Missed Port and Keeling, Taiwan (Taipei)

02-23 Kaohsiung, Taiwan at Sea Sunday: Poor weather today and we need to out run a storm on the way with 70-80 mph winds. We were supposed to undergo immigration in this port but we will need to see what will happen now. We played Train but the ship was really pitching about. We will just divert and go on to the next port of Keeling, Taipei. This evening, we had dinner in Pinnacle Grill with Paul and Maureen. It was another great evening, great wine, great food, and great company! We didn’t do immigration today even though we arrived at 5p. We will see how that goes tomorrow. For today they do revise the activities and promotions with an updated information sheet.

02-24 Keelung (Taipei), Taiwan Monday: Our excursion is On Our Own in Taipei. First it was the immigration process. For us this started at 8:15a and we did end up leaving on the tour approximately 9:15a, close to the original time. This was a bus ride into town for 1 hour. We had 6 hours on our own to explore. It might have been a great day but we didn’t check things our well enough. We started walking and went into the first welcoming entrance we came too. That was a mistake! It was a maternity and baby exposition. We had a laugh with that one! Neither of us are feeling 100%, just feeling woozy and not quite right. We decided we would get a bite to eat then take the Hop-On Hop-Off bus to check things out. The only thing we could find was a spot for coffee in a mall. We were then on our search for the HO-HO stop. We walked back to Taipei 101 and found information. We gathered the information but decided we better eat something before heading out. There was a lovely food court, very crowded, but we found a spot and had a quick sandwich that we bought at 7/11, potato salad, and bottled water. Now we headed out to find the HO-HO station. After about an hour of searching we finally got the information that the bus doesn’t run on Monday. I might mention it was a bit cold and a bit rainy. I was beat by this time and we headed back to the food court. Stuart wasn’t hungry. Sharon got a chicken and Udon noodle bowl, and we shared. It was interesting trying to eat slippery noodles with a spoon or chop sticks! We met at 4:20p for our 1-hour bus ride back to the ship. Internet has been very poor in waters near China. Things should improve when we get into Japan.

Manila, Philipines and At Sea

02-21 Manila, Philippines Friday: We did plan to get off today, but we are just tired. We had a pool day instead and also played Rummikub up at Sea View. When we got too warm, we went back to the cabin to rest and play Phase 10. Soon enough it was time to prep for dinner. After the dinner we went to the show, Violinist Jocelyn Ng. It was quite different from what one might expect. Off to the casino after that. I left early but Stuart played on and did very well again!

02-22 At Sea Saturday: We awoke to rough seas on our way to Taiwan. We planned to have breakfast on the balcony with our last bottle of bubbly, but it was too windy. We will save the bottle until later! We had a lovely dinner at Canaletto. We really like the Born of Fire Cabernet Sauvignon.

Puerto Princesa, Philippines and Missed Port

02-19 Puerto Princesa, Philippines Wednesday: We planned to get off and walk around like we did on the first visit here. However, we awoke to rain and fog so think at times you could not see the water! We decided to skip the port today. We had breakfast in our cabin and ventured out to Sea View to play Rummikub. The rain cleared up but it was very humid and warm. Back to the cabin in a couple hours. The rest of the day was uneventful other than receiving chocolate covered strawberries from the casino!

02-20 Boracay, Philippines Thursday. But we didn’t make it to the port after all. The water was too rough and the tenders could not safely operate, so no port for us today. We didn’t plan to get off anyway, we were going to have a pool day. However, it was very disappointing for those expecting to visit family there. Maran, our wine person, was to see her parents. We did play Train with the group, which is always fun. This evening, we ate at Pinnacle Grill with Paul, Maureen, Don, and Lisa. It was another 4-hour dinner and very enjoyable.

Two Days At Sea

02-17 At Sea: Rough seas with some rain and wind. We slept in and went to Dive In for lunch, then quickly on to Mexican Train. As the day went on, we did see sun!  We had an early dinner in Pinnacle with Paul and Maureen tonight. It was a 4+ hour dinner, we do have fun chatting!

We secured our QR code entry card required for the Philippines on the 19^th. Stuart also spoke with Shore Excursions today about our tour yesterday. We don’t expect anything for ourselves but hopefully others in the future will avoid the somewhat disappointing day.

02-18 At Sea Monday: We slept in after another late night. There was an announcement that everyone immediately needed to get to the thermal scan required by the Philippines. I hopped out of bed and made it before they started to call names of those who didn’t show up yet! We had a French Dip sandwich in the dining room for lunch and then on to play Mexican Train. We have 3 port days ahead of us so we won’t be doing that again soon. It was fun. We came back to the cabin and decided to play Rummikub on the balcony. Oh my, the weather has changed! Time to pull out the summer clothing again! Another nice dinner and visit to the casino.

At Sea and Hong Kong, China

02-15 At Sea, Saturday: We are sailing in Chinese waters today. We have no internet and we are told NOT to take photos in this area or we might be prosecuted. The fog horn blew all through the night and we see very little out there. There are a few scattered boats and yesterday one of our friends saw a drone. Speedy boats seem to go around us from time to time. We slept in due to turning the clock ahead last night and lack of sleep from the ship’s fog horn blowing all night. We made it to Lido for lunch and then to Mexican Train. The afternoon we played cards and prepped for dinner this evening. Sharon had a lamb shank that was delicious. The appetizers were spectacular tonight and Stuart had 3 of those.

02-16 Hong Kong, China, Sunday: We booked a HAL shore excursion today. Hong Kong is a new stop for Sharon, Stuart has been here, and Mainland China, several times. The excursion didn’t do exactly what was described below: Approximately 5¼ Hours Adult $99.95. Depart the pier for Hong Kong Island and cross under Victoria Harbour by tunnel. At Aberdeen, learn how fishermen and their families live aboard the thousands of junks and sampans crammed into the harbor. Enjoy a short sampan ride here. (We did not see a fisherman’s village at all or learn about it. We did have a short sampan ride).

Continue to the small village of Stanley and the legendary Stanley Market, famous for its clothes, furniture, souvenirs and great, inexpensive knock-offs of pricey designer goods. (Close to half the shops were closed due to our early arrival time.) I did find a postcard but they were out of stamps.

You'll drive past Repulse Bay to the southern side of the island, with panoramic views of one of Hong Kong's most popular and beautiful beaches. The beautiful hotel you'll see has long been a landmark here. Head up to Victoria Peak by funicular tram for a breathtaking view of the harbor and Kowloon. (Instead, we drove up to Victoria Peak and took the funicular tram down, which was fine) Here we had 30 minutes to find something quick to eat and get back to the meeting place. There was supposed to be a Burger King on one level, but we got there and there were no restaurants to be found. We went back up a floor and got some dumplings and spring rolls. It held us over until dinner.  

