Live from the 2022 Grand Africa

[Seasick Sailor]

[bcummin]

I look forward to boarding ms Zaandam in a few hours for the 2022 Grand Africa Voyage.

First I want to post a public shout out for my two Florida heroes, Carnival host Eduardo and his HAL contact Sabina.  I landed yesterday in Miami at 6:30 am.  There was a terrible misunderstanding about my Holland America transfer to the Renaissance Ft. Lauderdale West hotel.  Eventually Sabina arranged the transfer that delivered me to the hotel about noon.  She also taught me the meaning of the word gaslighting.  Eduardo escorted me to the outside seats where the transfer van arrived.  The HAL manager Brian understands what went wrong and knows how to prevent future disasters.  He owes Eduardo far more than a cup of coffee.

Barbara

Edited October 10, 2022 by bcummin

[JazzyV]

Bon Voyage!

[2inSETexas]

54 minutes ago, bcummin said:

I look forward to boarding ms Zaandam in a few hours for the 2022 Grand Africa Voyage.

First I want to post a public shout out for my two Florida heroes, Carnival host Eduardo and his HAL contact Sabina.  I landed yesterday in Miami at 6:30 am.  There was a terrible misunderstanding about my Holland America transfer to the Renaissance Ft. Lauderdale West hotel.  Eventually Sabina arranged the transfer that delivered me to the hotel about noon.  She also taught me the meaning of the word gaslighting.  Eduardo escorted me to the outside seats where the transfer van arrived.  The HAL manager Brian understands what went wrong and knows how to prevent future disasters.  He owes Eduardo far more than a cup of coffee.

Barbara

Curiosity is peaked. 

[Lido deck main]

Bon Voyage, very excited for you all.  Looking forward to any trip reports.

[Scrapnana]

Sorry for the delay.  Internet/Computer issues (and almost everyone on the ship has them).

 

Monday, October 10

Onboard!

 

I had booked the shuttle for noon but when I left my room just before 11 (check-out time), I met the shuttle driver in the lobby.  He said there would be no problem going to the terminal early, so I went.  It was fine.  Turned out they were not checking assigned times just like pre-pandemic.  My assigned time to check in was 12:40 but I was on the ship by 12:05.

 

Had some trouble with my key card but my room steward helped me and I left my electronics and went to lunch.  I was very good with only one slice of pizza and a bowl of fruit salad - no desert.  Wonder how long being good will last?

 

Muster drill is now very different (and in my opinion, much better).  We have to go to our lifeboat and have our card scanned (on our own) and watch the safety video on TV.

 

When I returned I realized that I did not have the refrigerator I was supposed to have.  Something to work on tomorrow.  Since I can’t make tea, I am on my second Diet Coke.

 

Walked around the ship for awhile and then back to my cabin to work with getting logged in to the internet.  I was able to log in with my phone and iPad but not on my laptop.  The line at guest services is about twenty deep and never gets shorter so I will wait until tomorrow to solve this problem, too.  As Scarlet said, “Tomorrow is another day.”

 

My two suitcases that I brought with me were delivered and I have emptied them.  My room steward will divide the bed when he changes the sheets (I told him not to worry about it until then - no sense wasting a clean set of sheets).

 

It is really hot out and with many of the doors open, much of the ship is hot so I went to the Crow’s Nest to start today’s blog on my iPad.  Found out that some of the letters on my Zagg keyboard don’t work anymore (like the “e” which is rather useful) so I will be using the keyboard on the screen of my iPad until I can get my computer to accept the internet. 

 

Another bag had arrived when I returned to my cabin and I emptied it.  Just a couple of minutes later the last one arrived.  It was getting harder and harder to find space for everything!  My shawls are in three different places so I think when the room steward separates my bed and I can get the cases under them, I will put all 33 of them in one suitcase.

 

The 4pm sail-away became the 5pm sail-away, which became the 6pm and finally about 7:15 we left.  

 

I was late getting to dinner but there were only two people at the table (we were told three more are assigned to the table) and they had ordered but not been served and didn’t mind my tardiness.  They are Bob and Judy (not the Bob and Judy from previous cruises who I spoke with today).  We had a great meal and pleasant conversation.  I was asked to find out if there was an up charge on the Shrimp Cocktail and there is - $8.50!  It used to be on the always available menu for free.  My friends Kathy and Mike from the 2018 and 2020 world cruises came over to talk as we were finishing dinner.  They are doing the same itinerary as I am.

