Venture with Bill & Mary Ann on the 2013 GW Voyage "Postcards from Paradise" 115 days

[trikeman]

First let thank you for your live reports on the world cruise and now doing it on your canal cruise. I've followed them for a couple of years now and even went back to read others. But, I must admit that you got me in trouble with all your talk about margharita pizzas. I finally tried one and loved it now that's all I order when we get pizza. I thank you but the DW I'm not sure about, maybe they will grow on her (I probably shouldn't of said it that way). :D

[brazilgirl]

It has been fascinating reading... What patience and effort you have put into this report . Thank you!

 

This report has really planted the world cruise seed in my head. I do see some negatives : first , as we live in a hot , humid country ( Brazil) , the fact that the world cruise emphasizes hot humid countries doesn't greatly appeal to me. The Northern Europe idea mentioned to the President ( the one necessary to dig deeper into the pockets :) ) sounds far better to me!

 

I wondered how the water pressure , a/c issues were addressed . These seem serious , especially in the tropics . I read the changed the faucet etc and put a nee fan. Was that the end of the problem?

 

Do you think a smaller ship may be more ideal for a world cruise , considering the lines / tender issues?

[Scrapnana]

It has been fascinating reading... What patience and effort you have put into this report . Thank you!

 

This report has really planted the world cruise seed in my head. I do see some negatives : first , as we live in a hot , humid country ( Brazil) , the fact that the world cruise emphasizes hot humid countries doesn't greatly appeal to me. The Northern Europe idea mentioned to the President ( the one necessary to dig deeper into the pockets :) ) sounds far better to me!

 

I wondered how the water pressure , a/c issues were addressed . These seem serious , especially in the tropics . I read the changed the faucet etc and put a nee fan. Was that the end of the problem?

 

Do you think a smaller ship may be more ideal for a world cruise , considering the lines / tender issues?

 

You might be interested in the Princess world cruise out of Australia. It leaves in May each year and spends some time in northern Europe.

[WCB]

Report # 124 Oranjestad, Aruba May 4, 2013 Saturday

 

The Dutch island of Aruba and the city of Oranjestad was the port of call for this fine hot and humid day. Together with Bonaire and Curacao, these three islands form the ABC islands of the Leeward Antilles. Once belonging to Spain in 1499, two hundred years later, the Dutch captured the islands. The language spoken here is a mixture from the Dutch, Spanish, and the Portuguese. It is called Papiamento. Today, Aruba is a tourist's playground with sandy beaches, golf courses, casinos, duty-free shops, and many dive sites.

 

We have been here twice, and enjoyed it both times. Many years ago, we took a catamaran snorkel tour, but never saw the island. Last year, we walked to the town, and went out to lunch. That is exactly what we plan to do today as well.

 

There was barely a breeze when we left the ship around 10am. First, we had breakfast in the dining room, and just as we had expected, it was not crowded in there. Undoubtedly, many guests took tours, and since there were so many different choices, but we never did see any large groups leaving the ship.

 

We took our time walking through the terminal building, then down the main drag where all the big jewelry shops were located. Those were not our destination, but the Hard Rock Cafe was. Actually, only the store part of HRC was on the strip, with the restaurant a 6 mile ride to the big hotel area on the north part of the island. So much for our lunch plans there. It would not be a problem, however, because last year we had located a great place for pizza, and you know how much we love that.

 

Anyway, we quickly found the city t-shirt at this store, then continued on towards the Marketplace near the Renaissance Hotel. On the way, we passed numerous high-end jewelry stores with people trying to lure us inside. A "no thanks" took care of them politely. A row of stands full of souveniers were next to stroll by. They carried the "cookie-cutter" stuff you see in every port. We are sure that these vendors sell lots of stuff to the other cruise line folks, actually the folks with the kids. So far, we have counted a total of three little girls onboard. No teenagers either.

 

At the Marketplace, also a Renaissance property, there are several eateries, as well as boutiques, shops, nightclubs, and a cinema complex. One of the Italian restaurants is Casa Tua. That is where we had margherita pizza and the local beer, Balashi. It was ice cold and went down real easy. Originally, we ordered one wood-fired pizza to share, but it was soooo good, we ordered another. The crust was paper-thin and crispy, the way we love it, and not really big, so we did not pig out, so to speak. Sitting outside under a huge fan helped cool us down, while shooting the breeze for an hour.

 

We could swear it got hotter as we walked back towards the pier, so we ducked into the other Renaissance properties at the Marina Hotel, the Casino, and the 2 story mall. It was worth it for the air-conditioning and the very clean restrooms. There is a bridge over a narrow canal that leads to this marina hotel. A water taxi brings hotel guests from the Ocean Suites Hotel to here, saving them the walk in the heat or the rain. Great idea.

 

Part of the downtown area is under construction, making it more people friendly. A new form of transportation will be added with an open-air energy-efficient tram that will run on rechargable batteries. It will be free and connect the new malls, green spaces, attractions, parks, and plazas still being developed. Right now, there is a traffic problem on the main street. According to the info in the local tourist booklet, a diversion of car traffic and improved underground parking structures will make foot and bike traffic more pleasant. Too bad this port is not on the itinerary next year on this re-positioning cruise, since it's fun to chart the progress.

 

All aboard time was 4:30pm, although we did not leave until 5:45pm. It could not have come soon enough, because today there was no expected afternoon trade winds that normally cool the island down. We felt bad for the guitarist, David Cain, who played at the sailaway party in the hot glaring sun for one hour. We was melting, and there was no move made to give him shade. We really enjoyed his music, however.....a huge improvement over the typical 1920's tunes that we heard over and over on every sailaway on the grand voyage.

