The Pleasures of Preparation!

“Why not seize the pleasure at once? -- How often is happiness destroyed by preparation, foolish preparation!” ― Emma, Jane Austen

I don't often contradict Ms. Austen, but in this case, preparation is pleasure! We continue to knock things off our "to do" list as we get ready to say goodbye to our land life for a while. If we fail to prepare, I'm sure I'll be kicking myself while we're bobbing in the Pacific somewhere over something important I forgot. 

The cases are about 70% full now.

Today, we packed the DH's 2nd big suitcase, which we'll check on the flight to LA. and his carry-on. It's amazing what you can fit into those small wheeled conveyances if you're willing to do a little smooshing and squooshing. I still have a list of about a dozen items we'll need to find space for, but our packing is pretty much complete at this point. 

And while we were packing I found our old passports, which I'd absent-mindedly tucked into one of the DH's carry-on's outer pockets. Our Indian visas, which the DH sweat bullets over when he had to wrestle with the online process in 2017, are sewn into those expired passports, but the visas are supposed to be valid until 2027. I'd been concerned since GenVisa, the service Viking uses, has not yet sent us our e-visas for India and Saudi Arabia. 

But when the DH called Ilya at GenVisa, he said he was still working our our e-visas because India has voided all the old visas since the beginning of the pandemic. I fretted over finding something that is essentially worthless.    

We took down our Christmas tree today, and wandered about the house collecting all the holiday gewgaws and gizzwickies from the horizontal surfaces they've adorned for the last month. Christmas always seems to crawl toward us until suddenly it's here in a rush and just as quickly gone. (With a nod to Jane Austen, there is something to be said for celebrating the 12 days of Christmas beginning with the Big Day itself. One day and done is just too time-compact for such a momentous occasion.) 

But since we'll be gone shortly after Epiphany, I didn't want to leave it till then. And I certainly didn't want to leave the chore for #2 Daughter who'll be taking care of the house for us. The only thing sadder than taking down Christmas decorations is doing it alone! 

We stopped by the bank yesterday to change some hundreds into ones, fives, tens and twenties to take with us on the cruise. Smaller bills are great for incidental tips and shopping in port. This time, the DH took me with him. When he went in to order a hundred one dollar bills in 2017, the teller gave him the stink-eye until he explained our travel plans. I'm afraid she suspected he was headed for a strip club! 

We've both popped in to our doctors' office for a blood draw in preparation for a final medical check next week. We're feeling fine. These are just our regular 6 month check-ups.

In a sense, this cruise has already begun. The first group of world cruisers boarded the Star in Florida on the day before Christmas, about 750 passengers on a ship designed to hold 930. However, some of those are only doing the Panama canal transit portion and will disembark in LA to make room for folks like us. According to some of our fellow cruisers, our final head count will be around 650 passengers making the trip from LA to London, or, in our case, Bergen. We've been following a couple of bloggers who are already on board--Rose & Ted's Excellent Adventures and Kolbs on the Road. Highly recommended reads!

The voyage thus far has not been without its snags. Some passengers tested positive in Ft Lauderdale and were denied boarding. A couple more were put off in Key West. Then in an apparent change of policy when the Star reached Cozumel, 4 passengers who came up positive in the daily spit test were quarantined on board, while one was disembarked. A couple of wags on our CruiseCritic email loop shared this exchange about the situation: 

"What's the difference between walking the plank and getting thrown in the brig?" 

"Bad lawyer!"

Personally, I think it may have been that the passengers who remained on board where only planning to be on for the Panama Canal leg of the trip. Just a hunch.

Anyway, by the time the Star reached Cartagena, Columbia, there were 9 passengers and 2 crew members in quarantine with 10 close contacts self-isolating in their cabins. Unfortunately, this exceeded the 1% Covid tolerance for that South American city and the Star was turned away.  She's steaming in slow circles toward Colon, Panama as I type. 

It's tempting to be depressed by these events, but I've challenged myself to remain positive. Yes, there are 11 positive cases on board, but that means there are 739 passengers and 548 crew members who are not infected. Same for those who are self-isolating because they were in close contact with folks who were later determined to be positive. Only 10 are enjoying room service, while 729 passengers can enjoy a spectacular sunset from the fantail, dine in one of the many excellent venues, and generally be as content as they choose. And anyone who tests positive will surely be disembarked in LA,  so the Star will start fresh with just "worldies" on board.

If we remain negative for our pre-flight test on January 8th... if we test negative at the San Pedro port... if we are still negative for the second day the Star will be in that California berth...when we shove off from the US mainland, we'll have eight sea days to make sure everyone is still in a negative state before we reach our first port of call. 

Have Zinc, Will Travel! I'm determined to be positive...about staying negative... well, you know what I mean!

Home for the Holiday!

"At Christmas, all roads lead home.” ~ Marjorie Holmes

Last night, the DH and I sang for our church's Christmas Eve service. In years past, we've gone to midnight services together, once with his 90-some year old grandmother who insisted on sitting between us so she could hear both the soprano and bass parts in the hymns. (The DH and I met singing in college choir.) Then later, when our girls were little, I was directing a choir and handbell group for Christmas Eve and it was so late, we brought the kids to church in their jammies. It was fine with everyone if they fell asleep on (or sometimes under!) the pew. Now, we're still thrilled to be involved in Christmas Eve service (even if they are now a far more sensible 7 PM instead of midnight vigil.) The church is still our home, all year round but especially on the night we celebrate the Savior's birth.

Today, we had ten for Christmas Day lunch--my parents, our daughters and daughter-in-law, my niece and her family. Little Gracie, my great-niece, made the day extra special with her excitement over the presents and her innocent sweetness. Our home was blessed with love, abundant food and joy in each other's presence. After many years of traveling for Christmas, thousands of miles driven through snowstorms or waiting in airports for flights to go, it is such a relief to celebrate Christmas at home with none of our loved ones in danger trying to join us!

Now, after enjoying the blessings of our home for Christmas, our thoughts are turning to the great adventure we are still hoping for in January. We will become virtual hermits to avoid catching this new covid strain if we can. We'll eliminate non-essential running around. If we go out, we'll be sure to mask up, and practice good hand hygiene when we return. As far as possible, as much as it depends on us, we will try to reach the Viking Star on January 10th in a "negative state."

