The schedule said cruise ships arrive shortly after dawn twice a week. That gave us reason enough to be an early-riser and catch a glimpse of the sun peeking over the horizon before the ship passed by the cliff. Since we set the timer on the coffeemaker to rouse the senses with a vanilla macadamia nut blend, Gerald ran down to the neighborhood bakery and grabbed a couple of oven-fresh cinnamon rolls as well. Minutes later, donning walking shoes and a light windbreaker, we joined others on the footpath to the point of Nawiliwili Harbor. We watched as the stars disappeared and the sky turned from black and grey to peach and orange. Amethyst waters faded into random shades of blue while earnest fishermen settled into their surroundings. Overhead the fluffy cloud bank drifted away revealing a bright yellow globe on the horizon. As if on cue, the waves began to clap in applause when the “Pride of America” burst through the open waters navigating the channel between the mountains and the bay, masterfully assisted by a marina tugboat. With the grace and elegance of a seasoned ballerina, she breezed on through to her island home in the port.