cranethie

Smooth sailing!

 

Have a great time, Cathy and David!

Certainly hope to Kathy. Thanks everyone for your good wishes.

Just 5 more sleeps - Am so looking forward to 16 days of doing nothing but watching the sea world go by :cool:

Summers over now - down to 4c / 39f last night :( At least it will be warm in the Pacific (unless another Cyclone pops up like the one over Far North Queensland did last week) Still have memories of the cool wet days associated with the tail end of the Fiji one we experienced last April on the Westerdam!

Cathy and The Golfer aka David

Seeing her leave today is reminding me we will be boarding her in Hong Kong November 1 for a Grand Asia segment. Gosh that's 10 months time - good job we have a cruise coming up in April to fill the gap.

Thank you - aware of the pitfalls of the US medical system having been there countless times. Just wanted to 'prove' to another person I did know what I was talking about :)

Most cruises ( apart from world) are in 'regions'. Our next cruise in April is Sydney - Honolulu via Pacific Islands.

As this is just a quick 'rest relax enjoy being aboard cruise' we will be staying overnight in Honolulu and then flying home the next day.

There are differing thoughts in our household as to which region we need insurance for. The Pacific or Worldwide (because we are actually on land - USA - for 24 hrs and one just never knows)

I'm not questioning the need for travel insurance just the region. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

I'll pop in some Dilmah bags for myself, though I'm not really picky.

Definitely Dilmah :) A great travelling companion lol. Goes with me on every cruise I take.

Breakfast in the MDR can be a bit like a pantomime at times getting the waiter to bring HOT water to steep and an extra pot of HOT water in case I leave it too long and I've made it too strong :):p

Thanks for all the information you provide for us - I might have missed it on your list but I see here there will be a Knitters Group going to Antartica in January 2017

http://craftcruises.com/craftcruises_brand.php?brand=Knitting%20Cruises&cruise_past=false

I've booked another cruise Jacqui so could you add our name to the list :)

April 8 2017 - Noordam - 16 day South Pacific Crossing. Sydney to Honolulu.

It was going to be such a long wait until Nov 2017 for a cruise that when I saw this as a fly/cruise special I jumped at it :)

Cathy

I used be amazed that people would bring baggies to save food from the Lido, PG or wherever.

 

I guess I will no longer be amazed and will have to bring baggies to get cheese from breakfast, bread (if I want bread - or use a roll), etc. to make my own sandwich at lunch time. .

On our same Westerdam cruise (April 2016) I was not impressed when told there was no sliced bread available at lunch time (only for toast at breakfast) yet as well as premade rolls there were premade sandwiches in the trays made with sliced bread. There was what looked like sliced baguettes cut in rounds not lengthways but they don't work for me. Not enough surface area for the filling and too thick when put together.

Looks like there will be ziploc bags in my luggage next time - unless HAL comes to their senses and changes happen before then. We can only hope :)

Cathy

It's a fair way off yet Jacqui - we have just booked:-

November 1 2017 - Amsterdam - 2017 Grand Asia & Pacific Voyage - (23 day Hong Kong to Sydney segment)

No birthdays or anniversaries - just because lol

Not often we get just one long flight there and a short one home :)

Cathy

Why the restrictions on liquids, gels and aerosols? In August 2006 international authorities announced they had averted a terrorist plot to bring liquid explosives onto one or more commercial airliners concealed in Gatorade bottles, shampoo bottles, etc.

 

There were no regs at that time prohibiting bottles up to 16 or 20 fluid ounces in capacity being taken onboard by pax in their carry-on luggage. The chemicals discovered in this plot would not individually be "explosive" until they were combined/mixed by the dirt bags/**** heads while in flight.

 

In the immediate aftermath of this discovery no liquids or creams or gels of any kind were allowed in carry-on baggage however, this restriction was relaxed relatively quickly and replaced with the current restrictions.

 

The idea now is that 3 ounces of liquid (100 ml) is a small enough amount that it would be impracticable for a terrorist group to smuggle a large enough volume of potential liquid explosives onto an airplane to do serious damage. hence the current restrictions

And we remember that day very clearly!

Flying from Heathrow to Halifax NS very early that morning and caught up in all the 'hoo-haa' at the airport is something I never want to repeat. Luckily our flight got away just two hours late - then all flights in many parts of the world were suspended for days. All we were allowed to take on board was a ziplock bag containing our passports and flight documents. No carry on bags at all - everything else (allowable) went in the hold - yes ladies even your handbags/purse!

