Report #79 Friday, March 20, 2026--Benoa, Bali, Indonesia--Day #1 Of 2--Docked Starboard Side To Pier--9am--Overnight--Cloudy With Showers--86 Degrees--91% Humidity--8.1mph Winds-----Casual Dress

Our arrival to the island of Bali was delayed due to the Hindu holiday of Nyepi, which ended at 6am this morning.  We were informed by our Indonesian maitre'd that life resumed on the island at 6:01am.   And that was when the pilot boarded the ship to bring it into Benoa Bay.  The ship was docked starboard close to 9am, so we went out on deck six forward to check the progress.   The gamelan band was set up under a protective tent, and the exotic Balinese dancers were ready to perform their mesmerizing dance.  They are always shoeless, even with the puddles of the recent rain shower on the dock.  Once you see the dance and hear the music, you realize "you are not in Kansas anymore". 

 

No doubt, it was going to be a hot one today with temperatures in the mid-eighties.   The high humidity was 91% with 8.1 mph winds.  There were broken clouds with a chance of light rain.   It may have rained high on the mountains, but not so much down in the town of Benoa. 

 

As always, some of the shore excursion groups went off of the ship first, and they were greeted by a few officers as well as Florin who was taking video of their exit.  We had all been given a QR code in one form or another to show the officials inside the terminal.  It was scanned and recorded.   The Indonesian visas had been processed and added to our electronic passports which remained onboard the ship.  The cost was $60 each and was applied to our shipboard account. We did have the option to obtain these visas ourselves, but we chose to use the shipboard credit we have.   In addition to these charges, was another tourism levy of $10 per person once we leave the ship.   If you chose not to get off of the ship, you would not be charged.   Thinking back to last year's cruise, we believe we did the same thing then.

 

There were eleven tours offered.  Bali arts and crafts was five hours and $100, and the kecak & fire dance was the same price for 3 hours.  Discover Seminyake & Tanah Lot was $110 for six hours.  Historic & scenic Bali  was nine hours and $120.  Mt. Batur & barong dance was also nine hours for $ 140.  Tenganan & water palace was eight hours and $150, however we heard it was cancelled due to flood damage.  East Bali heritage was eight and one half hours for $160, while the Royal Temple &  monkey forest at Tanah Lot was six hours and $170.    A VW safari 7 Mt. Batur was eight and one half hours for $200, and Munduk highlands was eight and one half hours for $200.  Uluwatu Tall Cliff was six and one half hours for $210.  Most of the longer excursions had a buffet lunch.   We have done most of these tours at least twice.  In addition, there was no complimentary shuttle provided to a mall of whatever.  We have been told that is due to the strong taxi union here.

 

We had been booked for one of the longer tours, a free perk that came with the room we booked.   However, we reconsidered knowing how many hours would be spent riding in a bus.  We changed our minds due to back problems.  The shore excursion folks said we could take another one of the approved tours on that list before the cruise ends.  In the past, they would not do that for us. 

 

We went off of the ship around 10:30am, walked through the terminal, had our QR codes scanned and then went out to their fairly new marketplace.  Today and tomorrow, many of the crew's families will be boarding for a special buffet dining room lunch and an ice cream party for the kids later.  The crew members were so proud to show off their families for those of us that had stayed onboard.  They also toured the ship and took many pictures on every deck.  We expected to see the young kids in the swimming pools, but they did not allow that we guess. 

 

We inspected every stall in the market as well as the old-style tables under tents in the back.  We did come out with two pull over dresses and one silky top along with a set of koozies.  We bet just about every lady will be wearing one of these creations in the following evenings.   The prices were reasonable if you were willing to bargain.   We continued back onboard, passing through xray in the terminal, then went to the Seaview Pool for some much-needed lemonade.   It was SO hot back there, we only stayed for a short time.

 

We always make our way to the front elevator passing through the Lido pool area.  Today many guests were eating lunch, so we stopped to chat with friends.  That turned into almost two hours of catching up before we headed back to our room.  We ordered a light room service lunch, then one of us had a doctor appointment at 4:15pm.  An infected big toe was the problem, and a series of antibiotics should take care of it.  Hopefully soon, since Singapore is coming up and we always do a lot of walking there as well as MRT riding.  

 

Being docked starboard turned out to be a plus for those of us on the port side.   We had the view of Benoa Bay with so much activity, it amused us for the rest of the day.   Large jets flew overhead every 5 to 15 minutes…..no kidding.   There were jet-skiers,  banana boat rides, ferries, antiquated fishing boats, and later dinner cruises.    During the afternoon and at sunset, the minarets went off with the singing which could be heard everywhere.  Of course, we stayed in our cool room and worked on yesterday's photos and report. 

 

We enjoyed another colorful sunset before heading off for dinner.  It was disappointing to find there was no tomato soup as promised on the TV menu. So chicken noodle soup was substituted.  Other tasty appetizers were a crab spring roll and a tenderloin pickled papaya salad.  Mains were one prime rib meal, enough for three people.  Bami goreng was another Indonesian favorite enjoyed by one of us.  Desserts were one sliced banana and one Sacher torte.  We asked Dwi, our waiter, about today's buffet for the visiting families.   He said 350 attended the lunch today and tomorrow there will be about 100.  The staff had decorated the lower dining room with flags and it looked quite festive. 

 

Showtime featured a Balinese group performing The Spirit of Bali.  They had graceful dancers and musicians that "wowed" the guests by showing off the heritage and culture of their country.  We have seen it several times, and enjoyed it immensely. 

 

The ship stayed overnight for another full day in port tomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann  

 

302 Pictures

Report #78 Thursday, March 19, 2026---Slawi Bay, Komodo Island, Indonesia---Anchored Using Ships Tenders---7am--1:30pm---Cloudy With Sun---83 Degrees--78% Humidity---12.9mph Winds---Casual Dress

The start of our day came at 4:50am when the alarm notice went off throughout the entire ship for a fire on deck six.  Holy cow….this was not a drill.   For some unknown reason, we were already awake and could hardly believe what we were hearing.   Located midship, the cabins in that area on both decks six and seven were evacuated.  Deck five was also included but that was mostly shops that were closed for the evening.  The staging area was the deck six elevator lobby which is down the hall from us.  Luckily, we are more forward and did not have to leave our room.   Friends told us later in the day that they had loud knocking on their doors and they had to put on robes or whatever and head for the Lido.  Smoke was spreading rapidly and it wasn't long before we could smell it.  Electrical for sure,  the Captain came on the speakers several times to explain it was an element in a dishwasher on deck six that malfunctioned.  Other friends of ours on deck three went out on the promenade deck to see black smoke billowing from above.   Scary for sure, the crew went into their practiced drill mode and contained the fire quickly.   Good thing for those frequent drills they have.  The evacuees were allowed back to their rooms by 5:20am, with the exception of the deck six folks who had to wait for the hoses to be cleared out in the elevator lobby and hallway.  We doubt the hoses were used with water, since an electrical fire would be put out with chemicals instead. Captain Rens could not apologize more than he did from the beginning to the end of this event.  Truly one that we hope never to experience again.  Come to think of it, this same type of fire happened when Captain Mercer was onboard, only it was 3am and was due to a defective mini- refrigerator in someone's cabin.  Anyway, the smell of the smoke lingered all day and into the following morning.  On an amusing note, Captain Rens paid a visit to the folks held in the Lido and asked if there were volunteers to wash dishes this morning.  The same request was made to the guests in the World Stage waiting for their tours to commence.  Sort of lightened up the event somewhat.

 

We have entered a new country which is Indonesia and the port of call for today is Slawi Bay, Komodo Island.  And in our humble opinion, there is no other like it in the world.  Maybe that is because it is home to the world's largest and most lethal lizards named appropriately Komodo dragons.  But more about that later.

