August 4, 2024

When you hear "Good News, Bad News" does your spirit sink a little?

Here's our lovely Odyssey sailing out of the dry dock, around to the pier, alongside the shipyard entrance. Was like watching our baby swim for first time with floaties! And below is the Ship parked next to the Harlon & Wolff Shipyard Security Trailer, where we are due to begin embarking today. Except for one small snag, PSSC signoff for PNI insurance for us to begin living on Ship - meaning sleeping here! The insurance lawyers showed up waving a flag, late Friday afternoon, that until PSSC signoff complete, probably Monday or Tuesday next week, we can only go on the Ship during the daytime to tour, eat. mingle and ready our cabins from 8 am to 9 pm daily! We have to sleep at Belfast hotels, until this sign off is complete. Soooo, guess who called Aer Lingus to move her flight back again! 

Heard from fellow passengers who started arriving at Ship today, after 3 pm to get their room keys and check in. They said Crew and Staff were warm and welcoming, and the Ship looked great. Several ate dinner on board and said food was plentiful and yummy! Airconditioning was off in cabins, but temperature only in 60's and many started unpacking. Shot below is of one of smaller inside cabins on deck four - but looks like they may have overpacked!?!  There are 4 large suitcases behind the boxes. Can't wait to see mine!

By Pat Patrick July 14, 2026
I really enjoyed my first trip to Thailand! On our final morning here we went to try breakfast at this spot, down the road, we had been hearing rave reviews on, King Of Bread . The hype was correct, the breakfast was delicious and they had some unique choices. I had eggs benedict on a croissant, in lieu of the standard english muffin and Bosco had it on Milk Bread, which was equally tasty.
By Pat Patrick July 14, 2026
We love having authentic experiences with locals to really get a chance to see how they live and thrive in the Ports we visit. So when I found a cooking class, by a local woman offered in her home, we were excited to book. Um ( our teacher) picked us and brought us back to our hotel along with the family of 4 from Sydney, Australia, that had also signed up for this afternoon class. Um's house, which has a lovely open air kitchen, garden and dining area, was about a 30 minute drive and turned out to be on the beach, right next to the Grandparent Rocks.
By Pat Patrick July 14, 2026
The nightlife scene doesn't really get going till after 11pm and goes till 5 am in the Chaweng section of Koh Samui . We made our way over to the club district, and one of the hot spots called the ArkBar a little past 10pm to have some dinner, while watching the beach fire shows.