Cruise with Bill & Mary Ann on the Prinsendam's Grand So. America & Antarctica Voyage

[CruisinTexans]

Happy Birthday to You,

Happy Birthday to You,

Happy Birthday Dear Mary Ann,

Happy Birthday to You...and Many More!

 

Be glad we aren't on the cruise because neither of us can carry a tune, but we did want to wish you a very Happy Birthday.

 

Leslie & Handler

[WCB]

Report # 16 January 25, 2010 Monday Day at Sea

 

We slept great last night, although there was not much action from the sea as expected. That's probably a good thing.

 

At breakfast, we noticed a complete change in service....everyone's coffee cups were filled, and the pastry tray was being passed around by more waiters. Is it possible that someone at HAL is reading the blogs coming from the Prinsendam???

 

We saw either dolphins or tuna jumping in the wake the ship while we ate breakfast. Then later, Bill spotted some humpback whales while walking the promenade deck. The sealife is always a thrill to see. On the other hand, we noticed a deck hand spraying what looked like insecticide on the lounge cushions on the seating on the aft promenade deck. We have never seen that before, and wished we didn't.

 

The work on the retrofit project continued on all day. We reported what we considered a very dangerous situation on the promenade deck with extension cords laying across the walking deck, with the connecting plug and receptacle sitting in standing water. We also noticed many people tripping over that cord while walking, especially the man who pushes his wife in a wheelchair. The young fellow at the front desk took our report, and said it would be fixed. Hours later, it was still there. Strangely enough, Thom, the cruise director took a picture of this same cord. We cannot figure this out. It was an accident waiting to happen! Oh well, we tried.

 

On a different subject, we noticed that the cruise director has stopped his frequent announcements. He just follows Captain Albert's talk at 1 pm with daily reminders of the afternoon activities. That's fine with all of us.

 

The laundry service has been operating right on time, to our surprise. We thought that once all of the 4 star members got free laundry service, there would be a backup of orders. Nope, they can handle it. We are happy about that.

 

Margaret has reported that there are new washing machines and dryers in deck 10's laundry room. And the best part, they are still free. No hassle to buy quarters at the front desk. On one trip years ago, a tablemate of ours got her laundry quarters to do wash, but ended up spending them in the casino! She made many trips to the front desk to replace those lost quarters!!

 

Emailing continues to be a problem for us. It's like getting a running start, but once you get to the finish line, we run into a brick wall! Either we need a new laptop, or the internet program onboard needs tweaking. Probably both.

 

We were not hungry for lunch, so we decided to catch some rays at the back pooldeck. There were not many people back there. But there was a massage table with two girls in attendance to offer massages for $2. a minute. This was another first that we have never seen on a HAL ship. We suppose that if the guests don't go to them, they will come where the guests are. Wishful thinking though, because we saw no takers today.Other than in the lounges, we don't see too many passengers freely spending lots of money onboard. Most of the seasoned travelers do not spend much in the stores here. They already have it all!

 

We had an interesting visit with the future cruise gal. Because of a few glitches, we got nowhere fast on a future cruise we wanted to deposit. She pretty much dismissed us, and said come back later. Well, maybe we will or maybe we won't. Guess we got off to a poor start when we had to wait several minutes beyond our appointment time, while she worked on her computer. We did wait patiently, but when she greeted us with "What do you want?", we were a bit shocked. Somebody needs a happy pill........

 

We had cocktails with our buddy Hank, a former tablemate from the 2005 world cruise. He usually is in the Ocean Bar, but he had gone to an Ensemble party in the Crows Nest. We asked him to join us, and he did. We sure had a good time. Nice guy.

 

There was one missing at our table tonight....Mary Ellen. She stayed home, because she may be coming down with a cold. Bruce thought it may be due to the big fluctuation in the temperature on the ship. Some public rooms are freezing, while others are too warm. Even the temperature in our room is touchy. The difference between two degrees can be a lot. We have not found the perfect setting yet, and we have been onboard for almost two weeks now. Anyway, we hope Mary Ellen returns soon feeling better.

 

There was also talk about the Veendam, we believe, which is in the Antarctic region now. There are reports of snow falling on her decks!

 

After dinner, we took our usual walk outside. Lo and behold, the dangerous cords were still there. Were we surprised? No......

 

One more day at sea, and we will be in Lima , Peru. We noticed a definite drop in temperature today as we sail south. We do not expect the weather to stay warm for much longer.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Hflors]

Report # 16 January 25, 2010 Monday Day at Sea

 

We slept great last night, although there was not much action from the sea as expected. That's probably a good thing.

 

At breakfast, we noticed a complete change in service....everyone's coffee cups were filled, and the pastry tray was being passed around by more waiters. Is it possible that someone at HAL is reading the blogs coming from the Prinsendam???

 

We saw either dolphins or tuna jumping in the wake the ship while we ate breakfast. Then later, Bill spotted some humpback whales while walking the promenade deck. The sealife is always a thrill to see. On the other hand, we noticed a deck hand spraying what looked like insecticide on the lounge cushions on the seating on the aft promenade deck. We have never seen that before, and wished we didn't.

 

The work on the retrofit project continued on all day. We reported what we considered a very dangerous situation on the promenade deck with extension cords laying across the walking deck, with the connecting plug and receptacle sitting in standing water. We also noticed many people tripping over that cord while walking, especially the man who pushes his wife in a wheelchair. The young fellow at the front desk took our report, and said it would be fixed. Hours later, it was still there. Strangely enough, Thom, the cruise director took a picture of this same cord. We cannot figure this out. It was an accident waiting to happen! Oh well, we tried.

