TLCOhio

Next in Tokyo was visiting the Hama-rikyū Gardens. Opened to the public in 1946, these large landscaped garden are surrounded by a seawater moat filled by Tokyo Bay. It was remodeled as a public garden on the site of a villa belonging to the ruling Tokugawa family in the 17th century. At the center is a teahouse, reached by two bridges, plus tree groves and fields with flowers for every season. In 1654, Tokugawa Tsunashige, the younger brother of Shōgun Tokugawa, reclaimed this land from the bay and built a villa and garden. Lots of history here, plus it is all surrounded by tall 20th and 21st Century high-rises, etc. Many stone walls and other historic connections are located here. This was a nice "change of pace", especially after visiting the busy food market and what we would see later at a hyper-busy religious temple/shopping area. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Early 2020, many visuals and details from New Zealand/South Pacific in going from Auckland to French Polynesia. This includes Bora Bora, Fiji, NZ experiences, etc: Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2735732-live-terryohio-“new”-regatta-south-pacificnz-pix’s/ From the Hama-rikyū Gardens in Tokyo, here is a small sampling for the water features, bridges, structures, trees, history, etc., that is located here. Nice and refreshing break in the middle of a massive urban environment.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

For our last full day in Tokyo on Monday, March 4, with expert guide Kumi, our first visit was to the Tsukiji Outer Market in a district adjacent to the site of the former Tsukiji Wholesale Fish Market. These few blocks of wholesale and retail shops were an amazing experience involving fresh and processed seafood and produce alongside food-related goods. Plus, the people and humanity interacting, shopping, sampling, etc. A visit to Tsukiji Outer Market is amazing. Was it crowded and super busy? Yes!! Was it fun and faascinating? Yes, yes!! Need proof? See my sampling of the "visual evidence" shown below. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Summer 2019 Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska on Silver Muse, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc. Many visuals, Our firsts in these scenic areas! Now at 20,907 views. Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/ From our exploring of the Tokyo Tsukiji Outer Market, here is an initial group of visual samplings. Customers were lined up, buying, eating and liking so it all so very much. Look interesting?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Here was a shop that was super popular preparing an egg dining delights that in the second picture has Kumi and my wife enjoying. Yes, I tasted, too, and super loved.: Here is more showing how busy and varied were the many food and cooking-related items available at this sprawling Tokyo market.:

Part of the "rest of the story" for Kamakura is about its various shops, homes, human-scale, etc., compared and contrasting to the our time dealing with the overwhelming urban complexities of Tokyo. Glad we did BOTH during our two and a half days in Japan. Yes, Japan is just more than Tokyo. See more "evidence" below. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio From late 2018, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 22,515 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/ At one of the many shops in Kamakura, we noticed a crowd lined up. First, he is taking a piece of octopus to place it with other food materials in a heated press to create a local dining delight. Then, steam and pressure are super applied. He pops it out. And, finally, here is the customer happy to have this unique, compressed, very flat and super thin food item. No, sorry, this did not cause us to try this local dining option.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) For cat-lovers, including several of our good friends, below was a cute sign in a window in Kamakura. Do not know the wording says or means, but this was fun and interesting.: From our train car on the way back to Tokyo, here are a couple of residential living in this part of Japan.: From our rail car, here was one of the many religious symbols/statures seen along our route.: At one of the rail stations along our return train route, here was a group of women dressed in traditional clothing. Interesting?:

As to the Giant Buddha, below are some additional visual views/angles that I have not previously posted. It measures 43.8 feet tall and weighs approximately 267,000 pounds. The length of face is 7 feet 9 inches. The statue dates from around 1252. It is hollow and its interior can be visited. Per Wikipedia, the current bronze statue was preceded by a giant wooden Buddha, completed in 1243 after ten years of construction. The hall was destroyed by a storm in 1334, was rebuilt and damaged by another storm in 1369, then rebuilt again. The last building housing the statue was washed away in the tsunami resulting from the Nankai earthquake of 1498. Since that time, the Great Buddha has stood in the open air. That's a long, long history!! Pictures do not capture the size and majestic impact of this site, especially with its hilly, wooded background/setting. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal. Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 32,945 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580 Here are three additional angles/view of the awesome Giant Buddha in Kamakura. Notice the lovely sunny, blue skies? What a treat to be in these historic/religious locations with perfect weather.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Before visiting the Giant Buddha, here was my lunch at a nearby local, traditional dining establishment in Kumakura.:

