Travel The World with Bill & Mary Ann HAL's Grand World Voyage 2007

[Johnny B]

Thanks, Bill and MaryAnn, for giving us a taste of what our cruise will be like in 2008. I'm curious about two things: is the wireless internet time REALLY about $25 an hour? and do those cruise specialists have an overland Egypt tour?

 

Your tour of Alexandria sounded great. I'd especially like to be able to see the underwater ruins. Keep those posts a-comin'.

[Aussie Gal]

There is a good way to find this thread now. On the first page of HAL threads, click on views. The threads will be listed after the stickeys in the order of most viewed to least viewed. This thread is now number 3 on the HAL list of most viewed threads, right behind the HAL secrets thread. Modesty keeps me from mentioning which thread is still number one on the list....:rolleyes:

 

Thanks for the reports Bill and MaryAnn. We are very much enjoying your observations in that part of the world.

 

Hi Grumpy,

 

Happy Easter to both you and Slinky. Thanks for this latest bit of info. I seem to learn something new about C.C. each day. Hope you are feeling 100% now. :)

 

Jennie

[WCB]

Report # 66 4-05-07 Thursday Ashdod, Israel

 

We arrived an hour later than planned to Ashdod, Israel. Our tour to Jerusalem and Bethlehem will take about 10 hours, so with our leaving at 11 am, we will probably miss dinner tonight. Even though we had gone through an immigration's check, the officials at the gangway wanted to see our landing cards and passports. This caused the stairways and elevators to jam. Finally, the Israeli officials loosened up, and let us through quickly.

 

There was a group of eight colorfully dressed dancers on the pier. At least we had something to watch as we waited to get off. And when we did, we were handed a white Israel cap for a welcome gift. We understand that no Holland ships have been to Israel for over seven years, so they made a special attempt for a nice welcome.

 

The drive to Jerusalem took about an hour and a half. Our guide introduced himself, and then proceeded to tell us that Israel had no nuclear stations, but did have 87 nuclear bombs! That was his form of humor we guess. Hmmm, wonder what our tour is going to be like today with a start like that?? The guide, a retired military soldier/water department worker, talked a lot about the Israeli-Palestinian-Arab wars right from the start. We had been forewarned that the guides may want to share their religious and political views. And just our luck, we got the chattiest one!

 

The forecast for today called for partly cloudy skies with a temperature of 75 degrees. The only problem was that the entire area from the sea to the valleys was covered with a veil of haze............a haze so thick, we couldn't see the sky or the clouds. Even the mountains could not be seen until we were actually driving through them.

 

Despite this, many groves of citrus trees were growing near the port. The further out we got, we saw fields of grapes, wheat, cabbage, cactus, zucchini, and strawberries. Olive trees were everywhere. As we started to climb the mountain passes, we saw acacia, carob, pine, eucalyptus, and cedar trees. It resembled California's countryside and valleys, except for the smoggy haze. It was very green, even though they only get about 30 inches of rain a year.

 

While we drove towards Jerusalem, our guide told us that school is mandatory for all children up to the age of 18. Then the girls are sent to train in the army for two years, and boys for 3 years. If they wish to be officers in the army, they need to stay in longer. After that, they are free to go to college or to work. Most go to college.

 

Our first stop was for a view of Jerusalem from a mountain top and, of course, a bathroom stop. The view was great, but the pit stop was charged, and most people were annoyed to have to pay a dollar to use the facilities. Bad way to begin a tour!

 

We drove from there towards Bethlehem, our first city to tour this afternoon. Now this got interesting when we had to switch guides. Apparently, our first guide was Jewish, and he was not allowed to go into Bethlehem, because it is under Palestinian rule. Before he left the bus, the guide said to be careful with our purchases and packages that we bought in Bethlehem, since it can be volatile there. The new guide came on the bus after we drove through a gated huge concrete wall full of barbed wire on the top. As we drove towards the Church of the Nativity, our guide explained that Bethlehem was a mixture of 40% Christians and 60% Muslim-Arabs. It's funny how we pictured a totally different scenario, being raised Catholic. Now we have a better understanding of why there has been centuries of conflict in this part of the world. Even though this is a holy place, politically speaking it is just the opposite.

