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

[cruz chic]

Thx for the updates.

[ekka49]

Can you post where to go to view your photos?

 

I'am following Bill and Mary on the following site it includes the photographs

 

cruisingwithbillandmary.blogspot.com.au

 

I hope this helps

[WCB]

Report # 49 Sailing Towards Darwin, Australia February 18, 2016 Thursday Partly cloudy & 91 degrees

 

Things have heated up as the Amsterdam headed in a westerly direction across the northern top of Australia. We checked the temperature at 8am this morning, and it was already 82 degrees outside. We have left the Coral Sea, entered the Arafura Sea, and spent the day sailing across the top of the Gulf of Carpenteria. On previous cruises, we have actually entered this gulf, and did some scenic cruising closer to shore. It was the first time we had ever seen sea snakes swimming in the waters. And it was also one of the hottest areas we have ever been in. Guess being so much closer to the Equator has something to do with the extreme temperatures.

 

By the way, the clocks went back last night, but only for ½ hour. This is one of the few places on earth that we do the ½ hour change. We have had a couple of these changes already, and will probably have a few more before we circle the earth. We still welcomed the extra time to catch up on sleep last night.

 

Life onboard has continued with lectures this morning. Barbara H, our port lecturer, and Nyron, the shore excursion manager gave information on the upcoming ports of call in Asia. Mel Foster followed them with a series about Australia’s wild lands, creatures, beasts and beauty. Andrew Johnson spoke about the 1493 line that divides the world’s new territories. Guess we’ll have to go hear this to understand the meaning. We did not know it, but we would have a very interesting conversation with Mr. Andrew later in the day.

 

A big surprise to us was that our assistant room steward has left for the Koningsdam, and a new man appeared today to take his place. His name is Alim, and seems happy to be here. It just happens that a number of our top crew members have been selected to serve on the new ship, which will debut April 8th in the Mediterranean.

 

The big event of the day was lunch in the Lido Pool area. It was a stir fry, where you can create your own meal. Fresh vegetables, meats, and assorted seafood are cooked to perfection in woks. We could smell the aroma of garlic all the way to the aft pool from 11:30 to 2pm. Although it is not one of our favorite venues (too much oil is used), lots of folks seem to love it. It is something different for a change.

 

We have been enjoying the sandwich maker, who knows our preferences now. It’s always the ciabatta rolls with either thinly sliced roast beef, turkey, ham, pastrami, or salami. There are three different types of sliced cheese, and a variety of fresh veggie toppings. If that is not enough, there is deviled egg salad, chicken salad, or tuna salad. You can have your sandwich cold or toasted. We sure hope the powers to be will consider keeping this service going on all voyages, as it had been taken away on the cruise we did in the fall of last year. Pre-made sandwiches were all that was available. These sandwiches are still available, but we do not see them moving very quickly. Hard to see what’s inside of them when they are packaged.

 

A nice breeze popped up later in the afternoon, although it was still hot and humid outside. We spent a better part of the afternoon at the aft pool chatting with friends and reading. We have still managed to keep up with our two walks on the promenade deck a day, despite the heat.

 

We were invited to a cocktail party given by or travel agency. This time it was in the Explorers Lounge, and for us, it was at 7pm. The early diners met at 4:30pm for their hour of frivolity. Our group is much smaller, because the majority of the passengers have chosen to eat earlier. So we think Tom, Wendy and Steve invited some of the staff to join us. That’s when we met the guest lecturer, Andrew Johnson. He joined our small group of friends, where we proceeded to discuss the fact that none of the lectures have been recorded to be shown later in the day. Mr. Johnson was not happy about this, since he would love to have his talks shown for everyone to hear. He fully understands that other activities can interfere with his schedule, so being on TV works for him. So we don’t know why this policy has changed. And we are not sure this is happening fleet wide. Being long time cruisers, we are not liking all of these small changes.

 

Anyway, we did enjoy the cocktail party and the special hors d’oeuvres that were graciously served. Tom M usually makes a toast, but he was so caught up in conversation, he forgot. A sign that he too was having a good time.

 

Dinner was missing two folks….Bonnie and Paul, who were dining with their new found friends. But that gave the five of us a chance to visit and talk about stuff we all know. The food continues to be tasty and hot…..always a good thing.

 

Another day at sea tomorrow, and we will be in Darwin on Saturday. Sadly, it will be our final port in Australia.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[SilvertoGold]

An outstanding thread!

Thank you so much for taking the time to take us along year after year.

 

I look forward to every day's post with all your interesting info about the happenings onboard and on shore. The photos on your blog are always great and much enjoyed.

 

Hope you are able to find some more of your favorite ice cream in Darwin!

[WCB]

Sandra and Allan : Here is the correct blog site with photos.

 

http://cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.com

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[erewhon]

Thanks for your reports and the link to your blog.

[alsas]

Thanks pictures are great see you soon

[jimbri]

What a wonderful trip!

[WCB]

Report # 50 Sailing Towards Darwin, Australia February 19, 2016 Friday Partly cloudy & 91 degrees 29 Pictures

 

Our day began with the music from the “Muffin Man”, better known as Yitno, in the main dining room at breakfast. He discovered the old time song, when a couple we know, Diane and Mike, told him about it on the Tales of the South Pacific last fall. Ever since, he has played this tune on his cell phone when he roams the dining room with his tray of perfectly arranged sweet rolls and muffins. Brings a smile to our faces every time.

 

The skies were gray and dark, with rain on the horizon. Think we even spotted lightening. Pande told us that it had rained heavily last night, cancelling a crew party that was to take place on deck ten forward. Too bad, since they don’t do this very often that we know of. Actually, very soon, we will be in Indonesia where many of the crew will be meeting with their families. That’s better than a party any day.

