OUR 2026 MEXICAN CRUISE

1 Reply

In the fall of 2025, we saw a really good offer for a cruise at the end of January 2026. The cruise is one we had done before, LA to Mexico and back to LA. There are three ports of call: Cabo St Lucas, Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta. Seeing as we were going to be in Victoria for over three months during the long dark winter, we decided it sounded like a good idea.

Once we booked it, we reached out to a number of friends and family to see if anybody would be interested in joining us. My sister jumped on it and booked the same class of cabin that we had booked. Our cabins were ‘guaranteed balconies with obstructed view’. For the extra price, an unobstructed balcony was simply not worth it, at least in our opinion. The cruise was paid for and time marched on until just a week before the cruise.

Guaranteed cabins… You never know what you will get.

One week before the cruise we still had not been assigned a cabin. We called the cruise line and were told cabins can be assigned at any time up to an including boarding. With that in mind, we just waited. Two days before the cruise was due to depart, we received an email from the cruise line offering us a “downgrade” offer. Normally cruise lines, airlines, car dealers et al are interested in ‘up-selling’ you. It stands to reason if you pay a higher amount, they will make more money.

This time, it appears they ran out of obstructed balconies. Maybe they were out of all types of balconies? A quick check online showed the cruise was sold out. The deal they were offering us was giving up our guaranteed obstructed balcony for an inside cabin. In exchange for this, we would receive a full refund of the fare in the form of refundable travel credits. We could use these travel credits on board the ship during the cruise to purchase things, services and anything else we wanted. Any value that we did not use would be mailed back to us in the form of a cheque. The only thing we still needed to pay for was the port fees and taxes.

How much is a balcony and an ocean view worth?

There is no denying it. A balcony is a lot nicer than an inside cabin. We talked about it for a bit and called my sister who received the same offer. It seemed an easy decision and we both decided to take the cruise line up on their downgrade offer. We were quickly switched over and assigned an inside cabin. Our onboard account now showed refundable travel credits for the full value of our fare. The cruise now cost us less than $200. Whoot whoot.

Travelling to the cruise ship.

We flew from Victoria to Calgary and then to Los Angeles. Funny thing was my sister, who lives in Calgary, flew from Calgary to Vancouver and then on to LA. You never know what you’ll get with seat sales, points redemption et al. Once in LA, we took the metro to our hotel and met up. Dinner was a Thai restaurant we had been to before and was just as good as last time. On Saturday morning, we woke up to brilliant sunshine and pleasant temperatures. As we were going to be on a cruise ship for a week, we decided to go for a walk along the water. We have always enjoyed walking the Long Beach boardwalk and today’s hour and a half walk in the sunshine was no exception.

Our walk along the Long Beach Boardwalk on a sunny Saturday morning

Boarding cruise ship

We made our way to the cruise ship and got in line for embarkation. The only way to describe it is like being herded onto a cattle car. This is one area that Princess Cruises fails miserably at compared to other cruise lines. Although it did seem tedious, from the time we arrived at the cruise ship terminal it only took us 30 minutes to get on board the ship. We explored a bit and then had a quiet civilized lunch in the main dining room. This was followed by getting access to our state rooms where we unpacked. Fully exploring the ship came next and then the 3 PM sail away.

That evening, I decided to try one of the fancy drinks. I’ve never seen or tried butterfly tea before. Princess has made a martini out of it. They bring you a highball glass with the drink in it and a shooter glass with lemon juice, which you add yourself. It changes colours from purple to blueish when you pour the lemon juice in. As I added the lemon juice there was a slight colour change. It was, however really good and extremely potent so one was enough for me.

A Butterfly martini – very pretty, delicious and potent!

That evening, after a good dinner in the main dining room, we went and watched the show which was a musical trio that did cover songs from the 60s to 90s. Then, on our way back to our cabin, we popped in and did the ABBA trivia. It was a good decision to stop there because we ended up winning. The prizes you get for winning are mostly symbolic and certainly not life-changing. We each got a little blue notebook to go along with the bragging rights.

Our first Sea Day

Our ship sailed south into Mexican territorial waters as we headed to Cabo St Lucas. The ship had the typical events for a day at sea including trivia, exercise classes, and various other events. We moved around the ship meeting up my sister and her husband and going our own separate ways throughout the day. One of the events we did was attend the veterans social. Princess cruises normally hosts a veterans get together where they toast veterans.

There were about 30 or so veterans there, we all took turns standing up, stating our names and what roles we had in the military. The majority of the individuals were from the United States and surprising number for Vietnam veterans. It was nice to meet some of them, share some stories and realize how much we all had in common serving in the military.

Not all shows are created equally.

Our first night at sea was the formal night. It turns out this is the only formal night during the seven-day cruise. We were decked out in our spiffy outfits and attended the Captain’s champagne waterfall. It was good for people watching. The champagne they provided, which truly wasn’t champagne, was pretty dismal. We ended heading back to our cabin to get some of Prosecco we had brought on board. We had our dinner and headed to the show.

Tonight’s show was “Encore”. We thought we had seen the show before and as soon as it started, we realized we had. It was a series of songs with no real plot. On the positive site, the costumes and outfits were beautiful. The music and songs were not ones we really cared for. We’ll have to remember if we ever see this show again to find something else to do during that time.

Our first port of call Cabo San Lucas

The ship arrived at Cabo Saint Lucas at 12:30 and came to anchor. This was a tender port and as we were only here for 6 ½ hours was a bit of a gong show. It takes 2+ hours to get everybody assure and obviously 2+ hours to get everybody back on board. There’s really not a lot of time ashore.

To manage the tenders in the most efficient way possible, tickets are distributed on our first come first serve basis. It started at 11 AM. The previous evening, it was suggested to us by our Matre-d, to lineup for tender tickets no later than 10:15. Craig lined up at 10:15 and was about the 50^th person in line. That was obviously a good place to start because he got tender ticket number eight. That worked out well for us as we were able to eat lunch in the main dining room and then board our tender. We were exiting our tender and ashore in Cabo at 1 PM, 30-minutes after the ship came to anchor.

The Cabo St Lucas sign – warm sunny weather!

We wandered for a bit and then grabbed a drink at a convenience store. We carried on to the beach. Walking along the beach we noted that the water was not all that warm. As there didn’t seem to be a lot to do, we started to head back to the ship. En route, we came across a little market and tried some homemade tamales. I’m not sure I would eat them again, but it was a great experience.

Street food – one of our favourites!

The tamales were made by a husband-and-wife team. They were served on a plate and you ate them with your hands (they had hand sanitizer you could use – yes I used it). There were a number of sauces in front of their stand, and I pointed to them and asked questioningly “picante?”. The husband looked at the sauces and said “mucho picante!”. I thought to myself ‘how hot can this be?’ Well… it can be very hot. As my face turned red and sweat started running down my forehead, my travel companions showed absolutely no compassion or mercy. They were all howling in laughter at my predicament. However, with most things in life, this too did pass. Once finished, we returned to the ship and spent the afternoon playing cards.

