The Day Before

The last day before we leave and a strange calmness has come over the household. All the packing is done (see the pic), three 50lb cases and one 44lb to keep us looking good for 107 days (it'd take more than 4 cases to do that). Only two items on my 'to do' list, pay any outstanding bills and cash my winning lottery ticket (unfortunately only $5). Fortunately the weather looks good for our flight tomorrow morning, 7.20am from Toronto which means getting up at 3.30am.

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Onboard Entertainment Announced

Guest Lecturers

January 20 – February 24, 2009

Russell Schweickart – Retired Astronaut
Takes you on a unique and beautiful tour of planet Earth from a distant perspective few have experienced.

Lynne Truss – Best-selling Author
What do the collapse of literacy, the breakdown of social cohesion, the beauty of a semicolon & the value of an apostrophe have in common? Keen observer of the world & best-selling author Truss humorously ties it all up in a common sense look at the world we live in.

Arthur Hiller – Director of Love Story
Countdown to the Oscar telecast show, let this former Motion Picture Academy President regale you with tales from behind the velvet ropes, and lead you down the red carpet to the best seat in the house.

Sue Cameron – Hollywood Journalist
Hollywood has never lacked for scandals: tantrums, cover-ups and murders. From Garbo to Kidman, veteran Hollywood journalist Sue Cameron has personally interviewed them all. Ask a question and she'll know the answer because she was probably with them at the time.

Dr. Dean J. Papavassiliou-Caribbean Destination Lecturer
Follow world traveler and former diplomat Dr. Dean J. Papavassiliou through the Caribbean and Central America as he explains the people, history, and culture of this wonderful and exotic region of the World.

John Maxtone-Graham – Maritime Historian
Relive heroic tales of North and South Pole explorations, the Titanic's gripping final hours and other maritime stories.

Les Evans – Former Concorde Pilot
Former Concorde pilot, talks about the glorious past of flying this technological marvel and casts his gaze forward to discuss aviation's future.

Norman Caisse – Astronomer
Embark on a fascinating journey from our own Solar System, through the Milky Way, and on to the edge of the known Universe. On clear dark nights Norman can be found surveying the South Pacific heavens. Be sure to join him on deck.

Douglas Pearson – Australasia, South Pacific and Polynesian Naturalist
South Pacific and Polynesian expert Douglas Pearson lives on the idyllic island of Moorea. His unusual selection of objects enhance his unique " menu of stories," giving depth and color to his talks.

February 25 – March 19, 2009

Donald Blair – Space Travel/NASA Expert
He amazes you with photos seldom seen by the public and explains some of the most complicated machines ever built by man – the Space Shuttle and Space Station. It's literally out of this world.

John Maxtone-Graham – Maritime Historian
Relive heroic tales of North and South Pole explorations, the Titanic's gripping final hours and other maritime stories.

Glenmore Trenear-Harvey – Espionage and Intelligence Expert
Receives regular briefings from MI5 and MI6, Britain's secret intelligence and security services. A featured speaker at conferences worldwide, he has been involved with the clandestine world for over 40 years.

Heather Clement – Japanese Cultural Historian
What obi should you wear with that kimono? What’s the difference between Shinto and Zen? How deep should I bow? Join us as Heather Clement de-mystifies one of the most advanced societies on the planet.

Marylou Blakeslee – Oceania, Micronesia Naturalist
From Australia's Great Barrier Reef to ancient turtles that swam with dinosaurs, to mammals of the South Pacific, explore the varied natural treasures this world has to offer.

Gunn Seawell & Don Schenzel – Ballroom Dance Instructors
Ballroom Dance Instructors teach the graceful movements of the Waltz, the rhythmic steps of the Salsa, and the fluid steps of the Cha Cha, among other dances.

March 20 – April 10, 2009

Michael Irving – Naval Maritime Historian
Naval Maritime Historian who has spent more time on water than on dry land. His personal favorites include James Cook, Lord Nelson, the Portuguese, the Spanish and the Dutch, and the ravages of scurvy.

Hassan Eltaher – Holy Land Cultural Historian and Expert
The story of the Suez Canal is like sailing through World History. Senior Analyst for Arab and Middle Eastern Affairs with the Government of Canada, Hassan Eltaher brings this part of the world to vivid life.