 

The population of Indonesia is 255 million people (or more) that live on 8,000 of the 17,000 islands in the archipelago.  And it is the fourth largest population in the world. The capital is Jakarta on the island of Java, and the language is Bahasa Indonesian.  There are over 300 dialects of this language.  Many of those locals who work in the travel industry also speak English.   This country is spread across 5000 kilometers on and around the Equator, and the reason for the hot and sultry weather almost year-round.   It is a land of many cultures, peoples, animals, religions, customs, artwork, plants and foods.    Especially the foods. 

 

And if we have not mentioned it already, we happen to be here close to their major Hindu festival called Nyepi.  It is their celebration of the new year which has a definite impact on two days of our visit.  On March 18^th, this holiday begins with a night and day of very noisy celebrations that include scary mask-wearing and noisy activities.  It is thought to scare away the bad demons.  The following day is called the Silent Day, where everything stops.  There is no electricity, cooking fires, school or work allowed. No talking.  No one is allowed outside at all, not even guests staying in the resort areas.  The hotels will have power, we understand.  The whole point is to trick the demons that anyone lives there.  Like hiding.  At 6am on March 20^th life resumes as usual. 

 

This holiday impacted us for the arrival to Bali on March 20^th by delaying our docking time by one hour or so.   All of tours had to be adjusted, which was not a huge problem since the ship will be overnighting there. 

 

One of the few places we stop on a world voyage, Komodo Island is one that no one is allowed off of the ship unless you book a HAL tour or have proof of an independent excursion.  This is a rule of the Indonesian Central Government and the National Park, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.    A detailed letter was sent to everyone well ahead of time so we all understood more about this tour.  It came with a strong warning regarding the tender pier access with non-ADA compliant stairs.  What they have is a narrow steep flight of cement stairs to reach the ground level.   It can vary depending on the tide.  The heat and hydration advisory was spelled out in plain English stressing the need for adequate hydration.  They recommended bringing water, wear a hat, and lightweight clothing.  And if we felt signs of heat exhaustion, notify your guide immediately.  Well, do you think everyone read this letter?   This is one place we know from experience that if you are in doubt of your abilities, it is a place to stay onboard the ship. 

 

With all that said, this is the first time in all the visits we have made, that we saw so many people needing wheelchairs to be taken back to the tender landing.   The tours were no longer than 2 to 3 hours if you chose to see the dragons.  One excursion did a short version of the dragons, then took the guests to a nearby island with a pink sand beach for snorkeling.   At least these folks cooled off in the warm waters. 

 

Before we left the ship, we did get some pictures of several Timor deer laying on the sandy beach.  We have seen this on prior stops and figured the deer will stay out in an open area so they can see dragons coming their way.  And yes, these deer are on the dragon's menu.  One nasty bite will infect the deer, making it sick, then the dragons dine when the animal is incapacitated.  Horrible, but that is nature at work.  Even without the deer present, we have spotted dragons on these same beaches from the ship.  Nice to have a good camera that can focus that far away.  

 

Our excursion began by meeting in the World Stage at 7:45am.   By the time our group was called, tendered to shore, and joined another group with our guides, it was 8:30am.   By then, the temperature was 83 degrees, humidity was 78%, and the winds were about 13mph.  The skies were cloudy, but when the sun came through it was darned HOT.  We joined two groups of #13 "sticky people", of which we were part of today.    We had one guide, one park ranger and one guy with a long-forked stick to keep the dragons away from everyone.   We pretty much know this tour by heart, but it is a good chance to take some photos of these lethal monsters.  The first thing the guide offered besides some simple information, were bottles of water.  Some took them, some did not. 

 

The walk began slowly to put some distance to the tour ahead of us.  There must have been several groups for this shorter tour, so they spread us out as much as they could.  We learned about the dragons and the trees where the young ones climb when they hatch.  There were a few birds we heard then saw flying into the palm trees.  Our guide did not know what they were.   From the noise they made, they were obviously the Sulphur-rested cockatoos and a few green doves perhaps.  Guess he wasn't into the birding aspect.   The highlight of this walk was a pond-like pit where the dragons congregate or are attracted there for the tourist to see.  We saw the largest number of lizards we have ever seen.  There were six large males, one may have been a female, and one younger one.    The males can weigh up to 200 pounds, while the females are about 75 pounds.    The young one was brave because males tend to kill them from hatchlings to mid-size.  They spend most of their time high in the trees for safety.  

 

Of course, this is the most photographed spot in the park area with about 60 to 80 people trying to get the best photos.   The guides will take cell phone pictures for the guests who want to pose behind the dragons, giving the impression of being much closer than you are.   All it takes is one person in your group to start the picture line, giving the rest of us time to move around and see more of the dragons.  At one point, a large dragon came out of the low-growth forest and tackled another male.  First time ever we saw a fight in progress.  Most times these lizards are motionless, but not so today.   The attacker left the scene as fast as he appeared.  It was time for us to move along.

 

Yesterday one of our favorite beverage servers asked us if it was true that the dragons prefer eating white people.  No we had not heard that before, but he said he was told people taste like chicken.   Jokingly, we said no, we think people tend to taste like pork.   We all got a laugh out of that one. 

 

From experience, we knew we would not see any more dragons as we made a full circle to the beginning of the hike.  About halfway into the walk, one of elderly ladies began to feel faint and overheated.  She had to sit with one of the guides and drink water.  They had no choice but to continue with our group and get us out of the sun.  Of course, they had cell phones and called for a wheelchair.  By the time they came with the wheelchair, she had recovered enough to continue with the group.  However, another older lady plopped in the chair and had to be wheeled back through the sandy trail.  It took three or more local guys to push her.   Sure hoped she tipped them.

 

We ended the hike near an dilatated temple and a restroom where most everyone stopped.  There was another dragon on the sandy bank where one of the guides tried to draw a group of people to take pictures.   We have to add there is a large long green-tented area with souvenir tables before you exit the trail.  The guides tried to entice people to go to their tables where the wife and kids were selling things from t-shirts to wood carvings, magnets, some costume jewelry, and carved dragons of all sizes.    Since we have most of the items they were hawking, we did not buy anything.  The place was closed up so tight, we had a fine time trying to get back out of it.  Like being trapped. 

 

There were no more photos to be taken, so we headed back to the pier.  Last year, we had bought a nice-looking pearl drop pendant, not real, but acceptable.  The only place we saw them was where the tenders were pulling alongside.   Today we found four more in various colors and bought them for a good price.  The chains were nice as well.  Happy with our day, we were equally happy to get back onboard in the air-conditioning.   It was only 11am, when we got back to our room, but it felt like we had been up all day.   But then, we had been up a long time with that unexpected fire event.  

 

Captain Rens came on the speakers at 1:50pm after the all aboard time of 1:30pm.  We had expected the usual up-to-date info, but it wasn't.  In fact, he sounded quite angry and for good reason.  There were some of the local kids in the longboats begging for money from the passengers who must have been on the promenade deck.   Obviously, people were tossing stuff to these kids and the Captain demanded them to stop….it was dangerous and illegal.  Later he came on with the usual info telling us we had 275 nautical miles to reach the island of Bali tomorrow.   He would open the bow for an 8am sail into the harbor, weather-permitting.

 

Leaving the area of Komodo Island, there was an exciting display of jumping dolphins.  One of us missed it while in the bathroom.  Within minutes they were left in the turbulence of the ship's wake.  However, the photographer among us was quick and caught them in action.  Luck of the draw and being out on the veranda at the right time worked today.

 

Working on photos and reports kept us busy the rest of the afternoon. We were graced with another nice sunset before heading for dinner.   Tonight's meal was basically Indonesian with some good appetizers of soup and pork sate.  Both of us had a different type of chicken dinner with rice pilaf and some veggies.  Dessert was watermelon slices and a cake of some kind. 

 

The show was the Grand World Voyage Band with Shine On – a Pink Floyd Experience.  We are not even sure who Pink Floyd is……..

