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

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Report #34 Tauranga,New Zealand February 3, 2018 Saturday Partly cloudy & 73 degrees Part #1 Of 4 85 Pictures

 

A short distance from Auckland, Tauranga is a starklydifferent city from yesterday’s port. Located in the western side of the Bay of Plenty, Tauranga is in theheart of the kiwifruit growing country. The Maori called Tauranga the resting place for canoes. Today it is a relaxing vacation place for alltourists – local or foreign.

 

Shore excursions offered 14 tours today, all of which wereout of this immediate area. The longestones were to Rotorua, an area with boiling mud pots and geysers. Waitomo Caves and the Kiwi house was offeredout of here, but with only a 75 minute drive one way. The Hobbiton movie set was a 1 ½ hour driveeach way to see where the three hobbit movies were filmed. Except for the last excursion, we have beenon each of the other tours over the years.

 

For us, we preferred to stay in town, take a walk, and finda place for lunch. So under cloudy skieswith temperatures in the 70’s, we headed off of the ship around 11am. That gave us enough time to completeyesterday’s report and pictures after breakfast before leaving.

 

There was not one piece of tourist info in the big tent onthe pier. It was just a big tent. If wifi was available here, we sure did notsee it. (We did learn later that wifi was available in town.) There is a longstretch of beach on this side of the peninsula. The waters of this protected harbor are safe with a gentle surf. Since today was a Saturday, many familieswere out with young kids. So were a lotof high school age kids. On this side ofthe peninsula, the older kids were practicing outrigger racing among otherwater sports. Few kids were actually inthe water, since we remember it to be quite cold. Picnicking groups were taking up most of thegreens along this bay.

 

Walking across the street, we headed across the peninsula tothe other beach on the Pacific Ocean side. This is where the excitement was with older girls and guys playing volleyball,separately. Looked like organizedcompetition to us. As calm as the waterswere on the opposite side, it was far different on the Pacific side. Huge waves were crashing on the white sand,as impressive as what we have in southern California. Several young surfers were out there, tryingto catch the perfect wave. Life guardsstood at attention, as these waves dumped the kids upside down. As we proceeded down this length of beach, wecame upon the little island that connects to the shoreline. Carefully, we made our way through theencroaching tide, and hiked up to the high point of this island. The view of the surf was the best.

 

Continuing down the beach, we ran into Barb with twofriends. They had taken the short cutfrom the ship to here. While we talked,we all noticed a strange-looking bird flying with the gulls. It was no bird at all, but a drone. With all the people on the beach, it was hardto pinpoint who the pilot was. Sometimesthese drones have cameras, and may not be as innocent as they appear. Anyway, eventually the owner became ID’d whenhe brought it down right into his hand. Harmless fun.

 

We have never eaten lunch here, since we have always been ontours. So we went in search of…..surprise…..pizza. And we found it. Most all of the tourists look for thegreen-lipped mussels, oysters, or fish of all kinds. Not us, since one of us is deadly allergic. That’s why we go for the pizza. On our way here, we had passed by an Italianrestaurant, serving everything Italian. So we headed back there, and found our Margherita pizza, crispy fries,and draft beer. Not familiar with someof the dessert choices, we just had to find out what brandy snaps were. Turned out they were crispy tube cookiesfilled with whipped cream, drizzled with strawberry jam, and sprinkled with powderedsugar. Really, really good.

 

Right next door was an ice cream shop. They did have plenty of hokey pokey icecream, so we each had a small cupful. Itwas 1/3 of the price compared to yesterday.

 

It was still early, so we wandered into the center of townto see what was there. A large parkcalled Tauranga Domain was filled with vendors with a Saturday fleamarket. They were in the process ofputting everything away for the day. Just as well as we really do not need anything. After taking some photos of a little pondwith ducks, and a couple of donkeys and a small pony, we made our way back tothe ship.

 

Although it felt like it could rain all day, it neverdid. It was getting darker and cooler,so it may rain yet. And like we havebeen doing in most ports, the afternoon was spent working in our room. We had the order of our flowers already in ourroom. They are nice, but nowhere nearthe amount of blooms compared to past flower arrangements. We seriously think that the fresh flowerbudget has been cut.

 

Everyone was requiredto attend another mandatory passenger emergency muster drill at 4:15pm. Not everyone attended because not all of thelong tours were back yet. And those whowanted to avoid the drill, could have stayed onshore until it was over. All aboard today was 5:30pm. Wonder if all who missed the drill will haveto make it up? According to theirmessage in the daily newsletter, guests who refuse to participate, may not bepermitted to sail with the vessel. Really?

 

Sail away was at the aft deck, but was sparselyattended. The weather had taken a turnlater today, with a strong breeze and more clouds. By the time the ropes were dropped, it beganto sprinkle. Captain Jonathon mentionedthat we may experience 6 foot swells and rain tonight and tomorrow. If so, it will put a damper on tomorrow’sport of Napier.

