Report #49---Monday, October 19, 2026---Sea Day #4 Of 5---Enroute To Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawaii, USA---Sunny With Clouds---73 Degrees--69% Humidity---17.9mph--Winds---Ships Speed- 16 Knots----Casual Dress

Day four at sea brought definite changes in the weather department.  We went from "I wish there was more heat in the sun" to "You can fry an egg on our veranda railing".   No kidding.  As a reminder, we need to be careful not to get sunburned, even sitting on the veranda lounges.

 

The temperature began at 73 degrees with 69% humidity at 10 this morning.  There was a 17.9 mph wind with overcast skies, and eventually some hot sun.   The warmth of Hawaii is in the air already.  

 

Last night, we put together a list of dinner dates in the Pinnacle Grill, as we are entitled to 10 dinners each for this cruise. We did not get organized on the first five cruises since September 2nd, so we let a total of 100 complimentary dinners expire.  There was only one date that the venue was a pop-up, so we will need to choose another night.   The cuisine in the Pinnacle is to our liking, so we do not attend the pop-ups with the exception of the Tamarind. 

 

Captain Thomas ae on with his updates at high noon.   We have traveled 1627 nautical miles from San Diego and have another 697 nautical miles to go to reach Kauai.    The ship is maintaining a speed of 16 knots with no noticeable problems.  The sea swell is 8 feet with continued motion, but far less than yesterday's seas.  Sunset tonight will be 6:17pm, and sunrise at 6:04am.   Only one of us is up that early to catch it , and it is definitely not me.  Finally, the clocks will go back one hour once again.   That will put us on Hawaii time.  

 

Included in his daily talk, Captain Thomas said he took questions regarding navigating the seas.  One of the inquiries was who was driving the ship.  He replied it was more than just the Captain.  There are always four officers capable of driving the ship at all times, sometimes more.   At times, auto-pilot can be used, but that does not mean that they set the course and then go on a coffee break.   Very amusing.....  Final word was that we can rest assured that we're all in good hands.   

 

The Polynesian team continued to give lectures, hula dance lessons, and even a language class.  They even conduct an Aloha sunset music hour bat the Lido poolside at 4pm.     The Polynesian lei story was presented by Kainoa in the show lounge at 11am.   And there was a pool party in the Lido pool area at 2pm.  

 

There were a few birds and some flying fish I got pictures of today also the sunrise and sunset.  

 

We had a light lunch of a salad and mini burger sliders.  Tonight, our first dinner will be at 8pm in the Pinnacle Grill, so we kept lunch at a minimum.   Even eating dinner at 8pm, we still are not all that hungry.   Seated at our regular table, we ordered the wedge salads with two strips of clothesline bacon on the plate.  Assorted rolls were served with an intense garlic butter we have grown to like.  A couple of years ago, they began serving a fluffy, buttery roll that was huge, but so good.  We have not seen these rolls for the last year, so they must have been phased out.  One of us had the savory lamb chops and  the other, the small filet mignon cooked medium rare.  Both mains were excellent with half of a baked potato with toppings on the side.  We had forgotten how good the food was in here.  And without asking, the plates arrived piping hot.   Dessert was the same for both of us....a pinacolada trifle, served in a glass jar.  It was listed on the side of the menu as a special of the area we are now sailing.   Refreshing is a good word to describe it.  

 

Showtime was a repeat performance by DJ Bucchiarelli singing the high notes.....music from Neil Sedaka.   

 

Time to set those clocks back and enjoy an extra hour of sleep.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

125 Pictures

Report #48---Sunday, October 18, 2026---Sea Day #3 Of 5----Enroute To Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawaii, USA---Partly Sunny--70 Degrees---70% Humidity---14.8mph-Winds---Ships Speed--18 Knots-----Casual Dress

If a day at sea needed a name, then "hump" day would work just fine.  At least, that is what Captain Thomas called this Sunday, the third sea day out of five on the way towards Hawaii.   During his noon talk, he announced that the Zaandam was at the halfway point doing the trek to Hawaii.   We have sailed 1204 nautical miles from San Diego and have another 1121 nautical miles to go to reach Nawiliwili, Kauai on October 21st.  He continued to explain in simple terms about the wave action that causes rolling, pitching, and yawing of a vessel like ours.    And yes, we are doing all three of those maneuvers while maintaining a speed of 18 knots.    The stabilizers are out, giving us the best possible ride, even with the 8-foot swells.   

 

The temperature remained a steady 71 degrees with 70% humidity.  The winds were 14.8 mph at 8am, but as the day advanced, so did the winds.  Overcast skies early in the morning turned to broken clouds with some sun in the mix.  We are very lucky so far to have no rain.  Last month a series of tropical storms and hurricanes passed through the Islands with much flooding and some damage.   It is the season for these storms, but we are keeping our fingers crossed they hold off for a while. 

 

This morning was the Sunday Hawaiian Brunch in the dining room from 9:30am to 12:30pm.  This gives the guests a chance to sleep late, and we suspect the dining room waiters can do the same.   This venue is nice for some, but we prefer the Pinnacle Grill.  

 

When we left after another nice breakfast, we discovered there was a roadblock of passengers in the hallway outside the Captain's Shop.  Tables had been set up outside with all of the leftover HAL Alaskan clothing and souvenirs from the Alaska season.  It was like a feeding frenzy at the zoo with people sorting through the sizes of clothing.  Of course, if you were looking for small to extra- large clothes, you would be out of luck.  If you wanted extra small or 3xxx, you were in luck.   We could not see the prices of the t-shirts, but at the end of the Alaska runs, they were selling for $7.75 each we think.   No sense trying to price things here, so we went to deck five and the other larger store by the Ocean Bar. The manager of the Shops happened to be there and told us the t-shirts were selling for $3.87.  No wonder people were going crazy.  

 

We were really only interested in the sale pricing, but then.....we noticed that the Shop had many new items they just brought out.  A dressy poncho-type top caught my eye immediately and figured it was a good buy.  Not on sale, it still is a good way to use shipboard credit.

 

Caught up on internet work, we took a long walk on the promenade deck where a few more folks were relaxing on the port side of the deck.   There was less wind and the sun was shining little by little.    We did see a few flying fish and later in the day, some masked boobies appeared.  We are still on the lookout for the dog onboard because the doggie relief area is still set up. 

 

One of the places we like to sit is at the Seaview Pool, so we headed there to find the tables and chairs are finally set up on the back deck around the pool.    It's not quite hot enough for swimming, but there were a few serious sunbathers.  We never did get offered any water or lemonade like we always did on the Volendam.  Come to think of it, no one else around us had drinks either.  

 

It was salads and a shared sandwich for lunch today.  There was actually a fairly nice sunset tonight, followed by a casual dinner.  Starters were one cod slider and one tomato/mozzarella salad.  Mains were a pork chop and chicken meatballs with rigatoni, both served hot by Betty.   Desserts were one scoop of mint chip and a slice of a chocolate caramel tart.  The smaller portions really do us a favor.

 

The entertainer in the show lounge was Wendy Law with a return performance.   Her instrument is a 200 year old cello and actually has a name:  Sebastian.  Her music is classical, bossa nova, and tango. 

