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

[Leslie K]

I'm curious as to the category of cabin you have as I try to envision where you are storing all your items and hanging the bags and maps and such.

 

Enjoy Dominica! It is one of my favorite ports simply because it is not like all the Caribbean ports I've been to. It's not commercialized and had some of the most unusual landscape I've seen in a small area. I'd love to go back. Have a great day!

[WCB]

Report # 8 January 9, 2012 Monday Roseau, Dominica

 

Dominica is part of the leeward island group belonging to the Lesser Antilles. And it is our first port of call for this world cruise. Roseau is the capital and largest city, and compared to some of the other Caribbean islands we have visited in the past, this city and island seem to be far less impacted from the tourist industry. From the pier where we were docked by noon, it was apparent that this island was volcanic in nature, very green, and very tropical.

 

We had booked a 4 1/2 hour tour to see Dominica's sites. Our small group included friends Greg, Heo, Martha, and Carol. We also recognized more fun couples that had sailed with us last year. The transport was a small van, which we liked because it is quick in and out. There were five stops....Morne Bruce lookout, the Botanic Gardens, a walk to Trafalgar Falls, a refreshment stop with entertainment, and finally another hike to see Trois Pitons National Park and Emerald Pool.

 

The ride was thrilling as we climbed the steep mountainsides with narrow hairpin turns. We went from a sunny seaside to the slightly raining clouds that hugged the mountain peaks. No wonder it is so lush and green in this forest. Our native -born guide supplied us with a litany of island info all the way up and down the mountains. The hikes we took were a bit more vigorous than we had expected. In fact, half of the hike down to the Emerald Pool was not covered by the HAL insurance we were told by our guide. That was the first time we ever heard that. Of course, someone took a fall down there, but was able to make it back to the waiting van.

 

Souvenier shopping at each site was interesting. Prices varied quite a bit for the same items. What we found rather nice were the sweetgrass baskets made by the local Arawak tribespeople. We usually buy a local wooden bowl to store our pillow chocolates, but one of these baskets would work much better. They are light and easy to pack, so we bought two of them. Our granddaughter, Julie, is the recipient of these chocolates, so she will have plenty of them by the time we get home. And for the "first time in a port' souvenier, we always buy a shotglass. When we debarked the ship, there was a huge craft market there. But since our tour gets us back to the ship rather close to sailaway time, we decided to buy these items at the sites, rather than wait for better prices. As it turned out, the pier items were higher, and we got the best deals with our purchases.

 

As we walked towards the gangplank, we spotted the ship's doctor, Dr. Pal, running towards the terminal building. She has sailed with us on past cruises, and we have gotten to know her and her husband, Frtiz, very well. Smiling as she flew by us, she said we would catch up on visiting later on in the trip. What we found out once on the ship, was that a passenger had been hit by a van driver, who was talking on his cell phone while driving. We were told that she had a broken leg, with the bone protruding through the skin. Ouch. Poor lady. You just never know when these accidents can happen, no matter where you are. Hope she and her husband are able to return to the ship soon.

 

The sailaway party was set to begin at 5:30pm on the aft pool deck. An announcement was made that due to the unfortunate accident, we would be delayed in leaving. The Captain was going to wait for the ship's nurse to return from the hospital , then promptly leave around 6:30pm. The weather was so nice that we did not mind the wait. What surprised us was the fact that few hors d'oeuvres were served by the waiters. Raymond, the assistant bar manager, was passing out the treats by the Seaview Bar. We lined up quickly to get the last three quiches. Expecting more to arrive since we had gone without lunch today, we were sadly disappointed. Oh well, the company of Diane, John, Greg, and Heo made up for the lack of food. By now, the sun had set, and watching the city lights fade in the distance was enjoyable.

 

Dinnertime came quickly, much to our delight. And it was near to perfect with the service tonight. Everything that was missing last night, was back tonight. Four courses were delivered in a timely manner. The food was served ice cold where needed and piping hot. Our water glasses never went dry either. Having Bart join us last night probably was a good thing, because he obviously followed through with comments to the right people. It didn't hurt that we spoke up to the quarter dining room manager as well.Actually, while at breakfast this morning, Tom, the dining room manager did make it a point to tell us that he would fix things for all of us at our large table. At that is what he did.

 

We called it a night right after dinner, even though the Amsterdam Entertainers were doing a skit called "Back to Broadway". Come to think of it, we have seen that show at least a dozen times. Going to bed sounded like a plan to us.

 

And besides, tomorrow's port is Barbados, and we have a beach tour at noon.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[downtownstef]

I'm new to reading your posts but am enjoying reading them in the archives!

 

I was just wondering, how full is the ship on a world cruise? I know not everyone is sailing for the entire world cruise and some just doing segments, but I was just curious how full a ship is compared to normal.

[WCB]

Report # 9 January 19, 2012 Tuesday Bridgetown, Barbados

 

We woke up early to find we were already docked in the capital city of Barbados, Bridgetown. Barbados is part of the West Indies. The sun was shining bright and strong. And another plus was that we were the only ship in port today. Yep, this was going to be a great day!

