Trekking the Globe with Bill & Mary Ann on the 2017 World Cruise - 126 Days

Report #14 Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala January 13, 2017 Friday Sunny & 90 degrees Part #1 Of 2 76 Pictures

Guatemala is the last Central American country we will visit on this grand voyage. The Spanish –speaking population is about 13,27,000, and the capital is Guatemala City. The best time to visit is between November and May, when it is the dry season. There is a lot to see here, such as the Mayan ruins at Tikal, a pricey all day tour, or Antigua, closer to the port, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Volcanoes and coffee plantations dot the mountainsides.

Docked by 9am in the working port of Puerto Quetzal, many tours were offered to the guests. This port, as charming as it is small, is limited to souvenir shopping and one nice restaurant. Some folks took the Tikal tour, but only a small amount at $650 per person. There were five tour options to colonial Antigua, and a day trip to visit a coffee plantation. Several years ago, we took the plantation tour, and learned everything we ever wanted to know about the cultivation of coffee. As hobbyist gardeners, we appreciated the work behind that cup of coffee we have come to love every morning. On the way back, we stopped at Antigua for a quick tour of the highlights of the city.

Since then, we always opt to stay in the port area, enjoying an afternoon of leisurely shopping and a nice lunch with beer at the local restaurant, Pez Vela.

The day was going to be warm, but not as hot as 92 degrees. Tablemates Maureen and Jim stayed onboard and said the ship’s thermometer never exceeded 82 degrees. Near the water, a nice breeze was blowing most of the day. We ended up leaving the ship after 11am, and walked through the maze of stalls at the Artisan’s Market. It is interesting what the locals have done here. They created an enclosed oasis with palm trees, grassy knolls, and a meandering market full of souvenir stalls. Surrounding this property, is just about desert-looking. It is a typical dock area with port equipment, a crane or two, and piles of what appeared to be coal. If you did not go outside the gate, you would never notice you are in the middle of nowhere.

With many folks away on the tours, there were few people in the market. That could be good or bad. The vendors simply do not take “we are just looking” for no thanks. Each and every one of them fights for your business, although they may all belong to one owner. Obviously, we like to take photos. One of the lady vendors demanded one dollar because we took a picture of her table of souvenirs. Really? That was a first, since every other vendor here welcomed photos, especially the couple that were selling quilts. Don’t they know that we would recommend a good shop to our friends? To demand money was a mistake. All those around us who heard her, avoided that table.

That reminded us of our first trip to the Amazon River back in the 90’s. We still chuckle when we recall the little kids that posed with a monkey, a chameleon, or a parrot, then asked for one dollar. In that case, we gladly handed them one.

We had not intended to buy anything, except if we saw a pair of beaded earrings to match a necklace we bought a couple of years ago. Styles change, so there were few of these items left. No luck, one of us ended up finding the perfect beaded necklace to match the recently bought sequined jacket from Florida. Part of the fun is the bargaining. Must have hit the right amount, because the vendor walked away as happy as we did.

One other item caught our eye…….a figurine that we have seen mostly in Mexico. It is a wooden skeleton painted white, covered with multi-colored flowers. This one is holding a guitar. We know there is a story behind these figures, and we will research it when we get to Mexico. The creator that made this was asking $150, but in the long run, he was happy to take $30. Where we are going to put it, well, that is another matter. Will worry about it later. In the meantime, we hope our new addition will not scare our room stewards too much. And now that we think about it, we bought it on Friday the 13th.

Surrounding the harbor, is a rock wall that houses many different sizes of iguanas. It’s always fun to search for them under the rocks, and catch a photo when they peek out. By the way, we use two different cameras. One is a waterproof pocket camera, 16 megapixels. The other is the good camera with a 28 – 300 mm. lens. Anyway, there seemed to be fewer of these creatures today, but enough to keep us interested.

We did want to have lunch here, so we made our way to Pez Vela Restaurant, with an open-air patio overlooking the floating pier. They served decent food and cold beer. We ordered cheese nachos with grilled chicken, along with the local beer, Gallo. Perfect. Then we shared a slice of cheesecake, which we remembered to be really good last year. The waiter even cut it into two slices. Nice.

We strolled back to the ship with Barb and Aart, who also spent some time with more friends at the restaurant. They took notice of the side of the ship, where there are obvious scrapes from the canal, we think. Funny, it was not painted over when we were in the last two ports. Hide the evidence, so to speak.

Going up to the aft deck around 5pm, we waited for the sunset around 6pm. It did not disappoint. There was smoke in the sky here like yesterday, so the colors were intense as the sun went down. Sail away began at 6:30pm, although we did not leave the pier until 7pm. The last of the buses came in at the all aboard time of 6pm, then the gangway was lifted back to the bow.

We have two days at sea as we sail towards Puerto Vallarta in Mexico.

At dinner, we found three empty seats, as Martha, Bob, and Ruud joined Aart upstairs. Ellen will be joining in San Diego, having spent some time with family in California and Washington. The seven of us shared stories of the day. Nice, because we all did something different. Bob and Martha should have some good reports on their tour to Tikal.

The entrees continue to be quite good. One of us had the parmesan-crusted veal, and the other ordered oxtails. Both were good. The quality of the food has been consistently good so far. And our waiters have come to know how we all like our food now. Soups are hot-hot-hot. And the ice cream has been firm and way too good.

Bill & Mary Ann

Enjoying your review.

Hi MaryAnn and Bill,

We are enjoying the blog very much. The iguana photos have all been wonderful. We liked the vendor pics from Nicaragua that had the wooden sunflowers. Glad your real ones have sprouted.

We are loving viewing the sunsets from the aft deck. Enjoy!!

Cheers, Denise and Howie, too

Report # 15 Sailing Towards Puerto Vallarta, Mexico January 14, 2017 Saturday Sunny & 82 degrees

Twenty-two……….that’s how many turtles we saw in as many minutes, while standing on deck nine this afternoon. Always on watch for birds and flying fish, or if we are lucky, dolphins, we were surprised to see these dinner plate-size creatures. The ship must have cut through a slew of them, as we sailed not too far off the coast. Glad to know these waters hold a variety of healthy sea life.

The seas were something else this morning. Rough would not be a proper word to describe the explosive eruption when the ship cut through the choppy swells. The mist that came off of the swells drifted over the lower promenade decks, soaking them like rain. It was almost impossible to walk, although we did try. Our best bet was to get back inside through the forward doors, and come back later.

Checking out the Seaview Pool, we found there was not one lounge set up on either side of the pool deck. No point as they may have been blown into the pool. Mostly the smokers were sitting on the starboard side, but under cover. Speaking of smoking, there are only a few spots left for smokers. Veranda guests can still smoke on their balconies, or they can smoke back here at the tables near the Seaview Bar. The casino allows it for those who are actively playing the machines. Lastly, outside the doors from the Crow’s Nest, on deck nine, smoking is still permitted. This is due to change beginning in 2018, we heard. There will be no smoking in any of the rooms, including all verandahs.

Our big job of the day was collecting our passports at the front desk. We will need them for immigration requirements when we land in San Diego. While there, about 85 passengers will be going home, but 87 more will be joining the ship for the world cruise. We have been told by a reliable source, that 900 guests are booked on this world cruise for the entire duration. Impressive numbers.

Hoping to meet with Barb, we went to lunch in the dining room around 12:30pm. Most every day, she is there after playing the game of trivia. She and her team are doing quite well this year (perfect score today). She credits her excellent team mates, but Barb is an expert at this game. Well, today she was not there, but we stayed anyway. We ordered a very tasty crispy egg roll with shredded pork and peanut sauce. Then for entrees, one of us had a pork sandwich, and one of us had a mini-burger and the appetizer. All was good, even though Barb never did make an appearance.

This is a good time to continue with some of the changes we have noted since the beginning of the trip. Once again, if we repeat ourselves, please excuse our loss of memory. Gone are the examples of the plates of daily dinner entrees in the Lido. We would always check out this display to decide what we wanted for dinner. Don’t know why they stopped doing this. Fewer or no decorations are used on gala night in the dining room. Much less laborious for the crew. By the way, the dining room chairs were covered with white covers this evening. Referring to lunch time, there are few pieces of silverware to use at each place setting. All you see now, are a fork, and a knife. No spoon. If you order a soup, for instance, you will get a spoon.

