Pete and Judy's 2020 World Cruise on the ms Amsterdam, Holland America Line

[The-Inside-Cabin]

 

Day 12

15 Jan 2020

 

Mark Donoghue was as engaging during this morning’s Coffee Chat as he was performing last night on the main stage.  He majored in music while in college in the UK and started performing in small clubs up and down the English motorways as he gradually built his reputation and the size of his audiences.  Early in his career he performed behind chicken wire to avoid flying objects from disgruntled patrons, but those days are long gone as he primarily performs for the more “refined” cruise ship crowd. 

 

The lecturer from the Brazilian Cultural Ambassadors gave an interesting talk about Brazil in the Main Stage.  The lectures are always full and the ones I have attended have been excellent. 

 

Our lunch routine is sharing a fresh salad that we enjoy out by the Sea View pool.  They do a good job with the salad bar.  They also have the custom sandwich bar and sushi which we are told is only on World Cruises (or maybe any Grand Voyage?) 

 

Tonight’s dinner featured a special menu from the Culinary Council with special plates we haven’t see before.  

 

Lee Bradley, operatic tenor from England, was this evening’s entertainer on the Main Stage.  His performance of “Music of the Night” from The Phantom of the Opera was powerful.  He put on a great show singing everything from Italian Opera to Elvis.  We are looking forward to his second performance before he leaves the ship. 

 

We will be in Recife, Brazil, tomorrow. 

[Krazy Kruizers]

We do like HAL's salads.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Arrived Recife Brazil!




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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Welcome music in the Recife cruise terminal.

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

On the Boa Viagem beach in Recife




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[DeeniEncinitas]

56 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

On the Boa Viagem beach in Recife




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Enjoying the pictures!

Denise😊

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great pictures from Recife.

 

We didn't get a welcoming band when we arrived there many years ago.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 13

 

Recife - More pictures with links to sites on blog

 

The sound of a nearby motorboat caught my attention early this morning as I was enjoying my coffee.  I stepped out on the verandah to spot the Recife pilot boat maneuvering close aboard on the starboard side.  It only took a few seconds for the pilot to grab the ships ladder and disappear inside.  We were close now. 

 

As is typical in many ports around the world, where the ship doesn’t moor at a dedicated passenger terminal, a shuttle bus is required to get to the port gate or passenger terminal.  These buses usually run almost continuously, but you need to factor in this time if you are going to meet a tour at the port gate at a specific time. 

 

The ship was offering a free shuttle to the Casa Da Cultura, a former prison converted into a craft market, which is about 2 miles away.  

 

Immediately inside the terminal there was a money exchange where $50 USD bought you 195 $R, about a 9% discount from the bank rate, but not bad for the convenience.  If you were planning a large local currency purchase, you are always better off using an ATM associated with a local bank. 

 

There were enthusiastic local greeters meeting us in the terminal, as well as a band with dancers. 

 

We booked an all day tour with a local company called “Do Brazil Right”.  We found our mini-bus at the end of the long row of Holland America Tour buses.  There were about 25 people on our 30 passenger bus.  

 

Off we go!

 

The city is modern with the streets filled with cars, motorcycles and buses.  Our first stop was a beautiful beach at Bao Viagem.  We spent a few minutes walking down the sand.  Our group stood out as we weren’t dressed for the beach.  There were a few vendors selling beverages and snacks. 

 

Back on the bus, we headed off to Olinda to visit the old city with a nice view of Recife.  We had about 20 minutes to visit the cathedral, take in the view and browse a few of the local vendors.  When we asked the price of a keychain, the vendor told us “two” – we assumed she meant USD, when in fact she meant $R.  She checked with other vendors and confirmed the exchange rate of about 4 $R to the Dollar – so we bought 2 keychains for 1 USD. 

 

We spotted several other guests from the Amsterdam who had ventured up here on their own.  We found out later that they used UBER to get here directly from the cruise terminal.  The UBER fare was about 14 $R.   We find UBER very useful overseas.  If you haven’t used UBER before your trip – take the time to download the app and use it at home for a few trips to gain some confidence in how the whole UBER thing works. 

