WCB

Report #75 Thursday March 14, 2024 Sea Day # 2 Of 3 Enroute To Hong Kong, China Heavy Overcast A Little Sun And Warmer 40-52 Degrees 10 mph Wind 2' Swell Part #1 Of 1 No Pictures---Formal Dress The Zuiderdam is currently sailing in the East China Sea, and for the last couple of days we have been seeing some unusual things in the water. Chunks of what appears to be seaweed or algae have floated by as we maintain a speed of 18 to 19 knots. The seas are shallow here, reflecting a shade of green/blue color, due to the depth being between 200 and 300 feet. Besides the usual commercial ship traffic, we have begun to pass numerous medium-sized fishing boats. We cannot be sure, but they may be working as a fleet. We search daily for signs of sea birds but have spotted none. Except for one seagull that happened to come near our veranda early this morning out of the blue. It flew away never to be seen again. There are no other signs of life out here such as dolphins or flying fish. We miss that. We have also been passing dark and white soccer ball size globes which the Captain refers to as buoys. Some have to be shipping channel markers, while other may be weather-related beacons. While in Japanese waters we seem to recall the Captain pointing out some more buoys that were actually solar-powered and used for sea and weather conditions. Normally these sources of information have come from ships that are sailing in that area. Now it is more precise using modern technology. At one point n the afternoon, we looked out our veranda to see dozens of white boxes floating in one area near some of the fishing boats. We figured they may have fallen off of one of those boats and heaven knows what would be in them. There did not seem to be an attempt to gather them up as they were dispersing in all directions. Other than that, the day was uneventful. The sun seemed to be coming out this morning, as we were blinded at breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill. Little by little, the sea haze blocked most of the rays although we still went to the Seaview Pool to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate. Today they did have some of the new packets in the Lido. Kimberly gave her talk on Da Nang (Hue) at 10am. We have been to Hue and Hoi An on tours several years ago, so this time we intend to explore Da Nang. And we shall watch the lecture on TV later. We still have to catch up on the Hong Kong talk mostly to find out where we will be docking and if the shuttle bus will be available. It used to be so easy when we docked where the Star Ferry is located. With all of the gambling ships docked there, they kicked out most all of the cruise lines. Nothing stays the same forever, does it? We have arrived to another evening for a formal night. The theme is the Zuiderdam Ball where the dance commences at 7:30pm with the first dance by the Captain and his wife Alexandra. Other officers should be there as well, sometimes not exactly voluntary as they have joked in the past. Yes, this is a grand evening reminiscent of yesteryear, and one of the things that has not gone away….yet. The menu for dinner had the usual appetizers of escargot and a prawn cocktail. No caviar, which is really a thing of the past. Entrees did include surf (lobster) and turf (filet) as well as lamb chops. One of us ordered the lamb, while the other had tortellini, a lighter dinner. Dessert was a sliced banana with chocolate sauce for one of us and coffee for the other. We are finding it better to keep dinner lighter since we are eating later than we normally do at home. With the Zuiderdam Ball continuing in the Rolling Stone Lounge at 9:30pm, there was no show in the World Stage. In our room, we had the formal night note card on the bed saying, “Walking 10 thousand miles of world is better then reading 10 thousand scrolls of books.” We definitely agree. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #74 Wednesday March 13, 2024 Sea Day # 1 Of 3 Enroute To Hong Kong, China Cooler Heavy Overcast A Little Sun 35-45 Degrees 20mph Wind 4' Swell Part #1 Of 1 No Pictures---Casual Dress Today was one to kick back and try to relax after two busy days in our last port of Tianjin or Beijing for many. One thing for sure, we would not be spending any significant time on our veranda, as the temperature this morning was 38 degrees. We doubt it warmed up much more than that for the rest of the day. We did take a couple of long walks on the promenade deck, but there very few of us willing to brave the icy winds. Mid- morning, we went to the Seaview Pool to see if we could find a table and chairs out of the wind and in what sun there was. We had our choice of everything out there since it was void of guests. Only the bartender was there with one waiter. Seeing that we were going to sit there for a bit, he came over and asked if we would like some hot chocolate. We had brought the last package of chocolate mix and shared the cup. Looking for more packets, we came up empty. But the waiter said he would go and look. Well he came back with two cups of boiling water and two different packets of mix. These were not from the Lido, so he may have had some in the bar area. Anyway, the drinks sure tasted good and warmed us up a bit. It was time for the Captain’s talk and he had some interesting things to say. On one hand, he remarked how happy he was to get us to Tianjin and Beijing for many of us to see the major sights. However, a big HOWEVER, we did not know what went on behind the scenes with our officers and staff and the local customs and immigration officials. He said that the procedures in Shanghai were much more professional as they dealt with older and more experienced officials. But here in Tianjin, the group was younger and more firm on protocol. He even admitted that they bordered on being rude at times. Wow….this must have been due to the late tours coming back as well as the big delay in our departure. Reading between the lines, the Captain said there were several complaints and negative comments from many guests and that was why he tried to address their dissatisfaction. He did sound like he was looking forward to our three days at sea as we head towards Hong Kong at a faster speed. Of course, he and his wife will be heading home and Captain Friso will be joining us for the remainder of the trip. We think that his partner Chantalle will also be onboard as a passenger, and not working as the future cruise consultant. They make a nice couple. There was a lecture on Hong Kong delivered by Kimberly at 10am. At 2pm, we were still looking for it on TV. At least we have two more days to watch what we already know. Right now, we are concerned as to where we will dock and if there will be a shuttle bus to town. Our big job of the day was filling out Hong Kong arrival and departure cards. They had to be signed and turned in at the front deck box by 5pm today. They provided a detailed sample of how to fill out the blank spaces, which is a big help. Sometimes the wording on the local forms can be confusing for many of us. At 4pm, there was another Block Party, delayed from the day after Tokyo when it was cancelled. This time a photographer would be present to take group photos of the Captain, his wife, or other key staff and officers in each elevator lobby on the passenger decks. We happened to be watching a good movie when our time slot came at 4:16pm, so we missed it. This was a good attempt to boost the sales of photos though. In addition, the Shops were delayed in opening until 2:30pm due to Chinese regulations. Our guess was that we were not far enough away from the mainland to be in international waters. What we have always wondered was how would the Chinese government know what we were doing on the ship in regards to the shopping and casino? Dinnertime was back in the dining room with a rather lack-luster menu. Even though we had a light lunch, we were not all that hungry. One of us had the arancini appetizer followed by Caesar salads. Our entrees were the veal piccata with spaghetti and a red tomato sauce. We had requested small portions, but they arrived heaping….enough for four people. There was only one dessert ordered and that was three slices of pineapple. The Grand Voyage singers and dancers put on a show called “It Takes Two”. Not sure how that will work since we are rocking and rolling a bit due to the higher speed we have to maintain to get to Hong Kong on time. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #73 Tuesday March 12, 2024 Tianjin, China Port For Beijing Day #2 Of 2 Docked Port Side To Pier Leave At 6pm 35-55 Degrees Hazey And Cool With Sun Part #1 Of 5.......55 Pictures---Casual Dress It appeared that today was going to be a better one with some sun shining this morning. There is still that smokey-like haze, but it seemed to lift so we could see more than one mile away. With a city of almost 16 million people, it would be miracle if there was no smog. And that’s just Tianjin, the port city, not Beijing. Pictures always come out better with the sun out. One of our cute waitresses in the Pinnacle Grill was so excited to tell us all about her Great Wall crew excursion yesterday. Since the wall is located over 150 miles away, a lot of her tour time was riding in the bus. We recall it taking all of three plus hours to drive there, and that included a stop along the way for restrooms and souvenir buying. Once they arrived to the Wall, they had an hour to walk part of it, take photos, and buy some mementos at one of the numerous tents set up. She said they only took cash, which we remember. There was no lunch included for them, so they bought cups of noodles at the rest stop. Smart kids- the crew. Perhaps the crew would have a chance to see the Taj Mahal or the Egyptian pyramids if we were going that way. Maybe next time….. Our day was almost a repeat of yesterday, where we took the shuttle to the Aeon Mall. Since all aboard was 5:30pm, and the last shuttle left the mall at 4pm, we left earlier at 9:30am. Between the guests and the crew members, these buses filled quickly. At the far end of the mall, we went outside and walked towards a stadium which turned out to be the TEDA Soccer Stadium. The stadium and the surrounding area was huge. That’s one thing about the Chinese, when they build something they go big. Like Tiananmen Square in Beijing, it is the larger such square in the world we think. Of course, the crowds can be overwhelming here as well. Especially when there are home soccer games. We figured this arena looked fairly new, but when we researched the facts, it was built in either 2002 or 2004. Now it appears they are adding more retail shopping with more restaurants across from the stadium. That’s when we noticed there were signs for a garden, which was right around the corner of the mall complex. The name of this garden was Asaba Garden and was located 150 meters from the mall. Following a path, we found the entrance expecting there to be a fee to go inside. There was no one around to turn us away, so we entered the pathway that was flanked with bamboo stalks forming a fence and a wall. Overhead hung several red Chinese lanterns. The pathway meandered to a teahouse that over-looked ponds and trees. There were evergreen trees such as cedar and pines that made a barrier to the outside. Other deciduous trees were wrapped with a felt-like cloth cut in long strips. The entire trunks and some of the larger branches were green with the felt. As well as protecting the trees from frost damage, it makes a barrier for boring insects that will kill the trees in time. There were ponds that connected to each other with a couple of bridges over the water. There were ornaments hanging from the evergreens and lanterns hung in the pavilion – all bright red. It appeared that workers were watering everything by hand. Boulders of various sizes were placed along the pathways, and some larger areas were paved with small white rocks. Located in the very center of the garden was a structure that at first looked like a space ship. It was a dome with two stories with long oval windows. It appeared to be made of marble as was the path to it. The structure was surrounded with a small lake and the water level appeared low. Curiosity got the better of us, so we walked the path to the ornate doors and went inside. Our first impression was that it served as a reception hall with the second level suitable for special occasions like weddings. The lower level had a receiving desk full of white flowers, restrooms, and a sitting room with books in the center. Upstairs was for cocktails and dining we assume. Knowing that no one spoke English, we simply walked around and left the way we came inside. We could do some homework on this when we get back onboard. Or so we thought. We went inside the mall once again, and walked both floors mostly to get some exercise. We had missed one bus, and waited for ½ hour for the next one to leave. That worked better since we had our pick of seats. On the way over yesterday, we had to split up and take any seat that was left. It took exactly ½ hour for the ride, and on the way back, we had to turn in our passport copies with the barcode. If we had taken our passports off with us (only needed on an overland tour), we would have to turn those in as well. The departure clearance would be very strict, and had to be followed to the letter. We would find out that things can go wrong anyway. We had Dive-In burgers and hot dog with fries, keeping the meal earlier and lighter. We had decided to go to the Pinnacle Grill for dinner tonight for a change. We knew that with a couple of long tours today, many folks would not dine in this venue. Captain Frank came on with his normal 5pm talk, explaining that due to protocols with the Chinese officials, we may not be sailing away until 8pm. Somewhere in his talk he mentioned some tours were coming back late too. Good thing they were HAL excursions because the ship will wait for them. We will have three days to arrive to Hong Kong with 1450 nautical miles to travel to get there. He expected some winds and a low of 41 degrees and a lot of ship traffic along the route. So our departure time of 5:30pm came and went. We still had not left by 7:30pm when we went to dinner. Just as we had expected, the Pinnacle was not too busy, and we had ringside seats to watch the activity on the dock. What we saw was no activity. Our meal was great with wedge salads, clothes line bacon, 8 ounce filets and a shared baked potato. It is a real treat to go here every now and then. Desserts were one crème Brulé and a few scoops of mango sorbet. We did get a plate of chocolates and chewy candy, but declined as we were totally full. And the ship still had not left the dock. However, at 8pm, we noticed five buses returning to the terminal and tons of folks running back onboard. That had to be the late arriving buses. It was 10:30pm before we finally saw some movement. We do hope that this lost time can be made up in three days as we sure don’t want to be late arriving to Hong Kong. By the way, the Shops and Casino have been closed ever since we arrived to China (their rules we assume). Tomorrow they should open once again for business as usual. There was a singer, Tim Tamashiro, who is Canadian. He has recorded albums with songs/stories cabaret style. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #72 Monday March 11, 2024 Tianjin, China Port For Beijing Day #1 Of 2 Docked Port Side To Pier 7am-Overnight 35-50 Degrees Foggy Haze And Cool With Some Sun Part #1 Of 4.......62 Pictures---Casual Dress It was no surprise when we finally arrived to the port in Tianjin, China, that is was going to be cold. Not only cold, but hazy….like a sun haze not necessarily fog. Perhaps smog, it blocked the sun keeping the temperature down most of the day. Going to breakfast at 7:30am like always, we had the pleasure of watching the procedure of hooking up the port’s gangway to deck two. For a change, we were docked portside, the same side that the Pinnacle Grill is located. It was apparent that the gangway was not going to reach the ship, and then it became obvious that it was not working at all. First there were three local dock workers, then there were six….all of whom were looking to solve the problem. The gangway tube was suspended in the air and not capable of extending enough to reach us. In the meantime, the guests were gathering in the lobby on deck two, just like we are always told not to. Kimberly had to come on the speakers telling folks to “go away” in a nice way, and come back when we were hooked up. As it turned out, the gangway had to be moved to deck three and by the time it was working, we had lost almost an hour. The tours to Beijing would be leaving late. We are sure the folks who had made independent excursions were on pins and needles knowing their connections were waiting (or not) outside the terminal. By the time it was announced we were cleared, the thundering herd made their way to the terminal. When the ship was being docked, there were three ladies playing a drum and percussion instruments on the pier. The sound of their music traveled for miles. We left the ship after 10am, finding our way through the massive cruise terminal. We spotted many ads for Royal Caribbean Cruises on the walls, so they must do a lot of stops here with their mega-ships. Coming through some doors, we had our passport copies checked, then a trip through the xray. Before leaving for the parking lot, there was the same group of Chinese ladies playing their instruments, as well as a group of fellows with the dragon outfit. They hammed it up while we took many photos. They really liked that. Two coaches were outside the terminal to take folks to a rural area of Tianjin. These were complimentary rides to the TEDA Aeon Mall, a three story structure with hundreds of stores and restaurants. The 30 minute ride there gave us a chance to see the scenery of brown acreage of an industrial town. There were dozens of high rise apartment buildings surrounding this mall, so this must be the spot where they all go for food and supplies and entertainment. We were informed that the main part of downtown Tianjin was another ½ hour away. With a population of almost 16 million people, these cities are massive. We entered this older-style mall through a side door, and hoped we remembered how to get out to catch the bus back. The last shuttle would be at 9pm this evening, but we would be back way before that. Here is an interesting fact…..there is a curfew at the cruise terminal where at 11pm, the gangway is disconnected from the pier, and no one is allowed off or on until 5:30am the following day. If you missed the bus or came back late, you would have to find a hotel for the night. And there is nothing anywhere close to this terminal…certainly no hotels. Starting at the huge supermarket, Aeon, we checked out every department in the market, finding the meat