Report #31 Friday, October 3, 2025 Sea Day #4 Of 6 Enroute To Kona, Hawaii Partly Cloudy And Warm, 75 Degrees, 71% Humidity---19mph Winds--6' Swell-----Casual Dress

Day at sea #4 was a quiet one for us, waking up nice and early due to the time change.   Well, at least one of us was up early waiting for that perfect sunrise, but it was OK, not stunning.   We are sure there will some beautiful sunrises and sets when we travel below the Equator.   

 

Arriving first to the Pinnacle Grill, we have had some time to visit with some of the waiters.  It is nice hearing about their country, which for the most part is Indonesia, and specifically, Bali.  One of our newest waiters is from the Philippines and enjoys sharing things about his country.   Since we have visited and toured these countries, we know what they are talking about. 

 

During his noontime update, Captain Smit stated that we have 973 nautical miles to reach Kona on the big island of Hawaii.   Since leaving San Diego, we have traveled 1281 nautical miles.  The weather has been fine with temperatures in the mid 70's and 19.4 mph winds that appear to be following.   The wave heights have been moderate with a 6-foot swell. 

 

The day was loaded with fun stuff or all.  Between lectures, port talks, Hawaiian activities, and trivia, there is no excuse for being bored.  Speaking of trivia, we passed by the Ocean Bar at 4pm to find the room over-flowing with players.   In fact, they ran out of seating, so some fellows were bringing folding chairs on a hand truck to help seat the folks.  And it just so happened that the 50% off drinks $11 or less started at 4pm as well.  Smart move.  There was a total of three trivia sessions today.  A new activity was Paint Misty Mountains on Canvas for $25.  It was held at 8pm in the Art Studio (5) with an instructor with a 2-hour session.   

 

There was a Texas Mexican Buffet in the Lido for lunch, and a seafood boil ($35) in the Lido for dinner.  It was a one-time dinner for this cruise. 

 

Lunch for us was from the Lido with two sandwiches around 2:30pm.  Walking the hallway on our deck six, the aft elevators lead right to the sandwich section of the Lido.  That way we are not dodging the Lido Pool area, which is always crowded.  Anyway, we passed by many of the veranda rooms with special door decorations.  Most of them have put up banners, magnets, balloons, and personalized posters.  One of those posters was funny saying  "Not all that wander are lost – some of us are just looking for our room".  Many guests have decorated for Halloween.  Just yesterday, we received a copy of the "Know Before You Go" booklet for the 2026 Grand World Voyage.  Reading the details, we came across a warning concerning door decorations.  They are basically not recommended, and if the security folks determine any of these decorations are flammable, they will be removed. 

 

Something we did not expect was receiving a notice from Captain Smit that a port had to be cancelled – Dravuni Island, Fiji.  There has been some storm damage to the floating pontoon dock, and it will not be repaired prior to our visit.  That is disappointing, especially for the guests that have never been there.  Now we will spend an overnight in Lautoka, with an extra day there.  Of course, shore excursions are working on more tour options there.  

 

A couple of days ago, we received an invitation to a President's Club welcome reception, held in the Mix Bar at 4pm.    We showed up at exactly 4pm on the dot, and the seating was almost filled with 9 other guests and some of the key officers, such as Captain Smit and Hotel General Manager Darren and Clare, our talented Cruise Director.    Guess we can consider that fashionably late, although we were right on time.   Drinks of our choice were offered and very fancy and tasty canapies were passed around.   The photographer showed up and took several shots of the group.   Since we had met Darren on last year's legendary voyage,  we were comfortable being seated next to him.  Darren is quite the talker, and somehow the subject came up about next year's grand voyages.   We told him about the two captains of this ship, the Zaandam, being announced as the captains on  Volendam's GWV, and he looked puzzled.  He said, no, they were on the New Zealand/Australia grand.  So we told him about getting the copy online of the complete booklet for that cruise, and both captains had their photos in it.  Now here's the stranger thing….Captain Smit knew nothing about it.   We guarantee that this error will be corrected soon and we will let you all know what we find out.   Another subject came up, and that was concerning the excessive charge of $260. for the bottle of Jack Daniel's.  Another President's Club member said he ran into the same thing asking about a bottle of something similar.  With that, our rep Kumar, brought the Beverage Manager over and we asked him what's up with those charges.  He blamed it on Seattle and promised to look into being able to exchange some of the sparkling wine bottles we have as well as using one of our $60 bi-monthly credits.  We have our doubts it will be approved, but if we don't ask, we will never know.   The pleasant gathering broke up after 5pm, and most of the folks headed for their early dinner.  We stayed with two other guests and chatted until almost 6pm. 

 

Captain Smit said he would be looking for us on deck six forward for the sunset, which we almost missed because we had not paid attention to the time.   Of course, with last night's time change, the sunset was earlier.   It turned out to be disappointing once again.  One of our buddies, Nancy, had spotted us on the bow TV channel and joined us until the light was gone.  It is always fun comparing notes with fellow President's Club members, especially when they  are as nice as she is.   

 

Dinnertime had some more good choices like tataki salad, although a little too raw for one of us.  Mains were buttermilk chicken and mashed potatoes…..served piping hot.  We always refer to this dish as KFC chicken and so do the waiters as it is one of their favorite dishes.   On this year's world cruise menu, these types of dinners were titled "comfort food", and included meatballs and spaghetti, meatloaf, KFC chicken, and even cheeseburgers on a bun with French fries.   And they turned out to be the most-ordered entrees on those evenings they were offered.    So far, we have not seen that symbol on the menus at all.  In fact, there is no reference to the Club Orange selection of the day.  We added some vanilla ice cream and watermelon for dessert, then called it a day.

 

On our way "home", we passed through the Explorer's Lounge to find a special performance was happening with Elliot Finkel at the piano.  We could have sworn that was Clare, our cruise director, singing with Elliot playing.  The room was filled to over-flow.    The other entertainment in the World Stage was violinist Roy Theaker with a musical voyage around the world.  And with the Dam Band playing in the Ocean Bar, every seat was taken in there as well.  This is a whole different crowd from the world cruise.

 

And so much for day 4 at sea.  Two more sea days to go before we reach Hawaii.  And we sure hope that no more ports will be cancelled.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

59 Pictures

Report #30 Thursday, October 2, 2025 Sea Day #3 Of 6 Enroute To Kona, Hawaii Clear And Sunny And Warming Up 78 Degrees 12mph Winds 8' Swell--Speed 14 Knots-----Casual Dress SR-6:10am-SS-6:49pm

Last night we had two large cards slipped under our door.  They came from the Effy team onboard inviting us to visit them and check out their merchandise.  Guess we are on a list of passengers that have spent a lot of shipboard money in their shops over the years.  Sometimes we find one of their pendants on a chain on our bed with some other incentive offers.  However, none of those have shown up so far.    And we are not seeing that shopping lectures have been given for the shopping onshore at their recommended stores.  That may have ended with the sailings in Alaska.  

 

Day three at sea began nicely with a sunrise.  The weather is becoming more tropical and we have finally seen some flying fish popping up near the bow.  We concluded that the temperature of the water must have something to do with their presence.  After breakfast, we ventured outside for some laps around the promenade deck.  The morning sun was shining on the portside, but the starboard side was in the shade and almost cold.   Most of the people chose to relax on the leeward side (port) instead of the windward side.  As long as we are heading west, the sun should remain about in the same position.   

 

Captain Smit came on with his noon message.  He said we are 931 nautical miles from San Diego and still have 1323 nautical miles to go to Kona.  Maintaining a speed of 14 knots will take the next three days.  A sea swell of between 6 and 7 feet was expected for the day, and we still have some motion going on.   There seems to be more pitching than rolling, and we can say from memory, that this will remain with us until we reach Hawaii.  It could be much worse. The temperature has been a comfortable 73 degrees with 12 knots winds.  The perfect spot to enjoy this has been on our veranda.  One of us has finally found some time to read books found in the library.  Tomorrow's forecast remains about the same as today, except there may be a shower or two.    Finally, some guests have reported seeing a turtle and even an owl.  Obviously not a sea bird, the owl may have hitched a ride on the ship like the small swallow-type bird we saw yesterday.  We know that with the flying fish we began seeing at 10am this morning, there may be some birds appear that will hunt these fish.   That's when the fun starts as we watch the hunt from the promenade deck.  Nature in action. 