April 11 – May 8, 2009 Lainie Kazan

Lainie Kazan – Hollywood Personality and Legend
You may know her from her 26 appearances on the Dean Martin Show, or her reoccurring role on The Nanny, or her critically acclaimed role in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Chanteuse and actress Lainie Kazan shares her life story, from her Brooklyn beginnings to her starring roles on Broadway.

Thomson Smillie – Opera/Broadway Lecturer
Celebrate the musical cultures of Italy, Spain and France, and learn about the turbulent life of Greek diva Maria Callas.

Debbie Fraioli – Mediterranean Cultural Expert and Port Lecturer
Explains the highlights no traveler should miss in the ancient and historical ports of Europe.

Guest Entertainers (hopefully not all of them)

January 20 – February 24, 2009

Tony Cherry – Vocalist
The many voices of Tony Cherry.

Dick Gold – Comedian
Eloquent humorist.

Paul Emmanuel – Vocalist
International male vocalist with a tribute to the legendary Nat King Cole.

Patrick Murray – Ventriloquist
You're sure to enjoy the hilarious comedy of Matilda and Patrick Murray!

Chris Contillo – Piano Entertainer
Has performed with The Boston Pops and also at Carnegie Hall.

Kaitlyn Carr – Vocalist
A touch of class from Scotland's premier singing sensation.

Rikki Jay – Comedian
From the London Palladium, international comedian Rikki Jay! He's fast...he's funny and he's calorie free!

Bret Sherwood – Magician
Master magician.

Emma Sinclair – Vocalist
From Opera to West End... An evening with London's singing sensation.

Leo Ward – Magician
Award-winning slight of hand act.

Nicola Loud – Violinist
In concert...internationally acclaimed violin virtuoso Nicola Loud.

David Williams – Piano Lounge Entertainer
An evening with Gershwin & Porter and all your favorite Broadway tunes.

February 25 – March 19, 2009

Glenn Amer – Piano Headliner and Vocalist
An exciting entertainment combining the fingers of Liberace with the voice of Mario Lanza!

Claude Eric – Vocalist
Direct from Montreal...the sensational voice of Claude Eric.

Tom Fletcher – Comedian
A Princess favorite; no thinking required.

Kenny Martyn – Multi-Instrumentalist
Specializing in the clarinet, tenor sax, alto sax, ukulele banjo and 5-string banjo in his extensive repertoire that encompasses popular standards, Bluegrass, Swing and Mozart.

Michelle Montouri – Vocalist
From Big Band to the West End musicals, Michelle can perform it all.

Gary Arbuthnot – Flautist
International flautist, Gary Arbuthnot presents hits from the stage and screen.

Tian Jiang – Piano Entertainer
Piano showman from Shanghai.

Nick Lewin – Comedy-Magician
Comedy that amazes.

March 20 – April 10, 2009

Goronwy Thom – Comedy-Juggler
His mix of comedy & skill has made him one of the U.K.'s top variety acts.

Chris Hamilton – Piano Entertainer
The unique playing and singing of Chris Hamilton.

Jacqueline Roche – Instrumentalist
Passion and pizzazz with virtuoso violinist Jacqueline Roche.

Tony Pace – Impressionist
The man with the voice... who just happens to be funny.

Mel Mellers – Magic Act & Mind Reading
Mel Mellers casts his comedy perspective in this unique act alive with action laughter and intrigue.

April 11 – May 8, 2009

Gary Williams – Vocalist
Star of the West End's Rat Pack and BBC Big Band.

Maria King – Piano Entertainer
Virtuoso piano entertainer with a twist.

Backbeat Beatles – Tribute Act
According to the Daily Mail, "The Backbeat Beatles are probably the nearest you will get to the real thing."

Annette Wardell – Vocalist
By Royal Appointment – the stunning voice of opera singer Annette Wardell.

Don Bryan – Ventriloquist
The vocal magic of master ventriloquist Don Bryan with Noseworthy.

Karen Grainger – Singing Impressionist
Canada's premier female impressionist.

Mark Donoghue – Multi-Instrumentalist
Show-stopping vocal routines complement dynamic performances on the mandolin, guitar, harmonica and violin.

