Cairns, Australia…a full day in port on our 7 hour excursion. We woke up to another day of heat, 82 degrees, humidity, cloudy skies and rain. A little liquid rain fell on us all today. We had a scenic bus ride through Cairns and got see the colonial period buildings, shops and the Esplanade, which is the heart of the city. We took the bus to the Kuranda Scenic Railway station where we boarded the train that was built between 1882-1891. We took a 90 minute, 21 mile train ride through the rugged mountains, we saw waterfalls, drove through 15 tunnels, and crossed 37 bridges. When we arrived at the end of the tracks, our bus transferred us to the town of Kuranda where we had two hours of time to eat lunch on our own and to do a little more retail therapy. We bought a handmade crossed boomerang that was handmade and painted here in Kuranda. It will be a great souvenir to hang on our wall when we get home. After our free time we boarded the bus again and it took us to the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. I had an alcoholic beverage with lunch to help ease my nerves a little as these contraptions are not among my favorite things, but hey, I hate heights. But, I know everyone else was very excited so along we went.   We traveled above the rainforest canopy and saw views of the Coral Sea and Green Island. We saw an amazing tree with a large hole in it about halfway up the tree. We were told there is a mated pair of Cockatoos that live in that tree and the James Cameron used that very tree as his inspiration for the home tree in the movie Avatar. That was totally cool. (Photo below). After we got back to the bus we got a bonus trip to see a beautiful beach community of Palm Cove. Miles of beautiful beaches and only one small area that has a boom around it and that is the only area you can swim this time of year. The jellyfish infestation is so large this time of year; it is dangerous to swim anywhere else at the beach. On the way back to the ship, we pulled over and had a chance to hop off the bus one last time as the bus driver took us to a field filled with wild wallabies. There is a lot of residential construction going on right now and some of their habitat has been destroyed. So the wild wallabies like to spend time in this particular field and we had the pleasure of getting to see it. So cool!! So in the world today the news about Tom Hanks and his wife contracting Coronavirus while being here in Australia was being talked about everywhere. Then came the news about Trump restricting travel from European countries. None of this is directly affecting us yet, but having Australia all in the news while we are here is not the most comforting feeling in the world. As we traveled back to the ship, we drove down the Esplanade again and we finally got our first glance at the flying foxes we have been hearing about for a while. These are some HUGE bats!! They hang upside down from the trees in the downtown area at dusk. Don’t stand under those trees. We made it back on the ship in time for our 5:30 dinner seating and awaited the sail away that we frequently get to see as we are right at the window at the back of the ship in the dining room. Unfortunately, a crewmember was ill (rumors flew) and had to the taken off the ship and to the hospital so our sail away was delayed. At about 6:30pm as the sun was setting, and we were finishing our dinner, all those flying foxes made their way from the trees in downtown, through the high rises and right across the rear of the ship. They flew across the bay where we were docked and across to the island on the other side. For at least 20 minutes we watched the bats circle as they raised up high enough to clear the buildings and then make their way to the island. It was fantastic to see. I love when these sudden and unexpected surprises fall into our laps. I also believe in my heart that that is Don making a memory for us from above. So we will now have 3 day at sea as we travel through the Great Barrier Reef as we make our way to Darwin, Australia. Praying for that crewmember to be o.k. Praying for you all to stay safe and healthy back in the United Sates. Praying decisions are being made on our behalf that are protecting us and keeping us safe as well. Love and Hugs….Debra

(Enjoy all the photos, sorry there are so many…not really, kisses.)

Our bus selfies for today.  We got stuck in the back of the bus.

They can not swim in the ocean, so the town build a lagoon where the locals go.

Sorry, This picture is sideways, its of the flying foxes.

