Cruising: 2025-Apr Anthem OTS
(Singapore-Japan-Seattle)

This trip consists of two consecutive cruises on the Anthem of the Seas: The first 12-night cruise takes us from Singapore to Tokyo (with stops in Viet Nam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea). The second 15-night cruise takes us from Tokyo to Seattle. Our trip starts with 3 nights in Singapore at the Conrad Centennial (Laurie’s old stomping grounds) – arriving early morning on Apr 10.

April 8, 2025 – Tuesday
Today we started another adventure – a trip to Asia with B2B cruises (total of 27 nights) that return us to Seattle! Early afternoon Nicole was kind enough to give us a ride to Lynnwood City Center so that we could catch the light rail to the airport. The fare was a whopping $1 each! (Compare that to over $100 for Uber or Lyft.) It was a cool, rainy day but our flight left on time at 5:05 pm and was a little bumpy getting above the clouds then smoothed out. We landed in San Francisco just after 7:00 pm. Since our next flight was international we were able to relax in the United Lounge where they had a spread of hot and cold foods and beverages which were all very good. Due to the prior flight arriving late it pushed our flight out by about half an hour. Then when we boarded the plane there was an additional delay due to a maintenance issue. Finally we were able to take off. It was a very long flight to Singapore (almost 17 hours)! The flight was mostly smooth; they fed us dinner, followed by a mid-flight sandwich, and then breakfast just before arrival. We mostly read so the time went by. We also napped some, with Pat taking multiple naps in an effort to get on Singapore time which is 15 hours behind Seattle.

April 9, 2025 – Wednesday
During our flight this day went “poof” due to the International Date Line.

April 10, 2025 – Thursday – Singapore – Happy Birthday Laurie!
The Singapore airport was very efficient and we quickly went through Passport Control. (Laurie got a cute Happy Birthday message on the screen when he scanned his passport!) Then we took a taxi to the Conrad Centennial Singapore arriving about 8:00 am. The drive to the hotel showed Singapore to be a very clean, lush, modern city. It’s a gorgeous hotel where Laurie used to stay when traveling for work. Since our room wasn’t quite ready yet, they gave us a complimentary breakfast in Oscar’s, a large buffet with a wide variety of food. We had eaten on the plane so we just had coffee and a nosh. Entering our room about 9:30, the hotel had left birthday decorations, a birthday note, a balloon (and a Conrad duck) for Laurie!

The room on the 27th floor was very nice with too many amenities to list, and a large bathroom with both a shower and an oversized soaking tub. There were complimentary cookies and water, as well as snacks/beverages we could pay for. There was also a variety of complimentary coffee pods and teabags with the machines to make both. We decided to go wandering around the nearby Suntec City Mall, and also went through some other shopping areas. The Carrefour grocery store that Laurie had visited before was now a Cold Storage grocery store. We looked around and ended up buying some laksa mixes to bring home.

We also saw the Fountain of Wealth which is supposed to be the largest fountain in the world according to Guinness and is the center of the Suntec City Mall. It was very hot and humid so it was nice to get back to our room to relax. Laurie had also received a card for a free birthday surprise at The Terrace bakery downstairs so we headed down to collected his mini decorated chocolate cake. We didn’t eat it right away because a short time later we went up to the Executive Level on 31 for afternoon tea. There were a variety of hot and cold drinks, as well as hot and cold small bites. Everything was delicious and the experience was very relaxing. Neither of us was very hungry around dinner time so we just called it day and watched CNN until we turned in about 9:00.

