Come Along with Bill & Mary Ann Going Full Circle on the 2015 World Cruise -114 days+

Plain, creamy vanilla ice cream with small solid lumps of honeycomb toffee in it. The toffee melts a little around the edges and flavours the ice cream.

Thanks Colbe' sounds delicious!!

Thanks for the up date ..

Report # 43 Sydney, Australia February 11, 2015 Wednesday Day Two Chance of rain & 82 degrees

The only time it rained was around 9:30am when a passing cloud went over the ship. Thinking perhaps the windows were being cleaned outside the dining room, we noticed that some ladies were walking with their jackets over their heads. Nope, that must have been the rain predicted in the forecast. Lucky for us, that was the last we saw of it all day.

About the time the Captain was conducting a Safety of Life at Sea drill at 10am, we were ready to get off and go on a walk about for the day. This was an abandon the ship drill, and from what we saw, many of the crew members were involved in the procedure. Hope this is something we never have to hear while at sea.

When we went down the escalator in the terminal, there was a crowd forming to board the ship. This was the group of travel agents coming on for a tour and lunch. We were told there were 200 of them. They sure know how to market their product.

Walking to the bus stop beyond Circular Quay, we waited for the 555 free shuttle to Chinatown. This bus runs from 9am to 3:30pm weekdays, and stops every 10 minutes. It almost felt like cheating to us, but with limited time here, we thought it was a good idea.

We got off at the end of the line, which happened to be Chinatown. Down the side street was Market City, a three story mall with 30 factory outlets with discounts up to 70%. It was attached to Paddy’s Market, and believe it or not, we never noticed it was here. Guess we always entered Paddy’s Market from a different street.

So we rode the escalator to the top, and made our way down floor to floor until we covered the whole mall. What we found the nicest were the decorations of hundreds of Chinese lanterns hanging in the 3 story atrium. Chinese New Year is coming soon on February 19th, and it is a big deal here in Sydney, as in many cities of the world with a large Asian population. If we had needed clothing, we sure could have found some good deals here.

Back at Paddy’s Market, we walked through the building that contains hundreds of stalls of food, fashion, fake designer labels, discounts, toys, and souveniers. This market is opened Wednesday through Sunday only. We did find another “singing bird” in a cage (batteries included), which we love hanging in our room. These are sound-activated, and are fun for the room stewards.

One nice part of this market is the food section, which was full of fresh veggies and fruit. All of the produce seemed like they were super-sized…..healthy and colorful. A fish and meat market were also busy with locals this morning.

Making our way back via Darling Harbour, we stopped for a leisurely lunch at the Hard Rock Café. Guess what we did not order? Pizza…..they don’t serve it. But what they did have back on the menu was their haystack salad with fried Tupelo chicken. It is one of our all-time favorites, and has been gone off of their menus the last few years. Well, it’s back, and so were we.

Darling Harbour has 40 restaurants, 30 bars, cafes, museums, theaters, and parks. You could spend a day there and only see half of it.

The HRC is attached to the Harbourside Mall, so we walked through it after lunch. We came upon a bakery/restaurant that had some huge pies and cakes in their display window. We saw nothing particularly interesting, but we proceeded to take a photo of the sweet treats. Well, out came a waitress/witch, who said we could not take a photo unless we were buying. Was she kidding or what? We had a good chuckle over that, since their lemon meringue pie looked like a 5 year old made it. Needless to say, we would not recommend that restaurant.

Leaving the mall, we crossed the Pyrmont Bridge, built from 1899 to 1902. It was the first swing span bridge that was powered by electricity. It was dedicated 100 years later in 1992. Now it is strictly a pedestrian bridge. The monorail that ran here from downtown is gone.

Making a pass through the Queen Victoria Building, or the QVB as it is called here, is most interesting for its architecture. It is a restored 1898 Romanesque revival structure, now a shopping mall of high end fashion. It is full of tiled floors, marble clad surfaces, huge London clocks hanging from the ceiling, and stained glass windows everywhere. It is so old, that the floors are not level anymore.

We made a stop at Woolworth’s, a store that has it all…..groceries, pharmacy items, housewares, cosmetics, and even souveniers. What we thought was a good idea to have, was a can of disinfectant spray. Glen 40 is the equivalent of Lysol at home. Thought it would be useful to keep our little space as germ-free as possible. Don’t want a rerun of that nasty cold/flu we had, in light of the fact we are getting 90 new people boarding.

Going downhill, we passed the Westfield Mall, which is the base for the Sydney Tower. Years ago, we had been to a dinner up at the top at 879 feet high. A group of us went there on a tour with our travel agency hosts. Sitting at the end of a table against the window, one of our tablemates was surprised to see that her sweater had begun to take a slow ride away from her. Of course, she did not realize that the restaurant was revolving for a 360 degree view. We all had a good laugh over that one, including Shirley who thought someone had stolen her sweater.

It was necessary to stop for a strawberry ice cream treat before getting back onboard. Sitting near the end of the pier, we listened to an Aboriginal group of street performers playing the didgeridoo with backround drums. The ground beneath our feet actually vibrated with the sounds. Bet they took in a fair amount of money as folks stopped to take photos and pose with them.

