Cruise from Vancouver to Hawaii on Celebrity Solstice

You can read my entire trip review by clicking here!  Enjoy!

This was our second embarkation experience at the port of Vancouver and I was wowed!  Our first experience was horrible but this time we had dropped our luggage, gone through US customs, checked in, and boarded the ship in less than 30 minutes!  Was I ever smiling!

At the Ocean View Cafe we found a table for 6 and ordered our embarkation drinks!  Having the premium beverage package made this a breeze. A couple of slices of pizza, a salad designed from the extensive salad bar, and sorbet completed my lunch!  At 1pm, the announcement was made that our staterooms were ready.  A few minutes after we opened our room door, our luggage was delivered. We met our friends in the Ensemble Lounge for pre-dinner cocktails.  Dinner followed in Blu. My filet mignon was excellent.  Then we sang and danced the night away to Abba music in the Sky Lounge.

Saturday:  breakfast in Blu, followed by a presentation by my favorite naturalist, Brent Nixon, on humpback whales did not disappoint.  Mary Amanda Fairchild, the onboard cultural historian, gave a presentation on the history of Hawaii.  Like her husband, Brent Nixon, she is quite entertaining as well as informative.    Lunch of cobb salad and black bean soup was delicious in the Grand Eppernay dining room.  Next it was time to head back to our stateroom #1610 to read and blog. Tonight's dinner was in Murano, the incredible French specialty restaurant, one of those “must do” onboard experiences.  Fine dining, awesome service and extraordinary cuisine were delightful.  Chateaubriand for two … oh my!  Goat cheese soufflé and lobster bisque equaled smiles!  We enjoyed our experience so much that we missed the evening show in the Celebrity Theater!  

Sunday: another day at sea!  Blu for breakfast, bag of laundry readied, presentation by Brent Nixon on green sea turtles, lunch of spaghetti bolognese and mushroom soup (and cinnamon ice cream!) made for a great morning into afternoon.  As an aside, Ken was run over in the elevator by an electric wheelchair/scooter!  Fortunately he wasn't damaged too much!

I wasn't sure that I would like many consecutive sea days; but I confess that I'm really enjoying them!  Ukulele lessons, hula lessons, lei making, wine tastings, fitness classes, and so many more options to keep us busy!  

Pre-cruise Stay in Vancouver!

Oh what a day!  Got my packing done and Ken weighed my luggage. It was 49 pounds, just one pound short of the airline allowance!  Whew!!!  Our driver picked us up at 4 AM to get us to the airport for our 6AM flight.  Flight was on time and we had time for breakfast in Atlanta before our connecting flight to Seattle.  We were a bit pressed for time so stopped at Atlanta Hawks bar and grill at 8 AM. They were out of English muffins and bacon!  So much for my breakfast sandwich!

We boarded our flight to Seattle with a middle seat between Ken and me. Mo sat between us and we chatted and laughed for almost the entire 5 1/2 hour flight!  She and hubby Carl are on our cruise. They're from Atlanta and he's a Delta mechanic. We arrived in Seattle and boarded our puddle jumper flight to Vancouver. Susan and Al were traveling with us.  I had arranged for a limo pickup to take us to the Blue Horizon Hotel in Vancouver.  Perfect!  We checked in to our high floor rooms with quite a view!  The rooms are really nice and large with updated bathrooms and a balcony. Here's the view from our room!  

After a brief "rest" and a shower, we headed out to Earl's On Top bar and grill.  The reviews on TripAdvisor were good and it was only 1/2 block away, which was perfect for our first night. Earl's is a happening place!  The bar was really busy so once our table was ready we were seated.

Review of Earl’s Kitchen and Bar (Earl’s on Top). 

Following our day of travel that began at 3 AM EST, we decided to have dinner within easy walking distance from our hotel. Located 1/2 block away from The Blue Horizon Hotel, Earl’s Kitchen and Bar (aka Earl’s on Top) fit the bill.  Our party of four had a reservation that I made through Open Table.  We were seated promptly at a booth inside.  There is outside seating but the evening was a bit chilly. This is a busy and lively restaurant with a fun vibe. Service by Naomi was superb!  We enjoyed a variety of menu items. My choice was the Lois Lake steelhead salmon with a side of warm potato salad and I am still smiling. My table mates ordered Hunan Kung Pao chicken bowl, pizza, and crispy chicken with plum sauce. All were first class. Wines by the glass and beer selection did not disappoint.  Earl’s is a “be back” for us!  

Following dinner we headed to London Drugs to purchase sunscreen, shampoo, etc. to bring on our cruise. 

