Hard to resist…Rocking the night away…Lautoka, Fiji…

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Freighter beyond a peninsula while docked in Lautoka, Fiji.

I can’t recall the last time we danced as much as we have on this cruise. Oh sure, when we first started dating in 1991, it wasn’t unusual for us to go “on a date” to end up on the dance floor rocking the night away. 

Again, last night there was another “silent disco.” Immediately after dinner, both exhausted from too much fun, we walked past the event on the way to our cabin, hoping to turn in early for a change.

Many Fijian islands are small, as shown here.

Alas, Tom grabbed two lighted headsets off the DJ’s table, plopping one on each of our heads. Our instantaneous response was to immediately start dancing while the 1965 Four Tops song, “I Can’t Help Myself” was blaring on the “red” channel.

Once we started moving, it was nearly impossible to stop.  When Tom left for the restroom, I continued to dance by myself until some 30 something guy grabbed my hand and twirled me around, suddenly my new dance partner until Tom returned. Oh, good grief!

There are hundreds of islands in Fiji.

It’s easy to remember music from “the old days,” especially when today’s younger generation has a profound interest in music from our era in the ’60s, ’70s, and 80s when some of the best dance music rocked the radio waves and sound systems in our cars and homes. In addition, we often hear the old songs in movies, TV shows, and at a variety of venues.

Sure, most of our dance moves are still the same as our distant past. But, hardly ever does anyone adopt a new style of dance when, as amateurs, we kind of “loved the one we’re with” in more than one way…our personal dance style and our preferred dance partner.

The industrial port held little interest for us in getting off the ship.

Isn’t it funny how we each think our style is still upbeat and trendy when we’re dancing? Any yet, as we looked around, it was easy to tell how old the dancers were, besides inspecting the laugh lines on their faces and crinkles around their eyes. Their dance style gave it all away, and we were no exception to the rule.

It’s during the gyrations on the dance floor that suddenly we become young again, energized, hopeful for a long and healthy life and overall grateful to be alive and able to move about to the fast-paced thumping of the music. 

Buses were lined up at the port to take passengers on a variety of tours.

A variety of songs played on the three colored lighted stations consisting of red, blue, and green lights on the headset. One need only notice the color of their own favorite song on their headset to dance with someone else listening to the same station, same color. 

Although many couples and groups didn’t seem to care if their partners were listening and dancing to different songs, everyone, regardless of the songs, couldn’t seem to stop dancing, laughing, and interacting.

Booths were set up along the port for tourists to shop.  No interest in that!

Perhaps the average age in the overall group was probably around 50, with many of the dancers were well into their 70s and some into their 80s. There was only a handful of 20 somethings.

What great exercise! I wish I could have kept up with Tom, who has proven he can dance non-stop for hours. Maybe by the next cruise, I’ll have recovered sufficiently enough to keep up with my five years younger husband. In any case, I did my fair share on the dance floor.

Many passengers enjoy cruising for the shopping.  For us, we’re only interested in spending our remaining AU 133, US $100, non-refundable cabin credit. 

Hoping for an early evening, Tom didn’t get to sleep until well after 1:00 am, and it was 2:15 am the last time I looked at the time on the phone. So today, another sleepy day, we’ll attempt a short nap at some point. 

Neither of us is good at napping when it’s hard to turn off the “music” in our heads. But, I suppose, in essence, that’s a good thing!

May you have music in your head today and always!

Photo from one year ago today, March 9, 2016:

Could this face with grass in her mouth be any cuter? Nothing can compare to the charm of these gentle animals. For more adorable alpaca photos, please click here.

Food aboard the ship….Being “real”…

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Each night my meals consist of salmon or chicken breast with prawns and a side of spinach and mashed cauliflower. This cruise, I’ve avoided salads and beef.

OK, dear readers, bear with me for a little whinging (complaining). We’ve always stated we’ll “tell it like it is,” although, at times, we may postpone our whining for a day or two while we await what hopefully proves to be a good outcome to further share with our readers.

It’s one thing to moan and groan which may become more tolerable to the reader when a resolution has been implemented to defray the negative chatter. But, ah, living in the world is beyond our expectations, but it can be a huge struggle when one isn’t feeling well.

While recovering from this dreadful gastrointestinal bacterial infection lasting 15 months, on top of the back injury in Bali last June, it’s been one tough past year. The back injury healed totally by November, but without mention here of the raging intestinal infection until this past month, I feel as if I haven’t been “telling it like it is” as much as we might have intended.

Even Tom has been extra careful during this cruise, eating less bread, starch, and sugar. Here’s his Chateaubriand with asparagus and potato.

Why we kept it under wraps was more due to its vague nature than admitting to my vulnerability. When it finally reached its full-blown level with medical care required, we didn’t hesitate to post it here.

Now totally done with the two-week course of powerful doses of two antibiotics, I’d hope there would be no more to say on the topic. But, life isn’t always what and how we’d like it to be. I still have to watch what and how much I eat and drink while I’ve been dealing with the worst sore throat of my life for the past week, a side effect of the medication.

None of this has kept me down. On the contrary, we’ve continued to thoroughly enjoy ourselves, taking advantage of every moment aboard the ship with little time spent in our cabin except for a few short rests we’ve allowed ourselves on occasion.

Last night, I was served two almond flour cakes, a bigger portion than I needed, but it was impossible to resist when I hadn’t had a suitable dessert in so long I couldn’t remember. They were both delicious, although those on “regular” diets may not have thought so. Also, I’ve been drinking a half glass of red wine each night which has been proven to aid in killing off residual Helicobactor Pylori bacteria, as shown in this study. (Please check with your doctor for appropriate treatment if you have this infection or others).

Today, for the first day in a week, my throat feels a little better, and yet I’m still not my usual self. Thus, while aboard ship, I preferred to keep my meals simple, easy to digest, and of course, easy to swallow. 

As a result, I asked the restaurant manager to have the chef make the same meal for me each night, only alternating chicken and salmon as the main entree items, including a few prawns, spinach, and mashed cauliflower, all easy to digest and swallow. This would ensure I was getting adequate protein and other nutrients.

