Rarotonga and Cook Islands

Rarotonga and the Cook Islands Quick Facts:

In the early 13th century, two Warrior Chiefs from Tahiti and Samoa Concord the island Kings.

James cook explored the islands in 1773 and 1779.

The bounty with Fletcher Christian searched for sandalwood on the cook islands likely in 1790.

1821--British missionaries began converting  Cook Islanders to Christianity.

In 1888, with the King's acceptance, it came a British protectorate in response to fears of French colonization.

1901 Britain ceded The Cook Islands to New Zealand. That year, the southern and northern groups were joined and became known as the cook islands.

In 1965, the cook islands became self-governing "in association with New Zealand."

It has Struggled to maintain fiscal balance since achieving independence.

The cook islands received television service in 1990.

English is the primary language, they drive on the left side of the road, the New Zealand dollar serves as the currency.

There are 15 cook islands.

Rarotonga is the most populous of the cook islands.

Tourism is the islands only industry.

The population of the cook islands is 18,000 but 80% of owners live overseas. More than 50,000 live in New Zealand and half that number in Australia.

Cook Islanders carry New Zealand passports and they are allowed to live and work in New Zealand and Australia.

Avarua is Rarotonga's only real town. With twin harbors, a main market, the Paro O Tane Palace, and the national Museum.

The Cook Island bus circles the island and takes approximately 50 minutes. One bus leaves every hour from the Cooks Corner terminal in Avarua, going either clockwise or counterclockwise. The cost is five dollars one-way eight dollars for the trip.

http://www.cookislandsholidays.com/timetable.htm

Cruise World Day 4- Another Great Day at Sea

Cruise World Day 4- Another Great Day at Sea-3rd full day Friday, January 8

·         I awoke before room service arrived.

·         Headed to 8:15AM Qi Jong class, but Cathy was conducting a private Tai Chi sword class

·         Thus, I returned later, at 9AM, for regular Tai Chi.  I read the problem incorrectly today!!

·         I came up to sea view aft pool area and had my first omelet and fav. Link sausage.

·         Back to Thai chi class. It was great.

·         In Hong Kong, Cathy will take the group to a famous park where they will join locals in Tai Chi practice.  She does this every year with the Tai Chi class on the Amsterdam world cruise.  The local wait their arrival.  So sad I will not be on the ship, day # 58 for that activity!

·         10AM lecture: History of the Building of the Panama Canal by George Stosur.

·         11: am back up to aft pool to read.

·         Saw Paul and talked about cruise addiction.

·         11:45 trivia. We didn't win but I made good contributions.

·         1230 lunch with Asia and parents, Irma and Bill.

·         Showered changed for dinner.

·         2:00: Lecture. Part 2 of pirates—The Golden Age of Piracy--famous names and the 17^th and 18^th centuries by Uncle Milt

·         3:00 Merengue ballroom dance class. Loads of fun because we kept switching partners.  Alex and Kirsten are good instructors.

·         4:00 meeting

·         4:45-5:20 Enjoyed sunset in the aft pool area with Joe from meeting. Told details etc.

·         5:30 got maître d to seat us a large cool table. #303. Yeah!!!

·         7:15-10 pm Asia and I ballroom danced with all the gentleman dancers. Had sooo much fun! The other solo guys popped in and out.  Had good conversations with Asia and Steve.

·         Bed a little after 11pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

World Cruise Day 3

Cruise World Day 3-Getting My Groove On-Second Full day-January 7, Thursday

As I sink into a groove on my new home, here is my list of today’s activities:

·         Slept well dreamt I was living in China.

·         7AM room service coffee set up

·         Made my strong Café Bustello in my room

·         Had café in secret ocean view alcove, near my room

·         Dressed for sports

·         8:15AM activated my chi in my first ever Qi Jong class.  I truly enjoyed it.  We ended repeating the mantra: “Power, peace, healthy, happy”

·         9:15AM cereal and yogurt sea view pool aft

·         Reading How To Be a Victorian while watching a tai chi duo and table tennis couple.

·         Watched the big poolside ring toss game.

