2024 Grand World Voyage with The Inside Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

43 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

Curious:  What is the medallion the people in the pics are holding?  (Which I think is a great idea, btw.)

Keychains.    We hand them out to people we meet. 
 

 

 

Edited January 14 by The-Inside-Cabin

[julia]

Pete:  We have a LOT in common! Although I am a Cincinnati Buckeye by origin, my DH & I lived in Pacific Beach for 30 years (up on the hillside near Kate Sessions Park).  We consider ourselves San Diegans, (but are glad to be ported in Idaho now!)  We were good friends (years ago) with the former mayor of IB, Serge Dedina.  He and Chuck would do the annual Rosarita to Ensenada bike ride each fall. (And yours truly did it once, kicked my a@@, but the huge party at the finish line was a blast!) 😲

 

Sorry about your Browns losing yesterday, they looked really good, but were no match for our boy C.J.!! Is the ship showing any games, or are you streaming on a device?

[The-Inside-Cabin]

25 minutes ago, julia said:

Pete:  We have a LOT in common! Although I am a Cincinnati Buckeye by origin, my DH & I lived in Pacific Beach for 30 years (up on the hillside near Kate Sessions Park).  We consider ourselves San Diegans, (but are glad to be ported in Idaho now!)  We were good friends (years ago) with the former mayor of IB, Serge Dedina.  He and Chuck would do the annual Rosarita to Ensenada bike ride each fall. (And yours truly did it once, kicked my a@@, but the huge party at the finish line was a blast!) 😲

 

Sorry about your Browns losing yesterday, they looked really good, but were no match for our boy C.J.!! Is the ship showing any games, or are you streaming on a device?

I met Serge when he was Mayor.  Very nice guy.  
 

Here he is in 2019 at the Imperial Beach Mayors Swim

 

 

you probably remember ex Mayor, County Supervisor and Congressman Brian Bilbray.  We ran into him with his cousin from Australia last December. 
 

 

Brian is second from left 

Hated to see Browns lose but happy for CJ 

 

The ship is showing the games on the stateroom TVs 

 

notice the surfer statue behind us.   Twice a year the sun sets directly behind. 
 

 

Edited January 14 by The-Inside-Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Very few signs on on tour today have English translations.   Get Google Translate today!

 

Here I am translating the sign to the building we are about to enter.   
 

very fast.    No cell plan required.   Download languages before you leave 

 

 

[ORTravelGal]

Thank you so much for the tip about Google Translate. Just installed it and three languages for an upcoming trip. 

[travelholics]

Also thanks for the tip about the Google translate. We had thought we would need to pay for internet coverage to use it, so thanks for answering this and we now have Japanese installed

[seagarsmoker]

4 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Very few signs on on tour today have English translations.   Get Google Translate today!

 

Here I am translating the sign to the building we are about to enter.   
 

very fast.    No cell plan required.   Download languages before you leave 

 

 

Excellent tip! I also didn't know that you didn't need internet service for that app to work. 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

CROSSING THE AMAZON BAR (POST #13) 10 JAN 2024

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We cross the Amazon Bar and start our Amazon River journey

OUR AMAZON JOURNEY

We crossed the Amazon River Bar today and started our 7 day Amazon River journey. The Amazon River bar refers to the estuary where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean, creating a dynamic and complex maritime environment.

Here are the ports we will visit along the Amazon River over seven days. We turned around after visiting Manaus, over 900 miles upstream, and are proceeding back to the Atlantic Ocean.

COFFEE CHAT

Andrea and her team during Coffee Chat in the Rolling Stone Lounge

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JERRY

Jerry (our slot pull organizer) and Kathy  @LuvsACruise(our photo book creator) had to cancel the cruise in December. A group of his friends gathered outside the Pinnacle Grill on his Birthday to commemorate his special day in front of his favorite Birthday restaurant. Kathy and Jerry

CRAFT PROJECT

Today’s craft project was the World Cruise Folder and bracelet Bracelet close up

WORLD STAGE

Camila Andrade was the featured entertainer tonight. This was her second performance. She was fabulous and performed a nice mix of Brazilian and more familiar popular songs, including The Lady is a Tramp, Love Me or Leave Me, Summertime, and a surprising cover of Creep by Radio Head.