 

The Portuguese name of Barbados means "the beards", probably referring to the local banyan trees that have dangling roots that hang to the ground. Early settlers from Portugal, then later England, grew tobacco and cotton. But since this island is not volcanic by nature, but built on limestone and coral, these crops did not do well. Eventually, the most excellent crop was sugarcane, and still is today. Back in those days, slavery was widely used to work the plantations, but the practice was abolished by 1834. The next lucrative industry here is tourism. Rum production is also big here, as in other Caribbean islands.

 

We have lost count as to how many times we have visited Barbados. We do know for a fact, we have taken every tour that has been offered here, at least twice. So today, we chose a simple HAL tour that supplied a shuttle to Carlisle Beach for a 3 1/2 hour stay. It did not leave until noon, so we had plenty of time to enjoy breakfast, then take a walk to town for a bit.

 

Speaking of breakfast, we noticed there was a new stand at the dining room entrance that contained several copies of the daily NY Times mini-paper. Come to think of it, we have not been getting that paper delivered on our mail slot outside our cabin. Asking the girls at the front desk, we learned that this is not done anymore. There are three places on the ship to find a newspaper, and those are the dining room at breakfast time, the library, and the front desk. A small detail, but a cutback in our way of thinking. Oh well, that's a little more exercise we can get tracking down the news.

 

Walking through the terminal building, we noticed many crew members as well as passengers using their laptops. Guess it is free. Asking friends later in the day, they admitted it was free, but slow to stop. It's worth to try it anyway if you have some time to spare.

 

The walk towards town took us past the local fish market, to the Careenage where tall-masted schooners brightened up the harbor, past the statue of British Admiral Lord Nelson, then back through the mall area of town. Speaking of malls, there has been a very pretty shopping ambassador onboard. She has given talks on highend shopping stores such as Diamonds International and Tanzanite International. She even left a coupon on our door worth $100. towards a jewelry purchase. The only hook was we had to spend at least $500. to use this coupon. That's not for us, at least not today.

 

Time was awastin', so we headed back towards the pier. The weather was warming up, and prospect of dipping into that Caribbean water was getting better every minute. We grabbed our stuff, and headed for the meeting point outside the terminal. Our group number turned out to be about 15, which was perfect.

 

Our destination was a place called Harbour Lights, a nightclub during the evening, and a bar/cafe during the day. Fancy, it is not, but they had all we needed for a nice afternoon. They supplied a much needed cold drink, lounge chairs on the beach, and umbrellas to keep us from scorching. If we got hungry, they had a lunch shack and full service bar. All we needed to bring were towels from the ship and money, of course, to buy food.

 

The bay waters were as azure blue as we have seen.........cool and clean. The time flew by as we visited with friends, relaxed in the warm sun, and swam in the water. The best part was watching the locals and other visiting families play in the surf. Before we realized it, it was 3:30pm and time to sadly leave.

 

All by one of our group had boarded the bus, so our ship leader, Debby Bacon, resident Piano Bar entertainer, went to find the missing lady. To backtrack a little, before we entered the club and beach hours earlier, our very comedic bus driver said he would have to check us out before we entered his bus upon leaving. He did not allow wet swimsuits or sand in his bus. With that in mind, this lady stood at the door of the bus, and asked the driver if he was going to "feel her up?" That is for sand and wet suit, she meant. Well, he was soooo embarrassed, the entire bus load of us cracked up laughing. It was one of those priceless moments. Going along with the mood, he said that he would be happy to check her out, but that might take some time, and we might miss the ship's sailaway! We decided right then and there that we must invite this gal to dinner one night. We had already met her at the Ft. Lauderdale party with our travel group, and found her very interesting. She had a riviting story as to how she was able to book this once-in-a-lifetime world cruise, but, it is getting late (like 1:00am) and this will have to wait for another report.

 

The sailaway was again down-played with almost no passing of the hors d'oeuvres. Don't they know that if people eat the treats, they will most likely buy a drink? We watched closely this time, and realized that there were only perhaps two bar fellows on hand. And they were not hustling beverages. Guess the best thing we can do is fill out one of those guest comment cards, and ask why things have changed for the sailaways. We have to say that there was not a shortage of chicken tenders. In fact the covered pan was full to the brim, only to go to waste because no one helped themselves. Maybe they are trying to save our waistlines!

 

Dinnertime came quickly, and it was good as ever. Our service has improved significantly, and we are all happy campers. Ellen had invited a nice couple she met in the Crow's Nest (perhaps they are part of our group). They seemed to enjoy our rowdy table. It is never boring for sure. And the best surprise was the offering of the Cappachino Bomb for dessert. It is a delicious chocolate-covered mocha ice cream delite.

 

Two more days at sea will be most appreciated!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

 

PS For those who have inquired about our cabin location, we are in an outside midship room and loving it!

[WCB]

Report # 10 January 11, 2012 Wednesday Day at Sea

 

Today was probably the closest to a regular sea day that we will have for many sea days to come on this cruise. A full service breakfast, followed by an hour walk began our day. The only thing that was different was the fact that the clocks went ahead at 2pm this afternoon, once again. It does seem to impact the passengers less by losing an hour in the afternoon, instead of losing an hour of sleep by turning the clocks ahead after dinnertime.

