Cafe O'Lei

04-30: We did some laundry today. For lunch we were just going to walk down to Dolphin Plaza and eat in one of the 3 or 4 small cafes. Nothing looked appealing so we walked a little farther to Café O’Lei. The kids have told me it is great but a long flight of stairs kept me a bay. News of an elevator was good to hear. We had a delightful and delicious lunch. Stuart had a burger and I had a crab club sandwich. His burger was juicy and delicious. He also said the fries were the best we have had on this trip. My giant sandwich was stuffed full of crabmeat and the focaccia bread was fresh, tender, and tasty. We saw an ad for cinnamon rolls so we walked down there to get 2 for breakfast tomorrow, they closed at 2p. People nearby said come back tomorrow morning, the line will be out the door. We will do that! We were going to eat at Matteo’s but we switched it to tomorrow night – Our last night here. 

Travel Prep Day

04-29: Today we stayed in all day, other than a few patio breaks. To travel, it takes planning and time. We are headed to Norway and other Baltic countries starting in June. We have a “mail run” cruise in Norway. That will be a new and interesting experience, also above the Arctic Circle. We will do that round trip Bregen. The next will be 4 weeks of cruising the Baltics on Viking Ocean, where Stuart will be speaking. I have not been on Viking Ocean, so I am eager to try that! I will also visit a couple of new-to-me countries! We worked on that a good portion of the day. We ate doggie bag leftovers for dinner, really good! Cloudier in Kihei today, windy, but no rain!

A Day in Lahaina

04-28: Today when we got up, we did a bit of housekeeping. About 11a we headed to Lahaina. It is approximately a 45-minute drive. We have a reservation at Duke’s, which we thought was in Lahaina but is really in Kaanapali at the Outrigger Hotel. Maybe that is a relocation after the fires in Lahaina? Our lunch there was delicious. The views were nice, the ocean so blue, and very good service. We even got a free Hula Pie for dessert. From there we found our way to the Banyan Tree in what used to be downtown Lahaina. There are closed roads here and there but we wound around and found our way. You would never know a lively, active town used to be here. You cannot even see the sidewalks for the most part. The Banyan Tree is looking quite healthy. Otherwise, everything else in the town is gone without a sign of return. Above the town there are plenty of new builds that mostly look like apartments. I wonder if it will ever return? I have noticed that Kihei is much more crowded than it used to be. The beach is like the weekend every day. I think maybe a lot of people are here that would normally be in the Lahaina area. Our drive back to the condo was uneventful. There was a quick stop at Safeway. We weren’t hungry for dinner but we played games, watched cooking shows, and finished the laundry.   

Pizza For Dinner

04-27: We don’t really have a plan today. Stuart worked on his computer and I did too, finishing up our last cruise album. We ate papaya for breakfast and our left overs for lunch. We planned to go to South Kihei Garden food trucks for dinner but we opted for pizza instead. There is a Pizza Hut just down the street from us, so that was our choice. Stuart walked to the ABC Store for a bottle of red wine to go with the pizza. Weather today was much the same as other days, just a few more clouds, but no rain here in Kihei. We watched cooking shows, ate pizza, drank red wine, and rounded out the day with Rummikub.

Our Second Space

04-26:  Today we just enjoyed our light and airy condo. I needed a rest after strenuous day yesterday! We ate some of the leftover chicken for lunch with the sides, that was really juicy and tender. I worked most of the day on my album from the last cruise. I am almost finished with it. For lunch we bought an enchilada kit. I thought it was something already prepared. Stuart said it was quick to prepare and I can say it was quite delicious. Another lovely day in Hawaii. 

Moving Day

04-25: We were up early and packed up, bid our farewells to Patti, and headed for La Perouse Bay. There was a quick stop at Shops of Wailea where we enjoyed breakfast at Waikiki Brewing. The off we went on our journey; it is the very end of Makena Road. It was discovered by a French Admiral, sent by the King on a 3-year journey. It has history, beauty, and the last volcanic flow on Maui. The road is a bit of a challenge for the last 6 miles, but doable. We spent a little time there and headed back to Kihei. 

