richwmn

March 21 – Luanda, Angola Today we are docked in Angola. It is again an industrial port and we will have a shuttle to the port entrance where they have set up a small market just for us. For the past few days the discussion, started by the Cruise Director, has been that this port is not safe. HAL has some shore excursions that people are taking but I haven’t heard anyone talk about private excursions. Interesting thing this morning. Several people have mentioned on Cruise Critic that broadcast TV is not available in ports. In general I have not found this to be the case. However, today it is. None of the regular channels are available, but movies are. No big loss, must be licensing in Angola since nothing is available. Yesterday and last night actually were pretty good. Of course trivia was available at the normal times. Simon did early and late while Jessica did the middle session which was Music Trivia, all songs by Fleetwood Mac. Since we had a short team we picked up a young guest who just happened to be into music and Fleetwood Mac. We managed to win and got almost all of them. At 4:30pm I attended a Q&A session with Dr. Dean Allen. He is an Englishman who lived for a while in Australia and now lives in South Africa. The session lasted about an hour and reinforced several things I had been told by tour guides while in South Africa. He also provided insights into other area. It was a hour well spent. The Ocean Bar provided background music for conversation. We had a nice discussion on ports we have already visited and some information about today’s port. In general people seem to be staying on the ship. This morning we pulled into Luanda on time. The ship is in ‘Code Red’, several cases of Noro have been detected and as a precaution we are now being served everything in the Lido. For that reason, and others, I had just a bowl of cereal and some juice. The Lido seemed a bit less crowded than normal this morning. The service was still excellent.

March 20 – at sea, destination Destination Luanda, Angola eta 3-21 Another day at sea and the weather is again very good. Yesterday one of my trivia partners went to medical, she is now in isolation. This morning we had a notice that GI illness (aka Noro) is above acceptable levels and the ship is now in ‘Code Red’. This morning everything on the Lido Buffet was served by staff and a staff member is at the entrances insuring that everyone uses the had sanitizer. For me, this is was sort of expected at some point. The medical staff is attempting to determine the point at which the virus entered the ship. Today, in just a few minutes, we have to play ‘pass the passport’ again. We are to turn in our passports between 9:00am and 10:00am in the mid ship elevator lobby. Within the next few days we will be charged $85 for a visa to Ghana even if we choose to remain on the ship. For Gambia a few days later the visa is $155, but only if you plan to go ashore. We will get our passports back on March 31 and will need the original passport to go ashore for the next few ports. Now to last night. Like always on sea days we had three trivia sessions and each was fun. As I get used to our new host Simon, I find I like him better. After the late trivia we went to the World Stage and listened to the (new) Captain’s welcome. He spoke for about 25 minutes and talked about himself and his history with Holland America. Then he received a glass of sparkling wine and made a toast. After the Captain’s speech I went to the Ocean Bar and listened to the Dance Band for one set. They are very good and it is also easy to have a conversation in the Ocean Bar while they are playing. A few people did get up and dance. It is a nice use for the Ocean Bar. All four venues had entertainment last night so those who wished to, could see a band playing from 3:30pm to 11:00pm.

So far only Namibia, but we will see going forward.

I use two different ways to get the location. Many mornings I walk the promenade and the step tracker I use gives me the map with two dots. I use google maps directly otherwise. I would suggest you download the map for online use as internet is not always great. In both cases, once I have the map up I can tap the screen and it goes to full screen. This is on a Samsung Android phone. YMMV

March 19 – at sea, destination Destination Luanda, Angola eta 3-21 Another pretty day at sea. During the noon announcements the Captain noted that we could be in for some bad weather coming up. For the next couple of days it should still be nice. Namibia as a colony was under German influence. The ship had a nice German meal last night that I really enjoyed. The Dance Band played next to the mid ship pool to a very light audience. It was an enjoyable evening. The ship had a charity auction yesterday benefiting the Bernhard Nordkamp Center and raised over $9,000 to benefit the project. About 20 children that the Center serves came aboard the ship and put on a show last evening. It was a cute show with some talented entertainers. After the show we had to wait for a few people to clear immigration and we were about an hour late leaving. Today was a light breakfast day, just a bowl of cereal, because I had a reservation for another Brunch Sampler in the Main Dining Room. Since we were scheduled for 11:30am, it was basically a lunch and was again very good. Quite a few people took advantage of the lunch. We finished lunch in time to get to trivia at 1:00pm.

Years ago I was in a house and had a small fire in the kitchen. I got it out, but called 911 so that the fire department could make sure I got it all. They asked for a cross street and I gave it to them. The truck arrived quickly (the station was about a mile away). I asked why they needed the cross street and the Captain that answered said he didn't because he had known a family living in the house and played there when he was a kid.