 

On a different subject, we noticed that the cruise director has stopped his frequent announcements. He just follows Captain Albert's talk at 1 pm with daily reminders of the afternoon activities. That's fine with all of us.

 

The laundry service has been operating right on time, to our surprise. We thought that once all of the 4 star members got free laundry service, there would be a backup of orders. Nope, they can handle it. We are happy about that.

 

Margaret has reported that there are new washing machines and dryers in deck 10's laundry room. And the best part, they are still free. No hassle to buy quarters at the front desk. On one trip years ago, a tablemate of ours got her laundry quarters to do wash, but ended up spending them in the casino! She made many trips to the front desk to replace those lost quarters!!

 

Emailing continues to be a problem for us. It's like getting a running start, but once you get to the finish line, we run into a brick wall! Either we need a new laptop, or the internet program onboard needs tweaking. Probably both.

 

We were not hungry for lunch, so we decided to catch some rays at the back pooldeck. There were not many people back there. But there was a massage table with two girls in attendance to offer massages for $2. a minute. This was another first that we have never seen on a HAL ship. We suppose that if the guests don't go to them, they will come where the guests are. Wishful thinking though, because we saw no takers today.Other than in the lounges, we don't see too many passengers freely spending lots of money onboard. Most of the seasoned travelers do not spend much in the stores here. They already have it all!

 

We had an interesting visit with the future cruise gal. Because of a few glitches, we got nowhere fast on a future cruise we wanted to deposit. She pretty much dismissed us, and said come back later. Well, maybe we will or maybe we won't. Guess we got off to a poor start when we had to wait several minutes beyond our appointment time, while she worked on her computer. We did wait patiently, but when she greeted us with "What do you want?", we were a bit shocked. Somebody needs a happy pill........

 

We had cocktails with our buddy Hank, a former tablemate from the 2005 world cruise. He usually is in the Ocean Bar, but he had gone to an Ensemble party in the Crows Nest. We asked him to join us, and he did. We sure had a good time. Nice guy.

 

There was one missing at our table tonight....Mary Ellen. She stayed home, because she may be coming down with a cold. Bruce thought it may be due to the big fluctuation in the temperature on the ship. Some public rooms are freezing, while others are too warm. Even the temperature in our room is touchy. The difference between two degrees can be a lot. We have not found the perfect setting yet, and we have been onboard for almost two weeks now. Anyway, we hope Mary Ellen returns soon feeling better.

 

There was also talk about the Veendam, we believe, which is in the Antarctic region now. There are reports of snow falling on her decks!

 

After dinner, we took our usual walk outside. Lo and behold, the dangerous cords were still there. Were we surprised? No......

 

One more day at sea, and we will be in Lima , Peru. We noticed a definite drop in temperature today as we sail south. We do not expect the weather to stay warm for much longer.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

 

Mary Ann & Bill -again thanks for the wonderful reports from you. Though reading them brings some worry about my upcoming cruise on Statendam (after she leaves drydock) It is amazing that a large and respected cruise line like HAL would be doing work on the ship as passengers are trying to enjoy their vacation! I am glad to hear that inspite of the ongoing work you are having a good time.

 

Again Thanks!!!!!!

 

Helen

[Gerd]

…

 

 

Dear all,

 

first of all, Mary Ann & Bill since long time I read always your reports and I do really like them.

 

They are very informative and well written. We do really like to read all about, especially because they are so informative.;)

 

 

But because of the mentioned work perturbation I should tell you, that this does has nothing to do with a change of HAL which one is correlated to actual financial aspect. > Some of you call it "cut-back"

 

Because this is done already since very long time.

 

The first time was on the former MS Noordam in April 2001.

While boarding at Tampa, a large number of huge carpets coils were transported onboard. And during the whole transatlantic cruise, at least one deck was locked because of the replenishing of cabin and hallway floors. We even understood, that some passengers where moved from floor to floor.

 

For the second time, we did have had this "In-situ" work was on our MS Prinsendam cruise in September 2004.

On that time, a large number of worker entered and also standard containers where fixed on the outside bow of the Vessel, just below of the spa. They proceeded the exchange / new installation of the (at least) cabin water circuits for the entire ship. We understood from them, that they do have a job for almost 4 month…. The aim was to be finish ones the Prinsendam will go on her next World Cruise.

 

 

I have to admit, that both work did not at all bother us, and I guess also not all other passengers, because they did it in a manner to not disturbing the onboard live.

We met some of those worker around the vessel, and they told us, that mostly they work at night and there, where no interfere with board-live could be appear.

 

 

But to do such kind of huge job as now is ongoing on the MS Prinsendam on a so called "Grand Voyage" is certainly a different story…..:(

 

 

 

Happy cruising

 

G E R D

 

 

 

Our marvelous cruises : :)

 

MS Ryndam – Wayfarer – March 1997

MS Noordam - Transatlantic Island Hook - April 2001

MS Volendam - Southern Caribbean - April 2002

MS Volendam - Westfarer Caribbean - April 2004

MS Prinsendam - Windmills & Waterford – September 2004

MS Westerdam - Western Caribbean - April 2005

MS Statendam - Hawaii Circle - September 2005

MS Rotterdam - Vikings and Czars – July 2006

MS Veendam - Southern Caribbean – March 2007

MS Volendam – Panama Canal – April 2008

MS Noordam – Mediterranean Enchantment – September 2009

 

136 days - 34'665 Nm :

 

 

 

Future Cruise : :p

 

 

3+7 / 10-day Mediterranean Prelude & Inaugural Cruise :

 

 

 

12-day Mediterranean Empires :

 

[WCB]

Report # 17 January 26, 2010 Tuesday Day at Sea

 

We woke up early this morning and watched the news on CNN. It was shocking to see the report concerning the flooding and mudslides that hit Cuzco and Machu Picchu in Peru. The train tracks had been washed out in several places, and the only way out for many tourists was by helicopter. Besides the passengers that were supposed to go from Lima to Cuzco to tour the ruins from the ship, and the pre-cruise passengers who were already there, we understand that there was a total of 50 guests on that list. Later today, Captain Albert announced that the trip was cancelled, because the government was forbidding any travel to that area. That is a serious amount of change that will have to be credited to the passenger's accounts!