 

By the way, there were no hors d'oeuvres served, and there will not be for anytime too soon. Remember we mentioned that there was the GI bug on the Veendam in Ft. Lauderdale? Well, it appears that it has blossomed on the Amsterdam. We do not know the numbers of people effected, but it has to be significant to generate the announcement from Captain Fred at the sailaway today. We are now in code "red". All the precautions have gone into effect, such as full service food distribution in all dining rooms. Surfaces are being disinfected constantly, and we are certain that the hallways will be bombed tonight. Good thing, since this is not a malady we wish to experience. We would be quarantined until we were symptom free, which could take several days.

 

While chatting with some other fellow world cruisers who have stayed on, we all realize that none of the back-to-back amenities have occurred for some of us. Wonder why? So we went to ask someone who might know at the front desk, to find out that something has slipped through the cracks for an unknown reason. So is it cutbacks, or a mistake? We cannot seem to get a straight answer. Either way, we just want to know. We did receive an invite to a special cocktail party with the Captain and Hotel Manager, Henk Hoekstra, at 7:15pm in the Crow's Nest tonight. Perhaps we can fish for some info at the party.

 

What we did learn was something else all together. Talking with Tom G., the dining room manager, he informed us that starting on next year's Grand World Voyage, there will be no more wine stewards. His reasoning is that land-based restaurants do not always have extra wine stewards, and the waiters handle it all with no problem. That explains why there has been a partial transition with the duties of our waiters and the wine guys. The main change will be that the waiters and their assistants will have fewer tables to handle, due to the extra work. But in the long run, they will earn more of the 15% gratuity that was once tied to the wine steward service.

 

We did have the opportunity to speak to other buddies, and discovered no one got any amenities with this back-to-back voyage. They have all agreed to check into the situation tomorrow, especially the absence of the complimentary Pinnacle Grill dinner. If they wait much longer to rectify the oversight, we will have no chance to book that dinner if all the reservations are taken.

 

Captain Fred and his girlfriend Brooke visited with us and some other GWV friends at the end of the party. We assumed this cocktail reception was for the world cruisers, but it was not just us, but other guests, we suspect from either the verandas or high day people. Hopefully, they will have more of these parties to accommodate all of the guests that traveled onward wth us. We did find an HAL tote bag on our bed this evening, but not the usual canvas bag. This is a blue grocery-style bag, even made smaller than the ones they gifted last year. Wonder what happened to the very nice 4 star Mariner blue and white canvas bags we got the last two years in a row?

 

Dinner was good, although we arrived a little later than usual. Hey, it did not matter, because we were not holding up our group anymore.

 

Looking forward to a lazy day at sea tomorrow on our way to transit the Panama Canal once again.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[DFD1]

Lots of changes at HAL. Looks like some of them are involving the GWV guests as well.

 

Thanks again for your great posts. We will miss you, but hope you both have a good and healthy year....and we will look forward to reading your posts next time around.

[Esri]

Bill, you raise some very interesting points (additional perks to going on a World Cruise)..... being able to bring "copious amounts of liquor onboard in ports"...... now having to pay the $11.50/day service charge. Do you not have to pay that whilst on the World Cruise?

 

I'm pretty sure the not having to pay the service charge was an "early booking" perk (and only for certain ocean-view and above cabins). That's the way it is on the 2014 Grand World Voyage. Allowing them to bring liquor aboard is probably just looking the other way because the world cruisers pay such high fares.

[KirkNC]

Your last entry of the world cruise was awsome. I have enjoyed your blog every day, with coffee and now will have a few more days. Enjoy you days in the sun and relaxing.

 

I agree, it almost makes you feel the emotion that all the world cruiser must experience at the end of the journey.

[Vict0riann]

I have really enjoyed your blog, and travelled along with you! I am wondering if the removal of wine stewards in the MDR will be across the board. We noticed recently on the Eurodam that the waiters were handling the wine more - that is, they would bring a bottle of already-opened wine from the store, and occasionally pour champagne, if all the table was being offered it. (We missed a couple of ports, and that was our compensatory treat!) I had always thought that as the waiters were Indonesian, they would not handle wine, and therefore Filipino wine stewards did that. Seems they (the waiters) don't mind - I suppose they appreciate the extra service charge. You'll be home soon - enjoy all your wonderful memories. Ann

[WCB]

Report # 125 Day at Sea May 5, 2013 Sunday

 

Expecting just another day at sea, we found out through our room steward early this morning, that we had won the internet contest. What? We never have won anything that we had entered. But a couple of days ago, we passed by the library, and had a quick chat with Emily the librarian. One of us had read about a contest to win some internet minutes (we thought it said up to 1000 minutes). She told us that it may have applied to the newly-embarked guests, but she was not sure of that. She invited us to go ahead and fill out the tiny slips on the internet manager's desk, and pop them into the box. Guess you never know if you don't try.

 

So sometime last night or this morning, our name was drawn and posted on the manager's desk in the library. Funny that no one informed us by a phone call or a letter. Emily said she would have contacted us if we had not claimed the prize. So after breakfast, we went to see the manager, who told us that he would match the number of minutes we had from our last package we had bought, therefore doubling it. That equated to a 100 minute package worth $55.00. The "up to 1000 minutes" must have meant that if we had purchased the largest package during this cruise starting May 1st, we may have gotten an additional 1000 minutes worth $250. That would have been impractical, since we would never use that many minutes in the short time we will be here. Whatever the amount, we are quite pleased to have won it. Now if we were only that lucky with lotto tickets at home..............

 

Presti, one of the head dining room managers who we have known for several years, shared some interesting information with us this morning. He told us that in reality, there are 1387 passengers onboard this particular cruise, but the ratio of passengers to crew is higher. That means that some of the crew went home and were not replaced. So if many more passengers pay the gratuities, and fewer crew members get to share it, they will make more money. Of course, with less staff, they will have to work even harder. The only factor they did not plan on was the virus hitting everyone. Staff members are even more vulnerable to the virus than the passengers,and when they have to be quarantined, service is stressed. By the time we get off in San Diego, maybe everyone will be better, we hope.

