Beyond The Maple Tree

Jen had spotted an interesting Japan cruise earlier in the summer, but it was fully booked. By chance, just two weeks before the cruise was set to depart, one cabin became available at a really good price. Without overthinking it, we booked it and were suddenly on our way to Japan!

Our first stop was Muroran, a port city where cruise ships typically dock for passengers planning to visit Sapporo. Unfortunately, due to storms, the ship was delayed by two hours. We paid for a shuttle to the train station, but when we finally arrived, there was an hour+ long lineup to buy train tickets, so, we decided to abandon that plan and stay in Muroran.

Muroran is mainly a port town with very few attractions. There are several small local restaurants, but they only take cash. Determined to try out one of these restaurants, we embarked on what turned out to be a full-day journey, struggling to find an ATM that would work with our foreign bank cards.  We even called our bank, only to be told our card was not locked and should be working fine. After an evening of research, it wasn’t until the next day (and some help from Google Translate) that we realized that we had been inserting our card incorrectly 🤦.

We still had a good time in Muroran, walking around and shopping. The highlight of the day was a credit-card accepting, budget-friendly sushi restaurant (Uobei) where sushi was delivered by train! You order on an iPad, and the sushi arrives on a little train to your table. While it was considered a "cheap" sushi place by Japanese standards, it was a delight for us Canadians. We only paid ¥2090 (~20cad) to have a fun experience and have a full and happy belly.

Hakodate

In Hakodate, we took a free shuttle bus downtown to begin our exploration. Our first stop was a market along the waterfront, where Jen bought some famous Hakodate Cheese Tarts, and Dom tried a whipped cream fruit sandwich. The surprising part of the sandwich was how crisp and flavourful the fruits were. I guess it’s to be expected in Japan, where a single cantaloupe can easily cost $30!

After the market, we made our way up a hill at the edge of town, which offered a fantastic view of Hakodate. We then returned to the centre to try out a local ramen shop, then wandered through town a bit more before returning to the boat.

Akita

In Akita, we took a special tourist train from the port to the center of town. Here, we visited a local market and then spent most of our time at Senshu Park. The park has several walking paths and the remnants of an old Japanese fortress where went up a tower to see a view of the surrounding area.

We also had the strangest lunch experience here: on social media, you can find many people raving about the 7-Eleven egg sandwich, so we had to try it. We stopped by a 7-Eleven, picked up an egg sandwich, a curry croquette, and paired them with some expensive sake from the local market. The sandwich was nice, the eggs were well-blended and very creamy, but we didn’t quite understand the hype. The curry croquette, on the other hand, greatly exceeded our expectations (so fluffy and delicious), as did the sake!

Sometimes the highlights of a trip are not the planned activities but the surprises we stumbled upon along the way. To return to the ship, we decided to walk 45 minutes to an alternate train station (visiting Daiso and Seria along the way) and came across a group of locals gathered around a massive wooden float. Soon after, we saw young kids start pulling a rope to drag the float down the street, while playing drums at the back of the float. It was such a charming and unexpected moment that made our day even more special.

Shimizu (Mount Fuji)

Shimizu is the typical cruise stop for being able to visit Mount Fuji, but you don’t have to wait until reaching Shimizu to catch a glimpse of the mountain. If you wake up early and head to the front of the boat, you might get lucky!  We’d heard that Mount Fuji is shy and is usually hidden by clouds, but fortunately, we had a beautiful and clear day as we approached the port.

Dom went Flowriding and paused between rides to admiring Mount Fuji looming larger into view.

When we arrived in Shimizu, it was a local holiday, so most shops were closed. Luckily, the local fish market was open. Shimizu is famous for its tuna, so we treated ourselves to some super fresh tuna sashimi. After a quick stroll around town, we returned to the ship.  By then, Mount Fuji had vanished behind a curtain of clouds.

Our final port was Tokyo. Normally, we would have stayed much longer to explore Japan, but since we’re planning to return this summer with Dom’s nephew, we only spent a few days in Tokyo. 

