San Diego to Montreal in 134 Days

richwmn · March 30

March 30^th, -- Taiohae, Nuku Hiva, Marquesas, French Polynesia

Good Morning from Nuku Hiva, our last stop on this wonderful Grand Australia and New Zealand Cruise. It is another beautiful day here.

Yesterday was a typical day at sea, the ship provided a lot of activities for those who chose to participate. Many chose to use the loungers and relax by the pool or the promenade deck. I would say that a majority of the people around the ship had their eyes on their devices, either reading or playing games. I saw fewer people out and about playing cards or mah jong than last year on the World.

I have not talked about food too much, nor have I provided pictures. As of tomorrow I will have been on Volendam 100 days and I have yet to use the Main Dining Room. Most meals have been in the Lido, where there is no attempt at presentation. The food has uniformly been, to me, very good and the service has been excellent. Since I generally sit in the same section, I don’t have to ask for drinks they show up shortly after I sit down.

The World Stage show last night was the Grand Voyage Repertory Company in “Country Crossroads”. This group of eight singers and dancers, all of whom are very good. Of the eight, only four (two male and two female) sing lead and each seems to get about the same amount of time in the spotlight. The songs seem to be well suited to the person doing the lead. While the title of the show mentioned country, I would say that it was more country rock. As always, the show was high energy and well performed.

This morning we are anchored in a nice cove, and I expect that open tendering will start shortly. The tender ride was announced to be 1km, so it will be one of the longer ones. There is a small town to walk around, and of course lots of trinkets to purchase.

Today’s activities and menus –

richwmn · March 31

March 31^st – at sea, destination San Diego, California

Happy Easter from Volendam

Today is the first sea day heading back to San Diego. No more ports on the schedule. We are currently headed Northeast at 18knots. Our schedule is to cross the equator again sometime tomorrow. The weather display on the TV shows a light rain, but it was clear for the Easter Sunrise Service this morning. Several people mentioned that it was a magnificent sunrise to accompany the service. The temperature is currently 82°F / 28°C with a humidity of 78% and winds a 9mph.

Yesterday was a very nice day in Nuku Hiva. The tender ride wasn’t too long but it was a little difficult exiting the tender. Those who were at Daniels talk the previous night knew what to expect. As usual, there were vendors set up right where we got off the tender and a few locals performing. Back on the ship it was another nice lazy day.

At 4:30pm the Captain announced that we were about ready to leave and the sailaway party was beginning. I headed to the aft pool deck to find that it was already crowded. The beverage department was handing out wine, but other drinks cost. The Ocean Bar Band was again playing and sounding very good. A good number of the Officers and Staff were present and seemed to be having a good time. After the last tender was secured, we headed off in a very nice sailaway around 5:30pm.

The show last night was the second installment of Lisa Harman. She put on another good show, playing a very good version of ‘The Entertainer’, along with singing a couple of Julie Andrews songs. Overall the show was good as she is a talented pianist and good singer.

Last night we moved our clocks forward by another half hour to bring us closer to the time in San Diego. We still have two hours to make up over the next week. Tonight is our last formal night.

Here are the activities and menus for today –

richwmn · April 1

April 1^st – at sea, destination San Diego, California

April Fools Day on Volendam!

Volendam is now in the North Pacific. Sometime in the last couple of hours we crossed the equator again. We are currently headed Northeast at 18knots. This is about the speed that was announced yesterday as our target to reach San Diego on time. The screen is again showing light rain with a temperature of 82°F / 28°C. The wind is almost 7mph and the humidity is 79%.

We have settled back into a sea day routine. The ship has activities all morning for those who chose to attend. Yesterday I had a bridge tour. I had received an invitation to tour the bridge and I showed up at the appointed time. We were escorted in a group of 20 thru the gym to the bridge. My group was taken to the starboard wing and a cadet gave a very nice explanation of the function of each piece of equipment. There was another group of 20 on the port wing getting the same information. We then exited thru the office area back to the guest area of the ship.