 

We did learn some news yesterday concerning the upcoming world cruise in January.  The captains assigned are Ane Jan Smit, the one and the same captain we have right now.  The second captain will be Michiel Willems.  There are two hotel general managers – Glenn Cowley and Florin Dragomir.  The two captains have been the team on this ship, or at least they were a year ago,  as well as Glenn being the hotel manager.  The Volendam is the sister ship, so they are quite familiar with this class of ships.  And all very nice and personable we may add. 

 

And here is a laugh of the day.  We inquired about the price of one bottle of Jack Daniels Whiskey available through room service.  The last time we bought a bottle was perhaps a year ago, and the cost was $90 which included the 18% gratuity.  We thought that was high, but it did last for 56 days.  Today's quote was far different with the same bottle costing a whopping $220 plus 18% gratuity…bringing the total to just under $260.  Wow, we do like the whiskey, but not that much.  So we said no thanks, especially when they added there was no discount for any Mariner status.  That only applies to the limited selection of beverages that were in our room refrigerator.  

 

Something different today was the opening of the Tiki Bar on deck 8, which we assume would be the decorating of the Lido Pool Bar.   There were 13 promotion-related activities, seven "new today" things to do, and seven local activities.  Family fun rated three things to do.   Never a dull moment we say.

 

While going out on deck six forward to observe the sunset,  we were pleasantly surprised to find a trio of what appeared to be brown boobies working the waters around the front of the ship.   We figured when we saw the flying fish, the birds would come.  Every now and then, they would dive for a fish, making a squawking noise.  Quite often , the younger birds will make that noise begging for food from the adult, probably the parent.   The sunset was underwhelming, and we were losing the light rapidly.  That made getting good pictures of the birds in motion more than challenging, if not impossible.   

 

A highlight of our day for one of us was having meatballs and spaghetti for dinner.  And the blue plate special (Club Orange) was a grill veal chop.   Both excellent.  Two of the new chefs came over for a visit asking how we have been liking the food.  We complimented them on their good job, thanking them for the introduction of some good Mexican cuisine.  One of us had the blueberry pie, which really was a torte with a shortbread bread crust.   They apologized for running out of whipped cream, so they substituted vanilla ice cream.   Actually, it was better that way.  Watermelon was just right for other one of us, although I had to test the blueberry pie and agreed it was a winner.

 

The comedy of Dave Konig was the entertainment of the evening.  Missed it again unfortunately.  So much for day three at sea.  Three more to go…….Oops, almost forgot that the clocks went back one hour tonight.  Always appreciated.

 

Bill & Mary Ann  

 

71 Pictures

Report #29 Wednesday, October 1, 2025 Sea Day #2 Of 6 Enroute To Kona, Hawaii Clear And Sunny 75 Degrees 10' Swell---Speed 14 Knots Light Winds ---Casual Dress-- SR-6:46am--SS-6:49pm

Gosh, where has the time gone?    Cannot believe it is October 1^st already.  All we can say is that time flies when you are having fun.

 

Breakfast was at 7:30am this morning, even though it was a day at sea.   We asked Arsa, our Pinnacle Grill manager,  last night why the change?  He appeared not to be aware of the change in time and double-checked for us.  Yes, we were right.  He explained that on days the clocks go back one hour, we will have a ½ hour difference in breakfast time.  That is a first for us.  Given a choice, we would choose to go at 8am and most people did just that.  We were the only customers this morning until 8am sharp. 

 

Well, we are still rocking and rolling with the motion of the ocean.  It seems to decrease but then increase due to the swells coming from Vancouver now, according to Captain Smit.   During his noon update, the Captain mentioned that we still have over 1058 nautical miles to go to reach Kona, Hawaii.    The weather was described as beautiful with temps in the 70's.  The swell has been between 6 and 9 feet, causing some pitching.  For those that are on the lower decks and center of the ship, it is not so bad.  However, up higher, we noticed the movement a whole lot more.    It's no wonder the Captain suggested for everyone to be careful both inside and outside the ship.  And mostly around the staircases and elevators.  Much the same conditions will apply to tomorrow as well, although the temperature may raise a bit.    Checking the position of the ship on TV, we saw that we are still heading about due west.  The last thing the Captain mentioned was a possible sighting of a single whale, but it appeared to have spots.   So they were not sure what they were seeing as it was very far away.   The only thing we saw, except for the expanse of water, was a Hapag Lloyd cargo ship going the opposite way.  Nice to know we are not alone.

 

As you might expect, there were a slew of activities today to fill the time for the guests.  There is an Hawaiian speaker by  the name of Kealoha.  Not to be confused with Kainoa, who is usually on this trip at one point or another.  He has been on every Tales of the South Pacific since HAL starting doing these longer runs.   We were told that Kainoa may come here but towards the end of the Polynesia portion of the voyage.  In the meantime, people are learning how to play the ukulele, tie sarongs or pareos,  dance the hula, or listen to Hawaiian stories.    And appropriate to the area, the movie "Blue Hawaii" was shown in the Wajang.   Port talks have begun to promote bookings of the ship's excursions.  From what we have read on Cruise Critic there are many guests who have organized private tours.  It appears that the interest in doing independent tours had increased significantly over the years.   The pricing could be much more affordable as long as you know the risk of missing the ship is aways a possibility.  

 

We kept busy doing whatever we liked best which always incudes online computer work, walking, and dining.  Lunch was two sandwiches on a cheesy bun custom- made special in the Lido Café after serving time is over.    We made reservations in the Pinnacle Grill for dinner tonight, so kept lunch light. 

 

Hoping for a repeat sunset of last night, we were disappointed to watch a cloudy horizon and no chance of a real sunset.  But what we did see was possibly a lone albatross soaring in front of the bow as we watched from deck six forward.  It moved so quickly it was hard to get a good photo.  Then a small bird, such as a swallow, appeared overhead, squawking all the way until it disappeared.  Perhaps we have a stowaway from San Diego.  It wouldn't be the first time some birds hitched a ride. 

 

Dinner was at 8pm, in the Pinnacle.  Thinking it would be full of customers, we were surprised to find the venue sparsely occupied.  Nice for us, because we had excellent service in a timely manner.  Starters were the usual wedge salads with a shared side of clothesline bacon.  Entrees were one lamb chop platter and an 8 ounce filet mignon.  Also shared was a flute of French fries, the skinny ones we like so much.   The new "Hawaiian" menu selection began yesterday, so we shared a glassful of a pineapple/coconut sponge cake with sweet pineapple chunks. It mentioned rum, but we did not taste it.   Perfect refreshing way to end the tasty meal. 

 

The entertainer this evening was a nice surprise, with Elliot Finkel taking the stage with his expert piano performance.  Our meal ended about the same time his show did, so we will catch his next show for sure.  Many years ago, he came onboard with both his father and brother, and they did a show together.   Never forgot it.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

70 Pictures

Report #28 Tuesday, September 30,2025 Sea #1 Of 6 Enroute To Kona, Hawaii Mostly Cloudy Clearing To Sun--67 Degrees, 4mph Winds---Speed 14 Knots---Dressy Night

During the evening,  the Zaandam experienced some pitching and rolling, which lasted well into the morning.  We are heading basically west and not dropping south yet.  Captain Smit explained in more detail about taking a route that is easier due to the swells and winds, etc.  A bit over our heads, but it has to do with following the rhum line.  We will be sailing six full sea days to arrive to Kona on the big island of Hawaii.  And with that in mind, many Hawaiian activities began today such as kukui nut lei-making, ukulele lessons,  learning the hula dance, and how to create tropical origami. 

 

A new title for some daily activities is called Family Fun that includes meetups and coloring, playing ladder ball, and origami Hawaiian shirt-making.  We have seen a few kids onboard, but then we don't get around to the areas where the kids may be. 