 

At 9:30am there was another fire drill for the crew only. It was held entirely in the forward section of the lower promenade deck. The crew roped off the front section, and a scenario was set up for them to have a quick response. There must be some kind of scoring test by the officers on these drills, as they seemed to be in a rush with the hoses, canisters, and a possible medical team. Nice to know that any situation that may arise can be dealt with. One of the passengers literally crawled behind the teak lounges to take photos of this drill. Since she stayed out of their way, they did not seem to mind.

 

We noticed that life boat # 9 is still not totally fixed. The props and shafts are missing, and although we do not know for sure, there may be damage that we cannot see, such as to the engine. Hard to believe that accident with the boat could have caused so much damage in a short time.

 

A different type of lecture was shared today with a real reef pilot by the name of Gerrit-Jan Hulsebos. He gave an fascinating mariner’s version of guiding ships through the Great Barrier Reef…..both shipping and coastal pilotage. The only other time we got a close-up look at this specialized guidance, we were on the Prinsendam at that time, traveling in Antarctica. We learned things we never knew about sailing safely in and around the icebergs. Not as easy as they make it look.

 

Lunch was especially good in the dining room. We met with Barb and we all ordered the veal piccata with spaghetti. Even the broccoli was good. Think we were the last to leave the dining room once again.

 

Walking on the promenade deck later was not easy. The heat and humidity takes a toll on you. Hard to keep hydrated in this extremely humid, hot, and windy weather. Guess that is what we can expect for some time now, because we are approaching the Equator and Indonesia. The best part of walking is running into friends, who are doing the same…..trying to keep in shape. Really, the bottom line, is so we can eat and drink what we like, and not leave the ship in April the size of elephants. Hope it works……We do appreciate the smaller-sized portions. They’re doing us a favor, right?

 

Around 7pm, we went to deck six forward, and watched the sunset. It started out to be a fair one, with clouds on the horizon. But, eventually, the sky lit up with hot orange and deep blues as the sun disappeared behind the clouds. It always gets good in this part of the world. There were only five of us watching it, as the winds were fierce on this outside deck. But so worth it.

 

Dinner found all of us back. The seven of us keep the conversations going round the table, that the time flies by. We seem to have no trouble getting out of the dining room by 9:30pm…….latest 9:45pm. Since there are few fixed late seating guests to serve down on deck four, the dining room empties out early. So much the better for us, because it is not noisy and we get excellent service. Most of the waiters are done for the evening, and are setting up for breakfast.

 

The entertainer this evening had a repeat performance with Jamaica’s # 1 comedienne, Matilda. Patrick Murray was the guest artist, who had a hysterically funny show as always. Bet he joins the Pacific Princess tomorrow when we are in port together in Darwin.

 

Looking forward to seeing Darwin, since every time we have been here, we were on tours out of the city.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[cruz chic]

Cute story about the muffin man. I remember that song from my childhood. Thx for the update.

[clueless2]

Is his cabin known as Drury Lane? :)

[TylerRose]

loving your posts!

[surfcitygirl]

Wanted to say how much I have enjoyed reading about your adventures the last few years. So when I stumbled upon the write up about Bill and Mary Ann in a travel agency brochure, I felt like I knew you.

[WCB]

Report # 51 Darwin, Australia February 20, 2016 Saturday Chance of rain & 93 degrees Part # 1 of 2 84 Pictures

 

Well, we can finally say, that with four visits here, we can now say we have seen a lot of Darwin. Every time we have stopped in this city, we have taken an organized tour. We have been to the Territory Wildlife Park, Litchfield Park, and Kakadu National Park. So today, we will be staying close to the ship.

 

For one thing, our time here is limited, because we did not arrive until after 9am. By the time the ship was alongside and cleared by the local authorities, it was 10am. At least the all aboard time was 7:30pm, and we did not have to race back to the ship all too soon.

 

To begin, today was going to be a scorcher. Although the chance of rain was in the forecast, it never did. It was very hot with temps in the high 90’s, if not 100’s, and the humidity was high. A lethal combination to be sure. We packed lots of drinks just in case.

 

We watched the ship sail into the harbor, and discovered that the Pacific Princess was already docked at Stokes Hill Wharf. We pulled in to the opposite spot at Fort Hill Wharf. It was interesting watching the process of docking from the bow. Ropes were thrown by the sailors, so the big ropes could be attached to the pier. Then the gangway was attached and we were set to go. Those guests who had lined up on deck two to be the first off, got their wish.

 

A shuttle bus was waiting to be loaded with the passengers who were not on tours. A long line had formed inside the terminal building, and it appeared it would be a considerable wait. So we went around everyone, and decided to hike the wooden walkway that extended from the pier and across the harbor with water on both sides. We moved quickly, because we were in the hot blazing sun all the way. If we continued towards the Pacific Princess, we would have ended up at the Darwin Convention Centre. Turning left, we crossed a bridge that tied to the shoreline. This is the Darwin Waterfront with high rise hotels or apartments. On one side is the Waterfront Lagoon, a netted swim spot with a beach. A little further over is the salt water wave pool, a filtered salt water shallow pool with big waves produced. There is a fee to get in….something like $5 dollars to get in. With today’s high heat, the pool was quite busy today.

 

On the other side of the greens, was a series of restaurants and some shops. Everything looked fairly new to us, but we’re not sure how long all of this has been here. Being that we were on bus tours, we would have bypassed this entire area, because the bus picked up the folks right outside the terminal. We spotted some possible cafes to go to after our walk.

