LA to Auckland on Statendam
Here is my review of our LA to Auckland adventure. Our Australian friends asked me not to post about our visits with them, so I will share our cruise experience with you. Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand Cruise on HAL Statendam 26 September to 21 October, 2007 Warning – this is a lengthy report. Day One - We did on-line check-in and immigration which allowed us to be aboard ship and in our cabin before noon. We got underway at 18:30, a half hour late. We had enjoyed a beautiful day, the temperature was 82F (27.7C). Before boarding we took a good look at the Queen Mary. She is still a beauty, but badly in need of some maintenance.
The first thing we noticed on embarkation, crew members were everywhere with hand sanitizer and very nicely insisted on its use. Our first major problem, for some reason our digicam malfunctioned, there will be no video of this trip. We were much too tired from exploring and unpacking to go to supper. Goodbye Long Beach.
Day Two – Cloudy and cool, with a few showers in the AM. Formal dress tonight. We checked out the dining room -The Rotterdam Restaurant - for breakfast. Open sitting for breakfast and lunch. Menu was good, service a little slow and food arrived just barely warm. This was the 1st of 4 sea days. We spent a very relaxed day exploring the ship and people watching. Most of the passengers appear to be in the 60 to 80+ age range. Met our tablemates at supper, Joseph, a retired High School Coach and Mary from Texas, Joseph and Danielle from Toronto – married only six days. Dinner menu had a good variety. Prior to dinner was the Captain’s Champagne Party.
Day Three to Five -Sea Days, there were many activities to keep us as busy as we desired. We checked out the Lido for breakfast and room service. We actually preferred the Lido, as they had a wonderful person who made great omelets. Omelets could be made from eggbeaters, egg whites only or real eggs. Each day there was either papaya, strawberry or mango pancakes. I was very happy with the variety of fresh fruits. The pastries and fresh baked breads were scrumptious. Some mornings were quite cloudy and cool, but we still found comfortable sitting areas on the navigation or lido deck.
Day Six – Hilo. RAINING AND HUMID. . We docked near the airport. It rained the entire day. We departed at 18:00. Our Captain made a deviation to go by the Kilauea Volcano, then on to Lahaina, Maui. Kilauea was just an orange shadow as it was very cloudy. This shows our gloomy day. We cancelled our plans for a walking tour.
Norwegian Sun in port at Hilo
Day Seven – We anchored at Lahaina at 08:00. It was a sunny, hot day and we tendered into town for a look around. The tender ride was a bit bumpy. Golf and fishing were the order of the day. We got lots of sun and we got very tired. Norwegian Sun was already anchored when we arrived.
Day Eight - Honolulu, Oahu. We docked at a pier by Aloha Tower. Another warm day with intermittent showers and a nice breeze. Today, Pearl Harbor Arizona Memorial and a tour of Historical sites. The visit to the memorial was just as awesome as previous visits. Many tears were shed.
Our guide told us that the government was prohibiting the use of the new Superfast Ferry (We watched it go through the Panama Canal earlier this year). Apparently, there are concerns about the ecological effects it will have on the environment.
Day Nine to Thirteen – At Sea. We had another formal night on day eleven and on day twelve we crossed the equator. Days filled with relaxing, lectures, relaxing, trivia, etc….. Mostly warm and breezy days with a few showers.
Day Fourteen - Pago Pago, Samoa. We arrived to port early, it was raining lightly. This port was a bit of a disappointment to us, partially due to our driver who spoke limited English. We had quite a difficult time getting him to take us to the sites we wanted to visit. I envisioned American Samoa as being a bit more cosmopolitan. I was wrong. Pago Pago has a beautiful coastline, lush greenery and fantastic lava beaches, but the city is not well kept except the area around the port. When we visited the villages, the people were very friendly. We did not see many people working. We learned that Starkist has one of its largest tuna plants in Pago Pago. What a surprise to see Checkers, KFC and Pizza Hut on the island. The lava beaches were impressive.
Day Fifteen – Apia, Western Samoa. Western Samoa is a very nice island. We hired a taxi and toured the entire island. Our driver was young, but very knowledgeable. The Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, the Tiavi Falls and a stop at a private resort were special highlights of our tour. The countryside is full of coconut palms, banana plants and beautiful flowers. Samoans homes are primarily open wall houses with one large area and sometimes one or two small closed in areas. We saw residents sitting and sleeping on pallets on the floor. Almost all the homes had gravesites with elaborate tombstones in their front yards. The Captain announced that we crossed the International Dateline at 22:30.