 

At breakfast this morning, we had a visit from the new Mariner rep, Kumar.  We met him on this year's world cruise when he assisted Michelle on the Zuiderdam.   The new General Hotel Manager is Darren David Lewis, the very same manager we met on last year's "Tales" cruise.  He joined the ship later in the cruise, when Glenn Cowley went home.  So we doubt he remembers us from the one Pinnace Grill dinner we had with him, the Captain, and cruise director Daniel and one other President's Club member and his grandson.  Before she left, Leonie mentioned that we can expect another dinner with the same officers and the other President's Club members onboard.  In addition to that, we were informed there will be another couple getting their" pins on this cruise and there will be a ceremony. 

 

We were busy at work in the room when Captain Smit came on with his sea day talk.  He began by telling us we had 2000 more miles to reach Hawaii, and the temperature today was  a comfortable 70 degrees with sea temps the same.  The swell was about 5 feet, but it sure seemed more than that.  He predicted warmer weather the further south we travel, and the clouds would clear up and we could see blue skies.   He was right.  We did not like hearing that the swells would increase, due to a system in the Gulf of Alaska.  Sunset will be 7:02pm, and the sunrise will be 6:21am.  The depth of the seas was 11,600 feet….well over our heads.  Finally – the clocks will go back one hour this evening.   That suits us just fine. 

 

Dinner attire was "dressy" tonight, as we expected with the Captain's 15 minute toast at 7:15pm.  Many guests are at dinner at that time, so the World Stage would not be full.  In the "old" days,  while on a grand voyage, this evening would be formal and a real party took place before each dinner time, early or late dining.  Drinks of our choice were served along with fancy canapies.  The officers would be introduced then the Captain would do the welcome toast with champagne or whatever you wished to drink.  It lasted far longer than 15 minutes.  Now we cannot recall how long ago this happened.  All we know is that it has changed significantly.  

 

Happy hour has begun with 50% off beverages under $11.  It is only in the Crow's Nest and the Ocean Bar this evening from 4 to 5pm which targets the early diners.   For those who Have-It-All drink package,  the happy hour would not apply.  We think this is happening on this ship now, but we are not sure.    Will inquire tomorrow.  Other packages are the Quench Package which gives you 15 beverages a day (non-alcoholic) for $18 per person and both guests sharing a room have to buy it.  The Signature Package gives you 15 drinks under $11 for $61 per person per day.   And the Elite Package give you 15 beverages under $15  for $66 per day per person.  

 

Dinner was good this evening with a different menu than we had for the Alaska runs.   Tonight we ordered the smoked chicken appetizer and a slab salad, a small version of the wedge salad in the Pinnacle Grill.  Mains were the veal chop without the big bone and cooked like a beef roast.  It was very tender and tasty.  One of us did not care for the Brussel sprouts, so the green beans, rice pilaf, and pumpkin cubes were substituted.  Mixing and matching is no problem with our waiter.   Desserts were watermelon, like that is a surprise, and one chocolate cup with creamy chocolate mousse.   Arsa from the Pinnacle Grill paid us a visit and we asked him if the breakfast time was printed correctly on tomorrow's Daily news letter.   He did not seem aware that the sea day time had changed.  Checking it, he came back and said yes, it was 7:30am and it may have something to do with changing the clocks.  Whatever the reason, we will be on time as we don't want to chance losing our table by the entrance. 

 

Four friends from previous cruises have joined the ship in San Diego.   We chatted with one couple that we keep in touch with, and finally met up with the other two this evening.  It seems like just  yesterday we sailed on a world cruise with two of them, but it has been 6 years.   We all agreed it was great to be back sailing.

 

We sure hope the seas calm down a bit as the rolling and pitching makes walking a little more difficult.   Guess it could be worse…..

 

Bill & Mary Ann 

 

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Report #27 Monday, September 29, 2025 San Diego, California---7am-4pm Docked Starboard Side To Pier Morning Overcast Clearing To Sunny Skies 77 Degrees 10mph Winds---Casual Dress

The Zaandam arrived at the port of San Diego quite early – well before sunrise.  We were docked starboard by 7am, and Clare started debarking announcements before 7:30am.  There were about 350 guests leaving the ship today, while about 400 of us stayed.  By the time we leave this afternoon, the ship should be totally full with close to 1400 passengers. 

 

Breakfast was the normal "port day" time of 7:30am, even though we had expected to have a zero-clearance count, that did not occur.  If for some reason we had left the ship earlier, we would not be allowed back on before 9:30am.   Not a problem since we had plenty to do before heading into town.  With 10 complimentary dinners to book in the Pinnacle Grill, we worked out the dates and presented them to Zhandy, the Pinnacle Grill assistant manager.   Since we do not have an interest in some of the pop-up events, we chose days at sea for the dinners.  We may change our minds and try the Tamarind, although the pop-up dinners are not always the same as in the dedicated restaurant on the larger HAL ships. 

 

We came back to our room after breakfast to find two Legendary Canvas tote bags (not plastic) as well as two insulated 13.5 ounce covered mugs.  Useful and a nice touch. Today is the official start of the 51-day Legendary Tales of the South Pacific.  It is also the last one scheduled for the next two years.  That was one reason we booked this voyage again this fall.  Another weekly event was the cleaning of our veranda, which was also in progress when we returned.   A separate crew handles the scrubbing and hosing, which is nice.  We have never noticed a build-up of salt ever since we boarded a month ago.  

 

Then we had a knock on our door, and there was our deck supervisor with a case of 24 Coke Zero's.  Since we did not expect a President's Club delivery, we said this might be in error.  No, he said, this is a little something from Leonie and Cynthia who were both leaving the ship today.    How sweet and thoughtful was that?   Ladies, if you happen to be reading this, we thank you for your kindness and sincerely hope to sail with both of you again.  We also want to thank April, our Mariner rep, who also left a nice message saying goodbye.  You have done a wonderful job of making us feel welcomed and taking care of our perks.  

 

The weather today was not the usual sunny and balmy day we have always enjoyed.  Overcast skies and cooler temps greeted us.  That would change later in the afternoon.  Working online kept us busy until 11am, then we went off the gangway which was loaded with the new passengers.  Once again, we were like salmon going upstream trying to get off.   Once through the terminal, we turned right and headed down the Embarcadero.  Docked across from us was the Caribbean Princess, a big one with 24 lifeboats.  The Zaandam was dwarfed by her size. 

 

Despite the overcast skies, the temps were in the mid 70's and climbing.  There was noticeable humidity in the slight breeze and we were glad we wore our shorts today.  Passing the USS Midway aircraft carrier and museum, we learned that this vessel saw action in Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War operations, and the Persian Gulf.  It was retired in 1992 and is opened for touring these days. 

 

Seaport Village, a charming waterfront complex has unique shops, many eateries, and landscaped fountains with views of the bay. It's always fun passing by the boutiques and souvenir shops there.  Along the way, we passed by numerous street vendors who seemed to be selling the same items for fairly good prices.  Looking for a simple visor , we came up empty-handed.  There were tons of baseball caps for the guys as always.  Passing by some of the most impressive yachts in the marina, we came upon the Hilton Hotel where we walked through the lobby and out the door to the pedestrian bridge over the highway below. 

 

Crossing over, we ended up close to Petco Park - home to the San Diego Padres.  Following our path from last year with a little help from Google maps, we located a nice CVS that was actually still opened for business.   Much of their inventory was under lock and key…..even simple everyday items like toothpaste, deodorants, and shampoo and conditioners and cold meds.   We asked the clerk why the need for locked cabinets and she said "theft".  Mostly done by the homeless folks.  She did not feel that this store will stay opened either, especially after we told her that two CVS pharmacies had closed by Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.   Such a shame.  We made our purchases, and continued down Market Street, passing through the Gaslamp Quarter Historic District.  This appeared to be the center of the city's nightlife with theaters, galleries, concert and symphony venues and dozens of neat cafes and bars. It was already getting busy with the lunch crowd, and we were also on the same page…..thinking about lunch.   All aboard was 4pm today.

