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

[Windy56]

Great trip report. Followed it last year, as well.

 

I am curious about the dining room lunch hours. I, too, love indulging in a long lunch that is not buffet style. If you are lingering over lunch at 2:00 and the hours for lunch are posted as noon to 1:00, are you not concerned that you are infringing on the wait staff's downtime? My experience has been that these crew members are so instructed in indulging the whims of the passengers, that they would not dare say anything. As much as I love a long, relaxing lunch spent catching up with friends, I would be worried that I would be taking advantage of the dining crew, who would be highly unlikely to ask me to be on my merry way.

[WCB]

Report #106 Civitavecchia, Italy April 15, 2016 Friday Sunny & 67 degrees Part #1 of 3 86 Pictures

 

Today’s port was Civitavecchia, the drop-off city for the tours in Rome and the surrounding areas. And we certainly were not alone in this busy port, as we docked right next to the newest HAL ship, the Koningsdam. We had a date to tour this vessel, starting at 9:30am.

 

The Koningsdam’s inaugural cruise began on April 8th, with a seven day round trip to here. Great timing for all of us who wished to tour the ship, since we docked right next to them shortly after they had arrived.

 

We heard there was three hundred of us that passed on the tours to Rome to do this tour. The line extended all the way back to the Amsterdam. All we needed to board was our room key, which was taken in exchange for a visitor’s pass. With a simple tap at the ship’s kiosk, we were let into the lobby on A deck to wait for the elevator up.

 

Guides took groups of 70 to the Plaza and Promenade decks, where we walked from one end to the other, seeing all of the public areas. We felt that the ship’s public areas resembled a hotel, more than a ship. A nice, new hotel, but so different that it did not resemble anything HAL owns at the moment.

 

Out of all of the venues, we think the nicest had to be the dining room. It was done in light and bright whites and reds…..really a class act. After visiting with a couple that had been on this ship for the last 7 days, they admitted that the open dining times for both the lower and upper dining rooms had been more than a challenge for the staff. They do offer fixed dining times, but they found that the dinner times over-lapped most evenings. Takes a while for these things to get ironed out, so 7 days doesn’t do it.

 

By 10;30am, we were led to the World Stage, where we were handed mimosas, and offered canapes, while we waited for the special welcome. The cruise director, as well as the Captain, welcomed us with a short and sweet talk, then the show began.

 

What began as a rather unremarkable stadium-like showlounge, turned into an artistic light show with the singers and dancers performing on the stage. Looked like every seat in the house had a birds-eye view of the stage down below. The three-skit dance was quite professional, as it is obvious, only the very best worked here.

 

From here, we were allowed to explore on or own until 11:30am, when we would be asked to de-bark. So we found our way to see some of the staterooms, as they were being prepared for the new passengers. We saw one of the smaller-sized veranda rooms, which appeared to be smaller than the deck six verandas on this ship. The best feature in the room had to be the flat screen TV on the wall across from the bed. It was huge for a stateroom. You could read words on this screen. We also liked the multiple plugs on the desk and the nightstands. The bathrooms seemed on the small side as well, at least on the deck we toured.

 

Wanting to see the aft pool and Lido, we took an elevator to the upper deck. Although the Lido was not open for serving yet, we could see behind the curtains. There was ample food here, similar to what we have on the Amsterdam. Only bigger. There was a definite cafeteria-feel about the seating area, since, after all, that’s what it is. One interesting thing we noticed, was a special hand-washing sink, where you could stick your hands in an automatic washing-sink, using paper towels to dry your hands. Not sure if this was meant for staff or passengers. Another item missing in this food-serving area and outside all restrooms, were the Purell stands. We saw none. If they were there, we missed seeing them.

 

The aft pool area was really nice, surrounded with dozens of tables to dine outside. The pool had railings and stairs to make entry easy and much safer. The decking looked like “real” teak, but we are not certain it was the plastic imitation flooring. You know, the type that tends to burn your feet off.

 

We saw no lounges around the pool, but then, they may have been removed for the sail away later in the afternoon. There were two level above the pool full of lounges. We ran out of time to pass through the center pool area. Later we did talk to friends who hung around for the Lido to open. They had stayed for a quick lunch, even though we were supposed to be off the ship by then. No one was checking your room key to see if you were passengers on this ship, or on the Amsterdam.

 

We left by 11:30am, trading the guest card for our own room cards. It had been fun, and we were glad to have had the opportunity to see this new ship. Later in the day, we discussed the pros and cons with Henk, our Hotel Director. He was thrilled with the new build, and explained it from the corporate decision to make a ship such as this. It will fill a need in this part of the cruising world, appealing to a different clientele, competing with the mega-ships that are being christened by the dozens. No argument from any of us looking at that angle, but since all of the cruises on this new ship will be of a short duration, we doubt we would ever sail on her. As the Amsterdam gets older, we fear this family of ships will be faized out in time. We would hate to see this happen, as we love the ambience of the traditional HAL ships, and also the size of the Amsterdam. So much more like “home” to us. But that is just our humble opinion, but also a feeling shared by many of our buddies. Words used to describe the new ship were sterile hotel without a personality. Perhaps time will give it one…………Her next cruise of 12 days will take her to Greece, Turkey (Istanbul), Rhodes, Crete, Naples, and back to Rome.

 

On with the day, and some info on Italy. The country of Italy has 116,317 square miles with 58,126,212 Italian-speaking people. The capital is Rome, the eternal city, founded in 753BC, built on seven hills. There is so much history here, that it is hard to put it in a few words. There are magnificent monuments and masterpieces in Florence, Rome, and Venice. The dramatic cliffs of the Amalfi Coast, and the ruins of Pompeii gives a passion for travel that never gets dull.

 

The best time to visit is April, June, and September to avoid extreme crowds and summer heat.

 

Top things to see are ancient Rome with the Colosseum, the Forum, Palantine Hill, the Pantenon, and Vatican City. There are priceless masterpieces in Florence’s Uffizi museum and statue of David at the Galleria dell’Accademia. Our first time visiting Italy was not what we had expected. Specifically the long lines and crowds at the major tourist sites. Good to know that without being in a group, chances of being able to see the spectacular sites in a timely manner was not good. Most of your day could end up waiting in lines. We sure are glad we were able to see the Trevi Fountain without being covered or fenced for restoration. Back then, we did throw the coin over our shoulder to ensure our return to the city. It worked………..

 

One of the best tours we did was a walking tour of the sites. The thing we remember well was avoiding the speeding vespas, and the little tennis shoe cars that ran you over. Other fabulous cities to explore are Naples, Lucca, Pisa, Florence, Milan, Venice, the Alps, Tuscany, and both Sardinia and Sicily.

 

What do they eat in Italy? How about tripe with potatoes, tomato, and pecorino cheese, t-bone steaks in Florence, and pizza in Naples…….one of the best in our opinion.

 

Trademarks are Renaissance art, ancient ruins, pizza, pasta, olive oil, espresso, and Pavaratti. Mad drivers, Vespas, and the world’s best ice cream come to mind too.

 

Random fact: On average, 3000 Euro is tossed into the Trevi Fountain daily. Perhaps a bit less now that it is covered up for restoration work.

 

Since we have been into Rome and the outlying areas, we chose to stay in Civitavecchia. There were shuttles provided to take us from the massive port area to a designated bus stop in town. We had lots of company in the port with five cruise ships docked here today. Of course, we already described the Koningsdam with 99,500 gross tons and up to 2650 passengers. The next largest ship was CDF Croiseres de France, the Zenith with 1800 French-speaking passengers. Celebrity’s Constellation was moored across from us with 2450 passengers, and one large Grimaldi ferry named cruise Ostra. But the one that took the prize today was MSC Fantasia at 138,000 gross tons and 4363 passengers. Combined with our passenger count of 800 plus, there were going to be a whole lots of tourists in this area today.

 

We walked the waterfront and found our way to the main street full of stores, restaurants, and museums. Up the hill and to the left, we ended up at the fish and meat markets. Downhill from there, was the flea market with all sorts of everyday items and some clothing and knock-off purses. We just looked, but bought nothing. The only thing we searched for were biscotti cookies, but they were sold out for the day. Many of the stalls were being gathered up to close for the afternoon siesta time.

 

Following our path back, we found the restaurant that we enjoy pizza every time we come here…..Restaurante da Vitale Bar and Pizzeria. Running into our buddies Greg, Heo, and Martha, we gave them directions to this unassuming café, and were pleased to find them there dining on clams, pasta, and pizza.

 

Taking the last of the tables for two outside on their patio, we ordered two margherita pizzas and two draft beers. They were wood-fired, thin-crusted, and simply delicious. We savored every bite. Sure was nice sitting in the warm sun with a fresh breeze, watching the world go by. With all of the ferry boats and cruise ships in the port, many folks were pushing or dragging suitcases from the nearby hotels. They don’t hesitate to walk the distance to the cruise ship buses with their luggage.

 

On the way back, we stopped for ice cream, a must while in Italy. Got back to the ship on a bus meant for the Zenith folks. Friends Barb, Ellen, and Aart had taken this bus, and had the driver top to pick us up. The driver took us and some other folks all the way back to our ship, which saved us a lot of time. We were all exhausted after our busy day.

 

There was a special “sail away party” at 3:30pm, but not for us. We were wishing the Koningsdam passenger a fond farewell as they sailed out of the harbor one hour later than scheduled. We had the mini pizzas as they left the port. Hey, it worked for all of us. We could see florists Eddy and Calista waving from the top deck. They are missed here, but will be back at the end of the year we heard.

 

All but one showed up for dinner tonight. We all had various stories to share…..all fun stuff. No one had gone to the mime last night, but some did plan on going to hear the tribute to the Beatles this evening. Or not, as everyone had a long day here, and the fresh air and exercise had us all pooped.

 

Tomorrow’s port will be Livorno, one place we have not stopped for many years.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[KirkNC]

Just an FYI on the Trevi, she is fully restored and uncovered again. We have not seen her in person but the pictures look fantastic.

 

Thanks for your comments on the Koningsdam, they confirm our feels based on pictures and videos.

[WCB]

Report #107 Livorno, Italy April 16, 2016 Saturday Partly cloudy & 67 degrees Part #1 of 2 87 Pictures

 

The port of call for today was Livorno, Italy, although the main attraction here is Florence, Pisa, or Lucca. We have toured this area several times, and decided we would stay in Livorno instead, and see what is here.