 

Hoping to get some answers about the missing back-to-back cruise amenities, we went to Cynthia, the new Guest Relations Manager for possible answers. She had the answers, since she had already spoken to several other world cruise guests onboard. The nice canvas 4 star Mariner bags have been discontinued. Too bad, since they were well-made, similar to canvas bags sold from a popular sporting goods catalogue. Now we get the "green" type bag that you can purchase in most grocery stores for one dollar. Cynthia promised we would each receive one. She also said that the usual letter would be coming this evening about the collectors voyage or back-to-back trips, and we would receive a complimentary Pinnacle Grill dinner. On top of that, we were invited to another cocktail party with Captain Fred in the Crows Nest tomorrow before dinner. This one will be the Collectors Voyage party. Finally, we will be getting some offers from the Greenhouse Spa with special discounts. Since we never use their services, this one will be wasted on us. The only niceties missing are the flowers, and candies, and oh yes, the chocolate-covered strawberries.........all calories we do not need. Come to think of it, no small vases of flowers are anywhere on the ship, probably due to the GI sickness.

 

We're still getting questioned on how and where we got our tans while relaxing at the back pool today. One nice lady did not believe us when we said we got them right here on the Amsterdam, until we filled in the blanks and informed her it took four months of being here to be where we are. The weather remained mostly overcast, but warm and muggy. A little rain would have felt so good, but it never happened. So far, the back deck has not been crowded, nor have folks been saving lounges like some did last year.

 

Another explorations speaker, Roberta Sloan, gave a talk about comedy from Second City and Saturday Night Live. She has an extensive backround in theater and dance, and directed and acted in over 200 productions. Wonder if it is a coincidence, but the other speaker we have onboard also has the same last name? Perhaps they are related.

 

Other activities included Cinco de Mayo, and a special buffet in the Lido pool area at 11:30am to 2pm. Drink packages with pitchers of margaritas and/or beers were being hawked by the bar staff, who were all wearing leather cowboy hats and loving it. The only downside was that the Lido pool and both spas were shut down, due to the bug. Only the back pool was opened, and it would have been nice to go in it, but there was no way we would chance it. The poolside showers were the next best bet to cool down.

 

While downloading photos the rest of the afternoon, we watched Pirates of the Caribbean for the sixth time this trip. We are finally understanding the curse of the Black Pearl!

 

Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce was on the menu tonight. We both ordered the "holiday" entrees and enjoyed every bite, as we are beginning to realize our days here are numbered. Boy is it going to be hard to duplicate these dinners once we are back home or what???

 

And the clocks went back one hour for the first time in many days. Always a welcome thing to do.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I feel sorry for Captain Eversen and the crew as the Amsterdam had to deal with 14 days of the noro virus on the San Diego to Ft.Lauderdale trans Panama Canal back in December and now it has it going in the opposite direction.

[WCB]

Report # 126 Panama Canal Transit (Again) May 6, 2013 Monday

 

Panama Canal day and Panama Canal rolls. What could be better? By the time we woke up, the Amsterdam was just starting into the first set of locks at Gatun in the Caribbean Sea. Turning on the navigation channel, we saw many passengers patroling the bow, while watching the action of the locks. This would probably be the best time of the day to witness the process of raising the ship up 26 meters from sea level to Gatun Lake. A letter of warning had arrived to our rooms yesterday, describing the dangers of heat exhaustion while staying outside today for too long. Besides the obvious symtoms, it was recommended not to take antihistamines, and seasick pills for the transit, since they both interfere with normal sweating, essential for staying cool. Too much alcohol is also not good. Only drinking lots of water was strongly suggested. That did not stop the bar staff from selling all types of beverages on every deck possible all day long. No more complimentary ice water or lemonade.

 

Once through the first lock, the Captain pulled into Gatun Lake, then stopped for 2 hours. We would have to take our turn to begin the transit. Usually cruise ships get priority, but not so today. This gave us a good reason to spend two hours to continue packing. We are down to the last duffel bag, with the two suitcases left. So the bulk of the job is done.

 

The rest of the day we spent at the back pool enjoying the scenery of the Gatun Lake and the Culebra Cut. We had the best spot on the whole ship to watch the locks at Pedro Miguel and finally the Miraflores Locks. Miraflores is always fun, because the building fills up with cheering locals who love to come and cheer us onward. The monumental project of expanding the locks in the Canal has been happeneing for several years now. It's always interesting to see how much work has been accomplished since our last transit. So much dirt and dust was being kicked up with the massive equipment of trucks and bulldozers, it was hard to see the base of the new locks. It is going to be a few years before this project will be in operation, unless they put one million workers here to finish it.

 

Passing under the Bridge of the Americas, we were in the Pacific Ocean and off on our way towards the next stop in Costa Rica in two days from now. The transit was perfect, and it never rained, although, there was a definitely cooling once we reached the Pacific waters. By the way, it cost 1/4 of a million dollars for the Amsterdam to transit the canal today. Wow. And we were just one of many....all day long, 24 hours around the clock.

 

This evening found us at another cocktail party in the Crows Nest with the Captain and some of his staff. This time the reason for the party was for the Collectors Voyage guests, those of us who were sailing back-to-back cruises, either from the world cruise, or sailing onward to Alaska from Vancouver. Whatever the reason, we had a great time with another couple from Arizona, Captain Fred, and girlfriend Brooke, who joined us for the whole time. We could get really spoiled with all this special attention.

 

The entertainers since the beginning of this cruise have been Simone Welsh, Doug Starks, and Master Gaucho Hilario Cabral and Hayley Kent. All of them did a combo show tonight.

 

Tomorrow will be a day at sea, but this time we are bypassing scenic cruising in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, since it is not on the itinerary, according to Captain Fred.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[cruz chic]

Love to hear about the Panama Canal. It's my favorite cruise. Thx for today's instalment.

[trashhauler]

Bill & Mary Ann,

 

Thoroughly enjoyed your WC 2013 Travelog...so much so that we just booked for the WC 2014, also on the ms Amsterdam. BTW, we met on Sugarloaf when we were joining you on the ms Prinsendam (Rio, Amazon, FLL). Hope to see you again on one of the 'dam' ships.

