LIVE from the 2018 HAL Grand World Voyage!

Just curious....if you could logistically do it.......could you bring a folding chair onboard and then take it out to use on "your deck"....??? Or would it be too short to see over the railing....??

When I was on the Grand Asia cruise I passed by Kathi's deck many times and sort of suggested that she might want to bring a folding chair. She indicated she had a chair she thought might work; she'll have to say if she actually packed it

 

Roy

I brought my folding stool. So far I have not sat out on my deck but I know I won't be able to see over the railing - maybe if I was 7 feet tall;).

At Sea – January 20, 2018

Up at 8:15 and was in the pool by 8:40 where I spent an hour, including the half hour of water aerobics with Amanda.

Sit and Stitch had about 8 present. Judy is making great progress on the stole she is making. We have a few knitting socks. I thought I had brought a huge amount of yarn but mine pales in comparison with what everyone else brought!

Poor Jeanette is feeling bad again so she was not at morning trivia. Marge and Diana joined us and we ended up with 9 points. The winners had 12 out of 15.

1)In what country did cheddar cheese originate?

2)Which city and its surrounding area are the basis for the standard US monopoly game?

3)Who played the monster in the 1931 movie of Frankenstein?

4)The Smurfs are based on a popular cartoon from which country?

5)Which of Columbus’ ships did not make it home?

I have found that right after trivia is over (about 12:15) is the busiest time in the Lido so I have started waiting about another half hour before having lunch. Today I decided to play the penny slot machines as I waited. If you know me you know I am not a high stakes gambler. Today I put in $20 and quit when I made it to $21.55.:D

I had fruit and an egg salad for lunch as I read my book. Joined Cyndi for arts and crafts where we made a lavender pyramid sachet.

Decided to see what I could learn about Windows 10 from Claudia (the techspert) at 3:30. Although I have been using Windows 10 for over two years I did learn a few things I did not know.

Only four of us (Rodney, Tom, Bonnie, and I) for afternoon trivia. Out of 20 points, we had 12 and the winning team had 17.

1)Who sang the 1985 hit, “Saving All My Love For You”?

2)What is the first James Bond movie starring Roger Moore?

3)Granadilla is another name for which fruit?

4)Einstein did not wear which items of clothing to save more time for more serious pursuits?

5)Name the two families in Romeo and Juliet.

Decided to work on my blog before dinner since I was planning on going to the show after dinner and tomorrow is a port day.

Listened to Jamm for a short while before the dinner chimes sounded. Tonight was “Tropical Paradise Dinner” complete with palm trees and woven hats (I gave mine away). I had French Onion Soup, blackened chicken Caesar salad, and a tropical ice cream Sunday.

The entertainment was another show by impressionist Robbie Howard.

Tomorrow is Avatoru, Rangiroa.

Morning trivia…

1)England

2)Atlantic City

3)Boris Karloff

4)Belgium

5)Santa Maria

Afternoon trivia…

1)Whitney Houston

2)Live and Let Die

3)passionfruit

4)socks

5)Montagu and Capulet

Good for you on being up $1.55 in the casino Kathi :):')

Question for Copper 10-8

 

 

What are these? They are on deck 6 about two feet forward of where the bridge wings are above.

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

That is a large FLIR, a Forward Looking InfraRed camera....................ok, just kidding ;) It is a powerful search light positioned underneath the bridge wing on both (port and starboard) sides. They are remotely controled from the bridge wing, primarily in case extra illumination is required on the dock below. Of course, they can be used at sea also. The white "box structure" below is where the ship's navigation lights are positioned, facing forward; red on port, and green on starboard side. The red box on the side contains a fire hose

If you see Sajith, Amsterdam's SECO, tall Indian gentleman, tell him hi please

I brought my folding stool. So far I have not sat out on my deck but I know I won't be able to see over the railing - maybe if I was 7 feet tall;).

Ah....too bad...:)

Maybe a tall, folding Director's Chair....bar height might work. And....with rubber feet so when the ship tips...you wouldn't slide across the deck.....!!

Love your blog....so interesting.....!!!!

Finally catching up, too Bad about those tenders! Have the seas been calm?

Great reporting.

Enjoy your reports and blog.

Finally catching up, too Bad about those tenders! Have the seas been calm?

The seas have been quite calm so far.