 

We were happy that our friends John and Diane were able to complete their overland to Quito, Cuzco, and Machu Picchu from the Amsterdam's world cruise. Their timing was perfect by going almost two weeks ago.

 

We came very close to booking that excursion on our own. Our problem was the fact that we could not get a flight out of Manta until late in the evening last Sunday. Guess that things happen for a reason, because we would have been up there, perhaps stranded, and unable to get back to the ship. You just never know.

 

Today is the end of the first segment, as 69 people go off the ship tomorrow morning. We will be gaining 90 new passengers, who will more than likely end up in the second seating for dinner. We have plenty of room in our area of the dining room, since most folks opted for the early seating at 5:30pm.

 

The ship was hitting some pretty good swells this morning while we ate breakfast. Actually, we get a very good show while watching the workmen packing chairs, couches, and cabinets from the bow to the stairs that lead to deck eight. The dangerous extension cord and plug connection were really sitting underwater also. As the ship listed, water cascaded like Niagara Falls down the stairs, all over the new chairs! We finally realized it was coming from the aft pool on deck nine. The workers continued to sand the railings with power tools, even though the deck was flooded.

 

We could not help ourselves....we went to see Gary, the Guest Relations manager, to report this mess and possible dangerous situation. We were not alone, since another couple were also telling him the exact same thing. Gary is good about writing everything down on paper, but it never seems to have an impact at all. Hours later, nothing had been done to fix the cords. We gave up! Gary did call us and said he tried to talk to the contractor, but he also got nowhere.

 

The weather was quite pleasant this afternoon, so we relaxed on the aft deck for a few hours. It was not hot at all, though we still used a lot of sunscreen. One of those headsets that we see people using for music or listening to books would be a help while back here. It would help to mask the noise of hammering, sanding,and the drilling that is going on beneath us on deck 8. The smell of paint has been overwhelming as well. We still cannot imagine that this is happening on a GRAND VOYAGE.

 

An excellent movie was on TV at 3:30pm, Angels and Demons with Tom Hanks. It has been shown twice in the Wajang Theater, but we missed it. It was every bit as good as we heard it was, but we missed some of the ending, because we had an appointment with the future cruise girl once again. We showed up at exactly 5:30pm, and she was still working with the 4:30pm people.....for almost 20 minutes. We could have finished the movie!! Anyway, we accomplished our mission for a future booking, and we were received much better than yesterday, maybe because she kept us waiting for so long.

 

Today was Australia Day, so the Aussies were invited to the Crows Nest for cocktails with Captain Albert and the Hotel Manager. We expected a huge crowd, but only 11 showed up. Oh well, it was a nice gesture.

 

The entrees on the menu did not appeal to us. So we ordered the alternate steak. It was tasty, and done just right by asking for medium. Our waiter has been bringing two plates of assorted vegetables for our table every night. We are really eating healthy this trip! And for our reward.....we had sachertorte for dessert!

 

Margaret and Keith attend the shows at 10pm most nights, so they have become our critiques. They have reported that the shows are hit and miss. Most of the singers and musicians have been good, while comedians and magicians were so-so. In our opinion, Elliot Finkel is a hard act to follow.

 

We took a stroll on the promenade deck after dinner as usual. Guess what? The cords were GONE! Somebody must have listened to us after all.

 

Well, it's almost midnight again, so will close for now!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[LocoLoco1]

MaryAnn and Bill, Your wonderful 'Posts' are our entertainment in the midst of yet another Minnesota blizzard. Your comments lead me to believe that "Post Drydock Cruises" perhaps be avoided lest the work not be completed. Hmmm. Looking forward to boarding PRINSENDAM 24March. TOMandPEGGY

[Hflors]

I wish I could talk my sis and bil out of taking the post drydock cruise on Statendam! :( They told me that we will get some serious compensation it they are still working on the ship. (I don't want compensation I want a vacation) It just so happens that where I work they are putting on a new roof and I hear banging and hammering all day long as I am on the fourth floor and the roof is the next level up.

 

It boggles my mind that HAL would be doing this kind of work while passengers are on board! I guess I need to lower my expendations!

[markf]

the more i read the posts the more I think there is a lack of organization, coordination.

Has HAL turned into a minor league operation???Lets hope there is no accident on board

[WCB]

Report # 18 January 27, 2010 Wednesday Callao (Lima), Peru

 

Since this is our fourth visit to Callao, we stayed onboard the ship, of course with a couple of visits to the pierside souvenier stalls. We do have a dinner tour at 6 pm with HAL, so this gave us a good chance to catch up on emails. Most passengers were off and running early this morning, so the internet worked much better. We also spent some quiet time sunning or fogging? at the aft pool. We practically had the entire deck to ourselves. Gil, our favorite Crows Nest bartender, was manning the Seaview Bar, but since there were few customers, he spent a long time talking with us. We remember him from the 2002 Volendam Asia-Pacific cruise as well as the 2005 world cruise. Funny how your paths cross over the years. It is amazing that he remembered us too. These fellows have a gift of recalling names, despite the fact that they had served thousands and thousands of customers in the years following our trips.

