Is Mohammed still aboard and running Portofino?

Ship’s Log
Sunday, November 13, 2005
6:30 AM
3 50’ 50” N
133 37’ 42” W
Heading 210degrees
Speed: 17.5 Knots
Temp: 76.8 Partly Cloudy
Seas are slight.

We will soon cross the equator and of course every ship plans a social activity to mark this occasion. Our King Neptune’s Equator Crossing Ceremony will take place today at 3 PM, but that’s to come. Let me tell you about yesterday’s sea day.

I always start my morning with an email check. The computers are in the library just across from the Navigator Lounge, so I can have my first cup of coffee while I’m composing my emails. Luckily we do not have to use our precious Internet time but can instead just log into Word and write.

The Internet Rates for the Navigator rates are:
Hourly 1 Hour $6
Standard 5 Hours $25
Economy 10 Hours $40
Jumbo 20 Hours $75

You can bet I’m on the Jumbo plan, which turns out to be $3.75 an hour. Given the speed of our Internet connections sometimes that’s very expensive, but when you’re an Internet junkie you’ve GOT to have it!

After I finish my email I usually do a little deck walking – I used to count the number of laps, but now I just establish the amount of time I think it will take to walk off some of the wonderful food I ate the day before. Yesterday I circled for an hour, probably didn’t begin to make a dent! Of course the more you walk, the more likely you are to show up in the Navigator Lounge again for a cappuccino and a pastry!

Aside from the exercise we also had a chance to learn about Black Pearls, early navigation techniques, behinds the scenes stories of the Nixon White House, even a culinary cooking demonstration...all of this before noon!

It was a beautiful day so we chose to have lunch by the pool. Every day they present a different theme for lunch – today was Tex Mex – but if you’re not in a “taco” mood there’s always the grill selections: hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken or steak sandwiches. They even have a veggie burger if you’d like one.

Of course after lunch many go into nap mode, but there’s lot’s of other activities as well. On all long cruises with multiple sea days the Bridge sessions draw quite a crowd.

And, who doesn’t want to read a good book? Lecturer Robert Clark has organized RSSC’s GREAT EXPLORERS BOOK CLUB and we were invited to meet in the Navigator’s Lounge to receive a complimentary copy of BLUE LATITUDES by Tony Horwitz. This best selling book explores the sea routes of Captain Cook. As we find ourselves covering much the same ocean, it seems like an interesting read for those of us who are, as the author says “Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before! The book club plans to meet several times to discuss the book.

The rest of the day went by quickly, some reading, laundry, another stroll around the deck.

Last night we had a special celebration. Marsha invited us to join them for George’s birthday dinner. Their “Navigator” neighbors, Brian and Denise were joined the party. We met at Portofino at 7 PM. We started the evening with wine tasting and appetizers. Brian had sampled several choices the night before so he steered us directly to some excellent reds. We nibbled, sipped and chatted until it was time to go to our table.

Portofinos is really more than just a place for dinner. It’s a happening! The staff sings as they serve. By the end of the evening we’re all singing. It’s a little sappy, but lots of fun, you can’t really resist joining in. The menu is very nice and I stole a copy so I could share it with you.

ANTIPASTO
Tris di Antipasti
Mixed antipasti

PRIMI PIATTI
Risotto al Funghi Porcini
Freshly cooked risotto with Porcini mushrooms and cheese
Farfalle al Pomodoro Speck e Porri
Butterfly pasta with speck, fresh leeks and tomatoes
Tagliatelle Gamberi e Zucchine
Homemade pasta with sauteed prawns and zucchini
Insalata Mista all Acheto Balsamico
Mixed greens tossed with balsamic dressing and crisp potato julienne

SECONDI
Carre’ D’Angello alle Bacche di Ginepro
Oven roast lamb rack with cooked Junipers sauce

DOLCI
Coppa di Pere al Cioccolato con Zabaione
Cup of pears cooked in chocolate topped with Zabaglione

VINO
Gavi Minaia, Piedmont, Italy, 2003
Valpolicella Superiore, Italy 2002

To end the evening the staff presented George with a special birthday dessert and of course the entire restaurant did the “Happy Birthday” thing!

