A Silver Shadow Over The World - December 2023 to May 2024

[mysty]

4 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Lincslady is a professional imbiber 😀

 

She certainly hasn't provided documentation of her professional designation.  😁  She is a humble soul though.  😁

[lincslady]

26 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Lincslady is a professional imbiber 😀

 

I resemble that remark, Mr .L.    Sadly less true nowadays; as you get older your capacity and I fear your tastebuds are not as good they used to be.  However, my recent blood tests were all satisfactory, which is unusual at my age. So I am always willing to have a go!  Bring it on, even if it is only Sanatogen.

 

Lola 

[Mr Luxury]

38 minutes ago, mysty said:

 

WOW!  I've had a few drops.   😁

So I hear

[mysty]

31 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

So I hear

Cooler tribal drums are sounding?????  Could have missed a few beats!  😁

[mysty]

I found a world map at a local map store in town.  It is exactly the same map we used for the 2019 adventure.  $6.75.  

 

 

I also got a "stationery" package.  It's actually a wedding invitation kit from a Dollar Store.  It has just what I like to take along for handwritten notes.  $4.00

 

[rojaan19]

16 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

I've not had a drop so far this year.

 

And I haven't dropped any of my wine this year  as well  🤩

[highplanesdrifters]

High Jinx, Demon Drinks, someone to help organize? Where do I sign up?

[mysty]

A few days ago, on the middle of 3 sea days from Phuket to Chennai, India, the 2023 World Cruise passengers were treated to a Lunch Under the Lifeboats.  Tables were set up on the deck below the lifeboats and a delicious lunch was served.  I have a friend on that cruise and he has allowed me to share the menu.

 

 

It looks yummy.  Maybe they will repeat this for the 2024.

[mysty]

Here is the breakdown of sea days and port days for the Holiday Season Cruise and the World Cruise...

Voyage                                              Ports                          Sea Days        Total
Bridgetown to Fort Lauderdale            7                                   2                  9
Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco      8 (2 overnight ports)     10                19
_____________________________________________________________________________
                                                           15                                  12                28
_____________________________________________________________________________

San Francisco to Lautoka                   8 (1 overnight port)        12               21
Lautoka to Sydney                             12 (3 overnight ports)      5                20
Sydney to Bali                                    12 (4 overnight ports)      7                23
Bali to Hong Kong                               7 (4 overnight ports)       7                18
Hong Kong to Tokyo                           7 (5 overnight ports)        6               18
Tokyo to Seward                                12                                     8               20
Seward to San Francisco                  14                                     2               16
____________________________________________________________________________
                                                          72 (15 overnight ports)    47              136
____________________________________________________________________________            
As you can see, for this cruise as a whole there will be more port days than sea days.  By segment the ratio changes with some segments being port intensive and some being sea day intensive.  

 

The numbers for the overnight ports may seem incorrect.  Some of the 15 overnights span 2 segments.  Therefore the count of overnight ports within each segment does not add to the total of overnight ports.  And in the case of Shanghai, we would be there for 2 nights and 3 days.

 

In 2016 we had 48 sea days  and 67 port days out of 115 days.

 

In 2019 we had 65 sea days and 52 ports (some overnights) for a total of 132 nights.  Closer to an even split.  

 

The 2024 visits more ports within a country (New Zealand - 10 ports, Australia - 9 ports, Japan - 11 ports,  Alaska - 11 ports) which reduces the number of sea days required to reach the next port.

There are actually 65 ports and 14 countries on this itinerary.  Keep in mind that ports are counted at the end of one segment as well as at the beginning of the next segment.  The cruise is actually 132 days.  For us, it will be 129 days as Silversea has advised us that our cruise will end in Vancouver on May 23rd.  We're fine with that as we will not have to go through American Customs and Immigration followed by Canadian Customs and Immigration.
 

 

[mysty]

We would be cruising the Hubbard Glacier on May 12, 2024.  We did an Alaska cruise in 2010 and cruised the Hubbard Glacier on June 5th of that year.  Here is a photo from that day....

