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

[cruz chic]

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 1480 pounds ... Wow!

 

Correct. I thought something sounded strange about that.

[WCB]

Report # 132 Day at Sea May 12, 2013 Sunday Mother's Day

 

First of all, Happy Mother's Day!! Hope it is a wonderful day for all. It is a great one, being here.

 

It was also Mariner's Day for the 600 of us that are disembarking in San Diego. We were invited to a champagne/mimosa reception in the Explorers Lounge, where a small number of passengers were getting their medals, depending on their days sailed. There were about 40 of us at this party, which is a small amount compared to the high day medal holders that were on the world cruise. Most of the awardees got the 100, 300, 500, and only a couple of 700 medals. No one got the coveted President's Club pins, even though at the end of this re-positioning cruise, one couple we know will have exceeded the 1400 day mark. The days sailed will not get credited to our accounts until after we all exit the ship on Thursday.

 

After this reception, we were escorted to the upper dining room fpr a tasty brunch with even more champagne. We were seated with friends Scott and Karen, and three other couples, most of whom were sailing on the Panama Cruise only. Starters included a bowl of soup or a caesar salad. Entrees were trout, swiss steak, or a mushroom/potato vegetarian dish. A dessert of a very small piece of bread pudding finished the brunch. We were filled for the rest of the day.

 

We were in for a treat at the aft pool for the remainder of the afternoon. The ship kept cutting through the middle of several pods of dolphins, which we could see jumping in the surf on both sides of the wake. During our walk earlier in the day, we saw more turtles swimming by the ship. You can see them floating on the top of the waves while watching the ship pass on by. The lucky ones stay a good distance away from us, or else they can be easily injured. Another nice aspect of sunbathing today, was the fact that it had cooled down somewhat. The extreme humidity was gone, and were not complaining.

 

Other things going on included talks given by the Sloan couple concerning intelligence gathering and puppetry. Shopping in Puerto Vallarta and cabo was discussed by the shopping guru, Paul. Barbara H. gave her speech on things to do and see in Avalon, Santa Catalina and San Diego.

 

Emily, the friendly librarian, told us last night that she is able to hand out a book if we specifically ask for it. They are still under lock and key, a casualty of the code red. She also added that once the book is returned by the reader, that book has to be locked up for a two week period in order for any possble virus bugs to be completely dead. Never considered that a book could be that contaminated. In addition to these precautions, someone told us that they saw hazmat-style sprayers with masks fumigating the hallways late in the evening. They said it really gave them the creeps. But lots of stuff goes on behind the scenes that we never see, and of course, it is necessary if we are ever going to be over with this code red.

 

Dinner was good..............BBQ ribs, fried cheddar cheese, and french onion soup. The service was great and we were done shortly after 9pm. If we were going to the show, we would have seen a group that sang Beach Boy songs. As for us, we chose to watch a movie, the Batchelor Party, still funny, even though we have seen it before.

 

Tomorrow...Puerto Vallarta, here we come!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Rotterdam]

Its been a great joy to read your posts for this WC as I have enjoyed the past voyages you have taken.

 

Tonight I found a website that had many pics of the Amsterdam - so to put your posts to the pics surelly gave me a full panarama of your life onboard Amsterdam.

 

 

Thank you both for your efforts & may you mave many happy memories of your travels & a safe trip home....

 

Warm regards from NYC,

 

Rotterdam

[Rotterdam]

Its been a great joy to read your posts for this WC as I have enjoyed the past voyages you have taken.

 

Tonight I found a website that had many pics of the Amsterdam - so to put your posts to the pics surelly gave me a full panarama of your life onboard Amsterdam.

 

 

Thank you both for your efforts & may you mave many happy memories of your travels & a safe trip home....

 

Warm regards from NYC,

 

Rotterdam

[WCB]

Report # 133 Puerto Vallarta, Mexico May 13, 2013 Monday

 

The weather was remarkably tolerant today when we arrived to Puerto Vallarta early this morning. The sun was not out yet, and the skies were overcast, but at least there was a breeze, unusual for here. We kept breakfast light, because our intent was to go out to lunch at one of our favorite places in the old part of downtown. And if the temperature stays down, our long walk there may be pleasant.

