Venture with Bill & Mary Ann on the 2013 GW Voyage "Postcards from Paradise" 115 days

[erewhon]

Thank you for your reports.

 

How fantastic to celebrate one's 99th birthday during a world cruise.

[WCB]

Report # 57 Fremantle, Australia Day Two February 26, 2013 Tuesday

 

The day was ours to spend as we wished. What we wished was that it was not quite so hot outside, but we had no control over that. Mostly sunny with temps in the 100's is what the newsletter said. How right they were.

 

We left the ship after having a light breakfast. Retracing our steps from yesterday, we found our way to Kings Square, pretty much the center of town. This was to be our final stop in Australia, so we needed to spend the remainder of the Aussie money, especially the coins. That meant we could purchase a few necessary souveniers (a t-shirt, of course and some mini koalas), lunch, and perhaps, the rest at the supermarket.

 

It was only 10am, so we took our time looking in the dozens of shops on the main street, as well as Target. Yes, there was the familiar Target store, although small, it was busy with locals and passengers alike. Usually we do not visit a whole lot of stores, but it was necessary to get out of the heat.

 

We found our way to Esplanade Reserve, which was full of extremely old Norfolk Island pines. They cast a wonderful shade, where we sat on wooden benches to relax for a while. What we found that was nice, were the numerous places throughout this town for public restrooms. The ones we used were well maintained, something we will surely miss as we head north towards a different type of civilization.

 

We back-tracked to South Terrace Street, also dubbed Cappacchino Strip by the locals. Cozy cafes line both sides of avenue, and were starting to get busy by 12:30pm. Since the all aboard time was 3:30pm, we needed to find that special pizza place soon. Refreshing beers were also needed by now. So we ended up at a place by the name of SoHo Bar and Kitchen. The cuisine was strictly Italian with a large variety of wood-fired pizza. Their menu stated that SoHo pizzas are made using fine seminola flours, with sauces made from local tomatoes, fresh herbs, and tasty cheeses. They're guaranteed authentic, with rustic flavor and appearance. We can agree with every word of description. We split a 12 inch margherita pizza, with a thin, but crispy crust, just the way we like it. But the lifesavers were the ice cold Peroni beers, tasting oh so good on this terribly hot day. Lingering as long as we could, we had to leave to give us enough time to spend the rest of the money, although not a lot was left. To cool off a bit more, we bought some gelato in a cup to eat on the way back.

 

At Coles, we ran into more cruise folks, including our host Tom, spending their Aussie money too. We were like little kids spending their allowance money or something. All the sale soda cases were gone off of the shelves, so we opted for a couple of 2 liter bottles. Guess they were cleaned out yesterday.

 

The sailaway party was held at the aft pool where a nice breeze was blowing across the deck. Once we left the pier, it got downright windy, but it was most welcomed. We had to laugh, because before we left the dock, we could see dozens of broken lounges from the pool in a huge debris box on the pier. There were also two broken dryers, we heard, from one of the laundry rooms onboard. Now we know why there were so few lounges at the aft pool yesterday. It was the first time that we came at 11am and all the chairs were occupied. Henk, the hotel manager, came to speak with us (we're still having water problems in our room). He said that there are 700 new lounges on deck ten, and will be brought down tomorrow. Good news for all.

 

We were out of the harbor and headed in a northerly directions towards our next stop at Bali in Indonesia. That will be three days from now, after three sea days of the Mariner Appreciation Days, an event surrounding the visit of Stein Kruse, the HAL CEO, and his wife and entourage. The daily newsletter stated for us to watch the news for the special events to come. Yes, we will be watching. You can count on that.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[DFD1]

Your reports from Australia have been great fun to read. Thank you.

[WCB]

Report # 58 Day at Sea February 27, 2013 Wednesday

 

In keeping with the Mariner Appreciation Days, the fun has begun, at least for those of us that have completed at least 850 days of sailing the high seas. We were invited to a special brunch that was held in the Crows Nest at 11am. The room was converted into a dining venue with eight round tables of eight guests each, including one or more officers hosting each table.

 

A receving line was formed in the entryway where we met Stein Kruse and Linda, his wife, Gerald, the Mariner bossman, his assistant Sally, and Captain and Mrs. Mercer. This was our third brunch with them, and they did remember us. We do know Gerald much better, since he recently joined our travel group at our dinner in Ft. Lauderdale.

 

As we exited the line, a waiter escorted us to our pre-assigned seats, which we believe were selected by Kim, the Pinnacle Grill manager. She kindly seated us with Peter, the ship's purser, who we know well. Other guests joining us were Brian and Louise, who we also know, a couple from Grass Valley, California, and an elderly lady we have seen around the ship often. When she took her seat, she loudly announced that she was deaf and could only hear the people on either side of her. Despite that, we did try to include her in all of the conversations.

 

Now this meal was quite interesting in that everything served was original, some of it a first for most of us. Starters were crab cakes, which looked familiar when we dine in the Pinnacle Grill. One of us ordered the pate, which was served on a black slate, like a roof tile. The food consisted of one tiny slice of pate, along with 2 small pieces of toasted bread, and a dollup of cooked banana with one raspberry. Sounds weird, but it was delicious.

 

The next course presented to all was a bowl containing a slice of venison sausage and a bit of langostino or lobster. The waiters then poured a bean puree soup into the bowl. Since Mary Ann has a shellfish allergy, she would not taste the soup, because you never know if other fish sauces could be ijn the recipe. Best to avoid any chances of reactions, which could be sudden. She said thanks, but no thanks.

 

There were three choices of entrees.........a lamb dish, fish, or quiche. Bill chose the lamb, a trio of tastes, which included what appeared to be tongue, filet, and chop perhaps. That was different if in fact it was tongue. Mary Ann had the quiche to be on the safe side. Red or white wines were poured, except for us, we had sodas. Previous to coming to the brunch, we had been walking on the promenade deck, where the temperature must have reached 100 degrees, or at least it felt like it. The humidity has hit big time as we head north. Anyway, the sodas over ice were a bit of heaven for us.

 

Finally, one of the best desserts we have eaten was served. It consisted of two meringe cookies, filled with three raspberries and cream. Next to that was a thin layer of a nut brittle with a scoop of raspberry shebert on top. Sticking out of the shebert was a honeycomb chunk of candy. Every one of us cleaned their plates.

 

Right before we began eating, Stein and his group visited with each group of eight. We had the chance to mention the type of music we have had onboard like forever, when Stein brought up a story about attending a Jimmy Buffet concert with his family. We all agreed that we would love to hear those tunes at the pool, so Stein promised to have a word with the cruise director concerning the music. We only ask if they can bring it out of the 30's and 40's. If anyone can initiate a change, it should be the CEO, right? The photographer also took a picture of all of us with the bossmen and their ladies. If we call from previous cruises, we should get a copy or two complimentary in a few days from now.

 

The affair ended around 1pm. As we left the lounge, Kim handed us a menu as a souvenier, asking how we liked the food. Bill remarked how much he liked the lamb dish, including the tongue, and Kim seemed to be happy about that. So it was tongue after all.

 

The rest of the afternoon was spent at the aft pool, literally baking in the sun. There was a following wind all day, making it warmer than it should have been. Without that breeze, most folks had to be in the pool more than out of it. Our buddy Mel pulled up a chair to discuss the lunch with us. He and wife Helen had been at a different table, so he wanted to find out what we had learned. We did have some info.....the big party will be held on March 2nd, our day in Bali. Apparently, local Balinese dancers will be joining us that day, instead of flying ahead of time to Fremantle. More decorations will also come onboard that day we dock there. That may affect the participation of that celebration, since most folks will have spent the day on tours, and will be very tired from the heat and bus rides. many of the tours in Bali are over 8 hours, including the one we have booked. Perhaps it won't be as crowded, or such a wild crazy drinking fest that happened last year.