 

While we were eating it was announced that we were heading back to Fort Lauderdale for a medical disembark.  Poor person.  Hope she/he will recover.

 

The entertainment for tonight was called “Origin Story” which told about the 150 years of Holland America.  The  Cruise Director (who is now called the Cruise and Travel Director), Jeremy, narrated and it was interesting to hear how HAL differentiated itself from its competitors.

 

I walked around the deck afterwards and checked on the length of the Guest Services line - there were still 10 in line so I returned to my cabin to finish this post.

 

P.S. Five minutes after posting this I tried googling "how to connect with internet on computer on a Holland America ship" and I had the answer!  Typing this on comuter now!  One less thing to do tomorrow.

Smooth sailing until next time! 

[Scrapnana]

Tuesday, October 11

 

A Beautiful Sea Day

 

Today was our Cruise Critic roll call’s first Meet and Greet.  There were over 300 on the roll call so we took over most of the Crow’s Nest.  I never could see the people who put together everything for us.

 

I did some knitting before lunch.  Because of the time of trivia (1:00), I am not sure if I will eat before or after.  Today I tried lunch before trivia.

 

I don’t know any people playing trivia so I asked to join a team.  We only had eight correct answers and there were five teams that tied with 16 out of 18. During the pandemic, HAL must have cleared out some warehouses because they had prizes (none in 2020) and they were the HAL pins from ages ago. Today's were the South American pins.  After discussing with my two most loyal readers, I have decided to put the trivia questions at the end of the post.

 

The first Arts and Crafts meeting was at 2:30 and there was a crowd.  I sat in the wrong area and could not find a seat in the new area assigned to Nancy, the instructor.  She is repeating each lesson at 2:30 and 3:30 since this area only holds about 60 people.

 

In the meantime, I turned in my passport (usually they keep them for most of the cruise to facilitate entering various countries).  After that I went to check the Guest Services line which had only grown longer, so I returned to the Lido to hear Nancy’s introduction. There were only about 20 present.

 

We had a “Block Party” at 4.  Everyone was supposed to bring a wine glass (free wine) and come out in the hall. I didn’t think it was as good as the one on Prinsendam in 2019.

 

Then it was back to the Crow’s Nest for afternoon trivia.  I played with a different team and think I will stay with them. We had 12 out of 18 and the winners had 16.

 

At dinner the couple who wasn't there last night showed up.  Turns out it was a couple I knew from 2020.  They were at the table where I ate when I dined early rather than my normal time.  What a coincidence.  The other person is still MIA.  I had a good steak and the desert was a fabulous Red Velvet cake.  Many of the cakes on ships are rather dry but this one was perfect.

 

I went to see the comedian after dinner but didn't stay for the whole show.  Thought I would check out the Guest Services line and there were only three people waiting to be helped so I got in line.  Turns out the refrigerator was on my booking and he promised that I would get it tomorrow.

 

After taking a walk around the deck, I called it a night.  We lose one hour tonight and then four of the next five nights.

 

Afternoon trivia

1.  What is the national dish of Spain?

2.  Who invented the rabies vaccine?

3.  How many humans play on each side in a polo match?

4.  Who in Hollywood is known as "the voice of God"?

5. How long is an eon in geology?

 

1.  paella

2.  Pasteur

3.  4

4.  Morgan Freeman

5.  a billion years

 

Evening trivia

1.  How many permanent teeth does a dog have?

2.  When did the Beatles split up?

3.  Which planet has the most moons?

4.  What part of a dog sweats?

5.  Which southern Italian city is considered the birthplace of pizza?

 

1.  42

2.  1970

3.  Saturn

4.  paws

5.  Naples

[rover16]

We are SO jealous, because we just got off this ship after the 1st leg from Montreal to FLL. It was HARD to watch her sail away without on on Monday. 

Have a great cruise.

[Indianadaytripper]

13 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

Sorry for the delay.  Internet/Computer issues (and almost everyone on the ship has them).