Sorry to be posting so much from visiting Hasedera Temple in Kamakura. BUT, there was so much there, including getting close to famed cherry blossom trees. Kamakura, being only an hour away from Tokyo, is a charming coastal town often called the "Little Kyoto" because of its ancient temples and shrines. There are 65 of them here! Much to see and enjoy in Kamakura. We loved this day-trip and "change of pace" from busy, urban Tokyo. This exclusion gave us more perspective as why coming back to Japan and exploring it other locations and rural areas would be very worthwhile. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast on the Silver Spirit. Now at 34,686 views. Many pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358 Here is more from visiting Hasedera Temple in Kamakura. Like the flowering cherry blossom tree and its colorful setting?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Here are some of the cute and large Koi fish present in the landscaping here. Plus, second, the bamboo growths here as a part of their varied and interesting grounds. And, more pretty floral aspects at this temple in this third visual below.: At this religious site, here is my wife with our expert guide, Makayla S., from Tours-by-Locals, with the main part of this Shrine in the background. Having two different, super skilled guides made a huge positive difference from learning about and understanding more as to Japan long and unique history, culture and values.: From the higher part of this shrine, here was the coastal view for Kamakura with its scenic location. Loved seeing all of the sailboats out on the waters.: Nearby to this temple was an interesting shop with a wide variety of crafts offered. But there was a mirror in their window that allowed me to capture a bit of a self-portrait.:

Appreciate these kind comments and follow-up from kej1. Glad you have done much in India, Singapore and Japan. If my posting on these areas miss anything major, please feel free to share more. Kamakura is one of Japan's ancient capitals, along with Kyoto and Nara. Kamakura served as the location of the Kamakura shogunate, 1185 to 1333. It was the first military government in Japan history. It is most known for its historical sites with Hasedera Temple and the Great Buddha being the two we visited and loved so much. Need proof and evidence as to why? Lots of visuals to follow. Hasedera Temple is the Buddhist temple with a nice variety of points of interest on its lovely grounds. The main deity here is Kannon, the goddess of mercy. The temple’s gardens are spectacular, including a manicured dry landscape garden and a Benzaiten cave where you can you can light candles or place small statues. When you go to the upper level of the gardens, you see various statues and fascinating religious-related aspects. Walking to the edge of the grounds at the higher level, you can see a great view of coastal Kamakura. As one of the most famous Buddha statues in Japan, Kotoku-in or the Giant Buddha, built in the 13th century, is Kamakura’s most well-known symbol. During the Kamakura period, both Nichiren Buddhism and Rinzai Zen Buddhism originated here making this image as the city’s most famous famous for that of a Buddha. The Big Buddha, known as Daibutsu, is sitting peacefully under the sky, as the building around it was washed away in a tsunami centuries ago. While it is largely green now after having been exposed to the elements, Daibutsu used to be covered in gold. This site is very imprressive and moving based on our visit on a beautiful, sunny day in early March. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Dubrovnik! Visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this super scenic and historic location. Over 53,483 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227 From visiting Hasedera Temple in Kamakura, here are only a few of our many, many visual highlights experienced and loved.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

In Tokyo, we stayed three nights at the Gate Hotel Tokyo by Hulic in the popular and high-end Ginza area. This classy area is very close to excellent subway and train access that made things easier than with other potential hotel options we considered. The Ginza is an upscale shopping with many internationally-known stores, boutiques, dining options, etc. It is considered to be one of the most expensive and luxurious districts in the world. The name Ginza comes after its establishment of a silver-coin mint in 1612. After a massive fire in 1872 burned down most of the area, the government designated the Ginza area as a "model of modernization," per Wikipedia. Hotel bookings were challenged for our March 2-5 period as the Tokyo Marathon was scheduled for Sunday, March 3. This Marathon is rated as one of the top six such events in the world and attracts a strong, international field. More 300,000 file to enter this marathon with only a small percentage are accepted. The Tokyo Marathon "Good News" is that this race passed right in front our hotel and we got to witness the early group of runners. See pictures below. The winner was Benson Kipruto from Kenya with a time of 2:02:16. That time was his personal, career best and set a new Tokyo course record. He won the 125th Boston Marathon in 2021. Four of the top six male runners were from Kenya. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Kotor/Montenegro: Various visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 55,288 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193 Here are two of my visuals from the Tokyo Marathon that passed in front of our Gate Hotel in the Ginza area. Shown below in the middle with a red stripe on his shirt is Bethwel Kibet from Kenya who finished sixth overall with a time of 2:06:26.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) We observed the Marathon as we were on our way to Kamakura with our skilled guide, Makayla S. from Tours-by-Locals. Wonderfully sunny, perfect day for this roughly one hour ride south to this historic, coastal city. First, is a view for one the trains we took with a famed cherry tree out in blossom at the right.: For early March, we were very fortunate to capture a sampling of these cherry trees at this first temple visited in Kamakura.: Close to our hotel in the Ginza, below are couple of visuals showing the trains, including one of them being the famed, high-speed Bullet Train. Lots of "action" in this busy area of Tokyo. The second visual was taken from our 12th floor hotel room.:

