WCB

Report #85    Sunday March 24, 2024    Singapore Day #2    Genting Dream Along Side Us - Queen Mary 2 Left    Hot And Humid 95 Degrees  Sunny With Clouds  Sailaway At 5pm  Part #1 Of 6......66 Pictures

Day two in Singapore found the tour groups going off early.   Forgetting to mention some of them yesterday, here they are.  The Best of Singapore included a lunch for 8 ¾ hours and $280, while Around the Island also with a lunch was 6 ½ hours for $150.  A ride to the Gardens By The Bay and the Marina Bay Sands Hotel was 4 hours for $140.  Yesterday, there was a tour to the Night Safari for 4 hours and $130 and iconic Singapore was 4 hours for $130.   Private vehicles were also available as they are in most every port.

Sadly, we heard the news about a fatal accident on the Nieuw Amsterdam that took the lives of two crew members.  We are all heart-broken as are the crew members here.  Our sincerest condolences go out to their families and friends.   It will probably take time before the cause of the explosion is discovered.

We tried starting our explorations earlier today, but we ended up going off of the ship a bit before 10am like yesterday.  Since the all aboard time was 4:30pm, we decided to stick closer to the pier today.  Taking the hike back out through the terminal and the checkpoint seemed to go smoother, as did the long walk to the Marina South Pier MRT station.  We had hopes that the temperatures would have been lower, but it remained pretty much the same as yesterday.  Hot and humid.

At this end of the Marina South Pier MRT, it wasn’t so busy, but when we got off at City Hall, it was a different story.  Today was Sunday and even more locals were out and about.   The City Hall station dropped us off at the Raffles City Mall, where we had to find our way to the street outside.  Thank goodness for a lot of signs in the mall, we found where we wanted to go.  Walking around the block, we located the famous Raffles Hotel.  For the last several years, their property was mostly closed for renovations.  When it was ready to open up again, Covid hit and our stop here was cancelled.  Back in all of its glory now, we were able to see most of it with the exception of the main lobby which is reserved for hotel guests only.  And you had better be dressed properly (no shorts) or you will be allowed inside a bar or restaurant.   The Long Bar is more casual and does offer their famous Singapore Sling.  Kimberly mentioned in her talk that these sweet drinks cost $39 Singapore dollars these days.  With tax that would be close to $30 USD.  We’d rather have an ice- cold beer, which is not cheap in Singapore either.

We had passed some signs in the hotel’s hallways announcing a wedding reception party here.  We happened to run right into the group posing for photos in one of the colonial stairwells.  The bride and groom were dressed in traditional Singaporean clothing, mostly red embellished clothing, not the usual white gown and tuxedo.  The cameraman had them posing in one shot, then dancing in place in the next frame.  Always fun to watch as long as we stayed in the back round.

We made our way around to the front entrance to see the turbaned Sikh doorman greeting the guests coming in taxis as well as limos.   The front of this iconic hotel is finally finished and was looking mighty fine.  In the parking area we spotted limos with flowers attached.  Then we saw another bride and groom posing for photos in the front entrance of this iconic hotel. 

Across the street was St. Andrew’s Cathedral, built in 1856, and Singapore’s oldest cathedral.  It is a landmark in this part of the city and just by luck, it was opened today.  The local parishioners were just leaving a service holding palm leaves.  Then we remembered it was Palm Sunday and the giving of palms is a tradition in the Catholic Church.  We were lucky to gain entrance through a side door to see the cathedral’s interior.  Very impressive with blue vaulted ceilings, it was beautiful and peaceful.  Another mass was about to begin, so we took our pictures and quietly left. 

The MRT station was right next to the cathedral, so we went down the escalator to find our way to the Gardens By The Bay.  This would be the red line for one stop, then a transfer to the brown line.  That one was not as easy to find.  We found long hallways with few people, and figured we may have been able to walk the streets there faster.  The only bad thing was the oppressive heat outside.  It was good to be more like gophers and cool off down under.   Finally finding the correct connection, we ended up coming out at the far end of the Gardens By The Bay.  It was here that we found the park with reportedly 250,000 rare pants and two giant-domed conservatories.  The Cloud Forest houses the world’s tallest indoor waterfall.  Since our time was limited, we did not enter the domes today.  Sunday has to be their busiest day of the week because the lines to tour the domes was long.  Too long for us.  We did stroll much of the 250 acre park surrounded by a moat.  Trying to remember how we crossed over a footbridge to access the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, we finally found it and walked out of the Gardens to get a bird’s eye view of the Singapore Flywheel.  Then we made our way through the center upper level of the fabulous “ironboard” hotel.   We continued out the doors to another bridge that took us into the Shoppes By The Bay.   Escalators took us down to the lower levels where we searched for a pizza restaurant we had found online.  This mall is the newest and most opulent in Singapore.  It is as glitzy as they come and well worth the visit.  There is a huge casino in this complex and the destination of many of the locals as well as foreigners. 

Going from floor to floor, we went in the direction of where we had lunch 5 years ago.  It turned out that restaurant had changed hands and was a Chinese restaurant now.  Only opened for dinner it appeared closed.  However, right next door was the place we were looking for  - Roberta’s Pizza.  It was not a large pizzeria, but one that had a wood-fired oven and Italian food.  We lucked out and got two seats on the hightop chairs by the bar and the busy cooks.    The way it worked here was to look over the menu, then go to their counter and pay for the food and drinks.  Then we sipped our Tiger beers while watching the cooks make and bake the pizza.   It was pricey by our standards but well worth it for a meal in Singapore.  Even the beers were rather high, but that is expected since Singapore adds a hefty tax to anything alcohol.  We read somewhere it is an attempt to prevent alcoholism.  

This is probably a good time to write the list of forbidden items to be brought ashore.  There is no chewing gum, chewing tobacco, or imitation cigarette products.   Lighters that look like a pistol or revolver are banned as are controlled drugs or psychotropic substances.   No surprise here.  No endangered species, obscene articles or videos are allowed or reproductions of copyrighted materials.  Severe fines and or imprisonment can occur.  Finally, e-cigarettes and vapes are prohibited.   If found, they will be trashed.   Possession and using of hard drugs can be punished by death.

OK, back to our story.  After relaxing for at the pizza café, it was time to head back and find the correct station to turn in our transit cards and get the refund.  Only a few of the stations were able to do that, so we had to choose from the list we were given.   We went back to the MRT and were told to go to the Bayfront station.  Just by luck, we happened run right into it and they did do the refund there which was S$10 each.  Then we had our original S $10 passes to get back to the Marina South Pier with some change left over like $2 each.   Our weekend visit had been such a whirlwind of activity, and we have the MRT to thank for getting to places very quickly and easily. 

On the way out of the MRT station, we spotted many groups of local picnickers on the grassy fields on the waterfront.  Some of the younger kids were doing karaoke with speakers, having a really good time.   A  nice breeze coming from the harbor had cropped up, making our walk a lot more pleasant.  We noticed many Asian folks arriving to the cruise terminal and we suspected another ship had docked across from us.  It turned out to be the Genting Dream Cruise, a gambling vessel we think.  The guests were arriving with only one small suitcase and hand carrys.   These types of cruises are numerous between here and Hong Kong and have no trouble filling up with local gamblers.  

By the time we got back into the terminal hall at 3pm, it was full of guests in line to board the gambling ship.  Lucky for us, we had another entrance just for the Zuiderdam.   Once through the security and xray checkpoints, we entered the ship and turned in our passports to be held at the front desk.  Done for the day, we relaxed in our room and veranda until sail away, which happened after 5pm.   Being one of the busiest harbors in the world, the Captain had to zig-zag his way around the many vessels.   Our next port will be Colombo, Sri Lanka with three days at sea to arrive there.  We are very much looking forward to that break to re-charge our batteries, so to speak. 

Dinner time found most everyone present after two busy days and a night in port.  One of us had a rice paper-wrapped chicken appetizer and one bowl of tortilla soup…..both of which were very good.   The Club Orange lamb dinner was one choice and the other was barbacoa sauced beef slices.  Different but good.  Pineapple was a perfect dessert and one cup of hot coffee as well.

If people have the energy, there was a show tonight featuring an instrumentalist by the name of Dennis Lau.  He was described as being a showman with finesse and determination to adapt to different music genres.   Between the four other music venues, there is something for most everyone.

The clocks went back one hour this evening which was appreciate by everyone.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #84  Saturday  March 23, 2024  Singapore Day #1 Of 2  Docked Starboard Side To Pier 8am-Overnight   Sunny And Hazy 9mph Winds Very Humid 96 Degrees  Queen Mary 2 Also A Long Side  Part #1 Of 10.......64 Pictures---Casual

The Zuiderdam arrived early this morning to Singapore around 7am, but we were not docked and cleared until closer to 8am.   We have gotten used to being at a different spot ever since we got the boot from the Harbourfront pier.  These days we dock at Marina Bay South and we were not alone.  The Queen Mary II, one of Cunard’s large ships was docked across from us.  It’s possible that they were ending a cruise here, and taking on new guests.  We did learn that about 60 new passengers will join this ship today or tomorrow.  And 130 guests went home.

Singapore is a small country with only 697 square kilometers.  However, it houses 5.8 million people that speak Mandarin, English, Malay and Tamil.  It happens to be one of the world’s hot-list destinations and also one of our favorite cities to explore.  For those out there that adore shopping, you could take up to 6 months to locate all of the stores.  Many are topside, but there is a city down under that equals what you find at ground level. 

We waited for the tours to go off before we left at 10am.  We heard a funny story at breakfast this morning that concerned the mess with the excursion groups.  Not only were people making their way to the buses too early, but some guests who were not on tours, were sneaking off with the tour groups to get off earlier.  It’s no wonder that the staff eventually blew their stacks.  We have noticed that sometimes the excursion groups go off before the general clearance is announced.  

Today’s process was complicated to say the least.  We all had to have our room keys, our passports, and the Electronic Singapore Arrival Card ready to present to the immigration booth.   Things have changed here since the last time we stopped in Singapore.  Now there are banks of kiosks where we scan our passports, do a thumb print, and have our photo scanned to match the passport.  Once completed, a glass door opens and we are released.  No one asked to see the arrival papers, which basically declares we are healthy.  The next stop is xray, where we are checked the same as when we come back.   

From here, we walked through the huge parking garage outside the terminal.  It leads to a very long covered walkway which took us all the way to the Marina South Pier MRT station.  It would have been nice if we could have bought the Singapore Tourist Passes at this station, but they did not sell them here.  We had to purchase two $10. (Singapore $) in order to get to a station that sold them.  Since we were headed to Harbour Front where these tickets were sold, that ticket got us that far with some left over.  There are 15 stations in the system that sell these cards, and tomorrow we will drop them off close to the Marina station and get $10 Singapore refunds on each of our Tourist Cards.    In the meantime, we can travel to our heart’s delight and probably exceed what we paid for the cards by a lot. 

We had to transfer to a different line to access Harbour Front (the purple line), which does involved time and a lot of walking.  But we knew exactly where to find the ticket office, and by luck, there was no line there.   Normally it is 20 thick.  We had a local gal who spoke perfect English and explained how the cards work and where to get our refunds.  The price for the two day unlimited card was $29 Singapore dollars each.  Tomorrow when we return the cards, we will get S$10 back for each card.    From there we walked to the end of the mall where the old cruise terminal was for us a few years ago.  We saw that the Silver Shadow was docked there and leaving tomorrow.  Ships of that size fit there, where we are too big.

Back on the train, we made our way to Chinatown (purple line), got off, and explored the whole busy area.  It was close to lunchtime now, and the food court was filling up with customers.  We took a lot of photos of the Chinese food items being cooked at each stand.  Some of their specialties are duck parts like tongue, feet, gizzards, hearts, necks and livers.   This would be a good place for bargains if we were looking for any.  Today was just mainly for pictures.

Job done, we hopped back on the train (still purple line) and went to Little India.   This place was really busy with folks buying fresh produce, meat and fish in the huge marketplace.  Going up and down every side street, we saw so much that reminded us of shopping in Mumbai.  By the way, did we mention how hot it was today?  It was well over 90 degrees with a humidity level in the 70% area.  Hot and sticky.  It pretty much stopped the hawkers from being aggressive with their shop items. 

Back to the MRT, we switched to the blue line that took us to the Botanic Garden.  This would be the highlight of the day.  Walking in the heat of the day might have not been the best idea, but we had no choice….it was now or never.  We had brought water with us, but it wasn’t near enough.  We remembered that in the center of the garden were vending machines with water, sodas, and ice teas in many flavors.  These machines only take coins (no paper money) or credit cards.   We had no coins, but watched as some locals used their credit cards to buy drinks.  OK, we gave it a try by tapping the card, and it worked.  Before we left the park we had bought three drinks that way.  And they were life-saving in the heat. 

Going deeper into the garden, we walked around a pond where we saw a large monitor lizard under a mangrove tree.  We had seen two smaller ones when we entered the garden, but this one was big.  Thinking it was dead, it finally moved its head….it was simply sleeping in the heat.  This pond also had turtles, fish, and some smooth-skinned otters that were reportedly nursing young ones.  We searched for them, but they hid successfully. 

Then we came upon the jewel of the park- the Orchid Garden, which is world-famous.  There is a small charge (S$3 each) to get inside, but well worth it.  Five or six years ago, this garden underwent a transformation, redoing the Cool House.   That was a dome that mimicked a misty mountain zone with different types of orchids and bromeliads that can handle cool and moist weather.    On the way to the new build, we took pictures of every orchid, big and small, along the pathways.  Gardeners were watering everything, so we suspect they have not had a lot of rain recently.  In the Cool House,  we saw parasitic orchids, insect killers, and many types of ferns and trees from all over the world.  This was the best place to linger as long as we could because it was so much cooler.  Eventually we had to leave, but going back outside was torture.  It made it seem ever hotter than it had been.  

Continuing up the hillside, we made our way back to the entrance where we went through their shop on the way out.  Many years ago, possibly 20, we had bought a Risis necklace and earring set.  These are real orchids that have been dipped in nickel and gold to preserve them.   It made us happy to see that the price had gone up substantially over the years. The time was getting away from us, so we headed back to the MRT, which was pretty far away it seemed.  If we had something that counted our steps, we may have been surprised how far we had walked so far.  Sometimes it is better not to know.

Now we had to go a short distance to a different line, the brown line, to access Orchard, the high end area of Singapore.  And also the place of the Ion Mall.  It is one of the largest in the city and has the most expensive stores that exist.  Our destination was lunch at the Hard Rock Café, where we always go to relax for an hour or more.  It took us a while to find our way out of the mall  until we remembered we had to find Wheelock Place to be at the right exit.  It was a good thing there was a concierge in the mall for us to get directions. 

Once out in the street on Orchard Road, we knew where to find the café.  Climbing their stairs, we were seated at a window table where we ordered a draft beer and one Coke Zero.   Adding a plate of cheese nachos with grilled chicken, we were happy campers.  Resting up with cold drinks and a little food gave us our second wind to continue on our journey.   But before we left, we made a stop in the HRC shop and got two t-shirts.  Not expecting it to work, we provided our member number and did receive 20% off.  

It sure would have been nice if a hint of a breeze popped up, but it did not.  By now, we noticed the heat had taken a toll for one of us, and there was just enough energy to get back to the ship.  That was an adventure in itself.   Finding our way back into the Ion Mall, we switched to the red line which went back to Marina South Pier, the end of the line.  By the time we walked the covered walkway back to the ship, it was 6pm.  Needless to say, it was good to be back on the ship with air-conditioning. 

Tonight we had been promised that the veal cutlet or veal chop was available for Club Orange.  Both of us had Caesar salads and the grilled chops, which were delicious.  Tender and tasty, we wish they offered them more often.  So far they have appeared once a month.  No room for dessert, we opted for a cup of coffee and one scoop of sorbet instead.   

There was no live show in the World Stage, but a very good movie we have seen three times, was Crazy Rich Asians.  Filmed partly in the Gardens by the Bay, we recognized many areas in the 250 acre park that we had visited on past trips here.

The best show for us had to be the view from our veranda of the Marina Bay Sand Hotel, the one that looks like an ironing board, and the Singapore Flyer, the Ferris wheel that offers spectacular views of the city.   Seeing the city all lit up was magical.

Hopefully with a good night’s rest, we will be ready for another busy, but shorter, day in Singapore.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #83   Friday   March 22,  2024    Sea Day Enroute To Singapore    Sunny With A Few Clouds 82 Degrees 7mph Wind   Seas Are Flat    Part #1 Of 1.......No Pictures---Casual Dress

It was a lazy day at sea for us and many others as the Zuiderdam sailed towards Singapore doing 20 knots.  Captain Friso said that the smooth seas and following winds were in our favor.  And the warm but comfortable weather with a nice breeze was just about perfect. 

We learned that around 130 guests will be leaving the ship tomorrow and only 60 or so will be joining.  More than likely some of the crew members will be ending their 8 month contracts and leaving as well.  But we suspect that not all of them will be replaced.  As this voyage continues, we believe there will be a further drop in the passenger count, especially when we head across the Atlantic Ocean in May.   When the current itinerary changed, eliminating the Mediterranean, we feel that a number of folks made a decision to leave in Singapore.  They were given that option to leave and receive future cruise credit for the missed days.  Not everyone wanted a repeat of Africa, especially West Africa, since we did that last year. 

This morning we all received two more stickers for the cruise log booklet, adding the ports from Tokyo to Singapore.  We are well beyond the halfway mark now. 