It was still too early to check into the next place so we went back to Three’s for a drink and a snack. We browsed a few shops and then got the message with all information to check in. This is an Airbnb stay. We followed the given instructions and soon we were unpacking again. We are happily surprised how lovely this 1 bedroom is. It is clean, bright, beautiful, with a very well equipped, and so spacious. The grounds have a pool, tennis courts, grills, and much more. We found a gem with this place. It is reasonably priced as well as having a good location. It is just ½ block from where we were staying, so the beach is still close. There are 2 small sets of stairs to get up here, that is a challenge for me, especially bringing up our stuff. That burden fell on Stuart since he hauled our groceries from the last place and all the suit cases up the stairs. We got everything unpacked and put away pretty quickly. We relaxed after that with games, cheese and crackers, cooking shows, and off to bed.

Restful Day

04-24: Day of rest with a little laundry and organization because we move to our next stay tomorrow. We went to Three’s Bar and Grill for dinner. Stuart had the beer can chicken; it was really good. I had short ribs and tempura shrimp. Everything was so good. It was a bit windy on the patio and not quite the décor I remember. They had more green foliage all around in the past. Maybe another sign of the recent storms? Back to the condo, games, food shows, and off to bed.

Upcountry

04-23: Today was our day to travel Upcountry to visit Maui Wine. It is just over an hour drive from the condo. The drive up was lovely with the Jacaranda trees in bloom. The road starts out fine and really is fine all the way, it just gets very narrow and crooked. The 20-25 MPH does not need to be enforced, it is necessary. The further up the mountain we went the darker the clouds got. We pulled into the parking lot at the exact minute the hard rain hit! We waited a bit in the car and it let up, then we hurried inside. I will add, the rain continued off and on the entire time. However, we felt it added to the ambiance of the day. It was not cold and we were sheltered, even outside. Since we were just in time for the Tasting Table we booked, we headed to a little structure on the property. I haven’t been up here for probably 6 years; things have change but things are still welcoming and charming. There are a lot more wines for sale than there used to be. This structure used to be a jail many, many years ago. This is limited to 8 people, we had 6. The other couples were so friendly and talkative, it was a great time. We tasted 5 wines; I won’t list them here, all were good. Our host offered any refills we wanted. Syrah 2020, was a delicious one. We had a small plate of tastes to go with the wine with cheeses, olives, jam, crackers, and, more. It was really nice. After that tasting we headed back to the main building and opted for 2 different flights of wine. Separately, I ordered a glass of Maui Splash. I also asked it they had the Syrah 2020 for sale. They brought us a complementary glass – the last pour from the last bottle. We met a cute couple there who just got married today! She wore her mother’s wedding dress. It was just the two of them, just what they wanted. I took pictures for them and then bought their choice of a bottle of wine. We finished there and headed back down the hill.

Arriving in Kahului we saw Krispy Kreme and could not pass by without getting donuts for breakfast. Did we wait for breakfast? I’m not telling! Arriving back, we watched cooking shows, played games, and soon the day was done. A very and interesting day.