April 11, 2025 – Friday – Singapore
Singapore greeted us with sunshine yesterday, but today we were greeted by thunderstorms and heavy rain in the morning. We had a delicious buffet breakfast at Oscar’s where they had a variety of foods from different countries. After breakfast we found a comfortable covered seating area outside where there was a pleasant breeze. Back in the room jet lag caught up to us and we both had a good nap. The afternoon called for more thunderstorms so we decided to stay in. But, as back home, their weather predictions proved wrong. At 6:00 we went up for cocktail hour where we each had a drink but no appetizers since we were going out to dinner with Laurie’s former co-worker Anthony and his wife Alison. They picked us up at 6:45 and took us to a waterfront restaurant called Jumbo Seafood, with their specialty being crab. The evening was very enjoyable with delicious local food dishes and great conversation. The food included very messy-to-eat pepper and chilli crab, bamboo clams with a noodle filling, crispy coffee crusted ribs, noodles in a spicy sauce with shrimp, and a green vegetable in a broth with different kinds of diced egg. Beverages were beer and coconut water served in coconuts. In between bites we talked about our families and travels, with Laurie and Anthony sharing talk about the people and places from their time at Fluke. After dinner we stopped at the waterfront where there was a good breeze and some lightning in the distance across the water. On our drive back to the hotel Anthony and Alison were kind enough to take us on a tour by an enormous ferris wheel, a lush area called The Gardens by the Bay which had huge man-made concrete and steel structures called Supertrees – each with over 200 species of plants growing on them and colorful lights as well. When they dropped us back at the Conrad, they very thoughtfully gave us a gift of local coffee and biscuits. We took a few pictures to remember our evening by.

April 12, 2025 – Saturday – Singapore
Our day started with breakfast in Oscar’s at 7:30. We let our breakfast settle then headed out to explore since rain was once again forecast for the afternoon. Even though it was early it was already hot and humid. From the hotel we circled the entire Marina Bay area covering about 6 miles. Along the way we passed by the “Singapore Flyer” ferris wheel and then went to the Gardens by the Bay wandering around and seeing the Supertrees up close (see above). The gardens had taken us away from the bay so we headed back that way. From there we went a different direction from the bay to Lau Pa Sat, a hawkers market full of small counter restaurants where you can pick up a huge variety of foods then eat in the common seating areas. We were still full from breakfast but we bought some iced milk tea since we were very thirsty. Once rested we continued back to the bay to see the Merlion Fountain which was a very popular place. A sight visible from all around the bay was the Marina Bay Sands Hotel whose roof looks like a long boat stretching across the three towers of the hotel, and is actually an observation deck. From the Merlion we continued the walk back to the hotel going through the Esplanade Mall and Marina Walk Mall.

It felt great to be back in our air conditioned room and be able to wash up. When they came to clean the room we went up to the Executive Level for afternoon tea, having cold drinks and a light nosh. Late afternoon thunderstorms rolled in and stuck around erasing our plan to walk to a laksa place a few blocks away. Instead, we were able to go to the cocktail hour upstairs where we had a drink and appetizers before Passover began at sundown. We relaxed in our room until bedtime.

April 13, 2025 – Sun/Day 1 – Singapore
Cruise day! We had breakfast at Oscar’s, and then started to pack up. We watched some TV as we had a little time to kill. About 11:30 we took a cab to the port which was about a 15 minute drive. The port check-in process included about six different queues – but we just followed the line that the staff directed us to go through security, Vietnam visas, Royal Caribbean check in, immigration, and more Royal Caribbean stuff as we boarded the ship. While there were many steps, it moved very quickly. Despite large ceiling fans everywhere, we were soaked from the heat and humidity by the time we got on the ship about 12:30. Our room was ready and we were able to unpack and settle in right away since we carried our luggage onboard with us. We have room 7520 with a starboard-side balcony near the front of the ship. The room must have been renovated recently as it looked like new. During the afternoon Laurie spent some time getting the electronics working, we then went to our muster station, saw where our dining table was (one table back from the window), and made BOGO reservations at Izumi for Day 3. Our room steward is Rhei (“Ray”). We had a quick drink in the Brass & Bock British-style pub before going for dinner in the dining room at 6:45. Our waiter is Suraj from India and the assistant waiter is Yuli from Indonesia. The food was good and the service very quick. After dinner we walked through the Promenade on our way back to the room. Tonight we move the clocks back one hour. Now we are 14 hours ahead of home.