We saw this church as we were docking.
Day Sixteen - At Sea
Day Seventeen – Suva, Fiji. This day was hot and it was raining. The city of Suva is, in my opinion, the cesspool of the South Pacific. If we ever go back to Fiji, it will not be to Suva. We heard lovely stories about places on the other side of the island from friends who were there in April. There was trash all over the streets, even floating in the harbor water. It was so humid that my camera lens fogged over constantly. A tour of the Rain Forrest turned into “pouring rain on the tourist”. The people were extremely friendly, greeting us with a smile and “bula” which means hello, however we were warned to be very aware of our purses, not to wear expensive looking jewelry and not to walk about alone. We were going to go to the other side of the island, but could not settle on a reasonable time/price with a taxi. We are not so daring as in our younger years. We decided to do a walk about with our tablemates Joe and Mary. We went to the “Market”, most of the items were spread out on the dirt floor. I was overcome by the horrible odors of some of the food products and some of the people. We also went to a Crafts Market. This is how the skies looked as we docked in Suva.
Day Eighteen and Nineteen - At Sea. We had another formal night and New Zealand Immigration Agents were on board to interview everyone and check passports. Temperatures dropped rapidly over the next two days. The sea changed from a moderate chop of 4 to 7 feet to 10 to 12 foot swells. I saw lots of people with motion sickness patches and bracelets. By nightfall, we had quite a pitch and the swells were 12 to 18 feet.
Day Twenty – Bay of Islands, NZ. A beautiful, but cold day. Temperature 55F (12.7C). The sea remained rough. Bay of Islands is a tender port and then a shuttle into town. I wasn’t expecting to see countryside that looked like Ireland. We did a long walk about town, venturing into the side streets and shops and then back down to the main street. The shops had nice selections of Mother of Pearl, Silver and Shell jewelry. I went to an Arts and Crafts show where all the items were made by the locals. There is a nice restaurant, named 35 Degree, which has a small aquarium and good fish and chips.
Day Twenty-one - Tauranga, NZ. We actually docked at MT Maunganui, a fairly large harbor. The temp was reported to be 64F (17.7C). There were occasional showers and gale force winds. We quickly became aware of the winds in all the ports. We hired a taxi for a 5 hour tour at a cost of 80NZD/person; total in USD was approximately $120.00. Our tablemates went on a ship excursion that went to the same places we went to at a cost of $189.00/person. Only differences, their tour included lunch, lasted 8 hours and had about 300 other people. Our driver/guide was Cameron, a very nice young man who knew his country’s history. We had a nice drive from the harbor to Rotorua, which is built atop active geothermal sites. New Zealand is a beautiful, fertile country. We visited a Kiwifruit farm, a Redwood Forrest, A Maori Museum, several large volcano lakes and a bubbling mud/sulfur park. We also went to the Agrodome.
Day Twenty-two – Napier. After a night of rough seas, we awakened to a dismal, cold, windy, and rainy day. Temperature was 55F and dropped during the day. We did not have a tour planned and much to our surprise, there was no shuttle to town and taxis were not allowed on the wharf. We decided to wait a while to see if the weather would clear a bit. Although the port was relatively small, Napier is well developed. We especially liked the walk through Aquarium, a special Chocolate Factory and several wineries.
Day Twenty-three – Wellington. Now it was seriously cold by our standards, 45F, with howling winds, but it was sunny to start our day. As usual, we hired a taxi and went on a tour of the city and harbor sights. So much to see, so little time. Our driver/guide took us to many vantage points to view the area. I was in awe of some of the scenery. This picture was taken from an observation station. I love New Zealand!
Day Twenty-four – A Sea Day and packing day.
Day Twenty-five – Farewell to our new friends and debarkation.
Our Captain – Jack van Coevorden. He has over 40 years of service and is the senior Master in HAL fleet. He was born and raised in Indonesia, but is Dutch.
The Ship - She is showing her age in some areas, but she is a comfortable size and easy to navigate. Twice on our cruise there was a minor problem with the vacuum system, which was resolved in less than an hour.