We were up at the crack of dawn Thursday morning and were ready for breakfast!  Having discovered Cafe Crepe on a prior visit to Vancouver, we set off on a 2 block walk. Crepes were yummy as was eggs Benedict.  On the way back to the hotel, Sephora called out to me!  I had forgotten my favorite mascara, They're Real by Benefit!  Roots, a Canadian boutique, also enticed me. One of the signature items at Roots is the Canadian version of the Hawaiian shirt…. Plaid!  

We dropped my bag at the hotel, purchased our Hop on-Hop off tour tickets, and boarded our bus.  We chose the Blue bus because the stops were more frequent. Seating was, however, uncomfortable for Ken, as there is very little leg room between the rows of seats!  We've been to Vancouver twice before, but had never been completely around the city.  Stanley Park with the gardens, sea wall, aquarium, totem poles, and horse drawn carriages was gorgeous!  This along with Gas Town were highlights to me.  We hopped off at our final destination, Robson Street, where we enjoyed a late lunch at The Cactus Club Cafe. 

My cheddar burger with the signature red relish, was one of the best burgers I've ever had!  Ken loved the teriyaki chicken rice bowl and our wines by the glass were perfect. Service was friendly and helpful and ambiance was nice with beautiful art work and cozy seating.  We will be back!

For our final dinner I booked reservations for our party of six at CinCin, highly rated by TripAdvisor.  CinCin, an Italian restaurant, offers a fine dining experience in a beautifully ideal ambiance.  We were unanimously underwhelmed by the food as we were expecting “over the top”. Perhaps we didn't order the best on the menu. The zucchini blossoms were beautifully presented. Pasta dishes were good but not great. Tagliatelle al ragu, linguine with lobster, and smoked salmon over risotto were ordered. Of those three, the smoked salmon was rated the highest by our group. The lobster linguine was lacking in pieces of lobster meat. The bolognese ragu was fine, but not among the best I've ever experienced.  Wines by the glass were pricey but good. Our bill for two small pasta portions and wine was $100 USD.  I loved the bread and olive tapenade!  

We were up bright and early Friday morning for breakfast at Abode, located in the Blue Horizon.  Excellent!  I ordered Marilyn’s omelette (spinach, cherry tomatoes, caramelized onions, and Grano Padano cheese) which was perfect!  Ken's Benedict was equally tasty. The artisan bread and home made jam were great.  

Following breakfast we checked out and waited all of five minutes for City Limousine to transfer us to Canada Place for cruise check in and embarkation.  

Countdown to Hawaiian Cruise

Need some cruise help?

Packing List and Cruise Shopping at Dollar Tree!

Click here for my packing list!

And  now, here are some of my Dollar Tree finds for cruises!  What fun is Dollar Tree!  You may be surprised what you can find at a Dollar Tree if you’ve never shopped there.  Here’s a partial list of things that you can usually find at Dollar Tree that I like to take on cruises.  As you can see, Zoey, my Maltese, is helping me pack!

·         For your medicine chest:  travel size bottles of Advil, Tylenol; Bandaids, cough drops, cold medicine, antibiotic cream, and more.

·         Smaller sizes of tooth paste and smaller tooth brushes, small hair brush

·         Antibacterial hand wipes, travel size bottles and jars, hair clips (great to hold your phone/tablet cords together)

·         Flameless tea lights (for ambiance), night light, three prong adapter for electrical socket, dry erase board with magnetic back, sharpies, highlighters, sticky notes (Dollar Tree even has large ones)! 

·         Large clips which can be used to secure beach towels to chairs, hold back curtains (or keep curtains closed), or to hang wet bathing suits in the shower.

·         Mesh laundry bag

·         Pill organizer for rings and stud earrings! Or, of course, for pills!

Elliott is Packing for Hawaii

My Google Map of Vancouver

My Google Map of Lahaina

My Google Map of Honolulu

Hawaiian Cruise Finally!!

Yippee! Finally I am going to Hawaii! I’m so excited; I just can’t hide it! Hawaii has been on my destination bucket list for a while now. It’s hard to believe that I’ve been half way around the world, visiting Great Britain, the Mediterranean, India, Egypt, Quatar, Oman, Thailand, and more; but have never been to our state of Hawaii! Now is the time so planning is underway. We decided to take a leisurely cruise from Vancouver to Hawaii to cut down on some of the air travel time. But, of course, I DO love to cruise, so that’s a perfect solution. We fly into Vancouver where we will be staying at the Blue Horizon Hotel, a boutique hotel on Robson Street. We booked a king waterview room so that we will be able to view the beautiful Vancouver waterfront. Pricing is reasonable for Vancouver and the location is perfect for exploring. Of course, there are some wonderful restaurants nearby to satisfy my “foodie” heart.  We plan to have dinner our first night at Earls on Top.  It's within walking distance of the hotel, casual, reasonably priced and gets good reviews on Tripadvisor.  The "American Pub" type menu includes everything from tacos and pizza to steaks, salmon and coconut prawns!  Our second night, we have reservations at one of the top rated restaurants on Tripadvisor, CinCin.  I've looked at the menu and being a fan of halibut, that may be it for me!  The menu is great with a variety of pasta dishes, steaks, chicken, and seafood.  I'm ready!

