Join Pete and Judy on their FIRST World Cruise on the Amsterdam

[Msrigby]

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

We have a half day and I will not miss the chance to see Leon. Said to one of the most beautiful colonial cities. I was hoping you would go there to give a review. Antigua is also stunning. We did the "shuttle" and hired a guide that was waiting for us as we got off the bus. Just walk up and down the lanes. It beautiful.

 

 

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Definitely go to Leon or stay on the ship. Maybe Corinto is better on a weekday, but I doubt it.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Good Morning Guatemala!

 

Ship mooring

 

 

 

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[KirkNC]

I think you will like Antigua better, it has some very nice old buildings in the city center. Lots of vendors and pretty good food. I went several years ago. We plan on taking the same HAL bus next year so I hope you enjoy it.

 

I have yet to find much good said about Corinto.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

I think you will like Antigua better, it has some very nice old buildings in the city center. Lots of vendors and pretty good food. I went several years ago. We plan on taking the same HAL bus next year so I hope you enjoy it.

 

 

 

I have yet to find much good said about Corinto.

 

 

 

We are on the bus now. Almost there.

 

Corinto ranks as one of worst ports on the cruise Go to Leon. I didn't go there but it has to be better.

[TiogaCruiser]

Captain Albert had official service projects going on there a few years back with the school in Corinto. Any sign of any of that going on?

[StartrainDD]

We are on the bus now. Almost there.

 

Corinto ranks as one of worst ports on the cruise Go to Leon. I didn't go there but it has to be better.

 

Truly enjoying your reports. We visited Corinto on the Westerdam in 2014. Hope you don't mind my sharing our private tour experience:

 

With a port call of only 8:00 – 2:30 all aboard, and again anything a passenger would want to see is a long way from the port, an early start was required. The Vista opened for breakfast at 7:00 and we were there at the opening. We enjoyed breakfast with the same couple we sat with the day before. We had arranged for everyone to meet at 8:00 at the Pinnacle Bar and all were present. Our group was the first off the ship and followed the instructions to meet our guide, Julio, of Julio tours, just outside the port gate.

 

Julio was ready for us and after making certain we were all accounted for, we piled into his very nice van and headed off towards Leon’. Leon’ was not at a higher elevation and much to everyone’s surprise today was a sunny day – that meant it was hot. Julio first took us for a tour of the central market. It is very large and all types of items, from clothing, fruit, vegetables, and (mostly) unrefrigerated poultry, fish and beef were available. Of course some stalls offered ready to eat foods as well.

 

After the market Julio arranged for each couple to have a ride in a pedal cab to our next stop, a very nice church. After the church we walked a few blocks to their main cathedral, where Julio turned us loose for 30 minutes. During this time most of us toured the cathedral, as well as some haggling with local vendors for souvenir items. We left with a red leather purse, obtained for $13, down from an asking price of $30.

 

From the cathedral and Central Square we walked a few blocks to the waiting van. We were driven to the museum of myths and legends. At the museum, Julio finished his story on the history of Nicaragua and his involvement with the challenges of the 1980’s (Contras and Sandinistas). Julio is very happy that at present, the political situation is stable and tourism is beginning to take hold.

 

Somehow, I don’t believe we ever saw the main room of the museum. We did see many of the historic rooms and Julio explained them. We left the museum in the van to a very nice coffee shop. We were all ready for a break at this point and a frozen coffee (Julio assured us everything was “Safe” in this shop) and Coke Zero later things were feeling better for certain. We also were able to purchase a couple of pounds of “Estate” coffee to take home.

 

After the break, we were back in the van to drive through the city one last time and begin the trip back to the ship. Along the highway we pulled over at a lovely vantage point of three of the volcanoes, the largest of which Julio said the locals referred to as “Grandpa.” Photos were taken and headed back to Westerdam we were! On the way, we went through a heavy thunderstorm, but back at the port the sun was out. We said our fond farewells to Julio right at 2:00 and everyone paid him for the excellent tour.

 

Enjoy the remaining days!

[StLouisCruisers]

We were in Corinto on the Westerdam on March 24 from 9 am to 5 pm and like you, we found it was a very depressing small town. We walked around a bit and found the park area at the center of town where everyone was trying to get some free wi-fi time. Many of us had bad luck with that, including the crew! There essentially was free wi-fi, but it didn't really work well so no point to it. I would think Holland America could find a better port to include on these Panama Canal itineraries...absolutely the worst port on the entire cruise.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Captain Albert had official service projects going on there a few years back with the school in Corinto. Any sign of any of that going on?

 

 

 

No....nothing like that mentioned

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Truly enjoying your reports. We visited Corinto on the Westerdam in 2014. Hope you don't mind my sharing our private tour experience:

 

 

 

With a port call of only 8:00 – 2:30 all aboard, and again anything a passenger would want to see is a long way from the port, an early start was required. The Vista opened for breakfast at 7:00 and we were there at the opening. We enjoyed breakfast with the same couple we sat with the day before. We had arranged for everyone to meet at 8:00 at the Pinnacle Bar and all were present. Our group was the first off the ship and followed the instructions to meet our guide, Julio, of Julio tours, just outside the port gate.

 

 

 

Julio was ready for us and after making certain we were all accounted for, we piled into his very nice van and headed off towards Leon’. Leon’ was not at a higher elevation and much to everyone’s surprise today was a sunny day – that meant it was hot. Julio first took us for a tour of the central market. It is very large and all types of items, from clothing, fruit, vegetables, and (mostly) unrefrigerated poultry, fish and beef were available. Of course some stalls offered ready to eat foods as well.

 

 

 

After the market Julio arranged for each couple to have a ride in a pedal cab to our next stop, a very nice church. After the church we walked a few blocks to their main cathedral, where Julio turned us loose for 30 minutes. During this time most of us toured the cathedral, as well as some haggling with local vendors for souvenir items. We left with a red leather purse, obtained for $13, down from an asking price of $30.

 

 

 

From the cathedral and Central Square we walked a few blocks to the waiting van. We were driven to the museum of myths and legends. At the museum, Julio finished his story on the history of Nicaragua and his involvement with the challenges of the 1980’s (Contras and Sandinistas). Julio is very happy that at present, the political situation is stable and tourism is beginning to take hold.

 

 

 

Somehow, I don’t believe we ever saw the main room of the museum. We did see many of the historic rooms and Julio explained them. We left the museum in the van to a very nice coffee shop. We were all ready for a break at this point and a frozen coffee (Julio assured us everything was “Safe” in this shop) and Coke Zero later things were feeling better for certain. We also were able to purchase a couple of pounds of “Estate” coffee to take home.

 

 

 

After the break, we were back in the van to drive through the city one last time and begin the trip back to the ship. Along the highway we pulled over at a lovely vantage point of three of the volcanoes, the largest of which Julio said the locals referred to as “Grandpa.” Photos were taken and headed back to Westerdam we were! On the way, we went through a heavy thunderstorm, but back at the port the sun was out. We said our fond farewells to Julio right at 2:00 and everyone paid him for the excellent tour.

 

 

 

Enjoy the remaining days!

 

 

 

Sounds nice......I guess getting a local guide is the way to go.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We were in Corinto on the Westerdam on March 24 from 9 am to 5 pm and like you, we found it was a very depressing small town. We walked around a bit and found the park area at the center of town where everyone was trying to get some free wi-fi time. Many of us had bad luck with that, including the crew! There essentially was free wi-fi, but it didn't really work well so no point to it. I would think Holland America could find a better port to include on these Panama Canal itineraries...absolutely the worst port on the entire cruise.

 

 

 

All the tours go to Leon.....that is the reason for the stop I guess....

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Antigua was Fantastic!!!

 

Any Suggestions for Puerto Chiapas? None of the tours look interesting to me

 

 

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[1of4]

DD and I stayed in port when at Puerto Chiapas. DH and DS did a HAL excursion to a ruin but said it was a "one and done". One bus on the way back was stopped by local protesters and it got rather scary. They were delayed 1.5 hours.

 

There is a local shuttle to a town nearby that two or three roll call members did and all liked it. One woman went on her own while her DH joined mine on the tour.

 

The port itself has a small shopping area, dancers, but also a bar and pool area.

[ChaCr]

Pete and Judy,

 

Thanks so much for taking us along on your first world cruise. I enjoyed your travelogue very much and looked forward to reading your posts each day.