 

Dinner was a bit different tonight. Truthfully, the entrée choices have been lessthan typical fare we are used to. Theyare getting more diverse with vegetarian and vegan choices. Tonight’s recommended meal was the stuffedbell pepper. Most of us ordered it, butwere a little disappointed with the meat filling being half rice asfiller. And a rice bed with a puddle ofred sauce. Had we known, we should haveasked for extra marinara sauce. Perhapsthe rosemary chicken would have been the safer meal to order.

 

The entertainment was called Rock Rhapsody, hits ofQueen. As the singers and dancers of theAmsterdam were not mentioned, we are not sure who performed this act.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

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Report # 35 Napier,New Zealand February 4, 2018 Sunday Mostly sunny & 70 degrees Part # 1 of 4 80 Pictures

 

Napier is an overnight sail from Tauranga. Situated at the end of beautiful and spaciousHawke’s Bay, it is considered the art deco capital of the world. Bet when the Maoris settled this area back in1250, they never saw this coming. Thefirst European to land here was Captain Cook in 1769. He was followed by traders, and the Anglicanand Catholic missionaries in 1831. Someone had the brilliant idea to bringsheep in 1849, and the first successful orchard occurred in 1892. It no wonder that after 150 plus years ofcultivating the fertile soil, that this part of New Zealand has bragging rightsto sheep farming, wine production, and the fruit basket of the country.

 

Disaster hit in 1931, when a powerful earthquake and firedevastated the city, killing many. Thecity was eventually rebuilt, but chose to retain the feel of that era. The town has been referred to as a 1930’sfilm set with the most complete collection of Art Deco buildings. Most all of the facades of the buildings houseboutiques, cafes, and small businesses.

 

What makes this picture-perfect city complete are the oldvintage cars you can see being driven up and down the main streets. There was one of these cars parked outside onthe pier this morning. The owner wasdressed in period clothing, and enjoyed hamming it up with the passengers. We hope that more of his buddies will be herewith their vehicles later in the day.

 

There were a total of ten tours offered today. There was an old fashioned steam train ridethrough town, a walking tour of the art deco district, or trips out of thearea. Those included a ride to CapeKidnappers to see the second largest mainland colony of gannets in the world. Cool tour, as we did it four years ago. Several excursions went to Hawke’s Bay forwine tasting adventures, also tours we have done. And for the more mobile folks, there was anorganized bike ride or a river rafting trip. They ran from $66 to $250, and were 1 ½ hours to 5 hours in duration.

 

The ship sailed into the bay around 10am. We had been blessed with wonderful weather….blueskies with a crisp breeze. No rain. We watched the sail in from deck three, noticinga few birds that were diving head first into the turquoise waters in thebay. They were not gulls, but sure dovelike boobys. Upon closer inspection, wedetermined that they were the gannets, also in the booby family. With less than an hour’s drive from here, themainland colony at Cape Kidnappers has thousands of nesting gannets withchicks. They do their diving for fishmuch closer to the cliffs, so we were lucky to see some in action.

 

Very slowly, the ship was guided into Higgins Wharf belowthe steep cliffs of Bluff Hill Domain. This is a working port, where among other things, logs are piled to beloaded for shipping. Lots of logs, alldifferent sizes, are stacked neatly on both sides of the entry. And since this is a commercial port, we werenot allowed to walk out of the gate. There were several shuttles to take folks that were not on tours for the1.3 mile ride to the center of town.

 

At 11:30am, we left the ship and were handed a map of thetown. It was more of an advertisementfor things to do and places to shop. Norecommended restaurants at all. In town,we were dropped off at the “ i stop” (information building), which had all theinfo you needed for this area, surrounding districts, and even the South Island. And for those who might want to know, therewere restrooms here. In fact, there wereplenty of restrooms along the Marine Drive.

 

Wanting to take photos of the art deco area, we started downTennyson Street, one of the main semi-pedestrian avenues. This street was lined with the art deco buildingswith all the usual big department stores absent. Everything is boutique-like. Even the little coffee shops. At the top of the street, two Scottish-cladbagpipe musicians were playing their tunes for the crowd. Boy, does that sound travel a long ways. We could hear them all the way to Clive Park,a lovely little garden setting with a decorative pond in the center.

 

There were no restaurants to our liking in this area, so wewent back to Marine Drive. Turningright, we made our way past the Sound Shell and Colonnade, a group of vintagecar drivers offering rides, and Par2 mini-golf. Since it was Sunday, these family-style places were full of people. Further up the road, we strolled past thecolorful sunken gardens and reef gardens. There is a new Bay Skate Park built here. It was jammed with cute little kids on theirbikes, skateboards, or scooters riding through a fountain/skate course. A bike track near the ocean side went on andon forever it seemed. It was full offolks taking a long ride for the day. One of the HAL tours did just that, and included our tablemate Ken.

 

However, we were searching for a restaurant that was not fastfood. Despite the fact that there werescores of hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast inns, there were no restaurantsthat we could see. The ship’s map was virtually useless for eateries.