 

During the day, the 90 new passengers were boarding the ship. They were very easy to spot......as they were looking around in a jet-lagged daze, dragging their hand carry bags, waiting for their rooms to be ready.Come to think of it, that was us about 15 days ago!! One of the cute HAL exercise gals said she hoped there were not many "crabby pants" today! Sounds like she has run into many grumpy people in her cruising career.

 

We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the dining room, before we left the ship to look over the many nice items being sold on the pier. This area is known for its pottery, gemstones, silver jewelry, paintings, weaving, and alpaca clothing and artwork. We were also surprised to read in the daily newsletter that the potato, tomato, avocado, and large-kerneled corn originated from Peru.

 

We took advantage of this port to purchase some very nice items for very good prices.A white alpaca cape and a set of deep iridescent blue butterfly wing silver jewelry with an unusual chocker found their way into our bags! We also bought a ceramic vase for our Montecristi fiber flowers. Hope we get it home in one piece. From here on out, everything gets more expensive. There was also a Stern's jewelry shuttle that offered free rides to the Miraflores district (very nice) and the Marriot Hotel. Yes, you are obligated to look at their quality jewelry, but afterwards you can leave to explore the nearby shopping district. Once you were ready to go back to the ship, Stern's had a shuttle to take you back. A very good deal for all, we think. Just about everyone who did not have a tour, took their shuttles. It's a no-brainer.

 

The weather today was overcast, as usual, with a fine warm mist of fog in the air. That damp moisture is pretty much all Lima gets in the form of precipitation. Their water flows down the rivers from the snow and rains in the Andes Mountains.

 

The port of Callao and the city of Lima are old, established by Europeans in the 1500's. On our evening tour brought us to Casa Solar de Aliaga, located in the colonial district of Lima, near the Plaza de Armas. About 50 of us lucky passengers were welcomed into the private home of one of the oldest families of Peru. Descendants of the original owners still reside here, but have opened the two story hacienda with a central courtyard to the public for daily tours. We have been to this same house on three visits, but never appreciated it as much as we did tonight.

 

We were greeted with pisco sour cocktails (more than a few of them) and several delicious appetizers as we toured the living rooms of the colonial home. Each room was filled with paintings, furnishings, and artifacts that dated back to the 1560's. All of the wood, marble, and stone to construct this house came from Europe and Central America on ships. Hard to believe it has lasted for so many years.

 

We were led into a very large dining room with two long tables, complete with beautiful china and silverware. Red rose petals were scattered down the center of each table along with small candles to add ambience to the experience. Gael, one of our Cruise Critic members, joined our table. She is so friendly, and not a bit afraid to talk to anyone. Some people have the ability of drawing in all the people around them into a conversation. And before you know it, you are introducing yourself to a dozen new friends. That's what cruising is all about....a chance to meet people from all over the world and learning something new.

 

The meal started with an asparagus souffle with a glass of wine of our choice. The main entree was filet of beef, candied carrot slices, tiny roasted potatoes, broccoli, and rolls. The meat was tender, tasty, and cooked just right..medium. The dessert was a spicy flan with chocolate sauce. Coffee was offered in demitasse cups with cream and sugar. To finish the meal, the white-gloved waiters poured our choice of an aperitif. Bill had a shot of pisco, while I tried the anis liqueur. It was powerful stuff and you can only drink a very small amount of it.

 

By 9pm, Thom, the cruise director who accompanied our group with his wife Tina, told a few jokes and gave a goodbye toast, thanking our hosts for such a nice evening. We were off to join our brand new buses with loads of legroom for the 30 minute ride back to the ship. We believe everyone loved this tour, judged by the applause they gave our guide.

 

We were back home by 10pm, and took our nightly walk around the promenade deck. Even at this hour, the air was heavy with humidity. Passing by the dining room, we noticed that all the tables were empty. At 5:30 to 8pm, there was another BBQ at the Lido pool deck. Bet a lot of passengers went to that, and ended the evening by going to the local folkloric show in the Queens Lounge. We did peek in the door for a few minutes, but the comfort of our bed was calling us!

 

Tomorrow, we have a short tour back to Lima with our travel agency. Should be fun!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Aussie Gal]

Mary Ann and Bill,

 

What a wonderful night you must have had and what a fantastic description by Mary Ann. I could almost taste the food and drink! I am glad you mentioned that Tina is on board with Thom. I thought she may have got off after the Amazon cruise. We have had Tina on many of our cruises and of course we have had Thom a few times now. I must admit his jokes are pretty weak!

 

Jennie

[luvcruisn']

Tina and Thom were not onboard on the Nov. 25-Dec. 21st/09 Amazon cruise. The cruise consultant's name, I think, was Annette, and the Cruise Director was Linda, who was British.

[Aussie Gal]

They must have gone home for Christmas and returned in time for the big 70 day cruise. They were with us on the Transatlantic which disembarked in Ft. Lauderdale on the 25th November.

 

Jennie

[luvcruisn']

On our cruise we heard that Buddy, the piano player, had gone on vacation. He was replaced on the Amazon cruise by Stryker.

[DFD1]

I wish I had been with you at that dinner party. What a lovely evening!

 

Thank you again for these wonderful posts. They are such fun to read.

