Aloha from Honolulu!

Each day goes by so quickly because we are so busy.  It's hard to believe that we are already in Honolulu.  The seas were definitely much calmer and the sun has been out for the last few days, but the pool has not been filled, yet, because of the motion of the ocean.

We continue to get up at 7 am to get to a Pilates class using The Torturer, whoops, The Reformer.  It's getting a bit easier each time, but we are still sore the next day.

The lecturers continue to be thought provoking and interesting and the entertainment has been very good.  I know Mark Merchant attracts some criticism, but he did do some very cutting edge political humor that was quite funny.  Mind Reader Mark Paul was fantastic!  I was part of his act on stage, and he was able to identify which of the other three guests and I were lying and which illustration we drew unseen by him.  His last act was just amazing!  He was able to give part of the cell phone number, city, sister's name, etc. (while blindfolded,) of a woman randomly chosen in the audience.  I truly have no idea how he does it!

We met our STEX match for drinks and they are very nice folks.  We are planning dinner later in the cruise.

We have also spent time with Terry and Kerry from Australia, and Gina from Australia and Gaylord from South Carolina.  Terry posts as Bodogbodog on the Cruise Critic Board.  He and Kerry are part of our Trivia Team "Lost at Sea."  There are 8 people in total.  After a rousing start, we have had two days of lackluster performance, including the World Cruise Games Team Trivia.  We aren't at the bottom, but performing at the level of a "Gentleman's C."

As I said before, we are seated at the Doctor's table, and he has proved a congenial host.  We are also enjoying our tablemates.

The Opening Ceremonies of the World Cruise Games were held in the Atrium, and were very entertaining.  All the countries of the guests and crew on board were carried in and the Olympic Flame was lit by Donna de Varona, former Olympic star.  It's fun to see many of the guests around the ship in their World Cruise Games t-shirts.  So far, we have only participated in the Team Trivia, for which we won a lead medal.

Yesterday was our 49th anniversary.  I am so fortunate to be married to such a kind, caring and bright man.  It seems like yesterday when we became engaged, and now 49 years have passed.  We are blessed with two fantastic children, Samantha and Ben, and a wonderful son-in-law, Michael. Topping it all off are three amazing grandsons:  Lennox, Alex and Julien!  I am so grateful.

We received notes and cards from the Captain, Stacey Huston, the World Cruise Hostess and See's Candy and a note from the Doctor.  Our friends at home and onboard also sent warm greetings!  Last night's dinner was a romantic dinner for two in Prego.  Our waiter, Ernest, Maitre d, ' Antonio and Head Waiter, Mario were very attentive and presented us with a beautiful cake at the end of the meal.

Before dinner, we were invited to the Captain's Quarters for a cocktail party.  Captain Vorland is very charismatic and humorous--a great host! Everyone appeared to be having a great time!  As we left, he wished us "Happy Anniversary" again.

This morning, we made an earlier than expected arrival in Honolulu, docking right by the Aloha Tower at about 11 am.  We walked around the area near the ship and stopped in a store to pick up a few things we had forgotten.  With easy cellphone service, we spoke to the children and grandchildren, some clients, Brian dear,  and our West Coast Associate, Chuck Conine, who has been doing an incredible job with clients while we are away.

I will close because we have to board the buses to take us to the first of two World Cruise Shoreside Events:  Flashback to the 1940's USO Evening and Show on board the USS Missouri, the "Mighty Mo."  This ship is steeped with history and was the site of the surrender of Japan to General Douglas MacArthur at the end of World War II.

Aloha my friends!

January 28, 2016—Seas are smoothing out a bit as we sail toward Hawaii. So glad that is happening! Last night was not only pitch, but significant side-to-side motion, but nothing fell in the bathroom, so it couldn't have been too bad!

One of the questions I am frequently asked is “What do you do all day on such a long cruise? Don't you get bored?” No!!! Never!!! The World Cruise is sort of like a regular day at sea on Crystal—except on steroids! This list is just an example of the activities and lecturers available:

Total Body Conditioning Fitness Class (a miss for me!)

“Good Morning, Crystal” Live call-in show

Stretch Fitness Class

World Cruise Games Registration, including:

Men's and Women's Basketball Free Throw

Backgammon

Chess

Cribbage

Darts

Duplicate Bridge

Free Cell

Gin Rummy

Golf Putting

Lap Swimming

Paddle Tennis

Photo Competition

Scrabble

Shuffleboard

Social Bridge

Solitaire

Sudoku

Table Tennis

Team Trivia

Walking Relay Mixed Doubles

As you can see, there is something for everyone. David has selected Team Trivia and the Photo Contest. I've signed up for Team Trivia, Scrabble, Free Cell and Backgammon. We were issued T-shirts and Gold, Silver and Bronze medals will be awarded. Former Olympian, Donna de Varona, will be awarding the medals.

Back to the daily schedule:

Catholic Mass

Gentle Yoga

Computer University at Sea (Adobe Photoshop today)

Mah Jongg

Casino Slots

TaylorMade Golf Clinic with PGA Pro John Clark

Intermediate Bridge Lessons

Beginner Bridge Lessons

Berlitz Spanish Language Class

Crystal Visions Enrichment Program: “Aloha and Welcome to Hawaii,” by Destination Lecturer, Ken Rees

Computer University at Sea (Basic Edits Using Adobe Photoshop)

Odyssey Art at Sea Knitting Class

Crystal Visions Enrichment Program: “Drawing Lines on Maps, Creation of the Modern Middle East,” with Special Interest Lecturer Lt. Col Rick Francona

Digital Filmmaking

Advanced Bridge Lessons

Complimentary Gaming Lessons in the Casino

Team Trivia

Poolside Music

Crystal Visions Enrichment Program: “Our Dynamic Planet,” with Special Interest Lecturer, Glynda Easterbrook

Complimentary Dance Class: American Style Rumba

Yamaha Passport to Music—Beginners

Needlepoint Get Together

Zumba

Social Bridge

Duplicate Bridge

Taylor Made Golf Clinic

Movie: “A Walk in the Woods”

Odyssey Art at Sea: Stone Carving

Yamaha Passport to Music: Accelerated

Memoir Writing Class

Berlitz Spanish Language Class

Tour de Cycle Fitness Class

etc., etc., etc.

This doesn't count the large library, staffed by a Librarian (Liezl, one of my favorite people on board), Pilates small group classes on The Reformer, DVD Library, Table Games.

I am taking the Art Class. So far my stone looks a lot like a stone! It's hard work!

We played Trivia with Terry and Kerri from Australia and four others. Our team is called “Lost at Sea.” The first day of Trivia (yesterday) we had quite a respectable showing and shared second place with several others. Today, we would rather not talk about it!

After Trivia, we had lunch in the Lido with Terry and Kerri—what a fun lunch!

I can't stress the level of service given by the Crystal staff and crew. I especially adore the Lido Guys! They are from the Philippines and are the waitstaff on the Lido Deck and in the shows. They work so hard and are all just wonderful, cheerful and a joy!

Before dinner, we had drinks with our friends Gaylord and Gina. We've sailed with them for many years, and it's great to renew friendships on board. Today is Gina's birthday—Happy Birthday, Gina!

Yesterday, after a full day of activities, we had dinner in Silk Road, my favorite restaurant, land or sea. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, it was designed by Nobu, uses his trained sushi chefs, uses his supplier and his recipes. I love the food! We had Nobu's special sashimi, a huge plate of sushi and sashimi, and my all-time favorite, Yellowtail Tartare!

   After dinner, we went to the evening show. Last night featured Mark Merchant, Comedian and Ventriloquist. We've known Mark for a long time, and he has been named Crystal's Entertainer of the Year. His material stays current and he pushes the envelope a bit, but he is talented and funny.

We closed down the evening with a nightcap in the Avenue Saloon with our dear friend, Cruise Director, Rick Spath.

We are meeting another couple for drinks and to watch the Opening Ceremonies of the World Cruise Games and the Parade of the Nations! Dinner will be in the Main Dining Room and then a show featuring Mind Reader, Marc Paul.

All for now!

Greetings from at sea on the way to Hawaii!

My friends, it has been such a busy, busy two weeks. Operator error caused me to take a break from blogging, but I promise I will be better in the future.

To recap: We left Sarasota and drove to Tampa International Airport on January 15. Our flight was delayed, but we were in the Admiral's Club, so at least we waited in comfort.

Our flight was dumpy and bumpy on American and First Class was pretty much like Coach used to be: inedible food and minimal service. Our flight attendant spent the entire flight wrapped in a blanket and the plane was a former US Air Air Bus 319, that had seen better days.

We arrived in Los Angeles late, and it was 1:30 am by the time we got to the Sheraton Universal City. Our time in LA was spent seeing old friends and eating.

We had dinner on Saturday night with friends of 30 years, Jackie and Glenn Braunstein and Bob Cooper at Scheherazade in Westwood..

