Day 21…Circumnavigating the Australian continent…Dodged a bullet!

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Duty free alcohol is sold aboard the ship at good prices, but held until the last night of the cruise to prevent passengers from drinking their own alcohol to avoid buying drinks.

“Sighting on the Ship in Australia”

Painting in the art gallery aboard ship.

Two days ago we wrote about how thrilled we were to have avoided getting sick when so many passengers were coughing and sneezing throughout the ship. I spoke too soon. That evening, while at the 70’s music and dancing party in the Centrum, I started feeling an awful tickle in my throat causing me to cough.

By the time we got back to the cabin I knew I was in trouble when my throat became sore, and the tickle turned into all night hacking. Yesterday morning, I awoke feeling lethargic and awful. Throughout the day, it only worsened.

Preparing audio for this morning’s presentation.

By happy hour and dinner time with friends, I announced I was down with something asking everywhere to sit far from me. This was no bout of allergy as Tom’s sniffles may have been. This was a definitely some type of virus.

Instead of drinking wine and playing pool we returned to the cabin right after dinner while I fell into bed concerned I’d be sick for days. Unable to sleep with the worst sore throat I’d had in years, I soon began shivering. A fever had definitely set in.

This morning’s passengers in the Centrum during a “future cruises” presentation.

Not only was I covered by the duvet on the bed, but I added a fluffy white robe and my travel blanket while I finally shivered myself to sleep. The last thing I said to Tom before he nodded off was, “I think I’ll have to go to the ship’s doctor in the morning. This is bad, bad, bad.”

During the day, I’d taken a non drowsy antihistamine, an 8 hour Tylenol and 3 grams Vitamin C (spread throughout the day), hoping to reduce the symptoms. Exhausted, I finally fell asleep. There was another one hour time change resulting in one hour’s less sleep. Id figured I’d be spending the day in the cabin in quarantine if I visited the doctor and the time difference would have little effect.

Then, the weirdest thing happened. This morning, after a fitful night’s sleep, I awoke at 8:00 am (new time) and I am almost totally better. And I mean, better.  No sore throat, no hacking cough, only the slightest runny nose. What??? How did this happen?

Sale in the Centrum Shops when many items are priced at US $10, none of which has any value for us. The shops are open on sea days only.

I wish I could say I’d figured out some magic formula, but I did not. Is there really such a thing as a 36 hour virus? It certainly appeared to be more challenging than the common cold. 

I’m no wuss as many of our long term readers may be well aware. Often, medical care is sketchy in many areas in which we’ve lived and thus far, we’ve been able to treat any conditions on our own that may have arisen over these past years. That may not always be the case, but for now, it’s working. 

I’ve only been to a doctor twice in the past four years, once in Hawaii with what I thought was a UTI and again in Trinity Beach in 2015 when we both had physical exams to discover all was well for both of us, as we’d expected. 

Logo wear teddy bears.  We’ve only seen a few children on this cruise.

Even during the five months of excruciated back pain from the injury in Bali on June 1st, never once did we seek professional medical assistance. Now I’m completely recovered. Had we gone to a hospital or doctor, what would they have done anyway? Narcotics? No thanks. Surgery? No thanks. 

So, today, I’m cautiously optimistic, hoping I’ve indeed dodged a bullet and recovered in a short 36 hours. We’ll see how it goes over the next several days. With 13 nights remaining until the cruise ends, we can only hope we don’t catch any other viruses. 

Since we wash our hands obsessively, we’ve come to the conclusion that the cruise cough/virus syndrome most likely is airborne most likely a result of tight quarters especially in the elevators where escaping germs from coughing and sneezing is impossible.

The stairways are decorated with an array of artwork.

Today is another day at sea with passengers milling around looking for distraction and entertainment. We’re content in our two chairs and tiny table in the Latte tudes Café where once again, by a fluke, we found available seats.

For the first time ever, Tom had breakfast on his own this morning while I held our table in the café. I just didn’t feel like eating. If later in the day, I feel like something, we’ll head to the Windjammer or another dining venue for a bite. There’s no shortage of food around here.

Besides, don’t “they” say, “Feed a cold, starve a fever”  or is it, “Starve a cold, feed a fever?” Never mind. Eat when hungry. That works for me.

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, November 20, 2015:

 In Savusavu, Fiji I sat on a bench waiting for Tom to return from the ATM after I’d purchased data from the Vodafone kiosk. He’s on the sidewalk across the street wearing a white shirt, carrying the Costco bag on his right shoulder. For more photos, please click here.

Day 20…Circumnavigating the Australian continent…In the Navy?…Another era…

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The seagull is scanning the sea for lunch.

“Sighting on the Ship in Australia”

Artistic rendition in the ship’s art gallery.

With a one hour time change last night, surprisingly, we ended up having had enough sleep for a change. After dining with friends last night, we played a few games of billiards. I lost another one, but it was close. Maybe I will catch up to Tom’s skill level by the time this cruise ends two weeks from today.

After playing pool, we miraculously found two seats at the railing, allowing us to look below to the Centrum where the ship’s staff was performing songs from the 70’s. 

Pristine beach in Perth.
The highlight of the evening’s entertainment was the cruise director and his dance team dressed in appropriate costumes performing Village People’s “In the Navy” which certainly brought back memories for us old timers.  Click this link to jog your memory if you don’t recall this song.
A historic street in Perth.

We were literally dancing in our seats as we leaned over the railing to easily view the hour long show. It would have been an extra bonus to be on the dance floor with the mass of dancing passengers, but our two games of pool, left us too late to find space on the dance floor for us to gyrate along with the others.

The energy of the ship was electrifying, as passengers and staff danced instead of walking while singing along with the plethora of memorable songs from an era most of us recall with endless stories to tell. 

