Hitch a Ride with Bill & Mary Ann on Holland America's 2018 World Cruise - 113 days +

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wonderful reports.

Feel like I am right there with you.

[WCB]

Report # 82 Day atSea March 23, 2018 Friday Partly cloudy & 85 degrees

 

It was a lazy day at sea for us. Having the extra hour on the clocks last nighthas really re-charged our batteries, so to speak. The biggest job of the day was turning in theform for Mozambique, letting the staff know if we needed the visas for thatcountry. Having already gotten thesevisas ahead of time, we do not need to be charged for them onboard. Long story short, we did not want to beworried about getting these visas before we fly to South Africa.

 

The next job was purchasing some Euro, which should beaccepted in the Seychelles. We think thelast time we were in the Seychelles, it was in 2014. And we seem to recall that we used US dollarsto buy lunch. Since we will be going tosome other countries that accept the Euro, if we don’t spent it here, we canlater on in the trip.

 

Last but not least, we had been credited with refunded porttaxes from missing Port Arthur in Tasmania. This was cashable without the 3%fee, so we cashed it. Three jobs done,we set off for the outdoors.

 

It was still very humid and warm today, but there was a goodwind blowing. Clamping down the towelsto the lounges was the only way to keep them there. At least we were not baking likeyesterday. We lasted until 2pm, then leftfor lunch.

 

The Dive In Grill provided one cheeseburger, and a hotdog. And both good. Also a good time to catch a movie.

 

Prime rib was on the dinner menu, and we both orderedit. Once again, the meat wasexcellent, and the best choice from whatwe saw. We were done by 9:15pm, and mostall of us were glad to call it an early evening. Tomorrow will be a long hot day in theSeychelles for sure.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great report.

Like you, when we needed Visas for certain ports, we got them before we got on the ship.

Have a great day in the Seychelles. Looking forward to that report.

[Keith1010]

Those sea days are nice.

 

Keith

[WCB]

Report #83 Victoria,Mahe, Seychelles March 24, 2018 Saturday Partly cloudy & 86 degrees Part #1 Of 4 80 Pictures Sail-In

 

Our port of call for today was an island of the Seychellescalled Mahe. The city was Victoria, theworld’s smallest capital in the world. Thepopulation of the 115 islands comprising the Seychelles is 87,500 people. Since there is a blend of British, French,Indian, African, Chinese, and Arab, the main languages are English, French, andCreole. Many of the foreigners werebrought over as slaves to work in the spice, sugar, and cottonplantations. So today, the influences ofthese cultures are reflected in the music, food, and architecture.

 

The Seychelles are considered a tropical paradise in the IndianOcean with white sand beaches, intoxicating waters, swaying palms and exoticfruit. The best time to visit is Marchto May and September to November. What youwill find here is the rare coco de mer palms that produce suggestivefruit. More about that later. The Aldabra Atoll is home to 150,000 gianttortoises, and the entire area is famous for abundant seafood. Besides diving, snorkeling, boating, and spendingtime on the most gorgeous beaches, it is recommended to do “nothing” if youwish. As long as it is sitting onlounges on one of the remote beautiful beaches.

 

What is there to eat? Two items called trouloulou and teck teck are local varieties ofshellfish. Trademarks are giant tortoises,coco de mer palms, fairy-tale beaches, and coral atolls. The local drink is called calou, a potent palmwine.

 

Five tours were offered through shore excursions today. Three of them were island tours, while theother two were boat excursions. They ranfrom 3 ½ to 7 ½ hours for $115 to $200. Andwe have taken most of these over the years. We had a good idea where we wanted to spend most of our time today. but we would do it on our own.

 

The Amsterdam sailed into the port off Victoria somewherearound 9:30am. Nice, because we wereable to watch the sail into the harbor from the lower promenade deck for achange. Seems like we were just here,although we think the last time we stopped here was in 2014. Not much had changed, except for morecommunities built near the water.

 

Greeted by a band and a team of island dancers, we went offof the ship right behind the first groups that were going on an all day tour. There was no shuttle today, because thedowntown was a favorable distance from the dock location. The bad thing was that it was going to be amost humid and hot day, and a shuttle bus would have saved the folks at least amile of walking in that heat. There werea number of taxis to take the independent guests anywhere they wished.

 

Taking two bottles of water with us, we headed for theBotanical Gardens, turning left at the roundabout. It was perhaps a ¼ mile up the road andthrough a gate. The fee to get in was100 Seychelle rupees, or $20 USD, or 15 euro for both of us. At 13 rupee to the $1 USD, we feel that thefee taker took advantage of that transaction. Or the rate for the rupee to the US dollar had changed since they printedour port guide. Compared to what peoplewere paying for the tours that included this garden, we realized that we weregetting a bargain.

 

The Botanical Gardens is built on a steep hillside and haswell over 200 species of indigenous plants and trees. Some of the unusual ones has to be theelephant apple tree, the octopus tree, and the coco de mer palms. Some of the animal life we saw werewhite-tailed tropicbirds, fruit bats, a hawk, terns, and geese. We did spot a few interesting lizards. But the best sighting was the group oftortoises in a new enclosure up higher in the park. At the old tortoise site, a handful of themwere in a pit. We were welcomed to walk amongthem, and even feed them. We rememberedthat well, since if you were not quick enough to hand them a leaf, they wouldchew on your clothes, or even nip at your legs. Today, we watched the males “chase” the females to mate with them. When motivated, these large tortoises can movepretty fast. When they connected, theywould let out a grunt that drew laughs from the crowd. No privacy at all. If you wanted to hand feed these animals, youhad to pay 50 rupee (about $5USD) to do that. Otherwise, you could not go into the enclosure with them. We did get some good photos of the man thatdid go in.

 

Following the map of the layout, we went up as high as wecould go, then worked our way down to each segment of the park. By the time we spent over an hour here, wewere totally soaked from the heat. Seriously over-heated was more like it. There were many benches everywhere, so we took advantage of most of themjust to cool down. We passed by many people we knew from the ship, as they wereled in groups of 20 by a guide. Manywere struggling as this part of their tour was not for wimps. Considering the age and ability of some ofthe guests, the guides took them on the easier paths. We were so glad to be here with time toexplore and take any path we chose, Evenof it turned out full of steep anduneven stairs or tree roots. We saw itall.

