Join Bill & Mary Ann On A Journey Like No Other-2024 GWV On The Zuiderdam For 128 Days

[RICHARD@SEA]

11 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

well that was a brave comment to make but might do some good.  I often worry about room service quality. 

 

I post on various cruise line threads on cc, and I am seeing more and more negative comment about MDR and or room service food.  That is why I go to buffet so that I can see my food before eating and the food is generally hotter than MDR.  And some of the best food on ships is really at lunch time.

I am surprised about the food on Rotterdam since she is one of the newer ships. Still, I really do not go on ships for the food but for seeing places and enjoying the entertainment.   One area ALL cruiselines need to improve is on desserts.  What a disappointment for me.

 

toodles

Oceansaway17 - sorry about the desserts - they are lacking - The Hotel Manager brought up the gelato onboard & how wonderful it was and it was made onboard - i very nicely suggested HAL get the recipe from MSC(along w the pizza).

 

ROTTERDAM did have good apple pie at the Dutch Cafe & the coffees were better - I'm not a StarB...Ks person and other passengers & officers seemed to enjoy a variety of cakes.

Cookies everywhere were blah(COOKIES are essential to a well lived life - or so I believe)

[BBQ788]

8 hours ago, WCB said:

Report #8  Saturday January 6, 2024 Sea Day Enroute To Scarborough, Tobago, A Two Island Republic  Mostly Sunny 80 Degrees  20 Knot Winds And A  6' Swell  Part #1 Of 2.......42 Pictures

 

Day number three at sea found us falling into our usually sea day pattern.  Beginning with breakfast, we are discovering that when ordering our food, we need to be very specific about each and every item we want.  We like Greek yogurt which resembles regular yogurt, but is much thicker and whiter in color.  Both us got the “other” kind this morning.  The waiters here seem to drop the food, then disappear.  So we finished the mixed berries with the yogurt before he reappeared to take our order.  What we think occurred was that he asked another waiter to get our starters, but did not give the correct instructions.  Not a big deal, he promised the right yogurt tomorrow. 

 

One of our buddies sitting across from us said his eggs Benedict was sitting on an English muffin that was like cement.  He challenged our waiter to try to cut it with a knife.  Guess we were not the only ones with a problem.  Very quickly, a new plate of food was brought to our friend, who said the muffin was just right and not a brick.  Bet that doesn’t happen again.  The omelets we ordered were just fine, but we had to order double-sized catsups and jams……and more butter.  If you don’t ask, they do not automatically bring you all of the condiments.   We do like coffee at breakfast….lots of it and hot as can be.  That has been a problem.  Tomorrow we will ask for a full carafe to be left on our table.  The folks sitting behind us did just that today and were given them.  Why not?  It saves them the trouble of pouring it all morning.  

 

The masked boobies were putting on quite a show all day outside mostly on the port side.  We got some good shots of them diving and actually catching some of those flying fish.  Wonder how many they can consume in a day?  A few brown boobies invaded for a while, but the white ones prevailed.  Several of the camera folks also came out to snap some shots.  These birds are curious enough to fly close to the promenade deck to check us out. 

 

Spending some time at the Seaview Pool, we noticed that the smoking area is on the port side now and not near the Seaview Bar.  Most all of these tables were full too.  We did not linger too long, since yesterday, we got a little more sun than we expected.  The pool lounges on this ship are set up nicely with lots of room in between them.   On the Volendam, the lounges were about touching each other, and few people were able to use them.  And to be honest, this is a whole different crowd of passengers that are busy doing many other activities besides sunbathing.

 

We ordered room service for lunch at 2pm and it came rather quickly.  The chicken Caesar salads were excellent along with a shared club sandwich.  Also, we got our complete delivery of the four bottles of alcohol that comes with the veranda room.  Although they were not on the written request form, we did get two bottles of Jack Daniels, one Captain Morgan Spiced Rum and a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red.   These will last nicely for the next four months.  The last bottle of JD we ordered while on the Volendam set us back $94.  Once again, we appreciate this perk.

 

We did make it a point to listen to Kimberly’s talk on Tobago.  It was very informative and had lots of good hints about what to see and do outside the shore excursions.  One aspect that was not mentioned was the fact we are going to be there on a Sunday.  We bet some of the venues will be closed.

 

At 5pm, Kimberly came on the speakers to promote this evening’s activities.  Included in her speech, she added that tonight was formal, and the “required” attire was in force in every table service venue.  Only the Lido was exempt as always.   Now we were really curious to see how this was going to work.  Will there be people wearing jeans and baseball caps in the dining room?  Somehow, we think not.

 

At 7pm, there was a Captain’s welcome in the World Stage.  Still not comfortable with big crowds, we did not attend.  Normally it is so crowded that the overflow can go to the Billboard Onboard to watch a live broadcast of the affair.  Perhaps it will be repeated on the TV later.  By the way, we are still seeing some passengers wearing masks, although they are not mandatory to wear like they were last year.

 

Formal dinner was just that….formal.  Nice to see for a change. No jeans or baseball hats.  Now it would have been nice if our mains had been delivered hot like we prefer.  The dining room for the second fixed seating was not crowded at all, so why we had to wait almost an hour for the entrees is a mystery to us.  After our starters, we had ordered one veal entree and one beef tenderloin dish with a baked potato.  When the plates finally arrived, everything was cold, including the baked potato.  Not even warm, we could not tell our waiters since they had disappeared again.  Normally there is a two minute window where they come back to ask how everything is.  But not tonight.  Normally we do not complain, but cold is cold.  When we were about done, our waiter came by and we did inform him about the cold plates.  He looked surprised because he was not the one that brought them to us.   Apologizing, he offered to replace them, but no way were we going to wait another hour for more food we did not need.  Even when the chef came by, he was happy to hear that the food was tasty, but disappointed it was served cold.  Up until tonight,  the food has been very hot and the plates hot as well.  Somewhere along the line, these dinners took a detour long enough to get cold.  They all promised it will not happen again. 