 

To access the downtown area, it was necessary to take an elevator from the waterfront to the upper town area. There was a walkway that crossed over the highway below. Then we climbed a series of stairs to reach the main street.

 

History starts the minute you cross the street. With some maps in hand, we found our way to the Information Center. First we passed many old buildings such as the old church, the Parliament House, Government House, Browns Mart, and finally the Information Center. While here, we found you could get tickets for the Ho Ho bus for $30 per person. That would take you to the high lights of the town. Dozens of booklets and pamphlets were available in this wonderful center. While Bill went to get a map, I spoke to a volunteer ambassador, who gave some most useful information about what we wanted to do today. He armed us with a handful of brochures, and gave us exact directions to the Darwin Botanic Gardens. He did warn us about the high temperatures, which has been a heatwave here for the last few days. He admitted that the increased humidity made the heat almost intolerable. We had to agree.

 

As long as we stayed under the shade trees and the umbrella we brought for extra shade, we should be fine. Right up the street was the pedestrian mall, closed to car traffic. Smith Street Mall is an open-air block that is lined with shops, restaurants, pubs, and cafes. Some shade is provided with overhead canvas awnings. And the businesses are all air-conditioned. If you walked slow enough, you could get the benefit of the cool air as you strolled on by the doors.

 

In two places in this mall, were Chinese bands, playing drums in honor of Chinese New Year. They could also have been attracting attention to their places of business as well. We did notice quite a mix of locals from the Aboriginals to the Oriental citizens. For this reason, there is a wide range of cuisine offered in town. The food venues offered every type of Aussie fare, Asian dishes, and even McDonalds. They are everywhere, and are popular because you can usually find free wifi there.

 

We continued walking uphill towards the Botanic Gardens, following directions to the Gardens Road entrance to the gardens. Hoping we had turned the right way, we ran into the doctor and her husband on their motorized bikes. They told us where the entrance was, and we gave them directions for getting back to town and the ship. They have all the new toys with GPS maps, so they pretty much cannot get lost.

 

Entering the park, we hiked from one end to the other and back again. The first stop was at the only café, Eve’s, formerly a Wesleyan Church, for cold sodas. We had brought some with us, but cold sounded even better. Sitting on their shaded patio did not give us much relief from the heat. There was barely a breeze, which did not help.

 

The gardens, built in 1870, were full of small fountains, lakes, ponds, and open areas of grassy fields. The trees were impressive and well-marked, so we could ID them. There were some specimens that we have never seen before. At the highest point, we found the waterfall deep in the shade of palms and rainforest. We did run into Bonnie and Paul, who seemed to be doing the same itinerary as us. They seem to enjoy the outdoors as much as we do.

 

For the size of this park, 100 acres, and the fact that two ships were in port, we were surprised to find few people touring it. There were only seven of us from the Amsterdam, until a tour bus dropped off a group to explore. Only three folks began a walk into the gardens, while the rest ran for the café or the restrooms. Oh, it is so much better being on our own. No waiting or lining up for much of anything.

 

We could have stayed longer, but we were running out of drinks. We thought if a city bus came by, we might catch it back to town. But we never saw one. Back tracking, we ran into another couple who were looking for the garden entrance. They did not want to walk both ways, so a bus was their first choice too. However, we bet they had to get a taxi instead. Perhaps on Saturdays, fewer buses and taxis run this route.

 

We slowly walked back, and it was mostly downhill all the way. Back at the waterfront, we found the one place, Il Lido, that advertised pizza and beer. At the bar inside, we purchased our beers and ordered the pizza, margherita of course. We paid for it, and took a number outside to a table under an overhead fan. Within minutes, we had a perfectly baked, most delicious pizza to share. We faced the netted lagoon while we ate, watching some folks cooling off in the water. Sure looked tempting, but we had not worn our swimwear.

 

It was hard to leave our comfortable seats, but time was getting away from us, and we wanted to try to spend the last of our coins and paper money before we left this final Australian port. We had just the right amount for two cup of ice cream at a place called Trampoline. They even had hokey pokey, but had to get it in the back freezer. Sure was good.

 

We wanted to check out that wave pool, so we wandered over to it and watched the action. By now, the pool was full of swimmers and floaters in tubes having lots of fun. Two lifeguards stood over this pool, and obviously took their jobs seriously.

 

On the way back, we passed by two more guards at the lagoon. Had to ask them about the box jellies. They said that this beach and lagoon were netted, and over the last five years, no one has ever been stung. They added that a much smaller jelly was present, but it was deadly. They have had no stings from those either. We would still hesitate to get into that water. All it takes is one, and from what we have seen on TV shows, those stings can be especially nasty, leaving permanent painful scars. Nope, guess it is the aft pool on the ship for us.

 

We got back onboard by 4:30pm or so, and cooled off in our room, downloading photos for a couple of hours. We also drank at least five glasses of ice water.

 

We made our way to deck six forward to watch the sun set. It was nice, but nowhere near as good as last night’s. The sky had a black streak of rain clouds, which did have lightening in it. It’s mesmerizing to watch, as we would find out later on after dinner.

 

We all shared our excursions of the day at dinnertime. It was nice to listen because everyone did something different. The one entrée on the menu tonight was a funny one…..an Australian hamburger. That came with a slice of pineapple, an egg, and slices of beet roots. One of us did order it, and was happy with the choice. Different for a change.

 

The show in the Queens Lounge was The Martian, a fairly new flic. A two hour and 22 minute film would end after 12:30pm, and there is no way we would be able to stay awake for that one. Even with the ½ hour back on the clocks tonight, we couldn’t do it. Perhaps the movie will come to the TV in a few days. We’ll watch it then.