 

Livorno has been an over-looked city, but has its hidden secrets. In the early days, this city was already a port with about 700 people. In 1606, the Medici family became prominent, and the city was given official status. In the heart of the city, is a most historic area built by the Medici family….a fortress built in 1521 to defend the port. The tower inside the fort dates back to 1077. Fortezza Nuevo is an island crossed by bridges and canals, making it similar to the canals of Venice. The city’s wealthiest merchants had their homes here. Today, there are shops and restaurants lining the canal, which is full of small boats.

 

One of the oldest baroque church, St. Caterina de Siena was built in 1720. Its tall cupola is one of the landmarks of the Venizia district.

 

But first, we went to breakfast as usual, then went off of the ship by 11:30am. We only remember the barren terminal building in this port, because we have always been on all day tours. This time, we exited the building and caught the complimentary shuttle bus that took us to the center of town. By the way, we were not the only cruise ship here today. Silversea’s Wind was moored across from us in the harbor, but a close walk to town for them. The Wind was christened in 1995, and is 17,400 gross ton four plus star luxury ship. She holds a maximum of 336 passengers, and it is all-inclusive. And from personal experience, we can say you are spoiled when you cruise on their vessels. Anyway, even though they could walk to the center of town, a shuttle bus was provided for them, just like for us.

 

We picked up the hop-on, hop-off bus schedule in the terminal, but it was in Italian. Once we got to the shuttle stop, we found the info building, and picked up some great maps with printed information. The challenge was trying to figure out the maps. Street names on the maps did not always match what we saw. So confusing to be buried in buildings and not know which direction to go.

 

It seemed like a plan to follow the majority of people who were walking towards Piazza Grande. Now we had a point that matched the map, and headed straight for the produce market. That led to the outdoor market of clothing and household items. It was here that we ran into Ellen and Aart who were supposed to be going to Lucca today. They appeared lost as well, since Ellen was questioning a pair of policemen, using her hands a whole lot, to get directions. Not sure they ever understood her. They were looking for a good pasta restaurant, while we were searching for a pizza place. At least we found this huge flea market. One small souvenir from this area was a beige leather handbag for the huge price of 10 Euro.

 

Continuing on, we located the rest of the covered market. This ancient building was made with glass and metal roofs, and houses the fresh produce, Kosher meats, bakery goods, and fish. This whole area was very crowded with folks buying their food and supplies for the upcoming weekend. A few vendors were selling knock-off bags and sunglasses, but were not too pushy.

 

Most all the cafes in this area were fast food pizzerias. By the time we walked everywhere looking for a suitable menu, most all of the cafes closed for the afternoon. Oh well, there is always the ship. There were a few cafes open along the waterfront, but they were pushing all types of seafood.

 

On the way back to the shuttle, we passed by Dolly, one of the most known ladies for many days on the ship. She made a comment when she passed us on the street, saying that our timing was good, because we would save a lot of money with everything closed. That’s the wisdom for the day.

 

We came back to the ship by 3:30pm, and worked on photos after a nice panini in the Lido. The sail away on the aft deck was cancelled, and moved to the Crows Nest. Understandable, since it was very chilly with strong icy winds blowing across the decks. Just as the Amsterdam began swinging the bow around to sail out to sea, the Silversea’s Wind left her berth, and sailed right past us. She was out to sea in minutes. By 7:30pm, we were out of the harbor, now sailing towards Monte Carlo at Monaco, the second smallest country in the world.

 

We both ordered a special salad of just tomatoes with romaine lettuce with balsamic vinaigrette and thousand island dressings. The best entrée was cordon bleu with sliced zucchini and potatoes. We shared a serving of lasagna. Dessert was cherry jello and one sugar free mint chip ice cream. With some chocolate syrup, With a wafer cookie. And that’s it.

 

Too tired to see variety showtime in the Queens Lounge with Jesse Kazemek and The Lomax Brothers. So was everyone else. The nice thing is that we are finishing up with dinner by 9:30pm, so there is a ½ hour to kill before showtime. Hard to make it up that late, when the day began before 6am.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[bcnvcanada]

Hi we will pass you at sea sometime early Tuesday morning, going to Europe.

We have enjoyed your blog and look forward to following you to the

west coast.

[WCB]

Report #108 Monte Carlo, Monaco April 17, 2016 Sunday Mostly cloudy, rain & 62 degrees Part #1 of 2 86 Pictures

 

Gosh, these ports are coming and going so fast, it has been hard keeping up with them. Today’s stop was in a teensy-tiny seaside state on the French Riviera called Monaco. It is wedged between France and Italy and has a total of .77 square miles. The capital of Monaco is Monaco with a population of 32,965 French-speaking citizens. Prince Albert ll is the king of this fairytale country, although his parents were the most famous couple back in the days. Prince Rainier lll and Grace Kelly were the talk of the day.

 

Monaco sizzles with resident millionaires who own the mega-yachts in the harbor. Day-trippers by the millions come here to see the palace, sip champagne at Café de Paris, and try their luck at The Casino. The best time to visit is April to June, and September to October. Things to see include the changing of the guard at the palace, the Cathedral where the graves of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly are interred, the billionaire yachts, and the world-class race car drivers during the Formula One Grand Prix in May.

 

What is there to do? Wear the correct clothing, and you can gamble in The Casino in Monte Carlo, get a gold dust bath at Thermes Marin de Monte Carlo, or dine at Louis XlV, Monaco’s most prestigious address. Hike among century old cactus in Jardin Exotique. Or take a ride between the sea and cliffs along the Grand Cornishe.

 

What is there to eat? Try barbajuan-spinach and cheese pastries or stockfish made with dried cod with anise seed. Special drink? Have a champagne aperitif at celebrity-cool Karement on the waterfront.

 

Trademarks are millionaire lifestyle, banking, tax-free haven, Formula One Grand Prix, Grace Kelly, Monte Carlo Casino, the Grimaldi dynasty.

 

Random fact: Monaco grew by 20% in the late 1960’s when land was re-claimed from the sea to build Fontvielle. Off and on plans to build an artificial island has been discussed to see the world’s second smallest country (Monaco) grow another 5%. You may wonder what the smallest country in the world is? We were just there…….Vatican City with .44 square kilometers, which is about .17 square miles.

 

Ship tours offered a chance to walk the Formula One race car route with a stop at the car museum for 3 hours for $50. Highlights of Monaco and Monte Carlo for 4 hours was $75. Trips out of the area went to the Riviera, Eze, and Menton for 5 hours at $110 and $70. A ride to St. Paul de Vence for 4 ½ hours for $75 was one we did the last time we were here. Was a good alternative for staying in Monte Carlo.

 

But that was exactly what we did today…..stayed in the port. Crossing paths with Peter, our purser, we should have listened to his advice about the possibility of rain this afternoon. Thinking that we would be on our way out of the city by then (all aboard time was 3:30pm), we did not anticipate the rain that came down in the morning. Like most of the morning. Oh well, at least we had on a jacket and a hooded sweatshirt, and did not get seriously wet.

 

We left the ship around 10am, and ran into friends who were already on their way back to the ship. They walked close by, but could not remember how to find the elevators that took you up to the Casino and Hotel de Paris. We were docked closer to the Old Town, where you could ride an elevator to see The Palais Princier for 8 Euro, or the Place du Palais, where the changing of the guard takes lace daily at 11:55am. Many folks waited to see the special tradition, but due to the rain, it was cancelled. It would have been free, as was the Cathedral Notre Dame-Immaculate, where Prince Rainier and his Princess are now interred. Nearby is the Oceanographique Museum and Aquarium can be seen for 16 Euro. Since we have toured this area many times in the past, we decided to head the opposite way instead.

 

Walking the waterfront was interesting because we got to see the grandstands that have been erected for the upcoming Formula One Grand Prix. Many over-the-top racing cars were going by us along the harbor’s edge, revving their engines about every 2 seconds. Show-offs. Fun…..

 

Passing by a row of cafes, we read the menus, and decided to stop at one of these if they are opened later. Being Sunday, we were told most everything would be closed. Hope that wasn’t the case.

 

We found our way to the elevator that took us up towards the Casino. That led to a marble-clad tunnel, where we took another lift up to the top. By now, it was raining pretty heavy, so we made our way to the steps of the Monte Carlo Casino. While we squeezed in with a bunch of folks under the overhang, we spotted our buddies Heo, Greg, Sharon, and Martha. They had made their way here on the Ho-Ho bus (22 Euro), and decided to stop here at the Café de Paris for coffee. They found out that sitting inside this restaurant, they were obligated to buy a substantial meal. So they went back outside, took a seat, and waited over an hour to be served. That’s when we joined them briefly, waiting for the rain to let up, then continued walking uphill.

 

Our next stop was in the Sun Casino, where there was no dress code, as in the Casino or the Hotel de Paris. No shorts, t-shirts, or tennis shoes. Oddly enough, the distressed jeans are still in fashion here, and some ladies were wearing those…..full of holes and rips. Wonder if they got in?

 

Continuing uphill, we wandered through the high-end stores that are now in a very modern set of buildings in the center of the hillside. We really wanted to walk the gardens up here, even if it was raining. We did go inside the large information center at the top, but noticed that we already had all of the needed brochures they offered. Heading back down, we passed through the meandering palm-lined grass with a stream with ducks.

 

From here, we followed the same path we had taken up, ending back down on the waterfront. The cafes were just opening up, and we chose the one called Brasseries de Monaco, with tables right on the raceway. We had spotted pizza on the menu, but unfortunately, they don’t serve it until the evening. A cheeseburger with fries would take its place. We split the huge burger, and added two draft beers. Perfect. Even better, it did not rain. While we dined, a few of the race car drivers pulled up their fancy cars, and joined the crowd here. Pretty cool to see these custom-made cars up close and personal. Big bucks there.

 

We had to get moving sooner than we liked, since all aboard time was 3:30pm. Got back to the ship by 2:30pm, and used the time to download photos, as always. The sail away was held at 3:30pm, but was way nicer than yesterday’s. The sun was trying to peek out of the clouds, and the chilly winds we had yesterday were gone.

