Join Pete and Judy on their FIRST World Cruise on the Amsterdam

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Started the Canal Transit. We are lead Ship behind Egyptian Navy Frigate.

 

Some quick pics from my phone. Need to get back to work on Petra report

 

 

 

Suez Canal Roll. Look like Panama Canal Rolls

 

 

Inside the roll

 

 

The canal looking forward

 

 

 

 

 

Tug at the ready.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Canal transit complete. Now in the Med!

 

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 92, Al'Aqabah, Jordan

 

The Amsterdam arrived in Aqabah, Jordan and was cleared to go ashore about 7:30, 30 minutes early. We were scheduled for a HAL tour (“Petra and Wadi Rum” for $309 per person) that had an 8:15 meeting time in the Queens Lounge. Temperatures were forecast to be in the high 80’s so we dressed for the heat and were ready with our bottles of water and sunscreen.

 

 

 

 

NOTE: Here is the official description of the tour from the HAL website

 

“Petra & Wadi Rum

 

Lost to the desert for centuries, Petra is one of the most spectacular sites of antiquity. A rose-hued city carved out of solid sandstone, Petra is the legacy of the Nabataeans -- an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2000 years ago. Admired then for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels, Petra is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, enchanting visitors from all corners of the globe. Explore on foot, with your guide, this marvelous city that was lost to all but nomadic Bedouins until 1812. Excavations of the site began in 1929 -- today it’s your turn to unearth the extraordinary.

 

Continue exploring the bizarre and intriguing desert landscapes of Jordan, following in the footsteps of British adventurer T.E. Lawrence. The adventure begins with a one-hour drive to the famous Wadi Rum. This is the site of the 1920s Arab Revolt championed by Lawrence.

 

Meet up with a Bedouin family and hop into a 4-wheel-drive vehicle to forge your way into the Valley of the Moon, passing through some of the most magnificent scenery in the world. The bumps you encounter on your three-hour ride will be well rewarded with dramatic vistas of desert dunes, wind-sculpted hills and striking rock formations”

 

A complete description of this tour is available at the link HERE. For your information, a complete description of every excursion in the HAL “library” is also available on the HAL website (Under TAB – Plan – then Ports and Excursions).

 

Three of our table mates would be on the same tour and since we wanted to end up on the same pickup truck later, we needed to make sure we would be on the same bus initially. After we were all together in the Queens Lounge, we proceeded to the table where were received our Tour Dots together so we were sure not to be split up between busses.

 

NOTE: There would be a total of 9 buses going to Petra, with 3 of those continuing on to Wadi Rum while the other 6 would come straight back to the ship. At least one of the busses was dedicated to crew as we saw many of them at Petra – but only the crew with schedules that don’t require working in port – Casino, Shops, some staff etc. Stewards and Waiters rarely, if ever, get an entire day off when the ship in in port.

 

The buses were very nice 40 passenger models and with only 28 people on our bus, it wasn’t too crowded. Best of all, the bus had free Wi-Fi (pretty fast) which would make the 2-hour drive to Petra go faster. I was able to update several programs on the phone and download a new audio book – (Downloading more than 10 MB on the ship is virtually impossible, even at 3 AM)

 

The port area was modern and well maintained and after we left the port, we were quickly on a main city street and soon on the highway to Petra. As soon as we left Aqabah, we stopped for a security check where the bus was inspected, but no one got on board to check any passengers or paperwork. I suspect they have profiles of suspicious vehicles and they check those over more closely.

 

Once we were out of the city, the terrain looked very similar to Death Valley, parts of Arizona, Southern Utah, you name it. Dry, desolate areas with rocky mountains absent much vegetation look similar anywhere in the world.

 

Signs were in English along with Arabic characters. We did get a chuckle out of a sign alerting us the possibility of camels in the area and sure enough, we spotted a couple right around the next turn.

 

Every few miles we would spot some Bedouin Tents off in the distance. Our guide informed us that the Bedouins camp out in these tents and usually move a couple times of year presumably to follow better weather, more water or areas with more vegetation where they can graze their herds of goats.