 

Time to close, since it is midnight, with the time change. Sleep calls…….

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Lizzie68]

Wonderful set of photos on the Darwin report on your blog. I have never heard of a Cannonball tree before - see, your blog is quite educational!:D

[WCB]

Report # 52 Sailing Towards Benoa, Bali, Indonesia February 21, 2016 Sunday Partly Cloudy? Really….& 88 degrees 11 Pictures

 

When we went to the dining room for breakfast this morning, it almost looked like we were going to dinner instead. The skies were almost black all around the ship. Although it was not raining yet, that would change, and soon.

 

The kitchen staff was busy setting up another Sunday Brunch. This involves moving all of the dining room chairs from the raised middle section of the lower dining room. Don’t know where they put them. Then the tables, which are secured to the floor, are set with table tops to extend serving stations. By the time we came for a regular breakfast, all of these tables were covered with the tablecloths and cascading draping on the table edges. This meal takes place from 11am to 1pm, and is accompanied by live music in the orchestra pit upstairs. Barb always goes to the buffet, and today she had the prime rib, reporting that it was the best ever. That says a lot, because Barb is normally a fish eater. So it must have been good.

 

There were only a handful of us walking outside this morning. It was still warm and muggy, especially with those dark rainclouds. Within minutes, one of those massive clouds came upon us from the aft, starting with a fine mist. We know that when the mist starts, it is time to take cover. Shortly, it began to rain so heavily, we couldn’t see the water below. You could hear the rain hitting the waves. Thunder was loud enough for us to hear, so the worst of it must have been overhead. We sort of knew from the lightning we saw late last night, that we would encounter a storm. The good thing was that it cooled the air off quite a lot. And washed the decks and the ship in the process. Eventually, it let up and the sun did peek out later in the afternoon.

 

Good time to attend the talks onboard. Barbara H spoke all about Bali, Andrew Johnson lectured on traveling with the stars, and Mel Foster dealt with the unusual wildlife and natural history of Indonesia. The area of the world we are approaching is so diverse, there is a lot to take in. Bali is as exotic as it gets, in our opinion.

 

This is the first time we remember the local currency of Indonesia, the rupiah, will be sold onboard. Perhaps we missed this fact last year, because we have always used the US dollars. However this exchange comes with a warning. Low amount bills of 100 and 500 are now obsolete. Banknote denominations begin at 1000, although the lowest denomination accepted will be 10,000. That’s because the Indonesian rupiah is 13,000 to one US dollar.

 

We did get some down time at the aft pool, although the sun did not last long. Clouds started up again, which did cool things off. Our friends Bill and Leta joined us to discuss recent political news on TV. We all had to be careful of the sun’s rays, because the last time we did this, Leta got a totally burned neck. Bill, her husband, nicknamed her “red-neck”. She loved it.

 

Seems that a lot of folks are laying low today, relaxing after such a hot day in Darwin yesterday. That heat and humidity did take a toll on everyone we know. Living there changes the way people do things. Few people are out and about in the heat of the day. Many of the cafes, bars, and restaurants only open at 5:30pm or later. Wherever the air-conditioning is, that’s where you’ll find the people. Or they are in the lagoon or the wave lagoon. Except for the outdoor shopping mall, most of the streets were empty of walkers. We overheard one lady who took a bus to a much larger and more modern shopping mall. She said she was in heaven with the cool high end stores and all of their special sales.

 

We caught the tail end of the sunset tonight from deck six forward. Only a few folks will make the effort to come out here. Tonight there were only four of us. The sun dipped behind some clouds on the horizon without much color. But eventually the upper sky took on shades of peach and crimson. There were just enough clouds to make it interesting. It is so quiet out there, standing under the bridge on deck seven. Hard to imagine that so much is going on inside the ship with dinner, dancing, bands, and shows. Out here, it is nature at its best.

 

This evening’s dress was “gala”. Not sure exactly what that means, most everyone dresses up nicely. We had a guest this evening….Julie the ship’s officer of Human Resources. We have known her for many years, and she has been a frequent guest at our table. Tonight she explained some of the jobs of the crew members and how they are compensated. Take for instance, the crew that maintains the ship. They have an eleven hour day, 77 hours a week. If they work beyond those hours by invitation, they get paid overtime. Rarely happens. They do get three or four breaks a day…..two coffee breaks, and two meal breaks. Julie is their link to the management, as she oversees their rights. She sees to it that they have all of their benefits provided by the company, and is instrumental in keeping up with raises, etc. Good to know that all of the staff is well taken care of. If not, they would not be here, happily doing their jobs.

 

Dinner was good. One of us had rack of lamb, while the other had cheese raviolis with chunky tomato sauce. Last night, one of our tablemates had ordered a key lime pie. Expecting it to be made special, we ended up getting the frozen pre-made version. It was OK, but not like the ones they bake on site. As backup, we ordered the chocolate bomb, a special treat for us. Good thing we have jello most nights…it allows us to order doubles sometimes without the guilt.

 

The show this evening was Bravo from the singers and dancers. They sang Oscar winning film scores and music from Tony Award winning musical theater. The best of both screen and stage. The lead singer has one set of lungs…..can really deliver those songs in a powerful way.

 

By the way, the eco-friendly dry cleaning operation has ceased working. Seems that there has been a malfunction with its computer operating system. This will not be fixed until spare parts arrive sometime after Hong Kong on March 5th. Oh well, things happen.

 

The clocks went back another hour this evening. Great…..we all need the extra sleep.

 

Another day at sea, and we will be in Indonesia…….home to many of our crew members.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

http://cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.com

[Scrapnana]

I have been enjoying your blog and pictures immensely. I felt overheated just reading about your day in Darwin!:eek:

 

Is the deck 6 forward area open all the time?

