Discover 7 Continents with Bill & Mary Ann as we sail on the 2012 World Cruise

[WCB]

Report # 121 April 21, 2012 Saturday Day at Sea # 1

 

Last night, we started our seven day journey across the Atlantic Ocean. The Captain said that these are the most-traveled waters in the world, but we sure do not see any signs of ships on the horizon. Not to worry, however, because during this crossing we shall participate in the AMVER reporting system. It stands for Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue system that is used worldwide by the US Coast Guard to promote the safety of life and property at sea. If needed, search and rescue authorities with the information on vessels in the vicinity, will respond to the distressed ship. Good to know.

 

The usual activities were happening onboard, but we think the majority of passengers are in the packing mode, at least part of the day. The explorations speakers gave lectures on raiders of the high seas and the rum trade, Captain Bligh and the Mutiny on the Bounty. Gosh, it seems like ages ago that we sailed in those very waters. The HAL Chorale group has been practicing for the final passenger talent show, held sometime at the end of the week.

 

Since we are heading southwest, the temperatures have risen a bit, and the coolness in the breeze is gone. That gave us some sunning time at the aft pool. Even if it wasn't swimsuit weather quite yet, it was pleasant. There were a few sprinkles, but nothing big. Just wait until the re-positioning cruise, this back deck will be solid with sunbathers we suspect.

 

An older movie, The World Is Not Enough, entertained us in the late afternoon. You can never get enough of James Bond action.

 

We had no company last night at dinnertime, only the nine of us, including Tom M. He had a very nice silk shirt made in Hong Kong and was pleased to show it off. We all laughed when he said he had matching shorts made, since no one will ever see those.

 

Our evening meals have been working out well. Our waiter, Firman, lets us be as creative as we wish. For instance, if we don't like the appetizers, we can ask for a small portion of a good entree. Some evenings, there are no good choices of entrees for us, so we have a Caesar salad with perhaps a sliced grilled chicken breast. If we don't like brussel spouts, we can order whatever is offered with the other entrees. Mashed, baked, fried, or twice-baked potatoes are always somewhere on the menu. The soups have been particularily good this year. It will be interesting to see how much the menus will change on the following cruise. They always do. If we were smart, and they offered it, we would do well to order the "diet" plate to get us ready for home! That will come soon enough.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

 

PS The clocks went back one hour, of course.

[Harley57]

Mary Ann and Bill. I have once again thoroughly enjoyed following your travels. It's so hard to believe that the world cruise is coming to an end this week. Luckily for you there is still the trip to the West Coast to enjoy. Look forward to following your travels on the 2013 World Cruise. :)

[496and706]

Thank you so very much for taking the time to write this wonderful report of your voyage. I have been following it since January and loving every page.

[WCB]

Report # 122 April 22, 2012 Sunday Day at Sea # 2

 

Today was another nice, lazy day at sea for us. Our biggest job was making a date for our last dinner in the Pinnacle Grill early next month. Guess we should be doing more packing, but we are sort of waiting until we get the final gift. That should be a plate with the world cruise map and itinerary printed on it. That way, we will know how much room we have left in that duffel bag that holds the ice chest.

 

There was a new activity on the Lido deck called Sunday Morning Market from 9 to noon. It was advertised as featuring extraordinary sales, fun games, drink specials, and a grand raffle with numerous prizes to be won. Thinking we would go for our walk, do some emailing, then check it out, but we never did. We overheard some folks say that anything that was a good buy was long since gone by 9:05am. Anyway, it was a good way to motivate the passengers into buying things from the shops.

 

We spent some time at the aft pool, of course, since the sun was mostly out and it was warm. Pauline, a Cruise Critic member in good standing, brought over a new embarkee who wanted to meet the people that are doing blogs on this trip. Her name was Ricky, and she said that from reading several blogs, she could not believe that we were all on the same ship. Isn't it funny what pleases some people, is not the same for everyone? Guess that's what makes the world go 'round, as the saying goes.