 

To brighten our spirits, we had gifts waiting for us in our room.    There were two heavy duty canvas bags containing a computer-sized bag, a phone charger, a new room key holder, and a safari hat, although we are not going to Africa that we know about.  A card came with the gifts saying they were handed out now so we can use them during the cruise.  And there was a promise of a few more surprises as the voyage nears the end.  “Formal” pillow chocolates were on the bed along with a cute towel animal.  

 

Tomorrow we will be in Tobago and as we said, a new port for many of us.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

Not seeing pictures?  Just me?

 

[Oceansaway17]

1 minute ago, RICHARD@SEA said:

I book a cruise to escape to sea - I chose ROTTERDAM Vll because one of my favorite ships was ROTTERDAM V.  I realize the quality has gone down a lot & I always find something to eat...after a few days a slice of pizza, a salad & some gelato is fine.  I eat out quite often - to all types of restaurants.  When ashore I research hotels w restaurants & bars.  I'm not  a buffet person but found the pasta on ROTTERDAM to be decent.(its the same pasta served in the Italian Specialty restaurant onboard - which really is just a section in the lido buffet).

 

One other point about cold food - each morning I have a continental breakfast brought to my cabin...the first 2 days the coffee in the thermos was cold... i mean really COLD COFFEE - each day after I wrote on the menu  - HOT COFFEE.

yes cold coffee would be annoying.  But I have enjoyed buffets on Celebrity and RCI and even newest Carnival.. Always got better quality of salads and lot of veggies.  I hate the MDR that puts very tiny amounts of veggies next to a big honking piece of meat.   So for e buffet has some healthy options especially Celebrity and RCI.  You will see humus and various types of cheeses and at the grill have your protein cooked in front of you.  That is will the hottest you can get.

The only cruise I really like the MDR was on the Grand Princess. I had he best Fettuccine Alfredo.

But I know folks want to be waited on but for me if the meal is mediocre, then I say never mind and go to buffet which is usually not so cold with a/c and no the loud hustle and bustle of the waiters running up and down the aisles.  They move so fast that I have seen last year at least 3 times food getting dumped on someone sitting near the aisle.   

[Oceansaway17]

2 minutes ago, RICHARD@SEA said:

Oceansaway17 - sorry about the desserts - they are lacking - The Hotel Manager brought up the gelato onboard & how wonderful it was and it was made onboard - i very nicely suggested HAL get the recipe from MSC(along w the pizza).

 

ROTTERDAM did have good apple pie at the Dutch Cafe & the coffees were better - I'm not a StarB...Ks person and other passengers & officers seemed to enjoy a variety of cakes.

Cookies everywhere were blah(COOKIES are essential to a well lived life - or so I believe)

oh I would have love to have been a fly on the wall to see the Hotel manager's reaction.

I wonder if each line has spies that go on other ships. 

 

For cookies, RCI has the best ones.  Not even Disney is good not Carnival.  Pizza is good on RCI too if they have Sorrentos with those ovens. Best desserts are on NCL so any look and taste like grandma would make.  

[RICHARD@SEA]

1 minute ago, Oceansaway17 said:

oh I would have love to have been a fly on the wall to see the Hotel manager's reaction.

I wonder if each line has spies that go on other ships. 

 

For cookies, RCI has the best ones.  Not even Disney is good not Carnival.  Pizza is good on RCI too if they have Sorrentos with those ovens. Best desserts are on NCL so any look and taste like grandma would make.  

Seems you have the secret to happiness - finding what suits yourself!!!

 

I remember sailing on QE2 , FRANCE, ITALIAN LINE< SITMAR etc - first class all the way - the luggage alone weighed almost as much a sthe ship itself.

 

Those days are gone - so I adjusted & still love being at sea in my balcony stateroom...

 

I hope WCB iron everything out for their enjoyment....

 

and the gelato was pistachio... 

[Oceansaway17]

8 hours ago, WCB said:

Report #8  Saturday January 6, 2024 Sea Day Enroute To Scarborough, Tobago, A Two Island Republic  Mostly Sunny 80 Degrees  20 Knot Winds And A  6' Swell  Part #1 Of 2.......42 Pictures

 

Day number three at sea found us falling into our usually sea day pattern.  Beginning with breakfast, we are discovering that when ordering our food, we need to be very specific about each and every item we want.  We like Greek yogurt which resembles regular yogurt, but is much thicker and whiter in color.  Both us got the “other” kind this morning.  The waiters here seem to drop the food, then disappear.  So we finished the mixed berries with the yogurt before he reappeared to take our order.  What we think occurred was that he asked another waiter to get our starters, but did not give the correct instructions.  Not a big deal, he promised the right yogurt tomorrow. 

 

One of our buddies sitting across from us said his eggs Benedict was sitting on an English muffin that was like cement.  He challenged our waiter to try to cut it with a knife.  Guess we were not the only ones with a problem.  Very quickly, a new plate of food was brought to our friend, who said the muffin was just right and not a brick.  Bet that doesn’t happen again.  The omelets we ordered were just fine, but we had to order double-sized catsups and jams……and more butter.  If you don’t ask, they do not automatically bring you all of the condiments.   We do like coffee at breakfast….lots of it and hot as can be.  That has been a problem.  Tomorrow we will ask for a full carafe to be left on our table.  The folks sitting behind us did just that today and were given them.  Why not?  It saves them the trouble of pouring it all morning.  

 

Formal dinner was just that….formal.  Nice to see for a change. No jeans or baseball hats.  Now it would have been nice if our mains had been delivered hot like we prefer.  The dining room for the second fixed seating was not crowded at all, so why we had to wait almost an hour for the entrees is a mystery to us.  After our starters, we had ordered one veal entree and one beef tenderloin dish with a baked potato.  When the plates finally arrived, everything was cold, including the baked potato.  Not even warm, we could not tell our waiters since they had disappeared again.  Normally there is a two minute window where they come back to ask how everything is.  But not tonight.  Normally we do not complain, but cold is cold.  When we were about done, our waiter came by and we did inform him about the cold plates.  He looked surprised because he was not the one that brought them to us.   Apologizing, he offered to replace them, but no way were we going to wait another hour for more food we did not need.  Even when the chef came by, he was happy to hear that the food was tasty, but disappointed it was served cold.  Up until tonight,  the food has been very hot and the plates hot as well.  Somewhere along the line, these dinners took a detour long enough to get cold.  They all promised it will not happen again. 

