Heavenly…Comfortable living spoiling us…Interior photos of our new temporary home…

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This modern kitchen has everything we need including a dishwasher, food processor, stainless steel appliances and pots and pans, convection oven, microwave and quality dinnerware.

The bed is outrageously comfortable.  It has a mattress and a box spring.  The duvet cover, comforter and pillows are luxurious and inviting.  With the fan Neil (Trish’s hubby) brought over last night (along with a laundry basket, extension cord and power strip), we slept like babies.

Awakening refreshed to the cool air in the house from the mild temperature overnight and the possibility of a sunny day, we couldn’t be more comfortable or more content. 

We were thrilled when we spotted these two fluffy robes in the master bedroom closet.

There were two fluffy robes as shown above in the master bedroom closet we’re both wearing now as I write this.  We haven’t been able to travel with robes for the bulk they take in the luggage.  I can’t express how comfortable it feels wearing a fluffy robe until soon we’ll dress for the day.  The robes on the ship were flimsy at best and seemingly made for “munchkins.”  These are lush and roomy.

Today, after posting and finishing our final two loads of laundry, we’ll head to New Plymouth to further explore the town, the beach and restaurants with a quick trip to the market for a few items I’d forgotten to put on the list.

The master bed is a treat.  We haven’t slept in such a comfortable bed since we spent four months in Kauai, one year ago.

Yesterday was a glorious day, although the clouds and light rain remained throughout the day.  We walked on the beautiful road with one breathtaking scene after another, flowers blooming along the road, with the sounds of an occasional mooing cow, sheep baaing or the gentle humming/chirping sounds made by the alpacas as they interact with their babies and one another.

A baby was born a day ago in the pregnant mom’s paddock which we saw lying in the grass near her, not moving.  We worried it hadn’t survived the birth when we watched it for some time noticing it wasn’t moving. 

There are two bathrooms with showers, one on each floor. 

Finally, a tiny ear flickered and we sighed with relief.  A few hours later we returned to see the precious white baby alpaca attempt to stand on its wobbly legs.  This is farm living.  We love it.

No, we won’t make the next three months all about the alpacas.  We’ve discovered many of our readers may not be interested in animals as much as we tend to be.  We’ll continue to present a wide array of stories about life in this uncomplicated area, rich in its beauty and simplicity.

We sit at this table when dining as opposed to the kitchen counter with barstools as shown on the right.  We can see the alpacas from this view.

New Zealand has so much to offer that we’ll be able to share many scenic photos of the country, the city and the sea along with a variety of tourist venues we’ll visit from time to time.

It would be easy to stay close to our new home and not explore the island when we’re so content, so comfortable.  After all, this is temporarily our home and when we lived “at home” we never went sightseeing, per se, to many of the tourist attractions in Minnesota which instead on occasion, by chance, presented themselves through a variety of social activities with family and friends. 


The living room is bigger than it appears in this photo with a newer flat screen TV on the wall and a gas fireplace.

If we were to live in this area long enough, a similar scenario would prevail as we made friends and attended a variety of venues over the years.  But, we don’t have years to wait for such activities and relationships.  Its the nature of our lives, a life on the move, a life of exploration of a way of life, outside the confines of a life we knew so long ago.

As time has marched on, we’ve come to realize and more clearly define what we really want out of our worldwide travels.  It’s not about seeing every popular tourist attraction as we’ve mentioned many times in the past. 

An additional seating are we’re unlikely to use.

Its about immersing ourselves into the life of the locals, experiencing their familiar activities, reveling in the unique beauty of the surroundings, embracing their wildlife and capturing their scenery.

Eventually we leave with a taste of their homeland, understanding their dedication, commitment and loyalty to that which has become familiar and comfortable often over a lifetime. 

Photo taken from the en suite master bath window on the second floor.  Both bedrooms are upstairs.  Tom is using one to store his clothing and our luggage and we’re sleeping in the less cluttered master bedroom.

We always detect a sense of pride, one which we respect with a deep compassion, to ensure we embrace every aspect of their lives, however foreign it may seem to us when we’ve first arrive.

And yet, when its time to go, we carry the experience with us in our hearts and minds forever, grateful for the experience, grateful that we’re in the unique position to be able to continue on.  We have no doubt, as early on as it is in this visit, that we’ll leave New Zealand with memories we’ll treasure forever.

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Photos from one year ago today, January 21. 2015:

Tom was rounding out his tan lying on his stomach on the chaise lounge by the pool at the golf club we joined one year ago today.  For more details, please click here.

Figuring out and settling in…Life in a new country…Expenses to date…Wonderful year-ago photos!

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Tom whistled to attract the attention of this baby alpaca.

Not only must we get comfortable and familiar with a new home in each new country but we must learn how to use a variety of household appliances and equipment that may be entirely different than we’ve used in the past.

Whether its running a washer or dishwasher, firing up an oven (referred to as a “hob”) or making coffee (no electric coffee maker) using with whatever is available, it all requires stopping and taking the time to learn something new.  Actually, we never mind any of these types of learning experiences.


Baby alpaca nursing under this proud mom.  Note another baby to the left.

Add figuring out the Satellite TV, sound and video system in this surprisingly modern house in a rural area near New Plymouth, New Zealand or simply how to hang clothes outside on the pulley type clothesline with the limited supply of clothespins all becomes part of the settling in process. 

Then again, we’re not the typical tourist staying only a week or two with limited needs compared to those of a long term stay.  Most tourists don’t do much cooking and laundry during a short stay.

Baby alpaca referred to as “cria” of which many were born in the past weeks.  Many more will be giving birth over the next month.  We’ll return with more photos, especially once we have a few sunny days.

Then, of course there’s figuring out a working wifi system and bearing the cost for the NZ hot spot we purchased yesterday at NZD $199, US $128, (useless to us once we leave) plus another NZD $270 US $173 for data, enough to last only one to two weeks.

Yesterday alone, we used NZD $45, US $29 of data.  This could become pricey over the long haul.  We hope Internet service will soon becomes available at the house as we continue to incur these unexpected expenses.

The car rental was affordable after careful online research months ago.  For the full three months, the rental fees under a single contract was NZD $2848, US $1817, at a monthly rate of NZD $949, US $609.  Sure, its an older car but it drives well, looks fine with has no apparent body damage other than a few scratches we documented with the rental guy.  

Sunset last night and gas grill we’ll use tonight to cook prime rib.

As for the cost of groceries, we’d yet to address here, we’re pleasantly surprised.  The first time we shop in each new locale, the cost is often higher for our initial purchases when its necessary to purchase household goods such as paper products, laundry soap and cooking supplies such as spices, coconut and olive oil.