 

When we first came here many years ago, we found a sleepy agricultural village with a few resort hotels. The biggest attraction was the area where the film, The Night of the Iguana, was filmed with Richard Burton, Deborah Kerr, and Ava Gardner. The famous actress, Elizabeth Taylor, came here and had a whirlwind romance with Burton. That alone really helped put this Mexican city on the map for places to be seen. Today, there are luxury hotels, shopping centers, bars, and restaurants on every corner for miles. Even a Walmart and a Sam's Club are across the steet from the cruise terminal. The nice thing about this is that it made our walk even better, since these places have been tied together with paved sidewalks all the way to the old part of town. For the last five years or so, workers have been replacing the old dirt roads with nicely brick-paved streets and sidewalks.

 

We left the ship by 10am, after hearing an annoucement that we have had the code red lifted.....finally. At least for the next two days, we can go back to normal, and serve ourselves. We will still use the Purell freely, even though the skin is peeling off of our fingers. But we are wondering if this virus is really gone for good. It has recently come to our attention that if we had arrived to the first USA port with this virus present, then a professional team would have to come onboard to disinfect it. And that costs big, big bucks. So, who knows?

 

Our timing was perfect, getting us to the Fiestamericana Hotel in 1/2 hour. Continuing on, we reached the bridge over the river in another 1/2 hour. That put us at the outskirts of old downtown, the Malecon, and the beach. By the time we reached the Rio Cuale, it was noon and time for lunch at the Rivercafe. What we needed more, were ice cold beers, and two Pacificos were served immediately. It was wonderful sitting at a table, overlooking the river, under a big ceiling fan. We both ordered the Mexican platter with a crispy taco, chicken enchilada, and a poblano chili stuffed with cheese. Refried beans, and guacamole was added to the mix, along with a bowl of chips and a gravyboat full of fresh salsa. We were happy campers, as we ate while listening to a musician playing Spanish guitar.

 

What was missing, were the dozens of iguanas we normally see here, crawling around the sandy banks of the river, or climbing up the trees or onto the roof of the restaurant. Sometimes, people would throw some food for them, and they would come to eat it. But today, we saw none. Asking our waiter where they were hiding, he said they were mostly gone. Except for some big ones hiding in the trees, he said the rest got picked off by large owls. Never thought of that.

 

Our alloted hour was up al too quickly, and we had to start hiking our way back. Why is it that going back seems twice as far? Could be due to the beers maybe. We did make a stop at the Fiestamericana Hotel on the way for ice cold sodas and a 15 minute sit down. The rest of the way was a piece of cake.

 

A strange thing happened on our way back through the Mexican security line at the gate. Our bag got checked, like everyone else's, but when the guard saw the half full bottle of water, he shook it, then examined it. What exactly was he looking for, we wondered? This has never occurred while going through the xray machine on the ship. Guess we passed the test, because he put the bottle back in the bag and handed it back to us. We did not ask why either.

 

We got back on the ship before 3:30pm, which was all aboard time. Would have been nice if our time was longer here, but it could be due to the tides that we have to leave when we do. We noticed that the sailaway included the buy one, get one for $1.00 drinks. Also, during 7 to 8pm, happy hour was happening in most all the bars. We think that should have been offered for all of the cruise.

 

Originally, we had made reservations for the Pinnacle Grill this evening, but since it was our last formal (and on a port day to boot), we switched the date with the 15th instead. It was a good choice, because they had one of our favorite entrees.....honey mustard parmesan-crusted chicken and mashed potatoes. The dessert of a lemon torte with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream was really good. Gosh, we are going to miss these great meals when we go back to normal.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[cruz chic]

Your lunch sounded great. Too bad I didn't know about that place when I was in PV a couple weeks ago.

[kesam]

Thank you for the wonderful journey. :):):)

[Johnny B]

Hi Bill and Mary Ann - we just found out from Shannon that the San Francisco/Ft. Lauderdale cruise before the WC is now going to be considered part of the WC, with all the associated amenities. Are you guys in? We booked that leg before we had to leave the ship in Hong Kong, along with the 2014 WC. Hope to see you in SF.