 

Our next stop was back in Recife near some of the museums we would visit later.  It was near noon, and we had some time to grab a quick bite to eat.  We found a local bar, Bar Teatro Mamulengo, near where we were dropped off.  After studying the menu, our guide stopped by and translated some of the specials.  We invited him to join us and order some of the local favorites.  He picked out a rice/pasta with sausage dish and a plate full of liver and tomatoes.  Not what we would have picked, but we dove right in and it was very good.  Not sure I am now a liver fan, but it was fun to try some local food. 

 

The bill for the 3 of us, including beverages, was 44 $R or about $11 USD.  I didn’t have any $R and my credit card wasn’t being accepted, so another tourist sold me 44 $R to speed things up.  If the other guest didn’t appear, I suspect the vendor would have eventually accepted USD or I would have had to find an ATM and get some local currency.  After this, I decided to get some local currency at my next opportunity.  

 

After lunch we walked back to the Embaixada de Pernambuco or Embassy of Pernambuco which is a museum with exhibits of local culture and folklore.  Admission was included as part of our tour, but if you are on your own, there would be a small charge.  The museum is one large room containing a variety of large sculptures which are used is some of the local Carnival Festivals.  You can see it all in 15-30 minutes. 

 

A short walk from the Embaixada de Pernambuco is the Giant Puppets Embassy (Embaixada de Pernambuco – Bonecos Gigantes de Olinda) which has numerous large puppets used in local Carnival Parades; from the Beatles to the Pope and everyone in between.  Fifteen minutes is all you need here.  

 

The Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue (considered the first synagogue of Americas) is next door and worth a quick visit.  We spent 30 minutes here, but you could spend a lot longer if you are particularly interested in this exhibit. 

 

NOTE – These 3 museums are only ½ mile from the cruise terminal over well marked streets with sidewalks.  While the port briefs paint Recife as something akin to a “Mad Max” movie, I would feel comfortable walking here from the cruise terminal with a small group.  However, we did hear of one passenger who lost a gold necklace to a “snatch and grab” attack when a small group of young men ran by, ripped his necklace off and kept going.  Another passenger was knocked down in the melee, but fortunately was uninjured.  Avoid wearing any jewelry/watches or carrying easy to grab purses or bags in this port. 

 

Our final stop was Ground Zero Square which marks the spot where the city was born.  There is a large RECIFE sign suitable for selfies! 

 

The money exchange was open when we returned to the terminal so I picked up $50 worth of $R to use in Rio de Janerio, our next stop. 

 

A few minutes later we were back on the ship in time for the sail-away at 4:30PM. 

 

This was our first time in Recife and we enjoyed our visit.  If you want something to do on your own, here is a suggested itinerary: 

 

• ·       Take the Ship’s Shuttle bus to Casa Da Cultura – spend some time browsing 

• ·       Take UBER or Taxi to Olinda – visit shops and museums 

• ·       Take UBER or Taxi back to the Placa do Arsenal da Marinha and visit the museums in this area.  (Embaixada de Pernambuco and others above). 

• ·       From here you can walk the quarter mile to Ground Zero (Pier do Marco Zero) and then walk the ½ mile back to the cruise terminal. 

 

Sailaway was well attended and the sunset was very nice with great weather – not too much heat or humidity. 

 

The Holland America Line singers and dancers performed “That’s Life”, a high energy show featuring such hits as “Mack the Knife”, “Fever” and “Stuff Like That There”. 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 14, Jan 17^th 2020

At Sea

 

COFFEE CHAT

 

Lee Bradley, the wonderful tenor who performed last night, was the guest during this morning’s Coffee Chat.  He taught himself how to sing by listening to Pavarotti CDs in his bedroom.  After he auditioned for the Royal Opera, they were surprised to learn that he didn’t have any formal training and arranged for him to attend the Royal Academy of Music.  He enjoys performing on cruise ships and will often adapt his second show based on the feedback he receives from the first show. 