 

Char, the future cruise consultant joined us for dinner tonight. She informed us that she is taking deposits to hold our rooms for the 2015 world cruise, even though we do not know where it will be going yet. That should be announced by the CEO in the next couple of days at his speech in the Queens Lounge. As soon as we hear the itinerary, we'll let you all know. Will it be eastbound, or will it take us through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean? One never knows what the bosses in charge have in mind.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 59 Day at Sea February 28, 2013 Thursday

 

Can you believe that today is the last day of February? Where has the time gone? The cruise has a whole different feel to it as we head into the warmest climate of this trip.....Indonesia. The temperatures have climbed into the high 80's, although the humidity makes it feels much hotter. With that following wind, there is little relief from the instant sweaty feeling we all have going to the outside decks.

 

Because of that, many smart folks stayed inside the ship going to lectures, playing games, or indulging in their favorite passtime.....eating. One exploration speaker talked about rock art in the Western Desert. Guess he is still dealing with Australia and their "dreamtime". One of our more humorous tablemates studied the aboriginal moves in the local show while we were overnight Fremantle. He got the kangaroo moves down pat, and entertains us with these signals at dinnertime. He has us laughing every time. Now we are imitating him, and amusing the folks around us. Or perhaps they think we are nuts.

 

Tonight, a formal evening, a cocktail party was held in the Queens Lounge, giving all of the guests the chance to meet Stein Kruse and his wife on their way into the lounge. We always enter on the left side of the room to get our special seats on the lower landing, mostly to avoid the photo op. Actually, we did get a complimentary photo from our brunch in the Crows Nest yesterday. Our favorite bar waiters know where to find us, and quickly had our drinks at our table in a few minutes. Manny visited often bringing doubles.

 

The usual speech was given by the CEO, then he presented awards to some employees who have been with HAL for over 30 years. A special guest of honor happened to be Bernie Rius, the former head chef of many grand voyages. Bernie suffered a heart attack last spring, and has been recouperating ever since then. While we were emailing this afternoon, Bernie came by with his wife to say hello to us. Of course, he wanted to know what we thought of the food with the new chef. Our only complaint was that the quality of the beef has been under par, and he seemed to already know that. He promised that it was going to be corrected soon. Anyway, he looked great, and received an award from Mr. Kruse during his presentation. He will be missed, but we are certain he will enjoy retirement in his native country of the Phillipines.

 

A surprise announcement was made by Stein regarding Bruce Scudder, our current cruise director. He will be leaving his position when the world cruise ends in May, and go into a different department of specialized travel, we assume within the Carnival Corporation. No future CD was announced, although we are certain there are many qualified people that can take his place.

 

At dinner, we had the ship's doctor, Phil, join us. Everyone asked if he was THE Dr. Phil, which we are sure he has heard a million times before tonight. We toasted his visit and also stated that we hope none of us has to visit him on a professional basis. Two of our favorite items were on this Gala menu..........honey-mustard parmesan chicken and veal parmigiana. Desserts of berry cobbler and hot fudge sundae ended the perfect meal.

 

We were hit with a blast of hot, moist air as we walked the promenade deck briefly after dinner. There was no hint of a breeze at all. Wonder if tomorrow will be any better? Probably not, since we are heading towards the Equator rapidly. It has also begun to get rough with deep swells, and Captain Mercer mentioned a force 5 wind with some rain tomorrow morning. Might be better than this unbearable heat.

 

Gifts were left for us this evening by our room stewards. They were Tiffany crystal bowls, suitable for nuts or candy. They will match the votive candle holders we received last year.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 60 Day at Sea March 1, 2013 Friday

 

So far, the Amsterdam has been lucky not to have hit that cyclone that passed by here a few days ago. What we are experiencing are deep swells, rolling and pitching, high winds, all leftovers from the storm. It was still warm enough to go to the pool, although there were many clouds overhead. Actually, the clouds blocking the sun was a good thing. When it rains here, it RAINS here. But did we run for shelter when we had occasional sprinkles? No, it felt good. Without warning, a big cloud dumped copious water on the decks, sending us under the overhang. It was probably a good thing for two reasons. It saved us from any more sunburn, and gave us time to have a bite of lunch before attending the special presentation and Q&A with Stein Kruse at 2:30pm in the Queens Lounge. It was a bit hard getting to the Pool Grill, since the deck was half-closed for the construction of bamboo parts for what looked like a pagoda spanning the midship pool. The Amsterdam bronze bears were being closed in with bamboo fencing, and a bridge was added that spanned the width of the pool. It's a sure thing that the party will be held on March 2nd, after our day of touring Bali.

 

At the presentation, the most current news of the cruise industry was discussed by the CEO. Despite the problems that the industry has had in the past year or so, business is booming. Among the subjects discussed were the future of the HAL ships, including the new build of a Pinnacle class ship. It will be under 100,000 gross tons with a large number of passengers. When asked how we liked that, there was a resounding "boo" throughout the lounge. Mr. Kruse looked quite surprised with that reaction. He's got to understand that this is a tough crowd to sell something new. Crowds and supersize vessels are not our cup of tea.

 

He continued on with a discussion concerning the Seabourn line, also under the Carnival umbrella. He told us that the three original Seabourn ships will be sold, with the newest ones replacing them. Another ship will be added soon as well. Stein hinted that there is a discussion about possibly blending the Seabourn days with the HAL days. Now that might help boost some business towards the higher-end cruise line. He did reassure everyone that the Prinsendam will be around for many more years, since much money has been invested in upgrades on her. We know. We were on that ship when many of those upgrades were being done.

 

Gerald, the Mariner president, went over the new perks for the Mariner Club. Many of us are wondering when the level of perks will be added for those with days over 500 to 1399. According to one of the questions asked of him, Mr.Kruse said they are "working on it". Hmmmm, we have heard that before, more than once.......

 

Finally, the announcement of the 2015 Grand World Voyage itinerary came from the CEO. It will be the "B" proposal, westbound and round trip from Ft. Lauderdale. We do not know if the ports are exactly the same as the proposal, but there will be 11 overnights. There are no stops whatsoever in South America, except Santa Marta in the Caribbean. From the Caribbean and the Panama Canal it heads to French Polynesia, 3 ports in New Zealand, around the south coast of Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, no Hong Kong, Singapore, Phuket, Myanmar (new), Sri Lanka, India, Dubai, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Spain, Azores, and finally back to Florida. The majority vote was for going back through the Mediterranean, no surprise to most of us.

 

Lastly, the Q&A session included Captain Mercer and Henk Mensink, the Hotel Manager, who both will be back on next year's world cruise. Questions included one regarding the Amsterdam's planned drydocking at the end of this year. Most of the work will be cosmetic, like carpeting and curtains and drapes on decks one and two. We are sure much more will be done, but that info was not shared with us. Another inquiry dealt with smoking. After this world cruise, there will be no more smoking allowed in public areas. That includes the Crows Nest and Sports Bar. Not sure of the outside bar, decks, or verandas.

 

There was also an open forum where guests could ask Stein, the Captain, or Henk questions directly, something they have not done in the last couple of years. The internet and the slow speed was thoroughly explained once again. Someone asked if BBC could be added to the mix in our room TV, and the answer was yes, if people wanted to pay lots more for it. In addition, upon being asked if the world cruise itinerary could include an extensive visit to Northern Europe, he said pull out your credit cards, and we will do it. To be truthful, some of his answers bordered on being arrogant, especially when our buddy Mel asked innocently about increasing the benefits for longtime cruisers. He basically did not want to address that one, even though Gerald would have been the man to do it. Like we said, they are working on it.

 

Barb was missing at dinner, because she was invited to the second Presidents Club evening in the Pinnacle Grill with the powers to be. She popped in to the dining room and joined us shortly after 9pm to share a little news about the affair. Apparently the food and the wine were great, and she was glad it was over.