 

Again, Many Thanks.

 

Charles

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Good Morning Puerto Chiapas!

 

There is a pool right on the pier. But with a pool on the ship? Looks like crew is heading here.

 

 

Shopping area near gangplank

 

 

Panoramic of immediate area adjacent to ship .

 

 

We will stay close to ship. Get started on packing.

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Here is a link to an interesting blog about the last two ports. https://andrewdmeyer.com/2014/03/14/central-america-a-little-persistence-required/

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 125, Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

 

It was a little foggy as we approached the pier at Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala this morning. Rain was in the forecast and it was supposed to get hot and steamy in the afternoon.

 

We were cleared to go ashore around 10 am but since we were scheduled for the 11:30 am “Antigua On Your Own” tour, we stayed on the ship until we would head to the Queens Lounge where our tour would start.

 

There were two tours leaving at the same time “Panoramic Antigua” and the “On your Own”. The Panoramic tour was called first and was easily 4 bus loads of people, maybe 5. Once the room clear there was probably a bus and ½ of people left for the “On Your Own”.

 

Note to future cruisers – the walk to the buses was about ¼ mile over level ground.

 

Once off the ship we entered a large building that has a counter selling post cards and stamps along with a large tours and travel counter. More contact information on the blog. HAL charged $59.95 for the “On your Own” using large 40 passenger buses. The tour counter here was charging $45 for a shuttle to Antigua using mini vans. I usually prefer smaller groups, but in this case, a large bus may be more comfortable for the 90 minute drive than a minivan. The tour company said that they dispatch their minivans once they get 8-10 people and then start on another minivan. All the vans are scheduled to arrive back at the port 2 hours before the ships departure time. The tour counter had many other tours available as well. One of the counters had a ‘tourist passport’ stamp that many people were stamping in their passports. We didn’t have our passports with us, but we got a stamp on a print out I was carrying of my passport photo page.

 

Once past the first building you wind thru a series of permanent covered structures – without walls – selling every possible tourist item imaginable. There was a lot here and you could easily spend a couple of hours browsing in this area. There were also several restaurants and cafes that advertised free Wi-Fi of unknown speed.

 

Right before I boarded our bus, I spotted this sign that gives another option for this port. There is a nearby resort called Nautilus that offers a shuttle for $25 to take you to their beach and several drink and food options. I didn’t talk to anyone who went here, but I did find an outstanding blog post that describes one person’s experience: https://andrewdmeyer.com/2014/03/14/central-america-a-little-persistence-required/

 

 

The bus ride to Antiqua took 90 minutes which discouraged some people we talked to from taking this tour. The ride was over modern highways for the first hour and the last ½ was over a 2 lane paved road, that was a little winding and steep, but not really worth worrying about. I was able to easily read the entire way while listening to the interesting commentary from the guide.

 

As we approached town we passed by the Ermita de la Santa Cruz, one of the oldest churches in Guatemala dating back to 1664. The church was severely damaged by a couple of earthquakes over the years, but restoration work is now underway.

 

 

The bus dropped us off at the Jade Museum and Factory which would also be our meeting point. Once inside they gave us an overview of the area and instructions for when and where to meet for our return to the ship. After this brief talk, we were invited to hang around for a Jade Lecture if we wished. Most people left, but we sat thru the interesting 5 minute talk about Jade and then we toured thru the museum and factory. It was now about 1:15 pm and we had to meet here at 4:40 to head back to the ship. All aboard was 7:30 pm.

 

Our first stop was one block away at the Hotel Santo Domingo. This hotel is home to several museums and sits on the ruins of a partially restored convent. There are numerous pieces of art on display throughout the grounds and you could easily spend a couple of hours here just browsing around.

 

We left the Hotel and headed toward the Choco Museum a few blocks away. All the streets here are cobblestones with narrow sidewalks - not a very friendly town for people with mobility issues.

 

Judy visited the Choco Museum run by the same company on her trip to Peru a few years back and she says this one was almost identical. There was one room with the history of chocolate along with some artifacts, but the main event is of course CHOCOLATE – and lots of it – and all very delicious. We left with a medium sized bag full of a variety of delicious chocolate candies and teas.