Good morning from Townsville, Australia. This morning we woke up to rain and overcast skies. But it’s hot and humid just as we expected. We went off to the Lido for breakfast, after sterilizing our hands of course. We noticed an increased staff presence as know all food has to be served to the passengers. The staff is doing a wonderful job. Most everybody is still smiling and going above and beyond to accommodate the guests during these times of change. We took a tour to the Billabong Sanctuary today. There were lots of local animals there and it was highly interactive. We got to pet a wombat (Wanda), hold a baby crocodile, hold a boa, and then stand next to a koala (Mallee) and have our pictures taken. My understanding is that under normal circumstances they allow guest to hold the koalas, but since there were 3-bus loads of passengers from the ship they said it was too stressful on the animals to be subjected to that may people holding them.   We also got to see the feeding of their 5 meter, 15 foot, crocodile, Bully.  Lastly, we also had the opportunity to feed and pet kangaroos. Being such animal lovers we do really enjoy these excursions. We try to balance they history, museums, and culture with a fun event like this one from time to time. I mean we are in Australia; you can’t come here with out hanging out with some of the “locals” right? We also had the chance to drive through Townsville and see the main shopping area peppered with colonial period buildings. We did have an opportunity to purchase some souvenirs at the sanctuary and then there were local vendors at the port building as well. So retail therapy was had by all. Guess what? The girls bought MORE stuffies. I’ll have to get you a count of how many new ones have been purchased since we’ve been on the trip. More then I can count. Thank goodness for the two extra, empty suitcases I brought along. Tonight was dinner in the dining room and then off to bed . Tomorrow we will wake in Cairns, Australia and another adventure awaits us there. Enjoy all the great pictures and big smiles!! Love and hugs. Debra

Floating around Australia, sea day. No one slept really well last night. Boy were we ever rocking and rolling. Megan wound up moving to the floor in the middle of the night because she was afraid she would fall off the bed. Needless to say everyone was dragging their wagons a little today. We still managed to go to most of our daily activities. Crocheting, Gym time, arts and crafts, tutoring and schoolwork for the girls. Mom also had a chance to go and get her haircut today. Another masterpiece by Glen. He is really great at his craft and he gives the best scalp massages too. We are officially in the Great Barrier Reef as of late last night/early this morning. It is still overcast and dreary and now it is also getting hot and humid again. It was eighty today and we are expecting similar weather for our excursion tomorrow. Shorts and raincoats it will be. Another change of the day was there is now a man manning the hand sanitizer dispensers at both entrances to the buffet pretty much “demanding” that we utilize it before entering. They are also doing the same thing at the main dining room. If you try to walk by without using it you get the stink eye. We try and wash our hands with soap and water right before we go and eat and then they want us to use the sanitizer too. Kinda overkill, but we are going for the better safe then sorry attitude. We received a print out today for two excursions Cruise Specialist are offering in Fremantle so we are good to good for that port, both days. New adventures ahead of us that were not even expected when we left Florida two months ago. We are still waiting on Holland America to get us options for the ports we have coming up next week. I know they are working hard on it, but it would be nice to have it in hand by now. We had another wonderful dinner in the main dining room tonight, the theme was Aboriginal cuisine and there was venison and a couple of other new dishes on the menu for the evening. We also went to the show as a family tonight and saw an act called Soul Mystique. They were finalist in the Australia’s Got Talent TV program. We received several notices at the conclusion of our day today when we got to our cabin from dinner. Gone are the days of any self-service of food on the ship effective today. There used to be tongs to grab things at the buffet. Now everything has to be served to us, or will be placed in single serving containers to be taken. Butter is in small containers, cheese platters have been replaced with cheese slices on a plate, rolls and fruit have to be handed to you by an employee, and anything that could be cross contaminated with germs has disappeared. These are the time we live in right now. I am trying to remember they are trying to keep us safe and be positive for the girls through it all. Chin up and off to bed early so we can make up for lost sleep last from night and an early wake up for our excursion in the morning. Hugs to you all. Debra

