"Not exactly" means that the port of Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands was cancelled quite early this morning. We woke up before 7am to turbulent seas, driving winds at 32 knots, and rain pelting our window. The ship was experiencing what we call washboard waves, or as Barb would say…….we are going over the speed bumps. We were only doing 6 knots, and maintaining a distance from Saipan of 6 to 7 nautical miles. Obviously, we were circling the island, perhaps waiting to board the local pilot. That was wishful thinking, because deep down, we knew that this port would be a "no-go".
By 8am, Captain Jonathon came on the speakers to announce the island of Saipan had been cancelled. Apologizing profusely, he said we had no choice, since the seas were too rough to safely gain entrance into the harbor. The decision was not solely his, as the head honchos at the Seattle headquarters make the final call. And as we are not in an area of many other islands, there would be no substitute for today's port. That would be questioned later on in the day.
So, what did we miss by not going to Saipan? Well, it is another island that is a USA territory with a population of about 80,300 people. Smaller than Guam, it measures 184 square miles. The capital is Garapan, and is another popular area for the Japanese tourists. Major resorts and golf facilities have opened up in recent years to draw that lucrative crowd.
War history is more associated with this island, because so many battles took place here. Two 3 hour tours ($90 each) were added at the last minute to take folks on easy bus excursions to see the war sites and memorials. The north part of the island has Banzai Cliff, the site where hundreds of Japanese chose to jump to their deaths to avoid capture during the 1944 American invasion. The south has a series of beaches where Sherman tanks landed 73 years ago during the war in the Pacific.
On a nearby island, Rota, there are boiling sulphur pools, and a species of birds that use the volcanic heat in the rocks to hatch their eggs. Also of interest, is the Mariana Trench National Monument, where during a certain time of the year, you can spot rare beaked whales as they migrate north or south.
The only other activity that had been offered today was a complimentary shuttle to another mall, Galleria Duty Free Mall, about 3 miles from the cruise ship dock. Like yesterday, they promised hosts that could answer questions and perhaps hand out maps and store info. It seemed to work well for many people in Guam, because lots of haircuts and manicures got done onshore. Taxis and vans would have been available as well, and the US dollars would be accepted everywhere. And with so many nice resorts, we are certain that the sun-lovers, like us, could have found a beach to chill out on, and some fine restaurants to dine and enjoy cold drinks. Perhaps this would have been the last chance to swim and enjoy the sun before we headed north into the chilly winter weather. However, even if we had made it to the island, the rain and wind would not have made for a great day on the beach. Oh well, we always figure that things happen for a reason, and the best thing to do is take it with a grain of salt, and make it a good day at sea instead. And besides, look at the port charges we will save on our shipboard accounts……ha-ha.
So, while we anticipated a re-do of the Daily Navigator with a revised itinerary for the day's activities, we headed off to a leisurely breakfast in the dining room of course. Just as we were served our juice and coffee, friends Ellen and Aart arrived and joined us. This was nice, because we had been wanting to ask Ellen about her experiences in Chengdu and the panda reserve that she toured several years ago. We have always remembered how much she liked going there, as it was not a typical overland at that time. She happily recalled how much she liked learning about the pandas and even more so, being able to see Sichuan Province and the city surrounds in Chengdu. As far as the weather was concerned, she had visited in the fall, so cold was not a factor then. Best advice she could give was to plan for very cold, and layer up. And be prepared for rain just in case.
We talked about a million other things, and before we knew it, the entire dining room was empty, except for the waiters who were in the process of setting up for lunch. We'll have to meet again sometime soon, as we all had a good visit. Our waiter, Agung, and his assistants, are so nice to all of us. Never rushing us, they encourage us to relax and enjoy.
We caught up on emailing, while catching up on news in our room. We would like that thank jaxonboy for the "heads-up" on our upcoming China overland by sharing your experiences. Also, to Lynda S, thanks for the further details on items that have lithium batteries while traveling on planes in China. That is something we have not thought about as far as what can be placed in your checked luggage. At least we have time for our agent to research this in the next two weeks. By the way, we buy a simple battery-powered wall clock, about $10 at Walmart or similar store. We hang it with a Command hook on the wall in our room above the thermometer. Using a cotton ball soaked with alcohol first insures that the hook will not fail us.
Lunch time came too soon, but on days like this, gray and rainy, we like to meet Barb in the dining room for a light meal. And more private conversation. We did it again………closed down the room, just the three of us. Nothing like friends and great food to keep us all happy. The only down news came from Captain Jonathon when he announced during his PM talk that he did not expect conditions to get better for the next couple of days. In fact, it may get rougher. We are truly heading into winter in the North Pacific Ocean…..colder and wetter. Oh yes, he also added that one of the passengers had suggested that an appropriate substitute for missing Saipan might be Iwo Jima. Looking at our world map on our wall, we calculated that it sure did look like it was on the way to Osaka. But not all navigation at sea is a straight line, as the Captain said, it was over 500 miles out of the way, and not possible. Too bad.
The rain and wind picked up later in the afternoon, as we found out when we went for a long walk. There were about 6 of us that did not mind getting a bit wet, as we made our way quickly under the dripping tender boats. Water was puddling on the teak decking, so we had to be careful not to slip. To discourage the walkers, the tape had been drawn across the doors on one side of deck three. On the dryer side, a few people had found it was comfortable enough to spend the day on the lounge chairs reading or chatting with friends. Eventually, the weather improved by sundown, and the seas calmed down a bit as well.
It was a good time to catch a movie in our room, or get some reading done. Around 4:30pm, we made our way to the Ocean Bar to listen to the band, The Neptunes. Sometimes they play music we like, but other days, it is like merry-go-round tunes. And music from the distant past. Not sure who they are appealing to as far as age groups. All we can say, is that it is well before our time.
There was not a whole lot to choose from at dinner tonight. Unless you really like veal cheeks, a spicy chicken dish, or duck spaghetti. Still waiting for the meatballs and spaghetti, which we probably missed when we went to the Pinnacle Grill. There were cards on every table with a message about missing the port in Saipan today, due to unsafe entry conditions. We had a choice of a glass of sparkling wine (not exactly champagne), or soft drinks served with dessert. We have always taken a can of Coke Zero each to be enjoyed during the following day. It has never been a problem until tonight. The new-ish wine steward said we could not have a can each, only one single glass of soda from the fountain. Whaaat? There is no soda fountain anywhere on this ship, and splitting a can between two people is petty. Just about then, Philip, came to our table, and ordered the steward to bring four of us a full can of soda. He said it was not a problem, and apologized for the attitude of the wine steward. Perhaps this is another change since last year's world cruise. Any other time we have missed a port, the sparkling wine was poured freely after dinner (at least at our table), and we were given two soda cans or two beers each. Believe us, none of us are that old that we don't remember from year to year what was given. Is it really worth it to insult your base customers? We think not……
Another funny thing happened when we got back to our room tonight. After searching the TV for a rerun of the Saipan lecture by Barbara H, we found it on channel 26 or 27. We have been trying for two days to catch it. But….. didn't we just have the port cancelled today? Oh well, guess we can see what we missed by watching the talk.
In the first newsletter, Heart and Soul was the name of the performance to be given by the singers and dancers this evening. That must have been cancelled. In its place was a performer, Spencer Robson, an impersonator of famous singers. The show was promised to be light-hearted, thrilling, with great songs and laughter.
Hope tomorrow, another day at sea, will be a nicer one. One thing for sure…….it has cooled off a lot.
Bill & Mary Ann