 

The internet service has been squirrely for most of the day. At times it was working OK, then late in the afternoon and again at 10:30pm, we were unable to get online. Sometimes it is a problem with the ship's equipment. Today the suspect culprit could have been the wind. It was blowing across the aft deck at such a high speed that the pool spray came to us, instead of us to the pool. Today was our first chance to enjoy some relaxing time poolside, but it almost became a job just holding onto our beach towels. Even our shoes were blowing away. The Captain has been keeping a steady speed of at least 20 knots in order to arrive to the river where our next port of Belem is situated. If we arrive late, the tide will be going out, and we will not be able to sail up the river. For this reason, many ships miss this port. Hope that is not us.

 

Shipboard activities filled the day, as most passengers have found their favorite things to do. That could be attending arts and crafts, lectures, playing bridge, watching a cooking demo, camera and internet workshops, exercise and dance classes, getting spa treatments, gambling, or just plain eating. We heard from friends that the wellbeing team has been down-sized. Specifically, the cruise director's assistants are now just two instead of four. We are wondering if this is due to the fact that there are fewer passengers on the ship for this world cruise. The dining room manager had indicated that there are about 1050 people onboard right now, and the number will remain steady throughout the 112 day cruise. Wonder if that means we have fewer waiters and room stewards as well? That would make sense, since HAL would have to maintain the passenger to crew ratio in order to make the trip profitable. This is something we will probably never know, because we cannot see behind the scenes, so to speak.

 

On a positive note, the laundry service has been prompt. Last year there was shortage of laundry bags....you know the navy blue ones that don't hold much? Well, we now have a mix of those and a stack of paper bags. Our room steward has supplied us several, which is better than having to ask daily for a bag and laundry slip.

 

The Crow's Nest and Ocean Bar offered "buy one drink, get the second for $1.00 again. That is a good deal and fair too, since last year this special ran more for the early diners than the late diners. Many unhappy folks must have commented on their final surveys, because this nice change came about the moment we all boarded.

 

And the music was more up to date in the Crow's Nest this evening. The Station Band played songs we actually remembered, mostly from the 60's. The dance class teachers and their students filled the dance floor. It sure lived up the place and entertained the rest of the crowd.

 

We had company at our table this evening........Mel and Helen, a wonderful couple in their early 80's who we have gotten to know well over the last few years. They always have a table for two at the railing on the upper dining room level. But our hostess, Ellen, enticed them to join us. Among many other subjects we talked about, Mel brought up the purchasing of prescription drugs in India. We know many people that buy a year's worth of meds while the ship is in Mumbai for two days. No doctor's prescription is needed. You just bring your list, and the pharmacist fills your order. Mel said he pays about $1000, for meds he would buy at home for $11,000. Wow, what a savings. Ship passengers must trust that they are getting what they are paying for. In other words, they are buying the real thing, not fakes. Ellen added that these meds can be purchased online as well from India. Very interesting....

 

The reports came back from the entertainment last night, and they were less than complimentary. The Amsterdam Entertainers were the headline, but most of our friends were not too impressed. Honestly, we are a real hard group to please. That's why we seldom attend. Anyway, the same group will perform tonight and we will report on their success or not tomorrow.

 

Looking forward to another day at sea.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 11 January 12, 2012 Thursday Day at Sea

 

Can you believe today is day # 7 already? We can't. It's like we just got settled in, and the week flew by suddenly. Of course, that means we have been having a great time.

 

The seas have remained a bit rough, but the temperature has risen to the high 80's. It's the humidity that has gotten higher by the hour as we head southeast past the Equator. It is a reminder that we need to be most careful when going out in what sun there is today. Clouds remained for most of the day, with occassional showers that Captain Jonathon seemed to avoid.

 

At 11am, we were invited to a complimentary wine tasting in La Fontaine Dining Room. We have attended those in the past, but since we seldom drink wine, we chose not to partake. It is a nice perk for the 4 star Mariner members, though. And at that level, we would be entitled to a 50% loyalty discount on their Navigator and Admiral packages. Many of our friends buy those packages, and are happy with their selection of fine wines.

 

We spent a few hours at the aft pool again. The wind was whipping the lounges and beachtowels around the deck. Even with us sitting on them. It was comical to watch people attempt to set up their chaise lounges with that strong breeze blowing a gale. No wonder there were few of us back there. The majority of folks were in the Lido pool area, where they kept the overhead roof mostly closed.

 

The internet was acting up again today, or actually, not acting at all. If our reports are slow in coming, please be patient. Every world voyage has its kinks, and the internet always is slow to get working properly. It sure makes for some grumpy passengers however. The ship internet system is a whole different animal compared to the service we have at home. In the past, the internet managers always credit some minutes back to their customers if the problem is on their end. If our memory is correct, one hour was given back on last year's cruise. That was fair, we think.

 

As we were attempting a late afternoon email, we met up with Fritz, Dr. Pal's husband. Remember, Dr. Pal or Palma is the ship's doctor for this world cruise. We inquired about the condition of the lady who had been involved in an accident in Dominica. Fritz said that she was very lucky to have not lost her leg. Gosh, we had no idea it was that dreadful of an accident. The good news was that she and her husband were flown home within two days of her unfortunate experience. We wish her well, although, she and her husband will not be coming back to join the ship.

