Follow Bill & Mary Ann on The Tales of the South Pacific - 47days - Fall 2015

Report # 4 San Diego, California October 2, 2015 Friday Partly cloudy and 77 degrees

The Amsterdam arrived to the city and port of San Diego well before we woke up this morning. Just like in San Francisco, the ship docked right in the middle of the heart of the city. And we were not alone, as NCL’s Norwegian Sun was directly across from us. It appeared that today was the end of one trip, and the beginning of another for them. This ship is quite a bit larger than the Amsterdam, and we are certain that the terminal will be busy embarking their passengers.

Before we left the ship for the day, we figured it would be a good time to update our anti-virus for our laptop. So after breakfast, we began the process. We did not realize that a crew drill was taking place at 10:30am, which ended up cutting off our connection. We had lost an hour of internet time and all of the downloads to that point. Reporting this to the front desk staff, they told us to see the librarian, Letitia, before 3:30pm today. All aboard was 4pm, so we should be back well before that.

We have to admit the weather was next to perfect this morning. Much better than the rainy skies in San Francisco. Great for walking the town. Getting out of the terminal was a piece of cake. However, later today, that would not be the same story. We headed in the direction of Seaport Village, taking in the scenery of the Midway aircraft carrier, the marina, newly-built souvenir stands, and the many opulent hotels on the waterfront. Cutting through the Hilton, we connected with a bridge that spans the highway and train tracks below. The bridge took us to Petco Park, the baseball stadium. Walking around the backside of the park, we could watch practice taking place. Good place to cool off for a few minutes. We headed up into the Gaslamp District, remembering that the Hard Rock Café was somewhere across from Horton Plaza.

Lunch was next on the itinerary with a salad and cheeseburger, split between the two of us. The ice cold sodas really hit the spot, since it was pretty warm outside today. This part of town was sure busy with all of the restaurants busting at the seams. Of course it is Friday, and a going-out-to-lunch time of the week for many workers.

We did some of the shopping at the local pharmacy, but failed to find a wall clock…..you know the old-fashioned plastic battery-powered clocks you used to find everywhere. The manager said that so few people buy clocks anymore, because they have the correct time on their cell phones these days. We did try one other drug store, but they only had wind up alarm clocks. What we did not discover until later was that there was a popular hardware store around the corner, and we would have found one there. Oh well, there is always Hilo and Walmart.

Making our way back to the ship, we found it crowded with passengers boarding the two ships, mixed together. We asked the security lady if there was a separate line for us folks who were in transit. She said no, we would have to line up with everyone to go through the xray. So we joined the Disney-like snake line for 20 minutes, getting to know the people around us, who all joked about the situation. That is until they noticed two different fellows ending around the line and squeezing in front of everyone. Takes all kinds. Perhaps they had problems and no one said anything to them.

The majority of the passengers went to the NCL counter to check-in, while we by-passed the desk, and got right on the ship. Not so bad after all. We heard through the grapevine that some people were pretty upset about the wait, and made a huge fuss once back onboard. That would pay off.

Making a visit to the librarian was positive as well. She had been informed of our situation with the internet, and had already credited back the 60 minutes. Her guess was that the fire-proof doors closing on each deck had severed our connection. That is something we had not thought about, but ship internet can be a touchy thing. Of course, at home, we have dial-up, so this system works far better and faster here.

The muster drill was held for the new passengers only at 4:15pm. We were free to head to the aft pool deck to await the sailaway. While we were enjoying the sights of the harbor, we noticed glasses of wine and mimosas being handed out by the beverage staff. Well this was nice. Then it was announced by Captain Fred that these drinks were on the house, due to the mess in the cruise terminal today. “Free” stuff always unruffles the feathers, and it sure did this afternoon. The deck filled with tons of people, and we had a rousing sail out of the harbor. Little did we know at this time, that it would not last….the sail away, that is.

The sunset was nice….chilly, but getting better. By the time we got back to the room, there was a bright star call on our deck for the doctor/nurse staff. That usually means something medically serious, or someone has died, or close to it. With no further news, we went to dinner, expecting to meet our new dinner mates this evening. We got there just in time to welcome Margaret and Bob from Kansas, and Dave from Massachusetts. We should have two more folks, but perhaps they were too tired for dinner this evening. Maybe tomorrow. Everyone seems well-traveled and the conversation flowed through out dinner.

Towards the end of dinner, Gene, the CD, announced shipwide that due to a medical emergency, the ship had turned around and was heading back for San Diego. We had a patient who was in dire need of emergency hospital services. So by 11:30pm, we were once again docked in the harbor we just left. Hope all turns out well.