We may have brought this up before, but the “buy-one”, get one for $1. extra is still in operation. Only now, it costs you $2. for that second drink. On Tales of the South Pacific last fall, this offer was only in place for the early diners around 4 to 5pm. Happy to see that it happens again at 6:30pm.

Two NFL playoff games were shown today. However, ever since early this morning, our room TV was on the fritz. Not sure why, but we lost the picture and sound on most of the channels. Reporting it to the front desk girls, we learned that the problem was on the three lower decks. Sure hope it comes back by game time. It did.

Turned out fine, since we were able to watch the first one, followed by the second game at 7:15pm. It sure did look like a great game, but we had to leave at 8pm for the second “gala” dinner. It was a bit nerve-wracking, but we had sent out one tux jacket to be pressed two days ago. It had not been returned this morning, so we hoped it would arrive in time. So far, the laundry service has gotten their deliveries back every other day. Sometimes, the same day. Good thing there is an alternate jacket we brought, a white one, in case the black one is late. It was delivered by our room steward on time, by the way, an hour before dinner at 8pm.

Tonight’s fancy dinner came with a guest……Jessica, the Culinary Arts gal, who wears many hats. She is the one seen every morning, starring with Gene, our CD, on “Coffee with Gene and Jessica” formerly, “Good Morning Amsterdam”. From what we gathered, she is from Australia, and is very sweet, as she reached out to every one of us at the table throughout dinner. We invited her back anytime. Two of our tablemates were absent…..Maureen and Jim. Seems he was under the weather, but hopes to return tomorrow.

There were the usual suspects for starters, such as escargots, shrimps, and fruit cups. A mixed green salad pleased many, as did the offer of two (three most nights) soups. Seems to be one creamy soup, one with a broth, and another, cold soup. French onion is offered every evening as well. Entrees that appealed to us was one with a brie and spinach tart, and the other, a lamb “wellington” of sorts. Both were very good, even better with a dash of white wine, compliments of Miss Jessica. Instead of jello, we ordered the carrot cake, a favorite of ours. The serving size was just right……..conservatively small.

Another end to the day found the folks enjoying the singers and dancers of the Amsterdam perform in the Queens Lounge. Have to admit, they are rather talented. Also nice to see they are still onboard, since someone told us they were gone. Other entertainers onboard now are a team of Mexican Ambassadors, doing live shows of traditional music and dance at the Lido Pool at noontime.

A nice surprise was waiting for us once again in our room. We were gifted with two Crane post card sets, notecards with the HAL design and envelopes…..complete with a pen. Could it be that the world cruise gifts are going back to gala nights, as many of us suggested last year?

Another day at sea will be much appreciated tomorrow.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report # 16 Sailing Towards Puerto Vallarta, Mexico January 15, 2017 Sunday Sunny & 74 degrees

Temperatures dipped somewhat as we sailed further north towards Mexico. Not that we are complaining…………it was most pleasant today.

Sometimes the best part of strolling on the promenade deck comes along when you least expect it. This morning we spotted a few dolphins swimming under the ship. Within seconds, there were dozens swimming deep, then surfing the ship’s wake. In the distance, they began jumping in pairs, then in groups. What a display. Did we have our camera? No, if we did, they would never have appeared. We watched until they disappeared, then never saw any more. That is, until later in the afternoon, when we went out again to see more displays. It has been quite a while since we have seen wildlife in this area, so it is nice to know the population is healthy and growing.

We’re sure glad we were not planning on swimming today at the aft pool. When we got there, we noticed that the water looked awful, green-tinged and rusty-looking. No way would we go near it, but there were two fellows swimming in it. Guess they were color-blind. It wasn’t long before the heavy-duty crew appeared in their wellies (boots) to drain and scrub the pool down with disinfectant. While there, we also witnessed a crew fellow wiping down the teak railings. Oh no, we thought, wonder if the dreaded virus has erupted??? The last few days we have noticed deeper than usual cleaning. We have only been onboard for 11 days, but we suppose it doesn’t take long for a few folks to spread it. Our only defense is to wash our hands, avoid touching public surfaces, and use the sanitizer before eating. Unfortunately, this virus can be spread in the air as well. Pretty difficult not to breathe the air.

Football games kept many folks glued to the Sports Bar and channel 33 in the rooms. After spending some time at the pool, we watched one of the PM games, while eating a very light lunch. The game tied towards the end, so we had to stay until after 7pm to see how it ended.

We were invited to the first of four cocktail parties, hosted by our travel group. For the early diners, they had the first party at 4:30pm. We were told it was wall-to-wall people. Our group numbers well over 200 this year. The later gathering was much smaller. Nice for us because the waiters came by often with full trays of appetizers and many offers to refill our drinks. The small high round tables were set up along the wall of the Explorer’s Lounge. We like that much better than sitting on uncomfortable couches and chairs. That way, you can move around, and visit with more people. Or more people will come by the table. We chatted with a couple we have seen many times in the Cruise Critic meetings, but never had the chance to get to know them. Glad they decided to join us, along with Don, another President’s Club friend. The hour flew by, then our hosts gave a short welcome speech, and we were soon off to dinner.

The theme this evening was Fiesta Mexicana, described as a festive dinner theme of traditional Mexican cuisine with a modern twist. Green-tinted lamps had been installed at the base of every tall column in the lower dining room, giving us the feeling we were sitting among the cacti. Table runners made of paper and green, maroon, and white napkins decorated the tables. Of course, the menu was full of excellent choices. We ordered lamb taquitos with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole. The tortilla soup was hot and tasty. Our entrees of carne asada were really good, with a tortilla, rice, beans, salsa, and tender slices of medium rare steak. Martha and Bob had the biggest poblano chili peppers when they ordered the chili rellanos. By the way, our assistant waiter served us the rolls and the butter. That’s when we knew for sure that the virus had struck. There will be no community shared food….we cannot even pass the rolls now. Darn.

The show this evening was a man by the name of Brad Upton. The only hint of what he does referred to have a laugh on Brad. Our guess, he is a comedian. We did not leave the dining room until late (after ten) so we did not see him.

Back at the room, we found two HAL shopping bags. These have changed since last year’s grand voyage. The size is larger, and the design in the center has changed. At least we got two this time. They weigh next to nothing, and are good for beach towels or grocery shopping.

Tomorrow’s port will be Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, the only stop in Mexico on this cruise.

Bill & Mary Ann

Just marking my place, enjoying tremendously. Bon voyage.

Report #17 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico January 16, 2017 Monday Partly cloudy & 76 degrees Part #1 Of 3 86 Pictures

The first thing that we thought this morning when we went out on the lower promenade deck was how pleasant the breeze was. Come to think of it, we have never been to this part of Mexico during the month of January. April and May were always the months we came here. And believe us, the weather was twice as hot and muggy compared to today. This is going to be a good day for walking.

The country of Mexico is big with a population of 111,212,000 (2012 census). The language is Mexican Spanish, although much English is spoken, especially in the tourist areas of the country. The best times to visit are from October to May, mostly to avoid the extreme temperatures as we stated already. The currency is the Mexican peso, and the exchange rate today was 21.45 pesos to $1 USD.

Our port of call, and the only Mexican port we will visit, was Puerto Vallarta, with a population of 250,000. It was officially founded in 1851 as a fishing village. Now it is a relaxing vacation spot, as well as the destination for the “spring breakers”, college-age kids looking for fun and sun. It certainly has changed since our first visit here back in the early 70’s. The high-rise hotel resorts did not exist on Banderas Bay, nor did the night clubs and high-end jewelry stores. Yep, it has been cleaned up and developed into a safe place for travelers worldwide.

Eighteen tours ranging from $40 to $200 were offered here today. Since we have done many of them, we planned a day of walking and exploring…..with the ultimate reward of going to lunch. Leaving the ship at 10am, we made our way out of the port area, and past the never-ending line of eager taxi drivers vying for our business. They always try to warn us that it is way too far to walk to the downtown area, but we know better.

Actually, we noticed that many more folks were out and about on the main street to town. That has to be due to the weather not being oppressively hot. As for shopping, we were on the lookout for a couple of small items. One was koosies or foam-like drink holders for sodas, water bottles, or beer bottles or cans. They do help insulate the beverages and keep them from sweating in the bag. Halfway to town, we found exactly what we wanted at a tiny souvenir shop. We decided to pick them up on the way back.

Passing many very nice ultramodern 5-star hotels on the ocean side, we eventually ended up at the Malecon in the old part of town. This iconic boardwalk has been re-paved and closed to through traffic. Most of the recommended restaurants are located on this street such as Senor Frog’s, The Blue Shrimp, and Cheeky Monkey, a name we like. A Hard Rock Café was our usual destination, but it is no longer here.