I’m still working on what we will do during the day while in Vancouver, as this will be our third visit to this beautiful city.  Some sites to see, however, include beautiful Stanley Park and the Seawall (Stanley Park is nearly 1000 acres). What makes it unique are the amazing views on the wrap-around Stanley Park seawall, the dense rainforests, marshland, and beaches.  Other sites include Grouse Mountain, the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Gastown and Chinatown. 

Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises

We board the Celebrity Solstice in Vancouver and have five gloriously relaxing sea days before arriving in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. We've booked Aqua Class as we really enjoy dining in Blu, the aqua class restaurant. Get ready for some fun and games on our sea days; I am bringing Mexican Train and Left Right Center games!

We have all day in Kona and I’ve reserved a tour for both Kona and Hilo with Island Wide Family Tours 

From the tour website: Things to Do in Kona and Potential Sights to See:

·         Scenic Ali’i Drive

·         Greenwell Farms (tour and tasting)

o    100% Kona coffee and locally made products

·         Historical Kona sights

o    Panoramic Keauhou Scenic Lookout

o    Kealakekua Bay (“Captain Cook”)

o    Painted Church

o    Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Park (“City of Refuge”)

·         Big Island Bee and Honey Farm

·         Local Farmers Markets

·         AND MORE…

I think Keoki’s Ono Fish and Chips will be our stop for lunch!  Yum!  And, of course, we will be stopping for some of that famous Kona coffee!

 The following day, we will be in Hilo and have our second day tour booked with Island Wide.  

Photo Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises

 

Things to Do in Hilo and Potential Sights to See:

·         Scenic Banyan Drive

·         Liliuokalani Gardens

·         Coconut Island

·         Hilo Farmers Market

·         Akaka Falls

·         Rainbow Falls

·         Hilo Coffee Mill

·         Hawaii Volcano National Park

o    Jagger Museum

o    Kilauea Iki Crater

o    Past eruption sites

o    Nahuku (aka: Thurston) Lava Tube

o    Steam Vents

·         Akatsuka Orchid Farm

·         Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Farm

·         Richardsons Black Sand Beach

o    Turtles

·         AND MORE…

There’s an excellent newspaper article about Hilo that you can see here.

After two days on the Big Island, visiting Kona and Hilo, we arrive in Lahaina, Maui for two full days! 

Lahaina was once the first capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii, as well as a whaling port and plantation settlement.  For one of our days there, I plan to take free self-guided  historic trail walking tour.  You can pick up a map at the courthouse and go at your own pace.  

An icon and highlight of Lahaina is what is possibly the world’s largest banyan tree, which was planted in 1873 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the New England missionaries.  It was imported from India and stands 60 feet tall.

The main street is Front Street, which has has dozens of jewelry shops with silver and gold and pearls fashioned in the shape of whales, turtles, palm trees, pineapples, and probably surfboards!  Evidently you can load up on souvenirs and such at one of the many ABC stores in Hawaii. They offer everything from Hawaiian shirt-shaped notepads to Hula girl calendars to hibiscus flower towels and sand castle gear to groceries, sunscreen, and liquor. 

If you're a fan of the band The Eagles like I am,  a couple of miles north of town on Front Street there is a giant neon sign (at the Apostolic Faith Church, 1211 Front Street) that says "Jesus Coming Soon." It's been there for years, and is mentioned near the end of the Eagles song "The Last Resort," where Don Henley sings 
"You can leave it all behind and sail to Lahaina 
Just like the missionaries did, so many  years ago
They even brought a neon sign: "Jesus is Coming"
Brought the white man's burden down
Brought the white man's reign"
We'll just have to see if the sign is still there!

A big attraction in Maui is the Road to Hana, but I’m not sure that I want to spend nine hours to do this, especially since you have to return the same way that you go there.  This adventure will perhaps be saved until my next trip to Hawaii when I spend several days in Maui!

Since a luau is on my to do list, I have made a reservation for the Drums of the Pacific Luau for our evening in Maui. The setting is said to be beautiful, on the grounds of the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa, Ka’anapali Beach.   We will experience culture, food, and entertainment with everything from the beating of drums to the lighting of torches to authentic dances and even a fire-knife dance finale!  

