Join Pete and Judy on their FIRST World Cruise on the Amsterdam

Omaka Aviation Heritage Center

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thanks for the great update and photos!

Congrats on your win!! Nice job.

Heres a couple of grabs from 2 of the Picton webcams..

I am so enjoying your posts and blog.

As the trip progresses, I would love to hear from Judy about her experiences with the knitting group (where they meet, about how many show up, etc.). Also I would like to know if they still do a knitting project for donation (Project Linus maybe??). If so, do they need passengers to donate yarn for this or does each knitter provide their own and are told what to do.

Smooth sailing,

Kathi

Day 30, Picton New Zealand

The approach to Picton looks very similar to cruising the inside passage on an Alaska Cruise. Plenty of green on low hills, with sharp well defined ridgelines. The sky was fairly bright as the sun had risen, but was still hiding behind the hills and would not appear until an hour after the official sunrise.

We tied up to the pier bow first, with our cabin facing the town and the interisland ferry terminal. The ports line handlers were right below our veranda and we were able watch as Holland America crewmembers hurled the “monkey fist” onto the pier with the small leader line attached. The line handlers haul in this small leader line, followed by a larger line and finally the heavy line used to secure the ship to the pier.

We were able to pick up the WIFI from the interisland terminal from our cabin and enjoyed about 30 minutes of fast internet until it was time to leave the ship for our adventure ashore.

The gangway was on deck 2 forward this morning with the gangway attached to a set of stairs to get you down to the pier. We left the ship around 9:45 and again we didn’t see any of the agriculture inspectors or beagle dogs. It seems a little odd that they only inspect the first wave of people leaving the ship, but whatever.

Since we bought the complete photo package we get every picture taken by the ship for the entire cruise so we always seek out the photographer for pictures. Steven, the photo manager, as come to know us well and he is ready to take our picture as he sees us coming down the pier.

There was some stern warnings issued prior to our arrival that you were prohibited from walking into town and had to take the shuttle bus. Well, that was mostly right and for most guests you would want to take the shuttle bus and avoid the walk anyway. Since we were renting a car from Avis at the Interisland Cruise terminal, we would have to walk to the terminal which was quite close to the ship. Right by the shuttle bus stop there is a blue line painted on the ground that leads to the interisland terminal and then into town. You have to cross a busy, industrial road, that is used to load cars and cargo onto the ferries, but once you speak with the crossing guard and demonstrate normal situational awareness and mobility you are quickly allowed to cross and follow the blue line to the terminal and then into town. We saw another guest who didn’t quite understand what was going on and could barely stand upright without assistance – they were directed to the shuttle bus and not allowed to follow the blue line to the interisland terminal. Common senses prevails and if you ask nicely, you will most likely be permitted to follow the blue line if you wish.

The car rental agencies are about a 5 minute walk from the ship. Our AVIS Toyota Corolla ended up costing us $134 NZD (plus $27 NZD for gasoline) for the day. This included a GPS, but you could use the MAPS.ME app on your phone and you would do just fine. Now the car is right hand steer since you drive on the left side of the road but since we have lived in Japan for 2 ½ years, we were quite comfortable with this arrangement. Quite frankly, it is not as difficult to manage as you may think and any reasonably competent driver could manage just fine. My recommendation is to rent an automatic and the smallest car available. Your perspective when sitting on the right side of the car is different and you have a tendency to stay further to the left side of the lane than is necessary and a smaller car will help with your comfort level. Much to Judy’s amusement, the one rookie mistake I kept making today was turning on the windshield wipers instead of the turn signals since their positon is reversed on a right hand steer car. You will also get in on the passenger side once or twice and wonder who stole the steering wheel.

Our plan was to go about 35 miles to the Yealands Family Vineyard in the town of Seddon, then to the a place called “The Honey Company” followed by the Omaka Aviation Museum and finally yarn shops in Renwick and Picton. Renting the car was no different than in the USA and we were quickly on our way. New Zealand, like most countries other than the USA, uses roundabouts extensively so getting comfortable with how they work and remembering to swing left around the circle is essential.