 

Around 3pm, we watched a movie called Contraband, a recent film. It was well done and kept our interest for 2 hours or so.

 

Tonight was formal, and also the Mariner's Appreciation Cocktail Party in the Queens Lounge. We got our usual seats, and watched the show when the new medal awardees were called one by one to have a photo taken with the Captain and Hotel Manager. The 100 day awardees were not individually called, but stood up to get applause. Then the platinum (700 days), gold (500 days), and silver (300 days) were handed out. The grand poobahs, the 1400 day President Club members, stood up and got a big round of applause. They deserved it. Bruce calculated their combined days into years, and came up with 40 something years of sailing the seas.

 

The theme for dinner tonight was "Celebration". The dining room was filled with hundreds of helium-filled balloons with multi colors of party hats at each place setting. Hosting our table, was the head nurse and her husband, who we happened to meet in the elevator on the way to dinner. We all had a good time as the wine flowed. Even champagne was served with dessert.

 

The very anticipated performer of this trip was Michael Feinstein, a multi-platinum-selling, five-time Grammy nominated entertainer. We believe he is a pianist and singer who has performed at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, the Hollywood Bowl, the White House, and Buckingham Palace, no less. And for some strange reason, we have never heard of him. We did think it important to attend his show to see if his show sparked some memory of him. Can't say that it did. We did stay for about three songs that we did not recognize, since they went back before our time. It did surprise us to see several other guests slipping out the door behind us on deck five. We're afraid to admit it, but we were among them. Not that he wasn't good, he sang music we did not know.

 

Remember we talked about getting plates as gifts? Well, they arrived tonight and were left on the bed. The cards that came with them stated that the gift of the decorative plate is a long-standing tradition of HAL. They are produced by Royal Goedewaagen, and consist of a world map with the 2012 itinerary charted out. They promise to bring good memories when we display these at home.....compliments of Captain Jonathon Mercer, Hotel Manager Henk Mensink, Staff and Precious Crew. Nice touch.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[NMLady]

Thank you so much for all the sharing you do so that we can cruise with you. I've been reading your posts since the very beginning, enjoying every one. I'm looking forward to your posts of your continuing cruise.

[WCB]

Report # 123 April 23, 2012 Monday Day at Sea # 3

 

Well, today was a good one to continue working on some packing, or at least going through the motions of digging out the duffel bags from the hidden, dark space under the bed. Heaven knows, the weather was not good out there, and we would have little if no time at the back pool. That is, unless we chose to sit in the clouds and rain.

 

But first, went to breakfast in the dining room. Our greeter finally has it right.......we like to sit in the raised middle section of the lower dining room. Window seats are fine for those that like blinding sunlight shining on them. We noticed that some of the tables were set for lunch with special menus at each place setting. Oh, that's right. There is a Mariner Brunch held at 11am here, and we forgot. We think we missed it last year also, and after just indulging in a large breakfast, we probably will not attend today. Only the Presidents Club members will be seated at assigned tables. The rest will be free to eat wherever they wish. Reading the menu, we found they offered a fish, a steak, and a veggie entree. Dessert looked like Napoleans. Everyone will also receive the signature HAL tile as a gift. We will have to hunt ours down.

 

The bow on the promenade deck was roped off for workers who were not there until after 4pm. All were annoyed that we had to flip-flop direction at the rope at each end. It's fine if someone is working there, but we walked at several different times during the day, and saw no one. In our humble opinion, we think the deck hands have had little if no supervision on this particular trip. Messes are made with rusty paint chips from the workers chipping away at the structure, only to stay there on the decking to be tracked from one end to the other all day. We've never noticed this before. If anything, the fellows either swept or vacuumed the mess, never leaving it there.

 

We spent the rest of the afternoon partially packing two duffels. Since we still have over two weeks to go, we don't want to clutter the room too much. We end up tripping over them in the middle of the night. Anything breakable is wrapped and stashed.