 

A few things stood out among the sites. It had to be the birds we saw. Although they were small in number, we didspot a couple of white-tailed tropicbirds. They are so pretty and graceful in flight. So are the white tern, which are moreabundant. One tree that was the highestin the canopy housed dozens of large fruit bats, most of whom were coolingtheir bodies with spread wings while hanging upside down. One hawk soared overhead, and we saw two darkchubby lizards under our feet. The heatwas so intense today, even the lizardsbarely moved out of our way.

 

The thought of cold beer and perhaps a pizza stood out inour minds. So we made our way downhilltowards the center of town. Passing theNational Library Building, we noticed several cruise passengers talking ontheir cell phones. Not so much oncomputers though. Later we learned thatthey did get some free internet, however, after ½ hour they were cut off. This is the area that has a row of woodenshacks offering a variety of island souvenirs. Treasures like pareos, hand bags, t-shirts, and everything “seashell”,we could have been in the middle of Honolulu, and be seeing the identicalitems. And just about as expensive.

 

We came upon the Clock Tower (1903) called Little Ben, as itis a replica of the clock tower outside the Victoria Station in London. This conservative clock was erected tocelebrate the Seychelles becoming an English colony. All of the streets in central downtown housesome of the pastel-painted wooden houses with corrugated tin roofs andwrought-iron balconies. Walking further,we saw the Old Courthouse and the Museum of Natural History. Many modern buildings dwarfed the oldstructures.

 

The biggest disappointment of the day was finding that thesecond-story restaurant/bar we had found pizza and beers was closed. There was no sign suggesting that it wouldopen later in the evening either. Looking up and down every street, we found no cafes or barsanywhere. Darn…….

 

Following the map we get from the ship was a waste oftime. Where a pub with food was listed,there was a new construction going up, fenced for an entire block. And since today was a Saturday, most all ofthe shops had closed for the day at 12:30pm.

 

At this point, we decided we needed more to drink than the two bottles of waterwe had brought with us. Rememberingthere were a couple of places near the small boat marina near the Jardin desInfants, we located one quayside bar to get a Seybrew beer. They were ½ liter size and cost 5 euro each. The only food available was take-out Chinese,and only the locals were ordering it. Infact, the only guests here were local fishermen.

 

We made our way back to the ship and the wonderful cool air-conditioning. But not before going through the few tentedtables of Seychelle souvenirs. Thevendors had a few t-shirts left, but mostly in all of the wrong sizes. Seeing a cotton pareo with the print oftropicbirds on it was also a possibility. But when seeing at closer inspection that it had a hole in it, thevendor would not go down any more than $1 less. She added that she had dyed thefabric from beige to turquoise, because it was soiled. Really? Once it was washed, the color would probably fade once again. Nope, she was welcomed to sell it to someonewith less than perfect eyesight. So wewalked away with nothing. By the way,the very same silk-like poncho tops were being sold here for $16USD. These were $5 in Phuket.

 

The best bet for lunch was an order from the Dive-InGrill. It was a burger and hot dog forus again, eating in the coolness of our room, and catching up on photo sorting.

 

Going up to deck nine at sunset, we found it had cooled downa tad, but the breeze had stopped. Notone of the eight wind generators were operating now. Guests were arriving back from the all daytour, and heading straight for the souvenir tents. Few folks were walking towards town, mainlybecause most everything was closed for the day. While we were taking the last of the photos of the day, we heard anearby mosque sounding their minarets with the daily prayer. A reminder of the varied religions of this region.

 

All aboard was 10:30pm, so there was no sail awayfestivities. Dinner found only five ofus present. Brenda had returned from herepic journey to the Taj Mahal, but did not come to dinner. Understandable, she had been travelingnon-stop by bus and plane for 6 days. It’shard work traveling.

 

There was a local performance called Creole Cultural Cabaretin the Queen’s Lounge at 9:30pm, one show only. It showcased the culture and tradition of the Seychelles. Nice again, we had not finished dinner, somost of us missed it.

 

The message of the evening read: Of all the books in the world, the beststories are found between the pages of a passport. Author: Unknown. This may have to be amended since with theintroduction of electronic scanning, most stamps in a passport book are notstamps anymore.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great report.

We would sure love to walk through that Botanical Garden and feed the tortoises.

Surprise that there weren't more restaurants opened knowing that a cruise ships was in.

[Keith1010]

Sounds like you two had a wonderful time and appreciate the detailed description of what you did in port.

 

Keith

[jig]

We were twice in the Seychelles. Once a Sunday and then the day after new year. Everything was shut. They really didn’t seem to care if a ship was in port.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[WCB]

Report # 84 Day atSea March 25, 2018 Sunday Partly cloudy & 87 degrees

 

Another day at sea finds that we have headed due south, andare closer to our next port of Reunion. The seas have remained relatively flat,and the heat and humidity are about the same. We could see clouds heavy with rain on the horizon, but they were mostlystaying on the horizon. An occasionalsprinkle may have been welcomed.

 

Sunday at sea was also Sunday Brunch Day in the diningroom. We have come to realize that it isa love or hate event. Many passengershave been really impressed with the small servings, while others are thumbsdown. You can never please everyone.

 

This morning Barbara H had a talk on what to see and do inReunion. We have been to this remoteisland in the Indian Ocean at least twice, and found it quite charming. The first time, we had to tender ashore. But on the last visit, there was a new pierfor cruise ships. Good thing we had acomplimentary shuttle, or we would have had to take taxis to go anywhere. Or take a tour. So we shall listen to her talk to find out ifone will be provided there. We werechatting with friends Eddie and Lee, who are in their 90’s. Without a shuttle, they will not leave theship. That 1 mile walk in the Seychelleswas too far for them, especially in that heat. Even dangerous for us, at their age, it could be much worse.

 

There was a silent auction held in the Atrium withwatercolor art displays from 11am to 2pm. Selected arts and crafts from the enrichmentclasses were up for bid to benefit Mondesa Youth Opportunities. Our buddy Susie had painted several cardswith her signature dotted artwork. Weknow she was able to sell most everything

 

Lectures continued with Indian Ocean trade network andPortuguese and Dutch explorers. And thedance class was all about learning the fox trot. The majority if folks were enjoying afternoontea in the dining room. We have yet tomake it to that affair, since it is around lunch time for us.