 

About in the center of this long drive was a set of almostidentical Victorian houses called Six Sisters. As close as we heard the story, a father built these houses for his sixdaughters. Although a few of thestructures were badly damaged during the quake of 1931, they were re-constructedto what we see today. They kind ofreminded us of the same type of famous Victorians we have in San Francisco.

 

We continued up Marine Drive until we reached the National Aquariumof New Zealand, considered the largest one in the country. It houses sharks, sting rays, kiwis, and manyvarieties of fish. It did say there wasa café here, but it was more of a fast food type of business.

 

It just happened that this was another bus stop for theAmsterdam passengers. The bus waited asa few of us boarded, and went back to the info center. That worked well. From there, we headed across the street to areal restaurant called Lone Star Napier. It looked like a pub you might walk into in Wyoming for instance. A nice young local fellow waited on us,striking up an easy conversation. Weended up ordering a quesadilla and a basket of sweet potato fries. Speight’s beer was the draft choice here, andwe added a shared dessert of sponge cake with hokey pokey ice cream filling,drizzled with a raspberry sauce. Ourwaiter mentioned that it is usually 30 degrees celsius this time of year. That is around 90 degrees. Due to that storm that passed over the lastcouple of days, it had cooled off here. Lucky us, we say. Our waiter evenleft us a personalized note with his email address on the back of ourbill. He was most interested in hearingall about San Francisco, a place he wants to visit someday.

 

After lunch, we wandered up the road towards the viewingplatform that extended off of the beach. Further up was the statue of Pania of the Reef, a mythical figure with aromantic, but sad story. The Tom Parkerfountain was next to her, as was the floral clock. Going a little further, we passed by theOcean Spa, a community salt water swimming pool. It is heated, and a very safe place for thekids to swim.

 

Realizing that we were more than halfway back to the portgate, we walked the rest of the way. Once at the gate, our id’s were checked, and we were escorted to awaiting bus, the only way we could enter the port. We toyed with the idea of going back to townto try to get free internet, mostly to download updates, but we did not leavethe ship a second time. Too much to doto keep these reports and pictures up-to-date. And it was also an excuse to sit and relax for a bit.

 

All aboard today was 10:30pm, meaning there was no sailaway. Good thing we went up to deck nineto catch a few photos of the port before we lost the light. Down by the gangway, a small group of localmusicians and singers were entertaining the guests coming back from tours ortown. It was a blast from the past, asthey were dressed in 1930’s fashions, having driven their fabulous vintage cars for all to see. This was not an advertised performance, so wewere happy to have seen it. Around 6pm,they packed up their instruments, and left the pier.

 

Dinnertime found Barb, Bonnie, and Paul missing, but we didhave a guest. Carol, the watercolorinstructor, joined us for the first time this cruise. Those of us that know herwell, have made it clear that she always has a spot as a guest at our table. Barb, who knows her the longest, wascelebrating an early birthday Pinnacle dinner with her long-time cruise buddiesPeter and Don.

 

A big screen movie was shown in the Queen’s Lounge tonight,as they usually do when we are leaving later in a port. Or staying overnight. The film was Three Billboards Outside EbbingMissouri. This movie will eventually beshown on our room TV’s.

 

Sure looking forward to a day at sea tomorrow as we headsouth to our last port in New Zealand……Port Chalmers for Dunedin.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS By the way, thanksfor the most interesting info on the dinner in the sky venue in Auckland. We figured that experience would be pricey,but not that much, a tad shy of $1000 for two. Wow.

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Report # 36 Day atSea February 5, 2018 Monday Partly cloudy & 77 degrees

 

Looking out our window this morning, it sure looked sunnyand warm today. But then, sunny turnedcloudy, windy, and rainy by the time we went to breakfast. We are now traveling down the east coast fromthe North Island to the South Island. The patch in between these two islands is undoubtedly rough withextremely strong currents. As a result,we began rocking and rolling with the deeper swells. The capital of New Zealand is Wellington,located on the bottom of the North Island. Due to its location, it has been named the windiest capital in theworld.

 

At noontime, the NFL Super Bowl LII was televised on ESPN,shown in the Queen’s Lounge as well as on our stateroom TVs. Both east coast teams, the Eagles were takingon the Patriots. This is the first worldcruise that we have not received any flyers advertising special seating anddrink specials for the occasion. Askingour tablemates last night, we learned that the promotions were advertised inthe bars only. We do have three closefriends that did get the special section seats with butler service and greatbeverages. One of those was Barb, whowas celebrating her birthday today. Weall teased her that she had an early birthday dinner last night, a cake fortonight, and her REAL birthday at home tomorrow. Boy is she milking it, or what? Her answer to that question was…..you bet.

 

Since spaghetti was an entrée at the dining room lunch, wehad to go at 12:30pm. Another goodchoice was the Philadelphia steak sandwich, ½ size. Appropriate for today.

 

We caught the last quarter of the game, although the last 10minutes are usually the best. Canimagine how many folks will be having naps after the extravaganza in the Queen’sLounge. A buffet was set up withdelicious snacks suitable for a football game. People like that for a change.