 

A couple of talks were given by the speakers. One was great rivals in American history, while the other was about women pirates. Something tells us that we have heard these talks last year, or the year before. They do tend to bring back the same speakers, so eventually, we do hear all of their material. If they are interesting, we don't mind hearing them twice.

 

At 5pm, we watched a movie called Mambo Kings, which was almost 20 years old. But it was entertaining.

 

Dinner was fun tonight, because the menu was fun. It was Chef's Night, with the waiters all dressed in chef hats. Fun things were on the menu like pigs in a blanket, fish and chips, macaroni and cheese, roasted chicken, and the best........bacon cheese burgers. (Brother Dick, you would have loved them!) Dessert sounded promising with the offering of mud pie. But Firman said it was chocolate cake, not the ice cream type. We were forced to settle for fudge tracks ice cream, not a bad second.

 

Ellen was off to the final Murder Mystery dinner, so Tom M. joined us. He arrived dressed in a suit, although it was not formal, but casual. He explained that he had to wear this suit at least once, since he was packing them away now as he wore them. So therefore, his apology was accepted....all in good fun. Tom, being British, is such a stickler for proper details, especially when it comes to clothing. Whatever his excuse, we are happy to have him join us as often as he likes. We have got to be more fun than eating alone in the Lido most nights. And the nights are getting fewer and fewer now, as the cruise slowly is coming to an end.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS There was no time change tonight. We are only two hours off of Eastern time, and five hours ahead of Pacific time.

[Watson's aunt]

Thank you so much Mary Ann and Bill for taking me along on your cruise. You really should write a book. I have been reading and telling my friends who do not have computers bits and pieces of your days. I am up to day 91. I look forward to reading each day. I was on the Amsterdam last year for 14 days to Alaska and I am going back on her again to Alaska this year. looking forward to reading more

 

 

Mary

[cruiseman111111]

Very entertaining, and made the time go by fast for our 15 day (whoopie do) cruise from Miami to San Diego. Thanks for the memories (yours), Kid.

[arzz]

I sure enjoyed cruising the world vicariously. Thank you so much for letting me cruise with you!

[WCB]

Report # 124 April 24, 2012 Tuesday Day at Sea # 4

 

Even though we had the threat of rain last night with the presence of lightening all evening, the day turned out to be pretty fantastic. There were fluffy white clouds on the horizon, but lots of sun overhead. Forget the packing, we will need to take advantage of the nice weather while it lasts.

 

But first, we had breakfast in the dining room. We asked Presti if there will be changes with the wait staff after the world cruise. He surprised us by saying that 60% of the waiters will be going home from Ft. Lauderdale. More will leave in San Diego, like 20%. The rest will leave in Seattle, giving the ship a whole new team.. We have not asked about the room stewards yet.

 

There was an "On Deck for the Cure" 5K walk on the promenade deck this morning at 9:30am. To date, HAL has passed the 3 million dollar mark in contributions to support breast cancer research, education, screening, and treatment. With a $15. donation, each guest receives a t-shirt and wristband, and is invited to walk all or part of the 5K walk around the promenade deck. Following the walk, was a pink lemonade reception.

 

Heroines and daughters of the sea was the subject of Mel Foster's talk. Great rivals in American history was the topic for Ron Baldwin. The HAL Chorale group met for another practice later in the afternoon.

 

The final Mongolian Cookout was held in the lido deck area for lunch. We're sure that many passengers attended this function.

 

As for us, we enjoyed every minute at the aft pool, since the weather was next to perfect.......not too hot, but just right. Around 4pm, we headed to our room to watch a movie by the name of Mercenaries. It was an action-filled guy movie for sure.

 

We had the final cocktail party hosted by our buddies Ellen and Tom in the Explorers Lounge at 7pm. It was well-attended by our large second seating group, most of whom all know each other from previous cruises. It's always sad to say goodbye, but we feel most folks are ready to go home. It's more like spring fever we guess, when people start missing family members, friends, and even their pets. We know that we do.