The Cabin – Standard HAL Ocean view (missed having a balcony). Bathroom had tub/shower. The tub was rather high for the vertically challenged. Very nice toiletries were provided. There was more drawer space than we needed and plenty of hangers. We could have used a little more closet hanging space for such a long trip.
The Food – Good variety and excellent presentation, but some dishes were short on seasoning for our tastes. Fewer chocolate desserts and no Chocolate Extravaganza. We did not go to the Pinnacle Grill; our tablemates went for a six course, six wine meal at $55/person. They said it was great. Usual cost for the Pinnacle was $30/person for the evening meal and I believe $20/person for lunch. The Lido restaurant had Oriental and Italian dishes available every day. Hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza and taco fixings were available from the Terrace grill.
Our Cabin Steward – Ridwan from Indonesia.
Dining Room Servers - Phillip and Aan, both from Indonesia.
Others we will remember - Anthony (Tony), Dodie, Lester, Mark, Efren and Rico, all from the Republic of the Philippines.
Guest Speakers included:
Warren Salinger first sailed on HAL as a refugee from Germany in 1939. He worked extensively in the field of International Development, directing a Peace and Justice Foundation.
Dave Smith gave several lectures on Digital Photography.
Mel Foster, lectured on the Pacific World of whales, Dolphins and Porpoises.
Cluny MacPherson spoke about some Paradoxes of Progress: Pacific since WW11 and Finding Contemporary Political Solutions to Yesterday’s Problems.
Guest Chefs - Lee Hilsa, Chef Franz and Mark Cummings
Some of the Entertainers – Den West, Timm Metiver, Anne Francis, Jack Mayberry, Ken and Casey, Marty Brill. In Apia, school children came aboard to do a cultural show and dance routine.
The cruise was wonderful. I would rate the itinerary 8 on a scale of 10. I have over 300 photos; it will take me some time to sort them out. I brought a couple of menus and some daily programs home, if anyone has specific questions, I will try to answer them for you. We found it fairly easy to explore on our own. The only places we had a bit of difficulty were American Samoa and Suva.
Here is my review of our LA to Auckland adventure. Our Australian friends asked me not to post about our visits with them, so I will share our cruise experience with you. Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand Cruise on HAL Statendam 26 September to 21 October, 2007 Warning – this is a lengthy report. Day One - We did on-line check-in and immigration which allowed us to be aboard ship and in our cabin before noon. We got underway at 18:30, a half hour late. We had enjoyed a beautiful day, the temperature was 82F (27.7C). Before boarding we took a good look at the Queen Mary. She is still a beauty, but badly in need of some maintenance.
The first thing we noticed on embarkation, crew members were everywhere with hand sanitizer and very nicely insisted on its use. Our first major problem, for some reason our digicam malfunctioned, there will be no video of this trip. We were much too tired from exploring and unpacking to go to supper. Goodbye Long Beach.
Day Two – Cloudy and cool, with a few showers in the AM. Formal dress tonight. We checked out the dining room -The Rotterdam Restaurant - for breakfast. Open sitting for breakfast and lunch. Menu was good, service a little slow and food arrived just barely warm. This was the 1st of 4 sea days. We spent a very relaxed day exploring the ship and people watching. Most of the passengers appear to be in the 60 to 80+ age range. Met our tablemates at supper, Joseph, a retired High School Coach and Mary from Texas, Joseph and Danielle from Toronto – married only six days. Dinner menu had a good variety. Prior to dinner was the Captain’s Champagne Party.
Day Three to Five -Sea Days, there were many activities to keep us as busy as we desired. We checked out the Lido for breakfast and room service. We actually preferred the Lido, as they had a wonderful person who made great omelets. Omelets could be made from eggbeaters, egg whites only or real eggs. Each day there was either papaya, strawberry or mango pancakes. I was very happy with the variety of fresh fruits. The pastries and fresh baked breads were scrumptious. Some mornings were quite cloudy and cool, but we still found comfortable sitting areas on the navigation or lido deck.
Day Six – Hilo. RAINING AND HUMID. . We docked near the airport. It rained the entire day. We departed at 18:00. Our Captain made a deviation to go by the Kilauea Volcano, then on to Lahaina, Maui. Kilauea was just an orange shadow as it was very cloudy. This shows our gloomy day. We cancelled our plans for a walking tour.