 

Going for an afternoon walk was challenging. The high winds were blowing a gale, picking upthe sea spray, and making the deck quite wet on one side. And because the doors to the lower promenadewere hard to open, the crew taped all of them off, and posted warningsigns. Using either the front or aftdoors in the center, we always find a way out. Despite the wind, it really was not all that chilly. However, the further south we go, we expectit to get much colder.

 

The best part of the walk was seeing a couple of wanderingalbatross gliding around the ship. Thesemagnificent birds have a wing span up to 11 feet. They are capable of covering up to 300 milesin a single day. Feeding on squid, fish,and food refuse from ships, they can live as long as 30 years. We’re not sure if ships jettison ground upwaste food anymore, or do they incinerate it? We are sure that Captain Jonathon was happy to see these birds, as theyare considered good luck to sailors. Hopeto see more as we head towards the fjords in the upcoming days.

 

To celebrate Barb’s birthday, Susie and Woody joined ourtable for the dessert portion. Barb hadpre-ordered a pineapple upside down cake, and of course, it arrived with adozen waiters singing the birthday song. Always a fun time for all. Well,maybe not for those surrounding us. By10pm, all had left the room except 5 of us……Susie , Woody, Barb, and us. We stayed talking until the lights went upfull bore, and the waiters began working to clean up all around us. In the old days, it was not unusual for us totalk until 10:30pm or later. Now thatpeople can eat anytime, the room is empty by 9:30ish most nights.

 

Tomorrow’s port will be Port Chalmers for Dunedin. It’s been a long time since we were here andon tours each time. Hopefully we canexplore the city at our own pace this time.

 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

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Report #37 PortChalmers (Dunedin), New Zealand February 6, 2018 Tuesday Cloudy & 58 degrees Part #1 Of 4 80 Pictures

 

Located in the Southern Island, Dunedin is said to be thebest preserved Victorian and Edwardian city of New Zealand. It has a population of 127,000 people, and ofthat amount, 20,000 are students of all ages. Considered a university town, it is home to Otago University, NewZealand’s first, established in 1869. This college was built in Gothic style,and is one of the country’s largest colleges. It has earned Dunedin the UNESCO award for theCity of Literature.

 

Dunedin was founded by hard working whalers (1820’s), goldminers (1860’s), and migrants from Scotland (1848). The name Dunedin is theGaelic word for Edinburgh, and their culture can be seen in the numerous museums,churches, and even their homes. Addingto the diverse culture were 4000 Chinese, who immigrated in 1891, becoming goldminers. They inter-married and remained,but kept their culture alive. It isevident in many venues in the city, as well as in the food.

 

The Amsterdam was delayed in entering the long stretch of OtagoHarbour, because another ship, the NCL Jewel was attempting to dock ahead of usin Port Chalmers. We learned later onthat strong winds had prevented the Jewel from entering through the headlands,so we were an hour behind arrival time, as were they. By the time we got to our slip, they weresafely alongside and debarking their approximate 2846 passengers for tours orthe complimentary shuttle to town. Thisship was built in 2005 and is 93,000 gross tons. This area will be full of tourists today forsure.

 

Although our newsletter said “cloudy” it was as much rainyas it was intermittent sun and clouds. Passing showers kept us cool all day. Of course, few people thought to bring umbrellas, including us. We did, however, layer up. Captain Jonathon had made an announcement afterthe guests were off and running in short sleeve, short pants, and no jackets. At 9am, the temperature was barely 50 degreeswith a wind chill to match. So welayered up, and set off to explore for the day. Free shuttles were a godsend.

 

Tours we have done here included a trip to the RoyalAlbatross Center to see the massive sea birds in their breeding grounds. Also present here are the blue andyellow-eyed penguins, as well as sea lions. If you keep your eyes on the waters below, youmight spot some dusky or hectors dolphins. Another fun tour was to Larnach Castle, New Zealand’s only castle set ona knoll over-looking the bay. It washere we attended a “haggis” ceremony, a Scottish tradition of sharing meat plus everything under the sun, ground upand stuffed in a casing of stomach, we believe. Sort of tasted like liverwurst. Only one of us knows, as only one of us ateit.

 

The other ten excursions offered today included a TaieriGorge Railway ride, or a panoramic Dunedin drive to see spires, gables, andgargoyles of the city’s mansions. Or avisit to the Botanic Gardens, Otago Museum, the Dunedin Railway Station, and awalk through the Octagon, the central business district. You could take an organized bike ride, go seakayaking, or take a trip out of town to Oumaru and Moeraki Boulders. The duration of the tours lasted from 2.5 to7.5 hours, and cost from $60 to $360.

 

It was nice to have the free shuttle bus, as we have said,which took less than 30 minutes to the Octagon in downtown Dunedin. We would have until 4:30pm to come back tothe ship. A very complete touristbooklet was handed to us by local docents. Local info can provide so much moredetail, and we really like that.

 

Our independent walking tour began at the info center in theOctagon area of the central business district. Armed with more pamphlets and booklets with maps, we headed off for thebiggest attractions. We should mentionhere that today was a holiday…Waitangi Day. Many attractions would be closed today, including all of the schools.