The evening’s entertainment was comedian Mike Robinson. Along with his helper, Lester, Mike has been a staple of Holland America entertainment for many years. While a good part of his show is the same each time, he does introduce new routines and the whole show is generally funny. The wisecracking Lester goes to the edge, but not too far in insulting a designated member of the audience. I have always enjoyed this show and will attend any time they are the headliners.

Today’s activities and menus

richwmn · April 2

April 2^nd – at sea, destination San Diego, California

We continue our trek toward the end of this segment. Volendam is proceeding Northeast at 19 knots, which is a little bit faster than needed. Today we are under scattered clouds with a temperature of 81°F / 27°C. The humidity is at 84% and the winds are a little over 18 mph. The ship has had a bit of motion all morning.

Yesterday was a very full day aboard Volendam. In the morning at 11:15am we had the first (of three) Mariner Receptions. This is where the Medallions for actual days sailed were awarded. Wine was provided and the ceremony started about 11:30. Those receiving bronze Medallions were recognized but not awarded. Since this cruise is 94 days, one only had to do 1 cruise prior to be eligible for the Bronze Medallion. Each Guest awarded Silver, Gold, and Platinum Medallions was called to the front to receive it and have a picture taken with the Captain and Hotel Manager. Captain Rens Van Eerten was in a good mood and the ceremony was very light hearted.

Last night we had a show on the World Stage, and a party on the Lido Deck. The show was an Irish Comedian named George Casey. He started out with some Irish jokes and some words about Irish comedy. His act was non stop for the next 35 – 40 minutes and was very funny. He even made a joke about having to compete with the Lido deck party and said if we enjoyed his show we should mention it so he would have an audience for the late show.

On the Lido Deck we had the County Fair with the Ocean Bar Band playing. Around the mid ship pool area games were set up like a county fair might be. Different stations had tic-tac-toe bean bags, corn hole, and other games. Participation gave you a ticket toward winning a prize. Everyone appeared to be having a good time.

After a while at the Fair, I ventured down to the Ocean Bar where the Dance Band was playing to a small audience. The Dance Band also consists of very talented musicians and it was nice to listen to them. At about 9pm I checked the World Stage to find that George Casey had a reasonable audience, maybe a bit smaller than a normal late audience, but not by much.

This morning we awoke to the towel animal zoo around the mid ship pool. They were very creative and ranged in size from the typical ones we might get in our cabin, to a couple the size of a small horse or alligator. It was a very nice display and showed a lot of talent in the housekeeping department.

Today’s activities and menus –

Edited April 2 by richwmn

richwmn · April 3

April 3^rd – at sea, destination San Diego, California

We are continuing on our journey back to San Diego. Volendam has continued to steam at a speed of around 18 knots in a Northeasterly direction. We still have just under three full days at sea until we arrive. Today we have overcast skies and a temperature of 75°F / 24°C. The humidity is at 76% with winds at a little over 24 mph. The sea state is choppy and Volendam has some movement, but not as much as when we left San Diego in January.

Yesterday I had a very lazy day, as I expect today thru Friday to be as well. We have the typical lineup of presentations during the day, as well as a few sports activities. Trivia continues and does fine.

Last night the World Stage started with Daniel speaking for a little bit as usual. He had fun with a couple of people in the audience, and showed his comedic skill. Daniel has been a big reason that this cruise has been fun.

The headliner last night was again Patrick McMahon, a talented singer from Australia. He called the night Americana, and sang mostly traditional songs. He ended with a good explanation of the terms in ‘Waltzing Matilda’ and then sang it. While he might talk a bit too much considering his singing talent, what he talked about is interesting. Another good evening on the World Stage.

Now I present to you today’s activities and menus –

richwmn · April 4

April 4^th – at sea, destination San Diego, California

Volendam continues our Northeasterly path toward San Diego. We are still running about 18 knots, which the Captain has announced should have us arrive on time. The sky is overcast and the temperature is 66°F/ 19°C with a humidity of 64% and winds of about 17 mph.