 

About 1 hour after we left we stopped at a rest area for a break to use the restrooms or buy some refreshments. There was a nice view from behind the rest stop overlooking the valley below. Dollars were accepted here and we learned later that dollars were accepted everywhere, but you do lose about 5% more or less on the “street” conversions. We converted about $50 into Dinars before we left, but if I were to do it again, I wouldn’t bother and simply use dollars.

 

After the rest area, we turned off the main road onto a narrower, two land road, that was quite winding in parts. We were on this road for about 30 minutes before we arrived in Wadi Musa, the town adjacent to Petra and spent a few minutes driving thru the city streets before we arrived in a large parking lot, made for buses, around 10:45.

 

It was a short walk to the Visitors Center that is on one side of a circular area, with shops on the other side, all surrounding a fountain in the center that is flush to the ground. When the fountain is not operating, it appears to be nothing more than a round, decorative concrete area, with about a dozen holes in a circular pattern. When the fountain is on, water from the holes’ arcs about 10 feet thru the air converging the center part of the circle. This is the kind of fountain than you see in city parks where children enjoy running thru the splashing water. Sometimes these fountains are timed to music, but this one was fairly straightforward, a circle of simple water arcs.

 

Our group paused near the Visitor Center to allow guests to use the restrooms and once we are all back together we headed off toward the entrance. As we passed thru the entry gate, an attendant handed us our tickets, which we may have to produce for inspection at any point, as entry into Petra is on the honor system.

 

•

• NOTE: Our tour allocated 4.5 hours to tour Petra from leaving the Visitor Center to return. Other tours only allocated 3.5 hours and the people we spoke with felt rushed. I would suggest a minimum of 4.5 hours and longer if possible. Ideally you would make this a 2-day trip and see Petra at night in addition to daytime. On the 2017 HAL World Cruise, Al ‘Aqabah, Jordan is an overnight port. Arranging an independent overnight here is highly recommended and is low risk and not very complicated to arrange.
   
  
• • Immediately past the entry gate are horse stables where you are faced with your first decision about whether to walk or ride to the Treasury – your first stop. At this point you can either:
   
  
• o Walk all the way (which is what we did)
  
• o Ride a horse about ½ mile to the starting point of the narrow sandstone canyon called As Siq and then walk the last mile (price is about $10-$15 for the mandatory tip)
  
• o Ride in a horse carriage all the way. Price is about $40 -$45 (including tip) and includes a return trip at a time of your choosing.
   
  
• • Since the walk to Treasury is all downhill and relatively cool in the canyon I would recommend walking down and taking a horse carriage back. This will also keep you with your guide so you can hear his commentary along the way.
   
  
• • If you are pressed for time, consider taking the horse carriage both ways. The scenery in As Siq is lower priority than the other sights past the Treasury and you will see it twice while riding the carriage anyway. However, it will be impossible to take pictures from the carriage or really absorb what you are seeing, but if you have to make a tradeoff, skip the As Siq and spend more time elsewhere.
  

As noted above, we chose to walk both ways as did everyone else on our tour. After we started down the path a few people in our group sped ahead by themselves to try and see more than we would be able to by staying with the guide. The only rule was – be back at the Hotel for a late lunch by 3:30 or back on the bus by 4:30.

 

Our group took 1 hour and 15 minutes to walk the mile down the Siq to the Treasury with 4 or 5 stops along the way for extended commentary. There was one spot that was popular for weddings and our guide held a humorous mock wedding with the first couple who was nearby whether or not they were actually married. He joked afterwards, the later on down the Siq was an area for divorces should that prove necessary.

 

As we continued down As Siq toward the Treasury we never really knew how close we were getting or when it would come into view. We were constantly being asked to stand off to one side – either to stay in the shade, avoid a horse carriage barreling back toward the visitor center, or view some artifact from a special perspective. So we didn’t think much of his request to move off to the side and look backwards towards so Greek lettering carved in the rock behind us. We all turned around to look for the lettering and then he asked us to move to the other side of the path to get a better view. As we stared at the rock looking for the lettering, the guide finally confessed that there wasn’t any lettering after all and we should turn around. Once we turned around we saw our first glimpse of the Treasury through a natural tunnel. The dark tunnel provided an amazing contrast with the brightly lit Treasury sill only partially visible. It was amazing to see the Treasury for the first time partially obscured but with amazing detail for what we could see.