Norwegian Sun in port at Hilo
Day Seven – We anchored at Lahaina at 08:00. It was a sunny, hot day and we tendered into town for a look around. The tender ride was a bit bumpy. Golf and fishing were the order of the day. We got lots of sun and we got very tired. Norwegian Sun was already anchored when we arrived.
Day Eight - Honolulu, Oahu. We docked at a pier by Aloha Tower. Another warm day with intermittent showers and a nice breeze. Today, Pearl Harbor Arizona Memorial and a tour of Historical sites. The visit to the memorial was just as awesome as previous visits. Many tears were shed.
Our guide told us that the government was prohibiting the use of the new Superfast Ferry (We watched it go through the Panama Canal earlier this year). Apparently, there are concerns about the ecological effects it will have on the environment.
Day Nine to Thirteen – At Sea. We had another formal night on day eleven and on day twelve we crossed the equator. Days filled with relaxing, lectures, relaxing, trivia, etc….. Mostly warm and breezy days with a few showers.
Day Fourteen - Pago Pago, Samoa. We arrived to port early, it was raining lightly. This port was a bit of a disappointment to us, partially due to our driver who spoke limited English. We had quite a difficult time getting him to take us to the sites we wanted to visit. I envisioned American Samoa as being a bit more cosmopolitan. I was wrong. Pago Pago has a beautiful coastline, lush greenery and fantastic lava beaches, but the city is not well kept except the area around the port. When we visited the villages, the people were very friendly. We did not see many people working. We learned that Starkist has one of its largest tuna plants in Pago Pago. What a surprise to see Checkers, KFC and Pizza Hut on the island. The lava beaches were impressive.
Day Fifteen – Apia, Western Samoa. Western Samoa is a very nice island. We hired a taxi and toured the entire island. Our driver was young, but very knowledgeable. The Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, the Tiavi Falls and a stop at a private resort were special highlights of our tour. The countryside is full of coconut palms, banana plants and beautiful flowers. Samoans homes are primarily open wall houses with one large area and sometimes one or two small closed in areas. We saw residents sitting and sleeping on pallets on the floor. Almost all the homes had gravesites with elaborate tombstones in their front yards. The Captain announced that we crossed the International Dateline at 22:30.
We saw this church as we were docking.
Day Sixteen - At Sea
Day Seventeen – Suva, Fiji. This day was hot and it was raining. The city of Suva is, in my opinion, the cesspool of the South Pacific. If we ever go back to Fiji, it will not be to Suva. We heard lovely stories about places on the other side of the island from friends who were there in April. There was trash all over the streets, even floating in the harbor water. It was so humid that my camera lens fogged over constantly. A tour of the Rain Forrest turned into “pouring rain on the tourist”. The people were extremely friendly, greeting us with a smile and “bula” which means hello, however we were warned to be very aware of our purses, not to wear expensive looking jewelry and not to walk about alone. We were going to go to the other side of the island, but could not settle on a reasonable time/price with a taxi. We are not so daring as in our younger years. We decided to do a walk about with our tablemates Joe and Mary. We went to the “Market”, most of the items were spread out on the dirt floor. I was overcome by the horrible odors of some of the food products and some of the people. We also went to a Crafts Market. This is how the skies looked as we docked in Suva.
Day Eighteen and Nineteen - At Sea. We had another formal night and New Zealand Immigration Agents were on board to interview everyone and check passports. Temperatures dropped rapidly over the next two days. The sea changed from a moderate chop of 4 to 7 feet to 10 to 12 foot swells. I saw lots of people with motion sickness patches and bracelets. By nightfall, we had quite a pitch and the swells were 12 to 18 feet.
Day Twenty – Bay of Islands, NZ. A beautiful, but cold day. Temperature 55F (12.7C). The sea remained rough. Bay of Islands is a tender port and then a shuttle into town. I wasn’t expecting to see countryside that looked like Ireland. We did a long walk about town, venturing into the side streets and shops and then back down to the main street. The shops had nice selections of Mother of Pearl, Silver and Shell jewelry. I went to an Arts and Crafts show where all the items were made by the locals. There is a nice restaurant, named 35 Degree, which has a small aquarium and good fish and chips.