Kimberly introduced Camila Andrade

[The-Inside-Cabin]

HOT BRAZILIAN NIGHT ON THE AMAZON (POST #14) 11 JAN 2024

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We cross the Amazon Bar and Enjoy a hot Brazilian Night!

SERVICE CALL

We made a service call to Macapa, Brazil, today after crossing the Amazon River bar yesterday.

During the service call, we picked up Amazon River pilots and completed some inspections by Brazilian authorities.  We were at anchor during this time and passengers were not allowed to leave the ship.

COFFEE CHAT

Kimberly interviewed Shore Excursion Manager, Nyron, during Coffee Chat

 

DINNER WITH CHRIS RITCHIE

Guest Entertainer Chris Ritchie joined Table 89 for dinner

 

 

BRAZILIAN SOCIAL NIGHT

The Brazilian Cultural Ambassadors hosted a party by the Lido pool this evening at 9 pm.  Everyone was encouraged to wear white.

There was a great turnout with lots of enthusiasm and energy from the crowd as the Brazilian Cultural Ambassadors sang and danced on the small stage set up on the forward end of the Lido pool.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We got this letter tonight about the Red Sea - Bottom Line - As expected they are monitoring the situation and making contingency plans

 

red sea information343.pdf

[BetsyS.]

Thanks for the updates and pictures! You both look great! 😊

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Our final Sailaway from Brazil

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

For those on the Zuiderdam 

 

Tomorrow – 18 Jan 2024, we will have a special TUXEDO JUNCTION in the CASINO at 6:30 pm.

 

This is a FORMAL NIGHT – so your best James Bond look is suggested.

 

Meet by the Roulette Table where we will play ‘ROOM NUMBER ROULETTE’

 

 

Here is how it works.

 

Bring $50 – this will get you 10 Spins – If you want to risk less than $50 – that’s OK, but each spin has to be a minimum of $5 (spread across any combination)

 

At the Roulette wheel, you can trade in your cash for Roulette Chips or use cash or regular casino chips.

 

Then you can play your room number/birthdays or any other number….

 

Stay as long as you like – there is no start or finish time.. – Late comers welcome

 

If you don’t want to play – stop by and cheer us on!”

 

The ship will have Casino Royale from 8 – 9:30 pm see below

 

 

Bond, Vesper or Le Chiffre? Dress your part as 'James Bond', a 'Bond Girl' or the 'Villain' and come play at our Casino Royale. Every visitor will receive a free ticket for our multiple prize raffles during the evening. Join in on our complimentary gaming lessons, or take your chance in the free slot tournament. We offer a wide array of 007 themed drinks for $7, but will also feature a spectacular complimentary “champagne” tower and flare tender display. Billboard Onboard will enliven the evening with three themed sets, as the whole area will be 'lit up' and sound like Vegas! 8p- 9:30p, Casino & Billboard Onboard, 2

 

[ski ww]

On 1/15/2024 at 8:18 PM, The-Inside-Cabin said:

We got this letter tonight about the Red Sea - Bottom Line - As expected they are monitoring the situation and making contingency plans

 

red sea information343.pdf 291.83 kB · 27 downloads

The situation over there is not looking good, looks more like it's getting worse. I guess all you can do is keep your fingers crossed.

[SUESEABE]

Casino Royale Bond night sounds super fun...enjoy!

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Casino Royale is scheduled for Jan 18th instead of sometime in March per the original schedule.   Casino Royale is a unique event where all the games are free, and they award special prizes like pinnacle dinners, etc.

 

I speculate they are trying to pump up the casino business because it appears to be well below even the lower expectations of a world cruise.

 

We leave the World Stage around 10:15 pm every evening and walk through the casino. It is not uncommon for there to be ZERO people in the casino. 

 

That's right - ZERO - no one playing any slots - all table games empty.   We have yet to get more than four people for a game of Texas Hold'em.

 

They also haven't had a Black Jack Tournament or a slot tournament - those usually get a crowd.  

 

Maybe they should try a $5 Blackjack table paying 3/2 instead of pushing the $6 table with 6/5.    Or reduce the rake on the Texas Holdem Cash game.

 

Time will tell.....

