Back on the Westerdam for Majestic Japan and Blogging

[WriterOnDeck]

After two months on land, I'm back on a Holland America ship -- the Westerdam for the Majestic Japan Legendary Cruise -- and blogging. I'll be on one dam ship or another until mid May 2025 (except for a brief break to get from the west coast to the east coast for the Legendary Mediterranean).

 

My first post, from Victoria, BC, Canada, is at www.WriterOnDeck.com.

 

I won't copy and past every post on this thread, so the best way to follow along and see all the photos is to "subscribe by email" on the site. But here's the current post:

 

Victoria Offers Opportunity for New Adventures in Watercolor

Posted on September 4, 2024 by Jo Johnston

Day 2, 2024 Majestic Japan

Monday, Sept. 1, 2024; Victoria, BC, Canada

What a rare treat – a full day in Victoria on a cruise! Typically, ships call here for just a couple of hours in order to satisfy the peculiarities of U.S. maritime law. We docked at 7 a.m. and stayed till 9 p.m. Shame on me for not taking full advantage of this extended port call. I’m blaming it on a lack of better planning (and perhaps the fact that I have been here before and visited popular spots like Butchart Gardens).

 

I did have a most-enjoyable few hours ashore. Instead of walking the mile and half to the inner harbor, I bought a US$15 (CAN$20) all-day ticket on the shuttle bus that dropped us in front of the famous Empress Hotel. Soon after arriving I shed my jacket. The mostly sunny day with temperatures in the 60s was too warm for it.

 

People were everywhere at the waterfront – shopping for local goods at booths, eating at food carts and on restaurant patios and generally enjoying the day.

 

My main goal was to return to the ship with a completed watercolor. I’m trying a new painting practice on this cruise. In the past, I’ve carried my sketchbook, pencil and ink pen, sometimes returning with a rough sketch to later finish on board the ship. There’s never enough time, so on my most recent cruises, I’ve come home with sketchbooks half finished.

 

On this cruise I’m “channeling” Steve Broin, whom I met on the world cruise earlier this year. He is an accomplished artist who painted a watercolor en plein air in most ports. I admire not only his port objectives (“find a place to sit, ideally in the shade, where someone might bring you a drink and with a restroom nearby”), but also his ability to capture the essence of a scene without simply recreating it.

 

Today I found a good vantage point that didn’t meet all of Steve’s criteria but worked for me. Skipping the ink pen, I jumped right into the paint and made a rough representation of The Empress hotel.

I was a bit disappointed that the iconic structure has lost its characteristic ivy.

 

Of course I am critical of my finished painting, but remind myself that it’s just a beginning and by the end of this cruise I hope to see some improvement.

 

I couldn’t find the Maritime Museum (inaccurate map and sign), so returned back to the ship for lunch. Of course, on the shuttle ride back we passed right by the museum, but as it closed at 4:30 p.m., I didn’t have time to return. Next trip.

 

It’s wonderful to be back on a ship, especially a familiar Holland America Vista class ship. I left the Westerdam just eight weeks ago and so know many of the crew from that voyage. I think the appeal of long-term cruising is as much for the family of crew and passengers as for the diverse ports. This cruise seems to be very popular among Holland America’s world voyage and longer cruise passengers, so I socialized instead of unpacking yesterday. One friend pulled me into a fun group of eight for dinner last night.

 

All four (!) of my suitcases showed up. I shipped one large bag, which Luggage Forward will deliver to each of my subsequent cruises so I won’t have to schlep it through airports. Two of the bags are carry-on size, so perhaps my packing wasn’t as extreme as I thought. It’s nice to travel light, but once I realized they don’t give awards for that, I pretty much gave up and think I’ve found a happy medium. Clothes seem the be the least of the matter – it’s the art supplies, the electronics and camera, the organizational items such as a shoe bag for toiletries on the bathroom door, first-aid bag of over-the-counter remedies and bulky costume jewelry.

 

For my convenience I bring my own blow dryer and lighted makeup mirror. Holland America supplies those, and were I on a shorter cruise they would suffice, but I do like mine. The one indulgence that got a shocked expression from a friend is my coat hangers. The ship has nice wooden hangers – too bulky and cumbersome for me. I packed most of my hanging clothes right on my flocked hangers.

[cunnorl]

Thanks for taking us along on this wonderful journey.

[Sea42]

I was so happy to find the email today. I enjoy following along with your travels.

[forwardho]

I will be following your adventures. I really enjoy your posts.

