Journey with Bill & Mary Ann on the 2016 fall Tales of the South Pacific - 53 days

[WCB]

Report #49 Sailing Towards San Diego, California November 11, 2016 Friday Sunny & 88 degrees 6 Pictures

 

Today was one of the nicest days we have had as far as the weather goes. Although a strong wind was blowing across the decks, it was far less humid and nowhere near the predicted 88 degrees that was expected. Eighty degrees may have even been too high. One thing for sure is that we are not missing the muggy days.

 

Breakfast has gotten busier in the dining room, since more folks are coming here to at least try it. Many people are diehard Lido-goers, mostly because they do not want to get up early at 8am. During sea days, the dining room stays open until 9:30am. After that time, you may be turned away.

 

It was a triple holiday today with Veteran’s Day, Armistice Day, and Remembrance Day. To commemorate the occasion, the ship hosted a ceremony in the Queens Lounge at 10:45am with the sounding of the ship’s bells and whistles at exactly 11:11am. It was followed by 2 minutes of silence, then Captain Fred and the onboard clergy concluded with speeches. Most everyone wore their poppy pins as well.

 

Kainoa talked about the Kingdom of Hawaii, which eventually became a state. Only he can tell the story from his birthplace in a passionate way.

 

Later in the day, Terry Greenberg talked about interesting nautical terms that are used in everyday language today.

 

As well as learning to play the ukulele, you could also learn to play the Tahitian log drum. Now that is a new class.

 

We spent a few hours taking in some sun, perhaps about the last of the warmth on this cruise. We are heading north at a rapid pace now, so we expect it to cool off considerably. Comparing the weather from last year at this same time and place, we found that the skies had turned grey, and we had many passing showers. Like it or not, it was a good time to start packing. Already hate the thought of it……

 

We had gotten a mixed message with an email we received this morning regarding the itinerary on the 2017 world cruise. In a nutshell, it was stated that the two day stop in Istanbul would be cancelled due to unrest in that area. This is something we had expected to be announced, so it did not come as a surprise. Two days in Piraeus, Greece (Athens), would be substituted. However, a stop was also going to be made in Istanbul for one day, two days after the original dates. How can political unrest be gone in two days? No more explanation was given, but we surmise that the stop may be considered operational, and no one except those in transit, will be allowed to leave the ship. Just thinking out loud. Time will tell.

 

The ship has been experiencing spotty internet service, so we had problems posting and receiving yesterday. The service has improved a lot since we were onboard last spring, but sometimes in this area of the world, internet is not always the best. In the old days, we could go for days without any signal. One thing that has been nice, is getting back the minutes we wasted trying to get online. It would be nice if there was a notice telling us to forget it. One clue that the internet is down, is their free HAL website. If that page refuses to come up, it is an indication that the system is not working.

 

The further north we travel, the earlier the sun has been setting. Tonight it was at 5:43pm. We filmed it from deck three, joining friends Denise and Howard, as they watched as well. Our days of doing this are soon coming to an end, so we all do not want to miss a single sunset.

 

The dinner menu was not too exciting tonight. It may have been a good Pinnacle Grill evening, but it was converted to Le Cirque, the famous restaurant in New York City. The entrees offered are the same as what you can order at the original restaurant. The price is $49 or a bit more with wine pairing at $69. On past trips, we have been able to use our complimentary dinner credit here, and pay the difference on our shipboard account. Since we have reservations for tomorrow evening, we did not want to do two in a row. Simply too much food……

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 50 Sailing Towards San Diego, California November 12, 2016 Saturday Sunny, rain & 88 degrees

 

Today was Mariner Society Appreciation Day # 1, as tomorrow, there will be a Mariner Appreciation Brunch, Day # 2. It is nice that they are keeping us busy on these numerous sea days. But we’ll get to the details later, since the event took place before dinner.

 

It was surprisingly warm and humid when we went outside for our morning walk. Did not expect that, since yesterday should have been more like today. The big difference was that we had a following wind, just about eliminating the possibility of a cool breeze. We will definitely have to take advantage of this warm day, since we know it will not last much longer.