Pause briefly at one of the city's jewelry showrooms to see the wonderful craftsmanship on display. (We were told we would be going to an outlet that had many things for sale. It was all pearl jewelry, nothing else)

Overall, it was okay. The island is very smoggy. At first, we thought it was clouds or fog but our eyes started burning so we surmised it was smog.

 

At Sea and Halong Bay, Vietnam - Valentine's Day

02-13 At Sea, Thursday: Today we had a plan to have a bubbly breakfast on the balcony. We did do that but the bottle of bubbly was not good. It had the aroma of rotting grape waste at a winery… not good. It barely popped when we opened it. Bernardo said he would replace it, but we said no. We still have wine in our package and that will do. It was Legrand Courtȃge from France. Tonight was Gala Night so also dressy night. Steak and pasta for us. No one really dresses up that much anymore. At least we did see them turn someone away in shorts and flip flops! It was a brief stop in the casino.

02-14 Halong Bay, Friday, Valentine’s Day: We did have a cruise of Halong Bay and the Caves planned, but we canceled it. We decided to try for a massage and lunch in town again. It was a poor day for this lovely port. You could barely see all the rock formations in the bay due to the fog. There is a nice port building but very little around the port itself. We hired a multi-seat golf cart- type of vehicle. It was approx. US$20 and worked out well. There was a route to follow but thankfully he took us just where we wanted to go. First stop was the massage. It was different than other massages we had, but still nice. From there we went to a local market. It was in a building and very interesting. We walked down a ramp to the lower level which was all food; fruit, baked good, spices, and much more. Going up the next ramp we found a lot of clothing, kitchen supplies, and almost anything else you might want. We did not find a Bitak shirt for Stuart, which is what we were looking for. We used Google Translate to clearly tell the driver what we wanted. He did not know where to go for the shirt but took us to a souvenir shop, he thought might have one. Wow, it was an upscale souvenir shop for sure. Most of the things there were made of 100% silk and lovely. We did find Stuart a really nice shirt for approx. US$40. I tried a couple of tops but the sizes are just too tiny for my full figure! There were some amazing sheets but I don’t want to haul something like that home in my suitcase. After that he took us along the shore. There is a lovely, long, but deserted beach. It is off season. You can certainly see what it must be like when the weather is warm and everyone is here to have fun. I didn’t mention when we first got into the town area, there was a lot of damage from a typhoon that came through 3 months ago. Like a hurricane, it just cut a path through snapping off trees, ripping off roofs, and doing a lot of other damage. There were a lot of places closed and some being refurbished. The whole street was one vacant hotel after another. Now it was back to the ship. As I said the terminal is big and quite nice. We looked around there a little bit. I did find a postcard but no stamp. I decided to get it anyway. I have 3 postcards to mail from home now! 

It was Pinnacle Grill tonight for the Valentine Dinner. It was wonderful. Appetizers, palate cleanser, main, and dessert – 6 courses! We also had one of the best tables in the place. We have become friends with Rebecca the hostess there. I have tried to put the menu and photos on FB but so far no success! It was a fantastic evening. 

Over night in Da Nang, Vietnam

02-11 Overnight in Da Nang (Hue), Tuesday: It was stormy this morning. Rain and chilly. Amazing what a change in weather crossing the equator. Our tour for today is tonight to Hoi An Ancient town. The town is only 22 miles away but takes 1 hour to drive it. This was a shore excursion via HAL. Several busses went and it was a mass crowd. I am sure it is crowded anyway but this was bad. Our guide was sweet and all, her name was Dong. She walked so fast only a few could keep up through the crowds. She did slow down after Helen (Distinctive Voyages) asked her to in a loud voice. Others echoed her request. We had about an hour to shop there. We did not shop but sat for a cold drink. The tour included dinner, which was very good, at a restaurant called Morning Glory. It was at least 3 stories and very busy. We had a brief time to walk around again and then we headed to the bus. It was nice to see such a night market. It rather reminded me of Disneyland, sans the rides, with the crowds and little toys shooting up in the air. There was also a great change in the weather. It was actually quite warm there. We dressed for the weather in the port so we peeled off our outer layer pretty quickly. We are overnight here so arriving back after 10p was not an issue.

02-12 Da Nang, Wednesday: Today we are here until 6p so we have all day. We started with a late and small breakfast. Our plan is to take the HAL shuttle into town and find a massage and a lunch. The drop off point at APEC park. It was a nice location and we could see the Dragon Bridge from there as we were leaving. We walked around the town and stopped at 3-4 massage places. No one had a massage for 2 available. We walked on back toward the shuttle point sort of giving up on the idea. Sharon was tired of walking so we stopped at a little café. It is so eye opening to stop in these cities. We sat at the little wood and metal table on plastic stools. We intended on having just a beer but then decided to try “something.” The menu was on a device that looks like what they use for payment with a credit card. We opted for “Chicken Noodle Soup” – It was really tasty. It also included an average salad plate size of mixed greens, which was have herbs and so delicious. No dressing on the salad, which was good because you could indeed taste the various items on it. I know there was some lettuce, thinly sliced cabbage, cilantro, radish micro herbs, maybe basil, some fennel, and daikon radish. The soup was very flavorful as well. Not a lot of chicken – I might add, almost everything we have chicken in seems to under go a hatchet job. It is all randomly hacked up with a lot of bone and little pieces of bone. One must be careful when eating. The bowl also had a delicious broth, noodles, peanuts, and some herbs. The total for our lunch with 3 beers, big bowl of soup and the salad (which we shared) was approximately US$3. Hard to believe how they live here. You certainly don’t see any overweight people! After that we walked on to get back to the shuttle point. We came across one more massage place called Nhō and asked if the massage for 2 was possible. The surprising reply was YES! What a great massage we had and this one worked out to be US$8 each. We left a very nice tip and we’re happy to do so. Now walking to the shuttle once more. We didn’t have to wait long and off we went back to the ship. We got that nice view of the Dragon Bridge when leaving the area. A quote about the bridge said, “the Dragon Bridge has breathed new life into finances in Da Nang” – interesting that tourist come to just see that I guess. Dutch dinner onboard and the food was served hot and tasty. We missed the show but had a short stop at the casino.

At Sea and Superbowl

02-09 At Sea, Sunday: We have rough seas today. We are managing well, but hanging on too! We had Sunday Brunch in the dining room. It was an Asian brunch, different. Few recognizable dishes when we think of brunch, but it was fine. At 4p we met Paul and Maureen in Ocean Bar. We are going on a tour with them when we arrive in Osaka. It will be 4 couples. The others are Rob and Joan from Canada and Ralph and Laurie from Los Angeles. Eating a few peanuts there ruined our appetite. We skipped dinner and went to the show, it was great. Sonz of Soul. It was a Motown group and they were really good. Stuart had seen them before when speaking on Celebrity. After that, we met our “group” for Craps. It didn’t go as well tonight, either did Black Jack. We had fun and came back to the cabin to play Phase 10 and off to bed.