After shopping at the Kiwi Meat Market yesterday, we’d purchased enough meat to last over a week including a huge prime rib (tonight’s dinner on the grill), four packs of streaky bacon, one large package lamb chops, several slabs baby back ribs and several pounds/kilos of beef and pork mince for a total of only NZD $80, US $51.  All the meat is grass fed except for the pork which Tom eats when I have lamb.

This huge 1.177 kilo, 2.6 pound boneless grass fed prime rib is tonight’s dinner to be cooked on the grill with a side of mushroom casserole, baby asparagus and romaine lettuce salad with homemade dressing. Check out this great price of NZD $17.64, US $11.34!

With the balance spent at the New World market, including organic veggies for sale in the market from local farms, and…the cost of the meat, we spent a grand total of US $326, NZD $508.  With staples now in our household stock, our next shopping trip will most likely be half this amount.

This morning, I tried to walk closer to the alpacas for photos but after the rain, walking through the dense grass didn’t make sense.  Once it dries out a bit, we’re surely head closer for better photos.  All day, by looking out several windows we can easily see them.  I’ve started calling to them in my “warthog calling voice” as they pick up their heads from grazing to look at me.

This morning, when Tom hung the first load of laundry they started walking toward him.  They’re fenced in but may climb over the fence during the day returning later to stay close to the herd.  Apparently, none of them wander away, not to return.  There are dozens of alpaca on this 35 acre farm.

Photo taken last night shortly before dark of four alpacas who’d wandered to a distant hill.  They seem to return to the herd on their own.  We’ll discover more of their habits as we learn from the owners and observing them daily. 

We’re staying in today, getting caught up on email from our readers, handling banking and financial matters, finishing our laundry and preparing our dinner, all tasks we both enjoy. 

Whether we’re out and about or staying in with tasks to accomplish, we’re equally content.  As we settle in we find our new location truly becomes “home” as we conduct our daily lives, just like YOU, enjoying the many trivialities of the day.

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Photo from one year ago today, January 21, 2015:

Ironically, yesterday we received email from Vicki and Jerry with whom we only spent one afternoon on the beach at Hanalei and yet they remain friends for life.  I love this photo of, get this, “Tom and Jerry!”  They became fast friends in only one afternoon.  Click here for details.
 
I couldn’t resist posting two year-ago photos today when this photo included dear Vicki.  Unfortunately, they were getting ready to leave Kauai and we never got to spend time with them again. To Vicki and Jerry:  “Hello, you two!  We think of you often and hope our paths will cross someday! Thanks for continuing to reads our daily posts.”
 

A few “getting settled’ hiccups…Then, wonderful!

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Although far and few between, we stopped at a few scenic overlooks in the rain.

We’ve decided to get the negatives out of the way first before tackling all the many wonderful aspect of our new location in the countryside close to New Plymouth, New Zealand:

No wifi: This is a “biggie” for us, a prerequisite that determines whether we’ll select a vacation home or not.  When the owner explained via email on several occasions there would be a good signal working when we arrived, we were surprised when we couldn’t get online to notify our family of our safe arrival. 
They’d ordered a new satellite dish for this house during the holiday season and service has yet to be installed.  They offered us their house and service until its installed in the next 10 days.

As we drove away from Auckland, NZ, we spotted this airport with older style planes.

This won’t work for us when as multi taskers we like to get up and down during the time we’re online getting coffee, iced tea, chopping and dicing for dinner, doing laundry and other household tasks.  Sitting in a chair online for hours at a time isn’t likely for either of us.

This morning I prepared part of this post offline uploading it when we returned in the afternoon after a trip to town to purchase a New Zealand hot spot along with a very pricey data plan.  Once the house has working wifi, we’ll use our device for extra large downloads and the house wifi for general daily use.

Auckland is a major port in NZ.

Sandflies:  Wearing shorts when we arrived I fell prey to more than 20 sandfly bites on my bare lower legs while checking out the amazing alpacas and standing outdoors talking to the owners who’s house is down the road (not visible from our house). 

Sandflies produce wildly itching welts often lasting for five or six days which are particularly annoying at night.  Last night, the itching kept me awake most of the night.  Today, we purchased more repellent. Tom hasn’t received one bite when the sandflies were having more fun feasting on me (as always).

By 10:30 am we were on our way toward Hamilton, NZ which wasn’t quite the halfway point to New Plymouth.

No screens on any of the windows (or ceiling or stand fans):  We don’t quite understand why houses all over the world don’t have screens when insects are flocking around doors and window in hopes of entering indoors to feast off its residents.  Its summer in New Zealand and although it doesn’t get very hot, fresh air is something we both appreciate.  On a hotter day, a breeze is welcme both during the day and at night.  We’ll ask the owner for a fan for the bedroom once we’re back online, something we’ve had in every home we’ve rented throughout the world.

That’s it, folks, all the negatives.  The rest?  Astounding!

We stopped for a break at a park in a small town to find this view.

At this point, we won’t get into the alpacas, saving that for a future post.   Its raining off and on today making it challenging to get good photos.  All I can say, it that we love being in this hilly, lush green, flowery farm community, living on an alpaca farm in a beautiful two bedroom, two story house with every amenity one could desire except for the above lack of screens and wifi.

We’d heard the North Island wasn’t scenic compared to the South Island but we found the countryside breathtaking with its lush green rolling hills and fields of sheep and cattle, dotting the scenery.

As for yesterday’s arrival, disembarking the ship was relatively easy.  The port of Auckland was organized and efficient.  From the time we went through security and picked up our confiscated power strip we were able to collect our bags using a trolley (most ports don’t have trolleys for bags) to make our way to the taxi line where we waited for over 40 minutes for a ride to the car rental facility.  Happy to have a trolley, we didn’t mind the wait.

We’d hoped for sunshine but as typical in the South Pacific, skies are unpredictable.

Once in the taxi was loaded with our stuff, the longish ride was enhanced by a wonderful driver from India with a strong New Zealand accent with whom we chatted during the entire 45 minute ride.  The taxi fare was US $63,50, NZ $92 (with tip).

On many occasions we were slowed down for long stretches due to narrow roads, no passing lanes and slower moving trucks.

Once we arrived at Ace Rental Cars near the airport, we encountered yet another delightful service person, a young man from South Africa (again with a strong NZ accent) and we exchanged hysterical Afrikaans expressions we’d learned from Okee Dokee while we lived in SA two years ago.  We never expected picking up a rental could be so much fun!

Happy with our older (5 years) white Nissan that says something in Japanese each time we enter, we soon were on our way for the five plus hour drive through countryside, mountains and ocean using the easy directions our property owner Trish had provided. 

