MS Prinsendam Baltic, Kiel Canal and Celtic Explorer, May 20-June 17, 2015

[olson99]

So sorry you could not get into Visby. Have you been there before?

 

Paula

[rafinmd]

Thank you qsusi and RuthC. Bad news, kura., Sugeng is leaving when I do on June 17.

 

GREAT reports from SP, Roy!

 

One question. You say after your last afternoon you've never been happier to cross the Pdam's threshold. Would you be willing to say why, by chance?

 

I only ask because SP is my favorite place on earth.

 

I just always felt uneasy in today’s Russia, kind of a combination of things. There’s the attack on the Air Malaysia plane in Ukrane, the refusal to allow entry to a (Silversea I think) to call on the East coast, and the sudden imposition of the antigay laws as the Olympics were approaching. It just left me feeling like Vladimir Putin’s Russia of today was not a place I wanted to be”.

 

If you would care to post a few words about your Viking cruise, or let us know where you have posted about it, it would be much appreciated.

 

I am very interested in this new cruise line. I am also interested in knowing if it as unwelcoming to the disabled as I have read about. I understand that scooters are not allowed.

 

Thanks.

 

We just got off the Viking Star in Bergen a couple of weeks ago. Since you posted she has visited Helsinki and Stockholm. She picked up more pax today in fact.

 

I walked past the Viking Star twice in Stockholm, at much closer range than in St. Petersburg. It’s an intrigueging ship. It does appear to have a wrap around promenade deck, although I could not be sure about the front. I did notice only 3 boats on each side for what appears to be a lot of balcony cabins. Not sure if the boats are really big or my impression was in error. I sailed Viking River about 10 years ago and also had mixed opinions. On the River Cruise it seemed like just having the one included excursion made things feel a bit more regimented. It will be interesting to see how things look after the newness wears off. sammiedawg and sppunk both mentioned “diplomatic”. I won’t check more until I know how my wifi will last but that sounds like some interesting reading. Logistigr8r, did you get a choice of shore excursions and were some of them extra cost?

 

RuthC, I hope some day you get to try Crystal. I think for you the biggest issue would be the scarcity of rooms with just a tub, hopefully that will change when the new ship goes on line. One positive difference is that the tub is 19 inches off the floor vs 22 inches on the Maasdam, that 3 inches makes a big difference in getting in. Still nowhere near the difference between 6 inches or less on a pure shower vs 19 inches. You might just have to scoot up to the fitness center for a shower.

 

Thank you Susan and Paula. I have not been to Visby before.

 

Roy

[Himself]

Russia’s Tsars were certainly fond of palaces. Our visit to the main palace was held until Thursday but there were 2 massive summer palaces. In addition to the palace in Pushkin which was inland, we visited Peterhoff Palace which was on the Gulf of Finland, about 10 miles west of St. Petersburg. Our visit there was not to the palace itself, a yellow structure rivaling Catherine’s in size, design, and opulence, but to the gardens. The buildings sat on a ridge probably 20 meters above the gardens, which were probably 2,000 feet in length and 1,000 feet in width. As we disembarked our buses we were given box lunches. Maria led us on a walk the length of the palace pointing out various points of interest and especially our meeting point for our return to St. Petersburg.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/ptrhoff.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/phofchurch.jpg

 

The gardens had an extensive network of paths, but the most notable feature was an abundance of fountains all over the property, The fountains were all gravity fed, with water supplied from the top of the ridge where the palace sat. There were many benches, all providing a lovely setting for our box lunches. A canal ran the width of the property, from the bay up to the entrance to the palace. An indentation in one of the canal walls suggested it had once been navigable and included a lock. At the bay end of the canal there was a museum of royal yachts (sadly closed for renovation),

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/phoffountain1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/phoffountain2.jpg

 

We met at 1:20 for a hydrofoil ride to the historical center of St. Petersburg. The 15-mile ride took about a half hour, and we were dropped off about a 5-minute walk from the Yusupov Palace. Palaces were not just the domain of royalty, Felix Yusupov was not officially Royal but had wealth befitting royalty. The palace is notable because it was there that Rasputin was murdered. Rasputin was brought to St. Petersburg to assist with young Prince Alexander, a hemophiliac. The reasons for his murder are not clearly known, but one theory is it was because he was a womanizer.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/hydrofoil1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/hydrofoil2.jpg

 

After viewing one hall in the palace we went down a narrow stairway to the rooms related to the murder. In the first one we see figures of Yusupov and his co-conspirators hatching their plot. They had recruited a physician who was able to secure arsenic and tried to poison him first (n.b. Arsenic does not work with sweets) then beat him and shot him. Rasputin was a big, strong man and survived all those attacks fighting vigorously, but he was eventually subdued and thrown in the Moika River where he drowned. A second downstairs room has figures of Rasputin at his final meal.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/murderplot.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/rasputinmurder.jpg

 

Returning up the stairs, this palace has a number of rooms with various color themes. The ballroom is on the small side, but the adjacent Great Room has a loft with a lattice on the upper level of the ballroom where the music comes through without the need for musicians actually in the room. Zenaida Yusupov also had a theater in the palace, where there are still performances today.

 

Our final stop was a combined toilet/refreshment/shopping stop for about 20 minutes. We returned to the ship about 4:30. When we passed immigration on the way out we were given landing cards which were collected on our return. We were now joined in port by 4 other ships, Costa Luminosa and Favalosa, Serenade OTS, and the Viking Star. I had not yet realized that Viking had started operating.

