Journey with Bill & Mary Ann on the Amsterdam's 2016 Grand World Voyage - 114 days +

[dchip]

Happy Birthday!! 🎉🎂🍻

 

Enjoying your posts so very much! We are getting plenty of rain and the Clayton hills are as green as can be.

 

Cheers, Denise

[WCB]

Report # 26 Sailing Towards Rarotonga, Cook Islands January 25, 2016 Monday Partly cloudy & 83 degrees

 

It came as a bit of a surprise to us, but it actually cooled down today. No way was it going to be 83 degrees. The stiff breeze had a chill to it, and the seas had white caps. Although it was a relief from yesterday’s heat and humidity, we had a sinking feeling that if the swells keep up, we will miss our port of call tomorrow in the Cook Islands. Just a guess, but we have had to bypass this port on past trips, as recent as last year, in fact.

 

At breakfast, we were pleased to find that fresh berries were back on the menu. We both ordered bowls of sliced strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. They were jumbo size. Bananas are back onboard, thanks to the delivery of the containers in Papeete. The only problem is that they are still too green to serve. Sure glad we bought those little bananas while in Nuku Hiva.

 

For a change, we decided to go to the dining room for lunch, with hopes of meeting Barb, who eats in there every sea day. We went directly to our table, and within 10 minutes, Barb came. She was pleasantly surprised. We had some catching up to do, since we had missed dinner last night with everyone. Seems like every time we make reservations for the Pinnacle Grill, the dining room serves prime rib. On our last trip in the fall, that entrée wasn’t that great. But the time we had it on this trip, the quality was far better. The food has been a step or two higher than a regular short cruise.

 

The normal activities were taking place today. It appears that a new Location Team has joined, as we noticed a group of four Maori on the stairwell early this morning. One of the fellows was sporting a tattooed head and face. You cannot help but do a double-take when you see someone decorated so differently. We are sure that they will do the same type of activities that the Polynesian team did.

 

During lunch, the Captain delivered his regular PM talk. All three of us knew what was coming. He said that if these waves do not subside, it will be highly unlikely that we would be able to tender the boats to shore tomorrow. The contact they made with the port master also included the message that it might be impossible to tender to shore. We thought the seas were getting rougher as the day wore on. If it gets much worse, then we will not be able to use the tenderboats. Our safety and the safety of the crew comes first, so we will understand if it is a no go. And we’ll get a shipboard credit, a refund of the port charges. And if we are lucky, then we will get a flute of champagne at dinnertime.

 

Thought this might be a good time to explain the photo department. They are selling the DVD’s that are made from the very beginning of this cruise. You can buy up to 12 DVD collections. Guess they have had fewer folks buying their individual discs. The price is $35 for one glimpse of the ship going through the locks, and a 12 DVD collection for $250. Then they are pushing the deal with 5 activity photos plus digital film for $99.95. The price gets even higher at $749., but it includes all of your photo plus digital files. Pretty rich……..

 

Disney had the better idea with their photos. There were banks of photo kiosks where you could see all of your own photos, then pick out the ones you really want. Your account would be charged, and the photos delivered to your room. By far, much easier.

 

There was a special dinner held in the Pinnacle Grill this evening. It was a Polynesian Hula Hula Themed Dinner. This is more of a wine pairing menu, with each course having a different type of wine. The cost is $79 each. And this is the first time we noticed that the 3, 4, and 5 star Mariners get their discounts applied to this meal. We had intended to make a pass by the Pinnacle, but we got waylaid, and forgot to check.

 

Dinner time found all of us back at our table. The choices were limited for our tastes, but we both found something good. One of us had the prune-stuffed pork loin, and the other had the tuna steak entrée. We also split the vegetarian lasagna, also tasty.

 

The show this evening was called Strings Alive, a mix of guitars, piano, violin, and vocals promising to be electrifying. Afraid it would have to be really electrifying to keep us awake. Yesterday’s port really wore us out. Must have been the heat.

 

As we write this, the ship is really rolling and pitching, so we will be surprised if the landing in Rarotonga will happen.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 27 Avatiu, Rarotonga, Cook Islands January 26, 2016 Tuesday Partly cloudy & 82 degrees

 

The Cook Islands are situated almost dead center of the Pacific Ocean. This country consists of 15 islands that are spread over an area the size of India, making it difficult for the locals to visit their neighbors. Named after Captain Cook (naturally), these faraway islands have been a refuge for the hermit personalities and the Robinson Crusoes.