As to the Luau menu, I don't think we will go hungry!   Mai Tai's, Kalua pork, Huli huli chicken and pineapple cake, here I come!

Drums of the Pacific Menus

Open Tiki Bar

·         • Mai Tai’s

·         • Beer, Wine, Standard Cocktails

·         • Tropical Fruit Punch

·         • Juices and Sodas

All-you-can-eat buffet features:

·         • Kalua Pork

·         • Huli Huli Chicken

·         • Island Fish

·         • Polynesian Rice

·         • Seasonal Vegetables

·         • Makamaka w/Medallions of Molokai Purple Sweet Potato

·         • Creamed Taro Leaf w/Coconut Milk

·         • Fresh Sliced Tropical Fruits

·         • Pancit Noodle Salad

·         • Roasted Wedges of Maui Onions

·         • Lomi Lomi Salmon

·         • Poi

·         • Pacific Ahi Poke

·         • Tossed Green Salad

·         • Taro rolls w/Whipped Lilikoi Butter.

Dessert bar features :

·         • Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cream Brownie

·         • Haupia with Toasted Coconut

·         • Pineapple Cake

·         • Bread Pudding

Honolulu:  Following our two days in Maui, we arrive in Honolulu, where we disembark the ship.

We are booked at the Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk, which gets great reviews on Tripadvisor.   At Embassy Suites, there are no resort fees and we can get complimentary breakfast with cooked to order omelettes every morning (how nice to know after disembarking a cruise!) and happy hour with complimentary drinks and snacks each evening. 

Courtesy Private Tours Hawaii

What’s on our must do list while on Oahu?  Well, a visit to Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial is one.  I also want to have a fun trip around the island to see the North Shore, experience the beach, see the turtles, blowholes, surfers and more.  A foodie tour would also be right up my alley!

Our first day, we will check in to the hotel and explore on our own, finding a perfect spot for dinner.

Day 2:  I’ve booked a tour of PearlHarbor/Arizona Memorial with Roberts Hawaii.  I know that you can get free admission tickets online; but we need to get there and get back and I thought a tour would eliminate the hassle.  Our tour is with Roberts Hawaii and is a 6 hour tour, giving us plenty of time to enjoy this historic site.

Day 3:  I’ve reserved a private tour with Private Tours Hawaii for an 8 hour circle island course of Oahu.  We will make our way around the beautiful southern shores of the island, then up the eastern shores, and finally the northern coastlines.  We will have lots of choices for scenic stops and photo ops.  Here is part of our tour itinerary:

Leonards Bakery for breakfast (must try their famous Malasadas!) (photo courtesy Private Tours Hawaii)

Diamond Head Lookout

Halona Blowhole

Sandy Beach and Makakpu’u Point

Byodo-In Temple

Macadamia Nut and Coffee Farm for a snack

Chinaman’s Hat

Kualoa Ranch

KahukuShrimp Farm for Lunch

North Shore beaches: Sunset Beach, Banzai Pipeline, Waimea Bay

Laniakea Beach, the turtle basking beach

(photo courtesy of Private Tours Hawaii)

Haleiwa Town (famous surfing town/shopping/Hawaiian shave ice

DolePineapple Plantation

Oh what a day this will be!

Day 4:  And yet another fun day planned!  What could be better than a foodie tour!? To be exact, The Hole in the Wall Food Tourfrom Hawaii Food Tours.  The Famous Hole-In-The-Wall Tour is a Fun and Social food experience designed by Matthew Gray, one of Hawaii’s most well-known food and wine experts. Matthew is a former Celebrity Chef, and was the Food Writer and Restaurant Reviewer for Hawaii’s largest daily newspaper for several years.

Courtesy Hawaii Food Tours

From the website:  "This special tour is not about traditional Hawaiian Food; rather, it’s more about the Local-style comfort foods of Hawaii, which you’ll see is a combination and fusion of Asian and local flavors. Oh, and to gild the lily just a bit more, the tour includes a very special 2-hour behind-the-scenes walking and tasting tour inside Honolulu’s amazingly exotic Chinatown!  Your foods may include the following delectable cuisines: Local-Style Grinds, Hawaii-Famous Bakeries, the best Korean barbecued chicken in the world, juicy-sweet Hawaiian pineapple, Baked Manapua, a visit to a Chinese Noodle Factory, Dim Sum Treats, Sweet & Juicy Tropical Fruits, Luscious Hong Kong Barbecue, Portuguese Donuts (Malasadas), the Mysterious Crack Seed (a genre of snacks of Hawaii), and perhaps a fantastic cocktail!"

And Day 5:  We have to check out and get to the airport for our 9:30 PM flight to Seattle, where will stay for two days at the Inn at the Market.  A highlight will be visiting with Ken's brother and his family!