 

The Wajang movie was Crooked House, a twisted AgathaChristie tale. This will rerun on TVtomorrow.

 

While listening tothe band in the Ocean Bar, Susie, Woody, and eventully Barb joined us at therailing. Sharing stories of our stay inthe Seychelles, we found that all of us did something different. It wasn’t in our imagination that the heat ofthe day kept many folks close to the ship. We are betting that the vendors in those tents made out quite well thatday. This afternoon, Barb had beeninvited to a special “ladies” lunch in the Pinnacle Grill with the ship’s “first”ladies. They included CEO and Presidentof Carnival Corporation’s wife, Hazel, the Captain’s wife, Karen, and a fewvery high day President Club members that are onboard now. She did admit the lunch was nice, but theselects wine were even better…..the best, in fact.

 

Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill at 8pm. We got our usual table for two at the window,with the best servers in there. Weshared a shrimp cocktail, ordered lamb chops with sides of French fries,mushrooms, and mashed potatoes. Dessertwas Cherry Garcia ice cream, just the right amount too….small servings.

 

The comedy and variety of Goronwy Thom was the entertainmentthis evening. A favorite in the UK, heis described as having years of experience in his field.

 

Going for a late night walk, we found that the fire hoseswere gone on the outside deck, and the lights were back on. So at least for the time being, we must be insafer waters.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Krazy Kruizers]

Glad to hear that the fire hoses, etc. are all cleaned and that the danger is over -- again.

[WCB]

Report # 85 Day atSea march 26, 2018 Monday Partly cloudy & 85 degrees

 

As the Amsterdam gets closer to the island of Reunion, thesea swells and winds have both picked up. It was noticeable when we woke up this morning, and felt the shippitching and rolling. Nothing like wehad back in Tasmania, but enough to make walking a little difficult at times. During his PM talk, Captain Jonathonmentioned that it has been raining in Reunion the last couple of days, so perhapswe are getting some residual waves from it.

 

Doing our morning walk, we thought we were going throughsome isolated rain showers. Odd sincethe skies were mostly blue and the sun was shining. Turned out it was extreme deck and windowcleaning starting from deck nine all the way down to deck three. People sitting in the teak lounges were nothappy about it. Nor have they beenpleased with the week’s-worth of sanding and painting on the lower promenadedeck. Yes, this is always an ongoingproject, but right now it seems that the entire ship has been scoured more thanusual. Good reason……the “big” guys are comingtomorrow. The top head honchos from Seattlethat is. Every nook and cranny has beenpolished and dusted, so the ship appears to sparkle. We can only hope it remains that way for therest of the voyage.

 

A few days ago, we got a reminder to sign up forreservations for the Easter Sunday Brunch. So far, 700 passengers have put their names on the list. We remember when Easter Brunch was a fabulousdisplay in the center of the lower dining room, where trays of food weredisplayed in a most artistic way. Icesculptures were centerpieces to trays of prawns, lobsters, sliced prime rib,lamb chops, etc. In the mix were carvedmelons, veggies “animals”, and the best creations made from bread. There were platters of fruit with a flowingchocolate fountain, and desserts to die for. Chocolate Easter eggs, bunnies, and highly decorated cakes finished themeal. Those days are gone forever. Shut down by safety measures and regulationsthat could not be fixed on the ship. Sonow, it is Sunday brunch, also nice for those who like it. With such a huge reservation list, we think a“monster” has been created.

 

At breakfast this morning, we asked Asep, one of the headwaiters, if he knew how many folks will be going overland out ofMozambique. He only knew the HAL guestson overland tours. That number was 150guests. That does not count the travelagencies that have groups, or the independents like us. Asep promised to find out and give us thattotal tomorrow. He also added that 22people left for African overlands in the Seychelles. They will be coming back in Cape Town.

 

Back at our room, we found an invitation to a MarinerAppreciation Cocktail Party designed just for the folks that will be missing thespecial events while they are off of the ship after March 31st. Orlando Ashford will host this party at4:30pm and also at 7pm on Wednesday the 28th. Since this affair was not on the originallist, we feel enough people have asked about it, and it was graciously added.

 

Spending the afternoon at the Seaview Pool was pleasant, even more so since the temps had fallensomewhat. What we did not anticipatewere the winds. You had to secure thetowels or they would be overboard. Theheat and humidity have dropped a bit since we are heading due south now, andfurther away from the Equator. Suits usjust fine.

 

Lunch was Dive In burgers, which we ate while watching BarbaraH’s talk on Reunion. It would be so niceif her talks were rerun on one station only. No, they are mixed with the lecturer talks. So if you miss it, it is a 2 hour wait. We had missed it all morning. Since we have been here before, we knew theremay be shuttles. We learned that therewill be some buses to take the folks to St. Denis, the capital. Last time, we were taken south to one of thebeaches. We are not certain what we aredoing, since the Captain mentioned it might rain all day tomorrow. In fact, the newsletter for tomorrowmentioned the chance of rain was 90%. Guess we have been lucky with little rain during this voyage, so weshouldn’t complain.

 

The dress code was gala tonight. Most dressed for it, some did not. We had company tonight with John (akacopperjohn on Cruise Critic) the head security officer. He joined the ship inSingapore, and already hosted our table once. However, we were in the Pinnacle Grill with Barb that evening, andmissed him. We asked Philip, our diningroom manager, to send him back, if John wished, and he did. We also invited him a couple of days ago when we finally ran into him on theLido. We all enjoyed his many stories heshared of his career with the police department and also working on theships. There are so many things thatnone of us know that goes on behind the scenes. Especially in the area ofsecurity with the pirate areas of the world. John said we will be in relatively safe waters now, but once we head upthe west coast of Africa, the preventative measures will probably go back intoeffect.

 

Colleen Williamson was the performer in the Queen’s Loungetonight. A versatile voice, she sang herinterpretation of classic pop, film favorites, and hits from Broadway.

 

Tomorrow, a little taste of France.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Krazy Kruizers]

I do appreciate your details of everything.

I remember many years ago when we did a South American cruise over Easter. The Lido was decorated and the chef made 6 special chocolate eggs for the 6 children on board. We had just gotten off the elevator when a couple ran by us trying to hide one of those specially made eggs they had taken. A couple of workers were chasing them but never did catch the people. We felt sad for the child who would not get his special egg.