Now, I am shifting gears to provide more details as to what we saw and did during our two and a half days in Japan. In using American Airlines Frequent Flyer miles, our best option for returning home was flying back through Tokyo. And, I was able to set it up to do the added time in Japan. Like for India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore, this was our first-time visiting for all of these areas. We had excellent private guides for these 2.5 days in Japan and that made a huge, positive difference. Navigating Tokyo's complex subway, train, etc., infrastructure can be challenging. Glad we did not have to figure out for all of these "ins-and-out" for these transportation systems. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 55,884 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337 As one last posting from Singapore, here is an exterior view of our JW Marriott South Beach hotel. Great location and this luxury hotel was nicely connected at its lower levels to the subway system, shopping, dining, etc. This hotel design is unique, but as you can see below, they preserved and utilized some older building in front of the hotel to connect back to and tie-in with the earlier Colonial periods of Singapore.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) As captured by our excellent guide, Kumi, my wife and I are pictured in front of the massive Tokyo Station during our first evening in Japan. Second is a visual showing the massive size of this rail/subway location that is the busiest station in Japan for scheduled trains. More than 4,000 trains are arriving and departing daily. This station first opened in 1914.: For dinner on our first Tokyo night, we went to a hip, youth-focused area with a wide variety of shopping and dining options. For variety and a change-up, we had Vietnam food in Tokyo. Fun, interesting and tasty as shown below, including a beer from Japan.:

Working this weekend to finish up a few more visuals from amazing Singapore and then to wrap up more from Japan. Appreciate your patience and interest. This live/blog is now over 10,000 views. Appreciate all who have dropped by, made comments, asked questions, etc. Keep it coming!! Love sharing more. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Athens & Greece: Visuals, details from two visits in a city and nearby with great history, culture and architecture. Now at 63,929 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008 Food and dining delights are big part of the appeal for Singapore. As a part of our JW Mariott hotel complex, they had a dining option called the Beach Road Kitchen. Here was one of many, many seafood offering for this huge, massive buffet with such an amazing variety of options. Lots of excellent dining treats to enjoy on this evening!! See more details at: https://www.beachroadkitchen.sg. : (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Nearby to our hotel were some various historic, smaller-scale streets that have preserved much of the charm and character from Singapore's Colonial days. This first visual gives a sampling. Fun to walk along and explore here. We dined for lunch at a wonderful Italian place called Garibaldi. Very classy and good. Below is my tasty seafood dish that I enjoyed.: We were in Singapore a little after the Chinese New Year celebration. BUT, a few colorful decorations were still up. Fun!!: Here is a short video sampling for the lights, music and "show" while our boat was on Marina Bay in front of the Sands Hotel/Casino.: IMG_0528.mov

From the London/UK Daily Mail earlier this month, they had this headline: “Singapore - so incredible people struggle to work out if photographs of it are REAL: Can you tell if this image of the city was AI-generated? Over half get the answer wrong.” with these reporting highlights: “Singapore is so eye-catching, it would seem, that people can’t tell if pictures of it are real or not. In a Singapore Tourism Board study, 60 per cent of people shown a striking image (below) of the Gardens by the Bay structures, home to 1.5million plants, believed the image was created by AI, despite this being a real image taken in Singapore. Out of those polled, almost half (41 per cent) admitted to struggling to tell the difference between real and AI images.” YES!! Some parts of Singapore are amazing and not like what we might expect as "normal". That's what makes Singapore so interesting and fascinating. Also detailed was: "The tourism board described Gardens by the Bay as one of several 'unreal and fascinating experiences in Singapore'. It said: ‘The Gardens’ iconic structures are architectural marvels that reimagine nature with artistic finesse." Full story at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-13174141/singapore-changi-gardens-bay-tourism.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 111,649 views.

Great follow-up and insights above from our New Jersey neighbor. Yes, many consumers are borrowing and spending. Others have money and are wanting to catch up, spend it, rebound from missed Covid travel, etc. And, a large number of people, as you correctly noted, are struggling pay-check to pay-check. Strange, puzzling, hard to predict economic environment. From the Wall Street Journal late Friday afternoon, below are the charts for the three major cruise lines during the past five trading days. Up for the middle of the week and then sliding back down to maybe "reality" during the the last two days? From Barron's business publication today, they had this headline: “Royal Caribbean Stock Isn’t Done Climbing. This Analyst Is Upbeat.” with these highlights: “Royal Caribbean Group stock has been on a tear, and one Macquarie analyst sees plenty of room for more gains because bookings remain strong.” Full story at: https://www.barrons.com/articles/royal-caribbean-stock-outlook-d5b957c8 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio From late 2018, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 22,515 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/ Here is the Wall Street Journal charts for Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian during the past five trading days. Is up and down a good, quick summary for the week? Clearly, Norwegian had the wildest week for its "rocky" ride.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