 

We continued down the path and more and more became visible until we cleared the tunnel and the complete Treasury was on full display in all its glory – simply amazing. The Treasury is crowned by a large urn which, according to local legend, contained a Pharaohs fortune, hence the name: Treasury. The atmosphere surrounding this magnificent architecture reminded me of a bustling county fair, with camels, horses and mules giving rides, street vendors pushing their wares and a building off to the side selling snacks and souvenirs. The only thing missing from this street fair were jugglers and mimes.

 

 

There were offering brief camel rides in a small circle or longer rides if you wanted to go to the Royal Tomb or further. The Monastery is about 2.5 miles further down the path from the Treasury and if you wanted to get their faster, take a mule instead of a camel or walking. We learned that it cost $50 for a mule and a guide for 2 hours that took our friend to one of the Monastery viewpoints. Camels may be more fun, but they are slower and can’t climb up to the Monastery so you would have to walk the 800 steps unassisted or transfer to a mule at the base of the steps.

 

After spending about 20 minutes wandering around the Treasury, we gathered our group and headed off toward the Royal Tombs.

 

The path toward the Royal Tombs was rocky, sandy and uneven and it was difficult to walk very quickly as compared to the smooth concrete paths from the Visitor Center to the Treasury. Along the way we passed the Street of Facades and the Theatre. Carved into rock, the Theatre consists of 3 rows of seats separated by passageways and could hold about 4000 people. After the Theatre there are two cafes (one with free Wi-Fi), restrooms and some gift shops. It took us about 1 hour to reach the base of the Royal Tombs, which sit above the main path. We had to climb 200 steps to get to the level with the Tombs which offered panoramic views of the area and the paths leading off toward the monastery.

 

We spent about 20 minutes exploring the Royal Tombs, before we headed back down to the main road and back toward the Treasury. The walk back took about 40 minutes.

 

As we returned to the hustle and bustle surrounding the Treasury, Judy was nearly clipped by a fast moving mule. You really need to stay alert, because the camels, mules and carriages move quickly and act if they have the right of way in all situations. As Judy jumped out of the way, she found herself in the middle of a group of Jordanian 8th grade girls who were absolutely thrilled to be talked with Judy. They laughed and carried on and finally proclaimed their love for one and all. They cheerfully posed for pictures and we were even able to have them join Judy in our trademark "Jazz Hands” shot.

 

 

It was at this point that we would have cheerfully climbed into a Horse carriage for the ride back, but none were readily available, as they were all booked earlier in the day. The 1.25 mile walk back to the Visitors Center took about 90 minutes and was uphill all the way. We took 2 or 3 rest stops and fortunately most of the path is in the shade and the temperature was probably in the low 80’s and quite pleasant.

 

Our late lunch was at very nice Hotel called MovenPick which was right across the street from the Visitors Center. If you are planning an overnight stay in Petra, this hotel is in an ideal location and appeared to be very nice. Lunch was served buffet style and included a variety of hot and cold dishes, along with our choice of beverage, including beer or wine. The food was surprisingly good for a hotel buffet and we enjoyed being off our feet after we spent the last 4.5 hours touring Petra.

 

It was a short walk back to the busses and we were soon on our way toward Wadi Rum – our next adventure. About 2 hours later we arrived at the Wadi Rum Visitor Center. The Visitor Center was closed so we went to an open area behind the Visitors Center where we climbed into the open back of small pickup trucks, where they installed bench seats facing each other. There was 5 of us to each truck.

 

According to our guides this area was where the British Explorer T.E. Lawrence – AKA Lawrence of Arabia – operated back in the 1920’s.

 

After we were situated in these trucks, we started off across the desert at about 15 mph. Our heads were sitting above the roof of the cab, plus seat belts were unavailable, so it was good that we were going slow. Twenty minutes later we arrived at an open area near the 7 Pillars of Wisdom a few minutes before sunset. Sitting nearby was the advertised Bedouin Family who never really said much after they were introduced and they could have eliminated this from the tour without really missing anything.

