Polynesian Sunset Dinner Cruise

If I were doing this all over again, I think I would take the cruise before participating in the luau.  While the entertainment on the cruise was still enjoyable, the single musician and pair of dancers on the Starlet could not compare to the spectacle of last night.  This, touched with the inevitable melancholy of an adventure coming to a close, left me feeling bittersweet most of the evening.  The three-course dinner with an entree of steak and chicken was passable, nothing stood out to me there either.  However, the view from out in the ocean was definitely the highlight of the evening.  Heavy clouds loomed purple and shadowy over the mountains and coastline, and once the sun began to set the colors in the sky and water became ever-fascinating.  I believe this is the first time I have watched and witnessed the full progression as the sun slips down below an ocean horizon, dwindling from a brilliant golden orb to the merest pinprick of light before all that remains is a faint yellow aura of its existence beyond the curve.  Truly breath-taking.

With half of the cruise ship's tables empty, it was hard for the emcee to drum up a party as seemed typical for the agenda, but after our hula dancers went through the various island styles, the evening came to a close with part of the crowd out on the dance floor doing the Love Train, YMCA, Macarena, and the Electric Slide.  Yes, folks, it was certainly a sight to behold ;-)

In the end, I go to bed tonight content.  I came to Hawaii to experience something new, and I have certainly achieved that goal many times over.  Life is a journey of discovery, about oneself, the world around us, and the world beyond what we can imagine.  I have learned much in each of these regards during my brief Polynesian sojourn, and look forward to the day I can return for more.