Day 33 - Honolulu

Day 33 – Tuesday 11^th February 2014 – Honolulu, Oahu

We were awake at 07.00 and on deck for 07.30 to see our approach to the first of our Hawaiian Islands of Oahu and the capital of city of Honolulu.  We had travelled a distance of 2200 miles from San Francisco.

Breakfast in the Britannia Restaurant while watching the ship manoeuvre into the port, and we were alongside for 09.00.

Aloha Tower

None of the usual American Immigration problems here, and we were ashore at 10.00.  Next to the ship is the Aloha Tower and we took the lift up to the top observation platform and took a 360 degrees look over the city with the mountains in the background and the blue ocean spreading out on the other side.

Port Area

This is view looking out to the east with the down town area and the many hotels beyond and the ocean behind.

Queen Elizabeth

Maritime  Museum

Queen Elizabeth; in the downtown area, with the mountains beyond.

Turning right from the market area below the Aloha Tower you come across the Marine Museum which used to be the original passenger terminal.

They have an exhibit of a sailing ship afloat which has been somewhat neglected and is the ‘Falls of Clyde’, once a fully rigged vessel owned by the famous Falls Line of Glasgow.

Royal Palace

A short walk inland brings you to a park in which is situated the Iolani Palace.  This was the Royal Palace of King Kalakauna and his sister Queen Liliuo built by the king in 1882 in Victorian-Florentine style. It was here in 1898 that the Hawaiian flag, (which has a union jack in its top left corner) was lowered and the Stars and Stripes raised when the islands became part of the United States.

We wandered into a nearby shopping area looking for a taxi rank, so we could go to Pearl Harbour.  We asked a lady security guard for directions and she said, “take the bus, the stop is just across the street and it would only cost $2.50”.  The number 20 bus came along and we happily enjoyed the one hour ride via the airport to Pearl Harbour and the Arizona Memorial.

For security reasons you are not allowed to take any bags on site but deposit them in a locker room for $3, while cameras are allowed inside.

USS Missouri

At the information desk, we enquired when the next boat would be available to take us out to the main memorial and told only about 10 minutes (we had been told horror stories on the ship by the tour organisers of waiting for up to two hours).  Prior to taking the boat you are invited into a cinema to watch a short film of what led up to and the actual Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on the 7^th December 1941. Remarkably, there is actual footage of the battleship ‘Arizona’ blowing up on her berth after being struck by a bomb.

Arizona Memorial

This thought provoking film is a reminder of the site where the boat takes you, out to where the ‘Arizona’ sank on her berth.  A viewing platform is where you stand above the wreck, there is this marble memorial wall with the names of the 1157 men lost when the ship blew up that day.

Arizona No.3 Gun Turret

The viewing platform stretches above the full width of the ship; the only part above the water is the base of No.3 gun turret.

It was an amazing experience of being able to pay respects to those who were lost on that eventful day.

Memorial & Missouri

Although you can visit the’ Missouri’, the sister ship to the Arizona we did not have time to fit this one in.

USS Bowfin

When we arrived ashore, I did find time to visit the war time submarine, ‘ ‘USS Bowfin’.   For a senior citizens rate of $8, I was allowed on board, and this is another very well preserved exhibit.  I thoroughly enjoyed clambering around inside, while Colin being of larger build declined the offer and stayed onshore.

Submarine Control Room

A short distance from the submarine is a small remembrance area with inscribed pillars encircling a raised flagpole of all the American submarines lost during the war with the names of the men lost and where they went missing.

Once more, I have to take my hat off to the Americans for this remarkable place, Pearl Harbour.  It is so well presented and looked after, it shouts out, how much they respect what this place means in their history.

Back at the bus stop, we got the No.8 back into the centre of town, to the Ala Moana Shopping Mall.  This place is big; we did not bother with the shopping but went into the food hall for a cooling drink.  The place was full of tourists, so out of there and we began walking to the beach, passing many high rise and famously named hotels on the way.

Waikiki Beach

It was a lot further than we thought but we did arrive at Waikiki Beach.  This is where everyone heads for and it was packed, mainly and very surprisingly, Japanese. 

I expected there would be a lot wider beach, but the many private hotels extend down to it.  We came to a place which opened out into more of a promenade and after passing lots of shops and cafes we eventually found a bar/restaurant.  Sanctuary, with cooling beers, we ordered coconut shrimps (deep fried shrimps in coconut batter) and chips, delicious. 

Waikiki Beach

We also had wi-fi access and caught up with the emails and blogsite, while watching the sunset through the palm trees.

We had to move on, if we wanted to catch the ship and flagged down a taxi to take us back.

Honolulu is notorious for its traffic and at 20.00, this was no exception and we did not make it back on board until 21.00.





After a shower, went to the Golden Lion but it was empty; chatted with Robin, the pianist and Paul, the ballroom singer who were killing time, as all of the guests were up on deck, for the departure party.

I went on deck at midnight, but the party was thinning out, when I ordered my Blue Hawaii cocktail and watched, as we sailed away from this wonderful place, called Honolulu.