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 13…Circumnavigating the Australian continent….Best international pricing for rental cars…One last tip for Elaine…

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Colorful parasails in Bali.

“Sightings on the Ship in Australia”

View of the ceiling and elevators in the Centrum area.

When our loyal reader Elaine wrote explaining she and her husband had sold their home and stored many of their belongings to begin a two year world travel adventure, we wrote back and asked if we could share her questions with all of our readers worldwide.

When she graciously agreed, the past two days, we posted both her questions and our answers which can be found at these two links, if you haven’t seen them as yet:
 
Post #1:  https://www.worldwidewaftage.com/2016/11/day-11circumventing-australian.html
Post #2:  https://www.worldwidewaftage.com/2016/11/day-12circumventing-australian.html

Tender boats taking passengers ashore in Bali yesterday.

Today, we’re adding information about what we’ve chosen to do about renting cars while we travel the world which has encompassed the following questions for us along the way:
1.  Will we need a car? Can we use taxis for tours, shopping and various outings? 
Answer:  Not every area is suitable for calling taxis. For example, in Madeira, Portugal, we’d researched to discover that in the area in which we lived, Campanario, few taxis were available which could result in high costs and long waits when ordering a taxi.  In the remote location of Pacific Harbour, Fiji, a popular tourist area on the island of Viti Levu,  taxis were readily available with very low rates to most locations, usually under US $5, AU $6.63. With the high costs of rental cars in that location, it made more sense to use taxis. We selected a reputable company online that serviced all of our needs.

2.  What is the cost of using taxis or drivers in any particular area in which we may be living?
Answer:  As stated above taxis fares vary greatly all over the world.  When a driver option is available through the owners of a vacation/holiday home, it’s important to ask rates long before arrival to be able to make a determination as to whether the driver, a separate taxi company or a rental car would be most suitable and affordable. If you’re the type of traveler to go out on long drives, day after day, a rental car is usually the best option. For us, who ventures out about three times a week, we’ve always conducted a cost analysis in order to decide our best route. Long ago, we were willing to forgo a feeling of being trapped without a car in the driveway. Now, it doesn’t bother us at all, especially when a quick call or email brings a taxi to our door within minutes or when we can pre-arrange longer outings as desired.

Passengers parasailing in Bali.  Photos taken from our veranda.

3.  Is driving a rental car safe in some high risk areas? 
Answer: In some countries using a regular driver was a safer option than renting a car, for example in Kenya, where carjacking is a common occurrence even in the most upscale resort areas.  One must consider the crime rates in the area/country before deciding to rent a car. This information is readily available online with a few minutes of research.

4.  What is the cost to rent a car which must be large enough to fit our three large bags, three carry on  bags leaving us comfortable seating?
Answer:  Rental car rates are either affordable in an area or not. In Belize it was US $3,000, AU $3,977 or more for a month. If we’d used a taxi every single day it never would have been one fourth of that rate. We opted for selecting one regular driver with whom we felt most comfortable, tipping him generously at the end of our stay.

This looked like fun, for some.  I must admit, it doesn’t appeal to me, but Tom would like it.

5.  Will both of us be able to drive the car?  Is there an extra charge to add me to the contract?
Answer: In many cases its as much as additional US $10, AU $13.26 per day to add a second driver to the contract. It’s not worth it to us to spend the extra sum when the only time I’d go off on my own would be to grocery shop. As a result, Tom drives me to the market and either joins in on the shopping or reads a book on his phone while waiting in the car. It works for us and we save considerable sums each year. In some cases, such as in Hawaii, there was no additional cost for a second driver. It’s important to verify this information in advance if it’s necessary for two or more drivers to drive the vehicle.

6.  What about liability and car insurance, especially when we don’t own a car of our own? How do we handle the insurance?
Answer: Some credit cards provide insurance for the vehicle if the rental included using the credit card to pay for the rental. This is the case for all of our rentals. Please check with your credit card company as to its particular provisions and rules. Also, our “renter’s insurance” which covers our personal belongings (luggage) includes liability insurance.

Towel penguin on the bed last night.