Mazatlán, our second port of call

Arriving in Mazatlán, we headed on foot towards ‘El Faro’ – the lighthouse. It was about a 15-minute walk to the base of the lighthouse from the ship and then another 15-minutes as we trekked up to the top. There are 336 steps to the top. This is in addition to the 10 to 15 minutes of hiking up switchbacks. It was +26C and humid so by the time we reached the top, we deserved a rest. The views are the best in Mazatlán.

It was a lot easier coming down than going up. Once at the bottom, we tried to get a taxi to take us downtown. 200 to 250 pesos for the amount of the taxi drivers were asking for. Uber showed it would only be about 70 pesos. Unfortunately, no Uber driver would accept the ride. After five minutes of waiting, we started walking towards downtown but before we got off the isthmus, a taxi pulled up to us and offered to take us downtown for $5 USD.

The bottom of the lighthouse walk – very nice gardens.

Once downtown, we wandered through the old cathedral and then found a taco stand where we had lunch. Tapping into the GPS my-city app, we embarked on a walking tour of Mazatlán. I cannot recommend this app enough. The details they provide and the consistent accurate routing from site to site and or place you drop a pin is simply amazing. It has saved us more than one argument when travelling in new locations.

New (to us) areas of Mazatlán

We were excited to see new areas of Mazatlán. As we explored, we drifted back to the ship and just before we headed through security, the cruise ship terminal has a few bars. We took advantage of their liberal pours and reasonable prices to have margaritas and piña coladas. Unfortunately, the piña coladas did not live up to our expectations. The margaritas on the other hand were wonderful.

On our next trip to Mazatlán, I would certainly head back to their malacon area and the other parts of town which we only got to see on a cursory level. There is much more to Mazatlán than we had seen in our previous two visits.

Puerto Vallarta, our last cruise port of call

Arriving early in the morning at PV, we headed to shore at 8:30 AM local time. Our plan has been to head up to San Sebastian, a colonial mining town. We could not arrange a trip before we got there, as no guide was willing to take the chance of us missing our ship. Once ashore, we met a tout who is willing to take us for US$320 (half the price of a cruise ship excursion). The guide was very forthright and said while he was willing to do it, it was not a great idea. Simply put we would spend 4+ hours driving to spend two hours in the town.

We then decided to head into town on a local bus and see what we could find. While riding the bus we overheard people in front of us talking about their planed hike. They were planning to go to Boca de Tomatlan and, from there, hike to Playa Las Animas. We were told that the first part of the hike was over a number of boulders but then it flattened out. It would be about a two-hour hike and then you could have lunch in Las Animas.

This sounded interesting to all of us so we tagged along with our new found friends. We had been cautioned the tides were extremely high and our hike started with the first sandbar we needed to cross being completely underwater.

We pushed on…but…

Walking a few hundred metres further we found a makeshift bridge that took us from one side of the river to the other. The first 15 or 20 minutes of the hike was lovely. Great views, wonderful vegetation, and gentle grades. Then the ‘fun’ began. It ended up being what I could only describe as a forced route march in the army. We were faced with going up and down cliffs and boulders – in the end our apps said it was the equivalent of 56 flights of stairs. There were scrambles over boulders, as well as clinging onto vines and ropes to shimmy up and down trails. Everyone at broken a sweat and regular breaks were needed to catch our breaths.

Up and down and up and down and across the waves and up…

At times the ups and downs took us back to sea level and should have been able to walk across lovely, almost deserted beachs. Here is where the high tides again played havoc on our plans. There were no beaches. Waves kept crashing in covering up what should have been the beach. We had the time the waves so we could run across the small bit of beach and jump onto rocks on the other side to prevent getting our shoes soaked. The trail itself was overall well maintained. I am not sure who keeps the trail up, likely locals who are committed to helping. The one sketchy area was two makeshift bridges that left a lot to be desired.

In the end, after two very long hours, tired, and a bit worse for wear, we arrived at the beach of Los Animas. The high tides had most of the beach covered but we were still able to walk on what was not under water. We took advantage of the local beach front restaurants and then hopped on a water taxi to take us back to Boca. None of us question the 100-peso fee to take us back to the starting point of our hike where we caught a bus back to Puerto Vallarta.

An amazing lunch in PV.

Once back in PV, we decided to find another taco stand and enjoy the local street food. Grabbing some adult beverages at the local OXXO, Google maps recommend a small Mexican restaurant across the road. At times, Google reviews can be questionable, this one totally hit the mark and it will be a place we visit upon our return. La Weltita, a small independent restaurant, serving exceptionally good ceviche, quesadillas, and tacos. Should you find yourself in Puerto Vallarta, I cannot recommend enough to eat at this place. The owner is a lovely Ex-Pat who employes locals and pays them fair wages.

From there, it was back to the ship, with a quick stop to buy some vanilla at a local store. Unfortunately, the local store did not stock vanilla and pointed us to tourist stores. In the end, we visited Walmart and bought some clear vanilla as it is difficult to find at home. We very much having enjoyed our day in Puerto Vallarta.

Two Sea Days en route to Los Angeles

Travelling back to north to Los Angeles from Mexico the ship provided numerous activities and diversion. You could eat as much as you wanted, play trivia, watch shows, watch movies in your cabin, wander the decks. The bars were always open for any sort of beverage you desired. We took advantage of a wine tasting event, the Captain’s, welcome cocktail party, and lounged around in the sun.

Having done this cruise a few times before, there is nothing wowing or earth-shattering about it. It is a great break from the cool dark weather of Victoria. Anytime someone will prepare all your meals, clean your room and take care of you for a week, makes for a good relaxing vacation. We have booked a future cruise credit although, at this time, we have not decided when or where we will go. There are other upcoming cruises that are booked on other cruise lines, but we are sure we will travel Princess again at some point in time.

Thanks for reading.

Feel free to leave comments or contact us by the link above.

Cam and Meg

Test Post

this is only a test

Did this go to the right place

Christmas 2025

Reflection and Sharing

Our Christmas was a quiet affair this year. Michaela came over around 9AM and we opened some presents followed by a hearty breakfast of double cinnamon French toast.

We then had a Zoom call with all the cousins and Omi. It was great to catch up.

However you choose to spend this time, may Peace, Joy and Happiness be with you and your family.

Our Philippine Adventure – Deserted Islands and Typhoons!

Commencing our trip

The evening before our tour started, we attended an orientation briefing for the upcoming expedition. TAO Expeditions was the outfit we selected, based on research. They seemed less ‘boozy’ and more environmentally focused. https://www.taophilippines.com (we do not receive anything if you follow the link.) They were also the most expensive, which, naturally culls the herd of 20-somethings. The briefing had 22 of the 25 guests show up. The talk started with a drink of “Jungle Juice”, basically 1 ½ oz of local rum and 1 ½ oz of pineapple juice. Remember this is the less booze cruise. The outline covered off the company history, the community work it does, the planned route, accommodations, food and other things. One-hour later we left, feeling excited.