 

Dale & Marilyn

[WCB]

Report # 127 Day at Sea May 7, 2013 Tuesday

 

As we sail towards Costa Rica, the weather remained warm and still humid. The seas are smooth, and during different times during the day, dolphin sightings were frequent. The Captain has chosen to stay fairly close to the shoreline, close enough to see land on the near horizon.

 

We were supposed to have a hands on cooking class this morning, but due to the code red situation, it was cancelled. We did receive a copy of the menus that we were supposed to have created. They were meat-stuffed poblano chilis, with a cilantro-lime sauce. The second treat would have been zucchini,corn, black bean, and jack cheese quesadillas. Does that whet our appetite for Mexican cuisine or what? Believe us, spicy Mexican food is on the itinerary while we are in Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas coming up in a few days from now. Anyway, since the class was cancelled, our culinary arts aprons should be sent to our room, according to Cynthia, the Guest Relations Manager.

 

Char gave a promotional talk on exciting itineraries on HAL's fleet of 15 elegant ships. She is always available to take deposits for these cruises, and by doing this while on this trip, you can get some extra shipboard credit on the future trip you book.

 

Roberta Sloan gave a workshop on how to have fun and gain experience with theater activities, while Stephen Sloan discussed the many aspects of national security.

 

Barbara H. spoke about things to do and see in Huatulco, Puerto Vallarta, and Cabo San Lucas. She is always available for questions at her desk during the day also. We have spent a lot of time with her this cruise, getting information that we cannot get on our own. She is great.

 

Since we are still in code red, many things have remained closed such as the library, all of the public laundry rooms, the game room (Hudson), and the two spa tubs on deck 8. Every surface on this ship has been sanitized hourly from what we have noticed. Even the menus in the dining rooms are swiped with disinfectant before each meal service, which is a good thing. All the staff members are waiting outside each elevator landing on deck eight to deliver a dollop of Purell in our hands, whether we are eating or not. Captain Fred has announced every day during his talk to continue washing our hands often. We sure hope the folks are listening, or else we will continue being in the red until we go home in San Diego.

 

We went to the pool around noon, to find that most of the lounges were full. Actually, many had used towels on them, but no customers in sight. The rule here is that things left on the lounges 30 minutes or more, will be removed. We have seldom seen this happen. However, today was the first time that we noticed that the three deck kids were not picking up empty cans, glasses, or ashtrays on the aft deck. Instead, they were staying behind the bar, and chatting with the bartender. Guess there was no deck manager to disperse this, or put them back to work. This never happened on the world voyage, mostly because we had the best deck fellows assigned back there. Now they have re-assigned the staff to different areas. In our minds, there should be no difference, but there is. Penny, who is a frequent world cruise traveler, came out for her daily chat with us, and she mentioned this situation to one of the 2pm stewards, who happened to be a girl. Within minutes, she was cleaning up the towels and dirty plates, etc. Soon after, she had help, and the lounges were being straightened up like they should be. Sure made Penny's day. Ours too. At least someone listened.

 

Tonight was formal, although you would never know it by the lack of decorations in the main dining room. Even the chair-coverings were missing, but this could be due to the code red. Gone were the fancy clothes the waiters and their assistants wore on all the theme nights. And looking around, very few of the gentlemen wore a tux. A suit and tie, or a sport coat was as good as it got. But that is OK. At least we did not see anyone in shorts, except in the Lido where dinnertime was pretty casual. And you know what else was missing on the menu? Caviar, escargots, lobster, and filet mignon. There was a variety of specials like rack of lamb and duck a l"orange, which is what we had with a shared order of eggplant parmigano. Good stuff.

 

The entertainment was the "Hit List" performed by the Amsterdam singers and dancers. And the clocks went back another hour tonight. Now we are one hour ahead of Pacific time, as we sail closer to home every day.

 

Tomorrow, Puntarenas is the port of call.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[cruz chic]

I'm often surprised at the amount of chatting that goes on between employees. I rarely eat in the lido but when I do I sure notice it there. It sure would be nice to be offered some water etc there. I was on Princess in late April. I went to the lido a few times. Within a minute every time they were asking what I wated to drink ie the free stuff. They would even come by with refills. Now that is service.

[WCB]

Report # 128 Puntarenas, Costa Rica May 8, 2013 Wednesday

 

Last night, we received a letter of warning about going ashore today in Puntarenas in regards to eating and drinking. Since there has been an increase in reported cases of the GI illness, we need to take as many precautions as we can to keep from getting or spreading it. Most of this we already know, like drink only bottled water, and do not have any beverages using local ice. Only well-cooked food is safe, and hot is better. No leftovers, or raw shellfish. Cold cuts, salads, watermelon, and pudding are bad. No raw fruits or vegetables unless you can wash them with bottled water or peel them yourselves. Keeping all this in mind, perhaps going onshore is a bad idea, since we will be the ones contaminating the local people in Costa Rica. This has happened. Hopefully, not today.

 

Costa Rica is a neat place, the second smallest of the countries of Central America. The total area is less than 20,000 square miles of national parks, biological reserves, and wildlife refuge. Costa Rica is rich in flora and fauna with 50,000 species of insects, 2,000 species of orchids, 208 species of animals, and 850 species of birds. On past visits, we have toured the mountains, the rivers, and the mangroves more than once. So today, we plan on taking a walk and picking up some local crafts at the vendor stands on the beachfront.

 

It was going to be another warm and sticky day, so we stuck around the ship eating a dining room breakfast and packing some more stuff. The last couple of days, we have noticed a slow-down in the service in the dining room, both in the morning and at night. And it is not that crowded with guests. That leads us to deduct that the waiters are either busy in the Lido, or some of the cooks are ill, or so many people are sick that room service is overloaded. Remember, if you are quarantined, all of your food has to come via room service.

