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

[PrincessYoga]

Another world voyage thread...brillant!!! I hope you have a great trip. Thank you for posting your experiences.

[sail7seas]

This is sure to be a wonderful adventure. Thanks for taking us along.

 

Enjoy!

[Fairport]

Looking forward again to your wonderful posts from around the world. They sure brighten up a snowy day here in the northern part of New York state. We had planned to join you in Dubai, but had to cancel.

 

Ken & Eileen

[WCB]

Report #2 January 3, 2009 We're Getting Closer .......

 

After wrapping up the last minute jobs at home, we packed the remaining necessities in our carry-on bags. One small rolled bag was all we needed for our short stay in Ft. Lauderdale. So we are traveling light!

 

Since we had to get up at 2 am, we went to bed early, falling asleep easily. It seemed like we slept 5 minutes before the alarm rudely woke us up. Double checking that the doors and windows were locked, we were set to go when our son, Ken, arrived exactly at 3 am. We surprised him by being ready. Making sure we had our documents and passports, we wondered what we had forgotten. Too late now!

 

Traffic was about non-existent, since it was non-commute Saturday. Even the activity at SFO was quiet at 4 am, with just one American Airline desk open for check-in. After checking our small roll-on, we were the first in line at the security checkpoint. More times than not, this is where we get chosen for extra security precedures. But not today.

 

We figured we had enough time to relax and have a small breakfast and coffee. This was about the time we found out that our 6 am flight had been delayed two hours. Go figure...the weather was perfect....no fog, storms, snow or ice. This time it turned out to be a mechanical problem with the plane. To be more exact, it was an external leak from one of the lavatories. We were told that a decision about the flight would be announced at 8 am. Oh well, stuff happens. So we thought we'd spend some time in American Air's Admirals Club, like we have done it the past. But we were told that our tickets did not give us access. What part of first class don't they get?? We should have asked to speak to a manager, but we did not. It wasn't worth the fight at 7 am in the morning. We may look into this matter when we get back.

 

So, we waited, along with all of the other passengers on flight 1990. The announcement came by 7:30, and it was good news for us. A flight to Hawaii was cancelled. Sorry guys! The plane moved to our gate, and we were on our way by 8 am.

 

It was nice to have first class seats, a perk of booking a verandah room. The flight went smoothly with very good food served along the way. Two movies were shown by the time we landed at 3:40 pm Eastern time. There was a panic building in the rear of the plane, because many people had precious minutes to make connections to other flights. But we were the first to get off...another plus to first class. And we did not have people' s luggage falling on our heads from the overhead bins!! Sure missed that.

 

The wait for our little red bag was a long one at turntable 25. That gave Bill time to find the HAL rep who was promised to be here to greet us. He was a nice elderly fellow who led us outside and summoned a limo, at which point, we heard half of his life's story! The limo arrived in five minutes, and we were off to Ft. Lauderdale, a half hour ride.

 

The Westin Hotel was HAL's choice this year. Having been up since 2 am, we were happy to get our room, or so we thought. Room 321 did not have a safe, just an empty space where one use to be. This must have been the only room that did not have one. The girl at reception said she would send an engineer to our room. Fat chance of that. Bill went down to the concierge, and waited until he got assigned a new room. No problem......new room and new keys. We got settled, filled the safe, and headed downstairs to get something cold to drink.

 

The first people we saw were Tom Mullen and Holly Fraser, along with Lynn from the Seattle office of CS. They invited us to join them in the nearby bar, and so we did. Greg from the Novato office was there as well. We had a lively conversation with all, especially Tom, who we have known since 2005. He is such a popular host, that we seldom get the chance to bend his ear for any length of time, without interruptions. So we had a great visit.

 

It had gotten late by the time we went for dinner. The hamburgers were delicious. But the bed in our room was even more inviting, as we were beat by such a long day. Tomorrow we shall do some more exploring.

 

Until then, Good night all!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[markf]

what a wonderful oppty--This is one of my goals and dreams--but i am in my late 50s so i will have to wait for retirment-I will be curious to hear if you have enough time in each port--

I would need 3 different sizes of clothing --big bigger and biggest

Can we ask how much this trip will cost you--

Enjoy

[Aussie Gal]

Mary and Bill,

 

So glad that you have arrived safely into Ft. Lauderdale. What a shame your plane was late leaving especially when you were up so early, still that is the fun of flying! There are always delays.

 

I look forward to your next instalment.

 

Jennie

[DeepWaterMariner]

What a privilege to be taken along for a world cruise, even if it is only on my computer screen. I actually considered a world cruise on Princess this year...should have booked and paid for it before the stock market dropped and enjoyed the money.

