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

[WCB]

Report # 90 Muscat, Oman March 30, 2016 Wednesday Partly sunny & 86 degrees Partly sunny & 86 degrees Part #1 of 3 85 Pictures

 

The port of Muscat, Oman sort of snuck up on us as we were busy concentrating on previous stops. Now that we are here, we will tell you a little about the country. The capital of Oman happens to be Muscat. The population of the country is 3,418, 085 people who live in a square mile area of 119,467. The official language is primarily Arabic, but many speak English.

 

Oman is the Arabian Peninsula’s most traditional destination. It is more accessible than Saudi Arabia, by far safer than Yemen, and more traditional than the United Arab Emirates. Think Bedouins, camels, souks, and forts, and you will see Oman. As part of the frankincense route, clouds of incense attack you at the Mutrah Souk, Muscat’s Arabian bazaar-come-to-life.

 

The best time to visit is November to mid-March to avoid the monsoon season.

 

What is there to see? Muscat, of course, the port city souk and Portuguese forts. Yitti, for unspoiled beaches and craggy mountains. Nizwa the inland town with a 17th century fort and souk. Mughsail, a beautiful beach, sheer cliffs, and blowholes. Frankincense trees, camel racing and the giant incense burner that looms over Muscat’s Harbor.

 

What is there to do? Drive the sand dunes in a 4x4 vehicle, see the mysteries of the Lost City of Ubar. Visit the forts and see the opulent places of the sultan. If it is not a Friday, their holy day, visit a mosque, but properly dressed (both men and women). See Job’s tomb.

 

What is there to eat? Harees, steamed wheat with boiled meat with onions, limes, and chilies, dried shark, and marinated meats. Dates and honey.

 

Drink? Try camel’s milk and very strong Arabica coffee.

 

Random fact: Coastal oasis of Sohar will forever be remembered from the Arabian Nights, as the starting point for Sinbad’s epic journeys.

 

Ship tours in Muscat included Forts of Nizwa with lunch for 8 ½ hours at $145.

 

Muscat & Market - 4 ½ hours for $60.

 

The Ho-Ho bus for 2 hours for $63. With 10 stops. If you wish to stay at the souk, you can take the free shuttle back to the ship.

 

Tea at Al Bustan Palace for 3 ¾ hours for $135.

 

Dolphin watch, a boat ride for 3 hours at $100.

 

Cruise on an Arabian dhow (boat) for 3 hours at $115.

 

Well, here we are, arriving to Muscat early Wednesday morning. Since we had not booked a tour today, we planned a simple day, which started with breakfast in the dining room, of course. By the time we left the ship at 10:30am, most all of the tour groups had gone off, and the complimentary shuttle were lined up to take us to town. You are not allowed to walk from the ship, since this is a working port with lots of truck traffic. By the way, two ships were in port with us today…….the Europa 2, not a large vessel, but quite high end. The other ship was the Splendour of the Seas once again. They would have lots of people flooding the souk in town today.

 

The security procedure here in Muscat is different, in that we had to board the shuttle bus, be driven to the main terminal building, then proceed through the xray check there. You go in one door, then out the other. The shuttle had continued to the back of the building, where we re-boarded the coach. Then we were on our way to the gate, and towards downtown Muscat about one mile away.

 

The driver dropped us all off at the Mutrah Souk, the traditional Omani market full of a variety of goods. It is a shopper’s paradise, especially if you are looking for some unique items. Most sought-after treasures include silver daggers known as the khanjar. Lucky us, we already have two of these at home. Silver jewelry and boxes are abundant, as are incense burners in all shapes and sizes.

 

For one of us, fabrics is the most desirable and affordable items here. They can be silk, satin, embroidered, linen, cotton, and even jerseys. It took a few minutes to locate our favorite fabric shop, where we purchased two lengths of stretch jersey for long dresses. Walking up the bazaar even deeper, we found some different fabrics decorated with a bejeweled neckline on one end, and matching jeweled sleeves. All it needs is cutting out and sewing. All one of us needs is the time to sew it once we are home.

 

At one point, we looked over their scarves, which may be the number one item sold here. Admiring a pretty one, we did not realize that it may have been camel hair. These are apparently worth more than the silk. The vendor, in order to prove it was camel hair, took out his cigarette lighter, and lit the end of the tassles on fire. It smelled strange, like hair burning. And that was the point, to prove that the scarf was made with camel hair. And that was why his price was $65, down from $100. No, we were simply looking for a cheap one for $5. He had a huge shelf of these, and we found just what we were looking for….a black and blue print.

 

We check out the shoes near the top of the souk. They had some neat sandals, but do you think they had larger sizes, bigger than size 8? Nope, if you want larger, you have to buy men’s shoes. No thanks, we said.

 

Still searching for the make-up, we came across a section with housewares. The vendor said he did not have cometics, and that was that. On our way back out this alleyway, the same vendor offered to show us the way to a make-up shop. We never would have found it, because it was small. This store owner had exactly what I was looking for. The eye shadow kit with lipstick and blusher costs a whopping $6. And it came with two brushes. Good deal.

 

If we hung around much longer, we may have found many more things we could not live without. So we decided to take a walk along the Mutrah Corniche, a tiled walkway along the waterline of the harbor. This walkway follows the rock wall of the harbor, and provides a nice view of the rocky shoreline below. If you take the time to look, you can see many tropical-like fish, turtles, birds, and even sting rays. We also saw many black and red crabs walking on the rocks below. Following the road, we ended up below the hillsides and a park. A few locals were also walking, and asked for us to take their photos. Although this couple did not speak English, we managed to figure out what they were asking.

 

It was hot outside, but there was a breeze. We took our time walking back, and got to the shuttle right before they left. We were back to the ship by 2pm. Since we had not planned on eating onshore, we dined in the Lido and got our favorite sandwiches from the sandwich bar. The Lido was full of customers, so that told us that not a lot of people took tours here today.

 

There was another complimentary sail away, 1001 Arabian Sights, held in the Lido pool area, midship. Drinks, house selection only, were offered from 5 to 6:30pm. The Culinary Team was serving an array of Arabic delights with the party band Oasis, playing poolside. Part of the party included a performance by a belly dancer. We had taken photos from deck nine on the way here to see the decorations, but we were too early to see the craziness that took place later.

 

Deciding not to fight the expected crowd, we stayed out back, and watched the sail away with friends Bill & Leta, who joined us. They had made a pass through the middle pool, only to be almost knocked down by a dancing woman who took a spill. Bill’s champagne went flying, and Leta barely escaped injury from the falling dancing lady. They had been looking for dates (the food) at this party, but there were none. So they came back, and stayed with us until dark. We were able to get an ice cold beer from the Seaview Bar, all free. From what we heard later, some folks had such a good time with the free drinks, that they helped themselves to some of the Arabian decorations. Like the pillows, hookahs, and the carpets. Cannot believe it, since there are security cameras everywhere on this ship. These are not props, but the real thing.

 

Dinner was good, as usual. With two tables of friends, we rule the bottom level of the lower dining room. At least we think we do, since by the time we are getting our entrees, most everyone had finished and left the room. We can laugh and have fun without disturbing anyone. And we do just that.

 

The entertainer this evening was Kieran Powell, a ventriloquist. We’re afraid we did not attend, but will inquire about his show tomorrow.

 

There will be a day at sea before we reach the second port in Oman, Salalah.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[SilvertoGold]

Outstanding posts of your off-ship time. Enjoyed reading your detailed and informative account. Photos are a treat and we appreciate it that you post them on your blog.

 

The President's Club flowers have been truly lovely selections. If you chose beer or wine, how many bottles would the President's Club gift you with for the two week period? With soda you certainly receive a generous supply.

 

Thank you!

[Lizzie68]

Just had a very happy time catching up with the last three blog entries and all the photos. I am going to soooo miss you when this WC is over.

[WCB]

Report # 91 Sailing Towards Salalah, Oman March 31, 2016 Thursday Partly cloudy & 84 degrees

 

A day at sea was ours to enjoy. The weather has finally become more comfortable, at least while we are out at sea. There is a strong breeze blowing cross the decks, which sure helps cool things down. It is much appreciated.

 

During the night, we have noticed that the lights are turned off on the lower promenade deck. There are signs posted on the outside doors telling the passengers that lights off is done for anti-piracy reasons. Fine with us, but it is still a reminder we are in dangerous waters. We have to keep reminding ourselves that we are not alone, according to Captain Mercer’s letter. And as promised, there are security guards, at least two, on watch 24 hours a day on this deck. One thing we noticed that was puzzling to us, was that neither the Europa 2 or the Splendour of the Seas had razor wire attached to their ship. Of course, they didn’t appear to have a similar wrap-around walking deck like the Amsterdam does, but at some point, there must be areas, like their boat decks, that may be accessed. We intend to pay more attention to this detail if we happen to run into more cruise ships from Salalah to the Mediterranean Sea.

 

Guest speaker talks continued today with Vivianne Rowan lecturing on lost treasures. We often wondered about the group of treasure-seekers, and what they find at the bottom of the world’s oceans. More specific, is what they find real or not? And who does it belong to, or the dangers of such expeditions. Very interesting subject, indeed.

 

Speaker Simon Rae talked about all things Shakespeare, while later in the day, a workshop was offered in the Hudson Room, which went into more detail with the actual language structure and spoken word. “TMI” for us, we are afraid.

 

Finally, Timothy Runyan got into the details of Oman and the voyage of Sinbad the Sailor. Much better subject we think.

 

In a different vein, a new guest chef has joined the ship. Although not slated as one of the celebrity chefs on this voyage, she must be substituting for one that is not here. We hesitate to list her name, since she informed us years ago, that she has an internet alert if her name is used in any blog, at which time, she knows what is being written, and eventually, by whom. Now we like her presentations and choice of subjects for food shows, but we also do not like this type of invasion of our blog site. We know it is out there for anyone to read, but flagging it feels different to us. You know us, we tell it like it is, and sometimes that means all is not perfect in the world of cruising all of the time.

 

There will be some very unhappy campers when it comes to the loss of ESPN and the broadcast of the basketball games. It is a big deal for tablemates Bonnie and Paul, who hesitated booking this cruise, and missing these games. They are dyed-in-the-wool sports fans, and were told the games would be on. The notice in the newsletter stated that due to our geographical location, the loss of ESPN on satellite TV will be expected. Apparently, we are on the edges of the satellite footprint, so they do apologize, but can do nothing to remedy the situation. All they can do is ask for our patience. It is what it is.

 

Our day was strictly working in our room, with many walking breaks, and lunch with the girls in the dining room…..Barb and Maureen. We can catch up with news about yesterday’s port with Shirley and Jack on the lower promenade deck, where they set up camp for the day, then find out what went on with Barb and Maureen listening to their stories at lunch. Always fun, mixed with harmless ship gossip, of course.

 

By the way, we should be caught up with reports and photos very soon. Took time, but finally see the light of day at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

 

This evening, we had another fine dinner in the Pinnacle Grill at 8pm. This time the room was filled with guests, some of whom are using their free dinners like us. Remember, the President’s Club members received 10 complimentary dinners to use by April 30th. Those of us who are sailing onward, like Sandra and Allen, will receive 10 more dinners in here on the 16 day Panama Canal Cruise following this one. Ten dinners to use in 16 days? Doubt we will be able to do that, although Tina, the manager, would definitely accommodate us if we chose to do it. Trouble is, there is such thing as a light meal in this venue. You can try, but there are too many excellent choices.

 

So tonight, we had the tableside-made Caesar salad (hold the anchovies). The dressing can be light to heavy as we wish. These salads are the best you can get….crispy and ice cold and full of garlic. One of us ordered the lamb chops, and the other had the New York strip steak. Splitting a baked potato and sharing a bowl of sautéed mushrooms was just enough. Dessert was as light as it comes, with mixed berries and a side of vanilla ice cream instead of the sabayon sauce, and also one bowl of vanilla ice cream, and French-pressed coffee with a tiny biscotti cookie. Missing, was the two-tiered plate of super-sweet chocolate candies, missing, probably because it is also the holder for the sugar and cream, which neither of us uses.

 

As we were relaxing with the coffee, Bill and Leta strolled by, and chatted for a while. They had been dining in here for a celebration of Bill’s birthday. Even though the waiters do not sing the special birthday song in here, they still bring a small brownie cake, and wish you Happy Birthday, only quietly. They told us that their reservation had gone astray, even though they booked this date back in January. The tip off was when they had not received their printed invitation for dinner this morning in their mail slot. Always good to check on the phone to confirm the reservation. Lucky for them, they had an opening for 7:30pm, and were happy to serve them, a good thing.

 

Henk and Christel happened to be dining with a couple of folks near us. Since we all had finished our meals, and were leaving the room around the same time, we asked Henk about the upcoming possible visit with the new ship, the Koningsdam. As you know, she is due for her christening and inaugural sailing in the beginning of April, the 8th to be exact. Henk mentioned that he did not want to make any announcements yet for a possible visit on that ship, because there may be delays with the first sailings. That would be unfortunate, especially for those people who are booked on them. We are supposed to cross paths while in the port for Rome (Civitavecchia) on April 15th. Hearing rumors that there was a list at the front desk to sign, Henk reassured us that we are already on the “special” list for the President’s Club members. If it will happen, we will be on that tour.