Sunday night we dined with old friends Steve and Maureen Graham at Odys and Penelope on La Brea.

Both meals were delicious and it was terrific to catch up with friends we have known since our kids were little.

Monday on, we were only with Ben and it was wonderful! We get to see him so infrequently, but were spoiled by his visit to Sarasota in December and now seeing him again in Los Angeles. We got to see his beautiful dogs and his new home

in North Hollywood.

Monday night we ate at Versailles, our favorite Cuban restaurant. The garlic chicken stays with you for days!

Tuesday was Ocean Seafood for amazing Chinese food! We are so deprived of good Chinese food in Sarasota that this was a real treat!

Continuing the Chinese theme, we went to Glendale , Din Tai Fun, on Wednesday night for incredible dim sum! There are many branches of this restaurant including in Shanghai and Sydney. Excellent!

Thursday found us driving up to Walnut Creek outside of San Francisco to see dear, dear Crystal friends Brian and Gary. They put us up at the Renaissance Sports Hotel just down the block from them. Thank you, Brian and Gary, for your generosity! We had a great visit with them and met Brian's sister, Kerri, who I felt I knew already. Again, more food! Gary prepared a wonderful dinner on Thursday evening, comparable to any gourmet restaurant! Friday evening we had Italian and Saturday we had dinner in the old Walnut Creek Railroad Station!

Sunday morning, we were picked up by Crystal's transfer, a Cadillac Escalade, which held our six bags plus a duffle with no difficulty.

Let me digress for a moment: we started out with 9, yes, that's right, 9 bags!! In self defense, both David and I have big feet, so our shoes take up a lot of space. Additionally, we are going from very hot and humid weather to very cold weather where snow is likely, so that requires a variety of clothing. Additionally, there were toiletries and sundries to last us the 102 days on board. We also have one box of donations for an orphanage in Cambodia. While we were in Walnut Creek, we went to a phenomenal Filipino supermarket, so the duffle was filled with Filipino snacks for the amazing crew on board Serenity. So, I am not entirely to blame for all the luggage!

Back to our narrative: We arrived at the terminal and the same thrill of seeing our Crystal ship enveloped us! I get so happy upon seeing the twin seahorses on the smokestack! Our driver was instructed to pull up to the red carpet and remain in the car. We were escorted out of the car by Crystal representatives and our luggage was whisked away. Check in performed in the terminal, was a breeze. We were handed our ship's card and glass of champagne and escorted to the gangway, where we were met by Edie Rodriguez, CEO of Crystal and Captain Vorland. Crystal crew took our hand luggage and showed us directly to our cabin. The three suitcases we shipped via Luggage Concierge were waiting for us on the bed (those 3 are included in our total.)

We are in 7042. I tried for a guarantee with hopes of an upgrade, but none were available. Those who booked segments were given great upgrades, but because these upgraded cabins were not available for the entire cruise, we were “stuck” on Deck 7. I say “stuck” with tongue in cheek. First of all, there are no bad cabins on Crystal and secondly, we are close to a door out to the Promenade Deck, so we can be outside in moments! We have a great stewardess, Tamara, who is taking great care of us.

We managed to unpack and find space for almost everything in our luggage—with difficulty!

Sunday night, January 24, the day we embarked the ship, was the day of the Gala. The Atrium was set up with many tables and the balloons in gold, silver and black were held in a net above us. Edie spoke for about 20 minutes about the exciting future of Crystal: the fleet of planes for “cruises in the sky,” riverboats, three new ships, yachts, etc. She finished by welcoming us to the World Cruise and toasting the group. She remarked that she wished she was going with us. The Captain made a few remarks and the band played and hundreds of balloons and mylar confetti fell from the sky! A conga line formed to the tune of “When the Saints Come Marching In” and we joined in! There was about 20 minutes of dancing to the tune of Raphael and his band and then dinner was served.

We were assigned tables and there were three couples and two single women at our table. All were previous Crystal World Cruisers. Dinner was served with synchronized presentation and removal of the plates. We began with lobster chunks and caviar, followed by tortellini with chopped chestnuts. The entree was a choice between halibut and fillet. I had the halibut and David the fillet. The accompaniments were all molecular gastronomy choices with thumbnail sized servings of a beet reduction and wasabi mashed potatoes. Dessert was a sour cream chocolate cherry panna cotta.

After dinner was a presentation by the San Francisco Opera.