 

Tomorrow will be a really big day with Bali to see and savor, and the big party, which will be held from 5 to 9pm. If nothing else, it will be a "hot" one for sure.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 61 Bali, Indonesia march 2, 2013 Saturday

 

Oh, where to start? Today has to be the most jammed-pack port of the entire world cruise. We had pre-booked an all day tour, mostly because the usual tender landing has little to keep our interest. If we had known that we would be docking in Benoa instead, perhaps we could have eliminated the tour and gone off on our own. A little side note: pre-booking a tour and paying in full for it prior to sailing, means that if you choose to cancel it, you forfeit 10% of the tour price. That is, unless you book another tour in its place. Sort of like blackmail, even though the shore excursion folks can and will sell your abandoned tour immediately. If you had waited to book the tour when you boarded and you cancelled before the deadline, you get a full refund to your shipboard account. A no-brainer if you don't mind taking the chance that the tour will be sold out.

 

Continuing on, the evening would turn the Lido area into a Night Market, transformed into the cultural heart of Indonesia. The festivities are planned to last from 5pm to 9pm, so we'll get back to this event later in the report.

 

At least one week ago, hand-written notes began appearing on the cabin doors. Passengers wrote to their room stewards for all to see, their permission not to clean their cabins on March 2nd. Well, it spread from deck to deck, until every other door was marked. We did not need to post it on our door, but we told our nice fellows directly not to clean our room that day. They thanked us and said they would be doing minimum service that day, in order to give them more time with their families while in Bali. Some of the Indonesian staff would only get one hour of free time today, so whatever we could do to add to that, we were happy to do it.

 

The tour. The Amsterdam was scheduled to arrive and be docked at Benoa around 8am. That did not happen. Upon sailing into the Badang Strait, a rather large local ferry was in our spot. Captain Mercer waited patiently for them to move, but sometime around 9am he began blowing the ship's horn to speed up the process. As a result, we did not tie up alongside and get cleared until closer to 10am. That meant that all of the full day tours would be delayed by more than one hour, getting folks back late in the day. Come to think of it, isn't that why these special ship events are held on a sea day? Anyway, it is what it is.

 

We gathered our stuff and waited in the Queens Lounge with hundreds of other passengers hoping to join their buses soon. There were five tours that were at least 8 hours or more in duration. Most everyone was concerned that we would not get back in time to enjoy the party, so the quicker we left the sooner we would be back. Due to some prior accidents happening in this lounge while dashing to the exit, new rules have been established the last two years. Everyone has to sit down on a cushioned seat, not on the stairs. You cannot hide behind the columns, because you will be embarrassed and told to SIT. Leslie, the shore excursion assistant manager, warns folks not to stampede to get the best seats on the buses. Does that stop most people? NO. On the other hand, we usually find the back seats of the bus the best, and that's where we ended up today. At least we had legroom, while the others were jammed in tight.

 

The weather looked promising when we left the ship. The sun was out, but there were also some clouds on the horizon. It was hot, hot, hot, and humid, just like we remembered Bali to be. Some brightly dressed dancers were performing for us, but we had no time to even photograph them. The terminal building was very nicely decorated in tile and Balinese decorations. Some shops lined the walkway out but there was no time to browse. Surely, there would be time for shopping, because shopping finds you in this part of the world. The only negative we could see by docking here, is that it took almost an hour to drive out of the port area, due to stop lights that only allowed two vehicles through at a time.

 

It took about 1 1/2 hours to drive to our first stop at Klungkung Keragosa, a compound built in 1710 by local artists. The ornate pagoda-like pavilion is surrounded by a pond full of waterliles and fish. Upon entering the walled compound, we were given sarongs to tie around our waists. Those of us that chose comfort by wearing long shorts (there were many of us) were required to have our knees covered. Not a problem, we have done this many times before. This is better than having to take our shoes off, and hope they will be outside where we left them. In that case, we do not enter the temple, because our shoes are not something that can be replaced in most of these areas.

 

Lunch was our next destination. By now, we had begun climbing higher into the mountains and the temperature was dropping, much to our delight. Once we arrived at the restaurant, Mahagiri, we heard thunder clapping overhead. Rain was certainly coming soon. The restaurant was really nice with the most spectacular scenery below the balconies of tables. Tiered rice terraces lined the valley below us like gentle steps down a mountainside. Everywhere we looked, we saw green with coconut palms, clove trees, bamboo, bananas, and wild grasses. Bali is truly a paradise. But the green comes with a price.......rain.

 

It began as a drizzle as we headed towards our next stop at Besakih, the Mother Temple of Bali, built 1000 feet up the volcanic slopes of Mount Agung. By the time the bus parked, the rain was coming down torrentially. Our guide, who by the way, was very hard to understand, handed each of us a plastic poncho, which did help if you chose to wear it. It was not the best time to find out one of our umbrellas leaked big time. What we did not know, was that we had to walk up the road for almost a half a mile to reach this outdoor temple. A river was literally running down the road, filling our shoes up immediately. Oh well, we were halfway up there and soaked to the bone, so might as well tough it out and walk the rest of the way. Keeping our cameras under cover, we watched as many fellow busmates took advantage of the offer by the local guys on their motorbikes for a ride uphill. They asked for one dollar, like everything else they sell here. What they do not tell you is that it cost $5. or more to get off the bike at the end of the road.

 

This six-tiered temple, Pura Penataran Agung, was terraced up the steep hillside and has 23 separate temples. The view from the top is reportedly impressive, extending down to the sea. Unfortunately, with the rain and heavy clouds, the view was obliterated. What disturbed us were the large numbers of locals trying to sell postcards, fabrics (did buy some), masks, boxed meat skewers, and carved bone vases. Actually, the vases were made from plastic, but looked good for one dollar. NOT one dollar, if you really wanted to buy it. They wanted $5 or $10 instead, but the dollar thing caught everyone's attention for sure. Bill climbed to the top of the temple, and was accousted by local fellows who demanded money for being up there. What we had failed to hear, was the warning given by our guide NOT to give these guys anything. It wasn't that we did not hear him, but we did not understand what he had said. Another guide from bus 11 repeated the warning, and then we understood. We have seen this behavior before, so it did not surprise us, just disappoints us coming from temple fellows at their holy place.

 

The rain did let up on our walk back downhill to the waiting bus. We had a chilly ride to the last stop at a palace, Puri Agung Karangasem, built in the 19th century. This Hindu complex had three different styles of Balinese, European, and Chinese influences. We walked around the garden area, where we spotted caged chickens, roosters used for fighting, even though gambling is illegal here on the island. Our guide said that many poor folks are even poorer due to a gambling problem. Guess they can create a law, but it is not easy to enforce it. This stop turned into a bathroom stop for most of us, although the accommodations were less than satisfactory. Most gals said they would wait until we got back to the ship, but that wasn't for two more hours. That can be a REALLY long ride on bumpy roads.

 

The driver worked his way towards the coastline, where we followed a bumpy road towards the beachside resorts. Numerous trucks were on the highway hauling sand for the cement plants here. Mix those trucks with a million motorbikes, and you have that two hour drive to get back to Benoa. We got back to the ship in the dark by 7pm, still with a lot of time to attend the party in progress. But not until we changed our wet clothes and shoes first.

 

Now to the party. Two days ago, we had a newsletter than advertised that during the Night Market Party, there would be a $5. cycle taxi ride around the Lido pool for those who wished to donate to a charity. Also, a $25. Canaletto Indonesian fare dinner was offered to 80 people only. The proceeds would go to the Rainbow Foundation, a medical shelter for ill children from all over Indonesia. Any additional donations could be dropped off in a special box at the Canaletto. We are certain they had no problem filling the available seats for dinner. As for the cycle ride, we figured it would be done up on deck nine where there were no obstacles for the rickshaw. However, we were wrong. They attempted to give rides through the crowd of passengers and entertainers around the mid pool. Oh well, there were a couple of takers.

