richwmn Goes around the world in a daze

[richwmn]

March 20 – at sea, destination Destination Luanda, Angola eta 3-21

 

 

 

Another day at sea and the weather is again very good.

 

Yesterday one of my trivia partners went to medical, she is now in isolation. This morning we had a notice that GI illness (aka Noro) is above acceptable levels and the ship is now in ‘Code Red’. This morning everything on the Lido Buffet was served by staff and a staff member is at the entrances insuring that everyone uses the had sanitizer. For me, this is was sort of expected at some point. The medical staff is attempting to determine the point at which the virus entered the ship.

 

Today, in just a few minutes, we have to play ‘pass the passport’ again. We are to turn in our passports between 9:00am and 10:00am in the mid ship elevator lobby. Within the next few days we will be charged $85 for a visa to Ghana even if we choose to remain on the ship. For Gambia a few days later the visa is $155, but only if you plan to go ashore. We will get our passports back on March 31 and will need the original passport to go ashore for the next few ports.

 

Now to last night. Like always on sea days we had three trivia sessions and each was fun. As I get used to our new host Simon, I find I like him better. After the late trivia we went to the World Stage and listened to the (new) Captain’s welcome. He spoke for about 25 minutes and talked about himself and his history with Holland America. Then he received a glass of sparkling wine and made a toast.

 

After the Captain’s speech I went to the Ocean Bar and listened to the Dance Band for one set. They are very good and it is also easy to have a conversation in the Ocean Bar while they are playing. A few people did get up and dance. It is a nice use for the Ocean Bar.

 

All four venues had entertainment last night so those who wished to, could see a band playing from 3:30pm to 11:00pm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

March 21 – Luanda, Angola

 

 

Today we are docked in Angola. It is again an industrial port and we will have a shuttle to the port entrance where they have set up a small market just for us. For the past few days the discussion, started by the Cruise Director, has been that this port is not safe. HAL has some shore excursions that people are taking but I haven’t heard anyone talk about private excursions.

 

Interesting thing this morning. Several people have mentioned on Cruise Critic that broadcast TV is not available in ports. In general I have not found this to be the case. However, today it is. None of the regular channels are available, but movies are. No big loss, must be licensing in Angola since nothing is available.

 

Yesterday and last night actually were pretty good. Of course trivia was available at the normal times. Simon did early and late while Jessica did the middle session which was Music Trivia, all songs by Fleetwood Mac. Since we had a short team we picked up a young guest who just happened to be into music and Fleetwood Mac. We managed to win and got almost all of them.

 

At 4:30pm I attended a Q&A session with Dr. Dean Allen. He is an Englishman who lived for a while in Australia and now lives in South Africa. The session lasted about an hour and reinforced several things I had been told by tour guides while in South Africa. He also provided insights into other area. It was a hour well spent.

 

The Ocean Bar provided background music for conversation. We had a nice discussion on ports we have already visited and some information about today’s port. In general people seem to be staying on the ship.

 

 

 

This morning we pulled into Luanda on time. The ship is in ‘Code Red’, several cases of Noro have been detected and as a precaution we are now being served everything in the Lido. For that reason, and others, I had just a bowl of cereal and some juice. The Lido seemed a bit less crowded than normal this morning. The service was still excellent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

March 22 – at sea destination Takoradi, Ghana

 

 

 

We are still under ‘Code Red’ restrictions for the time being. No announcement has been made as far as actual numbers. Yesterday our departure from Luanda was delayed while a Guest was evacuated via ambulance.

 

So on to yesterday. After lunch we took the shuttle into town. We were dropped at a park that was transformed into a market for us. A lot of clothes with vibrant colors, along with some paintings. We did not venture further because the ship had many warnings that it was not safe to do so.

 

Upon returning to the ship we relaxed a bit. Trivia at 4:00pm was entitled Oceans, but that was expanded a bunch to get 15 questions. For example, we were given the name ‘Leslie Sebastian Charles’ and asked what his professional name is (Billy Ocean). Simon was the host of this trivia and he tries to work Barbra Streisand into his sessions so the bonus question was ‘What 1991 Movie starred Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte’, with the answer ‘Prince of Tides’. The other questions concerned bodies of water, but not necessarily oceans.

