July 13, 2023

Air Travel has been arranged. We had tried for a non-stop flight from San Francisco to Singapore, but Regent wanted $6,000 extra. We decided not to do that, but to fly from San Francisco to Taipei then on to Singapore via EVA Airways. Our business class seats have been assigned.

July 26, 2023

We have booked a tour of Nara, Japan while the ship is in Osaka. I visited Nara back in 1974 on my People-To-People World Tour. Matt and I have decided to use "Tours By Locals" once again. We have used them before when visiting New Zealand and loved having a local guide take us on a personal tour.
We chose an eight hour tour with Atsuko Tanaka who will meet us at the Kobe-Osaka Cruise port and take us to Nara Park to feed the deer that bow, visit Kofukuji Temple, Yoshikien Garden, Todaji Temple and Kasuga Shrine amongst other local sites.

The Cruise

Friday through Sunday, February 2-4
The Longest Day

After a long day of packing (and Matt having to finish running around with meetings with sub-contractors on the new house), we were finally ready to start the vacation. It was rush, rush, rush, right up to 6:30PM when Eric from Vintage Limousine arrived in the SUV to take us to San Francisco International Airport.
We arrived at the airport at 8:15 and had zero wait at both the EVA Airline check-in or through TSA.
We then went to the Air France lounge and waited for our boarding call.  Boarding began at 11:10 and takeoff for Taipei, the first stop on our way to Singapore, at 12:30AM.
The first flight was just over 12 hours. We had pre-ordered our dinner and breakfast choices online a few weeks before the flight.
Breakfast was served at 3:45AM on Sunday the 3^rd, as we crossed the International Dateline and lost Saturday.
We arrived at Taipei Airport 6:15AM, walked a distance to the next gate and at 7:10, took a shuttle from the gate to the plane. Takeoff for Singapore was at 7:50 and shortly thereafter, another breakfast. This was a 4 hour flight, landing at 12:20. No line at customs and baggage came quickly. We were on our way via private transportation at 1:15. No line at check-in and we were up to our room quickly. We then re-packed for our 2 day trip to Cambodia as part of the pre-cruise package. Weight is VERY limited, so we can only have one small checked bag and a 15 pound limit on one carry on. Our large luggage is kept at the Hotel in Singapore and will be transported to the ship on the 7^th. They should be in our cabin when we arrive just before departure. We rested the rest of the afternoon before walking over to Paulander Brauhaus for a German dinner, which is directly across the street from the hotel, but you have to walk down 2 blocks to cross the road. It was ok, but not the best meal we have had.
Back to the hotel and asleep at 8:00.

Monday, February 5
Siem Reap

We got up at 3:30AM and picked up our bagged breakfast at 5:00 (pastries, tea and water).
We met up with Neil and Massi from Australia. They have been on several cruises with us and we made plans weeks ago to have dinner together tonight at a steakhouse on the hotel property. At 5:40 we were off to the airport for our Singapore Air flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. There are 54 people on this tour.
Arrived at the airport, ticketed and then went through their version of security which is to scan your passport, a camera takes your photo, and you are on your way. Very quick.
Through our American Express Priority Pass card we were able to go to the very nice SATS Lounge for the one hour wait to board the plane.
Because this is a group tour, we are in coach...Row 55, at the back  of the plane and of course, I would end up in the center seat.
Boarding for the 8:40 flight began at 7:40, but because we were in group 5, and they boarded from the back forward,  there was no wait to get onboard.
With the one hour time change on the 2 hour flight, arrival in Siem Reap was at 9:45.
We were divided into 2 groups for the bus ride that went directly to the temple site to have our pictures taken for the visit to the temple later in the day. We then drove the 5 minutes to check in at the Borei Angkor Resort. It is a beautiful hotel/resort in the middle of a sketchy area of the city. The room is one of the best we have had on any of our pre or post hotels.
The decision was made to start our temple tour at 3:00 instead of 2:00, as the afternoon heat and humidity is a bit much in the early afternoon. The guide did mention that the heat wave started yesterday, of course. So, we had 3 hours to rest. We were both full from the food we ate at the airport lounge and the breakfast that was served on the plane.
At 3:00, we took the bus to Ankgor Wat Temple. It was an amazing place. Only took 300,000 people to build. We climbed many stairs to get to the 3^rd level of the site. We also got to see several monkeys on the site. We were there for just 3 hours before returning to the hotel for a quick shower and then met up with Neil and Massi for a wonderful dinner at the Ox Club Restaurant which right off the front entrance to the hotel.
After dinner, we transferred our photos from the cameras to the computer and called it a night.

Tuesday, February 6
Siem Reap

We got up at 6:00 and before going down to breakfast, I bumped my leg on the corner of the wooden bed frame and started bleeding. Of course, we had no bandaids here as they are in our main bags back in Singapore. Thankfully, Neil and Massi are staying right across the hall from us and Matt was able to get one from them.
It was down to breakfast where we joined Neil and Massi.
Off on small busses (11 in ours) to Angkor Thom and the Banyon Temple where Lara Craft, Tomb Ranger was filmed.
The weather was hot even as we started the tour and only got hotter and more humid as the morning went on.
We then went to a local restaurant for a nice lunch and then to a store that was a tourist trap of imported items.
Scheduled next was a tour of the Satcha Project Center where young artisans are learning various crafts such as silk weaving, pottery, wood sculpturing, leather cutting and more. All of the other people on our tour bus took the option of going back to the hotel, which was on the way to the Center, leaving only Matt and I on the bus with the guide and driver. They took us to the center where they gave us a very quick overview of each craft as the artisans were working. We purchased 2 of the leather items. Although a visit to the Old Market was to also be included, we had purchased what we wanted and as it was close to the 3:00 return time, we decided to skip the market.
We had 3 hours of time to go back to the room to cool down and then it was time for the "Dinner and Cultural Show" that they do 3 times a week at the hotel. It was a very nice outdoor setting with areas where they displayed and offered appetizers (and bugs). Then came a display of ancient fighting, then everyone moved to the stage area where large tables were set for our dining. They began with a dance, then served a course, then another dance, another course and so on until a final dance after dessert. A nice way to end our visit to Cambodia. We will be back as part of the actual cruise later on.
Back to the room to pack for a full day of travel and embarkation tomorrow.

Wednesday, February 7
Siem Reap/Bangkok/Singapore/Embarkation

Another early morning. We awoke at 4:30 as we both could not sleep. Got ready and went down to breakfast at 6:00. Back up to the room to gather our bags and met in the lobby for the bus ride to the airport.
It's an hour drive, then the check-in. It is amazing how many times we have had to show our passport at this airport alone: airport front entrance, check in, immigration, 3 times at the gate. I got called back to security right after check-in and found out that they did not want my camera in the check-in bag. Took it out and all was ok. Through immigration quickly and then for the wait to board the plane.
It was a 9:10 boarding for a 9:50 flight which lasted just over an hour to get to Bangkok, where we had a 3 hour layover. Regent had arranged for all of us to use the Coral Lounge at the airport.
Boarding time for our flight to Singapore was 1:10 for our 1:50 flight. It was about 2 hours in the air. Through immigration AGAIN. We are all getting tired of showing our passports.
Flight arrived at 5:10, through immigration, 1 hour bus ride to the ship and finally aboard at 7:10 PM. The ship was originally scheduled to leave port at 7:00, but rescheduled to 8:00 so we could get aboard.
I had to run down to the front desk to take care of a few things and have already run into Bruce, the cruise consultant and Andy Heath, our cruise director. Both remembered me from past cruises.
We met with our butler, Rigel, who is being WAY too formal for us. We think it is his first cruise and he is following all the things he has learned. We are pretty relaxed about things in the room such as not having him set up a full table service for us. We prefer he just leave everything and we'll take care of it. He is having a hard time not doing it. He still insists on calling us by our last names even though we have asked him to call us by our first. Don't worry, we'll break him.
We ordered room service dinner choosing items from Compass Rose, the main dining room and unpacked until 10:30. It's hard to try to get the right things in the right drawers. I'm sure we'll be adjusting things over the next few days.
Matt spent time getting our clothes ready to be sent out in the morning. We have 5 full bags to be either just pressed or laundered.
Finally, it's time to get into relax mode. It sure was a "hurry, hurry, rush, rush" pre-cruise, but I'm so glad we got to see Angkor Wat.
At least we turn the clocks back one hour tonight, so we can get an extra hour of sleep.