 

To brighten our spirits, we had gifts waiting for us in our room.    There were two heavy duty canvas bags containing a computer-sized bag, a phone charger, a new room key holder, and a safari hat, although we are not going to Africa that we know about.  A card came with the gifts saying they were handed out now so we can use them during the cruise.  And there was a promise of a few more surprises as the voyage nears the end.  “Formal” pillow chocolates were on the bed along with a cute towel animal.  

 

Tomorrow we will be in Tobago and as we said, a new port for many of us.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

I have also never been to Tobago but I have been to Tortola.  Will check back to see how you liked it.

 

So sorry to hear about cold food and slow service as well.  I am hearing this more and more from various lines.

 

That is a pretty interesting list of gifts you got too.  Not too many cruiselines give out chocolate on the pillow.  I think Celebrity does as well

[Oceansaway17]

On 12/31/2023 at 8:17 PM, WCB said:

Greetings fellow readers,

 

Many thanks for all the wonderful comments!   Funny, at this point of time, we are wondering why we did not choose the New Zealand/Australia Grand Voyage.  Sure would have been much less complicated.  

 

We will be on deck six, portside in a Signature Suite.  Although we have sailed in a veranda on deck five aft, we found the room and veranda very comfortable and roomy.  

 

Happy New Year to all, and stay tuned.....

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS   Still waiting for that Brazilian visa......

 

 

aw yes that would have been my first choice too.  Last years itinerary was interesting especially to get to go on a safari.

[whogo]

1 hour ago, BBQ788 said:

Not seeing pictures?  Just me?

 

Photos are on their blog: https://cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.com/

(Click on the Pictures link near the bottom of the page.)

[BBQ788]

13 minutes ago, whogo said:

Photos are on their blog: https://cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.com/

(Click on the Pictures link near the bottom of the page.)

Thank you 

 

[WCB]

Report #9  Sunday January 7, 2024  Scarborough,Tobago, A Two Island Republic  Showers With Some Sun And Wind  80 Degrees......Part #1 Of 5.......48 Pictures--Casual Dress

 

The Zuiderdam sailed into the harbor at Rockly Bay and docked at the cruise pier at Scarborough, Tobago early this morning.  And it is the very first time we have been to this island.  We think we visited Trinidad back in 2009, which is the larger island of this two island republic.  Trinidad has pristine mangrove swamps and rain forest, side-by-side with oil refineries.  On the other hand, Tobago boasts palm trees, white sandy beaches, as well as rain forest and excellent dive spots.  In the early years, Tobago exported rum, cotton, indigo and sugar.  And like so many other Caribbean islands, eventually those industries took a back seat to tourism, which flourishes these days.

 

Although this island is really about the nature opportunities, some of the historic highlights include Fort King George (1770 – 1854) smaller Ft. James, and a Mysterious Tombstone (according HAL’s tour descriptions).  The major dive sights are located on each tip of the 116 square mile island – most are at the Speyside location and the other sights are around Pigeon Point.  If you were looking for those white sandy beaches, then Pigeon Point would be the best bet for dining, bars, restaurants, and public restrooms.   One of the problems with our visit today was that it was a Sunday and many of these venues were closed. 

 

The climate is warm (we would call hot) tropical with a constant breeze from the NE trade winds.  Those winds brought some morning showers with them, taking folks by surprise.   Since we had not left too early, we had the privilege of seeing a nice rainbow from our veranda.  The average rainfall is 40 inches, and not necessarily this time of year.  The island is a mass of coral and volcanic rock with a population of over 54,000.  The capital of Scarborough has 1000 residents that speak English with a Creole accent.  

 

There are about 220 bird species, some of which are migratory.  They have 23 butterfly species and 44 types of coral.  Five types of marine turtles migrate here to lay their eggs.  They do have 24 types of non-poisonous snakes, 16 kinds of lizards, 14 kinds of frogs and 17 species of bats.   Housing these creatures, there are wetlands, lagoons, waterfalls, mangroves, swamps, freshwater marshes and ponds.  Who knew?

 

So if you could find a place to dine (besides KFC) the favorite foods here are callaloo, consisting of leaves of a tuber filled with pumpkin, okra, and seasoning.  A snack called “doubles” is a curried chickpea mash in a soft fried bread.  Roti, a very common snack in all of the Caribbean, is split pea infused flat bread with curried meat and veggies.  “Shark and bait” is shark steak with salad on top with added sauces and bread.  Local beers are Carib and Stag, always served ice cold.  We struck out on enjoying those beers because nothing was opened. 

 

Ship’s tours were Tobago South for 3 hours for $70, while highlights and a folk show was 3 ½ hours for $80.   Also the same price, a glass bottom boat and snorkel was 3 hours.   A rain forest adventure for 5 hours was $115, and an island explorer with lunch was 7 hours for $160. 

 

Last night we were given the new port essentials info and map.  We had these same flyers while on the Tales of the South Pacific in the fall.  Essential information is on them like we used to have with the small money exchange rate cards.  Most of these flyers had local maps on the back side with some of the cafes, restaurants, and shopping areas close to the ship’s terminal. 

 

We left the ship by 11am, right after a rain shower passed over the island.  Bringing the umbrellas insured us that there would be no more rain, and we were correct. However, when the sun appeared, it was really hot and humid.  Passing through the small terminal, we picked up an island map full of useful info, then headed out into the melee of the taxi drivers offering us tours to anywhere.  As usual, we were interested in walking with the Botanic Garden our final destination.  Turning left, we walked through the closed Esplanade full of food and souvenir shacks.  Not one of them were opened.  Continuing on, we found the new “I Love Tobago” sign and took a few pictures.   Some of the crew members were posing in front of the sign….something they love to do.  