7.  How does one decide on which rental car company to use?

What site(s) do we use that offer the best pricing, guidelines and customer service? 
Answer: During the first year of our travels we conducted considerable research in order to settle on to an online resource we found best served our needs. This was a time consuming process.  We landed on rentalcars.com which ultimately proved to provide the best pricing, cars and service, especially when it comes to long term rentals such as ours. However, this international service can fulfill and often beat pricing over many other online rental sites.  We usually end up using Europcar.com which were directed through a search through rentalcars.com. If we’d contacted Europcar.com directly, we’d pay a higher price. This is important. Don’t be tempted to go directly to the company for pricing. You’ll rarely be offered a better price. The exception to this will only occur while picking up the car and they offer an additional promo for an upgrade which we’ve accepted on a few occasions. In some cases, we’ve been offered a less costly car than we originally selected, at an even lower price when they see the extended period of the rental. Undoubtedly, over time, one becomes more experienced in this process, ultimately saving money and time.

Heights, falling in the sea?  Not for me, thanks.

Hopefully, this information may be found to be helpful for some of our traveling friends, especially those considering longer trips or extended periods of world travel.

Please don’t hesitate to comment at the end of this or any post if you have questions or concerns. We’re always happy to assist.

We continue to hang out with our wonderful group of new friends each evening for happy hour in the Diamond Club and later for dinner. These past few nights, after dinner when they’ve wandered off to their cabins for the evening, Tom and I have headed to the self leveling pool tables to play. As competitive as we are and as lousy a pool player as I am, somehow I’m ahead. Go figure. 

Happy day!

Photo from one year ago today, November 12, 2015:

In Fiji one year ago, our single house was located in the far right of this photo, down from the house above that has three rentals, a huge upper floor and two good sized lower apartments. 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.

Day 10…Circumnavigating the Australian continent…Sea day…Conversations surrounding US politics…

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The hallway of the Shops of Centrum.

“Sightings on the Ship in Australia”

More art from the art center aboard ship.

How is it possible that we’re having such fun day after day, night after night? It never seems to end. Nor do we have periods of time where we’re wondering what we should be doing to fill our time.

Each day’s pleasant routine allows us to be face to face with new people along with those we’ve already met. The interactions are filled with interesting conversations. Over the past few days, conversation has mostly centered around politics, escalating today on election day. 

The Shops of Centrum have an array of pricey shops.

Aussies, Kiwis, Brits and others are very interested in the results of this US election when the outcome will reverberate throughout the world in many ways.

As we mentioned in the past, we’ve chosen to avoid political views on this site. Although both of us are highly opinionated on the topic of politics we’ve decided that those views aren’t relevant to this site. 

Now that I wear the FitBit, no longer do I have any interest in watches.

Although we’re closely following the election results as they roll in, we won’t be discussing it here. We’ve all been bombarded with this campaign long enough. 

Our intent is to focus primarily on the stories and photos of our daily lives and experiences of two happily married retirees traveling the world, homeless, unencumbered and feeling free to make our decisions as to what appeals to us the most.

Jewelry stores are most popular shopping venues on ships.

This is as opposed to that which others may expect from world travelers such as a continuous travel log of sightseeing, adventure sports and dining. For us, it’s all about the people, the culture, the common features of where we live at any given time and the exquisite beauty of nature and our surroundings.

Living on board a ship for 33-nights leaves us reeling over the simplicity of this temporary life; no meals to cook, no dishes to wash, no bed to make, no cleaning and for now, no time to watch any of our favorite shows at night. 

For US $19.99, AU $26.11, these gift sets are hot sellers.

Our social life is beyond our hopes or expectations for this cruise or any cruise for that matter. No doubt, a part of it revolves around the fact that both of us are friendly and outgoing welcoming every opportunity to chatter with whomever comes our way.

Today, a sea day, once we’re done posting, we’ll head to the movie theatre, one hour before the movie begins in order to ensure two seats together. The tiny theatre only holds 50. We bring our laptops while we continue to work and research until shortly before the movie begins.

After not owning a handbag since 2013, I can easily pass by these displays without giving it a thought. In Kenya, I threw out my handbag when the risk of it being stolen was too high. I have learned to function without a purse, especially with Tom’s roomy pockets.

Yesterday’s movie, “Tarzan, the Legend,” was a favorite of mine. Tom only nodded off for a few minutes while I stayed awake and alert during the entire screening. Today’s movie, the 2016 remake of “Ben-Hur” should appeal to both of us.