Thursday, February 8
At Sea

We turned our clocks back one hour last night so we were supposed to get an extra hour of sleep. However, we were both up at 5:30, so we took our time getting ready. When the self laundry room opened at 7:00, I went down and ironed 3 shirts for the day for both of us. Then it was off to breakfast in La Veranda, back to the room, down to the computer room to print out our calendar, then to destinations at 9:00 when they opened. They had made a mistake and scheduled 2 of our excursions on one day both at the same time. I proved we had reserved a morning and an afternoon excursion. They got it corrected.
At 10:00, the boutique opened and Matt and I checked out their offerings.
11:00 was Bingo time and I ended up winning the last game (blackout) and won $167.40.
We had the buffet lunch, which was not that great.
I then went out on the upper deck to catch some sun. It is 85 degrees out with a bit of humidity, but the breeze of being at sea did help. Meanwhile, Matt went to the salon to purchase a few items.
Before we even came aboard the ship, we had to watch a safety video two times, then when you come on board, they now just show you where the muster station is and you are on your way.
Because we arrived on the ship late, they did not have anyone at the entrance of the ship to show us where the station was (although we knew) nor show anyone where to go on the ship to get to the elevators (we knew). So today we get a letter on our door at 2:00 saying we have to have a safety meeting at 5:00. Mind you, the Captains Reception is at 6:00. Matt went down to talk to the front desk and they said it a decision they made and that they would wait for everyone to arrive and then it would be a half hour drill.
Matt told her that it would not leave enough time to get cleaned up and dressed in time for the Reception. She did not care.
I went down and talked to the General Manager of the ship and told him the situation. He called the Safety Manager who confirmed the time. The GM was NOT happy with that decision and could not understand why they said it was going to be a half hour. He then told me to come with him. He took me down the staircase one floor, showed me the theater door and said "that's your muster station". Matt did not have to come down, and we are done with that. We feel sorry for the other 48 passengers who were on our pre-cruise that are still having to go at 5:00.
Back to the cabin at 3:15 and rested until we had to get ready for the evening's activities.
I attended the reception alone, as our laundry had not returned yet. When I came back to the cabin, Matt was sorting through all the clothes that had just been returned. We then had dinner at Pacific Rim, the Asian Restaurant, with Neil and Massi. Then it was off to the casino and then to bed.
Our first excursion takes place tomorrow. It is a tender port, so we shall see how that goes. Usually, the process of getting everyone ready for their first excursion is a mess in the theater where we meet. Adding to that, being that we all have to tender 30 minutes to get ashore, it should be very interesting.

Friday, February 9
Ko Samui, Thailand

We awoke at 6:00 and had breakfast at 8:00 in La Veranda before meeting in the theatre to get our excursion tickets and boarding a tender. The process was much better than past cruises as they had things under control.
The problem was, it's a tender port and that makes things go slowly. In fact, they were just over an hour behind. Our 9:00 tender boarding time was pushed to 10:15.
It was a 30 minute tender ride to the dock at Ko Samui.
Our bus was waiting, and we were off on the "Ancient Temples and Monkeys" tour. Here is the description:

Delve into the spiritual side of Ko Samui by visiting three prominent temples or wats and then enjoy a lighter moment by watching trained monkeys pick coconuts.
Although Khunaram Temple is rather modest, it still draws quite the crowd for its unusual, macabre display. A mummified Buddhist monk wearing sunglasses sits in a meditative pose in a glass case, as he requested in his final wishes. Although contemporary, the Big Buddha Temple is much more traditional, as its attractions are the namesake enormous statue of Buddha and a collection of huts for meditation. The depiction of Buddha laughing and the statue of the 18-armed goddess Guayin are more whimsical and colorful at Plai Laem, a contemporary temple in a tranquil, lakeside setting. The mood will be even lighter at a nearby plantation, where you will watch nimble monkeys assist with the production of coconuts by picking them from high in the trees.

The temples were not ancient, but very interesting. Our guide got a little slow, so Matt and I kind of ran ahead to get photos of things before there were people in the way. One stop not mentioned was a stop for free soda at the Coral Hotel. It was a nice excursion that ended at 3:30.
Once again aboard the tender and back to the ship just after 4:00. Matt ran our safari pants down the laundry room as we will need them again tomorrow. Days with visits to temples require long pants.
While he was doing that, I ordered room service, as all of the restaurants are closed at that time. There was a backup and delivery took 30 minutes.
We worked on photos and rested a bit before our 8:00 dinner back at Pacific Rim. We had made this reservation long ago, not knowing that Neil and Massi were going to make the reservations last night.After dinner, we went the casino where we came out a bit ahead, then to bed, as we have a LONG excursion tomorrow.

Saturday, February 10
Bangkok, Thailand

We were up at 6:30 for an 8:30 tour. Because there is another ship in our docking area and it will not be moving until 8:00, we are not able to port until 8:30. That pushed everything by one half hour. We are really porting in Laem Chabang, Thailand, which is 2 hours away from Bangkok, so we have a long drive to get to Bangkok for the actual tour, which is "Bangkok In A Day":

Gain insight into life in Bangkok, past and present, by cruising the meandering Chao Phraya River and intersecting canals and then visiting key landmarks.
During the cruise, you will see houses on stilts, floating grocery stores and water taxis zipping about. Few experiences offer such a candid look at life on Bangkok's waterways. In time, you will arrive at Wat Arun, the glorious Temple of Dawn, whose main spire soars more than 200 feet into the air. A traditional Thai lunch follows, after which you will explore the Grand Palace, an extraordinary example of an ancient Siamese court. Thailand's kings lived here for more than 150 years, and today it is used primarily for royal ceremonies and state occasions. You will also visit the Emerald Buddha Temple within the palace complex. It holds a 14th-century statue of Buddha that was carved from a single piece of emerald-green jasper.

We did not get out to the busses until 9:45 and it was indeed, a 2 hour bus ride to Bangkok. Upon arrival, we boarded the river boat and cruised the canal for a bit and then the rain hit. It became a downpour and almost blocked our view across the river. They had to put the tarps down on the side of the boat, so we could not see out and things became very humid.
As we got near the Wat Arun, everyone decided that we would just skip it as it was still pounding rain, and move on to lunch.
This was a wonderful buffet at a hotel and we had one hour there.
We re-boarded our bus and went to the Grand Palace. We arrived just before they closed the gates at 3:30 PM, viewed the Emerald Buddah, then given a quick tour of grounds.
At 4:30, we started heading back to the ship. Being Chinese New Year, the freeway was jammed. Our guide said that there are really 3 days of the New Year where things happen. Day 1: Purchase gifts for family members. Day 2: Stay home and pray. Day 3: Travel to visit with family. We are on day 3. It took us until 8:00 to get back.
The restaurant, La Veranda, was open for us with an International Buffet that consisted of Chinese food and pasta. It looked as though it had been sitting there all day. We tried a bit and decided to go back to our room and order food from Compass Rose.
We had had enough for the day and just stayed in our cabin.