 

Walking the seaside road, we turned right and headed uphill, mostly because the main road came to an end.  There was an imposing large building on the hillside with no name.  We learned that it was a new Cultural Center.  A few government buildings were on this street as well as a Comfort Inn.  We came upon a main highway and turned right passing some mangroves and a creek.  Looking down the hillside, we saw a flock of brownish-red sheep, tethered and eating their hearts out in the weeds.  They are good for clearing vegetation, like lawn mowers.  In our area at home, herds of goats are rented to keep the vegetation down for fire safety. 

 

Off of this road, we saw the local high school and a lookout point at Marie Mountain.  We knew if we followed the highway, we would locate the Botanic Garden, which we eventually did.  It was located right across from their main library, which was closed today of course.   At least we did get to see the park, which was still decorated with Christmas decorations and lights.  The highlight of this park had to be the wall which was painted with murals depicting the past history of the island. 

 

It was a short walk downhill to the cruise terminal.  By then, we had done a three hour hike and were in need of something cold to drink.  So we went back to the ship, picking up a colorful shotglass for a little momento of having visited this island.  We ordered room service lunch, which was really good.  Chicken Caesar salad, a roast beef panini, and a chicken quesadilla was just right. 

 

The ship pulled out of the bay close to 5pm, and we were on our way towards French Guiana and Devil’s Island arriving on Tuesday.  It will be nice to have a sea day tomorrow.

 

Dinner was very good tonight.  After our “cold” dinners we had last night, we were pleased that our waiters made it a point to serve piping hot entrees tonight.  They promised to keep it that way every evening and we thanked them.  Last night was the first time in all of the years we have been cruising that our meals were actually cold.  If we had not spoken up, our waiters would have not known.

 

The entertainment this evening was a movie called “Air”.  Most guests see this as a dark night in the World Stage, but there was fresh popcorn served in the first 30 minutes of the movie, so all was not lost.   Oh yeah, the clocks had to be set ahead another hour.  We truly do not like that and we doubt the crew does either.  But it is what it is.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[WCB]

Greetings!

 

Hi Coco 39 - happy to see you back reading once again.  How's Barb?  We have not heard a word from her (despite many attempts) for a few months?  Hope she is well.

 

Cruisingnut - Linda and Dave -  we had to stop any replies to the other blog since we got inundated with 1000 replies daily.  

 

Tom - As for the phone chargers we just got as gifts, one of us uses it to charge the Kindle.  Yes, we still do  not own a cell phone!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[fuzzywuzzy]

Wow. That is quite the adventure. I hope you have a safe journey and we will be boarding this ship the day you return to Ft Lauderdale. If all goes as planned. There are quite a few hot spots on your voyage. 

[Wehwalt]

11 hours ago, WCB said:

Local beers are Carib and Stag, always served ice cold.  We struck out on enjoying those beers because nothing was opened. 

We bought a couple of cans of Stag at the Penny Savers Supermarket for about ten T&T dollars each. They had Carib too. Most bars were closed but there was a rather loud sports bar on the way to the supermarket. We found a more quiet bar upstairs in the little mall. I'm pretty sure they had Carib, since I took a Carib Shandy coaster, but we had the Royal stout beer. 

 

Our taxi tour driver said Stag was the beer for men and Carib for women. 

Edited January 8 by Wehwalt

[The Other Tom]

8 hours ago, WCB said:

Tom - As for the phone chargers we just got as gifts, one of us uses it to charge the Kindle. 

Glad you found a use for it!

[Homelines]

On 1/7/2024 at 5:07 PM, RICHARD@SEA said:

Seems you have the secret to happiness - finding what suits yourself!!!

 

I remember sailing on QE2 , FRANCE, ITALIAN LINE< SITMAR etc - first class all the way - the luggage alone weighed almost as much a sthe ship itself.

 

Those days are gone - so I adjusted & still love being at sea in my balcony stateroom...

 

I hope WCB iron everything out for their enjoyment....

 

and the gelato was pistachio... 

And don't forget Home Lines.  Now THAT was the best!

[WCB]

Report #10    Monday  January 8, 2024     Sea Day Enroute To Devil’s Island    Sun Turning To A Cloudy Day 82 Degrees Very Windy  Sea State: Rough  Part #1 Of 1........No Pictures

 

We swear the sea days get busier as we head towards French Guiana and infamous Devil’s Island.   For one thing, it was difficult waking up for one of us this morning after putting the clocks ahead once again.  Now we are on UTC – 3/ Brasilia time, which is two hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.  We should be on this time zone until we head back from the Amazon River in a week or so.

 

There were two other guests sitting in the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast this morning, since we think most everyone else slept in late.  It was closer to 8:15am when the rest of the regulars appeared.  Now we get a full carafe of hot coffee, which saves the waiters from filling the cups so often.  When we sailed on the Nieuw Statendam two years ago, each of us had our own insulated carafe.  So much better as the coffee stayed hot.  We have not ordered the complimentary mimosas, but then, they have not been offered either.  Normally, we each have one on Sundays.  Why, no special reason…once a week works for us.

 

We received two notices this morning.  One dealt with the security information on Brazil.  The letter began stating that we are living in a changing world.  HAL decided to go into detail regarding caution while in the upcoming ports.  Dress down, leave the jewelry onboard, and don’t take a lot of cash or credit cards.  Be aware of our surroundings, and take care with purses, wallets, and cameras.  One suggestion was to be suspicious of anyone approaching you and speaking good English.  We do not expect problems in the Amazon, but it is always good advice to be careful no matter where we go.