Duty free liquor store. Any alcohol purchased during the cruise may not be brought to a cabin.  It is stored until the last night of the cruise.

Tonight, we’ll hang out with our new US friends at the Diamond Club and again for dinner. Gee… This is great! We’re loving every minute!

Be well. Be happy!


Photo from one year ago today, November 9, 2015:

Badal visited us almost every day in Fiji checking out what may be on the evening’s menu. We never failed to give him a plate of something delicious. After his meal he’d sit cross legged on the veranda looking at me, hoping for second helpings. For more photos, please click here.

Day 9 circumnavigating the Australian continent…Too poop to pop!

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The downtown area of Darwin with office buildings, restaurants and shopping.

“Sightings on the Ship in Australia”

Art sales and auctions attract a number of passengers during cruises. Happily, Tom always says, “We don’t have any walls!”

Today our ship is docked in the port of Darwin, Australia.  On April 24, 2016 while on another cruise, we visited Darwin, taking a bus into town to explore for a few hours. Mostly, it was about shopping, with the numerous shops lining the streets.

As a result, we stayed on the ship today along with about 25% of the other passengers who may have been to Darwin in the past and saw no reason to venture out on such a hot and humid day.  (It’s almost summer here in Darwin and the hot season begins early).

Here’s link #1 our visit to Darwin
Here’s link #2 our visit to Darwin

The port arrival building in Darwin.

After a poor night’s sleep, awakening at 3:00 am and falling back to sleep for only about 30 minutes, today I’m pooped, as sluggish as I can be. Having fun late into the evenings is taking its toll on me after many months of relative inactivity while my injury healed and staff had done all the cooking and cleaning.

Listen to me…complaining about having too much fun! Each morning when we’re tired from staying up late, I think, “Maybe tonight we’ll lay low, go to bed early, avoid the two glasses of wine.” 

Invariably, after we’d showered and dressed for the evening, we wander off to the Diamond Club Lounge at 5:00 pm. In a matter of minutes, we find ourselves engaged in interesting conversations with little motivation to end the evening early.

The ship is being fueled while in the port of Darwin.

We met two fabulous couples from the US, Cheryl and Stan from Texas and Lois and Tom from New Jersey, all within our age range, all lively and energetic travelers. 

These past several evenings, we’ve sat with them in the happy hour Diamond Lounge and last night we joined them and another couple for dinner in the Cascade dining room after the happy hour. What a delightful evening!

When they all decided to “call it a night” after dinner, Tom and I weren’t done and the evening continued for us for a few more hours.  We don’t seem to have trouble extending our evening well into the night; a little dancing, lots of laughing and leisurely strolls on the deck.

Some adventurous passengers decided to walk to downtown in the heat, returning to the ship exhausted and weary.

When I think back to all the nights over these past many months that I was pooped by 9 pm, struggling to stay awake, it feels great to be social and playful well into the evening. I’d begun to wonder if I had it in me or this late night lack of energy was a by-product of aging.  Apparently not.

Now I’ve mastered the ability to stay up later and enjoy a few glasses of wine. Now I need to master the ability to acquire a good night’s sleep after all of our fun to prepare me a similar repeat the following night.

Perhaps, today, after the movie at 1 pm, a nap will be in order. Never able to nap in the past, doesn’t mean I can’t learn to do it now.  You can “teach an old dog new tricks!”

Most of Australia’s 23 million citizens live close to the ocean since the barren interior, the Outback, is relatively uninhabitable.

Don’t forget to vote! We submitted our absentee ballots weeks ago and will carefully follow along tomorrow via the web.  

Photo from one year ago today, November 8, 2015:

One year ago, a Paul Gauguin cruise ship sailed by our view in Fiji.  For more photos, please click here.

Day 8…An amazing presentation aboard the ship!…How easily we’re entertained!

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This cantaloupe face was astounding!

“Sightings on the Ship in Australia”

A bottle of Pepsi constitutes an artsy display.

We saw long-term cruises often known as “Grand Voyages” or “World Cruises” and wondered if we would ever want to embark on such a long sail.

