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Live from the 2020 Grand World Voyage


Scrapnana
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1 hour ago, Kindergirl said:

Scrapnana, I am really appreciating your blog and cruise info. My parents are on the cruise with you and they are both elderly and have health conditions. I know there are many, many people on board but when I saw your sentence about a medical disembark my thoughts naturally went to them. 
Is there any chance you have more information now about this? Like where the person was from? I don’t want to out anyone’s private info, but if they weren’t from Florida at least I would know it wasn’t either if them. I hate the thought of calling and making my mother panic that something is wrong on this end. 
Cheers again for your “reporting from the GWV”!


 

@*Miss G* has a really good point. If you are your parents emergency contact, wouldn’t you have been notified? And if, only one parent was involved, would not the other one call you?
 

Sending good thoughts your way, while you wait for news. 
 

Ann

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Thank you all for your kind thoughts. One would hope they would be in touch but between one not wanting to worry me, and the other having no hope of remembering my phone number, I can’t be sure. 
I did read on another thread or blog that it was a crew member. If so, my thoughts are with them and I hope they have a speedy recovery. 
Thank you all and please keep well. 

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7 minutes ago, Kindergirl said:

Thank you all for your kind thoughts. One would hope they would be in touch but between one not wanting to worry me, and the other having no hope of remembering my phone number, I can’t be sure. 
I did read on another thread or blog that it was a crew member. If so, my thoughts are with them and I hope they have a speedy recovery. 
Thank you all and please keep well. 

Thanks. I'm also concerned as my hubby's aunt and uncle are onboard. Aunt J. is recovering from cancer. She's traveling with her doctors' blessings and her husband is a retired physician, himself.

Fun fact: Uncle J was my physician when I was a teen, several years before I met my husband. Weird.

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Kathi - I have loved all your blogs and this year's is no exception.  I had to laugh at the notice you posted from a store saying they had a limit of only one roll of toilet paper per customer.  That has been the case here in Hawaii from the start and now is all over the U.S.  I also loved the smooth escalators without stairs.  I would love to have those everywhere.  Going up is OK but I can't go down. ~ Enjoy the second half of your journey.

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6 hours ago, Oahucruiser said:

Kathi - I have loved all your blogs and this year's is no exception.  I had to laugh at the notice you posted from a store saying they had a limit of only one roll of toilet paper per customer.  That has been the case here in Hawaii from the start and now is all over the U.S.  I also loved the smooth escalators without stairs.  I would love to have those everywhere.  Going up is OK but I can't go down. ~ Enjoy the second half of your journey.

That's me, too!  Up is OK but down gives me a panic attack.

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16 hours ago, Kindergirl said:

Scrapnana, I am really appreciating your blog and cruise info. My parents are on the cruise with you and they are both elderly and have health conditions. I know there are many, many people on board but when I saw your sentence about a medical disembark my thoughts naturally went to them. 
Is there any chance you have more information now about this? Like where the person was from? I don’t want to out anyone’s private info, but if they weren’t from Florida at least I would know it wasn’t either if them. I hate the thought of calling and making my mother panic that something is wrong on this end. 
Cheers again for your “reporting from the GWV”!

It was a male passenger who apparently had a stroke at the dinner table at early seating.  I know who it was because a friend was sitting close by when it happened.  Someone else saw him being put in the ambulance and she said he was in good spirits considering what had happened.  

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March 13, 2020

 

At Sea

 

There were seven of us at Sit and Stitch.  At 11:15 I took Linus blanket #7 to the Explorer’s Lounge to turn in.

 

Morning trivia was another one of Hamish’s hard ones.  We had 9 out of 15 and 7 teams tied with 10.

 

1.Kr is the chemical symbol for what element?

2.What physical fitness practice is named for the sanskrit word for “union”?

3.What is the total number of possible squares on a chessboard – 64, 204, or 176?

4.What is the common name for alopecia?

5.What is a smew?

 

During his midday talk the captain discussed Princess Cruises decision to cancel all cruises for 60 days.  HAL respected their judgment but we will continue on.  He also mentioned that so far, most ports are honoring their commitments for docking.  It was rather reassuring and made me think that we were not going to be cancelled anytime soon.

 

Had my usual Linus time before lunch and then made a lighthouse card in Arts& Crafts.  (We had a lecture on lighthouses today.)

 

We had 12 out of 18 in afternoon trivia but the winners had 17.

 

1.What country counted for half of the world’s increase in smoking between 1976 and 1986?

2.Do squirrels see in full color or black and white?

3.What California town is named after a major movie studio?

4.What country was once name “New Holland”?

5.What was the first vegetable to be canned?

6.What sport is played in more countries that any other?