 

There is a different feel about Rarotonga, compared to the French Polynesian islands we just left behind. Maybe because it is British with a mix of Maori from New Zealand and Brits from England. The capital is Avarua on the island of Rarotonga, our destination today.

 

The population of all of the islanders is 19,569, and has an area of 240 square miles. Maori and English are the main languages.

 

Things to do and see begins and ends with the sapphire blue lagoon that surrounds the entire island. Many tours involved snorkeling and swimming, or a boat ride to see the reefs. There are libraries, churches, cemeteries, museums mixed with boutiques and restaurants.

 

The township of Avarua is full of old colonial churches, more graveyards, and plantations. If you want to see the rain forests, you can tour in a 4 x 4 vehicle to the valleys and volcanic heights in the center of the island. You are promised to have a bumpy ride and experience vertigo.

 

Muri Lagoon is the main resort area complete with lots of sandy white beach and motus. Our one experience with snorkeling was here in this lagoon, probably eight years ago. It wasn’t the best, because at the time, we had arrived right after a storm had gone through. The water was murky and turbulent, making fish-finding impossible. So we were not too impress. However, visits after that proved to be much better.

 

What’s to eat here? More raw fish in coconut milk or stuffed breadfruit. A few years ago, we came across a local fellow in Nuku Hiva cooking a very large breadfruit. He had taken it whole and put in directly on hot charcoals. He turned it until the outside was totally blackened. Then he carefully cut it in half, and took out the inside. It resembled a watery mashed potato. He put it in a huge wooden bowl, then mashed it with seasonings. It really looked good when he was finished. Recently, we learned that the breadfruit plants that Captain Bligh was taking back on the ship, the Bounty, to the Caribbean, were meant to grow for food for the slaves in the plantations. They did not like it, but it has stayed a staple in this part of the world.

 

Their favorite drink: tumunu, a lethal orange homebrew bush beer. And their favorite slogan: Kia Orana, meaning may you live long, or at least long enough to come back and spend more money.

 

Now, after all of that info, it looked like we were not going to make it there today. We woke up to see the island outside our window around 6 or 7am. The swells were still with us, and although four tender boats were in the water, they were going nowhere at the moment. It was obvious that the Captain was trying to decide whether to tender to Avatiu, or try the alternate wharf at Arorangi, seldom used by tender boats the size of ours.

 

So we decided to skip breakfast, and go down the secret elevator with Christel at 8am. Down on deck A aft, about eight of us waited while crew worked quickly to set up the exit to the boats. While we waited, Henk went into the meat room, and brought out one of the new Pinnacle Grill mega steaks, the tomahawk, just so we could see how massive it was. We got the perfect photo of him pretending to bite into the plastic-covered beef steak.

 

Something was broken, so we were led across deck A to the forward exit, where the crew had to move everything once again. Guess what, the forward exit was not working either. So off we went to the aft once again. It was then that the Captain announced we were moving to the alternate wharf, even though the opening between the reef was extremely narrow. They were willing to give it a try. If only they knew……

 

So, we had enough time to make it to the dining room for a quick breakfast before they closed at 9am. Our meal was simple with sweet rolls, yogurt and some fruit. This allowed us to go back down to deck A by 10am, and finally get on the first boat over to shore. We were lucky to make it through the narrow opening, easily climb out of the boat, and make our way to the main road. All of the tour vehicles were waiting for the folks, as well as shuttles that cost $10 to take a ride back to Avarua, the main town about 5 miles away.

 

We have always walked through that town, so this time we took a chance and walked the opposite way instead. Unfortunately, there were no maps at this tender drop off, only a couple of souvenir stands. This island has two buses…..one counterclockwise, and one clockwise. It goes around the island in one hour, and costs $8. You are allowed to get off once, and get back on for that amount. If you want a ride part of the way, then the price is $5. We needed the exercise, but a few of the bus drivers did stop their bus, and ask if we needed a lift. We noticed that no one walks here. There are numerous cars, and even more scooters. And they are all on the wrong side of the road. Well, really the right side for them, but opposite of what we are used to. Of course, it is British-influenced.

 

Most of the property on the lagoon side was private with many homes facing the pristine beach. Occasionally, there was a break, and we were able to access the beach. The color of the water was aqua blue to green in the lagoon part, and dark blue on the other side of the reef. Just stunning, and almost empty of swimmers or sunbathers.