Bill & Mary Ann

Oh dear, it's always distressing to hear of someone's medical situations. What an awful way for someone to begin a cruise. Best wishes for better days ahead!

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

Thank you for your reports.

Hope the patient soon recovers.

Thanks for the reports. Good to hear you didn't have to do muster again too :)

Bill and Mary Ann many thanks again for taking us along on your adventure. Your posts are one of the highlights of my day! :D

I would to add my thank you for taking us along with you via your very enjoyable and easy to read reports.

Report # 5 Sailing Towards Hilo, Hawaii October 3, 2015 Saturday Partly cloudy and 77 degrees

The Amsterdam left the port of San Diego for the second time somewhere near 1am last night. We understand the ill passenger was a man, who was lucky enough to be transported back to civilization and excellent care. What a way to start the trip.

Once clear of the harbor, the ship picked up speed. We will need to make up the six hours we detoured last night, and we have plenty of time to do that over the next several days.

We woke up to grey skies and deep sea swells today, pretty much as we anticipated before leaving California. This time of year, there are hurricanes tracking up from Mexico, and rough seas and high winds are common. When we saw the white bags placed in each elevator lobby, we knew to expect a couple of seasick passengers. We seem to be fine as far as the motion goes, but did not leave home without the seasick meds, just in case. Captain Fred announced during his afternoon talk that we can possibly expect this weather all the way to Hawaii.

Keeping busy was no problem, because we had an invite for wine tasting at 11am. Usually, we don’t attend, but today we changed our minds. There is always something new to learn, even if we seldom drink wine. The four selections served were from all over the world, but the best, for us, were the whites, one of which was from California. Yeah, we are a bit proud of the state’s vineyards and wineries. The ultimate purpose behind the tastings are to entice people to buy wine packages for this cruise, and they did. By the way, Jacques from South Africa, is the Cellar Master on this trip. He will stay on until next June, so we shall see him on the 2016 world cruise.

Lunchtime came soon enough, so we went to the dining room again. They were serving vegetarian taquitos, a dish we really like. One of us had a mini burger, and the other, a salad. The dining room was quite crowded, perhaps because of the rolling of the ship, people avoided the Lido on deck eight. Of course, the higher you go, the more pronounced the motion becomes. We were seated after a five minute wait, but we think our waiter forgot us. We certainly were not in a hurry to go anyway, but we did want to finish lunch before the dining room closed. Eventually, our buddy Pandi, one of the head stewards, took our order and served us immediately. He is definitely one of the good guys.

We made it a point to check out the Lido food at lunchtime today. There is no sandwich-maker as far as we could see. Next to the “subway” sandwiches were trays of lunchmeats and cheeses, so you can make your own. Salads, fruit, and hot entrees are still the same.

The TV reception was spotty today. It must have something to do with the stacks on the ship interfering with the reception. Happens every time in this area. So it was a good time for walking the promenade deck, although one side was fairly wet from the sea spray. Very few people braved the cool wind and rolling decks today. Despite it all, we still got in a few miles of walking.

There was a cruise critic meeting for the entire group of members…..well over 100, in the Crow’s nest at 3pm. Expecting some of the ship’s staff to be present, we were surprised to find none of them there. Perhaps they were not invited. They were kind enough to set up coffee, tea, and cookies for the group. Most everyone in this group are outgoing and friendly. They love to share info too. That’s what it’s all about, which drew us to CC in the first place. Among some of the stories we heard today, was one regarding a trip to see the polar bears out of Churchill. Now that’s a trip to think about….. There were several people hooking up with small groups that were organizing side tours on this cruise.

During our visit to the Crow’s Nest, there was a dance class taking place. We did learn that there are four dance hosts, as well as one single gentleman who likes to dance. We were always under the impression that only the grand voyages have these hosts, but guess we were wrong. Present also are two-people teams for water colors, bridge, and arts and crafts. There is a non-hosted gathering of knitters and crocheters as well.

We did not get any more guests this evening at dinner, so there might be just 5 of us. That’s fine, because we were finished with dinner by 9:30pm. By the way, the showtimes started at 8 and 10pm this evening, due to the fact we are almost full now.

Good news….the clocks went back one hour tonight, the first of a few for this trip.

Bill & Mary Ann

No made-to-order sandwiches. :(

The person organizing the M&G for our November cruise on the Eurodam said he called HAL about officers attending it and was told the officers no longer attend them. This is FYI, no intention of hijacking your thread - I will start a new post to see if others are experiencing the same thing.