The Group Make Up – Spoiler Alert – We Were the Oldest

The Magic Bus – nothing was lashed down…

The group around us was mostly young folks with the exception of three older couples which included us. Any one of the three couples could easily be parents to the other passengers. Everyone seemed friendly and there didn’t seem to be that ‘one’ idiot who could be annoying and foolish at the same time. We met at 8 AM the next morning and signed in. Our luggage was tossed on the roof of what I could only call a Magic Bus, in reference to the Who’s 1960s hit. When I say ‘tossed’, I actually mean tossed. Nothing was lashed down for the one-hour drive. Then we boarded the Magic Bus for the journey. There was no air conditioning and all the windows were down as we sat on two wooden benches facing each other.

Once at El Nido port, we jumped off and hiked through the woods for about 15-minutes. Arriving at TAO Base Camp, we saw huts, eating areas, common areas, community bathrooms and more. A quick orientation followed by a delicious breakfast started our day. More talks, then lunch, then on to our boat where we headed to a nearby remote island. This was our first snorkelling adventure.

Colourful Reefs and Fish

What we saw underwater was more impressive that what we were able to see on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). This was likely due to the ‘bleaching’ of the GBR. In the Philippines, there were more colours and the water was warmer. While there were more fish on the Barrier Reef, both the coral and fish were brighter in the Philippines. Both places had numerous things that could bite, attack, harm and kill you. Caution was in order the entire time.

A Philippine Reef (my underwater camera did not do it justice)

That evening we returned to Base Camp for a four-course meal that was well prepared. The focus was on local ingredients and flavours. Each course was explained and there was more food than we could eat. Seconds and even third helpings were encouraged. After dinner, we wandered a bit, looking at the countless stars we could see. Then, returning to our huts, we hunkered down, on a mat under mosquito netting for a great sleep. The only sounds were the ocean and nature. As the temperature only dipped to 26C at night, we were both a bit worried we’d be too hot, but that was not the case.

Day Two – Sailing and Snorkelling

The inside of our huts – a thin foamy with mosquito netting. Gilligan would feel at home!

We woke up, around 6AM which was sunrise. There was not much to block the sun, but we were not complaining. Looking around, it hit us that we slept in an open-air bamboo hut next to the ocean. There was a stretch/yoga class for those who were interested, like me. There were also pots and pots of fresh coffee for those who so desired, like Meg. Breakfast was another feast where there was no shortage of food. Fresh fruit was a key to all meals.

Today was Meg’s birthday. Me being me, I rapped my glass with my spoon to announce the special day and all of Meg’s new 24 friends sang happy birthday to her. There were also bets on if they would witness a burial at sea later that day as she was likely to kill me for what I did. We packed up our stuff into our dry bags, and swam out to the boat. Nothing like a dip in the ocean to start your day.

More Reefs, Snorkelling and Eating

During the day we sailed to a few islands where we snorkeled, ate and enjoyed life. It is pretty hard lifestyle to beat. Later that day the ship anchored off Linapacan Island. Then we got to jump back into the water and swim ashore. As the water was warm, it was not too much of a hardship. Once ashore, while dripping wet, we were told where our huts for the night would be. They put the couples on one side of the camp and the single travellers on the other side. Couple huts are a fair bit wider and accommodate two foam mattresses.

Settling into Our Camp for the Evening

Putting our drybags into our hut, we wandered around and were in awe of how picture perfect this was. On a beach, on a deserted part of a large island, with a breeze blowing and sunset approaching. Our home was a bamboo hut. It was so magical. Wandering the beach for views, the clouds were putting on a show of red, pink and other colours. Since we had been in and out of the ocean a number of times, a fresh water shower was in order. There were four showers, all in one area, with no dividers between them. You just showered with your bathing suit on.

Once we had gotten the salt off us, a pre-dinner drink (jungle juice) was provided. Our dinner that night was another feast, followed by a bon-fire and eventually off to bed. As we scrambled up into our huts, it was breezy which made the warm temperature pleasant for sleeping. Since there was really not much artificial light on the island, there was really no point in staying up late. Sunrise would be at 6 AM, so going to bed and rising early made sense.

Storms and a Diversion

Waking up and hearing only waves on the beach was great. Sunrise was at 6AM, and with nothing to block the light, we were up by then. Wandering the beach, we saw fishermen, there are no women fishing there, heading out for the day.

Once breakfast was over, our tour guide made an announcement. He told us there was a storm coming and it looked nasty. The word he used was typhoon. An open-air boat with no radio or radar and two outriggers for balance is no match for a typhoon. Mother nature will win every time. To keep the passengers, crew and boat safe, the planned route was being altered. We would be going east instead of our planned westerly route. This would keep us in a wind shadow and likely avoid the worst of it. As we swam out to the boat, we were all just glad to be safe and everyone agreed, it was all part of the adventure.

Rain, Rain and more Rain

Trying to stay dry in a heavy downpour – it wasn’t much fun

As we sailed, we could see the rain approaching. Eventually there was no place to hide from the rain, other than the galley. In the end, 15 of the 25 guests were crammed into the galley to try and keep warm and dry. Nine hours later, through wind and rain, we arrived at camp for the night. Similar to the previous evening, they placed couples on one side and singles on the other. The two rows of huts were only about 40’ apart, but faced different directions.

We all managed to get dry and eat a lovely dinner before settling down in our huts for the night. It was a bit breezy. Little did we know the wind was only starting…

Meeting A Tropical Depression in a Bamboo Hut

Around 11 pm, we woke up to torrential rain hitting the side of our hut. There were also high winds whistling through. The shaking of our bamboo hut was not either of us moving around as we both first thought. Remember, always blame the other person. It was actually the wind shaking the hut. Howling wind with no reprieve. Between crashing waves, violent wind and driving rain, the noise was deafening. We kept telling each other that we were dry and warm, we would be fine. In reality, we confessed to each other the next morning we were both quite scared. Recently, we had both read “One Perfect Couple” by Ruth Ware. It is a story of group who ended up stranded on a deserted island after a storm. No one came to rescue them and slowly people started dying. It was not a comforting thought for either of us.

We managed to stay dry. The hut, for all its basic-ness, did an excellent job of keeping the rain out. We could feel mist coming in the front and back of the hut, but no leaks from the roof. Then we heard a crash. While we can’t be sure, we think it was a palm branch or a coconut hitting the ground nearby with a terrific thud. The rain continued to drive and the hut shook. Lying in bed, with driving rain and wind while your home shakes is not for the faint of heart. Actually, it isn’t for us either. More thuds and more wind.

Staying Put

Eventually, around 1 AM both the wind and rain seemed to stop. Then one of the staff came around and asked if we were ok. We said yes. He then asked if we wanted to go to the safe hut, a concrete building where most of the other guests had gone some time ago. Ummm, why were only checking on us now? As the wind and rain had both died down, we decided to stick it out in our hut. We were dry, fairly warm and it seemed the worst had passed.