(Captain Toni, Cruise Director Michelle) (On board: Pinnacle 256, Diamond+ 407, Diamond 405, Emerald 126, Platinum 302, Gold 730)

April 14, 2025 – Mon/Day 2 – At Sea
We are are bit out of whack from time changes so Laurie was down in the Crown Lounge about 4:30 am, and Pat joined him about 5:45 for coffee and reading. Around 7:45 we entered a very crowded Windjammer for breakfast. We circled around before nabbing a table back in a corner. Following our previous routine, we relaxed and read on lounge chairs in the Solarium and enjoyed the view of the very smooth water on this mostly cloudy, warm, humid, day. Pat grabbed a salad at the Solarium Bistro before we returned to the quiet of our cabin. Late afternoon we spent a little time in Vintages before going to the dining room for dinner. They had laksa for an appetizer which was spicy, clear (no coconut milk) broth with two tiny shrimp, a few rice noodles, and a couple pieces of what was probably a vegetable. It was tasty but not what we’re used to. After dinner we stopped in the theater to a see a show but between it not being very good and technical difficulties we soon left to turn in for the evening.

April 15, 2025 – Tue/Day 3 – Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon, Vietnam
We were both up early and had coffee in the lounge. Pat brought a plate of food to the room from Windjammer while Laurie was taking care of some things in the room. We finally got off the ship and took a free shuttle to just outside of the port where we met our tour guide/driver at for the day at 8:15. ($120 + $10 tip for the day.) He was nice but his English was very hard to understand so we weren’t able to ask him many questions. The drive from the port to Ho Chi Minh City was about 90 minutes each way. It was about 90 degrees and very humid in the city. The driver would drop us off at various sights then we’d text him to come pick us up at an arranged spot when we were done at each location. Sights included the Saigon Opera House (for architecture), Notre Dame Cathedral (covered in scaffolding due to renovation work), the Central Post Office (for architecture inside and out), Independence Palace (for architecture and a fountain from a distance), drove by the Rex Hotel (famous from war days), and also drove by the Hotel Continental (oldest hotel in Vietnam). Another stop was the huge Ben Thanh Market crammed full of narrow aisles of booths loaded with all kinds of merchandise and food. At every single booth someone was trying to sell us something starting with “madame” or “sir”, often touching our arms to get our attention. It was like going through a gauntlet! For $1 we did buy a delicious frozen mango smoothie at a booth. Our last stop of the day was the War Remnant Museum which cost us $1.58 each to enter. The brochure states: “It is the unique museum in Vietnam to systematically study, collect, conserve and display exhibits on war crimes and consequences inflicted on the Vietnamese people by foreign aggressive forces. Simultaneously, the Museum appeals to everybody to oppose unjust wars, preserve global peace, promote friendship and solidarity among nations.” As you might guess, a lot the displays dealt with horrible things and were not pleasant to look at.

After the long drive back to the port we stopped in the Windjammer for a salad and something cold to drink before returning to our cool, quiet room. We stopped in Vintages before going to Izumi’s for a BOGO dinner. The food was all delicious but not as good as the dishes with panko and tempura which we couldn’t order due to Passover. We moved the clocks forward one hour so we are back to being 15 hours ahead of home.

(The area we initially drove through after leaving the port was in pretty sad shape. Most everything was rundown and appeared cobbled together with whatever material could be found. There was lots of garbage and a few loose dogs. In Ho Chi Minh City, the traffic was horrendous with swarms of motorbikes driving wherever they wanted. There were no safe pedestrian crossings set up so you take your life into your own hands when crossing the busy streets and hope for the best. Not a place that we’d visit again. There is another city closer to the port which might be worth looking into if we return.)

April 16, 2025 – Wed/Day 4 – At Sea
A partly cloudy, warm, humid day. After our Crown Lounge coffee we spent the entire morning in the Solarium and got breakfast from the Bistro. After relaxing, doing some computer stuff, and watching TV during the afternoon, we visited Vintages and then went up to Windjammer for dinner.

