Join us, Bill and Mary Ann, on our 128 day epic journey around the world in 2009

[DesertDogs]

Mary Ann - How do you get all the gifts and souvenirs you buy, home? Did you bring an extra empty suitcase??

[WCB]

Report # 91 April 3,2009 Friday Day at Sea

 

During our early morning walk, we saw whales off in the distance. Come to think of it, we saw a school of long silver fish jumping wildly out of the water yesterday, as we sailed by. Perhaps something bigger was feeding on them, like whales! We have seen very little sea life recently. Only freighters, which we are happy to see passing us the last two days. It's good to know we're not alone out here in the middle of the Indian Ocean. These ships must also be avoiding the Somalian waters by taking this course far away from the coastline.

 

We had to fill out visa applications for our arrival in Kenya, Africa. Exactly what the charge is going to be, we don't remember, but we are sure they will not be cheap.

 

A culinary question and answer session was held in the culinary arts center. Chef Bernie, Tom, the dining room manager, and Bart, the culinary operations manager were present to set the records straight. Our buddy, George, found the perfect opportunity to ask why the ice cream at our dinnertime is mushy or squishy. Tom finally admitted that they were having problems with the freezer unit. The parts needed to fix it may arrive in the next port, he hoped. We can understand that, because they can't run to Home Depot for parts while we are out at sea!!

 

The Rotterdam crossed the Equator at 3 pm today, with absolutely no fanfare. We hope that King Neptune will forgive us!!

 

In the late afternoon, we watched the movie "Doubt" with Meryl Streep. It was well done, we thought, and very interesting.

 

At 7 pm, we were invited to another fun CS party in the Crows Nest. Several new passengers have joined our group in Dubai, so we were here to greet and meet them. But we were also there to enjoy the hors d'oeuvres, libations, and the company of many friends. The bartenders never let our glasses go empty, even if we were just drinking soda. Tom, our host, was not present, because he is down with a cold. However, Ellen did a fine job of toasting the newbies.

 

Dinner was good, as usual. Our new tablemates seem to be enjoying our waiters and the service here. Rizal, our waiter, played a joke on us tonight by giving us a dessert menu printed in Russian! The English was printed there as well, but it was interesting to see the different foreign cyryllic lettering. A table for two right across from us has two people from Estonia. They speak very little English, so the menus in Russian are a good idea.

 

Tomorrow, we will be in paradise!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 92 April 4, 2009 Saturday Victoria, Seychelles

 

The Rotterdam arrived to the city of Victoria, on the largest island, Mahe, in the Seychelles. Consisting of 115 islands, the Seychelles lie about 990 miles off the coast of east Africa. The total population is around 82,000 residents of French, African, and Indian descent. Victoria is the capital. This granite-peaked very green island is rich with coconut palms, gardens, fishing and tourism. But these islands are mostly well-known for their gorgeous beaches and aquamarine waters that are perfect for snorkeling. And that's what we plan to do today!

 

We visited the Seychelles in 2005, and took two short tours. We drove all around the north of the island, and then we covered all the sights on the south end. So we decided to take a 4 1/2 hour tour with our travel group this morning. Our group of 24 boarded a beautiful catamaran, parked right next to the Rotterdam, to go snorkeling for the morning.

 

The first thing we had to do before jumping on the boat, was to take off our shoes, and put them in a basket. Several tables and benches were under the protection of the boat's roof. We chose to sit in the bow of the sailboat.....the best seats in the house!

 

Once we had motored out into open waters, the sail was dropped and we were on our way towards the south coast. Today was Ellen's birthday, an event that we were reminded of many times. She was in heaven once we started sailing, laying on the tarp over the water in the front of the boat. We agreed it was a great way to spend a birthday, with the sun up high, and the wind blowing in our hair!

 

Two of the boat hands cast fishing lines in the hopes of hooking something. Within ten minutes, there was something on the line, and a newbie lady ran to reel it in. The fellows pulled it up, and declared it was a bonita, an abundant fish in these waters. After catching a few more, they fileted them, cut them into small slices, and marinated them with lemon-lime juice and spices for tasting later on. Hmmm, cerviche, and really fresh!