[caltnl]

Dear Bill & Mary Ann,

 

I so wish that I could be with you. However Its all I can do to get my DW to consent to a 10 day in April to the Sea of Cortez.

 

Will be watching for your reports.

 

Its nice to have kids to take or pick up. When we came thru the Canal a couple of years ago our Daughter and Grand sons picked us up in Long Beach and home an hour later.

 

Our best for a good voyage.

[TENNCruisers]

Bon Voyage Bill and Mary Ann

 

We will be following your blog. We know that you will have a great cruise.

 

Enjoy!!!!

 

Orlin and Barbara

[WCB]

Thanks for all your good wishes on the upcoming cruise!! Hope it will live up to all of our expectations. We will do our best to respond to questions along the way. We are scheduled to leave the Westin around 11am today, then we will have the task of settling in, as well as the life boat drill.......oh what fun!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 3 January 4, 2009 Sunday Westin Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale

 

Don't think we have ever slept so soundly in a hotel room! It must have something to do with the new plush beds and feather duvets and pillows the hotel just supplied in their remodeling recently. And of course, the fact that we were zonked last night may have helped!

 

Breakfast in the restaurant was good, but expensive, like most hotels we have stayed in. The fresh-squeezed Florida orange juice was the best. It reminded us that we can have this everyday on the ship, we hope.

 

After eating, we checked out the Cruise Specialists welcome desk, and found Holly, Tom, and Greg ready to go with all their pamphlets, name tags, and flyers spread out on their table. They are expecting a group of around 70 or so for the party this evening. Not all of them will be sailing though. Some are annual clients that decided for one reason or another, not to go this year. HAL also had a desk set up for the Westerdam, which sailed today . The Caribbean is a very popular destination this time of year, so the local hotels have groups coming and going on a daily basis. Actually, we could spot all the cruisers this morning at breakfast. They are experts in the buffet line! But the real give-away are their shoes. They are new, mostly white, and ready to take on all the activities as well as sumptuous buffets onboard the ship.

 

A shopping shuttle was provided by our travel agency this afternoon. What a nice idea for items we may have overlooked. So we jumped on the first pick-up with only four other people. While talking to one couple, we found out that they had been on the holiday cruise on the Rotterdam. They had to get off today, leaving their luggage on the ship, and spend the day and night here. They said they enjoyed the cruise, except for 300 kids running wild for 12 days. Claiming they like kids, they felt 300 were too many!

 

After a stop at the supermarket, and a stop at the local pharmacy, we had bought two bags of stuff. Suntan lotion was way less here than on the ship, so we stocked up. I had no luck at Marshalls, searching for some simple summer blouses. Most tops are made for really young girls, even though they look like the maternity tops I wore forty years ago! Now I know why I like to sew my own clothes..

 

It appeared that we had missed the shuttle that had just left the front of the Publix market. So we went to the side street where the bus was going, and he kindly stopped and let us on. Good thing, because it had warmed up considerably since yesterday. We do like it warm, but here it is "sticky" hot. The only saving grace was a strong breeze that made the tall palms sway. We noticed that we did not see many locals out and about. They tend to stay indoors with the air-conditioning. Quite different from us Californians. We spend most of our days outside! In all fairness, maybe many people are on the fabulous beaches here. We are a bit far away from there to check it out,darn.

 

We had some time before we had to get ready for dinner, so we hiked the trail that wrapped around the hotel complex to a large canal. There is a lake with a large fountain within the hotel complex. This was the first time we saw a trail sign saying watch for alligators! So we were so busy looking for the gaters, when Bill almost stepped on a snake! Yikes......we both jumped as it wiggled like mad to get to the grass. We did see many large ducks and a few people fishing in the canal, and a completely stripped carcass of a fish. OK, time to get back to the hotel!

 

This evening's event began in the foyer of the Keys Ballroom at 6 pm. We were greeted by the CS staff, which had increased by one, Ellen Bethel, who came here just for the dinner and transfer tomorrow. As one of our hosts, she will join us again in Los Angeles. Tom Baumann, CS president and his wife were also there Cocktails were enjoyed by all. It was great to see some familiar faces from cruisers past. Dinner was served promptly at 6:45, and began with a lobster bisque with a french bread roll. Ther main course was a combo of filet mignon and grilled salmon, risotto rice, and asparagus with steamed carrots. White and red wines flowed freely. The best was saved for last......a slice of tangy key lime pie with a dollop of sweet whipped cream.

 

As we drank coffee, short and sweet speeches were given by Holly and Tom B. The new 2009 CS bags and jackets were passed around, and we were all happy campers. To top it off, after dinner drinks were served in the foyer. By 9 pm, we said our goodbyes and were off to bed. What a nice day! We will need to get some quality sleep tonight, because tomorrow we will have to tackle the job of stashing all the contents of those 16 bags!