 

The other notice dealt with health info in regions with extreme heat and humidity.  They added that up to 50% of travelers develop some sort of gastrointestinal upset.  Things to remember is to not drink the local water or have drinks with ice.  Bring your own from the ship.  You cannot always trust bottled water bought onshore as these can be filled with tap water and resealed to  look new.  All food should be cooked well and served hot (how about that?)  Avoid raw shellfish, cold cuts, salads and watermelon, as well as puddings.  Consume only peeled veggies and fruit as they are washed in local water.  Wash your hands and use hand sanitizer frequently.  Last but not least, do not leave the veranda door opened as it messes with the ship’s air conditioning.  Also attracts bugs like mosquitoes.  Don’t need that.    

 

The seas were acting up more today as we sailed off of the northern coast of Suriname.  And we noticed that all of the masked and brown boobies that had been following us were gone.   There were many flying fish of all sizes, but no hunters.  The fish will survive another day.   After our morning hike around the promenade deck, we headed up to the Seaview Pool to take in some sun.  It was quite windy and cool on our veranda, so the pool area provided some sun.  As warm and humid as it was yesterday, today it got almost cool and cloudy in the late afternoon. 

 

Listening to Kimberly’s port talk on Devil’s Island, Alter de Chao and Boca Da Valeria, we took notes and figured out what we will do in those ports.   We have had the pleasure of visiting all of those spots several times in past years.   And from the looks of the talk and video, not much has changed, especially Devil’s Island.  That has to be one of the most haunted places we have ever visited and remains so to this day in our humble opinion.   Doing extra research on the history as well as reading the book Papillon, we think that is the clue to getting an in depth feel for the former penal colony.   We do hope that the predicted rain showers stay away or else many of us will be dealing with the red-tinged mud from the pathways around the island of Ile Royale.  And it is also a tender port, so we think not everyone will wish to go there.

 

The Linus Project has begun with a large sit, knit & needlework in the Ocean Bar area.  It has been fascinating seeing what the ladies (and some fellows) create during this long voyage.  And all for a good cause. 

 

A lecturer by the name of Joao Bosco spoke all about the rubber boom as well as the bull festival boom-ba in Brazil. His talk was very informative and well attended.   While the lecture was in progress, so were the dance class, pickleball instructions, a poker tournament, and a bridge class.  There was coloring for adults, a watercolor painting class, and later after lunch there was arts and crafts.  Although we have not checked it out, we guarantee the class was full.  The classes are divided up into groups now.  We also need to get out and about to watch the ballroom dancing in the Ocean Bar.  There were three sessions of trivia as well.  Always popular with many passengers. 

 

Also popular with the guests is Happy Hour, which happens from 3:30 to 4:30pm and again from 6 to 7pm.  There is a 50% discount on all cocktails, wine, beers and house spirits.  As for us, we have been enjoying a cocktail in our room right before dinnertime.

 

And some good news we think……we got an email from the visa service we used for Brazil, and our visas have been granted.  Originally we were informed that the duration was for two years. However, we have been given electronic visas good for 10 years.  Although we do not require them for this trip now, they will come in handy the next time we find ourselves in Brazil.  All in all, it took 26 days to come through and we never had to produce any extra documents or photos.

 

Tonight was the first “pop-up” dinner in the Pinnacle Grill with Tamarind, although we did not notice fewer folks in the dining room.  Our waiters have been very good in serving us our food nice and hot.  For us it really makes a difference and we let them know that we appreciate their efforts.  Split pea soup was excellent as were our mains of a pork chop and pork belly, the Club Orange selection.  Desserts were a tiny strawberry tart and a scoop of frozen blueberry yogurt.  With the entertainment beginning at 9:30pm in the World Stage, most all of the diners leave the room by 9:15pm to get seats.  This show this evening was sort of a mystery.  It was described as a unique musical visionary with David and Dawn Meyer.  We will have to touch base with friends Greg and Heo and get their critique. 

 

Catching up on last night’s lost sleep should not be a problem tonight.  And while we are thinking of it, we are happy to report that the wifi in our room has been very good.  We don’t have to open the door to get a better connection on this ship. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

 

[RICHARD@SEA]

13 hours ago, Homelines said:

And don't forget Home Lines.  Now THAT was the best!

HOME LINES was  perennial favorite as it sailed out of NYC to Bermuda / Nassau & the carib in the winter for longer cruises...my last was on the last HOMERIC which was bought by HAL!

 

So I wasn't the only one spoiled!!!

[Cruzin Terri]

1 hour ago, RICHARD@SEA said:

HOME LINES was  perennial favorite as it sailed out of NYC to Bermuda / Nassau & the carib in the winter for longer cruises...my last was on the last HOMERIC which was bought by HAL!

 

So I wasn't the only one spoiled!!!

Home Lines Atlantic was my first cruise.  We went to Bermuda from NY.  It was wonderful. Interesting that we just expected all cruises to be just as good.  Nothing has compared.

Terri

[WCB]

Report #11  Tuesday January 9, 2023  Devil's Island, French Guiana  Tender Port  Morning Rain Clearing To Sunny Skies  82 Degrees 20 knot Wind  5' Swell  Part #1 Of 5......60 Of 299 Pictures--Casual Dress

 

Our second port of call was in the South American country of French Guiana.  In comparison to the other countries in South America,  it is considered tiny with a population of 221,500 people that speak French and Creole.    A department of France, French Guiana uses the Euro for currency, and is considered one of the wealthiest countries  due to money provided for a stable base for satellite launching.  Since 1980, 2/3rds of the world’s commercial satellites have been launched from here at Centre Spatial Guyanais. 

 

Foods common to this country are “gibier”, a bush meat like capybara, wild boar, agouti (guinea pig), which are all legal to hunt.  These dishes can be found on restaurant menus as well.  “Jamais goute is a delicate freshwater fish steamed in banana leaves.  It goes well with ti’punch which is a small punch made with local rum, lime juice, and sugarcane syrup.

