You won’t believe what Tom did today!…

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What do these US dollar signs mean on this Azamara ship? See below for details.

After perusing Costco Travel for price drops on our four upcoming Azamara cruises in 2027, he was thrilled to see that each had dropped substantially. Not a few dollars here or there, but the kind of price drops that make your eyebrows lift and your heart beat just a little faster. The same cabins. The same itineraries. The same sailings we’d already committed to, penciled into our future like promises. Only now, suddenly, there were hundreds, possibly thousands, of dollars less expensive. Please keep in mind that such price drops may only be available to US citizens.

Without hesitation, he picked up the phone and called Costco Travel.

Normally, this is where the ritual begins. You put the phone on speaker, brace yourself, and go about your day while waiting the expected 30 to 60 minutes to connect with a live human being. It’s almost a game for us at this point: How much can you get done while on hold? Laundry folded, dishes washed, emails answered, maybe even a meal cooked. The hold music becomes the soundtrack to productivity.

But this time was different.

They answered after the second ring.

We both froze, exchanging the kind of look that says, Well, that’s never happened before. Surely a fluke. A cosmic travel anomaly. Maybe someone accidentally picked up the phone too quickly. Whatever the reason, he was connected instantly, and optimism filled the room. This was going to be easy, we thought. A quick conversation, a few clicks on their end, and voilà—money saved.

Fast-forward to the present moment as I write this: he has been on the phone for over 2 hours, 34 minutes. Luckily, he’s using WiFi calling and will not be charged for the very long-distance call using T-Mobile at $.25 per minute. But even if he were paying for the call, it would still be worthwhile.

Scroll to the end of this post for the total savings.

Over two hours of polite explanations, long holds, keyboard clacking in the background, and the occasional reassuring, “I’m still here.” Over two hours of navigating the complex inner workings of cruise pricing, fare codes, guarantees, and systems that don’t always speak to one another as smoothly as one would hope. Over two hours that might sound excessive to some, but to us feels oddly familiar, part of the unglamorous side of long-term travel planning that rarely makes it into glossy brochures or Instagram reels.

Here’s the thing many people don’t realize: when you book a cruise with a lowest-price guarantee, it’s not a simple matter of pressing a button when prices drop. There is real work involved on the part of Costco or any other booking service. Each booking has to be re-priced manually. after back and forth calls with the cruise line. Each fare has to be checked against the original contract. Each change must be approved, processed, documented, and, if necessary, escalated. Multiply that by four cruises, all scheduled for 2027, and suddenly you understand why this isn’t a five-minute task.

And yet, it’s almost always worth it.

Because this is the quiet art of travel math, the behind-the-scenes effort that can mean the difference between “just making it work” and “breathing a little easier.” Saving a few hundred dollars on one cruise might cover a pre-cruise hotel or a memorable shore excursion. Saving thousands across multiple cruises can stretch a travel budget in ways that ripple outward: better flights, longer stays, more experiences, fewer compromises.

This is especially true for those of us who travel slowly and deliberately, who plan far ahead, not out of rigidity but out of intention. Booking early gives us peace of mind, but it also opens the door to these moments when patience and persistence pay off. Prices fluctuate. Markets shift. Cruise lines adjust. And when you’re paying attention…when you take the time to check, to call, to wait, you sometimes get rewarded.

Of course, there’s also a human element to all of this. On the other end of the line is someone doing their best within a system that is anything but simple. We never forget that. Gratitude goes a long way during long phone calls. So does kindness. So does remembering that this person didn’t create the complexity; they’re navigating it alongside you.

As he continues to wait, listening to waiting-time music through his hearing aids, I can’t help but smile. This is part of our lives. The research. The follow-up. The occasional frustration, balanced by those small victories that feel disproportionately satisfying. The knowledge that, even if it takes two hours or three, this effort might quietly fund another sunset, another port, another memory yet to be made.

Travel isn’t just about where you go. It’s also about how you manage the in-between moments, the spreadsheets, the phone calls, the hold music, and the patience. And sometimes, it’s about celebrating the simple fact that the same cabin, on the same ship, sailing to the same beautiful places, will now cost a little less than it did yesterday.

Here are the savings we incurred today on each of the four cruises:

  1. US $3,080

  2. US $1,560

  3. US $1,280

  4. US $  400

Total Savings: US $6,320

That, to us, feels like winning.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, January 20, 2016:

Ten years ago, we began our three-month stay on the alpaca farm in New Zealand, an absolutely delightful experience which we’ll share in this section/feature over the next few months. For more photos, please click here.

Time is passing too quickly!…What does the science say?…

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There was a time when an hour felt like an eternity. As children, we could sit on the floor waiting for a birthday party to start, staring at the clock, convinced the hands had stalled just to torture us. Summers stretched endlessly, school days crawled, and the idea of “next year” felt impossibly far away.

Somewhere along the way, though, the pace shifted. Now, entire seasons seem to slip past before we’ve fully noticed them. Weeks blur into months, months into years, and we find ourselves asking, almost daily. How did time pass so fast? This sensation isn’t imagined, and it isn’t simply nostalgia playing tricks on us. There is real science behind why time seems to accelerate as we age, and understanding it doesn’t make the feeling disappear, but it does make it feel a little more human.

