Awestruck in Alaska

After spending 11 weeks last summer cruising Southeast Alaska I spent 10 weeks this summer aboard the Ruby Princess doing the same itinerary (with the minor change of cruising through Tracy Arm Fjord instead of Glacier Bay National Park).

I wanted to make the most of my second summer in Alaska in a row so I made a commitment to try new things, explore more, and to go on new adventures this time around.


Ketchikan
I found out about The Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show from a coworker last summer. Since I didn't get a chance to go to the show last summer I made up for it by going two times this year. It was entertaining to watch and you can even take a group photo with the lumberjacks after the show.

Lumberjacks in action

Ketchikan is one of my favourite ports when it comes to shore excursions. The two excursions I did at this port this summer did not disappoint!

Rainforest Wildlife Sanctuary Walk & Crab Feast
Besides walking through the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary we also got to see bald eagles and owls at the Alaska Raptor Center and reindeers at the Alaska Wilderness Reindeer Pen. As educational as the walk through the rainforest with the tour guide was I would be lying if I didn't say how much I was looking forward to the crab feast at George Inlet Lodge.
The first drink is on the house so I got the raspberry iced tea. They start you off with a salad and then you can dive right into the all-you-can-eat Dungeness crab. It was some seriously delicious crab! The best crab I have ever eaten, without a doubt. We finished off the meal with a slice of cheesecake for dessert.

Reindeer!

Discovery Exclusive: Alaska Wilderness Survival
As I have mentioned in this blog before I am a big fan of the reality TV show Survivor. Princess Cruises recently partnered with Discovery and Animal Planet and with that collaboration came new excursions this summer. When I saw the title of this excursion I knew I had to do it.
We started the tour by taking a catamaran to a secluded island called Blank Island. On the way there we spotted bald eagles and seals. Aside from our tour guide/wilderness skills instructor there were only five of us on this tour which made the experience feel more authentic. We learned the 7 survival skills (recognition, inventory, shelter, water, food, playfulness, signalling) and how to use them while walking around Blank Island. Our shelter making skills were put to the test after learning how to choose a good location and materials for a shelter. My favourite part of the tour was the fire-making "challenge". We were each given a pan, a piece of cotton, some petroleum jelly in the form of lip balm, flint and a pocket knife. It took a while but eventually I was able to start a fire on my own - necessary life skill accomplished! We all enjoyed some campfire snacks and refreshments after making fire. On the catamaran ride back to downtown Ketchikan we were given a 6-in-1 survival whistle as a souvenir.


Tracy Arm Fjord
I got up bright and early at 5:30am to go on the crew deck to observe the ship sailing through Tracy Arm Fjord. It was chilly but so worth it to see the natural Alaskan beauty.

Natural beauty of Tracy Arm Fjord

Juneau
A classic tourist thing to do in Juneau is to take the tram up Mount Roberts. For some reason I never went on the tram last summer so I told myself this was the year to go. That was until my coworker mentioned she was going to hike up the Mount Roberts Trail (5 km) then take the tram back down. It took us about 2.5 hours to hike up to the top but it was adventurous and I was all about that this summer.

View at the end of our hike up Mount Roberts

Another classic tourist attraction in Juneau is the Mendenhall Glacier. Once again, I didn't get an opportunity to see it last summer so I made sure I saw it this summer.

Mendenhall Glacier Explorer

I went on the Mendenhall Glacier Explorer excursion which provided a narrated shuttle bus ride to Mendenhall Glacier from the pier. There is a short walk from where the bus drops you off until you can get close to the glacier and massive waterfall. Surprisingly, my favourite part of this tour was seeing a giant iceberg floating in the water.

A massive waterfall to the right of Mendenhall Glacier

Skagway
This summer I went on my favourite Alaskan shore excursion of all time: Ocean Raft Adventure.

Ocean Raft Adventure
Before we could board the boat we had to put on a protective suit to keep us warm and dry. While walking towards the boat after donning the protective suit I felt like an astronaut walking towards a spacecraft. The boat was a motorized raft and rides much like a jet-ski able to do quick turns. If there is one thing I love it is being a speed demon in the water. Whenever the captain cranked the speed on the boat or did donuts in the water I was overjoyed!
The weather was nice and sunny which just made the breathtaking scenery even more awe-inspiring. The boat traveled along Lynn Canal which is the longest and deepest fjord in North America and we were able to see the gorgeous Chilkat mountains in the distance. No Alaskan adventure is complete without spotting bald eagles and harbour seals and this excursion was no exception. As if the sights weren't impressive enough the captain maneuvered the boat close enough to a waterfall for us to feel the mist splashing on our face.