 

Immediately after trivia, it was up to the aft lido pool for sail away. As far as a sail away is concerned, this was one of the more reserved. Not too many people were gathered around and one of the hosts was playing music rather than a band. It didn’t seem like as many of the bar staff were available for drink purchase and little food was offered. At about 5:00pm the announcement was made about the delay so we adjourned inside. During the 6:30 trivia session we finally left Angola.

 

Last night it was dinner in the MDR along with the partners in crime (Kelly, Jett, and Sue) along with Carl and Janice. We sat down for dinner a little after 7:30 and it lasted until 9:30. One of the topics of conversation during dinner was the length, and at least in this little group it was determined that the when the group gets along it doesn’t seem to be excessive. I’m sure that the portions were the same as usual, but several of the group commented that they seemed larger than normal. Everyone was pleased with their selection. I had the fish of the evening (snapper) and it was well prepared and tasty. Carl had the Rustic Lasagna. I particularly asked him about it since there have been comments about it here, and he said he enjoyed it.

 

After dinner it was back to my cabin. On the World Stage the offering for the evening was the movie ‘Death on the Nile’.

 

This morning was the normal breakfast on the lido. Today was an omelet and it was very good. Breakfast company and conversation was very good. Later today is back to the sea day routine with trivia and meals, along with maybe some lectures and other entertainment. Should be a good day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

March 23 – at sea destination Takoradi, Ghana

 

 

 

 

Today is the second of three days at sea headed for Ghana. The temperature and humidity continue to be acceptable (at least to me) and the ship is comfortable.

 

Yesterday the blankets from Project Linus were displayed around the mid ship Lido pool. I wouldn’t even try to estimate how many blankets were displayed but it was a huge amount. All of them were beautiful and looked to be well made. Many themes were represented and most were colorful. About a dozen were up for sale in a silent auction, proceeds to go (I think) to future projects. The starting price for each was $350 and I hope they were able to sell a few.

 

For yesterday trivia was again fun, but we still come up just a bit short. Just one more question right would have added us to the tie for one session. It has still been fun and a good social activity.

 

I didn’t notice that most of the music venues last night had themes for each of their sessions. Some of them look interesting and I might have attended if I had seen the themes. The Dance Band had four sessions without a theme, but they always provide good background and dancing music.

 

This morning for breakfast we were still in ‘Code Red’. I did see a couple of people go around the ropes to get items for themselves. Even with the enhanced protocols, it is easy enough to ask one of the Lido stewards to get things for you and they are happy to do so.

 

At 9:00am we had to turn in Arrival and Departure forms for Ghana and get our temperature checked. It was a quick and easy process and as usual they were set up a bit early and I was finished before 9. We also had to turn in an application for a Gambian Visa. We do have the option to stay on the ship there and not pay the $155 for a visa.

 

Tomorrow we will cross the equator for the second time, this time going north. The Captain announced yesterday that we will be crossing the equator and prime meridian at the same time, so that will be nice and a little different. We will also have the ‘Crossing the Line’ ceremony tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

March 24 – at sea destination Takoradi, Ghana

 

 

 

Today is the last sea day of three. We have great weather again and last night and this morning have been filled with activity.

 

Being a sea day yesterday we had three sessions of trivia. The first got a little bit heated because problems came up with the bonus question. The question was what word can be made up using the letters ABCDEF? Simon was asked by several people if those were the only letters that could be used and he said yes. When he gave the answer as FEEDBACK he was challenged because it contains another letter and he agreed and thru out the question. That angered a bunch of people that got FEEDBACK as the answer. The replacement question concerned the country where the first steam locomotive was used. His answer was Wales. Several people were upset because he wouldn’t accept the UK as the answer.

 

The 4:00pm trivia session was a bit different. We were given the lyrics of a song to a point and then had to provide the next 5 words. It was a little more difficult because common lyrics are not necessarily the published lyrics. We did manage to win that session, but didn’t do well with the final session on literature.