With the restrictive diet I’ve followed for the past five and a half years, I’ve been able to avoid constant pain from the spinal condition that I’ve had for almost 30 years. This has enabled us to travel the world. There’s no way I’ll ever stray from that plan. Unfortunately, however, some of us fall prey to other conditions layering one condition over another from time to time. It’s the way it is.  No one is exempt.

Tom’s chocolate mousse dessert.

A huge aspect to our intent in sharing our site, now almost five years in the making (our fifth anniversary of posting is next week), has been to avoid glamorizing this life and to be “real.” “Real” is not always pretty. “Real” is not always fun and playful. “Real” doesn’t always result in interesting reading for our much-appreciated world audience.

Today, we’re in Lautoka, Fiji. Neither of us desires to exit the ship for the endless touristy-type shops along the way. So instead, we’re content to stay onboard, mingle with our newly made friends and continue to read and relax.

That’s as “real’ as it gets aboard a ship. Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, March 8, 2016:

While driving along the coast in New Zealand, we often attempted to take photos of these sun-drenched scenes of the waning sun peeking through dense clouds. For more photos, please click here.

A fun video on “silent disco” night!…The unreality of life on a cruise…Routines become all encompassing…

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 This was a “silent disco” so you won’t hear much
in the way of sound.
Living aboard a ship is comparable to living in a world far removed from day-to-day reality, not unlike that for other passengers who have left their homes to travel on a ship for weeks or more.

Having spent 198 days cruising since the onset of our travels, beginning on October 31, 2012, it served us well to roll into the comfortable routine. Moreover, doing so provides us with a sense of a home during these extended periods.

The ease with which we move from activity to activity, area to area, and a variety of dining and drinking venues become somewhat of a routine for other passengers and us as well.

Christina hung out with us on disco night along with many other new friends we’d met aboard the ship.

This becomes particularly evident when we visit areas we tend to frequent each day or evening at certain times. As a result, our daily routine looks like this:

6:30 am – One of us gets out of bed to shower and dress, with the other immediately following behind. 

7:30 am (8:00 am on sea days) – Arrive in Epernay dining room for served breakfast at a shared table from six to 10 passengers.

The lighting was not conducive to taking photos, but it’s evident that not everyone listened to the same channel.

9:00 – 9:30 am – Return to the cabin to collect laptops and head to Cafe Al Bacio to begin posting. Often, I’ll go directly to the cafe to secure a seat at one of our favorite of three tables situated along the railing overlooking the centrum while Tom dashes to the cabin to get the laptops and the camera.

12:00 – 12:30 pm – Return laptops to the cabin to recharge. If one of us didn’t eat breakfast (I’ve had smoothies most mornings), we might wander to the 14th deck to the Oceanview Cafe, a buffet, where each item offered lists the following, if applicable:  gluten free, sugar-free, vegetarian, lactose-free. This only helps me choose items to a degree since nothing is notated for “low carb” or “starches,” neither of which fit into my diet.

Sorry for the blur; I couldn’t resist including this dancing photo!

1:30 – 2:00 pm – On sea days:  Return to the cabin, collect laptops, and return to Cafe Al Bacio to work on the next day’s photos and post, respond to email and of course, chat with an endless array of friendly passengers.  Some passengers have giggled with us when labeling our seats in the cafe as our “office.” So true. On port of call days: It’s during this period, we may walk off the ship (or take a tender) to explore the port we’re visiting.

4:00 pm – Return to the cabin to relax a bit, later dressing for the upcoming evening’s activities. Most nights are “smart casual,” with no dressy clothing required. However, when “chic” is listed, people tend to wear dressier clothing, although it’s not required.

5:00 – 5:30 pm – Wander to the Sky Lounge for “Elite (or higher) members free happy hour during which we always sit with other passengers shooting the breeze while we share our collective travel experiences as lovely appetizers are servers by wait staff along with cocktails and beverages of our choice.

Our adorable new friend Christina (of Harold and Christina) also “rocked the night away.”

6:30 – 7:00 pm – Happy hour in the Sky Lounge ends at 7:00 pm, after which we wait in what is usually a short line to be seated for dinner. Since we enjoy dining at a shared table, arriving later than 7:00 may prevent the opportunity to dine with others since most passengers dine early to make one of the two shows presented at 7:00 and 9:00 pm. We rarely attend the shows when variety-type shows hold little appeal to either of us.

9:00 – 9:30 pm -Leave the dining room we make our way to one of the many bars where we’ll listen to music, chat amongst ourselves and others to relax and enjoy the remainder of our evening.

The “Ice Bar” is just that, covered in ice. I couldn’t resist making this heart shape as a remnder of our 22nd anniversary the following day.

11:00 pm to ???? – Head to our cabin for the evening hoping for a good night’s sleep, only to begin the same highly enjoyable routine all over again the next morning. 

A few nights ago, a disco event was listed on the program, referred to as a “silent disco.” This is the point when each passenger dons a lighted headset with three channels, each colored coordinated for three types of music being broadcast.

With all the party-goers wearing their headsets, those not wearing them didn’t hear a sound. This is a hoot, especially when a good song is playing and we all go nuts encouraging each other to change the channel for the better dance song via the use of a little button on the side of the headset.

More new friends from Australia, Corinna, and Beau, with whom we’ve had a great time.

As it turned out, at times, Tom and I were dancing together with each of us listening to a different song. This was hysterical. And proved to be more fun than we can describe. 

Tom danced for two hours non-stop, standing next to me at the “Ice Bar” while I joined him in dancing as often as I was reenergized, later sitting for a short recovery period only to begin again. (After all, I’d been sick for the past three months and hadn’t yet had quite enough time to recover after months of lounging. Now, vigorously walking through the ship each day, I’m beginning to feel a slow return to my old self).

We both had messy hair from taking the headsets on and off throughout the night. Tom’s was especially messy from sweating. His shirt was soaked by the end of the evening.