·         Showered

·         11:45 trivia

·         Lunch in lido café.

·         2:00 lecture-Ancient Pirates thru the 1600s, who they were and how they lived.  by Milt Keiles

·         300 lecture-History of the French chef--kitchen and restaurant by Chef Eva Eliscu

·         Tonight was our first formal night!

At the Captains Welcome Champagne Reception tonight, I ballroom danced with the gentlemen dance hosts while the orchestra played. The captain is quite the charmer and skillfully introduced the key officers. Remembering interesting details about his speech (throughout the sailing).

The Finkel Family, a family of entertainers performed in the big theater tonight. The brothers are a clever xylophonist and pianist who have performed all over the world. There was a surprise appearance and performance by their dad, 93-year-old Fyvus Finkel. He used to do the vaudeville circuit with his standup schtick and he played Tevye in fiddler on the roof on Broadway.  They were terrific! Here is the dad's bio:

http://www.biography.com/people/fyvush-finkel-21299793#!

Later, I danced in the Ocean Bar lounge which serves as the official ballroom dance lounge every evening from 4:30 till 11PM.  A rousing live orchestra plays all the favorites allowing us to dance the Fox Trot Waltz Cha Cha Tango Jive Two-Step Polka and many others!  It was splendid.  I found bliss!

 

Gentlemen Dance Hosts

There were 6 pleasant gentlemen dance hosts: Bob, Rob, Tom, Mark, Ray, and Freddie.  Every evening from 4:30 until after 11PM, they danced with us in the Ocean Bar (ballroom dance-4 of them) and the Crowe’s Nest (ballroom and contemporary-2 of them).  The schedule rotated daily.  They also participated in the ballroom dance classes.  They rarely had a day off, were always pleasant, and they were graceful and patient dancers.  I learned and laughed a lot with my guys! They wore a tie and dinner jacket each night.  They were a real bonus for those of us ladies who love to dance---ballroom and freestyle.  Update: In all, I danced more than 200 times on the 36-day sailing!

First full day of world cruise!!

Cruise World-first full day-January 6 en route from Florida to Costa Rica.

Weather: 80 and sunny. Light rain at 5pm.

 

I watched American news last night as I unpacked till 1AM. Yet, I didn’t fall asleep till 2am.  I brought way to many items so it’s a good thing I have closets, shelves, drawers, and the bathroom to myself.

 

I slept anxiously for fear I would miss the cruise critic party or my first breakfast ritual so I set the alarm for 8:20. I slept quite well having gone to bed feeling exhausted. Although there was turbulence last night, it did not alarm me and I enjoyed being rocked to sleep at sea. In fact, being rocked to sleep by the sea is one of my favorite elements of cruising.

 

At 8:40AM, I finally responded to the alarm and sprung from bed. What to wear!?!?--I had many options. I settled for aqua pants and jacket.

 

First stop: aft elevators straight up to the lido deck for breakfast. I found a lovely window seat and made a good cup of Cafe Bustelo.  (I brought my own from home.) I had smoked salmon and a strawberry yogurt. One of the servers asked me what I wanted and brought the yogurt to me. It was a peaceful morning watching the waves crash against the ship.

 

Next stop, I listened to part of the shore excursion presentation on Costa Rica, then left early for the one and only cruise critic party. Pete from California did a yeoman's job of organizing the event, compiling and updating rosters, and even printed 250+ names tags compete with cruise critic handle and place of residence. I was disappointed that none of the captain’s staff attended but it was nice to meet more people.  Perhaps the officers chose to avoid this meeting on a world cruise for fear of being bombarded by guests for the next 115 days! I suppose I understand.

By the way, this is the first time with a cruise roster where the organizer uploaded photos of each member. That helped us to match faces with names early on the cruise.  Although I signed up for the cruise late in the game, many of them had been chatting for months and months.

 

Next, our new trivia team formed and played the first round at 11:45.  Betsy and Joan from Juno had played together previously on another cruise. I found it funny that Betsy had not remembered Joan's name, although she referred to her as a friend.