Dinner room was really decorated as well.

Things have changed.

[WCB]

Report #86 LaPossession, Reunion March 27, 2018 Tuesday 90% Chance of rain & 72 degrees Part #1 Of 3 80 Pictures

 

Reunion is an island of 972 square miles, located in theIndian Ocean and is an overseas department of France. The capital is St. Denis, and the populationof the island is 798,000 French-speaking people. The island is sheer and lush, and appears tohave risen dripping wet from the ocean. Technically,it did, as it is the tip of a massive submerged prehistoric volcano.

 

French culture dominates every part of daily life here withcoffee and croissants in the morning, and many varieties of wine at dinner. The French atmosphere of the island has atropical twist with traces of Indian, African, and Chinese cultures. As well as Christian churches (mostlyCatholic), you will find Hindu temples, a Muslim mosque, and a Chinese temple.

 

Only four tours were offered through shore excursions today. They ran from 4 ½ hours to 8 ½ hoursfor $110 to $180. The short hourexcursions took guests to the mountainous regions to see the plantations ofsugar cane, geraniums, and tamarinds. Avisit to a geranium distillery taught folks how the oil is extracted. It takes 1400 pounds of leaves to make oneliter of essence. The other tour wasquite different, since it went to one of the southern beaches at St.Gilles. The last time we visited herefour years ago, it was on a Sunday and most everything in the capital city wasclosed. So the free shuttle bus broughtus here for the day.

 

The longer tours went to the mountains to see vanillaplantations and villages. Waterfalls canbe seen everywhere up at the 6000 foot level. Both tours offered a local lunch. We have been to the top previously, and recalled how cold and foggy itwas at that elevation.

 

The Amsterdam arrived quietly in the harbor around 7am. Now we remembered that there was a verycommercial port and dock area with only tents for a terminal. Nothing much had changed since 2014 as far asthis pier was concerned. It was stillbusy as ever, and it did not look like we would be allowed to walk to thosetents from the ship. A small shuttlewould be available for that ¼ mile walk.

 

After a dining room breakfast, we waited until 9:30am beforewe ventured off of the ship. By then,all of the tour groups had boarded their buses. Shuttle buses were waiting for the rest of usto take the 30 minute ride to St. Denis, the capital city. We had been advisedthat all of the bus drivers may take a 2 hour lunch break, but as far as weknow, this may not have occurred. No onehad to wait for a bus for two hours. Beforewe got on the coach, a local gal handed each of us a map of St. Denis. The ship’s map was of La Possession, whichwas not easily accessible to us anyway.

 

The scenic ride along the rugged coastline took about 30minutes. This road follows the bottom ofa very steep cliff that was covered with a lot of wire fencing. With so much rain, we could see the deteriorationtaking the hillsides down. It is anatural occurrence, so eventually the road might be disappearing into theocean. So the locals have begun buildinga bridge-like highway over the surf here. We saw the beginnings of it four years ago. Much of it is done, but they still have a longway to go to complete it.

 

Following our maps, we navigated our way uphill on Avenue dela Victoire. Besides many wooden buildings,original structures from the 1800’s are still there. Most have been kept in the original shape,but house other businesses now. We wentinside one of the Cathedrals (St. Sauveur), past the Monument aux morts, thenturned left on a main pedestrian avenue, Rue Marechal L’erclerc. This avenue was lined with cafes, shops,boutiques, a mosque, and a Hindu temple towards the end of the six or sevenblock street.

 

One of us was looking for a souvenir with the white-wingedtropicbird on it. Finding just the rightitem in a small fabric shop, we decided to come on the way back to purchaseit. The store keeper was busy helpinglocal customers. Besides, we wanted tocompare shop for the next six blocks, as we like to do. We did get a lot of photos of the colorful fruitstands, selling the healthy items fresh to all. Prices were steep in most all of these boutiques from what we saw. Being French, the stores seem to sell somequality clothing. The one thing we didnotice was that most of the vendors here were either Indian or Arab.

 

The one thing we did not see up here were small cafes orbars. On the way back, we did go into aMcDonald’s for a pit stop. It was noon by now, and the place was fillingwith customers. Most of them from theship, who were searching for freeinternet. We did not bother lugging thecomputer off today.

 

We figured that the restaurants might be situated on thewater, and we were correct. At the busstop, we could not see that they wrapped around the corner. After walking some of the sea wall, we found asuitable café with outside seating, although covered from possible rain. Even with a 90% chance of rain today, itlooked like it would stay up in the mountains. The name of the café was L”Abradeli’s Brasserie where we ordered large ½liter Leffe draft beers in chilled mugs. Sharing a salad with ham with a generous bowl of crispy, hot Frenchfries, the meal was even better with three sourdough rolls. Vanilla ice cream with that intense flavorfrom local vanilla bean paste was a nice way to finish the meal. A resident gold cat insisted on joining us,even jumping on one of our laps to beg some tidbits of ham. Before we left, we did save a few pieces tokeep her happy. In the meantime, anotherdiner was sharing her fish entrée with her at a nearby table.

 

Having relaxed for 1 ½ hours, it was time to move on. That’s when a funny thing happened, when wefound that right behind this café was a larger restaurant called Vapiano, andthey served pizza. If we come back, wewill remember to try this place for our Margherita pizza.

 

We had to wait 10 minutes for the next bus, where we foundseveral of our ship buddies and crew members were waiting under the shade ofthe trees. All aboard was 5:30pm, so noone was willing to chance missing the ride back. Barbara H had mentioned that this ride couldcost up to 35 to 40 euro if a taxi had to be used. That computes to $50 USD.

 

The ride back provided unexpected vistas of waterfalls thatappeared from the rainfall from the mountains. These powerful falls must be responsible for the erosion we noticed aswe rode here earlier. One of thewaterfalls was so strong, it turned the sea waters brown quite a ways out to ocean.

 

We cooled our heels in our room working on photos ofcourse. A special event was planned forthe first Mariner Appreciation Days celebration. To thank us for sailing with HAL, acomplimentary sail away party was held in the Lido Pool area. Beginning at 5pm, it soon became impassableas the guests helped themselves to the glasses of wine and specialty beveragesset up on side tables. Music from the StationBand livened up the place. Watching fromdeck nine, we got some good photos of the conga line that formed with guestsand crew members. Barbara H joined us,since she said her “conga” line days were best left back years ago.