Chilkat mountains in the distance. Pictures don't do it justice.

Tip: Since Skagway is such a tiny town if you aren't doing an excursion or if you have been to Skagway before you might be at a lost as to what to do. Besides going on a hike (which I did last summer) I asked my coworker for some suggestions and was able to find two new things to do. One was to see the Days of '98 Show which is a musical about the history of Skagway. The other was to go to the waterfalls.

The waterfalls called Lower Reid Falls is worth the 1 hour walk from the pier to see. You will have to walk along State street or Main Street in the direction towards Gold Rush Cemetery, walk through the cemetery and up a short trail to reach the waterfalls.

Lower Reid Falls

Victoria, BC
I was fortunate enough to go on two excursions in Victoria this summer.

Olive the Senses Tasting & City Highlights Tour
The city highlights tour on this excursion was the best one I have been on in Victoria. I went on two city highlights tour in Victoria last summer but this one was more extensive and informative. At Olive the Senses Gourmet Foods we were able to sample a variety of olive oils and balsamic vinegars. I'm not a big fan of olive oil or balsamic vinegar but the liquid nitrogen olive oil ice cream with aged balsamic vinegar "caviar" pearls was so good! They said to help yourself to as many ice cream samples as you would like so I had three. Yes, they were that good. At the end of the tour the guide surprised everyone by giving out a bottle of balsamic vinegar to every passenger as a parting gift.

Enchanting Butchart Gardens
As a born and raised British Columbian I have never been to the famous Butchart Gardens in Victoria. After the excursion I went on this summer I can finally say I have been to Butchart Gardens! Since we were there on a Saturday evening we were also able to watch the fireworks display which was top-notch.

The dock in Victoria 

On the days I didn't get an excursion in Victoria I would head downtown. Downtown Victoria is always nice to go to for the scenery, shopping and food. It's about a 45 minute walk from the pier to downtown where the Parliament Building and Empress Hotel are located. Shuttle buses and taxis are available as well but when I am not pressed for time I enjoy the walk.


By seeking out new adventures so I could get a different experience in Alaska this summer it kept Alaska fresh and new for me. It just goes to show you that no matter how many times you visit the same port you can always create new adventures and memories there.

Southeast Asia Part 3: Thailand

Grand Palace in Bangkok

We had three action-packed days in Thailand and I loved every second of it!

Day 1:
The Celebrity Century docked at Laemchabang which is a 2.5 hour drive from Bangkok. We had pre-booked a shuttle from Oriental Escape to take us from the port to our hotel in Bangkok. The service we received from Oriental Escape was professional, comfortable and safe. I would recommend them in a heartbeat.

We chose to book a hotel near the Chao Phraya river because we wanted to avoid the infamous road traffic in Bangkok. After dropping off our overnight bags at our hotel we walked to Oriental Pier. We boarded an orange flag boat and the fare (15 baht) was collected on board. We got off at Tha Chang Pier and immediately smelled the aroma of fruits and grilled food at the market.

Market full of sounds and smells

We walked through the market, crossed the street and then walked alongside the white wall fence of the Grand Palace to get to the entrance. We bought our tickets for 500 baht which gave us admission into the Grand Palace, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and the Regalia Museum. We walked through the Regalia Museum to see displays of coins, jewellery and regalia worn by royalty.

The Grand Palace is huge and there is so much to see! It's hard not to just go crazy with taking pictures of everything. I had to remind myself to step back, put down my camera and admire what I was seeing before my eyes.

At the Grand Palace

Beautiful craftsmanship at the Grand Palace

We had to take our shoes off before entering the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and no photos or video recording was allowed inside.

Tip: In terms of clothing attire for the Grand Palace I made sure to cover my shoulders and knees and to not wear anything skin-tight. Since you'll need to take your shoes off to see the Emerald Buddha it is best to wear slip-on shoes. I wasn't sure if flip-flops were allowed so I wore closed-toed slip-on shoes.

We stayed at the Grand Palace until it closed at 3:30pm. We had originally planned to visit Wat Pho and Wat Arun as well. However, since they close at 5pm and 5:30pm respectively we realized the time needed to travel there wouldn't leave us with enough time to truly appreciate the temples. Therefore we decided to save them for the next time we went back to Bangkok. 

We headed back on the orange flag boat and went to eat at a Thai restaurant near our hotel called Tealicious. It is owned by a super friendly English gentleman and the food was very good too.

