Sometimes we are humbled by our place in the world. This was the feeling as we set off from Sydney on a 15-day Pacific Crossing on the Disney Wonder. After gliding under the Sydney Harbor Bridge, past the Opera House, and through Sydney Harbor, we sailed out through the Heads into the vast Pacific. Our departure was announced to all around the harbor as the Captain played the iconic When You Wish Upon A Star tones on the ship’s horn.
Once outside the Heads, we immediately hit the ever present rolling Pacific current. When early sailors explored Australia’s east coast, they put into port in nearly Botany Bay. The entrance to Sydney Harbor is narrow with heavy currents and colliding waves. Even today the entrance presents a navigational challenge. Imagine how hard that type of precision sailing was in the days when ships were guided by the wind with no radar systems and virtually no information on channel depth. So Botany Bay’s wide open entrance and lowlands made for a less blood pressure raising arrival.
As we rolled up the Australian coast we enjoyed our first days at sea. Huge thunderheads over the continent were the only reminder that land was nearby. Shipping lanes lie significantly offshore to protect the Great Barrier Reef. After a couple days at sea we arrived at New Caledonia. This Pacific Island nation is a French protectorate. A lovely blue sky and azure seas cast a stunning backdrop to a day exploring a bit of history and culture. We stopped at an aquariurm where we were greeted by a Science on a Sphere! It was fun to watch the lecturer use the Sphere to explore global ocean environments instead of looking at the stars.
Waving goodbye to New Caledonia, we steamed north bouncing through the endless Pacific waves. Next stop was Fiji where crystal blue waters and dense rain forests invited us to go hiking. Dripping wet and filthy from muddy trails, we returned to the Wonder exhausted and very happy to land in the pool.
After Fiji the “real fun” began. First we crossed the dateline, three times. Any cartography nerds out there would know that the international date line zigs and zags along the Pacific. Countries with territories in the Pacific tried to keep their territories in the same hemisphere as their motherlands. Some Pacific Island nations like to keep their trading partners on their side of the dateline. So as we sailed to American Samoa we crossed the dateline this allowed us to repeat February 22, 2024. As such, we could not make reservations for alcohol workshops, plan to attend a show, or even pre-book a Palo reservation until the day before. Apparently even Disney has trouble with time zones. So we scored a martini tasting and enjoyed some reservation-only craft sessions on our déjà vu February 22. We even watched Next Goal Wins about the American Samoa soccer team. This made for a good introduction to Samoan soccer culture.
After our déjà vu day, Disney style, we arrived in Pago Pago, American Samoa. What a lovely piece of paradise. We explored the island, took in a local dance demonstration, and then headed out to the National Park headquarters. The National Park of American Samoa lies mainly under the ocean’s surface. To truly explore this unique park you have to stay on the island and head out by boat. However, an excellent visitor center in Pago Pago allows visitors to catch a glimpse of the oceanographic and environmental work happening around the island. We definitely need a return trip here.
Having crossed the dateline and leaving American Samoa behind, we started 5 consecutive sea days. 5 days of rolling across the Pacific and looking at the endless expanse of water. Throughout of journey the ocean swells averaged 2-3 meters (6-10 feet). While we felt the constant roll on the Wonder, it was hard to image what crossing in those conditions on the HMS Endeavour or a raft would have been like. Plus, it took us on a fast moving ocean ship with engines, 5 days. When the Maori explored the Pacific or James Cook crossed, they had nothing more than the ocean currents and the wind to push them north.
At one point the closest land mass was the island of Kiribati. We were 500 miles away from the island. We were half way between Asia and North America in an endless expanse of blue. Blue skies. Blue water. It was all blue.
Along the way we crossed the equator. We kissed the fish (again Disney style) and survived the trails of King Neptune. We enjoyed our crossing so much, we crossed 3 times. Why? Well, this is Disney, so we had fireworks. In an effort to turn the ship for the best guest viewing of the fireworks while not allowing the debris to reign down on the top deck, the captain crossed the equator, turned, and crossed back into the Southern Hemisphere. Our final crossing, aligned correctly with fireworks blazing in the night sky, was backwards.
The water along the Pacific was quite calm. It was a nice respite from the rolling in the south. As we headed north, late winter trade winds got stronger and stronger. The ship rocked, rolled, and bounced in every direction. We had trouble actually walking outside on the decks. The pools were closed as the water sloshed all over the decks. Some of the outside doors were closed off to prevent cross winds inside the ship.
So what do you do for 5 days on a ship? We read books. Watched Disney movies on the outside screen. Attended onboard variety shows. Enjoyed cooking demonstrations from a top end Disney Chef. Made crafts. Enjoyed alcohol tasting sessions. Participated in guest-coordinated groups where we exchanged gifts, read books together, and just enjoyed time with our fellow travelers.
A couple more days and we landed in Maui. Our first land in 5 days. After passing immigration into the US, we jumped off the ship, rented a car, and drove to Ka’anapali. We drove past the devastation of Lahaina on our way. The original plan was shopping and lunch at Leilani’s. When we arrived there was a whale watching group heading out. The guys had 2 slots left due to a cancellation, so we jumped on board. 2 hours of watching the whales frolic in the warm Hawaiian waters. There were young whales clearly not more than a few days old, learning to swim alongside their mothers. I’ve been whale watching. I’ve lived in Hawaii. Now I understand why people flock to the islands every March. There were whales everywhere. It was amazing. And yes, we shopped and hand lunch at Leilani’s also.
The next morning we ported into Honolulu. We exchanged numbers and facebook and IG friend requests, and set off for home. Many of our travel companions were Australians. Several others were Disney employees. Others were from around the world and the US. As we left the ship terminal, the first passengers for the Wonder’s next leg were arriving. They were sailing onto Vancouver. 10 more days at sea. What lay ahead for them was 10 days of increasing ocean swells and decreasing temperatures. While Disney puts a great entertainment product on the high seas, this leg of the trip was definitely not for the feint of heart. It was very nice to see photos of the Wonder in port in Vancouver, knowing she made it safely.
When we disembarked in Honolulu, we had sailed 4923 nautical miles, or 5665 statute miles. That’s 9116 kilometers. We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn, Equator, the Tropic of Cancer, and the International Dateline. We visited Australia, New Caledonia, Fiji, American Samoa, and Hawaii. And we hadn’t even crossed the entire Pacific. A 5-hour flight still awaited us in order to complete our Pacific Crossing. We channeled our inner ocean explorers, gazed on the endless expanse of the Pacific. We watched the night sky as it transitioned from the southern cross to the northern winter sky. Balmy summer days in Sydney gave way to cold windy winter conditions in Hawaii.
Thanks to crossing the dateline and it being Leap Year, we experienced 30 days in February 2024. What else could you ask for?