Day Twenty-one - Tauranga, NZ. We actually docked at MT Maunganui, a fairly large harbor. The temp was reported to be 64F (17.7C). There were occasional showers and gale force winds. We quickly became aware of the winds in all the ports. We hired a taxi for a 5 hour tour at a cost of 80NZD/person; total in USD was approximately $120.00. Our tablemates went on a ship excursion that went to the same places we went to at a cost of $189.00/person. Only differences, their tour included lunch, lasted 8 hours and had about 300 other people. Our driver/guide was Cameron, a very nice young man who knew his country’s history. We had a nice drive from the harbor to Rotorua, which is built atop active geothermal sites. New Zealand is a beautiful, fertile country. We visited a Kiwifruit farm, a Redwood Forrest, A Maori Museum, several large volcano lakes and a bubbling mud/sulfur park. We also went to the Agrodome.
Day Twenty-two – Napier. After a night of rough seas, we awakened to a dismal, cold, windy, and rainy day. Temperature was 55F and dropped during the day. We did not have a tour planned and much to our surprise, there was no shuttle to town and taxis were not allowed on the wharf. We decided to wait a while to see if the weather would clear a bit. Although the port was relatively small, Napier is well developed. We especially liked the walk through Aquarium, a special Chocolate Factory and several wineries.
Day Twenty-three – Wellington. Now it was seriously cold by our standards, 45F, with howling winds, but it was sunny to start our day. As usual, we hired a taxi and went on a tour of the city and harbor sights. So much to see, so little time. Our driver/guide took us to many vantage points to view the area. I was in awe of some of the scenery. This picture was taken from an observation station. I love New Zealand!
Day Twenty-four – A Sea Day and packing day.
Day Twenty-five – Farewell to our new friends and debarkation.
Our Captain – Jack van Coevorden. He has over 40 years of service and is the senior Master in HAL fleet. He was born and raised in Indonesia, but is Dutch.
The Ship - She is showing her age in some areas, but she is a comfortable size and easy to navigate. Twice on our cruise there was a minor problem with the vacuum system, which was resolved in less than an hour.
The Cabin – Standard HAL Ocean view (missed having a balcony). Bathroom had tub/shower. The tub was rather high for the vertically challenged. Very nice toiletries were provided. There was more drawer space than we needed and plenty of hangers. We could have used a little more closet hanging space for such a long trip.
The Food – Good variety and excellent presentation, but some dishes were short on seasoning for our tastes. Fewer chocolate desserts and no Chocolate Extravaganza. We did not go to the Pinnacle Grill; our tablemates went for a six course, six wine meal at $55/person. They said it was great. Usual cost for the Pinnacle was $30/person for the evening meal and I believe $20/person for lunch. The Lido restaurant had Oriental and Italian dishes available every day. Hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza and taco fixings were available from the Terrace grill.
Our Cabin Steward – Ridwan from Indonesia.
Dining Room Servers - Phillip and Aan, both from Indonesia.
Others we will remember - Anthony (Tony), Dodie, Lester, Mark, Efren and Rico, all from the Republic of the Philippines.
Guest Speakers included:
Warren Salinger first sailed on HAL as a refugee from Germany in 1939. He worked extensively in the field of International Development, directing a Peace and Justice Foundation.
Dave Smith gave several lectures on Digital Photography.
Mel Foster, lectured on the Pacific World of whales, Dolphins and Porpoises.
Cluny MacPherson spoke about some Paradoxes of Progress: Pacific since WW11 and Finding Contemporary Political Solutions to Yesterday’s Problems.
Guest Chefs - Lee Hilsa, Chef Franz and Mark Cummings
Some of the Entertainers – Den West, Timm Metiver, Anne Francis, Jack Mayberry, Ken and Casey, Marty Brill. In Apia, school children came aboard to do a cultural show and dance routine.
The cruise was wonderful. I would rate the itinerary 8 on a scale of 10. I have over 300 photos; it will take me some time to sort them out. I brought a couple of menus and some daily programs home, if anyone has specific questions, I will try to answer them for you. We found it fairly easy to explore on our own. The only places we had a bit of difficulty were American Samoa and Suva.