(Here's the new thread for this discussion: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2266030)

Report # 5 Sailing Towards Hilo, Hawaii October 3, 2015 Saturday Partly cloudy and 77 degrees

 

The Amsterdam left the port of San Diego for the second time somewhere near 1am last night. We understand the ill passenger was a man, who was lucky enough to be transported back to civilization and excellent care. What a way to start the trip.

 

Once clear of the harbor, the ship picked up speed. We will need to make up the six hours we detoured last night, and we have plenty of time to do that over the next several days.

 

We woke up to grey skies and deep sea swells today, pretty much as we anticipated before leaving California. This time of year, there are hurricanes tracking up from Mexico, and rough seas and high winds are common. When we saw the white bags placed in each elevator lobby, we knew to expect a couple of seasick passengers. We seem to be fine as far as the motion goes, but did not leave home without the seasick meds, just in case. Captain Fred announced during his afternoon talk that we can possibly expect this weather all the way to Hawaii.

 

Keeping busy was no problem, because we had an invite for wine tasting at 11am. Usually, we don’t attend, but today we changed our minds. There is always something new to learn, even if we seldom drink wine. The four selections served were from all over the world, but the best, for us, were the whites, one of which was from California. Yeah, we are a bit proud of the state’s vineyards and wineries. The ultimate purpose behind the tastings are to entice people to buy wine packages for this cruise, and they did. By the way, Jacques from South Africa, is the Cellar Master on this trip. He will stay on until next June, so we shall see him on the 2016 world cruise.

 

Lunchtime came soon enough, so we went to the dining room again. They were serving vegetarian taquitos, a dish we really like. One of us had a mini burger, and the other, a salad. The dining room was quite crowded, perhaps because of the rolling of the ship, people avoided the Lido on deck eight. Of course, the higher you go, the more pronounced the motion becomes. We were seated after a five minute wait, but we think our waiter forgot us. We certainly were not in a hurry to go anyway, but we did want to finish lunch before the dining room closed. Eventually, our buddy Pandi, one of the head stewards, took our order and served us immediately. He is definitely one of the good guys.

 

We made it a point to check out the Lido food at lunchtime today. There is no sandwich-maker as far as we could see. Next to the “subway” sandwiches were trays of lunchmeats and cheeses, so you can make your own. Salads, fruit, and hot entrees are still the same.

 

The TV reception was spotty today. It must have something to do with the stacks on the ship interfering with the reception. Happens every time in this area. So it was a good time for walking the promenade deck, although one side was fairly wet from the sea spray. Very few people braved the cool wind and rolling decks today. Despite it all, we still got in a few miles of walking.

 

There was a cruise critic meeting for the entire group of members…..well over 100, in the Crow’s nest at 3pm. Expecting some of the ship’s staff to be present, we were surprised to find none of them there. Perhaps they were not invited. They were kind enough to set up coffee, tea, and cookies for the group. Most everyone in this group are outgoing and friendly. They love to share info too. That’s what it’s all about, which drew us to CC in the first place. Among some of the stories we heard today, was one regarding a trip to see the polar bears out of Churchill. Now that’s a trip to think about….. There were several people hooking up with small groups that were organizing side tours on this cruise.

 

During our visit to the Crow’s Nest, there was a dance class taking place. We did learn that there are four dance hosts, as well as one single gentleman who likes to dance. We were always under the impression that only the grand voyages have these hosts, but guess we were wrong. Present also are two-people teams for water colors, bridge, and arts and crafts. There is a non-hosted gathering of knitters and crocheters as well.

 

We did not get any more guests this evening at dinner, so there might be just 5 of us. That’s fine, because we were finished with dinner by 9:30pm. By the way, the showtimes started at 8 and 10pm this evening, due to the fact we are almost full now.

 

Good news….the clocks went back one hour tonight, the first of a few for this trip.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Bill Mary Ann, thank you for your posts of this trip, I have a friend that is also sailing with you, but she is not blogging, so glad I can "kind of" cruise along with you all.... I very much enjoy your posts, and wish you a very safe and happy cruise.... Linda

Report # 6 Sailing Towards Hilo, Hawaii October 4, 2015 Sunday Partly cloudy and 79 degrees

Well, we are not sure where the “partly cloudy” comes from, or for that matter, 79 degrees. We saw virtually no sun today, and definitely, no 79 degrees unless you found a sheltered spot from the strong winds. The seas remained rough with deep swells all through the evening and the day time. The Lido pool water must be heated, because there were a couple of brave folks in it, tossed around like corks in a turbulent tub. Guess we’ll wait for the weather to improve before we attempt any swimming. Captain Fred announced that we are sailing a different course than planned in order avoid a system producing high winds and rough seas. We may cross paths in a few days, or we may get lucky, and miss it all together. No matter what, the storm is heading for the big island of Hawaii, like we are. We may see some of the rain.

