Live(ish) Cruising From Japan

[Mareblu]

Loving your descriptive writing…feels like we are there.  Mille grazie, as they say in Italia.🙏🏻

PS:  Mario loves escargot, and we both love mushrooms, but mushrooms are not flavour of the month in Australia recently🫢

[OzKiwiJJ]

10 minutes ago, Mareblu said:

Loving your descriptive writing…feels like we are there.  Mille grazie, as they say in Italia.🙏🏻

PS:  Mario loves escargot, and we both love mushrooms, but mushrooms are not flavour of the month in Australia recently🫢

When they pad out escargot with mushrooms all you taste is mushroom. It even overpowers the garlic. Not what I want when I order escargot. Princess penny pinching again?

[MMDown Under]

On 11/8/2023 at 1:18 PM, OzKiwiJJ said:

Unfortunately there wasn't as much autumn colour as I'd been hoping for. It's been unseasonably warm in Japan over the last few weeks.

The autumn colours in the gardens still looked beautiful.  I'm enjoying your beautiful photos and liveish blog from Japan.  I appreciate you managing to still do the blog, despite your port intensive cruise. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

Guess what! We've both got Covid! 😪

 

I had what I thought was just sinusitis or hayfever for a couple of days as it started the morning after we boarded the Regent cruise. But then I started coughing one night so next morning (yesterday) I tested using a RAT. Positive! So I contacted the medical centre and they did a PCR test which confirmed it.

 

Rolf was negative on the RAT but clearly wasn't well. When the nurse came to check on me that evening I suggested he go down for a PCR test, which was positive. 

 

So we're in isolation until the 21st. Sadly we're missing Okinawa and Taipei, both of which I really wanted to visit, and Nha Trang where we've been before.

 

We're on antivirals plus other meds to relieve the symptoms. Our travel insurance is going to get hit when we get home.

 

We are able to order meals from any of the restaurants onboard that are open at the time so we have an amazing selection of food to choose from. Neither of us was up to eating much yesterday but I've started to get my appetite back.

[MMDown Under]

4 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Guess what! We've both got Covid! 😪

 

I had what I thought was just sinusitis or hayfever for a couple of days as it started the morning after we boarded the Regent cruise. But then I started coughing one night so next morning (yesterday) I tested using a RAT. Positive! So I contacted the medical centre and they did a PCR test which confirmed it.

 

Rolf was negative on the RAT but clearly wasn't well. When the nurse came to check on me that evening I suggested he go down for a PCR test, which was positive. 

 

So we're in isolation until the 21st. Sadly we're missing Okinawa and Taipei, both of which I really wanted to visit, and Nha Trang where we've been before.

 

We're on antivirals plus other meds to relieve the symptoms. Our travel insurance is going to get hit when we get home.

 

We are able to order meals from any of the restaurants onboard that are open at the time so we have an amazing selection of food to choose from. Neither of us was up to eating much yesterday but I've started to get my appetite back.

So sorry to hear that you both have Covid.  What bad luck that you can't enjoy the Regent ship.  I hope you are able to enjoy meals from the various restaurants on board. I can understand your disappointment missing Okinawa and Taipei plus NhaTrang. Take care!

[cruiser3775]

So sorry to hear you got Covid again on a cruise.  Third time lucky, I guess!  In the meantime, enjoy being looked after in five star luxury, which has to be better than isolating at home.  Look forward to you resuming your excellent travelogue after the isolation period and best wishes for an easy recovery.

[cheznandy]

Oh no!! Take care of yourselves and hope you are feeling better soon.

[Blackduck59]

Sorry to hear you and Rolf have tested positive Julie. That's unfortunate that you will miss those port visits. We hope you both feel better soon.

Take good care, Lyle & Lynn

[Mareblu]

What rotten luck, Julie.  So very sorry, and hope you’re both feeling well again very quickly.  Looking forward to you continuing your wonderful travelogue when you feel up to it.  Very best wishes.