 

The florists, Eddie and Calista, joined us tonight at dinnertime. They are a very nice and extremely talented young couple from Holland. Everyone has enjoyed their creations on this trip.....seems like every year, they get more artistic. They told us tonight that when they applied for a job on the ship several years ago, they were told they were too young. But someone must have given them a chance, because they had good recommendations from past employers. We 're all glad they got that chance.

 

There was a dessert extravaganza at 9pm in the Lido pool area tonight. This does not work well for the 8pm seaters, since by the time we get to see it, most of the desserts are gone. Since we're lucky to finish dinner by 10pm, we knew the display would be in the process of being dismantled. So we did not bother. Watch tomorrow, we bet someone will tell us how extravagant it really was. Can't win.

 

A strange thing happened at dinner tonight. Our tablemate Casey, who mentioned that he attended both cocktail parties...one at 4:30pm and the other at 7pm, fell asleep mid-sentence during the meal. We were a little more than concerned, because he just faded away, put his head down, and slept. Asking Ellen if she thought he was OK, she said yes, he was breathing normally, and she would wake him by dessert time. We couldn't leave him there, and heaven knows, we could not move him... He did come around, ate his dessert, and went off like all was well. Perhaps he does this all day long, who knows? Good thing he is not driving home tonight!

 

The Tenors & Diva Incognito, direct from the West End, featuring musical and opera classics was the show tonight.

 

Captain Mercer mentioned in his talk today that tomorrow may bring rainstorms. We sure hope he is wrong........

 

No time change tonight.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[jimbri]

Wonderful. Thank you so much. Will you post pictures when you return? I hope so. Thanks again for letting me "join" you on your adventure.

[gigianne]

Mary Ann and Bill - thanks so much for sharing your world cruise with us - I have loved reading your daily journals - enjoy the rest of the cruise and safe travels home!

[WCB]

Report # 125 April 25, 2012 Wednesday Day at Sea # 5

 

When we woke up this morning, we expected rain. But guess what? It was nice, with the sun out along with a few clouds on the horizon. Looks like that storm may have gone elsewhere for awhile.

 

After breakfast, we went to walk on the promenade deck to find it was closed off in the bow once again. Yesterday, our access to walk completely around the front was cordoned off for the crew to work on a sheet metal project. We all understand that sometimes work comes ahead of passenger traffic, but when we found it blocked again, we were not happy. Neither were the other folks who walk daily. We think that since most people are in the process of packing, and the crew bosses assumed that the deck would be mostly empty. What we see, are people that need to take a break from the task, and go outside to get some fresh air. Hope this closure does not last too long. Flip-flopping from each end can cause head-on accidents.

 

The sun was shining and the temperature was warm, slightly humid again. We wasted no time getting to the aft deck to get in some quality sun and reading time. The deck was almost empty except for the stubborn sunbathers like us, that refuse to give it up. Of course, we will have over two more weeks to enjoy it, while we sail onwards to San Diego.

 

Speaking of San Diego, we got the list of shore excursions for that segment. They are surprisingly reasonably priced, but then after just touring in Europe, anywhere else would be less expensive. So far, we have not pre-booked any tours on the upcoming trip, so we will play it by ear. And despite the problems that cruisers had in Mexico earlier in the year, all of the Mexican ports are still on the itinerary.

 

There were a few things happening on the ship today. Captain Mercer was available to sign his book that passengers bought in the shop. It is titled, "Captain, Who's Driving?" and is a unique prospective on life at sea, as experienced by the Captain himself. There was a sign-up for another talent show at 3pm today. Acts are limited to three minutes. We'll have to watch for this show on the TV, because it is always good for a laugh, although some folks have more talent than the entertainers. A swap meet was held in the Piano Bar, where people were able to sell or swap their "what was I thinking souvenier item". One lecture took place at 11am with Ron Baldwin continuing his series on great rivals in American history.