After breakfast and our morning brisk walk, we stopped by the front desk and got a copy of our stateroom account. We were happy to see that all of the promised credit for this trip had been posted, as well as some extra President’s Club credit. A few days ago, we noticed a kiosk near the shore excursion desk. Although it is not active yet, we discovered that it will be used for passengers to obtain a copy of their shipboard account simply by swiping their room key card. No more standing in the front desk line to ask for your account summary. We have no idea when it will be up and running.

There are two guest speakers onboard. Melvyn Foster has started his series of lectures on sea life in the South Pacific, while Mr. Urbanowitz (sp?) has presented other aspects of sailing in this area. To be truthful, there are so many activities happening onboard, we don’t see much difference between this cruise and a grand voyage. The Hawaiian gang is here, giving lessons on lei making, hula dancing, and ukulele strumming. And the cooking shows have got the people talking about sweet and spicy pork chops and island slaw, among other delicacies.

Today was a good one for an afternoon movie, although the one we watched was brutal…..a WW 2 war movie and true story. Speaking of movies, the DVD selection booklet in the staterooms have been updated this last April. Have to check it out to see if newer selections have been included.

Again at dinner, there were still 5 of us. We suspect this is all we will have at the second seating. For sure, there are some unlucky people that are laying low due to the rough seas. One of our tablemates admitted to having difficulty walking, and even more problems with attempting to dance with his wife in the Ocean Bar. Besides the ship rolling or listing, he complained there are too many dance hosts, taking up the space for other passengers. First time we ever heard that complaint.

The entrees have been pretty good, and served in a timely manner. We lingered after dessert and coffee, and still had 20 minutes before the start of the show, which were the singers and dancers tonight. Our same tablemate who has trouble walking and dancing, also brings earplugs to each Queen’s Lounge show. The noise level can be ear-piercing at times. We agree.

Hope the sun peeks out tomorrow………………..

Bill & Mary Ann

PS The clocks went back another hour tonight. All right!

Report # 7 Sailing Towards Hilo, Hawaii October 5, 2015 Monday Partly cloudy & 78 degrees

The day did not start out as usual, because the internet was down. Early morning is normally a very good time to get and send emails, except for today. No signal. We were told that the entire system was down, and the techs were working on it. The bad news was that it may possibly last all the way to Hilo.

We woke up with the first sliver of light when the sun came up, whether we wanted to or not. That’s what happens with frequent time changes as we head directly west. What we did not know was that we would be setting the clocks back again this evening, the third day in a row. If memory serves us correctly, the Hawaiian Islands do not observe daylight savings time. So for the duration of our visit to the islands, we should be on the right time now, with two more days to get used to the changes.

Breakfast in the dining room was not busy today. Although we have not requested a permanent table, we seem to be given the same one we had on the previous world cruise. One nice thing is that the waiters get to know us and what we like, so the service is seamless. We learned today that the deck seven folks eat their breakfast, if they choose to, in the Pinnacle Grill Restaurant. That’s OK for dinner, but we would prefer to look out the spacious windows during the daylight hours.

For some unknown reason, we were invited to a second wine tasting today at 11am in La Fontaine Dining Room. The invitation was in our mailslot at 8am. We rather enjoyed the first one, so we decided to attend after our morning walk. By the way, the weather and the seas have improved greatly. We even saw some sun, promising a nice afternoon. At the tasting, many of the same folks were there that we met two days ago. The wines presented were different, again we preferred the whites. Jacques, the Cellar Master, is a “no baloney” wine expert. He dismisses some of the things we have learned on other presentations such as wine “legs”, which he thinks relates to nothing more than residue left on the glasses from the dishwasher. That got a laugh from the group. He taught us to read the bottles, but cut through the fluff of the descriptions. All that is marketing techniques in his opinion. So once again, we did learn a few new things.