 

After the last trivia session we watched the Dance band play their 8:30pm set. Several people were on the dance floor for each song. They finished up about 9:15pm, just in time to head to the World Stage for the late show. This was Pianist Storyteller Christof van der Berg. He put on a nice show and even the late show was pretty well attended. The other venues all had programs all evening.

 

This morning started with a nice walk around the promenade deck. The temperature was pleasant and the walk was calming. At 6:30am the Lido opened for hot breakfasts and I got an omelet, which of course was well prepared. When I checked the ship’s position I noticed that we were very near the equator. The Captain has been announcing an afternoon crossing, but it seemed we were early.

 

 

 

At 10:00am we had the ‘Crossing the Line’ ceremony. This is where crew that has never crossed the equator get to engage in a little fun to move from Pollywogs to Emerald Shellbacks. They must appear before King Neptune for their various transgressions, then be cured by the medical team, then judged by the highest officers. It is a messy process and the officer’s judgment is either into the pool or sit by the side. At the end, all of the elevated Pollywogs get into the pool to rinse off. About 20 crew members participated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the ceremony the Captain was back on the bridge and announced that Zuiderdam was sitting on the intersection of the Equator and the Prime Meridian. This is 0 degrees Latitude and 0 degrees Longitude. He then positioned the ship such that the bow was in the Northern Hemisphere while the aft was in the Southern Hemisphere. In addition, the port side was in the Western Hemisphere while the starboard side was in the Eastern Hemisphere. It was a great time to be aboard Zuiderdam!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[REOVA]

28 minutes ago, richwmn said:

March 24 – at sea destination 

 

 

At 10:00am we had the ‘Crossing the Line’ ceremony. This is where crew that has never crossed the equator get to engage in a little fun to move from Pollywogs to Emerald Shellbacks. They must appear before King Neptune for their various transgressions, then be cured by the medical team, then judged by the highest officers. It is a messy process and the officer’s judgment is either into the pool or sit by the side. At the end, all of the elevated Pollywogs get into the pool to rinse off. About 20 crew members participated.

 

 

Congrats. In 2018 we had a few passenger complaints that we did not hit exactly 0.00 × 0.00 🤷‍♂️

 

 

[richwmn]

March 25 – Takoradi, Ghana

 

 

 

Today it is a bit overcast and around 86°F and the humidity isn’t bad. There is a shuttle into the town center where there is a market about 15 minutes away. There is a bigger market set up on the pier right beside the ship. We chose to just visit the market beside the ship. Lots of clothes, in very vibrant colors again. A booth was set up with carvings and another with painting. I suspect the carvings and paintings are local, but not so sure about the clothes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I already mentioned the King Neptune Ceremony. It was the talk of the ship last evening and everyone seemed to have a good time, even the Pollywogs. Last evening all the venues had entertainment, with the Ocean Bar featuring the Trio rather than the Dance Band. Again the other venues had a theme for each set, which can be seen in the daily program for yesterday. Trivia went well, and we won one again.

 

I had an early night last night and a very good sleep.

 

We are still in a version of ‘Code Red’. We are still being served everything on the Lido, but salt & pepper shakers are back on the tables. We had a note last night that the situation is improving and we will soon be back to normal. The following was also mentioned “Under the circumstances, we must remain vigilant and cautious of any produce replenishment and procurement until we reach the southern part of Europe.”

 

Also today we are supposed to watch the safety video and scan our cards at the muster station again. I’m glad it isn’t the muster drill of old where everyone was out on deck waiting for that one person to show up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

March 26 – Abidjan, Cote D’Ivorire

 

 

 

 

 

It is actually afternoon here, on a hot, lazy, Sunday. For the last couple of days the announcements about this stop have been negative and this morning there was a lot of trouble with the tour buses and shuttles. One of the problems is that the area is French and Catholic and almost everything in the area is closed. A couple of excursions went out, but they were very expensive.