Sunday, February 11
Bangkok, Thailand

Up at 7:00, breakfast in La Veranda, then off at 9:30 to the Pattaya Floating Market:

Get a genuine feel for river life by exploring the Pattaya floating market, which vendors in small wooden boats supply with all sorts of local goods. The market is divided into four sections, each representing a different region of Thailand. Although just opened in 2008, the market looks much older as it was designed to replicate an ancient floating market, most of which have long been abandoned. During free time at the market, you might sample items such as dragon fruit and mangosteen, the national fruit of Thailand, and linger over a freshly prepared lunch that is characteristic of one of the four regions. With so many aromas enticingly wafting through the air, it will be hard to resist dining. But the floating market offers much more than food. You will also find unusual handicrafts, silverware, handmade bags and silk clothing. The atmosphere couldn't be more inviting. Browse the incredible array of merchandise at the Pattaya floating market.

Not the most exciting spot. It was a one hour bus ride to get there. Just think flea market along a wooden walkway near a man-made canal. We were there for an hour and a half, then the 1 hour bus ride back. It's funny how sometimes an hour and a half goes by quicky and other times where it seems like a half a day. This was the latter. We did buy 2 shirts and a framed Eliza ("King and I") enamel charm.
Lunch was going to be in La Veranda, but the selection was poor, so we ordered from the pool grill. Matt got a burger and I picked the Cuban Panini.
I then went out by the pool for some sun time while Matt watched TV and washed the shirts we purchased at the Market.
Dinner was in the Compass Rose. The food quality really has not been the best. It's ok, but not as good as in the past. The salt sticks, which used to be my favorite item on the ship has been changed to a different dough. Just not as good. It seems that they are also lacking seasoning on many of the items. We followed dinner by a visit to the casino where we came out about even and then to bed.

Monday, February 12
Sihanoukville, Cambodia

I got up at 6:30 to watch the Super Bowl. Although there was a "Tailgate Breakfast Buffet Party" right before the game in the atrium, I did not attend. They did show the game in the theater and also on TV in the cabins. I decided that watching in our room was easier.
We got our laundry back and the 2 shirts that we bought no longer fit me (they shrunk). They now belong to Matt.
We had 2 excursions today. The first was a short 1 hour tour of the area, "Sihanoukville By Open-Air Vehicle". It began at 10:30:

Sit back in the comfort of a tuk-tuk and zip through the streets of Sihanoukville, taking in the most historical and culturally important attractions. From inside the tuk-tuk mini-car, you will enjoy a street-level view of the city highlights while listening to commentary that describes them. After passing a sugar-white beach shaded by palm trees, you will see the Golden Lion Monument in the center of a roundabout and learn what its statue of crouching lions represents and how it became a symbol of the city. You will also pass Phsar Leu, a market with more than 1,000 vendors offering most everything imaginable. Chances are, the enticing aroma of food cooking on braziers will be wafting through the air. Toward the end of the tuk-tuk tour, you will pass the city's somber War Memorial in Independence Square.

It is interesting that the description of the tour given to us on the ship states that we would be making short stops at 4 of the sites. We did not. It was just a ride through the city. It was hard to see or even take pictures out of the tuk-tuk. I told Matt that it would have been easier to sit on the floor and see out rather than leaning down all the time. While we were out, a family of 3 on a motorcycle stopped at a stop light next to us. The father was in front, mother in the back and a girl, about 4, in the middle. She looked over at me, I waved, and she had the brightest smile I have ever seen and a little wave. It made the tour.
We got back at 11:45 and had lunch in La Veranda before our next tour, "Ream National Park By Boat" which began at 1:30:

Spend a magical day exploring Ream National Park, a wonderland of evergreen forests and mangrove swamps teeming with wildlife. Established by Cambodia's former King Sihanouk, the park provides a protected environment for animals such as birds and monkeys. Your exploration of the park will begin with a boat ride down the mangrove-lined Prek Toeuk Sap River. Watch for flying fish and dolphin breaking the water's surface, and birds such as Brahminy kites, grey-headed fish-eagles and white-bellied sea eagles in the estuary. Storks and egrets usually congregate along the mudflats here. You will spend the next few hours on a guided walk through the woods, where you will likely see monkeys in the trees, butterflies flitting around the path and even more birds, as atleast 150 avian species thrive here. You will also tour a village in the park and relax on an unspoiled beach nearby.

No animals were spotted during the tour, a disappointment to Matt. The tour also lasted 45 minutes longer than expected which made us hurry to meet new friends (Scot and Lance) for dinner at 6:30. I made it just in time. Matt was 15 minutes behind me.
Very nice dinner, then off to the casino for some fun. Came out even tonight.
Back to the room to relax and get ready for a full sea day tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 13
Sea Day

Finally another day to relax!
We got up around 7:00 and took our time to get ready for breakfast in La Veranda.
The ocean is more of a brownish color here than the blue we are used to seeing on cruises.
As I mentioned, it was a relaxing morning with really nothing that had to be done (other than getting our daily laundry out. Out by 9:00 AM, back around 5:00 PM). We played Bingo at 11:00 (where Matt won a game) and then went to lunch in Compass Rose with Neil and Massi. New to Regent is the opening of one of the specialty restaurants for lunch. It is on a rotating basis and just gives another option of a menu driven venue rather than the buffet. We will be trying that out one day.
Today was Tex-Mex day by the pool. We skipped that, but found out that Compass Rose was mostly Tex-Mex also. They should at least offer different things in there rather than being the same as outside.
Afternoon brought my tanning time. The main pool deck was completely full, so I went to the infinity pool at the back of the ship and found a spot in the sun. The wind has started to come up and we are finally rocking just a little bit.  Meanwhile, Matt went to the cabin to watch a movie.
I did get a little red in the face. The sun here is intense.
Tonight was the Seven Seas Society Cocktail Party. This is for those who have been on the ship at least 21 nights. They break down how many people are in each level of the society.

The breakdown:
Silver (21-74 nights): 277
Gold (75-199 nights): 153
Platinum (200-399 nights: Matt is in this category): 56
Titanium (400-999 nights: I am in this category): 29
Diamond (1,000-1,999 nights): 1
Commodore (2,000+ nights): 1

After the party, we had dinner with Neil, Massi and Bruce Van Rooyen (the ships Cruise Consultant) at Prime 7.
Because we are so close to the shoreline of Vietnam, the casino was closed for the night, so Matt went to see the performer in the theater. She is doing an opera/broadway show. Meanwhile, I went back to the cabin to do this.

Wednesday, February 14
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

We got up at 6:30 and had breakfast before our 9:00 "Mekong River Delta" excursion:

Experience the rural lifestyle in the fertile Mekong Delta, much of which you will traverse by boat. As an introduction to the local culture, you will first visit Vinh Trang, an ornate temple surrounded by meticulously manicured gardens full of ornamental shrubbery and bonsai trees. Despite its beauty, the flora is no match for the fecundity of the Mekong Delta, where you will cruise pass terraced rice paddies, seemingly endless fruit orchards and fields of soybeans and sugarcane.
For a closer look at village life, you will disembark on Thoi Son Island and interact with the locals. While enjoying a cup of honey tea and a selection of fresh fruits, you watch a folkloric music performance. A traditional lunch of dishes such as elephant ear fish and grilled pork follows, after which you will return to the water; this time on a wooden sampan identical to the ones used to transport fruit through the canals.

