

Tomorrow we are in Bora Bora and have no specific plans. Stay tuned.

Day 31 - Wed 10/10/18 Fakarava, Polynesia

Angela with a sea star

When it's one's first day in Paradise, it's hard to capture the emotion of the time. I can say that it was beautiful and warm, quite warm. Palm trees and coconuts are everywhere, the lagoon is a deep blue green, there's no trash on the shoreline, people play with sharks and some have them as pets, fine dining is a thatched roofs covering cement constructed tables and bench with fish (including sharks!) swimming around at your feet, French is freely spoken. It's also 1,000 guests from the Maasdam descending on the island.   

We took our time getting off the ship and we were on the fourth tender. After cruising the small souvenir tables, we began walking down the local concrete paved highway with its beautiful displays of flowers and beaches. We toured three grocery stores, A beautiful Catholic Church, an art gallery and a pearl farm before settling under the thatched roof of a local restaurant for a ceviche-like dish and a local beer.

We then walked 2 miles back to the tender area and waited for our 1:30pm snorkel tour. Just after 1:30pm the tour operator finally showed up and 4 people who were supposed to be on our tour didn't show up. Later we learned that they were on the morning tour. The operator screwed up the reservations.

The snorkel trip was good and it's always fun to bob around in warm water. At the first snorkel site, my mask was super cloudy so I could see much. I still shot a lot of GoPro footage. After clearing my glasses and mask, it was a good experience at the snorkel site with lots of fish. We got back to the tender dock shortly before 4pm, shopped a bit more, and then boarded a tender for the short smooth ride back to the ship.

Warm showers were the order of the day to remove the salt residue from our skin and hair! We then went up to deck 13 and watched the sail away. The Captain raised the anchor, slowly rotated the ship 180° clockwise, and we slowly sailed towards the exit point in the atoll. This all happened under a beautiful sunset and warm temperatures.

Dinner was in the Lido and Bayne Bacon did a new show, and the EXC photographer, Lottie, was the story time teller about her time photographing the Bushmen of the Kalahari desert.

We have another snorkeling trip tomorrow and a shorter stay at Rangiroa. Stay tuned.

Day 30 Tue 10/09/18 At Sea to Polynesia - Day 5

Like the song from the musical, Le Miserables, 'One More Day', it's our last day at sea for a few days as we are fully in French Polynesian waters and the temperature climbed to near 80°f today. The waters are a deep and clear blue and there are finally only wisps of clouds. Due to Mariner award activities again this morning, the lecture schedule was light. I attended yet another Polynesian anthropology lecture by Dr. Sperlich and a Polynesian dessert cooking demonstration before watching Angela perform as part of the Maasdam ukulele band. Afterwards there was a lecture on re-introducing a parrott species to a Polynesian Island that it had not resided on for 200 years after being hunted to extinction for their feathers. It's now thriving there. Lectures on Bora Bora and Photographing People followed.  

I haven't often commented on food, but tonight in the Lido we enjoyed an exquisite clam & mussel soup along with lobster rolls and berry pie with one of our fellow passengers, Larry. It was topped off by a terrific sunset as shown at the top of this post.

Jonathan (or Jonny as the Captain calls him) was interviewed at 9:30pm by KK as the principal evening's entertainment. Jonny was thrust into the Cruise Director's role after Joep, our original CD, had to leave the ship at our first port because of a family emergency at home in the Netherlands. The interview was an interesting perspective on growing up in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately an Irish guest lost his cool and verbally interrupted the talk before leaving the Showroom.

Angela went to a BBC movie about Polynesia while I called it an evening. We arrive at Fakarava early in the morning and have a snorkeling trip scheduled. Stay tuned.

Day 29 Mon 10/08/18 At Sea to Polynesia - Day 4

It finally started to get warmer as we have entered Polynesian waters. Throughout the day we would see various islands and around 9am some whales breeched off the port side. I didn't see them as I was in the shower. The showroom at sea was occupied all morning with Polynesian immigration activity which my wife and I didn't have to participate in as we are staying on the ship for another 14 days until October 28. I did take in a dessert and salad cooking demonstration in the Wajang theatre by the Polynesian Chef Sam Timoko which was quite good. Angela spent the time practicing ukelele for a performance to be held tomorrow and I walked a couple of miles around the outside deck.

The lectures in the afternoon included Dr. Sperlich on Tuamotu Archeology (we are visiting two of the islands in the Tuamotu group in a few days). Kaiona gave a very good overview of what to expect in the upcoming ports of call, and the EXC guide David also spoke more specifically on the two upcoming ports of Fakarava and Rangiroa. After turkey dinner (it was Canadian thanksgiving day), Al Trujillo presented a short session on Flotsam in the sea. The "comedian" was an encore performance of Dan St. Paul, but a number of us didn't care for it. He had a couple of videos with offensive language that I especially didn't appreciate. We attended Dr. Sperlich's story time about his first visit to Samoa and finding a family to live with while he did his PhD research. We squeezed in a movie, Basami Blues ( an Indian movie that was like watching Hunger Games meets Monsanto Chemical and Mamma Mia) and finished up the night watching the Indonesian crew show,

The clock is getting rolled back again tonight, and we have one more sea day and one final roll back of the clock before we reach Fakarava. Stay tuned.