 

Right next door to the info center was Civic Center and DunedinTown Hall, a most impressive example of the period architecture. It was closed today. The first real stop was at St. Paul’s AnglicanCathedral, built in the early 20th century. It was a long climb up the many steps to theentrance, but worth it to see the beautiful stained glass windows that linedthe walls of the church. The Public Art Galley was next in line, but we hadlittle time to spare for there.

 

It was about here that we ran into Barb, Susie and Woody whowere looking for a pub that they had the best nachos ever. But that was 10 years ago, and it appearedthat the place had changed hands. We foundout later that they did not locate a suitable café, and headed back to theship. It was so cold and windy withquick showers, that dining outside was not going to work for them today.

 

We continued on Princes Street, and ran into another church,The First Church which was Presbyterian, was built in 1873 in Gothic style witha 185 foot spire. Across the street wasthe Queen’s Garden with a statue of Queen Victoria. Also in the center was a monument to thosewho died during war time.

 

From here, we could see the Dunedin Railway Station, anotherfine example of Flemish Renaissance –style architecture, and the country’s mostphotographed building. Going inside theentrance, we saw the mosaic floor made with 750,000 Minton tiles. The upper level houses an art gallery and aSports Hall of Fame. Outside on the onekilometer-long platform, we learned that it is used as a catwalk for modelsonce a year during their famous fashion show. This is also a good place to book a 90 minutetrain trip for $50 NZ$ if they are not sold out. With two ships in port today, that could be aproblem, even though they have three departing times during the day.

 

Across the street is the Law Courts Building, and the OtagoDaily Times, the oldest newspaper in the country’s history. And if you love chocolate, a stop at CadburyWorld is a must. We never saw so manypeople, including crew members, buying shopping bags full of their chocolatecreations. An hour tour there, gives youthe chance to learning the candy-making process, and also an opportunity tocreate your own treat. Bet there is somereward with tastings as well. We hadjust missed the start of one tour, so we just strolled through the crowdedshop. A line of folks was out the door,buying heaps of the chocolate treats. The bad news that we heard later on, was that this facility would beclosing here in Dunedin, and moving to Australia. Over 300 folks will be losing their jobsunfortunately.

 

Wish we had more time to see more, but time was flying by,and we wanted to find a place for lunch. So we went back to the info center, and inquired about a pub-like venuethat was within walking distance. Theyounger guides knew exactly what we were asking, however they did fail tomention there was a café that served up to a 36 inch pizza, located right offof the Octagon.

 

Having had such a nice lunch in Napier, we asked the addressof the Lone Star Pub. This was a longwalk up George Street, passing a slew of shops, a mall, and numerous tinycafes. We did find the Lone Star, only to have our hopes dashed when we sawthey opened for dinner only. Should haveasked the guide that, since she had no idea we were from one of the cruiseships.

 

Turning back at this point, we followed the map to Speight’sBrewery. On the way, we spotted The DogWith Two Tails eatery, but noticed it was more of a self-serve establishment ,already full of customers. So it was thebrewery for sure, five minute walk from the Octagon, up a side street. It is an historic working brewery with an alehouse and tours. We ordered two craftdraft beers and a shared double burger. Adding a bowl of fries, it made a perfect meal. No pizza, but a giant burger was the nextbest thing. Not sure the tour was in progress,because it was a holiday. In fact, therewas a notice that an extra 15% surcharge would be added to our bill, but it wasnot. Good thing, as we were trying touse up all of the New Zealand change we had left.

 

The Dunedin Casino was on the corner, and in hind sight, weshould have taken a peek on the inside. This landmark boasts an original 1883 mosaic floor, and a grand spiralstaircase. Oh well, maybe next time.

 

We did have some coins left, so we went in search of icecream, hopefully Hokey Pokey. No suchluck, but a stop at the corner convenient store yielded two cones, and a bigchocolate chip cookie. No Hokey Pokey.

 

Since the rain showers had begun again, we decided to goback to the ship. The driver gave us alla little commentary on the way back, pointing out some things we had missed. If we had more time, a visit to the BotanicGarden would have been nice. Although wewere told it was too far to walk, we had come very close when we walked GeorgeStreet. A few more blocks, we would havebeen there. Again, we’ll save it fornext time.

 

Back at the port shortly after 3pm, we stayed inside longenough to catch our breath, then headed outside to join the sail away festivitieson deck eight aft. Few folks were there,and in a few seconds, we realized why. Thewind was howling and it was COLD. Dark clouds kept blowing over the ship, dumpingrain, and driving the folks away. Westayed……what’s a little water? And itpaid off. Once we were halfway into thesail out of the harbor, a rainbow appeared. A flock of what seemed to be black swans,red beaks, with half-white wings flew by the ship. Not sure they are native tothis area, but we doubt it, as we only saw a few of them. Then, Captain Jonathonannounced to keep an eye out for the albatross and penguins as we neared the endof the harbor at Taiaroa Head. Here wesaw the albatross flying, the penguins on the cliffs, and the seals near thewater. Just like we remembered.

