Some days cannot be predicted. Today was one of them. We arrived to our port of call, Saipan, early this morning under very overcast and cloudy skies. This island is the capital of the of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. It is also the largest with a population of 53,000 or less people. Once again they speak English and Chamorro the same as Guam. This area appealed to the Japanese tourists, but for some reason, the trend has left. It's just a guess, but from what we saw yesterday, we suppose the Japanese tourists have chosen Guam for their destination these days. The island does have a lot to offer in the way of WWII history, turquoise waters, and white sandy beaches. And it appeared that the temperature would far more tolerable today compared to yesterday.
So it was breakfast as usual for us at 7:30am, although the restaurant was not busy. Later on, we learned that 500 guests had booked tours today, so many must have eaten breakfast in the Lido instead. Just as we were on our way to check out the dock area at 9am, the alarms went off ship wide, and strobe lights were flashing everywhere. This was not a drill. Within minutes, Captain Frank was on the speakers saying there was an unexplained odor on deck four, and the area would be closed off. People in those rooms would have to evacuate the cabins and go outside on deck three portside. Until they found the source of the smell, they took no chances. It was discovered that there was an ammonia leak from a canister of a refrigerator unit that caused the alarms to go off. Once that was aired out, the folks could return to their rooms. It was reassuring how quickly that event was under control, thanks to the frequent drills that are conducted onboard.
At the same time as the ammonia scare, the local ladies were doing a dance on the pier. Our officers were actually dancing with them. We viewed this from the promenade deck for one minute, then the entire group of officers and staff members began running back onboard to address the problem. While that was happening, the tour buses were filling up and also the surprise shuttle that was used for a transfer to downtown Garapan. We had been under the impression that town was 5 minutes away. Then we heard that it was a 40 minute walk to town. Which was it? Now that the locals offered a free transfer, we need not to worry. Besides, it looked and felt so much like rain was coming, we did not want to get drowned. With the strong winds blowing, we would not have stayed very dry even with umbrellas.
We left the ship by 10am and boarded the waiting bus. It was only a 10 minute ride at the most. It took us to nearby Garapan, the main town where there were lots of hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers or malls. We noticed a huge difference from what we saw in Guam yesterday. This town had a more 1950's look about it, with strip malls and local eateries. The bus dropped us off at the newest DFS mall. From there we followed the excellent map that had been handed out when we boarded the bus.
On the way to this drop-off, we noticed a building that did not seem to belong here. Namely, it was the Imperial Pacific Resort and Casino. Standing out like a sore thumb, this building had gold-leaf figures of dolphins and seahorses plastered all over the outside of this massive structure. Flanking the impressive entrance were statues of King Neptune standing guard. This looked more like something you might find in Las Vegas or in Paris or Rome…..not here. And with all this grandeur, this place was permanently closed, shut down since 2020 we heard. There must be a story to it, and we shall do some research to satisfy our curiosity.
From here we walked to the American Memorial Park where pathways led to the American WWII Memorial Court of Honor and Flag Circle. Located in the middle of a tree-studded park, we walked the trails that led to a small marina with some moored sailboats. The walkway led to a nice beach called Micro Beach with a narrow strip of white sand and very shallow waters. While watching some kite boarders getting ready to launch themselves into the water, one of the fellows came over to chat with us. Asking if we were from the ship, we said we were. As luck would have it, he introduced himself as the pilot that had brought the ship in this morning. Knowing this was a tricky port to enter, he explained that Captain Frank had contacted him yesterday and they coordinated a plan of entrance with the help of simulators. Giving them more than one choice, they had a plan or two already mapped out for the early morning approach. Fascinating, we listened to him giving details about winds , coral reefs, and azipods. As we said goodbye, he helped his group launch their kites and away they all went. He said he would see us later in the day to repeat the sail away, hoping the winds will die down by then.
From here, we made our way back towards town passing by the nicer hotel of the Hyatt Regency. We had done some research on restaurants, specifically pizza cafes, and found one highly recommended called American Pizza and Grill. We had passed it on the way to the park, so it would be lunch first, then perhaps some shopping later.
It wasn't a fancy restaurant, but an actual pizzeria with many choices. We decided on a large Hawaiian pizza with two Asahi pint draft beers. Sure tasted good and the pizza was excellent. Most of the customers were locals, so you know it is good. After relaxing for an hour, we headed off to a market called I Love Saipan. It had most everything you needed or did not need. Lots of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and snack items were for sale, and the crew members were stocking up. We did not find anything we could live without , so went back to the bus drop-off spot. We were told that the pick-up place had moved to the other end of the mall. OK, we walked through the DFS, which was all high-end stores. Then we joined a line of rather upset guests who had waited for 45 minutes for a bus. Two of the coaches had arrived full of mostly crew members who were on their way back to the ship. Obviously, they had a different place to board the coaches. Finally a bus arrived, more than half full. But the driver let most of us on, even if we had to stand in the aisle. One of the nice crew members gave his seat up so I could sit. He insisted. We could have walked back, but the ride took only 10 minutes.
Back at the pier by 3pm, the official could not board the bus to check our room keys and ID's. So once we got off, we went through a bag check, a wanding, and a room key check. Getting back on the ship required our cards and another xray check as always. Can't be too careful we suppose.
While waiting for the ship to leave, we spotted a sting ray right down from our room. All by itself, it floated alongside the ship then disappeared. Reading the map, we learned that nearby Managaha Island had schools of tuna, trevally, barracuda, sharks, turtles, and sting rays. Ferries took snorkelers there every couple of hours. And the ship offered tours there for 2 hours for $120. Other tours included a drive to the north or the south part of the island for 3 hours and $120.
Sailing through the narrow channel flanked by shallow water and coral beds, it took a while for the ship to get in deeper waters. Just by sheer luck, we saw jumping dolphins for a brief moment. Once clear of the reef, the pilot left the ship and waved to all of us watching. It was the same fellow we talked to on the beach. Like we said, a lucky day. The sun went down without any color, and now we were off for a 1366 nautical mile run to our first port in Japan, Ishigaki. A new one for us.
Dinner featured the Culinary Council menu with good choices. One appetizer was a crab cake and the other a baby beet salad. Caesar salads as usual, then followed by prime rib with croquette potatoes. Gravy on the side please and best of all……we had different dinner rolls tonight. They were "seedless" and soft on the inside, crispy on the outside. Wish we would have asked sooner. Dessert was the craquelin, a donut-like chocolate filled delight. A hard chocolate candy on the top had been formed with the ship printed in the center. Sweet way to end a fun day.
Bill & Mary Ann