 

Dinner was pretty quiet as everybody had had a long day of touring.. The Viking Star and Luminosa sailed away as we were dining and by 9PM we were the only ship in port. There was no traditional entertainment this evening, although a local folklore show was offered as a shore excursion. There were fireworks at 11PM as part of the birthday celebration but on the evening between 2 long days of touring I was asleep well before then.

 

Today’s parting shot will be a now belated happy birthday to St. Petersburg.

 

Roy

 

Roy: The reason for the murder of Rasputin was to save Russia. Alexandra had Nicholas II "wrapped around her finger" and Rasputin had Alexandra "wrapped around his finger." He was calling the shots on the war and Russia was losing badly.

Himself

[RuthC]

Thanks for your comments about the Viking Star. I have understood it to be something akin to the old Royal Viking Cruise Line (which I loved), and that's what is drawing me to it.

 

RuthC, I hope some day you get to try Crystal. I think for you the biggest issue would be the scarcity of rooms with just a tub, hopefully that will change when the new ship goes on line. One positive difference is that the tub is 19 inches off the floor vs 22 inches on the Maasdam, that 3 inches makes a big difference in getting in. Still nowhere near the difference between 6 inches or less on a pure shower vs 19 inches. You might just have to scoot up to the fitness center for a shower.

In my wildest dreams I would love to try Crystal! And even Seabourn, for that matter. I do have a champagne taste, but unfortunately closer to a beer budget. :(

 

It's not a tub I want; a shower only is preferable to me, which is one reason I like the HAL inside cabins. The showers are a very generous size, with more flat floor space than a full tub.

[rafinmd]

Captain Tim set the stage at sailaway Saturday. I left the curtains open overnight and about 4:30 a bright sun came peeping through my window. Sunrise is not very pretty viewed at an angle through a thick plexiglass window but I don’t see it very often

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/dawn0531.jpg

 

I went back to bed until my normal 5AM wakeup. Going out on deck a stiff wind reinforced the idea that this might be a sea day. At that time the north end of Gotland Island was off our port side. I did walk a mile on the Lower Promenade Deck but a nippy wind took much of the joy out of it. I went back out about 6:30 and deckhands in work vests were preparing to lower the tenders but went back inside about 6:45. At 7:20 we were within tendering range, but appeared to turn away from the island. A few minutes later we must have came back for 1 more try. The official announcement came about 7:45. We might have been able to tender with 40-knot winds if the direction were right but not a chance when they were coming from the southwest. Captain Tim noted we could see several ferries at Visby but there was no place a ship our size could dock and no way for us to anchor. Sadly, there is really no alternate destination and we were due for a morning arrival in Copenhagen so moving up our arrival time was not really an option either. A dock is planned for 2017 but that does not help us today. Mark promised an updated activity schedule later in the morning.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/visby1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/visby2.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/bagtoss.jpg

 

I had been hoping for a Pinnacle Grill lunch some time and this just became the right day. I had a reservation by 8. There was not a lot of interest to me in the revised schedule so it became mostly a quiet day at sea. I did look down a bit on the added beanbag toss in the Atrium.

 

My lunch was at 12:30 and I was in the Pinnacle when Captain Roberts updated us. At the time we were passing Oland Island on our starboard side. It has a very harsh climate but has a summer home for the king. It sounds like the weather in Copenhagen should be favorable. While I was at lunch another ship passed us off our port side headed north; it appeared to be MSC.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/pinnaclegrill.jpg

 

The afternoon was pretty quiet until the Interdenominational worship service in the Showroom at 4:30. I normally worship at 10:30 on Sunday morning and I think I was right on schedule with the 6-hour time difference from Eastern time.

 

Somehow, the Prinsendam, juggler Luke Burrage, and I seem to keep meeting. This is my 3rd Prinsendam Cruise and the 3rd time I have seen him perform. It’s a bit of an incongruous combination given the Prinsendam’s single level showroom.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/burrage1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/burrage2.jpg

 

As a parting shot, missing a port is always a disappointment but I think a day of rest has been a very good thing.

 

Roy

[Logistigr8r]

Roy,

 

Thanks for the info on your HAL small group excursion in St Pete. I am starting to see that people do seem to do their on private tours in St Pete.

 

I love hearing all the details about where you were able to find the ATMs to overcome all the different currency changes on your cruise, where HAL has shuttles, which excursions you went on...It's all the useful things I look for before I go on a cruise. Thanks.

 

I didn't mean to get your blog off track with the mention of Viking. I have been following my previous shipmates as they travelled around the Baltic both because we've been through so much together and they're going to an area I'm interested in. My main point was just that you guys we're going to the same places.

 

But since you've asked:

. Logistigr8r, did you get a choice of shore excursions and were some of them extra cost?

Roy

Yes and Yes. Although shore excursions and itinerary planning are still weaker areas. We had to set up many of our own private tours to cover glaring gaps, like going to Cadiz and only offering a half day tour not including the inside of the Alcazar.