 

Monday, October 10

Onboard!

 

I had booked the shuttle for noon but when I left my room just before 11 (check-out time), I met the shuttle driver in the lobby.  He said there would be no problem going to the terminal early, so I went.  It was fine.  Turned out they were not checking assigned times just like pre-pandemic.  My assigned time to check in was 12:40 but I was on the ship by 12:05.

 

Had some trouble with my key card but my room steward helped me and I left my electronics and went to lunch.  I was very good with only one slice of pizza and a bowl of fruit salad - no desert.  Wonder how long being good will last?

 

Muster drill is now very different (and in my opinion, much better).  We have to go to our lifeboat and have our card scanned (on our own) and watch the safety video on TV.

 

When I returned I realized that I did not have the refrigerator I was supposed to have.  Something to work on tomorrow.  Since I can’t make tea, I am on my second Diet Coke.

 

Walked around the ship for awhile and then back to my cabin to work with getting logged in to the internet.  I was able to log in with my phone and iPad but not on my laptop.  The line at guest services is about twenty deep and never gets shorter so I will wait until tomorrow to solve this problem, too.  As Scarlet said, “Tomorrow is another day.”

 

My two suitcases that I brought with me were delivered and I have emptied them.  My room steward will divide the bed when he changes the sheets (I told him not to worry about it until then - no sense wasting a clean set of sheets).

 

It is really hot out and with many of the doors open, much of the ship is hot so I went to the Crow’s Nest to start today’s blog on my iPad.  Found out that some of the letters on my Zagg keyboard don’t work anymore (like the “e” which is rather useful) so I will be using the keyboard on the screen of my iPad until I can get my computer to accept the internet. 

 

Another bag had arrived when I returned to my cabin and I emptied it.  Just a couple of minutes later the last one arrived.  It was getting harder and harder to find space for everything!  My shawls are in three different places so I think when the room steward separates my bed and I can get the cases under them, I will put all 33 of them in one suitcase.

 

The 4pm sail-away became the 5pm sail-away, which became the 6pm and finally about 7:15 we left.  

 

I was late getting to dinner but there were only two people at the table (we were told three more are assigned to the table) and they had ordered but not been served and didn’t mind my tardiness.  They are Bob and Judy (not the Bob and Judy from previous cruises who I spoke with today).  We had a great meal and pleasant conversation.  I was asked to find out if there was an up charge on the Shrimp Cocktail and there is - $8.50!  It used to be on the always available menu for free.  My friends Kathy and Mike from the 2018 and 2020 world cruises came over to talk as we were finishing dinner.  They are doing the same itinerary as I am.

 

While we were eating it was announced that we were heading back to Fort Lauderdale for a medical disembark.  Poor person.  Hope she/he will recover.

 

The entertainment for tonight was called “Origin Story” which told about the 150 years of Holland America.  The  Cruise Director (who is now called the Cruise and Travel Director), Jeremy, narrated and it was interesting to hear how HAL differentiated itself from its competitors.

 

I walked around the deck afterwards and checked on the length of the Guest Services line - there were still 10 in line so I returned to my cabin to finish this post.

 

P.S. Five minutes after posting this I tried googling "how to connect with internet on computer on a Holland America ship" and I had the answer!  Typing this on comuter now!  One less thing to do tomorrow.

Smooth sailing until next time! 

We were on the Voyage of the Viking this past summer, the Zaandam had a terrible time with internet. Some received most of their paid internet service back in shipboard credit. We received half of our package price back in shipboard credit. Would have liked the use of internet rather than the refund. By the way we did receive free shrimp cocktail on dressy evenings.

 

[zelker]

@Scrapnana  Inquiring minds (who will be boarding Zaandam December 5th for 32 days 😆) wonder if they've started installing the new flat-panel TVs?  

[iflyrc5]

17 hours ago, Scrapnana said:

Sorry for the delay.  Internet/Computer issues (and almost everyone on the ship has them).

 

Monday, October 10

Onboard!

 

I had booked the shuttle for noon but when I left my room just before 11 (check-out time), I met the shuttle driver in the lobby.  He said there would be no problem going to the terminal early, so I went.  It was fine.  Turned out they were not checking assigned times just like pre-pandemic.  My assigned time to check in was 12:40 but I was on the ship by 12:05.