Sushi making demonstration in the Centrum.

It’s amazing how loud music can set the pace if the music elicits memories of another time and places we associate with good times and great experiences. Although Tom and I didn’t meet until 1991, we easily combine our love of old music and dancing that takes us back to another time.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have the camera with us and with the crowds everywhere, we didn’t feel like heading back to the cabin to retrieve it. I’m sure you all “picture” the activities of the loud and wild festivities. It’s one of those things that makes cruising such fun.

Our shipmates, Lois and Tom.

This morning the passengers are quietly commiserating in a wide array of seating areas with little thought of last night’s crazy fun, now sipping coffee and tea instead of last night’s dance-inducing cocktails, beer and wine.

And, here we are once again comfortably situated in Latte tudes Café,  lucky to have found a table which somehow we’ve managed to accomplish each and every day, while many staff members and passengers stop by to chat as they pass. It couldn’t be more pleasurable. We never mind the distractions always taking time to engage in idle conversation with whomever happens to stop by.

Our shipmates, Cheryl and Stan.

Today is another day at sea along with tomorrow while we sail toward Adelaide. We plan to get off the ship to tour the historic city. A few days later we’ll arrive in Melbourne (pronounced “Mel-bun” by Aussies) which we also plan to visit.

The days and nights seem to blend into a mishmash of delightful pastime events. We’re never bored. We spend little, if any, time in the cabin other than for sleeping and dressing for dinner. 

Somehow, as is our collective style, we’re easily entertained, while our mutually gregarious natures ensures we’re never lacking in making new friends while relishing in the companionship of those friendships we’ve already made.

Happy day from this side of the world! Hope it’s a happy day in YOUR location, wherever that may be.


Photo from one year ago today, November 19, 2015:

The bright blue sea in Fiji is indicative of a coral reef of which there are many in this part of the world. For more photos, please click here.

Day 19…Circumnavigating the Australian continent..Seven time changes upcoming!…More Perth photos…Sickness aboard the ship…

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Carlo, Michelle, me and Tom at the cruise terminal building in Fremantle, Australia.
“Sighting on the Ship in Australia”
Beautiful artwork in the ship’s art gallery.

We’ve been on this ship for 19 days and there’s still two weeks before it ends. We have had a great experience so far, expecting that the good times will continue until we land in Sydney on December 3rd.

As the circumnavigation of Australia sails along, we’re at a point now where we’ll encounter seven time changes over the next few weeks with the requirement of losing one hour every few nights at 3:00 am, as indicated in the ship’s daily bulletin, the Cruise Compass. Also, as a reminder, they’ll be a reminder notice sitting atop our bed when we return to the cabin each of those nights.

The options in stores in Perth was the proverbial “abundance” we knew in the US.

Gaining an hour during the first week wasn’t nearly as noticeable as is usually the case for most travelers. Losing an hour over these nights, when we already haven’t slept much, will be all the more obvious. But, as always, we roll with time changes and time zones, giving little thought as to what effect this may have on us.

We’ve found the less fuss we make over the potentiality of jet lag the less symptoms we experience. We’ve always discovered that one good night’s sleep, returning to our routines and a bit of sunshine is all we need to stay on course with our biological clocks.

We’re looking forward to shopping and cooking meals again after a hiatus of many months.

Speaking of feeling well, so far, so good. Neither of us have become ill on this cruise. I may be stating this way too early. After all, we still have the equivalent of a full cruise ahead of us.

Many of the approximate 500 passengers from the first leg, still sailing with us back to Sydney, are sneezing and coughing. Tom has had a runny nose for a few days, but we assumed it was allergies when no coughing or sore throat ensued.

This is something new to us, seeing prepared “meals to go” in a shop specializing in this concept. Wow I feel as if I’ve been living in a cave after visiting this huge mall in Perth.

We’ve been far removed from exposure to colds, flus and viruses for so long over this past year, living in areas where the air is fresh, clean and free from smog and dust.  Arriving at all of these industrial ports certainly could trigger allergic reactions for some passengers, including Tom. 

While in Perth a few days ago, we purchased some daytime, non sleepy antihistamines which seem to be helping to alleviate his symptoms. As preventive measures we’ve both been taking probiotics, 3 gr of vitamin C daily (spread throughout the day) and using our own bottles of Nasonex spray twice daily.

Oceanfront view of the Western Australia Maritime Museum in Fremantle.

We’re both diligent in washing our hands dozens of times each day, but continually observe others, even in the restrooms not washing after using the facilities. 

If everyone would wash before and after meals and restroom visits and, after touching railings or any other public areas, covering their mouths and faces when coughing and sneezing and totally avoid touching or shaking hands, there’d be considerably less illness on cruises. 

Across one of many entrances to the harbor in Perth/Fremantle.

If we get sick, it’s usually the “cruise cough,” a relentless virus of one type or another than can persist for months. The worst illness, we’ve experienced from cruising was after the 18-night cruise from Honolulu to Sydney in June 2015. 

That illness was, by far, the worst either of us have experienced in our four years of world travel, lasting for many weeks long after the cruise ended. We were both so sick, we hardly remember arriving in Sydney, flying to Cairns, renting the car and finding our way to the vacation home in Trinity Beach.

Sandy beach in Perth.

Hopefully, we’ll make it through these final two weeks without incident, arriving healthy and fit for our upcoming three months in Tasmania, in two distinct locations. 

People we’ve met have mentioned how they dread the cruise ending, the vacation/holiday ending to return to the “real world” often filled with stress, jobs, piles of bills and mail, tasks and responsibilities. 

Quiet sandy beach in Perth.

We only receive a few pieces of mail each month at our Nevada mailing service, none of which is urgent since we pay insurance and credit cards online. As a result, we never face a “pile of mail.”  We handle everything online with ease as the necessity arises. 