 

The ship, staterooms, spa open to all pax, food, crew, no nickel and diming were all amazing, wonderful, awesome, etc, etc. I would not hesitate to do Viking Oceans again. In fact I plan to. But they do have some things to learn. In addition to getting their shore excursion act together and planning an itinerary they can stick to, they need to improve their attitude about their paying guests and caring for their health and welfare. Example, inviting many of the 50 day pax to a special event for the Christening, having them wait in the theater and then disinviting them on the spot. Also while you SEE HAL aggressively taking preventative health measures such as cleaning public areas and hand sanitizing, you do not SEE that on Viking Oceans. Not saying they don't sanitize those swanky leather hand rails, it's just I didn't see it. Viking Oceans seems to put its effort into the things they think matter. Like you will not see any cute towel animals on your bed. And RuthC you will not have a pillow full of chocolates unless you put them there. But it worked for us. We had a great time. They will get their act together, probably after they stop making the press their first priority.

 

So, forum threads abound for Viking Oceans, mostly to fill in what was an information vacuum. You will start to see even more reviews show up, esp now that the 50 cruise pax are headed home. All of the info I've seen posted is correct, as far as I know. But that's not here Roy's blog.

 

Over to Roy:D

[Logistigr8r]

Ooops, sorry. Meant from port of Cadiz they only offered a half day tour to Seville that did no include the inside of the Alcazar.

[RuthC]

So, forum threads abound for Viking Oceans, mostly to fill in what was an information vacuum. You will start to see even more reviews show up, esp now that the 50 cruise pax are headed home. All of the info I've seen posted is correct, as far as I know.

Thanks for the info you did provide. Very interesting, and I shall wander on over to the Viking Ocean forum.

Over to Roy:D

Good idea. :o

[rafinmd]

When I went on deck at 5AM it was raining and I returned to my cabin for an hour or so. By 6 the rain had stopped and it was a decent morning for 3 miles on the Lower Promenade Deck. I caught a glimpse of the Brilliance of the Seas early on and my first glimpse of the Eurodam rounding the bow on about lap 4. By the time I finished my walk we were sailing directly past the Eurodam.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/1steurodam.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/eurodam1.jpg

 

Copenhagen has at least 2 cruise terminals. Eurodam (joined mid-afternoon by the Celebrity Eclipse) was at Ocean Quay. It has a nice looking terminal building and is apparently used mostly for ships disembarking and embarking passengers. We (and the Brilliance) docked at the other one which is closer to town and very close to the little mermaid statue.

 

My tour was “Copenhagen by Canal and Coach”. We had about a 15 minute drive to the point where we boarded our canal boat for an hour tour. We started out going past the stock exchange and then into the harbor past the back of the little mermaid statue. We continued around the harbor past naval ships and converted gunboat shed and through a maze of canals in the city. The bridges over the canal are quite low and a challenge for people who might choose to stand on the outer decks. Near the end of the tour we passed a family of swans with some young chicks.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/stockexch.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/mermaid1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/lowbridge1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/lowbridge2.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/swans.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/ourboat1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/ourboat2.jpg

 

Continuing on the bus we went to the winter palace complex. The actual residence of the Queen is undergoing renovation but there are other buildings for visitors and for the Crown Prince. Each of the palace residences has traditional guards walking in front of the entrance. The dome of the Granite Church, probably the main church in town, loomed over one of the streets leading to the palace. The Opera House was directly across a canal from the palace.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/opera.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/danishpalace.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/dnishguard.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/granitechurch.jpg

 

Our final stop was at the little mermaid statue and we were back at the pier a little before noon. I took a walk toward what appeared to be town but did not find a lot. I did get to the railroad station and one of the shops had what I assume was an authentic Danish danish. It did not taste much different from what I am used to but did seem to be more flaky. Looking at the map I might have been better off going beyond the little mermaid where the fortress complex also had a **** Resistance Museum. There was free (but not fast) wifi at the pier where I installed some computer updates.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/mermaid.2jpg

 

Our all aboard was 4:30. I watched the Eurodam sail at 4, followed fairly closely by the Brilliance and by a DFDS ferry headed to Oslo. Captain Roberts sailaway message was not promising. We have a storm system headed our way and expect 50-knot winds and 3 meter seas for our final sea day, with adverse conditions starting about 4AM. Not an ideal situation for “On Deck for a Cause”. We started away from the pier at 5 and were about 10 feet away when Captain Roberts announced we were returning for “a wayward crew member who probably needs a new watch”. After that bit of drama we did have a nice exit from the city.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/adieueruodam.jpg

 

We had our final formal night of this cruise and perhaps the final time with some of our table mates who may be packing Tuesday. The main evening entertainment was “Rock the Opera” with the Prinsendam Singers and Dancers. It was the final performances as a group for this cast who will be replaced by a new group in Ijmuiden. Sunrise is still a bit too early for me, but this evening we had a lovely “calm before the storm” sunset.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/rockopera.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/dusk0601.jpg

 

Today’s parting shot is just a quick note of appreciation for the Euro. After being left with money from Sweden and Denmark it will be a joy to only need to use pounds and Euros for the rest of the journey.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

I see there have been some other posts I want to respond to. I get an email digest of the thread just after 2 Eastern time, after 8 Amsterdam time, and a few minutes from now. I'll be back but not necessarily in 10 minutes.

 

Roy: The reason for the murder of Rasputin was to save Russia. Alexandra had Nicholas II "wrapped around her finger" and Rasputin had Alexandra "wrapped around his finger." He was calling the shots on the war and Russia was losing badly.

Himself

 

Thank you Father. We really need to sail together sometime. I’m booked on a B2B on the Crystal Serenity 8/6/16 Vancouver-Seward-New York. If you happened to get assigned to the Noordam 8/7/16 I would probably change to that for my first leg.

 

In my wildest dreams I would love to try Crystal! And even Seabourn, for that matter. I do have a champagne taste, but unfortunately closer to a beer budget.