 

Anyway, we arrived to the Church of the Nativity by driving on narrow hillside roads. Bethlehem is located on the slopes of mountainsides, with scores of small shops and stores tiered on the hills. We entered the church and viewed the original tiled floors underneath a wooden door in the new floor. While we were doing this, a line of people, four thick, jammed the entryway into the stairway that led to the cave of the manger. We had an hour and a half wait with our guides fending off locals from cutting into our group. We finally reached the steep steps that led down to a very small cavern called the Grotto of the Nativity. In a small cave no wider than 5 feet wide and 3 feet tall was the Star of Bethlehem embedded in the floor, surrounded with 17 hanging incense burners. When the local tourists got near to the cave, they droppped to the ground, crawled inside, and kissed the Star. There were hordes of people here today, being that it was Holy Thursday of Easter Week. Holland probably made a boo-boo bringing us here at such a busy time. We understand that Easter is falling on the same date for three major religions, so that made visiting Israel at this time a poor choice.

 

Anyway, moving on, we were driven a short distance to a store by the name of The Three Arches Co. Three busfuls of people were here to shop and use the bathrooms. This was supposed to be a 15 minute stop, but it turned into 30 minutes. We 're sure our guide gets a percentage of the sales of holy articles here. We headed out of Bethlehem by 3:45 pm, and dropped off the Bethlehem guide, and picked up our original fellow.

 

We prayed we were headed for lunch by now, since everyone had eaten all of the fruit and power bars from their Holland bags much earlier and were starving by now. Lunch was at the Ambassador Hotel in Jerusalem. The buffet line offered chopped salads, rice, pot roast with veggies, fried chicken, and fish. Pocket bread and flat crackers were good with the hummus and cucumber/yogurt dish. We ended the meal with a nice dessert and had our fill of wine, water, and soda. Now with everyone full and happy, we continued on to tour Jerusalem.

 

Our first stop was at Gethsemane Garden and Church. This olive tree garden is where Jesus spent his last moments before his arrest. These trees are said to be 2000 years old and they look it. The massive church next to the garden was closed to the public, since a mass was being said inside. We were to find out that this was the case for most of the churches on both Thursday and Friday. Too bad.

 

We then drove up to the Mt of Olives, where we had a nice view of the walled city of old Jerusalem. Out of all of the buildings within the city, the Temple Mount was the most outstanding. The golden Dome of the Rock is one of Islam's holiest places on earth. On the hillsides of the Mt of Olives are hundreds of raised coffins from centuries ago. And on the top of the hill, were kids climbing on a camel for a short ride. Every local hawker seemed to be out to make a buck during this incredibly busy weekend. And we noticed that there were a gazillion buses lined up around the wall of the city, and that was where we were headed next.

 

We had a short ride to the Jaffa Gate of the wall. We walked up several stairs, then over a bridge across the highway, and finally through the Jaffa Gate and into the Old City. What we found here was a huge surprise. There were stores everywhere we looked. The streets became very narrow and they were lined with shops with everything holy you would ever want to see! There were alleyways and covered walkways with clothes and food stores. As it was getting darker, we had a hard time seeing the many steps and uneven rock pavements along the way.

 

Our guide had promised to stop to keep the group together, but he never did. He left our sign-holder from the ship bring up the rear, while he wound his way right and left down these dark, congested trails of shops. By the way, he forbid any of us to stop to shop. If we did, we surely would have been lost. We made our way to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but it was closed. This is believed to be the spot where Christ was resurrected. We did get pictures of the courtyard, although by now, it was dark.

 

Then we headed for the Via Dolorosa to see the Stations of the Cross. By the time our group had arrived, the guide was at the end, and most people never knew what they were looking at. Sadly, since it was so dark, most of us were more concerned about possible pickpockets that we had been warned about. Our best bet was to buy the dollar explanation and pictures of the Stations of the Cross. and try to keep up with the guide.

 

We reached a checkpoint where we had to pass through xray and have our bags searched by Israeli police. This was a bit unsettling, since we were here at such a crowded time, and the possibility of terrorists or suicide bombers were on all of our minds. We hurried on to the Jewish Quarter and the famous Wailing Wall. It was here that we saw the most unusual of the Jewish people........the Hassidic group. These are the men that wear the black hats with the wide brims, and have sideburns of long curls. The wives and children were all dressed in black, and all seemed to be in a frenzied hurry to reach the wall. We saw at least four very young children being pulled by the hair by their mothers and fathers. Guess they never heard of child abuse here. Large groups of them ran into us, knocked elderly people out of their way, and were just plain rude. We were all glad to leave the city at that point, never having been given the chance to approach the wall. We were told that most people write messages on a piece of paper and leave them in cracks in the wall. We would have prayed to please get us out of here in one piece!