Of course, all of these restaurants are interspersed with ultra-high end jewelry stores, many of them recommended by the ship’s shopping ambassador, Matthew. It is possible to get a good deal in these stores, as long as you know your gemstones and precious metals. A limited guarantee of 30 days applies to purchases made at these certain stores. It is good for repairs or exchanges, we understand.

We witnessed something we have never seen here……..a local fisherman holding court with a bunch of begging pelicans on the beach near the fresh fish market. They stood there at attention, while he taunted the frigates flying overhead, who actually dipped down to snatch fish parts from the man’s hand. Interesting how these normally wild creatures can be trained with food. We did not stick around long enough to see the man solicit tips for those who got great photos of his “show”. One bold pelican invaded the inside of the fish market, begging directly from the butcher, who tossed him tidbits as he cleaned the catch.

The Malecon is also filled with open-air bronze sculptures, created by local artists, some of which are “out of this world”. Even sand art or rock art that they create is a clever way to gather tips from the camera buffs among the tourists. Bet they do pretty well with the numbers of visiting folks we saw today.

One such display that attracts lots of folks is the indigenous Indian pole in the center of town, where a ritual of four swinging natives from the top to the bottom is performed on the top of the hour. These brightly-costumed fellows do this by hanging upside down, secured by ropes hidden under their clothing. The number of revolutions and the timing of the descent symbolizes the calendar, we have read. There is much more to this display, but the exact explanation escapes us right now. Never-the-less, the activity adds to the mystique of Mexico.

Local vendors gather near the central square of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, selling their mostly hand-made souvenirs to passing tourists. Usually seen are dolls made from brightly-colored dried corn husks, pinwheels, little plastic kites with Superman soaring in the breeze, and beaded jewelry. A few elderly ladies can be seen making old-fashioned cloth dolls, sitting next to their display for sale. And of course, you come cross dozens of young men selling silver (or Mexican silver) necklaces, bracelets, and earrings, many set with turquoise stones. They are suspiciously cheap, and might tarnish rapidly, but sure look good for a while. If you are looking for the good stuff, stick to the guaranteed stores.

Finally, we made our way to Rio Cuale, crossing the bridge to Isla Cuale. The restaurant, River Café, is located alongside this river, and is our favorite place to enjoy truly fine Mexican cuisine. It has got to be the best place around here, because it was almost full of guests when we arrived shortly after noon time. Greeted by two lovely ladies dressed in native costumes, we were seated along a railing that gave us a good view of the river. Just as we sat down, friends, Leslie and Handler spotted us yelling “hello”. They were there with their travel group on one of their complimentary tours. Seems that we had the advantage of being a table for two, because we were served immediately.

We ordered from a new menu since we were here last May. Nachos with guacamole and fresh salsa was our shared starter. Naturally, we had Pacifico beers, about $2 each. A can of soda was actually more money. Then we split an order of fajitas – chicken, bell peppers, and onions cooked to perfection in a black skillet and served with three flour tortillas. More guacamole, refried beans, and salsa came with it. Mmm…..good. It was well worth the long walk here.

We took our time walking back along the shoreline of Banderas Bay. That led us back to the Malecon, where we back-tracked taking photos all the way back to the ship. We did make that stop at the little shop to buy the koosies and one small fabric purse with a neck lanyard, big enough to fit a room keycard and a few small items. Guess how much? Try $2. Our big buys of the day were less than $10. While there, we asked the nice vendor about the skeleton art pieces we saw on her shelves. She explained that it symbolizes the Feast of the Dead, or Feast of All Souls on November 2nd. Locals will decorate their relative’s graves with these figurines, then add flowers, grain, or favorite foods that their deceased relative liked when they were alive. Not a sad day, but a day of parties, she said. Now we just have to re-assure our room stewards not to be afraid of our piece of art……….

Coming back to the cruise terminal, we had to go through the security check. The Mexican authorities are quite thorough by checking all bags and purses, zippers opened. Seems that any beverages are suspect, since our guard looked closely at the soda bottles in the purse. He checked every pouch and zipped compartment. Passing inspection, we were both subject to the wand test with arms up before being allowed back to the ship.

There were cages with some macaws nearby. They were making such a racket, we had to check them out. Aggressive, noisy, and dangerous, these birds looked stressed to us. No way would you put your finger anywhere near these cages, or you might lose it.

At the gangway, the waiter in attendance insisted that everyone had to use Purell before getting onboard. A good habit to do anyway, we complied gladly. No doubt about it, the virus has struck the Amsterdam. How bad? We don’t know yet………

Cooled off in the room until sail away at 5:30pm, the all onboard time. Turned out we did not need to cool off, because once we made our way back to the aft deck, it was almost chilly. Clouds had drifted over the area, and it appeared that fog might be on the way. Doubt we would stay back here much beyond the time we left the dock.

Good thing we ran into Bob and Scoop because we did stay longer to chat with them. Right after they went back inside, we spotted at least two whales diving several yards away from the ship. No question they were humpbacks, perhaps a female with her baby. This time we had the good camera, and did snap a few frames catching them before they dove deep. Then we kept a lookout for more, but saw dolphins instead. There were a few tours today where you could see these wonderful creatures, but we have never seen them leaving the bay. Got lucky again.

Dinnertime came quickly as one of us tried to finish down-loading all the photos of the day. Sharing the stories of everyone’s exploits today has been the highlight of our nightly meals. We were the last guests to leave the dining room, missing the show unfortunately. A group by the name of 4ever performed in the Queen’s Lounge. Advertised as 4 voices to bring you on a trip through music in different languages sounded intriguing. Perhaps they will be on stage again.

Oh yes……the clocks went back one hour tonight….good news. Two days at sea, and we will be back in the good old USA in San Diego.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report # 18 Sailing Towards San Diego, California January 17, 2017 Tuesday Sunny & 77 degrees 42 Pictures

A day at sea was just what we needed today. No rush to go off anywhere, except to make it to the dining room for breakfast on time. Our waiters are incredible in the morning. No kidding, we have our orange juice, water, coffee, yogurt, and fresh fruit within minutes without ordering it. No need….they know what we like. We do switch up our entrees every day, trying to sample everything on the menu. We have finally figured out how to order bacon that is not over-done. The waiters suggested to ask for “soft” as opposed to crisp. It comes exactly right. We have been striving to order bacon this way at home at one of our favorite restaurants when we meet friends Don and Alene almost every Saturday.

While we were in the dining room, we noticed how close to shore the ship had gotten. It came as a surprise to all of us that the Amsterdam was sailing past Cabo San Lucas, one of our favorite ports in Mexico. What a tease……sure wish we would have stopped here. (We will stop on the way back after the world cruise.) Adding to the view, we spotted blows from whales. Hurrying out of the dining room, we grabbed the camera and got some photos as we slowly sailed past Los Arcos, the iconic coral formations by the marina entrance to Cabo. As we sailed up the coastline, we noticed many fishing boats and also whale-watching boats. Several dolphins performed for us as well. They were much closer to the ship, so we got some shots of them. The few whales we saw were skimming the surface, blowing out their spouts occasionally. Definitely humpbacks.

By the way, the weather cooled significantly today. Even though the predicted temperature was 77 degrees, that may have been in a protected area out of the wind. We did spend a little time by the back pool, absorbing what little heat there was in the sun. Many of the regulars were wrapped up like mummies in a half dozen towels.

We figured it would be a good time to join Barb in the dining room for lunch. She usually arrives right after trivia, so we secured our table and waited. She did arrive with friend Aart in tow. Ellen will be joining the ship in San Diego, so many of us, especially Barb, have been keeping Aart busy since Florida. We were about the last to leave the room after enjoying a nice lunch.

Every passenger on the ship received a letter concerning the US Border Protection Inspection in San Diego in two days. We are glad the staff is stressing the importance of attending this mandatory inspection. All non US citizens will be inspected onboard the ship, beginning after 7am. Once they are cleared (we understand there are about 250 of them), the rest of us will need to leave the ship, and also be inspected. There was a statement saying that all USA residents will need to bring their passports and their ARC card. What in the world does that mean? We had been given “in transit” slips, but have no idea what the ARC card is. Calling the front desk was no help, as they said just to ignore that, and bring your room key and a picture ID. It wasn’t until dinnertime tonight, that Bob knew the initials ARC stood for Alien Resident Card. Whaaaaat? No wonder they said to ignore that request. Anyway, we shall see how smoothly this check point will go. Not once have we ever left the ship on time in San Diego, as there are always a few folks that do not appear at their designated time. Delays can mean missed flights, so we take this seriously. Since only a small amount of passengers are disembarking, it should be easy.

We spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on computer work and news in our room. Going up to deck nine to watch the sunset, really woke us up. It was downright cold outside. Of course, it is winter time in California, so we can expect cooler weather. Actually we have been notified that we can expect rain in San Diego on Thursday by Konnie and Dell, who sailed on last year’s world cruise and more. ( We miss seeing your decorated door, by the way.)

Some new items have been popping up on the dinner menu such as pork bellies and maple coated turkey breast with sweet mashed potatoes. The ship got a delivery of fresh mahi mahi yesterday, so the special was the fish entrée. The waiters are still in full service mode, although we have not heard any more about the state of the virus onboard. Deep-cleaning can be seen everywhere on the ship.

The clocks went back one hour again this evening. You know, you don’t always gain the extra hour by sleeping late. You get conditioned to your body clock, and adding an extra hour in the day can be tiring at the end of the day. Now we will do this two days in a row.

One more day at sea, and for us, we will be close to home.

Bill & Mary Ann

PS Denise and Howard…..we’re saving your spot at the Seaview Pool in April!

Yay! Thanks! Everything is in place. Flight and hotel both booked. We just have to wait a few months.

Enjoying the blog and photos very much. You left California just in time. We have had serious rain as I am sure you know. Looking forward to our Mexican Riviera cruise next week.

Cheers and bundle up,

Denise and Howard too

Re maple coated turkey with sweet mashed potatoes -

The major food differences I notice between US and Australian food is the sweetness of US food against the saltiness of ours. In addition, I think our spicy food is often spicier. One of my favourite meals on board ship was at a special "Indian Night", on a British ship.

Report # 19 Sailing Towards San Diego, California January 18, 2017 Wednesday Partly cloudy & 66 degrees

We kept an eye out for any signs of sea life during our morning walk, but today, as we sail along the coastline of Baja California, we saw nothing. No birds, no flying fish, and absolutely no dolphins or whales. Figuring that the temperature of the water is increasingly getting colder the further north we travel, we are leaving the sightings behind us for a while. Our next treat should be seeing the sea lions in San Diego’s harbor, resting on the buoys.

It sure got chilly since yesterday, although the skies were clear and sunny. Starting to feel like California in the winter time. It has been many years since we have been in southern California this time of year. Our stops in May are far different.

During his afternoon talk, Captain Jonathon warned everyone to be sure to stash our breakables after we leave the San Diego area tomorrow. He explained that due to a storm that is tracking from the northwest, they are predicting deep ocean swells of up to 20 feet. That is significant enough for the Captain to take the Amsterdam due south, instead of a gradual descent towards the Hawaiian Islands. He hopes to avoid the worst of the rough seas headed our way. Sure hope he is successful. You would be surprised the number of true “sailors”, or passengers who actually look forward to the ship rocking and rolling. We keep reminding ourselves that nothing can compare to the 55 foot seas we weathered on our way to Russia via Dutch Harbor in 2002. Never do we wish to repeat that experience.

Before it was time for a dining room lunch, we relaxed for a short time at the aft deck. As long as we kept on sweatshirts, the sun was most welcomed. The only good spot on the lower promenade deck was far aft, where the sun-lovers squeezed lounges in that sheltered area. They hold their territory by leaving bags or books, which is fine, as long as they don’t go away for hours. The new rule-of-thumb for leaving items on the pool lounges is 30 minutes. If you do not return by then, everything will be removed (noted in the orange welcome book). So far, we have taken note that this is being enforced at the Seaview Pool.

We shared a table with Barb and friend Aart for another leisurely lunch. By far quieter than dinner, we have had quality conversations where we can all hear each other talking. We like the choices on the lunch menu here. Appetizers of almond chicken tenders were delicious with a honey mustard sauce. Could make a meal of these. Three of us ordered the chicken sandwich with avocado. Seems that tons of the green avocados were taken onboard in Mexico. Bet they will be serving lots of guacamole. Soon, we hope.

The skies increasing became cloudy….dark grey clouds. Rain is on the forecast for tomorrow, but according to the Captain, it will be in the late afternoon. Again, we hope he is correct. Too many clouds for a good sunset, we opted to go to the Ocean Bar to listen to the band play during happy hour. Between the drink special and the dancing, there was a good crowd in there. Our friend Bob strolled by and stopped to chat. He will be going back to Boston on Friday, and he will be missed. His wife, Martha, will remain onboard for the rest of the cruise, as she often does. So we said goodbye until next year, when he plans to join the ship on the African portion.

Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill at 8pm. We had requested a table by the window, but they were all occupied, even though we arrived on time. Perhaps they are not guaranteeing specific seating anymore, which might be another change. Our meal was excellent as always. Most of the waiters and waitresses were new faces for us. Shiv, the head of housekeeping, mentioned that several crew members were leaving tomorrow, and an equal amount will be joining the ship. When their 10 month contract is completed, they have to go home for their vacation break.

Speaking of changes, this might be as good of time as any to add a few more observations. A daily newsletter will not be delivered to anyone’s stateroom anymore. No exceptions. They can be picked up at the front desk, Explorations Café, or at the dining room entrance. Our main objection to this is we have seen many folks read the paper, then put it back in the mix for another person to read. What’s the problem with that, you may ask? Usually nothing, but with a virus spreading like wildfire, that is a good way to pick it up.

In an effort to save paper, you can no longer get the tour booklets at the shore excursion desk. We did have them mailed to us last fall, but if you failed to bring it with you, going online is your other option.

Last time we were here, there was a new machine where you could get a copy of your stateroom account. All you needed to do was scan your room card, and the copy was printed. Great idea, since you did not have to wait in line at the desk to do this. Unfortunately, something happened to the machine, and it is gone now.

The room keycards have a new look. We think there are three different colors on one end of the card. Deck seven has orange, the rest of the guests have blue, and President’s Club has silver. If there are other shades, we have not seen them yet.

So far, we have not gotten the personalized stationary, envelopes, 2018 world cruise postcards, or the HAL pens. We do seem to recall that we filled out the form requesting how we wish our names to be printed last fall. Perhaps they lost the boxes that held all of this material. We did, however, get a small notepad, about the size of sticky notes, and one HAL pen. Better than nothing. We had always saved the goodnight cards to use for notes for our room stewards. But these cards are gone too, with the exception that nights we change the clocks, we get that reminder. More reports of “changes” to come soon.

Rain or shine, we look forward to enjoying the port of San Diego tomorrow.

Bill & Mary Ann

Looks like you had a nice day in San Diego. Again, thanks for the reports.

We enjoy them over our coffee daily.

Report #20 San Diego, California January 19, 2017 Thursday Chance of rain & 63 degrees Part #1 Of 3 86 Pictures

Rain and wind greeted us as the Amsterdam slipped into the San Diego Bay very early this morning. Of course, it is winter time, and this weather is typical this time of year. We have been spoiled since almost every visit here has been warm and sunny. We do need the rain in our state, so we cannot complain.

But before anyone could get off the ship today, there was mandatory inspection with the US Border Protection officials. Starting shortly after 7am, all non-US guests had to be seen in the Explorer’s Lounge to be cleared. There were about 250 persons attending this earlier inspection. This process was completed by 9am. This is the first time in a long time that people complied with the instructions. Kudos to those behind the scenes to make these instructions for the passengers detailed and understandable.

While we were eating breakfast in the dining room (7 to 9am), the crew members were also circulating through the inspection. Finally, those guests that were disembarking today (about 87 of them) were called off, followed by the five tour groups. The remainder of us were allowed to leave the ship any time after that. We were required to bring our passports, room key, and an ID, such as a driver’s license. These were checked on or way out of the terminal.

We had also been given an “in transit” pass to use on our way back to the ship later on. But since we were the only ship docked today, we really did not need it. Another thing we did not need to show again were our passports.

Here’s a little info on the USA. The capital is Washington DC, and the population is 307,213,000 or more. The main language is English, but dozens of other languages can be heard depending on where you go in the 50 states. Speaking of states, New York City locals consider it the center of the universe. While in California, they boast having the world’s 8th largest economy, as well as boundless beauty. Looking for wine? You will surely find the best in the valleys of our state. And where else can you find a city like Las Vegas, lit with one billion lights? Or experience the charm of New Orleans, and the stunning autumn leaves in New England? Ever seen the Grand Canyon? A big “wow”. Seeing the “real” Disneyland, or Hollywood with music, films, and fashion industries can be a thrill.