This tour began with an hour forty five minute bus ride to My Tho City, with a 30 minute visit to the Viny Trang Pagoda. Then it was a short drive to the boat pier for our short ride on the Mekong River. These were covered boats to get from the mainland to an island.  We then went to a village for an hour to see how honey items were made, how coconut candy was made and to listen to a few songs. We then went on a canal ride on sampans, uncovered 4 man boats with 2 oars people guiding our way through the small canal (and hitting other boats). At least the canal had a canopy of palms, so that kept us out of the sun. Back to our main covered boat and off to our lunch venue. They served Elephant Ear Fish, ribs and chicken. Back to the covered boat to get to our bus, then a 2 and a half hour ride back to the ship. What was supposed to be a 5 hour tour turned into 7. I am hitting long excursion burn out.
We were going to go to the Grand Deck BBQ on the pool deck, but because we were tired, we took our time getting ready and had a nice dinner in the Compass Rose Restaurant. We did go up to the pool deck for dessert. This was followed by a folkloric show in the theater. We had originally scheduled an evening excursion to a folkloric show in town, but the timing did not work out to be able to even have dinner before and it was a 3 hour event. Many onboard complained, so they added the show in the theater so those who wanted could cancel and still see a folkloric show.
That finished at 10:15, so that was enough for the day.
If I get my energy back, I'll do tomorrow's excursion, otherwise it may be a forced "sea day" for me.

Thursday, February 15
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Everybody up at 5:45 with room service breakfast at 6:30 in preparation for today's 7:30 excursion, "Highlights of Saigon":

Gain an overall understanding of Saigon through landmark architecture that reflects the changing face of the metropolis known as Ho Chi Minh City since 1976.
In the lively Chinatown district of Cholon, you will find Giac Lam, the city's oldest pagoda. A haven of tranquility where Taoism and Confucianism merge with Buddhism, the pagoda compound includes ornate tombs, a rare bodhi tree and an elegant statue of the Goddess of Mercy. For a more contemporary perspective, you will view Independence Palace, also known as the Reunification Palace, a modernistic white building that was home to the president of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon presents a glimpse into colonial life, as the French constructed it in the mid-1800s. The ornate Central Post Office is another French-built colonial gem. If not for the large portrait of Ho Chi Minh inside, you might think you were in Paris.

The excursion was quite nice although I wish that when passengers are told that it is a 15 minute stop, they would be back on the bus in 15 minutes. We seem to lose 15-20 minutes at each stop making the next one even shorter. This excursion did offer a variety of things to see, although, we did have to miss the pagoda. Also included in the tour was a stop at the large market where we were given 20 minutes to shop.
Back on the ship, we had lunch in Prime 7. As I mentioned earlier, they now rotate lunches in one of the restaurants each day, offering a variety of choices.
At 2:00, we departed the pier and the Captain told us that we will be encountering winds and that he doubts that we will be able to anchor in Nah Trang, Vietnam tomorrow, which means we will most likely have 2 sea days in a row.
After lunch, I went up on the top deck for an hour of sun while Matt watched a movie.
We then went to the Top Tier event for passengers with many days of traveling with Regent. This included performances by members of the Production Team. This was followed by dinner in Sette Mari (La Veranda is turned into an Italian style restaurant in the evenings). Dinner was only fair. My veal scaloppini was tough and Matt's golden fried chicken cutlet was not fried, had a weird texture and the tomato sauce was horrible. We will not be going back there for dinner again.
We went back to the room where Matt watched another movie and I did some computer work.

Friday, February 16
Nha Trang, Vietnam

We both awoke at 6:30 for some reason, so really took our time in getting breakfast and ready for our 9:30 tour. As we are anchored, we watched them put the tenders in the water and they were bouncing a bit, so we doubted we were going to be able to go ashore. Shortly after, the announcement came that we were indeed going.
Our tour was "A Guided Pedicab Ride through Nha Trang":

Sit back in the comfort of a pedicab and ride through the enchanting streets of Nha Trang, taking in the most remarkable sights along the way. With a routing map in hand and wearing headphones to hear the enlightening narration, you will follow the guide in your individual pedicab through the city's most scenic areas. Tran Phu, a pine-shaded boulevard that hugs the beach, is one of the favorite and most picturesque locales. The exact route will depend on traffic conditions, but you can expect to view a variety of attractions that you may wish to visit later on your own, including restaurants, shops and museums. Photo stops will be made at the most significant points of interest. Upon reaching the bustling Dam market, you will be transferred back to the ship or you may remain to shop and return later on your own.

The pedicabs were one person per bike. You sit in the front and your driver is behind you. They use a modified electric bike, so they don't have to peddle a lot. My driver was a bit aggressive and liked to ride up on the pedicab in front of us, but he never hit it, nor any cars that we swerved around. There were about 60 of us all lined up back-to-back down the streets of the city. Our tour guide did the narration through small walkie talkie type devices, but he was at the rear of all the pedicabs and we were in the front, so whatever he was explaining, we had passed several minutes before.
At the market, we looked for shirts for me as the other 2 we bought in Cambodia were shrunk in the laundry. We have not found anything that we like.
We got back to the ship around 12:30 and had lunch before I went out in the sun for another hour and Matt did the bookkeeping of our account. They do things weird on the ship and he wanted to make sure they had everything right. That took him some time and even having to go to the front desk to see what some of our credits were. They are not described on what we see on the TV.
Now it's not only that I spend an hour or two tanning (any more and it would be sunburn time), but I am also listening to Jon Cryer's book "So That Happened" via Audible. It is read by Jon. If you are a fan, it is quite enjoyable.
Back to the room for a bit of a rest before dinner. Made a call to the front desk to make an appointment with the onboard tailor to hem a pair of pants. I was told that they do not have a tailor onboard. On our way to dinner, I ran into the General Manager who told me that the tailor would be onboard in 3 days.
We had dinner in the Main Dining Room and then off to the casino.
Matt went to the production show while I went back to the room.

Saturday, February 17
Sea Day

Last night we turned the clocks ahead one hour, losing an hour of sleep. We were up at 8:00 and had breakfast before the required Quarantine Inspection by the Philippine Government. This meant that every passenger had to go up to the Observation Lounge, check in and walk by an infrared camera. It was a process that took all of 5 minutes.
We then went back to our cabin to send out laundry, something we do every day, as Regent offers free laundry service to all passengers. If we did not have the 3-day pre-cruise and post-cruise, we would not have to pack as many socks and underwear as we did. One could get by with 3 pair (2 if you work it right). We also made our menu choices for our return flights next month. It is nice to be able to choose some things that are not available if you don't make the choices ahead of time.
Bingo followed with no wins for us. Then lunch, which had a Chinese theme, then an hour of sun for me and movie for Matt.
The casino was open this afternoon, so we decided to visit. No win.
Rest time followed while we waited for dinner. Tonight, dinner was in Chartreuse, the French restaurant. Nothing really exciting for me there, but it was fine.
We went to the casino (no win) and called it a night.
Just another sea day.

Sunday, February 18
Coron, Philippines

Up at 7:00 and shortly after we were greeted into the port with a drum corps, flag girl and baton twirlers on the pier. If passengers on the ship were not up yet, they certainly were when all the drums started. We went to breakfast in La Veranda before our 10:00 "Snorkeling Adventure" excursion:

Snorkel two reefs and a sunken shipwreck teeming with marine life before relaxing on a beach that precipitous limestone cliffs shelter. You will reach the sites on an outrigger boat that will make the adventure all the more enjoyable. There is no telling what you will observe just off Balinsasayaw Resort although tropical fish are especially abundant. Twin Peaks Reef is another favorite snorkeling spot where you may see an even greater variety of marine creatures. Graceful stingrays, bi-colored parrotfish and scissortail sergeant majors are commonly seen around the coral reef. Then, there is Skeleton Wreck, a snorkeling and dive site named for the skeletal remains of a World War II Japanese gunboat. It lies in about 15 feet of water. A bit farther down the coast, you will stop at Beach 91, a beautiful stretch of sand that invites relaxing and doing nothing more ambitious than basking in the sun.