Well, I think it’s about time I stop typing and start walking. At least when I’m at the keyboard I’m not eating!

Doug...sorry I didn't see your question until this morning. I'll try to find out.

Margo and MarnaLou - wonderful posts from both of you and it sounds as if you are having a great time. What a fun idea, the hall parties.

Thanks for keeping us updated on all your activities we would love to do this cruise sometime, its definitely on our radar!!

Margo,

Thanks for sharing. And that Portofino menu is to die for! I love Portofino in the Navigator.

Keep enjoying,

Dunno, Doug. I don't remember seeing anyone named Mohammed in Portofino but whoever is in charge is doing a fine job.

G'Day all LCT friends,

Margo , thanks for being our onboard reporter here. I would just like to add that it has been a great pleasure meeting you and Tom and the other LCT folk on Navigator. Thought I would just add a little story we heard about the other evening over dinner. One couple told us about their carpet in the suite. They were becoming a bit annoyed by a stain on the carpet and had asked if anything could be done to remove it! After being told that many attempts to remove the stain had been unsuccessful they were asked if they could please be out of the suite at 8am the next morning and return after about 2 hours. On their return a complete new carpet had been put down in the suite! They were very suprised and most impressed!!

Best regards to all from the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Wow! Why can't I get carpet installers work that efficiently here at home?

Masaki

Wonderful receiving your seamail!

Margo, that's quite a tempting menu! I'm sure it was as good as it sounds - probably better, right? Hope you all had a fantastic time celebrating George's birthday!

Installing a carpet is record time is a real accomplishment. Impressive, to say the least!

Frank and Wendy - good to hear from you. That's some kind of carpet job, all right! Hope you're having a grand time. When do you head back to the land Down Under?

Gary's due back next weekend from hurricane relief work. He's in the lower Florida Keys (a/k/a Margaritaville) and at least is having good weather while he's working. He sends his best (and yes, he'd rather be aboard right now but knows how much help everyone there still requires) Cheers, Anne

Ship’s Log
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
5:30 AM
Approaching Nuku Hiva
Iles Marquises
77.6 degrees
Showers in the area
Speed 16 K
Heading 204.7
8 39’32”S
139 50’ 10” W
We moved our clocks back ½ hour last night. (odd time zone yes?)

After six days at sea you can feel the excitement of nearing land. Last night most of the passengers and crew were in a celebratory mood. These sea days are wonderful, but the islands await!

The tour desk has done a consistent job of warning passengers not to expect too much from the island tour operators. Their daily program note Having said that, they hope we won’t be too surprised at the variety of 4wheel drive vehicles that will be used for the upcountry tour.

This is our fourth visit to Nuku Hiva so I haven’t planned to take a tour. I can honestly say I’ve been there done that. But I will tender in to take a leisurely walk along the waterfront. As always, I’ll stop to visit the church and a small store. I also plan to stop at the post office to buy a simm card for my cell phone. Haven’t talked to home for a week, and it will be nice to check in.

There is also usually a small handicrafts market near the pier so perhaps I’ll find something interesting to bring back. I haven’t done all of my Christmas shopping yet!

Yesterday we attended the American Express cocktail party – at 11:30 AM! We were all a little surprised at the time...but yes, they had us drinking before noon. Whatever trepidation we had at the start disappeared about as quickly as the first Bloody Mary. It was a nice chance to make new friends and we asked Laura (our onboard cruise consultant) about the Tier Rewards Program. Evidently the home office is still tinkering with the details and now they say it will be announced sometime early NEXT year! So hold your hats, there’s no news yet. Of course everyone around us was hoping a different perk – from free laundry and dry cleaning services to free upgrades or internet service. At this point I’m not sure we have enough days to get anything more than a couple of free drinks, but time will tell.