 

 

We are looking forward to another visit and wondering if we will notice anything vastly different.  Time will tell.

[Mr Luxury]

4 hours ago, mysty said:

We would be cruising the Hubbard Glacier on May 12, 2024.  We did an Alaska cruise in 2010 and cruised the Hubbard Glacier on June 5th of that year.  Here is a photo from that day....

 

 

We are looking forward to another visit and wondering if we will notice anything vastly different.  Time will tell.

Interested to know how much smaller it might be now.

[mysty]

13 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

Interested to know how much smaller it might be now.

 

That's my thought as well.   It's hard to know if ice is disappearing from the face of the glacier or melting further back beyond sight lines.  

[drron29]

12 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

Interested to know how much smaller it might be now.

Though you shouldn't believe everything you read. You probably have read how the Antarctic Sea Ice is melting furiously. It is true around the peninsula but studies have revealed a long series of underwater Volcanoes in the area that is probably the cause of the melting.

 

As for the Antarctic Continent the sea ice extent is more than it was 12 years ago. In January 2011 we were aboard the Orion an Australian Expedition ship. We were able to get into Commonwealth Bay with just a short zodiac ride to the continent and visit Mawson's Hut. Sir Doulas Mawson led Australia's first Antarctic mission and the hut was constructed in 1912.

The next year an expedition ship was only able to get to 10 Km from the coast so no one saw Mawson's hut for the Centenerary. A Russian ice breaker was chartered by Chimu in 2018 which did reach Commonwealth Bay but had to leave immediately as the weather changed.

 

So as of now we were the last tourists to visit Mawson's hut due to the increase in Antarctic sea ice.

[mysty]

6 hours ago, drron29 said:

Though you shouldn't believe everything you read. You probably have read how the Antarctic Sea Ice is melting furiously. It is true around the peninsula but studies have revealed a long series of underwater Volcanoes in the area that is probably the cause of the melting.

 

As for the Antarctic Continent the sea ice extent is more than it was 12 years ago. In January 2011 we were aboard the Orion an Australian Expedition ship. We were able to get into Commonwealth Bay with just a short zodiac ride to the continent and visit Mawson's Hut. Sir Doulas Mawson led Australia's first Antarctic mission and the hut was constructed in 1912.

The next year an expedition ship was only able to get to 10 Km from the coast so no one saw Mawson's hut for the Centenerary. A Russian ice breaker was chartered by Chimu in 2018 which did reach Commonwealth Bay but had to leave immediately as the weather changed.

 

So as of now we were the last tourists to visit Mawson's hut due to the increase in Antarctic sea ice.

 

Thank you drron!  This definitely provides a different perspective.  And I agree that not everything in print should be taken as gospel!  Especially news coverage!  And the news anchors of old must be spinning in their graves.

[mysty]

Out of the 7 ports on the first segment of the World Cruise 5 ports will be new to us.

Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawaii

Christmas Island, Kiribati 

Apia, Samoa Islands

Savusavu (Vanua Levu), Fiji

Lautoka, Fiji 

 

We have been to Kauai before and we spent most of our time in the Princeville area.  Nawiliwili is on the southeast coast.  Here is what my research has come up with lately.

 

Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawaii - Nawiliwili Harbor is located about 1.5 miles southeast of the small city of Lihue, along Kauai's southeast coast, and has been the main harbor on the island since 1930. However, the Nawiliwili Bay area has a long history of being an integral part of life on the island.  Between verdant mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Nawiliwili is a harbor village home to the Kauai Cruise Ship Terminal and the island’s only commercial airport. Kalapaki Beach is popular for swimming, plus there’s Kukii Point with its lighthouse, and a handful of bars, eateries, and shops at Harbor Mall. Nawiliwili offers Vidinha Stadium, the Grove Farm sugar plantation museum, and the lush Puakea Golf Course.