 

Now our guide really messed up. He lied that the bus would be right around the corner. Well.............unknown to us, the tour buses were not being allowed to enter the street where we were waiting. The guide said nothing, and just started walking, way too fast for most, for a mile and a half. It was a "death march". Even though we reminded him that many of our group were elderly, he kept up the pace. He told us that if he informed all of us that we had to walk that far in the dark, fighting the crowd going the other way, and tripping down stairs, that no one would have done it. We thought that was pretty bad, and suspect that everyone else will feel the same.

 

Finally reaching the bus, we headed out of the city to a bathroom stop halfway back to Ashdod. It was at a gas station with a store of Elvis Presley memoribilia. Was this strange to see in Israel, or what? We made it back to the ship by 10 pm, and yes, we really missed our dinnertime of 8 pm! We were greeted by a team of Holland officers including Fekko, who assured us that the BBQ on deck 8 was open until 11:30pm. That was nice, but by the time we got there, most everything was dried up and almost gone. That sure wasn't the way we wanted to end our long day, but guess you can't win them all.

 

Tomorrow, our next port in Israel..............Haifa. We hope it will be a better tour.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[whm]

Sounds as though the guides need a class on "Do unto others"!

[fb0075]

Probably not a "great" choice of words---"death march"

when talking about Israel--

 

BTW---not a dollar to use bathroom--charge is 1 Sheckel--about 25 cents--

FRANK

[Love Cruises]

Bill and Mary Ann ... We have so enjoyed reading all your posts regarding your world cruise (first thread we check when we log on to Cruise Critics). What a wonderful time you seem to be having. Thanks for sharing this with all of us!

 

One question - are you planning on posting a photograph album when you return? We would love to see the many pictures we are sure you are taking.

 

Again ... thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!

[SDHALFAN]

Bill and Mary Ann ... We have so enjoyed reading all your posts regarding your world cruise (first thread we check when we log on to Cruise Critics). What a wonderful time you seem to be having. Thanks for sharing this with all of us!

 

One question - are you planning on posting a photograph album when you return? We would love to see the many pictures we are sure you are taking.

 

Again ... thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!

 

 

Barbara and Orlin Stansfield, from Tennessee, are also writing up their escapades as they go along on this exciting journey. Their blog does have some great photographs and they have sometimes taken different tours than Mary Anne and Bill so it's interesting to read both blogs and get comparisons.

 

I log onto both blogs first thing the in the morning to see what these guys have been up to and I thank all four of them for "taking me along on their trip" since I left the ship in Hong Kong:D .

 

Barbara and Orlin's write-up can be accessed at: www.cruisingstanfields.com. I have bookmarked it for easy reference.

 

Valerie:)

[halcruiser]

Hi, Mary Ann & Bill

Have been reading your journey with great interest. We were on 2005 World Cruise with you (Marion & George). Was interested in your excursion to Bethlehem and Jerusalem during Holy Week. We were probably on the last HAL ship (Rotterdam) to stop in Israel, September 2000. The shooting there started three weeks later. Unlike you, we were there on Saturday (Sabbath) and everything in Jerusalem was closed. Thanks for a very informative narration of your journey.

Marion

[SDHALFAN]

Barbara and Orlin Stansfield, from Tennessee, are also writing up their escapades as they go along on this exciting journey. Their blog does have some great photographs and they have sometimes taken different tours than Mary Anne and Bill so it's interesting to read both blogs and get comparisons.

 

I log onto both blogs first thing the in the morning to see what these guys have been up to and I thank all four of them for "taking me along on their trip" since I left the ship in Hong Kong:D .

 

Barbara and Orlin's write-up can be accessed at: www.cruisingstanfields.com. I have bookmarked it for easy reference.

 

Valerie:)

 

 

Okay, that www.cruisingstanfields.com link didn't work too well this time:o so I googled: Adventures in cruising with Orlin and Barbara, and had much more luck.

 

Valerie:)

[candbgirl]

The correct link is http://www.cruisingstansfields.comThis blog and the other one are so fascinating. I check both everyday. I really appreciate both couples taking the time to share their adventures with all of us.

[WCB]

Report # 67 4-06-07 Good friday Haifa, Israel

 

We sailed in a northerly direction from Ashdod to Haifa, traveling a total distance of 82 nautical miles. Arriving at 7 am, the ship entered the industrial port of the third largest city in Israel. The port area appeared to be quite old, with most of the buildings around 200 years old. Since our tour will take us to Nazareth today, we probably will not see too much of Haifa. One thing we did see, was an old concrete building that was recently bombed by the Lebanese. Our guide was sure to point that out.

