And - We're Off!

As many of you know, Michael and I are spending our kids' inheritance and taking a World Cruise.  (You have to write it as World Cruise, not world cruise for some reason.  That's how I always see it written on cruise discussion sites anyway.)  We researched various cruise lines' World Cruises (Princess, Oceania, Viking Ocean) and Michael said about each one "But that's not AROUND the world."  So when I showed him this Regent cruise that sails out of San Francisco and goes ALL THE WAY AROUND the world and back to San Francisco, he was in.  This adventure will take 131 days:  January 24 - June 4.

We signed up for this trip in May 2018 and it seemed like it was so far away at the time.  And now, here we are getting ready to depart.  We have forwarded the mail to Anna, stopped the newspaper delivery and garbage pickup, arranged for someone to check the house and mow the lawn, gotten all our immunizations (flu, typhoid, polio, Hep A&B, cholera and malaria), got the necesary visas (New Zealand, Australia, India, Sri Lanka), and packed all of our stuff.  Hope we didn't forget anything.

Here is a graphic of our route.  

Our route

Here is a picture of our ship, the Regent Seven Seas Mariner.  She holds just 700 passengers, about 1/3 of whom are doing the whole cruise, the rest doing various segments along the way.  I've put a red circle roughly where our cabin is on the starboard side, deck 7.

And here is our complete itinerary.  We're making 2 deviations for land tours to Angkor Wat, Cambodia (3 nights) and the Taj Mahal, India (3 nights).

  