But we intend to stay positive about it!  

To you and yours, we wish the merriest of Christmases. And in the coming year, may the peace of God make your life a blessed one. 

Blue Door Blues

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go. ~ Oscar Wilde

 

The blue door is our trademark!

Well, this is a case of someone causing less happiness when they go. One of our tenants called this morning to let us know that they just bought a house and will be moving out by the end of the month! We knew they were looking for a home to buy, but didn't realize they were this far in the process. We are happy for them and wish them well, because I remember how exciting it was when we bought our first house, but the timing is less than good for us. 

This may well be the worst week of the year to try to rent a townhouse. Heavy sigh...

But on the bright side, this will give our daughters, who will be managing our properties while we're gone, a chance to learn first hand how to prepare a unit for re-renting, showing the property, vetting prospective tenants, and making a decision on the applicants. We'd hoped to leave the kids with a full house, so to speak, but I'm sure they'll be able to do this.  

This is what happens when you leave your land life for an extending period of time. You have to trust the people who are taking care of things while you're gone. We're blessed to have kids who want to learn the business of landlording, because the properties will eventually become theirs. (FYI, lest you suspect we're land barons, let me assure you we're definitely a mom-and-pop operation with just 10 units.)

In other news, our two suitcases were picked up on Tuesday and are on their way to the ship in LA. This is the first time we've sent luggage ahead instead of dragging them around airports ourselves. I wish I could say that we are limiting ourselves to those two 50 pound bags. However, we now plan to pack a couple more and check them in St Louis. I think we'd have been okay, except there are so many little things we'll need besides clothing to make our life on the Star comfortable. Like...

• Storage bins--Our verandah cabin only has three drawers for clothing. Collapsible bins will fit neatly on the closet shelf and help organize our undies and socks and jammies.
• Hanging shelves--They fit over the closet rod and are great for folded shirts and pants, with the added benefit of being able to see what's available more easily than in a drawer. 
• Drying bar--Some of my clothes have never seen the inside of a dryer. This collapsible bar slips over a door and holds 10 articles of clothing. 
• Magnets--For affixing excursion tickets and other important slips of paper to the cabin walls so they won't get lost.
• World Map--a gift from my friend Marcy for our first WC. We still have plenty of countries to scratch off.
• Trekking poles--The DH always carries my POC in a backpack when we go on excursions. It can get pretty heavy and messes with his balance, especially on uneven surfaces. The poles will help him out with that.
• Consumables--toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, OTC medication, cpap supplies,...

Plus the DH has a few things under the tree I know he'll want to take, so we definitely need a couple more suitcases. Someday, I'll travel light. I'll use just a carry-on and personal item for a multi-week adventure like all those chic Youtubers with their ultimate packing secrets. Someday, I'll pare down and have a wardrobe that mixes and matches like crazy. I won't feel the need to bring so much stuff. Really, I will. 

It just won't be this time.

Jesus & Germs

On worry...

A great many people (not you) do now seem to think that the mere state of being worried is in itself meritorious. I don’t think it is. We must, if it so happens, give our lives for others: but even while we’re doing it, I think we’re meant to enjoy Our Lord and, in Him, our friends, our food, our sleep, our jokes, and the birds’ song and the frosty sunrise. ~ Words to Live By, CS Lewis

 There are plenty of things to worry about right now in general. Will our family stay healthy while we're gone on the WC? Will inflation continue to rise? Will the omicron variant scuttle our travel plans? Did I forget to buy a Christmas present for someone? Have we done everything necessary to prepare to leave the country for 4 months? Am I forgetting to pack something dreadfully important? 

But it does no good to fret. Especially about things over which I have zero control. 

So while the DH and I were doing some of our last minute running around this morning, I calmly announced that I'm done "what-if-ing" and defaulting to the negative. We are about to embark on a true adventure--one in which the outcome is by no means certain. We can't be sure about our itinerary. We can't be sure about what excursions will be available (Viking says they will be finalized once we're all on the ship in LA.) We can't be certain we'll test negatively at the lab before we leave for St. Louis for our flight, or each time we spit into a tube on board the Star. We may or may not make it all the way around this glorious blue ball to Bergen next May. (Just ask the folk who were on the original Magical Mystery Cruise in 2020 when the initial Covid outbreak interrupted everyone's travel!) 

All we can do is move forward into this grand adventure with hope in our hearts and faith that it will all work out.

Ever since my microbiology class in college, I've been the hand-washing queen. And Jesus and I talk every day. I've been vaccinated and boosted. I've started wearing a mask in public again. Everything I can do to keep myself and others safe, I'm doing. The rest I must leave to God. And while I'm doing that, I'll take CS Lewis' advice. I will enjoy every day, revel in every sunrise, love my family and friends, and be ever so thankful for the opportunity to go on this extraordinary voyage!

One of my favorite movies is The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. In this story, the character Sonny often says, "It will  be all right in the end. And if it is not all right, it is not the end."

I have a feeling CS Lewis would think those are words to live by, too.

Hoping against hope

As Daddy said, life is 95 percent anticipation.  ~ Gloria Swanson

Every day I half expect an email from Viking cancelling our World Cruise. Especially with the arrival of the highly infectious omicron variant, it seems one thing after another is conspiring against this trip. But the first wave of passengers is still due to board the Viking Star in Fort Lauderdale on Christmas Eve, and we are only 21 days away from leaving home to being our two days of driving & flying that will take out to LA to meet the ship there. So as of today, we're still going. 

The DH has to pick the bag up to weight it

Our two suitcases (50 and 49.6 lbs) are all packed, locked and ready for Luggage Forward to come pick them up next Tuesday. We'll be taking our luggage scale with us because even though domestic flights allow 70 lb bags for first class, international carriers still cap the weight at 50 lbs. They also limit carry-on pieces to 17 lbs. 

Yesterday, I picked up four pairs of pants from the seamstress who was hemming them for me. (I'm not blessed with my mother's long legs, apparently! Family joke. She's shorter than me.) We have a couple pairs of cargo pants and an Aloha shirt on order for the DH. Supposedly they will all arrive before Christmas. All these new things will need to go into our third big suitcase, which we'll check when we board our flight to LA on January 9th. (Yes, yes, I know. I was going to pare down what we take, but the heart wants what the heart wants!) 