 

Instead of fighting the crowd to get a drink, we went to theSeaview Bar, like we normally do, to get complimentary sodas. However, we were told that it was notavailable there. We would have to fightthe crowd in the Lido Pool only, since all of the inventory was coming fromthere. Really…..only 2 sodas? Not wine, beer or anything else? Nope.

 

All was not lost, when friends Bill & Leta joined usuntil well after sunset. Knowing us asthey do, they knew we would be back hereinstead of the crowded melee 1 ½ hour drink fest. They remarked at the lack of canapes offeredthere. In the past, tables of verylovely treats were there for the taking. But now with the new regulations,none of that food can be served that way.

 

By 7pm, we passed by the Lido dinner set-up, and found thisvenue was more crowded than ever. So weknew that by 8pm, the dining room would be almost empty of guests. On our way back to our room, we stopped tolisten to the band in the Ocean Bar. Wewere joined by Gerald B and his assistant Pamela. Seems like just yesterday we were havingdinner together in Ft. Lauderdale, and here we are almost three months laterand ¾ done with this world cruise.

 

Susie, Woody, and Barb arrived, pulling chairs up around therailing. We visited for the remainder ofthe time before dinner, then we left. Weall agreed we needed to make one day a week to dine together…….just the five ofus. That would be just fine with us.

 

Dinner went by quickly as most all of us were tired from a fullday of Reunion. Looking forward to threedays at sea as we sail towards Mozambique and the African continent.

 

Cul”Arika was the entertainment for tonight. A South African foursome, they performedAfrican music for all.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Krazy Kruizers]

Your time in reunion sounds great.

Hope you got your souvenir you wanted.

[WCB]

Report # 87 Day atSea March 28, 2018 Wednesday Partly cloudy & 85 degrees

 

Today’s weather was as close to perfect as far as comfortablegoes. The heavy humidity seems to haveabated, and the temperatures were more in the low 80’s. This must have something to do with the shipheading southwest now. Whatever the reason,we sure appreciate the break from sticky and way too hot. The seas have been smooth-looking, but thereis a definite swell causing some rolling and pitching.

 

Yesterday, we forgot to mention that there was a medicaldebark right before we were due to sail out of Reunion. It delayed the ship by almost an hour waitingfor the ambulance to arrive. Few people noticedbecause of the sail away party going on. Some of the guests did witness a lady getting off in a wheelchair, butthere was no luggage. Always a mystery,we will probably learn more later on. Asalways, we wish this passenger well. Itcould happen to any one of us.

 

While we are thinking about it, we are still experiencing aproblem with posting the photos. We havenot changed anything on our end, so the problem seems to be with the site weare using. It is being investigated, andhope it is solved soon.

 

Yesterday, we noticed some people on our deck had a note regardingthe yellow fever vaccinations required for this trip. One of us got the shot, while the other couldnot due to medical reasons. The documentdeclaring the medical exception was never asked to be seen by HAL. So in order not to experience any problemsthe day we debark in Maputo, we thought it best to bring this letter to thefront desk. Upon looking at thepassport, they did discover they made a mistake, because the last shot hadexpired three years ago. Now we are notcertain which country will require this vaccination, but it may be for otherfuture African countries. They arealways thinking ahead.

 

The Mariner Appreciation Day events have begun. This morning, we had to go to deck five forbreakfast, as the center dining room ondeck four was being set up for a Mariner Brunch. This group of 84 guests were the Marinerswith 900 to 1399 days sailed. Thelargest tables had been chosen for assigned seating, and hosted by Orlando andship’s officers. The head dining roomstaff were making sure everything was perfect, to the shiniest silverware tothe centerpieces of bright orange flowers. Turquoise and beige chair covers were used. This lunch started at 11:30am, while theregular lunch seating was moved to deck five. But it began at 12:30pm instead.

 

As for us, we spent a lovely afternoon at the aft pool of course. As long as the sun was out, we would be outwith it. Being out in the fresh air hashelped keep us healthy so far.

 

We were invited to a cocktail party hosted by OrlandoAshford, another smaller affair for the folks that will be getting off the shipin Maputo for overland safaris. This wasadded recently, and more than likely by request from enough folks thatcomplained they would be missing the parties while we were away. Our time for late seating guests was7pm. Not certain who we would knowthere, we did run into many folks we know that are either going with HAL,travel agency tours, or independent. Peter, the purser, joined our stand-up table, and answered as manyquestions as he could regarding visas and procedures. Since many of us are on the same flight at11:30am, we all hope everything goes smoothly. And we also hope that if there is a next time to visit Africa, they willstop in Durban, South Africa, where no visas are required.

 

There was also a surprise letter in our mail slottoday. Months before this cruise beganin January, we had read on Cruise Critic that there was a rumor that ArchbishopDesmond Tutu was going to be a guest once again on the Amsterdam. These things are always highly guarded assecrets, but wherever the rumor started, it was true. He will be coming on as a guest and recipientof an award for shared humanity in recognition of a lifetime fighting forequality and peace. He will not be speaking,as he is retired from public life. Asthis will be a travel day coming back to the ship after our safari, we highlydoubt we will be here for this presentation. But we will certainly hear about it.

 

Following cocktails, we went to dinner at Bill and Leta’stable. It is always a pleasure to visitwith them. Today they had been invitedto the Mariner Lunch, and sat at the large table next to Orlando. We were surprised to learn that every tablewas hosted by a big wig or an officer. Sometimes there are no hosts. So it depends on the voyage and the ship, asthey all do some things differently.

 

Another South African group called the Muses played twoviolins, one viola, and a single cello in the Queen’s Lounge. We chatted so long at dinner, we missed theshow. Bet they will be back for anencore.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Krazy Kruizers]

Another wonderful report. Glad the sun was out for you to enjoy the nicer weather.

I would expect hosts to be at tables at the Mariner's lunch on the world cruise.