One of the most straightforward explanations comes from something called” proportional time theory.” When you are five years old, one year represents a staggering 20 percent of your entire life. It’s monumental. When you are fifty, that same year is only two percent. Each unit of time becomes a smaller fraction of the whole. Without realizing it, our brains measure time relative to what we’ve already lived, and the math quietly works against us.

But biology and math alone don’t fully explain why yesterday feels close while decades feel strangely compressed. The real culprit lies in how our brains process novelty.

When we are young, nearly everything is new. First days of school, first friendships, first heartbreaks, first jobs, first homes. Our brains are busy recording, cataloging, and storing enormous amounts of information. I’ve always suspected that our brains are like computers, storing every experience we have. New experiences require more mental energy, and that energy leaves behind dense, detailed memories. When we look back on childhood, those memories are rich and layered, making that period feel long and expansive.

As we age, life naturally becomes more routine. We drive familiar roads, shop at the same stores, and follow similar daily routines. The brain, efficient as it is, stops recording every detail. It doesn’t need to. Familiarity allows it to run on autopilot, conserving energy. The result? Perhaps fewer distinct memories are formed, and when we look back, the time feels compressed, as though it passed more quickly than it actually did.

This is why vacations often feel long while we’re on them, yet astonishingly short once they’re over. New sights, sounds, and experiences stretch our perception of time in the moment and expand it in memory. Routine, on the other hand, shrinks it.

There’s also the matter of internal clocks. As we age, our metabolism and neural processing speed gradually slow. Some scientists believe this subtly alters how we perceive time passing in the moment. Think of it like watching a film at a slightly faster playback speed; everything still happens, but it feels quicker, less weighted.

Emotion plays its part as well. Stress, responsibility, and constant mental load dominate much of adult life. When our minds are preoccupied with planning, worrying, and managing, the present moment doesn’t fully register. We are physically present, but mentally elsewhere. Time, unnoticed, slips through the cracks.

And then there is memory itself, which is far from a perfect recorder. Our brains don’t store time like a calendar; they store it like a scrapbook. (Yet, Tom has a memory that easily stores experiences in particular and distinct time frames). Moments with intense emotion, surprise, or meaning get larger pages. Ordinary days get small ones, or none at all. When we flip back through the years, the pages feel fewer, even though the days were all there.

This is perhaps why aging can feel unsettling. It isn’t just that time is passing; it’s that we’re aware of it in a new way. The future feels closer, the past more crowded, and the present more fragile.

Yet there’s a quiet comfort in knowing this experience is universal. It isn’t that we’re failing to hold onto time; it’s that our brains are doing exactly what they were designed to do. The trick, if there is one, lies in gently resisting autopilot.

Scientists suggest that intentionally introducing novelty, learning new skills, traveling, changing routines, and even taking different walking routes can slow our perception of time, not by stopping the clock, but by thickening the memory. The more vividly we live, the longer life feels in hindsight.

Perhaps that’s why travel feels so meaningful to us. Each new place stretches time open again, if only briefly, reminding us of how expansive life can feel when we pay attention.

Time may move faster as we age, but it hasn’t abandoned us. It’s still there, waiting to be noticed, asking only that we stay curious enough to meet it where it is, one ordinary, extraordinary moment at a time.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, January 20, 2016:

This huge 1.177-kilo, 2.6-pound boneless grass-fed prime rib is tonight’s dinner, to be cooked on the grill, with a side of mushroom casserole, baby asparagus, and a romaine lettuce salad with homemade dressing. Check out this great price of NZD $17.64, US $11.34! Note: It’s twice that amount in 2026. For more photos, please click here.

The horrific flooding in Kruger National Park and Marloth Park…

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Not our photos. The Crocodile Bridge is completely underwater due to flooding in the area.

Click this link below to see the flooding that has immobilized Kruger National Park and the surrounding areas.

Kruger National Park floods — Reuters TV reports

Currently, while we’re tucked away here in New Zealand, surrounded by green hills and a quieter pace of life, our hearts are anything but settled. Each morning, with coffee in hand, we scroll through Facebook and watch YouTube clips posted by friends in Marloth Park. What we see stops us in our tracks. Familiar roads are no longer roads at all. They’ve become rivers. The Crocodile River, usually a powerful but contained presence, has spilled over its banks with a force that feels both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

The Crocodile Bridge, our usual entrance point into Kruger National Park, is completely submerged. That image alone is jarring. We’ve crossed that bridge countless times, early in the morning, when the air is still cool, and the bush is waking up. We’ve sat in line there, windows cracked, listening to birdsong and watching vervet monkeys dart between trees. To see it now, swallowed by floodwaters, makes the distance between here and there feel immeasurable.

Not our photo.

In the past few days, Kruger National Park has been closed to all visitors from every entrance gate. That fact carries weight far beyond canceled safaris and disappointed tourists. Kruger is not just a park; it’s a living, breathing ecosystem and, for many people, a place of work, home, and deep emotional attachment. When Kruger closes completely, you know the situation is dire.

The devastation is widespread. Many of the camps within the park are underwater, some completely. Roads have washed away. The infrastructure that took years to build and maintain has been damaged in a matter of hours. But what weighs heaviest on our minds is not the physical destruction—it’s the people and the animals who are suffering dearly.