 

Tomorrow starts day 4 on the run to Hawaii.  Hope the weather warms up a bit more.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

59 Pictures

Report #47---Saturday, October 17, 2026---Sea Day#2 Of 5---Enroute To Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawaii, USA---Cloudy With Some Sun-----69 Degrees---84% Humidity---18.1mph--Winds----Ships Speed 18 Knots

We believe we are at a point that we have finally caught up with pictures and reports.  Dealing with a new computer with many changes has slowed up the progress.  Something has been causing the photos to lose the captioning, then we have to do it all over again.  Sometimes it takes three times to get it to work.  

 

One of us is not computer savvy by choice.   So if something goes awry, I am stopped in my tracks.  Pushing one incorrect key might delete photos and all.   It has happened more than once.  By the time we figure all of this out, we will be home. 

 

We had three sets of visitors this morning in the Pinnacle Grill.....our President's Club buddies.  We all decided we needed another get-together to continue sharing news and whatnot.  By the way, many of the regular waiters here are moved elsewhere.  Some rotate to the Neptune Lounge, but a few just joined the ship in San Diego, replacing some that went home in the same port.  Many of us are not sure we like this new idea of moving the staff around, especially the waiters who have gotten to know our likes and dislikes, or that we love lots of hot coffee on sea days.   

 

Captain Thomas came on with his update at noon.    He stated that the ship is doing 18 knots as we head directly west, and the temperature was a cool 69 degrees with lots of clouds.  Not exactly swimming or suntanning weather.  The winds were 25 knots or 18.1 mph (more or less) with 84% humidity.  The ship has traveled 769 nautical miles from San Diego and has another 1054 nautical miles to go to reach Nawiliwili, Kauai.   There is currently a swell of 8 feet causing some pitching and rolling.  He continued with some info on the Pacific Ocean, telling us that it covers 30% of the earth's surface.   At its deepest point in the Mariana Trench, you could take Mt. Everest to the bottom of this ocean, and it still would not come close to breaking the surface.  Yep, that's over our heads.  The Captain admitted to us at our last gathering that he has resisted the need to give sea depths because some guests get nervous hearing that.  You learn something new every day.

 

Sunset will be 6:17pm and sunrise at 6:10am.   We missed a travel agency cocktail party in the Crow's Nest waiting for the sun to go down.  Due to heavy clouds on the horizon, there was little to no color in the sky tonight.    Anyway, the Captain reminded everyone to wash their hands frequently and to be sure to set our clocks back one hour tonight.  None of us complain about that, especially the crew.  

 

Dinner had crispy Thai spring rolls on the menu with the best Thai chili sauce.  We each had one, but could have made a meal with those alone.  One of us was still chilled from being on the veranda too long waiting for the sun to go down.  A bowl of piping hot chicken noodle soup fixed that.  Another tasty appetizer was the smoked chicken one.  Mains were a pork belly with sweet, mashed potatoes and one plate of spaghetti without the shrimp.  Diced tomatoes and olive oil made the sauce perfect.  Topped with Parmesan cheese, it was a light meal.  Betty, our assistant maitre'd  personally brought our hot plates with hot food.   It finally took a word with Dwi, the head man, that we like our mains hot.  He put out the word, and now it is done.   Desserts were one blueberry cheesecake - light and fluffy with no sugar added.  Asking what the ice cream of the day was, the answer was confusing.  I heard Hajid say something like "cakie doo", where we said huh?  Was that something new?   Then he laughed and repeated it again saying cookie dough.  We tend to forget that English is not their first language.   Good thing he laughed too.  The other dessert was one scoop of berry swirl ice cream.    Our waiter Hajid seemed disappointed that I only wanted one single scoop.  Yes as long as it is not cakie doo.   They really go the mile to please us, but sometimes less is better.  

 

The entertainment in the show lounge was a new group of the World Stage Cast of singers and dancers with Crossroads.   Perhaps the theme is country western with rhythm, roots and rhymes being that their ad showed cowboy boots.  

 

So much for day # 2 at sea.    Setting the clocks back was an  extra plus.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

89 Pictures

Report #46---Friday, October 16, 2026----Sea Day #1 Of 5---Enroute To Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawaii, USA--Sunny--68 Degrees--88% Humidity---11.3mph---5' Swells---Ships Speed--18 Knots

The day started early with a nice sunrise.   We bet many folks slept in late today with the clocks set back one hour. 

 

We had some nice surprises at breakfast this morning with the arrival of new guests.  Finally, we know some of them from previous cruises such as Connie and Michele,   Henk and Lucia, and Mary and Joe.  They all prefer the longer voyages like us, and we have sailed with them on the Grand World Voyages.  We will have more time to visit later in the afternoon.   

 

Going back to our room, we discovered we were locked out.   OK....now what?   Pande, our room steward,  was close by, so he let us in with his master key and said he would report it.   Not wanting to wait, one of us went down to the front desk to have them-re-programmed.    It became apparent that many folks were having problems due to the length of the line.  

 

There is a separate spot for the Neptune folks,  Club orange guests as well as President's Club members.  However, I seldom do that and wait in the regular line.   Today I was spotted and motioned over to the side counter.  The keys were fixed and tested and it only took five minutes tops.  Why that happened,  no one knows.  

 

We worked online most of the morning to catch up.   Our veranda did have some sun, but there was little heat in it.  Even our walk on the promenade deck was chilly and especially windy.    The temperature was 68 degrees,  with 88% humidity.  There was an 11.3 mph wind and we were sailing at a speed of 18knots.  The five-foot sea swells kept the ship in motion....rolling and pitching. 

 

During his noon talk, Captain Thomas mentioned that we had traveled 338 nautical miles from San Diego, and had another 1886 nautical miles to reach Kauai.  He added that the Pacific Ocean was the largest ocean on earth, and the early explorers were masters at navigation in those old days.    He called it remarkable for them to have traveled so far without modern day instruments.   The last of his numbers were sunset at 5:46pm and sunrise at 6:14am followed by a reminder to wash your hands often. 

 

We had an invitation for a President's Club champagne welcome in the Mix Bar at 4:30pm.  Going five minutes early, we were among the  last ones to arrive.   Tucked against a wall behind the baby grand piano, there was a total of 11 of us, and we knew everyone for a change.  The hotel manager Leonie joined the group and visited equally with each one of us.   Actually we were offered any beverage we wished.   And as many as we liked.   Canapies were offered, but we passed since we had just eaten lunch at 3pm.   We all had fun conversations until it was time for all of the guests but us to head for early dinner. 

 

Instead of dinner, we went to watch the sun set.

 

Dinner was "dressy" with the Captain's toast at 7:15pm.   And because it was dressy, we had a new version of the Vivace strings playing in  the orchestra pit.   We had appetizers of one salad, an urn of onion soup. And two shrimp cocktails.  We added rack of lamb with different sides.  One of the entrees came with the mashed potatoes and the other with a loaded baked potato.    And it was served hot by dining room assistant Matre'd Betty.    A small volcano cake with caramel was the desert we shared.  We noticed two tables for two on the lower level Obviously, they had run out of tables since we are at full capacity on this cruise.   

 

Showtime featured a singer by the name of DJ Bucciarelli with Neil Sedaka sounds.  And we discovered that Kainoa is onboard this cruise as one of the Polynesian Ambassadors.   He delivered a talk on the geology and geography of Hawaii.

 

Back to our room, we discovered the gift fairy had made some deliveries of the heavy Legendary Voyage bags and two insulated coffee mugs for our to-go drinks at any of the cafes.   A nice keepsake. 

 

One day down, four sea days to go.....

