Circumnavigate The Globe in 123 days with Bill & Mary Ann - 2011 World Cruise

[baggal]

MaryAnn and Bill,

 

I really don't want to hijack (poor choice of words) your wonderful blog, which I have been faithfully following and enjoying, but I just had to write to comment on the decision of your fellow cruisemates not to leave the ship in Ashdod, Israel. While I can't guarantee anyone's safety anywhere, NO ONE IS SAFER IN ISRAEL THAN A TOURIST ON AN OFFICIALLY SANCTIONED TOUR. Much safer, I would suggest, than hopping into a cab in any random port that you have already visited.

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise.

 

Carol

[WCB]

Report # 84 March 27, 2011 Sunday Muscat, Oman

 

Our port of call for today was Muscat, the capital and largest city of the Sultanate of Oman. When Sultan Qaboos bin Said came into power in 1970, he brought the country out of the dark ages by opening their economy to the world. We understand that up until then, there was no TV or western radio allowed to be heard or seen by the locals. They have come a long way since the 70's. There is a multi-ethnic mix in the population, such as Persian, Portuguese, Indian, Arab and Asian. Islam is the major religion, although Christianity and Hindu are tolerated.

 

We docked later than expected, because a car carrier ship was in our space. Captain Olav patiently waited for the vessel to move before docking around 8:30am. A thin veil of a warm foggy mist was hanging over the mountaintops as we slipped into the small harbor. It has been like this every time we have been here, which the present count is five. That is why we chose not to take any tours today.

 

As we left the ship, we were handed a Muscat shore pass, which resembled a credit card. We had to keep these in lieu of carrying our passports. It was also advised to dress conservatively while walking in town today. Shorts may not be practical for the ladies. And you would not be allowed in a Mosque unless you were wearing long sleeves and long pants.

 

Luckily, the ship offered a complimentary shuttle to the town's center. It was off limits to walk through the busy port area, so it was necessary to get driven to the port gate. It wasn't much further to take us downtown.

 

What we remembered most about the people in Oman was the fact that most all of the men wore white robes with decorative pilbox hats. The ladies wore black robes, some with fancy scarves. Neither the men or women would have to worry about what they wore everyday. White robe, black robe, no brainer.

 

Our destination was the Mutrah Souq, which we missed two years ago because it was flooded. It hardly ever rains here, but on that cruise, it poured and the souq's tiled walkway became a river. Unbelievable, but it shut the whole place down. Today, this souq was only opened between 8 and 11am, then closed, and opened again at 4 to 7pm. That's why we left at 9am for our trek through the maze of stalls.

 

Upon entering the entrance of the souq, we felt like we had been magically transported to a different century in the distant past. It appeared that this complex had begun at one time as small shops and stalls built on very narrow streets. In time, a covering was drawn across the roofs, keeping them out of the hot sun. Without knowing it, they had created the first shopping malls. What hit us first was the strong smell of burning frankincense, which many vendors had lit outside their stalls. This is what put these places on the map, so to speak. The spices of course, and frankincense and myrrh. These resins are obtained from trees, and were thought to have curative powers. It was exported as far as Rome and was as valuable as gold in the Biblical days. The scent reminded us of church and growing up Catholic. Incense was always part of the daily Mass, and still is. More than likely, the reason it is used here is to mask the disagreeable aroma of body odor, which can be strong in this part of the world.

 

Knowing that many merchants had fabric stores here, we headed up that alleyway from the souq's entrance first. I was in silk heaven, even though most of the silks were polyester mix, which look good, but hold up better in the long run. In no time, we chose four different colors and patterns of silk fabric, enough to create two formal dresses and two long sleeve blouses with matching tank tops. What a deal!

 

They had shoe stores too. A pair of pink-jeweled sandals found their way into my bag. Can't find these sandals at home, and never for the price we paid here ($12). Some shops sold accessories for sewing, such as thread, buttons, zippers, and trim. Knowing that I needed 7 meters of jeweled trim for next year's sari, we found it here. Again the price was good since we could bargain. Just love that.

 

The last piece of fabric came as a surprise. We went outside of the souq to locate the large textile and fabric store that was located on the street next to the souq. However, it was gone. Jewelry and carpet shops have moved in their place. We had bought some very unusual green-sequined velour-like material that I used for a St.Patrick's Day formal. When we entered the alleyway to the souq, we checked out one shop looking for sequinced material. Lo and behold, there was a hangar with 2 meters of the same velour material hanging on the wall. The vendor was thrilled when we asked how much for the piece. Of course, his price started out high, but thinking that I could make a matching jacket, we offered him $12. Eventually, he happily took it. Between the four sari-size fabrics and these five lengths we bought here, I will be very busy sewing for the rest of this year.

 

The shuttle that was waiting outside the souq quickly filled up. So while waiting for the next one to come back, we decided to walk on the wall side of the harbor. One man was throwing bits of a muffin in the water, and we were amazed to see the scores of small fish in a feeding frenzy as they devoured the sweet bread. As we walked further up, we saw some beautiful parrot fish and trigger fish in the deeper water. There had to be something larger in the bay, because we spotted a sting ray come sailing out of the water. No wonder that fishing is a big industry here.

 

It was really hot and there was no good place to sit in the shade, so we headed back to the bus pickup spot. It always amuses us to see people scrambling to get on the bus first. Even if you are standing in a proper line, some passengers ignore it and rudely jump in front of others to get those front seats. How stupid....it is a five minute ride.

 

After we scanned our room cards, the Muscat passes had to be turned in to the Omani officials. If we decided to go back onshore again, we would get another one. As it turned out, one swoop through town was enough. On past trips, we've already bought the dagger, two incense burners, an Omani t-shirt and hat, a wooden camel bell , and a leather camel, so we didn't need any more of those.

 

Instead, we spent a relaxing afternoon at the pool and in the pool. It was heaven to cool off from this desert heat. For a change, we shared the aft deck with most of the staff that had gotten the afternoon off.

 

All aboard time was 7pm with a sailaway party at 7:30pm. However, Captain Olav announced that everyone had gotten onboard on time, so we were leaving earlier than expected. The sun had gone down behind the mountains, giving us a very nice setting to sail out of the harbor. The lights of the city dimmed quickly as we picked up speed to head towards the next port of Salalah.