Sea Day for us to rest and relax. As you all adjust to Daylight saving time, we rolled our clocks back an hour last night so we went from a five-hour time difference to California time zone to a seven-hour time difference. Feels like we have been living in a perpetual daylight savings zone since January. Cue the song…Working my way back to you babe! We awoke this morning to some gloomy dark skies and forecasted rain. This morning Megan and I had breakfast together in the Pinnacle grill as Mom and Valerie slept in. I got to get caught up on my blogs for you all before we went off to crocheting class. After crocheting I met up with mom and we went off to the gym. I started going to the gym as part of my Lent commitment so every sea day I do a minimum 30 minutes of cardio. It good for my body and makes me feel less guilty about the desserts we eat every night. Megan did schoolwork today. Valerie had tutoring and Choir. Later in the afternoon Valerie met up with some passengers and played Catan with them until dinnertime. Megan had some time in Club HAL from 4:00-5:15. At 5:15 we all met up for dinner in the main dining room. We hadn’t been in a few days and it was nice to be back at our table. We invited Geoffrey to join us this evening as well. It was a nice meal, good company, and we all have full tummies. We did notice some subtle changes around the ship today. When I purchased something at the store, the cashier wiped off the pen with sanitizer wipe before she handed it to me to sign my purchase slip. The server brought us hand sanitizer before our menus at breakfast this morning. After we left the dining room at dinner they came around and wiped down all the chairs with towels soaked in sanitizing fluid. Seas are rough this evening. We are going into a storm and are expecting 13-foot swells and 55 mile an hour wind gusts through the evening. I can hear the rain pounding outside, first time of the whole trip that has happened. Valerie and Megan have gone off to Club HAL (Valerie with her seasickness patch) and I am going to post this goody for you all, grab my crocheting, pop on the boob tube and relax till sleepy time. We are still waiting on excursion options for our new port of call. We have everything still previously scheduled up until March 16^th when our itinerary changes. It would be nice to have something in hand so we can research and make some decisions. Keeping a positive attitude and peace of sprit. Love and Hugs to you all. Debra

Sydney Australia Day two of two. Today is a day I have been looking forward to for a while. Yes, I know I have had many days I have been looking forward to, but this one in particular. As you know, we are huge Disney fans. There is a scene on the ride Soaring over the world, when a seaplane flies right over the Sidney bridge with the Opera house in view. We had that moment today live. Not exactly as close as in the ride, but as close as we could get. I have never been in a seaplane before, I don’t know when or if I’d ever have the opportunity to do it again, and definitely not in Sydney. We flew over to Cottage Bay to the Cottage Point Inn where the plane landed after about a 30 minute flight. We had a fabulous lunch there looking over the bay. We dined on Kangaroo tartar and Wagyu Beef, it was delicious. Mom and I shared a bottle Prosecco and we breathed in deeply and enjoyed the day immensely. Our plane returned later to pick us up and fly us back where we began our day. It was first class all the way. Definitely one of the most exclusive excursions we have even been on. There were only seven people in total from the ship that even took this adventure and four of them were us. I am so glad we did it. We got back on the ship still quite full and relaxed so we decided to grab a light dinner at the lido tonight. Valerie, Mom and I went right to bed after dinner and Megan went and spent some time in Club HAL. I was asleep before she got home. There are lots of pictures for you to enjoy and so many more in my camera and in my mind. My heart is full of memories from this trip. Sometimes I am not sure how there can be any more room for more, but I know there will be. Thanks to the blessing of this blog not only can I share my adventures with you, but I also have a way to look back and remember them forever. Sending you wishes and prayers for continued health and safety, and that you have plenty of toilet paper. What’s up with that? Love and Hugs, Debra

So after I typed this I looked at our dates and realized today was our half way mark of our cruise. So even without realizing it, here we are, half down and halfway to go.