The Swissôtel Stamford Hotel in Singapore was right nearby to where we stayed earlier this month at the JW Marriott Beach Road. Also, very close to the Raffles, etc. Below you can see a picture that I captured from the top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel showing its soaring location and how relatively close it is to the prime Marina Bay attractions. My cautions/suggestions? With the heat and humidity of Singapore, things can be "close", but walking distances can get a little "taxing" as to what works and is most handy/time-efficient. Plus, there are lots of nice and/or luxury hotel options in Singapore. Depends much on your budget flexibility, personal needs, interests, etc. As I recall, this Swissôtel is a part of the Raffles City Mall and close to other hotel options. From TripAdvisor, this hotel gets good ratings, but not quite at the top, top highest levels. Shop and compare for the best VALUE and location. In this part of Singapore, there are a nice number of nearby dining and shopping places. Much to see and explore here. From the top of the Marina Bay Sands hotel, here was my view in early March of these hotels and attractions from across the waters in Singapore.: Does this help? Added questions and info needs? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 249,338 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/

Appreciate these comments and follow-up. YES, customer "affordability" will come into play in the future, especially as to whenever the U.S. and world has a recession and/or economic slow-down. Those economic "down-turns" always happen. It is just a question as to WHEN and how deep/mild. Any insights as to that question? From this Wall Street Journal-related website yesterday morning, they had this headline: “Cruise Line Stock Near Highs; CEO Sees 'Wind In Our Sails' ” with these highlights: “Royal Caribbean is Thursday's IBD 50 Growth Stocks To Watch pick as it forms a cup base and nears a buy point. The cruise line company raised guidance in mid-February due to strong demand, reversing Royal Caribbean stock's downtrend. The stock is ranked second out of 48 stocks in the leisure services group. The group rose to 73rd from 126th four weeks ago. Demand for cruises and international travel has been robust and is expected to remain strong. Royal Caribbean stock is in a third-stage base with a 133.77 buy point, according MarketSurge pattern recognition.” Full story at: https://www.investors.com/research/cruise-ship-royal-caribbean-rcl-stock/?src=A00619&refcode=aflMarketWatch THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal. Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 32,945 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

From the Wall Street Journal yesterday, they had this headline: “Can a Boring City Become Cool—With a Little Help From Taylor Swift?" with this sub-headline: "Singapore is trying to shake off its reputation for being dull and uptight.” Here are a few of their reporting highlights: “When it comes to fun, Singapore’s government is super serious. For decades, the manufacturing and trading hub had been known for being a city that was all work and no play. One quip went that Singapore was 'the world’s only shopping mall with a seat at the United Nations.' Now Singapore is trying to shake off its staid reputation by positioning itself as a cultural hub and using a favored tool: pop concerts.” While in Singapore Feb. 28-March 2, we caught a little of the "Taylor Swift excitement". While doing the evening light show on Feb. 28, the sound track was her songs and she supposedly was doing that "live" as a warm-up for her six, sold-out concerts that happened in early March. Here are more details from this WSJ news profile: "Singapore’s pop-star push is the latest in a long-term effort to make a city known for its efficiency, cleanliness and low income taxes a little more lively. For decades, Singapore has said that to attract global talent and forestall emigration, it had to emulate cities like Barcelona and become known as a rich cultural destination." Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/books/can-a-boring-city-become-coolwith-a-little-help-from-taylor-swift-2de2628c?mod=arts-culture_lead_pos3 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados on the Silver Cloud for 26 days. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.). Now at 74,510 views: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2076101-live-amazon-river-caribbean-many-pix’s-terryohio/ Here are a few more visuals from our evening at the Gardens by the Bay and their famed night light show, the nearby Marina Bay Sands hotel, etc..: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) At night on Marina Bay, here are some added views of the Fullerton Hotel, the Singapore Lion, etc.: From the 18th floor pool level of our JW Marriott South Beach hotel, here are a couple of varied views of Singapore's amazing and soaring architecture.:

