Hitch a Ride with Bill & Mary Ann on Holland America's 2018 World Cruise - 113 days +

...........We have also noticed over the last few years that HAL is choosing docks at far away places or in the freight yards -- much cheaper. And many times -- no free shuttles -- had to pay for them.........[/quot

 

"HAL chooses docks in far away places or in freight terminals" What in earth are you talking about?" Do you even have any clue how, and by whom, cruise ship berths are assigned? :o

" Do you even have any clue how, and by whom, cruise ship berths are assigned? :o

Call me curious ... I've always wondered about that! Can you explain?

Report # 73 Singapore, Singapore March 14,2018 Wednesday Partly cloudy & 89 degrees Part # 1 of 4 80 Pictures

Singapore is one of those places in the world that is acountry as well as a capital city. In2012, the population was 4,658,000 people, and could be less now, since thecost of living is extremely high, we have been told. And it is also densely populated, since the areais only 269 square miles. The populationis diverse with folks that speak Chinese, Malay, Tamil, and English, whichmight be a second language here.

In our humble opinion, Southeast Asia has no bettercountry/city as Singapore. It has itsown separate mind set, strict enforced laws, and relebtless urban sprawl. Everything “costs” here – shopping, fabulousfood, and a total mix of Indian, Malay, and Chinese cultures.

The best time to visit is February through October, which isconsidered the dry season. Things to doare museums, temples, monuments, day and night zoos, churches, gardens, SentosaIsland, and little bit of India and Chinatown. You’ll find the most innovative shopping malls underground, as well asthe most modern highend malls you have ever imagined. And that just breaks the surface.

The Amsterdam sailed into the harbor around 7am, with scenicsailing commentary by Barbara H. Darn,we slept in, and missed the Singapore rolls once again. We were docked at Marina Bay Cruise Center ,not the most convenient pier compared to Harbourfront, but we are still happyto be here. More difficult to access thecity, there was a shuttle offered for the next two days, which would take folksto the Millenia Walk Shopping Center and back. It was about a twenty minute ride, depending on traffic.

Of course, there were 15 tours offered here for 3 to 8 ¾ hourexcursions for $70 to $200. They wouldtake in the major sites such as the Gardens by the Bay, a 250 acre park. Next to this new park, is the Marina BaySands Hotel and observation deck that sits 650 feet above the ground. To us, it looks like the top of an ironingboard.

Shorter tours went to the Singapore River with a riverboatride and a trishaw ride too. Brenda, oursweet tablemate, did that and had a super good time. She had driven through Chinatown, and LittleIndia, and saw the Hindu temple there. Thenboarded the boat on the Singapore River at Clarke Quay. This river has 150 years of commercial activity,starting with it being an obscure fishing village to a great seaport.

Another tour took guests to the Singapore Flyer, the world’stallest observation wheel at 541 feet tall. It is 90 feet taller than the London Eye wheel. They passed famous sitesof the Merlion fountain, the 1928 Fullerton Hotel, and colonial government buildingson the way.

Four excursions went off at night to the Night Safari Zoo, anight out in Singapore, Marina Bay and Gardens, and a different garden tourwith a stop for Singapore Sling, that special drink that was developed at theRaffles Hotel. Except we are not surethe famous hotel is open to the public yet, as they are in the process ofre-modeling. Have been for last twoyears, as we recall. Years ago, we triedone of these sweet drinks, paying about $17 Singapore dollars for one. ($1.30 Singapore equals $1 USD). We heard that the drink may be going fordouble that now.

We have gone on most every tour here, so for us, we love toride the MRT, and do the town on our own. Going off of the ship is a trip in itself. It is necessary to keep your passport withyou, and show it to the officials in the terminal. They stamp the landing card, then you go downthe escalator to the xray check. This isone of the few places that checks bags going in and coming back. By the way, we forgot to mention that anothership was in port. It was the SapphirePrincess, who was in the process of debarking guests and taking on newones. We did hear later that it was amess getting off of the ship this morning, as the Princess folks crowded allexits.

Guess we missed all that excitement by getting off after10am. We did, however, get stuck in a line that stopped moving at the xraycheckpoint, because one lady had something suspicious in her largesuitcase. The screener thought the itemresembled a bullet. Maybe it was alipstick. She signaled two securityfellows to search her bag. When they foundthe culprit, the line started up again, and we passed all checks with noproblems. Like we stated, they arestrict here.

Outside the checkpoints, we did notice some people weregetting wifi. Asking Ray, a friend, howthe speed was, he said good. Perhaps wewill try this tomorrow, and see what can be downloaded better, without using upour minutes.

Finally out of the terminal, we went through the coveredarea of buses and taxis, and out to the covered walkway that led to the MRT at MarinaSouth Pier, the end of the red line. Youcannot purchase the 2 day Singapore Tourist Pass there, but you can buy aticket that will get you to a Translink Ticket Office that does. For us, we decided to ride to Harbourfront ,connecting to the purple line at Dhoby Ghaut south. The price to get there? Try $1.90S ($1.46USD), which can be bought inthe ticket machine. There are 16 stationswhere you can buy the 1 to 3 day passes, but we chose one where we knew exactlywhere the office was located.

That was the start of going down under to ride the trainsall day. At Harbourfront, we lined upwith several HAL guests we recognized, doing the same thing. The price was the same as last year, 2 day almostunlimited travel for $16S plus a $10S deposit, which will be refundabletomorrow. That is equal to $12.31 USDeach to ride anywhere in the massive system for two days. Yes, taxis are incredibly inexpensive here,but with the number of sites we wanted to see, the MRT is the only way togo. That is, if you can walk, and walk alot.

Our first stop was at Chinatown, where the original Chinesepopulation lived. Now it is a bustlingmulti-cultural area, full of cafes and stores. You can find tremendous bargains here. We like to walk through their cafeteria-style eating venues, the manyshops in the People’s Park Mall, and the personal services like barbers,beauticians, and fortune-tellers. By theway, this is where you can exchange money at dozens of small places. Taking loads of photos, we continued on our way.

Going back down like moles, we navigated to Little India,home to dozens of shops selling spices, snacks, beautiful saris, glitteringjewelry, brassware, and trinkets galore. This stop was plagued with re-construction over the last severalyears. It is finally finished, andcleaned up nicely. Bargains forIndian-style clothing can be found here, so one of us did purchase another dressytop. Having a nice collection of sarisat home, we were good, and only looked this time. There is no India this year on the itinerary,unless you took an overland out of Sri Lanka for four or five days. Once again, with all the photos we needed, weoff to the MRT, stopping to walk through the wet market along the way. Lamb, pork, chicken, and a huge variety offish are chopped right in front of the buyers, and put in plastic bags. Everything is completely fresh. A bit smelly, but not bad. Not one insect in sight either. Strolling through the produce section broughtaromas of cilantro, a most pleasing smell compared to the meats and fish.

From Little India, we rode to the Botanic Gardens on theblue line. By now the trains werefilling up with locals, many of them school-aged kids. They have been out of school for a break, andride the trains like we were. Signs onthe trains remind the younger generation to give up their seats to the elderly,but we seldom saw that happen. They didmove to another seat to provide side-by-side seats for the two of us, however. Which was nice. Perhaps we did not appear “too elderly”, wehope.

The Singapore Botanic Gardens is old, established in 1859, arecent addition to UNESCO’s World Heritage Site. This spacious garden has the separateNational Orchid Garden that features more than 2000 hybrid, as well as 1000 species of orchids. We think we saw even more than that. The cost to enter is a mere $1S for seniors (77cents USD). What a deal, although sincelast year, a chunk of this garden has been destroyed to make way for a newdisplay. That included the Cool House,and the tiered Mist Houses with the bromiliads and cool mountain species. This rebuilt will not be completed until thesummer of 2019.

Of course, we took thousands of pictures here, beforeheading back to the info center to enjoy ice cold lemon/honey ice teas from avending machine. We had covered most ofthe meandering paths from one end of the park to the other. The good thing is that it never did rain, butthat was also a bad thing. This is thefirst time ever, that we saw park workers hand-watering all of the parkgrowth. Not just the roots, but thefoliage. It was so hot that the leavesof some of the species were curling and burning from the intense temperatures. We almost wished the workers could hose usoff as well.

Time to head back down, we went in search of lunch. That was to be found by taking the blue lineback to the red line to Orchard. That’swhere we go to the Hard Rock Café, a short walk through the Ion Mall and exitedthrough Wheelock Place. A bit more infothan you need, but it helps us remember how to get there next time we come.

By now, it was after 4pm, but they were still servinganything you wanted. That turned out tobe lots of Coke Zero (not beer, too expensive) and a shared plate of nachos. Our waiter wisely suggested not to get the “big”order ($25), but the smaller version. Itwas just right, and allowed us enough room to have a shared slice of mudpie. So good, but even better being ableto sit and relax before our journey continued. Stopping in the café’s shop, we found two Singapore t-shirts to buybefore leaving.

Usually our last stop would have been Clarke Quay, but itwas getting late, and one of us was exhausted from the heat and humidity. Time to go home. It was a straight shot from the red line togo back to Marina South Pier and the ship. There would be more time tomorrow to take in several sites, since wewere not leaving until after 9:30pm. Super.

Cooling off in our room for a while, we remembered that aplate of truffles had been delivered last night after we dined in Sel deMer. A recipe card from Rudi S. had alsobeen left for us as a souvenir of the dinner. Perfect snack before dinner, right?

At 6:30pm, the Piano Bar entertainer, Jamm, performed Under theStars on the Seaview deck aft. We had noclue this was promoted with a champagne/canape $25. Special, with reservedseats on deck nine overlooking the pool. It had not been advertised in the daily newsletter at all. Susie and Woody had attended, and said theyreally enjoyed it. Better than ever.

There were only five of us at dinner tonight, then laterjoined by Susie and Woody, who appeared with a lovely gift of a silky top shefound while in Chinatown. It hadpeacocks on it, and decided that would be appropriate since we have some forpets at home. She’s right. Also, she had worked on painting Easter cardsin her signature design, and gifted us with another one. We really think she is on a possible newcareer with her excellent artwork. Allof us had stories to share as always. Wemissed Barb as she had gone to dinner with three buddies at the Marina BaySands observation deck. Peter W, thelong-time friend of Barb’s and purser on the ship, wanted to go there, since heplans on retiring after this world cruise. He has always looked at this unusual icon, but never made it to the top.Doing it at night would be remembered forever.

“Hitting the Hay” was never so good. Ready for another marathon day tomorrow.

Bill & Mary Ann

I don't believe you could book the 7 day segment, HKG-SIN. The point was that you could book from I think FLL to HKG or HKG to FLL, or shorter segments, with the turnaround days being Sydney, Singapore, and Cape Town.

Wonderful report on your Singapore day.

Call me curious ... I've always wondered about that! Can you explain?

As far as I know, the berths are assigned by the harbor master. Last year, I was on a cruise ship of the luxury category in Brisbane and, unforeseen by the captain, our ship was assigned a spot next to an all night coal loading operation. You can imagine the almost riot of the pampered passengers. To appease them, the line hired frequent free shuttle busses and later in the day we had a champagne reception with a cruise upriver to see the skyline.

A ship that was using Brisbane regularly as turn around port had gotten first dibs at the terminal, but our ship was never informed beforehand. Our ship was just passing through on her way around the world. Don't HAL ships often do the same, just pass through on grand voyages?

As far as I know, the berths are assigned by the harbor master. Last year, I was on a cruise ship of the luxury category in Brisbane and, unforeseen by the captain, our ship was assigned a spot next to an all night coal loading operation. You can imagine the almost riot of the pampered passengers. To appease them, the line hired frequent free shuttle busses and later in the day we had a champagne reception with a cruise upriver to see the skyline.

 

 

 

A ship that was using Brisbane regularly as turn around port had gotten first dibs at the terminal, but our ship was never informed beforehand. Our ship was just passing through on her way around the world. Don't HAL ships often do the same, just pass through on grand voyages?

I thought the berths were assigned well in advance. Maybe not......

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Report # 74 Singapore, Singapore March 15,2018 Thursday Chance of rain & 89 degrees Part # 1 of 3 82 Pictures

Day two found the weather just as hot and humid asyesterday. Only there was a warning ofrain, which might have been nice. Despite carrying an umbrella all day, it never did rain. So the umbrella was used for sun protectioninstead. There must have been a heatwave in Singapore, since we never rememberedit so intense.

All aboard was 9:30pm, so we made the best of every hour wehad here. Back on the MRT, we firststopped at Raffles Place to walk the area there. Following the crowd, we navigated to the FullertonHotel and the Marina Bay. The most knownicon is the Merlion, half lion/half fish symbol of Singapore. This huge monument is a spewing fountain intoMarina Bay. Usually you cannot get nearit to get photos, but today, there werefar less tourists milling around. Andbecause it is located on a large concrete walkway and patio, the heat isunbearable. The best thing we did waswalk up the bridge that crosses the river to the Esplanade Theaters. Once up high, the breeze was blowing nicely. Actuallythe views of the Merlion were better from here.

Continuing along the bay, we passed by the theaters and mallto the Marina Bay Seating Gallery. Todaythere was an Art-Zoo, a blow-up park for kids, we think. It was closed until the evening. We continued going until we reached theHelix, a modern pedestrian bridge that connects to the new hotel and mall.

We made our way into the Shoppes at the Marina Bay Sands, amost modern and innovative four or more story tall mall. You will find everything here in the way ofhigh end shopping. Besides shopping,there are numerous restaurants, bars, bakeries, a skating rink, a river thatruns under it, and a massive Casino. Aquick visit there was enough, since there was still so much more to see.

Making or way back outside, we went past the Lotus Museum,and followed the Waterfront Promenade over to the side entrance to the Gardensby the Bay. We entered by the Silver garden, a collection of the man-made treeswith flowers and plants growing on the trunks. The Flower Dome and Cloud Foreststructures are situated at this end. They are destinations in themselves, and you need much more time toexplore them. We found that therestrooms in this area had been closed off completely, and portables had beenbrought in. Once again, we found itrather uncrowded. Deeper into the park,we followed the nicely landscaped paths to the Supertree Grove and the OCBCSkyway that connects the larger trees. The tallest tree here is 22 meters high, and can be accessed from belowwith a fee. A restaurant, SupertreeDining, is up near the top serving a variety of food. You can pay $8 Singapore dollars to accessthe catwalk. From here we found the mainentrance and the Dragonfly Bridge over the Lake. From there, we located thearea of the MRT.

We got a bit turned around getting on the orange line of theMRT, but went back to the red line, where we knew we could go directly back toOrchard station. But before we went to lunch, we wanted to stop at City Hall,to see if the famous Raffles Hotel was totally under construction. We did find it mostly covered over with tarpsand closed up. Perhaps there was a wayto find the Singapore Slings, but we did not look further. Took a few photos, and left.

Once again, we navigated our way to the HRC, and a mostwelcomed lunch with hamburgers and lots of unlimited cans of Coke Zero. The patties of beef in the burgers was good,but a different blend than we are used to. More like meatloaf, or a very fine ground beef. Come to think of it, weusually order something with chicken here. The manager checked with us several times, and even suggested she couldchange the video to something different, like Elvis or something likethat. We said no, Kelly Clarkson orMiley Cyrus was fine. Guess it could beoverwhelming if you don’t like that type of music. As always, time flies when you are relaxing,and soon it was time to move on. Westopped at the shop on or way out to pick up a souvenir with our 10% discount.

After lunch, we went back to the MRT, but something wentwrong with one of our transit cards, and a station manager had to let one of usout of the gate. The card may not workat the next station, but we would try it and see. If not, one of us will bestuck in here forever…..

As it was, we had some time to check out HarbourFrontstation for the mere fact we wanted to know what, if any, cruise ships weredocked there. Turned out, we found the Insignia, an Oceania vessel launched in2014, was there. She holds from 684 to824 passengers and is 30,277 gross tons. Also in the same dock was the Costa neoRomantica, 1993, at 57,150 grosstons. She holds from 1578 to 1800guests. So why is it that we have beentold that only gambling ships would be allowed there? We still find it odd that we have been pushedout of that pier. Anyway, like we said,we are most happy to be stopping in Singapore, even if we are not in the bestspot. Call us spoiled. While here, we ran into our host Tom M, whohad returned from an overland trip with guests to Cambodia. He was “temple’d-out” and recovering from theextreme heat there. He admitted tosleeping 14 hours straight after that excursion.

Even though it had clouded up today, there was not one dropof rain. We would have welcomed it, butonce again, we were going down like moles, to head back. But before doing that, we figured we had timefor ice cream at Clarke Quay. Stopping at the service center here, wediscovered that our transit tickets were still operable and we could continuewith our trek on the trains. So we tookthe purple line to the Clarke Quay stop. By now, the trains were getting crowded with folks heading home thattime of day.

The station at the river is never crowded, since the area atClarke Quay is more of a night venue for the locals we think. The biggest draw during the day has to be theriverboat rides. It is the city’searliest commercial center with old warehouses and shops built in 19thcentury-style buildings. This is alsothe site where Sir Stamford Raffles landed in 1819 to found this city.

We were in search of the Japanese ice cream shop, and foundit was still opened. Sharing a cup ofsalted caramel ice cream was nice. Sometimes during weekends, there are street vendors and street foodstalls, but today was Thursday, and the Riverwalk was empty of people. Back at the Dhoby Ghat exchange, we got onthe red line back to Marina South Pier, where we got our $20 Singapore moneydeposit refunded. Easy.

We arrived back at the ship by 6pm, and immediately wentback to the terminal to see if we could download computer updates. Finding that we were having some troubleconnecting to the right available local free wifi, we asked some otherpassengers. Finally connecting, we foundthe service spotty, but eventually did complete what we set out to do.

Now the most amusing thing happened while we wereonline. Sitting at a tiny table outsidethe only mini mart, a film crew began setting up a stage for filming a commercialwe assumed. Not bothering us to move,the crew set up around us, and proceeded to stage a scene where two prettyyoung ladies were meeting a nice-looking young fellow over coffee andcake. Sure was interesting listening tothe director who went from Chinese to English in his directions. All we heard was CUT, and do it again. Tedious is the word for it. Any closer, and we would be part of thescene. Before we knew it, a crowd offellow onlookers gathered to watch the action. Once we completed our downloads, we quietly left the scene. The only mission we failed at was spendingthe last of our Singapore dollars at the mini mart. Perhaps it will be accepted in Phuket in acouple of days. If not, there is alwaysnext year when we stop here again.

We barely had time to clean up for dinner. Actually we could have gone to bed at 8pm,but since the clocks were going back one hour, we knew we could make it throughthe meal. Soup and salad for one of us,and salad and lamb wellington was good for the other. A surprise birthday cake arrived for one ofour tablemates who is not really celebrating an actual birthday. Although we don’t care for the boozy blackforest cake, we did like the chocolate drizzled vanilla ice cream.

The ship finally left the port at 11:10pm. This is one stop we enjoyed every second ofeach day to the fullest. Heat, humidity,and all.

Really looking forward to a lazy day at sea tomorrow. Wish there was more than one.

Bill & Mary Ann

Wonderful report.

So glad that you were able to enjoy another full day in Singapore.

Well at least you didn't have any more problems with your transit card and didn't have to spend the rest of your life riding the trains.

Report # 75 Day atSea March 16, 2018 Friday Partly cloudy & 83 degrees

Today began like most days at sea, with breakfast in the diningroom. We had just begun with yogurts andfruit, when company arrived. Susie andWoody appeared, and asked to join us, because today was Woody’s birthday. Nice that they wanted to start his specialday with us, as we always have great visits. Our nice waiters did not seem to mind if we stayed until after 9:30am.

Asep, one of the friendliest head waiters, told us about therelationship between the Singaporeans and the Indonesians. He explained that the ferry landing next tothe pier where we were docked is where commuters from nearby Indonesian islandsarrive daily to work in the big city. Theyare able to earn excellent wages here, that allows them to buy and maintainnice homes in their native country. Somethingwe never knew.

President’s Club deliveries were due. One we got yesterday…..sodas. Today was the flower arrangement delivery,with purple and white blooms. Quite pretty.

The sun was out, so that meant pool time for us. By the time we caught up on some computerwork, and changed for the pool, we noticed it had gotten rather dark outside. Checking the camera on the bow, we saw why itwas so dark…..rain, big time. Guess wewere going through a shower. Knowingthat these squalls could be fleeting, we waited it out, and eventually, itdried up. By the time we went to deckeight, the sun was back out, and the decks were steaming. For the remainder of the day, it never didrain again.

Several talks were scheduled in the Queen’s Lounge. First one of the day was Barbara H’s presentationof things to do and see in Phuket, Thailand. Speaking of Thailand, we gotcopies of our passport pages to pack with us while onshore. One good thing is that we are not required topay for visas to enter this country.

Two new guests speakers have joined the ship. One is Kate Ross, who talked about thesplendors of the Khmer Empire. Theafternoon speaker was Barry Dreyer, who lectured on Thailand.

After a relaxing time at the back pool, we had a light lunchin the Lido. Then we needed to catch upon photos and yesterday’s report before we forgot what and how we went. It was necessary to remember navigating theMRT, and the different lines we took, as well as where we got our refunds. By documenting those details, we are able to remember what we did. Sometimes our memories fade, but the computerremembers forever.

Tonight there was a special Lido menu called MakansutraDinner, featuring the cuisine you might find at the local Singapore foodstalls. It was served as usual during5:30 to 8pm.

Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill once again. The venue was the Tamarind Restaurant, theirAsian-inspired menu, more or less. Thisis a nice change of venue for many of us, since this new restaurant is on mostall of the new ships. Just nothere. It did appear last year, when someof the chefs came for a few weeks to train the cooks with the differentitems. It was a big hit. So they are repeating it this year.

We ordered two appetizers each, a Thai beef salad, mixedsatay platter, two tempura shrimp, and veggie spring rolls, sharing them betweenus. A dish with three bowls of spicy, hot sauces came with a tray of oystercrackers. Then we both had their wasabi-crusted filet steak and a stack ofthree tempura onion rings. It is servedon a blackened cedar plank of wood, which infuses the meat with the cedararoma. We often wondered if these boardsare used over and over, but they said no. It was a one-time usage. Fordessert, one of us had the chocolate mousse, and the other the chocolate-filledalmond fortune cookie. Before leaving,we made sure that we had reservations for the last Tamarind evening in April.

Perhaps a clue that the cuisine is appreciated, is the factthat Captain Jonathon and his wife Karen, along with Hazel and Ann-Marie, weredining at the table next to us. TheMercers were also at the first Tamarind venue, and had told us they offeredsome suggestions to keep the items as authentic as they know it to be. Having gone to the Tamarind while on theEurodam, we found the meal to be exactly the same…….very, very good.

For some reason, we had taken our time eating tonight, sothe show had already begun by the time we finished. The group on the stage tonight was calledJukebox Rogues, four guys bringing the biggest and best tunes to the stage. Hearing them practice, we can say they weremost loud, but put on a really lively performance.

Bill & Mary Ann

Glad the rain didn't last long and you got to enjoy the sun.

Love the Tamarind Restaurant. It is a shame that they can't get it on the smaller ships.

Report #76 Phuket,Thailand March 17, 2018 Saturday Mostly sunny & 87 degrees Part #1 Of 3 80 Pictures

We woke up in a new country today…..Thailand, and the cityof Phuket. The population of Thailand in2012 was in the neighborhood of 66,000,000 Thai-speaking people. The capital is Bangkok, and a city that wehave visited on the Amsterdam’s world cruises in recent years. Hint, hint HAL in Seattle.

Thailand has everything for travelers such as beaches, densejungles, ruined cities, exotic islands, golden monasteries, coral reefs, riceterraces, and Buddhist temples. It alsohas tropical weather and blistering cuisine. Ever tasted Thai peppers, you know, the tiny red and green ones? Innocent-looking, they pack an unexpectedpunch. There are 5 star extravaganthotels and resorts, or the chanced to travel on a shoe-string.

The bet time to visit is from November to April, to escapethe torrential rains. Once again, alittle of that would have been most welcomed today. Trademarks are golden stupas, floating fishand veggie markets, curries, monks with bowls, Thai silk, elephant rides, andtons of young backpackers. Speaking ofmonks with bowls, we are referring to the monks that dedicate their days toprayer, then are feed by the community. They literally walk the streets, and the locals will fill their bowlswith food.

The coastal city of Phuket was our destination today. Once colonized by the Portuguese, French, andthe British in the 1500’s, all of these cultures dealt in the tin trade. Today Phuket is known for being party centralwhite sandy beaches and the night life. Especially at Patong Bay. Sometimes we would drop anchor out of that beach resort area, and tenderashore. We really preferred it, as youcan easily access places for lunch and plenty of beaches for sunning andswimming.

Early this morning, Captain Jonathon backed the ship up tothe Phuket Deep Seaport, fairly far from most everything. The ship was not cleared by customs until8:30am instead of 8am. The folks hadlined up one deck one, since the gangway was midship. We had to maneuver around the line of shoreexcursion guests in order to make our way to the elevators to the diningroom. We are certain that many of themwere waiting to see if we cut in line to get off. You could feel the stares from them as wepassed by. Technically, we could do thatlegally, but most times, we choose not to.

There were 5 tours offered here from 4 ½ to 8 hours. The cost was $35 to $160. Compared to some other countries we havevisited so far, these prices were not outrageous. The best of Phuket took in views, temples,Phuket Town, a Thai village, and a show with a buffet lunch. We have taken this tour at least three timesover the years. Phi Phi Island tour took folks on a fast boat that you cannotsee out of to this island made famous with the movie, “The Beach” starring LeoDiCaprio. Took it once, and once was enough. The most advertised white sand beach therewas covered end-to-end with boats and ropes, with a fuel-slick on top of thesurf. A better boat tour was to PhangNga Bay, but it has been discontinued. There was a 30 minute elephant ride, that included lunch. Our tablemate George did that one and said itwas a hoot. Although he added that laterin the hot afternoon, the rides were reduced to 15 minutes. The elephants were hot and tired by then. Can’t say we blame them. Panoramic Phuket was mostly a bus ride, andthe transfer to Old Town was not long enough to take in lunch. So we did not book anything here.

But that did not stop us from going off on our own thismorning. Despite the oppressive heat andhumidity, we walked through the gate, and out into the main street that took usto the coastal road. Some of ourpromenade deck buddies on previous trips had told us about some nice hotels inthis area, but we had never ventured past the persistent taxi and van drivers. Today we plowed through the constant offersof rides, because we did want to walk.

Taking a left, we headed uphill, carefully sticking to theside of the road to avoid the cars, trucks, tuk-tuks, and motor scooters. We walked past mini markets, some houses, andsome condo complexes. Eventually, around45 minutes later, we came upon a promising resort by the name of Pullman Hotelsand Resorts, Phuket Panwa Beach Resort. Tiered off the side of the hill, this hotel was gorgeous when we walkedinto the lobby. We sure did not expectthis.

By now it was nearing 11:30am, and perhaps we might be inluck for lunch. Asking the lobbybartender, he directed us to a stairwell that would eventually lead us to thebeach resort. Each floor we reached hada different type of restaurant, all with views of the beach and ocean below. Finally at the lowest level, we entered theBeach Café, and the several pools that were tiered all the way to the sandybeach.

This is where all of the hotel guests were today……either inthe pools, eating, or relaxing poolside. And trust us, these guests did not look like those on theAmsterdam. Young, and younger, andscantily-clad, one of us was in “eye-candy” heaven. Hey, that used to be us not so very longago……. Anyway, there must be someextremely good vacation packages to draw this crowd to Phuket. And we have to add that the staff at thishotel could not have been more accommodating and friendly.

Taking pillow-padded chairs on the patio, we ordered Changbeers, the local-made draft brew. Theglasses were a bit shy of a quart , cold, and life-saving. The best aspect of this hillside property isthat the breeze was blowing in our faces all day. Right after 12pm, a waitressoffered us lunch service, so we ordered a Margherita pizza (350 Baht or $12USD),of course. Most of the sun bathers werehaving the burger special, which we figured cost about $14 USD. That included fries and a soda. Good value for the money we think. The waiterhighly recommended the mango cheesecake, so we shared one. It came not looking like any cheesecake we haveever seen. Layers of crumbled cake, diced mango, filling, then repeated twice,it was presented in a small mason jar. It was topped with a rich creamy whipped cream. By the way, no USD were accepted here, butif we chose, we could have gone to the reception desk area to exchange ourmoney to their baht. The rate was 30baht to $1 USD. And credit cards weregladly taken.

Relaxing for almost 2 hours, we decided that we had bettermove on. We walked down the last twolevels to reach the gentle surf of the beach. There had been three ladies from the ship dining near us (Seaview Poolcompanions we don’t really know). Theyhad made their way into the water, but we saw that even at 100 yards from theshore, they were still only waist-deep. And the water was a muddy shade of aqua green. At this part of the day, we did not know, itwas high tide on a very shallow beachfront shelf. Later when the ship sailed by this cove, thewater line exposed the muddy bottom for ¼ mile it seemed.

On our way back up through the hotel, we inquired about aday pass here. We were informed that for500 baht ($17 USD), you would be allowed to use the pools with Jacuzzis,towels, showers, restrooms, and also get discounts towards food and drinks. Nowthat is a good deal.

Walking back to the pier was even hotter than coming here. No breeze. Good thing it was mostly downhill. Yes, we could have taken a taxi, but part of the adventure is getting inwith the locals and their everyday life. It is the best way to get photos as well. A taxi driver would not stop for us to take apicture of the double-flowering hibiscus, or mixed colors of thebouganvilla.

A “newbie” fellow passenger was on his way up the hill as westrolled back. Asking directions, wetold him where we ended up, and he said that sounded good. But at an intersection, he turned left andwent over a different hill. Later on atthe sail away, he found us to say he located even more nice resorts on thatside. Having beers at several spots,including the Pullman Resort, he was most happy with his walk.

Back on the ship, we washed up, and headed back out for asweep through the pier marketplace. Itlooked different, because we remembered the tents set up on the concrete pier, andnot the weedy field. Probably hassomething to do with security. If youwant some nice souvenirs, this is the place to find them….and at good prices,since the vendors are most happy to bargain. The more you buy, the better they deal. Within ten minutes, we negotiated the purchase of two tops, suitable forcasual dining.

All aboard was 4:30pm, but not everyone was adhering to thattime. We had gone to deck nine to takesome panoramic photos, when the Captain blew the horn unexpectedly. He did this to summon the last of theshoppers getting the last minute deals onshore. They sure came running back quickly with the warning. By the way, they did take USD at thismarket…..happily.

The beating sun was almost unbearable on the Seaviewdeck. It wasn’t until the ship pulledaway from the pier, that we picked up more of a breeze. Captain Mercer mentioned that the heat todaywas oppressive, but we can look forward to a couple of sea days to recover. And we may get some passing showers to coolus down. Fine with us.

At 7pm, we had an invite for another President’s Clubgathering in the Officer’s Bar on deck A. We understand there are about 40 members (including the new inductees)on this voyage right now. Together withour officer hosts, the room was totally full, but hot and noisy. Still fun getting together with this group,it lasted an hour with unlimited beverages through the whole affair. Some canapies were served as well. They do treat us well. Earlier at sail away, we had chatted with ourbuddy Eddie L. Being that he is Chinese,he said who is “Erin”, referring to the person it was suggested on ourinvitation to bring to the party. We believe it was in conjunction with thespecial holiday, because we did not know Erin either. He and Lee did not attend because he saidthey do not drink.

All were present at dinner, but most everyone was beat fromthe heat. Tablemate George seemed tohave the best tour with the elephant ride, while Brenda enjoyed her tour of thebest of Phuket. In line with St.Patrick’s Day, the menu had many old time favorites. One of us had the lamb stew, but it wasminimal, which turned out to be good, since it was not that great. Sharing some linguine noodles that came withthe coq a vin, was even better. Manytried the corned beef, and liked it. Desserts of cherry crumble and cheesecake were a good way to end themeal.

The celebration for St. Patrick’s Day was held in the Crow’sNest at 9am. By the time we finisheddinner, this was over. Although thedining room chairs were draped with beige or green chair covers, the rest ofthe festive decorations were in the Crow’s Nest. Our waiters did look nice intheir green vests and bow ties.

The entertainer this evening was a fellow named SimonCoronel, with an astonishing show from a two-time award winner at the MagicWorld Championships. We take it he was amagician. Since it had been a very busyday, we called it a night after dinner. And to add to that, we put the clocks back one hour. Perfect.

Sure looking forward to a couple of lazy sea days, as wehead due west towards Sri Lanka.

Mary Ann & Bill

That hotel were you had lunch sounds wonderful and the cost of a day pass is great.

Report # 77 Day atSea March 18, 2018 Sunday Partly cloudy & 80 degrees

A lot of people must have thought that today was going to beanother blistering hot one after leaving Phuket yesterday. Yes, it was still humid, but at the Seaview pool,we found there was a nice breeze blowing across the deck. It was totally perfect on the lounges, and wewere almost alone, except for a few dedicated sunbathers. The water in the pool must be either too coldor too hot, because no one was in it until much later in the day. There has been a strange message about theLido pool in the most recent daily newsletters. It states that the mid-ship pool temps havebeen deregulated due to irreparable error. Wondering what that meant, we asked Shiv, the head housekeeper director,if he knew what that meant. He said thatwhen we are sailing in these warmer than normal waters, they cannot cool thepools off. Of course, the heaters areturned off, but with the high temps outside, the pool water never cools down. Guess we will not be doing any swimming soon.

We wonder how many people are doing the new Grand Activities,such as walk a mile, ping pong, name that tune, or trivia? We have heard comments that it is not worth the“dam dimes” (as Brenda puts it) to participate. And people used to complain about earning damdollars. Funny how that got cut so much. Barb says it has taken the fun out of the bigtrivia game. Every player gets 10 cents,even if your team wins or not.

Barbara H gave a talk on things to do and see in Colombo,Sri Lanka. Then a talk continued lateron about the country with Barry Dreyer. Questions concerning our safety have arisen at our dinner table, as someof our tablemates have heard about political unrest as recent as lastwinter. There has been skirmishes inthis country for decades, but most of the problems are in the interior weunderstand. Since there have been nowarnings about the safety factor, we assume this upcoming port is still on theitinerary.

Working on yesterday’s report after a light Lido lunch, weheaded for the library to pick up the daily puzzle and Sudoku. Also needed to exchange a book for a book. Usuallywe stop at the ice cream counter and have single scoop cones. Today the server said all of the ice creamwas soft, because the freezer unit was not working correctly. Thinking it was her fault, we informed herthat this freezer is always breaking, and the ice cream has been soft on everyworld cruise that we can remember. Wethink that made her feel better, because it was not her fault at all.

Then we headed for our favorite spot in the big chairsacross from the Ocean Bar to listen to the band. Just for a few minutes, because we had acocktail party to attend at 7pm. Well afew minutes turned into a couple of hours as we visited with Barb, then Susieand Woody. Not dressed for the party, wechose to spend quality time with our buddies instead. Our hosts stopped to talk to us, and we toldthem not to expect us. There will be another party next month, and we willattend that one.

With only 5 minutes to get ready for dinner, we changed quicklyand went to the dining room. All werepresent, and we were only two or three minutes late. Veal parmigiana was on the menu tonight,served with spaghetti and lots of marinara sauce. The serving portion was large enough for fourpeople, although our waiter Slam tried to find smaller ones. Unless you order half portions, you will getthe big one. Small desserts were inorder.

There was a gal named Lizzie Ball engaging the folks withjazz, folk, bluegrass, and rock music. By the way, she does this playing a violin.

Another half hour went back on the clocks tonight. We will be on New Delhi, India time. The after leaving Sri Lanka, we will get theother half hour back.

One more day at sea, and we are still hoping to see somedolphins. The best we saw today werehundreds of flying fish, but absolutely no birds. Guess we are sailing very far from land now.

Bill & Mary Ann

Your days are amazing. Enjoying each post.

Keith

FYI, only Part 1 of your reports 73, 74, & 75, have been posted on your web page.

Report #78 Day atSea March 19, 2018 Monday Partly cloudy & 85 degrees

Today was pretty much like yesterday, except more overcastin the morning. We would have guessedthat it would rain, since looking out the dining room windows, it appeared dark,and getting darker. Once outside, werealized the tint on the windows made it look grayer than it was. Not only that, it was already hot at 9:30am,and also still very humid. Much less ofa breeze too.

Walking like we usually do was hampered with dealing withsmells from the deck crew who were painting the railings and gutters. Even the wooden railings had been stripped,and were being re-varnished. The strongsmell lingered all day, since there was little wind to take it away. Don’t know how the folks were sitting in thoseteak lounges relaxing or reading. Wewould have been fumigated.

A better bet was going to the pool to see if it was better backthere. It was, and we stayed. Once again, there were only a handful ofpeople out there, and even fewer in the pool. Perhaps they were inside listening to the two lectures on Sri Lanka andSoutheast Asia. Or attending a movie inthe Wajang, which was Kingsman: The Golden Circle. It’s always cool in the theater.

Lunch for us was in the Lido, but very light. We had dinner plans for meeting with Barb,Susie, and Woody in the Pinnacle Grill tonight at 8pm. It was to celebrate Woody’s birthday onceagain, but also to enjoy another special evening with long-time friends. And we all dressed up for it…..mostly becauseit was a gala night. It seemed like wejust sat down, and it was 10:30pm. Always a good sign that we were having such a comfortable and relaxingevening. At dessert time, the girlsbrought over a chocolate mousse cake for Woody’s special day, quietly singinghappy birthday.

There was a show with the singers and dancers, but we hadalready missed half of it. The music waspop artists of the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, which we definitely rememberwell. Probably recall the tunes from the50’s and 60’s better. Those were playedin the Crow’s Nest at 8:45pm. Reallymissed that one.

After dinner, we found that presents had been left forus. They were power sticks, pocketsizesticks to charge phones and small tablets, etc. These may come in handy. It isalways a kick finding these little things waiting for us.

Tomorrow we will be in Sri Lanka, a very different placefrom southeast Asia.

Bill & Mary Ann

Sounds like another enjoyable day at sea.

Keith

FYI, only Part 1 of your reports 73, 74, & 75, have been posted on your web page.

I noticed that as well.

Just got caught up with the last couple of reports.

Very enjoyable reading.

Report # 79 Colombo,Sri Lanka March 20, 2018 Tuesday Mostly sunny & 89 degrees Part # 1 of 4 80 Pictures

The population of the small country of Sri Lanka is21,325,000 people that speak Sinhalese and Tamil. The capital is Colombo, the port of call fortoday. Described as a tropical BuddhistIsland, it is filled with political turmoil. It is a land of sand and cinnamon on a tear-drop shaped island at thetip of India. Another name for Sri Lankain the past was Ceylon. These days weassociate the name Ceylon with tea. Andfor good reason.

The steamy tropical air is the best for growing tea andcinnamon. The interior of the island isdedicated to numerous tea and cinnamon plantations, and both are still processedby hand at many of them. We have visitedeach of these venues a few years ago while exploring the southeast part of theisland, around the bottom, and back to Colombo. Tea leaves were hand-picked by young and older women, and the cinnamonbark was peeled with fine cutting tools by the men trained in the art. Fascinating. Gave us a much better appreciation of both favorite products.

The best time to visit is from December through March,mostly to avoid the southwest monsoons. When it rains here, you know it, as it can be torrential. Last year right before sail away, we saw rainso heavy, we could not see the pier. Wealso had a massive thundercloud pass overhead, with unbelievable lightningstrikes. Even got some photos of thejagged lightning as it nearly struck the ship. Not so this year. It remained hotand sticky all day.

There are a lot of things to do and see in and aroundColombo. Museums, monuments, thecolonial sections of Colombo, palace ruins, and the Dutch colonial buildings inhistoric Galle. Two years ago, we spenta wonderful night at the Amagalla Hotel in Galle, exploring that uniqueisland/fort.

At that time, we had an extended stay in Yala National Parkto see the leopards and other exotic wildlife out of the safari camp. In luxury tents, no less. Would have been a perfect experience had itnot been for the unreal heatwave they were having across the entire island. You have no idea how a tent will heat upduring the day. Even with the help ofoverhead and stand fans, we slept very little. Good thing the staff kept all of us out most of the day and earlyevening in the safari vehicles. We wouldhighly recommend it.

Another interesting, but fun trip, was to see the Temple ofthe Tooth in Kandy. The downside was a mostlong ride in a train to get there, and a heart-stopping bus ride gettingback. Speeding down a narrow two-laneroad, we passed by locals out to dinner by then, and even witnessing familyfuneral ceremonies at roadside restaurants. Seem to remember that the ship had to wait for us to come back thatevening.

Another fun excursion was to see Pinnawela, the elephantorphanage, a three or more hour ride to get there. We had gone on the vintage train the firsttime, and it took even longer, but what a ride. Learning about these wonderful animals, then watching them parade to theriver for a washing was priceless.

What is there to eat here? Try a favorite treat called hoppers, which are pancakes made withfermented rice and coconut milk, with anything you like added to thebatter. The drink of the day is a toddy,a fermented palm sap wine.

Trademarks are Ceylon tea, Tamil Tigers, and cinnamon. It is a spice that Sri Lanka gave the worldsince at least 2000 years ago.

There were 16 tours offered through HAL’s shore excursionstaff. The most expensive was a touroverland to see the Taj Mahal and Jaipur in India. Our tablemate, Brenda, was one of the fewthat booked this 4 day 3 night tour. Itcost from $5500 to $6500 each. Glad wewent to see the Taj Mahal in 2007, because back then, we did it for $1800, witha $400 credit refunded back from our travel agency. We do expect Brenda to come back with lots totell.

The other expensive tour was a flight to Kandy to see theTemple of the Tooth. This tour would setyou back $2000, and took most of the day. Not sure how many signed up for this one.

The rest of the tours were mostly city tours from $40 andup. We have done most of these at leastonce.

We were on our own today, choosing to take the street out ofthe gate to the commercial part of the city and the international hotels. It takes a strong resolve with both of us tonavigate our way through the persistant tuk-tuk drivers, who seldom hear the answer“no thanks” to their ridiculous offers of $1 to $5 a person ride to see thecity. Been there, done that……just wantto take a walk. Unheard of, they say noone walks in this city…..it is too dangerous.

The first hotel we ducked in was the Kingsbury. What a beautiful property. And the best thing is that once you are ontheir property, the tuk-tuk and taxi drivers are not allowed to harassanyone. This is where we ran intofriends Harvey and Barbara, a couple that has had a dining room table close toours over recent years. They shared astory about getting into one of the those tuk-tuks for what they thought was ashort ride to the hotels. Turned out thedriver took them for a ride to places unknown….not where they asked to go. Then he would not stop to let them out,unless they paid lots of money. Frightened, they actually called police for help, refusing to pay thedriver any more money. This is not thefirst time hearing scary stories about these seemingly harmless rides. Some have been taken to their destination,but had to fight over sudden changing prices. Never believe $1 a person will get you very far, because they lie. Sad to say, it is a way of life here, so thatis why we choose to walk instead. Yes,you can negotiate a civilized taxi at the pier, like we saw Captain Mercer, hiswife, and a close friend did this morning. Paying more here can be the wisest choice.

Cooling off in the Kingsbury, we located the patio/pool caféwhere we did find pizza on the menu. However, it was only 10:30am, and way too early for beer. This would be an option later in theafternoon though.

Continuing on, we followed the main road where we passed thecolonial buildings that house the seat of government of the capital. Heavily guarded by armed military, we did getsome good photos of the mid-19th century buildings, now surroundedby towering skyscrapers. Speaking of high rises, more and more are in theprocess of going up in this area. Construction cranes could be seen everywhere welooked.

From the pier area, a massive land reclamation has beenongoing since we have been stopping here over the years. With funds from China, according to thesigns, a most modern complex will be built here eventually. Appeared to be apartments, shopping malls,entertainment, and small boat and yacht harbors…..all on a big scale. We are only guessing, but it looked likecruise ships may have a spot here as well. What an improvement that would be, if we couldbe removed from the commercial zones.

Did we mention that another cruise ship was in port withus? It was Regent’s Seven SeasNavigator, a lovely small ship of 28,550 gross tons. Launched in 1999, it holds from 490 to 530passengers. It is a premium,all-inclusive ship for all cruisers. Wehave had the chance to sail on her several times years past, and found theaccommodations to be most pleasing and spacious. It wasn’t until recently, that this ship hasbegun more world-type voyages. The onlydownside we recall, is that there was one heck of a vibration in the aft areas,which has been addressed in 2009. Theywere docked in a remote pier, that required a shuttle ride to the gate only, wethink. On the front of our dailynewsletter, it was mentioned that due to very strict taxi and tuk-tuk unionorganizations, shuttle bus services were not permitted.

So our hike continued past the Galle Face Green, along theLaccadive Sea. This used to be an areawhere this grassy promenade stretched for ¼ mile, and was used as a horseracing and golf course venue back in 1859. Today, there is only patchy grass with vendors set up along theway. Snack food and drinks are sold, aswell as occasional locals with baskets of cobras or little monkeys you can takephotos of. Naturally, these photos willbe met with a charge or else. We havelearned not to take any as these fellows can be nasty. And the snakes are something to avoid….de-fangedor not. Some of the carts had thepancakes with crab meat or fruit sitting under glass in the hottest het of theday. You would be crazy to sample any ofit. The locals were buying and eating itright on the spot.

At the end of the greens was the famous Galle Face Hotel, ablast from the past. Colonial in nature,it was not the typical modern high rise that will be dotting this coastlinesoon. Going into the marble-clad lobbywas pure pleasure, as the coolness of the air-conditioning hit us in the face. Finding the doors to the outdoor patio, wetook seats on the veranda where a breeze blew from the ocean below. Open-air and overhead fans helped cool usdown. But the large Tiger beers even dida better job. We ordered a ham andcheese panini to share, and it was more than we needed, because it came with apile of seasoned potato chips and a side salad. Guess the pizza will have to wait until the next port.

While we dined, three or more little chipmunks ran acrossthe folded shades and balcony at eye-level. Baiting them with crumbs from the chips, we got some very good close-upphotos of them as they munched away. Butat one point, a crow charged them, and we ended up with the smallest chipmunkon one of our laps. Took both of us bysurprise. And they have sharpclaws. When they started coming tooclose to our heads, we stopped feeding them.

Time to move on, we explored the beach and the groundsaround this hotel. We wonder how timeand the creeping modern facilities will affect the elegance of the past likethis hotel. We spoke to one Britishcouple sitting near us, who were also laughing with the antics of the chipmunks. They were here to re-live their experiencesof vacationing here from England as children. In particular, they were looking for black and white photos depictingthe hotel back in the old colonial days. They would have loved visiting the Amsterdam, where those very black andwhite pictures line our hallways on most passenger decks.

Walking back was not so bad regarding the heat. A nice breeze had appeared at our backs, ascould be seen by the kites that were being flown from the grass of Galle FaceGreen. By the way, there is no swimminghere, as there are signs that say to stay out of the water due to poisonousspecies. Due to amount of garbage we sawat one end, pollution may be extremely bad here too.

We survived the many “touts”, well dressed fellows who willtry to sell you a ride to see the elephant procession that may or may not betaking place at the Gangaramaya temple nearby. We have been advised not to believe any of them, so we don’t. The pressure is not so bad going back,because they know the ship would be leaving after 5:30pm.

Having a little bit of rupee left, we walked quickly throughthe marketplace at the pier. The changewe got at the hotel was equal to 78 cents USD (120 rupee), so it would not purchasemuch, if anything. Adding one dollar, wegot a satin pill case. Finding one moresilky top for dinner wear was a deal at $5. The vendors were most happy to take the US dollars as long as they werefairly new and not ripped. Can’t blamethem, as the local banks will not accept ripped or old money. Their wood carvings were nice, but thevendors were asking way too much. Goodthing, because we have run out of room at home for any of it.

The sail away was shortly after 6pm. It was interesting watching the cranes loadingor off-loading containers of the ship behind us. This goes on day and night here, as Colombois probably the largest port in the island. The best thing was watching a couple of raptors flying overhead.

Dinner came and found six of us there. Two were missing, and we were done by9:30pm. The clocks went back ½ hourwhich was nice.

By the way, we have run into problems posting photos. But it is being worked on, and we hope to beback to normal soon.

Bill & Mary Ann

That must have been very scary for your friends.

We would do the same -- walk or negotiate for a taxi at the pier.

Great report.

Can wait for the pictures -- hope you find out why they aren't taking.

Report # 80 Day atSea March 21, 2018 Wednesday Partly cloudy & 85 degrees

A day at sea is just what we all needed. It was obvious that many folks slept laterthis morning, because the dining room was half empty. Perhaps some were at the 50% off HAL apparelsale in the Lido dome at 9am. Or at theCoffee chat with Hamish, who was interviewing the entertainer from lastnight. His name was Craig Richard, a saxplayer who has toured with Kenny G.

Kate Ross, a new lecturer, talked about Sinhalese Kings ofSri Lanka, still interesting history even though we have left the country. Out of Africa was the topic for the afternoonspeaker, Barry Dreyer. We shall be inthe first port of Africa very soon.

Barbara H did a change of talks, and switched to a lesson onsari tying. Every year when we approachIndia, she always has flyers at her desk with directions on how to wrapyourself up in the 6 meters of fabric. Sincethis evening was switched to an Indian Theme Dinner, she felt the ladies wouldneed some extra hints. Also, she passedout some 400 safety pins to keep the ladies “together”. Unraveling at the table would not be such agreat experience. We have seen ithappen.