 

I had planned to sit out on deck after trivia but the wind was blowing too hard – it was difficult just to walk).  I took a few pictures of the shallow waters and small islands in the Ribbon Reef Region where we are cruising. 

 

I had time to work on one of my knitting projects before going to 6:30 trivia.  I played with John and Sharon from the “We Don’t Need Google” team (I am now an honorary member) and we won with 15 out of 18.

 

1.Who is second in charge of the ship?

2.Where is the American flag that cannot be physically raised or lowered?

3.Where was the world’s first Grand Prix held in 1906?

4.What country has the most daily newspapers in the world?

5.What mammal has the longest life span?

 

Only Lenora and I were at dinner (Kathy and Mike are on an overland tour to Uluru).  I skipped the show.

 

Morning trivia

1.Krypton

2.yoga

3.204

4.baldness

5.duck

 

Afternoon trivia

1.China

2.black and white

3.Paramount

4.Australia

5.peas

6.soccer (football)

 

Evening trivia

1.Staff Captain

2.the moon

3.Le Mans

4.China

5.bowhead whale

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

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@Scrapnana I do not want to take your time, but I’m having trouble getting in touch with them. My stepfather has had a stroke, would have been at the early dinner, and I can just see him being in good spirits. 
I can also clearly see my mother saying, “what good will it do to call? She is halfway around the world and can’t do anything”. She would have no idea I could have info via the internet. 

Would you be willing to have an email exchange? I tried to message you through here but it said the feature was off.  
If you are willing, please email me at debkinder @ outlook.com 

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3 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

It was a male passenger who apparently had a stroke at the dinner table at early seating.  I know who it was because a friend was sitting close by when it happened.  Someone else saw him being put in the ambulance and she said he was in good spirits considering what had happened.  

 

Hope he will be okay and gets home safely.

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March 14, 2020

 

At Sea

 

What a day!  It started out normal and we had a big group for Sit and Stitch.  I left a little early because I wanted to get on a waiting list for a snorkeling excursion next week.

 

When I got to trivia the people in the group next to us were all on their computers.  A few minutes later they showed us what they were looking at.  It was an announcement from HAL that they were ending all cruises for 30 days – including ours!  Trivia started and we were on question #9 when the captain came over the loudspeaker with a message.  The same sad one we had seen on the computer.  Our cruise is now going to end in Fremantle in ten days.  Logistics were still being worked out. 

 

We continued trivia although everyone seemed a little shell-shocked.  We ended up with 9 out of 15 and the winners had 12.

1.Corsica is part of which country?

2.Rodin’s “The Thinker” is believed to be a portrait of which Italian poet?

3.What type of juice is distilled to make cachaca?

4.Which legendary rock band had a drummer nicknamed Bonzo?

5.The Clio Award is given in what field?

 

We stayed and talked after trivia.  Marilyn and Rodney are probably the only two people on the ship that will not be majorly inconvenienced by the cruising ending in Fremantle – they live in Perth about 20 minutes from the dock.

 

After lunch we made earrings in Arts and Crafts.

 

A petition has been started asking HAL to let us stay on as the ship returns to Florida.  It would definitely be less costly than getting us (and all that luggage) home by air.  Sherita and I signed it.

 

Sherita and I watched some of MSNBC’s coverage of the now proclaimed “national emergency” before she had to get ready for dinner and I left for afternoon trivia.  We had 15 out of 21 and the winners had 20.

1.What is Australia’s most popular sport?

2.What is the world’s largest land carnivore?

3.What powerful liquor was Van Gogh drinking right before he took the knife to his ear?

4.In the American game of Clue, what are the six weapons?

5.What is the only planet that rotates clockwise?

 

I sat out on the back of deck 9 in the sun for about 40 minutes.  There was a breeze (not like the winds of yesterday) that kept it from getting too hot.  I then laid out my clothes for Gala Night before heading to evening trivia.  I played with Joe, Cheryl, and Laura.  We had 12 out of 17 and the winners had 13.

1.What is the Greek word for “great city”?

2.What city is the second largest French-speaking city in the world?

3.What Italian entrée’s name translates as “cooking pot”?

4.Which direction does the head point when burying the dead in Japan?

5.Who “discovered” the Mississippi River?

 

The theme for Gala Night was “Under the Sea”.  We had Jeff, the acupuncturist, host our table (Jennifer, Lenore, and I).  I did not go to the show which was the singers and dancers.

I have to say I have been really down all day with the news.  I am keeping my fingers crossed the HAL comes through and makes sure everyone is taken care of.  There are many passengers onboard in their 80s and 90s and as daunting as taking two days, changing flights a number of times is to me, it must be horrific to them.   

 

Sea day tomorrow.