Appreciate all of these great comments, sharing and follow-ups. As detailed below in my live/blog, we just got back last week from three days in Singapore. Will share today a few visuals, plus more later. See a more complete summary with more visuals as linked below. From the Wall Street Journal yesterday, they had this headline: “Can a Boring City Become Cool—With a Little Help From Taylor Swift?" with this sub-headline: "Singapore is trying to shake off its reputation for being dull and uptight.” Here are a few of their reporting highlights: “When it comes to fun, Singapore’s government is super serious. For decades, the manufacturing and trading hub had been known for being a city that was all work and no play. One quip went that Singapore was 'the world’s only shopping mall with a seat at the United Nations.' Now Singapore is trying to shake off its staid reputation by positioning itself as a cultural hub and using a favored tool: pop concerts.” While in Singapore Feb. 28-March 2, we caught a little of the "Taylor Swift excitement". While doing the evening light show on Feb. 28, the sound track was her songs and she supposedly was doing that "live" as a warm-up for her six, sold-out concerts that happened in early March. Overall, we were very impressed with Singapore, its free-flowing traffic, the great mix of old and new architecture, its many cultural offerings, excellent gardens, great food, wonderful landscaping and greenery, etc., etc. We stayed at the JW Marriott South Beach and loved its great design, nearby offerings and much more. More details later. Here are more details from this WSJ news profile: "Singapore’s pop-star push is the latest in a long-term effort to make a city known for its efficiency, cleanliness and low income taxes a little more lively. For decades, Singapore has said that to attract global talent and forestall emigration, it had to emulate cities like Barcelona and become known as a rich cultural destination." Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/books/can-a-boring-city-become-coolwith-a-little-help-from-taylor-swift-2de2628c?mod=arts-culture_lead_pos3 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio India to Singaore 2024: Live/Blog with many visuals, including “Golden Triangle”, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2992045-live-terryohio-india-to-signapore-silver-moon-rising-pix’s/ Or, as an alternative use this five-term Google search Live Terry/Ohio India Silver Moon From our private tour with Danny L. of Tours-by-Locals, we explored various areas, including Little India, the Arab Quarter (including the Mosque shown below), lunch in Chinatown, going to the top of the Marina Bay Sands hotel that is the local architectural icon and also pictured below at the top-level pool. Additionally, we are shown in front of a Buddha temple surrounded by nearby, newer high-rises in Chinatown.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) In the evening, it was the Gardens by the Bay and their spectacular light and music show. Look amazing? It was!! At the right lower, is one of the three towers of the Marina Bay Sands complex with their roof-top pool we visited earlier, etc.: Below was part of the view from our river ship in the Marina Bay area with the Sands in the background. As mentioned, it was Taylor Swift music. Live or recorded? Not 100% sure, but it would be fun if she did do it live, as reported, for us sailing in this dramatic setting.: Finally, here is their famed Lion spitting out water with some of the lighted architecture in the background along their waterfront. Finally, we finished at the historic and highly-rated Fullerton Hotel for drinks (Singapore Sling, of course) before going back to the ship to finish packing and getting our luggage put out in the hallway. Yes, the Singapore Sling was not invented at the Fullerton, but we still felt the history and enjoyed this luxury hotel environment. Our JW Marriott is right across the street from the Raffles Hotel, where the Sling was invented.:

Agreed with above that doing pre-cruise research and planning for Singapore is vital. Why? There are so many different options to consider in Singapore that you cannot just go off of our ship, walk around, sample and understand it "ALL" that is there and available. Shopping is big, BIG in Singapore. We did not do much of that as we do not need to stuff more in our overloaded suit cases. Plus, we personally already have lots of "stuff" and we are trying to do some "down-sizing". As you go around in Singapore, you will see the big, expected names for the various luxury brands . . . and more!! Our skilled guide, Danny L., told us many of those shopping in these various stores are flying in from China where such "name" goods are highly valued and desired. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 111,649 views. From Singapore's Chinatown, here are some more visuals from the temple we visited. Second is a picture of my wife with guide Danny L. who explained how a door was painted with military general to scare off the "evil spirits" and protect this place of worship.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) On the outside of this Chinatown temple, one wall was decorated with a graphic to show how this area looked before landfill expanded Singapore. As noted, this part of Chinatown used to be right along the waterfront where ship were unloaded.:

YES, Mrs. Waldo summarizes correctly that Singapore is a "foodie delight". Many, many options for ALL types of dining. Many are very "high-end". BUT, however, some of those top dining places can run $200 to $400 per person. Rather high in price. That's part of the challenge with Singapore. The "bargains" are not as easy to find for hotels, food, etc. More visuals samples below from Singapore. More to come, plus catching up for man of our enjoyable moments from Japan, India, etc. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 249,338 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/ Many architectural and design elements are still there in Singapore going back to their British Colonial days, plus we are pictured in the middle of townhouses in the Chinatown area.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Chinatown in Singapore offers a wide variety of architecture and history going back to the "old days" in this City-State. The fourth picture below show a model as to how Chinatown looked in the earlier days when this temple visited was located right on the waterfront where ships were unloaded, etc.: The Marina Bay Sands and its nearby buildings and museum offerings illustrate a fast-changing skyline. To the right above my shoulder you can see a round, black ball. Understand that is an Apple store. Clearly, Signapore has it "all"!:

