Volendam Memories

[Vict0riann]

We took thousands of photos! Most, however were of the ports. I tended to wander around taking pictures of the ship if I was on board on a port day - as I found it very hot, I occasionally changed a port day into a sea day for myself!

 

The elevators near the dining room on Deck 4.

 

 

The ladies' room near the dining room- the fanciest I have ever seen on a ship - a loo with a view!

 

 

The Front Office:

 

Edited March 15, 2014 by Vict0riann

[Vict0riann]

The Franz Hals Lounge - a really beautiful room. We had Tai Chi lessons in here every day, and it was fine for that. As a theatre, the deck 4 level had no slope at all, so viewing of the stage was better upstairs.

 

 

The Culinary Arts Centre, aka the Wajang Theatre.

 

 

One of our little friends

 

Edited March 15, 2014 by Vict0riann

[OldBoot]

Oh my! That is a spectacular ladies room. Enjoying your report. Its got me thinking of booking this itinerary during my upcoming Mediterranean cruise. :)

 

I loved your pic of your "verandah". Were you in a Lanai room?

 

Sent from my HTC One X+ using Forums mobile app

[erewhon]

Thanks for posting more Volendam photos.

 

Yes, that ladies room is quite special.

[popcan]

OK, here's a couple of photos from the cruise:

It was a fantastic journey, and its going to take a bit to organize all our thoughts and pics. Meanwhile, here's a few....

 

Miss her already!

 

 

 

 

All calm in Victoria Harbour the night after the fireworks....

 

 

 

 

French Stilt Walkers during the Cathay Pacific New Years' Parade.

[popcan]

Here's a few more, from Halong Bay.

I imagine we all have some similar pics.... but they're fun anyways!

 

 

Volendam anchored in Halong Bay

 

 

 

The Caves:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Approaching the floating village:

[Copper10-8]

Here's a few more, from Halong Bay.

I imagine we all have some similar pics.... but they're fun anyways!

 

 

Volendam anchored in Halong Bay

...............................

 

Nice pic! That's Carnival Cruise Line's old ms Jubilee on her starboard side. She is now named "Henna", operated by Star Cruises and owned by Chinese company HNA Tourism Cruises and Yacht Management

[cashmeremypuppydog]

Vic0riann,

Thank you so much for sharing your pictures. Could you post some pictures of the cities you visited... This is good for everyone who cruised on Volendam in Asia...

Thanks:D

[boards]

I wonder if anyone might know something about cabin 7083??

[Vict0riann]

I loved your pic of your "verandah". Were you in a Lanai room?

 

Sent from my HTC One X+ using Forums mobile app

 

There were no lanai rooms on Volendam. It was a regular "outside", perhaps a little shorter, because of the deck beyond. I think I posted a photo, but if I didn't, I'll do another.

 

Popcan your photos are great! I will add a few, but I'm sure yours are the best quality.

 

And, boards, Popcan would have been in a nearby stateroom to 7083, so perhaps he has a photo to show you.

Edited March 15, 2014 by Vict0riann

[Vict0riann]

It looks like I posted one of the door end of the room, but not the window. It was called an "obstructed view" cabin, but actually we got quite a good view out the window, without any hot sun streaming in. (Stateroom No. 3309)

 

 

This was the stern of the ship, I forget which floor, but probably 6 or 7 - there were many spots outside where you could sit in near privacy. (Somebody else's "private balcony"!)

 

Edited March 15, 2014 by Vict0riann

[boards]

Thank you - we are giving this cabin (actually 7083) some consideration for a Sept. cruise. We presently booked midship on the lower promenade deck.

Edited March 15, 2014 by boards

[Vict0riann]

Our "Far East and Asia Adventure" started in Hong Kong, the first stop was Halong Bay, as Popcan and Rev. Neal mentioned, then we went to Danang. We had organized a tour for 21, to Hoian and the Marble Mountains. On the way, we passed what used to be called "China Beach", now it has a Vietnamese name.

 

 

DD bought a T-shirt with a design called "Vietnam Telecom" - evidently they are renowned for just adding lines, never removing any (This is in Hoian.)