 

Had some trouble with my key card but my room steward helped me and I left my electronics and went to lunch.  I was very good with only one slice of pizza and a bowl of fruit salad - no desert.  Wonder how long being good will last?

 

Muster drill is now very different (and in my opinion, much better).  We have to go to our lifeboat and have our card scanned (on our own) and watch the safety video on TV.

 

When I returned I realized that I did not have the refrigerator I was supposed to have.  Something to work on tomorrow.  Since I can’t make tea, I am on my second Diet Coke.

 

Walked around the ship for awhile and then back to my cabin to work with getting logged in to the internet.  I was able to log in with my phone and iPad but not on my laptop.  The line at guest services is about twenty deep and never gets shorter so I will wait until tomorrow to solve this problem, too.  As Scarlet said, “Tomorrow is another day.”

 

My two suitcases that I brought with me were delivered and I have emptied them.  My room steward will divide the bed when he changes the sheets (I told him not to worry about it until then - no sense wasting a clean set of sheets).

 

It is really hot out and with many of the doors open, much of the ship is hot so I went to the Crow’s Nest to start today’s blog on my iPad.  Found out that some of the letters on my Zagg keyboard don’t work anymore (like the “e” which is rather useful) so I will be using the keyboard on the screen of my iPad until I can get my computer to accept the internet. 

 

Another bag had arrived when I returned to my cabin and I emptied it.  Just a couple of minutes later the last one arrived.  It was getting harder and harder to find space for everything!  My shawls are in three different places so I think when the room steward separates my bed and I can get the cases under them, I will put all 33 of them in one suitcase.

 

The 4pm sail-away became the 5pm sail-away, which became the 6pm and finally about 7:15 we left.  

 

I was late getting to dinner but there were only two people at the table (we were told three more are assigned to the table) and they had ordered but not been served and didn’t mind my tardiness.  They are Bob and Judy (not the Bob and Judy from previous cruises who I spoke with today).  We had a great meal and pleasant conversation.  I was asked to find out if there was an up charge on the Shrimp Cocktail and there is - $8.50!  It used to be on the always available menu for free.  My friends Kathy and Mike from the 2018 and 2020 world cruises came over to talk as we were finishing dinner.  They are doing the same itinerary as I am.

 

While we were eating it was announced that we were heading back to Fort Lauderdale for a medical disembark.  Poor person.  Hope she/he will recover.

 

The entertainment for tonight was called “Origin Story” which told about the 150 years of Holland America.  The  Cruise Director (who is now called the Cruise and Travel Director), Jeremy, narrated and it was interesting to hear how HAL differentiated itself from its competitors.

 

I walked around the deck afterwards and checked on the length of the Guest Services line - there were still 10 in line so I returned to my cabin to finish this post.

 

P.S. Five minutes after posting this I tried googling "how to connect with internet on computer on a Holland America ship" and I had the answer!  Typing this on comuter now!  One less thing to do tomorrow.

Smooth sailing until next time! 

If you are sitting with Bob and Judy G from Prescott, AZ tell them Ted and Barb say hi and wishing you all a great cruise.  They are friends we have cruised with many times.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

4 hours ago, iflyrc5 said:

If you are sitting with Bob and Judy G from Prescott, AZ tell them Ted and Barb say hi and wishing you all a great cruise.  They are friends we have cruised with many times.

Marty and Gail say hi. 

[iflyrc5]

1 hour ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

Marty and Gail say hi. 

Marty and Gail - As I recall you are on the Rotterdam.  We have good friends on there too.  Kathi, Jim and Trish.  They are staying on for the TA.  I sent Kathi an email asking if she had me you yet.

[Scrapnana]

11 hours ago, zelker said:

@Scrapnana  Inquiring minds (who will be boarding Zaandam December 5th for 32 days 😆) wonder if they've started installing the new flat-panel TVs?  

Some have them (or so I have been told).  Most do not.

[Scrapnana]

10 hours ago, iflyrc5 said:

If you are sitting with Bob and Judy G from Prescott, AZ tell them Ted and Barb say hi and wishing you all a great cruise.  They are friends we have cruised with many times.