 

The sail out of the harbor was swift, although at one point, the ship did a sudden turn, and a whole lot of pool water spilled over the side. People sure ran quickly to keep dry. This is the second time something like this has happened at sail away. Wonder if there is a problem we don’t know about? Perhaps we don’t want to know. Hopefully no one was injured during this maneuver.

 

A few were missing at dinner, because they went to a special dance party dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. So we had enough room for the ten of us at one table. It was Sharon’s last evening, since she will be leaving the ship tomorrow in Barcelona, spending a few days there, then heading back to Sydney, where she lives. Barb even admitted tonight that she has begun packing. With only 13 days left of the world cruise, the days will disappear quickly now.

 

The show this evening was another performance by Rita Rudner. It’s hard for them to fill the room when these shows happen on a port night. If folks have early tours, they tend to skip the entertainment.

 

Three more ports remain to be seen……..Barcelona, Cadiz, and Funchal.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #109 Barcelona, Spain April 18, 2016 Monday Partly cloudy & 65 degrees Part #1 of 2 89 Pictures

 

Today began as a very special one, as it was Bill’s birthday. He shared this day with the Holland America Line, which turned 143 years old, quite a bit older…..a whole lot older. What a better way to spend it than on a cruise like this one, with friends, and in Spain. The only thing missing is family, but we will be seeing them all soon. Many cards arrived in the mail slot as well as the “Happy Birthday” sign taped to our door. Great way to start the day.

 

So here is a bit of info on Spain, which by popular opinion, is Europe’s most exotic country with curious traditions and relentless energy. Their architecture is a mix of Islamic in Andalusia, and Gothic in all of their cathedrals. Jagged sierras, wild coastlines, flamenco dance, Spanish guitar, and art galleries are all part of Spain. Life is one long fiesta, with long siestas in the afternoon.

 

The capital of Spain is Madrid, and the population of the country is 40,525,002 Castilian Spanish-speaking people. The country consists of 194,846 square miles, and the best time to visit is May, June, September, and October. Good areas to visit include the Alhambra, Andalusia’s Islamic architecture, Cordova’s Mezquita, Gaudi’s Barcelona, and Madrid’s golden mile of art.

 

Top things to do is see are Gaudi’s Cathedral….the Sagrada Familia, an unfinished structure, and probably will remain that way forever. Go on a tapa crawl, hike the Pyrennes in Catalonia and Aragon. Drive along the dramatic coastline, or relax on a postcard-perfect beach on Mallorca or Menorca.

 

What about the food? Taste the wafer-thin slices of jamon (cured ham), or try a dish of paella with fish, chicken, and rice. Drink the red and white wines or sample the sherry from Jerez de la Frontera. Pretty good stuff as we remember.

 

Trademarks are flamenco dancing, paella, bull fighting, football (not as we know it), fiestas, Picasso, Dali, Goya, and Gaudi, summer invasions of northern Europeans on Costa del Sol.

 

A random fact is that Spaniards spend more per capita on food than anyone else in Europe. Guess we can call them “foodies”.

 

Our first port of call in Spain was Barcelona, where the Amsterdam arrived early this morning around 9am. We were not the first cruise ship in the port, as we saw the Viking Ocean Cruise ship already docked close to town. She is a small cruise ship with 47,000 gross tons. The total number of passengers is about 928. As far as we know, Viking has always been known for river cruising, so it is nice to see them competing for the ocean voyages. They recently introduced a sister ship to their ocean fleet, so we are not sure which ship this was.

 

Other ships would follow us into the port. Right behind us was the Costa Favolosa (2011) at 114,500 gross tons and 3800 passengers. A little later, the Costa Diadema docked further down the same pier. She is the same size and same passenger count as the Favolosa. Both of these ships are family-friendly Italian vessels rating a 3 plus star position. Much later, the Zenith squeezed into the dock. She is part of the Pullmantur group, and if you recall, she was also in port with us in Civitavecchia. She is 52,090 gross tons, and has 1800 passengers. So there will be a lot of folks on tour as well as in town today.

 

We left the ship about 10am. There was shuttle bus to the bottom of La Rambla, but it came with a price of 5 Euro for a round trip. We know that isn’t a huge amount, but it sure would be more people-friendly if it had been complimentary. We know it is not HAL that is charging this fee, but the local port authority. We also know that there is a strict taxi group here as well, but there must be a way that HAL could refund the price of the bus. We are not alone in our thinking on this one, as this is supposed to be a “grand” world voyage, where some exceptions should be made. In protest, we did not take the shuttle. And besides, the walk would do us good.

 

It could not have been a more ideal day for a long walk to town….sunny, but a cool breeze blowing. The bridge over the harbor was full of walkers from all of the ships docked with us. A few were on bikes, while some were even pushing wheel chairs or strollers. In order for us to access the ramp of this bridge, we had to back-track ¼ of a mile. It was close to two miles to reach the base of the Christopher Columbus Monument, where the Hop-on, Hop-off buses were loading up passengers. You could take these buses for 28 Euro or 24 Euro for seniors. There were two different routes where 18 languages were spoken on each. Individual headsets and free wifi were included in that price. Each run took two hours, and you could ride it all day, getting off and on as you wish. We passed on that option as well, and glad we did, as we will describe later.

 

Some of the ship’s tours were the highlights of Barcelona for 4 hours costing $60. Gaudi’s Barcelona was also 4 hours for $90. Barcelona sights and flamenco for 4 hours was $110. Markets and Cuisine was a tour of the food markets and six tapas from 2 restaurants for 4 hours costing $100. Going out of town, you could visit Monserrat Monastery where people come from all over Spain to see the Black Madonna and the views from 4000 feet high on the mountain. We have done this tour for 4 hours at $70, and really liked it. Except for the smelly sheep cheese we bought on the way up there. Did not realize that it was fresh and had no preservatives. Meant to be eaten in a couple of days, we had saved it in our refrigerator, but it did not keep well. Live and learn………….

 

One thing worth mentioning is the warning in our daily newsletter today regarding safety while in Barcelona. It said to be aware of pick pocketing around the La Rambla and the La Sagrada Familia Church. We remember the warning well even the first time we came here back in 1997. Flying ahead of a cruise a couple of days early, we had stayed in Le Meridian Hotel on La Rambla. A group of fellow passengers was also with us, but one elderly couple did not pay attention, as they got attacked in the Gothic Quarter the following day. Pushed from behind, they were robbed of their money, passports, credit cards, and cameras….brand new for this trip. Bruised and bloodied, they were not happy campers. Taught us all a lesson though. Listen to what the experts tell you, as these things do happen. We have heard many first-hand accounts of similar things happening to trusting travelers. Needless to say, we knew to be vigilant today.

 

We located the tree-lined pedestrian walkway, La Rambla. It has to be the busiest and liveliest of any street in the city. Here we found the street artists that stand for hours, dressed and painted, amusing the onlookers, hoping for tips. Of course, while these folks are performing, their buddies may be doing the pick-pocketing. Continuing up the middle of the street, we came upon real artists who draw your portrait while you wait. Further up were stands of souvenirs, surrounded by small cafes, and people drinking coffee and even beer by 11 am.

 

Eventually we came upon the flower section, where fresh flowers were being sold. We found the public market called La Bouqueria. They have produce by the ton, meat, fish, cheese, and sweets, like chocolate and assorted nuts. Compared to the last time we were here, this market has been cleaned up rather nicely. Or perhaps, we happened to come upon it early in the day. It was as crowded as ever, but still we felt safe enough. Of course this might be a good time to mention that we saw many police, well-armed, everywhere today. Everywhere………

 

Back in 1997, we had flown to Barcelona at the beginning of a Mediterranean cruise, staying a couple of days at Le Meridian Hotel on La Rambla. Finding it, we went inside and a quick rest stop. It was still the same as we remembered it.

 

Further up the road, we came to the Hard Rock Café, always a required stop for us. They have new city t-shirts, so we picked one up in the incredibly-crowded shop. The restaurant was not opened yet, but crowds were already lined up waiting.

 

Right across the street is the Plaza de Catalunya, with a huge square in the center, and lined with massive fountains with many statues. On one end of the square was a group of protestors with pup tents set up. They were begging money for the immigrants that have been migrating from eastern Europe. We know that there has been some rioting happening here, and the plaza was well-protected with rifle-armed policemen with police vans ready for possible arrests. Hard to ignore their presence, but we did manage to take all the photos we wanted of the beautiful fountains and old statues.

 

Studying the map, we figured we were fairly close to Sacrada Familia, so we headed in that direction. You would think you would be able to see the spires of the church from anywhere in the city, but when you are buried in tall skyscrapers, the view is blocked. At one point, we gave up as the streets became complicated. Better to find the Gothic Quarter, and work our way back down to the water.

 

We found some street signs, and walked to the Palau de la Musica. This was attracting a crowd, so we knew we were on the right path. Down a narrow street, we spotted the Gothic Cathedral, which did resemble the big Gaudi church, only on a smaller scale. It was built in the 13th century, and certainly must have been an inspiration to Gaudi. This entire quarter has windy streets with hidden squares with fountains and palaces. The pedestrian-only walkways are original cobblestones with the buildings tightly built, giving you the feeling of what life must have been like back centuries ago. Most of the large squares were lined with cafes, but also well-guarded for a reason. Near some of the older churches, it was not uncommon to see elderly ladies dressed in black, begging for money.

 

Remember we talked about the Ho-ho buses that do this route? Well while we were at the Plaza de Catalunya, we saw this long line of 100 people waiting by the curb. Turned out the line was for the Ho-ho buses. They don’t tell you that you may have an hour to wait to get on your bus. “Time” is not always something you have a lot of, especially using it to wait in line….that’s torture. Yes, there may be twelve stops by taking this bus, but there is not enough time to see and do everything, except by drive-by.

 

Eventually the streets led us back to La Rambla, which was even more crowded with tourists. You always felt like you were a fish going upstream the wrong way. Making our way to the Maremagnum, a shopping mall, we had to cross over a walking bridge, which happened to be opening for a sailboat to enter the small boat harbor. Before going over the bridge, we looked into the water to see huge fish, about 18 inches long, swimming in large schools. People were sitting and feeding them bread. We waited once we got to the mall side to watch the swingspan bridge open. We noticed a sign posted warning tourists not to buy items from the “blanket vendors” on and around this bridge. There was a 50 euro fine if caught selling and buying. Guess that is why we saw no vendors this morning. We remember the bridge being covered with these guys selling souvenirs, hats, designer bags, sunglasses, tennis shoes, and t-shirts.