and poultry section the most interesting. Some of the pork and beef items were wrapped, weighed, and priced. However, much of it was not covered at all. The poultry section was one place you would think to see everything covered with saran wrap. Not so. There was an open bin where the local shoppers dipped their hands in the chicken wings, and placed what they wanted in a plastic bag. No gloves or tongs were used. Then the bags were handed to a checker who weighed them and put a price on the bag. We suspect that cooking these wings will kill any bacteria. The produce section looked much more civilized. Each and every piece of fruit had its own wrapper. And each piece of fruit is charged by the piece not by the pound. This is the first place we have seen durian fruit sold. We bet that the crew, who loves this delicacy, are forbidden to bring it onboard due to the unsavory aroma. The strawberries looked wonderful, but pricey. Much of the food products sold here are foreign to us, and it does not help to read labels as everything is printed in Mandarin. The bakery departments need no explaining as they looked divine. Again, pricey. Exiting the supermarket, we went into the core of the mall. The lower level had the most restaurants. We did see Starbuck’s, KFC, McDonalds, and even a Pizza Hut. Watching two girls making the pizzzas, we noticed there was no red sauce. The toppings with the exception of the cheese were not what we are familiar with. And looking in the window of Pizza Hut, no one was eating pizza. The food was tailored more to the Asian population. Even on a Monday, most of the smaller cafes were filling with local customers. The second level had most of the clothing stores, electronics, and more restaurants in the form of buffets. There was a food court where people bought from the buffets and ate in the center. One place had a type of pot built into the center of a round table. We watched as some diners put raw shrimp and other items into boiling water in these pots, then put it on their plates. They were cooking noodles and soups tableside. Some venues had burners in the center and you cooked your own food. The biggest restaurants had the cooks working behind windows, so we could watch what they were doing. Several cafes were making fresh dumplings with different fillings, while one fellow was cooking in a wok full of hot oil. He tossed whole dried Thai peppers with onions into the wok, cooked them briefly, then added them to three bowls of soup. Bet those were hot as ever. We had more fun watching this an hour must have gone by before we left the food courts. Many venues were created for little kids such as an arcade of coin machines where they can get toys. We even saw a bank of machines to get snacks like chips and cookies along with a variety of drinks. We even saw a go cart arena near the furniture store. We never did find any suitable place for lunch, so we ended up going back to the bus for the ride back. It was burgers and fries for us, which was perfect. There were a few excursions offered here today such as an overnight to Beijing and the highlights for $800. Two longer tours that took in the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs, or the Forbidden City were up to 12 hours for $210. We recall that the ride to Beijing took all of 3 ½ hours one way. Really long day, and that’s why when we were here the first time in 2002, we stayed overnight. Back then it was $500 per person and we saw everything. For those who wanted to see more of Tianjin, there were excursions there for $100 to $160 for 5 to 9 hours. A transfer to Tianjin with no tour was $80 for 8 hours. From there, you would be on your own. The free shuttle worked for many of us that have been here before. Dinner was quick tonight since some of the guests were absent. We had our usual Caesar salads, shrimp cocktail, and a bowl of cabbage and bacon soup. It sure was good……served nice and hot. Mains were one chicken entrée and a sliced tenderloin with risotto. One of us was going to ask for a fresh sliced banana, but our waiter talked us into getting the banana with some mint chip ice cream. Intending for us to share, he brought two ramakins with hot chocolate syrup. Sort of forgot one of us does not like mint chip, but nothing went to waste as it was finished to the last bite. There was a movie in the World Stage, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. Doubt there will be a whole lot of people there. One more day in Tianjin and we will be heading out of mainland China and to Hong Kong….one of our favorite places to go. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #71 Sunday March 10, 2024 Dalian, China Docked Starboard Side To Pier Sunny With Haze 35-50 Degrees 9mph Wind Part #1 Of 4.........61 Pictures---Casual Dress Today’s port of call was Dalian – a first time visit for many of us. There were a few excursions here that ran from $60 to $150 for 3 ¼ hours to 7 hours. One was a tram tour, the Old Town, and Star and Sea Square passing by the International Convention Center. Another short tour was the highlights with a visit to a nursey school, a scenic drive to see Beida Bridge, and a stop at Labor Park. The third tour was similar to the second one with a stop on Lushan Hill for a panoramic view. And favorites went to a private home for a family visit, an aquarium stop, a nursery school visit, and lunch. We would tour what we could on our own of course. It was very cold this morning when we sailed into the harbor of Dalian. Like the low 30’s, although the skies were clear blue. It never got warmer than 41 degrees. The wind chill made it feel colder. Being that today was Sunday, there was little activity in the dock area with one exception of a car carrier being off-loaded. One of us had a surprise visit from a drone when taking photos on the veranda. It came up from the bottom level of the ship and hovered a few feet away. Then it disappeared as fast as it had appeared. Don’t know if that was legal, but sure felt invasive. We left the ship around 10am and headed across the dock to the terminal. We entered the building and went through the temperature check, then passed through xray. Then we had our passport copies looked at, but not scanned with the barcode. Then we boarded one of the free shuttles to town. It was nice to see that there were several buses in use today. We were handed a map and a slip of paper with the port info on it and the bus stop with hone numbers in case we got lost. The ride to the Friendship Shopping Center was about a mile away if that. We remembered something about the friendship stores in China which were set up for the foreign tourists we think. This shopping mall was 12 floors high with two level of basement floors with food and grocery shopping. It was a good thing the bus ride was short because we seemed to be surrounded with several people coughing and sneezing. We sure hope there is not a bug going around the ship. So far, we have not heard of anyone with Covid, but that does not mean it isn’t here. We explored every floor of the mall beginning with the 12th floor. There was a roller skating rink up there, but was not busy yet. There were only three skaters trying to stay upright. The top floors had restaurants and a cafeteria. The lower we went, we saw housewares and furniture, followed by bedding, furniture and kid’s toys. Kitchen and electrical appliances were next, then we got to the men’s floor with clothes, luggage and jewelry. Famous women’s clothing was next and that’s where one of us spotted a very cool-looking silk poncho suitable for dressy dinner onboard. It was difficult asking questions of the sales girl since she spoke only Chinese (Mandarin) and we only spoke English. She indicated that the top was on sale for ½ off, and we figured the conversion was a good deal. They were most happy to take our credit card. It will be a nice useful memento of our visit to China. We happened to cross paths with our friend Suzanne who said to go see the food store located on the basement level. That was where we were headed. She was right that they sold some pretty strange meats like every part of the pig from the head to the toes. We did take a lot of photos and headed outside to continue exploring. One nice thing is that in these malls, there are restrooms with normal facilities. Outside, we ran into friends Mike and Nancy who said to go see the roundabout. This was Zhongshan Square, surrounded by a 10- lane road…one of the largest roundabouts in town. The entire circle of this square is flanked with art deco and French Renaissance architecture preserved since 1889 and built by the Russians. We did locate a crosswalk, but then discovered there were escalators that went down to a tunnel under the roundabout. You go down and come up a side street without having to cross a wide road full of cars and buses, most of whom do not stop for pedestrians. In the center of the roundabout, there was a park full of families, little dogs, and small kids that were intent on feeding flocks of pigeons. City workers were mowing the almost dead-looking lawns and raking them clean of the cuttings with brooms. We suppose that Sunday is not a day off here. On the way to the next smaller roundabout, we found an Intercontinental Hotel and decided to go inside to check it out. Quite nice, we went up to the first level and found a Japanese restaurant complete with a fresh-water tank of fish and crabs. It might have been a good place for lunch, but we were not hungry and it was still too early. Further up this road were more major hotels and more roundabouts. They would take us too far from the original stop and we were concerned about catching the next bus which left on the half hour. Most all of the recommended sights to see such as museums, aquariums, or parks were miles away and not walkable. Many of them were not opened today. So we headed back to the mall and waited for the next shuttle back at 2pm. By the time we went through two sets of xray and the temperature check, showing our passport copies it was close to 2:30pm. Then we had to pass through the ship’s xray, a third check, because we were told the locals were not doing it right. Oh well, we passed through without alarms going off. Back on the ship, we worked in the room and expected the sail away to take place around 5pm. Captain Frank came on with his talk and said not everyone was onboard, and we would be late leaving. He added that we would have a coast guard escort with pilots and tugboats. Unknown to us, the harbormaster and the officials paid the Captain a visit this morning and told him that we are the first cruise ship to come here since the pandemic. That was a surprise. Anyway, we have 250 nautical miles to go to reach Tianjin tomorrow for the city of Beijing. As it turned out, we did not leave the harbor until 7pm in the darkness of night. The ship will have to do more than the 15.5 knots to be on time. Dinner was good with Caesar salad, shrimp cocktails with the red sauce (the best) and one KFC crispy fried chicken and one prime rib dinner. We saved a bit of room for an almond fruitcake and one scoop of strawberry sorbet. Perfect. The next two days will be busy with long tours in both Tianjin and Beijing. Since we did an overnight in Beijing to see all of the important sights several years ago, we decided to stay close to Tianjin and check that area out. Kenny Martyn was the multi-instrumentalist entertainer this evening. It appeared to us that many diners were leaving the room early and perhaps headed to their rooms to be ready for an early day tomorrow. We were right behind them. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #70 Saturday March 9, 2024 Sea Day Enroute To Dalian, China Sunny And Cold 35-41 Degrees Seas Were Flat 4' Swell Part #1 Of 2......38 Pictures-----Casual Dress Just as we expected, the further north we have traveled, the colder it got. At 7am, the temperature outside was in the mid 30’s and the skies were actually blue. No clouds to be seen. We don’t believe it ever got higher than 41 degrees for the rest of the day. The chill from the wind was cutting. There were fewer folks at breakfast this morning, and we think that spending two days in Shanghai wore most everyone out. They earned a morning of sleeping in. We did hear some stories about the tours yesterday. Some of the guests got left behind when they strayed from the group or were unable to access the Yu Garden because they were using a scooter. Apparently the bus driver and tour guide only gave these folks a few minutes to re-connect with the group, then left them behind. We heard that one person went back to the nearby shuttle drop-off and went back to the ship. Oh well, stuff happens sometimes and we have seen it happened many times in the past. More often, people decide to go back and do not tell anyone. So you can be waiting for an hour in a hot bus for people that are not coming like in Athens for instance. And that is another reason we choose not to do ship tours these days. We did a morning walk and there were only six of us outside on the promenade deck. There was absolutely no one using the teak lounges and the pads were not out. Blankets have replaced the towels for a while. Even bundled up, we had a hard time keeping warm no matter how fast we walked. Kimberly delivered her talk on the next port of Dalian at 10am, but it did not show up on the TV until late afternoon. After seeing the photos of this city, we are certain we have never been there. Because of the Russian and Japanese influences, it is not like the other typical Chinese cities we have seen. There will be a shuttle, but we are still unclear as to what is close by to see. It appears that the bus drop-off will get us to an area where buses or taxis can be accessed. Whatever, we will make the best of it as will many of the guests we know. It is also a Sunday and we will not know what is opened tomorrow. The second talk by Kimbely was on Beijing at 2pm. We will have to watch that later on or tomorrow. The actual port will be in Tianjin, which from memory, is a long ride to Beijing. Working on yesterday’s photos and reports took most of the day. Around noontime, we took a walk to deck nine in search of hot chocolate. There was none to be found in either drink station in the Lido. We asked one of the waitresses, and she looked in the cabinet, but came up empty. Then she left to look elsewhere and we waited for her return. Seeing us standing there, our breakfast assistant manager of the Pinnacle Grill, Dhana, came over and asked what we needed. Both girls came up empty. So we thanked them and went to the Seaview Pool to see if the sun was shining in a sheltered spot. Then Dhana appeared with three packets of chocolate mix which she found in the Pinnacle Grill. How sweet of her to hunt us down. These were the last packets they had. We made our cups and went back to our seats outside. It was close to the Captain’s talk, so we sat back there and listened to a speaker that was working. The report was good with fair seas and chilly temps…..all of which we knew and appreciated. Captain Frank went on with information on yesterday’s port of Shanghai and the fact that it is the number one largest port in the world. No wonder we saw so many boats, ships, and commercial vessels since they supply the largest area of China with everything from food to supplies. For a change, there was a sunset this evening. We captured it while walking briskly on the promenade deck around 5:45pm. It looked as if the sun was melting on the clear horizon . Watching closely for that green flash, it never happened. At the same time, we were surprised by the presence of two large doves that must have hitched a ride with us in Shanghai. They darted off and on the promenade deck. We had a cocktail party to attend at 6:30pm in the Gallery Bar on behalf of Gus Antorcha for the President’s Club members. The Captain and Henk greeted us then we were served drinks of our choice. This time they provided stand-up tables that we like. In a few seconds we were joined by the environmental officer and his lovely wife, who happens to be the art instructor onboard. We spent an hour sharing happenings on the ships as well as our home countries of the USA and Wales, a place we have yet to visit. The hour flew by then we were off to dinner. We had appetizers of shrimp cocktails, Caesar salads, and mains of veal parmigiana and flat iron steak. They were repeats from a week or so ago, but still tasted fine. Desserts were one chocolate tart and pineapple slices…..still sweet and ripe as ever. The Four Stations vocal group put on a farewell show tonight. Their new musical show was sure to capture the hearts of the audience once again. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #69 Friday March 8, 2024 Day #2 Shanghai, China Docked Starboard Side To Pier Leave At 5pm 40-50 Degrees Hazy With Some Sun 20mph Wind And Cooler Part #1 Of 6......66 Pictures----Casual Dress Day two in Shanghai brought cooler temperatures in the low 40’s and little sun. There seemed to be a thin fog in the air making the visibility only one mile. When the wind blew, the chill cut to the bone. Since all aboard was 4:30pm, and the last shuttle would leave The Bund area at 3pm, we felt it wise to leave the ship earlier today. We forgot to mention the tours available here. Yesterday there was an overnight excursion that would tour Shanghai’s Yuyuan Garden and nearby Old Town. Then the group would board a train for a 1 ½ hour ride to Hangzhou, spending the evening at a hotel. The next day would include a boat ride on West Lake and a visit to a temple. Last was a spin through the Chinese Medicine Museum before taking the train back to Shanghai. This excursion was $1000 per person. The other overland was 4 days and three nights and took in a flight to Xian to see the Terra Cotta Warrior Museum, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Jade Factory. A drive to the City Wall, a concert, and dinner at a palace theater followed on day two. The third day began with another museum visit then a flight to Guilin. The last day took in a cruise on the Li River and a visit to Yangshuo. Then they will fly to Hong Kong and rejoin the ship. This adventure set them back $2900 per person. A few years back, we did an 8 day overland independently and saw all of these sights as well as stopping in Chengdu for a visit to the panda facility. Then after the Li River tour, we went to an evening performance of dancers and singers right on the river. It was over-the-top fabulous. Then we flew back to Hong Kong and re-joined the ship. We had stayed in the best hotels, which were beyond opulent. Sure glad we did that tour, but we do not feel the need to repeat it. The same goes for the visit to the Great Wall and Ming Tombs, which we did in 2002 while on the Volendam. A wonderful overnight adventure, we doubt we would ever go back. Shorter tours took in sight-seeing in Shanghai for $140, or a trip to the countryside to Suzhou. That was $150. Been there, done that. Also did the mag-lev high speed train and a ride up to the top of the Shanghai Tower, which ran $100. Today we boarded the shuttle to town at 10am. The bus was full today. It appeared there were four full size coaches to transport us for the one hour drive. Coming out of the tourist info complex, we turned left and followed the road to a tree-studded area called Gucheng Park. Getting deeper into the garden, we heard music and went to see where it was coming from. We found a square of people dancing to country western tunes of all things. Some were doing a line dance, while the older ladies and their partners were doing a two-step. Just simply having fun, and we had fun watching them. This garden led to the Yuyuan Garden, a 5 acre garden with quiet landscapes, ponds, rockeries, and pavilions. It was begun in 1577 and re-constructed over the years. Walking past the gardens, we came upon what is known as Old Shanghai and the most authentic-looking China Town we have seen. This area is called Huabao Lou and is a large-scale shopping mall. But it is far from typical- modern as it is like stepping back into the old days with the exotic Chinese buildings. Figurines of lion-dogs were placed before every large store, and the roofs were covered with gargoyles and dragons. What we liked were the silk-like fish mobiles hanging overhead. The colors were brilliant. Food in cafes was being prepared in front of the shops, and people were lining up to buy it. Besides eateries, there were many expensive jewelry stores and clothing shops. Along with the typical souvenir shops were young ladies promoting higher end stores. None of them were shy in approaching us to sell their products. They did take a “no thanks” as a no and went on to the next potential customer. With three cruise ships in port, they had plenty of potential customers. One thing for sure, this place was like candy for the eyes. So many photo ops. Time was ticking, so we followed a map and made our way to Nanjing Road, and the pedestrian walkway. It was quite a walk using side streets, but they were all crowded today too. On the way, we passed by the building with the lotus leaves on the top. It turned out to be the Westin Hotel, so we went inside to check it out. It was very nicely decorated and might have been a good place to look for lunch. The time we had left did not allow it. When we finally found this series of malls, it turned out to be one gigantic shopping district with every high end store you can imagine. The main street was closed off to cross traffic for blocks. We discovered that Nanjing Road led all the way to People’s Park, another big attraction with museums and the like. We hiked up one side and down the other, also checking out the side streets that were selling trinkets and more food-to-go. This part of town was getting more crowded by the minute, since it was lunchtime. Our time was so limited today, we did not have time to eat out. Making our way back to the Bund was easy. We had paralleled it coming this way. It was far less crowded on the raised walkway, and made better time getting back to the bus stop. Once we navigated our way down under, we boarded the bus and it left on the top of the hour. By the time we got back to the terminal at 3pm, we were glad we did not wait until the last shuttle. This time the bus driver stayed on the side streets avoiding the freeway for a while. Obviously, since it was Friday, the roads had become clogged with traffic. This was nice for all of us because we got to see more of the town on the way back. We all got a kick at how many people hang their clothing, blankets and sheets outside to dry. Doesn’t matter how high up you live, the stuff goes out the window. The weather seemed to get worse as the afternoon wore on. It did get colder, and by the time we left the terminal, it was freezing outside. We have a day at sea, thank goodness, to arrive to Dalian, China. We do not think we have been there before this. Perhaps Kimberly’s lecture tomorrow will jog our memories. Dinnertime was properly labeled “Chinatown Dinner” with many items that we saw being cooked in the real Chinatown we saw today. Appetizers were a Chinese dumpling soup, small BBQ ribs, and one veggie tempura with noodles plate. Our mains were General Tsao chicken with jasmine rice and a type of chow mien with ramen noodles and beef strips. It was fun to try something different for a change, and one of us could rest assured there were no additives that might have been a problem. Desserts were pineapple slices and a two-layer chocolate cake with ice cream to share on the side. Some folks that dine near us had gone on the 4 day overland, so it will be quieter for a few days. The unique comedy of Mike Robinson was the entertainment tonight, although most everyone in the dining room seemed to finish early and head out well before 9pm. Two days of intense touring had taken a toll and turning in early sounded like a great plan. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #68 Thursday March 7, 2024 Shanghai, China Day #1 Of 2 Docked Starboard Side To Pier 7am-Overnight 36 Degrees Low-- 55 Degrees High Hazy With Sun Part #1 Of 5.....55 Pictures----Casual Dress It was somewhere around 2am when the Captain picked up two Chinese pilots….one for the port entrance and one for the river. He said that very little English would be spoken, but sharing the chart information the last couple of days, they would be on the same page. That’s nice to know as we don’t always think of what goes on behind the scenes. The Zuiderdam arrived well before 8:30am, but it took time for the ship to be cleared. Once again, Kimberly had to come on the speakers and asked the guests who were on tour to please not crowd the lobby where the exit was. She claimed the officials would be very unhappy with the throng of people blocking their way, and they may delay the procedure. So in order to get off today, we needed to bring the stamped and barcoded passport copies with us to be scanned in the terminal. We will need to use these forms in every Chinese port. And if we lose or damage them, they cannot be replaced. If that is the case, we may not be permitted to leave the ship. It was also suggested that we take a photo of these paper passports on our cell phone, which we do not have. We left the ship by 10am and had quite a long walk from the gangway through the new cruise terminal, which was massive. It was a good thing there were local port workers to direct us to the right hallways and doors to use. Everyone had to pass through a health temperature check, then we went on to the passport scan. Walking even further we finally got to the door that led to the shuttle buses. It was a good thing that we had the transfer to town, because the ride took almost an hour. If there was a lot of traffic, the ride would have been longer. This cruise terminal is capable of docking at least three ships, but it is located in the “boonies”. Years ago when we came here the first time on a smaller ship, we docked very close to the center of downtown. This ship is too large to go upriver, so we are much further away. By the way, there were two other ships here. One was called Piano Land of Astro Cruise Line, and the smaller one was Blue Dream Star registered in Monrovia. It could be a gambling ship. We were dropped off at The Bund which can be described as the landmark of Shanghai and the symbol of the urban history. It is located on the Huangpu River with 15 historical colonial buildings on one side. Across the river is the modern city with high rises that make up Shanghai’s famous skyline. The most famous of these towers are the Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower, the Jin Mao Tower, the Shanghai World Financial Center, and the highest of all….Shanghai Tower at 2073 feet. It is the second tallest building in the world, with the highest being Kalipha Tower in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. We have been lucky to have gone up to the top of both of these high rises. The Bund is actually a very wide raised walkway that follows the river for over one mile. The heritage buildings on the roadside are made in the Gothic Revival and Art Deco styles. They are flanked with more modern high rises and luxury hotels. It sure was a perfect day to be hiking, even though it was chilly. There was a haze in the air, but nothing resembling the brown smog we saw when flying to the airport here several years ago. The Captain had mentioned there was a health advisory due to unsafe air, but it looked fine to us. We joined the hundreds of site-seers taking hundreds of photos. One thing we noticed was that the streets were clean as a whistle. Even walking the wall, we saw no cigarette butts or trash anywhere. What we did notice was the presence of policemen either on patrol or in vehicles along the walkway. Bet you would never see a “smash and grab” type of crime here. It would not be tolerated. We reached the end of The Bund where a tall war memorial is located. This is where the Wusong River and Suzhou Creek join the big river. There were several old-style bridges that crossed over this river, and each of them has a name. We felt there was not enough time to continue this way, so we went down to Zhongshan Road which was on the backside of The Bund. There are cafes and several public restrooms on this side and are located right under the walkway. We passed a big pedestrian street by the name of Nanjing Road. It leads to a big shopping area with many restaurants and nightclubs. We decided to explore this area tomorrow as it would be too much to do today. Further up the road, we came across a huge bronze bull, but do not know the meaning of it. There was a plaque, but it was written in Chinese of course. It resembled the bull at Wall Street in New York City. We did not find a suitable place for lunch and it was getting late. So we headed back to the bus pick-up spot. Stopping at the information center here, we picked up everything we could find that was printed in English. The bus ran every half hour, so we did not have long to wait for it to leave. Once back at the cruise terminal, we had to go through the same procedure as when we left the ship. The only thing different was going through the xray. That saved us the trouble of doing it on the ship. We have to say the Chinese custom officials are very thorough with their check point. The Lido had stayed open an extra hour with a full service lunch, but at 3pm, only a few stations were opened. We opted for Dive-In grub as did many other folks getting back from tours. The rest of the afternoon was spent working on pictures and gathering info for the report. Tomorrow we shall leave the ship earlier and go see what we missed today. All aboard is at 4:30pm, so we will have to squeeze in as much as we can. Dinner was good with crispy Shanghai spring rolls of shrimp and pork. The wonton soup was perfect as were the salads. One exception was the honey-mustard dressing that was home-made. It was not the same as the one we have been getting. All the waiter could do is offer us a different type. Best to taste it before ruining the plate of salad. Mains were fajitas with extra guacamole and salsa. We were warned that the sour cream was also home- made, so we avoided using it as it looked watery. Desserts were one light and airy lemon cake and a chocolate brownie cheesecake. Our waiter Alfred brought another dessert to us so we could taste it. We had asked what it was, so he automatically brought one. It was good if you are a fan of custard. One of us is not. We had intended on seeing the show tonight, Shanghai Spectacular: Dance & Gymnastics Fusion, but we finished dinner at 9pm, and it sure felt like the fellows were revving up to go out to town tonight. And with all of the walking today, we were beat. Got to save up more energy to spend another day in the big city. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #67 Wednesday March 6, 2024 Sea Day-Crossing The East China Sea Heavy Overcast With Showers 50 Degrees 10' Swell Part #1 Of 1.......No Pictures---Country Dress It sure would have been nice to see the sun today, but it was not to be. The weather remained much the same as yesterday with temps in the 50’s, overcast skies, and occasional light showers. During his noon talk, Captain Frank said that conditions were better than expected. There were 8 to 10 foot swells with 25 mph winds. There was some rolling and light showers every so often. We noticed quite a large number of fishing vessels that appeared to be pulling nets. And the color of the water was more of a green shade instead of blue. We think that is due of the depth of the sea here which is considered shallow at 300 meters. We are currently sailing within the shipping channel and we were seeing many types of ships….mostly commercial. The usual activities took place as they do on sea days. A new lecturer, Merge, has boarded the ship and gave a talk on Confucianism, Taoism and the Art of Living. Now that we are on the way to explore some of China, we will be educated somewhat. And the shore excursion group did a talk on what to see and do while in the ports of Shanghai, Dalian, and Beijing. Most guests who were interested in booking tours did so online before the trip began. So it was not usual to have the excursions sold out by the time we reach any given port. That refers even more so to the overland tours that were offered. Going back months ago, well before this cruise commenced, there was some doubt as to whether or not we would be going to China. We heard all sorts of things like our 10 year visas would not be recognized or new visas would not be processed. This all got clarified when we were informed that the itinerary would change, and our first port of call in China would be Shanghai, and not Beijing. We never did get the reasoning behind that move, other than folks that intended to take tours with Holland America would not need to get 10 year visas. They would have a special short-term visa that would be provided by their tour operator. This applied to the folks who were doing independent tours as well. The final word was that those without any visa would not be allowed to leave the ship. On previous world cruises, if we did not have the proper visa for China, we would not have been allowed to board the ship in Ft. Lauderdale. While waiting for an order of Dive-In Grill cuisine, Maja happened to stop there to order lunch for herself and some of her fellow officers. She said they had been working with the Chinese officials all night (since 2am) going through the passports of all aboard. At the end, they were off two from their manifest. Now they had to start over, and Maja was not happy about that. About an hour later, two room numbers were announced and the names of the folks with missing expired passports. Like us, their current Chinese visas were in those passports and they failed to turn them in yesterday. Further info was given regarding tomorrow’s mandatory face to passport immigration inspection tomorrow. We will all be receiving a paper copy of our passports along with an official stamp on it. We will need those to debark as well as getting some local money onshore. The ship does not sell Yuan, so if we need some, an ATM will work. Or a bank. This was all explained to us after Kimberly’s port talk at 1pm. As always, we waited for the TV version, but it did not appear until after 4pm. In her hour-long talk, she pointed out the main attraction in and out of the city and the distance of these sites from the cruise terminal. We will be docked pretty far from the city at Wusingkou International Cruise Terminal. The good news is that a shuttle will be provided from the ship to a central point in town. In the past, we have docked closer to the Bund, but this ship is too big according to the Captain. It may take up to an hour to access the downtown area. At least we will have two days here to see a lot. Another notice we got today involved the shutdown of the air conditioning in our section tomorrow. Ceiling panels had been pulled down all day for workers to install a new cable for something. It was a mess but it did get cleaned up by dinnertime. A second notice arrived with details on the upcoming satellite connectivity for the next week or so. Blaming this on governmental restrictions, we may have a reduction in deliverable satellite conductivity while in China. It may result in partial loss of the signal and temporary outages. We have been asked to reduce or use of bandwidth intense services such as video-streaming and large downloads. This same situation may occur in regions of the Indian Ocean and Eastern Africa. That is strange because we sailed in that area just last year, and do not recall internet problems at that time. And that was before the new system was installed. Oh well, it is what it is. Usually if there is a major interruption, a refund will occur. Tonight was dubbed “Barn Dance”, which was confusing. What was that and where would that happen? The fun was promised to begin at 8pm in all of the music clubs onboard with knee-slapping good ol’ country music, line dancing, sing-a-longs, and boot scooting boogying the night away. Yee Haw! Except that is right in the middle of our dinner time, so we guess we’ll miss it. We did enjoy the menu as it had some fun choices on it. It leaned towards a southern-type of cuisine like meatloaf, chicken-fried steak, and other themed appetizers. The head waiters were dressed with buffalo plaid shirts, jeans, boots and cowboy hats. Come to think of it, this is the dress for one night while on an Alaska cruise. The waiters wore red or black and white neck handkerchiefs. No hats for them. Desserts were a chocolate cake and some sorbet…mango possibly. We are not sure how many folks were going to the entertainment tonight. Performer Kenny Martyn was back on the stage with his multi-instrumental show. Tonight the Grand Voyage band joined him. Looking forward to two days in Shanghai. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #66 Tuesday March 5, 2024 Fukuoka, Japan Docked Starboard Side To Pier 10pm On 3-4-24-5pm On 3-5-24 Heavy Overcast With Rain Showers 50 Degrees Part #1 Of 6.......55 Pictures---Casual Dress Our port of call for today was Fukuoka, Japan, and our final stop while in this country. Actually, we had arrived early last night, and the ship was docked by 10pm. We were not allowed to get off, since the ship had not been cleared by the local officials. Just as well as it looked like it rained most of the night. Before we turned in for the evening, we checked outside our veranda door, and saw the waterfront all lit up and decided to snap a few pictures since we would not see this during the day. It was very striking with the tower all lit up. The weather was not the best today. The skies were very overcast and there was a 99% chance of rain. Not a problem….we shall simply pack the umbrellas and wear our waterproof jackets. After a warm breakfast, we worked on photos from yesterday to keep up with the reports. We had a message from the front desk that they needed our Chinese visas to be copied for immigrations in China. Our current visas are in our expired passports, so we had to bring them down to be documented. This should have taken place when we boarded in Ft. Lauderdale, but for some reason Maja said we could do it later. By later, that meant now. As long as we were doing the Chinese check, we also brought the Sri Lanka visa papers we brought with us from home. Copies were made and all was OK now. The originals were handed back. We left the ship after 10am. We were having more fun trying to get photos of what appeared to be hawks of some kind flying around the top of the ship. Counting about eight of the large birds, we did some research and discovered they were Japanese golden eagles. They worked the skies all morning much the way the ravens and other birds of prey will do. The only other birds we saw on our way to the Bayside Place were a pair of white wagtails. Of course there were seagulls, crows and cormorants but not in large numbers. There were three tours today that included more shrines, temples, Fukuoka Tower, Tenjin for shopping, and a folk museum. They ran from $105 to $110 for 3 to 5 hours. All aboard was 3:30pm today and it would be more complicated with this being the last Japanese port. But more about that later. Kimberly delivered her talk on this city yesterday, so we did get a few facts. It is really a combination of two cities….Fukuoka and Hakata. Located 480 nautical miles from Kobe, it is one of the most populous cities on this southernmost island. There are 10,000 years of history here that survived on rice farming and fishing. Ramen noodles were created in this area with a creamy soup with pork added. Two million visitors come here every year to witness major festivals. The Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival is for the men, while the girl’s event in May is called the Hakata Dontaka Festival. Several sights can be reached on foot, but many of them are located further away. There is a good underground metro as well as trains and buses. By the way, there was no shuttle provided today, and we heard that made the guests a bit disappointed during the talk yesterday. Taking taxis were suggested. And of course, there were always the ship’s excursions to book. We were not docked in the International Terminal, but at a smaller facility right next to it. Before we left the building, there was a table set up with maps and two local ladies giving directions….in English. They mapped out a self- walking tour we could do on our own. Then we ran into Suzanne who was on her way back already. She also pointed out the way towards town. The walk would take us to wide open spaces surrounding the smaller harbor. We spotted an orange object on the end of the walkway and checked it out. It was a memorial to the WWII victims that were displaced during the war. Hundreds of thousands of locals were transported to China and Korea at that time. Many years later, some of them returned to their homeland, helping to rebuild the city bigger and better. We zeroed in on the Bayside Place located across the harbor from the pier. This small harbor has the terminals for the local ferries that operate to the local islands as well as Korea. The Hakata Port Tower was the one we could see from our veranda last night. On the top is the radio station for ships. On the bottom level of this tower is a museum that displays the history and the usefulness of the shipping traffic. It is set up to appeal to the younger crowd, but also to tourists like us. Not sure if it was opened to us, one of the workers welcomed us inside. Another lady invited us to take the elevator to the top to check out the 360 degree view. So we did and glad we did it. The only thing that would have made it perfect would be if the sun was out and the rain stopped. It was more of a misty shower that tended to cloud the photos again. More and more locals were coming up and we knew it would be crowded, so we went back down. We toured the little museum then before we left, another nice lady came over and handed us a brochure on this tower and museum. On the back page, she placed two large ink stamps of the city where it was written “stamp here for memory”. What a welcome for us strangers. One of the main building here housed a central aquarium which was filled with many types of fish. Most of them were tropical varieties, but there were also huge turtles, nurse sharks, and colorful reef fish. This cylindrical tank was three stories tall. We sure never expected to see this here. Then we passed by some shops and got lucky with a purchase of a cashmere shawl to replace the one that blew away. We still had some Japanese yen to spend, and this was a good way to do it. Exploring this three story building at the base of the tower, we discovered the top floor was for little kids as there was an indoor playground for them. Nice restrooms were there too, and one of us discovered that the seats of the commodes were heated. They are also automatic with bidets and auto flush. Way better than the expected hole in the floor, which we are sure we will find while in China. Back on the second floor we saw a patio that surrounded the outside shops. From there we could see a huge water stadium. Reading the map later in or room, we learned that this was called the Boat Race Fukuoka. The spectators pay 100 yen to enter, then place bets on the six speed boats that race around the stadium. It is a 600 meter course and a fun way for people to gamble. We had hoped to find a suitable place to eat lunch, but the closest we could find was a cafeteria-style restaurant. There were a few bars but they would not open until this evening. There was Family Mart, which is the equivalent to our 7-11’s. We still had a handful of coins to spend, so we tried the small grocery store and bought some KitKat bars and more bags of popcorn. It was starting to rain harder now, so we headed back to the terminal. Anyone arriving back to the terminal from 12pm to 3:30pm would need to be seen by the immigration officials for a mandatory inspection. Our room keys were scanned first, then we each went to an official who scanned our passports and placed an exit sticker next to the entrance sticker we got several days ago. Once this was done, our room keys were stickered with a new black one to indicate we had passed this inspection. Finally, our current and expired passports with the Chinese visas were turned over to the front desk people where they were banded together. They will be kept for the Chinese officials to clear us tomorrow we assume. Once we completed this checkpoint, we were not allowed to leave the ship. We had taken our hike and did what was required and were back onboard by 2pm. Lunch was a Cobb salad, beef panini and a club sandwich. Fresh apple slices were our dessert along with some chocolate-covered almonds from Kobe. Sometime around 3pm, Kimberly announced for everyone to appear at the customs check or else we would not be able to leave on time. The second announcement must have worked since we were ready to leave after 3:30pm. Captain Frank gave his departure talk at 4:30pm, and explained we were waiting on the pilot. We will be heading into open waters on our way to Shanghai, China and we could expect 35 mph winds as well as a 10 to 12 foot swell. It wasn’t long after we left the shelter of the bay that we felt the swells. Showers clouded our exit from the harbor, and we could barely see the tall port tower as we left. Dinner was good with a few items created by the guest chef who is from China. We tried the sesame seeded chicken appetizers with a sweet and sour sauce. Very tasty. Salads came next, then we ordered one kalbi beef entrée and one vegetarian plate of broccoli and vermicelli noodles seasoned with Sichuan sauce. Very good, we were assured there was not a drop of oyster or clam juice added to it. Dessert was carrot cake for both of us with a little vanilla ice cream on the side. The clocks went back tonight which was appreciated by all. We will be on Beijing time now and it should stay the same until we leave China. Looking forward to a day at sea. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #65 Monday March 4, 2024 Sea Day Cruising The Kanmon Strait- 4pm-9pm Enroute To Fukuoka (Hakata), Japan Partly Sunny With Sea Haze Cool 50 Degrees Sea State: Calm Part #1 Of 4.......60 Pictures--Casual Dress Today was a good one to relax and enjoy the fact that it had warmed up a few degrees, and the sun might come out later in the morning. We had sailed south along the coast with fairly smooth seas, little wind, and not much rocking and rolling. And no one was complaining about that. There seemed to be a sea haze that resembled fog but it was dry. For a change, we had some ship traffic, which increased as the day advanced. Many fishing vessels, tankers, and cargo ships passed by in the distance indicating we must be close to major cities. We spotted some smaller boats, which had to be a fleet of fishing boats. They were flying different colors of flags like green, yellow, and orange. Taking a wild guess, we thought they may display a flag suggesting what company they fished for. After our morning walk, we went up to the Lido and made cups of steaming hot chocolate to drink outside by the Seaview Pool. As long as we stayed out of the wind, it was almost warm. The haze thinned out enough to feel some heat from the sun even if it was minimal. About then, we waited for the horn to blow at high noon. It was late, so we figured the Captain may have forgotten to blow it. So when Captain Frank came on the speakers, he explained that he was not able to sound the horn due to the number of small fishing vessels in the area. We sort of already came to that conclusion and for a change, we were correct. Then he went on to explain that there had been a change of plans, and he would be docking the Zuiderdam late this evening, instead of tomorrow at 7:30am. We still had some scenic cruising to do starting around 3:30pm, so he said that since we were so close to the next port, he would prefer to do a speed of 13 knots instead of slower, which would cause some rolling and pitching. No one would be allowed off of the ship tonight due to customs and immigrations not permitting it. But tomorrow, we would stick to the original time of 7:30am to be cleared. Fine with us. In the meantime, Kimberly had delivered her talk on tomorrow’s port of Fukuoka, Japan at 1pm. Within the hour, it was on TV. Perfect time for us to watch it while enjoying burgers from the Dive-In Grill. We have never been here before and were more or less expecting a small city. Wrong, it looks huge and once again, full of history, temples, palaces, pagodas, and Japanese gardens. Much of it will be accessible by walking too. Taking notes, we should be able to navigate this city a bit easier than Kobe. The bad news was that it did not appear that there would be a complimentary shuttle to downtown like we had in Kobe and Tokyo. At least Kimberly had not gotten any confirmation of that yet. There’s always hope….. At 4pm, the bow was opened and many folks bundled up and went to watch our sailing into the Kammon Strait area. Passing a lighthouse on a corner, the Captain turned the ship to enter the strait that took us under the Kammon Bridge. Kimberly did narrate this scenic cruising, but it was not broadcasted on the verandas. It was on our room TV, but the sound could not be turned up for us to hear it outside on the veranda. We chose to watch and photograph from our veranda and catch up on the details with the help of Google later on. It sure would have been nice if the sea haze had cleared up, but it didn’t. It sort of put a thin gray layer over the pictures. It was heavy enough at times that we could not separate the horizon of the ocean and the start of the sky. Dreary might be a better word. And cold as ever, even though once we entered the strait, the seas were almost like silk. No wind to speak of. Of course, many pictures were taken along the hour and half cruise through here. Once past the rambling city and the industrial part of town, the ship turned left and headed towards Fukuoka/Hakata. And since this will be the final stop for Japan, tomorrow there will be a special departure clearance with the immigration officials in the terminal building in the afternoon. We’ll provide the details tomorrow after it happens. We sure hope it does not rain like it has been predicted for this final port. So far, luck has been on our side. Dinnertime had some very nice choices this evening starting with a most delicious crispy Thai spring roll with rice noodles and sweet and sour sauce. The best in our opinion. We both had different salads followed by veal parmigiana on a bed of spaghetti and grilled slices of zucchini. Doesn’t get much better. Dessert was a tiny chocolate cupcake with caramel popcorn on top and a plate of fresh pineapple. We shared a scoop of vanilla ice cream since it went well with both desserts. The Grand Voyage singers and dancers put on a show featuring the tunes of Elton John, one of our favorite entertainers. He has stood the test of time, and his music is just as popular today as it was when we first heard it. We have to add a note here regarding our visit to China, which is coming up in a few days from now. We have been advised that we will be blocked with some communications such as Facebook, Google, and other websites. We do not now the extent of the block, but if you do not get any reports and photos, please know we will be sending them as soon as we can. We have been told that China’s “wechat” will be available to download, although we doubt we will do that. So stay tuned…… Bill & Mary Ann

Report #64 Sunday March 3, 2024 Kobe, Japan Day #2 Of 2 Docked Starboard Side To Pier Leave At 5pm Sunny And Cold 33 Degrees In The Morning To 44 Degrees In The Afternoon Part #1 Of 6.......55 Pictures---Casual Our second day in Kobe turned out to be a very nice one, and although the temperature was colder (32 degrees), the sun was out and it looked like it was going to stay out for most of the day. During breakfast, we heard some folks nearby us saying that they had snow flurries on Mt. Rokko while on their tour yesterday, which is located high above the city. Looking around at how the guests are dressed, we can say that most people underestimated the weather in this part of the world at this time of year. We knew what it could be like when we did an independent overland tour not too many years ago. Departing the ship in Beijing (Tianjin), it was snowing and the freeways were blanketed and closed for a few hours until workers cleared them. We had brought our heavy duty jackets and gloves and were sure glad we did. Until we headed south, we wore them every day. Around 10am, we caught the shuttle that went to the same stop as yesterday at Motomachi. This time we crossed the road and turned right. It took us to another shopping street arcade, but this time the stores were mostly highend with recognizable names. Zara, Uni Qlo, Tiffanys, and a myriad of shops we never heard of. This was the Sannomiya district where many of the fancy hotels were located. Once again, the eateries were beginning to open, and lines were forming well before their doors opened. It did not matter that it was so cold outside, the locals were willing to wait for seating inside. We passed by what appeared to be a church by the name of Kobe St. Morgan Church. It did not look like a typical entrance for a church, but more like a hotel. Going inside, we were told this was a meeting place, so we left. And we still do not know if it was a church or not. Continuing up this same road, we passed a portal called Sannomiya Shrine with a very old typical Japanese pagoda on the corner. We found the Sannomiya Center Gai Shopping Street, built the same as yesterday’s arcade shopping street. This mall was newer than Motomachi and housed hundreds of shops, cafes, and restaurants. If there was a chance of getting lost, this would have been the place. We exited one of the covered streets to Flower Road, which was a big 8 lane road. We could see the backdrop of the mountains as well as a number of ways of getting around. There were buses, of course, but all of locals use the underground metro or the overhead railways. From this road, we could see all of it including traffic. Of course, today was Sunday and most all of the people go out shopping today. Especially the younger crowd. We did mostly window-shopping except for one special store. It was a pet shop with the smallest little puppies we have ever seen. And many fluffy kittens as well. The prices were shocking for these little guys. The most expensive was 830,000 yen. That computes to $5530 USD. No kidding. Even the kittens were expensive. The store was busy with visitors, and we wondered how many pets would be sold today. By doing some homework yesterday, we figured out that most all of the restaurants were located inside larger buildings such as hotels or shopping malls. We did find one café that looked promising, but once we entered, we learned that it was a buffet only. It did look good, but not knowing what we would be eating could be problematic, so we left. One of the largest and nicest stores was Daimaru Kobe Department Store, right where the bus let us off. One of our friends had gone there, and told us where to find everything. Heading up to the 10th floor, we located the Pizza House, which served Italian food as well as some Japanese items. It was not too crowded yet at 12:30pm, so we relaxed with two Peroni beers and a meat and cheese pizza. It was delicious and obviously popular since the café filled up by the time we left. All of the customers were Japanese too. On this level, there was a roof garden with a view of the downtown area. If we had more time, we could have sat on the benches and took in some sun. We did get some good photos of the city below. Then we went down floor by floor, seeing what was offered. One floor was strictly high end watches, proving that many people are not ready to give up their convenient time pieces. Then came the housewares, clothing, and finally cosmetics. That seems to be the first items you see when going into a department store such as this one. As well as the departments inside the building, there were 60 shops around the outside. Gas lamps on the sidewalk were a reminder of the old settlement that was once here. Before leaving the building, we went down to the basement level to find a food store and a type of cafeteria where you could buy ready-made meals. A small supermarket was at this level too. And talk about crowded. It was all we could do to get back to the escalator out to the street level. Once outside the store, we were at the bus pick-up stop. We had a few minutes to spare, so went to the nearest 7-11 to try and spend the loose change we had. We ended up with five bags of popcorn and a box of chocolate-covered nuts….all for under $7. Not a bad deal. We arrived back to the ship by 3pm, and warmed up in our room until we left the port. At 4:40pm, Captain Frank came on the speaker to say we were all lucky to see the start of springtime here in Kobe. We had a two hour sailing out of Osaka Bay before entering open seas. Tomorrow we will have some scenic cruising when we enter between islands on the way to our final port of Fukuoka. That should occur around 4pm. The weather is expected to stay partly cloudy with less wind and 4 foot swells. All good news. By the way, we all received a refund of $10.10 for port and tax charges due to missing the port of Omaezaki . At sail away, we were given a grand farewell with a band and a display of hundreds of balloons released from the terminal building. We had the best spot to see this because all of the balloons drifted overhead and out into the far reaches of the harbor. From the port side, we saw every single balloon go airborne. We cannot say enough about the special greeting we got from all of the Japanese people while visiting here. In a city of 5.5 million, that’s saying a lot. We looked forward to a hot dinner tonight just to get warm again. There were a couple of appetizers that would do the trick. One was a sesame BBQ rib, and the other a shrimp quesadilla. We had salads then mains of chicken meatballs with rigatoni. It came with a marinara sauce and our waiter brought extra sauce and cheese. Desserts were one cheesecake and a plate of pineapple. Good way to end the day. Tonight’s entertainer was Kenny Martyn, a multi-instrumentalist. He played tunes from Benny Goodman, Acker Bilk, and Duke Ellington. Really looking forward to our one day at sea. We all need it. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #63 Saturday March 2, 2024 Kobe, Japan Docked Starboard Side To Pier 8am-Overnight Sunny And Cold 35 Degrees In The Morning To 50 In The Afternoon Part #1 Of 4.......55 Pictures---Casual Better late than never. Thanks to Kimberly’s last minute talk on Kobe, we have some info we can share about this city. It is the 6th largest city in Japan and has a population of 5.5 million folks that speak Japanese. Located 403 nautical miles from Tokyo, the history here goes back beyond centuries. A modern city today, it was hit by an earthquake back in 1995, causing much damage and loss of life. Both of us being born and raised in San Francisco, we know first hand of such earthquakes. The one in 1989 brings back terrible memories of such devastation. And you never know when or where they are going to occur. And yet we still choose to stay ….. There are a myriad of things to do and see in Kobe, and one of those recommended by Kimberly was to taste their Kobe beef. It is particularly tender and moist due to the high fat content. World famous, the beef is quite expensive with a restaurant meal costing from $75 to $250 per person. Besides hundreds of restaurants, there are museums, a waterfall, a funicular to Mt. Rokko, and an herb and botanical gardens to explore. Ship excursions included a trip to see castles, shrines, temples, and gardens in Kyoto, Osaka, or Nara Park. They ran from $120 to $270, the more expensive ones included a lunch and/or a bullet train ride. Kimberly did give some details on how to catch the local transit as well to do it on your own. We decided to take advantage of the complimentary shuttle to central Kobe where we had access to shopping, exploring, and dining. Once off of the ship and into the three story terminal, we found our way to the shuttle stop. It was on the second floor, and not accessed from the street level. Looking outside the spacious terminal, we noticed there were overhead highways criss-crossing everywhere and navigating our way out into town might have been difficult. By the way, we passed a group of official-looking Japanese locals coming onboard with a bouquet of flowers and possibly a plaque as a gift for the Zuiderdam’s inaugural visit here. We should hear about the ceremony when Captain Frank talks at the sail away tomorrow. It was a big help to find the Kobe Tartan shirt-wearin docents who were giving folks directions in English. There were plenty of maps too, even though most all of the printing was in Japanese. The bus took us to the Kobe Daimaru Department Store for the drop-off. Directly across the street, we saw the opening to the Motomachi Shopping Street, a domed almost 1 mile arcade filled with all types of shops and restaurants. It was fun just window-shopping since we did not need anything in particular. It started to get more crowded by 11:30am, and then we remembered it was Saturday, and many locals would be out and about. Most all of the cafes, tea houses, and restaurants were small. When they filled up with customers, people would wait outside until seats were available. Once at the far end, we were going to continue walking, but had no idea which way to go. The streets and alleyways were not laid out in a simple grid, so getting lost was possible. So it was best to head back the way we came, and pass through China Town which was close by. What a surprise we had there. Everybody and their brother was jammed in this small venue where dozens of small eateries were cooking and serving every type of Chinese food you might imagine. Sure smelled and looked good as lines were forming around the alleyways for the folks buying the street food. If there was a restaurant, then the locals lined up outside a dozen deep waiting for a space inside to eat. It was all we could do to make our way to the entrance. If we had been here on a weekday, we doubt there would have been such a crowd. Since it was already close to 2pm, we went back to the bus stop and rode the shuttle back. And we spent the rest of the afternoon kicking back. Did we mention how cold it was today? There were enough clouds floating by to keep the temperature in the 40’s. We were lucky there was no wind, and even with our arctic coats, it was still cold. The ship was nice and toasty. At 7pm, there was a fireworks display, but it occurred on the opposite side of the ship from our room. By the time we remembered, it was over. We did hear the sound of the fireworks exploding from our veranda. Did we mention that the side panel on the veranda blew open again last night making one heck of a racket. Woke both of us up several times, but we did not know where the noise was coming from at first. We suppose our room steward had not locked it tight enough or it broke. So this morning, we had a visit from the fix-it man who repaired both panels. Now they are solid and will not rattle or pop open like they have been doing. Now the mystery of the day was the theme for dinner tonight…….a Biergarten. Isn’t that like Octoberfest where we come from? And usually held in the fall? It was slated for tonight’s Lido dinner where they promised German-style beer (for sale) and great food, music and a festive atmosphere. In the dining room, we were given the same German menu and also had the music. And we were not alone in wondering why this was happening on a port night in a Japanese city, and why wasn’t it done on a sea day? Our waiters had no idea why. With no live entertainment this evening (there was a movie Bullet Train), most folks ate dinner and headed off to bed since some were on tours early tomorrow morning. Our dinner was good with some different items such as a dumpling soup and a plate of German latkes and sour cream. Two salads were followed by one Weiner schnitzel and a bowl of mac and cheese made with spaetzle pasta and Gouda cheese covered with frizzled onions. For a change, it was nice. Dessert was bee sting cake and a bit of vanilla ice cream. Not sure that was German, but the cake was quite good with a custard filling. Tomorrow we shall head in a different direction to see what else we can find in Kobe. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #62 Friday March 1, 2024 Omaezaki, Japan Cancelled- Sea Day- Cruising The Coast 50mph Winds Very Rough Seas Overcast With Sun 20' Swell Part 1Of 2.......55 Pictures—Casual Our port of call today was Omaezaki, or was it? Most of us never heard of this city, so it would be a new stop for us. There were a few tours here priced from $130 to $150 and between 4 to 6 hours. Stops would include castles, shrines, temple, a museum, basic highlights, a fish market and souvenir shopping. However it was not to be. At 7:45am this morning, Captain Frank made the announcement that Omaezaki had to be cancelled. It had been decided it was far too impossible to dock safely due to high winds and rough seas. It came as no surprise because we had been warned this could happen. Actually, to be perfectly honest, most of the folks we know were worn out from two full days in Tokyo and appreciated the change to a day at sea. So the Captain provided some scenic cruising going into the bays to give us a look at the coastline of Japan. There were dark ominous clouds overhead, and we did see rain falling over the mountainous terrain. The winds were measured at 35 mph, but later increased to almost 50mph. The sea swells were significant at 12 to 20 feet, making the ship roll and even shudder at times. The safest place it seemed was in our room. The mist from the waves came as high as our veranda, soaking everything out there. And it was cold with temps in the high 40’s. The wind chill brought that number even lower. While working on the computer, one of the veranda side panels broke loose, even though it had been locked. Just about then, our room attendant came with a basket of clean laundry. He went and got a key and locked it again, and to keep it from rattling, he moved the table against it. That’s a first. Around 11:30am, Kimberly announced that the clouds had lifted from Mt. Fuji and it was clear for all to see. Of course, it was only visible from the starboard side, so we went up to the Seaview Pool to take some pictures. Grabbing some hot chocolate packets, we made a cupful to warm up. Sitting at a table in the sun helped a little. One by one, the Lido waiters began popping outside to take pictures with their cell phones. It is not often that we see such an awesome sight as this sacred mountain. Japan’s highest peak, it is so revered by the people that many make a pilgrimage every summer to the top. It is a centuries-old tradition to summit this symmetrical active volcano. We agree that Mt. Fuji is majestic and can see why it has been the subject of many famous painters and poets as well. This needed the good camera to get the best shots, so we went down to get it. The camera expert went back to deck 10, and I followed later. On the way up the staircase from the Seaview Pool, a gust of wind hit so hard, it ripped my wool scarf from my neck and it went airborne. Holding onto my sunglasses, the scarf disappeared from sight. Sometimes these items will blow back on deck three, but it was heavy and could have blown overboard. Perhaps it will end up in the lost and found box at the front desk. Have to check later. We spent most of the day inside, because the decks had been closed off. Even though the dark clouds got blown away, the mist from the high waves drenched the portside of the ship. Captain Frank came on the speakers with his noon talk, and said that after doing a loop in the bay near Omaezaki, he resumed sailing southwest towards Osaka Bay 195 nautical miles away. It is possible we will be an hour earlier arriving to Kobe tomorrow. He did say the weather in Kobe will be better as far as the sea condition, but the temperatures will remain chilly. Kimberly finally gave a talk on Kobe, where we will be docked for two days. There was not enough time for her to squeeze in this lecture, since the ports were happening very close. So we took notes about not only Kobe, but Osaka, Kyoto and Nara….all close to the port of Kobe. In fact, the tours offered will take guests to the outlying areas. We have been to all of the sights in this triangle of cities, so we intend to stay in Kobe. Doing some internet searches of the downtown, we will be able to navigate that area. Dinnertime came quickly, as there was no sunset at all. It just got dark, and the wind continued blowing strong. Anyway, we ordered one chicken noodle soup, a Thai salad, and one Caesar salad. Mains were a simple beef rib meat linguine and one osso buco. Both were good and really too much as the servings were generous. Dessert was one scoop of mango sorbet and one tiny chocolate mousse. Entertainment tonight was provided by a group of four fellows from various parts of Spain. They performed classical, opera, and pop music as well as Latin, folk ballads, and theater. It appeared the dinner guests were leaving early to either get seats in the World Stage or go to bed early to be ready for two more busy port days. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #61 Thursday February 29, 2024 Day #2 Tokyo, Japan Cloudy With A Little Sun 40-51 Degrees 13mph Wind All Aboard 7pm Part #1 Of 3......55 Pictures---Casual Dress Well, another day in Tokyo, but far different from yesterday. The weather had changed quite a bit in that it was heavily overcast compared to the brilliant sun we enjoyed yesterday. On the plus side, there was far less wind and it was not as chilly. It would be a fine day for a long walk. Once again, we stayed onboard until 10am, then headed for the Loop bus again. This time we got off at the first stop, which was the Hilton Tokyo Odaiba Hotel. We could have walked to here from the terminal, but decided to save our energy for town. Almost across the street from the hotel was the Statue of Liberty, or a replica of it, only smaller in size. With a little research, we learned that the real statue had been on loan from France and spent one year on display here in Tokyo, of all places. She overlooks the Tokyo Waterfront City, where we hiked today. This entire area was recently built on land fill we read somewhere. Many of the structures were used for the 2020 Olympics, so the city built up around it all. There are enough malls to keep one busy for months, let alone 2 days. What we appreciated by staying in this area was the fact that nothing was over-crowded, like we know downtown Tokyo is. We have been fortunate enough to have toured the shrines, temples, parks, and museums more than once, so exploring this part of Tokyo was refreshing. This marina was created for the scenery and also for jogging and biking. There are spots where people can fish, relax at a waterfront café, or even spend some time on a sandy beach. A wooden boardwalk lines the water’s edge, and although there is no swimming allowed, it did not stop the group of middle schoolers wading in the shallow surf without their shoes. Some of these kids were playing volleyball. Checking the local map, we saw that three schools are located across the street from this manmade beach. As well as a park full of trees and paths, there are nice and clean facilities available for all. Doing some internet searches, we had located a pizzeria on the corner. However, it appeared to be closed. Knowing we could find a suitable lunch at the mall we visited yesterday, we decided to try and find it. For some reason, the Ariake Garden was not printed on either map we had. While we were checking out maps, a very nice young fellow came over and asked if he could help us. He spoke limited English, but well enough to point out the direction we needed to go. We thanked him and he was on his way. We knew we had to cross the Nozomi Bridge that crossed over the Ariake West Canal. At least we did remember the bus went that way yesterday. But then after that, we weren’t sure, since the bus had turned on several streets to be able to drive into the mall’s garage. Almost at the point of giving up, we decided to go a few more long blocks before turning back. And that’s when we spotted the green vertical sign on the corner saying Ariake Garden. This five story (or more) building was part of the Villa Fountaine Hotel, and was basically hidden within the jungle of high rises. Now all we had to do was find how to get inside the mall. Walking around the building, we recognized the food market, Aeon, and knew we were in the right place. We headed right up to the fifth floor and the food court. Yesterday we had spotted a pizzeria with a wood-fired oven and that’s where we ended up. Since we have enjoyed so much Japanese dishes on the ship, we were looking for our favorite lunch….pizza. Obviously, the Japanese like it too. The cute waitress helped us figure out the menu, and we ordered two beers with a cheese, bacon, and olive pizza. The bacon was more like sliced ham and was quite good. We added a dessert of lemon cheesecake which was also excellent. The bus schedule allowed the driver a one hour break, so we caught the next coach around 2:30pm. There was a line of folks waiting by then, and we were lucky to get seats. Worse come to worse, we would have walked back. There were two streets full of more shopping malls and attractions and it may have taken hours to get back. If we ever return to Tokyo, we shall continue our exploration. The sun never did come out, and it appeared that it might rain. So it was a good time to work online until dinnertime. There was no sunset tonight, and we never did see Mt. Fuji again, so we were happy for both sights yesterday. At 5pm, Captain Frank came on with his daily talk. It came with a surprise. He has planted the idea that tomorrow’s port of Omaezaki may have to be cancelled due to an impending storm with high winds. The authorities there said we might be able to dock, but if the conditions got worse, we might be stuck there…unable to leave. With that in mind, Captain Frank said the decision would be made later tonight whether it is a go or not. And after studying the port map, we found that everything to see is far from the town. If it is raining, then we would rather skip it. We still have two days in Kobe, then another Japanese port after that. Right now, it is 10:30pm, and we have heard nothing. Dinner was good with chicken noodle soup, cocktail shrimp and Caesar salads. Mains were one sliced tenderloin steak, and a lasagna. The dinner rolls continue to be soft and fresh. Dessert was a strawberry tart and plate of sliced pineapple. Still refreshing. Presty stopped by as he was making the rounds to the tables around us. We asked how many people left in Tokyo and he said 31. But 90 got on, so we are up in numbers now. The total number of passengers is 1172. Many of these guests will get off in Singapore, which suggests they are local and took advantage of the special last minute offers to fill the ship. We had also asked him about the dining room layout for the Zaandam. He promised to get us a copy, and within minutes, he came back with both lower and upper dining room table numbers. Perfect. Now we can zero in on the Alaska and South Pacific cruises in the fall. We could still see the lights of Tokyo and the outlying areas two hours after leaving. It also looked like it rained during dinnertime as the outside decks were dripping wet. Perhaps we are hitting that storm earlier than expected. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #60 Wednesday February 28, 2024 Tokyo, Japan Day #1 Of 2 Docked Starboard Side To Pier 8am-Overnight 38-57 Degrees With Some Wind Clear Skies With Sun Part #1 Of 5.......55 Pictures---Casual Dress Well here we are in Tokyo, the capital city of Japan. The country has a total population of 127 million people, and according to the local travel guide, over 14 million of those folks live right here in Tokyo. The word “crowded” does not come close to what you might find in the center of downtown, especially the ritzy Ginza area. We have had the privilege of visiting Tokyo on previous cruises, one of which was the Asia/Pacific Explorer cruise on the Volendam in 2002. On our two day stay back then, we toured every museum, shrine, and temple. We ended each day with a hotel lunch and a shopping spree through the Beverly Hills of Tokyo – the Ginza district. We will never forget just trying to cross the street to enter one of the massive malls, and once inside, we were shoulder-to-shoulder with scores of customers. Thinking by going up higher on the escalator did not help, since the higher we went, the more people were there. Once we made our way back outside, we never attempted a repeat performance. Guess we are not shoppers at heart unless we are looking for something we really need. We docked very early this morning right in Tokyo’s harbor, a first for this ship and the first for any HAL ship we have been told. The International Cruise Terminal was built in 2020 and is quite impressive. It has four spacious floors for the customs and immigrations, the entrance level for buses and taxis, and an observation deck with reception and multipurpose rooms. When a cruise ship is in port, they offer a shuttle that takes people to the Tokyo Teleport Station where other transportation can be taken. One of those options is the subway system which is quite extensive as well as complicated. In addition to that shuttle was another bus that took a loop to the Hilton Hotel, Odaiba Kaihin Park, and Ariake Garden then back to the pier terminal. That is the bus we took. Leaving the ship around 10am, we bundled up with our arctic jackets which really helped with the cold weather today. The skies were cloud-free, but the temperature was near 40 degrees with a strong wind that was bone-chilling. We had no doubt that the day would warm up once the sun was up. We had done some homework with the stops that were offered, but sometimes you just have to get out and explore. No one got off at the Hilton TokyoOdaiba Hotel, and the same thing happened at the following stop at the park. The last stop was at a mall, not a garden, so all of us got off. Like many other buildings in this area, it was new and full of stores on five floors. Entering the food market was interesting. We noticed a bank of what looked like cell phones, and we learned later that these are used to log every item in your cart, store the price, and total it all up when you are done. By tapping your credit card, you bag up your stuff and leave the store. Simple. From here we went up each level, checking everything out. The only store we recognized was H&M. On the fifth floor we found the food court and some restaurants. One of them was a TGI Fridays. It was after noon time, so we went in and found our waiter spoke good English. And their menus were in both Japanese and English. We started with draft beers and added a platter of cheese nachos to share. For a special treat, we split a chocolate and vanilla ice cream Oreo Surprise which was really good. Afterwards, we walked around the entire floor of cafes and restaurants. There was a food court style seating in the center where many little kids were with their moms. Since today was a Wednesday, all of the older kids were in school. The nice aspect of visiting this mall was that it was not crowded like we knew the center of Tokyo would be. This was just one of many new buildings here, so tomorrow we shall explore some more options near the Hilton Hotel. We found the bus pick-up spot and got back to the ship by 2pm. We noticed there was a spot where we could get free WiFi if we could log on with the Kindle. We’ll try that tomorrow as well. We were right that it warmed up, especially on our veranda. It was out of the wind with the full sun shining that it actually got too hot. Relaxing outside with a view of Mt. Fuji could not have been better. Dinnertime came right after the sun set behind the mountain. We figured that some guests might go out to town for dinner, but it seemed that most everyone was in the dining room. For a change, we ordered the beef carpaccio for appetizers and two different salads. Mains were the Club Orange special of beef short ribs, mashed potatoes, and a mole gravy. We shared a plate of egg noodles that came with the stroganoff. Desserts were one scoop of pistachio ice cream and an almond cake with vanilla ice cream. All good. There was a Japanese Fusion show this evening in the World Stage performed by local musicians and dancers. It is always a treat to see these cultural shows and listen to the traditional music using Japanese instruments. One more day in Tokyo and we hope for the same weather. It appears that there may be a storm in the next port. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #59 Tuesday February 27, 2024 Sea Day #2 Of 2 Enroute To Tokyo, Japan Cloudy With Some Sun 35mph Wind 14' Swell 48 Degrees 38mph Wind Very Rough Part #1 Of 1.......43 Pictures Today began with a surprise. The weather had taken a turn for the colder. Not only cold, but gale force winds, temperatures in the 50’s, and rough seas. We swear the sea swells were 14 feet or better. The spray from the waves came as high as our deck six at times. By the time we decided to take our morning walk, most of the outside doors on the promenade deck were closed off. We could see why. The starboard side was drenched from the sea spray, making it slippery when walking. Of course the tender boats overhead were dripping down on us as well. We thought our heavy sweatshirts would be sufficient, but they were like wearing next to nothing. Time to pull out the heavy jackets. Back in our room, we bundled up and the walk was fine. It sure wasn’t crowded since most of the lounges had no cushions or towels. The busier place had to be on deck nine poolside, where the Shop were selling $10 items. Some of those items were heavy sweater-like ponchos and they were selling quickly. Not everyone thought to bring something warm to wear on this cruise. And the smart folks in the Shops know that. Finally, Kimberly gave her talk on Tokyo at 1pm. Since that was our lunch time, we didn’t attend in person, but caught it later on the TV. And once again, the reception on the TV was spotty. Several times during the day, we lost the connection. Only the inhouse channels worked. By 4pm, the Tokyo lecture was on TV, and we watched it taking notes. When we were here over 20 years ago, we must have docked in Yokohama, but tomorrow we will be in the new International Cruise Terminal, the first time for the Zuiderdam and we heard, the first of HAL’s ships to dock here. There was a nice sunset tonight for a change. Although the day began cloudy, it cleared up and we had sun for most of the day. Not a lot of heat in it but sitting out by the Seaview Pool before lunch was pleasant. We had looked for the packets of hot chocolate to make us two cups, but they were nowhere to be found. Thinking they had been eliminated, one of the deck waiters asked if we would like something to drink. We asked him about the chocolate and he went in search of some. Lucky for us, he found it, and it sure tasted good. Funny, just a week ago, sitting back here was almost too hot. There was a theme for the dining room this evening called Kaiseki Dinner. Red Japanese lanterns were hung in each entrance along with red lights on the floor. It was quite festive as was the menu. Appetizers were Asian such as miso soup and sesame chicken bites. Our entrees were grilled teriyaki chicken breasts with jasmine rice and broccoli. Desserts were one lemon sorbet and a croquant chocolate cake with banana and caramel. Not exactly all Japanese, the meal was fine. Tomorrow ends the second segment of this cruise, however, they chose not to repeat the farewell in the dining room like they did prior to arriving to Honolulu. Fine with us and most of the world cruisers we know. We did get another sticker of the stats for the second segment to add to our booklets. Got to rest up for two busy days in Tokyo, a city of millions. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #58 Monday February 26, 2024 Sea Day #1 Of 2 Enroute To Tokyo, Japan Cloudy And Overcast 35mph Wind 12' Swell Rough A Lot Of Pitching And Rolling Part #1 Of 1.......No Pictures Last night we think the swells got even worse, which was confirmed today when Captain Frank said we had 12 foot seas and gale force winds of 35 mph. It was cooler as well with temps in the 60’s….even lower with the wind chill. Despite it all, we still got outside for our morning walk. The teak lounges were mostly empty of guests today. Actually, the starboard side was pretty wet from the spray off of the waves. Normally we take a ride up to deck nine to sit in the sun, which was not out at all today. So it worked out well when we saw Greg and Rene, the spa manager, having a breaktime in the Lido. Better to talk here than out in the blowing wind. Greg brought us up to date with the Fun Fair from last night saying it was good for snacks, drinks of beer, wine, or soda, and lots of loud noise. They did not last too long, and neither did another couple who picked up glasses of wine and headed to the Rolling Stones Lounge instead. Now we know why this event was held while the ship was docked. With high seas and blasting winds, it would have been impossible to play those games very well. Today was the presentation with Gus Antorcha in the World Stage at 2pm. Among other things promoting the company, he announced the Grand World Voyage for 2026. It will be on the Volendam and will do a westbound itinerary. We will give the details when we get the new flyer. The Q&A lasted almost two hours with Gus answering most questions the best he could. It was more or less a repeat of last year’s grilling, with about the same results. There were some questions that Gus did not know the details, such as perks that entice the guests to book certain cruises. Or the reason behind the 200% fee for booking a room for one. We all understand that, but the single folks did not like the answer. One announcement made total sense to us and that there will not be two grand world voyages offered at the same time again like they are doing now and next year. Even by adding the New Zealand/Australia cruise this year divided our group in half. Filling the ships to capacity was not in the cards. Tonight was the special President’s Club Reception and Dinner beginning at 5:30pm in the Rolling Stones Lounge. Sailing onboard this trip are 26 members, with another 12 guests being inducted. We were greeted and seated with friends Pauline and Mike, then joined by Jan who we have known for many years. Drinks of our choice were offered as well as some pretty fancy hors oeuvres. Then with a couple of short speeches, the new inductees were called up one or two at a time with the Captain, Henk, and Gus. They had their photos taken and by 6:30pm, we were ready to be seated in the Pinnacle Grill for a fine meal. But first we had a group photo taken with the entire group. Each table in the center section of the Pinnacle Grill was used. Everyone had a place marker and a host. We were seated with the Chief Engineer, Pedro, a nice fellow from the Netherlands. Although we had not met him, he was also on the Volendam last fall while we sailed Alaska and the Tales of the South Pacific. Small world. Anyway our meal was off to a good start with a poached lobster salad or a lemon mascarpone risotto. A very tangy almost bitter palate cleanser of orange spritz granita had us ready for the main course. All three of us ordered the slow roasted black angus beef tenderloin with a cherry puree. Potato crisps, whipped parsnip and truffle gravy accompanied the meat. Something light purple was on the plate, which we deducted was two tiny macaroon cookies with a duck foie gras in the center. Different, it went well with the meat. And very rich. The other main choice was seared black cod with fingerling potatoes, a tomato concasse with tomato oil. Not huge portions, it was most filling. But the best was yet to arrive. It was the dessert of Basque cheesecake with strawberry ice cream, brandy snap, and assorted berries. Our waiter promised the dessert had no calories. We wish…… Served with the meal were wines – one white wine from Napa and the red from Italy. Only our host indulged. The evening ended by 9pm where we all lined up to thank the staff for such a fine evening. There was a show with the singers and dancers in the World Stage but somehow we doubt there will be dancing with the ship rolling as it was. By the way, we intermittently lost the TV reception today. Why we are not sure. Even the Chief Engineer did not know, but promised to check into it. At least the TV was working when we got back to our room, and we watched a good movie with Keanu Reeves on the Prime channel. The only other option was tuning into one of the recorded movies. That was another complaint at the Q&A today. The movies we get in our room are numerous, but very old. The answer by Gus was - we will look into it. And maybe he will. Another day at sea, then we will be in Tokyo. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #57 Sunday February 25, 2024 Naha, Okinawa Japan Day #2 Of 2 Docked Starboard Side To Pier Leave At 11pm Overcast With Scattered Clouds And Sprinkles 60 Degrees Part #1 Of 3........55 Pictures---Casual Dress We both slept well last night because there was no rocking and rolling for a change. Of course, we were overnight in the port of Naha, and docked. We heard from our morning waiters that some of the crew went off to the neon lights of Kokusai Street and had a fine time. It’s not very often that we have overnights, so the crew and some of guests really enjoy a “night out”. It was breakfast as usual for us….that is, until the President of HAL, Gus, and his colleague arrived for their morning meal. Although there were only a handful of us present today, a hush fell over the room when Gus walked in. And you have never seen such a fuss made over the two of them by the staff. To be fair, we also had all the pastries offered as well as full cups of coffee. Everything had to be perfect, even though the new guests might not have even noticed anything unusual. About 8:50am, Kimberly came on the speakers, as she always does, with a resounding Japanese greeting which sounds like “Ohio”. We all just about jumped out of our seats it was so loud. We could see our buddy Don holding his ears and loudly complaining about the intrusion. We had to laugh because Gus had overheard Don with the complaint, saying he agreed, it was too loud. Don did not apologize, but stayed his ground, not intimidated by the president’s presence in the room. With that, all of us resumed our meal, and by 9am or so, it was time to go. As it turned out, Don was not aware of Gus being in the restaurant, or as he said, he would not have put his foot in his mouth. Doing some research, we did locate a recommended pizza restaurant to check out. So we took the same walk we did yesterday, and both agreed it did not seem as far today. For one thing, the weather had cooled off and the wind was blowing, like a storm was on the way. The skies remained heavily overcast and we did have occasional light showers. More like a mist, but enough to pack the umbrellas. It was also the first day since boarding in Ft. Lauderdale that we put on long jeans and wore a jacket and a sweatshirt. From here on, as we head north to Tokyo, we expect colder temps. Passing the Fukushuen Garden along the way, we peeked inside before the establishment was opened. Serving as a relaxing oasis for the locals and tourists, it is a symbol of the ancient Chinese that once ruled here. It was also a good way to beautify an urban section of the city. The garden consists of ponds with koi carp, a fountain, several small buildings and plantings that reflect the colors of the seasons. A convenient restaurant is on the property as well. Admission was a mere 200 Yen or $1.35 US. A night time visit was 300 Yen. Bet it would be pretty to see it lit up at night. One of us was looking for a new pair of black dress sandals, so we went back to the modern mall. There was not one pair of shoes that were not enclosed, like old fashioned dress shoes. Hate to say it, but everything we saw was dumpy. It is possible that Japanese ladies do not wear sandals. Now if you were looking for old fashioned flip flops, they were sold by the thousands in all of the shops on Kokusai Street. Go figure. Much to our surprise, Kokusai Street had been closed to through traffic by noontime. Perhaps this happens every Sunday, and the street becomes a food court. We are only guessing, but there may be several food trucks that set up in the cordoned-off street. There were a few of them there already. One thing for sure, it was no where near as crowded as yesterday. Somewhere in our travels we seem to recall that Saturday is a work and school day, and Sunday is their only day of the week they get off. Yesterday, the only local kids we saw were in strollers. We went as far as the arcade, and happened to run into friends Greg, Ginni, and Rich. Heo was off running ahead of the group as he always does. The two guys had come here last night for the lights and partying. They said they did have a fine time among the locals. And they also have a better knowledge of the food being served here. They live in Sydney and indulge in varied cuisine from all over the world. We did see from some photos they sent us that someone tried the fried Spam….something we ate on occasion as kids. We both remember salty and greasy, an acquired taste. We did see a stack of regular Spam cans for 480 Yen or about $3.20 USD. Not to date ourselves, but we bet that same can would have sold for under a dollar when we were little. We made another sweep through the arcade, still not finding any souvenir-like treasure to buy. We already have a pair of the lion dogs (shisa) we bought for good luck while in Japan 22 years ago. So it was getting close to 1pm, and time to search for that pizza venue. Thanks to a good website, we were able to see the side streets (without names) and looked for the flag of Italy flying outside. If it wasn’t for the flag, we might not have found it. Anyway, it was a very cozy café that held maybe 12 customers. There were some folks in there when we arrived, so we took a table in the back. The waiter did have a Japanese/ English menu, and by pointing to the pizza we wanted as well as the beer, it worked just fine. Starting with two Orion drafts, we ordered one large Margherita pizza with various mushrooms. And once again, they had a wood-fired oven, making the best tasting pizza in our humble opinion. With the photos and memorabilia on the walls, we would have sworn we were in the middle of Naples, Italy. It was so nice to be able to sit and relax after the hike. We prolonged our stay by ordering a dessert of a pizza shell with Nutella and mixed berries in the center. The four slices were dusted with powdered sugar and cocoa powder. A great way to end a nice lunch. And all of that for about the equivalent of $26. The cook and waiter both bowed as we complimented them and said goodbye or sayonara. The wind had picked up on our way back, and down by the water, it was worse. There was a mist in the air, and we thought rain would come any minute. It never did rain and we never used the umbrellas. For a change, we had to turn the thermostat up in our room to get warm. The only thing we don’t like is not being comfortable on our veranda. We could go out bundled up, but with the wind, it was just too chilly. It was a good time to work online and finally pick out a movie to watch, as we still have no live signal. It appears that some new movies have been added, which is good, since most of them are really dated. Dinner for us was the usual time, despite that fact that a special event was happening in the Lido Pool area tonight. The Grand Fun Fair was held from 7:30 to 9:30pm, our dinner time. Carnival games and contests would take place. It was free admission, and the tickets people won could be used for prizes. Gus Antorcha would be present to share in the fun as well as enjoy complimentary drinks, appetizers, treats and snacks. Obviously, this event was aimed at the early dining crowd, which happens to be the majority these days. The dining room menu won over the event with an appetizer of a pork and beef egg roll, chicken noodle soup, and entrees of beef Wellington and an orange-glazed chicken meal. Carrot cake with a side of ice cream finished the ample meal. All was good and tasty and hot as could be. Finishing by 9pm, we could have gone to the fair, but eating and drinking would be out of the question. We wonder why this was planned on a port night, when the folks were exhausted from a day in and out of town? On previous cruises, these events were always held during an afternoon while we are at sea. Makes more sense to us, but what do we know? We will have two days at sea on the way to Tokyo. Captain Frank said to expect up to 35 mph winds, rolling and rocking. And there will be more activities with Gus with a presentation in the World Stage tomorrow for a Q&A and announcements of the world cruise in 2026. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #56 Saturday February 24, 2024 Naha, Okinawa Japan Day #1 Of 2 Docked Starboard Side To Pier 7am-Overnite Overcast With Scattered Clouds 70 Degrees Part #1 Of 4........66 Pictures---Casual Dress The Zuiderdam arrived to the port of Naha, Okinawa in the early morning darkness. The clearance happened right away around 8am, and everyone was free to go ashore, since we had done the face-to-passport drill yesterday. We went out on the promenade deck around 9am, and caught the last of the traditional dance performed by local kids. Dressed in bright red costumes, the little kids were the best. Then we saw the line-up of officers at attention alongside the ship. They were waiting for the President of HAL , Gus Antorcha, to arrive with his colleague. When they appeared, they rushed to help them with their luggage and escort them onboard. The next three days will be filled with special events. We did not realize that 160 islands make up Okinawa with Naha being the capital. There are a total of 330,000 people living here and have the distinction of having the longest lifespan in the world. It is no secret that their diet consists of healthy foods, but on the other hand, they enjoy the fattiest beef and pork. Perhaps due to the high price of the delicacy, they eat small amounts. Two of our friends went to a steakhouse while in Ishigaki yesterday, and shared one of those special steaks. They both claimed they never had tasted anything like it as it melted in their mouths. We may have to check this out ourselves while we are Japanese ports. With warm weather, this island attracts 6 million visitors a year - mostly from Japan, but also worldwide. There is a lot to see and do in and out of town. This island is rich in military history as it was heavily involved in WW II. One of the most visited sights is the Peace Memorial Park, 12 miles south of Naha. It was the scene of the final confrontations of the Battle of Okinawa, where 200,000 people lost their lives in 1945. Other sights out of town were Shurijo Castle Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Shurei-mon Gate, the symbol of Okinawa. There are even caves to explore called Gyokusendo Cave about 10 miles out of town. Our former host, Tom, was taking a group of his clients to the cave today, but he claimed he was waiting on the outside until they went through it. He may have a 2 hour wait but did not mind since he can’t take tight spots like that. We get it. The same feeling overcame one of us while exploring ancient caves in Turkey several years ago. We were never warned that we would have to crawl on our knees to access some of the caverns. Nope…never again. Anyway, the ship’s tours ran from $135 to $210 (with lunch). A couple of them ended up at the Kokusai Street district, where we intended to walk. Leaving the ship was tricky, since we were directed to go through the terminal building, where we had to show our passport photos to the officials. That involved going upstairs across the building then down an escalator where the info desk was set up. Here we got a good walking map, and some other booklets and pamphlets for extra info. Following the orange cones, we made our way out of the dock area and to the main street. Our destination was Kokusai Street about 1.2 miles from the port gate. This district is located in the heart of Naha and is full of department stores, shopping malls and arcades, souvenir shops, hotels, and steakhouses and many eateries. The most recognizable spots had to be A&W, KFC, and McDonalds. The rest of the cafes and restaurants were 100% Japanese cuisine. You can’t go by the photos, since you had no idea what was in the food. Common to Japanese dishes are oyster and clam juice…..both lethal to one of us. So if we are not sure of the contents, we have to pass it up. We did see one steakhouse after another, but many would not open until dinnertime. What we did find amusing was a mini robot that was vacuuming the area in front of a building. It must have been programmed to stay within so many feet of the front patio and doorway. It was still operating when we walked back two hours later. And some folks from the ship were also watching it like we did, getting a laugh out of it going in circles. At least that part of the sidewalk was very clean. One thing we did notice when exploring some of the side alleyways were piles of cigarette butts, discarded in front of the bars and small cafes probably at night time. Another good reason to make use of the vacuuming robots. So we window-shopped hundreds of stores as well as the arcades, making it as far as McDonalds. By then, we had walked over three miles and decided to head back down the same way. On the corner where we turned up this famous street was a huge modern mall, so we went inside to check it out. Yep, a big mall with all of the familiar high end shops and boutiques. On the bottom level there was a grocery store and a deli. It was very busy as it was already after noon, and people were lined up buying lunch. We decided to head back to the ship and get lunch there. We could always explore more tomorrow. We did spot the Okinawa Urban Monorail which runs right through town to the airport. We know of some folks that will take that Yui Rail, as they call it here, to see some of the further out sights tomorrow. The castle, Gate, and Gardens can be explored from the monorail stop. At least the weather was in our favor. Despite the high overcast, it was comfortable with temps in the high 60’s. Perfect hiking weather for sure. We took our sweet time strolling back down towards the pier, admiring some gardens with blooming cherry trees on the way. Passing by the guardians of the street were the two Dragon Pillar Monuments. These lion dogs as we call them, are actually called Shisas here. About every building in town has some form of shisa on them, especially the roofs. They are used to protect the occupants according to their culture and beliefs. It was about then that we spotted the Costa Serena coming into the harbor. She docked in the other cruise terminal, much further away from downtown. Back onboard, we ordered lunch and relaxed the rest of the afternoon. Downloading the photos kept us busy. Once again, the TV reception is zero and all that can be viewed is HAL programs. At least we have access to many movies, even though most of them are really old. One of the newer ones, Crazy Rich Asians, was on the grid, so we watched it before dinner. So many of the places in Singapore that were in that movie, we recognized. Now we are happy to be going there later on this cruise. Some Japanese items were on the dining room menu tonight. We had one lumpia and one other Asian appetizer with two salads. Mains were the sesame chicken with sweet and sour sauce and jasmine rice. Very good. Desserts were an unconventional strawberry cheesecake, and one hot fudge sundae with nuts. Murder on the Orient Express was on the big screen in the World Stage. Or, we could watch it on our room TV, but without the popcorn. One more full day in Naha, then we will have two sea days before arriving to Tokyo. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #55 Friday February 23, 2024 Ishigaki Island, Japan Docked Starboard Side To Pier Overcast And Cloudy With Some Drizzle Cooler 70 Degrees 16mph Wind Part #1 Of 3........55 Pictures-----Casual Dress Being that our first Japanese port was today, it was necessary to have a face to passport check with the local immigration’s officers. We had the forms filled out and took them with us to breakfast so we could go directly when our floor was called. They did start the procedure close to 8am, but this time, it was a more detailed visit taking longer. Deck six was summoned by 9am, and we lined up shortly after the call. This was the first time ever that we had trays of pastries and glasses of water offered to us while we waited in the long line. Obviously, the earlier guests were not too patient while waiting, and they decided the best thing to do was give them food. Most of the time, it works. Scanning our room card, first, we proceeded to a customs agent who checked our forms, then our passport photos, and had us place two index fingers on a scanner. Our photo was also taken at the same time. One of us failed the finger printing and had to repeat it. A visa stamp was placed in our passports. Then we were set loose to get another little sticker put on our room keys on the way out of the dining room. This will be good for the rest of the Japanese ports we assume. Gathering our few things like our wallets and passports we left the ship after 10am. We had to bring the one declaration card with us to hand off to the officials on the pier. Some officials were also showing posters of forbidden items to bring off of the ship. That included food of any kind and liquids with the exception of a sealed bottle of water. Individual wrapped snacks, like a power bar, were allowed off, but they also could be subject to confiscation. We took nothing....not even water. Some guests carrying bags were randomly checked. Even though it had been drizzling earlier, we did not take umbrellas. Speaking of the weather, it was really different today with heavy overcast and light drizzles in the early morning. Although it felt and looked like rain, it never did. The temperature was in the high 60’s with little wind. But certainly different from yesterday when we had warm sun and clear skies. Our port today was Ishigaki, an 85 square mile island that is only 7 miles wide. The population is 50,000 pretty healthy people, according to Kimberly. Located in the southern area of Japanese islands, this island is a vacation destination for many local Japanese as well as other visitors. There are coral reefs, tropical fish, blue waters and miles of sandy beaches. The prettiest area is Kabira Bay, but there is no swimming there as there are too many ferries and a powerful riptide. During the months of May through October, there are habu jellyfish that can cause a bad sting. Most of the smaller beaches are netted, but that is never a guarantee against the stings. There were some tours offered today which included sight-seeing, culture, and crafts. They ranged from $135 to $200 with lunch. We ran into Kimberly this morning outside the Pinnacle Grill where she was placing one of the balloon creations from the balloon artist at last night’s show. She mentioned that she was going with a group of friends to nearby Taketomi Island, a 10 minute ferry ride away. She had showed photos of this island that was surrounded with beach and reefs. Maybe with the dismal weather, they may have changed their minds. There were shuttles today to take us from the spacious dock to the Ferry Terminal in downtown. It was over a 3 kilometer ride, which is walkable, but we chose not to add that to the walk in town. There were at least three nice and roomy buses to take the guests every 20 minutes or so to town. An interesting fact was today happened to be the Emperor’s birthday and somewhat of a holiday. Not everything would be opened. The ride took us over the Southern Gate Bridge and ended at the ferry terminal. Before we boarded this bus, we were given a nice city map, which was far superior to the ship’s map. We had done our homework and located a recommended wood-fired pizza restaurant in downtown. Now the trick was finding it. Naturally, all of the streets were marked with signs with Japanese symbols, but they also had numbers, which helped. There was a mall of sorts to see, so we followed the map to the Euglena Mall. Expecting a typical city mall, this was different. It was a series of small stores and shops with a covered canopy over the top. It was opened on both ends. There were cafes, and food shops, as well as very small clothing stores and some souvenir shops. It was more like a municipal market. From there we followed the map to the Torin-ji Temple and Gongendo Shrine, the oldest wooden building in all of Okinawa. It is a Buddhist temple and Shinto Shrine with a very unassuming entrance. After reading some of the signs in the garden, we discovered this complex had been almost destroyed during a tsunami in the 1700’s. It had been re-built and restored ever since then. It was worth the walk to find it. Across the street from the temple was a small garden where we visited with friends that seem to take the same path in the ports as we do. They had to laugh when we said we were off to find pizza. Japanese cuisine might be good, but not necessarily safe as far as the shellfish allergy is concerned. There was a good street map on the corner, so after studying it, we realized we could locate Pizzeria Il Trecorde if we took our time. It was not on a main street, but we did find it. It was not marked from the main road, but happened to be fairly close to the mall. It was not a big establishment, but a cozy pizza parlor with a few customers eating lunch. They were all locals. Good for us, they did have an English/Japanese menu. There was a number of red or white sauce pizzas to chose from. First of all, we started with glasses of draft beer, then ordered one pizza to share. Our waitress who spoke little English pointed to the menu where it said each of us had to order a pizza, unless one of us was under 12 years old. Funny, we do not have those restrictions at home, but “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” applied here. So each of us got a 10 inch Margherita pizza with a very thin crust and parma ham on the top with basil. They were just as good as they looked on their website. There is something about a wood-fired pizza compared to an oven baked one. Far superior, we savored every bite and left only crumbs. When we got the bill, it was 3900 Yen which sounded really expensive, but doing the math, it turned out to be around $26 USD. What a deal. And even better, they had western-style restrooms. If you have ever traveled in Asian countries, you know that restrooms are not always people-friendly. Lucky for us. Making our way back to the ferry terminal, we boarded a waiting coach and got back to the pier after 2pm. We spent the rest of the afternoon working online. All aboard was 4:30pm, and we left around 5pm. Although the rain never did happen (only a drizzle), the seas became rough and the ship began to roll. As the evening approached, the swell was noticeable. By the way, before we arrived to the port, the TV reception was cut off. There was no live feed, only pre-recorded ship stations and the movie station. This has happened in other places we have been, but not too often. Calling the front desk, we were advised that while in Japan we may have limited reception depending on the local rules and regulations. It was a good time to watch Kimberly’s talk on the next port of Naha, Okinawa. Later after dinner, the reception did come back, but it was spotty at best. Dinner was good, although we were not all that hungry. Wonder why? Part of it was the hardy lunch, but also the fact that once we left the port, it got rough. Rough enough to make one of us slightly queasy. Thank goodness for the seasick pills, as they work rather quickly. Chicken noodle soup was the perfect starter, as was the crab and corn fritters and a Caesar salad. One of us had the lamb shank and the other the chicken alternate. Both were good, as was the dessert of a flan and a plate of watermelon for a change. On the World Stage tonight, there was an instrumentalist by the name of Chaw. He was billed as leaving a mark on the world of music. Tomorrow, we will be in Naha, the first of a two day stay there. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #54 Thursday February 22, 2024 Sea Day #3 Of 3 Enroute To Ishigaki Island, Japan Partly Cloudy With Periods Of Sun 75 Degrees Slight Breeze 4' Swell Part #1 Of 1........43 Pictures-----Casual Dress Surprise, surprise…..when we woke up this morning, it was still warm outside. We sure did not expect that, especially knowing we have headed northwest for going on three days now. Guess we will not have to pull out the heavy clothes quite yet. One nice thing is that the seas are behaving. There were no swells to speak of and the winds were minimal. If anything, they were following once again. It appeared many of the usual diners in the Pinnacle Grill this morning slept in later. We began with 10 customers at 7:30am, which increased by 8:50am. Now you might think that the service would be better with fewer people, but that was not the case. One of us was lucky to get a refill on the coffee in an hour. Then we remembered there had been a crew party last night, so the waiters were having trouble waking up too. Normally there are a couple of really cute waitresses in here, but they seem to alternate between the Neptune and here. And when they are here, the coffee cups never run dry. It was another lazy day, but our morning walk was pleasant. Most of the guests were in the World Stage listening to Kimberly’s talk on Naha, Okinawa, which will be on February 25 and 26. We still needed to watch the lecture on tomorrow’s port of Ishigaki and see what there is to see and do. We also had a job to do – fill out the Immigrations and Customs Inspection forms, following the instructions given. We also had one custom’s declaration card to complete. Now we are ready for the face to passport check when we arrive to our first Japanese port tomorrow. The other surprise of the day was some wildlife spotting. During our morning hike, we actually saw a turtle alongside the ship. Only one. We also saw small white floating markers every now and then. They may have been attached to nets or traps. The ship has to stay clear of those because if they tangle around the azipods, we could be in trouble. There were many flying fish, but only two boobies diving for them. Then this afternoon, while watching the birds dive, we spotted dolphins. Not in large numbers, but two at a time. They did not jump high, but skimmed the surface and dove. They were too fast to get a photo, but it is always a thrill to see them. We actually had a real sunset tonight. If it wasn’t for a thin layer of haze on the horizon, there may have been a chance for a green flash. Never happened, but one day we might see one. Dinner was good with a coconut shrimp appetizer and a bowl of Indonesian soup…..both excellent. Mains were Weiner schnitzel with lingonberry sauce. For a change, everything on the plate was appetizing like the carrots and sliced fried potatoes. We could do without the fried lettuce used as a garnish. What was nice was the dessert of strawberry shortcake, but not really traditional. This old time dessert was served in a glass and was layered with a tangy cake on the bottom and a parfait-like cream on the top. There was an essence of strawberry and few pieces of mango added. There was a different type of show tonight with a balloon artist called Syan. One of the top balloon artists in Japan, he will demonstrate his speed and polished skills this evening. We understand the combined talents of the ship’s musicians was a success last night. Looking forward to Japan. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #53 Wednesday February 21, 2024 Sea Day #2 Of 3 Enroute To Ishigaki Island, Japan Sunny And Warmer 80 Degrees Slight Breeze 4' Swell Part #1 Of 1........No Pictures-----Dressy Night What a difference a day makes. The last few days the seas were rough and rolling, and today, they leveled out and we are all appreciating that. It makes getting around the ship a whole lot easier. Even the clouds had about disappeared and the skies were mostly blue. The air remained warm with the temperature of 77 degrees and it was even hot in the sun at the Seaview Pool. There is a group of maybe a dozen sunbathers that come back there about every sea day. They are determined to keep their tans at least for a couple of weeks or so. Today we had another Safety Drill, even though we did this exercise in the beginning of the month. It was for the entire ship and began at 1pm. As we stated before, it has been simplified to a very easy chore, as we do not have to lug our life vests along. The first group was called from decks one, four, and five. Then the rest of the passenger decks proceeded to go at 1:30pm. We decided to go down to deck three 10 minutes early, and found there was no one in the elevators, as well as no one in the line to get our room keys checked. All in all, the drill took us no more than 10 minutes. Then by watching the safety video on our room TV, the regular programming resumed. Easy peasy…..lemon squeezy. Kimberly gave her talk on the first port of Ishigaki, Japan, at 10am. We are sure she had a full house. We intend to watch this on our room TV and be able to take notes. This will be a new stop for us, so we shall also be doing some Google research. It has been many years since we explored a lot of Japan…perhaps over 20 years. One of the more recent world cruises did do some of Japan and Korea, but the stops were minimal. As long as we have the local currency (Yen), we will be able to get around just fine. After a relaxing day, dinnertime arrived. The “dressy” theme was A Night of Music, with a menu that reflected some of the old time songs we know and love. Bottom line……it was the same appetizers and entrees with fancy names. However for one of us, there was a treat of the veal cutlet or the giant veal chop that was on the Club orange menu. Trying to keep things lighter, one of us had the cheese tortellini. Adding a tomato soup and a Caesar salad, the meal was complete. Well almost….a dish of fresh berries with a scoop of ice cream, and a slice of chocolate cheesecake that was really cake finished our meal. And the clocks went back one hour tonight, not last night. There was no explanation as to why we delayed the change for a day. Doesn’t much matter when you are at sea we guess. The entertainment was one show at 9pm with the String Trio, Rolling Stone Lounge Band, the Billboard Onboard and the grand Voyage Band united to wow the guests in the World Stage. We learned that there was a crew party tonight, so that is probably why the show was early and at one time for all. Our waiters were excited to attend as soon as they finished their duties. They deserve it. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #52 Tuesday February 20, 2024 Sea Day Enroute To Ishigaki Island, Japan Overcast With Rain Showers 77 Degrees 30 Knot Wind 10' Swells And Rough Part #1 Of 1.......No Pictures A day at sea was what we all needed after two busy days in port. It would have been easy to sleep in later this morning, but we do not want to give up our table in the Pinnacle Grill at breakfast. The minute we are not there or arrive late, it will be occupied by someone who thinks they are missing something. It’s funny how we all become territorial. We half-expected the weather to be a lot cooler today, as we are heading northwest now. But we were wrong, because the air temperature was still warm, and when the sun did peek out, it was still hot. The problem was that it was mostly cloudy and windy. The sea swells were at least 10 feet, and the ship was rolling quite a bit most all day. We had gone to the Seaview Pool like we do on sea days, and did enjoy some sun for a while. Greg wandered on back and joined us, bringing us up to speed on their day in Saipan yesterday. We knew they had hired a driver and went to see the WW II sites. Heo had already sent his photos of their tour with Ginni and Rich. Suddenly, the clouds got darker and it began to sprinkle. Thinking it would pass over, it did not and we were getting wet. Taking cover, we stayed a little longer then left before the noon whistle. It is better to hear the Captain’s talk while in our room, since the speakers around the pool are not the best. He addressed one of the questions asked of him concerning our entrance into the port yesterday. He explained in detail everything the pilot had told us, and then thanked our hosts, Luisa and Gene for asking the question. Then he mentioned that the clocks would go back one hour tonight to be on Japan time. Made sense to us, but later in the day, Kimberly reversed that request and said we would do the hour back in a few days from now. Well, that’s a first. There were new speakers giving lectures today. One was Tim Tamashiro discussing Okinawa, and Asumi Hama talking about Japanese essentials. We guess the port talk on the first port in Japan will occur soon. There were dance classes during the course of the day, but with the motion of the ship, we doubt they happened. The Sit, Knit, and Needlepoint group has expanded to some of the ladies working outside on the promenade deck. It is incredible how quickly some of their blankets are completed. We were happy to complete our 8 laps around the deck. Lunch was room service Cobb salads, a shared beef panini, and a chicken quesadilla. Time for another walk around the deck, we found it to be very wet. One of us is much more cautious, paying attention to the signs that say slippery when wet. The showers continued off and on all afternoon. Good time to finish yesterday’s pictures and report. By the way, we noticed that there was a noodle bar in the Lido at lunchtime. Not sure what that was all about. Dinner had several good things for a change. The Thai beef salad was one of the appetizers, along with a salad and a bowl of chicken noodle soup. Once again, the soup is spaghetti soup, but still tasty. Our mains were sweet and sour chicken with rice and bell peppers. Very good and served hot as could be. The rolls were also much better….softer and no seeds. They got it right. Dessert was one panna cotta, but served in a glass instead of upside down on a dessert plate. No fun unless you can wiggle it. A new performer joined the ship by the name of Venus Tsai, a violinist who has played since she was 6 years old. Having dinner at a table for two, we seem to finish much earlier than we used to. And it is way too early to wait for the showtime. If she has a day performance, we may be able to catch it. We wonder if the weather will cool off more tomorrow? The Captain did say the seas might level off for smoother sailing. Hope he is correct. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #51 Monday February 19, 2024 Presidents Day Saipan, USA- Northern Mariana Islands Docked Starboard Side To Pier 8am-5pm Overcast And Cloudy 80 Degrees Part #1 Of 6......55 Pictures Some days cannot be predicted. Today was one of them. We arrived to our port of call, Saipan, early this morning under very overcast and cloudy skies. This island is the capital of the of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. It is also the largest with a population of 53,000 or less people. Once again they speak English and Chamorro the same as Guam. This area appealed to the Japanese tourists, but for some reason, the trend has left. It’s just a guess, but from what we saw yesterday, we suppose the Japanese tourists have chosen Guam for their destination these days. The island does have a lot to offer in the way of WWII history, turquoise waters, and white sandy beaches. And it appeared that the temperature would far more tolerable today compared to yesterday. So it was breakfast as usual for us at 7:30am, although the restaurant was not busy. Later on, we learned that 500 guests had booked tours today, so many must have eaten breakfast in the Lido instead. Just as we were on our way to check out the dock area at 9am, the alarms went off ship wide, and strobe lights were flashing everywhere. This was not a drill. Within minutes, Captain Frank was on the speakers saying there was an unexplained odor on deck four, and the area would be closed off. People in those rooms would have to evacuate the cabins and go outside on deck three portside. Until they found the source of the smell, they took no chances. It was discovered that there was an ammonia leak from a canister of a refrigerator unit that caused the alarms to go off. Once that was aired out, the folks could return to their rooms. It was reassuring how quickly that event was under control, thanks to the frequent drills that are conducted onboard. At the same time as the ammonia scare, the local ladies were doing a dance on the pier. Our officers were actually dancing with them. We viewed this from the promenade deck for one minute, then the entire group of officers and staff members began running back onboard to address the problem. While that was happening, the tour buses were filling up and also the surprise shuttle that was used for a transfer to downtown Garapan. We had been under the impression that town was 5 minutes away. Then we heard that it was a 40 minute walk to town. Which was it? Now that the locals offered a free transfer, we need not to worry. Besides, it looked and felt so much like rain was coming, we did not want to get drowned. With the strong winds blowing, we would not have stayed very dry even with umbrellas. We left the ship by 10am and boarded the waiting bus. It was only a 10 minute ride at the most. It took us to nearby Garapan, the main town where there were lots of hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers or malls. We noticed a huge difference from what we saw in Guam yesterday. This town had a more 1950’s look about it, with strip malls and local eateries. The bus dropped us off at the newest DFS mall. From there we followed the excellent map that had been handed out when we boarded the bus. On the way to this drop-off, we noticed a building that did not seem to belong here. Namely, it was the Imperial Pacific Resort and Casino. Standing out like a sore thumb, this building had gold-leaf figures of dolphins and seahorses plastered all over the outside of this massive structure. Flanking the impressive entrance were statues of King Neptune standing guard. This looked more like something you might find in Las Vegas or in Paris or Rome…..not here. And with all this grandeur, this place was permanently closed, shut down since 2020 we heard. There must be a story to it, and we shall do some research to satisfy our curiosity. From here we walked to the American Memorial Park where pathways led to the American WWII Memorial Court of Honor and Flag Circle. Located in the middle of a tree-studded park, we walked the trails that led to a small marina with some moored sailboats. The walkway led to a nice beach called Micro Beach with a narrow strip of white sand and very shallow waters. While watching some kite boarders getting ready to launch themselves into the water, one of the fellows came over to chat with us. Asking if we were from the ship, we said we were. As luck would have it, he introduced himself as the pilot that had brought the ship in this morning. Knowing this was a tricky port to enter, he explained that Captain Frank had contacted him yesterday and they coordinated a plan of entrance with the help of simulators. Giving them more than one choice, they had a plan or two already mapped out for the early morning approach. Fascinating, we listened to him giving details about winds , coral reefs, and azipods. As we said goodbye, he helped his group launch their kites and away they all went. He said he would see us later in the day to repeat the sail away, hoping the winds will die down by then. From here, we made our way back towards town passing by the nicer hotel of the Hyatt Regency. We had done some research on restaurants, specifically pizza cafes, and found one highly recommended called American Pizza and Grill. We had passed it on the way to the park, so it would be lunch first, then perhaps some shopping later. It wasn’t a fancy restaurant, but an actual pizzeria with many choices. We decided on a large Hawaiian pizza with two Asahi pint draft beers. Sure tasted good and the pizza was excellent. Most of the customers were locals, so you know it is good. After relaxing for an hour, we headed off to a market called I Love Saipan. It had most everything you needed or did not need. Lots of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and snack items were for sale, and the crew members were stocking up. We did not find anything we could live without , so went back to the bus drop-off spot. We were told that the pick-up place had moved to the other end of the mall. OK, we walked through the DFS, which was all high-end stores. Then we joined a line of rather upset guests who had waited for 45 minutes for a bus. Two of the coaches had arrived full of mostly crew members who were on their way back to the ship. Obviously, they had a different place to board the coaches. Finally a bus arrived, more than half full. But the driver let most of us on, even if we had to stand in the aisle. One of the nice crew members gave his seat up so I could sit. He insisted. We could have walked back, but the ride took only 10 minutes. Back at the pier by 3pm, the official could not board the bus to check our room keys and ID’s. So once we got off, we went through a bag check, a wanding, and a room key check. Getting back on the ship required our cards and another xray check as always. Can’t be too careful we suppose. While waiting for the ship to leave, we spotted a sting ray right down from our room. All by itself, it floated alongside the ship then disappeared. Reading the map, we learned that nearby Managaha Island had schools of tuna, trevally, barracuda, sharks, turtles, and sting rays. Ferries took snorkelers there every couple of hours. And the ship offered tours there for 2 hours for $120. Other tours included a drive to the north or the south part of the island for 3 hours and $120. Sailing through the narrow channel flanked by shallow water and coral beds, it took a while for the ship to get in deeper waters. Just by sheer luck, we saw jumping dolphins for a brief moment. Once clear of the reef, the pilot left the ship and waved to all of us watching. It was the same fellow we talked to on the beach. Like we said, a lucky day. The sun went down without any color, and now we were off for a 1366 nautical mile run to our first port in Japan, Ishigaki. A new one for us. Dinner featured the Culinary Council menu with good choices. One appetizer was a crab cake and the other a baby beet salad. Caesar salads as usual, then followed by prime rib with croquette potatoes. Gravy on the side please and best of all……we had different dinner rolls tonight. They were “seedless” and soft on the inside, crispy on the outside. Wish we would have asked sooner. Dessert was the craquelin, a donut-like chocolate filled delight. A hard chocolate candy on the top had been formed with the ship printed in the center. Sweet way to end a fun day. Bill & Mary Ann