 

Morning trivia

1.France

2.Dante

3.sugarcane

4.Led Zeppelin

5.advertising

 

Afternoon trivia

1.cricket

2.polar bear

3.absinthe

4.revolver, rope, lead pipe, wrench, knife, and candlestick

5.Venus

 

Evening trivia

1.megalopolis

2.Montreal

3.lasagne

4.north

5.deSoto

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

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March 15, 2020

 

At Sea

 

Another day, another twist.  The Australian Government has closed all ports to cruise ships.  This means that we will not be getting off in Darwin tomorrow.  Scott Morrison (the Prime Minister) said that special arrangements will be made for Australian nationals returning to the country.  Our Aussies onboard (including my friends Rodney and Marilyn) have no idea what will happen.  We also have a group who has been on an overland trip to Uluru who are supposed to get back on the ship tomorrow in Darwin.  Will we stop and let off Aussies and pick up the overland travelers in Darwin?  No word on anything other that we will not be getting off the ship tomorrow. 

 

Before the government notice the captain had said they had sent the comments and the petition (to stay on the ship and sail back to Fort Lauderdale with no stops) to Seattle and we should know something this afternoon.  After the notice, he announced that no decision has been made but Carnival Australia was working on it.

 

From what I have read on-line about Australia’s newest restrictions if we were debarked in Perth we would have to be quarantined for 14 days.  That does not seem possible with 1200 or so people on board.  We will see.

 

Back to the day’s schedule which is going to be fairly alike for a number of days.

 

Sit and Stitch had a good number of people.  All of us have enough yarn to keep going for a few months so no worries from us.

 

In morning trivia we had 9 out of 15 with the winners having 13.

 

1.Which country borders France, Germany, and Belgium?

2.Ranidaphobia is the fear of what?

3.What is the definition of “Holland”?

4.What are the first four digits of pi?

5.Disco Inferno was on the soundtrack of what 1970s movie?

 

Our team went to the Sunday Brunch after trivia.  Marilyn and Rodney and I each had a bottle of sparkling wine which we brought to use up.  We had a mixture of our morning and afternoon trivia groups - Sherita and Margaret only play in the morning and Debby plays in the afternoon.  The food was good and we enjoyed ourselves.

 

In Afternoon trivia we made a Koala coaster filled with cinnamon and orange and spice tea.  We also got our last charm for our Australian charm bracelet.

 

I got ready for dinner since I was eating early with my friend Janet.  I met her on the Prinsendam last year. 

 

Afternoon trivia was called, “Where in the World”? and was about various locations around the world.  We had 14 out of 22 but the winners had 18.

 

1.Where did Alexander the Great die?

2.Where is the Sultan Ahmed mosque?

3.Which two countries have the same flag?

4.Which continent has the largest number of countries?

5.Which European city is known as the “Bride of the Sea”?

6.Name the seven countries that the Andes run through.

 

Janet and I walked together to the dining room after trivia.  Her table is served by Waya, who was my server last year on the Prinsendam.

 

I decided to go to the 7:30 show which featured Alana Conway who is a singer and harpist.  I had not gone to her first show but had heard she was very good, so I went tonight.  She is supposed to get off tomorrow in Darwin.  She has no idea if she can.

 

At 8:30 there was Game Night.  We had about 15 participants and played two games.

 

We received a message from Henk (Hotel Manager) saying we will take things as they come.  We will see what happens tomorrow.

529365057_IMG_8624(Medium).thumb.JPG.93f01bd23ab7ecf125f9bc49e47e9981.JPG

 

Morning trivia

1.Luxembourg

2.frogs

3.woodlands

4.3.141

5.Saturday Night Fever

 

Afternoon trivia

1.Babylon

2.Istanbul

3.Monaco and Indonesia

4.Africa

5.Venice

6.Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, and Bolivia

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

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Kathi, thanks for your updates. You are definitely having the adventure of a lifetime on this ever changing cruise. I'm hoping the Australian government will let the ship dock and refuel and resupply and allow Australian citizens to disembark and that HAL will be able to coordinate the logistics to let you all cruise back home. I hope that if they arrange that type of return that all the passengers are understanding and not driving the folks at Guest Services crazy with a bunch of childish complaints.

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Kathi:  I hope they bring you back to Ft. Lauderdale non stop. I would also hope they would allow the ship to dock in Perth to let off Aussie passengers and then bring the rest of you back home SAP which will take many days.

God Bless All

Himself

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I have been following your blog, 128 Days Around the World, but didn't connect it and you to your cruise critic name. I have really enjoyed your blog posts, especially the trivia questions.  I test myself every day! I feel so bad for you and your fellow World Cruisers. It is bad enough here at home, but at least I am in my cozy home not in another country not knowing how or when I will get home.  I am signed up for next years World Cruise, but now having second thoughts. 

