21st February 2023

Without so much as a bump or judder to disturb our slumber, the Crown Princess had silently berthed alongside Pier No. 2 before we awoke for breakfast. From our cabin TV, we could see the port in semi-darkness, lines of commuter headlights snaking past impressive glass skyscrapers as the city stirred to life. It was only 6 a.m., and they start work early here.

We had booked a morning tour along the scenic Pali Coast to get a feel for the island and were rewarded with a hot, humid, and sunny day. The tour departed the port promptly at 9.20 a.m., with the first stop at Waikiki Beach, the world-famous stretch of sand on O‘ahu’s south shore, home to the Duke Kahanamoku statue and offering fabulous views of Diamond Head.

As we passed through the outskirts of Honolulu, we were given a glimpse of local residential life. Our driver reliably informed us that every property cost upwards of a million dollars, with many in the tens of millions. This, he explained, was the principal reason native Hawaiians could no longer afford to buy homes here, with many now forced to relocate to the mainland United States. This was starkly illustrated by the number of makeshift dwellings, fabric and tin structures, visible at the roadside, where some of the island’s poorer residents now live.

Skirting around the base of Diamond Head, its English name given by British sailors in the 19th century, who mistook the calcite crystals on the adjacent beach for diamonds, we next stopped at Hanauma Bay for photos before continuing along the coast to Waimanalo Beach. There, we witnessed the regular spurting of a blowhole on the rocky shoreline. A stiff offshore breeze was driving waves against the rocks, ensuring that onlookers were treated to spectacular photos and videos as columns of spray shot several metres into the air before being caught by the wind and showering the surrounding beach in clouds of water.

Continuing along the coastal road, we passed several elevated viewpoints offering impressive vistas of the beaches and offshore islets. We eventually pulled into the obligatory tourist shop, which provided a bit of retail therapy for some in our group. We had half an hour to spare, during which Sue and I successfully feigned interest in the racks of touristy wares on offer.

While waiting to reboard the bus, we were shocked and saddened to witness a scene we thought we’d left behind in Las Vegas: a young girl, clearly high on some kind of drug, was shouting at and threatening an invisible assailant at the side of the highway. She eventually punched a telegraph pole before stomping off, swearing loudly as she crossed the busy road, narrowly avoiding being hit by several cars. It was both distressing and tragic to witness; one could only feel heartache for the girl and her family.

Our next stop came after climbing up to the rim of Diamond Head, to the Pali Lookout—a site of deep historical significance. Named Pali, meaning “cliff” in Hawaiian, the lookout marks the location of the Battle of Nuʻuanu, where in 1795 King Kamehameha I triumphed and united Oʻahu under his rule. This fierce conflict claimed the lives of hundreds of soldiers, many of whom were forced over the Pali’s sheer cliffs. The site is also renowned for its strong, howling winds, and today was no exception; holding a camera steady against the buffeting gusts proved a challenge. Still, I managed to add a few more jpegs to the SD card before gratefully retreating to the calm and warmth of our luxury coach.

Our return to the ship took us through the centre of Honolulu, passing by the statue of Kamehameha I and the Iolani Palace. The palace was the royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, beginning with Kamehameha III under the Kamehameha Dynasty, and ending with Queen Liliʻuokalani.

Back on board, we had lunch before venturing out onto land again at 3 p.m. It took us around twenty minutes to walk along the busy Ala Moana Boulevard to Waikiki Beach. During our morning visit, the beach and sea had been jam-packed with people enjoying the sunshine, but by the afternoon it was much quieter. We strolled along the shoreline for a while before finding a vacant bench behind a lifeguard station, where we sat and peacefully watched the world go by.

Rested, I plotted a route to the ʻIolani Palace on my phone’s GPS, and we set off to visit this historic Hawaiian landmark. Unfortunately, it was just closing for the day as we arrived, so we had to be content with a leisurely circumnavigation of the building before returning to the ship and treating ourselves to ice cream.

Before the evening meal, we were entertained in the Princess Theatre by a hula dance troupe from Honolulu. We had already heard how deeply rooted this dance form is in Hawaiian history, having been part of the culture since ancient times. It was a unique experience to witness the songs and movements performed live. The graceful, rhythmic motions of the dancers, interpreting stories sung by three musicians, were both soothing and mesmerising to our European ears and senses.

We shared our evening meal with a pleasant couple from Missouri, exchanging tales of past holidays, mainly cruises, until desserts had been polished off. Afterwards, we went our separate ways: we turned in for the night, while they headed to one of the bars in search of musical entertainment.

Tomorrow brings our earliest start of the trip, with an 8 a.m. excursion to Waimea Canyon on the third Hawaiian island, Nāwiliwili.