I see them all the time.  I will tell them.

[Scrapnana]

A Few Bumps in the Road

 

With our Cruise Critic Cabin Crawl today, I woke at six and could not get back to sleep.  I used that extra time to get on the internet and post yesterday's pictures.  Last night the internet came and went and absolutely refused to allow me to upload my pictures.  So, if you read yesterday's blog and didn't see any pictures, go back and have a look.

 

I had told my room steward that I would be out by 9:30 so that he could clean and separate the beds.  Since I was up so early (for me!), I went to the Lido and got a glass of juice and a bowl of Cheerios.  Instead of the individual boxes of cereal they used to have, now there are dispensers where you turn the handle and out comes the cereal.

 

There is definitely more motion today and many of us are doing some staggering as we navigate the hallways.  I was going to take a walk outside but it was very windy so I walked the halls instead.

 

I looked in my cabin at just after 10 and he was finished.  It looks so much bigger with the beds separated.

 

It was then time to meet the other hosts for the Cabin Crawl.  We started out first to look at the cabins and stayed when we got to our own.  There were many "tourists" who came by to see the cabins but Heather, who was in charge, said only about half who had signed up actually took part.  We were able to see a couple of inside cabins (which were very different from each other), some ocean view, two balconies, and one huge suite.  My "info wall" and map were a big hit.

 

When it was over, I took a brief nap before heading to 1pm trivia.  I tried eating after trivia for the first time and am not sure if I have a preference between eating times.  I am sure one will develop as we go along.

 

In crafts, we made a little pouch to hold the sewing supplies that we need for some of the projects.  Nancy has given us a list so we know whether to bring our jewelry, sewing, or paper supplies.

 

I went straight to the Crow's Nest for 4:30 trivia and couldn't figure out where my team was.  Someone finally came along and said trivia had been moved to "Mix" (one of the bar areas).

 

I am still getting used to the change in dinner time.  Early sitting remained the same but Main sitting is now at 7:30 instead of 8 and the late show begins at 9:00 instead of 9:30.

 

Good prime rib for dinner tonight.  The show was called "Swing, Swing, Swing", and, as you probably guessed featured music from the Swing Era.  This was presented by the Zaandam Singers and Dancers - 4 dancers and 4 singers.  Once upon a time I think they had more dancers.  The show lasted 30 minutes - again I think they used to be 40-45 minutes.  It might just be this show that was shorter.  We shall see.

 

At noon the captain had announced that tomorrow everyone will be given a do-it-yourself Covid test kit.  Between 9:30 and 11:00.  Everyone has to put their name, cabin number, date, and the time the test was taken on a piece of paper, put the test on the paper, wait 10 minutes and then take a picture of the results with a mobile device.  If your test is negative, you then have to report the results to your cabin steward and you are free.  A positive result is taken care of by the Medical Centre and you stay put.  Evidently, we will be doing this from time to time.  If there are good results from the entire ship, the mask mandate may be lifted.

 

We lose another hour tonight.

 

Smooth sailing until next time!

 

1pm trivia - we had 11 out of 17 - four winning teams had 12

1.  What is the largest known land animal?

2.  What mountain range lies between France and Spain?

3.  Which of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was the first to be built?

4.  Zanzibar is an island of which African country?

5.  "in spite of everything, I still believe people are good at heart," is the last line of which movie?

 

1.  elephant

2.  Pyrenees

3.  Pyramids

4.  Tanzania

5.  The Diary of Anne Frank

 

4:30 trivia - we had 14 out of 18, winners had 16

1.  What color is the Himalayan poppy flower?

2.  What is the largest island in the world?

3.  Which planet has the most gravity?

4.  Which mammal does not have vocal cords?

5.  How many hearts does an octopus have?

 

1.  blue

2.  Greenland

3.  Jupiter

4.  giraffe

5.  three

 

Note : my two and a half years trivia has made me a less than stellar player (I stink!).

[zelker]

15 minutes ago, Scrapnana said:

Some have them (or so I have been told).  Most do not.

Thanks.  And I just noticed the typo … we board Dec. 20th, not the 5th. 🤪

[irishjim]

On 10/9/2022 at 11:45 PM, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Bon Voyage - Have a great cruise!