Onboard Media

Super Bowl (Satellite dependent, February 1)
Academy Awards (February 22)
NCAA March Madness (March 17 – April 6)


First-run movies:

including popular titles like:
Appaloosa – R
Australia – PG–13
Bedtime Stories – PG
Body of Lies – R
Bonneville – PG
Bottle Shock – PG–13
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – PG–13
Burn After Reading – R
Changeling – R
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – PG–13
The Dark Knight – PG–13
The Day the Earth Stood Still – PG–13
Eagle Eye – PG–13
Encounters at the End of the World – G
Everybody Wants to Be Italian – R
Flash of Genius – PG–13
Frost/Nixon – R
Ghost Town – PG–13
Gran Torino – R
Henry Poole Is Here – PG
In Bruges – R
The Incredible Hulk – PG–13
Mamma Mia! – PG–13
Milk – R
Nights in Rodanthe – PG–13
Quantum of Solace – PG–13
Rachel Getting Married – R
Revolutionary Road – R
Secret Life of Bees – PG–13
Slumdog Millionaire – R
Synecdoche, New York – R
Vicky Christina Barcelona – PG–13
Wanted – R
Yes Man – PG–13

Next Post

Pre-cruise update

One week ‘til sailing day and time for a pre-cruise update.

Packing:
Is well underway, we started collecting everything in one room about 3 months ago and actually started filling cases last week. At the moment we’re hoping to keep it to 3 large cases, one garment bag and two carry-ons. The plan is to have enough clothes for a 3 to 4 week turn-around, using the ships laundry as required, unfortunately there’s no drycleaners on board so we’ll have to be creative (or carry a lot of deodorant:)

Private excursions:
We’ve arranged private excursions for Easter Island, Papua New Guinea, Osaka, Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand, Mumbai and Istanbul. It’s much more work to arrange your own tours but the benefits are worth the extra effort.

Our Easter Island arrangements are with Haumaka Tours and were the first we arranged back in September. Unfortunately I recently noticed their website had disappeared so I emailed them last week to confirm everything was still in place. Stay tuned for an update when (if) I hear back from them.

Our Papaua New Guinea arrangement were thanks to the hard work of new found friends, Bob and Elaine from Leicester, England. They will join the ship in Sydney for the second quarter of the cruise and Bob arranged the entire PNG tour through the Rabaul Hotel, our itinerary will cover all the top sites, from the Volcanological Observatory to the Japanese Submarine Base.

In Osaka, we’re very happy to be meeting a volunteer guide with the SGGC, who will help and guide us while there. The Osaka Tenma Yomiuri SGG club provides guiding and translation services, free of charge, with the exception that you are expected to pay for their travel expenses, admission to tourist facilities and to pay for the guides meals if you eat with them. We’re very much looking forward to our visit for a closer experience of Japanese life (and we might even try some Takoyaki).

In Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) we have arranged to leave the ship and travel overland to Cambodia and Thailand. We will fly HCMC to Siem Reap, stay 2 nights, fly to Bangkok, stay 2 nights then rejoin the Royal Princess. Everything was booked online without problems with one exception. Initially we booked (and paid for) our Vietnam to Cambodia flight with Siem Reap Airways and about a month later, they were banned from flying due to safety concerns. After some anxious days, Bangkok Air assumed responsibility for the flight and re-booked us on a Vietnam Airlines flight at no additional cost. Arranging it ourselves meant that the cost for the 5 days is approximately one third of the cost quoted by Princess for the ships tour of 3 days.

In Mumbai, we had originally planned to take the ships tour to the Taj Mahal but upon reflection and some reading of others’ experiences with the tour, we considered it too long and gruelling with no options once the 15 hour trip had commenced. So we’re happy to have found an acceptable alternative with an excellent itinerary shared with a couple of fellow passengers and we are now looking forward to an interesting experience.

Our tour in Istanbul will take us to all the main cultural highlights of Istanbul's opulent past - the grandiose Topkapi Palace, the glittering Grand Bazaar, the magnificent Hagia Sophia Church, the elegant Blue Mosque and ancient Hippodrome, set among the cobbled streets of the old Imperial quarter and heart of ancient Byzantium & Constantinople...

