The USS Carl Vinson arrived on Wednesday (at this link). I signed up for the public tour and I share the photos with you!
 |
| We climbed five stairs to the flight deck. |
 |
| The flight deck offered almost every type of plane - from propeller to jet! |
 |
| Everything folds up! |
 |
| Great view of the Mighty Mo ... |
 |
| ... and the USS Arizona. |
 |
| The flag flies off the stern. |
 |
| Here are the boat launches for the USS Arizona. The Ford Island Bridge is in the background. |
 |
| In the Air Force, it's nose art. In the Navy, it is tail art. |
 |
| Ready for action! |
 |
| Great view of the National Park Service's boat launch to the USS Arizona Memorial ... |
 |
| ... plus the USS Bowfin, nicknamed the Pearl Harbor Avenger. |
 |
| It must be an art to rack and stack the planes on the flight deck! |
 |
| We climbed another five stairs to the bridge. It offers a panoramic view of the flight deck ... |
 |
| ... plus Aloha Stadium in the distance! |
 |
| Another tourist samples the power of the captain's chair. |
 |
| On the lower deck, we checked out the static displays. |
 |
| The Navy is proud of its heritage. |
 |
| Lest we never forget. |
 |
| The Tiger program allows sailors to invite family members to sail home on the last leg, such as Pearl Harbor to San Diego. |
 |
| I met a sailor escorting his father and grandfather. I also spotted a sailor bringing aboard his 10 year old son! What a family treat! |
 |
| I drove over to Ford Island for this shot. The USS Carl Vinson rendered honors to the USS Arizona when it pulled into port. |
If you had a family member aboard any Navy ship, would you participate in a Tiger Cruise? Five days at sea, sleeping in a bunk, and learning about carrier operations? One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash. This giveaway is open to all readers. Comments are open through Saturday, May 19, 10 pm in Hawaii.
Mahalo,
Kim in Hawaii
 |
| It truly is a floating city! |
My ex-husband participate with our son on a Tiger Cruise. Our son spent 8 and one half years in the Navy and is a veteran of the first Gulf War.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely participate in the Tiger Cruise. It sounds like an adventure.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been on any sort of boat in years, I'm afraid of water.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to give it a shot. My aunt said she participated in one when her husband was in the Navy and they were stationed in California. Said it wasn't bad because my uncle gave her motion sickness pills to take before boarding. Others weren't that lucky. They cut the cruise short I think she said because of the rough seas.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and welcome home Carl Vinson! As someone who has shared my tiny room with 2 Tigers, I think they had a lot of fun and made the last leg of our journey home a pleasure. Definitely should do it if you can!
ReplyDeleteKim, thank you so very much.I love the planes and their artwork.
ReplyDeleteI'd definitely participate if I could. Thanks for the chance.
Carol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
I think I would participate on a Tiger Cruise. It sounds like it would be a good experience :)
ReplyDeleteHI KIM -
ReplyDeleteBefore I met my husband he was on the Forestal and the Randolph as an ordnanceman and would have loved to be able to sail home with him. I still can't imagine what it might have been like to be loading ordnance on a plane right before it took off to patrol or attack the enemy during Vietnam.
By the time I met him he was serving at NAS Ceceil Field and when he got out he was on helicopters and than P-3's. When my son was in the Navy my husband's crew actually had a trip to where my son was stationed and got the chance to pick him and bring him home for a holiday. It was really a special time for them both.
Heck yeah, I'd love to be a Navy Tiger. Sounds like a great program. Thanks for the column, Kim.
ReplyDeleteI would love to do that. I think it would be so much fun.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how they get all of those planes stacked up on the deck! Amazing. I think the Tiger cruise if a great opportunity but it wouldn't be for me. I get claustrophobic and I'd suffer in a bunk, I fear!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to try that. It sounds like fun.
ReplyDeleteI would absolutely love to participate in a Tiger Cruise. Not only to get a taste of what my loved one experiences, but to be able to spend those days with them in that setting would be awesome.
ReplyDeleteYes cool great pics, Ty
ReplyDeleteKimh
Thank you for sharing. I would jump at the chance to participate in a Tiger Cruise.
ReplyDeleteI have never wanted to go on a cruise ship cruise, but this is **REAL**.
YES!!! That would be absolutely amazing! I have heard many people say they are "drawn" to the ocean. I would love to have the experience and see what it is about.
ReplyDeleteMel
bournmelissa at hotmail dot com
What great pictures. I would definitely participate in a Tiger Cruise to get an idea of how my family member lived.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to, but the problem is, my biggest fear lives in the ocean, sharks! It's silly, but I'm afraid that the ship will sink and I'll get to face a huge shark. :( I have to work on my fear first. :(
ReplyDeleteYes I would love to participate in the Tiger Cruise!
ReplyDeleteKim, thank you so much for the fabulous photos. I was stationed in Pearl Harbor for three years, and remember going down to the docks to deliver weather forecasts to the carriers when they'd come in port. An amazing place to live, and I thank all of the men and woman who serve to keep our country free. *Hugs*
ReplyDeleteGod bless,
Diana
Wow, what a beauty of a tour! I would want to participate because it sounds like a nice life experience to have. I like trying and visiting new places.
ReplyDeleteSounds interesting but I don't like boats and I get sea sick! Bleh! Hats off to those that do though!
ReplyDeleteThat is so cool! I actually got to take a tour of a Navy ship also (though much smaller than this one). My best friend's husband (now ex) is in the Navy and while I was visiting them in FL, he had a day that he could bring guests on board. It was so much fun. I will say that below the deck is quite closed in. A person who is claustrophobic could certainly not live on it. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, I would definitely do the Tiger cruise. My friend's mom did one from Pearl Harbor to San Diego when her daughter was stationed on the USS Stennis. She loved it.
ReplyDelete