23rd February 2023 Awake at 2 am on the 12th of March, I packed my suitcase and rucksack into Sue’s Mini and set off for Stansted Airport, collecting Jim Hankers and Jeremy Brown in Market Harborough by 3 am. Paul Bissell was driving Jim Crawford and Sean Perry in his car, and we planned to… Continue Reading

11th February 2023 The ten-hour flight from Los Angeles passed quickly. No sooner had we finished the in-flight dinner than breakfast seemed to be served. Perhaps it was because we were seated in a pair of seats towards the rear of the aircraft, rather than in the usual three- or four-seat configuration, but the eight… Continue Reading

24th February 2023 Although already familiar with the routine of sea days aboard the Crown Princess, we still woke early and joined the other early birds for breakfast. The sea was fairly rough, and the ship moved unpredictably at times. While walking around the decks posed no real difficulty, using the stairways required a firm… Continue Reading

23rd February 2023 We watched the ship drop anchor as we sat down to breakfast. The sun was just beginning to peek over a stark mountain range, framed by streaky clouds tinged with vivid orange above the small port of Lahaina, a promising omen for fine weather and a good day for an activity at… Continue Reading

22nd February 2023 We had booked an excursion for today that was scheduled to leave the ship at 8 a.m. It was still dark outside as we ate breakfast in an unusually quiet restaurant at 6.30 a.m. The ship had yet to berth in Nawiliwili, a harbour known as a “day port”, meaning entry is… Continue Reading

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… Continue Reading

20th February 2023 Today we planned an excursion to the active volcano Kīlauea, located in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, along with a brief stop at the Mauna Loa macadamia nut factory. By the time we emerged from our cabin, the ship was already docked, but we were disappointed to find it raining on deck. Mauna… Continue Reading

15th February 2023  In contrast to the previous day, we awoke to a bright and sunny Californian morning. Our taxi to the World Cruise Centre in San Pedro arrived punctually at 11:15 am, and with light traffic, the 23-mile journey to the Crown Princess, waiting patiently at Berth 93, took just half an hour. We… Continue Reading

15th February 2023 We left the Luxor Hotel on the 7 a.m. airport shuttle. Although our flight wasn’t until 11:15 a.m., we planned to have breakfast at the airport, and an early start allowed for a leisurely meal and stress-free check-in. We had already checked in online the previous evening, but still needed to print… Continue Reading

13th February 2013 Sue and I marked the first day of the shortest month with an afternoon visit to Charlotte and Suraj. Coffee in hand, we settled in for a lively discussion on the one topic that seems to dominate the family Messenger thread these days, decorating. For a good couple of hours, we were… Continue Reading