 

The sunset was nice and we did see a green flash as it settled below the horizon, but it didn’t generate much color. It would be completely dark in about 30 minutes and we had to stop and see a few more carvings on our way to the Bedouin Camp where we would get some tea and refreshments before heading back to the ship.

 

We spent about 30 minutes at the Bedouin Camp where we enjoyed some tea and cookies. There was a large circle in the center of the camp where another group of Jordanian girls on a day trip was dancing and shrieking and having a wonderful time. A member of our tour joined in and she dazzled the crowd with her belly dancing moves.

 

 

Back on the bus, we headed back the ship and after about 90 minutes we arrived, and were able to park directly on the pier. It was now 9:15 pm almost 13 hours after were left – very accurate forecast, but very tiring.

 

While we were going thru security on the ship, they announced that the Lido would be open in 10 minutes – 9:30 pm instead of the normal time of 10:30 pm

 

We had a wonderful day in Petra – albeit of long one, but worth every minute. I would try to spend 2 days here if possible so I could see more. If you are on a one day tour, try and arrange a longer Petra visit and skip Wadi Rum. I hear they light up Petra at night…that would be amazing.

 

Lots more on the blog at http://www.theinsidecabin.com

[jig]

Looks like you had a great full day. The combined trip was practical as many people never get back to Aqaba. Been to Petra a few times and you could spend many hours there. At night the path is lit up by candles. The movenpick was the first top end hotel to open there years ago.

I have not heard of a ship overnighting there. A great chance for people to do a lot of things. You could go to Eilat. You could go to Jerash in the north and then Amman for the night. Stopping in Petra on way back. Great options.

Picture with the girls was interesting. Having been in Jordan several times I almost never saw girls covered. It just was not done there. At least not in the cities. Might be a school thing. Have fun in Israel. Sure you have 2 full days planned.

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Looks like you had a great full day. The combined trip was practical as many people never get back to Aqaba. Been to Petra a few times and you could spend many hours there. At night the path is lit up by candles. The movenpick was the first top end hotel to open there years ago.

I have not heard of a ship overnighting there. A great chance for people to do a lot of things. You could go to Eilat. You could go to Jerash in the north and then Amman for the night. Stopping in Petra on way back. Great options.

Picture with the girls was interesting. Having been in Jordan several times I almost never saw girls covered. It just was not done there. At least not in the cities. Might be a school thing. Have fun in Israel. Sure you have 2 full days planned.

 

 

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The girls were in the 8th grade. May be a school uniform. . We saw older Jordanian girls at Bedouin camp. 90 pct were dressed western.

 

The 2017 WC is scheduled to overnight in Aqaba.

[KirkNC]

Looks like you had a great full day. The combined trip was practical as many people never get back to Aqaba. Been to Petra a few times and you could spend many hours there. At night the path is lit up by candles. The movenpick was the first top end hotel to open there years ago.

I have not heard of a ship overnighting there. A great chance for people to do a lot of things. You could go to Eilat. You could go to Jerash in the north and then Amman for the night. Stopping in Petra on way back. Great options.

Picture with the girls was interesting. Having been in Jordan several times I almost never saw girls covered. It just was not done there. At least not in the cities. Might be a school thing. Have fun in Israel. Sure you have 2 full days planned

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As Pete states, the HAL WC next year overnights there. We have a 2 day independent excursion already booked which includes an overnight in Petra. We will spend the first day in WadinRum and the second in Petra. One advantage is getting into Petra before the crowd arrives as well as the option to see it at night.

[jig]

That sounds good. I'm sure there will be a lot of people doing that. That's a big coup for Aqaba. Things haven't been to good there for several years.

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Good Morning Ashdod!

 

Should catch up on normal reports tomorrow with our sea day.

 

 

 

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

We just received the itineraries for the 2018 World and 2017 Grand Asia in our cabins

 

Attached

2018 World Cruise 095.pdf

2017 Grand Asia096.pdf

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Thanks for the itineraries - I know many have been waiting with anticipation.