We were unable to obtain a vacation waiver from my Part D supplier, which is probably fair because I'm changing companies in January. So we bit the bullet and paid out of pocket for 130 days of my maintenance meds. (To my younger readers who don't need pharmacological help to function like a real person, all I can say is...just wait. Eventually, almost everyone needs help with maintaining a healthy blood pressure or cholesterol or whatnot. I'm frankly thankful for this type of medicine. It keeps me going...kind of like a classic car that needs a little extra TLC to keep purring along.)

We're still waiting to hear back from GenVisa, the service Viking uses to obtain the necessary visas for their passengers. Only India and Saudi Arabia require visas obtained ahead of time on this itinerary. As I understand it, there is currently a tit for tat squabble going on between India and Canada and Great Britain, something to do with denying Indian citizens entry during the time of Covid. So the guests who come from those countries are in a holding pattern for their visa approval. I think our delay is because GenVisa has been inundated with about 400 packets of requests at once.  

So while we are still doing the packing and planning and preparing necessary for leaving our land life for a third of a year, I find the mood is different from when we were just three weeks from boarding the Pacific Princess in 2018. Of course, I always fret that something will happen that will make the trip impossible. I've done that before every cruise we've ever taken, but now...it does seem  we're approaching the plate with two strikes already against us. 

If I somehow find myself standing on the veranda of cabin 4008 on January 10th, I'll be beyond thrilled and grateful. 

I'll be completely surprised...

Thankful!

First, let me share that we had a wonderful Thanksgiving with our family yesterday. My mom and dad hosted 10 of us for the big meal. Everyone brought something so my mother didn't have to totally exhaust herself. I cooked the turkey, a side dish and pumpkin pie. We prayed and ate and laughed together, feeling so blessed to be able to gather around in person this year. And Gracie, my great-niece who'll be 4 in January, led us all in a hilarious game of "Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?" 

It was a delightful day, and I bless God for allowing us to all share it together. 

This morning we decorated the house for Christmas because, always trying to stay hopeful, we want to enjoy the holiday as long as we can since we'll be bugging out for the world cruise on January 8th. 

And today, we got our first Christmas present from "Uncle" Torstein--a 9 page email with our FINALIZED ITINERARY! 

Leaving from LA, here are our travel plans:

Jan. 10 -11 ~ Los Angeles, California 
Jan. 12 – 19 ~ Sail the Pacific Ocean 

Jan. 20-21 ~ Taiohae, Nuka Hiva, French Polynesia 

Jan. 22 – 23 ~ Sail the South Pacific Ocean 

Jan. 24 - 26 ~ Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia
Jan. 27 - 28 ~ Jan Bahia d'Opunohu, Moorea, French Polynesia 

Jan. 29 -30 ~ Vaitape, Bora Bora, French Polynesia 

Jan. 31 –  Feb.1 ~ Sail the South Pacific Ocean 

Feb 3 ~ Cross the International Date Line  (As you may have noticed, Feb. 2nd disappeared!)

Feb.4 – 5 ~ Sail the South Pacific Ocean 

Feb 6 – 7 ~ Suva, Fiji 

Feb 8 – 19 ~ Sail the South Pacific Ocean (My Kindle will smoking with this stretch of sea days!)

Feb 20 - 22 ~ Singapore, Singapore 

Feb 23 ~ Port Klang (Kuala Lumpur), Malaysia 

Feb 24 ~ George Town, Penang, Malaysia 

Feb 25 ~ Langkawi, Malaysia 

Feb 26 ~ Phuket (Patong Beach), Thailand 

Feb 27 ~  Sail the Andaman Sea 

Feb 28 – Mar 1 Scenic Sailing: Bay of Bengal 

Mar. 2 - 3 ~ Chennai, India 

Mar 4 – 5 ~ Sail the Laccadive Sea 

Mar 6 - 7 ~ Cochin, India 

Mar 8 ~ Sail the Arabian Sea 

Mar 9 -10 ~ Marmagoa (Goa), India 

Mar 11 - 12 ~ Mumbai (Bombay), India 

Mar13 ~ Sail the Arabian Sea 

Mar 14 – 15 Sail the Gulf of Oman 

Mar 16 ~ Doha, Qatar 

Mar 17 ~ Abu Dhabi, UAE 

Mar 18 ~ Dubai, UAE 

Mar 19 ~ Sail the Gulf of Oman 

Mar 20 ~ Muscat, Oman 

Mar 21 – 23 ~ Sail the Arabian Sea 

Mar 24 ~ Salālah, Oman 

Mar 25 – 26 ~ Sail the Gulf of Aden 

Mar 27 – 28 ~ Sail the Red Sea 

Mar 29 -30 ~ Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 

Mar 31-April 1 ~ Yanbu Al-Bahr, Saudi Arabia 

Apr 2 ~  Sail the Red Sea 

Apr 3 - 4 ~ Aqaba, Jordan 

Apr 5 ~  Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt 

Apr 6 ~ Safaga/Luxor, Egypt 

Apr 7 ~ Sail the Gulf of Suez 

Apr 8 ~ Scenic Sailing: Suez Canal 

Apr 9 ~ Alexandria, Egypt 

Apr 10 ~  Port Said/Cairo, Egypt 

Apr 11 ~ Jerusalem (Ashdod), Israel 

Apr  12 - 13 ~ Haifa, Israel 

Apr 14 ~ Sail the Mediterranean Sea 

Apr 15 ~ Rhodes, Greece 

Apr 16 ~  Kuşadasi/Ephesus, Turkey 

Apr 17 ~  Sail the Aegean Sea 

Apr 18 - 19 Istanbul, Turkey 

Apr 20 ~ Sail the Aegean Sea 

Apr 21 - 22 ~  Athens (Piraeus), Greece 

Apr 23 ~ Sail the Ionian Sea 

Apr 24 ~ Sicily (Messina), Italy 

Apr 25 ~ Naples, Italy 

Apr 26 ~ Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy 

Apr 27 ~ Monte Carlo, Monaco 

Apr 28 ~ Sail the Balearic Sea 

Apr 29 - 30 ~ Barcelona, Spain 

May 1 ~ Murcia (Cartagena), Spain 

May 2 ~  Sail the Strait of Gibraltar 

May 3 ~ Lisbon, Portugal 

May 4 ~ Sail the Atlantic Ocean 

May 5 ~ Scenic Sailing: English Channel 

May 6 ~ Portsmouth, England 

May 7 ~ Scenic Sailing: Strait of Dover 

May 8 - 9 ~ London (Tilbury), England 

May 10 ~ At Sea 

May 11 ~ Bergen, Norway (disembarkation) 