 

Looking forward to another visit to Bali, where we will stay overnight.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

575 PIctures

Report #77 Wednesday, March 18, 2026 Sea Day #2 Of 2----Enroute To Slawi Bay, Komodo Island, Indonesia---- Partly Sunny--82 Degrees--77% Humidity--10mph Winds---Ship Speed--12 Knots-----Casual Dress

Today was an eventful one.  It was breakfast as usual, then we were invited to another Mariner Recognition Event in the World Stage deck four.   The doors to the lounge on the port side were for the President's Club folks to enter at 10:15am.   However, when we arrived 5 minutes early, this line was way too long and it appeared was mixed with some other guests.  Eventually the doors opened and we were all greeted by some of the officers including Florin and Metka.  Although we don't have assigned seats,  it is taken for granted that the four chairs in the front are for the longest day members. So we took two of those chairs next to friends with high days too.  We all agreed that we do not remember having these ceremonies at every major segment.  

 

Today's show began with a lovely behind the scenes worker from the front desk.  She works the night shift, so most of us have not seen her.  She sang a song for us, then a duo of bar staffers sang two songs for us.  The guitar man sure looked familiar, and when we heard his name, we knew it had to be Ramon, or very friendly Seaview Pool server.  They had the crowd in their hands when they sang Sweet Caroline and had everyone join in the singing.  We will have to compliment him later today.

 

There were not a large number of medallions handed out – the most being bronze.  And as usual, there were some hijinks with Captain Rens and Florin when they awarded the medals.  All in good fun we suppose, but when it came to announcing the President Club members, they may have tipped the scales with lifting our friend Moon up instead of kneeling beside her.  No one was more surprised than she was. 

 

Following this was the dancing and singing of the Cast onboard.  They did an energetic dance that earned them a round of applause.  We were slightly disappointed that Josh, the travel director, did not us with a song.  Maybe next time.

 

Captain Rens thanked his crew, then had many of them come onstage to take a bow.   They always earn a standing ovation.  The affair ended at noontime where most of the folks made their way to the lower dining room for an exclusive Mariner Lunch.   We thanked Kumar and informed him we were not attending lunch we just ate breakfast. 

 

We made our way to the Seaview Pool for some sun and fresh air and ice-cold lemonade.    Guess who was back?  Yep, Ramon who we congratulated for having the nerves of steel to perform with his colleague on the big stage.    Brought an instant smile to his face for sure.  Something tells us he and his buddy are regulars at their karaoke place on the ship. 

 

Captain Rens came on after 12pm and gave the details of the day.  The temperature was 82 degrees, the humidity was 77%, and the winds were 10.5 mph.  Doing a speed of 14 knots will get us to Komodo Island with another 224 nautical miles to go. 

 

We had a small room service lunch with one bowl of soup and sliders.  Then another party popped up in the Crow's Nest at 4:30pm with our travel agent hosts.   Our group is fairly small, so we all sat in smaller groups enjoying a drink or two.  Some appetizers were served like pot stickers, little spring rolls, and two types of cheese on crackers.  Our hosts even have a raffle drawing where they gave away token prizes.  There is only one problem in that venue, and that is noise.  The acoustics are bad for crowds.  And the more they drink the louder they got.  We didn't notice the difference until some guests got up to leave for dinner at 5pm and we could hear much better. 

 

There was somewhat of a sunset tonight.  Although not spectacular, it was nice and we did get some photos.  

 

Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle at 8pm.  It has been our experience that the place is only half full by that time, but tonight that was not the case.   The diners that had taken our table had not left yet, so we had to take a small table for two.  Our dinners consisted of wedge salads with 2 slices of candied bacon on the same plate.  One of us had the savory lamb chops and the other had the 8-ounce filet mignon, cooked perfectly.  This time we asked for small baked potatoes, and they served them with the toppings.  Dessert was Baked Alaska but cut in half.  They still came out looking huge.  Most of the dessert was meringue, which we scrape away and go for the cake and ice cream.    A couple of macaroons and we were done for the evening.

 

Tomorrow we actually have a tour in Komodo Island.   There is no bus involved and the only way to see the dragons is by booking an excursion.  Those who arranged independent tours had to show proof or else they would not be allowed off the ship.  So at 8am, we will be on the way to board the tender to walk through Komodo national Park to search for the fearsome dragons and also a see a wealth of birds.   That might be stretching it because we never see many birds….it is always too hot.

 

There was a show tonight with a singer Nyree Huyser with songs from the stage and screen.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

63 Pictures

Report #76 Tuesday, March 17, 2026 Sea Day #1 Of 2---Happy Saint Patrick's Day--- Partly Sunny--82 Degrees--78% Humidity--7.3mph Winds----Casual Dress With A Splash Of Green

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!!  Hope your day is full of happiness and good fortune…...

 

We had a very nice St. Paddy's Day card delivered to us from our very sweet travel agent this morning.  A good start to the day, thanks to our hosts onboard.  

 

On our way to breakfast, we noticed an unusually long line at the front desk.   And it was only 8am.  We suspect that everyone is running into problems with the requested Indonesian landing info that has to be done on a cell phone or online.   We looked at it briefly and realized it was going to be a problem for us.  So at breakfast, we had two different people give us a heads up on the misinformation that was provided in our letter of instructions.    There was no dropdown port for Slawi Bay, Komodo Island.  By putting in Bali for instance, it could void the request.   The deadline for this form to be done was May 18^th at noontime.  We decided to come back later and talk to either Kumar or Jonah and ask for their help. 

 

An hour later found the line past the elevator lobby.    Some folks were getting help, then sitting on the couch and trying to make it work.  One of the requests was to print the QR code provided by the Indonesia government to carry with us while onshore.   This is all new territory for us since we never had to do extra paperwork before.  And not online.  Waiting in line, one of us gathered some info while talking to the people in line behind me.  Then one of the officers told me to go in the President's Club line, which I reluctantly did. By then I was close to the front of the line anyway. 

 

Jonah came to the rescue.  I had brought all of our paperwork to see if she could help.  She promised to figure it out and would let me know if it worked since we do not have the cell phone to have a copy of the approved QR code.    Thankfully, it worked and we got the clearance and a printed QR copy for each of us delivered to our mail slot before noontime.    If anyone could figure this out, Jonah would be the one.   Now we have to wait for the Indonesian visas to be done by the ship, and we are good to go.  The charges are a little higher by them doing it, but it saves us the frustration of having it happen correctly and on time. 

 

Once again, the pattern of our morning was the same with one of us walking the promenade and the other catching up on yesterday's exploits.    It works for us.  Then we went off to the Seaview Pool for some fresh air and clouds.  The sun never appeared, but it was bright and still very warm.  The only savior was the light breeze and lemonade from Ramon and Emmanuel. 

 

Captain Rens came on as usual with his daily report.  We still have 530 nautical miles to reach Komodo at an average speed of 14 knots.  Not bad since we lost three hours waiting to leave the port of Darwin last night.     The temperature and humidity remained about the same with light winds.  Despite the heavy overcast, it did not rain as far as we know.  There always seems to be showers on the horizon, but somehow the navigators onboard avoid the worst of the rain.  And the clocks will go back one more hour this evening.  Everyone likes and needs that.

 

Thanks to one of our breakfast buddies, we have discovered a new app that helps us to identify birds.  Many of these birds are indigenous of Australia and not seen in our part of the world.  The computer app identifies them and adds some info on each one.  Wish we had this years ago. 

 

There was a port talk on the upcoming Indonesian ports of Komodo Island and Bali.  Although we have been to both places several times, we still like to listen to the port talks, sometimes learning new things.  And because today was St. Paddy's Day, there were Irish-related activities such as the afternoon tea, and a bar hop at 8:30pm in the Ocean Bar.  Another Irish party was held in the Crow's Nest at 8:30pm.   And finally there was a show in the World Stage with a vocalist, Robert Bannon, with Irish music and traditional tunes.   Something for everyone.