 

There was a crew fire drill at 9:30am, which is when they normally do it. It seems to always involve hoses spraying out from the bow and the aft quarters. The drift from the spray soaked the lower promenade deck and all those guests who were sitting on the lounges. So much for the walk……

 

Good time to check out Kainoa’s talk on the migrations of the Hawaiians, and their impact to the existing Polynesians. Later, Charlie Urbanowicz lectured on the research of Charles Darwin. He will have a two part series on the subject.

 

Something we usually see more often on a grand voyage, the culinary staff had a stir-fry on the Lido pool deck. It was not called a Mongolian cookout, but we expect it to be similar, if not the same. Woks are used to cook a meal of veggies, meats, and seafood right before your eyes. It is a very popular lunch for lots of folks as well as the staff.

 

The ship sales have been in earnest. Treasures of the South Pacific with pearls was something being promoted by Kainoa, who has been available at his desk for questions about pearls. We may be mistaken, but we thought we saw that he was selling pearl sets. Very highend sculptures were shown, and claim to be exclusive to the Amsterdam. These items are made from silver and come from Mexico. A grand finale art auction is slated for Sunday. Finally, we saw a table of items being sold for 75% off. They are left over from the Alaskan run.

 

We spent quality time at the back pool, and found it so hot, we had to cool off in the pool. Most of the morning, there were a dozen people in there that seemed to never get out. Another trick we discovered was wetting a couple of towels, then putting them over your lounge. They keep you cool as the air circulates through the chair webbing. We lasted back there until 2pm, then headed back to our room for lunch.

 

The weather turned on a dime later in the afternoon. It became cloudy, then dark, and it started sprinkling for the rest of the day. It still was warm and even more sticky than in the morning. Since there was not going to be a sunset, we ended up talking with our British buddies instead of doing our PM walk. Much more fun.

 

We needed to take our laptop to the gals at the front desk to help us download complimentary internet minutes. The format has changed since last May, so we were not too familiar with it. The girl was so helpful and patient as she helped us through the whole process. At least, with her help, we were successful with the transaction, and it followed through to our account onboard. In addition, we learned that we cannot update our new Kindle Fire with the expired games, as they are blocked here. This will be something we will need to do onshore during the next voyage when the apps expire.

 

Finally, the Mariner Cocktail Party was held at two times…..one at 4pm and the second at 6:45pm. Ducking into the back door on deck 5, we watched some of the ceremony and the medals being awarded at the early party. The bar staff is so nice, as they offered us drinks more than once. Even Roger, the beverage manager, wanted to give us a drink, even though we were not invited to this earlier party. We still find it odd that this party was not on a gala evening. Guess only the “grands” will have this on formal nights.

 

So at 6:45pm, we went to the entrance to the Queens Lounge, where we were intercepted by Jennifer, our special Mariner rep from the front desk staff, and Roger, our beverage manager and friend. They escorted us to the port entrance to the lounge, where we were met by Captain Fred and Henk, our hotel director. Gene, the CD, greeted us as well. Seated in the “corral”, or the center of the room behind the dance floor, we joined Dolly, who was already present. Special appetizers, Black Label champagne, and our choice of beverages were already in place. There were only three of us at this later event, as the other President’s Club members went earlier. Gave us a chance to visit with Dolly, who has a gazillion days with HAL. So many, that Gene announced that they do not fit on his page of notes. That is their way of saying that they have no idea how many days she actually has, since she has been sailing with them for many, many years. Dolly told us that she has been on 29 world cruises, so she claims perhaps between 4000 to 5000 pure sea days. Who knows…..maybe more.

 

As always, the two of us and Dolly were called up for photos with Captain Fred and Henk. Then the new medallion holders were announced. The platinum, gold, and silver were not too numerous. But the bronze medals for 100 days were the most awarded. Gene said well over 250 were given tonight. The good thing was that they had the biggest group stand up together for applause. By 7:30pm, the ceremony ended, and anyone that was interested, could have their photos taken with Captain Fred and Henk. The line formed rapidly, and they happily posed for many pictures.

 

Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill, where we ordered one ribeye steak and one order of lamb chops. Both were excellent, but the steak was divine. That was the good news. The bad news was that the clocks had to be turned ahead one hour tonight, so we lose an hour of sleep. That can’t be good. At least this is the last time change, since the clocks at home have already been put back one hour, ending daylight savings time.