04-23: Today was our day to travel Upcountry to visit Maui Wine. It is just over an hour drive from the condo. The drive up was lovely with the Jacaranda trees in bloom. The road starts out fine and really is fine all the way, it just gets very narrow and crooked. The 20-25 MPH does not need to be enforced, it is necessary. The further up the mountain we went the darker the clouds got. We pulled into the parking lot at the exact minute the hard rain hit! We waited a bit in the car and it let up, then we hurried inside. I will add, the rain continued off and on the entire time. However, we felt it added to the ambiance of the day. It was not cold and we were sheltered, even outside. Since we were just in time for the Tasting Table we booked, we headed to a little structure on the property. I haven’t been up here for probably 6 years; things have change but things are still welcoming and charming. There are a lot more wines for sale than there used to be. This structure used to be a jail many, many years ago. This is limited to 8 people, we had 6. The other couples were so friendly and talkative, it was a great time. We tasted 5 wines; I won’t list them here, all were good. Our host offered any refills we wanted. Syrah 2020, was a delicious one. We had a small plate of tastes to go with the wine with cheeses, olives, jam, crackers, and, more. It was really nice. After that tasting we headed back to the main building and opted for 2 different flights of wine. Separately, I ordered a glass of Maui Splash. I also asked it they had the Syrah 2020 for sale. They brought us a complementary glass – the last pour from the last bottle. We met a cute couple there who just got married today! She wore her mother’s wedding dress. It was just the two of them, just what they wanted. I took pictures for them and then bought their choice of a bottle of wine. We finished there and headed back down the hill.

Arriving in Kahului we saw Krispy Kreme and could not pass by without getting donuts for breakfast. Did we wait for breakfast? I’m not telling! Arriving back, we watched cooking shows, played games, and soon the day was done. A very and interesting day. Below in the second tastings.

Tropical Plantation

04-22: This morning we were on our way to Maui Tropical Plantation. I guess it is a bad idea to go back to places you have been, as they are not the same. It was the usual tram ride to see various plants and trees, along with the coconut husking demonstration. They no longer give tastes of the fresh coconut or bananas as they used to. There are lots of lovely flowers, ducks, chickens, and more. We planned to eat at Café O’Lea but there is a private event and it is closed to the public. We left there and went to Maalaea Harbor to the Seascape Restaurant for lunch. I had a burger and Stuart had tacos. Service was good and so was the food. Time for some computer work, photos, and games. 

Morimoto Maui

04-21: Another quiet and peaceful day. We had a delightful walk on the beach and watched the waves for a little while. I am surprised at the large number of people on the beach for a Tuesday. We played games in the afternoon and perused the Morimoto menu, which is where we will dine tonight. We are both excited about this menu. We have been to Morimoto’s at Sea several times and I have been to the Napa location many years ago, but this will be different. Our drive down to Wailea took a bit longer because of the washed-out road but it is still very close. Instead of being in the Wailea Mall area, it is actually located at the Andaz Resort, a pretty posh place. Morimoto was a bit of a surprise. It was not fancy or Asian looking at all. Outdoor furniture graced the patio where we ate, it wasn’t very comfortable. Service was pretty good. The waiter we started out with was well informed, but he was not our waiter for the whole time. We decided to try the tasting menu with wine paring. Things started out great. Toro tartar was a nice dish. It was beautifully presented with tiny rice cracker balls on top, caviar, and finishing salt as well. The soy dashi had freshly ground wasabi, which was quite mild and tasty with a little Japanese peach for a palate cleanser. The blue fin was so finely chopped, it felt like it was pureed. The next course was my favorite. Seasonal fish carpaccio, tonight is red snapper.  Using soy and Mitsuba, which is somewhat like parsley and cilantro, and on the top the orangey, yellow stuff is Uni from a sea urchin from a certain area of Japan. Delicious! The next plate was Nigiri with Chu Toro, Hamachi, Salmon, Campachi, and Big Eye Tuna. A palate cleanser was next but neither of us cared for that. It was supposed to be cucumber sorbet but it tasted like lawn clippings to me! Our next course was surf and turf; it was quite disappointing. The Australian wagyu was overcooked the shrimp with it were okay, but small and the duck fat brussels sprouts were just okay as well. We have canceled next week's wine in wagyu because we don't want that same steak again. Stuart didn’t finish his. We watched the end of the Luau taking place on the grounds. Back to the condo and Rummikub.