 

Dinner time was also part of the holiday with a few Irish-related items.  Starters for us were one Caesar salad, a croquette, sliced tomatoes with a fig balsamic dressing, and a bowl of ham hock soup.  Different for a change.  Mains were one honey baked ham and one corned beef brisket, which was nowhere close to corned beef.  One of us tried that entrée and found it rather dry, chewy and not corned beef as I know it.  Bill was kind and shared a slice of his ham, which was delicious.  You just never know for sure unless you try something different.  Tonight it did not work.  Dessert brightened up the meal with fresh and sweet sliced pineapple and a slice of chocolate torte.   Many folks were absent from the dining room due to an Australian seafood boil in the Lido for $35. 

 

When we passed by the Ocean Bar, they were in the middle of the Pub Crawl and the room was full of happy drinkers for a price of $29.  All in good fun.

 

And like we were told, we put the clocks back one more hour.   Don't have to tell us twice.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

No Pictures

Report # 75 Monday, March 16, 2026---Darwin, Australia---9am--5:30pm---Docked Starboard Side To Pier---Broken Clouds---82 Degrees--89% Humidity--8.1mph Winds-----Casual Dress

Finally, our last port in Australia was today in Darwin in the Northern Territory.   We can understand why so much of the population of this huge country is down in Sydney and the southern area.  The weather is so different.  Just saying that the temperature was 82 degrees with 89% humidity and winds at 8.1 mph doesn't even come close to how hot and sticky it is here.  There were some blue skies this morning, but eventually the broken clouds turned into heavy overcast with some light sprinkles later in the afternoon.   Rain had been predicted and we would have welcomed it.   After all, we did pack the umbrellas today fully expecting to use them.  However, we never needed them.  

 

We were late in arriving due to problems with the local pilot and dock hands we understand.   It had something to do with a commercial ship arriving that took priority over us.  Honestly, it made little difference to us since we had no tour booked.  It was breakfast as usual in the Pinnacle Grill with one exception.  A couple we have gotten to know well since January, had to go to the local hospital for a treatment that could only be done in a hospital.   We felt bad that they had to leave and be prepared to stay for more than one or two days.  If all goes well, they will return in Bali. 

 

There were quite a number of excursions offered here today.  Five of them were under $100 and ranged from two to four hours.  They were all city tours, or a harbor cruise and one pub and craft beer hop.   Three more were from $110 to $170 and lasted for three to five hours, which included another city tour, Territory Wildlife Park, and a Jumping Crocodile cruise.    Longer excursions included Litchfield National Park for eight hours and $210 or Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve for four hours and $240.  Riding jet skis for over two hours was $260 and a gourmet food and street art walk went for four hours and $260.  Iconic Litchfield was nine hours and $360, and the highest price one was crocs, history, and flavors for five hours and $400.   We have done a few of these such as a visit to Litchfield where we saw the guide eat ants off of her arm.  Which brings to mind the guest chef dinner last night.   We asked Joan at breakfast if they actually served ants in an appetizer, and she wrinkled her nose and said YES.   They were black ants flavored with lemon and cooked crispy for a topping on one of the appetizers.   She agreed, it was weird.

 

This morning the outside crew were cleaning the verandas on decks six.  Perhaps that is why we were docked starboard…..again.  And for all we know, there may have been other reasons to dock on the starboard side other than Captain Rens prefers it that way.   For some odd reason, we did not receive a Darwin map with the port agent info printed on it.  Asking at the front desk, we learned no one got them.  Not only do the maps have some good directions, but they also have the emergency numbers of the port agent in case there is a reason to contact him or her. Unexpected things can happen and being able to contact the correct people is important. 

 

We left the ship while our veranda was being cleaned shortly after 10am.  There was a free shuttle that took the guests up to the Top End Visitor Info Center in town.  This has to be one of the best info centers since they carried brochures and flyers on all of Australia.  In addition, they sold Aboriginal-made souvenirs with some of the proceeds going to that group of indigenous people.   Also on this corner was the Big Bus (Ho-Ho) where you could buy the tickets and board the coach right there.  As far as the free shuttle was concerned, we chose not to take it leaving the ship or coming back. 

 

Once out of the lack-luster Stokes Hill Wharf Cruise Terminal, we followed the covered walkway that took us to a pontoon/bridge across the Lagoon at Darwin Waterfront.  Built right on the water, this complex has many high-rise apartment buildings with easy access to a myriad of small boutiques and restaurants that face the Lagoon.  To easily access the upper city, we made our way to an elevator lift and the Skybridge walkway over a major road below.  There is a rainbow-painted set of stairs to access Smith Street, but we took the elevator up one flight.  One of us hates stairs.

 

The main drag here has most all of the major sights such as the Christ Church Cathedral and Civic Park.   We can verify there are nice benches here.   A new art building has been in the works for several years now, but is still far from being finished.  This is the beginning of The Mall, which is an outdoor pedestrian street mostly under cover for a few blocks.  It is full of major retail stores, small boutiques, and a lot of various types of cuisine.   A kiddie playground is in the center, mostly empty of kids because it was a Monday and school was in session.  

 

We passed by some hotels, two stores where we searched for some clothing, and Woolworth's for food shopping.  We did find some shirts and shorts to buy but promised to come back later and not have to pack them with us all day.  The most important item to pack today had to be water.  In this oppressive heat, it is a must to stay hydrated.   Further up this street we came upon St. Mary's Cathedral and the private Catholic school.  Turning on Daly Street, we located Gardens Road which took us through the gardens passing the golf course and other apartment buildings.   It was one long hike, mostly downhill, to reach the Botanic Gardens and the most appreciated Eva's Café located there. 

 

In need of something cold to drink, we purchased two Coke Zeros, a bottle of water, and the most delicious piece of carrot cake topped with a cream cheese frosting and halved walnuts.  Figuring we needed some extra energy for the return back to town, the cake came to the rescue.  So did sitting in the shade with fans blowing on their backyard patio.  Restrooms are located near here as well.  One of us had a sobering moment when spotting a very large light-green frog with orange feet nested inside the rim of one of the commodes.  And that was just after using it…….what a shocker….

 

Time to move onward, we headed back uphill to Cavenagh Street which parallels Smith.  There must be some colleges in this area because the only people we saw either walking or biking were young locals.  Still hot, humid and heavily overcast, there was the slightest hint of a drizzle.  We expected it to get heavier, but it never did.  Too bad, it would have felt wonderful. Another thing we realized was the lack of birds we saw today.  In many places, we could hear them in the dense growth of the trees but never saw them.  The few that came out briefly were Sulphur-crested cockatoos and a couple of black- tailed cockatoos.    Somewhere around the golf course, we saw some geese and one chicken-like bird at Eva's Café.  There were some yellow birds and a gray bird – all singing in the trees in town.   There were no white ibis to be seen and only one large fruit bat was visible.  If there was one…..there would be hundreds.  Just well-hidden.

 

We made our promised stops at Cotton:On for another pair of dark denim shorts, then onto Tommy Bahama where two neat shirts were bought.  The sales ladies insisted we drink their cold water or sit down to cool off.  Obviously, we were already soaked from our long walk, and probably had beet-red faces (at least one of us did).  We thanked them and reassured them that we were on our way to a lunch that would include ice cold beer.  They laughed and said that would do the trick.

 

Back down the two sets of elevators, we went straight to the Lagoon side and Hot Tamales Restaurant.  The Italian pizzeria was closed today, so Mexican cuisine is another one of our favorites.  Opting to sit inside the restaurant, we had air-conditioning and an overhead fan.  It still wasn't enough as I whipped out my Hong Kong fan for more of a breeze.  Ice cold bottles of beer arrived by the name of Balters Cervezas, actually brewed in Australia.  Not terribly hungry, we shared one chicken quesadilla topped with salsa and crema and a not-too-hot sauce on the bottom.  Really good authentic Mexican food.  For a shared dessert we asked for churros with a fudge sauce and a side of vanilla bean ice cream with them.   The hardest thing we had to do was get up and head back to the ship.  It was so pleasant relaxing for an hour, we hated to go back out in the heavy heat.