 

Walking through the huge mall at Maremagnum, we fund the exit to the Italian restaurant we came to four or five years ago. It was still there, and the name was Gino’s Ristorante. We appreciated being seated near a window with a view of the Vell Marina. We ordered a margherita pizza to share, with two Mahou draft beers. Perfect. Usually we do not order dessert, but the waitress talked us into a nutella, chocolate pizza with vanilla ice cream. After all, it was a birthday celebration right?

 

It was a big surprise to us to see dozens of blanket vendors setting up their wares on the bridge. We know why….all of the police that were there earlier, were gone. These guys must watch, then run with their stuff, unfolding it in seconds. We challenged the 50 Euro fine by bargaining for a black and white MK handbag for only 10 Euro. Good deal.

 

By now it was 3pm, and we had a long hike ahead of us. A cool breeze was perfect as we followed the waterfront to the bridge over the harbor, and back to the ship. Henk and Christel passed us on their bicycle for two as we were on the decline of the bridge, beeping their horn as they passed, while waving. They had sent a personalized card to Bill for his birthday, which was really nice.

 

There were a few shops in the huge terminal filled with souvenirs, food items, duty-free perfumes and alcohol, as well as a money machine. These same items will be in Cadiz, so best to wait until then as they may be more affordable there.

 

It was wonderful to get back home and too our room, where we relaxed and working on photos. Around 6:30pm, we went up to deck nine, and took some “pretend” sail away pictures, as there was no sail away party planned for this evening. All aboard was 7:30pm, and since it was cool and windy, and also dinnertime for most, there was no party anywhere today.

 

Some of the pictures we got were of the World Trade Center, the Teleferic de Montjuic (the gondolas that go from the mountain to the port area), the Maritime Museum, the Port of Barcelona building, Christopher Columbus Monument, and even the Familia Sagrada. If you looked for many cranes, you will find it.

 

Dinner for us was spent in the Pinnacle Grill, enjoying Caesar salads (the best on the ship), grilled lamb chops, a New York strip steak with asparagus, mushrooms, and a baked potato. The meal was delicious, and ended with a presentation of a small birthday cake. Filled to almost the brim, we asked for the cake to be wrapped for take-away, and had small bowls of rocky road ice cream. Another really nice surprise was the potted scented geranium waiting with a birthday card on our table. Tina and some waitresses came over to see who it was from. We suspected Barb, Ellen and Aart, and we were right. Very sweet of them to remember.

 

There was only a movie, Vicky Christina Barcelona, in the Queens Lounge as well as in the Wajang Theater. We passed on both, because we can pick it up on TV tomorrow. Or not, depending on the weather. Captain Mercer had mentioned rain in the forecast, so hope he is wrong.

 

Heading for Cadiz by Wednesday. By the way, we have traveled 33,160 statute miles so far.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[tonto524]

Bill and Mary Ann,

As you enjoy the last few weeks of your trip, I want to thank you from the bottom of my travel-hungry heart for sharing everything again this year. So many of us who love cruises will probably never experience a world cruise, but because of you two and your detailed posts and photos we have been able to. Thank you. It's been great again this year and I never have a Margherita pizza without thinking of you !

[WCB]

Report # 110 Sailing Towards Cadiz, Spain April 19, 2016 Tuesday Partly cloudy & 68 degrees

 

First things first…….we want to wish our son a very Happy Birthday today. Yep, one day after his dad’s birthday….always a double celebration when we are home. Anyway, Bill, we hope you have a great day.

 

So nice to have a day at sea, even though it was cooler than we would have liked. After we left the port of Barcelona, we encountered some rough seas and following winds. Nothing that we really noticed last night, but quite visible today.

 

When we walked this morning on the promenade deck, it was obvious that very few people were going to be outside today. One side had four people and the other had none. It would remain like that all day.

 

Things happening onboard included a Queens Lounge Q and A with Captain Mercer, the Staff Captain, Chief Engineer, and Safety and Environmental Officer. We had hoped this talk would have been re-broadcast later on TV, but we never found it. Instead there was a continuous rerun of the videos taken from the start of this cruise.

 

Barbara H gave a lecture all about Cadiz, our port for tomorrow. A new guest speaker, Ann Schwartz, spoke all about artists Picasso, Miro, and Dali. Wonder if this speaker is the start of rousing some interest in the art auctions we know are coming soon?

 

Lunchtime found us in the dining room with Barb and Maureen, where we all had the regular and mini-hamburgers with guacamole and bacon. These are the best burgers on the ship in our opinion. And a much better place to enjoy them. We all had the no sugar added strawberry shortcake, which was very good.

 

A movie that we have been wanting to see showed up on TV today. It was American Sniper, and a very powerful movie. The book is twice as good, as one of us is reading it right now. Some things you cannot put on the screen. It still was a good film.

 

Dinner was fun, since we all celebrated Bill’s birthday with a pineapple upside down cake with vanilla ice cream for dessert. There are no candles used anymore, but the waiters like to gather and sing the birthday song. Thought we had escaped the honor, but they caught up with us tonight anyway. Bet Barb had something to do with that.

 

The entertainment this evening was described as a flamenco show. No other explanation or introduction. Maybe there was a madness to their method, because there was a Club 21 Casino Night from 9 to 10pm, promising a night of fun gaming, prize giveaways, drink specials, and more. Bet that attracts a few people. But not us.

 

Ready for another fun day in Cadiz tomorrow. Sure hope it doesn’t rain, like we heard it might.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[josumello]

Bill and Mary Ann,

As you enjoy the last few weeks of your trip, I want to thank you from the bottom of my travel-hungry heart for sharing everything again this year. So many of us who love cruises will probably never experience a world cruise, but because of you two and your detailed posts and photos we have been able to. Thank you. It's been great again this year and I never have a Margherita pizza without thinking of you !

 

 

This!! Thanks sooo much

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[WCB]

Report #111 Cadiz, Spain April 20, 2016 Wednesday Chance of rain & 60 degrees Part #1 of 3 86 Pictures

 

Cadiz is located on the Atlantic coast outside of the Mediterranean, past the Rock of Gibraltar. Cadiz has been the home port of the Spanish Navy since the 18th century. Founded by the Phoenicians about 1100 BC, Cadiz would become the base of the Med and Atlantic trade route of all time.

 

Muslim rule reigned in 711 with the Islamic conquest of the peninsula. King Alphonso X ousted the Moors in 1265, and eventually the city came under the Crown of Castile in 1493. The city flourished in the 16th century due to the trade with the New World. At that time, the House of Trade had moved from Seville to Cadiz in 1717, giving them a monopoly with the Americas. The first Spanish Constitution was drafted in 1812.

 

Cadiz is currently a major tourist destination these days, and that is why we have been here many times over the years. And have enjoyed what the city offers, as well as the outlying areas. Some of these tours are still available such as A Taste of Cadiz for 4 hours at $85. Or Cadiz, Sherry, and Horses with a visit to the Andalusian School of Equestrian Arts for 5 hours at $85. You can take a Walk through Cadiz with a Flamenco Dance for 3 ½ hours for $95. If you want to get out of town, you can see the White Villages and Countryside for 5 hours at $80, or Go to Seville for 8 hours, costing $200. A little closer to home, you can visit Los Alburajus farm and Country Estate for 4 hours for $220.

 

Not alone in the harbor, we shared berths with MSC Splendida, a 4 star ship built in 2009. She is big, at 137,936 gross ton, and has 3900 passengers, mostly European. Also in port was the Aidablu, a smaller vessel, 4 stars, built in 2010. She is 71,100 gross ton, and holds mainly German-speaking families for “no frills” sailing (no ties, jackets, or formal evenings).

 

We chose to stay in town, do a whole lot of walking, and site-seeing on our own. If we were lucky enough to find the pizzeria we went to last year, we will have lunch. So we left the ship by 10am dressed in long jeans for the first time this entire cruise,, and headed right across the road to the Plaza San Juan de Dios Square, past the old tobacco factory from 1741, which now serves as the Congress building. Walking past shops that were still closed, we found the Plaza de la Cathedral, where the Baroque Cathedral sits proudly overlooking the city.

 

We took a quick look in the Cathedral, which we have toured every nook and cranny over the years. Now they charge a fee to go inside, although, we did it on an organized tours, so it may have always been that way.

 

From here, we headed uphill until we came out on the Atlantic Ocean side. There is one long stretch of old city sea walls on this coastline with the ocean water far below, where the surf crashes on the rocks. It has artificial square blocks of concrete that help protect the old wall from erosion from the wind and surf. Living in and among these huge manmade rocks are feral cats. Someone has seen fit to provide some boxes for shelter and bowls for food and water. We suspect these cats serve a purpose by keeping the rat population down. Must be working, because they seem fat and healthy. It is also springtime and possibly mating season, since we saw some pretty frisky males chasing the females.

 

We reached Playa de la Caleta, one of the beaches in Cadiz. There is the remains of La Palma Spa, which must have some history involved, but nothing was in writing. There is a large area of sandy beach here, and we know from previous visits, that the locals crowd this beach when the weather is nice.

 

There is a long stretch of road that goes out to San Sebastian Castle, located out in the water. Today there is a lighthouse, and possibly a restaurant. Opposite this castle are the Orphanage and the former Mora Hospital.

 

To protect the San Sebastian Castle, another fortress was built called the Santa Catalina Castle constructed in the 13th century. It was open to the public, so we strolled through there. We found the restrooms to be quite adequate and clean, as well as a well-done display of recent refugee migration from Eastern Europe in 2015.

 

Close to here was the Genoves Park, a botanical garden, also open to the public. The garden paths were mostly sand, and very wet with puddles from recent rain. Being careful, we navigated around the muddy parts to see the mature trees and fountains of this lovely garden. There is a pigeon coup, which was usually being cleaned when we were here. But then, last year, we were here on a weekend, not on a Wednesday. The coup was locked, but full of pigeons. Once they fly back from wherever they are released, they come back here for shelter, food and water.

 

Continuing on, we passed the La Candaleria Bastion, which now looks like an artist museum. Across the street, the Nuestra senora del Carmen Church faced the bay. The monument of the Marquessa of Comilla is in a bayside garden here.