 

Today was Captain Olav's birthday....his 50th to be exact. To celebrate his special day, there was a Crows Nest party from 9 to midnite. Three of our tablemates, all ladies, excused themselves from dinner, and went to the party. At 9:30pm, free champagne was handed out to the partyers so they could toast the Captain. For the rest of the evening, the drinks (select drinks) were offered two for one, as they have been for most of this cruise late in the Crows Nest. We are sure that the bar was full to overflowing, so we did not go.

 

Tomorrow will be a day at sea, and we are looking forward to that.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[34XB]

We appreciate very much your taking the time with limited good internet service to describe your days. We know it takes time to collect your thoughts of all that you see each day in these exotic ports and share them with all of us. Your cruise attitude is refreshing after seeing too much of the other. The ship events remind us of our World Cruise on the Rotterdam in 1999.

 

Please don't get weary as many enjoy reading your blog. Rob and Linda

[WCB]

Report # 85 March 28, 2011 Monday Day at Sea

 

One day at sea is all it will take the Amsterdam to sail to Salalah, located on the southern coast of Oman. It appears that we have been sailing at a high rate of speed during the evening hours, with a security force of four officers stationed on the promenade deck. We noticed that there are several firehoses fixed to the side of the promenade deck railing to be used in case of invasion. So far, the extra LRADS have not been set up on this walking deck. Perhaps that is a good sign.

 

A new exploration speaker has joined us by the name of Revell Carr. Revell has had a 31 year career at Mystic Seaport, the Museum of the Sea. His first lecture is about spices, and the part they played in the discovery of America.

 

A new guest chef has also joined the ship, and we already knew her from previous cruises. Her name is Paulette . and is the author of 13 cookbooks. We do not want to use her full name, because every time someone uses it anywhere, she gets an alert. We found this out on the 2009 world cruise, when she asked us if we had written about her on our blog. Luckily, we had said nice things, or that could have been awkward. Perhaps in her line of work, she must have to be cautious.

 

At dinner tonight, Ellen had invited a former HAL security officer, Henk and his lovely wife, Alejandra. He had been on some of our previous world cruises, however, he must have worked behind the scenes since we could not recall seeing him. He now works out of the HAL Seattle office in the security division, and is here to further insure our safety from Dubai to Athens. We had some questions for him regarding something we heard about the Cunard's ship that is also doing a world cruise. Our dinnermate Laurie mentioned that he had heard that Cunard had to use barbed wire on their lower promenade deck to discourage any attacks by pirates while they were in the Red Sea and transiting the Suez Canal. Thinking that was a bit "out there", Henk confirmed that it was true. Since the Cunard ships have decks that are closer to the water level, possible entry can be made by invaders. So, yes, they have used barbed wire, as well as the other tools we have onboard this ship. Any smaller vessel such as the Seabourn yachts have the same problem, and we know what happened to one of their ships a few years ago, with a missile being launched through a cabin while the passengers were sleeping. No one was injured, and the ship was able to outrun the pirates because she was fast.

 

It would have been great to ask him more questions, but the dinner was not long enough. To lighten up the heavy mood, we introduced Henk and Alejandra to cork-forking before the dessert arrived. They absolutely loved learning the new game. Henk did not give up until he landed the cork in the flower bowl. It becomes an addiction, like gambling. You are not happy until you make that first landing. Of course, we followed up with our silly song every time one of us made the bowl. And really, we do not make any more noise than those folks that are singing happy birthday all over the dining room every night.

 

The interesting or not? city of Salalah, Oman is our substitute port for one of the cancelled Egyptian stops tomorrow. We missed the show from the singers and dancers performing "Dancin' Fool", because we wanted to be up early to watch the exciting? sail into the port.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[CtheW0rld]

i found salalah very interesting. i hope you do, also.

 

for those following along, here are some photos i took while in salalah: http://family.webshots.com/album/563211376dzWXmW

 

thanks for the effort with this blog!

[BlackJack2]

To lighten up the heavy mood, we introduced Henk and Alejandra to cork-forking before the dessert arrived. They absolutely loved learning the new game. Henk did not give up until he landed the cork in the flower bowl. It becomes an addiction, like gambling. You are not happy until you make that first landing. Of course, we followed up with our silly song every time one of us made the bowl. And really, we do not make any more noise than those folks that are singing happy birthday all over the dining room every night.

Bill & Mary Ann

 

What is "cork-forking" and how do you play?????

[bet410]

What is "cork-forking" and how do you play?????

 

If you'll look at their post #20 on January 23rd (page 8), they give a description of the game. I'd never heard of it either until I read the blog. :)

[WCB]

Report # 86 March 29, 2011 Tuesday Salalah, Oman

 

Well, today's port is the city of Salalah, the capital of the southern Omani province of Dhofar. Salalah is the second largest town in Oman and is the birthplace and home of Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Since this part of the country happens to be more temperate during the monsoon season (June to September), visitors flock here from the Persian Gulf to avoid the harsh heat of the deserts.

 

Natural attractions outside of Salalah are the Jabal al Qar mountains where frankincense trees grow, the prophet, Job's tomb, a palace that belonged to the Queen of Sheba, and the father of the Virgin Mary, Nabi Imran, who allegedly rests here. Other than that, there is not much more to see here. The town is located 14 miles from the pier, and cannot be reached except by taxi. Now the taxi situation is not good here. Barbara had suggested that it was far better to buy a shore excursion in Salalah, because the cab drivers were not reliable. In fact, according to friends who took these taxis, reported that these guys are crooks. They take you to one place, then demand more money. If you ask them to wait for you, they will charge very high "wait time" fees. Taking you back to the ship may cost you double the fare, and what choice would you have but to pay it. That was enough news for us to just stay home. Lots of passengers did the same thing we did. And besides, this was our fourth time at this port, and we've seen and done it all.

 

We did get off of the ship around 10am, just to say we were here. One souvenier table was set up under a small tent. Upon closer inspection, we noticed that some of the items had DUBAI on them. Isn't this Oman? Duh, do they think people cannot read? The few items for sale were no bargain, since they wanted four times what they were worth. Muscat had been the only place for buying these treasures. At least there, the vendors were happy to bargain. Not so today. There was a store located behind the pier building, but we did not notice it when we got off. As it turned out, we later heard that it was a grocery store, that also sold appliances and suitcases. Nope, don't need any of those things today.