Trademarks of the US are cheeseburgers, red, white, and blue everything, oversized cars, food portions, and people. Coming in behind that, are the national parks, guns, Hollywood, and vast open spaces. Are we proud to be Americans? You betcha!

By 10am, the skies began to get brighter, and the rain actually let up. Is it possible that we might have a nice, dry day? Bringing the umbrellas would certainly guarantee the rain would stop. Guess what? It worked. The sky turned blue and the sun came out. There was a strong breeze, but it was not that cold.

The good news of the day was finding out there was a free bus that would take us to Westfield’s Horton Plaza from the pier. This is a first for us in this port. It ran from 9:30am to 3:30pm. Big help for the folks that planned on picking up some supplies they may have forgotten on this long trip. We had a list for things to buy too. The next chance will be in Hilo, Hawaii, where there should be a bus that will take people to Walmart.

Since it was not raining, we decided to skip the bus, and do our usual walk towards the USS Midway, used during WWII. Following the harbor, we went through Seaport Village with over 50 shops and galleries. There are 17 eateries here, although, we were here fairly early, and little was open yet.

There is a series of yacht harbors and marinas here, filled with fabulous vessels of all sizes. Some of them must cost millions. There are ferries here that will take you to Coronado Island, with beaches, gardens, mansions, and shopping. The iconic and historic Hotel del Coronado is located here. Many years ago, we met with friends and had lunch there.

We passed by the Convention Center before arriving to the Hilton Hotel. Going through their lobby, we made our way across the foot bridge that passes over Harbor Drive. That brought us to Petco Park, where we always have seen baseball practice happening. Today, the field was covered with mounds of sand for what looked like a demolition derby.

We found the street that took us into the Gaslamp Quarter Historic District, a 16 ½ block of historical neighborhood downtown. This area dates back to 1850, and is filled with buildings from that era. These days, it is filled with shopping, dining, and entertainment facilities. We did make a quick stop at Cost Plus to look for a new wall clock. They did have some really cool ones at terrific ½ off prices, but they weighed too much to hang them off of the sticky hooks in our room.

Lunch was next on the itinerary. We always go to the Hard Rock Café, across the street from Westfield’s Horton Plaza. A new item on the menu was a Heineken Burger, made with shaved beef brisket cooked in beer, then soaked with BBQ sauce. We split it along with a generous portion of French fries. The bartender recognized us from last October, mostly due to the fact one of us always wears a HRC t-shirt from another café from other countries. This popular restaurant filled up with customers by the time we left at 1pm.

A little shopping was in order, and the best place for that was at Horton Plaza. We zipped around the multi-level mall, then ended up at CVS, where we found all that we needed. Except a new wall clock. We’ll have better luck with that in Hilo.

We could have gone back to the ship on the complimentary bus, but we chose to hike back downhill. Although rain threatened, it stayed away for the rest of the afternoon. How lucky was that? In hindsight, we could have worn shorts today, but we opted to wear long jeans in case it did rain. You know that if we wore shorts, it would have been rainy and cold.

Across from the Star of India on the dockside, a new Claim Jumper opened up last fall. We have one where we live, and they serve the best house salads ever. Keep that in mind the next time we visit here. Built on hotel grounds, this restaurant is among one of the first CJ’s that offers breakfast daily.

Back at the security gate, we found we did not have to show our passport to anyone, just our room key and ID. Usually, we do not like keeping our passports with us onshore, but there was no choice today. Wonder if we will do the same thing in Hawaii, since we will still be in the USA.

At 4pm, there was a call for the emergency muster drill, but only for the newly embarked guests. Good for us, as we are experts at this drill. Shortly afterwards, the sail away was held in the Lido Pool area. This time, there was no champagne celebration like we experienced when we left Ft. Lauderdale. We understand that the 87 new guests had been invited to the Crow’s Nest for a private champagne welcome onboard earlier in the afternoon.

It was quite chilly and windy at the aft deck before the lines were dropped. Therefore, few folks braved the cold. The sun was going down rapidly, and we knew once it was gone, we also would be gone. Just as we considering leaving, up popped good friends Bill & Leta, who joined the ship today. So good to see them as we caught up on news since we last saw them in October. We met up with them while on the Tales of the South Pacific. They spend one month in Honolulu every October, and we all went out to dinner on our overnight stay.

Sadly, we were one man missing at dinnertime. Bob had left the ship this morning, and will be flying home tomorrow. He will be missed, but knowing Martha, who stayed on, she will try to fill his seat with cruise friends occasionally. Our entrees of prime rib were excellent. The meat was tender and tasty. For some reason, prime rib has been served on almost every start of a segment.

The entertainers this evening were the Lomax Brothers, performing side-by-side with piano duos. Recall they were also onboard last year…..good show.

Captain Jonathon mentioned a few times today that he will be taking the ship due south to avoid deep swells on our way from the northwest storms. He was right on when we began experiencing deep swells as we left the San Diego harbor. A sign that they expected some high seas was the pool lounges all stashed and lashed securely on the aft deck.. All of the chair pads went stored away on the promenade deck, with signs going up to warn of high winds and dangerous walking conditions.

After dinner, back at our room, we found a card from the laundry department telling us not to plan on a quick turn-around with our laundry requests. We can expect a three day delay in getting our laundry back, due to too many requests to the available laundry equipment. Reading between the lines, we interpret that to say, there may be fewer crew members working in the laundry department, but that is only a guess on our part.

We now face five days at sea on our way to Hawaii…….sure hope it is smooth and warmer.

Bill & Mary Ann

Love this! Say hi to the other Leta!

Just a note.. can you post now and again your blog site where we Can see your pictures?

You have been to some ports where we have been and wished we had gone father in exploring. But for quatamela my dh got a hair cut for 3$. Super bargain.

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Report # 21 Sailing Towards Hilo, Hawaii January 20, 2017 Friday Cloudy & 667 degrees

The Amsterdam is now headed on a five day trek towards Hawaii, and to say it is smooth sailing would be quite incorrect. Quite the contrary. Since early evening, we began to experience deep swells, even though Captain Jonathon has taken the ship due south to try to avoid the movement. It’s not so bad if one is sitting or sleeping. It is actually soothing. However, it is a far different story trying to walk or take the stairs. Walking outside, like we did this morning after breakfast, we had to be careful of every step. Today, Gene, our cruise director, began a new Grand Dollar Activity at 10:30am. He has re-instated the walk a mile for dollars, something that ceased to happen several years ago. We heard that you can earn three dollars for walking the 3 ½ laps. Good incentive for folks that would normally be couch potatoes. Despite the rough conditions, at least 35 people did the walk, so we are glad to see this activity back. By the way, these DAM dollars , as they used to be called, can be turned in for some good and useful items.

A new group of Hawaiian Ambassadors have joined the ship, replacing the group from Mexico. They will be teaching hula, and possibly have ukulele classes, like we had on the Tales of the South Pacific. Gets all in the mood for tropical palm trees and umbrella drinks.

Although we did not go to the promised sail away reception in the Lido Pool area at 4:30pm yesterday, we assumed it was a rerun of the party we had when we left Ft. Lauderdale. At that time, we were served an abundance of champagne, wine, or mimosas. Elegant appetizers were passed around to the guests, while the officers and staff member circulated throughout the crowds. Guess this did not happen, because this afternoon, we received a letter of apology and an explanation that the affair was not done due to safety-related reasons. Some passengers are obviously closely watching the itinerary information that we received prior to the cruise. As we had brought that booklet with us, we looked it up, and they were correct. An identical party was supposed to happen again in San Diego, even though only 87 new guests boarded. Now, this complimentary party has been rescheduled for our departure from Hilo on January 25th. And some folks will hold them to it………

Lunch for us was in the dining room with Barb. We had the best entrée of ginger pork served on a bed of rice. We noticed that the bread and butter has returned to the tables for all to share. Perhaps we are out of the woods in regards to the bad virus. Sure hope so, as full service is a lot of work for the waiters.

We spent some of the afternoon watching the events tied to the Presidential inauguration today. Glad we have access to watch this historical event. What an exhausting day for those involved. In between events, we walked on the almost empty promenade deck, passing by the warning signs on the windows of the exit doors. We have seen it much worse outside, although we remained careful.