 

Four more day to go………

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Scrapnana]

 

The ship sales have been in earnest. Treasures of the South Pacific with pearls was something being promoted by Kainoa, who has been available at his desk for questions about pearls. We may be mistaken, but we thought we saw that he was selling pearl sets.

 

Kainoa was on Westerdam's Hawaii, Tahiti, and the Marquesas cruise in April and was selling pearls.

[fayruz]

Report # 46

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

it has been wonderful reading you :-) do you have a blog or something where I can see some photos? I hope they do this cruise again in 2018 , I'd love to do it

Edited November 14, 2016 by fayruz

[luvteaching]

it has been wonderful reading you :-) do you have a blog or something where I can see some photos? I hope they do this cruise again in 2018 , I'd love to do it

 

Here you go. Their blog has lots of pictures!

 

http://cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.com

 

Karen

[WCB]

Report #51 Sailing Towards San Diego, California November 13, 2016 Sunday Sunny, showers & 79 degrees 10 Pictures

 

Today was “quick-change” day, or six reasons to change clothes. Starting the morning with shorts and t-shirts, we headed off for breakfast in the dining room. We kept it light, because we were invited to the first Mariner Society Brunch at 11am. So there was a short time to get in a walk after breakfast, and get some emailing done.

 

Changing to the required long pants and collared shirts, we attended the hosted meal, sitting with the future cruise consultant, Luciana, and six fellow members of our travel group. Among them was Tom M, our host we have known forever, it seems. What a nice time we had while enjoying a totally new menu for this brunch. The entrees were lamb, salmon, or a quiche-like veggie choice. Dessert was key lime pie, one of our favorite treats. Naturally, champagne flowed throughout the meal. Bet there will be a few naps in order among the many guests this afternoon……And as a gift, we all received the signature tile of the Amsterdam and the Rotterdam, but a new design.

 

The affair ended by noon, then the dining room had to be cleaned up, and ready for the second lunch at 1pm. The staff is terrific to pull this off.

 

Then it was back to the room to change for the pool. The sun had been out earlier, and now there were a few clouds popping up. If we were to get any sun, it would have to be now. Unlike yesterday when there wasn’t a breeze, the wind was actually blowing today. Still warm, it was most pleasant. Every now and then, it began spritzing, but it felt good. We stuck it out until 3pm, then headed in to watch a movie in our room.

 

Also at 3pm, was the Filipino Crew Show in the Queens Lounge. Both levels of the showroom were filled, and the guests loved the show. So much talent among the crew.

 

Back to shorts and t-shirts, we watched Hell or High Water, a good flic about bank robbers and the Texas rangers that hunted them. Good actors and an equally good theme kept us entertained until almost 6pm. We ducked outside to see if there was a possibility of a sunset, but there were too many clouds and heavy rain showers on the horizon. The good news was that Jack and Shirley shared their lunch experience with us. As they will be shortly getting into the President’s Club, they were seated with Captain Fred and two other ladies, one already in the club and the other very close to it like them. Four invited guests that were supposed to be there did not show up, and failed to inform the staff. Awkward, especially for the Captain, who seldom hosts a table on these cruises.

 

The final change of the day was for the last Gala evening on this cruise. We suspect that some guests have been ignoring the dress suggestion of the evening, because they put a reminder not to wear shorts or jeans tonight in the dining room. Furthermore, the suggested dress code is asked to be followed throughout the entire evening.

 

We had a guest join us…..Ian, the Staff Engineer, we believe. He had hosted our table on another occasion, but we were at the Captain’s Dinner that night. Our tablemates had said he was delightful, and we can agree, as we truly enjoyed his company. Actually, he looked quite familiar to us, as we did to him. Guess we have been on many of the same voyages together, although our paths have never officially crossed. We did get a kick out of sharing our memories of the problems with the ship’s platforms and the wrecking of the tender boat # 11 while on this year’s world cruise. In fact, he happened to be one of the officers that donned swim trunks, still wearing a uniform shirt, and walk in the surf to bring water to the stranded guests.

