2009 World Cruise

The Last Day

2009-04-19T04:18:00.000-07:00

Although our trip is ending sooner than expected, it has been a wonderful journey. We met up with old friends and made many new friends. The weather and the seas were great and it's time to go home.
The staff put on an End of the World.....Cruise show last night. What fun! Posting a few pictures. Thanks to everyone who followed our journey.......til next time!

Suez Canal

2009-04-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

We entered the Suez Canal about 6 am today. It is currently 2:45 pm and we should exit the canal about 4. The canal was opened to navigation in 1869. It is 101 miles long and 26 feet deep, 72 feet wide at the bottom and 230 feet wide at the surface. Last night the ship anchored outside the canal entrance to take on fuel. A sand and wind storm kicked up and it was impossible to bunker the fuel. The Captain said he has not seen anything quite like it. They were able to fuel around 3 in the morning.

Aqaba, Jordan

2009-04-13T06:21:00.000-07:00

Aqaba, Jordan is our last port of call before we arrive in Rome on April 19th. The ship is located in the northern most part of the Gulf Of Aqaba and we are able to view 4 different countries........Jordan, Isreal, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. (See map). It is our second visit so we were familiar with the town. We took the shuttle into town and walked around. We were given freshly made pita by a friendly merchant. We bought some bananas, as the ship is out of them, and of course visited many souvenier stores. Mike bought a t-shirt and it is always fun bargaining for the best deal. Back to the ship for lunch and we will depart at 9 pm. We will transit the Suez Canal tomorrow and then it will take 5 days to reach Rome and our flight home on the 20th of April.

Safaga, Egypt....(Luxor)

2009-04-13T05:36:00.000-07:00

Saturday, April 11, and we are in Safaga, Egypt. At 8:30 a.m. 8 buses were loaded and we headed to Luxor, about 3 hours away. Approximately 120 of us stayed overnight at the Hilton Luxor Resort and Spa. Upon arrival at noon we went to the Sonesta Hotel for a buffet lunch. We then proceeded to the first site.....the temple of Karnak. Luxor has been characterized as the world's greatest open air museum. The city built itself around the temple complexes of Karnak and Luxor. Karnak is the larger of the two temples. We spent about an hour and 45 minutes roaming the columns and looking at the hieroglyphics. Because of the heat and the expanse, I went with a friend and walked back to the bus at about the hour mark. Onto the temple of Luxor. Many stairs and a Mosque in the temple complex of Luxor. There is ongoing reconstruction as many new stones are unearthed. Around 4 pm we made it to our hotel and headed to tea for a snack and drink. By 6:30 we were back on the buses and off to another temple for a special dinner for full world cruisers. It is the most well preserved and intact temple. We were greeted by Egyptian dancers and the way in was lined with men holding lighted torches. We walked thru the large stone entry into the middle of it. Surrounded by 4 walls and huge columns we could see some of the color still on the upper walls. Tables were set beautifully and a string quartet played while we were served a 4 course meal. After a wonderful day and evening we really were ready for bed at 11.

Day 2 and it was off to the Valley of the Kings. Most of us Queens (the girls) decided to stay at the resort and have a leisurely breakfast and sit out by the pool. Imagine, the lounges under umbrellas with the Nile River as our view. The buses returned around noon and it was time for lunch. Mike really enjoyed visiting the tombs. Photos were not allowed, but he did visit the tomb of Ramses IV and King Tut. The body of Tut was actually in the tomb. Back aboard the bus at 1pm and we arrived at the ship around 4:15. We were greeted with music and balloons and cold towels, by officers and crew. It is always great to return to our "floating home".

Upon entering our cabin, we had Easter Baskets waiting for us, filled with chocolate bunnies and eggs. Truly a memorable 2 days.

Muscat, Oman

2009-04-03T03:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, April 2, we were in Fujairah. We had a 5 hour bus tour around the east coast of the city. Mostly desert with lots of construction going on. It will never catch up to Dubai, but it was interesting. Sorry no pics, as we had a friend take our camera card to format a disc.
Today we arrived in Muscat. We were here last year and we took one of our private car options to see more of the city. Our friend and travel escort, Kevin, saw us off in our car. (See first Picture). Our driver was Mohammed and our guide was Alok, who was from India. We visited several of the upscale resort hotels and the souk for shopping. We bought nothing, as I think we are on shopping overload. We drove by the Mosque, which was not open to the public, and we drove up to one of the Royal Palaces. There is a lot of new construction going on, but they build it first and then a company will purchase and occupy it after it is already built. It is a very clean city and people are very friendly.

