WCB

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

Report #50 Sunday February 18, 2024 Guam Island USA, Apra Harbor, Marianas Docked Starboard Side To Pier 8am-5pm Sunny, Cloudy And Rain Showers 90 Degrees Very Humid Part #1 Of 4.......55 Pictures--Casual Dress Today’s port of call was Guam, an unincorporated US territory, located in the Southern Mariana Islands of Micronesia. The capital is Hagatna and the population is over 163,000 people. The indigenous language is Chamorro, but most speak English. The US has a military base and Anderson Air Force base with a population of 22,000. Guam is Micronesia’s most populous and largest island that is filled with World War II history, but also a place of tropical waterfalls, beautiful beaches, and parks. Everyone has heard of Spam, but have you ever heard of Guam Spam? Hormel actually makes a hot and spicy tabasco-flavored Spam just for this island. We believe this canned meat is popular throughout all of the South Pacific. We have seen it on shelves in Fiji, Samoa, Hawaii, and Tonga to name a few. Even spotted on Christmas Island. As kids, we enjoyed fried Spam sandwiches on occasion….not so much these days. The Zuiderdam arrived early to Apra Harbor, but once docked, we had to wait for the customs and immigrations folks to arrive. The plan was to have the guests and crew members do a face to passport check beginning at 8am, but that did not happen. More than once, Kimberly had to announce politely for the people that were lining up early to enter the upper dining room, to please go and have coffee somewhere until they were called. The officials had to set up their tables and could not do that if the hallway was clogged. We were in no hurry to get off, so it was breakfast as normal in the Pinnacle Grill. Our deck was scheduled in the middle, so after we ate, we wandered outside on the promenade deck to watch the first of the guests getting off of the gangway. Of course, the first off were the tour groups. There was one excursion today and it was the highlights of Guam for 3 ½ hours for $150. One hundred and fifty passengers took the morning tour, and the same amount went in the afternoon. Every guest was given a tiny seashell necklace, just like the ones we used to get in Hilo Hatties. A group of local ladies handed them out. Since we have visited all of the WWII historical sights in 2017, we were on our own today. Leaving the ship around 10am, we joined a waiting bus for the free ride to downtown. Specifically, we had a 30 minute ride to the Dusit Thani Guam Resort in downtown Tumon. We did remember the ride along the scenic coastline, but this time we went to the high rent district of resorts and the most extravagant stores. There were the big names of hotels such as the Hyatt Regency, Outrigger Resort, Guam Reef Hotel, the Westin and our destination - the Dusit Thani Guam Resort. A Thai-themed property, it was beautiful inside and out. Surrounding the hotels were stores like Gucci, Prada, Chanel, etc. There were dozens of eateries from fancy to popular such as California Pizza Kitchen, Tony Romas, IHOP, TGI Fridays, and more. But the best discovery was finding the Hard Rock Café right next to the resort. It would not open until after 11am, so we took a long walk in most of the air-conditioned malls that opened earlier. By the way, it was very hot and humid today. The skies were clear and blue early on, but suddenly clouds appeared and by 9:15am, it was raining. A big passing cloud, but enough to bring the umbrellas just in case. Never did need them. The temperature had to be in the high 80’s, but the humidity had to be in the 90% range. Running into Christel, she showed us where the reasonable shopping was located like Macy’s and Ross, but with the heat we decided not to try it. And besides, it was mostly uphill. By noontime, we back-tracked to the attached mall of the Dusit Thani Resort, and walked through all of the shops on two levels. We just happened to find the inside entrance to the Hard Rock Café, and decided it was time for those ice cold beers. It took some time before the draft beers arrived…like 20 minutes. The restaurant filled up quickly and they appeared to be short-staffed. Kimberly had mentioned in her talk that Guam is similar to Hawaii….they do things at their own speed, which is much slower than us. And we had plenty of time to get back to the ship before 4:30pm. We enjoyed a haystack salad with Tupelo fried chicken. This favorite of ours has been eliminated from most menus, and we were pleased to find it here today. By the time we left after 1pm, there was a line of folks waiting for tables. Their shop was located downstairs on the street level. We noticed that they were selling Saipan t-shirts as well as the Guam t’s. The shop girl said that the Saipan HRC had closed permanently, and all of their clothing was 40% off. Well that saves time tomorrow looking for a t-shirt in Saipan, which we never would have found if they are closed. Back to the shuttle, the ride was 30 minutes even with traffic. We did have to show our room keys and ID’s before we left the bus. Then our bags were searched. Getting on the ship, we still went through the xray like always. It was wonderful getting back to the room where we worked on photos and reports. The Captain took the ship out of the harbor a bit later than expected. The Coast Guard promised to accompany us out of the harbor, but they showed up late. With the help of two tugs, and the small gun boat, we sailed into the Philippine Sea, turned north, and headed towards our next port of Saipan tomorrow. Dinner had a nice appetizer of Shanghai ribs. Adding salads, we ordered one sweet and sour duck with noodles, and one flat iron steak. The rolls still are coming hard as rocks, and we are surprised no other guests have commented about it. Or perhaps they are not eating them. Our waiter suggested getting brioche bread tomorrow. That might work. Desserts were one strawberry tart and a peach crisp with a small scoop of ice cream. The entertainment tonight was a repeat of this afternoon’s movie, Rogue Agent. Some might call this dark night without a live show. This seems to be the pattern so far this cruise. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #49 Saturday February 17, 2024 Sea Day #8 Of 8 Enroute To Guam Island USA, Apra Harbor, Marianas Cloudy With Rain Showers 84 Degrees 9' Swell 20mph Wind--Rolling seas Part #1 Of 1........No Pictures---Casual Dress Finally….day number 8 and the last day at sea. Not that it hasn’t been relaxing, maybe a little too much, but we are all ready for some terra firma (ground that does not move under your feet). The weather seemed to warm up today with a noticeable uptick in the humidity. We did expect this as we have sailed far enough south to experience this balmy weather. It remained mostly cloudy, but we did get some good showers during the afternoon. One thing about rain is that it did cool the air off briefly. Thinking we may have missed it in the daily newsletter, the talk on Guam and Saipan finally happened at 1pm today. Kimberly covered everything we needed to know about both ports in the Marianas, much of which the majority of folks on this cruise would never see and do. Things like climbing a mountain or exploring a cave with a 4 mile hike dealing with heat and humidity off of the charts. Luckily, there is only one highlights tour offered in Guam, and it doesn’t cover anything strenuous. There will be a shuttle tomorrow from the pier to a resort area about 40 minutes away. At least we had some names of streets and hotels to do some internet searches this afternoon. We have only been to Guam once, but it has been a while ago. It does not appear that we will be dropped off where we were back then. Colorful animals of the sea was the subject of the lecture today. At that time of day, we are always outside looking for those animals or birds and fish. We only spotted one bird