[KirkNC]

Can you still get laundry done?

[WCB]

Report # 53 Sailing Towards Benoa, Bali, Indonesia February 22, 2016 Monday Partly Cloudy & 89 degrees

 

As we near Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago, there is increasing excitement with many of our crew members who come from here, and will have family members joining them soon. One port in particular, Jakarta, will have the largest number of Indonesian visitors……over 1200 family members. And that does not include those that are under 5 years old. According to Julie, the Human Resources Manager, each crew member is allowed 6 guests (not counting little ones 5 and under). This event for the families will occur over the next three ports of Bali, Semarang, and Jakarta. If we recall correctly, there will be facilities pier side for food and shelter, while some of the visitors will be able to come on the ship to tour it, dine in the quarters on A deck, and find the pizza and ice cream stations in the Lido. We expect to see a lot of kids enjoying themselves, especially with the ice cream cones.

 

Anyway, here is a little bit of information about Indonesia, a country of 17,508 islands, not all inhabited. The total population, according to Lonely Planet’s 2013 Travel Book, is 240,271,522 people with a staggering number of customs and cultures. The total area of these scattered islands is 735,163 square miles. It is bordered by the Malay Peninsula, part of Australia, Borneo, and New Guinea. It is considered the land of earthquakes and volcanoes. Religions include Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, and animist tribes from Papua New Guinea. You can find temples, beaches, lush gardens, terraced rice paddies, and some of the most unusual animals, such as the Komodo dragons.

 

The better time to visit is in the dry season, May through September. Not necessarily now, in the wet season.

 

Things to see: Borobudur, the Buddhist stupa, largest in the world, is a must for the first time visitor. Shadow puppets, batik dyeing, and ancient death rituals are the next top attractions. Rice terraces up high in the mountains can be unbelievably serene, a most clever use of steep hillsides and water for irrigation. Various temple complexes are inter-woven with modern hotels and resorts. In the mix are the local shops, cafes, and one village after another.

 

Things to do: Surfing at Ulu Watu in Bali, as well as visiting the many dive sites. Orangutans at Tanjung Dating National Park, if we were stopping there, which we are not. Golf at the innumerable resorts on the islands. Listen to the gamelan, traditional orchestra of Java, Bali, and Lombok.

 

Eat: The “ubiquitous” nasi goring – a fried rice dish much desired by our Indonesian crew, and enjoyed by many passengers too. Each and every one of them will have a special way of preparing the dish. Spicy rendang – a beef cooked slowly with roasted coconut and lemongrass.

 

Drink: Kopi – coffee or if you are brave, you can try “civet” coffee, made from beans retrieved from the droppings of civet cats. Yes, really.

 

Random fact: The Komodo dragon is the largest lizard on earth, and is an occasional man-eater. A bite from one can be fatal, due to virulent bacteria in the dragon’s saliva. However, we are not stopping there on this world cruise. Too bad.

 

It’s probably not too late to book tours for Bali, tomorrow’s port. Having been here many times in the past, we have done every tour available, some more than once. Starting at the lowest part of the island, you can spend an afternoon at a beach with many beachfront cafes and clubs. If you are interested in art and wood carvings, then a trip to Ubud and Mas is a must. Bring your wallet, as we remember some of these items can be quite expensive. Most of the high end hotel chains are located in these two villages, and cater to the international crowd, who love to vacation in this paradise. Then if temples are on your agenda, continue up higher to see the most fabulous Hindu or Buddhist temples in creation. If you are lucky, you may come across a procession, where the locals dress in traditional clothing and parade down the steep hillsides to a temple. We have even been in the middle of funeral processions in keeping with ancient tradition. Quite impressive and an unforgettable experience.

 

A few years ago, while on a tour to see the tiered temple on the mountaintop, we were required to walk ½ a mile to the entrance up a steep street. It began raining so hard, that our shoes filled up with the river of water coming down the street. It would have helped to have had a really good umbrella, and not a sun parasol. Duh….The good thing that happened was that we took temporary shelter in a souvenir shop, where a local man was selling the neatest wooden-carved wind chimes. Using different lengths of hollowed out bamboo, when the wind blows, it makes music. So we have a little reminder of Bali in our backyard at home, especially when it is windy.

 

We met Barb for lunch in the dining room today. Since there will be no lunch in here for all of the Indonesian ports of call, we took advantage of today’s service. With many of the fellows getting tomorrow off, there will be a skeleton crew working the Lido lunch only. During his PM talk, Captain Jonathon mentioned that rain is predicted tomorrow, as well as thunder storms. That might dictate what we will do in port. He added that the temperature would be in the high 90’s with extreme humidity, making it seem even hotter. Not what we wanted to hear.

 

The seas have smoothed out with many sightings of flying fish finally. We did spot some jumping fish or small dolphins in the distance…hard to be certain since they did not break the surface enough to see. Last night, while watching the sun go down, we saw two small fishing boats as they drifted slowly past us. Surely, they were being watched from the officers and crew on the navigation deck. From here on out, we can be suspicious of all water craft until it is deemed certain that they are friendly. Behind the scenes, we are convinced that the security team are busy doing their job keeping us safe.

 

We kept cool by watching a movie in our room late this afternoon. It appears that our deck has remained well balanced as far as the air conditioning goes. The higher you go, the warmer it gets. The dining room has had the hardest time, mainly because of the windows that surround it. The staff does keep the drapes down when the sun is streaming in. The problem comes with the amount of guests that fill the lower and upper dining rooms at the early seating. This is when we are so glad we eat at 8pm, when most of the guests are done and gone.