[WCB]

Report # 19 January 28, 2010 Thursday Callao (Lima), Peru

 

We had a 4 hour tour with our specialist group at 9am. We met 10 minutes early in the Ocean Bar, and almost everyone was there. This time, Henk, our host, took the group without Lucia, who stayed back to catch up on paperwork and emails. Henk is very good at keeping his little "chickens" together!

 

Once onboard the bus, our guide, Elzinha, began her talk about Peru, which lasted for about 40 minutes on our drive towards the city's center. She spoke about terrorists, The Shining Path, and car bombs that plagued Lima and Cuzco in the not so distant past. It was then that we realized that she was the same guide we had on another cruise stop here in 1998. At that time, the Japanese Embassy had been under seige, with many hostages held captive for months. There had been several innocent people killed during that period. We clearly recall seeing that same embassy from two blocks away, since the whole area was cordoned off with blockades. We had not known at that time, but the police were tunnelling under the street to gain access to the building. A few weeks after we got home, the hostages were freed, and all of the terrorists killed. Our guide told a touching story at that time. She said there had been so many car bombs, that every family member never knew if they would all be coming home each day after they left their home in the morning. She repeated the same story this morning, and that was when we recognized her. That was 12 years ago! What are the odds that we would run into her again in this city of 8 million people???

 

Continuing on, we arrived to the Plaza de Armas, and the Government Palace, City Hall, the Cathedral, and the Archbishop's Palace. We all took a stroll through the parklike square, snapping photos of the 16th century buildings. A curious site were the comical painted and decorated cow sculptures that were scattered through the square. We understand there is a competition for charity, where the cows are auctioned off. In the meantime, we just got to enjoy them.

 

We boarded the bus for a short ride to the San Francisco Monastery. Here we toured the hallways and patios that contained gardens and fountains. On the highly decorated tiled walls, were portaits of saints and religious scenes. But the most interesting part of the tour, was our unexpected visit to the catacombs beneath the church. Discovered in 1951, the remains of 50,000 people were entombed down here. It was a bit claustrophobic and eerie to see. Knowing that Lima has had massive earthquakes in the past, we hurried out of that area quickly!

 

Next we visited San Marcos University, founded in 1551. It was reportedly the first university in America and the alma mater of some of America's intellectual and politicians. The two story building had charming courtyards, and colorful fascades of blue, orange, and gold paint. Music classes were in progress as we strolled by some classrooms.

 

We then drove through the distict of San Isidro, an upscale area of Lima. We stopped in the Miraflores district for a quick walk in Parque Del Amor. Gaudi's famous statue of Love in the Afternoon stood big as life with the Pacific Ocean in the backround. The park was full of blooming marigolds, roses, and canna lilies. The cows were there too! Several more of these decorated bovines were placed throughout the park...a very funny sight to see.

 

Part of the fun of the ride, was seeing the many young women police officers that direct traffic during the day. Some stand in the streets, waving the cars along. But some of the armed girls, stand in an elevated booth in the center of an intersection. The flow of traffic proceeds according to the direction she is facing. It seemed to work well. What we found strange, was the fact that there were signals, but they do not work during the day....only at night.

 

We continued driving the coastline, watching the surfers enjoying the waves. We were back to the Prinsendam by 1:30pm.....just in time to run to the Lido grill, and order the special hamburger of the day. The fellows make a good burger there with thick patties, and all of the toppings. This is a treat for us, since our normal lunch fare are salads. Since dinner is at 8pm, you need to keep your strength up until then, right??

 

On our way to email in the Explorer's Lounge, we got into a conversation with a fellow passenger. She happened to be peeking in the door where the new cabins were being added. Not being told before the trip, that this project would be happening during this cruise, she was one unhappy camper. She explained that her husband needed to use the outdoor whirlpool for therapy, then go in the pool for a cooldown. The only whirlpool that would be convenient for him was at the Lido Pool. We did not know this, but that whirlpool has been broken since the beginning of the cruise! After reporting the problem to anyone that would listen, they were told that the spa needed a part that was not available anywhere. Come on??? Once the aft pool was opened, she was told to use the aft whirlpools. However, the aft pool is deep, and her husband cannot get out of it without help. They are just not making it easy for him at all. We felt bad for her, but had no answer to make her happy. Now we are going to watch to see how long it takes to get that spa running again.

 

At 4:15pm, the 90 new passengers had a muster. We did not have to attend!! That's good. Sometimes we have had to repeat the drill at every segment. Not so this time. The ship left the port around 5pm, with the help of a few tugboats. It wasn't long before we were well away from the coast, that the fog lifted and the sun reappeared.

 

The Crows Nest had another Name That Tune contest this evening before dinner. It sure was fun teaming up with friends to figure out these songs. Buddy only plays a few notes for the hint, so it is hard. The same group that won last time, also won again tonight with 12 out of 15 correct. Their prizes..........luggage tags once more!!

 

We both ordered the chef's recommended entrees of chicken cordon bleu. Excellent choice. We realized that this was the first chicken entree we have had since we left home over two weeks ago.

 

Tomorrow, we will be in General San Martin, Peru, for the city of Pisco.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[RuthC]

On our cruise we heard that Buddy' date=' the piano player, had gone on vacation. He was replaced on the Amazon cruise by Stryker.[/quote']

Stryker had moved over to the Rotterdam by the time I boarded on 10/17. He was to have had a brief break of his own at some time during the holidays, then join the Amsterdam for the World Cruise.