 

The entertainer in the Queens Lounge was a singer by the name of Donna Groom. Anybody remember the “Skyliners”? She was a lead vocalist with them, and tonight will sing favorite hits from the 60’s and 70’s. Music we always enjoyed and still do. She did a fine job.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 92 Salalah, Oman April 1, 2016 Friday Forecast: Look up? Oh, ha-ha, it’s April Fool’s Day 81 Pictures

 

Today’s On Location newsletter was all mixed up, and completely silly. Yes, it was April Fool’s Day, and perhaps some of us were fooled, but others might not find it so funny. Especially those who rely on the printed itinerary for the day’s activities. Nothing made sense with the day beginning with activities at 11pm, and ending with 2am, as well as setting the clocks back 24 hours, then setting them ahead 24 hours. Some other funnies: Debby Bacon tickles more than the ivories, play Caribbean stud muffins in the casino, ask location guide Barbara H questions that she will ignore, mandatory naptime (really?), sit and sleep with Jodie, or Fitness class – flab abs. Well, you got the idea now.

 

Salalah is a much different port compared to Muscat. We prefer Muscat, only because that port is very accessible and very typically Arabian in feel. Salalah is industrial, and nowhere near as scenic or as interesting as Muscat. This is an opinion that is shared with many of our close friends, who chose to stay on the ship today, treating it as a day at sea. Yes, there are things to do and see here, but we have done them all, more than once.

 

Here are some samples of the tours offered here:

 

The Best of Salalah for 7 ½ hours for $155. Takes you to a small souk, the archaeological site of Al-Baled, Taqah Castle, and to Khor Rori Creek, once the site of the ancient city of Sumhuram. This may have been the site of the Queen of Sheba’s Palace. Lunch is included at the Crowne Plaza. A stop at Mughsail Beach is included where you might see blowholes up to 45 feet in height. We never did see them as the tides were always out.

 

A shorter excursion takes you to Sumhuram and the Taqah Castle for 5 hours at $80.

 

Leisurely Salalah is for 4 ¾ hours for $55. Here you will stop and see a frankincense tree, that was once the prized item for trade in the ancient world. It produces the sap that is burned for its fragrance. As Catholics, we were raised with that heavy aroma since it was, and still is, used in the Mass service. We learned from previous tours here, that the sap was burned in the tents to mask the bad smells from tainted meats and fish, and also to disguise human body odor. Bathing was not a priority in those days. Animals that were kept around the tents also contributed to the bad smells, so the frankincense helped with that too. Whether or not this was the reason for the demand in the trade, it was a coveted commodity back in the day. Also included in this tour is a stop at Job’s tomb, located in the hillsides. It is questionable if his remains are still here, if we remember the commentary the two times we were here. Nevertheless, strict dress requirements were in place while visiting this sacred site. Modest attire was a must. Then you went back to the port, passing lush orchards, with a brief stop at a souq along the way.

 

Lost City of Ubar and the Sands of Arabia for 8 hours for $180. This would begin with a 4x4 jeep ride over the dunes, followed by a drive to the excavation site at Ubar. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this set of ruins is in the early stage of discovery. Friends Maureen and Tom M went on this tour and later reported the details. Lunch was a boxed meal, provided by the ship. It consisted of a ham and cheese sandwich, which would have been OK if the hard apple and the large banana had not crushed it on the bottom. The same went for the muffin included with a bottle of water over it. Love these firsthand reports, as you cannot make it up. The only negative remark was about the pit stop at the truck stop and gas station. Their only facility for a restroom was a hole in the ground…not always something you think to ask before the excursion. Some of the ladies chose to wait until they got back to the ship around 4:30pm, a most long day for them to be sure.

 

One overland trip left from Salalah today. It was highlights of Jordan: Amman, Petra & the Dead Sea Overland Adventure for 6 days and 5 nights. The cost? $4500 per person, and that did not include any dinners. Those meals were on your own. Not sure how many folks went.

 

Except for the overland, we have done the above tours at least once….twice to Job’s tomb we remember. So we decided to stay onboard and treat it like a day at sea, as we have already stated.

 

Our port lecturer, Barbara, had said quite firmly in her Salalah talk that no complimentary shuttles to downtown would be provided, no matter how hard they tried to get one. She said to be prepared to pay money here to do anything or go anywhere. In her opinion, this would be the place to book ship tours, and not depend on doing anything on your own. From experience, we know that the taxi drivers can be very aggressive here. That was confirmed at dinnertime, when Greg and Heo said it was a zoo outside the port gates this morning. The taxi drivers were almost combative with each other, and it was not a pretty sight. Even the local police got involved keeping them civilized. The guys and Martha went to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, as did many other guests, in search of lunch and internet, of course. They had a nice time and a good lunch.

 

So glad we did not attempt that, since we had work to do and finally the time to do it. Expecting to be dining at a table for two for lunch, we were surprised to see Barb, Ellen, and Aart enter the dining room at 12:30pm. We were certain they would have gone to the Plaza, but they were thinking the same way we were. Not worth it. We were about done with our dessert, but we joined them at a larger table while they ate their meals. We had a fine time visiting with them, and ended up staying well beyond closing time. The waiters are so nice, they never disturb us when we linger longer than we should.

 

The afternoon evaporated with us getting lots of work done in the comfort of our room. By 4:30pm, we headed up to deck eight, where the sail away party would commence at 5:30pm. There were a few folks outside either sunbathing or swimming. Only the “sun lovers” among the group would be out there. That desert heat combined with some humidity can be dangerous. There was a redeeming breeze, however, that helped cool the air off.

 

We spent the time watching local dhow boats being loaded by cranes. These traditional wooden boats are still used for trading between the port cities of Oman, and are interesting in design. This port happens to be one of the busiest in Oman, so there was never a dull moment if you wanted to watch the dock action.

 

Between watching the dock work, and the few birds and fish we saw in the waters, we ended up spending three hours back there. Some of our buddies joined us while we sailed slowly out of the harbor. It was wonderful when the sun began dipping towards the horizon, presenting a most colorful sky with the cranes from the dock and boats in the water in the foreground. A most nice way to end the day.

 

The only ones missing at dinner tonight were Martha and Barb, who took some dance hosts to dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. We still had to use two tables, since 11 at the round table was one seat too much. Someone had arranged for an “April Fool’s Day” birthday in Bonnie’s honor. By the way, Bonnie and Paul had donned costumes of pirates for dinner tonight, assuming the costume party included dinnertime. It did not, but, oh well, they were here, and it was too late to change. Paul came as the sheikh of Arabia, and Bonnie was dressed like an Arabian milkmaid, as she put it. Hope they win the prize at the party in the Crows Nest tonight from 9 to 11 pm. They deserve it for having to sit through dinner in those get-ups.

 

Greg, Heo, and Sharon squeezed into the table with the group when the Snickers Cake arrived. Happy birthday or not, there were no candles. Forgot they are not allowed to have an open flame anymore. Probably a wonderful deletion, because now there are no candles to blow out, thus no germs covering the dessert. Our kind waiters served vanilla ice cream with the generous cuts of cake. All of us left the table stuffed to the gills.

 

There was no show tonight in the Queens Lounge, due to the Costume Party event in the Crows Nest. But there had been a one-time show at 7:15pm featuring harmonica virtuoso Bernie Fields. He recently opened for Pink Martini with the Pacific Symphony in Los Angeles. Having not read the newsletter today, mostly because it was so silly, we missed the early show. Oh well, bet we were not the only ones to miss it.

 

The next four days will be true sea days, as the Amsterdam heads towards the Red Sea on the way to Aqaba, Jordan. We will be sailing in very dangerous waters according to Captain Mercer. Good to know there will be many eyes on our hopefully safe journey.

 

Looking forward to smooth sailing and lazy days.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[caltnl]

But no Cork Forking!

[WCB]

Report # 93 Sailing Towards Al Aqaba, Jordan April 2, 2016 Saturday Partly cloudy & 87 degrees

 

Today is the first day of a four day sailing towards the country of Jordan. Not originally on the 2016 itinerary, Aqaba, Jordan was added later, after all of the ports in Egypt were cancelled. It will be a nice stop for the folks that are new to this trip, but for those of us who were sailing on last year’s cruise, it will be a repeat. Many will take the opportunity to visit Petra, the Rose Red City of the ancient Nabataeans. It is a once-in-a-lifetime UNESCO World Heritage Site that we have been lucky enough to visit four times. Don’t think we will do it again this year, as we have never seen the port city of Aqaba. So we will stick close to home.

 

We had a chance to talk with one of our favorite head waiters during breakfast this morning. We discussed how things are changing with the HAL voyages, in particular, the Grand Voyages. He indicated that the breakfast service in the dining room may be changing on future voyages. Leaning towards free-styling, the dining room may be closed for breakfast service on port days, like it is closed for lunch at times while in port. This was not the kind of news we like to hear, as breakfast in here is a wonderful start of our day in port or not in port. “Free-styling” reminds us of another cruise line, not HAL. But come to think of it, the “SOE” logo HAL adopted a few years ago is not being used now. It stood for signature of excellence, reminding us of the reasons we book with HAL in the first place. Elegance, quality, tops in service in all areas, excellent food…..do we need to say more? In our humble opinion, the target group for HAL is not our group anymore, but the younger crowd…… those who want a more relaxed atmosphere with more casual and less gala evenings. The head waiter said he no longer has the job of turning anyone away from the dining room if he thinks they are dressed improperly. Short of wearing swimwear without shoes, anything goes. Speaking for ourselves and our friends, we don’t like that. Lower the standards, and you draw a whole different crowd. And it has already begun with this cruise. By repeating the same ports as last year’s cruise (well almost), many of the regulars chose to bypass the trip or transfer their booking to the Prinsendam. Lowering the price, which was nice for all of us, attracted many more segment folks. So the feel of the world cruise has been different. Hard to explain, but that’s the way we see it. Our head waiter agreed.

 

We made good progress today, as we are finally caught up with homework. If we had not brought the computer with us on the safari trip, we would have been a week behind even by now. Good feeling to be done.

 

The weather has remained warm and humid, even though we are in a desert area. The worst of the heat is gone, and there is a nice breeze on the decks. Still there is only a handful of folks relaxing in the teak lounges. Maybe some of that is due to the pirate scare signs on the outside doors. Present always are the security guards doing their job well.

 

In the meantime, Barbara H spoke about going ashore in Aqaba, Jordan. We need to listen to her talk because we intend to go into Aqaba for a change. Don’t remember if the locals will accept US dollars in the hotels or restaurants. They definitely took US dollars for souvenirs in Petra. And of course, credit cards are always welcomed.

 

A Beautiful Bowl of Soup was the subject of our guest chef who demonstrated her skills in the Culinary Arts Center this morning. Hmm, just happens that is the title of one of her books.

 

The two guest speakers delivered their series on pirates and ancient inventions, while another workshop on Elizabethan era acting was held in the Hudson Room. Wonder what this is about? Guess we will have to ask someone if they attended.

 

Once again, we met the girls, Barb and Maureen, for lunch after they finished going to trivia. They love to try to stump us with questions they had trouble with. Sometimes we know the answer, but most times we don’t. So we make things up to get them both laughing. Trivia is far too serious on the world cruise, so that’s why we don’t go.

 

Lunch was good as they served some favorite entrees. One of us had fish and chips, while the other ordered meatballs and spaghetti. Both were excellent. Another reason we hate it when the dining room closes on some port days, as the food is really nice.

 

We had an invitation for a special cocktail party on April 5th between 7 and 8pm. It will be held in the Officer’s Bar on deck A, and includes guests on deck seven as well as the President’s Club members. Should be fun, since we did something similar last year. Except at that time, they served us a proper English dinner. No dinner this time, as there would be too many of us.

 

There was a rumor that we heard recently regarding the guest speakers and their talks being re-broadcasted on TV later in the day. Well, that was announced while we were gone, but so far, we have not be able to locate any of these lectures. Besides the news and movie stations, all we can find are the HAL channels with their in-house advertising. Will have to check daily now that we have three more days at sea, and lots of lectures happening in the Queens Lounge.

 

Checking out the information channel on TV, we found that we are now heading into the Gulf of Aden, passing the coast of Yemen. Thinking we would go up to deck nine to check out the sunset, we looked at the info channel to find sunset was at 6:55pm. The daily newsletter stated the sunrise was at 5:25am with sunset being 5:56pm. That was about one hour off of what it should have been. Wonder where they get their info to print in the daily paper? Oddly enough, this has been off the mark more than once since the beginning of the trip.

 

The show in the Queens Lounge was suitable for a gala night, but shown this evening. Titled Nations, we assume the HAL singers and dancers presented a show featuring the beautiful countries of Europe. Specifically, London in the 60’s, the glamour of Paris, the folklore of Russia, the elegance of Austria, and the passion of Italy. There was an added promise of fabulous costumes and breath-taking dance routines. They were right, because they were great.

 

Three more days at sea, and we hope they are eventless, that is, without pirates.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS In response to the question about the President’s Club gifts, you get your choice of one bottle of alcohol, wine, or sodas/waters, or flowers every two weeks. So in a two week trip, you would receive one bottle ( or other substitute) per person.

[SilvertoGold]

Thank you, Mary Ann, for the information about the President's Club. With the multitude of Pinnacle Dinners complimentary and the two week gifts HAL treats you well.