 

It's not a tub I want; a shower only is preferable to me, which is one reason I like the HAL inside cabins. The showers are a very generous size, with more flat floor space than a full tub.

 

I understand that you prefer a tub, and it sounds like the difference between a 22-inch step and 19 inches doesn’t really change things. Crystal has a few cabins with shower only, and with a normal single supplement of 30% they can be surprisingly affordable for a solo. I will probably never have a verandah on HAL because it would be cheaper to switch to Crystal.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Thank you for the additional information, Logistigr8r.

 

This is the kind of day that tests one’s love of the sea. After starting laundry I took a look out on deck. At 5:30 the port door to the lower promenade deck was roped off although the starboard one was not. The rain and the waves convinced me that it was not a good time to be on deck. By 8AM the only way to be outside at all was on the lido pool deck, and that was not hospitable. I have often seen boxes of seasick bags mounted at the landings of stairways but can’t remember ever before seeing those containers nearly empty.

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/stormy1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/stormy2.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/stormy3.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/stormy4.jpg

 

After an 9AM interdenominational worship service On Deck for A Cause was scheduled for 10AM. Mark came on the PA about 9:45 and said we would not be going outside. Instead we gathered in the Ocean Bar, talked about the project, posed for a group picture, and the show host led a few minutes of stretching. At the end lemonade and cookies were served.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/cause1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/cause2.jpg

 

I really can’t think of a lot that happened. I basically don’t get seasick but did feel a bit queasy when I ventured up to the Crows Nest and soon decided to return to my room. In his midday update Captain Roberts said the winds had decreased somewhat (50kt to 35kt) and things should improve around 6PM. He did indicate that it would still be windy in Ijmuiden and said there were about 80 of us continuing to the British/Irish cruise.

 

In the mid-afternoon Indonesian Tea was held in the dining room.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/indonesian1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/indonesian2.jpg

 

The dining room was fairly empty for the final dinner of the leg. The menu was something called “Evening with the Culinary Council” and seemed a bit strange.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/menu0604.pdf

The evening program highlights were a Love and Marriage game ( I passed on it) and the finals of Dancing With the Stars”. The stage was still rocking during the show but all the contestants chose to go on anyway. Amy from Shorex, Youth Counselor Taylor, and Librarian Savannah were the judges:

 

Celia - Samba 28

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/celia.jpg

 

Yo-Waltz 29 (3rd)

Claudia - Jive 20 (1sr)

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/claudia.jpg

Wendy - Waltz 28

Adair - Samba 29

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/adair.jpg

Carolina - Jive 28 (2nd)

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/carolina.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/thegroup.jpg

 

The show was quite well and efficiently run and came off in about 50 minutes.

 

Today’s parting shot – Congratulations to Claudia and all the contestants. It took a lot of guts for an amateur to go out on stage under such trying conditions.

 

Roy

[Ine]

Thanks for the great reports and photos.

This spring is kind of funny in The Netherlands, temperatures under normal, and yesterdays storm was rather unusual for spring.

Have a safe trip home.

[rafinmd]

Thanks for the great reports and photos.

This spring is kind of funny in The Netherlands, temperatures under normal, and yesterdays storm was rather unusual for spring.

Have a safe trip home.

 

Thanks, but I'm not going home. I just finished a canal tour in Amsterdam and am now having lunch in the "Lunchroom" Ijmuiden. We were about 90 minutes late getting in with the storm, sounds like Fred Olsen ship fared a lot worse.

 

I hope not too many people had early flights that they missed.

 

Roy

[Ine]

Thanks, but I'm not going home. I just finished a canal tour in Amsterdam and am now having lunch in the "Lunchroom" Ijmuiden. We were about 90 minutes late getting in with the storm, sounds like Fred Olsen ship fared a lot worse.

 

I hope not too many people had early flights that they missed.

 

Roy

 

So there is more to come?

Today turned out in a rather nice day with even some sunshine after all.

[rafinmd]

So there is more to come?

Today turned out in a rather nice day with even some sunshine after all.

 

Thank you. It really did turn out to be a nice day.

 

At 5AM the ship was still moving quite a bit, the winds were still howling, the outer decks were still closed, and we appeared to be further from land than we should be, but the sky was pretty clear. Sunrise was officially 5:22, at that time there was some color in the sky but no visible sun. I had just about given up and walked forward to the Crows Nest when the sun appeared above some low lying clouds about 5:40.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/stormystill.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/dawn0603.jpg

 

Captain Tim came on the PA about 7:15 and revised our 7AM arrival time to 8:30 due to being slowed by the storm. It was actually about 8:45 when we came alongside the dock.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/twinlights.jpg

 

I had booked a tour, Amsterdam by Canal and Coach. My instructions were to proceed ashore at 8:15 for an 8:30 departure. After calling the Shore Excursion number I was told there would be an announcement. By 8:15 quite a line had formed at the gangway making it difficult to get into my room. When the first disembarkation group was called about 8:50 (self assist and tours) disembarkation went very swiftly and my coach pulled away about 9:10.

 

Ijmuiden sits about 15 miles from Amsterdam at the entrance to the North Sea Canal. Of course there are lighthouses with 2 quite prominent. For the first few miles of our route we had the canal on our left side before heading into open country. The drive to Amsterdam is about 45 minutes and we ended just outside the train station.