 

All the good entrees were on the menu this evening like filet mignon and lobster tails, arctic char, a huge ravioli, and rack of veal. We had the veal and it was to die for…….tender, tasty, and ample. Mashed potatoes too. The most-ordered dessert was the flourless chocolate cake, with raspberry sauce, and a dollop of whipped cream. Oh, it is going to be so hard to go back to normal when we get home…………

 

We lingered with coffee and a continued discussion until 10pm. Time to go to the show, which was the second performance by The Unexpected Boys. Tonight they did their new Broadway tunes from The Great White Way. They were very well-received as the crowd loved it.

 

Oh yes, the last change of the evening…pj’s. That makes six changes for the day. And who says we don’t have any fun???

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[easyboy]

Here you go. Their blog has lots of pictures!

 

http://cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.com

 

Karen

Thanks. Nicer to browse.

[fayruz]

Here you go. Their blog has lots of pictures!

 

http://cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.com

 

Karen

 

Love you :-) Happy thanksgiving to all

[WCB]

Report # 52 Sailing Towards San Diego, California November 14, 2016 Monday Sunny & 88 degrees 12 Pictures

 

Sunny? Well not exactly. Cloudy was more like it, with a little sun peeking out at times. No way was it 88 degrees, but perhaps 70 something degrees. The wind was a factor in keeping it cooler today. Remember when we were complaining about a zero breeze? Watch out what you wish for, because today’s winds were brutal at times. Yesterday, the sea swells got deeper, and the waters were choppy. We were and still are getting some significant pitching and rolling as we are hitting areas near Acapulco now. The difference is that we are not near the coast, but arriving much further away from land. We knew the balmy hot weather was going away soon.

 

During our walk this morning, we found that the remaining narrow ceiling panels had been removed from the lower promenade deck. Most of the perforated metal strips were so rusted that they were fallen down in pieces anyway. The pipes and drains on the opposite side have been repaired or replaced, and the insulated pipes have been heavily painted white. It looks 100% better, and by keeping it open, fixing leaks should be a breeze now. In fact, there should be no more leaks for a long time.

 

Kainoa talked about the history of the hula at 10am, followed by Charlie U continuing his talk about Charles Darwin. Hard to cover such a fascinating subject in a couple of days, but he kept it interesting.

 

We spent probably the last day at the aft pool, literally holding on to our lounges as the wind whipped around us. Occasionally, the pool water drifted over our heads, and for a while, it felt good. Only the serious outdoor folks were out there today. One gal we know from Southern California mentioned she might have to tie herself down with bungee cords. She certainly has the towels secured with those cute clips from a famous bed and bath store. In order to get our suitcases down in weight before we left home, our clips had to be left behind.

 

At 3pm, there was the traditional Indonesian Crew Show in the Queens Lounge. We had to squeeze in the back door on deck five to see some of it. Lots of crew members had snuck in there to watch their buddies on the stage. Just about everyone was in there, which is nice for the crew. They really put a lot of work into this performance, practicing on their own free time. Normally, they use the free time to sleep in between shifts. So we all appreciated their effort.

 

We ordered room service Caesar salads and a chicken sandwich to share. Our order was complete and very good. Since it was so cloudy and threatening rain, we stayed inside to watch a movie, The Duel. Once again, it was a western and at times, brutal. Glad we did not live back in those pioneer days. Took a hearty breed of folks to survive.

 

Our travel group met in the Piano Bar at 7pm for a farewell party, hosted by Tom M. Since there were only about 20 of us, we fit comfortably in the smaller venue. This was nice for a change, as we are always in the Explorer’s Lounge on the world cruise. Hard to visit with so many guests. Tonight, a very nice single lady from southern California asked to join us. During our conversation, we discovered we had things in common, such as our previous travel agency that no longer exists. We had drinks of our choice, and trays of never-ending appetizers of caviar, shrimps, quiche, and pate.

 

Dinner followed and we ordered one fish and chips, and one Asian chicken meal. They had run out of the Asian noodles, and substituted linguine instead. It worked fine. As always, we all go silent when the sweet treats arrive. We get lost in the sugar rush. Obviously, we are going to miss this too, as we do not do dessert at home.

 

There was a variety show tonight: Bettine Clemen, the flautist, and Garry and Janine Carson, the Vegas magic and comedy act. Trying to stay up for it.

 

Back at our room, we had received our disembarkation package with one customs form and luggage tags. We have the option of getting off from 8am to 9:20am, or whenever we get cleared from the local authorities. That should not be a problem, since most everyone is disembarking tomorrow, as this is the end of the Tales of the South Pacific. There are a few folks continuing on back to Hawaii, and some will stay on through the world cruise.

