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2018 Crystal World Cruise as seen by a 4-Star Mariner


rafinmd
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Thanks bennybear, Copper, and Krazy Kruizers.

 

Lunar Eclipse January 31, 2018

 

The eclipse in our area was supposed to start about 1AM, peak about 3-4 AM, and be over a little after 5. The weather forecast was uncertain, and my plans were not teribbly specific. I normally get up a couple of times for toilet and decided to have a look when I woke for that.

 

It happened later than expected and I went up to the sun deck about 4:15. When I first arrived I tried the sun deck; there was just a sliver of moon showing but the camera I was using gave unsatisfactory results. After getting a different camera I walked the promenade deck for about the first half of my daily walk with a photo each lap. I found the best way was to have the camera on flash; it cut the exposure time to clarify the image and the moon’s light was strong enough to produce a good image against a dark background. The images individually were not much but I found the progression fascinating.

 

This is really a visual post rather than a narrative one so I’ll try to post actual images rather than links. Also, my next post will be even more delayed. Although we gain an hour tonight, the entertainment will be one of my favorite acts, organist Hector Olivera. I plan to attend both shows but will be in bed almost as soon as the late show ends.

 

lunar0441.jpg

 

lunar0448.jpg

 

lunar0454.jpg

 

lunar0502.jpg

 

lunar0514.jpg

 

Roy

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Just discovering this live blog. Fun to read!! I'm hopping aboard the Amsterdam tomorrow in Auckland for a 35-day segment. I'm blogging too but not "live".

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Wishing you a fabulous voyage on board the Amsterdam.

Hope you have managed to see some of Auckland.

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Just discovering this live blog. Fun to read!! I'm hopping aboard the Amsterdam tomorrow in Auckland for a 35-day segment. I'm blogging too but not "live".

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

See you next year on the Prinsendam.

 

Roy

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Good morning Roy!

Great pics of the moon! We had an awesome view at 5am! Over the ocean we had the orange red moon with the eclipse starting. Sat out on our patio with coffee and enjoyed watching.

Catching up on your adventures!

Countdown for us to South America is 24 days! Will enjoy our time on Maasdam.

Denise:)

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Thank you Denise and Krazy Kruizers.

 

Kids Club and a special performance

 

Crystal is one of a very few (the only?) luxury lines with a kids club. While I was up on the top decks I poked my head in for a quick look. I believe we have one youth on the World Cruise, she appears to be a girl about 12 or 13.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/kids.jpg

 

There is one show we occasionally see on the Crystal Serenity that you will not see on any other cruise ship, not even the Crystal Symphony. Organist Hector Olivera owns 3 sophisticated electronic organs, one of which he maintains in his home in Buenos Aires. The 2nd is on a truck available for concerts where needed, and the last has a permanent home on the Crystal Serenity. Hector is a showman, virtuoso, and a fine gentleman.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/hector.jpg

 

While the instrument has only 2 manuals (keyboards), an array of switches allows the keys to produce the sounds of all the instruments of the orchestra and many additional voices. He plays with his back to us so we can see the keyboards which are also shown on a large screen.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/atwork.jpg

 

The final number was a medley of Tico Tico and Flight of the Bumblebee. Nearly all of the melody of Flight of the Bumblebee was played on the pedals with hands free most of the time.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/thefeet.jpg

 

After the concert we had a chance to come up for a closer look at the instrument and Hector answered questions. He always plays with a little green from “Harry” looking down from the console. He’s a gift from a friend who passed away fairly so after the presentation.

 

http://morethangetaways.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/theorgan.jpg

 

For the second show I was seated on the other side of the Galaxy and had a better first hand view of the action. I was in bed soon after the show ended.

 

My parting shot will also be about Hector. This is the 3rd occasion I have seen him perform. The first was at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. At that time I could barely hear him talk as he was suffering from severe allergies. I think being at sea is good for him. Of course it’s good for us as well.

 

Roy

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That is quite a lovely "organ" instrument that Hector has.

Must cost a fortune to get that onto a ship and them home.

 

He is such a talent that they keep the organ stored on the ship all year long.

 

On average he performs a couple of times a year.