[Hflors]

Report # 19 January 28, 2010 Thursday Callao (Lima), Peru

 

We had a 4 hour tour with our specialist group at 9am. We met 10 minutes early in the Ocean Bar, and almost everyone was there. This time, Henk, our host, took the group without Lucia, who stayed back to catch up on paperwork and emails. Henk is very good at keeping his little "chickens" together!

 

Once onboard the bus, our guide, Elzinha, began her talk about Peru, which lasted for about 40 minutes on our drive towards the city's center. She spoke about terrorists, The Shining Path, and car bombs that plagued Lima and Cuzco in the not so distant past. It was then that we realized that she was the same guide we had on another cruise stop here in 1998. At that time, the Japanese Embassy had been under seige, with many hostages held captive for months. There had been several innocent people killed during that period. We clearly recall seeing that same embassy from two blocks away, since the whole area was cordoned off with blockades. We had not known at that time, but the police were tunnelling under the street to gain access to the building. A few weeks after we got home, the hostages were freed, and all of the terrorists killed. Our guide told a touching story at that time. She said there had been so many car bombs, that every family member never knew if they would all be coming home each day after they left their home in the morning. She repeated the same story this morning, and that was when we recognized her. That was 12 years ago! What are the odds that we would run into her again in this city of 8 million people???

 

Continuing on, we arrived to the Plaza de Armas, and the Government Palace, City Hall, the Cathedral, and the Archbishop's Palace. We all took a stroll through the parklike square, snapping photos of the 16th century buildings. A curious site were the comical painted and decorated cow sculptures that were scattered through the square. We understand there is a competition for charity, where the cows are auctioned off. In the meantime, we just got to enjoy them.

 

We boarded the bus for a short ride to the San Francisco Monastery. Here we toured the hallways and patios that contained gardens and fountains. On the highly decorated tiled walls, were portaits of saints and religious scenes. But the most interesting part of the tour, was our unexpected visit to the catacombs beneath the church. Discovered in 1951, the remains of 50,000 people were entombed down here. It was a bit claustrophobic and eerie to see. Knowing that Lima has had massive earthquakes in the past, we hurried out of that area quickly!

 

Next we visited San Marcos University, founded in 1551. It was reportedly the first university in America and the alma mater of some of America's intellectual and politicians. The two story building had charming courtyards, and colorful fascades of blue, orange, and gold paint. Music classes were in progress as we strolled by some classrooms.

 

We then drove through the distict of San Isidro, an upscale area of Lima. We stopped in the Miraflores district for a quick walk in Parque Del Amor. Gaudi's famous statue of Love in the Afternoon stood big as life with the Pacific Ocean in the backround. The park was full of blooming marigolds, roses, and canna lilies. The cows were there too! Several more of these decorated bovines were placed throughout the park...a very funny sight to see.

 

Part of the fun of the ride, was seeing the many young women police officers that direct traffic during the day. Some stand in the streets, waving the cars along. But some of the armed girls, stand in an elevated booth in the center of an intersection. The flow of traffic proceeds according to the direction she is facing. It seemed to work well. What we found strange, was the fact that there were signals, but they do not work during the day....only at night.

 

We continued driving the coastline, watching the surfers enjoying the waves. We were back to the Prinsendam by 1:30pm.....just in time to run to the Lido grill, and order the special hamburger of the day. The fellows make a good burger there with thick patties, and all of the toppings. This is a treat for us, since our normal lunch fare are salads. Since dinner is at 8pm, you need to keep your strength up until then, right??

 

On our way to email in the Explorer's Lounge, we got into a conversation with a fellow passenger. She happened to be peeking in the door where the new cabins were being added. Not being told before the trip, that this project would be happening during this cruise, she was one unhappy camper. She explained that her husband needed to use the outdoor whirlpool for therapy, then go in the pool for a cooldown. The only whirlpool that would be convenient for him was at the Lido Pool. We did not know this, but that whirlpool has been broken since the beginning of the cruise! After reporting the problem to anyone that would listen, they were told that the spa needed a part that was not available anywhere. Come on??? Once the aft pool was opened, she was told to use the aft whirlpools. However, the aft pool is deep, and her husband cannot get out of it without help. They are just not making it easy for him at all. We felt bad for her, but had no answer to make her happy. Now we are going to watch to see how long it takes to get that spa running again.

 

At 4:15pm, the 90 new passengers had a muster. We did not have to attend!! That's good. Sometimes we have had to repeat the drill at every segment. Not so this time. The ship left the port around 5pm, with the help of a few tugboats. It wasn't long before we were well away from the coast, that the fog lifted and the sun reappeared.

 

The Crows Nest had another Name That Tune contest this evening before dinner. It sure was fun teaming up with friends to figure out these songs. Buddy only plays a few notes for the hint, so it is hard. The same group that won last time, also won again tonight with 12 out of 15 correct. Their prizes..........luggage tags once more!!

 

We both ordered the chef's recommended entrees of chicken cordon bleu. Excellent choice. We realized that this was the first chicken entree we have had since we left home over two weeks ago.

 

Tomorrow, we will be in General San Martin, Peru, for the city of Pisco.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

 

Bill and Mary Ann - Please keep these wonderful reports coming! We love them.

 

Helen

[fann1sh]

I love all of these reports, but this one brought a special smile to my face. Lima's current "cows" project reminded me of Toronto's Moose in the City in 2000. We all need some silliness in our lives, don't we?

 

http://www.toronto.ca/moose/home_revisit.htm

[hmorrow]

I am so enjoying your stories. We love the size of the Prinsendam, and wish we were on her, now. Not to be, but we will be on the Veendam in about 10 days from BA to Valpariso, and I feel like I'm getting a preview of South America. Not nearly as long as your trip, but a cruise none the less!