 

Bill and Mary Ann

[callmedeb]

A world cruise is my dream, so thank you for letting me glimpse a a bit of it through you.

 

Safe and happy journeys to you both!

 

Deb

[DeepWaterMariner]

Where in the world do you find room to stow 16 bags worth of stuff? We obviously cruise in smaller accommodations.

[SDHALFAN]

Hi Bill and Mary Ann:

 

Whoopee your latest adventure has begun and I get to go along, vicariously, with you. Fair winds and following seas.

 

When you see Tom Mullen again please tell him Valerie says "Hi" and that I miss him and Ellen a whole lot.

 

Looking forward to your next post.

 

Valerie:)

[Charleston Lady]

Thanks so much for sharing your trip with us again. I hung on your every word and those of Orlin and Barbara on 07, preparing for the 08 GWV. What a great trip! Wish we could be with you this year, but alas....

John and Diane, maybe we will meet again on the 2010 voyage- see you in the gym!

We went with 9 bags and returned with 15. I can't imagine starting with 16, but then a girl can never have too many clothes. Have a ball.

Nancy & Rick

[Williebill]

I always enjoy your posts. My wife and I are already enjoying your trip and the cruise has not even started. BON VOYAGE Bill and Mary Ann.

[CruisinTexans]

Mary Ann & Bill,

 

Somewhere on the board a while back I read that the Rotterdam's safes use a card with a magnetic strip instead of a keypad. Have they updated the safes to keypads or do you still have to use a card?

 

Leslie

[Paul123]

Hi Bill and Mary Ann........your writing style is marvelous as always and full of detail and interest. HAVE A GREAT GRAND WORLD VOYAGE and bon voyage. We are so looking forward to following your adventure. Say a big hi to Jeff and any other 2007 Amsterdam GWV you meet up with. Now begining to wish we could be with you all but will just have to wait until the 2010 GWV to see you again.

 

Really enjoy.

 

Paul

[Flyingfish]

Thanks Mary Ann and Bill for once again taking me along with you! Love the Rotterdam. Happy Sailing!

[blue whale]

Hello Mary Ann and Bill,

 

We just read a cruise report on a Christmas Rotterdam sailing that indicated problems with air conditioning and plumbing aft 6. We know that this is where your cabin is located, and ours is nearby just a bit forward from yours. Are there any problems?

 

D

[Meg]

Hi Bill and Mary Ann,

Thank you so much for keeping this journal for the world Cruise. We, also, just got off the Rotterdam Holiday sailing and this was the closest we have ever been to a World Cruise, which, by the way, is our dream. This is going to be a great read and we look forward to each and every post.

Meg

[WCB]

Report # 4 January 5, 2009 Monday.....A LONG DAY!!!

 

Today is embarkation day, so we had to pack up our things, and be ready to take the bus to the ship by 11 am. Why is it that once you take your bag apart, it never goes back the same?? We did purchase a few things, but it seemed like we had to sit on the darn suitcase to zip it up! This should be the message to keep in mind while buying treasures on this long trip....keep it few and keep it small.

 

After breakfast, our small group met in the dining room we used last night. The Specialists even provided sweet rolls and coffee to keep us happy. It was nice to be kept separate from the Holland group, since they had 200 people leaving the lobby at the same time as us. It was a crowded mess there. If we were quick, we could load up and leave ahead of them. And that's just what we did.

 

The short drive to the pier got us there shortly after 11:30 am. We were handed a number as we entered the building. Then we sat comfortably while we waited to be called to the desk. The first thing we had to fill out was a health form, asking yes or no questions regarding our current status. A yes answer to any of these questions may have hindered our boarding or put you into quarantine, who knows. Just yesterday, a Royal Caribbean ship had to be completely evacuated due to a severe bacterial breakout. Hazmat teams go onboard and do a thourough scouring. This happens more often than you would guess. Using gallons of Purell is a must on cruises nowadays!

 

The first person we recognized at check-in was Barbie, our friend from the O7 and 08 world cruises. She is a cruise junkie like us! Hope we are able to get a dining room table together. Barbie is an accomplished "cork-forker", which we will explain later on.

 

Our number was called in 15 minutes, and we checked in quickly. By using the precruise internet registration, it was a breeze to check-in. All they needed was the "almighty credit card" and we were on our way. We had to stop for the worst picture of the cruise taken by the ship's photographers. Never did understand why they would insist on this photo. Most people just want to get their stuff to their staterooms, and go look for lunch. We have stopped buying these anyway, because they have gotten quite expensive.

 

Since the ship arrived a day early, the rooms were ready for all. We were sort of hoping that some of our shipped luggage had arrived, but we had none. We did unload our little red bag, and wished that was all we really had to do.