[OzKiwiJJ]

The meals are amazing. Luckily I'm starting to get my appetite back.😊

[Mareblu]

29 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

The meals are amazing. Luckily I'm starting to get my appetite back.😊

That’s always a good sign.  

[MicCanberra]

Sad news, hope you both recover quickly.

[Relaxing Robbies]

Hope the antivirals work and you are on the mend quickly. It is no fun missing ports, especially ones that you have not visited before.

[mr walker]

Hope you both come good soon. Stay safe

[Aussieflyer]

4 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Guess what! We've both got Covid! 😪

 

I had what I thought was just sinusitis or hayfever for a couple of days as it started the morning after we boarded the Regent cruise. But then I started coughing one night so next morning (yesterday) I tested using a RAT. Positive! So I contacted the medical centre and they did a PCR test which confirmed it.

 

Rolf was negative on the RAT but clearly wasn't well. When the nurse came to check on me that evening I suggested he go down for a PCR test, which was positive. 

 

So we're in isolation until the 21st. Sadly we're missing Okinawa and Taipei, both of which I really wanted to visit, and Nha Trang where we've been before.

 

We're on antivirals plus other meds to relieve the symptoms. Our travel insurance is going to get hit when we get home.

 

We are able to order meals from any of the restaurants onboard that are open at the time so we have an amazing selection of food to choose from. Neither of us was up to eating much yesterday but I've started to get my appetite back.

That's such bad luck - isolation again. Hopefully you will be both feeling better soon and then right to gain your freedom at the end of the iso period.☹️

[Cruisegroover]

That is not good news re Covid. I have been enjoying your posts and was looking forward to your thoughts on Taipei.

 

I am on Royal Princess next year going to Taipei and was going to ask has there been any communication about immigration procedures on arrival in Taipei. I am tossing up between a private tour or the ships shorex and if the ships tours get go through immigration first I'd book that.

 

Take care and get well soon.

[MMDown Under]

15 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

The meals are amazing. Luckily I'm starting to get my appetite back.😊

I hope you are both feeling well enough to enjoy the meals in your cabin.  You'll have to send some photos.  My daughter just sent me a photo from Phuket of a platter of chopped up tropical fruit,  Made my mouth water just looking at the photo.  Do you have a verandah so you can go outside in the fresh air?  This is the reason I will no longer cruise in an inside cabin.  In an outside cabin you are still part of the world to enjoy the sea, the birds and ports of call. 

[Aus Traveller]

16 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Guess what! We've both got Covid! 😪

 

I had what I thought was just sinusitis or hayfever for a couple of days as it started the morning after we boarded the Regent cruise. But then I started coughing one night so next morning (yesterday) I tested using a RAT. Positive! So I contacted the medical centre and they did a PCR test which confirmed it.

 

Rolf was negative on the RAT but clearly wasn't well. When the nurse came to check on me that evening I suggested he go down for a PCR test, which was positive. 

 

So we're in isolation until the 21st. Sadly we're missing Okinawa and Taipei, both of which I really wanted to visit, and Nha Trang where we've been before.

 

We're on antivirals plus other meds to relieve the symptoms. Our travel insurance is going to get hit when we get home.

 

We are able to order meals from any of the restaurants onboard that are open at the time so we have an amazing selection of food to choose from. Neither of us was up to eating much yesterday but I've started to get my appetite back.

I am so sorry to hear you both have COVID. I hope you get well soon. 🙂

[arxcards]

On 11/15/2023 at 12:48 AM, OzKiwiJJ said:

When they pad out escargot with mushrooms all you taste is mushroom. It even overpowers the garlic. Not what I want when I order escargot. Princess penny pinching again?

Not that Barb is a massive fan of escargot, but that would be tricky. She has a pretty severe allergy to most varieties of mushrooms. We are both clear not to order snails on Princess. I'm OK with that, as I dislike mushrooms and escargot anyway.