 

Our actual destination was far different from the modern world.  It was the Salvation Islands or Iles de Salut, off of the coast of the capital Cayenne.   These islands consist of Ile Royal, Ile St. Joseph, and more notably Ile du Diable or Devil’s Island.  A penal colony was created on all three islands in 1852 and lasted for 100 years until it was officially shut down in 1953.  France sent their most dangerous prisoners here, including political prisoners, thinking it was as far away from France as they could send them.   It turned out to be the most brutal, horrific penal colonies surrounded  by shark-infested waters.  Few escaped, but of the 56,000 mostly male prisoners, 90% of them died of disease (yellow fever and malaria) and abuse.  If you have ever read the book Papillon or watched the movie, you would get a hint of what life was like here and really appreciate the haunting and eeriness of these islands. 

 

In a nutshell, Ile Royal housed both prisoners and the guards that managed them.  Those who gave them no trouble were able to stay and work on Ile Royal.  If they tried to escape from here, they would be moved to Ile St. Joseph where conditions were much worse.  The prisoners would not be allowed to talk and were kept in dark cells.  Last but not least, Ile du Diable was reserved for the political prisoners who were kept isolated.  There were a total of 12 of these political dissidents.   When the guards and their families were assigned to this penal colony, they were faced with the same diseases that killed off the prisoners.  Evidence of that is on the headstones in the cemetery showing many families with children that perished. 

 

These days, tourists can tour Ile Royal while locals from the mainland can take catamarans here with a guide and see both Ile Royal and St. Joseph.  Devil’s Island is off limits to everyone.  Today the responsibility of these islands have been given to the Guiana Space Center.

 

We left the ship at 10am after the last of the heavy showers dropped rain on the islands.  The sun peeked out and it remained dry for the rest of the day.  But the rain had left the air extra humid with temperatures in the high 80’s.  Very sticky to say the least.  Although we have priority tendering, we seldom have the need to be the first ones off.  The nice thing is that we do not have to get tender tickets…..just show up at the stairs to the gangway, and we are free to go down to a waiting tender boat.  The loading was working well with two boats being loaded and off-loaded from the same exit. 

 

The ride over was quick, although a bit rough.  If memory serves us right, these waters are turbulent with strong currents, another reason escaping from here was so dicey.   And there are the ever-present sharks too.  We have been to this part of the world several times, and with each visit, we have seen new things and learned more facts.  Helping with understanding the history, were the new signs at every site.  The prevalent language was French, of course, but on the side there was an English version.  Really a great improvement since we were here back in 2020. 

 

After leaving the tender landing, we always take a right turn and follow the dirt road around the outer edge of the island.  It was not as muddy as we had expected, although the grass was quite damp.  We passed by the ruins of the workshop, pigsty, and the butchery.  Further up, we saw the rock tower that connected a wire to Devil’s Island for transferring food and supplies in buckets to the prisoners there. 

 

The prisoner’s swimming pool was next, and there were actually some local tourists swimming there.  The water was so murky, they would never see sharks if they were present.  Continuing on, we hiked uphill to the center of the island passing the Commandant’s House, then onto the Hotel.  The patio around the hotel was already filled with people from the ship, although we did not see many of them with purchased beverages.   We had been allowed to bring our own bottled water over today, so that’s what we did.  A thermos full of ice water.  At the bar in the hotel, they were selling smaller bottles of local beer for either 7 Euro or $8 USD.  Sodas were the same price.  The downside was that they were not cold.

 

Just as we arrived, an elderly lady had taken a fall here, and cut her head as well as shattered her glasses.  It seems to happen with every visit.  The steep steps to access this hotel do not have any handrails, which is an accident waiting to happen.  We did notice many folks having problems due to the high heat and humidity.  Good thing there were several places for folks to stop and sit for a spell in the shade.

 

From there, we self-toured the solitary cells and the cell blocks.  Next was the church, the hospital, the lighthouse, and the cemetery.   Directly across from the lighthouse  was the helicopter pad and equipment we suspect belongs to the Space Center.  What was missing were the variety of birds we also saw up here.  Where did the macaws, peacocks, and chickens go?  We spotted one peacock, and one tiny hummingbird feasting in a flame tree.  In a flash, it was gone.  Perhaps the birds have been removed to keep the area cleaner….who knows?

 

But we knew there were monkeys nearby as some friends reminded us where to find them.   Always near the cemetery, we came upon a large troupe of capuchin monkeys.  Our buddies had just come up that way and warned us that some guests had fed them cookies brought from the ship.  Not sure that is “legal”, the monkeys love the sweet treats.  But watch out when you give them the last cookie, because they will become more aggressive and come closer to look for more.  After capturing numerous photos of the amusing antics of both the adults and the babies, we took a seat alongside the road to continue watching them.  Just then, two gals we know, came down the road and warned us that some large males were right behind us in the trees.  We knew it, but they were starting to get too close for comfort.  The girls thought they would jump on our heads any minute, however the capuchins backed off the closer they got to us.  What attracts the monkeys are the bags we are carrying.  In our case, we had two umbrellas we were packing, but the monkeys see that as possible food.  Time to move on…….

 

This road was the easiest to navigate compared to the first trails that are made with stones.  You have to be most careful watching for the loose rocks and uneven pavement or you could do the “face plant”.  Along this road, we did spot some large agoutis which are related to guinea pigs.  They blended in so well with their black fur and blazing red backside that we had to really go slow and listen for them foraging in the leaf litter.  Hard to believe these on a restaurant menu as they are rodents.  Also in this stretch was a large iguana moving slowly by the water’s edge.

 

Back down to the tender area, we stopped for some drinks handed out by the crew.  Normally there is water or lemonade.  Today there was flavored water with lemons or oranges.  Not quite as refreshing as sweet lemonade, we figured they were saving on the sugar, which has become more and more expensive these days. 

 

This is a good spot to watch for sea turtles along the pier to the tenderboats.  Although the water was murky, we did see some turtles popping up briefly to gulp air and submerge.  Too fast for photos,  we gave up and headed for the tender boat.  Sure was nice getting back to the air-conditioned ship after our three hour tour.  We spent the rest of the afternoon working on photos, eating a nice lunch, and relaxing on the veranda.   The ship left the islands around 5pm, heading down the coast of French Guiana and towards Brazil.