02-10 At Sea, Monday. Today was the Super Bowl game. It showed at the World Stage, in Billboard, and on your cabin TV. At the world stage they had all sorts of snacks and things. We did not get up early to watch it. We did catch the end of it. Eagles won. I managed a call to the kids and spoke with Julie and Deb, it was good to hear their voices. Tonight, we had dinner at Morimoto in Pinnacle Grill. Where we weren’t terribly impressed the last time, this time was wonderful. It helped that we ate with our friends Paul and Maureen. Because there were 4 of us, we ordered almost every dish! Maureen didn’t hesitate – I might have. It was really fun to try everything. We had the best waiter “Acho” as well.

At Sea and Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

02-07 Friday: At sea, South China Sea. Finally starting to feel rested. Distinct Voyages host, Helen, asked Stuart to make a brief presentation today. Not many showed up, but it was a nice time for everyone. After that we had a very nice wine tasting with Cellar Master, and friend, Bernardo. We found 2 wines we really liked. We included that in our next package selection. Helen is hosting a dinner in the dining room tonight. Helen hosted one table, and Stuart the other. It was nice to meet some new people as well. We spent some time in the casino and did very well at the Craps table.

02-08 Saturday: Private Ho Chi Minh City Shore Excursion from Phu My Port with Viator. It was a convenient pickup from Phu My Port, even though we had to wait for the shuttle to take us to the gate. Our Guide Mr. Castle patiently waited for us. Our transportation was a private air-conditioned minivan. The trip into Ho Chi Minh city too about 2 hours. We skipped the War Remnants Museum. We heard it is pretty gruesome and very communistic. Our first stop was the French colonial Notre Dame Cathedral and General Post Office. There is scaffolding all over the front of the cathedral but one could understand what it looks like. At the post office we exchanged money, I was able to secure a postcard and stamp so that got sent off to Sierra. There are all sorts of shops inside the post office as well. Now it is time for a coffee break where we enjoyed a cafe sua da (coffee with condensed-milk) and lunch at a local restaurant included. It was a cute place, very retro. The coffee was delicious. Now on to Independence Palace. We got on a little tram that drove us around the grounds. Our first stop was the Exhibition House, nest to the Independence Palace. Mina and Raine went inside the Palace but I opted to sit outside and Stuart did too. He has been there before.  

Our lunch stop was at Pho 24. What a delicious stop for Pho. The lunch was included in the cost of the tour, as was the coffee and entrance fees to the palace. It was nice to be able to customize our excursion to suit our interests and itinerary. We did decide we wanted to go to the Ho Chi Minh Museum and see the water puppet show. Mr. Castle was great about arranging that for us. It was fun and the museum itself had some interesting exhibits. We were back to the ship in plenty of time. One other interesting thing we saw today was some of the road sides cafes. There were of course, tables and chairs. However, the cute thing was hammocks hanging for patrons to take a rest! The lights were loving leaving port.

Dinner was disappointment at best. We thought the food was much improved after this cruise. We heard Willem was on now and it was a treat. The food seems more like the Zuiderdam was, delicious. Tonight was the exception to this. The food was barely warm when it got to us. Room temperature pork ribs and baked potato is not exciting.

Day 2 Bangkok, Thailand and Sihanoukville, Cambodia

02-05 Wednesday: We are up early because we are a little concerned about the traffic getting back to port. It took us 3 hours to drive in yesterday. We had a fabulous (included) breakfast at the hotel. I managed a call to Miranda, today is her birthday in California, of course it is a day ahead here. Like yesterday, we stopped at a Starbucks for a coffee break and restroom stop. It took less than 2 hours to get back to the ship. I suppose we would have had time for a boat ride, but we are back early. That’s a good thing. Stuart met us outside the terminal. I was happy to find a postcard and stamp in the shops heading back onboard. We spent the afternoon playing Rummikub all day at Sea View. It was restful and my back needed that rest since we walked 14K steps yesterday. 

02-06 Thursday, Sihanoukville, Cambodia: My back is still hurting but we are getting off since this is a new country for both of us. There is a free shuttle into town furnished by HAL. It was round trip Independence Park. What we saw was just as bad as a few ports we visited in Africa. Poverty must be the cause? There was trash and garbage everywhere. We planned to get a pedicure and massage – but no! We didn’t even see anyplace to even walk around and see shops. We stayed on the shuttle and went back to the ship. About 1/3 of the people on the shuttle stayed on like we did.  

Nathon, Koh Samui, and Bangkok, Thailand

This is a late posting because we have been so busy and I am just now trying to catch up on this blog.

02-03: Nathon, Koh Samui, Thailand. We had breakfast delivered so we were ready to go. Our plan was to try to find a Thai massage and a nice lunch, we did both. What a great day! Tourism is popular here. I can see why when prices are so low! Each of us had a 1-hour massage for only US$13 each! First, they wash your feet, then you are escorted to the massage table room where you are given very stretchy panties to wear. Their massage tables are wider than any I’ve seen for a good reason – they climb up on the table to massage your back! It was amazing and so relaxing. We were even served a cup of the most delicious ginger tea afterwards. From there we walked a very short distance to a restaurant called Mum Thong, we had two plates of food with chicken and shrimp and a total of 4 beers. We did barely taste the hot sauce offered and believe me it was hot and a little lasted a long time! That was approximately US15! Incredible prices so this puts Thailand near the top of the list for a travel destination. There are cooking classes all over town as well. One could spend a month here relaxing and learning to cook Thai food! Today was a mild weather day. There was a slight breeze and the humidity was low compared to the other places we have visited. (FB photos posted). Back onboard we spent a bit of time preparing for our overnight in Bangkok, Thailand tomorrow! Of course, dinner and games and to bed early.

02-04 Bangkok, Thailand. We have a Viator tour booked with a van and driver, Mr. Tu, to take us into Bangkok. Mina and Raine are joining us. We will have our overnight stay in Lebua State Tower hotel and the driver the next day as well. Stuart has planned out our sightseeing since he has been to Bangkok several times. Well, the best made plans didn’t quite work out. At the last minute Stuart had gastric upset and stayed behind. This was disappointing for everyone but we soldiered on. The drive into Bangkok took 3+ hours instead of the 2 that we were prepared for. We did have a brief coffee break of 20 minutes along the way. The van we are in is luxurious with such comfortable seats. The adjust any way imaginable even like a recliner! Thankfully it had a very powerful AC that kept us nice and cool.  