I was surprised that more people did not dress up for the Gala. Edie wore a long gown, and there were a smattering of cocktail dresses, but most people focused on comfort and casual.

The population for the full World Cruise is 358. A sizable percentage are quite elderly, and there are a few that look younger than us, but the bulk appear to be between 65 to 75 years in age.

It has been so great to be welcomed back by dear crew: the Lido guys, Siggy from Silk Road, Liezl the Librarian, Tayfun the Food and Beverage Manager, Hubert the Hotel Director, etc. We are seated at Table 54, the Ship's Doctor's table for this cruise. Hubert, unsolicited, said that he didn't realize that we were on board and will move us to his table in Sydney. We met our table mates last night: a couple from Germany who are only on until Sydney, a single lady the same and a couple from Texas who are on for the full World Cruise.

This morning began with a wake-up call at 7 am and after coffee we attended our first Pilates Class. Oy! I don't know how achy we will be tomorrow after using muscles we have not used in a long time. I think we should get extra points for getting down and up off of the mat!

Trivia is not on today's schedule, which surprised me, but hopefully tomorrow. The World Cruise Games begin this week, and we will sign up for events.

Tonight is Black Tie Optional and the Captain's Welcome Cocktail Party.

David is attending a lecture on the Middle East. I am signing off now! Stay tuned for more installments!

Love from the high seas (well, not too high, yet!)

The adventure begins!  Here we are at The Admiral's Club at Tampa Unternational Airport waiting for our flight to LAX.  The weather was TERRIBLE this morning, but luckily the storms have passed through and the sun s shining!

One near problem avoided--David's luggage zipper opened up in the trunk, but fortunately, opening the gusset made all the difference, and our curbside baggage employee put tape around the bag just in case.  We will have to return the bag to Costco in LA.  Thank you, Carl!  You said you take pride in your work, and it shows!

Lots of farewells from our friends in the condo. I wish they were joining us!

Tuesday, January 12:  Wow! I can't believe We are finally packed and whittling away at our pre-trip list ( these are just a few):

1. Stopping our local paper and the New York Times

2. Notifying our credit cards companies of travel out of the country (using only those with no foreign transaction fees)

3. Give instructions to our concierge who will be watching our condo and collecting our mail

4. Confirming everything is either pre-paid or electronic bill pay

5. Emptying out the refrigerator and giving away anything perishable.

6.  Putting Netflix, etc on hold.

7.  Renew anything that comes due while we are away

8.  Refilled prescriptions

9.  Etc!

In preparation for this glorious adventure, we've been doing a great deal of research about each country we will visit. We've read both fiction and non-fiction books, scoured the Internet, taken advice from friends and those who have traveled before us, and kept copious notes!

We also visited to our local Travel Clinic.  After going over the list of each port, and confirming what we were already been vaccinated against ( Hepatitis A and B, Tdap---tetanus, dyptheria and pertussis, Yellow Fever) we received:

1.  A polio booster
2.  The mengitis vaccine
3.   A series of  four capsules with 5 year protection against typhoid fever
4.  Malaria prophylaxis to begin 7 days before the first country with endemic malaria and continue for 7 days after we enter China.

Adding to all the pre-journey chaos is the construction that we are doing while we are away. We are re-doing both bathrooms and modifying part of the kitchen, so that meant selecting granite, marble, tile, fixtures, paint colors, meeting with the contractor, packing up everything on the bathrooms and part of the kitchen!  Yikes!  But at least we escape the construction chaos.

UPS came yesterday and picked up three bags that are being shipped by Luggage Concierge.  That left 6 bags: 4 to be checked (we are allowed 2 each) and 2 roll-ons.

We are flying out of Tampa on Amercan non-stop to Los Angeles on Friday, January 15 at 7:45 pm. We will stay in LA until the 21st, visiting our son, Ben, and old friends.  On the 21st, we drive up to Walnut Creek, where we are visiting with our good friends, Brian and Gary.  January 24th, Crystal's transportation will pick us up in Walnut Creek with a requested SUV, and deliver us to the beautiful Crystal Serenity!

Greetings friends!

David and I are about to embark on an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime journey:  Crystal's 2016 World Cruise.  We will be on board for 102 days, longer than we have ever been on a single cruise.  The longest prior to this was our 71 day Grand Voyage on Crystal Symphony around South America and to Antarctica.