[WCB]

Report # 88 Day atSea March 29, 2018 Thursday Partly cloudy & 85 degrees 23 Pictures

 

Some days are just full of things to do, and today was oneof them. Once again, the dining roombreakfast was held in the upper level, because the second of the special lunchesfor the Mariner’s Society was held at 11:30am. This group included those with 500 to 899 pure sea days sailed withHAL. That was somewhere around 240guests. A special event was reserved forthose of us with 1400 or more days, but more about that later.

 

Although the forecast called for clouds, there werenone. The sky was perfectly blue, andthe seas were choppy. There was afollowing wind, with occasional winds blowing across the decks. It was most pleasant once again, sitting atthe back pool. Visiting with friends waseven better.

 

While we were taking in the sun, ship life continued withlectures, jewelry unveiling, a Test Kitchen session, and the daily movie. Ads for the photo gallery, the casino, andfuture cruises are first and foremost things for folks to check out. The Greenhouse Spa offered so many treatments,it is hard to keep up with it.

 

After a Dive In Grill lunch, we spent some time putting ourthings together to take on our upcoming overland adventure. Thinking we might use our new pieces ofluggage we got on this trip, we changed our minds. There will be a large number of guests goingto the airport for a flight to Johannesburg, like us. Better believe many of them will be using thesame bag. Without a doubt, this could bea problem at the airport. As long as wekeep the one suitcase under 44 pounds, we should be fine. We do have a hand-held scale, but if we didnot, there is a digital scale outside the Housekeeping office for all to use.

 

Our 2 week delivery of sodas appeared this afternoon for ourPresident’s Club amenity. Perfecttiming, since we were running low.

 

Our day had to wrap up early, because we had been invited toa special cocktail party and dinner. Despite the fact that the dress code wascasual, we knew from past affairs like this required a gala theme. Beginning at 6pm, we joined the line ofPresident’s Club guests for a royal reception at the Piano Bar, which had beenclosed off to traffic. Greeted byOrlando Ashford, the President of HAL, we met his wife Samantha onceagain. The annual photo was taken withthis nice couple, who we have gotten to know a little better for the last threeyears. Further down the receiving linewas Captain Mercer, who was practicing his Dutch welcome with the three kisseson the cheek. His wife Karen laughed asshe said he was having the most fun tonight. Next to them were Arnold Donald, President and CEO of Carnival Corporationand his wife Hazel, who we have known on the Amsterdam for the third year now. Handshakeswere appropriate here. Next was Gerald Bernhoft, the Director of the MarinerSociety, who was also practicing the Dutch welcome. Pamela, his assistant remarked that we hadcleaned up nicely. Finally, we enteredthe Piano Bar where we made our way to the bar to order our beverages. At least five types of canapes were offered,and rather quickly.

 

What made this party special was the fact there were 14 newinductees to the President’s Club. Thetotal number of members is now 118 well-traveled people. Not all are active, but the majority are. Most of the new inductees we knew, somepersonally, like Susie and Woody, Jim and Jessica, Dorothy, and Martha. But we did not expect there would be a newmember that will be turning 100 years old towards the end of this cruise. They plan to have a birthday party for him,which is really nice. Even nicer that he and his wife are still activecruisers.

 

Each and every new member was “pinned” with the President’sClub gold ship logo, and had their photos taken with Orlando, Gerald, andPamela. With the formalities done, wewere invited to toast the new members. However, something appeared to be wrong, when Martha approached Orlandoand Gerald, and reported that they missed one person. One single Australian lady had been invited,but expected to be pinned tonight. The recordson the ship showed that she had already gotten into the club. Oops, their mistake. Henk quickly retrieved a pin, and the taskwas done. She did get a round ofapplause, avoiding an embarrassing moment for her.

 

Then we all paraded down to deck four and the PinnacleGrill, which had been reserved for our group exclusively. With every table hosted by officers, includingthe head honchos, our group was seated at a window table. That would include Barb, Don, us, and Peter,the purser. Our usual tablemates forthese events. Lucky us.

 

Dom Perignon Cuvee Brut was served first, along with a museof smoked salmon or for one of us, a cheese appetizer.

 

The menu for this evening included a farm beets salad, aminimal portion of orange, pistachio crumbles, and cheese puree. A cream of parsnip soup was a bit sweet formost of us, although the truffle shavings made it interesting. We had a choice of beef tournedos or Mainelobster. This was served with the bestrolls, especially the cheese stick. We allliked them so much, we ordered seconds for the table. The best was the dessert of mango palette withalmond meringue.

 

Throughout the meal, wines flowed freely. They were Silvermist sauvignon blanc andWaterford Kevin Arnold shiraz, both from South Africa. Barb and Peter raved about them, as they wereundoubtedly the best that has been served here. For us, we are not wine drinkers, so we did appreciate the offer.

 

We have to take the time to mention that the table flowerarrangements were over the top. Createdby Eddie and Calista, they used the tall vases we had seen on one of the galaevenings. They were filled withcascading bearded tulips and orchids, resembling a weeping flowering tree. Also on each table were votive candlescreated for the occasion. Each had theHAL logo and were specially made by Tiffany. Orlando mentioned that each of us would receiveone in our rooms tomorrow as a memento from tonight’s special event. And special it was.

 

Upon the return to our room, we discovered that an 8 x 10photo of us with the Ashford’s was waiting on the bed. That is a first. Not only complimentary, but almost instant.

 

Another gift was one hour back on the clocks tonight. Most welcomed by all.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Krazy Kruizers]

Another great day for you -- very festive evening.

I wonder -- some of us don't drink soda. So would they substitute something else?

[WCB]

Report # 89 Day atSea March 30, 2018 Friday Partly cloudy & 82 degrees

 

Today was a special day for many as it was Good Friday andthe evening for the Seder Dinner in the Lido. That means that Easter is around the bend. And we will not be here. So we will wish everyone a most Happy Easterahead of time.

 

Today there was a special presentation and a Question/Answersession with Orlando Ashford and Gerald Bernhoft in the Queen’s Lounge at2:30pm. We had spent some time at theSeaview Pool, and were having our Dive-In Grill lunch at that exact sametime. Knowing that the entire talk wouldbe televised later, we felt it not necessary to squeeze into the lounge. We heard later that the folks filled deckfive after 1pm just to get seats.