Unfortunately, our trip is ending on April 19th or 20th. The engine could not be repaired and the company did not feel it was safe to cross the Atlantic on one engine. The ship will go into drydock somewhere in Europe after they have disembarked everyone. We don't know exactly what day we will arrive home, but there is a lot of packing and organizing to do as the ship will send most of our luggage home for us. We have a 7 day stretch of sea days until we reach Safaga on April 11. Packing will commence in the next day or so.

Dubai

2009-04-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Dubai on March 31 for 2 nights. It was pouring rain and there was lots of thunder and lightning. Fortunately, it stopped raining when we set out. Day 1 we took the shuttle bus to the Gold Souk. We had been there last year so we knew what to expect. Mike replaced his bracelet that he lost before we started our cruise and I got a pair of earrings. Onto the spice market which is interesting and smells really good. I just don't know how to use most of the spices in my cooking. One of the shops in the Gold Souk had the largest ring, according to the Guiness Book. (See Picture). In the afternoon the ship took all the full world cruisers to the Dubai Polo Club. Very classy.....we saw a polo match and had drinks and snacks. Driving to the polo matches we could barely see all the skyscrapers and the worlds tallest building, due to heavy sand in the air. Day 2 we went to the Mall of the Emerites and walked to the Ski Dubai area. It is a full ski run and luge in the mall. I guess when it gets really hot, it is nice to go to the cold ski run. The Sheik's yacht, Dubai, was docked near our ship. We are on our way to Fujairah and then Muscat.

Atrium Buffet

2009-03-30T03:43:00.000-07:00

Day 5 of five sea days. The ship did a beautiful lunch buffet in the Atrium.

Jimbo's Truck Stop Diner

2009-03-26T23:21:00.000-07:00

Our cruise director Jamie (Jimbo) and the staff hosted a truck stop dinner. It is a chance for everyone to dress down and let their hair down. Comfort food is served......meatloaf, mashed potato's, pizza, ribs and apple pie and we danced to work off some of the calories. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Cochin, India

2009-03-26T23:08:00.000-07:00

After 4 days at sea, it felt good to arrive in Cochin. Due to the problem with the pod, we are missing the ports of Mumbai and Abu Dhabi. Our day in Cochin was great. We hired a taxi and went to see the fishing nets and all the fresh fish that had just been caught. We then went to Jewtown, which is a series of streets with many shops. It is so colorful to see all the clothes, jewelery and handicrafts lined up, shop after shop. It was back to the ship for lunch and a quick nap and then we went by bus and boat to the ship's event at an island. It was decorated beautifully and there were performances by the locals and lots of food. Although it was hot, there was a nice ocean breeze and open bar. Upon our return to the ship, the staff was waiting on the dock with cold towels and water and welcomed us back. The ship left almost 2 hours late as they were working to repair the damage to the pod. We have 5 days at sea and then when we reach Dubai on the 31st, they will continue the repairs.

March 24

2009-03-23T22:50:00.000-07:00

This is our 4th day at sea on our way to Cochin, India. We passed by Sri Lanka in the middle of the night. It is a rainy, steamy day. We will arrive in Cochin around 7/8 a.m. and two engineers will come onboard to assess the pod situation. Hopefully it can be fixed easily. We should know more tomorrow night or the next day. In the meantime, I celebrated my birthday yesterday and had a wonderful day. Mimosa's with my needlepoint group, balloons waiting in the cabin at lunchtime, and cake and champagne from the Captain at 4 pm. At 5:45 there was a Sundowner party at the bow of the ship. No green flash. Dinner with friends and off to the casino. Mike and I promptly lost our budgeted money at the black jack table. Our group headed aft to drown our sorrows outside with a glass of wine. It was a wonderful birthday!