and dozens of fish. There was another special event at 3pm in the Lido Market with “For Cake’s Sake”. The bakers onboard whipped up another display of sweets and treats for the guests to indulge with every bite. Around 2pm, one of us was collecting some Dive-In cuisine for lunch, and did notice that the Lido pool area was full of people waiting for the cake walk to begin. Usually you can count the people in here on two hands. Not today as every poolside table was occupied. This was a good time to do some business at the front desk. We have learned that there will be some money exchange onboard. Specifically, we are able to purchase Japanese yen, Singapore dollars, and Euro. It may be a bit more expensive to do this on the ship, but it will save a lot of time searching for this service while in the specific ports. And one last thing……we had an issue with a tank top that had gotten ink stains on it, not by us, but in the laundry itself. Permanent ink that did not come out. Prior to that, two tiny holes had punctured the lower front of this top, which was fixed by one of us. The front desk girl took photos of the top and the laundry slip, and even came to our room to have me put a price on it and sign their form. She handled this professionally and promised to inform us of a credit. It is still usable if it is tucked inside, so we don’t expect much of a refund. With all of the clouds, there was no sunset. It just got dark. And before we knew it, dinner time had arrived. Starters were Caesar salads, and a beef empanada with guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. Mains were KFC or crispy breaded buttermilk chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. One of us forgot to say gravy on the side, and the potatoes were drowned with it. And it tasted different, like it had a seasoning we could not identify in it. Perhaps cardamom? Oh well, not eating the potatoes left room for the panna cotta dessert and a dish of slice bananas. Pianist Judy Carmichael was the excellent entertainer this evening. Her theme was swing time with songs from Gershwin, Cole Porter and Peggy Lee to name a few. Our buddy Greg mentioned that she performs in Sydney (his hometown) and is quite popular there. We can see why. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #48 Friday February 16, 2024 Sea Day #7 Of 8 Enroute To Guam Island USA, Apra Harbor, Marianas Cloudy 82 Degrees 11' Swell 20mph Wind--Rolling seas Part #1 Of 1........No Pictures---Casual Dress Today marks day number 7 at sea, with a little over 700 nautical miles to go to our next port of Guam. That will take one more day and we will be docking on Sunday. It will be good to be on land after that many days on the rolling ship. We’ll all be lucky to be able to walk a straight line by then. It turned out to be a fairly nice day with scattered clouds, warm temps, and a nice breeze. We have all agreed that this pleasant and comfortable weather will not last too much longer once the ship heads north. It will be time to dig up those long sleeve shirts, jeans, and jackets. There was a “Brunch Sampler” in the dining room at 11 to 1pm. The guests had to make reservations for this special meal, or just show up. We still noticed a large number of people diving into the food in the Lido Market. It appears to be the popular spot on this cruise so far. Lectures on the sharks of Japan delivered by Justine Nadeau and another talk about Guam and Saipan by Joel Fleischer took place in the World Stage. We wish these talks could be televised and repeated later in the day. Years ago all of the lectures were on TV, but not anymore. Many sales were happening in the Shops. We seldom walk through that area of the ship, such as the Casino, Gallery Bar, or the Rolling Stone Lounge. Except for the Pinnacle Grill breakfast, most of our visits are on deck three where the promenade deck is located. The dinner menu had some good things tonight. It was one arancini and one shrimp cocktail for appetizers. Caesar salad and a mostly spinach/tomato salad were our other firsts. Then one of us ordered the chili rellenos with the poblano pepper stuffed with cheese with rice and sauce. Really good, and not as spicy as our waiter had warned. The other entrée was the honey mustard breaded chicken breast. Also moist and tasty. Hazel, our head waitress, came by as always and asked how our meals were. We said fine, but the dinner rolls were so hard and dried up, we could not even cut them in half with a knife. She agreed and said she would inform the chef. Our waiters have been serving the rolls hot, but tonight they were cold and hard as rocks. We doubt that anything can be changed with the rolls unless the recipe is tweaked to make them softer. And at times, the bakers add different grains to the bread such as bulgar. It tends to have small, hard fibrous particles that could break a tooth. Like gravel sometimes. One of us would love to talk to a baker about when and how they make their breads for the day. Anyway, desserts were one chocolate torte and a plate of fresh pineapple. Entertainment this evening was another performance by the Bird Dogs with more Everly Brothers tunes. One more relaxing day at sea, and we will be in a port……..finally. Bill & Mary Ann

Our buddy, Barb, chose not to go on this world cruise this year. We are sure she is fine. Thanks for asking. Yes, the internet is working fine and is Starlink. Bill & Mary Ann

Our buddy, Barb, chose not to go on this world cruise this year. We are sure she is fine. Thanks for asking. Yes, the internet is working fine and is Starlink. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #47 Thursday February 15, 2024 Sea Day #6 Of 8 Enroute To Guam Island USA, Apra Harbor, Marianas Mostly Cloudy 84 Degrees 16' Swell 30mph Wind--Rough Part #1 Of 1........No Pictures---Casual Dress It’s sea day number six, with two more sea days to go before reaching Guam. But who’s counting? According to Captain Frank we still have over 1100 nautical miles to reach our next destination. All through the night, the seas acted up to rock one to sleep or knock one out of the bed, depending on what deck you lived on. This morning we woke up to very cloudy skies and many white caps in the deep swells. These conditions may be with us all of the way to Guam we understand. After breakfast, we had a job to do. Yesterday we received Saipan customs and declaration forms to fill out, as well as a yellow fever verification letter. The customs form was fairly easy to fill out with the help of detailed instructions. The yellow fever info was required for the change in the upcoming ports. The good news is that if we have had at least one vaccination with documented proof, then we are good. If for some reason you were advised never to get it, you would need a letter from a certified doctor to confirm that fact. And something new to us was that if you are over 60 years old, you are not required to be vaccinated again. Anyway, these forms had to be turned in this morning on each passenger deck, just like the passport collection and distribution. Once the forms were scanned for accuracy, they were collected. Easy. It remained warm and partly sunny the rest of the morning, so we went to the Seaview Pool for some sun time. A lone sea gull flew overhead, and actually landed on the back deck. It hopped around until it found some fresh water that had overflowed from the pool. Then it made its way under the tables, obviously looking for food. Kind of freaked some folks out, so the waiters shooed it away. Shortly, it flew away and did not come back while we were there. The boobies are still with the ship, appearing on the starboard side all day. We read that they are capable of staying out at sea for months at a time. We paid a visit to the shore excursion desk on deck 10 to inquire about the new excursions that are available to us to choose one for free. It comes with the room we booked. Nothing is