 

One thing for sure, during the entire day, we saw the fewest people (local and cruise guests) out and about.  It was that hot.  Passing through their xray, we were back onboard after 4pm.  Before we left, we had a notice that we were eligible for a tax refund if we spent over $300 AUD in one store.  The shirts qualified us for that refund, so one of us went directly to the Navigator Lounge to see how that worked.  The local officials would be there until 5:15pm, so you never know if there would be a line to do this.  As it turned out, there were just a handful of guests filling out the form, and the officials were assisting each one with it.  The refund would go directly to the credit card we used for the purchase.  It is not a huge amount like under $50 USD, but now we know how it works. 

 

When the all aboard time arrived at 5:30pm, we listened to Captain Ren's talk.  This time he surprised us with the message that our departure was delayed due to the lack of the local pilot.  He would be more than happy to depart the port by himself, but it would be illegal.  He did not mention exactly how long we would have to wait, but we were still tied up by 9pm.  Go figure?

 

Dinner time found a few new items on the menu.   We had one bowl of pho chicken soup and a crab louis salad and a bang bang shrimp appetizer.    Mains were the pork belly, tasty, but also fatty.  Better to order this dish in the Pinnacle Grill next time.  Dessert was going to be nothing, but they had rocky road ice cream, and we had to have a scoop each.

 

The ship finally left right after 9pm, three hours late.   Previously, the Captain said this would not affect our time to arrive to Komodo.  The clocks went back one half hour this evening too. 

 

There was a singer Nyree Huyser in the World Stage for those of us that could stay up that late.  The heat of the day had taken its toll.  Two sea days will be in order.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

362 Pictures

Report # 74 Sunday, March 15, 2026---Sea Day #3 Of 3---Cruising The Coast Enroute To Darwin, Australia---Cloudy With Heavy Afternoon Rain----Light Winds---83 Degrees---3' Swell----Casual Dress

Today is our third day at sea as we get closer to Darwin, our final stop in Australia.  According to Captain Rens,  we still have 272 nautical miles to reach the city, but the time had to be adjusted due to congested ship traffic in the harbor.  Apparently commercial ships get priority docking, so we will have to wait at least an hour before we are allowed to dock.    Since we do not have a tour booked, it makes no difference to us.  However, all of the excursions leaving early, will have to be adjusted.  That can pose a problem for those who booked independent tours. 

 

Then to complicate matters more, our arrival to Bali, Indonesia, will also be delayed due to the observance of Nyepi, a Day of Silence in the Hindu world.  This is the first time our arrival has coincided with this holiday, so it will delay our docking by two or more hours.  Once again, tours will be adjusted.  Things like this can come up when least expected, so we have learned to go with the flow.   The biggest impact would be if an overland was involved and you had set flight times like for an overland safari for instance.  That could be a real headache. 

 

After breakfast, one off us went down to the front desk to drop off the Australian landing cards.   Later in the day, we all got notices for the Australian tax refund that will be available tomorrow afternoon.  And we also got the Indonesian digital arrival declaration to be filed out online now.  A detailed letter came with instructions to do this three days prior to arriving to Indonesia.   We may need some help with this one.

 

Today's weather was exactly the same as the last couple of days.  Checking on our TV, nothing had changed.  The temperature was 81 degrees, the humidity 83% and the winds listed as 0 mph.  Now we know that is not so.   What was correct was the mention of rain.    There were showers off and on most of the day, coming down heavy at times.  One of us did the morning promenade walk, and we did make it to the aft pool before noontime.  The skies were dark with huge rain clouds, but  it did not start to sprinkle until an hour went by.  One of our sweet friends came back to talk to us. She and a buddy had gone overland from Sydney to tour Ayers Rock and the area surrounding it.  We loved hearing about her experiences, especially how she dealt with the flies.  Lucky she brought one of those nets that completely cover your head.  However, she did say while putting it on, she believed she accidently swallowed a fly.   OMG….the horrors of travel.  In that part of Australia, people eat insects all of the time in the Outback.  She reported that it was hotter than she could ever imagine, but glad they did it, arriving back to the ship in Cairns.   We don't think that HAL offered an overland to Uluru this time, but we could be wrong. 

 

Our day was mostly filled with computer work as always.  When the rain started falling heavily, we were glad to have something to occupy our time.   There was an interesting special dinner in the Pinnacle Grill tonight.  It was called An Evening with Chef Ben McMenamin, a guest chef that specializes in local, sustainable, and healthy cooking.  His pop-up dinner was promised to be to memorable and approachable.  Pinnacle manager Lelik had given us a copy of the menu for tonight.  The meal began at 6pm for everyone and included wine pairing.  The first course was pumpkin and ant dukkah tart.  Now do you think that really means ants?  We do know for a fact that the natives will eat live sugar ants, so it is possible it is on the menu.   The second course was veggie crudites, which is acceptable.  The third course was cured barramundi, which we have enjoyed on past cruises.  However, the fourth course was kangaroo skewers.  Yes, we have tasted kangaroo tail before, and thought it was tough, served rare and gamey-tasting.  The fifth and last course was a dessert of pavlova, which help you forget you just ate ants and kangaroo.   The wines would help with that too.  Just a guess, but we think this dinner would set you back $95 plus 18% gratuity.  We could not find the price listed anywhere.   We understand that if you did not want the wine pairing, the price was adjusted to cover just the food portion.

 

Our dinner was more our style with shrimp cocktail and a bowl of chicken noodle soup.  Mains were supposed to be roasted chicken and a chicken fajitas. The wrong chicken meal arrived which was tandoori chicken with rice.  Our waiter disappeared as soon as he set down the plates, so I did not have time to correct the mistake.   Oh well, the meal looked fine, so I kept it.  And it was good, just a little on the spicy hot side.   Dessert was one scoop of vanilla ice cream and a sliced banana. 

 

This last week or so, one of the dining room staff has been jumping the gun and cleaning around the tables before the dining room is closed.  When he came close with a dust mop on a broom stick, we made a comment to him to please wait until we leave.  That would be just a few minutes later.    And we are sure the other diners around the upper railing felt the same way.  On our way out, we mentioned this to the head waiter who said that was unacceptable and he would take care of it.   The last thing he wanted was for the guests to feel rushed out of here. 

 

There was a show in the World Stage with the singers and dancers doing Celtic Spirit.  They promised enchanting ballads, lively jigs, and Celtic music.  It seems that the cast do at least one show a week.   These days, the cast have other duties to keep them busy during the day.

 

Tomorrow we will be in Darwin and expect it to be hot with some rain.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

No Pictures

Report # 73 Saturday, March 14, 2026---Sea Day #2 Of 3---Cruising The Torres Strait Enroute To Darwin, Australia---Overcast An Cloudy All Day----10 Knot Winds---83 Degrees---3' Swell----Casual Dress

Today was supposed to be Scenic Cruising of Torres Strait.  There was a problem, however, since we would be sailing in that area at 4:30am, and it was dark.   We woke up to heavily overcast skies, drizzle, and temps in the 80's.  It was really humid with a small breeze and three-foot swells. 

 

Breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill has turned into social hour again where we can chat with our new friends we have met since January.   Today we ended up staying until 9:40am, even though they stop serving at 9:30 am. 

 

Back in our room, we got our 14 day delivery of Coke Zeros that were dated into late April.  Next time we will have to opt for flowers or else drink 4 – 6 sodas a day.  We also got Australian cards to fill out for our departure, although they were printed for incoming passengers.  They were identical to the ones we filled out before our arrival to Sydney.  We will need to turn these cards in by noon tomorrow. 

 

As usual, one of us walked the promenade, while the other worked online.  Around noontime, we went to the Seaview Pool after the" Jolly "Captain's talk.  We have another 626 nautical miles to go to reach Darwin, and are currently sailing south of Papua New Guinea.  We were also advised to turn or clocks back ½  hour this evening…..one of the odd places in the world that is ½  hour off.  We will pick up that extra ½  hour after leaving Darwin.   