 

 

[mysty]

I have already mentioned Christmas Island, Kiribati.  So on to Apia, Samoa Islands.  We probably all recognize Samoa from the work done by Margaret Mead, an American cultural anthropologist.  Coming of Age in Samoa: A Psychological Study of Primitive Youth for Western Civilisation is a 1928 book by Margaret Mead based upon her research and study of youth – primarily adolescent girls – on the island of Taʻū in the Samoan Islands. The book details the sexual life of teenagers in Samoan society in the early 20th century, and theorizes that culture has a leading influence on psychosexual development.

 

Apia, Samoa Islands -  Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono and Apolima); and several smaller, uninhabited islands, including the Aleipata Islands (Nu'utele, Nu'ulua, Fanuatapu and Namua). Samoa is located 64 km (40 mi) west of American Samoa, 889 km (552 mi) northeast of Tonga (closest foreign country), 1,152 km (716 mi) northeast of Fiji, 483 km (300 mi) east of Wallis and Futuna, 1,151 km (715 mi) southeast of Tuvalu, 519 km (322 mi) south of Tokelau, 4,190 km (2,600 mi) southwest of Hawaii, and 610 km (380 mi) northwest of Niue. The capital city is Apia. The Lapita people discovered and settled the Samoan Islands around 3,500 years ago. They developed a Samoan language and Samoan cultural identity.

 

Apia is the capital of Samoa, and its only city. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district of Tuamasaga. The Apia Urban Area (generally known as the City of Apia) has a population of 37,391 (2016 census).   Its geographic boundaries extend roughly from Letogo village to the newer, industrialized region of Apia known as "Vaitele".  Offshore, near Vaiala beach, Palolo Deep Marine Reserve is a stretch of reef with a deep, coral-lined hole. The Robert Louis Stevenson Museum is housed in the writer’s restored home. Nearby, at the top of Mount Vaea, is his grave. In the city center, the country’s natural history and cultural heritage are the focus of the Museum of Samoa.

 

[LouChamp]

On 3/14/2023 at 6:02 AM, mysty said:

Out of the 7 ports on the first segment of the World Cruise 5 ports will be new to us.

Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawaii

Christmas Island, Kiribati 

Apia, Samoa Islands

Savusavu (Vanua Levu), Fiji

Lautoka, Fiji 

 

We have been to Kauai before and we spent most of our time in the Princeville area.  Nawiliwili is on the southeast coast.  Here is what my research has come up with lately.

 

Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawaii - Nawiliwili Harbor is located about 1.5 miles southeast of the small city of Lihue, along Kauai's southeast coast, and has been the main harbor on the island since 1930. However, the Nawiliwili Bay area has a long history of being an integral part of life on the island.  Between verdant mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Nawiliwili is a harbor village home to the Kauai Cruise Ship Terminal and the island’s only commercial airport. Kalapaki Beach is popular for swimming, plus there’s Kukii Point with its lighthouse, and a handful of bars, eateries, and shops at Harbor Mall. Nawiliwili offers Vidinha Stadium, the Grove Farm sugar plantation museum, and the lush Puakea Golf Course.

 

 

Aloha. You may  enjoy the tranquility of Kauai versus Oahu. We enjoy it for a visit but chose Oahu because we love Honolulu as we are from Manhattan and love the restaurants and shopping in Honolulu. Kauai is a bit to quiet for us lol.  Kiribati is also special and unique and one of those places like the Falklands that if you can visit it is far off the path of regular ports. Enjoy!

[Mr Luxury]

40 minutes ago, mysty said:

I have already mentioned Christmas Island, Kiribati.  So on to Apia, Samoa Islands.  We probably all recognize Samoa from the work done by Margaret Mead, an American cultural anthropologist.  Coming of Age in Samoa: A Psychological Study of Primitive Youth for Western Civilisation is a 1928 book by Margaret Mead based upon her research and study of youth – primarily adolescent girls – on the island of Taʻū in the Samoan Islands. The book details the sexual life of teenagers in Samoan society in the early 20th century, and theorizes that culture has a leading influence on psychosexual development.

