and so it begins.....RTW16

[RJB]

We weren't on a RTW cruise, just a TA, about 5 years ago on Regatta. We also left Miami late because they were loading foodstuffs. We felt that given the amount of ocean we were about to cross, having enough food on board was a good idea. :D

 

Mura

You think? :rolleyes:;);)

[cbb]

today has been an absolutely wonderful day at sea. We had a M&G in Horizons at 10 and had a great turn out.

 

At 11;00 we had a mimosas with the Captain for all of the RTW people which was very well attended. He told us that there were more than 200 of us making this trip....all of us were dumbfounded since we thought there were only about 100.

 

Andy Heath is our CD and he promised several special events for us on board throughout the cruise.

 

at 5:45 we had the Cocktails with the Captain and the staff was introduced.

 

everyone seems to be having a great time and none of us have heard any complainers which is lovely!

 

tonight is AbbaFab and we talked to one of the entertainers tonight who told us there was going to be a Billy Joel and Elton John Fab.

 

Betsy Horner told me that Pat Grillo is so popular with the artistic crowd that large numbers of people are being turned away and some are arriving more than an hour early to get a seat in Artists Loft.

 

Skies are clear now, and the sea is calm, the Captain is happy so all is well tonight!

[DOJO466]

today has been an absolutely wonderful day at sea. We had a M&G in Horizons at 10 and had a great turn out.

 

At 11;00 we had a mimosas with the Captain for all of the RTW people which was very well attended. He told us that there were more than 200 of us making this trip....all of us were dumbfounded since we thought there were only about 100.

 

Andy Heath is our CD and he promised several special events for us on board throughout the cruise.

 

at 5:45 we had the Cocktails with the Captain and the staff was introduced.

 

everyone seems to be having a great time and none of us have heard any complainers which is lovely!

 

tonight is AbbaFab and we talked to one of the entertainers tonight who told us there was going to be a Billy Joel and Elton John Fab.

 

Betsy Horner told me that Pat Grillo is so popular with the artistic crowd that large numbers of people are being turned away and some are arriving more than an hour early to get a seat in Artists Loft.

 

Skies are clear now, and the sea is calm, the Captain is happy so all is well tonight!

A most wonderful start to your magnificent journey

[buggins0402]

200! Amazing, that is a very signicant number on a ship the size of Insignia. Your group should have a great time as you circumnavigate the world!

[LHT28]

Is that 200 people or 200 cabins??

 

That is a good turn out in either case

 

I would hope no complainers on day 2 but wait until day 30 + :D

 

Enjoy

[SellaVee]

Brilliant that there are over 200 people doing the RTW.

 

I'm interested to read about the Artist Loft as I enjoyed it so much last year. It's quite a small space on Insignia. I looked up Pat Grillo online and what I read made me wish I was travelling with you. I wonder if they could expand the space.

 

Keep up the good work on the reports, please.

[hypercafe]

My wife also loves the artist loft, in face one of our main reasons for our last trip was that. I wonder about the rotating of artists, lectures etc. Would they stay for the whole trip?

[cbb]

i'll try to keep you updated on artists/lecturers.

 

we just heard an absolutely gifted teacher, Greg Wheeler, talk about the Restless Caribbean...volcanoes and earthquakes.

 

As one woman told me in the ladies room, "why couldn't all teachers be like him....and I don't even like science but he made it so wonderful!"

 

Will definitely go to all of the rest of his presentations!

 

AbbaFab was really great last night and pretty much the perfect act to start our voyage...high energy and very cute...got people literally out of their chairs and moving...some more than others!!!

 

Another beautiful day began with leaping ahead one hour so everyone on the ship was a little slow to begin their day. We walked our 45 minutes this morning, around and around....tomorrow i bring music and earplugs!!!

 

lots and lots of great people on board. Nary a complainer....well a couple of people, but you just kind of shoo them from your mind 'cause i think they're always going to find something to complain about!!!