All aboard was 6pm, although we were reluctant to leave, there was a sailaway party happening on the aft deck, and we did not want to miss it. But that will be another story to tell a bit later………..

Bill & Mary Ann

Plain, creamy vanilla ice cream with small solid lumps of honeycomb toffee in it. The toffee melts a little around the edges and flavours the ice cream.

Oh nice.

Thank you for the review. Look forward to this.

Report # 44 Sailaway from Sydney, Australia February 11, 2015 Wednesday

Well, we were all prepared to do another life boat drill before the ship set sail in Sydney late today, but it had not been listed in the daily newsletter. That was strange, because when a new segment begins, we always have to repeat the drill. Come to think of it, we did not do this drill before leaving Auckland either. Only the newly-embarked guests and crew had to attend the drill, so we guess we are home-free this time.

The aft pool deck was the location of this “champagne” sailaway, which by the way, was not complimentary. There were hot appetizers served, butler-style, but the champagne was on your shipboard account. Truthfully, we saw few folks buying the bubbly. In addition, we had Stephen Kent’s indigenous sounds of the didgeridoo playing for the entire 1 ½ hour sailing. Sure lent an air of authenticity to the experience….one unlike any we have attended in the past. Good job.

As the ship ended around near the Sydney Harbour Bridge, we got the last glimpse of people climbing it. The bridge itself is 440 feet above the water, but going up the cables must be much higher. Here’s a little tidbit of trivia about this bridge. It may rise or fall up to seven inches as the steel expands and contracts with the weather. It opened in 1932, but was not fully paid off until 1988. The cost was double the original estimate. And finally, why was it painted gray? Because it was the only color available in such large quantities.

The Oceania Marina was anchored in the harbor, having arrived sometime this morning. Don’t know if they were waiting for our slip once we left. We were very lucky to have been docked at Circular Quay, because we have seen large ships anchored in the bay. They tender the folks to shore, then bus them to downtown. It works, but takes so much more time out of your stay in such a vibrant city.

By the way, there was an overland excursion offered from Sydney to Melbourne. It was called Red Centre Overland, and flew you to Ayers Rock for 3 days and 2 nights. You would stay two nights at a resort, then be able to see Uluru at sunrise and sunset. And also ride a camel among other activities. The price? Try $3739. We think seeing Sydney on the Hop On Hop Off bus was a deal at $40. per person. Or spending a day at the Taronga Zoo for $46. Each, like Martha and Bob did.

By the time we exited the headlands, the wind was blowing pretty steadily, and it was getting cool. That cleared the deck. It was time to get ready for dinner. We had company………Ruud, a friend of Martha and Bob’s, who was originally supposed to join us. He surprised us by joining our table last night, so we guess he was shy when we asked him back in January. Hope this works out for everyone, as new additions can be dicey.

Black Tie was on stage once again tonight. Even though they have been here and done that by their own admittance, everyone seems to enjoy their performance anyway.

Looking forward to a lazy day at sea tomorrow. We need it.

Bill & Mary Ann

Red Centre Overland 3739$ ??

$3739!! We did a 22 day trip to OZ and NZ including Uluru in 2008 for about the same amount of money.

Report # 45 Sailing Towards Melbourne, Australia February 12, 2015 Thursday Partly cloudy & 75 degrees

Boy, if there ever was a day for a diversion, this was one of them. All we saw when we looked outside this morning was gray sky, high waves, and little sun. The diversion came in the form of an invitation from the Captain and Henk, our Hotel Director to attend a President’s Club Galley Social, hosted by the Culinary Department. Not knowing exactly what this would involve, we went to breakfast in the dining room, but ordered lightly, just in case.

At 11am, we gathered at the lower level of the dining room with the rest of the President’s Club members. We believe only two of the twenty invited were a no show. First things first, we were handed flutes of champagne…..the good stuff, Dom Perignon. Our glasses would never go empty for the duration of the tour.

Entering the kitchen area, we were greeted by the culinary manager, Paul, who explained everything we were seeing. At each point, we were given a demo on some of the chef’s specialties such as fois gras, Vietnamese spring rolls, beef carpaccio, Plates were served on the counters as we passed by. Wish we knew this was an eating tour…..we would have skipped breakfast.

We passed by the cleaning station, which had been shut down briefly so we could hear what was being said. Otherwise, when all of the dishwashers are working, everyone has to wear earplugs for safety reasons.

The baking area was the most familiar, since one of us had a career that included baking. And loved every minute of it. One piece of machinery was not familiar, so we asked what it was. Turned out it was an automatic dough cutter, that divided a weighed amount of bread dough into 32 small dinner rolls. What a time and labor saver.

The fish room was next, where we saw one cook fileting a large fish. This room is kept separate for sanitary reasons, to keep from cross contamination.

The best was yet to come when we reached the end of the kitchen. A huge block of ice was brought in, and one of the staff created an owl right in front of us. It is much harder work than you might think. While we watched from small hightop tables, we were treated to a series of snacks. There were plates of chicken tempura, shrimp cocktail, caviar and chopped eggs, lamingtons and chocolate chip cookies, still warm from the oven. But the utmost best, were the chunks of grilled filet mignon in a tempura sauce. The steak just about melted in our mouths. Henk made sure we all had plenty of the delicious meat and also lots of white and red wines from California. Since we do not drink wine, they continued to give us champagne.