 

We arrived to the ongoing celebration after 7:30pm. It was going strong, and we soon joined our friends after acquiring our cocktails at one of the several side bars set up. After all, the drinks were free at least until 9pm, and everyone was well ahead of us by this time. The conversion of the pool area was very spectacular with hundreds of potted palm trees and large pots of rice plants surrounding the pool. As we guessed, a pagoda constructed of bamboo spanned the pool, with a bridge to match. Balinese umbrellas were everywhere, with entertainment in progress. A Gamelan band played, an Angklung group played their bamboo instruments, and a Wajang shadow puppet show took place in the pingpong area. There was also a singer, a flute player, and dancers....all dressed in native costumes. Kecak or monkey dancers roamed the crowd. Craft tables were set up around the pool (cash only). Paintings, wood carvings, batik fabrics, jewelry and leather goods were for sale. Inside the lido and the pool grill were dishes of Indonesian cuisine, and most folks ate there.

 

Barb, Van (Carol was not feeling well), Helen, and the two of us went to our usual table for dinner shortly after 8pm. We had a nice meal that was served promptly, since we shared the dining room with just a few other guests. Well, there is one thing to be said for getting back late from our tour........we did not suffer from hangovers later on (we seldom, if ever do anyway). Not sure we can say that about the rest of the group. The ship left the port around 11pm, and headed towards Sulawesi, our next stop.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[kazu]

Great reports you two! Thank you so much. Interesting statements by Mr. Kruse. We'll see what happens. I'm surprised he was shocked that people on board were not thrilled with the new ship. After all you are on one of the smaller ships - what does he expect?

 

Really enjoying your reports. Have fun

[judithbiggs]

Gosh we miss you two this year. It sounds like it was an interesting Q&A. Not sure what was meant by opening up your pocketbooks for a Northern Europe route and having BBC. Can you explain. Pretty much like the itinerary for 15, but will miss Hong Kong. We are really enjoying reading about everything. Say hi to everyone for us.

 

Judy & Glenn

[WCB]

Report # 62 Day at Sea March 3, 2013 Sunday

 

Today marks the 57th day, and it happens to be the halfway mark of this world cruise. As the saying goes, time flies when you are having fun. We are quite certain that the crew have sweet but sad feelings about leaving the port of Bali yesterday, home for many of the ship's crewmembers. It took the better part of the day for the fellows to tear down the elaborate decorations from yesterday's affair. What remained were the numerous pots of tall rice plants, and the huge potted palm trees. We learned from florist Eddie, that the rice will be taken off tomorrow, but the potted palms will stay indefinitely. One hundred and forty seven of these palms are lining the window areas of the Lido pool under the dome. Another dozen of them are now surrounding the back side of the spas. They really look nice, and they should since it cost HAL almost $15,000. to supply them for the Indonesian party. It should be interesting to see how well they do when the ship does the Alaskan cruises this coming summer. Anyway, we really like the tropical look they give the Lido pool area.

 

We ran into our host Tom M. while walking the promenade deck this morning. He often comes around 10am to relax on the teak lounges for a while before going to Chat Time on deck five. Because he is so friendly, he is seldom left alone to enjoy his coffee. It was our turn today to ask how he liked the party. He told us that he spent the whole day with a suddenly ill passenger, who happens to be onboard with his wife of four months for his honeymoon. Anyway, this fellow had to be admitted to the local hospital in Bali because he was having heart attack symtoms. Seems like all of the ship doctors take the highest precautions by putting people off in the next port. Sometimes it saves their lives. This was Tom's 9th medical disembark so far for this trip. He is most helpful, because he helps pack the guests luggage, then accompanies them to the hospitals. He stays until he knows they are settled. Not many other hosts would be that good with the folks, who seldom expect these things to happen.

 

Shortly after resuming our walk, we looked overboard and saw rafts of garbage flowing by the ship. It lasted for mile after mile. Our guess is that it was carried down rivers from the islands, then out to sea. Plastic bags, diapers, paper wrappers, plastic containers, tea bag covers, foil containers....you name it, we saw it. Where are the "green police" when you need them? Now we understand why some islanders, such as in French Polynesia, often burn this type of debris to get rid of it. It cannot be thrown just anywhere, and not expect it to be taken away to sea in the runoff water from storms. Wonder where all this stuff ends up? Antarctica?

 

A new Exploration speaker, Dr. Adrian Cooper, has come onboard with knowledge on oceanography, island ecosystems, and tropical forests in Southeast Asia. Hmmmm, perhaps his lectures would be better suited onshore. Today his talk was about life on coral reefs.

 

Barbara H. talked about things to see and do in the Phillipines, which is coming up soon. One of the stops will be a new one for us, Puerto Princesa. Apparently, the tourist infrastructure is not the best yet, so how they will sell their three tours there, we don't know. There is a warning with each of the tours not to expect a lot. That speaks for itself, we think. We'll be on our own that day.

 

We had company for dinner tonight.......Aileen Bridgewater and her husband. Wish we would have payed more attention to her biography that was written in the daily newsletter last week, but that one got by us. They have lived in Hong Kong for the last 20 years, and her talk today was all about their close neighbors that are fish farm men, agricultural farmers, and handicraft workers. By her accent, we could tell they were British, and by luck, they sat next to Van, Martha, Barb, and Diane, who talked to them all evening. Martha, who had invited them, also chatted away the evening. But then, she always does. We can always depend on her to fill in the quiet spaces. In our humble opinion, sometimes it is not always comfortable having guests that we do not know. It can disrupt the chemistry of your table, and for that reason, one by one, our tablemates began to leave the dining room early. When our friend Barb jumped up and said she was leaving to brush her teeth, we knew that was the signal to leave too.

 

Will try to get to bed early for we have a tour tomorrow with our travel group. The port is Ujung Padang, Sulawesi, also a new one for most all of us.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Maimou]

I love cruising with you, albeit vicariously!! I recall the last Grand Voyage--I was mesmerized! Please, do you mind telling me how many of these you have done? However many you have done, I hope you do many more!

[JamesEM]

Thanks for keeping us posted.

[WCB]

Report # 63 Makassar, Sulawesi, Indonesia March 4, 2013 Monday

 

The port of call for today was the largest city of South Sulawesi, Udung Pandang, or Makassar, Indonesia. It is a city of millions of primarily Muslim, Buddhist, and Christian people. Even though Sulawesi is an Indonesian country, it is definitely not the same as Bali, our stop a couple of days ago. Once out of the pier area, the city reminded us of Mumbai, India, because the streets were crowded with motorscooters, taxis, cars, huge trucks, buses, and hordes of people going about their daily business. There were mosques every other block, with the call for prayer sounding from the many minarets every four or five hours. Absent were the exotic Hindu temples that lined the roads of Bali.

 

Thank goodness we had booked a tour with our travel agency this morning. This is not a place we would even consider walking out of the port gates. Besides the traffic and congestion, the heat and humidity would take down the best of us in a short time. We lucked out and got a guide that spoke good English for our group of 28. The first thing he did was hand out water bottles or sodas to each of us. And even though it was only 9am, the guests were already drinking it. Our guide said that the more luxurious areas of Sulawesi were in the mountains north of Makassar in Tinah Toraja. The mountains are where all of the crops are grown, because that is where all the rain comes down. So there were rice paddys, as well as corn, copra (coconut), coffee, spices, soybeans, and sweet potatoes...all grown for local consumption and for export. We just would not see them today. Other products exported from here are teak and rattan, rubber, gum, and resins. Mines produce silver, tin, nickel, and iron ore. Since education, even for small children, is not free, most all of the kids follow in their parents footsteps and become fishermen, farmers, and miners.