[MMDown Under]

We had a chance to talk with one of our favorite head waiters during breakfast this morning. We discussed how things are changing with the HAL voyages, in particular, the Grand Voyages. He indicated that the breakfast service in the dining room may be changing on future voyages. Leaning towards free-styling, the dining room may be closed for breakfast service on port days, like it is closed for lunch at times while in port. This was not the kind of news we like to hear, as breakfast in here is a wonderful start of our day in port or not in port. “Free-styling” reminds us of another cruise line, not HAL. But come to think of it, the “SOE” logo HAL adopted a few years ago is not being used now. It stood for signature of excellence, reminding us of the reasons we book with HAL in the first place. Elegance, quality, tops in service in all areas, excellent food…..do we need to say more? In our humble opinion, the target group for HAL is not our group anymore, but the younger crowd…… those who want a more relaxed atmosphere with more casual and less gala evenings. The head waiter said he no longer has the job of turning anyone away from the dining room if he thinks they are dressed improperly. Short of wearing swimwear without shoes, anything goes. Speaking for ourselves and our friends, we don’t like that. Lower the standards, and you draw a whole different crowd. And it has already begun with this cruise. By repeating the same ports as last year’s cruise (well almost), many of the regulars chose to bypass the trip or transfer their booking to the Prinsendam. Lowering the price, which was nice for all of us, attracted many more segment folks. So the feel of the world cruise has been different. Hard to explain, but that’s the way we see it. Our head waiter agreed.

 

Do you think if HAL continues to lower the standards of their World Cruises, they will loose what attracts passengers to WCs in the first place? I agree that cruiselines are trying to target younger age groups. However, I believe younger people want the once in a lifetime special occasion dream also. Otherwise they can fly all over the world, to destinations of their choice, at a much lower cost and much better value.

[WCB]

Report # 94 Sailing Towards Aqaba, Jordan April 3, 2016 Sunday Partly cloudy & 89 degrees Gate of Tears

 

The Amsterdam rounded the bottom of Yemen this afternoon, as we left the Gulf of Oman and proceeded towards the Red Sea. There is a spot where the shores of Yemen, on the Arabian Peninsula, and the country of Djibouti, in Africa are very close. Named the Gate of Tears, this chokepoint has been the scene of much turmoil, probably starting with the dawn of time.

 

We finally made it to the aft pool today for some r & r, and were already back there when we came upon this spot. People began pouring out of the inside of the ship to take photos of this very sensitive area of the world. Last year, there were Yemeni planes flying overhead, while bombings were happening within the interior. It was hard for us to believe we were so close to this, especially after we all recently watched this horrible news on TV. Way too close for comfort.

 

Today it appeared to be quiet on the shores, but you would need some powerful binoculars to see any movement in the buildings on the shoreline. Captain Mercer kept the pedal to the metal as we left the chokepoint behind in minutes. On the horizon, we could see other ship traffic, probably on their way towards the Suez Canal. Always good to know we have company. Unless, of course, the ships are Somalian or Yemeni. You never know……

 

The weather has remained warm with some humidity. It has kept a lot of folks off of the lower promenade deck, even early in the morning. Today we had a following wind, so the breeze was minimum at best. We doubt it cools down significantly until we transit the Suez Canal, and enter into the Mediterranean Sea. In the meantime, we need to enjoy the few days we have left to pass the time at the aft pool. Although there was a mention of rain this morning, it never happened. There were dark clouds, but we escaped any rain.

 

The lectures today included one from Barbara H telling us everything we need to know about Haifa and Ashdod in Israel. Since we were at both ports last year, we pretty much know what there is to do and see. Instead of heading into the Holy Land, we will stay close to the port cities, enjoying what they have to offer. Having saved handy maps from last year’s visit, we will be ready and set to go off exploring.

 

The Show Chef David must have left the ship to go to the new ship, the Koningsdam. Show Chef Joseph must have replaced him while we were gone. He has taken over the cooking shows in the Culinary Arts Center. Today he was preparing Middle eastern bread pudding and one of our favorites…..baklava.

 

Only one guest speaker delivered his talk about the Red Sea this afternoon. For those who were interested in learning belly dancing, you could go to classes in the Crows Nest at 1pm. Good way to burn off a few calories.

 

Lunch for us today was in the Lido, because the dining room had another Sunday at Sea brunch from 11am to 1pm. It’s a lot of work for the staff to set this venue up, but we supposed a lot of people like it. Unfortunately, we don’t Custom-made sandwiches in the Lido were fine with us.

 

This evening the dress suggestion was Gala. Originally it was supposed to be “The Valley of the Kings” theme, but since all of the Egyptian ports had been cancelled, so was this theme night. Therefore, it became a “classic” gala, which means no decorations at all, and no one, including the waiters, dressed Egyptian. Too bad, as it can be fun to see the get-ups people come up with.

 

The meal was good, though. Escargots were the big appetizer, while entrees included surf and turf, rack of lamb, a pumpkin ravioli, three types of fish dinners, and pheasant. One of us ordered the surf and turf, which was lobster and filet mignon. The other had the lamb dish. When the lamb arrived, it was more than pink, it was almost rare. So we switched the lobster and steak with the rack of lamb ribs. We were all happy, especially when the dessert menu arrived. They had a very good carrot cake, and almost as good, lime jello with sliced fruit. And because it was a gala night, we had double company with Joanne and Michael, the future cruise consultants, joining us. We know them well, but the rest of our friends did not. Introductions out of the way, we had a nice time with them. Our overflow table did not have any officers, because they already had six at the table with Martha’s friend Pam joining them. That made our group 16 tonight. What fun we have.

 

The entertainer this evening was a fellow called David Kidd aka Tom Jones. We guess he sings his songs like Tom Jones such as some of his early hits, and modern and raunchy tunes. We did not make up the description, as this is the way it was printed in the daily newsletter.

 

While we were walking the hallway towards the aft elevators to go to dinner, we spotted one of the room stewards pulling a large box down the hallway. Bet we are getting presents tonight. It was confirmed when we entered our room after dinner. There were two turquoise boxes wrapped with white ribbons on the bed. We had gotten two HAL Heritage Logo Boxes by Tiffani & Co. These covered bowls are solid blue with the HAL logo on top. The info for the Grand World Voyage 2016 was printed on the bottom of the bowl. We got similar boxes a few years ago, except those had the world map printed on the sides, with the ports on the lid. They are still nice and will look good with our older ones at home. They can be used for change or jewelry on a dresser at home.

 

Another gift was putting the clocks back one hour. We love that gift.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 95 Sailing Towards Aqaba, Jordan April 4, 2016 Monday Partly cloudy & 89 degrees

 

Last night, while walking on the promenade deck after dinner, we noticed something different. The lights were completely off in the center section of the decks, and security guards were stationed front and aft. What was different was the presence of another security fellow we had not seen before tonight. He was dressed in a black suit, was considerably younger than our guards, and carried a walkie-talkie. He had the tell-tale cord attached to his ear piece, setting him apart from our guys. That triggered a memory of another world cruise, perhaps 2011 or 2012, when a second security team (in addition to our team) had been brought onboard for the sailing in this area. We knew this, because one evening, the head of that team and his wife, joined us for dinner. He explained that he and his team had been brought onboard to get us through the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, and the Suez Canal. This fellow told us he was a former Navy seal, working for HAL as an independent contractor. Now maybe we are reading too much into this sighting last night, or we have watched too many movies, but the Amsterdam must be sailing in very dangerous waters…..especially yesterday and through the night.

 

So expecting to see the extra detail on the deck this morning, much to our surprise, they were all gone, out of sight. Today we would be well into the Red Sea, sailing past Eritrea and Sudan of Africa on the port side, and Saudi Arabia on the starboard side. Although the ship still sports the razor wire, the 24 hour watch must be over. To make things even more interesting, while watching the news this afternoon, we saw there had been an incident at the end of March, where a small ship (actually a wooden dhow) was captured, carrying a large stash of weapons that may have been headed towards Yemen from Iran. That happened during the same time we were following the coast of Oman, and sailing in the Gulf of Aden. Too close for comfort, we continue to think.

 

The weather has remained warm and very muggy. There is a breeze blowing over the decks, which is a big help. We spent a good part of the day enjoying these breezes while sunbathing at the aft pool. So far, there is only a handful of us out there.

 

Port talks continued with Barbara H and Nyron, the shore ex manager. They went over the ports from Haifa, Israel to Fort Lauderdale. That just about wraps up this cruise. Later, Barbara, who happened to have a birthday today, got into the details of Piraeus (Athens) and Katakalon (Olympia), both in Greece.

 

More classes took place in the Crows Nest for belly dancing. The store on the ship was selling the coin-covered skirt or scarf that is typically used for belly dancing. We suspect the On Location Arabic Ambassador Teresa was responsible for bringing them onboard to sell.

 

There was an afternoon performance of Macbeth: Sliced to the Core. Will have to find someone that went to that to find out about this different type of entertainment.

 

Since we will be arriving to Jordan in a couple of days, here are some facts for you. Jordan has an area of 34,486 square miles, with a population of 6,342,948 people, who basically speak Arabic. The capital is Amman. The best time to visit is April to May, and September to October.

 

Surrounded by several tumultuous countries, Jordan has the toughest neighborhood. Biblical stories, mysterious lost cities, and Lawrence of Arabia puts Jordan at the center of great historical events.

 

The top things to see include Petra, the Red Rose City, a rock-strewn Nabataean city. Crusader castles, formidable bastions of Karak and Shobak. Madaba and Byzantine-era mosaics, and the spot where Moses looked out over the Promised Land, as well as remote desert castles are places of interest.

 

Top things to do are camp with Bedouins in Wadi Rum, or dive and snorkel in the Red Sea for beautiful underwater scenery. Float in the salty waters of the Dead Sea, actually a lake. Giggle as you do not sink. Hike Dana Nature Reserve or see the capital of Amman, Arab world’s most hip and sophisticated city.

 

Watch: Lawrence of Arabia and Indianan Jones and the Last Crusade for stunning scenes in Petra. We have thought of the movie every time we exit the Siq (the canyon on the way to the valley) and see the looming Treasury in front of us. Quite impressive, no matter how many times you see it.

 

What is there to eat? A Bedouin specialty is a spit-roasted lamb basted with spices, served over rice and pine nuts. Drink? Tea, which is their symbol of hospitality.

 

A random fact is Bethany Beyond the Jordan is where Jesus is believed to have been baptized, as it was confirmed by the Pope in 2000. Back in 2007, we thought we had visited the sight of the baptism on the Jordan River while in Israel. However, we were told at that time, that the spot we were at had been created for the tourists, because the “real” spot of the baptism was in an area that was terribly polluted now. Wonder if this is the same spot that the Pope declared was in Jordan?

 

Some of the tours the ship is offering are a trip to Petra and Wadi Rum for 13 hours (yikes) for $310. Petra only for 9 hours for $245. Both of these excursions include lunch. Shorter tours are a drive to Shoubak Castle for 5 ¾ hours for $70, Aqaba Highlights and Wadi Rum lunch for 5 ¼ hours for $130, and Wadi Rum for 5 hours at $100. We have done them all, except the trip to the castle.

 

Dinner was much more comfortable tonight. Something must have gone wrong with the air-conditioning at dinner last night, because it was very warm…..we were all sweating bullets. Of course it was gala night where all of the fellows were wearing jackets, as were some of the ladies. Way too warm. Something must have gotten fixed, thank goodness. We both ordered the Pacific Rim salad which had slices of chicken, mango, macadamia nuts, and wonton crisps on the top. We also split a tortellini dish. Dessert was ice cold frozen coffee yogurt with a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Not bad, and almost really healthy, right?

 

Kieran Powell was the entertainer this evening. He was back for a second showing of his puppets as he is a ventriloquist. It appeared that few of us were going to attend. Maybe we will peek in on deck five for a look.

 

One more full day at sea, and we will be in Jordan, known as one of the more peaceful countries in the Arabian world.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 96 Sailing Towards Aqaba, Jordan April 5, 2016 Tuesday Sunny & 84 degrees

 

The seas remain calm and the skies are blue as we head in a northerly direction towards the country of Jordan. We had an uneventful night of sailing, and that is good news. The 24 hour security watch on the outside decks is gone, from what we have witnessed.

 

Occasionally, there are a few cargo ships or tankers passing us, and we do expect that ship traffic will increase the closer we get to the Suez Canal. We are still sailing at night with the lights off on the lower promenade deck.

 

Talk today included one from Barbara H with all the info you need for Civitavecchia for the port of Rome. That will be coming up on April 15th, when we are supposed to share the port with the new ship, the Koningsdam. Still have not heard if we will have the chance to tour the ship or not. Since we will not be taking a tour into Rome that day, we will be available to see the new ship if it will be possible.

 

Other lectures deal with Hamlet and Macbeth in the morning, followed by another acting workshop at 1pm in the Hudson Room. An afternoon lecture was all about Petra, the Red Rose City. Many people will be taking tours there tomorrow, and are excited about it. They will not be disappointed.

 

A different approach to photography was delivered by the guest chef this morning. This speaker and her companion will be coming to our table for dinner this evening, by special invite. However, four or six of us will not be there, because we had other reservations tonight. Sometimes that’s the way things work out.

 

The chefs of the Amsterdam held another stir fry on the Lido deck for lunch today. It is quite a job for the staff to set up the food and cooking stations where, in case you may have forgotten, you can take all the veggies, meats, and seafoods you like and have it cooked in a wok. Lots of passengers love it, but we do not. It will be grilled paninis for us in the Lido around 3pm.