 

We realized that there have been a few more changes since last year. At dinnertime, the conversation came up with the serving of their everyday shrimp cocktail. Instead of four large shrimps, they serve only three. Now that is a small cutback, but if you consider that is done with all the HAL ships, well, that's a whole lot of money. Someone has been crunching numbers in the HAL headquarters. The other item missing in our stateroom is the small glycerin soap in the bathroom. We all loved that bar of soap, since it was so great to use on your face.....very gentle, and probably, a bit expensive. We have not asked if they are still available, but we shall pursue that tomorrow with our room steward. If we knew that the soap was not available, we could have brought some of the really nice L'Occitane soaps we collected on our last Regent trip. Hint, hint?

 

We have not had a chance to mention some of the special dinners we have tried so far. Tonight we both ordered the prime rib, and were glad we did. The quality of their meat entrees has been quite good. We are very glad that no cutbacks have been made here. The portion sizes have gotten slightly less, but this is good. At our request, our waiters now bring a large silver tray filled with crisp celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, green and black olives, and a bowl of excellent ranch dressing. But one of our favorite appetizers are hearts of palm and marinated artichoke hearts. They come in a large soupbowl. We are happy campers!

 

Well, we have a fairly new port for the world cruise tomorrow....Belem, Brazil. All the tours leave early, so we had to set the alarm clock (yuck) to get up at 6am.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Dukemstr]

I really love your reports, it's like cruising up with you! what an excitement!

 

thank you and keep us with updates.

 

Dukemstr

[crazydaisy90]

Love your reports!

[xjust4fun]

Enjoying your reports............. we have friends on your World Cruise and love to read you blogs. We feel as we are on the cruise with all of you.

[silverfoxcruiser]

WCB -- Thank you so much!! Have vicariously enjoyed all of your (posted) travels!! Silver

[WCB]

Report # 12 January 13, 2012 Friday Belem, Brazil

 

Today's port of call was Belem, Brazil. It is located 70 miles from the mouth of Rio Para, where the rivers Guajara and Guama converge. This area is very close to the Amazon region, and it is as close to the Amazon that we will get on this particular trip.

 

We booked a tour that we took two years ago, while on the Prinsendam's SoAmerica/Antarctica cruise in 2010. Originally, we had decided to see something different, but when the most interesting part of the tour had been deleted, we canceled it. Truthfully, had we known for sure that a complimentary shuttle would be available, we would have not taken an organized tour. That is information that the folks at the HAL shore excursion department never know in advance. Sometimes there are problems with strong taxi unions, who will not allow free shuttles to town. We have seen blockades by taxi drivers, who prevented the buses from leaving the pier gates. But when they know a free transfer is going to be there, we wish that would be published ahead of time.

 

Anyway, the ship was anchored about 20 minutes from the riverbank. We used shoreside ferry boats, which held four times the amount of passengers at a time. Modern, they were not, but basic wooden ferries that appeared well used over the years. When the boat approached the pier in Icoaracy, we had to exit through another smaller wooden boat to reach the wooden planks of the dock. Primitive, but it worked.

 

Our double-decker buses were waiting for us. What a surprise to see that these coaches were new Mercedes Benz buses with plush seats. The best part was we had ample leg room, which does not happen too often. We knew we had a long ride ahead of us to reach Belem, so we would do it in comfort.

 

It took about 45 minutes to reach the "City of the Mango Trees", which was the nickname for Belem since every street has these trees lining the sidewalks. Our first stop was at the Ver-O-Peso market. It really is the center of local life in this area. You can find everything you need here.....clothing, souveniers, fruit, staples, nuts, medicinal remedies, herbs, vegetables, fish, and a huge cafeteria-style eatery. We saw a sample of a typical lunch sold here. It consisted of a butter-flied fried catfish, course manioc flour, and a bowl of blended acai berries. These blueberry look-alikes actually come from the palm that produces hearts of palm. We have been told that these berries are not sweet, but tangy and healthy.

 

They even sold live chickens, ducks, guinea fowl, parrots, and parakeets. We spotted a cage full of pygmy rabbits, which we assume are eaten. There were a few items that caught our attention, such as a decorated face mask, but we were given no time to shop. The last time we were here, our guide let us loose for 20 minutes, and a few people got lost. No, they were keeping a tight leash on all of us today.

 

From there, we walked the riverfront to the Portuguese-built Forte do Castelo, constructed in the 17th century. The only thing left of this fortress are the walls and a few canons, which our guide said were added much later for effect. More interesting was the view from the ramparts of the market below. The tide was low at the river, and the mud was filled with roaming vultures. Guess they are necessary for the clean-up of the river, but they sure are creepy-looking. There was a lot of garbage in the river banks too, which never gets cleaned up. It sure had not changed much from our visit two years ago.

 

There was an old church which faced the square where the fort sat. Our guide said it was the oldest church in this area, but we did not have time to see it. Instead, we drove to the much newer Basilica of Our Lady of Nazareth. We spent about 20 minutes walking in the church and taking photos, trying to respect the people that were praying in there.

 

It was a short drive to reach the Emilio Goeldi Zoo & Botanic Park. We took a stroll with our guide to see their jaguars, scarlet ibis, cranes, monkeys, parrots, turtles, tortoises, and caiman. There are reportedly 1500 samples of plant species, and more than 1600 fruits here, but our guide only pointed out a few. Again, the time was short here.