 

It was a good thing we thought to take extra seasick pills this morning, because the water was rough and choppy. Even though many dark clouds hung over the mountaintops, we only had a few sprinkles. That probably accounted for the high wave action, that did cause a few people to get seasick.

 

The catamaran sailed past many coves, private beaches, small resorts, and hillside homes. But the most interesting was the international airport. It was built on a long stretch of land right on the coastline. It was pretty neat watching the planes landing while we sailed by. In fact, that is how the majority of the tourists arrive to these islands. Our guide said three flights come directly from Paris daily.

 

We passed the coves of Anse Marie Louise, Capuin, Petit Boileu, and Point Police on our way to Police Bay. The anchor was dropped near the rocky shoreside, while we put on our fins and masks after finding the right sizes.

 

The temperature of the water was pleasantly warm, but there was little in the way of coral and fish. Perhaps the rough surf made our snorkeling difficult, as well as the rock wall that we tried to avoid crashing into. We did have about 40 minutes in the water, but it took longer than we thought it would to swim back to the boat. Two deck hands were in their zodiac, which was tethered to the catamaran on the way here. If any of us needed help, they were there to tow us in. We all made it on our own steam, except for Ellen and one other lady who needed help. They got a ride back in the zodiac.

 

Once we were safely onboard, we motored back towards the pier in Victoria. Well, one lady wasn't so lucky climbing onboard, as she fell on the slippery deck. Her elbow took the brunt of the fall, and will probably be black and blue tomorrow. At least she did not break any bones. We were all very careful after that happened.

 

The sail back took at least an hour and a half, as we bucked high winds and currents. Ellen once again parked herself on the tarp, only to get drowned when the waves started coming over the bow over and over again! We were getting the spray too, but it kind of made our day.

 

We got back to the pier by 2 pm, and took a few minutes to scan the five stalls of souveniers set up on the grassy pier. One shop offered what they claimed were pendants with REAL Bengal tiger teeth mounted with silver. Even though Jim, one of our Cruise Critic friends, was curious about them, a necklace was placed around Bill's neck. The vendor came running with a mirror to show him how it looked! Now, there is no way he would ever wear a tooth, or any necklace for that matter. He was just having fun hearing the stories of authenticity!! With the prices around $40., we knew they were perhaps plastic or resin. Thanks, but no thanks!

 

It was so darn hot, we decided to eat a light lunch, and spend the afternoon in the aft pool. Even the poolwater was too hot. Later, we watched the movie, "Cadillac Records" about rock and roll music in the 50's and 60's.

 

Our tablemates, except George, spent the day by taking a taxi ($5. each) to a beach resort 4 or 5 miles away from the ship. As long as they bought drinks and lunch at the hotel, they were welcomed to use the facilities and the beach equipment. That was a pretty good deal. George, on the other hand, took the complimentary shuttle to the town's center, walking around the stores that had closed early, because it was Saturday. He came back very quickly, because of the heat.

 

Dana and Fredna, our two lady tablemates, had too much sun and fun, so did not show up for dinner. Actually, we were through eating by 9:30 pm, and glad to go to bed early. We were all beat, except for George, who likes to stay up until 3 am!

 

Showtime featured singer Salima Wazir, and violinist, Peter Fisher. George reported that the performances of both were outstanding.

 

Tomorrow....one more day in paradise!!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[DFD1]

Fascinating posts. I have my coffee with you every morning. Great fun to read about your adventures. Thank you so much.

[joangg]

Thanks for the wonderful description of the Seychelles, ooohhh, I was into laying on the tarp over the water, absolutely the best place to be!! I love home but as we are many miles from beautiful ocean, I sometimes wish, and dream.

[jig]

When I was there we had the most amazing sunset. It was earlier in the year. Still the Indian Ocean has the best.

[Aussie Gal]

jig,

 

Great photos. We always seem to get wonderful sunsets when at sea.

 

Mary Ann and Bill,

 

I have just caught up reading your posts since we went away at the beginning of March for a month.