Our first stop was Grand Palace. We found our way to “Gate 4” which was not easy. We did need Stuart! We managed to find the ticket booth and were stunned by some of the amazing sites we saw. We found our way to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Shoes removed, up a couple sets of steep steps and there was the tiny Buddha! We were surprised how small it was! It is extremely hot today as well. We walked around for a while. When things all started to look alike, we decided to leave. We had a bit of a trek back to the pickup point. Mr. Tu was a good driver. He dropped up off and picked us up as close to the various areas as possible. The routine was to call him when we were ready to move on. It all worked quite well. After the Grand Palace we wanted our lunch break. He took us to a “local” place. We had a delicious l lunch and iced tea as well. It was sometimes hard to understand Mr. Tu but we finally figured out we were headed to Wat Pho, to see the reclining Buddha. That was a stunning site! Now it is on to the Jim Thompson House. The traffic is horrible but we did manage to get there before it closed. We had one of the last tours of the day. You cannot visit this site unless you are on one of their tours. It was very interesting to hear about this man who promoted the silk industry and made a fortune. You can find his brief history on the internet.

On to the hotel. On Maps it said it was 14 minutes away; it took us 1 hour to get there. Oh my, the service! It is a 5* hotel and believe me, we were treated well. The bellman and doorman whisked our small bags away quickly. We were escorted to a sofa and a welcome drink of rose water and hot towel suddenly appeared. We signed all necessary papers and the lovely young woman escorted us to the elevator and then our rooms. The bags were waiting for us! I had a 1 bedroom booked but I was upgraded to a 2-bedroom suite! Why? Same price, which was very reasonable! I had the 2 bedrooms, each ensuite, a kitchen, dining area, large living room, 2 balconies, and free beers. Raine and Mina had a twin room. They also got the 2 beers but received a fruit place and macarons also! (rooms respectively $206, and $177). We were going to dinner but could not get a reservation. We aren’t that hungry anyway. We went to the Sky Bar with amazing views from the rooftop on the 64^th floor. Parts of the movie The Hangover Part II were shot at the rooftop location. As reasonable as the rooms are, the drinks and food are the opposite. I guess that is where they make their money! We were exhausted and went to bed before 9a. We have also decided we would not attempt to do any boat activity because we are tired, and we are concerned about the time getting back.

Beginning our 2nd cruise! Singapore and At Sea

02-01 Singapore: We awoke in Singapore this morning. Gray skies, which is mostly what we see each day. We decided to stay onboard and not have the time dedicated to the immigration process. We slept very late, got up in time for lunch in Lido. People have been getting onboard since 11a. Elevators are very busy today! Our onboard statements are messed up. We have not received the shore excursion credit yet. We will wait to see if it appears for us. 

We had a welcome reception at 6p for 3,4,5, star Mariners. We met Paul and Maureen there along with some other friends of theirs Don and Lisa. We chatted for quite some time. We skipped dinner, which was a good thing since the Lido completely shuts down at 9p, the dining room closes then too. The only food available in room service and we weren’t hungry enough to bother. We closed out the night with a brief stop at the casino and enjoyed Billboard Onboard until closing.

02-02 At Sea. Our credit has not appeared and several of our dinner reservations are missing. Stuart talked to the front desk and they are checking on it. After a huge lunch in the dining room, we stopped and talked to Rebecca in Pinnacle Grill. She corrected our various dinner reservations. We skipped the meet and greet hosted by Karen. It would have been nice to meet her but we do need to prep some for our overnight in Bangkok on Feb 04-05, so we worked on that this afternoon and played games after that. We want to get up a bit earlier tomorrow to get off so we went to bed early, and happily it was time to turn the clock back an hour also!

Two Sea Days

01-30 At Sea: It was a quiet day for us. We played Mexican Train and had dinner with our new friends Paul and Maureen. It was Gala Night so it was time to dress up a bit. From there it was to the casino for a brief stop and then the rest of the night was spent in Billboard Onboard with Gabe and Megan on the pianos. Time to turn the clock back another hour, not fond of that!

01-31 At Sea: We got up early despite turning the clock back, and had a nice breakfast in the dining room. A lot of people will disembark in Singapore tomorrow. We are told over 1000 with HIA package will be getting on tomorrow. That will impact some services, but we probably won’t even notice! We have opted to stay onboard during this transition. The reason for this is the immigration lines, etc. that we want to avoid with disembarking. Thankfully, we don’t need to change cabins, so it is no big deal for us. We played Mexican Train and we spent the evening at Billboard Onboard as it was all request night, and very enjoyable. 

At Sea and Missed Port Jakarta, Indonesia

01-28 Tuesday:  At Sea. Since we went to bed early, we got up in time for breakfast in the dining room. It was nice. We played Mexican Train again and it was Tamarind for dinner. This was a complementary dinner from the Casino manager. It was good but nothing like we hoped. We ordered the extra special wok seared lobster that was an additional $28 each. It was not good. While it was a lovely presentation, the lobster was sickeningly sweet. It was heavily coated with some sort of mixture, but all you could taste was sweet. The coating could not be scraped off, it seemed deep fried on or something. The tempura shrimp and soup were delicious, as was the Yuku cheese cake for dessert. The evening ended with craps, which could have been better, but still fun!

01-29 Wednesday: Jakarta was a missed port today. This is a real shame for the crew. At almost every stop the family of crew members are invited onboard for a nice visit. Today the port was canceled due to weather and the crew awaiting their family are very disappointed. Ipa, one of our cabin stewards will miss his family visit. It is really sad. For us it doesn’t matter that much. We will have an additional day to play Mexican Train.

Instead, our cruising of Krakatoa was moved up to today. There are a lot of statistics about the volcano, which you can find anywhere on line. Of interest is the Anak Krakatau (child of Krakatau) volcano, which is an off spring of the main volcano. Anak Krakatau is a small volcano that formed in the caldera of Krakatoa following its cataclysmic eruption in 1883, which was the deadliest in recorded history with over 36 000 deaths and led to global climactic effects. Anak Krakatau first emerged above the waves in 1930 and reached a pre-collapse height of 327 m above sea level. On 22 December 2018, an eruption led to the collapse of the south-western flank of the volcano, with the resulting landslide generating a tsunami that caused devastation along the nearby coasts of southern Sumatra and west Java. Anak Krakatoa is still active and you could see some smoke or steam coming from it.

At 6p we had a reception for those continuing on the next cruise, a Collector’s Cruise, so we went to that on the Lido deck. Watered down drinks and nuts were served. There was a Chinese Dragon that made an appearance, but hard to see with people mobbing to get their photo taken with it. We got a quick bite in the Lido since we weren’t very hungry, then off to the show. It was supposed to be a really good impersonator but he tried mostly comedy and he wasn’t very funny. We slipped out after the first 15-20 minutes. It pays to sit in the back sometime. The dragon did make another appearance on stage, so that was cute. We played craps with John, Chuck, and Joyce, then off to bed. 