 

We must have walked about 4 kilometers, or close to 2.5 miles when we came across a beautiful complex by the name of Rarotongan Beach Resort and Spa. Asking a worker out front, she said please come in and enjoy a lunch on the beachside. Got pizza, we asked? Yep, and beer too. Sold, we found the entrance and the lobby that led to a stairway down to the swimming pool and restaurant. This was perfect, and it was not crowded. Not one passenger from the ship either.

 

So we found a poolside table, and ordered a margherita pizza to share, of course. Tui was the name of the ice cold beers. Dessert was a banana fritter with creamy vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce. We stayed for over an hour, then walked the beach taking photos of the fish feeding that was attracting some big fish where a few children were snorkeling. Could have stayed here much longer if we had the time.

 

Time to start back, although the all aboard time had been moved to 6:30pm, two hours longer than planned. As we got close to the wharf, a couple we see every morning at breakfast stopped and relayed the most bizarre story we have heard in a long while. Apparently, one of the tender boats full of guests had been pushed by a wave, and got hung up on the reef. Exactly what the Captain had been worried about. They said that an attempt was made to pull them off with ropes from another tender boat. But it was not working, and the ropes broke more than once. Now they were tilted to one side. The crew requested all of them to put on the lifejackets, which they did without panicking. By now, several crew members had come out to the stranded boat, including the Captain and some officers.

 

The passengers were given three options after waiting two hours to get out of the boat. Some were taken off in a zodiac boat, many of them opted to stay on the boat and get towed back by a local boat, or those who could walk to shore, could jump in the water, leaving most of their stuff behind. That’s what our buddies had done, because they had their swimsuits and aqua shoes on already. They told us that the Captain and the officers got in the water to assist the folks out of the boat. It was three hours before the boat was pulled off of the rocks, and towed back to the ship with most of the folks onboard.

 

Of course, all of the tendering service was suspended from 1pm to about 4pm. So lots of people never got ashore, and the rest of the tours were cancelled. They were promised a total refund.

 

The line was long at the wharf, so we hung back and got on the second boat back. The staff had brought a load of bottled water for all to take for free. Everyone was really good about not complaining for a change. None of us had ever seen this happen before. We were back safely in our room by 4:30pm, with just enough time to work on photos before dinner. There would be no sail away party, since we would be leaving the island right before sunset.

 

Just as well, because we had been invited to a dinner with our hosts and eight other guests from our travel agency in the Pinnacle Grill. We met at 7pm, and sat in the back room. The menu was set with choices of halibut or filet mignon for our entrees. We chose the beef and it was cooked to perfection. Dessert, which we normally do not indulge, was the chocolate volcano. Had to be polite and eat it, right? We finished by 9:30pm, in time for most folks to attend the show, a Motown singer by the name of Bobbie Brooks Wilson. He was on last year’s cruise, and was well received.

 

During the meal, one of the guests seated at the upper end of the long table kept holding up his bandaged finger. He had been on that tender boat, but got injured by coral when he tried to assist another passenger. Ripped his finger, and had to have several stitches once back onboard.

 

Some of us wanted to check out tender boat # 9 to see what kind of damage it got. It had expected scrapes and also some holes in the bottom, although we could not see everything since the area was cordoned off. Upon closer examination, we saw damage to the props and the rudder. Friends Bill and Leta, who were also at the special dinner, met us inside the atrium, where we continued our discussion well past 10:45pm. Barb happened to be on her way to the Crows Nest, and stopped to chat. Her big news of the day was that she was on the stranded boat. Boy, what a story she had, saying it was an unexpected 3 hour tour for free. Since she had worn her good leather sandals (not meant to get wet), she opted to stay onboard and wait to get towed back to the ship. That added an extra hour to her saga. As a token of apology, she and the other 90 stranded guests received a plate of fancy chocolate candies in their staterooms. Well, at least the Captain announced that tomorrow evening, everyone will get complimentary wine with dinner. That always makes the folks happy.

 

So much for today, a very eventful one we never saw coming. We now have four days at sea to arrive to New Zealand. Wonder what other stories we will hear by then?

 

Bill & Mary Ann http://cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.com

[wander]

Never onboard when a tender had holes in it, BUT I (and a number of CC folks) were on the previous Nieuw Amsterdam in the 90s when a tender burned to the waterline while taking passengers ashore in SE Asia. Quite dramatic I must say!

 

(A traveling with significant mobility problems was the last to disembark. The crew was always most helpful as he needed some support stepping out of the tender. However, this time he was expecting the same kind assistance. Instead he was literally thrown onto the pier/dock. He was livid and turned around to yell at the crew just in time to see the tender explode into massive flames. He was grateful for being tossed onto the pier. (The crew knew that a fuel fueled fire was eminent. A leak in the fuel line had just occurred, dripping onto a hot engine area.)

