Tag Archives: photos

Beppu Monkey Park

Posted on November 15, 2019 by

We started our port stop from Holland America Westerdam in Beppu, Japan with a visit to Takasakiyama Monkey Park. This park sits at the base of Mt. Takasaki, and is populated by wild macaque monkeys. A sign at the entrance … Continue reading →

Posted in Holland America, Japan, Pacific Ocean & Islands, Port Cities, Ports of Call, Westerdam | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Surviving 22 Days On A Cruise Ship With No Guest Laundries

Posted on November 8, 2019 by

Some cruise lines have self-serve guest laundries on all their ships. Some have them on some of their ships. Others never have any laundry facilities for the passengers on any of their ships. On any major cruise ship you can … Continue reading →

Posted in Explorer of the Seas, Royal Caribbean, Shipboard Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Beppu, Japan Cruise Port

Posted on November 1, 2019 by

Beppu, Japan is a city of steam, best known for its multitude of natural hot springs and thermal pools. Some are used as day spas or resorts. Some are even used to steam food. Its 8 major geothermal hot spots … Continue reading →

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San Diego Trolley Tour

Posted on October 25, 2019 by

Before our cruise on the Royal Princess we had a ship’s excursion booked in San Diego, California. It was supposed to be a ghosts and gravestones tour in San Diego’s old town area on a hop-on hop-off trolley. We never … Continue reading →

Posted in Port Cities, Ports of Call, Princess, Royal Princess, USA | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Maré Natural Aquarium

Posted on October 11, 2019 by

When stopping in Maré, New Caledonia, most cruise ship passengers opt to buy tickets for the shuttle to Yejele Beach. Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas promoted that shuttle quite heavily, encouraging everyone to buy tickets ahead of time so … Continue reading →

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Osaka Cruise Port

Posted on October 4, 2019 by

Osaka, Japan With a population of over 19 million, Osaka is Japan’s second most populous city, and one of the most populated metropolitan areas of the world. This port city has served historically as a merchant city. Signs of human … Continue reading →

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San Diego Cruise Port

Posted on September 27, 2019 by

Royal Princess arrived in San Diego around 4am, though the scheduled arrival time was 7am. That gave the crew plenty of time to set up gangways on two different decks long before most of the passengers woke up. The morning … Continue reading →

Posted in Port Cities, Ports of Call, Princess, Royal Princess, USA | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Hits and Misses on Holland America Veendam

Posted on September 20, 2019 by

Every cruise ship has its good features and its bad features. Holland America Veendam is no different. Even among ships of the same cruise line things vary, and of course likes and dislikes are a personal thing. Everyone is entitled … Continue reading →

Posted in Holland America, Veendam | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Maré Cruise Port

Posted on September 13, 2019 by

On our transpacific cruise on Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas, we made a port stop at Mare, New Caledonia. While this looks like the word for a female horse – a mare – it is actually pronounced Mar-ray.  It’s … Continue reading →

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Exploring Shimizu

Posted on September 6, 2019 by

We had just a short amount of time to spend onshore in our port stop in Shimizu, Japan. Holland America Westerdam had a brief port stop there mainly for the views of Mount Fuji, which can be seen from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Holland America, Japan, Port Cities, Ports of Call, Westerdam | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment