John and Diane's LAST Round the World Adventure

[Folk Singer]

Thanks for another great update. With regard to the football game, many Seattle fans left in dejection before the game ended - and could only watch on screens outside as their team won in the final minute!

 

 

But they still won. Go Sea Hawks

[Johnny B]

Tuesday, January 20, 2015 - Day 16

Next to last sea day en route to Nuka Hiva

 

While John is getting just a bit antsy to get his feet on solid ground, I’m already feeling how much I’ll miss these relaxing sea days, on which we can do anything or nothing. Even though the days are pretty much “freestyle,” we do find that routine sets our schedule for the day.

 

We’re generally up at about 7:00 - 7:30, and head up to the gym. After a 45-minute (or so) workout, it’s breakfast time, and we always sit in the same area near the Lido midships pool. In fact, we’re so predictable about our breakfast spot that when Captain Jonathan walked by yesterday, he asked, “Have you moved since yesterday?” I assured him we had not, because I was awaiting my call to the Bridge to help run the ship and I wanted him to know where to find me.

 

After showers, we head in different directions. I go down one floor to the library to work on this lovely piece of literature you’re now reading, and John either goes out to the verandah to read or to the morning lecture. We meet again at 11:45 for Trivia, after which we head back out to the Lido for lunch. I’m a noodle fan, so I always check the Asian bar first, and today they had an Indonesian table set up with Nasi Goreng, pork, sate, and other goodies. Once a week we split a hamburger at The Dive In (with their delicious fries, of course, but if nothing else appeals, I usually just settle for half an egg salad sandwich.

 

The afternoon varies greatly. Sometimes it’s time at “The Beach,” the name we have given to the aft Lido pool. Sometimes it’s reading on the verandah or a nap or, like today, a movie in the Wajang Theatre.

 

The evening is pretty predictable. We meet our pals in the Crow’s Nest about 7:00 and then head for dinner at 8:00. On formal nights, like tonight, we eat at Jeff’s table, but usually it’s our little four-top for the two of us or guests that we invite. We usually go to the show in the Queen’s Lounge, and from time to time we head up to the Crow’s Nest afterward to hang out with friends, talk and laugh a lot.

 

That’s our day, and it’s a really lovely way to spend time.

 

P. S. The first book selection is "The Light Between Oceans," by M. L. Stedman. I'll let you know the others as we read them.

[grammymarcia]

So enjoying your posts and dreaming of a World Cruise one day. I read "The Light Between Oceans" I loved it so much that I read it in one sitting, I found it hard to put down.

[Johnny B]

Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - Day 17

The last sea day before Nuku Hiva - Oh No!

 

In a conversation with Gene Young, our Cruise Director, today, he said that he was extremely thankful for the calm, peaceful seas and beautiful weather during our eight-day voyage from Manta to French Polynesia. Thinking he was talking about a propensity to seasickness, I asked him if he had to take medication for it. He laughed and told us that the reason for his comment was that eight days of bad seas with no ports put passengers on edge and cause way too much dissatisfaction and bickering. There has been very little of that during this stretch of the cruise, and for that, he’s very pleased.

 

The main problem for the last eight days has actually had nothing to do with passengers; it has to do with toilets. Now this is a subject that is usually not brought up at home in polite company, but on board ship lately, it is a very popular topic, and one which people ask each other about from time to time. At one point, one of the young ladies at the front desk told me that almost 25% of the toilets on board ship were having problems. That was very early on, though. Ours works pretty well, but once in a while we have one of two situations: either it won’t flush at all or it waits 15 or 20 minutes to flush. In either case, we just call the front desk (I think the 9 - 0 buttons on our phone are beginning to wear out), and the problem is usually taken care of within the hour. There are a couple of passengers whose toilets wouldn’t stay fixed, and they were moved to other staterooms.

 

As much as we love everything about the Amsterdam, it is 15 years old, which, in human years, is almost as old as I am. There are signs of aging, but everyone in “the family” here tries to pretend that there really are no problems, much as you would with a beloved older relative. Our friend Barbara told us this morning that when she was in the elevator she leaned on the railing and it came away from the wall. There are a few cabins with leaks that keep the maintenance crews busy. Once in a while there are buckets in the hallway catching errant drips. Fortunately, the ship will be going into dry dock in the Bahamas after the world cruise, so a lot of these problems can be remedied.

 

Do these problems keep us from enjoying our cruise enormously? Absolutely not. We will take more WC segments on the Amsterdam as long as HAL keeps offering them, and won’t be scared away by a few signs of age. After all, would you avoid Grandma?

Not a chance.

[erewhon]

Enjoying all your reports.

Thank you.

 

It upsets me to hear fellow passengers being rude to a crew member, I feel that I have to apologise for the other passenger's rudeness.

[shrimp56]

Enjoying all your reports.

Thank you.

 

It upsets me to hear fellow passengers being rude to a crew member, I feel that I have to apologise for the other passenger's rudeness.

Amen!

[ger_77]

There are a couple of passengers whose toilets wouldn’t stay fixed, and they were moved to other staterooms.

 

Oh my goodness, you made me laugh with this line. Last night I quickly scanned your post, as I was in a hurry to leave the house, when I saw what you wrote about the toilets not staying fixed. I thought you meant they wouldn't stay fixed in one place in the bathroom - and then I got the giggles, thinking someone would be doing their business when suddenly the commode started wandering. Oh dear; thanks for a good laugh - although unintended on your part.

 

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

[Folk Singer]

Tuesday, January 20, 2015 - Day 16

Next to last sea day en route to Nuka Hiva

 

While John is getting just a bit antsy to get his feet on solid ground, I’m already feeling how much I’ll miss these relaxing sea days, on which we can do anything or nothing. Even though the days are pretty much “freestyle,” we do find that routine sets our schedule for the day.

 

We’re generally up at about 7:00 - 7:30, and head up to the gym. After a 45-minute (or so) workout, it’s breakfast time, and we always sit in the same area near the Lido midships pool. In fact, we’re so predictable about our breakfast spot that when Captain Jonathan walked by yesterday, he asked, “Have you moved since yesterday?” I assured him we had not, because I was awaiting my call to the Bridge to help run the ship and I wanted him to know where to find me.

 

After showers, we head in different directions. I go down one floor to the library to work on this lovely piece of literature you’re now reading, and John either goes out to the verandah to read or to the morning lecture. We meet again at 11:45 for Trivia, after which we head back out to the Lido for lunch. I’m a noodle fan, so I always check the Asian bar first, and today they had an Indonesian table set up with Nasi Goreng, pork, sate, and other goodies. Once a week we split a hamburger at The Dive In (with their delicious fries, of course, but if nothing else appeals, I usually just settle for half an egg salad sandwich.

 

The afternoon varies greatly. Sometimes it’s time at “The Beach,” the name we have given to the aft Lido pool. Sometimes it’s reading on the verandah or a nap or, like today, a movie in the Wajang Theatre.

 

The evening is pretty predictable. We meet our pals in the Crow’s Nest about 7:00 and then head for dinner at 8:00. On formal nights, like tonight, we eat at Jeff’s table, but usually it’s our little four-top for the two of us or guests that we invite. We usually go to the show in the Queen’s Lounge, and from time to time we head up to the Crow’s Nest afterward to hang out with friends, talk and laugh a lot.

 

That’s our day, and it’s a really lovely way to spend time.

 

P. S. The first book selection is "The Light Between Oceans," by M. L. Stedman. I'll let you know the others as we read them.

 

 

Thank you for the update.

[Johnny B]

Thursday, January 22, 2015 - Day 18

Taiohae (Tie - oh - hee), Nuka Hiva, French Polynesia

 

“Welcome to Nuka Hiva. Please don’t swim because there is danger of shark attacks.” That’s what we heard just before we boarded the tender to take us ashore to Taihoae, the capital of Nuka Hiva in French Polynesia. We had approached this beautiful little bay at about 6:00, and suddenly we were surrounded by green hills which convinced us we were in the tropics. The bay in which we anchored is a perfect little horseshoe, only requiring a 5-10 minute tender ride into the dock.

 

We were here in 2008, on our first WC, and spent that day walking and walking and then taking a taxi so we could see the town and the bay from the beautiful mountains above. Since our friend Charlotte had organized a tour into the heart of the island on this cruise, we signed up and joined about 20 others to see parts of the island that cannot be viewed from the ship or the town.

 

As we drove, we saw beautiful Polynesian people, horses, cattle, flowers of every hue, banana and palm trees, and beautiful beaches. At home, we work to keep the garden plants happy and healthy; in Nuka Hiva, you’d have to work at keeping them trimmed back all the time - they just grow everywhere. We learned from our guide that before the arrival of the Europeans, tens of thousands of indigenous people lived primarily in the valleys, but after European diseases decimated the population, the 2900 people who now live on Nuka Hiva tend to live in towns.

 

Copra is the principal economic product here. I had heard of copra, but couldn’t have identified it in a line-up. It was explained that it’s a product of the coconut tree. The outer husk is removed, the white inner part is then chopped up and set out to dry in the sun. When dried, it’s boxed and shipped to Papeete, where it is ground up and, after processing, becomes coconut oil. The copra is the same as the coconut one can eat

from the fruit, but dried.

 

When we finished our tour four hours later, we wandered around the town and found a cute little French cafe for lunch. John’s choice was steak frites and mine was lemon chicken - along with some Hinano, a wonderful Tahitian beer. All-aboard was at 3:30, which was also the beginning of the sailaway party. Cold drinks, hot hors d’oeuvres, good company and beautiful scenery made it memorable.

 

Tomorrow is another sea day before docking in Papeete at noon on Saturday. We’ve heard that Tahiti is now beset by a storm with lots of rain, but we’re hoping it’s gone by the time we get there. I guess I’m the eternal optimist.

[cccole]

Oh...there is nothing like steak frites in French territory!!! Yum. The flowers must have been beautiful and given the air a nice scent. Did the water have the beautiful hues of blue/green that Tahiti and Moorea do? I hope you are enjoying being in the tropics. Cherie

[snookymom]

Sounds fabulous!

[Johnny B]

Friday, January 23, 2015 - Day 19

At sea (again!) en route to Papeete, Tahiti

 

Even though we had a wonderful day yesterday, it’s great to have a sea day today and be able to sleep as long as we wanted to (which was 6:45!). Even better, we got to set the clocks back a half hour last night, giving us a bit more sleep. Nuku Hiva is one of those unusual places (like India) which has the clocks set to a half hour difference, rather than a full hour. Because of that, we set the clocks back a half hour a day before arriving in Nuku Hiva and now another half hour to put us on Tahitian time, which is the same as Hawaiian time.

 

When we arrived in the Crow’s Nest last evening, we saw that our usual seats were occupied by others, and that our friends were sitting around on barstools chatting with each other and the bartenders. Never hesitant to join in, we sat on the next two stools to chat. Now I know it sounds like we spend a lot of time in bars, but the time is much more for socializing than drinking. Usually we just have a glass of Pinot Grigio in the Crow’s Nest before dinner, but we have a great hour to chat with friends.

 

Since it’s difficult to have a satisfactory group conversation when you’re all strung out along the bar, John and I began chatting with bar staff members whom we’ve come to know. We found out that five of the Crow’s Nest staff will be disembarking in Singapore, after their long contracts. One of them will have worked for 11-1/2 months. As a reminder, the room stewards, the dining room staff and the bar staff work approximately 10-12 hour days, 7 days a week, with only break time off. The usual contract is for 8 months, but some crew members extend their time and sometimes their contract is extended by management. It makes it difficult for them to keep in touch with families, so when Gerry, one of the bartenders, talked about missing his wife and two children, I got just a little teary. It’s a difficult life, but most crew members send most of their salary home, spend very little, and save enough to begin their own businesses after they’re done on the ships.

 

James, another “beverage attendant” whom we’ve come to like a lot, said that he was very happy to be disembarking in Singapore (after 10 months), because it’s only a 2-1/2 hour flight back to Manila. We told him that we’d miss him, but he has asked to be on the Amsterdam next year, so if we do a segment, we’ll see him again.

 

One of the real pleasures of cruising is spending time with our at-sea “family.” They may be crew members, other passengers that we’ve come to know, or officers who greet us like long-lost friends upon boarding, but it really is a family.

[jaxonboy]

Thank you for writing this wonderful travel log. We have been fortunate to do the 2012 and 2014 Grand World. One year ago today it was Pitcairn Island with Pawl the Pirate.

 

We too enjoyed the theme nights.

 

Is there a guest this year as odd as "Rasputin"?

 

I love your positive attitude. Debbie Bacon and Ron are great people. Ron was the ship escort on our Machupicchu Overland.

 

I plan to keep my eyes open and watch for future segments we are interested in. The full cruise takes us away from our family and our dog too long. We had been getting ready to book Rotterdam for the Africa cruise, shorter at 89 days, but it was cancelled.

[I Luv Crusin]

Thank you for taking us along! One day I hope to do a World Cruise. I've been drooling over brochures for years!

[Folk Singer]

Thank you for taking us along! One day I hope to do a World Cruise. I've been drooling over brochures for years!

 

We are doing the same and can hardly wait to do this. Thank you for the review.:):)

[Johnny B]

Saturday, January 24, 2015 - Day 20

Papeete, Tahiti

 

Just hearing the name “Tahiti” puts ideas into your mind, doesn’t it? You’re seeing turquoise blue water, swaying palm trees, white beaches and beautiful people. Well, in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, you’d be only partially correct. Actually, that description is a better fit for Moorea or Bora Bora. Papeete, however, is a big city with industry and traffic problems - and some wonderful weather - and we do love it.

 

We sailed through some pouring rain this morning, but by the time we docked at noon it was cloudy (and humid) but fairly dry. The dock here is right in the middle of town, with a crowded traffic circle just in front of the ship. However, a short walk to the right takes you into a beautiful park which stretches for blocks and blocks.

 

Our favorite way to see any port is to walk, and that’s what we did today. We walked to the Marche (French for open market), which is contained is a two-story tin building which covers almost a full city block. You can buy fruit, some beautiful flowers, clothing, fish, and any number of other things. Upstairs there’s a small cafe with excellent internet.

 

We continued past the McDonalds (patronized mostly by locals) and down to the Champion, one of our favorite French supermarkets. We bought all the basics: a baguette, pate, French cheese, and some Pims, our favorite French cookie. Later, it provided a wonderful private “happy hour” on our verandah.

 

Mid-afternoon it was time for tradition, so we headed to our favorite pub, Les 3 Brasseurs (the three brewers) for a beer. They make the beer on the premises, and it’s just across the main street from the ship. Tomorrow that will be our stop for lunch.

 

Dinner had lots of choices. There was a Polynesian barbecue on the midships Lido deck, the dining room, or the Roulettes - like food trucks - which assemble each evening on the parking lot to the right of the ship. We chose option 3, where the three main categories on offer seem to be steak frites, crepes, or Chinese food. There are, by the way, a huge number of Chinese in these islands. I had a lemon crepe (my favorite) and John had a Crepe Savoyarde, containing ham, raclette cheese, and chopped potatoes.

 

After returning to the ship, we listened to Debby Bacon in the Piano Bar for a while, and then headed to the Queen’s Lounge, where a Tahitian cultural show was this evening’s entertainment. They were fantastic! There was a band made up of about 8 musicians and about a dozen and a half dancers, evenly divided between men and women. They had more energy than anyone has a right to have, and I was exhausted just watching them. They were about the best cultural show we’ve seen on the ship.

 

Now that we’re broken in for Papeete, we have all day tomorrow to enjoy the city and the island of Tahiti. It’s a fascinating place, and we plan to spend the day taking it all in.

 

P. S. No, there's no one quite as bizarre as "Rasputin," but we'll keep on the lookout.

[Lauranne]

Thank you Diane for posting this blog. I have been following it for a number of years and it makes a gloomy January into a delight. Also thanks for mentioning the book club selection,"The Light Between Oceans," by M. L. Stedman. I read it this weekend and it was a lovely story. I will follow along with the other selections that you mention during the cruise and your many adventures.

Laurie

[Johnny B]

January 25, 2015 - Day 21

Papeete, Tahiti

 

Rain, rain go away! There is absolutely no question today about why Tahiti is so green and lush; we’ve had buckets of rain and some of our friends have a tours which were, literally, washouts. As I walked down the hallway this morning, I passed one woman who said, apropos of nothing: “I cancelled the tour. Too foggy to see anything.”

 

Because we had no firm plans today, we stuck to our usual schedule: gym, breakfast, showers. During breakfast, we chatted with friends Alan and Sandra (Alsas) and decided to meet for lunch at a favorite restaurant. Unfortunately, we each thought it was a different favorite restaurant, so when we got to Les 3 Brasseurs at 12:00 on the dot, they weren’t there yet. John had to tell the waitress twice (in French) that we were waiting for two more friends, but by 12:10 we decided that this wasn’t the place, so we packed up and headed down the street, where we found them at Le Retro, another great place to eat. They had a bottle of dry rose chilling and the menus were waiting.

 

Alan and Sandra had told us earlier about the great shrimp salad there, and they weren’t kidding. Tahiti seems to have the biggest avocados I’ve ever seen, and there were about a half dozen huge shrimp (oxymoron?) in each. For my part, I ordered a chicken club sandwich, and it was unlike any I had ever seen. It consisted of layers of grilled chicken, soft bread, bacon, tomatoes, and was topped by an over-easy fried egg. It was definitely NOT a pick up and eat sandwich, but once I had put the egg over to the side (I don’t do eggs that aren’t cooked through) and picked up my knife and fork, it was pretty good.

 

After two hours of eating and (mostly) talking, we headed back to the ship to check out photos (which you can always see on Facebook at DianeandJohn St John). Then we headed up to the Crow’s Nest, where sailaway had been moved to because of the rain. This is a wonderful port to watch as we sail out through the reef into the ocean, and although we love outdoor sailaways, being in the bow of the ship gave us a great view.

 

This evening is pretty low-key. At 7:00 and 10:00, they’re showing the movie Boyhood, which is the one which covers 12 years of a young boy’s life. I’d like to see it, but it’s 2-3/4 hours long, and if we go at 7:00 we have to skip dinner, and if we go at 10:00, we wouldn’t be out until nearly 1:00. I think maybe Netflix will have to supply it once we get home, since we have to be up early.

 

Tomorrow is Bora Bora, one of the most beautiful places in the world, and Jeff has organized an all-day snorkeling, swimming, and swimming with sharks and rays tour for 12 of us. Will we get to actually do it? That will depend on the weather. If it’s raining, snorkeling is pretty much a waste of time. It’s supposed to clear up a bit, but only morning will tell. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.

 

P. S. Just now, we’re sailing past the island of Moorea, an absolutely beautiful place with steep mountains and white beaches.

[Folk Singer]

Thank you for this. We have a rather large snow fall coming in Tomorrow and this helps keep smile on my face.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Enjoying your posts.

[Johnny B]

Monday, January 26, 2015 - Day 22

Bora Bora, French Polynesia

 

There I was, snorkel and mask in place, just floating on top of the water and watching some of the most beautiful fish in the world. Some were neon blue, others had grey and black stripes with bright yellow tails, and some a vivid orange. Below me were about a half dozen sting rays, and just then an entire school of black-tipped sharks headed in my direction - really!

 

One of the most perfect days in history began with our merry group of 12 boarding a boat to see as much as possible of offshore Bora Bora - the most beautiful island in the world, in my opinion. We were to begin outside the island’s reef, but it was so rough that that wasn’t an option, so we headed to a shallow area where we could stand waist deep and play with sting rays or snorkel - or both, which I did. They’re extremely soft and feel like velvet, and I learned that they can eat either through their mouth (underneath their body) or through their ears, which are on top. Strange bit of trivia there. There were some of the black-tipped sharks there, but not too many.

 

After finishing there, we snorkeled at the coral gardens, where fish in all colors, shapes and sizes come to feed on the algae which grows on the many colors of coral under the sea. We were warned not to touch the coral, but it was about ten feet down, and my snorkeling ability doesn’t reach that far, so it was no problem to me. Actually, everyone that we saw at the site was intent on protecting the coral.

 

Our next visit was the most exciting. As our boat was anchored, we saw literally dozens of sting rays just below the surface of the water as well as lying on the sandy bottom. The water was about five feet deep, so for someone like me, who’s 5’4”, snorkeling was the order of the day. I didn’t have flippers, so I just pretty much floated around looking at the underwater beauty and petting those nice soft rays. When the sharks arrived in great numbers, I knew they weren’t dangerous, but seeing them headed at me raised my blood pressure significantly. Actually, the captain of our little boat had told us that we should not touch the sharks, lest they take offense, and I was only too happy to abide by that rule. Between the sharks, the rays, and the thousands of beautiful fish, that stop was the highlight of the day.

 

Now it was time for lunch, so we headed past dozens of over-water bungalows belonging to hotels like the Meridien, the Four Seasons, and the St. Regis, to a motu, or small island, where lunch was being prepared. We were called into a covered area where a young man in a loin cloth uncovered the imu, or underground oven, where we saw plantains, tapioca, chicken with spinach, and a small pig which had been cooking for several hours. In addition, marinated mahi mahi and tuna were being grilled by more young men in loin cloths (do you see a pattern here?) It was a feast, and eating it while seated on a picnic table in the warm water just made it better. Oh, did I mention the icy cold Hinano beer which accompanied it? It makes my mouth water just thinking about it again.

 

Sadly, it was then time to head back to town, where we picked up the tender back to the ship. Patrick, the owner of the company, knows how to create a memorable day, and this one will stand out as one of the best of the cruise.

[regnig]

What a wonderful post! I could feel the warmth of the sun and the beauty beneath the water's surface. Certainly sounded like a day in paradise.

[hillside]

Loved your day on Bora Bora. We'll be on the Statendam soon and enjoying Patrick's tour. Can't wait! Thanks for all your fabulous and sunny reports over the years.

[Huskerchick]

Wow! Your day sounds spectacular. And I'm with you I would have avoided those sharks at all costs. Thanks for sharing.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[solocanadian]

Wow! Your day sounds spectacular. And I'm with you I would have avoided those sharks at all costs. Thanks for sharing.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

What website did you and POA1 get your avatar from? I'd like to check it out.

Please advise if you can recall. Thanks.:)