 

Our first stop was at the produce market, a short drive from the port area. There was street about 1/2 mile long with tented stands full of that produce listed above, along with fruits and veggies of every kind, some unrecognizable. Eggs were sold in abundance, live chickens, or butchered ones too. Nothing is covered, not even the dried fish that was for sale. You would think the smell of the fresh fish would be bad, but it was not. In fact we saw no insects at all. Maybe it was just too hot for them. The vendors, local shoppers, and the kids all loved to have their photos taken. The biggest problem was the traffic. On such a narrow street, the cars, scooters, and becaks, or the rickshaws wove their way through the throngs of the tourists pouring out of the many buses. Surely we were a disruption for them, although everyone remained civil, except for the horns blowing on the motorscooters. We spent about 1/2 hour to walk end to end, where our air-conditioned bus awaited us.

 

A 10 minute ride brought us to Paotere Harbour where we saw the traditional Buginese wooden schooners and fishing vessels. They were docked next to each other, where with the use of wooden planks, they brought their cargo to the dock. These are the old style fishing boats that had already gone out in the early hours of the morning, and brought back their catch of small shrimps and fish. There was about a half acre of flat land where the fishermen were spreading out the fish on large tarps right on the ground to dry in the sun. As we got closer to the massive boats, we noticed that the garbage in the water looked like the same stuff we saw floating out at sea yesterday. here we thought all that stuff had floated out from the rivers, but no, we saw people throwing plastic water bottles out the boat windows with no thought at all. It's a way of living that is acceptable here we guess.

 

The following stop was at Fort Rotterdam, built by the King of Gowa in 1545. A statue of the Prince astride a white horse sits outside of the complex, but his tomb is 1 kilometer east of the ramparts. The fort was taken over by the Dutch in 1669 and finally turned over to the Indonesians in 1937. Today the fort is a cultural center housing the Conservatory of Dance and Music and the La Galigo Museum. It was also a pit stop, again, not a so nice one. Before our guide led us on a quick tour of the museum, we had the offer of snacks and another cold drink of water or soda.....most welcome at this point. A table was set with bowls of a meringe cookies, molasses rolled in peanuts, and something that resembled a crunchy nut. There was a tray of banana-wrapped rice, which was made with coconut milk and coconut meat. Only one of us was game to taste it, and so far, no one is sick (it's been 12 hours).

 

The museum was interesting since the visit was brief and to the point. There were two floors that had displays that showed the old housing, some of which were built like the Buginese boats on stilts. Part of the culture of this island involves their different handling of the dead family members. When a person dies, they are mummified, eventually cremated, and kept in the home. The family then has to save enough money to buy a water buffalo to be used to feed many guests at a major funeral festival. At that point, this festival becomes huge, and everyone in the area brings the remains to be cremated in one big funeral pyre. Sounds strange, but it is a happy ceremony for them. The story goes that the family cannot cry for their loss, but they must be happy that their relative will be in paradise after death. No tears in public for them.

 

Finally, the last stop was made at a shopping street called Jalan Sombu Opu. There was one very narrow, small souvenier shop on the corner, where several busloads of tourists were dropped off at the same time. Duh? Walking down the street, we passed one gold store after the other. The display cases were filled with dazzling 24 karat gold jewelry, which was weighed by old scales and sold by the gram. There could have been antiques, silks, art, and wooden items, but we did not locate them. Just as well, since we already have too much stuff at home. We got back to the ship by 1pm and were so glad we did. The heat had taken a toll on all of us. One thing we missed were the local vendors who usually are near the ship. Probably due to security issues, there were only food vendors who cater to the ferries that come here.

 

The Lido was mobbed, so we had a cheese and cracker party in our room with ice cold sodas. The rest of the afternoon was spent at the aft pool, which had cooled down a bit due to overhead clouds. The ship left the port around 5pm and quickly picked up a wonderful breeze. We have two days at sea, and we will arrive to the Philippines for two stops there.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Carolin]

Thank you so much for writing these reports for us. I dream of going to all of these wonderful places and I hope some day I will. For right now, I can see it in my mind through your word.

 

I hope you continue to have a wonderful world cruise. :)

[WCB]

Report # 64 Day at Sea Crossing the Equator March 5, 2013 Tuesday

 

Even though we have already crossed the Equator on this trip way back when we were on the west coast of South America, we did not celebrate the event until today, when we will cross it for the second time. At 10am, Captain Mercer blew the horn once, commencing the beginning of the ceremony. The crazy tradition began centuries ago with the sailors who wished a safe passage and smooth waters. In order to achieve this, sacrifices have to be made, and some crew members made the perfect prisoners.

 

King Neptune or Poseidon with his three-pronged spear is chief of the Water Deities. He can assure safe passage or not. So he reads the decree to start the process of the prisoner initiation. Four crew members at a time are judged, then "slimed" with tinted egg whites. They either get dunked in the pool, or condemned to kiss the fish. Yes, a really big, ugly stinky fish. It's just fun watching them do both. It's also a huge mess to clean up later.

 

It's too bad the rain decided to fall hard by the time the ceremony began. Usually, we can go up on deck nine and photograph the event from a better angle. It wasn't possible today...the retractable roof was closed. Do you know how unbearably hot and humid it was under that closed dome? We only lasted in there 10 minutes, annoyed with the camera lens that kept steaming up. The main thing is that the event worked, because the rain, thunder, and lightening eased up by the afternoon. We were able to spend some time at the aft pool, although did not go swimming. We heard by the gasps of some guests that the pool had been filled with cold water. We swear the temperature of the back pool must have been close to 100 degrees yesterday. Not refreshing at all.

 

This evening was formal with the theme being "Under the Sea" for the crossing of the Equator, of course. Colorful mobiles of shimmering fish hung throughout the dining room. Very large helium balloons of octopus, crabs, clown fish, and tangs livened up the tables. Many guests walked away with the decorations to take home to their rooms.

 

King Neptune under the Sea Ball was held in the Queens Lounge at 10pm. We'll find out how that went tonorrow from our tablemates that may have attended.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 65 Day at Sea March 6, 2013 Wednesday

 

Well, we had a much better start to the day when we noticed mostly blue skies and few clouds outside our window early this morning. The worst of the rain seems to have passed over us for the time being.

 

So we spent most of the day truly relaxing and reading at the aft pool. There is a significant number of guests departing in Hong Kong, so it looked like many of them were taking in as much sun as they can. It is still warm, but there was a steady breeze blowing all afternoon.

 

The Thailand arrival and departure cards had to be filled out, signed, and turned into the front desk. The Philippine landing cards were also delivered to our rooms, which we are required to carry with us in the next two ports. We think that the only visas we have had to obtain while onboard so far has been the Indonesian ones. The charge should appear on our next statement.

 

Many tours were discussed by the shore excursion manager and our travel guide from Hong Kong to Madagascar. Included in the mix are several overland adventures, some of which had to be booked a couple of months ago. These tours will take in the Great Wall of China in Bejing, the Forbidden City, the Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian, and Guilin and the Li River. Angkor Wat in Cambodia is also a destination for some. The next place that will offer overlands will be in Africa.

 

Life in the deepest part of the oceans was the lecture given by Adrian Cooper in the Queens Lounge. Will definitely watch that one on TV later this afternoon.

 

Tomorrow's port is Puerto Princesa in the Philippines, new to almost all of us. Since all of the tours were described as rudimentary, we have chosen to explore on our own. Everyone at our table has agreed they are doing the same thing, except for Martha, who will be canoeing in underground caves with the HAL groups.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 66 Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines March 7, 2013 Thursday

 

Our port of call for today, Puerto Princesa, is the capital of the island province of Palawan. Palawan is one of many islands that comprise the country of the Philippines. Once the site of a penal colony during the Spanish regime, Puerto Princesa is the center of a large fishing operation as well as some scattered sawmills.