Day 2:

We had booked the Railway and Floating Market Tour from BKK Tours. It was a half day tour which allowed us time to explore Bangkok on our own for a couple hours after the tour.

Our day started with our tour guide Ms. Oi meeting us in the lobby of our hotel. We then sat comfortably in a family sized van as the driver drove us from Bangkok to Samut Songkram where a railway market is located. Along the way we saw miles upon miles of salt farms where sea salt gets harvested.

On our way to the railway market we stopped at a gas station to order some iced coffee from Cafe Amazon. The drinks tasted amazing and were a good deal too. Ms.Oi bought some freshly made hot coconut pancakes, a very common on-the-go breakfast for Thais, from a street vendor for us to try.

The railway market is a fully functional market set up at the edge of a railway track selling both fresh goods and household items. When the warning signal sounded to let people know the train was approaching the vendors pulled back their awnings and goods from the edge of the tracks with efficiency and ease. It was quite a thrilling experience to see the local train pass through the market mere inches from where we were standing. As soon as the train passed by the vendors immediately moved their awnings and goods back to the edge of the tracks and business resumed as normal.

The train approaching the railway market

After the railway market we visited a coconut plantation and traditional home located near a canal. We watched a guy make sugar cane from coconut water and sampled a piece as well. It's nice to see that no part of a coconut goes to waste since every part of a coconut can get re-purposed into something else.

All sorts of coconut goodies on display

We then went on our way to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Ms. Oi rented a rowing boat for us and we all went into the boat to experience the way locals used to socialize with their friends. By going through the smaller rivers instead of the main canal where all the markets were set up we were able to escape the crowds. Away from the hustle and bustle we saw locals' homes as well as lots of natural greenery. 

Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

View from inside the rowing boat

Our tour finished after the Floating Market and we asked to be dropped off at MBK Centre (a 7 floor mall in Bangkok). After saying goodbye to Ms. Oi and our driver we went up to the 6th floor to eat at the food court. To pay for your meal at this food court you need to load money onto a reloadable/refundable card which you can purchase on the same floor.

After a few hours of eating and shopping at MBK Centre we left the mall to walk to our pre-arranged pick-up location with Oriental Escape. There was a large crowd of people gathered outside MBK Centre to watch a Muay Thai boxing event. We soaked in the atmosphere for a few minutes then went on our way. We got picked up by Oriental Escape and made the 2.5 hour journey back to the cruise terminal in Laemchabang.

Day 3:

We decided the best way to spend our final day in Thailand would be to book a shore excursion from Celebrity to ensure we would make it back to the ship on time. The excursion we picked was Elephant Experience. This was by far the BEST excursion I have ever gone on!

Our morning began with taking a shuttle bus to the Elephant Village in Pattaya. It was approximately a 30 minute drive to Pattaya from the cruise terminal.

We started off our tour by riding on an ox-cart being pulled by 2 oxen. It was a bumpy ride and my excitement kept on building with the knowledge that we would soon be riding an elephant.

The ox-cart ride

The ox-cart ride took us to a location where we boarded a raft to take us to the other side of a lake. At the end of the raft ride we went inside a silk house to learn how silk is made from silk worms. From there we went on a short nature hike to get to the area where the elephants were waiting for us.

Now my favourite part: the elephant ride! One by one everyone climbed up the stairs to a platform. This made it easier to get onto the wooden bench attached to the elephant's back. Once we were seated on the bench we were "strapped in" with a metal handle in front of us. It reminded me of an amusement park ride.

The platform used to get onto the elephant

It was a hot day and our elephant kept spraying herself with water from her trunk. We couldn't help but laugh when we got hit with the excess water several times. The elephant ride went through a rural area past homes and plantations and lasted about 30-45 minutes.

Elephant ride through the water

After the elephant ride we were treated to a delicious buffet lunch serving both Western and Asian food. Following our meal we went to see the elephant show. The show focused on showcasing the versatility of an elephant's trunk (pulling/pushing large items with their trunk to demonstrate strength; picking up a coin from the ground to demonstrate dexterity). We also watched the elephants having bath time in the water.

Elephants enjoying their bath time

The elephant show also demonstrated how mahouts (elephant riders) don't need to use a platform to climb onto an elephant's back. Instead, the mahout gets the elephant to lie down on all four legs so they can step on the elephant's bent front leg and hop onto it's back.