Checking out the aft deck, we found that many more passengers had the same idea as us…….relaxing in the mostly sunny skies. It was actually warm out, and the deck was full of lounges. We grabbed a couple and set up camp at the back railing. We had intended to eat lunch in the dining room, but with the wine, cheeses, fruit, and bread, we were definitely not ready for lunch at 12:30pm. Henk M., the Hotel Director, stopped by for a chat. Periodically, he will make a sweep across the back deck after lunch, and visit with a few folks. It gives him a chance to get some sun, as well as get input from the passengers. He is good about answering little questions we have such as what does “gala” dress mean for formal night, or how popular is the anytime dining. Guess we will see gala dress tomorrow evening. According to Henk, he stated that gala means no shorts or t-shirts. Wow, that is a huge change for HAL, we think. But it does take the pressure off of the staff to enforce a strict dress code.

There was a particularly good movie on TV this afternoon, Passage to India, although it was long. Good time for room service salads and a split burger. As soon as the meal arrived, the phone rang. It was the room service manager checking to see if everything we ordered was on the tray. Twenty minutes later, he called again to see how we liked it. Pretty nice to ask, and we let him know all was excellent.

The movie lasted to almost 7pm, at which time we had a cocktail party to attend. It was hosted by our travel group, about 60 of us, and included many of the senior staff. Captain Fred and Brooke arrived at about 7:20pm, and joined us for a lively conversation. We have sailed with both of them on various shorter cruises, sharing some special meals at the Mariner brunches and some Pinnacle Grill affairs. Tom, our host, joined our group, and shared some funny stories from HAL cruises long past. As a past employee of HAL, Tom knows most all of the captains and ship’s personel. We did find out one thing……two more people will be joining our table in Honolulu, late-comers to our travel group. For sure, our waiters were unaware of this as were we.

We were a bit late getting to our table, and found that two new folks had joined us. We’re still unclear how they arrived, but this may be a problem. We may have to squeeze nine at a table for eight. Oh well, we’ll worry about that when the time comes. The new couple looked familiar, and we discovered they were on last year’s Statendam South Pacific cruise the same time we were. They seemed to enjoy themselves at our table, so we will see if they come back tomorrow.

Hope the weather holds up from here on out. But Captain Fred mentioned there were three systems tracking towards the islands, so that may not be the case. Time will tell……………..

Bill & Mary Ann

Thx for the updates.

Wow, what a nice send-off! Thanks to all for the best wishes.

 

Yes, we do know the Clayton Club. Been there a few times.

 

Allan and Sandra......see you next year on the world cruise!

 

Just about out the door.........

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Could someone please share the link to the blog? I love hearing about all the out of this world cruises.

Thanks!

Enjoying your reports. Fun Fun Fun!

Report # 8 Sailing Towards Hilo, Hawaii October 6, 2015 Tuesday Partly cloudy, rain, & 80 degrees

The internet problem seemed to be solved, because we had a connection early this morning. Simply put, there was a problem with the new server, and it included interruptions for other ships in the area as well. We were glad we completed our emails well before 9:30am, when there was another crew fire drill. This time the announcement made included a warning that some guest services would be stopped for a short time.

The weather has gotten warmer and much more humid. We did have some sun this morning, but as the day progressed, it got cloudy with rain eminent. So we enjoyed our AM walk while the sun was shining. On Sunday, we spotted one flying fish. Yesterday, there were two, and today there were dozens. And soaring around the ship, were a dozen masked boobys, agile seabirds that were feeding on the flying fish. We hope to see much more sea life as we near the islands…….one of the high lights of this cruise.

To add to the ocean stories and adventures of the past, Mel Foster gave a lecture this morning to a packed lounge. And the location Guide, Kainoa, has talked about the islands of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai to date. He is always available during the day for questions as well.

The captain gave a “virtual” tour of the Amsterdam in the Queens Lounge. Since no one is allowed on the bridge for a tour these days, this was the next best thing. On past cruises several years ago, we had the pleasure of seeing the bridge in action while sailing. Have to admit it was pretty cool. Back in 2009, while on the Rotterdam, we had an engine room tour, another one that is not done now. It was most impressive, as well as hot as heck. And noisy……..

We did get in some significant reading time on the aft deck until 2pm. At that time, it began to sprinkle, then rain. Good time for lunch and a movie. The room service burgers have shrunk in size. We would say they are bigger than a slider, but not by a whole lot. Of course, you can order as many as you like. In our opinion, it is better for us, because we are striving to keep meals light while here. Quite familiar with portion control with food, a little bit smaller, multiplied fleet wide, can equal significant savings over time. Down-sizing ever so slightly in every department, can equal big bucks. As long as we really don’t notice the difference, then the bean counters are doing a good job.