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

ALTER DO CHAO – RUBBER TREES AND BRAZIL NUTS (POST #15) 12 JAN 2024

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We sample wild Brazil nuts and learn about rubber trees

The first port of our Amazon journey was Alter do Chao, close to the much larger city of Santarem, which we will visit in a few days.

Our plan today is to visit the Tapajós National Forest, which is relatively close but takes over 90 minutes to get there by bus due to poor road conditions.

City close up on the left and our tour route on the right

TENDERING AND ARRIVAL

We booked a tour with Gil Serique, who has a loyal following of previous guests.  Gil has a website, but you pay your deposit using PayPal and the balance in USD on the day of the tour.  The best way to contact Gil is by using WhatsApp at +55 93 91856051

The ship was scheduled to arrive at 11 am, with the distribution of tender tickets starting at 10:30.  Not quite sure how long the lines were going to be, we headed down to the Billboard Onboard to get in line at 10 am.  As it turned out, the ship was early, tickets were already being handed out, and the first tender was called in a few minutes.

NOTE:  While there isn’t any tender priority for 4/5 stars, there isn’t usually much of a line since these ports are not especially popular with many independent tours trying to get ashore on the first tender.

After a 15-minute tender ride, we arrived at the shoreside floating tender platform.  The platform wasn’t connected to the beach, so we had to walk down a makeshift board directly onto the soft sand.

Alter do Chao is a popular beach resort for Brazilians but not so much for foreign tourists.  Dollars are accepted at most tourist shops, but you get the best exchange rate using a credit card.  As always, if you plan to make a large purchase in cash, it will be worth your while to get local currency.

Touristy T shirts for sale – We tried to bargain them down from $29 – They wouldn’t go lower than $27 so we left empty handed. Local tourists on a platform overlooking the tender arrival area – they enjoyed people-watching.

GIL SERIQUE TOUR

After passing a few local vendors on the sand, we climbed stairs to a viewing platform with some shops and a pedestrian bridge over the sand.  Gil Serique was here waiting for us and directed us to follow the path to the street where we would find his buses.  Gil had associates along the way directing us so we didn’t get lost.

Dried Piranhas were popular items for sale Gil met us at the beginning of this pedestrian bridge

Our 30-passenger bus was the largest of the three buses on this tour, and we headed off to the Tapajós National Forest.  HERE is the official Brazilian Website – use Google Chrome for automatic translation.  We left Alter do Chao at 10:30 am.

TAPAIOS NATIONAL FOREST

About halfway to the National Forest, we drove through Belterra (pop 18,000), founded in 1995 by the Brazilian Government as a rubber plantation.

We were driving over VERY bumpy dirt roads for about 1/2 of the way to the Park

Arriving at Tapajós National Forest around 12:30, we stopped at the main gate to pick up a local escort before driving on narrow park roads for another 30 minutes until we reached a large clearing.  The Tapajós river, a major tributary of the Amazon, is visible in the distance.  Gil explains the area’s history before we start on a short twenty-minute walk to see rubber trees up close.

Gil Serique We could see the Tapajós river from our clearing The rubber trees are huge

As we left, four large HAL buses arrived on a similar tour.

NOTE: There was a restroom in the clearing, but there was only a single stall, and when we visited, there wasn’t any flushing water.

 

We stopped about halfway back to the entrance, where we stopped again for a 90-minute walk through another part of the rainforest.  We stopped frequently for detailed explanations of local flora and fauna.  It was of particular interest to see the source of Brazil Nuts.

Our group on the 90 minute hike through the rainforest Our guide pointed to the top of the Brazil Nut tree, holding two nut shells. You can see the Brazil Nuts inside the Brazil Nut Shell There are about twelve Brazil Nuts inside the Nut Shell.  This is a photo of a shelled Brazil Nut

BACK TO ALTER DO CHAO

Back on the bus we headed back toward Alter do Chao, using a different route that took 1 hour and 15 minutes, arriving back at Alter de Choa at 5 pm giving us a little buffer prior to the last tender at 5:30 pm.

We paused to enjoy the swing on the beach.

We didn’t have a chance to explore the town, which we will do on our next visit.  One of the compromises during any visit is to evaluate the value of seeing something outside the local town or visiting the town itself.  Sometimes you have time for both, other times you don’t.