We hope you will follow along on this remarkable journey.  I will try and post frequently.  Just a few housekeeping items:

We will have internet on board the ship and in port:  Ricki@aol.com and Drlv@live.com, so we will be able to stay in touch with you and also handle any travel related issues:  booking new trips or cruises, questions about existing reservations or potential cruises, etc.  In an emergency, our West Coast Associate, Chuck Conine, is available to you, too:  949 632-2282.  Backing Chuck up will be our friend, and fellow Travel Agent, Randell Johnson at 877 377-9321.

Our ship is the beautiful Crystal Serenity.  Her capacity is 1070 guests, but it is unlikely that there will be that many guests.  Crystal attracts many solo guests, so many of the cabins have only one guest. Crystal Cruise Line is consistently rated as the best cruise line by Conde Nast Travel and Travel and Leisure.  It is our favorite cruise line and we are looking forward to being back on board where we know so many of the staff and crew.

This is our ship and its itinerary:302-6307

Round-trip San Francisco (Full World Cruise) on Crystal Serenity
DATES : January 24 - May 6, 2016 (102 Days)  CRUISE-ONLY FARES FROM : 

PLAN & BOOK THIS VOYAGE

Contact a Crystal Expert Travel Agency:

1-888-722-0021

GET-A-QUOTE

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Date	Port	Arrival	Departure
Jan 24, Sunday	San Francisco, California, USA Full World Cruise Welcome Celebration on board (overnight) »		Embark pm
Jan 25, Monday	San Francisco, California, USA »		4 pm
Jan 26, Tuesday - Jan 29, Friday	Cruising the North Pacific Ocean  »
Jan 30, Saturday	Oahu/Honolulu, Hawaii, USA(overnight) »	12 pm
Jan 31, Sunday	Oahu/Honolulu, Hawaii, USA »		1 am
Feb 1, Monday	Cruising the Pacific Ocean  »
Feb 2, Tuesday	Fanning Island, Republic of Kiribati »	10:30 am	4 pm
Feb 3, Wednesday - Feb 4, Thursday	Cruising the Pacific Ocean  »
Feb 5, Friday	Apia, Western Samoa »	12 pm	6 pm
Feb 7, Sunday	Crossing the International Dateline  »
Feb 8, Monday	Yasawa-I-Rara, Fiji »	8 am	6 pm
Feb 9, Tuesday	Lautoka, Fiji »	8 am	6 pm
Feb 10, Wednesday	Cruising the Pacific Ocean  »
Feb 11, Thursday	Mystery Island, Vanuatu »	8 am	6 pm
Feb 12, Friday	Maré Island, New Caledonia »	8 am	6 pm
Feb 13, Saturday	Nouméa, New Caledonia »	8 am	6 pm
Feb 14, Sunday - Feb 15, Monday	Cruising the Pacific Ocean  »
Feb 16, Tuesday	Sydney, Australia (overnight) »	8 am
Feb 17, Wednesday	Sydney, Australia (overnight) »
Feb 18, Thursday	Sydney, Australia »		1 am
Feb 19, Friday	Brisbane, Australia »	11 am	10 pm
Feb 20, Saturday	Cruising the East Coast of Australia  »
Feb 21, Sunday	Hamilton Island/Whitsunday Island, Australia »	6 am	4 pm
Feb 22, Monday	Cruising the Great Barrier Reef, Australia  »
Feb 23, Tuesday	Thursday Island, Australia »	12 n	5 pm
Feb 24, Wednesday	Cruising the Arafura Sea  »
Feb 25, Thursday	Darwin, Australia »	10 am	6 pm
Feb 26, Friday	Cruising the Timor Sea  »
Feb 27, Saturday	Komodo Island, Indonesia »	9 am	5 pm
Feb 28, Sunday	Bali/Benoa, Indonesia (overnight) »	9 am*
Feb 29, Monday	Bali/Benoa, Indonesia (overnight) »
Mar 1, Tuesday	Bali/Benoa, Indonesia »		6 pm*
Mar 2, Wednesday	Cruising the Java Sea  »
Mar 3, Thursday	Semarang/Borobudur, Indonesia »	7 am	7 pm
Mar 4, Friday	Cruising the Java Sea  »
Mar 5, Saturday	Cruising the Malacca Strait  »
Mar 6, Sunday	Kuala Lumpur/Port Kelang, Malaysia(overnight) »	8 am
Mar 7, Monday	Kuala Lumpur/Port Kelang, Malaysia »		6 pm
