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

[Harry1954]

Mary Ann ..

From yet one more person who hung on with every update, thank you very much for the well written, informative, and often witty narrative. It was quite a literary work.

My one question is about tipping on the World Cruise .. you mentioned about the 11/day which seems about normal for most segments ... do World Cruisers also tip extra and if so, when .. after each segment which would seem crazy, at the end or not at all? I am not interested in amounts only the practice in general.

thanks,

Harry

[carosave]

I, too, want to add my thanks for taking me along. Alas, with a five year old finishing kindergarten this week, I estimate I have 12 more world cruise blogs (annually) before I have even a chance of attempting my own...!:D

 

Thanks....mixed with a tad of envy, I THOROUGHLY enjoyed it....

 

Carol

[bjbear]

I "discovered" your cruise back in March, I think, and sat at my computer for hours reading everything from the beginning. Thereafter, I checked in every few days to see what was on the itinerary!;) I just want to add my thanks for the endless hours you spent to "take us along". It was a magnificent journey and I'm sad it's over!:( When do we sail again??:D

 

Thank you so much,

Sue

[WCB]

Many, many thanks for your terrific comments on the 2009 world cruise blog!!!

 

As for tipping, they were included. People did tip a little extra to their waiters and csabin stewards at the end of the voyage. We know of one gentleman who tipped daily in the bars. Otherwise, most tipped the bartenders again at the end of the voyage. Some chose not to tip extra. It just depended on how well you were treated.

 

We will be sailing on Regent's Navigator for an 12 day cruise in the Caribbean at the end of November this year. Then in January 2010, we plan to be on the Prinsendam's 70 day cruise around South America, which includes some of Antarctica.

 

We do plan on keeping reports on both cruises.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[mrsltg]

 

We will be sailing on Regent's Navigator for an 12 day cruise in the Caribbean at the end of November this year. Then in January 2010, we plan to be on the Prinsendam's 70 day cruise around South America, which includes some of Antarctica.

 

We do plan on keeping reports on both cruises.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

Amazing! Good for you! My husband and I hope to be in your shoes in about 20 years... We're already planning a way to save for it, too!

[timothy998]

Amazing! Good for you! My husband and I hope to be in your shoes in about 20 years... We're already planning a way to save for it, too!

 

Years ago I received some of the best financial advice I've ever had. It was to figure out how much I spent annually on trips/insurance and other "big ticket" items, then divide that by 12 and put that much each month into a money market account. You've probably figured out your timeframe, and started an account based on a similar premise with an estimated cost for such a trip, or any "once in a lifetime" trip you wish to take.

[mrsltg]

Years ago I received some of the best financial advice I've ever had. It was to figure out how much I spent annually on trips/insurance and other "big ticket" items, then divide that by 12 and put that much each month into a money market account. You've probably figured out your timeframe, and started an account based on a similar premise with an estimated cost for such a trip, or any "once in a lifetime" trip you wish to take.

 

Thank you! That's exactly what we plan to do. Just sock away the funds little by little. I would love to take a trip like this with our girls because we homeschool and truly, what an adventure! However, a world cruise multiplied by five on a police captain's salary is really not possible!!! Oh well. Mike and I will have the time of our lives when the day comes but I won't rush these days. Our girls are growing too fast already!

[firefly4423]

thanks!! for your thoughts!

[WCB]

Report # 133 May 27, 2009 Grand World Voyage 2009 Pillow Gifts

 

We thought it would be of some interest to include a list of the pillow gifts we received on mostly formal nights during the cruise, starting from Ft Lauderdale on January 5th.

 

1. 1-06 one canvas HAL bag

 

2. 1-20 two canvas HAL bags and two voyage log books with maps on the back pages

 

3. 1-22 two leather room card holders

 

4. 1-26 a travel health tip booklet

 

5. 1-28 two Oregon Scientific world time alarm clocks with computer ports

 

6. 1-31 two aubergine (purple) HAL tote bags

 

7. 2-03 two HAL umbrellas

 

8. 2-14 two Goedewaagen china vases in the Amata design and two bars of chocolate for Valentine's Day

 

9. 2-17 two foldable trinket trays

 

10. 2-24 two royal blue polar fleece jackets with removable sleeves

 

11. 3-01 two small Delft tiles with a ship design

 

12. 3-02 one magnetic globe

 

13. 3-03 one complimentary photo of the platinum medal awards

 

14. 3-04 two HAL purple wheeled duffel bags

 

15. 3-06 two sets of Goedewaagen china coasters (8) in Amata design

 

16. 3-11 two sterling silver HAL keyrings from Captain's Dinner

 

17. 3-17 two HAL luggage tags

 

18. 3-20 two 2009 Grand World Voyage Rotterdam lapel pins

 

19. 4-02 two Goedewaagen pillboxes in Amata design

 

20. 4-07 two ballpoint/laser pens with 1G memory stick

 

21. 4-13 two stuffed monkeys

 

22. 4-19 two sets of Goedewaagen shotglasses (4) in Amata design

 

23. 4-26 four Grand World Voyage luggage straps with metal clips

 

24. 5-03 one Goedewaagen commemorative platter for the 2009 Grand World Voyage in Amata design

 

25. 5-09 one cookbook with Master Chef Bernie's favorite recipes

 

26. 5-10 one set of sterling silver cufflinks with the HAL design logo, and one silver chain with HAL design logo pendant

 

Mary Ann & Bill

 

PS We will be sending one more report soon on our most memorable experiences on this world cruise.

