Random thoughts from the sea
Days 82-85, 2026 Grand World Voyage Friday to Monday, March 27-30, 2026; Phu My, Da Nang and Hạ Long Bay, Vietnam. While not as well-known as Angkor Wat, Hạ Long Bay in Northeastern Vietnam has been on my bucket list for years. Through travel-brochure photographs, I’ve long admired the otherworldly
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Days 80-81, 2026 Grand World Voyage Wednesday and Thursday, March 25-26, 2026; Siem Reap, Cambodia. When my alarm went off at 4 a.m., I wasn’t happy. But you can’t sleep in if you want to see a spectacular sunrise at the largest religious complex in the world. We joined hundreds
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Day 79, 2026 Grand World Voyage Tuesday, March 24, 2026; Singapore. Finally – I found an art supply store that carries the Tombow brush pens I’ve been seeking. But even in modern and vast Singapore, it wasn’t as straightforward as I expected. Singapore is a favorite port for cruisers. The
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Days 74-77, 2026 Grand World Voyage Thursday to Sunday, March 19-22, 2026; Komodo Island and Bali, Indonesia. Bali is a beautiful island, but the drive through an hour of more of traffic before reaching the more beautiful parts can be brutal. Last year I vowed I would spend a night
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Days 66-70, 2026 Grand World Voyage Wednesday to Sunday, March 11-15, 2026; Townsville, Cairns and Darwin, Australia. I stood on the sidewalk in Cairns, looking at the empty lot in front of me, then at my smartphone map, then back at the empty lot as if a building might suddenly
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Days 62-63, 2026 Grand World Voyage Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8, 2026; Sydney, Australia. My first priority when choosing a cruise has become sailing with people I know and love. Unfortunately, I can’t get them all to sign up for every cruise I take. And with Holland America’s current practice
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Days 57-59, 2026 Grand World Voyage Monday to Wednesday, March 2-4, 2026; Auckland and Paihia, New Zealand. Great food isn’t all that Auckland has to offer. I almost enrolled in college! Well, not really, but I was tempted. After we shopped for art supplies after arriving Monday morning, Elaine and
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Days 57-58, 2026 Grand World Voyage Monday and Tuesday, March 2-3, 2026; Auckland, New Zealand – the Food Edition. I just had perhaps a Top 10 meal ever. Then I did it again. Chef Ben Bayly may describe his restuarant Ahi the best: “The te reo Māori word ‘Ahi’ means
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Days 50-57, 2026 Grand World Voyage Sunday to Monday, Feb. 22-March 2, 2026; Moorea, Bora Bora and At Sea. Bora Bora Just the words sound magical. Tropical breezes. Swaying palm trees. Turquoise lagoons. This is the first port of this cruise that I haven’t visited before. (The others will be
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Day 49, 2026 Grand World Voyage Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026; Papeete, Tahiti. I expected to once again find Tahiti’s beauty in its luscious tropical flowers. Or its vegetation-covered volcanic peaks soaring above turquoise water. Or even the street art and French-inspired architecture of this capital city. Instead, when it came
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