World Cruise – 2024

On the morning of Feb 9, 2024 we docked at Auckland, New Zealand, which is located in the northern part of the North Island. It is the largest city in New Zealand and has a population of approximately 1.5 million people. It is also the largest Polynesian city in the world.

We went on an excursion which took us on a tour of the city, including a stop at a memorial commemorating a Maori protest that resulted in the government giving back to the Maori some of the land that it had previously claimed.

After that, we went to the New Zealand War Memorial Museum. It is a three story building that was erected after World War I to commemorate the New Zealand soldiers that fought in that war and lost their lives. The entire second floor is the war memorial and contains a spectacular stained glass ceiling to honor all of the Allied countries in the war.

The first and third floors contain many objects and displays that show the development of the country, with many aspects of the Maori civilization. There are also displays of extinct (and nearly extinct) native birds, including the native giant Mao (now extinct) which stood over three meters (over 10 feet) tall, and the native national bird, the Kiwi — both shown below.

On Feb 10, we decided to explore Auckland on our own. We took a “Hop On, Hop Off” bus around the city and wound up near the Museum area again. From there we took another bus that took us to a trendy neighborhood where we had a very nice New Zealand lunch before walking back to the pier.

On Feb 8, 2024 we anchored in Matiatia Bay on Waiheke Island, New Zealand, and tendered to the small town of Waiheke. The island is an upscale resort and a wine lover’s dream. There are 30 wineries on this little island. We skipped the wineries and decided to go on an excursion around the island to see its scenery and enjoy the small beachfront town.

On Feb 7, 2024, we anchored at Waitangi Wharf, New Zealand and tendered into the town. Waitangi is a historic site in New Zealand, famous for the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on Feb 6, 1840. The Treaty of Waitangi is considered New Zealand’s founding document. It established the relationship between the Maori people and Great Britain, with provisions for the protection of Maori rights and the ceding of sovereignty to the British Crown. The Treaty was prepared as two separate documents – one in the Maori language and a second in English. The interpretation of the Treaty’s clauses have been the subject of ongoing debate and legal processes in New Zealand ever since its signing. Waitangi Day, celebrated annually on Feb 6 marks the Treaty’s signing and is a national holiday.

The Bay of Islands, where Waitangi is situated, is located at the north end of the North Island and is known for its scenic beauty and water-based activities. We decided that the best way to see the 144 islands in the Bay of Islands was by helicopter. The views from the helicopter were spectacular and we saw many of the islands, which range from rocky outcrops to inhabited islands with private farms.

We left Tonga on the evening of Feb 3, 2024 and were at sea on Feb 4-6, 2024, sailing southwest to New Zealand, a distance of approximately 1,600 miles. The weather was beautiful and the vast Pacific Ocean was calm the entire way.

The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on Earth. It is so big that all of the land mass on the entire planet could fit in the Pacific Ocean, with room to spare.

On Feb 3, 2024 we docked at Nuku’Alofa, Tongatapu in the Kingdom of Tonga. Tonga has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. The Kingdom is the only Pacific island group to hold and maintain its political independence as a monarchy. In 1900, its king established a friendship treaty with Great Britain; it joined the British Commonwealth as an independent nation in 1970. The second picture below is one of the monarch’s residences in Tonga.

While in Tonga, we took an excursion that included a drive along the shore to an area where “blow holes” exist. These are holes in the volcanic rock through which water from the surf blows into the air.

We also went to a resort that sits above a cave in the rock, that was very scenic, and then had a Tongan lunch, including a barbecued pig, and many local dishes, and were entertained by local dancers.

The next day was another day at sea, still heading southwest in the South Pacific toward Tonga. We continue to sail through the area that is roughly referred to as Polynesia. Polynesia is a triangle in the South Pacific. The northern point is the Hawaiian Islands, the southwestern point is New Zealand, and the eastern point is Tahiti.

That evening we again had the opportunity to eat at The Grill by Thomas Keller and enjoy another fabulous dinner.

During our transit after Pago Pago, we crossed the International Date Line. We missed Jan 31, 2024 and docked at Apia in Samoa on Feb 1, 2024. Samoa is officially the Independent State of Samoa, and until 1997 was known as Western Samoa. It is an island country consisting of two main islands, two smaller inhabited islands, and four smaller uninhabited islands. Its population is approximately 200,000 people. Together Samoa and American Samoa comprise Samosa’s, which is considered to be the heart of Polynesia. It was from these islands that early Polynesians sailed to populate other Pacific islands, possibly even as far north as Hawaii.