[cbb]

forgot to add...free stuff appears!

 

we received very nice dark denim blue baseball caps with O logo and some Bulgari products on the bed this am!

[D-Portman]

Are you the Ctrl+Alt+Del inventor??? Seem to recognize the photo but not sure ...

[cbb]

Are you the Ctrl+Alt+Del inventor???

 

Me?...not so much; Mr. Wonderful?....yep.

 

On to more important things: more free stuff tonight!Jackets have arrived and they are really terrific...very, very well made. White (hood in color) with O logo on left pocket and RTW spelled out on sleeve at shoulder.

 

fwiw...I looked at baseball caps in better light and they are black.

 

I've met several "refugees" today that are sailing from Miami to Singapore to finish their RTW that was curtailed by fire. They will have sailed around the world but in 2 calendar years!

 

Everyone is having a great time...tomorrow is Aruba!

[buggins0402]

Are you the Ctrl+Alt+Del inventor

 

Everyone is having a great time...tomorrow is Aruba!

 

Good to hear, looking forward to your posts....

 

Also following Don's blog with similar interest. Thanks to both of you for positing!

[cbb]

arrived in Aruba right on time and we took the local bus to the California Lighthouse which was almost completely covered in scaffolding for repair and maintenance.

 

The bus also made many stops on the way back so we got to see Eagle Beach and several other beaches without spending very much money....$2.30 one way pp. We got off the bus to see the Fishermen Huts and the tourists kite surfing which made for some nice pictures.

 

Walked down some of the streets in Aruba near the port and ships and marveled at the number of diamond/jewelry shops and wondered how all of them stayed in business.....no, we didn't help the local diamond store economy!!

 

played some afternoon trivia with the hondorners and got some anwers right, got some answers wrong but had fun!!

 

Had dinner in Terraces and dined with Sue, the virgin cruiser who is going RTW with us, but must say she had been everywhere, on her own, without using any tour companies so she is indeed an independent traveler!

 

weather is wonderful and there are many pink-faced people tonight who evidently enjoyed the beach!

 

Cocktail party with the Captain Saturday evening for the Oceania Club members.....so until next time....safe travels!! c

[cbb]

forgot to add....bus driver said the very best snorkeling in Aruba is the beach just south of the Lighthouse. (Arashi Beach, think this is the spelling) It is where the locals go and indeed the parking lot was full!

 

We didn't snorkel so can't attest to the veracity of his claim!!

[Jancruz]

forgot to add....bus driver said the very best snorkeling in Aruba is the beach just south of the Lighthouse. (Arashi Beach, think this is the spelling) It is where the locals go and indeed the parking lot was full!

 

We didn't snorkel so can't attest to the veracity of his claim!!

 

Please tell the Captain (and his wife) Jan and Stu send their love..

Jancruz1

[cbb]

jancruz1--I surely will.

 

Today, is a beautiful day in Curacao. We have opted to take a shorex here since i want to make sure that when i go snorkeling it is with people that O have vetted.

 

Looking forward to the catamaran sailing to a lovely place. Last night was a salute to Elvis on the pool deck but it wasn't as well attended as I'm sure O entertainment hoped. It was an opportunity for trained people to sing but also for passengers to do elvis impersonations.

 

We didn't stay since it started after 9 and we had to make the shorex call this morning at 8:15.

 

Yesterday, was Curacao and the town, both sides, looked to be well painted and everybody was in a good mood, both local and passengers! Many of us took the opportunity to look around and take pretty pictures

(see blog, drdavebradley.blogspot.com for the pictures)

 

off to sail! c

[spindrift]

Dumb me, but how do I find the blogs like Hondorners or the others? Guess I am REALLY a senior. ;)

[hondorner]

Dumb me, but how do I find the blogs like Hondorners or the others? Guess I am REALLY a senior. ;)

Simply go to http://hornerfamily.com. The World Cruise blog is on the menu line as "World Cruise". Blog behavior is the newest post is seen first; scroll down for earlier posts. In the right-hand column is a link to Subscribe to Journal (I prefer that name over "blog") via Email. If you would like to receive an automatic email each time I post, enter your email and click "subscribe".