Mar 8, Tuesday	Penang, Malaysia »	8 am	6 pm
Mar 9, Wednesday	Langkawi, Malaysia »	8 am	6 pm
Mar 10, Thursday	Cruising the Malacca Strait  »
Mar 11, Friday	Singapore (overnight) »	8 am
Mar 12, Saturday	Singapore (overnight) »
Mar 13, Sunday	Singapore »		6 pm
Mar 14, Monday	Cruising the South China Sea  »
Mar 15, Tuesday	Koh Samui, Thailand »	9 am	4 pm
Mar 16, Wednesday	Bangkok/Laem Chabang, Thailand »	6 am	6 pm
Mar 17, Thursday	Sihanoukville, Cambodia »	10 am	11 pm
Mar 18, Friday	Cruising the Coast of Vietnam  »
Mar 19, Saturday	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (overnight) »	10 am*
Mar 20, Sunday	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (overnight) »
Mar 21, Monday	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam »		6 pm*
Mar 22, Tuesday	Cruising the South China Sea  »
Mar 23, Wednesday	Chan May, Vietnam »	7 am	5 pm
Mar 24, Thursday	Hanoi/Hongai, Vietnam »	9 am	9 pm
Mar 25, Friday	Cruising the South China Sea  »
Mar 26, Saturday	Hong Kong SAR, China (overnight) »	8 am
Mar 27, Sunday	Hong Kong SAR, China »		5 pm
Mar 28, Monday	Xiamen, China »	11 am	5 pm
Mar 29, Tuesday	Cruising the East China Sea  »
Mar 30, Wednesday	Shanghai, China (overnight) »	10 am*
Mar 31, Thursday	Shanghai, China (overnight) »
Apr 1, Friday	Shanghai, China »		4 pm*
Apr 2, Saturday	Cruising the Yellow Sea  »
Apr 3, Sunday	Beijing, China (overnight) »	10 am
Apr 4, Monday	Beijing, China (overnight) »
Apr 5, Tuesday	Beijing, China »		7 pm
Apr 6, Wednesday	Cruising the Yellow Sea  »
Apr 7, Thursday	Incheon, South Korea »	8 am	6 pm
Apr 8, Friday	Jeju Island, South Korea »	10 am	6 pm
Apr 9, Saturday	Pusan, South Korea »	8 am	7 pm
Apr 10, Sunday	Fukuoka, Japan »	7 am	7 pm
Apr 11, Monday	Cruising the Coast of Japan  »
Apr 12, Tuesday	Shimizu, Japan »	7 am	9 pm
Apr 13, Wednesday	Tokyo, Japan (overnight) »	1 pm*
Apr 14, Thursday	Tokyo, Japan »		9 pm*
Apr 15, Friday	Cruising the East Coast of Japan  »
Apr 16, Saturday	Aomori, Japan »	9 am	6 pm
Apr 17, Sunday	Otaru, Japan »	8 am	4 pm
Apr 18, Monday	Korsakov, Russian Federation »	8 am	3 pm
Apr 19, Tuesday	Cruising the North Pacific Ocean  »
Apr 20, Wednesday	Petropavlovsk, Russia »	2 pm	9 pm
Apr 21, Thursday	Cruising the North Pacific Ocean  »
	Crossing the International Dateline  »
Apr 22, Friday	Cruising the North Pacific Ocean  »
Apr 23, Saturday	Dutch Harbor, Alaska, USA »	8 am	5 pm
Apr 24, Sunday	Cruising the Gulf of Alaska  »
Apr 25, Monday	Kodiak, Alaska, USA »	8 am	5 pm
Apr 26, Tuesday	Anchorage/Seward, Alaska, USA »	8 am	5 pm
Apr 27, Wednesday	Cruising Hubbard Glacier *  »
Apr 28, Thursday	Cruising Glacier Bay  »
Apr 29, Friday	Skagway, Alaska, USA »	8 am	6 pm
Apr 30, Saturday	Juneau, Alaska, USA »	8 am	4 pm
May 1, Sunday	Ketchikan, Alaska, USA »	8 am	6 pm
May 2, Monday	Cruising the Inside Passage  »
May 3, Tuesday	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada »	7 am	10 pm
May 4, Wednesday - May 5, Thursday	Cruising the West Coast of USA  »
May 6, Friday	San Francisco, California, USA »	8 am

*  Subject to permit specifications/approvals. As such, the order of ports and/or cruise itinerary are subject to change at any time.

As you can see, we go from very hot equatorial weather to the Russian Far East and Alaska where we may encounter snow!  Packing has been a bit of a challenge!

Speaking of packing, my procedure is to lay out everything I might potentially take and then put at least one half back!  Let's see if I can actually do that!

More later...