We still had not received our copies of the Singapore landing card info we had requested from the front desk folks as promised by this morning.  So we made a call to our concierge, Michelle, who had to search for our emails from yesterday.  In the meantime, she gave us her personal email to re-send the forms.  While doing this, she located our emails and had already made copies for us.  And even nicer, she delivered them personally to our room.  She had brought her two daughters with her, who are visiting from the Philippines.  How nice to meet them.  They are teenagers we are guessing, and are having a fine time sailing for a few days on the ship.  Their dad, Ray, is the bartender in the Ocean Bar, so having to see both of their parents at the same time is rare.  The two young girls will be among the guests departing the ship tomorrow.

Everyone had to pick up their passports to carry with us when we go off of the ship.  The tables were set up in the passenger deck  elevator lobbies, and it went smooth as glass. 

Kimberly delivered her Singapore talk this morning at 10am, so we looked for it on TV  and found it this afternoon.  Deciding to watch it around 4pm, we discovered it was gone.   Will try after dinner, but have no faith it will be there.  Of course we have been to the city several times in the past, but sometimes Kimberly adds extra tips, or closures we do not know about.   Every bit of info we can gather is always a good thing.   Doing online homework has been a big help with figuring out the MRT ticket counters that will be open tomorrow where we are docked.   If nothing has changed since we were here last, we will be OK. 

The Culinary Council Dinner menu was the theme tonight.  It had a different type of salad with lots of things we like, including breaded shrimp.  Both of us ordered the prime rib, but ½ size orders.  The serving size was still more than enough.  And it was good.  One of us had the craqulin  dessert, a chocolate pudding- filled type muffin.   Our friend Heo surprised us and came over to say goodbye.  We wished him a safe trip and we sure hope to see him and Greg in the future.  We will really miss seeing him and also getting his port pictures.

Annie Gong was on the stage again tonight showcasing her one woman symphony concert.  She is a favorite of the longtime world cruisers. 

Ready or not….Singapore, here we come.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #82  Thursday  March 21, 2024  Phu My Port For Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam  6am-5:30pm  Docked Starboard Side To Pier  Sunny With Sea Haze Hot And Humid 95 Degrees  Part #1 Of 5.......55 Pictures--Casual Dress

Well, we’re up a river today, one of  the hundreds of Vietnamese rivers with foreign-sounding names we cannot pronounce.  This river or its tributaries might go as far as Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon) but only the smaller vessels and cruise ships can sail there.   The Zuiderdam is way too large, so we docked at an international cruise port near Phu My.  You might ask what’s in Phu My?  We can verify there is absolutely nothing for tourists except the place to take bus tours elsewhere.  Today we are docked in a different spot and although there are buildings, it is totally industrial.  This dock seems to be a storage area for gigantic metal cylinders that are wired in the center core and made to connect to each other.  Their purpose is a mystery to all of us.  However, we will investigate later. 

Since we do not plan on going into Ho Chi Minh or anywhere else, we figured it was a good time to attend to another directive sent to us this morning.  This letter gave instructions on Singapore arrival cards we will need in two days from now.  They are free and we do not need tourist visas there.  So we went online and filled out their required information for each of us.  Some of the questions were fuzzy, such as what ship are we on.  Zuiderdam was not in their data base.  So the correct answer was “others”.  Once completed and accepted, it was recommended to download the form on our cell phone.   Of course, we do not have a cell phone, so what now?

A further request was to fill out Sri Lanks electronic arrival cards.  Before we left home, we applied for the free Sri Lanka visas and were granted them.  No print outs were required with these.  However, just to be sure, one of us went down to the front desk to ask for help with the Singapore cards.  And besides, we needed to buy some Singapore money….might as well kill three birds with one stone.

Expecting to find only a few guests in line due to the tours that went off, it was surprising to see a line that had formed down the hallway.    Many others had trouble figuring out the questions and answers with their cell phones.  Normally, we do all of this on paper forms and turn them in.  Now it is all online.  I helped a nice but upset lady behind me figure out what to answer on the fuzzy questions.  Even her city of residence was not there, just like ours was not. 

Finally my turn to get help, I was told to email our Singapore approved applications to the website of the Front Desk.  We had to request printed cards to be sent to our room.   So far, it is 10pm and no cards have been delivered.  Surprised?  No.  The money buying was easy, as was breaking large bills into 20’s, 10’s, and 5’s.  We like the ship’s cash because it is new, clean and not torn.    Many countries will not accept old or worn currency. 

Back in our room, we tried to complete the Sri Lanka electronic arrival card, but we were a day too soon.  We will be there on March 28^th and have plenty of time to figure it out. 

So much for the big job of the day, we headed off of the ship by 10am to temperatures near mid-90’s and high humidity.  Good thing there was a breeze going on.   Intending only to check out their souvenir tables, we talked to some folks who had ridden the shuttle bus to the port gate.   They never got off of the bus and rode it back to the dock.   They said nothing was there.  We had to find out ourselves, so we got on the next shuttle and rode the one minute ride to the gate.  All that was there were maybe a dozen taxi drivers offering us cheap tours.  No thanks….been there done that three times.  We did see some happy crew members coming back with large bags of KFC, so there was civilization somewhere.  Taxi drivers mentioned a mall, but frankly, that was the last place we wanted to go. 

So outside the security checkpoint, there was a wide road with nice walkways under tall shade trees for quite a way.  The tide was up in the river and along the walkway were tidal basins on the riverbank where we spotted some birds.  There were mostly egrets, pigeons and more swifts.  Not much else, except lots of road trash.   We ended up walking an hour or more taking pictures of the factories and industrial buildings.  Other than the big rig drivers, we saw few local people.  Occasionally some motorbikes passed by, but that was about it.  At one end of the walkway, we watched as one of those huge cylinders was being trucked into the dock area.  We did ask a few fellows what these were, but no one spoke English.  We ended up bussing back with many crew members who had gone “snack” shopping.  For us, it was Coca Cola time since we had not thought to bring water off with us.

It turned out our timing was bad.  It was close to noontime and some of the tour buses were coming back.   We did check out the souvenir tables with t-shirts, caps, magnets, little kid toys, purses, handbags, and wooden lacquer items.  They also sold some Vietnamese clothing and flip-flops, as well as designer watches – all knock-offs.  No sense to even attempt bargaining (which they expect) with so many people shopping there.  Better to come back later, if at all.  We never did go back.

We cooled off with those sodas and spent some time on our veranda watching the river traffic.  There were all sizes of boats and ships, but nothing like what we saw in Da Nang.    Checking out a website, we did see that the Celebrity Solstice and another ship were also docked in the river.  The Solstice is quite large and had to be docked closer to the river’s entrance.  We would see it later on our way out to sea.

So where did some of the guests go today?  The best of Ho Chi Minh was 8 ½ hours for $150, and a tour to see the Cu Chi tunnels for 10 hours was $140.  Both of these excursions included lunch.  Also a lunch, there was a taste of Vietnam in partnership with Food and Wine for 7 hours and $140.   Shorter tours were Vung Tau for 4 hours at $60 or Ba Ria for 3 ½ hours for $50.  A transfer only to Ho Chi Minh was also $60 for 8 ½ hours on your own.   Comparatively speaking,  today’s excursions were the most affordable so far in our opinion. 

All aboard was 5:30pm, and we all had to turn in our landing cards to a box at the front desk.  Before 6pm, Captain Friso carefully turned the ship around and headed back down the river.  We stayed on the veranda the whole time enjoying the scenic cruising.  The sun went down and the lights came on, which really made everything look so much nicer, even if it was all industrial.  Numerous container ships were operating through the night, which is smart since it is much cooler.  And like we said, we passed by the Celebrity Solstice just as she was ready to leave as well.  With up to 3400 passengers, this ship is much larger than the Zuiderdam.  Captain Friso did toot the horn as we sailed by.   It was dinner time by the time we passed by Vung Tau, the city on the seaside.  It was lit up like a Christmas tree.

Dinner time was celebrating the end of another segment with the parade of the cooks and waiters.  Why tonight, we do not know, since tomorrow is a day at sea.  No one goes home until Saturday we believe.  We ordered the spicy chicken/peanut sauce dipped appetizer with one salad and one chicken noodle soup.  It’s still spaghetti soup and we gave up trying to get the noodles.  Entrees were the veal tenderloin – one with rice and one with a baked potato.  We skipped the parsnip puree which is really of swipe on the plate.  We passed on dessert, which really upsets our waiter.  He loves to bring a complete dinner, but it can be way too much at times. 

Showtime featured instrumentalist Dennis Lau, a pianist and violinist.  People were filing out of the dining room early, so we are not sure how many of them make it to the later show.  Since some of the tours left at 6:15am, we doubt many folks will go to the show tonight. 

We knew that the clocks had to go ahead one hour tonight, but our waiters forgot to tell us, and there was no card left on the bed like they usually leave it.  The front desk folks verified that yes, the clocks went forward tonight.  We don’t like that, but at least we have a sea day to relax before Singapore.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #81    Wednesday  March 20, 2024    Sea Day Enroute To Phu My Cruise Port For Ho Chiu Minh City  Sunny With Heavy Sea Haze 84 Degrees  27mph Winds 4" Swell  Part #1 Of 1.......No Pictures----Dressy Night

The rain from last night was gone when we woke up this morning, which was a nice surprise.  It did seem to be warmer with temperatures in the mid 80’s and accompanied with high humidity.  Hard to believe only 10 days ago, we were wearing our heavy coats in ice cold China, complaining about it.  What a big difference now.  We expect the same warm and sticky weather now for most of the remainder of the cruise. 

Taking our walk this morning, we finally saw more folks coming outside on the teak lounges.  Gone are the blue plaid blankets.   The dark blue towels are back.  During our walk, we saw some more of the small swifts still flying around the ship.  We were certain they would find a home in our last port of Da Nang.  Guess they did not like the neighborhood.   Another bird that was really lost was one white egret and possibly one booby.  The flying fish are starting to appear again indicating we are sailing in warmer waters now. 

Going to the Seaview Pool, we had a nice visit with Greg, our long time tablemate..  He informed us that Heo is going home in Singapore and will not be returning.  His parent’s health has been failing recently, and he feels the need to be closer to home to help his brother out.  Since they live in Sydney, Heo will be at home to give them extra care.  He will be missed by their many friends. 

Our big job of the day was attending to another muster drill procedure, which is a piece of cake now.  We could have sworn we just did one, but looking back on the calendar, it has been exactly one month since the last one.  Passengers in the odd numbered rooms went first at 1pm.  The even numbered folks, like us, went at 1:30pm.  We headed down to deck three around 1:20pm, and beat the crowd going down.    Our cards were scanned, then we watched our stateroom TV with the vital information in case of an emergency.   We should be good for another month now. 

We are still not sure where the ship will be docked tomorrow, although Captain Friso did mention something about changes at his noon talk.  Honestly, it really does not matter since every one of the docks on the river are just that.  Docks…a place to tie the ship up and nothing more.   There is no place to walk to such as a town or village, so we plan to stay onboard.  If there are souvenir stands on the pier, we might check it out. 

With Singapore coming up this weekend, we did some research on their transit cards and where to buy them.  It used to be easy when we docked at Harbourfront.  But now we are out in the sticks at Marina Bay South, and they may not sell those tickets there.   One way or another, we’ll figure it out because this is one stop we make the most of our time.  And the good thing is we will have two full days to explore and enjoy it. 

The dress suggestion was “dressy” this evening, although while taking a late walk on the promenade deck at 5:30pm, we noticed some folks did not get that memo.   Casual is as good as it gets for some, which is fine.  Jackets for the fellows are a bit on the warm side with this weather, but it is only for a few hours.   The appetizers were a little strange, but there is always the choice of jumbo shrimp and Caesar salad.  We had both.  Mains were the surf and turf (shrimp and a tenderloin steak) and a lasagna.   We have been waiting to see the veal cutlet show up on the Club Orange menu, but so far, we only saw it twice on this whole trip.  So we asked our head waiter, Hazel, who checked into it and said it will be served on March 23^rd.  We said count us in….we will be there.  One of us had a little serving of pineapple for dessert which was perfect. 

The show tonight was a performance of the singers and dancers with These Dreams: A Journey To Love.  Their routine should be a piece of cake since the seas have been behaving with slight swells and following winds. 

There was a very pointed note waiting for all of us in our room after dinner.   It came from Henk M, the hotel director, and it concerned the shore excursion dispatch procedure for the tour groups.  Really, this did not apply to us since we no longer participate in bus tours, but we found it interesting.  Several years ago, a change had to be made to sticker the guests on tours at the exit from the show lounge.    Prior to that, they were stickered on their way inside the lounge, then left to run to the buses to get the best seats.  It worked better back then, but somewhere along the line, they went back to the old way.  We assume it has caused some conflict with the staff and other guests.  Here is the way Henk worded the warning:  While nothing is ever perfect, we can implore, plead, or urge you all, especially those of you seemingly not wanting to comply with the principal effort behind the complexities of this operation to cease and desist being a “rebel without a cause”.  A mouthful of words, we hope people take notice.  You do know that if things get out of hand, people can be removed from the cruise.  We have seen it happen.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #80  Tuesday  March 19, 2024  Da Nang, Vietnam  Docked Starboard Side To Pier  8am-10:30pm  Sunny With Haze And Clouds 86 Degrees  Slight Breeze And Warming Up  Part #1 Of 4.......66 Pictures---Casual Dress

Another day, and another country.  This time it is Vietnam – a place that we never thought we would be visiting over and over again.   Today’s port was Da Nang, one of the smaller cities, even though it is still huge.  We were here several years ago, and at that time we took tours to Hue and also to Hoi An, since we had two full days in port.  

So here’s some info on Vietnam.   The population is 95.3 million people that speak Vietnamese.  The capital is Hanoi in the northern part of the country.  There were several tours here which included a 4 hour Da Nang by rickshaw and museum visit for $70, or later this evening, a 4 hour trip to Hoi An.  Missed the pricing on that one, but it is doable since all aboard time is 10:30pm.   Out of the area tours included a 9 hour one to Hue with lunch for $155, as well as ancient Hoi An for 7 ½ hours for $130. There are always private car or van excursions in every port, but too many to list.   And the big one was a 2 night 3 day overland to Angkor Wat for $2200. 

The best memory we have of our first visit to Nha Trang in Vietnam was trying to cross a wide street with a tsunami of motorbikes coming at us……none of them stopping.  Our guide said the secret to crossing was to keep going, don’t stop, and they will go around you.  It worked, but it sure raised the blood pressure.  Anyway, their favorite food is sweet and salty, sour and crunchy whatever they are cooking.  Favorites are fish head soup and lots of veggies and everything rice.  Pho noodles are a big treat for all.

We had breakfast as usual, but today we had the view of the water and watched as various types of fishing boats went by our windows.  These vessels are wooden and unique to this country.  Painted blue and red or brown and orange, they serve a purpose such as shrimping or deep sea fishing.  We even saw one of those “bowl” shaped boats go by.

So we went off of the ship shortly after 10am and went through the little security shack to have our landing cards stamped.  We will need to keep these cards until we leave the next and last Vietnam port of Phu My.  Our temperatures were taken at this shack as well although we did not know it at the time. 

We did not plan on booking any tours today, but hoped to simply take a walk to see what we could.  Yesterday we had been told there may be a $10 bus shuttle one way to downtown Da Nang which was 8 miles from the dock.   All that was provided were four electric golf carts that took the folks to the port gate….no further.  This dock is a working dock and walking was not allowed.  Even Henk and Christel, who were heading out on their bikes, had to put them in the cart and ride to the gate.  There was no shuttle, only a ton of taxi drivers trying to get us to go anywhere.  They do not take “no thanks” for an answer.  It might take 10 times that for them to give up.   Many couples will go to the furthest taxi driver at the end of the queue in order to get the best price for a ride.  We saw that happen more than once this morning. 

It had been mentioned that there may be souvenir tables set up outside the port gate, but there was nothing.   What we saw was a bunch of small shops and bars and  a whole lot of trash everywhere.  Mostly broken beer and water bottles and chip wrappers, etc.  A few other guests had walked further past the mess, but gave up when the sidewalk ended.  Oh well, it was warm, but there was a breeze and some shade along the road, so we continued our hike.

It took us past several military facilities, mostly naval it appeared.  Besides the big rigs from the port, there were lots of locals on motorbikes.  Every time a taxi passed us, they beeped, in hopes we would wave them down.  They even stopped and followed us until we finally said no thanks a dozen times.  The map supplied from the ship was basically useless here.  The map was more of the central city of Da Nang and not where we were docked.  We still carry the maps with us because they also contain the port info, address, and phone number.    The local currency rate is printed on it as well which today was 1 USD = 24.76 Vietnamese dong. 

We figured we had hiked about 6 miles when we came to the outskirts of town and a number of small cafes, shops, and stores on both sides of the road.  We had not gotten far enough to run into any hotels.  The little cafes were just opening their doors, but we knew the cuisine was most likely not going to work for one of us, so we decided to turn back.  Just then, a taxi guy pulled up, and we wisely negotiated a ride back to the pier with the help of our printed map which had the phrase “return us to the ship, please”.   The young driver had actually had a phone that translated English to his language.  But the letter worked better.    He was very nice, drove safely, and charged us appropriately.   We waited at the gate for the golf cart, and rode the rest of the way back to the ship.  Our landing cards were checked once again.

Even though we had brought water with us, the ice cold Cokes sure tasted a lot better.    We did Dive In for lunch and relaxed in the room and outside on the veranda which had a beautiful breeze later in the afternoon.   Around 3pm, there was a flotilla of the fishing boats passing us going in one direction.  And we mean hundreds of them, which we guessed they may be going out for evening fishing.  In the past, we have passed these types of boats off of the coast fishing with strong lights in the darkness.  Hopefully we will see these tonight after we leave the port.

