April 6th I boarded Holland America’s Zaandam in San Diego for a fifteen day round trip cruise to Hawaii. Check in at the pier was seamless; quick and efficient. Once onboard, we dropped our carry-on luggage at the cabin and anxiously toured the beautiful ship. A delicious lunch was being served on the Lido Deck. By the time we got back to our cabin our luggage had been delivered. Our cabin was quite roomy with ample closets and drawers. We especially enjoyed the large sofa rather than the usual love seat found in many other cabins. Also appreciated was a curtain separating the living area from the sleeping area. At this time we also met our cabin steward who was probably the best one I have ever had.

The next four days were spent at sea. Our sailing was remarkably smooth. It was a great way to start a vacation. We were able to explore the ship and many of its lounges at a relaxed pace. There were lots of activities planned. One that I particularly enjoyed was the morning “coffee talk” Each day a different officer or entertainer was interviewed. There was always a lively question and answer period.

Finally we were ready for land. Our first port of call was Hilo. I enjoyed seeing parts of the volcano field and the Black Sand Beach. Off in the distance we could see the steam from the volcano eruption that was towering in the sky. Our next port of call was Honolulu and we arrived Easter Sunday morning bright and early at 6:00 a.m. One of the sights I will always remember is sailing into Honolulu Harbor and seeing the Aloha Tower. I was reminded of the many passengers for whom this was the first glimpse of Hawaii. As an extra bonus we were greeted my local singers and dancers as we docked.

Since we had been to Honolulu several times we just spent the day relaxing in Waikiki. The next day was spent in Kauai. I marveled and the tight maneuvering the ship had to do in order to dock. Another highlight of our trip was a spectacular helicopter ride over Kauai. This is truly the only way to see the magnificence of the island.

After we arrived in Maui and tendered to shore, we walked through the old town of Lahaina. Our last port was the next day at Kona. After spending some time in town we headed back to our ship. The true highlight of this trip was later on that evening. I had made sure to book a cabin on the port side so we could stay on our verandah as we sailed by Kilauea Volcano. It was spectacular seen the orange lava flow into the sea form from several different spots. Although we had to stay several miles away from it due to safety regulations it was still quite visible.

Our next five days were spent at sea which again was remarkable calm. Some other highlights during this time were a tour of the galley and a great backstage tour. Our last port of call was Ensenada Mexico. Having lived in Southern California for a number of years and being that we arrived in port after 8:00 p.m. we decided to stay on board. The next morning we arrived back to San Diego and before long were disembarking form the ship, again a very smooth process. I would recommend this cruise to anyone who enjoys days at sea and who want a taste of Hawaii without having to fly to the islands.

For More Information about cruising to Hawaii or about the Zaandam, please contact me, Bob Joel, at
(858) 459-0681 or email bob@worldviewtravel.com