So with the first dinner time approaching, we decided to go to deck five forward, and listen to the band play in the Ocean Bar. We do this often, but tonight, we purposely wanted to see how the folks were dressing for dinner, our first “gala” night. With a few exceptions, most everyone we saw was dressed formally. Men were wearing suits, tuxes, and sport coats and ties. The ladies all looked really nice. This is a good thing, we think. So far, these cruisers like to dress up, at least at the early dinner time.

The Neptunes play for the dancing crowd in the Ocean Bar every evening, starting from 4:30 to 5:30pm and later at 9pm. They claim to play ballroom music, but we feel it is geared much slower than that for safety reasons. It is difficult to dance with the ship rolling, which it was tonight. Seems that rain storm has stayed with us.

Don’t know if we have mentioned it yet, but there are only two happy hours (buy one get one for $1). The Ocean Bar and Crows Nest offer this special from 4 to 5pm only. And only the Crows Nest has one at 9 to 10pm. There is no happy hour for the late dinner seating. So many folks fought to get that changed on the world cruise, that they added another time from 6 to 7pm. Only fair, we thought. Don’t think that is going to happen here.

Dinnertime found our new guests back tonight. Found out their table had disbanded, and they requested to eat at a larger table. Their names are Jim and Holly, and seem to be comfortable with our little group. Our host, Tom M. joined us too. He graciously treated all of us to wines throughout the meal, even though only four of us belong to his group.

The gala menus arrived the size of a DVD. They unfolded into four sections, with a rather limited choice of appetizers, entrees, and desserts. From watching the serving sizes, we think the dinners have shrunk too. The rack of lamb consisted of two small chops, and the surf and turf was really a small tenderloin with one prawn. Good thing we ordered an appetizer size of the pasta dish, which was delicious. Balsamic strawberries for dessert were tasty also.

Everyone was done by 9:30pm, but we lingered with Tom for a while. Maitre ‘d Tom G. joined us for a chat, since most of the folks had left the room by then. The nice thing was that it was close to 10pm, and we could make a brief stop in the Queens Lounge to check out the group singers, La Forza, once again. The shows have been OK so far, especially with the new singers and dancers, and also, the ventriloquist last night. Although his act was the usual “dummy” jokes, his comedy was a step up from other dummy shows we have seen. Anyway, the three guys did a fine job, although by the second show, one of them was showing a little voice strain. The other two seemed to be able to cover for him however.

Turned out to be a fine evening, and everyone we saw was dressed to the “nines”.

One more day at sea, and we should be to Hilo, Hawaii……we hope. Looking at the map on the way to the show, we noticed that the ship has deterred from the southerly course, and it heading more north instead. Maybe it is to avoid the storm, we hope.

Bill & Mary Ann

Thanks for the gala night update. Will be interesting to see how it evolves over time.

Oh no... "damn those boobys!"

Oh no... "damn those boobys!"

LOL

Guess that got YOUR attention!

Report # 9 Sailing Towards Hilo, Hawaii October 7, 2015 Wednesday Partly cloudy & 83 degrees

Last night, the winds and the rain picked up significantly. Sometime around 2am, we were awaken with what sounded like gravel hitting our window. What?? Actually, it was water blown with such force, it truly sounded like rocks. What we found on the ship’s TV channel was that the apparent winds were 60 knots blowing across the decks. And we found out during Captain Fred’s talk that we had passed through a force two hurricane. That was a first for us. The ship handled it well, considering the winds. Guess it hit us in a way that we were not listing or pitching. Running into the staff captain this afternoon, he admitted they did not anticipate the force of the storm. Of course, there was no need to alarm the guests, especially when most everyone was in for the evening. And it wasn’t rough enough to stash our belongings either on the floor or in the bathtub, as we have done on many cruises. By the time the morning appeared, the worst of the storm was well behind us, and the Amsterdam was headed in a south easterly direction once again.

At the dining room breakfast, we have some of the same waiters we had while on this year’s world cruise. They are among some of the best. That’s something HAL does well is provide the best wait staff in the cruise business. With that said, we are happy as clams……our waiters know what we like, just like our dinner waiters. But it is not the same with some folks. We have tried not to listen, but the elderly couple that eat at the table behind us, are not happy campers. We’re sure all of you have run into people like this. Nothing is right, such as the fruit is too tough, the eggs are not fresh (do they think there are chickens onboard?), the toast is burned, the coffee is cold, the cream cheese is not the proper type for breakfast. Etc., etc., etc…….. Oh my gosh, how can some folks be so rude to the staff is beyond us. Well, it is a good reminder that this is not how we want to be when we grow up. Just have to bite our tongues, and think about re-locating our table, although we hate to give up our waiters. Maybe this couple will try the Lido soon……….Maybe we’ll suggest it……….