 

The forecast for today was warm with a high of 82 degrees. But the shroud of haze was even more prevalent today, and it made perfect sense when we saw the many oil refineries and a huge nuclear power plant nearby. The scare of global warming has not entered the picture here yet.

 

We left the city, driving through the Valley of Jezreel filled with fields of wheat, corn, zucchini, and tomatoes plants. Orchards of oranges and tangerines lined the valley roads, with olives trees growing along the hillsides. Climbing gradually into the mountains, we reached the city of Nazareth with the altitude of 1500 feet. The ride took only an hour. Nazareth was the childhood home of Jesus. Our first stop was at the Church of the Annunciation, where Mary, the Blessed Virgin, was told by the angel Gabriel that she would bear the Son of God. However, all we could see was the exterior of the church, because it was closed to the public on Good Friday. Bummer! Our guide gave us a little information, but failed to answer many questions we asked claiming he did know know the answers. That's when we all realized that there was probably a shortage of guides for this busy weekend, and he was more than likely a cousin or friend of a guide who was substituting for the extra buses needed for our large groups. It didn't get much better, either.

 

The following stop was supposed to be at the Church of St Joseph, where we were going to see his actual carpentry workshop and an important Judeo-Christian baptismal basin below the church. But, guess what? Yep, it was closed too. And there was no attempt to even take us to see the outside of it. Our guide just said, "It's closed, period!". So a store and a bathroom stop were substituted. This turned into a half hour shopping spree while everyone waited in the bathroom line. Funny thing we noticed was that all the items for sale were marked in US dollars, and not the Israeli new shekels. Guess these stores were tourist traps for mainly Americans.

 

Anyway, finally moving on, we drove to Mary's well, which was actually a modern stone structure surrounded by many shops, bakeries, and coffee cafes. The spouts of the fountain were dry. Our guide said they only run during the rainy season, and they are fed from the mountainsides, not a well.

 

Next we went to an unannounced stop at the Greek Orthodox Church of Annunciation. Now this church claims to have Mary's well too. Despite the fact that services were in progress, we were allowed to enter (for a price). For some strange reason, our guide held us in the courtyard, talking to us about the church, which was fine. But in the meantime, three groups got ahead of us in line to enter the church. Go figure? We think our guide wanted a coffee break while we waited, since he disappeared for 45 minutes. Anyway, we were asked to leave a dollar donation upon entering the church. Some did, but most did not. We were allowed to take pictures inside the small church, while we walked quietly in back of the congregation. Then we descended down a flight of stairs, and found Mary's well at the bottom. This one looked more authentic, we thought.

 

Well, back to the bus, we wound our way back down the steep narrow streets of Nazareth, and drove for 45 minutes to the Sea of Galilee for more touring and lunch. By the time we got there, we had dropped to 1400 feet below sea level. We had another unscheduled stop at a place called Yardinet. It is a newly built complex where people go to get baptized in the Jordan River. The real site of Christ's baptism was near the Dead Sea. However due to pollution of the Jordan River there, and the fact that the area is now a military zone, this site was established to take its place. They had a large souvenier shop, where among other religious items, they sell plastic bottles of holy water from the Jordan River. While there, we witnessed a family dressed in white cotton gowns, submerging themselves in the green river water. Sure looked cold! And right in the same spot, were dozens of two-foot long catfish grazing on the bottom of the murky water. Even though we were there for another pit stop, it turned into a shopping spree again.

 

Upon arrival to the Sea of Galilee, we could barely see it, since a veil of haze blended the water with the sky. Even though this is a huge lake, it was easy to see how it would have been confused for a sea in ancient times. We could not see the banks of this lake from any vantage point due to the heavy haze.Thousands of years ago, the Sea of Galilee was surrounded by Jewish settlements, including Tiberius, a major holy city. Numerous events as told in the New Testament of the Bible took place in this area where Jesus preached among the locals. One of these events was when Jesus performed the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes on the shoreside. Basically a farming and fishing village today, the Sea of Galilee has become a vacation haven for Israelis. The shoresides were lined with huts, picnic grounds, and kiddielands with beaches. We were surprised to see trash laying on the campgrounds and the greens. Being a holiday weekend, vacationeers were here for swimming, boating, bird-watching, fishing, camping, and jeep rides. Modern shopping malls were woven inbetween high rise hotels, condos, and high-end boutiques. Of course, the numerous and famous spiritual sites remain the number one attraction for tourists here.

