Days 69-70 (At Sea)

 

Date:  March 18-19, 2007

 

Location:  At Sea

 

Next Port:  Port Kelang (Kuala Lumpur), Malaysia, March 20

 

Report:  We’ve had two sea days sailing south around the Malay Peninsula, past Singapore and north to Kuala Lumpur. Sadly, Karen spent a good part of Sunday and today in bed…but she is feeling much better tonight (Monday) and hopefully will be up to visiting Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.

 

Yesterday was sunny at times, but today was mostly cloudy with a few light showers. Temps have been in the low 80s and the seas have been very calm.

 

Sunday evening Larry enjoyed dinner at Capt. Dag’s table.

Tablemates included a group of extensive travelers: Frank and Viola from Xenia, Ohio; Hilde and Jarmo from Ontario, Canada; and Murray from Delray Beach, Fla. Jarmo and Hilde have been on 6 world cruises (4 with Regent) and Murray has done 17 of them (on various cruise lines) and has more than 5,000 nights cruising! Previously our longest cruise was just two weeks – we are rookies compared to many others on this voyage.

 

We had lots of good table conversation and Capt. Dag was a great host. Hopefully Karen will get to enjoy the experience before we hit Ft. Lauderdale. (Dana, the World Cruise hostess said she’ll try to work us in again when Karen is feeling better.)

 

I forgot to mention in an earlier report, that the forward viewing area in front of the windscreens on the top deck (Deck 12) was formally opened with a “sundowner ribbon-cutting” ceremony on the evening after we left Hue. Anne, one of the energetic young women in the tour office did the honors. She is a bubble of joy and had a good time doing the honors. Anne will be leaving us in Monaco and will be moving with the Mariner to Alaska this summer.

 

Capt. Dag and Jon Berthelsen, the Chief Engineer, have wanted to create this new space – which finally provides unencumbered straight ahead views – for some time. I understand the estimated cost to do it while in dry dock was $30K. Dag and Jon did it for a fraction of that. They obtained the materials on their own and hired a couple of Filipino welders to work enroute with the ship’s deck hands for the past couple of weeks. It’s a great addition.

 

Karen and Larry

 

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

 

Photos of the ribbon cutting opening of the new forward viewing area on Deck 12 have been added.