Hawaii 2013

When we first got married we decided we'd rather go on some sort of vacation than get each other lots of gifts.  We were so lucky to go on a 15 day Hawaiian cruise through Carnival this year. 

I worked Thursday night from 4:30-1 then went home to do the last bit of laundry before attempting sleep.  We were both so excited to finally go we only got a few hours of sleep.  We left Friday morning about 6 and it was just starting to snow at home.  It got as cold as -14 degrees while leaving Utah! We were so tired it seemed like the longest drive, but we had plenty of treats to keep us awake and we stopped for lunch in Vegas.  When we got to the hotel in Long Beach it felt so good to lay down. The next morning we drove to Huntington Beach to walk around the stores for a minute. We went to the beach and saw a surfing competition going on, but it was super windy, cold, and rainy so we didn't stay long. The hotel had a shuttle that took us right to the pier to get on the ship which was really nice. They let us park our car for free at the hotel too which saved a lot of money! We unpacked our clothes and hung out on the ship, ready for Hawaii!

Frost on the inside of the window!

Windy at Huntington Beach

Getting on the ship. We are so white!

Sunday - Wednesday were all sea days on the ship.  The first few days it was breezy and overcast so we didn't lay out much.  I got a little bit sick Sunday night because the ship was a little rocky.  We had lobster, prime rib, alligator fritters, shark, lamb, and duck.  They were all pretty good. I've never really had duck before but I liked it!  Tuesday and Wednesday we laid out all day on the serenity deck.  Preston got really burnt on his back even though we put sunscreen on.  I got a little burnt but was healed and tan by the next day :) We also got to go to a VIP show because we're apparently now gold status on carnival.  Wahoo! Ha ha

Thursday was our first port, Maui.  Preston was getting pretty bad cabin fever and was excited to see land.  We went to the Aquarium which was super fun.  We saw baby hammerhead sharks and got to hold some starfish and sea urchins.  It was cool to feel them form to our hands and touch them.  When we got back on the ship for dinner we tried oysters. Yucky.  We were so tired from so much walking and the time differences we were passed out by 8!

Friday we stopped in Honolulu and saw Pearl Harbor and the USS Missouri.  I have been there before and it wasn't as cool the second time around, but Preston absolutely loved it.  There is a very unique feeling you get while your there. It's amazing to see all of the history and feel the presence of those who lost their lives.  After the memorial we went back to the ship to change and eat some lunch.  Then we headed to Waikiki beach! It's my favorite spot in Hawaii.  I love all the shops on the way to the beach as well.  We saw a flip flop store and Preston told me that I could go in only because I left my debit card on the ship and spent all the cash we brought already. Ha ha! We stopped at a farmers market and got some fresh pineapple, best thing ever!

Saturday we were in Kauai, and we lucked out and got to see Patty and Dennis who were staying on the island at the same time.  They picked us up at the dock and we drove to Hanalei bay to hang out at an awesome beach.  I can't believe the houses right there on the beach and how pretty it all was! We drove around the island a bit and stopped at another beach where freshwater came in. It was really cool because we walked out quite a ways and the water was clear and only about waist deep.  We saw a couple of seals in the distance swimming around, it was awesome!  Afterwards we went to eat at the best BBQ place I've ever been - Chicken in a Bucket.  We stopped to shop for a minute and got some shave ice. Not like the regular places here! It was the sweetest thing I'd ever eaten, it had a bunch of different flavors and at the bottom was macadamia nut ice cream.  Talk about a sugar rush.  It definitely wasn't long enough to see them! We headed back to the ship and had NY strip steaks for dinner.

Sunday we were at Kona.  The ship had tenders to the pier, and they were behind schedule.  It took us two hours to get off the ship. So frustrating.  Once we got off we walked down the street a bit to rent some snorkel gear.  The owner told us to head back by the pier and there was a hotel beach with really good reefs, so we headed back.  There were so many coral reefs it was crazy! We saw a bunch of cool different fish, the water was crystal clear, and the weather was perfect!  We headed back to shore to lay out for a bit and dry off, and right where we had just been snorkeling there were about 15 dolphins swimming and jumping, which was such a cool thing to see.  There was a big market on the street setting up and we walked around all of the little booths.

Monday was our last port in Hilo.  We took the shuttle to Hilo Hatties but it was lame.  There was a mall next door so we walked around for a bit before heading back to the pier to find a tour to go on.  We got a good deal and the first stop was a black sand beach.  I'd never been to one before and it was cool feeling how different the sand was, we also saw some turtles laying out on rocks.  Did you know it's a $1,000 fine if you touch them because they are endangered?  Next we went to Akaka falls, it's a waterfall over 400 feet tall. The trail was through the jungle to the falls and the scenery was beautiful.  We went to rainbow falls after, which was a much smaller waterfall but still very pretty.  There was a guy there cutting coconut fresh from the tree.  It was fun to watch him slice it with his machete.  Our last stop was the macadamia nut factory, and we got a box with different flavors to bring home.  The butter glazed were my favorite! We also got chocolate covered, honey roasted, and butter and garlic.

Tuesday-Friday were all sea days.  We laid out all day except for on Thursday the winds hit up to 65 MPH with 30 foot swells, so it was super rocky.  Preston got a little seasick, I mostly just felt dizzy.  We had NY strip steak again, ribeye, frog legs, sushi, and of course all of the chilled soups.  They are my favorite.  They put a little bit of the chopped up fruit in the middle and pour the creamy soup around it.  We tried watermelon (my favorite!), peach, cucumber (it was bitter..), strawberry, mango, and I can't remember the other ones.. Anyways.  Preston got major anxiety Thursday and couldn't wait to see land again.  Poor fella. 

Saturday we stopped in Ensenada for a few hours.  We walked around but I think its gross and dirty there, and all the shops have the same stuff. So we just went back to the ship and hung out on the ship.  Sunday morning we got up and ate breakfast.  We took the shuttle back to the hotel and were on the road heading home! I drove the whole way home, it wasn't bad at all.  There was a big ice rain storm that hit us in Provo but we made it home in less than 10 hours which is pretty good if I do say so myself!  We had an awesome experience and it was so much fun to get away!