printed anymore, so we were advised to go on the Navigator app (on the computer) and read each tour. We have a choice of tours in Zanzibar, Cape Town, Namibia, or The Gambia. If you choose not to book anything, we will lose that perk. Use it, or lose it. Time for lunch at 2pm, we dined on Dive-In burgers and a hot dog. We noticed that shawarma was being served in the Lido at lunchtime. Once again, we have never seen lunchtime in the Lido Market so crowded. They must be doing something right, because we heard that the dining room lunch has not been that great. So far we have not tried it and probably won’t since we have a hearty breakfast at 8am. There was no good sunset tonight due to the heavy cloud cover. It simply got dark an hour earlier than yesterday. Then it was dinnertime. The appetizer section won over the entrees this evening. Beginning with a crispy prawn spring roll, we added lion head meatballs but were not sure what they consisted of. Asking Alfred our waiter, he went to find out and came back saying it was pork. We shared mains of Katsu pork (like Weiner schnitzel ) and every day lasagna. It was a good combination. Dessert were thin slices of carrot cake. Presty, the maître d’ was working the tables tonight and came to us with questions. He wanted our opinion how the food at dinner was comparing to last year’s world cruise. We began to compare when his phone kept going off, so we expect to continue this conversation another time. The Grand Voyage singers put on a show called Pop-Opera titled Dream. No dancing due to the motion of the ocean. Finally, we are done with the hour back almost every night. At least until we head for Japan……. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #46 Wednesday February 14, 2024 Happy Valentines Day Sea Day #5 Of 8 Enroute To Guam Island USA, Apra Harbor, Marianas Mostly Cloudy 84 Degrees 7' Swell Part #1 Of 1........No Pictures---Formal Dress Happy Valentine’s Day ( a day early for most of our readers)! The message for the day was: May this Valentine’s Day be filled with love, understanding, and contentment as you journey through life with those you hold dear. That applies to everyone everywhere. The day began with very cloudy skies, warm temperatures, and mostly flat seas. That would change later on. With the time change last night, we think many people we know slept in later, not going to the Pinnacle Grill breakfast. Better for those of us who show up on time as we get the best service and the hottest breakfast. Besides the numerous activities, there were some talks today of what to see and do ashore, which is tied to shore excursions. The lecture by Nyron included all of the Hawaiian ports as well as Guam and Saipan. When we do watch it, we will have to fast forward to Guam. Too bad we cannot access the other talk about Guam and Saipan by the guest lecturer. Understanding Japan’s dolphins was the second talk in the World Stage. This happens to be the best time to walk on the promenade deck, since many of the guests are in the show lounge. Makes walking a whole lot easier. Captain Frank mentioned in his noon talk that we have 1580 nautical miles to go to reach Guam. That will take three more days. The Pacific Ocean is so large it is hard to even imagine that we are truly in the middle of nowhere. The biggest miracle of that is the internet, and the fact that it is still working. A few years ago, we would have been in a blackout zone. Anyway the sea swells were 7 feet and the sea and air temperature was 84 degrees. And this would change. One of us was due for a haircut, so an appointment was made easily this morning. The appointment was at 2:45pm, and by then, the spa was not busy. The morning was crazy with the ladies getting hair-dos for tonight’s Valentine’s Day dinner and dance later on. And the haircut turned out quite nice by the way. Later in the afternoon, we took our usual walk, noticing that the clouds had become darker on the horizon. There was the smell of rain in the air, and eventually, we could not avoid the clouds, and it did rain rather hard at times. Lucky for us, our walk was over and we discovered that our veranda was not wet. The winds were blowing towards the starboard side this time. Just as the Captain advised, the swells were deepening, and we were in for a change in the weather. And a change in the seas. The swells became a problem and the ship was rolling quite a bit by dinnertime. Bet some folks will be seasick. Formal was the suggestion in the dining room, of course, as it was Valentine’s Day. Lots of folks dressed in red, including the waiters with red bow ties. Something odd took place around 8:15pm. Several guests sitting near us left their tables, and we wondered if that many people would have gotten seasick. Why else leave all at once? We found out that they had decided to get the first dance in the Crow’s Nest when the doors opened at 8:30pm. Goes to show us that all of these special events are skewed to the early diners. Anyway, the group came back ½ hour later, and resumed their dinner. And yes, some folks did get seasick unfortunately. The menu had some of the usual formal appetizers and entrees. We still ordered the Caesar salads with one surf and turf (without the lobster) and one alternate steak without the gravy. The alternate was by far the tastier of the two mains. Dessert was one triple chocolate mousse and one hot fudge sundae. Once again, we noticed that the gormandizes of chocolates were not served. And maybe we missed it, but when we dined in the Pinnacle Grill for dinner, we don’t remember if we had chocolates there either. There was a Valentine’s Day Dance , as we have already mentioned, from 8:30 to 10:30pm tonight in the Crow’s Nest. Good luck with that…. with the ship rolling around like it was, there would be little dancing on deck 10. Nyron from Shore Excursion was the DJ for this event, one of the jobs he had while the ships were not sailing after 2020. Rene, the spa manager, stopped by and visited with us before she left for the evening. Hosting a table nearby, she was on her way to the Crow’s Nest for an obligatory visit with the guests. Or not. Back in our room, we found an elaborate towel design with two swans and a pile of special chocolates (Seattle’s Best). Also, there was a note to turn our clocks back another hour. Now we will be on Guam time. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #45 Happy Fat Tuesday February 13, 2024 Sea Day #4 Of 8 Enroute To Guam Island USA, Apra Harbor, Marianas Partly Cloudy With Sun 6' Swell 85 Degrees Part #1 Of 1.......35 Pictures---Casual Dress It is official. Sometime today the Zuiderdam crossed the International Date Line, skipping Monday, the 12th. Technically, the clocks moved ahead 24 hours on the ship and for those folks who have watches or devices that needed to advance all of those hours. We really have not lost that day, as we shall get back those hours one at a time (more or less) the further west we travel. So today is Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday and the theme for the day was let the good times roll. A few of the events today will include an expanded Happy Hour from 3:30 to 5:30pm and 6 to 8pm. Just a reminder…..there is a 50% discount on all cocktails, wine by the glass, beers, and house spirits. Later in the evening, there will be a Mardi Gras celebration in the Ocean Bar. We happened to be passing through it when we saw a big table with a huge King Cake, all cut up and ready to hand out to the folks. We guess it was aimed more to the early diners. Not to worry, King Cake was on the dinner menu this evening as well. The Ocean Bar cake was gone by 9pm. Our day was filled with eating, of course, walking, listening to a lecture on octopus, and kicking back at the pool. The weather has been most pleasant, even though a bit on the hot side. The seas have leveled out with a small swell and not a lot of wind. During our morning walk, we