Our “real world” is more world travel, blissfully heading to the next location, the next adventure, the next leg of our worldwide journey. We never forget for one day, how grateful we are to be together, living this fulfilling life filled with one wonder after another.

Main entrance to the Western Australia Maritime Museum.

We hope you have a wonder filled day!

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

The Montfort Technical Institute in Savusavu which assists poor children academically and economically to gain skills to prepare them for a productive adulthood. For more photos, please click here.

Day 18…Circumnavigating the Australian continent…Yesterday’s memorable day in Perth with friends…

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Carlo and Michelle standing near their Mustang in the port of Perth parking lot.

“Sighting on the Ship in Australia”

Painting of the Statue of Liberty in the art gallery onboard the vessel.

By 9 am, we easily made our way off the ship to wait for Michelle and Carlo to pick us up in front of the passenger cruise terminal in Perth. In the flurry of activity, we did not ask for a description of their car. 

Tom remembers that they had bought a new Mustang from our on-going Facebook contact since we met them on a cruise in April from Sydney to Singapore. In no time, we saw them both come close to us, arms wide open for great Aussie welcomes and embraces.

Lighthouse close to the harbor.

It was a cloudy and rainy day which didn’t put a damper on our day. They took us through many beautiful parts of Perth allowing us to see their beloved town. The dense clouds hindered our views and photos, but at least we got the concept and charm of some of the many highlights of the Twin Cities of Perth and Fremantle. 

Although the photos were not as good as we would have liked the day spent together was without any doubt the biggest point of all. They had both taken a day off to be here, and we appreciate that. 

Boats at the marina.

After a tour through Perth and Fremantle, we ended up in a large shopping mall as big as any major shopping mall in the US. Tom and Carlo joined us at the mall, later taking off to let Michelle and I do some shopping while he took Tom to his jewelry shop where he and his staff make exquisite custom jewelry with gems and fine metals from all over the world. 

I really needed a few clothes and Michelle turned out to be a perfect shopping companion. It had been so long since I’d shopped in a mall of this caliber, let alone with another woman. I felt like a kid in a candy store, my eyes darting about over the massive number of stores, products and concepts, many of them entirely new in my limited exposure to shopping. 

Rain and fog prevented a clear view of downtown Perth.

We darted from shop to shop. In the end, I found four shirts, a belt and pants that met all my expectations. Although each item was more expensive than I would have liked, most were on sale, of very high quality and entirely wash and wear, a must in our world of travel.

A few hours later, the guys returned to the mall, easily found us per Michelle’s call to Carlo and we all had lunch in the food court. We’d wanted to take them to a special restaurant for lunch, but they insisted they’d be thrilled to eat in the food court. Tom was eyeballing the McDonalds restaurant.

Looking at a park we would have walked if it had not been as rainy as possible.

I was worried that I couldn’t find anything that would work for the way I eat. Lo and behold, there were many low carb, gluten free options and I had a delicious salad with salsa, guacamole, chicken salad and veggies that tasted as good as any meal I’d had in years. I couldn’t remember the last time I ate Mexican in a restaurant.

Of course, Tom enjoyed his cheeseburger and McDonald’s fries while the rest of us dined on items from various places. The last time we’d had a meal in a food court was back in the US at least five or six years ago, long before I began this way of eating. 

Swan River in Perth/Fremantle.

The engaging conversations and the day passed quickly. In no time at all we were back at the cruise terminal hugging, taking photos and saying goodbye. How does one say thank you after such a fine day with two kind, generous, and special individuals? We can only hope that someday our paths will cross again.

Back in the terminal, the return process for the back-to-back cruise was quick and painless with no queues, no check in lines and only one fast pass through security with our new SeaPass cards in hand. Soon we were back in our familiar cabin, dressing for the evening and ready for the 5:00 pm muster drill which is required that all consecutive passengers attend.

Fred, Michelle and Carlo’s parrot who lives in Carlo’s jewelry studio. When Fred saw Tom he squawked at him and then said “Fred.”

By 5:30 we were back on the elevator to the 13th floor to see our friends, Lois and Tom and Cheryl and Stan in the Diamond Lounge for more ‘free” drinks, laughter and more of the pure pleasure of spending time with special people.

Top of our ship to the right.

Once again, our travels find us in the position of feeling grateful and in awe of the people we meet, whether they’re local citizens in a remote location, Aussies from the big city like Michelle and Carlo, Kat and John or the four friends as mentioned above from the USA. 

This was CJ (for Carlo Junior), the family’s Char Pei who took a liking to Tom.

The world is a huge place. When we’ve been blessed to meet people along the way, it becomes small and intimate, not so far removed from the life we left  behind many moons ago.

Today, a new 1500 passengers are among us with the remaining almost 500 of us on the back-to-back for a new total of around 2000 passengers. No doubt, the joy of this fabulous cruise will continue over these next 16 days until we eventually dock in Sydney to fly to Tasmania on December 3, 2016. 

Garden at Carlo’s parent’s adjoining property near the studio.

Living this life on the move isn’t always easy. Nor is it a simple process to plan the equivalent of one vacation/holiday after another, year after year, never returning to a “home” to regroup or repack. 

But, it’s the life we’ve chosen and for us, a very happy life filled with endless wonders and surprises, most certainly enhanced by the people we’ve met along the way. 

Jewelry making workshop.

Thank you, people; those we’ve met, those who travel with us via the web each and every day and those whom we’ve yet to meet. Thank you for your kindness, your acceptance and most of all, your love.

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

A few boats at the pearl pier in Savusavu, Fiji. For more photos, please click here.

Day 17…Circumnavigating the Australian continent…Visiting Perth and Fremantle today with friends…

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The super moon over the sea, of a few nights ago.

