Celebrity Edge to Hawaii

Boarded the ship on September 20, 2024. Our first stop was Astoria, Oregon, where we took a 100 year old trolley ride into town. The conductor gave a very interesting commentary on the history of the town and the buildings. Then it was back onboard for 4 sea days. We managed to get our same waitress for dinner (Diva from Mauritius) and she has been spoiling us rotten.

Our time on the ship has been much the same as Alaska, with a few new acts and people. 

Reuel - pianist - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lClVSv3br8

Unique 3 - https://www.unique3music.com/

TJ Tana - Magician/illusionist 

Marty Thomas - singer - www.martythomas.com

Production Show - A Hot Summer Night's Dream

Leslie McDonel - singer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR6rG3i49zs

We spent two days in Hilo, on the wet side of the island, so we were very lucky that what rain there was, was light, even misty. We went up Mt. Kilauea and saw a huge change since the last time we were there. The crater is much larger since the 2018 eruption.

We stopped at some steam vents along the way that were quite hot - I would never have to iron again as the blast of steam took all the wrinkles out!

Rainbow Falls was also on the itinerary, as was a stop at a candy factory - delicious, but expensive. We had lunch at the winery in the park (Poke bowls - raw fish and veggies). Next there was an old hotel on the rim of the caldera that we stopped at for another beautiful view, then down to the macadamia nut factory before heading back to the ship. It was a long day, but great fun. The guide was funny and informative.

Hilo Day 2 we did a tour of the 2018 lava fields and down to the black sand beach. Such a large area was covered with lava and it apparently filled in a large bay where there used to be a marina for fishing and surfing. We then had a scenic drive along the shore and stopped at the painted church then a hotel along the famous Banyan Drive, with beautiful views. Our guide was again very informative and knowledgeable. 

The next day we were in Honolulu and spent a couple of hours at the Ala Moana Beach Park which had lovely sand and the water was not too cold. We did a bit of shopping in the afternoon.

Back to the big island for 2 days, but this time we were on the Kona/Kailua (sunny) side. We had a really nice submarine ride around the bay and saw lots of fish and a couple of shipwrecks. After lunch back on the ship, Dale signed up for an e-foil lesson while I had a nice relaxing time at the beach and even went in the water again. Dale loved his lesson, but came back exhausted (he found muscles that hadn't been used in a while). So the next day, I took the tender on my own for another swim. 

Back to Honolulu for a scenic bus ride to the airport. However, since our flights were not until 10pm, we got a day hotel room in Waikiki and did a little swimming, walking and napping. It was a lovely way to spend the day.