 

There are two big draws to visiting this island. One is the fact that it is surrounded with coral reefs and beaches full of resorts and hotels. The second is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. This famous landmark has an underground river that winds through eerie caves for six miles before emptying out into the South China Sea. Normally, we would have taken the tour to see these sites, but most all of us were scard away with the shore excursion's warnings about possible poor tourist infrastructure here. Well, Martha took the tour, and was not disappointed, as everything went off as scheduled. So, if we ever comeback here, we shall take the chance and do it.

 

Anyway, we did get off the ship by 10am, too late to get the complimentary seashell necklace given to the early disembarkers. Following the ship's map, we found our way uphill to the main street and the major sites of the town. We ran right into a slew of locals with motorbikes with cabs to taxi us to wherever we wished to go. Since we desperately needed the exercise we nicely said no thanks, and they went right to the next customer. No pressure.

 

The town was bustling with the local people shopping, mostly for food. Locating the marketplace, we entered this maze of food stalls that included fresh fruits and veggies, recently butchered chicken, pork, and fish, and grains of all types. Eggs were sold in abundance....some of them colored a deep pink, which at first we thought was for Easter, but learned they were salted. This market was very crowded, dark, and damp (the floors were concrete and wet with water and whatever). We strolled through there rather quickly, and cannot complain about the smell, since there was no bad odors. Nothing was wrapped, not even the meats. We suspect that everything we saw here today will be sold.

 

On the way back, we stopped at the cathedral to take better photos of the inside. Outside one of the side entrances was signage describing proper and improper dress for going into the church. A few ladies did reach into their purses and pull out a wrap of some kind. But for the most part, tourists improperly dressed read the warning, and went inside anyway. There were two guards posted at the main entrance, but they said nothing, only stared. A group of Catholic school kids were being escorted into the church continuously all morning. When passing some of these kids, they pulled out their report cards to show us their excellent grades. It surprised us that the card were printed in English. In fact the kids spoke good English to us, then posed for as many photos we could take of them. Sweet.

 

At the Plaza Cuartel, we witnessed the monument to the American soldiers that died inside a tunnel in this area during WW11. It was the only respite in this hot and humid city that had an abundance of large shade trees, gardens, and fountains. The best part was that there were benches and planters where you could sit and relax, while watching the only small birds we saw in this city.

 

There was absolutely no place suitable for lunch or even to buy a few beers. We went back to the pier where we combed through the several souvenier stalls for treasures. We did find a unique purse, a t-shirt, and a hunky piece of shocking pink shell jewelry. The vendors were perfectly happy taking the US dollars instead of their pesos. Guess we will spend the rest of the pesos we got onboard when we go to Manila in a few days from now.

 

After cooling off for an hour onboard, we went out for another shorter walk, turning left inside of going straight. We ran into another church, but it was locked up tight. We did spot Leta and Bill, who had just come out of a hair salon with $5.00 haircuts. They both looked great, and were happy not to have had to spend $30 and $50 for haircuts onboard the ship. Bet they would have come out looking the same. Other guests told us they searched out nail salons for manicures and pedicures, and also places for massages.

 

Lunch from the sandwich-maker was perfect, and so was the pool water on the aft deck. By 4:30pm, we were ready for the sailaway party, which began with lots of horn tooting. Perhaps there were some locals in their boats too close to us while we were leaving. Must drive the Captain nuts because he cannot dodge these risk-takers. While we were all hanging over the aft railing, we noticed some wasps flying up from the lower decks. Sometimes in these tropical ports, these nasty bugs will be attracted to the whiteness of the ship, but they usually leave quickly. Not so today. The wasps increased in numbers so fast, that it sent all of us running inside. Knowing that their stings can be quite painful, we packed up our stuff, noticing that even the pool was filling up with the writhing bodies. Even the decking was covered with them. Now we wonder if they were being sprayed from down below, making them go crazy.

 

At dinnertime, we had guests once again, thanks to Martha, who had invited the speaker Aileen and her husband for another meal with our group. Luckily Martha sat next to Aileen, because we worried about conversing with a lady who has been in the company of many famous people, such as the Dali Lhama from Tibet. Unless you have done a lot of traveling in exotic places or have read scores of books on the subject, one feels at odds with casual conversations, or heaven forbid, go into any details on politics. Very difficult to walk that fine line.

 

Thank goodness tomorrow will be a sea day before arriving to the "Pearl of the Orient", Manila.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 67 Day at Sea March 8, 2013 Friday

 

While at breakfast this morning, we asked Presti, our favorite head waiter, how many guests will be leaving us in Hong Kong. He said about 150 people will be going home, but 250 will be joining . He added that this upcoming portion of the cruise to Cape Town will be the fullest the ship has been since the 2008 world cruise. Guess the folks have been looking forward to the Africa segment, which has not happened since 2010.

 

Anyway, the weather remained mostly sunny and still warm and humid. The seas turned a bit rough as we headed north towards the huge city of Manila. There has been a lot of confusion as to when we will arrive tomorrow and also when we will be leaving. Captain Mercer mentioned yesterday that there is a possibility that we may arrive an hour earlier than expected, in order to give some guests the chance to take the ferry to the tiny island of Corregidor to tour the area where the American and Filipino armies took a final WW2 stand. Since there is only one ferry to take people there, it's anyone's guess as to if there are spaces left on it for any of us. Then we learned that there is going to be a fireworks competition tomorrow evening, and the Captain plans on waiting for us to see it. The problem with that is we need to vacate the pier by 6pm to make room for another vessel due in. So the Amsterdam will stay in the bay, and tender the folks back onboard when their ferry arrives. Something tells us that perhaps the Captain's friends will be on that tour. It's only a guess, but we know that our buddy Mel will know who gets off the ship first. He has a veranda suite and when we dock on the starboard side, he watches every guest disembarking. Hope he sets his alarm clock for 7am tomorrow.

 

There were still bodies of hornets floating in the pool this afternoon, as well as littering the decking. Mel came back to visit us and told us that the extremely large swarm of bees gathered right near his suite while docked in Puerto Princesa. By the time we left the port, these insects were drawn down the length of the ship, and deposited on the upper back deck. We wonder if they had been sprayed, because they were dying rapidly. It was a miracle that no one got stung. Much to our dismay, a few of them were still flying around deck 8 this afternoon. Nothing that couldn't be handled with the swatting of our flipflops.

 

We became aware that today was International Women's Day when we went to our table tonight. Champagne glasses were at each place setting, with a note saying we would be treated to the bubbly drink throughout dinner. Even though the note claimed that this day, March 8th, has been celebrated since the early 1900's, it is the first time it has been recognized while on a world cruise. Whatever the reason, everyone, including our fellas were happy to toast the occassion.

 

You can sure tell that we are getting close to the homes of many of our crew members. All day long, they have been popping out of the outside decks to find a signal for their cell phones. Many of the cooks, bar staff, and working boat mates were calling home. Surely tomorrow will be a big reunion day for them.

 

As for us, we plan on taking the shuttle to Robinsons Mall, and perhaps enjoy lunch out.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[JamesEM]

Thanks for sharing your adventure.

[WCB]

Report # 68 Manila, Philippines March 9, 2013 Saturday

 

The port of call for today was Manila, the capital of the Philippines. It is also the home of many of our hard-working crew members onboard the Amsterdam. And to make the day a special one, their families had been invited to spend the day on the ship with their family members. Along with a large group of local travel agents, the number of visitors would exceed 1200. Good thing most all the cruisers were either on tours, or off to explore the city.

 

Since we have toured the city's sites two years ago, we decided to do the city on our own. By the time we completed our emailing, we noticed dozens of little kids walking or running along with their parents on their way to find lunch and or the swimming pool. The next stop of importance for the little ones would be the ice cream bar. So nice to see some younger folk on this ship.

 

Unfortunately, about the same time as the families were boarding, there was a "bright star" alert for the medical staff. That is never a good thing, because it means that someone is seriously stricken or injured or worse. We thought it was a good time to leave the ship, only to be stopped at the gangway in order to let the shoreside emergency team enter with a stretcher and paramedics. Once they cleared the elevator area, we were all escorted off to make room for the patient. We never did see who it was, or what the emergency was, but we would find out later in the day.