[whogo]

Thanks for the great blogging. Can't imagine how much time you put it into it, but I appreciate it.

 

Thanks also for posting the itineraries. The 2018 world cruise itinerary is the route I would love to sail. Love the idea of sailing around the Cape of Good Hope and visiting the coast of Africa.

[travelbug615]

So Excited to get the 2018 itinerary! We are ready to book.

[rafinmd]

We just received the itineraries for the 2018 World and 2017 Grand Asia in our cabins

 

Attached

 

Thank you for this. If you get a chance can you ask if there will be segments available and where the break point would be?

 

Thanks

 

Roy

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Thank you for this. If you get a chance can you ask if there will be segments available and where the break point would be?

 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

 

Roy

 

 

 

I am sure it will be the usual segments at first, then adding more depending on sales. FLL TO SYD. SYD TO HKG ETC

[Tampa Girl]

We just received the itineraries for the 2018 World and 2017 Grand Asia in our cabins

 

Attached

 

Thank you so much for providing these itineraries.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 93, Sailing toward the Suez Canal.

 

We continue our trek north today thru the Red Sea heading for the Suez Canal. The weather is pretty nice with clear, but hazy skies and smooth seas. Petra was a long day and we are enjoying the chance to relax.

 

Today we had a very special guest on Good Morning Amsterdam, Captain Mercer. He shared how he was hired by Holland America directly as the Captain of the Veendam back in 1995. Prior to that he was the master of a large ferry that would cross the English Channel 6 times a day giving him a lot of experience docking large ships in tight spots, which is exactly what HAL was looking for at the time. He met his current wife, Karen, when he was the Captain of the Ryndam and she was a passenger. They now live in Merritt Island, Florida when he is not at sea. He also maintains a residence in the UK. After he discussed his background with Gene, he answered a few questions from passengers before wrapping up the interview before 10 am so everyone could get to Barbara’s port lecture on Livorno, Italy.

 

 

Room service cheeseburgers was our choice for lunch today. They arrived in about 30 minutes and were delicious as always.

 

I stopped by the final Belly Dancing Class at 1 pm in the Crow’s Nest to see how many people were participating. There were about 15 women taking part and they were doing their final practice before their 3 pm show in the Queens lounge later in the afternoon.

 

As I was heading back to our cabin, I checked out the pool games in progress adjacent to the Lido pool. Gene, Jodie and Erin were running the guests thru the usual games of passing water balloons by holding them between your chin and your chest, passing fun noodles between your legs and other fun games where getting wet is usually guaranteed.

 

At 2 pm Judy went to the Suez Canal Lecture presented by Vivianne Rowan which she found very interesting and gave her a good overview of what to expect as we transit the Suez Canal tomorrow.

 

I played Texas Hold’em at 2:30 while Judy went to crafts, where she made a glass pebble magnet decorated with an initial. She chose a Z since there are two Z’s in our last name.

 

Afterwards she hurried forward to the Queens Lounge to watch the final Belly Dance show which consisted of the instructor leading her students in a demonstration of what they have been learning over the last week or so. They started several minutes early and only performed the one dance they had been practicing. They left the stage before taking their final bow, returning a few minutes later for pictures and to take their bow.

 

 

Even though we are now 4-Star mariners, Judy still does our laundry as the large industrial washing machines can be pretty rough on clothes. There is rarely anyone else in the laundry in the afternoons. She has met several other 4-Stars who also do their own laundry. They all say the same thing, expressing concern that the ship’s laundry is too rough on clothing.

 

I always keep a lookout for the words “Fresh Catch” on the menu as this means that the fish was purchased fresh in a recent port. Fresh Catch Job Fish was on the menu tonight and it was very tasty and similar to a Red Snapper.

 

A group called “Casablanca Steps” provided tonight’s entertainment and it was one of the more unique shows of the cruise. The “On Location” guide didn’t give any hints as to what to expect. Casablanca Steps is a 4 man musical comedy act playing songs from the Great Gatsby era ,( e.g. the 1960’s hit “Winchester Cathedral” by the New Vaudeville Band) performing humorous skits and telling jokes aimed for a British audience, or so I thought until some of our UK friends didn’t seem to get the jokes either. There were a few people in the audience who were absolutely howling and enjoyed every minute.