 

Last evening was pretty good. We had trivia sessions at 4:00pm and 6:30pm and both went well. Dinner between was as good as always. We were scheduled to depart at 4:30pm but didn’t actually leave until after 6:00pm, but that wasn’t a problem because it was a short run to today’s port.

 

After trivia the Ocean Bar called and the band played for about 15 minutes before they took a break. They play a good mix of music that had several couples dancing. When the band took a break a walk around the Observation deck called out followed by the last set in the Ocean Bar. The only thing going on after that was the pianos in Billboard. It seemed that a different male pianist was playing and the duo was a bit better than in the past. They also played a nice mix of songs, but no dancing or area for it. By the time they finished it was around 11:00pm and time to head for my cabin.

 

This morning proved a bit amusing. The last time we changed time zones I set mine as London as we are in GMT. When I woke up my phone time showed 6:15am, later that I have been waking up. Since my cell has acted strange when swapping between local service and the ship I figured that was the reason, but then I noticed both my tablet and laptop matched the cell phone. When I looked at the time on the tv, it was an hour earlier. I took a walk, then at breakfast looked at my time settings and it showed London as GMT+1 so I changed the phone to Abidjan and all was good I changed the tablet and laptop after I returned to my cabin. Later I noticed posts showing that London moved to their summer clock last night, and that is the source of the problem.

 

The dress code for tonight is ‘Sporty’ and we are being encouraged to wear team colors or team jerseys. Should be an interesting evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[StLouisCruisers]

37 minutes ago, richwmn said:

March 26 – Abidjan, Cote D’Ivorire

 

 

 

 

 

It is actually afternoon here, on a hot, lazy, Sunday. For the last couple of days the announcements about this stop have been negative and this morning there was a lot of trouble with the tour buses and shuttles. One of the problems is that the area is French and Catholic and almost everything in the area is closed. A couple of excursions went out, but they were very expensive.

 

Last evening was pretty good. We had trivia sessions at 4:00pm and 6:30pm and both went well. Dinner between was as good as always. We were scheduled to depart at 4:30pm but didn’t actually leave until after 6:00pm, but that wasn’t a problem because it was a short run to today’s port.

 

After trivia the Ocean Bar called and the band played for about 15 minutes before they took a break. They play a good mix of music that had several couples dancing. When the band took a break a walk around the Observation deck called out followed by the last set in the Ocean Bar. The only thing going on after that was the pianos in Billboard. It seemed that a different male pianist was playing and the duo was a bit better than in the past. They also played a nice mix of songs, but no dancing or area for it. By the time they finished it was around 11:00pm and time to head for my cabin.

 

This morning proved a bit amusing. The last time we changed time zones I set mine as London as we are in GMT. When I woke up my phone time showed 6:15am, later that I have been waking up. Since my cell has acted strange when swapping between local service and the ship I figured that was the reason, but then I noticed both my tablet and laptop matched the cell phone. When I looked at the time on the tv, it was an hour earlier. I took a walk, then at breakfast looked at my time settings and it showed London as GMT+1 so I changed the phone to Abidjan and all was good I changed the tablet and laptop after I returned to my cabin. Later I noticed posts showing that London moved to their summer clock last night, and that is the source of the problem.

 

The dress code for tonight is ‘Sporty’ and we are being encouraged to wear team colors or team jerseys. Should be an interesting evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not easy to keep up with the time zones sometimes, as you found out.  Glad it's straightened out now.  I hope you brought your Georgia Dawgs jersey/shirt!

[richwmn]

March 27 – at sea destination Banjul, The Gambia

 

 

 

 

Sea day routine, it is nice and relaxing. More so than at home it is difficult some times to say what day of the week it is. It is really more important if we are at sea or in a port. For the most part, sea days have the same schedule. Port days can vary based on what time we arrive and depart and if we are right in the city or out at an industrial port. At the industrial ports we have had shuttles at no cost, other than the 20 – 30 minutes the ride to anywhere interesting takes.