As soon as we left the parking lot, Henk and Christel (Hotel Director and Guest Relations Manager) came thru the roundabout in front of us on their tandem. We waved and took a photo as we passed them in a few minutes.

As soon as we were outside the city limits we encountered a young couple hitchhiking with backpacks. We would ultimately see 4 people hitchhiking throughout the day – all with backpacks.

The two lane road to our first stop at the Winery in Seddon was wide and well maintained, a little winding but easy to drive and soak in the beautiful views around many curves. If someone told me we were in Napa valley or Santa Barbara, I wouldn’t have argued. The landscape looked very similar to California wine country.

We picked up some local radio stations along the way which were going on and on about the Super Bowl game and when it would be broadcast in New Zealand. Superbowl hype is global.

The speed limit was 100 KPH and we arrived at the Vineyard in about 45 minutes. I rarely go to wine tastings and know next to nothing about vineyards so I am a poor judge of whether or not this particular vineyard is good or bad. There was a small HAL tour leaving as we arrived so we soon had the place to ourselves. I went through the motions of tasting some wine and picked out 4 bottles mainly based on their names. Maybe I will attend some of the wine tasting classes on the ship, but I still enjoy the wine nevertheless.

Judy bought some honey and a T shirt and we were on our way to drive around the vineyard. If Disneyland ever produced a vineyard, it would probably look like this. Everything was extraordinary neat, clean and well-marked. Miniature ‘Babydoll’ sheep roamed the vineyard. Too short to reach the grapes, the sheep were described as ‘organic weeders’ providing year round mowing and pest control. Music was played thru the grape vines to ‘increase the vines vigor and resistance from disease’. The vistas were spectacular – the weather perfect and we enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Next stop was “The Honey Company” about 15KM back toward the ship following a single lane gravel road. The map we had from internet was pretty general and when the GPS said we arrived, there was nothing around. We drove up and down the small road for a bit and them decided to press on without the honey and head to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Museum which was well marked and easy to find.

Admission to the Omaka Museum was higher than I would have guessed for such a small museum - $30 NZD, but the exhibits were extremely well maintained and thoughtfully displayed. The aircraft were all from the WW I era. We moved quickly and saw everything in 30 minutes. You would be hard pressed to spend more than 90 minutes here. It was now 3 PM and we were 15 miles from the ship with 2 yarn shops to go. All aboard was 4:30.

The first yard shop was called Renwick Nic Nacs and Info Center. If Fred Sanford decided to open a yarn shop instead of a junk yard, this shop is how you would imagine it may appear. Yarn was everywhere, stored everywhere without any rhyme or reason. You could barely move down the aisle because it was so jam packed with yard and other stuff. The owner seemed to know where everything was and Judy bought 9 Skeins of a New Zealand yarn called Waikiwi, a Merino Wool, Nylon, Alpaca and Possum blend.

After about 15 minutes we were on our way back to Picton and our final yarn shop – FEEBE’S. FEEBE’S was more of a gift and souvenir shop with a small corner displaying some local wool yarn. Judy was on the hunt for Possum yarn and didn’t find anything that caught her eye and we only bought a few post cards and stamps.

We wanted to sample the local fish and chips, but discovered they all closed between 2:30 and 4:30 so we would have to try again another day.

The Interisland terminal with the car rental agencies was only a few minutes away and we dropped off the car and were back on the ship exactly at 4:30 – no wasted time!

Sail-away was gorgeous with perfect weather and many people were by the Seaview pool enjoying the fabulous scenery as we left Picton.

As we left Picton and maneuvered toward Melbourne, the Captain announced that we would be calibrating the ships compass on our way out. We paused for about 15 minutes and the ship rotated 360 degrees while an expert from New Zealand updated the ships compass calibration card.

For dinner we were joined by entertainers Ashley Carruthers, the piano player who performed last night and International Violinist Yoomia who will perform this evening. Ashley and Yoomia provided interesting insight to an entertainers life aboard cruise ships.

