“It is one of my favorite parts of a world cruise,” a fellow frequent world cruise passenger once told me of the Pacific Crossing, adding that, “the weather is typically good and everyone is happy to relax for a few days after intensive sightseeing.” It is also a big favorite of my husband Humberto and me.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest single feature on our planet, covering 70 million square miles. And in addition to being the biggest, it is also the world’s deepest ocean and home to the largest collection of islands – for example, the Indonesian archipelago alone boasts 17,508 islands. Humberto and I had crossed the Pacific several times before, so we were already keenly aware of its immensity, and were so again now on our current world cruise aboard Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Mariner. It took us five days to cross from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii.
We were ready, after sightseeing in the Americas, to relax for a few days of pleasant sailing–and a string of 25-hour days (nice!) as we headed west gaining hours while crossing four time zones.
To keep us entertained during the abundance of sea days, Mother Nature provided vistas of vast horizons, dramatic sunrises and sunsets – including one where clear conditions, flat, unobtrusive horizon, calm seas and no haze, produced the first green flash we have ever seen, with green rays as the sun disappeared. It may have helped that we were watching the sunset from the height of the ship’s Observation Lounge on Deck 12. Guests in the lounge greeted the green flash–which lasted one second but which we will remember forever–with thunderous applause.
Regent presented lectures, crafts sessions, culinary demonstrations, a country fair with “horse racing,” ring toss and other games on deck, and a boat-building contest whereby guests built “boats” from whatever materials they could find on board and competed to see which one could stay afloat in the Seven Seas Mariner’s swimming pool. The Seven Seas Mariner's chefs created a special cake with a ship following our itinerary and highlights such as dolphins in the Caribbean, a sombrero in Acapulco–and all of it edible!
There was an abundance of other general activities as well including daily Mensa puzzles and trivia sessions, bridge lessons, bingo, music by the pool by midday and music in various lounges during the cocktail hour, after dinner, and continuing until late night as well as shows in the Constellation Theater. Never a dull moment – I counted 37 activities and pastimes from morning to 6 p.m. on the daily program and 11 from 6 p.m. till late one day of our crossing. And of course, you could join in as many of the activities as you wished or simply relax by the pool and hot tubs or at the library with a good book. I have heard it said that “the greatest luxury is choice,” and we sure had a lot of it.
Naturally, eating our way across the Pacific was another delightful activity. We opted for variety and enjoyed dinners at Compass Rose (main restaurant), Prime 7 (steakhouse), Chartreuse (French) and Sette Mari at La Veranda (Italian) during the crossing and loved every morsel. International afternoon teas, including one with Crêpes Suzettes, were a delight.
After five days at sea, we felt pampered, relaxed and ready to say, “Aloha, Hilo” during our stop there, the first of several calls in Hawaii.
Hilo, a popular port on the Big Island of Hawaii, has many attractions including the natural charms of lush vegetation, gardens, parks and waterfalls and its crown jewel of Volcanoes National Park with a Visitor’s Center, Kilauea Volcano, lava flows, steam vents and lava tubes. We had visited this park twice on previous visits so this time we took a ship’s tour to Puna, a town southeast of Hilo, to see the volcanic, black sand beach at nearby Kalapana and other attractions.
During our tour we learned that Pele, the volcano goddess in Hawaiian lore, can destroy, sometimes entire communities and subdivisions, but can also create, as in the case of this, Hawaii’s newest black sand beach in Kalapana, created during the 2014 and 2018 eruptions of Kilauea–lovely and dramatic! We also visited one of Puna’s iconic landmarks, the beautiful Star of the Sea Painted Church, built in 1927-1928 under the direction of the Belgian Catholic missionary priest Father Evarist Gielen, who painted the upper section of the church with biblical scenes.
The brilliantly colored frescoes and murals in trompe l’oeil style give the interior of the church a three-dimensional look. There is also a tribute to the courageous Father Damien, a modern-day hero, who selflessly volunteered to minister to lepers who had been banished to the neighboring island of Molokai. He served the leper colony for 16 years, from May 1873 until his death in May 1889, providing medical care, building homes and constructing infrastructure for the quarantined patients. Father Damien contracted leprosy during his time of service to the leper colony and died. He was made a saint of the Catholic Church, but no matter what your faith is, it is inspiring to learn of his heroism. In Colonial Revival style, the Star of the Sea Painted Church is listed in the National Register of Historic Places which lists sites for their historical and artistic value.
After our first taste of Hawaii with our visit to Hilo we are looking forward to calls in other Hawaiian islands, including Maui, Kauai and Oahu, with an overnight in Honolulu.
Some quick superlatives from our Pacific crossing:
- Most inspiring: Learning about Father Damien’s heroism and selfless service to quarantined lepers.
- Most delicious: Meals at Chartreuse French restaurant and Prime 7 steakhouse, two of the alternative restaurants on board.
- Most relaxing: Themed musical afternoon teas with international treats–one day it was French with Crêpes Suzettes; another day it was English Tea with scones, clotted cream, and strawberry jam; yet another was a Hawaiian Tea with pineapple sponge cake and so on.
By Cruise Specialists client, Georgina Cruz
Georgina Cruz is a freelance travel writer specializing in cruises. Her work has appeared in national magazines and regional publications as well as on travel websites. She has been on more than 200 voyages including seven circumnavigations, all booked through Cruise Specialists.
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