 

At the end of Market Street, we located the Cheesecake Factory in a shopping complex.  They serve a salad we love at home, so we took a high-top table that we prefer in the bar area.   The booths were full with a 25-minute wait.    As we mentioned earlier, the skies had cleared, and the sun came out making it a warm day.  The Stella draft beer and Coke Zero really tasted good.   We shared the Mexican tortilla salad with their special brown and French bread with added ranch dressing on the side.  We did see plates of various cheesecake servings going to some nearby tables, but we did not indulge.   Just sitting and enjoying the meal while taking in the scenery was fine with us. 

 

Heading back to the ship, we went through x-ray in the terminal, which was virtually empty.  It appeared both ships had loaded the majority of their passengers already.  Doing some info-gathering, we learned that the Caribbean Princess was enroute to LA, after doing a 7-day Coastal run.  This was not a turn-around day for them.  We were back to the room by 3pm.    And there we stayed until it was time for the mandatory passenger emergency muster drill at 4pm.  This was a full drill where we had to go to our boat assignment and be logged in with the boat captain.  Clare had announced this drill, specifically saying do not bring food or drinks, and please leave your life vests in the cabins.   Well, guess what we saw?  Drinks from the bar and life vests with the straps dragging on the floor.  Duh???  And the ever-present cell phones, which were asked to be turned off.  Might as well be talking to the wall.  On several cruises in the past, we have seen some guests asked to put the phones away and pay attention.  This type of full muster drill has to occur every 3 months we were told.  On the remainder of this voyage, we will have more stream-lined drills by scanning our cards at our muster station.  Much easier.

 

Sail away was around 5:15pm, but shortly before that, a few guest names were announced that had not attended the muster drill.  Hope they found them because we were pulling away with or without them.  Instead of a 3,4, and 5 star as well as President's Club members Mariner gathering in the Crow's Nest prior to sail away, there was an exclusive reception in the Lido Pool area from 6:30pm to 7:15pm.   These longer cruises do tend to attract guests with the higher amount of pure sea days, so the venue must be moved to a suitable place.   Of course, that is right in the middle of dinnertime for many, and we are not sure how the attendance was, since we did not go this time.  Instead, we cracked open one of our bottles of sparkling wine and stayed on our veranda for the entire sailing out of the scenic harbor and well beyond.  It is always fun watching the diving pelicans and lazy seals on the buoys.  And we also got the view of Coronado Island and the military complex there that makes us proud to be Americans.

 

With the beginning of this legendary voyage, there was a change with the menu selections.   Much to our liking, there were several Mexican appetizers and entrees.  We both tried the open-face tostada with spicy toppings, one seafood cocktail with a touch of jalapeño pepper, one tomato/mozzarella salad, and the best beef enchiladas we have tasted yet.   Desserts were watermelon and one scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream. 

 

Showtime was an aloha performance by a fellow named Erwin Urbi with Home In The Islands.   Now we are heading into the Polynesian culture part of the world with many activities to match the theme.

 

We will have six sea days to reach Kona. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

336 Pictures

Report #26 Sunday, September 28, 2025 Sea Day Enroute To San Diego, California Overcast And Cloudy 63 Degrees 8' Swell---Speed 14 Knots......Casual Dress

Thank goodness for sea days.  It was most welcomed after so much hiking yesterday.  We do not have the fancy toys that tell us how many steps we did.  We don't need it.   Walking as far as we think is comfortable, we end up seeing just as much as monitoring our steps.  And that could be a reason why the Spa onboard offers treatments such as acupuncture, metabolism seminars, massage treatments, and Chinese herbal medicine lotions and potions.  And being that today is the final day of the five-day cruise, you can go back home feeling refreshed and fit.

 

We had a nice surprise of a dolphin sighting at 10:20am.   Being in the right place at the right time is not always an option.  But we were in our room working on the computer and had the camera ready to get some shots.  These dolphins are the high-jumping ones and they did put on a short-lived display.    Then they were gone in seconds.

 

This morning was Sunday Brunch from 10am to 12 noon.  That did give the guests a chance to sleep in later if they chose to.  And from 11:30am to 2pm, there was another Cake Me Away in the Lido.  We kept to our usual breakfast in the Pinnacle but kept it light, since we had an invitation from Leonie, the Hotel Manager, and Cynthia, the guest relations manager for a repeat lunch in this venue once again.  They will be leaving us in San Diego and wished to share some more time with us, since our last lunch went by too fast. 

 

This time we all met earlier at 11:30am, mostly to have that extra ½ hour before the Captain's noon update and Clare's run down of the afternoon activities. We passed on the appetizers but did order one Wagyu cheeseburger and one lamb chop meal.  When the plates arrived, the lamb was missing and an 8 oz. filet mignon was in its place.  The ladies already had their entrees served, and we said that was fine, the steak would be a good substitute for the lamb.  However, Leonie mentioned this to our waitress who looked confused, checking her pad for the mistake.  She did offer to bring the chops, but we said no, not wanting to hold up the meal.   All is well that ended well we say.  We enjoyed the company of the ladies for 2 hours before we left.  Tomorrow both of them will be facing long flights to Cape Town and the Mediterranean.  We wished them well and hope to see them again on another voyage. 

 

Around 3pm, the dolphins put on another show…this time there were more of them, and thanks to the Captain for the announcement, we got some good shots of them.

 

We used the remainder of the afternoon to complete yesterday's pictures and complicated report.  Just as well as the weather was rather dismal with overcast and rolling seas.   By 6pm, the Zaandam was doing 18 knots with temps at 68 degrees and 4.4 mph winds.   It may be a while before we have some warmer weather.

 

Dinner was good, but also a repeat of the Alaska menu.   It did have some of our favorite appetizers of salad and salmon balls with dill sauce.  Mains were the Parmesan breaded chicken with a drizzle of the honey mustard sauce.  Mashed potatoes and veggies added to the color of the plates.  And once again, we had the parade of the chefs and waiters, despite the fact that most of both dining rooms were quite empty of guests.  We suppose most people ate early in either in the Lido or here and went back to finish packing.   Those of us that were present gave them the loudest clapping we could do.  They certainly have deserved it.  One of our waiters, Francis, is going home to the Philippines tomorrow.  We thanked him and wished him a safe trip home.  Regie is staying with us and we are happy about that. 

 

San Diego….here we come.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

54 Pictures

Report #25 Saturday, September 27, 2025 San Francisco, California Docked Starboard Side To Pier 8am-5:30pm Morning Fog Clearing To Sun 67 Degrees 11mph Winds----Casual Dress With A Splash Of Orange

San Francisco, a city that is near and dear to our hearts was our port of call for today.   And why is that?   Because both of us were born and raised here.  So we made it a point to be up early to watch the Zaandam go under the iconic Golden Gate Bridge after 6:30am.  There was some high fog this morning, but it did not block the view of this 1.7-mile-long bridge, which is painted orange (lead paint in the old day) and is not "golden".  There have been many times we entered the bay when we could not even see a single thing on the bridge due to heavy fog.  Even better this morning, was the sun coming up in the eastern skies just as we got closer to Pier 27, the James R. Herman Cruise Terminal.

 

But first, we needed a whole lot of coffee to warm up from our morning outside enjoying the scenic sailing.  Travel guide Kristen gave a commentary from the Crow's Nest for ½ hour as we entered the City by the Bay.  This talk was not announced on the outside decks.  And a little maintenance had to be completed with ship's facilities…namely the hot water supply in our bathrooms.  It would be shut off to the cabins from 10am to noontime, and once it was completed we were advised to run the water for a few minutes to clear up any rust coloration.   It is caused by mineral deposits and is not harmful. 

 

There were a couple of tours today, actually the least amount we have seen in a long time.  Two of them went to Alcatraz first, then onward to Golden Gate Park for 6 hours and $156.  The second one went to the prison island first, then on to Sausalito for 5 ¾ hours and $160.  The other out of town excursion took the folks to Muir Woods and Sausalito for 5 ¾  hours for $ 150.  And the best way to see all of the sights close to town was taking the Ho-Ho bus or Big Bus for 2 hours (without getting off) for $75.  

