2023 Grand World Voyage with The Inside Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We learned today that the price for the Visa to The Gambia would cost $155.    I don't recall a visa ever costing that much.   

 

If you don't go ashore, you won't have to pay.

 

Does anyone have experience with a cruise ship visa that cost more?

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We are completing our second sea day en route to Angola. 

 

Ian's guest at Coffee Chat this morning was Marty who, along with his wife Gail, is leading the Project Linus effort on the Zuiderdam.  Project Linus operates throughout the USA, Canada, and the UK coordinating volunteers who make blankets for critically ill children.  You can read more about Project Linus HERE

 

Marty and Ian at Coffee Chat

 

These blankets were made by a blanketeer during COVID and will be available for purchase later this cruise.  These blankets are more elaborate than most.  The blankets made during the cruise are not available for purchase.  

 

Project Linus has been a significant volunteer activity on Grand World Voyages for over 15 years.  Marty's first World Cruise was in 2017, and that was his first exposure to Project Linus.  The previous Project Linus coordinator, Malvina, could no longer continue cruising, and in 2019 Mary and Gail took over leading Project Linus on the Grand World Cruises. 

 

Getting ready for Project Linus on a World Cruise requires extensive preparation.  Marty and Gail used to buy the yarn at retail outlets but now purchase the Caron-branded acrylic yarn directly from the manufacturer, Spinrite.  For the 2023 World Cruise, they bought over one million yards of yarn in various colors.  Project Linus only accepts blankets made from acrylic yarn as it is easily washable. 

 

The yarn is delivered to their home in Jacksonville, FL, where it is sorted, boxed, and cataloged.  They rent a U-Haul truck, load it with over 60 boxes of yarn, and drive to Fort Lauderdale, where it is loaded on the Zuiderdam and stored for retrieval during the cruise.

The first of two pallets are delivered in Jacksonville.

 

Breaking down the boxes in Marty and Gail's garage

 

Every sea day during the cruise, Marty and Gail decide on the required quantity and colors of yarn. The boxes of yarn are retrieved by crewmembers and delivered to the Ocean Bar, where the yarn is made available to the volunteers - called "Blanketeers."  About 140 passengers, or about 10% of the passengers, have participated in this cruise making blankets.  In addition to the Blanketeers, about a dozen volunteers are in a core group who help wind yarn and instruct passengers on how to crochet a blanket.  This is the first time for many people to do any needlework.  Marty expects the Zuiderdam "Blanketeers" to complete over 800 blankets during this cruise. 

 

Project Linus at the Ocean Bar

 

Volunteers winding yarn into "muffins"

 

Marty untangling yarn

 

Busy Blanketeers

[The-Inside-Cabin]

On 3/20/2023 at 4:11 AM, REOVA said:

What a nice gesture of Capt Frank to acknowledge Capt Jonathan. I'm sure everyone appreciated that. 👏👏 We did the same tour in 2018 (don't remember what you did then, i believe there were also 4wheel dune tours as well as "safari" that year) and met locals fishing in town. Was a pleasantly surprising tour. Thanks for the post. 

In 2018 we took the shuttle to the Dunes Mall and then a taxi to the lagoon restaurants.  Here is my report for that day.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Luanda, Angola - 21 March 2023

 

The Zuiderdam moored in Luanda, Angola around sunrise.  We were cleared to go ashore around 8 am.  

 

 

We weren't feeling 100% so we decided to take it easy today and go ashore around mid-day and visit the informal market they set up for cruise ship visits.  

 

There were some welcome dancers on the pier as the passengers started to go ashore and I went down to take a few pictures.  

 

 

 

The ship moored about 1/2 mile from the port gate.  The area around the ship was busy with workers and equipment but we could have walked out of the port to the gate if we had wanted to.  We decided to take the shuttle bus.  

 

 

We left the ship around 1 pm and took the shuttle bus to the port gate.  

