“P” is for Polynesian Cultural Center-Our Hawaiian Adventures

The fully immersive Polynesian Cultural Center can best be described as part education, part museum,  part Disney Theme Park and part Broadway.   Wear your walking shoes, this full day of activity spans a full 42 acres!

Founded in 1865, this area was originally desolate and uninhabitable. Prior to the building of this amazing location, the lovely town of Laie hosted weekly hukilaus, a community fish fry meant to entertain, instruct and support the community to raise money for the constuction.  Through tender loving care and tenacity the area, also known as ‘The Gathering Place’,  grew into a beautiful center of spirituality, education and ethnic harmony. The Polynesian Cultural Center first opened its doors in 1963 as a way for students at the adjacent Church College of Hawaii (now Brigham Young University-Hawaii) to earn money for their education, while preserving and portraying the cultures, arts and crafts of the people of Polynesia.   We’ve come a long way since 1963.

Entrance

Upon entering the park you may assigned a guide or left to explore the park on your own.  Everything is dependent upon the type of ticket you have purchased and the inclusions they have.

Villages

The park is divided into various Polynesian villages: Aoteareo (New Zealand), Figi, Hawaii, Samoa, Tahiti, and Tonga.  Personally we chose this adventure specifically to get an overview of the various areas we would be seeing during the course of our 45 day Pacific Adventure.

Each village contains replicas of statues and buildings indicative of the actual location.    Each village also offers cultural activities such as dances, foods, games, stories, music and more.  The costumed “villagers” are mostly    students from the nearby Brigham Young University. With another nod to the authenticity,  these students often come from the islands they are representing.  Demonstrations take place at each village throughout the afternoon and visitors are invited to get hands on and participate in many of them.

Living Museum

Tucked away among the villages of the Polynesian Cultural Center is a halau (a place of learning) which holds an almost 60 foot long double-hulled canoe made of Fijian dakua wood.  Twice a day there is a presentation about how the Iosepa is used by BYU – Hawaii as a sailing classroom, where students learn about now the ancient Polynesians navigated across the Pacific Ocean.  When the Iosepa is not being used during the spring and summer months it is stored at the Center.  Visitors to the exhibit will also learn about how a celestial navigation compass is used, how the canoe is prepared and the activities the “crew” will perform during an ocean voyage.  This is just a single example of the many museum pieces scattered among the grounds.

Lagoon

Just as they are in real life, the villages positioned along a waterway.   A long river connects them and eventually leads to a lagoon.  Along the waterway is where you can paddle your own outrigger canoe, take a gentle float trip around the entire park or spend time in the afternoon watching the Parade of Long Canoes as it floats by with representative dancers and musicians from each village.

All tickets allow you to partake in each of the villages.  For an additional fee you may add one of two dining options.

Buffet

The Buffet at both lunch and dinner time.  Many traditional foods are served.  This is held in the

Evening Luau

A Traditional Luau is, complete with the lifting of the roasted pig from the imu (in ground oven), a buffet style feast and more entertainment including a royal procession, dancers and musicians.  The luau is held in the .

Following the meal all guests will make their way to the

Evening Show

Ha-The Breath of Life is a spectacular Broadway style story with over 100 performers.  There is no photography allowed at this venue, which leaves us limited only to the photos available online.  Trust me when I say this is a show you won’t want to miss.  In fact, many of the performers have been awarded the top awards for their dance skills.

This tour has earned the distinction of the  “Peoples Choice Award” and draws over 1 million visitors a year.

 

“N” is For Newsletter-Our Around the Ship Adventure

From the moment you board your ship, there are things to know, new foods and drinks to experience and activities to engage in.  How do you keep it all straight?

Each evening a newletter will be delivered to your stateroom.  This will list the activities for the next day. Here you will find pool games, trivia contests, a list of movies which are playing, lectures, classes and what time the entertainment starts.

The newsletter will map out ALL the activities on board for the day.  There will be many and they will often be happening at the same time.

We suggest carrying a highlighter to mark those which interest you.  If two or more of you are trying to decide what to do, use a different colored highlighter for each person.

The newsletter will also let you know what time bars, restaurants, the casino, the photo booth and stores will be open.