March 18 – Walvis Bay, Namibia Until a few minutes ago it was overcast and not very inviting. We are again in an industrial port with a shuttle into town. The only thing in view from the ship is the workings of the port. Last night was a festive St. Patrick’s Day. The ship was decked out in green and activities were themed to the holiday. The 6:30pm trivia was questions about the day and the Dance Band played on the Lido deck mid ship. Everything was very nice. This morning has been nice and relaxed. Later this afternoon we have to parade thru the Hudson Room to get our passports stamped out of Nimibia and we will officially be gone. Children from the Bernhard Nordkamp Centre, the charity HAL supports, are on board and will do a show at 4:00pm before we leave. Today’s program states that Zuiderdam raised over $7,000 to donate to the charity.

The speed has actually been pretty good. I have had T-Mobile since about June of 2018. Since that time I have been on several cruises and this is the first time I have received the out of network message. The speed has always been good, and on this cruise in particular I have not had any problems using local data. In fact, I have watched Youtube videos on both my phone and tablet (both have T-Mobile service). I have also been able, for the most part, to use WiFi calling on the ship, and Whatsapp for calls and video calls in ports. I did make a couple of international calls at 25 cents a minute, also without any problems. I have been in two cabins since I boarded Zuiderdam. For 12 days over the holidays I was in 4058, an outside obstructed view cabin. Since the beginning of the World, I have been in 5048, a nice verandah cabin. Both have the tub with detachable shower head. Photos of 5048 can be found at https://halfacts.com/vista-class/5048-zuiderdam/ Closer view of shower head in 5048, the one in 4058 was identical

March 17 – Saint Patrick’s Day – Luderitz, Namibia Today started out a bit overcast, but it is very nice out right now. Yesterday they had a silent auction to benefit a children’s facility in Namibia. It seems that they raised a good amount for the facility. As normal with sea days, we had several trivia sessons, at 1:00pm, 4:00pm and 6:30pm. Again we finished high in all, but didn’t win. We also had Bocce Ball, or at least the ship board version, at 2:30pm. It is fun and I managed to win this one. I spent a little bit of time in the Ocean Bar with friends listening to the Group there. They generally play dance music, but will do Jazz when no one is dancing. They are also the band that plays behind some of the performers and during sail aways. They are good musicians and easy to listen to. This morning we had to have a face to face meeting with immigration. It started on time and like South Africa went smoothly and quickly. As each person finished a sticker was placed on our ships card and we could go ashore then. Today is a tender port, and open tendering began at 10:00am, right when my group had decided to go ashore. Like the tender platform on the ship, the floating dock at Luderitz had some motion to it and everyone was helped on and off the tender. The incline to the permanent dock was pretty steep and the walk was a bit long. The city itself is nice, and we found a good place to buy gifts and beer. They also had free wifi that was pretty good. I had a bit of a shock this morning when I received a message that Namibia is not on my T-Mobile access so for the first time I don’t have data in port, the wifi was nice. Crow's Nest Bartender and friend

both Ocean View 4058 and Verandah 5048 have the shower as shown in the picture above.

@StLouisCruisersPlease send me an email, thanks!

March 16 – at sea, destination Luderitz After trivia last night I relaxed a bit then went to the 9:30pm show, which was the South African Youth Choir. It was a very good show featuring some very good singers. The program included several songs by the group, along with a few solo performances. It was a very nice farewell to Cape Town and South Africa. Today we are back at sea with another bright, comfortable day. The seas appear calm, and the ship is stable. A Cruise Critic M&G was held this morning with light attendance.

Cape Town at Dusk

This evening's menus --

I don't think so, the internet is about the same as I have had in the past. Some additional pictures from Cape Town. This is the Marina Area where the shuttle dropped us and the HOHO bus stopped.

The Captain is now Frank van der Hoeven

Mar 15 – Cape Town, South Africa (Day 2 of 2) It is a bright, sunny day for our second day in Cape Town. We will be going out shortly to see a little more of the city. Yesterday was a very nice day. I found on line that a Hop On, Hop Off bus was available and not too far from the ship. The tickets were inexpensive so I went ahead an bought them. After lunch we proceeded off the ship and asked the person at the Welcome Desk how far it was to the stop for the HOHO bus. She told me we had just missed the shuttle provided by CitySightseeing and that there would be another one shortly. That turned out to be about 15 minutes, followed by maybe a 10 minute ride to the Victoria and Albert Waterfront and the HOHO bus office. We got there in time to see one bus leave and another loading. The one loading was the blue route and the driver said it would be about 2 ½ hours. It seemed reasonable so we got on and proceeded to the upper seats and sat down. It turns out that we stumbled into the better route. The red route is mostly in the city, while the blue route is longer and covers more area, particularly outside the city. We got to see many different areas where different classes of South Africans reside. As with the other tours we have had in SA, there was a bit of history and politics included in the narrative. The weather was great for sitting outside and enjoying the ride thru the South African countryside. At the end of the ride we were again at the Waterfront. We walked thru the shopping mall there for a bit before returning to the ship. When we arrived back at the ship we had the honor of saying goodbye to the Captain and his Lady. They were leaving the ship and going on a tour, while the new Captain takes over. We were also introduced to the new Captain who will be on Zuiderdam until the end of the World Cruise. The evening concluded with dinner and trivia.

It appears I failed to post the menus from last night. Here they are:

Mar 14 – Cape Town, South Africa (Day 1 of 2) I’m sure everyone is getting tired of this, but it really is another beautiful day. The sun is out and the temperature is nice. It is probably going to be a bit hot a little later. We pulled into Cape Town on time this morning and have been cleared to go ashore. We leave tomorrow night at 8:30pm. There will be quite a large transition of Crew (including the Captain) while we are in Cape Town, so we will see how things go from here. Yesterday was another good day aboard Zuiderdam. The 1:00pm trivia was fun. Starting at 2:00pm the entertainment staff set up a ‘County Fair’ around the mid ship Lido pool. Lots of games to play for tickets like ring toss, corn hole, throwing bean bags at a tic-tac-toe board, and knocking over cans with a bean bag. The Activities staff ran it, and many of the entertainers (like the Zuiderdam Dancers) ran the various games. At 3:45 everyone counted their tickets and prizes were given to the Guests with the most tickets. The winner had over 200 tickets and was one of the youngest on board (maybe 12 -14). Turns out that most people were giving their tickets to the youngsters on board, who won all three places. The prizes were small stuffed animals. Last night I was invited to join some friends for dinner in the Main Dining Room. Turned out to be a table of 9 celebrating a birthday. It was a very good group of people, all well traveled, and great conversation. We were having a good time and didn’t even notice the two hours it took to eat the dinner. I had the salmon and it was prepared perfectly. Amazing service from the dining room staff. In a little bit I will walk out and about in Cape Town for a while.

Thanks to Sandi @StLouisCruisers for the early (for her) morning daily. It is almost lunch time aboard Zuiderdam. Hope everyone has a great day!

March 13 – at sea destination Cape Town, South Africa Another grand day at sea. I’m settling into the current time zone and sleeping a bit more like normal. It is again a nice day at sea, the weather is pleasant. Last evening was busy. After returning to the ship we ate lunch in the Lido. The next activity was sail away which was held on the aft Lido deck. The Dance or Jazz band from the Ocean Bar performed and played a very nice set at a comfortable volume. We pulled away a little after 5:00pm and the band continued to play until 5:30pm. We popped into the Lido for dinner, then down to Billboard for evening trivia. Simon, the new host, made this a ‘Lightning Trivia’ where a question is asked and you have 30 seconds to answer. The correct answer is then given and on to the next question. My group came in third. After trivia I headed to the Ocean Bar and I joined Kelly and Jett. We talked a bit, then K&J went to dinner. The band played for a bit, then we called it a night.

March 12 – Port Elizabeth, South Africa pt 2 At 10:00am we got on the shuttle and were taken to a mall about 15 minutes drive away. During the drive we saw a bit of Port Elizabeth, and it really didn’t look much different than many other cities. We passed a beach on one side and some buildings that looked like apartments or condos on the other side. The buildings looked new and well kept. The beach was beautiful. We walked around the mall a bit then rode back to the ship. The area of the mall didn’t look too appealing as a place to walk around.

March 12 – Port Elizabeth, South Africa Just a quick note before going ashore. Menus will follow later. After dinner last night was Music Trivia with our new host, Simon. He did a pretty good job and was entertaining. He is English and will take a bit of getting used to. After trivia I chatted with some friends then went upstairs. At 9:30pm I went to the World Stage to see the comic – Mark Palmer. The show was ok, he got a few laughs from a good sized audience. He is leaving the ship today, so we will see what type of entertainment comes up next.

Tonight the Pinnacle Grill became Tamarind for the evening (and I believe tomorrow). I had dinner there with a friend so here is the food porn. Dinner was the Wasabe Beef Dessert was a Cheese Cake