April 17, 2025 – Thu/Day 5 – At Sea
A repeat of yesterday except at Vintages another couple sat down with us. They were from the Isle of Man near the UK. They cruise a lot on different lines and it was interesting talking to them, especially about living on an island – 4.5 hour ferry ride from land.

April 18, 2025 – Fri/Day 6 – Hong Kong
It was a rainy start to the day. We had our coffee in the lounge, and breakfast from Solarium Bistro. Then we had an RC excursion reserved which left the ship about 9:30. Our tour guide, Tella, was very bubbly but sometimes hard to understand. Our first stop was Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island where we took a tram/funicular to the top of the mountain. Unfortunately, the area was completely encased in fog which hid the great 360 degree views available on clear days. We later found out the peak has fog about 180 days a year! We wandered the small mall there before boarding the bus again for the drive down the mountain. Our next stop was the fishing village of Aberdeen where we had a ride around the harbor on a sampan boat. We saw a wide variety of boats, old and new, small and big, as well as observed the area around the harbor. The last stop was Stanley Market on the south end of the island along a waterfront. It was a huge mall/market on many levels with some high-end stores as well as a local market area with many small booths. After a 45 minute drive we were back on the ship about 3:00 where we took pictures from deck 15 of Victoria Harbor in one direction, and Kai Tak Cruise Terminal Park (on top of the terminal building) which we looked out on from the other side of the ship.

Then it was time for a cold beverage and relaxing in our room. Today we stopped in the Schooner Bar before dinner where we had a great waiter named Hennessey. Windjammer finished up our long day.

(If we visit again and the weather was good, we’d use public transportation to get to Victoria Peak ourselves and spending some time hiking around the area.)

April 19, 2025 – Sat/Day 7 – At Sea
It was foggy/hazy all day with a little bit of sun. We did our routine for sea days – coffee in lounge, Solarium where we’d read and eat breakfast, afternoon in the room, stopped in the Schooner Bar, and finally dinner in Windjammer. We were supposed to see a show called “Spectra” but it was cancelled due to technical difficulties.

April 20, 2025 – Sun/Day 8 – Taipei (Keelung), Taiwan
Overnight it poured with lots of lightning but there didn’t seem to be much thunder. Though it looked threatening at times, we made it until late afternoon before it rained, but it was hot and extremely humid. After coffee and breakfast, we headed into Keelung to explore. It was nice that most everything we saw was not touristy. The locals were just going about their daily lives as they always do. We walked to Maritime Plaza where the bay ends and there are views of all the ships docked along the bay. A local woman sitting on a bench greeted us in English welcoming us to Taiwan which was very nice. There was only one other cruise ship which was pretty small. Then we ventured down narrow streets lined with small businesses until we arrived at the Miaokou Market – a bustling open-air market with lots of stalls serving Taiwanese street food and snacks. In the middle of the market was Dianji Temple established in 1873, which is also when the market started. It had lots of intricate carvings, statues, paintings, and shrines all of which were very ornate and colorful, as was the outside of the temple including the roof. Locals were lighting incense and offering up prayers at the main shrine. Outside the temple a performance was put on with people in uniforms playing musical instruments. The whole market is decorated with beautiful yellow lanterns that are lit-up at night. RC cut our time in port short or we would have gone back to see the display of lanterns at night. Along our walk back we talked with a man named Brian who was originally from the New York side of Niagara Falls but has been living in Taiwan for 25 years. He gave us some helpful hints about things in Keelung but we were ready to head back to the ship at that point.

Onboard we had a Windjammer lunch and then read/napped in the Solarium until later in the afternoon. Our evening again consisted of the Schooner Bar and Windjammer, which we especially enjoyed because Passover ended at sundown. Tonight we moved the clocks one hour ahead so are 16 hours ahead of home.

(On a future visit we would try to get the market at night, and maybe do the hike up to Zhong Zheng Park to see the sights there.)