 

Then for the folks who may have “over-done” the Mongolian cook-out, they can work off calories at the belly-dancing class in the Crows Nest. This is probably the last chance to learn the art.

 

Our time out at the back pool was weird today. When we went to set up our lounges, we noticed we were walking in black soot. It covered everything back there…..all the lounges, towels, railings….everything. It was obvious that this mess had come from one of the ship’s stacks, as we have seen this happen on previous cruises. The people swimming in the pool were quite upset, since the soot was floating in there, and rapidly sinking to the bottom. They seemed to have yelled the most, because the crew came quickly with nets to take the worst of the soot off of the water. We heard through the grapevine that other people back here had a bigger fit, and called officers all the way to the top. We noticed tht the hotel director came out with the Captain, and they all surveyed the situation. They were followed by a bigger group of crew who did some clean-up, all except for the deck eight pool deck. The area on deck nine was swept and mopped, but no one was sitting up there. Go figure….We stayed back there until 2pm, and no one ever came back to sweep up the mess. You had to be careful not to walk without shoes, or get any of that soot on your clothing. It stains like a type of tar. You would think that this goo would have been taken care of immediately. It never was while we were there.

 

On sea days, we like to go to the Atrium on deck five, and listen to the music coming from the Ocean Bar. Recently, our table mate, Rudd, has been joining us. At this time of his day, he makes a stop in the casino to play his favorite slot machine. He told us that his gambling in the casinos on the HAL ships is tracked, as long as he uses his room key. And because of this, he has had some fantastic offers on last minute cruises over the years. He usually takes advantage of these deals, especially if he doesn’t have to fly too far. He lives in Holland, so anywhere in the Med works for him. Recently, he did a cruise for under 200 Euro. Not sure how long or exactly where, but that is a good deal, even if it was only 7 days. Anyway, we have had a chance to get to know a little more about the Netherlands with our visits.

 

This evening, we were invited to a cocktail party in the Officer’s Bar on A deck. The guests included the President’s Club members Pinnacle (two penthouse suites) and Neptune Suite (52 suites). Last year, we had been invited to a similar party, but at that time, only the President’s Club guests were treated to cocktails, as well as a served dinner in the Officer’s Bar. There were over 20 of us, and we filled all of the small tables. Tonight, with most everyone attending, we were busting at the seams. Not only did most everyone show up at 7pm, many of the officers were present to mingle with the crowd. It was shoulder-to-shoulder people in a room meant for a few. Nice idea, but we all agreed it should have been held at least twice.

 

Although we arrived about last at the meeting point on deck one, we were the first to climb down the steep stairway to deck A. We were greeted by Gene, our cruise director, Henk, the hotel director, and of course, Captain Mercer, who welcomed us to come into the bar. We found Barb, and the three of us went over to the back wall, where there were two portholes with views of the water outside. Don joined us and remarked that it looked like we were going at least 60MPH. While we waited for our special drinks, Captain Jonathon joined us for a bit. We relayed our suspicions regarding spotting the extra security fellow, and he did indeed say that we had a beefed up team, especially for the sailing around Yemen, Somalia, and the Gate of Tears yesterday. The Captain added that tomorrow, while we are docked in Aqaba, the extra security team will leave, and the ship will lose the razor wire. No need for it anymore. And our regular security folks will be back to their normal jobs as well. No more 24 hour shifts. Bet they are glad. And so are we, now that we have made a safe journey out of the sensitive areas.

 

Even with the crowded room, the waiters served a variety of “snacks” such as fish and chips with a tartar sauce, slices of pups in a blanket, empanadas, and hard-boiled eggs rolled in bread crumbs, then deep fried. They were served cut in four. We would have helped ourselves to plenty of snacks, but we had reservations in the Pinnacle Grill tonight, and had to save our appetites for that.

 

We had a nice chat with Christel, and visited with Eddie and Lee on our way out by 8pm. Eddie like to take photos of us and with us, so we all posed while others took our pictures together.

 

Dinner in the Pinnacle was great as always. Beginning with the Caesar salad, we graduated to a delicious and large veal chop and one 10 ounce filet mignon. Mushrooms and French fries, for a change, sealed the deal. We saved a tad bit of room for dessert of berries and ice cream. One of our favorite waiters brought a plate of tiny biscotti cookies we like, along with coffee.

 

There was one variety show tonight featuring Donna Groom, Bernie Fields, and David Kidd. It was at 9:30pm, and the three were promised to be back with new shows.

 

We took a short walk outside on deck three, just to get some fresh air. And we were surprised to find all of the lights on back on outside. Too bad, Barb really liked it dark, because she could see the stars from her room. Even better though, the breeze was actually cool….first time in weeks to have a refreshing, cool breeze. Yep, the Mediterranean is getting closer.

 

Tomorrow……..Aqaba, Jordan.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 97 Aqaba, Jordan April 6, 2016 Wednesday Mostly sunny & 84 degrees Part # 1 of 2 82 Pictures

 

Today’s port of call was Aqaba, the only sea access of Jordan to the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea. The city and surrounding area has a total population of about 95,000 people who are ruled by King Abdullah the 2nd. It is located at a very unique spot of the country where it is east of the Sinai Peninsula and west of the Arabian mainland. It is also situated at the crossroads of three continents: Asia, Europe, and Africa. Jordan is linked with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Israel….all of which can be seen from this city. How cool is that?

 

The currency is the Jordanian dinar, and at this moment it is .70 to the $1. US dollar. Everything we priced, including food, was reasonably an equal value.

 

The climate is dry, but considered tropical-continental with a hot, breezy summer above 30C (about 90 degrees) and warm winter at 20 C ( 70 degrees).

 

Everyone arriving in Aqaba is granted a free visa for Jordan. It is good for one month from the time of arrival. We believe the ship gets a blanket visa for Jordan.

 

Originally named Ayla in 610, this city was a trading post between India and the Mediterranean. Earthquakes and the Crusader attacks leveled the city around 1116. Remaining a fishing village, this city became prominent in World War 1 when TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) and local forces took it back from the Ottomans. Now a resort area for Jordanians from the capital Amman, they come here to snorkel and dive the coral and many wrecks deliberately sunk to create “reefs”.

 

Other huge attractions here begin with Petra, The Rose Red City, or the “lost city” from 312 BC. It was part of the trade route for the caravan trade from Egypt to Persia (Iran). Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Petra has incredible monuments, the Treasury, a Greek Theater, and Royal Tombs, and so much more.

 

Wadi Rum is an ancient desert stop, where nomadic Bedouin people still live and thrive today. In the ancient times, these tribes raised camels, sheep, and goats, herding them as needed to graze them. Modern nomads are not nomads at all, since they prefer to send their children to school. You have to stay in one place in order to do that.

 

Our day began with the ship sailing into the port of Aqaba around 7am. The local authorities cleared the ship well before 8am, when many folks off loaded to join the many tour buses headed out for Petra, Wadi Rum, and Shobak Castle. After we ate breakfast, we watched people leaving for the tours which would last from 5 hours to as much as 13 hours.

 

We were quite happy to stay here in town, and check out what the city had to offer. The local port authority offered complimentary shuttles…..one was a bus, while two were the Ho-Ho buses. They began at 8am and would run until 9pm. It was only a 15 minute ride to the center of town, dropping us all off at the convenient tourist information center. This area had a dedicated parking lot with a large trailer as the info center. Inside, there was a wall full of excellent brochures on all of the sites we wished to see along with maps of the city. There were also booklets on Petra and Wadi Rum, probably better than you would get when going to those sites. Right near the trailer, there were a few stands where local tours and excursions could be booked. And as you might expect, there were dozens of taxi drivers willing to give us a city tour for one hour for $10 each. We said no thanks, since we were here to get in some walking and exercise as well as site-seeing.

 

Following the map, we began our tour by heading towards the nearby mall, where most of the people we rode the bus with were headed. Not exactly a mall, this was a store similar to perhaps Kmart, with modern day clothing. We wanted to see “souk” type shops, so we went a little further, and we were right in the middle of local shopping. In fact, it was a shopper’s paradise up here on the side streets of Aqaba. There was block-to-block shops of mostly shoes, clothes, housewares, toy stores, nut shops, and spice, tea, and coffee shops.

 

The best find was the Vegetable and Meat Market, with many stalls of lamb and goat butcheries, fish shops, and multiple veggie and fruit stands. Mixed with these stalls, were spice and coffee/tea shops. The vendors also sold some souvenirs of magnets, incense burners, beaded jewelry and silk scarves.

 

Also big stores here are the gold shops, selling up to 21 carat gold jewelry. Their windows were brilliant with their bracelets, necklaces, and rings or earrings. We did not price any of it, but the general rule is that it is sold by the gram, not the piece. The store vendors tried to welcome us inside when they spotted us looking at the glitter, but we were happy with just some photos.

 

We made our way to a small central park by the name of Princess Salma Park. It was full of kids, mostly girls, more than likely coming from a girl’s school up the hill from the park. They were chaperoned by their teachers and also other women.

 

Making our way down towards the main road, we passed by the Al-Hussein Bin Tala Mosque. Not sure if it was opened to the public, we only took photos of the outside.

 

When the bus drove us to the center of town, we had spotted some ruins near the waterfront. Making our way back that way, we came upon the ruins of The Aqaba Castle, the fort, and the museum. Going on a self-guided tour, we entered the gated courtyard of the fort to find that it was closed for renovations. This fort dated back to the 14th century, but has been re-built in 1516 by a sultan. It was used for those who needed a stop for their pilgrimage to the holy lands in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Later, it was used as a military base.

 

Also at this spot is the house of Sharif Hussein Bin Ali, the great-great grandfather of King Abdullah 2nd, who lived here for 6 months after World War 1.

 

Right off of this complex is the Great Arab Revolt Plaza, and the place for the 5th largest flagpole in the world….the 137 meter tall pole with a 20x40 meter flag flying from the top. It commemorates the Great Arab Revolt. This huge plaza is also used these days for concerts and other special affairs.

 

From here, we walked the main road above the tree-lined park where there was a seawall. There were a few young boys selling seashell necklaces, and we bought one for $1. They wanted 1 dinar, but they were happy to take the US bill. Also from this point, we could watch the motorboats, sailboats, wind surfing, and parasailing activities in the Gulf of Aqaba.

 

Also popular here are diving and snorkeling. The water temperature is about 22.5 Celsius, about 72 degrees, and several reefs have been created for the divers to discover. Typical creatures to see are butterfly fish, parrotfish, lionfish, moray eels, lobsters, and Spanish Dancers. Sharks can be seen as well. One good reason you won’t see us in the same water. Besides, it’s too cold.

 

By the time we reached the north end of the seaside park, we were back at the Info Center. From there, we walked to McDonalds to use their restrooms, always free and always clean. We had spotted a sign for the Royal Yacht Club and a restaurant there by the name of Romeros. They advertised their menu, which included margherita pizza. All right, that sounded great to us. A side street led us down to a gated guardhouse, where we were told we could enter. It was the only access to the yacht club.

 

For a yacht club, this one was relatively small, but very nicely done. The restaurant was not crowded yet, and we were lead to a nice table for two at the window. There was patio dining, but most of it was not in the shade. We suspect their main mealtime would be dinner, and this outdoor venue would be quite nice.

 

A 1.5 liter bottle of water was placed on our table, and that was perfect, since it was ice cold. Of course, we placed an order for the pizza and also one cheeseburger to share. We were not disappointed, since the food was more than ample for the price, we thought. And tasted so good.

 

After relaxing for an hour, we headed back to the bus stop, and we were back to the ship by 3pm. My room key did not work this morning when we left the ship, so it was no surprise that it still did not record on the way back. Had to go to the front desk and have a new one made. It was simply worn out, with the barcode unreadable. Oddly enough, Bill’s stopped working to open our door in the late afternoon. Very strange.

 

We watched a movie while downloading photos until around 5:30pm. Knowing there was a BBQ on the Lido Pool deck, we went to deck nine and took some photos of the buffet. Two young roasted goats had been brought out to be served. They appeared to be rather overdone, as the outside was almost black. Resembling a nomadic meal, the other BBQ items included kebabs of lamb and chicken, some grilled fish, and a nice salad bar. The dessert offerings included baklava and some fig and date delicacies. We did not dine here, but took many photos before the buffet got destroyed.

 

Since the all aboard time was 10:30pm, there was no sail away party on the aft deck, or anywhere else.

 

Dinnertime found some of us there, some missing. Initially, we all fit at the big table, but when Sharon arrived and there was no chair for her, three people got up to join her at the table for six. That’s when Barb got up, and left the table for elsewhere, no explanations, just bye. At that point, everyone came back, and we all ate together, but without Barb. Gosh this has gotten confusing.

 

We ordered the beef shish kebab, and found that it was skewered filet mignon with onions and bell peppers….absolutely delicious. Sometimes it pays to experiment with different entrees. One of us had the Denali chocolate brownie with ice cream, and the other had lime jello with the fruit plate. Both of us were happy with the choices.

 

The show tonight was not a show, but a movie, Kingsman: The Secret Service, a new film we think. Most everyone except Sharon decided against going, since it had been a long day with tours and walking. Sharon had brought a furry shawl with her to go to the Wajang Theater, because she said it gets freezing in there. Guess we will wait for the movie to come to the TV.

 

Tomorrow should be a sea day as we head towards the Suez Canal.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Cruise NH]

Hi Bill and Mary Ann

 

Enjoying your blog as always. Can I ask a question? When you're in a place like this, how do you pay for lunch? It didn't sound like you had diner, did they take $ or do you generally use a credit card?