The Tokyo cruise port is far from the train station, so we took a free shuttle to the nearest Yokohama train station and then hopped on a train into Tokyo. Since it was still too early to check-in, we stopped at Shibuya Scramble Crossing, famous for being one of the busiest pedestrian crossings in the world, where people cross in all directions at once.

Next, we visited Akihabara Electric Town to scope out Anime figurines for Dom’s nephew.  While there, we spent at least 15 minutes watching locals playing all sorts of skill-based arcade games. Our favourite was a dancing game, similar to Dance Dance Revolution, but instead of just four arrows, the entire mat was interactive, allowing players to move all around it and really dance.

We stayed at a cute hostel in Asakusa, where we visited the temple, wandered the cute streets, shopped, and tasted some local treats.

As always, we had some amazing food experiences. We enjoyed sushi, a Wagyu hamburger, and fresh fruit mochi, just to name a few of the highlights.

We never thought we’d be cruising so frequently, but with the advent of low-orbit internet satellites, we can now work on a cruise almost as efficiently as we do at home. It’s not always perfect, and we’ve had some close calls, but overall the internet works fairly well. This cruise was with Jen's parents and their friends Lloyd and Colleen.

We began our journey in Miami, where we boarded the Oasis of the Seas. It's a huge ship and until recently, it was the largest ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet. It’s hard to put into words just how massive and impressive it is, so take a look at the photo and try to imagine it for yourself.

Our final stop was Barcelona, where we didn't linger long. We headed straight to the airport for our next adventure: biking in Mallorca.

During one of our previous cruises, we received some onboard credits that had to be used by the end of 2023. After searching for options within our price range and coming up empty, we were ready to let the credit go. Then, just two weeks before this trip, we stumbled upon a transatlantic crossing with cheap flights to and from the cruise. So, on October 13, we set off on a $290 CAD red-eye direct flight to London, ready for our next adventure aboard Anthem of the Seas.

Each ship has its own unique offerings, and Anthem was no exception. During our time on board, we tackled an escape room and even tested our archery skills. One of our favorite experiences, was when the cruise staff acquired local delicacies and served them at the Windjammer. For example, after our visit to Lisbon, we got to enjoy some pastel de nata. At the Canary ports, we sampled local cheeses and cured meats. Following our stop in Halifax, we were treated to Timbits, poutine, and Montreal smoked meat. On these port days, the staff also set up small stands along the promenade offering local drinks. This is not usual, but was a welcome addition on the Athem

When working on the ship, we’d love to work from everywhere. However, the lack of power outlets and the noise level in most common areas mean we usually end up working in our room: Jen on the bed, and Dom taking over the couch (or the bathroom for some meetings). We do try to get a bit of work done outside of our room, but once our batteries run low, we have to head back.

The primary goal of this trip was to work on the ship, rather than explore new cities or have new experiences. That being said, we still went ashore at each port and took some time to walk around and take in the sights.

We arrived in Southampton a day early, and during our time there, we mostly walked around the old city.

Next, we stopped in Vigo, Spain. Here, we wandered around town and went up to Monte O Castro, the highest point in the city, to visit the remnants of the old castle and take in the view of the city.

We then arrived in Lisbon and set out on a quest to rediscover our favorite Pastel de Nata spots. Surprisingly, they didn’t impress us as much as they had on our first trip. They were still good, but we remembered indulging in so many of them back then. This time, after just a couple, we had already hit our sugar limit. However, Dom did rediscovered Pão de Deus at A Padaria Portuguesa, a delicious Portuguese coconut bun.

We did two stops were on the Canary Islands. Our first stop was at Arrecife on Lanzarote, a charming small town with an old and relatively small castle. As usual, we explored the town on foot and made our way to Islota de Fermina, where we discovered a beautiful white resort and an interpretation center. The center provided us with valuable insights into the local history, enhancing our visit to this picturesque part of Lanzarote.