That is a large FLIR, a Forward Looking InfraRed camera....................ok, just kidding ;) It is a powerful search light positioned underneath the bridge wing on both (port and starboard) sides. They are remotely controled from the bridge wing, primarily in case extra illumination is required on the dock below. Of course, they can be used at sea also. The white "box structure" below is where the ship's navigation lights are positioned, facing forward; red on port, and green on starboard side. The red box on the side contains a fire hose

If you see Sajith, Amsterdam's SECO, tall Indian gentleman, tell him hi please

Thanks, John! I will say hello next time I see Sajith. I have seen him out by the tenders at least twice so far.

Avatoru, Rangiroa – January 21, 2018

At 5 am when I pulled up my shades there was once again a lady standing out on my deck. You all know what I did – went back to sleep. Woke again about 8 when the announcement was made that tendering would begin shortly. In actuality, it was 8:40 before tendering started.

I was in no rush to get off as there is not an abundance of things to do on the island and I had not booked a tour. Decided I was hungry (what’s with that???) so I headed to the Lido dome to pick up my tender ticket and then looked to see what I wanted to eat. I ended up with a roll and orange juice again because nothing else struck my fancy.

Tendering went very smoothly (nothing like the other day) and my number was called about 10:30. The tender ride took about 10 minutes. There were some craft stalls set up near the tender dock as well as some small cafes which were doing a booming business with both our ship and a small Wind Star ship.

I walked down a paved road which had street lights (which I found unusual for an island this size) until I came to an area which was supposed to have dolphins although I did not see any. Walked back and stopped in to see the small grocery/general store which was also doing a brisk business.

By that time I was really hot so I headed back to the ship and once again I was in the tender with the captain. Quickly changed into my bathing suit and went to the Lido pool and ate from the taco bar and had four glasses of pineapple juice (which I am really enjoying because I am sure they will sooner or later bring back the lemonade of which I am not overly fond).

I then spent the next 2 ½ hours alternating between the pool and sitting in the sun – about 20 minutes in the pool and 15 minutes sunbathing (couldn’t stand the heat too long). Ended up with 80 minutes of swimming. In the middle of this we had a brief rain shower and they closed the Lido dome so I moved to the Sea View pool which had fewer people in it but the water temperature was much warmer.

Returned to my cabin and spent a few minutes on my deck. The view was spectacular.

The first trivia of the day was at 3:30 and only Bonnie, Rodney, and I played. We had 8 out of 15 with two teams tying with 12.

1)Most pop song titles begin with what word?

2)What is the last letter of the Greek alphabet?

3)Most casinos are decorated in what color?

4)Ounce for ounce which fruit has the highest Vitamin C content?

5)Which is the last country alphabetically?

Since there was another trivia scheduled for 5 pm, I had brought my laptop with me and I worked on my pictures while waiting for the next trivia. Jeanette and Tom joined us although she is still not feeling great. We ended up with 11 points and three teams tied with 13 out of 20 (the bonus question was in what years did Brazil win the World Cup!!!).

1)Which is the only cat that does not have retractable claws?

2)Which Bennett sister was 15 at the start of Pride and Prejudice?

3)In what year did Benjamin Franklin die?

4)How many wheels does a pair of roller skates have?

5)Who was the first Latin American singer to be paid a million dollars for a movie role?

Listened to Jamm who was playing Disney hits before dinner. Only five of us for dinner. I had fresh fruit, English roast beef, and passionfruit sorbet for dessert.

Since I have a long excursion that meets at 9 am, I did not go to the show tonight.

Papeete, Tahiti tomorrow.

3:30 trivia…

1)I

2)Omega

3)red

4)kiwi

5)Zimbabwe

5:00 trivia…

1)cheetah

2)Lydia

3)1790

4)8

5)Jennifer Lopez

Thanks for the update, Kathi.

The pictures on your blog are fantastic!

Thank you for taking the time to post. I am enjoying following you around the world and love the trivia questions each day.

Terri

Good morning Kathi!

Finished coffee and your blog!! That tiny Windstar sure looks like The one we were on when we did the Greek Islands and once in Tahiti. We sure did enjoy it.

I still would not be a good trivia partner😞

I only got 2 right out of the whole bunch!

Thanks for the great pics too! Looking forward to Papaette. We enjoyed it there also.

Denise:)

Enjoying your blog, Kathi! A bit of a different perspective and an interesting one.

Now that you have had time to get used to your cabin, how do you like it? Would you book it again? Pros and cons?

Thanks for taking the time to fill us in on your adventures.

Kathi, that would be the Wind Spirit. I sailed her twin sister transatlantic a couple years ago.

