Rare WCB Posted December 31, 2010 Author #26 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Hi luvcdays! We have already booked several tours with both HAL and our travel group. However, in the major cities, we will be on our own. Bill & Mary Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalliekae Posted December 31, 2010 #27 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Thank you in advance for taking the time to write about your travels. We are looking forward to reading all about your adventures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepWaterMariner Posted December 31, 2010 #28 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I'll be following your adventures again. Thanks for allowing us to tag along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geocruiser Posted December 31, 2010 #29 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Have a great cruise. Thank you for taking the time to write. I loved reading about your last world cruise. How many world cruises have you taken? Smooth seas, Maria Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob brown Posted December 31, 2010 #30 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Bon Voyage! I shall follow your posts with great interest, as when I retire in a few more years, a world cruise will be my retirement gift to myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinjudy Posted December 31, 2010 #31 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I will be following your posts once we return from our 30 Hawaii/Tahiti. Bon Voyage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny B Posted December 31, 2010 #32 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Can't wait to read all about your adventures! Tell Barbie, Martha, etc. hello from us. We look forward to seeing you two on the 2012 WC! Did you get table 309? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janmcn Posted December 31, 2010 #33 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Can't wait to tag along! Wishing you wonderful cruising weather wherever you are! We'll embark on our first long (45-days) cruise this May for our 45th anniversary! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie1213 Posted December 31, 2010 #34 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Wow! your trip truly sounds like a voyage of a life time. Have a wonderful time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nursekaye Posted December 31, 2010 #35 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I am so glad I found your post. I am really looking forward to "traveling" with you as I read about your adventures. I so enjoyed your last trip. Thank you so much for taking the time to write about your travels. Have a great trip!!!! Nursekaye from Illinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessYoga Posted December 31, 2010 #36 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Yeah!!! I love your world threads and was just wondering the other day if you were going this year. I will be following along once again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sable1 Posted December 31, 2010 #37 Share Posted December 31, 2010 Will also be following along on your voyage. Probably as close to a WC as I will get unless we win Super Lotto. Have a safe journey. Joanne & John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lizzielady Posted December 31, 2010 #38 Share Posted December 31, 2010 I'll be following again this time. Can you see envy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Cruises Posted January 1, 2011 #39 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Yippee! another blog from Maryanne and Bill. I so enjoy your summaries of your cruising even though I am "green with envy" as you embark on another grand adventure. Thanks so much in advance for letting all your cruise critic friends read all about your fun! HAPPY NEW YEAR and enjoy your circumnavigation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sissas Posted January 1, 2011 #40 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Looking forward once again to your latest adventure. Like everyone else, I am "green with envy". Thanks again for letting me tag along. SH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare TracieABD Posted January 1, 2011 #41 Share Posted January 1, 2011 This sound like wonderful fun! Thanks for taking us along for the ride...:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindalans Posted January 1, 2011 #42 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Hello Bill & Mary Ann: Having met you both in person during our Alaskan cruise aboard the Amsterdam, I too am really looking forward to following along on your newest adventure. If Dr Wiseman is aboard tell her her diagnosis was correct, except it was bulging towards the spinal column & I am lucky I wasn't paralized. I was in hospital all summer, but am now fully recovered. :):) Have a wonderful cruise and hopefully our paths will cross again in the future. Lindy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudscraper Posted January 1, 2011 #43 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Hello Bill & Mary Ann: Having met you both in person during our Alaskan cruise aboard the Amsterdam, I too am really looking forward to following along on your newest adventure. If Dr Wiseman is aboard tell her her diagnosis was correct, except it was bulging towards the spinal column & I am lucky I wasn't paralized. I was in hospital all summer, but am now fully recovered. :):) Have a wonderful cruise and hopefully our paths will cross again in the future. Lindy. Glad to hear your feeling so much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruzin Terri Posted January 