One of the features that I always enjoy during our sea days are the Enrichment Lectures. Thus far we’ve been educated and entertained by several very interesting individuals. While I haven’t attended all of them, I’ve particularly enjoyed Oceanographer, Robert C. Clark. On almost any voyage to the South Pacific the topic of Captain Cook will be discussed. And on each of our trips to this part of the world I become more intrigued and have started to do some reading about Cook’s 3 voyages of exploration. We’ve also had discussions of the endemic flora and fauna, as well as the history of navigational skill and tools, and some of the history of Polynesian people. It’s almost like being back in college with a great field trip thrown in!

Well, I can now see the rugged cliffs of the island, so it’s time to sign off. I’ll try to write more later.

Wonderful Margo. Thanks for taking the time to bring a little sea life into our landlocked lives.I look forward to your reports and love hearing anything about the south pacific.

WOW great report Margo, I can almost see the cliffs of the island myself!!

Have some fun in port - anxiously awaiting more reports.

Always great to hear from you Margo! I look forward to all seamail - adds some light to our landlocked days - Joanna

Margo,

I'm just lovin' your reports. Thanks so much for taking the time to post for us.

Betty

We are just about to go ashore. Leaning over our balcony watching them prepare the tenders, we saw a rather enormous sea turtle swimming around the ship! It had to be several feet across.

It's a very warm spring day in Nuku Hiva and we look forward to checking the place out!

Ship’s Log
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Approaching Moorea and Papette French Polynesia
5:30 AM
Sunny 78 Degrees
Sea Smooth
Speed: 19 Kn
Heading 229 Degrees
Location:
16 55’ 26” S
149 10’ 36” W

Good morning! We will be in Moorea in a few hours, but I’ve fallen behind on my reports so I’ll try to catch you up this morning.

First let me tell you about our day in Nuku Hiva. The island is only 330 square kilometers but if you measured it vertically it would be much larger. As you approach from the sea you observe sheer peaks erupting from the ocean. It is very lush, but you can’t imagine the effort it must take to go upcountry! The tallest peak is Mt. Tokao (1,208 meters).

Nuka Hiva has one very fine bay for anchorage. It was formed long ago by the collapse of a volcanic crater. Thus the town of Taiohae and this bay were formed. This is the administrative capital of the Marquesas Island and has a population of about 1687 people. The entire island reported 2375 inhabitants in the 1996 census.

We tendered ashore shortly after 9 AM and were greeted with leis and music from a Polynesian quartet. Two beautiful Nuku Hivan natives draped the fragrant flowers around our necks and then we were off for some exploration.

It’s very easy to see all of Taiohae by foot but the heat and humidity was enough to convince some to board the shuttle for the ride to several sights. I elected to walk so I had the chance to duck into several very small shops along the way. You really can’t have a shopping spree on Nuku Hiva, there’s just not that much here. Only 5 or 6 ships anchor here each year, and there is only one small resort on the island for tourists. I found a tiny stationary shop and purchased some post cards for my grandsons.

The bayside is pleasant, lots of trees shade the walkway and of course we were all taking photos of the Navigator turning on anchor in the bay.

If you follow the crowd (that would all of the other passengers), you will soon find your way to the Notre Dame Cathedral. It is in a beautiful and very peaceful setting. On the massive doors and inside you’ll find carvings by local artists. All the Stations of the Cross, the pulpit and even the baptismal font are carved of temanu wood. The saints and disciples are portrayed as Polynesians.

When you return to the bayside, you’ll find a ceremonial paepae called Piki Vehine. There are the remains of several stone carvings depicting tikis and sacred events. Unfortunately they are not protected and the elements and some vandalism has taken its toll.

While walking you’ll see many locals on horseback. Several passed me by as I wandered back to the ship. I also saw chickens and other farm animals. Life seems very quiet here but the people were friendly and it was a lovely pause from our seagoing routine.

Yesterday was another of our glorious sea days. While it was somewhat cloudy and we had sporadic showers it didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirits. As always there was a full schedule of activities and as a friend noted, she was rushing from one thing to the next.

A troupe of Polynesian dancers joined our ship in Nuka Hiva and they have entertained and instructed us in the Tahitian culture. These beautiful women are charming and the delight of all of the passengers. Our friend Frank was able to snap a wonderful photo of Tom with two of these beauties. Needless to say Tom is grinning from ear to ear!