 

We spent the afternoon visiting with friends at the back pool. It was warm, but there was a nice breeze blowing. And it was interesting watching the schools of swarming fish once again, like the ones we saw in Muscat. They would appear in a black cloud, rippling the water's surface, and occassionally jumping. Then they would disappear.

 

It was also interesting watching the activity on the docksides, where several ships were being loaded or offloaded. Containers stood six high by miles long. Obviously, container transhipment is a significant industry in Salalah. It was estimated that nearly 60 million tons in deadweight were shipped from here in one year. Deadweight being the weight of the containers, less the weight of the ship itself. That's a whole lot of STUFF!

 

The day went by quickly, and before we knew it, it was time for Bill's scheduled haircut in the spa. He always books with a gal named Corrine, but today it was a NO GO. At 6pm, he went there to find out that all of her appointments had been cancelled since 2pm in the afternoon. Somehow he knew it was not happening. Corrine had taken sick, so he would have to reschedule another day. Just as well, since he did not want to miss the sailaway.

 

We really would not have missed much, just the disappearance of those containers and freighters. That strange fog-like veil hung over the coastline here just like it had in Dubai. It had to be caused once again by the winds that carried the sand from the desert. It settles more like a powdery dust that clings to the decks and windows of the ship. We don't imagine that it is very good to breathe that air either, so we were glad to be leaving. We enjoyed talking with friends Bill and Leta as we sailed out of the port. We had lots to discuss after the Captain made his announcement during the sailaway regarding our safety. From this point on, as we sail past Yemen and Somalia, there would be constant surveillance for unusual activity....namely, pirates. If it becomes necessary, the Captain would announce where he wanted the passengers to assemble in case of invasion. This did not leave us with a very good and fuzzy feeling about sailing in these seas. We talked so long, it was dark and time for dinner by the time we all left the aft deck.

 

On our way to dinner this evening, we passed a man in the hallway who was obviously on his way to see the doctor. He looked like he had been in a war, with bandages wrapped around his head, his leg, and his arm. We heard later on that he had taken a bad fall down some stairs at the bathroom while at Job's tomb. We remember the spot well when we were there years ago. These steps were shallow, but steep. He had to have stitches in both his head and leg, poor fellow. To make it worse, he was one of seven that fell that day. Bet these people will never forget Job's tomb!

 

By observing the actions of the dining room staff every night, we have decided that this HAL cruise is becoming a two-class experience. There is a definite distinction between the regular folks and the veranda and suite passengers. We see this happen at the "ring of fire" tables, or the tables for 2 and 4 that are located around the railing of the upper dining room. Tom, the dining room manager and Bernie, our head chef frequently visit each of these tables where most of the suite passengers sit. Bernie likes to get guest input in regards to his menu selections. On past cruises, this team visited EVERY table, not just a chosen few. Now, the only people he sees are the suite people. One night we intend to invite him to our table to share our impressions also. So far, in the last three months, we have seen Tom and Bernie once at our table. But, and a big BUT, is that the suite people are paying way more than the rest of us, so they deserve some extra attention.

 

The Kent Dancers were the entertainers tonight in the Queens Lounge. They are a brother and sister team that do ballroom and Latin America dances. We've heard that they are very good.

 

For the next four days, we will be at sea in very dangerous waters. It was apparent to us when we saw four security officers using their night vision binoculars, watching the waters on the horizon all around the ship. They keep this up all through the night, until they are relieved at dawn. We appreciate this extra precautions.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 87 March 30, 2011 Wednesday Day at Sea 1

 

We are now starting the journey into the Gulf of Aden, where Yemen is on the starboard side and Somalia is on our port. Dangerous waters? You bet, but we have not seen any sign of unusual activity....just many ships passing us going both ways. We are being well-monitered with 5 security guards on the promenade deck all day and night. The closest thing we have seen so far was a helicopter hovering around the Amsterdam, which came from a nearby warship. These coastlines have been heavily guarded in recent weeks, driving the pirates further out to sea. Captain Olav has put the pedal to the metal by keeping our speed around 22 to 23 knots. We are currently heading for the narrow stretch of water called Bab-el-Mandeb, located between Yemen and the African country of Djibouti. Once we have navigated through this body of water, we will be in the Red Sea, and we hope, past the danger zone. There is not one of these countries that have not been in the news of late in regards to internal conflict. It seems that we have found ourselves in the middle of a hornet's nest, so to speak. As of today, Captain Olav has stated that the upcoming ports of Aqaba, Jordan and Ashdod, Israel are still on the itinerary. We're keeping our fingers crossed that all goes well for the next few days.

 

Today had many events going on. Sometimes it seems that certain days are uneventful, while today, for instance, everything is happening. During the day, three talks were presented. One by Barbara on Aqaba, Jordan, another exploration speaker, Piotr Wesolowski, spoke all about Jordan, while Revell Carr lectured on the golden age of Islam.

 

Simple sauces were whipped up by Paulette and Adele. If it was too warm outside for some guests, they chose to see the movie, "You're So Cupid" in the Wajang Theater. We go there to munch on the buttered popcorn sometimes.

 

The fun events were this evening. The dress code was formal, so that meant guests for us at our table. We were expecting Bart, the culinary manager, and his fiancee, Daphne from the front desk group. We were surprised to see the guest dance team of The Kent Dancers come to sit with us, as well as Bart, but by himself. Barb had been invited to Peter, the Pursers table and Joan was also missing. We all had a nice dinner getting to know the two dancers, who are a brother and sister team from Melbourne, Australia. In 2009, we attended their performance and found them extremely professional. We promised not to miss their next show before they leave the ship in Aqaba, Jordan. According to what they said, they perform on cruise ships 6 months out of the year, and do their act all over the world for different groups and venues. They only go home for two weeks a year to visit their family. One of their permanent homes is in Burbank, California. So we said they are "neighbors" to us since we live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

The theme for dinner was "Celebration Day" where we could celebrate birthdays or anniversaries that happen outside the months of this world cruise. The first of the complimentary wines were served to all who wished to participate. This was a waste of the "free wine night", because our host, Bart, provided the wines for our table tonight. Hmmmm, perhaps they will owe us a make-up night of wine. Anyway, the room was decorated with streams of red, green, and yellow ribbons, with matching balloons and party hats at our tables. Some people actually wore these hats during the meal, but they looked like dunce hats, so all of us passed.