Monday in Maui

04-20: Relaxing is the name of the game here in Maui! Even though I woke up really early, I feel rested. We had coffee and cereal then worked on our laptops. Around 1p we headed out to find a food truck that we read about. We found a wonderful new (to me) place right near the timeshare, walking distance really, but we drove! South Maui Gardens is truly a hidden oasis! We ate at Kitoko's and had a delicious Maui Beef Sloppy Joe’s. This place is in a beautiful, spacious pod of assorted food trucks. There is garden seating throughout the pod and it's very relaxing and enjoyable. Prices are reasonable (it's Maui) with many options. No alcohol is served at any of the food trucks.  We will definitely visit again! Thai Mee Up will probably be our next choice! We decided to take a short drive to look around but the traffic was stop and go with a lot of road construction. Perhaps that is because of the recent flooding? We gave up and headed back to the timeshare. Part of the afternoon was playing Phase 10 and part working on my many photos that need to be in albums! Games in the afternoon and evening. No real sunset tonight because of clouds. However, we did not have the rain that was forecast around 3p.

Sunday in Maui

04-19: After we got up, we had coffee and did a few things on our laptops. We also unpacked! We decided on Maui Brewing Company for lunch before heading to Safeway for groceries. The atmosphere was nice, and the place is still beautiful. The service was very good, but the food was subpar for sure. Cold fries and onion rings... they did give us some fresh ones. Then, the fries were hot, but the onion rings were just barely warm. It was disappointing, and I don't think I want to go back there with all the other options available.

Safeway prices seemed outstanding! Two bags of groceries, $244. Of course, we bought a few bottles of wine. Everything costs more at home as well. I was surprised that simple salami 8oz. costs as much as a 2-pound pack at Costco in Clovis! We are tired this afternoon so didn’t do much. We finally got the TV to work. The internet drops frequently. I guess I will inquire in the office about that. Later we went to the ABC Store and got Stuart his first pair of Hawaiian slippers. Everyone likes them, I hope he does! We weren’t hungry for dinner, but we had a few grapes. We finished the day by playing Rummikub.

Maui or Bust!

04-18-2026: Our flight from Fresno was uneventful. We saw beautiful mountains on the way up. Well, I did because I had the window seat! I could correctly identify 3 of the 4 big ones we saw. We enjoyed some wine and blue cheese stuffed olives in the Seattle airport. Our layover wasn't very long and we're on our way to Maui! I am so happy Stuart was able to get us earlier flights. The 10p arrival time we did have for Maui seemed awful. Instead, we landed about 4:15p, awaited the shuttle, and got the car at All Save, Fox, Nu, which we have not used in the past. The office was closed when we arrived to KBC but they had the lockbox on the door so we got into B108 just fine. We did a few things and headed to Moose's for dinner. It's very cloudy and gray, but the weather is nice, other than that it is a nice temperature. Stuart had a burger and I had my long-awaited potato skins. The place looks different. They have taken down most of their funny little wall hangings. They have replaced the small pane windows that opened, and added large pane glass that does not open. Oh well, the food was good and the service is always friendly. I will add, we were able to drive there and park in their lot, directly from KBC. The washed-out road is just after the parking lot driveway. That was nice since it has been a long day. Back to KBC, next a walk to the ABC store for coffee and a few things for tomorrow morning. It’s early here because of the 3-hour time difference, but we are tired so off to bed! 

Heading Home

04-11: We were up early, threw on our clothes, and headed to breakfast in the Lido Market. Back to the cabin and off the ship. We got a taxi to the airport, which was convenient and a set price. Our driver said the cruise line negotiates a set price. It was $46. An Uber would have been less (around $26-$28) but one would need to walk a distance to get to it. Since by back pain has increased a bit, we opted for the easiest instead of the cheapest. We have the cheapest flights home! Our flying time to get home is less than 3 hours … However, with a stop and lengthy layovers it will take us all day to get home. We saw a great view of Mt. Rainier on the flight out of Washington. We walked in the front door at 11:15p. Another fun trip. We leave for Maui 1 week from today!