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

58 Pictures

Report #45---Thursday, October 15, 2026---San Diego, California, USA---7am-4:30pm----Docked Starboard Side To Pier-----Sunny--90 Degrees--28% Humidity--11.5mph Winds-----Casual Dress

Remember planes, trains, and automobiles?   Well that sums up San Diego.  We could see and hear all of that right from our veranda as we sailed into the San Diego Bay at 6:30am this morning.   It was going to be another hot day in town with temperatures around 90 degrees with 28% humidity, and 11.5 mph winds.  Much the same as last week.  

 

We started with an early breakfast at 7am with very few guests due to the disembarkation we assume.  Once again, groups began to be called off by 7:30am.  They are well organized for the frequent turnovers on these shorter voyages. 

 

Being in transit guests, we were asked to be off of the ship by 9:15am by using our old room key, taking our passports (never were asked to see them) and the stickers to put on our shirts to show the shore staff we were in transit.  We had our new room keys with us to get back onboard. 

 

Leaving the ship at the requested time,  we logged out at the crowded gangway, then followed directions from the shore crew.   They did ask to see our in transit labels.   There was another ship docked across from us.  It was the Serenade of the Seas (RCI), not one of their mega-ships, but much bigger than us.  Today the buses, taxis and Ubers were allowed into the parking lot between the two ships making the area congested and crazy.  We had to weave between guests with luggage and bags to make it to the street.  

 

Instead of walking the waterfront to Seaport Village, we chose to turn left and go up Broadway.  That would keep us in the shade and away from the crowded boardwalk with all of the kiosks.   In addition, we would be out of the path of runners, skateboarders, bikes, and pedi-bikes that were offering rides to anywhere and everywhere.  Heading up Broadway kept us under the trees and in the shade of all of downtown's high rises.  Only the local working crowd was here and a few scattered homeless people near the Santa Fe Railroad tracks.  Any city with a climate such as here, will have homeless folks, as we would find out later on. 

 

We made it all the way up to Horton Plaza where a Westfields Mall used to be located.  Now all we saw was a park and some buildings undergoing possible renovations.   It struck us how many pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants could be jammed into this area.   Then we entered the historic Gaslamp Quarter and found even more eateries and some souvenir shops.   Located very close to Petco Park, these restaurants and pubs fill to capacity when there are baseball and football games.  Due to the time of day we were walking here, there were some homeless folks wandering around.  One of them began taunting us and eventually staying on our heels.  He was obviously deranged and confrontational.  We were close to our destination of the Hard Rock Hotel, when we decided to enter a side door.  It was locked and we needed a room key to open the door.  This guy knew that and cornered us, which was a big mistake.   He began to get very vocal spitting out nonsense threats when one of us yelled back quite loudly.  That drew the attention of a rather large and young waiter at the adjoined restaurant, and he came out immediately to help.    With that the guy left.  We are certain they all know him...even the police who were patrolling the streets.   

 

Going around the corner we found the main entrance to the fairly new Hard Rock Hotel that did have a store but not a cafe restaurant.   One of us located a city t-shirt, and we left the building and the incident behind us.  We were close to the Convention Center where we had walked yesterday.  The Cheesecake Factory was our next stop, where the nice waitress remembered us from a week ago.  She even recalled what we had ordered  - the Mexican tortilla salad, Stella beers followed by a slice of pumpkin cheesecake.   Their salads are built like a mountain - even the Skinnylicious ones.    The best part was being able to relax in the air conditioning for over an hour before having to leave.   

 

We made it back to the boardwalk and did find a bargain long sleeve t-shirt to buy.  Stopping at some benches in the shade, we made it back to the pier by 3pm.  By now most of the HAL guests were embarked, but there was still a crowd for the Serenade.  Our "in transit" stickers were checked as well as our room keycards.  One of the nicest HAL reps also asked for our in transit stickers, adding that she would need to see our room keys because we could have stolen the stickers.  Really?    Security is extremely tight in San Diego. 

 

Walking down the hallway, we ran right into friends Connie and daughter Michele who we met along with husband and dad Joe back in 2007.   So nice to see them again.  We would see even more cruising friends at breakfast tomorrow.   We did have an invitation to a 1 hour cocktail party at 6:30 in the Lido Pool area.   We assume it was for the higher day Mariner guests.  However, we made the mistake of opening the bottle of sparkling wine on ice during the sailing out of the bay at 5:15pm.  So we missed the party, knowing there will be more of them. 

 

Passing Coronado Island was interesting with all of the aircraft carriers, helicopters, military planes, and jets.   The Ronald Reagan, Carl Vinson, and the recently returned from the Persian Gulf Abraham Lincoln aircraft carriers were all visible.    Makes one proud to be an American.  Of course, there were the sea birds, sea lions, and seal-laden buoys.  

 

The menu for dinner was still mixed with some Mexican items.  Appetizers we ordered were small coconut-crusted pork meatballs, sliced tomato with mozzarella, and a shrimp cocktail with different sauce.   Mains were a slightly cremated pork chop and an enchilada barbacoa.  No dessert.  And another surprise - we had new waiters.   Their names are Hajid and Agus.  The powers to be are rotating waiters on all of the ships.  Why, we do not know for sure.  Good news, the clocks went back one hour tonight.  Perfect.  A cellist Wendy Law was the performer in the World Stage tonight. 

 

We have begun the 5 -day trek to Hawaii with relaxing days at sea.

 

Bill & Mary Ann 

 

332 Pictures

Report #44---Wednesday, October 14, 2026---Sea Day #3 Of 3 Enroute To San Diego, California, USA----Clear Skies--73 Degrees--55% Humidity--15.2mph-Winds--Ships Speed-11 Knots-----Casual Dress

Day three at sea found us sailing north at a slow rate of speed - 11 knots.  At 8am, the temperature was 73 degrees with 55% humidity and 15.2 mph winds.  The good news is that there is no sign of Hurricane Simon anywhere near here, although some significant rain fell in Ensenada we were told by the Captain.  

This morning before breakfast, we had an envelope waiting for us regarding tomorrow's procedures with customs and border checks.  It will be a zero-clearance day just like we had in Vancouver.   By 9:15am, we will need to take our passports and ship's old key card with us to exit the gangway.   We were given transit stickers to put on our shirts to identify us as non-disembarking guests.    New keycards were issued; however, they were not the President's Club ones.   That was an easy fix at the front desk where our rep Margaret came to the rescue to make sure it was done correctly.  Otherwise we might have problems re-boarding.  Lastly, we might have to e-register our credit card as their system does not save the numbers and codes.   We plan to spend the day in town once again.   

If you recall from September,  when we boarded we assumed all six voyages were linked.  By adding a last minute credit to all six cruises, the 35-day Legendary Voyage was dropped from the linking.  So we discovered our room keys had us leaving tomorrow October 15th, when in fact, we will be here until November 19th.   It will be like starting over again with having to buy an internet package for the remainder of the trip.  The new shipboard credits will be added (hopefully) and we will be back in business again.    Other good news is that we do not need to attend the easy muster scanning of our cards.   We suspect another full muster drill will be coming up within a week or so.  

We spent the morning working with the blog and enjoying the pleasant weather.  We definitely felt a change in the air, which has cooled off quite a bit.   Both of us kept watch for the dozens of birds flying across the bow, leaving a complete mess there.  Later in the afternoon, a team of deck workers had to scrub and hose the bow.  It will need to be perfectly clean for tomorrow's scenic sailing out of the harbor.  Anytime we arrive to a US port, everything has to be shipshape.  Most of these birds were boobies, some of them masked ones.  