“Sighting on the Ship in Australia”

Another beautiful piece of art from the ship art gallery.

The first leg of this 33 night tour of circumventing the Australian continent ends today as the ship docked in the Perth/Fremantle area. At 9:00 am, we’re disembarking the ship with a plan to return in the afternoon long before the ship sets sail on leg #2.

Our friends, Michelle and Carlo will be picking us up at the pier once we disembark the ship. They asked if there was anywhere special we’d like to see. We suggested we go wherever they’d suggest. 

Kat and John live close to Sydney will see us in March when we stay in Manley Beach for 40 nights. They are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside!

Mostly we’re interested in seeing Fremantle and spending time with them catching up over these past seven months since we sailed together on RC Voyager from Sydney to Singapore in April.

This is William, Kat and John’s six month old adorable boy.

We can’t stop smiling. The routine we’ve established on this ship has been ideal for our tastes and desires. We continually visit with people engaging in the most interesting and varied conversations. We eat, we drink, we play pool and attend some activities with other passengers. 

We dance. We revel in the entertainment that suits us. We dine where and when we desire and then, head to our cabin only after we’ve exhausted every moment of pleasure we’ve been able to glean from our surroundings.

Tom’s steak dinner in Cascades dining room.

Could we sail over longer periods of time, perhaps a 90-day world tour? I don’t think so.The novelty of this long cruise is exactly the right amount. Any longer could take away its  feeling special. But, we’d easily consider another month long cruise in the future. 

When we return to the US  by cruise for the family visit in May, that’s a 24-night cruise with a two day break in Vancouver and then we’re off on the 9-night Alaskan cruise resulting in cruising for 33-nights over a period of 35-nights. In that case, it won’t be quite the same as this consecutive 33-nights, but certainly we expect boat cruises to be time well spent.

My nightly plate of stir fried veggies cooked in butter, which is my only side dish to whatever protein source I’ve ordered. Everything is perfectly prepared to my dietary specifications.

Last night was another of those amazing evenings spent with our friends which we anticipate will continue through this second leg. At this point, we’re considering plans to get together next year, along the way of our travels. Details will follow in the future.

The six of us said our goodbyes to Kat, John and little William whom Tom and I will see in March when we’re in Sydney (Manly Beach) for 40-nights. We’ve all exchanged email and Facebook info ensuring we’ll easily stay in touch.

My plate of garlic butter prawns.

Up early this morning, by 6:45 am, I’d saved us seats in the “Latte thuds” café while Tom showered and dressed. This has been and will continue to be our favorite spot on the ship when preparing the post or conducting other online activities. 

Tom visited the 13th floor to the Diamond Lounge to get us each big cup of the complimentary latte offered to Diamond Club members, another of the rewards perks we’ve accumulated as frequent cruisers on Royal Caribbean. With Celebrity and RC owned by the same corporation, these benefits are carried over when we cruise on either line. 

Many evenings after dinner, we stop at the Schooner Bar for entertainment. These two performers are excellent.

We won’t be posting the final expenses and bills (we’ll receive two, one for each leg of the cruise) until the last day at the end of the second leg on December 3rd. We were pleasantly surprised by our modest bill for the first 16 nights of this cruise.

Soon, prior to 9:00 am, as required for back-to-back passengers, we’ll disembark the cruise, to find Michelle and Carlo awaiting us at the pier as we’ll spend the day. 

The city of Geraldton, Australia, where the ship anchored yesterday. With little to do in this small town, we stayed aboard the ship and played pool. Tom is now ahead by four games.  He’s improving  much more rapidly than I. As competitive as we are when playing any game together, I’d better get “on the stick.”

It’s an overcast day forecast for rain so I doubt we’ll be spending much time outdoors, instead exploring Australia’s Twin Cities of Perth/Fremantle, not unlike our former Twin Cities in Minnesota of Minneapolis/St. Paul.

We’ll be back tomorrow with new photos of Perth/Fremantle, new stories and the continuation of this glorious cruise aboard Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas.

Have a glorious day!

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

Too often, we’ve been sightseeing on rainy days such as this day one year ago in Fiji.  Photos are much more appealing on sunny days.For more photos, and a review of our travel criteria, please click here.

Day 16…Circumnavigting the Australian continent…Consecutive cruising instructions…Super Moon from sea…

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Tom’s final photo of the sunset as we board for our next destination.

“Sighting on the Ship in Australia”

This interpretation of the artist in the ship’s art gallery reminded us of Halloween, the day we got this ship in Sydney, our four-year anniversary of traveling the world.

Yesterday at 1 pm a special meeting was held for the under 500 passengers on this 2500 capacity ship who are continuing on the back-to-back portion of the 33-night circumvention of the Australian continent. 

Although it may seem staying on the ship may be as simple a process of receiving a new SeaPass card, it’s much more complicated for both security and immigration purposes.

In parts, hot Port Hedland felt like the Mohave desert in the US.

Luckily, we don’t have to change cabins as some passengers do when they booked too late to stay in the same cabin. However, we either have to be off the ship by 9:00 am to be out of the way of the final disembarkation of the remaining 2000 passengers, or, we have to stay onboard tucked away in a lounge until the ship is cleared several hours later. 

The Woolworth’s grocery in Port Hedland could have been a market anywhere in the world. We noticed Christmas products already for sale.

We understand and appreciate the need for these strict regulations to ensure no one gets onto the ship that shouldn’t be doing so. Plus, the ship’s immigration staff has made the immigration process easy for those of us continuing on this second leg ending in Sydney on December 3rd.

Once again, safari luck prevails, and new friends, Michelle and Carlo, whom we met on RC Voyager of the Seas this past April are picking us up tomorrow to spend the day with them in Perth/Fremantle.  We’re so appreciative and excited to spend the day with this lovely couple in their beloved home city.