Gosh, we had so much fun. We were reminded of our “hay days” of carrying on in our younger days dancing in a variety of bars and discos. Wow! What a fun activity, especially when we were with friends we’ve made aboard during the entire evening.

Today, the ship is docked in Suva, Fiji. Having spent four months in Fiji over a year ago, plus considerings its where I contracted the infection, neither of us has any desire to get off the ship. 

Eventually, Tom had to remove his glasses. He was sweating so much!  I love this photo!

No offense intended for Fiji. We had a good experience on both the islands of Vanua Levu (Savusavu) and Viti Levu (Pacific Harbour) during the extended period. Today we’re content to stay on board in air-conditioned comfort, continuing to revel in our highly pleasing routine and visiting with the wonderful people we’ve met along the way.

Have a pleasing day, hopefully, spent in the presence of YOUR wonderful people!

Photo from one year ago today, March 8, 2017:

The sun was peeking through the clouds casting this glow at the beach in New Zealand. But, of course, the scene would have been more impressive had it not been so late in the evening. For more photos, please click here.

Swoon worthy photo from friends…Yesterday’s stop at Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia….

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Two newly born bush babies peering out at the world awaiting them In Marloth Park, South Africa. This photo was taken by friend Mick Dryden (wife, Lynne), both extraordinary photographers and birders. We hope to see them next February when we return to Marloth Park.

Yesterday on Facebook, Lynne and Mick, friends from South Africa, posted today’s main photo and the photo below, both of which sent us swooning.  I couldn’t take my eyes off these exceptional sightings and subsequent photos taken in the yard of their home in the bush in Marloth Park, where we’ll be living next February for my birthday and for months to come. 

As the time nears for the upcoming Antarctica cruise in a mere 10 months with the return to Africa thereafter, our enthusiasm is over the moon. However, we easily find ourselves living in the moment, embracing that which surrounds us at any given time.

Two more little bush babies were photographed by friend Mick in Marloth Park, South Africa. Thanks to wife Lynne for sharing these on Facebook and allowing us to post them.

As we continue to build our repertoire of worldwide experiences, we’ve learned to pick and choose what appeals to us the most. Since our site here is less of a “tourist travel log” and more of a “world travel journal,” we feel confident that our preferred experiences enrich us and hopefully for our readers.

Church on the Hill in Lifou.

The social aspect of cruising is the most appealing to us since we’re often isolated from many social interactions in some locations we’ve visited. For example, most recently in Tasmania, the little oceanfront town of Penguin met all of our needs for socialization.

Thanks to our landlord and new friend Terry, who diligently orchestrated many social events on our behalf, the experience proved to be rich in local culture and people, one we’ll never forget. 

Pier in Lifou where the ship’s tenders docked to unload passengers anxious to get to the beach.

During the second half of our three-month stint in Tasmania, in the lovely holiday home on the Huon River in the Huon Valley, we were a little more isolated during that period, especially since I wasn’t quite up to par during the six weeks in this gorgeous area of Tasmania. 

Aboard the Celebrity Solstice, and on other ships, we become entrenched in socialization well beyond our expectations. If it quiet for longer than we’d prefer, all we need to do is to head to a meal in the buffet, main dining, or one of several busy bars or lounges. 

Lifou is a popular island for snorkeling and swimming with its crystal blue waters and white sand beaches.

There, we discover other passengers anxious to interact, and lively and animated conversation ensues from the first moment we all introduce ourselves. There’s been few, if any, exceptions to this scenario as night after night, we’re thoroughly entertained and delighted by the people we meet.

Usually, when dinner ends, and we finally go our separate ways, Tom and I head to the Ensemble Lounge, where there’s live music, a long friendly bar, an easy spot to meet even more people. 

Beautiful scenery along the shoreline.

Often, we become equally engrossed in chatting with one another, possessing a degree of pleasure comparable to our early dating days when we couldn’t get enough of each other. 

That magical element has remained with us as we’ve traveled the world, although we’re together 24/7, year after year. There’s no pool table on this ship, but we’re easily able to experience exceptional evenings, dancing, chatting with one another and other passengers, and; wandering throughout the ship.

Native Church Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia.

Tonight, if we can manage a short nap today, we’ll head to the “silent disco,” an event we’ll share in our next post.  We stayed up late last night, and both of us had trouble falling asleep. As a result, we’re both a bit sluggish.

Currently, on the last day of two full weeks of antibiotics and PPIs, I’m feeling better with a few modifications; small meals and consuming liquids slowly over a period of time. However, in a month, I’ll have to be retested for the bacteria we’ll arrange while in Sydney.

Small boats owned by locals.

As for the remainder of today’s photos, they’re from yesterday’s port of call in Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia. Here’s a little information on Lifou, but more may be found online at this site and others;

“Ten thousand people live on Lifou, and the island is divided into three customary districts: Wetr, Lösi, and Gaïça. Traditions and customs are very much alive here. Celebrations and daily tasks (such as hut construction or agriculture) are permeated by tradition. Wé is the administrative center of the Loyalty Islands as it is the biggest tribal village. Located by gorgeous Chateaubriand Bay, Wé counts the island’s main commercial and administrative facilities. 
 
Lifou was officially discovered (and mapped out) by Dumont d’Urville in 1827. Rapidly, Catholic and Protestant missionaries flocked to the island. They fought to convert local populations, thereby echoing the more prosaic competition between the British Empire and France.”

The town is quiet and peaceful, with locals dedicated to providing positive tourist experiences.

As for the remainder of today, we’re content to “see what transpires” when each day, planned or not, proves to be filled with wonderful surprises.

May your day bring you many happy surprises! Thanks for “visiting” us!

Photo from one year ago today, March 6, 2016:

A few roses remained in Trish and Neil’s garden a year ago as summer comes to an end in New Zealand. For more photos with subjects we consider beautiful, please click here.

Part 2,…Oh, What a Night!…The fun continues…Photo of us and our new friends…

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Our new friends, Christina and Harold, enjoyed dinner in their Penthouse Suite, which is the size of a typical one-bedroom condo.