Captain Friso came on the speakers around 6pm, and gave the report for tomorrow’s day at sea.  He mentioned that there was a significant storm with monsoon-type rains heading our way.  He hoped to be able to outrun it.  So far, we have been lucky not to have had any severe weather, but that could change.  The Captain had hoped to leave sooner than 10:30pm, but that would depend on whether everyone was back onboard.

Dinner was good with some nice appetizers of drunken? chicken (looked sober to us) and a tomato soup.  Salads were Caesar and arugula for a change.  Mains were the same…..sweet and sour crispy breaded shrimp with jasmine rice and plenty of extra sweet and sour sauce.  They cannot serve this often enough in our humble opinion.  We would also like sweet and sour pork or chicken.  Hint, hint…. Dessert for one of us was a sliced banana with a small ramekin of chocolate sauce.  A little wicked, but good.

As this is being written 11pm, we checked outside our veranda and discovered it was raining.  Not bad, but definitely wet.  Hope this is not the start of the deluge…….

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #79  Monday  March 18, 2024 Sea Day Enroute To Da Nang, Vietnam   Warmer And Humid, Hazy With Sun 80 Degrees   Sea State-Flat  Part #1 Of 1.......24 Pictures

Not too much to report today with one big exception.  During breakfast we suddenly discovered dolphins swimming in the wake right outside our window in the Pinnacle Grill.  Yelling “dolphins”, many guests jumped up and turned on their cell phone cameras.   Too bad they were too late to catch one of the jumping dolphins as they disappeared as fast as they appeared.  And we did not have our camera with us.  Of course, we watched until 9am, and never saw another one.  Maybe later…..

We stayed on dolphin-watch in our room while working online.  It has really heated up as we travel further south towards Vietnam.  The high of the day had to exceed 80 degrees which we found out when going to the Seaview Pool.  For the first time in weeks, some sunbathers were there on the lounges and even in the pool.  Now most folks have to be careful not to burn, even us. 

Our friend Greg came by and chatted for a while.  It was good to catch up on each other’s adventures for the last few days.  We have usually gone in different directions in each port, so at the end of the day by sharing, we feel we have covered a lot more territory.  Both Heo and Greg are “foodies” and readily enjoy trying local cuisine.  Lucky for them, there are no allergies there.  Hong Kong was one of the places to eat locally they said.  The photos they shared told the story.  Captain Friso came on the speakers after sounding the horn.   He really likes laying on the ship’s horn or whistle as it is called.  Yesterday it was necessary while leaving the harbor in Hong Kong as there was so much boat and ship traffic with the danger of low fog. 

Today that heavy fog was mostly gone.  The skies were not totally clear, but overcast and cloudy.  Later in the morning, it did warm up as the clouds broke up.  We think the time has come we can pack our cold weather jackets in the suitcases under the bed.  If we had stuck to the original itinerary, the jackets would have been needed for the Mediterranean. 

Kimberly had another port talk on Ho Chi Minh City.  The ship will dock at Phu My, which sounds good but is not.  There is absolutely nothing there.  No terminal, no town, no facilities…..nothing.  There may be a few souvenir tables set up, but we have been there many times with nothing offered.  There are tours from this port, which we have done more than three times to Saigon, and once to Vung Tau, a seaside resort.  It will probably be like a sea day for us and many of our buddies. 

The port tomorrow will be Da Nang, so we listened to Kimberly’s entire talk on that stop only to find out we will be docked 30 minutes away from town by car.  There was a possible bus that might take guests to town for a $10 round trip ticket.  But that was not confirmed yet.  Maybe they will tell us if that will happen when we arrive.  Doing a little research, we learned that a big Celebrity ship will be in the port as well.  The last time we were here, we went to Hue and Hoi An, but never saw any of Da Nang.  Maybe this time we will.

Just by luck, we had another spotting of the dolphins in the afternoon.  Once again, they appeared far off of the ship and unless you were looking for them, you would never spot them.  This time the camera was ready and we did get some cool shots.  In a couple of minutes, they were gone.  The sea water is getting warmer as well, so we expect to see some flying fish once again. 

And we still have some birds tagging along with us.  That flock of swifts were seen flying at the back deck, as well as a larger bird.  We could not identify that one.   A bit more disturbing was the sighting of two military jets flying over us today.  It makes us realize that we are not in “Kansas” anymore, a term said in the Wizard of Oz movie of the past. 

If there was a sunset, we sure did not see it.  The horizon appeared to be in a haze again.  Dinner was OK…better than last night’s lamb soup.  Greg said he had ordered that same stew and it was awful.  Not a stew, but boiled lamb with veggies.  And his was cold.  Tonight Hazel, our dining room assistant, said so many guests complained that the chef said he had to re-do his recipe.  Actually, throwing it away and starting over would be a better idea. 

We both ordered the chicken tenders for appetizers, a winner for sure.  One of us had a salad and the other a bowl of pea soup, but not Dutch pea soup.  It was missing the smoked sausage that makes it so good.  Mains were chicken piccata with parsley mashed potatoes, carrots, broccoli and a mushroom gravy.  And that was just fine.   A sliced banana worked for a light dessert. 

The entertainer this evening was a familiar name – Annie Gong.  She has been a frequent performer and was back with her classic accordion.  She simulates a virtual one-woman symphony orchestra…..a popular musician for the regular world cruise travelers.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #78  Sunday  March 17, 2024   St. Patrick's Day  Hong Kong, China-Day #2   Heavy Overcast With Smog   69-79 Degrees   Sailaway At 4:30pm   Part #1 Of 6.......66 Pictures---Casual Dress---Green

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S  DAY TO ALL!!!      

The day began much like yesterday as far as the weather was concerned.   That heavy smog-like haze remained over the entire city, although it was not cold.    At 7am, the temperature was in the low 70’s and there was some humidity in the air.    At least we are not getting a shock every time we touch something metal.  That was occurring ever since we arrived to Tianjin, China.  We tolerate the chilly weather, but really prefer mild, warm, and sunny.    That will come in time…..and more.

During breakfast, Suzanne shared some photos of her walk around the terminal yesterday.   She had not been able to spot a sidewalk that led to the streets to downtown Kowloon, but did discover the garden part of the cruise terminal located on the roof.  We had already decided not to return to the APM Mall, since all aboard was 3pm.  After the delays we experienced yesterday, as well as hearing more stories much like ours, we knew we could not trust that we would get back to the ship on time.   We do not recall ever leaving Hong Kong so early on day two.  Many times we have sailed out of this magnificent harbor in the dark, which is a real treat seeing the city lit up. 

So around 11am, we ventured off of the ship after completing yesterday’s photos and report, keeping us up to date.  We had been under the impression that there was no way to walk out of this terminal due to the construction going on.  Even the information fellow down by the exit said if we wanted to take a walk, we could go up to the garden on the roof, or walk outside a little way.  Their final suggestion is to take a taxi somewhere, one thing we did not want to do.  Anyway, we picked up the map of the MTR Stations and noticed there was a list of buses that came to this terminal that went to different areas.   Bus numbers, times, duration of the ride, and the price was posted on one side.  Some buses came back to the terminal, some did not.  Then we noticed that this flyer was dated for today, and also had the times for the free coach to the APM Mall, the one we took yesterday.  Today, the shuttles ran every hour, not ½ hour as was printed on the newsletter. 

There was a window where we could buy Hong Kong dollars or turn in other currencies like yen we still had. And just a note to ourselves…..we did exchange yen for US dollars, but it had to be converted to HK dollars first, then US dollars.  Since it was a small amount, the fee was negligible.  But it is better to do the exchange in the same country of the money.  Better yet…..spend it all.     

This was the same place to buy those bus passes and even purchase an Octopus Card for seniors.  This is something to remember if we ever come back here.  We could ride the MTR for two days for a very small amount and not worry about taxis.  It sure works for us in Singapore and we hope that has not changed since we were there last.  

Making our way the same street the bus took yesterday, we found the entrance to the Kai Tak Skypark.  Lucky for us, we had run into another couple we see often on world and longer voyages, and they said they had made their way back to the terminal from the Mall yesterday, mostly because he could not lift his wheelchair-bound wife into the coach.  They did indeed find the right street and sidewalks all the way back from town.   

It was not easy to see at first, but there was a fountain with stairs going up to a wide elevated garden walk.  This was perfect, and even more so because they were few people up here.  Mostly local joggers and a few dog walkers were here.  Forbidden on this garden wall are bikes, roller skates, and skate boards.  Much better for people that are hiking like us.   It was extremely well-maintained and clean as could be.  And the view of both Hong Kong Island and Kowloon was spectacular.  One thing we did not anticipate was how warm it became as the day advanced.  The haze had thinned to a point that it actually got too warm.  Many benches were placed in between plantings of trees, shrubs, and flowers.  Grasses and ground covers filled every planted area.  We even saw some birds in these trees today as well as one lone kite or hawk.   There were many stairways as well as elevators to access this garden walk.  What a wonderful discovery. 

There were many signs describing how this area came about.  This long finger of a peninsula was actually the old airport runway.  Once it was relocated to Lantau Island, this Kai Tak Cruise Terminal was built.  Long and narrow, it takes up the far end of the old runway.  Then the Skypark Garden begins where the terminal ends. It is built above the old runway and runs the full length of it.   The walk continued all the way to the old airport we believe.  It had to be about a mile or more from end to end. 

In a few areas of the walkway, there were small wind turbines that charge batteries that supply the LED lighting along the pathway and also in the floor.  Hard to believe it takes so little of these windmills to create the energy needed. 

New towers of apartment complexes are going up on both sides of the Skypark.  They are massive and modern with fountains and swimming pools to die for.  We could not help but notice that the scaffolding is made from bamboo.  When they are completed, this Skypark Garden will be much appreciated for exercise and the views.  Of course, on the way back, we tested the nice benches along the way.  Especially the ones that were in some shade.  Had we known there were drink vending machines up here, we would not have cashed out our HK dollars.    After taking hundreds of pictures, we got back to the terminal with enough time to check out the roof.

Locating an elevator, we went there to find another rooftop garden with three sets of escalators, none of which were operating.  Only two sets of elevators took the folks to either A or B terminals.  And by the way, another ship had arrived this morning and docked behind us.  It was called Resorts World One, an Asian-owned ship registered in the Bahamas.   It was about the same size as the Zuiderdam with up to 1856 passengers and built in 1999.  The gross tonnage was 75,000 and there were 13 decks.  Checking it out later online, the rooms looked very Asian-decorated with a mix of insides, outsides, and many verandas.  Today was their turn-around day, and eventually they left after 3pm.  We did see a good-sized group of mostly Asian ladies running from a bus to board the ship shortly before it left.

Back to the roof, we found there was a large venue for private parties.  Last night there was a wedding reception, so that explains the lights we saw from deck 10 on the ship.   On the opposite end was an origami café for kids.  It appears it is rented for groups and not open to the public.   We had built up a mighty thirst, so we headed back down and did the security checkpoints.  They asked to see our passport copies twice, comparing it to the name on our room cards.  The xray was done in the terminal, which saved time onboard.   We had a surprise when we jumped in the elevator.  It went up almost to deck six, stopped, buzzed and dropped back down to the third deck.  It almost felt like a free-fall at first.  The doors opened and we jumped out.  The security officer said they had shut down all of the elevators for a quick test.   They did resume working in 5 minutes, but that was not a good feeling thinking we might be stuck.  It did happen to our friends not that long ago…an experience they will never forget.

All aboard was 3pm and around 10 minutes later, our new Captain Friso welcomed us as he is taking over now.  He did mention that Hong Kong is one of his favorite harbors, and we had hoped we could sail further up to see the area  where we usually docked.  However, it was not be since we were already facing the way out.  Besides more cranes for new construction on the Kowloon side, we also spotted an area that was being leveled, like a mountain being tiered and the sand taken away.  We will have to research this, even though Captain Friso mentioned it as we passed by.  The haze became heavier the further away we got from the harbor, the horn had to be blasted every two minutes.  There was a lot of traffic with small boats and we had to announce our presence.  Even a few miles away, we could not see the city anymore. 

Tonight was everything St. Paddy’s Day.  Green lights decorated the dining room and the menu matched with appropriate Irish items.  Both of us had the smoked chicken appetizer….most delicious. One salad ordered was nicoise (tuna) which always had flaked tuna in it.  Now they put a chunk of ahi tuna on the plate, so I asked for no tuna.  Our entrees were a choice between corned beef and cabbage, not our favorite, or an Irish stew.  We chose the stew and were surprised it came like a soup.  It was tasty, but we missed the gravy that usually holds it together.   There was a bar hop that began at 8pm and it was in full swing when we left the dining room.  The Ocean Bar had to be the fourth stop.  We believe that many people got their money’s worth ($25). 

There was a movie in the World Stage, so the bar hop must have been more appealing. 

And the clocks went back one hour tonight , giving us all a 25 hour day at sea tomorrow.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #77  Saturday  March 16, 2024  Hong Kong, China  Docked Port Side To Pier At Kai Tak Terminal  7am-Overnight  Day #1 Of 2  Very Smoggy No Sun 73 Degrees  Part #1 Of 4........57 Pictures---Casual

Well, here we are in Hong Kong, one of our favorite places to visit. The weather was dreadful-looking outside with overcast skies and a heavy haze that sure looked like smog.  It was not cold, however.  The temperature was close to 70 this morning.   It might not be the best day for those going to Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island.  At least it was not raining.

During breakfast, we watched outside the Pinnacle Grill window while a large truck pulled up with two dragons.  Dragons….you say?  Of course they were the Dragon and Lion Dance and Drum Show performing for all of us.   It took them all of 45 minutes to assemble the dragons and “man” the bodies.  The drummers were the best.  If anyone thought they could sleep in after 8:30am on the portside, they would be quite surprised how far those drums sounds can travel. 

We went back to our veranda to watch, but were mostly blocked by an extra gangway.  Towards the end of the 15 minute show, one of the dragons broke loose and came our way waving at us and others, as well as our room steward Putu who was washing veranda windows at the time.  Pretty good we thought.  And we did get some neat pictures.

Here’s a snippet of info about Hong Kong.  The population is 7.18 million folks that speak mostly Cantonese and English.  Situated on several islands and part of the mainland, it is connected by ferries, trams, an underground metro, buses and cars.  It boasts that they have the world’s smoothest transport systems.  It is also considered one of the world’s top culinary capitals where they worship the “God of Cookery” with Cantonese, Sichuanese, Japanese, and French cuisine according to Lonely Planet.  Their favorite food is dim sum, pork buns, teahouses and late night snacks. 

There are too many sights to mention but if you booked a HAL  tour (as we have many times) you would see the best of Hong Kong for 8 ¼ hours for $220.  Or there are shorter tours like East meets West for 3 hours and $220.  The Kowloon Market is a winner at $55 for 4 ½ hours while a trip to Lantau Island to see the worlds biggest Buddha was $240 and 7 ½ hours.  Taking the Lantau Skyrail was an option for $130 for 4 hours, but we were informed that it was shut down due to maintenance today.   Lastly, an evening harbor cruise was 2 ¾ hours for $140.  We have done them all over the years.

There was some confusion with the complimentary shuttle offered today, as well as a last minute offer of a $10 USD bus to take folks to the Star Ferry Terminal area.  On all of the past world’s cruises when we stopped here, we docked in the Star Ferry terminal.  Not any more.  Even before Covid and 2020, we were moved to the Kai Tak Terminal (former airport).  It is not conveniently located to the major attractions. 

The last time we were here, we were taken to the Peninsula Hotel by the shuttle, which worked out fine.  Yes it was an inconvenience, but we were put in an area we all knew well.  Now we were transferred to the APM Mall, supposedly one of the largest in Hong Kong.  However it is miles from the sights we wish to visit.  Complicating the matter even more, there was another shuttle costing $10 USD one way to the Star Ferry Terminal area.  It was more direct, but it was a one- way trip only.  The only way back to the cruise terminal was by taxi or the MTR (mass transit) to the mall.  So that was not a good deal.  

The only good thing about the free shuttle was that it dropped you off close to the MTR Kwun Tong station, and if we could figure it out, we could make our way to the top of Nathan Road several miles away from the Mall.   Once the free bus (made for tiny people) filled up, it took no more than 15 minutes to get to the mall.  And we need to mention here that HAL did not pay for this shuttle, as it was tied to the mall.  It runs all of the time for anyone who wished to use it. 

We had missed a few details before coming to the mall on the first bus.  One was not getting an MTR map and the other was failing to get some Hong Kong dollars.  Normally, we would be able to purchase HK dollars on the ship, but with a few exceptions, they do not do that anymore at the front desk.   In addition, we had been told that the metro accepts Visa as a payment method.  We watched some guests from the ship try tapping their cards to gain entrance to the trains, and it would not work.  Asking at the customer service desk, we were told it was Hong Kong cash only for short trips.   And it was a different type of Visa card that works here.

The mall was big, very nice, and modern.  But to tell the truth we have been in so many of these, we wanted to get outside and explore.  Somehow we found our way to the MTR and ran into friends Mike and Nancy who were trying to do the same thing as us.  Since we did not have any local money, we went in search of a money exchange shop.  There was nothing in the entire mall except ATMs and banks….none of which exchange foreign money.  