Super appreciate this great question and follow-up from our Aussie friend in Sydney. I still have the original 1-23-24 SS email that PROMISED to have "arranged three-night luxury hotel accommodations, reflective of Silversea standards, and enriching and immersive excursions in Mumbai.” Let's have a "reality check". Most of us got "nice and good hotels" with very average, boring, bland buffets in a sterile hotel ballrooms. The few tour options in Mumbai offered by SS were not creative or immersive. Average or OK was the summary bottom-line for these offerings, hardly "reflective of Silversea standards". During the cruise, Silversea should have done some "extras" to express a "SORRY" for those failures to deliver on their missed promises in Mumbai and express regrets for not communicating and performing better. I understand the challenges facing Silversea with these abrupt changes and that there were limits for the best options in and around Mumbai. YES, loved all of the UK folks onboard and these interesting/fun people on our cruise. Keep us posted if you get any type of reasonable response from Silversea as to your legitimate refund/rebate inquiry. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 111,649 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

During our cruise, it was great to hook up in-person with Charlie 001 from wonderful Australia. She share, despite the bad and confused communications from the Aussie SS people, that Silversea did a good good job in refunds done for the scrubbed Dubai to Mumbai, etc., cruise and costs down. NEXT?? It's the question as to what happens, or not??, for how the Silver Moon gets back from Asia to its key bookings in the Med for later this Spring and during the summer period. Those Med bookings for the Silver Moon are big, BIG money. Those Med schedules must be completed. Getting Singapore to Mumbai, etc., are important, but not as major as the Med schedules. Having been on the Silver Moon Feb. 14-29, Mumbai to Singapore, I offer the view that this situation is somewhat a Charles Dickens "Tale of Two Cities". From those experiences on the Silver Moon, the staff on the ship are excellent and "gets it" totally for serving the passengers well. As to the Silversea brass and paper-pusher in Monaco and Miami, that's a totally different situation. Sadly!! It's the Silversea and/or Royal Caribbean "bureaucracy" and "bean-counters" that are completely out-of-touch for understanding the terrible situation facing customers left "HANGING" and waiting and waiting in not knowing when and how a decision will be made and effective communications are going to happen. From being on the Silver Moon and talking with a number of the ship officials, I also know this is a very complex and challenging situation. These ships are not jet aircraft that can be quickly be moved around the globe in a few hours of time. The "supply chain" for food and materials, refueling, getting the right staff in place, etc. That is also very, very difficult to manage and maneuver. Nothing is easy, simple or quick. Hoping that the Middle East warfare stops and is quickly fixed would be desired. BUT, here is a quick sample for this morning's reality there: From the Associated Press/AP newswire this morning, they had this headline: “Yemen's rebels target Singapore-flagged ship in Gulf of Aden as US and allies down Houthi drones” with these highlights: “The attack on Friday targeted the bulk carrier Propel Fortune, which continued on its way, according to the United States military's Central Command. 'The missiles did not impact the vessel," the U.S. military said. "There were no injuries or damages reported.' The Houthis said Saturday they were behind the attack. Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed that along with targeting the Propel Fortune, the Houthi forces also launched 37 drones targeting American warships. American officials said early Saturday that the U.S. Navy, allied warships and aircraft have shot down 15 bomb-carrying Houthi drones in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Friday's attack on Propel Fortune came after a Houthi missile struck a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, killing three of its crew members and forcing survivors to abandon the vessel.” In the past week, I read more about the details of the attack in February on a fertilizer-carrying cargo ship, the Rubymar. That ship sank last Saturday after drifting for several days. Plus, there was the recent downing of an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars. To dream this "situation" clears up in the next few weeks seems rather unrealistic. Right or wrong? When will Silversea finalize when and how the Silver Moon heads back and gets to its booking for these Europe port later this Spring? Full story at: https://www.wdsu.com/article/yemens-rebels-target-singapore-flagged-ship-in-gulf-of-aden-as-us-and-allies-down-houthi-drones/60145913 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 249,338 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/

