richwmn Goes around the world in a daze

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I appreciate Rich's comments on the World Cruise experience. I did not think this World Cruise would make any money for HAL because of all the FCCs out there. 

[erewhon]

11 hours ago, richwmn said:

In truth, I don't think so. Several years ago I purchased one and I have mostly kept it charged, but I think I only used it once and that was to try it out not because I needed to.

Many people will find it useful.

 

@richwmn     Rich, thank you for your reply.

[richwmn]

March 8 – Maputo, Mozambique

 

 

Last night was an enjoyable evening on the good ship Zuiderdam. The crew had recovered from the party of the night before. Trivia sessions were good, as was a game of Corn Hole on the Sports Deck. I managed to get a couple of points and won a game out of three played. It was something a little different.

 

Dinner last night was with my partners in crime in the Main Dining Room. It was a very nice, casual dinner. Everyone enjoyed the meal they ordered and the conversation was great. I constantly see threads on Cruise Critic about the Main Dining Room. Most of them have two comments, small portions and long meals. I find that the portions are ample and tasty. The portions probably represent what we should eat rather than what we want to eat. As far as the length of the meal, it doesn’t seem long if you are enjoying your company and conversation.

 

 

This morning I manage to sleep in longer than the past couple of weeks. After checking online, I went directly to breakfast with my two main trivia partners. I made the choice about ten days ago to stay aboard today by not purchasing the visa for today, so I am staying aboard. The ship has been very nice today, with trivia at 10:30am (we did fine), a nice lunch, then more trivia later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dfish]

1 hour ago, richwmn said:

I constantly see threads on Cruise Critic about the Main Dining Room. Most of them have two comments, small portions and long meals. I find that the portions are ample and tasty. The portions probably represent what we should eat rather than what we want to eat. As far as the length of the meal, it doesn’t seem long if you are enjoying your company and conversation

Bingo!

[Hobcat]

On 3/7/2023 at 6:21 AM, richwmn said:

In truth, I don't think so. Several years ago I purchased one and I have mostly kept it charged, but I think I only used it once and that was to try it out not because I needed to.

Many people will find it useful.

Wait till your power goes out at home. We used ours to keep phones charged when power was out for several days last year. As you say only needed it once but it saved us. 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

12 hours ago, richwmn said:

March 8 – Maputo, Mozambique

 

 

Last night was an enjoyable evening on the good ship Zuiderdam. The crew had recovered from the party of the night before. Trivia sessions were good, as was a game of Corn Hole on the Sports Deck. I managed to get a couple of points and won a game out of three played. It was something a little different.

 

Dinner last night was with my partners in crime in the Main Dining Room. It was a very nice, casual dinner. Everyone enjoyed the meal they ordered and the conversation was great. I constantly see threads on Cruise Critic about the Main Dining Room. Most of them have two comments, small portions and long meals. I find that the portions are ample and tasty. The portions probably represent what we should eat rather than what we want to eat. As far as the length of the meal, it doesn’t seem long if you are enjoying your company and conversation.

 

 

This morning I manage to sleep in longer than the past couple of weeks. After checking online, I went directly to breakfast with my two main trivia partners. I made the choice about ten days ago to stay aboard today by not purchasing the visa for today, so I am staying aboard. The ship has been very nice today, with trivia at 10:30am (we did fine), a nice lunch, then more trivia later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both our fathers gave us the advice in the first line of the pillow card.  We followed their advice, and have seen amazing parts of the world.  Thanks for taking us along on the world cruise.

[richwmn]

March 9, – at sea, heading for Durban

 

 

It is a bit later today than I normally post. Yesterday was a nice day in Maputo, Mozambique. As has been the case so far for this cruise we had good weather. For those, like me, that chose to stay on the ship plenty of activities were scheduled. We had to delay leaving because the channel we needed to use to leave was occupied by a ship coming in. We left after dark. I posted a short video on FB but it is a bit much to load here.

 

It was a nice evening. Most of the activities last night were pointed toward International Day of the Woman. At lunch, the Lido had a big cake, all of the trivia had to do with Women, and several other things. Music was limited, but good.

 

Last night I slept well and woke up refreshed and at a reasonable time.

 

 

The big thing so far today was ‘Sea Day Brunch’. We were scheduled for 11:30am. We showed up on time and were seated promptly. It was advertised as a sampler, so we had several items at each course. The serving sizes were smaller than usual, but added up to more than enough.

 

The menu:

 

 

I didn’t take a picture of the cold sampler, but here is the hot sampler:

 

 

And here are the desserts:

 

 

Tomorrow morning we arrive in Durban and I have an excursion planned. It should be a lot of fun. In his noon announcement today, the Captain indicated that we might have a problem with Port Elizabeth and might have to miss it. After that is Cape Town where we have to go thru immigration as it is the end of a segment. We are also changing Captains in Cape Town, along with the Rolling Stone Band.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by richwmn

[richwmn]

March 10 – Durban, South Africa

 

 

 

 

 

Just a quick note early. Breakfast is done and we are now waiting for an ‘in person’ immigration check. After that I have an excursion at 9:30am and sail away is 4:00pm. Should be a nice day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[oakridger]

Have fun Rich.  What is the excursion?