Industrial salt mining in Port Hedland.

When we return to the ship in the afternoon, we’ll be able to avoid the usual checking in process for the cruise or going through customs or immigration, other than to pick up our new SeaPass cards awaiting us at a designated area for those on the consecutive cruises. 

Huge freighters at the port soon to depart.

Our new friends aboard this ship, Lois and Tom and Cheryl and Stan, are also continuing on to Sydney with us.  The nightly activities will continue. And, although there will be a totally new group of 2000 passengers boarding in Perth, all of us have agreed we want to continue to enjoy our evenings together both at happy hour in the Diamond Club lounge where we partake of the free cocktails nightly and later at dinner in the Cascades dining room.

With two empty dining room seats opening up at our standing table for eight, after Kat and John will disembark in Perth tomorrow, and with the addition of all these new people, we’ve agreed to find two new table mates, if possible, for this remaining 17 days. 

More enormous freighters.

It won’t be easy to replace Kat, John and little William but we’ll see how it goes. We plan to see them when we spend the upcoming 40 days in Sydney beginning on March 13, 2017. Here again, it adds so much to the upcoming stay knowing we have new friends nearby.

Equipment at the port used in the mining business.

Recently, we’d both read dozens of reviews written by Amazon readers regarding a book written by temporary world travelers. A comment made over and over again by the readers was how annoyed they were when the authors constantly described their gatherings with friends they met in their travels or, had previously known.

Many tugboats were ready to assist.

We apologize if we’ve been a bit “overly bubbly” about our new friends. After four years of travel, most of it has been spent blissfully alone together. However, without access to friends with whom we may have some common interests, cruises have proven to be a refreshing adjunct to our lives on the move. 

Please bear with us. Within 18 days we’ll be in Tasmania, setting up housekeeping once again in two separate locations at six weeks each, and living life on our terms, always hopeful of making new friends but often not in an ideal scenario to do so. We’ve easily become adapted to “just the two of us” but it’s certainly enhances our experiences when we make friends along the way

The sunlight reflecting on the sea.

We’ve arrived in Geraldton, Australia. The queues to board the tender boats appear to require a four hour wait. Based on the few sites in the small town of under 30,000, we may stay on the ship today knowing tomorrow will be a busy day in Perth.

Have a busy day doing that which brings you bliss! 👫

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

Beautiful tree hanging over the inlet, we spotted when we visited the village of Vuodomo in Fiji.   For more photos, please click here.

Day 15…Circumnavigting the Australian continent…Port Hedland, Australia…Horrific earthquakes in NZ, exactly where we’re headed…

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Most major resource areas and populated cities in Australia are close to the sea.
“Sighting on the Ship in Australia”
Unusual decanter.
Yesterday, when the ship docked at Port Hedland we were enthused to get off the ship to check out the world renowned port, the largest bulk tonnage export port in the world. 
As appealing as the port itself is, tourists aren’t allowed to wander about to explore. All our pictures were taken on a bus. 
Port Hedland is a mining town.

With little sightseeing in the mining town, we decided to take the free shuttle bus to the last stop, along with many other passengers to stop at a shopping mall to see what the town has to offer.

The mall was comparable to that found in many small towns; market, pharmacy, salon, computer store and hardware and appliance shop. We’d hoped to find a men’s and women’s clothing store to purchase a few items since after unpacking I began to realize I just don’t have quite enough of the right clothes needed for the second leg of the cruise. Tom needs some shirts, too.
The shipyard.

Having tossed a number of old and worn items, we’re both getting down to the barest of bones in our wardrobes which became more evident during this cruise, especially unable to freely wash our clothing. Every evening its a “social event” and we just don’t have enough variety for this lengthy 33 night cruise.

There wasn’t a clothing store in Port Hedland so tomorrow when we disembark in Geraldton to head to town, it appears we may have a more luck in finding a few stores there with a population of twice the size of Port Hedland. After looking on the Internet, we found two shopping malls.
 
 
                        When we got down the steep ramp, we walked towards the buses.

As for Port Hedland, we were surprised that we had never heard of this major export port. Here are a couple of things about Port Hedland, Australia:

    • Known as Marapikurrinya by the local Indigenous people
    • Has a population of approximately 20,000, with a growth rate of 5.5%
    • Is the world’s largest bulk tonnage export port, exporting 372.3 million tonnes per annum, an increase of 29% from last year’s throughout contributes 14% or $4 billion to the Pilbara’s Gross Regional Product
    • Is a melting pot of over an estimated 72 nationalities and cultures.

As much as we’re enjoying each day aboard the ship, it felt good to find ourselves on land. Many passengers were commenting about how hot it was but we found it only noticeable while standing in the sun as we waited to make our way down the very steep gangplanks to the waiting area for the buses. Have we actually become used to the heat after all these years? 

We were surprised by the steep level of this gangplank when so many passengers are disabled seniors.  It took a while to get the passenger off the ship. Thank goodness, my back is completely better. Only weeks ago, I’d have had trouble maneuvering this steep ramp.  Yesterday, it was a breeze.

As it turned out we spent more time getting into and out of the buses than we spent  on the bus or in the town. We’d shopped in the Woolworth’s market for baking soda and coconut oil, which were hard to find in Bali, both of which we use for dental maintenance.  Once we arrive in Tasmania, we won’t have trouble finding any products we use regularly.

Returning to the ship by 1:00 pm and with no movie playing we wanted to see, we languished in the coffee shop, chatting with our shipmates while browsing for future travels with the good Wi-Fi connection we’ve had on this ship.

It was obvious we were docked in a very busy and important port.

Last night, after happy hour and dinner with our friends, we played pool once again. Now, Tom is ahead by one game. Both highly competitive I can’t wait to try to beat him tonight. His learning curve seems to be much more advanced than mine. I’d better pick up the pace.