Our friends in Marloth Park are sharing updates that feel surreal. Homes are dangerously close to rising water. Fences twisted or gone altogether. Power outages. Uncertainty hangs thick in the air. Marloth has always lived with wildlife as neighbors, but now both humans and animals are facing a shared vulnerability. Warthogs, impalas, and even predators are being pushed into unfamiliar areas, searching for higher ground and safety, just like the people who live there.

And then there are the animals inside Kruger itself. The images are heartbreaking. Elephants standing in swirling water, trying to keep their footing. Smaller animals cling to patches of land that may not exist tomorrow. We know nature is resilient, and floods are part of natural cycles, but knowing that doesn’t make watching this any easier. The sheer scale of the flooding feels overwhelming, and the long-term impact on wildlife won’t be fully understood for months, perhaps years.

Not our photo. The Crocodile Bridge is totally underwater.

Being so far away adds another layer of helplessness. New Zealand feels impossibly calm by comparison. The rain here falls gently. Rivers rise and fall without drama. Life continues as normal, and yet our minds are thousands of miles away, fixed on a place that has come to mean so much to us. Marloth Park isn’t just somewhere we stayed—it’s a community that welcomed us, a place where we learned to live in closer harmony with nature, where the wild wasn’t something you visited, but something you coexisted with daily.

Here is an unbelievable article about crocodiles invading houses as their natural habitat is destroyed by flooding. 

We think about the staff in Kruger, many of whom live on or near the park, now dealing with both professional and personal loss. We think about the guides, rangers, camp workers, and families whose livelihoods depend on tourism. When the park closes, the ripple effects extend far beyond the gates.

This flooding is a stark reminder of how fragile even the most powerful landscapes can be. Kruger feels timeless when you’re there, ancient, unchanging, eternal. But moments like this strip away that illusion and remind us that nature is dynamic, unpredictable, and sometimes devastating.

For now, all we can do is watch, share updates, and hold Marloth Park and Kruger National Park close in our thoughts. We’re hoping for receding waters, for safety, for resilience, and for recovery, both for the people who call that area home and for the animals who have no choice but to weather the storm. The pelting rain continues.

Even from the other side of the world, our connection to that place remains strong. Distance doesn’t dull concern, and it certainly doesn’t erase love for a place that has left such a lasting imprint on our hearts.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, January 19, 2016:

Although far and few between, we stopped at a few scenic overlooks in the rain in New Zealand. For more photos, please click here.

Most turbulent air travel routes in the world…

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Not our photo. Ugh, we’ve experienced a lot of turbulence over the past 13 years of world travel.

The following story is from Travel+Leisure online magazine here:

“These Are the Most Turbulent Flight Routes in the World—and No. 1 Flies Through Air Notoriously Called ‘Mountain Wave’

A bumpy bout of turbulence can be an uncomfortable experience. By Michael Cappetta, published on January 15, 2026

A bumpy bout of turbulence can be an uncomfortable experience, but a new report has revealed that some air routes are more prone to rougher skies than others.

The route between Mendoza, Argentina’s El Plumerillo International Airport (MDZ), and Santiago, Chile’s Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL) was the most turbulent global route for 2025, according to a report from turbulence tracking site Turbli. It was the second year in a row that the route, notoriously nicknamed “mountain wave,” came in as the bumpiest in the world.

Within the United States, travelers in the mountainous Southwest were more likely to experience turbulence, according to the report.

The most turbulent route in the U.S. was between Denver International Airport (DEN) and Jackson Hole Airport (JAC), followed by flights between Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) and DEN. The route between JAC and Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) rounded out the top three.

Several cities made frequent appearances in the top 10, including Bozeman, Salt Lake City, and Denver. In fact, DEN was ranked the most turbulent airport in the US. and the seventh most turbulent airport in the world.

To determine its rankings, Turbli analyzed measurements known as the Eddy Dissipation Rate, which is used in aviation to assess turbulence intensity.

In general, passengers may experience stronger turbulence in mountainous areas during winter months due to the jet stream, the company noted.

“Despite the chaotic nature of turbulence, there is a clear seasonal change in turbulence driven by the seasonal changes in wind, which is what triggers turbulence,” Turbli shared in its report.

Turbulence is also generally getting worse with the increase of extreme weather events. A 2023 study found that severe clear-air turbulence became 55 percent more frequent in 2020 than in 1979.

While potentially nerve-wracking, turbulence is an entirely normal part of flying. However, it could lead to injuries if passengers don’t follow the airline crew’s safety protocols, such as buckling their seat belts.

“While turbulence is normal and happens often, it can be dangerous,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “Its bumpy ride can cause passengers who are not wearing their seat belts to be thrown from their seats without warning.”

Nervous passengers can look up turbulence forecasts for their flight on a free app or even opt to call up a pilot who will go over everything that happens on a flight so they can board with confidence.”

If the thought of air turbulence on an upcoming flight makes your stomach tighten even a little, consider visiting the Turbuli website before you go. Checking turbulence forecasts in advance can be surprisingly reassuring, offering a sense of control and calm, especially for sensitive flyers who simply want to board with a bit more peace of mind.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, January 18, 2016:

Our ship, the Celebrity Solstice, docked at the port of Tauranga, New Zealand. For more photos, please click here.