 

Thankfully that while the tender was a total loss, apparently only the Security officer on board suffered a significant burn to his hand.

[wander]

Nice full page article about Bill and Mary Ann in the January/February edition of their Travel Agency's quarterly newsletter. Sorry that I cannot mention the agency, but if you know (or think) it is also yours - look on page 20.

 

Of course those who follow this thread know most of the information already, but it was nicely done IMO. Even talks about their love search for the perfect pizza. Happy sailing Bill and Mary Ann, and thank you for sharing so much with us on CC.

[durangoscots]

On the 2012 world cruise we lost a tender at Easter Island. They were using an alternative docking site and they had tenders lined up for us to cross to get to the island. One got bashed. Turned out it was my life boat. By that evening I (and the others assigned to that boat) had been reassigned to a new life boat. By the way, same Captain trying to get us ashore. I had chickened out on tendering that day and stayed on the ship ...

 

Susan

[cruz chic]

I'm getting more panicky as time goes on about tendering. I would have freaked out if it was me in that tender ;). Thx for the update.

[durangoscots]

I'm getting more panicky as time goes on about tendering. I would have freaked out if it was me in that tender ;). Thx for the update.

 

As I get older I have gotten a lot more careful .... I would rather forfeit a tour cost than break something. By the way, on the Easter Island tendering I mentioned above the shore excursion people did refund my tour costs. I had been to Easter Island before, so was more willing to do a "no go" when I saw the tenders bouncing up and down.

 

Susan

[RMLincoln]

On the 2012 world cruise we lost a tender at Easter Island. They were using an alternative docking site and they had tenders lined up for us to cross to get to the island. One got bashed. Turned out it was my life boat. By that evening I (and the others assigned to that boat) had been reassigned to a new life boat. By the way, same Captain trying to get us ashore. I had chickened out on tendering that day and stayed on the ship ...

 

Susan

 

I bolded the part of your comment that caught my eye... We were on Maasdam several years ago (our first HAL cruise) and our assigned lifeboat was out for maintenance! We had a letter in our cabin upon boarding so we weren't surprised when we went to the muster drill and stood under a void. We were not assigned to another lifeboat but we were told that we would be if needed.

 

Also on that same cruise we left the embarkation port (Norfolk) 2 hours late and on only one engine which screamed all night taking us south until 7am when they were able to get the other engine working. Glad we didn't need a lifeboat due to a breakdown or fire from the overworked engine. But the rest of the cruise was wonderful! m--

[WCB]

Report # 28 Sailing Towards Bay of Islands, New Zealand January 27, 2016 Wednesday Partly cloudy & 79 degrees

 

Well, all seemed right with the world once again this morning as we slipped back into our “at sea” routine. Sure is nice to have a few days to absorb what we have seen and done over the last several days of visiting Polynesian ports. During the course of the day, we had a chance to catch up on more details involving the stranded tender boat yesterday. Funny how many different versions we have heard about the events as they happened. The correct story came directly from our very own survivor, Barbie. She said that she felt she had the best seat in the boat, right at the exit in the center. The only bad thing was that when the boat tilted, she was almost flung out of the opening. She doesn’t know why she did it today, but she put her ipad in a new plastic bag. If nothing else, it would not have been hurt if it got wet. As it turned out, those folks who chose to jump in the water to shore, had to leave their things on the boat. All of it was boxed up and taken off of the boat. Guess the guests claimed it later.

 

After breakfast, we took our usual walk outside. Boat # 9 had been switched with boat # 10 so it could be worked on we suppose. They roped off the area around the boat for safety reasons. The worst of the damage was to the propellers and the rudder. The fiberglass scrapes could be fixed, as we have seen when one of the boats got a gaping hole in it from a rough time tendering off of Easter Island. The Captain said yesterday that in case of an emergency, there would be plenty of space for the displaced # 9 lifeboat people.

 

We have always said that there should be a sign posted to indicate the flow of foot traffic on the lower promenade deck. Lo and behold, we spotted a crew member painting that message in several places around the deck. Counterclockwise is the designated direction during high traffic time. Now that tells us that there must have been an accident or a near one to finally get those signs posted.

 

New guest speakers have joined the ship. They are Joseph Kess, who delivered a good talk all about the Polynesians, Melanesians, and the Micronesians. Barbara H has always put out a flyer describing the different cultures of these related groups. Alan Wright spoke about the moon, our nearest celestial neighbor.

