San Diego, Our Last Stop Before LA San Diego was our last stop on the Coral Princess before we arrive in Los Angeles on Saturday, and it turned into one of those port days that’s equal parts practical and memorable. It was an interesting sail into the port passing massive marinas all located on the waterfront and right beside the San Diego airport. Flights took off and landed as we watched the action happen. Immigration was completed on the ship, so we were able to head out b

Waking up to a new port always brings a little spark of excitement, and our arrival in Puerto de Ensenada, Mexico on the Coral Princess delivered that feeling right away. As we pulled in along the Baja California coast, Ensenada looked like a true working harbor—busy, practical, and welcoming—while still feeling like a place made for wandering. It’s the kind of stop where you can keep things simple and still feel like you’ve genuinely stepped into a different rhythm for the d

Some travel days are packed with plans. This one wasn’t—and that’s what made it so memorable. When our ship stopped near Santa Barbara, we decided to do just one thing: meet up with our friends and have them be our tour guides for the day. We had to tender into the port as they do not have facilities for a large cruise ship. No extra sightseeing, no rushing around town. Just a single, beautiful outing with friends—and honestly, it felt perfect. We met up with Steven and Jeff,

Our last port of call, as part of this segment of the cruise, was Astoria, Oregon. Jan and I had never been to Oregon, so we were excited to finally visit a new state and see what this corner of the Pacific Northwest was all about. The town is situated about 100 miles from Portland and the most recent census says the population is slightly less than 10,000 people. The ship docked about 1½ miles from downtown, so we decided to walk along the boardwalk into town. We were right

We arrived in Seattle at 7:00 a.m. to sunny skies—the kind of morning that makes you feel like the day is already going your way. It was a last minute decision to book an excursion for Seattle but friends on board told us about their experience at Boeing and we didn't hesitate to book it, so we got tickets online and decided that we could take an Uber to the Boeing Site. We didn’t waste any time getting started, because we had one big plan we were really looking forward to: a

After 106 days on the Coral Princess we have now completed 50 stops in 17 different countries all within the Circle Pacific Route that we began on January 21st. Temperatures have ranged from -4C in the Gulf of Alaska to 35C in Vietnam and our wardrobe has now been fully utilized. Today, we are so excited to get back to our homeland. Oh Canada - it does feel good to be back and spend a couple days in British Columbia. Our fist stop was in Victoria with a scheduled dockage time

Onward we sailed from Sitka, Alaska to Ketchikan where we had a Hallman Experience. Typically our experiences don't turn out too well and our good friends know exactly what we mean when we say we had a Hallman Experience, but not everything needs to be an embarrassing moment. This photo was taken from our room balcony So what is the definition of an Experience ? Experience is the knowledge, skill, or understanding gained through direct observation, participation, or living

After arriving in Sitka aboard the Coral Princess, Jan and I planned a simple day—just walking around town and experience the town, as we did not stop here on our previous cruise to Alaska last summer. Because the cruise port is several miles from downtown, we took the shuttle into the center of Sitka. When we arrived, locals greeted visitors with maps of the area, which made it easy to get oriented and start exploring on foot. Sitka is a memorable Inside Passage stop because

After two days of glacier bays and cold-blue horizons in Alaska, the Coral Princess eased into port and delivered us back to one of the Inside Passage’s most memorable towns: Skagway. We’d been here just nine months earlier on our summer 2025 Alaskan cruise, and stepping onto the dock again felt like returning to a familiar scene—same steep mountains rising straight from the water, same wooden storefronts, and the same sense that this little town has lived a very big history.