This was one of the better excursions that we have taken and it got better as we went along. We started at the wreck, went to the beach, where there was no way to bask in the sun, the nice snorkeling off the resort, and the best, the twin peaks reef which had some of the best coral we have ever seen.
Back to the ship at 2:00 and lunch on the pool deck before going back to the room where I went out on our balcony and Matt did some self laundry.
The tailor showed up and did my pants measurement. They will be back tomorrow.
Dinner was in Compass Rose followed by, you've got it, the casino, where we broke even.

Monday, February 19
Manila, Philippines

It was up at 7:00 for our 9:00 "Charms of Old Manila" excursion:
 

Explore sites that reveal Manila's tumultuous past, many of them within the Intramuros district, which is enclosed within a thick wall that the Spanish built in the 1500s. Here, you will tour notorious Fort Santiago, where prisoners were once held and tortured. Look for the symbolic bronzed footsteps of Dr. Jose Rizal, a national hero who was imprisoned in the fortress before walking to his execution, the penalty for his anti-colonial writings. You will discover more about the city at Casa Manila, a replica of a lavish Spanish colonial house decorated with period furniture. It was built as a pet project of the Philippines former first lady Imelda Marcos. You will also visit Agustin, a World Heritage site church constructed in 1606. Its baroque altar is particularly stunning. Following a photo stop at Rizal Park, you will see the luxurious Manila Hotel that General Douglas MacArthur used as his command post during much of World War I.

We were supposed to have a jeepney tour today, but that got cancelled before we left for the cruise, so we had to reschedule to this tour which covered most of what the other tour was to have covered.
This was probably one of the most boring tours I have taken. At the fort, there was not a lot to see and what was supposed to be a 15 minute stop turned into an hour and a half, a lot of the time waiting for the bus to return. The church was interesting, but too much time there too. The shopping stop was just an antique store where nobody bought anything. I skipped the park and stayed on the bus as there was only a monument to see, and at the hotel, which was supposed to be a 10 minute stop, it turned into a half hour of looking at the lobby. We got back over an hour later than scheduled. We have yet to have a tour end on time. Not a good reflection of the destination department that lays out the schedule and times. Also, one of the problems is that if there are a lot of guests that want one particular tour, there may be 4-5 busses all going to the same place at the same time. This causes crowding at the stops and also when you return, all the people on those busses all try to go to lunch at the same time and the restaurant gets overcrowded and there are not enough tables to handle everyone. Today upon return, we lucked out and found a table that had to be re-set for us, and then other people were getting mad because they could not find a table to sit at.
After lunch, I went up to the top deck for an hour of sun. It is still quite warm. Today was in the 90s. Matt stayed in the cabin. I then went out on our balcony on our long lounge in the shade to play some Sudoku.
We had no internet during the stay at the port, so could not do anything on the computer.
We then fell into our pattern of dinner in Compass Rose followed by our nightly visit to the casino.

Tuesday, February 20
Sea Day

I was up at 6:30, Matt at 7:30. Breakfast in La Veranda.
We visited the boutique as they were having a sale on the last day of the first leg of the cruise, as many are leaving tomorrow and need to spend their shipboard credit. Nothing there that we wanted.
We then went to Bingo and lost.
Lunch was in La Veranda followed by sun for me and a movie for Matt.
Late afternoon, we met with the head of housekeeping who answered some questions that we had and was very apologetic for things. There was no big issue, just things we had noticed changed since Covid and was wondering if what we were seeing is the new norm.
Dinner tonight was in Compass Rose with Neil and Massi who are leaving in the morning.
All 4 of us went to the casino to play and say goodbye.

Wednesday, February 21
Hong Kong, China

Today marks the halfway point of the cruise. So far, we have traveled 3,225 nautical miles from Singapore to Hong Kong.
We got up at 7:15 and had breakfast in La Veranda.
About half of the ship is leaving today. We decided to do 2 excursions today instead of watching all the new people arrive.
Our first tour at 9:30 was called "Nine Dragons":

Explore many of the most spectacular attractions on Kowloon, a peninsula whose name means Nine Dragons in Cantonese, a reference to its nine hills shaped like the backs of dragons. Your overview of Kowloon will begin at Tin Hau, a temple dedicated to another mythical figure, a sea goddess. Oddly, the temple isn't on the water anymore due to a massive land reclamation project. You will also visit three markets that will reveal the staggeringly array of goods that come into Hong Kong. One sells fresh meats, another displays a riot of brightly colored flowers and the third is devoted to jade and precious stones. The Chinese prize jade for its beauty and as a symbol of long life and good luck. Chi Lin Nunnery is revered as an extraordinary example of Tang dynasty architecture. As you will see, it was built entirely of cypress wood that is ingeniously held together without nails.

This was really a "hurry up and wait" tour. They did not clear the ship of old passengers until 9:45, so we had to wait for all of them to disembark. Then it was down to the terminal and wait for our bus number to be called. That was not until 10:20. Already we are an hour behind.
We started with the meat and vegetable market, which is like a farmers market in the center of 4 or so blocks of a street, with some fresh meat stands on the outer edges. Our guide wanted us to look at every kind of vegetable and stay with him. Then it was to the temple with a short visit, but we had to wait for everyone to gather at the end and that took awhile. We then went to the jade market, set up like an indoor flea market with booth after booth of "jade". Not sure how much was real or fake. Our guide told us that when they see Americans, they up the prices by 10X.
A quick walkthrough of the bird market and a walk down one block of flower stores followed. Then the wait for everyone to catch up. Some like to lag behind either to take photos of every little thing, or just stop and gaze.
The nunnery followed and this was where things really slowed down. Our guide would take us to one area, disappear, then try to find everyone and do a head count. Then on to the next area, repeat. We did more standing and staring at steps rather than being able to go on our own and visit the site.
The nunnery and the grounds were quite beautiful and I think I would have enjoyed it more if we could have done it at our own pace and just had a meeting time.
Back to the ship, and although we were wearing pink paper bracelets to tell them we were in transit, we ended up in line with all the new passengers and that slowed down the process of getting back onboard.
Up to La Veranda for lunch just in time before they closed at 3:00.
Back to the room to get ready for our 4:30 tour, "Hong Kong by Night & Sky100":

Zip to the top of the Sky100 observation deck and enjoy an unrivaled 360 degree view of Hong Kong, which looks even more impressive when illuminated at night. A high-speed elevator will whisk you from the second floor of Sky100 to the 100th floor in just 60 seconds. From there, atop Hong Kong's highest building, you will gaze out over a sea of lights that clearly defines just how far the metropolis has sprawled. Lightbox displays by the massive viewing windows will identify the landmarks, so you will know exactly what you are seeing. If you want an even closer look, use the advanced telescopes with different viewing modes. There is also an interactive wall with 100 stories that describe how the cityscape has changed over the years. Afterwards, you can relive the experience over a nightcap on an outdoor terrace overlooking Victoria Harbor.

Well, you know that "Hong Kong at Night" is a lie, when the tour is to begin at 4:30 and end at 6:30 with sunset in Hong Kong at 6:23.
It turned out to be quite a nice tour. The view from the 100^th floor was amazing. We had a fairly clear view. No crowds on that floor at the time we were there. It was mainly the 3 bus loads from the ship and probably 40 others. Tons of empty space and nobody blocking your view from anywhere.
The hotel we went to (The Kenny) was very nice. We each were given tickets for 2 drinks and they served a lovely plate of small canapes, both savory and sweet.
We stayed there until 7:00, then back to the ship.
Matt went up on the top deck of the ship to watch the laser light and music show shot across the bay at 8:00. It was called "A Symphony of Lights". I joined him a few minutes into the show and there was really nothing to see. I guess there needed to be more clouds or some sort of fog for the effects to work.
We ordered dinner in our cabin, which arrived at 9:00 and then I got a bowl of popcorn delivered. It came with no butter or salt. Something to know for next time.
Matt watched a movie and I went to bed.