[snookymom]

Thank you so much for sharing your voyage. I just found this over the week end & finally finished it just now. Looking forward to following you again. :D

[Aussie Gal]

Mary Ann and Bill,

 

Hal were certainly generous with all the bags. Does that mean that if you do a partial World Cruise, you would also receive some of those gifts? I would love to do one of the segments in a few years time, when we have finished our cruises and have seen just about everything. Perhaps the leg from New York to Sydney.

 

Jennie

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Mary Ann and Bill,

Hal were certainly generous with all the bags. Does that mean that if you do a partial World Cruise, you would also receive some of those gifts? I would love to do one of the segments in a few years time, when we have finished our cruises and have seen just about everything. Perhaps the leg from New York to Sydney.

Jennie

 

Hi Jennie,

Yes, you do get some pillow gifts on a segment, but it is usually restricted to the smaller items.

We got bags,umbrellas,robes, diaries,atlas etc, but some of the gifts are reserved for full world cruise passengers only.

[Aussie Gal]

David,

 

I would be very happy to receive bags and umbrellas etc. It is a wonderful perk and hopefully one day we will be on one of those wonderful voyages even though it won't be for the full length as my DH just couldn't survive the 100+ days on board a ship, plus if we were on for the full length how could we get all that luggage over to the States. I am sure HAL wouldn't supply a Fedex or UPS service for those of us from the antipodes!

 

Jennie

[2happywanderers]

Hi Jennie,

Yes, you do get some pillow gifts on a segment, but it is usually restricted to the smaller items.

We got bags,umbrellas,robes, diaries,atlas etc, but some of the gifts are reserved for full world cruise passengers only.

 

Hi David

 

Re these pillow gifts you mentioned ...... what cruise line was it that very generously provided these wonderful souvenirs of your cruise? HAL appear VERY generous to their world cruisers, but are Princess just as generous?

 

Would be great PR for the shipping line, and much appreciated by the recipients.

 

Regards,

 

2happywanderers :):)

[WCB]

Yes, even if you do a segment, you will receive the smaller gifts. Some of the more expensive items were given to the full cruisers only.

 

On last year's world cruise, many passengers complained that the pillow gifts were too large and heavy. So this year, they down-sized to smaller gifts. For instance, the Royal Goedewaagen ceramic items were small vases, coasters, shotglasses and pillboxes. In 2008, they gave plates, some medium to large size.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Hi David

Re these pillow gifts you mentioned ...... what cruise line was it that very generously provided these wonderful souvenirs of your cruise? HAL appear VERY generous to their world cruisers, but are Princess just as generous?Would be great PR for the shipping line, and much appreciated by the recipients.Regards,2happywanderers :):)

 

I was referring to HAL. We did a segment of the WC in 2003 on Amsterdam .

I haven't heard of Princess giving any gifts, although on the 28 day Around Australia cruise on Dawn Princess , we were given special gold medallions,from the Perth Mint, to commemorate the Voyage, but they may have only been for Captains Circle or suite people.

[WCB]

Report # 134 Things we will always remember about the ports of the 2009 Grand World Voyage May 29, 2009

 

Cartegena, Columbia

 

The first time ever that we did not leave the pier! The tour we booked was cancelled, so we enjoyed the hassle-free shopping in the pier buildings instead.

 

The Panama Canal Transit

 

The best advice we can pass along is to do your homework and read all you can about the Canal's history before you go. You'll appreciate the overwhelming effort it took to build such a wonder of the world.

 

Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica

 

The beauty and wildlife we saw in this aquamarine bay pretty much overshadowed the bad condition of the roads in the next port of Puerto Caldera, also in Costa Rica.

 

Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala

 

The unexpected view of so many volcanoes was cool to see. Learning every step of coffee production was amazing.

 

Huatulco, Mexico

 

This had to be the most laid-back of all Mexican ports. The "spring breakers" have not discovered this jewel yet!

 

Acapulco, Mexico

 

Taking an all day tour that had only one shopping stop was super. Not having our bus break down on the way back to the ship was splendid!

 

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

 

We saw the funniest t-shirt in one store in the mall. It read, "I see dumb people!" Of course, where could you wear that without expecting bodily injury?? Sorry we didn't buy it!

 

Los Angeles, California

 

Accidently finding a Tommy Bahama outlet was a nice treat. We never would have found it if we were looking for it. Must have been good karma that day.

 

Hilo, Hawaii

 

Hilo has the most wonderful sights, including the Kilauea Caldera in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, where we had lunch. However, the buffet lunch left a lot to be desired, and the view of the caldera was totally covered with fog. Well, you can't do much about the fog, but the meal could have been better for the high price we paid. However, the macadamia nut ice cream at the Macadamia Nut Center brightened our gloomy, rainy day. The pound of chocolate-covered nuts we bought there melted into one large lump by the time it came home in our shipped luggage. But it still tastes good to us!

 

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii

 

We did not take a tour here, but walked to the International Marketplace via Waikiki Beach. Way to go!! After being at sea for so many days, we needed the long walk!

 

Midnight Golden Line Crossing

 

Now this should have been a big event when the Rotterdam crossed the Equator at the International Dateline. But all that marked the occassion was a "toot" of the ship's horn, while we sipped mimi-mimosas. A certificate of the crossing finally arrived before the end of the cruise.

 

Funafuti, Tuvalu

 

Oh yeah, we didn't go there. The substitute was Luganville, Vanuatu.

 

Luganville, Vanuatu

 

We'll never forget the continuous deluge of rain that filled up our waterproof shoes! Glad we didn't go on a tour here, since it was cancelled. Bet the people that did the tour where the bus got stuck in the mud and a man slipped down the muddy hillside wished their tour had been cancelled too!

 

Port Vila, Vanuatu

 

The foot-long French bread veggie sandwich was delicious, but we never did figure out what the mystery meat inside was. Maybe, we don't ever want to know!!

 

Noumea, New Caledonia

 

A good place to lose a roomkey card, careless me, because it showed up on the ship with the money included! And the super rich creamy cheese and bread that accompanied the wine tasting later that afternoon, eased the embarrassment of losing the card.

 

Iles des Pins, New Caledonia

 

We shall remember the finest white coral sand that packed solid on the beautiful beaches on this tiny island. Wonder if we'll ever find that in any other part of the world?

 

Sydney, Australia

 

Of course the first thing you'd think of is koalas, kangaroos, wallabys, and wombats. We have seen them all more than once. This trip our finest memory is of the excellent pizza and beers we enjoyed in The Rocks.

 

Melbourne, Australia

 

No, this city had even better pizza at the Metropolitan Hotel! And we talked to the friendliest people here too.

 

Adelaide, Australia

 

Our tour took us to three wineries, where we belted down red and white wines quickly in order to get to lunch on time. The meal included more wine, which is why we can't remember what we ate for lunch!! We're sure it was fabulous!

 

Fremantle/Perth, Australia

 

There were even more friendly people here in Fremantle, especially the craft vendors. Saying goodbye to Australia was the hardest!

 

Lembar, Lombok, Indonesia

 

The procession of horse-drawn carts with all of us seated two in each cart was a hoot!

 

Slawi Bay, Komodo, Indonesia

 

Actually seeing these fierce dragons close up in person was thrilling. Leaving the island and these monsters behind was equally thrilling. We saw only two, but want to bet there were many more watching us???

 

Semarang, Java, Indonesia

 

Surviving the bus ride to and from Borobudur was an absolute miracle! Watching Bill climb to the top of Borobudur was exhausting for me. I cheated, and sat down below to take pictures. Hey, somebody had to do it, right?

 

Hong Kong, People's Republic of China

 

The standard sight-seeing was fun, but being caught in a spectacular thunder, lightening, and driving rain storm was riveting!

We just don't get these types of storms in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

To be continued.............

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Aussie Gal]

Mary Ann and Bill,

 

Thanks for going to all that trouble in remembering each port. It is great to read a short description of each. I am so glad that you loved our wonderful country and its people.

 

Jennie

[snookymom]

I will print this & save it for futurn reference. I'm sure we will not be doing a WC but hopefully some of these places will be in our future.:D

[WCB]

It's been a pleasure for us to be able to share this trip with you all!

 

Thanks for your continuous input!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[LadyFurn]

On report 134 , my personal favorite is the "mystery meat" sandwich. What a hoot!:p Thanks for all your work in posting all of this.... I enjoyed it! Cindy

[WCB]

Cindy,

 

Guess we'll never know what the mystery meat was, but we survived it!

 

Glad you enjoyed the reports.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[henepup]

I would love to see your pictures. Are you going to post your pictures where we can view them, snapfish, webshots?

Thanks again for the reviews!!

[cccole]

Bill and Mary Ann - Thank you for summarizing the "high points" of your ports. I'm sure many of us are hopeful that one day we will be making similar posts. When you talked about how wonderful the people in Australia were it reminded me of a conversation with my daughter this week. We were both commenting that, no matter where you are in the world, when you meet people from Australia they are always enjoyable. I don't know what their secret is but I wish it could be bottled and distributed internationally for world peace!!!!!!

 

Also, we have had two incidents recently with Fed Ex delivering boxes that were totally destroyed. In fact, one of my daughter's had been put in a larger box with item's from another person's belongings. I'm not sure what the problem is.

 

Looking forward to your continuing reports!!!! Cherie

[WCB]

We are still going through pictures on the 2009 world cruise. On our 4 day safari, I took over five thousand pictures, so you can see, sorting through all of them will be a major task! I am sure that I took more pictures than anyone else on the cruise.

 

Bill & Mary Ann