 

Good time to go for lunch in the Lido. It was easy to find because the Rotterdam is almost the same as the Amsterdam. We felt right at home the moment we stepped onboard. Our favorite spot in the Lido is the salad bar, followed by the pizza and outdoor grill. The dinner menu in the dining room looked really good, so we kept lunch on the light side.

 

We swung by the back pool, knowing our buddy Jeff would be in his favorite spot.....that is anywhere the sun is the hottest! We were right, and it was great to see him. We have some serious tanning time to do to catch up to the golden one. He just recently returned from the 65 day Asia-Pacific cruise, spent the holidays at home, and was off and running again for the world cruise. Lucky guy!

 

Well, time to check for that luggage. It began to show up in the hallways a few at a time. The majority of the passengers have up to four bags, because this trip is 14 days for them. There aren't too many of us full cruisers on this voyage. We don't think our room steward, Bagus, realized we were on the world cruise until he saw the many pieces of luggage stacking up outside our door. Sixteen bags pretty much filled the room. Oh, where to start???

 

Don't know if we've mentioned this before, but unpacking of this volume is a true test of compatability! You either cooperate or kill each other! So you either take the lead, or follow the lead. If the end results are the same, then what does it matter? Eventually, you find the stuff you squirreled away, or rearrange things later.

 

Everything we knew we did not need, such as the ship's drinks, robes, extra bedding, ashtrays, etc, were taken out. That freed up space for at least 100 T shirts! Command hooks went up here and there for cosmetic bags, a clock, the jewelry bag, and for hanging clothes. Two over the door hanging shoe bags will hold tank tops, t shirts, and small items. We'll beat this yet

 

Halfway into our chore, we had to attend muster. What fun that was! The ship cannot leave the pier until this exercise is completed. So we jammed the darn smelly orange vests over our heads, and went to our station. Of course, the sun was beaming on our side of the promenade deck, and it was steamy hot. The men were lucky....they got to stand in the back in the shade. No fair! A cute little elderly lady standing next to me said that if wearing this vest was like having big boobs, she would have to do something about it! She didn't like the fact that she couldn't see her feet with the bulge! I had to agree.

 

The sailaway happened right on time. It was no use trying to unpack at this point, so we headed out the back door on our deck, went up one flight of stairs, and were on the back pool deck. Great spot. There was a big turnout of passengers enjoying the super music and "umbrella drinks".

 

Before we knew it, it was time for dinner. But, of course, we had to squeeze in time for the Crow's Nest. Ness, the head bartender from the 08 world cruise was back. And the band, the Peacefulls were here as well. A two person band, they play the music we really like.

 

Dinnertime was on deck 5, fixed seating, at 8 pm. Downstairs was anytime dining, which will change once we reach Los Angeles. We had table number 64 with six other guests. One couple are staying on to Dubai, while the other two couples will leave in LA. As Americans, we were outnumbered. Two couples are from Canada, and the others from England. But it did make for good conversation. Unfortunately, Barbie ended up at table 65 across the dining room. Darn! Usually, the first evening's dinner is OK. But tonight's prime rib was over the top excellent. Better than we have had on any cruise so far. Hope they keep up the good work.

 

It was such a long day, we missed the after dinner show. We understand it was the usual introduction of staff members. Will try to catch it when we leave from LA. In order to get to the bed, we still have to clear the mounds of clothes and half-empty suitcases out of the way. We're so tired that we would probably sleep through a hurricane tonight!!

 

Sweet dreams!

 

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Valerie, we will say hi to Tom M. for you!

There are air conditioning problems on 6 aft, but the plumbing works fine with good water pressure.

Leslie, the safes are not upgraded...they are locked with a key.

Paul, we will say hi to jeff.

The 16 pieces of luggage are done, no problem!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[HALFans]

Sounds like you're having a delightful time so far. Thanks so very much for the frequent updates!

 

Don't know if we've mentioned this before, but unpacking of this volume is a true test of compatability! You either cooperate or kill each other! So you either take the lead, or follow the lead. If the end results are the same, then what does it matter? Eventually, you find the stuff you squirreled away, or rearrange things later.

 

LOL. Here it sounds like you've got a great system worked out. In our case, I get shooed off to a quiet corner, like the Crow's Nest - where I'm properly out of the way for all unpacking and packing.

[ronvoell]

From your wheelchair friend on the 2007 GWC have a great time. We are booked on the Sept Pacific 64 day cruise. Adele wanted to visit New Zealand so we bypassed your World Cruise this time. We will be interested in the 2010 or 11 iten. Give our best to Blue Whale when she boards in LA.

 

Ron & Adele.