Grumpy1

Glad to hear that you are doing well and are ready to get your feet wet again. Will you be going on a world cruise again in the future? Sure would be nice to see you all!

 

Bill and Mary Ann

Grumpy.......I was looking around for you on the boards and knew I'd fine you hanging around on a thread about a World Cruise.

 

How have you been?? How's Slinky?? Bet you can't wait to get on your June Cruise!!

Slinkie and I are both doing well and, yes, we are looking forward to the New England/Canada cruise in June and Western Med in August. Our feet have been on dry land too long already..:D

Greetings Aussie Gal,

 

Your nice words are most appreciated! And we want to thank you for your ongoing comments along the way. You helped add the personal touch to many of the ports we visited, especially in your backyard, Australia!

 

Yes, we feel that we know you well too!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Welcome to Florida for your very brief stay. We hope you have a smooth flight home. We've enjoyed riding with you om your travels. This thread is solidly in 2nd place on the list of most viewed HAL threads and eighth on the "most posts" list. By the time it finally sinks to the bottom, I wouldn't be surprised to see it in second place. You've entertained and enlightened us. Good job.

I really enjoyed reading about your adventures! I hope my Wife and I can take a cruise like this one someday. I cant imagine what your tip$ must have been after 100 plus days on board. I cant stand to see my bill after a 7 day I cant imagine what it would look like after a 100 day cruise. Thanks for sharing your vacation with us.

I have enjoyed reading and travelling along this journey, but I have a question, when does it end. I thought the cruise of April 27 starting in New York and then onto Fort Lauderdale where we will be boarding, was a new cruise. I don't understand WCB's latest report. 270 got off and 300 got on, when do the rest get off? I won't be around to read the answer until May 21, but I am sure I will find out on the Apr. 30. Thanks for the wonderful reports.

The pre-paid gratuities for the full World Voyage were part of the early booking amenity package that Holland America offered.

We were booked and under deposit for this 102 day World Cruise.

We had to cancel because my husband was diagnosed with cancer in May of last year.

 

Bill and Mary Anne, I have followed your voyage, itinerary at my side, and enjoyed it immensely. It was often "bitter sweet" reading, but I want you to know how much it meant to me. Your vivid descriptions made me feel that I was there with you at times.

We had rebooked a 28 day cruise on the Prinsendam for May 29, 2007, but just had to cancel that as well, as he had a reccurence, and my dear husband and best friend is presently undergoing treatments again through June.

Bill and May Anne, our Wrld Cruise has come to an end, as we would have debarked in New York.

Thank you again for taking me along on your wonderful adventure.

Ginnie

Ginnie, I'm sorry to hear that DH has had a setback and your cruise will once again be postponed. Here's hoping that you will be able to book again soon and make the sailing.

Bill and Mary,

 

Have just read your last two postings. I had to look on Page 2 for the thread!

Jennie

There is a good way to find this thread now. On the first page of HAL threads, click on views. The threads will be listed after the stickeys in the order of most viewed to least viewed. This thread is now number 3 on the HAL list of most viewed threads, right behind the HAL secrets thread. Modesty keeps me from mentioning which thread is still number one on the list....:rolleyes:

Thanks for the reports Bill and MaryAnn. We are very much enjoying your observations in that part of the world.

on the 2005 world cruise, there was this couple we called the Walkers. The did 20-30 laps around the Lower Promenade Deck every sea day! Talk about a couple of fitness nuts! Oh, wait a minute, that was Bill and MaryAnn.... :D

We would love to see a photo of the two of you. I know I would love to put faces with this journey.

We've never had the pleasure of Kingerfisher Airlines, but did have the Kingfisher Beer when we were in Chennai, India in 2005. Pretty good beer, as I recall.

Ruth... you can get high on either one, I guess....

Went through the whole website looking for CSI and couldn't find it. Do you know what city they are located in? Thanks. I am certainly enjoying this blog. It has been fascinating!

Just take those initials, add seattle and make a dotcom out of it:)

....

Ahhhh, fond memories of Singapore and their transit system. Thanks for keeping us updated on your adventures. The local passport examiner must have wanted to go home at 6:00:) I wonder how much the fines were for the ones that were late returning their passports.