 

We watched a movie at 3pm called Ramparts about a cop-gone-bad. It was a very depressing movie.

 

Later in the afternoon, the skies got cloudy, and some rain began to fall. The Captain said that the storm had stalled, and we would hit it tonight. He suspected that the worst would be over by tomorrow morning. We will hold him to that.

 

Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill Restaurant at 8pm. For a change, they were filled with customers. We ordered the arugula salad with warm bacon dressing. It is the best salad they offer. One of us had the New York filet and the other had a bone-in ribeye steak. Both were very good with baked potatoes and delicious mushrooms. Dessert was lemon sorbet and creme brulee. Even though there was just the two of us, we did not get out of the restaurant until 10pm.

 

One good thing was the clocks went back one hour. Technically, they will go back at 7am tomorrow morning. Why? We don't know, nor do we remember doing the change at that hour of the day. We will be ahead of Eastern time by one hour tomorrow. Getting closer to the end...........

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[seafun]

Chirp, chirp.... another happy bird chiming into thank you for your insightful reports of this year's cruise.

Bet you're glad you don't have the bar tab for the hundreds of us that have been here "along with you." :rolleyes:

Gratefully yours, and best wishes for a great wrap up of your Grand Voyage,

Tom

[Leslie K]

Thank you Bill and Mary Ann for once again letting me join you on your world cruise. I can't believe it's coming to an end. Your reports are never boring and I appreciate the opportunity to hear of so many places in the world that I will probably never get to visit. Enjoy your remaining days at sea. I hope to see you again next year for another world cruise!

[WCB]

Report # 126 April 26, 2012 Thursday Day at Sea # 6

 

The Amsterdam continued on her journey across the mighty Atlantic Ocean at a speed of 19 knots. As promised, the weather had improved to the point where today has to be the nicest one weatherwise of the crossing. Too bad most folks have to spend this day packing.

 

And as expected, the promenade deck was still closed off in the bow. It has taken a few crew members almost four days now to complete about six feet of ductwork. There may be a method to their madness. If they can stretch out this job, it will be that much more time these guys can spend in the fresh breeze. Working down below is one hot and sweaty job.

 

We are also noticing a lot of heavy duty cleaning being done. The deck scrubbers have come out, and the teal decks are getting a good scrubbing. Of course, this is because the CDC (Center for Disease Control) will be boarding the ship once we reach Ft. Lauderdale. These inspectors will go over the ship with the "white" gloves, and rate it. Only the best get high marks, and we do believe that the HAL ships are among them, at least the last time we checked.

 

Barbara H. talked about things to do and see in Ft. Lauderdale. There are a few tours offered for those who have a late flight. We've got to figure out a plan for that day, because with the turnover, it will be chaotic. Barbara also posted the results of her 7 Wonders of the World Cruise Survey. Number one destination was Antarctica, tied with Easter Island. Following those, were Luxor/Karnak/Valley of the Kings, Komodo Island and the Dragons, the Taj Mahal, Christ the Redeemer, Mt Etna, and The Suez Canal & the Sydney Harbour/Opera House/Bridge tied for last. Runners up were Funchal, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Falkland Islands.

 

Many passengers are concerned about having to lug their luggage through the customs and immigrations line in the terminal two days from now. Last year, they were not required to take their bags through the line. So they are not happy with the change this year. We bet it has something to do with the porters, who depend on the tips they get loading the bags on the trolleys, and getting them to the Fed Ex truck or wherever. We are hoping that we do not have to do this when we get to San Diego. We did ask the Fed Ex ladies if San Diego's process will be easier, and they have promised to ask about it before they leave in Florida. Hmmm, bet they forgot or chose to ignore our inquiry.

 

Mel Foster spoke about cruise liners going to the line of fire during wartime. And the final grand dollar redemption was held in the Wajang Theater. We have no idea what the prizes are, but we do know that they are not that great, like they used to be.