After playing pool we found good seats in the Centrum area for the evening’s dance party. Since we both prefer “dance” music as opposed to loud rock and roll, we didn’t dance. 

There are a number of modest mobile home buildings near the port.

Neither of us hesitates to get out on the dance floor  when our favorite types of dance music are playing. It seems the Aussies are more prone to dance to rock and roll. By midnight we wandered back to our cabin where we both had a decent night’s sleep. 

Just as we were about to upload this post, we heard about a huge earthquake in New Zealand, where we’re headed on the next leg of this cruise. We’re scheduled to sail to Wellington, NZ where two people were killed in a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Our prayers for the families of the lost souls and the safety of our New Zealand friends.  Click here for details. 

A flea market type area set up for cruise passengers where trinkets are sold. With no interest in these types of items, we didn’t get off the bus at this stop.

Most likely, today, we’ll hear from the captain on a possible change of itinerary when we doubt we’ll be heading to Wellington after this devastating event. We’ll keep our readers updated. 

Be safe.Photo from one year ago today, November 14, 2015:

In Fiji, a creek with hand made rafts used for transporting locally grown produce and for fishing. For more photos, please click here.
 

Day 14…Circumnavigating the Australian continent….Photo of our new friends!…Off the ship today at Port Hedland…

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Our new friends from top, left to right, John and Kat from Australia, Cheryl and Stan and  Lois and Tom from the US and the two of us.

“Sighting on the Ship in Australia”

Unusual piece of art on the wall in a lounge corner.

Last night, again, we had a very good time with our new friends, presented in today’s main photo. We all settled down in a fabulous routine of spending nights together.

When we started sailing, we knew we weren’t necessarily going out with the same people night after night. However, after making friends with these wonderful couples its been so much fun we have no interest in changing the routine.

Cake decoration in the Centrum had the crowd howling when the chefs and cruise directors threw icing at one another.

Laughter, conversation, camaraderie and shared interests kept this group completely committed to spending this time together. We all wonder how close we have become in such a short time, hoping that plans to meet in the future, long after this 33-night cruise ends.

The young couple in the above photo, Kat and John with their adorable six month old son, William are disembarking in Perth on Day 17th, while the rest of our group stays aboard for the remaining second leg, ending on December 3rd.

With the huge numbers of passengers watching, it was hard to get close for good photos.

This cruise, back to back, consists of two cruises that run simultaneously from October 31 to December 3, 2016. Only 500 of us passengers out of a total of about 2500, are actually staying through all the Australia bypass.

There’s an immigration process involved in making the transition from the first to the second leg which was started yesterday when we were assigned a time slot to meet with immigration officials who’d boarded the ship to aid in this process.

During the frosting tossing.


The ship staff works hard to ensure this transition is as smooth and seamless for passengers as possible. Other than spending about 30 minutes in line yesterday morning while our passports were processed, its expected to be relatively painless.

This morning we’ve arrived in Port Hedland, Australia, the largest town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Once we’ve uploaded today’s post, we’ll disembark the ship and take the free shuttle to the town where we’ll walk and take photos we’ll share tomorrow.

Fun was had by all during the presentation.

Have a beautiful day! We’ll be thinking of all of you!

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

A mooring spot for the locals in Fiji.  For more details, please click here.

Day 12…Circumnavigating the Australian continent….Answering a loyal reader’s questions in an email…Remembrance Day observation aboard ship

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View of the deck where the navigation of the vessel is provided by the master and his crew.

“Sighting on the Ship in Australia”

Stone sculpture/artwork in the lobby near the Cascades dining area.

In yesterday’s post we discussed an email we’d received from a loyal reader, Elaine, who with her husband decided to travel the world influenced in part by reading our site over these past few years.

It meant so much that we may have played a small role in inspiring them to be willing to sell their home to become unencumbered with stuff to enhance the affordability and enjoyment of the experience for a two year period. 

However, long one may choose to travel, without homes, cars and belongings in their home country, many find traveling to be a life- changing and enriching experience.

Tender boats which are actually the ship’s lifeboats were taking passengers to Benoa, Bali for sightseeing. After spending four months in Bali, we see no point in getting off the ship today.

In her email, Elaine had a number of questions, a group of which we decided to require and deserved a little more time and space than we’d provided in yesterday’s post.

Elaine wrote:

“One more question for you.  Which are your favorite booking sites?  Vacations to Go?  For cruises…VRBO for bookings (have you had any bad experiences with bookings?)  Favorite Airlines (sometimes a necessary evil)?   Any favorite ways to save money…ie Airline Miles plans etc.”

For ease in reading our responses to each of Elaine’s questions, we’ll address each one separately as indicated below:

What are our favorite booking sites?
Long ago in 2012 when we built our site, we began using our favorite booking websites, some of which are listed as advertisers on our home page. We selected these companies to fulfill our travel needs after considerable research as to:  quality of service, pricing, response time, reliability of website, length of experience and user reviews. 

Each company/website provides its own unique service which continues to serve us well with few, if any, issues over these past almost five years since the onset of our bookings which we began long before we actually left the US. Please see our list below with details.

Some passengers had booked outdoor activities on this rainy day in Bali.

Cruises:  Vacations to Go, rep Brooklyn Earnhardt. Exemplary service, quick response, best pricing possible on every cruise. Plus, if cruise’s price is reduced prior to final payment, all we do is notify our rep and she’ll lower the price accordingly, but it’s our responsibility to continually check for price reductions which Tom does daily.  We’ve saved several thousand dollars on this feature. (Price increases do not have any bearing on our pricing once the initial deposit is paid at time of booking).