 

Our canal boat was a bit narrower but otherwise pretty similar to the one we had in Copenhagen. Our tour went into the harbor where there were a number of riverboats and we passed “The Eye” and the NEMO Science center before going through a maze of canals. Amsterdam is home to perhaps 2000 permanently moored houseboats and we also passed a new opera house, a point where one of the side canals gave a view of 7 “nested” bridges, and of course a number of steeples.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/ourboat1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/ourboat2.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/theeye.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/nemo.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/7bridges.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/opera.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/steeple1.jpg

 

The coach tour wandered around the city for quite a while. The one thing that stuck with me was the stadium from the (I think 1928) Olympics. On our return from the ship I checked on the location of what appeared to be a town of Ijmuiden. It was approximately 1 1/4 miles from the cruise port in the opposite direction from the Holiday Inn. We returned to the port about 1.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/olympics.jpg

 

I took a walk towards the Holiday Inn. Beyond it a bit is a place called Seaport Beach Marina which appeared to have a second hotel although it may have been all private condos.Between the Marina and the Holiday Inn there was a small shopping area with grocery, and souvenir stores and a few restaurants. I stopped at a place called “Lunchbox” for lunch and some wifi activity I could not do on the ship. It is .5 miles (.8 km) to the Marina and ..36 miles (.6 km) to the Holiday Inn. It is an easy walk of about 5-10 minutes (except for the dike if one has heavy luggage). I was back on board about 2:35.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/lunchbox.jpg

 

After the 3:30 muster Captain Roberts announced our departure would be at 6PM instead of 4. He indicated “preparations for the voyage”, not very specific but I think the reason was to complete replacement of one of the Explorers Lounge windows while docked.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/repairs.jpg

 

A letter at the beginning of the first segment promised new menus for the second leg of the collectors cruise, that was true at least for the first day. We also have new menu binders, the menus are now skinnier sheets than the old ones. Table 151 was fully occupied for the first night.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/menu0603.pdf

 

There appeared to be no welcome show the first night of this leg. Brett had a presentation on the first 3 ports of call at 7, and the Prinsendam Orchestra played for an hour. I went up to the Crows Nest for a half hour with Buddy at the piano and retired soon after sunset which was just before 10PM. We had calm seas for the night.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/dusk0603.jpg

 

Today’s parting shot is a wish for easy travel for people leaving the Prinsendam. I’m sure it was a bit stressful for anyone who booked early flights. I have decided that’s a stress I don’t want to deal with and will overnight in Amsterdam before returning home.

 

Roy

[Ine]

I donot know if this was made on your cruise, but this is a video made by a drone of ms Prinsendam in IJmuiden. http://www.cruisereiziger.nl/2015/06/04/video-dronevlucht-boven-het-ms-prinsendam-in-ijmuiden/

[pv girl]

I donot know if this was made on your cruise, but this is a video made by a drone of ms Prinsendam in IJmuiden. http://www.cruisereiziger.nl/2015/06/04/video-dronevlucht-boven-het-ms-prinsendam-in-ijmuiden/

 

very nice, Ine - thank you for the beautiful video

[Himself]

I see there have been some other posts I want to respond to. I get an email digest of the thread just after 2 Eastern time, after 8 Amsterdam time, and a few minutes from now. I'll be back but not necessarily in 10 minutes.

 

 

 

Thank you Father. We really need to sail together sometime. I’m booked on a B2B on the Crystal Serenity 8/6/16 Vancouver-Seward-New York. If you happened to get assigned to the Noordam 8/7/16 I would probably change to that for my first leg.

 

 

 

I understand that you prefer a tub, and it sounds like the difference between a 22-inch step and 19 inches doesn’t really change things. Crystal has a few cabins with shower only, and with a normal single supplement of 30% they can be surprisingly affordable for a solo. I will probably never have a verandah on HAL because it would be cheaper to switch to Crystal.

 

Roy

 

Roy: Have you ever been on ship with me before?

[rafinmd]

What a difference a day makes. I went out on a dry deck a little after 5 and found the winds light and the skies pretty clear. When I started out on the Crystal Serenity on May 4, there was a bright full moon off our stern in the morning. I did not see the moon today until after I’d been up to the lido and gotten coffee; I then walked across the pool area and the moon was sitting above the stairs leading up to the sports and observation decks.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/moon0604.jpg

 

On sea days I normally walk 5 miles in the morning, except when On Deck for A Cause is held. On those days I’ll walk 3 miles in the morning and another 3 in the event for a total of 6. Since we missed the walk on Tuesday I extended this morning’s walk for an extra mile. As I was rounding the bow on lap 4 the top of the sun was just starting to show a bit to port from the stern.

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/dawn0604.jpg

 

Sailing eastward on the English Channel we passed Dover with a clear view of it’s white cliffs around 8AM. Captain Roberts mentioned how busy the area is with 400 ships a day passing this point.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/whitecliffs.jpg

 

It was not a real busy sea day but there was enough to do. The second leg of the cruise has brought a new chaplain, this time a woman from the United Church of Canada in Southern Ontario. Pastor Deb was late for the 9AM service but several of us started singing hymns while waiting. We had a Cruise Critic Meet and Greet in the Crows Nest at 10; there were probably 20 of us present and the Cruise Director, Events Manager, and Guest Relations manager all stopped by. HAL served coffee and cookies.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/meetgreen1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/meetgreet2.jpg

 

