The Living Journey
Welcome to The Living Journey – a collection of journal entries and photographs by our own Residents that offers an exclusive glimpse into their adventures at sea. Experience The World through their eyes as they share personal and authentic stories of what it’s like to travel the globe from the comfort of home on this luxurious ship. These posts capture their once-in-a-lifetime experiences not found anywhere else on earth. This blog is continually updated so we invite you to come back and visit often.
Vibrant Colors and Deeply Rooted History in Curaçao
A highlight of the island of Curaçao is its capital city of Willemstad. This UNESCO World Heritage site is best known for its candy-colored Dutch colonial architecture, multicultural neighborhoods, and stunning national parks. We walked from the pier adjacent to the city and had a chance to look at Rif Fort,
Exploring the many rich histories of Manta, Ecuador
The port city of Manta (north of Guayaquil) is one of Ecuador’s largest cities. While it is primarily a seaport – home to the country’s major tuna fishing fleet – Manta is also a center for the chemical industry.
A New Journey Begins in Pape’ete Tahiti,
French Polynesia
At the end of February 2022, we began another journey as we continue exploring and photographing the world by sea. We flew from the United States to Pape’ete, Tahiti where our first night was spent at the delightful Intercontinental Hotel near the Pape’ete airport before heading to the Ship the next morning for a nasal swab PCR COVID-19 test (a requirement before boarding).
Exploring the Inspiring Art, Architecture and Culture of Palma De Mallorca, Spain
Off the southern coast of Spain on the island of Mallorca, the city of Palma de Mallorca delivers breezy Mediterranean scenery, a plethora of art, perfect weather, Blue Flag beaches, and gastronomic surprises that have transformed this capital city into a year-round destination.
3,000-5,000 Year-Old Rock Art in Raja Ampat: West Papua Expedition
The last group of islands in Raja Ampat that we visited on the expedition was a day spent snorkeling, kayaking and Zodiac cruising around the islands of Misool, one of “The Four Kings” that are known as Raja Ampat.
“The Designated Area for Stateless Refugees” (Jewish Ghetto) of Shanghai, China
On our first visit to Shanghai in 1995, our family visited the Jewish Ghetto of Shanghai with an English-speaking guide who gave us a very good overview of the history of the Jewish “stateless refugees” (predominantly from Germany and its neighboring countries) who arrived in the 1930s.
Northwest Passage: Helicopter Flight above Sam Ford Fjord
One of the great experiences on our Expedition through the Northwest Passage this summer was taking helicopter flights over regions that we sailed through. Our first flight was after our brief stop at Clyde River in southern Baffin Island in the territory of Nunavut,
Assaqutaq Village and Sisimiut, Greenland
Nuuk, Greenland marked the start of our Ship’s 24-day expedition to cross the Canadian Arctic region from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean on the so-called “Northwest Passage” – a dream of European (and Russian) governments and adventuresome sailors for five centuries.
Exploring ties to America’s founding in the quaint town of Dartmouth, England
Dartmouth, England, is a lovely resort town on the western side of the south coast of the English Channel, at the mouth of the River Dart (which gave the town its name), in South Devon. We anchored offshore, just beyond where the River Dart flows past the old fortified Dartmouth Castle as the River meets the English Channel.
Mid-Atlantic Exploration: Napoléon on Saint Helena Island
Jamestown, the capital of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, is also the historic main settlement of Saint Helena Island in a V-shaped valley on its north-western coast; it is the island’s only port and the center of the island’s road and communications network
Eat Local: Restaurante Fabio Santana, Vegueta, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands (Spain)
Restaurants line a street in Vegueta (Old Town), Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria in the Canary Island
We embarked on this journey (heading down the west coast of Africa) in Las Palmas, Gran Cararia, Canary Islands (part of Spain) – our second visit there on the Ship in 2018.
Eat and Drink Local: Azienda Agricola Le Macchiole (winery), Bolgheri, Italy
Le Macchiole (winery) is in Bolgheri, Italy, on the Etruscan Coast — “in this magical place, where rolling hills are blanketed by forest, where vineyards and olive trees meet with the Tyrrhenian Sea”
From our dock in the port of Livorno,
Enjoying Local Cuisine & Mercado Centrale in Livorno, Italy
City Hall dominates Piazza Municipio in Livorno, Italy, a port city that is regarded by many Ship passengers as the gateway to nearby Florence, but it has a history as a global trading port in the 17th century that resulted in its reputation as a multicultural city throughout Europe
The World’s Svalbard Expedition: Exploring The Red Fjord
Raudfjorden (The Red Fjord), Spitsbergen Island, Svalbard
After two days looking for wildlife in the Arctic Pack Ice north of Svalbard (setting a record for the furthest north the Ship has ever sailed — reaching Latitude 82º 41’ North and Longitude 022º 57.91’ East),
The World’s Svalbard Expedition: Arctic Pack Ice Cruising (and Polar Bears)
Arctic pack ice, north of Svalbard, at Latitude 82º 37’ with the forward section of deck 7 of our Ship (packed with viewers on the lookout for polar bears) visible at the bottom of the photograph
From Lilliehöökfjorden on the northwest side of Spitsbergen Island,