 

It was getting close to lunchtime, so we headed across the main road, and went uphill to the plaza San Antonio. The largest structure in this plaza is the San Antonio Church. That’s when we heard loud thunder and knew rain was coming soon. There was no more warning than that, when the rain began coming down hard. Good thing we had the umbrellas. Usually we end up packing them all day for nothing, but today it was a good call.

 

Following the map which we brought with us from last year (for free by the way, now 1 euro), we still ended up turning the wrong way to find our favorite little hidden restaurant. These streets can be confusing, since it is hard to find names of them, and the lanes are narrow with tall buildings close together. We believe they are deliberately designed in ancient times to confuse the enemy. Sure works for one of us. Anyway, we were on the right street, and as soon as we turned back, we found Calle Rosario and the restaurant in minutes. Bad news was that they were not open yet. Worse news, was that it was raining hard by now. For some reason (could be one of us was crying?), the owner opened the door, and invited us inside, explaining that the ovens were not hot enough yet, but we were welcomed to wait and have a drink. Sounded good to us, and the wait was only 20 minutes. And worth it. We ordered two beers, one margherita and one jamon ham pizza. They measured about 14 inches in diameter and were only 4 Euro each. Beers were only 2.50 Euro…..good deal for all. We even added a dessert plate of sliced chocolate wafer cookies with a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

 

As we dined at a table by the window, many locals stopped and stared, checking out the pies. Some came inside to also get out the rain, which came down hard at times. Even by the time we left the pizzeria, the rain was still falling, but lightly. We were so close to the oldest covered market in all of Spain, we decided to check it out. Most of the fish and produce were gone by now, but we did find some langostino, sardines, and assorted produce. Heo and Greg had actually purchased some shellfish, along with fresh veggies, brought them to a willing restaurant nearby, and asked them to cook the food for them. They said OK, charging them 8 Euro each for the service. They said it was the best lunch of the trip, as all of the food was grilled over coals. Nice memories for them.

 

Our time was running out……all aboard was 4:30pm, although that did not happen due to late tours. At least the rain had let up, and we would have a cool, but almost dry sail away. The festivities were all set on deck eight aft, but there were few people there. Henk, the Hotel Manager, came back and visited with us for a while. He seemed to be quite pleased that the trip is coming to an end, since he and Christel will be going home to Holland in less than 10 days, and be off for a couple of months.

 

As the days wind down, there will be Mariner member brunches, a cocktail party, and some special dinners, as well as a Grand Buffet. Wonder if we will get the commemorative Delft plate for the 2016 world cruise? The last two years they have been incorrectly done, with last year’s having to be totally replaced. That must have set them back a few bucks, since the plates had to be mailed to our homes.

 

The Amsterdam finally left the harbor by 6pm, right after the MSC Splendida sailed away. The rain began again, so we retreated to deck seven aft until we were out to sea, getting some good photos of where we had walked all day. Love this stop, even though we have been here numerous times. Over in a different area of the harbor, we could see two more cruise ships docked. One was the Mein Schiff 3, another German-speaking ship at 99,300 gross ton vessel with 2790 passengers, built in 2014. Next to her was the Semester at Sea, a learning ship not in the Berlitz book.

 

Dinner was dubbed “Fiesta Espana” with black lace Spanish fans for the ladies and the rice or bean-filled wooden cucaraches(?) for the fellows. Martha collected several of each to take home to Bob and Hannah. The menu choices were diverse, which really means, they appear to be cleaning out the pantry. One entrée that we have never seen before was beef tongue. Some of our tablemates ordered it just to say they have tried it. Only Martha admitted it was tender and tasty, as she eats it at home often. One of us ordered the alternate roasted chicken entrée, which is always good, and the other ordered a large Caesar salad with a sliced chicken breast, not on the menu as such, but always available. Our waiters are quite accommodating when it comes to mix and match.

 

Captain Mercer said the next few days may have some showers and slightly rough seas, but he feels the crossing should be OK weather-wise. Hope he is correct, because last year we had a gray, rainy, and depressing crossing. Not a way we wished to end the cruise.

 

A good thing was that the clocks went back one hour tonight. We all needed it.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 112 Sailing Towards Funchal, Madeira April 21, 2016 Thursday Cloudy & 68 degrees 5 Pictures

 

It was another grey and cloudy day as we sailed in a southwesterly direction towards the little island of Madeira. It was cool and windy during our morning walk, where we shared the promenade deck with perhaps three or four people. We could see showers all around us, and we’re sure we went through some squalls. Although the seas were not rough, the ship seems to be rolling constantly, making walking a bit difficult.

 

Barbara H gave her last port talk on Funchal this morning. She did have a flyer on her desk for some useful information on the city, including taxi prices from the pier to downtown, which ran 10 euro one way, suggesting there was no free ride to town. Later on, when we got the newsletter for tomorrow, we were pleased to find that a complimentary shuttle will be in operation from 8am to 4pm. Wonder how old the flyers are? And does anyone read them before they are put out?

 

Another activity at 11am was a cooking demo on how to prepare coconut curried shrimp with Mexican green rice. Guest celebrity Joe Truex turned up the heat.

 

The St. Petersburg Collection of Faberge jewelry and masterpieces is onboard. The chairman himself is here to show how these masterpieces are created. Bet those cost a pretty penny.

 

A new guest speaker, Mike Raick, spoke about America’s journey to the moon. Politics, tragedy, heroism, and courage were all subjects discussed this afternoon.

 

There was a stir-fry in the Lido pool area, probably the last of this cruise. As we prefer the dining room, we enjoyed a lunch for four with friends Maureen and Barb. Roast beef sandwiches with French fries. And a light dessert.

 

Between walks and a movie, it was time for our special dinner this evening. We had finally been invited to the Pinnacle Grill for the Captain’s Dinner at 6pm (jacket and tie were appropriate). Originally it had been scheduled for March, but we were on our overland, so we asked to be put on a list for a later date. Barb is always included with us, so she put it off as well.

 

This year, the pre-dinner cocktail party in the Wajang Theater was eliminated. Normally, we would line up there to be greeted by Captain Mercer, be offered a cocktail, and proceed to the counter to taste some delicious treats of grilled filet mignon and scallops. After ½ hour, we would be led into the restaurant, and served dinner. Now we simply lined up, and got a photo taken with Captain Jonathon before being seated. Wonder if we will receive that complimentary?

 

We had our normal seats in the corner with Peter, the purser, as our host. There were five of us……Barb, Ed, Jan, and us, the same group as last year. Peter called us something like his group of renegades. Oh yes, we do have fun, don’t we? Anyway, before the dinner service began, we were all offered a flute of champagne. Only one took it. Peter offered all of us a cocktail, but only two took him up on the offer. Wine was poured, a white pinot grighio from California, and a red shiraz from Australia . Small, but tasty rolls were at each place setting, which was elegant, we must say.

 

The meal began with a seared diver scallop with a dollop of caviar with green pea and micro cress. What all that was is a mystery, but tasted fine. One of us is allergic to shellfish, so a piece of honeydew melon was substituted with something on it other than caviar. A square of shredded duck was served next on a piece of bread (brioche), with a few pomegranate seeds, two slices of orange, and a mache. You ask what’s a mache? We have no idea.

 

The next course was a generous bowl of hot soup. It was roasted celeriac cream soup with fried garlic chips, a crème fraiche, and a chive essence. Sounds complicated, but it was not. Just soup. The entrée was a petit tenderloin, and we mean petite. Four bites at the most. Not a “he-man” steak, but very tender and tasty. A short rib croquet was served with it. This was shredded short rib meat, rolled in seasoned bread crumbs, and then fried. It looked just like a bitterballen, the Dutch treat we used to get on the ship all of the time. By the way, they don’t serve the bitterballen anymore. On the plate with the meat were two little pieces of zucchini, a parsnip puree that we thought was a slurry of mashed potatoes, and a natural jus or gravy. We had plenty of room for dessert.

 

When it arrived, we wondered what it was. The ice cream we recognized, but the chocolate-covered Valhrona Bar looked like a slice of cake, but was not. It was a rectangle of rice crisp or rice krispie-type cookie with some ground pistachios on the plate for decoration. It was so crispy we could not sink or forks into it. Peter, who has to go to these dinners at least once a week, admitted this was a new dessert for him in this venue. Since he had a hard time cutting into it, he said it better not show up again, as he could see it go flying across the table by accident. Coffee finished the meal, along with the presentation of gifts. We all got a blue box, that was most difficult to open. It contained salt and pepper shakers with the HAL logo created by Royal Goedewaggen. A note in the box gave the story about a pair of salt and pepper shakers that were found from a voyage in 1910 on the ss Statendam ll. The director of the Mariner Society, Gerald Bernhoft, passed these original shakers around to us on last year’s world cruise, during a President’s Club dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. They were heavily tarnished, but obviously a priceless treasure. Gerald had duplicate sets made for all of the President’s Club members in real silverplate. The ones we got tonight are ceramic, but also very nice.

 

For a change, it was nice to turn in early. Except the sun wasn’t even down yet when we got back to the room around 8:30pm. Guess we could have made the early show in the Queens Lounge, which was Mike Price, a world champion and rock star juggler. But we did not.

 

Looking forward to our stop in Funchal, because there will be a lot of sea days to follow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[JamesEM]

After reading your latest post it sounds like the cut backs haven't stopped.

[chefestelle]

Mache will be the bit of lettuce on your meal. It looked like a large round basil leaf or a small dark butter lettuce

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

Edited April 22, 2016 by chefestelle

[WCB]

Report #113 Funchal, Madeira , Portugal April 22, 2016 Friday Partly cloudy & 67 degrees Part #1 of 3 87 Pictures

 

Our final country in Europe is Portugal, with 35,547 square miles and a population of 10,707,924 people. Their capital is Lisbon, and they speak Portuguese and Mirandese. It is basically a slow-paced, siesta-fueled place that lazes in the Iberian sun with palm tree lined plazas. Their houses are brightly-colored, with ivory covered domes on cobblestone streets, stylish boutiques, and edgy bars and numerous dining spots. More phrases to describe the country are medieval castles, white-washed villages, wine estates, and cork groves. Granite peaks can be found in the north, with deep river valleys surrounded with virgin forests. Two things you will find the Portuguese are passionate about…..food and family.

