John and Diane's Amazing Adventure - Part III

[wiggle woo]

As many have said thank you for your observations and commentary re shipboard life on a 115 day World journey...FANTASTIC

 

I hope you will make comment and compare now you have completed 3 World journeys!!! Is there a forth in you.

 

Can you let us know if you did miss not having a balcony cabin.

 

Thanks again and enjoy being home...who's going to cook?

 

Ciao

[kazu]

Just another thank you from another one who has enjoyed cruising vicariously through you and truly enjoyed your blog. Thanks so much for taking the time to take us along. Well written. Well done:D Welcome Home:D

[Flyingfish]

Another wonderful sailing with you both! Thanks so much! Wishing you a safe trip home and looking forward to hearing from you again.

[Johnny B]

April 28 – Day – no more days

Ft. Lauderdale – where it all began

 

And so it ends – at least for now. We had a wonderful last day and evening. The evening of the 26th was the last formal night, and it had a bittersweet feeling to it. Dinner (wonderful, as always) was followed by the Black and Gold Masquerade Ball in the Queen’s Lounge. These kinds of dances seem to follow the same pattern – the music begins at a point where my parents would complain it was too old, and as the dance continues, it gets better – to where my parents would complain that it was too modern.

 

After the ball we headed up to the Crow’s Nest and ended up dancing (how can you NOT dance to “Old Time Rock and Roll”? ) We sat with friends and chatted until way too late, but we got another hour back on the clock – the last one – and slept like the dead.

 

Yesterday morning was the “Crew Farewell” in the Queen’s Room. Having attended these functions twice before, we knew to bring Kleenex. Bruce, our Cruise Director, was the host, and he began by going over some disembarkation information, punctuated by some very funny photos. For example, Bruce’s packing tip was, “No, you may NOT pack your room steward and take him home, illustrated by a photo of a room steward trying to fit into a suitcase.

 

After the practical (and funny) introduction, Bruce began by having crew members from various countries come in holding their national flags. He then introduced crew members from all the departments on the ship and continued doing so until the stage was jam packed with crew members and officers. Then the “farewell video” was shown, with scenes of every department with members doing silly things. The funniest was of Peter Wallis, the Purser (whom we call “Peter Purser, of course). It showed a sign on his office door which said “Pay Day.” The next scene showed him counting out cash for Adele, the Hostess. The camera then focused in and we were able to see that he was paying her in “Dam Dollars.” Everyone was laughing and crying at the same time – it was so sad to say goodbye. At least they consoled us with Champagne and mimosas.

 

The Lido lunch yesterday was quite wonderful. In the hors d’oeurves section, it looked like they had emptied the shellfish freezer and were treating us with the results. There were prawns both with and without shells, oysters, crab legs, lobster tails (really) and lobster “medallions,” or slices of large lobster tails. As you can imagine, the response was enthusiastic and the queue was long. That was pretty much all I had for lunch – excepting the oysters, of which I’m not a fan.

 

We had to be ready early last night, because Carol and Jim in the penthouse had invited us (and about 25 of their other friends) for a “bring your leftover open bottles” party. We’ve only been to a party in the penthouse once before, during the 2008 cruise, but this one was much nicer. It was great to hug, exchange information, and say goodbye to some of the friends we’ve met on this cruise. If you’re reading, Carol, thanks for the great way to end the cruise – and we apologize that we didn’t help more in eating all the wonderful food you provided.

We left the party early because Michael Feinstein was doing one show at 7:00. We snuck in a little late and sat with Paula and Neal, watching the “Q & A at the Piano” that was in progress. After observing Mr. Feinstein in performance and then in the Crow’s Nest, I find the difference remarkable. He is extremely comfortable on stage, whether playing, singing, or answering questions. In the Crow’s Nest, he sits in the midst of his friends and says very little. Paula, who has spoken with Michael and his partner about the possibility of a duet, says he’s very shy unless he’s on stage.

 

After a melancholy last dinner with our little band of warriors, we headed up to the Crow’s Nest for what we thought would be a brief time – which turned out to be two hours. First we chatted with Barbie and Ellen Bethel, then Paula and Neal came and sat with us, and then, most entertainingly, Michael’s event planner’s partner Mattie came and sat with us. That guy could talk to a tin can. He is funny and entertaining, and we heard some great stories about all kinds of things that I really shouldn’t write about in this blog. All told, it was a great last night and we did at last hit the pillows at midnight.

