Correction from previous blog entry:
"When we sailed on the Westerdam in 2007, the ship had already been extensively remodeled from its German origins" should read "When we sailed on the Westerdam in 2000".  Sorry for putting in the wrong date.  

Sunday, 14 April 2019
Tucson, Arizona

This will be the final blog concerning my recent cruise in East Asia.  I hope you have enjoyed sharing the adventure with me and I look forward to reporting on my next cruise, for which I have put down a deposit and reserved a stateroom.  But more details about that next cruise at the end of today's blog.

First, though, some photos from Shanghai and Beijing, taken during my trip to China with Will in 1994.  We enjoyed an 18-day land tour (Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, the Grand Canal, Wuxi, Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong).  After leaving Hong Kong, we stayed one week with my brother and sister-in-law in her condominium in central Tokyo.   

Scenes from Shanghai, 1994 and 2019

The grimy Soviet-built Shanghai Exhibition Hall (1955), as seen in 1994

in 2019 is a spic-and-span interior design center, with new skyscrapers in the background

What was refuse-filled slums behind deluxe high-rise hotels in 1994

have been replaced by ribbons of neon and light in 2019

What was traditional Chinese botanic design at YuYuen Gardens in 1994

 

has become a busy shopping mecca for locals and tourists in 2019

And the little beside the TV tower that could be seen from the Bund looking eastward in 1994

has become the central business district of Pudong in 2019

                             

Photos from Beijing June 1994

Some of the Places Passengers from the Westerdam were Able to Visit on the Two Days of Sightseeing in Beijing--with six hours of bus rides each day to get there and back.

Forbidden City

Tiananmen Square

Summer Palace

The Great Wall

at Badung

--And Now for Something Completely Different--

Next Cruise Announcement:

21 October-8 November 2019

19 Day Cruise on

Seabourn's mv Encore

From Athens (Piraeus), Greece, to Dubai, UAE

Visiting the Following Ports:

Agios Nikolaos, Crete, Greece

Haifa, Israel

Ashdod, Israel

(Scenic Cruising through Suez Canal)

Aqaba, Jordan

Salallah, Oman

Muscat, Oman

Sir Bani Yas, United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Abu Dhabi , UAE

Dubai, UAE

(disembarkation and extra days in Dubai)

This trip combines several exciting opportunities:

• The United Arab Emirates have been on my wish-list of destinations for some time.
• The dates are perfect for travel in that part of the world and for coordination with expected guests in Tucson.
• A special reduced price for solo travelers in veranda cabins on a super-deluxe all-inclusive cruise.
• A small ship (only 300 cabins; maximum 600 guests) able to sail into smaller waterways and ports.
• No advance visas or vaccinations required.
• A small deposit to reserve my veranda stateroom midship on deck 6; final payment not due until July.

LFL at Sea will return during the summer to fill in more details of this next cruise.

Until then, thanks for reading, sweet dreams, and may there be many more bon voyages in your future and mine.

Tuesday, 9 April 2019
Tucson, Arizona
I'm still enjoying my time at home in Tucson.  The spring weather is spectacular, as are the spring flowers that have resulted from the extra rain we had all winter.  Of course, I am also starting to think about my next cruise, and I may have an announcement to make after I post the last blog entry from this cruise, which is approaching quickly.

This post will report on ms Westerdam, without regard to dates or chronological order.  Will and I took our very first cruise on an earlier iteration of the Westerdam, which is no longer in service for Holland America--although it may be sailing under a different name and different flag for another cruise line. (It is very common for older ships to be shipped off to other shipping lines.)

When we sailed on the Westerdam in 2007, the ship had already been extensively remodeled from its German origins.  In fact, the ship was split in half and a larger section of newer cabins and matching public rooms was inserted between the two halves.  The only visible evidence was that the newer section had larger windows in ocean view rooms.  The older Westerdam carried about 1500 passengers.

The newest version of the Westerdam is the final Vista Class ship built for HAL (Eurodam, Oosterdam, Zuiderdam, Noordam).  The Eurodam (on which I have sailed four times) is slightly smaller, but the other four sister ships named for the directions on the compass are exactly the same, each carrying about 1900 passengers (I have sailed on all except the Noordam).  The Westerdam was launched in 2003 and most recently refurbished in 2017.

The refurbishment was done with especially good taste in design and comfort, establishing a more casual tone than HAL ships used to strive for, especially in the dining venues.  The music and entertainment areas have been expanded and upgraded successfully.  Although I prefer to sail on smaller ships (600-1400 passengers is an ideal range), I congratulate HAL on making the Westerdam a ship for the 21st century.

My Stateroom and Private Veranda

Westerdam's Public Spaces 

Ocean Bar

Shops at Sea

Gallery Bar and Lounge

Atrium Lobby

Two-Level Main Dining Room

The Explorer's Lounge

The Pinnacle Lounge

The Main Stage Theatre (above and below)

The Lido Pool

Promenade Deck (above and below)

New Friends  

Two Members of My Skilled Dining Room Team

Yuda, from Indonesia, Serves Other Passengers;
He Made My Mealtimes Perfect

Peggy and Caarole, Sisters from Bakersfield, CA, Who Invited Me to Share
Shore Adventures with Them

One more blog to come, with pictures from my 1994 visits to Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong.

Friday, 5 April 2019
At Home in Tucson, AZ
My laundry is done and put away and I am busy doing final editing of the 1500 photos from the trip.  Obviously, only a small selection of pictures made the cut for the blog.

Friday, 29 March 2019
Kagoshima, Japan

The final port of call before disembarkation in Yokohoma is Kagoshima another large Kyushu metropolitan area.  The city is a popular place for beach crawlers and vacationers wishing to explore the surrounding volcanic islands, including Mt Sakurajima, a still-active volcano at 3665 feet (about 1/3 the height of Mt Lemmon, outside Tucson).

This morning's brief (2 hours) shore excursion is a panoramic bus ride around the city, with one stop atop Mt. Shiroyama, noted for its views of the city, of Sakurajima, and of the surrounding bay.  Without much fanfare we are back at the port and on board Westerdam in time for an early lunch.

A Local Greeter Welcomes Passengers to Kagoshima

Our Tour Guide Starts Us Off on the Bus Ride

A View of Sakurajima from the Tour Bus

 Views from Mt. Shiroyama

Souvenir and Snack Shops Line the Short Path from the Parking Lot to the Lookout Point

Views of Kagoshima City Center

Vending Machines to Satisfy (Almost) Every Craving Crowd Urban Landscapes

The Path Back to the Shops and the Waiting Bus

Tram System in Downtown Kagoshima

 My next posting will take readers on a tour of ms Westerdam and the end of the cruise in Yokohama/Tokyo.