 

When is the best time to visit? March to June, and September. If you wish to “bake” on the beaches, come in July and August.

 

What is there to see and do? Lisbon’s sights and the Belem quarter, world-class art, Moorish architecture, palaces in Sintra, walled 14th century Evora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit boutiques, bars, restaurants, and clubs in super cool Lisbon. Dramatic cliffs, golden sandy beaches, and bays on the Algarve come to mind. Tour a port wine lodge or hike the rugged peaks of Parque de Peneda-Geres.

 

What about the food? Try caldeirada…a seafood stew or cataplana….a seafood and rice stew cooked in a copper pot. What about drink? Sogrape Barca Velha vinho, wine and port from the Douro Valley.

 

Trademarks: Fado? Not sure what that is? Football, salted cod, the Algarve cork, and wine.

 

Random fact: Old Portuguese saying: Porto works, Coimbra studies, Braga prays, and Lisbon plays.

 

Although we did not actually visit the country of Portugal, we docked in Funchal, Madeira, belonging to Portugal. Madeira is an island off of the coast of Northern Africa, near Morocco. It is a year round resort island, settled by the Portuguese in the 15th century. During World War 1, three ships were sunk by torpedoes in 1916 in the waters of Funchal, our port of call today.

 

Many cruise ships stop here, more than stop in other Portuguese ports, making tourism the number one industry. A volcanic island, Madeira has not had a massive eruption for 6000 years. Hope they are not due……..

 

Tours here today from the ship were all 3 ½ to 4 hours. Botanic Beauty was $80, Scenic Madeira was $90, while easy Madeira (a basic bus ride) was $55. Cabo Girao, Fishing Village, & Reid’s Restaurant for snacks was $130. Wine tasting cost $130, while Eira do Serrado & Monte Basket Sleigh Ride was $110. The Cable Car to Monte with a Sleigh Ride was $115. We have done these tours with the highlight for us being the basket ride down the slippery streets, the gondola ride over the city, and lunch at Reid’s.

 

Even though there was a free shuttle bus, we chose to walk to town, since the weather was fairly nice and it is a pretty walk. The ship had docked by 7am, with the P&O Aurora docking right behind us. She is rated with 4 stars, built in 2000, with 1975 passengers. It is a bit larger than the Amsterdam with 76,152 gross tons and it mainly for the British crowd.

 

We left the ship before 10am, well after the tour groups went off. We were halfway to town by the time the shuttle left the pier. We walked the waterfront promenade all the way to the Fort of Santiago at the far end. Following maps from the ship, we hit just about every spot marked on it. Not sure where the best place to stop for lunch, we checked out menus at every café and restaurant all the way back to town.

 

The major sites we visited include the Fortress Sao Tiago located at the far end of the Avenida do Mar on the Marina. It is an old fort that can’t be missed, because it is a bright gold color, typically Portuguese. Walking into the courtyard, we found that a restaurant was here, which was a destination of a tour group for wine tasting.

 

Following a narrow cobblestone street towards the Farmers Market, we discovered the town was just waking up. Café owners were setting up tables and chairs on the outside of their small restaurants, enticing folks with a display of their menus. As you might expect, the main entrees were fish-based, although salads, sandwiches, and soups were offered. We would have many places to choose from. But first, the food market, located in a two story open-air building was so crowded with tourist and locals, we had a difficult time gaining entrance. It is a “foodie’s” paradise with local produce displayed on both levels. Going towards the back, we went down a flight of stairs to find the fish market, which was in full swing. Locals come out quite early in the morning to buy their fresh catch of the day. Most of the fish were already sold, but there were still piles of what appeared to be eels, eel heads (for soup), and tuna. Butchers were swinging gigantic butcher cleavers to chop through flesh and bone, then bagging up the chunks for stew. The aroma was fishy, so we headed up to the second level to check out what was selling up there.

 

The items were a mix of more produce, salted fish, and dried fruit. They dry and roll all sliced fruit, including citrus, in sugar. One gal was giving samples of a candied lime, which was really intensely tasty. Someone handed us a taste of anona fruit, a local treat, which tasted like an over ripe melon. He cautioned us not to eat the skin or the seeds, telling us it was a natural food with miraculous properties. Not sure if this is the same as noni fruit, but it may be an acquired taste. Many stalls were selling island souvenirs which included the Funchal caps, aprons, lacy linens, and knick-knacks. Have to admit, we already own many of these unique items, including a wooden cutting board with a Portuguese tile in the center. Really nice and totally useful.

 

Making our way to a patio upstairs, we relaxed for two minutes, before using the restroom facilities. ( Always good to remember the few restroom stops in town.) Making our way to the downstairs, we went through the flower section where seeds and bulbs are sold. As much as we would have liked to purchase some bulbs and tubers, we knew that these would not be allowed back in the states.

 

Crossing the road that went over the Ribeira de Joao Gomes (river), we wound our way through the streets lined with shops, boutiques, bakeries, and cafes. So many shoe shops, but so little time. Not only not enough time, but long lines with people buying things. And even if you were able to inquire about shoe sizes, we doubt English was spoken or understood. So we came back “ new-shoeless”. Chances are the larger sizes do not exist, or are all sold out anyway.

 

We ran into Greg and Heo who were having fun going into every bakery to check out the cakes and cookies. The bakeries sure smelled great when we walked by. We asked the fellows where the shuttle dropped them off, and they said down the street, around the corner. Not that we intended to take it back, just for us to know just in case.

 

There is a central courtyard called Municipal Camara Plaza. In the middle is a large fountain, surrounded by the College Church, a former Jesuit Monastery, the Arte Sacred Museum, that used to be the Bishop’s Palace. Within sight, is the Funchal Cathedral. Near this square is a street with many popular restaurants. And it seems that this is where a ton of tourists go for tapas, wine, and beer. Coffee too. Street artists played guitars and sang for the diners in this area, inviting even more people to seek the remaining tables and chairs. Since we were searching for something different and less crowded, we journeyed onward.

 

We did see pizza on a few sidewalk cafes, but it appeared to be “fast food” style. Up the street, we found the small park, the Municipal Gardens. It is surrounded by the oldest department store on the island and a modern shopping mall called the Galerias de Sao Louernco. The garden has meandering paths with bedding plants, mature trees, ponds, and ducks and geese. Even some swans call it home. One of us chose to sit and take in the scenery, while the other took photos.

 

From this park, we could see another park tiered off of the steep, rocky hillside across from the harbor. It has been many years since we toured this park while on a tour, so we had to check it out. The name of the grounds is Parque Santo Catarina with a small old chapel built on the top. These gardens are full of benches around ponds with ducks and old mature trees. The views are the best in the downtown area. As we went up each tier, we came upon the official residence of the President. Walking through a guarded gate, we came across his vehicle and his driver. The President was obviously either leaving or coming back, since the car was still warm. There is a private garden surrounding his palace, which we were free to tour.

His gardens had bird cages full of peacocks, parrots, macaws, and parakeets. Ponds were full of koi carp with gardens overlooking the harbor and marina below. Nice spot for a palace.

 

The Funchal Casino is situated near the palace. It sits on top of a steep granite cliff above the harbor with killer views. We did not attempt to enter this massive complex, because it was more than likely closed this early. And there may have been a dress code.

 

Continuing up the road, we came upon a narrow cobbled street off of the main drag. Don’t know what made us go down this street, but we happened to run into a charming small restaurant that seemed like a good choice for today’s lunch. No pizza, but good Italian cuisine. The waiter led us through a portal covered with potted plants to a patio and an intimate restaurant with window seating. Thinking it might rain, we chose to sit inside. Lunch was a serving of Bolognese spaghetti with freshly-grated parmesan cheese, and a ham and cheese sandwich with two beers. To be able to sit and relax for an hour was priceless. And it was by far better than staying in the downtown area, which by 1pm, was crowded to the gills with tourists. After a dessert of chocolate mousse with sliced strawberries and cream, and a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream, we took our time walking down an extremely steep hill and finally back to the ship. Back by 3:30pm, we had made the all aboard time with an hour to spare. And the only little treasure we came back with was a little Madeira pillbox, using the last of the euro coins we had left.

 

At 4pm, there was the last of the sail away parties in the Lido pool area. But this time, it was all complimentary drinks (house selection only). We heard they served grilled lamb chops as well as thinly sliced jamon ham from Spain. We took photos from deck nine, but chose not to get in the middle of the growing crowd. Give people enough free drinks, and they will act crazy. Not really our thing, we went out the aft on deck eight and waited for the ship to pull away from the pier, back up, and turn around to head out into the Atlantic.

 

We were soon joined by Barb, Martha, and Bill & Leta. They knew where to find us. We had more fun waving to the folks on the Aurora as we sailed by them. Stoic at first, we wore them down and soon they were waving back. Even the officers in the navigation deck waved to us. Even better, as we got further away from the harbor, we spotted dolphins in the wake. Could have sworn one of us saw a blow from a whale, but it happened only once. And everyone said…yeah, sure. Actually while we were in the info center, we picked up a brochure that offered catamaran trips to see dolphins and whales. So, yes, they are here.

 

Before we knew it, the time had come for dinner. Tonight was the Seder dinner in the Lido, port side. Heo and Greg went to that dinner, and Maureen had said she was going with Paul and Bonnie to the Canaletto. But when they showed up at the table, we found out that the Canaletto was closed due to the Seder dinner. So we still had nine at dinner, almost full house.

 

Choices for dinner were limited, so we had one sirloin steak entrée and one African chicken dinner. Both were fine, as were the desserts of a light fluffy orange cake and jello with fruit. Everyone seemed tired, but we would get one more hour back on the clock tonight. In fact, we will be doing that almost every night now as we head directly west towards Florida.

 

As of this morning, we had sailed 34,527 miles since January 5th. We will be adding a few more thousand to that number before we get back. The seas may be rough, and the weather may be wet.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 114 Sailing Towards Ft. Lauderdale, Florida April 23, 2016 Saturday Partly cloudy & 68 degrees

 

Well, here we are, sailing Transatlantic towards the point of the trip where we began…….Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The Amsterdam has sailed a total of 34,527 statute miles to our final port of Funchal, Madeira yesterday. We have a few thousand more miles to go, and seven days at sea to get to the shores of Florida once again.