Appreciate these updates and various follow-ups as to what happens, or not??, as to how the Silver Moon gets back from Asia to its key bookings in the Med for later this Spring and during the summer period. Those Med bookings for the Silver Moon are big, BIG money. Those schedules must be completed. Getting Singapore to Mumbai, etc., are important, but not as major as the Med schedules. Having been on the Silver Moon Feb. 14-29, Mumbai to Singapore, I offer the view that this situation is somewhat a Charles Dickens "Tale of Two Cities". From those experiences on the Silver Moon, the staff on the ship are excellent and "gets it" totally for serving the passengers well. As to the Silversea brass and paper-pusher in Monaco and Miami, that's a totally different situation. Sadly!! It's the Silversea and/or Royal Caribbean "bureaucracy" and "bean-counters" that are completely out-of-touch for understanding the terrible situation facing customers left "HANGING" and waiting and waiting in not knowing when and how a decision will be made and effective communications are going to happen. From being on the Silver Moon and talking with a number of the ship officials, I also know this is a very complex and challenging situation. These ships are not jet aircraft that can be quickly be move around the globe in a few hours of time. The "supply chain" for food and materials, refueling, getting the right staff in place, etc. That is also very, very difficult to manage and maneuver. Nothing is easy, simple or quick. Hoping that the Middle East warfare stops and is quickly fixed would be desired. BUT, here is a quick sample for this morning's reality there: From the Associated Press/AP newswire this morning, they had this headline: “Yemen's rebels target Singapore-flagged ship in Gulf of Aden as US and allies down Houthi drones” with these highlights: “The attack on Friday targeted the bulk carrier Propel Fortune, which continued on its way, according to the United States military's Central Command. 'The missiles did not impact the vessel," the U.S. military said. "There were no injuries or damages reported.' The Houthis said Saturday they were behind the attack. Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed that along with targeting the Propel Fortune, the Houthi forces also launched 37 drones targeting American warships. American officials said early Saturday that the U.S. Navy, allied warships and aircraft have shot down 15 bomb-carrying Houthi drones in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Friday's attack on Propel Fortune came after a Houthi missile struck a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, killing three of its crew members and forcing survivors to abandon the vessel.” In the past week, I read more about the details of the attack in February on a fertilizer-carrying cargo ship, the Rubymar. That ship sank last Saturday after drifting for several days. Plus, there was the recent downing of an American drone worth tens of millions of dollars. To dream this "situation" clears up in the next few weeks seems rather unrealistic. Right or wrong? Full story at: https://www.wdsu.com/article/yemens-rebels-target-singapore-flagged-ship-in-gulf-of-aden-as-us-and-allies-down-houthi-drones/60145913 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 249,338 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/

Appreciate these great comments and follow-ups from our UK friend, Mrs. Waldo, Les, JP, etc. YES, the Raffles is a unique experience, but much has changed with that hotel since 2005. Different owners now, intense competition in Singapore for the high-end, luxury customers, etc. Practically every "Big Name" hotel is there with offerings that are amazing and facilities to boggle the mind (and wallet). Part of our challenge last week was that the Raffles hotel is so super upscale and classy that my wife did not believe we were "dressed up" enough to do that much on the inside. We are told that the Afternoon Tea is wonderful there. Though their windows, we could see it being offered, but we did not seek to try that experience. Given the heat and humidity in Singapore, getting too dressed up in long pants, nicer shirts, etc., can be challenging. We found Singapore to be an awesome and unique mix of "old" and the NEW!! Am getting somewhat caught up and hope this weekend and early next week to continue updating more from our adventures, visuals in Japan, India, on the Silver Moon, etc. Your patience and interest has been great. Keep it coming with any and all questions, comments and sharing. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From the Wall Street Journal, what do their charts show for Norwegian's stock during the most recent periods of this year? Below are those charts. Look a little different from RCL and Carnival? Why? This below story/reporting impacted Norwegian in late February from this financial news source and their headline: “Cruise Stocks Power Higher on Upbeat Results From Norwegian” with these highlights: “Over the past year, Norwegian's recovery from the pandemic has lagged its two larger rivals. Through Monday, the stock was down almost 4% over the past 12 months. Over the same period, Carnival and Royal Caribbean shares were up almost 37% and 66%, respectively. Norwegian sparked the sector-wide rally on Tuesday after the company said it expects to report an adjusted profit in the current quarter. Wall Street analysts were expecting a loss.” Also of interest from this WSJ reporting: "Echoing Carnival and Royal Caribbean, Norwegian said it is at a record booked position for the year, citing healthy consumer demand for travel. Norwegian also cited strength in pricing and onboard spending--a key industry gauge of consumers' appetites to splurge." Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/cruise-stocks-power-higher-on-upbeat-results-from-norwegian-112ee647 Reactions, comments, questions, predictions? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast on the Silver Spirit. Now at 34,686 views. Many pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358 Here are the charts for Norwegian stock as viewed by Wall Street traders during the past, recent periods of 2024. Where are things headed for the rest of this year?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

From the Wall Street Journal, what do their charts show for Carnival's stock during the most recent periods of this year? Below are those charts. Reactions, comments, questions, predictions? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Dubrovnik! Visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this super scenic and historic location. Over 53,483 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227 Here are the charts for Carnival stock as viewed by Wall Street traders during the past, recent periods of 2024. Where for the rest of this year?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)