Phuket, Thailand

2009-03-21T01:59:00.000-07:00

We were about 4 hours delayed arriving in Phuket. We had a tour of the island scheduled and left about 1:00 pm. Just as we got on the bus it started to pour rain, so we were glad we were in the air conditioned bus. We had a picturesque drive around the island passing villages, local markets and beaches. We stopped for shopping (of course) and were surprised at how big and plentiful the store was. A quick cup of coffee after shopping and then back to the ship. We departed around 6 pm and learned later that evening that a fishing line had wrapped itself around one of the pods and our speed is permanently reduced to 14 knots. The Captain and another officer worked for over an hour to remove the line. It caused some damage to the seals which need to be replaced. We will miss a port or two, probably in India, and they are looking into repairing it as soon as possible. The Captain assured us that we have plenty of fuel, food and ice. It will give us extra sea days, which we love, so there won't be a lot of pictures, but will keep everyone posted on the situation.

Singapore

2009-03-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

This was our 3rd visit to Singapore and it wasn't raining. We had another car and guide, so we headed our about 8:30 and visited Little India, Arab Street and Chinatown. We had been to Chinatown before, but we also visited the oldest Chinese Temple in Singapore. Since it was before 10:00a.m., the markets were not crowded and we had access to all the stalls. After a couple of hours shopping, we headed to the famous Raffles Hotel. It is a beautiful, classy hotel that is famous for the Singapore Sling cocktail. Of course we had to have one. We went to the Long Bar and ordered the Sling and on every table is a big box of peanuts that you eat and throw the shells on the floor. We went through the shops.....Tiffany, Harry Winston, Louis Vuitton, etc. and bought a small magnet in the Raffles store. The lobby is majestic and the hotel has lots of history. We are on our way to Penang in Malaysia.

Saigon, Vietnam

2009-03-16T23:42:00.000-07:00

Saigon's character is very French. However, it is extremely frenetic.....traffic, vendors, markets, and more traffic. There are very few cars, as it is mostly motor bikes. Trying to cross a street is a very big challenge, as the parade of motor bikes never seems to stop. We had a busy 2 days in Saigon. Our first evening we were taken by our Virtuoso hosts, to Reunification Hall, the former Presidential Palace, for a dinner and folkloric show. The tables were set so beautifully and the performers were wonderful. The sword swallower was a bit hard to watch. The children were very cute and mingled with us after their dance.
Day 2 was a car and guide and we went to Chinatown, a market place, a Pagoda, where our guide made an offering in our name, which will hang for 2 weeks. We also drove by the former embassy, which is now the consulate, and the hotel where the last helicopter took off from the roof at the end of the war.

Chan May, Vietnam

2009-03-15T01:42:00.000-07:00

Chan May is the port for the cities of Danang and Hue. We had a private car (SUV) and set out for Danang around 8:30. Our guide was Binh and our driver was also Binh. We called him Binh II. The drive into Danang was about 45 minutes and we passed rice paddies, cows, goats and water buffaloe. The city itself was modern yet traditional. Traffic was not too bad although we had to be careful crossing the streets. Pedestrians do not have the right of way. We visted the Han market and couldn't believe how gorgeous the produce was. Vivid colors. Fresh fish and meat and lots of sauces and candies. China beach was a beautiful long beach and we went to the Furama Resort for a look around. Cruise Specialists....our travel group had a sail away part on the aft deck. Wonderful weather and lots of fun.

Hong Kong, Day 3

2009-03-11T21:11:00.000-07:00

Our last day in Hong Kong we spent going to the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club for lunch and then the ship event in the evening to the Horse Races. We met Kevin and Susan at the Yacht Club and sat outside and had a great lunch. The weather was cloudy but warmish. The ship event in the evening was to the Happy Valley Race Track. The ship had a two story reserved space called the Adrenaline Club. It was very classy and we enjoyed 4 races and lots of food and drinks. Unfortunately no one in our small group cashed a ticket. We are at sea today and tomorrow we will be in Vietnam.

More Pictures

2009-03-10T18:59:00.001-07:00

Hong Kong

2009-03-10T00:59:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed our sail in to Hong Kong on the aft deck of the ship. Virtuoso Travel had a cocktail party at 4:30 to watch the sail in. When the ship was cleared by Chinese Immigration we walked around the Ocean Terminal. They have all the same stores our malls have. Prices seemed higher here, however, so we bought nothing.
We had a quick dinner with our friends Bob and Laura and then went to their cabin to watch the evening light show. They shoot laser lights from the tops of some of the tall buildings and there are lights on many of the other buildings.
Today we went out and about with Rudy and Shirley. We had several places on our list to visit......Pan Am Pearls and Fine and Rhine for Pashminas. Mike and I went off to the Jade Market and enjoyed our stroll thru all the stalls. Tomorrow we will lunch at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and go to a ship event at the horse races.