It wasn’t easy taking photos of the countryside as we zoomed along the two lane highway, often stuck behind slower moving trucks.

As we often experience, taking photos on the shoulder-less highway with few available overlooks, it was impossible to take as many photos as we’d have liked. A portion of the drive was sunny with puffy billowy white clouds against a bright blue sky later changing to dense fog and clouds as we continued on.

We traveled through mountains with steep winding roads not unlike those in Tuscany, Italy with occasional mirrored signs used at the particularly dangerous curves.  Tom, an excellent driver, maneuvered the tricky areas with ease and from many such past experiences, I didn’t give it a thought. 

This was part of a rock formation referred to as Three Sisters.

Once we arrived in the town of New Plymouth, we followed Trish’s great directions and found the New World market.  It was the size of any huge Cub Foods or Safeway markets one could find anywhere in the US with prices about 25% less.  

Yesterday, a bit tired after the early morning wake up and long day, we’d decided to only shop for some basics with enough food to last for two days.  By 5:30 pm, we arrived at the farm, gasping with joy when we entered the house. 

Inlet at low tide.

Only a short time earlier, I’d told Tom I wasn’t expecting much assuming the aspect of it being an alpaca farm in the countryside with exquisite privacy and views was going to be the highlight.  There are always trade-offs of one sort or another, right?

Upon driving up the long private tree lined driveway, I further anticipated the “cottage” would be average or slightly less.  Entering the house, using the door’s access code, we gasped in total shock over the beautiful house and its myriad amenities we’d never anticipated or expected.  Over the next many days, we’ll share many of these. 

More unusual rock formations.

Just to give our readers an idea of the magnitude of these amenities;  there a “drawer dishwasher” in the modern well appointed kitchen along with other high quality brand name stainless steel appliances.  

There’s a refrigerator in a “bar” in the master suite with a special faucet that makes hot water on demand for making coffee and tea while still upstairs in the bedroom.  There’s are heated towel racks in both the ensuite master bath and the guest bath!  Its truly luxurious which although not expected, is actually fun and appreciated.

Zooming in as much as possible, we captured these kids checking out the rock formations at low tide.

Once we resolve the wifi issues and further settle in we’ll wait for a sunny days outdoors (less biting flies in sunshine) to spend time with the alpacas and to begin to explore this exquisite country.

We apologize for the delay in uploaded today’s post.  Photos of the house, grounds, and  adorable alpacas are coming soon!

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Photo from one year ago, January 20, 2015:

The view from our veranda in Kauai never ceased to amaze us.  For more photos and details, please click here.

Final expenses for cruise on the Celebrity Solstice from Sydney, Australia to Auckland, NZ for 14 nights…A few photos…

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Tom is the king of cruising.  He loves every moment and I love every moment with him. We were walking in the rain in Sydney when I took this photo.

It’s been a fabulous cruise. With only a few days of not feeling up to par with colds, we both enjoyed every single day and night. The social life was exceptional, the other passengers friendly and welcoming and we spent every meal except a few reveling in mutual travel experiences throughout the world.

The Celebrity Solstice is a meticulous ship, well maintained and easy to manage when walking from one area to another. The staff is thoughtful, helpful and welcomes each passenger they encounter in all venues and decks. 

All activities were organized, well advertised, and promoted with plenty of opportunities for even the single traveler to participate. Surprisingly, the WiFi, although slow preventing more than a few photos to be posted daily was relatively reliable with only a few occasions when we couldn’t connect.

As for the food, by far, this ship above any other previous cruises provided me with the best attention to detail for my special dietary needs preparing beautiful plates with careful consideration of my list of restrictions. Never once, did I have to send back a plate that wasn’t properly prepared. Only once, was it necessary for me to wait for my meal after others at our table were served. 

Every night I was served a perfect avocado, sliced and served with my nightly salad and cup of full-fat sour cream which I used as a salad dressing when none of their prepared dressings were befitting my way of eating.  I sweetened the sour cream with a few drops of my liquid Stevia making a tasty dressing which we often use when preparing our own salads.

It was pouring in Sydney the day we boarded the ship, but it didn’t prevent us from getting out and exploring.

Apparently, a server had given my dinner to another guest and they had to start over, to prepare a complex plate of seafood and vegetables. 

I maintained a level of calm while waiting and once the food arrived, I’d forgotten about it.  Otherwise, the dinner service was always exemplary.

Tom also enjoyed the diverse nightly menu trying many new foods and always finding them not only palatable with his somewhat picky taste buds but overall quite delicious. 

Sure, some passengers complained about being “nickeled and dimed” but we never felt that way.  Our final bill was an acceptable amount lower than we’ve experienced on any of our past 11 cruises.  Then again, we don’t gamble, buy much if anything in the shops, and this time, never felt a need or desire to dine in any of the specialty restaurants.

With the “drink packages” included for both of us in the fare as a “perk” never once did we purchase a beverage not included in the package. Although I don’t drink alcohol, I enjoyed the free-flowing specialty teas, whole cream in Americana coffee with an occasional small shot of sugar-free vanilla syrup, making for a rare special treat.

The cabin, a 2B class which we were upgraded from a 2C class due to our current Captain’s Club standing was ideal for us. We continue to accumulate more points which will enable further upgrades on future cruises.

This photo was taken on the aft of the ship as we sailed through Milford Sound in New Zealand.

The bed, king-sized, was very comfortable with equally good pillows and bedding. The bath had all the space we needed with lots of storage and many amenities. The cabin was 194 square feet, 18 square meters, a size we always find more than adequate. We had a full-sized sofa and coffee table, an extra we often enjoy more for providing extra storage space than actually for lounging. 

The balcony was 54 square feet, 5 square meters, which on this ship we didn’t use often due to inclement weather, was suitable with two lounge chairs and a small table. To date, we’ve always selected a balcony cabin knowing we’d feel cramped and uncomfortable without access to the outdoors from the cabin.

Here are our total expenses for this cruise including the conversion to New Zealand dollars for which, going forward over these next three months, we’ll be stating along with US dollars. 

Cruise fare for the above cabin as stated:
USD $4,771.32, NZD $7,393.85 (Beverage package included for two, valued at USD $1,652, NZD $2,560)

Total excess bill for internet and a few small purchases:
USD $412, NZD $638.45 after the onboard credit of USD $100 , NZD $154.96)

Grand total: USD $5,182.32, NZD $8,032.45
Average cost per day for two: USD $370.24, NZD $573.24

Our ship, the Celebrity Solstice, docked at the port of Tauranga a few days ago.