 

We took our first walk at around noon. It was really hot walking the pier that extends into the bay. We could have taken the little train car ride, but the exercise was good for us. Passing through the checkpoint, we were accousted by many people selling tours and rides to wherever, but we kindly said no thanks. We turned right and strolled the beachfront,until the people thinned out, and only the local workers were left cleaning the shoreline of floating debris from the rivers.

 

Then back to the left side of the checkpoint, we checked out all of the souvenier stands and came away with some treasures, mostly made of wood. They make nice wooden trivets for the kitchen or dining room tables at home, as well as carving boards, bowls, ice buckets, and trays. Beachwear, towels, jewelry, handbags, and feather paintings were abundant among the many stands. Compared to last year, we think there was only half the amount of vendors, since it appears that we are at the end of the tourist season. In fact, the Amsterdam was the only ship in port today, which is a first for us. Captain Fred said we will be alone in all of the upcoming ports until we reach San Diego, which is fine with us.

 

We brought our things back to the ship, ate lunch, and took a walk later on before sailaway time. A strong wind had come up, which was wonderful, but prompted most of the vendors to pull up their wares and head for home. We did the same by 4:30pm.

 

On the aft deck 8, we enjoyed the music of the guitarist, who happened to be enjoying his beer while entertaining us. The ropes were dropped by 5pm, and we were on our way towards the next port in Nicaragua........Corinto.

 

Dinner was slow this evening, just like our breakfast had been. When you are only ordering perhaps two courses and dessert, it should not take 1 1/2 hours for only two of us. Studying the way orders are taken, then served, we figured that four tables for two people are treated as one table for eight guests. Our waiters serve two tables for five each, and four tables for two. Nearby us, one waiter had the night off, since his guests never showed up. You would expect him to be free to help our waiters, but no. He shined drink glasses, and polished silverware. Go figure.

 

The entertainment was different this evening with Call My Bluff, a game show, held at 8pm. Then a movie, "Oz, the Great and Powerful" was shown at 9:30pm in the Queens Lounge. Guess if you don't like either of those options, you could listen to the music of Sinatra with Debby Bacon or dance the night away with Darlene and the HALCats in the Crows Nest.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 129 Corinto, Nicaragua May 9, 2013 Thursday

 

Local tourist information declares that Nicaragua is the safest country in the whole region. The info also boasts a country of active volcanoes, hundreds of small inlets and islands, lakes, and rivers that wind through rainforests. Waterfalls, deep canyons, white and golden beaches, colonial cities, and fishing villages can be seen here too. Did we see any of these today? Well, actually no, since we did not take an organized tour. Been there, done that once.

 

The golden sun of Nicaragua will caress your skin, also promised in the brochure. But it was more like the heat and humidity will lay you flat in no time. Added to the heat, was a strange haze of smoke that has always been present when we have visited in the past. Perhaps this time of year, the cotton fields are burned. Coffee is the major export, transported from the mountains to be shipped from here. But we doubt the smell of smoke is due to roasting coffee beans.

 

All of the tours took the passengers to outlying towns as well as to the colonial city of Leon. Since the ride is long, maybe 2 hours one way, we chose to stay here and walk the town. That took all of 1 1/2 hours to slowly stroll to the center of town, checking out the souvenier stalls, grocery and pharmacy stores, cafes and bars. The center of town has a church and a hall. As we exited through the port gate, another passenger who was returning to the ship said that there were pickpockets there and be careful. That surprised us because every corner had a policeman, and there was even a group of volunteer enforcers of the law wandering through the streets. Fellows offered bike taxi rides at $5. per person for a tour of the town. It would have been nice if the ship's folks had given us a map of this town, instead of Leon, two hours away.

 

Beers were $2, while sodas and bottles of water were $1. The price on the ship was better, so that is where we ended going....back to the ship. The coolest spot on the ship was our room, so we watched an old movie, "Tom Horn" with Steve McQueen, and ordered room service lunch. It's a funny thing, but every time we have had room service, something is missing, like salt and pepper or mustard and catsup. This time one of us ordered a chicken caesar salad, which was good, but missing the dressing that makes it a caesar. No mustard and catsup for the cheeseburgers, but two little cups of mayo. This is one reason we often go to the grill or the sandwich bar, then bring the food back to our room. We seldom forget anything.

 

Sailaway was around 6pm at the aft deck, but few folks were there. When the dinner service starts at 5:30pm in the Lido, most people choose to do that instead of the sailaway. The Lido has been filled for dinner every port evening, especially in this heat and humidity. Lots of people do not want to clean up and change their clothes.

 

While we are thinking about it, there has been happy hour on this cruise, but not the same hours as the world cruise. The early seating group can buy one and get the second for $1. from 4 to 5pm in the Ocean Bar and Crows Nest. Then from 9 to 10pm, the same deal is offered in the Piano Bar and Crows Nest. This pretty much eliminates the folks that have fixed seating at 8pm......no happy hour before dinner.

 

The dinner service was super tonight as far as getting timely courses goes. We both ordered the delicious dos frioles soup, then our entrees. With dessert, our meal was completed by 9:15pm. Perfect, we think. This has to be a sign that things are coming together better in the kitchen department. No one will divulge how many fellows have been ill.

 

A comedian and juggler, Billy Prudhomme, was the entertainer tonight, with a game show called "Who Am I?" held at 9pm.

 

A day at sea will be most welcome tomorrow.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[cruz chic]

Report # 128 Puntarenas, Costa Rica May 8, 2013 Wednesday

 

Last night, we received a letter of warning about going ashore today in Puntarenas in regards to eating and drinking. Since there has been an increase in reported cases of the GI illness, we need to take as many precautions as we can to keep from getting or spreading it. Most of this we already know, like drink only bottled water, and do not have any beverages using local ice. Only well-cooked food is safe, and hot is better. No leftovers, or raw shellfish. Cold cuts, salads, watermelon, and pudding are bad. No raw fruits or vegetables unless you can wash them with bottled water or peel them yourselves. Keeping all this in mind, perhaps going onshore is a bad idea, since we will be the ones contaminating the local people in Costa Rica. This has happened. Hopefully, not today.