There was a surprise for us this evening……..Henk M, our hotel director, joined us all for dinner tonight. Except for Barb, who was celebrating a birthday for one of her buddies. Recently he had promised to address our growing list of changes we have noticed since boarding. With this cruise beginning, Henk has had his hands full with many other details, so we hesitated to drop off this list just yet. On the contrary, he feels it will give him a chance to put things as right as he can.

Henk kindly supplied the wines, and opened the door for many more questions concerning this cruise so far. We got on the subject of the disembarking procedures yesterday, and how much better it worked compared to other stops here. Of course, it was not the end of the cruise, so with only a small amount of passengers leaving and arriving, it was much simpler. Another subject came up involving the dry docking of the Amsterdam in 2018. Henk indicted that among other things, continued re-modeling will happen on decks six and seven. Specifically, updating bathrooms and room amenities, like newer TV’s and furnishings. Sure wish this could be extended to the rest of the passenger decks, since they are in need of updating big time, in our opinion. As always, there is a lack of time and money to do a thorough job. Once again, the time flew and we were the last to leave the dining room.

The ship continued to roll into the late evening. Guess it could be worse. Henk mentioned that some guests were so concerned about the rough seas, that they left the ship in San Diego, and will be flying to Honolulu in six days to re-join the cruise. Now that’s what we call extreme measures. A funny thing happened in the elevator last night. After dinner, we were on our way back to our room on deck one, when an elderly gentleman joined us to get off on deck two. He remarked that the more you “pay”, the more you “sway”…….referring to the fact that the lower decks are the best place to be on a rocking and rolling ship. We agree.

Bill & Mary Ann

Following and loving it.

At some point DW and I plan to expand our cruise horizons.

One question I have always had is how one maintains the ongoing expenses of routine things such as paying utilities and mortgages and maintaining property while on the cruise.

Would love to get feedback from you experienced mariners.

FMI have you had a crew show yet? That was one experience I really enjoyed on HAL.

Here's to smooth sailing.

Thank you so much for posting your experiences; each day I look forward to your post. I hope to see a World Cruise in my near future, and I am learning much from you.

If the occasion should rise, I would very much appreciate any info forthcoming concerning the prospect of another Grand Asia voyage by the Amsterdam in 2018.

Thanks again

Report # 22 Sailing Towards Hilo, Hawaii January 21, 2017 Saturday Partly cloudy & 71 degrees 5 Pictures

The day began with the most brilliant orange sky we have not seen for ages. This time we will get it right: red sky in the morning, sailor take warning. Well, despite that old saying, nothing bad developed like a rain storm today. In fact, it was mostly sunny and warm until around 2pm, when some clouds took that comfortable sun away.

We heard that arts and crafts is in full swing now, that their supplies were found after two weeks of being lost in storage somewhere. In fact, Henk, our cruise director, mentioned last night that many boxes of supplies were shipped by accident to Osaka. Oops……wonder what they were thinking?

Other classes include watercolors, taught by Carol, who is quite talented according to her devoted students. Dance instructors Kirsten and Alex taught the triple step jive/swing to the more active of the passengers. A new guest chef, Denise, began her demos in the Culinary Center, while Hawaiian Kealoha attempted to teach basic ukulele lessons in the Crow’s Nest. There is the digital workshop with many various activities happening daily. We feel that a day will come when these fun activities will come with an additional charge. You may laugh at that, but we have heard that some cruise lines charge now for a better quality steak to be served at their assigned dinner table.

We spent a better part of the day at the aft pool, soaking in as much sun as we could. It has been several days now that it has been too cold to do this. Of course, the last couple of days since leaving San Diego, all of the lounges have been stacked and lashed under the overhang at the Seaview Pool. It was back to normal today, with the pool being clean, and the lounges out, complete with towels.

Bill & Leta, as well as Barb, came over to visit for an hour. We have the best time with them….lots of laughs.

Lunch was late for us around 3pm in our room. Normally we would not have dessert for lunch, but Barb had saved some carrot cake from the party last night, and brought it to us wrapped in a swan foil basket. We shared it after enjoying Caesar salad and sandwiches. That kind of filled us up for the rest of the day.

Around 4pm, we took a walk to the Ocean Bar to listen to the band play. Scoop, our tablemate, sat for a while, and visited. He was a bit under the weather, with a possible cold coming on. Funny thing, the same thing was happening to one of us. Henk M mentioned that the virus going around the ship was more of a cold virus, not a stomach problem. So no matter how many times you wash your hands and use Purell, this virus is air-born….hard to avoid.

Tonight was another gala evening with no particular theme. The menu had some good entrees, but nothing really appealed to us. So we ended up not going to dinner. Having run out of time to call Barb, we snuck up to deck five, and informed Philip that we would not be at the table this evening. He instantly offered to call room service to send a proper meal to us, but we declined. At least he could tell our waiters and the group, and they would not be waiting for our arrival.

Good thing we turn the clocks back one hour tonight, because the extra sleep will be beneficial. There was a reminder card left on the bed so we did not forget. We also had mail in our slot, outlining the special events for the Pinnacle Grill Restaurant for the remainder of this cruise. Great idea, since in the past, these special evenings are only advertised two days ahead of time. Yes, most of these evenings were listed in the pre-cruise booklet we got, but many of the dates had been changed or eliminated.

Two other items were advertised on this notice…….the introduction of fresh fish specials at the Pinnacle Grill (to be announced), and the addition of Tamarind Pan-Asian select menu items on their regular menu. We have never sailed on the Signature or Pinnacle class ships, but we do know friends that love the Tamarind alternate restaurant, a change from the usual fare.

We thought that there was an effort to reduce the use of paper onboard, but we still got two ads for acupuncture treatments in the Greenhouse Spa, and another flyer for an upcoming opal presentation. Some folks might be interested, but we are not.

Captain Jonathon mentioned that we have gone as far south as we can. Now he has to head in a westerly direction. The swells continued all day, but not all as bad as we thought they would be. It is possible that we have escaped the worst of the weather that has affected the west coast of the US.

Bill & Mary Ann

PS We were surprised when a new tower fan was brought to our room to be exchanged with the older one we had. The new one even has a remote control with an alternate night light. It is the next best thing to opening a window.

Report # 22 Sailing Towards Hilo, Hawaii January 21, 2017 Saturday Partly cloudy & 71 degrees 5 Pictures

 

 

 

The day began with the most brilliant orange sky we have not seen for ages. This time we will get it right: red sky in the morning, sailor take warning. Well, despite that old saying, nothing bad developed like a rain storm today. In fact, it was mostly sunny and warm until around 2pm, when some clouds took that comfortable sun away.

 

 

 

We heard that arts and crafts is in full swing now, that their supplies were found after two weeks of being lost in storage somewhere. In fact, Henk, our cruise director, mentioned last night that many boxes of supplies were shipped by accident to Osaka. Oops……wonder what they were thinking?

 

 

 

Other classes include watercolors, taught by Carol, who is quite talented according to her devoted students. Dance instructors Kirsten and Alex taught the triple step jive/swing to the more active of the passengers. A new guest chef, Denise, began her demos in the Culinary Center, while Hawaiian Kealoha attempted to teach basic ukulele lessons in the Crow’s Nest. There is the digital workshop with many various activities happening daily. We feel that a day will come when these fun activities will come with an additional charge. You may laugh at that, but we have heard that some cruise lines charge now for a better quality steak to be served at their assigned dinner table.

 

 

 

We spent a better part of the day at the aft pool, soaking in as much sun as we could. It has been several days now that it has been too cold to do this. Of course, the last couple of days since leaving San Diego, all of the lounges have been stacked and lashed under the overhang at the Seaview Pool. It was back to normal today, with the pool being clean, and the lounges out, complete with towels.

 

 

 

Bill & Leta, as well as Barb, came over to visit for an hour. We have the best time with them….lots of laughs.

 

 

 

Lunch was late for us around 3pm in our room. Normally we would not have dessert for lunch, but Barb had saved some carrot cake from the party last night, and brought it to us wrapped in a swan foil basket. We shared it after enjoying Caesar salad and sandwiches. That kind of filled us up for the rest of the day.