 

Although Captain Mercer had said we may have some rough seas and some rain today, it was not all that bad. There was some overcast, but several times during the day, we hit clearings where the sun came out, and it even turned warm. During his PM talk, the Captain said that he had dropped south in order to avoid the rough seas from a storm system further north of us. Must have worked, because we never did get rain. There was wind that carried sea spray across the starboard side of the ship, but not enough to keep us from walking.

 

It was not going to be a boring day. None of them are that actually. As well as all of the usual activities, the guest speaker, Mike Raick, gave an amusing talk about great TV moments we all remember. Definitely took us back in time when we were little.

 

There was a cooking demo on how to prepare Mami’s soup in the Culinary Arts Center. At the same time, the first champagne art auction was held in the Explorers Lounge with a flute of complimentary bubbly with a raffle entry. If you brought the flyer with you that was delivered to the staterooms yesterday, you would get 20 extra raffle tickets. Also at the same time, they held a spotlight on shopping presentation in the Queens Lounge to learn about the upcoming specials on jewelry, watches, and so much more. They gave away $1000 of prizes throughout the talk. We expected the sales to come on hot and heavy towards the end of this cruise, so we are not surprised. And for the folks that like these offers, then it’s a good thing. This is one activity we can say….been there, done that.

 

At 3pm, there was a special matinee show of the Indonesian Crew Show. Held in the Queens Lounge, we heard many of the old-timers had gotten their self-reserved seats by 1pm. The lounge did fill up to over-capacity for the traditional music, songs and dances from Indonesia. Our group of fellows and gals did an outstanding job, and drew giant applauses from the passengers. Our biggest gripe was that being in the back of deck five, it was hard enough to see, but when a bunch of clueless people held up their ipads or whatever to film the show, we could not see a thing. Clueless some people are. We were not alone with this problem, because folks even down on deck four said the very same thing. Perhaps filming like that should be banned. It is on other cruise lines…….

 

Another subject that drew attention with the passengers is hearing that someone won $21,000 in the casino yesterday on a $5 slot machine. The bad news, or the good news, is that the money would go towards losses that have occurred on this ship. Expensive hobby gambling is. Glad we have never had the interest in it.

 

Even though we will be sailing on after the world cruise, we still had to take care of our luggage shipment details. We had been given a letter saying that we had to meet with the luggage rep, Sarah C, who comes on the world cruise every year. Our luggage has to stay with us until we debark in San Diego, so our tags had to be printed differently than everyone else. Hate to even think about packing yet, and even though we can put it off until next week, we may get a start on it now.

 

By the way, after reading some of the posts on Cruise Critic, we found out that another port on the upcoming Panama Cruise has been cancelled…Santa Barbara. Now that makes two tender ports cancelled, so something is wrong. Discovered there is a problem with our tender landing platforms. This should not affect our stop in Half Moon Cay, as we will be able to use the local tender boat to tender us ashore. An interesting twist to the story is that San Francisco has been added for a substitute port on their way to Seattle. We cannot stay onboard to go home in that port, because it is not a designated segment end. And besides, we already have our flight plans for San Diego, so we will stick to the plan.

 

At 7pm, we had an invitation to our final cocktail party with our travel group and three hosts. As always, we had a great time visiting with friends, old and new, and our great hosts. There were special canapes with breaded shrimps, crispy egg rolls, prawns, and goat cheese treats passed around, and any drink we wanted. Not just house pours or their choice of wines. They treat us all well.

 

All but two were present at dinner. The menus have been creative once again, leaving only a few good choices for entrees. One of us had the Indonesian rustafel, while the conservative one of us ordered the pasta with diced chicken. Both were very good.

 

There was a choice of a movie in the Wajang, the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens, or the showtime in the Queens Lounge featuring a pianist, Judy Carmichael. We will more than likely watch the movie tomorrow on TV.

 

And once again, the clocks went back one more hour this evening. Always welcomed.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 115 Sailing Towards Ft. Lauderdale, Florida April 24, 2016 Sunday Partly cloudy & 71 degrees

 

Green around the gills…….that’s the way quite a few folks ended up today after some rather rough seas that left the ship pitching and listing from side to side most all day long. Despite the efforts of Captain Mercer to sail away from the swells, we still hit them later in the morning. Since we have dropped south somewhat, the temperatures are not cold. Only the spray that comes off of the waves kept most people off of one side of the promenade today.

 

The motion of the ship kept the Filipino crew from performing their show this afternoon. We do hope they will be able to reschedule it before the week is over.

 

The normal activities continued with Ann Schwartz talking about Columbus’ exploration of the new world. Milestone events of the 60’s was the subject for Mike Raick this afternoon. We have enjoyed all of his lectures.

 

There will be a guest talent show tomorrow, because there were sign-ups today. Everyone was invited to sign up to sing, dance, tell a clean joke, or a short story. All acts can only run up to three minutes. Definitely, not a show to miss at 3pm tomorrow.

 

A new message was printed in the daily newsletter today saying that unless you used a cane, walker, wheelchair, or scooter during this entire voyage, you could not request mobility assistant service to debark the ship. We have seen this practice many times on past trips, where some “special” people demand to be taken off in wheelchairs etc. in order to beat the crowd. First time ever to see this warning in print.

 

Our big job of the day was to look into a possible tour in Ft. Lauderdale. As continuing guests, we will need to go through customs and immigrations, to clear the ship, but will not be allowed back on until the entire ship has been cleared of passengers. That could take some time. Yesterday, we got a flyer offering a choice of two tours….one to a boat trip to see the homes and yachts of the inner waterways, or an airboat ride in the everglades. We decided to try for the airboat, because we have done it once before, and it was a hoot. Now we hope more folks sign up for it, or else it will be cancelled. One thing we heard from the shore excursion manager was that they will be combining passengers from other cruise ships in port to fill this tour.

 

We had a really nice lunch in the dining room with Barb, Maureen, Ellen, and Aart this afternoon. Some of the appetizers and entrees were better than what was offered at night. We both had sweet and sour chicken……excellent. Dessert was mis-identified. What they called Jamaican cake was really the mud pie we really like. Only a few of us ordered it, so we asked to have it for dinner tonight as well. The waiters said it was OK.

 

It was a two movie afternoon….one of which was the new Star Wars movie. As we watched it, we could see sheets of white spray flying past our window from the waves. So far, nothing had gotten better with the sea conditions. It would remain that way for the rest of the evening.

 

All but two were at dinner tonight. As a joke, Barb threw each one of us a seasick bag she had picked up in the elevator lobby on the way in to the dining room. Leslie, who was the only one feeling the effects of the motion, actually took a couple of the bags with her tonight after dinner. Yep, green around the gills. It does help to take the seasick pills, but you have to do it when you are feeling fine. Waiting until you feel queasy is too late.

 

There was a comedian performer this evening by the name of Buzz Sutherland. He has performed in 47 countries in the past year. Judging from the few people who showed up for dinner tonight, we doubt the showlouge will be filled. But we may be wrong.

 

Also, the clocks went back another hour tonight. Usually, we like the time change back, but so many nights in a row is not exactly great.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS By the way, thanks for the info on those fish we saw in Funchal, as we have never heard of espada before.

[ON cruiser]

Hi Bill and Mary Ann, it is enjoyable to experience ship-board life vicariously, so thanks again. Regarding a Ft. Lauderdale excursion, if yours is cancelled do consider the boat ride through the inner waterways and canals. We did it a couple of years back during turn-a-round day, and found it to be excellent.

 

Ours involved a short walking tour, well guided, of some waterfront areas and historic sites, and then onto the boat. We much enjoyed seeing the luxurious homes that are on the inner waterway (intra coastal) and canals around Ft. Lauderdale. Despite often visiting south Florida this was new to us, and it was a nice experience.

 

Wishing you smoother seas for the rest of your crossing,

 

Regards,

 

ON cruiser

[WCB]

Report # 116 Sailing Towards Ft. Lauderdale, Florida April 25, 2016 Monday Partly cloudy & 70 degrees

 

Ads for sales filled our mailbox this morning, starting with the sale for ship DVD’s…….one for about $35, four for $110, or Eight for $200. The best deal was twelve DVD’s for $250. They are a mix of the voyage along with all of the destinations. We can tell you that once we bought two DVD’s on a South America cruise, watched them once, and filed them on the shelf. Now for some that may never come back and do another world cruise, then they might be a nice keepsake.

 

The next items up for sale is a line of clothing from Jpseph Ribkoff, presented by stylist Manisha at 2pm in the Ocean Bar. If you went to the presentation today to see the exclusive collection modeled by some of the guests, you could win a prize.

 

The art auction continued in the Explorers Lounge, a rapid fire one. Guaranteed fast, fun, and exhilarating. They would be auctioning off 60 works in 60 minutes. And you had better be certain you know your art before you participate. Complimentary champagne was offered once again.

 

We’re not done yet. There was a sale on future bookings for cruises. For a short time you can get a free beverage card worth $100, free gratuities, free or reduced fares for kids, along with some internet and shipboard credit. Of course, you have to pay attention to the microscopic details on the flyer. There are several exceptions to the rule.

 

We were invited to the first of the Mariner Club brunches today at 11am in the lower dining room. We were assigned to table 306 along with six other folks we knew, as well as Captain Mercer. Glasses of champagne were poured at each place setting so we could toast the success of another ling journey. While we dined on a seafood appetizer, a cold melon soup, and one quiche and one sliced beef entrée, we learned a few things about what’s happening on the ship. The Captain confirmed that there is trouble with the tender landing platforms on the Amsterdam. The parts needed are in the process of being replaced, but not until they reach Seattle. That was the reason why every tender port had to be cancelled on the Panama Canal transit after this trip ends.

 

Further work will take place next year during a major retrofit. Things to be done include all stateroom upgrades, and remodeling the front desk areas in the atrium. Behind the scenes work will be done as well. A huge crew will work 24 hours for a few weeks to accomplish this task.

 

Anyway, the lunch finished up with a serving of delicious key lime pie and coffee or tea. Finally, a small commemorative tile was handed to each of us. We have a drawer full of these at home, enough to tile a large picnic tabletop. Maybe someday when we have nothing to do. Lunch ended by 12:30pm, but we hung around as several of our buddies came by to our table on their way out. Of course, they knew we might have some good info to share with them. And we did.