 

We thought we would be heading for lunch, but no, we had another unscheduled stop at a place called Hamat Teverya, a national park near Tiberius. Here we saw a small museum, the Ernest Lehman Museum, that contained the concrete baths of the healing waters of the hot springs. Nearby, were the remains of the ruins of Hamat Tiberius Synagogue built in the 4th century. Some of the mosaic floors were still intact in the synagogue 's center. We were glad to leave there, because the smell of the sulfurous water was sickening.

 

Finally, we were headed for lunch at the Kibbutz guesthouse, Nof Ginossar, on the shores of the lake. This was a complex built for communal living, where the residents jointly raised their own produce and animals, and remained self-sufficient by selling the excess. This compound was later renovated into a hotel with a massive-sized cafeteria lunchroom. It reminded us of a high school cafeteria. The food was excellent, fresh and tasty. We had choices of beef, chicken, and fish, stuffed cabbage rolls, and an array of crispy salad fixings. Water and red and white wine were freely poured with our meal. Desserts were chocolate cake, lemon mousse, and fresh fruit with whipped cream.

 

After we were done, we were led to a museum on the Kibbutz grounds called Yigal Alon Center. Here we saw a movie depicting the finding of an ancient fishing boat in 1986 by Kibbutz members. It was dug out of the sediment of the lake, and carbon dated back to 2000 years old. This boat very well could have used by the Disciples as their fishing vessel as described in the Gospels of the Bible. Therefore, this ancient boat has been given the name "Jesus Boat". After viewing the film, we were free to shop again at the expensive museum shop. By then, our group was shopped out!

 

Our last stop was at the ruins at Capernaum, a village where Jesus lived during his Galilean ministry. A series of ruins containing possible houses and temples of the Apostles were here, we think. Our guide had some very odd descriptions of what we were seeing, that half of our group almost mutinied! Sometimes, when a guide is not sure of the facts, he is better off not commenting. And once again, when questioned on some of the information, he said we needed to ask someone else, because he wasn't sure. Our best bet was to wander off and take pictures. We could rely on internet information later. This place was our last pit stop, but when people used the facilities, they were chased down by the bathroom guard who insisted they pay money. This should have been complimentary, but our guide was no where to be seen. Probably drinking coffee again!

 

On our way out of the Sea of Galilee, we passed the Mt of Beatitudes where Christ gave the Sermon on the Mount speech. We must have been running late, because we did not stop there. Just snapped a few pictures while we raced on by.

 

Back at the ship, we ran into friends that had bad tours the previous day. We got reports of people getting lost in the walled city of Jerusalem. Left by their guides, they had to find a police station to get directions to the western wall. Another couple were left behind when they made a bathroom stop. Guess the ship's signholder did not know they were gone. That must have been a nightmare, but we knew it was going to happen to someone that night. Hopefully, they filled out the tour complaint form, so things like that don't happen again. We also heard that the Israeli officials denied entrance for the entire Indonesian crew on the Amsterdam. Did they think we have a ship full of terrorists??? Two Serbian spa workers on the ship were also denied. This country has a long ways to go, in our humble opinion!

 

Bill and Mary Ann

[WCB]

The price for the internet depends on the size of the package you purchase. The best deal runs about 24 cents a minute.

 

As for posting pictures, we have thousands. We do post pictures with our regular reports, but when posting on Cruise Critic, it takes too long to post with pictures. Our connection is "iffy" most of the times. Maybe at some future time, we could post these pictures, after we are home.

 

In regards to the "death march" in Jerusalem, we had a man who was experiencing chest pains while trying to keep up with the guide. The poor man finally took the guide's hand, put it on his chest, and told him to feel his racing heartbeat. he asked him to slow down, or else he would be dead.

 

As for the bathroom charge in Jerusalem, none of us had a shekel, so they demanded a dollar, and we had to pay it or not use it.

 

Bil

 

.

.

[RuthC]

To visit the Holy Land and not be able to enter some holy sites---I would be terribly disappointed. :(

To have guides that don't know what they are showing---I would be very angry. :mad:

To miss historical areas because too much time had been given over to shopping!---I would be livid. :mad: :eek: :mad:

Thank you once again for taking me along to places I will probably never go.

[mamaofami]

Were your tours arranged by HAL ? Sounds to me like someone should have known it was a holiday and one, some holy sites might be closed, and 2, that there might not be enough guides because of the holiday.