A “Risjsttafel Lunch” was served in the Dining Room for the 100 or so of us continuing from the Baltic cruise. Most of the waiters were attired in their traditional Indonesian attire. I was not that inspired by the food but it was a pleasant occasion.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/risjsttafel1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/risjsttafel2.jpg

 

In his 1PM update Captain Roberts told us we were passing “Beachy Head”. The white cliffs in the area are often used in films about Dover because development has not impacted those cliffs as it does in Dover. He planned to pass the Isle of Wight around 5PM and we will anchor for the night off the coast of Portland, starting the final run to Portland about 6:30AM. He called attention to deck 9 Aft on the ship, kind of an out of the way place that is very nice. It was especially so today, while it was a bit chilly on the lower promenade deck, that spot was warm and perfect. I had actually just left the area when Captain made his announcement. We crossed the Prime Meridian about 2PM.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/9aft.jpg

 

At 3 Brett gave his talk on Falmouth and Dublin, otherwise I had a very quiet afternoon. This was the first of 3 formal nights for the cruise. We had the Captain’s welcome toast between dinner seatings along with the introduction of senior staff. We had one change in the senior staff, Andrew Barker has replaced Vincent Engel as Staff Captain for this leg.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/seniorstaff.jpg

 

The evening entertainment was the Celtic Duo Live Wire. I decided to pass on the show having heard them perform last week. At about 8:30 I heard the anchor dropping, apparently quite a long payout.

 

Today’s parting shot is technology related. When I was in operations in the fire service one of the key lessons in the ambulance program was “never rely exclusively on a device to save a life”, and by extension never when something is important. Today our Chaplain did something very natural, but it was in an unusual setting. She thought she was going to be early for her service; she looked at her cell phone and thought 9AM was still a long way off. Unfortunately, the cell phone goes to the nearest signal which was from the UK. Ships typically like to have extra time on formal nights, so we did not turn our watches back to UK time until tonight. Sometimes doing what seems perfectly natural and ordinary can have embarrassing results.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Roy: Have you ever been on ship with me before?

 

Not that I'm aware of, Father.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

“Sunrise” was just before 5AM and I was on deck early only to see a totally cloudy sky. I did walk a few laps on the Lower Promenade Deck and heard the anchor start moving about 5:30. After passing through a narrow harbor entrance we were alongside the dock about 7:45.

 

The UK requires a face to face immigration inspection and agents were in the showroom just before 8. We were all given numbers for when to meet the inspectors. I was given number 9 and was called at 8:35 and walked out of the showroom at 8:45.

 

One of the attractions of Portland is Stonehenge and a number of tours went there I’ve done that twice from nearby Southampton and didn’t want to repeat. Portland was a key departure for D-Day and has a lot of history. I had booked a tour to a tank museum but it was cancelled and I was on my own for the day. This is an industrial port and a shuttle is required to get away from the ship. I don’t think there is really much of a town of Portland. The shuttle stopped at a castle about 10 minutes from the ship and in Weymouth about 25 minutes away.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/shuttles.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/brewersquay.jpg

 

I got off in Weymouth. A small river bisects the town with the heart of the town on the other side. I crossed the bridge and explored the shopping area a bit, and found a pharmacy with some dental supplies I’ve been seeking for about a week. The attraction that had most intrigued me was Nothe Fort, a rampart at the entrance to Weymouth Harbor in use from the early 18th century through much of the cold war. It had a commanding view of the water but was pretty well hidden on land. There were 3 levels to the fort, the walls and gun emplacements at the top, a parade ground and general buildings at the level of the surrounding hill, and bunkers underneath. There was nothing visually special about it but the lowest level had a large area marked as a nuclear bomb shelter.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/weymouthmarina.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/notheentry.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/notheparade.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/notheview.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/ww1gun.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/antiair.jpg

 

I have had an August cruise (one of a coordinated pair) cancelled and need to redevelop my August plans. Returning to the center of Weymouth, the Public Library offered free and very fast internet, and I used it for quite a while.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/library.jpg

 

Among the attractions of Weymouth is quite a nice beach although it was cold enough that it wasn’t getting much use. The area between the street and the beach was known as “The Esplanade” and was a busy mix of shops and restaurants. A monument on the Esplanade had several faces remembering people from WW2, including one for American Rangers on D-Day, very nicely decorated with flowers.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/weymouthbeach.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/esplanade.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/ftnothe.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/d-day.jpg

 

I returned to the Prinsendam about 3. The original itinerary had our departure at 7PM. I had made an 8PM reservation for the Pinnacle Grill so I could be on deck for sailaway. When “On Location” came out it had been extended to 8. I dropped by the Pinnacle about 5:45 and they cordially seated me. I was out about 7, although ended up opting to be at Martin Beaumont’s comedy show when we left the harbor. While the morning started out cloudy, we had a lovely sunset just after 9.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/beaumont.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/dusk0605.jpg

 

Today’s parting shot will come from an email in my Fire Department account. Some things are just good ideas wherever they happen. Just as “On Deck for A Cause” is a welcome event, some of my fire service colleagues will be participating in a Relay For Life on Saturday. Thank you and have a great event.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Sunrise was just after 5, and I went out on deck immediately. As I was rounding the bow the top of the sun was just starting to appear above the horizon, and it had fully emerged by the time I got to the stern. I had planned to defer my walk until after I had finished Friday’s post, but when I returned to the Lower Promenade Deck it was closed in preparation for launching the tenders.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/dawn0606.jpg

 

Guernsey is one of the Channel Islands, very close to the French mainland (my GPS listed it as St. Peter Port France). The island, with a population of about 60,000, is considered a protectorate of the UK, self governing but under the UK umbrella. The British pound is legal tender but the island prints it’s own money.