The host of the elephant show picked me from the audience to try climbing onto an elephant without the assistance of a platform just like a mahout would. It wasn't easy and I did need a little help from the mahout and host to get up onto the elephant. I caught myself saying "check that off the bucket list" after climbing onto the elephant without a platform and riding it bareback...just like a mahout!

Getting some help to climb onto the elephant

There is nothing to hold onto and nothing to strap me down once I was sitting on the elephant bareback. I'll never forget the feeling of the elephant's ear flapping against my legs. After going for a short ride on the elephant the host invited fellow audience members to ride bareback on an elephant as well. I felt honoured to be the only person in the audience to climb onto an elephant without the help of a platform.

Best moment ever!!

It still brings a huge smile to my face when I think back on my wonderful experience at the Pattaya Elephant Village. I definitely had one of my best days ever here.


Read Part 1: Brunei and Vietnam here
Read Part 2: Singapore here

Southeast Asia Part 2: Singapore

View of the Singapore skyline from the Celebrity Century

We had two full days at the end of our cruise to spend in Singapore. With clean and reliable train service available throughout much of Singapore we planned out our two days of sightseeing using a map of Singapore's train stations. Since we were planning on using the train so much we bought EZ-Link cards at the Singapore Airport on the day we arrived in Singapore.

Day 1:
The Celebrity Century was docked at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre. It is a 10 minute walk from the cruise terminal to the closest train station, Marina South Pier.

We took the train from Marina South Pier to Raffles Place station. After exiting the train station we walked towards the direction of the water to see the famous Merlion statue. We also got great views of the Marina Bay Sands hotel located on the other side of the water.

Merlion (foreground) and Marina Bay Sands hotel (background)

After we were satisfied with all the photos we took we went back to Raffles Place station to take the train to Harbourfront station. Harbourfront station is connected to the basement of VivoCity Mall. If you turn right at the entrance to VivoCity Mall you will see a food court full of Asian food. We ate lunch at this food court instead of the international cuisine of Food Republic on the upper levels.

Our next stop after lunch was Sentosa Island. We took the escalators to Level 1 of VivoCity Mall and followed the signs labelled "Sentosa Boardwalk". When we exited through the automatic glass doors we saw the boardwalk leading to Sentosa Island. It takes about 10 minutes to walk along the boardwalk and arrive at the Resorts World Area of Sentosa Island. The boardwalk is open 24 hours if you are paying by EZ-Link card and there is a fee of $1 to enter Sentosa Island by boardwalk. The more expensive option is to take the cable car to Sentosa Island from VivoCity Mall.

Sentosa Merlion

There are a lot of cool things to see at Sentosa Island. We made stops at the Sentosa Merlion statue, a large candy store called Candylicious, an Orchid Garden and several beaches.

The display outside Candylicious

A free hop-on-hop-off bus takes you to different beaches throughout the island. At Palawan Beach we walked across the suspension bridge to be on "the southernmost point of Continental Asia".

View of Sentosa Island from the southernmost point of Continental Asia

As the day drew to a close we took a free shuttle bus back to Harbourfront station from Sentosa Island. We walked around VivoCity Mall for a bit before making our way back to the cruise terminal for our overnight stay aboard the ship.


Day 2:
Our second full day in Singapore was also the day we had to disembark the ship. We took the train from Marina South Pier to Farrah station and walked to our hotel located in the Little India district.

After relaxing in the comforts of our air-conditioned hotel room for an hour we made our way by train to Chinatown. There were plenty of street food stalls to pick from.

As Singapore is the third richest country in the world it came as no surprise that things are more expensive here than the rest of Southeast Asia. However, Chinatown had lots of shops selling cheap souvenirs.

Souvenirs at Chinatown

After eating lunch and browsing the shops in Chinatown we took the train to Bayfront station to check out Gardens by the Bay. There was so much to see and we spent several hours there.

At the Supertree Grove there are two light and sound shows every night called Garden Rhapsody. Since there was still time before the first show started we went to check out Marina Bay Sands hotel up close.

View of Gardens by the Bay with the Supertree Grove on the right

Inside Marina Bay Sands hotel is a luxury shopping mall, The Shoppes at Marina Bay, which was very impressive. They have a canal inside the mall replicating the canals in Italy. There is even a row boat with a paddler available for a fee.

The Shoppes at Marina Bay

When it got dark enough outside we walked back to Gardens by the Bay to secure our spots for Garden Rhapsody. It was a nice way to end our time in Singapore!

