Author Archives: Holly

The last time I was in Darwin was 1 Nov 2013 – so just over 10 years ago. Since this is our first stop in Australia there was just the small matter of having to clear immigration as well as … Continue reading →

I don’t remember many times when I have cruised on an ocean that is this flat. Hardly a ripple, easy to see fish, and dolphins pacing the ship for short sprints before veering off on their own business. The Sunrise … Continue reading →

I had read a warning in a 2021 blog about the lack of Wifi in East Timor but had naively thought things would be upgraded in 2023. Not really, and my iPhone wasn’t really happy with the 3G connection. Like … Continue reading →

Right before sunrise, and the sun just over the horizon. Still in Indonesia. Kupang is the southern most city in Indonesia and located in Timor.  It is not a city that often sees cruise ship traffic. The port is well … Continue reading →

Today we are in Waingapu – another one of the Indonesian cities on an island (whose name is escaping me at present but will be filled in if I can located it.SUMBA! ) The ship was offering limited (like ONE) … Continue reading →

After leaving Bali yesterday, our ship headed back toward Lombok. Both today and tomorrow are repeat ports for those of us on back-to-back cruises. This morning I checked in again with one of our local experts at the coffee station. … Continue reading →

We docked at 1300 I am electing to make this a rather quiet day. The terminal is nowhere near downtown so there is nothing walkable. Plus the temperatures and humidity are falling into the not fun categories.  We waited till … Continue reading →

Obviously the thing to do in Loh Liang, Indonesia is a walk through the Komodo National Park. It would be totally foolish to not see Komodo Dragons while here. Right? World’s largest lizard and all of that. Also what should … Continue reading →

According to the advanced information – we were to arrive in port at 0600 and leave at 1600. Somewhere along the line, the departure time was moved up a couple of hours. Added to the hot & humid was the … Continue reading →

(sunrise is before 0600 in case you are wondering) – go to the blog post if you want to enjoy these.   Having two relaxing days in a row is not unusual for my average cruise. It certainly is for … Continue reading →

Today is a sea day, cruising along on a surface that is almost flat. We have significantly slowed since last night and our forward motion feels almost as smooth as glass. I am seeing people in the various lounges whom … Continue reading →

Sunrise just after 0600 and interesting islands that we passed. We docked today in the commercial port belonging to Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia. Located about 4 miles from the city, we were warned ahead of time that taking a tour or … Continue reading →

Which is not the same as touring a sailing galley from the 1600s. Since the offer was on the daily program, I signed us up. Free- what is not to like? In case it wasn’t completely obvious, this is a … Continue reading →

Coron is the town located on Busuanga Island if I understand it correctly. Cashews are a main agricultural product both for local consumption and for export. Like many other islands, the main road seems to go around the island. According … Continue reading →

According to all the literature we received ahead of time – this particular island (and location) is most known for vacations/beaches/watersports. After suffering over use, there was a government shut down in 2019 for clean up and major discussions on … Continue reading →

We sailed into Manila’s South Harbor this morning shortly after 0900 and were along side the pier at close to 1000. Disembarking was a bit delayed (performance by a local group – the dancers doing men’s parts were excellent, those … Continue reading →