 

Costa Rica is a neat place, the second smallest of the countries of Central America. The total area is less than 20,000 square miles of national parks, biological reserves, and wildlife refuge. Costa Rica is rich in flora and fauna with 50,000 species of insects, 2,000 species of orchids, 208 species of animals, and 850 species of birds. On past visits, we have toured the mountains, the rivers, and the mangroves more than once. So today, we plan on taking a walk and picking up some local crafts at the vendor stands on the beachfront.

 

It was going to be another warm and sticky day, so we stuck around the ship eating a dining room breakfast and packing some more stuff. The last couple of days, we have noticed a slow-down in the service in the dining room, both in the morning and at night. And it is not that crowded with guests. That leads us to deduct that the waiters are either busy in the Lido, or some of the cooks are ill, or so many people are sick that room service is overloaded. Remember, if you are quarantined, all of your food has to come via room service.

 

We took our first walk at around noon. It was really hot walking the pier that extends into the bay. We could have taken the little train car ride, but the exercise was good for us. Passing through the checkpoint, we were accousted by many people selling tours and rides to wherever, but we kindly said no thanks. We turned right and strolled the beachfront,until the people thinned out, and only the local workers were left cleaning the shoreline of floating debris from the rivers.

 

Then back to the left side of the checkpoint, we checked out all of the souvenier stands and came away with some treasures, mostly made of wood. They make nice wooden trivets for the kitchen or dining room tables at home, as well as carving boards, bowls, ice buckets, and trays. Beachwear, towels, jewelry, handbags, and feather paintings were abundant among the many stands. Compared to last year, we think there was only half the amount of vendors, since it appears that we are at the end of the tourist season. In fact, the Amsterdam was the only ship in port today, which is a first for us. Captain Fred said we will be alone in all of the upcoming ports until we reach San Diego, which is fine with us.

 

We brought our things back to the ship, ate lunch, and took a walk later on before sailaway time. A strong wind had come up, which was wonderful, but prompted most of the vendors to pull up their wares and head for home. We did the same by 4:30pm.

 

On the aft deck 8, we enjoyed the music of the guitarist, who happened to be enjoying his beer while entertaining us. The ropes were dropped by 5pm, and we were on our way towards the next port in Nicaragua........Corinto.

 

Dinner was slow this evening, just like our breakfast had been. When you are only ordering perhaps two courses and dessert, it should not take 1 1/2 hours for only two of us. Studying the way orders are taken, then served, we figured that four tables for two people are treated as one table for eight guests. Our waiters serve two tables for five each, and four tables for two. Nearby us, one waiter had the night off, since his guests never showed up. You would expect him to be free to help our waiters, but no. He shined drink glasses, and polished silverware. Go figure.

 

The entertainment was different this evening with Call My Bluff, a game show, held at 8pm. Then a movie, "Oz, the Great and Powerful" was shown at 9:30pm in the Queens Lounge. Guess if you don't like either of those options, you could listen to the music of Sinatra with Debby Bacon or dance the night away with Darlene and the HALCats in the Crows Nest.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Funny about the spare waiter not helping out. I guess Hal doesn't want to lose it's reputation for having slow service :D.

[brownblonde]

Report # 125 Day at Sea May 5, 2013 Sunday

 

Expecting just another day at sea, we found out through our room steward early this morning, that we had won the internet contest. What? We never have won anything that we had entered. But a couple of days ago, we passed by the library, and had a quick chat with Emily the librarian. One of us had read about a contest to win some internet minutes (we thought it said up to 1000 minutes). She told us that it may have applied to the newly-embarked guests, but she was not sure of that. She invited us to go ahead and fill out the tiny slips on the internet manager's desk, and pop them into the box. Guess you never know if you don't try.

 

So sometime last night or this morning, our name was drawn and posted on the manager's desk in the library. Funny that no one informed us by a phone call or a letter. Emily said she would have contacted us if we had not claimed the prize. So after breakfast, we went to see the manager, who told us that he would match the number of minutes we had from our last package we had bought, therefore doubling it. That equated to a 100 minute package worth $55.00. The "up to 1000 minutes" must have meant that if we had purchased the largest package during this cruise starting May 1st, we may have gotten an additional 1000 minutes worth $250. That would have been impractical, since we would never use that many minutes in the short time we will be here. Whatever the amount, we are quite pleased to have won it. Now if we were only that lucky with lotto tickets at home..............

 

Presti, one of the head dining room managers who we have known for several years, shared some interesting information with us this morning. He told us that in reality, there are 1387 passengers onboard this particular cruise, but the ratio of passengers to crew is higher. That means that some of the crew went home and were not replaced. So if many more passengers pay the gratuities, and fewer crew members get to share it, they will make more money. Of course, with less staff, they will have to work even harder. The only factor they did not plan on was the virus hitting everyone. Staff members are even more vulnerable to the virus than the passengers,and when they have to be quarantined, service is stressed. By the time we get off in San Diego, maybe everyone will be better, we hope.

 

Hoping to get some answers about the missing back-to-back cruise amenities, we went to Cynthia, the new Guest Relations Manager for possible answers. She had the answers, since she had already spoken to several other world cruise guests onboard. The nice canvas 4 star Mariner bags have been discontinued. Too bad, since they were well-made, similar to canvas bags sold from a popular sporting goods catalogue. Now we get the "green" type bag that you can purchase in most grocery stores for one dollar. Cynthia promised we would each receive one. She also said that the usual letter would be coming this evening about the collectors voyage or back-to-back trips, and we would receive a complimentary Pinnacle Grill dinner. On top of that, we were invited to another cocktail party with Captain Fred in the Crows Nest tomorrow before dinner. This one will be the Collectors Voyage party. Finally, we will be getting some offers from the Greenhouse Spa with special discounts. Since we never use their services, this one will be wasted on us. The only niceties missing are the flowers, and candies, and oh yes, the chocolate-covered strawberries.........all calories we do not need. Come to think of it, no small vases of flowers are anywhere on the ship, probably due to the GI sickness.