Ships excursions:
We’ve booked excursions with the ship in 14 ports and we’ll wing it in the remaining (approximately 18) stops, but we’re especially looking forward to our four day overland in China.

Port problems:
On any vacation you run the risk of local events affecting your plans and our trip is no exception. Civil unrest in Bangkok, terrorist bombings in Mumbai, Gulf of Aden pirates, all out conflict in Israel and street riots in Athens, it certainly won’t be boring. I expect we may miss out on at least one of these ports but hopefully for the sake of those subjected to the violence, peace will return sooner rather than later. Either way, it won’t spoil our trip, I’ve got my ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Tshirt with me for the trip through the Gulf of Aden.

Visas:

We were required to provide our own visas for China and India while Princess will take care of visas for Australia, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Cambodia and Egypt (costs will be charged to our shipboard account)
Accordingly we sent our passports off to the Indian embassy in Toronto, mid November. The Indian embassy would not accept ‘in person’, only ‘mail in’ applications, so we carefully tracked their progress over a two week period ‘til they came back ($62.00 each).’’Then, since we were leaving the ship in Vietnam and needed individual visas, we sent off to the Vietnamese embassy in Ottawa. After an anxious two week period where Canada Post lost them, they eventually returned ($79.00 each). That left the Chinese visa, which had to be an ‘in person’ application, they wouldn’t accept ‘mail ins’, so we drove the hour and a half to Toronto first Monday in December and waited in line with at least a hundred other people to put in our papers. The following Thursday we drove back and collected them without too much delay ($75.00 each). Including postal services, the three visas cost $347.58, we could have used a private visa service who would have handled all the applications for about $500 extra.
We needed one other visa, Cambodia, since we would not be covered by the ships group visa. This was a very easy online process which took 12 hours to receive the completed visa ($25.00 each)

What’s your favourite disease:
Hepatitis A/B, Measles,Mumps,Rubella(MMR), Polio, Tetanus-Diphtheria --
We had the vaccine 6 years ago so no further vaccination planned.
Rabies, Typhoid, Yellow Fever -- no vaccination planned.

Malaria: Do we need to take Malaria pills and if so, when? According to the CDC Malaria is a significant threat in 5 of the ports we visit, they are: Rabaul, PNG – Inchon, S.Korea – Siem Reap, Cambodia - Port Blair, Andaman Islands – Mumbai, India. There are other ports where Malaria is a threat but the likelihood of getting the disease is very low and risking the side effects of the anti-malarial drugs is considered not worth it. Weighing the threat of contracting the disease against the side effects of the drug is a personal choice but after extensive reading, taking into account the time we were there, we opted for mosquito repellent (Off with 25% deet) and protective clothing in PNG and South Korea.
After discussing the options with our family doctor we decided to take the drug (Malarone) for 27 days to protect us in Cambodia, Andaman Islands and India where I considered the risk too great to rely on anything else.

Next Post

Royal Princess World Cruise 2009

Preliminaries:
There are a thousand things to think about when planning a world cruise... from 'toothpaste' to 'travel warnings'....... the logistics can become overwhelming, arrangement have to be made for every aspect of daily life, paying bills, maintenance around the house, tax returns etc.
We booked this cruise, early September 2008 as I had already decided to retire at the end of the year, we had the time and hopefully the money, if my pension plan co-operated.
Almost immediately I started a list of things to do, keeping in mind we would be away from home (Ontario, Canada) for almost 4 months during the coldest part of our year, fortunately we have accommodating kids, who will take care of the dog, cat, house and car (in order of importance)