Cruising is so far removed from most people’s reality that many are disappointed to return to everyday life by the time it ends. However, for us, as constant world travelers, it becomes a part of our daily lives.

We do all the same things when staying in a location; posting each day, searching for photo ops, relaxing, walking, and dining on great food. The bonus for us is fewer ports of call, many of which are too “touristy” for us, and more about the opportunity to interact with people from all over the world.

We have a US $375, AU $494 cabin credit that we’ve had to “use it or lose it” resulting in a bit of shopping. 

Many we’ve met are not a lot different than us, except they have a home to which they return now and then to regroup, repack and recharge for the next adventure. So, for example, last night, we met a lovely couple who are on the move for most of the year, often for six consecutive months in their caravan/motor home.

This common theme among many passengers creates considerable chatter and enthusiasm for where we’ve all visited in the past and anticipate for the future. Many are well into their 80’s which we hope will work for us as well. One never knows.

We never gamble although we could use the cabin credit. However, once one starts, it’s hard to stop.

Yesterday and this morning, we spent more time with new friends Christina and Harold as shown in the above photo sharing travel stories and discussing possibilities of meeting on a cruise or on land sometime in the next year or so.

Yesterday, we disembarked the ship taking a shuttle to the small town of Nuoma on the island of New Caledonia in the South Pacific. Walking up and down the city’s streets for a few hours we took many photos we’ll share tomorrow.

I purchased a few casual items on sale as did Tom.

Today, we’re docked in the island of Lifou, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia. However, we may decide to stay onboard based on several reviews we read on Trip Advisor such as the following:
“Great if you like snorkelling”

2 of 5 bubblesReviewed one week ago

If you are a swimmer or snorkeler this island would be fantastic. However, if not, then there is little or nothing at all to do at this location. We had to tender to the island from the ship, then walked in each direction for 1/2 hour or so only to be drenched in sweat. There were no open toilets available.”

For those who enjoy lying on a towel on a beach or snorkeling this may be an ideal location. Unfortunately, Tom has no tan base whatsoever, and my tan was brought about via a self-tanner which does not protect me from UV rays making the idea of baking in the sun unappealing.
Jewelry is a popular purchase among passenger. As a result, there’s now a Tiffany store (not shown here).

Some has asked why we don’t snorkel and for us the answer is simple; we’re worried about my lousy spine if somehow I was startled or jerked in a certain way. Besides, Tom has no interest in snorkeling.

I was seriously injured in the pool in Bali last June taking five months to recover. We don’t want to have to end our journey due to an injury that could quickly have transpired over this past year along with the recent gastrointestinal illness from which I’m now recovering a little more each day.

This was my first cup of coffee in month; a sugar free vanilla decaf latte with lactose free whole cream.  Amazing! 

How can we travel the world and not swim in the ocean, snorkel, scuba dive, zip line, climb mountains, bungee jump or jump out of airplanes? We can. We do. And yet, we’re supremely content meeting people, learning a wide array of cultures, seeing some of the gorgeous scenery on earth, and immersing ourselves in wildlife, vegetation, and nature.

Then, of course, there’s the infinite joy of sharing the most infinitesimal details of our day to day lives. Wow! That in itself is a huge privilege.  Thank you to all of our readers for sharing this life with us!

Photo from one year ago today, March 5, 2016:

Trish and Neil had acquired these two pink cockatoos, a mating pair, from a elderly couple who’s health is failing. This pair was living in a chain-link cage on the grounds of the alpaca farms with lots of space and plenty of food. To get this photo, I placed the camera,between and touching the closely woven chain-link cage. For mo0re images, please click here.

Cruising in the Coral Sea…Photos of our cabin…Ironing out the wrinkles..Exceptional service…

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Our cabin is comfortable and roomier than on some ships at 194 square feet (18 square meters). The balcony is 54 square feet (5 square meters). We have plenty of storage space for our clothing and supplies when storing our luggage under the bed, leaving ample walking space.

On day 10 of 14 days on a powerful course of antibiotics for Helicobactor Pylori, I’ve finally turned the corner. I can’t say how excited we are that the symptoms are finally abating a little each day. 

When we reviewed past posts and recalled I’d purchased “digestive enzymes” over a year ago while living in New Zealand, I realized this issue escalated over a period of 15 months shortly after I consumed the squid and octopus in Fiji 2015 with no ill effects at the time. 

Later in Bali, I was sickened by eating squid, after which the symptoms further escalated. It took us time to figure this out. Travelers are highly prone to contracting intestinal bacteria.

Adding my nightly two glasses of wine during the 33-night cruise circumventing Australia in November 2016, the symptoms exacerbated to the point where I became ill shortly after the cruise ended while we were living in Penguin, Tasmania, beginning on December 3, 2016.

An alternative view of our cabin. The closet has plenty of hangers, an umbrella, safe and additional storage. Twice daily, our cabin steward delivers ice. In the afternoon, canapes are delivered, which Tom enjoys.

Two factors beyond the medication may have contributed to this recent improvement; eating tiny meals with no starter, no salad, and no cheese plate for dessert and; avoiding ice in my water and beverages, which can irritate the intestinal tract. For now, only warm or room temperature beverages for me. I could jump for joy.
 
In the future, when hopefully all the symptoms are gone, I may be able to eat enough to satisfy my appetite and also have a glass of iced tea from time to time. But, if this is the way I have to eat going forward, I can live with it. 

Perhaps my days of one meal a day are over since, at this time, I can’t eat enough for adequate nutrition in only one meal per day, nor can I feel I’ve had enough to eat. 

View from our balcony before leaving Sydney.

As for drinking wine in the future, it’s totally “off the table,” although my mouth watered last night at dinner when one of our table mates took the first sip of a glass of a fine Pinot Noir. So it goes. Feeling well and healthy is always more important to me than food or wine.

Speaking of cocktails, when we booked this cruise, one of the perks was the Premium Drink Package for two, which allows for upper-end beverages, specialty coffees, and bottled water. For Tom, a died-in-the-wool Courvoisier aficionado, having the opportunity to order “VSOP” was high on his radar.