Sydney, Australia day one of two. We woke up at 6:00am this morning so we could watch the ship pull into Sydney harbor. We sailed right past the Opera house and under the Sydney Bridge. It was an amazing experience and it was like living a moment out of a book for us. Today we decided to not start our day with an excursion, today warranted some retail therapy. We had to wait until the immigration staff was set up and ready for us. So we went to the Lido for breakfast and waited for the all clear. Every passenger had to get off the ship for a face to face meeting with the immigration officers today. We did our immigration stuff and then caught the free shuttle into Darling Harbor. From there we walked into Sydney and stores to shop in abounded!! We went to the UGG store, Westfield shopping center and some local shops as well. Everyone was happy and got something special to remember the time here. We also had a chance to eat off the ship. We went to the food court in the mall and I let everyone pick what the wanted to eat. Valerie went for a burger, Megan went for a poke bowl and mom and I had handmade dumplings and sushi. We shopped until about 2:00pm and then headed back to the ship so we could get ready for our evening excursion. We were blessed to be able to get onto the ships excursion to go to the Opera house and see a live performance. We got back to the ship and got dressed for the theater and then had to get something to eat so we were ready to meet the excursion group at 5:30pm. Sadly, nothing is open at 4:45 pm on the ship except for the Dive In that serves Burgers and Hot Dogs. It was kinda funny seeing so many people all dressed up for a night on the town sitting at the pool deck eating hot dog and French fries. It was definitely a memory made. We had to make sure we got off the ship quickly because at 6:00pm they closed all the gangways and they had to reposition the ship. So when we got back to the ship it had moved a ships length back from where it was when we got off. That was a first. So we saw the opera Carmen. It was in French but we had wonderful seats that allowed us to see the screen with the translations on it and still see the stage almost at the same time. It was a very late evening; we didn’t get back on the ship till about 11:30pm. I just want to say that being at the Opera house and next to the bridge was one of those moments that you dream about and then when it comes to fruition…it’s really hard to put into words how moving it was. We stepped outside before the performance and in the sky there was a rainbow, no rain, just a rainbow. In case you don’t know, we say hi to Don (daddy) whenever we see one and it really felt like he was there sharing that moment with us. All in all a wonderful day in Sydney. We are blessed to be here together sharing these moments.

Love and Hugs, Debra.

Today was another sea day. A day to rest, socialize with other passengers, to do all the wonderful activities we love to do, and to get schoolwork done. Today we also took some time to go over our excursions for the next few ports after mom had a chance to go to a presentation this morning. We had already picked some good ones and we’re excited for our upcoming adventures as always. Tomorrow we will pull into Sydney harbor starting at 6:00am.   Sometimes it’s hard to say where the whole day went. You can be walking down the hall and run into someone you know and since you don’t necessarily have anywhere to be you will stop and talk and before you know it a whole hour has gone by. It reminds me of time gone by when people sat on their front porches and had Sunday dinners. We had another wonderful meal in the main dining room again this evening and enjoyed having our table back to ourselves. The girls went off to Club HAL and I was asleep before they got home at 9:30pm. We are adjusting to all the time differences. I think we are good for a while now as we’ll only be in Australia. Although, I believe daylight savings is tomorrow night. So maybe one more change ahead of us. Stay safe everyone. Sending you lots of love. Debra

Happy Sea Day everyone. It was a rough night at sea with the promised 13-foot swells rocking and rolling the ship all night. It kept up for most of the day and finally started to subside around 6:00pm. It was nice to have a down day after three very busy days of seeing Auckland. We set our clocks back again last night, so we are four hours behind CA time zone. It makes for early awake time for us as our bodies adjust. This morning Megan and I have the chance to go to the Pinnacle grill for breakfast as mom and Valerie had a lazy morning of relaxation. Megan and I went to crocheting class. At twelve noon the captain came on for his daily meteorological report and then it was time for another BIG ANNOUNCEMENT. As clearly as I can explain is that India denied the ship a blanket VISA which means each passenger would have had to individually apply for one on their own, so therefore we are no longer going to be stopping there. Sri Lanka has also closed their ports and are not allowing any ships in at all so we lost that port as well. So our changed itinerary will allow us to visit Sydney, Townsville, Cairns and Darwin, Australia as previously scheduled. Then we will proceed to the ports of Broome, Exmouth, Geraldton and Fremantle, in Western Australia and then to La Possession, Reunion. From there is anyone’s guess at that point. The ships rumor mills are up and running on all engines and our family has the understanding that unless we hear it from the captain, then it isn’t true.   Passengers are understandably frustrated, some have said they should just take us back to Florida at this point. But bottom line for us remains the same. We are on vacation, we are being very well taken care of, we are together, and at this point we are all healthy. As the coronavirus is spreading back in the states we are growing more concerned for our loved ones back at home and we are praying for everyone to stay healthy. So needless to say, our day proceeded on as scheduled. Mom and I had massages, Valerie had tutoring and Choir, Megan worked on schoolwork and then tonight was the Captain dinner. It is one of the most looked forward to evenings on the ship. We usually have two empty seats at our table so we were joined by a couple from New Zealand for the entirety of dinner. The captain made a nice speech and then exited the dining room to allow us to enjoy our meal and, in our opinion, to avoid tons of questions after todays big announcement. Everyone got dressed up in their best and we were treated to an amazing meal, impeccable service as always and then we received a gift from the captain in our stateroom when we returned from dinner. We all went to the show this evening as well. It was the Amsterdam performers dancing and singing and we always find those most enjoyable. Mom and I did go up to the crows nest and had our night cap up there and watched the four couples or so that were there dancing. The girls got to go enjoy some time at Club HAL and I let them stay out till 10:30 because tomorrow is a sea day. And we set our clocks back again tonight another hour. That was our amazing day everyone. We are sending good thoughts, hopes and prayers to those of you who have been or may be affected by the coronavirus. Be wise in your decisions, make sure you have enough to sustain your needs and share what excess you may have with those in need. I love you and I am praying this all passes quickly. Hugs, Debra