Having paid the cruise fare in full 75 days before the sail date, the only portion we had to pay now was the USD $412, NZD $638.45 which was charged to the credit card we left on file on the day we boarded the cruise. I’ve already verified the payment online for accuracy without issue.

By the time this post is automatically uploaded this morning, we’ll be well on our way by rental car to our new home in the Taranaki region, close to New Plymouth, New Zealand. 

It’s a five-plus-hour drive which most likely will stretch to six or seven hours with multiple photo stops along the way, including an additional stop for groceries in New Plymouth. We’ll be back tomorrow with all new photos of our journey through the countryside which we’re anticipating with considerable excitement. 

Once again, dear readers, we’ll be “home.” Please stayed tuned.

Photos from one year ago, January 19, 2015:

The area of Princeville where we lived for four months beginning one year ago, was named in honor of an 1860 visit by Prince Albert Kamehameha, son of King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma. It was then a plantation owned by Robert Crichton Wyllie. He named another part of the plantation Emmaville, but that name never stuck. Originally the land was planted with coffee which was not suited to the wet lowlands. Later sugar cane was planted with some success. Wyllie’s nephew inherited the land but committed suicide in 1866. In 1867 it was purchased by Elisha Hunt Allen to later become a cattle ranch. It was sold for development in 1968 and became a golf course and resort called Princeville at Hanalei. For more details, please click here.

We booked three more cruises while on the ship with lots of extra perks…Off the ship in Tauranga…Photos!

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Our ship, the Celebrity Solstice looked huge while docked at the Port of Tauranga, New Zealand.

Booking cruises while aboard ship definitely has perks often unknown to passengers until they decide to investigate. Although this is only our 12th cruise, many passengers we’ve met have been on dozens of cruises over the years with considerably more experience than us. 

Those passengers have learned the ins and outs of saving the maximum number of dollars while gaining the maximum number of perks offered by the cruise lines. The more we cruise, the more savvy we’ve become in taking advantage of every possible benefit.

While on this cruise we booked three additional cruises, although we may not ever go on these specific cruises.  For that reason, we won’t list the details and itineraries at this time.  Should we decide to follow through on them, we’ll post the details at that time.

We stopped at a local park as we walked to the center of town in Tauranga, New Zealand located on the North Island where we’ll be living.

However, as explained by the “sales staff” in the Future Cruise Sales Office aboard the ship, if we book these cruises now, the perks we receive are fully transferable to any other Celebrity cruise, we may choose to book in the future with no time limits or constraints as to when we may use them or which routes we may choose to explore. This is a huge benefit.

Booking these same cruises through our usual Vacations to Go rep, doesn’t allow us the magnitude of these perks which are only offered while on the ship. And yet, our VTG rep will receive full commission credit for any cruises we book on the ship which, based on the good service we’ve received over the years with VTG, it’s important to us. 

Plus, our rep at VTG will continue to handle when and if we decide to transfer these perks by moving them to a new cruise and canceling the prior booked cruise(s). 

The bay in Tauranga.
The only “catch” is that the cancellation/transfer must be made 75 days prior to the sail date when the final payment is due and automatically billed to our credit card on file. Canceling after full payment results in hefty penalties, which we’d never incurred.

Yesterday, while I was busy posting Tom visited the Future Cruise Sales Office to review each of our upcoming Celebrity cruises to determine if re-booking was a benefit. The only existing booking which proved beneficial to change was the Alaskan cruise, at this time. That may change in the future when we’re aboard another cruise.  This same policy applies to Royal Caribbean cruises, all under the same corporate umbrella.

For us, this could be a “paperwork” nightmare. But, with our spreadsheet with all the information detailed and documented and further noted on our online calendar with reminders, it’s relatively easy. 

Tom spotted this street rod and suggested this photo.  Note the license plate.

For the average traveler booking one or two cruises, it’s a breeze. As of today, we have nine future cruises booked over the next 26 months all with Celebrity and Royal Caribbean except the one upcoming Mekong River cruise (Viking lines) next summer. 

Now, this sounds like a tremendous amount of cruises but considering we moved every three months, plus the fact that use cruising as a means of transportation when possible, it’s not so alarming.

Sure, we wish we’d never have to deal with airports, overweight baggage and long lines and could cruise everywhere we’d like to travel. It’s just not possible when there are only so many routes that cruise ships navigate throughout the world. 

Cruise passengers, other tourists, and locals filled the busy Tauranga, New Zealand streets.

Each of the three cruises we booked in the past several days have offered amazing perks. One of the three cruises we booked in a replacement to the Alaskan cruise on May 17, 2017 we’d already booked. By making a second booking on the same exact cruise in a different cabin number, we’re able to acquire more perks. 

Once we arrive on land and contact our rep at VTG, she’ll cancel the first Alaskan cruise and transfer the new booking to the cabin number we originally booked. The staff on the ship can’t do the cancellation from the ship, suggesting we do it directly with our usual rep. Maneuvering this seemingly complicated process got us more perks on the nine-day Alaskan cruise including:

1. Classic Beverage Packages, for two: Valued at US $59 per person, per day for the nine-day cruise, totaling US $1062
2. Unlimited Internet Package for two (no sharing required): Valued at US $488
3. Onboard credit of US $150 which can be applied to the mandatory tips required at US $12.95 per person, per day totaling US $234. (We could have chosen a perk to include full payment of the tips, but these other above packages gave us more “bang for the buck.”

On our prior booking for this particular cruise we only had one perk, not the above three perks as follows:
1. Classic Beverage Packages, for two: Valued at US $59 per person, per day for the nine-day cruise, totaling US $1062

By booking onboard, we’ve saved US $638. We’re still going on the same exact cruise with the same exact balcony cabin class. It’s certainly worth the time and effort.

After a long and delightful walk through the town of Tauranga, we sat on a park bench enjoying the beach on a sunny day.

As for the other two cruises we booked, we were able to pay a minimum deposit of only US $200 for the two of us with similar perks on each cruise, as above stated, transferable to any future Celebrity cruise. The fact that the two other cruises don’t meet our itinerary and criteria, is irrelevant. They’ll eventually be transferred long before the final payment dates.

We realize this information may be boring to many of our readers who don’t cruise or have little interest in cruising. For this, we apologize. But, as we’ve always attempted, if we can save our readers who do cruise a little money here and there, we’re more than happy to do so.

If any of our readers have questions we can answer regarding this, please comment at the end of this post and we’ll promptly reply sharing our suggestions with all of our readers.

Today is our final full day aboard ship. We’d booked a small group tour with four other passengers to go sightseeing in Bay of Islands, New Zealand but Tom is getting a sore throat. Not wanting to infect the four other passengers in the charter van we decided to pay our share of NZ $170, US $110 and not go. 