 

Since traffic can be a problem in this area, we headed back towards the pier in Icoaracy. Luckily, this time the cars and buses were moving pretty well, and we arrived by 2:30pm. By the time the tenderboat dropped us off at the ship, this 3 1/2 hour tour had turned into a 7 hour tour. We remembered this from last time, and had brought a quart of water and several energy bars from our room stash.

 

At least we got back to the ship before the required time of 5:30pm. The sailaway party was set for that time, so we figured a good plan was to enjoy the aft pool before it got too busy there. An announcement was made by Captain Jonathon that we would be delayed in leaving, because several buses were stuck in traffic. As it turned out, it began to rain around 5:30pm and the decks cleared. The sailaway was moved elsewhere, which was a good thing. The wind came up from nowhere, blowing chairs all around the deck. We thought the flags were going to end up in the river. We helped ourselves to some delicious chicken tenders, since we had missed lunch. It was obvious that these treats were not going to be passed around again. And the real sailaway took place unceremoniously after 7pm.

 

We spent the rest of the late afternoon sorting through photos. Before we knew it, dinnertime had come. It was our friend's, Leslie and Handler's anniversary, and we had asked our head waiter to have a little celebration for dessert. They complied by bringing a very nice vanilla layer cake filled with whipped cream, and sprinkled with chocolate bits. It was covered with candles, and many waiters gathered to sing their special song for them. They were really surprised since they did not tell the staff about their special day. None of us at our table would ever let any of us get away with that! We all love parties.

 

The dining room manager, Tom G., payed us a visit. He told us about some new Brazilian Public Health requirements which will be taking place in our Brazilian stops. They had to make some adjustments to the ship's health and sanitation procedures before we reached Belem this morning. We have always thought that the CDC was extremely strict when they boarded the ships in the US ports. But Tom said the Brazilians took it many steps beyond. For that reason, all of the kitchen staff had to wear face masks and hairnets under their chef hats, for example. He admitted that they all looked funny, and had a hard time keeping straight faces during the inspections. In our humble opinion, we think this is Brazil's way of keeping the pressure on American passengers that arrive to their country. We know there have been problems with obtaining the Brazilian visas, and this is further proof of added inconveniences. Tom proudly said they passed with flying colors, thanks to the many "heads up" from other HAL ships that have been here recently.

 

We have two sea days ahead of us as we head further southeast towards the next port of Recife.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[musicismylife]

Wow, you did a lot of posts in the past few days! It is always an enjoyable way to spend a Saturday morning. Thanks for describing how you set up your cabin, reading that and looking at the cabin photo on the HAL site gives me a better picture of how you will be living for the next 4 1/2 months.

[airlink diva]

Loving it! Can't wait for each new report!!!!

[candbgirl]

Great reports. Thanks for doing this for all of us landlocked at home.

[Nursekaye]

Mary Ann & Bill,

 

I was so excited when I found your thread this morning. I have followed your thread and Diane & John's threads for the past 4 or 5 years. I so enjoy "going along" with you on your trips, as I doubt I will ever be able to make such a trip. I look forward to each of your entries.

 

Is there a waitress by the name of Angel on your cruise? I met her on my trip to Alaska several years ago. Just a delightful person.

 

Have a great trip and thank you for taking your time to tell us all about your travels. By the way it was 15 degrees here in Northern Illinois this AM!!!

 

Nursekaye

[WCB]

Report # 13 January 14, 2012 Saturday Day at Sea

 

The weather remained the same as yesterday with mostly cloudy skies and some sun. Actually, this has saved us from getting that sunburn we get on the first week of a trip. Despite all of the sunscreen we use, usually it is not enough.

 

When we entered the La Fontaine Dining Room this morning, we found the entrance and both levels of the dinikng room decorated for tonight's Black and Silver Ball formal occassion. We know that some of the waiters help with these decorations and one we know quite well. He is Yamtana, our excellent waiter from last year. Besides being a very competent waiter, he is an artist and part of the design team for these special events. It was so nice to see him, although, he is not our waiter on this trip. That is really too bad, because our new waiters are having a hard time with our dinner service, especially this evening, as we will talk about later.

 

While we were doing our hour walk on the promenade deck this morning, we could smell the strong aroma of garlic. It had to be coming from the Mongolian Cookout that was going to take place at 11:30am in the Lido pool area. We decided to walk through there on our way to the aft deck just to check it out. Colorfully-dressed chefs cook your choices of vegetables, meats , and seafood in hot woks right in front of you. This is a very popular lunch on these trips, and the lines are always long. Even though we do not partake in the food, we always like to take some photos. Also, it is a nice opportunity for some of the Lido staff to get outside and do something different. The only downside is that the pool area, with their sliding roof mostly closed, gets unbearably hot and humid. We could only take that heat for 10 minutes before we exited for the aft deck and fresh air.

 

Yes, there was plenty of fresh air back there...............in the way of wind. Again. Guess if the wind died down, it would be unbearably hot and sticky, so we are not complaining. We forgot to mention yesterday's experience while sitting back here yesterday. I spotted a huge wasp on steroids which had flown up the hem of my pareo. I froze, but gently tapped the fabric, and it flew out, thank God. But it crawled right up Bill's swimsuit. Yikes! I told him not to move, and lucky for him, the darned monster flew out for parts unknown. Wow, if that thing had stung either of us, we would have been in the infirmary for sure. Needless to say, I stopped reading my book and kept watch until we left the river and headed back out towards the ocean.