 

Around 9:30pm, there was the dessert extravaganza in the Lido pool area. The chefs displayed an edible array of desserts to photograph first, and then devour. We stopped by the Lido to check it out, and found it mostly destroyed by 10pm. That was just as well, since we have indulged on Mississippi mud pie for dessert in the dining room. We never turn that dessert down.

 

The Unexpected Boys were the musical group performing in the Queens Lounge tonight. They sing mostly Frankie Valli and Four Seasons melodies, which we love. Taking our usual spots in the back on deck five, we listened to the first three songs and decided that this was the same show we saw 2 years ago. We would have stayed longer, but one lady who was sitting right in front of us had on the most disagreeable perfume that we had to leave. We have to admit, these four guys filled the showlounge, because their performance is high energy and fast moving. Noticing that these singers are on many ships at the same time, we found out that there are around 32 members in the group. No wonder they can be on ships all over the world at the same time. Now that manager was thinking ahead by training so many fellows that can be interchangable.

 

Tomorrow will be another lazy sea day, so we look forward to it.

 

Oh yeah, the presents this evening were four green luggage wraps. And another hour back on the clocks...good deal!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Aussie Gal]

We too have had "The Unexpected Boys" on our Transatlantic cruise on the Prinsendam back in 2009. As we had been to see The Jersey Boys here in Melbourne earlier that year we really enjoyed their show.

 

Coming from Melbourne, I was interested to hear about the Kent Dancers. We have not heard of them and probably the reason is that they spend all their time overseas. I don't know how they can only come home for 2 weeks as Melbourne is one of the nicest cities on this earth and they are missing out on so much.

 

Jennie

[ricki]

We have had the pleasure of getting to know Patrica and Adam Kent, the brother and sister dance team from Australia, on several Crystal cruises. They are extremely talented and equally as friendly and charming.

 

Ricki

[WCB]

Report # 88 March 31, 2011 Thursday Day at Sea 2

 

Early this morning, the Amsterdam passed through the narrow strait between Djibouti and Somalia and into the Red Sea. Captain Olav had maintained the speed of around 22 knots to arrive at this point much earlier than expected. Unknowing to us, there had been more than one reason for this speedy passage.

 

The temperature outside seemed to be kicked up a notch this morning during our walk. There were some whitecaps on the waves, so we thought we would have a stronger wind. But there was hardly a breeze blowing. This is going to be a good day for sunning and swimming, probably more swimming than sunning.

 

The new exploration speaker, Piotr Wesolowski, was finally written up in the daily newsletter. He has written travel articles, which have appeared in magazines inthe USA, Canada, Great Britain, and Australia. In his lecture today, he spoke about the crossing of the Red Sea.

 

Guest chef Paulette had a slide show in the Culinary Arts Center on foods from all around the world........food not only for sustenance, but also food as a way of life.

 

There was a shipbuilding sea trial in the Lido pool area. We checked out two of these "vessels" and were amazed with the creative way two teams had put ships together. We understand that these teams are given a list of items that must be incorporated in the ship, or they are disqualified. Some of the articles used were the shoe baskets from our closets, wine corks, plastic water bottles, jam and jelly jars, HAL swizzle sticks, plastic and styrofoam. One ship had miniature sailors and a tiny Barbie doll on the masthead. These ships have to pass the sea trial by not sinking. Back in 2007, our creative tablemates fashioned a boat that was realistic, floated well, and was named "The Dumpsterdam". They won too.

 

There were problems with the internet all day. The system was shut down, so the technicians could work on the problems that existed on the outside of the ship. Eventually we were able to get online by 6pm. Since no one else was online, the speed was faster than usual.

 

At 7pm, friends Martha and her husband Bob, hosted a wonderful cocktail party in the Explorers Lounge to honor all friendships made on board. They filled the room with the cream-of-the-crop passengers that have come to know and love them, especially Martha. She has the talent of getting to know people faster than anyone we know, because she is a good talker, but more so, she is a good listener. We had a great time.

 

Right at the end of the party, and before the 8pm dinner bell was rung, Captain Olav came on the speakers with an important announcement. There was a moan from the party-goers as soon as we heard his voice. Assuming that he was going to announce the cancellation of the port in Jordan and/or Israel, he surprised us by saying that Egypt was going to be safe to do tours in Safaga on April 2nd. The State Department had lifted the travel warnings for that area. Ahah, the Captain then added that since we had been making such good time, we would be able to make that long stop in Safaga. And here we thought he was just trying to outrun the pirates. Bet we have the revised shore excursion list in our mailbox after dinner to re-book the tours to Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. As for us, we on still on the fence as to whether or not we want to re-book. We have one day to decide. Everyone was grateful that the port of Aqaba was not cancelled, since 900 of us will be doing the tour to Petra. Ellen told us at dinner tonight, that over 100 crew members also have a bus trip to Petra. It has probably been a very long time since HAL has had a stop in Jordan on the world cruise, so we were all relieved that Jordan had not been cancelled.

 

Helen joined us tonight for dinner, since her husband Mel was not feeling too well. We had chatted wth him when he came out to the aft pool deck to read his book. Perhaps the intense heat was a bit too much for him today. Judi had been invited to the Pinnacle Grill by her friend Joan for an early birthday celebration dinner. So we had two empty seats. Usually Ellen is able to fill these seats by inviting guests, but there was no advance notice tonight. So we were happy to include Helen, since she and Mel share a table for two, and she was alone tonight.

 

Just as we had expected, there was a shore excursion form in our mail slot after dinner. There were three to chose from, but they had been amended except for one. Originally, we had booked Karnak, Luxor & Valley of the Kings, a 14 1/4 hour day. It had been changed to 11 hours, eliminating some of the sights and perhaps the lunch venue. With a four hour ride one way, we decided it was not worth it to have a swift run through the ruins, missing some of it, then riding back for another 4 hours. What had changed, was the departing time. Departure time was 11:59pm in the beginning, but now the time had been shortened to 7:30pm. We seem to remember Susie and Woody's report from this excursion they did in 2008. She said it was a very long and extremely hot day, more reasons for not doing it this trip. Besides, if we do go on next year's world cruise, they intend to stop in Safaga again. We would prefer to do it right. To complicate matters, on April 3rd, the following day, we have a long trip into Petra, another 10 hour day. Two in a row would be a killer.