Thursday, February 22
Sea Day

I enjoy the relaxed sea days...Matt not so much.
I got up at 7:00 and cut my hair and got ready for the day. Matt was up by 7:45 and we went up to La Veranda for breakfast.
The morning started out foggy. Even the foghorn was being sounded.
Back to the cabin so Matt could update some photos. He had a haircut at 10:00 and then we played Bingo (no win).
Lunch followed. It was "Curries of the World" themed lunch at the pool grill. I don't mind that they do the themes, but they do the same choices in La Veranda as well, so as there is a large selection inside and out, there is not much of a choice of other things. I ended up ordering a Cuban Panini with French fries.
As it was cold and windy, I did not get to go out by the pool, so instead went to the casino and got a straight flush at the 3 card poker table for a $400 win (I was playing $10 on that hand).
Meanwhile, Matt went to the cabin to watch a movie. I went up later, changed into the pajamas that the airline gave to us, and took a nap.
The seas are beginning to get choppy and the boat is finally rocking.
We went to the Captains Reception to get our picture taken with the Captain, something we have done every cruise. Not a lot of people there, as I am sure some were having issues with the rocking of the ship.
After the presentations, it was off to Pacific Rim for dinner, followed by our normal casino time.

Friday, February 23
Taipei, Taiwan

We really did some rocking last night. Good thing it was overnight. Things finally calmed down as we were going into Taipei at about 7:00 this morning.
I was up at 7:15, Matt at 7:45.
Breakfast, as usual for later starting tours, was in La Veranda.
Then off on our 10:00 tour entitled "Keelung & the Natural Wonders of Yeliu":

Explore the attractions in and around Keelung, a booming seaport that was the base for Japanese pirates in the 16th century. Your tour will start with an enlightening drive through Chung Cheng Park, which features a towering white statue of Kuan Yin, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. Being the biggest statue of a goddess in Southeast Asia, it is quite the spectacle, as are the views from the lush park. More outstanding sights await you at Yehliu Geopark, which stretches across a promontory that juts more than a mile into the sea. Erosion from waves, wind and rain have combined to sculpt fantastic natural shapes out of the park's sandstone. You may see mushroom-like pedestals, formations shaped like ice cream cones and sedimentary rocks with names that resemble their odd shapes, such as Queen's Head and Fairy Shoe.

This was a decent tour, and kept to the timeframe. The only problem is that it was misty all day and we had to bring out the umbrellas. The formations at the geopark were nice to see, although for me, after you have seen a few, you have seen them all.
After the tour, which ended at 3:30, we had a quick bite to eat at the pool grill under cover where they had the overhead heaters on.
Then it was back to the cabin for the rest of the day, including having dinner delivered and to watch a movie.

Saturday, February 24
Ishigaki, Japan

Last night we turned our clocks ahead one hour again.  I was up at 6:30, Matt at 7:00. We had breakfast in our cabin as there was an 8:00 face-to-face immigration inspection before our 3 hour tour "Highlights of Ishigaki". You will notice in the description, we were to visit the limestone cave, but it was removed between the time we booked and the time they printed the new itinerary at the beginning of this cruise segment. Here is the original description:

Enjoy an introductory tour of the island that reveals some of the most captivating attractions underwater, underground and in a re-created village of traditional houses.
The adventure will begin at Kabira Bay, which you will cruise in a glass-bottom boat. You can expect to see brilliantly colored fish, giant clams and coral reefs in the turquoise waters where black pearls are cultivated primarily for export.
You will glimpse a different side of life at Ishigaki Yaima Village, a fascinating destination created to preserve the island's culture. Strolling about, you will see dozens of traditional homes that have been moved here from other parts of Ishigaki and reassembled as an open-air museum.
Then it's on to the island's largest limestone cave, an underground world full of oddly shaped stalactites and stalagmites that have been eerily illuminated for added drama. Be sure to look for ancient shells embedded in the walls, proof that the cave was once filled with seawater.

It was overcast and a bit misty as we got onto the glass-bottom boat. We lucked out as there were only 8 of us on our boat, the other had 20. No sunshine meant it was hard to photograph the fish, but it was a nice little ride.
Next was the village. Something Matt has been looking forward to the entire cruise, because they have squirrel monkeys there, and that's all we saw. We went directly to the monkey area and stayed until we had to go back to the bus. They were SO cute.
Some people paid $300 yen ($2) to have the keeper put a bit of monkey food into a bowl and then the monkeys would surround you and be all over you. We did not do that, but one monkey did find its way to Matt's shoulder. I was not quick enough to get a photo, but he was very happy (Matt, that is).
Back to the ship where I went up to the pool deck for some lunch and Matt took the shuttle back into town to try to get some flowers for our cabin and came back with a beautiful orchid plant. He actually walked several miles to get it.
6:00 brought the Block Party again, so it was out into the hallway to meet the neighbors.
We had dinner in Compass Rose, then the visit to the casino.
Done by 9:00.

Sunday, February 25
Sea Day

Last night, we turned our clocks back one hour, getting our lost hour back.
It was a cold and windy morning with the temperature at 38 degrees. Quite a difference from a week ago. The ship is still rocking.
Matt was up at 4:00AM. I did not get up until 7:00. Although there is the big Sea Sunday Buffet from 9:30 to 1:30 in Compass Rose, we decided to eat in the almost empty La Veranda.
We went back to the room and waited for Bingo. No win.
Lunch was in La Veranda and as we walked across the pool deck, it was still very cold and windy.
Back to the room again where Matt did some research on the upcoming excursions. There are 3 coming up starting tomorrow that are either 8 or 9 hours long. I will only be doing the first one. Matt will be doing all 3.
We went down to the casino for a bit of afternoon gambling as they will be closed tonight and all day tomorrow.
6:00 brought the "Top Tier Event", which we decided not to go to.
Tonight's dinner was at Prime 7.

Monday, February 26
Shanghi, China - Day 1

We were up at 7:00 with our usual breakfast in La Veranda before our 9:15 tour "Garden City of Suzhou":

Explore the lifestyles, traditions and scenic natural beauty that have shaped the lives of Suzhou's people for centuries. Although it will take two hours reach Suzhou, it will be well worth the effort. You will begin by visiting the Garden of the Master of the Nets, the smallest but most impressive of the Suzhou residential gardens. The inner garden was the model for the Ming Hall Garden at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Suzhou is also known for its outstanding silk, especially its double-sided silk embroidery, samples of which you may see at the Silk Embroidery Research Institute. A traditional Chinese lunch at the contemporary Bamboo Grove Hotel follows, after which you will settle in for a boat ride on the picturesque Grand Canal. That serene journey will end at the 2,500-year-old Panmen Gate, the only water and land gate in China.

Notice the 2 hour drive to get from Shanghi to Suzhou. I am a person who falls asleep on the bus, even though the guide is talking. I know, it's not polite, but I can't help it. Bus rides do that to me.
We did this tour backwards, so started with the boat ride in the canal. The problem is, you really only get to see the seawall on each side of the boat. You could see some bridges out the front of the boat when other people were not sticking their head out into the aisle.
Lunch did not work out great. We sat at tables of 10 with food on a lazy susan. Matt and I went to the bathroom and when we got back, most of the food was gone. Another couple arrived and got almost nothing. The items on the table were not replenished. The 3 people who sat at the table before the rest of us ate most of the food.
The silk institute was interesting to see. The ladies work with such perfection. Each item that they work on can take anywhere from a few months to a few years to finish.
Our final stop at the garden was way too long. Our guide liked to explain every area in detail.
We got stuck in traffic on the way back to the ship and did not arrive until 7:30, so we changed clothes quickly and first checked out the "special" Asian buffet in La Veranda, but decided to go down to Compass Rose.
Back to the room to watch a movie.
A long day with another to follow (for Matt).

