But first:  MOSCOW/WASHINGTON/KYIV >> President Donald Trump said today that Russia and Ukraine “will immediately start negotiations” toward a ceasefire and an end to their three-year-old war, speaking after he held a call with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. Photos and a video about our departure from Vancouver on Air Canada. Air Canada Lounge cuisine of soup with beer, Bloody Mary, Johnny Walker Black Label on rocks and sparkling rosé. Our plane, showing snow still on Vancouver mountain on May 18. Airline meal. Final view of Canada. This is a weird photo of our plane right over Diamond Head. Returned home at 9:15PM.  Walked 3641 steps. Great night sleep.  So anyway, our 33-day trip was wonderful. We went to the Osaka Expo twice.   Amazingly enough, we won the lottery on both days, for we got to use their motor scooter each day.  FREE!!!  Four for four.  The odds of this happening had to be 100 to one for this to occur.   We st...

There is a Japanese term that is more and more applying to me as this cruise continues:  NORO-NORO.  Means  sluggish action in English .  In my case, it's closer to out to lunch, or   someone who is just out of touch .  In any case, this morning is a good example. Mind you, the daily time changes and repeat of the same day can confuse anyone.  Always, when we need to add an hour to our clock, there is a card placed on our bed and repeated in Current, the daily newsletter.  Yesterday, there was no such notice.  We have only one more tour left, to Anchorage.  I looked at our reservation notice, and I thought we were supposed to be off the ship and near the bus at 10:30AM.   Woke up at 7AM and went to breakfast at 8AM.  Back to our room at 9:15.  Happened to glance at the time on the telephone, and it read 10:15AM.  It takes at least 10 minutes to get from our stateroom to outside on the pier.  Rushed to dress,...

After nearly 7 days at-sea, we arrived in Kodiak, Alaska during lunch.  Never snowed, but I don't think the temperature once hit the 40's during that period on the ocean.  Kodiak?  45F high.  Some thoughts about cruising on the Oceania Riviera. The problem I had on our previous trip going east, last year for that 39-day Norwegian Encore from Seattle to Southampton, then two weeks on the Viking Tir for a Christmas cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest, that of not being able to sleep, has largely disappeared.  My body remembered that trauma, and kept me sleepy thoughout this current journey. The Oceania Riviera. Entered service in 2012. Capacity of 1250 passengers in 625 staterooms.  800 crew members.  Quite adequate. 15 levels.  We are in 8000, right up front on the eighth deck.   If we had any chance to get a similar cabin on a future cruise, this would be ideal.  This way we can see both port and starboard, with the same view as the c...