thought most of the boobies had left the scene. But they re-appeared and have been joined by one frigatebird. If that is the case, this bird may be roosting on the ship. We wonder if this flock will be with us until Guam? There were two more lectures – one about Micronesia, where we are headed, and another about jellyfish. We suspect there will be talks on the Japanese ports soon, since they will occur very close to each other. And there are many excursions to be sold before then. After watching another fine sunset, we headed off to dinner. Mardi Gras dinner used to be one of the most festive ones with the waiters dressed for the celebration. Jester hats, colorful vests and bowties were worn by all, and they really got a kick out of it. So did we. Every table had a pile of green, gold, and purple beads to wear and also decorative masks. Tonight there was no sign of anything special happening in the main dining room. We know we should not live in the past, but it is what it is. Things have definitely changed in this respect, and we doubt it will ever change back…..even a little bit. The menu did have some nice surprises. We both tried the breaded shrimp appetizer, salads, and the best of all…….the Club Orange entrée of veal cutlets, which were veal chops. And the big ones with the long bone. Barb would have said they were HUGE. And she would be right. Our waiters have been promising us they would show up on the menu and tonight was the night. They were just as savory and tender as we remembered. Then for dessert, we had beignets, which were like a donut with powdered sugar. Our waiter had suggested some ice cream and he was right. But we declined since the chops had been really filling. There were new entertainers this evening, The Bird Dogs, singing songs of the Everly Brothers. They are actually brothers Max and Oliver Hoare promising a show like no other. Four more days at sea, and we will be in Guam. Bill & Mary Ann

Well, it’s Sunday, and a special one at that. It is Super Bowl LVIII Sunday and we will be cheering on the 49ers, since we both are San Francisco born and raised. It’s really a toss-up whether or not they can beat the Kansas City Chiefs, but time will tell. We may have missed something, but usually there is a big promotion in the World Stage where they sell special seating with a drink package for the duration of the game. We do recall a nice event where Super Bowl food was provided in a buffet outside the Main Stage on the Amsterdam. The only advertisement for this game was to enjoy a bucket of beer with friends while you cheer on your team. There was no mention of any fun food being served. The showlounge was to be opened at 11am on deck two, but Kimberly had announced there was a pre-game show by the singers and dancers at 10am. As for the two of us, we decided not to fight the crowd for seats, and enjoy the game in our room on our big screen TV. After all, we had plenty of snacks to enjoy as well as ice cold cokes. During the commercials, we could go out on the deck and get some fresh air and sun. Actually the special ads were not shown, but ESPN put on rerun after rerun of sports ads. The 49ers came really close to a win, but lost in the final minutes of overtime. It could have gone either way, but it was fun to watch anyway. We had expected the half time show to be blacked out, but it was not. We suppose the entertainment appealed to a lot of fans, but the music was not our favorite. Now Reba singing the national anthem was more our style. So congratulations go to Kansas City. We really got the feeling that they were favored to win by listening to the commentary before, during, and after the game. Captain Frank came on the speakers at noon, even in the staterooms, and went on and on about crossing the International Dateline. We did not realize that this will occur tomorrow, and we will lose one whole day. Therefore, there will be no “Monday, February 12th” and we will be starting Tuesday. By 4pm, it had cooled down a bit to take a nice long walk. The day was warm, in the high 70’s, but we do not know how long this beautiful weather will last. The seas were calm although we still have some considerable swells. And we still have the company of the boobies…at least 16 of them. Their hunting pattern seems to differ from the previous ones we have watched. Since the flying fish are few and far between, these birds seem to stay high in the sky, and soar over the ship. They tend to go further away as well, so taking pictures is difficult. Getting photos of the sunset seems to be a lot easier. Finally we had some nice choices on tonight’s menu for dinner. One of us tried the grilled shrimp taco and the other had the Thai beef tataki….both were tasty. Mains were the prime rib, which was good, but for some reason they drowned the meat with gravy. If we knew in advance, we would have requested it on the side. Different chefs do things differently, not necessarily following standardized recipes. The meat was tender and went well with the baked potato and most of the toppings. Missing was the butter, which was brought as an afterthought. Desserts were a lemon cake and a sliced banana. Our waiters always seem disappointed when one of us orders something simple, like fruit, but it works well ending the meal on a sweet note. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #43 Saturday February 10, 2024 Sea Day #2 Of 8 Enroute To Guam Island USA, Apra Harbor, Marianas Mostly Sunny 75 Degrees 11mph Wind 4' Swell Part #1 Of 1........20 Pictures---Dressy Night Another relaxing day at sea was in store for us. The seas have calmed down, and the weather was just about perfect. The overcast of clouds finally blew away, and we were left with clear blue skies with temps on the high 70’s. And very little wind. Sure hope it continues like this for the rest of the sea days at least. Every sea day, Kimberly, our cruise director, hosts a coffee chat with a member of the staff, lecturers, entertainers, and even crew members. In a half hour interview, yesterday she grilled Henk, the hotel manager we have known it seems like for centuries. It appeared she followed a format of questions in a magazine, and most of them were really funny. Henk did a good job of answering them, hesitating with the harder ones along the way. Maybe in his previous life, Henk may have been a comedian. Anyway, now that we know where to find these interviews on TV, we can watch them especially when she grills people we know. There are two new guest lecturers onboard. Cultural understanding for travelers was the subject for Joel Fleisher, then Justine Nadeau delivered a talk all about whales of Japan. Due to copyright laws, these lectures cannot be televised. Today we were pleasantly surprised to find some tables and chairs around the Sea View Pool. We got there around 11am, and took over one table. By the time the Lido opened for lunch, all of the tables filled up. Quite often, we see officers from the navigation team come outside to eat their lunch. It is the best place to get some fresh air and sun. Today they were in luck and sat outside near us. One thing this ship does not have are umbrellas on stands for the tables. There is sufficient shade on both sides of the pool area, so umbrellas are not needed. The Volendam had some and they were forever falling over in the wind. Our buddy Greg came outside and stayed for a visit. A former tablemate, he shared what he and Heo had been doing in Hawaii. Normally that would be dinner conversation. At least we got to hear about their lunches and site-seeing in all three ports. They do share photos, so now we can put the stories to the pictures. Lunch for us was room service Cobb salads and a shared roast beef panini. A 2pm lunch works better for us, and we do not have to search for a place to sit if we went to the Lido. Walking through the Lido on the way back to our room at 1pm, we noticed the place was full of people , most looking for seats. Way to crowded and noisy, we were happy to leave the area. By the way, today was Lunar New Year also known as Chinese New Year. The Lido restaurant was the only place that had some decorations. And they were hanging Chinese lanterns. There was a time when the dining room was highly decorated for this occasion, but like everything else, things have changed. Oh well, at least we might have some Chinese cuisine at dinnertime. Tonight’s dinner dress suggestion was “dressy” for a change. Most everyone we saw was cleaned up nicely. The appetizers of dim sum were very good, and the salads tasty. We still think they are using up house-made salad dressings, because they are not the usual ones. This applies to the thousand island, ranch, and Caesar dressings. On past cruises, the dressings were Ken’s, but we do not know if they are still being used. Our mains were one huli-huli chicken and one BBQ pork ribs. Both were good and served hot. Desserts were one date pudding and a few slices of fresh pineapple. Then our waiter appeared with a tray of single-wrapped fortune cookies. Nice surprise for the Year of the Dragon. The entertainment this evening was a performance by the singers and dancers called Time After Time. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #42 Friday February 9, 2024 Sea Day #1 Of 8 Enroute To Guam Island USA, Apra Harbor, Marianas Sunny With Clouds 75 Degrees 12' Swell Part #1 Of 1......40 Pictures--- Casual Dress Today we began our eight-day run towards Guam. Even Captain Frank said this will be the longest stretch of sea days he has done, at least on a cruise ship. The morning began with sunny skies, but later it turned overcast and almost cool. After our morning walk, we headed to the Sea View Pool for some fresh air and sun. We noticed that once again, the round tables and chairs were stacked under the overhang. The bar area and the smoking section had places to sit, but not out around the pool. We took chairs and brought them over to the pool railing, then asked the next available crew member why all of these tables and chairs were not out. He said they needed permission to bring them out from the navigation officers. Perhaps last night, it may have been a bit rocky, but not enough to send tables and chairs flying. Today, it was back to normal. After the lunch service began in the Lido, many folks walked outside with their plates to find a table, but there were none out. And the deck crew made no attempt to set some up around the back of the pool. The way we see it, if there are no places to sit, it forces folks to go indoors. It is not a welcoming feeling. All we could do is share our thoughts with one of the crew members, and perhaps he will pass it along. By the way, he did offer to bring us a table, but we said no thanks. Another thing missing were the bar waiters asking guests if they would like beverages. It sure is not that way in the Lido Pool area. You can sit down at any one of their tables, and be offered drinks within minutes. Something is missing back here. We still had reports and pictures to work on from yesterday, so we did that after the cloud cover cooled everything off. A Dive-In lunch was sufficient, and spending time on the clean veranda took the rest of the time. It appears that a small flock of masked boobies have decided to tag along. Since we have not spotted any flying fish, we have no idea what they are hunting. They are still fun to watch. At 4pm, the Block Party began. This was a repeat of the first one we had after boarding in Ft. Lauderdale, and we suspect it will not be the last of them. Music was blasted in the hallways, and the ding-dong of the PA system kept going off. Complimentary wine was served as the officers and crew ran down each and every passenger hallway. We went towards the end of the soiree, but went left this time to the front set of elevators. Only a few guests were there finishing up the last of their wine. It is quite possible that at 4pm, some guests may have been in the middle of a nap due to so many clock changes recently. We know one thing for sure, there were very few folks taking a walk at 5pm. The sea swells had picked up, and the winds were blowing pretty good. Just a guess, but we believe being in open waters like this leaves us vulnerable to high seas. Sure hope it does not get worse. The menu was a little better tonight with new appetizers of pork spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce. They sure are stingy with the sauce though. Had we known there was ¼ teaspoon of sauce, we would have asked for more. That’s the best part. Mains were spaghetti and meatballs and Hawaiian-style kalbi pork ribs. They also had a sweet and sour sauce on them. Dessert was a little chocolate cupcake with caramel popcorn on the frosting. One of us had a sliced banana, which had just arrived yesterday. Tasted even better with the frosting of the cupcake on top. Kind of defeated the purpose, but it was good. Surprise, surprise……there was another hour back on the clock tonight. This will put us at UTC-12/International Date Line West. It sounds good on paper that we get an extra hour, but too many in a row really upsets your body’s clock. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #41 Thursday February 8, 2024 Honolulu ,Oahu, Hawaii 7am-11pm Docked Starboard Side To Pier Sunny With Broken Clouds And A Early Morning Rain Shower 80 Degrees Part #1 Of 4.......55 Pictures---Casual Dress Early this morning, we were greeted with a beautiful rainbow as soon as we opened our drapes. Of course that meant there was rain close by, but normally as the day advanced, the showers went away. Within minutes, the rainbow disappeared as well. Today ended the first segment of this grand cruise. Some folks had put their luggage outside their rooms before retiring for the evening. Everyone received stickers with the first segment’s itinerary which we put in a small souvenir booklet. As the future segments end, we will get more stickers. First things first…..we had a notice that the maintenance team will be working on the air-conditioning unit that takes care of our deck or section. That would occur between 8am and 11:30am, and we were asked to be patient for the rooms to get to the normal temperatures. Ample time could mean all day. While we were working on completing photo work, we did notice that the temperature was rising. Sure hope it was not a repeat of the last time it failed. As it turned out, the outage was for only an hour or so, then it resumed working well. The next job was a thorough balcony-washing from 9am to 3pm. This time all of the balcony partitions would be unlocked and a worker would come through with a hose. Then someone would follow up and wipe down the veranda glass and windows. Before we went to breakfast, we took in all of the chair and lounge pads so everything could be cleaned well. There was salt built up on the ceiling and walls, but the majority of it was on the floor. Now it is clean for a while. There were a few tours today that covered most everyone’s needs. There were two choices of ho-ho buses. One was a day pass for $75 and included the red, pink, and green lines. The other option was $90 for the blue line, which included admission to one of the main attractions. The most popular excursions took the folks to Pearl Harbor and the Mighty Missouri for 6 ½ hours for $210. Another popular but strenuous tour was a climb to Diamond Head, a 763 foot steep climb. It was 3 ½ hours for $220. We heard through the grapevine that if you wanted to do this on your own, you had to get tickets ahead of time. Out of town, the tours were a rainforest walk for 4 hours at $220, or a ride to the North Shore for 6 ½ hours at $240. The easiest excursion was a circle the island drive for 8 hours and $140. Another shorter tour for 4 hours was monarchs and missionaries for $190. And since we were not scheduled to stay overnight, there was