Tuesday, February 27
Shanghi, China - Day 2

Matt was up early at 5:30, had breakfast in the cabin and then went on a 7:00 8 hour tour, "The Best of Shanghi":

Explore the must-see attractions in China's largest metropolis, a mosaic of modern skyscrapers and ancient architectural treasures. The city's contemporary side shines through in soaring landmarks such as the Shanghai World Finance Center, the Jin Mao Tower and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, where you will pause for photos. Your next stop will be Old Town, the vibrant marketplace surrounding the 16th-century Yu Yuan Gardens, which features exquisite rockeries and dragon walls. Touring both venues provides a historical touchstone for your visit to the Jade Buddha Temple, known for its priceless white jade Buddha. The working temple also houses an abundance of ancient carvings, paintings and precious Buddhist cultural relics. Thousands more historical artifacts are on display at the Shanghai Museum, whose collection of bronzeware from the Shang and Zhou dynasties dates back 3,500 years. Other highlights include exhibits of extraordinary ceramics, calligraphy and paintings.

I stayed aboard and had breakfast at 8:00 in an almost empty Compass Rose. I then worked on some Sudoku puzzles while the room was being cleaned.
Talked with some fellow passengers who also stayed onboard, watched a bit of a movie, had lunch in Compass Rose (again all but empty) and then went to the pool deck to listen to my audiobook.
Matt got back at 3:00 and thought the tour was ok, although the timing got off and even got to the gardens before it was open.
We had dinner in Compass Rose and called it a night.

Wednesday, February 28
Sea Day

We turned our clocks ahead one hour again last night.
We were both up at 8:00 with breakfast in La Veranda.
We then went to get our passports back. We need to carry them in Korea and Japan. This was followed by Bingo. We were both one number away from winning the last game.
Lunch (Tex Mex) in La Veranda. We still note that the food onboard is just not up to par. Very little flavor in any of the meals. I did learn that at breakfast, you need to ask for fresh squeezed orange juice instead of getting it from the dispenser which has concentrate.
We spent the early part of the afternoon in the casino.
Back to the room to watch a movie and nap, then I went to the "Society Reception". The numbers of the tier members has not changed much:

Silver: 311
Gold: 156
Platinum: 51
Titanium: 45
Diamond: 1
Commodore: 1

Matt met up with me for dinner in Compass Rose followed by time in the casino where we did not do badly.
The internet is starting to get bad onboard, so posting may get harder to do.

Thursday, February 29
Busan, South Korea

We both got up at 6:30 and had breakfast in La Veranda before Matt went on the 8 hour excursion, "Highlights of Gyeongju and Busan":
 

Behold an exquisite Buddhist temple complex and a king's tomb in Gyeongju before returning to Busan discover its charms. Known as the Museum without Walls, Gyeongju was once the capital of the Silla Kingdom and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its remarkable collection of Korean Buddhist architecture. The Bulguksa Temple is a prime example. Be sure to notice the Silla-style bridges, Buddha statues and 33 steps leading to the complex, which represent the 33 steps to enlightenment. Lunch follows, after which you will visit Tumuli Park, a repository for royal tombs. Upon entering the Flying Horse Tomb, you will behold artifacts such as gold crowns and the final resting place of a 6th-century Silla king. Returning to Busan, you will stop at Yongdusan, a mountaintop park that offers outstanding views of the city. Then for an authentic slice of South Korean life, you will browse the energetic Jagalchi Fish Market, the country's largest seafood market.

I stayed onboard as this was another long tour with a 1 hour bus ride to get to and from the sites. Instead, I did some Sudoku puzzles, watched a movie, had lunch and just enjoyed being on a quiet ship.
It did rain all day and Matt had to deal with that. He enjoyed most of his tour, although he said that lunch was not that great. He ate all of his gummy bears and granola bars that he packed to make up for it. He also stayed on the bus for the fish market, as we have seen several.
We had dinner in our cabin as we did not feel like getting dressed just for a meal.

Friday, March 1
Nagasaki, Japan

Up at 6:30 with the usual La Veranda breakfast.
9:00 brought our face-to-face immigration inspection in the terminal before our tour. We have not had so many forms to fill out and inspections to go through as on this tour. We were told there will be no more until we leave the ship.
Today's tour was "Panoramic Nagasaki":

Take in the natural beauty of Nagasaki and some of the most scenic vistas in and around town, beginning with a stop atop Mount Inasayama. Thanks to the mountain's proximity to the city center, you will be treated to sweeping vistas of the urban sprawl. Ask the guide to point out the Peace Memorial Park, as it will be your next destination. It is located near Ground Zero of the atomic bomb that was dropped here in 1945. Today, the park is a lush oasis full of fountains, statues and sculptures that countries around the world have donated in the name of peace. You will also visit Urakami Cathedral, where relics damaged in the bomb blast are on display, including charred stone saints. For a different historical reference point, you will pause at Dejima, an artificial island built in 1636 to segregate the Portuguese population and control their missionary activities. Dejima is now part of the mainland.

We rode the tram to the top of the mountain, a five minute ride, to a spectacular view of the entire city and beyond. It was a bit hazy, but still wonderful. The outside of Urakami Cathedral was interesting, but nothing to see inside. It is a reconstruction of the original that was destroyed by the A-Bomb. There are parts of the structure on site that still remain. The Peace Park was very nice with a lot of sculptures from many countries. Well worth the stop. Dejima, although full of history, was not as exciting and we did not need to spend as much time there as we did. However, this was a nice tour to be on.
We were back on the ship at 2:00, had lunch and then I went up to the pool deck to lay in the sun (although covered with a blanket as it is quite cool), while Matt watched a movie in the cabin.
Our dinner tonight was at Pacific Rim. We wanted to eat in this specialty restaurant one final time before leaving the ship and there was an availability.

Saturday, March 2
Sea Day

We started our last sea day at 7:30 with breakfast in La Veranda, then went to play Bingo (no win).
That was followed by lunch and then I went to the casino while Matt watched a movie back in the room.
A quiet afternoon, then a very nice dinner with Lance and Scot at Compass Rose followed by playing in the casino.
Just a very quiet and enjoyable sea day.
We are looking forward to our special tour tomorrow!

Sunday, March 3
Osaka/Nara, Japan

We got up at 6:00 with breakfast in La Veranda. We can see Universal Studios Osaka from the ship. We met our private tour guide Atsuko Tanaka at 8:30 in front of the Ferris Wheel near Osaka Port, a one minute walk from the ship. We booked her through Tours By Locals, the same company we used in New Zealand years ago.
We walked to the Nara Station just a few blocks away and took the train to Nara Park where there are over 1,000 deer. You purchase a pack of crackers for them and when you are ready to feed them, they bow and you give them the cookie. It was great to watch Matt getting butted by the deer and him laughing and having a great time feeding them.
We continued to Yoshikien Garden, Todaiji Temple (which I visited in 1974 on my "People-To-People" World Tour). We continued to Kasuga Shrine and then had a very good pork katsu meal for lunch. We then walked to Naramachi, a neighborhood of Nara with narrow streets lined with townhouses that have been transformed into gift shops and restaurants. 
Time flew by quickly and we were on our way back to the ship and arrived at 4:45. What a great day!! THANK YOU ATSUKO!
Had we tried to negotiate the trains and subways on our own, I'm sure we would have ended up anywhere but Nara.
On the walk back to the ship, we stopped into the little mall next to the ship to look around.
We decided to stay in our cabin and order dinner in, watched a movie and called it a night.