What is the safest airline in the world?…Tauranga, New Zealand photos…

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

Note: Today’s photos are from a port-of-call visit in Tauranga, New Zealand, on this date in 2016.

The following article from Travel + Leisure Magazine contains information that may be important to many of our readers.

“This Airline Was Just Named the Safest in the World, According to Data

A new ranking analyzes several factors, including in-flight injuries, turbulence prevention, and safety audits. By Michael CappettaPublished on January 16, 2026

Abu Dhabi-based airline Etihad was ranked the safest full-service airline in the world for 2026, becoming the first Gulf carrier to take the top spot on the annual AirlineRatings.com list.

The honor was granted thanks to a combination of the airline’s young fleet, advancements in cockpit safety, the carrier’s crash-free history, and the lowest incident rate per flight of any airline listed, according to Airline Ratings. To come up with its list, the company examined a series of factors like the total number of flights, fleet age, the number of serious incidents, pilot training, international safety audits, and turbulence prevention.

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

“Overall, it is important to note that every airline featured in the 2026 list has recorded incidents over the past two years, from tail strikes to on-board fires and engine shutdowns, yet the actual incident rate per flight sits between 0.002 and 0.09 across the airlines, which is a true credit to the industry as a whole,” Airline Ratings CEO Sharon Petersen said in a statement, adding “All airlines in the Top 25 are world leaders in aviation safety.”

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

Etihad operates flights to several cities in the United States, including Boston, Chicago, New York, Washington D.C., and Atlanta, with plans to launch flights to Charlotte this year. The carrier, which was also named one of Travel + Leisure readers’ favorite international airlines of 2025, is known for a comfortable economy experience and over-the-top options like The Residence, a three-room suite complete with a private bedroom, a separate living area, and an ensuite shower room.

The bay in Tauranga.

Hong Kong-based carrier Cathay Pacific took the second spot on the list, followed by Australian airline Qantas, Qatar Airways, and Dubai-based Emirates, rounding out the top five. Air New Zealand, which took the top spot last year, came in at No. 6 this time around.

Alaska Airlines was the top-ranked U.S. airline at No. 15 overall, followed by Delta Air Lines at No. 23 and American Airlines at No. 24, which suffered a notable crash early last year when an American Airlines regional jet fatally collided mid-air with a military helicopter just outside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

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

When it comes to the safest low-cost airlines, HK Express came out on top. The carrier is a member of the Cathay Group. Jetstar Airways, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Qantas Group, and Scoot, which is a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, rounded out the top three. In the U.S., Southwest Airlines ranked sixth globally in the low-cost category.

Flying can understandably feel nerve-racking, but there are ways to overcome that fear, including understanding the root cause, learning simple breathing techniques, and even downloading the right apps.”

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

The quality and safety record of an airline are vital to us. Each time we fly on an unfamiliar carrier, we take a deep dive into its history, scanning statistics, reading reports, and paying close attention to how the airline has performed over time. It’s not something we take lightly. If what we find doesn’t sit well with us, we’re perfectly willing to walk away and book with another airline, even if it means adjusting our plans or paying a higher price for another carrier. Peace of mind at 35,000 feet is priceless. To research individual flights and airline safety records, we recommend visiting this site before you book.

Be well.

 Photo from ten years ago today, January 17, 2016:

Our ship, the Celebrity Solstice, looked huge while docked at the Port of Tauranga, New Zealand. For more photos, please click here.

We have great news for our readers!!!…

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This photo was taken aboard ship on January 17, 2016 as we prepared for the evening’s entertainment.

Well, folks, I couldn’t be more thrilled to finally share a bit of genuinely good news about our website, good news that has been a long time coming as we’ve waded through updates, fixes, and more than a few moments of head-scratching frustration along the way.

First things first, let’s address the elephant in the room… those goofy YouTube ads. You know the ones. The kind that would suddenly appear on your computer, laptop, iPad, or other desktop devices just when you were settling in with a cup of coffee to read the day’s post. While they never appeared on phones (which 24% of you use to read our posts), they were still an eyesore for the rest of us. Well, we’re happy, no, ecstatic, to report that they are officially gone. Vanished. History.

But wait… the even more exciting news is this: the remaining annoying pop-up ads on our pages have been permanently removed, at our discretion, with no plans ever to bring them back.

Honestly, we were frustrated with them. Every time we logged into our site, they appeared, uninvited and demanding attention. It didn’t take a genius to realize how annoying they must have been for you, our readers, who have loyally shown up day after day, year after year. So we finally said, “Enough.” They are now GONE! GONE! GONE! And I can’t tell you how satisfying it felt to flip that switch.

Of course, as with most things in life, there’s a flip side. Removing those ads also means we’re losing a portion of the revenue they generated, which helped offset the ongoing maintenance and management costs of our substantial website. Hosting, security, updates, plugins… it all adds up faster than one might imagine, especially for a site that’s been around as long as ours has. In March, it will be 14 years!

Late last night, after the dust had settled and the pop-ups were officially banished, Tom and I sat down and talked it through. We asked ourselves a simple question: how can we recover that relatively small amount of lost revenue without compromising the reader experience or turning our site into something we never wanted it to be?

Thankfully, the answer was already sitting quietly on our page.

