Jim_Iain - B2B Sydney - Honolulu - Vancouver

[Jim_Iain]

7 hours ago, VikingRob said:

We are on this same cruise next year. Looking forward to following along!

 

Kim

 

Fantastic Kim.     I will try to post enough to allow you to survive a WHOLE year --- I'm sure your dreams will come through and it will be the adventure of a life time.

[upwarduk]

5 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Discovered yesterday that Day Light Savings Time begins on April 6.  

Our clocks ‘Sprang forward’ yesterday, Easter Sunday, not ideal.

[parrothead33]

Looking forward to following another great Jim and Iain adventure!  Safe travels.

[DUTRAVEL]

I have been away from Cruise Critic for a couple of days and I'm already six pages behind.

 

Henrietta (your best girlfriend) has her reading glasses on and we are following along with your adventures! Hope you and Iain have a fantastic cruise!

 

Dianne & Henrietta

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Have a nice cruise, Linda.     I hope you have healed after your recent surgeries.

 

 

Thanks.  I get the stitches out tomorrow from my recent vein surgery.  Decided to wait and do the other leg until I get back from my cruise.  This getting old is not for sissies!

[cruzzzinma]

59 minutes ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

This getting old is not for sissies!

Amen to that Linda!

Carolyn

[81Zoomie]

9 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Mentioned  bit early that we may be boarding the Arc.   I hope the forecast doesn't get worse. When I first checked over the weekend, they were forecasting 1 1/4 inch of rain on our arrival on Friday.   Latest below. 

 

Our AirBnB wont' be available until 2PM and with an 8AM arrival we are probably going to hang out in a Coffee Shop after dropping our luggage.   We were hoping to meet with friends Wanda and Glen, they are on Edge which will be doing a B2B turn around on Friday.    That may be in jeopardy if it is really stormy.

 

This is our turn around day.  My DH told me this forecast yesterday and I thought he was kidding!  We have to get off the ship for a bit on our B2B.  Glad we have our waterproof shoes and rain gear!  Maybe we will just ride the tram around ☔️🌧️🌂💧.  That said, the forecast said rain in Sydney the week we were there and it was just a brief shower.  Hoping for the best 🤞.

[catspaw1]

I am so envious of you to be swimming near Mark Spitz! I was on a swim team then & we of course followed him.

 

Yeah I knew Northern CA you can't swim in the ocean due to cold water.  I was a water rat also when young- loved to be in the water. Still do. I find the beach mesmerizing & calming. Thankfully we can  swim on LI waters from June ( some start in May) through October. I still like to walk the beach in winter though.

 

Am following along with your wonderful trip. Have a great time & enjoy! Really appreciate your posts & look forward to them daily.

[Jim_Iain]

12 hours ago, Azulann said:

So glad you are taking another cruise shortly

. I was beginning to worry, I had not seen any new trip reports  from you.

 I do not have a cruise booked till fall of 2025 so  love my virtual vacations reading trip reports. Your is always a favorite of mine. 

 

 

It's going to be a busy travel year.    I'll have to look but I think up next will be our first trip on Oceania.   Should be a fun comparison.   It will be  combination Alaska, California Coastal, Panama Canal, Caribbean and ending in NYC.    

[Jim_Iain]

10 hours ago, cruiseerf said:

I believe you will have Captain Matt Returning to helm these voyages.   He is one of the BEST Captains Celebrity has....Serious captain, Great sense of Humour and a gentleman.  He will be at your Zenith Meals etc, it is important to him and he believes in Celebrity.  I have done this cruise many many times and it is a favourite....ENJOY!  

 

Will be interesting... We've sailed with Captain Matt and really like him. 

[Barwick Cruiser]

7 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

It's going to be a busy travel year.    I'll have to look but I think up next will be our first trip on Oceania.   Should be a fun comparison.   It will be  combination Alaska, California Coastal, Panama Canal, Caribbean and ending in NYC.    

That sounds like a wonderful itinerary…and long! How many days is it? 

[Purplsmurf]

30 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

Will be interesting... We've sailed with Captain Matt and really like him. 

Aren’t you on the Solstice? Captain Matt is on the Edge

[Suzi66]

10 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

We really love Eastbound Trans Atlantic.    Barcelona should be beautiful in the Spring.  

 

We are going to enjoy Sydney in the beginning of fall.   Discovered yesterday that Day Light Savings Time begins on April 6.    I'm sure they did that on purpose to further screw up our trying to figure what day and time our body is on.

Day Light Savings FINISHES (thank goodness) on April 6.  We are heading into Winter.  We don't need to be getting up another hour earlier than we already are.  You will get to have an extra hour to sleep if needed in the morning.

[Suzi66]

55 minutes ago, 81Zoomie said:

This is our turn around day.  My DH told me this forecast yesterday and I thought he was kidding!  We have to get off the ship for a bit on our B2B.  Glad we have our waterproof shoes and rain gear!  Maybe we will just ride the tram around ☔️🌧️🌂💧.  That said, the forecast said rain in Sydney the week we were there and it was just a brief shower.  Hoping for the best 🤞.

I'm hoping that the rain is later in the day, after we have all boarded, and not Thursday as I am flying in on a test-tube (the plane holds 30 people maximum).  I am however glad we booked the flights for Thursday and not Friday with that weather forecast.

[spw1947]

On 4/1/2024 at 8:23 AM, upwarduk said:

I think the mistake is the date in the video.

You say you are off on your adventure on 4 th April, but the video says 9th April.

Could also be that Lautoka and Suva are both on the same island of Fiji, Viti Levu.

We looked at this but having sailed on Solstice several times, we thought we'd try Edge. Not too sure what it will be like!

Bon voyage,

Sue

[abbydancer2003]

Wow 6 pages already.  I want to be you when I grow up.

 

Also this sounds like a fabulous itinerary.  I'd love to do it with you.  Oh wait, I am.  We'll figure out what to do with my live once I finish in Sydney.  '

Off to start writing the Sunday entry where I answer the buring question "what about the casino".

 

[ecslady]

16 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Love it....   My first browser was Netscape 1.0     It came with a book explaining what a browser was.   Only problem at 1.44 MBPS it tool about 5 minutes for a webpage to to open.   Known as click on a link and grab a cup of coffee.

 

Oh My - Netscape!  Haven't heard that word in years. Thanks for reminding us of what used to be. 😃

Edited April 2 by ecslady

[Jim_Iain]

10 hours ago, Purplsmurf said:

Captain Matt is the captain on Edge. They are on Solstice

 

Ahh... brain dead.  Of course you are right.    He was Captain on Edge in December.  

[Jim_Iain]

22 hours ago, KLM3164 said:

We are new to X having just done our first in February. Looking forward to following along on your fabulous trip! You have quite a following. Wishing you a safe and fun-filled journey!!!

 

Believe me I get as much joy out of hearing from my friends I've met on Cruise Critics through my postings.    While I have never met many of them face to face I really feel like they are family. 

[Jim_Iain]

21 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Mentioned  bit early that we may be boarding the Arc.   I hope the forecast doesn't get worse. When I first checked over the weekend, they were forecasting 1 1/4 inch of rain on our arrival on Friday.   Latest below. 

 

Our AirBnB wont' be available until 2PM and with an 8AM arrival we are probably going to hang out in a Coffee Shop after dropping our luggage.   We were hoping to meet with friends Wanda and Glen, they are on Edge which will be doing a B2B turn around on Friday.    That may be in jeopardy if it is really stormy.

 

 

Just checked the weather today hoping the storm would fall apart but looks like it's getting stronger.   Now up another 1 inch of rain.  

 

[Jim_Iain]

21 hours ago, Chrissi3010 said:

Thanks for a new cruise report which I really like to follow and which is a perfect appetizer for our first transatlantic cruise on the Silhoutte in 3 weeks .

 

Regards from Germany 

Christine 

 

Only warning about Transatlantic ----- They are addictive.

[Jim_Iain]

21 hours ago, raudacruise said:

Jim, following your trip reports is always such a treat.   I LOVE retirement.  No interest in sailing Edge class.

 

See you in November!

 

 

 

Thanks Mary Beth..  It will be wonderful seeing you again in November. 

[Jim_Iain]

21 hours ago, Gaynors said:

It looks like our ships will "pass in the night" or day 😊.  I'll be on the Sapphire Princess 32 day RT LA cruise sailing April 5th and we visit many of the same ports.  We'll be in Apia and Pago Pago on April 19th and Suva on the 22nd.  The whole thing of being in two different ports on the same day (same as you crossing the date line in between) is kind of mind boggling.  My mind has a lot of difficulty accepting that I have to book excursions on the same day for two different ports!

This cruise was the south pacific on training wheels for me... no long flights... just have to get to Los Angeles...and let the ship do the rest!   I really wish Celebrity would do something like this.

 

The date line can really mess with your head.    When we flew home from Sydney in December we arrived before we left.   

 

The first TP I did, I found I had to go back and study Geography.    In my mind I always thought Tahiti was far west of Hawaii, only to learn it was actually Due South and a little to the east and was on the same timezone.... so no time zone changes.

[Jim_Iain]

Really fun seeing everyone joining the tread.    I finally go caught up to page 5.   I really enjoy hearing from each of you and try to acknowledge each post either by a like or writing back. 

[Jim_Iain]

Tick Tock Tick Tock

 

Time to get serious about last minute chores to do before our cruise.   Iain ran down to Kaiser yesterday to get his prescriptions filled.   He is such a rule follower.... I on the other hand stopped by 2 weeks ago (across the street from my Starbucks) told them I was going away on vacation needed an early refill.... No Problem.

 

We both also got another Covid Shot - as recommended for those over 65 by the CDC.  

 

The housekeeper came yesterday so now we can get our packing finished.

 

My major task for today is to get my Hair Cut.    Senior Day at my Hair Salon.    Who am I to turn away a discount.