So we went outside and around the block, down some alleys, and found a side street with an exchange place.  Now the fun was trying to remember how to get back into the mall or find the access to the metro.  No matter which direction we walked, it was like salmon swimming upstream.   Back inside, we bought our tickets for a total of $20 HK ($2.56 USD).  This would get us to the top of Nathan Road at the Prince Edward Street.  By the way, everything was crowded because today was Saturday.  Many families were out and about as well as lots of school age kids.  They filled the trains, the streets, and the stores. 

If we thought the trains were crowded, our destinations of the Mong Kok Flower Market, the Bird Market, and the Ladies Market were wall-to-wall shoppers.  We were actually surprised to see the old bird market still in operation, because when we got off of the ship, we were handed a warning to watch out for avian influenza.  It stated that human infection with the virus can result in respiratory failure, multi-organ failure or death.  We believe this is directed more to poultry ranches, and not the pet store-type bird market.   Now we wondered why so many of the locals were wearing masks.  Covid may still be around as well as the bird flu.  In the meantime we always pack the Purell and use it often.

The flower market here is two blocks long, and filled with the most perfect blooming bouquets and live plants too.    The orchids had to be the prettiest and came in all shades including blue-tinged with dye we assume.  It is not uncommon to see locals with armfuls of single-cut flowers and heading for the MTR.  From what we saw, they were not terribly expensive.   The Bird Market was not as crowded this morning.  A huge stadium has been built alongside this old market, and we were lucky to find it.  Many local bird owners will bring their pet birds in small cages to listen all day to other singing birds.  In time, their pets will learn to sing.  And it is obviously a good place for the elderly folks to visit  with each other.  Varieties of birds sold here were parakeets, parrots, macaws, mynah, finches, canaries, love birds, cockatiels, and all types of little song birds from the wild.  Their eating habits drop a lot of seed on the ground, so that attracted dozens of pigeons.  They do keep the place clean, but then add some of their own deposits as well.   These roaming birds might be responsible for transferring viruses and there is no good way to keep them out of the  open-air market. 

The Ladies Market went on for block after block and had about everything imaginable for everyone.  It was most busy, especially where the fresh produce was being sold.  A weekend is probably not the best time for a cruise ship to stop in Hong Kong.  Time was getting away from us, so we continued onward to another MTR station on Nathan Road.  Buying return tickets, we were back to the mall  in a short time.  Even though there were a lot of people on the trains, it really is the most convenient way to get around.  There were some young girls who insisted we sit down when there were no seats left.  It was sweet of them to do that.

Today’s shuttle ran from 10am to 6pm, but we would never wait until the last buses to go back.  We walked back inside the Mall and found a nice place for lunch.  They had a varied menu which happened to include pizza.  So guess what we had?  A salami-topped cheese pizza with a side salad and Coke Zeros.  It was really good.  Then it was time to go.

What was not good was by the time we got to the shuttle, it filled up mostly with crew members.   We understand that the crew has limited time off in these ports, but normally, they will insist on guests going first on the bus.  That did not happen today.  Not a big deal, we were first in line for the next bus which should have come in 30 minutes.   Well, it did not arrive until an hour later.  In the meantime, we watched several arrogant older ladies cutting into the line by talking to some people from the ship, then slipping in behind them.   They should know better, but they get away with it until someone speaks up.  Other folks did speak up, but only a few listened.  That should be something one learns in kindergarten, but some people are clueless or simply do not care.

At least this bus was larger and the seats worked better.  We studied the route back and wondered if we could have walked back easier.  The distance was not that far, but due to a massive amount of construction happening, there was no clear path to take.  And with all aboard tomorrow at 3pm, we are not sure we will attempt to go back to the Mall.  Sure would have been nice to make it to the Night Market like we always do.  The Temple Street Night Market will start up around 4pm, even if all of the dining venues are not operating yet.  It’s fun just to see the vast variety of souvenirs and treasures that are being hawked.   We would have liked to walk on the Avenue of the Stars at the original terminal.   We always make a sweep through Kowloon Park, but we would need more than a half of a day to do it all.  

The hike back through the terminal took us on a zig-zag journey from the garage level to the second floor and down again.  We had our passport copies checked before we were made to go through the xray.  Eventually, we were back onboard.  Thank goodness.  We spent the rest of the late afternoon working in the room. 

Dinner time had some good choices with a seafood croquette and an orange avocado salad with no lettuce.   We do hope that some food was delivered here today as we have been running out of fresh stuff.  Our entrees were one chicken meatball plate with rigatoni and marinara sauce.  The other main was a Shepard’s pie, made with ground lamb, peas, gravy and baked mashed potatoes piped on top.  It was quite good and hot as ever.   Since they were out of fresh bananas, we skipped dessert.

There was a local show performed by a local folkloric group at 9:30pm, but we have seen similar performances and decided to skip it and head up to deck 10 to take some photos of the famous skyline of the harbor.   Too bad the smog/fog was so thick, we could barely see all of the lit-up buildings.   

One more short day here tomorrow, and we will be on our way towards Vietnam.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #76    Friday  March 15, 2024    Sea Day # 3 Of 3   Enroute To Hong Kong, China   Overcast, Some Showers And Sun Much Warmer    59-65 Degrees 20 mph Wind 4' Swell   Part #1 Of 1…..19 Pictures---Casual  Dress

We have sailed far enough south that it was not quite as cold as yesterday or the day before that.  The temperature at 7am was 59 degrees, not in the 40’s.  That chill was gone as was the dryness.  With a higher humidity, it was a lot more comfortable. 

While walking today, we noticed a few swallows flying around the ship.  Then we saw a small flock of them and wondered where in the heck did they come from?  Currently we are sailing between Taiwan and mainland China, but there may be some small islands close by.  Swallows are not a sea bird, so they must have hitched a ride.  If they can hang on until tomorrow, they will be Hong Kong birds.

It was time for some hot chocolate at the Seaview Pool.  We did find some more of the new packets in the Lido, hiding behind the tea bag display.  Not as sweet as the regular mix, we added some Splenda and it was perfect.   Taking a couple of chairs by the pool, there was actually a little sun peeking through the heavy clouds.  For a short time, it was almost warm.  Then we spotted Christel M, our former guest relations officer, who frequently runs on deck 10.  She joined us for an hour chatting about the way things were and where they are going now with HAL.  She did admit that she is enjoying retirement immensely and hopes to be able to tag along next year with her husband Henk. 

In the meantime, we got our next delivery of our President’s Club Coke Zeros.  It reminded us of how quickly this cruise is flying by.  The noon whistle was sounded twice for some reason, and was soon followed by Captain Frank’s talk.  He sounded almost sad about leaving the ship in Hong Kong and said he really enjoyed this first half of the world voyage.  When he mentioned that his entrance and exit in Saipan was one of his highlights, we were surprised.  Of course, after having met the pilot that afternoon, we understand fully what was involved with the plans for the port.  So it was an unexpected highlight for us as well being able to hear the details first-hand.  Ending his noon update, he actually sang a farewell song….short and sweet.  We could hear Kimberly in the back round chuckling as he sang for all of us.  Well done, she said, well done indeed.

Later in the day, we received more copies of our passports that we will have to pack with us while we go ashore.   That is much better than taking our actual passports.  Included with the copies were landing cards for Vietnam that we had to fill out to carry with us when we arrive to Da Nang.  That will be sometime next week. 

This morning at breakfast, our buddy Don informed us that Sonny from the former and popular Station Band had come onboard to visit his wife Twinkle, the assistant beverage manager.  One of their kids came with him, and the other one will join in Hong Kong.  One of the most visited bars on the Amsterdam was in the Crow’s Nest, where Sonny and his band played every evening.  Barb was one of their biggest fans, and when they did not come back (not by choice), she was not happy, nor were all of the customers he entertained.  Tonight Don said Sonny promised his followers that he would sing in the Ocean Bar for a short time after the late dinner seating.   Hope that was allowed as some toes could be stepped on with other contracts with other band players. 

Our assistant waiter, Alfred, told us tonight was his last evening onboard.  His contract was up after 8 months at sea, and he was going home to the Philippines.  In the old days, most all of the crew members stayed for the entire world cruise and beyond.  Now they are coming and going all of the time.  Alfred said a group of waiters and room attendants were leaving tomorrow and more on day two in Hong Kong.   New crew will be coming onboard to replace most of them.  We need to ask how many guests were leaving in Singapore and how many boarding.  So far we have lost more than we have gained.  That will be a factor as to how many departing crew will be replaced.  

The dinner menu was not exciting, although one of us tried a tuna roll appetizer.  It came with ahi tuna which was raw.  If it had been described that way, it would not have been ordered.  Neither of us has developed a taste for the less than cooked fish.  The Caesar salads were good as ever, and the mains of rack of lamb and a half order of the alternate steak  was plenty.  A sliced banana sounded better than the dessert selection, so our waiter Yanwar dressed it up with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.  Pretty good.  We wished Alfred the best of luck as we left the dining room. 

The entertainer tonight was a concert pianist by the name of Tian Jiang.   His credits included a profiling on CBS Sunday Morning Show as well as performing at Carnegie Hall and touring China with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.  Fantastic artist, he was excellent.

Really looking forward to Hong Kong, since our last visit had to be in 2017 we think.  

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #75    Thursday  March 14, 2024    Sea Day # 2 Of 3  Enroute To Hong Kong, China   Heavy Overcast A Little Sun And Warmer    40-52 Degrees 10 mph Wind 2' Swell   Part #1 Of 1 No Pictures---Formal  Dress

The Zuiderdam is currently sailing in the East China Sea, and for the last couple of days we have been seeing some unusual things in the water.  Chunks of what appears to be seaweed or algae have floated by as we maintain a speed of 18 to 19 knots.  The seas are shallow here, reflecting a shade of green/blue color, due to the depth being between 200 and 300 feet.  Besides the usual commercial ship traffic, we have begun to pass numerous medium-sized fishing boats.  We cannot be sure, but they may be working as a fleet.  We search daily for signs of sea birds but have spotted none.  Except for one seagull that happened to come near our veranda early this morning out of the blue.  It flew away never to be seen again.  There are no other signs of life out here such as dolphins or flying fish.  We miss that.

We have also been passing dark and white soccer ball size globes which the Captain refers to as buoys.  Some have to be shipping channel markers, while other may be weather-related beacons.  While in Japanese waters we seem to recall the Captain pointing out some more buoys that were actually solar-powered and used for sea and weather conditions.  Normally these sources of information have come from ships that are sailing in that area.  Now it is more precise using modern technology. 

At one point n the afternoon, we looked out our veranda to see dozens of white boxes floating in one area near some of the fishing boats.   We figured they may have fallen off of one of those boats and heaven knows what would be in them.  There did not seem to be an attempt to gather them up as they were dispersing in all directions. 

Other than that, the day was uneventful.  The sun seemed to be coming out this morning, as we were blinded at breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill.   Little by little, the sea haze blocked most of the rays although we still went to the Seaview Pool to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate.  Today they did have some of the new packets in the Lido. 

Kimberly gave her talk on Da Nang (Hue) at 10am.  We have been to Hue and Hoi An on tours several years ago, so this time we intend to explore Da Nang.  And we shall watch the lecture on TV later.  We still have to catch up on the Hong Kong talk mostly to find out where we will be docking and if the shuttle bus will be available.  It used to be so easy when we docked where the Star Ferry is located.  With all of the gambling ships docked there, they kicked out most all of the cruise lines.  Nothing stays the same forever, does it?

We have arrived to another evening for a formal night.  The theme is the Zuiderdam Ball where the dance commences at 7:30pm with the first dance by the Captain and his wife Alexandra.  Other officers should be there as well, sometimes not exactly voluntary as they have joked in the past.  Yes, this is a grand evening reminiscent of yesteryear, and one of the things that has not gone away….yet.

The menu for dinner had the usual appetizers of escargot and a prawn cocktail.  No caviar, which is really a thing of the past.  Entrees did include surf (lobster) and turf (filet) as well as lamb chops.  One of us ordered the lamb, while the other had tortellini, a lighter dinner.  Dessert was a sliced banana with chocolate sauce for one of us and coffee for the other.  We are finding it better to keep dinner lighter since we are eating later than we normally do at home. 

With the Zuiderdam Ball continuing in the Rolling Stone Lounge at 9:30pm, there was no show in the World Stage. 

In our room, we had the formal night note card on the bed saying, “Walking 10 thousand miles of world is better then reading 10 thousand scrolls of books.”  We definitely agree.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #74    Wednesday  March 13, 2024    Sea Day # 1 Of 3  Enroute To Hong Kong, China   Cooler Heavy Overcast A Little Sun  35-45 Degrees 20mph Wind 4' Swell  Part #1 Of 1 No Pictures---Casual Dress

Today was one to kick back and try to relax after two busy days in our last port of Tianjin or Beijing for many.  One thing for sure, we would not be spending any significant time on our veranda, as the temperature this morning was 38 degrees.  We doubt it warmed up much more than that for the rest of the day.   We did take a couple of long walks on the promenade deck, but there very few of us willing to brave the icy winds. 

Mid- morning, we went to the Seaview Pool to see if we could find a table and chairs out of the wind and in what sun there was.   We had our choice of everything out there since it was void of guests.  Only the bartender was there with one waiter.  Seeing that we were going to sit there for a bit, he came over and asked if we would like some hot chocolate.  We had brought the last package of chocolate mix and shared the cup.  Looking for more packets, we came up empty.  But the waiter said he would go and look.  Well he came back with two cups of boiling water and two different packets of mix.   These were not from the Lido, so he may have had some in the bar area.  Anyway, the drinks sure tasted good and warmed us up a bit. 

It was time for the Captain’s talk and he had some interesting things to say.  On one hand, he remarked how happy he was to get us to Tianjin and Beijing for many of us to see the major sights.  However, a big HOWEVER, we did not know what went on behind the scenes with our officers and staff and the local customs and immigration officials.  He said that the procedures in Shanghai were much more professional as they dealt with older and more experienced officials.  But here in Tianjin, the group was younger and more firm on protocol.  He even admitted that they bordered on being rude at times.   Wow….this must have been due to the late tours coming back as well as the big delay in our departure.   Reading between the lines, the Captain said there were several complaints and negative comments from many guests and that was why he tried to address their dissatisfaction.  He did sound like he was looking forward to our three days at sea as we head towards Hong Kong at a faster speed.  Of course, he and his wife will be heading home and Captain Friso will be joining us for the remainder of the trip.   We think that his partner Chantalle will also be onboard as a passenger, and not working as the future cruise consultant.  They make a nice couple.

There was a lecture on Hong Kong delivered by Kimberly at 10am.  At 2pm, we were still looking for it on TV.  At least we have two more days to watch what we already know.  Right now, we are concerned as to where we will dock and if there will be a shuttle bus to town. 

Our big job of the day was filling out Hong Kong arrival and departure cards.  They had to be signed and turned in at the front deck box by 5pm today.  They provided a detailed sample of how to fill out the blank spaces, which is a big help.  Sometimes the wording on the local forms can be confusing for many of us. 

At 4pm, there was another Block Party, delayed from the day after Tokyo when it was cancelled.  This time a photographer would be present to take group photos of the Captain, his wife, or other key staff and officers in each elevator lobby on the passenger decks.  We happened to be watching a good movie when our time slot came at 4:16pm, so we missed it.  This was a good attempt to boost the sales of photos though.  In addition, the Shops were delayed in opening until 2:30pm due to Chinese regulations.  Our guess was that we were not far enough away from the mainland to be in international waters.  What we have always wondered was how would the Chinese government know what we were doing on the ship in regards to the shopping and casino?

Dinnertime was back in the dining room with a rather lack-luster menu.  Even though we had a light lunch, we were not all that hungry.  One of us had the arancini appetizer followed by Caesar salads.  Our entrees were the veal piccata with spaghetti and a red tomato sauce.  We had requested small portions, but they arrived heaping….enough for four people.  There was only one dessert ordered and that was three slices of pineapple.  

The Grand Voyage singers and dancers put on a show called “It Takes Two”.  Not sure how that will work since we are rocking and rolling a bit due to the higher speed we have to maintain to get to Hong Kong on time.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #73  Tuesday  March 12, 2024  Tianjin, China Port For Beijing  Day #2 Of 2  Docked Port Side To Pier  Leave At 6pm  35-55 Degrees  Hazey And Cool With Sun  Part #1 Of 5.......55 Pictures---Casual Dress

It appeared that today was going to be a better one with some sun shining this morning.  There is still that smokey-like haze, but it seemed to lift so we could see more than one mile away.   With a city of almost 16 million people, it would be miracle if there was no smog.  And that’s just Tianjin, the port city, not Beijing.   Pictures always come out better with the sun out. 

One of our cute waitresses in the Pinnacle Grill was so excited to tell us all about her Great Wall crew excursion yesterday.  Since the wall is located over 150 miles away, a lot of her tour time was riding in the bus.  We recall it taking all of three plus hours to drive there, and that included a stop along the way for restrooms and souvenir buying.  Once they arrived to the Wall, they had an hour to walk part of it, take photos, and buy some mementos at one of the numerous tents set up.  She said they only took cash, which we remember.  There was no lunch included for them, so  they bought cups of noodles at the rest stop.  Smart kids- the crew.  Perhaps the crew would have a chance to see the Taj Mahal or the Egyptian pyramids if we were going that way.  Maybe next time…..

Our day was almost a repeat of yesterday, where we took the shuttle to the Aeon Mall.  Since all aboard was 5:30pm, and the last shuttle left the mall at 4pm, we left earlier at 9:30am.  Between the guests and the crew members, these buses filled quickly.  At the far end of the mall, we went outside and walked towards a stadium which turned out to be the TEDA Soccer Stadium.  The stadium and the surrounding area was huge.  That’s one thing about the Chinese, when they build something they go big.  Like Tiananmen Square in Beijing, it is the larger such square in the world we think.  Of course, the crowds can be overwhelming here as well.  Especially when there are home soccer games.  We figured this arena looked fairly new, but when we researched the facts, it was built in either 2002 or 2004.  Now it appears they are adding more retail shopping  with more restaurants across from the stadium. 