On the right side of our site, when you’re viewing it on a computer, laptop, iPad, or other desktop device, you’ll see advertising links that do not include pop-ups. On a phone, these links are at the bottom on the page. These links pay us a small commission if a purchase is made through them. Nothing flashy. Nothing intrusive. Just straightforward links to companies we already use regularly and trust completely.

These include familiar names such as Amazon, Expedia, VRBO, Auto Europe, and Hotels.com. We’ve booked flights, rental cars, hotels, and holiday rentals through these companies countless times over the years. I want to reassure you of something very important: the prices you’ll see through our links are identical to what you’d pay if you went directly to their websites on your own. You will not pay a penny more by using our links.

As we mentioned a few days ago, we’ve never asked our readers to financially support our site through donation platforms, nor have we introduced monthly or annual membership fees. That isn’t who we are, and it’s not how we want this site to feel. However, if you use these links instead of going directly through your browser, we can earn enough to help offset the revenue we intentionally gave up by removing the pop-ups.

All it takes is one extra click.

When you’re pricing a hotel, a flight, a rental car, a holiday/vacation home, or even ordering something you were already planning to buy, start from our site by clicking one of the links. To make it even easier, we’ve provided direct links below to each of these advertisers (connected to our site) so you can bookmark them or create shortcuts, whatever works best for you. Once they’re saved, it’s seamless.

Auto Europe

Expedia

Amazon – Make sure to enter YOUR specific delivery location

Hotels.com

We honestly can’t express enough gratitude to those of you who have already used our links, and to any new participants who choose to do so in the future. Every click helps, but just as importantly, every reader matters to us, whether or not you ever use these links. Our posts will always remain free, with no fees, no memberships, and no annoying requests for revenue.

By the end of this month, all of these maintenance issues will finally be behind us. We’ll be done, finished, and ready to move forward without revisiting this topic, unless, of course, some unforeseen issue arises that requires us to keep you informed.

As always, thank you for being here, for your patience, and for continuing to walk this winding road with us. We don’t take any of it for granted.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, January 16, 2016:

This photo was taken in 2000 (but posted on today’s date ten years ago) at a formal dinner we’d been invited to by Ruth and Bruce Dayton, when I was working at the Marsh (5 years). We sat with them at the $ 10,000-a-plate charity event (they paid for our plates!). Recently, Bruce passed away. He was a kind and generous man who will be missed by many. It’s hard to believe this photo was taken 26 years ago. For more photos, please click here.

I freaked out!…

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Passengers on a sailboat ride in the bay in Akaroa, New Zealand.

Photos in today’s post are from the post here.

Yesterday was one of those days that reminded me exactly why I respect those with more technical knowledge than I. Over a week ago, with good intentions, I was determined to finally tackle the long-overdue plug-in updates on our site. I’d put this task off for months, fully aware it was going to be time-consuming and nerve-wracking, especially since anything involving “updates” always feels like tempting fate. Still, armed with coffee and resolve, I forged ahead.

Instead of my usual cautious approach, updating one plug-in at a time, checking the site, taking a breath, and then moving on, I followed the advice of a Hostinger representative and tried their automatic updates app. It sounded efficient. Logical. Almost… hopeful. I watched as the updates completed and then, heart pounding just a little, I refreshed the site.

That’s when I freaked out.

Staring back at me was a horrible ad featuring two cartoon-like men with exaggerated pot bellies, enthusiastically promoting some mystery product I would never, under any circumstances, be willing to post on our site. It looked awful. Worse, it looked like something I had chosen to put there. My stomach dropped. I felt embarrassed, panicked, and instantly overwhelmed, all at once.

Tom’s burger lunch by the pool, while in Akaroa, New Zealand, in 2016.

I immediately contacted Hostinger, which began what felt like hours of back-and-forth as they tried to guide me through bits of “code.” This is where we crossed firmly into territory I neither understand, enjoy, nor have any interest in learning. I can cook a meal from scratch, navigate foreign countries, and manage complex travel logistics, but code? No. That is not my lane. Every line I looked at felt like a foreign language written upside down.

Despite everyone’s best efforts, both mine and Hostinger’s, the ads wouldn’t budge. That’s when they suggested a company they approve of, one staffed with experienced WordPress technicians who could step in for a reasonable hourly fee. At that point, I didn’t hesitate. Pride has its limits, and mine had been reached. Due to time zone differences, the technician I contacted will begin making the necessary changes within the next 24 hours, starting this afternoon. My fingers are firmly crossed that he can finally resolve the issue.

In the meantime, if you happen to visit our site and see these goofy, ever-changing ads, please know they are not there by choice and certainly not by design. They change every few minutes, which somehow makes them even more maddening. We will continue to have ads on the site to help offset maintenance costs, but hopefully they’ll be far less intrusive and, most importantly, not these awful YouTube-style ads that look like personal endorsements. I did not post them. Truly.

Tom went for the big time, eating these two plates of food, one hot dog, and one burger. I’ve stuck to one meal a day (dinner) after I found I just couldn’t eat twice a day, feeling too full for dinner.

Interestingly, if you’re reading our posts on your phone, you most likely won’t see these ads at all. Small mercies.

By the end of this month, all of these updates should be completed, and you’ll no longer see posts from me about this particular ordeal. I promise. I knew going into this that updating the site would be a difficult, time-consuming process, which is exactly why I avoided it for so long, especially while we were on that 47-night cruise that ended on December 13. That was not the time to invite digital chaos into our lives.

I deliberately waited until after the beginning of 2026, thinking it would be calmer. And here we are, muddling through it now, at least during a period when I had more time.

At this point, my days consist of little more than preparing meals, doing basic housekeeping, and handling our usual financial tasks. Everything else has been pushed aside while I wrestle with this digital beast. And yet, even in the middle of all this, I can’t quite believe we managed to book what we did for the itinerary we recently posted here. Somehow, despite the chaos, that part came together beautifully as Tom and I worked on it together. However, this update scenario is something only I can handle.

Thank you, sincerely, for your patience, your understanding, and for sticking with us while I navigate this not-so-glamorous side of maintaining our little corner of the internet. We’re thrilled to see so many of our subscribers are receiving the daily posts once again. We respect your privacy and would never sell or share your email information. The only messages you receive from us are our daily posts, sent directly to your inbox—nothing more.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, January 15, 2016:

The shoreline is a section of the shoreline in Akaroa, New Zealand. For more photos, please click here.

What’s the deal with all the travel warnings about the Caribbean?…Thanks for your email messages…

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Homes close to the ocean in Dunedin, New Zealand, during our sailing in 2016.

Note: Today’s photos are from the post on this date, ten years ago.

We’ve spent years chasing sunrises around the world, learning that paradise isn’t a place immune to turmoil. It’s a place where people still live, work, adapt, and sometimes struggle just like anywhere else. And right now, the Caribbean feels like a crossroads of beauty and global tension, a region caught between its postcard beaches and a cascade of warnings that have ripple effects on travel, comfort, and the journeys we used to take for granted.

If you’re thinking about booking a last-minute escape or already have sandy-toed anticipation in your heart, here’s what is actually happening on the islands and why so many countries have slapped up travel advisories:

1. High Alerts and Crime Warnings

The U.S. State Department has recently raised travel advisories for several Caribbean destinations, including Grenada, where visitors are now being urged to “exercise increased caution” because of crime incidents like armed robbery and assault.

These are islands that for decades welcomed travelers with open arms. But now, like lots of places in the world where economic disruptions and local safety challenges intersect, violence and opportunistic crime have risen in some spots. Governments are signaling, yes, the sunsets are stunning—but keep your wits about you.

2. The Venezuela Factor — A Region-Wide Shockwave

One of the biggest shocks to the usual rhythm of Caribbean travel has nothing to do with reefs or resorts, and everything to do with geopolitics. In early January, a U.S. military operation in Venezuela culminated in the capture of Nicolás Maduro, sparking airspace closures and widespread flight disruptions across the Caribbean for a time.

Planes were rerouted or cancelled, leaving travelers unexpectedly stuck in airports or on islands, waiting for updated schedules. That disruption, however temporary, served as a stark reminder that even idyllic skies can be torn by events far beyond a resort town’s control.

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

3. Hurricane Aftermath and Ongoing Health Risks

Many islands are still recovering from Hurricane Melissa, which barreled through last year as one of the strongest storms in decades. Places like Cuba, Jamaica, and others are grappling with both infrastructure damage and public-health concerns such as dengue and Zika, which spread more easily in post-storm conditions.

Even if an island doesn’t have a high crime warning, there can be health risks and supply chain disruptions that make travel more complicated than it once was.

4. A Patchwork of Warnings—not a Blanket “Don’t Go.”

Here’s where nuance matters. Travel advisories are not monolithic across the Caribbean:

  • Some islands (such as Grenada) are at Level 2—meaning exercise increased caution.

  • Others are at Level 1 — normal precautions — with advisories on petty theft, mosquito-borne diseases, and driving safety, but generally safe tourist zones.

  • Venezuela itself is widely labeled Level 4 — Do Not Travel by multiple Western governments due to extreme instability.

So it isn’t that the whole Caribbean has imploded, more that each island has its own landscape of risk, from sunshine safe to caution-flag territory.

Reflection of the ship on the sea as we anchored in Akaroa, New Zealand

5. What This Means for Travelers

If you are reading this as someone who still wants to travel, here’s the honest, seasoned advice:

  • Do your homework on specific islands, not just “the Caribbean” as a whole. A beach vacation in Sint Maarten and a cultural trip to Haiti are entirely different experiences with different safety profiles.

  • Expect more vigilance at airports. Even if advisories are lifted, airlines and governments may still enforce extra checks or rerouting.

  • Prepare for changes. Travel insurance, flexible tickets, and up-to-date advisories are worth every penny.

  • And most importantly, listen to locals and official guidance first—because the lived experience on the ground is always more nuanced than the headlines.

We’ve learned from years on the road that travel’s magic isn’t just in ticking destination boxes, but in understanding places deeply, respectfully, and safely. The Caribbean’s allure hasn’t vanished; it’s just asking us to look beyond postcards, be smart, and travel with a blend of curiosity and caution.

Your diligent research is vital to ensuring a safe and joyful experience in this part of the world.

On another note, thanks to our many readers who wrote to us

Thank you to so many of our readers who let us know they are once again receiving our daily posts after many hours spent working through this issue. Hearing from you truly made the effort worthwhile.