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Oh, Kathi!  What a crazy time!  Roy is in Fremantle now, and even had a tour - but said now they have until Tuesday 8 p.m. to disembark the QM2.  Just hope everything goes smoothly for him, too.  Will Fremantle still let you in?  

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17 hours ago, love_the_sea said:

I have been following your blog, 128 Days Around the World, but didn't connect it and you to your cruise critic name. I have really enjoyed your blog posts, especially the trivia questions.  I test myself every day! I feel so bad for you and your fellow World Cruisers. It is bad enough here at home, but at least I am in my cozy home not in another country not knowing how or when I will get home.  I am signed up for next years World Cruise, but now having second thoughts. 

Don't let this put you off world cruising.   It is a fabulous experience and this is a very rare (thankfully) incident.

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March 16, 2020

 

At Sea

 

Another very depressing day.  Everything started out fine and we had a large group for Sit and Stitch.  Just before I was ready to go downstairs for trivia, the captain made an announcement that none of us wanted to hear.  We all have to get off at Fremantle and we have to make our own flight arrangements (I am disappointed with HAL on this).  Luckily, my travel agency will help.

 

Trivia was rather subdued but we were happy that Marilyn and Rodney will be able to get off (they were afraid they would have to go back to Fort Lauderdale if we could not dock in Fremantle – they live in Perth).  We had 12 out of 15 but two teams had 13.

1.Who is Scooby-Doo’s nephew?

2.What is the name of the scale that measures the hardness of minerals?

3.What is the most common bird in the world?

4.Albert Einstein was offered the job of Prime Minister of which country?

5.Who sang the song, “Day-O”, released in 1956?

 

Instead of working on my Linus blanket, I got out a suitcase and started packing.   At about two the Captain came on with another announcement.  We would get either a 50% refund plus a 50% credit on a future cruise or 125% credit on a future cruise.  Provided we can use this on a world cruise (some HAL offers do not apply to “Grand Voyages”), I think I will take the 125%.  We would also get about $1200 towards flights home.  We will soon be getting a letter explaining all.

 

In Arts & Crafts we made dangly earrings.  One good piece of news – a lady sitting nearby had asked Guest Services and those of us who sent luggage by FedEx would be able to leave the luggage on the ship and when it gets to Fort Lauderdale they would be sent to us.

 

The earrings did not take long and I was able to get some work on my Linus blanket before changing into my bathing suit because I wanted to swim after trivia.

 

Trivia was scheduled in the Crow’s Nest but because we did not stop in Darwin today we did not have a sail-away with free drinks.  Instead during the 4-5 and 6:30-7:30 happy hours, the drinks were free so the Crow’s Nest was packed.  Andrea moved it down to the Piano Bar and somehow I made the move but I lost all of my team, so I played by myself.  It was a True-False trivia.  I had 16 out of 21 and the winning team had 18.

1.According to Scottish law, it is illegal to be drunk and in charge of a cow.

2.Sir Paul McCartney’s middle name is James.

3.The record for the longest rail tunnel is the Chunnel (Channel Tunnel between the UK and France).

4.Baby koalas are called joeys.

5.Muscle turns to fat if you stop exercising.

6.Alfred Hitchcock had no belly button as it was removed during surgery.

7.Some wasps make honey.

 

I went to the pool and sat in the sun for about 30 minutes and then spent 30 minutes in the pool.  I was too depressed to swim laps.  Afterwards I changed and went to play “Apples to Apples” but I was the only one who showed up (too much free happy hour for some????).

I was supposed to go the The Pinnacle for dinner with Kathy and Mike but yesterday evening after I posted my blog, I had an e-mail from them.  They had been to Uluru and HAL decided the 18 in the group that went would not get back onboard the ship.  They would fly to Brisbane (not Darwin since we did not stop) and then back to the States.  The ship would back up their items left onboard and they would be sent to them.

 

At the Sea View Bar I got a free Singapore Sling and then had dinner.  It was Aussie BBQ night and I had emu and kangaroo.  I sat out by the Lido Pool for about 30 minutes after dinner and read.

 

There was an Australian Name That Tune but there was only about 7 of us so we all played together.  I did not go to the show tonight.

 

One funny thing that happened today – I was told by a reliable source that about 300 people showed up at the Medical Center saying they had claustrophobia and could not fly home and had to stay on the ship.  It did not work.

 

We gain a half hour tonight.

 

Morning trivia

1.Scrappy-Doo

2.Mohs

3.chicken

4.Israel

5.Harry Belafonte

 

Afternoon trivia

1.True

2.False

3.False

4.True

5.False

6.True

7.True

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

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