Lee Bayless, a comedian from Oklahoma, provided the entertainment tonight as was excellent receiving a standing ovation. He is billed as the “clean, family comedian” who delivers observational comedy with a unique twist. He will also give a lecture on Sudoko and a talk on “What Makes Jokes Funny” in the next few days

More pictures on the blog at http://www.theinsidecabin.com

I am pretty sure that when we got off the ship in Picton last April (I remember the stairs) there were ladies handing out flowers - were they there for you? Love the colour of wool that Judy bought - what will she knit? Thanks for taking the time to write about your amazing voyage!

Thanks so much for your blog - I really feel along for the ride! I even choose what I would pick for dinner each day - Hope I am not the only one!

I am pretty sure that when we got off the ship in Picton last April (I remember the stairs) there were ladies handing out flowers - were they there for you? Love the colour of wool that Judy bought - what will she knit? Thanks for taking the time to write about your amazing voyage!

Judy will knit a sweater...check out her Raverly page under Judyzz

Here is the craft project for today.....a bone/shell necklace in the Maori style

I am pretty sure that when we got off the ship in Picton last April (I remember the stairs) there were ladies handing out flowers - were they there for you?

Yes, passengers were given flowers.

Day 31, Sailing toward Melbourne, Australia

The sea state has increased significantly and the ship motions is constant with occasional roll as the stabilizers reach their control limits. It’s hard to tell, but I suspect many guests have taken to their cabins as the crowds in most venues are greatly reduced. There are now crackers sitting out at the front desk for folks feeling the effects.

Here is a web site http://www.fnmoc.navy.mil that has many weather and sea state links for use by the US Navy. I have posted a few screen shots that show the wave and swell height in the Southern Pacific Ocean. If you look at the area between New Zealand and Southern Australia, you will see the yellows and orange indicating significant waves and swell. It’s a good thing that we are not near the red areas as that would be a very rough ride. If you make a habit of checking this site from time to time you will observe that the southern latitudes near Antarctica are always significant.

To find these maps, follow the Oceanography links and then experiment. The site is complicated, but manageable with a little trial and error.

Exhausted from our day in Picton, we relaxed in our cabin all morning and ordered in room service lunch in addition to breakfast. We used the time to tidy up the cabin a bit, get rid of loose papers and organize some of the photos and files on the computer. Judy spent the morning catching up on her knitting and she is almost finished with her current project, the Asanagi Wrap by Olgajazzy, and ready to move on to the next.

The cards were not as friendly today and I finished 4th in Texas Hold’em, out of the money. The casino started to decorate for the Super Bowl this weekend and they set up a game where you pick a square that will hopefully match the score – winner will win up to $900 – with prizes awarded at the end of each quarter. Each square costs $10.

On arrival in Melbourne, every passenger must be processed “face to face” in the cruise terminal. They asked everyone to select one of three immigration processing times so they can divide up the passengers and try and minimize the lines. We will be getting our passports back tomorrow as well.

Attendance in the dining room was down, again I suspect due to the significant ship’s motion. Earlier in the day the Captain asked all passengers to secure any fragile items and place them on the floor or a place where they won’t roll around or fall on something. Even though we are moving pretty good, it hasn’t reached the point where unsecured items are being tossed about.

Our table had 100% attendance and we enjoyed another wonderful meal. Our table has gained a reputation for hosting entertainers and tonight another guest stopped by and was convinced that one of our regulars was one of the comedians. She inquired – “Are you the one from the Funny Farm?” We still weren’t sure what she meant but we shared a laugh at the confusion as she wandered off.

Our dinner guest from last night was the evening’s performer. She’s billed as Yoomia, a violinist with the tag line “Bach to the Future”. She was outstanding and put on an exciting show culminating with a rousing rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.

While the Texas Hold’em game was going strong, the Crow’s nest dance floor was empty.

Anyone know Dolly?

See all of the daily activities by looking at the On Location guides available on the blog http://www.theinsidecabin.com

More pictures as well

Dolly is real character and fixture on the Amsterdam. I love her long evening gloves and how she likes to dance and have a glass of wine. She must be one of the senior members of President's Club.