After all the cruises we have experienced in four years, this one in #15, the second stage from back to back will be #16. Averaging at about four cruises per year, one every three months, neither of us have a burning desire to cruise any longer than these 33-nights.

The head fruit carver, Manuelo, was in charge of the preparation of his famous fruit sculptures.

Oh, we love every moment, but we both feel that something longer, like everything else in life, can become mundane if over-done. A 90- or 120-night cruise could be too long.

During these four years we’ve encountered only a few passengers who’ve embarked on longer than 30-night cruises. While they explained that they greatly enjoyed the experience, none mentioned the desire to repeat the experience.

With the crowd at the table, it was hard to get a good position to take pictures.

For us, the novelty could be obliterated if we cruised over a month on a regular basis. In addition, the cost may be prohibitive if more than one or twice in three or four years. 

Although cruising makes lots of sense economically when it includes transportation, housing, food and entertainment, there are additional expenses that can make the cost per day way over the top.

While the cruise makes great economic sense when it includes transportation, accommodation, food and entertainment, there are additional expenses that can make the cost per day much higher.

Guided tours, stores, spa services, cocktails and other extras can take a final bill well in the thousands for some. With our cabin credits of US $350, AU 456 for each of the two legs of this 33 night cruise, hopefully, we won’t go over this sum and be able to end the cruises without any balances owing.

A huge cost factor as mentioned a few days ago, is the savings for our new Diamond Club membership in the Crown & the Anchor loyalty program for cocktails available to us for over four hours each evening, beginning at 4:30 pm and ending at 8:00 pm. 

A bird made from a pineapple.

At the end of each evening, Tom may order one additional cocktail after the 8:00 pm window as above. With the remaining cabin credit, most likely the additional cocktails averaging at US $9.50, AU 12.37 (with tip) will hardly use the first of the two balances ending on November 16th when we arrive in Perth and the second leg begins. 

At that point the new US $350, AU 456 cabin credit begins all over again. Any remaining amounts from the first leg are obliterated if unused. No doubt, we’ll make certain we use every last penny.

The carving chef shocked all of us with this exquisite watermelon carving of a donkey head.

Yesterday, for the first time on a cruise, I purchased an item of clothing, a cute pullover hoodie sweater. I wore it last night and for the first time since this cruise began I was comfortable and not freezing.  I’m one of those seniors who is cold all the time in air conditioning, especially in the movie theatre.

As soon as we wrap up here, we’re heading off to another movie.  Yesterday’s “Bad Moms” was cute as we both chucked through it all, along with the many Aussies, Brits and Kiwis who were in the theatre along with us, easily laughing through scene after scene. 

A honeydew melon rabbit.  Too cute!

We love these people with their easy senses of humor. Sorry for the stereotyping, but overall these are one friendly and cheerful group of people. They, along with many wonderful Americans, we’ve met (there are 140 of us on board this ship) have made this another memorable cruise, just the right length of time.

The display of Manuelo’s works. Amazing skill!

May all of YOU have a beautiful day! 

Photo from one year ago today, November 6, 2015:

A rusty sailboat remained on the shore in Savusavu, Fiji, where we lived one year ago. For more photos, please click here.

Day 7…Circumnavigating the Australian continent aboard RC Radiance of the Seas…Is boredom an issue?

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Yorkeys Knob under cloudy conditions at Cairns.  Since we’d spent three months at Trinity Beach (to the right in this photo) from June 11 to September 7, 2015 and had seen so much when there, we decided to stay on the ship.

“Sighting on the Ship in Australia”

I’m not sure what it is.

With 26 nights left on this long cruise, we are as happy as clams, loving every minute. Of course, some passengers complain about the food, their cabins, the ship’s facilities, the activities and that this ship is not as classy as other ships.

Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas is a mid-range ship, not high-end, but in no way inferior. The decor is nice having been recently renovated; each area is impeccably clean and well kept; the service is excellent and friendly. We don’t have a complaint in the world.

The gym on the ship.

Our toilet ran into the bathroom floor. We reported it and was repaired promptly. The bathroom sink stopped running. We pointed it out and it was corrected quickly. Not one of these scenarios bothered us. They were repaired while we were outside the cabin, back to find the finished work.