GOLD, GLITZ AND GLEAM

 

Tonight was another gala night with the theme – Gold, Glitz and Gleam.  You can find a list of all the theme nights on the blog. 

 

The dining room was all decked in Gold trim with the waiters wearing gold vests and ties.  We had invited guest entertainer, Mark Donoghue, to our table this evening.  It was a pleasant surprise when we learned that a ship’s officer, Kristin (Onboard Revenue Manager), would be hosting our table.  Whenever a table is hosted by a ship’s officer they always provide the wine, which is a nice treat. 

 

Kristin hails from Texas and is married to Grahame, the HAL orchestra drummer.  Kristin has been working on ships for 10 years after getting her start as the Microsoft Studio Instructor on an Alaska cruise. 

 

ON THE MAIN STAGE

 

Tonight’s guest entertainer was Tim Abel, a pianist from the UK.  He played a variety of classical numbers, along with some pop tunes.  One of the highlights was Liberace’s arrangement of Chop Sticks.  He has a great stage presence and was very entertaining.  The entertainment so far on this cruise as been first rate across the board. 

 

CROW’S NEST

 

After the show we headed up to the Crow’s Nest to check out the Gold, Glitz and Gleam.  There were about 20 people having a great time, all gleamed up and dancing to the “Station Band”.  We spotted these two guys who had the best Glitz and Gleam going. 

 

PILLOW GIFT

 

Back in the cabin we discovered out latest “Pillow Gift” – a portable power bank for charging your mobile devices.   A list of the other gifts we have received this cruise are on the blog

[canadianbear]

Your blog is amazing.  Really enjoying coming along for the ride!

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Your blog is amazing.  Really enjoying coming along for the ride!

Thanks, glad you are enjoying the ride!


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[swin26]

I noticed two things - is there not a rabbi on the world cruise this year?  Also other than the featured ice cream sundae - are other ice creams and frozen yogurts not offered at dinner in the MDR.  Thanks for a great blog!!!

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 15,

18 January 2020

 

COFFEE CHAT

 

Tim Abel hails from Sherwood Forest in England.  He started playing piano seriously when he was about 13.  His father was interested in Ragtime and that style was his favorite and he enjoyed playing in hotels and bars.  He eventually received formal education under a Russian instructor who remarked he played like a “10-year-old boy”.  She proceeded to break all his bad habits and teach him better basic technique which helped him improve tremendously. 

 

EXCURSION BRIEF

 

The EXC Host and Excursion Manager gave a presentation on upcoming shore excursions and provided an explanation of how to read an excursion ticket and the purpose of the multi-colored tour dots.  I suppose there are always a few people who can get confused about the meeting time vs. the departure time and the fact that while most tours leave from the Main Stage, occasionally they meet in a different location. 

 

CASINO UPDATE

 

We had our first full table for the 11 AM Hold’em Tournament today.  The games can take up to two hours with the larger starting stakes and slower Blind escalation.  When we had a live dealer, the tournaments usually lasted 45 minutes.  I had good luck today and finished as the chip leader before we decided to chop the pot.  The first blackjack tournament of the cruise was held this afternoon – I didn’t make the final table. 

 

We have more people who want to play the Hold’em cash game at 2PM so people are getting to the Casino earlier and earlier – It will soon be the 1:30PM cash game.  The games typically last until 4 pm when everyone decides to move on.  The games are friendly and most of the time we rarely win or lose more than $50.  

 

PHOTO CONTEST

 

The categories for the photo contest were announced and are shown here.  There will be two competitions, one for each half of the cruise with the winners selected by a panel of ship’s officers.  I find this preferable to competitions where the winners were decided by passenger voting.  This too often turns into a vote lobbying contest rather than a photo contest.

 

MAIN DINING ROOM 

 

Dinner service is blazing fast.  We sat down at 7:45PM today and were served desert by 8:30PM.  There are very few people eating after 7:45PM so things can move quickly when choosing to eat later. 