The rocks at the shore were covered in a wire mesh to prevent erosion.  The seagulls are so used to people, this one didn’t flinch when I took the photo.

The four other passengers appreciated our willingness to cover our share to avoid them paying more when last night we delivered the NZ $170 to one of their cabins. As it turned out, this morning another couple took our spot and we got our NZ $170 back! Safari luck! 

Now, let’s hope Tom’s sore throat dissipates over the next few days. As always, many passengers are coughing and sneezing with colds, common on cruises. He can handle a cold and actually feels quite fine otherwise. The fact that its pouring rain today certainly doesn’t leave us disappointed that we aren’t going on the mostly outdoor tour.

This afternoon, we’ll pack, leaving out clothing and toiletries for tonight and tomorrow since our bags will be collected this evening. We’ll keep our carry on bags with our most valuable items, in our possession as always, including the yellow Costco bag, the computer bag and the wheeling cart to hold it all.

We’ve been assigned a disembarkation time of 7:00 am tomorrow although there’s a degree of flexibility in getting off a little later if we choose. We’ll play it by ear with nary a concern. By 9:00 or 10:00 am all the passengers will have disembarked as the ship prepares for the next load of 2850 passengers embarking in Auckland, New Zealand on the reverse of this cruise.

Today, we’ll prepare tomorrow’s “final expenses” post including our cruise fare, the included perks and the final bill we received for extras not included in the fare which will automatically be uploaded a bit earlier than the posts over the term of this 14 day cruise.

Thanks to all of our readers for cruising along with us. We thoroughly enjoyed the journey with all of YOU at our sides!

Photo from one year ago today, January 18, 2015:

View from our veranda in Princeville Kauai where we lived for four months. We enjoyed every moment on the exquisite island for its beauty, the Laysan Albatross, “Birdie” and for all the wonderful people we met and the lifelong friends we made. We love and miss you all! For more details, please click here.

Romance at sea…A night to remember…

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Last night, in the Martini Ice Bar on dress-up night.

Often the most memorable of occasions are those which we don’t plan or anticipate. Last night, was such a night, one we’ll always remember as special and meaningful.

Is it possible for a couple, together 25 years, constantly in each other’s presence 24 hours a day without any time apart, to find romance especially living a life as complex as ours?

The answer is a resounding “yes!” Last night was hardly the first time and will hardly be the last. Without forethought or active speculation, we each may contemplate the following points from time to time:

1. How do we manage to keep the spark alive in a long-term relationship?
2. Is keeping the romance intact necessary for happiness?

In response to the first question, we consider the facts that all couples have their own unique dynamic. Some thrive on chaos, disharmony, and ultimately making up and others flourish in a state of calm and consistency.  Then, there are all of those in between.

The Martini Ice Bar has an ice-covered bar top intended to keep drinks cold.

For us, the mix of an occasional visit by Mr. Overly Grumpy (rarely directed at me specifically) and my Ms. Overly Bubbly (always lurking), seems to create enough tension to make the relationship challenging and exciting, never knowing for sure what the day will bring. 

The lack of knowing moment by moment exactly what to expect has a magical way of presenting opportunities for lively banter, playfulness, including hilarious name-calling and frequent laughter precipitated by our own foibles and occasional self-deprecation.

Humility plays a big role for us, but oddly, it’s coupled with a keen sense of confidence while feeling secure, safe, and revered.  Trust is omnipresent, never faltering. How do relationships survive without trust? They don’t.

In response to the second question; many couples say they are utterly happy without romance. I’d assume, most often, they are couples who never made romance a priority early on in the relationship. Many lifelong partnerships are happily maintained without romance with only an occasional celebratory situation bringing it back into the forefront.

For us, the eyes locking across the room while we’re at a social occasion has always made our hearts flutter.  Tom, who swears he’s not romantic, has a side few others can detect, where he makes “overly romantic” me know I made the right choice in my remaining-years-of-life love and companion.

For me, romance is not about the occasional bouquet of flowers or a gift, wrapped in pink tissue in a “Victoria’s Secret” bag. It has nothing to do with a candlelit dinner with a crisp white linen tablecloth, fine dinnerware, and a fancy meal. 

Patricia, the lovely woman we met last night at the bar traveling with her 18-year-old daughter.

It has everything to do with a state of mind encompassed in finding your partner appealing both in both their imperfect physical state of being and their imperfect mental state of being, whatever that may be and however that may fluctuate as the years waft by and everything changes.

Can we love and accept the wrinkles and belly fat wrought by age and lifestyle and still see the beauty and handsomeness of what appealed to us in the first place so long ago? If yes, that’s romantic in itself. 

From this perspective, last night we found ourselves late in getting to dinner on “lobster night” after engaging in a lengthy fabulous conversation with a delightful woman we met from Costa Rica (where we’ll be living for three months in 21 months), at the Ice Bar on Deck 4, our usual hangout before heading to usual reservation-free dinner (never wanting to feel pinned down to a specific time).

Realizing we should arrange a reservation for the lobster night, the only available times were 5:30 or 8:45 pm.  We chose the latter, preferring not to dine so early in the evening.  (I’d actually had a light breakfast anticipating a late meal knowing food wouldn’t arrive until 9:15 or later).

After considerable fun at the bar, we said goodbye and headed to check-in for the reservation at 8:30, hoping to get in a little earlier. Given a pager, it was impossible to get a “shared” table so we decided to wait for the beeper.

My dinner last night; a Cobb Salad with chicken and two lobster tails.

By 9:00 pm, we were seated as the only patrons at a table for seven. As always, in consideration of others, we decided to wait to order until the table was full. Our usual playfulness and banter had started between us while at the bar, if not earlier in the day.

As we sat alone at that table with not another person or couple seeking a shared table entering the restaurant after us, we finally resigned ourselves along with our wonderful waiter Kundeep, that we should order dinner and proceed with the evening. 

From there, the fun between us escalated, the compliments flew back and forth, the knee grabbing under the table elicited fits of laughter, all the while holding hands, staring dreamily into each other’s eyes. I don’t drink alcohol and Tom had very few cocktails. It wasn’t alcohol talking. It was happiness. It was love. It was romance.

We hardly noticed our food although it seemed to disappear off our plates. The cruise line’s head food manager stopped by to say hello and giggled when he asked if we were newlyweds and we answered that we’d been together almost 25 years but are happier now than ever, in this life we live.

Tom’s dinner last night of Beef Wellington and lobster tail with veggies.