 Captain Thomas came on with his noon talk and said we were 35 nautical miles off the coast of Baja.  We have sailed 797 nautical miles from Pichilingue and have another 198 nautical miles to go to reach San Diego.    He expects to arrive to the bay at 5:30am and be docked at the north terminal by 7am.  Sunset tonight will be 6:14pm and sunrise will be 6:55am.  He ended with a fond farewell to all guests departing tomorrow, wishing everyone safe travels wherever they live in the world.  This week literally flew by.

We took a break to do more shopping, which brought us closer to using the credit.  Then we had a nice room service lunch with Cobb salads and a bowl of tortilla chips.  It seems they have run out of potato chips; heaven forbid.  Tomorrow there will be another day of heavy loading. 

Using binoculars to search for dolphins, we spotted some different activity in the water far out from the ship.   Getting some lucky photos, we learned these were pilot whales that often frequent these waters.   First time ever for us to see these.  There was a small pod of them with a few young ones.  It wasn't long afterwards that the sun began going down on a totally cloudless horizon.   Now that would be frosting on the cake if we saw a green flash tonight.  Watching intently, we did see some green-tinged sky above the setting sun and also flashing on the horizon as it sunk and disappeared.  The camera will tell the story if we captured the phenomenon or not.   

Right before dinner, we checked our shipboard account on the TV to make sure all of the charges had been applied.  That's when we remembered to look for a refunded port charge for missing Mazatlan.  There was no entry for that, so we called and asked about it.  We learned that both HAL and Princess Cruise Lines no longer refund port charges for missed ports no matter the reason.  Usually the refund is small, but if you are on a longer voyage, it can add up.  And it was always treated as a cashable refund made to your bank account when you return home.   Well, you learn something new every day.   

Dinner was a farewell to most with the parade of chefs, kitchen staff, and the waiters as they sang two different songs with gusto.  The guests clapped and cheered but did not do the napkin-waving.   Our waiter Sandi said the second song they sang was one they all learned in kindergarten in Indonesian.  They really had fun with it, then it was back to work.   

Both of us ordered the wedge salads, which were Pinnacle size.   We shared a small anti pasta plate and another sweet potato salad we had asked our head waiter about.  Without hesitation, Betty flew down the stairs and came back with one sweet potato appetizer to share.   Our mains were beef Wellington and pork tenderloin.  We shared one banana pudding in a jar. 

The final show for this 7-day cruise was comedy with Doug Funk and with a name like that, he would have to be fun.

And so  ends the "taco" portion of our adventure.   Tomorrow starts the "tiki" part.  Looking forward to it.

Bill & Mary Ann

 

90 Pictures

Report #43---Tuesday, October 13, 2026---Sea Day #2 Of 3 Enroute To San Diego, California, USA---Clear Skies---79 Degrees---67% Humidity----10.1mph Winds---Ships Speed-11 Knots----Dressy Dress

Today was a day of events, beginning with a welcoming sunrise.  Out of the blue, a cruise ship appeared on the horizon.  It was the Carnival Spirit on her way south towards Mexico we assume.  

 

A Mariner Recognition Event held in the Explorer's Lounge at 11am.  It was a smaller than usual group with the highest-end Mariners in attendance.  We happened to be the only President's Club members for this 11-day stretch, so they had seats for us in the very front of the lounge.   There was a problem, because the chairs were so far forward, we could not see the HAL backdrop and we would have been seated directly under the cruise director Dario.   We were more than happy to go sit on a windowsill in the back of the room, but that was not an option with the powers to be.    Mel from guests services along with Margaret and Leonie pulled those heavy chairs to the front of the screen and there we sat.   Once settled in those deep narrow chairs, we were served mimosas and the show began.

 

Leonie, the GH Manager and Captain Thomas were introduced first, followed by seven silver medallions awarded to folks who just recently went over the 300-day mark.  Seeing Captain Thomas up close, we did indeed remember him as Staff Captain on most every Amsterdam sailing we have done.   In turn, he remembered us, admitting that when we went up for a photo. I, for one, was happy to be able to get out of that low-to-the floor chair.    When the crowd dispersed, Captain Thomas joined us for a half hour chat discussing everything under the sun including his little girl who was 18 months old the last time we saw her.  She is turning 10 years old soon.  Time sure flies......

 

We made it back to our room just in time for the Captain's noon update.  We have gone 542 nautical miles from Pichilingue and have an addition 452 nautical miles to reach San Diego.    We were currently sailing the coast of Baja California known for surfing, abalone fishing, cactus, villages, and deep-seaa fishing.    There was a good chance we may see migrating whales such as the humpbacks and grays.   And by the way....we did.

The current temperature was 77 degrees, 67% humidty, and 10.1 mph winds.  The sea swells remain at 7 feet.   Sunset tonight was at 6:03pm with sunrise at 6:38am.  We thanked the Captain for including this info in his daily talks.   One of us did a little more shopping before making a run to the Dive In Grill for a Cannonball burger and a hot dog.    Unknown to me, the Lido Fair was in progress, and it was like entering a zoo.  Games were in motion with food, prices, and obviously fun gauging at the sound of the yelling and screaming.  Going to the Lido pool at this time of day is always easy since most everyone has already eaten lunch.    There was a plus factor with servings of chicken tenders, French fries, and even small, decorated donuts.    With a short wait, I was back home with the hot food.  I had also remembered to use those beverage vouchers before they expired, bringing back two cans of Corona beers. 

 

We had another surprise sighting of a whale spouting in the distance.   It could have been either a humpback or even a gray whale migrating south.   It never surfaced enough to be able to identify it.   Shortly after that, we were treated to yet another sunset, turning the sky and waters orange.   That always is a reminder that it was time for dinner.  

 

 Dinner was dressy this evening.  They had some good appetizers such as shrimp and avocados, and Caesar salads.  The surf and turf option was a crab cake and tenderloin with fingerling potatoes.  Not too hungry, one of us ordered the Rotella pasta with some oxtail meat.   It was just right.  One scoop of lemon sorbet, and a tiny serving of volcano cake sweetened the meal.  

 

Showtime featured the Vivace Strings with a concert - The Soul of the Earth.    They promised and delivered timeless classics, soulful melodies, and irresistible rhythms.    

 

We got two more tiles compliments of the Mariner's Society.  So much for day two at sea. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

54 Pictures

Report #42--Monday, October 12, 2026---Sea Day #1 Of 3 Enroute To San Diego California, USA---Happy Canadian Thanksgiving----Overcast--84 Degrees--66% Humidity--14.3mph-Winds--Ships Speed-12 Knots---Casual Dress

Day was a lovely day at sea, the first of three on our way back to San Diego.  The temperature has already dropped somewhat from yesterday and was 84 degrees.  The humidity was 66% with 14.3 mph winds.  We have read that Hurricane Simon is still hovering off the coast of Baja near Manzanillo.  We have been fortunate to have escaped the rain and wind from that storm, and extra lucky not to have experienced deep ocean swells from that system. 

