LocoLoco1

Scouring stack soot: Back in the day accumulated boiler soot in the exhaust stack was scoured out by tossing a coupla scoops of dry sand into a trapdoor near the boiler. Not the time to wear White. Ah, yes..bracing Sea aire.

Fletcher, Mesmerize your companions with this Factoid. The Saharan dust you’re inhaling provides a vital nutrient for the Amazon..phosphorus. Most of it arrives from one windblown spot in Chad. Enjoy the moment.

Skip Mendenhall. A Taku Lodge floatplane fly-in over the glaciers to their Salmon bake will be your highlight forevermore.

If I may: Perhaps always arranging permits and such beforehand with locals to hire THEM to shepherd guests around while on Snorkling/SCUBA, hiking expeditions etc etc. would have been a better way to get closer to the advertised experience vs a ‘Hit n Run’ tour of the isles?? I dunno….

Fletcher, Following your time aboard ‘The Wind’ with morbid curiosity…

Nice..

I agree. I love my ‘Belly Belt’.

BillK400, Dunno about Pursuit’s onboard gear, but for MY water experiences in Polynesia wearing my own foam belly-belt and good KEEN’s sandals over very tight anklet socks saved the day. Never used fins except when I SCUBA’d. Good Luck

BillK400, Key to visiting out of the way Polynesia Ports & Anchorages is the draft of the ship and time in Port. Sounds like Seabourne marketing overshot their ability here to deliver true expeditions. I pre-arrange port days if at all possible but getting older makes that harder so I was hoping Pursuit voyages would be the ticket. Maybe I need my own yacht with a Zodiac aboard. 😹🌈

kej1. My times thru Polynesia keeps me ready for more. Hoping a Seabourne expedition could be a good fit for me, but now I’m not too sure. Methinks perhaps a flight to Papeete then extended stays here n there and/or MV Paul Gaugin for cruising would suit me more. Hmm.

‘Intrigued’ is how I’ll describe reading your informative postings. Thank you. QUESTION: Insofar as I have been to most of your Ports o Call (I snorkel & SCUBA, hike the jungles etc. ) would a better experience been had if one would simply arrive onshore, grab the first avail. local dockside transport and say, “Take me to the island’s BEST snorkel/SCUBA/Jungle hike guy, then to a good bartender.” ??? I ask thusly because I’ve gathered that the ‘expedition’ thing was/is in name only. I embrace off the beaten paths stuff and relish hangin’ with the locals for the day most everywhere; I simply need the opportunity to do so… Or is this not THAT kinda cruise?? Awaiting your thoughts.

I suspect I know why…. Cheers.

Lake Mille Lacs- Brainerd. I drove BNSF trains to F-M weekly,’Oh, look!! a Tree!!’😹

Snow today here in N. Minnesota. Cli-Fi Day is a new one for me; I defer to my Geology Reference books for the historical Climate facts. Saucy Scallops…Yes!!

Been on a long HAL cruise lately? Trans-Atlantic Med cruise felt quite ‘spare’. Fellow guests offered this; ‘Is it just me, but THIS isn’t HAL.’ We agreed.