 

Dinnertime arrived quickly, and we went to the dining room, where we saw a couple in front of us arriving – one dressed appropriately, but the husband wearing shorts.   The head waiter informed him quietly there is a dress code in this dining room, and he needed to change.  The fellow handed it well, but his wife said loudly’ “I told you so!”  She promised to wait for him when he left to go back to his room.  We are glad this is being enforced, as it is only the respectful thing to do for the rest of the diners.

 

The show this evening was a comedian by the name of Sid Davis.  We are sure we have seen him often on other ships.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

[WCB]

Hi Coco39,

 

If you are still reading the blog, can you please tell Barb to check her email.

 

Many thanks!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Toad]

Love reading your posts, they are very informative and well written making me wish I was with you.  Thank you.

[The Other Tom]

42 minutes ago, WCB said:

Hi Coco39,

 

If you are still reading the blog, can you please tell Barb to check her email.

 

Many thanks!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Well, I'm not Coco39, but I'd be glad to send a message through your blog if I could figure out how to do it.  I don't see anywhere on your blog to add a comment, etc. 

[WCB]

Report #12  Wednesday January 10, 2024  Sea Day- Crossing The Amazon Bar As We Head Into The Amazon River Enroute To Macapa, Brazil   Rain Showers And Sun 82 Degrees  Part #1 Of 1.......No Pictures--Casual Dress

 

We are sailing in a very unique part of the world, where the muddy brown waters of the Amazon River meet the clear blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean.   The actual mouth of the Amazon measures in the hundreds of miles, and the flow of the river extends for as many miles out to sea as well.  Today we began crossing the Amazon Bar, the shallowest area before entering the mighty Amazon River.   Captain Frank advised everyone to lash everything down in our rooms and also be careful walking around the ship and using the stairwells.  And for that reason, our room attendants had already brought in the chair and lounge pads on the veranda last night.  With normal rainfall, these conditions are to be expected, but as it turned out, none of turbulence, winds, or currents produced a problem with our navigation.  The only thing we noticed was that the aqua-blue waters of the Atlantic slowly turned to a muddy caramel color as it mixed with the river water.  We can expect this for the next 8 days or until we leave the river in a week or so. 

 

The ship is now headed for a service stop at Macapa, Brazil at the beginning of the river.  It is there that we pick up an experienced river pilot and some Brazilian officials.  The stop is scheduled from 6 to 11 am, then we will be on our way to the first port of Alter do Chao the following day.   For the last couple of months, we were not sure that this vessel would be able to transit the river due to low water levels and an abnormal amount of rainfall.   Several cruise lines cancelled their sailings, so we figured that might happen to us too.   Nothing worse than being stuck on a sandbar, as Captain Frank knows.   Obviously, conditions are better than predicted, and the Captain is going to make it a successful sailing. 

 

To insure that we can safely make it up the river, we have been asked to reduce our freshwater usage in regards to bathroom facilities.  In other words, use only  the minimal amount of water that we each need daily.  We have been asked to reduce the amount of laundry we turn in for this upcoming week.  With the reduction of waste water, it should help keeping the ship’s draft as shallow as possible.  In addition, they hope not to have to take on local fresh water for the health and safety of all onboard.  This was the same message we received back in the 90’s while sailing on the Pacific Princess up the Amazon.  So nothing has drastically changed over the years. 

 

Highlights of today were the port talk on Manaus, Parintins, and Santarem and a cooking demo with executive chef Neil.  We had an invite to a complimentary regional wine tasting just for our small group of President’s Club members.  If we drank wine, and were interested in purchasing one of their packages, we would have attended.  It was held at 1pm in the upper dining room.   It is always nice to be asked, even if we do not always attend these affairs. 

 

Another announcement was made regarding wooden souvenirs that we all like to collect in these exotic places like the Amazon.  All wood carvings bought in Brazil will be collected at the gangway and kept in a freezer for 24 hours.  This prevents unwanted pests from damaging your items and also entering the vessel.  The use of insect repellant was also advised when going ashore.   When traveling in this part of the world, we always take an anti-malarial prescription from our doctor, which we began today.  One of us takes a pill for seven days, while the other has a 21 day series.  Truthfully, in all of the times we have visited here, we have never seen a mosquito.  There are always interesting moths and other non-biting bugs, but never mosquitos.   Best to use the spray and forget about it.

 

There is a Brazil team onboard helping with arts and crafts projects, lecturing on discovering Brazil and legends and myths surrounding the country and teaching ballroom dancing the Brazilian way.  At 4pm, there was a class that taught the skills of Capoeira – a form of coordination, rhythm, and self-defense skills.  The traditional way resembled martial arts  and created by the slaves 400 years ago.  It was banned back then, but re-appeared as a kind of dance.    We have witnessed this display and can compare it to watching fighting chickens with lots of powerful kicks and blows.

 

Dinner was good tonight with a few new items on the menu.  We both ordered the beef tataki appetizer, one spinach and mushroom salad, and a mozzarella/tomato salad.  Mains were thick and juicy rack of lamb and a veal piccata with risotto.  Both were served piping hot.  Dessert was a shared tres leche pudding tasting like intense vanilla. 

 

The entertainer this evening was a repeat performance of Camila Andrade, an international vocalist.  We believe she was well-received with her first show.  One can also find entertainment in the Explorer’s Lounge and the Rolling Stones Lounge.   The Ocean Bar and Billboard Onboard also had music venues, although we have seen few folks attending after the late seating. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

 

[dchip]

2 hours ago, WCB said:

wood carvings bought in Brazil will be collected at the gangway and kept in a freezer for 24 hours.  This prevents unwanted pests from damaging your items and also entering the vessel. 