 

This morning was, of course, anti-climactic. We got up, showered, had breakfast in our usual area at the Lido, and then sat around and waited for “Lime – 3” to be called for our disembarkation. We’re now at Ft. Lauderdale Airport, waiting for our flight to Houston (and then to SFO and then to San Luis Obispo) to take off, and it will be very good to get home. It was a wonderful cruise, but, as they say, all good things must come to an end, and this was a very good thing.

 

We’ll finish up with one more entry when we get home – probably tomorrow. Stay tuned.

[ger_77]

I can't believe that over 100 days have passed already - thank you for making them go so quickly! A question for you - how can you not spend most of the last day in tears? I'm such a softie that I hate to see things come to an end; I'd be carrying a hankie around with me everywhere for the last 24 hours.

 

I wish there was a "like" button here, as I would simply "like" the posts from others thanking you for the time invested, the money invested on internet, and the wonderful experience you have given us through your travels. Best wishes to you in the future and your next cruise of a lifetime!

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

Gerry

[kazu]

Sounds like you ended your cruise with a bang:D How nice:) Safe travels to you both and welcome home:D

[euro cruiser]

I've enjoyed following along with you, thank you for sharing.

[kimgeo]

My hubbie and I have totally enjoyed all your posts about this fantastic trip. We really appreciate your time and expense on this project.

[trikeman]

I'd like to thank you for a most enjoyable trip once again. I hope to do this cruise one day but, If I can't at least I'll know what I could have seen. Thanks again.

[Johnny B]

Arrived home in SLO about 8:15 last night (3 hours time difference), picked up at airport by good friend, drove home, had a glass of wine (or two), etc. And, this a.m. up at 5:30, and by 7:00 working in the yard! After trip to Trader's Joe's, my brother brought us all our mail for the last 4 months! Still in the process of going through everything, but no big surprises. Wine and neighborhood gossip with friends later in the day--it's amazing how fast one returns to daily routines. Forgot to mention that I (John), had to make the bed this a.m.--last person up, etc. We're waiting for our luggage to appear so we can make the final adjustment, but, even though it was a wonderful cruise, it is great to be home!

[Aussie Gal]

Diane and John,

 

So glad that you arrived home safely and were still able to enjoy a glass of wine before going to bed. I cannot believe how early you got up this morning!

 

I am always amazed how once you walk inside your front door, everything is back to normal and the holiday just seems to be a dream. We returned home yesterday after a week away in Queensland and once we came home, life just returned to normal.

 

Still you have the wonderful memories, the great photos and of course another World Cruise to look forward to in 2 years time. Thanks again for taking us along with you both.

 

Jennie

[newfarmers]

March 16 – Chiang Mai

 

It’s not every day that a person can enter three countries within 10 minutes, but if you’re at the Golden Triangle, it’s no problem. That’s at the far northern end of Thailand, where Laos, Burma (Myanmar), and Thailand meet, and that’s one of the things we did today.

 

We asked for a tour of Chiang Rai (Shang Rye), and what we got was a 13-hour day, with stops at some of the most amazing places. We began at 7:00 this morning, and headed out of Chiang Mai (Shang My), with our first stop at a natural hot spring which had been commercialized as much as possible. They even had local ladies selling baskets of eggs (both chicken and smaller birds) so that you could put them in the hot spring and boil them. We took a pass there, but took off our shoes and soaked our feet before continuing on.

 

Stop number two was absolutely fantastic. It’s called “The White Temple,” and by golly it certainly is. While the Thai King has decreed that Thailand has enough temples and that government money should go to other things like schools, private individuals are welcome to build temples, and that’s just what the artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, a devout Buddhist with a vast fortune, is doing. This temple, however, is unique. It looks like a cross between a snow carnival and Disneyland, with parts of the temple and its associated buildings complete with fantastical designs and most parts decorated with pieces of mirror. It is truly the most unusual place of worship I’ve ever seen. Take a look at it online if you get a chance.

 

We continued on through Chaing Rai to Mae Sai, at the border of Thailand and Burma. This place is amazing. There was a half-mile line of cars waiting to cross the bridge into Burma and people coming and going in both directions. Because this is a big trading area, there are shops for absolutely everything – and some of it is actually real (but not much). Had we wanted sunglasses, we had our choice of Gucci, Prada, or many other brands – for about $2.00. Because there are so many Chinese goods sold here, our guide said that instead of The Golden Triangle, many Thais call it “The Golden Quadrangle” – including China in the mix. He also referred to China as “Mother China” because it has so much influence in the area.