57 sea days (though some of those are Scenic Cruising days, which kind of don't count as sea days)

18 overnights! That's kind of unheard of. (Except I'm not sure what we'll do overnight on Nuku Hiva. It's the headhunter island that was featured on Survivor and in fact a German tourist did go mysteriously missing back in 2010 in that chain of islands.) 

We've lost a few place since we first booked this cruise--no Santa Barbara, Hawaii, Kiribati, New Zealand, Australia, Komodo, Bali, Viet Nam, Myanmar (Burma), or Sri Lanka. But we've gained some new countries--Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as extra ports India, Oman, Egypt & Israel. We're thrilled to have 4 ports of call in Egypt, instead of just one, and an extra stop in Israel (also happy we won't be in Jerusalem on Easter in this schedule. That would have been a madhouse!) I really like the idea of so many overnights. It means we can take a leisurely pace with our stops and not feel we have to cram everything into one day. 

Of course, at the bottom of the email, in the teeniest of ant-track fonts was the warning:

Itinerary and ship routing are subject to change.

Ain't it the truth?

Less Ambiguity

"The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost airline luggage." ~  Mark Russell 

Today we received some positive signs that we really are going to be embarking on the Viking Star come January 10th. Viking sent us an email with a voucher, directing us to Luggage Forward, a service that will come to our humble abode and take two 50 lb. suitcases. Our things will be waiting for us in our cabin once we're onboard. 

How lovely! It's a nice little perk we didn't have in 2018 when we traveled around the world with Princess. And how delicious to be able to stroll through the airport with just our carry-on's. 

Well, that's the theory. 

Clearly, Viking has higher hopes for me than I do. Do they really expect me to pack enough clothes, shoes, rain gear, extra storage bins, hangers, magnets, trekking poles, backpacks, collapsible laundry hamper, and all the assorted odds and ends that make life comfortable for 122 days in just one 50 lb. bag? 

And as for carry-on's...a large portion of ours will be gobbled up with my extra purse-sized Portable Oxygen Concentrator (Perival--Percy for short), all our assorted power cords, chargers, spare batteries (which weigh a ton!), two computers and their power cords, prescription medication for four months along with OTC stuff for possible sniffles, headaches, or boo-boo's, a small amount of jewelry...oh! and if there's room a pair of jammies for the hotel the night before we embark.  

But somehow, we'll get it all sorted. Packing is rather like a 3-D puzzle with pieces that smoosh and squoosh into position. I can play that game. And I've promised the DH we will NOT be taking as many pieces of luggage as we did in 2018. Then we had four large suitcases, a medium-sized roller-bag, two rolling carry-on's, the DH's backpack, and Herkimer (my bigger POC) in his rolling cart. And my poor DH had to wrangle pretty much all of it.  

(This was taken just before we left in 2018. It makes me a little sad to see it, because we have since lost Mack, our beloved terrier. He lived to be 15 before he had to leave us last year right around Thanksgiving time. Once on a walk, he charged two (!) pit bulls and put them both on the run before he ran out of the length of his zipline leash. He thought he was protecting us. Heart of a lion, that one. I still miss him everyday.)

 

In the 18th and 19th centuries, manor houses had an entire room dedicated to old furniture, trunks, and portmanteaus. It was called the "lumber room." We have our own version. It was called the DH's office. Now it's our staging area for gathering up all the things we intend to pack. We're both making lists, because if I don't see it written down and checked off once it's actually packed, I'll fret until I get to LA over whether or not I've forgotten something. Here's the chaos that will we shortly have to muscle into order.

Luggage Forward will be at our door ready to whisk away our two 50 lb suitcases on December 21st.

Let the Packing Games begin... 

Delicious Ambiguity

Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity.” ― Gilda Radner

If you check the countdown clock at the bottom of this blog, it says we'll be boarding the Viking Star in something less than 50 days. I'm still hopeful. There's no joy in not trying to stay positive...but the chances that this trip will happen seem to be diminishing. 

First, we lost Australia and New Zealand, which accounts for about a month's worth of our travel destinations. Neither country is opening for cruise tourism yet and seems to be in no hurry. Then Santa Barbara, the 2nd stop on our itinerary closed their port to cruise ships. Just this week, we learned that though the Hawaiian Islands are welcoming tourist who fly in, they are not going to be open to cruisers by the time we expected to be there.

I know Viking is scrambling, trying to do everything they can to put together a world class itinerary for us, but so much is out of their control. We are still waiting for visa kits from GenVisa, a service Viking provides for us, because the itinerary is still not set. And frankly, how can it be with so much uncertainty in the world?

Still, we've been able to do a few fun, anticipatory things, just as if everything was going along swimmingly. We were able to book a bunch of shore excursions for the second half of the voyage, which still seems to be a go. We booked specialty dining with our friends Kristy and Dave for the first couple of days on board, as well as for my birthday. 

Viking is giving us all a lovely jacket with their logo. We had to let them know our sizes so the garments will be waiting for us in our stateroom when we board.  

We've been doing our part to get ready. The DH and I have both had our Covid-19 booster shot. We're driving to Springfield, MO next week to apply for TSA Pre-Check, which should make our flights easier. Just today, we did a practice pack of our carry-on's. It's amazing how quickly that space fills up! 

I'm on a Cruise Critic Roll Call, a Facebook Group for this voyage, and an email loop. Some of my new internet friends have contacted Luggage Forward to schedule their pick ups. Viking will pay for us to ship two 50 lb. suitcases ahead of time. I plan to call them next week. They are supposed to pick them up at our home. Bet they'll be surprised how far out in the boonies we live.