 

As we left the ship, the greeters from the information desk gifted us each with a wooden beaded necklace and a woven sun hat. How nice was that?

 

We made it a point to stop at the pier souvenier stalls, where we instantly located the t-shirt guys selling the Amsterdam's 2013 world cruise printed on the back. It's really a good deal. The fabric is good quality, and except for a few missed ports, the itinerary was correct. All they asked was 500 pesos, which was about $12. US dollars.

 

The local port authority provided free shuttles to Robinson Place Shopping Complex, about a 20 minute ride to from the ship. Located only a few miles away, the trip should have been quick, but the traffic was terrible. That's what you would expect in such a large city. perhaps a faster ride would have been in the buggy drawn by small horses, or the numerous jeepneys that lined the streets.

 

We spent a couple of hours walking the multi-level mall, getting lost in the myriad of connecting floors. Since it was a Saturday, it was crowded with families and kids. There were dozens of restaurants, and we figured we had better find one before they got too busy. Two years ago, we ate at TGI Fridays, and we also did today. They serve a very tasty chicken quesadilla entree, and Mexican food is always a favorite of ours. With one of us having a shellfish allergy, we tend to steer clear of the Filipino dishes. Never know when they may add a dash or two of oyster juice to flavor a recipe.

 

We can understand why so many folks stay in these malls for the better part of the day. It's got to be the high heat and humidity. Although it was cooler than Indonesia, the humidity was still high. Doubt we could ever get used to that. What was nice was being able to sit and relax in the air-conditioned restaurant with two very large and re-fillable glasses of ice cold soda. We never did find anything to buy, except more bottles of sodas at the supermarket. We figured this would be a good time to take advantage of the shuttle bus that dropped us off right in front of the mall and back to the gangway.

 

After stashing our sodas, we took off again, but walking this time. Rizal Park, nearby the pier, is a large area dedicated to the history of the Philippines. It has been called the first urban park in Asia with sculptures, historical markers, gardens, and fountains. For the local people, it is a sanctuary and famous tourist spot. We walked around the Rizal Monument, flanked by two honor guards, who switch duty every two hours daily. Dr. Jose Rizal was made famous when he sparked a revolution with his execution for promoting freedom for his people. His remains are buried under the monument. The rest of this park surrounds a central pond where musical dancing fountains are exhibited during evening hours.

 

Since we had the time, we entered the Chinese Garden for the mere price of 20 pesos each ($1.00). Although small, this park was full of ponds with turtles, bridges, statues, and kids running over the mounds. Decent restrooms were also available here. A group of students, perhaps college-age, were filming a play of some sort, and thanked us for waiting while they finished the scene. We were just glad it was "acting" because the scene dealt with two ladies fighting.

 

Time was getting away from us, so we headed back to the ship, but not without stopping at the famous Manila Hotel on the way. It was so darned hot that we needed to find something cold to drink soon. There was a bar off of the lobby where we were served iced cold beers with a bowl of peanuts. Just what we needed. The hotel recently turned 100 years old, and has that old world charm about it. Especially the lobby, with the carved wood ceiling and turn of the century furnishings. We lingered long enough to enjoy two beers, then walked back to the ship.

 

The Amsterdam pulled away from the pier by 6pm with the marching band and dancing girls giving us a loud and booming sendoff. The many families had left by now, but those that stayed for the sailaway were waving goodbye to their loved ones. Must be hard seeing your husband, dad, or wife and mom sailing away for months at a time. Bittersweet it is.

 

Sadly, we found out that the bright star from the morning emergency may have involved a death of a passenger. Will try to find out more details tomorrow. These things are usually kept rather quiet.

 

Later that evening, the Captain stayed in the harbor to let us witness the 4th Philippine International Pyro Competition, a celebration we happened to run into while here. By accident, we happened to be in the right spot at the right time, on deck nine, port side, when the fireworks began. We got to see the entire display of the Italian team which lasted 15 minutes. It was spectacular, especially viewing it from the waters in the harbor. During that time, the tenderboat came back with the guests who had gone to Corrigedor earlier in the day. Sometime around 9pm, during our dinner, the ship pulled out of the harbor and headed north towards our next stop at Hong Kong. Can't wait for our three day stay there.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[cruz chic]

Thanks for keeping us up to date. I really enjoy it.

[WCB]

Report # 69 Day at Sea March 10, 2013 Sunday

 

It's 10pm at night right now, and as we sail towards Hong Kong, we noticed from the navigation channel on TV that we have sailed a total of 18,182 nautical miles, or 20,909 statute miles since leaving Ft. Lauderdale back in January. Our top speed has been under 20 knots and at times, we have slowed to 13 knots. It's amazing that at that rate we have been able to achieve that many miles. It sure beats flying.

 

This segment of the world cruise will be ending tomorrow or technically this evening for 150 or more people. We could tell that some of those leaving us decided to spend some time at the aft pool this afternoon. There is always a need to say they have done it all, even if the sunburn came on the final day. Actually, it would have been difficult to get a sunburn today, since we heading in a northerly direction so quickly, that we have lost the burning rays of the sun for a while. It's still sunny and warm, but there is a noticable coolness in the breeze that should last for the next three days while we are docked in Hong Kong.

 

The talent show and HAL Chorale concert was held in the Queens Lounge at 3pm today. Anyone who was able to tell a joke, sing, dance, or play an instrument was welcomed to perform on stage for a 3 minute maximum. Carol and Van attended and said that many more folks performed than they thought would. They are mostly the same people that usually do the same act every year. Gotta give them credit, however, because it's not easy getting up in front of this tough crowd. The talent show was a warm-up for the music of the HAL Chorale, which reportedly did fine. Maybe we can catch this show on TV later on.

 

While walking on the promenade deck for a late afternoon stroll, we spotted several groups of passengers enjoying a cocktail party on the teak lounges. It was obvious that they had brought out wine and other beverages from their staterooms. One group even had box wine, which we are sure the ship's bars do not sell. Seems that they have decided they do not need the ambience of the bars or lounges to share cocktail parties among friends.

 

We're losing three of our tablemates tomorrow. Helen, who we knew was ending her trip in Hong Kong. And Diane and John, who were booked through Cape Town, but have to leave for a family emergency. We wished them a safe trip home, and know we will see them perhaps next year. That is, except for Helen, who is definite that she will never come back, because smoking will be banned in the Crows Nest after this world cruise ends on May 1st. Too bad she cannot give up the cigarettes instead, as we all suggested. Never, she said.

 

Looking forward to our stay in one of the most exciting cities in the world.......Hong Kong.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[SeaRay48]

Thanks so much for keeping us up to date as you sail the world!

[WCB]

Report # 70 Hong Kong, Special Adminstrative Region, Peopl's Republic of China March 11, 2013 Monday

 

Well, we are back. Better late than never, we say, but we have been shut down with our computer for the last three days. Perhaps it is due to the age of our laptop, but when the gangway is set up over our room, we cannot even turn the computer on. Jacques, the internet guru, suggested that the xray equipment may be messing with our signal. So we will try hard to catch up.

 

Hong Kong consists of part of the mainland of the southeast coast of China, and 235 islands. For 156 years, Hong Kong was a British dependency from the 1840's to 1997. It was at that time, that Hong Kong reverted back to Chinese sovereignty, although we have not noticed any changes as tourists to this region. What is very nice is the fact that we still do not have to obtain a Chinese visa to visit Hong Kong.