 

I visited Israel many years ago and was very impressed with the quality of the guides we had. They knew everything. All of the guides are trained by the Israeli government and are very well informed. Unfortunately, you really must have gotten someone's cousin filling in for the day.

 

 

I've seen reports on these boards of ships arriving in ports on Sunday and having everything locked up tight, but it must have been disappointing to be denied entrance to places you hoped to visit. To spend so much time shopping when on such a tour, is ridiculous. Someone should have complained to the guide.

 

That all of the crew was denied entrance to the country was unfortunate.

There must be some reason that you just don't know. I don't think any country would make such a decision arbitrarily. They of course do know that the crew are not terrorists.

[smoothsailors]

We have been following your posts with great interest and enjoyment, and I've been particularly interested in your reactions to the Alexandria, Ashdod & Haifa ports of call.

 

We are scheduled for these stops on the June 12th sailing of the Prinsendam. As we have spent time in Egypt before, we also plan to do our sightseeing in Alexandria and your comments have helped us "design" our day there. I've been wondering, as a frequent visitor to Israel over 35 years, what one can "see" from cruise ship tours and I'm very sorry for the problems you encountered on your tours. Jerusalem is a fascinating city but I can certainly understand that being caught in the old city maze on Holy Thursday could be frightening...and trying to combine a visit to Bethlehem on the same crowded holiday would be way too much for one excursion. Unfortunately ship schedules are not always well thought out, or the passengers prepared for local conflicts: our cruise docks in Ashdod at 11 AM on a Friday when museums, etc close early on Friday afternoons for the Jewish sabbath. It is really a shame that you could not enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or see the beautiful stained glass windows in Nazareth or even the mosaic baptismal area...but please understand that church access (particularly in Jerusalem) is not in the hands of the tourguides. Four different services are held there in rotation and this year was probably more complicated because the Greek Orthodox Easter was the same weekend.

 

However, please do not blame Israeli security regarding the Indonesian crew visas: Indonesia does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel so, while visas could be applied for, the request would need to be made in advance. Our cruise was supposed to dock in Libya but HAL cancelled the stop because, despite agreements made with the US, Americans were not being allowed off to disembark. As for terrorism concerns...unfortunately they are all too real and necessary for everyone's safety.

 

I hope that you have only good experiences the rest of your exciting voyage!

[Johnny B]

What wonderful entries about your unfortunate tours. I guess when we go to the Holy Land we'll be sure NOT to go on religious holidays. The thing that appalled me the most about the tour group was that people who probably spent a great deal on knick-knacks couldn't even ante up a dollar to help maintain an ancient church. I just don't understand folks like that.

 

Thanks for the info on computer prices. That's about 40% less than I thought it would be. We're hoping to keep up your sort of blog next year, unless you're going to do it again.

 

Thanks again for "taking us along"

[mamaofami]

The correct link is http://www.cruisingstansfields.comThis blog and the other one are so fascinating. I check both everyday. I really appreciate both couples taking the time to share their adventures with all of us.

 

 

 

I just took a few minutes to look at this blog and was blown away by the beautiful pictures. When I have more time, I will have to go back to the beginning and look at pictures of all these places I hope one day to visit. This has been a very interesting and exciting read. Hope you guys are having a wonderful time.

[whm]

Remember that the crew is primarily Indonesian and Muslim. Indonesia is a hotbed of Muslim unrest, so i guess that security erred on the side of caution.

[sjde]

Are there a few ports or excursions so far that you would say have been your favorites?

 

Susan

[WCB]

Report # 68 4-07-07 Saturday Captain's Dinner

 

Yesterday, we received an invitation to the Captain's Dinner for this evening. Yes, this time it will really be with Captain Edward G. Van Zaane and his lovely wife, Appolonia. Susie and Woodie, our tablemates were also invited, only Barb declined again. She claimed that the dinners were too tedious for her. And that's OK, too.

 

We all met in the Explorer's Lounge at 6 pm, dressed in our finest formal wear. It happened to be Egyptian Night, and the servers were dressed like Egyptians. There were 26 guests invited, including our hosts, Tom and Ellen. For the 45 minute cocktail time, we were given a drink of our choice and offered some hors d'oeuvres. We were also given assigned chairs and couches in groups of five or six. Luckily, hosting our group of five, was the Captain. It was the perfect opportunity to ask him about the unfortunate sinking of a Greek cruise ship near Santorini last week. We all found it odd that in these days of high tech sonar and radar, that a ship could run into a reef. Can you believe that the Captain said sometimes he is not allowed to use sonar, because it is considered environmentally unsafe to the reefs? You would think that the safety of 1000 passengers plus crew would ultimately be more important. Oh well, we learn something new (and/or alarming) everyday!