 

Our next stop was the Town Market, which was at the west end of town, about 1 mile away. We decided to head here next, quickly, so we would be at our farthest point away and better able to judge our return time to the ship. Remember the Tuk Tuks from Asia? Well they are here in force so we knew we could grab one to speed our return to our meeting spot if necessary.

 

Antigua is clean and full of very nice shops – some fairly high end – but the sign ordinances and zoning is strict as all stores were only displaying small signs and didn’t use their normal colors – only browns and tans. For example, we passed by a Wendy’s but instead of the name being displayed in red, the familiar logo was displayed in brown.

 

There were an unusual number of armed guards in the doors of various establishments that sold higher end items or dealt with large sums of money. Not sure if there is or used to be a serious crime problem, but it was not uncommon to see guards wearing bullet resistant vests while carrying shotguns at the ready. I suspect that this show of force is intended to deter any type of nefarious activity as it wouldn’t take much to scare tourists away which would crater the towns economy.

 

We reached the market in about 20 minutes and spend about 10 minutes browsing down one aisle and up the other. This market reminded me of the various flea markets in the USA often held at drive in theatres. There were lots of stalls selling pretty much the same local handicrafts along with other household items normally seen at Dollar Stores. Local Markets always sound more interesting than they turn out to be, at least to us, but we always seem to be unable to resist visiting them when one is nearby.

 

Judy was excited to find a Facebook page for a yarn shop in Antigua. But after a little more research she was disappointed to see that it was permanently closed.

 

I scanned trip advisor looking for a local restaurant that might serve some interesting local food quickly or even some interesting looking street food, but there was nothing available. The best restaurants here that could get us in and out quickly were American fast food establishments. McDonalds was an easy choice for fast, reliable food, so we took it and we were on our way in 15 minutes.

 

Every establishment that we dealt with took US Dollars, but if I was going to be here for more than a couple of hours I would have changed some money.

 

We had enough time to walk the mile back to our meeting spot and do a little window shopping along the way arriving back at the Jade Museum with 10 minutes to spare.

 

Antigua is a very nice town and is now on my list of places we need to visit again and spend more time.

 

The ride back to the ship was uneventful getting us back to the pier around 6 pm. We briefly looked at a few of the shops on the way back to the ship, but nothing caught our eye. After we bought some stamps for our post cards we were back on the ship by 6:30.

 

 

There wasn’t any SailAway tonight due to our late departure time.

 

For dinner Judy and I both selected the fresh Red Fish which was very good and I enjoyed some Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream.

 

Dan Horn was the guest entertainer tonight. He is a ventriloquist whose claim to fame was being on the David Letterman show at one point in the past. Dan had a few funny spots but his routine never really clicked with us although some passengers found it quite entertaining. Performing after a long in-port day is always tough as the crowds are smaller and those who are present are pretty tired and probably in less of a mood to laugh.

 

 

More on the blog at http://www.theinsidecabin.com

[jig]

A bit of advice about stamping your passport. Only gov agents may stamp a passport. There are places I see where the tourist desk has a stamp and people stamp it themselves. That could render your passport void. In most ports there is a immigration office. You can take it there and ask them to stamp it. I did that in the Bahamas, Jamaca and American Samoa. But there are real official stamps. Be careful.

Glad you liked Antigua. I will go back in Jan.

 

 

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[windsor26]

A bit of advice about stamping your passport. Only gov agents may stamp a passport. There are places I see where the tourist desk has a stamp and people stamp it themselves. That could render your passport void. In most ports there is a immigration office. You can take it there and ask them to stamp it. I did that in the Bahamas, Jamaca and American Samoa. But there are real official stamps. Be careful.

Glad you liked Antigua. I will go back in Jan.

 

 

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It appears that as the visa is no longer required for Indonesia by Australians and British and New Zealanders Princess are stamping the passports visa free and charging $25? What affect will this have

Edited May 11, 2016 by windsor26

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Good Morning Huatulco ! Early departure 1:30pm

 

 

 

 

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[StLouisCruisers]

Huatulco is a beautiful resort type area built for the cruise ships. Once you check out the shops and restaurants (have a beer and get some free wifi), it's a short walk over to La Crucecita. We enjoyed the little town square and beautiful Catholic Church. Enjoy!