Our wonderful waiter gabbed with us. The hostess that oversees my food stopped by along with several other staff members and managers, perhaps noting we were alone at the big table needing some attention. We didn’t. We appreciated it nonetheless. 

The hours whizzed by and finally, it was time to leave. It was late and we decided to head back to our cabin, unable to wipe the coy smiles off our faces. No one ever joined us at our table. We didn’t care.

This morning, renewed and refreshed after a great night’s sleep, we still can’t stop smiling. Perhaps, the special evening further reminded us of how lucky we are, how blessed we are, and how much we appreciate each other and this peculiar life we live. 

It’s ironic that one of the most fun evenings we’ve had aboard the ship was spent alone at dinner together, reveling in this gift we’ve been given to enjoy our lives, fully engaged in the moment and…in the next moment to come. Who could ask for more?

For today, with only two days to disembarkation, once again we’re enjoying every moment left on the ship with the same enthusiasm we expect we’ll be feeling in a few days living in our new home in the Taranaki Region of New Zealand. Life is good. And, at times, life is romantic.

Darn, I should have saved this story for Valentine’s Day which is four weeks from today! Then again, we don’t need a Hallmark-inspired day to make us happy!

Photo from one year ago today, January 17, 2015:

We were excited to arrive in Kauai, Hawaii for a four-month stay in Princeville. Little did we know how much we’d love the island with a robust social life thanks to our new friend Richard Turner, whom we met only a few days after arrival. For more details, please click here.

How do we handle tonight’s dress up night?…Old dress-up photo with Tom in a tuxedo!…

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This photo was taken in 2000 at a formal dinner we’d been invited to by Ruth and Bruce Dayton when I worked at the Marsh (5 years). We sat with them at the US $10,000 a plate charity event (they paid for our plates!) Recently, Bruce passed away. He was a kind and generous man who will be missed by many.

Tonight is a “dress-up” night. Long ago, we parted with all of our dress-up clothing, unable to continue to haul a sport coat, dress pants or suit, tie and dress shirts for Tom with dresses, jewelry and heels for me. With only one suitcase of clothing for each of us, carrying anything dressy is impossible.

As time goes on in this casual world, more and more cruise ships are getting away from dress-up nights instead of sticking to the “smart casual” concept for all the nights, during which “designer” jeans are accepted with nice shirts and tops.

However, no one is prohibited from entering the dining room, specialty restaurants in wearing “smart casual” on “dress-up nights.” We no longer dread dress-up nights, although we’re unable to do so with our limited clothing contained in each of our single suitcases with clothing.

The Michael Kors store aboard the ship.  These handbags range from US $400 on up. Since I don’t own a handbag this store is of no interest.

Tonight, we’ll ask a passenger to take our photo wearing the few options we have for such an occasion, which we’ll post tomorrow. Some passengers still wear evening gowns, diamond jewels, and tuxedos. 

Others wear lots of costume jewelry and fancy outfits that aren’t necessarily in the formal wear category but serve the purposes. We’ll even spot a few passengers still wearing blue jeans and casual short sleeve shirts. 

No tee shirts with words or shorts are allowed at dinner in the main dining areas, nor are flip flops, which neither of us owns. At breakfast, it’s more casual in the dining rooms and upstairs in the buffet, the Oceanview Café, anything goes except robes and swimsuits.

In our old lives, getting dressed up would have been a thrill where now, it doesn’t phase us at all, nor do we feel out of place among all of the other passengers dressed in formal attire.

The men’s Nautica store had nothing that appealed to Tom although he liked this brand name in our old lives.

As much as I enjoyed clothing in my old life with every closet in the house filled with seasonal items, my single bag suits me just fine. On the other hand, Tom has never been a “clothes horse” with no interest in shopping, although he takes special care to look good on each occasion.

As we wander along with the decks where the shops are located I keep an eye out to purchase a new watch when they’ll have the “two for one” sale close to the last day. Today, a big sale was promoted, but after checking the “bigger sale” has yet to begin. 

I definitely need a few new clothing items but have a hard time finding pants, long enough for my long legs, the equivalent of men’s 35 inches (.89 meter) inseam. 

Most women worldwide aren’t as tall as I am, and it’s problematic finding pants. Other than the two pairs of blue jeans I ordered once in the past three-plus years from the US. Also, I’d like to purchase a few warmer shirts and sweaters, disposing of other older items in their place. 

Another store with relatively high-priced merchandise.

I’ve been feeling cold arriving on this ship. With five more upcoming cruises around Australia and the South Pacific, slightly warmer clothing may be advisable. I don’t own a single warm top other than two jackets which I don’t want to wear indoors day and night.

As for today, a sea day, we’re totally content sitting here in the Café al Bacio, watching a glass auction (they blow glass on the ship) sipping coffee and tea as we wrap up today’s post. As mentioned earlier, it takes almost an hour for four or five photos to upload aboard the ship with the slow wifi resulting in keeping the number of photos at a minimum.

We found the above photo of us on Dropbox (a cloud) where Tom had scanned and stored all of our old photos before we left Minnesota. We’re thrilled to be able to reference old photos.

That’s it for today, folks. We’ll be back tomorrow with dress-up night photos of us in our smart casual and hopefully others in formal wear. It’s lobster night and we’re looking forward to it.

Be happy.  Be well!

Photo from one year ago today, January 16, 2015:

Notice Tom’s red face and forehead from too much sun on Tuesday when visiting with the new neighbors the prior day. This is the lobby of the Hilo Hawaiian Hotel where we stayed overnight before our flight to Kauai. For more details, please click here.

Four days until the cruise ends…Fun coincidence!…Exchange rate shocker!…More of Tom’s food photos…

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The shore in Akaroa.

Last night at dinner at a “sharing” table for 10, we sat next to a lovely retired couple from New Zealand.  Ironically, they’ll be our “neighbors” when we live in the Taranaki region in New Zealand less than 2 km, 1.24 miles from our new vacation home for the upcoming three months.

What a great resource we discovered in Audrey and Trevor! They even knew our landlord as alpaca farmers.  They, too had been sheep farmers before retiring a few years ago. 

We had a fabulous time discussing the endless options available in the area for shopping, farmer’s markets, grass fed meat suppliers, and fish markets. We couldn’t have been more thrilled to meet this couple.

View of the residential area on Akaroa, New Zealand.

Once we arrive at our new home in four days, the owners will further educate us as to the many nearby conveniences, all within a 20-minute drive, along with our research, for the availability of restaurants, sights to visit, a fitness center, and a dentist for Tom’s bad tooth which is no longer problematic (for now).