If you’re still not seeing our posts, please add our site to your CONTACTS list. We’ve discovered that many readers experiencing problems are using Yahoo email. Also, please check your spam folder; marking our posts as “NOT SPAM” often resolves the issue immediately and allows future posts to come through as intended.

As always, thank you for your patience, kindness, and cooperation. It means more to us than you know.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, January 14, 2016:

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

Addressing the issue for some registered readers not receiving daily posts…

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This morning’s view from our veranda.

Over the past three days, I have spent at least 30 hours working with our hosting provider to determine why a select few of our readers are no longer receiving our daily posts in their email inboxes. This has not been a quick phone call or a single support ticket. It has been hours of back-and-forth communication, testing, re-testing, screenshots, log reviews, and walking through every possible scenario we could think of.

We have checked every aspect, every box, and every setting of WordPress’s SMTP automatic email system. We have verified domains, authentication records, sending limits, spam thresholds, delivery logs, and everything in between. At this point, we have not identified any errors on our end. That doesn’t mean the problem doesn’t exist; it clearly does, but it does mean we’ve hit a roadblock in what we can realistically fix for a few.

This also doesn’t mean we’re going to stop trying. This means that after exhausting the tools and access we have, there is no obvious next step. After conducting extensive research over the past few days, we’ve found that this is unfortunately a common issue for some WordPress websites. Given WordPress’s substantial size, our site is unique. In many cases, the solutions involve convoluted, expensive, and time-consuming processes that may or may not even resolve the problem. In other words, there is no guaranteed fix.

Managing a site as large as ours requires significant ongoing effort to keep it running efficiently. Much of that work happens behind the scenes and is never seen by readers. If we were able to hire an expensive site management company, there’s a chance this issue could be tracked down and resolved. Given that we earn so little from advertising, hiring such a company is not feasible.

We don’t ask our readers for donations. We don’t have “buy me a cup of coffee” links. We don’t charge monthly fees, and we have no plans to start doing so. After almost 14 years of posting, since March of 2012, we’ve made the conscious decision to keep this site free and accessible to everyone. That decision hasn’t always been easy, but it’s one we stand by.

Due to this email delivery issue, we kindly ask readers who are not receiving our daily post to bookmark our website or create a link, icon, or shortcut on your device to www.Worldwidewaftage.com. By clicking on it once a day, you will always find our latest post. It’s the simplest and most reliable workaround we can suggest right now.

The only time a new post won’t be there is in an emergency, when we didn’t mention “No post today,” or on a travel day when we had no access to WiFi. Aside from those rare situations, our daily posts will always be available by this means.

Yesterday, we posted our first new itinerary in 13 months: a 558-day itinerary! You can find that post here. It will continue to require significant planning, time, and effort, and we’re excited to share added content along the way. Any updates to this itinerary will be made in the future.

We truly appreciate every reader who has followed us over the years. Your support, messages, and continued interest mean more to us than we can adequately express. We sincerely hope this issue, which is affecting some recipients of our emails, does not deter you from continuing to enjoy our journey.

Thank you for your kindness and understanding.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, January 13, 2016:

There was no post on this date.

It’s here!…Our new 558 day itinerary!…

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Azamara Quest – “The Azamara Quest is a mid-sized ship with a deck plan that’s intimate but never crowded, and offers everything modern cruisers are looking for—plus some unexpected extras.”

Over the past several days, we decided to rethink our future bookings and return to the process we followed in the early days of our world travels. Back then, our approach was simple and surprisingly effective. First, we’d book cruises to destinations that intrigued us. Then we’d build around those sailings, adding time before and after to explore other locations we wanted to experience more deeply or perhaps settle into for a while. Somewhere along the way, we drifted from that formula, but it recently became clear that it still makes the most sense for how we like to travel.