Those online spaces are awash with speculation about where we'll be going... maybe the Mexican Riviera instead of island hopping around Hawaii. Someone suggested another Indian stop will be added and possibly Muscat. But no one really knows.

This week, we received another email from Viking on November 19th, letting us know they are still hammering out the last details for us. They plan to send the completed itinerary and updated Visa kits next week.

Just in time for Thanksgiving! 

Still, this promises to be a Magical Mystery Tour to beat all. And the entire exercise in revision reminds me of the old military adage--"No plan survives first contact with the enemy." 

And in this case, the enemy is a virus that has crippled the entire world.   

So many other cruise lines have already cancelled their 2022 world cruises. As far as I know, only Viking and Oceania are still soldiering on. If the Star sails out of Los Angeles on January 10th, we intend to be on it. 

Who can resist a chance to be travelers instead of just tourists? To go for the sake of going? To live out Robert Louis Stevenson's "the great affair is to move?" 

Because even if the ship sails, I'll be ever so surprised if we know where we're going.

The End is Near...

"There is no real ending. It's just the place where you stop the story." -Frank Herbert

October 1, 2021

This trip was several years in the making and now it's nearly over. We are all making memories and drawing closer together in so many ways, but Mr. Herbert is right. Our family's story is not ending. It's just moving back to our regular stomping grounds.  

We ran into my parents, #2 Daughter & Nephew at breakfast. The Encore is a much bigger ship than they've ever cruised on before, but they have learned their way around and manage quite nicely on their own. How about that? I didn't need to hover as much as I thought I might. Besides, everyone they meet still recognizes them and hails them as the couple who slayed The Not-So-Newlywed-Game that first night! 

I joined #2 Daughter for trivia at 9:00. We've competed in several games together over the week and frankly, she often does better without me. When the topic is popular culture, I'm clueless. 

Then I joined #1 Daughter and D-I-L for a painting class. We weren't aware that reservations were needed, but the crew member leading the class was very flexible and accommodated as many of us extras as she could. #1 Daughter decided to spectate for this activity, so D-I-L and I could take part. She's sweet like that.  

It was so nice to do something side-by-side and talk and enjoy each other. The process was more important than the product in my case, but her painting really turned out great. Of course, that may be because she is an artist and I'm just a dabbler. 

I continue to love being on the sea again. The air is so fresh and clean. A natural antihistamine. I had to put on a second patch scopolamine patch as we moved from the sheltered inside passage to the Pacific. Nephew benefited from another one as well. 

Everyone else seems impervious to the motion of the ocean. 

However, wearing a seasickness patch didn't stop Nephew from rising to the top of the leader board on the go-cart track! The DH and #2 Daughter got suited up to take a few turns around the largest go-cart track at sea, too. They had to take off their glasses and remove anything else that might fly off before climbing into their little roadsters. 

It’s no trouble to get a high step count on the Encore, so I’m feeling stronger each day. 

We're beginning to pack for the trip home tomorrow. The saddest of all cruise days is when the suitcases get put out in the hallway. However, to take away the sting of leaving this wonderful mode of travel, Norwegian has an agreement with SEA-TAC called Port Valet that allows us to let them haul our bags to the airport separately from the bus transfer that will take us there. We won’t see them again until we reach STL near midnight tomorrow. What a wonderful service!

Though we often went our own ways during the days, we met each evening for dinner in the Manhattan Room.

Along with the wonder that is Alaska, the Encore provided us a way to travel with comfort, style, excellent food and service, more activities than we could ever take part in, and so many funny, and heart-warming memories. 

Norwegian really pulled out all the stops to make this a trip we'll never forget! 

Moose Poop & Other Brilliant Moments

“Half the work that is done in this world is to make things appear what they are not.” —E.R. Beadle

September 30, 2021 

Ketchikan is our last port of call. I can't believe how quickly this trip has flown. It's raining off and on and in the 40’s. People seem surprised and frustrated that it rains so often in the largest temperate rain forest in the world. Life is filled with rain, but it’s not all bad. It nourishes the earth. It washes the air clean. I wish I could bottle the air around here. It’s so brisk and clean smelling, filled with exhalations of millions of trees.  

Norwegian has had to invest quite a bit in another dock located across the bay from the one we've arrived at before. Again, the size of this ship has a lot to do with that. We didn't have an excursion planned for today, so we hopped on the shuttle with #2 Daughter and Nephew. It took us around the bay and into the heart of this bustling little tourist trap...ahem! I mean charming town. 

It's actually interesting to see the less glitzy parts of the village, the homely places where people buy their groceries and fill their cars with gas. Like many towns located on the water, Ketchikan is pretty vertical in spots.  

And it's home to some great bargains. In years past, we snagged some excellent winter parkas for around $20. We usually plan on this stop being our shopping port for trinkets and baubles.

And boy, did we find some doozies this year. 

The stand-out had to be this little display of gilded Christmas ornaments at a unique little shop featuring local artists. Most of the offerings were spectacular--scrimshaw work on walrus tusks and original paintings. Then there were these curiosities...

Yes, my friends, these gaudily enameled little droplets are...moose poop. 

The shop owner says he can't keep them in stock. People buy them as Christmas gag gifts for friends and family (in lieu of a lump of coal?). He says it's a very earth-friendly product. Totally renewable raw materials, he claimed. 

I think it's evidence that PT Barnum was right.

And it proves people will buy anything if it's marketed correctly.  

#1 Daughter and D-I-L took a wonderful small boat tour ostensibly to see lighthouses and totem poles. Instead, they ended up seeing eagles, humpbacks, sea lions and sea otters. The tour operator had the theme from Jurassic Park playing as they cruised along and in time with a crescendo in the music, a humpback breached right in front of them. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the guide intoned as if he'd arranged it just for them, "Welcome to Alaska!"

Photo by D-I-L

The DH and I had a hot stone couples' massage in the afternoon. I had expected it to be very relaxing, but my masseuse went after the knots in my muscles like she was killing snakes. She actually left bruises on my arms and legs. It occurred to me that I never asked about what sort of training the people in the spa have. Don't think I'll be doing that again. 