 

Other activities today included Barbara, our port lecturer presenting things to do and see in Rio. Two Exploration speakers, Tommie Sue Montgomery, and Dr. Denny Whitford spoke about Brazil's history and who owns the oceans. We like watching these talks on TV later in our room. For some reason, if we go to the showlounge to listen to these talks, we end up falling asleep. We never would do that at home, but in the darkened lounge with the ship rolling back and forth, it is hard to fight the ZZZZZ's. The only time you might find us inside is when a good movie is being shown in the Wajang Theater at 2pm. For some strange reason though, only one movie has been featured at 2pm so far this trip.

 

As we said earlier, it was our second formal evening. We made it to the Crows Nest to listen to the excellent band, The Station Band, and enjoy cocktails with friends. We seldom make dates with people, since we all seem to be going to the same places on most days anyway. The dance teachers had their group up there, obviously practicing the samba and tango dances. Barb, our buddy, is already an expert dancer. She sure enjoys as many dances as the dance hosts provide. These fellows are required to dance equally with all of the willing single ladies. And believe it or not, some of these ladies are counting. Heaven help the guy that doesn't know how to count!

 

Our table was filled to the max this evening with 12 of us. Tom M, our host joined us, Rene, the spa manager, was our guest, and Ellen took pity on a lonely single lady who was left at her table all alone. Perhaps her tablemates forgot to tell her they were going elsewhere. Having 12 was tight, but that was not the problem. Slow service kept us in there until well after 10:30pm, a new record for us. Watching the time, we all noticed that our first course did not arrive until almost 9pm, even though we were all seated shortly after 8pm. By dessert time, five of the ladies left to go to the ball in the Queens Lounge. None of the waiters said a word to them, even though they had ordered dessert. Oh well, we seldom attend these dances, so we enjoyed our ice cream and coffee. We did have a nice surprise visit by Cindy, the lead medical officer, who joined the ship yesterday. She is so much fun, and looked really happy to see us. We need to have her join us for dinner soon, because she is only on with us until Ushuaia. We recall one of the most fun tours we took together back in 2007. It was on Elephanta Island, out of Mumbai, where each of us was carried by four slightly-built Indian fellows up a flight of hundreds of stairs to the caves. We died laughing all the way up!

 

Anyway, we have one more day at sea to relax, or whatever they have in store for us. Every day is an adventure.................

 

Mary Ann & Bill

 

PS Just as we had expected, there were no pillow gifts in our room tonight. In the past, formal night always was a reason for gifts. But remember, we were told already that the gifts will be not quantity, but quality. We shall see.............

[WCB]

Report # 14 January 15, 2012 Sunday Day at Sea

 

Guess what? The weather was much the same today......warm, humid, and very windy. The gale force winds sure make it difficult to walk on the lower promenade deck. We would estimate that walking against this wind doubles the effect of the walk. One plus was there were fewer passengers doing it. Some still insist on walking backwards or clockwise. Perhaps they do not like others passing them. There isn't a written rule to the direction of walking on this deck, but on most all of the ships we have been on, the desired direction is counterclockwise. The danger comes when you reach the forward and the aft sections, where you could have a serious head-on accident. We just keep to the right, and hold our breathe as we wrap around the corners.

 

Last night, we had a comment card left on the bed after dinnertime. We had been intending to pick up one at the front desk anyway. There were a few items that we have all missed in our staterooms, so we put this in writing. We asked where the glycerin soaps had gone, and why were we not receiving the paper every morning. We did not expect to get an answer quickly, or at all for that matter.

 

But as we were relaxing at the aft pool, the hotel manager, Henk, found us and answered our questions personally. The small soaps have been discontinued fleetwide, and the newspaper delivery has also been eliminated. Unless we were dreaming, we seem to recall seeing the Canadian paper on several mailslots since we have boarded. Henk said he would check into that, and also see if he could dig up a few bars of soap. We thanked him for taking the time to explain this to us.

 

By the time we got back to the room around 4pm, a paper was left on the bed, and a few bars of soaps were left on the bathroom counter. How nice was that? This may have been a one day service, we don't know. Obviously, by cutting back on the paper delivery, a lot of paper has been saved, as well as the extra time it takes the room stewards to put it in those slots every day.

 

Remember we wrote about a lady that we met who had a good story as to how she came about booking this world cruise? Well, she told us that seven years ago, she purchased an insurance policy for $35,000. that was tied to a terminal patient who needed the money for his health care. At that period of time, the interest on that amount of money was low, although not as low as it is now. According to her, she would have done pretty well if he had passed away within the 6 month time period they had given him to live. As it turned out, she read the obituaries daily, but never saw his name for seven years. Thinking her money had gone away by then, she was thrilled when she found out she had made quite a big profit. This was her "wild money" she needed to put towards her first world cruise. She felt guilty at first for watching for his demise, but if it had not been for her investment along with others, he would not have lived that many years. He had gone into a remission long enough to enjoy his final years, she said. We know she will relish this opportunity for her once-in-a-lifetime cruise.