 

We too were in Shanghai and I relived our time there from your posting. We visit both Hong Kong and Singapore often, as we always use either city as a stopover for us on our return from Europe each year. We also started our cruise in H.K. just over a month ago, so your descriptions again of both those cities was excellent.

 

Jennie

[WCB]

Report # 93 April 5, 2009 Sunday Victoria, Seychelles

 

Today would pan out to be another beautiful day in this paradise island, along with a few surprises later in the day.

 

We had booked a "Cruise and Spice" tour with HAL, starting early this morning. We toyed with the idea of switching this excursion to a different one, since we would be snorkeling again, and maybe in the same area as yesterday. But once we were onboard the larger catamaran, we knew we had made a good decision to keep the excursion. This boat was twice as big as the one yesterday, and we only had about 30 passengers on this tour.

 

We were pleasantly surprised to see that we were heading towards Saint Anne Marie National Park,a group of small islands near Victoria harbor.

 

The snorkeling gear was far newer and cleaner than yesterday's. The face masks were very clear, and never clouded up. Maybe they had been treated with a spray that kept them crystal clear. Our guide could tell our shoe size just by looking at our feet. Then a zippered pouch containing the fins, mask, and snorkel were handed to us. There was no trying on several fins to get a good fit. They got it right the first time!

 

The boat hands dropped anchor near a reef, where thousands of fish were swimming. This spot had as many fish as in Moorea or Bora Bora in the South Pacific. What was missing was the colorful coral. This reef was covered with mostly seaweed, with some dead coral and large rocks. Once we got in the water, we noticed that certain types of schooling fish were right under the catamaran, eating away at the barnacles and algae underneath. Even the few passengers who did not go swimming, were pleased as punch to view the hundreds of fish right under the boat.

 

The forty minutes they allowed for snorkeling went by so quickly, that we were the last to get back on the boat. We found that this spot was less strenuous than yesterday, since the waters were not rough. And the picture-taking underwater was much better with the sun out. We wished we had more time to swim, but we had to continue on for the land portion of the excursion.

 

Getting back into this catamaran was easy, because a long ladder was dropped from the front of the boat. We could easily take off our gear, and climb up. The boat hands helped us up the last steps and onto towels on the floor. That prevented any possible accidents like we had yesterday. It's funny that both of the catamarans were operated by the same company, but the crew was much better today.

 

Soft drinks and water were served as we sailed down to the south end of Mahe. Now, the fun started when we had to climb into a small zodiac boat, ten at a time, to be taken ashore on a nearby beach. A cute elderly lady friend of ours, Beanie, kept rolling up her slacks, because she thought we were going to have to walk in the water to the beach! We told her no, because the water was at least 10 feet deep, way over our heads! She laughed when she finally saw the zodiac boat we were using, relieved that she was not going to get so wet.

 

It was dicey getting into the rubber dinghy, boucing up and down with each person's entry. But when our young driver sped over a clump of what we assumed was seaweed, the zodiac bounced out of the water, almost sending us overboard! Thankfully, he slowed down before we were beached. While getting out of the boat, we only got wet up to our knees.

 

Two small buses were waiting for us to take us up to the 85 acre plantation of the Jardin du Roi. Here we saw a variety of spice plants including nutmeg and the vanilla bean. The male coco de mer palm was growing among the citrus, mango, avocado, and green apple trees (not like the ones we know). The rare female coco de mer palm produces a large double coconut weighing up to 40 pounds! These palms are endemic to these islands only.

 

Hillside pens contained several giant land tortoises slowly munching greens for their lunch. Purple blooming bouganvillas and red ginger plants dotted the pathways back down to the covered outdoor patio. We were served a cold, fresh local fruit juice, and were able to relax a few minutes before leaving. There was a lot more to see here, but our guide chose not to take us on the full tour. Bill had left the group and continued up the slope to take many scenic photos of the beaches down below. When he asked the guide why he cut that path from the tour, he said that he felt the group could not walk that far, because of their advanced age. He underestimated us! Everyone of our group that sailed and snorkeled and climbed in and out of that zodiac was able to walk uphill, despite their age!