The Choir of Man, a show I was really looking forward to, was canceled and a quartet called The Company Men was subbed in. They had a very good blend, excellent showmanship, and were quite entertaining.  But again, the sound system in the theater was cranked up so that everything was painfully loud. The canned accompaniment often overwhelmed the vocals, which was sad because they were good singers.

My Mom and Dad continue to be recognized every where they go on the ship and generally treated like celebrities. People want to talk to them and even give them hugs. With 67 years of a happy marriage under their belts, they definitely offer something to aspire to. 

I’m so thrilled that everyone is having a wonderful time on the Norwegian Encore!

Juneau!

"John Muir, the famous naturalist, wrote in his journal that you should never go to Alaska as a young man because you'll never be satisfied with any other place as long as you live. And there's a lot of truth to that." ~ Tom Bodett

September 29, 2021

This morning the Encore shimmied into her berth at Juneau. It's Alaska's capital, but not its largest city. It's not even the second largest. Anchorage leads the pack, followed by Fairbanks. Actually the fact that Juneau has a population of over 30,000 is surprising given the fact that you can't get there by car. Juneau is only accessible by plane or boat. 

In years past, our ships docked close enough for us to walk off and into the heart of town, but today we were far enough from town that we had to take a shuttle in. Probably due to the fact that the Encore is a mega-ship and can't park just anywhere. 

Everyone headed for different places. The DH and I joined #2 Daughter and Nephew on a ship arranged tour of the Mendenhall Glacier and Gardens. 

The Gardens have a very wild feel to them. The exception is the odd introduction of upside down trees that are used as bases for perennial plantings. The story behind them is that Steve Bowhay, the owner and founder, originally bought the property after a massive landslide and rented a big backhoe to try to bring some stability to the mostly vertical land. However he couldn't afford to pay for insurance on the equipment. After working 30 days without incident, on the last day of his rental contract, he was trying to pull up a dead tree, but it shifted and landed on the engine compartment of the backhoe. In frustration, he transplanted it in the dirt upside down, roots snaking upward and sideways. 

It was a eureka moment. He'd discovered something that would set his garden apart from all others. Because we were there so late in the season, most of the colorful plants had already been removed from the tops of the many upside down platforms that dotted the road leading to a spectacular view of the glacial valley that leads back to Juneau. 

On either side of the path, we saw little rivulets finding its way down to the valley floor, but Steve had dug out several little holding pools that kept it from cascading down, taking the precious topsoil with it. 

From the Gardens, we traveled the short distance to the Mendenhall Glacier. Nephew and the DH made the hike to Nugget Falls while #2 Daughter and I explored the visitors' center. It is an achingly beautiful area. 

While we were off on this explore, #1 Daughter & D-I-L took my parents up the Juneau Tram. It's a steep funicular ride through a dense forest of hemlock and Sitka spruce. In 2017 when we got to the top, we were treated to a presentation by the local Tlingit tribe and a musical concert by the Alaska String Band. Sadly, there was nothing like that going on today. 

That's the thing about revisiting the same places. They are never the same, sometimes better, sometimes less so, but never the same.

But as they say in small town papers everywhere, "a good time was had by all!" And we all made it back to the ship for our rather early 4:00 sail away. 

Glacier Bay National Park

“A national park is not a playground. It’s a sanctuary for nature and for humans who will accept nature on nature’s own terms.” ~ Michael Frome

 September 28, 2021

By the time we woke this morning, we were already cruising in a national park. 

We're naturally early risers, but we especially didn't want to lounge about because...well, we might just miss something wonderful. The buffet had barely opened when we popped in to grab a quick breakfast and then head back to our balcony. An Alaskan cruise is cold enough at the end of September that our balcony isn't used much, but today is the exception.

And the early birds caught...the whale! 

We were able to see a full breach and then huge sprays of water as the big body slapped the calm surface. The fellow on the verandah next to ours was exclaiming "Oh, Oh, OH!" as if someone had just dropped a bucket of ice water on his head. Of course, it all happened too quickly for us to catch with a camera, and in fact, I can't tell you for sure what species it was, but it thrilled my heart to see it. 

In fact, we didn't capture much in the way of photos because we were so intent on actually looking at this amazing place. Otters huddled on an iceberg in one place. My parents saw several eagles. We saw a few seals, though not anything like the entire island covered with sea lions as we sailed past in 2017 on the Holland American Eurodam. 

But part of the charm of Alaska for me is enjoying mountains while still being at sea level. 

The day was very cold and gray, but we had no rain, thank you, God. 

Much is made about glaciers being in retreat as if it's a bad thing, but because some (though not all) of the glaciers are not pushing as far out into the waters of Glacier Bay as they used to, several species of animals and plants have reclaimed the area. And in fact, the Tlingit people are claiming the mouth of the inlet as their ancestral homeland, the one glaciers ran them out of years ago. 

This afternoon, after we leave Glacier Bay and head toward Juneau, the DH and I plan to go to the Kincaid exhibit with Mom, #2 Daughter and Nephew. I don't know much about Thomas Kincaid as an artist, though I do have one of his prints. This is billed as an exhibit, not an auction, though I enjoy those too. 

Don’t know what we’ll do after supper. No real entertainment options that jump out at me. Since we rose so early, we may call it an evening in. That's one of the loveliest things about cruising. You can do anything or nothing and it's equally good.

The DH is always so proud of his panoramic shots. This was an especially good one!

More soon...

  

Icy Strait Point

September 27, 2021

Hoonah~ Tlingit for "where the north wind doesn't blow." 

Today is almost another sea day since we won't reach Icy Strait Point until this afternoon sometime between 2:00 and 3:30pm. It's unusual to have this much wiggle room in arrival time. I can only surmise its dependent on how bad the headwinds are that the Encore has to fight. 

We however are experiencing fairly slight seas and a partly cloudy sky. The ship is so large, if she's bucking a direct headwind, we can't feel it. It's only when we're turned slightly against the wind so it strikes the ship alongside that we wallow a bit from side to side. Once again, my scopolamine patch is still working (It's usually good for 3 or 4 days.) And fortunately, we're heading for a tidy cove where the wind does not blow. 

