LIVE from the 2018 HAL Grand World Voyage!

[Copper10-8]

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Returned to my cabin after trivia but my steward was still in my cabin so I spent some time out on my deck. I was surprised the LRAD machine (Long Range Acoustic Device) was uncovered. Found out later that there are pirates in the are we are headed for and these machines will help protect us even though the chances of an attack on a ship this size are slim.

 

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Did you know Amsterdam has two LRAD's? One on port and one on starboard side of your deck and they are remotely controlled. They will for sure be uncovered and ready to go between Sri Lanka and South Africa. You will see barbed wire, fire hoses and there will be a passenger/crew drill

[J&Dhighdesert]

Kathie, llke everyone else, I’m enjoying your details and pictures. You mentioned reading when you have time. I also enjoy reading while I am on the ship. What are some titles you have chosen to read on the cruise? In past, the librarian has chosen some books to read and discuss. Is this happening on this cruise?

Thanks

Jo

[scluvsrain]

Is the fruit about the size of a plum maybe and have a hard snakeskin like cover/peel? If so it is called salak.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Scrapnana]

Did you know Amsterdam has two LRAD's? One on port and one on starboard side of your deck and they are remotely controlled. They will for sure be uncovered and ready to go between Sri Lanka and South Africa. You will see barbed wire, fire hoses and there will be a passenger/crew drill

The letter we received says there are four LRAD machines although I have only seen "my" two. The crew is having an anti-piracy drill tomorrow morning at 9:30.

[Scrapnana]

Did the planes disturb your sleep?

No, they were better than counting sheep. I was asleep before the third one flew by.:D

[Scrapnana]

Kathie, llke everyone else, I’m enjoying your details and pictures. You mentioned reading when you have time. I also enjoy reading while I am on the ship. What are some titles you have chosen to read on the cruise? In past, the librarian has chosen some books to read and discuss. Is this happening on this cruise?

Thanks

Jo

The first two books I read were by former HAL Captain Hans Mateboer that I purchased on-line before the cruise. They were very good and are being passed around from friend to friend.

 

There is a "book club" but I don't know anybody who is participating so I don't know what they are reading.

[Scrapnana]

Is the fruit about the size of a plum maybe and have a hard snakeskin like cover/peel? If so it is called salak.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We tried it at dinner. Does not make my top ten favorite fruit list.;p

[Scrapnana]

Benoa, Bali, Indonesia – February 27, 2018

 

After the long, strenuous excursion yesterday, I was glad to have no plans for today. I slept until 9:15 and leisurely got dressed and ready to check out the stalls outside the ship. Bought a number of things before I headed back to the terminal to try the free wi-fi. There were not very many people trying to use it but it was still very, very slow. The only thing I could do was delete junk e-mails. I couldn’t get facebook to even load.

 

The cabin stewards are from Indonesia and many of them had friends and family visiting. We were given a card to put in our mail slots with a message if you were willing to go without cabin service for the two days. Virtually everybody filled them out and posted them. When I returned to my cabin my steward knocked on my door to ask if I needed something. I told him I did not and to go enjoy his visitors.

 

Changed into my bathing suit and headed to the Lido for lunch. By 1 pm I was in the very warm pool. Hard to believe it was only a few days ago that the water was freezing cold! I swam and sat in the (very hot) sun for almost two hours before coming back to change for trivia.

 

There were only 12 for trivia (none from my team) so we divided into two groups. The team I was on came in second. ☹ (The first two are the ones we missed.)

1)What is the real first name of rock star Prince?

2)What decade was the first Indy 500?

3)What did you require to get legal alcohol during Prohibition?

4)Where was RMS Titanic built?

5)What war was in Lord of the Flies?

 

Had my afternoon ice cream and read until time for 5:00 trivia. Rodney and Marilyn were not there but the rest of the team was. We had 13 while the winners had 16 (out of 17).

1)What holds a bit in a drill?

2)How many major Hawaiian Islands are there?

3)What smelly garden flower’s name means “nose twister”?

4)What is the birthplace of George Bernard Shaw?

5)In which country was the Battle of the Bulge fought?

 

Knitted some before dinner and put away my purchases. We had a very interesting menu tonight and for the main course I had sweet and sour crocodile. I also took my mystery fruit to dinner. Nobody at my table had ever seen one before. It is called a snake fruit which made sense because of the skin. I cut it open and we all tried it. It tasted like a very dry pear to me.