 

Now that we are getting to the bigger ports in Brazil, Colombian Emeralds are the topic from the Merabella store on the ship. It's a good chance to get informed about what to look for when purchasing these precious stones. A rep from H.Sterns has been onboard as well. He has been wearing their signature sapphine watch, which we saw way back in 1994 while on a Princess cruise. Back then, one of these beautiful watches cost about $800. Today, something similar costs about $4000. Yes, we may check them out, but we doubt we will buy them this time either.

 

We were all shocked to hear the news about the Costa ship that had such a tragic accident a few days ago off the coast of Italy. It was almost beyond belief to see that huge ship laying on her side. We have always felt quite safe in knowing how well the HAL crew has been trained in the event of such an accident, but it has given everyone the "jitters". We bet that there will be repercussions throughout the cruise industry in regards to safety procedures. With all the cruises we have done, we have never left a port without attending the muster drill. OK, well there was one time we missed it in Copenhagen, but we were required to attend a private drill the following day. This is serious information we all need to know, and we will never complain again when we have to repeat those drills.

 

Tomorrow's port is Recife, Brazil. We are looking forward to seeing the city and nearby Olinda, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[vbmom87]

Enjoying your reports but disappointed to read about the cutbacks HAL is adopting. Seems like they are defining themself in a new fashion and not so sure I like what I am reading.

[jdrblue]

Bill & Mary Ann

 

I think this is the third of your world cruises I have followed. Thanks for sharing. You do a great job with your posts.

 

Jim

[markf]

What I enjoy is that you explain the good and not so good points of each day.

I am also reading a similar daily blog on a luxury cruise line thread -and everything is always perfect--I do not think everything is always perfect no matter if you are on a 4 star or 6 star cruise line-and i appreciate bringing things out that are not perfect.

i am seeing how Holland America is cutting back on small stuff which adds up in price but also adds to a total cruise experience

[hpf]

Thank's for your wonderful report's. How I wish I could do a world cruise. Oh well; I'll live vicarously through your trips. Enjoy your cruise and don't sweat the small stuff that you have no control over. I actuall like that about your reports.

Thanks again.

 

Helen

[WCB]

Report # 15 January 16, 2012 Monday Recife, Brazil

 

There was no doubt that it was going to be one hot and humid day as we sailed into the port of Recife, Brazil around 7am this fine morning. The temperature was already a steamy 81 degrees.

 

There is a vast difference between Recife and our last port of Belem, which was up the river and resembled an Amazon-like city. Recife, meaning reefs, is known in this area as the Brazilian Venice, since the city is built on small islands and mangroves surrounded by rivers. It is more Portuguese in nature, mixed with Indians and slaves from Africa. As in most of the settlements in Brazil, slaves were brought to the Americas to work the sugarcane fields, a most lucrative industry in the 16th to the 19th centuries. Today Recife is a destination for mostly Europeans tourists, who wish to enjoy the beautiful beaches and nightlife that thrives here.

 

We visited Recife 2 years ago while sailing on the Prinsendam, but went out of town to see the countryside and manatees. What we missed then, we planned to see today. So we booked a tour named Recife and Historic Olinda. Many of our buddies had also booked this tour, so we knew it would be fun.

 

We began our tour right on time at 8:30am. Leslie and Irene, the shore excursion managers, have stream-lined the process even further this year by ticketing each busful of passengers one group at a time. That way we are not jamming the exit of the showlounge trying to be first in line. And so far, we have noticed that the HAL tours have not been overbooked. It seems that many folks are doing their own thing by going independant. That's fine, if you get a guide or driver that speaks good English. That doesn't always happen when you are on your own. It's a gamble.

 

We got lucky this morning. Our knowledgeable guide actually spoke perfect English, and German, Italian, and some French as well as Portuguese. Because of his talent, he claimed he worked every day of the week, year round. Anyway, our tour began with a five mile drive in a comfortable bus to the colonial city of Olinda. The name itself means "beautiful", and we can say it was. With their cobbled streets and pastel-colored stucco buildings, we felt as if we were transported to a small village in Portugal. In 1982, Olinda was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, meaning that the residents and government are bound to keep and restore the area in its 1537 ambience.

 

Olinda is situated on a steep hill which overlooks Recife and the coastline. Since the streets are steep and narrow, it was necessary to split our group into three mini vans at the bottom of the hill. There was a bit of grumbling from some guests, but eventually everyone found a spot in the smaller vans. We had two stops at the top. The first was at the Monastery of San Bento. We had a quick tour of the inside of this wooden church. One of us was more intrigued with a young bird in a cleverly-made nest between a tree and a power pole. If you were not looking closely, you could not see the bird. Until he started chirping. Half of our group was trying to figure out what everyone was looking at instead of walking through the church. Oh well, we always find different things interesting in a tour. That's what it is all about. That, and unique pictures.

 

We traveled further up the hills to another church (the name escapes us). It was not as ornate as the first one, but what it did offer was a spectacular view of the city below. In the distance, we could see the Amsterdam docked, as well as the gorgeous beaches Recife offered. As in most popular spots in town, there were a number of souvenier stands and refreshment bars. Oh yeah, and bathrooms. The line for the ladies was at least a mile long as usual. We did have 20 minutes to do some shopping, and came away with one new t-shirt.