 

THE MAIN STAGE

 

Lindsay Hamilton, female vocalist, was on the Main Stage this evening.  With a voice made for musical theatre, she performed a variety of hits such as Skyfall, Diamonds are Forever, Make You Feel My Love and a beautiful rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserable.  She humorously referred to the band as Holland America’s version of the boy band One Dimension.  Toward the end of her show, she turned up the house lights, went into the audience and took selfies with the guests while she sang.  

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Arrived in Rio!

 

Saw the Christ the Redeemer statue off in the distance during our sail- in at 5:30 AM!!!

 

 

People gathered on deck 6 forward below the bridge. Crew passed out Orange Juice

 

 

People gathered on the bow

 

 

Arrival video

 

 

 

 

 

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[Krazy Kruizers]

Just got caught up with your latest reports, blog and pictures.

 

Wonderful.

 

Takes me back to when we spent 4 days in Rio as well.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Arrived Copacabana Beach

 

 

Edited January 19, 2020 by The-Inside-Cabin

[Lido deck main]

Sure enjoying the blog, your commentary and pictures sure gives a sense of your experiences and provides good details for future travellers.  Thanks!

[Floridiana]

On 1/18/2020 at 12:55 AM, The-Inside-Cabin said:

we did hear of one passenger who lost a gold necklace to a “snatch and grab” attack when a small group of young men ran by, ripped his necklace off and kept going.

 

Good advice not to wear anything gold/silver or their imitations in ALL South American ports. Some ports are ok that way, but a casual visitor doesn't know beforehand.

[forwardho]

I am so enjoying your blog . I think you have a wonderful writing style. Thank you for all your details of the day onboard , your shore excursions , and the tips for us future world cruise travelers. 

[sandiego1]

Pete - loving your blog and photos.

 

When I was on the 2019 WC, I had a lot of trouble uploading my blog and photos. What tools do you use? Do you shrink your photos?

[The-Inside-Cabin]

3 hours ago, sandiego1 said:

Pete - loving your blog and photos.

 

When I was on the 2019 WC, I had a lot of trouble uploading my blog and photos. What tools do you use? Do you shrink your photos?

I use Wordpress.   Reduce pictures to 650 x650. The internet so far this cruise has been amazingly fast and reliable.   Best ever on HAL for me 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

4 hours ago, forwardho said:

I am so enjoying your blog . I think you have a wonderful writing style. Thank you for all your details of the day onboard , your shore excursions , and the tips for us future world cruise travelers. 

Thanks.   I try to make  this blog a reference for future travelers.  

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Here is where we went today.   
 

[PhoenixCruiser]

Love your map from today!

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Here is the plan for Day 2 Rio.   We will stay in Rio tonight after ship leaves and fly to Iguazu Falls tomorrow 

 

20Jan20 – Monday – 8am Pick Up – Half  Day 06 Hour Tour

Tour will start visiting the Sugar Loaf Mountains, where passengers will ride the World Famous Cable Cars, in two steps, all the way to the top of the Urca Hill, 215 meters high for which already grants beautiful views of Guanabara Bay and its islands, the Rio-Niterói Bridge, Niterói Beaches and the Corcovado Mountain. Visit will last approx 1 hour.

After Sugar Loaf Loaf, Tour will continue to Old Downtown Rio (panoramic) with a 20 minute Stop at Selaron Stairways for Pictures.

After Selaron Starways, Tour will continue to the City of Samba (Cidade do Samba), a complex of warehouses where the Rio Carnival Parade is built.

Carnival Behind the Scenes Tour –  A powerful tool for social inclusion!

Guided tour of the shed of the Grande Rio Samba School – One of the main Samba Schools of the city of Rio de Janeiro.

•Presentation Room: a bit about the history of samba and carnival parades.

• Getting in the mood: array of costumes to dress and photograph

• Samba Flavor: welcoming caipirinha drink.

Carnival Behind the Scenes Tour will last approx 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes.

1:40pm – Return to the Port, in order to arrive at 2pm.