April 21, 2025 – Mon/Day 9 – At Sea
Morning found the temperature cooler but still humid. It was a bit foggy but by mid-morning we were in dense fog with the ship’s fog horn going off every two minutes. (The fog and horn lasted until early evening.) We could clearly hear it in the Solarium at the front of the ship where we spent our morning after early coffee and breakfast in Windjammer. This was our first non-Passover breakfast on the ship and Laurie had the oatmeal/muesli which he likes while Pat had the lox and bagels that she likes. Early afternoon we went by Windjammer where Laurie had warm bread pudding with vanilla sauce he had been craving. They had a special display with a huge variety of decorated cakes which they were serving, as well as a display with exotic fruits. The cakes were very attractive but tasted just okay. Pat sampled several fruits but there was only one she really liked. Some probably would have been better if they were fully ripe.  Late afternoon we went by the Schooner Bar and then had dinner in the Windjammer. Tonight we saw the show “Spectra’s Cabaret” in the Two70 Theater. It was a mixture of singing, dancing, and technical effects. We both dozed off for a bit at some point and were glad when it was over.

April 22, 2025 – Tues/Day 10 – Jeju, South Korea
A nasty morning with fog, rain, and slightly cooler temperatures but almost 100% humidity. The fog lasted all day. We had coffee, breakfast, and did some reading in the Solarium before going to our room. Late morning the rain became a light drizzle so we decided to at least walk to the port (inside) to the Gangjeong Cruise Terminal and outside to officially step on South Korean ground. It was a long way but there was a series of people-movers that helped.

There wasn’t much of anything to see inside or outside the terminal, or nearby, so after our 10 minute visit we headed back to the ship. We had a slightly early dinner as we went to see a show at 7:15 – the West End Musical “We Will Rock You”! A story told with the music of Queen and a side of humor. The performers were outstanding and the 2-hour show went by fast. One of the better shows we’ve seen.

April 23, 2025 – Wed/Day 11 – At Sea
Another mostly foggy day. We started with our usual coffee-Windjammer-Solarium morning. We had a relaxing afternoon in the room until we had to go collect our passports, at which time we had some pizza at Sorrento’s. After visiting the Schooner Bar we had dinner again in the Windjammer before turning in for the evening.

April 24, 2025 – Thu/Day 12 – Tokyo (Yokohama), Japan
Most of today was at sea as we arrived in Yokohama about 1:30 pm. Cloudy and fog again to begin the day, turning partly cloud with the sun making an appearance. Routine start to the day. About 2:30 the ship started the Japan immigration process. We didn’t line up early to get a numbered ticket so it was late afternoon before we went through immigration which took about an hour. Afterwards we went to the Schooner Bar. Then, since it was dead, we decided to check in Chop’s to see if they would honor our unused BOGO, and the did! Our waiter was Jay who we see early every morning in the Crown Lounge. The service and food was very good.

We went up to see the lights of the Yokohama Bay Bridge (right out the front of the ship) and the city before turning in for the night.

April 25, 2025 – Fri/Day 13 – Tokyo (Yokohama), Japan
Turnaround day. It rained overnight and looked liked rain all day but never did. It was a pleasant 68 with reduced humidity. We had our coffee in the Crown Lounge then went up to the Seaplex to check out of this cruise and check into the next cruise.

We checked out from the previous cruise and checked into the next cruise about 7:15 am, then went to the Solarium to read. It was wonderfully quiet with most the ship disembarking many decks down. About 11:00 the Solarium Bistro opened up so we could have coffee, tea, and a nosh. (We were the only ones there at the beginning!) More reading until we went to our room about 1:15. During the afternoon we watched TV and relaxed. Laurie had a bit of a sinus thing going on so we just picked up some sandwiches and pizza from the Promenade for dinner.