 

Thanks!

[WCB]

Report # 98 Sailing Towards the Suez Canal April 7, 2016 Thursday Mostly sunny, hazy & 73 degrees (not 91 degrees as stated)

 

After leaving Aqaba late last night, the Amsterdam went back out of the Gulf of Aqaba, wrapped around the bottom of the Sinai Peninsula, then proceed to sail northwest into the Red Sea. The very first thing we noticed was that the temperature had changed. It was much cooler, almost chilly with a strong wind blowing across the decks. Most of that sticky humidity has disappeared.

 

Also disappearing a little at a time, are the coils of razor wire that we have been sailing with. Captain Jonathon had mentioned that the wire on the starboard side would be down while in port yesterday. The rest of the rusted wire was taken off this morning, as well as the fire hoses being rolled up and put away. Good thing, because the yellow handles that the hoses were connected to were a walking hazard, sticking out just enough to possibly trip over them, if you are not watching.

 

There were few folks out this morning on the promenade deck. Perhaps it was better to be inside attending Barbara H’s talk on things to do and see in Livorno for the cities of Florence, Pisa, and Lucca. She will be caught up very soon as there are only about four more ports after that. Where has the time gone?

 

One job we had this morning was having another room key re-done, since it quit working yesterday. It seems that when there are two cards, such as ours, if one goes unusable, the other screws up. This happened yesterday when mine would not work at the exit kiosk. When I had it re-done, Bill’s quit working. So this morning both of our cards had to be replaced. And they both worked to open the door, but who knows for how long. Sometimes they blame magnetic purses for the erasing, but neither of our cards had been anywhere near that. Go figure…..

 

A new vendor has come onboard with their Le Vian collection of jewelry. One of the sales girls practically ran up the staircase from deck four to hand out a drawing card for something free. The only thing was that we had to be there at 11am to win. Correction….we had to stay for the entire talk before someone won something. They may have some pretty impressive pieces, but they cost an arm and a leg. Not up our alley.

 

The Suez Canal was the subject of the guest speaker, Vivianne Rowan in the Queens Lounge. Even though we heard some of the lecturer’s talk were televised, we have yet to find one. If they cycle with other ship talks, for instance, the shore excursions, we may be missing them.

 

The last belly dancing demo took place in the Queens Lounge this afternoon. We had assumed she was gone, but we were wrong. It is still appropriate to have Teresa on board as we are now sailing between the mainland of Egypt on the left, and the Sinai Peninsula on the right. And belly dancing is something you would see while in Egypt.

 

So even though we are not going to any port or city in Egypt, we are still transiting the Suez Canal. Earlier in the planning of this cruise, we had stops in Safaga for Luxor, the resort town of Sharm El Sheikh, and Alexandria for tours to Cairo. Due to political unrest, all of these fascinating ports were eliminated….again. Last year, the same thing happened, but only when we were closer to the area. Many folks had tours at the time, and they all had to be cancelled. Really a disappointment.

 

Here are some facts on Egypt. The capital is Cairo, and the population of the country is 83,082,869 people who speak mainly Arabic. The total area is 386,560 square miles of mostly hot, dry desert. Their lifeline is the mighty Nile River, which runs from South to North, supplying the country with all the irrigation needed to survive.

 

Many years ago, while on a Seabourn world cruise, we did an overland tour to see Cairo, the Pyramids of Giza, and the Sphinx. At sunset the first night, we were treated to a private laser light and music show at the Sphinx. It was followed with a dinner with Dr. Hawi Hawass, an Egyptologist, who among other accomplishments, had recently uncovered more tombs and lost treasures. He gave a talk with the help of a video involving his historic find.

 

The next day, we had a private tour at the Pyramids, accessing the inside of the Great Pyramid with our group only. The entire overland trip was over-the-top, and we never repeated it., because it would never be as good.

 

A couple of years ago, we did an overnight to Luxor and the Valley of the Kings with an HAL group. Now that these sites are inaccessible to all of us, we are sure glad we did it when we could. Now that these ports are off of most of the itineraries, we consider ourselves lucky to have done these excursions in style.

 

An interesting random fact about Egypt is that it is the driest country in Africa. Average rainfall is less than 51 mm, or if we did our calculations right, is less than 2 inches. Like we said, it is a good thing the Nile flows through it.

 

Hopefully, tomorrow, we will be able to supply some interesting facts about the Suez Canal. During lunch in the dining room today, Captain Mercer laid out his plans for tomorrow’s transit. Sometime today, we will reach a point where we have to stop, and be boarded by local authorities. They will check us out and also the ship’s condition to make sure we are “fit” to transit the canal. They cannot afford to have any vessel break down as many places are not passible with more than one line of ships going at the same time. In other words, there is one way traffic in some places.

 

Once cleared, we get our spot in a convoy. Captain Mercer hopes to be in the lead, followed by several other ships, not necessarily passenger cruise ships. He hopes for an early start time, so we can be exiting the canal before darkness descends. That did not happen last year, as we were delayed in starting, and our exit was well after 11pm.

 

Lunch for us was in the dining room with our buddies. Every time they serve almond-crusted chicken tenders, we make it a point to go there. We also split a burger and a toasted cheese sandwich….both good. Lunch is always nice in here. And to make us happier, for dessert, they had a Jamaican calypso tart, which was really what we know as mud pie.

 

Shortly after lunch was done, there was an unexpected alarm with seven blasts. This was not a drill, but something real, as we saw a crew member flying down the stairs from deck five. Captain Mercer came on the speaker and said there had been an electrical fire on deck A, causing smoke, which triggered the alarm. It had been contained almost immediately, thanks to a quick response. Good to know.

 

Sometime around 4pm, the ship slowed to a stop, and the Captain announced that we were meeting with the Egyptian officials. Going out on the promenade deck, we watched as several local boats pulled alongside the ship. They really did not look official, with the exception of the pilot boat. Even though we are in an area very close to the Suez Canal, we assume we are still on the radar for safety procedures. Yes, we are surrounded with tankers and container ships, but one never knows what to expect in this part of the volatile world.

 

We would remain in a holding position (at anchor) for the rest of the day it appeared. The officials did board the ship by a ladder. The plan is to anchor up at 5am, and begin our transit tomorrow morning around 6am.

 

Three of our tablemates had alternate plans tonight, so there was enough room for 10 of us. The menu choices were not extensive, as they are most nights. But we did manage to find two good entrees in the mix. One was a mango roasted chicken, and the other was a short rib dinner with BBQ sauce. Barb said the job fish was good, even though none of us had ever heard of that fish. Galumpi, a stuffed cabbage with ground meat and rice was also popular. We kept dessert light, since we had such a great Mississippi mud pie at lunchtime. Perhaps we will order that for the entire table some night.

 

Showtime featured a mysterious group of fellows who were called Casablanca Steps. No one at our table has ever seen or heard of them, so unless we attend their show, we don’t know what they will do. Many years ago, while trying to figure out what a group did because there was no description, the Cruise Director said that if he wrote some of the show descriptions, no one would go. His motto, was “keep ‘em guessing”.

 

As always, we are looking forward to the transit of the Suez Canal, a much different experience from the Panama Canal.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 99 Transiting the Suez Canal April 8, 2016 Friday Sunny & 79 degrees Part #1 of 2 86 Pictures

 

The Amsterdam transited the Suez Canal today. After cooling our heels last night outside the canal, we pulled the anchor, and began the transit sometime around or after 6am. As always, transit times are approximate and posted times are subject to change. There was live commentary, delivered by Location Guide, Barbara, but we have to say that it was by far way less than we had expected. Without any printed information on the Suez Canal, we were depending on a detailed transit, but it never came. Maybe we missed some of it during our dining room breakfast, but we were outside most all day, and heard just some of it.

 

Good thing we got the certificates later in the day, so here are some facts on this canal. It’s nickname was “The Highway to India”, and was made-made in 1869. It took 10 years to construct, connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. It allowed ship transportation between Europe and Asia without sailing around the Cape in Africa.

 

The canal begins from the Red Sea in Port Suez, with the city of Ismailia about the halfway point. The northern exit is at Port Said. After it was enlarged by 2010, the canal was 120.11 miles long, and 673 feet wide. The Great Bitter Lake is in the middle. Under the international treaty, the canal may be used in time of war and in peace by every vessel without distinction of flag. Of course, there is so much more history linked to this canal, but at the moment, this is all we have.

 

One nice part about today’s transit are the Suez Rolls we got at breakfast in the dining room. Yitno, our muffin man, made sure he had some on his tray this morning. They had been served on the outside decks from 5:30 to 8am. But we did not intend to get up that early, mainly because we have done this transit more than once. Other nice touches today included strawberry smoothies and cold face towels outside at 10:30am. The pampering continued at 3:30pm with fruit skewers and more cold towels served on all outside decks.

 

For us, we spent most all day out on the bow, despite the heat. Early in the morning, it was not that bad, but later after lunch in the dining room with our buddies, it must have been somewhere near 90 or more degrees. Could have cooked an egg on the bow. Even the flies, knats, and ladybugs were gone…..too hot for them. We used insect repellant anyway to keep them away. It did work.

 

The scenery of this canal is far different from the Panama Canal. It is flat with no locks. It is well-guarded by the Egyptian military, who are also well-armed. Many guard houses and towers are present along the way, as well as mosques….such a contrast. There are a few cities, but the best scenery for us was the farmlands. Every farmhouse had bird towers, and although the traditional name eludes us, they are interesting to us. They are timeless, because they were used in ancient days to attract the wild flocks of pigeons. Built like a tee-pee, they are drilled with holes and perches. The birds have shelves for nest-building on the inside, and are happy to set up homes there. Now the farmers can harvest their eggs, have fresh squab occasionally, and make good use of the manure they create. The ancient Egyptians were “green” and they didn’t even know it.

 

The lead ship today was an Egyptian warship, with the Amsterdam as the first ship leading the rest of the convoy. One of the ships behind us was the largest container ship in the world. Twice as long as us, and 15 meters wider, the ship was a behemoth. Staying nearer to the banks, many local fishermen were casting nets between their boats. Not sure if they were gill nets or shrimping nets. The fellows liked to come close and wave as we sailed slowly on by.

 

Most of the population was on the west banks, where we believe water from the Nile is delivered via canals and trenches. It keeps the trees alive, supplies drinking water, and allows for much agriculture. The areas surrounding the banks of the Nile are considered the breadbasket of Egypt. Consisting mostly of desert sand, these fields have been amended with fertilizers to make them rich growing grounds. When nothing is planted, the winds pick up this soil, and out it in the air. It creates a type of dust smog, that clouds the sun. Probably not the best thing to breathe. We see this in California’s fertile agricultural valleys as well, during the dry time of year, especially in the autumn. It has been the culprit of what we call “valley fever”, a type of lung disease that has flu-like symptoms. Don’t know if that exists here, but we are certain it does.

 

We exited the canal by 4:30pm, when suddenly the temperature dropped at least 20 degrees. The waters of the Med were choppy, and the winds picked up significantly. Actually, it felt wonderful. We watched the Egyptian boat being off-loaded with the officials from the bow. Great timing to witness this. The other small boat had been dropped from the promenade deck, and off they went to the small harbor at Port Said. Captain Mercer beeped a goodbye to them, as they waved goodbye to all.

 

So much for our ports in Arabia, as now we are headed for several stops in Europe. It begins tomorrow with the port of Haifa, Israel.

 

Dinnertime was fun as always. All of us were there, so the table at the window was filled. It is referred to as the “kids” table now, while ten of us have the “big” table for the adults. Most times, none of us act like adults, which is why we have so much fun. Tonight for some unknown reason, we all whistled the tune to the Andy Griffin Show. All but Ruud, who is Dutch, and does not know the show from the USA. Our Aussie buddies, Greg, Heo, and Sharon covered their faces and denied knowing us, laughing the whole time. Who are the “kids” now?

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[bcummin]

Thanks for more details and so many good photographs. Nothing misses your curious eyes, even the unique dove cotes.

Barbara

[WCB]

Report # 100 Haifa, Israel April 9, 2016 Saturday Partly cloudy & 78 degrees Part #1 of 2 79 Pictures

 

Today’s port of call was Haifa, Israel, our first stop in the Mediterranean Sea. It has seemed to sneak up on us, since yesterday we were still in the Arabic region. Anyway, here is a little info about Israel.

 

It is a rather small country with 8,520 square miles and a population of 7,233,701 citizens. The capital is Jerusalem and the official language is Hebrew. The modern state of Israel was created in 1948, and is the most contested terrains in the world. It is rich in sacred history for the Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Both Israelis and Palestinians consider it to be their homeland.

 

Israel has endured six decades of tension and outright conflict right to this present day. In fact, we are never guaranteed that the ship will stop in these ports. Today was OK, but who knows about tomorrow.

 

The best time to visit here is anytime, except during major Jewish holidays. We had the questionable pleasure to visit here in 2007, when all of the religions happened to have their major holidays on the same week. Many of the highlights of our tours were closed to the public, and everywhere we went was extremely crowded with locals as well as tourists. For us, it was a one- time visit.

 

The top things to see are Jerusalem’s old city, the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The Mount of Olives, Bethlehem, Tel Aviv, Caesarea’s Roman ruins, Crusaders castles, and the UNESCO World heritage Site at Akko (Acre) are among other places to see.