[WCB]

Report # 134 Cabo San Lucas, Mexico May 14, 2013 Tuesday

 

It's a stretch of the imagination to picture the days when pirates found Cabo and used it as a hideaway in the 16th century. It was not long after that fishermen arrived to create a village, that, believe it or not, we discovered back in the 1980's. Not much had changed. That's about all was here.....a village with a few nice hotels, and a lowkey spot for fishermen to spend a holiday. The tenderboat landing was just that....a boat landing. Twenty feet away from the dropoff were tables set up with wooden carvings for sale. Souveniers included woven blankets and perhaps some silver jewelry at the hotel.

 

Today, this vacation spot is supposed to be a quiet retreat from the hectic life of modern life. We would say it was the opposite with harborside bars and cafes featuring 2 for 1 beers and margaritas. A beach full of hotels and condos feature live music, banana boat rides, and jetski boats. Parachute sailing rides are ongoing, as well as fishing expeditions, snorkeling, and boating tours. It's come a long way from those pirate days.

 

We left the ship around 11am after another light breakfast in the dining room. It really did help to have another hour back on the clock last night, since we had walked at least a million miles yesterday. At least it felt like that. We were planning on the same activity today, with the idea of going out to lunch once again. The weather was perfect......warm, sunny, with a nice breeze. Doesn't get much better than this.

 

Lining up for the tenderboat ride was easy, since there were few of us that had the four or five star room keys. By luck, our timing was perfect, since we were at the head of the line, followed by two groups of 90 people going on tours. We quickly filled the boat, and left right away. We happened to be the only ship in town today, so the pressure will be on with the local vendors.

 

Within 5 seconds of leaving the checkpoint at the pier, we encountered at least 15 guys selling tours, taxi rides, or fishing expeditions for almost "free". We would hear that phrase at least 100 times today. Yeah sure, almost free. Can't blame them for trying.

 

We took the usual path that led us to Cabo Wabo and the hillside shops. That is where the bargains are. To be perfectly honest, we are shopped out by now, and our luggage is totally full. That is a good thing. We made our way to the Puerto Paraiso Mall, mostly to cool off in the modern air-conditioned mall. Right near the Luxury Avenue Boutique Mall, we decided to stop at the Baja Brewing Co. for cold beers. We noticed that they offered pizza on their menu, so that sounded perfect, even though it was not Mexican cuisine. We would save that for dinner tonight, since the menu looked very Mexican.

 

Great choice, both the pizza and the beers were great. We took our time walking back to the ship, going through some of the craft market stores on the way. It was close to 3pm, and it looked like most of the passengers had already headed back to the ship. We hopped on a waiting boat, and saw something we have never seen before. Some fishing boats were coming back into the Marina. As they entered, some of the crew brought out some fishbait, and fed the sealions who had jumped on the back of the boat. These guys are really big, so it was unbelievable that they could get on those boats. One gal was even petting a sealion on the head, like he was a pet or something. Wonder how safe that is when these seals have such large teeth and weigh a gazillion pounds?

 

Sailaway was at 5pm. It was fun watching all of the sunbathers, who had no clue that when the ship left the shelter of the bay, the temperatures would drop at least 20 degrees, with a strong wind that had a real chill. It sure cleared the deck off in a hurry. This happens just about every time we leave here and head towards the coast of California.

 

It took the rest of the day to download photos and catch up on reports. Once again, we got the "blue screen" while turning on the computer in our room, so we could not do anything until the ship left the port.

 

Tonight was our last time to eat dinner in the dining room, since tomorrow we will eat in the Pinnacle Grill. We said thanks and goodbye to our new waiters, who had done their utmost best to keep our service professional and speedy, despite the code red situation. They hope to be back on the world voyage next year, but at this point, they never know for sure where they will be. Anyway, we ordered skirt steak fajitas for our entrees, and the best dessert of frozen calypso pie, or Mississippi mudpie as we know it.

 

The clocks went back for the final hour of this combined cruise, and back to Pacific Time, where we started back in January. We have gone almost full circle.

 

One more day at sea, then we will be in San Diego in the golden state of California.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[DAllenTCY]

Thanks to you for your daily posts, which I enjoy reading daily. It has been a great 4 1/2 months! I hope all goes well tomorrow for your trip home to Clayton, and that you'll be posting again in 2014 for the WC.

David

[WCB]

Report # 135 Final Day at Sea May 15, 2013 Wednesday

 

Well, here we are, sailing on the final day of our 130 day adventure. The weather started off very overcast, gray, cold, and windy. It's almost like saying, "Go home". We seem to be headed that way rather quickly, with the Captain doing 20 knots. Guess that is what it takes to get us on time to San Diego tomorrow morning.

 

Breakfast was good as usual, especially with the many waiters stopping by to say hi. On this shorter cruise, it has been nice to be recognized by the world cruise staff, even if they may have never waited on us for the entire time. These fellows are just friendly no matter what or where you may see them. In fact, it is the staff, as well as other aspects, that keeps us coming back to this line over and over.

 

Walking the promenade deck this morning was invigorating due to the chilly wind. We did see a few very large flying fish, a sealion who popped up to watch us pass, and a school of big fish, perhaps yellowfin tuna. If you pay attention, sometimes you get rewarded with these sightings. Later in the afternoon, we even saw a whale spouting not too far from the ship. That is a first for us on this particular trip.

 

We had a few jobs this morning, starting with attending the disembarkation briefing with CD Rick Barnes in the Queens Lounge. We assumed this meeting was strictly for the 600 of us leaving in San Diego, but the entire lounge was filled. So this must have been the one and only talk to be given on this 15 or 20 day cruise ending in Vancouver. Most of the talk was a rerun for us, including the expected jokes, like don't pack all your clothes, then put out your luggage tonight, or you will be wearing the shower curtain home.

 

What we did learn was how the automatic tips were distributed among the crew. Seventy percent of the $11.50 gratuity per person goes to the dining room and room stewards. The remaining thirty percent is split among the other departments onboard, mostly to the folks that we never see behind the scenes. Rick added that the company (HAL) does not take any percentage of the gratuities at all. Zero. Good info to know, we think. And of course, if we chose to give any addition tips to certain people, we are free to do so. He did make it clear that extra tips are not expected, but much appreciated. Any personal remarks written is something always welcomed by the staff members as well, as long as they are positive.

 

Shortly after the talk was given, we got the information delivered to our rooms. A packet contained our proper tags for marking the luggage. Black number one tags were added this time to put on the bags to be shipped via Fed Ex. Then we got red # 2 tags for our disembarkation time. We have requested a 9:30am disembark time, but that will depend on two things. First of all, all of the Canadians and other foreign nationalities will have to see the customs and immigrations officials onboard. Then, those of us who are American citizens will have to go through the check in the terminal building. No one will be allowed off the ship until every foreign guest clears immigrations. That was a problem a few years ago, when some sleepy folks decided not to go to the check. Eventually, they were called by room number and name, delaying the exiting of many unhappy guests who had early flights. Hope it goes better this time.

 

After stashing most of the remaining clothes in our closets in the already full bags, we filled out the questionnaire forms for this 15 day cruise. Our only negative comment concerned the lack of back-to-back amenities that the 40 of us should have received. We never did get an answer that these niceties have been discontinued, but the only gift we got was the complimentary Pinnacle Grill dinner. We all would not have gotten that if it wasn't for the help of Cynthia, the Guest Relations Manager. Neither would we have been invited to two cocktail parties with the Captain and his staff. The only other item we had to pursue was the free photo that was taken at the Mariner's Reception a few days ago. Most everyone had theirs delivered that evening, but us. Something has slipped through the cracks there, we guess. Five minutes after asking about it at the front desk, the photo was delivered to our room.

 

For the first time in 129 days, we decided to go to the La Fontaine Dining Room for lunch. We had spotted one of our favorite meals, meatballs and spaghetti, on the menu, so today would be perfect for an early lunch for a change. One of us had a lamb and cheese burger, different, but really good. The dessert menu was slow in arriving, so we found it in our best interests to pass on it. We needed to save room for the Pinnacle Grill meal tonight.