 

Shuttle Bus stop at Port Gate

 

It was hot, in the low 90's, with a nice breeze so it wasn't sweltering.  The market has about 20 stalls, with most selling fabric, paintings, and carvings.  We didn't see any T-shirts for sale.   

 

Informal Market - only on cruise ship days

 

We purchased a small painting that caught our eye and we found it very interesting. 

 

 

Judy bought 6 yards of multi-colored fabric.

 

There was a small information kiosk offering postcards, brochures, and country flags for a donation.

 

Across the street was a high-rise hotel, the Hotel Presidente, that had a restaurant.  There weren't any shops catering to tourists in the area.  

 

After about 30 minutes we headed back to the ship via the Shuttle.  

[The-Inside-Cabin]

HERE is the replay of Marty's Coffee Chat about project Linus

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

I found a few more world cruise blogs - HERE is the link where you can find them.   It will also always appear in my signature line.   If you want your blog listed - send me a note or reply here.   connect@theinsidecabin.com

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Early this morning volunteers working with the Linus Project moved over 400 blankets from boxes and displayed them on tables around the Lido Pool, completely covering most of the starboard side, from 9 am to 11:30 am.   Marty, along with his wife Gail, are the onboard coordinators for Project Linus.    During this "open house," Marty provided periodic updates about the purpose of Project Linus and some background about how the blankets on display were created.

 

There were twenty blankets, created by a single Blanketeer during COVID that were available for sale in a silent auction.     These sold from $350 to $1000.   Project Linus raised over $8,000 yesterday from sales and cash donations

 

As the open house was wrapping up, Capt Frank and Hotel GM Henk presented Marty with a giant check for $1000.  All of the money will be used to buy yarn for the 2024 Grand World Voyage Project Linus program.

 

These blankets were for sale during the silent auction

 

 

 

Marty

 

Henk, Marty and Capt Frank

 

 

[madera1]

Just got caught up with your posts. Thank you again for sharing the WC 

[Cruising Is Bliss]

Pete, thank you for the Midway video! Interesting tour of a bit of what ships would have been like for my dad during and right after WWII. He was on the Saratoga (including the last voyage) and on the Missouri. I'm going to be in San Diego in January for several days before the  Australia New Zealand GV and visiting the Midway is high on our list.

Edited March 24, 2023 by Cruising Is Bliss

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We became Emerald Shellbacks today.   This will be my second time crossing the equator at the Prime Meridian, the first was back in 2018 - More HERE.  In 2018 we crossed in the dead of night and had a party in the Crow's Nest but Capt Mercer and the Amsterdam didn't quite hit the spot exactly as he would have had to stop and maneuver at slow speed.  

 

Today, Capt Frank nailed the spot around 11:30 AM.   He brought the ship to a dead stop and then used the Azipods and bow thrusters to maneuver the ship to the exact spot.  He went the extra step and pointed the bow due north so we were perfectly aligned.

 

At one time there was a buoy marking the spot - called Null Island.   We were unable to locate the buoy even using radar and powerful binoculars.   It's quite likely it no longer exists, but it was fun to try and find it.  More HERE

 

A few people were able to capture and document our achievement on their phones and they shared their screenshots with me.

 

We also had a King Neptune Ceremony - more on that later.

Many folks were up on the Deck 9 forward observation deck looking for Null Island

 

Null Island

 

We hit the spot at 11:32 local time - All zeros!

 

Another look

Almost all zeros...

 

I kept looking after everyone left

 

Still looking

I think I see it!

 

There it is*!!! 

 

 

 

 

*With a little help from Mr Photoshop

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Good work, Pete!

[dchip]

How cool is that!!!!!!!!! You are looking great, Pete. 
Cheers,  Denise and Howie, too

[LouChamp]

Aloha. Yay for you guys!

[oakridger]

That sounds fun!  The captain was very nice to line it all up for everyone!  