 

He is amazing.

 

Keith

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Thanks -- that is nice that Crystal will to that for him.

 

You are very welcome. Yes it is very nice they store it on board. He is the only person allowed to use it too.

 

He is very talented.

 

If we close our eyes when he is performing you would think he is being accompanied a large orchestra.

 

When he was very young he performed for Eva Peron and he performs around the world.

 

Keith

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Roy that is very nice that once again there is a youth on the World Cruise.

 

It seems that each year that we have sailed the World Cruises there is one child on board; some with ages in single digits and others who are teenagers. That is very special.

 

Keith

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You are very welcome. Yes it is very nice they store it on board. He is the only person allowed to use it too.

 

He is very talented.

 

If we close our eyes when he is performing you would think he is being accompanied a large orchestra.

 

When he was very young he performed for Eva Peron and he performs around the world.

 

Keith

 

 

He is living quite the life.

Many people loved Eva Peron and many hated her.

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He is living quite the life.

Many people loved Eva Peron and many hated her.

 

Yes our daughter's in-law's lived many years in Argentina before moving to Canada and then the USA and have learned a great deal from them about past and present Argentina.

 

I believe he was so young when he performed that he wouldn't have had an opinion back then.

 

He is a talent.

 

He practices hours each day so even on the ship he is working so very hard.

 

Keith

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Roy,

 

I know you use the train a lot and couldn't help but think of you when I heard this sad news this morning. There has been a deadly train derailment in South Carolina on Amtrack. 2 dead and 70 injured so far. Very sad.

 

It collided with a freight train. Was travelling from New York to Miami.

 

Very grateful that you were not on board and praying for those that were.

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Roy,

 

I know you use the train a lot and couldn't help but think of you when I heard this sad news this morning. There has been a deadly train derailment in South Carolina on Amtrack. 2 dead and 70 injured so far. Very sad.

 

It collided with a freight train. Was travelling from New York to Miami.

 

Very grateful that you were not on board and praying for those that were.

 

 

This sad news was the first thing we heard when we turned on the TV at 5:30 this morning.

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Yes our daughter's in-law's lived many years in Argentina before moving to Canada and then the USA and have learned a great deal from them about past and present Argentina.

 

I believe he was so young when he performed that he wouldn't have had an opinion back then.

 

He is a talent.

 

He practices hours each day so even on the ship he is working so very hard.

 

Keith

 

 

My grandfather and step grandmother saw Eva Peron from a distance when they traveled to Argentina -- some time around 1948.

They say that practice makes perfect.

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I'll start with a couple o today'sf trivia questions, and then move on to other things.

 

1. Yellowstone is mostly in Montana. What other 2 states does it extend into.

2. When Germany occupied Denmark in 1942 what country occupied Greenland.

3. How many time zones are there in Africa.

8. What is the 40th Anniversary gem?

13. What color are the "Entertainment" cards in Trivial Pursuit?

 

I am saddened to hear about the Amtrak crash. I do travel fairly frequently on the Florida route but not on the train involved. There are 2 daily trains but only one of them has a dining car. The accident involved the one that does not. It looks like the only fatalities were members of the crew. May their families, the injured passengers, and the emergency services workers called to the scene find peace and healing.

 

As I recall from the photo review, Hector was quite a child prodigy. His first time playing at a mass was at age 3. He was 5 when he played for Evita, and I think he is wearing short pants in the photo. He said he did not understand who he was playing for until years later. I believe her reputation has gotten better with the passage of time.

 

While I've mostly found the internet pretty good It's been more of a challenge the last few days. I vaguely remember a sailaway gang cruise a few years ago on the Westerdam to this region and we had a guy named something like serialcruiser who was on the cruise that was constantly complaining about how bad the internet was. Aside from the irony of being constantly on the internet complaining about how little he could do rather than spending his online time doing other things, I expect the location has a lot to do with how bad the service was on that cruise. I'm happy to work around the internet difficulties to visit seldom seen areas of the world.