 

The show tonight was an illusionist and I skipped it.

 

3:30 trivia…

1)Prince

2)1910s

3)prescription

4)Belfast

5)WWII

 

5:00 trivia…

1)chuck

2)8

3)nasturtium

4)Dublin

5)Belgium

[whogo]

Benoa, Bali, Indonesia – February 26, 2018 Wow, did I pick the wrong tour! My tour was sponsored by my travel agency but it was basically the same as HAL’s “Historic and Scenic Bali”. It was 9 hours long and...

kept you from posting trivia questions and answers. I missed them. I look forward to all your "Live from" posts.

[Copper10-8]

The letter we received says there are four LRAD machines although I have only seen "my" two. The crew is having an anti-piracy drill tomorrow morning at 9:30.

 

The other two are portable and known as "hyper spikes" - The drill later on will include passengers

[Wehwalt]

I recall doing an anti-piracy drill when I was on the old Ocean Princess Singapore-Rome in 2014. If I recall correctly, we had to go to our cabins, leave the doors open, lock balcony door and put the blackout drapes in place. Something like that.

[Copper10-8]

I recall doing an anti-piracy drill when I was on the old Ocean Princess Singapore-Rome in 2014. If I recall correctly, we had to go to our cabins, leave the doors open, lock balcony door and put the blackout drapes in place. Something like that.

 

New philosphy being taught is to still get away from windows/balconies and other exteriors, but also staterooms themselves, and take shelter in interior corridors (sit on the floors) as well as elevator/stairway lobbies

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad that the planes didn't bother you while sleeping -- the long tour day wore you out.

Sounds like you had a wonderful relaxing day.

We watch the Food Channel quite a bit and this is the first I have ever heard of a snake fruit.

[Krazy Kruizers]

kept you from posting trivia questions and answers. I missed them. I look forward to all your "Live from" posts.

 

 

We missed the trivia questions yesterday as well.

[erewhon]

Enjoying your reports.

That was a long excursion in the heat.

Did you know ahead of time to BYOP?

[bennybear]

That fruit sounds interesting! And crocodile for dinner?

 

Copper, glad they are doing so much to keep safe.

[Scrapnana]

Enjoying your reports.

That was a long excursion in the heat.

Did you know ahead of time to BYOP?

For excursions I usually come prepared! :D

[Scrapnana]

At Sea – February 28, 2018

 

It was easy to tell that the pool temperature is warmer because we had 14 for water aerobics. Amanda had to cut class a little short because the anti-piracy drill was set for 9:30. The “When & Where” said guests were “encouraged to participate” but it was not required. When the captain announced it, he asked people who were on deck 3 to stay away from the railing. However, later they moved people off the open decks including the Lido Pool area. I returned to my cabin just a couple of minutes before it was over.

 

They were setting up for “Wines Around the World” so we had to move our Sit and Stitch to the port side. Seven of us present. Stayed until 11:30 when I went to the Ocean Bar for trivia. We had 12 correct and the winning team had 14.

1)Which is the largest of the Balearic Islands?

2)Which artist started the Impressionist Movement?

3)Created in 2009, what was the first decentralized crypto-currency?

4)In what year was the blue M&M introduced?

5)What is the official language of the central government in India?

 

I had Chicken Korma for lunch which was very good. I got used to having Indian meals available in the Lido on Cunard so I was glad to see this. There was a special tropical fruit buffet in the Lido during lunch. Lots of strange fruits including the snake fruit.

 

In arts and crafts we made a birthday card.

 

Read and knit by the Lido pool until it started to rain and they closed the roof which made it stifling hot.

 

Afternoon trivia saw us come in second again with 15 out of 17. Winners had 16.

1)What is a dromophobiac afraid of?

2)Which English writer died on the same day as Cervantes?

3)What is the lowest layer of the Earth’s atmosphere?

4)What 1993 movie was set on Nublar Island near Costa Rica?

5)What is the name of the island Christopher Columbus originally called Juana?

 

Finished reading my book before dinner. I had fruit, lamb kebab, prime rib, and blackberry sundae for dessert. I skipped the show although I am listening to it right now as I finish up the blog!

 

Another sea day tomorrow.

 

Morning trivia…

1)Majorca

2)Monet

3)bitcoin

4)1995

5)Hindi

Afternoon trivia…

 

1)crossing the street

2)Shakespeare

3)troposphere

4)Jurassic Park

5)Cuba

[Happily@Sea]

That's weird about Jurassic Park and Costa Rica; I know they were filming on Kaua`i [Hawai`i] when Hurricane Iniki hit in 1992. I wonder how many other 'location' shots they had?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad that the crew practiced their "pirate" drills.