 

Then as the Captain warned, we hit rough seas that startedgetting worse as the day wore on. Everything in sight needed to be lashed down. Roundingthe bottom of the south island would get rougher as the night wore on.

 

Dinner time found us all present, and nice for Brenda, whowas celebrating her birthday. What anice lady. At dessert time, the waitersgathered and sang the special song, completing her near perfect day in thisport. And we teased her that the NewZealanders even managed to have a holiday for her birthday.

 

Tomorrow, we will be exploring three fjords most of theday. Better be prepared to bundle up onceagain.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

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The other question was about staying in shape, more or less. That’s simple. We don’t do gyms. We never have. As many months that we have spent on thisship, we have only looked in the gym once. Really just to see where it waslocated. It’s great for the passengerswho don’t like the heat, wind, sun, or the motion of the ship. So we walk. A lot. It’s not unusual for us towalk three different times during the day (sea days), doing 2 or more miles ateach session. And we take the stairs,but not exclusively. We do this at homeevery day, a different trek each day, enjoying lunch out, before heading back. Thishas also doubled as therapy for not-so-great back problems for one of us. Walking, as well as swimming, seems to be thesafest form of exercise without the danger of more injury.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

We appreciate your sharing of your routines, and the thinking behind them. It inspires us to do the same. Thanks !

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Report # 38 FiordlandNational Park – Scenic cruising February 7, 2018 Wednesday Mostly sunny & 76 degrees Part #1 Of 4 51 Pictures

 

Boy, did we have a rough sailing last night. During dinner, we thought the bottles of winewould tip over at any instant. Later on,it only got worse. Some folks love themotion, but only during the night time, after going to bed. Other than that, there is no good reason tolove it. This is normal, however,especially considering that we had to sail around the bottom of the SouthIsland. Currents and winds can betreacherous. Perhaps it could have beenmuch worse.

 

Bright and early at 6am, Fiordland rolls (aka Panama rolls)were being served with juice and coffee in the Crow’s Nest and the Atrium. Not sure why anyone would choose to be upthat early, since the sun did not rise until close to 7am. The Fiordland National Park of New Zealandcovers almost 10% of the country. It isa UNESCO World Heritage Site. We didlearn that some people did in fact, go early to the Crow’s Nest to save thoseover-sized chairs for the entire day. This is normal behavior when there are scenic cruising days, such astransiting the Panama or Suez Canals, sailing into impressive harbors like HongKong, Sydney, or San Francisco, and exploring fjords around the world. During her fjord talks today, Barbara H didsuggest it was only fair to let everyone have a chance to see the dramaticcliffs and waterfalls of the sounds. Inour opinion, the best place to experience this, has to be outside where you canfeel the extremes of the cold or heat.

 

The Amsterdam entered the first fjord, Dusky Sound, around8am. It definitely was not “mostly sunny”outside. It was mostly overcast, windy,and foggy, just like we remembered it from past cruises. The scenery was nice anyway while we hadbreakfast in the dining room. It’s a realtreat for the waiters, who have the extra benefit of viewing the transitthrough the dining room windows. Theywere the first to spot some dolphins at the entrance to the fjord, while theywere keeping a lookout for waterfalls.

 

By the time we went to deck three to see them, all were goneof course. It was a good time to takeour normal walk, more so, because the deck was not crowded yet. It was cool, windy, and not looking so great,even by the time the ship exited around 10am. Good time to work on yesterday’s photos, and be ready for the next go atDoubtful Sound.

 

At 11:15am, we entered the second fjord, DoubtfulSound. By now, the sun had begun to peekout of the clouds. It made such a hugeimprovement for the photos, turning the blues and greens much moreintense. Hot chocolate was even servedon all decks this time. Both of thesesounds were accessed with one entrance, then exited by another. And we were not alone in ourexplorations. The NCL Jewel happened tobe 20 minutes ahead of us. On one hand,it was great to have the ship in photos for prospective, but we didn’tappreciate the smoke they left behind them. It put a constant blue tinge in our photos. Oh well, can’t have it all.

 

We munched on room snacks for lunch – cheese and crackers,fruit, nuts, nothing heavy. Sometimes itis nice to take a break from sit-down meals. Our intention was to do computer work while watching a movie, but thatnever happened. We ended up with theseveral news networks, putting up with the TV cutting in and out due to spottysatellite connections. Not sure if wewill have a good connection while sailing across the Tasman Sea.

 

The last fjord was the best one, in our opinion. We entered Milford Sound around 3:15pm underperfectly blue skies and wonderful temperatures, at least on the way in. Although this fjord was not as long of a sailin, it was the most dramatic. That’s probablywhy there were many other small boats, single prop planes, and even ahelicopter touring the same time we were. We saw many waterfalls and an elephant-shaped rock formation as weentered. Scouring the cliffs andcrevices for wildlife, the only thing we saw were a few gulls or terns. Barbara H had said to look out for dolphinsin the entrance, but we saw none. Thisparticular fjord has only one way in and out. Once the ship turned around, we darn near blew off of the bow, where wehad been spending most of the day. And one nice touch was the serving of Dutchpea soup at 3:30pm.