no dinner luau or a sunset cruise. Even though there was an early morning shower, the weather cleared up and was just about perfect. Three months ago, it was near 100 degrees when we visited Honolulu, so today with the temps in the low 80’s, it was nice. And there was a breeze that never stopped. Great walking conditions. We left the ship by 11am, and headed for the main street out of Pier 2. Turning right, we hiked past the car dealers, and many other businesses. We had two choices today, since we had only one day here. Normally we walk to Waikiki, then on to have lunch at the Hard Rock Café. Did you know that the name Waikiki means “spouting water”? It seems that this beautiful beach with turquoise water used to be a swampland. In 1901, the first hotel, the Moana Surfrider was built here. That marked the beginning of the massive tourist industry. Here’s another little thing we learned. Diamond Head got its name from the calcite crystals in the rocks that early explorers in the late 1700’s mistook for diamonds. We always take photos of the famous lookout when we get to the beach. However, to go there and also go to Ala Moana Center would take too much time and energy today. So the second option was to walk through Ala Moana Beach Park spotting birds all the way. There are some mighty fine banyan trees as well as baobab trees planted there. Unfortunately, there are some homeless people there living in tents. Most of the day, they sleep, but do not bother people in the park. Except for one fellow in his twenties that was ranting and raving for no reason. We guess that all big cities in the US have this problem, but more so where the weather is warm most of the year. Crossing the street, we entered the world’s largest open-air shopping mall – Ala Moana Center. If you cannot find things there, you never will anywhere else. It is so huge, it is easy to get lost. One of our destinations at this mall was Macy’s, where we recalled they had an instore watch shop. One of us had two watches that needed batteries, so we located the shop, and they had both watches running within 10 minutes. Then it was time for lunch and we had our minds set on pizza. One of our favorite restaurants at home is California Pizza Kitchen. Lucky for us, there is one here. We got one of the last booths, surprised at how busy they were for a Thursday afternoon. We shared a BBQ chicken chopped salad, and a pizza with the same toppings. The French bread slices and seasoned olive oil came right before the salad. We had forgotten to bring our CPK member card, but using our phone number, the waiter discovered we had $5 credit to use. Adding a couple of Coke Zeros, we were happy campers. The last job of the day was a trip to Target for some room snacks. Funny thing…..on or way out of the terminal this morning, we saw a couple coming back to the ship loaded with big bags of crackers, chips, and other snacks. They probably made a trip to Walmart or Costco. All of us like our little snacks, not only the crew members. We did notice that the Shops onboard were selling saltine crackers, something we have never seen. So we loaded up on chips, pub mix, some blocks of cheese, pretzels, and popcorn. We looked all over for bean dip, but all they had was cheese and salsa dips. It will be hard to find any of these favorites in Japan or China. Taking our time going back, we noticed that every bus passing us was full of folks going to Waikiki or the Ala Moana Center. Since all aboard was 10:30pm, we think a lot of people will go for cocktails and dinner in town. We got back by 4pm, and used that time as we always do. Keeping up with the photos every day really helps. So does relaxing on the veranda watching the harbor traffic. The sunset was really pretty tonight, and went down very fast. Time for dinner, we noticed that there was only one entrée with beef. That was the alternate steak. There has been a lot of pork, some fish, a little chicken or duck, and more than one vegetarian choice. A new appetizer with skewered shrimp and onion with soy sauce and peanut dip was excellent. Instead of one wonton in the clear broth, we asked for two wontons. Great choice, even with the one drop of some spicy oil that burned the lips. Our entrees were one lasagna and the alternate steak. Both were surprisingly good. A lemon meringue slice of cheesecake and a plate of pineapple were the desserts. We do know that some big loading happened today, so we shall see if the menu improves. There was a special show this evening featuring a local group called Kauvaka. The group included singers, dancers, and drummers from the island of Oahu. The costumes were worthwhile to see as was the performance of Polynesian and Hawaiian dance. Always nice when they have a local group like this one. Another plus was finding out we had another hour back on the clocks tonight. As we head west, this will happen every few days now. Fine with us. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #40 Wednesday February 7, 2024 Hilo, Hawaii 8am-5pm Docked Port Side To Pier Overcast With Rain Showers 72 Degrees 30mph Wind To Night Part #1 Of 4.......55 Pictures---Casual Dress The Zuiderdam arrived to the sheltered bay of Hilo early this morning under partly cloudy skies, some sun, and some rain too. One of the shore officials said their weather here is “bi-polar”. We tend to agree. The ship was cleared quickly and the tour folks were off and running to their coaches as always. Today’s excursions revolved around Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which was a trip to Kilauea volcano and lava fields. Four different variations of that tour were offered. One of them went to the Volcano Winery, a candy factory, and it included a lunch for 6 ½ hours for $270. The volcano with a garden tour for 3 ½ hours was $180, while a side trip to Rainbow Falls for 4 ½ hours was $160. Then a visit to a macadamia nut factory with the volcano for 4 ½ hours was $120. The last three tours did not include a lunch. The last time we toured Kilauea it had a lunch, which was a stop along the way at roadside picnic tables with a boxed lunch. Tropical fruit, farm, and falls was $200 for 3 ½ hours. We left the ship around 10am, and failed to take our umbrellas. We know better to go for a long hike without them, but the sun was shining when we left. Never gave it a thought. Did you know that Hilo is one of the wettest towns in the USA? They get an average yearly rainfall of 128 inches. It’s no wonder there are so many gushing waterfalls here producing a jungle of exotic trees and flowers. By the way, there was no shuttle to Walmart, but there was a shuttle to the produce market in Old Hilo. We know that the crew members really miss that free Walmart bus, and so do we. There are close to 41,000 residents here living on the slopes of three major volcanoes. Mauna Kea tops out at 13,796 feet, but measuring it from the base, it is 32,000 feet. That makes it the tallest island mountain. Next is Mauna Loa at 13,679 feet and spreads over half of the island. Measuring 30,080 feet from the base, it is the largest volcanic mountain in the world. Then comes Kilauea at 4300 feet in elevation. The most active of the volcanoes, Kilauea gets all of the attention. Passing by the restaurant, Ponds Hilo, at the Ice Pond, we realized they were closed today. Reading the door sign, we saw they were closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Guess we have always been here on their “open” days. We did have another option, so decided to continue walking first, then eat later. Crossing over the Ice Pond, we also figured it was a school day, and there were no kids showing off their skills in soaking the tourists that walked by here. And for the first time ever, we saw three large green turtles swimming gently in the pond. We bet they always live there, but are scared away with too much activity. They seemed to be watching us, and came up for air often. Another