Once the staff member had left, we remembered that sometimes, the eye of the storm is the calmest. What if we were in the eye of the storm and round two was about to start? In the end, our decision to stay turned out to be the right one. Things were quiet for the rest of the night and a few hours later, we heard the others coming back to their huts.

The Morning After

Our hut after the typhoon – sunny skies and calm winds.

Most of the others were not so lucky. Some huts had water pouring in from holes in the roof. Others leaked from the sides. All of the single huts faced the storm and rain came in at full force, they, along with everything inside was soaked. The couples huts took the storm on the side, so less damage. We traded stories of how we managed with others and learned that our hut was one of only two that did not leak. A couple from Australia had water pouring in through their roof all night long. We were one of two couples that did not go to the safe house. Most of the other passengers thought we were crazy to stay in the hut, but it all worked out fine.

In the end, no one was physically hurt – but four guests opted to leave the tour the next morning, so there may have been emotional injuries.

Storm Report

The next morning, there was debate amongst the staff whether the storm was a tropical depression or a typhoon – either way, it was scary. 53 mm of rain in about 2 hours; wind at 40 km/hr sustained with gusts to 65. Nothing that we don’t encounter at home – but in a bamboo hut, in the pitch dark, it feels a lot different!

Updated bucket list

Survive a tropical storm in a bamboo hut was not on the bucket list, but now that we are safely through it, it’s a pretty unique thing for have on our resumes!

Carrying On With Our Trip

In reality, how can you top that? The next day was uneventful in comparison. There was a stop at the ‘best’ reef on the tour. Unfortunately, that reef was a bit murky with the previous night’s storm but still plenty of coral and fish.

We made it to the final campsite where we took some time to relax, wander about and share stories. A grand finale dinner put everyone in a good mood and we all slept well that night. There was no wind, no rain and no crashing waves. Only gentle lapping of water on the shore. Our huts were all dry.

Finishing Our Expedition

In the morning, we broke camp and by noon were in Coron where we caught a flight to Cebu Island. At the Coron airport, there is not much there other than the landing strip. It is paved. We managed to check in without issues, although you need to show your boarding pass to get into the airport terminal. As we had not checked in, we held up our phones to a lit screen and were waived through. I guess they don’t check tourists as carefully as locals. To pass the time, after check-in, we left the airport and walked across the road to a series of small restaurants. These are really just roadside stands and they back onto the runway. But don’t worry about security, even though there’s no fence, there is a sign there that says do not enter, so it’s safe.

The flight was uneventful and we arrived on the Island of Cebu for the next phase of our trip.

Thanks for reading,

Cam and Meg

“People don’t take trips, trips take people.” – John Steinbeck

Sydney – Our Australia adventure continued

Sydney – An Amazing Cosmopolitan City On The Water

Arriving in Sydney, we were awoken to the higher costs and busy environment. First off, if you take the train from the airport into town, it is $22/person. If you take the local bus from the airport to the next train stop on the line, a five-minute bus ride, it will cost $2 AUD and then the train to downtown will only cost $4/person. That is an easy hack to beat the airport service fee. So, for $6, you can get to downtown.

But really, who wants a train or bus when there is Uber? A quick check the night before, from Tasmania showed the Uber fare was only $45. Sign me up, only 2 times the $22 train fare, for a couple, that’s a deal. Unfortunately, with dynamic pricing and multiple flights arriving, the price shot up to $98 when I checked while waiting for our luggage. More than double the night before. Bus and train it was for us. We were certainly not the only ones using that hack.

The Sydney Opera House – A World-Wide Symbol

On our first day in Sydney, we toured the Sydney Opera House. Anyone who has travelled or read any sort of travel magazine, or watched Bugs Bunny, has likely seen pictures of the Sydney Opera House. It is up there with the Eiffel tower and the Pyramids as symbol that almost everyone knows. Our hour-long tour did not disappoint us, learning facts and stories about the construction, operation and behind the scenes. The two largest venues – the ones within the iconic shells – are spectacular.

They seat 1500 and 2700 patrons respectively and are designed without pillars that would obstruct views of the stage. Each is engineered so amplifiers are not needed and every seat hears the same music at the same volume. The larger venue is used for symphony; the smaller for opera. Quite amazing to think that one single human voice can be equally projected to 1500 spectators without amplification.

Another surprise is that the building is not white, despite how it looks in every picture. The shells are actually textured beige-y, gray-y tiles. To the eye up close, it looks almost gray – but the camera picks up white. We have many photos – from the air, water, bridge and plaza, day and night, up close and far away. The Opera House looks white in all of them!

The Shiralee – An Australian Story

We decided, after touring the site, to see if we could get tickets for a play. We were fortunate to get some just released tickets for a play on our last night in Sydney. The play, called ‘The Shiralee’ was an amazing 2 ½ hour play that highlights the life of a “Swag-Man” in the Outback and his daughter.

The Opera House Lives Up to its Expectations

The play, which was wonderful, kept us both riveted the entire time. It was held in one of the smaller venues, maybe 750 seats. But there are no poles or support beams blocking any seats in the theatre. Acoustics were great and there were no distractions. Audience noises were almost none existent. The only thing to focus on was the stage.

The theatre was completely black – walls and ceiling starkly so with no decorations, chandeliers or curtains, just black wood. No dim lights marking the aisles, no illuminated exit signs (at least none that we saw from our seats). The audience had no choice but to fully immerse in the action on the stage. Being six rows from the stage, we were close enough to see expressions on the faces of the actors. It may have been the best live drama I have ever seen. The story moved us both. If you do find yourself in Sydney, I recommend not only a tour, but a play if you have the time (and the plot interests you).

So Much To See

With over 5 million people, countless harbours and coves, many with soft sand beaches, the problem was what to do during our four days? We were staying in a studio apartment in the CBD (downtown), close to a lot of the action but away from other must-see sights. The Bondi to Bronte walk, along the sea was recommended to us and we enjoyed that. Following that, we wandered up to Watsons Bay and went for a swim to cool off.

Murals and Street Art

In the evening, we visited NewTown, an area known for its murals. The “I Have a Dream” mural, likely being the most famous. The quote and a drawing of Dr. Martin Luther King is inspiring. The murals throughout the area depict many scenes of daily life as well as sci-fi and fantasy. My favourite was a drawing from 2015 that is even more relevant today. It is called “The Housing Bubble”. It features a lady sitting on a man’s back reaching out for a house that is floating away under balloons. The house is out of reach for her and her family, a scenario that is being played out in Australia more and more, as well as Canada and other places.

Manly to Split walk

I stopped to have a swim in this cove during my 10 km walk

Another walk, that is well worth the effort is the Manly to Split walk. It is 10km and features a lot of stairs. The reward is stunning views of the harbour from numerous angles as well as multiple beaches that you can swim at to break up the travel. Due to the nature of the walk, I did this on my own, as Meg didn’t think she could handle the ups and downs.