 

If you have always wondered how to cook green-lipped mussels or pecan-crusted rack of lamb, then today’s demo in the Wajang Theater was the place to go.

 

The Australian Pearl Divers are onboard with their collection of unique cultured pearls. A few years ago, we purchased a triple strand of South Seas pearls with turquoise stones in the ship’s store. Probably costing more than if we shopped for them off of the ship, we are guaranteed of their quality. Takes a lot of guessing out of the purchase, when you know they are guaranteed to be authentic.

 

Anyone out there know how to dance the Haka, or the Maori version of the New Zealand dance? Guess we will find out. This has to be the start of the new Location team activities for the area we are heading to.

 

After being missing at the aft deck for about a week, we spent some time in the sun. The temperature has dropped to a comfortable high 70’s, and the heavy humidity is gone. We will still have to be vigilant about using the sunblock, especially in New Zealand, where the ozone layer is thin. Very easy to burn here, as we have seen in the past. While sitting out there visiting with Barb, we spotted the first tropic bird of this trip. It was all alone, soaring over the ship. There is no land nearby, so this pretty bird with the long tail must be migrating. Strangely enough, this is exactly where we saw a lone tropic bird last fall, right after leaving Rarotonga. Hope to see more of them.

 

We have been having difficulty getting online in these remote areas, as the internet goes up and down unexpectedly. Bear with us if we cannot be consistent with the reports.

 

There were three of us at dinner tonight, since Bonnie was feeling under the weather. She and Paul decided to eat in the Lido, and call it an early night. A wise decision. Sometimes a full day in port can wipe you out.

 

After dinner tonight, we found all of the room stewards disinfecting the walls on the passenger decks. Don’t usually see the housekeeping staff after 10pm doing that kind of work. When we found our room stewards near our room, we asked why they were doing this cleaning now. Their answer was that enough cases of the GI bug has been reported, and this is the required procedure to put a stop to the spread of the bug. Guess we had better double up on the Purell for a while.

 

Bill and MaryAnn

[jaxonboy]

On the 2012 world cruise we lost a tender at Easter Island. They were using an alternative docking site and they had tenders lined up for us to cross to get to the island. One got bashed. Turned out it was my life boat. By that evening I (and the others assigned to that boat) had been reassigned to a new life boat. By the way, same Captain trying to get us ashore. I had chickened out on tendering that day and stayed on the ship ...

 

Susan

 

This lifeboat had some holes torn in the hull at the waterline. It was repaired by the time we got to Papeete. We used to check the repair progress as we strolled the promenade.

[scluvsrain]

I noticed the "walk this way" directional signs on the Veendam a few months ago. Sounds like they might be doing it fleet wide.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[KirkNC]

This lifeboat had some holes torn in the hull at the waterline. It was repaired by the time we got to Papeete. We used to check the repair progress as we strolled the promenade.

 

That's the good thing about fiberglass, it can be fixed. Now the propeller and rudder may prove to be more difficult.

[JamesEM]

Great, passengers get upset when a tender port is cancelled, and if there is an accident the situation get worse. Enjoying the photos.

[Alwaysmoet]

Hi Bill and Maryann,

 

Thank you for your great travel journey. I am living in Auckland, New Zealand and while I know you have been here before, I am more than happy to help in anyway with 'Auckland' sightseeing.

Do not hesitate to reply or contact me ( I can provide contact details).

Our weather is lovely and quite humid at the moment. Long may it last.

Safe Journey. Lynda

[WCB]

Report # 29 Sailing Towards Bay of Islands, New Zealand January 29, 2016 Friday Partly cloudy & 80 degrees

 

Hey, what happened to Thursday, January 28th? Seems we lost it as we sailed over the International Dateline. Both of us got certificates today verifying that we went from Wednesday to Friday, losing one whole day in the process. The dateline is an imaginary line that separates two consecutive calendar days. Simply put, it separates the Eastern hemisphere from the Western hemisphere. Looking at a map, we noticed that this line zig zags to accommodate countries or islands that chose to be a day ahead for convenience reasons. We will, however, get the lost day back as we head west, one hour at a time.

 

We had to laugh when we went to the dining room this morning for breakfast. Dozens of umbrellas were hung from the ceiling, decorations for the gala dinner tonight, Bowlers and Bumper Shoots, or top hats and parasols. It will be in honor of the Commonwealth Nations holiday coming soon. At first, we thought there were leaks in the ceiling.