 

Does anyone know why the cell phone shot listed the elevation as 120 ft?  On my last cruise I was on the Rotterdam deck 5 and my phone listed elevations all over the place....from minus 40 ft to over 100 ft.!  And, no, it wasn't in high wave conditions.  I suppose I can google the question but wondered if anyone else noticed that?

 

~Nancy

Edited March 25, 2023 by oakridger

[REOVA]

In 2018 we crossed in the dead of night and had a party in the Crow's Nest but Capt Mercer and the Amsterdam didn't quite hit the spot exactly as he would have had to stop and maneuver at slow speed.  

 

Today, Capt Frank nailed the spot around 11:30 AM.   He brought the ship to a dead stop and then used the Azipods and bow thrusters to maneuver the ship to the exact spot.  He went the extra step and pointed the bow due north so we were perfectly aligned.

 

 

 

Good for Captain Frank. He probably didn't want to bear the thrashing that Captain Jonathan got in 2018 for not hitting 0.0 exactly. 🙄

[The-Inside-Cabin]

4 hours ago, oakridger said:

That sounds fun!  The captain was very nice to line it all up for everyone!  

 

Does anyone know why the cell phone shot listed the elevation as 120 ft?  On my last cruise I was on the Rotterdam deck 5 and my phone listed elevations all over the place....from minus 40 ft to over 100 ft.!  And, no, it wasn't in high wave conditions.  I suppose I can google the question but wondered if anyone else noticed that?

 

~Nancy

Altitude accuracy with phones may vary by 50 feet or so - which I think explains most of it...

 

More HERE with an excerpt below

 

2. How does a phone measure altitude?

While your phone is able to measure altitude, if you know the elevation of the ground below, you can calculate your exact height above ground. The most important altitude measurement tool in your phone’s arsenal is the GNSS/GPS receiver. If your phone can find at least four satellites, with one directly overhead, you can usually get an altitude reading accurate to within 10 to 20 meters (35 to 70 feet). Having good satellite reception isn’t always guaranteed, though, and while GPS-based altitude works most of the time, it can still be subject to fairly large errors.

[oakridger]

Thanks Pete!  That explains the altitude on iPhone inaccuracy.  I just "figured" the GPS on it would be more accurate.  

I enjoy reading the blogs every evening.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We had an interesting day in Ghana Yesterday.   We visited the Bisa Aberwa Museum, the Fishing Harbor, Fort Orange, Market Circle, and Vienna City Beach.   More details and photos coming this PM.

 

We are in Abidjan today and will be taking this HAL tour --

"From Abidjan to Colonial Grand Bassam

An hour's drive east of Abidjan is the city of Grand Bassam -- a late 19th-century colonial town and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You will stop for photos at some of the historical sites, such as the old post office, Palais de Justice and Cathédral du Sacré Coeur -- Ivory Coast's oldest cathedral.
Visit Maison des Artistes (House of the Artists). This building is a cooperative of craftsmen selling a beautiful array of paintings, masks, batik and woodwork. The center is doing a good job of preserving the artistic and cultural legacy of Grand Bassam, and you can support their work by purchasing one of the many souvenirs if you wish.

A delicious lunch of traditional Ivorian food is served at one of the great local restaurants.

Don't miss a guided visit to the National Costume Museum, housed in an impressive Colonial-style building. This architectural gem is one of the main attractions in town. Explore their excellent collection of traditional clothing, masks, ornaments, and ethnographic photos for a fascinating insight to the culture and history of the Ivory Coast.

Relax on the return drive to Abidjan."

[oakridger]

I love costume museums!  I hope you will be visiting it.

 

~Nancy

[The-Inside-Cabin]

1 hour ago, oakridger said:

I love costume museums!  I hope you will be visiting it.

 

~Nancy

We are headed there now on the HAL tour.   Bus has 5 seats across.   3x2.   I have never seen a Tour bus with this seating configuration.  

[RBB]

7 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

We had an interesting day in Ghana Yesterday.   We visited the Bisa Aberwa Museum, the Fishing Harbor, Fort Orange, Market Circle, and Vienna City Beach.   More details and photos coming this PM.

 

We are in Abidjan today and will be taking this HAL tour --

"From Abidjan to Colonial Grand Bassam

An hour's drive east of Abidjan is the city of Grand Bassam -- a late 19th-century colonial town and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You will stop for photos at some of the historical sites, such as the old post office, Palais de Justice and Cathédral du Sacré Coeur -- Ivory Coast's oldest cathedral.
Visit Maison des Artistes (House of the Artists). This building is a cooperative of craftsmen selling a beautiful array of paintings, masks, batik and woodwork. The center is doing a good job of preserving the artistic and cultural legacy of Grand Bassam, and you can support their work by purchasing one of the many souvenirs if you wish.

A delicious lunch of traditional Ivorian food is served at one of the great local restaurants.

Don't miss a guided visit to the National Costume Museum, housed in an impressive Colonial-style building. This architectural gem is one of the main attractions in town. Explore their excellent collection of traditional clothing, masks, ornaments, and ethnographic photos for a fascinating insight to the culture and history of the Ivory Coast.

Relax on the return drive to Abidjan."

     I hope you have a good tour.  We did this excursion last Fall on the Grand Africa and it was not ready for prime time.  Way too much time sitting and waiting on the bus, they had failed to arrange in advance for us to see the inside of the cathedral, the visit to the costume museum was not guided and there were no English signs, and we didn't see a number of the places listed on the tour description (which was the same as yours).  The shore excursion folks agreed and (after some negotiation) gave us half our money back.  I am hoping they learned something from the experience and have fixed this tour, which sure would have been interesting if conducted competently.

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

21 minutes ago, RBB said:

     I hope you have a good tour.  We did this excursion last Fall on the Grand Africa and it was not ready for prime time.  Way too much time sitting and waiting on the bus, they had failed to arrange in advance for us to see the inside of the cathedral, the visit to the costume museum was not guided and there were no English signs, and we didn't see a number of the places listed on the tour description (which was the same as yours).  The shore excursion folks agreed and (after some negotiation) gave us half our money back.  I am hoping they learned something from the experience and have fixed this tour, which sure would have been interesting if conducted competently.

 

 

Today is Sunday, so the Cathedral was in use and we couldn't go inside - only a walk by.   They had a couple of guides for the costume museum - but still no signs -  

 

The House of Artists was closed due to Sunday......We saw the Royal Palais and a lighthouse instead of the Old Post Office and Palais de Justice....

 

The Capt just said that the port where the ship moored was upgraded since the Zaandam visited last fall and was more suitable for cruise ships.

 

Overall - tour was "OK"  

 

I know people who did the "Banco National Park" tour and they gave that tour rave reviews.    

Edited March 26, 2023 by The-Inside-Cabin

[Durango Sandy]

Pete, also did this on GA 22. FYI,  the House of Artists was really only paintings no artists there, no guides at Costume Museum, but nice collection. Didn’t get in church, non-Sunday, not prearranged. Stuck camera through open slat windows for pictures. No commentary in colonial town. Do you have pictures of port to see upgrades? This might have been the port we watched them clean and clean and sweep the dock area for us. Saw much from bus ride and lunch place on shore was nice. 
Cheers, Sandy

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

TAKORADI, GHANA (POST #66)

MARCH 26, 2023

Click "Show More Posts" to show all the links to the other posts for the 2022 World Cruise

We witness Takoradi in full swing, from the fishing harbor to the market circle

The Zuiderdam moored in Takoradi toward the end of a long jetty, about 50-100 yards across stretching a mile from the mainland, around 7 am.  It would take another 90 minutes to get cleared before we could go ashore.  Meanwhile, vendors were busy erecting a couple dozen tents for the pop-up craft market that would open soon.

This map shows where we moored relative to the shuttle stop near the Market Circle.  The street highlighted in yellow is where we walked.

We booked a city tour with Across Africa and the eight of us met our driver and guide around 9 am.  There were four Across Africa tour vans/buses today and we would caravan to each of the stops where we would meet for a shared larger group tour.  Each of the other groups had about twenty people.

This map shows all the stops on our tour today

Our first stop was the Bisa Aberwa Museum which holds over 2000 artifacts and sculptures of heroes of civil rights movements from Africa and around the world.  The museum covers three floors and we spent about 30 minutes exploring.

Entrance to Bisa Aberwa Museum This sculpture is about grandmothers

 

The Albert Bosomtwi-Sam Fishing Harbour was our next stop.  To reduce congestion and minimize disruption of this very busy fish harbor and market, the tour bus arrivals from our groups as well as HAL were staggered.  While we were waiting we had a tour of a fish sorting and examination room.  The room had a removable floor with large removable metal ice containers.  The ice kept the floor cold to help keep the fish fresh when they were being examined and sorted.

Underneath this floor were large metal rectangular containers holding ice

 

Afterward, we walked over to the wharf and a large fish-handling shed, with a 20-foot roof.

Under this cover were hundreds of people quickly moving to and fro with large containers of Herring fish.

 

Along the wharf, dozens of fishing boats moored and men offloaded their fish, mainly herring, into metal tubs.  Other very strong men quickly carried these tubs, balanced on their heads, to an open area in the fish handling shed where waiting women would cover the fish before they were moved out to the street where they awaited transfer to other locations.

Unloading fish from the boats into the metal tubs

When full these tubs can weigh over 200 lbs Tubs of fish are now covered and ready to move from the harbor.

 

The activity and energy level in this area was very high.  No one was sitting around and everyone was in constant motion.

Nearby Fort Orange was our next stop.  The Dutch built the fort as a fortification in the 17th century.  It was transformed into a lighthouse after being seized by the British in 1873.  The fort was also used to hold slaves prior to their being loaded onto ships.  There were some nice views of Takoradi and the Fishing Harbor from the walkway at the top of the fort.

Fort Orange The rooms inside Fort Orange also display artwork.  Here the guide explains more about how these rooms were used back when the fort was active

 

One of the main markets in the area is Takoradi Market Circle, commonly known as Market Circle.  The HAL shuttle bus stop dropped off people near the circle.  We stopped a few streets back and walked a couple blocks down a different street to get a feel for the area and observe the activity.

Market Circle Typical shopping street in Takoradi near Market Circle

 

Everything was for sale here from fresh meats, fruits and vegetables to housewares and clothing.  A few shops sold appliances.  It was like a WalMart was emptied along the street with each type of product being sold in small, separate shops.

Selling vegetables in Market Circle Friendly children were eager to pose

 

There is a structure in the center of Market Circle that is under construction with an unknown completion date.  When complete this will provide more covered space for additional vendors.

Earlier in the day, Judy had seen a few women wearing dresses made of white fabric with a black geometric pattern.  She went into a small fabric store along the street and found a white fabric with a black geometric print that she liked.  She bought 4 yards for $15.00 USD.  One of the other guides in our caravan told us that this kind of fabric has a phrase stamped along the selvage of the fabric.  Google Translate translated the phrase on this fabric to “I leave my children and my loved ones in the Lord’s hands”.

Our final stop was the Vienna City Beach Resort.  We could have stayed longer at the resort and had lunch at our own expense, but we decided to spend about twenty minutes exploring and taking some pictures before heading back to the ship.

Once back at the ship, we spent a few minutes wandering up and down the pop-up market.  We noticed a few well-dressed local officials heading aboard for a visit and saw a dozen or more uniformed Customs and Immigration officials leaving the ship.

Pop-up market next to ship Local VIPs waiting to board the ship Pete with uniformed Customs Officials

 

Edited March 26, 2023 by The-Inside-Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

I forgot to add this on my Takoradi Post - When we left port, one of the tugboats played the Star Spangled Banner.....Nice....This is an excerpt and the tug playing the recording had a tech issue and the song skips a bit and repeats.