The highlights yesterday were the third Mariner presentation and luncheon, along with the Black and White Ball, which took place in the World Stage

Today’s activities and menus –

richwmn · April 5

April 5^th – at sea, destination San Diego, California

Today is the final day of the Grand Australia and New Zealand Cruise on Volendam. Tomorrow in San Diego almost all the Guests will leave the ship, with 72 remaining. Shortly after, almost 1,400 Guests will board the ship. The lower berth capacity of Volendam is 1,432, with the maximum being 1,718, so the ship will be very full.

Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High 62F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

We are currently headed Northeast, at precisely the same heading we have had for the past few days. Our speed is 20 knots, a little more than the past few days. The temperature is 59°F / 15°C under overcast skies. The humidity is 57% with winds at almost 19 mph. For tomorrow in San Diego - Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High 62F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

A couple of things went on yesterday. The first was that a luncheon was arranged by a Guest for those passengers continuing on. Although this was not set up by the ship, the Captain, along with the love of his life, and the Cruise Director stopped by to say something. About 40 of the 72 people who are continuing showed up and seemed to have a good time.

Last night was the final performance by the Grand Voyage Repertory Company, a production named ‘Classique’. As with all of their performances it was a high energy, very good performance highlighting the talents of the singers and dancers. They are continuing on so it will be nice to see several of the shows again.

Today’s activities and menus –

cunnorl · April 5

I cant believe this is over. Thank you for taking us along on this amazing journey. I very much enjoyed your adventure. Looking forward to your next segment!

DAllenTCY · April 6

Thanks for all of your posts....and future ones on the way to New England.

If you are going ashore for a while, I'd like to than you in person.

David

erewhon · April 6

@richwmn Rich,Really appreciate all your posts. Where was the luncheon held for the guests staying on board?

richwmn · April 6

12 hours ago, DAllenTCY said:

Thanks for all of your posts....and future ones on the way to New England.

If you are going ashore for a while, I'd like to than you in person.

David

I sent you an email

richwmn · April 6

April 6^th – San Diego, California turn around day

It is a beautiful day in San Diego. We arrived on time and disembarkation has started. I originally didn’t plan to leave the ship, but things might have changed.

Lots of things going on yesterday. The normal good byes and safe travels. Everyone realizing what a nice experience this has been, and getting ready to leave.

Last night on the World Stage we had a very good performance by Mike Robinson and Lisa Harmon. Mike and Terrance did a few things I had not seen from them before, and Lisa was in good voice. It was a nice show for the end of the cruise.

Most of the house entertainment that was so wonderful for the Grand Cruise is leaving today, and I will miss them. It remains to be seen what will replace them.

Today’s activities and menus

richwmn · April 6

April 6^th – San Diego, California turn around day

Back on board and now officially on the San Diego to Fort Lauderdale leg of the cruise. I had the honor of meeting David ( @DAllenTCY ) who works at the terminal and posts regularly about boarding from the standpoint of the shore side workers.

The day is very nice, and we should have beautiful weather for the sail away. The party is scheduled for 3pm, but rumor has it that we will actually leave San Diego later than that.

oakridger · April 7

Another hearty Bon Voyage to you @richwmn for the next leg of this voyage! I'll continue to read along daily. Thank you!

~Nancy

durangoscots · April 7

Watched you all sail away without me. Now at San Diego airport... should be back home this afternoon. Enjoy the remaining voyage. By the way....that great string trio will be with you to Montreal.

Cruising-along · April 7

We got home last night early evening after a short flight from San Diego to SeaTac. It's kind of strange but good to be home. I miss everyone already though!

First thing on the agenda is to get groceries. Our pantry and fridge have never been so bare! Then to visit the kids and grandkids!!

richwmn · April 7

April 7^th, sea day destination Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Today is our first sea day heading toward Fort Lauderdale. We have covered a good portion of our journey to Cabo overnight and are headed Southeast at 21 knots. The temperature is 57°F / 14°C under a few clouds. The humidity is 21% with winds at 20 mph.