 

After breakfast, one of us went on a shopping spree which is necessary to use up some credit.   We even had a printed reminder to do that before this 7-day cruise ends.    Normally we get a phone call reminder, but this is better to have it in writing.  Not wanting to deal with the high-end jewelry shop, I concentrated more on the clothes, purses, and Swarovski jewelry and had some success.   Tomorrow, there will be another sweep for more things.  Use it or lose it.  Not about to lose it.  

 

Captain Thomas came on with his noon update....right on schedule.   We had traveled 247 nautical miles from La Paz and had another 748 nautical miles to reach San Diego.  He is keeping the speed at 12 knots or less to keep the sailing smooth as possible.  There is a 7-foot swell making the ship roll in slow motion.   At one point we were 25 nautical miles from Cabo, then turned north passing the lower end of the Baja Peninsula.  This is an area of a cactus forest with little rain.   And tons of sandy beaches for those who like the camping lifestyle. 

 

Sunset will be 6:03pm with sunrise at 6:14am.   He expected a high of 84 degrees and light winds of 18 knots.   He continued saying thanks for your understanding for missing the port of Mazatlan and then he offered free drinks in any bar for 1 full hour from 4 - 5 pm.   Quite generous we thought. Knowing the bars would be a zoo, we passed on the offer.  Staying in our room, we caught sight of hundreds of birds drifting across the bow and even some dolphins before dinner time.  

 

Today happened to be Canadian Thanksgiving with the same traditional turkey dinner offered in the dining room or Lido.  In addition to that, there was a Seafood Boil in the Lido Market for $35 we think.  We each had salads and the turkey dinner which was not as good as it usually is.  Most times we believe the turkey meat is from turkey rolls, but tonight's servings looked like the whole bird was sliced up.  Our reason we think this is that there were some shaved bones in the servings.   And the meat seemed to be cut hours ago, drying up somewhat.  Their trick is to drown it with excellent gravy.    As long as we had doubles on the cranberry sauce, we were fine.  And there was pumpkin pie which saved the whole dinner.  No sharing this time as the slices were small.  By the way we are happy with smaller servings.  If we really like something, we can order more.   

 

Tonight's show in the World Stage was an evening of comedy with Doug Funk.  Coming from Vancouver, he is an award-winning comedian.   And there is always Vivace Strings, Marcel at the piano, or Shelly on guitar.  And since our room is located in the center of deck six, we do not have to pass through the casino after dinner.  We have no idea how crowded it has been in there.   

 

One day gone and two more sea days to go, but who's counting?

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

108 Pictures

Report #41--Sunday, October 11, 2026--Pichilingue, Mexico--8am-4:30pm--Docked---Starboard Side To Pier----Sunny--88 Degrees--62% Humidity---10.3mph Winds-----Casual Dress

Our port of call for today was Pichilingue for the town of La Paz.   The ship arrived before 8am and we were docked starboard to the pier.  That gave us the better view for the day.    There really is not much at this terminal except a building and tables of tented souvenirs.  

 

There were four excursions from here starting with a salsa dip and salsa dance tour for 3 hours and $90.  A pub crawl may have been a better option for 4 hours and $100.   A wild animal re-hab center for 3 ½ hours for $10 and a 3 ½ hour beach stop at Balandra Bay by catamaran for $200 were the last two.  The other option was a shuttle ride, a round trip 10-mile journey to La Paz and back for $15 per person.   Cash or credit cards were accepted except for American Express.   We asked why no Am Ex, and we told they do not pay their bills, whatever that means.  The buses operated every 45 minutes with the last one coming back at 3:45pm.  

 

We opted against taking the bus today for several reasons.   The only card we rely on while traveling is Am Ex.  And we were unsure if cash meant Mexican  pesos.   The only time we visited La Paz was several years ago.  At that time, we paid for the ride with our shipboard account, using some of the non-refundable credit.    Easy.  Not happening anymore.  Now here comes the clincher.  Waiting for the shuttle to take us back to the pier from town was slow and slower.  There was one bus on the way for 60 or more impatient people waiting in town.  So what should have taken maybe ½ hour, took three times as long if you did not get the first bus.   If we had waited until later, we would have been late.    

 

The town itself is more traditional with a few churches and a museum.  The Malecon had several restaurants with mostly fish served.   The stretch of sandy beach runs the length of the town and is full of sculptures and statues.  Good place for families.  The usual boutiques and cafes lined the Malecon as well.  Once you have seen it, you have seen it.  So with that we stayed at the terminal and browsed the souvenirs.   It seemed to us that everything was more expensive here.  One vendor was pushing the sale of a bracelet he claimed was opals and silver.  We were not born yesterday.   The "opals" were resin and the silver was alpaca or Mexican silver.  As always.....buyer beware.  Once again, there was nothing we needed and were back onboard within a half hour.   A record time onshore, we were glad to get out of the heat which was 88 degrees.  The humidity was 62 % with a 10.3 mph wind.  Very hot indeed. 

 

We enjoyed a light lunch from room service and worked online the rest of the afternoon.  And we did have the pelicans and boobies diving outside our veranda as well as the ferries coming and going.   At one point, Bill spotted a different bird scooping up a fish with its talons.  It was an osprey and he hopes he got a picture of it. 

 

Captain Thomas came on with his talk at 4:30pm and said we were preparing to start our 3 days at sea on the way back to San Diego.  We have 995 nautical miles to reach San Diego on schedule.  The speed will be 12 knots with some rocking and rolling.  He added that the hurricane was behind us and we could expect smooth sailing.  He left the port around 6pm with a nice sunset to watch. 

 

Here's a funny story to share.  Each of us received a voucher for $60 to use in the Spa.   BilL decided to use it for a haircut, but was told it was too much money, and would not work with the $45 men's haircut.   Bill suggested to the young barber to apply the $45 and keep the extra for a tip.   Laughing he said he could not do that.   OK, so now what?  Using the coupon a different way,  he still ended up paying $43 with a good tip in there.  Creative math somehow worked its magic in there.  Or not???  His haircut was a nice one.

 

The Orange Party was this evening, so the dinner menu was mostly Dutch.   Bill ordered his favorite bay shrimp cocktail and a bowl of super-thick pea soup.   I had the soup as well, only thinning it out with a couple of tablespoons of water when our waiter wasn't looking.  Better.

 

Mains were one tenderloin dinner and one pork cordon bleu.   Dessert was a shared slice of apple pie with a little ice cream.   The Orange Party continued in the Crow's Nest, but we did not attend.  Rock Brittania was the show in the World Stage with the singers and dancers.  Hits from across the Pond were from the 60's to the 80's.  

 

Tomorrow will remain a day at sea and no Mazatlan.  Conditions were not looking good there, so the ship will head to San Diego........slowly.

 

Bill & Mary Ann  

 

332 Pictures

Report #40--Saturday, October 10, 2026--Cabo San Lucas, Mexico--11am-7:30pm---Anchored Using Shore Side Tenders--Cloudy--91 Degrees---67% Humidity---11.8mph-Winds----Casual Dress

Due to a later than usual arrival to Cabo San Lucas, breakfast was at 8am.  Not as many guests have taken advantage of this venue or they have chosen to sleep later.  