 

I left early to join the solo travelers’ lunch, already in progress. I sat with 5 ladies at a window-side table. Agnes had trouble with her salad order. She is on a very strict diet. I really felt for her. I was more than satisfied with my meal.

 

A trivia member came to find me during lunch to give me winning dollar certificate!!!  Our team came in third.

 

2:00-I listened to the worst lecturer ever drone on about Columbus' 4 voyages.

 

Next, high tea at 3. then, changed for dinner.

 

4:45-5:20- I sat in the aft pool area after the rain. It was quite, calming, and peaceful.  I experienced moments of bliss.

 

 

At dinner time and I am testing out different dinner tables.  I was seated with with Frank and Judy whom I met on my 2014 HAL Noordam cruise. They were good company.

 

7PM trivia in Crowes nest.  We tied for first. At one point I said "we" and they asked, "do you mean the royal we?” I realized I was only American on the team so WE did not apply. ha!

 

I went into theatre early to get good seats for production show--Good unobstructed seats. It was a terrific show of song and dance high quality movie and James Bond-themed numbers.  There were not enough dancers in the cast though; only three women and two men. Perhaps there were injuries.

 

 

Casino watching. I spoke with woman who cruises for free often (on several cruise lines) because she spends so much in casinos.  I was unaware this possibility existed. Of course, this will never apply to me because I don't gamble.

 

 

Piano bar listening and watching was fun.

 

I did my usual evening activity and brought chamomile tea back to my room.

A nice surprise awaited me: on the bed, next to my cute towel animal, were several world-cruise-logo themed gift items including a sturdy travel bag, a toiletry kit, and a travel journal. I could get used to this……

I watched shore excursion videos for a bit. Then drifted off to a sound sleep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone=

 

Boarding Day-World Cruise 2016

World Cruise Boarding day

Boarding day: after a hectic time getting to the ship because my Uber driver canceled the ride, and I had to take a regular old taxi, I was on the ship in less than an hour. I arrived at 4:10 and there was no waiting. I wondered if I was at the right place. They said most of the people were already on board. It was the smoothest quickest check in I have ever experienced with a cruise embarkation. ( I found out later that boarding had begun two hours earlier than the 1 o'clock time I had been told.)

As I was boarding, I heard the mandatory life drill over the loudspeaker and saw the guest lined up on the promenade deck. I ran to find my Muster Station, lifeboat number 13. Whew, thank goodness I didn't have to attend a make up session the next day.

Next, I discovered I had been granted my early dining at table number 46. Joining me was a couple from California who is on their third world cruise--all 115 days and a mother, father, daughter team, Asia, Irma, and Bill Wright, who have also cruised the world before.  Asia is a maritime attorney and was an assistant cruise director for Holland America 10 years ago. The company was very pleasant and I might stay there. 

After dinner, I attended the solo gathers meeting and recognized many of the faces from the cruise critic roster created by Pete. I met more nice people who had cruised the world many times before.

From 9 o'clock till 11 o'clock was the gala sail away party and feast complete with live music, hors d'oeuvre stations, and free-flowing drinks. Everyone is in such a lively mood.

As always, I was out on deck to experience the magical sailing away from shore as I watched the lights in Fort Lauderdale twinkle and fade away into the horizon.

I dread going to my room to unpack but at least all the closets space, all the drawer space, and all of the shelves are just for me. Even the bathroom!

I insist on completely unpacking before I go to sleep. Perhaps it will be by midnight, we will see.....

Once we sail away at 11 PM, I will turn my phone on airplane mode to avoid data roaming charges. I will explore ship Internet plans. In the meantime, my global data package will begin January 9, in Costa Rica.

I have had very little time to explore the ship since I have moved from one activity to the next. I will share commentary on this later. I promise.

 Until we meet again...

 

Overseas Travel—Last minute packers need not apply

Overseas Travel—Last minute packers need not apply

If you are planning to travel overseas, and if you are one of those last-minute packers who likes to pack the night before you leave, there are certain things you need to plan two weeks or at least one week before you leave.

Here are some of my suggestions of travel checklist activities you can't leave for the last minute.

 

·         Ensure you have what you need before you begin to pack.
 

