San Diego to Montreal in 134 Days

richwmn · January 30

January 31^st, 2024 – At Sea, Destination Townsville, Queensland, Australia

This morning the ship is proceeding on a heading of 313.9°, at a speed of 19 knots. The temperature is 81°F / 27°C with a humidity of 84%. The winds are around 19mph. The ship is moving comfortably toward our next destination.

I mentioned yesterday that Brisbane was overcast and rainy. I have been watching the Australian news channel this morning and the area around Brisbane is experiencing flooding. This is the end of a cyclone that has been in the area for the last week or so.

We did well with the 4pm trivia yesterday. I had a nice dinner in the Lido and my next activity was to watch the early show in the World Stage. This was the second show for Annie Francis. She sang songs from the ‘60’s and did them very well. She also talked a bit about her background, which was interesting. I enjoyed her show and her selection of songs.

The ship remains comfortable and the crew is excellent. Food has been good and varied, with special nights happening often in the Lido. Each of the entertainers seems to have a nightly group of people forming their audience.

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richwmn · January 31

On 1/29/2024 at 3:50 PM, kluv2cruz said:

Is this the Archie at Ocean Bar?

Archie's last work night on Volendam was last night. Here he is

richwmn · January 31

February 1^st, 2024 – Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Today we are in port and we are just tying up. We are scheduled for being able to go ashore at 9am which is in a few minutes. Our position at breakfast (7am) –

Last night was a dressy night and most of the ship was close to formal. There was a theme night last night – James Bond and it started at 7pm with the trivia questions being based on the Bond Books and Movies. A couple of the questions were pretty obscure, but on the most part they were good. After trivia, the Casino and Mix areas took over the Bond theme.

I have to add here that we had a special presentation yesterday. The pilot we will have aboard for the next few days boarded early yesterday. When meeting with the staff he said he would be happy to give a presentation, and the ship accepted. So at 2pm the World Stage was full for him to give a talk. Many of us understood that the presentation would be about the Great Barrier Reef, which is what he is aboard for. Most of the presentation was about the life and duties of the pilot. It was very interesting. We did get some information about the Reef as well, along with some of the challenges navigation thru it.

This morning it 82°F / 28°C on the ship. The humidity is 83% and the winds are at 4.6mph. The TV display shows broken clouds. It seemed comfortable when I was out a bit earlier.

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richwmn · February 1

February 2^nd, 2024 – Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Another misty, rainy day in Australia. We arrived in Cairns on time and have been cleared to go ashore. The temperature is 79°F / 26° C with the humidity at 97% and 3.4 mph winds. It is currently raining and is forecast to remain that way most of the day.

Yesterday was a nice day in Townsville. I waited for a bit before heading out to allow for the early crowds, but didn’t wait quite long enough. There was a long line for the shuttle when I got to the meeting area. I was second or third in line when the bus filled, and people had already started going toward the next bus, so much so that I was again near the end of the line. While waiting for the line to move, a third bus pulled up and opened the door right in front of me. I took that as an invitation and entered. The third bus ended up being around half full for the ride into town.

When I got into town I ran into two friends who had made the first bus and we ended up walking around town for a bit together. We went into the Post Office store and I was tempted to buy a new phone, the prices were really good. We then went into a Woolworths and made a few small purchases.

We then walked back to the bus stop and waited just a short time for a bus to appear. We got on to another half filled bus and headed back to the terminal. Outside the terminal there was a naturalist with a lizard giving some information about it and encouraging people to interact with it. Once inside the terminal there was a gentleman selling children’s books. He signed the one that was purchased.

Got back to the ship and had a Taco Bar lunch then relaxed until the 4pm trivia. Both of our groups did well, but didn’t win. A little more time until dinner and late trivia.

Trivia last night was all about Dinosaurs and we did rather well. We tied for the win, and both teams had the same answer for the tie breaker so we were crowned as co-champions.

The show last night was the Grand Voyage Repertory Company doing a tribute to Rock. It started with an empty stage while playing Queen with ‘We Will Rock You’, with plenty of audience participation. The next 45 minutes was packed with good Rock including some from ABBA, Elton John, and several others. Again, the singers were good and performed the songs with enthusiasm. While the choreography might not have been great, it was more than good enough for the crowd that attended.

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Cruising-along · February 2

We had a nice day in Cairns. We took the flight over the Great Barrier Reef and enjoyed it very much.

kelliebiz · February 2

Hi Rich, any chance they’ve had any Tamarind pop ups for dinner on Volendam? I’m guessing not since they have Morimoto now. I was really hoping and crossing my fingers. No such luck so far?

richwmn · February 2

3 hours ago, kelliebiz said:

Hi Rich, any chance they’ve had any Tamarind pop ups for dinner on Volendam? I’m guessing not since they have Morimoto now. I was really hoping and crossing my fingers. No such luck so far?