 

We have a feeling that some passengers had a "heads up" on this stop in Safaga, but were told to keep it quiet. What changed for most folks, was the fact that if they had booked an independant tour, they had to cancel these plans over a week ago. Those that knew we were going, perhaps kept their private tour in place. Somehow, that is not quite fair for everyone, in our humble opinion. This trip has surely been a cruise of surprises! We never know for sure where we are going!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[watermom3]

thoroughly enjoying your travel-voyage! we are looking forward to leaving on our "much" shorter 2wks to the Southern Caribbean next weekon the Constellation....

Did you ever connect with my cousins Mike and Diane Bower on your cruise?

[Aussie Gal]

Mary Ann & Bill,

 

I think you have done the right thing but not making that long trip to Luxor. We did it back in 2008 and we were able to spend the night at a hotel there so it was a much more leisurely excursion. I know friends of ours did it in one day but they didn't get back to the ship until after 11pm and they were very tired. Having to get back at 7.30pm or before that is too much of a rushed trip.

 

Anyhow, Petra was one of the highlights for us, so enjoy your wonderful day there.

 

Jennie

[WCB]

Report # 89 April 1, 2011 Friday Day at Sea # 3

 

Well, here we are...it is already April Fools Day, and we certainly hope there will be no jokes today. Don't think we can handle it!

 

We continued sailing northwesterly into the Red Sea through the night, and we can report that it was uneventful. We didn't know it until this evening that we have Barbiecakes partly to thank for the safe passage into the Red Sea after leaving the Gulf of Aden. She and two of her new Crows Nest's friends stayed up all evening, while being fortified with Bloody Marys, keeping watch from the lounges on the promenade deck until dawn. They were helping the security staff watch the horizon with their night binoculars, which Barb reported were pretty cool to look through. We asked what she saw, and her reply was NOTHING!! She is so funny, and really knows how to have a good time. Naturally, she was "off duty" for the rest of the day. That is....sleeping all day, just in case she is needed again the following evening. You never know.

 

For some reason, our room had begun heating up early this morning. It was already 79 degrees, despite the thermostat being down as low as it could go. Checking with the front desk gal, we were informed that they were experiencing a problem with one of the chillers, and the entire ship was heating up. It was being worked on, so they hoped it would be fixed very soon. So did we.

 

Another thing that was having problems was the internet. We finally found out the reason for the problem in the daily newsletter. It said that due to increased military activity in the area, we could expect to see degradation to both the phone and internet service. There could be scrambling and deliberate interference, which helps to maintain a safe shipping environment. You know, we expected just that very scenario, but were told no, it was due to the direction we were sailing and the position of the stacks interfering with the signals. Hmmm, we ain't so dumb after all!

 

There were two back-to-back lectures given by Barbara H. on Ashdod, Israel and Safaga, Egypt. When we walked the hallway to go to breakfast this morning, we noticed that several mailslots had the pink envelopes in them. That meant that passengers filled out those tour order forms and submitted them in the Shore Excursion mailbox last night after dinner. The staff must have been working late printing those re-booked tours for Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. Whenever the tour description says "limited space", people know they have to move quickly. And the tactic worked, since that tour was sold out by the time the shore excursion desk opened for business at 9:30am. One other tour was taking a wait list until they knew there would be another bus available.

 

We did not know that Napoleon had made expeditions to the Middle East, but the speaker, Revell Carr, talked about that in his lecture this afternoon.

 

There was another kitchen tour, a culinary demo, and a Middle Eastern High Tea. However, the highlight of our day was a lunch date in the Pinnacle Grill with friends, Leslie and Handler. We never seem to have enough to for a proper visit, especially in the Crows Nest before dinner. It just gets way too noisy in there. So we met them at 12:30pm, and had almost the entire place to ourselves. There was one other table of four guests, one of whom was Ellen, our host. Kim, the manager, had purposely not filled the room, since there was a special lunch for what we assumed was for the President's Club members. Among them was a member we all know as "Mrs. Amsterdam". She has been heard saying that she "owns the ship", since she has so many days sailing with the HAL line. We have also overheard people saying that she is 108 years old (not really), but if you hear her stories, she's been around the world a gazillion times and knows everything. It's probably her fiesty attitude that keeps her going, although it appears that it also keeps the folks away from her. That translates into few friends, except crew members. Note to selves: if we ever turn into that kind of traveler, just shoot us!

 

Anyway, we ordered the Pinnacle's special hamburger, which comes topped with crispy bacon and cheddar cheese. We asked for extra dill pickle slices to go with the pile of delicious thin french fries. Our starter was a healthy sliced tomato with shredded lettuce in between each slice and topped with Russian dressing. This is what we call a power lunch. Luckily, we had kept breakfast at a minimum, to save room for this treat. And speaking of room, we ended the meal with the decadent chocolate brownie with an edible dark chocolate swizzle stick. We were more than filled by the time we left after 2pm.

 

A few hours relaxing at the back pool was in order we figured. The weather had cooled down quite a bit today. The skies were a little overcast with thin clouds. When the sun came out in full force, it was hot, but nothing like yesterday. We read books, but mostly snoozed until it was time for Bill's haircut at 4:15pm. Two appointments had already been cancelled, so today better work.

 

One of our tablemates, Judi, celebrated her birthday with a big chocolate cake topped with more sticky chocolate frosting and caramel coated ice cream. It's always fun having the waiters gather to sing the birthday songs. We have three more April birthdays to celebrate in the following weeks. Popular month so far. To further enhance our dinner, the second of the promised three nights of free wine happened tonight. We opted for diet Cokes, and our wine steward was happy to bring them.

 

The clocks went back one more hour tonight, which is always great. Especially for those who attended the Pajama Party in the Crows Nest this evening. Yes, cocktails were 2 for 1, and prizes were awarded for the most outrageous pajamas. We hope to hear some good descriptions and stories tomorrow. The big question will be who won the Hugh Heffner, Victoria Secret, and funniest pajama awards? And who could possibly be the cutest couple?