 

Anyway, we headed back on the coastline road, taking many pictures of the locals enjoying the beaches, picnics, and relaxing on their porches. Since it was Sunday, and Palm Sunday to boot, most all of the stores were closed. The only shopping was at the pier, where we bought 2 t-shirts and a shell bracelet.

 

The surprise came after lunch, when we heard Captain Olav reveal the definite cancellation of Madagascar, due to the political unrest that has been occuring there.. An extra day, April 11th, in Mombasa, Kenya, will be the substitute for Nosy Be, Madagascar. Many were disappointed, because there was the possibility of substituting Zanzibar. Perhaps the Captain had hoped for that port too. But available docks and tour options may have not been available at such late notice. Oh well, maybe it will work out for all in the long run. Earlier this morning, we had turned in more entry and departure cards for Kenya, which should cover us for the extra day there.

 

We attended the sailaway party on the aft deck at 5:30 pm. Of course, the new itinerary was the hot topic of conversation. Everyone had different feelings about the change, so no matter where we went, someone would complain. We are sure that the shore excursion office will supply us with several tour options for the third day in Mombasa.

 

The best part of the sailaway turned out to be the stunning sunset, that turned the sky crimson behind the dark tropical clouds.

 

We enjoyed the prime rib for dinner tonight, saving room for tangy orange cheesecake and black walnut ice cream for dessert. All of our tablemates were present, and we shared our experiences of the day. If we are lucky to return here in the future, we will remember that the Preslin Island tour was excellent, and going to resorts on the local beaches is easily and cheaply done.

 

The 1985 movie,"Out of Africa" was shown in the Queens Lounge after dinner. We took our usual nightly walk on the promenade deck, only to find the security guards on watch were wearing shrapenal-proof vests and face-covered helmets. Serious stuff or just a show to make the passengers feel safe? Hope we never have to find out!

 

Two more days at sea until we reach Africa.......

 

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 94 April 6, 2009 Monday Day at Sea

 

The night passed by uneventful, thankfully. We woke up to sunny skies and temperatures in the low 80's. Humidity was high, but tolerable, with gentle breezes blowing across the decks.

 

Today at a glance featured dance class teaching the merengue. Sounds more like something you might order for dessert!

 

Barbara gave a port lecture on Mombasa, Kenya this morning. It was a bit disturbing to hear all of the warnings about safety and crime there. Sounds like a better plan to stay in large groups while visiting here. We have planned an overnight trip to the nation's largest park, Tsavo National Park. And just by a coincidence, we happened to see that new tours had been added to our third day in Mombasa, and the shore excursion managers, Irene and Leslie, were already selling them like hotcakes this morning. We went to the desk before they closed at 11:30 am, and booked a tour to the Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary. It is a 7 1/2 hour tour that includes lunch, where we might see many different animals that we won't see on the other game drives we are doing.

 

Deck games continued, while mah jongg, poker, and bridge games kept players on their toes.

 

Exploration speaker Steve Bauer spoke about the Carter White House, and Howard K. Walker gave a talk on east Africa's importance in international affairs.

 

Afternoon tea is always held daily in the lower dining room at 3:30 pm. Although we have not had a chance to go, many of our friends attend every day, and enjoy it. Of course, the tea sandwiches and petite desserts are still offered in the coffee bar during the day. It has turned out to be a very popular spot.

 

We watched the 4 pm movie, "National Treasure: Book of Secrets". It was as good as the first movie with Nicolas Cage and Jon Voight.

 

Since the Crows Nest was closed for a deck seven suite cocktail party and dinner, Ness, the head bartender, had invited us to go to the Ocean or Piano Bar for drinks on him. However, the bartender in the Piano bar thought we were kidding when we and Sandy and Frank told him that. He never did check with Ness, and billed us like any other night. We shall follow up on this tomorrow to see if Ness's invite was good.

 

We ordered the roasted chicken for our entrees tonight. The meal was excellent, but we noticed that the fish entrees were quite aromatic, and not in a good way. Could be that they are not as "fresh" as advertised.