(On board: Pinnacle 340, Diamond+ 725, Diamond 612, Emerald 175, Platinum 350, Gold 682)

April 26, 2025 – Sat/Day 2 – At Sea
Last night was very windy so it was slightly rocky. The morning started out at only 50 degrees and the sky was mostly cloudy. Laurie’s sinus thing makes him sound bad so he decided to try to stay away from people. He brought our morning coffee and tea back to the room – wearing a mask whenever leaving the room. When it was time for the room to be cleaned we went up to the Solarium Bistro to pick up breakfast and found a deserted corner of the Solarium to eat in until the room was ready a short time later. We brought coffee and tea back to the room where we napped, read, watched TV, and relaxed. It was extremely windy in the afternoon and into the evening so we rocked some more. For dinner we got a table away from people in the Windjammer, then returned to the room.

April 27, 2025 – Sun/Day 3 – Aomori, Japan
It was in the mid-50’s and windy with a chance of rain. Between the weather, there not being too much in port to see, and Laurie not 100%, we decided to stay on the ship and do our usual coffee/tea, breakfast, reading, watching TV, and general relaxing. We brought our Windjammer dinner back to the room to eat.

April 28, 2025 – Mon/Day 4 – Hakodate, Japan
A sunny but cold (upper 40’s) start to the day before clouds moved in mid-morning. Last fall we were in Hakodate and visited the Morning Market. We had thought about taking the cable car to the observation deck on Mt. Hakodate, but between the cold weather and Laurie still not well, we decided to save it for our next visit. Once again we had Windjammer for dinner (delicious fish and chips) and sat in the very back away from everyone.

(Next time in Hakodate take the shuttle to the train station, then it’s a 25 minute walk to the cable car base station to go to the top of Mt. Hakodate.)

April 29, 2025 – Tue/Day 5 – At Sea (Akita, Japan was cancelled)
What a night! incredibly windy which made our balcony door very noisy with a high-pitched whistle noise overnight. We had to call maintenance in the morning because it was so loud that we couldn’t hold on a conversation very well, hear the TV, or sleep. Of course the noise had quieted down by the time the guy came. He supposedly made some adjustments anyhow. The wind continued all day and we could see the huge swells and whitecaps through the gray, misty air. On top of that, it was only 36 degrees out! Surprisingly, it was rocky but not too bad. Still staying away from people due to Laurie’s cough, but he’s doing better. We had morning coffee in the room, breakfast in the Solarium, and dinner in Windjammer.

April 30, 2025 – Wed/Day 6 – At Sea
It got extremely windy and rocky overnight (the captain had warned us yesterday afternoon that it was coming). Our balcony door still whistled overnight but the noise subsided at some point – not so for the rocking. It was very interesting – just walking and taking a shower in the room. It did settle down some but remained a windy, cold (39 degrees), foggy, rocky day. All the pools were closed but we did see at least one open hot tub. We picked up breakfast in Windjammer then took it to the Solarium where it was less crowded to eat. It was another afternoon of resting and hydrating to get Laurie better and keep Pat from catching whatever he had. Again we dined in Windjammer, although the main dining room has been calling to see when we might go there to our assigned table.

May 1, 2025 – Thu/Day 7 – At Sea
Sadly, Pat woke up with a head cold but not as bad as Laurie (yet). He continues to improve with a cough hanging on. While our room was being cleaned we picked up breakfast in Windjammer and took it to the Solarium. We briefly walked outside, but it was very cold, windy, and wet. Another day of doing what we can to heal. Windjammer dinner.

May 2, 2025 – Fri/Day 8 – At Sea
A different start to the day for a change – sun! It was only 34 degrees and windy, and it became mostly cloudy by mid-morning. About 6:00 pm it looked like fog had once again rolled in, but looking closer we saw it was actually snowflakes in the air! It only lasted about 10 minutes but we went through a few other small snow squalls. On this trip we went from 90 degree temperatures and 90% humidity in Singapore and Vietnam, to 32 degrees and snow in the Bering Sea!