Before we realized it, the time was nearing around 1pm. So we rode the kitchen escalator up to deck five, where a small group of us took a table in the corner of the dining room to finish our drinks and chat for a while. Honestly, we were not being loud or unruly, but unexpectedly, a strange woman came out of the Kings Room and called us a bunch of drunks. Can you imagine that? And furthermore, she added that the bridge lady would soon be here and kick us all out. We simply said, bring her on, and have her tell us in person. Little did this rude woman know that all of us knows the bridge instructors well. The funnier aspect of this story is that bridge was not scheduled to begin until 1:45pm. No way would we have stayed that long anyway. One member of our group went after this lady, and informed her she rudely insulted all of us and should apologize. With that, she came back and said she was just kidding. Yeah…..sure.

The sun never did come out the rest of the day, and the seas became even rougher as the afternoon wore on. It was a good time to download photos and work on reports. We’re still trying to figure out this computer, but it is hit and miss.

Before dinner, we took a walk around the promenade deck, only to find it windy and cold. There were about six of us out there, not counting the group that comes out and has a beer and cheese and cracker party. Hardy souls, they are. Sure hope we have better weather tomorrow in Melbourne.

Dinner was great, because we had good ol’ spaghetti with meat sauce. We know that sounds simple, but sometimes simple is really good.

Bill & Mary Ann

What a great way to spend the mid day. The DP sounds great.

That alone would have would have been awesome. Love your reports.

Wow, sounds like that woman needs to chill. Thx for the report.

Thanks for your updates, really enjoy coming along on your cruise and yes your right sometimes the simple things are the best - spaghetti with meat sauce sounds wonderful.

 

During breakfast, we spoke to Pandi about why the dining room was being closed today. Apparently 100 travel agents were due to tour the ship, and a special luncheon was held for them in the dining room. He added that when we get to Sydney, there will be 200 travel agents touring then with a lunch offered as well.

I was fortunate enough to be one of those given a tour of this immensely elegant ship and to enjoy the special luncheon that day. Not everyone there was a travel agent - quite a few of us were there as guests of our travel agents (who obviously wanted us to consider Holland America for our next cruise). I was enraptured by this beautiful ship and could happily have stowed away and joined you for the rest of the cruise - had I not had to get home to cook dinner. :P

We are now looking pretty much exclusively at Holland America for our next cruise and are very interested in the 24 night Mediterranean cruises. I think the quiet elegance of the fleet is a good fit for my husband and I.

Report # 44 Sailaway from Sydney, Australia February 11, 2015 Wednesday

 

As the ship ended around near the Sydney Harbour Bridge, we got the last glimpse of people climbing it. The bridge itself is 440 feet above the water, but going up the cables must be much higher. Here’s a little tidbit of trivia about this bridge. It may rise or fall up to seven inches as the steel expands and contracts with the weather. It opened in 1932, but was not fully paid off until 1988. The cost was double the original estimate. And finally, why was it painted gray? Because it was the only color available in such large quantities.

 

I was one of those people who was on the harbour bridge as your ship was pulling away from the port. My tour was just nearing the end as the ship set sail bang on time!

Thank you for your wonderful posts. Enjoying every minute of your trip!

Helaine

Report # 46 Melbourne, Australia February 13, 2015 Friday Partly cloudy, rain, & 69 degrees

The Amsterdam must have arrived to the port of Melbourne in the darkness of early morning, because when we woke up, we were here in Port Phillip Bay, docked at Station Pier at Waterfront Place. We are now in the state of Victoria, having left New South Wales, where Sydney is located. Victoria is the second smallest state, but is full of diverse landscapes, national parks, wineries, wildlife, lakes, and mountains. Most all of these destinations can be reached on day trips out of Melbourne.

Founded in 1835, the city of Melbourne has grown to over 4 million people. The discovery of gold in the mid- 19th century, helped this city grow to what we see today. This is not our first visit to this lovely city. Most every time we have visited, we took a ship’s tour that took us out of the city to the countryside. We have been to the Blue Dandenong Mountains, 2000 feet above sea level. It gets really cold up there. We rode the Puffing Billy Steam Train through the forested mountains and farmlands, and have toured Yarra Valley wineries and Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary.

So, today, for the second time, we have decided to stay in the downtown area, and do a walkabout for the day. The port area is fairly far from downtown, and there was not a free shuttle provided. So what we chose to do was buy an MYKI ticket, which got us on the bus to the city’s Art Centre. The price for this ticket was $14. per person, but it got us on the bus for free just by showing it.

The ride to town took about 10 minutes, and with the help of two maps we got in the cruise terminal we were able to figure out the path we wanted to take. If we needed more help, docents dressed with red jackets were available at the bus stop to help us with directions. Since we did this same routine back in 2009, it was starting to look familiar. In fact, after looking up our old reports, we discovered that we were here on Friday, the 13th of February, 6 years ago. What are the odds of that?