Did the trivia questions -- DH is just too good for me.

[erewhon]

For excursions I usually come prepared! :D

 

Best to be prepared!:)

[ivanp91]

That's weird about Jurassic Park and Costa Rica; I know they were filming on Kaua`i [Hawai`i] when Hurricane Iniki hit in 1992. I wonder how many other 'location' shots they had?

 

The question isn't insinuating that parts of the film were shot on/near Costa Rica - it's that in the movie (as in the book) Costa Rica is near the fictional location of Isla Nublar :)

[Happily@Sea]

The question isn't insinuating that parts of the film were shot on/near Costa Rica - it's that in the movie (as in the book) Costa Rica is near the fictional location of Isla Nublar :)

 

 

I misunderstood the question then. Thank you, that helps, and I still wouldn't have known the answer then. :D

[cruise pastor]

I could win Jeopardy easier than answering most of these questions!

 

 

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[Scrapnana]

At Sea – March 1, 2018

 

Thanks to those pesky potential pirates MY DECK IS CLOSED! When did I find this out? 3 a.m. this morning. I had been awakened about every 20-30 minutes by something banging on my side wall. When it woke me at 3 I decided to go check it out. I thought maybe the outside door was not latched but that was not the cause. A sign had been roped across the opening saying, “No Admittance”. It was loose and when the wind blew the right way, the sign banged against a red box that l think holds fire equipment. I got back in bed and decided if it was still keeping me awake at 3:30 I would call the front office – even at the risk of becoming “that crazy woman in 6102 who only calls the office in the middle of the night”. I did get back to sleep although I was awakened six or more times over the course of the night. I ended up sleeping until 9:15 missing water aerobics.

 

I went by the front office to report the noise and the lady I spoke with came up with me to see the problem and take a picture. Later in the day I had a message on my phone that she had reported it to the correct department and to call if I had any further problems.

 

Sit and stitch had nine present. Judy Margaret (we have three Judys who we call Judy Margaret, Judy Bob, and Judy Lee) was nice enough to lend me her very special round needles for my next set of socks (I bought the wrong length in Fremantle).

 

Morning trivia gave us 11 points with the winners having 13.

1)How many stars are on the Philippine flag?

2)What was the name of Harry Potter’s pet owl?

3)In which war was the Battle of Jutland fought?

4)Burkina Faso is a landlocked country on which continent?

5)What is the capital of the Yukon Territory?

 

Returned to my cabin after trivia to find my laundry was back so I put it away and then knitted until the captain’s update came on (it was a little early today – it is usually at 12:45).

 

Joined Cyndi and Ed for lunch in the Lido. HAL had brought on coconuts and many people were drinking the coconut milk with their lunches.

 

Arts and Crafts was an Asian coin beaded necklace.

 

Some cruise critic friends had booked my cabin for a future cruise so I gave them a guided tour so they could decide if they could live with the space (or lack thereof).

 

After I had shown them around I went to the front office to change some money into Philippine pesos. I am taking two private tours and needed money for lunch and admissions. It’s good I didn’t wait any longer as they were running out. From the front office I heard the dance lessons in progress in the Queen’s Lounge so I stopped by to take a look. My trivia teammates Rodney and Marilyn enjoy the dance lessons every day.

 

I then had my afternoon ice cream and started my next book before afternoon trivia. We had 12 and one team won with a perfect 17.

1)Who was Abraham’s first son?

2)Where were mangoes first grown?

3)What spice comes from the herb cilantro or Chinese parsley?

4)Who composed the Brandenberg Concertos?

5)What phase must the moon be in for a solar eclipse?

 

After trivia I worked on my sock which I plan to have finished tomorrow.

 

Tonight was a gala night with an all-white theme. Most people looked very nice in their white finery. For dinner I had fruit, cream of celery soup, surf and turf, and apple cheesecake for dessert.

 

The Amsterdam singers and dancer presented “On Tour” as the show tonight.

 

One more sea day until the Philippines.

 

Morning trivia…

1)3

2)Hedwig

3)WWI

4)Africa

5)Whitehorse

 

Afternoon trivia…

1)Ishmael

2)India

3)coriander

4)J.S. Bach

5)new