 

This city is a forest of skyscrapers, a stark difference from the days where hardly a house existed here. We docked very early this morning after a 6:30am sail into the harbor. Travel guide Barbara gave a narration as we sailed into the scenic harbor, despite the fact that it was extremely foggy. We watched and listened to this narration from the comfort of our bed while watching the ship's camera set on the bow. Only a handful of folks were up and out on the bow at this time of day. The biggest draw out there would have been the "Star Ferry Rolls" offered by the waiters. Even those were not enough to draw us out.

 

The ship docked in the regular slip at Ocean Terminal, which is so convenient for all of us. We are connected directly to Harbour City, which is Hong Kong's largest shopping mall with over 450 shops of all kinds. There are 50 food and beverage outlets, and three hotels connected to this 4 story structure. You need a map to navigate your way from one end to the other without getting lost. Once you get outside, there are several ways to walk. There has been rumors that we may not dock here next year, since a new terminal building is in the making near the old airport. Next year, this slip may be used only by the Star gambling boats.

 

Today we decided to take a walk to the Avenue of the Stars first, passing through the Star Ferry area on the way. As expected, we had to fend off the numerous tailor offers for custom made clothing. They do good work if you happen to find the right tailor, but we took care of that job with the ship's recommended tailors before we arrived here. On the waterfront, we sat for a few minutes by the huge bronze pig, which we believe represents wealth. Locals lined up to take their photos with him, and before we knew it, the same locals were taking our photos. Why, we don't know, but they took turns posing with us while their friends took pictures. Who knows, we may end up on the most wanted posters somewhere in Hong Kong!

 

After watching the harbor traffic of ferries, fishing vessels, a few sampans, and dinner boats, we crossed over Salisbury Road, and wound our way towards Kowloon Park on Nathan Road. As many times as we have been here, we never took the time to climb the stairs to see this park. Assuming it was one big grassy area, we were pleasantly surprised to find acres of tiered manicured gardens. Apparently, Kowloon was once a walled settlement back in the early 19th century when the Opium Wars were happening. Over the years, this area became very seedy until 1987, when the old fortress was reclaimed. The South and East gates of the original walls were uncovered and now preserved. Now the gardens are superbly planted with colorful flowers, surrounded with ponds containing turtles.. Near the top of the tiered park is an aviary that houses parrots, macaws, pheasants, pigeons, and hornbilled birds. A huge swimming pool was also part of the park, although it was closed due to maintenance. We must have spent two hours taking our time hiking this park. Who would know that such a peaceful place could exist in a city of millions?

 

Back at Harbour City, we stopped at a restaurant called BLT, and ordered excellent hamburgers with skinny? fries....... yeah, sure. It was wonderful to sit and relax, because we intended to go back out into the city after a short break on the ship. The Night Market, which sets up earlier than nighttime, is a fun spot to explore. We headed there around 5pm after a 45 minute walk from the ship. There is a lot of food stalls near the market, but we never go there to dine. In fact, most of the make-shift cafes do not get rolling until later in the evening. We walked through the stalls, looking for a new umbrella to replace our leaky one. We could not find a suitable one anywhere. The only other item we searched for was a white bracelet, which was also hard to find. It turned out that buying four of these bracelets at one stall was a better deal than buying one. The vendors love to bargain as much as we do.

 

We took our time walking back to the ship and still had a bit of time to get ready for 8pm dinner. There were only four of us, but you know what? It was nice for a change, very relaxed and also very speedy. We were all tired, no exhausted, after a long, busy day, so ending our meal at 9:30pm was perfect. The dining room was really empty of guests, since the new folks (250 of them) embarked today, and were probably tired. You can always spot the new guests, since they are the ones walking around like zombies, due to jet lag.

 

We had unexpected gifts tonight...................two wheeled airline carryon bags with the 2013 world cruise logo sewn on them. These are the same size bags we got last year, and are most useful. These bags are much smaller than the rolled duffels we used to get, but according to the guest's past observations, they like the high quality airline carry on bag much better. We agree totally.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 71 Hong Kong, SAR Day 2 March 12, 2013 Tuesday

 

Day two found us on another hike to see the local Kowloon sites. Walking up Nathan Road is a feat in itself, dodging scores of Chinese folks on their way to work, school, or shopping like us. Whatever direction we seem to be going, it is like salmon going upstream in a river of rapids. Deliveries to stores come by trucks, bikes, or carts. The fellows pushing these loaded carts simply put their heads down and go full speed ahead regardless of who is coming. They know everyone will clear out of their way in time.

 

It was a long haul to reach our destination of the Flower and Bird Markets. We took our time, because we had plenty of it. The ship was overnight once again, and we would not be leaving until tomorrow afternoon. Window shopping is interesting along Nathan Road. That is where the high-end jewelry stores are on every block. The displays glow with the 24 karat gold jewelry and knick-knacks galore. We often wonder who buys all this finery,since there are seldom many people in those stores that we have seen. Diamonds and jade are the big items here, also considered very lucky.

 

We easily found the Flower Market, which is one full block of small shops that sell everything one might need in a home garden as well as houseplants. With all the apartments, small plants are all that can fit in these accommodations. Few people have balconies for anything larger like trees. They also have to leave room for the laundry, because you see that hanging from every floor of all the highrises.

 

It did not take long for us to find a couple of small air orchid plants that we could hang in our window space, even though only one shop was selling them. Cut flowers were sold at every store. Roses are at a premium, each one costing several dollars. We did get a good buy with a bouquet of long-stemmed pinks, small carnations. Bundled tightly, we did not realize that we had bought over 100 of them. Most of the flowers had tight buds that would open in time, so maybe they will last for a few weeks or more.

 

Across the street from the Flower Market is the Bird Market. Specifically, the name is Yuen Po Street Bird Garden, and was created by a local urban renewal authority back in 1997. This area had a bird market previously, but it was scheduled for demolition. They realized that it was an attraction for locals and tourists, so saved it. So now there is leisure facilities as well as 70 bird stalls where bird traders continue their business. They also sell everything for these parrots, myahs, songbirds, and canaries such as seed and live crickets. The cages are unique too. We have bought a couple of them, but have put fake birds in them at home. It is not unusual to see the local retirees bring their caged songbirds to this market for their birds to sing to each other, or learn new songs. It's also a nice place to relax, if you don't mind getting a little bird seed sprinkled on your head. On our way out, we found some small ceramic birds on wires and decided they would add some color to our windowsill garden. The price was right.......the equivalent of 50 cents each.

 

Going back downhill, we located the Ladies Market, another outdoor stall-infused street with vendors selling clothing, jewelry, shoes, kids clothes, and stuff. We were looking for stuff, such as a good umbrella. We could not find one yesterday at the Night Market, since they sell more electronics instead of useful things. At the first stall, we found that umbrella and added one more fabric grocery bag to the four we have. It was a good way to get rid of the few coins we had accumulated.

 

We figured it was too late to go out to lunch as we had planned, because we did not get back to the ship until 4pm. It was easier to pick up a few slices of pizza from the Lido Grill, and better yet, because it is being served from behind the counter. When we get new guests, all the food is served by the staff to limit our chances of getting the dreaded virus. As far as we know, it has been successful in keeping us healthy.

 

At dinner, there were only three of us. Martha had come back to the table, and since her husband has not joined us yet, she is on her own for a few more days until we reach Singapore. All of us had the perfect seats to watch the laser light show on the buildings on Hong Kong Island, directly across the harbor from Kowloon. This happens every evening at 8pm, and is co-ordinated with music from the Avenue of the Stars. Of course, we could not hear that music, but enjoyed the lights anyway.

 

There was one show for everyone at 9:30pm in the Queens Lounge......Hong Kong Cultural Arts Show. It featured two lady musicians playing Chinese string instruments, lion dragon dancers, ribbon dancers, and a mask-changing artist. He was the best, because we could not detect when or how he switched masks in seconds while dancing in circles. We have to admit, we did not attend this performance, but did watch it on TV, which was more convenient for us.

 

Staying one more day, a short one tomorrow, since all aboard time is 3pm.

 

Bill & Mary Ann