We took an excursion in Apia that took us through the town where we had the chance to visit the Immaculate Conception of Mary Catholic Cathedral. It was a very large and impressive church that contained many Samoan traits, notably the wooden ceiling, and painting on the dome.

All of the Samoan islands are deeply Christian. All businesses are officially closed on Sunday as it is considered a day of rest, and the local people stay home with their families to rest and enjoy the day.

We also visited a local market where people sell handcrafted items and food grown in their gardens. For many it is their primary source of income. The local people also use food grown in their gardens or in their yards (coconuts, bananas, breadfruit, and taro) and fish to prepare their daily meals.

After the local market, we visited a museum which was formerly the house of Robert Lewis Stevenson, who spent his last years in Samoa, and were entertained by local dancers.

On Jan 30, 2024 we docked at Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa. American Samoa consists of five main islands and two coral atolls. The population of American Samoa is approximately 45,000. It was first inhabited by Europeans in the 18th century. The United States took possession of American Samoa in the 19th century, developing it into a major naval outpost. Its strategic value was reinforced by World War II and the subsequest Cold War.

We began our day with an excursion along the coast that took us to some beautiful beach areas. We visited the Leone Healing Garden which is a memorial garden dedicated to those who lost their lives when a major tsunami hit the islands in Sep 2009 destroying many areas.

We then visited a small living community where members showed us how coconuts are shelled and broken open to get the milk and edible fruit, which is a major part of Samoan meals. We also were entertained with Samoan dancing by some of the local girls.

When we returned to our ship, we were greeted by giant turtles that were eating the barnacles off the bottom of our ship.

When we got back to our suite, we received a letter from Seabourn telling us that they had made the decision that due to turmoil in that area, they would need to cancel all transits through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Accordingly, our cruise was cut by 35 days, and rarher than debarking in Athens on Jun 5, we would be debarking in Singapore on May 2, 2024. Disappointing, but not unexpected news.

On Jan 23, 2024 we started a seven-day journey on the South Pacific Ocean travelling from Hawaii to American Samoa, a distance of over 2,500 miles. While being on board for seven sea days may sound daunting and prone to boredom, it was in fact a great experience with plenty of time for ship activities, meals, great entertainers and conversationalists, fitness activities, and just relaxing and talking with other passengers from all over the world.

On Jan 27, we crossed the Equator into the Southern Hemisphere, an activity celebrated with ceremonial rituals deeply rooted in naval tradition. Sailors, and cruisers, crossing the first time are called “pollywogs” and undergo initiation rites to join the ranks of seasoned “shellbacks”. The Seabourn Sojourn participates in such activities, enhancing the fun with drinks and snacks during the ceremony. It’s always a lot of fun; an activity we’ve participated in, or witnessed, a number of times.

Each night on our cruise there were shows featuring the Seabourn Singers and Dancers, a group of very talented performers that featured a number of different musical performances, as well as entertainers that joined the ship at various ports and usually stayed on board for a few weeks. These included Corlea Botha, a vocalist from South Africa; Martin Kaye, a Manchester-born pianist and singer who performed as Jerry Lee Lewis in “Million Dollar Quartet” on Broadway, the West End, and in Las Vegas; Oli Nez, a Welsh saxophonist; Daniel O’Donnell, an Irish singer who has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Sydney Opera House; and Simon McKinney, a New Zealand comedian.

Also on our sea days, Nancy participated in various art classes which were facilitated by a water-color artist and a beading specialist. Some of the participants’ pieces of art were exhibited in an art show.

We usually ended each day with a beautiful sunset.

On the morning of Jan 22, 2024 we docked at Nawiliwili, Kauai, the Garden Isle of Hawaii. Kauai is an island of lush valleys, rugged mountains and beautiful beaches. We took an excursion on a riverboat on the Wailua River to see the Fern Grotto. The riverboat was a necessity as the vegetation in the state park is so dense that a hike is not possible. Along the way we saw many Hawaiian flowers.

After leaving the Wailua River, we drove along the coast to see the Kilauea Lighthouse, which was constructed in 1913.