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[kazu]

Still enjoying your reviews. It must be challenging with the itinerary changes. Thanks so much for continuing to share with us :)

[WCB]

Report # 90 April 2, 2011 Saturday Safaga, Egypt

 

Well, today was a surprise day, being that the country of Egypt had been too dangerous to tour a few weeks ago. Travel warnings sent people fleeing the country, due to the extreme happenings with government protests in the major cities. From what we heard, Egypt has suffered a billion dollar loss from the tourist industry in one month's time. Now that this particular port had been re-instated, we questioned whether or not we should throw caution to the wind and take a chance and go on the 11 hour tour to Luxor and the Valley of the Kings. The more we discussed the pros and cons, the cons won out in the end. The bus ride each way into Luxor was about 4 hours. That meant that the stops at each site would be shortened or eliminated due to lack of time. Since there was no mention of a lunch in a hotel, we assumed that this tour would have boxed lunches made on the ship. We assumed correctly after talking to Maurice and Birgit who took that excursion. They do not plan on coming back on next year's world cruise, so they will not have a chance to "do it right". Godwilling, we do. What would be really nice, would be if HAL put a trip together that included an overnight stay in either Luxor or Cairo, where you can see it all without killing ourselves. We did a tour to Cairo 10 years ago while on a Seabourn world cruise. It was a two day, one night excursion that hit the "wow" factor on our bucket list. We started the tour in Safaga or Hurgada, and met up with the ship after it transisted the Suez Canal. For some unknown reason, no overland excursions were offered in Egypt. In our opinion, 8 hours of riding in a bus is not our idea of the perfect tour.

 

So, we basically stayed on the ship today, with a 20 minute walk to a duty free store which resembled a thrift shop. The biggest story of the day was what was happening on the pier when we arrived early in the morning. A ship had apparently arrived carrying what we were told, Egyptian workers coming back from Kuwait. The pier was filled with raggedy men pushing large dollies with all of their possessions. These carts were stacked with boxes, couches, mattresses, bikes, and toys for kids. Once their stuff was stacked on the dollys, they pushed or pulled them to stand in lines to exit the terminal building. Truthfully, we didn't buy the worker story. We think they looked like refugees perhaps fleeing the neighboring countries that are having internal warfare. We saw only men, no women and children. It is possible that these men would establish a residence, then send for their families. Since none of us speak the language, we had no way of finding out their stories.

 

One interesting thing was that we were not charged for an Egyptian visa. That must have been one of the concessions the Egytians officials made to attract the Amsterdam to re-instate their tours. Guess we will never know if the tour prices had been reduced as well. When the tourist industry gets hit so hard like what has happened in this country, we are sure more deals were made that HAL could not pass up.

 

Some folks who did not go to Luxor, took taxis to local hotels where there were some stores and shops to see. However, there was nothing we needed, and the entire area was so industrial and in the process of being re-done someday. All we could see was piles of sand and rocks where buildings had been leveled with large trucks moving the immigrants. We can see why this port has always been just a drop-off for Luxor tours. On previous cruises, the passengers left here in Safaga. The trip into Luxor takes about 4 hours. Once those going on the tour are off, the ship leaves for the next port. That way the tour is done by staying overnight. By the way, everyone had to get their passports to keep with them for the day. Even us, although we only spent 20 minutes off of the ship. As it turned out, there were 550 passengers who took the three different tours here.

 

That left the back pool to a small group of us for the afternoon. For quite a while, it was warm, but not too hot. Later in the afternoon, a strong wind picked up, and it was actually cool. Too cool to go swimming. We think from here on through the Suez Canal, the temperatures will be dropping gradually. It is springtime here in Europe, so we could have showers as well as nice days. We hope to have nice days, of course. We really have been lucky on this cruise with mostly nice days and little rain.

 

We were all present for dinner tonight, since none of us had gone on the long tours. Those that had, literally dragged their tired bottoms to dinner, ate quickly, and went straight to bed we were told. The killer is that tomorrow, all of us have an all day tour in Petra, and we want to be ready for it. And besides, there is a time change tonight, which none of us like. We have to put the clocks AHEAD one hour. How rude.

 

And the good news is that all of the buses and guests came back safely...exhausted and cranky, but safe. We are sure to hear some good stories in the following days on how the tours went.

 

The show for this evening was a flautist, Claire Langan. Unfortunately, none of us planned to attend, so we could get a good night's sleep. Looking forward to Jordan tomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[MagentaWinger]

Report # 3 January 4, 2011 Tuesday The Party

 

We spent most of the afternoon waiting for the complimentary shuttle provided by our travel agency to take us to the Pompano Plaza, a 15 minute ride from the Westin. Here we shopped at Publix, the local supermarket, and quickly loaded up with room snacks, things we cannot purchase on the ship. Most of our fellow passengers were doing the same thing.

 

The cocktail reception began for both the Amsterdam and Prinsendam people at 6pm sharp. Actually, many were already there, the same ones that attend the ship's parties early while on the trip. The top dogs from our travel agency were in attendance, greeting us warmly like family. An estimated guess at this party was around 330 guests, the largest ever. We had name tags with our ship's name on them to distinguish us from each other. However, after a few drinks, most of us could not read them anyway! No, it's not the booze, it was the fine print!!

 

 

I'm new to Cruise Critic and the boards, but it sounds like you've been using a great travel agency. Which one?

[maxout]

I'm new to Cruise Critic and the boards, but it sounds like you've been using a great travel agency. Which one?

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic :D. FYI, Discussions regarding particular travel agencies are against site policy.

[MagentaWinger]

So let me understand this board policy... its OK to comment on a great cruise line like HAL, but not to comment on a great travel agent. Interesting.

[maxout]

So let me understand this board policy... its OK to comment on a great cruise line like HAL, but not to comment on a great travel agent. Interesting.

 

 

Here's a snippet:

 

 

"There shall be no third-party recommendation of travel agencies on any forums within Cruise Critic. General discussions regarding the TYPE of AGENCY to be used to purchase a cruise will be allowed, as long as no recommendations for any source of purchase are posted.