 

Thanks for the time you take to post.

Helaine

[WCB]

Report # 20 January 29, 2010 Friday Pisco, Peru

 

We recognized the stark landscape of the sand dunes as the Prinsendam docked at the industrial port of General San Martin, Peru. There really is nothing at this desolate place, but it is the gateway to the nearby towns of Paracus and Pisco. Other attractions near here are the Paracus National Reserve, wildlife of the Ballestas Islands, the Inca ruins at Tambo Colorado, and the famous Nazca Lines.

 

Having been here several years ago, we chose a tour that would take us into the interior to the fertile Pisco Valley. But first we had to get out of the port area. This was going to be a problem, because it appeared that there had been an accident on the road outside the pier gates. Our bus came to a sudden halt, while Bill used his camera to get a better view of the blockage. No, it sure wasn't an accident, but a deliberate taxi driver strike! They had positioned their cars to stop all of HAL's buses. Our guide said we had to wait until the police came, and negotiated a deal to let us depart. Otherwise, he said the situation could become dangerous, so we all sat patiently as our young guide continued with his narration of this area.

 

After a 25 minute delay, a big rig filled with a load of corn led the way through the narrow opening that the taxis left for us. Actually, the cars moved rather quickly when they saw the big truck coming at a high speed. Size does matter!

 

We passed the seaside town of Paracus, then headed inland for about 56 miles. The further east we drove, the landscape began to turn green with crops of corn, tomatoes, watermelons, squash, orange trees, peacn trees,and a fairly new crop of asparagus. They started planting the fields of asparagus several years ago, but the Peruvians never developed a taste for it. They are happy to export this crop, since they get a good price for it. The fertilizer for their crops is transported from the Ballestas Islands near the port of Pisco. Because of the rich supply of fish, many types of birds live on these islands. So their massive amounts of guano is collected and used for fertilizer here.

 

Our tour began at the Bodega Catador, an older pisco distillery that used rudimentary equipment to produce the grape-based wine and pisco liquor. The distillery and adjoining restaurant were located in the city of Ica. We had a chance to learn how the grapes were stomped by the feet of slaves in the past, then boiled and distilled, and stored in huge terra cotta bowling pin type containers.

After the tour, we all sat down in the restaurant area for a wine and pisco tasting. We felt the wine tasted very mild, while the 43% pisco was like firewater! It sure woke us up. A very nice combination was the pisco, mixed with milk, fig juice, and spices, reminding us of a lighter Bailey's Irish Cream. The waiters passed around slices of a chocolate-coated caramel and pecan candy. While most people bought the pisco, we bought the candy. In our travels, we have collected many local liquors and wines, and they end up in the cabinet, never to be used. We know the candy will not last more that a week!

 

We boarded the bus once again, and the driver wove his way through the local streets of the basic housing. By basic, we mean four concrete walls, some with ceilings of tarps over bamboo poles, and some with no roofs at all. The most well cared for area was the cemetery, where several flower stands had bouquets for the crypts. People cannot afford graves here, so they are cremated, boxed, and put into a small niche in the 10 foot high walls.

 

We had a short drive to arrive at the next winery facility by the name of Hacienda Vista Alegre. This was a modern winery that produces 80% of the country's pisco and pisco wine. We saw the equipment that separated the grapes from the stems, and the large fiberglass vats for the white wine. Stainless steel vats were used for the red wines. They had copper equipment for distilling the pisco, and huge gigantic wine barrels from Venice to store some wines for aging. The plant was idle, since their crops are not ready to pick until March or April.

 

We finished the tour with a short tasting, with a few minutes to purchase more bottles. The prices were very reasonable, and many people bought their products.

 

The ride back to the ship went by quickly, mostly because after drinking the wine, almost everyone snoozed all the way back! We had a brief stop in Paracus to photograph their sailboat monument that stood on a ridge facing the Pacific shoreline.

 

We were happy to see that Captain Albert did not have to move the ship away from the dock as he announced he may have to later in the afternoon. The ship was getting hit broadside from the swells of the Pacific. It was rocking like a cradle all day, since there was no protecting bulkhead in this bay.

 

There were about 4 lonely stalls of souveniers being sold by the ship. We quickly checked it out, and I was happy to use my 4 solas (about one dollar) to buy two small leather coin purses. A necklace of various local semi-precious stones had my name on it!

 

At 4:30pm, the Prinsendam shoved off of the pier, and headed around the coastline so we could see a petroglyph carved into the hillside. Frank, our port lecturere, claimed the design was a candelabra, however all of us on the aft deck saw cactuses or flowers instead. Hundreds and hundreds of years old, they still remain a mystery as to their origin and meaning.

 

Unfortunately, we will be losing our waiter, because he is going home soon to see his very ill mother. Our assistant waiter, Arde, will be taking his place along with the help of another assistant from the Lido. At precisely 9:40pm at dinner tonight, the workers began the sawing and drilling overhead on deck 8, probably assuming the dining room was empty by then. Actually, the work has been progressing along pretty quickly. The construction crew have cut a path in the Explorer's Lounge carpeting, using one of the secret doors to access the new rooms in the aft. They have also been utilizing the promenade deck to transport the furnishings from containers on the forward bow to the steep back stairs. We have seen carpeting, furnishings, bathroom marbled wall boards, and ceiling panels being hauled up those stairs. It makes us tired just watching them! Anyway, they may make their February 4th deadline after all.