 

Dinner was served at 7 pm in the King's Room near the upper dining room. The maitre'd and his colonial-dressed waiters greeted us. We were requested to line up for a group picture, then were led to pre-assigned seats. The most traveled people with Holland America, members of the President's Club, sat next to the Captain. We got lucky and had Tom, our host, for a dinner companion, and a couple from CSI on our other side.

 

The menu consisted of six courses of very small portions. Each course was announced and described very, very slowly by the head waiter. . The only thing missing was the huge gong and hammer that was used on the Prinsendam's world voyage two years ago.

 

We had a choice of a smoked salmon and crab salad, or a fruit cocktail. Cream of sweet tomato soup with croutons followed the appetizer. Then steamed lobster with oestra caviar was served. Since I have a problem with shellfish, I was served a piece of grilled tuna. Honeydew sorbet with a dash of champagne cleared our palates for the filet of beef tenderloin with vegetables and potato fingers served next. The entree came on a beautiful large plate, but with only two thin slices of meat 1 inch by 2 inches long, six vegetable sticks, and three potato fingers, the food was lost on the plate. Funny, we now know why friends told us to have cheeseburgers at the grill before dinner! It was quite delicious, though, and accompanied by white and red wines from California, no less, completed the meal. The chef's grand finale dessert of a fancily decorated spoonful of mousse, coffee, and friandises (special formal rich sweets and cookies), ended our meal.

 

At that point, the Captain wished us well and exited with his wife. And the fun evening was over.

 

By the time we arrived to our room, two silver napkin rings, engraved with the 2007 world cruise logo, were waiting for us on our bed. The following morning, we received the menu from our special dinner, signed by Captain Edward. The only thing missing was the group picture that we had received complimentary on the 2005 world cruise.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[DFD1]

Sounds like a lovely, if not very filling, dinner. Thanks so much for your postings. They are a real joy to read.

[Opinions]

We really enjoy your posts...We almost feel like we are on the ship...One question, which you may have answered and we missed...Is there a Catholic priest on the World Cruise?

[WCB]

Report # 69 4-08-07 Easter Sunday Kusadasi, Turkey

 

Our port of call on this Easter Sunday was Kusadasi, Turkey. Even though it was 7 am when we docked, we could tell by the clear blue skies, that we were going to enjoy a warm and pleasant day.Yes.....no rain!

 

We were here ten years ago, and we hardly recognized the pier area. New facilities for cruise ships have been built, along with numerous cafes and shops. Kusadasi has developed into a mecca for sun worshippers, carpet buyers, and leather clothing seekers. Disappointingly, the old bazaar has been turned into more high-end jewelry and apparel stores. No more huge bargains here!

 

Kusadasi is also the drop off point for the ruins of Ephesus, and many other famous archaelogical sites. Having seen Ephesus, it was the other sites we wanted to see today. And the fact that it was Easter Sunday, there was little impact in Turkey, since the country is 70% Muslim.

 

Our tour will take us to three ancient cities - Pirene, Miletos and Didyma. Once we drove out of Kusadasi in our new and very comfortable bus, the countryside presented itself. The rolling hills were planted with orchards of peaches, cherries, apples, and olives. Despite having little rain, the mountainsides were quite green.

 

Passing several mosques on our way, our guide explained the meaning of the daily prayer calls. The first call means wake up, and the second call is for lunchtime. The three pm call is to stop work, and the foutrth call is for dinner. Finally, the last call means go to bed. Pretty basic. Another interesting fact we learned was about the solar heated water drums on every building we saw. Since Turkey gets 260 days of sun a year, making use of solar technology is very economical.

 

In an hour's time, we arrived to the ruins of Priene, abandoned in the 4th century, when this former seaport silted up from the rivers. A series of steep steps brought us up the rugged mountainside towards the Temple of Athena. Five impressive tall columns of marble have been re-erected on the site, the perfect sample of Ionian architecture. If only these ruins could talk!! The view looking down on the fertile plains of the valley were stunning. Fields were planted with cotton, wheat, and even tobacco plantations. We walked to the site of Alexander the Great's homesite, now in ruins. He would have looked down at at totally different scene with a beautiful harbor and bay.