That’s when we noticed there were signs for a garden, which was right around the corner of the mall complex.   The name of this garden was Asaba Garden and was located 150 meters from the mall.  Following a path, we found the entrance expecting there to be a fee to go inside.   There was no one around to turn us away, so we entered the pathway that was flanked with bamboo stalks forming a fence and a wall.  Overhead hung several red Chinese lanterns.   The pathway meandered to a teahouse that over-looked ponds and trees.  There were evergreen trees such as cedar and pines that made a barrier to the outside.  Other deciduous trees were wrapped with  a felt-like cloth cut in long strips.  The entire trunks and some of the larger branches were green with the felt.  As well as protecting the trees from frost damage, it makes a barrier for boring insects that will kill the trees in time. 

There were ponds that connected to each other with a couple of bridges over the water.  There were ornaments hanging from the evergreens and lanterns hung in the pavilion – all bright red.  It appeared that workers were watering everything by hand.  Boulders of various sizes were placed along the pathways, and some larger areas were paved with small white rocks. 

Located in the very center of the garden was a structure that at first looked like a space ship.  It was a dome with two stories with long oval windows.  It appeared to be made of marble as was the path to it.  The structure was surrounded with a small lake and the water level appeared low.  Curiosity got the better of us, so we walked the path to the ornate doors and went inside.  Our first impression was that it served as a reception hall with the second level suitable for special occasions like weddings.  The lower level had a receiving desk full of white flowers, restrooms, and a sitting room with books in the center.  Upstairs was for cocktails and dining we assume.  Knowing that no one spoke English, we simply walked around and left the way we came inside.  We could do some homework on this when we get back onboard.  Or so we thought.

We went inside the mall once again, and walked both floors mostly to get some exercise.  We had missed one bus, and waited for ½ hour for the next one to leave.  That worked better since we had our pick of seats.  On the way over yesterday, we had to split up and take any seat that was left.   It took exactly ½ hour for the ride, and on the way back, we had to turn in our passport copies with the barcode.  If we had taken our passports off with us (only needed on an overland tour), we would have to turn those in as well.  The departure clearance would be very strict, and had to be followed to the letter.  We would find out that things can go wrong anyway. 

We had Dive-In burgers and hot dog with fries, keeping the meal earlier and lighter.   We had decided to go to the Pinnacle Grill for dinner tonight for a change.  We knew that with a couple of long tours today, many folks would not dine in this venue. 

Captain Frank came on with his normal 5pm talk, explaining that due to protocols with the Chinese officials, we may not be sailing away until 8pm.  Somewhere in his talk he mentioned some tours were coming back late too.   Good thing they were HAL excursions because the ship will wait for them.  We will have three days to arrive to Hong Kong with 1450 nautical miles to travel to get there.  He expected some winds and a low of 41 degrees and a lot of ship traffic along the route.  

So our departure time of 5:30pm came and went.  We still had not left by 7:30pm when we went to dinner.  Just as we had expected, the Pinnacle was not too busy, and we had ringside seats to watch the activity on the dock.  What we saw was no activity.   Our meal was great with wedge salads, clothes line bacon, 8 ounce filets and a shared baked potato.  It is a real treat to go here every now and then.   Desserts were one crème Brulé and a few scoops of mango sorbet.   We did get a plate of chocolates and chewy candy, but declined as we were totally full.   And the ship still had not left the dock.  However, at 8pm, we noticed five buses returning to the terminal and tons of folks running back onboard.  That had to be the late arriving buses.

It was 10:30pm before we finally saw some movement.  We do hope that this lost time can be made up in three days as we sure don’t want to be late arriving to Hong  Kong.  By the way, the Shops and Casino have been closed ever since we arrived to China (their rules we assume).  Tomorrow they should open once again for business as usual. 

There was a singer, Tim Tamashiro, who is Canadian.  He has recorded albums with songs/stories cabaret style. 

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #72  Monday  March 11, 2024  Tianjin, China Port For Beijing Day #1 Of 2  Docked Port Side To Pier  7am-Overnight  35-50 Degrees  Foggy Haze And Cool With Some Sun  Part #1 Of 4.......62 Pictures---Casual Dress

It was no surprise when we finally arrived to the port in Tianjin, China, that is was going to be cold.  Not only cold, but hazy….like a sun haze not necessarily fog.  Perhaps smog, it blocked the sun keeping the temperature down most of the day. 

Going to breakfast at 7:30am like always, we had the pleasure of watching the procedure of hooking up the port’s gangway to deck two.  For a change, we were docked portside, the same side that the Pinnacle Grill is located.  It was apparent that the gangway was not going to reach the ship, and then it became obvious that it was not working at all.  First there were three local dock workers, then there were six….all of whom were looking to solve the problem.  The gangway tube was suspended in the air and not capable of extending enough to reach us.

In the meantime, the guests were gathering in the lobby on deck two, just like we are always told not to.   Kimberly had to come on the speakers telling folks to “go away” in a nice way, and come back when we were hooked up.  As it turned out, the gangway had to be moved to deck three and by the time it was working, we had lost almost an hour.  The tours to Beijing would be leaving late.  We are sure the folks who had made independent excursions were on pins and needles knowing their connections were waiting (or not) outside the terminal.   By the time it was announced we were cleared, the thundering herd made their way to the terminal. 

When the ship was being docked, there were three ladies playing a drum and percussion instruments on the pier.  The sound of their music traveled for miles.  We left the ship after 10am, finding our way through the massive cruise terminal.  We spotted many ads for Royal Caribbean Cruises on the walls, so they must do a lot of stops here with their mega-ships.  Coming through some doors, we had our passport copies checked, then a trip through the xray.  Before leaving for the parking lot, there was the same group of Chinese ladies playing their instruments, as well as a group of fellows with the dragon outfit.  They hammed it up while we took many photos.  They really liked that.

Two coaches were outside the terminal to take folks to a rural area of Tianjin.   These were complimentary rides to the TEDA Aeon Mall, a three story structure with hundreds of stores and restaurants.  The 30 minute ride there gave us a chance to see the scenery of brown acreage of an industrial town.  There were dozens of high rise apartment buildings surrounding this mall, so this must be the spot where they all go for food and supplies and entertainment.   We were informed that the main part of downtown Tianjin was another ½ hour away.  With a population of almost 16 million people, these cities are massive.

We entered this older-style mall through a side door, and hoped we remembered how to get out to catch the bus back.   The last shuttle would be at 9pm this evening, but we would be back way before that.  Here is an interesting fact…..there is a curfew at the cruise terminal where at 11pm, the gangway is disconnected from the pier, and no one is allowed off or on until 5:30am the following day.  If you missed the bus or came back late, you would have to find a hotel for the night.  And there is nothing anywhere close to this terminal…certainly no hotels. 

Starting at the huge supermarket, Aeon, we checked out every department in the market, finding the meat and poultry section the most interesting.  Some of the pork and beef items were wrapped, weighed, and priced.  However, much of it was not covered at all.  The poultry section was one place you would think to see everything covered with saran wrap.  Not so.  There was an open bin where the local shoppers dipped their hands in the chicken wings, and placed what they wanted in a plastic bag.  No gloves or tongs were used.  Then the bags were handed to a checker who weighed them and put a price on the bag.  We suspect that cooking these wings will kill any bacteria.  The produce section looked much more civilized. Each and every piece of fruit had its own wrapper.  And each piece of fruit is charged by the piece not by the pound.  This is the first place we have seen durian fruit sold.  We bet that the crew, who loves this delicacy, are forbidden to bring it onboard due to the unsavory aroma.  The strawberries looked wonderful, but pricey.  Much of the food products sold here are foreign to us, and it does not help to read labels as everything is printed in Mandarin.  The bakery departments need no explaining as they looked divine.  Again, pricey.  

Exiting the supermarket, we went into the core of the mall.  The lower level had the most restaurants.  We did see Starbuck’s, KFC, McDonalds, and even a Pizza Hut.  Watching two girls making the pizzzas, we noticed there was no red sauce.  The toppings with the exception of the cheese were not what we are familiar with.   And looking in the window of Pizza Hut, no one was eating pizza.  The food was tailored more to the Asian population.  Even on a Monday, most of the smaller cafes were filling with local customers. 

The second level had most of the clothing stores, electronics, and more restaurants in the form of buffets.  There was a food court where people bought from the buffets and ate in the center.  One place had a type of pot built into the center of a round table.  We watched as some diners put raw shrimp and other items into boiling water in these pots, then put it on their plates.  They were cooking noodles and soups tableside.  Some venues had burners in the center and you cooked your own food.  The biggest restaurants had the cooks working behind windows, so we could watch what they were doing.  Several cafes were making fresh dumplings with different fillings, while one fellow was cooking in a wok full of hot oil.  He tossed whole dried Thai peppers with onions into the wok, cooked them briefly, then added them to three bowls of soup.  Bet those were hot as ever.   We had more fun watching this an hour must have gone by before we left the food courts. 

Many venues were created for little kids such as an arcade of coin machines where they can get toys.  We even saw a bank of machines to get snacks like chips and cookies along with a variety of drinks.   We even saw a go cart arena near the furniture store.  We never did find any suitable place for lunch, so we ended up going back to the bus for the ride back.  It was burgers and fries for us, which was perfect.

There were a few excursions offered here today such as an overnight to Beijing and the highlights for $800.  Two longer tours that took in the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs, or the Forbidden City were up to 12 hours for $210.  We recall that the ride to Beijing took all of 3 ½ hours one way.   Really long day, and that’s why when we were here the first time in 2002, we stayed overnight.  Back then it was $500 per person and we saw everything.  For those who wanted to see more of Tianjin, there were excursions there for $100 to $160 for 5 to 9 hours.  A transfer to Tianjin with no tour was $80 for 8 hours.  From there, you would be on your own.   The free shuttle worked for many of us that have been here before.  

Dinner was quick tonight since some of the guests were absent.  We had our usual Caesar salads, shrimp cocktail, and a bowl of cabbage and bacon soup.  It sure was good……served nice and hot.  Mains were one chicken entrée and a sliced tenderloin with risotto.  One of us was going to ask for a fresh sliced banana, but our waiter talked us into getting the banana with some mint chip ice cream.  Intending for us to share, he brought two ramakins with hot chocolate syrup.  Sort of forgot one of us does not like mint chip, but  nothing went to waste as it was finished to the last bite. 

There was a movie in the World Stage, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.  Doubt there will be a whole lot of people there. 

One more day in Tianjin and we will be heading out of mainland China and to Hong Kong….one of our favorite places to go. 

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #71  Sunday  March 10, 2024  Dalian, China  Docked Starboard Side To Pier  Sunny With Haze  35-50 Degrees 9mph Wind  Part #1 Of 4.........61 Pictures---Casual Dress

Today’s port of call was Dalian – a first time visit for many of us.  There were a few excursions here that ran from $60 to $150 for 3 ¼ hours to 7 hours.  One was a tram tour, the Old Town, and Star and Sea Square passing by the International Convention Center.  Another short tour was the highlights with a visit to a nursey school, a scenic drive to see Beida Bridge, and a stop at Labor Park.   The third tour was similar to the second one with a stop on Lushan Hill for a panoramic view.  And favorites went to a private home for a family visit, an aquarium stop, a nursery school visit, and lunch.   We would tour what we could on our own of course. 

It was very cold this morning when we sailed into the harbor of Dalian.  Like the low 30’s, although the skies were clear blue.  It never got warmer than 41 degrees.  The wind chill made it feel colder.  Being that today was Sunday, there was little activity in the dock area with one exception of a car carrier being off-loaded.  One of us had a surprise visit from a drone when taking photos on the veranda.  It came up from the bottom level of the ship and hovered a few feet away.  Then it disappeared as fast as it had appeared.  Don’t know if that was legal, but sure felt invasive. 

We left the ship around 10am and headed across the dock to the terminal.  We entered the building and went through the temperature check, then passed through xray.  Then we had our passport copies looked at, but not scanned with the barcode.  Then we boarded one of the free shuttles to town.  It was nice to see that there were several buses in use today.  We were handed a map and a slip of paper with the port info on it and the bus stop with hone numbers in case we got lost. 

The ride to the Friendship Shopping Center was about a mile away if that.  We remembered something about the friendship stores in China which were set up for the foreign tourists we think.  This shopping mall was 12 floors high with two level of basement floors with food and grocery shopping.   It was a good thing the bus ride was short because we seemed to be surrounded with several people coughing and sneezing.  We sure hope there is not a bug going around the ship.  So far, we have not heard of anyone with Covid, but that does not mean it isn’t here. 

We explored every floor of the mall beginning with the 12^th floor.  There was a roller skating rink up there, but was not busy yet.  There were only three skaters trying to stay upright.  The top floors had restaurants and a cafeteria.  The lower we went, we saw housewares and furniture, followed by bedding, furniture and kid’s toys.  Kitchen and electrical appliances were next, then we got to the men’s floor with clothes, luggage and jewelry.  Famous women’s clothing was next and that’s where one of us spotted a very cool-looking silk poncho suitable for  dressy dinner onboard.   It was difficult asking questions of the sales girl since she spoke only Chinese (Mandarin) and we only spoke English.  She indicated that the top was on sale for ½ off, and we figured the conversion was a good deal.  They were most happy to take our credit card.  It will be a nice useful memento of our visit to China.  

We happened to cross paths with our friend Suzanne who said to go see the food store located on the basement level.  That was where we were headed.  She was right that they sold some pretty strange meats like every part of the pig from the head to the toes.  We did take a lot of photos and headed outside to continue exploring.   One nice thing is that in these malls, there are restrooms with normal facilities. 

Outside, we ran into friends Mike and Nancy who said to go see the roundabout.  This was Zhongshan Square, surrounded by a 10- lane road…one of the largest roundabouts in town.  The entire circle of this square is flanked with art deco and French Renaissance architecture preserved since 1889 and built by the Russians.   We did locate a crosswalk, but then discovered there were escalators that went down to a tunnel under the roundabout.  You go down and come up a side street without having to cross a wide road full of cars and buses, most of whom do not stop for pedestrians. 

In the center of the roundabout, there was a park full of families, little dogs, and small kids that were intent on feeding flocks of pigeons.  City workers were mowing the almost dead-looking lawns and raking them clean of the cuttings with brooms.   We suppose that Sunday is not a day off here.   On the way to the next smaller roundabout, we found an Intercontinental Hotel and decided to go inside to check it out.  Quite nice, we went up to the first level and found a Japanese restaurant complete with a fresh-water tank of fish and crabs.  It might have been a good place for lunch, but we were not hungry and it was still too early. 

Further up this road were more major hotels and more roundabouts.  They would take us too far from the original stop and we were concerned about catching the next bus which left on the half hour.  Most all of the recommended sights to see such as museums, aquariums, or parks were miles away and not walkable.  Many of them were not opened today.  So we headed back to the mall and waited for the next shuttle back at 2pm.  By the time we went through two sets of xray and the temperature check, showing our passport copies it was close to 2:30pm.  Then we had to pass through the ship’s xray, a third check, because we were told the locals were not doing it right.  Oh well, we passed through without alarms going off.

Back on the ship, we worked in the room and expected the sail away to take place around 5pm.  Captain Frank came on with his talk and said not everyone was onboard, and we would be late leaving.   He added that we would have a coast guard escort with pilots and tugboats.  Unknown to us, the harbormaster and the officials paid the Captain a visit this morning and told him that we are the first cruise ship to come here since the pandemic.  That was a surprise.  Anyway, we have 250 nautical miles to go to reach Tianjin tomorrow for the city of Beijing.  As it turned out, we did not leave the harbor until 7pm in the darkness of night.  The ship will have to do more than the 15.5 knots to be on time. 

Dinner was good with Caesar salad, shrimp cocktails with the red sauce (the best) and one KFC crispy fried chicken and one prime rib dinner.   We saved a bit of room for an almond fruitcake and one scoop of strawberry sorbet.  Perfect.  The next two days will be busy with long tours in both Tianjin and Beijing.  Since we did an overnight in Beijing to see all of the important sights several years ago, we decided to stay close to Tianjin and check that area out. 

Kenny Martyn was the multi-instrumentalist entertainer this evening.  It appeared to us that many diners were leaving the room early and perhaps headed to their rooms to be ready for an early day tomorrow.  We were right behind them.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #70  Saturday  March 9, 2024  Sea Day   Enroute To Dalian, China  Sunny And Cold   35-41 Degrees    Seas Were Flat   4' Swell  Part #1 Of 2......38 Pictures-----Casual Dress

Just as we expected, the further north we have traveled, the colder it got.  At 7am, the temperature outside was in the mid 30’s and the skies were actually blue.  No clouds to be seen.   We don’t believe it ever got higher than 41 degrees for the rest of the day.   The chill from the wind was cutting.

There were fewer folks at breakfast this morning, and we think that spending two days in Shanghai wore most everyone out.   They earned a morning of sleeping in.  We did hear some stories about the tours yesterday.  Some of the guests got left behind when they strayed from the group or were unable to access the Yu Garden because they were using a scooter.  Apparently the bus driver and tour guide only gave these folks a few minutes to re-connect with the group, then left them behind.  We heard that one person went back to the nearby shuttle drop-off and went back to the ship.   Oh well, stuff happens sometimes and we have seen it happened many times in the past.   More often, people decide to go back and do not tell anyone.  So you can be waiting for an hour in a hot bus for people that are not coming like in Athens for instance.  And that is another reason we choose not to do ship tours these days.