Howie bought a wooden object on the Tales cruise last fall in Suva, Fiji. It was taken as we went through security. They explained it would be put in the freezer and why.  We received it three days later. This was a first for us. 
Denise and Howie, too

[WCB]

Report #13   Thursday January 11, 2024  Macapa, Brazil At Anchor  6am-11am  Service Stop Then Enroute To Alter Do Chao, Brazil In The Amazon River   Cloudy And Hot 73% Humidity  Part #1 Of 3......56 Pictures

 

Now that we have officially entered Brazil, some facts are in order.  The capital of Brazil is Brasilia, and the population of the country is 205.8 million folks that speak Portuguese.  This is a country of contrasts.  On one hand, you have major cities with samba, Carnaval, festivals, dazzling costumes, and all night parties.  But then there are the eco-systems of the plant and animal life only found in the Amazon region.   The jungle of the Amazon with winding waterways and lush rainforests are full of monkeys, sloths, and birds to name a few. 

 

Way back in the 1990’s, we took a late evening canoe excursion into the igarapes of the main river tributaries in search of alligators.  The only light in the dark canopy were the torches that were lit on the bow and aft of each 12 passenger canoe.  Now that we think of it, none of us wore life vests….crazy,  huh?   We’ll never forget when those torches were snuffed, and we were suddenly surrounded with fireflies – hundreds of them.  Pretty thrilling since we do not have these insects at home.   Our guide used a flashlight to scan the banks of the river looking for the eyes of alligators.  The size of the gator was judged by the distance between the eyes.  The bigger the space, the bigger the alligator.   At that time, the guides were able to capture the small ones, and bring them onboard the canoe.  Taping their snout, the guide brought the alligator to each of us to see and actually touch. 

 

All of the canoes returned to the transfer boat, and they let these alligators loose, scampering under our feet.  Never saw so many people able to lift their legs onto the benches.  We have never seen such a tour offered ever again, and we really do not know what the guides did with their captive alligators.  At that time, there was a good price for the hides.

 

So today we had a service stop at Macapa from 6 to 11am, located close to the mouth of the Amazon River.  It was not even mentioned in today’s Daily newsletter.  During our early breakfast, we watched some of the river traffic around the settlement.  By the way, it was already hot with temperatures at 82 degrees with humidity at 76%.  A 5 mph breeze did not help.  Our Pinnacle Grill waiters had told us that there had been a Brazilian inspection in the dining room and all of the staff were required to wear hairnets.   Once the officials left, the hairnets were taken off. 

 

While stopping at the front desk to collect the mini USA Times, we saw the officials there to check and clear all of the guests and crew.  Once that task was done, the group enjoyed a breakfast in the upper dining room with some of our officers.   Then at 11am, the officials departed, leaving we believe, 3 experienced local pilots.   Captain Frank said we had 326 nautical miles to reach the port of Alter do Chao tomorrow.  But first we had to navigate a narrow channel doing a speed of 7 knots.  Once we cleared the narrow part, he would pick up speed to 14 knots. 

 

Taking a walk on the outside decks, we decided to go up to deck 10 and see what kind of insects we could find.  The white paint on the ship attracted insects instantly, and we found numerous types of moths and beetles already taking a ride on the ceiling and walls.   No two were alike.  One of us was fortunate to have a cousin who was an entomologist and spent several years studying the Amazon insects, in particular, the mosquito that carried the diseases of yellow fever and malaria.  Many strides have been made in that area, but studies will go on forever.  As we have already stated, we have never seen a mosquito in this area, although they are surely here. 

 

This afternoon around 2pm, Kimberly came on the speakers and informed us she was going to do a talk while we cruised close to the river banks.   And since she was broadcasting from the navigation deck, she had to keep her talk on the quiet side.  One of the facts we noted was the amount of rain annually in the Amazon area is 400 inches.  The river is massive – the largest in the world.  There are no bridges that span it.  The river has the largest volume of freshwater in the world.  Is it the world’s longest river?  It still has not been decided if the Amazon takes the prize, or the Nile in Africa according to Kimberly. 

 

Did we mention that we also crossed the Equator today?  The usual King Neptune Ceremony was shelved, but will happen on our way out of the river in a week’s time.  King Neptune gracefully pardoned each and every one of us this time.  But he will return from the Briny Kingdom of Neptunus Rex.  Signed…..R

 

Here’s a hair-raising fact:  bull sharks have been found  2300 miles up the river, surviving in the freshwater.  Just like they do up the river in Sydney, Australia.  A good reason not to swim in the river besides avoiding the piranhas.  Another fact is that the true source of the river has never been discovered.  Many dams have been created over the years to provide hydro-electric power.  These days of “green energy sources” the dams are being re-assessed. 

 

Wildlife includes 3000 known species of fish, and many that have not even been discovered yet.  Larger animals are caiman, anacondas, capybaras, and sloths.  There are 400 documented amphibians, with thousands of bird species like macaws, toucans, and the ever-present vultures.  Pink river dolphins that live here are on the endangered species.  Catfish can measure up to 6 feet long.  Black caiman are also highly endangered and can measure up to 5 meters long.  In the past, deforestation occurred due to agriculture and mining industries.  Studies are being done to contain that activity.  And the rubber industry that built the big cities, such as Manaus, eventually was replaced with synthetic rubber.  So much to learn, thanks to Kimberly.

 

We ended up enjoying the scenic cruising from our veranda, ducking inside to cool down a lot.  Taking photos was the high point of the day.   And we were treated to a few sightings of rainbows as well as a very nice sunset, the first we have seen since leaving Florida.  And with the sunset, we did notice a slight change in the temperature for the better.

 

Going a bit later to the dining room, we ordered shrimp cocktails, Caesar salads, and mains of tortellini and sliced pork loin.  Both were very tasty and served hot the way we like it.   By the time dessert arrived, we had already missed half of the Brazilian Show Night which was held in the Lido Pool area.  It was dubbed “white night”, a tradition where folks wear white to welcome in the new year.  The Oi Brazil Cultural Ambassadors onboard put on a special performance decked out in dazzling costumes.   Music , drink specials, and more food was offered for the hour. 

 

Tomorrow we will be in the first port of Alter do Chao.  It’s been a while since we were there, and do not remember much of what we saw.  But we are sure it will come back to us once we step off of the tender boat.

 

Bill & Mary Ann