 

We had room service lunch with one plate of mini burger sliders and a bowl of hot chicken noodle soup.  Still quite good.   The weather deteriorated later in the afternoon when it began to rain.   One of the weather stations has shown three rain drops in the upcoming ports of Darwin, Komodo, and Bali.  If it is raining a lot in Komodo, we will cancel our tour there.  It can become terribly muddy and slippery under the canopy of trees and shrubs.   We are due to be in Komodo on March 19^th , so the weather can change by then. 

 

We were invited to another President's Club Cocktail Party held in the Atrium on deck three at 6:30pm.  This time we made it there 10 minutes early to find most guests were there already.    Many familiar officers were in the receiving line and they joined us for conversation, spending equal time at each stand-up table or at the groups of chairs and tables.  We talked with Florin who informed us that the Princeton Tailors will be coming onboard with the date and time to be announced later.  We have discovered that Florin is very friendly and a most pleasant person to chat with.  Jonah has to be one of our most favorite officers onboard.  She visited with us  informing us that her husband and son were coming onboard for a short time in Bali.  Florin also has his son and future daughter-in-law (he hopes) joining us as well.  We were happy for them because good things happen to nice people.   

 

The party ended after 7:30pm, and we went to dinner.  We were not all that hungry, so just ordered salads and different entrees.  The salads were good, but our meals were warm at the best.  Guess we have to request hot dinners again because that does not always happen.    The smoked pork loin was tasty, but almost cold.  The beef slices were also cool with cold potatoes.  Usually our waiters and the head waiter stop by and asks how our meals are.  Tonight we saw no one.  They apologized and promised hot meals tomorrow. 

 

One more day at sea, and we will be in our final port of Australia.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

No Pictures

Report #72 Friday, March 13, 2026---Sea Day #1 Of 3----Cruising The Coast Enroute To Darwin, Australia---Mostly Cloudy With Showers----83% Humidity---Light Winds-----Dressy Dress

A day at sea is what we all needed.  It will be the first of three days on our way towards Darwin, our final stop in Australia.  Boo-hoo.  Even enduring the high temperatures and even higher humidity, our time in the country down-under has been just fine.   To sweeten the day, we woke up to a pretty rainbow over the many islands we were passing early this morning.   Of course, rainbows mean rain, and we did have showers off and on all day.  For the most part, the rain fell mostly on the series of islands and sandy spits on both sides of the ship.   At some points, we spotted trees growing out of the shallow waters near these islands.  So strange.   Also interesting was seeing frigatebirds flying near the ship.  Then we saw several channel markers where the birds were perched.   There must be a good source of food for these pirate birds. 

 

One thing we have noticed is that the casino has been closed ever since we got to Sydney on March 7^th.  Our guess is that since the Volendam has been sailing close to the coastline, we are not in international waters and they must comply with the local regulations.    Perhaps we can ask that question at the President's Club cocktail party tomorrow evening at 6:30pm in the Atrium deck three.    Checking today's newsletter, the casino will be opened today because we are crossing past Torres Strait directly to Darwin, putting the ship far from land.  The closure must have put a dent in the possible revenue the casino generates.   And what occupies the time of the staff that work in the casino during the weeklong closure? 

 

Our morning consisted of catch-up work on the computer.  In order not to fall too far behind, one of us processed pictures, and the other wrote daily details.  It has become a habit where Bill takes his walk, while I type or label photos.  It has worked out better for one of us that has been having some back and hip problems.   Call it old age, but this is a better way of dealing with it.  Walking onshore is not a huge problem, but walking on a moving ship seems to activate the joints even more.  There seems to be the same group of walkers at 11am or so, and it is a good time to catch up on innocent ship gossip. 

 

Before noontime, we went to the Seaview Pool for some fresh air and mugs of ice-cold lemonade thanks to Ramon who takes care of us.  Salvadore stopped by and said hi also.  With this heat and humidity, the deck fellows make sure we keep hydrated.    The scenery was nice with the small islands, sandy spits, a few atolls and some commercial ships like tankers.  The channel markers are different from regular buoys.  They appear to be equipped with modern technology. 

 

Captain Rens came on with his daily update, most of which we had trouble understanding.  The aft speakers are not that great.  The temperature was in the low 80's and the humidity was up there at 83%.  The winds were light as were the passing showers which provided a slight spritzing.  Felt good actually.  We had 966 nautical miles to reach Darwin on March 16^th.  The ship's speed was around 14 knots.  We are still sailing in the Great Barrier Reef area, and that is why we are seeing so many deserted islands and sand spits. 

 

Around 2pm, we had room service mini burger sliders and nothing else.  They really are that good, and we do not overeat.  Dinner tonight was dressy and also dubbed Derby Night.  We had been given a flyer with the in-house jockeys and slips of paper to guess the winner of the five contestants.  It began at 8:30pm with the actual race to begin around 9:40pm.    In addition, there was a Fancy Hat Competition at 9:30pm where a winner would be chosen.  

 

The actual dinner followed the same theme with the guests invited to don their fancy hats, which some did.  All in good fun, it was amusing.  Even some of the lady officers wore a fancy hat to host tables.  Also amusing.  The menu had the usual dressy night items such as escargot or crab and shrimp dip.  Our waiter is finally telling us what might be tough, such as the beef tenderloin.   We had different salads, mostly because Caesar does not come with the good dressing.  One of us ordered the salmon and found it very good for a change.    The other entree was the Kentucky BBQ shrimps, 4 in total, with a pile of assorted veggies in a creamy sauce.  Grits were in there somewhere.  We splurged with desserts of a hot fudge sundae and one slice of cake. 

 

Due to Derby Night in the Lido poolside, the World Stage went dark tonight.  There was a movie, Freakier Friday in the Wajang.  Probably shown because today happened to be Friday the 13^th. 

 

So much for day one at sea.  Two more to enjoy.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

66 Pictures

Report # 71 Thursday, March 12, 2026---Cairns, Australia---Docked Starboard Side To Pier----8am-5:30pm--Cloudy With Rain Showers---81 Degrees--83% Humidity--0mph Winds---Casual Dress

We were greeted with 81-degree temperatures, 83% humidity, and 0 mph winds with passing showers on our way towards Cairns, Queensland Australia early this morning.   Needless to say, you could cut the humidity with a knife as one of or friends said.  Cairns is located in the Great Barrier Reef and is the jumping-off point for snorkeling or boating across the 2000 kilometer stretch along the coastline.    It is considered one of the most beautiful places on the planet with an eco-system of corals, sea turtles, sting rays, reef sharks, and a myriad of tropical fish.  On past visits here, we have had the pleasure of taking a high-speed catamaran to pontoons that held many people for an afternoon of exploring the reefs and enjoying the buffet dining onboard.    We learned quite a lot on our first swim there.  That was to read and listen to the talks on the way out to the pontoon.   We "sort" of read the safety regulations while visiting with our tablemates.    What we missed was the fact we were on a wall dive, and when the tide shifted, there was an incredible undertow that could take you far away from the pontoon.  For that reason, there was a rope to hold onto while over the wall.  We made a mistake of letting go of the rope when a giant turtle swam by us.  Guess what?  We were swept away with the current and when we turned to see the pontoon, it was barely visible.  Good grief.  Good thing we were strong swimmers, because it still took a long time to get back to the safety of the pontoon.  Some folks like us could not swim that long, and they were picked up and hauled into a dingy by the tour operators.  Back onboard, we ate lunch, then went back into the water.  By then, the current subsided, and there was no undertow at all.  Despite that, we never let go of the rope.  Lesson learned…..

 

There were other tour options in and out of Cairns today.  Three excursions to the reef were an 8-hour tour with lunch for $330, Green Island 7 hour day with a picnic lunch for $230, and a scenic flight for 2 hours and $240.   Three more excursions took folks on the Kuranda Railway for 5 to 6 hours and $220, $200, and $140.  Other tours stuck closer to town ranging from 2 to 5 hours and prices from $60 to $150.   