 

What is there to do? Try floating atop the waters of the Dead Sea, so salty you cannot sink. Follow Christ’s footsteps through Galilee, Tiberius, and the Sea of Galilee. Hike the nature reserves of the Golan Heights, or climb a mountain in Israel to see views of the Red Sea, Jordan, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. Come to think of it, didn’t we just do that a few days ago?

 

What do people like to eat in Israel? Hummus is a national obsession. The up and coming drink favorite is wine, award winning varieties, and the list is still growing, as are the many vineyards in the country sides.

 

Here’s some info on the city of Haifa. It is Israel’s third largest city, dating back over 3000 years. Beautiful beaches attract tourists on summer weekends. Another big attraction is the Baha’i Gardens, built on the slope of Mount Carmel. At the foot of the gardens is the German Colony, funded in the 19th century. There are dozens of museums, shops, cafes, and small hotels on this street.

 

Some of the tours offered here include all day trips to Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee for 9 ¾ hours for $140. Golan Heights and Galilee for 10 hours costs $150. Panoramic Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee for 8 ¼ hours runs $135. This tour comes with the “one man” walking symbol which means it is a bus ride, drive-by tour. By the way, all of these tours include lunch. Two shorter tours are Acre and Baha’i Gardens for 5 hours at $90. And Sensational Caesarea for 5 hours at $100.

There were two overnight tours to Jerusalem. One included Masada for 2 days and 1 night for $700, and the second one included Bethlehem, Nazareth, and the Sea of Galilee for the same amount of time for $680.

 

So, what did we do today? First, we had to attend an Israeli Immigrations Procedure, which took place in the King’s Room on deck five. It began around 7:15am, and probably began with our group (S) and those who were going on early tours or overland. As Barb always got the S group, we had asked her what it meant. She said it meant “Special”…. Of course it was. No, what it really means is suite rooms (deck seven) and all of the President’s Club members. We could go anytime we wished. Now the funny thing is that even though it states in our letter that we had to bring our printed letter with us, no one ever asked to see it, nor did they collect it. As far as we can remember, that was only done once. Now folks can go through the line with high numbers, and no one questions it.

 

First, we are handed our passports with the landing card placed inside them. One by one, we are brought into the room where officials check out the landing card, check out your photo, then stamp the landing card only. This is good, because when entering some other foreign countries, it is not a good thing to have an Israeli stamp in your passport. Some countries can refuse your entry with that stamp. Don’t know the politics behind this, but that is the way it is. And we are required to pack the passports and the landing card with us when we go ashore here in Haifa, and also in Ashdod tomorrow.

 

Breakfast was next on the agenda. They have run out of all berries, and no more will be delivered until Greece, we heard. Spoiled, we are. Apricots and bananas would have to do.

 

We left the ship by 10:30am and found the weather to be rather depressing. The skies were gray and overcast, although it was not cold at all. Sure felt like rain, but that was not in the forecast. Should have trusted our instincts and not the newsletter on the ship.

 

Leaving the ship is a bit complicated here in Haifa. The dock area is restricted…..no buses, vans, or taxis are allowed to park outside the gangway. We had to walk the length of the ship to a secured terminal building. At the entrance, a guard checks your passports and landing cards, before you go through the xray. Then you go up an escalator to the upper terminal, where maps and info people direct you to the sites. Outside, there are taxi guys galore. A very good thing is a printed taxi guide on the wall of the building. It gives rates for taxi rides to Nazareth ($50), Tel Aviv ($124), Ashdod ($165), Jerusalem ($205), and Masada and the Dead Sea ($323). We are not sure that is round trip or not, as they also posted a drive to the airport, which would be one way.

 

From here, we walked across a bridge, which took us over the railroad tracks, and to the main street on the waterfront. Following a city map, we made our way to the German Colony on Ben Gurion Street. It was founded in the 19th century by Germans who came to start a Christian community in Israel. The old stone buildings have been revived, and is now a trendy spot with many hotels, museums, restaurants, pubs, and cafes. Checking menus on the way up, we found the perfect café that served margherita pizza. Great, we would be back here for sure.

 

At the top of the street, we ran right into the bottom level of the Baha’i Gardens. In order to enter the gates, you must be wanded by security guards, and have any bags checked. Only a couple flights of steps are allowed to go up this tiered garden. There are a total of 19 terraces, with a golden-domed Shrine of the Bab near the center. It is the resting place of Herald the Prophet of the Baha’i faith. It is the place of a pilgrimage for the folks of that faith. There is an entrance that takes you to the middle of this garden, but it is accessed from the top. We were advised that it was closed on holidays and Saturdays, which may not have been correct information. The best photos are taken from the bottom, we think. So that is as far as we went.

 

Last year, we tried to walk to one of the famous beaches. This time we studied the map, and found rural street that took us to where we wanted to be at the Stella Maris area. It was a long walk, but mainly, it was slightly downhill all the way through residential stone housing. Mostly apartments built on the steep hillsides.

 

Eventually, we came upon the Stella Maris Church and Monastery on top of the mountain. A Cable Car Station was on the top, sending down three round cable cars at a time. Also on this hillside was Elijah’s Cave, where the prophet was believed to have lived and taught. Near this spot was the National Museum (closed), and the Naval Museum (also closed).

 

At this point we were able to cross the highway, and go down a tower of stairs to the Bat Galim Promenade and the beach area. It is also the lower end for the cable car ride. Under the building where the cable car goes around, is a nice restaurant called Shawatina by the Beach. There were many local customers there sipping wine as we walked by.

 

Making our way to the sandy beach, we had the wildest thing happen to us. Actually it was happening to everybody at the beach……it was the attack of the ladybugs. They were everywhere. We learned that when you see extra-large ladybugs, you can expect to find their source of food. In this case, it was hundreds of thousands of tiny black bugs, like mites. Wearing a yellow green t-shirt today was not a good choice, because these bugs were attracted to that color. In seconds after seeing the ladybugs, at least a million of the tiny black bugs covered Bill’s t-shirt. It was disgusting. We were not alone, as everyone was brushing the bugs off of their clothing. Must be the time of year we guess. I had the job of brushing these insects off all the way back to the restaurant in the German Colony. Strangest thing to occur in a long time.

 

Making our way back to town, we went directly to the Garden Café, running right into friends Bill and Leta. They had chosen the same café, and were going in the same time we were. Made sense to share a table, which was really fun. Good thing we decided to sit under large umbrellas, because we heard thunder and suddenly it began to rain. That was not in the forecast, but as we said in the beginning, we felt it in our bones. The rain and came and went, and by the time we finished our meals, the rain had stopped. We got back to the ship by 5pm, and worked on photos and reports until dinnertime.

 

We thought five would be missing tonight, but only Martha and Barb were gone. Paul and Bonnie had called and said they may be late, and if they were, they would eat at the kid’s table. Turned out that was where they ate a quick meal, taking their dessert back to their room, as they often do. All of us had done something different today, so the night was full of shared stories. Always interesting.

 

The ship did not leave the port until almost midnight, and tomorrow’s port of Ashdod, obviously located very close to Haifa, will be another busy one.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #101 Ashdod, Israel April 10, 20016 Sunday Partly cloudy, rain showers, & 71 degrees Part #1 of 2 83 Pictures

 

Ashdod is Israel’s largest port, and 5th largest city, and it is located halfway between Gaza and Tel Aviv. It dates back to the 17th century BC. The modern city is built on sand dunes, and has a diverse population. This city is also the port city for tours to Jerusalem, Bethlehem ,the Masada Fortress, Jaffa, and Tel Aviv.

 

Some of the tours offered through shore excursions included four different excursions to Jerusalem. The average tour time was 9 hours, and ranged from $140 to $180 per person. One 10 ½ hour tour took folks to the Masada Fortress and the Dead Sea for $235. All of the above tours included lunch.

 

One shorter tour is one we took last year….Jaffa and Tel Aviv, 4 ¾ hours for $90. For those of you that are new to this blog, we will share our experience from last year. It was a “doozie”.

 

Old Jaffa is an ancient city, and once the only entry port to Israel. The old stone buildings and arches with narrow winding cobblestone alleys have been restored as recent as 1960. Now they are filled with Artist’s galleries, pubs, cafes, and souvenir shops. It was a fun place to explore. Tel Aviv, also known as the “White City” is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is known for their 1930’s Bauhaus buildings and balconies. It is also the city that never sleeps…a modern economic and culturl center.

 

Last year, we booked this tour because we had never been to this part of Israel. We had seen the Holy Land in detail, and did not want to repeat the experience. We literally squeezed into a full bus, with only two seats left in the back of thee coach. The meeting time for the tour was posted on our tickets, and we arrived 10 minutes ahead of that time. Only problem, was that the people had left early, and we were last to board the bus. You know what we hate? People that insist on having a seat for one, saving the seat next to them for no one. They use the spare seat for a purse or bag. Normally the bus monitor will ask couples to sit together. Today no one spoke up at all.

 

Tempers were short that day, don’t know why, but a grumpy man insisted on closing the curtain where a lady was sitting at the back of the bus. Instead of letting him do this, she held tight with the curtain, making it rip from the ceiling of the bus. Little did “Mr. Grumpy” know he was dealing with a retired judge’s wife, who was sitting next to me. Wow, almost thought we would see fists fly. The judge said to the angry man…..what are you on….drugs or something? It must have sobered him up, because he turned around and never looked back. And there was the judge’s wife left holding the ripped curtain. We found out later that she went to the bus driver and guide, and explained what happened, offering to pay for the damage, even though it was not her fault. The guide said no, it could be fixed. But thanked her for being honest. See, you never know what a day will bring with it.

 

So, no tours for us today. We stayed onboard, enjoying our usual breakfast, then went off the ship around 10:30am. There was a complimentary shuttle taking folks to the Sea Mall in downtown Ashdod. There was absolutely no walking in this very bust port. Security was tight, since we had our passports and landing slips checked by a local official. In fact, she ended up asking twice, since she had forgotten she checked the first time. Oh well, we don’t ask questions. Some of the crew members were walking off with large backpacks and even suitcases, so they got flagged to be searched.

 

There was no sign for the shuttle, so we ended up walking through the duty-free shop to find the bus. We had just missed the bus, so we had to wait about 20 minutes. Leslie and Handler came out about then, and the time went by faster thanks to friends.

 

The bus stopped at the Sea Mall, an older complex. Adjacent to the mall was another nicer mall called City Mall. The stores were modern, and full of shops you would find it any mall at home or abroad. Appeared they only took new shekels (Israeli money), as we saw some money changers inside the mall. We were not looking for anything in particular today, so we never did get any shekels. Could have used a credit card, but we chose not to go that route today. One thing we never planned on seeing today was in a pet store. There was a cage full of ferrets….a female and her babies were for sale. Never saw one so close up before.

 

Instead, we took a nice leisurely stroll past the Performance Art Center, the Monart Arts Center, a roundabout with a metal sailboat sculpture, and past newly-built high-end apartment buildings. At the water’s edge is a fairly new Blue Marina, one of the great real estate initiatives in Israel. This new marina has anchorage for 550 yachts and sailing ships. Breakwaters, beaches, and boat excursions can be found here. We did speak with a man who offered to show us his boat, possibly to sell us an excursion. We thanked him, but explained we had limited time, but we were only out for a walk.

 

Further up this marina, there were some coffee shops and restaurants, as well as a yacht club, but according to the printed map we had, many more facilities would be built in the future. There was a huge group of elementary kids boarding a ferry boat for a field trip. You could hear them for a few miles out into the bay. Another small boat was taking some older kids out on a dive trip. They were noisy too, but obviously having a good time.

 

On this coastline of Ashdod, there are seven beaches. Sunday here is not like Sunday at home, because it is a regular day. So it is not considered the weekend, like yesterday, when many businesses and museums and such were closed. We figured the water here must be cold, since we could not see one person swimming in it as far as we could see down the coast. Of course, it is springtime here, not summer yet.

 

We back-tracked from here, thinking we might look for a place for lunch. There were a few outdoor cafes that looked interesting. Most everything in the malls was fast food, but we sure were not interested in that. We saw Leslie and Handler with their friend in a semi-indoor/outdoor restaurant across from the mall. So we asked if they took US dollars and the answer was NO. We would have to exchange dollars for shekels or use a credit card. We decided to do neither, because we were not really that hungry. Lunch onboard sounded like a better idea. And besides, it looked and felt like rain was coming.

 

The shuttle bus was waiting across the road, so we joined the rest of the folks for the quick ride back to the pier. By the time we went for a grilled sandwich at the sandwich bar, the rain did come down. It was a passing cloud, but it came down hard and heavy for a short time. Same as yesterday.

 

Our passports with the landing permits had to be turned in at the front desk. That was our big job of the day. Actually, packing the passports was important today. When we left the ship, as we have already said, we had to show them with the landing pass. Then, when we entered the terminal gate at the port, an official came onboard, and checked every one on the bus. If you did not have the right documents, there would have been a problem.

 

As we lined up to go up the gangway, we had to show our passports again. Israeli officials take no chances here. Of course, seeing the military guards in the malls armed with automatic rifles was not a warm and fuzzy feeling.