good photo op. We made our way past the industrial part of town as well as the international airport. Our first stop was at Reeds Bay Beach Park, where the rain began. Taking shelter under the old banyan trees planted by celebrities and local famous folks, helped keep us mostly dry. We could see the shower coming across in waves, eventually stopping. It was heavy enough to make the local beach-goers pack up their gear, load their vehicles, and leave the narrow strip of beach. The rain let up, and we continued on to Lili’uokalani Gardens, a 25 acre Japanese garden on Banyan Drive. It includes arching bridges, fishponds, pagodas with seaside and mountain views. And some well known residents there are mongoose. However, try as we could, we never spotted one of them. There is a cropping of volcanic rocks under some banyan trees there, and we have always seen some mongoose coming out from the caverns in the rocks. Today we waited and watched for 20 minutes, and did not spot one. It just happened that a bus full of HAL tourists had been let loose and were trying to cover every corner of this park. Might have kept the mongoose away, who knows? What we did see was a pair of Hawaiian nenes, or geese. They had a chick with them….just one. That is the first time ever we saw a young nene. And they were being quite protective, which is good since these state birds almost became extinct at one point. Walking back, it began to rain again, but this time it was heavy rain. It was a good thing we were close to another restaurant across the street from Ponds. Next to or part of a hotel, it was Coconut Grill. The restaurant was much larger than it appeared from the outside, and had a really good menu with many choices. We were happy they had draft beer on the list too. So we ordered a BBQ pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw on a taro bun. We asked what a taro bun was, and discovered it was made with the flour of the taro root, which is purple. First time we ever saw purple bread, which really tasted like regular bread. We added fries to share, then saved room for another serving of “Naughty Mud Pie”. Similar to yesterday’s treat, this one had a layer of fudge sauce on the top under the layer of whipped cream over the mocha ice cream on a cookie crust. Broken Oreos were on the very top. We have to say, that made our day. Time to head back, we got to the terminal around 2:30pm. We had noticed that the US flag as well as the state flag were flying at half -mast at the pier. So we asked the officials, and they said the flags have remained that way ever since the fire destroyed Lahaina months ago. Regardless of the island, these Hawaiians are a tight family. Catching up on photos and reports took the rest of the afternoon. One other fact we learned was that the macadamia nut requires 300 pounds of pressure per square inch to crack the shell. Well worth the trouble since they are delicious…..chocolate covered or not. As far as calories go, well we won’t even go there. These nut trees are actually from Australia, but they thrive in the islands and are famous worldwide. The ship left the harbor at 5pm. Captain Frank said to expect some rough sailing around the top of the island of Hawaii. He expected the winds to pick up to 35 knots with some deep swells. By morning, we will be in Honolulu, Oahu. Dinner was the final one for those who are leaving this first segment. We have not been able to get an exact number of departing and new guests, probably due to the fact that the following segments may have been marketed well to gain more guests. We have heard the term “ferry boat” regarding the numerous segments, but that is the way it works these days. Split pea soup was the best appetizer choice since the weather was almost cool tonight. Caesar salads, and mains of chicken with stuffing and a pork chop with a loaded baked potato were good. Desserts were a little rum cake and a plate of fresh pineapple. Entertainment this evening was the Grand Voyage Band playing the Beatles hits. Easy listening. Looking forward to Honolulu, although it will be a one day stay instead of overnight. Too bad. Oh yes, thank you for the description of shawarma. We have seen this skewered meat often in foreign countries, but never knew the correct name. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #39 Tuesday February 6, 2024 Kona, Hawaii 8am-8pm Anchored With Tender Platforms On Starboard Side Which Faces Town Morning Sun Turning To Clouds In The Afternoon 79 Degrees Part #1 Of 6......55 Pictures--Casual Dress It was a fine morning to be arriving to the bay of Kona, Hawaii. The skies were mostly blue and the temperature was in the mid 70’s. No humidity to speak of, which was nice. We went to breakfast as usual, then waited until we were called by decks to go to the US Customs and Border Protection Inspection. All we needed were our passports and room keys, which were scanned upon entering the upper dining room. Then we opened the passports to our picture page, and simply passed by the officials who did not even scan them. On the way out of the dining room, we had a green sticker placed on our room key cards. We would not have been able to get on a tender boat without that green sticker showing we had been cleared. Of course, we were able to bypass getting tender tickets, showing just our room keys to access deck A. We left the ship around 10am, and we do think most of the tour groups had already gone to shore. There were a lot of excursions offered today and some of them were quite expensive. A coffee farm and bay snorkel must have included a lunch for 7 ¼ hours for $340. Senses of Kona for 4 hours had tastings for $320, while an Atlantis submarine dive for 1 hour was $240. Kona coffee and a cloud forest visit for 4 hours was $210, but the most reasonable tour was a 1 hour glass-bottom boat ride for $90. The ride to shore was quick since it was less than a mile to the landing pier. There must have been leis given out because the remnants of the flower petals were scattered all over the ground. We really did not have anything in mind except getting a good walk in today after so many days at sea. Turning right, we followed Ali’I Drive, the main street, where all of the shops and eateries are located. Going this direction took us past the Hulihe’e Palace, a vacation home for Hawaiian royalty and the oldest church in all of Hawaii, Moku’aikaua Church, built in 1837. Both were closed today, but that did not stop the folks from walking around the outsides. Kona’s farmers Market has always been a very busy spot not to be missed when here. However, it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. It is the first time we noticed that this extensive market with produce as well as a wide array of souvenirs was all set up in tents. There was not one tent on the property this morning. Just an empty parking lot. Further up the road, we were able to access the water’s edge where we always remember a stretch of sandy beach. There must have been a storm here that removed the sand, because all that was left were rocks of volcanic origin. And lots of black sand crabs. Further up the road was the Kona Inn Shopping Village where there are art galleries, eateries, and numerous souvenirs shops. One of the more amusing shops is the Donkey Balls Store where they sell a variety of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts. And although we did not see it, we know there is a Hilo Hattie’s there. They are famous for their matching Hawaiian-style clothing for men, women, and kids. We kept walking until we passed by the old Bubba Gumps’, now another restaurant. Making our way to the Royal Kona Resort, we spent some time walking the property and sitting near their outdoor pool area. There seemed to be a good size crowd staying here, although we did hear someone mention that two days ago, the waves were washing over the wall here. Guess we got lucky with the weather