 

Former tablemates, Margaret and Keith, would laugh, because the fudge tracks ice cream has become a favorite of mine! Bill always orders the pumpkin pie, which they offered tonight, and said it was the best!

 

All is well as we have one more sea day before Mombasa!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 95 April 5, 2009 Tuesday Day at Sea

 

It was a bit cooler this morning, and it even rained around 2:30 pm, cooling the air off more. We are not complaining!!

 

Life goes on while onboard the Rotterdam, which seems like she is in the middle of nowhere, all alone!

 

The next set of culinary events were announced for the Culinary Arts Center. From now until April 15th, Chef Bernie and Shawn, the Pinnacle Grill manager will hold two complimentary cooking shows. Then, three classes with a charge of $29. each, will feature African cuisine, bread baking, and Turkish treats. These meals that a chosen few will prepare, will be served for their lunch with wine included. Friends Susie, Diane, and Margaret participated last year, and had a fine time.

 

Steve Bauer gave a lecture on life in the White House with some of the last five presidents.

 

The Grand World Voyage Poker Championships continued with round three and four this afternoon. Judging from the number of people we see playing in the Lido, there must be a big poker crowd.

 

The Dam Dollar redemption for treasures will happen tomorrow for this segment. Since the African ports will be coming up soon, we think most of the games will stop. And besides, many groups will be going overland on safaris either with HAL, their travel groups, or on their own. And we are among them!

 

The future cruise consultants announced price reductions on the 2010 world cruise, although in order to find them out, you needed to request them individually. We did receive a letter from Stein Kruse offering shipboard credit on the 2010 world cruise, up to $1000 for a suite, or $250 for an inside per person, if you booked the cruise onboard by May31st. However, the free airfare may be gone, we are not sure. All the other amenities remained the same.

 

During the afternoon, we watched the 1988 movie, "Gorillas in the Mist". It was the story of Dian Fossey, who worked in Kenya, helping preserve the mountain gorillas. After seeing how that movie ended, we are glad we are not going overland to that area!!

 

When we visited the Crows Nest tonight, Raymond, the assistant bar manager, promised to make up for our charged drinks from last night, since the Piano Bar bartender did not get the message from Ness. We thanked him for being so kind!

 

Since it was a formal night, we got our formal night pillow gifts. They were 2 ballpoint pens, with laser pointers, and a one gig memory drive inside of them. Convenient, if we all have computers. If not, they make a nice gift!

 

One more day at sea, and we will be glad to be in Mombasa!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Mary Ellen]

I want to thank you again for the posts. We're enjoying reading what we're missing. We'd signed up for a number of the same tours (HAL/CS) that you've written about. I would have been bummed about skipping Madagascar, as that was one the big appeals when we'd booked. However, safety is MUCH more important.

[CruisFran]

We hope all is well on the Rotterdam! Miss the daily reports. Perhaps internet use is not being allowed...?

 

Praying for a good resolve to the present situation in the area, and our friends on the Rotterdam are safe.

[INSIDERS CABIN]

Thank you for your wonderful reports-it has been a fascinating cruise. Also read with interest the blog of another of the ship's passengers, Margaret (and Dermot) of Great Kills who are writing for a Staten Island paper. Hope all are well-as our attention is focused on your part of the world right now.

[CruisFran]

DH was watching CNN for the latest update on the current pirate situation, waiting for the arrival of the ship Alabama in Mombasa. He believes he saw a HAL ship in the background.

[RuthC]

We hope all is well on the Rotterdam! Miss the daily reports. Perhaps internet use is not being allowed...?

Wasn't OP going to be doing a multi-day overland tour? That would stop the postings for a bit.

[Mary Ellen]

We have planned an overnight trip to the nation's largest park, Tsavo National Park. And just by a coincidence, we happened to see that new tours had been added to our third day in Mombasa, and the shore excursion managers, Irene and Leslie, were already selling them like hotcakes this morning. We went to the desk before they closed at 11:30 am, and booked a tour to the Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary. It is a 7 1/2 hour tour that includes lunch, where we might see many different animals that we won't see on the other game drives we are doing.