 

This rough and ready town is very pedestrian -friendly with the city center being less than a mile from the pier.   The Volendam was docked by 8am, starboard side to the pier and the Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal.   No shuttles were needed today.   We hung around still working on yesterday exploits until 10am and headed across the street with a local map in hand.  Following Lake Street, we turned left on Shields, searching for the local produce market called Rusty's.   We went all the way around the block and saw many more boutique-like shops we had not seen before.  One window had some pretty nice silk jackets, so we ducked inside to look at them.  Turned out they were the Johnny Was brand, which we have at home.  Would have considered buying one, but they had limited sizes and not one was my size.  Sometimes you get lucky, but it wasn't here. 

 

We did locate Rusty's and they were in the process of setting up their produce stands for the day.  There are food carts there with picnic-like seating, but that only happens on weekends.  Taking some necessary pictures, we continued on to the Cairns Central Shopping Centre, which is a lovely modern and air-conditioned respite in the town.  Looking for a pharmacy for bandaids, we came across another Cotton:On store where one of us happened to find two pairs of shorts.  Then we found the pharmacy near the Coles Market.  Target, Kmart and Woolworth's are also major supermarkets here.   So the mall was crowded as was their food court on the upper level.   That's where we spotted several of our crew enjoying the multi-choice dining venues there.  Then they went snack-shopping to their heart's delight.  Staying long enough to wander every level, we headed back outside into the heat to walk to the Esplanade.

 

Taking Shields to Lake Street, we passed by a bunch of local bars, most of which could have come out of a movie set…..rough and ready and plenty of cold beer offered.  While strolling these central streets, we kept a lookout overhead for the fruit bats hanging from the branches.   We could not spot one today.  Recalling that some years ago, they took out some of the trees they occupied because they were leaving a terrible mess underneath them.  Perhaps they have re-located elsewhere these days.

 

Following Aplin Street past the Cairns Library, hotels, casinos, and more eateries, we ended up on the Esplanade that has a nice wooden boardwalk for a mile or so facing the mudflats of the bay.   This is where we always see a ton of water birds in the flats.  Today the water was at a very low tide, and most of the birds were too far to get photos of them.  Sometimes we see a small flock of Dalmatian pelicans, but they were gone as well.  The railings along the walkway have signage that includes about every migratory or native bird that exists here.  Right up our alley, but we only went about halfway today for two reasons.  One was the lack of birds and the oppressive heat.  One bird we did see was an oystercatcher foraging in the mud.

 

So we headed back walking by the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon, a shallow saltwater swimming lagoon with 4800 square meters of clean seawater.   The entire lagoon is surrounded with green grass and banyan trees for much needed shade.   Picnic benches are here and there and nearby restrooms.  There are shallow ends as well as deeper water, great for families.    Better yet….it is free.  Near one of the picnic benches, we saw a night heron and got some good photos of it. 

 

Lunch was next on the agenda, and we made our way past the helicopter pad to the Salt House, a very nice venue with views of the Trinity Inlet and the Marlin Wharf and marina.  Part of the restaurant has reflecting ponds with tables and couches for cocktails and tapas.  Further back into the restaurant were tables along windows that were wide open.  We took one of those tables for the wonderful breeze.  And they serve the best pizza here, which turned out to be a Hawaiian or tropical pizza.  The draft beers were locally-brewed called Macalister Latitude…..ice cold and really refreshing.  We opted for a dessert called a chocolate berry volcano but were informed by the manager that they had accidently burned it, and apologizing profusely.  We had the biggest laugh when she said that, and so did the surrounding guests that heard her comment.  We agreed to wait another 10 minutes and she offered us drinks on the house.  We asked for one more beer to share, which we thought was really nice of her to offer it.  While we waited, some friends came over and we shared notes on the port today, the restaurant, and possible future cruses. 

 

The skies were getting darker and we figured we had better head back along this waterfront.  The Shangri-la Hotel is situated on this waterfront as are a number of high-end eateries, some of which we had dined in the past.  Hands down, the Salt House was the best.

 

We were back to the terminal just as the rain began to sprinkle, relaxing in our room until it was sail-away time.   Some guests on tours were running late, so we did not sail out of the Trinity Inlet until after 6pm.    We had hoped to see the display of flying fruit bats, but there was not a one.  Only some swiftlets coming out of the mangroves by the dozens.   And there were the terns and gulls, always visible.   We will have three sea days now before we arrive to Darwin.

 

Dinner was good again with salads, shrimp cocktails, and mains of sweet and sour chicken with egg-fried rice.  No dessert.

 

No show or movie for us….it had been a long and hot day and we were happy to turn in early.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

487 Pictures

Report # 70 Wednesday, March 11, 2026---Townsville, Australia---8am-6:30pm---Docked Starboard Side To Pier----Cloudy With Sun---77 Degrees---81% Humidity---9.3mph Winds-----Casual Dress

A place called Townsville was our port of call today.  Totally opposite of the big city of Sydney, Townsville is more of a vacation destination for many locals and travelers as well.   Located in North Queensland, this city is part historical and part modern.  And a fun place to visit in our opinion…..laid back and easy.

 

There were a total of 12 tours offered here.  The least expensive was a tour of the city for two hours and $50.  For the same price, you could take the ferry to Magnetic Island on your own for six and ?  hours.   The essence of Townsville was three hours and $90, while four types of Magnetic Island options were offered.  Wild Magnetic Island coast to coast was seven hours for $250.  The same island offered secluded bays and reefs for seven  hours and $260.  The next one was for foodies with a gourmet sailing cruise for seven hours and $410.  The island with a lunch was five hours and $240, and finally, there was a one-and-a-half-hour helicopter ride over the island for $550.   A Billabong Sanctuary tour was four hours and $130.  And the military past was four hours and $120.

 

We did not take any of these tours.  For one thing, it was a miracle that it did not rain today.  When we got up this morning, it appeared that it had rained heavily during the evening.  It was still sprinkling when we docked around 7am.  Talking to some locals, they informed us that the storm that had moved on, flooded many areas in town and made some tour spots impossible….they were underwater.  Guess we lucked out today.  No doubt it was hot with temps in the high seventies and 81% humidity,  The breeze was 9.3 mph with overcast and cloudy skies.  We did see the skies clear up later in the afternoon, and when that sun came out, it was brutally hot.  We are used to temperatures in the 100's at home, but it is dry heat.  When the humidity is high, that is a whole different story.   It simply drains the energy out of you in a short time.  Anyway, it was better than heavy showers as originally predicted.  

 

Packing the umbrellas, we went off of the ship by 10am.  We followed the same path we have taken the previous times we have been here as suggested by the friendliest local info people.  To begin, we exited a very steep gangway midship, then had a long walk to get to the terminal building.    We were sharing the port with the commercial docks, but there was no rule that we could not walk to the exit like in some other previous ports.  This building was really a souvenir store with some pretty pricey items.  We would check it out on the way back.

 

Outside the terminal we boarded a very nice bus that took us to the start of The Strand, a 3 mile scenic beachfront promenade.  The last few times we were here, the buses took us to the older part of town and we had to walk the rest of the way.   Today, we just walked to the corner and turned left on Gregory Street.  Following the street for several blocks, we ended up at Queen's Gardens and Park.  It is a nice respite in the city and also has an aviary with some of the prettiest Australian birds.  We also saw a slim and upright water bird called an Australian pratincole.  In fact there was a pair of these big-eyed birds with a few hatchlings under them.   The gardens are listed as heritage botanic gardens and is located under Castle Hill, which is a dramatic red granite monolith with hiking trails and 360 degree views of the city, beaches, and Magnetic island.   Some folks will hike up there, but on a day like today, you would be crazy to attempt it.  