1, 2011 #44 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Mary Ann and Bill, Bon Voyage. I look forward to reading all your posts. Terri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucory Posted January 1, 2011 #45 Share Posted January 1, 2011 WOW!!! I so enjoy your reports and updates... Can't wait to read all about your trip!!! Bon voyage and thank you for taking us with you... :D:D:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelmatron Posted January 1, 2011 #46 Share Posted January 1, 2011 Bill and Mary Ann, Thanks for 'bringing' us all along. If I can't have a real cruise right now, a vicarious cruise will do nicely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare WCB Posted January 2, 2011 Author #47 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Thank you all for your generous Bon Voyages!! We are getting really close now. Linda........we are so glad you have recovered from your accident. It was a pleasure meeting and getting to know you. Hope we do meet again! Bill & Mary Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overtime4me2 Posted January 3, 2011 #48 Share Posted January 3, 2011 Looking forward to reading your posts...along with Jeff's World Adventures, and Kween Karen's cruise also!! There will be lots of reading to do over the next few months.....we will enjoy reading along with all of you! Bon Voyage !! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare WCB Posted January 4, 2011 Author #49 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Report # 2 Janaury 4, 2011 Tuesday Day two in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida The journey has begun! We left home promptly at 2:45am Monday morning, thanks to our taxi driver/son Ken taking us to the SFO airport. The best flight time for leaving SF to Florida is 6am, so that meant we had to check in by 4am. The plus side to this was that there was no wait at the check in desk, especially since we were flying first class ( first chance to use our AA frequent flyer miles).This time we checked 2 pieces of luggage, having had weighed it carefully before we left. It is always a concern that we will be overweight, and who wants to pay the overage? Not us. It turned out that one bag came in at 48 pounds, and the other at 50 pounds on the nose. Hey, we are getting pretty good at this! The agent commented that a few pounds over would have been OK with her. Of course, you cannot always depend on running into a nice agent like this lady. And we had worried about the new security check that has been hyped by the news media. We did nothing differently and neither did they. Shoes and jackets off, computer out of the case, small liquids in baggie and walk through the usual xray door. That was it. We had just enough time to relax with coffee and toast, then boarded the plane at 5:30am. First class is nice.......first on, first off, and plenty of seat and leg room. And food on top of that, although it wasn't the best we have eaten, it was sufficient. The weather cooperated with us today. Our biggest concern is always the chance of January ground fog, which can delay flights. No, it was partly cloudy after a day of rain. It's always a treat to see the sparkling lights of the expanse of city below us as we flew out of SFO. The pilot circled, then headed east into the rising sun. As we neared the valley, you could see nothing but a layer of storm clouds beneath us, resembling a huge fluffy down quilt. It remained that way until we were well out of California. The movie, You Again, began as the stewards were serving our third breakfast of the day. However, we had to read lips, because they had failed to pass out the earbuds. It really did not matter, since the movie was a bit silly anyway. Plugging in later was not much better, since the sound was interrupted by the plane's engines. Oh well, nothing is perfect. The flight of about 5 hours was basically uneventful, which was great. We landed around 2:15pm, eastern time, met with the HAL rep at baggage claim, loaded our bags onto the handtruck, and boarded a bus just for the two of us, the greyhound limo, for the 45 minute ride to Ft. Lauderdale. It was nice to check into the Westin Hotel, where we have stayed at on past world cruises. Not as opulent as other hotels, the Westin is comfortable with plush beds and good amenities. We ran into many friends within minutes of arriving. Many of us have traveled a day earlier in order to acclimate sooner to the time change. Did we mention that two HAL ships will be leaving on their Grand Voyages on Wednesday? The Amsterdam, doing the world cruise, and the Prinsendam, doing the South America/Antarctica cruise, will leave Wednesday from the pier at the same time. This does not happen often, so there should be some fanfare during our sailaway. And the complimentary cocktail party and dinner, hosted by our travel agency this evening will include Prinsendam cruisers that have booked with our travel agency. Since we know many of them, it should be a fun evening. Today, we plan to take the shuttle provided by our TA to the Pompano Plaza, a 15 minute ride from the hotel. That will give us a chance to pick up some supplies, and perhaps eat lunch out somewhere. It would have been nice to relax by the pool, but the skies are heavily cloudy, and it would not be worth the risk of sunburn. As long as it doesn't rain, we will be happy campers. Warm and slightly humid....we can handle! More to follow......... Bill & Mary Ann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Ellen Posted January 4, 2011 #50 Share Posted January 4, 2011 Thank you. DH and I always enjoy your GV reports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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