 

The sun went down around 6:30pm, but there happened to be a gigantic black rain cloud that totally blocked it. There was some color, but it was mostly in the opposite direction. Heavy showers were coming straight down from the center of that cloud, a very unusual sight.

 

Our host, Tom M joined us for dinner tonight. He was coming to visit with Martha and Bob, also his clients, but they had other plans to join another couple at a table upstairs. Oh well, he stayed and we all enjoyed his company. Tom will try to come again before Bob leaves us in Jakarta.

 

We tried different entrees tonight. One of us had the marinated pork chop, while the other had roasted chicken. We split a plate of tasty tempura vegetables with a sweet and sour sauce, which was very good. Our dinners have been arriving extra hot, which is so much better than lukewarm.

 

Showtime was a performance by comedian, Paul Adams, who was billed as original, brightfresh and funny. Guess it has taken him 20 years to make complete strangers to laugh out loud, which would be a good thing for him in a big theater setting. And guess we will not know, because we got out of dinner too late to join the show.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[cruz chic]

I bet the crew can hardly wait to see their loved ones. Thx for the update.

[WCB]

Report # 54 Benoa, Bali, Indonesia February 23, 2016 Tuesday Chance of rain & 86 degrees Part #1 of 2

 

The Amsterdam sailed into the port of Benoa, Bali, early this morning. Sometime around 7am. The harbor where we dock is fairly small, with only a few pleasure boats, dinner cruise boats, and ferries are docked. In the old days, we used drop anchor in a bay fairly close to here, then use the tender boats to come ashore. Although it took longer, we liked landing there, because it was a real village. Someplace where we could walk. Benoa is strictly an isolated terminal with no place to go, unless you take a taxi or join a tour. Of course, you could take a walk, but you would eventully end up on a freeway, and no place to walk safely.

 

For that reason, we chose to stay on the ship today, only visiting the vendor stalls outside the gate. We have been here on many past cruises, so we can tell you what there is to see. Shore excursions offered some trips, which we have done before. If arts and crafts are what you are looking for, there was a five hour tour to Mas and Ubud. Mas is a village where skilled wood carvers make masks, religious figures, and wall decorations. You can even find furniture that has been hand made. Ubud is another village where the artists have galleries and museums. This tour also offered a Barong Dance, a traditional performance portraying good and evil.

 

Munduk Highlights was 8 1/2hours with a stop at the Sangeh Monkey Forest with towering nutmeg trees. We stopped here last year, and found the macaques really intelligent, but devious. The little ones are cute, but the older male adults can be threatening. You don’t want to make eye contact with them when they are sitting on a rock wall. One lady was wearing her glasses on a chain around her neck, and one of those monkeys snatched them. He went straight up one of those nutmeg trees, and would not come down. So much for her glasses, since she had to leave without them. And they were prescription glasses. Ouch.

 

Historic and scenic Bali takes 9 hours to reach Klungkung Kertagosa, a floating pavilion with a Royal Court of Justice. The outdoor complex has elaborate ceiling murals. Traveling up high into the mountains, you see the very scenic terraced rice fields. At Tenganan, you tour a walled mountain village where the ancient Bali Aga live. They were the original settlers here, and still maintain their pre-Hindu culture.

 

The most expensive of the tours is Bali Arts and Safari Parks. You visit Ubud, a batik factory, and a safari park where you eat lunch while you view lions and other wild animals while you dine. Afterwards, you tour Taman Safari Park. This is one tour we have not done.

 

Many of these excursions take you to temples. Besakih is the mother temple of Bali, located 1000 feet high on the slopes of Gunung Agung. There are 23 separate temples there.

 

Pura Taman Ayun is a temple built in 1634, and has exquisite shrines, while Pura Ulun Danu is a temple of water gardens.

 

Tanah Lot Temple is one of the most photographed temple on the island. It is located on the shoreline, and is really a house of worship built on a huge rock.

 

Tirta Empul is a holy spring temple, 1000 years old, built around a sacred spring. The Balinese are extremely devout people, whose everyday lives revolve around prayer and ceremonies. We have seen it close up on one visit, where we watched a procession of brightly dressed locals make their way down a hillside with offerings. We have never seen anything so impressive before.

 

Once the ship was cleared, we went to the terminal, where many passengers and guests were attempting to go online. Even though the wifi was available for free, too many folks were using it, jamming the system. The welcome groups were nice though. We had six traditionally-dressed Balinese dancers entertaining the in transit passengers. On closer inspection, we realized these girls were quite young, perhaps in their teens. Under one of the tents, was a gamelon orchestra with xylophones, gongs, flutes, and drums. It is not the type of music we are used to, but mesmerizing anyway.

 

Once you went through the gate, you had to negotiate your way to the stalls where the locals were selling their souvenirs. There were tables full of jewelry, hand bags, wallets, watches, and clothing of all kinds. Wood carving were abundant, as well as wayang puppets, and piles of batik fabric. We have at least one of everything. But we still seemed to end up with 20 postcards, a bamboo fan, and two bracelets for $10. We could have ended up with more, but truthfully, we already have many of these items at home. There is still a stash at home of batik fabrics waiting to be turned into clothing when one of us gets the time to sew.

 

Also through the same gate, were dozens of local taxi drivers trying to get people to utilize their services. And we don’t mean gently. Hard to convince them you don’t need a ride anywhere. For that reason, we did not linger too long outside. Besides, it was hotter than you can imagine, and we were literally melting on the spot. And it was only 10:30am. It would only get hotter.