 

 

Tomorrow will be an early start as we transit the Suez Canal.

 

I confirmed that there has been a change in guidance from Seattle that now allows guest lectures to be rebroadcast. That will be good news - I can now catch up on them after the fact.

Edited April 10, 2016 by The-Inside-Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 94, Transiting the Suez Canal

 

Today will be my 5th Suez Canal Transit, but my first on something other than an US Navy Aircraft Carrier when we went back and forth between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean 30 years ago aboard the USS Saratoga (CV 60). As you would imagine, security for an aircraft carrier was intense since being so close to shore we were vulnerable to small arms. Wherever possible, all along our path, there were heavily armed Jeeps riding shotgun on both sides of the canal in addition to a helicopter gun ship keeping watch overhead. We didn’t have razor wire lining our open decks, but 50 caliber machine guns positioned to give us complete coverage. On top of all that we had one of our cruisers up front with a destroyer right behind. Needless to say, we didn’t have any trouble on any of our transits.

 

Today on the Amsterdam, the razor wire was gone and we enjoyed munching on “Suez Canal” rolls, AKA “Panama Canal”, “Sydney” or “Hong Kong” rolls. They are always fresh baked and served whenever the bow is opened for a scenic port arrival.

 

We were scheduled to weigh anchor at 5 am and start moving toward the Canal at 6 am. Fortunately when I woke at 6 am we were still stationery so I didn’t miss anything. We are on deck 6, so I went forward to the observation deck right under the Bridge. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they had established a Coffee, Juice and Suez Canal Roll Station here in addition to the bow.

 

 

I was joined by our tablemate Susan, whose cabin is quite close to the chain locker, so she never sleeps through any anchoring event. I spent an entire 6 month deployment on a carrier, with my bunk right behind the Forecastle, also near the chain locker – and it was like being next to a freight train whenever they let go the anchor as it raced to the bottom.

 

As we approached the entrance to the canal, we could tell that we would be number two behind an Egyptian Frigate. She was formerly in the French Navy but was sold to the Egyptians years ago. We would later learn that the ship behind us was one of the largest container ships in the world, over twice as long as the Amsterdam with a load of 17,000 containers and room for more.

 

 

Unlike the Panama Canal, there aren’t signature moments like entering a lock, that standout with the Suez Canal. The canal appears to be exactly what it is, a long, straight channel that doesn’t have a well-defined beginning or end. Entering the canal is rather anticlimactic: there isn’t any whistle, bell, or even a marker or signpost that signifies the start of the canal. You simply start down the narrow channel and then you are in the Suez Canal.

 

After passing Port Suez, there isn’t much to look at along the way. There is a lot of sand on the eastern side and more green with occasional towns on the western side. Watch towers and other security look outs are everywhere. About halfway thru the canal we entered the Great Bitter Lake which is a place where convoys can pass.

 

Unlike most times when we are close to land, the shops and casino remained open all day and the activities were typical of any other sea day. We spent most of the day in our cabin relaxing and catching up on the blog. We kept the TV tuned to channel 41 to listen to Barbara’s commentary, and occasionally the Captain would join in when he would point out some interesting tidbit regarding navigation or other ships in the canal.

 

Around 4:30 the Captain announced were approaching the canal exit and would soon be in the Mediterranean. We hurried up to the deck 6 observation in time to see another non-descript exit appear. It was quite windy and made standing around quite difficult, so we didn’t spend much time here and hurried back inside.

 

We joined another couple in the Pinnacle Grill this evening. I had the 10 oz filet which is my favorite of all the cuts of meat available. Judy had one of their fish dishes which was moist and flaky and she enjoyed it very much.