 

Things to do on your own were riding the Cable Car for $8 one way or $13 all day.  The streetcar was more affordable, but we did not catch the price.  Things have changed a lot since we were kids riding the buses around town.  Back then, we had student cards that gave us a ride for 10 cents.  Ha - now we are dating ourselves.   One thing we noticed was that there were no excursions to the wineries in Napa or Sonoma.  Perhaps if the ship had stayed later, it would have been included. 

 

We stayed onboard until 10am, then headed off through the new cruise terminal.  It is a 100% improvement over Pier 35, but it involves a lot of walking to get out and into the city.  The original design of this terminal was to be built in the shape of a ship's bow with shops and cafes as well as a massive boarding area.  However, those plans must have fallen through due to lack of money, and the functional, but basically simple terminal was built in its place.   One thing for sure was that the Zaandam had an easier dock to pull alongside with the ever-present bay currents.

 

The weather downtown was fairly decent with scattered fog here and there, and temps in the 60's.  A cool breeze was blowing all day, getting stronger by the afternoon.  By the way, the Zaandam was the only cruise ship in port, which made debarking simple.  Coming out of the terminal, we could smell the aroma of grilled hot dogs and sausages in the breeze.  Right outside on the Embarcadero Street, there was a line of independent food stands selling the hot dogs with grilled onions and bell peppers.   A few carts were filled with large plastic cups of diced and sliced sweet fruit were for sale – a very healthy choice. We think these stands are set up for the crew members who do not have the time for one of the real restaurant venues.   The largest number of hot dog stands had to be right in front of the entrance to the Alcatraz tour ferries.  People were lined up as they were getting off of those ferries.  

 

We headed towards Pier 39, famous for sea lions, quirky shops, and lively entertainment.  It was about a 1.2 mile walk from the terminal and had one of our favorite restaurants right on the corner….The Hard Rock Café.   We would come back here after 12pm.

 

The whole area was filling up with tourists and locals alike.  Since today was Saturday, many families had their kids in tow.    The lines were long at the Alcatraz Departure Terminal that had booked tours to the prison today.  We have heard that booking online ahead of time is wise, since they can be sold out.  Funny, neither of us has ever taken the ferry there, even as kids.  But then, back in those days, it was an active prison and no one would want to visit it  - it was not allowed.  Close by was the entrance to see the USS Jeremiah O'Brien Liberty ship, a rare WWII survivor of the 1944 armada. 

 

Passing Pier 39 (we would return later), we spotted several ferry boats to Angel Island,  Sausalito, Tiburon, Vallejo, Oakland and Jack London Square.  Fisherman's Wharf was next with the old-time favorite restaurants such as Alioto's, the Franciscan, Sabella's, and Scoma's to mention only a few.    This area of elegant restaurants are world renowned for their seafood, and also their Italian cuisine, much favored by one of us. 

 

Normally we would pass by the open-air cooking pots of the Dungeness crab eateries, but one of the biggest one here, Fisherman's Grotto has been closed down.  The one directly next to it was still opened for business and offered a variety of seafood cocktails and sandwiches with crab and lobster.  One of the favorite lunches offered is the creamy clam chowder soup served in a French bread hollowed-out bowl.

 

On the way here, we looked for a CVS pharmacy but discovered that the two that were here have since shut down.  Never have we seen most every innocent item in a drug store under lock and key like we saw last year.    Oh well, maybe in San Diego we shall look again.  We continued on to Aquatic Park, Muni Pier, and Ghirardelli Square perched on the hillside.  This is the only store where we can find the seasonal chocolate squares of Pumpkin Spice Caramels.  So good, they melt in your mouth.  Pricey, as all of their chocolate creations, but one-of-a kind treat. 

 

The Powell/Hyde Cable Car Line Terminal had a mile-long line of folks waiting to board.   In the old days, when this cable car hit the turnstile, we were allowed to jump on the sides, and board the car for 10 cents or a punch on your student card.  For safety reasons, that is not an option anymore. 

 

There are several nice benches up here, and we did stay long enough to watch the swimmers, most in wet suits, in the water near the clubhouse.  Had to be cold for sure, but protected from the bay with the round circular pier where some folks were fishing.

 

Time to head back, we ended up at the Hard Rock Café and had no problem securing a high-top table in the bar area.   We ordered different draft beers and shared one of their Legendary cheeseburgers with French fries.   They have a good assortment of desserts, but we seem to always go with the apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream.  Checking out the Rock Shop, we did not find a new City T-shirt for either of us.  They do not seem to change the design every year.

 

Hiking back slowly, we passed row after row of souvenir shops, In and Out Burger (the busiest place in town), Applebee's, and candy stores.  Some street artists were appearing now with music, acrobatics, and the painted guys that are "freeze frame".   The streets were much more crowded on the way back and it felt that we were like salmon going upstream.  The food cart vendors were doing a brisk business, and the Ho-Ho and Big Bus tours were full of tourists.  We arrived back to the terminal by 3pm and headed right to our room.  That's where we stayed until the Captain came on to talk before sail away around 6pm.  He stated that the tugboats had been used to keep the ship tight to the pier due to the strong currents.  We could see this from our veranda and were surprised at the thousands of birds that were attracted to the churning of the waters caused by the tugboat's engines.  Even a few stray sea lions were swimming under these birds, searching for the easy food supply presented to them all. 

 

We had 500 miles to go to San Diego, and we could expect a swell of 8 feet and some good winds blowing as we exited under the Golden Gare Bridge.  Once again, we had commentary from Kristen, the new travel guide.  She had many facts that we had not heard before such as there are 9 million people live in the extended Bay Area.  San Francisco has some of the tallest buildings on the west coast, and the Sky Star Wheel is 100 feet tall and weighs 465,000 tons.  Much of the dock area including Fisherman's Wharf was built on the rubble left from the 1906 earthquake.  Good place to hide it we guess, and can you imagine the artifacts that must be buried with that rubble.  Alcatraz on the starboard side is located 1.2 miles from shore and is surrounded with shark-infested waters with a current that would sweep escapees under the Golden Gate Bridge. 

 

Once under the bridge, it got so cold and windy, we had to go inside.  By then the darkness was settling in as was the fog that was returning.   It had been a fine day to visit the city we know so well. 

 

Dinner was a Dutch-theme due to the fact it was Orange Night.   We sure needed the hot Dutch pea soup to warm up, followed by salad and a shrimp cocktail.  Mains were the same for both of us……a surprise veal chop from the Club Orange selection which was not posted on the menu at all.  A shared slice of apple pie was all we needed.  And the entertainment was from the World Stage Cast with Feeling Groovy and the sounds of the 60's.  Always fun.

 

Bill & Mary Ann  

 

546 Pictures

Report #24 Friday, September 26, 2025 Sea Day #2 Of 2 Enroute To San Francisco, California Clear And Sunny Skies 33mph Winds 57 Degrees 10' Swell----Speed 15 Knots----Casual Dress

Day two at sea began with another unexpected sunrise around 7am.  Sailing on this coastline is usually not the best as far as the weather goes.  We can recall seeing a lot of overcast skies and fog.  It can be rough as well.  It's not warm yet, but the temperatures remained about 57 degrees most of the day.  It came as a bit of surprise that the winds were 35 mph, but they appear to be following winds.  That probably helps with the fuel usage. 

 

During his noon talk, Captain Smit mentioned that we are experiencing rolling seas, but he did put out the stabilizers, which should help with the motion.  We waited to hear the high noon whistle blow, but for the last two days, he has not done that.  The Zaandam was maintaining a 14-knot speed, but when we reach a certain point at 10pm, he is required to reduce that speed to 10 knots.  This is due to a speed limit imposed for the safety of the migrating whales.  We have heard some recent stories of accidents with ships hitting some whales along this coast, and sure would hate to see that happen.   He added that tomorrow around 6am, he will be embarking the pilot and then proceed under the Golden Gate Bridge shortly thereafter.   There has been some fog the last three days, but it seems that tomorrow might be clear enough to actually see the bridge.  Many times you cannot see anything due to low dense fog.  We hope for a sunny and clear day, which we do get this time of year.   We know the pattern well, since we both were born and raised here. 