 

Apia, Samoa Islands -  Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono and Apolima); and several smaller, uninhabited islands, including the Aleipata Islands (Nu'utele, Nu'ulua, Fanuatapu and Namua). Samoa is located 64 km (40 mi) west of American Samoa, 889 km (552 mi) northeast of Tonga (closest foreign country), 1,152 km (716 mi) northeast of Fiji, 483 km (300 mi) east of Wallis and Futuna, 1,151 km (715 mi) southeast of Tuvalu, 519 km (322 mi) south of Tokelau, 4,190 km (2,600 mi) southwest of Hawaii, and 610 km (380 mi) northwest of Niue. The capital city is Apia. The Lapita people discovered and settled the Samoan Islands around 3,500 years ago. They developed a Samoan language and Samoan cultural identity.

 

Apia is the capital of Samoa, and its only city. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district of Tuamasaga. The Apia Urban Area (generally known as the City of Apia) has a population of 37,391 (2016 census).   Its geographic boundaries extend roughly from Letogo village to the newer, industrialized region of Apia known as "Vaitele".  Offshore, near Vaiala beach, Palolo Deep Marine Reserve is a stretch of reef with a deep, coral-lined hole. The Robert Louis Stevenson Museum is housed in the writer’s restored home. Nearby, at the top of Mount Vaea, is his grave. In the city center, the country’s natural history and cultural heritage are the focus of the Museum of Samoa.

 

You're a walking encyclopaedia 😀

[mysty]

6 minutes ago, LouChamp said:

Aloha. You may  enjoy the tranquility of Kauai versus Oahu. We enjoy it for a visit but chose Oahu because we love Honolulu as we are from Manhattan and love the restaurants and shopping in Honolulu. Kauai is a bit to quiet for us lol.  Kiribati is also special and unique and one of those places like the Falklands that if you can visit it is far off the path of regular ports. Enjoy!

 

Thank you LouChamp!  It's great to have your input.   Research is good and the input from folks who have been there is even better!

[mysty]

2 minutes ago, Mr Luxury said:

You're a walking encyclopaedia 😀

 

It keeps me off the streets Mr.  😁

[turtlemichael]

On 3/12/2023 at 3:41 PM, mysty said:

Here is the breakdown of sea days and port days for the Holiday Season Cruise and the World Cruise...

Voyage                                              Ports                          Sea Days        Total
Bridgetown to Fort Lauderdale            7                                   2                  9
Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco      8 (2 overnight ports)     10                19
_____________________________________________________________________________
                                                           15                                  12                28
_____________________________________________________________________________

San Francisco to Lautoka                   8 (1 overnight port)        12               21
Lautoka to Sydney                             12 (3 overnight ports)      5                20
Sydney to Bali                                    12 (4 overnight ports)      7                23
Bali to Hong Kong                               7 (4 overnight ports)       7                18
Hong Kong to Tokyo                           7 (5 overnight ports)        6               18
Tokyo to Seward                                12                                     8               20
Seward to San Francisco                  14                                     2               16
____________________________________________________________________________
                                                          72 (15 overnight ports)    47              136
____________________________________________________________________________            
As you can see, for this cruise as a whole there will be more port days than sea days.  By segment the ratio changes with some segments being port intensive and some being sea day intensive.  

 

The numbers for the overnight ports may seem incorrect.  Some of the 15 overnights span 2 segments.  Therefore the count of overnight ports within each segment does not add to the total of overnight ports.  And in the case of Shanghai, we would be there for 2 nights and 3 days.

 

In 2016 we had 48 sea days  and 67 port days out of 115 days.

 

In 2019 we had 65 sea days and 52 ports (some overnights) for a total of 132 nights.  Closer to an even split.  

 

The 2024 visits more ports within a country (New Zealand - 10 ports, Australia - 9 ports, Japan - 11 ports,  Alaska - 11 ports) which reduces the number of sea days required to reach the next port.