It will often contain coupons, daily specials and discounts for photos, the spa, drinks and the shops.

There will be details about the weather and what time you are expected to be back on the ship.  The newsletter will tell you whether it is a formal, dressy or casual evening.  It may even give you some history about the locations you are visiting.

Learn to love and use this daily information resource to get the most from your vacation.

 

ABC Adventure-“Island Princess”- ABC’s of Cruising

This ABC Exploration Guide is specific to the Island Princess cruise ship.  Use the following list to create your own adventure.  Below you will find an alphabetized list of all the spaces on board.  Within each space there are numerous activities which may be being held.  Can you complete an entire alphabet as you discover what your ship has to offer?   If an item is highlighted it will link to another article.

A

Amuleto (Deck 14)

B

Balcony Stateroom

Bar & Grill (Deck 15)

Bayou Cafe & Steakhouse (Deck 7)

Beauty Salon (Deck 14)

Bordeaux Dining Room (Deck 5)

C

Camp Discovery Youth Center (Deck 12)

Captain’s Circle Loyalty (Deck 5)

Card Room

Center Court (Deck 16)

Churchill’s Cigar Lounge (Deck 7)

Conservatory (Deck 15)

Crooner’s Bar (Deck 7)

D

Decks

E

Explorer’s Lounge (Deck 6)

F

Fine Arts Gallery (Deck 7)

Fitness Center (Deck 6)

Future Cruise Planning/Sales (Deck 8)

G

Good Spirits at Sea (Deck 5)

Guest Services (Deck 5)

H

Horizon Court Buffet (Deck 14)

I

Interior Stateroom

Internet Cafe (Deck 8)

J

K

L

Laundromat

Lawn Court (Deck 15)

Library (Deck 8)

Lido Bar (Deck 14)

Lido Pool & Hot tubs (Deck 14)

Lotus Bar (Deck 14)

Lotus Pool & Hot Tubs (Deck 14)

Lotus Spa (Deck 14)

M

Medical Center (Deck 4)

Mini Suite

Movies Under the Starts (Deck 15)

N

O

Ocean View Room

P

 

Photo Gallery (Deck 6)

Princess Casino & Bar (Deck 6)

Princess Links

Princess Pizzaria (Deck 14)

Princess Plaza (Piazza)-Deck 5

Princess Theater (Deck 7)

Promenade

Providence Dining Room (Deck 6)

R

S

Sabatini’s Italian Trattoriea (Deck 7)

Sanctuary (Deck 15)

Shopping Concierge (Deck 6)

Shore Excursion Desk (Deck 8)

Shuffleboard (Deck 16)

Splash Pool (Deck 16)

Suite

Swirls Ice Cream (Deck 14)

T

The Beach House Teen Lounge (Deck 14)

The Shop’s of Princess-Calypso Cove/Essence/Facets/Meridian Bay,  (Deck 6)

Treatment Rooms (Deck 14)

U

V

W

Water Shuttle Embarkation (Deck 4)

Wedding Chapel (Deck 7)

Wheelhouse Bar (Deck 7)

X

Y

Youth Center (Deck 14)

Z

 

ABC List-Pre Cruise Preparations

A is for

Arranging your best cruise vacation

 

B Is for

Best time to cruise

 

C is for

Choosing a cabin

 

D is for

Dining options

 

E is for

Embarkation Day

 

F is for

Favorite cruise essentials

 

G is for

Getting your monies worth

 

H is for

Health & safety

 

I is for

insuring your trip

J is for

 

K is for

Kits to create

 

L is for

Life on-board

 

M is for

Motion sickness and how to avoid it

 

N is for

Not included

 

O is for

On-board credits

 

P is for

Passports and paperwork

 

Q is for

 

R is for

Rules and regulations

 

S is for

Sea Days

 

T is for

Trip Insurance

 

U is for

Upgrades

 

V is for

Visas and Vaccinations

 

W is for

Wi Fi

 

X is for

eXcursions

 

Y is for

 

Z is for

“C” Is For “Champagne Celebrations”-Cruising

Copy (2) ofDSC_0568                                                                             Champagne Celebrations

 