 

Many talks were delivered today, starting with Barbara telling all about going ashore in the Bay of Islands. Guest speaker Alan Wright spoke about life in outer space, while the explorers of the past were discussed by Joseph Kess. Sure wish these talks were repeated on TV, but guess that is a thing of the past.

 

Don’t think we have mentioned it yet, but there are classes for Windows 10 in the Digital Workshop every sea day. So far we have not attempted to get into the class, mostly because the line starts an hour before the class time. Today, for example, there were two sessions with Q and A about Windows as well as the two classes. Eventually, the sessions will repeat themselves, and we may take the time to attend.

 

The work continued on the damaged tender boat. Most of the time, all we saw were the workers looking at the boat, but not doing anything with it. Many of the parts probably have to be created in the shops below, so the boat will be out of commission for a while.

 

Despite the fact that it looked like rain today, the clouds went away, and the day was next to perfect weather wise. Good time to get some reading in and some sun too. There have been plenty of lounges available in the aft area, so there are no complaints about people saving chairs. They still save them for hours, but no one cares.

 

The highlight of the day was dinner tonight. Our Hotel Director, Henk, joined our table at 8pm. We sure did not expect to see him this evening, because usually every gala night there is a Captain’s Dinner. Not so tonight. A good guy, he answered many questions all evening, giving us all more insight into the cruise industry. He kindly treated us to a fine white wine too, as most all hosts do. To take it a step further, he encouraged us to write some of our questions for Orlando Ashford, the HAL President, who will be joining the ship in Sydney. One of our questions concerned how many guests were leaving in Sydney. The total is in the 140 area, with about the same amount getting on.

 

Our entrees were the veal chop, the really good one they used to serve in the Pinnacle Grill. Tender and tasty, we let Henk know that the food has been a step up from our last cruise in the fall. He agreed and told us that the budget is higher for a grand voyage. Good for us.

Our dinner finally broke up by 10pm, in time to go to the show lounge to see La Musica, two singers with popular hits to traditional classics.

 

By the way, the happy hour from 6 to 7pm has continued in the Ocean Bar and Crows Nest. Barb said that there are many more people coming during that time, compared to the first part of the cruise. Good thing someone pushed for it.

 

The clocks finally went back one hour this evening. Nice, because we all can use the extra sleep.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS Thanks for the birthday wishes for me…..Mary Ann. The vases we have for our flowers have come from housekeeping. You can request them through your room steward. Appreciated the stories about other tender boat accidents.

[cruz chic]

Thank you for the background on the dinner and also for the update.

[Hflors]

Thanks for all your updates.

[regnig]

Mary Ann a belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Continue to enjoy "our" cruise.

[Tampa Girl]

Bill or Mary Ann,

 

For someone who is considering a world cruise, can you give a rough estimate of a realistic per week or per month additional cost for excursions and other off-the ship incidentals? The longest cruise we have taken is 28 days, and I don't think that it would be representative (even if I could remember what the cost was).

 

Virginia

 

If you wish, you can e-mail me at the address below.

[WCB]

Report # 30 Sailing Towards Bay of Islands, New Zealand January 30, 2016 Saturday Partly cloudy & 83 degrees

 

We had expected the weather to cool off as we head southwest towards New Zealand, but we have had some very pleasant and sunny days. It has remained warm and slightly humid, perhaps due to following winds once again. Captain Jonathon has mentioned rain showers in his PM talks, but we have yet to see any rain.

 

Got the last of the blueberries and strawberries this morning in the dining room. Seems that the deliveries from Papeete were not large as we had hoped. The good news is that the bananas are ripe and tasty, like the ones we bought in Nuku Hiva. Bonnie and Paul have reported that the fresh fruit has been disappearing slowly as well. No more oranges, few apples, and even fewer lemons. Our next big container should be coming in Auckland, a few days from now. Boy, it sure doesn’t take long for us to become spoiled does it?

 

We forgot to mention yesterday that while at dinner, Henk told us that a day after we left Rarotonga, the port agent informed him that another small mail boat, we believe, got flung up on the same coral shelf that our tender did. Must be a common occurrence there, not anything that our boat driver did. Henk said the driver of that tender boat was devastated about what happened, blaming himself. Even though the injuries were few, it is probably a nightmare for the crew when these things happen. Henk reassured us that the officers, including the Captain, tried their best to put the driver at ease.