At Sea and Komodo Island, Indonesia

01-24 Friday: Feeling better today. We had a bottle of Prosecco in our fridge so we ordered a fruit plate and pastries and had breakfast on our balcony. We cruised Batu Tara volcano. Finally, everyone is well enough to make it to Mexican Train today. Most of us still have tender stomachs but the worst of it is gone. We are all still tired so we quit a bit early. Stuart and I had a small bite to eat in the Lido and then back to the cabin for a bit of a rest, which turned into sleeping a couple hours! We weren’t hungry for dinner. Eventually, we went down to the casino. I didn’t last long and came back to watch a movie and go to sleep.

01-25 Saturday: Komodo Island, Indonesia. I have been here before on the World Cruise. June and I saw the dragons. Stuart has no interest, so we stayed onboard. No one in our Mexican Train group got off so we played today, even though it was a port day. Sadly, Diana was sick so she didn’t play; John gave her “an average” score for each round. We spent a little time at Sea View Pool but it was so hot outside, we didn’t last long. It is a beautiful island with lots of green and interesting shaped mountains. Early afternoon was a huge downpour that lasted about 30+ minutes. Forecast is rain for the next few days. We shall see.  

Cellar Master’s Dinner at Pinnacle Grill: Tonight was a very enjoyable and leisurely dinner with tablemates Paul and Maureen Messier. We met them earlier on the cruise as we shared a table with them at the Cellar Master’s Dinner in Canaletto restaurant. We became instant friends. They live in the Sacramento area, and they were also on the 2023 Grand Africa Voyage although we don’t recall having seen them. AND … they are also on this September’s 51-day Hawaii and South Pacific cruise. So even if we don’t see them in California after we get off in Tokyo, we’ll see them on the Zaandam out of San Diego. Cellar Master Bernardo began the dinner activities with a discussion of wines, his background, and an introduction of the evening’s staff. Course one was Roasted Foie Gras on a small pastry and topped with caviar. A colorful blackberry reduction was arrow-shaped pointing to a whole blackberry. Our wine pairing was a delightful Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Champagne. Second pourings were graciously provided. With each course and wine pairing, Bernardo gave a description of the wine and some its history. The second course was a soup that we all agreed was the best we’d had on the cruise. Paired with a brightly colored California pinot Noir was a Porcini Mushroom soup with Chervil and Artichoke. It was perfect temperature (unlike other soups we’ve had) and had two chicken dumplings along with some crème fraiche. Third course was a salad of fresh greens topped with warm lobster chunks, a truffle vinaigrette, some artichoke, all encircled by some asparagus spear curd. The salad was accompanied by a Grgich Hills Chardonnay, not Sharon’s favorite wine because of being stored in French Oak barrels. The backstory of Grgich Hills is that Grgich came from Croatia, showed skills in winemaking but was unable to buy the necessary land. So, he struck a deal with the Hills Brothers Coffee Company to become partners. Thus, the Grgich Hills name. It was now “Intermezzo” time, with a Tangerine sorbet ball in a flute glass with some sparkling wine; doubtful it was the same Veuve Clicquot. Then the main course of Beef Tenderloin and two seared scallops. We were getting full by now so we didn’t eat much of it. The wine was a Red Blend from Chile. Finally, it was dessert time, and Chocolate Pot Au Crème laced with Grand Marnier and two marshmallows. Not sure what the marshmallows added, but they were there. Our final wine pairing was a full-bodied Port. Overall, it was a very delightful evening, both the dinner and our conversation with Paul and Maureen. The dinner started at 6 PM, and we were the last four to leave the room at about 9:15!

Darwin, Australia and Sea Day

01-22 Wednesday: Darwin, Australia. I’m not up to going out today, I am better. I am disappointed but I just can’t do it. Stuart went on what was a great tour with Distinctive Voyages that was complementary for us. Chuck and Joyce went too, as well as Raine, so it was nice for all of them. They drove through the city to the Botanical Park, an Art Gallery Museum, then East Point for photos, and finally Wharf One for lunch. It wasn’t really a cooking demo as advertised but still a nice tour. Stuart and Chuck were going to play Craps but the tables are all closed down as Australia waters do not allow gambling.

01-23 Thursday: I am better today, still not 100% but I ate lunch today. It was the Mariner Society lunch for those with 4-5 stars, or some number of stars. Skipped Mexican Train as some are not well enough yet. Lunch was nice. Came back to the cabin to work on my blog and my laptop is all messed up. I am not sure what happened. I am able to find my files on it so I am hoping for the best that I can keep using it and I can have Dan help me get it back together when I get home.  We did have dinner with Paul and Maureen, but that was about it for me today. No energy but at least I am getting better. Stuart went for Craps with the guys (John and Chuck) while I watched a movie and fell asleep. Tomorrow will be a better day with more energy.

 

Two Sea Days!

01-20 Monday: At sea today and slept in. We made it to Dive In for burgers before playing Mexican Train. That is always fun. Back to the cabin for a nap and working on my blog and photos. Stuart napped on the balcony, too warm for me!

Tamarind dinner with Raine and Mina tonight for dinner. Stuart wanted to treat them for booking with him. It was good, but not near as good as it was on Zuiderdam. Service was Very slow. It was their first night for this venue so maybe it will improve. Tonight was the Orange Party. This was held on the World Stage. They were able to move out all the seating down low to form a dance floor. We watched that until closing.

01-21 Tuesday: A down day for me, feeling pretty rough. Didn’t leave the cabin. There was no Mexican train today because 3 others are down too! We all ate at Pinnacle Grill…? Common thread but who knows. I hope I am much improved tomorrow because we have a great tour planned in Darwin, Australia.  

Cairns, Australia and Sea Day

01-18 Saturday: Cairns, Australia. Stuart has stopped coughing and seems to feel just fine. I am glad because we have a great excursion planned: The Kuranda Scenic Railway: Gold Class. It departs: 12:30p. Tour was approximately 4 Hours, which turned out to be 5 hours. (Adult $189.95; Child $169.95) First on the agenda of the day is immigration. We already have our Australian ETA but there must be face to face immigration and everyone needs to disembark, even if you don’t have a tour or choose to get off. We did all of that, which was pretty fast. After that we walked along the Wharf and stopped at Wharf One Café for a bite to eat. We split a Peri Peri chicken sandwich. We are not sure when we might get to eat something else. After a bit more walking around, it was time for our tour. Meeting back by shore excursions, 4 of our friends were also there to go on the same tour. We transferred by air-conditioned coach to Kuranda village, which is a panoramic drive that sets the tone for the great scenery and relaxing atmosphere of the hinterland. We spent 2 hours in charming Kuranda to explore and to shop in the colorful and inviting boutique stores. Stuart bought me a twist fan, which really helped a lot in the heat. We split a meat pie, this one was chicken curry, and very good. We washed that down with a beer. Later I had a popsicle as it is so hot. I did find a postcard but once again, no stamps! About 3:15p we boarded the train, which left at 3:30p. This is a premium, themed Gold-Class carriage on the very famous, and incredibly scenic Kuranda Railway. We traveled through 15 tunnels and over 37 bridges with sheer cliff faces most of the journey. Stuart was by the window and took all the photos, a nice break for me from photo taking. Views included the Coral Sea and across Trinity Bay to Green Island, with Cairns in the foreground surrounded by sugar plantations. A taste of the tropics, local delicacies and accompanying beverages were served on the train. This included a welcome drink of your choice from the menu. This was followed by a little plate of cheese, dried fruit, crackers, and spread. All of it was very good. There was even dessert; Mango Sorbet. Everything was very good and very filling. The only thing that would have made the day better would have been cooler weather. The heat was oppressive. We were pretty tired when we got back at 5:30p, the last “all aboard” time. Of course, they would have waited for us because we were on a ship shore excursion.