Shanghai, China

2009-03-06T19:25:00.000-08:00

Shanghai is the most densely populated and largest city in China. It is a city of contrasts......old town and very modern new city. The high rises are all different types of architecture and the skyline is very interesting. At night the buildings are lit with neon lights. Our cabin view was of the skyline, so at night we enjoyed the light show. The weather for our 3 day visit has been cold.....in the 40/50's. We spent most of our time shopping. It is our 3rd visit to this energetic city, so we know where to go, eat and shop. The traffic consists of cabs, motorbikes, bicycles and pedestrians. Traffic lights are only a suggestion.

Manila, Philippines

2009-03-01T22:48:00.000-08:00

It was misty and hot when the ship docked before 7 am.We were greeted by a group of dancers/drummers in colorful costumes. Mike was the first passenger off the ship, as he wanted a specific t-shirt from the vendor on the dock. Of course they didn't have his size.....XL! Sizes are different here. After breakfast we took the shuttle to a mall and walked around. It felt like we were at Fashion Square.
We bused back to the arrival of many of the crew families. It was crew day onboard the ship. Some crew changes......losing some of our favorites and meeting new friends.
The city is crowded with traffic and people everywhere on the street. Mike's favorite type of transportation is call a Jeepny. A kind of bus that looks like a long jeep and they are all decorated.

Recrossing the Equator at the Country Fair

2009-02-28T19:17:00.000-08:00

Bali, Indonesia

2009-02-26T19:16:00.000-08:00

We anchored off Padangbai in Bali at noon on Feb 25. Our trip to the Four Seasons Sayan departed at 3 pm. Our guide, Wira, and a driver, took us to a village of crafts and also several stops along the way. We arrived at the resort around 6 and hurried to get ready for the show and dinner. Our room was a luxurious suite and the resort was built in a rain forest. We really didn't have enough time to fully explore the resort, but we managed to get into the swimming pool and check out the two shops. Big purchase.....Mike's hat. We have 3 sea days ahead and then we arrive in Manila, where the family's of the crew will spend the day onboard the ship.

Fremantle/Perth, Australia

2009-02-21T18:17:00.000-08:00

The weather was nice and hot when we arrived in the port of Fremantle. We had a private car and driver provided by our travel group. We had a list of sights as well as the driver's recommendations, so off we went. Four hours of touring both cities and we loved everything. There were many parks, pedestrian shopping streets, restaurants by the water and houses on the Swan river that were unbelievable. We visited several war memorials, but mostly we drove around in the nice air conditioned car. The cities were clean and people were out and about. The city planners really did a good job with the lay out of Perth. There are lots of new high rises being built and both cities appear to be healthy, economically. It was a very enjoyable day.

PARTY PICTURES

2009-02-20T15:10:00.001-08:00

Albany, Australia

2009-02-19T22:20:00.000-08:00

Our stop in Albany was very short. We arrived at 7:30 and departed just before noon. The shuttle took us into the small city and we managed to walk it in less than an hour. They had a $2.00 store (inflation) and that was fun to go through and buy some stuff. Mike got some fashionable sunglasses. We were back at the ship by 10:00 and I managed to get into the pool for 45 minutes, even though the outside temp was barely 70 degrees. Tonight we will be joining a celebration for our friend, Lloyd's, 99th birthday. WOW!

Adelaide, Australia

2009-02-17T17:19:00.000-08:00

I knew we had been to Adelaide before, but couldn't remember anything about it. Once the shuttle bus dropped us off in town, my memory came back. We walked the pedestrian mall and went in and out of the many, many stores. Bought a book and some hair products, which is ironic, since I don't have much hair. The weather was in the upper 80's, so it felt good to hop on the air conditioned free city tour bus. We rode with Rudy and Shirley and did a circle of the city. Took about 25 minutes. Back to the ship, which took about 40 minutes, so we saw most of Adelaide. Two days at sea, across the Australian Bite, which is fairly calm now, and then to Albany and Perth.