Sydney, a Liveable City (Although Maybe Not Affordable)

As we wound down our time in Australia and Sydney, we were captured by Sydney. It helped we saw an outstanding play on our last night and the weather was good. There are buses, trams, trains and ferries to get you around. If you are touring, you don’t really need a car. The town is not as clean as other places in Australia, but it seemed safe overall. Given it has such a major airport, I can certainly see coming here again and visiting places that I only walked by or missed. On this visit, we skipped the museums. A must for next time.

Given that Australia is a Commonwealth country, like Canada, the similarities are striking. Language is the biggest, they are easy to understand and speak a clear dialect. There is almost no need to carry cash. Card is accepted everywhere, although most places will charge a surcharge of up to 2% for using a card. Given the ease of card, we withdrew no cash while in Australia. Everything was on card, normally tap to pay from our phones. There is a transit card called the Opal card but the benefits are the same if you use your credit card.

It is amazing how fast a month can go, but we are leaving Australia now and heading off to the Philippines for our next phase of the Fall 2025 trip.

Thanks for reading,

Cam and Meg

“Life is a journey. Make the most of it.”

Our Australia adventure continued

Heading from Melbourne to Sydney

Our time in Melbourne was winding down and we planned to drive to Sydney. A number of people had asked us if we were going to do the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne to Adelaide. That drive was in a westerly direction and we needed to head east. Unfortunately, there would not be enough time. We’ve learned that to miss some things is to actually see more. Cramming too much into an itinerary only makes you forget much of what you’ve seen and miss the moments.

Our drive to Sydney started by heading to our friends home – Chez McBing. On a river cruise ten years ago, we met Tim and Bing and have kept in touch since then. They suggested we spend a night at their home in Rye. We accepted their gracious offer and started by heading to the Peninsula Hot Springs for some soothing soaking in natural hot springs. Water logged but revived after two hours, we returned to their beautiful home and mysteriously wine bottles appeared. Then the food came. It was a wonderful evening.

Shrimps on the Bar-Bee

In classic Australian style, they “threw some shrimps on the bar-bee” and they were so good. We spent the next few hours eating, drinking, laughing and going on a few short walks with the true boss of their home, Pebbles. It was such a relaxing evening and a welcome respite from hotels and restaurants.

In the morning, their hospitality continued and we were able to walk the national park. Just prior to leaving, a last tour of the wonderful works of art in their home, most of them by Bing herself, reminded us of how talented she is.

On to Philip Island and the Penguins!

There are stands set up and viewing areas that allow you to see them. The stands are set back so as not to interfere with the penguins or their activities. If you are in the area, we recommend you visit the site https://www.penguins.org.au/attractions/penguin-parade . You would also be encouraged to dress warmly and, If you can, take a blanket to put over your legs as you sit there watching the show. We did not and paid the price of being cold. The wind picks up and the temperature drops. It gets cold, but the stars of the show don’t seem to mind. They have feathers after all. Also, if you can, upgrade your tickets to grandstand seating vs general admission. We did this and were only about 20 meters away from the birds. General admission seats were more plentiful and were over 100 meters away.

As we drove on, we headed to Cowes, a small resort town that would likely be unremarkable except for one thing. It is the gateway to Philip Island and Parade of the Penguins. Every night, about 1,400 – 2,000 of these adorable animals comes ashore just after sunset. A group of penguins is called a ‘raft’. These rafts of 50 – 100, more or less, come back to shore to rest, feed their young and mate. There is safety in numbers which is why they ‘raft’.

How Penguins Come Ashore

Stock photo of penguins coming ashore (no cameras are allowed)

About 30-minutes before sunset, the penguins, still underwater, approach land and start calling out to each other. They form a critical mass, or raft, and then start swimming around together. Then, when one of them decides, they all break for the shore and check it out. Sometimes, someone disagrees and they all go back into the ocean. Other times they all make a break for the shore, waddle across the sand and into their dens. Still, other times most will go back into the ocean and a few will make for the dens or vice versa. They are so cute waddling as a group.

There are raised walkways over the dunes that allow you to be close to the birds, but not block their passage. You can see their dens and where they go. Being that close to nature is inspiring. At the end of our visit, around 9:30 PM, we looked up and had our first view of the Southern Cross.

Cowes to Wilsons Promontory

Squeaky Beach – sun, sand and ocean – a great combo

Australia has many national parks and Wilsons Promontory is one of the larger ones. We spent most of the day there, enjoying the pristine beaches, walks and views. In short, it was beautiful. We headed to Squeaky Beach, although we were not sure why it was called that, but the interesting name drew us in. It turns out it is called Squeaky Beach because the sand squeaks underfoot as you walk on it.

The sea had lovely colour, the sun shone through the brushy trees and the temperature was pleasant. It is early enough in the spring that the crowds were not oppressive although convenient parking was still hard to come by.

During our travels in the park, we spotted our first emu. This fellow was at the side of the road, minding his (her) own business and then wandered back into the woods.

Raymond Island – Koala Bears!

Our next day we headed to Nicholson. We decided to stop at Raymond Island to see if we could spot any koala bears. All over Australia, we had seen road crossing signs for koalas, kangaroos, wombats and other animals. Honestly, I think these signs are warning signs for the animals to stay away. We had not seen any. Unfortunately, we had seen a number of kangaroos on the side of the road, victims of car strikes.

In 1953, when koala bears were very endangered, researchers introduced 25 of them to Raymond Island. There were a lot of eucalyptus (gum) trees on the island and no predators. The plan worked and the bears are thriving. There is a free passenger ferry to the island (cars have to pay) that takes about five minutes. Once there, we wandered around the island, spotting no fewer than 16 of the furry little guys.

Driving on to Sydney

The next two days we spent stopping at various beaches, historic sites, lighthouses and other places of interest. Our schedule had us driving a few hours each day to allow for stops of interest. Anything that caught our fancy. From roadside bakeries, to walks in the woods. It was a lot of fun. One thing we found, and both really liked, was-new-to us birds.

A Superb Fairy Wren (not just a normal one!)

We were fortunate enough to see a stunning tiny blue bird, about the size of a sparrow. It turned out to be a “Superb Fairy-Wren”. Not just a “fairy-wren”, but a superb one! There were cockatoo’s and so many others. The sounds they make are foreign to us, but captivating and we enjoyed searching for them as we wandered the woods, shores and neighbourhoods of Australia.

Leaving the mainland for Tassie

Our drive was now complete and arriving in Sydney, we hopped a flight to Tasmania for a week of exploring the remote part of Australia.

Thanks for reading,

Cam and Meg

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” – Saint Augustine

Travelling around Brisbane and Melbourne

On to Brisbane

Brisbane is 1,500 km from Cairns and flying was the logical way to go. Virgin Australia did a fine job of getting us from A to B. There was also the drive option between the two cities. It is supposed to be an amazing drive, but time, as always, is an issue. Arriving in our second major city, we were impressed with the transportation from the airport to town.