Light and sound show at the Supertree Grove

Read Part 1: Brunei and Vietnam here
Read Part 3: Thailand here

Southeast Asia Part 1: Brunei and Vietnam

Nha Trang, Vietnam

Brunei
The Celebrity Century docked in Muara which is a 45 minute drive from Bandar Seri Begawan (the capital of Brunei).

When I did my research for Brunei I had read that there would be limited taxis available to take passengers to Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB). To my surprise we encountered many private vehicles and taxis offering rides to BSB while walking away from the cruise terminal in Muara.

Map of Muara posted at the cruise terminal

We decided not to go to the capital of Brunei and chose to explore the area around the port of Muara instead. Since the majority of cruise passengers go to BSB the benefit of staying in Muara is you aren't surrounded by tourists. Granted there isn't much to see in Muara in terms of "tourist attractions" but I'm happy with seeing locals going about their daily lives in a new place. We made our way to Old Town Muara where the shops and bank is located. There are several supermarkets that sell unique snack items and cold drinks at very good prices. We bought some snacks and drinks from the supermarket and made our way back to the cruise terminal since it was extremely hot and humid outside.

Tip: The cruise terminal is air-conditioned and has free WiFi.


Vietnam
The ship made two stops in Vietnam: Nha Trang and Phu My (Ho Chi Minh).

Cable cars in Nha Trang to take people to Vinpearl Resort

The port of Nha Trang is a tendered port. As we got off the tender there was an outdoor market with several tables set up selling souvenirs a few feet away.

There were a lot of taxis waiting for passengers as they left the port area. I definitely learned the importance of saying a firm "no thank you" to the taxi drivers. I made the mistake of saying "maybe" to a taxi driver and was followed all over the city as I walked away.

While walking around the streets of Nha Trang I saw an alley of what I thought was a market. Turns out it was actually just the alley of people's homes. It was nice to walk through the alley and take a peek into what a local's home looks like from the gates outside.

Alley in Nha Trang

As the sun was particularly strong on this day my family decided not to make Nha Trang a beach day because we didn't want to become "lobsters" (having our skin burnt red). However, we still wanted to explore Nha Trang so walking to Vinpearl Land was our way of accomplishing that.

Vinpearl Land is where you can take the cable car to Vinpearl Resort. To get to Vinpearl Land we walked along the water and followed the direction of the cable cars.

Almost at Vinpearl Land

The entrance to Vinpearl Land has many park benches shaded by trees making it the perfect spot to cool off after the walk from the port. There also is a neat looking fountain to take pictures by.

Made it to Vinpearl Land!

Our second stop in Vietnam was Phu My (Ho Chi Minh). The ship docked in Phu My which is a 2 hour drive from Ho Chi Minh (Saigon). When doing my research for this port I found that the best price for a shuttle service to Ho Chi Minh from Phu My was through a Celebrity Shore Excursion called Saigon On Your Own.

Tip: Ho Chi Minh is easy to navigate on your own without a tour guide. Since we knew where the shuttle would be dropping us off in Ho Chi Minh we used Google Maps to plan out our day. We made sure we visited several of the major landmarks, architectural marvels and famous markets.

On the ride from Phu My to Ho Chi Minh we passed by a lot of motorists and rice fields. It still amazes me how casual the motorists are about driving in traffic. They weave around other motorists and people crossing the street with ease.

Motorbikes in action in Ho Chi Minh

The shuttle dropped us off at the Notre Dame Cathedral.

Notre Dame Cathedral

From there we followed the itinerary we planned out and walked from landmark to landmark. Our first stop was to see the Saigon Opera House.

Saigon Opera House

Next we walked by City Hall.

City Hall

We then walked into Rex Hotel (which is close to City Hall) to use their washroom facilities.

Tip: The cleanest washrooms in Ho Chi Minh are inside the malls and in fancy hotels.

From there we made our way to Saigon Square to check out the market. After wandering around the market for a little bit we made our way to Ben Thanh Market. This market is more crowded and popular with tourists than the market at Saigon Square.

Ben Thanh Market

On the shuttle ride over to Ho Chi Minh our tour guide mentioned the restaurant Pho 2000. It was made famous when Bill Clinton ate there in 2000. Since we were in the vicinity of Pho 2000 (located on the 2nd floor of a building to the right of the clock tower side of Ben Thanh Market) we ate lunch there.

Pho 2000

After eating lunch, we made our way towards Bitexco Financial Building (the 2nd tallest building in Vietnam). It has a helicopter landing pad on the side of the building and was quite the architectural marvel to look at.