Victoria, BC

04-10: We are in beautiful Victoria, BC today. It is cloudy but not too cold. We had lunch at Dive In. That is the hamburger, hotdogs, and fries bar by the Lido pool. We like the food there but this is our first time to eat there on this cruise. It is a shorter cruise and it is hard to fit in everything offered! They do have a vegan (or vegetarian?) burger, and a chicken burger. We also have to pack today because any luggage to be taken off by the crew needs to be out by 12 midnight. Nonetheless, we had a plan to meet our friends at the Tamarind Bar for our own happy hour with the wine we all still have in our packages. That plan didn’t work out because due to Canadian law only one bar can be open on each deck. This was not the chosen bar! We decided to just head to the dining room and share our wines there and have dinner as well. It was a lovely ending to the last night onboard. We are so happy we got to see Paul and Maureen again, and get to know Don and Lisa better. It looks like we will be on some future cruise and we can enjoy their company again. We went to the late show and it was great.

Astoria, Oregon

04-09: It is a lovely day to be in Astoria, Oregon. We have both been here before, so we did not get off. Instead, we had an early lunch and played Rummikub by the Sea View Pool. There is the Astoria Column to see, nearby Fort Steven’s State Park, and my favorite Lewis and Clark National Historic Park - Fort Clatsop. You can also stroll along the Riverwalk for some nice views. I think the most impressive thing is the Astoria Bridge that takes you into the state of Washington. Dinner tonight with friends back in Tamarind. The casino gave us a free dinner so we used that tonight when we met friends there for dinner. They also gave Stuart another $30 for anything else. He got a nice Sushi plate for the table to share. Everyone really enjoyed that.

Sea Day

04-08: This will be our last Sea Day on this cruise. We had a relaxing morning with another Mexican Brunch. It was good. Shortly after that we headed to the premium wine tasting, also with Cellar Master Michelle. Another delightful time especially since we had Veuve Clicquot. Following the wine tasting we played cards with our friends. That brought us to dinner time. We all went our separate ways. We wanted Canaletto that we missed last night. Again, no early reservations, so we booked at 8p. We don’t mind eating later in the evening. We don’t think this Canaletto chef is as good as the Zaandam Canaletto chef, but of course it was delicious. We went to the casino both before and after dinner. Still holding our own with a little bit of profit! 

San Francisco

04-07: Today we have a lunch reserved at Palette Tea House. We researched Michelin Restaurants near us, but they have either closed, or only open for dinner. This place we are going is a Michelin Bib Gourmand. That means it is rated with delicious food at a reasonable price. We tried a lot of different things from the menu, everything we tried was delicious. It is a beautiful day here in SF, but there is a chill in the wind. We saw an abundant of Waygo vehicles. Some people even planned to ride in one for the experience. To me it is weird not having an actual driver. I’ll skip that altogether. Back onboard and to the cabin to relax. We had another future cruise consultation at 5:40p. After that we wanted dinner in Canaletto but no reservations were available. Instead, we went to Tamarind. Stuart had the sashimi plate, which was quite amazing. I had the chicken curry, I asked for mild and there was little curry taste. We greatly enjoyed the singers and dancers again tonight. They are better than any of the guest shows.

Good Morning San Francisco

04-06: We were scheduled to arrive at 1p but it was more like 11a. They did tell us that ahead of time. Today we are having the Easter Brunch. I guess they did not want to have it on a port day? When I booked it, I didn’t realize it was not actually on Easter. We kept the reservation anyway. It was a nice brunch with some different choices. They had what they called Red Velvet French Toast with orange butter. It was really Red Velvet cake with some sort of cream cheese frosting on top – REALLY good. The main we ordered was lobster eggs Benedict. It should have been called Eggs Benedict with a kiss of lobster. It was really delicious but had just a few tiny pieces of diced lobster. It was one of the best Eggs Benedict I have had. Dessert was cute with an Easter flare. I had Lemon Pavlova and Stuart had something chocolate. After that it was back to the cabin and catching up on laptop while here in port in San Francisco. I needed a day off of everything and felt very refreshed. We had dinner, just the two of us, in the dining room. After that we went to Rolling Stone Lounge and listened to music until midnight when it shut down.