 

The ship was doing a clip of 18 knots and the temperature at 9am was already warm at 86 degrees.  The humidity was 67% and the winds 11.8 mph.  The skies had clouds and some sun and it was muggy as heck.  Two significant storms, Rachel and Simon are more than likely going to affect the port stops especially Cabo and Mazatlan.  There have been no announcements yet, but we did some research online to learn that it does not look positive for landings.  Then it was suggested by Google that the port of Laredo could be substituted for Mazatlan.   However, we know for a fact that Mexican government has stopped cruise ships from entering the Sea of Cortez due to the humpback and blue whales that come here.  There is the fear that the larger ships may have interrupted the whale's migration patterns.  Laredo was originally on this itinerary but was dropped for the reasons quoted.   Sure would have been nice since we have never been to that port.  

 

As we approached the coastline of Baja California, we could see civilization built all the way to the water's edge and long the sandy beaches.  As we got closer, we could see the hole in the rocky outcroppings called Los Arcos.   We also spotted the Voyager of the Seas, one of RCI larger cruise ships.  It was already anchored, but we did not see any of their tenders in the water.   We knew that the Eurodam had a stop here today, but she was nowhere to be seen.  Later on we found out that the Voyager was supposed to be in Mazatlan today and Cabo tomorrow.  The Eurodam skipped both Cabo and Mazatlan and headed south towards the Panama Canal in order to escape the hurricane.   So confusing. 

 

We enjoyed the scenery on the way to the bay which included a variety of diving birds, and dozens of tour boats drifting around Los Arcos or the arch.  We watched as two tender boats below our room were lowered.  Then we saw some of the local tenders coming to assist.  Several of these local tenders were used for the RCI folks.  Dario, the cruise director, announced at noon that all was well and the tendering would begin soon.   Since we have priority tendering, Margaret met us in the Wajang Theater and escorted us and three other guests to the special elevator down to deck A.  We happened to board the first tender which belonged to the Cabo folks.   Much nicer than our enclosed boats, this one had open air seating which was much appreciated since the temps had risen to 91 degrees.   Good thing it was a short ride to the pier.

 

There were several excursions here, but by the time I remembered to check them, all had been removed.  As you all now, we prefer to do our own thing at our own speed.   Once off of the tender, we started the walk in this wild and crazy town already bustling with party-goers mostly from the Voyager of the Seas.  Senor Frogs was busting at the seams with the younger crowd.   We made our way around the entire marina passing shops, eateries, and vendors by the dozens.  Fishing boats were coming and going with some sea lions in the mix.   There was a scattering of pelicans, but not as many as we used to see. 

 

It's been a few years since we were here, so it was a surprise to see a new Hard Rock Cafe located on the marina.   It was close to the Puerto Paraiso Mall, actually part of the mall with the restaurant connected to the inside of the shopping mall as well as the marina.   It certainly was not crowded, and we did enjoy the cooler temps there.  Lunch began with 4 bottles of Corona beers....yes it was that hot and one of us forgot the water bottle I vowed to bring off of the ship.  We ordered one Legendary burger with fries to share.  While we dined, the waiter assisted one of us how to update the newer Kindle.  It took just a few minutes with their complimentary WIFI and it was done.   Then we shared one glass of a brownie with creamy vanilla ice cream drizzled with chocolate sauce.   Sinful but oh so good.....

 

Time to head back, we gave up any hopes of doing any shopping.  First of all, we did not need anything, and the street vendors were not willing to bargain like they always have done in past years.  We stopped a lot in what shade we could find all the way back to the tenders.  This is where things got interesting with two lines of guests returning to their ships.   The short line for for HAL folks while the extra long line was for the very impatient RCI guests.  We had chairs under a tent along with chilled washclothes, ice water and lemonade.  The Voyager people had nothing but beating hot sun and one LONG wait.  Needless to say, they were not happy campers and became almost abusive with their language dealing with shore security.   That is one thing you should not do is argue with any officer.   Good thing the tenders arrived to load us all up for the ride back, which for us was 4pm.

 

We cooled off in our room for the remainder of the afternoon, listening to the Captain talk around 6:30pm.   He said we had 206 nautical miles to reach Pichilingue for La Paz tomorrow morning where we could expect  warm temps in the 80's.  He had an important update concerning our stop in Mazatlan.  Hurricane Simon was still close to there, and our visit had to be cancelled for October 12th.  Heavy rains and high winds made our docking unsafe.  We all got a letter with the same info delivered late in the day.  There was no mention of any substitute like going to Laredo.  Too many other ships had been diverted and were assigned to available ports.  There were no more left.  Oh well, we have been to Mazatlan many times, and it was no big loss for us. 

 

Now we were in for an unexpected treat as we waited for the sun to go down.  Around 5:15pm, we noticed a gathering of many types of boats and yachts forming a group across from our veranda.  At one point, they turned towards Los Arcos and sailed slowly past it.  They all turned around, and faced west and the setting sun, making us realize this was a sunset tour for many.   Free for us on the port side, it was really striking.  For as many times we have been here, we never stayed this late to enjoy a sunset.  At sundown, two pirate boats joined the group and it was PARTY TIME.  We could hear the hooting and hollering from the drinking crowd.  The vessels all lit up with multi-color lights and the pirates did a fire torch performance with real fire and smoke.   It sure was fun to watch, and we were glad the Captain was late in leaving.  The Voyager departed then we left next by 8pm we think.  We turned south and the RCI ship went north.  

 

Dinner was good with starters of two different salads and one pulled pork slider.  The entree with  prime rib appeared again and we both ordered it.  Bill prefers the end cut, but medium well.   It actually came that way, while mine was medium rare and half order.  Perfect.  A chocolate torte and a plate of sliced watermelon ended our meal on a sweet note.   

 

The show in the World Stage was a mentalist by the name of Eric Walton who had a myriad of talents including mind-reading and a mystifying one-man show.  Or believe it, or not. 

 

We will have three lazy days at sea as we sail back to San Diego. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann   

 

411 Pictures

Report #39--Friday, October 9, 2026---Sea Day Enroute To Cabo San Lucas---Sunny---86 Degrees---79% Humidity---14-3mph--Winds---Ships Speed--18 Knots----Casual Dress

We woke up to clear skies with the temperature at 79 degrees.   The humidity was the same at 79% with 14.3 mph winds.  We expected high winds since we know there are 2 hurricanes off of the coast.    More about that later.

 

There was a need to straighten out the details of this 7-day Mexico cruise, which has mistakenly been combined with the 4-day coastal cruise making it an 11-day voyage.   We did not book it that way, so we have two separate booking numbers.  We may have paid a little more but in the long run, we gain much more shipboard credit and other amenities with our President's Club perks.   This has occurred once on a past cruise, so we know to watch what gets posted to our account.   

 

And this is where our newly embarked Mariner's rep came into the picture.  Her name is Margaret and has come highly recommended by good friends currently sailing on the Volendam.    Considering that she flew from the east coast a day ago, we really appreciated her help.  She reached out to us the afternoon we met her in the Crow's Nest gathering.  We had made a list of missing things, and she checked into every one of them and had it all corrected by the end of the day.    We thanked her for going the distance with this, and more so, saving us the hassle of trying to explain this to the front desk folks.    

 

Captain Thomas came on at exactly noon with his updates.   The Zaandam had sailed 326 nautical miles since leaving San Diego, with 428 more miles to go to reach Cabo San Lucas.   He expected to arrive to the bay by noontime and drop anchor shortly afterwards.  This will be a tendering port, and he hoped to drop the boats before 1pm.  He predicted clear skies with temperatures of 82 degrees and low swells of seven feet.  Then he went on with some information regarding Hurricane Simon, a category 4 storm that was predicted to move northwest by the weekend.  They were monitoring the conditions and reported no cause for concern....yet. 

