Archive for January, 2010
Happy New Year
Sunday, January 10th, 2010On January 6, I returned from a Christmas cruise to Hawaii aboard Holland America’s Zaandam, which is undergoing refurbishing in drydock in San Francisco now. Christmas was celebrated in style on the ship, and Santa Claus arrived to give presents to all the children on board.
I enjoyed our week’s tour of the Hawaiian Islands, which is suffering from financial woes much like the rest of the country. President Obama and his family were in Kailua,Oahu, when I was there, too.
I was shocked when I arrived at Kona, on the Big Island. I walked into the King Kamehameha Hotel, where I’ve spent many good times, and was surprised to see that its shopping arcade was empty. About 5 or 6 years ago, the arcade was filled with high-end shops, many of which are boarded up today. Our ship’s passengers were welcomed in stores and sights in Kona, Hilo, Lahaina, and Nawiliwili, but other ships are talking about not calling at some Hawaiian ports now because of financial problems.
Let’s hope that the year 2010 will show improvement in the world’s financial problems and in the world of cruising.