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 126, Puerto Chiapas, Mexico

 

Even though the ship would be in port today, we decided to stay close and spend most of the day onboard and only visit the vendors and restaurant that are right next to the ship. There isn’t any town that is close to the ship and none of the tours interested us.

 

We slept in a little longer than normal and pushed back our room service breakfast to 9am. Judy spent most of the morning knitting and I caught up with some reading and working on the blog. There is a large suitcase next to our bed that we thought about packing but will probably wait until our next sea day before we start packing in earnest.

 

 

Around 3PM we left the ship and wandered over to the pool and thatched roof pavilion that held a small restaurant. We saw a few people we knew sitting by the pool and chatted for a bit. There were only a handful of people there since it was later in the afternoon and many people decided to stay on the ship and sit by the pools on Deck 8 rather than venture down to the dock.

 

 

After looking around the pool area, we walked over to the large thatched roof building a couple hundred yards off the bow off the ship. Here is where we found about a dozen shops surrounding a small performance area. WiFi was available here for $5 per hour or $3 per half hour. I didn’t use this service so I can’t comment on the speed. We spent about 15 minutes strolling by the shops and only stopping in one to buy a keychain and some post cards.

 

About 1 hour after we went ashore we were back on the ship and went to the Lido for a snack and to watch the Sail Away. We left on time backing most of the way out of the harbor before spinning around to head out to sea. Near the harbor entrance we sailed by a beach area with a long pier full of people who were waving Bon Voyage to us.

 

We were invited to a “Collectors Voyage Guest Cocktail Reception” at 7:15 in the Crows Nest. This was for the 33 remaining world cruisers. As we entered, we were greeted the Captain, Hotel Director and The Cruise Director. We were seated in small groups that were hosted by one of the officers present. We were joined by Nyron, the manager of shore excursions, and had a wonderful time. He now lives in Capetown, South Africa, and we all invited ourselves to his house during the 2018 world cruise. There was an open bar and waiters were passing around some of the best appetizers we have had at one of these events.

 

The reception ran right up against dinner time, and probably lasted longer, but we had to get to our table at 8pm. Most people were still enjoying themselves as we excused ourselves to head to dinner.

 

Dinner was wonderful as always and we always enjoy the interesting conversations about people’s daily adventures.

 

Tonight’s show was a cast production called “Nations” which showcased singing and dancing from various countries around the world. We saw this show near the end of the World Cruise, and enjoyed seeing it again. The ending of this show always puzzles me – the final number is an exciting Irish Dance number that features only the dancers. At the conclusion of this number, the show ends and everyone comes out for final bows. Usually the final number includes the entire cast for a high energy close as opposed to just the dancers. It was an outstanding final number, but just when I was expecting the singers to reappear for the Big Finish – Gene’s voice filled the room and started his series of acknowledgments. After most shows, Gene appears for a final wrap up and provides an overview of the next day’s activities. However, for these HAL Cast shows he is limited to reciting from a set script off stage so the ambiance of the show’s finale can linger as long as possible.

 

 

The activity in the Casino has cratered on this cruise. There was more activity during the world cruise with 500 less passengers. I noticed that the prices of the Texas Hold’em tournament has been lowered to $30. We haven’t had a tournament since before the Panama Canal. We will see if lower price draws more people tomorrow afternoon.

 

More on the blog at http://www.theinsidecabin.com

[cccole]

The photo of the Amsterdam on May 9 is just beautiful. I think this could have won the photo contest!!!!!!!, and should be used by HAL for promotional material. Have they added alternate ports if the tenders will not be available on the last ports of call? Still looking for and enjoying your posts every day!!!! Cherie

[The-Inside-Cabin]

The photo of the Amsterdam on May 9 is just beautiful. I think this could have won the photo contest!!!!!!!, and should be used by HAL for promotional material. Have they added alternate ports if the tenders will not be available on the last ports of call? Still looking for and enjoying your posts every day!!!! Cherie

 

 

 

Judy took that picture with her IPhone using panoramic mode.

 

They extended Puerto Vallarta to 11pm instead of Cabo and substituted San Francisco for Santa Barbara

[cccole]

Personally, I love Puerto Vallerta and would rather have a day in SF than Santa Barbara so those changes sound good to me. We have wonderful memories of adventures in PV. Thanks for the update!!!!!!! Cherie