 

We had the best time once back onboard, since we found that many of our good friends were also “at home” today. Meeting up in the Lido, we visited with Bill and Leta, and eventually ate pizza with Barb, who was having an early lunch. We had a surprise visit from our waiter, Fin, from last year’s world cruise. Unknown to us, he had joined the ship while we were in Sydney, and had been working in the Lido for lunch and dinner. He even remembered all of our names, which never ceases to amaze us.

 

Many of the families of the officers and staff had come onboard today. Although many of them were being entertained on A deck, several groups were being escorted around the ship. It was nice to see all of the little kids reunite with their parents, even if it was just for the day. Our room stewards also had visitors, so we told them in person not to clean our room today. All we needed were clean towels, and we would be fine. On the other hand, some passengers feel the need to post their permission to skip their daily cleaning service on their doors for all to see. As far as we know, that is not necessary for the stewards to get a day pass. This is a practice that has started on past cruises, and seems to increase every year. There will be two more ports where this will take place….one in Semarang, and the other in Jakarta. Then we will be off to Hong Kong, and the end of another segment.

 

Sometime around 3:30pm, we went outside to get some photos of the surrounding scenery. A group of fishermen had literally walked out into the bay at low tide, and proceeded to fish with long poles. Had to get some pictures of that, since it was so odd to see. Getting close-ups, we realize that most of them were women. Shortly after we got out on deck nine, it began to sprinkle. That led to “car wash” rain, as Bob would say. Watching from the stateroom window, we discovered that the fisherpeople never left their stands. The rain was so hard that we could barely see these people standing in the water. Would you believe that this group never left until the sun went down? It must have been, catch fish, or don’t eat.

 

The sail away party was cancelled on the aft deck, and transferred to the Crows Nest. We went back there anyway, because the rain let up by 6pm. Many buses were late in getting back from their all day tours, and the fact that the tide was out, and we only had a few feet of water under the keel, our departure was delayed until 7pm. Chatting with friends, we watched the sun set while hearing a local mosque play the prayer call. A number of the locals are obviously Muslim.

 

By the way, the Princeton tailors have joined the ship. On past trips, we have used their services and found them to be experts in suit and shirt-making. Last year, the ship did not stop in Hong Kong, so they did not come onboard. They will be here until March 2nd, and have their orders done by the time we get there. Tomorrow, they will begin their sales in the Atrium on deck five. We’ll have to check out their fabrics and designs when we go there.

 

Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill tonight. We had crab cakes and a shrimp cocktail to start. Entrees were the delicious lamb chops and a filet mignon…..both equally excellent. Since it had been such a busy long day, the restaurant was not busy. Earlier, walking through the Lido, we found it to be full of tired diners who chose not to dress up tonight.

 

The show this evening was a Spanish guitarist by the name of Vincenzo, who promised to deliver a memorable and unique performance.

 

We have a day at sea to rest up for the next two Indonesian ports. And to get us on Java time, the clocks went back again one hour tonight. Great….need the sleep.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[cruz chic]

Thx for the update.

[WCB]

Report # 55 Sailing Towards Semarang, Java, Indonesia February 24, 2016 Wednesday Partly cloudy & 89 degrees

 

The seas have remained calm, almost smooth, as we head in a westerly direction towards our next stop in Indonesia……the island of Java, and the city of Semarang. Located on the northern coast of Java, Semarang is not the largest city on the island, but still houses millions of people. The first settlers here were the Chinese in the 15th century. And being that this island was on the major trade route, the Dutch East India Company arrived in the 18th century. They built roads, railways, and a working infrastructure. Many of the remains of the buildings are still intact, a reminder of the old colonial days.

 

There is also much history involving World War 2, when the Japanese military occupied Semarang in 1942. Eventually, independence was achieved after a five day battle between the Japanese and Indonesian freedom fighters in 1945.

 

Their biggest claim to fame has to be the largest Buddhist temple in the world………Borobudur, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has the distinction of being the largest single monument in the Southern Hemisphere. The exact age of this complex is not known, except that it had been buried under dense jungle growth for over 1000 years, when Sir Stamford Raffles re-discovered it in 1814. It took the following 100 years for the restoration of two million pieces of andesite stone to be re-assembled. There are 10 massive stone terraces, each having reliefs in stone depicting different stages of enlightenment, according to Buddhist history. The Great Stupa is on the top, and resembles an upside down bell. If you are able to reach the top, then you have reached Nirvana, the purest state of existence. Lesser stupas surround the top level, and are even more famous. Such as the sitting Buddha, whose hand is touched from the outside. If you can reach it (not easy), then you are assured of good luck and the possibility of returning here someday. We have done it, and look…..we were back to this sight twice after that. A trip to Borobudur is the most visited religious place in all of Indonesia.

 

On our stop in Semarang last year, we visited the Sam Po Kung Chinese Temple. It was built in 1401 to honor a Chinese emissary, and remains a working temple for the locals today. The next stop was at a place called Jamu Nyonya Meneer, a factory that produced Javanese herbal medicine, with a small museum that depicted very different approaches to healing men and women. Then we stopped at a local batik factory with a shop, where we witnessed cloth weaving, and the several steps needed to create the intricate designs on the fabric. This is the real thing, where tedious detail goes into the designs and hand work. The two meter pieces of fabrics that we buy from the local vendors are understandably factory made, where the real batik will cost an arm and a leg. It was the most fascinating process to watch as young students practiced the ancient art of using wax and dyes to create the Indonesian designs. This was not done in air-conditioned buildings either, but in shaded patios in the humid heat of the day. Have to respect the discipline that it takes to work in those conditions.