[arxcards]

17 hours ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Guess what! We've both got Covid! 😪

 

I had what I thought was just sinusitis or hayfever for a couple of days as it started the morning after we boarded the Regent cruise. But then I started coughing one night so next morning (yesterday) I tested using a RAT. Positive! So I contacted the medical centre and they did a PCR test which confirmed it.

 

Rolf was negative on the RAT but clearly wasn't well. When the nurse came to check on me that evening I suggested he go down for a PCR test, which was positive. 

 

So we're in isolation until the 21st. Sadly we're missing Okinawa and Taipei, both of which I really wanted to visit, and Nha Trang where we've been before.

 

We're on antivirals plus other meds to relieve the symptoms. Our travel insurance is going to get hit when we get home.

 

We are able to order meals from any of the restaurants onboard that are open at the time so we have an amazing selection of food to choose from. Neither of us was up to eating much yesterday but I've started to get my appetite back.

Bugger.

Get well & out of ISO soon. I am curious if you have had a recent booster, and whether we are going to benefit from a boost before our next cruise.

[davwen81]

Very sad to hear for you, especially missing ports of call, it seems to be a fact of like rd cruising now, and we’ve had it twice on ships. We were at the end of our immunity though, or that’s what I’ve put it down to. 
Keep well. 

[MMDown Under]

12 minutes ago, davwen81 said:

Very sad to hear for you, especially missing ports of call, it seems to be a fact of like rd cruising now, and we’ve had it twice on ships. We were at the end of our immunity though, or that’s what I’ve put it down to. 
Keep well. 

Sorry to hear you've had Covid twice on ships.  I hope it was mild.  I understand the current Covid vaccination in Australia is obsolete for the new version of Covid.  A new one was approved by the Govt in October and hope it will be available to the public soon.  

[OzKiwiJJ]

13 hours ago, Cruisegroover said:

That is not good news re Covid. I have been enjoying your posts and was looking forward to your thoughts on Taipei.

 

I am on Royal Princess next year going to Taipei and was going to ask has there been any communication about immigration procedures on arrival in Taipei. I am tossing up between a private tour or the ships shorex and if the ships tours get go through immigration first I'd book that.

 

Take care and get well soon.

I'm not sure how they're handling immigration for Taipei - I imagine much the same as we've had in Japan and South Korea. Regent Seven Seas Explorer only has about 700 passengers onboard so the experience for those going ashore today would be vastly different to a Royal Princess cruise with over 3600 passengers onboard.

 

On the Diamond cruise we did ship's excursions. They used two gangways - one for excursions and one for self-touring passengers, so there wasn't any priority given to the tour groups, their departures were just spaced out a bit. The only time things got a bit crowded was on re-entry back into Japan after our Busan stop.

[OzKiwiJJ]

2 hours ago, MMDown Under said:

I hope you are both feeling well enough to enjoy the meals in your cabin.  You'll have to send some photos.  My daughter just sent me a photo from Phuket of a platter of chopped up tropical fruit,  Made my mouth water just looking at the photo.  Do you have a verandah so you can go outside in the fresh air?  This is the reason I will no longer cruise in an inside cabin.  In an outside cabin you are still part of the world to enjoy the sea, the birds and ports of call. 

Room service has been a bit hit and miss unfortunately. I'll try to remember to take some photos.

 

Yes, we have a lovely balcony. It was too hot sitting on it yesterday at Okinawa. Today at Keelung it's been a bit showery but it might clear up later. The balcony is covered though.

[OzKiwiJJ]

59 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Sorry to hear you've had Covid twice on ships.  I hope it was mild.  I understand the current Covid vaccination in Australia is obsolete for the new version of Covid.  A new one was approved by the Govt in October and hope it will be available to the public soon.  

Yes, the variants are changing rapidly plus we've been exposed to people from all parts of the world so who knows which variant we caught. Apparently we're the only ones onboard with it and hadn't mingled too much before being diagnosed. Hopefully we haven't passed it on to anyone. So far the group we are travelling with are OK.