Yesterday I elected to stay on the ship for turnaround. I expected everything to be delayed a bit, and was not surprised when we were. For those remaining on board, we were to get to the Wajang Theater at 9:30 for our presentation to immigration. Between waiting for the straggling Guests to leave the ship, and for the ship to be ready for us to return, the process took a bit over 90 minute. Within a few minutes after we got back on the ship, the Lido was open for lunch. It was really nice to be the only one there, and to walk around a ship that was basically empty.

After lunch I took care of a couple of things, then headed to the aft Lido pool for the scheduled sail away party. Again, I had expected a delay in leaving and was not surprised when the ship didn’t pull away at 4:00pm. After chatting with a few fellow Guests, I headed into the restaurant for dinner.

The next activity after dinner was the 7pm trivia in the Mix. Since Dani left in San Diego we had a new trivia master. The topic was music, and he used clips from the ‘60’s that we had to identify song and artist. My partner was Tom, who some may know as ‘Scooter Tom’, who was also on the Christmas cruise. We managed to score 21 of 24 points, and shouldn’t have missed the ones we did. We just didn’t think enough about it.

After trivia I stayed in the Mix to hear the new piano player. Entertainment, like food, is subjective. Eli, who left, had a nice crowd each evening but I didn’t really care for his style. I really enjoyed the new pianist. I listened to three songs and enjoyed them. I wanted to go to the Ocean Bar and hear the new band there, and they were also good. The band composition was basically the same as the one that left, a female lead with four backup instruments. This group was also good. They played two songs before taking a break and the Cocktail Pianist took over. She is another talented pianist with a good style. I didn’t get to the string trio, but it has been reported that the group from the Grand is still aboard and is very good.

Very little of the crew changed, so that continuity is very nice. We had 72 people stay on the ship and had 1392 new passengers board. Someone had told me we were going to have a lot of kids, but it ends up being only about 25. Despite the full ship, it should be a nice cruise.

Today’s activities and menus –

richwmn · April 8

April 8^th, 2024 – Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico

It’s deja vu all over again! Today’s stop is Cabo San Lucas and I was last here on Dec 25^th, yes Christmas Day, on the cruise prior to the Grand Australia. Cabo is a tender port and tendering has already started. It is a pretty day here, and we are in the path of about 95% of the solar eclipse.

Yesterday was a busy day. The ship had two Mariner receptions, one at 11am and the other at 1pm. I had an invitation to the 1pm one and went up to the Crows Nest a couple of minutes early. The doors were already open and I was greeted by the Captain and other officers present. There was a good crowd and conversation and wine flowed freely.

Then at 2pm I had a ‘complementary’ wine tasting. I quoted complementary because at this time I have been charged for it. Not that it is much, but it is supposed to be a 5* benefit. I did notify Guest Relations and a ticket was started. We will have to see how quickly it is taken care of. The wine tasting itself was very nice, and again good conversation with the others at the table. We had two red and two white wines and all were good.

Due to the Mariner’s reception I missed the early trivia at 1pm, but Tom said his group did well. The 7pm trivia was again music snips, but this time it was the ‘70’s. Cliff, the trivia host, had a good mix of songs. Tom and I got 21 out of 24 again and won for the second night. If the schedule is followed tonight would be the ‘80’s and that might be the end of the run.

After trivia I went directly to the World Stage where ‘Latin Devos’ was the selection for the evening. This act consists of three gentlemen, each with a good voice. One of the three played the violin and a horn, and was very good at each. They sang a nice variety of songs and the time went quickly. Overall a good experience on the World Stage.

Today at about 11am this area will experience the solar eclipse. Tom provided me a pair of glasses to use, and most likely I will be on the ship to view it.

Today’s activities and menus –

Cabo this morning

richwmn · April 9

April 9^th, 2024 – Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico

Good morning from another repeat of a Christmas Cruise port. Today is another nice day in Mexico. We have continued to have nice weather since I boarded the ship in December. I overheard some people talking this morning that have been aboard Volendam about a month longer than I have.