[albi]

Me too!

[vms]

While you may see room for improvement, I am most impressed with your lovely watercolor! Both for the patience to sit and do it as well as for the great capturing of the colors and shapes of the hotel.

 

Have a wonderful cruise. Thanks for letting us follow along with you!

[cunnorl]

Thank you for your recent post on Victoria. I agree I think your watercolor was excellent. 

So exciting that your sisters share the same love of cruising. 

[WriterOnDeck]

Most of my updates are on my blog (www.WriterOnDeck.com), but thought I would update here with a recent post from a very special night!

 

Beautiful Garden, Delicious Dinner Visit by Iron Chef Morimoto

 

Day 27, 2024 Majestic Japan

Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024; Sakaiminato, Japan

 

It’s not often dinner is the highlight of my day on a cruise ship, especially with the variety of ports we visit. But tonight was special, as not only did I eat with good friends, but Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto himself stopped by our table to chat.

 

Chef Morimoto is Holland America’s “fresh fish ambassador” and the creator behind the Morimoto By Sea specialty restaurant on the larger Nieuw Amsterdam. The other Holland America Line ships usually offer a Morimoto By Sea pop-up dinner, and I got word through social media that Chef Morimoto would be on the Majestic Japan cruise for ours, so I booked a table early.

 

“Say Sushi” isn’t a good photo prompt

 

He makes his home in Hiroshima, so Chef Morimoto joined the ship there. Earlier this afternoon, he took to the World Theater stage to break down a 150-pound tuna, which was served in the dining room.

 

 

Tonight I had one of my best meals on board the ship in his pop-up restaurant – pork gyoza (dumplings) as a starter and Angry Lobster Pad Thai for my main course. The “dark chocolate sphere” dessert was wasted on me, as I could only eat a couple of bites.

 

Earlier today we arrived in Sakaiminato, the first of three port calls on the northern coast of Honshu, Japan’s largest island. The Sea of Japan separates us from Russia, North Korea and South Korea. (I am a bit disappointed we didn’t stop at the latter on this cruise, as I have yet to visit the country, although my luggage did in 2020.)

 

I only mention North Korea because we passed by a mountaintop radar installation that our guide says is monitoring the sky for North Korean missiles. I guess I’ve never been closer.

 

When planning for these new-to-me ports, I had no idea of whether I could easy explore them on my own. My good friend Joyce visited some earlier this year, and I read a few other blogs and posts about them. But after poring over street maps and guides, I decided to book shore excursions. These days, you sometimes need to do that well in advance, as they fill up.

 

We usually have until 48 hours before the tour to cancel, and as we received excellent notices on this cruise about the availability of complementary shuttle buses, I reviewed my choices again but stuck with them. I deliberately chose excursions that would take me out of town to see the countryside, and in retrospect it was a good decision.

 

September is not the ideal season to visit a flower park, especially in a country known for its stunning spring cherry blossoms. But I’m here now, so I took advantage of visiting the Tottori Hanakairo, Japan’s largest flower park, near Sakaiminato. They did a fine job of highlighting fall flowers, especially with Mount Daisen in the background.

 

 

The park is spread over a wide area, but much of it encircles a geodesic dome. I ventured to the Flower Valley, which pays homage to the Netherlands’ Kuekenhof garden. Of course, it’s not tulip season, but it was a pretty area nonetheless.

 

Perhaps the highlight of my visit was a scoop of soft-serve ice cream, made with Tottori’s Nijisseiko Pear.

 

I took lots of photos, but chose not to sketch. Flowers are a whole sketching specialty, which I have tried in previous gardens. I’m sure I would get better if I practiced more, but I don’t think I would have been successful with just my travel kit. Flowers need details best painted with real brushes, not the water brushes I use on site.

 

I did pick up some ideas for Halloween garden decorating that I will pass on to my sisters.

 

Next, we stopped at Kotobuki (Candy) Castle to sample a variety of sweet and not-so-sweet treats – each of which was available for purchase. The building is fashioned after the ancient Yanago Castle, which now is in ruins. I left with small packages of pear and blueberry gelatin, an interesting treat you suck out of a plastic pouch.

 

On the way back to the ship we drove along a street lined with small bronze statues of ghosts and monsters that appear in stories by Shigeru Mizuki, a manga artist from Sakaiminato. I regretted that we just drove by and didn’t have time to stop, even though I’m not up on my Japanese yōkai manga. My nephews might have been impressed with my visit, though.