Join Bill & Mary Ann On A Journey Like No Other-2024 GWV On The Zuiderdam For 128 Days

[Toad]

Love hearing about your walks, and especially about all the bird, sealift and animal finds.

[WCB]

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  

 

 

 

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Yes Hilo is always wet lol.  Enjoy Honolulu. We do 🤙

[The Other Tom]

Nice pictures of the turtles!  Thanks for sharing. 

[WCB]

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

 

 

 

 

[Travelexpert35]

I’m enjoying following along with your adventure. I was in Waikiki in early Dec and had a wonderful visit.  Went to Ala Moana a couple of times and ate at California Pizza Kitchen as well.  They always have great pizzas. Hawaii is my favourite vacation spot. Been there quite a few times over the years. 

[WCB]

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

 

 

[WCB]

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

 

 

[oakridger]

@WCB it's too bad the 49ers didn't win the super bowl tonight.  It's always so fun to get the community spirit even though I'm not really a big football fan.  

 

I'm looking forward to the Guam pictures!

 

~Nancy

[WCB]

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

 

[oakridger]

9 hours ago, WCB said:

Mains were the prime rib, which was good, but for some reason they drowned the meat with gravy.

 

HAL does prime rib so well I cannot figure why they always put the gravy on it!  I have asked to have it and the "Mustard Mouse" left off, but it still was served with it!  Next cruise I will insist and return the plate if necessary.  Why "ruin" good prime rib with all that stuff on it??  🤷‍♀️

 

Keep on enjoying the trip!

 

~Nancy

[LouChamp]

Aloha. I agree with always asking for gravy on the side no matter where I am.  I am a true carnivore and love prime rib. That said I also enjoy dipping a little but not every bite so I make sure to always mention no matter where I may be…Peter Luger, Mortons, Keens, Hy’s………

[WCB]

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 12^th.  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

 

 

[LouChamp]

12 hours ago, WCB said:

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 12^th.  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

 

 

Aloha. Wishing you and everyone on board a fabulous Valentine’s Day and also Ash Wednesday for those who are Catholic. I have a question if I may… How is Barb? I may have missed your discussion of her as I enjoyed your discussions of her in the past. All best regards.

[WCB]

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

 

 

 

 

[The Other Tom]

1 hour ago, WCB said:

The Pacific Ocean is so large it is hard to even imagine that we are truly in the middle of nowhere.

Does the ship get its internet through Starlink?

[oakridger]

2 hours ago, The Other Tom said:

Does the ship get its internet through Starlink?

 

All the HAL ships now have Starlink installed!

[The Other Tom]

18 hours ago, oakridger said:

 

All the HAL ships now have Starlink installed!

Thanks!  Sounds like it's working well.  

[WCB]

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  

 

[WCB]

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

[WCB]

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

[The Other Tom]

49 minutes ago, WCB said:

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

Thanks!

[WCB]

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

 

 

 

[WCB]

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

 

[WCB]

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