15 CRAIGSIDE VERSUS SEABOURN ODYSSEY

Long live King Charles III. Here are some photos from Time. Jill Biden and granddaughter Finnegan.

Prince William and Princess of Wales Catherine, with Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte.

Prince Harry was there.

King Charles III being crowned.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla from the Buckingham Place balcony.

There were some unhappy people protesting the coronation, led by an anti-monarchy group, for this event is expected to cost taxpayers $125 million. One of Boris Johnson's protests featured a 350 million pound banknote. Here is only a one million pound note of King Charles III.

On Monday I already gave the Seabourn Odyssey pluses and minuses, mostly good. Yesterday I began the case for 15 Craigside, where we live. Today I add more and then compare the two.

On the Odyssey I was afraid to use their wellness center for fear of the outbreak. I checked, and 15 Craigside today has no covid cases. I use that recumbent elliptical cross trainer to the left and cable strength machine to the right. I'm too old for the treadmill.

I might add that among the activities at 15 Craigside are a dozen wellness classes each week, and a host of other attractions.

Pacific Taiko performance.

May Day program.

The staff and fine service on the Seabourn Odyssey are about as good as it gets, and the same can be said for 15 Craigside. The Seabourn food was spectacular, but we soon got tired of the caviar, escargots and foie gras. The same can be said for 15 Craigside, but the advantage is that many of the dishes are stuff we grew up on, plus I do a lot of enhancements to add variety.

For example, 15 Craigside provides the pork tofu. However, I quickly fry it in wagyu fat and add onions. Plus, o-toro sashimi, here with hot sake and cold Kirin beer. Seabourn cannot do this.

Kalua Pig and Cabbage, again with Wagyu Fat plus cut onions and more cabbage, with mac salad, soybeans and hamachi sashimi.

I felt like going fundamental Japanese, so had hot rice topped with butter, ikura (salmon eggs) and natto (a good probiotic), with tsukemono, sashimi, miso soup, hot sake and cold Sapporo beer.

Even the spaghetti is enchanced, with sliced garlic in butter, large salad, beer and a Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir from Stanford.

Yesterday I mentioned Cinco de Mayo. Here are those photos, plus the Boy's Day Strawberry Mochi and Takoyaki.

Here is our menu for Mother's Day, next week.

One additional eating option at 15 Craigside is that you also have a pick on Honolulu restaurants. On the Odyssey you hesitate eating in port cities because the food is free on the ship. No such restraint at home. Yesterday we went out for pork tonkatsu.

While I have tried to compare 15 Craigside with the Seabourn Odyssey, that is not the point. The beauty of having both experiences is that they complement each other. 15 Craigside is a secure and comfortable environment with decent cuisine and a lot of activities. I do very little, but enjoy the freedom to do so. A cruise opens up the world to opportunities not available in Nuuanu and Hawaii. Now on to the rest of my life.

DAY 1 on the DIAMOND PRINCESS

But first, Sheraton Yokohama Bay highlights of our Sheraton Club eats/drinks and breakfasts. Breakfast stations. Then taxi off to the Diamond Princess. Fall colors. Approaching from the rear of the Diamond Princess. Departure of Diamond Princess from Yokohama, Departure snack of lamb, beef, penne pasta, Johnny Walker Gold and champagne. Leaving Yokohama. We then went to Kai Sushi for dinner, Sushi and sake dinner, Then, off to Fun Dance Class. That followed by karaoke. The night continued into some old time disco. Finally, after midnight, back to our stateroom. Walked 4127 steps today. -

ON THE MATTER OF PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Hawaii today celebrates King Kamehameha the First Day as a public holiday. Next Monday, June 19, or Juneteenth, is a Federal holiday. However, 22 states, including Hawaii, do not recognize this as a public holiday. Four of these will begin to honor this day next year, not Hawaii. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery. Here are the Hawaii holidays, and note three that only we have: New Year’s Day: 1st day in January Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: 3rd Monday in January Presidents’ Day: 3rd Monday in February Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole Day: 26th day in March Good Friday: Friday before Easter Easter: Calculating Easter Memorial Day: Last Monday in May King Kamehameha I Day: 11th day in June Independence Day: 4th day in July Statehood Day: 3rd Friday in August Labor Day: 1st Monday in September Veterans’ Day: 11th day in November Thanksgiving Day: 4th Thursday in November Christmas: 25th day in December There are 11 paid Fede...

HOW TO WATCH NETFLIX SHOWS

But first, maybe President Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza Peace Plan is showing some progress . No one expects the Hamas to accept all of them, but they did agree to release all captives and the act of handing over administration to Palestinian technocrats. So far, in the Gaza Strip, 66,288 have been killed and 169,165 wounded. On 7October2023, almost two years ago, 1139 were killed in the initial Hamas-led attack. About my topic of the day, I've long been lamenting the overflow of watchable films and series available on Netflix and Prime. Why expand into the plethora of other streaming options when I can't keep up with what I have, which costs me around $30/month. And, of course, why venture out to a movie theater to end up watching a film that will cost me around that amount of money, when you add the popcorn, drink, gasoline cost, time it takes to get there and back, and the risk of a car accident or worse. Oh, also getting infected with ...

Search This Blog