We were able to check into our downtown hotel due to Meg’s elite status with the Mariott chain. Uber worked well and once in our room, we headed out for lunch and our first tour. I had reserved a tour of the Brisbane City Hall clock tower. https://www.museumofbrisbane.com.au/whats-on/clock-tower-tours/ This free tour runs every 15-minutes and has a capacity of only seven. It takes you up the 95-year-old tower, in an old freight elevator. As we went up, we learned the history of the building and were treated to some amazing views.

Walking Tour

Brisbane is a major city with tons of things to see and do. The problem, for us, was we were only spending one day there. To learn as much as possible, we opted for a walking tour. The city has ‘greeters’ who will take you on a free walking tour https://www.351k.bookeo.com/bookeo/b_brisbanegreeters_start.html?ctlsrc2=rWOPDlUpc%2B4ExZdzbqwRwfCKlc6JZ9zGaAIosdvaPbo%3D&src=02n that hits a number of highlights depending on the tour. Our guide was Tina, a long-time resident who was charming and knowledgeable.

Fairy doors – a nice touch to introduce happiness

Seeing arcades, Australian for covered street shopping centres, cozy streets and bustling squares, we took in as much as we could. Tina then took us to the top of the Star building where we had a splendid view of the city at sunset. As Tina told us about Brisbane’s Expo in 1988, she mentioned that she was excited to have had her picture taken with a real Mountie back in 1988. She was even more excited to learn that I had been a Mountie. To thank her for her time, I gave her an RCMP Challenge coin which made her day.

Brisbane’s Broad Transit System

On our tour the previous day, we learned that taking transit in Brisbane cost $0.50 AUD. That’s all. If you transfer, within a specific time, it costs nothing more. It doesn’t matter how far you travel. Two stops or 40 kilometers. In addition to trains and buses, there is an extensive network of ferry boats. To get a view of the city from the water, we ventured onto a commuter ferry and spent close to two hours on the water, going almost to the ocean. In reality, we could have done with half that time, it did drag a bit in the end.

On to the Gold Coast

We left Brisbane and picked up our rental car to drive to the Gold Coast. As it was a Saturday, the drive was slow. Once we arrived at our apartment, we were greeted by yet another warm welcome from the host, Gary, the complex manager. He also told us he could take us up Q1 tower, the largest building in the area. As we went up the elevator, which climbed 68 stories in 20 seconds, we were impressed by the speed and efficiency. Gary walked us around the observation deck, pointing out things that we may want to do over the next few days. Since the view was so good, we decided to linger a bit and enjoy an adult beverage.

Skipping the Beach for the Woods

Cooling off in a waterfall pond around Tamborine Mountain

Our first full day in the Gold Coast was to be high UV and high temperature. We decided that baking on the sand was not the smartest thing to do so we headed for the hills. Gary had provided a number of places to go around the Tambourine Mountain area and we enjoyed exploring them. The Curtis Falls track, along with Witches Falls Circuit provided both wonderful walks as well as refreshing swimming holes. There were a number of people using the swimming areas and I managed to climb a set of rocks to jump into the pool. It was awesome. Being up the mountain, the temperatures were a bit cooler and the breeze helped.

In the evening, we wandered around the town and had a great dinner on the barbecue at our lodging. There is something about outdoor cooking that just relaxes us. Facing our next day, we decided to go back to Witches Falls as it was so nice. We were hoping it would not be as busy as it was Monday and we were rewarded. First of all, we were able to find parking at the falls, vs walking down 300 meters from the overpark as we did the day before. The fewer cars meant fewer people and it was great just lounging in the sun, cooling off in the water and repeating.

On to Melbourne

We left the Gold Coast, its stunning beaches and warm temperatures and headed south for Melbourne. As Canadians, when we think of heading south, it often means the warmer weather of Mexico. As Australia is south of the equator, going south makes things cooler.

Our flight to Melbourn was fine and, after arriving at our hotel, we went out to explore the city. It has a first-rate food scene and we were keen to try it out. Our first evening we tried a gourmet pizza place that made an amazing burrata salad. The cheese was fresh and so good.

Walking Tour and Boat Tour

On our second day, we took a walking tour but it somehow missed the mark and we bailed about half way through. We created our own tour from an app we use called GPSMYCITY. If you have never tried this app when travelling, I would recommend you take a look at it before your next trip. Then, later that afternoon, we took a boat ride up and down the river with some friends.

Sailing under the Queen’s Bridge on our river cruise

About ten years ago, we took a river cruise in Cambodia and Vietnam along the Mekong River. On that cruise, we met a couple from Melbourne who were about our age. Meg and Bing have kept in touch since then and we had planned to meet up with them. Bing suggested the boat tour and it seemed like a great idea. Meeting up with them, just prior to the boat ride, we carried on talking as if the river cruise of ten years ago had ended yesterday.

Melbourne from the river is beautiful and when we return, we will look to stay outside of the downtown or CBD. As the boat ride ended, we said farewell to Tim and Bing, until the weekend, and started wandering down the walkway. We were not on our own for too long as ten-minutes later we bumped into our friends Sue and Jerry. Imagine people from home, 10,000km away, in the same town of 5,000,000 people, on the same street. Swapping notes on what to see, we said ciao to them until tomorrow.

Wine Tour – Yarra Valley

Before we left Canada, we arranged a wine tour of the Yarra Valley. Some of our options included spending a few nights in the area so we could visit a number of wineries or day tours. In the end, a day tour made the most sense and fortunately for us, we could meet up with Sue and Jerry to do the tour. On our small tour of only 11 people, we toured three wineries, met the owners of each, sampled chocolates at a factory and had a great lunch. Not worrying about my wine consumption was relaxing and I took full advantage of sampling many varieties.

Having toured wineries in Canada, the US, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal and now Australia, I can honestly say there are not many wineries that I have not liked. All of the wineries we visited were delightful. The wines were of good quality, of course the best are usually not sampled due to costs. At the end of our tour, we had the good fortune to be allowed to sample the estate’s premium wine. Wow. What a difference between a $20 bottle vs a $65 bottle. We almost had to revive our friend Jerry as he said he thought he had died and gone to heaven!

The Street Food Scene – Hardware Lane

Hardware Lane with its many, many eateries.

When we returned to Melbourne, we headed out to sample some street food. Hardware Street, a foodie’s paradise, answered the call. The decision was where to eat. For such a haute cuisine area, the prices were very reasonable and we enjoyed our time there.

Thanks for reading,

Travel while you can. Your money will return. Your time won’t.

Cam and Meg

Cairns – Our Australia adventure starts

Flying from Tokyo to Cairns seemed the easiest and quickest way to cover that much distance. Since we wanted to see a lot of Australia, we decided to start at one end of the country and work our way to the other. Cairns, being the closest to Tokyo was a natural starting point.

Unfortunately, the only direct flight was an overnighter – :(

We elected to do this, despite the hardships on the body, as it would save over six hours of transfers at other airports in Australia.

Clearing Australian Customs

Once we arrived, at 4:30 AM (3:30 AM to our bodies), there was customs, immigration and bio-security. The Australian government wants to ensure foreign substances are not introduced into their country. When we cleared all the formalities, we hailed a taxi and went to our hotel/apartment. Our unit, a one-bedroom apartment in a complex with a swimming pool, was across from the police station and it seemed a bit sketchy. There were homeless people and litter in many places. Arriving at 6:30AM, we went straight to bed.