 

While we were waiting for our vans, three young girls, dressed in colorful costumes, began dancing with the help of a boombox. Each one took a turn doing a high-kicking dance called frevo. It was fun to watch them as they did scissor kicks and crunches that would cripple the rest of us! Oh, it's nice to be young........

 

We rejoined our buses at the base of Olinda, and headed back into the heart of Recife. The first stop was at Cathedral Square, full of trees and fountains. This square was lined with the Governor's Palace, the state courthouse called the Palacio de Justice, and their largest theater named Teatro Santa Isabel. One feature in this park was a 150 year old baobab tree, which we think may have come from Africa, since this is the only place we have ever seen these peculiar trees before.

 

One of our nice tablemates, Carol, took a tumble as she attempted to walk from the bus onto the steep sidewalk. It could have been worse, but she whacked her face and will probably have some bruising by dinnertime. Gosh, this touring is hard work, and we do need to remember to be careful and take a little extra time walking and climbing. Our guide immediately got some ice to keep the swelling down and made sure Carol was OK.

 

From here, our next stop was a former prison turned into a handicraft market by the name of Casa de Cultura. Built in the shape of a cross, this three story prison housed cells that were small shops now. The majority of items for sale were clothing, shoes, paintings, ceramics, purses, and really nice lace and embroidered tablecloths. A few years ago, we purchased a linen tablecloth with a colorful border of fruit embroidered on the edges. This was in Forteleza, pretty close to here. But we did not expect to see the same pieces in Recife today. We found the perfect match in a table runner in one of the first shops. What is fun is the fact that they will bargain in these stores. Right up Bill's alley. They didn't budge too much, but one fellow sure did with the purchase of a pair of string earrings. He began with $10, came down to $5, and ended up taking $2. No, they were not Brazilian emeralds, but a nice keepsake from Recife.

 

The half hour shopping spree went by quickly, much to the delight of many of the gentlemen. Our final stop was at Boa Viagem Beach. By now, it was so hot, we would have loved to join the locals and wade in that surf. Our guide did say that this area was full of sharks, and we did realize that many swimmers were very close to shore. No swimming for us today, except in the ship's pool.

 

Back at the ship, we grabbed a sandwich in the Lido, then went right to the pool to cool off. It was so nice, that we stayed back there until well after the 6pm sailaway. We even had delicious empanadas served to us this time. Many of our buddies came back to the sailaway party just to see if things were picking up there. As we were enjoying the food, the sun was setting quickly. Then out of the blue, fireworks exploded somewhere in the middle of the city. We doubt they were for us, but all appreciated the show. Now we are really ready for the excitement of the upcoming port of Rio in a couple of days!!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Harley57]

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your adventures with us. Since I am unable to take a world cruise (still working), I am enjoying the trip through your blog! :):)

[WCB]

Report # 16 January 17, 2011 Tuesday Day at Sea

 

We were treated to a beautiful, almost perfect day at sea as we enjoyed our morning walk on the promenade deck. There was a fresh breeze, less humidity, and sun....lots of sun. The seas on which we are sailing are very deep, and inky blue. We did spot one large flying fish. Not like the hordes of them we saw a few days ago. They were popping out the water by the hundreds, like popcorn in a hot kettle. There have been a few birds, such as masked boobys. We love watching them dive for the flying fish.

 

The internet service has gotten better the last couple of days. Attempting going online around noon today, we found the speed pretty good. A good place to sit and do this is near the Ocean Bar and Casino. The only downside is that many of our friends are on their way to play trivia, and of course, stop to chat. It can be hard to do both, but once everything has sent and downloaded, we can go off line and read it later. The news we heard today concerning trivia was that some of the fun has gone out of the game. People have a way of taking this game way too serious. So far, there have been fights over seats, and the questions and answers. In fact, one fellow had snuck in a handheld device, which he was using to cheat a little. Needless to say, he was invited to leave the game for the rest of his trip. Oh well, rules are rules.

 

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the aft pool. The time was shortened by one hour at 2pm. We went forward one hour to 3pm. For us, that has been a six hour change from Pacific Time. As this is being written, it is 11:45pm, while at home, it is 5:45pm. No wonder it has been difficult going to sleep on time.

 

We have been trying to go for another promenade walk around 5pm. At this time of day, the deck is almost empty. More than half of the passengers are getting ready for early dinner, leaving the few of us walkers lots of space. And besides, it was much cooler than walking in the morning. Hope to keep this up for all of the sea days.

 

Dinnertime was fun this evening. Two of our tablemates went to the Caneleto Restaurant in the Lido with friends. So Ellen, our host, invited two ladies, a mom and daughter, to join us. We recognized them from previous trips since they are also part of our large travel group. Since we were the only married couple at the table, Bill had a harem tonight. One gentleman, who happens to be sitting near us at a table for one, came over and asked Bill how did he rate such a good table. Just luck, he said. Again, we were the last ones to leave the room. By the way, we both ordered the blackened caesar chicken salad entree, and were quite happy with it. They were much less filling, and left a bit of room for dessert.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[erewhon]

Am enjoying reading your reports. Thank you.

Wishing you safe travelling.