We did a morning walk and there were only six of us outside on the promenade deck.  There was absolutely no one using the teak lounges and the pads were not out.  Blankets have replaced the towels for a while.  Even bundled up, we had a hard time keeping warm no matter how fast we walked.   

Kimberly delivered her talk on the next port of Dalian at 10am, but it did not show up on the TV until late afternoon.  After seeing the photos of this city, we are certain we have never been there.  Because of the Russian and Japanese influences, it is not like the other typical Chinese cities we have seen.  There will be a shuttle, but we are still unclear as to what is close by to see.  It appears that the bus drop-off will get us to an area where buses or taxis can be accessed.  Whatever, we will make the best of it as will many of the guests we know.   It is also a Sunday and we will not know what is opened tomorrow.

The second talk by Kimbely was on Beijing at 2pm.  We will have to watch that later on or tomorrow.  The actual port will be in Tianjin, which from memory, is a long ride to Beijing. 

Working on yesterday’s photos and reports took most of the day.   Around noontime, we took a walk to deck nine in search of hot chocolate.   There was none to be found in either drink station in the Lido.   We asked one of the waitresses, and she looked in the cabinet, but came up empty. Then she left to look elsewhere and we waited for her return.  Seeing us standing there, our breakfast assistant manager of the Pinnacle Grill, Dhana, came over and asked what we needed.  Both girls came up empty.  So we thanked them and went to the Seaview Pool to see if the sun was shining in a sheltered spot.  Then Dhana appeared with three packets of chocolate mix which she found in the Pinnacle Grill.  How sweet of her to hunt us down.  These were the last packets they had.  We made our cups and went back to our seats outside.   It was close to the Captain’s talk, so we sat back there and listened to a speaker that was working.   The report was good with fair seas and chilly temps…..all of which we knew and appreciated.  Captain Frank went on with information on yesterday’s port of Shanghai and the fact that it is the number one largest port in the world.  No wonder we saw so many boats, ships, and commercial vessels since they supply the largest area of China with everything from food to supplies.

For a change, there was a sunset this evening.  We captured it while walking briskly on the promenade deck around 5:45pm.  It looked as if the sun was melting on the clear horizon .  Watching closely for that green flash, it never happened.  At the same time, we were surprised by the presence of two large doves that must have hitched a ride with us in Shanghai.  They darted off and on the promenade deck. 

We had a cocktail party to attend at 6:30pm in the Gallery Bar on behalf of Gus Antorcha for the President’s Club members.  The Captain and Henk greeted us  then we were served drinks of our choice.  This time they provided stand-up tables that we like.  In a few seconds we were joined by the environmental officer and his lovely wife, who happens to be the art instructor onboard.  We spent an hour sharing happenings on the ships as well as our home countries of the USA and Wales, a place we have yet to visit.   The hour flew by then we were off to dinner.  We had appetizers of shrimp cocktails, Caesar salads, and mains of veal parmigiana and flat iron steak.  They were repeats from a week or so ago, but still tasted fine.  Desserts were one chocolate tart and pineapple slices…..still sweet and ripe as ever.

The Four Stations vocal group put on a farewell show tonight.  Their new musical show was sure to capture the hearts of the audience once again. 

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #69  Friday  March 8, 2024    Day #2 Shanghai, China  Docked Starboard Side To Pier  Leave At 5pm  40-50 Degrees  Hazy With Some Sun  20mph Wind And Cooler   Part #1 Of 6......66 Pictures----Casual Dress

Day two in Shanghai brought cooler temperatures in the low 40’s and little sun.  There seemed to be a thin fog in the air making the visibility only one mile.   When the wind blew, the chill cut to the bone.  Since all aboard was 4:30pm, and the last shuttle would leave The Bund area at 3pm,  we felt it wise to leave the ship earlier today. 

We forgot to mention the tours available here.  Yesterday there was an overnight excursion that would tour Shanghai’s Yuyuan Garden and nearby Old Town.  Then the group would board a train for a 1 ½ hour ride to Hangzhou, spending the evening at a hotel.  The next day would include a boat ride on West Lake and a visit to a temple.  Last was a spin through the Chinese Medicine Museum before taking the train back to Shanghai.  This excursion was $1000 per person. 

The other overland was 4 days and three nights and took in a flight to Xian to see the Terra Cotta Warrior Museum, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Jade Factory.   A drive to the City Wall, a concert, and dinner at a palace theater followed on day two.  The third day began with another museum visit then a flight to Guilin.  The last day took in a cruise on the Li River and a visit to Yangshuo.  Then they will fly to Hong Kong and rejoin the ship.  This adventure set them back $2900 per person. 

A few years back, we did an 8 day overland independently and saw all of these sights as well as stopping in Chengdu for a visit to the panda facility.  Then after the Li River tour, we went to an evening performance of dancers and singers right on the river.  It was over-the-top fabulous.  Then we flew back to Hong Kong and re-joined the ship.   We had stayed in the best hotels, which were beyond opulent.  Sure glad we did that tour, but we do not feel the need to repeat it.   The same goes for the visit to the Great Wall and Ming Tombs, which we did in 2002 while on the Volendam.  A wonderful overnight adventure, we doubt we would ever go back. 

Shorter tours took in sight-seeing in Shanghai for $140, or a trip to the countryside to Suzhou.  That was $150.  Been there, done that.  Also did the mag-lev high speed train and a ride up to the top of the Shanghai Tower, which ran $100. 

Today we boarded the shuttle to town at 10am.  The bus was full today.  It appeared there were four full size coaches to transport us for the one hour drive.  Coming out of the tourist info complex, we turned left and followed the road to a tree-studded area called  Gucheng Park.  Getting deeper into the garden, we heard music and went to see where it was coming from.  We found a square of people dancing to country western tunes of all things.  Some were doing a line dance, while the older ladies and their partners were doing a two-step.  Just simply having fun, and we had fun watching them.

This garden led to the Yuyuan Garden, a 5 acre garden with quiet landscapes, ponds, rockeries, and pavilions.  It was begun in 1577 and re-constructed over the years.   Walking past the gardens, we came upon what is known as Old Shanghai and the most authentic-looking China Town we have seen.  This area is called Huabao Lou and is a large-scale shopping mall.   But it is far from typical- modern as it is like stepping back into the old days with the exotic Chinese buildings.  Figurines of lion-dogs were placed before every large store, and the roofs were covered with gargoyles and dragons.  What we liked were the silk-like fish mobiles hanging overhead.  The colors were brilliant.  Food in cafes was being prepared in front of the shops, and people were lining up to buy it. 

Besides eateries, there were many expensive jewelry stores and clothing shops.  Along with the typical souvenir shops were young ladies promoting higher end stores.  None of them were shy in approaching us to sell their products.  They did take a “no thanks” as a no and went on to the next potential customer.  With three cruise ships in port, they had plenty of potential customers.  One thing for sure, this place was like candy for the eyes.  So many photo ops.  Time was ticking, so we followed a map and made our way to Nanjing Road, and the pedestrian walkway.  It was quite a walk using side streets, but they were all crowded today too.  On the way, we passed by the building with the lotus leaves on the top.   It turned out to be the Westin Hotel, so we went inside to check it out.  It was very nicely decorated and might have been a good place to look for lunch.  The time we had left did not allow it.

When we finally found this series of malls, it turned out to be one gigantic shopping district with every high end store you can imagine.  The main street was closed off to cross traffic for blocks.  We discovered that Nanjing Road led all the way to People’s Park, another big attraction with museums and the like.   We hiked up one side and down the other, also checking out the side streets that were selling trinkets and more food-to-go.  This part of town was getting more crowded by the minute, since it was lunchtime.  Our time was so limited today, we did not have time to eat out.  

Making our way back to the Bund was easy.  We had paralleled it coming this way.  It was far less crowded on the raised walkway, and made better time getting back to the bus stop.  Once we navigated our way down under, we boarded the bus and it left on the top of the hour.   By the time we got back to the terminal at 3pm, we were glad we did not wait until the last shuttle.  This time the bus driver stayed on the side streets avoiding the freeway for a while.  Obviously, since it was Friday, the roads had become clogged with traffic.  This was nice for all of us because we got to see more of the town on the way back.  We all got a kick at how many people hang their clothing, blankets and sheets outside to dry.  Doesn’t matter how high up you live, the stuff goes out the window. 

The weather seemed to get worse as the afternoon wore on.  It did get colder, and by the time we left the terminal, it was freezing outside.  We have a day at sea, thank goodness, to arrive to Dalian, China.   We do not think we have been there before this.  Perhaps Kimberly’s lecture tomorrow will jog our memories.   

Dinnertime was properly labeled “Chinatown Dinner” with many items that we saw being cooked in the real Chinatown we saw today.  Appetizers were a Chinese dumpling soup, small BBQ ribs, and one veggie tempura with noodles plate.  Our mains were General Tsao chicken with jasmine rice and a type of chow mien with ramen noodles and beef strips.   It was fun to try something different for a change, and one of us could rest assured there were no additives that might have been a problem.  Desserts were pineapple slices and a two-layer chocolate cake with ice cream to share on the side.  Some folks that dine near us had gone on the 4 day overland, so it will be quieter for a few days.

The unique comedy of Mike Robinson was the entertainment tonight, although most everyone in the dining room seemed to finish early and head out well before 9pm.  Two days of intense touring had taken a toll and turning in early sounded like a great plan.

Bill & Mary Ann 

Report #68  Thursday  March 7, 2024  Shanghai, China  Day #1 Of 2  Docked Starboard Side To Pier  7am-Overnight  36 Degrees Low-- 55 Degrees High Hazy With Sun  Part #1 Of 5.....55 Pictures----Casual Dress

It was somewhere around 2am when the Captain picked up two Chinese pilots….one for the port entrance and one for the river.  He said that very little English would be spoken, but sharing the chart information the last couple of days, they would be on the same page.   That’s nice to know as we don’t always think of what goes on behind the scenes. 

The Zuiderdam arrived well before 8:30am, but it took time for the ship to be cleared.  Once again, Kimberly had to come on the speakers and asked the guests who were on tour to please not crowd the lobby where the exit was.  She claimed the officials would be very unhappy with the throng of people blocking their way, and they may delay the procedure.

So in order to get off today, we needed to bring the stamped and barcoded passport copies with us to be scanned in the terminal.  We will need to use these forms in every Chinese port.  And if we lose or damage them, they cannot be replaced.  If that is the case, we may not be permitted to leave the ship.   It was also suggested that we take a photo of these paper passports on our cell phone, which we do not have.

We left the ship by 10am and had quite a long walk from the gangway through the new cruise terminal, which was massive.  It was a good thing there were local port workers to direct us to the right hallways and doors to use.  Everyone had to pass through a health temperature check, then we went on to the passport scan.  Walking even further we finally got to the door that led to the shuttle buses. 

It was a good thing that we had the transfer to town, because the ride took almost an hour.  If there was a lot of traffic, the ride would have been longer.  This cruise terminal is capable of docking at  least three ships, but it is located in the “boonies”.    Years ago when we came here the first time on a smaller ship, we docked very close to the center of downtown.  This ship is too large to go upriver, so we are much further away.  By the way, there were two other ships here.  One was called Piano Land of Astro Cruise Line, and the smaller one was Blue Dream Star registered in Monrovia.  It could be a gambling ship.

We were dropped off at The Bund which can be described as the landmark of Shanghai and the symbol of the urban history.   It is located on the Huangpu River with 15 historical colonial buildings on one side.  Across the river is the modern city with high rises that make up Shanghai’s famous skyline.  The most famous of these towers are the Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower, the Jin Mao Tower, the Shanghai World Financial Center, and the highest of all….Shanghai Tower at 2073 feet.   It is the second tallest building in the world, with the highest being Kalipha Tower in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.  We have been lucky to have gone up to the top of both of these high rises.  

The Bund is actually a very wide raised walkway that follows the river for over one mile.  The heritage buildings on the roadside are made in the Gothic Revival and Art Deco styles.   They are flanked with more modern high rises and luxury hotels.  It sure was a perfect day to be hiking, even though it was chilly.  There was a haze in the air, but nothing resembling the brown smog we saw when flying to the airport here several years ago.  The Captain had mentioned there was a health advisory due to unsafe air, but it looked fine to us.  We joined the hundreds of site-seers taking hundreds of photos.  One thing we noticed was that the streets were clean as a whistle.  Even walking the wall, we saw no cigarette butts or trash anywhere.  What we did notice was the presence of policemen either on patrol or in vehicles along the walkway.  Bet you would never see a “smash and grab” type of crime here.  It would not be tolerated. 

We reached the end of The Bund where a tall war memorial is located.  This is where the Wusong River and Suzhou Creek join the big river.   There were several old-style bridges that crossed over this river, and each of them has a name.   We felt there was not enough time to continue this way, so we went down to Zhongshan Road which was on the backside of The Bund.  There are cafes and several public restrooms on this side and are located right under the walkway.  We passed a big pedestrian street by the name of Nanjing Road. It leads to a big shopping area with many restaurants and nightclubs.    We decided to explore this area tomorrow as it would be too much to do today. 

Further up the road, we came across a huge bronze bull, but do not know the meaning of it.  There was a plaque, but it was written in Chinese of course.  It resembled the bull at Wall Street in New York City.  We did not find a suitable place for lunch and it was getting late.  So we headed back to the bus pick-up spot.  Stopping at the information center here, we picked up everything we could find that was printed in English.  

The bus ran every half hour, so we did not have long to wait for it to leave.  Once back at the cruise terminal, we had to go through the same procedure as when we left the ship.  The only thing different was going through the xray.  That saved us the trouble of doing it on the ship.  We have to say the Chinese custom officials are very thorough with their check point.

The Lido had stayed open an extra hour with a full service lunch, but at 3pm, only a few stations were opened.  We opted for Dive-In grub as did many other folks getting back from tours. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent working on pictures and gathering info for the report.  Tomorrow we shall leave the ship earlier and go see what we missed today.  All aboard is at 4:30pm, so we will have to squeeze in as much as we can. 

Dinner was good with crispy Shanghai spring rolls of shrimp and pork.  The wonton soup was perfect as were the salads.  One exception was the honey-mustard dressing that was home-made.  It was not the same as the one we have been getting.  All the waiter could do is offer us a different type.  Best to taste it before ruining the plate of salad.  Mains were fajitas with extra guacamole and salsa.  We were warned that the sour cream was also home- made, so we avoided using it as it looked watery.   Desserts were one light and airy lemon cake and a chocolate brownie cheesecake.  Our waiter Alfred brought another dessert to us so we could taste it.   We had asked what it was, so he automatically brought one.  It was good if you are a fan of custard.  One of us is not. 

We had intended on seeing the show tonight, Shanghai Spectacular: Dance & Gymnastics Fusion, but we finished dinner at 9pm, and it sure felt like the fellows were revving up to go out to town tonight.  And with all of the walking today, we were beat.  Got to save up more energy to spend another day in the big city.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #67    Wednesday  March 6, 2024   Sea Day-Crossing The East China Sea   Heavy Overcast With Showers  50 Degrees 10' Swell  Part #1 Of 1.......No Pictures---Country Dress

It sure would have been nice to see the sun today, but it was not to be.  The weather remained much the same as yesterday with temps in the 50’s, overcast skies, and occasional light showers.  During his noon talk, Captain Frank said that conditions were better than expected.  There were 8 to 10 foot swells with 25 mph winds.  There was some rolling and light showers every so often.  We noticed quite a large number of fishing vessels that appeared to be pulling nets.  And the color of the water was more of a green shade instead of blue.   We think that is due of the depth of the sea here which is considered shallow at 300 meters.  We are currently sailing within the shipping channel and we were seeing many types of ships….mostly commercial. 

The usual activities took place as they do on sea days.  A new lecturer, Merge, has boarded the ship and gave a talk on Confucianism, Taoism and the Art of Living.  Now that we are on the way to explore some of China, we will be educated somewhat.  And the shore excursion group did a talk on what to see and do while in the ports of Shanghai, Dalian, and Beijing.   Most guests who were interested in booking tours did so online before the trip began.   So it was not usual to have the excursions sold out by the time we reach any given port.  That refers even more so to the overland tours that were offered.  

Going back months ago, well before this cruise commenced, there was some doubt as to whether or not we would be going to China.  We heard all sorts of things like our 10 year visas would not be recognized or new visas would not be processed.  This all got clarified when we were informed that the itinerary would change, and our first port of call in China would be Shanghai, and not Beijing.  We never did get the reasoning behind that move, other than folks that intended to take tours with Holland America would not need to get 10 year visas.  They would have a special short-term visa that would be provided by their tour operator.  This applied to the folks who were doing independent tours as well.  The final word was that those without any visa would not be allowed to leave the ship.  On previous world cruises, if we did not have the proper visa for China, we would not have been allowed to board the ship in Ft. Lauderdale. 

While waiting for an order of Dive-In Grill cuisine, Maja happened to stop there to order lunch for herself and some of her fellow officers.  She said they had been working with the Chinese officials all night (since 2am) going through the passports of all aboard.  At the end, they were off two from their manifest.  Now they had to start over, and Maja was not happy about that.   About an hour later, two room numbers were announced and the names of the folks with missing expired passports.  Like us, their current Chinese visas were in those passports and they failed to turn them in yesterday. 