 

Anyway, guess it is time to start the packing…………

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #53 Sailing Towards San Diego, California November 15, 2016 Tuesday Sunny & 80 degrees 23 Pictures

 

Another day at sea, but one without a lot of rain clouds. It was definitely cooler, but with the sun out, it was perfect.

 

When we went to breakfast, we found that the staff had decided to do a special “Sunday-style” brunch from 11am to 1pm. So the center of the dining room was closed to the guests. We were relocated in the back, but did not have our usual waiters. Sometimes it takes a change like this to realize how quickly we have been spoiled. Not that the new waiters are not good, they just don’t know what we like. There were no yogurts and blueberries waiting on the side counter. Actually most all the blueberries are gone now, unless the waiter knows you, and you order blueberry pancakes with 30 berries on the side. Otherwise, they say no berries for you. We are trying to order bacon not so crispy/almost burned. We tried for medium-cooked, but it still came crunchy to brittle. Perhaps tomorrow, we will ask for limpy, and see what comes.

 

After breakfast, we ran into Ian, the staff engineer, who was conducting some of his crew members on some work being done on the lower promenade deck. He confirmed that all of the narrow panels in the ceiling on both side are going to be discarded. All the pipes that have been hidden, will be fixed or replaced, and insulated and painted white. It looks better already. This should have been done a long time ago.

 

The aft deck was almost crowded today with new sunbathers trying to get a little color before disembarking. Even though it was cooler, the sun could still burn you. Very deceiving when the breeze is blowing.

 

The guest speakers are on their final talks, while sales were taking place around the ship. The photo department is pushing their photos, but we have no idea of the price of the pictures. It is not posted anywhere that we could see. Gift watches were the hot item, and the Le Vian collection was available in the ship’s shop. Park West held their final art auction in the Ocean Bar. Since we are outside most of the day, we miss all of this. Maybe avoid is a better word.

 

Also in the mail this morning were everyone’s shipboard account bills. We have not exceeded our credit, and we even were surprised to find an additional $50 plus tacked on to the account. Seems we were due a refund on some more port taxes. We are certain the passengers were happy about that.

 

We spent some afternoon time packing one suitcase, writing comments on the new let us know cards, and figuring out some extra tips for waiters and room stewards. Now all we have left are two more suitcases, and we will be ready to go.

 

Before dinner, we went to deck three for a quick walk to see how far the sun had gone down. It was fairly windy, and one of us did not realize that one earring had fallen off accidently. From there, we headed up to deck nine, where the wind was howling. That’s when we noticed the earring was missing. Thinking it was lost up there, we back-tracked, but came up with nothing. Not that it was an expensive set, it was more like a keepsake from Brazil many years ago. Convinced it was gone forever, we went back down to deck three to talk to Shiv, in case we did not see him tomorrow. Just then, a woman that we have never seen before, stopped us and asked where the dining room was that had a view of the water at the front of the ship. Obviously, she was confused. She admitted that every time she leaves her room, she gets lost. While we were chatting, she suddenly said she had my earring. No way. Funny thing…..I was just about ready to take the other earring off before we saw her. She had found it in the gutter on deck three and was on her way to the front desk with it. With over 1000 passengers on this ship, what are the odds we would connect at the time we did. Shiv said it was kharma. By the way, we brought the lady into his office, and he seemed to know where she was trying to find. It was La Fontaine dining room on deck four. Only it is located in the aft, not the front. She was most happy that she found the owner, as was I.

 

Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill. Something we need to remember is that lots of folks book dinner in there towards the end of the trip. It was the most crowded we have ever seen it, even at 8pm. Something told us that it was over-booked as we had to wait almost 20 minutes for a table to be set. Perhaps they are understaffed in this restaurant too. Once we were seated, we waited even longer, but once our order was taken, our meal arrived at a steady pace. It was worth the wait for the delicious Caesar salads and the bone-in ribeye steaks. We savored every bite all the way from the start to the desserts of a soufflé and cherry Garcia ice cream.

 

The entertainment were the singers and dancers of the Amsterdam. The theme was Love Crazy, promising to be an uplifting and heartfelt experience. And it was……..