 

We anchored about 7, sharing the harbor with P&O’s Aurora. My tour (The German Occupation of Guernsey) was due to meet at 8:30 and leave at 9, but at 8:30 everybody was in the showroom and we departed. The ship may have misjudged the swells somewhat as the tender was bouncing up and down, often by as much as 4 feet, and it took 20 minutes to load the first tender, but we were ashore just before 9.

 

We were to visit 2 museums, both of which opened at 10, so our guide took us on a bit of a drive around the island. When the ****s conquered France, Brittan considered defending the Channel Islands untenable. Much of the population had been evacuated to Brittan (before the occupation the primary language had been a French patois, but enough people spent several years in the UK that the language of choice became English after the war) but many people were left behind. Germany considered the island strategically important and used it as a base for refueling U-boats. They heavily fortified it, and as we drove around the coast we saw a number of ugly concrete bunkers. Some of the local population took the form of painting V (victory) signs on structures, the Germans would respond with a laurel wreath symbolizing German power. Our guide mentioned that the German’s primary transportation on the island was bicycles, and the locals would chalk V signs on the seats,, leaving the soldiers with a “V” on their backsides when they got off.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wqordpress.com/2015/06/bunker.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/victory.jpg

 

Our first stop was a German underground hospital. The ****s dug many underground structures on the Island and the hospital we visited was set up for up to 800 wounded. There were a number of wards, operating and x-ray rooms, a kitchen, escape shafts, and even a morgue. The facility also included some large storerooms for ammunition. While secure, the place was extremely damp, chilly and did not seem like a good place for the recovery of wounded soldiers.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/hospentry.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/****tunnel.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/ward1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/kitchen.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/escape.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/morgue.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/ammostore.jpg

 

The hospital had no toilet facilities so we made a brief stop at the airport. Most of the flights were to the UK and other channel islands, but there were also flights to Germany and Amsterdam. Our second stop was the German Occupation Museum. Here there was a short slide show depicting life during the occupation and several rooms of displays both of war items and of life in general at the time. We returned to the port about 12:30.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/occupation1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/occupation2.jpg

 

Castle Cornet is an imposing structure on a small peninsula at the entrance to the harbor about a 15-minute walk from the tender pier. The castle has a long and varied history going back to the early 13th century and continuing through WW2. It has served as a fortress, military barracks and prison over the years and was quite large. There is almost too much to remember but one thing that stood out was a garden planted by a Colonel imprisoned as a participant in the English Civil War. The Castle also had a café which turned out to be a good place for lunch. It had wifi which was good when working but difficult to connect to. I did get a connection with my laptop but could not with the ipad.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/cornetcastle.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/lambertgrden.jpg

 

The map showed a library in the opposite direction from the castle and my walk there took me into the shopping area of St. Peter Port. While the town streets were pretty busy the shopping district was closed to traffic and inviting. Between the port and the shopping area stood the Town Church. Our guide had said it is in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s closest church to a pub. It was only about 5 feet at one corner. The tender back to the ship was much smoother than the ride over.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/marketstreet.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/townchurch.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/churchpub.jpg

 

This was the premier public performance of the new cast of the Prinsendam Singers and Dancers. There are 8 in this cast, equally divided between male vs female and singers vs dancers. The show was called “Atlantic Crossing”, devoted to the music from the UK that has made it big in the US. I thought they were very impressive.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/newcast.jpg

 

As today’s parting shot, this was a nearly ideal way to spend D-Day. While Guernsey was liberated about a month before D-Day the role of the Germans here added a lot to the meaning of the D-Day story.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

Sunday started out much like Saturday except that I was rounding the stern rather than the bow when the sun first appeared. I am still seeing the moon in the morning but it is not as full or as bright as a few days ago. I completed my 2 mile walk about 6 and went back out on deck about 7:30 as we made our way into Falmouth Harbor. Falmouth is quite a crowded harbor and we eased in slowly but were alongside about 7:45. It’s a cargo dock but there is a defined path to walk out of the harbor.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/dawn0607.jpg

 

I had not planned a tour today but had planned on a visit to Falmouth Methodist Church. It sits on the town square (”The Moor”), probably a half mile direct but nearly a mile by street. I was very early for the 10:30 service and looked at just about all the shops on the way as well as the Anglican church. The church design seemed a bit strange with the sanctuary on the 3rd floor. It is part of a “circuit” with a minister covering about 6 parishes and today was the day for a lay led service, in the format of a coffee chat.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/anglican.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/falmouth.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/themoor.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/falmouthch1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/falmouthch2.jpg

 

I had considered visiting the maritime museum after the service but got distracted by steps beside the church and ended up on the opposite side of the peninsula and headed in towards the Pendennis Castle. Much like Castle Cornet Pendennis has a long and varied history and was decommissioned after WW2, but spent it’s final years in British hands. It’s a sprawling complex with 2 main buildings. The smaller one was built by Henry VIII, has at least 3 major levels and gun positions on w of the levels (only the upper one was used).

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/pendennisentry.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/henry8fort.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/henry8view.jpg

 

The other major building is the barracks which housed about 140 men. A number of gun bunkers ringed the perimeter of the castle and for several years a “war room” was maintained where soldiers could eat and sleep within a few steps of their weapons.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/barracks1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/barracks2.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/warshelter.jpg

 

After visiting the Castle I got a late lunch near the Maritime Museum and returned to the ship about 4. Pastor Deb had an interdenominational service in the showroom at 4:30. While I didn’t feel obligated to go I appreciate that Holland America offers these services on longer cruises and want to support them.