Dave, our tablemate, reported that he is impressed with the quality of the guest speakers. Even though we have taken in most of the lectures on past cruises, we still search for them on the room TV. So far, we have not found their talks on TV at all. Wonder if this practice has stopped? All we have found repeated are the shore excursion, location guide, and port shopping ambassador talks. And ads for jewelry, art auctions, and shipboard clothing. And don’t forget…….the lessons on hand-washing. While on the subject of hand cleaning, we can report that the Purell stands are present at every restaurant, but there are no waiters making anyone use it. On our last cruise with a different line, we could not enter a dining room without being handed a hand wipe before each meal. No hand wipe, no food for you.

The weather was a mixed bag today, starting with early morning showers, then partly cloudy afternoon. The humidity was down as were the temperatures, which was fine for us. We did sit at the aft pool for a short time, being amused at the towels, hats, and sandals blowing around the deck. One lady lost her nice panama hat over the back deck railing, where it hung up on a ledge. She tried a hundred ways to reach it, and made her husband give it a try. He came up empty-handed as well. If she’s lucky, it will blow onto deck seven or six or float down to deck three. We never did see it floating in the ship’s wake.

We had the best crispy veggie egg rolls in the dining room for lunch. The soy sauce was tasty. If they offer them again, we will have several. The serving sizes are about as small as they can get, but there is no limit as to how many we order.

There was a sign-up for the boat ship building contest today. They supply the materials, and you have to supply the brains to construct a boat that floats in one of the hot tubs. It sure is fun to see what some folks can dream up. On one cruise, our tablemates won with a ship they named the Dumpsterdam….a very close copy of the Amsterdam. Gloria was so artistic that they deserved the grand prize.

We think that most folks and crew members will be happy to get onshore tomorrow in Hilo. We can tell that some passengers are anxious to spend some money for treasures. The ship’s stores have been having 50% off sales almost everyday since we left San Diego. Smart move, because they have tapped into some of that revenue before we have reached the beginning of the ports.

Dinnertime was interesting. One of the entrees was a beef bourgonion, served in the cutest little black pot with a matching lid. The gravy was especially good with intense flavor. Besides that, the pot kept the food warm. In our opinion, these new menus have evolved since they began on this year’s world cruise. And for the better.

We were done with dinner well before 10pm, giving some of us plenty of time to get to the show. They featured a violinist by the name of Amy Lee, an entertainer we have seen before. We’ll report on her show tomorrow evening.

Looking forward to our Hawaiian ports for the next week now.

Bill & Mary Ann

thanks for the update. I am thoroughly enjoying the read.

Do you have a separate blog for photos? I somehow thought so, but can't find it.

Clearly, it's not necessary because you do such a good job of placing us right there beside you, but I thought I read that you have a blog as well. Many thanks for the time (and money) it obviously takes for you to share your cruise with us.

thanks for the update. I am thoroughly enjoying the read.

Do you have a separate blog for photos? I somehow thought so, but can't find it.

Clearly, it's not necessary because you do such a good job of placing us right there beside you, but I thought I read that you have a blog as well. Many thanks for the time (and money) it obviously takes for you to share your cruise with us.

I think this is the blog you are referring to - http://cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.ca/

I think their son was the one who posted all the photos on this wonderful blog, but I think I am correct in saying that it was very time consuming and so they do not update the blog anymore. I would love to see their pictures too, so interesting and I live vicariously through these blogs - age and limited mobility has curbed our cruising days but do so enjoy following others!

Thanks for taking us along on this cruise. :) We are doing a smaller version of the South Pacific in April and this feels like a warm up for that cruise. :D

I think this is the blog you are referring to - http://cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.ca/

 

I think their son was the one who posted all the photos on this wonderful blog, but I think I am correct in saying that it was very time consuming and so they do not update the blog anymore. I would love to see their pictures too, so interesting and I live vicariously through these blogs - age and limited mobility has curbed our cruising days but do so enjoy following others!

thanks gbolton, so much for this link..... as it happens, I am taking the panama canal portion of last years world cruise from Florida to Vancouver and will certainly enjoy reading about that portion in particular. and, I totally understand and appreciate the effort it takes to post the photos too.

Thanks again ECB for taking us on this cruise.

