Sunrise on the Pacific Ocean, viewed from our balcony - Jan 17, 2011.

We've been at sea now for almost 3 days.  No land, no other boats, no birds.  Just ocean in every direction. Very calming to gaze at the endless sea.  Weather is getting warmer and sunnier as we move south.  Enjoying ship life, meeting a surprising number of people who have been on 2 or 3 world cruises. Some have been on a dozen or more.  This is an older crowd.  Brigit is the self-proclaimed 'baby on board.'

Our satellite internet signal has been unavailable for 2 days now.  I try to imagine the realities of sea life centuries ago, before satellite navigation, before Internet, when the world was a truly mysterious place. I conjure up images of mischievous characters on the open sea, navigating by the stars, drinking rum, sailing uncharted waters.

Christopher Columbus set out to find a shortcut to India.  He instead discovered the Bahamas. Despite the mounting evidence that his discovery was of a 'new' continent, Columbus went to his grave insisting that the lands he found were part of Asia.  Then Amerigo Vespucci came along and set the record straight, thus getting two continents named after him.  Still lots of Italian ship captains navigating the world's oceans, but with modern technology they're unlikely to get lost.  Today Columbus could easily find an Italian restaurant in Mumbai.  Or an Indian tailor in Koh Samui.  In fact anyone with a uniform and an iPhone is fully equipped to navigate a ship.  Perhaps things would have turned out differently if Columbus had Google maps. 

In two days we'll stop at our first port - Hilo Hawaii.  Will also spend 2 days in Honolulu and a full day in Maui before heading to the south Pacific. 

Cruising has changed over the past few decades.  Our ship does not have a midnight buffet. The regular seatings are gone, replaced with open seating in the big dining room, plus two excellent small restaurants that require reservations.  The buffet is also available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sensitive to the demands of its passengers, all of the food we've encountered so far has less sugar, less salt and less fat than you'd find in most restaurants. Portion sizes are always small and its all very high quality.  Service is superb.  Room service is available with a diverse menu 24/7.  All of the rooms on this ship are well-appointed suites and all have a balcony. Bathrooms have separate tubs and showers. 

One of the features we've already found to our liking is that fact that the cruise price is all-inclusive.  It doesn't make the cruise a bargain in any way - it just removes the need to open your wallet or even think about money.  Other than shopping in port, passengers literally do not need to spend a dime on this ship.  The meals, excursions, beverages, gratuities and room service are all included, as is just about everything else.  Last night I left my shoes outside our cabin door.  This morning they were freshly shined with a note thanking me for the opportunity to be of service.  Three days have passed, 142 days remaining - so far so good.