Hotels: Almost in every case, we use this link on our site to Hotels.com. With a rewards program that includes “one free night after spending 10 nights” this has worked well for us. Their pricing is highly competitive and we’ve been very happy with the results. For our upcoming hotel stay in Minnesota for six weeks, they gave us an excellent corporate rate discount (based on long stay).

Vacation/Holiday Home Rentals: Since our first vacation rental booking in 2012, we’ve been primarily using this link on our site to HomeAway.com. On a few occasions we’ve used other sites such as VRBO.com but have found the most listings on HomeAway. 

Their easy to use site seems to have better priced listings than many other such sites. Also, on HomeAway it’s possible to pay a deposit to hold the property, whereas on Airbnb, which often includes shared rentals, (we’re not interested in sharing a house), they require payment in full at time of booking for the entire rental period. 

Benoa, Bail as seen from the ship.

We aren’t willing to pay three months of rent in advance, often as much as 18 months out, to a stranger. Note: DO NOT PAY RENTS OR DEPOSITS FOR VACATION HOMES VIA A BANK TRANFER. THERE’S NO WAY TO RECOVER LOST FUNDS IF ANY ISSUE ARISES. USING A CREDIT CARD THROUGH A BOOKING SERVICE, SUCH AS STAYZ (IN SOUTH PACIFIC), HOMEAWAY OR OTHER BOOKING SITES OR, PAYPAL (USE CREDIT CARD PAYMENT OPTION, NOT BANK ACCOUNT WITHDRAWAL) RESULTS IN SOME FORM OF RECOURSE IN THE EVENT OF FRAUD. CREDIT CARD COMPANIES WILL ASSIST IN RECOVERING FROM FRAUDULENT TRANSACTIONS.

How do save money using these sites? Simple, negotiate property owners/manager, if possible. If you have special circumstances such as only two people staying in large property or are requesting a long term stay (anything over two weeks), don’t hesitate to ask for a discount. Best way to accomplish this? Suggest an alternate price for the entire period. Don’t ask the seller to suggest a price unless you’re willing to wonder if you could have booked it for even less.

Bad experience? Yes! Our first vacation home rental outside the US was a beach house in Belize. It didn’t have regular running water, no insect screens and was unlivable for us.

We left in a week, losing our first month’s rent. The experience was awful considering it was our first international rental, but we learned a lot. Luckily, we found another property (more expensive) but ultimately fabulous and enjoyed the remaining period of our stay. See this link to begin this story which continues over a period of several posts.

Local tender awaiting passenger’s boarding for tours.

Flights:  As little as we like the necessity of flying, it’s difficult to see the world by cruise ship, train, car or other modes of transportation.  We’ve seen many options for cruises that we could use for further transportation to and from various continents in an attempt to avoid flying, but the cruise fares are often out of reach financially over the long haul. Instead, we bite the bullet and fly only when necessary on an average of four to six flights per year. 

Do we use one particular airline? No, it’s not possible. We check this site for an airline’s safety rating, and then choose  those with the best ratings based on best times and prices suitable for our needs.  Yes, we do sign up to become rewards members, but based on our travels to date, we’ve yet to accumulate enough worthwhile points since we keep changing airlines. 

Close up of local tender boats taking passengers to the shore when the port of Benoa is too small to accommodate the ship.

As for booking airline tickets, we exclusively use this link on our site to Expedia.com. One can accumulate rewards points, but they aren’t significant, but after considerable time and research, we’ve been happy with the efficiency, ease of talking to a “human” if necessary, and pricing. The site is easy to use and understand for even the most inexperienced traveler. One can shop for days for a flight in an attempt to save a few dollars and may in fact be able to save a little in doing so. But, if one researches carefully, you may find, as we have, that there’s always a tradeoff of one sort or another for even the smallest of discounts.

Saving money in general?  We’re always searching for ways to reduce our costs. Whether it’s the cost of a rental car, a trip to a farmers market or a hotel stay, we never hesitate to kindly ask for an upgrade and/or a better price when the situation calls for it. Only you can use your best judgment. We choose diplomacy and kindness when asking and a high degree of gratefulness whether they’ve been able to comply or not. Coupons, discount codes, special promos are often available at the above websites and other which are readily found on a simple google search.

The contraptions are “davits” described as:  “Any of various crane-like devices used on a ship for supporting, raising and lowering boats and anchors on a ship.”

Today, with time and space running out once again, we’ve left out a vital aspect of our travels: rental cars. In tomorrow’s post, we’ll discuss how to book and save huge sums on rental cars throughout the world and a variety of nuances to consider when selecting a vehicle. 

This morning, aboard the ship at 6:00 am, a Remembrance Day Sunrise Service (same a Veterans Day in the US) was held poolside.  A few minutes ago at 11:00 am today on November 11, 2016, the entire ship observed a few moments of silence by ringing of the ship’s bell at the beginning and end. Every person, including all staff and ourselves, stood and bowed our heads in respect for the fallen soldiers of World War I and other wars.  

Please check back tomorrow on how we’ve saved on both costs and time in renting cars over these past four years. 

Photo from one year ago today, November 11, 2015:

The special clothing in this shop window is often purchased for Diwali celebrations which was celebrating one year ago on this date.  For more details, please click here.

Day 11…Circumnavigation the Australian continent…Quite a day in US politics…Interesting email from a loyal reader…Medical emergency one year ago!…

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A small rescue boat anchored to the side of the ship.

“Sightings on the Ship in Australia”

Not sure what this display is about… footballs of some sort?

With the election behind us, we can now return our focus to life aboard ship. That’s not to imply that our focus has diverted from having a great time. But it has been on the minds of most Americans and others worldwide for some time, and often the topic of conversation among our fellow passengers, both Americans, and Australians.