 

 

 

Around 4pm, we took a walk to the Ocean Bar to listen to the band play. Scoop, our tablemate, sat for a while, and visited. He was a bit under the weather, with a possible cold coming on. Funny thing, the same thing was happening to one of us. Henk M mentioned that the virus going around the ship was more of a cold virus, not a stomach problem. So no matter how many times you wash your hands and use Purell, this virus is air-born….hard to avoid.

 

 

 

Tonight was another gala evening with no particular theme. The menu had some good entrees, but nothing really appealed to us. So we ended up not going to dinner. Having run out of time to call Barb, we snuck up to deck five, and informed Philip that we would not be at the table this evening. He instantly offered to call room service to send a proper meal to us, but we declined. At least he could tell our waiters and the group, and they would not be waiting for our arrival.

 

 

 

Good thing we turn the clocks back one hour tonight, because the extra sleep will be beneficial. There was a reminder card left on the bed so we did not forget. We also had mail in our slot, outlining the special events for the Pinnacle Grill Restaurant for the remainder of this cruise. Great idea, since in the past, these special evenings are only advertised two days ahead of time. Yes, most of these evenings were listed in the pre-cruise booklet we got, but many of the dates had been changed or eliminated.

 

 

 

Two other items were advertised on this notice…….the introduction of fresh fish specials at the Pinnacle Grill (to be announced), and the addition of Tamarind Pan-Asian select menu items on their regular menu. We have never sailed on the Signature or Pinnacle class ships, but we do know friends that love the Tamarind alternate restaurant, a change from the usual fare.

 

 

 

We thought that there was an effort to reduce the use of paper onboard, but we still got two ads for acupuncture treatments in the Greenhouse Spa, and another flyer for an upcoming opal presentation. Some folks might be interested, but we are not.

 

 

 

Captain Jonathon mentioned that we have gone as far south as we can. Now he has to head in a westerly direction. The swells continued all day, but not all as bad as we thought they would be. It is possible that we have escaped the worst of the weather that has affected the west coast of the US.

 

 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

PS We were surprised when a new tower fan was brought to our room to be exchanged with the older one we had. The new one even has a remote control with an alternate night light. It is the next best thing to opening a window.

How do you get a tower fan? Also we will be on the Amsterdam for the Grand Asia. We noticed you shared she will be going to dry dock next year. Do you see a lot of wear and tear? We were worried about her condition for our long 80 day cruise.

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Report # 23 Sailing Towards Hilo, Hawaii January 22, 2017 Sunday Mostly sunny & 71 degrees

“Mostly sunny” was not exactly what we could expect today. More like cloudy, overcast, windy, and rough and rolling seas. Just when we thought the ship’s movement was getting better, the listing became more pronounced. It could be worse, had we stayed on the chartered course that was originally set for the Amsterdam. Captain Jonathon wisely has amended our journey in order to escape the worst of the deep swells, and we thank him for that.

The condition of the seas should have been taken into consideration with the new Grand Dollar activity: Marathon to Hawaii held at 6:30am. It is a super good idea that has brought out many crew and passengers for the challenge. However, this morning we heard reports that some eager-beavers are racing around the slower-going folks, making the walk dangerous. It can be an accident waiting to happen, and it did. Rounding the corner, one man lost his footing and went right into the wall, hitting his head. He will be sporting a welt for sure. This is not supposed to be a race, so some monitoring will be needed. Gosh, what some people will do for Grand Dollars is remarkable. As for us, we always participated in the “Walk a Mile” hike on AM and PM sea days, which was discontinued several years ago. We got $1 Dam Dollar for each mile. The most fun we had was watching some guests that came out one door, collected the dollar, and ducked back inside the next door. At that time, we saved enough dollars to get rather nice zippered HAL sweatshirts at the end of the world cruise. Now the prizes are more in the electronic category, we have been told.

Since the weather was not the greatest for being outside, it was a perfect day for football. Both the morning and afternoon games were shown on TV in the Sports Bar and also on channel 33 in our rooms. For all the dedicated fans, and even those who are not, they can look forward to the Falcons and Patriots game on Super Bowl Sunday in a few weeks. As long as we have a good connection, the game will be televised in the Queen’s Lounge along with special food and drinks. Always a fun day.

We tried the brunch/lunch in the dining room around 12:30pm. The menu offers many breakfast entrees, and an equal amount of lunch choices. We noticed there were no sandwiches on this menu. So we ordered the soup (always good and hot), and one breaded pork filet with marinara sauce and mashed potatoes, and one quiche with rice. Splitting one key lime pie was perfect. Since the beginning of this cruise, we have become acquainted with a nice couple we recognized from previous trips. Now they occasionally share some special-made treats with us. Today’s treat were butter cookies with white chocolate bits. Hard to resist.

Good time for a walk to burn off the cookie calories. Guess what we saw? Three albatrosses gliding over the turbulent wake the ship was leaving behind. Sailor’s fables say that sightings of albatrosses are good luck for us to see, as they are supposed to guide us through the seas safely. Speaking of fables, Captain Jonathon announced today that he has been requested to continue his “idioms” or sea-related terms that have made their way into history……ancient and modern-day. Even though some may be repeats, we always look forward to hearing them.

After completing our PM walk, we found a response letter from hotel director, Henk. He had requested our growing list of changes we have noticed since day one, January 4th. He had taken the time to address each and every statement, putting it in writing. Most were explained with fleet-wide changes, or somethings they are working on. Bottom line: continued discussions will be defining the “grand” in the grand voyages, and how can the company keep them a step above all of their other cruises. We are in favor of that.

While we are on the subject, here are a couple more changes we have noticed. Think we mentioned the new pads that are on the teak lounges on the lower promenade deck. Although the blue/grey more solid color may show soil sooner than the dark-striped pattern, they are a welcomed addition. However, on past cruises, they were gathered every evening, stacked, and stored in a large closet in the forward area. This has not happened daily, but occasionally. The teak deck scrubbing seems to be less often as well. Henk M thanked us for this observation, and promised to check into it.

Access to much more detailed daily activities by utilizing the free HAL internet page, the ”Mobile Navigator”, works now on all mobile devices, tablets, or laptops. Not exactly new, it is helpful to those who have cell phones. Guess the fact that we do not own one, is our problem. We do appreciate the fact that we can check our shipboard account on our laptop, without having to stand in line at the front desk. You can still get a copy of your shipboard account at the desk. And the crew there still does it with a smile.

One very controversial subject is the small amount of dance hosts…….down in half from the six or seven fellows that are normally onboard. Rumors have been flying that this world cruise will be the last time they will be provided for the ladies (single or not) at happy hour and dance classes. This is not set in stone as of yet. Perhaps the “grand” voyages will still have hosts? TBA as it is a company brand decision.

We learned at dinner tonight that five of us were missing-in-action last night. Three out of five came down with the same head cold. It has been circulating since day one, making it’s rounds through the crew and guests as well. Could be worse, as it is not the dreaded Noro virus. Originally, we had planned our second evening in the Pinnacle Grill, but opted for the comfort food of turkey and salisbary steak (really hamburger). Denali brownie cake and green jello finished the meal just fine. Poor Ruud, he is still absent, so he must not be feeling well.

The singers and dancers of the Amsterdam performed Take A Bow on stage tonight. A miracle, since the rest of us are walking around like drunken sailors getting from point A to point B.

Two more days at sea, and we will be in Hilo, Hawaii. Sure hope the weather improves when we arrive. Reports of heavy rain, mudslides, and several feet of snow in the Sierras keep us from complaining.

Bill & Mary Ann

Steady as she goes I hope.

I was wondering if the pricing for the WC has changed much over the past few years.

From reading your blog I know the cut-backs have been happening for some time now, even on the WC, so is there any correlation between pricing and the cutbacks?

Fantastic blog and I enjoy the photos, too. Good work and much appreciated.

Sounds as if you have been rocking and rolling...we just spent 2 weeks experiencing the record snow in the Sierras of CA...Trade you! We are enjoying your blog and especially like hearing about all the changes HAL is introducing. Enjoy your cruise

Report # 24 Sailing Towards Hilo, Hawaii January 23, 2017 Monday Partly cloudy & 72 degrees 15 Pictures

Day four at sea found us still rolling with the swells, although not quite as bad as yesterday. The chill in the breeze is about gone as we near the Hawaiian Islands. The skies have remained mostly cloudy, with a few breaks of sun shining through the morning. We feel it necessary to keep outside and breathe some fresh air, since more and more folks we know are coming down with the Amsterdam cold. Happens every year, so it should not come as a surprise.