 

After lunch (with more “burn your lips off” fish soup), we drove to the actual Golden Triangle, where we could take one photo which encompassed Thailand, Burma, and Laos. A 10-minute boat ride takes you across the river, stopping at a little island to put a foot in Burma and then across to Laos – total cost $15.00.

 

On the way back, we drove to Chiang Saen, the old northern capital (before Chiang Rai) and walked through the ruins of another Cambodian-style temple, and then watched four monks try to figure out a chain saw.

 

It was finally time to go home, but “home” was four hours away, so even though we finished our sightseeing at 4:00, we didn’t get home until 8:00. On the way, our one stop was at an outdoor restaurant called “Cabbages and Condoms.” Yes, you read that correctly. There are actually several of them throughout Thailand, and they are run by a non-profit group that contributes all profits to feeding the hungry and educating healthy lifestyles (hence the “condom” in the name).

 

Once we got home, it was a quick dinner and a beer at the lovely restaurant around the pool and then to an early bed. Tomorrow’s activities don’t require us to be picked up until 8:00, so we feel like we get to sleep in. Also, tomorrow involves an elephant safari, which was #1 on my list of activities for Thailand, so I really can’t wait!

 

Finally catching up with your reports and I get to this one, and, it's pretty much exactly the same itinerary as our three day Intrepid tour we took from Chiang Mai that left on March 20! Our only additions were a visit to an Elephant Training camp and to a hill town called Doi Mae Salong where we overnighted.

 

Very jealous of you both and of course Bill and Mary-Anne as well.

 

One day ...:)

[Monsoonalblue]

Many thanks, have thoroughly enjoyed your blog.

[innlady1]

Welcome home and have thoroughly enjoyed your blog!

[alsas]

It is amazing how quick it is to settle back down to the real world. We were in our home at 5:00pm Sat. and all settled by this morning. Luggage tracking still in Florida I am not quite ready to unpack. It was wonderful seeing you and all the friends we have met through the years. Hopefully see you next year.

[earl_m]

Welcome Home!!! Thank you for sharing your cruise with us!!

[jdrblue]

Glad you made it home safely. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.

[Johnny B]

May 1

At Home

 

 

First of all, thank you all so much for your kind comments about our blog. At 25 cents a minute, we just gave a quick glance at comments as we posted each day, so it’s lovely to be home when internet is unlimited and we can actually read what you’ve written. If there are things you have asked and we didn’t answer, please ask again, and we’ll be sure to answer.

 

When we planned our first world cruise, we decided that we were really bad at journals, but if we pledged online, in a public forum,that we would write a blog, we would probably follow through. That’s exactly what has happened for three world cruises.

 

We talked about this today and decided that of 2008, 2010, and 2012, we enjoyed them in that order. 2008 was wonderful because it was our first, and everything was absolutely wonderful. We had overland tours to three places we had long waited to visit: Angkor Wat in Cambodia, India, and Egypt. The weather was absolutely wonderful (almost) throughout and we thought we had died and gone to heaven. We had a great group of friends and met even more throughout the cruise.

 

WC #2 was wonderful in its own way. At the end of the first cruise, we said that we would never sail eastbound, because that would mean that we had to turn the clocks ahead an hour every four days or so. However, it did offer places that we had never visited, so we eventually signed on. It included several Asian ports, including four in Japan, three in China, one in Korea, and one in Siberia. We also went on three overlands: an African game reserve, the Li River and the Terra Cotta Warriors, and Machu Picchu. We nearly froze in Antarctica and Siberia, but it was a wonderful experience.

 

This year’s cruise had good and bad points. We repeated Antarctica, got stuck in Punta Arenas, Chile, waiting out a Pacific storm, DID get to Easter Island, and we saw other wonderful places including Komodo with its dragons, a place I’ve wanted to visit since fifth grade. Best of all, we had the opportunity to spend time with our wonderful exchange daughters, Giorgia in Naples and Francoise in Barcelona.