 

So we did get second-hand reports about the news of the dayas delivered by Gerald, Captain Mercer, Orlando, and Henk Mensink. The most interesting details were given aboutthe 2020 world cruise. We understand itwill be the itinerary that goes down to Antarctica again and also include SouthAfrica. This has not happened on theAmsterdam since 2012. That’s nice, andwe think everyone was happy about it. Itwill be a long one with 120 plus days.

 

We spent the afternoon packing for our overland trip toKruger National Park. We are leavingtomorrow in Maputo, and returning on April 4th, the second day thatthe ship will be docked in Cape Town. Thiswill not be our first time going to this camp, so we are excited to goback. But there is not any internetthere, so we will do our best to keep up with the reports and pictures, then postwhen we get back. Hopefully, we will beable to share some good adventures with everyone.

 

Around 4:15pm, we went to the front desk to mail some cards. We heard applause coming from the lounge, andrealized the talks were still going on. Gosh,that was almost two hours for the presentation. Guess the questions kept coming to the panel. Since we always take the big seats in theatrium, we happened to catch some of our buddies who attended the big show. For an hour, we got the low down on some ofthe questions that were asked. Some werepretty funny.

 

Tomorrow, we should be able to gather our passports once theMozambique officials have cleared the ship. This has been one moment that we have had some worry about. Now we are very glad that we had gone themile and gotten our visas ahead of time. Now we keep our fingers crossed that all will work as planned.

 

Dinner originally had empire chicken on the menu, but it waschanged to whole roasted chicken. Darn. You would think chicken is chicken, but theempire one is far superior, we think. Itwas still good because we added lots of cranberry sauce. Two of our tablemates were missing tonight. Ken had attended the Seder Dinner, and Brendawas not feeling well. Seems she has beenunder the weather ever since her Indian excursion.

 

We will be back soon…….so stay tuned.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Krazy Kruizers]

I will be looking forward to your reports when you get back from your land trip.

Have a great time.

[WCB]

Report # 90 Maputo,Mozambique March 31, 2018 Saturday Cloudy & 89 degrees 72 Pictures

 

The Amsterdam sailed into the harbor of Maputo, Mozambique,very early this morning……like around 6am. Knowing that a good number of passengers had booked overland safaris outof here, the Captain set out to arrive as early as possible. It was a good plan on his part, but we weretotally dependent upon the local officials to clear the ship before anyonecould go off.

 

Watching from the lower promenade after a quick breakfast inthe Lido, was like watching waterboil….it was taking forever. The gangwaywas out and the water stand and umbrellas were set up, but no officials hadarrived yet. They slowly appeared in agroup, and entered the ship around 7:45am. That gave them 15 minutes to clear the entire population of guests andcrew to be on time at the promised 8am exit time.

 

Yesterday, we had received a letter saying that the HAL tourgroups would pick their passports up in a designated area, such as the Queen’sLounge. That was somewhere in the areaof 120 people we heard. Travel agenttour groups met in other lounges to get their passports. The independents, like us, were asked to goto the front desk for ours. Being thatwe get the priority President’s Club disembarkation, we asked how that mightwork to our advantage. Since we had aflight to catch by 11:30am, we needed all the help we could muster. Lo and behold, Christel appeared and signaledus to come to her office, as our passports had been returned immediately. We did so quietly, and after many thanks tothe proper officers, we were off and running. Or so we thought.

 

The gangway was located deck one midship, making it easy topull our one suitcase off. But there wasa problem. The kiosk computers at ********** were not working yet, and we could not be scanned out. Although it seemed like forever, it tookabout 10 minutes before they were up and working. So today, we can say we were the firstpassengers off of the ship.

 

We had noticed that no vehicles or buses were allowed on thedock near the ship. So we were going tohave to find our driver somewhere outside the gate. Security is really strict here, and unlessthe independent drivers can find a place to park, they cannot come through thegate without paying high fees. So one ofus stayed behind near the guards, while the braver one went in search of ourdriver. That ended up being 15 minutes,before a car was heading beyond the checkpoint to pick me up. Up until then, no one else was getting off ofthe ship. Eventually, the guests withouttours began filing off to find the complimentary shuttle. These were the folks that opted to pay the$78 blanket visa through the ship. Thosewho chose not to buy it, could not leave the ship at all today. We think there were many people that chose tostay onboard. In our humble opinion, ifyou have toured here once, you need not go again.

 

Our minds were refreshed to the conditions in downtownMaputo, once we passed the old railway station and their signature monument inthe roundabout. The sidewalks werewall-to-wall street vendors with lots of stuff to sell. And there was trash everywhere youlooked. Obviously there are better areasof the city to see, but it sure is not here. And we highly doubt it is safe to be out and about in Maputo alonewithout a group.

 

We only had to go to their airport for that 11:30am flightto Johannesburg, South Africa. Notknowing how far it was from the pier, or what the traffic conditions would belike, we had pre-paid a transfer months ago. So being that today was a Saturday, the traffic was light, and the ridetook no more than 20 minutes. Onceagain, we were the first ones to arrive at the South African Air desk. We had a few minutes to wait until their deskopened at 9am. Since HAL and our travelagency had tours overland, these folks began trickling in the door. Except for the two of us, the rest of thetravelers had a flight to Jo berg, with a one night stay and a ½ day tour theretomorrow. We would connect to anotherflight to Nelspruit today.

 

Checking in was easy. Our one piece of luggage was weighed, as were our handcarrys. We were each allowed a bag weighing 50pounds, although, on the next flight, we were allowed only 44 pounds. Good news is that there was no charge for onebag per person. Going though securitywas easy once again (shoes could stay on). The final check was customs and immigrations, where our fingerprints werescanned and our passports thoroughly read and stamped. This is when our real visas helped, althoughwe could have gotten by with the ship’s visa. Wish they would have told us back in November that it would cover uscoming into the country as well as leaving. Yes, we did spend more to get these special visas, but we had the peaceof mind that we could not be turned away if the other visa did not work.

 

Clearing that inspection, we did have enough time to lookthrough the handful of shops, collecting a memento of Mozambique. That turned out to be a native beaded clothnecklace with earrings to match. Notextravagant, but a nice souvenir.

 

Seating was assigned once we checked in, so we did not thinkto ask for aisle and middle seat. Windowand middle was what we got, and it worked out fine since the flight was only anhour or so. And we were served a cheesesandwich, a sweet muffin, and a Coke. How about that? We barely gotcomfortable, when the plane landed in Johannesburg around 12:30pm.