 

It is worth mentioning a letter of safety and security for the upcoming Mexican ports.   We recognized the form letter because we got the same letters on the world cruise at every segment.  And that was sailing in the Pacific Ocean for most of the 133 days.  It dealt with street crimes and related situations where thieves take advantage of the cruisers.  Not meant to scare us, but just a reminder of stuff that happens worldwide in the way of crime. 

 

One other flyer we all got after leaving San Diego was the offer of Have-It-All for $75 per day per person.    Many passengers must have bought this package because we can tell by the huge number of beverages being served in the dining room at dinnertime.    The noise level has risen quite a bit as well, especially with the younger crowd.  Oh well, that used to be our group of up to 10 friends that sailed year after year.   We were really noisy until we learned to keep it lowkey until after 10pm.   The game of cork-forking comes to mind......

 

Speaking of dinner, we had figured it was a dressy night due to the Captain's welcome toast.  But it was casual instead.  One of us had tomato soup while the other had a shrimp quesadilla and Caesar salad.   One entree was a beef barbacoa which was more like a fajita.  The other main was slice tri-tip steak served tender and tasty.  A shared dessert was a slice of carrot cake made with lots of slivered walnuts - the way we like it.   

 

Looking forward to the stop in Cabo since it has been a few years since we were here last.  

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

54 Pictures

Report #38---Thursday, October 8, 2026---San Diego, California, USA---7am-3:30pm---Docked Starboard Side To Pier---Sunny---86 Degrees---54% Humidity---13.8mph---Winds-----Casual Dress

We arrived to the harbor of San Diego around 6:30am in the dark.   The Zaandam docked starboard in the Princess slip and turned around for an easy exit later this afternoon.  There was some low fog, but by the time it lifted, the skies were blue and cloudless.   Eventually the temperature rose to 86 degrees, 54% humidity, with 13.8 mph winds.  

Breakfast was at 7am, although there were few customers.  We think we already mentioned that 400 folks were headed home, so many of those may have been Neptuners who usually dine in the Pinnacle Grill every morning.

Debarkation began at 7:30am right after the ship was cleared.  The process was done before 9:30 am.  We stayed onboard until 9:45am then left the ship for our hike.  It was not a zero-clearance day like we had in Vancouver, which worked better for those of us that were intransit.  

Docked at this berth, we had to walk through a giant empty tent, across the parking lot, and following the terminal building to the exit.  We noticed that the taxis, Ubers, or Lyfts were not allowed in the parking lot, but were parked outside of the gates.  Only the buses were coming into the immediate area.  

Our walk took us past the ferries that brought people on a bay tour or to Coronado Island.  Tickets could be bought right there at a kiosk.  By the way, there were a few excursions offered through the ship.  Several were short tours with an airport transfer.  Two were the trolley and the Seal tours.  Both ran about $90 for 2 hours.  There was a trip to the San Diego Zoo and one to a wine tasting somewhere out of town.   

We had to be careful to watch the time since all aboard time was at 3:30pm.  So we strolled past the USS Midway aircraft carrier.  Some of the staff onboard this museum hung a giant banner saying "Welcome Home" to the troops on the USS Abraham Lincoln.    

The Seaport Village was the next complex to see with dozens of shops, cafes, and restaurants .  There is something for everyone there if you are into shopping.  The fishing boat marina was next, followed by the yacht harbor with some pretty high-end sailboats and private yachts.  Access to these vessels is under lock and key with tons of security we assume.   The Convention Center was next, and it seemed to go for miles.   We arrived at the Hilton Hotel, which was a stone's throw away from the Coronado Bridge.   Usually we pass through this hotel  and take the skybridge to Petco Park.  Today we figured we were short with time so we took a short cut and headed down the elevator to Harbor Drive.  All we had to do was follow this main avenue all the way to the Cheesecake Factory, which is on the backside of Seaview Village, more or less.   On the positive side, we were in the shade for most of the hike back.  

We did run right into the complex shortly after noontime and ordered two much needed Stella draft beers.  We were the first customers to sit in the bar area where they have high top tables.    Within 15 minutes, all of the tables were filled.   Good timing, we suppose.  We have one of these restaurants near our home and go there once a week, ordering the same Skinnylicious tortilla salad with extra ranch dressing on the side.  It is always an ample salad, and we share it.   Two types of loaf bread were served also.  We seldom do dessert, but today their special was pumpkin cheesecake with whipped cream.  Needless to say, it sure was good.   We shared that as well.  Relaxing for an hour was heavenly in the air-conditioned restaurant, so it was hard to pry ourselves out of our chairs.   

We wanted to be back to the ship by 2pm because we had an invitation to a welcome reception in the Crow's Nest for ¾ hour.  The invitations no longer say 3, 4, 5 star Mariners and President's Club.  It simply states that the gathering is for the top Mariners onboard.  We knew that once onboard, if we headed for our room, we would never leave it.  So it was straight up to deck nine and the Crow's Nest.    The Mariner group had occupied most of the seating except for one area that had a sign on it for President's Club.   Meeting Margaret, the new Mariner rep was perfect timing since she just joined the ship today.  We have it on good authority that she is a "gem".   We sat in those deep chairs that are difficult to get up from.  One of the reasons we don't go to the Crow's Nest is due to these chairs.   One of us would worry about getting up when the time came and found it wise to drink cranberry juice on ice.   

 

We did not recognize any other guests and definitely no other President's Club members.  But a younger couple, Wendy and George, came into the room and asked to join us.  They were from Boise Idaho and were very nice and easy to talk to.   We stayed long beyond the 2:45pm cut-off point and were offered even more beverages.  Then the Captain announced the mandatory muster check....the easy one with scanning your room keys.   Once again, we were exempted.   

 

We watched the sailing out of the scenic harbor from our veranda.  Right before we left, the Captain came on with his sail away talk.  We have 754 nautical miles to reach Cabo San Lucas doing a speed of 18 knots.   Then he added some unexpected info regarding Hurricane Simon that was cooking off the coast of Baja California....right in the direction we are headed.  This storm was expected to intensify by the weekend, and there might be some changes to our itinerary.    There was no decision made from HAL headquarters as of yet, but he would keep us updated.   We checked out the situation online, and it looked bad.  However, the hurricane in the Gulf was even more dire, and the news concentrated on that area instead.   Again, time will tell......

 

Leaving the harbor, we passed several boats, Coronado Island, buoys complete with resting Stellar sea lions, and some military vessels.  There were few birds to be seen this time.  The thin veil of fog was coming into the bay and it did cool the air off.  If there is a hurricane out there, we saw and felt no evidence of it yet. 

 

Dinnertime had some good items.  We had starters of soup and salad with mains of pork tenderloin and Parmigiana chicken with spaghetti.  A thin slice of raspberry-swirl cake was shared by both of us.  Showtime was the singer, Teacake Ferguson with groovy tunes guaranteed to keep us smiling, singing, and dancing.  