 

We're still getting questioned on how and where we got our tans while relaxing at the back pool today. One nice lady did not believe us when we said we got them right here on the Amsterdam, until we filled in the blanks and informed her it took four months of being here to be where we are. The weather remained mostly overcast, but warm and muggy. A little rain would have felt so good, but it never happened. So far, the back deck has not been crowded, nor have folks been saving lounges like some did last year.

 

Another explorations speaker, Roberta Sloan, gave a talk about comedy from Second City and Saturday Night Live. She has an extensive backround in theater and dance, and directed and acted in over 200 productions. Wonder if it is a coincidence, but the other speaker we have onboard also has the same last name? Perhaps they are related.

 

Other activities included Cinco de Mayo, and a special buffet in the Lido pool area at 11:30am to 2pm. Drink packages with pitchers of margaritas and/or beers were being hawked by the bar staff, who were all wearing leather cowboy hats and loving it. The only downside was that the Lido pool and both spas were shut down, due to the bug. Only the back pool was opened, and it would have been nice to go in it, but there was no way we would chance it. The poolside showers were the next best bet to cool down.

 

While downloading photos the rest of the afternoon, we watched Pirates of the Caribbean for the sixth time this trip. We are finally understanding the curse of the Black Pearl!

 

Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and cranberry sauce was on the menu tonight. We both ordered the "holiday" entrees and enjoyed every bite, as we are beginning to realize our days here are numbered. Boy is it going to be hard to duplicate these dinners once we are back home or what???

 

And the clocks went back one hour for the first time in many days. Always a welcome thing to do.

 

talk about canvas bags I guess ours from 1980 is a classic when it comes to quality and etc. Hate to part with it knowing that they sure aren't made that why today probably even the ones offered now days on the world cruise.

Yes time getting shorter but maybe anxious to catch up and see family and back to regular old meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

[WCB]

Report # 130 Day at Sea May 10, 2013 Friday

 

Life continues under the code red as we sail towards our first stop in Mexico. The weather continued to be warm, despite a very strong wind blowing. You would expect the humidity to be gone, but no, it is still here.

 

Breakfast in the dining room was still slow today. This is where one can tell that some of the world cruise staff is no longer present. Not that we mind waiting, but by the time our eggs, bacon, and omelette arrived, we were not hungry anymore. Since we have reservations at the Pinnacle Grill tonight, we decided to eat a hearty breakfast, then keep lunch very light. That is the only way to be able to thoroughly enjoy the excellent cuisine in the Grill.

 

There were many talks in the Queens Lounge to keep people busy inside the ship. Shore excursions were discussed by Cassandra and Barbara H., while Roberta Sloane had an improv workshop on theater. The port shopping man, Paul, had two lectures on how to save money and time while shopping for diamonds, gemstones, and watches. Saving money and buying gemstones don't seem to go together in our minds.

 

Stephen Sloane talked about the changing nature of conflict and warfare, while Dr. Bernard H. Cochran discussed the end of the world: biblical, historical, and Mayan perspective. Florist Eddie gave a hands-on flower arranging class for $29., where you make your own design, then take it home with you to your room.

 

With Mothers Day coming up Sunday, fresh flower arangements are being offered to order now. So are spa specials for the ladies. In fact a two page summary of the specials came to our room two days ago. Wonder how much they sell?

 

While walking on the promenade deck this morning and afternoon, we spotted two turtles, and many sightings of high-jumping dolphins. We seem to be hugging the coastline, and sailing at a fast clip. Captain Fred announced that due to a fishing tournament in Huatulco tomorrow, we will be arriving an hour or more ahead of the scheduled time of 9am. Bet the fishing will be good if we are seeing so much sealife.

 

Our job for the day was turning in the card for the Mariner brunch coming up Sunday in the dining room at 11am. Then a Mariner award party will be held in the Explorers Lounge after the meal at 12:30pm. This is opposite of what we usually do. But it makes sense, because it is difficult to move people quickly out of the Explorers Lounge to attend the brunch. That means the meal runs late.

 

It has been fairly quiet at the aft pool, even though there are twice the sunbathers back there. At least the towels are being removed, and for the most part, the glasses and cans being bussed. Ever since we went into the code red, there have been no more pool games, or even pool music being played. Perhaps someone complained about the loud music, who knows? It sure was not us. Now we are back to the canned tapes we heard over and over again for the last four months.

 

Dinner was formal again this evening, but we noticed there were no decorations in the dining room for the occassion. While we were dining on our bone-in ribeye steaks in the Pinnacle Grill, we did see that many of the guests coming from the Queens Lounge had shorts and t-shirts on. Guess the dress code can only be suggested, but not enforced in the public areas of the ship.

 

The Amsterdam singers and dancers performed "Paperback Writer", a tribute to the Beatles. Other entertainment at night included the group Adagio in the Explorers Lounge, Name That Tune, Pub Trivia, and Darlene and the HALCats in the Crows Nest.

 

With the clocks going ahead last night one hour, we were tired, and bed and a movie were the better options for us.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[brownblonde]

So sad to see on the many cruises any more that they seem to be afraid to enforce the dress code policy.

For one I think the dressing up is what makes a cruise one of the special things. Stay home and wear that hat and shorts at your own table, :(

[WCB]

Report # 131 Huatulco, Mexico May 11, 2013 Saturday

 

We think this is our fourth or fifth time to stop in Huatulco, Mexico. It really is a very lovely place to dock for the day in our opinion. The weather has always been hot, but today, there was a nice breeze that helped to keep us all cool and comfortable.

