Cruising with Kath

When we arrived in Los Angeles, the ship’s doctor asked us all to mask up for three days then everyone would COVID test. The results were good, and we were able to remove our masks if we wanted to.  Since leaving Los Angeles, I have been taking hula lessons. It has been so much fun – learning the meanings of all the motions and gestures, and not caring if I look the fool. I really have difficulty with hand and feet coordination. The first song we learned is “We Know the Way” from Moana. I am so excited to teach the dance to my grandniece! Then we went on to “Going to the Hukilau” and “Little Grass Shack”, and now these songs have been stuck in my head for about a week. I guess it could be worse – "Mmm Bop" comes to mind. Damn, now that’s in there too. Getting our Hula on... As our instructor told us, the hula is an oral tradition to record Hawaiian stories. Each word in the song has a motion that goes with it. Once you get the gist of the story, you can anticipate the movemen...

Somewhere west of California, headed to Hawaii. After a quick stop in Los Angeles to drop off passengers from the Panama Canal transit and pick up some more world travelers, we are now 1,900 strong on the ship and we have a few sea days as we head for the beautiful Islands of Hawaii. Having been to Los Angeles many times, I didn’t need to go see the sights. One of my new friends and I made a run to Target to pick up all the little things that I forgot or didn’t know I needed. The weather for the last few days has been very cold – 50-60 degrees F – and I didn’t pack any sleeved shirts or jackets because who knew the Pacific was going to be cold? Sail-away from Los Angeles was a bit disappointing because it was cold and rainy and we were delayed leaving, but the people who joined us are a good crowd, looking to meet people and have fun. We folks that boarded in Fort Lauderdale are referring to ourselves as the OGs. In preparation for Hawaii, we have onboard a couple who are teachin...

Day 12: Puerta Vallarta I think I have been to Puerto Vallarta before on a cruise, but it didn’t look familiar. As I recall, we went for a ride into the mountains with a sketchy van driver at the port for a tequila tour and tasting, where I felt obliged to buy some so we would get back to the ship safely. This time was a very different experience. Our tour group gathered in the morning. Our excursion was a sea lion swim and lunch. Previous days were pretty hot, so I thought it would continue to be so since I was getting in the water. Silly me! The temperature was around 75 degrees (F), so it was a bit chilly. Our group was unexpectedly larger than planned, so the guide took 5 of us who must have seemed savvy (he was right – we had New York, Chicago, and London), and stuck us in a cab since we all couldn’t fit in the van. While we waited for the rest of the group, I made friends with a beautiful tow-headed boy who just turned one and was very proud of his high-five skills. He was vi...

 Day 9: Off the coast of Guatemala, approaching Huatulco, Mexico Today was a beautiful day with sunshine and blue water. I spent the morning doing laundry and watching the sea turtles and dolphins frolic alongside the ship. The sea turtles would be floating, and when they felt our wake, they would dive below the surface to avoid the turbulence. The dolphins stayed about a half mile or so off the boat, and whenever I would see one jump or spin, I couldn’t get my camera up in time to get a picture, so I finally gave up and just enjoyed the moment. Sea turtles were easy to spot and photograph - they aren't too fast and stay close to the surface. We still have a fun and growing group to meet up with for meals and drinks. I will be sad to see some of them leave us in Los Angeles (And maybe one or two I wished were leaving us). Tonight, there is an awesome storm blowing. Oh, how I love a good storm. The winds are high and bumping us around a bit. The smoke from the stack is swirling ...