We flew into Hong Kong late in the afternoon to board our ship, the Norwegian Star, our home for the next 44 days. We just had a glimpse of the Hong Kong skyscrapers that surround the bay before boarding the ship. The taxi drive through Hong Kong impressed us with the crowds of people on the streets and the busy traffic.

We've been very happy with the NCL Star and our experiences on the ship . The crew could not be nicer and more helpful. The ship holds about 2000 passengers, so it's a nice size--not too big, not too small. It's easy to find our way around and get to various areas of the ship. The entertainment has been very good. We've enjoyed the evening shows with great dancing and music. We splurged on Mandara Thermal Spa passes, and it's been our favorite way to spend the afternoons at sea. The Thermal Spa is a quiet area at the back of the ship with saunas, two hot tubs and a long narrow warm pool where Cory walks laps to exercise his legs. There are relaxation rooms with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the ocean and comfy easy chairs where we read in peace and quiet. We're usually the only ones in the relaxation room, so we feel a bit like we are on our own private yacht! They only sell limited passes to the Thermal Spa, so it's never crowded like the pool areas on the ship's upper decks. After relaxing afternoons in the Spa, we usually eat at one of the really fine restaurants on the ship . We've eaten at one of the specialty restaurants like Cagney's Steakhouse or Le Bistro French Cafe most nights. Over eating is a problem we are trying to combat with ordering more fish and fewer desserts! After dinner, we've enjoyed playing Blackjack in the casino, and we've both been lucky so far, winning a bit each time we play. Cruising is a great way to not only travel, but to enjoy our life and meet new people.

One of the best parts of cruising are the port stops. Our first two weeks on board, the ship had a problem with the azipod that contributes to the movement of the ship. This caused a change in our original itinerary, and we weren't able to visit some of the Thailand ports. We have seen quite a bit of Vietnam, however, and enjoyed learning about both countries.

Vietman is an S-shaped country with geographically distinct north, central and southern areas. Our first stop was Chan May, in central Vietnam, and we toured the ruins of the Citadel in Hue where the Nguyan Dynasty royal family lived and governed from the 17th century . This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Restoration is underway, but it is expensive and the wet weather is a real hindrance, rotting away the beautiful ceramics and wooden architecture. We entered through the throne room and walked through the many beautiful buildings and the grounds including the Imperial Library with its magnificent ceramic details. This is a huge, 1000 acre area with gardens, buildings and statues. Lots of pictures below show the Citadel and it's beautiful architecture. Later, we rode on a tourist flatboat on the Perfume river, enjoyed an authentic lunch and visited the Thien Mu pagoda, a symbol of Hue. A large percentage of Vietnam's residents are Buddist and pagodas are in every neighborhood, some older and more elaborate. After a long day we returned to the comforts of our shipboard home, ready to explore the next stop--Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon.