John and Diane are at it Again!

[cruz chic]

Glad thry are treating you well. I can't believe someone would fly in the same day for a world cruise. They were lucky!

[windsor26]

Dianne and John I am following along your thread with green eyes. I am also following Bill and Mary Ann's thread for the same cruise so will be able to seer the world cruise from two angles.

 

You mention liking to take private tours due to cost and crow. May I recommend one in Mauritius? We walked with the lions and stroked cheetahs there in Casela Bird Park and had an unforgettable day.

 

We booked via Heath in Mauritiusattractions@gmail.com Each tour only takes 12 people and the walk and interaction with these lions (ours were 13 months old and 10 months old) is photographed and filmed and the DVD was $25

The cost included the journey in both directions and we had time to spend in the Bird park itself.

 

Keep the blog coming please:D

[Traveling Dot]

Finally caught up with your WC blog. Thank you for taking us along.:) Wish I was really there, well maybe some day.:D

[rafinmd]

May I ask a question? Is Pastor Florence on for the entire World Cruise or will it change by segment?

 

Thanks

 

Roy

[mariner]

Was monitoring the harbor radio. Tell your Canadian neighbors the captain told shoreside they had 5 minutes to get to the ship or he was pulling out.

[xjust4fun]

I this area of Canada we pronounce our words the same as you do.

We say abowt and owt. Now my family in Michigan say daal(doll) and other such things, which gives us lots to imitate when we go visit.:)

 

I'm from your area and I certainly agree with your post.

 

By the way we've enjoyed this thread in the past and are certainly enjoying it again. Thanks for taking us along on your journey.

[markf]

Rafi--I see that you have cruised on Crystal and HAL--

Is there a comparison --or are they in different leagues???

[mijello]

Thank you John and Dianne for posting your world cruise blog for us to read. Much appreciated.

[rafinmd]

Rafi--I see that you have cruised on Crystal and HAL--

Is there a comparison --or are they in different leagues???

 

I don't want to touch on that in this thread so I created a new one:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1966271

 

Roy

[Johnny B]

Monday, January 6

At Sea en route to Costa Rica

 

Since we’ve never taken a cruise that was “attached” to the world cruise, John and I have spent some time discussing differences between our holiday cruise and the world cruise, so far. There are some very clear differences, but there are similarities, too.

 

First of all, it’s a LOT less crowded. There were 1375 passengers over Christmas, and now there are only 1005 - and it makes a huge difference. The fact that 80 of them are NOT children also makes a difference, but we were very pleased with the children’s behavior on the holiday cruise. We saw them in groups primarily in the Lido pool, where “Marco Polo” was shouted loudly and happily. We thought they were really cute, as opposed to some fellow passengers who had horror stories of previous cruises where children thought it was fun to “ding dong ditch” and turn over daily mats in the elevators.

We had no complaints about them.

 

In the dining room, the changes are fairly minor. The quality of food during the previous cruise was very good, but the selection has widened on the WC. Our friend Barbie loves caviar, and she was shocked that it was not included once on the holiday cruise. Now it will be on the menu every formal night, and Barbie usually orders two or three servings of the stuff - not my favorite. They’ve finally put shrimp cocktails back on the “available anytime” dinner menu, something that makes me happy, but they’re still charging for cappuccino after dinner. One thing that we, as Californians, have appreciated is the relative spiciness of some dishes (like penne arrabiata) that should be spicy, when they weren’t in the past.

 

Caneletto, the Italian restaurant, still charges $10.00, which we find pretty interesting.

On previous cruises, it was free, and it was still empty. Maybe charging will make people think it’s better. The Pinnacle menu is still the same as the holiday cruise - having been changed significantly from previous world cruises.

 

The crowds in the gym during the previous cruise were up and down, but boy, was it crowded this morning. The comedian who entertained last night and whom we met after the show commented that it must be a result of New Year’s resolutions. It may be a result of the relative ages of the cruisers, however. We’ve noticed that passengers on this year’s WC seem to be a bit younger, on average, than on previous cruises. There seem to be fewer scooters and walkers on board, too.

 

The “new and improved” internet is still up and down. When I tried to do a bedtime email check last night, it was impossible to get on. This morning, it went right online. So. . . nothing has changed in that regard.

 

Tonight’s our first formal night and Captain’s Welcome Reception, so I guess that I’ll have to go through the formalwear closet and make the big decision. We should have an officer at our table, but as long as there’s free wine, we’re happy!

[hillside]

I look forward to reading all your posts. Thanks for taking us along. The world cruise is on my bucket list!

[Johnny B]

Tuesday, January 7

At Sea en route to Costa Rica

 

The question I am asked more than any other when people know we’re going on a world cruise is, “Don’t you get bored?” The short answer is “NO!” The intermediate answer is that anyone who can entertain him/herself would never be bored on a four-month cruise. The long answer takes, of course, a little longer.

 

Our schedule, at least on sea days, is pretty consistent. We wake around 7:00, head to the gym for about 45 minutes, and then go to breakfast. We are so consistent that we always eat in the same area - Lido covered pool area, starboard side. Then it’s showers, followed by John going to “the beach” - otherwise known as the Deck 8 aft pool, and I go to the library to write this blog. We next meet at Trivia at 11:45, followed by lunch, and the afternoon actually varies. Sometimes there’s a movie I’ll want to see, but often it’s back to “the beach” for both of us, and often a nap. And so it goes.

 

But . . . for those who want a little more activity, there is plenty of it. There are lots of free and paid activities in the gym, including “early morning stretch” and “total body conditioning,” both of which are beginning to spill over the area set aside for them. As far as physical activities go, there are also “Sit and Be Fit,” “Pathway to Yoga,” Tai Chi, and indoor cycling.

 

If you’re a creative sort, there is watercolor instruction, sit and knit, and arts and crafts. There are computer classes, bridge classes, game-playing get-togethers and always, always sales presentations; today’s is on emeralds.

 

One of the best activities is the Guest Speaker Series. Right now we have a speaker named Tommie-Sue Montgomery and today she’s speaking about the history of Panama and the building of the canal. Yesterday was about Costa Rica and how it is different from almost any other Latin American country. One can really learn a lot and it’s good preparation for our upcoming ports.

 

Movies are often a good choice, and they are shown either 3 or 4 times a day. Yesterday was “Moulin Rouge,” which I was somewhat tempted to see (but didn’t), but today is a movie called “Stand Up Guys,” a comedy about hold-up men. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all.

 

Of course there are the meals, and even outside of mealtimes, there is food available 24/7, in the Exploration Cafe, the Lido, or even room service. The second most common comment about world cruises is, “Oh, all that food. You must gain a lot of weight.” I guess some people do, but most people who are on a ship for this length of time pretty much just take the food for granted and eat three meals a day and perhaps a snack from time to time. Our friend Barbie said that on her first world cruise (many years ago), she actually LOST 17 pounds. We don’t gain, but we don’t lose, either. I guess it’s all that time in the gym and moderate amounts of food.

 

There is always a show in the evening, and I must say that last night’s was one of the best ever. It was a 45-minute version of the Broadway hit “Forbidden Broadway.” Basically, it was a very well-done parody of about a dozen Broadway hits. Our friends Gene and Shirley, who were our hosts in Ft. Lauderdale, had tickets to see the full version on Saturday night. Our favorite bits were a “Liza Minelli” concert and several of the songs from “Les Miserables” - but with different, much funnier words. We’d love to see it again or just see the whole thing. This evening’s show is different from any we’ve every seen: it’s a gymnastics show by Olympic gymnast Lance Ringnald. I can’t imagine how it will be staged, but we’re really looking forward to finding out.

 

So . . . if you’re worried about not having enough to do on a world cruise, get rid of that worry. I’ve always believed that interesting people are always interested (in something) and that boring people are bored (easily). I find most of the people on this cruise very interesting, and I’m sure that if you were interested enough to take the cruise, you’d be busy all day.

[Cindy]

This evening’s show is different from any we’ve every seen: it’s a gymnastics show by Olympic gymnast Lance Ringnald. I can’t imagine how it will be staged, but we’re really looking forward to finding out.

 

 

We've seen his show on a ship. It's very entertaining! Enjoy!

[I&J Cruisers]

Thankyou so much for sharing. I don't think there's a world cruise in my future but I sure enjoy following you around the world, I can dream cant't I. Enjoy!!!!

[erewhon]

Thank you for your updates.

[TiogaCruiser]

The comment regarding how Lance was going to stage his show got me to wondering too- on a moving ship:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ryiDFfJXP-M

[Johnny B]

Wednesday, January 8

Puerto Limon, Costa Rica

 

It’s called “Lemon Port,” and although we saw every other kind of fruit, I didn’t see a lemon all day. Costa Rica is a wonderful country, the most stable in Latin America, and it’s great to see its Caribbean coast after having called at the Pacific coast on the holiday cruise.

 

We docked shortly after 7:00 this morning, and then at 8:00 we met our tour group. Our friend Jeff had introduced us to Cheryl and Larry, also from California, and they were nice enough to add us to their independent tour. Cheryl had booked with Oscar Brown Tours (oscarbrowntours.com) and Oscar (and Oscar, Jr.) provided a wonderful look at the area around Puerto Limon. As we drove along, Oscar, Jr. was the monkey lookout man, and when he saw some, we parked alongside the road to watch a colony of howler monkeys. His father did one of the best howler monkey calls I think I’ll ever hear, and they howled right back. We continued with a stop at a fruit stand where we sampled some wonderful fruit, including the best papaya I’ve ever eaten. I much prefer mango, but if all the papaya at our local grocery store tasted like this one, I’d be converted.

 

Then we drove to a Del Monte banana plantation and packing plant, and the workers there were so busy grabbing bananas and lining them up in crates that it reminded me of an old “I Love Lucy” show - you know, the one about wrapping the chocolates. I’ll remember how much work goes into packing and shipping bananas next time I buy them.

 

We continued to the docking area for the Tortuguero Canal, where we spent almost an hour sailing different areas on the hunt for wildlife. We saw blue herons, snowy egrets, basilisks, iguanas, sloths, and some more very loud howler monkeys. It was almost as if they were on a timer, because all of a sudden the entire colony of about a dozen monkeys would howl in unison. We’ve always joked about howler monkeys, but we had no idea they were soooo loud! We didn’t see any caymans because the water was too high. We got some good photos which John is posting on Facebook, but Jeff, of course, has brilliant ones.

 

After disembarking our small craft, we drove to a restaurant high above the city, not to eat, but to take pictures. We could see our ship and most of Puerto Limon. After our major purchase of a Coca Light, we headed down the hill, enjoying the outskirts of the city. Oscar, by request, dropped us off a couple of blocks from the ship so that the five of us could shop for necessities at Mas por Menos (More for Less), one of the largest supermarkets in town. We bought only necessities, of course: chips, Diet Pepsi, and crackers. In Latin America, when the chip bag says “Picante,” they really are hot!

 

We got back to the ship in time for a late lunch, followed by an hour in an inexpensive local internet cafe. Just as a comparison, we paid $5.00 and stayed an hour (we could have stayed all day), whereas an hour using HAL’s internet would cost $15.00. Internet cafes are almost Mecca for passengers and crew while in port.

 

All aboard was at 3:30, and that’s when the sailaway party around the aft Lido pool began. One difference between regular cruises and Grand cruises is the hot hors d’oeuvres served at sailaway. As we sailed into the bay, the wind picked up and within a half hour or so, the crowd thinned because so many were “blown” inside.

 

It was a great day with wonderful 82-degree weather (sorry for those of you suffering from awful weather). We’ve been to Costa Rica a few times and this visit was just as good as the others. Tomorrow is the Panama Canal again, so all we have to do is sit on the verandah and see the other side of this great divide.

 

P. S. Last night’s gymnastics event was wonderful. Lance was funny, played the piano, and demonstrated some incredible gymnastic feats (at age 43!) He used a walker to simulate parallel bars and did some things that I didn’t think were possible on the silks, or long sheets of fabric that came down from the ceiling. I thought the crunches I do in the gym are difficult; he does them upside down while hanging with the silks wrapped around his arms. I’ll never complain again. All in all, a very entertaining show.

[Johnny B]

Thursday, January 9 (Happy Birthday Elvis)

Transiting the Panama Canal

 

It’s really strange to be going back through the Panama Canal so soon. A few days ago someone asked us if we had been through the canal before, and we both answered, “Yes, last week.” We have figured that this is our fifth transit, but it never ceases to be quite amazing.

