Before I started writing my blog I used to write pieces for a blog that Cunard ran called “We are Cunard”. Some of the pieces appear on this blog at the beginning but the photos disappeared when I had to move from blogspot to WordPress.
What I’m trying to say is that back in 2013, Jane and I chose a cruise from Los Angeles and back to LA. 39 nights on Queen Elizabeth. It was almost the last time that we could cope with Jane flying. In those days we used to take a simple folding wheelchair and the airlines could cope, and so could we.
We flew to LA and then stayed a few days in Santa Monica. We boarded Queen Elizabeth on 4 February 2013 and the voyage took us to Pago Pago, Samoa, New Zealand – Auckland, Napier, Wellington and Christchurch. We then headed north to Papeete in Tahiti and Bora Bora. The next stop was Maui and this is the extract from the piece I wrote for Cunard
“Our final call was to the island of Maui. We drove south to Kihei and our driver was keen to show us the holiday homes of Jack Nicholson and Tiger Woods before embarking on a drive through the lava fields. We then headed north through the beautiful homes in Kula before rushing back to the ship from the Tedeschi Winery. Maui is clearly an island with much to offer. We merely scratched the surface but voted to return one day.”
From Maui we sailed to LA before we flew home. Sadly we haven’t been able to return to Maui since then. The devastation caused by fires this week is horrific. A beautiful island destroyed and vast areas reduced to ash and rubble.
Sadly we never made it to Maui. We anchored off but the Captain declared it too rough to make a landing. That was in 2000 on QE2
Stewart
Sorry to hear that Stewart but you and Elizabeth must have visited more countries and more ports than most Cunard officers!