Valentine's Day and Melbourne

2009-02-15T16:08:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Valentine's Day at sea. Mike and I actually exchanged gifts, which is unusual for us. I gave him a nice long sleeve shirt and he gave me a gorgeous Swarovski Crystal Bracelet. A cuff about 3 inches wide. It was the hit of the evening. We dined in Prime 7, the new steak house onboard and it was delicious, as always. Before dinner they had dancing in the theater and gave all the ladies a red rose.
Feb 15, we arrived in Melbourne. We took the shuttle bus into town and then took the tram to the Queen Victoria Market. A huge swap meet with lots of "stuff". We bought some small trinkets and headed back to the ship to have lunch with Shirley's sister and her two daughters. It was lots of fun. In the evening we ate dinner with the General Manager and his wife and then went to the Beatles Show put on by the singers and the band. They were really great.
Today we are at sea and it is a beautiful day. Tomorrow we will be in Adelaide, Australia.

Sydney, Day 2

2009-02-13T16:25:00.000-08:00

We awoke to pouring rain, so we decided not to rush off the ship. It stopped raining about 11, so out we went. Caught a cab to the CYCA....Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. Met Kevin and Susan and explored a bit and then had lunch. We opted for fish and chips, which is always delicious. The skies started to darken, so we taxied back to the Rocks area, where they were having a very small farmers market. Looked at the beautiful fruit and vegetables and realized it didn't make sense to bring anything food related back to the ship. We can eat 24/7 if we like.
Walked thru a small mall and I bought a tiny Koala door hanging.
You will notice that I have very short hair in the picture. Yep, I cut it all off. Trying to go natural and not color it anymore.
We are at sea today and it is fairly calm. Melbourne tomorrow.

Sydney, Australia

2009-02-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Sydney before 7 a.m. on Thursday Feb. 12. We will overnight in Circular Quay, the dock across from the Opera House. We have been to Sydney several times, so we headed out about 9 a.m. to walk the Rocks area where Mike's favorite hat store is. He lost his Aussie Hat in our missing luggage from last year. Our friends Rudy and Shirley joined us and at 10 we hopped onto the Hop On-Hop Off Bus for a 90 minute ride around the city. It was a cloudy cool day with a few raindrops, but the ride was fun and we saw lots of sights.
Tomorrow we will meet our friends Kevin and Susan for lunch at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

More Pictures from Hobart

2009-02-11T20:32:00.001-08:00

Hobart, Tasmania

2009-02-10T15:53:00.000-08:00

We spent two very lumpy days at sea. Our arrival in Hobart was delayed because of a variation of course due to the rough weather. Our friends Shirley and Rudy had arranged to rent a car and asked if we would like to join them. After a twenty minute walk, mostly uphill, to the car rental agency we piled in our white SUV with Shirley at the wheel. None of us had any recent experience driving on the "other" side of the road. With lots of yelling and advice, Shirley made it out of town onto the open road. She was very confident and did a great job driving. Rudy was the navigator and Mike the back seat advisor. I opted not to get too involved. We set out for the town of Cygnet. We stopped a couple of places along the way and Mike found some wonderful shells. A restaurant had been recommended to us. We arrived around 11:40 and to our disappointment the restaurant was closed, as were most of the stores. We found another place for lunch and enjoyed hearty chicken pot pies. Mike drove us back and seemed to adjust to the opposite side driving. Once back in Hobart, we were a bit directionally challenged, but we made it to the dock and the guys dropped us off and turned in the car. The ship left Hobart at 6 P.M. with the bag pipers playing on the pier. We are on our way to Sydney, where we will be for two days.

Pictures from Milford Sound

2009-02-07T14:39:00.001-08:00

Timaru, New Zealand

2009-02-06T13:18:00.000-08:00

Timaru is the last city we visited in New Zealand. It was a maiden call for the ship. We decided to take a ship's tour instead of walk around town, as it was Waitangi Day and a holiday. Most stores were closed.
We boarded our bus and drove through the countryside to Pleasant Point. We took a brief 3 kilometer ride in an old restored Steam Train. On the return trip we rode in the world's only operating Model T Ford railcar. Mike sat next to Neville, the engineer. We then bused to Geraldine and had tea and scones at a private home. Had a half hour of browsing in the small town of Geraldine and then returned to the ship. We departed at 2:00 to make our way to the Sounds.

Saturday Feb 7 we awoke to cold weather and grey skies. We are as far south as we will be on our trip. We will visit Dusky, Doublful and Milford Sounds. They are green fjords/glaciers, some with waterfalls cascading down the cliffs. It will be scenic cruising all day. We will enter the Tasman Sea this evening on our way to Hobart, Tasmania. It is either nice and calm or REALLY rough. Stay tuned!