Since it was a very warm and humid morning, we decided to walk through the Royal Botanic gardens first. This spacious park is full of mature trees, manicured flower beds, fountains, statues, and small gardens tucked in many corners. Many native plants can be found here, including the ten most important plants that have had a major impact on humans over the millenniums. Bamboo is the first on the list. Although it is considered a weed in this country, it has been a mainstay in other countries using it for construction and scaffolding. Next comes oak, for its hard wood. Poppies used for opium, and hemp grown for cannabis are next. Obviously not legal substances everywhere in the world, they nevertheless have had an impact on society. Cotton and penicillin have had huge numbers of uses, while the willow and quinine have had medicinal uses. Lastly, tea has made a lot of folks quite satisfied over the ages. Oh yes, cannot forget papyrus. What would we have done without paper?

Making our way down to the Yarra River, we watched many boaters practicing racing on the river. There are boat sheds and clubs where the teams can store their long boats near the water. We also saw tour ferries, similar to what we have seen in other countries with rivers that cut through the city. There were even some black swans resting on the banks. They barely moved a muscle when approached. Guess they are tame, or used to many people who hike or bike on the river’s trails.

Crossing the bridge near the Arts Centre, we found the Flinders Street Station, a colonial-style building, the central hub for transportation. Across the street was St. Paul’s Cathedral, a Gothic-style church with stained glass and mosaic art inside. Continuing up Flinders Street, we walked to the corner where the gardens began for the Old Treasury Building Museum. This 19th century building is considered the finest one in Australia. It has been converted into an exhibition center.

Further up the street was the Parliament House and Gardens. This was the first seat of Australian federal government. The flower-filled garden next to the Parliament was filled with young families and small children, who were playing in and around a cool fountain there. It was so warm, we wanted to join them.

We crossed Victoria Street to the Carlton Gardens with 100 year old trees. There were many stately sycamores, oaks, cedar, and magnolia trees. In the center was an ornate Victorian fountain with the Royal Exhibition Building behind it. One nice thing about all of these parks, are that there are numerous benches to sit and relax in some shade. We should add here that we could have taken the tram to get here for free. We were told by some locals that all of the downtown area trams and buses have been made free since January 1st of this year. This has been named the “free zone”. If we had chosen to ride the trams, we could have used our tickets we just bought at the pier. Since we did not ride any, we never did use them until later in the day.

Following Victoria Street, we ended up at the Queen Victoria Market, a 130 year old institute. The vendors there sell gourmet food, and all types of fish and local meats. That included rabbit, goat, and kangaroo meat. There are acres of produce, gifts, souveniers, a, clothing, shoes, bags, etc., etc.

It was getting late, and we wanted to eat lunch. So we tried to find the same café we dined in 6 years ago. Problem was, we did not have the address, only the name. Standing on a corner with the map in hand, we must have looked lost. A nice young man stopped and asked if we needed help. You bet we did, and said yes, please. He was not familiar with the Metropolitan Hotel Café, but did look it up on his phone. Within a minute, he had the address, and told us it was on 263 William Street. We needed to head back up the hill towards Flagstaff Gardens. We found the café on William Street at Lt. Lonsdale Street.

It sure was nice to find a table by the window and sit down for a spell. We ordered large beers and a margherita pizza to share. A couple of friendly folks sitting near us struck up a conversation that lasted through our meal. Retired like us, they have lived in Melbourne for a few years, recently moving from Sydney. They pegged us for Americans (not sure how), and proceeded to tell us how they loved America and loved making trips there. One of his favorite cities was Las Vegas, because he like gambling. Then his next favorites were New York and San Francisco. We had to agree with him. They asked all about our trip in progress and where we were headed. They also are fans of cruising, so they got it….why we like it so much. Got to say, we have never met such nice folks as we have here. There are times that we have remarked how much we like meeting local folks, leaving us with fond memories….sometimes as much as seeing the views and attractions.

All aboard was 5:30pm, and the sky seemed to be getting darker and darker. Could be we would see some of that rain we heard might fall. Walking down William Street, we turned left on Collins Street and found the stop for the 109 tram. If we were not so worn out, we could have checked out the high end designer fashion boutiques on Collin Street. Truthfully, the stores were so crowded, we didn’t bother to go in any of them. Darn, we missed the Ugg store that sells those cool slippers. We read somewhere that these merino sheepskin boots were originally called ugly warm boots. The name got shortened to Ugg, and the name has stayed the same ever since.

Our timing was right, and we jumped on the tram, which was already almost full. Not sure how our ticket worked, a couple of passengers told us not to use it yet. Since we were still in the “free zone”, it was not necessary to pay. One nice lady said she was going where we were, to the port, and we could follow what she does. Perfect. Two more young gals joined in the conversation, and they showed us how to use the kiosk on the tram to register our cards. Because there was no one actually checking this procedure, we asked what happens if someone fails to pay. They laughed and said we would be pushed to the ground, and sent home. The joke was on us…..they said if caught, there could be a fine. People are on the honor system here. So when we tapped the card, it appeared that $6.00 was taken off of it. The balance will remain on the card, and we can use it the next time we come here. Not sure when that will be, but Melbourne is on our list for one of the friendliest cities ever.

The tram dead-ended at the pier. Deciding we still had some time left before we had to board, we went to the nearest gelato stand and had one pistachio and one vanilla bean cup of creamy ice cream. In the distance, we spotted lightening, and knew the storm was on its way. By the time we finished our treat, the rain began to sprinkle down. Time to get on the ship.