While we enjoyed our time in the rainforest, the 4 hours of travel over rough terrain should be considered before you plan this excursion.

CRIS RITCHIE

We enjoyed Chris Ritchie’s second show, where he performed various hits, including Oh, What a Night, Mack the Knife, and Ring of Fire, and closed with a powerful rendition of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

 

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Our second Formal night tonight with another Tuxedo Junction with room number roulette!   We won $25!  Judy bet out entire stack on Black for the final spin! 

 

 

Edited January 18 by The-Inside-Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Here is the two week entertainment schedule 

 

Entertainment guide Jan 24.pdf

[taxmantoo]

1 hour ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Here is the two week entertainment schedule 

 

Entertainment guide Jan 24.pdf 940.15 kB · 3 downloads

Thank you for posting.  Is there any way you could obtain the names of the piano players in the Billboard Onboard area? 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

BOCA DA VALERIA – BACK TO BASICS (POST #16) 13 JAN 2024

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Exploring a small village on the Amazon River

BOCA DA VALERIA

Boca da Valeria (pop 75) is a tiny village on the Amazon River located about 850 miles from the Atlantic Ocean.  The name means Mouth of Valeria.  The Valeria River is one of over 1,000 tributaries flowing into the Amazon River.  The highlight of visiting Boca da Valeria is interacting with the residents.

The Zuiderdam arrived a little before 7 am and stationed herself near shore using engines and thrusters to stay in the same spot.  Tenders were soon in the water, and a steady stream of guests headed ashore.  Open tendering was announced around 9:40, which means a tender ticket was no longer required.

Based on our research, we knew that we could see most of the small village in a couple of hours, so we relaxed onboard before heading ashore.  As we were heading ashore around 11 am, there were long lines of guests waiting for tenders to return to the ship.  The last tender was at 1 pm.

EXPLORING THE VILLAGE

There is a small, covered platform that serves as a tender pier with a wooden walkway taking you ashore.

The tenders landed at this covered platform. You can see the residents lining the path leading toward the small village

Once ashore – a gauntlet of small children will want to grab your hand for a tour – they will expect a few dollars.  We weren’t interested and kept walking – the children were not persistent and would leave you alone after a polite no or shake of the head.

Children will be waiting for you as you cross over to land, ready to take you on a tour for a small donation.

As we continued along the single path, lots of small children dressed in costumes were standing alongside the path looking for 1 dollar to take a picture  – others were holding various small animals, turtles, lizards and sloths; men were selling 30-minute boat tours for $5.

A variety of boats are used for the $5 tours There were plenty of opportunities to take 30-minute boat tours

NOTE:   I would not take a boat door unless you have at least 1 hour until the last tender.   There were about a dozen people who were late returning as their boat tour was late returning.

The gauntlet continued for about 200 yards – then started to thin.  We continued on passing a school, church, tourist stalls, and a few bars, which made up most of what you could call “downtown.”

Vendor Stalls

The Church is the largest structure in the village

One of two places we noticed selling beer

As we continued, we encountered small groups of children ready to pose with various animals and a few adult men trying to sell boat tours.

Toucan

Piraiba Catfish

Parakeets

Parakeets!

Capybara

The wooden houses were all on stilts, some were open on one side, some didn’t have windows.

We continued on the only path we saw for about a mile before turning around and heading back, arriving at the tender pier with about 10 minutes to spare.

This dog followed me for a couple hundred yards

FOR CAKES' SAKE

The Lido was transformed into a delightful bakery as the Zuiderdam Chefs created dozens of tasty treats.  The Lido was open for viewing at 2:45 and they started serving around 3 pm.

 

ON THE WORLD STAGE

The Zuiderdam Singers and Dancers returned to the main stage for “B Side” featuring outstanding singing and dancing.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

 

Five-minute video with highlights of the Cake Extravaganza on 13 Jan 24

Edited January 19 by The-Inside-Cabin

[seagarsmoker]

7 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

 

Thanks for doing the video and sharing it. Suzi and I felt like we were back on our Christmas cruise when they had the cake festival.  

[The-Inside-Cabin]

My blog has been updated with the complete 2024 World Cruise itinerary in table format, along with links to the MDR menu, daily program and the days entertainer.   Find it HERE  or click on the map on the front page of the blog.