 Location or Ship Days Dates
 Holiday Home – Kaiwaka, New Zealand 61  12-13-2025 – 2-11-2026
 Hotel – Overnight in Auckland, New Zealand 1 2/11/2026
 Flight- Auckland, New Zealand to Hobart, Tasmania, Australia 0 2/12/2026
 Holiday Home – Penguin, Tasmania, Australia 61 2/12/2026 – 4/13/2026
 Flight -Hobart, Tasmania to Brisbane, Australia 0 4/13/2026
 Hotel – Brisbane Airport Hotel 1 4/13/2026 – 4/14/2026
 Cruise – Brisbane, Australia to Seattle, Washington 25 4/14/2026 – 5/8/2026
 Drive – Seattle, Washington to Vancouver, Washington 0 5/8/2026
 Hotel – Vancouver, Washington 4 5/8/2026 – 5/12/2026
 Drive –  Vancouver, Washington to Eden Prairie, Minnesota 4 5/12/2026  – 5/16/2026
 Hotel – Eden Prairie, Minnesota 21 5/16/2026 – 6/6/2026
 Flight – Minneapolis, Minnesota to Johannesburg, South Africa 2 5/6/2026 – 6/7/2026
 Hotel – Johannesburg, South Africa 1 6/7/2026 – 6/8/2026
 Flight – Johannesburg to Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/ Kruger, SA 0 6/8/2026
 Drive – Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/ Kruger, SA Airport to Marloth Park, SA 0 6/8/2026
 Holiday Home – Marloth Park, South Africa 89 6/8/2026 – 9/4/2026
 Drive – Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/ Kruger, SA Airport 0 9/4/2026
 Flight – Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/Kruger, SA Airport to Livingstone, Zambia 0 9/4/2026
 Hotel – Livingstone, Zambia 7 9/4/2026 – 9/11/2026
 Flight – Livingstone, Zambia to Johannesburg, South Africa 0 9/11/2026
 Hotel – Johannesburg, South Africa 1 9/11/2026 – 9/12/2026
 Flight – Johanessburg to Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/ Kruger, SA 0 9/12/2026
 Drive – Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/ Kruger, SA Airport to Marloth Park, SA 0 9/12/2026
 Holiday Home – Marloth Park, South Africa 89 9/12/2026 – 12/09/2026
 Flight – To Be Determined 0 12/9/2026
 Hotel- To Be Determined 7 12/9/2026 – 12/16/2026
 Flight – To Be Determined 0 12/16/2026
 Hotel – To Be Determined 1 12/16/2026 – 12/17/2026
 Flight – Johannesburg to Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/ Kruger, SA 0 12/17/2026
 Drive – Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/ Kruger, SA Airport to Marloth Park, SA 0 12/17/2026
 Holiday Home – Marloth Park, South Africa 86 12/17/2027 – 3/12/2027
 Drive – Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/ Kruger, SA Airport to Marloth Park, SA 0 3/12/2027
 Flight – Nelspruit/Mpumalanga/ Kruger, SA to Singapore 1 3/12/2027
 Hotel – Singapore – To Be Determined 1 3/13/2027 – 3/14/2027
 Cruise – Singapore to Hong Kong 19 3/14/2027 – 4/2/2027
 Cruise – Hong Kong to Seoul, Korea 14 4/2/2027 – 4/16/2027
 Cruise – Seoul, Korea to Tokyo, Japan 14 4/16/2027 – 4/30/2027
 Cruise – Tokyo, Japan to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 18 4/30/2027 – 5/17/2027
 Flight – Vancouver, British Columbus to Las Vegas, Nevada 0 5/17/2027
 Holiday Home – Lake Las Vegas, Nevada 30 5/17/2027 – 6/16/2027
 Flight – Las Vegas to Eden Prairie, Minnesota 0 6/16/2027
 To Be Determined…
Planned Number of Days 558

We fully recognize that this decision may seem somewhat contradictory. Not long ago, we wrote about becoming less interested in cruising after getting sick on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas, a massive ship with a 4,269-passenger capacity. And yet, here we are, still with one more cruise booked on that very ship. We’ve already paid in full for a 25-night sailing beginning April 14, just three months from now. That booking isn’t going anywhere.

After considerable discussion, we realized something that felt both obvious and oddly comforting. We do love cruising. What we don’t love is getting sick on cruises. Once we separated those two ideas, the solution became clear. If cruising itself isn’t the problem, then the type of cruising might be. Looking back, the times we felt our best at sea were always on much smaller ships. We decided to commit to sailing only on smaller vessels from now on.

After researching and revisiting past experiences, Azamara Cruise Line quickly rose to the top of our list. Their ships accommodate up to 700 passengers, which makes a significant difference for us. We appreciate the upscale environment, the adults-only atmosphere, and the noticeably higher level of customer service. Additionally, Azamara offers a long list of inclusions that many other cruise lines charge extra for. Their “inclusive luxury” model covers gratuities, select spirits, wine and beer, specialty coffees, 24/7 room service, self-service laundry, and WiFi minutes. They also host AzAmazing Evenings on most cruises, which are unique cultural events included in the fare.

Higher-tier loyalty members receive additional perks, including expanded WiFi, spa and beverage discounts, and laundry services, while suite guests enjoy priority access and in-suite spirits. Since we aren’t yet high-tier members, we’ll still pay for WiFi, albeit at competitive rates. None of this, of course, comes at the bargain prices often found on larger ships. At this point, though, we’re more than willing to pay extra for a better onboard experience and, most importantly, a much lower likelihood of getting sick.

A few days ago, we booked four Azamara cruises, all back-to-back, through Costco Travel in the US. Booking through Costco has worked well for us in the past, and this time was no exception. We’ll receive a total of US $3,460 in Costco shop cards, which we can use for purchases or for cash. These shop cards aren’t credited until the next calendar year after the sailings. Additionally, we’ll earn rewards from our Premium Membership that we can use for major purchases, such as new laptops, the next time we’re in the U.S. Currently, we have almost US $1000 in shop cards and US $446 in Premium Membership credits.

Making these decisions also allowed us to map out a broader plan before and after the cruises. As it stands now, we’ll be spending nearly nine months in Marloth Park, leaving periodically to visit other African countries when our 90-day visas expire, and returning twice for new entry stamps. The third time, we’ll return to the U.S. to see family in Nevada and Minnesota and take care of practical matters such as renewing our driver’s licenses.

When we look at the itinerary as a whole, it’s obvious there are still bookings to be made. But we’re in no rush. We’ll take care of those details as we go. For now, it feels good to have a solid framework in place and, once again, no pressure to figure out every last detail all at once.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, January 12, 2026:

A small wake from the ship as we sailed through Doubtful Sound in New Zealand. For more photos, please click here.