Twice in my life I have had the opportunity to stand at the top of a champagne fountain. The tall tower is stacked pyramid style, with 650 precisely balanced glasses. This Italian celebration is usually done at weddings.  Alan and I have been fortunate to have had calm seas, for the Princess Cruise line tradition to take place in the middle of the atrium. Mostly this event is another formal night, photo opportunity for the cruise lines, but I enjoy the excitement of pouring the bubbly. Besides, this is a free drink event, so of course we will always attend! Continue reading

“A” Is For “Altered States”-Cruising

 

Cruising Through The Alphabet-A Is For Altered States

DSCF5784

In our real world, Alan and I don’t drink much alcohol.  Usually we’ll have a glass of wine at Christmas and a Mimosa on New Year’s Eve.  We might indulge in the odd wine cooler or a glass of wine with friends.  On average, we probably have 8-10 drinks of alcohol, per year.  Take us on a cruise though and we become different people, usually enjoying at least one drink a day, sometimes a lot more!  Maybe it is the freedom from driving, kids and work that we feel.  But I think there is more to it than that.  What is it about this change of environment that makes us alter our behavior so radically?

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“B” Is For Balcony-Cruising

B is For Balcony

On our first cruise, in 1994, we had an interior room.  At the time, we didn’t know any better and we couldn’t afford more.  Like many first time cruisers, we started and ended our day with activities, using our room for little more than falling into bed, exhausted.  This is the number one reason we hear for not upgrading the room and if you have nothing to compare it to, then price alone can be a compelling argument.  After twenty years of cruising, and a few lessons, we have come to understand the difference that this little extension of the room makes.

Copy (1) ofDSC_0899I remember the first time we had a balcony, there were things to learn.  Lulled by the soft breeze and setting sun, we fell asleep with the curtains open.  Forgetting that it is a continually changing landscape outside that window,  we woke the next morning in port,  docked next to another ship, looking directly onto their balcony rooms…and they into ours!    Still, that ever changing, floor to ceiling view is just one of several reasons to have a balcony room.  This is especially true when cruising very scenic locations such as Alaska.  While most passengers are on deck fighting for that perfect picture of the glaciers, you can simply return to your room and enjoy the passing scenery in quiet serenity.

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“A” is for Atriums-Cruising

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While cruising, we challenged our fellow travelers to document their time on board the ship.  The goal was to find something to photograph, which began with the letter “A”.  We chose atrium.

On a cruise, the atrium is usually one of the first places that a passenger will see on embarkation day.  Similar to a hotel lobby, it is the heart of the ship.  In this location, you will also find the customer service desk, the shore excursion office, the purser’s desk and the cruise consultant.

Continue reading

Around the Ship-An ABC Cruising List

Cruising is so unique that I thought it deserved an ABC list of its own!  Use this list to discover your ship.  Highlighted items will link to other stories within the blog and/or you may use the search feature.

Alcohol

Art Auction

Art Gallery

Atrium

At Sea

Balcony

Bars

Beauty Salon

Bridge Tour

Buffet

Cabin

Cabin Steward

Captain

Casino

Centrum (see also atrium)

Champagne Tower

Chocolate Buffet

Cigar Room

Classes

Cocktails

Coffee/Tea

Comedian

Dining

Disembarkation

Embarkation

Entertainment

Excursion Desk

Excursions

Fitness Center

Formal Night

Free Dining

Future Cruise Sales

Galley Tour

Games

Golf

Grill

Guest Services

Hidden decks

Hot tubs

Ice cream

Internet at Sea

J

Karaoke

Laundry

Learn Something New

Lectures

Library

Lifeboats

Lingo

Lounges

Maitre d

Magician

Massages

Medical Center

Movies Under the Stars

Music

Muster Drill

Nap

Open Ocean

Organizing a Cabin

Passenger Services

Photographers

Photos/Video Gallery

Pools

Quiz

Room Service

Sail Away Party

Sanctuary

Sauna

Shops/Shopping

Shore Excursion Desk

Shows

Solarium

Spa

Splash Pool

Sunsets/Sunrises

Tea/coffee

Teen Center

Towel Art

U

Vow Renewal

Walk a Mile

Wine Tasting

Xbox

eXcursion Desk

Yoga

Zen