seeing hawaii in
cruising style
the hawaiian
language is based on five vowels and just seven consonants , but this is more
than enough to utter the word '' Aloha ''
this greeting
written out in lights already welcomes those arriving at Honolulu airport , but
it is in fact much more than a greeting or farewell
aloha means love
and well-being and somehow stands for everything that goes to make up the image
of hawaii , from colourful shirts , through flower garlands and grass skirts to
coconuts bikinis
hawaii is the
"aloha state" and the 50th state of the united states of america
a visitor to
these island in the middle of the pacific feels immediately that he has one
foot firmly anchored in the american way of life, and this is particularly true
when he sees the island from the vantage point of a cruise ship
"aloha. how
are you today?" is a frequently asked question on hte " pride of
aloha ".the simple response, "Fine",or mahalo in hawaiian,
suffices as answer.
the passenger
aboard the norwegian cruise line vessel would have little reason to respond
otherwise. at breakfast, travellers are greeted by mountains of ham and
pancakes, and this is the pattern throughout the day
most of the
almost 2000 aboard have their homes in the u.s mid west, where there is general
scorn at the notions of going on diet.
the pride of
aloha bears witness to this attitude, consuming 9700 kilogram of meat during
the seven day cruise-the equivalent of 700 grams per passenger per day.
the norwegian
cruise line is no more norwegian than the food aboard the pride of aloha is
hawaiian.
the cruise ship
belongs to star cruises operator in the world, and the pride of aloha was
fuilet in 1999, initially thearing the name norwegian sky.
in 2004 it was
converted for duty on the pacific cruise
route and is the first cruise ship to fly the u.s flag in some time.
a cruise aboard
the norwegian cruise line vessel is perhaps the most confortable and by no
means the most exclusive way to see hawaii.
a cabin with a
sea view costs as little as 1250 euros per person for the seven night of the
cruise. included in the price is full board, a nightly entertainment program
and transfers between the four most important islands of the hawaiian
archipelago, oahu, kauai, big island and maui.
honolulu and
oahu, where the cruise starts, has apopulations of 900000 inhabitants and is
the largest human settlement in the shout sea.
faceless
apartment blocks turn into equally faceless hotel towers and shopping malls in
the seaside resort of wakiki.
thousands of
japanese bustle along the dhopping streets of kalakaua and kuhio avenues. there
is a reason for the crowds, the endless concrete and the activity : wakiki
beach is perhaps the most famous in the world after the copacabana.
but any one who
gazes out over the blue ocean to watch the surfers ride the perfect waves knows
why he has come to hawaii. one hopes at same time that the evidence of human
progres will become less apparen as the cruise progresses while the beat
remains as beautiful.