 

Edited March 15, 2014 by Vict0riann

[Vict0riann]

I really liked Vietnam. We had sea day, port, sea day, port, sea day, port, port. That's my kind of cruise! Love those sea days.:D After Halong Bay and Danang, the next port was Nha Trang. Someone on the roll call had organized a river tour, which we joined. There was a bus ride first, with many stops, including a Buddhist orphanage:

 

 

We had a delicious lunch by the river, and then boarded boats for a river cruise toward an ancient ruin, where we disembarked, and continued in the bus. It was a great day!

 

Edited March 15, 2014 by Vict0riann

[popcan]

We saw and did sooo much on this trip - it's hard to keep it all straight!

I will try to post a few pictures from our ports of call - by no means the whole collection - but just to give a little taste of what we did, what we saw, and loca people we met along the way... It's going to take me weeks to get everything set up and onto my website at the rate I'm going...:(

 

But for now...

 

 

Hong Kong: the first couple of days were not too busy, and we thought the stories of crowds were exaggerated...

But they were not! During the Chinese New Year holidays, many people were away. Well a lot of them came back on Feb 3, the day our cruise sailed!

What a crush!

 

On the Kowloon side:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the Hong Kong Island side:

 

 

 

...more to follow...

[popcan]

 

 

 

Typical market street:

 

 

The Star Ferry:

[popcan]

We had a very overcast day in Halong Bay, but our private tour was excellent, organized by Victoriann... and she didn't even come along that day!

But thanks Ann, we had a great tour!

 

At most of our stops, the open ocean, the bays and rivers, the estuaries and deltas, are the lifeblood for many of the local people. It's impossible not to include life on the water in many of these pics....

 

 

Wanna buy some fruit?

 

 

The floating village:

 

 

 

 

The caves:

 

 

 

 

.

Edited March 16, 2014 by popcan

[erewhon]

 

This was the stern of the ship, I forget which floor, but probably 6 or 7 - there were many spots outside where you could sit in near privacy. (Somebody else's "private balcony"!)

 

 

This is Deck 6.

Again thank you for sharing your photos.

[popcan]

DaNang. (Hoi An)

 

We had a really full day here, and no way can I put enough pics up to justify all we saw....

China Beach

The Cham Museum

Van Thong Caves

Hoi An

Silk factory

Folk Lore Museum

Ancient House

Chinese Pagoda Temple

Central market

and a nice local lunch in there somewhere. Whew! A full day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Of course we somehow went into the one cave we were supposed to stay out of! It was hard core rock climbing!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

[popcan]

More Da Nang/Hoi An

 

The Dragon Bridge

 

 

 

 

I've never seen a bamboo bicycle before, especially with a buffalo horn seat!

 

 

[popcan]

Nha Trang:

 

Our first stop was a small bakery, where they still use wood-fired ovens to bake with. Some of us bought loaves, and they were delicious!

Embroidery shop, rice paper and noodle shop, Big Buddha statue, conical hat weaving, orphanage, lunch by the river, Cham Temple, and the local market rounded out the day.

 

 

 

 

Example of the hand embroidered art. Some of them look like photographs, they have so much detail!

 

 

A scene at the Orphanage

 

 

 

 

Drying racks for future rice noodles:

 

Big Buddah, over 40 meters tall!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

Edited March 16, 2014 by popcan

[popcan]

More Nha Trang

 

 

Lunch at a riverside restaurant. Beware of the "beef"...? lol

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Cham Temple

 

 

You meet some of the strangest characters when traveling abroad...!

 

 

.

[popcan]

Phu My (Saigon)

 

First stop was at the Rex Hotel. Coffee, then off to a traditional Chinese Temple. Very ornate! Because of the long drive in from port, it was already lunchtime, which we had at Pho 2000. Very good!

Then lacquerware factory, Vietnam War Remnants Museum, the famous Post office (1880) and the "Notre Dame" Cathedral.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

[popcan]

More Saigon:

That's all I can handle for now!

I'll try to get some more up later...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

....

Edited March 16, 2014 by popcan

[Vict0riann]

LOL, Popcan, may I take that one of us? Here's one of Saigon's Train Station from the Rex Hotel. Was that the one designed by Eiffel?

 

And more "Vietnam Telecom" in Saigon!

 

Edited March 16, 2014 by Vict0riann