Ruth is correct as usual. Since there was also a day added to the Mombassa stay (making it 3 days) and they added another full day tour, I fully expect Mary Ann and Bill to be enjoying themselves - and not having the CC at the top of their 'to-do' list right now. :D

[CruisFran]

Ruth is correct as usual. Since there was also a day added to the Mombassa stay (making it 3 days) and they added another full day tour, I fully expect Mary Ann and Bill to be enjoying themselves - and not having the CC at the top of their 'to-do' list right now. :D

 

I'm VERY happy to be wrong!!

[WCB]

We just wanted to let you all know that our three day visit in Mombasa was unforgetable! We arrived to Mombasa safely at 4 am on April 9th, and left April 11th at 5 pm. The security on the ship was on high alert for pirates ( 24 hour watch) all the way to Kenya.

 

As we sailed away from Mombasa, we passed the cargo ship, Maersk Alabama, on her way to take our dock space. So far there is no news about her captain, or the pirates that captured him.

 

We are now sailing the coastline of Kenya, with Kenyan coast guard nearby. We should have escort until we reach Durban.

 

Reports will follow shortly, since we are behind three days. Good thing we have three sea days until we reach Maputo, Mozambique.

 

Happy Easter to all!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[PrincessYoga]

I am glad you enjoyed Kenya and are travelling safely. I love reading your reports of trip I will make once I retire. Thoughts and prayers for Capt. Phillips and the Italian crew taken this morning.

[jbhcw]

Glad to see you posting, and the Rotterdam and all aboard are safe and sound.

 

My thoughts and prayers are also with the Captain of the Maresk Alabama. Wasn't aware of an Italian crew also being taken:eek:

[1particularharbor]

Enjoying your postings ...we will be on the Rotterdam in May :)

 

Stay safe..

 

1ph

[DeepWaterMariner]

We have been away on a cruise and it has taken a day or two to catch up but we're now up to date. What terrific reading! And now it seems you are close by part of the top news story here in the states with the Maersk Alabama taking your berth. Beats reality TV by a mile.

[HappyCampers3]

Yeah to the Captain....he's free!

[SDHALFAN]

Yeah to the Captain....he's free!

 

Couldn't be happier for the Captain and his family but I would also like to add "job well done - and we are so very proud of you" to the U.S. Navy who made the rescue a fact instead of just a wish and a prayer.

 

Valerie

[WCB]

Report # 96 April 8, 2009 Wednesday Day at Sea

 

It was very windy this morning as we sail southwest towards Kenya. It was still very warm, because we are nearing the Equator once again. Sometime today, we should turn north and sail along the Kenyan coastline towards Mombasa. This way we will stay clear of the Somalian waters.

 

CNN has finally come back to our stateroom TV's. It has been gone since before our arrival to the Seychelles. While watching the news, we noticed that there has been a cyclone off of the southeast side of Madagascar, so that may be why we are experiencing strong winds. As for the rain, we are hoping it will stay away for our three day stay in Mombasa. We understand that mid-April is the start of the rainy season in Kenya.

 

The happenings for today was a port talk on Maputo, Mozambique, given by our port lecturer, and a lecture from Steve Bauer about the state funeral of Gerald Ford.

 

Occassionally during this cruise, Bruce has interviewed several passengers, seeking their "15 minutes of fame". Today he interviewed a former mayor, but we don't know who and from where.

 

The staff hosted the Jewish Seder Dinner, celebrating the Passover, in the starboard side of the Lido restaurant, by reservation only. Our head waiter, Pulung, said about 180 people would be attending.

 

Dinner was quiet this evening, since most of us are busy packing for the overland trips in Kenya. We think many people went to the early dinner on the port side of the Lido tonight, so they can get to bed early.

 

The entertainment was the singers and dancers performing "Songs of the South". The Wajang theater featured the 1985 movie, "Out of Africa", starring Meryl Streep an Robert Redford. It was an excellent movie about life during the 20th century colonial Kenya.

 

We passed on both to go to bed early too!

 

Mary Ann & Bill