CPT Trips

No, don’t skip Darwin . . . Can you overnight there, then fly to Bali? We did a snorkel trip out to the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns and it was fantastic.

For those of you of a certain age, where were you and what were to doing when you got the news 60 years ago today? I was in Mrs Alexander’s high school history class when the Principal came on the PA and announced school was dismissed and that evening’s prom was cancelled. That and the several days that followed are forever etched in my memory.

@mahdnc and @prmssk Very helpful . . . I’m tall, but not particularly agile, DW is more agile, but short. 😎

We are making the trip in February and really enjoy your posts, especially those of the evening briefing. If you have an opportunity, could you get a photo of the boarding ladder for snorkeling from the zodiacs? TIA

Not naming names or even hinting at a particular website,you might just want to ask Mr. Google. Choose your keywords.

Did you have this conversation with an actual pharmacist? In a lot of the chain pharmacies, the techs handle most, if not all, of the patient interactions because the pharmacist is too overworked.

OK, why? 🤷🏻‍♂️

We had no problems in and near town. On the way out to Milford Sound was another story. Just a preview for you.

Recently returned (a month ago) t’s all good there mate. Except if you’re in the outback or the Southern Alps, then no carrier has service.

@Shiba_Lover Thanks for that info. I think I’ll go with seafoods.

@prmssk I read reports on other websites that the beef steaks are not very good, tough and chewy. If you tried any, how did you think they were? I'm really enjoying your posts, thank you. We’re on the February 10 sailing, leaving the states on the 8th.

LNG powered cruise ships are not really a solution when you realize that the median ship size for this group of cruise ships is over 5,000 pax, the average size is also over 5,000. They will add to the the adverse impact of that ships of this size have on many ports. https://www.cruisemummy.co.uk/lng-cruise-ships/ If the car/cargo ship comparison is correct, that’s a good thing goes toward proving the efficacy of the cut individual vehicle emissions “religion.” A religion that has been battled by many corporations, politicians, and media manipulators.

Invest in Cyberdyne to cover that option.

And hopefully no one will leave anything metallic in the microwave. Surely you recall all the brainwashing, media manipulation, perjured testimony to Congress that the tobacco industry and their media consultants engaged in during years past. They actually “fessed up” to all of it and settled suits brought against them by numerous states.

In my experience with GCT, the included tours were usually conducted primarily by a local licensed guide with the Program Director (PD) also accompanying the group. Often one, or more, of the PDs (not necessarily the one you were assigned) would offer some sort of tour after lunch. These were open to anyone who wanted to join in. Participants were responsible for any associated admission or transit costs. I found we got more individual attention and assistance with directions or transport information with four staff on board than on those ships with just one cruise manager on board. Bedding is what it is. I’m a big guy and I always slept well . . . it’s a gift 😎

Indeed those small ocean going ships do bedding that can either be separate singles or one larger bed. They are not river ships.

We are on the Xpedition in February and would appreciate your comments about the ship, especially any things that are different from OPs experiences on Flora. tia

From reports on a Facebook group for OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel) travelers, the situation in Egypt at this time is safe and is basically unchanged from the past. We leave for a trip there in a month. Despite having concerns that something will happen in Gaza during our trip (we arrive the first night of Chanukah) we plan to go. Good luck and enjoy your trip.

I think we have cruised on all the river boats GCT uses. All have only twin beds.

I appreciate that Grand Circle Travel/Overseas Adventure Travel stops at the the American Cemeteries on many of their trips and also at the Cemeteries of our Allies and our former enemies when nearby. I also appreciate that the Premier League kits have a poppy on them today. Waiting to see the NFL uniforms.

I really enjoyed the Speyer Technical Museum - https://speyer.technik-museum.de/en/ It was an easy walk from where we docked. I had plenty of time to visit the cathedral and wander around the town afterwards. Even time to stop at the Biergarten adjacent to our dock. If you are there between July 11 and 16, you can also take in the BretzelFest - https://www.speyerer-brezelfest.de

If you want a somewhat longer cruise than the typical one week and are in the US look at Grand Circle - gct.com

It’s much easier to scan your passport chip if you take the phone out of the case. Unfortunately I don’t remember which feature it was, but I needed to go into settings and enable something in order to do the scan. IIRC the instructions informed me that this was needed. I had difficulty getting the photo in selfie mode, so I switched to regular camera and had someone else take the picture.

Sitting with your feet in the water, ass in the sand, and under a palm tree or on a dock of the bay are sure cures. If this isn’t an option Meclizine is my medication of choice. Scopolamine patches can have ugly side effects. If sea sickness hits, it’s too late to use any oral remedy. They won’t stay where they need to. At that point a good option is phenergan (note: it’s an antihistamine) administered internally. Visit the ship’s doc for that unless you filled a scrip for “silver bullets” from your doc at home.

I’ve been in similar situations. I loled. Couldn’t help myself.