today. This was a good place to turn around and head back. Crossing the street, we walked through the Coconut Grove Marketplace where there is a nice Outback Steakhouse. It did not appear to be opened until later. We had planned on locating pizza for lunch, but when we checked the menu at the Kona Canoe Club, we saw that pizza was not longer on their menu. But a back-up plan was to try the newly-relocated Pancho and Lefty’s Mexican Restaurant. Glad we did. Climbing up a flight of stairs, we entered their patio dining on the second floor facing the ocean. This location was exactly across the way from the old place, but was much larger and nicer. We ordered two draft beers – Longboard, and they were wonderful….ice cold. Then we shared a platter of cheese nachos with carnitas (pulled pork) with chips and salsa on the side. Sure was good. We thought we might add a taco salad, but glad we didn’t. We had saved room for a huge slice of mud pie, which came just like Hula Pie, covered with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. The ice cream was solid hard mocha….so good. Anyway we left happy campers. We had planned on a walk uphill to a CVS, and also perhaps sharing a shaved ice at Scandinavian Shaved Ice, but there was not any room for it. Maybe next time. And we ended up skipping the CVS hike. We did have a nice visit with Tom M. our former host from years ago. It seems he is always surrounded with his clients and we seldom have a chance to talk. Today we did. From there, we headed back to the tender pier and got on the boat back home. The remainder of the afternoon was spent on photo and report work. Whenever there is an opportunity to collect local information on a port we are visiting, one of us is a pack rat and picks up everything available. Today that opportunity happened along the entire Ali’i Drive. Two great sources of info were the This Week and Big Island brochure as well as the 101 Things To Do on the big island booklet both dated 2024. Scanning through the things to do, I came across some good statistics concerning the humpback whale migration through this area. These behemoths will swim 3000 miles from their feeding grounds in Alaska to mate and deliver their calves. The estimated numbers of humpbacks from 7000 to 10000 are expected to be seen this season in all of the Hawaiian waters. With that news, we began to scan the huge bay we were in and guess what? We saw whale blows in the far distance. Many of them. There appeared to be some adults and several young ones as they came closer to the ship. The young ones seemed to be doing the most breaching and jumping. They were rolling and throwing a pectoral fin as they spun in place. Then we hoped there was nothing below them causing this behavior. Like killer whales or sharks perhaps. The mothers would protect them from that we suspect. We were glued to our veranda taking photos and enjoying the show through binoculars for at least one hour. Eventually the Captain came on the speakers and announced the sightings. Nine hundred pictures later, the sun began to go down on the horizon, and their activity subsided. We were lucky to see a few of the adults diving and showing their tails, although they were not diving deep. And we did not have to take a tour to see the whales as they came to all of us. Another plus was watching the sun go down quickly on the horizon. This evening they were having a “Glamp Out” activity in the Lido Pool area at 8:30pm. It was advertised as a camping experience with a movie, drink specials, sliders, and s’mores. We chose to go to dinner as usual, and ordered some of the items they were serving there. We both ordered the chicken tenders with a mustard sauce, learning we need to ask for extra sauce next time. One of us had an artichoke heart and risotto salad and the other a Caesar salad. Mains were a Chef Neil burger with fries and the other a sliced pork plate with macaroni salad and rice. Dessert was one upside down pear cake with vanilla ice cream. Good way to end a very busy day in Kona. Tomorrow we will be in Hilo. Seems like we were just here. We were last fall. Bill & Mary Ann

Report #38 Monday February 5, 2024 Sea Day Enroute To Kona, Hawaii Cloudy And Cooler With Rain Showers 72 Degrees 30mph Winds 12' Swell Still Rough Part #1 Of 1........No Pictures---Casual Dress Well we have finally arrived to our last full sea day on the way to the Hawaiian Islands. The weather has not improved at all, we would even say it got worse with deeper swells and very overcast skies with rain on the horizon. It was probably not the best conditions for the 5K On Deck for a Cause walk, although it is not required to take the walk even if you donate. The cause for this cruise was for Maui, specifically for Lahaina and the devasting fire that destroyed the area. Our fondest memory of visiting Lahaina had to be in 2001 when the ship was at anchor in the harbor and was surrounded with humpback whales and their newborn babies. The ship was the Star Princess and the cruise was her inaugural voyage. It is sad to realize that we will never be able to see that sight again….at least not in that part of Maui. We caught up with Kimberly’s talk on Kona, which gave us hints of what to do and see while in Kona. It is a small town, so we will take our usual hike from one end to the other. We see that the produce and souvenir market will be closed. It is not a huge market, but there are a lot of trinkets sold there at much better prices than in the shops. Not that we need any more bowls or carvings, but they are fun to look at. If we are lucky, we may find a good place for pizza, which we have not enjoyed since leaving home back in December. Since tomorrow we have to clear immigrations, we will not get to shore until well after 10am. We still find it odd that we are not stopping in Hilo first. Our best guess on that one is that other ships may be in port that day, or the shore excursions are more numerous in Hilo on Wednesdays. Today’s theme in the Lido lunch was “shawarma”. Does anyone know what that means? Since we never dine in there, we did not remember to check it out. After our 4:30pm walk, we wandered into the World Stage where a rehearsal was happening. We took in a few songs by Michelle Montuori who belted out some Frank Sinatra favorites. What a voice she has. DJ Bucciarelli was also sharing the stage with her, but we did not hear him at the rehearsal. Something odd happened before our dinner time. Around 7:45pm, we had just sat down when Kimberly came into the upper dining room and addressed us all. Then she announced the entire culinary team and their workers were on the way with a parade like we may have at the very end of the long voyage. Within seconds the parade began with everyone clapping as the group passed by, followed by all of the wait staff and head waiters. We felt like the cruise was over, but we were told it was for the end of the first segment. Really? It’s only been 5 weeks since the trip began. So how many people are actually leaving in Honolulu? Originally we had been told the number of guests leaving was 250. About half that amount would be boarding. Now we asked and the number was over 100 leaving. We shall clarify that number tomorrow with someone who knows for sure. That would be Henk. Even though the parade happened tonight, it was explained that with two days in port, not everyone would be present to watch it. Anyway, dinner was almost formal cuisine with escargots as appetizers, and surf and turf…..what they should have offered on formal night. Most people around us did order the sliced tenderloin and lobster, but we went for the Hawaiian chicken with grilled pineapple. It had a spicy gravy, but it was good. Then we shared a small slice of Nutella cheesecake just because it was different. Tasted like regular chocolate to us. It will be great to be on firm land tomorrow after we get off of the tender boat that is. Bill & Mary Ann