 

Touting of your personal cruise agent or cruise line "personal cruise consultant" (or any other venue by which you purchase a cruise) is not allowed on our message boards. Postings that contain "tell them John sent you" will be removed without notice.

 

This means you should not ask about someone's travel agent, nor should you respond in kind. Offering to email someone your travel agent's name or info is also not allowed, nor is asking members to email you for the information.

 

Cruise Critic will remove violations of the "third-party recommendation" guideline without warning. Additional posts may result in permanent suspension of your posting privileges.

 

Guidelines can be found here...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/faq.php?faq=guidelines

[Harry1954]

Report # 86 March 29, 2011

By observing the actions of the dining room staff every night, we have decided that this HAL cruise is becoming a two-class experience. There is a definite distinction between the regular folks and the veranda and suite passengers. We see this happen at the "ring of fire" tables, or the tables for 2 and 4 that are located around the railing of the upper dining room. Tom, the dining room manager and Bernie, our head chef frequently visit each of these tables where most of the suite passengers sit. Bernie likes to get guest input in regards to his menu selections. On past cruises, this team visited EVERY table, not just a chosen few. Now, the only people he sees are the suite people. One night we intend to invite him to our table to share our impressions also. So far, in the last three months, we have seen Tom and Bernie once at our table. But, and a big BUT, is that the suite people are paying way more than the rest of us, so they deserve some extra attention.

Bill & Mary Ann

 

Just a short response in deference to Tom and Bernie. We were on the first half of the cruise, meeting you nice folks at the CC get-together in Crow's Nest. We had a deluxe suite and table for two downstairs. We watched those two visit every table each time they would come around .. they did not miss any tables. However, there were not a lot of tables for 10-12, in fact, the only large table generally had only 3 or 4 folks at it. Consequently, they did not face stopping at large tables.

 

I suggest that when they do stop at a large table, it takes so long to say hi to everyone and, with limited time, does not give them the chance to visit as many tables as they can.

 

Further, our experience over the years is that when we sit at large tables, it is quite sociable and maybe they did not want to interrupt the festivities.

While we were at a table for 2, others who were not on our deck were also at tables for 2 and they got visited every time we did.

Hopefully, they had good intentions in their actions.

 

Keep up the great posts ... and thanks for doing so.

 

harry

[WCB]

Report # 91 April 3, 2011 Sunday Aqaba, Jordan Part 1

 

Our port of call for today was Aqaba, Jordan, the only port that serves the country of Jordan. About 2900 ships export phosphates, tar products, cement, and fruit annually from here. If we look directly across the harbor, we are actually seeing the port of Eilat, which is in Israel. Although there are many things to do and see in Aqaba, the main reason for our stop here is to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra, about a 2 hour drive north from Aqaba.. We had done a tour to Petra 10 years ago, and liked it so much, we planned to do it again today.

 

We booked this excursion with our travel group, which numbered over 100 guests. We heard that approximately 800 passengers and 100 crew members were also bussing there today. Like we said, it is the spot to see in Jordan.

 

The two hour drive took us through the city and up into the hills that overlooked the harbor. On the gradual climb into the mountains, we passed another interesting part of the desert called Wadi Rum. No,there is no alcohol (rum) involved with this place, but only a valley that has been carved by receding seas milleniums ago. Rock formations with streaks of red, orange, and purple dotted the valley floor for miles. This is a favorite area for the Bedouin tribes, who move through the deserts, putting up tents for homes, and caring for their sheep and camels. Even in this present day, these nomads live off of the land, similar to the way their ancestors survived hundred of years ago. Our tablemate, Sue, decided to try the Wadi tour and lunch, mainly because the walk into Petra is difficult. Laurie would go with us, and that way, we can share our experiences tomorrow. We did see camels, sheep, chicken ranches, and free-roaming dogs on the way to Petra. We have to mention that the highways are maintained well, giving us a smooth trip for the two hours.

 

We arrived to the site by 10:30am, well rested, and ready for the long hike. At the gate, we were handed tickets, which were priced at 50 dinar ($75US), good for one day and night if we had stayed longer. We proceeded through a metal detector, then had our tickets electronically scanned. The first stop was at the restaurant, where there were restrooms to use. We were invited to come back here to The Guest House Hotel for a buffet lunch anytime between noon and 3pm. Pleased that we had our own lunch venue separate from the HAL group, we decided to come back around 2:30pm and hopefully see as much of the park we could.

 

We had three choices as how to enter the park to the Treasury. One was by walking and listening to our guide. The second choice was to ride the horse-drawn carts for $30 a round trip (seats 2). Or, you could ride a horse to the site, about one mile from the entrance. The best way to understand what you are seeing is by going with the guide. Or, it should have been. Our guide was very nice and knowledgable, but hard to understand. His English was heavily laden with a Jordanian accent. It took extreme powers of listening to get even one half of the content. Whatever, we have been here and done our research, so we really did not miss out on much.

 

It's hard to describe this canyon and do it justice. For one thing, it is older than dirt. Sometime in the 6th century BC, this canyon, cut by water, became a thoroughfare for merchants from distant countries caravaning their treasures of silks and spices to the Mediterranean. Imagining the happenings of those days, with the travelers using this respite for food, water, and shelter, added to the magic of the steep walls of granite and sandstone. The partly paved road was interspersed with large cobblestones, making walking a challenge. You had to be careful with each and every step, especially with tender knees and backs. We were actually glad that our guide stopped to point out facts about the carvings we were seeing on the way. A very funny thing were the presence of galloping horses and the horse-drawn carts that would fly by us. They do not slow down, just yell MAKE WAY or BEEP BEEP. We soon remembered to move to the sides as soon as we heard the clip clop of hooves. Let us tell you, when those rickety carts hit those cobblestones, the passengers probably lost their teeth it was such a bouncing ride. We thought the carts wold break apart at any time. And the poor horses. Gosh, they work them until they are ready to drop. When the trail got steep, the driver would jump off and proceed to whip their horses to keep going. It was hard to watch, but just a fact of life here. There was a sign in the beginning of the trail stating that animal care was important to them. If we witnessed animal cruelty, we should report it. Sorry to say, we saw evidence of this all day, but how could you identify the bad ones? there were way too many of them.

 

Since this report is only halfway through, we will do it in two parts.

