CRUISE Part 4: Seabourn from Sydney to Honolulu

               From Worldometer (new  COVID-19 deaths yesterday):

          DAY  USA  WORLD    Brazil    India    South Africa

June     9     1093     4732         1185        246       82

July    22      1205     7128         1293      1120     572

Aug    12      1504     6556        1242        835     130

Sept     9      1208      6222       1136       1168       82

Oct     21      1225      6849         571        703       85

Nov    25       2304    12025        620        518      118

Dec    30       3880    14748       1224       299      465

Jan     14       4142    15512       1151        189     712

Feb      3       4005    14265       1209       107      398

Mar      2       1989     9490        1726       110      194

April     6        906    11787         4211       631       37

May     4        853     13667        3025      3786     59 

June    1        287    10637         2346      3205      95

 July    7         251      8440        1595        817      411

Aug     4         656    10120        1118        532      423 

Sept   22      2228      9326          839       279     124

Oct      6       2102      8255          543       315       59

Nov    3        1436      7830         186        458       23

Dec     1       1633      8475          266        477       28

Jan     7        2025      6729         148         285     140

Feb     2        2990   12012          946        991      175

Mar     2        1778     7756          335         173       28 

Apr     1          439      4056         290          52       12

May    5          225      2404         151            ?        64

June    2          216      1413         130          10       31

July    6          316      1627         335           35       12 

Aug    4           311       2138         258          70         ?

         11          290       1994         173          49         ?

         18          264       1950         202            ?         ?

         25          245       1909         197          68         ? 

Sep    1          272        1732        174            ?         ?

          8          287        1676          99          13         ? 

        15          249        1418          79          23       17 

        21          375        1330         87          26         ? 

        22          222        1219         69          20         ? 

        28          370        1220         48          27         ?

        29          226        1218         49          18        16

Oct    5          350        1210       109          12          9

Summary:

• The USA continued to lead in most new deaths with 350 yesterday.  Russia #2  113, Brazil #3  109, Germany #4  97 and Japan #5  74.
• Germany is #1 in most new cases with 132,494, France #2  66,564, Taiwan #3  54,868, Italy #4  45,223, Japan #5  41,193, USA #6  36,704 and South Korea #7  34,710.
• Regarding new cases/million population:
• #1  Liechtenstein  2476
• #2  Taiwan  2294
• #3  Cayman Islands 2194
• #4  Austria  2031
• #5  Germany  1570
• #6  Hungary  1433
• #7  Slovenia  1374
• #8  Bermuda  1069
• #9  France  1015
• #10  Singapore  995
• #13  Italy  750
• #14  S. Korea  676
• #15  Hong Kong  477 (interesting that this colony by itself had 3642 new cases
• while China only had 273 yesterday)
• #18  Japan  328
• #30  USA  110
• #35  Sweden  69 
•        World 66
• #36  Australia  59
• Clearly, you still don't want to travel to Europe at this time.

Today, Part Four of my cruise series:

• Part 1:  THE RETURN OF CRUISES.
• Part 2:  Have you Ever Sailed on Seabourn or Regent Seven Seas?
• Part 3:  Regent Seven Seas Explorer from Dubai to Singapore

We take an epic 53-day cruise on the Seabourn Odyssey, leaving Sydney, Australia on March 9, and arriving in Honolulu on April 30.  We actually first leave Honolulu via Qantas Business Class on March 5 so we can look around Sydney.

Surely I've been to Sydney more recently, but a decade ago I went on a Circle Pacific Adventure, primarily to visit Yeosu, South Korea for Ocean Expo 2012.  I also had stops in Busan, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Bangkok, Singapore, Bali and Auckland.

The cuisine is supposed to be fabulous on the Odyssey.  Luxury Cruise Review gives it 5.0 out of 5.0 points.  A member of Chaine des Rotisseurs, an eating club to which I once belonged.  A partner with Regiis Ova for caviar.

• There are four restaurants:  The Restaurant, Colonnade, The Patio and The Grill by Thomas Keller.  Champagne and fine wines are always available for free.
• Keller is known as America's best chef.

• 
  Started as a dishwasher in his mom's restaurant.
• Worked in many top Paris restaurants.
• In 1994 bought a small restaurant in Yountville, called The French Laundry.  The town is nine miles from Napa, and is not close to anything.  I was there in 2013.

• 
  Opened Per Se in New York City in 2004, gaining three Michelin stars in 2006, the first American restaurant to be so honored.  No one said he dishes are cheap.
• The following year, The French Laundry got 3 stars.
• He lives in home behind that restaurant.

Like the Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn's package includes everything like Wi-Fi and unlimited drinks.  However, on Seabourn, you need to pay for tours and plane trips.  Tipping is neither required nor expected.

The itinerary for this cruise is great if you want to visit Pacific islands.  But if not, just luxuriate and enjoy the food.  

• The first 20 days focus on Australian sights, the Great Barrier Reef, with stops in places like Kangaroo Island, Adelaide, Melbourne, Townsville and Cairns.
• Then on to Noumea, New Caledonia.
• On to Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa, French Polynesia for eleven days, then finally Lahaina, Kona and Honolulu.

This blog site suddenly stopped allowing for graphics, so I'll later come back to add them.  I'll check if videos work.

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