Navigate the World with Bill & Mary Ann on the Zuiderdam's 128 Day 2023 Grand World Voyage

[WCB]

 

Report # 102  Tuesday  April 11, 2023     Day At Sea Enroute To A Coruna, Spain     Cloudy And Cool In The Morning With Sun In The Afternoon 72 Degrees  Part #1 Of 1.........0 Pictures

 

It was still dark at 7am, so we slept in a bit later than usual.  The ship’s movement with the sea swells was much like sleeping in a swinging hammock.   Breakfast on sea days is 8am, so if we arrive at 9am for instance, it is not a problem.  Knowing what we always order, Andri and Danu are always prepared to serve us fairly quickly.  At least some of the fresh fruit has returned with the deliveries yesterday, but we are still waiting for the real Greek yogurt.  Sometimes it takes a day or so before it can be found in the refrigerator. 

 

Yesterday, we received  the finalized invitation for the 150 year Holland America Line anniversary celebration that will occur in the city of Rotterdam on April 18^th.  As far as we know, only the President’s Club members and the Pinnacle suite guests are invited to this exclusive affair, which will be hosted by Gus Antorcha, the current President of HAL.   Business attire suggested. The plan is for our group to meet in the Rolling Stone Lounge at 12:30pm and depart the ship by 1pm.  The coach ride to Rotterdam will take an hour and a half to the Hotel New York, getting us there about 2:30pm.   At 3pm, we will hear special presentations, remarks, and witness a gift presented to the citizens of the Netherlands.  We assume there will be drinks and canapes during this event.  We will depart the hotel at 4:15pm for the ride back to the Zuiderdam in Amsterdam.  Our normal dining time will have the Gala Dinner, with a continuing party at 9pm on the Lido deck . 

 

Along with this event, we got the invite to a President’s Club Reception and Dinner on April 20^th.  Beverages will be in the Rolling Stone Lounge at 6:30pm and followed by dinner in the Pinnacle Grill at 7:30pm.  Once again, business attire recommended.  Gus Antorcha, the President of HAL will be present along with other people from Seattle.

 

Today’s weather has changed with the presence of clouds, rolling seas, and cool breezes.  During Captain Frank’s noon talk, he brought up the subject of future weather and the effect it may have on our destination.   Since it looks like there are a few systems developing near here, we can expect some rain and high seas with strong winds.  He suggested to enjoy the sunshine today, since it may be the last we see for a while.   At times, we think the Captain overstates possible conditions, and hopes for the best.  We do know that the seas of the English Channel can be pretty turbulent, and that is exactly where we will be in a matter of a few days.

 

We took the Captain’s advice and spent some quality time after lunch in the sun on our veranda.  As we are heading due north, we had the sun for hours.  It was a much- needed break from computer work and fact-gathering research for the upcoming countries.  There are so few sea days that it might be hard to keep the reports up.  But we will try hard.

 

Around 4pm, we had an unexpected knock on the door.  It happened to be one of the plumbers who was checking to see if our carpet was getting wet.  He said there was a leak in the cabin above us, and they had to check every room under that area.  That did happen to us while on the Amsterdam one year, and we had to move out for a few days.  And the leak was coming from in between the cabins from who knows where. By the way, our carpet was dry as was the bathroom floor.

 

With the sun going down after 9pm, it felt strange going to dinner in the daylight.   The time change has a lot to do with this, but the further north we go, the lighter it will stay.  Right before we left the room, we read tomorrow’s Daily Report and found a really odd message on the front page.  It concerned a Spanish VAT sales tax that will be applied to everyone’s account while traveling in waters closer than 20 miles from shore.  The explanation left a lot to be desired, because all of us took it differently.   Here is the exact message:  We must add a 10% VAT on all photos, beverages, Dining Room, Pinnacle Grill, and Canaletto purchases made onboard in Spanish territorial waters.  It will be automatically added to everyone’s bill.  What???  We bet this put the guests into a frenzy, so perhaps this message will need some clarification tomorrow.   But in the meantime, both Barb and Ellen purchased a bottle of wine from their package to avoid any extra charges.  And why, we all asked, did this not happen while we were in Malaga and Cadiz, Spain?   Definitely not a friendly tourist city. 

 

Dinner had some Portuguese choices in both appetizers and mains.  One was a tomato soup….very good, but the other was a fish stew, which Heo tried.   The rest of us had lamb chops or the Club Orange chicken alternate.    The crème Brule dessert made Barb’s day, so much so, she ordered two to go.  Nik wrapped it up with foil to take back to her refrigerator for later or tomorrow morning. 

 

Tomorrow’s port will be new to us, so we did some research.  It is a much smaller city than Lisbon, so it should be fun exploring.  And possibly looking for another winner pizza, even it is raining.  We’ll go prepared.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WriterOnDeck]

1 hour ago, WCB said:

 

  And why, we all asked, did this not happen while we were in Malaga and Cadiz, Spain?   Definitely not a friendly tourist city. 

 

 

Mary Ann, I believe it did happen in those cities, as well. My normal discounted latte of $3.06 was $3.37, for example, while we were in those ports. Apparently they got lots of questions so put the item on the Daily Report. But didn't explain that it was already being charged.

 

My long career in corporate communications leaves me wishing they paid more attention, and were more forthcoming and transparent (e.g. various reasons for TV reception loss in Europe). I'd offer my services if I didn't like being retired so much!

 

I still can't believe I haven't run into you on board in 99 days ....

 

Jo

[LouChamp]

Aloha.  Enjoy that special day of celebration. We have had many memorable times fostered upon us when sailing in the PSuite. Besides the

spec moments, the NLounge is a great place away from hustle and bustle to relax. Enjoy!

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Sorry a senior moment lol. I forgot to ask for your thoughts after the festivities and your thoughts on Gus A.  We thought Kirk L. was really the heart of HAL and hard to replace. They are all personable given their position they should be but some more so than others. Have met Micky A. many times onboard maiden QM2 and at shareholder meetings and aboard other maiden voyages we were invited to.  If not for him there would probably be no HAL, Cunard, Costa and probably some others.

[WCB]

Report #103    Wednesday  April 12, 2023  A Coruna, Spain  Docked Port Side To Dock And Town  8am-10:30pm   Mostly Cloudy And Cool 58 Degrees With Afternoon Sun And Rain Showers  Part #1 Of 3........ 60 Pictures

 

During breakfast this morning, Captain Frank came on the PA to announce a change in our itinerary, completely expected by us as he had dropped the hint yesterday afternoon.  Due to a low pressure system in the Bay of Biscay, the port of Brest, France, will be cancelled.  The plan is to remain here in A Coruna, Spain, until 11pm tonight, then speed to Portland, England arriving Friday afternoon.  Hopefully that will help us to avoid the worst of the weather and provide a safe passage.  We can say one thing for sure, this world cruise has been the craziest one for things going sideways.  Three cancelled ports and one where we were not allowed off of the ship is more than we have ever experienced on a grand voyage.    Of course, there was the 2020 world cruise that simply ended and we all went home.  Perhaps that was the worst experience.  At least we are still onboard and will continue forward.

 

The Zuiderdam arrived to the port of A Coruna, Spain so early in the morning, it was still dark.  It was also raining, windy, and cold…..a cool 50 degrees.  The clouds were slowly breaking up, and eventually the sun did appear.   However, compared to our last few ports, there was little warmth in the sun, and the breeze went right through our sweatshirts. 

 

There were some tours here today that took folks to high estuaries for $50 for 4 hours and a panoramic ride through Old Town for $60 for 2 hours.  A Coruna and Belanzos was $90 for 4 ½    hours, while a taste of Spain was $100 for 3 ½.  A tour out of town was to Santiago Compostela for $125 for 5 hours, and the historic city of Lugo was $100 for 7 hours.  Since this is our first time to stop here, we decided to tour the city on our own, like we usually do.

 

But first of all, we have to address a continuing problem with the TV reception.  Sometimes while docking, the TV is temporarily shut down, then returns after we are docked.  Recently, the reception while in port has been so bad, it shuts itself off after 30 seconds.  This has been blamed on the mountains blocking the signal, being out of the footprint, the moon aligning with Mars (just kidding), or the city shutting us down. Some of which turned out to be false, although that is what we all have been told by front desk people.  This morning, the excuse was that the local authorities shut us down again, and the reception will return after we leave the port at 11pm.  So…..tonight after dinner, we found a note saying that the TV interruptions will continue to last up until April 15^th.  By then, they expect to receive an upgraded 5G filter which should descramble the signal to a normal and steady display.  Of course, they apologized for the inconvenience.   Signed by the IT Department.  Now why couldn’t they come clean, and tell us this in the first place as we hate being lied to?  Well at least we can watch a movie, even if they are old, or we can turn on the bow and aft cameras, assuming they are still working.

 

We do not have a lot of info on this port other than it is a city of 250,000 residents that speak a slightly different language than the rest of Spain.  It is called Galician-Portuguese, a language that came out of the Middle Ages and has remained in this Spanish community of Galicia.  Now that’s probably where the local beer got its name – Estrella Galicia.  A very nice beer too.

 

We left the ship about 10:30am with umbrellas in case of rain.  It was still cloudy, and looked as if it could rain with all of the dark passing clouds.  Of course, we never needed them, although we did have a few sprinkles.  There were no maps in the tiny terminal, so when we got outside, we asked a policeman where we could find a map.  He pointed out a small yellow building which looked closed.  There was a kiosk with the “i” on it, so we went around the back and found the doors.  We were handed a map along with directions for the best way to take for our walk.  So off we went, following the numbers that marked every historical site. 

 

This seaside route took us past the small boat marina and a long hike to the Castle of San Anton, a 16^th century structure on a small islet.  It once housed people with contagious diseases, but was later used as a fortress, and also a prison.   Today it houses an archaeological museum.  We only had time to take photos today.  Following the marina avenue, we passed several historical sites on the left hillside, which we decided to check on the way back.  This walled street took us uphill for spectacular views of the Ria Da Coruna, which is the river where the city is located.  Down at the bottom of high cliff was a beach called Praia da San Amoro, as well as a beach club with two swimming pools.

 

The road went on for quite a way until we reached a large area that had green rolling hills. We could see the strange stone sculptures on the right, but very far away.  By going straight, we could see the famous Tower Of Hercules, built in the 2^nd century during the reign of Emperor Trajan.  It has the distinction of being the oldest working Roman lighthouse in the world.  But we were a little disappointed that a statue of Hercules was not on the very top.  Located behind the tower was a Compass Rose done in tile on the ground.  And just a small tip:  there were restrooms around the backside at the base of the tower…..free.  We did walk the long- rock paved road up to the tower, but did not feel the need to go inside.  The views were fabulous here, but so was the wind. 

 

Walking back down, we ran into Greg, Ginni and Rich who were on their way up as well.  It is so funny that we keep running into each other.  Heo had taken the long way around to see the “Stonehenge” type sculptures, then re-joined the group at the top.  Studying the map, we figured a better way to walk back and see more of the historical buildings along the way.  It was more of a shortcut and found us at the Town Hall, another impressive structure from the 1900’s.  It has three towers topped with copper laden domes and a very ornate façade.  It also happens to be located at one of the largest plazas called Maria Pita, a woman who had a part in fighting off some of the notorious Portuguese pirates centuries ago.  Lining the inside of this plaza were many glass- tented cafes where they served pastries, coffee, and tapas and wine or beer.  This reminded us it was time to search for a lunch place…preferably Italian.  We had researched pizza and did locate some nearby restaurants, but accidently left the list in our room. 

 

Coming back into the waterfront section, we walked the narrow pedestrian-only avenues finding mostly tapas and Spanish/Portuguese menus.  We did locate one nice pizzeria, but it would not open until 8pm.  Running into Rene, the spa manager, she suggested trying the other streets above the one we were on.  She has been here many times, and knew of more places to eat.  Getting lost in the maze, we never did find another lunch spot that was opened for Italian.

 

Oh well, it was getting late, so we headed back to the ship for a room service lunch. It was already 3pm and we expected a long wait.  It arrived 15 minutes after we placed or order, which was lucky, since several of the tour buses had just arrived at the same time.  We spent the rest of the afternoon working online, then covering up and relaxing on the veranda while watching the guests coming back through the terminal.

 

Dinnertime came quickly, and we had guests once again…..Ginni and Rich.  Quite often their tablemates are missing in action, so Greg likes to include them at our table when we have the room.  We had a great time with them, except for an incident with the sun setting.  Since the decision had been made to stay in this port until 11pm,  we happened to have the blinding sun going down in the aft dining room.  None of us could see, so Oscar, our head dining room waiter, kindly asked the three guests sitting at the back window if he could close the drapes for a short time.  The answer was “NO”.  Really, how rude was that?  So Oscar came and informed us we would remain blinded for a short while.  He literally stood in a spot that might block the sun for some of us.  He needed a tablecloth to block it.  Finally Presty came along, and informed the other guests that he had the right to close the drapes in this situation since it was bothering more than just our table of guests.  As luck would have it, a black cloud came over the sun for a few minutes, and then it finally it went  down behind the hills.  Apparently these rude people had complained about the rowdy noisy guests surrounding them, and Presty even suggested he could move them to a quieter table.  They refused.   Does that mean they were trying to get even with us and other guests for having fun?  Sure sounded that way to us.  Anyway, on their way out, they passed by all of us and we said thanks for nothing.  They had no good reason for being so rude, and one of them actually said sorry.  Perhaps they may consider moving to another table at the window on the opposite side.

 

The ship left right after 11pm, and when it hit the river, we were in for a bumpy and wild ride out to sea.  The swells continued throughout the evening, and the strange mysterious noises in the walls and ship’s interior were back.  This may continue all day until we reach Weymouth, England tomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

[LouChamp]

Aloha.  The Bay of Biscay is not something to challenge. Just like the Drake Passage and Crossing the Atlantic. Having sailed them many times, it is part enjoyable and part Disney Ride.  The ferry to Capri is also interesting lol.  The Captain in my opinion was right. As for the rude diners and the shade issue, they were really wrong. I can’t imagine their meanness. Have you seen them around the ship? Perhaps I would have asked to have my table moved. I don’t know what I would have done. My Manhattan attitude may have caused me to pay a visit to their table as I did once on a South Pacific cruise. Maybe I have calmed down a bit since I have become half Hawaiian now. All the best.

[felma531]

Hello 

We found ourselves on the opposite side of the curtain issue- only one time in 40 days.. but the glare was really terrific on diners to our right. We were at very back of dining room. We closed curtain without a second thought. As soon as the sun set our waiter opened for the afterglow. Hard to imagine anything different.

We also had all of our themed nights in the Lido. We passed on the Italian night but I really wanted to try some dishes on the Greek evening so we skipped mdr and went to Lido  Everything was awful! HAL may be saving money - the Lido has never compared to other choices in our opinion. 

Glad you are not having to report about the sickness anymore! Keep having fun!

Margaret 

[Se4deb]

I am reminded of the old saying that you never know what others are going through.  Their refusal may have had an excellent reason for them.  We will never know.  But kindness and courtesy do go a long way.  

[Oceansaway17]

I was on a ship where Sun bothered this couple who asked to be moved every 10 minutes as Sun moved. We all enjoyed the show as each time Sun would find them and they would fuss.

The one lady all she had to do was face the other way but nope wanted to face window. Was funny. I for one can take some Sun in my face for a few minutes 

[WCB]

Report # 104     Thursday  April 13, 2023     Day At Sea Enroute To Portland, England   Formal Night   Rain And Much Cooler  46 Degrees And 16' Swells  As Well As 45 Knot Winds   Part #1 Of 1.........0 Pictures

 

Remember when we all complained about the extreme heat and high humidity we experienced in places like Angola and The Gambia?  Well, here we are at the other end of the spectrum with temperatures in the 40’s.  Not only cold, we are in an area that has produced passing showers, winds at 45 knots, and up to 16 foot sea swells. 

 

During his noontime talk, Captain Frank gave us all of the details of why the port of Brest, France had to be cancelled.  He reiterated that due to the conditions we are having now, it would not be safe to access the coast of France.  He also apologized for the rolling and pitching of the ship, which may be causing some folks to be seasick.  He did promise that going the speed we are going (16 knots), he is providing the most comfortable sailing possible.  The plans are still in place to anchor off of the port of Weymouth, England tomorrow afternoon, then wait until a berth is available to dock the ship.  Currently, we heard that there is a cargo ship in our spot, and we have to wait until it is unloaded.  

 

We went down to deck three to take our sea day walk.  However, every exit was roped off.  Obviously, it is considered dangerous to walk outside, although we did not hear that announced.  From the moment we got out of the elevator,  we noticed there was not a single person in the lounges, the shops, or even the library.  All of the salespeople in the stores were standing around visiting with each other.  No customers to be seen. 

 

Our big event of the day was room service lunch with some items from the dining room menu.   Then we watched a good two-hour movie, Where the Crawdads Sing.  For a change, it was most entertaining right to the very end.  Now we have to search for more of the up-to-date movies which we were told have been added to the old grid. 

 

Tonight’s attire was formal.  We figured there are few sea days left to have this dress code, and it appears many of the guests are glad about that.  Most all of the larger tables are hosted by officers or staff members on these occasions.  We had been told last night that Rene the spa manager was going to host our table.  It did not happen since she was tied up with work. Previously, we had asked for a specific officer, but we did not get him.  The fellow we had as a host was barely old enough to drink legally.    Not that he wasn’t pleasant, we are not always comfortable with strangers.  Having someone new douses the normal conversation almost completely.  For that reason, we may skip the next formal evening if there is one.  All of us were curious as to what the gift will be tonight, since they only show up on formal nights.

 

The dinner menu offered the usual formal suspects.  We both had the beef skewer with lingonberry sauce.  Mains were a fish plate, and one pasta plate with a side of lamb chops.  The fish was full of bones, but the chops and pasta were good.  It’s the luck of the draw these days.  We still laugh at the tiny size of the ramekins that they serve salad dressings, sauces, gravies, catsup and mustard.  They hold 2 tablespoons of product at the most.  The portion control using these ramekins has to be saving the company a lot of money fleetwide.  Of course, we are free to order more than one.

 

There was a comedian on stage tonight, but also there was an event called Casino Royale.  From 7 to 11pm, there was a select complimentary games of roulette, dice, black jack, and slot machines.  You could spin the wheel for discounted cocktails, which are 50% off anyway.   Finally the Gallery Bar had a Murder Mystery at 9pm. 

 

The better news of the evening was that the clocks went back one hour.  That is, until we reach France the next day, and the clocks go forward once again.   So confusing……

 

And the gift we got?   Nothing.  We had heard the gift would be a small collapsible suitcase, but where was it?  Now we wonder if the delivery of these suitcases was in the containers that got left behind in Senegal?   We’ll never see them if that was the case. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Sir PMP]

And Le Havre is now cancelled too, because of strikes, so you're next stop will be Dover.

[Oceansaway17]

3 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

And Le Havre is now cancelled too, because of strikes, so you're next stop will be Dover.

wow feel sorry for those who wanted to see Paris.  gee 

[happyglobetrotter]

16 hours ago, WCB said:

Report # 104     Thursday  April 13, 2023     Day At Sea Enroute To Portland, England   Formal Night   Rain And Much Cooler  46 Degrees And 16' Swells  As Well As 45 Knot Winds   Part #1 Of 1.........0 Pictures

 

Remember when we all complained about the extreme heat and high humidity we experienced in places like Angola and The Gambia?  Well, here we are at the other end of the spectrum with temperatures in the 40’s.  Not only cold, we are in an area that has produced passing showers, winds at 45 knots, and up to 16 foot sea swells. 

 

During his noontime talk, Captain Frank gave us all of the details of why the port of Brest, France had to be cancelled.  He reiterated that due to the conditions we are having now, it would not be safe to access the coast of France.  He also apologized for the rolling and pitching of the ship, which may be causing some folks to be seasick.  He did promise that going the speed we are going (16 knots), he is providing the most comfortable sailing possible.  The plans are still in place to anchor off of the port of Weymouth, England tomorrow afternoon, then wait until a berth is available to dock the ship.  Currently, we heard that there is a cargo ship in our spot, and we have to wait until it is unloaded.  

 

We went down to deck three to take our sea day walk.  However, every exit was roped off.  Obviously, it is considered dangerous to walk outside, although we did not hear that announced.  From the moment we got out of the elevator,  we noticed there was not a single person in the lounges, the shops, or even the library.  All of the salespeople in the stores were standing around visiting with each other.  No customers to be seen. 

 

Our big event of the day was room service lunch with some items from the dining room menu.   Then we watched a good two-hour movie, Where the Crawdads Sing.  For a change, it was most entertaining right to the very end.  Now we have to search for more of the up-to-date movies which we were told have been added to the old grid. 

 

Tonight’s attire was formal.  We figured there are few sea days left to have this dress code, and it appears many of the guests are glad about that.  Most all of the larger tables are hosted by officers or staff members on these occasions.  We had been told last night that Rene the spa manager was going to host our table.  It did not happen since she was tied up with work. Previously, we had asked for a specific officer, but we did not get him.  The fellow we had as a host was barely old enough to drink legally.    Not that he wasn’t pleasant, we are not always comfortable with strangers.  Having someone new douses the normal conversation almost completely.  For that reason, we may skip the next formal evening if there is one.  All of us were curious as to what the gift will be tonight, since they only show up on formal nights.

 

The dinner menu offered the usual formal suspects.  We both had the beef skewer with lingonberry sauce.  Mains were a fish plate, and one pasta plate with a side of lamb chops.  The fish was full of bones, but the chops and pasta were good.  It’s the luck of the draw these days.  We still laugh at the tiny size of the ramekins that they serve salad dressings, sauces, gravies, catsup and mustard.  They hold 2 tablespoons of product at the most.  The portion control using these ramekins has to be saving the company a lot of money fleetwide.  Of course, we are free to order more than one.

 

There was a comedian on stage tonight, but also there was an event called Casino Royale.  From 7 to 11pm, there was a select complimentary games of roulette, dice, black jack, and slot machines.  You could spin the wheel for discounted cocktails, which are 50% off anyway.   Finally the Gallery Bar had a Murder Mystery at 9pm. 

 

The better news of the evening was that the clocks went back one hour.  That is, until we reach France the next day, and the clocks go forward once again.   So confusing……

 

And the gift we got?   Nothing.  We had heard the gift would be a small collapsible suitcase, but where was it?  Now we wonder if the delivery of these suitcases was in the containers that got left behind in Senegal?   We’ll never see them if that was the case. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

We have received a small collapsible suitcase on the Grand South America. It is in a light material, grey and without wheels, It folds to nothing, so easy to take home. Not the same than the sport bag (suitcases) we have received on previous world cruises. Much lighter and smaller. 

 

[WCB]

Report #105   Friday  April 14, 2023   Enroute To Portland, England  Arrived At 2pm   At Anchor Over Night   Very Windy  55 Knot Winds With Heavy Rain 8' Swells   Part #1 Of 1..........16 Pictures

 

We were greeted with grey skies, rain, and cold wind when we woke up this morning.  The sea conditions left us all rocking and rolling during the night and continued through the morning.  As we stated yesterday, the plan is to drop anchor off of Portland, England around 1pm, then wait until a dock becomes available.  Hope we will get to shore since it sure looks rough outside.

 

Last night we received a message that the maintenance team will be doing some work on the air-conditioning unit in our section of the ship.  This occurred between 9am and 5pm.  We did notice at one point while we were working online that the room began to get chilly.  Not as bad as outside, but definitely no heat.  Eventually, it was working but we did not need to turn the dial up.  We actually prefer the room on the cooler side.  

 

After breakfast, we ran into Tom M, our former host, who has been sent into a tizzy with all of the itinerary changes.  Since he and his team conduct tours in these ports, much has to be adjusted with their clients.  Now that Le Havre has been pulled off the itinerary, many guests will be really disappointed if they had booked a trip to Paris.  But there is the addition of Dover, England on Sunday April 16^th.  Certainly there will be new excursions added there like London for instance, a nice substitute if you don’t mind the two hour ride to get there. 

 

At his noon talk, Captain Frank said that the winds were an 11 on the Beaufort scale or 55mph.  There were 8- foot sea swells to boot.  It was a chilly 43 degrees, but by 4pm, he expected the winds to subside and the temps to raise to 48 degrees.  Not much warmer.  The cargo ship was still in the slip, and the off-loading was running late due to the inclement weather.  The Captain planned to drop the anchor around 2pm, at which time we would notice some shaking with the ship, a normal reaction when anchored.    Then at 5pm, he came on the PA once again to inform all of us that we would be overnighting here and dock at 7am tomorrow morning.  Eventually, the showers and fog dissipated, and we could see the shoreline of Portland and Weymouth, getting a few photos in case it is foggy and rainy tomorrow.  

 

An additional list of activities for this afternoon had been left in our mail slot, but we did not find it until dinnertime.  Not that we would do team trivia, drawing class, bocce ball in the hallway on deck 5, book lover’s meeting, origami folding, or game time.  But we are sure a lot of folks were happy for something to do.  Also, there was a movie shown at 1pm, and Greg went to watch it in the World Stage.  The title was “Men” and it was billed as a horror movie.  Greg said most all of the people walked out, including him.  Why on earth would they put a depressing movie like that on, when most folks needed something light, such as a comedy.  Even Woody said he put his scooter into high gear and rushed out. 

 

Now we know for sure that there will not be an immigration check today, as they were not certain we could be released today if we made it to shore.  So tomorrow, we will need to take our passports to the deck three Dining Room after 7am.  Our deck will be called somewhere in the middle of the list, the time announced on the speakers.  That should give us enough time to eat breakfast, but not at our regular table.  The last time we had to do this inspection, our wonderful waiters came downstairs to serve our little group. 

 

Being that we dropped anchor outside of town, the casino was closed all day, and the shops were closed at noontime.  The future cruise consultant and the art gallery both closed at 2pm. The specialty restaurants, bars, spa, and entertainment venues were all open for business.  At least in this country, there was no imposed tax put on these purchases. 

 

Today was one of many messages.  Another one we got late last night involved more changes due to our aborted ports.  In Le Havre, we were supposed to get much needed local French supplies for a schedule “An Evening in France” that was to be held in the Lido we assume.  Also, there was a delivery of food and beverages for the upcoming anniversary dinner on April 18^th.   Now this will arrive in Belgium, but so close to the 18^th it will be a challenge for prep time.  So because of that, the Canaletto Dinner and A Taste of Tamarind on the 17^th will be closed for operations.  Of course, they regret the changes and apologize for the inconveniences.  Signed by Henk M, Hotel Director.   Gosh, he and his staff have the weight of the world on their shoulders with this cruise.  We bet retirement is looking better and better if that is in his near future. 

 

The sun was setting shortly after we all gathered for dinner tonight.  It had to be the deepest orange sun yet, casting that glow all around the aft dining room.  Naturally, we had no camera, but for a moment it was captivating.  The dinner was good tonight with mains of prime rib.  Sometimes it is a hit and miss entrée, but the meat was cooked perfectly and was tender as could be.  It was a far better choice than the fish which had some surprise bones in it according to Heo.   Barb and Woody both had shrimp jambalaya, the Club Orange option. 

 

Now we hope the rain stays away tomorrow in Weymouth, even though the temperature will be quite cold.  Good thing we brought the warmer layers.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

 

[WCB]

Report #106     Saturday  April 15, 2023    Portland, England  7am-5:30    Docked Port Side To Pier   Sunny And Cool 48 Degrees   Part #1 Of 4........74 Pictures

 

The Zuiderdam was docked sometime around 7am, and even though it was a chilly 48 degrees outside, it appeared the rain had left for good and the sun was out. 

 

We had passport inspections this morning and it was located in the upper dining room, displacing our little “Breakfast Club”.  Andri and Danu were down in our section, so it was about the same as always.  Actually it was kind of nice to have a change of scenery seeing many guests and waiters we have not seen for a while.  Even though our deck was called during our meal, we decided to go afterwards, with the last group being called.  It doesn’t matter since this was not a zero-clearance check, but a face-to-face with the British officials. 

 

We went up to deck three and got in line to have our room key cards scanned.   The process went swiftly, even though our passports were neither stamped or scanned.  Once again, we got a small sticker placed on our key cards to show we had been cleared.  Without this sticker, the security staff at the gangway would know we had not attended the mandatory screening, and getting off of the ship would not be possible.

 

So here is a snippet of info on England.  The capital is London and the population of the country is 53 million residents.  The official language is English, which makes everything a whole lot easier for those of us that speak the same language.   The British Empire was successful in spreading English culture around the world.  These days England is famous for football, art, films, rock groups, and real ale.   Teatime is all of the time as is BBC, anything to do with the Royal family, as well as four thousand years of history.   What else makes England famous?  Anything London, Soho, the British Museum, and the London Eye, as well as St. Paul’s Cathedral.  The love of sports night top all of these such as Wimbleton, Wembly, and football.  Stonehenge has to be the most iconic sight that carries an ongoing mystery to it.  The Roman ruins of Hadrian’s Wall, 2000 years old, reveals abandoned forts, garrisons, towers and castles.  Cambridge and Oxford colleges rate high too.

 

Favorite foods are pickled eggs, dry roasted peanuts, and pork scratching that are served in the thousands of pubs around town.  Drink favorites are real ale, but don’t be surprised if it is served room temperature.   Christmas pudding is a much- loved cake with fruit, nuts, and brandy or rum.  A Sunday lunch might be roast beef with Yorkshire pudding.  Ever heard of a Ploughman’s lunch?  We learned it is bread with cheese and salad with pickles as well as pickled onions. 

 

So back to the port of call today – Portland/Weymouth.  The port of Portland is actually an islet which is mostly military.  The population is over 13, 000 people. There are a few sights to see such as a castle, museum, a church, a lighthouse, and a D-Day center for WWII.  There is also a kangaroo farm with other animals like goats, sheep, and horses.  Our destination today was actually Weymouth, a city of about 53,400 residents. It is a resort town with sandy beaches, Georgian housing, and many things for vacationing people to do during the summer months.  Located fairly close to London, it is an easy get-away for those seeking sand and sun.

 

Tours offered today included Stonehenge and Salisbury for $170 for 8 hours (lunch on your own), or just a transfer to Stonehenge for $130 for 6 hours.  The bus ride there was 2 hours, then two hours back. Two excursions for $130 for 4 ½ hours were magnificent Tudor Athelhampton and scenic countryside and Corfe Castle.  Abbotsbury Swannery and Gardens was $100, as was relics of WWI and both were 3 ¾  hours.    

 

Double-decker shuttle buses were used to transport guests from Portland to Weymouth, with a stop outside the port gate for private tours, or to see Portland Castle.  Then the bus continued with a longer ride than we expected, mostly because we had no idea this seaside resort was so big.  As we got closer, what a nice surprise we had seeing the vibrant community that turns into a thriving summer resort from May to September.  We passed Georgian-style housing along the way, along with some very nice estates with a view of the  bay and beach below.  Being that today was Saturday, the long stretch of sandy beach was full of families.  Once again, the water was too cold to swim, but the beach was OK if you bundled up a bit.  Definitely not sunbathing weather yet.  Speaking of weather, we heard that today was the first one in a month where the locals saw sun.  How lucky was that? 

 

Our drop-off was 2 blocks from the River Wry and the Town Bridge that spanned it.   On the opposite side, the Custom House Quay that faced the Old Harbor,  was already filling up their numerous cafes with morning pastry and coffee customers.  Doing our homework with the help of Google, we had scoped out a place for pizza that opened before noontime.  Most all of the other Italian eateries did not open until later in the day for dinner.  This café was located up the pedestrian St. Mary’s Street which was also filled with pubs, cafes, and clothing stores to name a few.  We saw the most thrift shops ever.  From scanning the menu, we did not see that they served beer.  Can’t leave town without one of their famous beers.  We searched everywhere else along the way, but came up with nothing.  However there were plenty of other streets to walk on the way back.

 

At the end of St. Mary’s Street, we came upon the King’s Statue dedicated the George the Third on his entering the 50^th year of his reign.  From here we began our hike on the Esplanade along the beach facing the Weymouth Bay.  This boulevard was lined with old colonial buildings, the largest being a hotel.  There were dozens of eateries, ice cream shops, and more shopping.  Several rows of very low lawn chairs lined the seawall, but at a cost of 3 pounds for a ½ day or full day, few people were sitting in them.  Ever try getting up from one of those chairs?   Near impossible unless you are a young kid.

 

About halfway up the beachfront, we reached the Jubilee Clock, a tower dedicated to Queen Victoria.  Many benches lined the esplanade, and we took advantage of a few along the way.  It was still rather cold, but when the sun did peek out from between the clouds, it was slightly warmer.  One of us had on five layers of clothing (counting the back brace), and the other had on double sweatshirts.  Little kids on the beach were digging holes in the sand wearing sweaters with hoodies.  By the way, there were almost as many dogs as there were kids.  We did see a sign indicating no dogs allowed, but the closer we looked, that was from May through September. 

 

We walked as far as Green Hill Gardens, a community project tiered on the side of the hillside.  There was a nice café that served a light lunch.  Some locals had taken blankets and sat on the slope with their food from the café.  Flower beds, putting greens, a wishing well, and plenty of benches filled this small park.  We also need to mention that there were many public restrooms along this Esplanade.  We stopped at one located at The Bandstand, a two- story shop with a restaurant on the top level.  It appeared empty so we figured it would open at night.  That was about as far as we needed to go, because it was getting close to lunch time, and we still had not found a suitable place to go yet.

 

Halfway back, we ran right into Heo, Greg, Ginni and Rich doing the same walk we had done.  They had stopped for pastries and coffee, which they all love to do.  We pointed out the gardens, and they went to explore.   We slowly headed back towards St. Thomas Street, which paralleled St. Mary’s.  We found no pizza restaurant opened there.  Our last attempt was to walk to the waterfront on the river and check out those cafes and pubs.  By now (1pm) every seat outside and inside was taken, which did not really matter to us since pizza was not on their menus.  The last thing we wanted to do was squeeze into a crowd of folks, some of whom were coughing and sneezing.  So we decided to go back to the first pizza café, Nicetta, and see for sure if they served beer.

 

That took us all the way back to the statue of King George.  But it was worth the walk when we went inside, took a table, and saw the menu, which had several bottled beers available.  We ordered a Hawaiian pizza to share, along worth two Peroni beers.   It was worth even more just sitting down and relaxing, while watching the people walk by.  What we did not realize was that we had come in at the perfect time.  Had we been a few minutes later, we would have been told the café was closed from 2pm to 5pm.  At least ten locals had come in to be told they were no longer serving lunch and they left disappointed.  Especially the mom with two teenage kids.  We still had time to add a slice of cheesecake for dessert, which was really tasty.  We found the price we paid for lunch was still a better deal than what we would get at home.  Crazy, huh?

 

Time to head back, we got to the bridge and heard some music blasting and people singing.  It was coming from a corner two-story restaurant where on the upstairs level, some young ladies were having a fine time singing and dancing.  Obviously, this town is for having fun and they sure were doing just that.   We made it back to the ship by 3:30pm with a nice ride in the coach, except for the two women guests that quizzed two crew members relentlessly, never coming up for air.  An awkward moment for the fellows, but the ladies were clueless.

 

At the second port gate, two officials came on the coach to check everyone’s key cards.  Some people were very slow in finding them, but one couple did not produce them at all.  These two were escorted off of the bus to a small customs and immigrations building, and we never did see them after that.  Either one or both of them lost their cards, or they were not passengers on this ship. 

 

Right before 5pm, a group of mostly ladies arrived to sing for us.  There must have been close to 50 people singing in this choir, and boy, were they fun to watch and listen to.  In addition to this performance, a four-man military group came with a cannon, that they set up on the tip of the pier.  After the singing ended, and we were about to leave, they made four attempts at setting it off.  Almost became funny enough, because the chorale group began laughing.  Finally, with much pomp and circumstance, they were able to fire off the cannon (noise only) for three times.  The passengers watching from deck three and the verandas all clapped and said “God Save the King”.  What a nice way to end a day in Portland/Weymouth.

 

Dinner had only four of us since the guys went  to the Canaletto.  We ordered crispy spring rolls, salad, and sweet and sour shrimp.  Desserts were frozen yogurt.  Finally, Oscar said they are adding some favorite items in the dining room for dinner that can only be found in the Lido. 

 

Tomorrow’s port is Dover, a place that we ended a cruise over 20 years ago, and flew home.  So it will be new to us.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Did you have the Cullen Skink soup?  I happen to love it lol.

[WCB]

Report #107  Sunday  April 16, 2023  Dover, England  7am-8:30pm  Docked Starboard Side To Pier  Overcast With Afternoon Sun  Temps 40-52 Degrees  Part #1 Of 3....... 67 Pictures

 

The White Cliffs of Dover is all we remember from a cruise that ended in this port many years ago.  We had a two hour bus ride to Heathrow, which was quite scenic passing the green countryside dotted with estates.  And since most HAL world cruises seldom venture this far north, we have never visited London.  To do it justice, it would be a better idea to begin or end a trip here and stay a few days.  However, we suspect that many guests chose to do the 2 hour ride to London, since they missed tours into Paris, which was cancelled. 

 

Breakfast was back on deck three, but we found out the cappuccino machine was broken.  One of us ends the morning meal with one cup, so it was disappointing that it broke.  Oh no, what else can happen?  Probably shouldn’t ask…..

 

We watched the pier activity from the promenade deck and wondered if we could walk out of the port.  As hard as we tried to listen to Ian’s talk, we sure do not remember if he said we could.  The shuttles provided today came with a cost of 8 pounds or $10 USD (cash or credit card).  This would be an all day pass coming and going as much as one liked.  Doing some research online, we fund that this shuttle service is charged to all of the cruise lines.  But it sure would have been nice if HAL footed the bill for the guests and crew, as they have done on previous world cruises.  For instance, one time in Singapore, the ship had to dock in the container port further away from the city center.  We had to buy a bus pass, but we were refunded the amount after turning in the passes.  Having to pay the money, ruffled a lot of passenger’s feathers, but the credit calmed them down. 

 

We left the ship at 11:15am and had every intention of talking the bus, especially if we could not walk out of the port.  Going through the large terminal, we found our way to the exit.  We had picked up a city map in the terminal, but before leaving we asked the agent at the exit if we could walk out on our own.   He said yes, then gave us verbal directions on how to walk if we chose to do that.  When we saw how long the line for the shuttle was, we changed our minds, and decided to walk.  One bus was almost full, but not leaving until noontime.  The next bus was not even there yet, and we might not have made that one with such a long line.  Just then, the agent came running after us with a better map, and explicit directions, saying it should take 30 minutes to walk to town.  And he suggested a better route so we could see more.  We thanked him as he ran back to his station.  We figured by the time the first bus left, we would be halfway to town.  Turned out, we were right.

 

So off we went, and we were not alone.  Others had decided to walk as well.  Why not?  It was a nice day, a bit chilly, but dressed properly, it was OK.  We headed out of the port gate, then out to the main road.  Turning right, we found a bridge that took us to the Marina and a very large square at the Clocktower.  Crossing another lift bridge, we made our way along the Waterloo Crescent where we saw a pavilion, a monument, and Dunkirk Memorial. Also here was a row of elegant houses dating back to 1830 to 1838.  Before the war, they extended along the seafront.  Both world wars had a huge impact on this city.

 

Taking a left turn, we found the entrance to Market Square where the shuttle stop was.   Making our way up the street, we stopped at St. Mary’s the Virgin Church founded in 1100.  There was a surrounding cemetery, and in time, the church needed much work due to the number of burials under the floor.  It was closed to the public.  Just as we were admiring the massive flowering crabapple tree in the front, we heard Heo and Greg calling us from across the street.  They were with Ginni and Rich and were headed up to the Dover Castle with 2000 years of history.  The shuttle bus would take them there, but where was it?  We had taken a walk through town, and visited the Pencester Gardens, then walked part of the river that surrounded the gardens.  We read that brown trout are in this river.   Having gone full circle, we spotted the foursome still waiting for the bus, along with many more folks.  What was not mentioned was the fact the buses were not running as frequently as was reported.  But since this Medieval Castle was so high up on the steep knoll,  few would choose to hike up there.  Then there wasn’t anything mentioned in the lecture onboard that the cost to go inside was 23 pounds.  Of course once up there, the group decided to go inside and explore, then they stayed for a lunch on the property. 

 

We did walk part of the town but did miss some important sights as we did not go far enough.  There is so much history with the world wars here, it would take days to see and understand it all.

 

However, it was past our lunch time, and we went in search of pizza and beer.  But first, we went to the Dover Museum right off of the square.  It also doubled as the info center, where many maps and booklets were available.  Can never have too much information.  This museum was on three levels, with the top floor housing a display of the world’s oldest known sea-going vessel dating back to 1550 BC. Incredible seeing the remains of such a vessel, which was deteriorated, but still intact enough to recognize as a sea vessel.  The name of this vessel is the Dover Bronze Age Boat.  Also in this museum were artifacts from that era, as well as a polar bear and a lion’s head and torso.  Someone in town was a collector and donated them to this museum. 

 

Right cross from the Museum was a pub by the name of Elephant and Hind.  Odd, but true.  They had pizza and beer…..right up our alley.  We went inside to a table for two and ordered two pints of ice-cold draft beer, and a BBQ chicken pizza for a change of pace.  All of it was good, and relaxing for a while was even better.  From here, we back-tracked the way we had come, finding the hike back not to seem as far as we thought.  If we had the time and the energy of a twenty-five year old, we could have hiked up to the white  cliffs and the South Foreland Lighthouse and Tea Room up there.  In addition, Fan Bay Deep Shelter with underground tunnels is located on these cliffs.  These tunnel were bored through the chalk cliffs and used by the soldiers for speed to get down to the sea level in case of invasion.  A better example of these shafts was at The Grand Shaft  in town, where you could see the spiral staircase that went straight down with 140 steps.  Well if we ever come back here, we will continue our exploration of these famous sights.

 

We were back at the ship by 3:30pm, and spent the rest of the afternoon working online and doing research for everything we had just seen.  While one of us was busy processing hundreds of photos, the other sat on the freshly-cleaned veranda writing at the table.  That lasted until it got so chilly, it was necessary to go inside to warm up.  Without the sun on our side, it was way too cold and breezy to be comfortable.  It was interesting to watch the ferry traffic coming and going.  We read in one of the many brochures that an incredible amount of people travel on these ferries every year, making Dover one of the busiest international ports in Europe.  It was also recorded that in 2014, 120 cruise ships used Dover Harbour.   Today, we were the only one here. 

 

Time for dinner, we noticed the dining room was not full.  All aboard was at 8:30pm, and we figured many guests were taking that opportunity to eat dinner in town.  Or perhaps, they had taken the longest tour to London.  We had no complaints because the level of noise was far reduced.  Most all of us had done something different today, and as always, it was fun sharing our experiences.  Greg and Heo reported that they talked to some folks who had a two hour wait for the shuttle bus to either continue up to the castle, or go back to the ship.  That reminded us of the ho-ho bus trips in some places, where most of your precious time is wasted while waiting for the connecting rides.  Two friends of ours had taken the shuttle to Market Square, then did that strenuous hike to Dover Castle.  However, when they got up there, it did not open for another 45 minutes and the entry fee turned them away.  However, they had one of the best English meals in a restaurant in town.  Since there were several types of English cuisine on tonight’s menu, not familiar to us, we had one fish and chips dinner, and one of us had the cheeseburger, an everyday option.  Fun for a change.

 

The clocks went ahead one hour tonight, which was not nice.  Despite the loss of one hour of sleep, the entertainer Michelle Montouri was a must see according to Greg, who said her first show was a winner.

 

Tomorrow will be in Belgium bright and early.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

[WCB]

Report #108  Monday  April 17, 2023  Zeebrugge, Belgium  8am-4:30pm  Docked Starboard Side To Pier   Overcast, Windy And Cool  Sun Late Afternoon  42-52 Degrees   Part #1 Of 3........66 Pictures

 

Belgium is loaded with medieval towns of castles, belfries, war memorials, museums, and hip cafes canals, and step-gabled houses.  They are a country of 11.4 million folks that speak Dutch, French, or German, depending on what part of the border you are located.  They are known for waffles, chocolate, frites (fries) mussels and frothy beer.  And did we say chocolate?  It’s big here.   Brussels is the capital and has the largest medieval Grand Palace and square with gabled guild houses, and a 15^th century Town Hall.  The cobblestones of this plaza were laid in the 12^th century and provided the area for a marketplace.

 

Bruges, close to Zeebrugge, is the ultimate picture-perfect tourist city.  Other attractions are the city of Antwerp and Flanders Fields with WW I graveyards.  And not to be missed is the Carnival in Binche, where at Mardi Gras time, locals dress in barrel costumes with bells, wear spooky masks, and feathered hats.  At the height of the festival, they throw oranges at passer-by folks.  Whatever floats their boat…..Can’t be much different than the celebration of the tomato harvest in Italy, where they throw ripe tomatoes at everyone.

 

Some of the tours offered out of Zeebrugge were Bruges on your own for $80 for 7 hours.  Romantic Bruges was $130 for 4 ¾ hours, while Bruges horse-drawn carriage ride tour was $200 for 4 ½ hours.  Bruges and Belgium chocolates was $120 for 5 hours, and Ypres and Flanders Fields was $120 for 5 hours.  A Ghent Canal cruise was $100 for 5 hours. 

 

The Zuiderdam arrived in the early morning hour of 7am, and was docked by 8am.  Shortly after that, the Sky Princess docked right behind us. It’s one of the newest ships in the fleet, launched in 2019.  A large resort ship of 142,229 gross tons, this ship holds up to 3560 guests with a crew of 1346.  The Zuiderdam is only 82,305 gross tons, and she must look small next to that ship.  Another smaller cruise ship was also in the harbor, but too far to identify.

 

It was disappointing to see so much heavy fog which was colder with the constant north wind.  Sure reminded us of San Francisco in the summertime.   The fog may lift by 4pm, but the temperature would stay cold.  Going outside after breakfast, we saw the big crane that was going to lift some equipment into the opened magrodome over the Lido pool area.  Actually it said it would be various decorative and entertainment supplies.  We cannot imagine what they are going to build for a stage in that space.  And here we were under the impression they have no money to do extra things……   Go figure…..  In the meantime the deck in that area will be closed during those preparations.  But there will be access to the Dive In Grill. 

 

It was really nice to hear that our morning waiters and some of their buddies had taken a mini van tour to London yesterday.  Even though there was only enough time to do “drive-by” site-seeing, they were thrilled to be there.  They had planned on a similar drive to Paris from Le Havre, France, but when it got cancelled, they organized this one. 

 

We stuck around until 11am, then went off bundled up wearing our arctic down jackets.  We never took them off except during lunch.  It was that cold out today.  Once on the bus, we found there were maps of Blankenberge, the nearest resort area from the pier.  The bus filled up and we left by 11:30pm, studying the map all the way.  We were here in 2019, but we still needed to get our bearings.  It took less than 20 minutes to reach this beachside town.  By the way, there was a shuttle that would have taken folks to the pier gate, then they could hire taxis to go anywhere else. 

 

The drop-off was at St. Anthony’s Church directly across from the railway station.  The majority of people were taking this train to Bruges, which saved them a lot of money doing independently.  Heo and Greg were doing this and they said the train tickets cost less than 10 euro and could be purchased at the station.  They just needed to watch the time, since all aboard was at 4:30pm today.   We toured the church, then went off across the tram tracks to the pedestrian shopping area.  There is a grid of streets here that are full of old colonial buildings and churches as well as modern day stores.  The most popular stores were bakeries and chocolate shops.  Like we said, chocolate is sacred here.  It is said that in the early 1900’s the most prized Belgium chocolates were created by filling a chocolate shell with creamy flavored centers….thus the praline was discovered.  Expensive?  Yes, but none other can compare with the 100% cocoa butter delights where the vendors fill customized boxes for their customers.  We know because we bought some of the sweets to take back to the ship and savor one at a time.

 

We located the tourist information center, but entered just as they were closing for lunchtime.  We still were able to pick up some brochures in the open lobby outside the main building.  Speaking of closed, today is Monday, and many restaurants and some shops were closed.  Weekends are big here, so they take off Mondays and sometimes Tuesday as well.  There was a stairway that went up to the oceanside flanked with two large lion sculptures.  That came out in the middle of a long beach, where a series of cafes and restaurants lined the sandy beach below.  Every restaurant had a section of the beach that was fenced off with their tables and chairs for outdoor dining.  Only a few were opened today since the season will not begin until the weather warms up.  

 

We checked out some the Italian cafes, but most of them were also closed.  Before we left, we did do some research and found a pretty good spot near the marina.  Hopefully we could locate it.  We made it all the way to the lighthouse and the marina, where tucked way in the back were sailboats and small craft vessels.  Few were actually sailing in the waters today.  Making our way to Leopoldpark, a large area with a kids playground, golf putting, a restaurant, and a dog walking area, we took the time to study the map we were given.  It appeared the street we were looking for was near this park.  By sheer luck, we crossed the street with the tram tracks, and found the restaurant about across the street.  The name was Al Piccolo Mondo, and they were open.  We went inside where it was nice and warm, and found a table for two at the window.   We ordered Duval beers and a Hawaiian pizza. Sure was good.  Then we added one dessert to share which was chocolate ice cream with a chocolate fondant topped with a generous serving of whipped cream.  Don’t know how one person could eat all of it.   Once again , we found the price of 31 euro to be quite reasonable. 

 

Soon it was time to head back by the same way more or less than we had come here.  Locating the main pedestrian street, we were back to the bus stop by 3pm.  This time there were two coaches – one for us and the other for the Princess folks.  It appeared some tour buses had stopped here as well.  The ride was fairly quick back to the pier, but that’s when we recalled we had to switch buses at the gate.  We figured we were OK to go straight to the ship when an official came onboard and checked all of our room keys.  Nope.  The bus made a turn, and we had to get off and go through a security building.  We were not subject to the xray there, but our cards were checked again.  All of us filed out the back door, then waited in the correct line for the HAL shuttle.  Of course, there was a shop in this building, so if you had forgotten anything, like chocolate or souvenirs, this was your last chance to buy some.

 

We finally got on the shuttle, and were off for a 5 minute ride to the ship’s gangway.  But before we left, there was a lady who insisted on sitting in the handicap and wheelchair space reserved for only those folks.  When she refused to move out of there with her 2 suitcases, an official fellow came and ordered her out saying he would assist with her luggage.  Claiming she was also handicapped did her no good, because she probably was.  But two guests in the big wheelchair and scooter needed this space.  She moved finally, but was not a happy camper.  They had a heck of a time getting those wheelchairs in the shuttle, but they did it.  We finally got back to our room by 4pm.

 

Then there was an announcement reminding the guests to visit their muster stations, as this was the end of a long segment.  We had from 3 to 5pm to do this and would have forgotten if it were not for the reminder.  It took a few minutes, and it was done.  Now we have to run the drill on the TV and we will be set.  Then later this evening, we all got the itinerary stickers for this segment to add to the little booklet for the world cruise. 

 

The ship left the harbor very slowly after 5pm, and now we are on the way to Amsterdam.  Captain Frank mentioned we will be getting to the lock around 4am, then enter the harbor and be docked by 8am.  And they are expecting a nice day – no rain.

 

Dinnertime came soon, and we had the six of us present.  Barb had kept Woody company on the ship today, because Susie is still in the hospital in Lisbon.  We do hope she will be back tomorrow in Amsterdam.  Time will tell.  Heo and Greg had gone to Bruges on the train and had a fine time exploring, eating mussels and frites, and buying a ton of Belgium chocolates.   Some of the appetizers and mains were Belgium-related, but we stuck to what we know best – prime rib and pork meatballs with risotto.  After the sweet treat for lunch, we kept dessert light with a little vanilla ice cream and a lime sorbet.

 

Tomorrow will be a big day with HAL’s 150^th Anniversary Celebration and also a birthday for one of us.  He will not be 150 though, ha-ha!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

[sandiego1]

On 4/17/2023 at 9:38 AM, WCB said:

.  In addition, Fan Bay Deep Shelter with underground tunnels is located on these cliffs.  These tunnel were bored through the chalk cliffs and used by the soldiers for speed to get down to the sea level in case of invasion.  A better example of these shafts was at The Grand Shaft  in town, where you could see the spiral staircase that went straight down with 140 steps.  Well if we ever come back here, we will continue our exploration of these famous sights.

 

We did the Fan Bay Deep Shelter tour the other day. According to our guide, Richard, the tunnels were used to house the soldiers that manned the guns located on the cliffs. They were  not used by the soldiers "for speed to get down to the sea level in case of an invasion." They were well above sea level.

 

It was a fascinating tour that I highly recommend. Definitely well worth £10. Richard was an enthusiastic guide and was one of the volunteers that dug out the old tunnels to open them to the public in 2015. The tour was supposed to be 1 hour and ours lasted about 1:20 due to the group's questions and Richard's delightful commentary. The next tour nearly caught up to us in the tunnels.

 

We also got to see the World War 1 sound mirrors which were used to detect incoming aircraft before radar.

[WCB]

Report # 109   Tuesday  April 18, 2023  Amsterdam, Netherlands  8am-Overnite   Leave 5pm April 19, 2023  Docked Port Side To Pier  Some Sun And Overcast Skies  42-52 Degrees  Part #1 Of 4.........66 Pictures

 

One of us was up around 4am and watched the entrance into the lock on the way to Amsterdam, The Netherlands.  Despite the darkness, it was still interesting until the coldness got the better of him.   At 5:45am, Ian gave a scenic sail-in commentary from the Crow’s Nest, also heard on the promenade deck.  A special treat of “anniversary rolls” was served during that time.  Of course, they were really Panama rolls, which our trusty morning waiters saved for us.  

 

This special day, April 18^th, was the same day in 1873 that the Holland America Line was born.  Originally a cargo and passenger line taking immigrants from Europe to North America,  the line has become one of the world’s longest serving and most loved cruise line.  So today will be a busy one, beginning with the President’s Club members and Pinnacle Suite guests gathering in the Rolling Stone Lounge at 12:30pm.  We will be bussed to the city of Rotterdam, and be guests of Hotel New York, the original building of the HAL cruise line.  Then at 3pm, we will listen to a presentation, hear remarks, and witness a gift given to the citizens of the Netherlands.  At one point, we will raise our glasses in a toast to celebrate this milestone, according to the printed invitation. 

 

We will depart the hotel at 4:15pm and re-join the coach for the ride back to the ship in Amsterdam.  We should get back in time for the Gala Dinner tonight in the dining room, as well as be present for the for the Lido party from 8 to midnight.  However, that is not exactly how it happened, but we will explain a bit later.

 

After breakfast, we worked online to keep the blog up to date.  While we were busy with that, we also watched a huge delivery of flowers, several large pots planted with blooming tulips, and even some planter boxes.  Stacks of extra chairs were off-loaded, not to mention more food products and fresh produce.  We wondered if those 2023 GWV duffels bags were in the delivery.  We suspect the flowers, chairs, and planters will have to be returned tomorrow.  There were also two different security dogs sniffing everything before it was loaded onboard. 

 

The suggested attire was “dressy”, so we had to change to something nice, but also warm.  The temperature was in the low 50’s, but with the wind blowing, it dropped it even further.  Cut right through anything we had on.  Our group began gathering after 12:30pm, but all did not arrive until closer to 1pm.  The slower walkers of the group went first, since there was a long walk to get off of the ship and through the terminal.   The rest of us followed in the rear.  Once down the escalator or elevator, we turned left and went directly to the buses in the garage area.  We estimate there may have been 50 of us, and we had plenty of space with two coaches.  The buses left the garage about 7 minutes late, which wasn’t bad since they had to load the walkers and wheelchairs as well.  No motorized scooters were allowed.

 

The ride to Rotterdam took all of one hour and a half, getting us there by 3pm.  This was the better part of the tour since we got to see much of the countryside once we were out of the city.  It was more like farming country with sheep, cows, geese and ducks.  Big stretches of green fields went on for miles.  And we took freeways most of the time.  We did spot four McDonald’s and a few Starbucks on the way.  This freeway was full of big rigs, so their stops at gas stations seemed to come with the coffee and fast foods.

 

The closer we got to the city of Rotterdam, we began to see many high rises, some of which were ultra- modern in design.  When some huge bridges came into sight, we knew we were close to the New York Hotel on the river.  The traffic at this point prevented a quick access to this spot. As we disembarked the coach, we heard walking drummers and a three-person stilt walker characters parading up and down the street with flashing hand fans.  Dressed in costumes like peacocks with painted faces, they must have been street performers.  Later on, we discovered these performers were mermaids, all female, and were here for the special celebration.  Some ladies were also dressed in period dresses from the 1800’s, posing for the tourists.  The Rotterdam was docked right there, walking distance to the Hotel New York.  Lucky them.  Later on, we were told there were only two President’s Club members from that ship at this event.  Our buddy Lyn knew both of them, and they said no one else was invited but them and some of their officers. 

 

Upon entering the famous hotel, we had to be checked off of their list, where we were handed a card showing where we were to be located – section C2…..seated.  Fighting a clogged entryway, we made our way to the restrooms first, which were down a steep flight of stairs.  Coming back up, we picked up a half-full glass of bubbly wine and were offered some pretty strange looking canapies of raw salmon and something brown on a slice of toast.  We passed on the food.  We could see the area where the seating was filling up, and proceeded to find a chair.  We were stopped before we could do that and asked to leave our glasses on a tray.  They were not allowed in the seating area.  By the time we took one gulp, we found most of the chairs were occupied.  We got the last two, but Bob and Martha had no seats.  There were several others of our group without seats.  Bill offered his to Martha, who said no, she would find one on another aisle.  Bob stayed in the back row without a chair.  Cameramen were also crowded at the back wall.  At least one third of the seating was filled with local people we were told.  Not anyone associated with the cruise line.  These folks almost knocked us over to get to the drinks and canapies.   There was no excuse for not having enough seating for this event, since the number of guests from the Zuiderdam had been given to them weeks ago.  The lower front and center section was reserved for other dignitaries, which was appropriate.  We have to mention here that at no time was there a mention of our group of President’s Club members being here.  No recognition at all. 

 

Promptly at 3pm, a speaker announced the beginning of the presentation, but first please stand for the Royal Princess Margarite of the Netherlands as she entered the room with her entourage.  Then the show began.  The family of the original owners of the HAL company spoke, followed by the new president, Gus Antorcha.  He is very new to the team, having worked less than a year now.  At one point, a special framed certificate was given the archives of the company, a gift to the people. The mayor of Rotterdam was also a special guest.  A new stamp was unveiled, and finally a toast was made by three people pouring champagne over a ship’s bell.  There was no toast for the rest of the seated crowd since we had no glasses.  Honestly, we were just there to clap for the big wigs.  At the end of the event, several officers from both ships, the Rotterdam and the Zuiderdam walked across the upper level behind the stage which was made to look like a ship’s promenade deck.  They tossed over the streamers like they did in the old days.  Then the show was over.

 

Then an announcement came saying the folks from the Zuiderdam should leave to join their coaches, while the remainder of the guests could stay until 4:45pm.  By the way, there were only a few passengers from the Rotterdam ( only two President’s Club members) which was docked directly across the street. As we left the hotel, we were handed a gift bag with a commemorative book all about the 150 year history of the cruise line. When the majority of us got outside, it was freezing with a strong wind blowing.  We all checked our watches and the time was only 3:40pm.  We had over a half hour before the buses would arrive.  Eventually one of the front desk folks arrived and brought us to the parked buses around the corner.  Since not all of us were there, we had to wait, wondering where they had gone.  It turned out that after most of us left, more hot and edible canapies came out, and the wine was poured as well, mostly for those that were not part of our group.  The few of our folks that had stayed at the hotel until it was close to 4:15pm ended up enjoying the food and drinks .  They really got teased when they boarded since none of us knew more food and wine was being served.

 

In hind site, we feel HAL should have provided an escort from the ship on both of the buses, telling us the procedure once we arrived at the hotel.  We had no directions, nor did we expect a flight of stairs to enter the building.  That was most difficult for the guests who really needed a better way to access the building.   It was a melee once we entered the hotel, and it was pretty much downhill from there.  This was not just our opinion, it was the consensus of many of our guests.

 

The ride back took longer of course, since it was commute time.  We have seen worse traffic at home, but at least we were moving even if at times, it was slow. The general comments from the back of the bus were that this event was underwhelming at best. It was a long way to travel for a half hour talk.

 

Anyway, it was a good chance to catch a few winks, which several of the fellows did.  We got back to Amsterdam by 6pm , and happy to be home.  For a change, we had double whiskey and scotch drinks with tortilla chips, since we had missed lunch.  That would tide us over until dinnertime, which was advertised as being a uniquely crafted artisan Gala Dinner in the dining room.  Upon being handed the one page menu, we were surprised to see only four appetizers, four mains, and the regular offerings of desserts.  Maybe we missed something, but at least there were a few items that looked good.  The tomato soup was different, even better than normal, the salad was passable, and the beef entrée was tender, and tasty but cold by the time the plates were served.  It wasn’t just us, it was our entire table.  One of our entrees had not arrived with the rest, so Bill had the tomato soup, which should have gone to Barb, but arrived too late.  She offered it to Bill, so her steak would not get cold.  Didn’t matter….it was already cold.  Bill ended up passing on the entrée and was happy with the soup.  Crazy…..  Dessert was back to normal, and two small plates of chocolates from Jacques Torres were placed on the table for us to share.  Remember when we got these every formal night?  Now that is a thing of the past.

 

The Grand Party Lido Poolside had already started at 8pm with music by the Tiny Big Band, a local group.  This is where a fine selection of complimentary drinks, appetizers, and sweets would be available.  This would last until 11pm with an after party until midnight.  When the word “free” is added to drinks, you better believe the guests will turn out in large numbers.  By the time we arrived, there wasn’t a seat left in the entire pool area, and was shoulder to shoulder packed.  You couldn’t see the decorations for all the tea in China, which was the only reason we went up there…to take some photos.  At 9:45pm, Gus Antocha, President of HAL, was scheduled to give an anniversary toast with remarks at this affair.  Since we had already heard the speech in Rotterdam, we got the “heck out of Dodge”, and retreated to our room for the evening.  It had been a very long day, but also nice for the birthday boy who did receive several cards, one of which came from the entire front desk staff.  What was missing was the birthday cake at dinner.  Guess we had to mention his birthday to our waiters, who usually automatically got that message.  Funny story:  one of our travel hosts had stopped by to wish Bill a happy birthday, and Gene said when he had his celebration at the dinner table last month, his tablemates ordered a different little cake instead of the chocolate mousse one.  Unknown to him, it came with an extra charge, which his tablemates paid.  It was a banana cake, which Gene did not like, but never admitted.  Cannot believe the guests are being charged for something as simple as that.  It wasn’t that long ago when we ordered a full- size cake like strawberry, lemon cream, or even pineapple upside down cake.  No charge.  Those were the days my friends. 

 

Lo and behold, when we returned to our room, we had gifts on the bed……the missing duffel bags with the 2023 GWV logo on them.  Bet these were in today’s delivery with the flowers and such.  When we unfolded one of them, they appeared to be too large to use as an airline carry-on.  Useful in other ways though. 

 

At least we have tomorrow to explore Amsterdam because we are here overnight.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS   We were given a note this morning saying we would be without telephone service in our rooms and everywhere else on the ship all day.  That was a first.  Guess that was something else broken and needed repairing.

 

 

 

 

[WCB]

Greetings,

 

In regards to the tunnels in Dover, we gathered our info in the Museum as well as talking to the official at the terminal who related some of the tunnel history.  If you heard it differently, then whatever.

 

Bill & Mary Ann 

 

 

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Seems there was a lack of planning on the part of HAL. We have been blessed to have been to have been on HAL during a 125 anniversary which went flawlessly and on a Cunard anniversary sailing which also went flawlessly. Also, other posters have already received their gifts prior to the event. One would think they would have figured it out. Sorry you didn’t receive PC recognition. Personally I prefer anonymity and I accomplish more when I am not recognized.  Although when I go to restaurants in NY and Hawaii I am recognized and it is appreciated. As for a cruise, It doesn’t matter as that is why I am on a cruise lol. I generally skip the recognition events even though we generally sail in a top suite. As long as you were able to sit. Did Barb go? I may  have not noticed her mentioned in your posts. In any event thank you as always for your reports and all the best!

[LouChamp]

Aloha. I saved this post for a special Happy birthday to the Birthday boy. May you have fair winds and following seas all the time. All blessings!

[Florida_gal_50]

Hal’s strong suit certainly isn’t communication.  I’m always amazed at the lack of understanding for people of disabilities.  Since hal usually has an older crowd they should have a lot of expertise. 

[CruisingGrandmaW]

Gosh Mary Ann

I am extremely disappointed for you & Bill in regards the 150th Anniversary Event you were bussed to.

Can't believe there was NO recognition for the President's Club - those loyal passengers who have sailed so many nautical miles with HAL.

Because the event was so short - I can understand not being able to recognize you individually. 

BUT I would have expected a separate seating area for you.  A toast to all President Club members & a special commemorative gift given to your group as you exited your seating area.

 

There was so much hype about this special event for you as a President Club Member--- & then for it to end up like this - 😬

 

My Hubby & I, while not as "cruised" as you we have taken over 150+ cruises over the years on different cruise lines.  We got to the point of being "jaded".  "Been there done that" too many times.  We switched over to doing land trips and especially enjoyed leasing a car for 3 month "do it yourself" adventures in Europe.  We'd go with Travel Groups if visiting China etc.  The groups were of 24 which was perfect.  You become close friends by the end of the trip.  

We took time off from cruising for about 4 years.  When we returned, while still "jadded" we did enjoy the cruise more than before our "time out".

Just saying --- since the 2 of you enjoy heading out in the ports on your own.  I think you would enjoy leasing a car & doing your own travel.  You can see so much more than by cruise ship.