Further info was given regarding tomorrow’s mandatory face to passport immigration inspection tomorrow.  We will all be receiving a paper copy of our passports along with an official stamp on it.  We will need those to debark as well as getting some local money onshore.  The ship does not sell Yuan, so if we need some, an ATM will work.  Or a bank.  This was all explained to us after Kimberly’s port talk at 1pm.  As always, we waited for the TV version, but it did not appear until after 4pm.  In her hour-long talk, she pointed out the main attraction in and out of the city and the distance of these sites from the cruise terminal.  We will be docked pretty far from the city at Wusingkou International Cruise Terminal.  The good news is that a shuttle will be provided from the ship to a central point in town. In the past, we have docked closer to the Bund, but this ship is too big according to the Captain.   It may take up to an hour to access the downtown area.  At least we will have two days here to see a lot.

Another notice we got today involved the shutdown of the air conditioning in our section tomorrow.  Ceiling panels had been pulled down all day for workers to install a new cable for something.  It was a mess but it did get cleaned up by dinnertime.  A second notice arrived with details on the upcoming satellite connectivity for the next week or so.   Blaming this on governmental restrictions, we may have a reduction in deliverable satellite conductivity while in China.  It may result in partial loss of the signal and temporary outages.  We have been asked to reduce or use of bandwidth intense services such as video-streaming and large downloads.  This same situation may occur in regions of the Indian Ocean and Eastern Africa.  That is strange because we sailed in that area just last year, and do not recall internet problems at that time.  And that was before the new system was installed.    Oh well, it is what it is.  Usually if there is a major interruption, a refund will occur.

Tonight was dubbed “Barn Dance”, which was confusing.  What was that and where would that happen?  The fun was promised to begin at 8pm in all of the music clubs onboard with knee-slapping good ol’ country music, line dancing, sing-a-longs, and boot scooting boogying the night away.  Yee Haw!  Except that is right in the middle of our dinner time, so we guess we’ll miss it.  We did enjoy the menu as it had some fun choices on it.  It leaned towards a southern-type of cuisine like meatloaf, chicken-fried steak, and other themed appetizers.  The head waiters were dressed with buffalo plaid shirts, jeans, boots and cowboy hats.  Come to think of it, this is the dress for one night while on an Alaska cruise.  The waiters wore red or black and white neck handkerchiefs.  No hats for them.    Desserts were a chocolate cake and some sorbet…mango possibly.  We are not sure how many folks were going to the entertainment tonight.  Performer Kenny Martyn was back on the stage with his multi-instrumental show.  Tonight the Grand Voyage band joined him.

Looking forward to two days in Shanghai.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #66  Tuesday  March 5, 2024  Fukuoka, Japan  Docked Starboard Side To Pier  10pm On 3-4-24-5pm On 3-5-24  Heavy Overcast With Rain Showers 50 Degrees  Part #1 Of 6.......55 Pictures---Casual Dress

Our port of call for today was Fukuoka, Japan, and our final stop while in this country.  Actually, we had arrived early last night, and the ship was docked by 10pm.  We were not allowed to get off, since the ship had not been cleared by the local officials.  Just as well as it looked like it rained most of the night.  Before we turned in for the evening, we checked outside our veranda door, and saw the waterfront all lit up and decided to snap a few pictures since we would not see this during the day.  It was very striking with the tower all lit up.

The weather was not the best today.  The skies were very overcast and there was a 99% chance of rain.  Not a problem….we shall simply pack the umbrellas and wear our waterproof jackets.  After a warm breakfast, we worked on photos from yesterday to keep up with the reports.  We had a message from the front desk that they needed our Chinese visas to be copied for immigrations in China.   Our current visas are in our expired passports, so we had to bring them down to be documented.  This should have taken place when we boarded in Ft. Lauderdale, but for some reason Maja said we could do it later.   By later, that meant now.  As long as we were doing the Chinese check, we also brought the Sri Lanka visa papers we brought with us from home.  Copies were made and all was OK now.  The originals were handed back. 

We left the ship after 10am.  We were having more fun trying to get photos of what appeared to be hawks of some kind flying around the top of the ship.  Counting about eight of the large birds, we did some research and discovered they were Japanese golden eagles.  They worked the skies all morning much the way the ravens and other birds of prey will do.  The only other birds we saw on our way to the Bayside Place were a pair of white wagtails.  Of course there were seagulls, crows and cormorants but not in large numbers.

There were three tours today that included more shrines, temples, Fukuoka Tower, Tenjin for shopping, and a folk museum.  They ran from $105 to $110 for 3 to 5 hours.  All aboard was 3:30pm today and it would be more complicated with this being the last Japanese port.  But more about that later.

Kimberly delivered her talk on this city yesterday, so we did get a few facts.  It is really a combination of two cities….Fukuoka and Hakata.  Located 480 nautical miles from Kobe, it is one of the most populous cities on this southernmost island.  There are 10,000 years of history here that survived on rice farming and fishing.  Ramen noodles were created in this area with a creamy soup with pork added. 

Two million visitors come here every year to witness major festivals.  The Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival is for the men, while the girl’s event in May is called the Hakata Dontaka Festival.   Several sights can be reached on foot, but many of them are located further away.  There is a good underground metro as well as trains and buses.  By the way, there was no shuttle provided today, and we heard that made the guests a bit disappointed during the talk yesterday.   Taking taxis were suggested.  And of course, there were always the ship’s excursions to book.

We were not docked in the International Terminal, but at a smaller facility right next to it.  Before we left the building, there was a table set up with maps and two local ladies giving directions….in English.  They mapped out a self- walking tour we could do on our own.   Then we ran into Suzanne who was on her way back already.  She also pointed out the way towards town.

The walk would take us to wide open spaces surrounding the smaller harbor.  We spotted an orange object on the end of the walkway and checked it out.  It was a memorial to the WWII victims that were displaced during the war.  Hundreds of thousands of locals were transported to China and Korea at that time.  Many years later, some of them returned to their homeland, helping to rebuild the city bigger and better.

We zeroed in on the Bayside Place located across the harbor from the pier.  This small harbor has the terminals for the local ferries that operate to the local islands as well as Korea.  The Hakata Port Tower was the one we could see from our veranda last night.  On the top is the radio station for ships.  On the bottom level of this tower is a museum that displays the history and the usefulness of the shipping traffic.  It is set up to appeal to the younger crowd, but also to tourists like us.  Not sure if it was opened to us, one of the workers welcomed us inside.  Another lady invited us to take the elevator to the top to check out the 360 degree view.  So we did and glad we did it.  The only thing that would have made it perfect would be if the sun was out and the rain stopped.  It was more of a misty shower that tended to cloud the photos again.  More and more locals were coming up and we knew it would be crowded, so we went back down.  We toured the little museum then before we left, another nice lady came over and handed us a brochure on this tower and museum.  On the back page, she placed two large ink stamps of the city where it was written “stamp here for memory”.    What a welcome for us strangers.

One of the main building here housed a central aquarium which was filled with many types of fish.  Most of them were tropical varieties, but there were also huge turtles, nurse sharks, and colorful reef fish.  This cylindrical tank was three stories tall.  We sure never expected to see this here.  Then we passed by some shops and got lucky with a purchase of a cashmere shawl to replace the one that blew away.  We still had some Japanese yen to spend, and this was a good way to do it.  Exploring this three story building at the base of the tower, we discovered the top floor was for little kids as there was an indoor playground for them.  Nice restrooms were there too, and one of us discovered that the seats of the commodes were heated.   They are also automatic with bidets and auto flush.  Way better than the expected hole in the floor, which we are sure we will find while in China.

Back on the second floor we saw a patio that surrounded the outside shops.  From there we could see a huge water stadium.  Reading the map later in or room, we learned that this was called the Boat Race Fukuoka.  The spectators pay 100 yen to enter, then place bets on the six speed boats that race around the stadium.   It is a 600 meter course and a fun way for people to gamble. 

We had hoped to find a suitable place to eat lunch, but the closest we could find was a cafeteria-style restaurant.  There were a few bars but they would not open until this evening.  There was Family Mart, which is the equivalent to our 7-11’s.  We still had a handful of coins to spend, so we tried the small grocery store and bought some KitKat bars and more bags of popcorn.  It was starting to rain harder now, so we headed back to the terminal.  

Anyone arriving back to the terminal from 12pm to 3:30pm would need to be seen by the immigration officials for a mandatory inspection.   Our room keys were scanned first, then we each went to an official who scanned our passports and placed an exit sticker next to the entrance sticker we got several days ago.  Once this was done, our room keys were stickered with a new black one to indicate we had passed this inspection.  Finally, our current and expired passports with the Chinese visas were turned over to the front desk people where they were banded together.  They will be kept for the Chinese officials to clear us tomorrow we assume.  Once we completed this checkpoint, we were not allowed to leave the ship.  We had taken our hike and did what was required and were back onboard by 2pm. 

Lunch was a Cobb salad, beef panini and a club sandwich.  Fresh apple slices were our dessert along with some chocolate-covered almonds from Kobe.  Sometime around 3pm, Kimberly announced for everyone to appear at the customs check or else we would not be able to leave on time.   The second announcement must have worked since we were ready to leave after 3:30pm.  Captain Frank gave his departure talk at 4:30pm, and explained we were waiting on the pilot.  We will be heading into open waters on our way to Shanghai, China and we could expect 35 mph winds as well as a 10 to 12 foot swell.  It wasn’t long after we left the shelter of the bay that we felt the swells.  Showers clouded our exit from the harbor, and we could barely see the tall port tower as we left.

Dinner was good with a few items created by the guest chef who is from China.   We tried the sesame seeded chicken appetizers with a sweet and sour sauce.  Very tasty.  Salads came next, then we ordered one kalbi beef entrée and one vegetarian plate of broccoli and vermicelli noodles seasoned with Sichuan sauce.  Very good, we were assured there was not a drop of oyster or clam juice added to it.   Dessert was carrot cake for both of us with a little vanilla ice cream on the side. 

The clocks went back tonight which was appreciated by all.  We will be on Beijing time now and it should stay the same until we leave China.  Looking forward to a day at sea.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #65  Monday  March 4, 2024  Sea Day  Cruising The Kanmon Strait- 4pm-9pm Enroute To Fukuoka (Hakata), Japan  Partly Sunny With Sea Haze Cool 50 Degrees Sea State: Calm Part #1 Of 4.......60 Pictures--Casual Dress

Today was a good one to relax and enjoy the fact that it had warmed up a few degrees, and the sun might come out later in the morning.  We had sailed south along the coast with fairly smooth seas, little wind, and not much rocking and rolling.  And no one was complaining about that.   There seemed to be a sea haze that resembled fog but it was dry.  For a change, we had some ship traffic, which increased as the day advanced.  Many fishing vessels, tankers, and cargo ships passed by in the distance indicating we must be close to major cities.   We spotted some smaller boats, which had to be a fleet of fishing boats.  They were flying different colors of flags like green, yellow, and orange.  Taking a wild guess, we thought they may display a flag suggesting what company they fished for.  

After our morning walk, we went up to the Lido and made cups of steaming hot chocolate to drink outside by the Seaview Pool.  As long as we stayed out of the wind, it was almost warm.  The haze thinned out enough to feel some heat from the sun even if it was minimal.

About then, we waited for the horn to blow at high noon.  It was late, so we figured the Captain may have forgotten to blow it.  So when Captain Frank came on the speakers, he explained that he was not able to sound the horn due to the number of small fishing vessels in the area.  We sort of already came to that conclusion and for a change, we were correct.  Then he went on to explain that there had been a change of plans, and he would be docking the Zuiderdam late this evening, instead of tomorrow at 7:30am.   We still had some scenic cruising to do starting around 3:30pm, so he said that since we were so close to the next port, he would prefer to do a speed of 13 knots instead of slower, which would cause some rolling and pitching.  No one would be allowed off of the ship tonight due to customs and immigrations not permitting it.  But tomorrow, we would stick to the original time of 7:30am to be cleared.  Fine with us. 

In the meantime, Kimberly had delivered her talk on tomorrow’s port of Fukuoka, Japan at 1pm.  Within the hour, it was on TV.  Perfect time for us to watch it while enjoying burgers from the Dive-In Grill.  We have never been here before and were more or less expecting a small city.  Wrong, it looks huge and once again, full of history, temples, palaces, pagodas, and Japanese gardens.   Much of it will be accessible by walking too.  Taking notes, we should be able to navigate this city a bit easier than Kobe.  The bad news was that it did not appear that there would be a complimentary shuttle to downtown like we had in Kobe and Tokyo.  At least Kimberly had not gotten any confirmation of that yet.  There’s always hope…..

At 4pm, the bow was opened and many folks bundled up and went to watch our sailing into the Kammon Strait area.  Passing a lighthouse on a corner, the Captain turned the ship to enter the strait that took us under the Kammon Bridge.   Kimberly did narrate this scenic cruising, but it was not broadcasted on the verandas.   It was on our room TV, but the sound could not be turned up for us to hear it outside on the veranda.  We chose to watch and photograph from our veranda and catch up on the details with the help of Google later on.   It sure would have been nice if the sea haze had cleared up, but it didn’t.  It sort of put a thin gray layer over the pictures.  It was heavy enough at times that we could not separate the horizon of the ocean and the start of the sky.   Dreary might be a better word.  And cold as ever, even though once we entered the strait, the seas were almost like silk.  No wind to speak of.  Of course, many pictures were taken along the hour and half cruise through here.

Once past the rambling city and the industrial part of town, the ship turned left and headed towards Fukuoka/Hakata.  And since this will be the final stop for Japan, tomorrow there will be a special departure clearance with the immigration officials in the terminal building in the afternoon.  We’ll provide the details tomorrow after it happens. 

We sure hope it does not rain like it has been predicted for this final port.  So far, luck has been on our side.

Dinnertime had some very nice choices this evening starting with a most delicious crispy Thai spring roll with rice noodles and sweet and sour sauce.  The best in our opinion.  We both had different salads followed by veal parmigiana on a bed of spaghetti and grilled slices of zucchini.   Doesn’t get much better.  Dessert was a tiny chocolate cupcake with caramel popcorn on top and a plate of fresh pineapple.  We shared a scoop of vanilla ice cream since it went well with both desserts.

The Grand Voyage singers and dancers put on a show featuring the tunes of Elton John, one of our favorite entertainers.   He has stood the test of time, and his music is just as popular today as it was when we first heard it.

We have to add a note here regarding our visit to China, which is coming up in a few days from now.  We have been advised that we will be blocked with some communications such as Facebook, Google, and other websites.  We do not now the extent of the block, but if you do not get any reports and photos, please know we will be sending them as soon as we can.  We have been  told that China’s “wechat” will be available to download, although we doubt we will do that.  So stay tuned……

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #64  Sunday  March 3, 2024  Kobe, Japan  Day #2 Of 2  Docked Starboard Side To Pier Leave At 5pm   Sunny And Cold 33 Degrees In The Morning To 44 Degrees In The Afternoon Part #1 Of 6.......55 Pictures---Casual

Our second day in Kobe turned out to be a very nice one, and although the temperature was colder (32 degrees), the sun was out and it looked like it was going to stay out for most of the day.   During breakfast, we heard some folks nearby us saying that they had snow flurries on Mt. Rokko while on their tour yesterday, which is located high above the city.  Looking around at how the guests are dressed, we can say that most people underestimated the weather in this part of the world at this time of year.   We knew what it could be like when we did an independent overland tour not too many years ago.  Departing the ship in Beijing (Tianjin), it was snowing and the freeways were blanketed and closed for a few hours until workers cleared them.  We had brought our heavy duty jackets and gloves and were sure glad we did.  Until we headed south, we wore them every day.

Around 10am, we caught the shuttle that went to the same stop as yesterday at Motomachi.  This time we crossed the road and turned right.  It took us to another shopping street arcade, but this time the stores were mostly highend with recognizable names.  Zara, Uni Qlo, Tiffanys, and a myriad of shops we never heard of.  This was the Sannomiya district where many of the fancy hotels were located.  Once again, the eateries were beginning to open, and lines were forming well before their doors opened.  It did not matter that it was so cold outside, the locals were willing to wait for seating inside. 

We passed by what appeared to be a church by the name of Kobe St. Morgan Church.  It did not look like a typical entrance for a church, but more like a hotel.  Going inside, we were told this was a meeting place, so we left.  And we still do not know if it was a church or not.  Continuing up this same road, we passed a portal called Sannomiya Shrine with a very old typical Japanese pagoda on the corner.  We found the Sannomiya Center Gai Shopping Street, built the same as yesterday’s arcade shopping street.  This mall was newer than Motomachi and housed hundreds of shops, cafes, and restaurants.  If there was a chance of getting lost, this would have been the place.

We exited one of the covered streets to Flower Road, which was a big 8 lane road.  We could see the backdrop of the mountains as well as a number of ways of getting around.  There were buses, of course, but all of locals use the underground metro or the overhead railways.  From this road, we could see all of it including traffic.  Of course, today was Sunday and most all of the people go out shopping today.  Especially the younger crowd. 

We did mostly window-shopping except for one special store.  It was a pet shop with the smallest little puppies we have ever seen.   And many fluffy kittens as well.  The prices were shocking for these little guys.  The most expensive was 830,000 yen.  That computes to $5530 USD.  No kidding.  Even the kittens were expensive.  The store was busy with visitors, and we wondered how many pets would be sold today. 

By doing some homework yesterday, we figured out that most all of the restaurants were located inside larger buildings such as hotels or shopping malls.  We did find one café that looked promising, but once we entered, we learned that it was a buffet only.  It did look good, but not knowing what we would be eating could be problematic, so we left. 