Just got back earlier this week from our "Around the World in 31 Days" adventure that involved the "Silver Moon Rising" from Mumbai to Singapore, plus pre-cruise exploring in India's famed (justifiably great) "Golden Triangle" and post-cruise time in Japan. All of those travels are detailed on my live/blog with many more visuals and specifics posted on that thread. Now catching up on this thread for the status of cruise ship finances. . From the Wall Street Journal early yesterday morning, they had this headline: “Cruises Are More Popular Than Ever—and Investors Are Late to the Party" with this sub-headline: "This year’s ‘wave season’ will break revenue records for cruise lines, but investors are wary of massive debts the industry took on during the pandemic.” Here are some of the WSJ reporting highlights: “Four years after Covid-19 shut the industry down, a brief golden age of uncrowded decks and deep discounts has come to an end. With ships sailing at capacity and prime cabins selling out quickly, grabbing an offer as the industry’s traditional 'wave season' winds down this month might be wise. Investors are in more luck than travelers: Even though the lowest prices are off the table, bargains remain available in the shares of cruise lines—especially for those not put off by a bit of choppiness.” What did this story do for Royal Caribbean yesterday? See below. Nice jump up, UP!! Next, I will update for the stock trends with Carnival and Norwegian during the past week, month and year-to-date. Here is more insights/comparisons from yesterday's Wall Street Journal story: "Only Royal Caribbean has been able to keep rallying, coming close to erasing its pandemic losses. The other two are still down by more than half. Further gains look likely for all three as anecdotes trickle in about what is shaping up to be the industry’s best wave season ever." Ready to jump in and buy/invest in cruise ship stocks? When will that expected but delayed recession and/or "economic slow-down" hit and impact the stock market shares? How smart and knowing is your Crystal Ball? Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/finance/carnival-cruise-royal-caribbean-norwegian-wave-season-8d875e9f THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Kotor/Montenegro: Various visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 55,259 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193 Here is the WSJ chart for Royal Caribbean during the past five trading days, including Friday's major jump up, UP!!.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) And, for the past month from the WSJ.: Now, here are the trends of RCL since the start of 2024. Things got bumpy during mid February. Why?:

Before completing the updates, details and visuals from Tokyo/Japan, India, etc., I wanted to give a major shout-out and sharing for the famed Raffles Hotel in Singapore. History and class? Both are there in style and standards at the Raffles. It is right across the street from the JW Marriott South Beach where we stayed for two nights after the end of our Silver Moon cruise from Mumbai. With all of the trees, greenery, etc., in Singapore and among a see of dramatic high-rises, you almost miss noticing the Raffles. BUT, when you walk by and see the perfectly-maintained white stone walls, structures and surroundings, it stands out with its traditional, classic-styling and design. PLUS, everything has been perfectly maintained at the highest, best levels. "Amazing" is one wonder to describe the Raffles from walking around, seeing its various high-end shops, sampling its perfectly maintain grounds and structures, etc. Need proof, evidence and visual samples? See below. Here's a little history on the Raffles. This British Colonial-style hotel in Singapore was first established by two Armenian brothers in 1887. It was named after the British founder of modern Singapore, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. It is now owned by a Qatar-based, government-owned hospitality company that has the "deep-pockets" to have upgraded and maintained such a lavish, historic property. Raffles Hotel Singapore started as a privately-owned beach house built in the early 1830's when Beach Road was located along the waterside before this area started doing all of its landfill to create added building areas. It started as a ten-room hotel, with added wings being built. And, more!! The Raffles was a favorite spot of celebrities such as author Somerset Maugham. The Long Bar is notable for being where the national cocktail, the Singapore Sling, was invented, Our skilled guide, Danny, shared with us the details for how and why this drink was created. Great, fun story/background!! Would we stay here? Much would depend on cost. Plus, this hotel not being a high-rise, is fairly sprawled and spread out. Also, much of the charm of the Raffles are its attractive grounds and landscaping. BUT, given Singapore's heat and humidity, can those be enjoyed as fully when the weather can be so challenging? Glad we got to walk around and sample this "LEGEND". We considered having dinner outside here, but it was a little too hot that day. Hope these pictures give a decent taste for the CLASS that is present at the Raffles. For those who have visited the Raffles, does this bring back memories? Any other Raffles stories, details to share? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 250,799 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/ Here is a view of the front part of the Raffles, plus the second visual shows the wonderfully charming uniform and warm greeting provided when pulling up to this historic hotel.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) These next Raffles visuals provide a sampling of the ground, greenery, design details, etc. In the first picture at the top right, you can see part of the JW Marriott South Beach that towers over the Raffles. As shown, this hotel is only, at its tallest, three-stories high. Kind of "short" compared to the Marina Bay Sands and the many other luxury brands in Singapore?: Here is another, closer look at the front of the Raffles with its traditional, British Colonial architecture and design.: