Rare WCB Posted January 7, 2010 #1 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Report # 1 January 6, 2010 Wednesday Well, here we are once again, preparing to embark on another adventure.......this time with a complete 70 day circumnavigation around South America! Even though we accomplished this trip with Radisson (now Regent) in 2003, this cruise will include an exciting visit to Antarctica and a 1000 mile jaunt up the mighty Amazon River. But, let's backtrack a bit. While on the 2009 world cruise, we decided to switch to the Prinsendam's South America voyage mainly because of its appealing itinerary. And besides, the Amsterdam's 2010 world cruise was, in our humble opinion, going in the wrong direction.....eastbound. That results in losing an hour every couple of days. No, that's not for us this time. With the deposits and balance of the trip paid, our next hurdle was to obtain our Brazilian visas, the only one we needed. For some unknown reason, Brazil just did not seem to welcome most foreign travelers with open arms in November. We were informed that the consulate was limiting visa processing, which inturn, backed things up. So, to add insult to injury, they requested more money to speed up the visas by sending them to Amsterdam, Holland. Go figure! Long story short, ours were issued in San Francisco, the original plan, and no, we were not refunded a dime. This is what we call RECIPROCITY. One good thing, however, is the fact that our visas are good for five years. Booking tours was way easier and more enjoyable. Since we have visited some of these ports numerous times in the past, we decided to hike through the towns, and taste some of the local cuisine and beer. We figured there are about 12 of these ports. Then we booked some HAL tours, and the rest with our travel agency's group. We will have super hosts, Henk and Lucia, who are a ton of fun. Between the three venues, we're really looking forward to seeing South America in style! With the whirlwind of the holidays behind us, reality hit when we packed our four very large duffel bags to the brim. What was really nice was the fact that our luggage had no size or weight limit. Good deal! They were picked up by the Fed Ex girl yesterday, January 5th, exactly at the 2 pm requested time. She was quite happy to have some help with lifting those bags! We tracked the numbers on the duffels, and they are waiting to be flown out of Oakland, California, tomorrow to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Once there, they will be stored until the start of the cruise on January 13th. If we are lucky, the next time we see the duffels will be in our cabin on the ship. Oh yes, we have adopted a new job.....we are going to be the leaders of the Cruise Critic group for this trip. At the time our friends Dorothy and George told us they had to postpone their cruise until 2011, the group consisted of 20 members. It has since grown to a whopping 42!! So we should have some exciting meetings and lunches for sure. All that's left now, is to wrap up things at home, cross the T's and dot the I's, and voila, we are free to go, which is January 12. We have a non-stop flight from San Francisco to Miami, which we hope will be a "pain-free" flight, and an overnite in "freezing" Ft. Lauderdale, Florida! To be continued............... Bill and Mary Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Druke I Posted January 7, 2010 #2 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Have a good trip. Look forward to your future posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flyingfish Posted January 7, 2010 #3 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Good to see you two back and traveling once again. Happy sailing, I'll be along... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judithbiggs Posted January 7, 2010 #4 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Have a safe and super trip. I will be looking forward to your reports. Say hi to Henk and Lucia for me. Judy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruzin Terri Posted January 8, 2010 #5 Share Posted January 8, 2010 I am looking forward to reading your posts and sharing your adventures. Thanks for taking us along. Terri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ger_77 Posted January 8, 2010 #6 Share Posted January 8, 2010 I'm so excited for you! Bon Voyage, safe trip and most of all, . . . Smooth Sailing! :):):) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthC Posted January 8, 2010 #7 Share Posted January 8, 2010 You're taking one of the two cruises I drool over. So glad you are graciously taking us along. Looking forward to hanging on your every word. Have a grand time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchByAssociation Posted January 8, 2010 #8 Share Posted January 8, 2010 You're taking one of the two cruises I drool over. So glad you are graciously taking us along. Looking forward to hanging on your every word. Have a grand time. And just think... at the end of the cruise they'll have had a total of 140 chocolates :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Essiesmom Posted January 8, 2010 #9 Share Posted January 8, 2010 I envy you the Amazon portion...that is one of my favorite parts of the world. EM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candbgirl Posted January 8, 2010 #10 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Oh yay! This winter just keeps getting better and better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nancyquilts Posted January 8, 2010 #11 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Thanks for bring us along. We did this most of this cruise - past Antarctica and getting off in Buenos Aires several years ago. There's nothing in this world like Antarctica, and I'm longing to hear about all the ports again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthC Posted January 8, 2010 #12 Share Posted January 8, 2010 And just think... at the end of the cruise they'll have had a total of 140 chocolates :D That settles it! This cruise is on my "to do" list for certain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkathi Posted January 8, 2010 #13 Share Posted January 8, 2010 So glad to read that you are travelling again. I relly enjoyed reading about your cruise last year. It is such an ideal way to get through the bleak, cold winter. Kathi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvcruisn' Posted January 8, 2010 #14 Share Posted January 8, 2010 I got off of the Prinsendam Amazon cruise this past December. I'll be interested to hear how the Prinsendam has changed with the addition of her new cabins, and especially, how the aft pool is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjbear Posted January 9, 2010 #15 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Like Ruth, this is one I'm also drooling over. I'll be following every "word" of the way, thanks for taking us with you. Have a wonderful cruise!! :D Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsltg Posted January 9, 2010 #16 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Bon Voyage! I am looking forward to living vicariously through you once again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larsenbiz Posted January 9, 2010 #17 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Here's to safe and wonderful travels. I'm looking forward to reading about the trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scopewest Posted January 9, 2010 #18 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Looking forward to your posts, thanks so much for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbhcw Posted January 9, 2010 #19 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Thanks for taking us along again:):):) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cccole Posted January 9, 2010 #20 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Can't wait for this year's adventure. Thank you for taking us along. I know you may not have time to respond to this question until your return, but I am wondering how you choose your cabin for such a long cruise. Do you just take what is available or do you select a particular cabin or area of the ship? Bon Voyage!!! Cherie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare WCB Posted January 10, 2010 Author #21 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Hi Cherie, Yes, we do pick our cabin. On a longer cruise such as this one, we book over a year in advance. We chose the location for the most stabilized sailing, which is generally the bottom deck, center ship. That is what we picked for this South America cruise, because the seas can be quite rough around the Cape. On a world cruise, we usually pick a veranda cabin because of the warmer weather. So it really depends on where you are going as to where you choose a cabin. However, the "upgrade fairy" may have a better choice for us towards the beginning of the trip, since we leave ourselves open for a free upgrade. You never know...... Bill & Mary Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plannermargy Posted January 10, 2010 #22 Share Posted January 10, 2010 The bags have been picked up, the goodbye parties are in full swing, and we can't wait to see you. Antarctica can't be any colder than it is in Florida right now, so bring it on! Margaret:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catl331 Posted January 10, 2010 #23 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Sure is cold here with heavy wind. A little warmer in Ft. Laud. I guess. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisFran Posted January 10, 2010 #24 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Another great adventure!! Really loved reading about your world cruise last year. It's something I know I will never do, but truly feel you, let us all, live it, vicariously, through you! Thanks so much for sharing!! Safe journey!! Enjoy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cccole Posted January 11, 2010 #25 Share Posted January 11, 2010 Hi, Thank you for the reply. I always like the aft balconies so that I can watch the wake and moon at night. As you mentioned, this location could be an issue when cruising in rough seas. You are probably already in Florida (maybe making a trip to Total Wine?!) and I hope everything goes great for your departure. Looking forward to the adventures!!!!! Cherie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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