Once we were situated on the cruise and Tom placed his first drink order, he was told the VSOP was not included in our “Classic Beverage Package.” We were both surprised when we recalled the documents specifically stating we were entitled to the Premium Package.

Luna Park in the Sydney Harbour.

Once back in our cabin, we verified on our computers that our drink package was indeed the Premium Package and contacted the customer service department by phone. Their records showed we had the “Classic” (basic) package. 

We had no choice but to contact Vacations To Go to see if they could help. Our rep, Shanon, contacted Celebrity directly to confirm we were correct in assuming we were entitled to the Premium package based on our documents. 

By this morning, it was resolved, and the Premium package would be honored. Thanks to Shanon for quickly resolving this. It was the first time we’d ever contacted VTG to assist us once we boarded a ship. Any other inequities were easily resolved on our own. 

View of Sydney from the ship.

Another issue that may seem petty to some was the fact there was no sugar-free vanilla syrup available in Cafe al Bacio, which I’d been able to order on all past cruises, enabling me to enjoy a coffee beverage. I’d requested a decaf with sugar-free vanilla syrup and heavy cream (instead of milk). We asked several staff members to no avail…it simply wasn’t on board, and there was nothing they could do.

As many of our loyal members recall from past posts, one of the greatest pleasures we’ve enjoyed on a ship has been the availability of these specialty coffees. Feeling better today, I was longing for a cup.

This morning I noticed the beverage manager standing in the coffee service area and decided to see what he could do. After 40 minutes, the chef made a batch of sugar-free vanilla syrup from scratch using high-quality, alcohol-free vanilla, and I was presented with the perfect Vanilla Macchiato.

Alternate view of the ship, Celebrity Solstice, one of our favorite ships.

This is why we love Celebrity. They are exceptional in satisfying every passenger’s desires and continue to provide me with small exceptional meals and, now, my favorite coffee drink. At this time, I’ll have only one cup each day, providing it doesn’t harm my digestive tract. We’ll see how it goes. How I’ve missed coffee over these past many months!

Need I say, I’m floating only inches from the ceiling. On top of it, I just spent US $129, AU 170 on four items of clothing in one of this ship’s clothing stores; two tops and two somewhat dressy zippered sweatshirts. 

They were having a sale with many items marked at 50% off. So now, I’ll have four long sleeve items to keep me warm, which I’ve been longing for the past many months. With our non-refundable cabin credit of US $375, AU 495, and the gratuities, WiFi (for two), and beverages included in our fare, we’ll lose it if we don’t use the credit at the end of the cruise.

Books with many newer titles are available at no cost in the ship’s library.

I need to convince Tom to spend the remaining US $246, AU 325, on himself. Mr. Hate-to-Shop needs to go on a little spending spree before all the good items are gone, gone, gone.

Today at 2:00 pm, we’ll attend Cruise Critic’s arranged “cabin crawl” when the members tour a number of the more upscale cabins oohing and aahing over the luxurious staterooms. Too much fun!

Have a beautiful day!

Photo from one year ago today, March 3, 2017:

Ellouise almost looked as if she was smiling as she watched her cria’s birth, going as nature intended with the front legs first. We were also relieved and excited about the experience while the owners were away on holiday as we agreed to oversee the births. Wonderful opportunity! Trish and Neal named him “Minnesota” for Tom. An earlier born cria whose birth we oversaw was a female named “Miss Jessica” for me. Each season they use the next letter in the alphabet, and that season they were on “M”‘s. For a video and the balance of these photos, please click here.

Happy Australia Day to our Australian/Tasmanian friends and readers…Saving more of $$$$…

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Our friend Terry (and past landlord in Penguin) sent us this beautiful photo of another seal on Sisters Beach, Tasmania where he and his wife Fran are spending time at their cabin. Thanks, Terry!  This is quite a gem!

Today is Australia Day, a national day of celebration. This morning while researching online for information Australia Day to share with our readers, I stumbled across this interesting article as shown below at this link (edited to fit our page):

“Australia Day 2017: What does the average Aussie really look like?

Matt Wade
        
by Matt Wade                                        

Numbers can paint a vivid picture of how a nation has changed.  A century ago the average Aussie was a 24-year-old male farmer. Fifty years ago, it was a 29-year-old male office clerk. But today, it’s a 38-year-old female sales assistant.

Australia reaches population milestone

Earlier this year, statistics confirmed what we already knew, Australia’s population is rapidly growing; but you might be surprised to learn which city will be our biggest by 2050.

Let’s call our typical Aussie Rebecca – that was the most popular name for girls born in 1979 (it was Michael for boys). She is married and lives with her husband and two children, a boy and a girl aged nine and six, in a stand-alone house with three bedrooms in a suburb of one of Australia’s capital cities. They have a pet.

Rebecca completed year 12, has a Certificate in Business and Management and is employed as a sales assistant – the nation’s most common occupation for women and men these days. She does 32 hours of paid work each week (the average is 41 hours for men) and another five hours or more unpaid work around the house. The household’s annual disposable income is $88,500 (after tax). Rebecca takes five days of sick/carers leave each year and 16 days of annual leave.

Demographer Mark McCrindle estimates that Rebecca’s family has lived in the house for five years and is paying off a mortgage. They have $427,847 equity in the property, which is the bulk of the family’s wealth. They have another $65,880 worth of household possessions such as furniture and equipment.

Rebecca was born in Australia – despite our cultural diversity the average Australian was born here, as were both of their parents. But it’s a very different story in some parts of our big cities. In Sydney’s Haymarket for instance, 88 per cent of the population were born overseas.
Rebecca’s household has two cars which each travel an average of 14,000 kilometers (8699 miles) a year. Over the past 40 years the share of households with two or more motor vehicles has doubled, from 26 per cent to around 54 per cent. Like 69 percent of all commuters, Rebecca drives to work.