Good evening from Waitangi, New Zealand. Another place I fell in love with today. The land, the people, the culture of the Maori, the spirit and the faith that is here, the weather, I could go on and on. I am very happy to put this on my, I want to return here, list. We visited the town of Kerikeri and visited two of the oldest buildings in New Zealand. We saw wineries, kiwi orchards, persimmon orchards, citrus orchards, acres and acres of land filled with cows and a few with sheep. Next we drove out to the Puketi forest and learned about the Kauri tree that is the second tallest tree in the world, the tallest being the California Sequoia. The trees were almost wiped out in the 19^th century as they were used to build in New Zealand, Auckland and San Francisco prior to the 1906 fires. They were also used to build masts for the large ships. Last, we visited a traditional Maori marae, or meeting place. Here is where the tribe meets for all major events and is the center of the community. We were greeted in the traditional ways that have not changed and it was very ceremonial. We were told how to enter to show reverence, we were prayed over, they sang to us and then we returned a “gift” to them in singing a song back to them. This house is built in honor of the ancestors that have passed on before them. We were treated like family and told that we had brought the blessing of rain with us as they have been experiencing a drought here since before Christmas and we brought the rains with us. I did get choked up when at one point the elder mentioned that there was one in the group that came into the marae with a heavy heart saddened by the loss of a loved one and it hit me where it hurts. It took everything I had to not just start crying right there and then and it was probably needed, but I stuff my emotions to not draw attention upon myself. Probably more then I should. They served us cookies and juice at the conclusion of the ceremony. Since we didn’t get back to the ship till 3:00pm that wasn’t ideal for the day, and with the food restrictions we could not bring anything off the ship. I will definitely mention that tidbit to the excursion department tomorrow. So as I mentioned we did bring the rain. It did not affect most of our day till just as we arrived at the tender port to head back to the ship and the skies opened. In the short time we had to walk from the covered end of the pier and onto the tender boat, we got soaked. So it gave us a chance for warm showers when we got home to the Amsterdam. We opted for dinner in the buffet this evening as we had a Kiwi themed dinner with local foods celebrating the New Zealand culture. Tonight we set the clocks back another hour so we will now be 20 hours ahead of California time….or just subtract 4 hours, it’s easier. We are also expecting 13 foot swells tonight and into tomorrow so I am going to make sure I get an anti nausea patch onto Valerie and we’ll just hold on for the ride. I am looking forward to two days to relax at sea. Mom and I have massages tomorrow. Four excursions in three days have been tiring. Next stop, Sydney, Australia. We are all healthy and at peace with the world right now. Lots of deep breathes, sunrises and heart stopping sunsets. Love and peace, Debra

We started our day by watching dolphins playing around the ship

Bus selfie of the day.

I am delighted to tell you I was able to upload pictures to all the previous posts that were awaiting photos. I added photos to the following dates if you’d like to go back take a look. I hope you like looking at them as much I love taking them and sharing them with you.

Love and Hugs, Debra

2/22/20, 2/24/20, 2/27/20, 2/28/20, 2/29/20 & 3/2/20