Guest Lynda Gavigan Halttunen and her husband Don sent us several great posts from their 30-day South Pacific cruise on Westerdam. Enjoy “cruising” with them!

From sailing away from San Diego on April 6 we were on the sea for 6 days before docking in Honolulu. We enjoyed the sea days, for the most part. Each day, I took a “stretch class” at 6:00 a.m. and an “abs class” at 6:30 a.m. Don rode the bike in the gym or walked the “promenade/3rd deck.” I took a sauna daily and we met for breakfast in the dining room at 8:45 a.m. (it closed at 9). The food was so good we had to watch our calorie intake and output so our clothes would still fit after 30 days. Most mornings I had the “Japanese Breakfast” which consisted on miso soup and broiled salmon.

We docked in Honolulu for two days. We bought two day “hop on/hop off” bus tickets. We took a cruise through Waikiki and went into the crater which is the tsunami evacuation site. The second day we had a problem with the “Hop on/ Hop Off” bus, so we took the city bus. We went back to CVS, bought school supplies for Fanning Island and found the Quan Yin Temple near the Botanical Gardens and walked through China Town.

Hilo port was quite industrial. Peter and Anne-Maree went to see the active volcano. We took the free bus into the center of town and walked the Farmer’s Market, bought some dresses and listened to some local music. We shared a cab with a guy and his wife who bought a ukulele.

In Maui, Don, Peter and Anne-Maree went into town and I took a spa day to myself. Three hours of pampering, facial, massage and water therapy. What a treat! Don bought gifts for his daughter’s 40th birthday and back on ship for our nightly “happy hour” with friends on the balcony.