 

To be continued............

[WCB]

Report # 91 April 3, 2011 Sunday Aqaba, Jordan Part 2

 

We left the group, and headed off on our own from the Treasury. Our guide said he would accompany any of us who chose to go further, or we could start back to the restaurant for lunch. Most everyone on our bus chose to go back. By now, the carts were few and far between to take their customers back. The way this worked was two people would pay $30 for the round trip. They were given a ticket with the cart number (there were 10 of the carts and drivers). The tickets had your pickup time on it, as well as the cart number. We heard the funniest story later on from friend Jean, who is an elderly lady that travels alone. She had paid for the round trip, then waited for her 1pm pickup. However, there were many people sitting against the wall waiting for their rides. When Jean and her buddy saw their cart number coming, they got up to board it. Out of nowhere, came a rather large couple who jumped into the cart from the other side. Jean said she waved her cane at them and ordered them out. They did not budge. Knowing an argument was going to happen, the cart driver went to get his boss, who did order the rude people out of the carriage. Their pickup ticket time was 2pm, so they just had to wait for it. Good for Jean, right is right, and no one will ever pull a fast trick on her. Guess you have to be like that when you are traveling alone.

 

We really took our time wandering down deeper into the valley of mountainside carvings. The one aspect we did not remember were the number of vendors down here. Some peculiar men were hawking necklaces for lots of money. Come to think of it, all of this "locally made" jewelry looked just like what we saw in India. These vendors were asking ten times more than anything was worth. Of course, we did want a few momentos, so we negotiated a deal for 2 necklaces and a bracelet from a Bedouin lady. She knew immediately that we would not fall for the high prices, and agreed to sell us the jewelry for $10. She knew it was a fair price.

 

Every two minutes, we were approached by the camel and donkey men and boys wanting to sell us rides to the bottom of the canyon, or back to the Treasury. We must have said "no thanks" five hundred times. At least, once is enough for them, then they go on to the next tourist. Ellen, our host, said she did ride a horse on the way back, but the guy wanted more money than what she had agreed to. They all did this, and were probably successful with some clueless guests.

 

At the bottom of the canyon, we started smelling the most delicious aroma of BBQ chicken. We had to follow our noses to see where it was coming from. There it was.......sitting near the end of the trail..... .. ..a beautiful restaurant with marbled terraces under large shade trees. Two men on the outside were tending a large BBQ grill, which was full of savory chicken pieces. It reminded us that we had forgone breakfast, and we were actually hungry. Time to start back.

 

It took us over an hour, walking slowly while taking more photos. As the sun was going down, the colors of the canyon walls were even more striking. The groups of hundreds of people were starting to thin out. We zigzagged up the narrow trail, avoiding the horses and carts as they sped on by with tired passengers.

 

By the way, we forgot to mention the weather. When we left Aqaba near the sea, the wind was blowing, but the skies were blue. It was probably 80 degrees today, but when we reached the canyon's entrance, and descended into the 1 mile long Siq al Barid, or the ravine of cold, it was really cool. It only warmed up once we got to the Treasury and further down where the valley expanded. It was never unbearable at all, and we welcomed the sun when we got into it. One factor we had to keep in mind was dehydration. We had brought water, but probably need much more. There were plenty of pit stops along the way, but that was not mentioned in the talks given onboard.

 

It was a relief to finally get to the hotel for our lunch. It was about 2:30pm, and we had one half hour to eat. The buffet line offered a lamb goulash, rolls, bread, butter, and assorted salads with plenty of fresh vegetable toppings. The main courses were sliced roast beef in a delicious gravy, grilled chicken pieces, fish, rice and pasta. Roasted potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, and the most delicious fresh zucchini filled the rest of our plates. We were given a bottle of water, but could have probably had more. Dessert was an assortment of local specialties such as cheesecake, blueberry topped custard, strawberry and chocolate mousse cake, and a type of baklava cake. We tried a little of all of them. Coffee was served at the bar outside the room. We were about the last to leave, but enjoyed every bite.

 

It was almost time to re-join the bus, so we used the last 20 minutes bargaining for a few items. These vendors were not the most accommodating or friendly for that matter. They bragged that their t-shirts were the best quality, but just the opposite was true. We do remember that 10 years ago, we had bought a t-shirt, sized XXXXX-large, but in a cellophane package. When we opened it up, it was sized for a kid. This time, we requested to see the actual shirt we were buying. Still not the best quality, the prices reflected that with at least one of the vendors. One item we noticed was the same hanging lantern we had bought in India. The vendor wanted $50US for one, whereas we had bought 3 for $15 in Cochin. Same lantern! Buyer....beware!

 

Our bus left around 4pm, with a pleasant ride back to the pier. We did have one stop at the top of Petra, where we took photos of the valley down below. It was really a dramatic scene to take in the whole area. How in the world this canyon was ever found, is beyond us. It was swallowed up in never-ending rolling mountains.

 

The last stop was in the wadi area, where we had last chance shopping and a pit stop. Then it was a short drive back to Aqaba and the waiting ship. We were held hostage in our buses as they lined up to be emptied one at a time. We had counted 15 buses with 3 of ours and crew buses. So that made a total of 20 coaches waiting to unload a lot of people. Our guide said he had no choice but to follow instructions dictated by the HAL security people. Actually, the wind had picked up and we would be more comfortable sitting on the bus, than standing in a long line on the cold pier.

 

By the time we got back to the room, one of us had a bad headache, which was getting worse with every passing minute. Bet that was due to not drinking enough today. Well, we had time to relax, take a few aspirins,and be ready for dinner at 8. We had promised our tablemates that we would definitely be there tonight. However, once we planted ourselves in front of the TV, and relaxed a bit too much, time had passed much quicker than we thought. Once we realized it was too late to go to the dining room, and too much trouble to order room service, we just changed and went to bed for the evening. Missing one meal surely would not hurt us. Hope we are forgiven.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[rafinmd]

Report # 86 March 29, 2011 Tuesday Salalah, Oman

.......

The Kent Dancers were the entertainers tonight in the Queens Lounge. They are a brother and sister team that do ballroom and Latin America dances. We've heard that they are very good.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

Is this Adam and Patricia? Great dancers but even nicer as real people.

 

Roy