SanDiegian

May the Fourth Be With You

Hayley Arceneaux: youngest astronaut, first cancer survivor in space, first prosthetic astronaut, making impossible a possibility

This is for Christa McAuliffe. Ad Astra

Earth photographed by Voyager through Saturn’s Rings. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Men Landing on the Moon the Washington Momument was lit with the SaturnV rocket. Thanks NASA and all the people that made it happen.

It almost seemed a shame to open this beautiful beer can celebrating 150 years of Holland America Line. We were aboard the Koningsdam returning from Alaska 2023 and sampling everything on the drink menu with my beverage package. This was in the casino bar.

Zandam sailing out of San Diego Bay

Good Morning from the City by the Bay

Louie was a stray my wife found coming home from work. I gave my DW a choice between the dog or the Louie Vuitton purse she wanted. Well, you know how this ended. She got both and that’s how he got named. He’s a Pomeranian

Everyday is Animal Rights Day in my home

A bonus of COVID+ you get to exit the ship first. HAL also put Future Cruise Credit on our books. Anyone reading this don’t underestimate COVID and wash-wash-wash your hands, use-use-use the alcohol gel, keep your distance from people, and face-masks are fairly normal on-board just to keep your fingers away from your face. Enjoy the in-room movies and hope you recover before next cruise.

The front is ideal if you like coffee as the Crow’s Nest is just a couple flights of stairs above you. Our cabin was just down the corridor from the Bridge and I frequently passed the Captain (there were 3) on route to the coffee bar (and, no, the Captain did not cut to the front of the line). And the gym & spa got a lot more use from my aft dwelling. The theater & casino are directly below so you won’t have excuses for missing shows. The pool & hot tub is easily reached a deck above. The rocking of the ship required a little skill to remain upright on the first night out of Seattle in the Gulf of Alaska but pleasant sailing sailing after that. If you are a foodie you are in for a workout because The Lido is a long walk at the aft end, an opportunity to appreciate the wall Art & door decorations in the corridors

Look on Ebay

Enjoy Australia!🦘🐨🇦🇺🍷🛳️ 🙃

Whoa! Take a breath, Mariner. Have some wine!

We have the drink package that includes wines by the glass up to $11 for Signature and $14 for Elite. However, a glass of wine above this you are charged the full price and not difference, gotcha! Every ship has a different wine stock and I agree not to buy any wine bottle unless you taste it first, it may have heat-shocked or the bottle may have been opened awhile. If you are a 4* Mariner the wine tasting is comp but they only pour 4-6 reds, it does include pairing with cheese/cured meat. I have brought aboard my own wine too, allowed one per passenger. I tell them it is a select wine we’ve saved for a special occasion and they don’t charge a corkage fee. But don’t leave your corkscrew at home. RCL held my bags once for trying to bring wine aboard. And wrap it well so the bottle won’t break in your suitcase. In Australia you could ship home any wine to avoid any extra inspection at custom. What’s the limits now?

I went to the casino cage, they punched a hole but I lost $200

Here are photos of the Westerdam in last drydock. Things get crusty in the waters of Alaska, the efficency lost & fuel increased by 10-15% from crustaceans. The sealife goes into the fresh seafood buffet served in the Lido. A Princess ship was only able to move at lower speed and cancelled port calls due to prop problems. When Westerdam approached within 150 yds of the Hubbard Glacier I like the thrusters at 100%. Disembarking in the Gulf of Alaska is a bear.

Heard of HAL 5000 ?

Carl Sagan: “There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known"

Voyager 1 has sent the best pictures of our outer planets, it has also sent the most far-away view