+1

[erewhon]

Thanks for posting the photos on your blog.

We met Captain Ane Smit on board Maasdam, an Australian Circumnavigation cruise.

Enjoy the remainder of your cruise.

 

Edited October 14, 2022 by erewhon

[The-Inside-Cabin]

1 hour ago, Scrapnana said:

The show was called "Swing, Swing, Swing", and, as you probably guessed featured music from the Swing Era.  This was presented by the Zaandam Singers and Dancers - 4 dancers and 4 singers.  Once upon a time I think they had more dancers.  The show lasted 30 minutes - again I think they used to be 40-45 minutes.  It might just be this show that was shorter.  We shall see.

 

Good to see that they have brought back the singer and dancers.   You are correct on the number of dancers, they used to have 6

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

11 hours ago, iflyrc5 said:

Marty and Gail - As I recall you are on the Rotterdam.  We have good friends on there too.  Kathi, Jim and Trish.  They are staying on for the TA.  I sent Kathi an email asking if she had me you yet.

Tell them we are the couple crocheting blankets. 

[Scrapnana]

A quick update (or maybe I should type very slowly to kill time).  On this morning’s Covid test, I tested positive.  I made it 2 1/2 years without it and somehow in the last week, I get it.  At least I did not test positive last Friday which would have meant I couldn’t have gone on the cruise at all.  I have no symptoms.

 

Five days in my cabin sounds like a life sentence.  Luckily, I have a number of knitting and crocheting projects, 10 books, games on my computer, and internet.  I will get my steps in by walking back and forth from my door to the window (12 steps, BTW).  I can stand at the window and watch the free people walk the promenade deck.  And then there is always eating.  I eat when I am bored.  I’m afraid I will gain ten pounds in five days.

 

Our first port is my fifth day, so I will miss Funchal.  Hopefully, when they test me again, it will be negative.  I have three home tests and they gave us two this morning, so I will probably test myself on Sunday and Monday.

 

I will not be posting daily unless something exciting happens (no idea what that might be).  Basically, my day is going to be knit, read, eat, use the computer, knit, read, eat, etc. which does not make for interesting reading.  
 

So far, two nurses have come to my cabin to double check the test (not sure how you could misread two lines) and I got a call asking for my medical history.  I wonder if they put a big scarlet letter “C” on my door to warn others away???

 

All for now.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

2 minutes ago, Scrapnana said:

A quick update (or maybe I should type very slowly to kill time).  On this morning’s Covid test, I tested positive.  I made it 2 1/2 years without it and somehow in the last week, I get it.  At least I did not test positive last Friday which would have meant I couldn’t have gone on the cruise at all.  I have no symptoms.

 

Five days in my cabin sounds like a life sentence.  Luckily, I have a number of knitting and crocheting projects, 10 books, games on my computer, and internet.  I will get my steps in by walking back and forth from my door to the window (12 steps, BTW).  I can stand at the window and watch the free people walk the promenade deck.  And then there is always eating.  I eat when I am bored.  I’m afraid I will gain ten pounds in five days.

 

Our first port is my fifth day, so I will miss Funchal.  Hopefully, when they test me again, it will be negative.  I have three home tests and they gave us two this morning, so I will probably test myself on Sunday and Monday.

 

I will not be posting daily unless something exciting happens (no idea what that might be).  Basically, my day is going to be knit, read, eat, use the computer, knit, read, eat, etc. which does not make for interesting reading.  
 

So far, two nurses have come to my cabin to double check the test (not sure how you could misread two lines) and I got a call asking for my medical history.  I wonder if they put a big scarlet letter “C” on my door to warn others away???

 

All for now.

Sorry to hear that.   But at least you are cruising.   (Sorta).   Glad you don't have to move.  Hope you continue to stay symptom free. 

[lcand1923]

So very, very sorry to read the bad news!  This latest strain seems to be “strange”.  I cannot tell you the number of friends that have caught it.  Try to stay sane!!!

[aliaschief]

Sorry to hear of your positive test. It happened to us last March on board Rotterdam and it’s not fun. Hope your symptoms remain mild