 

We had the gardens almost to ourselves, except for the caretaker who was trimming palms and mowing lawns.  With all of the rainfall, it is truly a tropical place with rare plants and fountains.  The few benches in there were nice, but full of ants. In one flowering tree along the way, we spotted some rare olive-backed sunbirds dining on the nectar.  We headed off for the aviary and took dozens of pictures of the special birds there.  They included the Sulphur-crested cockatoo and a long beaked corella.  Smaller varieties were the emerald doves, rainbow lorikeets, Gouldian finches, and chestnut-crested mannikins.  We could hear a laughing kookaburra nearby, and we found it resting on a fence.  And there was evidence of recently-chewed seeds from a bean tree outside the gardens.  We suspect the birds eating those seeds were the red-tailed black cockatoos.  They have powerful beaks.

 

After exiting the gardens, we hiked back downhill to The Strand, a beachfront promenade with nice benches, ocean views, a few netted beaches, parks and eateries.  Between the months of November to May, there are stinging jellies, some of which can be fatal.  Along the entire stretch of this waterfront, there are signs posted warning people of possible attacks from these jellyfish.  One in particular is the box jelly, which can cause extreme pain from their extra long tentacles and even kill you.  So there are instructions how to treat someone that has been stung.  In addition to the treatment, there are spray bottles containing vinegar available to use on the injuries these box jellies cause.   For that reason, there were a few netted areas for the locals to swim.   As long as there had not been a recent storm that sent ocean waves over these netted areas, they remain free from the various jelly fish.  You couldn't get us to go swimming even with the nets. 

 

This was where we saw the first of the red-tailed black cockatoos in a tree overhead.  We could see leaves and parts of branches coming down from the park trees.  Then we saw some kind of fruit falling from up high.  This is where we saw the first of the red-tailed black cockatoos, a pair we assume, eating fruit of a huge tree.  A very bold bird, these parrots continued eating, ignoring us taking pictures.  Further up this walkway, we would see a few more.  The local pigeons seemed to ignore the cockatiels, but the silver gulls did not tolerate them well.  

 

Further up this promenade, we passed by a fishing jetty and a few snack shacks.  Nothing looked opened this early.  Towards the end of the walkway, we came upon a huge Rock Pool which had been carved in the sand near the ocean, and cemented to create a pond-like pool.   Today it was completely empty with signs stating it was being serviced.   Workers were busy scraping and sweeping the bottom and sides along with spraying with a strong stream of water.  We could smell something like bleach, which would sterilize this pool. 

 

There were a few restaurants here but closed during the day and opened later in the evening.   At the very end of this seaside walk was the Jezzine Barracks, a museum with military history public art, and Indigenous history.   We did not wander to the entrance because we had no plans on going inside.   Next to the Barracks was Kissing Point Boardwalk and Lookout.

 

In the center of town is a red granite monolith called Castle Hill look out.   A climb or drive to this peak would surprise you with a view of the entire area, which included the city, sea, and nearby Magnetic Island.  We certainly did not need to climb this mountain to enjoy the views.    It was time to head back and have lunch somewhere.  That turned out to be at the Watermark Bar and Hotel. We ordered the local draft beer which was Castle Crisp…ice cold.  In most restaurants, they will serve you a bottle of tap water, also chilled.  We ordered a Hawaiian pizza with ham and pineapple covered with mozzarella cheese.    The crust was good as was sitting under the overhead fans on their patio dining room.  We added a slice of a lemon pie that was sinfully rich and tart.  Near this same area is the Longboard Bar &b Grill where we have dined in the past.    Today's meal was far superior.

 

It was time to make our way to the waiting shuttle bus across the road.  We were back to the terminal within minutes where we had time to check out the souvenir tables.  Many of the items were higher quality and pricey.  The dressy tops I like to wear for dinner were made from 100% silk, costing over $150.   There was nothing we really liked that much, so we made our way back to the ship and the comfort of our room by 4pm. 

 

Captain Rens came on around 6:30pm giving us the updates for the day.  We had 200 nautical miles to reach Cairns tomorrow at a speed of 14.5 knots.  We would be heading out into the Great Barrier Reef once again with our reef pilot.   He hoped the rain showers would stay away for our visit. 

 

Dinner was good, although we were not all that hungry.  We had different salads, discovering that they have run out of the good Caesar salad dressing and are substituting something oily and not as good.  The best idea is to order the dressings on the side, which we did.  Appetizers were one mini-fish pinkling slider and an everyday shrimp cocktail.  Mains were lasagna and sweet and sour duck with ramen noodles.  Dessert was one scoop of vanilla and one mint chip ice cream. 

 

A duo of entertainers, Angie Narayan and John Milligan sang more songs to the crowd.   Lion was the movie in the Wajang. 

 

We opted for more sleep for tomorrow's port of Cairns.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

431 Pictures

Report #69 Tuesday, March 10, 2026---Sea Day #2 Of 2 Enroute To Townsville, Australia----Sunny With Clouds---81 Degrees---78% Humidity---18.3mph Winds---6' Swell---Speed 19 Knots------Casual Dress

Still hugging the coastline, we did notice a lot of rocking and rolling last night.  It appeared to be getting worse, as the Captain had warned.  However, to our surprise, when we woke up this morning, the seas had flattened and the worst of the clouds were gone.  The system that was causing the rough seas appears to have moved away, and there is a chance our visit to Townsville tomorrow will not be a wash-out.

 

We all appreciated the hour back and many Pinnacle Grill breakfast-goers showed up early.   We needed to ask Kumar or Jonah when the remainder of the formal and dressy evenings are planned.  That way we can make the rest of our dinner reservations in the Pinnacle Grill on casual evenings.   A printed version of these dates was available prior to the cruise, but the actual dates were missing.

 

An interesting lecture took place with the Pilot onboard who is the expert on piloting the Great Barrier Reef.   Hopefully we can locate this talk on our TV.  

 

Our morning was spent by one of us walking the promenade deck, and the other working on pictures.  To tell the truth, it was way too hot and humid to walk outside even at 10am.   Going to the Seaview Pool,  we enjoyed several mugs of iced lemonade thanks to Ramon and Emmanuel the cool deck guys.   Captain Rens came on with  his talk and said we had 352 nautical miles to reach Townsville.  He said we still had a 6 foot swell, with the temperatures in the low 80's and very high humidity.  He added we may have escaped the storm that was brewing north of us.   It appeared to us that we have following winds at 18.3 mph.  And we have entered the outskirts of the Great Barrier Reef.  The color of the sea water has been almost blue/green and is probably shallow.  Later in the afternoon, we passed by several small islands….some close and some far away.  And we must be in the shipping channel because we saw some commercial ships going south. 

 

We ran into long time friends in the  Lido Poolside who just joined the cruise in Sydney.  It sure is nice to see some of the usual crowd again.  One disappointment we were told was that there was no room for any more watercolor guests, and she would have to wait for an opening.  Knowing our friend, she will not take that lying down and will see to it she gets included.  

 

Lunch was room service Cobb salad, a shared club sandwich, and a bowl of chicken noodle soup.  A perfectly prepared bowl of soup full of carrots, celery, onions and chicken chunks with lots of spaghetti.  Gave up on the noodles.  Our travel agency hosted a dining room lunch at noontime, but since we like a proper breakfast, noontime is too early for us.

 

With the time change yesterday, we were treated to a rather nice sunset before we went to the dining room at 7:30pm.  Otherwise, the sun has been going down during our dinner time and on the wrong side of the ship,  wrong because of where our table is located on the starboard side.

 

Dinner was good with one salad, two shrimp appetizers, followed by the pasta dish and a beef tenderloin meal.  Both good.  Dessert was one scoop vanilla ice cream and a plate of watermelon.  The dining room was not full of guests on either level, but there was a Tamarind Dinner in the Pinnacle Grill that drew some folks away. 

 

The World Stage Cast did a performance this evening called "Drive In", a rerun of cinema's most unforgettable music.

 

The seas have calmed down and there is no rain at the moment, so we hope it holds true for the next two days.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

79 Pictures