 

Sailaway was scheduled for 7PM. I had hoped to be on deck as we left and made an 8PM reservation at the Canaletto Italian restaurant. Captain Tim announced about 6:55 that we were ready to leave and had a tug stationed at the front of the ship due to the tightness of the harbor (proximity to many yachts) and the winds. All appeared to be ready for departure but we didn’t leave and by 7:25 everyone had left the bridge wings. Captain came back on and said we were rechecking things to be sure everything was just right. We were just dropping our lines as I made my way to dinner.

 

The Prinsendam’s Canaletto restaurant in the new winter garden at the aft of the ship is the best location in the fleet. Unfortunately, I much preferred the old Canaletto menu to the new one. The evening entertainment was singer Sally Jones. She will be part of a double bill tomorrow and with my late dinner I skipped the show. Sunset came about 20 minutes after I left Canaletto and was absolutely stunning.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/dusk0607.jpg

 

Today’s parting shot is congratulations to Triple Crown winner American Paro and jockey Victor Espanola. I’m not sure it’s really appropriate to offer congratulations to a horse but I’ll do it anyway.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

This was one more day of rounding the stern soon after 5AM to find the sun just emerging from the horizon and probably the best yet. Today’s tour was not a walking tour so I started with 3 miles on the lower promenade deck and finished before 7. Milford Haven is a tender port. There is ample space to tie up a ship but it all connects to pipelines and not to a dock with access to shore.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/dawn0608.jpg

 

While tendering started just after 8 my tour was later, meeting in the showroom at 9:30. Tendering was easy in this sheltered harbor, about a 2/3 mile ride. In it’s early days Milford Haven had hoped to establish itself as a departure point for ocean liners but that never happened and for years it was largely a fishing village. Today it is mostly a transfer port for fuel. The town itself is mostly a few blocks from the pier and I just passed through it on the bus.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/milfordhaven.jpg

 

My tour visited a castle and a neighboring town. Like the last couple of castles, Carew has it’s origins nearly a thousand years ago and has changed much over the years. Started by the Normans in the 11th century the castle was expanded and modernized in the 13th century by the Carew family which still owns the castle and leases it to a National Park entity. A major extension was added in the late 16th century but the castle was essentially destroyed in the mid 17th century as part of the English civil war and is mostly ruins today

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/carew.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/carewentry.jpg

 

After entering through twin gatehouses we entered the east wing where the Carew family once lived. A grassy ramp which was once a staircase let up to the second floor of the Great Hall. Most of the floors are now gone and as we stood on the ground of the great hall we could see where fireplaces hand once been and where the main floor had been attached to the walls. perpendicular to the Great Hall was the Long Gallery, the 16th century addition with huge picture windows. Upper levels included a chapel and parts of some of the gate houses. A tidal mill was built on the property in the 19th century, and a path leads to the mill pond. An unexpected feature of the ruin was a stained glass window in the former chapel. A sign below the window revealed that it was a project of the youth group at Carew Methodist Chapel. The chapel turned out to be right on the path down to the mill pond.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/eastwing.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/grandstairs.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/greathall.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/longgallery.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/entryview.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/window.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/carewchurch.jpg

 

We continued to the village of Tenby, a former walled city and with a long history as a beach resort. The beaches are lovely as are the quiet pedestrian streets. A unique feature of the wall is “5 arches”, originally a decoy part of the wall where several arches contained gates arranged so that taking a battering ram through one would position a warrior in a poor alignment for the next. St. Mary’s Church (Anglican) anchored the town square. A castle stood on an island just offshore accessible at low tide on a sand bar. We returned to the pier about 2PM.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/tenby.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/stmarys1.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/stmarys2.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/tenbybeach.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/tenbycastle.jpg

 

I had planned to explore the town a bit but instead took the first tender back. A local performer, harpist, Georgina Cornick, gave a recital in the showroom at 3. It was mostly Celtic music but included a smattering of other styles. Her closing selection was “Music of the Night” from “Phantom of the Opera”. I noticed while walking around deck in the afternoon that our space was quite tight and we had a tug stationed at the stern controlling how the wind caused us to rotate.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/cornick.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/stabilization.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/closequarters.jpg

 

Last scheduled tender was 4:30, but there must have been some stragglers. I saw what appeared to be a final tender headed for shore about 4:50. I had hoped to be on deck as we left the harbor but had already ordered dinner when we started to rotate towards the harbor exit.

 

The evening entertainment was a variety show consisting of comedian Martin Beaumont and singer Sally Jones. Jones had a penchant for creating her own lyrics to popular songs including a funny commentary on indulging on cruise ships. Sunset continues to be late, after the show has ended, and it continues to be clear. When I went out this evening I was surprised by a chilly wind and found the front “porch” on deck 9 with a protected entryway to the cabins to be the perfect place to watch it.

 

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/jones.jpg

https://serenitytokiel.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/dusk0608.jpg

 

I’ll take my parting shot from Sally Jones. She commented that it has been 40 years since Abba burst on the scene. It almost seems like yesterday to me. How time flies.

 

Roy

[kazu]

Great posts and wonderful pics Roy, thank you so much.

 

and yes, time does fly by. Scary, isn't it?