 

Sail away was at 5:30pm, which was the all aboard time. We looked down from the aft pool deck to see a huge line of folks coming back from their all day excursions to the Holy Land. With the extra screening, the line was moving quite slowly. Sure glad we came back earlier. It was getting colder and windy as we watched the dock workers loading steel from a ship’s hull. Two other ships were getting something very dusty off-loaded from their hulls. The clouds of dust settled all over the ship. Everyone had a theory about what this substance was, but we suspect it may have been some kind of fertilizer. It is going to take a whole lot of deep cleaning to get rid of the residue on all of the outside decks.

 

The last image we will have of leaving Israel is that of a security boat following us out of the harbor. A fellow standing in front on the bow of the boat was packing a machine gun, his finger on the trigger. Not sure how that was protecting us?

 

We had the best entrée for dinner tonight. It was short ribs with mashed potatoes. Their reduced gravy made it even more delicious. Everyone tried something different, which is good, since we get a preview of what to order next time. Same goes for the desserts. Jello and fruit still works for one of us.

 

Thank goodness we have a day at sea tomorrow. The upcoming European ports will be busy ones with few sea days.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[MMDown Under]

Bill and Maryann, I seem to recall you mentioning that you didn't like world cruises which go east around the world. Apart from the time changes, was there any other reason?

[WCB]

Report # 102 Sailing Towards Piraeus, Greece April 11, 2016 Monday Partly cloudy, windy & 78 degrees (we wish)

 

The winds picked up and the temperature dropped as we left the coast of Israel yesterday. Captain Mercer mentioned that the winds would be over 30 knots and the seas may be a bit rough, but nothing really bad. Last year, after we left Kusadasi, Turkey, it was really bad. We experienced the worst seas on our way towards Athens that year. We had driving rain, cool temps, and plenty of folks getting seasick. At least it is not that bad so far.

 

Yesterday after dinner, we had the itineraries for the 2017 Grand Asia/Pacific Cruise, as well as the Grand World Cruise for 2018. We have included these itineraries in our blog.

 

 

With the country of Greece coming up next, here is some info for you all. The capital of Greece is Athens, and the total population of the country is 10,757,426 people who speak Greek. It is 50,935 square miles, figuring in all of the many islands.

 

Greece is an inspiration to all who come here, going all the way back to Ulysses. We know it for blue seascapes, and white-washed villages (Santorini comes to mind). The country consists of the mainland and islands dotted over three seas. It is diverse as can be. You can find olive groves in bloom, sprawling Athens, Crimson poppies in April, and old men sitting for hours sipping coffee and thumbing prayer beads.

 

Those seeking sun and sea will be pleased to find it comes with excellent Greek hospitality.

 

When is the best time to visit? Easter until June as there are fewer crowds. What about things to see? The white columns of the Parthenon on a hill overlooking Athens is a must. Enjoy a sunset of Oia Village on Santorini, or the monasteries of Meteora astride rocky pillars of rock. Greek Easter in Corfu, priests in brilliant vestments, candlelit midnight services, sweetbreads, and colored eggs are some of the special things in Greece.

 

Things to do? Hop a ferry in Piraeus to cruise between countless islands, if you have the time. This time, we don’t because we are not spending the night. Settle in at a harborside café and enjoy some of the country’s under-rated cuisine. We will make the time for that in Piraeus tomorrow.

 

If you trek up Mt. Olympus, watch for mythical centaurs, satyrs, or Greek gods as their statues can be everywhere.

 

What about the food? Well, don’t be afraid to try saganaki, or fried cheese, gemistes for stuffed peppers, or spanokopitas, a spinach pastry which I learned to make years ago. They are made with phyllo dough with feta cheese, and rolled into triangles. Also popular is Greek meatballs, grilled octopus, and roast lamb and so much more.

 

How about drink of Ouzo, a grape brandy with anise flavoring, or retsina, a wine mixed with resin. Every meal ends with Greek coffee.

 

Trademarks: The Acropolis, Kalamata olives, old women in black, Zorba the Greek, white-washed hillside villages, Homer (not Simpson), myths and fables.

 

Random fact: Around 500 BC, Thepsis, a vocalist, improvised during a religious singing performance, becoming the first “thespian” an actor or a theater performer.

 

We had a good laugh this morning during breakfast. Today’s itinerary will include a Greek Gala evening, followed by a Toga Party in the Crows Nest from 9 to 11pm. The humorous thing about this affair is that it was recommended for folks to wear their best togas. In case you forgot your toga at home, you are welcomed to ask your room steward for a sheet to complete your outfit. Do people really do this, you might ask? Well, you won’t find us doing it, but we are certain there will be some good outfits in the Crows Nest tonight. Since we expect dinner to run later this evening, doubt we even attempt to go upstairs.

 

Anyway that wasn’t the funniest thing that happened. While sitting next to one of the decorated columns at breakfast, one of the “columns” actually fell on us and our table. No, it wasn’t the real column, but the decoration that had been taped there. Hope it is not an omen of our visit to Piraeus tomorrow……..Funny, not one of the other dozen columns came down.

 

Well, the rest of the day was quiet, especially while walking on the lower promenade deck. Our British friends Jack and Shirley were troopers, as well as one other Dutch couple that sit outside every sea day. The wind was blowing over the starboard side of the ship, getting everything, including us, wet from the sea spray. Even with jackets and a wool scarf on, it was cold. Never thought we would say it got cold. Just three days ago, we were complaining how hot it was coming through the Suez Canal. Now we were seeing some areas of rain, and lots of clouds. Hope it warms up for our two stops in Greece, as we like to go on long walks there.

 

Thought we should take a few minutes here to say how happy we have been with the laundry service. Of course, when it is complimentary, it is even more appreciated. Does it ruin our clothing? Not at all, although, a few years ago we can admit that the laundry was hard on underwear, specifically, socks. The elastic in the socks seemed to be destroyed by the end of the four months. Now, we don’t see that at all. They end up almost as new as when we boarded. Our head housekeeper, Shiv, took us on a private tour of the laundry facilities two years ago. At that time, all of the machines had been replaced with the newer style that spins, not agitates. They are industrial size, but we saw that all of the clothing was separated according to color, and also delicacies. Knock on wood, not one piece of our clothing has been damaged, shrunk, or faded. Even better, some days, we get our laundry back on the same day. To tell the truth, we don’t even know where the passenger laundry rooms are located on this ship. There may be a few items that can be done in the bathroom sink, and dried with the clothesline in the shower. But that is seldom. This is one service that we REALLY miss when we go home.

 

No pool for us today. In fact, we are not even sure if the aft pool was opened today. That dust from the ships being loaded all day yesterday covered every outside surface on the ship. To be sure, it was in the pools. The promenade had been thoroughly hosed, but there was still a residue in the gutters, turning the navy blue paint beige. Later in the morning, the decks were scrubbed again, and hosed.

 

Good time to go to lunch in the dining room. We had spotted a few good items on the menu earlier, and thought we would meet up with Barb and Maureen. Even better, Barb came in with Ellen and Aart, and the six of us got a table on the starboard side of the dining room, which is reserved for the folks on deck seven. Since Ellen and Aart live on deck seven, we became their guests. Truthfully, we get much better service where we normally eat at table 179. Our waiters know us well, and always bring our entrees as we like them. That could be no onions, lettuce, or mayo, for instance. Today, despite some of us asking for special little things, nothing was done that way. The sandwiches came exactly how they were described. So they had to take out what they did not like. Despite the blips, we had a fine time, leaving the dining room by 2pm. Sometimes when things are planned, it isn’t as much fun as by chance.

 

Later, we discovered that the lectures were televised on our room TV. We have been hearing that some of the talks have been on TV, but we could not find them. Guess they cycle over the course of the day, and are only shown on sea days. So finally we listened to guest speaker, Vivanne Rowan, speak all about Egyptian history and the pharaohs. Since we have been to Cairo and the Valley of the Kings, we got a lot of great info from her talk.

 

Ancient ships and their cargo was the subject of Timothy Runyan at 2pm, and we caught some of Barbara H’s speech on Monaco. It’s been a few years since we have been there. Always a nice port to visit.

 

Sometime during the later afternoon, we peeked in at the rehearsal for tonight’s show of Jazz Blues, and Rock and Roll by the singers and dancers of the Amsterdam. They were good as we enjoyed the music we grew up with. The only thing we would miss are the costumes they will wear tonight. We know dinner will run late, because we are having company. So are the “kids” at the smaller table. Two guests tonight.

 

Our host, Tom M joined us at the big table, while Rene, the Spa Manager, joined the smaller table. The waiters were dressed in Greek-style clothes in colors of white, red, and blue. And they wore red felt hats with gold tassels. We think they like it, except when it is hot. They looked relieved because it has cooled off. No more complaints about the air-conditioning not working in the dining room.

 

Our food was great with some Greek entrees and appetizers. Greek meatballs, and a Greek lemon chicken soup started our meal. Bill had the lamb chops, while I had surf and turf, giving him the prawn. Dover sole was popular also. One of us tried the rocky road cake, which turned out to be not a cake, but a chocolate-coated marshmallow gooey great with nuts. Not bad with vanilla ice cream, but very rich and sweet.

 

Tomorrow we can walk off the calories in the port city of Piraeus.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #103 Piraeus, Greece April 12, 2016 Tuesday Partly cloudy & 80 degrees Part # 1 of 3 80 Pictures

 

Today’s port was Piraeus for the city of Athens, Greece. Athens is the birthplace of democracy and is one of the oldest cities in the world. Recorded history dates back over 7000 years.

 

The Acropolis of Athens is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One of the most famous structures on the Acropolis is the Parthenon, a temple completed in 438BC, dedicated to Athena, a Greek goddess. The mountain where the temple is located is 230 feet above the city. From here, you can see the temple of Zeus, the Olympic Stadium, Constitution Square, and the Royal Palace. The marble Olympic stadium is where the first games were held in 1896. We were told many years ago, that the contestants competed in these Olympics in the nude. At that time, only men were allowed to compete, and no women were allowed to compete or even watch. Things have changed since then.

 

If you like museums, then you must visit the National Archaeological Museum with the largest collection of ancient Greek antiquities in the entire world.

 

Another stop is at the Plaka, an old historical neighborhood with narrow winding streets with neat shops, and great restaurants.

 

Some of the ship’s tours were the best of Athens for 7 hours at $215. Athens, Acropolis, & Cape Sounion was an 8 ½ hour tour for $190. The Acropolis and the Museum visit was 7 hours for $200. All of these excursions included lunch.

 

Other alternate tours that we have done in the past were ancient Corinth and Canal for 4 ½ hours for $75. The Corinth Canal is 4 miles long, but only 70 feet wide. The walls of the canal are 170 feet deep. It connected the Aegean Sea and Ionian Sea, making it a shortcut during ancient times.

 

Ancient Corinth, the city, was a city buried from the 6th century BC. It was discovered that there was a Roman city buried underneath in 44BC. You are free to explore these ruins on your own.

 

Shorter scenic tours ran from $60 to $80, with a shuttle transfer only for $55. They allow you 4 hours on your own with this tour.

 

Many folks we know will be taking the train to Athens, or ride the Ho-Ho bus for $15. That is really a good deal, especially if you are willing to spend some time waiting for the bus to pick you up between stops.

 

There was also a little train ride from the port of Piraeus to the Zea Marina and Open Mall on the other side of Piraeus. Or, you can walk.

 

Since we have taken each and every one of these tours, we decided to stay in town today. Walking would do us good, and besides, the weather was beautiful.

 

The only problem was when we went outside to check the pier and terminal, nothing looked the same. Something was really different here. Even Eddie and Lee, our Chinese buddies in their 90’s, said what happened to the old terminal building? He thought it was gone, and we were in a totally new area. Well, it turned out that the Costa Riviera had taken our usual spot at Terminal A. We were in Terminal B, so far away, we could not even see the other terminal or the Costa ship. Since we always walk to town, it appeared that where we were docked would add over three miles to our hike. We could do it, but would prefer not to. Some folks would not even attempt it.

 

After breakfast, we made a test run through the terminal to find a map if nothing else. There were none. There was no information desk at all. Our location guide, Barbara, said they had tried to get a shuttle to take folks to the old terminal, but were told no, due to heightened security with the Syrian refugee situation. We have been seeing this on the news, where a camp of tents had been set up for these refugees right here in Piraeus. We could see this encampment across the harbor, but not sure what that had to do with us.

 

Apparently nothing. We spotted a shuttle bus arrive at the gangway, taking folks to the other terminal. They must have changed their minds, and sent the bus for the day. What got us mad was that this ws never announced onboard. Yes, many passengers had already left for their HAL tours, but the remaining group should have been informed. Later on, we found out that the Hop On, Hop Off buses came to this terminal, and so did the little train ride. Since we would take neither of these, the shuttle saved us two hours of walking.

 

We were able to get a map of Piraeus, which was all we wanted in the first place. From Terminal A, we hiked to the Main Port and the ferry boats. Then we found the produce, fish, and meat markets, one of the liveliest places in town. The vendors there shout out their prices for all to hear…somewhat like fish mongers, we suspect. Even the produce guys were pushing their garlic and spices as we wandered through the stalls.

 

From here, we made our way through the old part of town, over the hill, to the Open Mall area. This is a large block of streets that have been mostly cut off to traffic. It is a pedestrian mall, with occasional motorbikes passing through. The shops go from flea market to upscale boutique stores. Many cafes and bakeries line the way to the Marina Zea and the Private Yacht Marina.

 

We walked from one end to the other, taking in all of the small fishing boats to the huge mega-yachts. This is an older area, but full of charm from another era. Many churches are still in this part of town, so even if you don’t go into Athens, you can still feel like you are in the same period of ancient history in Piraeus.