 

~Nancy

[richwmn]

6 minutes ago, oakridger said:

Have fun Rich.  What is the excursion?

 

~Nancy

Not really sure, Kelly set it up and asked me along.

[richwmn]

March 10 – Durban (pt 2)

 

This morning we had to go thru South African Immigration. It was to start at 7:15am and continue, first with groups, then with decks, until everyone passed. When I was about to be next, I went ahead and moved to the Ocean Bar to await my turn. One of the Front Desk Representatives came up to me and told me to go ahead and get in line, which I did. Passing thru Immigration turned out to be easy and I was finished by 9:00am.

 

The next order of business was to show up back at the Ocean Bar to meet Kelley and the group for the excursion she set up and invited me to join. The tour operator had initially indicated that he could pick us up at the ship, but when we didn’t dock where he expected he asked us to ride the shuttle into town and he would pick us up there. Kelly was in contact with him and let him know we were ready. A little bit later he comes up and tells us that his transportation can’t enter the area we are in so we have to walk a long block to get into the van. So after a bit of a rocky start we are off!

 

After loading into the van we take a short ride to an elevation overlooking Durban. Everyone takes in the view, and generally takes a few pictures. Then we get together about a short (?) talk about South Africa, its ethnic makeup, and how the people interact. We then walk thru an area with some pretty nice houses and other buildings. While we are walking we are told about the history of the areas we are in, and how the different ethnic groups interact. After a while we get to a taxi stand where we all get into another vehicle and head toward the market. We also get a short talk about the status and history of the taxi system in Durban.

 

After another short ride, we arrive at the next stop, a large market area with many different markets. We then spent about an hour and a half (seemed like more) walking thru several different markets, most of which are selling the same goods. Local fruits and vegetables dominate the markets, along with general merchandise. Each market is crowded, but with vendors and visitors. For the most part, there is only a small walkway between vendors. We also went into an herb market, and an area with healers. For a while it was interesting, but it got long.

 

After another short ride we arrived at a beautiful beach, and a building that contained several restaurants. We went to one with a view of the beach and ate ‘bunny chow’, a local favorite. It was very good, but was a large serving. After we finished eating we got into another taxi van and were taken back to where the shuttle would take us back to the ship. Again, the taxi was unable to enter the area where the shuttle stop was, so we took another walk up the hill to the shuttle. Fortunately, the bus was sitting there almost ready to leave. We got seated and a few minutes later we were on the way back to the ship. We arrived back a bit before 4:00pm.

 

During the day we walked about 3.5 miles and learned a lot about Durban and South Africa. The weather was very nice for walking and the company was good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tonight's menus ( a little late )

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

March 11 – Now at sea, headed for Port Elizabeth, South Africa

 

 

 

It is now a little after 10:00am on Saturday. We were supposed to be in East London, South Africa today, but about an hour ago we were advised that the stop would not be happening. This was not a surprise as the Captain has been hinting this at his daily announcements for the last couple of days. He did mention that if we had made it, Zuiderdam would have been the largest ship to ever call on East London.

 

Last night not much happened after I returned from the Durban excursion. Trivia at 6:30pm, followed by an evening in. The current Rolling Stone Lounge Band is leaving in Cape Town, and they had a World Stage show last night.

 

The cruise staff is currently working to set up things to do today. A new comic is scheduled for this evening. Should be a good day at sea today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

Today's revised schedule

 

 

 

[StLouisCruisers]

Thanks Rich for updating your destination.  I thought there was a mistake on the Daily info this morning but saw your post so quickly changed it back to Port Elizabeth.  You must have updated the list on halfacts.com immediately after the change.  I appreciate all you do to keep the lists updated and hope you enjoy your visit to Port Elizabeth!

[Alphen]

Rich, have been catching up with your posts just now, enjoyable to see your perspective from a first time WC guest, having not done any ourselves. Informative and great reading, thanks for all your work on this, we will continue reading and enjoying your adventures.

[richwmn]

March 11 – at sea part 2

 

 

Tonight the Pinnacle Grill became Tamarind for the evening (and I believe tomorrow). I had dinner there with a friend so here is the food porn.

 

Dinner was the Wasabe Beef

 

Dessert was a Cheese Cake

 

[CRu1853!!]

Rich I am now updated with all of your posts. I appreciate the time and thought that you have put into them. I will keep following and wish you many more great experiences.

[richwmn]

March 12 – Port Elizabeth, South Africa

 

 

 

Just a quick note before going ashore. Menus will follow later.

 

After dinner last night was Music Trivia with our new host, Simon. He did a pretty good job and was entertaining. He is English and will take a bit of getting used to.

 

After trivia I chatted with some friends then went upstairs. At 9:30pm I went to the World Stage to see the comic – Mark Palmer. The show was ok, he got a few laughs from a good sized audience. He is leaving the ship today, so we will see what type of entertainment comes up next.