Our expectations, which we have learned to restrain in our journeys, can be very different from the average passenger. Perhaps that is their only vacation. In addition, many passengers do not stay on the ship for the complete 33 nights. Only 600 were mentioned to be on the back-to-back as we are, circumventing the continent.

Another comment we’ve heard from some passengers is they become bored on sea days with nothing to do. There are dozens of activities on board the vessel available at any time of day and night.

The fitness center has everything I prefer to use.

Each day is filled and fulfilling. Over these past days, we’ve evolved into an entirely pleasurable routine, leaving us with little time to spare. Our mornings begin in the dining room for breakfast followed by finding two chairs at Café Latte tudes on the 5th floor overlooking the Centrum.

As we prepare the day’s post, we can hear and see the classes and activities taking place below in the Centrum. During this time, I can go to the fitness center to work out while Tom saves my chair. Once we have finished and uploaded the post of the day, it is usually around midday.

By 12:15 we find our favorite seats in the theatre to watch the movie of the day beginning at 1:00 pm. It’s necessary to get a seat early. We bring our phones and play games while we wait for the movie to begin. 

Tender boat used to transport passenger from the ship to Yorkey’s Knob Marina which we’d visited over a year ago. Many were off to Cairns from there which we’d also thoroughly scoured when living at Trinity Beach.

Surprisingly, we hadn’t seen any of the movies being shown and although some are goofy, we’re still entertained. Tom’s only lost interest in one movie so far, Ghost Busters as mentioned in another post. Yesterday’s movie was Money Monster well worth watching.

After the movie, we head back to our cabin. By then, it’s already 3:00 pm. We lounge, sitting on the bed checking our email, downloading photos, saying hello to family and friends. A few days ago, during this period, we booked the flight to Tasmania for December 3rd and a rental car for the three months we’ll spend on the island.

By 4 pm, we dress for the evening. With my limited wardrobe its always challenging deciding what to wear. Invariably, I’ll pull something together and we’ll leave the cabin feeling we’re as ready as we can be for a fun evening aboard ship.

The ship’s library is often filled with passengers searching for reading material.

Usually before 5 pm we’re situated in the Diamond Club lounge on the 13th deck for free cocktails, appetizers and fabulous chatter with other members.  Before we know it, it’s 7:00 pm and time to wander into the Cascades dining room to get a spot at a “sharing” table for eight or ten. 

The next few hours fly by with the lively and animated table conversation. At times, we may sit next to less lively types, but overall, we find our table mates entertaining and interesting. Many are interested in our lives of world travel often asking us question after question while we pump them for their stories as well. 

By 9:00 pm or so, we head to the Schooner Bar for the piano bar entertainment beginning at 9:30. Within an hour or so, we head to the Centrum where there’s a live band and dancing. We dance, we laugh, we chatter! 

Most likely, we won’t be booking any cruises on this ship since those we may be interested in booking aren’t posted yet. When we book aboard a ship extra perks are provided and our cruise rep at Vacations to Go, Brooklyn, will still get credit for the booking.

Between 11:00 pm and midnight we usually head up to our cabin, hoping for a good night’s sleep. Neither of us has slept more than six hours since boarding the ship almost a week ago.

This is surely due to the fact that we can’t wait to get up to begin yet another pleasurable day.

Thus, we have no time or inclination for boredom. Cruising is especially appealing when we don’t focus on the small annoyances or inconveniences. We couldn’t be more thrilled with our cruise.

Be well.


Photo from one year ago today, November 6, 2015:

One year ago today Tom was standing outside Kumar’s Hair Salon which generally attracts more men than women. We awaited Tom’s turn while sitting on the bench to the right. For more details, please click here.

Medical emergency aboard the ship…Today, right back where we were in 2015…

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We stood on our cabin’s veranda awaiting the arrival of this medevac helicopter to transport a heart attack patient from the ship to an appropriate hospital.

“Sighting on the Ship in Australia”

Can of tomato soup. Hmm, what’s the significance here?

Yesterday afternoon, while at sea, shortly after I’d watched another silly movie, the remake of Ghost Busters, I headed back to our cabin.  Tom was relaxing after he’d walked out of the movie only minutes after it had started. 