Despite the growing proportion of Australians with no religion, or a non-Christian religious affiliation, Rebecca is a Catholic and speaks only English at home. She has “English, Australian, Irish, or Scottish ancestry” according to the Bureau of Statistics. Rebecca is 164cm tall (5’4″) and weighs 68kg  (150 pounds). The average man is 178cm (5’8″) and weighs 85kg (187)pounds. She exercises three times a week and gets 7.2 hours of sleep per night.

Rebecca can expect to live until 85.3 years – about four years more than her male counterparts. Mr. McCrindle said demographic averages shed light on Australia’s collective “personality”.

“These statistics show we are working hard, we are saving hard and we are juggling multiple roles,” he said.

“It points to a pretty conscientious, busy nation that is just getting on with it.”

View from the highway as we head back from Huonville.

This above article defines life for the average Australian, although the lives of many may vary substantially based on income and lifestyle. In the next few days Australia’s population will reach 24,000,000.

The significance of Australia Day, is described as follows from this site:

“On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate what’s great about Australia and being Australian. It’s the day to reflect on what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our great nation. It’s the day for us to re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the future.
 
Australia Day, 26 January, is the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great Britain, and the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by its commander, Captain Arthur Phillip, in 1788 (you can read a comprehensive history of the evolution of Australia Day here).

Though 26 January marks this specific event, today Australia Day celebrations reflect contemporary Australia: our diverse society and landscape, our remarkable achievements and our bright future. It also is an opportunity to reflect on our nation’s history, and to consider how we can make Australia an even better place in the future.

On Australia Day, half of the nation’s population of 24 million attend either an organized community event, or get together with family and friends with the intention of celebrating our national day. Many more, spend the public holiday relaxing with family and friends.

Yet Australia Day is much more than barbeques and fireworks. It is more than another public holiday. It is more than the pride and excitement of new citizens who call themselves Australian for the first time on 26 January after being conferred citizenship.

At its core, Australia Day is a day driven by communities, and the celebrations held in each town, suburb or city – unified by the celebration of what’s great about Australia and being Australian – are the foundation of its ongoing success.”

The Huon River is very wide in this area.

We’re honored and excited to be here in Australia on this special day in history. Today, we’re off to the celebrations in the town of Franklin, returning tomorrow with photos. 

As to the mention in today’s heading regarding our “Saving more $$$$” we’re pleased that Tom’s diligence in checking daily for price reductions on our already booked cruises have benefited us to such a degree.

Over this past month, the cruise from Santiago, Chile to Buenos Aires, Argentina we’ve saved a total of AU 2,641, US $2,000.  We’d booked the cruise while aboard ship which provides an added opportunity for perks and yet, still allows our rep at Vacations to Go to receive full credit for the transaction.

The dock on the property here in Castle Bay Forbes on the Huon River.

To reap the benefits of these price drops, which in this case was a total of three price reductions, we contact Brooklyn/Shanon, our rep at Vacations to Go who immediately gets to work to confirm the price drop with the cruise line (Celebrity in this case) and then issue new documents at the lowest price which are promptly sent to us via email. 

During this particular price drop we were able to maintain the perks we received at the time of booking which included free Wi-Fi, paid gratuities and AU 396, US $300 cabin credit. We’re thrilled to say the least.

Our vacation/holiday home on the Huon River, as shown from the river side. We live on the top floor with a second bedroom and en suite bath in our lower level while the owners, Anne and Rob, live on the lower level.

The skies are cloudy now, but we expect it to clear by the time we head out for Franklin. However, rain or shine, we won’t miss this special event.

Have a sunny day wherever you may be both in your heart and in your skies!

Photo from one year ago today, January 26, 2016:

Although a little tough to see with the long lashes, Mont Blanc had blue eyes.  (We fell in love with him, but sadly, he eventually died).He was the “cria’ that had escaped the paddock leaving us in a quandary with the owners at work. For the rest of this story as to how he was returned to his mother, please click here.

A new future booking…A change in our itinerary…It pays to be frugal…

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It’s great that we can make itinerary changes whenever we deem it necessary, for cost-saving or befits our desires. The exception in doing so is often predicated by the fact that we may have already paid non-refundable deposits or full payments such as for flights, vacation homes with a no-refund policy, and cruises after paying the final payment 90 days prior to sail date (partial refunds may be applicable).For the remainder of our itinerary, we have the option of changing our minds, finding better deals, and instituting price reductions, particularly on cruises. So far in our travels, we haven’t made any major changes, other than for a few cruises.

As Tom continually peruses our existing booked cruises, of which we currently have seven (with more to come), he’s always hoping to find price reductions that may suit our needs. After considerable research over these past few days, he found a change for a cruise we’d considered changing at some point anyway.

We spotted these flowers in many areas of Tasmania.

We’d booked a cruise from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Santiago, Chile while aboard a prior cruise in order to lock up the offered low down payment of AU $274, US $200 (for two), including several perks and cabin credit. 

When booking onboard a ship, our cruise rep still gets “credit” for the transaction and continues to handle the booking. At any time prior to final payment, we can transfer the low down payment to any future cruise, with the same cruise line.

When we booked the above-mentioned cruise, at the time we anticipated we’d never keep the booking for two reasons; one, it was the reverse of an itinerary on which we’ll have already sailed; two, the total cost for the cruise was more expensive than we preferred. Tom watched and waited.

Wildflowers along a country road.

Finally, in the past few days, as more and more cruises became posted, Tom found a replacement for the more expensive, “reverse repeat” cruise that will be much more suited to our future plans to try to visit family in the US every two years.

The fare for the cruise we canceled yesterday was AU $10,960, US $8,005, as mentioned, way more than we prefer to pay for a 14-night cruise (the exception to this is the upcoming pricey cruise to Antarctica in less than 13 months).

Instead, after speaking with our cruise rep Shanon, aka Brooklyn, at Vacations to Go, we moved our deposit over to the following cruise in its place (see below for itinerary):

Charges

Cruise (includes port charges) 3,198.00
Price Match – 200.00
Government Taxes*    452.68
Pre-Paid Gratuities    405.00
Total Sale (US$) $ 3,855.68


*Subject to change by the cruise line.