 

So, all told, they were all wonderful experiences, and it’s hard to compare them. Will we do another? We really don’t know. We just cancelled our 2013 reservation, but to balance it out, we booked (a verandah) for 2014. Did we miss the verandah? Oh, yes. We missed it even more because we were on Deck 2, just below Deck 3 where everyone walks, some quietly and some like they are wearing combat boots. In addition, the crew begins moving furniture and hosing down the deck at about 5:00 AM. The nicest thing about being home is the quiet, since we live out in the countryside. If we can’t have a verandah, we’ll book a cabin on Deck 1 – for the quiet.

 

Thanks for sharing with us -- Diane

 

John now writing: I think Diane summed up everything very nicely, and we are pretty much in agreement on which WC we preferred and why. Hopefully we can go on another WC in the future, but,, if not, we have been so blessed to visit some of the most intriguing places on this planet, and to meet some wonderful people in the process.

 

Our friends always ask us, What was your favorite place or best experience?” so here are my top ten.

 

1. Meeting our exchange daughters, Giorgia and her family in Naples, and Francoise and her sister, Laura, in Barcelona, and earlier their fellow exchange student friend, Beat, in Bangkok. Connecting with these wonderful students was, for me, the highlight of our trip.

2. Easter Island!!! Because of the bad seas, we almost didn’t make it, but the skills of the captain and his crew provided one the most memorable days for most of the ship’s passengers.

3. Antarctica: no photo will ever capture its beauty.

4. Thailand: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket just made us want to come back for another visit.

5. Cairns, Australia. Besides the Great Barrier Reef, there is so much to see here: everything from rain forests to rivers full of crocs.

6. Seville (from the port of Cadiz). Wonderful city with narrow streets and Moorish architecture.

7. Taormina, Sicily. The Greco-Roman arena is the main tourist attraction here, but the entire place requires a second visit.

8. Funchal, Madeira. A beautiful island off the coast of North Africa which so much reminds us of Southern California. Friendly people and great seafood.

9. Rio de Janeiro. One of the most beautiful settings in the world. Sugar Loaf, Copacabana, Corcovado and churrasco (to eat) were among the highlights.

10. India. We visited three ports: Bangalore, Goa, and Mumbai, and it would take pages to describe the differences between the three, but India is, even with all its poverty, just so magical and captivating that I can’t wait to return again.

 

Of course, Buenos Aires, Hong Kong, Komodo Island, and the Falklands, among other ports, have left us with wonderful memories, and I soon hope to post some of our photos. Stay tuned and thanks for joining us on this journey.

[Johnny B]

Tbd

[localady]

I just want to thank you both again for taking the time (and money:eek:) to post this World Cruise report. :D

Many of us looked forward to it daily, anticipating your next great adventure or experience. (Who knew some of the best snorkeling is in Egypt.)

Thank you, it was a wonderful read and so very generous.

 

P.S. I do so hope that your futures hold another World Cruise and that you are again so exceedingly kind as to give us a glimpse. ;)

[bcnvcanada]

Thank you for taking the time and posting. We enjoyed it so much. You post were very honest and help us make some choices. Again, thanks.

[CtheW0rld]

Another thanks here. I looked forward to each and every entry. It was great of you both to take us along.

 

Just a tip about deck one - i had one on that deck once (forget which ship, but i was pretty far forward). There are some storage areas for provisions where i could hear rolling carts and banging noises. The engine/thruster noise is much more pronounced, also.

[eyekos]

Hi John and Diane,

I was on the World Cruise this year but just did the segment from Sydney to Mumbai and while onboard I bought a watercolor painting at the silent art auction (benefit for the Orphanage in Sri Lanka). The artist was Susie Woodworth. I recall you mentioning a "Susie" in your blogs. Do you happen to know her? I was sorry that I was not able to find out who she was because she did a fantastic job on the painting....a very talented lady!!

 

I also enjoyed reading your blog, before our cruise and then when we got home!

Thanks,

Alexandra

[Johnny B]

Thanks for buying Susie's watercolor. She has been taking the watercolor classes during the 2008, 2010, and 2012 cruises and has done nothing but improve. She paints birthday cards for friends with birthdays on board and she spends a great deal of time working on it. I'll forward your comment to her; I'm sure it will mean a lot.

[KirkNC]

Thank you for taking the time and expense to do your blog. We hope to do a world cruise some day but even if we don't I took tons of notes on your experiences so when we visit those ports we will be better prepared. Welcome home and if/when you do another WC we will be there to follow you. Take care.