Our final stop of the day was the Reunification Palace which was formerly the presidential palace. To get there we made our way back towards the Notre Dame Cathedral and Post Office.

Notre Dame Cathedral (left) and Post Office (right)

Reunification Palace

One final note: Crossing the streets in Ho Chi Minh is absolute insanity. The best thing to do is to walk at a steady pace as you cross the street and let the motorists weave around you. I have to admit I silently screamed to myself every time I stepped out onto the streets.


Read Part 2: Singapore here
Read Part 3: Thailand here

Sojourn to Southeast Asia

Have you ever experienced something really amazing and said "check that off the bucket list" even though it was never on your bucket list to begin with? Just me?

I've had some really memorable experiences where it never occurred to me it was something I wanted to try or was even a possibility to do in the first place. Examples include jet skiing in St. Maarten, renting a Hourstan Glascraft (a 16 foot, 50 horse power boat) to drive around the waters of Vancouver, and attending a lecture from the strength and conditioning coach of the Vancouver Canucks.

I caught myself saying "check that off the bucket list" again after getting up close and personal to an elephant in Pattaya, Thailand but I'll explain that in more detail later.

At the Elephant Village in Pattaya

My family and I booked two cabins on the Celebrity Century for a Southeast Asia trip about a year in advance. After several months of planning for this trip it was finally time for us to fly out of Vancouver to begin our cruise adventure. We embarked the ship in Singapore on February 22, 2015. Two weeks later we disembarked in Singapore and left with hundreds of video clips, thousands of pictures, and more than enough memories to last a lifetime.

Since there is so much to write about I will be splitting my experience in Southeast Asia into three parts:
Part 1: Brunei and Vietnam
Part 2: Singapore
And saving my best memories for last,
Part 3: Thailand

Easter in the Eastern Caribbean

It's been just over a week since my return from working on the Regal Princess during the busy Easter/Spring Break season. The Regal was doing an Eastern Caribbean itinerary which I have done previously as a passenger and then as a crew member a few years later. The ports may have been familiar but the sun and warm waters of the Caribbean will always be novel to me.

Clear waters in the Caribbean

I was excited to join the newest ship on the Princess fleet because I knew the production shows and entertainment would be top-notch! I was lucky enough to catch two shows in the lovely Princess Theatre. The first was The Unexpected Boys which is a tribute act to Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. I love songs from the musical Jersey Boys so it goes without saying that I thoroughly enjoyed this show. The second show, Fiera!, was a production show featuring the singers and dancers. By seamlessly incorporating the use of props, pyrotechnics and HD screens on stage the production value of Fiera! was unlike any show I have ever seen. I was blown away by how good the show was. I could ramble on and on about how nice the ship is but I'll move on to the good stuff: the ports!

Princess Cays: This is the private island owned by Princess Cruises in Eleuthera, Bahamas. There is an enclosed play area called Pelican Perch where youth staff like me supervise children while the ship is anchored at sea. On days when I didn't start work until 12 noon at Pelican Perch I happily ate the BBQ lunch on the island before my shift. After my shift was over I usually had an hour or two to enjoy the island before having to take the tender back to the ship. The water by the tender docks is so clear that no snorkel gear is necessary to see the fishes in it. I cherished the opportunity to watch a variety of colourful fishes swimming in the ocean while standing on the docks above.

St. Thomas: The highlight of my time in St. Thomas was when I went on an excursion called The Legendary Kon Tiki Harbor and Beach Cruise. It was a nice way to experience a morning in St. Thomas. As passengers and I boarded the Kon Tiki boat we were greeted with calypso music from the steel drum band playing aboard the boat. The boat had glass-bottom viewers that offered snorkeling-like views so passengers could see coral and fish in the harbours of Charlotte Amalie. The boat then anchored at the small but lovely Honeymoon Bay for 1 hour. This beach had the most crystal clear waters I have ever set foot in and the sand beneath my feet were soft and free of any debris.

View of Honeymoon Bay from the Kon Tiki

St. Maarten: The thing I love most about the port of St. Maarten is that it takes only 20 minutes to walk to the beach/shopping/town area. There is no need for a taxi to get to this beach although a water taxi is available if you don't feel like walking. I spent most of my time in St. Maarten at the beach relaxing on the sand or going for a dip in the ocean when it got too hot. The great thing about this beach for me was it's proximity to McDonald's meant I could buy an Oreo McFlurry to take to the beach to enjoy. Things as simple as enjoying a yummy treat on the beach during my morning off on a port day makes me appreciate how lucky I am to work on cruise ships.
P.S. If you love the taste of coconuts then you need to try the coconut smoothie from the Coco Express smoothie stand near the pier. They hand out samples but it's so delicious that I couldn't help but buy a full-sized smoothie. Their coconut smoothie comes in two sizes: medium ($4 USD) or large ($5 USD).