 

While we wandered the site, we could hear the sound of knocking wood. We realized it was the sound of wooden bell collars on a herd of goats that were being led up a hillside across the canyon. It was amazing watching them climb the step rocky slopes with their shepherd following them.. We bet the view would have been the same 2000 years ago. We roamed around the remains of a Byzantine church, the stadium, and the theater before heading back down to the waiting bus. Only one small souvenier stand was there, with no pressure to buy. Nice, for a change.

 

Our next stop was at Miletos, founded around 2000 BC. This was also a vital harbor until the 8th century AD, when silt from the Menderes River filled it up. Here we saw the remains of the Hellenistic Theater, ancient baths as large as modern day pools, and a gymnasium. More souveniers stands were in this area, so we bought postcards and a marble tortoise. We actually saw a large tortoise in the ruins, munching on weeds, and trying to warm up in the sun.

 

Didyma was our final site to visit. The Temple of Appollo stood here, along with a sacred public square for his sister, Artemis. These ruins were right in the center of the city, deep under the city's current level. Like most excavated sites, we had to walk down several stairs to reach the ruins. The original temple was destroyed by the Persians in494 BC, but was rebuilt in part by Alexander the Great. Oracles, with the help of priests, spoke of the future to come from this temple. A sacred spring bubbled from the ground well, and most likely contained sulfur and other noxious fumes. When the priests emerged from the odorous underground chambers near the springs, they spoke as if they were in a trance............. thus the prophecies were delivered to the people. It was interesting to see how the separate pieces of marble, called drums, were connected to each other in the centers with lead, then later iron. It was unbelievable that these massive columns could be erected milleniums ago without the use of modern equipment.

 

Lunch was next in a small restaurant in Didum, which faced the ruins. We were treated to a meal starting with fresh French bread, salads of beets, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, and carrots - all marinated with vinegar and olive oil. Basmati rice and twisted egg noodles accompanied chicken and lamb stews. Once seated, were we served a whole grilled sea bream, and had our choice of unlimited wine, soda, bottled water, and the local beer, Efes. Baklava and fresh fruit with whipped cream were the desserts. We tried a little of each!

 

On the hour ride back to Kusadasi, the guide spoke about school for children in Turkey. Only 11 years of school is required, with 15 months of military service mandatory for the boys. When a girl child is born, the family plants a grove of poplar trees. When she is ready to be married, the trees are harvested and sold for the lumber. That helps pay for the wedding costs. Pretty smart plan.

 

He also mentioned that agriculture is an important industry , since they can grow everything in Turkey except coffee bean trees and pineapples. However, he claimed that their gasoline was the highest priced in the world. And at $2.00 a liter, or $8.00 a gallon, we all agreed. Come to think of it, we did not see a whole lot of cars or trucks on the road. Another lucrative industry is the raising of sheep and goats for their meat and hides and wool.

 

Once back at the pier, we strolled the area of the old bazaar. Gone was the huge tented area of stalls, where we almost got lost in the last time we were here. The dirt streets were now paved with bricks, and the stores look like going to a mall anywhere else in the world.

 

Except for that, our tour was one of the best so far on this trip, only because we enjoy the outdoors so much. It is easy to feel a kinship with people who live in an area so much like we do in California. The appreciation of nature and animals is a universal language!

 

Gotta rest up for tomorrow, because we will be in Athens, Greece!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[ger_77]

Bill & Mary Ann, we did the 3 Cities Tour a few years ago and have some of the most amazing memories from there. The one place in particular that impressed us was the Temple of Appollo - the huge slabs of marble that were brought from another island and the fact that if you had your eyes closed, when you ran your hands anywhere along the seam lines, you couldn't feel where they were joined. Amazing architecture and craftsmanship for the time. And to see the carvings that are still so clear today make one wonder what they were like when they were newly created.

 

I was wondering if you had a number of cats around your ankles at the restaurant in Didum - we felt so sorry for them because they were so thin, that we were giving lots of table scraps for them to enjoy. They ate everything and then came back for more!

 

Thanks again for your wonderful commentary - it's really like being with you onboard and off. You certainly devote a lot of time to us back home; it is appreciated.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[ldog]

You bring back some wonderful memories of Ephesus. I agree that Kusadasi was disappointing - the "bazaar" was just a shopping mall. But the ruins are amazing. I'd love to go back!

 

I know you are having a super time and can't wait for your next posts. It's been such fun sailing along with you!

 

thanks