 

There has been some interest regarding what "Legendary Voyages" actually means.  Extra onboard credit when you book, reduced deposits, latest promotions and sales and getting your room of choice are some of the advantages booking onboard.  The length of the voyages are from 25 to 59 days such as the Voyage of the Vikings, or the Tales of the South Pacific for instance.  There are usually special activities onboard that will relate to your destination, as well as more overnight stays in key cities like Honolulu, Tahiti, or Bali.  And by our calculations, these voyage are normally more money per diem. 

 

It has come to our attention that there will be more "pop-up" evenings held in the Pinnacle Grill.  We do have the option of using our complimentary dinners with both the regular Pinnacle dinner or the Tamarind.  Arsa will let us know those dates, and we will sign up for a few of the Tamarinds.  In the meantime, we are under the impression that the 51 day voyage will be full capacity and we should make all of our 10 dinner reservations soon.

 

Some of today's activities were labeled "Local".   Not sure we have seen that word in the newsletter, but it appears to be tied to the tour department.  There were talks on whales, something funky in the water?, and ask your travel guide.  Another label is "new today" which included a scavenger hunt, flower arranging, dance lessons, and a beer and pretzel event with games and live music (charge applied)…we suppose for the beer, not sure about the tempting pretzels.  A speaker by the name of Michael Adams talked about celebrity serial killers, and finally, there was a $25 acrylic art instruction for 2 hours at 7:30pm in the Art Studio.  That is definitely new.   

 

We kept busy but also took some time to relax on our deck.  When we had some sun, it was nice.  However, once the sun left,  we needed our arctic jackets.  Even walking the promenade deck, it was chilly due to the winds.  The teak lounges remained about empty.  Lunch was in the Lido with sandwiches of ham and turkey.  There were few guests at the Sea View Pool, but plenty of people in the Lido Pool area waiting for the beer and pretzel party with live guitar music from Shelly, who plays in the Ocean Bar most nights.

 

Taking an evening walk at 7pm, we saw another sunset, but nothing compared to the morning sunrise.  The sky was clear of clouds, so we watched for the green flash.  There was none, but we do have hopes for the South Pacific sunsets.  We might see a green flash  yet.

 

Dinner time rolled around and we saw that the 7-day menu rotation is still in effect.  We both had salads, a crab cake, and a bowl of tomato bisque soup.  Mains were a turkey dinner and short ribs with linguine Romanoff sauce.  Both served piping hot and very good.   Simple desserts of vanilla ice cream and watermelon finished the meal nicely.   Once again, the dining room was more than half full.

 

The PG-13 comedian, Steven Scott took the stage with his joke jam tribute from the nightclubs of Borscht Belt Resorts.  We think the majority of guests right now are more interested in gambling, as the casino was standing room only. 

 

Pillow candies were waiting for us when we returned to our room, the third day in a row now.  This may also be a perk of the Legendary cruise.   

 

Tomorrow – our port of call will be San Francisco where we always enjoy visiting.

 

Bill & Mary Ann 

 

31 Pictures

Report #23 Thursday, September 25, 2025 Sea Day #1 Of 2 Enroute To San Francisco, California Overcast Skies 14mph Winds 57 Degrees 7' Swell----Speed 14 Knots----Dressy Night

Today started off on the right foot, so to speak, presenting us with a beautiful sunrise.  It would be a day at sea to kick back and relax or be as busy as we wished. 

 

There were new customers at breakfast, although, as usual, we were the first to show up after 8am.  For some reason, both of us thought that the manager, Arsa, was leaving to go home in San Diego.  Thinking ahead, we figured we should book some of our 10 complimentary dinners in here before he leaves.  That's when he told us he will be leaving November 19^th just like us.  Well, that was good news as we did not know who would be his replacement.  He pointed out the "pop-up" dinners so we can book around those, as we prefer the regular Pinnacle Grill dinner menu better.  At one time, we were able to use our freebies for the Tamarind, but we are not sure that is still allowed.  Arsa will find out for us. 

 

As we may have mentioned yesterday, today is the start of the 56-day Tales of the South Pacific, as well as the 5-day coastal to San Diego.    For the rest of the guests joining in San Diego, the cruise will be 51 days we think.   And now that some readers have asked what makes a voyage Legendary, we shall look for the differences from the shorter trips to the Grands.

 

With today's "The Daily" newsletter we noticed it started out with a warning.  You might expect a warning about health information and washings hands or informing the medical staff of any suspicious illnesses.   Yes, that message was printed on a separate to-do list, but not in the Daily, where it appeared every single day while sailing on the Zuiderdam's world cruise this year.  This warning was about pool etiquette with unoccupied lounges and chairs for over 30 minutes.  If an attempt is made at saving lounges, your things will be removed and you will lose your spot.  And yes, we have seen this happen on a few trips in the past.  Only the pool towels provided are allowed, and your blue & white striped beach towels must be brought back to your room or their will be charges.  And lastly, do not bring your bathroom towels from your stateroom.   We have yet to visit either pool, since the weather has been cold in Alaska for the most part. 

 

And a word about the Today's To Do List which was received on day one.  The times for the emergency muster station for most everyone was printed first with instructions on where to go and how to run the complete drill on the room TV's.  For those who do not have cell phones (that would be us), more directions would guide us to sign up for the internet, make restaurant reservations, and how and where to get assistance if you cannot figure it out.   It was required to visit The Mix (bar) to purchase the Have-It-All  package  if you had not done so before leaving home.  Any questions about dining, or room amenities could be handled at the front desk.  But good luck, because upon boarding you may have a line a mile long with all sorts of guest problems. For instance, the time neither of our room keys worked.  It took several replacement cards (possibly six) before we could leave the room or chance being locked out.   Anyway, putting all of this info on one paper is a great idea.  

 

We noticed that the cruise director, Clare Adams, had quite a busy day starting with coffee with the very nice Food & Beverage director, Murat at 9am.   At 10am, Clare would join forces with Neil, the Executive Chef  with cooking the BBQ salmon bowl.  Then at 2pm, she would host the Sailor's Plunge at the Sea View Pool.  At 3pm, Clare would have a dance class learning salsa.  She is one very busy young lady for sure. 

 

It appears that we may have a dedicated lecturer onboard by the name of Michael Adams with a talk on the Titanic with an Aussie Twist.    There were five sessions of Water coloring with Forest, two in the Wajang and two in the Art Studio.   And a knitters meetup was at 9:30am in the Crow's Nest and hosted.  We shall try to find out if there are dedicated teachers for these classes, or are they using staff as they did even on the world cruise. 

 

As for us, we had an invite to another wine tasting at 1:50pm, but did not attend.  Catching up with two days of photos and reports filled most of our day.  Lunch was Lido sandwiches custom made and fruit.  Dinner was "dressy", and we can say most were "not dressy".   Attendance in the dining room was still spotty, so we bet the Lido was overrun again.  Captain Smit's welcome toast was tonight and the entertainer was a pretty young lady by the name of Tiffany Dissette, a singer who would sing it all.

 

Our dinner consisted of shrimp cocktails, which has been served in one form or another almost every day, salad, and hot chicken noodle soup once again.   Both of us ordered the rack of lamb and were pleasantly surprised to find a total of 9 bones instead of four.  Obviously, the cooks anticipated a bigger crowd, but it sure worked out good for us.  And they were excellent, close to the taste and quality of the Pinnacle Grill chops.  Dessert was a small bowl of vanilla ice cream and a plate of cantaloupe for a change.  All good.