Easter Sunday, Avalon (Catalina Island)

04-05: Today we are in Catalina. We didn’t get off for several reasons. We have both been here before. It is a tendered port, which always takes extra time. We are only here from 7a-2p, which means you must be back onboard by 1:30p. In addition, it is Easter Sunday! What will be open? Not much for sure. None of the excursions appealed to us so it was a good day to stay onboard. We had a late breakfast and played Rummikub up at Sea View. We ran into Michelle and she told us about the 1:45p wine tasting. We did not get an invitation until after we left our cabin. So, that was good news and we went to that. Don, Lisa, Paul, and Maureen all went as well. There was little time to relax before dinner as they all like to eat early. We met at Pinnacle Grill tonight. Another enjoyable dinner with friends. Some time at the casino finished off the evening.  

San Diego

04-04: Today we are back in San Diego. We have planned meeting Eric and Kathe for lunch at Brigantine Restaurant at 11:30a. We got there early and got a nice table right on the water. We all had salads. Mine was a crab and shrimp Louie and it was fantastic! I eagerly dug into it before taking a photo. We had a nice visit topped off by the giant Mud Pie that we all shared for dessert. Soon they were on their way and we walked back to the ship.

Don and Lisa joined the ship today. The 6 of us had dinner at Morimoto. It was, of course, very good. Lisa is half Japanese and knows her food and sake. She said how certain sakes have an effect on the back. I decided to try the “best” one as her suggestion. It was called Morimoto Junmai Daiginjo. It tasted better than other sake I have tried and my back did feel better after that. Was it the alcohol in it, or the sake? I don’t know! Anyway, it was a great several-hour dinner. I had the angry lobster, but the less spicey version, so it was happy lobster!

 

At Sea

04-03: Today there was a nice Mexican brunch in the dining room. The food was quite good. After lunch, we had a specialty wine tasting. It was nicely pared with a variety of foods to try with the wines to make a very nice tasting. We met Paul and Maureen at Tamarind Restaurant for dinner. This ship has the regular Pinnacle Grill and Canaletto restaurants. In addition, they have separate restaurants for both Morimoto and Tamarind. We had a wonderful variety and it was a delicious meal. We haven’t gone to many of the shows because most are comedians and that is not enjoyable to us. Casino was fun for a time and off to bed. We need to be off the ship by 9:30a. They need to clear the ship since it is the first US stop from Mexico. 

At Sea

04-02: We met our friends for 5 Crowns today. It was fun to familiarize ourselves with the game again. After a brief refresh in the cabin we met them at 6:15p for dinner. Our dinners are always at least two and a half hours. The Cellar Master Michelle came by our table again. This time, as a treat, I asked if we could have The Walking Fool wine in our package, she said yes! Our friends loved it, it is fantastic! After dinner they left for their walk and bedtime and we went to the casino. We didn't play too late. I broke even and Stuart is definitely ahead for the cruise. 

Loreto Mexican Fiesta

04-01: So, we have a tour today for a Mexican Fiesta and lunch in Loreto.  We took the tinder and waited for a bed and now we are loading into individual taxis, which is extremely unorganized. I don't know, they said, line up two by two and everybody's just in a big clump. However, once we got to the site (in taxis) we had a very warm welcome. The entertainment was really good and the food was good and plentiful as well. We had a very nice day. We were way too full for dinner. Later in the evening Stuart had pizza and I had a salad. On this ship the pizza bar is on the Sea View pool deck. They make personal pizzas to order and some are premade as well if you want just a slice. Building your own pizza makes it really tasty!