148 PAX

440 ft long

52 ft beam

5306 GRT

Southern route, don't think the North Atlantic would have been quite so nice.

Roy

Enjoying your blog, Kathi! A bit of a different perspective and an interesting one.

Now that you have had time to get used to your cabin, how do you like it? Would you book it again? Pros and cons?

 

Thanks for taking the time to fill us in on your adventures.

I have figured out uses for much of the otherwise wasted space. It still would be very tight for two people - you would almost have to separate the bed and make it two twins - and the closet space is minimal. Although on the deck plans 6102 looks bigger than 6100, I think there is more usable space in 6100 (much like 6002 on Westerdam) - I take a peek every time I go by and my room steward has the door open. Not sure why 6100 and 6102 are considered DA cabins (the other DA cabins are close to midship). The jury is still out on whether I would book 6102 again.

Papeete, Tahiti – January 22, 2018

Last time I was in Tahiti I took a 4x4 tour of the interior of the island so this time I chose a coastal tour, “Tahiti: Around the Island”.

The tour left about 9:30 with a short drive through the city of Papeete and then headed toward the east coast of the island and our first stop, the James Norman Hall House. Hall was one of the co-writers of Mutiny on the Bounty.

From there we drove to Tahara’a with its stunning view of Matavai Bay. A short drive away was Point Venus which got its name from the fact that this is where Captain Cook studied the movement of Venus in 1769. It is also the location of the only lighthouse on the island which was built in 1867.

We then had about a 75 minute drive to the Gauguin Restaurant where we had an excellent buffet lunch complete with beautiful views.

After lunch we visited the Spring Garden of Vaipahi. We only had a few minutes to walk around the gardens but they were beautiful with some plants I have never seen before.

Our last stop was at the Museum of Tahiti and her Islands. There were displays showing artifacts from the early days up through the colonial times.

We arrived back in Papeete at the beginning of rush hour and took almost a half hour just to get through the city and back to the ship.

I returned hot and tired (highs were in the upper 80s) and took some pictures of Papeete from my deck. I had tried to do that this morning but they were washing the windows of the bridge again and there was a long hose all over the deck.

I had missed the 3:30 trivia but made it to the 5:00. Only Bonnie and I showed up so we joined three ladies who also did not have a complete team. We had 12 points out of 17 but 4 teams tied at 16.

1)What camera brand did George Eastman launch in 1888?

2)In what year did Crayola increase the number of colors from 48 to 64? (What is with these obscure year questions?)

3)How many strings does a standard violin have?

4)What is the smallest integer that can be evenly divided by 1,2,3,4,5, and 6?

5)What is the name for a group of hippopotami?

For a completely different evening, I had dinner in the Lido. I had fruit, Hawaiian Kalbi Beef boneless ribs, and ice cream for dessert.

I had changed into my bathing suit before trivia so I went directly from dinner to the Sea View pool where I swam for an hour. While I was swimming there was a beautiful sunset and then a sliver of a moon.

Tonight we had a performance of “Mana, the Spirit of Tahiti”, a local Polynesian group with singers and dancers. From experience I knew the theater would fill up fast so I was waiting when they opened the doors. I took my iPad with me so I could delete some e-mails while waiting. The show was great and the theater was packed.

We sail for Moorea at 4 am (it is only a few miles away) and I have an 8:00 tour (!!!).

Sorry, no pictures tonight. It is already after midnight and I have to get up early. I will load the pictures sometime on Tuesday.

Trivia…

1)Kodak

2)1958

3)4

4)60

5)bloat

Smooth sailing until next time!

Sounds like you are having excellent weather Kathi.

Have to confess I am a bit jealous as I think back to our Hawaii, Tahiti, Marquesas cruise, but, I am glad that you have been able to tender to all of your stops so far.

Fingers crossed for you for Moorea :)

Just got caught up.

Sounds like not only are you having beautiful weather but you are enjoying yourself.

Thanks Kathi for your report!!

Looking forward to more adventures!

Denise:)

I have figured out uses for much of the otherwise wasted space. It still would be very tight for two people - you would almost have to separate the bed and make it two twins - and the closet space is minimal. Although on the deck plans 6102 looks bigger than 6100, I think there is more usable space in 6100 (much like 6002 on Westerdam) - I take a peek every time I go by and my room steward has the door open. Not sure why 6100 and 6102 are considered DA cabins (the other DA cabins are close to midship). The jury is still out on whether I would book 6102 again.

Thanks, Kathi, for taking the time to discuss your cabin. Very good info.