Yesterday was an interesting day in Cabo. Between the fact that Cabo is a tender port, the Christmas Visit, previous visits, and the eclipse I decided to stay aboard, along with quite a few others. I got a few tasks taken care of with my Chrome book by the mid ship pool. A little before 11am the area started to get a bit of the crowd, with about half having glasses to look at the eclipse with. Those of us that had glasses shared and everyone got a look at the eclipse.

We had three trivia sessions yesterday. The early one at 1pm was general knowledge, and we did ok. For the 4pm session the theme was ‘History’ and we did somewhat better, but still didn’t win. The music session at 7pm was ‘Motown’. We got everything right up until the last song, got the right artist but wrong title. We tied for first with another team that made the same mistake.

Lisa Harmon was on the World Stage last night. For me, this was the fourth appearance in about two weeks. She started off with two good songs, one vocal only and one with the piano. At that point I left because I had a couple of things on my mind. However, I’m sure it was another good show.

As I mentioned earlier, it is another pretty day here, but it will be a bit short. All aboard is 2:30pm as we make our way further South again.

Here are today’s activities and menus –

StartrainDD · April 9

Thank you for your wonderful posts! Just wondering was any mention ever made if HAL is planning to repeat the Grand Australia and New Zealand Cruise in the next few years? We so much want to return and circumnavigate Australia but refuse to do the long flight to Sydney.

Thank you again!

richwmn · April 10

April 10^th, 2024 – at sea, destination Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico

Good morning! Volendam is currently off southern Mexico heading Southeast at 19 knots. We reach our next stop tomorrow morning. Under broken clouds, the temperature is currently 75°F/ 24°C with a humidity of 80% and winds at almost 12mph.

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Puerto Vallarta, and very relaxing on the ship. This was another repeat port for me on this cruise as we visited on December 29^th, prior to Grand Australia & New Zealand. I had some things I wanted to do so I remained on board and got quite a bit done. It is always nice to remain on board at ports because everything is wide open and easy to use.

For trivia there were three sessions scheduled, but I only made two of them. For the 4pm session, the topic was ‘Mexico’. Most of the questions were relatively easy and we did well. The evening session was an unusual topic. Each song had a letter ‘B’ and either the name of the song or the name of the artist. The songs covered several eras and genres. As a result Tom and I only got 17, with the winner getting 20.

Now to the entertainment. Mike Robinson was the World Stage entertainer last night. As with Lisa last night, he is a hold over from the last week or so of the Grand Australia cruise. None the less, I hurried to the World Stage after trivia to see his show. I was slightly disappointed. The audience was packed, good for the performer. I stayed for a minute and saw the first bit of the same show I saw two weeks ago. If the venue had not been packed, I would have stayed and enjoyed it again. Because I didn’t have an easy view of the stage, I left. I also didn’t return for the late show although it wouldn’t have been as crowded.

It is a very nice day aboard the ship this morning. Plenty of activities scheduled and a very relaxed day. Here is our schedule –

Edited April 10 by richwmn

richwmn · April 11

April 11^th, 2024 – Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico

I’m sure y’all are a bit tired of my comments on the wonderful weather I have been having since boarding Volendam, but I really haven’t had a bad day. Some might have been a little warm or cold, but in general, very nice. Today is another nice day in a small beach town. I don’t remember stopping here before, my only real memory of this area is in 1976 during a drive to Panama.

Yesterday was a bit of a mixed day. A nice relaxing day at sea and no real problems. We had the typical three sessions of trivia, and we did ok at the first two. The second session was on ‘Movies’ and we only missed one, tying for the win but losing (again) in the tie breaker. The 7pm session seems that it will always be music. Last night the song or artist had to begin with the letter ‘C’, and we did terrible. I will say that session is a bit frustrating. The previous trivia host made sure to have trivia end in time to get to the World Stage in time for the show to start. Cliff mentioned last night that he made sure to be finished by 7:30pm (doesn’t always happen) which gets us to the stage after the show starts. In giving the answers he plays more of the song than he needs to and that puts us late.