 

Tomorrow.....a day at sea and a day to rest up.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

336 Pictures

Report #37---Wednesday, October 7, 2026---Sea Day #3 Of 3 Enroute To San Diego, California, USA----Overcast And Foggy----66 Degrees----86% Humidity----12.3mph-Winds---Ships Speed 18 Knots----7' Swell----Casual Dress

Day three at sea was much the same as the last two days......overcast, foggy, 86% humidity, 12.2 mph winds and 66 degrees at 10am.    Being so close to southern California, we expected warmer temperatures considering where we live and also where we are headed are experiencing a heatwave.  During his noon time update, Captain Thomas said the  ship was 18 nautical miles off the coast of southern California, having sailed 1050 nautical miles from Vancouver.    We still have 305 nautical miles to go to reach San Diego, where he will dock by 7am.  He went on to give some good info about the area in regard to the harbor being home to one of the nation's largest naval bases as well as commercial and cruise ship port.  There is a sizable marina where some of the world's over-the-top vessels are moored. 

 

Tomorrow, he expects a higher temperature in the 80's, with 15 knot winds with a 7-foot swell getting there at an average speed of 18 knots.   He ended his talk with a farewell to the guests that will be leaving in the morning.   We inquired about how many are leaving, and the answer was 400 more or less.    Another 400 will be embarking for the 7-day Mexican cruise, giving us a total of over 1000 passengers.   Still not full capacity, but that is fine with us.  

 

Remember the whiskey barrel we showed you all that is tied down and caged at the Seaview Pool?   Well the story in a nutshell is that a whiskey brewery has provided these barrels so they can develop with the sea conditions.  That is the temperature changes and the motion of the ocean, which will keep the brew stirred.   It sounds like a promotional thing to us, but what do we know?    

 

It has come to our attention that another ship will be joining the HAL fleet in August of 2029.  It is the Arcadia, owned by P&O.  It is 84,000 gross tons and was christened in 2005.  It will be an addition to the Vista class ships with the Oosterdam, Noordam, Westerdam, and Zuiderdam.  The name of this vessel is unknown at this point.  Currently, she holds up to 2000 guests and reportedly has no Signature suites and fewer Neptune suites.   The gossip on Cruise Critic is that the Volendam and Zaandam will be sold in five years.    Despite the advancing age of these two R-class ships, many people prefer their size and will not be happy about the sale if that is really true.   Time will tell.....

 

Except for a couple of deck walks and a little more shopping, we did not do much today except relax.   It certainly has helped ease the pain of the fall I had.  The gel packs we brought along with us have been a huge help.  Just last week we learned that the security folks had confiscated a heating pad with a cord from our friends.    And we don't know why we never investigated this, but we discovered that cordless rechargeable heating pads can be bought online.   No extension cords are needed, just a USB port.    That will be a number one project when we get home.  One for the back and one for the neck and shoulders.   

 

After watching the other half of a movie we started last night, it was off to dinner.  We wondered if the waiters and chefs would do the parade, but it did not happen.   In fact, the dining rooms were rather empty by 7:30pm.  Our meal started with a smoked chicken plate and one cheese/avocado dip with tortillas.  They finally served a dos frijoles soup, one of our favorite soups and the other one of us had the Caesar salad.   Prime rib was on the menu and it was excellent.  Even asking for a half-order, the portion was ample.  The second entree was rigatoni with chicken meatballs.   Also good, but filling.  No dessert for us tonight.

 

Ooops, made a mistake with the entertainment as last night the cast did songs and dances.  Tonight the magician took the stage with his magic and humor.  

 

Tomorrow we will do the town of San Diego.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

No Pictures

Report #36---Tuesday, October 6, 2026---Sea Day #2 Of 3---Enroute To San Diego, California, USA----Scattered Clouds----55 Degrees---93% Humidity----22mph Winds----15 Knots-Ships Speed---6' Swell-----Casual Dress

Day two at sea began with a temperature of 55 degrees, 93% humidity, and 22 mph winds, which were following.  We could see an increase with the white caps and noticed a definite listing with the swells.  This is typical California coastal weather.  There were scattered clouds along with some banks of high fog.   

 

We have noticed that there seems to be a lot more vibration on this ship, compared to the Volendam.  At times, it seems like we are sitting on a rumble seat.  In our deck six room, we have become aware that our flower arrangement on the coffee table has been "dancing" with the vibration.   Reading the Cruise Critic blogs,  we can agree that the ship might have problems.  No sense even asking anyone, because we will not get an answer.   Recently we received a notice that showed several stops on the 35-day Hawaii/South Pacific cruise that had to be amended or deleted.  The only conclusion is there is a speed problem which has not been completely addressed.  That brings to mind an incident that happened while on a Radisson cruise in 2003.  We faced eight days at sea leaving Nuku Hiva when one of their azipods failed, causing the ship to lose speed.  As a result, we all missed our flights and had to be put up in hotels for the evening with meals included.   The cruise line did all of the re-bookings with our air, which was a plus because it was shortly before Christmas.    So you just never know when things can go wrong. 

 

Captain Thomas was right on time with his noontime update.   We missed the beginning of it due to the fact that turning on the bow camera to get the talk in our room, takes several seconds before the screen comes on.  Why, we do not know....another glitch in the system.   Opening our door, we learned that the ship was across from Humbolt County, California and the temperature had risen to 59 degrees.  The seas were 6 feet with following winds of 26 mph.    Tomorrow we can expect similar conditions, only warmer.    It is warm in San Diego with temps in the 80's.  We are close to stashing the winter wear in the suitcases under the bed.

 

Finally caught up with missing photos and writing, we took a walk to the Seaview Pool where we always find time to sit and enjoy some sun.  Still overcast and windy, it was chilly, so we did not stay long.  None of the smaller tables and chairs were out along the railings and only a handful of lounges were set up.   This will change once we get to San Diego.   We did take notice of the ship's wake which seemed to reveal power loss of one of the propellers.    Then we noticed a caged wine or whiskey barrel on the back deck.  More about that tomorrow. 

 

Passing through the busy Lido, we spotted the pizza which is made in long and narrow rectangles.  No more round pizza.  We have not tried it yet, but we might. 

 

Then it was off to the Shops to check out their inventory.  New warm weather clothing has replaced the Alaska clothing, among the brands was Tommy Bahama.  We made a hit there, spending some of the non-refundable credit we have accrued.    Fair-traded, these items are seldom on sale, but we do save the tax.  Later on, one of us went back for two Mary Frances purses.  There is a small collection here compared to the other ships, and there were two designs I liked.  Like in Alaska, if I wait, they will be gone.   

 

We forgot to mention some of the conversation we had with the hotel director a few days ago.  He hinted that the anytime dining may be eliminated on the grand voyages.  With the majority of guests wanting to eat at 6pm, there has been a space problem.  No one wants to be handed a beeper and wait for a table.   Fixed dining times solved that problem.   It is not written in stone yet, but in the discussion mode.   And it just came to our attention, that HAL has announced the purchase of another ship.  No details yet. It is not a new build and might be older than the 11 ships in the fleet now.  We will have to investigate.

 

Dinner time was mostly Mexican cuisine, which we love.  Starters were empanadas, however they were tough and difficult to cut even with the knives.   Still tasty, we did inform our waiter they were over-cooked.  We suspect they were in the holding oven too long and got toasted.     Our entrees were one pork belly and one poblano pepper with Spanish rice.   Desserts were one rice pudding without the promised raisins and one scoop of melted raspberry swirl ice cream.   Once again there were groups of crew members dining at the large tables.   

 

Tonight's show was a magician and entertainer named Eric Walton with feats of magic and a humor to match.  

 

So much for day two at sea.  One more to go before San Diego.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

18 Pictures