Transpacific Cruise 2026
October 11 (Seattle) to November 11 (Wellington)
Embedded Files
After a difficult start, including a stay in hospital and long flight from Orlando to Seattle, we finally made it on board the Noordam.
Sunset as we flew west to Seattle
It was an unusually clear and sunny day in Seattle and we had a splendid view of the skyline as we sailed away.
Our last sight of the United States for almost eight weeks
The first five days and six nights were spent at sea, so arrived at Hilo on October 17th. We didn't have any plans in Hilo, so we walked around the town and Kris bought some small items of jewelry before we went back to the ship.
The Farmers Market in Hilo
A large banyan tree next to the bus stop. In the end, we took an Uber!
Next day, we arrived in Honolulu. We had visited Honolulu some years ago and had seen most of the sights, so in the morning, Paul went snorkeling and Kris stayed on the ship.
It was nice to be on the water, but it was very crowded on the boat and in the water. We did see turtles - quite a few in fact - but the water was both cloudy and a little rough, so taking photos proved difficult.
In the afternoon, we had a walk around the town, but it was a Sunday and most places were closed.
We did stop by the Iolani Palce, which was, of course, closed. Built in 1882 by King Kalākaua, the Iolani Palace was the home of Hawaiʻi's last reigning monarchs and served as the official royal residence.
Statue of Kamehameha I, the monarch who founded the Kingdom of Hawaii
Page updated
Report abuse