 

Looking forward to a similar day at sea tomorrow with temps in the low 60's, a strong wind of 35 knots with a10 foot swell.    Yep, we will be rocking and rolling a lot like today.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

42 Pictures

Report #22 Wednesday September 24, 2025 Vancouver, British Columbia Embarkation Day--Tales Of The South Pacific--Docked Starboard To Pier Clear Skies And Sunny 70 Degrees----Casual Dress

Sailing into the harbor in Vancouver in the darkness of early morning is always a treat if you are willing to get up early.  Since today is debarkation day, it was necessary for the majority of guests to be ready to go off starting before 8am.  In transit folks like us could stay onboard for a little longer before debarking for the "zero clearance" count.  We have been told that the upcoming 5-day coastal cruise is not sold out, and there have been some good deals out there to fill the ship.  We expect a gambling/booze cruise, as some of these shorter treks become.  There will be 722 total guests, where 300 will stay onward for the 56-day Tales of the South Pacific, while 422 folks will get off in San Diego.   So with these numbers, about half of the rooms will be filled.

 

The Zaandam was bunkering fuel and loading supplies by the time we exited at 9:15am.  The Coral Princess was also docked here, but she will be heading towards Seattle and not back to Alaska we understand.  All aboard for us was 3:30pm, and it was recommended for those in transit to arrive back at the terminal at 2pm in order to have sufficient time to clear customs.   We hoped there would not be a back-up like we have seen on past trips, but you cannot take a chance by returning later.

 

If you have more time here in Vancouver, the Big Bus (or Hop on – Hop off bus)  offers tours to some major attractions including ferries to Victoria and Butchart Gardens, Whistler, The Capilano Suspension Bridge, and Grouse Mountain.  And of course there are day city trips with 14 stops which start at $63 for 24 hours.  We have done this in the past and saw a lot in a few days.

 

Following our usual path, we walked the Seawall with mostly locals who were out and about enjoying the pleasant morning or exercising their dogs.  Commuters were arriving by floatplanes, and some boat owners were busy with the constant cleaning of their vessels.   We made it as far as the beginning of Stanley Park but turned around knowing that we could take our time making it back to the terminal later.    One stop was made at the Rexall Drug Store where we re-stocked our room snacks.  Nuts and pub mix were on top of the list as well as some over-the-counter meds.  The prices here in Vancouver were better than in Alaska, especially with the conversion. 

 

Lunch was at 11:30am at the Steamworks Brewery once again.  The restaurant was not filled, but the outdoor tables were occupied quickly.  The weather was so nice today, and the locals took advantage of that.  Ordering our usual Hawaiian pizza, one Lions Gate draft beer, and a soda, we finished the meal with a shared caramel apple galette.  This is a specially-made treat baked fresh on the spot and can only be found here. 

 

We had some spare time to head deeper into Gastown, one of the iconic spots in town.   Many people filled the cafes and outdoor eateries while listening to the singing of a young "busker" or street corner entertainer.  He was actually pretty good. One of the highlights in Gastown is the old steam clock that still works.   Then we attempted to go to Chinatown, which was nearby, but there simply was not enough time. 

 

Arriving back to the cruise terminal, we were pleasantly surprised to find no huge crowds there checking in with customs.   Passing through x-ray, then completing the facial recognition, we were back onboard by 1:30pm.  And guess what we had waiting for us in our room?  Canapies, chocolate-covered strawberries, two bottles of sparkling wine (one on ice), a new fruit basket and our President's Club amenity of sodas for both of us…..compliments of the Mariner Society.  The fourth time was a charm.  We also had an invite for another exclusive gathering for the Mariners with 3,4, and 5 stars as well as President's Club members in the Crow's Nest once again.   This event on the last three Alaska cruises was minimal with a dozen folks in attendance.  Today  was a different story.  The entire venue was closed off and the place was wall-to-wall guests.  Many of them were beginning the full 56-day journey like us.  Two other President's Club members were there, as well as several star Mariners we recognized.  Clare, our cruise director, asked if she could announce our names in her welcome talk and we said it was fine with us.   The same was asked of the other couple and they also agreed as long as their names were pronounced correctly.   The affair began at 1:45pm and lasted well beyond 3pm.   

 

Captain Smit came on with the emergency drill reminder at 3:30pm.  The new guests had to scan their room cards on the promenade deck, but we did not have to repeat that since we did it just 3 weeks ago.  When we reach San Diego, there will be a "real" muster drill and all of us will have to go.  The ship pulled away from Vancouver Place right on time, and we sailed under the Lions Gate Bridge for the final time this cruise.   The Captain turned left instead of right, and the trek to San Francisco began.    Later in the evening, we had 25 knot winds and an 8 foot swell.    The Canadian pilot was dropped off as we neared Victoria on Vancouver Island at 10pm.  

 

When we entered the upper dining room at 7:45pm as we always do, we found the place looked like a ghost town.  Even deck four was about empty.  It makes a difference having only half of the crowd, and our waiters admitted that the early seating was not full.    We can tell you where the passengers were after dinner.   That was in the bars, lounges, and casino.  But mostly the casino where many were seriously gambling and too many were smoking.  One good thing is that if you want to avoid the cigarette smoke, then you can get to the dining room on deck 5 by passing through the Shops on the starboard side. 

 

The menu had not changed from the last few weeks.  We ordered starters of salad, a seafood cocktail, tomatoes with mozzarella cheese, and an excellent hot bowl of the best chicken noodle soup so far.   It was full of pulled chicken bits, carrots and celery al dente, and plenty of vermicelli pasta.  Mains were one pork medallion meal and one alternate sirloin steak with crispy French fries.  Dessert was watermelon and a berry tart.  A good start to the Legendary Cruise.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

256 Pictures

Report #21 Tuesday, September 23, 2025 Sea Day--- Cruising The Inside Passage 3pm-7pm Enroute To Vancouver, Canada Overcast Skies With Fog 55 Degrees 4mph Winds, 6' Swell----Casual Dress

Today will be a day at sea with scenic cruising….always appreciated.  And today was "brunch" morning for many, but Pinnacle Grill for us.   The weather was overcast with temps at 55 degrees and occasional fog.  The ship had some rocking and rolling during the night, but truthfully, it rocked us to sleep.

 

This is a good time to add some tidbits of facts about the state of Alaska.    With 586,412 square miles, Alaska is as wide as the lower 48 states and larger than Texas, California, and Montana combined.  The biggest mountain in the North America Continent is Mt. McKinley with an elevation of 20,320 feet.   The Yukon River is almost 2000 miles long – the third longest in North America.  Alaska has more coastline than all the other states combined.  America's strongest earthquake occurred on March 27, 1964 – a 9.2 magnitude.  Finally there are more active glaciers in Alaska than the rest of the inhabited world.   The Malispina Glacier is 850 square miles – bigger than Sweden. Pretty fascinating we think and a magnificent place to visit. 

 

One of us easily resolved the mistake of a laundry package charge that appeared on our account.  We have enjoyed complimentary laundry for many years now, so no one had any idea where that came from.  But it was a reminder to check our account frequently.  We received 2 more tiles with no Mariner gathering, and another letter describing tomorrow's procedures in Vancouver.  This will be the final time leaving Canada on this trip, so no more mandatory customs and border checks for a while.   We were behind with photo processing and reports, so this morning was a good time to do it.

 

At his noon talk, the Captain said we had passed Pine Island on Vancouver Island on the starboard side.  At 3pm, the bow would be opened for the scenic cruising through the narrows and a possible chance of seeing some wildlife.  The timing had to be just right for the ship to sail through the islands which are notorious for strong currents and tidal fluctuations.  For that reason, he kept the ship's speed on the lower side.   At 12:30pm, we had orca sightings, some so close, they were directly below our veranda.  Then there was enough patches of fog for Captain to blast the foghorn.  By 2pm, the Pacific white-sided dolphins paid us a visit, but they were so quick, if you snoozed, you lose.  We arrived to the Narrows earlier than expected, giving us more time with daylight to spot wildlife. 

 

me for lunch, so we ordered room service.  A bowl of delicious chicken noodle soup, a pulled pork sandwich, and two items from the kid's menu, grilled cheese sandwich and chicken nuggets was just enough.  This was the first time to try ordering from the kid's menu, and it was no problem.  Hey we are all kids at heart, right?