 

We are now heading southeast towards Arica, Chile. So this evening, we were required to set our clocks forward one hour. It is 1am now and time to close this report! But not before we tell you about our towel animal we found tonight.....a monkey hanging from a hangar. This one we will have to keep!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

 

Quote of the day - "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape." Anonymous

[DeepWaterMariner]

Every one of your reports is a great read. They are a wonderful way to keep my mind on a ship until the next real cruise for my body...which should happen about the time yours is ending.

[fb0075]

Amazing that on their "premier"

World Cruise that they would be so inconsiderate with these repairs--yes they have to be done BUTTTT

 

FRANK

[CruisinTexans]

Each report is better than the previous one. My choice would have been candy over the pisco any day. I think we went to the place in Lima where you ate dinner with Ensemble in 2007. It was a beautiful home and the daughter hosted us. Unfortunately half of the cruisers got obnoxiously drunk on the pisco sours. Good thing I didn't like them, so I didn't embarrass myself or Handler.

 

I sure hope they have "name that tune" when we get on.

 

Leslie

[WCB]

Report # 21 January 30, 2010 Saturday Day at Sea

 

The weather was just right when we did our usual walk on the promenade after breakfast this morning. The humidity is getting less and less, as well as the temperature. It is in the low 70's now, but still warm enough to lay in the sun.

 

We had a little accident with our vase that holds our second amaryllis bulb........it broke off at the neck. We didn't realize that it was so fragile. Anyway, we asked at the front desk if they had replacements, and they promised to have one sent to our room today. Sounded too easy to us! We shall see.....

 

The Grand Voyage Prinsendam t-shirts were in the store today with all of the sizes available. We purchased one, but did not get the promised 15% discount for being 4-star Mariner members. The salesgirl was clueless. And so were the front desk staff. It just seems to us that they are not prepared for these simple questions regarding the new program and its benefits. We were promised that they would check into it, and send us a copy of the Mariner benefits today. Again, this sounded too easy. We shall see....

 

The first Cruise Critic lunch took place at 12:15pm today in the dining room. By the way, when we all enter for our meals now, the head waiters are ready with the bottles of Purell for our hand sanitizing. They miss NO ONE! And it seems to be working, which is GOOD news! There was a great turnout for lunch today, and everyone seemed to have a good time getting to know each other. Some groups are planning to join forces for shared taxis in the upcoming ports. Since we usually do not do this, we steered clear of giving suggestions. There are good things to say about going with the ship's tours or doing it your own.Yes, the ship's tours cost more, but you are assured that you will get back to the ship on time. If you don't, the Captain will wait for you. Not so when you are on your own. That's just the chance you take. Nine times out of ten, all goes well. So we wished them well with their plans, and at our next meeting, they should be able to share their experiences.....good and bad!

 

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the aft pool, giving those new lounges a test. We love them. Thanks HAL, it was the perfect time to replace those horrible, broken, soiled plastic chairs, tables, and lounges! We have not gone into the aft pool yet, because the water looked sooo cold when people came out of it. The 2 whirlpools are getting a lot of use though.

 

We went on our way to the Crows Nest for cocktails, and found it was closed for a private party. This did not happen on the world cruise last year. Since we frequented the lounge every evening, the assistant bar manager, as well as Captain Olav, personally invited us to all of those parties that were hosted by HAL. Even if a travel group was having a party, one side of the lounge was still open for the regulars (we paid for our own drinks). Not so here. Guess it is up to each hotel manager how they deal with that situation, and not insult anyone. Of course, we have to keep reminding ourselves that this is NOT the world cruise! We did think that all GRAND voyages should be the same, but NO, it is not, at least not on this particular cruise. In our hmble opinion, we feel the world cruise is much better. All we can do is hope it gets better. It is not just us and our friends that feel this way....it is coming from many passengers that we don't know too. Many unhappy campers!

 

The Black and White Ball for cancelled for this evening. Why? We heard several excuses from different staff members. The excuse that was printed in the newsletter stated that because of 2 days with clock advances, the Ball may not be well attended. In our minds, tonight was the perfect time, since it was a day at sea. So, everyone could have taken a nap! The other excuse was that we would be celebrating Holland's Queen Beatrix's birthday on Sunday, the 31st. Well, not so, since tomorrow's newsletter said the dress was casual. Go figure? Now, the Black and White Ball will happen on February 1st, another port day. This will be the second port day they made formal. They just can't seem to get it right!! Nobody wants to tour all day, then come back and get dressed formally for dinner, especially the 5:30pm folks!! Oh well.....

 

We all had a nice dinner anyway this evening, since it was Margaret's "39th" birthday again! Just don't ask her how many "agains " there have been! Whatever her age is, she looks great and is young at heart! For dessert, our waiter brought a delicious creamy cheesake with ice cream on the side, and several waiters gathered to sing the Indonesian birthday song, which they LOVE to do!

 

We received gifts tonight. Two woolen navy blue hats and scarves for the upcoming weather were on our bed!

 

Tomorrow, we shall be in Arica, Chile, a pretty neat country, we think!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS Remember we said it was too easy to get a replacement vase and the copy of the new Mariner program perks? Well, it's past midnight, and there is no vase or Mariner info. Are we surprised? Nooooo.......

Pillow animal of the day.........a pig!

[alwayshappytocruise]

I love all of these reports, but this one brought a special smile to my face. Lima's current "cows" project reminded me of Toronto's Moose in the City in 2000. We all need some silliness in our lives, don't we?

 

http://www.toronto.ca/moose/home_revisit.htm

 

Yes we do!! Have you ever seen the "pigs" in Seattle?

I am loving this thread, thank you so much for inviting us along with you.

Lynda