First Post

Here's the itinerary: Use this list to zero in on a specific port

Jan 20 Tue Fort Lauderdale depart 5:00PM

Jan 21 Wed At Sea

Jan 22 Thu Grand Cayman 10:00AM to 6:00PM

Jan 23 Fri At Sea

Jan 24 Sat Panama Canal 7:00AM to 4:30PM

Jan 25 Sun At Sea

Jan 26 Mon Manta, Ecuador 6:00AM to 7:00PM

Jan 27/28 Two Days At Sea

Jan 29/30 Two Days In Callao, Peru 7AM Overnight to 1PM

Jan 31/Feb 01 First Two of Four Days At Sea

Feb 02/Feb 03 Next Two of Four Days At Sea

Feb 04 Wed Easter Island 9:00AM to 6:00PM

Feb 05 /06 Two Days At Sea

Feb 07 Sat Pitcairn 10:00AM to 2:00PM

Feb 08/09 Two Days At Sea

Feb 10 Tue Papeete, Tahiti 8:00AM to 5:00PM

Feb 11 Wed At Sea

Feb 12 Thu Rarotonga, Cook Islands 8:00AM to 5:00PM

Feb 13 Fri Sea days after Rarotonga

Feb 14-17 Sat-Tue More Sea days after Rarotonga

Feb 18 Wed The best deal in Auckland

Feb 18 Wed Auckland, NZ 7:00AM to 10:00PM

Feb 19-20 Sea Days part 1

Feb 21-22 Sea Days part 2

Feb 23 Mon Burnie, Tasmania, Aus. 8:00AM to 6:00PM

Feb 23 Mon Burnie Part 2

Feb 24 Tue At Sea

Feb 25 Wed Sydney, Aus. 7:00AM to 10:00PM

Feb 26 Thu At Sea

Feb 27 Fri Brisbane, Aus. 8:00AM to 6:00PM

Feb 28/Mar 01 Two Days At Sea

Our dining companions

Mar 02 Mon Cairns, Aus. 7:00AM to 6:00PM

Mar 03/04 Two Days At Sea

Mar 05 Thu Rabaul, Papua New Guinea 7:00AM to 2:00PM

Mar 06/07 Two Days At Sea

Mar 08 Sun Guam 12:00PM to 7:00PM

Mar 09-11 Three Days At Sea

Mar 12 Thu Osaka, Japan 8:00AM to 8:00PM

Mar 13 Fri Hiroshima, Japan 9:00AM to 5:00PM

Mar 14 Sat At Sea

Mar 15 Sun Inchon, South Korea 8:00AM to 5:00PM

Mar 16 Mon At Sea

Mar 17-20 Tue-Fri China Shanghai to HongKong overland

Mar 21/22 Two Days At Sea

Mar 23-27 Mon-Fri Vietnam to Thailand overland

Mar 28/29 Two Days At Sea

Mar 30 Mon Singapore 7:00AM to 5:00PM

Mar 31 Tue Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 7:00AM to 6:00PM

Apr 01 Wed At Sea

Apr 02 Thu Port Blair, India 12:00PM to 7:00PM

Apr 03-04 First Two Days At Sea after Port Blair

Apr 05-06 Two more Days At Sea

Apr 07 Tue Bombay (Mumbai), India 7:00AM to 10:00PM

Apr 08 First Day At Sea after Mumbai

Apr 09-10 Two More Days At Sea

Apr 11 Sat Dubai, UAE 7:00AM to 8:00PM

Apr 12/13 Two Days At Sea after Dubai

Apr 14 Tue Salalah, Oman 7:00AM to 5:00PM

Apr 15-16 Two Days At Sea

Apr 17-18 Two More Days At Sea

Apr 19 Sun Safaga, Egypt 6:00AM to 10:00PM

Apr 20-21 Mon-Tue Red Sea day and Suez Canal

Apr 22 Wed Port Said, Egypt 7:00AM to 8:00PM

Apr 23 Thu Ashdod, Israel 7:00AM to 8:00PM

Apr 24/25 Two Days At Sea

Apr 26 Sun Istanbul, Turkey 7:00AM to 5:00PM

Apr 27 Mon At Sea

Apr 28 Tue Athens, Greece 6:00AM to 6:00PM

Apr 29/30 Two Days At Sea

May 01 Fri Venice, Italy 7:00AM to 5:00PM

May 02 Sat At Sea

May 03 Sun Messina, Sicily 8:00AM to 4:00PM

May 04 Mon At Sea

May 05 Tue Barcelona, Spain 8:00AM to 4:00PM

May 06 Wed Cannes, France 9:00AM to 7:00PM

May 07 Thu Livorno, Italy 7:00AM to 7:00PM

May 08 Fri Final Thoughts - Civitavecchia (Rome)< /li>