The sailaway had been moved to the Crows Nest, but we still went to the aft deck as always. Only a handful of people were there. We were due to leave around 6pm, but there was one person missing, stuck in traffic according to the Captain. By the time we left, the storm had moved overhead, complete with thunder and lightning. Very exciting, we moved down to deck seven and watched the ship pull away and sail out of the harbor.

When we have the opportunity, we always check out the dinner entrees in the Lido. That way we have a better idea of what to order. We have been noticing that there are not a whole lot of diners there around 6pm. Normally, the room is full with passengers who choose not to get gussied up for dinner. Not so on this trip.

Our dinnertime came quick enough, and we were more than happy to go. The beef wellington was every bit as good as it looked upstairs. And so was the apple walnut upside down cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Really good.

We have a day at sea as we sail towards Adelaide. Hope the seas will not be rough, and the heavy rains do not follow us.

By the way, we put the clocks back ½ hour tonight.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report # 47 Sailing Towards Adelaide, Australia February 14, 2015 Saturday Partly cloudy & 75 degrees

First and foremost, we want to wish our family, friends, and fellow readers a very Happy Valentine’s Day! We were reminded of the special occasion when we entered the dining room this morning for breakfast. All the decorations were red and glittery. Quite festive for the day.

Then after our morning walk, which was rather cool by the way, we came back to our room to find two dark red long stemmed roses on the bed, along with two small boxes of Lindor Chocolates. We never realized that the Lindt & Sprungli chocolate candy was made in Italy. Just to verify that it was as good as advertised, we had to taste one of the creamy milk chocolate balls. Guess what…..they are that good and more. The attached card read, May this Valentine’s Day be filled with love, understanding, and contentment as you journey through life with those you hold dear. Nice thought indeed. We also had a card and a box of truffles from our travel agent, left by our host Tom. This may be “death by chocolate week”.

Of course, the ship had no shortage of suggestions regarding gifts for today. Flower arrangements are always offered, created by Eddy and Calista , our onboard florists. Champagne was also a possibility starting with prices from $42. To $199. a bottle. Jewelry and perfumes always work for the ladies, while the Greenhouse Spa offered couples massages for $119. For 25 minutes or $269. for 50 minutes. Portraits are available on every formal night, tonight no exception. How about surprising your sweetheart with a cruise? Yes, that was even suggested. Topping off the night, you could make reservation for a special dinner in the Pinnacle, with wine included, for $79. per person. And that about wraps it up.

We got caught up in computer experimenting, or trying to figure this new program out. Assuming that it was too cold to go to the aft pool, we watched a movie, Words and Pictures (pretty good), then went outside about 2pm. It was surprisingly beautiful out, because the wind had stopped and the sun was out. In fact, during his afternoon talk, Captain Jonathon mentioned that Adelaide is going to be over 100 degrees tomorrow, and perhaps 85 degrees on Monday. Sure did not expect that, since leaving Melbourne was so wet and stormy.

Anyway, we stayed out back, and soaked up some sun, while watching the birds skimming the surface of the water. We guess they are the Southern royal albatrosses, with a huge wingspan. They can soar with ease over the waves with such little effort. It was around 2:30pm, that we spotted some dolphins jumping in the ship’s wake. Within minutes, we were surrounded with dozens of them. We must have hit the mother lode of the dolphin’s feeding grounds. We are not sure of the type of dolphins they were, but Mel, our Florida buddy, told us they were much smaller than the bottlenose they have at home. They continued to stay with the ship for at least ½ hour. Later in the day, we heard some folks spotted whale spouting. Wish we had seen that, since it is also thrilling. Since we still have a lot of Australia to sail around, we may get lucky for more sightings if we watch closely.

A new speaker has joined the ship by the name of George Sranko. A familiar name to us, he gave a lecture on devils, crocs, and amazing creatures of Oz. He also spoke about an egg laying mammal with toxic spurs. That can only be the platypus. Stephen Kent continue his series on the culture and life of the aboriginal people. It is the oldest living culture on the planet.

More Aussies are on board as in the Aussie Boys. This group of young fellows have joined us frequently on previous world cruise, and have been well received by the passengers.

Naturally, tonight was formal and also the Valentine’s Day Ball where the folks can dance the night away and sip red drinks for $5.95. The problem for us that eat at 8pm, we have a problem attending this ball, because they begin at 9:30pm instead of 10pm. We had company this evening with our hosts Henk and Lucia joining us, as well as Rene from the spa. We felt the dinner service was rushed more than usual, in order to get us out of the dining room earlier. Even at that, we did not leave the room until close to 10pm. A few of our tablemates were going to the ball, but the rest of us are looking forward to the day in Adelaide tomorrow, as we plan on spending it together.

On a side note, we found out that one of our friends really did miss the ship yesterday. She was visiting with family or friends and got stuck in rush hour traffic. They held the ship for as long as they could, but had to leave without her. Since she is a member of our travel group, our hosts said they arranged to bring her passport to the port agent, who would give it to her to travel to the next port. Hope she is OK, since she was left with no meds for a couple of days. Bet she has a good story to tell when we see her tomorrow.