You'll never hear me grumble about the small 100ml size limit in what seems like a very small 1litre plastic bag!

Very good. One request. Will you keep your eyes peeled for anything from the Future Cruise Consultant on the Grand Asia which says something about segments?

 

Roy

After a few days in San Diego enjoying some lovely sunny dry weather we are now waiting at LAX to board our big 'flying kangaroo' - 14 hours in the air then another one after picking up the car and we'll be home. This was an unusual cruise to say the least - more reason to get down to the business of planning our next cruise asap :) :)

Ray, half way through April Ashira (the onboard FCC) let me know the Grand Asia had finally been approved but not released yet. Right up to SD disembarkation she had no information on segments. She did provide me with the itinerary though - it included several overnights which could be a clue as to where segments possibly could start/end. We are only interested in Hong Kong to Sydney or depending on price Tokyo to Sydney

I'll post them when we get home, unpacked and thinking straight :)

Cathy

And we are having a lazy day checking out the sea, sand, sun and surf at Waikiki Beach!

Welcome to the USA. I hope you won't too jet-lagged and will enjoy a well deserved sleep tonight.

 

Roy

Oh too right about the sleep Roy. We walked in the glorious sunsine most of the afternoon and then it hit me about half an hour ago when I stretched out in a lovely warm bath of water - and promptly nodded off.

It's nearly 7pm, The Golfer thinks he's going to watch some golf on tv - I'm thinking it's going to be lights out very shortly or we'll be like death warmed up at the pier tomorrow.

Cathy

Wishing you safe travelling, good luck transiting through LA.

Thanks for that - yes we arrived all in one piece. We've done this trip several times butthis one would have tohavebeen the 'longest'. It seem to take for ever :)

No probs getting out of international and over to our domestic terminal. We enjoyed a nice little bus ride round the tarmac this time lol

And guess where we are now - yes finally in LA waiting to board the little one for the final hour. Tell you what - This is one busy busy airport :)

I'm here at Tullamarine airport ready to join in the fun - Friday morning here in Australia and it will be Friday morning when we arrive in San Diego :).

Just a few hours flying to go - like 14 to LA plus a short hop down the coast and then we really will be ready to rumble :) :)

I also put a deposit on WC 2015. A couple of weeks ago I reconfirmed with the WC desk I had a deposit for it.

With all these people putting deposits on this very welcome cruise I'm really hoping there will be a room left for me when it's finally released to the public :):):D

This was posted January 21. They're well beyond the 30 day mark so something is strange.

 

Roy

They probably have the Koningsdam's debut on their mind :)

My thoughts are all the new itineraries will be released on April 1 - then we can start planning :p

I am sure our captain will have his finger stuck on the horn sometime :). :)

 

 

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Hope it's not stuck for too long leaving SD - having just flown 7,940m/12,777kms the day before I might be a bit tired and weary (read that as grumpy:p)

Whoever this current captain is I bet he's a barrel of laughs (not).

 

.

Obviously he's the 'strong silent type' :D

Don't let me forget - I have to pick it up when we board the Westerdam :)

 

 

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Have 'we' decided where we are going to stand yet Jacqui? Getting closer by the minute whoo hoo:):)

There is a photo of a possible itinerary in this blog from the world cruise but they say the itinerary is not finalized yet.

http://www.theinsidecabin.com/?p=1627

If Singapore to Sydney is sold as a segment I'll definitely have my name down :)

We cruised the other way (Sydney - Singapore with same ports as on the photo) late 2013 and enjoyed every minute of the 16 days. Fingers are crossed until the release date is published.

Still is in Victoria

Not now - changed to Woolworths a while ago - although most would still call it Safeway :)

Not fair - it's only open to US or Canadian citizens :(

I wasn't looking to book it.. I was just commenting on that it's summer New England run stopped a month earlier than it has in the past.. it is due to go bye-bye

Maybe not bye-bye permanently - she's listed on the Sydney ports cruise data base as coming into White Bay on October 20 2017, then again in November.

Erewhon mentioned her being listed on a New Zealand port schedule as well (see post 4)

http://www.sydneyports.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/33273/Cruise_Schedule_28_Jan_2016.pdf

But then as others have said - HAL don't always let us in on their forward planning information. They could just be 'holding a spot' in the berths' down here :)