Monday, March 4
Osaka, Japan - Day 2

Up at 7:00 with breakfast in La Veranda before our 9:00 tour, "Highlights of Osaka":

Discover Osaka's glorious past by visiting some of the ancient city's most historical attractions, beginning with Osaka Castle. The original 16th-century castle was intended to be Japan's most impenetrable and beautiful fortification; however, it was destroyed just 30 years after being finished. Lightning struck the castle that replaced it, burning much of it to the ground. The rebuilt Osaka Castle that you will see dates to 1931 and is magnificent, especially the miles of defensive stone wall that surrounds it. Shitennoji Temple is even older and suffered similarly from fires. Each time, it was rebuilt to reflect the original 6th-century design with the gates, pagoda and main halls in a straight line. Look for the national treasures housed within the temple, which include some of founder Prince Shotoku's swords and invaluable Buddhist scriptures known as sutras.

Sometimes I feel like we are doing "Castle, Shrine, Temple" every day, but that is what they treasure here. It is the same as "This is our fort, this is our church" tours that we had in the Mediterranean.
The problem with today's is that although the castle was beautiful and the temple interesting, they are all re-built.  Most of the buildings on the grounds of the temple were reconstructed in 1963.
We did go to the top of the Castle (8 floors up) and then had a half hour to view the museum area, which we bypassed and went out on the grounds on our own.
We were back on the ship at 1:30 and had lunch in La Veranda.
The ship left port at 3:00 and we just stayed in our cabin and ordered dinner in, instead of dressing up just for dinner.
We were supposed to have dinner with Andy Heath and his wife Tammy (the Cruise Director and Social Hostess), but I lost my voice last night and it was still gruff by mid-morning, so we cancelled as it would have made for odd conversations. My voice came back as the day went on. Throat lozenges have helped.
Matt decided to start packing a bit as we disembark the ship in 2 days. It's not like we are packing to fly home, but instead packing things for the 3 day post-cruise tours and stay in Tokyo.
For me, it will be things I need in Tokyo in one suitcase and things I won't need in another. That way I can just live out of one suitcase.

Tuesday, March 5
Nagoya, Japan

Last full day of cruising. Up at 6:30 for our 4 hour, 8:30 "Panoramic Tour of Nagoya", which because it was raining, we cancelled.
Instead, we had breakfast in La Veranda and then I did my packing.
We could see a mall a few blocks from our ship, so we decided to walk over and see what they had. The answer became "nothing". We walked the main street for a few blocks, then headed back to the ship.
Lunch was in La Veranda.
Back to the room where Matt finished packing.
At 3:30, the ship left port with the local band playing us off. The Captain told us that we will be in for a very rocky night as we head to Tokyo.
We watched a movie, had dinner in Compass Rose, put our bags out and went to the casino.
This portion of the cruise was 2,404 nautical miles, making the total 5,269.

Wednesday, March 6
Tokyo, Japan - Day 1

We were up at 6:30, out of the cabin at 7:30, lunch in La Veranda, then the wait until 10:00 for our "color and number" to be called to disembark the ship.
We went to the terminal to get our bags, go through immigration, and head to the bus. That's when the mess began. First the people helping in the terminal herded our group of 26 in one area, then had us move toward the doors that led out, had another group try to move out of the way while we were going in their direction. Then it was onto the bus and a 30 minute wait for 4 people. Come to find out, they did not want to do the day's tour but did not let the right people know, so there we sat.
Finally underway, things got better...sort of.
Our first stop was the Fuji TV tower. As we got off the bus, the rain started in and the wind REALLY picked up. We went up to the 26^th floor where you could not see very far because of the clouds and rain. Back down, through the rain and wind to lunch, which was quite good.
Then it was off to the Hamarikyu Garden, which would be great to see if it weren't so cold and if the trees were blossoming more. Next stop was the Meiji Shrine. Although very important here, it is not the quality that we saw in Osaka and other places.
We then went to the Tokyo Hilton at 4:30 to check in. Of course, like always, all the busses arrived at the same time. Everyone on our bus was given the number 8. We were herded up to the 3^rd floor ballroom full of chairs. We were told to sit as group 6 was being checked in. It took about 20 minutes for our group to be called and we got our room key and registered.
The nice part was that our luggage was sent to the hotel directly from the port and was waiting for us in our room, which is a very nice one.
At 7:00, we went down to the lobby level where we had a buffet dinner. Nice selection, but a bit expensive, as we are finding most things here.
Matt and I then went across the street to the Family Mart, a nice version of 7-11, with a bit of everything in it. We got sodas and a large bottle of water before returning to our hotel and called it a night.

Thursday, March 7
Tokyo, Japan - Day 2

I got Matt up at 7:00 so we could beat the crowd to breakfast in the lobby restaurant. It was a nicely set up buffet.
At 9:15, everyone went to the 3^rd floor to get bus tickets and wait for the bus number to be called before going back downstairs to catch the busses.
There were at least 7 busses all going to the same places at the same time.
We first went to the Tokyo National Museum for an hour to look at the many antiquities.
We then drove to the Ginza shopping district for an hour long look around. It is all very high end.
We got back to the hotel at 2:00 and we decided to take the hotel shuttle to the Shinjuku area of the city. We wanted a bit of the hustle and bustle feel of Tokyo and this did the trick. We had lunch at McDonalds. They have a much larger selection of food than in the US. I had a chicken teriyaki sandwich. Next was a walk through a Pachinko Palace and then to the flagship Disney store.
Back to the hotel at 4:00 for a rest before our dinner at Misono, a kobe beef teppanyaki restaurant on the 51^st floor of the building across the street from our hotel. This was THE best meat I have tasted. So "melt in your mouth". We were the only ones there and the chef, who was cooking in front of us was so meticulous. It wasn't the clang-clang-clang showy teppanyaki type place we have at home. He was so careful in his cuts and his seasoning. Dinner included salad, 5 different vegetables, the meat with cooked garlic rounds that were so crispy and good, and dessert.
We then walked back to the Shinjuku area to get photos of the street at night, and boy was it busy.
Back to the hotel at 9:00. Worn out in a good way.

Friday, March 8
Tokyo, Japan - Day 3

Up at 7:00 again, but this time to snow on the ground. Yep, snowing in Tokyo. It was light, but still left snow on bushes and trees. We had breakfast in the lobby restaurant and back to the 9:30 get a bus ticket, wait, get on the bus. Our half day tour included the Imperial Palace Plaza and the Asakusa Senso-ji Temple. At the Palace, we could only go to the outside plaza, on the opposite side of the moat for a few photos. You are not allowed on the palace grounds and the gardens were closed (as they are twice a week).
At the temple, we were given over an hour to walk around. That was more than enough as it was quite crowded and not a ton to see. There is a shopping alley there, which is wall to wall people.
Back to the hotel, then we walked down the street to a katsu pork restaurant, which was very good and inexpensive.
We then went back to the hotel room to relax.
Dinner was in the hotel lounge that used the buffet restaurant for food.
Back to the room for final packing.

Saturday, March 9
Let's Go Home Day

Matt was up at 6:45. He was ready to get the day going. We got ourselves ready and had breakfast in the lobby restaurant, then back to the room to do final packing.
Our private car/van picked us up at 9:45 and we were off to Narita Airport. As we were pulling away, the 2 ladies that were confirming our airport and flight, bowed and waved goodbye.
It was an hour and a half drive. We passed very closely to Tokyo Disneyland along the way.
Checking in was quick and easy. We found a lounge and had a quick snack before boarding. This was a 3 hour flight and we were in Taipai at 5:15 (with time change). As we were taxiing out of Tokyo, the whole ground crew bowed to the plane and waved goodbye.
We had to go through a quick bag inspection upon entering the Taipai airport, then we went to the lounge before our 7:35 boarding to San Francisco. This was an 11 hour flight.
Arrived in San Francisco at 2:15 and there was a short line for Global Entry, but much, much shorter than those who did not have it.
Eric from Vintage Limousine picked us up quicky and we were home by 5:00.
Then came the unpacking that was done by 8:00.
Another very enjoyable vacation finished.