Bill & Mary Ann

Thank you for your reports.

We enjoyed entertainment from the Aussie Boys while on board the Volendam............one of the boys is a Kiwi:D

Thanks for the update.

Are you permitted to tell me the name of your travel group? I know you can not talk about T.A.

Report # 48 Adelaide, Australia February 15, 2015 Sunday Partly sunny & 97 degrees

The Amsterdam sailed into the Gulf St. Vincent and the Outer Harbour, finally arriving to the Adelaide Cruise Terminal early this morning. We were docked well before we were awake. By 9am, most of the organized tours had left the ship, so the dining room was pretty empty. We had quick service as always. Keeping breakfast light, we were not sure what the day held for us. That’s because we had a day planned with our tablemates Barb, Maureen, Bob, and Martha. Former tablemates Pamela and Stuart picked us up in two vehicles, and treated us to a day of touring and visiting. Since they live here, they are experts on the entire area and out of the kindness of their hearts, they planned a full day for all of us.

The port is a considerable distance from town. If you don’t take a tour here, you would need to purchase train tickets to ride to the downtown area. It is about an $8.00 round trip train ride. We had it easier…….Pamela and Stuart met us outside the gate at 10am sharp. We split into two groups of three, and off we went. We rode with Stuart and Bob in a 4 x 4 vehicle with lots of leg room. Since the temperature was already in the high 90’s at 10am, we would need air-conditioning all day too.

Stuart explained that the downtown area was one square mile, set up in a grid, and surrounded by many beautifully green parks. They are the “lungs” of the city, so to speak. Our first stop was at Montefiore Hill, home to Light’s Vision, a statue of the city’s founder, William Light. From this point, we could take in the view of the new stadium complex, where a big game of cricket was going to be held at 2pm. Some revelers were already starting to make noise for their team.

Crossing the River Torrens, we came across the Adelaide Railway Station, the end of the road for the train ride from the pier. Driving down North Terrace, we passed many government buildings. Across the street was the Rundle Mall, the main shopping area with local department stores, boutiques, and specialty shops. For a Sunday morning, it was already quite crowded with shoppers. In case we come back tomorrow on the train, Stuart pointed out all of the attractions and eateries within easy walking in the downtown area. For instance, we could tour the State Library, the Migration Museum, the South Australian Museum, and the Art Gallery…..all in one block.

Our destination was a trip up to Mt. Lofty Summit, 710 meters or 2,330 feet above sea level. It was sighted and named by Captain Flinders in 1802. Nature has not always been kind to Mt. Lofty and its structures. Between landslides and floods and numerous bushfires, much was lost, especially in 1982, when 8000 hectares, or 19,768 acres burned. Today Mt. Lofty Summit Visitor Centre and the aerial beacon and Obelisk welcome locals and visitors alike.

This was a perfect place for our group to stop and have a bite to eat and something cold to drink. Lucky for us, there was a nice breeze up here, although the temperatures remained in the high 90’s. We split a very delicious pizza with two ice cold Cooper beers. A few bus groups from the cruise ship wandered inside while we were there, filling up the small restaurant. Next to the café is a souvenir shop with many tourist brochures available. One of these flyers was all about bushfire and traveler safety. We had noticed signs on the freeway up here warning about fire bans. With high temps, strong winds, and extremely dry conditions, any source of fire is forbidden. In California during the dry season, we also have the same restrictions. Many of the fires we have experienced have been started by stupidity, such as riding dirt bikes, mowing weeds without spark arresters, campfires, or even smoking cigarettes and discarding them out a moving car. Two years ago, we had a fire on Mount Diablo that came within ¼ of a mile of our house. Hope to never see that again.

Time to move on. Our hosts drove us to the village of Hahndorf, a short distance from the mountain. Leaving the buildings of the city, we were in country sides that we recognized like being in northern California. Pastures with farm animals, orchards, vineyards, ponds and creeks…..yep, this is home. Hahndorf was an area settled by Captain Dirk Hahn, who arrived with 188 Prussian migrants in 1838. The ship was supplied with 40,924 bricks, of all things. With our little bit of shipping knowledge, we do know that bricks or cobbles were often used as ballast on ships. These ended up becoming the base for the streets of many port cities of the world, including San Francisco, where we grew up.

Today Hahndorf is a declared State Heritage, and an attraction for tourists like us. It’s charming with a main street full of boutiques, cafes, galleries, historic buildings, and German pubs. We enjoyed a leisurely stroll from one end of the strip to the other and back again. Ducking into some shops, we ended up losing our friend Barb. Knowing her well, we knew she would find her way back to the car, and wait for us. One good thing, there were many places she could sit and relax and buy a glass of wine or beer while waiting. Bob and Maureen did go back to find her, but had no luck. Then we were worried we would lose them as well. It’s like herding cats. Stuart had picked up a bag of chocolate coated fruit candies, so we shared them as we walked.

Now the real treat came, as we drove to the lovely town of Stirling, and the home of Pamela and Stuart. When we met them, they were in the process of building their new home, which is now finally completed. In fact, they just moved in three weeks before they joined the world cruise in January. We were greeted by the “boss” of the house, Doogles, their 2 year old dog. We believe he is a long haired dachshund, and despite his short little legs, he is long in the friendly department. It has to be on his terms, however. He laid on the living room carpet, madly chewing his doggie bone, while sizing us up. In time, he came over and allowed us to pet him, while he licked our hands. There is nothing better than doggie love.