 

The airport there is huge, as Johannesburg is a major hub inSouth Africa. We were required tocollect our bag, and re-check it at South Africa Airlink, even though wealready had our boarding passes for that flight. That meant going through customs andimmigrations and the security check once again. With the unrequested help of an airport employee, he helped us up twoflights of escalators, and escorted us to the correct deck. Naturally, he expected a tip, which we gladlygave him.

 

We then back-tracked and found the gate we would need to goto for our next flight to Nelspruit at 3:30pm. We had 1 ½ hours to roam around the airport shops and cafes. There were many bars and fast food typerestaurants like Wimpys (hamburgers) and pizza places, but we were not all thathungry. Experimenting with the freewifi, we discovered that too much information was required to get online, so weshut it down instead.

 

Our commuter-type flight was on a very small jet, seatingonly 36 people. But we did get a snack of salted nuts and a drink. Barelyin the air for 35 minutes, we landed at the Mpumalanga Airport shortly after4pm. It is located on a knoll out ofNelspruit, a remote village near Kruger National Park. The good news was that the temperatures haddropped and the humidity was low. Aclean breeze was blowing, but would it last? Probably not.

 

Our driver was right there to pick us up. He was Thomas from the lodge we were headedfor, and we all recognized each other, even though it has been 4 years since wewere here last. A two hour interestingride lay ahead of us, as we traveled through the hillsides and villages of theLowveld growth in this part of the world. Being that it was Saturday, the road was full of people out and aboutpreparing for the weekend, which happens to be Easter. Not sure how widely this holiday iscelebrated here, but we did pass dozens of Christian churches along theway.

 

Going back 4 and 5 years ago, this road was heavily traveledwith big rigs carrying among other things, lumber, rocks, and sandmaterials. Back then, the potholesslowed us down a whole lot. However,they have been filled, and the going was smooth. Nice improvement. We also passed by a fewroadside wood carvers selling almost full-size African animals. Good thing wedid not stop, or we might have found ourselves in a bidding game.

 

Turning off of the main highway, Thomas followed a dirt roadthat was very rutted. We remembered itwell, since this was the way to Sabi Sands Reserve and the camp sitesthere. Going through one of the guardedgates (Shaw Gate), we were admitted to the park after much checking. It wasgetting dark by the time we arrived at the camp. Getting a royal greeting from Dale, the ownerand manager, he invited us to the bar for a most welcomed beer and snacks. Several of the drivers and guides came to sayhello, including Dale’s son, James, who is now a tracker-in-training. We remember him when he was a young teen nottoo long ago. A family-run property,someday this place might be his to operate. Many of the local employees have been here over 30 years. Thomas, our driver has been here that long. Andthe other is Joseph, a driver/guide, who we had the pleasure of meeting 5 yearsago. Being older, he ranks high in thiscamp.

 

In a few minutes, we were to meet the rest of the guestsstaying here. The camp was full with atleast 20 people. Some were from England,five were from Belgium, and one couple were from Australia. The dinner this evening was a “boma” held inthe lower patio/BBQ area of the open-air dining room. The servers and cooks were ladies weremembered well.

 

The meal began with a smoked salmon appetizer with red andwhite wines. A pureed veggie soup followed,topped with well-buttered garlic croutons. The entrée portion was a buffet table with a mixed green salad,cucumbers with vinaigrette, grilled zucchini, small steamed potatoes, andpolenta with gravy. The meat course wereBBQ kebabs of chicken and beef mixed with onions and sweet bell peppers. So, so good. Dessert was a slice of ice cold cheesecake topped with a berrycompote. A glass of amarula liqueur wasserved last. The fellow next to us had asnifter of a fine whiskey, as it was his last night at the camp.

 

Getting acquainted with our fellow diners, we shared storiesof our previous visits. With theheaviness of the humid air, it sure reminded us of the time we had a suddenrain storm hit camp. We were told byThomas that this area got hit with a good rain two weeks ago, helping to greenit up. None was expected but then, younever know, do you? Just as we disbandedfrom dinner, a few sprinkles began. Which turned to light rain, that developed into a sudden downpour. Made it to our cabin just in time. It wouldget even more intense as the night progressed.

 

Speaking of our accommodations, it is more like acabin. Entering through a covered patiowith a bench, we come into the “living” room with a leather couch and coffeetable. The bedroom has a king sizecanopied bed with dressers and cabinets for an extended stay. What we don’t have are lights……no lamps orceiling fixtures anywhere. We do havetwo overhead Casablanca fans, and thank goodness, a portable fan on astand. Remember, we said thetemperatures were great at the airport? Well when we got to the camp, we found it to be hot and humid. The guests told us that it had reached thehigh 30’s Celsius, 90’s F, and it was too hot to sleep nights. We agreed, our room was going to take foreverto cool down. We had stashed mosteverything when we arrived, and hoped to find it in the dark tomorrowmorning. There are candles and lanternsin every room, including the spacious bathroom. And we had brought our own small flashlites and one lantern. A large battery-powered flashlight was givento us as well.

 

Some of the evening, we spent out on the back patio, wherewe have a plush couch and a table with two chairs. This veranda faces a watering hole whereanimals are free to roam. Forgot tomention this, but during dinner, right across from the open dining room, wewitnessed two hyenas sneaking by, an impala, and a small elephant, whose hiddenmother made a ruckus when the hyenas got too close. Who needs TV when you have live action likethat? By the way, there are no TV’s or radios in the rooms.

 

Like we stated, the storm increased in strength, wiping outthe view we had of the full moon during dinnertime. Hopefully, it will have passed over by themorning when we go on our first game drive.

 

So much for a very long day…….to be continued……

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Krazy Kruizers]

This is truely a wonderful report.

Hadn't expected to hear from you until you returned to the ship.

[josumello]

All your reports are wonderful but this was is superlative. So descriptive. I felt like I was right there with you. Thank you for taking me along!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[mustgo]

I have started reading this thread and particularly enjoyed this report as I do not expect to be able to go there. I look forward to your next report

[Coco39]

I don't think you will return to the Jo'Berg Airport, but if you do, there is a wonderful shop - Out of Africa. It has lovely things - not your usual airport tourist shop.