We made two stops in the Canary Islands. Our first was in Arrecife, on Lanzarote, a charming smlatown with an old and relatively small castle. As usual, we explored on foot and made our way to Islote de Fermina, where we discovered a beautiful white resort and an interpretation center. The center offered valuable insights into the local history, enhancing our visit.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife was our second stop in the Canaries. Surprise, we walked around town. 😄

Our last stop before reaching New Jersey was supposed to be Bermuda for two days. However, with Hurricane Tammy also heading that way, the captain made a small change to our itinerary, and we ended up in Halifax, Canada instead. We were a bit disappointed since we had just been in Halifax four weeks earlier, but we definitely preferred calm seas and a return to Canada over rough waters and a windy, rainy Bermuda.

We are already looking forward to the prospect of working remotely from a cruise ship again in the future.

Before our sabbatical ended, Jen’s mom found a last-minute deal on an affordable Artic cruise. So, before going back to work full-time, we decided to squeeze in one last adventure. We boarded the Royal Caribbean Jewel of the Seas in Amsterdam and set off on a 17-night journey that ended in New Jersey.

Along the way, we visited the following ports:

• Akureyri, Iceland
• Isafjordur, Iceland
• Prins Christian Sund Cruise, Greenland
• Qaqortoq, Greenland
• St. John's, Halifax, and Sidney, Canada

The Jewel of the Seas is smaller than what we’re accustomed to. It belongs to the Radiance class and is approximately 55% of the size of the Quantum class ships we’ve sailed on before. Because of its size, it lacks some of the facilities we’ve enjoyed on past cruises: no indoor sports court, FlowRider, or iFly, to name a few.

But that didn’t stop us from making the most of it. We played basketball, tried our hand at mini golf, and kept active in the gym. To be fair, most of our time was spent relaxing between ports, participating in trivia, and eating. Jen even managed to squeeze in some part-time work.

One of the things we realized on this cruise is that the ships are so high that you always have a great view of any port you arrive at.  It's like the ship is a floating observation deck. Here are a few views we enjoyed along the way, including a sunset as we exited Amsterdam, some of the villages we visited, and the port of Newark.

After leaving Greenland, we made our way to the last three ports in Eastern Canada. Surprisingly, we had never visited this part of our country before, so it was a pleasant addition to our trip.

St-Johns, Newfoundland

Our first stop was St. John’s, Newfoundland, where we were greeted by a beautiful view of the city. We took a quick stroll and visited the colourful houses on Gower Street. While there are colourful houses throughout the city, we found that Gower Street offered the best continuous view of them.

We then decided to walk ~2.5 kilometers to Signal Hill, a viewpoint overlooking the city. On Signal Hill, we visited the historical site and learned that it was here, in1901, that the first successful transatlantic wireless communication was conducted.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Our second maritime port was Halifax, Nova Scotia's capital. We arrived on a sunny Sunday and set out to explore the boardwalk, which was filled with shops, activities, and people. We visited the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, where we learned about the Titanic tragedy and the Halifax Explosion. We didn't know that in 1917, a French cargo ship loaded with wartime explosives collided with a Norwegian vessel in Halifax Harbour, triggering a massive explosion.  It was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history and levelled a significant part of Halifax. We finished our day walking around the Citadel and watching a live band perform at Halifax's Public Gardens.

Sydney, Nova Scotia

Finally, we visited Sydney, Nova Scotia's second-largest town (but much smaller than Halifax). The primary attraction in this area is the Cabot Trail. Unfortunately, during our visit, the weather was overcast and drizzly, so, we just took a brief stroll around the town before returning to the ship.

On our second day in Greenland, we arrived in Qaqortoq (pronounced "Kakotok"), a city of 3,000 people in south Greenland. We woke up to a beautiful view of all the colorful houses on the cliffs and some icebergs. 

Since it’s a small port, we had a few minutes tender from the boat to the town. After a quick walk around the port, we decided to exit the town and walk around the lake. It was an easy and enjoyable hike surrounded by tundra scenery. We did not do the entire lake, we just walked around 3.5 km before turning back. 

After our hike, we decided to split up: Dom climbed to a viewpoint overlooking the city, while Jen ventured closer to one of the icebergs to get a great photo. A few hours later, we reunited back on the boat to enjoy some drinks and share our adventures.

We only had one stop in Greenland. However, to get there, the ship passed through the "Prins Christian Sund." This is a narrow strait that separates the mainland from the Cape Farewell Archipelago. It does not have any historical significance, but it is known for its landscapes, cliffs, and glaciers. It was nice, indeed.