Well, I see the clock is ticking away. Today I’m going to take the Dolphin Watching tour so I hope to have something exciting to report later.

We will anchor at Moorea for the day and will then sail to Papeete at 6 pm. The crew has planned a Tahitian Dinner under the stars as we sail between the islands. It should be a lovely evening.

Enjoying all your reports, Margo, and anticipating more!

Neither you nor Marsha have mentiond soduku - has that gone by the wayside?

Kathy, I have had no time for sudoku! I've either been reading or sleeping or watching the ocean go by. I might need a few puzzles for tomorrow, though, our day in exile between cruises. :)

Another terrific report, Margo. Thanks so much for taking the time out of visiting Paradise to post!

Unfortunately I never got my sudoku lesson from Marsha...as she said...lots of reading, sleeping and passing ocean.

We will really miss her and George - they have tried to shanghai some fellow passengers and today it would have been easy - a really beautiful day in Moorea!

Bon Voyage to the PG and Marsha and George.

Thanks Margo!! I hope you received the little item intended for a baby in Hawaii. I put it outside your door.

We had a wonderful final meal last night in Compass Rose with our neighbors. We splurged on some caviar beforehand and then made our way down to dinner. We skipped the barbeque on deck because I was pretty tired after our long day. We went up and put our bags out, but they were not collected until this morning so we could have waited on that.

Off to the Radisson Plaza now. It's a rainy, warm day. We're going to meet the aforementioned friends at Le Marche for lunch so the transition to our brief civilian life is going to be eased a little.

More later from the PG!!

Marsha...the little items was received and is safely stowed until we reach Hawaii. I saw Brian and Denise this morning at the market and they told me they were going see you at lunch. Hope you had a wonderful time.

New passengers are arriving this afternoon. It is a hot and steamy day in Papeete and almost everyone seems to be staggering back from the market, glad to find some AC. This morning's rain turned the climate into sauna-like conditions. We need some cooling breezes just about now, but I think everyone is taking a siesta.

I stopped at Tahiti Nui travel agency this morning to ask about their webcam, but there so many people waiting there I decided to move on to the market. Sorry you could stalk us today.

Great reports Margo - thank you sooooo much!!! Joanna

Should I not be reading this thread either? :D

Great reports, guys!

Masaki

It's okay, Masaki, if you don't mention this to Marika. :)

Mum's the word!

Masaki

I spent about an hour this morning writing a long seamail...while trying to copy and paste it here I lost the whole thing! I'll try to recreate it later, right now too disheartened to do it all over again.

We are on our way to Christmas Island - crossing the equator this evening or early tomorrow morning. It's hard to get computer time and there are lots of problems with the system - some machines work better than others. I now know which one NOT to use!!!

Otherwise, things are great - today they are having the country fair on the pool deck. The captain is in a small pool float and passengers are throwing an even smaller lifering to try and "rescue" him. Many laughts.

Good Morning from Christmas Island! We've been anchored for about an hour and the tenders are now taking passengers ashore. The water is so shallow that only 35 people can board at a time. The island is only about 10 feet above sea level with some spots "soaring" to 30 feet!

It is the largest atoll in the world...and beauiful if a bit low key - lots of palm trees and schrubs visiable from the ship. Bird watching is the attraction, with most equatorial seabird nesting here.

Everyone seems excited to add an new destination to their list of places visited.

The Seven Seas Society party was last night before our formal dinner. There were so many passengers with 100 plus days that they announced only those with 200 or more from the stage - our most experienced guests had more than 500!

Dinner was fabulous - escargot, french onion soup, rack of lamb - I get hungry again just typing up my order.

I'm going on a Wildlife Tour this afternoon - I let you know if we see any!!!

Love your seamails Margo. I can't wait to hear about your Wildlife Tour! How fun!!

P.S. For fun you can change the date stamp on your camera to December 25 and take photos on Christmas Island for Christmas cards!

Oh Marcie...wish I'd thought of that!