After relaxing a bit, showers, and cooling off, we decided to stay in our cabin tonight. We are beat from the heat and not really hungry. We did end up ordering a sandwich to split later in the evening. It was good and plenty to eat. We played Phase 10 and had an early bedtime.

01-19 Sunday: This was the first Sunday Brunch we went to. They only have the brunch if it is a sea day. Instead of a “Tasting Menu” brunch, it was a regular order from the menu brunch. Stuart had Banana’s Foster pancakes and I ordered the Seafood Poutine. The waiter described it and noted how popular and good it was, so I tried it. I did not care for it because it was mostly calamari rings. I asked for the savory mushroom and tarragon crepes and that was much better to me. Since we slept in, we made a quick stop in the casino and still made it to Mexican Train on time. It was a relaxing afternoon resting and playing Rummikub. The heat of yesterday really zaps the energy. We walked along the outside decks for a little while. Today is called cruising the Barrier Reef, but there really isn’t any part of the reef that we see. We might not be looking in the right places. Scenery is pretty. 

Dinner was very good tonight. Stuart had the veal plicata and I had lasagna. There was a nice salad and tasty, hot egg drop soup. Stuart felt it was the best dinner he had so far. We headed to the show after that. Joyce came in to sit with us and mentioned that Chuck was at the craps table. Stuart joined him and Joyce and I enjoyed the show. It was Broadway Boys. They were 4 Broadway actors from different plays putting together enjoyable melodies for the crowd tonight. They did a great job. When the show was over Joyce and I joined Chuck and Stuart to see how they were doing. Both of them were winning, so we didn’t join in as we didn’t want to change the play in any way. Both of them did very well. After they finished there, Chuck and Joyce left and we, unsuccessfully, played a bit of Black Jack. It was the Rolling Stone lounge after that until 11p when they closed up. There is no late-night life on this ship. We played a Rummikub for a bit and then off to bed. 

Conflict Islands and Sea Day

01-16 Thursday: Conflict Islands, Papua New Guinea. Panacesa to be exact. This is a privately-owned chain of islands in the Coral Sea. The island we docked at is uninhabited and the owner opens it up to cruise ships.  It was absolutely gorgeous here. The entire chain of islands is currently listed for sale at $36M! This is another tendered port. We debated not going ashore but decided to go. We were glad we did. Yes, it was hot but we greatly enjoyed floating around in the beautiful, clear water. There were some white fish with black lines swimming around. One bit me on the back of the leg. It was a small fish, not painful, but surprising. We had a few local treats; a tasty meat pie, beer, and coke. I was happy to finally find a postcard, the first one I have seen since leaving Singapore, but disappointed they were out of stamps. I bought it anyway and will try to mail it in Australia. The Conflict Islands are located in a tropical zone, meaning the water temperature will be consistently warm throughout the year. Today it was 85˚F. 

Tonight, we had dinner in the Pinnacle Grill again, a complementary dinner. It was very good. I wanted to try the short ribs, but they are out of some things. I had the Chilean sea bass instead, Stuart had the filet again, Billboard and the casino after that. off to bed.

01-17 Friday: Sea Day. We slept in and ordered room service for lunch. It is a sea day so it was Mexican Train in the afternoon. We got our passports back today because we need them for the port in Australia tomorrow. Stuart played a bit in the casino and I worked on my photos. Tonight we were scheduled to have dinner with Chuck and Joyce Jordan. Stuart has been coughing today, so we switched the dinner to the 21^st. We had room service dinner, Phase 10, and off to bed early.

 

Rabaul and Kiriwina Island, Papua New Guinea

01-14 Tuesday: Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. Mask Festival on the Volcanic Ash Plains. While the exotic Mask Festival in Rabaul takes place in mid-July each year and gives visitors to East New Britain a chance to witness a wide range of cultural dancing, singing, ritual performance, with a variety of arts and crafts also on display, we saw a mini version of this today. It is very hot with high humidity. In addition to the dancing and singing, we enjoyed some local flavors and coconut water. The food consisted of a roasted banana (with little to no flavor, I think it was a green banana), some sort of greens in sauce, and a piece of chicken in the same sauce. The chicken and greens were tasty. They also served fresh fruit. When we came in, they gave us this woven “purse” with shell money, mango, lychee, and peanuts still in the shell on the stems. These were traded for the coconut water. You didn’t really need to trade them but that was the thought process. We didn’t keep our purses but they were ours to keep if we wanted them.

The money exchange spot on the ship this morning was impacted this morning, so we didn’t get any local currency. Of note, this was not available at home for exchange. They do accept US dollars. We aren’t really in the market for souvenirs anyway, maybe a cold beer, but there was nothing like that available. We have 2 more Papua New Guinea ports, but maybe we will just skip getting currency.

We were back to the ship a little bit past noon. We were really just too hot to eat. We dropped things in the cabin and headed to the Crow’s Nest for a cold drink. There we ran into Tom again, and his sister Rose who is traveling with him. We chatted with them for a bit, then on to a small bite for lunch, and back to the cabin for Rummikub. Dinner was one of the best we have had onboard! We started with coconut shrimp, then a salad, followed by Beef Wellington, and a sugar free lemon chiffon for dessert. We played Black Jack for a little bit but I lost my limit quickly. Stuart played on and then to a slot machine, where I watched. Back to the cabin and off to bed. I tweaked my hip a little bit when getting in the vans yesterday. It is off to bed with a muscle relaxer!

01-15 Wednesday: Today is Kiriwina Island, in Papua New Guinea. There are no tours in this port. It is also a tendered port. We decided not to get off and have a pool day instead. A couple reasons for this: 1) I don’t want to irritate by hip. It is much better and I want it to stay that way. 2) It is very hot, of course, and we were told the only thing to do was go to the beach there. Any way it was a nice day by the pool, lunch, to the cabin, and a special treat tonight with the Wine Cellar Dinner in Canaletto. 