Turned out to be a good afternoon to relax in the dining room for a pleasant lunch. They offer a different type of burger every day in here, along with other good entrees. However, they will customize the burgers with your preference of cheese, or fried onions, lettuce and tomatoes. The fries that are served on the side are always hot and crispy. So far, we have yet to try the Dive In Grill, mostly because of the long wait, and we really don’t care for the double-dipped fries…..a bit on the greasy side for us.

In between walks, we watched a couple of good movies. Sometimes, we don’t remember the titles, so a quarter way through them, we realize we saw it. If they are good, we watch them again. The same thing happens with books. The library onboard is still well-stocked, even though so many folks read their tablets these days. We still like the real book.

Sitting on the outside of the Ocean Bar around 4pm, we end up seeing more people we know, mostly on their way to early-seating dinner at 5pm. Seems that the dinner times can put folks on a different daily pattern. For that reason, we have not spotted some people we know since we left Florida, three weeks ago. We learned a bit more today from cruise buddies that are very up on cruise news. Discussing the recent deletions of decorations in the dining room on gala evenings, we learned that new rules for the crew prevent them from using machinery to hang the over-sized ornaments and draperies from the center atrium. It is a safety issue. That does make sense now. Minimal decorations that can be hung within arm’s length are still used, but not often.

Safety is also responsible for the barrel-type BBQ’s to be banned from the outside decks for luaus for instance. According to the dining room manager, we will still have deck BBQ’s and Mongolian Cookouts, but the food will be served from the Lido. We do have a luau coming up in Honolulu, so we will report what we see that day.

Perhaps, towards the end of this cruise, we can post the full list of changes (good or not) we have noticed, and the response to these changes. By then, we can put them in categories of ones that are done fleetwide permanently, and those that are still being considered for the future world cruises.

Our biggest job was taking our passports to the front desk for collection. Seems that officials in Majuro, a future stop, need to clear us. Normally, our passports are kept in the office, not in our possession. For the times we need a face-to-face inspection, we do pick them up, and proceed to the customs check. And usually at that time, the passports are collected again. One exception is Singapore, where we are required to carry them with us during the time we are there.

In response to a few questions, we’ll take the time to answer them the best we can. If you contact ship services before a cruise, you can request a tower fan for your room. That also works if you need a small refrigerator for meds or whatever.

While gone, our very nice kids watch over our house. Any household bill that can be automatically paid has been in place for as long as we have been retired. Some things need to be paid in advance (taxes, for instance). Once done, you can forget about it. Outstanding bills are paid by our kids who monitor the mail monthly. We are spoiled, and we appreciate it, thanks to Bill and Ken, our sons.

We have not noticed that the price on the world cruise have gone up significantly over the last few years, but then, we can only base that on the category we have, which is E. The biggest hit that we can remember was when the airfare was no longer included in the price. That happened in 2010, we believe. The price remained the same, or a bit higher.

As for wear and tear on the Amsterdam, we really think a huge effort is being implemented in keeping her shipshape. Yes, some carpeting needs replacing here and there, but the last couple of drydockings have restored and remodeled the public areas. The lower promenade deck has had lots of work done, especially the ceiling. The slats that hid the overhead piping have been removed, and the insulation has been replaced and painted white. So much better.

We have been told that the future drydocking will deal with more upgrades on decks six and seven. New flatscreen TV’s and remodeled bathrooms will be done. The outside cabins will not be touched. So the “more you pay, the more you sway” rooms will be much nicer.

We inquired with the future cruise consultants about the 2018 Grand Asia/Pacific cruise, but the itinerary has not been announced yet. The new booklet does not go beyond April of 2018.

Dinnertime found all but Martha back. She attended the James Bond Dinner in the Pinnacle. We will surely hear all about it tomorrow. We ordered soup and the entrée salad, which was tataki , sliced rare steak on a bed of lettuce. If you really put your mind to it, you can eat healthy on the ship. We have done very well so far, keeping meals lighter, and enjoying all of the fresh fruit and vegetables that are available at every meal. Now tomorrow may be an exception, since we have a special-ordered birthday cake coming to the table………….

Bill & Mary Ann

Report #25 Sailing Towards Hilo, Hawaii January 24, 2017 Tuesday Cloudy & 72 degrees 12 Pictures

We heard through the grapevine that 92 passengers completed the Hawaiian Marathon walk around the lower promenade deck that took place these last five days at sea. They earned a lot of ship dollars, except our friends that live on deck two, said it sounded like a herd of elephants every morning at 6:30am. Doubt that activity will be repeated anytime too soon. And with the clocks going back one hour last night, waking up extra early was not in the cards for many folks.

The forecast of cloudy was only partly right, since during the majority of the day, the sun came out, and it was beautiful. The seas have smoothed out, there was little wind, and sunbathing on the aft deck was most relaxing. During his PM talk, Captain Jonathon mentioned that we might be going through some squalls with rain. We did look ahead and noticed some dark clouds, but somehow, he maneuvered the ship in between the showers. Most times the showers are too big to avoid, and as much as they try not to, they have to plow right through them. We have always wondered with all of the cameras installed for observation on the navigation deck, if they get a huge laugh when they see all the folks running for cover.

While catching up on or reading by the pool, we had a series of visitors. We found out from two couples that have verandas on deck six, that they had a limited list of alcohol to choose from prior to the cruise. In other words, no more of the “good” stuff. If you want a finer quality of liquor, it now will cost you 2 for 1. The perk for booking a veranda has always been 2 bottles of alcohol per guest. Or the equivalent of that in wine. This has got to be one of the new changes fleet wide that began at the beginning of 2017. Sure wish they would have kept their 2 premium bottle policy for the “grand” voyages. We do not personally know anyone on deck seven, but will have to investigate to see if they still receive the “good” stuff. In our opinion, they should, because they pay a whole lot more for their suites.

Another subject came up concerning Orlando Ashford’s visit to the ship when we arrive to Korea. As the new President of HAL, he will hold a question and answer session in the Queen’s Lounge. A couple of days ago, we all got a request for three questions to ask Mr. Ashford at this meeting. The most asked questions will be presented to him to address to the crowd. Although it was quite difficult to choose only three questions, we came up with a few good ones.

First, we would like to see their upgrading of staterooms to be based on the number of days sailed with the cruise line. Their most loyal customers should have that privilege. Nothing makes more folks upset, than when they hear that a first or second time cruiser gets upgraded from a lower category to a veranda or better. Now if this was based on days sailed, then there would be no resentment.

This is probably a dead-end, but we would really like to see the “formal” evenings come back, at least on the world cruise. The mixed messages on the new dress code has taken the “grand” feeling out of these occasions.

Finally, the choice of newspapers is limited. The one that continues to be on every cruise is the Times Digest, not worth the paper it is printed on most days. And getting worse every year. A more intelligent choice might be the Wall Street Journal, which also includes stock market reports and world weather. Other cruise lines will provide the entire paper, and a variety of them. We would be afraid to bring this subject up (cruising other lines), or else you may be told to leave, and go to the other lines. It did happen to one man at the Q&A one year with the CEO of HAL. Quite embarrassing to say the least.

Whatever the questions and answers will be, we shall report the results when it happens.

Ship activities continued as usual. So far, we have yet to see the Hawaiian Ambassador team that have been teaching the Hawaiian language, pareo tying, and lei flower making. Having recently been on the South Pacific cruise in the fall, we are certain we have seen it all already.

It appears that there are two different speakers onboard, however, their names are not written in the Daily Navigator. One spoke about the upcoming celestials, with possible star gazing held on Sky deck 10 forward on clear evenings. Tablemates did just that last year, and raved about the experience.

The PM guest speaker dealt with a series on Pearl Harbor….what happened and why. Very suitable subject, since we will be in Honolulu in a few days.

Dinner was special tonight, since one of us had a birthday. Tried to keep it quiet, but when the cake arrived, along with a dozen or more waiters singing their song, it was no longer a secret. Yesterday, we had asked Philip, our very kind dining room manager, for a strawberry whipped cream cake for the 9 of us. Served with vanilla ice cream, it was a really treat….even more so, sharing this evening with such great tablemates. And more good friends who came by with their good wishes.

Looking forward to stepping on solid ground tomorrow in Hilo, come rain or shine. Oh, by the way, Captain Jonathon made an announcement today that he is not going to go south out of Hilo to try to see the lava flow in the dark. As it is not in the itinerary, there is no time or extra fuel to do that detour. In the past, we have seen this display, and it was awesome.

Bill & Mary Ann