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80 Days is Not Enough

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Jo Johnston

Day 80, Grand Asia 2017 Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017 – At Sea I might pay a lot of money to have someone deal with the end-of-cruise hassle – the packing, waiting for your number to be called for leaving the ship, finding your luggage on shore, going through customs, getting

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Wrapping Things Up

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Jo Johnston

Day 79, Grand Asia 2017 Monday, Dec. 18, 2017 – At Sea I ran into the culinary department manager a couple of days ago and told him the food on this cruise has been great, but the portions could be smaller. I’m not in the habit of having two- or

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Spencer Cooks Up a Storm in America’s Test Kitchen

Posted on December 18, 2017 by Jo Johnston

Day 78, Grand Asia 2017 Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017 – At Sea Some things have changed since I last sailed on the MS Amsterdam in 2010. One is the culinary program. We used to sign up for a Culinary Arts Center experience – cooking in the demo kitchen with one

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Celebrating a Tropical Christmas Season

Posted on December 17, 2017 by Jo Johnston

  Day 77, Grand Asia 2017 Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017 – At Sea If it seems the days are going faster as we near the end of our 80-day cruise, it is true. Yesterday we set our clocks ahead an hour, jumping to 3 p.m. as 2 p.m. arrived. We

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Entertainment and Art Display

Posted on December 16, 2017 by Jo Johnston

Day 76, Grand Asia 2017 Friday, Dec. 15, 2017 – At Sea Holland America is keeping us busy on these last five sea days of our cruise. I’ve had invitations on my door nearly every time I return to the stateroom. In the next few days I’m invited to a

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The Final Port of the Journey

Posted on December 15, 2017 by Jo Johnston

Day 75, Grand Asia 2017 Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017 – Honolulu I loved waking up in Honolulu this morning, knowing I could go ashore at any time, that I could use my smartphone from bed to check email and SnapChat with my nephews. I had left the phone in airplane

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Mele Kalikimaka from Honolulu

Posted on December 14, 2017 by Jo Johnston

Day 74, Grand Asia 2017 Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2017 – Honolulu As we docked at Aloha Tower in Honolulu this morning, the outside decks were crowded. Passengers were finally able to use their home cellular service plans. Many were calling family and checking email. Yesterday the captain had announced that

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No True Escape from Politics

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Jo Johnston

Day 73, Grand Asia 2017 Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017 – At Sea Most of us were taught never to talk politics and religion at the dinner table. In the United States today, the topics can be hard to avoid. As a former newspaper reporter and editor and more recently an

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Well, Now That You Asked…

Posted on December 12, 2017 by Jo Johnston

Day 72, Grand Asia 2017 Monday, Dec. 11, 2017 – At Sea A tropical paradise greeted us tonight in the dining room, as palm trees hung from the rafters and our stewards and others (including Nanik in the photo) wore straw hats and Hawaiian shirts. The menu featured a number

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An Apple a Day…

Posted on December 12, 2017 by Jo Johnston

Day 71, Grand Asia 2017 Sunday, Dec. 10, 2017 – At Sea One department on the Amsterdam that no one wants to visit is the Medical Office. Fortunately, I haven’t had any need for medical attention. But for those who have, it has been a welcome service. A respiratory illness

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I’m a writer in love with the sea, sailing, travel and sketching.

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