We had such a good time! We sat with another couple Maureen and Paul. They were a delight to chat with. They are from Sacramento. We exchanged numbers and for sure we will stay in touch. These are the first people we have met that their children complain about their traveling. I thought I would never run into another couple with those issues! They were on the Africa cruise, but we never met them on there. They are also going on our South Pacific cruise so that is fun to know. As some other couples were leaving, who were also acquainted with Paul and Maureen, they introduced us. It is a small world, they were all from California, one woman was even born in Vallejo! Stuart gambled a bit, I watched. I have already spent my limit for losing. There was no show tonight, instead a movie we chose not to go to.

Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia and a day at sea

01-12 Sunday: Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia. Today was a tender port but it went well. Typically, we have breakfast delivered to our cabin. I don’t eat much, just enough to take my morning medications. It is quite hot, no surprise. We walked into town. The only thing open was the market. We looked around there and bought some Pringles and water. We ran into John and Blanche. There is nothing else to see or do, we walked around a bit and then headed back to the ship. We had a small bite of lunch. We don’t want to eat too much because we have Morimoto at Sea tonight for dinner.

 We greatly anticipated the Morimoto dinner tonight. There is only one night that this is offered on this first cruise (29 days). Before dinner we went to the Pinnacle Bar and sat with Garry and Joan from Canada. We had a nice visit with them. They have gone overland from Sydney to Perth on the train. It sounds like quite the adventure, also very expensive. 

Off to dinner now. Initially, the hostess was not there and we stood waiting to be checked in. It is not near as busy as we thought it would be, yet the service, or at least our waiter, was very slow. People came in after us and were served before we were. Our appetizers were the Tori ramen noodle bowl, pork gyoza dumplings, and Morimoto’s fresh tuna pizza. All three if these were good, but nothing spectacular. For our mains I had Angry Lobster Thai Pad and Stuart had the Ishiyaki Buri Bop, which was yellow tail seared in a stone bowl. My lobster tail was a bit over cooked, tiny (4 bites), and lacked flavor. Stuart’s fish was so thinly sliced it just crumbled when he tried to eat it. We had 3 sides, wok seared bok choy, Wasabi mashed potatoes, and house fried rice. The bok choy and mashed potatoes were delicious. It was all “okay” but our expectations were not met for this special evening. I’m not sure we want to try this venue again. It is $95 and a bit disappointing.

(Photos on Facebook)

We played for a short time in the casino, then on to Rolling Stone Lounge, back to the cabin to play cribbage, then off to bed. We turned the clock forward another hour tonight.

01-13 Monday: A quiet morning, feeling tired from that hour ahead. We opted for lunch in the dining room. Our drink order took 20 minutes to get to us, and they forgot Stuart’s drink. When his burger arrived after 30 minutes, the burger was raw in the middle. Needless to say, he was not happy. I will say the dining experiences on this ship compared to the Zuiderdam is greatly lacking. It’s odd when people arrive after you do and they get served first, even the same dishes were ordered. It is weird. After that we played Mexican Train and that was a lot of fun.

The afternoon was spent relaxing and playing games. We had dinner in the dining room and listened to the music in Billboard Onboard. The show was pretty good with these interpretative dance group with great music and video enhancements. The evening was finished off in the Rolling Stone Lounge.

At Sea

01-10 Friday: There was a King Neptune Ceremony today when crossing the equator. We didn’t go, it is crowded and we have been to a few of these! We did meet Tom Vassos at the Black Jack table a few nights ago and he stopped by our table at dinner last night. We discovered that he is a speaker. He contracts directly with Holland America for his speaking engagements. We went to his presentation today. It was very good and well done but lasted 90 minutes. That is just too long. He teaches Astronomy at the University of Toronto. Interesting guy. After the presentation we had to rush through a quick lunch in Lido to get to our Mexican Train game on time.

We had a little casino time in the afternoon, then a rest, and off to dinner. I skipped the casino tonight as I am tired. We turned the clock ahead an hour before going to bed.

01-11 Saturday: Slept in, at lunch at Pinnacle Grill followed by playing Mexican Train with our friends. Now it was time for a bit of housekeeping. While we do have free laundry, I don’t want to send things that I don’t want going through the dryer process.

Tonight, we chose the dining room, we sat with Peter and Barbara from Vancouver. They were an interesting couple. He was born in Amsterdam and she in Munich. We had some interesting travel conversations. It always takes longer when you share a table, but we were in no hurry. Casino, Billboard Onboard, and Rolling Stone Lounge completed our restful day.

Bitung, Indonesia

01-08 Wednesday: Today we are sailing in the Celebes Sea. This is the day to do a few things in the cabin. After that it was a quick lunch at Dive In where we met up with Raine and Mina. We were meeting our group for Mexican Train at the Crows Nest. However, it was impacted so we found a table in the Library Café where we played from 1p to 3p and then back to the cabin to play a bit of Rummikub and take a rest. We thought about the pool for a brief moment but it is really hot today. I guess there is less breeze or cloud cover. It is 84˚ with 70% humidity but feels much hotter than yesterday for some reason.

We had dinner at Canaletto tonight. It isn’t a very special venue, just a corner of the Lido deck separated from the rest. Service was pretty good. The food was good, but not great. Seems the food overall on this cruise has been lacking. I’ve had a few tasty dishes but the food here is nothing compared to what we had on the Zuiderdam. Staff is great, but the food lacks flavor.

About onboard activities, there are many: Sunrise Stretch, Coloring for Adults, Game Shows, liquor tasting at various times, ballroom dancing, Art Auctions, Cooking Shows, Pickleball Instructions, Bingo, Coffee with Gage (the cruise director), flower arranging, Arts and Crafts, and more…

01-09 Thursday: Today we are in Bitung, Indonesia. This is a small port without a lot of interesting things. None of the tours appealed to us so we just got off and walked around. It was brutally hot and humid. We walked into town, basically had a cold beer, and walked back. The Starbucks seemed to be a destination for some… really? There were 3-4 places selling gold jewelry on the short walk. Everything else looks very poor. There were a lot of children with little notebooks asking for signatures. I think I heard it was a school project for them. Many locals asked for their photo to be taken with us. I declined but several cruisers accommodated the request. Shortly after we returned to the ship it began to rain. By now we are sitting on the balcony playing Phase 10. The weather is pleasant when protected from the sun, having a slight breeze, and sipping a cold drink. The rain lasted an hour or so. As the rain left in came the thunder and lightning. That also lasted about an hour and was anywhere from 2-15 miles away. A fun experience on the balcony. There are a lot of friendly people here and it was nice to see Holland America let visitors onboard. I am sure some of the crew were thrilled to see some family. As we departed hundreds of people were on the dock waving and such. Captain Zoll really played it up big honking at them on departure. There were a few flying fish to see as well.