Relaxing with tea, coffee, and a delicious sweet nut roll, we alternately toured the house, and made ourselves at home. How could we not? Their home is beautifully built, everything new and modern, especially the kitchen. This will be a visit we will remember always. We are so lucky they were willing to share their day with us.

We loaded up into the cars, and we were on our way back to the ship by 6pm. It took about 47 minutes, according to Garmin, to reach the port. Stuart knew the roads that would not be crowded with traffic, of course. And we did get a few sprinkles of rain on the windshield. Then it stopped.

We thanked them, leaving a little gift of appreciation, then boarded the ship. The nice thing was that we would be overnighting here, and we did not have to worry about missing the sail away, like our friend did in Melbourne. We happened to see the Tanunda Brass Band getting ready to come onboard. They will be performing on the stage at 9:30pm….one show for everyone. They are the oldest brass band in the Southern Hemisphere.

We had a full table this evening with the addition of friends Leslie and Handler. They were the only ones sitting at their table, and we cannot let that happen. It was too bad if they wished to have a table for two, because all of us enjoy their company. The entrees were varied tonight with the offering of a turkey dinner and a Mexican plate with batter coated deep fried peppers.

Tomorrow, we will probably sleep in later, and walk the area around the port.

Bill & Mary Ann

Are you permitted to tell me the name of your travel group? I know you can not talk about T.A.

Is American Express Mariners club on board?? thanks

Thank you for your reports.

We enjoyed entertainment from the Aussie Boys while on board the Volendam............one of the boys is a Kiwi:D

Thank you for your reports.

Report # 49 Adelaide, Australia February 16, 2015 Monday Day Two Partly cloudy & 95 degrees

A huge correction in the temperature department is needed, as we experienced a big drop last night, much to our delight. There is no way that we would reach 95 degrees today. Perhaps 75 degrees is more like it. And there was wind, enough so that there were white caps in the surrounding waters of the harbor. Actually, it was the perfect day for a long walk in the port area.

By the time we got going this morning, it was near noon. Very close to the Outer Harbor, where the ship was docked, there is a nice area called North Haven. It took us about 20 minutes walking slowly to get to the little harbor. Many Norfolk Island Pines have been planted here, probably as a wind break. They attract a variety of birdlife, which is perfect for us. Today we spotted some more mudlarks, spinifex pigeons, doves, and some pretty little seed eaters in the eucalyptus trees. Being that we were close to a very nice area of seaside homes, there were several folks biking and jogging the path. We had to keep reminding ourselves to stay on the left, as everything traffic-wise is the opposite for us Americans.

The train passed by a few times while we walked. We heard later on that the ride to and back from town was quite slow. Glad we decided to stay close to home today. All aboard was 4:30pm, and we sure did not want to chance missing the ship.

Arriving at the North Haven marina, we found an Italian restaurant, Abbracci Café, that served a large variety of excellent food. Several locals were already eating outside by the harbor, but with the wind, we decided to dine inside. The menu had many choices of pizza, but the best one we like is the margherita. Adding two Coopers Pale Ale beers was all we needed to make us happy. Back in 2009 on our visit here, we did not have time to wait for the café to open up. We had an afternoon tour at the time, but knew if we came back here someday, we would check this place out. Sure glad we did.

Continuing around the harbor, we passed by a number of residences that faced the water with all of the boats. It really is a pretty setting, even though it is removed from the main part of Adelaide. Watching the time, we made our way back to the pilot station, where a seaside trail began. There were benches and a picnic area set up for the locals. This part of the bay is a haven for the dolphins, so sitting on the benches is a great pastime for them. Of course, we did sit for a while, but never did spot any dolphins.

We did see birds however. As we were photographing some of the seabirds and pelicans, we noticed that the car carrier ship that was docked in back of us was on the move. Last night during dinner, Handler refused to believe that this vessel was really a ship. Frankly, it did look like the side of a building from our vantage point. Not convinced, Handler walked to the back window and did discover that yes, it was indeed a ship. Brand new cars were being loaded all day and all night, from what we saw. Anyway, it took two large tugboats to turn this vessel around, and get it pointed straight to exit the harbor. The name of this ship was the Durban Highway, so we thought maybe it was from South Africa. However, when it passed us, we noticed it was registered in Panama and flew a Panamanian flag. The pilot boat followed the ship as it left the breakwater. It was really having a hard time in the winds and rough surf. Something tells us that we are going to have a good ride ahead of us when we leave.

From the benches, we made our way down the bike path until we came upon a sign. It was a warning about high winds, hidden holes in the dunes, and snakes. Now that caught our attention. From there on, we looked at every step we took, but never did see any snakes, thank goodness. We got past the rocky breakwater, then climbed the dunes until we reached the water. At this point, the wind was blowing so hard, we were getting sandblasted. This was a shallow beach with small waves the color of aqua green. We collected a few seashells, and were surprised to find many remnants of cuddle bone fish.