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #54 Sailing Towards San Diego, California November 16, 2016 Wednesday Sunny & 80 degrees

 

Once again, we are not certain where the daily forecast comes from. It is not from looking out the window, and reporting what is really happening. Yes, it was occasionally sunny, but that was in between clouds and rain showers. The seas were rough all through the night, and got worse during the day. The winds blowing across the decks were clocked at 42 knots. Temperatures were nowhere near 80 degrees, but a cool 60 or less, not counting the wind chill. This is more like the California coast we know well during the month of November.

 

On Deck for a Cause was held at 10am, with another 5K non-competitive walk on the lower promenade deck. They raise money for six international cancer organizations, and the walkers get a complimentary t-shirt for their donation. If it wasn’t so cold outside, they may have had a bigger turnout. Of course, we think this was the third walk since we boarded in Seattle back in September. Many folks had already been there and done that. We did enjoy the music that was played during the walk, which lasted until 11:30am. They tend to play tunes from the 60’s and 70’s, which we remember well.

 

The hallways were full of guests lugging their stuffed suitcases down to deck three. There is a scale outside the Head Housekeeper’s office, so many people took advantage of it. It would be nice if these scales were on each passenger deck, saving the people from using the elevators. One fellow jokingly told us that he wished he could flush his extra stuff down the toilet. At least we think he was joking….. We always bring our handheld digital luggage scale, which works well if the ship is not moving a whole lot. You need to take an average of several readings, since the scale varies at least a pound over or under.

 

We forgot to mention that we went to the final farewell champagne show in the Queens Lounge yesterday. Always sad to say goodbye, but the new video that is shown with the crew and staff is hysterically funny. The first time we saw it on the world cruise this year, we really had a good laugh. This clip was a mix of the original, and definitely shots from this particular cruise. Ended on a really high note. There is no more disembarkation talk…..just documents sent to your room a couple of days ago. Directions were given for putting our luggage out before midnight this evening, what we need to pack and what we need to keep in hand carrys, and the ID and keyroom card we will need to check out. The customs form was included in the envelope. Disembarkation times were listed according to the colored luggage tags. If all goes well with getting cleared with the local officials, disembarking will begin at 8am. That usually never happens that early, but there is always a first time.

 

Packing did not take too long, as we had brought the minimum of stuff this trip. Finally got the clothes down to a small amount. With complimentary laundry and a one to two day turn-around, we never ran out of anything. Sure love that perk. Just a reminder, it really helped having brought pre-spotter with us, as the laundry has not always gotten some spots out. Modern detergents used here are not quite as strong as what we use at home. Fruit extracts are used in the dry cleaning machines….not toxic, but not as good either.

 

We took the time to secure our table for the 2017 world cruise while we are still onboard. Philip, the dining room manager, gladly took our request for us and all of our tablemates. He even put it in writing, and delivered it to our room within an hour or so. He even secured it for the 2018 world cruise, since we have that deposited on record too.

 

At 2pm, we watched a room movie, The Legend of Tarzan. It was pretty entertaining, and not at all what we had expected. Far better than trying to walk the decks that were getting sprayed with sea mist and stronger than ever winds. Everyone we know to expect on the outside deck was not there, probably packing like everyone else. Except for Jack and Shirley who are staying on, going back to Hawaii for two more times. Hope the seas are going to be better for their sailing.

 

There was a guest talent show at 2pm. Missed it to watch the movie, so maybe it will be televised later. Or maybe not.

 

Last minute sales included Merabella Luxury gemstones at up to 50% off. Key words: up to. The casino was busy with folks trying to get their losses back. Good luck………..Clearance sales at the shops, also “up to” 75% off. The busiest corner belonged to Luciana, who was taking last minute future cruise deposits at the $100 per person deposit. You cannot go wrong doing this as the deposit is good for up to 4 years, when it is refundable. Extra shipboard credit makes it worth it.

 

Lastly, the spa special included a 20-20-20 combo for $99. Twenty minutes each of scalp, shoulder, and neck massage, hot stone massage, mini facial, lime and ginger exfoliation, or foot and ankle massage. After packing all day, that might be a bit of heaven, don’t you agree?