Report # 10 Hilo, Hawaii October 8, 2015 Thursday Partly cloudy & 82 degrees

We planned a laid-back day in Hilo, Hawaii today, and glad we did. We sure did not anticipate being in this port with another ship…..and not a small one…..the Ruby Princess. They sailed into the bay right after we docked in the container port. They took our usual spot right across from the terminal building and a short distance to the buses and taxis. OK, they are bigger and have probably double the passengers, so they won the better spot. There was a plus side to where we were docked. We had a minimal security scan on the pier, and no xray check on the ship. We just had a much longer walk to reach the bus lines.

The Amsterdam arrived to Hilo around 8am, but that was too early to go off. We are sure many folks had tours to Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea Volcano, the macadamia nut factory and the many waterfalls throughout the big island. And since most of those excursions left early, the dining room was almost empty. We sure had excellent service, even though we ate a small meal. The pastry waiter would be so happy if we sampled every roll or muffin, all in one breakfast.

Thinking that most of the passengers on both ships would be off on tours, we left the ship around 10:30am. Well, that was wrong. As we got to the bottom of the gangway, all of us were greeted with a fresh flower lei. Nice touch. When we got to the bus and van staging area, we found lines that went on forever. Of course, the longest wait was for the free bus to Walmart, and that was our first destination.

The good thing was that we had lots of time to chat with the folks standing in the line with us. They were mostly from the Ruby, so they shared a lot of info about it. Likes and dislikes. Being that only the Amsterdam folks were wearing the colorful leis, they decided they would rather be onboard our ship.

The ride to shopping was only about 15 minutes. We were surprised to see that Hilo Hatties was closed…..out of business here in this location. But we did find everything we needed, and a little more. We had intended to go through the mall across the street from this shopping complex, but changed our minds. The best plan was to go back to the ship with our stuff, then go find somewhere for lunch. The security check on the bus was quite thorough at the gate. Our ID’s were checked along with our room cards. One person did not have a picture ID, so they held up the bus until they verified they were on the Ruby Princess.

So we went for a walk out of the dock area, and headed towards old downtown Hilo. Along the road, we had noticed a café called Ponds, and recalled hearing that it is a popular place for cruisers to enjoy some lunch or dinner. Good thing we stopped to check the menu, because we discovered they closed at 2pm, and did not re-open until 5pm for dinner. We were seated at a table for two by the window, where we watched teenagers jumping from the roadside to the deep waters of the pond. They were making some pretty impressive splashes. There was a purpose to their practice jumping, which we would find out later on.

Anyway, we had the best burgers of the trip so far. They must have been ½ pounders with charcoal-grilled patties. Delicious, especially with the crispy fries. So much for keeping it light. And it was so nice to sit by a window with a breeze, because it turned out to be a rather hot, humid day. On the way out, we saw that the restaurant was built over an enclosed pond full of large koi carp. They were “porkers”, well-fed and healthy.

From there, we followed the road towards Reed’s Bay Beach Park. The tree-lined road was planted with old-growth banyans and mimosa trees. We came across some of the older and newer hotels on the water. Continuing on, we found Liliuokalani Gardens full of Japanese shrines, stone bridges, and pagodas. Eventually, we found our way to Coconut Island, crossing over a walking bridge. Here some more kids were jumping off of an old stone tower, remnants from the tsunami in 1946 and again in 1980. Many families were here swimming in the bay and having picnics. We even spotted a couple of sea turtles around the rocky shoreline of the little island.

Time to head back, we stopped at Billy’s Store and picked up two ice cream cones. Very good. The skies were getting darker with rain clouds, so it was time to go. Remember the kids we mentioned that were jumping in the pond? Well, they must have been waiting for us to walk past them. Of course, they calculated the timing just right, and nailed us with a wave of water, soaking us pretty good. Actually, it felt good…..and we found out our good watches are water-resistant or water proof.

The sail away party was held on the aft deck. They had music, food, and drinks for sale. The only thing was that we were not leaving until after the Ruby Princess was out of the harbor. By 6pm, the daylight was gone, and it started to rain. We waited on deck seven until it stopped, then finally watched the big ship sail out of the bay at 7pm. Sure hope they are going to another island tomorrow and not Maui. It would be way too crowded. We forgot to ask where they were headed next.

Despite being tired, we headed for dinner and enjoyed listening to what our tablemates did today. They all got a laugh with our “splash” story this afternoon. Most everyone made a visit to Walmart, as well as other major stores. Seems most everyone was able to find the little things they forgot to bring on this trip.

Well, tomorrow will be Lahaina, Maui, and another beautiful day in paradise.

Bill & Mary Ann