We decided to try breakfast in the Observation Lounge with Mom, Dad, #2 Daughter and Nephew. (#1 Daughter and Daughter-in-Law were very early risers all week, so by the time we managed to shamble out of our cabins looking for sustenance, they would have had to behave like good little hobbits and indulge in 2nd Breakfast if they wanted to eat with us!) Breakfast in the Observation Lounge is much lighter fare which appealed to us since we'd all been eating quite a bit since we boarded. I broke my fast with cheese, ham slices, a handful of walnuts and wonderfully strong coffee. 

The Observation Lounge is a lovely area, with two stories of floor to ceiling windows looking out over the bow of the ship. However, all the loungers directly in front of the windows were already occupied and by occupied, I mean camped in. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if some folks sleep in the loungers they've claimed tonight so they will have that spot for our day long scenic cruising in Glacier Bay tomorrow.   

After breakfast, we all parted company so we could pursue our own interests. 

The DH and I booked a couple of excursions for Juneau, the Mendenhall Glacier and Gardens, and the Juneau Tram. Then we went in search of the spa. We were given a brief complementary neck and shoulder massage before we booked a 75 minute couples massage for 1:30 pm on the day we’re in Ketchican. 

We arrived at Icy Strait Point around 2PM. Add a dash of cold rain and the place's name says it all. Sadly, the tram ride into the town of Hoonah, where we were hoping for a native presentation and more insight into the people who live there, was not running. In fact, we weren't even allowed to walk there. The town was off limits to us due to Covid. Given the horrific history of viruses borne by outsiders to native peoples, I really can't blame them. 

We were pretty much stuck in a non-place, a muddy, graveled tourist trap with not much cultural value to commend it. My parents had taken a look at the long pier they'd have to walk to even reach the first gift shop and decided to stay on the ship. They made the right call. 

I'm not afraid of rain. I knew I was coming to the largest temperate rain forest in the world, so I was prepared with the right gear. But Percival, my O2 concentrator, doesn't like to get wet. In fact, he's in danger of shorting out if he does, so the DH and I called it a day and slogged back to the Encore. 

But we didn't stop exploring Icy Strait Point. Using the DH's new birthday binoculars, from our balcony, we could see bald eagles roosting in treetops. A seal swam by, making a vee in the water. And an old growth forest of hemlock and Sitka spruce stretched heavenward just across from our berth. 

My friend Kristy (She and her hubby are going on the Viking World Cruise with us in January!) says it reminds her of the Ewoks' moon of Endor in Return of the Jedi. (Sorry, folks. I've been a fan of the franchise since the first Star Wars movie.)  To get an idea how incredibly tall those trees are, check out the little specks of color on the green ramp that are actually people.

The wonderful thing about cruising is that you are brought to places where you can experience lovely adventures, whether you leave the ship or no.

The evening show was Kinky Boots, a ninety minute Broadway-style musical that's won all kinds of awards. It was well done, but the canned accompaniment was so loud, it often overpowered the vocalists and frankly made me wish for ear plugs so I could hear it without pain. This was actually a problem with all the shows in the main theater all week. (I know, I know. It's a sure sign you're getting older when the music is suddenly too loud!) 

Really looking forward to tomorrow in Glacier Bay! 

About a Row Boat

September 26, 2021

“Sometimes, the biggest secrets you can only tell a stranger.” ― Michelle Hodkin

Or a roomful of strangers, but I'm skipping ahead in my story about today...

Photo credit: D-I-L who has a great eye!

Nephew was seasick at breakfast, but one of my scopolamine patches fixed him right up. (Yes, I know these meds are available only by prescription, but what kind of aunt would I be if I have the means to help him and withheld it?) 

Our server at breakfast asked Mom and Dad how long they'd been married and when he learned they had been together 67 years, he urged them to enter The Not-So-Newly-Wed Game that would be held in the Atrium at 9 PM. Turns out they are always looking for people who've been married for a long, long time. They said they'd think about it.

Dad and the DH watched the hapless Kansas City Chiefs lose, much to Dad's disgust, while Mom, #2 Daughter, Nephew and I went to the art auction. I know some folks pooh-pooh these gatherings, but I find them interesting. Especially when there are some very high dollar bids made. The equivalent of an "art whale" was in the house and he walked away with a signed Dali lithograph and several other original works by lesser known artists. Anytime someone drops tens of thousands of dollars in one sitting, it's exciting to watch. 

#2 Daughter also made a purchase--a Disney print of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck! I've bought a lot of art over the years onboard and each one reminds me of the fun we had on our voyages. I'm glad she has a keepsake from this trip that also reminds her of her childhood.     

The DH and I enjoyed some time in our cabin that afternoon. I love watching the ocean from our balcony. We're kind of private people. We love socializing, but after a while we feel the need to withdraw and recharge a bit. Plus it gave the family a chance to do whatever they wanted, not what I suggested. Besides, it was Dress Up if You Want To Night--what passes for a formal night on Norwegian. We're traditionalists, so I wore a long gown with a red sparkly jacket and the DH matched me in a suit with a red vest. 

We caught up with #1 Daughter and D-I-L for supper in Manhattan Room at 5:00 so we could make the 7:30 Beatles Invasion show in the theatre. It was 45 minutes of songs I knew all the words to, and truth to tell, was singing along with most of the time. Lots of fun!

Then at 9pm, we all met in the Atrium where mom and dad entered the Not So Newly Wed Game. Or rather, the DH entered them, and not so surprisingly, they were picked to be contestants. At 67 years of marriage, they were the longest wed of those on the stage. And they stole the show! 

You know how this game works. First the ladies answered embarrassing questions while the men waited offstage. Then the roles were reversed. I will have to say that my dad was the only man who rose to his feet when his wife returned. The cruise director pointed that out and praised Dad for his gentlemanly actions. Possibly, it's the secret to 67 happy years together! The two of them held hands most of the time, They were so funny and endearing at the same time.  

And we learned a family secret about a incident on their belated honeymoon involving a certain rowboat in northern Minnesota that was, shall we say, put to use for an activity outside of its factory specs...