Try this link for pics of a Noordam SA suite.

http://family.webshots.com/album/554582210dGrlJY

The 9th and 11th pictures show the changing area with the vanity and makeup mirror. the Dryer will be in one of the drawers below the halo light mirror.

The Bali tour sounds like the same one we did on the 2005 world cruise, except that there were no special ceremonies at the water temple. It poured buckets of rain on us during that part of the tour, giving a completely different meaning to "water temple"!

The agressive vendors, we were told, are usually not the Balinese people, but are almost always the Javanese. The bombings that have happened in recent years on Bali have always been blamed on terrorists with ties to neighboring Java.

It would really be nice if you could stroll through the market areas and shop without being mobbed by the hawkers. They really do detract from an otherwise fantastic island visit.

One bad thing is that some people are coming down with a 24 hour bug. We don't believe it is the Norwalk virus, just a stomach upset for a day or so. When they seek help for medication, these passengers have been quarantined in their cabins for 2 days... Also, a new addition to the public bathrooms..........little towelettes of a hydrogen peroxide based disinfectant, that we use to wipe the door handle before leaving. We truely hope all these precautions work!!!

 

1-30-07 Tuesday

We have a funny observation on the early morning walking a mile for a Dam Dollar at 9 am. We usually start our walk around 8 am, and there are a handful of people with us. Now, at 8:59 am, all the doors open to the promenade deck, and out pour the people to collect the money! The assistant cruise director comes out the door near lifeboat # 6, and the people line up. We heard one elderly man ask for the dollar for his wife, who he said was just there. Oh really?? Anyway, they walk to the next door, and go back inside, never reaching that mile! It is just too funny!!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Cheaters on Amsterdam collecting unearned DAM Dollars? Oh my... I wouldn't have believed people could be so dishonest!.:eek: .. Hmmm wonder if it will work on our Maasdam cruise.... :D

Just a quick thanks for the update and a bump back to page 1:)

Enjoying hearing from Bill and Marry Ann, but the Lazy Boy story got me thinking does HAL provide free shipping of the luggage back to their home?

that's too funny. LOL! are you pulling our collective leg?

I think, when I was describing our tablemates I forgot to mention that Phyllis shipped a LazyBoy recliner as part of her free shipping. They have a suite down the hall and I am dying to take a picture of her in her LazyBoy and send it out as a postcard. When the chief engineer dined at our table I was ribbing Phyllis about her chair and the engineer said, “Oh, so you are the one that shipped that” I’m sure they will start putting some restrictions on the free shipping now.

We received an email from CC members CruisinTexans today. They passed on a cute story about the couple in the suite next to theirs. It seems that when HAL offered unlimited luggage pickup and delivery for certain categories, they did not state that it actually had to be luggage. That couple now has their favorite recliner in their cabin, picked up at their home and delivered to the ship, courtesy of HAL.

We're on the 2008, so have a couple of questions about dining room tables.

What are the advantages/disadvantages of upstairs and downstairs? What size table do you recommend? (we've learned NEVER to get a 4-person table!) We usually prefer at least 6, preferably 8. And, following up your comment, how does one diplomatically ask to change tables? Do they tend to put you with people from your booking agency? At least we would have met those folks at the pre-cruise dinner.

 

BTW, we've booked the 8/27 Amsterdam to Alaska just to check out the ship, since we've never been on that particular one.

There are usually opportunities to change tables at the end of the segments. Some people get off, some get on. A word to the Maitre d' that you would like to change at the next segment would probably be honored. Just tell your present tablemates that you prefer to change tabes at the segment breaks as a way of meeting more people, or that you have found some couples that you share common interests with and want to get to know them better. We had 9 different couples at our table for 8 during the 2005 world cruise.

this summer (the itineray looks great) but I had initially said I woud never book anything larger than the Veendam..but we wanted a new experiance on a different ship.

 

How did you like it (honestly) after cruising on the Prinsendam?

I really want to do that cruise with HAL but my only issue is that we have been to many of the ports included in a HAL Panama Canal, and there are so many places we want to go in the world.

 

We spent a week in Costa Rica, a week in Aruba etc., so looking for what else may be included in a Panama Canal crossing.

Looks like this is the last view unless they pan the camera...