 

The final show in the Queens Lounge was held at 7:15pm. It featured Darlene and the HAL Cats, their last concert. Somehow, we managed to miss their performances, but heard they were a whole lot of fun.

 

At dinnertime, we heard all about the passenger talent show. According to Sylvia, it was brilliant…..spoken by a true Brit. In her opinion. some of the acts were quite good, especially the singers. We know for a fact that some of the fellows had plenty of practice at the late night karaoke sessions in the Crows Nest. Meaning to go up there sometime during this cruise, we never seemed to make it.

 

Dinner was great as always. Six of us showed up to share the final evening together and re-live the special islands we visited on this trip. Funny thing about tonight, it has been the roughest, rock and rolling day we have had in 53 days. Guess we can consider that a good thing. Sure made it difficult for the waiters to serve us, being much more careful than any other day. The dining room seemed to be much less full as well. With the disembarkation tomorrow, many folks called it an early evening.

 

Hopefully, we will cross paths with this lovely group again in the future, as it was a delight getting to know them. Wishing them all a safe trip home to Alabama and England, we called it a night ourselves.

 

Luggage lined the hallway as we made our way slowly to our room. Did not appear that any of the suitcases had been moved yet, so we guess the fellows will start later and be done by midnight.

 

Looking forward to a rock and rolling sleep….a real feeling that we are at sea and on a ship. Should be in San Diego before 7am. At this point at 11pm, we are 110 nautical miles from San Diego, and have traveled a total of 13,510 nautical miles for this entire cruise. And we have done it entirely in the mighty Pacific Ocean.

 

It’s has been our pleasure sharing another trip with you all. And we will be back soon…………

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Love the beach]

Thank you....I have enjoyed traveling along with you...have looked forward to your daily posts! Safe trip home.

[alsas]

Great blog thanks for posting safe travels home and see you onboard our home Amsterdam

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[FinlandGuy]

Thank you for sharing this nice journey with us.

[tonto524]

I add my thanks for another enjoyable and informative vicarious cruise ! Now get home and pack for the next one, please !

Linda

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Mystymom]

As always traveling through the two of you was pure joy! Your pictures are really amazing! Thank you for taking the time to post about your wonderful experience. I am looking forward to "traveling with you" on the 2017 World Cruise. I wish you a safe trip home and a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Also, safe trip back to the Amsterdam in January. Evelyn

[kftw]

Thank you for taking us along with you.

[WCB]

Report #55 San Diego, California November 17, 2016 Thursday Sunny & 75 degrees 16 Pictures

 

For the first time this 53 day cruise, we had some trouble sleeping tonight. The seas remained rough, even though there was no storm, the swells were significant. Could be something to do with the sea water temperatures changing from warm to cold as we headed north. Adding to the rocking and rolling, the lugging of the suitcases down the hallway lasted well after 1am. It might have been our imagination, but we could have sworn we heard the fellows singing as they worked. They sure do seem to like their jobs, even this one.

 

We were up at 5:30am, which is torture these days for one of us. If we wanted to make breakfast in the dining room from 6:30 to 8am, we needed to be ready to go for the day. It was going to be a long one, so eating a good stick-to-the-ribs breakfast was in order. Our Concord buddies, Denise and Howard were already dining at their favorite table. You can tell that they are really nice folks, because many of the guests and waiters stopped to say goodbye to them. Of course, we already knew that.

 

The Amsterdam sailed quietly into the beautiful San Diego harbor very early in the darkness of the early morning. That was good, since it may help expedite the disembarkation process.

 

We have a word or two about the final disembarkation. Does it ever go off as planned? Seldom. It most definitely is not the fault of the staff or crew, but due to the fact that a few people do not attend the mandatory custom’s inspections for all non US citizens. Now maybe, they do not understand the directions we all received a few days ago, but we do know that a face-to-face inspection is required and it is held in the Hudson Room early in the morning. So, at least six passengers had not attended the meeting, and had to be summoned after 8am, the time we were supposed to be cleared. Absolutely no one is allowed to leave the ship until we are cleared by the local authorities. For 20 minutes or more, these people were called by room number, names, and probably called “ not-so-nice names” by 8:30am. Gene, our cruise director, finally came on the PA and begged for these people to show their faces. Finally……we were cleared.