 

With the weather being so cool outside, we spent the rest of the afternoon watching a movie in our room. Strangely enough, it was a good one we have not seen yet. Later on, we walked the promenade deck, trying to get the little bit of sun that was peeking out from the clouds. This was the first time we have needed to wear jackets since we sailed around New Zealand.

 

We also checked out the last of the sales onboard to find that more of the 2013 world cruise clothing was 75% off. That was pretty hard to pass up, even though some of the items are for winter weather. The shop has filled their shelves with everything Alaska now.

 

Eight o'clock came quickly, and we headed for deck four and the Pinnacle Grill. Caesar salads, ribeye steaks, baked potatoes, and mushrooms certainly made our meal delightful, if not filling. We topped it off with a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. Tomorrow's dinner will sure be far different from this excellent cuisine. And the best part, was that it was totally complimentary, thanks to the back-to-back perks.

 

Our six pieces of luggage had to be outside our room before midnight. No problem, they were locked, tied, tagged, and ready to go right after we finished dinner at 9:30pm. Tomorrow, we will have to load it up on a cart, and drag it through the customs and immigrations checkpoint in the terminal. At least we are not having to do this with 1300 other passengers, like in Ft. Lauderdale two weeks ago. If we heard correctly, 600 will be debarking, and 600 newbies will be joining.

 

Well, all good things come to an end. We can say that this 130 day cruise has been smooth sailing with great friends on a ship with a great staff. And the ports, well we can quote an anonymous saying that life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. We had many of these on this Grand Voyage for sure!

 

To be continued once we get home...........

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[jbhcw]

Safe travels home:) I have so enjoyed your trip around the world and cannot wait until next year:)

 

Your description of lunch in PV made me drool...originally from California..Pacifica and then San Diego I will tell you we don't get good Mexican food back here:( Usually have to make one trip to the west coast a year to visit relatives and eat decent Mexican:)

 

Again thanks for a great thread...love your writing:)

[Cruzin Terri]

Thank you once again for taking us along on your wonderful journey. I have enjoyed reading your posts and will miss them. Can't wait for your next adventure.

Terri

[Sea42]

I hope you have a safe and pleasant journey home! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your travels with us, I've enjoyed every post!

[windsor26]

Safe journey home and thank you for my vicarious trip with you I await next year

[DAllenTCY]

Departing SF on Dec 18th......San Diego on the 20th.....Christmas and New Year's included this upcoming 2013/2014 World Cruise.

If I recall, in some past years the pre-cruise departed Los Angeles, but it was not billed as part of the WC.....just a holiday Panama Canal voyage.

 

David

[JamesEM]

Hope all goes well tomorrow and have a safe trip home.

[Traveling Dot]

Have a safe trip home Bill & Mary Ann. I have enjoyed every minute of your trip around the world:). Will be sure to follow next years trip.

 

Thanks for taking us along.

Traveling Dot:D

[Bobalou]

Thank you for the wonderful reports - made each day more interesting as I had to report your adventures to the rest of my family - we all enjoyed your trip.

 

Louise

[snookymom]

Safe travels as you head home.

[Flyingfish]

Wow, another fab trip you two!!! Thanks for sharing. Hope you're home safe and sound. Think about writing a book titled "Pizza Around the World."

[ger_77]

Think about writing a book titled "Pizza Around the World."

 

I couldn't agree more! Thank you once more for taking us along with you - your descriptions of ship life, the ports, the sights, sounds and smells were wonderful. Safe trip home - hope the reality of having to cook and clean for yourselves won't be too harsh!

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[hpf]

Welcome home, but I will miss your travels so much, Now what do I do for my summer's enjoyment. I did enjoy your writings so much and only hope that one day I can talk my DH into taking a world voyage like yours.

Thanks so much for keeping us all informed over the winter and cool spring.

Now you can start planning your next grand adventure.

Helen

[rafinmd]

Bill & Maryann, Thank You and I look forward to meeting you in April.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Bill & Maryann, Thank You and I look forward to meeting you in April.

 

Roy