Fort Lauderdale: There are two things most crew members love: WiFi and shopping at Ross. Both of these things are not hard to find in and around the Port Everglades cruise terminal. I definitely had a crew member moment when I realized I spent my whole morning in Fort Lauderdale shopping at Ross, buying a 1 gallon carton of water at Publix supermarket and then using WiFi. On another morning out and about in Fort Lauderdale I walked to Turtle Nesting Beach which is about 45 minutes away from the cruise terminal. Along the way I stopped by Dunkin' Donuts to make myself an iced coffee for the walk to the beach. Turtle Nesting Beach is massive! The beach appears to go on for miles with lots of sand so it never feels crowded. The abundance of picnic tables and benches at this beach makes it a great place for any type of group gathering involving food.

This was not my first time in the Eastern Caribbean and I'm fairly certain it won't be my last either. I'm perfectly content with that fact!

A to Z: Australia to Fiji to New Zealand (Part 3: New Zealand)

Part 3: New Zealand

Hello New Zealand!

After seeing the beautiful Fjords while cruising Fjordland National Park I was very excited for New Zealand. Although the Tasman Sea had the roughest waters I have ever experienced it was well worth it to be able to go to New Zealand. Lucky for me we had back-to-back cruises to New Zealand so I was able to experience some ports more than once.

Port Chalmers:
Week 1: We took a crew shuttle into Dunedin. The picturesque drive from Port Chalmers to Dunedin was filled with images of a serene lake, several green hills as well as farms with sheeps and horses outside our window. The shuttle dropped us off across from Cadbury World so of course we had to go inside. We bought several chocolate bars and tins of hot chocolate because they were so much cheaper than in Canada. We then walked around Dunedin to get a feel for the city. We found our way to the main shopping district but didn't have much time to browse the shops. On our way back to the shuttle pick-up location we walked by the railway station. I was amazed at how beautiful the railway station was.

The most beautiful railway station I have ever seen

Week 2: We started our day by exploring the small town of Port Chalmers. We made our way up a hill so we could see the architectural handiwork of an old cathedral up close. A trail up another hill was located near the cathedral and because we were feeling adventurous we decided to make the trek up the hill. About halfway up the trail there was an abandoned 19th century cemetery in the middle of a secluded forest. It looked like something out of a horror movie set - pretty cool! Checking the time we noticed the crew shuttle was scheduled to depart from Port Chalmers to Dunedin in about 10 minutes so we quickly made our way back down to the cruise terminal to catch the shuttle. After seeing so many Japanese restaurants the first time I was in Dunedin I knew I had to satisfy my craving for Japanese food. Jitsu was the first Japanese restaurant we saw and it was full of locals so we gave it a try. Feeling satiated with the chicken teriyaki roll I ordered we headed back to Cadbury World to stock up on more chocolate!

Love this place!

Akaroa:
Week 1: I was working port day supervision so I didn't have enough time to get off the ship.
Week 2: It was too windy to tender. Such a shame because I was scheduled to go on an excursion.


Wellington:
Week 1: You can pay for a shuttle to take you to town but since it's only a 15-20 minute walk from the port to the downtown shopping area (Lambton Quay) we decided to walk. There is everything from boutique shops to department stores to electronic stores in the Lambton Quay area. Since it was the holidays most stores were still closed when we got there. We decided to go to the Civic Square and spotted the giant silver ball hanging from the "sky" - an interesting piece of modern art and a great spot to take a photo. We then walked across the City to Sea bridge to check out the waterfront area. The nice thing about Wellington is there is an abundance of informative signs all over the city so it's easy to navigate on your own.

The beautiful waterfront

Week 2: I went on an excursion called Wind Farm & Seal Safari. I could describe my experience but the tour overview described on the Princess Cruises website states it best:

This tour covers Wellington like no other tour. From the cruise ship terminal you head through the heart of the city to Otari Wilton's bush - New Zealand's only Botanic Gardens completely dedicated to Native plants, with a unique tree top walkway. Then it's over the hill and up to Tinakori Lookout, one of the best lookouts in Wellington with fabulous views over the City, harbour & surrounding suburbs. Leaving the main road, you will travel through Terawhiti Station, one of New Zealand's largest wind farms. The station has been in the same family since 1850. Learn about the fascinating history of the area and its connections to Wellington. Wind your way through towering 111m turbines that harness the wind to generate clean, renewable electricity.
Travel through Oteranga Bay; a strategic part of New Zealand's power grid where the Cook Strait Power Cable joins the North to the South Island as you make your way to the rugged South Coast of Wellington to see a Wild New Zealand Fur Seal Colony. Get up close (but not too close!) and personal with this real native New Zealand marine mammal. Seal sightings are guaranteed year round. With breath taking views over the Cook Strait to the South Island, you will soon discover why we consider this the best scenery in Wellington.

Interesting fact: New Zealand Fur Seals are actually sea lions and not seals because of the way they walk. This tour gave me a chance to see rural New Zealand and it was so much fun riding in the 4-wheel drive vehicle through the rugged terrain!

New Zealand Fur Seals

Napier: 
Week 1: The ship docked in a commercial shipping port so a free shuttle was provided from the port to your choice of either the city square or the aquarium. The city of Napier is filled with Art Deco architecture. In the city square there were people dressed in vintage style outfits performing a dance and vintage cars were on display as well. While walking around I noticed a skate/scooter park in addition to a multitude of other recreation facilities. We perused the shops before reaching a park called Clive Square. This park had bells which rang every half hour which I thought was pretty neat. I was very impressed with the care this city put into public spaces like the gardens and parks. Before heading back to the ship we wanted to walk along the beach. The beach is covered with pebbles and rocks instead of sand so it wasn't crowded with people suntanning. 

Take a step back in time in Napier

Week 2: I went on an excursion called Hawke's Bay Express. As described on the Princess Cruises website this city tour was in "a modern road train that's styled like an old-fashioned steam engine, but it travels on road, not rail, so you can get up close and personal with the city". I really enjoyed this tour because it gave me a chance to see Napier from a different perspective than the first time I was there. Also, the tour guides were extremely friendly and knowledgeable. I came away with a better understanding and respect for the city of Napier and its history.


Tauranga:
Week 1: I didn't get a chance to get off the ship because I was working port day supervision. However, the view of Tauranga from the ship made me excited for the next time we were there.
Week 2: The ship docked at Mount Maunganui and this place had a surf town feel to it. Pilot Bay is right where you exit the pier to your left. If you walk across the island, to the right of where your exit the pier, there is Main Beach. Main Beach is a more sheltered beach so it's popular with surfers and it is a bigger beach than Pilot Bay. We made our way to Main Beach to soak in the sun and use the free WiFi to reconnect with family and friends back home. Before heading back to the ship we made our way to Burger King to enjoy a Frozen Coke - perfect on a hot day.

Pilot Bay

Auckland:
Week 1: We started our morning by getting a green tea from Starbucks to enjoy while walking around the city. By the waterfront area there are some giant wooden lounge chairs perfect for relaxing and getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city. We spent some time on these lounge chairs before walking around the city again. We passed by the Sky Tower which has the distinction of being the tallest man-made structure in New Zealand. At a supermarket I bought a cold green tea drink and we headed to a park nearby to enjoy our drinks and to people watch from a bench in the shade.

The famous Sky Tower in Auckland

Week 2: I planned to buy some souvenirs here as my time in New Zealand was coming to an end but nothing really piqued my interest. We discovered another park called Albert Park which was much more scenic than the park we went to the first time we were in Auckland. This park had interesting looking trees as well as a fountain surrounded by a garden of flowers. It was nice to just breathe in the fresh air while lying on the grass. On our way back to the ship we walked by several back alleys that were lined with restaurants and shops. It made me realize there is something for everybody in Auckland - from the the big city atmosphere to the peaceful getaway of the parks and waterfront area to the trendy shops and restaurants in the alleys - it definitely became my favourite port in New Zealand.

Peaceful day at Albert Park

Bay of Islands:
Week 1: This was a tendered port and a free shuttle into Paihia was provided. We visited an arts and crafts market which contained only New Zealand made souvenirs. We also went inside a supermarket to buy some snacks. The local library has free WiFi so we made a brief stop there. Then we walked up to a lookout point at the waterfront to get a nice view of the different islands that make up Bay of Islands.

View of some of the islands that make up Bay of Islands

Week 2: I was working port day supervision and didn't have enough time to get off the ship. Until next time New Zealand!


Read Part 1: Australia here
Read Part 2: Fiji here