At lunch time, we started exploring by going to the local grocery store for lunch fix’ns. In addition to being very hot, +33C, there was the extreme strength of the sun to worry about. Fortunately, above the sidewalks, they build a number of overhangs that block the sun. We dodged in and out of them, as did many locals, being sun smart just makes sense. The rest of our day was spent quietly, getting ready for our Barrier Reef tour the next day.

The Great Barrier Reef

Before leaving Canada, we had booked a Great Barrier Reef tour on a sail boat. The idea of sailing, vs. engines was appealing to us. Checking in at the boat, we noticed it was small but perfect for what we hoped to do. The Captain took us out, under power for two hours to a small reef area by Green Island. There we donned our Lycra ‘stinger suits’ in case any jelly fish were about. No jellies had been seen but the suit also doubled up as a sun block. Being fully dressed in a tight black suit made us all look like divers. It also showed every bump, but hey, we were all in the same boat (or suit)! The ship provided masks, fins et al and once anchored, we were in the water.

My underwater camera was put to the test as I took photos of almost everything. Unfortunately, most of them were off centre and ended up being deleted. The onboard dive master provided a great narrative about the reef and how it is not dying, but regenerating. There were a lot of fish about as well as coral, however the colours were not what we had hoped for. Once we had been in the water for an hour, despite the +32 air and warm water, we were both starting to get cold, so back to the boat.

Green Island

When we had been out of the water for 15 minutes, lying in the sun in our black suits, we were ready for the water again. This time we headed off on our own, but in close proximity to the boat. When the snorkeling was over, a full lunch was ready, then it was off to Green Island for a walk around. Originally, we looked at spending a night on Green Island. The hour we spent as part of this tour was more than enough. We managed to walk around the entire island, see turtles as well as birds. Back on the boat, we headed back to Cairns, both sails up, but also under full power due to low winds.

Returning to Cairns

Drinking wine on a sailboat on the Great Barrier Reef…not a bad day!

On our return, we had a glass of crisp, cold Australian white wine, with cheese and crackers, while sitting on a sailboat, on the Great Barrier Reef. Light breezes blowing to keep us cool. How could it get much better? Doing it with your best friend made it even more enchanting. Yes, the tour was very enjoyable, primarily due to the size of the vessel. The maximum guest number is 25. On our tour, there were only 17 people, so there was a lot of room to spread out.

Once ashore, we headed to our apartment and had dinner, with prosecco, always a nice addition to dinner! When shopping for wine, the staff told us how high taxes were on alcohol. That was for spirits and beer but not so much for local wine. The prosecco we bought was $5 Aussie dollars. Before I purchased it, I did a quick check on my wine app and it received decent ratings. Of course, the most important rating was our opinion and it passed! $5 for a full bottle of decent prosecco…I think I could live in Cairns!

Exploring the Country Side

A Swagman from the Outback – living history

The next day, we rented a car for a day, with the plan to head to the Daintree Rain Forest. That didn’t quite work out. When picking up the car, the staff employee told us we were welcome to go there but it was 2 ½ hours each way to the park and then some driving around. She recommended a “waterfall” route, that was about four hours of driving, but very scenic, including some ‘swimming holes’. Given the temperature, +32C, we chose the latter.

The route was very scenic and reminded us of driving in Hawaii or Caribbean islands. We made a number of photo stops in the morning before stopping for lunch in a small classic Queensland outpost town.

Finding Water Holes to Swim in

Then we found our first waterfall/swimming hole. It was all you could ask for. A 100’ waterfall, cascading straight down, into a beautiful lagoon. Given the topography, you could walk behind the waterfall and listen to the water crashing down. It was very refreshing and what we liked the most, in addition to how beautiful it was, was the non-overcrowding.

Me behind my personal 100′ waterfall – simply amazing!

We had seen similar places in Bali, but you were jammed in with 1,000’s of others. Here, there were maybe 40 people. At times tour buses came, but they only made a whistle stop for photos, no swimming. I counted four people in the water when we arrived. I would go back here in a heartbeat.

Returning to Cairns, we organized ourselves for our flight the next day and relaxed, looking at our photos from the day. Renting a car gave us so much freedom and Meg is an amazing navigator. Of course, these days, Google maps will get you to where you are going. No more trying to navigate with a 1” paper map of a city that has two roads on it. The information screen in our rental car was bigger than many maps we used back in the day. Having a great data package also helps.

Thanks for reading,

We travel not to go anywhere, but to go. We travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move. – Robert Louis Stevenson

Cam and Meg

Disneyland Tokyo – October 2025

We hope to always be young at heart!

We visited DisneySea Tokyo and had a blast. It was our third time to this park. Even though we are not able to understand many of the characters as they speak Japanese, the magic is the same.

The park opens at 9AM and they say to get there early. We chose to arrive at 9AM and there were hoards in front of us, but as we entered, there were hoards behind us. Everyone was, for the most part, polite except one person on the subway.

As we left the subway to head to Disney, a short man started aggressively pushing Meg and trying to get in front of her. I was behind her and oblivious to this at first. Once I noticed him shoving to get in front, I put my arm between him and Meg. He turned toward me and, as the Friendly Giant would say “look up, way up”. Then, for some reason only he will know, he tried to push in front of me. Another one of his not-so-good ideas. I pushed my arm out and he disappeared behind us. Meg thanked me for that. There are idiots everywhere.

Soaring Fantastic Flight – We’ve Seen Almost All of the Sights!

Once inside the park, we headed toward Soaring Fantastic Flight. As we arrived, it was a 150-minute wait. So we decided to pay the premium and get fast access for ¥2,000 each. The ride, in which you strapped into a chair that “flies”, took us over many of the world’s most famous landmarks. Taj Mahal, Sydney Opera house, the plains of the Serengeti, Mad King Ludwig’s Castle in Barvaria, Canadian glaciers and polar bears, The Great Wall of China, Tokyo and ended by landing at Disney. Along the way there were wind gusts and smells. It was really well done and lasted about five minutes.

From there, we headed over to Rapunzel’s castle. We saw her in the top of the castle, singing but she was not letting down her hair! Again, we chose to fork out for a quick access but this ride left us underwhelmed. Then we waited, like common folk, for 100-minutes to ride the Peter Pan ride. This was by far the best Disney ride either of us has ever been on.

Peter Pan – a Classic in 3-D

You board a “boat” and, wearing 3-D glasses, are immersed in the novel, Peter Pan. Peter fights Hook in a dueling sword battle (spoiler alert Peter wins). Tinker Bell spreads pixie dust you can almost feel. The Lost boys are “found” and in the end, all the children return home to London where Nana is waiting for them. You get to see 3-D London at the end of the Industrial Revolution, Never Land with its mountains and crystal-clear water. Of course, in the end Hook is chased by the croc! We liked this so much, we lined up again for 70-minutes later in the day.

