Random thoughts from the sea
Day 4, Grand Asia 2018 Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2018, At Sea: There is a danger in taking the same cruise for the second time. It is tempting to compare everything to last year. The first time I had no concrete expectations. Everything was fresh and new – “golden,” as Ponyboy
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Day 1, Grand Asia 2018 Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, Los Angeles: Returning to Holland America’s Grand Asia cruise feels strangely different than embarking on the same cruise last year. Not better, not worse, just different. In 2017 the ship banner that said “Welcome Home” seemed a bit out of place,
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Day -2, Grand Asia 2018 Friday, Sept. 28, 2018, Chicago: Today is my last day in Chicago until Christmas. Tomorrow I fly to Los Angeles before boarding the MS Amsterdam on Sunday for the Grand Asia 2018 cruise. Being “homeless” since selling my house has really meant that I have
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Day -4, Grand Asia 2018 Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018 – Chicago: Packing for a long cruise should be easier the second time, especially because I have my experience and detailed packing list from last year. As usual, I am torn between being reasonable about what I will need and taking
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Day -9, Grand Asia 2018 Friday, Sept. 21, 2018 – Chicago I mentioned in my last blog post that I had accepted a paid upgrade offer from Holland America. This raises some questions on upgrades – who gets offers and what the offers are. My short answer to these questions
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Day -11, Grand Asia 2018 Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018 – Chicago: I just got a second cabin upgrade offer today. I remember that last year a number of people on this cruise upgraded to balcony cabins in the week or so before the cruise, as Holland America made offers at
Continue readingGrand Asia Cruise + 31 days Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018 – at home Today is one month since I left the MS Amsterdam and flew home to the Dallas suburbs from San Diego. It seems more like a year. I don’t wake up expecting someone to serve my breakfast or
Continue readingDay 59, Grand Asia 2017 Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2017 – Waitangi, New Zealand Our journey to New Zealand began with a scenic sail-in to the Bay of Islands, in the northeast part of the country’s north island. More than 140 islands, some merely rocks, dotted the bay as we entered.
Continue readingDay 50, Grand Asia 2017 Monday, Nov. 20, 2017 – At Sea After leaving Darwin on the “top end” of Australia, we sailed due east for more than a day and then turned generally south, charting a course down the northeast coast of Australia. It is taking us six sailing
Continue readingDay 20, Grand Asia 2017 Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017 – Kagoshima, Japan Word spread quickly throughout the ship this afternoon of the monster typhoon approaching Japan. Of course, the rumors were largely inaccurate. Yes, Typhoon Lan is heading toward landfall near Tokyo and is expected to disrupt commerce and the
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