May 3 & 4, 2025 – Sat/Day 9 & Sun/Day 10 – At Sea
Very similar to yesterday with more snow showers. We’re still staying away from people so we don’t spread our colds to others.

May 5, 2025 – Mon/Day 11A & 11B – International Dateline
Per RC Schedule We are making up for the day we lost on our flight to Singapore by experiencing May 5th twice – Days 11A and 11B, due to the International Dateline. Again, much like the past couple of days except the temperature got up to 42 degrees and there were rain showers instead of snow showers. Also, on day 11B it was very rocky with rolling swells.

May 6, 2025 – Tue/Day 12 – At Sea
The seas calmed, the sun came out, and we reached 50 degrees! After coffee in the room and breakfast in the Solarium Bistro, we enjoyed the sun in the Solarium. We’re still clearing our throats throughout the day so we spent the afternoon in our room until it was time to head up to Windjammer for dinner. On the way we stopped in the casino to use the $6 slot credit we each had. We came away $15 ahead!

May 7, 2025 – Wed/Day 13 – At Sea
A repeat of yesterdays weather but it became very windy. Today we had breakfast in the Windjammer where we were serenaded by Komang singing and playing the guitar. He was pretty good. We headed over to the Solarium to relax and watch the beautiful scenery. By late morning we were going into the Strait of Juan de Fuca with Canada’s Vancouver Island to the north, and Washington’s Olympic Peninsula to the south. Apparently, some people saw whales briefly breaching the water in the distance. It got loud in the Solarium so we went back to the quiet of our room. Unfortunately, there was a medical issue with a guest onboard and we had to hurry to a spot near Port Angeles to meet up with the Coast Guard to take the person off the ship, which was several hours later. They had put out an announcement requesting a blood donor that matches the guest’s blood type. After the person was off-loaded we turned around and headed back out towards the ocean. We assume this was because we were ahead of schedule after rushing in for the medical issue. For the first time on this cruise we went to Schooner Bar before dinner. Our waiter (Hennessey) remembered us from the first cruise. Since Izumi was next door and didn’t seem to be busy, we asked if we could still use our BOGO and they let us. Our server, Rommel, was attentive and everything from saki through sesame balls for dessert was delicious.

May 8, 2025 – Thu/Day 14 – Seattle
A mostly sunny, warmer (low 60’s) day as we pulled into Seattle at Pier 91/Smith Cove about 8:00 am. From our balcony we had a nice view which included Queen Anne, downtown (including the top half of the Space Needle), the two stadiums, ferry runs, and Mt. Rainier lording over all of it. We had our early coffee, went to get our immigration tickets (Group 5), went to the Two70 Cafe for a breakfast sandwich, then went back to our room until it was time for the morning cleaning. We waited until our group was called to go through immigration which took about 30-40 minutes to go through with us being done at 10:30.

We walked from the ship towards the area where we’ll catch a bus tomorrow to get an idea of where to go as well as get some fresh air while stretching our legs after 14 days at sea. On our return we had a nosh at Windjammer, and took some pictures of the beautiful scenery all around from the back of the ship. Time for a rest in the room. We visited the Schooner Bar before another Windjammer dinner. After dinner it was time to pack. The city looked beautiful lit up at night.

May 9, 2025 – Fri/Day 15 – Seattle
We were up early and Laurie brought coffee and tea back to the room. After finalizing packing we realized we could catch an earlier bus rather than just sit around, so we left the ship before 7:00 am. It was a short walk to the bus stop on a nearby busy street. That bus dropped us off downtown where we walked a couple blocks to the light rail station with that train taking us all the way to the Lynnwood City Center Station. We had a short wait there to catch another bus that took us to Mukilteo and dropped us off on Harbour Pointe Blvd. leaving a short walk to the house. The whole trip took about 2-1/2 hours and cost us each $1 with our senior Orca Cards! It was so wonderful to see Daniel! He took great care of the house and lawn while we were gone. We were so happy to be home and settle back in, where we hopefully can knock out the remnants of our well-traveled colds.