Payments

Paid To Type Amount
Celebrity Paid Direct 200.00
Total Payments (US$) $ 200.00
Balance Due (US$) $ 3,655.68


Final payment due January 1, 2019.

The total fare for this new cruise, including prepaid gratuities and taxes, is AU $5,278.90, US $3,855.61 which based on the above other cruises, constitutes a savings of AU $5,681.16, US $4.149.39. 

We didn’t have to think twice about this, especially when this new cruise is an easy means for us to return to the US for a visit slightly less than two years from our upcoming visit in May 2017. 

Here’s the itinerary for the new cruise:

Celebrity – Celebrity Eclipse, departs 3/24/19, 15 nights

Day Date Port or Activity Arrive Depart
Sun Mar 24 Santiago (Valparaiso), Chile 9:00pm
Mon Mar 25 La Serena, Chile 10:00am 6:00pm
Tue Mar 26 At Sea
Wed Mar 27 At Sea
Thu Mar 28 Lima (Callao), Peru 7:00am 5:00pm
Fri Mar 29 At Sea
Sat Mar 30 Manta, Ecuador 10:00am 6:00pm
Sun Mar 31 At Sea
Mon Apr 1 Puntarenas, Costa Rica 7:00am 4:00pm
Tue Apr 2 At Sea
Wed Apr 3 Huatulco, Mexico 10:00am 8:00pm
Thu Apr 4 At Sea
Fri Apr 5 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 9:00am 5:00pm
Sat Apr 6 Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 9:00am 5:00pm
Sun Apr 7 At Sea
Mon Apr 8 San Diego, CA 7:00am

Once we arrive in San Diego, we’ll begin the process of visiting family in San Diego and Los Angeles, California; Henderson, Nevada, and then on again to Minnesota.

We noticed these wildflowers on the roads from Hobart to Penguin.

Those of you familiar with our upcoming itinerary may ask, “Why are you going back to South America, after spending many months in Africa?” The answer is clear for us…we’ll return from Africa to head to South America since the proximity makes sense (although it’s still very far away).

This plan provides us with about a combined year to spend in Africa and South America (during the second visit to the continent) which we’ll continue to plan as we go along. While in Tasmania at this time we don’t feel any pressure to pin down specific details. 

Once we have pinned down more of the above plan, we’ll update our itinerary and post it here accordingly.  Overall the last itinerary we posted while in Bali, still is accurate except for the change of cruise and time spent in Africa and South America. Please click here for the link to our most recent itinerary which was posted on October 14, 2016.

Bushy looking plants.

In any case, we haven’t booked this new cruise a lot earlier than many other cruises we’ve booked in the past.  Using cruises for transportation has always been our objective when neither of us cares for the commotion at airports, baggage issues, and uncomfortable seating on flights.

This morning, as we reviewed the figures we’re posting today, Tom discovered price reductions on other upcoming cruises. Once our rep returns to work on Monday in the US, Tuesday here in Australia, we’ll call her and update our pricing to save even more. 

So maybe today, we aren’t out sightseeing on this cool and windy day (8.3C, 47F) but instead we’re staying indoors saving money. That’s not a bad way to spend a day!

Happy day to all!

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

There are rows upon rows of exquisite colorful Hindu gowns in a store in a mall in Sava, Fiji, worn by Indo-Fijian women on special occasions. For more details, please click here.

Final cruise expenses…Day to disembark….Off to Tasmania this morning…

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Our friend Stan’s photo of the sunset on our last night aboard the ship. Well done, Stan, thanks for sharing!

“Sighting on the Ship in Australia”

Miniature representations of schooner located in the Schooner Bar.

Today, as you read this post, we’re at the Sydney airport awaiting our upcoming flight at 10:35 am in Tasmania, Australia. Without a doubt, we appreciated each moment of this long cruise.

It took a while, but we got these figures together to share with our readers which now will include many wonderful people we’ve met aboard the ship. We’d love to see what others may have spent during their cruise, if any of our new readers would like to share. We can certainly keep it confidential if you’d prefer.

Photo in camera shop.

The cost for the 33 night Australian cruise was as follows:

Total Cost of Cruise  $9,105.74,  AU $12,269.65

Total Cruise Costs: US $11,249.58,  AU $15,161.36		 Total Cruise Bill: $582.04, AU $784.28

Cost for Cruise for Balcony Cabin #9030

Cruise Charges                                              $7,291.00
Senior Rate
Taxes                                                      960.04                                            
Prepaid Gratuities                                    854.70*        
                                            –
Total Cost (US)                                  $ 9,105.74

As for incidentals we spent when off the ship:
Clothing & Perth Visit:                                 340.00  
Sydney Pharmacy (toiletries)                       199.00
Grand Total for Incidentals:                $  539.00

Total Transportation/Hotel Costs:
Airfare Bali to Sydney:                                690.26
Hotel Sydney                                              272.54
Taxi Sydney Airport to Hotel                          60.00
Grand Total for Trans/Hotel              $ 1,022.80

Breakdown of Cruise Bill
Wi-Fi Voom for both legs                              747.66
Laundry (3 times)                                          74.97
Beverages not inc. Diamond Club                  174.10
Shuttle bus                                                    20.00
Shopping                                                     222.95
Luggage                                                        42.46
Cabin credits                                              – 700.00
Total cruise bill                                      $   582.04

Grand total for all expenses:         US $11,249.58  AU $15,161.36
Average cost per day:                    US $     358.53  AU $      459.44

* In the past 24 hours we handed out additional cash gratuities of US $200 spread among several staff members, including the dining room manager who facilitated my meals; our cabin steward; the bartender in the Diamond Lounge; Richardo our Diamond Club rep;  and our waiter in Cascades dining room. Although we’d paid the above mentioned US $854.70 in the cost of the cruise itself, we felt these extra gratuities were warranted.  This additional sum is not included in the above totals.

Painting in the gallery.