For this 'Grand' cruise we had a Tamarind pop up a couple of weeks ago. It was so popular that they scheduled another one for the 29th. I don't know if this will carry over to the Canal Cruise or the Atlantic Coastal.

kazu · February 2

41 minutes ago, richwmn said:

For this 'Grand' cruise we had a Tamarind pop up a couple of weeks ago. It was so popular that they scheduled another one for the 29th. I don't know if this will carry over to the Canal Cruise or the Atlantic Coastal.

There is one night where the PG is not available on the Coastal. So far, Morimoto is not showing so hopefully a pop up Tamarind or Cellar Master (you can’t blame a girl for dreaming can you? 😉)

cat shepard · February 2

6 hours ago, Cruising-along said:

We had a nice day in Cairns. We took the flight over the Great Barrier Reef and enjoyed it very much.

Carolyn - gorgeous pictures! Thank you for sharing.

Cruising-along · February 2

On 2/2/2024 at 1:23 AM, kazu said:

There is one night where the PG is not available on the Coastal. So far, Morimoto is not showing so hopefully a pop up Tamarind or Cellar Master (you can’t blame a girl for dreaming can you? 😉)

Jacqui we went to the Tamarind pop up with Rich and the Dailyites but were disappointed. Very cut back menu, none of the best items and wrong advice about the spice in one item. I hope they get better at it. 😉

kazu · February 2

10 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

Jacqui we went to the Tamarind pop up with Rich and the Dailyites but were disappointed. Very cut back menu, none of the best items and wrong advice about the spice in one item. I hope they get better at it. 😉

Thanks for the heads up and I’m sorry to hear it was disappointing 😔

I will just wait and see then. I certainly won’t book without seeing the menu 😉

I’d take a Cellar Master any day of the week over Tamarind or Morimoto pop up 😃

richwmn · February 2

February 3^rd, 2024 – Great Barrier Reef Experience

We have been in the Great Barrier Reef area since around 6am. This is an all day experience. Our position at breakfast –

The temperature is currently 82°F / 28° C and it is rainy. The humidity is 81% with winds at about 10mph. It is pretty comfortable aboard ship.

First, I forgot to post a picture of the Grand Cruise Repertory Company from two nights ago, so here it is. I really enjoyed that show.

Next we come to yesterday. Cairns looks to be a nice place, but again a pretty big city. There was a park right at the cruise ship dock, and it was pretty easy to walk around.

We had our typical port day trivia times of 4pm and 7pm. Both sessions were enjoyable, and we did do well as a group. The 7pm session’s theme was Royalty and the questions covered many areas that have or had a monarchy. After the trivia session completed, I headed for the World Stage.

Here I must admit something. I tend to remember the shows more than the names of the performers so when I see a name I don’t really know if I have seen them before or not. In most cases, when I see the performer on stage or hear their opening, that is when I realize that I have seen them before. Such was the case with Trevor Knight, the singer last night. As soon as he walked on stage I realized that I had seen him before and enjoyed his show. Last night was also a good show. He has a nice mix of singing and talk, and a good mix of songs. He will be doing another two shows and I will be attending both. His final song was ‘I am Australian’, which has become a bit of a national anthem. A good version by the Seekers (the original singers) is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrLTe1_9zso

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Cruising-along · February 3

Rich maybe we should have given Trevor Knight more of a chance last night. We found him boring and not a very good singer. Maybe his talent lies more in his guitar playing? For the first time in my memory we left early, in the middle of his third song.

Edited February 3 by Cruising-along

richwmn · February 3

9 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

Rich maybe we should have given Trevor Knight more of a chance last night. We found him boring and not a very good singer. Maybe his talent lies more in his guitar playing? For the first time in my memory we left early, in the middle of his third song.

I enjoyed the show, and (out of character for me) attended the coffee chat with him at 10am this morning. Try him again, you might change your mind.

erewhon · February 3

@richwmn Rich, Thank you for the link to the Seekers.

POA1 · February 3

6 hours ago, richwmn said:

Here I must admit something. I tend to remember the shows more than the names of the performers so when I see a name I don’t really know if I have seen them before or not.