 

There were tons of things to keep the guests busy on this final day at sea.  Of course, there were last chance deals in all of the Shops and another "Cake Me Away" display in the Lido.  We bet the desserts were all gone immediately after lunch time.  On Deck For a Cause was held at 1pm for those who wished to work off some of those cake calories.   There was a Lido Fair, a new option, with games, food, prizes and fun under the Dome.  Trivia remains popular with as ever with three sessions on sea days.  And even though there are no dedicated lecturers onboard,  the staff members do a fine job of teaching us something new about the area we are traveling. 

 

We kept watch for most of the afternoon looking for elusive wildlife.  We had our doubts that we would sight any cougars on Vancouver Island, but it is interesting knowing that the island boasts the largest concentration of these big cats in all of North America.  By the way, the Coral Princess followed us in our wake today, giving us a better chance of spotting the dolphins and whales.  Vancouver Island is really a great place to visit if you have some extra time before joining a cruise for instance.   Victoria and Butchart Gardens are highly recommended or a stop at Pacific Rim National Park  or wineries in the Cowichen Valley. 

 

At 6pm, we saw more dolphins that were so fast, they barely skimmed the surface.  The photos we got show the splash from a shallow jump, far different from the dolphins we usually see elsewhere.  All-in-all, the scenic scenery today delivered.

 

It was time for dinner at 8pm in the Pinnacle Grill this evening.  Arsa had our table ready and Violet was our waitress.  Wedge salads and clothesline bacon started our meal.   Mains were savory lamb chops and prime rib, something that has not shown up on the dining room menu these last few weeks that we recall.  The baked potatoes were served with the butter, sour cream, and bacon already on the top…no tiny ramekins for us thanks to Violet.  We asked for one serving of Baked Alaska, cut in half and served on two  plates, a perfect way to end our ample meal.   

 

The comedy of Steven Scott was titled Catskills Comedy Joke Jam Tribute.   It was over well before we were done with our dinner.  And we saw luggage in the hallway when we went back to our room.  So glad we do not have to pack…….yet.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

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Report #20 Monday, September 22, 2025 Ketchikan, Alaska Docked Port Side To Pier 11am-5pm Partly Cloudy With Rain Showers---54 Degrees, 10mph Winds---Dressy Night

Today we woke up to dark cloudy skies, rain, and lots of wind.  The spray coming off of the waves came all the way to our veranda which is on deck six.  Invigorating, but probably stormy enough to cancel this port of Ketchikan again.  We shall think positive that we will make it.

 

During breakfast, we heard what we thought might be the Captain with docking news about Ketchikan.  Except it was another medical alert call for someone on our deck.   There have been a number of these medical calls since we joined the ship.  Many of guests had to be taken to hospitals along the way.   We usually see a lot of that on the longer cruises.

 

The closer we got to Ketchikan, the better the conditions looked.  As the ship entered the Tongass narrows, we saw the Carnival Spirit, Seabourn Quest, and the Coral Princess at their usual docking spots.  Obviously, they were not turned away like last week.   There was room for us, and the Captain had us alongside by 10:30am and the ship was cleared by 11am. 

 

As usual, we stayed on the ship until the majority of guests went off….mostly the tour people.  There was a "man overboard" crew drill at 11:30am, so that was a good time to leave.  The gangway was really steep due to high tide, but another one was added on deck A later in the day. 

 

In case we have not mentioned this before, Ketchikan is mostly on Revillagigedo Island or Revilla for short.  It happens to be the 11^th largest island in the US.   Why a Spanish name we asked?   Captain George Vancouver visited this area on his exploration voyage here in 1793, naming it after the Spanish Viceroy in Mexico.    In a nutshell, salmon made Ketchikan with Tongass Packing Co. opening one of the first canneries in the 1890's.  Then Ketchikan earned the name of "First City" since it was the first place to stop for everyone who traveled further north.   This city in the rainforest thrived with the discovery of ore, some gold, lumber mills and several canneries.    And along with that, came the ladies of the night and Creek Street.  Fast forward to today, and the history that remains is fascinating to say the least.  Today's "gold" has to be the over one million tourists that come here every year.  And that is strictly cruise ship passengers. 

 

No doubt it was a chilly 57 degrees, and we were not sure if it would rain here today.  Knowing that as much as 202 inches of rain can fall a year (1949), we knew to take umbrellas.  We walked under the Ketchikan welcome sign and past all of the shops offering a variety of fur items, high end jewelry, and souvenirs galore.   These stores are on every block in town and really busy with four ships in port.   We strolled through the small Whale Park, noticing that the Chief Kyan totem pole had been sawed off.    Who would do that?  The one that was here was a replica having been added in 1993.  Kind of hard to hide such a treasure if you lived here.

 

Continuing past the Federal Building, we crossed over Ketchikan Creek on the Stedman Street Bridge, taking note that the creek had swollen due to the recent storm that hit here.  The water coming under this bridge was deep and turbulent.  Crossing over to Creek Street, the old red-light district, the creek and overflowed the banks and was very dark.  The rapids had washed away most all of the dead salmon that littered the creek bed and banks.    Unlike a few weeks ago, the area was full of folks watching the creek for live fish and the ever-present harbor seals.  We did see the seals, but the water was so turbulent and deep, most folks never saw the fish or the seals.  The shops were full of customers too.  Good for business this late in the season.  

 

We reached the newer tiled salmon monument, then started the series of stairs uphill.  One of us counted 51 stairs by the time we reached the top.  We have never seen the rapids moving so fast and strong.  The fish ladder was being used by some of the smaller salmon.  Reaching Park Avenue, we made our way along the creek which was much wider and deeper.  By the time we got to the area where there is a rocky bank, we noticed that it was totally under water this time.   Further up Park Avenue,  we did see the calmer spot on the left bank where the fish tend to line up - side by side, head to tail, and linger before moving along.  Since we knew where to look, we did get some pictures. 

 

Crossing the road, we made our way past the old hatchery and into the City Park with holding ponds, which date back to the early 1900's.    Looking at the creek up here, it had also grown dangerously deep and turbulent.  The creek was too deep to see anything except the tips of the rocks and boulders.   According to a sportfishing calendar we came across, the types of salmon we were seeing could be either silver, chum, and pink.  The King salmon run is at its peak more in May through July.   Other varieties of fish are the halibut which peak from May to September, and four types of trout – steelhead, cutthroat, rainbow, and Dolly Varden. 

 

It was time to turn back, since our all-aboard time had been moved up to 5pm. And that was when the sky opened up and we had to whip out our umbrellas.  The rain came down hard and fast but turned into a drizzle by the time we reached downtown.   It was time for lunch, so we went to the Alaskan King Crab Company once again.  Wanting to try different draft beer, we chose the 49^th State Solstice IPA.  Then we added a small salad and a burger with fries to share.  A slice of carrot cake finished our meal.   All good, but the offer of their free shot glasses fell through since they admitted to running out of them. 

 

We made one last stop for kettle corn and got two large bags again for room snacks.   There were close-out sales in every store, but we did not need anything.  We were back onboard by 3:30pm, using the lower and less steep gangway. 

 

Captain Smit gave his talk around 5pm, telling us that yesterday winds exceeded 72 knots on the way to Ketchikan last night.  That is 90 mph or hurricane force we believe.  Lucky for us, those winds subsided and we were able to dock today.   You just never know what the weather may do in this part of the world.  The Zaandam left by 5:30pm, following on the heels of the Seabourn Quest.   Tonight at 9:30pm, we will pick up two pilots to take us through the Inside Passage and back to Vancouver.  Cannot believe the three weeks are almost over. 

 

Dinner was "dressy" night, although being in port, most everyone came more casual.  Not that it mattered that much.  We both had Caesar salads and the shrimp cocktail, followed by mains of chicken and tortellini. No dessert.  Our waiters were surprised to see us arrive, and somehow they knew we had been invited to dine with some of the officers on deck four.  We did not tell them that we had declined since one of us has a cold.   We were just glad they had not given our table on the railing away to someone else.   We missed the show which was the singers and dancers with Curtain Up,  from the dazzling lights of Broadway to theaters of London's West End.  As we passed by the bars and lounges, we noticed they were full of guests listening to the bands and enjoying their drink packages.  Good for them.

 

A day at sea tomorrow will be most appreciated, even with the clocks being turned forward tonight.  

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

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