After arriving in Whittier and spending the day in town, we left the port and began two days of glacier cruising—one of those stretches of a trip where the scenery doesn’t just change, it completely takes over. Our first major glacier day brought us to Hubbard Glacier, located in eastern Alaska near Yakutat, where it flows out of the Saint Elias Mountains into Disenchantment Bay. Hubbard is famous for its sheer scale—it’s the largest tidewater glacier in North America—and it

After nine straight days at sea from Japan, the words “land day” started to feel like a myth sailors made up to keep morale alive. Then, finally, Alaska showed up—cold, dramatic, and looking like it had been waiting to judge our wardrobe choices. After leaving Japan and dodging a Tsnunami, we travelled some 6,000 Km's from Hokodate across a nasty sea where the storms were frequent, the waters rough at times and lots of rain and cold weather. We didn't use our balcony at all

We spent the day in the city of Hakodate, a historic port at the southern tip of Hokkaido, surrounded by mountains and wrapped in water. The city is located on the upper most part of Japan and has weather similar to Ontario. Today the weather was 16C but sunny and although it was a bit windy it was a relief from all the sun and humidity we had been exposed to over the last portion of our cruise. Hakodate harbour Hakodate became important because of its location and harbor—esp

Aomori was our second-last stop in Japan aboard the Coral Princess —one last adventure before we turn eastbound for Alaska and settle in for an eight-day, all–at-sea voyage. We stepped off the ship expecting cooler weather, but Aomori surprised us with a sunny day and a comfortable 21°C—much warmer than we anticipated. There were plenty of organized excursions offered by the ship and local operators, but Jan and I decided to make our own plan and “travel like locals” for the

We rolled into Miyako, Japan the way all great explorers do these days. Not by conquering anything, but by stepping off a cruise ship, mildly confused about what day it is and fully committed to snacks. The moment we arrived, the shoreline looked like it was hosting a festival in our honor. A welcoming group was out there singing, dancing and waving enormous flags with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for championship parades and surprise celebrity sightings. If you to

We landed in Yokohama, Japan and started our day early—meeting at 7:30 a.m. in the International Café onboard. The weather was to be sunny and 24C although in the morning it was a bit brisk. The Terminal had large automated walkways from the ship to the terminal and I watched them get set up as we prepared to meet in the cafe. There were 700 passengers getting off the ship today and another 700 getting back on so we made sure we left early to avoid the rush. As we passed thr

After the buzz of Osaka, Jan and I looked at the days ahead—five more port stops in Japan—and decided we needed one day that was just ours. No schedule, no must-see list. Shimizu felt like the perfect place for that kind of stopover. The town had a special celebration on the dock to welcome tourists and especially cruise ships to their town. Our Captain and his senior officers attended the red carpet gathering as passengers departed the ship. Shimizu sits on Suruga Bay and ha

Osaka, Japan’s third-largest city, has long been a major merchant and trading hub, with its wealth and influence shaped by centuries of commerce and its role as a gateway to the Kansai region. The modern Osaka Bay waterfront—where ships dock today—reflects a newer chapter of that story: land that once supported port and industrial activity has been redeveloped into a visitor-friendly harbor district built around shopping, entertainment, and big attractions. We arrived in the

Kōchi greeted us the way a good port day should. With a plan, a little luck, and a bargain right out of the gate. We skipped the ship’s shuttle and did what any sensible group of eight does when faced with a schedule: we formed a small taxi fleet. Two cabs, about a 20‑minute ride into the city, and—once we split the fare—roughly $20 total for the return trip. Kōchi, so far, was already treating us kindly. First stop: Kōchi Castle Kōchi is a relaxed, working city with a proud

Today we arrived in Kagoshima, Japan aboard the Coral Princess —our second day in Japan, and a welcome change from the stretch of rainy, surprisingly chilly weather we’ve been sailing through since leaving Los Angeles. The forecast promised Kagoshima would be different: 21°C and sunny. After days of gray skies, that sounded like a gift. The city glowed below the sunshine and we were excited for our day in town. This was the view of the city with the island and Mount Sakurajim

We had our first day on Japanese soil in the southern port of Yatsushiro and were welcomed by a host of Bears. Not one, two or three. They were everywhere around the port and as we walked in the city they appeared out of no where. The city features bears primarily because it is part of the Kumamoto Prefecture , which is a scenic region in central Kyūshū, Japan , renowned for its dramatic volcanic landscapes and home to the immensely popular black bear mascot, Kumamon . It was