ITINERARY

DATE	PORT	ARRIVE	DEPART
Jan 24Fri	SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA		6:00 PM
Jan 25Sat	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Jan 26Sun	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Jan 27Mon	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Jan 28Tue	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Jan 29Wed	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Jan 30Thu	HONOLULU, HAWAII	8:00 AM
Jan 31Fri	HONOLULU, HAWAII		11:00 PM
Feb 01Sat	KAHULUI, HAWAII	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Feb 02Sun	HILO, HAWAII	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Feb 03Mon	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Feb 04Tue	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Feb 05Wed	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Feb 06Thu	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Feb 07Fri	NUKU HIVA, FRENCH POLYNESIA	10:00 AM	7:00 PM
Feb 08Sat	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Feb 09Sun	FAKARAVA, FRENCH POLYNESIA	7:00 AM	4:00 PM
Feb 10Mon	MOOREA, FRENCH POLYNESIA	8:00 AM	4:00 PM
Feb 10Mon	PAPEETE (TAHITI), FRENCH POLYNESIA	7:00 PM
Feb 11Tue	PAPEETE (TAHITI), FRENCH POLYNESIA		9:00 PM
Feb 12Wed	BORA BORA, FRENCH POLYNESIA	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Feb 13Thu	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Feb 14Fri	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Feb 15Sat	PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA	9:00 AM	6:00 PM
Feb 16Sun	CROSS THE INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE
Feb 17Mon	APIA, SAMOA	7:00 AM	4:00 PM
Feb 18Tue	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Feb 19Wed	LAUTOKA, FIJI	9:00 AM	5:00 PM
Feb 20Thu	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Feb 21Fri	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Feb 22Sat	AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND	1:00 PM
Feb 23Sun	AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND		7:00 PM
Feb 24Mon	ROTORUA (TAURANGA), NEW ZEALAND	5:45 AM	6:15 PM
Feb 25Tue	NAPIER, NEW ZEALAND	12:00 PM	7:00 PM
Feb 26Wed	WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND	9:00 AM	5:00 PM
Feb 27Thu	CRUISING THE TASMAN SEA
Feb 28Fri	CRUISING THE TASMAN SEA
Feb 29Sat	SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA	2:00 PM
Mar 01Sun	SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Mar 02Mon	SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA		6:00 PM
Mar 03Tue	CRUISING THE TASMAN SEA
Mar 04Wed	BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Mar 05Thu	CRUISING THE CORAL SEA
Mar 06Fri	AIRLIE BEACH, AUSTRALIA	8:00 AM	4:00 PM
Mar 07Sat	CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA	11:00 AM	8:00 PM
Mar 08Sun	COOKTOWN, AUSTRALIA	7:00 AM	4:00 PM
Mar 09Mon	CRUISING THE TORRES STRAIT
Mar 10Tue	CRUISING THE ARAFURA SEA
Mar 11Wed	DARWIN, AUSTRALIA	9:00 AM	6:00 PM
Mar 12Thu	CRUISING THE TIMOR SEA
Mar 13Fri	CRUISING THE INDIAN OCEAN
Mar 14Sat	BALI (BENOA), INDONESIA	8:00 AM
Mar 15Sun	BALI (BENOA), INDONESIA		1:00 PM
Mar 16Mon	SURABAYA, INDONESIA	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Mar 17Tue	CRUISING THE JAVA SEA
Mar 18Wed	SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE	1:00 PM
Mar 19Thu	SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE		5:00 PM
Mar 20Fri	KUALA LUMPUR (PORT KLANG), MALAYSIA	10:00 AM	8:00 PM
Mar 21Sat	PENANG, MALAYSIA	9:00 AM	10:00 PM
Mar 22Sun	LANGKAWI, MALAYSIA	8:00 AM	8:00 PM
Mar 23Mon	PHUKET, THAILAND	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Mar 24Tue	CRUISING THE ANDAMAN SEA
Mar 25Wed	CRUISING THE BAY OF BENGAL
Mar 26Thu	COLOMBO, SRI LANKA	12:00 PM
Mar 27Fri	COLOMBO, SRI LANKA		6:00 PM
Mar 28Sat	CRUISING THE LACCADIVE SEA
Mar 29Sun	KOCHI (COCHIN), INDIA	5:00 AM	6:00 PM
Mar 30Mon	MANGALORE, INDIA	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Mar 31Tue	GOA (MORMUGAO), INDIA	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Apr 01Wed	MUMBAI, INDIA	8:00 AM
Apr 02Thu	MUMBAI, INDIA		8:00 PM
Apr 03Fri	CRUISING THE ARABIAN SEA
Apr 04Sat	CRUISING THE ARABIAN SEA
Apr 05Sun	MUSCAT, OMAN	8:00 AM	7:00 PM
Apr 06Mon	FUJAIRAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Apr 07Tue	DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES	9:00 AM	11:00 PM
Apr 08Wed	ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES	7:00 AM	7:00 PM
Apr 09Thu	KHASAB, OMAN	7:00 AM	2:00 PM
Apr 10Fri	CRUISING THE ARABIAN SEA
Apr 11Sat	SALALAH, OMAN	12:00 PM	8:00 PM
Apr 12Sun	CRUISING THE ARABIAN SEA
Apr 13Mon	CRUISING THE GULF OF ADEN
Apr 14Tue	CRUISING THE RED SEA
Apr 15Wed	CRUISING THE RED SEA
Apr 16Thu	AQABA, JORDAN	7:00 AM	9:00 PM
Apr 17Fri	LUXOR (SAFAGA), EGYPT	8:00 AM
Apr 18Sat	LUXOR (SAFAGA), EGYPT		10:00 PM
Apr 19Sun	CRUISING THE RED SEA
Apr 20Mon	SUEZ CANAL TRANSIT
Apr 21Tue	JERUSALEM (HAIFA), ISRAEL	6:00 AM
Apr 22Wed	JERUSALEM (HAIFA), ISRAEL		6:00 PM
Apr 23Thu	CRUISING THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA
Apr 24Fri	EPHESUS (KUSADASI), TURKEY	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Apr 25Sat	ATHENS (PIRAEUS), GREECE	8:00 AM	7:00 PM
Apr 26Sun	CRUISING THE IONIAN SEA
Apr 27Mon	TAORMINA (SICILY), ITALY	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Apr 28Tue	SORRENTO/CAPRI, ITALY	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
Apr 29Wed	ROME (CIVITAVECCHIA), ITALY	7:00 AM	6:00 PM
Apr 30Thu	TUSCANY (LIVORNO), ITALY	8:00 AM	8:00 PM
May 01Fri	MONTE CARLO, MONACO	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
May 02Sat	BARCELONA, SPAIN	11:00 AM
May 03Sun	BARCELONA, SPAIN		6:00 PM
May 04Mon	ALICANTE, SPAIN	9:00 AM	4:00 PM
May 05Tue	MÁLAGA, SPAIN	9:00 AM	6:00 PM
May 06Wed	CRUISING THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
May 07Thu	CRUISING THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
May 08Fri	PONTA DELGADA (AZORES), PORTUGAL	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
May 09Sat	CRUISING THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
May 10Sun	CRUISING THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
May 11Mon	CRUISING THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
May 12Tue	CRUISING THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
May 13Wed	HAMILTON, BERMUDA	12:00 PM
May 14Thu	HAMILTON, BERMUDA		5:00 PM
May 15Fri	CRUISING THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
May 16Sat	CRUISING THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
May 17Sun	MIAMI, FLORIDA	7:00 AM	5:00 PM
May 18Mon	CRUISING THE FLORIDA STRAITS
May 19Tue	CRUISING THE CARIBBEAN SEA
May 20Wed	CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA	11:00 AM	7:00 PM
May 21Thu	COLÓN, PANAMA	12:00 PM	11:00 PM
May 22Fri	PANAMA CANAL DAYLIGHT TRANSIT
May 23Sat	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
May 24Sun	PUNTARENAS, COSTA RICA	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
May 25Mon	SAN JUAN DEL SUR, NICARAGUA	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
May 26Tue	PUERTO QUETZAL, GUATEMALA	1:00 PM	8:00 PM
May 27Wed	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
May 28Thu	ACAPULCO, MEXICO	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
May 29Fri	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
May 30Sat	MAZATLÁN, MEXICO	8:00 AM	6:00 PM
May 31Sun	CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Jun 01Mon	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Jun 02Tue	SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA	12:00 PM	10:00 PM
Jun 03Wed	CRUISING THE PACIFIC OCEAN
Jun 04Thu	SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA	7:00 AM

One more picture.  One of the perks of doing the World Cruise is that Regent arranges to pick up 2 pieces of luggage each at your home and have them delivered to you cabin 10 days later.  Here are 2 of our 4 suitcases going to the UPS man on a snowy afternoon.  Next time we see them, we'll be on our way!

Off goes our luggage - or at least most of it.

We fly to San Francisco tomorrow to spend a few days visiting family, then sail on Friday.