I’ve fully recovered from the annoying cough and cold I’d caught on the plane. Luckily, it never impeded any of the activities aboard the ship and we’ve had an over-the-top experience.

Having been on this same ship, Celebrity Solstice in September 2014, we feel right at home, easily finding our way around the good-sized (not huge) vessel that carries 2850 passengers and 1250 crew and is 1033 feet, 315 meters long. 

Passengers on a sailboat ride in the bay.

On March 1, 2017, we’ll be cruising on this same ship for 12 days from Sydney to Sydney that visits a new country (to us) we’ve yet to visit in the South Pacific. Then again, on May 17, 2017, we’ll board this ship for the fourth time to sail from Vancouver to Seattle for an inside passage Alaskan cruise. 

Once we’re done with the Alaskan cruise, we’ll rent a car in Seattle and begin to make our way to Minnesota to visit family where we’ll stay for at least a month. When we booked our several remaining cruises, getting to Minnesota seemed a long time away.  And yet now, it’s a mere 16 plus months. Yep, “time flies when you’re having fun!

Soon, we’ll start preparing the directions for the five-plus-hour drive from Auckland to New Plymouth, NZ, (population 68,900) the closest city to our new location. Once we arrive in New Plymouth we’ll stop for groceries and supplies before arriving at the house. 

According to Audrey and Trevor, it’s only a 20-minute drive from New Plymouth to the house. We’ll certainly appreciate the close proximity to shopping and other conveniences and also the abundance of available products after living in Fiji for four months.

Tom’s burger lunch a few days ago by the pool. It’s been too cool and windy to use the ship’s pool.

Yesterday afternoon, I visited the “guest services” desk to inquire as to converting AU $500, USD $349 to New Zealand dollars. Checking online for the current (changing daily) exchange rate, we were well aware that an even conversion rate would be AU $500 to NZ $539. OK. That’s fine.

Asking the “guest services” how many NZ dollars they’d give us by handing over the AU $500, US $349, NZ $539 after checking their computer they explained they’d give us NZ $416! 

In other words, the fee for handling the transaction was outrageous costing us NZ $123, AU $114, US $86.  I walked away empty-handed returning the AU $500 to Tom’s wallet. There was no way we’d suffer such a loss for money exchange. 

We knew cruise ships generally gouged passengers to exchange money, having never asked for an exchange on our prior 11 cruises. We’ve always waited until we arrived at our destination to use an ATM, most often away from the port or airport where exchange rates are typically poor compared to an ATM in a small town or village.

Once we have the rental car in our possession we’ll find an ATM. What an eye-opener! With several trips scheduled to return to Sydney including a 40-day stay in 2017, we’ll easily use the Aussie cash. 

Tom went for the big time yesterday, eating these two plates of food, one hotdog, and one burger. I’ve stuck to one meal a day (dinner) after I found I just couldn’t eat twice a day, feeling too full for dinner, if I had breakfast. (The blue cast in this photo if due to a reflection from the blue glass windows on the ship).

Luckily, when we were leaving Fiji we used the last of our Fiji dollars and small change when we paid with cash and credit card for our overweight baggage. It makes no sense to be carrying leftover cash from numerous countries we visit. 

Other than our leftover AU $500 dollars, some US dollars, and Euros, we’ve used all of the other cash we accumulated along the way except for $1100 Kenyan Schillings, worth a paltry US $10.74. 

Today, our ship is docked in Wellington, NZ where we’ll return when we tour the South Island in March or April, the suggested months to see the most greenery. 

For now, we’re as content as we could be, living in the moment, enjoying every last day on the ship. 


Photo from one year ago today, January 15, 2015:

One year ago today, Tom captured this unusual moon photo the evening before we left the Big Island after the family visit ended. For the final expenses for the holiday gathering, please click here.

Curiosity about our lives from many passengers we meet…How could this life come to a quick end?

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Knox Church is a notable building in Dunedin, New Zealand. It houses the city’s second Presbyterian congregation and is the city’s largest church of any denomination.

As we’ve mentioned many times, people are exceedingly friendly on cruises, to a point that one would have to be a total recluse not to frequently engage in conversation with other passengers on a consistent basis.

There are countless areas where sharing a table is necessary, if not encouraged, which in doing so results in conversation no more than seconds after we’re seated. 

The only time of day we’re seated by ourselves is in the Café al Bacio, drinking coffee and tea, sitting at an ergonomically correct table and chairs for two while we prepare the day’s post.

A view of the village.

That’s not to say we avoid socializing while working on the post. Many people we’ve met and others that have seen us seated at this table, morning after morning, have stopped to talk inquiring as to what we’re doing here each day. 

We never mind stopping what we’re doing to chat. As a result, we’ve uploaded most posts later in the day than when we’re living somewhere for a period of time. 

Need I say how much fun it has been to interact so freely with many passengers from all over the world aboard this ship? We’ve handed out dozens of our business cards and look forward to hearing from them with suggestions for our travels when we visit places where they reside and places they’ve traveled.

Homes close to the ocean in Dunedin, New Zealand.

During these delightful conversations as we all share our stories, Tom often interjects that when my health returned after changing my diet, we decided to travel while we can. Who knows? It could change in a day. I could wake up tomorrow morning and not be able to walk and be in excruciating pain as I was, almost five years ago. 

After all, my dear sister Susan with the same inflammatory disease, four years my senior, has been lying in bed unable to walk for the past 10 years. That could be me and would have been having I not made this huge change in 2011. 

It was three months after changing my diet, the awful pain subsided and only a few months later, we decided to travel the world.  Who knew how long we’d have before it returned, making it impossible for me to carry on, putting a fast end to our world travels? 

Early morning view to Akaroa, New Zealand. We’ll return on our own to many of these quaint towns over the next three months. At present we’re planning a few overnight trips to tour both the North and South islands.

This single fact has motivated us to travel, Tom’s idea, not mine. I’d have never asked him to do this, although many of our family and friends assume it was my idea.  We never dreamed of traveling the world. 

All Tom cared to experience was traversing through the Panama Canal which we accomplished in January 2013 on a cruise from San Diego to Belize. My dream was Africa. Now with these glorious experiences behind us, we hunger for more, as good health continues, for as long as we’re gifted with this blessing. 

See how easy it is for me to avoid taking a single bite of food not allowed on my way of eating? The motivation is powerful and unwavering…food or happiness? I choose happiness over food every single day and have yet since 2011, taking one bite of any item not included in my way of eating. Why take the risk? 

Reflection of the ship on the sea as we anchored in Akaroa.  A 20-minute tender boat ride is required to go ashore.

As Tom often explains, “Touch a hot stove, burn yourself and you’ll never touch that hot stove again!” A simple premise but it easily explains it all. 