 

The Captain brought us in early, as there was a fishing tournament held here today, and the fleet was leaving early. We would have the luck to see some of the results of that contest later on in the day. We were in no rush to go off the ship, so we had breakfast a bit later in the dining room. Service was good, because we were in port, and lots of folks must have gone off on tours.

 

Huatulco is a sleepy village that has become very popular with tourists seeking azure waters, fine white sandy beaches, swimming, snorkeling, and perhaps, some fishing. Since we have taken three different types of tours here, as well as no tours, we opted to do the "no" tour thing today. We went off the ship around 10am to explore the small town. This time we found the local arts and crafts market with much more affordable items for sale than the stores lining the marina. Nearby, we crossed through the central park, and discovered a couple of local grocery stores. All we really needed was a couple of bags of potato chips to last for the next five days. We know, it's a bad habit, but a salty treat is good sometimes in hot weather.

 

Some big covered stands were set up for the fishing tournament later in the day. Many food vendors were near the marina as well, so we knew things would get crowded. Passing by the beach shops, we spotted a large beachbag that would be good to use at the aft pool. Like we have absent-mindedly done a few times in the past, one of us forgot their wallet on the ship. So we only had a limited amount of dollars with us. When we offered the vendor $10., our best price for the bag, he laughed and said no, as they always do. Making it clear that was all we had as we walked away, he sent his kid after us with the bag saying yes, $10. Best deal of the day.

 

We did go back in the afternoon, and ran into the fishermen coming back from their trip. There were two fish hanging, one a sailfish, and the other winning one, a marlin. While we were taking pictures, some fellows came with other large marlin to be weighed. It took four guys lifting it to hook the rope. It weighed 740 kilgrams, which if we are guessed corrrectly, that can be divided by 2. something to get the weight in pounds. It could have weighed well over 350 pounds we guess. With all the gathering of the locals, we felt a bit vulnerable. This would be the perfect place to get pick-pocketed if there ever is a good place. So we headed to the beach.

 

It was nice to stroll in the gentle surf with mostly local families who were enjoying a Saturday afternoon relaxing in the sun. Several cafes and bars lined this beach, and were filling up with customers quickly. Most of the drinks were reasonably priced, as was the food offered. We have never eaten here, so we did not want to take a chance, especially with the sickness ongoing on the ship. So we walked back to order a room service lunch, a much cooler place to dine.

 

We had chicken caesar salads and split a cheeseburger. We do not know why, but the mustard and catsup was missing again. The order is always repeated back when calling, so someone along the line cannot read correctly. At least we have the tiny salt and pepper packets we have saved from the dining room. They come in handy when those are missing from the order. Oh well, we will survive.

 

The ship left about 5pm, while we were watching from the aft deck. We could still see many fish around the hull, along with some puffer fish we had seen in the marina and on the beach. A nice breeze followed us out of the small harbor, but the wind really picked up when we got out at sea. Bet it cools off a lot as we head towards San Diego.

 

We found a new invitation on our mailslot for the Mariner reception and brunch tomorrow. This one put the reception first at 10:30am, followed by brunch at 11am. This is the way it always happens, so we do not know who was responsible for the switch-up. Maybe the new hotel manager?

 

The dinner menu offered prime rib once again. They serve it often here, and not only on formal night. So far, every time we tried it, we were disappointed. But we have faith that by now, all of the Australian beef would be gone, and replaced with USDA prime beef. We kept our fingers crossed when we cut into the first bite of meat, and were very pleased to find the quality and taste to be excellent once again. It only took 126 days to get the good beef back in the dining room.

 

Tomorrow will be a day at sea with a special Mariner party in the morning. Should be interesting.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[rallydave]

Thanks for the update Marianne,

 

A couple of comments. A kilogram is 2.2 pounds so you have t multiply kilos by 2.2 to get pounds so the fish weighed about 1,575 pounds.

 

As to the Prime Rib, understand and agree with your comments. Only once or twice on the WC was the Prime Rib tasty. Another issue beyond the cooking and type of beef is the fact that Prime Rib should never come with gravy which it always did on Amsterdam. Au Jus which was stated as include many times was not Au Jus but, brown gravy and can't understand why they would use that instead of the normal Au Jus. We even asked for Au Jus and always got brown gravy.

 

As to a recent comment that you mentioned from others on your current cruise that WC people refused to disembark on May 1, nothing could be further from the truth. The problem was the typical Amsterdam delays and total lack of communications regarding the extensive delays disembarking. We opted for disembarkation between 9 and 9:30 and our paperwork confirmed approx. 9:15. We waited and waited while the TV signal went on and off and our Cabin Steward waited for us to leave our cabin.

 

Our color was finally called approx. 10:30 without explanation for the delay and we came quickly to the gangway to followed the path to our luggage. We NEVER saw anyone from US Customs and Never showed our passports to anyone. Took awhile to find our luggage as different tags were not separated. Went thru customs without any delay. 6 customs agents and no backup. Made our flight and are home safely with all our luggage finally showing up.

 

Two of our suitcases were damaged by Fedex and after filing a claim with Fedex, found another of the too numerous secrets that HAL chooses to keep secret that we had to file our claim with HAL and not Fedex. Have no idea why and wish HAL notified us of this which would have saved time and effort. Probably found dozens of secrets during and now after our cruise which are hidden and not displayed anywhere.

 

Really pity those who cruise HAL on non-grand voyages and don't have friends on board to provide this information. While Hal is cutting and cutting what the customer gets, it doesn't cost anything to inform people of what occurs on board and not on board as well as ALL the policies, terms, etc.

[arzz]

Have really enjoyed traveling vicariously around the world with you --

 

But the Chemistry teacher in me has to interject:

 

It is 2.2 pounds per kilogram (that is a kilogram weighs a little over two pounds) ... so that if the marlin was truly 740 kg, then it actually weighed 1628 pounds ... Wow!

 

Great minds think alike -- it seems I posted concurrently with Rallydave ...

[cruz chic]

I love Hualtulco. Thank for today's write up.