There are actually 65 ports and 14 countries on this itinerary.  Keep in mind that ports are counted at the end of one segment as well as at the beginning of the next segment.  The cruise is actually 132 days.  For us, it will be 129 days as Silversea has advised us that our cruise will end in Vancouver on May 23rd.  We're fine with that as we will not have to go through American Customs and Immigration followed by Canadian Customs and Immigration.
 

 

Hi Mysty. On a related point - how many of your 2024 overnighters depart around 1.00pm on the second day? There seem to be many on the 2023 WC though I haven't added them up. On an otherwise great WC I am finding that a bit annoying as it tends to write off the second day for doing anything useful. My brain may be failing but I don't have the same recollection of 2019. Comments?

Edited March 15, 2023 by turtlemichael

[JoGay]

What do people do about phone and text service while on the cruise?

[mysty]

42 minutes ago, turtlemichael said:

Hi Mysty. On a related point - how many of your 2024 overnighters depart around 1.00pm on the second day? There seem to be many on the 2023 WC though I haven't added them up. On an otherwise great WC I am finding that a bit annoying as it tends to write off the second day for doing anything useful. My brain may be failing but I don't have the same recollection of 2019. Comments?

 

I don't remember any overnights that departed at 1:00 pm on the 2nd day on the 2019.  We have four that leave early afternoon on the 2024.

 

21 Honolulu, USA                     8:00 AM
22 Honolulu, USA                         6:00 PM

 

5 Lautoka, Fiji                     7:00 AM
6 Lautoka, Fiji                         1:00 PM

 

10 Auckland, New Zealand                 8:00 AM
11 Auckland, New Zealand                     6:00 PM

 

23 Sydney, Australia                 12:00 PM
24 Sydney, Australia                     7:00 PM

 

2 Cairns, Australia                     1:30 PM
3 Cairns, Australia                         10:00 PM

 

8 Darwin, Australia                     8:00 AM
9 Darwin, Australia                         5:00 PM

 

11 Broome (Kimberley), Australia             12:00 PM
12 Broome (Kimberley), Australia                 1:00 PM

 

16 Bali, Indonesia                     7:00 AM
17 Bali, Indonesia                         6:00 PM

 

19 Semarang (Gateway for Borobodur), Indonesia         8:00 AM
20 Semarang (Gateway for Borobodur), Indonesia             5:00 PM

 

22 Singapore, Singapore                 1:00 PM
23 Singapore, Singapore                     11:00 PM

 

29 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam                 8:00 AM
30 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam                     2:00 PM

 

3 Hong Kong, China                 8:00 AM
4 Hong Kong, China
5 Hong Kong, China                     2:00 PM

 

8 Shanghai, China                     3:00 AM
9 Shanghai, China
10 Shanghai, China                         4:30 PM

 

13 Tianjin (Beijing), China *                7:00 AM
14 Tianjin (Beijing), China                     7:00 PM

 

18 Osaka, Japan                     8:00 AM
19 Osaka, Japan                         5:00 PM

 

20 Tokyo, Japan                     6:00 PM
21 Tokyo, Japan                         7:00 PM

 

15 Juneau (Alaska), USA                 10:00 PM
16 Juneau (Alaska), USA                     5:00 PM

 

22 Vancouver, Canada                 7:00 AM
23 Vancouver, Canada                     6:00 PM

 

First day time is arrival and second (or third) day is departure.  Not sure if changes may be in the offing.  

 

[mysty]

7 minutes ago, JoGay said:

What do people do about phone and text service while on the cruise?

I can only speak for what we do.  I hope others chime in with how they handle things.  Myster brings his cell and has roaming on the plan.  He uses it only for texts related to banking.  Our contacts are asked to use email to get in touch.

[Tothesunset]

4 hours ago, Mr Luxury said:

You're a walking encyclopaedia 😀

On two feet?

 

Thats a bicyclopaedia.