 

The last time we were here, we happened to find a really great place to eat lunch. It was a small restaurant on the yacht side of the marina by the name of Parmigiani Pizza and Pasta. And that’s exactly what we had for lunch…..margherita pizza (the best so far on this trip), and a plate full of Bolognese spaghetti with grated parmesan cheese. We added two Greek beers called Alfa. They were very good, and ice cold. The best part was sitting across the street from the restaurant at a table with an umbrella on the wall of the marina. It was so pleasant, we must have lingered there for over an hour. One nice thing about being in this part of the world, is that you are never rushed. You have to ask for the bill, and won’t be disturbed before that.

 

Normally, the ship is in this port for two days. Not so today. All aboard time was 5pm, so we had to move on. And we also had a mandatory muster drill at that same time. On the way back to the ship, we were approached by a few street vendors selling either perfumes or cell phones. None of their products were the real thing, but not a lot of folks know that. Rene, the spa manager, was also coming back, and chose to walk with us, so the vendors would leave her alone. She had a bad experience going to town earlier. With just a short time to spare, she took a taxi to the marina shops, but when she gave the taxi driver 10 Euro for a 5 Euro drive, he refused to give her the change back. He insisted that she owed him the tip. Not wanting to argue with a taxi driver who spoke little English, she reluctantly gave him the money, and got out of his cab….madder than ever, but in one piece.

 

The sail out of the harbor was uneventful, with the exception that we got to see the refugee camp across the harbor from where we were docked. It appeared to look very messy, with garbage everywhere. We don’t know the whole story, but we think these people are being quarantined in this terminal until it is determined who they have there. We did get some great photos as we backed out of the breakwater.

 

Turning around, we took off for the next port of Katakalon, a short distance away. Tomorrow’s port of call is much different than Athens, as it is located in a more rural area. It is more touristy, but more in the countryside.

 

Tonight there was 10 of us for dinner, as three had gone to the Canaletto for dinner. We fit at the big table, and it was nice. Everyone had done something different, so it’s always a pleasure to hear adventures. Our service from Whyu and Rudy has been so good, we get out of the dining room shortly after 10pm.

 

There was a head-liner in the Queens Lounge tonight……Rita Rudner, a comedian from Las Vegas. She has sold almost two million tickets to her Vegas shows over the years. Although we have seen her the last couple of years on the HAL ships, we are not familiar with her on TV or movies. Only because we don’t get regular programming at home. We are sure her show will be good, but most of us at our table decided to call it an early night. If she has an encore, perhaps we will catch that.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[cruzingnut]

Nice itinerary for the grand asia!

 

Regarding going eastbound for the World Cruise; we did that in 2010 on our first HAL WC. The time change is THE major issue with it....loosing an hour at a time (even though it was done during the day rather than at nite) was pretty tough. It also "accumulated" as it went on.

 

Linda R.

Edited April 13, 2016 by cruzingnut

[WCB]

Report #104 Katakolon, Greece April 13, 2016 Wednesday Mostly sunny & 69 degrees Part #1 of 3 86 Pictures

 

Well, here we are, in our second port in Greece, Katakolon. After sailing all night, we arrived here around 9am to the calmest seas we have had in days. That is another good reason that the damaged, but now fixed tender boat #9 was dropped to the water, tested, and put back in her normal spot. Number 10 boat had to be dropped as well, but not until we were ready to leave the harbor. Looks like all went well, and the boat still floats and the new props work.

 

Years ago, we found this port to be a simple fishing village, and pretty much a drop-off point for the city of Olympia. The birthplace of the modern Olympic Games, the ancient city of Olympia dates back to the 9th century BC. Even back then, every four years men came from every city in Greece would come here to compete to honor the god, Zeus. Most impressive is the Temple of Zeus, built around 470BC. The actual stadium for the games held 40,000 spectators, which is impressive for those days. For centuries, only men were allowed to watch these games.

 

One of the most important museums in Greece is the Archaeological Museum of Olympia, and the ship offered many tours to see all of these sites today.

 

Here are a few samples of the shore excursions you could buy. The best of Olympia included most all of the sires for 7 hours for $145. It did include lunch. Shorter tours to the same areas without lunch were 4 to 4 ½ hours for $75 to $120. Vineyards and Winery Tour was only 2 ¼ hours for $90. We spoke to a couple who took the 5 Euro town ride, and paid to get in the winery for far less. The Magna Grecia Farm Visit for 3 hours at $90 was a fun tour we did one of the last times we were here. This farm was a real one, where the residents turned their place into a restaurant for sampling local food, and also a shop for selling the local specialties of olive oils, wine, vinegar, and honey. Good tour and short as well.

 

Olympia was a one-time tour for us, and since we had done the other excursions, we chose to stay in the village. Going off by 11am, we wandered through town past the many shops, cafes, restaurants, and jewelry stores. At the far end, rides were offered by either a little train (5 Euro) or by a horse-drawn carriage.

 

We continued past the church, which was closed, up the road and to the muddy sands of the beach. Many older cafes lined the beach, where cars or motorbikes could drive and park on the sand behind the café. It was about deserted, so we figured that this town is a summer resort area…pretty much seasonal. Except for when cruise ships come in, the town and village remains quiet.

 

Walking back, we headed past town, and continued up the very steep road to the hotel on the ridge. The name of it was Orizontes View Hotel, situated between farm houses and olive orchards. We could hear goats, sheep, and chickens, as well as turkeys somewhere in the pine-wooded hillsides. It was around 1pm, so we hoped they would be open for lunch.

 

Lucky for us, they were opened, and not terribly busy. Walking through the hotel to the outdoor patio, we had our pick of tables. There were about five or six people there, so we knew the service would be good. We ordered two Astel beers, fried cheese with a pimento cheese spread, and linguine Napoli with a red tomato sauce. The waiter brought a basket of fresh wheat bread with our order, and also a bottle of water (complimentary). It was really nice sitting on the breezy patio, while watching the scenery below of the harbor and the town. We stayed until 2pm, then headed back down.

 

Near the bottom of the road, there was a grizzly man with a long white beard that had made a cliffside abode from pieces of discarded junk. Old doors, metal roofing, rusted carts, old tires…..you name it, and it could be found in the rubble. In the midst of this stuff were chickens, goats, and baby goats somewhere, as we could hear them crying. We spotted a tiny trailer where this man made his home. It was covered with more junk.

 

We noticed that some townfolk had stopped their car, and left a plastic bag full of old bread on the rickety fence. Guess it was for the animals that lived there. There were several bags lined up on that fence.

 

Besides lunch, the only thing we bought was a leather belt for 5 Euro. Most all of their souvenirs and clothing was affordable, except for the jewelry in the fancy shops. We also ran into friends Leta and Bill, who were enjoying beers and a snack at a corner café. By now, all of the restaurants were full of customers from our ship.

 

Did we mentioned there was another vessel in port? It was a small one by comparison, by the name of La Belle De L’Adriatique. From the info we could find in our cruise ship book, it is possible this ship belongs to CDF Croisieres de France. This company was founded and owned by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, who eventually sold it to Pullmantur Cruises, also an RCCL holding. Our book was a 2014 volume, and this ship was not listed. So we can assume it is very new. Anyway, our waiter had told us that the ship arrived around 6am, and she would leave by 1:30pm. Since she held only 2 lifeboats, there must be a very small amount of passengers on this ship. By the way, it is a French speaking crew and passengers, all-inclusive, and all tips included.

 

We got back to the ship by 3:30pm, and downloaded photos until sail away time at 5:30pm. From deck nine, we watched as the tender boat maneuvered to be picked up after we sailed clear of the harbor. Both tender boats had to be lifted so they could be back where they belonged. Mission accomplished, we gained speed and left Greece behind. It had been a really nice day for us.

 

Making it even a nicer day, were the gifts of flavored vitamin water bottles, and a beautiful flower arrangement for President’s Club amenities. Very nice.

 

Dinnertime found all of us there, sitting at two tables. In two days, Ruud will head back to Holland, and by Rome, Sharon will leave for Sydney. That will leave 11 of us....a tight squeeze, but we will figure it out.

 

All of us were tired, so don’t know who went to the show this evening. It was a performance by two brothers playing one piano. They promised high energy, lighthearted humor, and audience participation. Hmmm, that last description always scares us. Anyway, four hands, two brothers, and one piano. Should be interesting…………

 

Even better, the clocks went back one hour tonight. Always a good thing.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #105 Sailing Towards Civitavecchia, Italy (Strait of Messina) April 14, 2016 Thursday Partly cloudy & 68 degrees 60 Pictures

 

Today was supposed to be another day at sea, but turned into so much more. After breakfast in the dining room, we took our usual walk around the promenade deck. It was more than chilly, since we were about to enter a very turbulent body of water between the mainland of Italy and the island of Sicily. It was the Strait of Messina, which we normally enter in the wee hours of the morning on our way to Messina, Sicily. Last year, we were here in the port of Messina around 7 or 8am, so when we hit the rough waters and high winds, we would have been asleep.

 

Today, we got to see the entire sailing from beginning to end, staying outside for at least two hours. It wasn’t easy. The winds became gale force, making walking and watching the transit difficult. We could see the change from typical seas to choppy waters with white caps, to storm-like spray coming off of the high waves. On one side of the promenade deck, we got soaked, as the spray went all the way to the cabin windows. The deck fellows quickly gathered all of the chair pads and even the towels, as they would have been air-borne.

 

Captain Mercer announced that we had a pilot who would stay with us until we passed Messina in Sicily. As the two shores became closer to each other, the rougher the water and current got. The Amsterdam was sailing at an angle at some point, listing to one side as we cut through the waves.

 

We did get some good photos of several types of ferries that crossed in front and in back of us. We did try to see Mt. Etna at 10,924 feet in elevation, but the top of Sicily was covered with fog. The first large city we saw was Catania, followed by Messina. We could not find the name of the city on the mainland. One thing we did notice, was that the hillsides were much greener here than in Greece.

 

Many passengers came out briefly to snap photos of the straits, but headed back in when the winds hit them. The only good spot on this deck was in the aft, where we had a little shelter and some sun. By 11:30am, we had passed the tip of Sicily which was marked with a lighthouse and a tall tower. On the opposite shore, there was another matching tower, so there must be a story behind these two towers. Will have to research this.

 

Somewhere near the open waters, the Italian pilot was scooped up by the driver on the small pilot boat. He headed to the shoreline of Messina. Once out of the straits, the waters became normal once again. It was still cool, but not cold enough for us to change to long jeans yet. As long as we kept moving, and wore sweatshirts or jackets, we were comfortable.

 

There were a few enticing items on the lunch menu, so we ended up in the dining room with Barb and Maureen. We had cheddar cheese soup, fried calamari, and mini Rueben hamburgers. The burgers are mini, like a slider, but the French fries are still served in the cute wire basket, filled to the top. They are the best….hot and crispy. We talked all through lunch, and did not realize that we were the last to leave the room by 2pm. Our waiters are so nice, they have never said a word to us that the dining room was closed by then.

 

A movie in our room worked well for the afternoon, followed by a long walk again in the fresh air. We also needed to catch up on the port talks given by Barbara H so we know what to expect in the upcoming Mediterranean cities, especially shuttles, buses, and taxis, etc.

 

Tomorrow, we have gotten special passes for a tour on the new Koningsdam, which will be in Civitavecchia with us. Recently having gone on her inaugural 7 day cruise, she will be loading up for the second 12 day Med cruise, and leaving by 4pm. They have been kind enough to accommodate a group of us on an organized tour of the public areas, and more we hope. Actually, they will be taking us in groups of 70 guests, which is surprising, since we figured most people would be going into Rome for the day. Anyway, it should be fun, and will give us plenty of time to go into Civitavecchia for the afternoon. We would never pass up the opportunity to eat pizza here in town, since it is really good.

 

A new guest chef, Joe Truex, prepared some of his signature dishes of okra pancakes and butter-poached shrimp and grits in the Culinary Arts center. And another new lecturer, Mike Raick, gave a talk about Elvis, hula hoops, and 3-D movies. Have to admit, we are quite familiar with all of these subjects. The other guest chef is still onboard, but presented a look at the fashion and function of clothing worn around the world. She is very clever with diversification.

 

Dinnertime found four of our group in the Pinnacle Grill, with the rest of us having to say goodbye to Ruud, who will be flying home to Holland tomorrow. We asked our head waiter how many will be leaving at the end of this segment, and he said around eight. But combined with those leaving in Barcelona, the number is 38 on total. No new passengers will join the ship for the Atlantic crossing.

 

They had the best breaded shrimp for an appetizer tonight. The sauce was to die for, although one of us had the pho chicken soup instead. If it happens to show up again, one of us would consider ordering two, and having it for the entrée. We both ordered the beef brisket with creamy mashed potatoes, and a very tasty gravy. With today being “day 100”, it really is pretty good that no menu has been duplicated exactly in that many days. Yes, many entrees are repeated, but never in the same order. Even the dessert menu is extensive, as we have new items all of the time.

 

The entertainer this evening was a fellow by the name of Ruben Vilagrand, who presented a unique approach to mime, magic, and comedy. Now this is a different type of act for sure. We doubt we will make it, but will ask tomorrow who went. With some of our tablemates on all day tours to Rome, most will opt to go to bed early tonight.

 

Looking forward to a great day in Italy.

 

Bill & Mary Ann