 

Yesterday the theme on the ship was sports, and most staff and many Guests were wearing team colors. One bar steward I asked said he was just wearing the shirt he was issued, he didn’t really have any preference or choice. The only regular trivia was at 4:00pm and was sports based. The questions covered sports from around the world and were pretty good. It was hosted by Spencer and he was in good form. At 7:00pm Ian hosted a bigger trivia from the World Stage. His trivia is a little different in that he asks a question then asks for people to raise their hand. Overall, he did a better job on this one than he did on previous sessions he did in a similar format. He had a large crowd and everyone seemed happy.

 

Music was provided last night in the Ocean Bar, Billboard, and Rolling Stone Lounge. The Dance Band in the Ocean Bar is always good. I didn’t happen to be near the others last night when they were playing.

 

The ship is still in ‘Code Red’, although a bit less restrictive. At his noon message the Captain continued to say we are doing better, but not enough to go back to normal. I don’t really have any problem with allowing staff to serve everything. I do have a friend that is in his fourth day of isolation in an inside cabin. He is on a day to day watch depending on his overnight condition.

 

This morning I went down to the World Stage around 10:30am to be ready for the presentation by Dean Allen. I wasn’t thinking about the fact that Ian would be doing a port talk. Earlier in the cruise I went to a presentation by Ian and I wasn’t impressed. I might be getting used to Ian’s English manner, or he might be getting better, or maybe he had a bad day, but this presentation was better. The presentation by Dean Allen was things in history that happened this week and was pretty good. Dean is a very good speaker and I enjoyed the talk.

 

This evening’s attire is ‘Dressy’. The music venues are all open and the Zuiderdam Singers will be performing on the World Stage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LocoLoco1]

So… Shore Excursion folks commenting on their days ashore, either Pro or Con?? I would entertain cruising ‘round Africa but only if I could really get far afield at every stop. Any thoughts??

[richwmn]

March 28 – at sea destination Banjul, The Gambia

 

 

 

 

Another day at sea. This morning before breakfast the temperature was pretty nice, but it (of course) has gotten a bit warmer. Still not as hot as it has been, but as we proceed north we are getting cooler.

 

Today is the 84^th day of the World Cruise, we have 44 days left. When adding the 12 days of the holiday cruise I have been aboard Zuiderdam for 96 days. It has been a very good experience and I have met a lot of great people. As I have mentioned before, the overall cruise is a bit better than a normal cruise but I wouldn’t say it is ‘Grand’. The crew in general is very good, and tries very hard to make sure the Guests have a good time. Some of the problems come from changes that happened over the time that the industry was shut down. The World Cruise has stopped at quite a few ports that were not exactly prepared for us to arrive. Shuttles seem to have been set up just a few days before we arrived and things have been hastily set up so the Guests have something to do.

 

The ship continues to be in enhanced mode for cleaning and food handling. For the most part, everything is served. I was told of an incident yesterday where someone reached into a bowl of potato chips and took out a hand full. For the most part Guests have been taking the precautions seriously. We still have several people in isolation, but I have no idea how many.

 

Last evening after trivia I called it a night. Sometimes you just need some time off. I relaxed and enjoyed the evening. All of the music venues were open.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

March 29 – Banjil, The Gambia

 

 

 

 

It has been an interesting couple of days concerning this port. Several days ago we were told that we would only have to have a visa (cost $155) if we planned to go ashore here. All of the sudden yesterday this changed and everyone from a visa required country had to have a visa even if they planned on staying on the ship. I know that quite a few people I talked to had said that they wouldn’t get the visa and are now upset that they are spending the money for a port they were not that interested in.

 

Last night aboard ship was pretty good. We had the normal trivia at 4:00pm, but at 6:30pm we had a different game. We were shown scrambled words and had 30 seconds to decide what the nautical term was. Many of the terms were specific to Holland America, including the ship’s name. The Dance Band didn’t play in the Ocean Bar, but the Rolling Stone Lounge band had a country set that was pretty good. The group in the Exploration Lounge were pretty good as musicians, but spent (I think) a bit too much time on giving the lyrics and maybe a story about the song. I’m sure that others appreciated this.