I love the idea of those two windows facing forward. Interesting how the other cabin looks much smaller and only one window, but seems maybe a better choice. Will look forward to what you conclude about booking again once you have had more time to decide.

Enjoy!

Catching up with your reports, great photos.

Thank you.

Thanks Kathi- look forward to reading about your adventure every day. Since I still have the evil Monday-Friday work thing am unable to follow that dream. We have a friend Gyl that has been on Amsterdam since October. If you meet please tell her that her Seaview buddies Frank and Loren have been following her adventures on Amsterdam since we left her in San Diego. We heard she was watching our sail away on Oosterdam. Super person and we really look forward to seeing her again.

Please keep up the great reporting and wonderful photography for us land locked dreamers! Thanks Again!!!!!

Thanks Kathi- look forward to reading about your adventure every day. Since I still have the evil Monday-Friday work thing am unable to follow that dream. We have a friend Gyl that has been on Amsterdam since October. If you meet please tell her that her Seaview buddies Frank and Loren have been following her adventures on Amsterdam since we left her in San Diego. We heard she was watching our sail away on Oosterdam. Super person and we really look forward to seeing her again.

 

Please keep up the great reporting and wonderful photography for us land locked dreamers! Thanks Again!!!!!

I will send your regards if I meet her.

Thanks for reading!

Moorea – January 23, 2018

What a difference the sun makes! When I was here in 2016 it rained off and on (more on than off) so I looked through the craft market and took a couple of pictures of the octagonal church and went back to the ship. This time I was determined to see something of the island so I signed up for the “Island Drive and Belvedere Drive” a three and a half hour HAL tour.

We met and were walked down the crew steps to be on one of the first tenders. Our tour guide/driver was Rico who was born on the island but descended from Swiss/Austrian grandparents who came to the island after World War I.

Some facts I learned on the tour…

• It is 38 miles around the island and it is almost twice the size of Bora Bora

• All of the utility lines are buried underground

• The Mel Gibson version of Mutiny on the Bounty was filmed on Moorea

• Almost 1000 people (out of a population of about 18,000) commute to Papeete for work each day

• Moorea means “yellow lizard” and Opunohu means “the stomach of the stone fish”

• There are no snakes in Polynesia

• The octagonal church was the first Protestant church built in Polynesia in 1822

Our drive started with a zig-zag drive up to the Belvedere. At Lookout Point you could see down into Cook Bay (where the Hapag-Lloyd ship Europa was anchored) and Opunohu Bay (where we were anchored although originally we were supposed to be in Cook Bay).

After coming part way down the mountain we stopped at a marae – an ancient sacred site. The actual structure was demolished by missionaries when they arrived.

At Ora viewpoint we saw spectacular views including one of the best beaches where the Sofitel Hotel has its bungalows ($800/night for the over-water ones).

The last stop was the Tiki Village on the west coast. They have a Polynesian themed show there most nights but were open for the tour buses.

After returning to the area of the tender dock I looked at the craft market but did not buy any jewelry (which was mostly what they were selling).

Once back on board I had a late lunch in the Lido and then worked on the blog.

Bonnie, Tom, Jeanette, and I played trivia with 11 correct. Three teams tied with 13 out of 15.

1)What is the capital of Australia?

2)What is the summer national sport of Canada?

3)Who starred opposite Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s?

4)Which landmass spawned the iceberg that sank Titanic?

5)Which European country claims the harp as their national symbol?

With another trivia at 5 pm, I continued on the blog. My first 1000 minutes ran out so I purchased another 1000 but my blog was not happy loading yesterday’s pictures so I quit until the internet is better late at night.

At 5 pm trivia we had just three of us – Marilyn, Rodney, and I. We had 12 and the winners had 16 out of 17.

1)What is the name for the human thigh bone?

2)In what building are the British Crown jewels kept?

3)In what year was the D-Day invasion?

4)Who said, “Houston, we have a problem”?

5)Rickets is a result of a deficiency of which vitamin?

After trivia I watched us sail from Moorea from my deck and then swam for 45 minutes.

Only five for dinner. I had fruit, a salad, bourbon glazed beef, and a caramel sundae. I skipped the show hoping to get my pictures loaded.

Afternoon trivia…

1)Canberra

2)lacrosse

3)George Peppard

4)Greenland

5)Ireland

Evening trivia…

1)femur

2)Tower of London

3)1944

4)James Lovell

5)Vitamin D

P.S. The pictures from Tahiti are now up on my blog.:D