 

The first called off were those who were sailing onward, which were only a handful. Then, those folks who could lug off their suitcases and hand carrys off, got expedited cards with an X on it. Most of these people got off without a hitch, unplugging the already crowded hallway on deck two. That was not to last long.

 

Thinking that at least the stairway was emptied, we went to get in line. We should have been next with our pink #1 and the rest of the expedited guests. That’s when someone decided that the automated gangway that connects to the terminal building was not lined up correctly and was unsafe. You could see the panic in some of the passenger’s eyes, as they had booked flights around 10am, and were in fear of losing them. Not a good time to realize that booking flights that early are never a good idea. In theory, they should be OK, but not when we don’t get cleared on time. It puts too much pressure on you, and eventually the staff, who end up taking the brunt of your frustrations. In fact, the more seasoned guests who face longer flights with several connections, choose to spend the night in the final port. That’s what our tablemates, Bill & Sylvia did, thus avoiding the need to get off fast. Great idea. Sylvia thought so, because she will be happy to do her final shopping while here.

 

Funny story: one couple that were standing in line with green # 2 had pulled their tags off, and pretended to be expedited. People we did not even know told us to watch them. Wow, this sure brings out the worst in people. As it turned out, it took almost ½ hour for the dock workers to get the gangway correctly positioned. It was near 9:30am when we were finally able to go. The staff member who was announcing pink #1 tags off first, was not going to let anyone else exit. So ripping off tags did not work. There has to be a better way to disembark the passengers here, and we are sure, they will be working on it. Our last impression should not be pushing or shoving, and seeing guests get nasty with the staff. Hate that….

 

Getting off was easy, finding our 2 pieces of luggage was easier. Then going through the custom’s line was fast. No problems there, ever. Since we do not take the ship’s transfer to the airport, getting a taxi was a piece of cake. Bet it took us less than 10 minutes to get to the terminal, a three mile drive. We arrived before 10am, with plenty of time before our flight.

 

The best thing we could hope for at this point was to get “TSA” pre-check on our tickets. Oh yeah, and have our luggage under 50 pounds. Turned out both happened. Well, that made up for our stressful morning.

 

The flight was full, but on time. We boarded before 1pm, and the flight took off at 1:45pm. The only thing we don’t like is the fact that the overhead compartments fill up with what we consider over-size bags. They run out of room almost every flight now. By the time we got settled, served a tiny bag of pretzels, and ½ of a soda, we were landing by 3pm.

 

We were greeted with clear, sunny skies, but a definite chill in the air. Summer is over for sure.

 

Our driver picked us up at 3:45pm. What we did not expect, was a three hour ride home in the worst commute traffic we have seen. We must have passed by 6 tow trucks, clearing accidents on the 40 or so mile ride to Clayton. At least we knew our driver, Kenny, who we have met many times over the last few years. He kept us entertained with up-to-date local news and some pretty funny jokes. The three hours did go by faster that way.

 

We pulled into our driveway by 7pm, ate a quickly made light meal, and headed straight to bed. It had been a very long day, but we would do it again in a heartbeat, since we had a fabulous time on the good old Amsterdam.

 

We have 6 weeks to enjoy the upcoming holidays, and get ready for the next big cruise when we leave January 1st. And as we already said, we will be back……………

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[bcnvcanada]

Thanks again for taking us along on one of your wonderful cruise adventures.

For those of us who aren't able to cruise much, we so enjoy your detailed adventures. We can hardly wait to again begin another cruise. Thanks.

[MMDown Under]

Happy Thanksgiving, Bill and Mary Ann,

 

You give a lot of pleasure to a lot of people, as we travel along with you on your adventures. Looking forward to your 2017 World Cruise.

[KNOT2L82SAIL]

It has been so great "sailing" along with you. Your posts will be missed.

 

Very glad that you safely made it home.

and now..... looking forward to the next adventure with you. :D

[dchip]

Here we are on Sunday morning ready to start ready your blog. It is going to be so much fun reliving this cruise every morning. It should take us through to the start of your next journey.

 

We loved everything about our cruise especially meeting the two of you. We will be in touch.

 

Thanks again for all you do. Your blog is a true labor of love.

 

Cheers, Denise and Howard

[easyboy]

Thanks again for your interesting review. Really worth the read.