The show last night was the first show this cruise by what has been known as ‘The Grand Voyage Repertory Company’, but might have a different name now since we are no longer on a Grand Voyage. Last night we had ‘In the Mood’ which was one of the shows we had on the Australia New Zealand Grand. It was again very good. The group is very energetic and the show is fun to watch.

Today’s activities and menus –

richwmn · April 12

April 12^th, 2024 – Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

It is 7:30am and we are not due into port until 10am, so a bit of travel to finish this morning. We are headed East and slightly North as we head into Puerto Quetzal. Volendam is making 17 knots. We are currently under clear skies with a temperature of 77°F / 25°C with a humidity of 74% and winds at just under 7mph.

Yesterday was a very nice day aboard Volendam. After a nice morning stroll thru Huatulco I got back to a nice lunch. We had our typical three trivia sessions. The second was themed ‘Animals’ and had a nice selection of questions about the animal kingdom. My group managed to win that session. The late music session featured songs by the Beatles. We had a nice selection of 10 songs and a bonus. Although almost all groups got everything right, the selection contained both popular and less well known Beatles songs.

We got out of trivia in time to make it to the World Stage in time to see the beginning of the show. Last night Lisa Harmon returned to the stage, the fifth time in the last couple of weeks. She is a very talented singer and puts on a good show.

This morning was a bit different. I woke up and realizing today is a ‘port’ day. However, since our time today starts at 10am, the Lido was observing ‘sea’ day hours and not opening until 7am. Cereal and Juices were out, so my breakfast this morning was a very satisfying bowl of Cereal and some Juice.

Our hours today in Puerto Quetzol are 10am to 5:30pm so it will be a good day to visit. Our activities and menus –

richwmn · April 13

April 13^th, 2024 – at sea, destination Puntarenas (Puerto Caldera), Costa Rica

We are heading South toward Panama, but tomorrow we will stop in Costa Rica. After leaving we will have one more time change before entering the canal. We are currently headed Southeast at 14 knots which is about what was announced that we need in order to make our next port on time. The temperature is currently 84°F /29°C under scattered clouds. The wind is at 22 mph, and the humidity is 71%.

Yesterday was a very nice day in Puerto Quetzol. As seems to be the case with many ports on longer cruises, we were at a container port with a long walk from the ship to any chance of seeing anything. There is nothing within sight of the ship. For various reasons, including a long ago visit to the area, I stayed on the ship.

We continue to have three trivia sessions a day, doesn’t matter sea or port. The early or 1pm session is always general knowledge, the 4pm session is themed, and at 7pm we have music, also with a theme. We have a group of 6 that plays the first two sessions together. On Thursday one of our members had our seats ready for us when two people sat in them. When told that we had a full team on the way, they said ‘Do you expect us to move’, and were upset when they were told yes. As to the trivia itself, we did well for the first two. The Music trivia was supposed to by ‘Disco’, but about half the songs came out during the period but were not really disco. We did not do well with this theme, getting only 11 out of a possible 24 points.

The show on the World Stage last night was the second show by the ‘Latin Devos’, a nice group of three singers. Each gentleman has a good voice and they sing together well. The proportion of singing vs talk is good and they have a nice stage presence.

It has been a nice morning aboard Volendam, and looks to be an enjoyable day. Here are the activities and menus for today –

richwmn · April 14

April 14^th, 2024 – Puntarenus, Porta Caldera, Costa Rica

Good morning from our last port on the west coast of North & Central America. We are sharing the port today with the Carnival Spirit, and the pier is so narrow that our gangplank almost touches the other side and so does Spirit’s. From the ship to the shore is about a 500 meter walk.

Yesterday was a very good sea day. I only attended two of the three trivia sessions. The afternoon session was themed ‘Travel’ and the questions were pretty hard. We did well with both. I didn’t attend the ‘Music’ session at 7pm because I wanted to see the entire show in the World Stage.

The show was a singer/guitar player named Mario D’Andrea. As with a lot of the musical acts, he used a recorded background, but he played several songs without it. The show was very good and it seemed that everyone in the packed audience enjoyed it. He has a very good voice and is a very accomplished guitar player.