 

I won't be posting as much as some other folks; I tried that once and got overwhelmed. I'll be trying to post a summary on sea days. For example, tomorrow I'll try to cover Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire, and events on board so far.

 

So far, one of the problems of writing a journal on this cruise is they are keeping us so busy, with so many choices of what to do. It's almost like being on a treadmill. I was up until 2:00 am last night (I guess it was this morning) just trying to organize photos.

[hondorner]

Please tell the Captain (and his wife) Jan and Stu send their love..

Jancruz1

Did so this evening after the Oceania Club party; we're having dinner with them tomorrow evening. They send their love to you. Both look great! By the way, mentioned the infamous ballcap photo; Denise knew about it, but never realized it was Stu! She had a good laugh over it!

 

And, our love to you -- wish you were here, even for just a segment or two.

[Travelcat2]

Simply go to http://hornerfamily.com. The World Cruise blog is on the menu line as "World Cruise". Blog behavior is the newest post is seen first; scroll down for earlier posts. In the right-hand column is a link to Subscribe to Journal (I prefer that name over "blog") via Email. If you would like to receive an automatic email each time I post, enter your email and click "subscribe".

 

I won't be posting as much as some other folks; I tried that once and got overwhelmed. I'll be trying to post a summary on sea days. For example, tomorrow I'll try to cover Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire, and events on board so far.

 

So far, one of the problems of writing a journal on this cruise is they are keeping us so busy, with so many choices of what to do. It's almost like being on a treadmill. I was up until 2:00 am last night (I guess it was this morning) just trying to organize photos.

 

Don, whether you make one of one hundred posts, we look forward to them. So very happy that you are finally on the WC. Wishing you and Betsy happiness and good health in 2016.

[kathy9]

(see blog, drdavebradley.blogspot.com for the pictures)

http://hornerfamily.com.

 

Love your blogs and pictures!

 

Kathy

[Hunding]

Don, whether you make one of one hundred posts, we look forward to them. So very happy that you are finally on the WC. Wishing you and Betsy happiness and good health in 2016.

 

Sorry -- I had a good laugh over this!

Edited January 10, 2016 by Hunding

[cbb]

thanks kathy9 for mentioning our blog!

 

We're enjoying the cruiseimmensely. Crew/staff are wonderful, as always, and passengers seem to be in a very good mood!

 

this morning we attended a great enrichment lecture by Greg Wheeler on various aspects of animal/avian/insect life of the islands and this afternoon was encouragement talk by David Smith, photographer, on getting out of our A setting on our cameras...both very well done.

 

I wish O would have these 2 gentlemen lead shorex...there would be buses full of passengers wanting to go!!!

 

looking forward to tomorrow, and day after, and.....etc!

 

 

 

 

[spindrift]

Hondoner, Thank you. I'll go there. Say, I met you on the Marina Maiden voyage. I was the one who did the badges for our Cruise Critic meeting. You and my husband had a wonderful visit. Unfortunately he passed away May 30th.

 

I will follow your world cruise, and am thrilled that you all are onboard. What a great line. And again, thanks time for giving me the instructions for your blog.

[hondorner]

Hondoner, Thank you. I'll go there. Say, I met you on the Marina Maiden voyage. I was the one who did the badges for our Cruise Critic meeting. You and my husband had a wonderful visit. Unfortunately he passed away May 30th.

 

I will follow your world cruise, and am thrilled that you all are onboard. What a great line. And again, thanks time for giving me the instructions for your blog.

I'm not always great on names, especially after a few years, but I do recall the occasion. I'm sad I won't have the opportunity again, but happy we did have the chance.

 

I also recall that cruise critic get together; the seas were very rough, the Horizon lounge is very high and forward on the ship, and I think it was the only time I've been queasy on a ship since 1980