If it makes you feel any better, we have to read our old CC posts to remember what we ate on a particular night. 😃

Thanks for all the detail. We're hoping graduate to the "Grands" in a few years, and your Live From helps tremendously.

richwmn · February 4

February 4^th, 2024 – At Sea, Destination Komoto Island

Good morning, over night we left the Great Barrier Reef and the pilot left the ship at 2am. It is currently 82°F / 28°C with 15mph winds and 84% humidity and a few clouds. Our position at 7am was -

Last evening the late trivia session was all about the TV show ‘Friends’. Questions included the name of Ross’s monkey, the last names of all the characters, which character had a twin, and many others. As a team we only missed one question. As usual, there was a team that did one better and got them all right.

After trivia I went directly to the theater to see the second installment of Stevie Jo, a comedian and reasonable singer. He was again funny and kept the audience laughing. Part of his comedy is alternate lyrics to several songs, one to begin his show and another to end it. It was an enjoyable show and someone I would go to again if he has another show.

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aliaschief · February 4

Great job Rich. I have enjoyed following your cruise and we are enjoying our World Voyage. Thanks. B.

richwmn · February 5

February 5^th, 2024 – At Sea, Destination Komodo Island

Today is our fourth day at sea (including the Great Barrier Reef) on the way to Komodo Island. It is currently 82°F / 28°C outside with winds at about 13mph and 88% humidity. We have scattered clouds and a generally nice day.

The show last night was ‘The Biddies’, a group of three ladies with a comedy and singing act. They come out resembling Mama in ‘Mama’s Family’ and do a nice routine of jokes and songs, maybe a bit off color, but funny. Their singing voices are pretty good and they play off each other well. The show goes by quickly and everyone seemed to be entertained.

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kluv2cruz · February 5

On 1/31/2024 at 2:53 PM, richwmn said:

Archie's last work night on Volendam was last night. Here he is

Aw, we had him 3 different Koningsdam sailings, a year apart and really enjoyed conversations and his drinks. Thanks. Where is off to?

richwmn · February 6

February 6^th, 2024 – At Sea, Destination Komodo Island

Aboard Volendam it is currently 82°F / 28°C. We have overcast skies with a humidity of 77% and at about 18mph. We are moving in a westerly direction at 17 knots to arrive at Komodo Island tomorrow morning at 8am.

Yesterday we had two good trivia sessions, winning one. The Lido continues to provide good meals and very good service. The staff is always very eager, but not pushy. To me, the ship has been comfortable, but I hear other guests complaining here and there. The seas have been relatively calm so it has been a good ride.

There was no show on the World Stage last night, instead we had a night of music around the ship. The various performers teamed up and mixed up to provide a little bit different entertainment. This comprised Deck 5, Ocean Bar, Mix, and Piano Bar. In addition we had another time change so we had an extra hour to participate.

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oakridger · February 6

4 hours ago, richwmn said:

instead we had a night of music around the ship. The various performers teamed up and mixed up to provide a little bit different entertainment.

I'm happy to hear about how HAL is trying out new things to improve the experience. I realize that you are on a Grand Voyage, but I'm hoping that the successful programs/food items will be integrated into the "regular" itineraries.

Thanks Rich!

~Nancy

richwmn · February 6

24 minutes ago, oakridger said:

I'm happy to hear about how HAL is trying out new things to improve the experience. I realize that you are on a Grand Voyage, but I'm hoping that the successful programs/food items will be integrated into the "regular" itineraries.

Thanks Rich!

~Nancy

We had a night like this at least once on the World Cruise last year. It is a nice alternative.

richwmn · February 7

February 7^th, 2024 – Komodo Island, Indonesia

Today we are sitting in Slawi Bay, Komodo Island. We arrived on schedule at 7am and began the task of lowering the tenders. This port has restrictions and only those with excursions can go ashore, but it doesn’t have to be a HAL excursion.

The temperate is currently 82°F / 28°C with 75% Humidity. The wind is low at 5mph, and the sky has scattered clouds. We are sitting in a protected by and the view is beautiful.

Yesterday was a sea day, the last of several. After spending the day here we will head back to Australia with another 3 sea days. As I mentioned before, sea days fall into a routine. Breakfast, doing this report, any lectures that seem good, lunch, trivia, entertainment, dinner, trivia, show, music. Each of the musicians seems to have a following and each continues to have a bit of a crowd.

Trivia for the early session is always general knowledge. For the early session my group split into men vs women. Just to let you know, we have a group of 10 or 11 and we split up differently each session based on who/how many show up. The men won our internal contest by 1 point. For the evening session the topic was board games. We did rather well and ended up tying with 4 other groups. Of the 5 groups, we tied with one other in the tie breaker, so we ended up as co-champions.

The show last night was a second show by Trevor Knight. This was a tribute to John Denver and was really good. Trevor seems to have known John and has many stories about him. He is also very good at singing John Denver’s songs. The time went by quickly and we were out for the evening.