Running from pirates in Indonesia. Relaxing on the beaches of Bali. Escaping pick-pockets in Vietnam.
These are among the many adventures retired couple Mary-Alice Gammon, 69, and husband Ted, 65, have experienced on their round the world cruises.
And, yesterday, they took in the sights and sounds of Tauranga during a brief stopover along with 723 other passengers from the Seven Seas Voyager, which dropped anchor in the city.
The Canadian couple boarded the ship in San Francisco on January 6 and it will be another four months before they return home.
New Zealand is only the second country the ship has stopped at on this trip. It left last night for Napier. It will then travel to Sydney, Shanghai, Singapore, Mumbai, Athens and finally Fort Lauderdale in Florida.
Mr and Mrs Gammon will finish in Athens on April 13 as they're only there for the adventurous parts.
"The boat trip home is just that, we'd rather explore our final destination than sit on board," Mr Gammon said.
Instead, they will be flying home, a mode of transport they usually prefer not to use "because it's less of an adventure" and Mrs Gammon also has a "bad leg" and often needs her wheel chair for assistance.
Their first stop in "Kiwi Land" was Auckland where they looked around the Viaduct.
"It was great, but Tauranga is a lot more peaceful."
The pair spent the morning in Tauranga at Elms Mission House checking out Tauranga's historic buildings as part of the many pre-packaged tours offered to passengers at every port.
Although this is the first time Mr and Mrs Gammon have been to New Zealand, it's their second round the world cruise with the Seven Seas Voyager.
The couple are self confessed cruiseliner addicts.
"We love sampling the world," Mrs Gammon, whose favourite destination so far is Bali, said.
"Sometimes it's a bit scary, like in Vietnam where we had to watch for thieves and in Indonesia the ship was on the look-out for pirates."
But it's not cheap. The pair paid around $60,000 for their voyage.
For that they get "a gorgeous room" with a private deck, meals, entertainment and access to the many swimming pools, four restaurants, and casino.
Their advice for people thinking of a cruise? "Do it. Don't put it off a minute longer. The people you'll meet and the places you'll see are amazing," Mr Gammon said.
"It's a life-changing experience."
Americans Travis Pownell, 29, Kristin Dobson, 20, and Geoff Heiden, 30, who are part of the over 400 crew members also enjoyed stretching their legs through Mount Maunganui's shopping area.
"We were hoping to go sky diving, but it got cancelled. It's still a beautiful area though."
All three won't return home until April 30, are ballroom dancers and perform most days.
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