This morning, thanks to our host Richardo in the Diamond Club, we were given early disembarking tickets (#2) which easily facilitated the necessity of making it to the airport at least one hour before our scheduled 10:30 am flight to Tasmania. As it turned out we arrived a little too early and had to wait 30 minutes in order to check our bags.

The card room where bridge and other games are played.

Last night, we left our checked bags outside our cabin door where they were whisked away to the baggage collection area at the Port of Sydney once the ship docked early this morning. 

Once we disembark we collected our bags, grabbed a taxi and were our way to the airport, a 30-minute drive with little traffic since its Saturday here today. The process of disembarking the ship was seamless with no stress or worry.

Painting of wood boat.

We’ve had a most extraordinary cruise, made many new friends, including Lois and Tom and Cheryl and Stan and many more; spent time with old friends Michelle and Carlo in Perth; experienced some lovely ports of call; dined on excellent food; and during this entire period, we did exactly what we wanted to do each and every day.

We’re anticipating this next leg of our journey with enthusiasm and a sense of adventure. I can’t wait to spot our first Tasmanian Devil. Photos will follow, of course. Tomorrow, we’ll be back with photos of our new home and others, we’ll have taken on the almost four hour drive from Hobart to Penguin.

Happy day to all!

Photo from one year ago today, December 3, 2015:

With Savusavu, Fiji located on a mountain, steep roads are required to access most properties. For more photos, please click here

Day 33…Circumnavigating the Australian continent…Final day aboard ship…Final expenses tomorrow…

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The narrow peninsula in Newcastle, Australia was a pretty scene from the balcony.

“Sighting on the Ship in Australia”

Art from the gallery. There have been numerous art auctions aboard the ship. Luckily, we have no reason to participate, especially, as Tom says,”We don’t have any walls!”

With the recent changes in the ship’s itinerary, many passengers have been disappointed. As the captain explained in yesterday’s talk in the Aurora Theatre, the changes were necessary to avoid a hurricane (referred to as a typhoon in this part of the world). 

He displayed the weather maps on the screen and after seeing these the disgruntled passengers accepted that the change in itinerary was not only necessary but prudent by the conscientious captain.

Early this morning, the ship made for Newcastle, Australia.

As our day wore on, we stayed at our table in the Latte tudes Café while many passengers who’d attended our seminars stopped by to say hello and chat, sharing many wonderful travel stories of their own. That couldn’t have been more entertaining.

The lively city center of Newcastle.

There were numerous activities occurring in the Centrum under which we could easily watch from our café table, including dance practice for tonight’s passenger performance of Michael Jackson’s Thriller (kudos to those brave souls) and later in the day, the popular “egg drop contest.”

To compete in the egg drop, passengers found various supplies throughout the ship to create some sort of device they could use when they dropped their single egg onto the Centrum floor from the railing on an upper deck. Seeing these homemade contraptions float from above to break the egg or not, was hilarious with lots of crowd participation.

Fort Scratchley Historical site.

After the daytime festivities ended, we headed back to our cabin to get ready for the evening’s entertainment, happy hour in the Diamond Lounge with our two couples and a dinner for Tom and I in the specialty restaurant, Chops, hosted for us by the ship as a show of appreciation for our seminars.

Christ Church Cathedral.

Of course, going forward, should we decide to pursue it, the cruise lines corporate office works out a contractual arrangement for speakers with considerably more compensation than two bottles of wine and a dinner in a pay-for specialty restaurant. 

Generally, lecturers are provided with a complimentary cabin for two for the entire cruise. We’ll see how that rolls out for us, if we find it to be a possibility for the future. Only time will tell as we contemplate the potential options.

Esplanade along the shoreline.

We stayed with our friends in the Diamond Lounge until it was time for their dinner. Shortly after they left, we chatted with a couple who’d attended our seminars and then headed to “Chops Steak House.” The meal proved to be a truly extraordinary with the biggest, most tender melt-in-your-mouth-perfectly-cooked filet mignon steaks we’d had in a number of years. 

Newcastle Ferry Wharf.

After dinner, we gathered with hundreds of passengers in the Centrum for the 10:00 pm party. As it turned out, we “danced the night away.” Although I drank three glasses of wine over a period of eight hours with lots of water in between, today I’m sure feeling it. Whew!

Was it the dancing? Was it the lack of sleep which has been an issue during this entire cruise? We were late getting to bed most nights, getting up way too early each morning for the past 33-days. We didn’t want to miss a thing. But, now we both feel a little rest in Tasmania might be on the agenda.  We’re exhausted from having too much fun!

Pleasant scene in Newcastle.

Today’s a busy day. I have two posts to prepare; today’s, and tomorrow’s final expenses post which usually requires additional time to put together. We have to pack (we’d unpacked everything for this long cruise) leaving our bags outside our door tonight before 10:00 pm. 

Next we need to check in for our flight (Wi-Fi issues today preventing us doing so right now), pay for overweight luggage, map directions to the house in Penguin and get the access code from the owners which I requested by email this morning.

We’ll spend tonight with our friends, the final happy hour and dinner in the Cascades dining room. We’ve all exchanged email addresses and surely will stay in touch. Spending time with our little group has only added to the fine experience we’ve had on our first over 30-day cruise.

City view of Newcastle.

Would we consider this long of a cruise in the future?  We might.  However, after this lengthy cruise, we’ve lost interest in the possibility of 60 or 90 days (or more) world cruises. We do look forward to our feet firmly implanted on the ground and once again, setting up housekeeping at the upcoming first location in Tasmania.

Actually, we’re chomping at the bit to cook our first meal in over three months. As in turned out, we only cooked for 42 days in Phuket, Thailand out of the past six months. During that period, I was still suffering with the spinal injury.

Now, fully recovered and totally pain free, I’m looking forward to our day to day activities and being able to get out and about at our leisure for some sightseeing and exploring.

It’s a whole new day, a new adventure and a new leg in our ongoing world travels which we’ll continue to excitedly share with each of you each day.

Be well, dear friends.

Photo from one year ago today, December 2, 2015:

Private pier at  the Jacques Cousteau Resort in Fiji. For more photos, please click here.