Time to head back, we made our way carefully over the top of the dunes, keeping watch for anything moving under the shrubs and ice plants. On our way back to the main road, we saw Joe and Roxanne happily riding their bikes. They had spent the last two days going all over Adelaide, while getting some pretty good exercise. Joe’s foot is doing much better, healing nicely from his dog encounter in Tonga. These last two ports of Melbourne and Adelaide have been perfect for riding bikes, since most everywhere is flat and accessible, especially the river paths. The path we had walked actually continued for over 8 kilometers and ended up at Port Adelaide, another little tourist destination. They told us they did ride there yesterday.

Back at the ship, we worked on photos until it was time for the sailaway. It was held in the Lido pool, but there was a number of folks on the aft deck too. We just about got blown off of the back railing when we pulled away from the pier. Seeing how dangerous the wind could become, the deck crew quickly stacked all of the lounges, chairs, and tables and stashed them away. We do remember many years ago while on the Volendam, some deck lounges went flying into the pool from sudden high winds. Hate to get hit by one of those……. The good thing was that we did get served a few chicken tenders with a nice honey mustard dip. You could make a meal of those tasty treats. We stayed until the pilot boat picked up the pilot, and went back to the harbpr. The small boat was bounced around like a cork.

The dinner menu had a real treat on it…….the extra- large porterhouse steak. Four of us ordered it, and we were not disappointed. We knew it was being offered, so we deliberately did not eat anything after our early lunch. Well, OK, we did snack on some chicken tenders. But we had room for the mastodon steak, cooked perfectly.

The entertainer this evening was Alana Conway, a singer who may play the harp. Last night, the Tanunda Brass Band was a big hit with the crowd, we heard. For the most part, the responses to the shows have been positive.

We now have two days at sea, and it may be rough. At this particular moment, we are rocking and rolling pretty good, or pretty bad, depending on whether you like it, or get seasick. We rather like it.

Bill & Mary Ann

Report # 50 Sailing Towards Albany, Australia February 17, 2015 Tuesday Partly cloudy & 64 degrees

Today’s weather took a drastic turn. It was cloudy all day, and the sun barely peeked out for about 10 seconds late in the afternoon. Guess we need a few days like this, or we would not appreciate the sunny and warm days we usually get. Since we have done this route a few times, we do remember the weather can be much cooler down under. Captain Jonathon mentioned in his talk that there was a major storm south of us, that was creating 70 foot swells. That’s huge. But it is happening way south of where we are located, but still causing some residual waves as we sail across the Bight. The ship was rolling and pitching significantly as we did our walk. So much so, that looking towards the aft, we would totally lose the horizon. First we would be strolling on the level, then suddenly you are walking either uphill or downhill, depending on the pitch of the ship. Keeping in mind that our friend Ginny recently fell while navigating the turn around the forward area, we made sure our feet met the deck with every step.

We have been meaning to make contact with the techspert onboard in regards to figuring out our new computer and the photo sizing. Seems that the computer is recognizing the different cameras, and treating them differently. The expert was not exactly sure why either. He was very open to being able to help further if we need it. And one of these days, we may be able to squeeze into his classes.

Barbara H. talked about things to do and see in Fremantle (Perth) and Geraldton. We have visited Fremantle many times, but have not been to Geraldton. Sounds and looks like we can do it on our own quite easily. Since Albany is next, we caught up with her talk on TV. Speaking of TV, the reception of the network channels started cutting in and out most of the day. By the late afternoon, we lost most all of it. Must be the area we are sailing in at the moment.

More lectures took place in the lounge with George Sranko speaking about venomous creatures of Australia. Gerald McCormack talked about his series on the Civil War Down Under 150 years ago today. We were more comfortable in our room, watching a movie, Stonehearst Asylum, based on a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. It was strangely good, with an unexpected twist at the end. That was the best thing we did all day, except for the three or four walks we took around the promenade deck.

Lunch was small sandwiches in the Lido, followed by small ice cream cones. Wanted to save room for the good and hot Dutch green pea soup, meatloaf, and Southern fried chicken for dinner. Actually, today was Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. In the past, the dining room was decorated for this occasion, complete with green, gold, and purple beads and matching masks for everyone. But tonight, there were no flashy decorations, or beads. We did have masks, but not the nicest we have seen. Little by little, the special touches that make the world cruise “grand” are going missing. Our tablemates were the first to mention this, since all of us have been around for a long time. The only place we would see decorations would be in the Crow‘s Nest, where the Mardi Gras celebration began at 9pm. Yes, 9pm to 11pm. By the time we finished dinner, half of this party was over. More and more activities have been taking place around 9:15pm, interrupting dinner. Whoever is responsible for scheduling must consider the second seating diners “chopped liver”. We know that the first seating has more participants, but we should have an equal say in the timing. Many guests have written complaints about this scheduling, but nothing has changed. The standard reply is that it is happening fleetwide, so therefore, it is set in stone. Not necessarily fair, we think.

For a change, we did peek in at the 7:30pm pre-show in the Queens Lounge. The performer was Taras Mogilevsky, who played the classical guitar. The seats were completely filled on deck five, and his show was quite entertaining.

The clocks went back a whopping 1 and ½ hours tonight. Hope we are not waking up at 3am????

Bill & Mary Ann