 

Now the answers:

 

1. Yellowstone extends into Idaho and Montana.

2. The United States occupied Greenland in 1942.

3. There are 6 time zones in Africa.

8. The 40th anniversary gem is the ruby.

13. Trivial pursuit entertainment cards are pink.

 

I was eating as the questions were read and in the short time the answers were given I didn't answer any of them.

 

Roy

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Good evening Roy!

Taking a break from SUPERBOWL.

I only got 2 Triva questions right! Yellowstone as well as Ruby for the 40th! My birthday is in July so my birthstone is a ruby. When I turned 40

I got a ruby ring.

I saw the news this am about the terrible train accident 😞 my prayers go out to all! Hope your enjoying your wonderful cruise Roy! You are a man of adventures. 3 weeks till we leave on The Maasdam.

Take care and stay well! Question? How many laps for a mile on Crystal

Promenade?

Starting dinner look forward to your

Next blog!

Denise:)

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Denise, it depends on the ship.

 

On Crystal Serenity my 5-mile walk is 17 laps which is nominally 3.4 laps per mile. The sign says 3.35 laps.

Not sure about the official number on the Symphony but 5 miles is 19 laps so it's at least close to 3.8 laps per mile.

 

Roy

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I'll start with a couple o today'sf trivia questions, and then move on to other things.

 

1. Yellowstone is mostly in Montana. What other 2 states does it extend into.

2. When Germany occupied Denmark in 1942 what country occupied Greenland.

3. How many time zones are there in Africa.

8. What is the 40th Anniversary gem?

13. What color are the "Entertainment" cards in Trivial Pursuit?

 

I am saddened to hear about the Amtrak crash. I do travel fairly frequently on the Florida route but not on the train involved. There are 2 daily trains but only one of them has a dining car. The accident involved the one that does not. It looks like the only fatalities were members of the crew. May their families, the injured passengers, and the emergency services workers called to the scene find peace and healing.

 

As I recall from the photo review, Hector was quite a child prodigy. His first time playing at a mass was at age 3. He was 5 when he played for Evita, and I think he is wearing short pants in the photo. He said he did not understand who he was playing for until years later. I believe her reputation has gotten better with the passage of time.

 

While I've mostly found the internet pretty good It's been more of a challenge the last few days. I vaguely remember a sailaway gang cruise a few years ago on the Westerdam to this region and we had a guy named something like serialcruiser who was on the cruise that was constantly complaining about how bad the internet was. Aside from the irony of being constantly on the internet complaining about how little he could do rather than spending his online time doing other things, I expect the location has a lot to do with how bad the service was on that cruise. I'm happy to work around the internet difficulties to visit seldom seen areas of the world.

 

Now the answers:

 

1. Yellowstone extends into Idaho and Montana.

2. The United States occupied Greenland in 1942.

3. There are 6 time zones in Africa.

8. The 40th anniversary gem is the ruby.

13. Trivial pursuit entertainment cards are pink.

 

I was eating as the questions were read and in the short time the answers were given I didn't answer any of them.

 

Roy

 

Thanks Roy, so not a train you would have been on. We too, are fans of trains with dining cars and sleeping cars on long trips. We often take the train to my home town.

 

You are doing well internet wise for your area, Roy IMO.

 

When we were there we had literally no internet / very little for 2 days at a time in a couple of spots.

 

while the location may be an issue, I do think the internet guy on the Westerdam screwed it up each time he changed the satellite ;) He didn't have a lot of knowledge just from a bit of misinformation he gave me.

 

I don't think the poster you mention was on our cruise (but he might not have signed into the roll call).

 

But, I do find it funny/ironic as you do when someone complains about the internet instead of getting what they need getting done while it is working ;)

 

Hope it holds for you. You are doing well with your posts and blog.

 

We truly appreciate all your efforts.

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Denise, it depends on the ship.

 

On Crystal Serenity my 5-mile walk is 17 laps which is nominally 3.4 laps per mile. The sign says 3.35 laps.

Not sure about the official number on the Symphony but 5 miles is 19 laps so it's at least close to 3.8 laps per mile.

 

Roy

Thanks Roy. I was thinking it might be around 3 plus laps per mile.

I know you hear this from all but I so appreciate your time and effort.

Take care

Denise:)

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