 

Remember we received the book, The Happy Isles of Oceania, all about the South Pacific recently? Well, to our surprise, the author, Paul Theroux, is on this ship…..in person. Wow, who knew? Guess a lot of passengers knew because it was advertised on some HAL brochures prior to the cruise last fall. At 10am, Gene, our CD, had Mr. Theroux on the stage in the Queens Lounge for a Q and A session. Wouldn’t miss that. Both levels were full of passengers as Paul T spoke about his life as a writer of novels and travel books. He was just as down to earth about his views on life, the same way he writes his books. He was able to squeeze in 5 questions from the audience, answering each one for several minutes. Later in the afternoon, he held a book signing session in the Atrium. Bet that line was a mile long. Since our books already have a Xeroxed signature, we passed on the chance to get the real one.

 

Stargazing and some awe-inspiring objects visible in the Southern skies was the subject discussed by Alan Wright. He suggested many tips for us to spot these constellations in this part of the South Pacific. That is…..weather permitting.

 

We spent a nice afternoon reading at the aft pool, and visiting some of our buddies who come outside after lunch to get some sun. The back railing is a most popular place for folks to enjoy their ice cream cones. They melt quickly, but the view cannot be beat. As the afternoon went by, the sun went behind some thick clouds.

 

After lunch at the sandwich bar, we took a walk and found it had begun to sprinkle lightly. As long as the wind does not blow, you can continue hiking around the lower promenade without getting wet. It is really rather pleasant being outside when it is raining. Sure can cool things off nicely.

 

The Australian Opal Cutters are onboard with their collection. Has anyone ever heard of the old wife’s tale that opals are unlucky unless they are your birth stone? It is something our grandmothers said in the old days. For that reason, we do not own any opals, since our birthdays fall in January and April. The opals are unusual in that they can reflect all colors of the spectrum. And they are stunning, especially when set with diamonds. Pricey? You bet they are. There was an opal shopping party, complete with music, champagne, and more at the Sports Bar today.

 

When we entered the lower dining room tonight, we noticed for about the third night, that the dessert carts were gone. Wonder if this has something to do with the virus that is going around the ship? We asked Endrien, our head waiter, what was up with that. He said that the carts that the desserts were displayed on were being taken off in Bali. Actually, these carts were the flambe stations that used to be brought tableside for the special flaming desserts. Since no fire is allowed anymore, like candles, flaming brochettes, cherries jubilee, crepes, or baked Alaska, there is no need for those carts. So a decision was made to discontinue the display of assorted desserts every evening. Here is what we really think. They are saving on labor and product, cutting every little corner they can to save money. Granted it is very little money, but it all adds up over a 115 day cruise. Wish we were not seeing these changes, since they have been happening all too often these days. The old timers remember the days of show time, where most all of the desserts were displayed tableside every night. And remember the baked Alaska parade toward the end of a cruise? That has been eliminated for several years now. Remember the pastry carts at breakfast in the dining room? Long gone too. Good thing we still have the pastry waiter, who sees to it daily that we have a blueberry muffin, a cinnamon roll, and a pecan roll. He is still playing the Muffin Man song on his phone, and everyone gets a kick out of it.

 

When we walked the deck after dinner, we found that it was raining pretty good. Might be the last of our sun for a bit.

 

Bobbie Brooks Wilson was the entertainer tonight. He was back with an all new show, and the folks really liked his performance.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[sallycruiser06]

Subscribed

[erewhon]

Thank you for all your reports.

 

Welcome back to New Zealand, hope you have smooth seas and no problems for tendering at Paihia tomorrow(Monday 1st February).

 

Is the ship in Code Red?

Edited January 31, 2016 by erewhon

[WCB]

Report # 31 Sailing Towards Bay of Islands, New Zealand January 31, 2016 Sunday Partly cloudy, rain & 79 degrees

 

As we approach the shores of New Zealand, this is probably a good time to mention some of the facts concerning this most beautiful country. The capital of New Zealand is Wellington, also known as one of the windiest cities of the world. The population is 4,315,800 with an area of 103,710 square miles. The main language is English as well as Maori.

 

We would agree that New Zealand is a South Pacific gem with snow-capped mountains, winding fjords, active volcanoes, lush rainforest, and pristine beaches. You can trek, ski, raft, paraglide, or jump off a bridge in Queenstown. Cannot imagine many folks from this ship doing that, but you never can tell.