 

 

 

[richwmn]

March 12 – Port Elizabeth, South Africa pt 2

 

At 10:00am we got on the shuttle and were taken to a mall about 15 minutes drive away. During the drive we saw a bit of Port Elizabeth, and it really didn’t look much different than many other cities. We passed a beach on one side and some buildings that looked like apartments or condos on the other side. The buildings looked new and well kept. The beach was beautiful. We walked around the mall a bit then rode back to the ship. The area of the mall didn’t look too appealing as a place to walk around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

March 13 – at sea destination Cape Town, South Africa

 

 

 

Another grand day at sea. I’m settling into the current time zone and sleeping a bit more like normal. It is again a nice day at sea, the weather is pleasant.

 

Last evening was busy. After returning to the ship we ate lunch in the Lido. The next activity was sail away which was held on the aft Lido deck. The Dance or Jazz band from the Ocean Bar performed and played a very nice set at a comfortable volume. We pulled away a little after 5:00pm and the band continued to play until 5:30pm. We popped into the Lido for dinner, then down to Billboard for evening trivia. Simon, the new host, made this a ‘Lightning Trivia’ where a question is asked and you have 30 seconds to answer. The correct answer is then given and on to the next question. My group came in third.

 

After trivia I headed to the Ocean Bar and I joined Kelly and Jett. We talked a bit, then K&J went to dinner. The band played for a bit, then we called it a night.

 

 

 

[richwmn]

 

 

 

[richwmn]

Mar 14 – Cape Town, South Africa (Day 1 of 2)

 

 

 

 

I’m sure everyone is getting tired of this, but it really is another beautiful day. The sun is out and the temperature is nice. It is probably going to be a bit hot a little later.

 

We pulled into Cape Town on time this morning and have been cleared to go ashore. We leave tomorrow night at 8:30pm. There will be quite a large transition of Crew (including the Captain) while we are in Cape Town, so we will see how things go from here.

 

Yesterday was another good day aboard Zuiderdam. The 1:00pm trivia was fun. Starting at 2:00pm the entertainment staff set up a ‘County Fair’ around the mid ship Lido pool. Lots of games to play for tickets like ring toss, corn hole, throwing bean bags at a tic-tac-toe board, and knocking over cans with a bean bag. The Activities staff ran it, and many of the entertainers (like the Zuiderdam Dancers) ran the various games. At 3:45 everyone counted their tickets and prizes were given to the Guests with the most tickets. The winner had over 200 tickets and was one of the youngest on board (maybe 12 -14). Turns out that most people were giving their tickets to the youngsters on board, who won all three places. The prizes were small stuffed animals.

 

Last night I was invited to join some friends for dinner in the Main Dining Room. Turned out to be a table of 9 celebrating a birthday. It was a very good group of people, all well traveled, and great conversation. We were having a good time and didn’t even notice the two hours it took to eat the dinner. I had the salmon and it was prepared perfectly. Amazing service from the dining room staff.

 

In a little bit I will walk out and about in Cape Town for a while.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[puppycanducruise]

4 hours ago, richwmn said:

 

 

I’m sure everyone is getting tired of this, but it really is another beautiful day. The sun is out and the temperature is nice. It is probably going to be a bit hot a little later.

 

 

 

Poor you.  I hope you are not bored with the weather.😁

Thanks for sharing your cruise with us, I wish you could share the weather with us.

 

[richwmn]

It appears I failed to post the menus from last night. Here they are:

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

Mar 15 – Cape Town, South Africa (Day 2 of 2)

 

 

 

 

It is a bright, sunny day for our second day in Cape Town. We will be going out shortly to see a little more of the city.

 

Yesterday was a very nice day. I found on line that a Hop On, Hop Off bus was available and not too far from the ship. The tickets were inexpensive so I went ahead an bought them. After lunch we proceeded off the ship and asked the person at the Welcome Desk how far it was to the stop for the HOHO bus. She told me we had just missed the shuttle provided by CitySightseeing and that there would be another one shortly. That turned out to be about 15 minutes, followed by maybe a 10 minute ride to the Victoria and Albert Waterfront and the HOHO bus office. We got there in time to see one bus leave and another loading. The one loading was the blue route and the driver said it would be about 2 ½ hours. It seemed reasonable so we got on and proceeded to the upper seats and sat down.

 

It turns out that we stumbled into the better route. The red route is mostly in the city, while the blue route is longer and covers more area, particularly outside the city. We got to see many different areas where different classes of South Africans reside. As with the other tours we have had in SA, there was a bit of history and politics included in the narrative. The weather was great for sitting outside and enjoying the ride thru the South African countryside. At the end of the ride we were again at the Waterfront. We walked thru the shopping mall there for a bit before returning to the ship.

 

When we arrived back at the ship we had the honor of saying goodbye to the Captain and his Lady. They were leaving the ship and going on a tour, while the new Captain takes over. We were also introduced to the new Captain who will be on Zuiderdam until the end of the World Cruise. The evening concluded with dinner and trivia.