I find this website easy to use for wave heights:

http://magicseaweed.com/South-Australia-Surf-Chart/35/

Thank you for your detailed descriptions. I have friends on board and feel I am there with you. I hope you have enough time at Melbourne after the immigration control. It is some distance to the center of town.

Anyone know Dolly?

Why, yes. As a matter if fact, I do! She was my assigned roomie on my first Voyage of the Vikings back in August, 2003. I would toddle back to the cabin about 2:00 AM, and Dolly was still out partying!

I want to grow up to be just like her. :D

Nice to know she is still out there enjoying the world.

Thanks for taking us along. There is nothing like a world cruise and I hope you both have a wonderful time.

"Ditto" I really appreciate the time it takes to do this for us armchair cruisers.

One day we (I) hope to do one of these cruises, but in the meantime, Thank you!

:eek: Does EACH bottle of wine to carry on cost $18? That seems high to me. Will they charge if you bring bottles on board from your ports?

:eek: Does EACH bottle of wine to carry on cost $18? That seems high to me. Will they charge if you bring bottles on board from your ports?

Yes, and yes. $18 is in the range of fairly standard. Some lines charge more.

You are allowed to bring aboard one 750ml bottle per adult, at initial embarkation, without paying a corkage fee. That is for consumption in the cabin.

Every other bottle, either at initial embarkation, or any port, is also charged $18 corkage.

:eek: Does EACH bottle of wine to carry on cost $18? That seems high to me. Will they charge if you bring bottles on board from your ports?

They charge corkage if you bring to the dining room....Still cheaper, but if you are 4 star your 50pct discount really helps if you buy a package...

Dolly is real character and fixture on the Amsterdam. I love her long evening gloves and how she likes to dance and have a glass of wine. She must be one of the senior members of President's Club.

 

I find this website easy to use for wave heights:

http://magicseaweed.com/South-Australia-Surf-Chart/35/

 

Thank you for your detailed descriptions. I have friends on board and feel I am there with you. I hope you have enough time at Melbourne after the immigration control. It is some distance to the center of town.

Thanks fir the link....looks way simpler to use than the Navy Site

Why, yes. As a matter if fact, I do! She was my assigned roomie on my first Voyage of the Vikings back in August, 2003. I would toddle back to the cabin about 2:00 AM, and Dolly was still out partying!

 

I want to grow up to be just like her. :D

 

 

 

Nice to know she is still out there enjoying the world.

Plus she still eats at late seating and goes to the 10pm shows!

Plus she still eats at late seating and goes to the 10pm shows!

I noticed she often has the first table for two on the rail, port side. I wonder if she still cooses that table.

Someone on your cruise reported that Dolly has just passed 4000 days on the Amsterdam!

Maybe you can find out how many days she has total on HAL!!

"Ditto" I really appreciate the time it takes to do this for us armchair cruisers.

 

 

 

One day we (I) hope to do one of these cruises, but in the meantime, Thank you!

Glad you enjoy the posts.......there is much more on the blog....daily on locations, menus....more....But I can answer questions faster here....

Heavy swells continue. Didgeridoo instructor cancels Good Morning Amsterdam appearance.....Overflow crowd gets $10 Grand Dollars as compensation.

Tai Chi class is showing ballet video in lieu of class...

Ships dancers scheduled for this evening. The magician may substitute if ship doesn't stabilize.

Interesting lecture in progress on "Why did Pluto get demoted as a planet"

thanks for the update.

Go Dolly go. 4000 days on the Amsterdam would be amazing.

Maybe she would be honored to share some of her details with you and you can pass them on to us land lubbers stuck at home.

Thank you for all the updates. I look forward to them everyday and like others I decide what I would order from the menus. Believe me your meals are much more interesting then what I am eating.

I also love your shopping adventures looking for yarn. I hope to find some needlework shops on my next cruise.

I hope the seas become smoother.

4boysnana

My casino luck continues....won the black jack tournament.

They did play Bingo today.

Gals night tonight