 

Staying up on the bow, we filmed it until well after4:30pm. Once we cleared the opening tothe Tasman Sea, it got rough. Bydinnertime, we were rolling pretty good, making us wonder what kind of crossingwe will have as we are heading towards Sydney, Australia next. The Tasman Sea is notorious for being dicey.

 

Since two of our tablemates were invited elsewhere fordinner, we had company…..two friends of Bonnie and Paul. Having a table for two upstairs at theearlier seating, we hope they were not intimidated at such a large table asours. Sometimes there can be threedifferent conversations happening at the same time. Never boring. We all remarked how odd it seemed that the sun did not set until 9:18pm,an indication of how far south we are at the present time.

 

And we had a time change tonight…..one hour back. Certainly appreciate that. The front elevators were mostly shut downtoday, only two were working. So as aresult, we took to the stairs instead. Good for us, we guess. We shallsleep good tonight.

 

And to answer one recurring question regarding Hokey Pokeyice cream. It is a particularly creamyvanilla ice cream with honeycomb-flavored bits of crunchy candies. Simply irresistible.

 

Looking forward to two days at sea, but only if they come withoutthe deep swells and rocking and rolling. A little of that goes a long way.

 

Nightly quote from yesterday: Keep your eyes on the horizon and your noseto the wind. Clint Eastwood

 

Bill & Mary Ann

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Bill and Mary Anne, Knowing how much you enjoy walking, I was wondering if you had done any of the Eastern Coastal Walk around Coogee, Sydney.

 

I caught the M50 to Coogee today and walked along the beach and past the four popular rock pools to South Coogee. Bus goes along Victoria Road, over Anzac Bridge, past White Bay, to Coogee, via the City. Loved the Ladies Pool, which has been a ladies and pool from inception. You can walk along the Coast in either direction. Today was a perfect mild sunny day, with a fresh breeze, for the beach. Had delicious hotcakes for lunch (breakfast until 1 pm) at popular licensed restaurant up the hill, Barzura (est 1994). Forgot to look to see whether they served pizza.

 

Sydney is a walker's paradise, with so much choice, I hadn't been on this walk south before.

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Report # 39 Day atSea February 8, 2018 Thursday Partly cloudy & 79 degrees

 

Not only did we get an extra hour on the clock last night,we will get another one tonight. Headingnorthwest will do that. Also noticeable wasan increase in the temperature, as the chill in the breeze was gone. Suits us just fine.

 

The seas have remained rocky, but nowhere near as rough aswe have seen it on past cruises. Theskies were 100% cloudy this morning, but they cleared later in the day, and thesun actually did peek out. Regardless ofthe conditions, we walked several times during the day, keeping our eyes peeledfor albatross. We were not disappointed,when we saw two or more of the large birds flying alongside the ship. For a brief second, we saw some dolphins justas they dove under the surface…..gone as fast as they appeared.

 

Our big job of the day was filling out the Australianimmigrations incoming passenger cards. Thenwe were required to pick up our passports at the front desk. When we arrive to Sydney, our very first portin Australia, we will have a face-to-face inspection in the terminal building. This will be a “zero count” inspection, whereeveryone (including crew) on the ship will need to clear before anyone isallowed back on the ship. For this reason, we will go off last, or else wewould have to debark with the first group at 8am, as we got a priority letterA.

 

We picked up some Australian dollars, even though we mightpay a bit more on the ship, we won’t have to waste any time in town. Then we stopped by Barbara H’s desk andinquired about internet in White Harbour , where we will be docked while inSydney. She thinks there is nothing atall in this terminal. Hope she is wrong,but she seldom is.

 

Tonight was a gala evening with the theme of Under the Sea. Tokeep with the theme, the dining room was lit with blue lights, and the chairswere covered with green and turquoise covers. The waiters were wearing blue vests with turquoise ties. The only thing missing were the fish mobilesthat used to hang from the ceiling. Guess these have been eliminated because they were flammable. The centerpiece of flowers was replaced witha vase of sand and seashells. In thecenter of that, was a battery-powered candle.

 

Entrees were more focused on seafood, but we both had theveal chop, which was excellent. Phillipmade the rounds with Petr, the head chef. Asking how we have been enjoying the cuisine, we gave him high marks. The only concern we had was with some of thesoups, which have been a tad on the salty side. Easy to fix, Petr said he would pass this message over to the soup chef. After the meal, one of us ordered the soufflé,finding it under-cooked. Slam quicklyfixed the problem with a stand-by of Snicker’s cake.

 

Another day crossing “The Ditch” (aka Tasman Sea), asCaptain Jonathon said in his talk today, and we will be in a new country.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

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Report # 39 Day atSea February 8, 2018 Thursday Partly cloudy & 79 degrees

 

 

 

Not only did we get an extra hour on the clock last night,we will get another one tonight. Headingnorthwest will do that. Also noticeable wasan increase in the temperature, as the chill in the breeze was gone. Suits us just fine.