Breaking for a light snack, we were back at it, heading to the Tower or Terror. Poor Harrison Hightower III, disappeared in this New York building after discovering a scared relic from some jungle. In the pre-ride, there is Harrison talking with the relic by his side. Lightning strikes and Harrison changes, shrinks and then disappears. The relic smiles and with a bang it too disappears. To make it entertaining, there was spectacular lighting and sound.

Of course, the idea was for us to find Harrison, so we followed his footsteps and got into the elevator where he was last seen. Strapped in, we were whisked to the top, but not without some blackouts, huge drops and shakes. At the top, there was an open window where we could see outside Tokyo before we plunged again into darkness. Alas, we did not find Harrison, but we had some good laughs.

The Quiet Rides Were very Noltsalgic

With many long lines, we started to aim for shorter lines. Sinbad’s adventure was a cross between “It’s a Small World” and Pirates of the Caribbean, but with an Arabian twist. Aquatopia had us in open air saucers that travelled around a water park. Captain Nemo’s 20,000 Leagues under the Sea was a take on the 1954 movie. In our submarine we saw numerous deep-sea creatures. Of note, this ride was shut down in 1994 in the US so this may be the only place to see it.

Poor Harrison…he didn’t know the Idol would be his end….

It was nearing the end of our day and as we headed out, Meg noticed a sign on the Raging Spirits roller coaster. The line was estimated to be 90-minutes, but there was a single rider lane. In this lane, you basically wait until they have one empty seat and then you go. You don’t ride with your party, but with strangers. We decided to try it and it took 22-minutes to get us both through. For the record, this was Cam’s first 360-degree loop roller coaster. It was short but a blast.

We left upbeat and happy. While the Indiana Jones ride was closed for maintenance, there was scaffolding everywhere, it was still a good day. The closure of the Indy ride obviously meant there were more people not in that line and in the other lines. Disney does a good job of handling lines and staff are always smiling. One thing we noticed from our last visits is the costumes. We were in the very small minority of people not wearing Disney hats, ears or full out costumes.

We Are Planning Our Next Trip to Disney!

On our next visit, one thing we will do differently is to buy our tickets closer to the day. Of course you need to watch they don’t sell out, but that will ensure we know what rides are closed. Also, the weather plays a big factor and if you can go when it is lightly raining, the lines are a lot shorter. Being from the west coast of British Columbia, rain is a fact of life and we know we will not melt.

Thanks for reading. Have you ever been to Disney, either as a child, an adult or a parent with kids in tow? Feel free to share any Disney tips you may have.

A Quote From Disney…It Rings True in Every Sense

“The things that make me different are the things that make me.” – Piglet from Winnie the Pooh

Cam and Meg

Our Trip is Interrupted!

Read on to see how we handled it.

Day 15 – Hakodate, Japan

We arrived alongside at 7AM and it looked as if we were a long way from downtown. Shuttles had been arranged and were first come, first serve until 8AM, after which time you would need a ticket. Let’s face it, most people on vacation want to sleep in. However….at 7:15AM the Captain came on the loudspeaker and dropped a bombshell.

A weather map of the typhoon with 160 km/hr winds

Super cyclone Halong, off the coast of Japan, was tracking towards Tokyo. Its projected path would be right along the ship’s route to get to Yokohama. The Ship’s Officers, in consultation with Royal Caribbean’s (RCL) head office, made the decision to extend the cruise by two days. This would let the storm pass and make it safer for the ship. There is a full write up at Cruise Hive

https://www.cruisehive.com/typhoon-delays-royal-caribbean-ships-return-for-two-days/188231

Arriving in Yokohama on Saturday vs Thursday

These two sea days would bring the ship into Yokohama on Saturday, October 11^th, vs the planned arrival of Thursday October 9^th. RCL would cover some change fees for flights and offered to extend beverage packages for a price (no freebies here!). Unfortunately, we had tickets for Expo 2025 in Osaka on Friday October 10^th. The tickets are not changeable. Our travel from Yokohama to Osaka for the 9^th and additional tickets for Osaka to Kagoshima on Kyushu Island on the 11th were also non-refundable.

We considered what to do and decided to leave the ship in Hakodate. We made a hotel reservation for one night in Hakodate, booked Shinkansen tickets to Yokohama for the next day and found a hotel for one night in Yokohama. Had it not been for Expo, we likely would have opted to stay on the ship. There were many people who had flights home the day we were scheduled to arrive as well as other plans. In all, around 500 people, out of 3,900, departed early.

Of course, most passengers stayed on including 100’s who were doing a back-to-back cruises ending in Singapore. That next cruise will now be two days shorter as the next cruise will obviously not start until this cruise arrives. It must be a huge logistical challenge for the ship. We had noted they were running low on fresh fruit and veggies as the cruise carried on. Portions were getting smaller every day – with some strange substitutions for ingredients they’d run out of.

Making our Escape from the Ship

Leaving the ship was easy, although time consuming. Our hotel, the Toyku-Stay Hakodate, had an onsen and was well located. The bed was comfortable and although the room was small, it was functional. We wandered around town for a few hours in the afternoon once all the cruise ship passengers had left and it was very peaceful. Dinner was a quiet meal followed by the onsen which was spectacular.

It was on the 18^th floor and there was an open-air portion, providing a sweeping view of the ocean complete with a full moon shining down. It was a great way to relax before heading to bed.

Day 1 of Interruption or Day one of our land based tour?

Once we got up and updated our families on the changes, we headed over to the train station to catch the train to Yokohama. The first part was on a local train and then a transfer to Shin-Hakodate, where the Shinkansen (bullet train) left from. Being Japan, we expected all the trains to be on time, but one was about five minutes late – shocking. It also meant we needed to move quickly, not run but not dawdle at the next station, which was Omiya, to catch our third of four trains.

Checking into the Hyatt

Sunset in Yokohama – not a stormy sky line…

We arrived at our hotel at 4:30PM, it had been a seven hour day, but it did not seem as long as flying would have been. Our hotel tonight was the Hyatt in Yokohama, there was a shortage of hotel rooms in Yokohama as up to 4,000 cruise passengers for the next cruise needed extra rooms on short notice! We were very glad to come to this brand tonight, a large room with very comfortable beds.

The hotel is only 200 metres from the water, so a sunset stroll helped us shake off the time spent sitting on the train. The sky was a lovely colour, there were very few clouds and the water was calm. Unless I had seen a weather map, I would not have believed there was a typhoon out there.

Having Local Knowledge is Helpful

There is no way we would have tried to pull this off if we had not been to Japan before. Understanding the trains, the culture et al was the key to us having the confidence to leave our cruise ship on our own and make this work. The bulk of the credit for making it work is my bride of almost 38 years. She pulled pretty much everything together and did a great job. I had a key role too, it all went on my credit card!

Thanks for reading, feel free to share any trip interruption you may have had. We’d love to hear about what happened and how you got around it.

Remember, attitude is the difference between adventure and ordeal!

Cam and Meg