 

The trivia partner that has been in isolation for the past few days has been released. I’ll get a chance to talk to him shortly. I’m glad that he is finally out and about.

 

I was lazy this morning and went directly up to the Lido for breakfast. There was an early line so I just had a bowl of cereal. After breakfast I joined a lot of others on the aft deck to watch up pull into the dock. It was an interesting view and a good conversation.

 

Since I have to have a visa today, I guess I will be getting off the ship for a bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 29, 2023 by richwmn

[richwmn]

March 29 – A Note on The Gambia

 

After lunch I, along with 2 others, decided to take the shuttle into town and see what Banjul had to offer. The shuttle was an older vehicle, and not really in very good shape. The path to the market and drop off area wound thru some very run down areas. The Market where we were supposed to be dropped off was basically an intersection with shops and stalls going in all directions. The area was not very appealing and almost everyone on the shuttle elected to stay on it and return to the ship. The return trip took a different route, but the scenery was just the same. The area is extremely poor and is in poor condition.

 

When we arrived back at the ship there was a market set up. We looked over the items for a bit, then went back on the ship. It was a depressing day, to say the least.

 

[Oceansaway17]

6 hours ago, richwmn said:

March 29 – A Note on The Gambia

 

When we arrived back at the ship there was a market set up. We looked over the items for a bit, then went back on the ship. It was a depressing day, to say the least.

 

AW yes there are some ports like that. Now you know if ever back again,

 

thanks for including the daily quotes from the Captain and crew.  Some are quite funny and or thoughtful.

[DFD1]

2 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

AW yes there are some ports like that. Now you know if ever back again,

 

thanks for including the daily quotes from the Captain and crew.  Some are quite funny and or thoughtful.

Thank you for your interesting comments, especially about the African ports. Congratulations on your continued success and enjoyment of Trivia.

[Oceansaway17]

On 3/29/2023 at 7:52 PM, DFD1 said:

Thank you for your interesting comments, especially about the African ports. Congratulations on your continued success and enjoyment of Trivia.

Not sure who you are as my reply was for Richwinn

[S&B]

We were on the 2022 Grand Africa cruise and because of tidal conditions we missed the port of Gambia.  We had a private tour scheduled that would have taken us to a school where we had many school supplies to be distributed.  We were able to give the supplies to another school at another port but were disappointed about not going in to Gambia.  Even though the conditions are not good and the infrastructure is bad we realize that this is Africa.  We tried to make the best of every port, even getting lost in down town Senegal and the natives helping us find the shuttle bus back to the ship.  Would we go around Africa again?  Absolutely!!

I have enjoyed reading your blog because it has brought back so many memories and especially the MDR menus.  Thanks for taking us along.  Enjoy the remaining days of your cruise.

[richwmn]

March 31 – at sea destination Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canarias

 

 

 

 

 

Today is the first of two sea days heading for the Canarias. It will be filled with the typical sea day activities. We will have three trivia sessions, a game of Bocce Ball, and various activites. Yesterday’s revised schedule included most of the typical sea day activities, except we were not moving. We had a sail away party at 4:30pm but the ship didn’t actually move until closer to 6:00pm. We also had a change in schedule, the ship showed Top Gun: Maverick on the big screen in the World Stage. It’s a good movie and would have presented well on the big screen. I didn’t go because I watched it on the in cabin TV (twice) and probably would have dozed off during the showing.

 

Today we got our passports back again. It was a quick process as it has always been. Those who have an overnight trip in Morocco were required to leave their passports with the ship for processing there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

April 1 – at sea destination Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canarias

 

 

 

 

Good morning from Zuiderdam which has returned to normal. This morning in the Lido we were able to serve ourselves coffee, cereal, and juices. We got a letter last night that the events that caused the extra precautions were back to an acceptable level.