 

Late this afternoon, two fancy masks were left on our bed for the Black and Gold Masked Ball tonight after dinner. Usually, we are given very simple masks at the dinner table, so these are really upgraded. Now really, we don't know many people that wear them, except for Ellen. She did not disappoint us, because she brought it to the table and wore it after dessert. To mark the occassion, she had guest Fran take several photos of her. Sort of freaks us out......Barb and Terry agreed. They will be great for our granddaughter Julie, who can wear the feathered one for Halloween.

 

Hosting our dinner this evening were the Lead Medical Officer (head nurse) Brenda and her HOB (husband on board). They joined us on our last formal night, and seemed to be happy to come back tonight. Brenda confirmed that there were no passenger deaths onboard on this world cruise. However, two that had been sent home, did pass away. If this holds true until Saturday, it will be the first long cruise that no one died while onboard. Sobering thought, but a positive one.

 

And being that this was our last formal night, the waiters, chefs, and kitchen fellows paraded with the Baked Alaskas. The bad part about this was that the parade started at 9:10pm, right when we were being served our entrees. Neither of our waiters were able to participate. And neither could any of us, or else our food would have been ice cold. That is the downfall of having such a large table. Speaking of tables, our head waiter came with our table assignment for the next cruise. We have asked to be given a table for four, but set for two on the upper railing on deck five. We'll either hate it or love it. Time will tell.

 

The clocks went back for the final hour tonight, successfully giving us back the day we lost when we crossed the International Dateline several months ago.

 

One more full day at sea, and we will be back in the good old USA!!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS Two more gifts were waiting patiently for us when we got back tonight.........two stuffed bears. Their names are Hudson and are exclusively made for HAL. The bears are named after Captain Hudson, who set sail from Holland in "de Halve Maen", the ship depicted in the company logo.

[DAllenTCY]

Luckily, the Amsterdam will be at the B Street pier in San Diego along with the Celebrity Infiniy (which will be just visiting). The Statendam will berth at the Broadway Pier. Therefore, you only have to claim your baggage and have it moved about 100 feet to the secured area next to the shoreside offices. You will not be exiting the facility, so you could choose to move one or two bags and come back for the others. (Basically your luggage needs to go through the lunch room and dropped off by the offices). Porters will be available, but not necessary. Ask to speak with Joe Buchan, he is the luggage supervisor and he handles the FedEx pickup. If he is not available (possibly at Broadway) just let any of the HAL staff know that you will be leaving your bags for a late afternoon pick-up by the FedEx truck.

David

[Hflors]

Bill and Mary Ann

 

From the bottom of my heart let me thank you for taking the time to allow us to "travel with you" this year. I have not been well for almost your whole cruise, but on the days when I felt better I loved to come to my computer and just read your adventures. It has lifted my spirits much more than you will ever know. I hope you continue to travel and allow me and the rest of the CC'ers to "come with you" for many years to come.

 

Helen

[erewhon]

Thank you for all the reports of your journey.

[alibabacruisers]

Thank you Mary Ann for your world cruise reports as I have spent the best time reading them. I appreciate it that you take the time and love the way you write. Yours is the first world cruise blog that I followed and I hope to follow many more! I can't wait for the continuation of your world cruise thru the Panama Canal.

 

Barbara

[SeminoleFan]

Welcome home! Thank you for sharing your voyage with us. It was nice break each day at work to log in and read your posts. Safe travels home.

[Gail and Ken]

Just saw the Amsterdam at port in Ft Lauderdale. We're having a dreary day. Glad you are not disembarking here and will hopefully have sunny weather the rest of your journey. I've enjoyed every minute of your journal as usual. Thank you so much.

[KirkNC]

Welcome home, I have really enjoyed going along with you on this cruise.

[mrsbuddha123]

I have been reading along daily. I waited until your cruise ended to comment. Welcome back and I know your last leg home to California will be filled with sunshine and plenty of time for leisure on aft pool deck.