I do have a video of that astounding admonition, but I've promised not embarrass them online. So here's a little insight into their all-important first kiss... (Special thank you's to Shellie W., another passenger on the ship who managed to capture my parents in all their glory! Hugs to you, Shellie! Hope we meet again on the high seas!)

And now to see if Mom remembered the event the same way...

Of course, they won the game! The Encore ran a video of the entire game over and over on the stateroom tv's. Subsequently, they became famous (or possibly infamous!) for the rest of the cruise!

It was a very fun and happy day!

Embarkation in the Time of Covid

September 25, 2021

When you embark for strange places, don't leave any of yourself safely on shore. Have the nerve to go into unexplored territory. — Alan Alda

We all slept fast and woke refreshed and ready to start our Alaskan Adventure! The Holiday In Express at SeaTac provided an adequate breakfast and plenty of coffee. The coffee was strong enough to carry its own cup across the table, grab the spoon and beat us over the head with it. But that's okay. We needed the extra juice. Besides, Seattle has a reputation to uphold. It is, after all, the best caffeinated place on the planet!

In the past, cruisers could arrive at the port at their leisure, but now everything has to be timed and pre-arranged. I'd signed us all up to embark the Norwegian Encore between 10:00-10:30 AM. In order to minimize the number of people at the pier at once, we were required to register for check-in times and for our pre-cruise Covid test. 

We'd booked a private limo/van through Sabra Transportation, which arrived 15 minutes early to take us to the port. The service was fast and the vehicle spacious and clean. It was nice to have just our party on board, but even so, we were all masked up since we still had the hurdle of a Covid test to take. 

Unfortunately, our driver dropped us a couple of city blocks from where we could check our big bags at the port. Since the Encore's previous passengers were disembarking, there was a lot of foot traffic and it was hard to wrangle all the bags while keeping the eight of us semi-together. 

Me, Dad and Mom

Our first stop was near the Encore, where we could surrender our big bags to the luggage handlers who'd get them on the ship for us. There were still some carry-on's we needed to keep with us, along with Cpaps and Percival (my portable oxygen concentrator), but it was nice to wave goodbye to the biggest suitcases before we hoofed it to the testing facility in the conference center right beside Pier 66. 

A sharp-eyed attendant spotted my parents immediately and pulled them from the line, along with the DH and me. We were allowed to jump the queue quite a bit. Everyone had their CDC cards and ID's handy (I’ve had nightmares of someone losing theirs.) and we all were checked in easily except Dad. He doesn’t have an email address they could tie him to and the person working with him was hard for him to understand because she was masked and English was not her first language. The DH stepped in and handled it beautifully. 

It's so nice to have someone who keeps his head whenever there's a technical challenge. My husband never gets excited and always brings out the best in people.  

We were all shuffled off to another room to be tested and then sent to holding area to wait for our number to appear on a screen or for the result to post on our phones. Again, my parents didn’t have that kind of tech savvy, but eventually, their numbers came up on the big screen and we all got pink wristbands that proclaimed us Covid free. Woo-hoo! 

The DH and me in our new mini-suite!

We were still masked as we went to check in at the port. The agent informed us that Norwegian had upgraded the DH and I to Stateroom 9236, a mini-suite cabin amidships, with a tub/shower combination. It was a wonderful surprise, and I suspect it was because the brass at Norwegian was well aware that Princess had unceremoniously booted me from their Alaska cruise because of my oxygen concentrator. Not only did they upgrade us, everyone in our party received additional onboard credit, and champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries in their cabins! Norwegian certainly pulled out all the stops to make me feel welcome.

But it took us away from the rest of our party, who were booked in adjacent verandahs on deck 8. However, I discovered that--wonder of wonders-my family is perfectly capable of being apart from me some of the time. It worked out for the best all around.

Because my dad's use of a cane and my O2 status, we were among the first to board the Norwegian Encore. She's a beautiful ship. And a very big girl, but easy to negotiate and once our feet touched the deck, we could remove our masks! We felt perfectly safe because Norwegian insists on 100% vaccination of both guests and crew, and as far as I know is the only mainstream cruise line that pays for everyone to be tested at the pier. Very classy of them. 

Nephew and #2 Daughter

We dropped our carry-ons in the cabins and went to find lunch at Savor, one of the complimentary dining rooms. Most people head for the buffet upon first coming aboard, but it's worthwhile to ask if there's a sit-down restaurant available. Delish. Mom loved her orange chocolate mousse desert. 

We spent the afternoon unpacking bags. Our big bag was sent to Mom and Dad’s cabin by mistake, but theirs finally turned up. 

I don't know if it was because I was so tired, but when I was getting ready for our first meal in the Manhattan Room that evening, I couldn’t figure out how to work the shower. I was too fuzzy headed to realize it was European plumbing. (Smacks forehead!) 

Or it may have been the scopolamine patch I tucked behind my ear. After a world cruise you'd think I'd have found my sea legs, but no. I need a little pharmacological help to enjoy the motion of the ocean...at least at first. Once we enter the Inside Passage portion of our trip, our sailing will be smooth enough to give me no trouble.

#1 Daughter & Daughter-in-Law

We had a lovely meal that first night. Our waitress, Lee, took great care of all of us and particularly helped our D-I-L who has special dietary concerns because of a red meat allergy caused by a tick bite. She has to travel with an epi-pen in case she has an anaphylactic reaction.  Lee sprung into action and got a dietary supervisor involved immediately so the chefs at Norwegian could accommodate her special needs. In order to be certain than none of her food contained an ingredient that would be a problem and to make sure there was no cross-contamination with red meats during the cooking process, our D-I-L was given the next night's menus all week and ordered her meals ahead of time. 

After supper, we could have gone to the theater for a comedian, but the DH and I were tired enough to forego the show for our "waterbed." But before we hit the sack, we stepped out on the verandah to watch the Kitsap Peninsula fall away behind us while the waves swished a welcome against the sides of the Encore. It'd been since September of 2019 since the world has rocked under my feet. 

I felt so grateful, so blessed to be on this beautiful ship with so many of the people I love. Happiness washed over me. We'd been trying to pull this trip together for a couple of years and it was finally happening...

God is good.   

PS. The DH wants me to share that we left the door to the balcony open all night so we could hear the wonderful sounds of the ocean even in our dreams!