Christchurch

2009-02-04T18:19:00.000-08:00

We are docked in Lyttelton, the port for the city of Christchurch. Christchurch is the South Island's largest city. Another cloudy cool day. We took the first shuttle bus into the city with Rudy and Shirley. We walked in and out of the stores and headed to the Botanical Gardens. Between the 4 of us, we couldn't figure out where we were. We actually went the opposite direction and never made it to the Gardens. There were some interesting shops (see picture) and the obligatory Louis Vuitton. No matter what city we are in, I drag Mike into LV. Nothing I had to have. Mike bought a couple of t-shirts and we went into the bookstore and laughed at a lot of the greeting cards. After two hours of walking we decided to head back to the ship. Tomorrow we will be in Timaru. A new port for all of us.

Akaroa, New Zealand

2009-02-03T19:06:00.000-08:00

We awoke to clouds and cold weather. We anchored off of Akaroa around 8:30 a.m. All passengers were invited to an event called A French Day in Akaroa. Akaroa is an historic French and British settlement neslted in an ancient volcano just 85 kilometers from Christchurch.
We tendered for about 20 minutes and then boarded a shuttle bus to the event. It was held at Akaroa's Village Green. A large tent was set up and had delicious French food of all types. Street acts were performing and stalls were set up with lots of things to buy. I actually bought a small ceramic box and some beautiful note cards. We bused back to the small town and walked in and out of the small shops. We were fortunate that it never rained on our interesting day in Akaroa. The ship left at 3:00 p.m. for Lyttleton, the port for Christchurch. We will arrive around 6 P.M.

Picton, New Zealand

2009-02-02T20:24:00.000-08:00

We spent the day at sea rolling a bit. There were no white caps, but there were very large swells. We watched the Super Bowl on the big screen in the theater and ate tail gate food......hot dogs, burgers, fries and popcorn and beer. It was a lot of fun.
We arrived in Picton at 8 am. A beautiful sunny cool day. We shuttled into the quaint town and walked from one end to the other, about 4 blocks long. We purchased some trinkets and walked back to the ship.
After lunch and a nap, it was time to board the bus for the half hour ride to the Montana Brancott Winery. We tasted various wines and most are available in the U.S. The Sauvignon Blanc is our favorite.
The ship will depart at 6 and we are on our way to Akaroa and Christchurch.

New Zealand

2009-02-01T13:08:00.000-08:00

After 4 days at sea we arrived at Bay of Islands, New Zealand. We have been here several times, but had never tendered over to the small town of Russell. Rudy, Shirley, Mike and I took the early tender and arrived in Russell just as all the stores were opening. It was a beautiful sunny morning. Since it was Saturday, there were lots of people out walking and shopping. There were lots of galleries and we walked in and out of most of them. People were so friendly and everyone greeted us with a smile. The Rhapsody of the Sea was also in port with us.

In the early evening we enjoyed a sail away party with our travel group, Cruise Specialists. It was out on the aft deck. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed cocktails as we left the Bay of Islands.

Sunday Feb. 1, we arrived in Auckland. A large city that we love. We ferried over to Devonport, but most of the stores were closed. After a nice walk we decided to ferry back. At 12:30 we met our friend Shannon. She is working as a nanny for a year. We walked to the Viaduct and had lunch at a delicious Italian restaurant. She was happy to see friends from home and we loved hearing about her life in Auckland.

We are at sea today, Monday Feb 2. We will watch the SuperBowl in the theatre if they are able to get good reception. The seas are a bit choppy but we are expecting nice weather in Picton, New Zealand, tomorrow.

Rarotonga.....NOT

2009-01-27T13:28:00.001-08:00

Rarotonga looks like a plush, beautiful island, however, we have never been able to visit. It is not protected by any reefs, so the ship's tenders are affected greatly by the swells. The Captain tried his best to tender us ashore, but he decided for the safety of everyone, it was not the safest of conditions. Mike and I watched the crew hoist the tender up and it looked very scary with the hooks swinging until they were able to attach them.
We enjoyed another wonderful sea day.

Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora

2009-01-25T12:11:00.000-08:00

Our fabulous weather and calm seas continued as we arrived in French Polynesia. Papeete, Tahiti, was our first stop. A bustling city with lots of traffic and shops awaited us as we decided to take our traditional walk around. Rudy and Shirley joined us as Mike led us on our 2 mile walk. We stopped in shops, bought postcards and headed to the market place.....a large 2 story open air market with lots of produce, fish, baked goods and wares. As the heat and humidity rose, we decided to go back to the ship for a swim and lunch.
The ship overnighted in Papeete, and the wonderful staff and crew prepared a deck Bar B Q for all the passengers. We had Tahitian dancers and music and lots of delicious food.

The next morning we arrived in Moorea. We took a tour with the Virtuoso Travel Group and went all around the island. We had lunch at the Hilton Hotel and our day ended around 4. Made it up to the pool, had an early dinner and turned in around 10pm.

We arrived in Bora Bora early on Saturday, Jan 24. It is our favorite island. We went with our friends, Rudy and Shirley, over to the Sofitel Hotel. We used the pool, beach area, and had lunch. It was a perfect day. In the evening we enjoyed dinner and a show. A new concept aboard the ship is a dinner in Signatures and a show in a smaller venue....the Horizen Lounge. It was wonderful!

We are heading to Rarotonga. A lush island, that we have never been to before.

PICTURES....FINALLY

2009-01-21T16:45:00.000-08:00

First Port of Call, Nuku Hiva

2009-01-20T18:03:00.000-08:00

Most people have never heard of Nuku Hiva, let alone, been there. This was our 4th visit to this unspoiled island. The ship arranged a lunch and folkloric show. We tendered over around 9 am. A short calm ride in the ship's tender. We walked around and saw various craft tables with wood carvings and jewelery. Everyone was friendly and anxious to display their wares.
Food was put out around 10:30. A ritual of smoking a pig in the ground and uncovering it was followed by various side dishes. We tendered back to the ship, had a swim and a nap. We are now on our way to Papeete, Tahiti.

Formal Night

2009-01-16T15:02:00.000-08:00

Marc, Harry and Sherry all dressed up on Formal Night.

Computer Troubles continue

2009-01-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

Still trying to figure out the picture issue. Please keep checking, as I may post a link to another travel blog. Thanks for your patience.
In the meantime, weather is cloudy, seas calm and temp is rising.

Photo Problems

2009-01-15T12:17:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. We are cruising in some of the calmest waters ever. Weather is starting to warm up and we are getting into the groove and routine of cruising. There is a network issue for people using this blog site. Pictures will not upload. The computer tech is trying to resolve it and has asked passengers to keep trying different things. For me that isn't even a possibility as I don't know what to try. Sooooooo, sorry for no pics, but it is being worked on.
A blog without pictures doesn't seem right, but I will continue to post and hopefully it will resolve itself. If anyone can recommend another blog site, I am willing to change over.

We just found out there are 498 passengers aboard for this segment, 250 full world cruisers and 447 crew and officers. At capacity, the ship holds 700 passengers.

The new restaurant, Prime 7 is a steak house. Much like Mortons. It is very good and we have been there twice already. Food is definitely great.

Cruising the Pacific

2009-01-14T10:58:00.000-08:00

Monday, Jan 12, we embarked our ship the Regent Voyager. Staff and friends were happy to see us as we walked around the newly refurbished ship. A new coffee corner was added and plush new couches and chairs. All our luggage was waiting in our cabin after lunch so I got busy unpacking.
We enjoyed a World Cruise dinner in Compass Rose and were entertained in the Constellation Theater after dinner, by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. It was like being at a concert. We certainly danced to "Sherry Baby".
The ship left San Pedro the following day at 4 pm. We enjoyed 80 degree weather on deck and watched the city disappear. We have 6 days to cross the Pacific. Weather is warmish and the seas are calm. We have settled into our routine with good friends and will just relax as we cross the Pacific. First port of call will be Nuka Hiva on Jan 20.
(Pictures unable to upload at this time....sorry!)

One week and counting

2009-01-04T16:00:00.000-08:00

Our 2009 World Cruise begins on Jan 12. We are almost packed and are looking forward to the beginning of our new adventure. The Regent Voyager wil dock in San Pedro on Monday Jan 12. We will board in the early afternoon. The ship will overnight in port and we will be entertained by Franki Valli and the Four Seasons.