Write a pack list. Make sure you have everything on the list before you begin packing. Major categories are passport, all travel documentation, outerwear, clothing, shoes, underwear, toiletries, cosmetics, medications, workout clothing, swimwear, pajamas, travel guides, spare glasses, extra luggage tags, cash, key electronics and chargers, extra credit cards, antibiotics, umbrella, reading materials, at least one washcloth for each overseas hotel, and more.

 

·         Carry-on what you cannot do without.

Think carefully about your carry-on luggage. I always like to bring everything I absolutely cannot do without, just in case my luggage never arrives. This includes such items as medications, spare glasses, chargers for electronics, and some extra underwear and socks.

·         Address medical issues and bring key prescription meds.

Think about any medical issues, any prescription medications you may need, and contact your doctor. I highly recommend that everyone bring a prescription antibiotic. You never know when you will need it.  Also, find out if there are recommended vaccines for your destination countries. Arrange to take the vaccines.  If you get carsick or seasick easily, bring seasickness medications.



 

·         Notify banks and credit card companies of your destination countries.

Contact your credit card and ATM companies/banks and notify them of all of your travel destinations. You want to ensure that you will be able to use them everywhere and avoid being flagged because of “suspicious behavior”.   Explore if your bank shares alliances with overseas banks that will waive the ATM transaction fee. Also find out what fees they charge for international transactions. Often the transaction fee is 3% of the total.

Make sure you have enough cash in your checking account. In case of emergencies, you may need to withdraw large sums.

·         Bring extra US cash.

Get notes in small denominations so that you won't lose money if you need to change smaller sums into the local currency. In some cases, (where appropriate) small denominations of US bills mightcome in handy for tips.

·         Have passwords handy.

Make sure you know all of the passwords to your key accounts especially financial and healthcare related.

·         Give travel itinerary copies to loved ones.

Make sure your closest loved ones have copies of your travel itinerary including all hotel information.

·         Procure $150 in local currency.

You should never arrive somewhere overseas without some of the local currency. Make sure that when you arrive, you have at least enough money for taxi fare, some food, and other miscellaneous needs. You don't know when or where you will have your first access to an ATM machine. Large banks will allow you to order foreign-currency in advance, online. They will ship it directly to your home or to your nearest banking center. I recommend that you order at least $150 worth of currency for your first country.

·         Check the weather in advance.

As you are packing you will need to know if you need light weight jacket or heavier jacket, a raincoat, hats, gloves, and any other items for certain weather conditions.

·         Bring international adapters and or transformers for all of your electronic devices.

There are some handy all-in-one adapters that include components for all the major parts of the globe. I know that I at least need to charge my cell phone, laptop, e-reader, camera batteries, and portable extra cell phone battery. Also bring extra extension cords and chargers.

·         Bring copies of your passport and bring two extra passport photos.

In case you lose your passport overseas, having passport photos will facilitate and accelerate the process of acquiring another passport.

·         Make sure that all of your devices function properly.

Twice, I discovered before an overseas trip that my camera was no longer functioning properly. I had to sprint to my local electronics store at the last minute to buy another camera. For cameras, make sure you have extra SD cards so that you won't have a limit on the the number of photos and videos you can take.
 

·         Pay your upcoming bills.

Also, you might even choose to pay some bills in advance of next month. Use your discretion. Of course it depends on how long you will be away.

·         Research and add international Telecom plan (phone, data, text, etc.).

Check with your telephone carrier to see what international plans are available that include phone, data, texting, and other services. Also, find out which countries are included in your plan. On one of my trips where I visited Baltic capitals, I discovered that Russia was not included in my data plan and I had been using data while there. I was required to negotiate a payment before they would reinstate my services (including free Wi-Fi access).

Plan to keep track of your data usage. Remember to reset your data counter on your smart phone before you leave town. I usually do this after boarding my last flight out of the United States.

·         Notify your postal carrier that you will be away and of your travel dates.


 

Finally, write a to-do list for your return. Sometimes returning home after a long overseas trip can be overwhelming. If you have a list of important next steps, it will make your transition back home much easier to manage.

Bon Voyage!!!