It took some of the morning, and part of the afternoon tocatch up on yesterday’s photos. For someunknown reason, the photos are unable to be sent to the site we have beenusing. Our son is trying to figure itout as we write. In the meantime, westill are maintaining all the info and pictures, and will resume if it ispossible.

Today, the waters were almost like waves of satin. Not a whitecap to be seen any way youlooked. Going to our spot on deck eight,we found it was very warm, but there was also a nice breeze blowing across thedecks. Most people had not moved backthis far, so chose not to go out at all. This particular voyage has found the smallest amount of true sunbatherswe have ever seen. Not that we arecomplaining, because when the Panama Canal cruise begins, there will not be anempty lounge out here.

Lunch for us was in our room with a Dive In burger and onehot dog at 3pm. There was no waiting forthe order either, since few people were ordering food by then. Also a good time to start a movie we canfinish later. We still have to ask whythe movies are being repeated since January. There was supposed to be a new set delivered in Hong Kong, but it musthave gotten lost.

Since tonight was “sari night”, we set out to see how manypeople would adhere to the dress code. Afew days ago, we got a message saying that this theme dinner was moved forward. Originally the Indian Dinner was a galanight, as it always has been. Guess weall assumed that March 19th remained a classic gala night, that thisevening would also be gala or formal. Not so, as the dress code was smart casual. For us, it was not going to happen, becausethe sari we brought was jeweled and very formal. Not one man was dressed “formally” tonight tomatch any Indian dress for the ladies. So for us, we skipped it, and attended thedinner in smart casual clothes. The onesbest dressed tonight? All of the waitersin Nehru shirts, and the head waiters in satin brocade jackets to theirknees. They looked great, but were souncomfortable as they were hot. The shiphas been having some problems with cool air distribution since day one inFlorida. With the extra mood lights andthe window curtains closed, the dining room was really warm on top of it. The multi-colored lights were so bright, thatBarb had to get her sunglasses to cut the glare. We teased her saying she looked like AudreyHepburn, the actress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. All she needed was the long cigarette andwhite gloves. Actually, we think sheliked the comparison.

Dinner choices were mostly Sri Lankan/Indian with manyspices we are not really fond of. Goodthing they had a strip sirloin steak on the menu. Barb, who mainly eats the fish entree, saidthey have not been the best choices. Weall sampled one of the dessert items, that was made from mung beans, palm sugar,and sweet condensed milk. It resembledpudding with lumps, but tasted gritty and overly sweet. Our waiter Slam had said the same thing. Guess it is an acquired taste. Better choices were the strawberry shortcakeand biscotti ice cream.

The performer this evening was Lizzie Ball, the violinist…backwith an all new show.

Walking on the lower promenade deck after dinner, we found thatthe pirate measures were back in place. Kind of expected this to happen as we are sailing in some dangerouswaters once again. This was confirmedwhen we got back to our room to find a letter explaining our current position inthe Indian Ocean. More security guardshave been brought on as extras, and we have a new head security officernow. He is “Copper John” from Cruise Criticfame. He often follows the blogs withHAL, and frequently chimes in with some expert information. Correct information. He had been assigned to our table on the lastgala night, but missed us because we were in the Pinnacle Grill thatnight. Meeting him finally today in theLido, he promised he would come back again and join us on another galanight. We look forward to it.

Bill & Mary Ann

Singapore!! I must agree that it is in a class by itself in Asia. I have great memories of the wonderful food stalls. You can eat everywhere and not worry about getting sick. YUM

Report #81 Day atSea March 22, 2018 Thursday Partly cloudy & 84 degrees

Today marked the third time the Amsterdam has crossed themighty Equator around 1pm this afternoon. This time we are heading southwest in the Indian Ocean towards theislands of the Seychelles, truly a paradise from what we recall. Usually when the ship crosses the line, thereis a celebration to assure safe passage by all. Guess King Neptune was asleep for the third time, because we will nothave the wild and crazy ceremony until we cross it for the fourth time on ourway back to Florida next month.

We have to say that the seas have been tame, smooth as silk,without swells or whitecaps. We arestill on the lookout for sea life, but have had no luck. It could have been our imagination, but wespotted one white bird today, flying over the ship. It picked up the strong breeze and was gonein a flash. It may have been a tern oreven a tropicbird. Captain Mercer didmention that we were within 400 miles of the Maldives, so perhaps a bird couldventure out this far. Who knows?

While talks were on going about the next port in theSeychelles, and the America’s Test Kitchen was cooking flavors of the Med, wehad gone to the Seaview Pool. The wateris beginning to look murky, not exactly the way we like it. And there still must be problems with thetemperature, since the error notice is still in effect. Best to use the showers instead. Just about when we got situated on thelounges, the ship sailed under a very black cloud. Without warning, it began to rainlightly. That turned to driving rain,that about flooded the decking in seconds. To tell the truth, it felt wonderful. We had enough spare towels to cover our heads and the beach bag full ofbooks. By the time the rest of thesunbathers ran for cover, the cloud was behind us. The sun came out, and the deck wassteaming. This is typical equatorialrain showers, and to be expected. Thiswent on later in the afternoon into the evening.

Guest speaker Kate Ross has switched to talks about theMughal Empire and the Taj Mahal. Tablemate Brenda should have made her visit to the Taj Mahal, and betouring Jaipur tomorrow. We really missher, and look forward to her return in the Seychelles. Barry Dreyer,the other lecturer, spoke about the Indian Ocean, the body of water that covers25% of the world’s ocean’s water. If we heard correctly, Captain Jonathon saidthe sea temperature was 86 degrees today – about the same as the air temps. It is no wonder that they are having troublekeeping the ship cool in all the zones.

A good place to stay cool was in the Wajang Theater watchingthe movie of the day – The Commuter. There are three movie times, 3pm, 6pm, ad again at 9pm. It is a nice substitute for those who don’tgo to the Queen’s Lounge entertainment.

Dinner time has been a mixed bag when it comes to menuchoices. Some evenings there are fourthings that may tempt us. Other nights,it is difficult to find one favorite. Oneof us ordered the meatloaf, and the other a Caesar chicken salad, even if itwas not on the menu as such. The chefsare most accommodating when it comes to customizing an entrée. We both agreed that the appetizer of breadedand fried cheddar cheese was tasty. Anddesserts of no sugar added coffee fudge ice cream and an apple tart were a goodending to the meal.

We did not need to attend the show tonight, because we heardthe entire practice of the Jukebox Rogues around 4pm. Good songs and powerful voices made a rousingperformance for sure.

Walking outside after dinner, we found the deck to betotally in the darkness, except for lights in the bow and aft sections. Being out in the middle of the Indian Ocean,seemingly all alone, is a sobering feeling. The plus side of few lights is that the stars were shining brightly,something we rarely see that well with the lights on.

One more hour went back on the clocks tonight. Up until this change, we were exactly 12hours ahead of Pacific Daylight Savings Time. Whatever the difference, we are always glad to take the extra hour ofsleep. The crew agrees as well.

Another day at sea was promised to be about the same astoday.

Bill & Mary Ann