 

Besides taking several walks inside and outside the ship, we pretty much relaxed by watching a movie, and catching up on world news. Both ESPN channels have been gone from our TV, so the channels are limited. Sure would be nice if the retrofit included new TV’s with interactive programming. Such as 200 movies on demand. Or would we be charged to watch them? That has been suggested, even though other cruise lines have adopted these newer TV’s several years ago.

 

By accident, one of us misplaced today’s newsletter, so we don’t know what other activities went on today. We do seem to recall that a steel band was on the show tonight, but that’s all.

 

Dinner for us and our tablemates was in the Pinnacle Grill tonight at 7:30pm. Martha played hostess, arranging this date a couple of months ago. Barb was not there, because she attended a birthday party for Peter, the purser. Martha invited Ellen and Aart, and Pam with the rest of us, and it worked out fine. We ordered from the regular menu, starting with a Caesar salad, a small filet mignon and one ribeye steak. Sides were mushrooms and a baked potato. Dessert was a chocolate volcano, and the berry tower with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 

Forgot to mention that the seas have remained rough all day. Early in the morning, we had some sun, but the afternoons brought clouds and the feel of rain. Captain Mercer confirmed that we were sailing south of our planned course in order to avoid a new storm that was brewing on our way back. He can only go so far off of the designed path, or else it will affect our arrival time in Florida. So we can expect winds, 12 foot swells, and some driving rain tomorrow, or as early as the middle of the night. Just what we need…….

 

For the fourth night in a row, we have set the clocks back one hour. What was 8pm a few days ago, is now four in the afternoon. And we have been wondering why we are so tired by the late afternoon.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Many thanks for all your reports on this World Cruise (as well as all your previous ones). Did Captain Mercer provide an exact date as to when the major retrofit will occur? I assume next year means after the 2017 World Cruise.

[WCB]

Report # 117 Sailing Towards Ft. Lauderdale, Florida April 26, 2016 Tuesday Partly cloudy, rain & 68 degrees 60 Pictures

 

Breakfast in the dining room was served on the lower level only this morning. That is because today was the Grand Show Buffet, created by Executive Chef, Petr Nozicka and his kitchen brigade. It is quite a project to set up this display, and it is halfway done by 8am. So, many of the crew must have been up quite early to start the preparation. We will come back at 11am to photograph this special showtime.

 

During breakfast, we watched the weather deteriorate from partly sunny, to cloudy, to black clouds, and finally downpours. Seems that the Captain’s prediction of bad weather had materialized, as the rain was coming down in rivers at the back windows. Eventually, it let up, and the sun appeared again. Guess we are going through occasional showers. Good, it will wash the ship off for free.

 

We went to the buffet about 11:05am, expecting a line to get in that would go beyond the stairway. On the contrary, there was no line today. That is a first. Normally, you cannot get out of the elevators with the lobby crowded with folks. No crowd, we simply walked straight into the dining room, camera in hand, and joined the two dozen people there. The display was nice, but seemed less than we usually see. Like a lot less food. Much of it was already pre-dished, which was great for serving later.

 

The best items were the artistic carved veggies and fruits. We love the desserts too. There are clever chefs onboard. There were extra- large ice sculptures too. The best one was covered with little penguins made with quail and chicken eggs, hard-boiled. The heads and wings were made with black olives, and the beaks and feet were tiny-carved carrots. Really cute.

 

The majority of the meal was fish….such as shellfish, lobsters, shrimps, and clams. Other meats were rolled roast beef, small lamb chops, and some salami, we think. We never eat here, but love to take the photos before the displays are destroyed.

 

A neat talk all about old cars was delivered in the Queens Lounge during the buffet time. However, we were happy to see that it was televised so we could watch it on the room TV this afternoon.

 

We took some time to figure out future dinner reservations in the Pinnacle Grill from May 1st to the 15th. Better to get our choice before the thundering herd comes on in Ft. Lauderdale. By the way, we heard that the ship is sailing full on the Panama Canal re-positioning trip to Seattle. Right now, we have just under 800 guests onboard, so with over 1300 passengers getting on, we will certainly noticed the difference.

 

It was nice enough to sit out back this afternoon, although the pool was out of question. It has been netted for several days now. Between the rough seas and high winds, the pool had over-flowed and was not safe getting in or out. The rest of the afternoon, we watched a funny movie with Kevin James. He has the same moves as John Belushi…..very funny guy.

 

Tonight happened to be the final Gala Night of the world cruise. That meant the Mariner party would take place twice in the Queens Lounge before dinnertime. Those who were due for medallions got them tonight. Our time was at 6:45pm, where we were greeted by Captain Mercer, Henk Mensink, and Gene, our CD. We were led to the “corral” for the President’s Club members. The current CEO’s onboard were also included in our little group. Being in this group assures that we have the nicest canapes and drinks of our choice. After the dance session was over, we were each called up for a photo with Captain Jonathon and Henk, the Hotel Manager. Each of us had our “pure sea” days announced, except for one, who has so many, they have lost count, and perhaps, so has she.

 

Dinnertime came with a nice surprise. We had company, John, the Head Security Officer on the ship. We met John at least two years ago, when he recognized us from Cruise Critic. Seems like he has been a fan for some time, and has actually read our blog in the past. The entrees were excellent tonight with the expected items like caviar, escargots, surf and turf, rack of lamb, and a huge ravioli. All the good stuff on one menu. Even dessert was good with lemon meringue pie. Going to be hard going back to normal once we get home. At least we have over two weeks left.

 

The final gift of the trip was left on the bed tonight. The gifts were two commemorative plates for the 2016 World Cruise. This time they got the ports correct, not like last year, when the wrong itinerary was printed on them.

 

Oh, and for the last time this cruise, we had to put the clocks back one hour. Think we are on Eastern time now.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[ger_77]

How nice you were able to meet and have John at your dinner table. Although we've never met in person, we've been Facebook friends for a few years, as well as have corresponded with both John and his lovely wife a few times.

 

Good luck with the rowdies as the 1300 join you in FLL!

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[INSIDERS CABIN]

Thank you, Bill and Mary Ann, for taking me along on this world cruise. What remarkable days! It has been a wonderful trip- and you're intrepid travelers and great reporters! I've been along the past few years......still wondering if we have what it takes for a world cruise, but the test will be if we can extend to 30 days of togetherness! Have a safe journey's end.....hope the seas calm down!

[erewhon]

Thank you for all your reports.

 

If you see John,(Head Security Officer) again, please say "Hi" to him from us (erewhon New Zealand). He is a special person.

[WCB]

Report # 118 Sailing Towards Ft. Lauderdale, Florida April 27, 2016 Wednesday Partly cloudy, rain, & 75 degrees

 

Another day at sea found us rolling with a healthy swell, which became quite pronounced after lunchtime. Not a great day for walking outside, as very few folks were out and about. Actually, we suspect they are deep in packing now that the days are coming to an end. A reminder of that was the preliminary bill that was kindly left on our mailslots early this morning. This gives the passengers the time to reconcile their charges, and change things if necessary. Normally, that means a line that goes on forever at the front desk. Our seemed to be OK….everything correct. A word to the wise: always keep a record of your charges, because mistakes can happen. Also keep receipts until you are sure they are correctly posted.

 

Forgot to mention the Masked Ball that took place at 9:30pm last night in the Queens Lounge. Since our table was full last night, and we had a host, we did not get out of the dining room until 9:45pm or later. We did hear that the Crow’s Nest was jammed after the dance was over. Standing room only. We do know that many bunches of gold, black, and silver balloons found their way down to some stateroom doors on deck one. Guess they came from the ball and the after-party.

 

Since the weather was crummy, we sort of got interested in a funny movie, and ended up watching the whole thing. It was the new one, Sisters. Totally off-the-wall outrageous silly funny.

 

More serious things were happening onboard with two guest speakers talking in the Queens Lounge. Ann Schwartz dealt with a watercolorist’s view of the sea, while Mike Raick talked about what we are seeing, learning that astounds us. Will catch that later on TV probably.

 

The second Mariner Brunch took place at 11am in the lower dining room. This was for the folks with 400 days. It was the largest group onboard. Our fearsome foursome met upstairs to share a table by the window. The crispy-fried buttermilk chicken breast with mashed red-skin potatoes was excellent. During lunch, the Captain gave his PM update, and Gene happened to mention the winners of the latest photo contest. Our buddy, Heo, won first in the “ancient” category. Pretty good.

 

The Filipino Show dominated the afternoon schedule at 3pm. Many of the bar and front desk staff performed their native dances and songs from the Philippines. And as always, they did a fine job, drawing applause throughout the show. Pretty hard to do the bamboo dance (called tiniklng) with the ship moving like it was. We could tell the group has had much practice. The crew show special beverage was a “luningning marikit” served in a souvenir glass that lights up (with batteries). For $9.75, the drink is a blend of baileys, banana liqueur and colada mix. Sweet.

 

Rain began around 1pm, and continued off and on during the afternoon. Walking on the promenade deck, we found few people. Most must be deep in packing, as we will be in a few weeks from now.

 

We had been delivered an 8 by 10 photo of us with Captain Mercer and Henk Mensink at the Mariner Cocktail Party last night, complimentary, another President’s Club perk, we assume. A nice souvenir.

 

Around 5pm, we went to the Ocean Bar to listen to the band. We could hear rehearsing coming from the Queens Lounge, so we went into the back and watched most of the show for this evening. Even though the dancers and singers were not in costume, we still enjoyed the music from iconic songs we know and love, or really liked.

 

Dinner found only five of us present. Three were in the Canaletto, two were dining with other friends, and two more with invited to another table. Today happened to be Koningsdag, which in Holland, means King’s Day. The waiters were dressed in orange vests and ties, and paper mache tulips were hung from the ceiling. So the theme for tonight was Dutch Dinner, with several Dutch entrees. Appetizers of rollmops (herring), or bitterballen (an acquired taste), and one of our favorites……split pea soup. Most of the entrees were a little strange, but we ended up with beef brisket and a sliced pork plate. Dessert was better with an apple torte, and a plum cake, both with vanilla ice cream. Good way to end the day.

 

Two more days at sea, and we will be in Florida. Sure hope the seas and the weather improves.

 

Bill & Mary Ann