 

I'm not rich or retired so thank you for being wonderful guides allowing me to travel along. Tracey

[WCB]

Report # 127 April 27, 2012 Friday Day at Sea # 7

 

Well, here we are, on our last day at sea on our way back to Ft. Lauderdale. We will be docked in the very same pier where we left 112 days ago. Boy, did the time fly or what.................

 

And that brings us to report about the Champagne Disembarkation Presentation and Crew Farewell that was held at 10am in the Queens Lounge. We can report that we did not have to attend, since we are not getting off. But we have been to many of these, and for the most part, they are all the same. The most important things that everyone needed to know about filling out the customs forms, putting out the luggage, settling your shipboard account, and last minute sales were explained by Bruce, our CD. We are sure that the Guest Satisfaction Surveys were discussed also. These are questionnaires where you fill out your rating of each and every department onboard the ship. That includes the room stewards and wait staff, the entertainment, the speakers, etc. It is usually suggested that we overlook a single incident that may have affected your perception of a service or a department. High marks are important to them, of course, but we feel it is more important to be truthful, and rate them as you see fit. If not, nothing will ever change for the better. In the past, we have made some suggestions in regards to small things we felt needed fixing. So far, some things have improved, while others still need attention.

 

All morning, the ship was almost deserted, while most folks continued packing. Even the pool deck was fairly empty, despite the fact that it had warmed up and gotten much more humid. We read our books for a few hours at the aft pool, occassionally saying our goodbyes to many folks we met this year and those we have known for years. It will be interesting to see how many more people will be utilizing this deck in a few days from now.

 

One good thing is that the other channels on TV we have been missing, TNT, CNN, and Cartoon Network have returned. We first noticed it two days ago, when we found back-to-back Law and Order shows on TNT. The funny thing is that the commercials are in Spanish. But at least we have more choices other than to watch the same movies repeated over and over. This is always one of our gripes that we write down on the surveys every year, to no avail.

 

There was only one show this evening in the Queens Lounge at 7pm. It was up close and personal with Michael Feinstein, the singer/pianist. From what we heard, it was more of a question and answer show. Since tonight is the final evening for folks to go to their favorite bars before dinner, we doubt that many of them chose to go to the show.

 

We had a full table for dinner tonight........our usual group of nine, and another couple that we really do not know. That was Ellen's work, since she knows them and had invited them last night. Sometimes when new people are added to the family, it changes the tone of the dinner. For us, it is not as personal or as much fun. We think we are going to like the table for two upstairs on the railing for the next 15 days. It was a bittersweet evening, saying goodbye to friends. Actually, it was more of goodbye until we meet again, which, God-willing, will be next year.

 

The hallways were filled with luggage tonight, waiting for the stewards to remove them for debarking tomorrow. They were being moved a little at a time. Tom told us that on his deck, six, where they get unlimited luggage shipment, the fellows started hauling the bags at noontime. Tonight has to be the busiest day for the stewards, moving all that luggage that the passengers brought on four months ago. And with extra purchases along the way, we are sure that a lot more luggage is added.

 

By the way, we had a letter delivered to our room from the new Captain, Fred Eversen. As a way of showing their appreciation that we are staying on, the Captain arranged for us to have a complimentary Pinnacle Grill dinner at our convenience. Also, spa discounts will be available to us, which we probably will not use. However, it was a nice gesture.

 

We thought that the bears were the final gift, but we were wrong. Two coasters with the 2012 world cruise map and direction we sailed were given to us. They came with a note saying, "Remember that travel is not about the destination, yet far more so about the journey to get there." Another good saying was printed on our pillow candy card. It read, "Ships that pass in the night are quickly forgotten, but nights on the ship are remembered forever." We agree with both statements!

 

When we reached Ft. Lauderdale tomorrow, the ship will have traveled about 37,100 nautical miles. That calculates to 42,665 statute miles, confirming that we took a really long way to get around the world!

 

To be continued...........

 

Mary Ann & Bill