 

Well, back to our day at sea. We noticed many happy faces of our waiters this morning at breakfast. Particularly head waiter Pande, who had a visit with his wife and kids yesterday in Bali. He told us this morning that his wife was able to stay onboard with him all the way to Jakarta. So he was really happy. Between Semarang tomorrow and Jakarta the following day, there will be about 1800 more family and friends visiting the crew. Many more happy faces, but also sad when they have to bid farewell.

 

There were few folks relaxing on the lower promenade deck while we walked. The temperature outside has continued to be hot and muggy, with a slight breeze. When we got Cambodian immigration and customs forms to fill out today, we completed them, and took them to the front desk. There was a long line with folks getting foreign money, going over their stateroom accounts, or turning in the forms. While we waited to have the forms checked for correctness, we heard a crowd down on deck three cheering. This is where a lot of people were…..playing baggo for grand dollars. Or they were attending a jewelry presentation on diamonds and tanzanite in the Queens Lounge. A cooking demo was also in progress in the Wajang Theater dealing with flavors of Indonesia with host Donna and Barbara H. Barbara is an admitted “foodie”, and has shared many of her favorite recipes with all of us. Anyway, now we know what the folks do to avoid going outside in the heat.

 

We forgot to mention that yesterday was another Presidents Club gift day, which occurs every two weeks. We had ordered sodas and flowers this time. However, while we were on the outside decks watching the dancing Balinese girls and listening to the orchestra, the large flower arrangement was delivered to our room. We still cannot figure out why someone had placed the heavy vase on the couch. Yes can guess what happened when the vase tilted and leaked all of the water into the couch. It had spread up the back, into the arm pillow, and onto the floor by the time we got back. We have to say that after our call to the front desk, they sent someone quickly to extract the water from the couch. Using bath towels, we soaked up what we could. Just hope that there were no chemicals in that vase to keep the water from turning skunky. Time will tell. At least the flowers were not damaged.

 

Also yesterday, we met a very nice lady from Scotland, who joined the ship in Sydney. She asked Henk M to point us out, since she has been a reader of our blog for many years. She finally located us at the sail away on the aft deck, and introduced herself. It sure was nice to meet someone in person that admitted she has enjoyed sailing with us “online”, but finally being able to do it for real this time. Too bad she is only on until Hong Kong, as she and her friend had tried to stay on until Singapore, but were unable to book it that way for some unknown reason.

 

We also have some answers to questions you have asked. The narrow outside deck on six forward is open all the time. However, since we are accessing it by passing passenger staterooms, we try to do it quietly. The two doors going outside were not adjusted to close slowly at first, but they have been fixed to close better now.

 

During the Indonesian days that people have excused their room stewards from service, the laundry bags are still picked up. And the bathrooms are still completely cleaned, a health rule we think.

 

We believe that Darwin has been the hottest place we have ever experienced so far. Even the deserts of the Middle East or Egypt were not that hot. A close second had to be a trip to Kakadu National Park out of Darwin. A stop at ancient caves put us in extreme heat with flies that went for the eyes, nose, and our mouths in seconds. Hundreds of little flies. No wonder few of us got off the bus for that part of the tour.

 

Lunch was nice as we joined Barb once again in the dining room. We ordered the chicken salad wrap with pesto….really tasty. All of us agreed that the small slice of lemon meringue pie was the best. Will have to do the jello route at dinner tonight.

 

Clouds took over the rest of the afternoon, looking like it could rain at any minute. As far as we know, it never did, but we could see it on the horizon. We have arrived to the area of the Java Sea where there are oil rigs and gas platforms. Sure is odd to see huge stacks with flames coming out of the tops in what appears to be in the middle of the ocean.

 

Around 5pm, we went to the outside deck on the veranda deck to see if there was going to be a sunset like we saw last night. Nope. It was completely opposite. Heavy, dark clouds hung over the horizon, with rain blocking any sign of a sunset. What we did discover was the presence of the ship’s LRADS on either side of this deck. These are the long range acoustical devices used to deter anyone attempting to board this vessel illegally. Like pirates for instance. This is the first sign that we are sailing in dangerous waters now. At some point, we expect that razor wire will be added to the lower promenade deck as well. Whatever security measures that are implemented, the better it is for all of us.

 

We discussed the port of Bali yesterday, and the upcoming port of Semarang tomorrow at dinner tonight. As these are new to Bonnie and Paul, we all shared stories of what we have all seen and done in this part of the world. We could only recommend what we had seen on previous tours, since we have never done anything independently in Semarang before. We shall find out tomorrow when we take the shuttle to the center of town. We do remember there was a lot of traffic in Semarang, but not that much to keep us on the ship all day. With most of the tour lectures, Barbara H has stressed the problems with traffic and not getting back to the ship on time. Certainly that is true in most large cities around the world, but we also keep in mind that they are selling tours. The ones offered tomorrow range from $100 for 5 ½ hours to $260 for 9 hours. There is also an offer of private cars, minivans, and mini buses starting from $800 to $1400. Of course that is divided between 2 to 20 guests sharing the vehicles.

 

Dinner tonight had an Indonesian theme, with the waiters dressing in batik long-sleeve shirts, all different colors and designs. The tables were set with batik runners with napkins to match. The entrances to the dining room were decorated with Indonesian statues and masks. The menu had many Indonesian entrees, although we chose the whiskey glazed pork ribs. They were tasty, but mostly bones. Pretty hard to match the meal we had last night in the Pinnacle Grill.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Enjoyed your picture of Pande and Presti. They have been on Christmas Panama Canal and Alaska cruises that we have been on and I remember them fondly for their outstanding service and personalities.

[Scrapnana]

Thanks for the information about that forward deck on 6. I have found on other ships it is only open for special occasions (like going through the Panama Canal).