 

Laura Broad, a singer from the UK, provided the entertainment this evening. She was a contestant on Britain’s Got Talent a few years back. She joined the ship in Jordan and will be leaving in Greece. Unlike most singers who enter the stage after being announced, Laura was already on stage behind a closed curtain when the show started. When the music started, the curtain was raised and Laura, in a beautiful blue sequined dress, was already center stage and started singing her first song. She went on to sing a wonderful rendition of Pie Jesu and then some of my favorites from Phantom of the Opera – “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” and “Music of the Night”. She concluded her show with the hit from the Body Guard by Dolly Parton “I Will Always Love You” which brought the audience to its feet with a thunderous standing ovation.

 

 

More at http://www.theinsidecabin.com

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Welcome to Athens!

 

Beautiful day!

 

Here we are

 

 

A little closer

 

 

Cruise terminal - no immigration, agriculture or any other inspections once off the ship

 

 

Panoramic shot of port

 

 

Looking forward to a great day!

 

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

First stop Acropolis

 

 

Panoramic from the top

 

 

Parthenon

 

 

 

 

 

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[jig]

I saw the pdf of the 2018 WC. Few thoughts. I don't believe there are any new ports. I know that the people doing the WC do it for the country club feel but it is still nice to go somewhere different. I think the 2017 is the most interesting but it is also a cold weather cruise and on some previous try's some pax were not very happy. Missing india. Everyone hates that visa thing. Seychelles is beautiful. Nosy be is fun. Strange that they are still going to Angola. On a previous cruise HAL stopped there and as far as I can tell, everyone hated it as did the captain. Can't understand why they are going back. Totally missing Europe. Senegal and Gambia are nice if it really stops there.

I find it more interesting to put together several cruise to see a lot more for a lot less. We have put together 78 days on the Veendam ant the same time starting Jan 4. Judging by your reports you seem very into the ports you are going to. I remember the first time I was at the Acropolis I was able to climb inside. Not anymore. Nice to see it without the scaffolding.

Enjoy Rome.

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

I saw the pdf of the 2018 WC. Few thoughts. I don't believe there are any new ports. I know that the people doing the WC do it for the country club feel but it is still nice to go somewhere different. I think the 2017 is the most interesting but it is also a cold weather cruise and on some previous try's some pax were not very happy. Missing india. Everyone hates that visa thing. Seychelles is beautiful. Nosy be is fun. Strange that they are still going to Angola. On a previous cruise HAL stopped there and as far as I can tell, everyone hated it as did the captain. Can't understand why they are going back. Totally missing Europe. Senegal and Gambia are nice if it really stops there.

I find it more interesting to put together several cruise to see a lot more for a lot less. We have put together 78 days on the Veendam ant the same time starting Jan 4. Judging by your reports you seem very into the ports you are going to. I remember the first time I was at the Acropolis I was able to climb inside. Not anymore. Nice to see it without the scaffolding.

Enjoy Rome.

 

 

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Getting an Indian Visa was easy. I did it without a service. I will be posting a tutorial on how to do it when I get back or have more sea days.

 

Re Angola, probably because of limited other options. What else is there?

[jig]

The easy evisa is not for cruise ships. Need to get the visa sticker from the consulate.

As far as other options for Southern Africa. Luderitz in Namibia. Durban, East London in South Africa. I think it's still sad that Kenya and Tanzania have been off HAL for a long time. Oceania goes there. Funny years ago Aden and dijboutie were major stops on WC's.

 

 

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[jig]

Don't know what you have planned in Madeira but a few nice things is to have tea or lunch at Rieds Palace Hotel, reservations needed. Cable car to the top and sled down. Town is very pretty. Great last stop.

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

The easy evisa is not for cruise ships. Need to get the visa sticker from the consulate.

As far as other options for Southern Africa. Luderitz in Namibia. Durban, East London in South Africa. I think it's still sad that Kenya and Tanzania have been off HAL for a long time. Oceania goes there. Funny years ago Aden and dijboutie were major stops on WC's.

 

 

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I was referring to the sticker visa. Still easy. But looks confusing at first. But easy once you sift thru Indian jargon.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Don't know what you have planned in Madeira but a few nice things is to have tea or lunch at Rieds Palace Hotel, reservations needed. Cable car to the top and sled down. Town is very pretty. Great last stop.

 

 

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We are doing cable car on our own. Will check out the hotel. Thanks!