We had dinner in the dining room this evening. The one appetizer of Shanghai ribs was very good. Stuart had the fresh seared tuna. We saw this come on board in Puerto Princessa. He enjoyed that. I had sweet and sour roasted duck, but it was overdone and tough, but had good flavor. We skipped the show tonight and joined friends in the casino. I left early because I was tired (even after my afternoon nap!) and I was losing. Until now I have mostly stayed “even” with the bank. Stuart played on and did okay for the day.

(see some photos on Facebook, takes too long to upload here)

At Sea

01-05 Sunday: Today everyone is getting the Philippine entry codes. Ours were fairly easy because we downloaded the app and filled things out first. So many people did not. It is a mess for them. Raine and Mina didn’t do it and they are in the que to have help. We both tried to help them but since they could not get to their email for the confirmation code, it was useless. The rest of our day was filled with games, dinner, and a brief visit to the casino. We ran into another couple from the Africa cruise (Chuck and Joyce). We plan to meet with them tomorrow evening for craps.

We went to the brief Captain’s welcome then on to dinner in the dining room, which was okay. The soups, while delicious on the last HAL cruise leave a little bit to be desired on this cruise. There seems to be no depth of flavor and not served really hot, we will see how it goes from now on.

01-06 Monday: We are cruising in the Sulu Sea at the moment. Breakfast delivered to our cabin again. After that we went down for the Thermal Scan that is required to enter the Philippines. It was sure easy because all we did was walk through the area after getting our cards scanned. It automatically takes our temperature and we were good to go. Stuart talked with Adrianne for a bit and I chatted for a little bit with Jeff. I am so glad we have the internet phone service. From there we went to the Sea View Bar to play Rummikub. It had rained before we got there and before we finished our games it rained again! It was a brief rain and though people left the area, we stayed because it was not much and we wanted to enjoy the breeze, sun, and sea. By noon we headed to the Lido deck and got a few snacks to put in our fridge for later. We went to lunch in the dining room. I had the chicken Korma and it was delicious. It is like a mild curry. I would love to try making this. We saw John, Blanche, Paul, and Diana when leaving the dining room. We are all set up to play Mexican Train the next sea day at 1p, Crows Nest. A quick trip to the casino for some fun, then back to the cabin to catch up on this blog and housekeeping.

Dinner in the dining room and on to the World Stage for the show tonight. It was a techno light show with dance by Step One Dance Company, called Humanity. Actually, it was quite good. After that we met friends in the casino to play craps. That was going pretty well (Stuart, John, Chuck, Joyce, me) when I started to feel very light headed. I only had 1 wine with dinner and crème de menthe at the show. I had to leave the table and sit down. When I didn’t improve, Stuart cashed in my chips for me and took me back to the cabin. I felt fine after lying down for a while. I’m not sure just what happened!

 

Singapore and Beyond

01-03 Friday: We woke up pretty early considering. It was great to be horizontal and I slept really well. After getting a bit organized, we headed out to the Zhongshan Mall that is attached to our hotel. I cannot find my back pain medicine; I was sure I packed it. I also don’t have my sunglasses (they are the kind that fit over my regular glasses) so I want to find those things if possible. We found out they don’t even sell ibuprofen over the counter. I did get some Aleve. Hopefully, I will find my Rx when we unpack everything onboard tomorrow. I found some wonderful glasses that are even better than the Cocoons I have at home! The Zhongshan Mall has many shops with loads of items we see at home. There is also a food court. We decided on a Claypot, chicken for Stuart and pork ribs for me with a side of white rice. Mine was so tender and delicious, Stuart’s had good flavor but a lot of small bones in the cut-up chicken. We had “iced tea” which was really good too. They prep it by putting ice in the glass, pour hot tea over that, and I guess add a little milk. Anyway, it was cool and refreshing. We walked around the mall for a bit and outside to a shrine of sorts right near the hotel. It is getting cloudy this afternoon; we had sun this morning. It is warm and humid.

Tonight, we went to the Singapore Flyer for the 165 Dining Experience. We struggled making the reservation from home and did not get it completed until after arrival here. The car ride there was strange with a driver who pressed the gas in an odd way. After we made it to the flyer, it started pouring down rain. That hampered the view a little bit but it was still very enjoyable. It was a great experience with amazing food and views. (photos on FB) 

01-04 Saturday:  We got up and packed for departure. We had a delicious breakfast down stairs. Stuart walked across to the East wing and got a Grab for Raine and Mina to take them to the port. We followed shortly thereafter. We were in our cabin 1.5 hours after leaving the hotel, 25-minute drive and all. It was very fast to board. We saw Raine, Mina, John, and Blanche all standing in a long line. They made the mistake of not getting their Australian ETA and had to do this before getting on board. After we dropped our carry on we went to lunch. We didn’t eat much as we plan dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. We ran into Raine and Mina for a chat and sent a photo off to June. Next was a stop at the Sea View Bar. It is pretty humid and warm outside, but not unbearable when just relaxing. The A/C in our cabin works very well. 

Dinner in the Pinnacle Grill was delicious. Unfortunately, our filets were rare instead of med/rare. Stuart did send his back, which helped a little bit. I had asked for a half portion so it was not quite as rare. Sides were delicious and they had some croissant type roll that was amazing.

From there we went to the casino where we saw Vuvu from the Africa cruise. She is the only casino staff onboard now from that cruise. We just sat down to play when John walked up. A nice reunion and we all played together for a while. We both left with more than we started with, so that was a plus. While sitting at the Black Jack table we could listen to the music at the Billboard Onboard. We moved over to sit in that area after the casino. It was pretty early (10p) but things were pretty much shut down. We were surprised. Oh well, off to bed. 

Off to Singapore

12-31 Tuesday: We left Fresno a bit late. We had to get a replacement plane. However, we got to the Aloft hotel in SF in time for Stuart to watch the Boise State game. We enjoyed some snacks and drinks in the bar. We did NOT stay up until midnight. The last few days have been grueling and we face a very long flight tomorrow.

01-01-2025      Wednesday:  We were up and off to the airport by 8a. We went to the United Club and had a small breakfast then on to our gate. We have already met at least 3 couples on our same cruise. Also met a nice young couple Max and Nichole with their new little baby girl Isla. They are from the US, but she was born in Singapore. They are taking a one month visit to her family so they can meet the baby! We kept bumping into them at every turn and did exchange information.

01-02 Thursday: The flight was long and grueling as expected, but we are here and sound to our hotel. It was a nonstop flight so right around 17 hours flight time. No Uber here but they have Grab, which is the same concept, probably cheaper. Stuart said it seemed cheaper than a taxi he took 20 years ago. We went to the bar for a glass of wine and snacks, but the only snacks still available were little munchies. That’s okay because we were fed on the plane. Shower and bed. Tomorrow we will explore a little bit.