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Musing across the Pacific (7-25 Sep) Live!

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photosg "Live from...." Rare

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6 hours ago, CruisinPashmina said:

This is a cruise I have been longing to take but, so far, I haven’t been able to find anyone to go with me…not even when I have tried to bribe them by offering to pay their fares!

So… a special thanks from me on the wonderful photos and detailed reports. 

The good thing about this itinerary is that you don’t need to find someone to go with you. I booked solo as there was only a 25% surcharge. On the current sailing there are 50 solos and many meet up every evening before going on to dinner. The various organised activities are also conducive to making friends with the non-solos. Combined with the less than full sailing, I would say this itinerary and ship are one of the best to do solo.

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CruisinPashmina

CruisinPashmina

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Thank you for your kind post. I have been a widow for 8 years and haven’t been brave enough to go solo. I still cruise several times a year, but always with friends or my daughters. The cruise across the Bering Sea was off putting to my usual companions….all are chicken livered about rough seas or don’t like a lot of sea days. I whine, but I really do understand.

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mchell810

mchell810

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14 hours ago, CruisinPashmina said:

Thank you for your kind post. I have been a widow for 8 years and haven’t been brave enough to go solo. I still cruise several times a year, but always with friends or my daughters. The cruise across the Bering Sea was off putting to my usual companions….all are chicken livered about rough seas or don’t like a lot of sea days. I whine, but I really do understand.

 

I was widowed 10 years ago; it took me many years to sail solo.  I say give it a try, especially as you have your heart set on this transpacific cruise.  Silversea is a great company for solos: they will have solo gatherings (which you can join or not at your discretion) and the lower solo supplements as mentioned above on many sailings.  The included excursions means you are on tours with other passengers, it's easy to make connections and see the same faces around the ship.

 

Recently my niece whom I used as a travel companion mentioned joining me for a cruise again.  I told her I would keep it in mind, but in my heart I was thinking: Nope! I am going alone again.  It is quite freeing, once you take the leap.

 

(Sorry for the mini thread hijack)

 

Edited by mchell810
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photosg "Live from...." Rare

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IMG_6644.thumb.png.b5226f34d20429cbb78f060ee1c3d8e2.png

 

Wednesday 20 Sep.

 

After a the still bumpy morning the sun came out and it was a beautiful day yesterday with not a cloud in the sky. Everyone slept well last night.

This morning we woke up a some movement and fog, which has lasted all day so far.

 

Even as I type this the ship’s fog horn is sounding.

 

Yesterday’s Japanese themed lunch was on deck 10, today’s British Pub lunch was back in Dolce Vita with the singers singing British standards.

 

Just after we had gone through the answers at trivia in the Panorama lounge yesterday someone spotted whales aft of our ship and most of us crowded outside for a look. Sure enough we were treated to the sight of several blows. They were far off but still clearly more than two whales.

 

Don’t think we will be able to see anything today.

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Port Power "Live from...." Rare

Port Power

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I could see water right next to the hull from the Observation lounge.  From La Terrazza there was nothing but fog after the rail. The pool has been refilled and evidently someone was actually swimming this morning.

 

IMG_2240.thumb.jpeg.d9182a1e480f6f6d56e5df37e7f47fc1.jpeg

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Port Power "Live from...." Rare

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3 hours ago, drron29 said:

I was wondering who is the cruise director on this cruise and whether they will be staying on after the Muse reaches Japan.

Now just over 2 weeks until we board. We are trivia tragics.


The cruise director is Jonathan, an America with a musical theatre background. He performed his own show a couple of nights ago, and was wonderful. I will ask if he will still be on after the circumnavigation.

 

With five consecutive sea days, trivia has been VERY full.  Jonathan is even postponing it 45 minutes tomorrow so that afternoon excursion members will be able to attend.

 

I am not liking the new theatre format with only two singers.  Although the sets and themes change, each show sounds much the same. Dancers cannot change that.  I gather head office is already thinking about the new format and we have been encouraged to give our opinions in the end of voyage survey.

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photosg "Live from...." Rare

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Friday 22 September, Kushiro.

 

After 5 sea days we were eager to set foot on land again.

Unfortunately our time in Japan did not begin well as the immigration procedures took longer what Silversea had expected. As a result our tour left 45 minutes late.

 

Many of us booked this excursion, Kushiro Marshland Walking Tour, with the expectation of seeing the iconic red crowned cranes. Our guide began the tour by explaining the history and importance of these cranes in Japan. After explaining their reproductive cycle we were then informed that after the baby cranes learn how to fly they all leave this area and head to their winter feeding grounds. This happens in August. So we were very unlikely to see any cranes today. (And then showed us a beautiful photograph of cranes doing their mating dance in February when she recommended we come again.)

 

This did not improve the mood of our group.

 

On the positive side the sun came out and it was really pleasant to have a gentle stroll with the temperature around 20C in the sunshine.

 

A little black american mink ran across our path on the boardwalk, and we heard a bird that turned out to be an eurasian jay high in the trees. And wayyy off in the distance we saw a deer. (whoopee to those who have deer visit their back yard, but i live in a high-rise apartment.)

 

As our thoughts were turning towards whether we would be back in time for a burger or would pizza be our only option for lunch we saw a large white bird flying in the distance. It was soon joined by another one. So we stood around to see if they would take off and fly again.

 

After a while the guide nudged us on and then a crane came flying towards us and across our path…48601056_Unknown.thumb.jpeg.fdbf54b2f8c5ef8d75f4649bb6cd6fda.jpeg

 

48601072_Unknown.thumb.jpeg.8ef2df845935266743d29525c0596f23.jpeg

 

48601088_Unknown.thumb.jpeg.7c445c4a14983dc1d79809a471611c60.jpeg

 

(P.S. folks on other tours saw cranes up close in captivity, and in a further location several families with juveniles but they were nesting and not flying. So choose your tour carefully if you want to see cranes in Kushiro in September.)

 

 

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photosg "Live from...." Rare

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On 9/22/2023 at 8:22 PM, drron29 said:

I was wondering who is the cruise director on this cruise and whether they will be staying on after the Muse reaches Japan.

Now just over 2 weeks until we board. We are trivia tragics.

Jonathan is going to stay on as cruise director until at least October 25 when the Muse reaches Hong Kong.IMG_0364.thumb.jpeg.4491e3c4c0ee10847f6713dbc40dded3.jpeg

 

IMG_0395.thumb.jpeg.9fb6632014c3658a3360144ae9c23c1d.jpeg

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photosg "Live from...." Rare

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Sunday 24th Sep, at sea on the way to Yokohama.

 

I know I still owe you an update from Muroran, but it will have to wait at least two days.

 

The bags have been put outside the door and it got quite emotional at dinner as everyone made their goodbyes.

 

Tomorrow we have a half day tour that takes us to Narita and our flights home.

 

In case you were wondering …IMG_0421.thumb.jpeg.a98a7f634b395c06f844ab69153b90bc.jpeg

 

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