 

So last night was again very active. We did well with the 4:00pm and 6:30pm trivia sessions. After the later session Sue and I met Kelly and Jett (my partners in crime) in the Ocean Bar for a pre dinner drink, followed by dinner in the Main Dining Room. After a bit of conversation with another couple, we walked to the Dining Room and went directly to the table. Service was great and timely. I had grilled shrimp for the starter which was pretty good. This was followed by prime rib which was prepared properly and very tasty. My dessert was a slice of cheese cake. Dinner lasted about 90 minutes and Sue and I proceeded to Rolling Stone and listened for a bit, followed by Billboard, then the show on the World Stage.

 

On the World Stage the entertainment was Vocalist Spencer Robson. The show started promptly at 8:30pm. He sang songs in the manner of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Dean Martin, Elton John, and many others. His impersonations were good, and the songs he sang in his own style were also very good. The Dance Band backed him and were also very good, as usual.

 

All in all, a very good evening.

 

Early this morning we set our clocks ahead one hour so we lost an hour of sleep, sort of. Like yesterday I slept a little longer but still made it to the Lido at my usual time. Others had varying ways of dealing with the time change, so the groups that are normally at the Lido at that time were not out in full force.

 

Later today we will have the block party that was delayed due to the medical problems the ship was experiencing when it was originally scheduled. The ship is also playing up the ‘April Fools’ theme and has some other events lined up based on that.

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

April 2 – Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canarias

 

 

 

 

Today is a bright, sunny day for our first day in the Canarias. It is close to 10:00am and we docked on time and cleared the ship so that we are able to go ashore. Sail Away for today is 4:30pm for a short run to another island in the group.

 

As I mentioned yesterday the ship had a theme of ‘April Fools Day’ throughout the ship. Many of the activities were named differently such as ‘ParTEA’ afternoon tea is served with themed food. The 1:00pm Trivia session was questions that were submitted by Guests. They seemed a bit more difficult and again we came in second by one answer. At 4:00pm the rescheduled ‘Block Party’ occurred with free flowing wine (red, white, and sparkling). The Captain, Hotel Manager, and other Officers toured the Guest Decks and served some of the refreshments. Soft drinks were available for those who didn’t choose to drink the wine. Our version of the block party lasted an hour or so.

 

We didn’t have a 4:00pm trivia due to the ‘Block Party’, but we did have a 6:30pm session. It was a very fun session and we did well, but again didn’t win.

 

After the trivia session we went to the Main Dining Room for our meal. The menu was presented as if we had to choose between three set menus, but upon asking we found we could mix and match. Shrimp Cocktail was again offered as a starter and it was very good. My main was Wiener Schnitzel and it was prepared properly and very tasty. I ended with a Chocolate Sundae.

 

 

After dinner the Dance Band played for a bit in the Ocean Bar. This ended a little after 9:00pm, and the costume party had already started. Lots of people having a great time, quite a few in costumes. I guess I left around 10:30, maybe a bit later, and the party was still going strong.

 

A little bit later I will go ashore and experience Tenerife for the first time. The next couple of ports are new to me and promise to be very nice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richwmn]

April 2 – Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canarias

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[StLouisCruisers]

Rich, the Canary Islands are lovely ports and I know you'll enjoy them.  After all, that's why Graham @grapau27 and Pauline love to vacation there. 😆 Wonderful warm, sunny days.

[grapau27]

35 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Rich, the Canary Islands are lovely ports and I know you'll enjoy them.  After all, that's why Graham @grapau27 and Pauline love to vacation there. 😆 Wonderful warm, sunny days.

Thank you Sandi.

Indeed the Canary Islands are a favourite of ours and we have 2 Canary Islands cruises with P&O booked.

When we dock in Santa Cruz Tenerife we always go to Puerto de la Cruz for the day (pictured)

Not sure what your itinerary is Rich but If you go to Lanzarote the capital Arrecife where we usually dock  is disappointing  and a 15 minutes taxi to Costa Teguise is better or a 25 minutes taxi to Puerto del Carmen.

Gran Canaria is nice and the centre of Las Palmas is walking distance.

La Palma is lovely.

Madeira is further North but a beautiful port.

Edited April 2, 2023 by grapau27

[Sir PMP]

31 minutes ago, richwmn said:

April 2 – Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canarias

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you getting your supplies today, Sunday?