 

 

 

The seas have remained rocky, but nowhere near as rough aswe have seen it on past cruises. Theskies were 100% cloudy this morning, but they cleared later in the day, and thesun actually did peek out. Regardless ofthe conditions, we walked several times during the day, keeping our eyes peeledfor albatross. We were not disappointed,when we saw two or more of the large birds flying alongside the ship. For a brief second, we saw some dolphins justas they dove under the surface…..gone as fast as they appeared.

 

 

 

Our big job of the day was filling out the Australianimmigrations incoming passenger cards. Thenwe were required to pick up our passports at the front desk. When we arrive to Sydney, our very first portin Australia, we will have a face-to-face inspection in the terminal building. This will be a “zero count” inspection, whereeveryone (including crew) on the ship will need to clear before anyone isallowed back on the ship. For this reason, we will go off last, or else wewould have to debark with the first group at 8am, as we got a priority letterA.

 

 

 

We picked up some Australian dollars, even though we mightpay a bit more on the ship, we won’t have to waste any time in town. Then we stopped by Barbara H’s desk andinquired about internet in White Harbour , where we will be docked while inSydney. She thinks there is nothing atall in this terminal. Hope she is wrong,but she seldom is.

 

 

 

Tonight was a gala evening with the theme of Under the Sea. Tokeep with the theme, the dining room was lit with blue lights, and the chairswere covered with green and turquoise covers. The waiters were wearing blue vests with turquoise ties. The only thing missing were the fish mobilesthat used to hang from the ceiling. Guess these have been eliminated because they were flammable. The centerpiece of flowers was replaced witha vase of sand and seashells. In thecenter of that, was a battery-powered candle.

 

 

 

Entrees were more focused on seafood, but we both had theveal chop, which was excellent. Phillipmade the rounds with Petr, the head chef. Asking how we have been enjoying the cuisine, we gave him high marks. The only concern we had was with some of thesoups, which have been a tad on the salty side. Easy to fix, Petr said he would pass this message over to the soup chef. After the meal, one of us ordered the soufflé,finding it under-cooked. Slam quicklyfixed the problem with a stand-by of Snicker’s cake.

 

 

 

Another day crossing “The Ditch” (aka Tasman Sea), asCaptain Jonathon said in his talk today, and we will be in a new country.

 

 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

There is a coffee shop in white bay and a ferry service into the city. If you had or have TMobile you have free internet in Australia.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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Report # 40 Day atSea February 9, 2018 Friday Partly cloudy & 79 degrees

 

Another day at sea, and another day closer toAustralia. The weather has improvedslightly, with a warm breeze blowing across the decks. Although it remained mostly cloudy with ahint of sun, it still was not a “pool” day.

 

Some of the talks in the Queen’s Lounge have included whatto see and do in Hobart to Fremantle. Weare still looking for Sydney talks on TV, as they probably happened last week. Most all of the port talks are followed bypreviews of the ship’s tours available, of course.

 

The test kitchen has a new chef by the name of MitchellTait. We only attended one of theseclasses in the beginning of the cruise, but have rather enjoyed watching someof the pre-recorded demos on TV. One ofus is a fairly accomplished baker, but there is always room for learning newtricks. Today’s presentation was makingMargherita pizza from scratch. Howperfect was that subject?

 

A new guest speaker, Dr. Denny Whitford, continued theseries on ocean waves, a great subject for the area we are in right now. Although the perfect storm is something wehope to never experience.

 

Wajang movies are shown at least twice on these seadays. Last year, a group paid to use thetheater in the afternoon for a private presentation. That did not sit well with the PM showfolks. Guess someone in charge waslistening for a change.

 

Australian opals and South Seas pearls are being previewedsomewhere every day now. There are adsleft daily in our mail slots to remind us of presentations and grandunveilings. One thing we have notnoticed yet, is the art shows. Thesewill probably appear towards the end of April.

 

The best part of the day was having lunch with our buddy,Barb. So nice to catch up on news, whilewe all enjoyed our mini-burgers. Up ondeck five, we noticed that there was a Mariner brunch in session. This may not be exactly correct, but we weretold that 56 passengers were getting off in Sydney, and about the same amountwere joining. This will be the firstofficial segment of the world cruise. And to add to that, there was a grand activity voucher redemption forAmazon Gift Cards today.

 

Finally found time for a movie this afternoon…..Star TrekBeyond. Not new, but we have not seen ityet. Entertaining, but we would have towatch it again to get the story behind the movie. We had a chuckle over the fact that thisseries was what we watched back in the 1960’s, over 50 years ago. Who would think it would still be around thatmany years later? Different actors, buta continuing saga…..

 

Dinner found two good entrees on the menu – short ribs and meatballsand spaghetti. Don’t laugh, theirItalian choices can be tasty, and even the chef’s recommended meal, liketonight.

 

A variety show featured the duo of Ruben Vilagrand and AnnieGong, however, with a big day coming up, most of us called it a night. We’re all feeling the effects of two days oftime changes. Even though it is back twohours, it takes time to adjust.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

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