Thus, as we continue to meet people who usually inquiry as to what motivated us to leave everything we knew and loved behind, he jumps in with this explanation which often precipitates many questions as to what I eat and don’t eat and ultimately what conditions I have.

When I explain the condition is not gone but that I simply don’t experience the accompanying pain they get it.  We never forget for one hour, one day how fortunate we are and how humbled we are for the gift of having this opportunity to see the world for as long as we can.

While many passengers were off the ship on tours, we stayed on board when the crew had a mandatory emergency drill as shown in these photos.

Now, 39 months later, we’ve seen so much. On the other hand, we’ve seen so little with oceans of opportunities facing us in the near and distant future. We don’t worry about what we’ll do if the pain returns and we can’t carry on. We have no doubt, we’ll figure it out when the time comes.

Yes, dear readers, one day, you’ll open this post and you’ll see we can no longer continue.  But, for now, we’re like two 20-year-olds, having the time of our lives, feeling wonderful, tightly wrapped in each other’s arms, hoping and praying for one more day. This is the story we share.

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, January 14, 2015:

This photo of the snorkeler was somewhat confusing.  Could they have been conducting some type of research?  For details, please click here.

Doubtful Sound, Dusky Sound…The story of a name…Making decisions aboard ship…

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A small wake from the ship as we sailed through Doubtful Sound.

Yesterday, our ship sailed into Doubtful Sound, one of the three “sounds” we visited in one day, a few hours apart, as we approached New Zealand. The story of this particular sound was particularly interesting as follows:

“History of Doubtful Sound

Doubtful Sound was named ‘Doubtful Harbour’ in 1770 by Captain Cook, who did not enter the inlet as he was uncertain whether it was navigable under sail. It was later renamed Doubtful Sound by whalers and sealers, although it is not technically a sound but a fiord.

A Spanish scientific expedition commanded by Alessandro Malaspina visited Doubtful Sound in February 1793 to conduct experiments measuring the force of gravity using a pendulum, a part of the effort to establish a new metric system. The officers of the expedition, which included Felipe Bauzá y Cañas, a cartographer, also made the first chart of the entrance and lower parts of the Sound, naming features of it.

Today these form a unique cluster of the only Spanish names on the map of New Zealand: Febrero Point, Bauza Island and the Nee Islets, Pendulo Reach, and Malaspina Reach.“

As we made our way through Doubtful Sound.

As our ship made its way through the relatively narrow passageway, we were in awe of the pristine beauty of the unusual location along with the other two sounds we’d visited during the day, Milford Sound, as shown in yesterday’s post with a few photos of Dusky Sound, the third in the group. 

Spread throughout the day, we spent considerable time outdoors, freezing in the cool air and wind after a long period of hot and humid weather in our travels over these past years. In a way, it felt good to finally be cool. 

Exhaust from the ship.

As we all often do, we soon forget the discomforts of the past and only observe the moment’s conditions. Our hooded jackets, needed to keep the rain off our heads, weren’t warm enough to keep us from shivering although we’d each worn multiple layers underneath.

In any case, we were enthralled with the three sounds and the reality that we’d arrived in New Zealand, our home for the next three months where we’ll have a car and be able to travel about both the north and south islands at our leisure.

The colorful shoreline in Doubtful Sound.

This is our 12th cruise in 39 months. After all these cruises we’ve come to a few conclusions that we’ll carry with us on all future cruises:

1.  We’re using cruises as a means of transportation. In order to continue to do so, we must monitor expenses to ensure we don’t receive a huge bill at the end of the cruise. Overspending could deter us from future cruises.
2.  The cost of excursions are often too high for us to schedule any on each cruise although we have booked one upcoming next Monday.
3.  Getting off the ship to go sightseeing with the high cost of venues and transportation (none are included in the cruise fare) doesn’t make sense when we’ll be living in the country for months to come with a rental car.  If we’re not staying in the country, then we may explore on our own, keeping the costs as low as possible.
4.  The cost of WiFi is an expense we choose to bear on each cruise. On this particular cruise, the cost is US $244 each (at a discount from US $299 each due to our growing priority status) in order to be able to be online at the same time. With both of us busy with research and posting each day, sharing a connection is not an option for us.

It was rainy, cold, and windy when we took this photo of Dusky Sound, the last of the three sounds we sailed yesterday.

5.  We no longer feel the necessity of dining in specialty restaurants when the food in the main dining room has been very good for both of us including my way of eating.
6.  We don’t need to eat twice a day if we aren’t hungry (we never eat three meals a day). This morning I couldn’t eat a morsel when I still felt full from last night’s good meal of rare prime rib, salad, avocado and veggies. I joined Tom in the dining room this morning while he had a light breakfast. His snacking on pastries, ice cream, and daytime treats has diminished on this cruise when he said he doesn’t feel like being “bloated” from excess consumption. 

Passengers aboard this boat waved at our ship as we passed in the sound.

7.  Unless the “beverage package” is included in our fare as a promotion, most likely we won’t purchase it in the future. At US $65 per day per person, requiring that both parties in a couple purchase the same package to avoid “sharing” it makes no sense when all I drink is coffee and tea, both of which are “free” in the cafeteria on any ship. 

Tom doesn’t drink enough cocktails in a day to pay for it.  Even with the included two beverage packages for this cruise, he hasn’t had more than three cocktails in a day which would average around US $10 each. Sure, I’ve had several specialty teas and a once-a-day coffee with full fat cream with a splash of sugar-free vanilla syrup to create my own coffee drink, it certainly hasn’t been worth US $65 per day. I could easily forgo both of these without giving it a thought.

Following is a photo of the various drink packages offered on Celebrity Cruises at this time.  On the last cruise with Royal Caribbean (the same parent company), the cost was US $59 per person per day. Regardless of how we access these packages, none make a whole lot of sense.

This photo of the Celebrity drink packages can easily be enlarged to
more clearly see the prices.

Do our above “limitations” inhibit our enjoyment?  Not at all!  We’re having the time of our lives meeting other passengers, interacting with the thoughtful crew, and thoroughly enjoying the ship and the scenery as we continue on our way to Auckland, New Zealand, our final port of call where we’ll arrive on Tuesday, January 19th in six days. 

We’re feeling well, sleeping well, frequently walking about the ship for exercise, and of course, treasuring the time we spend sharing it with all of our readers worldwide.

Have a beautiful day!

Photo from one year ago today, January 13, 2015:

One year ago, we were two days until departure to Kauai, Hawaii. Tom took this beautiful sunrise photo from our veranda at the house on Big Island. For more details, please click here.