 

Easier to do is visiting the many wineries, delving into Maori culture, see the geysers, and sail in and out of the glaciers. If you go into the rainforest, you will see some ancient kauri trees that are 1200 to 2000 years old, and soar to heights of 167 feet. Now that would be one heck of a job cutting one of those babies up if it fell. And the sheep……they dot the green hillsides like fleas on a dog. We have been very lucky to have gone to these diverse places in both the north and the south islands.

 

What do they eat here? Lamb……….grilled, roasted, BBQ’d, ground…..you name it, it doesn’t get any better than right here. Pavlova, the addictive meringue cake topped with fresh sliced fruit covered with heavy whipped cream is their signature treat. The favorite drink? Try their boutique beer at a microbrewery. The trademarks are sheep, All Blacks rugby team, Lord of the Rings, kiwi birds and kiwi fruit.

 

Here is a random fact: no matter where you are in New Zealand, you are never more than 75 miles from the sea. It is truly a great destination all by itself, and we wish we had more ports here. We will settle for the three we have……Bay of Islands, Auckland, and Picton.

 

Today we woke up to dark, gray skies, and it was raining, just like the Captain had promised. In fact. It rained all night. No rush to get up early, although one of us is always up before daylight. That seems to be the best time of day to send emails, as few folks are using the internet. It has been spotty the last few days, but sometimes you get lucky.

 

Since today was Sunday, there was a brunch buffet in the lower dining room at 11am. We are not huge fans of buffets, so we ate breakfast around 9am, also served in the dining room. The fellows were busy setting up the display in the center of the room. Barb usually goes to it, and says there are some nice choices there compared to the Lido breakfast. There is live music during the serving time from 11am to 1pm.

 

We went to Chat Time with our travel hosts in the atrium on deck five. There were 4 people in our group there. Perhaps many folks went to the buffet instead. In any case, on sea days, our hosts can be found here for one hour. Great place to touch base, and share some chocolate chip cookies with them, while catching up on ship news. While we were visiting, we could hear a roaring cheer coming from the atrium on deck three. Must have been the finale of the bocce ball contest. Since it was raining outside, all of the inside activities were full of customers.

 

The On Location Maori Team demonstrated their cultural performance on Kapa Haka and Te Matatini. Many people went to the Queens Lounge to see this. They must have stayed for the special performance after Barbara H’s talk about the ports pf Auckland and Picton.

 

We had gone back to our room, and watched a movie by the name of Learning to Drive. Just about 12:30pm, Captain Mercer came on the speaker and announced we would be sailing through a huge pod of dolphins. If we watched , they could be seen on both sides of the ship. Normally, we would not have been in our room, or had a camera with us. But we did have the good camera right in the dresser drawer, and by the time we got it out, the dolphins were right outside our window. We really did get some great shots, even if they were taken through the streaked tinted window. They were jumping one at a time, until we hit the main pod, where we would see 10 or more jumping at once. It was quite a display. We watched for more until the movie ended, which was good by the way, but they never re-appeared. Simply the luck of the draw, but this time, we had the camera.

 

By 1pm, the rain had stopped and we started seeing blue sky. Good time to check out the aft pool, although we never changed into our swim wear. The lounges were dry and the temperature was in the high 70’s maybe. We sat out there for an hour, before we went to lunch. Had to be careful, because without sunscreen, we could easily burn. Captain Mercer announced that due to the loss of boat # 9, he is going to try to get us to the Bay of Islands an hour early tomorrow. With only three tender boats to use, it may take longer to off load the guests in a timely manner. Truthfully, going over too early is useless, because not much is open in town until later in the morning.

 

The New Zealand quarantine regulations are quite strict. Not only are food stuffs allowed off of the ship, but you have to be careful not to take wooden items, or anything made with plants, shells, corals, animal products, or nuts and seeds. Fines could be imposed on anyone who breaches these rules. Only bottled drinking water is allowed off. Sure hope sodas are OK, since we also take two with us.

 

We had one of our favorite entrees for dinner tonight………meatloaf with mashed potatoes. They do a good job with the comfort foods here. The fish lovers were happy with the calamari appetizers, and the grilled barramundi fish for their main course.

 

Hope to find some hokey-pokey ice cream tomorrow. And maybe…..pizza too.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS Many thanks, Lynda, for your tour offer. We do have set plans already, but nice of you to offer.

 

Here are some of the best photos of the jumping dolphins………….looks like they are having so much fun.

[scluvsrain]

Gosh, I'm sure enjoying your blog. I just boarded the Zaandam today to cruise around South America and Antarctica. I'm sure now I'm going to get confused at some point and wander around the ship looking for you guys! Keep up the great posts and photos!!

 

 

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