 

Now that it’s 2014, it’s officially the hundredth anniversary of the canal. On August 15, 1914, the Panama Canal was officially inaugurated by the transit of the SS Ancon, and here we are in 2014. I saw an ad from HAL for a Panama Canal cruise that will actually transit on August 15, 100 years to the day.

 

As much as the locks, the lush foliage on both sides of the canal fascinates me. After our little boat ride yesterday and seeing how many creatures exist in that limited area, we can just imagine how rich with fauna the shores of Lake Gatun must be. We found out at dinner last evening how many venomous snakes and even frogs there are here, so I don’t think I’ll be playing Indiana Jones in the jungle any time soon.

 

After we had transited the Gatun Locks, the captain came on the PA system and told us

that, since we had “time to kill,” he would swing over so we could get a look at the new, larger locks that should be complete sometime in 2015 (we’ll see!) A dam has been constructed to keep the water of Gatun Lake from flowing into the construction, but we could see the huge lock which is on its way to completion. The new locks will be 160 feet wide (compared to the current 110 feet) and 1,400 feet long, compared to 965 feet currently. It will allow huge ships to transit the canal instead of having to sail around South America, and it will double the capacity of the canal.

 

One interesting thing we learned when we entered the Culibra Cut, the narrowest part of the canal, had to do with a former Panamanian dictorator, Manuel Noriega. After he served his 20 years in the United States, he was extradited to France, which imprisoned him for another couple of years. After that, he expressed a desire to come back to Panama, but the French said that he could only return if he was imprisoned there. So . . . we just passed by his prison, actually a compound, but surrounded by high fences with razor wire. We saw some employees, but not Noriega. I think you must love your native country a great deal to agree to imprisonment to return there when there were many places he could have lived. Just a tidbit of trivia.

 

In honor of Panama, lunch today, in addition to the availability in the Lido (where we always eat), there were small booths set up outside with various types of Panamanian food. I had shrimp and rice, but there was stewed, spicy beef, wonderfully spiced chicken, deep fried fish, as well as lots of other yummies. For dessert, there was a Panamanian buffet of sweets, so I chose one that is always a favorite: flan. I just love it. It was a lovely and delicious addition to a wonderful day.

 

After several hours in Gatun Lake, we are about to transit Pedro Miguel Locks and then, almost immediately, Miraflores Locks, prior to entering the Pacific Ocean. Then we’ll have one day at sea before calling at Manta, Ecuador.

 

I haven’t checked to see what tonight’s entertainment is, but last night was just wonderful. Colleen Williamson is a mezzo soprano who sang everything from Broadway to opera. She’s not one of those sopranos who goes up into the stratosphere with her notes, but one who has the talent to almost caress every note, and we loved listening to her. Even people who don’t usually like sopranos enjoyed Miss Williamson.

 

Now it’s off to Trivia. Hope we do as well today as we did on Tuesday.

[KNOT2L82SAIL]

The ever so lovely Amsterdam is now showing on the Centennial Cam right now.

http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/camera-java.html

 

Sorry for the late post. She is almost out of camera range as of now. But it was great while it lasted.

Edited January 9, 2014 by KNOT2L82SAIL

[gigianne]

Just came on to post the same thing - awesome picture of the A.

[KNOT2L82SAIL]

Just came on to post the same thing - awesome picture of the A.

 

I am now waiting for her to come into view on the Miraflores cam. Yes, I am an addict...to sailaways from Port Everglades and the ever so lovely Amsterdam.

[rafinmd]

Just as an FYI, Coleen Williamson has been one of the lead singers on the Crystal Symphony for years. She often steps out of that role and does her own cabaret shows, and I fully agree with your assessment. I hope she is just on vacation from her regular job.

 

Roy

[boards]

The ever so lovely Amsterdam is now showing on the Centennial Cam right now.

http://www.pancanal.com/eng/photo/camera-java.html

 

Sorry for the late post. She is almost out of camera range as of now. But it was great while it lasted.

 

Thank you for sharing that post.

[orangenemo]

Hi D&J, I LOVED it(your posting on 7th). I would love to copy it to some of my friends who would ask me the same question regarding World Cruise, "Aren't you going to be bored for 4 months? :D Heo. Hugs

Edited January 10, 2014 by orangenemo

[pixiegirl-loves-travel]

Thanks again for sharing! I'm really enjoying travelling vicariously through you. Continued blessings on your journey! :)