Location: Madrid, Spain → Amsterdam, Holland → Los Angeles, California → Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Summary: A long journey from Madrid to Honolulu, with flight changes, airport chaos, lost luggage, and finally arriving in Hawaii ready to begin the NCL Spirit cruise. A long, tiring day, but the adventure was only just beginning.
Today was the long travel day from Madrid to Honolulu, with flights via Amsterdam and Los Angeles. I woke before my alarm again and was showering at 03:30. After getting dressed, I wrestled my suitcase down the hostel stairs, checked out, and waited outside for my taxi to the airport. The taxi arrived on time, and soon I was at Madrid Airport heading for the check‑in desk.
Madrid Airport
My first flight, Madrid to Amsterdam, had originally been with KLM but was switched to their partner airline, Privilege Style. Check‑in was easy, and I was taken to the plane in a wheelchair as planned. I had arranged wheelchair assistance at every airport because of tight transfers and terminal changes. Thankfully, my upgraded extra‑legroom seat was still honoured on the new aircraft. The flight left on time, and two hours later we landed in Amsterdam. The food and service were excellent.
Amsterdam Airport
The transfer in Amsterdam was far less smooth. No wheelchair was waiting, and there were no signs telling me where to go. With limited time to get through immigration and reach my next gate, I joined the massive queues. Someone noticed me struggling with my walking stick and moved me into a disabled line, which sped things up.
Once through immigration, I found my gate for the KLM flight to Los Angeles and began walking. A woman driving an electric airport buggy stopped and offered me a lift, getting me to the gate just in time. The KLM aircraft was very comfortable, and again I had an upgraded seat with extra legroom. The food was fantastic, the crew were exceptional, and drinks were included. The air hostess checked on me regularly to see if I wanted another beer. As usual, I couldn’t sleep and spent the 13½ hour flight watching films.
Just before landing, the crew told me a wheelchair would be waiting at the aircraft door to take me through immigration and to the next terminal for my Honolulu flight.
Los Angeles Airport
I dislike LAX at the best of times, and today didn’t change my opinion. A wheelchair was waiting, but the woman pushing me hit a bump on the ramp, nearly launching me out of the chair. After apologising, she continued to the next area, where I had to get out and wait for an electric buggy. When it arrived, the driver bashed my leg with the door before taking us towards immigration.
At immigration, we were transferred from the buggy into wheelchairs again. After being pushed about 20 feet, I was asked to get out and sit in a normal chair to wait for yet another wheelchair. A large group of Chinese passengers arrived and all suddenly claimed to be disabled, trying to join the shorter queue. Immigration quickly realised what was happening and made them wait until those genuinely needing assistance were processed first.
I was eventually taken to the immigration desk, processed quickly, and moved to another wheelchair for the baggage claim area. I didn’t need to collect my luggage, only confirm it had arrived. It hadn’t. The baggage handlers told us my suitcase never left Amsterdam. There was nothing I could do, so I accepted it and carried on.
I was then transferred to yet another wheelchair and taken through customs to the next terminal. Inside the departures' hall, I was moved into yet another chair and left with around 14 other people waiting for assistance. The disabled services desk was unmanned, and the woman supposedly organising us looked completely uninterested. One man appeared with a radio, made a few calls, and disappeared again.
Over the next three hours, one person slowly worked through the queue, taking people to their gates. We had no access to food, drink, or toilets. One woman eventually phoned her son, who came into the airport and took her to her gate himself. More people kept arriving, and the queue grew.
Eventually, I was taken to my terminal and gate. After transferring to a normal seat, I waited to board. The aircraft had been changed again, this time to a Delta plane, and my extra‑legroom seat no longer existed.
Before take‑off, I asked the woman next to me if she would swap her aisle seat for my window seat, but she refused. It soon became clear why. She was already drunk when she boarded and immediately ordered a double vodka and tonic, followed by another. She repeated this pattern for the entire 5½ hour flight, disappearing to the toilet regularly. I was relieved not to be the one getting up every time she needed to pass.
I couldn’t sleep and binge‑watched an American TV series. We were given a small piece of cake, which wasn’t great. I asked for a beer and was surprised to find I had to pay for it. After two flights with free drinks, €8.36 for a small can felt steep. I only had one.
Honolulu, Hawaii
When we landed in Honolulu, a man with a wheelchair was waiting for me. I told him my luggage was still in Amsterdam, so he took me straight to the lost luggage desk. A very helpful lady filled out the forms, took copies of my cruise itinerary, and explained what to do once I boarded the ship.
While waiting, I saw the woman from the plane looking distressed on the phone. It seemed the man she expected to meet her wasn’t coming. After seeing her behaviour on the flight, I couldn’t blame him.
Once the paperwork was done, the wheelchair assistant took me to the courtesy bus area and waited until a bus arrived. About 15 minutes later, I was helped into a front seat with extra legroom.
The sun was setting as we left the airport for the Waikiki Beach Hotel. Traffic and roadworks slowed us down, and when we arrived, we were dropped at a bus terminal behind the hotel. Finding the check‑in desk was a challenge, as the complex wasn’t well signposted.
I eventually found reception and was checked in quickly. When the man saw I had no luggage, he upgraded me to a large room on the 16th floor. I struggled to work out how to call the lift until a lady showed me the touchscreen kiosk beside it.
The room had a big balcony overlooking the gardens, lagoon, and marina. It would have been lovely for a longer stay. I rested for about 20 minutes and went down to the hotel restaurant at 22:00.
After waiting 15 minutes, I asked for a beer and a menu, only to be told the restaurant had closed at 22:00. Everything in the resort shut at the same time. The bar manager suggested the pizza restaurant might still be open. When I found it, the door was closed and a man was cleaning up. I walked in anyway and asked if I could get a takeaway pizza. He must have taken pity on me because he made me a small one. It cost $24.95, three times the price of a large pizza in Los Alcázares.
I took it back to my room and ate it. After travelling through 12 time zones, flying over 9,000 miles (14,484.1 km), and being awake for around 36 hours, I decided not to risk a morning trip to Pearl Harbour. I set the alarm for 09:00 and fell asleep almost instantly.
Add comment