According to Mark the repairs on Voyager are going according to plan but will be very expensive, something like $3,000,000, BUT the bottom line for the company is doing very well. Not as well as last year but acceptible. Mark is tired, very tired, and it shows. There were no hard-ball questions. People on board, including the refugees from Voyager, are very satisfied with all that is being done. The atmosphere is up-beat and pleasant. Repairs on Voyager are expected to be done on schedule and the May 21st trip will go on as planned.

Japan has treated us very poorly and we are upset about that. In Nagasaki crew and guests had to go through a lengthy immigration period - pictures, temperatures, finger prints, passports, etc. Our internet time is limited since it is felt that our guests will put out PORN and they don't want their people exposed to it. For the next week or so we have internet only when we are out of Japanese waters. Today we have it for about twelve hours. You should have seen the rush to the computer room when it was announced that internet was up! They also "insulted" us by saying that at six o'clock last evening officials would come aboard for a welcoming ceremony with a twenty minute presentation by a Japanese drum band. The intelligent people in Japan sent the ship an email telling us to cancel the ceremony - not thinking that we had NO email. It left a bad feeling. We learned of the cancellation about five thirty that afternoon.

Our weather has at times been quite bad with fog and light rain. Nagasaki was gloomy which did not help. Tours went off as planned.

Several people have commented on the good feeling on Mariner. There seems to be so much less infighting, cliques and criticism so prevalent on Voyager.
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Two days from now, in Osaka, is turnover day and we will have about four hundred passengers. In Seward we will have 660 passengers and some of those from Voyager will have to leave.

Terry Breen returns in Osaka after spending four days in a monastary! Doesn't that just sound like her?

Our fabulous Balinese people are going to repeat their Kecek Dance tonight for the new guests and Mark Conroy. One of their performers went on vacation and they trained another person to take her place.

I'll try to get back on from time to time but until May 11th internet time is unsure.

Ardis