We entered the strait around 2 PM in a lot of fog, but soon the fog lifted, and we could see the beautiful scenery. We encountered some drizzle later along the coast, but it was short-lived, and we continued to enjoy the views. We exited the main sound around 7 PM, but it took a few more hours before we made it back to the open sea.

From Akureyri, our ship made its way to Isafjordur on the northwest coast of Iceland. There, we woke up to a magnificent scene: a little town surrounded by mountains.

From the boat, we enjoyed the picturesque view of the mountains and 'Thor's Seat,' a depression in the mountain where you could imagine Thor sitting.

Though the day was overcast and drizzly, we spent our time walking around town and exploring a scenic trail to the north, which offered a nice view of the town and its stunning surroundings.

Our first port of call on our artic cruise was Akureyri, Iceland. Originally, we were supposed to spend 2 half-days in Akureyri. However, due to a big storm hitting Reykjavik, the captain decided to stay an extra night in Akureyri and skip Reykjavik. This turned out to be a great decision as it allowed us to rent a car and explore the countryside. 

Before embarking on our driving adventure, we spent our first half-day walking around Akureyri. There isn't much to see here, but there are a few cute buildings and a small botanical garden.

Additionally, they like to put knitted monsters on their trash cans and giant trolls in the streets.

On our second day, we took our expensive car rental (approximately $300 CAD) and set out on an adventure. 

Our first stop was Godafoss. The name means "Waterfall of the Gods" and it originates from the legend that in 1000 AD, Iceland's transition from paganism to Christianity was marked by casting Norse idols into Godafoss.

We then made our way to Lake Mytval, where we stopped at two spots to admire the lake and the rock formations. 

We had been warned that there were many bugs, but did not realize there were that many. Luckily, we were equipped with the super bug-protecting head nets that we had purchased for $1 - the best buy ever.

Next, we did a quick stop at a hot spring. We didn't jump in due to time constraints and the high price tags (the adult price was around ~$70 CAD).

Not far away, we then stopped at Hverir. This is a geothermal area in Iceland, known for its bubbling mud pools, hissing steam vents, and vibrant sulfuric landscapes.

30 minutes later, we made our last big stop at Dettifoss and Selfoss waterfalls. Dettifoss is a colossal waterfall renowned as Europe's most powerful waterfall. A small 1 km walk from the parking lot and you are at the fall. You can get really close to it and appreciate the power of the water. Another kilometer walk upriver takes you to see the sister fall, Selfoss.

On the way back, we took the coastal road and we made some small stops to stretch our legs and enjoy the scenery.

One of the things we appreciated about our ride, is that the journey is as impressive as the attractions themselves. We got to experience so many different landscapes in just one day of driving. 

After 29 days, we finally arrived in Sydney, Australia.  While having our last buffet breakfast, we enjoyed a 5-star view of Sydney Harbour and the Opera House, before lining up to disembark the boat.

In Sydney, we spent 2 days exploring the city proper and 3 days doing day trips around. 

Sydney is a beautiful city with so many things to see while walking around: The Opera House and Darling Harbour, China Town, The Royal Botanical Garden and all the roads and neighbourhoods in between.

One funny thing that happened was that when we were in Calgary booking our hotel for Sydney, we forgot about the date differences between Australia and Canada so we accidentally booked our stay at East Sydney Hotel for 1 day too early!  

The hotel wasn't able to shift our stay by 1 day because they were full on the last day so we ended up booking 2 additional nights at Maze Backpackers.  This worked out nicely because when we checked out, the hostel receptionist gave us a great tip:

"If you have a lot of time before your flight, you can take the train from Sydney Central Station to Mascot Station - the station just before the airport.  From there, it’s just a 1.5km walk to the airport domestic terminal, and the fare only costs $2.65 instead of $18 because you don’t have to pay the airport surcharge”

So that’s what we did.. sidewalks, crosswalks, and flat all the way!  Getting really great travel tips, is one of the awesome benefits that we've noticed about staying at hostels instead of hotels!