I knew this wasn’t his kind of movie, but I stayed in the theatre to watch it on my own when my taste in movies is slightly more tolerant than Tom’s. It was a ridiculous plot, but I always get a kick out of the special effects.

No more than a few moments after I opened my laptop to check email, I mentioned to Tom that the ship wasn’t moving. Checking to see what was going on, in no time at all we discovered there was a medical emergency onboard that required a passenger be airlifted by helicopter to hospital.

As the helicopter approached the ship to land on the ship’s helipad. 

A few hours earlier, we’d heard announcements from the bridge (in code) that something was amiss in the fitness center. As it turned out, from what we heard later, a man had a heart attack while working out.  He had to be revived. Frightening.

On a previous cruise on RC Legend of the Seas, June 10, 2015, on its way to Sydney, a similar situation had transpired requiring the patient be lifted in the basket when high seas prevented the helicopter from landing on the heli-pad on the ship’s bow. 

This is the third medical evacuation we’ve witnessed while cruising, twice by helicopter, once by the ship rerouting to Burmuda.  Please see photo below for the first helicopter evac. Here’s the link to our story.

Photo we’d posted on June 10, 2015 while we were cruising on Royal Caribbean Legend of the Seas when a passenger also had to be evacuated, but in the basket when rough seas prevented the helicopter from landing on the ship’s helipad. The patient was wrapped in an exterior covering the basket with paramedic holding on to the passenger.  Scary.

With calm seas yesterday, the helicopter was able to land safely on the heli-pad which we weren’t able to see from our veranda, although we could see the touchdown from our TV that broadcasts a steady cam from the bow of the ship, as shown in this photo below.

It was heart wrenching to consider the worry and distress for the passenger and his spouse or travel companion with the necessity of being airlifted off the cruise. From what we’d heard, he’d been revived, but it was several hours later when the helicopter whisked him away to a hospital.

Based on the location of our cabin, we weren’t able to get close enough to the bow of the ship to see the helicopter land. Instead, we took this fuzzy photo of the TV display.

This further validates the value of travel insurance (which we have) when the cost for such evacuations can be outrageously expensive.  When passengers pass away on a cruise ship, the body is not evacuated instead being stored in an appropriate facility that most ships have available. 

In yesterday’s case, we can only pray for the passenger’s survival and return to health after being treated at whatever location he’d been transported. Of course, we’ll never hear and the scuttlebutt aboard the ship is unreliable.

Fortunately, the seas were calm and the helicopter was able to land. The ship had stopped during the rescue mission until the patient was safely in transit to the hospital.

We both researched online on a mission to discover how many cruise ship passengers are actually transported off ships for medical emergencies. We weren’t able to find any information or stats in this regard.  Perhaps cruise lines are particularly lax in providing such stats to avoid scaring travelers away from cruising.

As we age, this becomes more of a concern.  Not only is there the anxiety associated with a life threatening illness or injury a passenger may incur during a cruise, but loss of time in getting treated also adds the stress. 

Yesterday’s passenger wasn’t taking off on the helicopter until over five and a half hours later. We can only hope the doctor on the ship has sufficient knowledge and skill to keep the patient stable during this extended period.

The Medevac team preparing to land with medical personnel ready to get into action.

This is a reminder for all of us to have adequate travel insurance cover and to strive for the best possible health when choosing to travel. A high risk and/or elderly patient should seek medical advice prior to embarking on a cruise to ensure cruising is a suitable form of travel based on current health conditions.

Then again, many medical emergencies and accidents occur to passengers of all ages while on cruise ships, while on tours and when traveling to and from various points of interest. ‘This should be of the utmost consideration for possible travelers.

Today, we’re staying on the ship while it’s docked in Yorkeys Knob in Queensland, Australia. We lived in Trinity Beach adjoining this location for three months beginning on June 11, 2015. During that stay, we toured all the important sights, including many located in and around Cairns.

We’ll be back tomorrow with more new photos and stories as we continue on to Day 7 of this highly enjoyable 33-night cruise. 

Be well.

Photo from one year ago today, November 5, 2015:

In the one year ago post, we re-posted a few memorable photos. We took this photo of Mount Kilimanjaro from the window of our tiny plane on our way to the Maasai Mara for a photo safari, one of many great experiences in our then three years of world travel. Please click here for more details.