I’m looking forward to being able to read the posts and see photos of family, friends and readers on Facebook without the toxic vitriol espoused by those expressing their personal views of either candidate. 

At times over this past year, I’d considered giving up on FB, but its also been a great means of seeing family and friends photos and staying in touch across the miles of sea between us. 

Clothing for sale in one of the ship’s shops.

Hopefully, now and in the future, opinions will be focused on our own efforts to make the US and the world a better place with love, understanding and compassion in the forefront. Amid that, supporting our new President’s efforts will surely unite our country whether we agree with his plans and ideas at this time. Time will tell.

Speaking of our readers, yesterday we received this letter from a long time loyal reader Tom met long ago on another cruise. Of course, I asked her permission to post her letter to which she happily agreed. I’ve also included my response.

Please see below:

“Jessica, you and Tom have been our inspiration. 
 
We just sold our house and our things are about to be given away/stored for now. We have taken a severance package from our employer. 
 
Our plan is a 2 year adventure for now. I have been reading your blog since we briefly met Tom on Brilliance of the Seas TA (I have written before) a few years ago now. We begin in January. Our plan is similar to yours, avoiding flying, cruising to destinations and AirBnb etc., monthly stays in cities we like, along the cruise repositioning routes.  (Continued below).
Men’s clothing.
I have learned a lot from your site. I still have not decided which direction we are going yet. I couldn’t plan as this all happened rather suddenly (sold our house while cruising to Australia lol). Any advice about direction?  Follow the sun in warm weather.. (Australia, New Zealand first, then Singapore to Dubai, then Suez canal to Europe) or do
 
South America followed with a Transatlantic with summer in Europe?
 
I hope you enjoy your Transpacific on Explorer of the Seas in April. We have done it both ways this year. If you ever make it to Pt Vila Vanuatu you must tour with Atmosphere tours and ask for a guide named Alfred – he is passionate about his culture and a fabulous guide. Best guide, we have ever had.
 
In closing, I wish you and Tom all the best and continued happy and healthy travel. The memories of the life you are leading mean more than all the “stuff” people have.
 
I hope we run into each other on a future cruise. Would love to chat.
Elaine”
Logo wear.
We replied as follows in bold type:
“Elaine, how excited we both were to see your message. We’re so excited for both of you embarking on your own adventure.
 
It’s not easy answering your questions when so much is predicated by what appeals to you both to see over the next two years. Our desires may be entirely different than yours.
 
We both believe your best guide is to make a list of where you’d like to visit and then using the world map, map it out so you don’t waste time and money jumping all over the globe.  (Continued below).
Perfume and cologne shop.

We don’t like big cities but you may. We no longer care if the weather is ideal. We’re looking for the experience.  We don’t care to live in apartments.  You may find this works for you.

 
Since our focus is wildlife and nature, you may find historic buildings more interesting. If we never enter another old building, we’ll be fine. But, Africa is calling us for another visit in 15 months.  Antarctica in on the schedule for 14 months. 
 
You see, how it’s so hard to say where and when to go. Our tastes are all so diverse and unique. But, I will say we’ve loved NZ and AU. By the time we leave the South Pacific for a 9 week family visit, we’ll have spent almost two years in this part of the world.
 
Thank you so much for reading our site. You have no idea how much it means to us if we’ve inspired you even one iota. We’d love to hear what you decided to do and wish we could be more helpful.
 
May I copy and paste your email to our site. We won’t use your names, but what a great story to share!
Warmest regards,
Jess & Tom
Tourist trinkets.

Then, Elaine responded again:
“Sure, go ahead and post my email Jess and Tom. Thank you for your responses. They actually do help a lot. We want to do Antarctica too, and the Northwest passage. We must see the pyramids in Egypt.   wo years probably won’t be enough, but as long as finances hold and we don’t get tired of travelling (not likely for us) we probably keep going. 

One more question for you.  Which are your favorite booking sites?  Vacations to Go?  For cruises…VRBO for bookings (have you had any bad experiences with bookings?)  Favorite Airlines (sometimes a necessary evil)?   Any favorite ways to save money…ie Airline Miles plans etc.  Diamond status is lovely isn’t it.  We just hit it on our last cruise and I expect it’ll be great.
 
Quote “You have no idea how much it means to us if we’ve inspired you even one iota”  (Continued  below)
Bargain tables with handbags.
Our whole idea for doing this began with the posts by Tom made on Cruise Critic which led us to your website, talking briefly to him and reading your words each morning before I go to work. We always intended to travel, as we do already now, but not to just cut loose and go. That cutting loose is what is enabling us to finance this trip by investing our money. 
 
The next 7 weeks are going to be crazy! We love Australia too, but have never been to New Zealand. I’m not sure what our focus is yet. We’ve seen many historic buildings already.  I love art and sculpture. My husband loves history. Wasn’t Petra amazing, but I could do without that walk in the heat!  I think we just want to go everywhere and see and experience as much as we can, while we can, make memories for when health fails us and have no regrets. So exciting to see all the wonders of the world we’ve heard about all our lives.
 
I’ll email our choices once I figure them out! Wish I had more time to plan, but what a wonderful conundrum to have!
 
So, Thank you both once again. You are changing our lives.
 
 Elaine”
Scuba, beach and snorkeling products.
Our dear reader posed some excellent questions as shown in blue above from her most recent response. Due to space and time limitations today, we’ll answer the above questions in blue in tomorrow’s post. Please check back.
Have a beautiful day!

Photo from one year ago today, November 10, 2015:
One year ago, we visited the dentist in Fiji when Tom developed an abscessed tooth. The bill for the dentist visit was surprising at FJD 6, USD $2.76, AU 3.60. The two antibiotic prescriptions were “free’ when we walked across the parking lot in the local hospital’s pharmacy. For the full story and photos, please click here.