One of the largest and nicest stores was Daimaru Kobe Department Store, right where the bus let us off.  One of our friends had gone there, and told us where to find everything.  Heading up to the 10^th floor, we located the Pizza House, which served Italian food as well as some Japanese items.  It was not too crowded yet at 12:30pm, so we relaxed with two Peroni beers and a meat and cheese pizza.  It was delicious and obviously popular since the café filled up by the time we left.  All of the customers were Japanese too.

On this level, there was a roof garden with a view of the downtown area.  If we had more time, we could have sat on the benches and took in some sun.  We did get some good photos of the city below.  Then we went down floor by floor, seeing what was offered.  One floor was strictly high end watches, proving that many people are not ready to give up their convenient time pieces.  Then came the housewares, clothing, and finally cosmetics.  That seems to be the first items you see when going into a department store such as this one.  As well as the departments inside the building, there were 60 shops around the outside.  Gas lamps on the sidewalk were a reminder of the old settlement that was once here.   Before leaving the building, we went down to the basement level to find a food store and a type of cafeteria where you could buy ready-made meals.  A small supermarket was at this level too.  And talk about crowded.  It was all we could do to get back to the escalator out to the street level.

Once outside the store, we were at the bus pick-up stop.  We had a few minutes to spare, so went to the nearest 7-11 to try and spend the loose change we had.   We ended up with five bags of popcorn and a box of chocolate-covered nuts….all for under $7.  Not a bad deal. 

We arrived back to the ship by 3pm, and warmed up in our room until we left the port.  At 4:40pm, Captain Frank came on the speaker to say we were all lucky to see the start of springtime here in Kobe.  We had a two hour sailing out of Osaka Bay before entering open seas.  Tomorrow we will have some scenic cruising when we enter between islands on the way to our final port of Fukuoka.  That should occur around 4pm.  The weather is expected to stay partly cloudy with less wind and 4 foot swells.  All good news.   By the way, we all received a refund of $10.10 for port and tax charges due to missing the port of Omaezaki .  

At sail away, we were given a grand farewell with a band and a display of hundreds of balloons released from the terminal building.  We had the best spot to see this because all of the balloons drifted overhead and out into the far reaches of the harbor.  From the port side, we saw every single balloon go airborne.  We cannot say enough about the special greeting we got from all of the Japanese people while visiting here.  In a city of 5.5 million, that’s saying a lot.

We looked forward to a hot dinner tonight just to get warm again.  There were a couple of  appetizers that would do the trick.  One was a sesame BBQ rib, and the other a shrimp quesadilla.   We had salads then mains of chicken meatballs with rigatoni.  It came with a marinara sauce and our waiter brought extra sauce and cheese.  Desserts were one cheesecake and a plate of pineapple.  Good way to end the day.

Tonight’s entertainer was Kenny Martyn, a multi-instrumentalist.  He played tunes from Benny Goodman, Acker Bilk, and Duke Ellington.  

Really looking forward to our one day at sea.  We all need it.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #63  Saturday  March 2, 2024  Kobe, Japan  Docked Starboard Side To Pier 8am-Overnight   Sunny And Cold 35 Degrees In The Morning To 50 In The Afternoon Part #1 Of 4.......55 Pictures---Casual

Better late than never.  Thanks to Kimberly’s last minute talk on Kobe, we have some info we can share about this city.  It is the 6^th largest city in Japan and has a population of 5.5 million folks that speak Japanese.   Located 403 nautical miles from Tokyo, the history here goes back beyond centuries.  A modern city today, it was hit by an earthquake back in 1995, causing much damage and loss of life.  Both of us being born and raised in San Francisco, we know first hand of such earthquakes.  The one in 1989 brings back terrible memories of such devastation.  And you never know when or where they are going to occur.  And yet we still choose to stay …..

There are a myriad of things to do and see in Kobe, and one of those recommended by Kimberly was to taste their Kobe beef.  It is particularly tender and moist due to the high fat content.  World famous, the beef is quite expensive with a restaurant meal costing from $75 to $250 per person.  Besides hundreds of restaurants, there are museums, a waterfall, a funicular to Mt. Rokko, and an herb and botanical gardens to explore.  Ship excursions included a trip to see castles, shrines, temples, and gardens in Kyoto, Osaka, or Nara Park.  They ran from $120 to $270, the more expensive ones included a lunch and/or a bullet train ride.  Kimberly did give some details on how to catch the local transit as well to do it on your own.

We decided to take advantage of the complimentary shuttle to central Kobe where we had access to shopping, exploring, and dining.   Once off of the ship and into the three story terminal, we found our way to the shuttle stop.  It was on the second floor, and not accessed from the street level.  Looking outside the spacious terminal, we noticed there were overhead highways criss-crossing everywhere and navigating our way out into town might have been difficult.  By the way, we passed a group of official-looking Japanese locals coming onboard with a bouquet of flowers and possibly a plaque as a gift for the Zuiderdam’s inaugural visit here.   We should hear about the ceremony when Captain Frank talks at the sail away tomorrow.

It was a big help to find the Kobe Tartan shirt-wearin docents who were giving folks directions in English.  There were plenty of maps too, even though most all of the printing was in Japanese.   The bus took us to the Kobe Daimaru Department Store for the drop-off.  Directly across the street, we saw the opening to the Motomachi Shopping Street, a domed almost 1 mile arcade filled with all types of shops and restaurants.  It was fun just window-shopping since we did not need anything in particular.  It started to get more crowded by 11:30am, and then we remembered it was Saturday, and many locals would be out and about.  Most all of the cafes, tea houses, and restaurants were small.  When they filled up with customers, people would wait outside until seats were available. 

Once at the far end, we were going to continue walking, but had no idea which way to go.   The streets and alleyways were not laid out in a simple grid, so getting lost was possible.  So it was best to head back the way we came, and pass through China Town which was close by.  What a surprise we had there.  Everybody and their brother was jammed in this small venue where dozens of small eateries were cooking and serving every type of Chinese food you might imagine.  Sure smelled and looked good as lines were forming around the alleyways for the folks buying the street food.  If there was a restaurant, then the locals lined up outside a dozen deep waiting for a space inside to eat.  It was all we could do to make our way to the entrance.  If we had been here on a weekday, we doubt there would have been such a crowd. 

Since it was already close to 2pm, we went back to the bus stop and rode the shuttle back.  And we spent the rest of the afternoon kicking back.  Did we mention how cold it was today?  There were enough clouds floating by to keep the temperature in the 40’s.   We were lucky there was no wind, and even with our arctic coats, it was still cold.  The ship was nice and toasty.

At 7pm, there was a fireworks display, but it occurred on the opposite side of the ship from our room.  By the time we remembered, it was over.  We did hear the sound of the fireworks exploding from our veranda.  Did we mention that the side panel on the veranda blew open again last night making one heck of a racket.  Woke both of us up several times, but we did not know where the noise was coming from at first.  We suppose our room steward had not locked it tight enough or it broke.  So this morning, we had a visit from the fix-it man who repaired both panels.  Now they are solid and will not rattle or pop open like they have been doing. 

Now the mystery of the day was the theme for dinner tonight…….a Biergarten.  Isn’t that like Octoberfest where we come from?  And usually held in the fall?  It was slated for tonight’s Lido dinner where they promised German-style beer (for sale) and great food, music and a festive atmosphere.   In the dining room, we were given the same German menu and also had the music.  And we were not alone in wondering why this was happening on a port night in a Japanese city, and why wasn’t it done on a sea day?  Our waiters had no idea why.  With no live entertainment this evening (there was a movie Bullet Train), most folks ate dinner and headed off to bed since some were on tours early tomorrow morning. 

Our dinner was good with some different items such as a dumpling soup and a plate of German latkes and sour cream.  Two salads were followed by one Weiner schnitzel and a bowl of mac and cheese made with spaetzle pasta and Gouda cheese covered with frizzled onions.  For a change, it was nice.  Dessert was bee sting cake and a bit of vanilla ice cream.  Not sure that was German, but the cake was quite good with a custard filling.

Tomorrow we shall head in a different direction to see what else we can find in Kobe.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #62  Friday  March 1, 2024  Omaezaki, Japan Cancelled- Sea Day- Cruising The Coast  50mph Winds Very Rough Seas Overcast With Sun 20' Swell  Part 1Of 2.......55 Pictures—Casual

Our port of call today was Omaezaki, or was it?  Most of us never heard of this city, so it would be a new stop for us.   There were a few tours here priced from $130 to $150 and between 4 to 6 hours.  Stops would include castles, shrines, temple, a museum, basic highlights, a fish market and souvenir shopping.  However it was not to be.  At 7:45am this morning, Captain Frank made the announcement that Omaezaki had to be cancelled.  It had been decided it was far too impossible to dock safely due to high winds and rough seas.  It came as no surprise because we had been warned this could happen.   Actually, to be perfectly honest, most of the folks we know were worn out from two full days in Tokyo and appreciated the change to a day at sea. 

So the Captain provided some scenic cruising going into the bays to give us a look at the coastline of Japan.  There were dark ominous clouds overhead, and we did see rain falling over the mountainous terrain.  The winds were measured at 35 mph, but later increased to almost 50mph.   The sea swells were significant at 12 to 20 feet, making the ship roll and even shudder at times.   The safest place it seemed was in our room.  The mist from the waves came as high as our veranda, soaking everything out there.  And it was cold with temps in the high 40’s.  The wind chill brought that number even lower. 

While working on the computer, one of the veranda side panels broke loose, even though it had been locked.  Just about then, our room attendant came with a basket of clean laundry.  He went and got a key and locked it again, and to keep it from rattling, he moved the table against it.  That’s a first. 

Around 11:30am, Kimberly announced that the clouds had lifted from Mt. Fuji and it was clear for all to see.  Of course, it was only visible from the starboard side, so we went up to the Seaview Pool to take some pictures.  Grabbing some hot chocolate packets, we made a cupful to warm up.  Sitting at a table in the sun helped a little.  One by one, the Lido waiters began popping outside to take pictures with their cell phones.   It is not often that we see such an awesome sight as this sacred mountain.  Japan’s highest peak, it is so revered by the people that many make a pilgrimage every summer to the top.  It is a centuries-old tradition to summit this symmetrical active volcano.   We agree that Mt. Fuji is majestic and can see why it has been the subject of many famous painters and poets as well. 

This needed the good camera to get the best shots, so we went down to get it.  The camera expert went back to deck 10, and I followed later.  On the way up the staircase from the Seaview Pool, a gust of wind hit so hard, it ripped my wool scarf from my neck and it went airborne.  Holding onto my sunglasses, the scarf disappeared from sight.  Sometimes these items will blow back on deck three, but it was heavy and could have blown overboard.   Perhaps it will end up in the lost and found box at the front desk.  Have to check later.  

We spent most of the day inside, because the decks had been closed off.  Even though the dark clouds got blown away, the mist from the high waves drenched the portside of the ship.  Captain Frank came on the speakers with his noon talk, and said that after doing a loop in the bay near Omaezaki, he resumed sailing southwest towards Osaka Bay 195 nautical miles away.   It is possible we will be an hour earlier arriving to Kobe tomorrow.  He did say the weather in Kobe will be better as far as the sea condition, but the temperatures will remain chilly. 

Kimberly finally gave a talk on Kobe, where we will be docked for two days.  There was not enough time for her to squeeze in this lecture, since the ports were happening very close.  So we took notes about not only Kobe, but Osaka, Kyoto and Nara….all close to the port of Kobe.  In fact, the tours offered will take guests to the outlying areas.  We have been to all of the sights in this triangle of cities, so we intend to stay in Kobe.  Doing some internet searches of the downtown, we will be able to navigate that area. 

Dinnertime came quickly, as there was no sunset at all.  It just got dark, and the wind continued blowing strong.  Anyway, we ordered one chicken noodle soup, a Thai salad, and one Caesar salad.  Mains were a simple beef rib meat linguine and one osso buco.  Both were good and really too much as the servings were generous.  Dessert was one scoop of mango sorbet and one tiny chocolate mousse. 

Entertainment tonight was provided by a group of four fellows from various parts of Spain.  They performed classical, opera, and pop music as well as Latin, folk ballads, and theater. It appeared the dinner guests were leaving early to either get seats in the World Stage or go to bed early to be ready for two more busy port days.  

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #61  Thursday  February 29, 2024  Day #2 Tokyo, Japan  Cloudy With A Little Sun  40-51 Degrees 13mph Wind All Aboard 7pm  Part #1 Of 3......55 Pictures---Casual Dress

Well, another day in Tokyo, but far different from yesterday.  The weather had changed quite a bit in that it was heavily overcast compared to the brilliant sun we enjoyed yesterday.  On the plus side, there was far less wind and it was not as chilly.  It would be a fine day for a long walk.

Once again, we stayed onboard until 10am, then headed for the Loop bus again.  This time we got off at the first stop, which was the Hilton Tokyo Odaiba Hotel.  We could have walked to here from the terminal, but decided to save our energy for town.  Almost across the street from the hotel was the Statue of Liberty, or a replica of it, only smaller in size.   With a little research, we learned that the real statue had been on loan from France and spent one year on display here in Tokyo, of all places.  She overlooks the Tokyo Waterfront City, where we hiked today. 

This entire area was recently built on land fill we read somewhere.  Many of the structures were used for the 2020 Olympics, so the city built up around it all.  There are enough malls to keep one busy for months, let alone 2 days.  What we appreciated by staying in this area was the fact that nothing was over-crowded, like we know downtown Tokyo is.  We have been fortunate enough to have toured the shrines, temples, parks, and museums more than once, so exploring this part of Tokyo was refreshing. 

This marina was created for the scenery and also for jogging and biking.  There are spots where people can fish, relax at a waterfront café, or even spend some time on a sandy beach.  A wooden boardwalk lines the water’s edge, and although there is no swimming allowed, it did not stop the group of middle schoolers wading in the shallow surf without their shoes.  Some of these kids were playing volleyball.  Checking the local map, we saw that three schools are located across the street from this manmade beach.   As well as a park full of trees and paths, there are nice and clean facilities available for all. 

Doing some internet searches, we had located a pizzeria on the corner.  However, it appeared to be closed.  Knowing we could find a suitable lunch at the mall we visited yesterday, we decided to try and find it.   For some reason, the Ariake Garden was not printed on either map we had.  While we were checking out maps, a very nice young fellow came over and asked if he could help us.   He spoke limited English, but well enough to point out the direction we needed to go.  We thanked him and he was on his way. 

We knew we had to cross the Nozomi Bridge that crossed over the Ariake West Canal.  At least we did remember the bus went that way yesterday.  But then after that, we weren’t sure, since the bus had turned on several streets to be able to drive into the mall’s garage.  Almost at the point of giving up, we decided to go a few more long blocks before turning back.  And that’s when we spotted the green vertical sign on the corner saying Ariake Garden.  This five story (or more) building was part of the Villa Fountaine Hotel, and was basically hidden within the jungle of high rises.  Now all we had to do was find how to get inside the mall. 

Walking around the building, we recognized the food market, Aeon, and knew we were in the right place.  We headed right up to the fifth floor and the food court.  Yesterday we had spotted a pizzeria with a wood-fired oven and that’s where we ended up.   Since we have enjoyed so much Japanese dishes on the ship, we were looking for our favorite lunch….pizza.  Obviously, the Japanese like it too.  The cute waitress helped us figure out the menu, and we ordered two beers with a cheese, bacon, and olive pizza.   The bacon was more like sliced ham and was quite good.  We added a dessert of lemon cheesecake which was also excellent. 

The bus schedule allowed the driver a one hour break, so we caught the next coach around 2:30pm.   There was a line of folks waiting by then, and we were lucky to get seats.  Worse come to worse, we would have walked back.  There were two streets full of more shopping malls and attractions and it may have taken hours to get back.  If we ever return to Tokyo, we shall continue our exploration. 

The sun never did come out, and it appeared that it might rain.  So it was a good time to work online until dinnertime.  There was no sunset tonight, and we never did see Mt. Fuji again, so we were happy for both sights yesterday.  At 5pm, Captain Frank came on with his daily talk.  It came with a surprise.  He has planted the idea that tomorrow’s port of Omaezaki may have to be cancelled due to an impending storm with high winds.  The authorities there said we might be able to dock, but if the conditions got worse, we might be stuck there…unable to leave.  With that in mind, Captain Frank said the decision would be made later tonight whether it is a go or not.  And after studying the port map, we found that everything to see is far from the town.  If it is raining, then we would rather skip it.   We still have two days in Kobe, then another Japanese port after that.   Right now, it is 10:30pm, and we have heard nothing. 

Dinner was good with chicken noodle soup, cocktail shrimp and Caesar salads.  Mains were one sliced tenderloin steak, and a lasagna.  The dinner rolls continue to be soft and fresh.  Dessert was a strawberry tart and plate of sliced pineapple.  Still refreshing.  Presty stopped by as he was making the rounds to the tables around us.  We asked how many people left in Tokyo and he said 31.  But 90 got on, so we are up in numbers now. The total number of passengers is 1172.  Many of these guests will get off in Singapore, which suggests they are local and took advantage of the special last minute offers to fill the ship.   We had also asked him about the dining room layout for the Zaandam.  He promised to get us a copy, and within minutes, he came back with both lower and upper dining room table numbers.  Perfect.  Now we can zero in on the Alaska and South Pacific cruises in the fall. 

We could still see the lights of Tokyo and the outlying areas two hours after leaving.   It also looked like it rained during dinnertime as the outside decks were dripping wet.  Perhaps we are hitting that storm earlier than expected. 

Bill & Mary Ann