We had a wonderful day...saw dolphin, manta rays and millions of birds! What an enchanted place. I know that there will be passengers who will complain about why we stopped THERE...but it was truely one of the most unspoiled places in the world.

The water was so crystal clear - a beautiful blue color. The people were welcoming. It is a simple but really restful place. I'd go back again.

Now we're 2 day from Honolulu, Masaki, Amanda and Marika...can hardly wait to see our LCT friends.

I'll try to write more tomorrow - too much wine with another fantastic dinner has impeded my typing skills.

Actually 3 days but close enough for government purposes (International Date Line) :)

Looking forward to seeing you soon, Margo!

Masaki

Margo:

We looked longingly at your cruise and if there wasn't so much on our vactation plate for 2006, we would have liked to have joined you.

In the meantime, I enjoy being a parasite.

Cheers! Ray

I'm so enjoying your reports, Margo!

Have a terrific visit with Masaki, Amanda and Marika!

See you soon!

Denise...I'm planning on a photo opportunity for "little fish" AKA Marika and her proud parents. I know we're going to have so much fun!

We had a beautiful start of the day, but before noon we ran into stormy weather. Showers for most of the afternoon and the seas are a bit rougher but nothing that bothers us...it will be interesting to see if the dining room is a bit quieter tonight.

Sadly, they asked for our disembarkation forms TODAY...more than a week before we leave, but we must see immigration in Honolulu so perhaps that's why - who knows.

I met with the Guest Relations Manager about our day off and then on the ship again. While they won't tell us very much, evidently a company has chartered the whole ship. They can't seem to tell us much more, but they will store all of our luggage and even will take everything on hangers on a cart so I don't have to worry about that. Unfortunately we have to leave the ship by 9:15 AM so may need a place to hang out until our ride to brunch arrives. I'm sure we'll figure something out. I asked if we could just stay in one of the lounges, but evidently Customs insists we leave the ship so that they can inspect our carryons/offs

We are still having a wonderful time - rain or not - the lectures and nap time seem to be carrying the day! Off to dinner now with Wendy and Frank.

Bye,

Margo, could you explain your day on and off the ship for me? I must of missed it in an earlier report?

Margo, you won't have much wait.

I think we are leaving at 9 am for the ship so we should be there bewtween 9:30 - 9:45. I will double check - I have the info written down at the office.

Karen, there is a whole day between Margo's back to back cruises where the ship is chartered. It was once the Cruise to Nowhere, where I had booked for our Anniversary. They canceled the one day and Margo and Tom have to disembark and stay in a hotel for one night. Ironically, we have MIMOSA, the West Coast Brunch that day so it's perfect entertaiment.

Hi, Margo!

So sorry to hear that they have been unable to make things easier for you that one night. It really is a disruption in the flow to have to do that.

We miss all of you Navigator folks but we are having such a wonderful time here on the PG. I heard there was another block party, did you attend the second one?

Margo,

Looking forward to seeing photos of you and Tom with Marika, Amanda and Maskai.

Hard to believe the first part of your journey is just about over. However, you do have Incredible Cruise Part II and MIMOSA! See you NEXT SUNDAY!!

Margo - weather's not a whole lot better here in Honolulu right now. Regardless, very anxious to see you and Tom tomorrow!!

Masaki

Masaki...sun is shining now so we'll bring it to Honolulu with us! :)

Denise...we're excited too - I'll have my laptop so can show you the photos!

Karen...Kathy explained it fairly well - we're getting kicked off (so to speak) for 24 hours - but the Guest Relations Manager did say if there any chance we can stay they will try to arrange it, so cross your fingers.

Kathy...we can talk in Port Hueneme about the schedule on Sunday - Tom is a little anxious about where we'll wait, but I'm sure we'll find a chair in the cruise terminal!

Marsha...we miss both of you! Had dinner with Brian and Denise night before last and hope to join up with them again soon. We had our second hall party and it was just as fun - even made it all the way down to meet some folks that have been with us since Nov. 8...everyday we seem to find new friends! So glad you're enjoying the PG. Hope the rainy weather is north of your cruise route!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!