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

[WCB]

Report # 19 2-07-07 Wednesday Pago Pago, American Samoa

 

The Amsterdam sailed in the scenic harbor of Pago Pago, American Samoa early this morning. This island called Tutuila, along with 6 other nearby islands are a territory of the USA. In the late 1800's to 1951, it was a coaling and repair station for the US Navy. Nowadays, it is tourism and tuna canning that are the main industries.

 

The scenery was beautiful as we entered the quaint bay. Volcanic cliffs covered in dense jungle growth jut straight up into the clouds. It reminded us of Kauai, Hawaii, only on a smaller scale. The temperatures were already high and the humidity extreme, even at 8 am. We're pretty sure that we will see rain today.

 

The tour we chose started with 22 of us, loaded into a "funky" bus (wooden open-air island style transportation). Our friend, Lynn, the ship's dentist's wife, was our fearless leader today. We don't envy her job!

 

There were a total of seven little wooden buses that convoyed to each stop. One of the island's most photographed landmarks were the Flower Pot Rocks, strange volcanic rock formations with lush vegetation on the top. We were given 5 minutes to off load, take a picture, then jump back on the bus. The wooden ceiling was so low inside the bus, that many of us hit our heads with each seam if we weren't careful. This tour was fine for short people!!

 

The next stop was at a church, one of the first founded on the island in the 1700's. It was plain-looking on the outside, but surprised us when we went inside. It was beautiful. This island seemed to have more churches than houses! Speaking of homes, the majority we passed had graveyards in the front. Apparently, it is the custom in Samoa to keep your deceased loved ones buried on their property. The families believe that their ancestors protect them that way. Many homes had an open-air roofed building that becomes a guest house when needed. No privacy there.

 

We continued on the the Turtle and Shark Vaitogi, a point on the coast where the natives sang songs to lure the turtles and the sharks to the surf. It was very frustrating to try to listen to the stories surrounding this area, since only one guide they called the big lady, gave the explanation. By the time the seven buses arrived at one place, she was halfway through her talk. All we could do was stumble along the jagged lava flow and take pictures. Each bus did have a cute Samoan tour guide, but they did not talk much. Our girl just wanted to sing songs as we drove the island.

 

Continuing on, we drove to the former governor's residence. It was a stately 2 story home where we saw many interesting displays of Samoan artifacts that explained the culture and traditions of the past. Nearby, we drove to a private residence with landscaped grounds facing the ocean. Here we were served Hawaiian punch, tropical fruit, and yummy sandwiches. After snacking, we walked the grounds taking pictures and checking out their little souvenier stand.

 

Our last stop was at a monument garden that was the site of royalty games of the past. The men would compete in catching pigeons from the rocky monument. Those with the most birds would get to chose a wife or daughter of their choice, even if they were married to someone else. That must have caused a few wars, or maybe not!!

 

Finally, we drove back to the pier via the airport, hotels, and familiar restaurants like McDonalds and KFC. One good thing here, the postage was cheap, 24 cents a postcard, thanks to being part of the good old USA.

 

Back at the pier, we visited the numerous souvenier stands, shopping for the T-shirt and trinket. Found some again!! We did not last too long, because the heat was horrible. By the time we left, some welcome showers blew over the island, cooling things off a bit.

 

All in all, we really enjoyed this island!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[2552phxcrzr]

I'm joining all of you on this wonderful voyage a bit late - only recently returned from a wonderful voyage to Antarctica that included the Falklands and South Georgia. This RTW cruise is just what the doctor ordered to get rid of our post-trip blahs - a few more years and hopefully we will be able to repay with a day-to-day report of our own RTW voyage.

[ldog]

Such a wonderful journey. Thank you so much for taking the time to post every day.

[Johnny B]

We have a question. Do you know if anyone had cases of wine shipped to the Amsterdam? We thought it would be nice to have a couple of cases in our stateroom just for "cocktail hour," and I know that Bevmo ships wine. Can you give us any information about whether HAL allows that?

[WCB]

Report # 20 2-08-07 Thursday Crossing the International Date Line

 

Sometime during the wee hours of the morning, we crossed the International Date Line. This line is a standard means of making the needed time adjustment, so that local noon corresponds approximately to the time at which the sun crosses the local meridian of longitude. The end result for us? We had to advance our clocks and watches 23 hours ahead and we lost February 9th completely. And we all received an official certificate to verify the crossing. That seemed like a good enough reason to celebrate by having dinner in the Pinnacle Grill tonight.

 

Report # 21 2-10-07 Saturday Suva, Fiji

 

"Bula" or hello in Fijian! Suva, Fiji, on the island of Viti Levu, was our port of call today. Fiji is located 719 nautical miles from American Samoa, and is every bit as hot and humid as Pago Pago. Suva, with 400,000 people, is the capital of 50% Fijians and 45% Indian, and 5% Europeans and Pacific Islanders. The island is covered with coconut and banana trees, cotton, and sugarcane plantations. But their main industry is tourism.

 

Many warnings came across by the port lecturer, Barbara Haeni, in regards to personal safety in Suva. Even though practically everyone waved at us, we were told to watch our packets and purses. There was a noticable presence of military checkpoints and police everywhere. This may be due to the fact that military coups are common place in this part of the world. At least we shouldn't have to worry about cannibals in Fiji! Yes, can you believe cannibalism was practiced as late as the 1920's??

 

Our tour today should take us out of the congested city, through the countryside to the west coast. With about 60 of our fellow CSI travelers, we boarded two very nice air-conditioned buses. Once clear of the Saturday morning traffic, the buses headed inland towards the township of Nausori. The scenery along the way was much like Samoa........very lush, green with steaming hot valleys and mountains.

 

The buses left the main road, and onto muddy dirt lanes. The houses here were colorful, but small in size. It must have been laundry day, since every house had lines full of it.

 

When we arrived to Nausori, we had a 15 minute stop at the local produce and fish market. This place was quite a sight to see. Walking through the maze of vendors, we saw a huge variety of vegetables, fruits, and staples of rice, grains, and flour being sold. Saturday just happened to be their biggest shopping day, so the market was very crowded. And it seemed to us that most of the vendors and their customers were of Indian descent. When we passed the fish section , many of the people proudly held up their catch for picture-taking.

 

We continued on to the banks of the large Rewa River, and boarded several small boats. They were not really water taxis, but more like canoes and longboats with outboard motors. It was a miracle that we all got into these boats without taking a spill in the murky waters. As we got into the boats, Fijian ladies put beautiful garlands around our necks. We figured the colorful flowers would help locate us if the boat capsized!! There were no lifejackets to be seen.

 

We had a 20 minute ride to reach the Vutia Village on an isolated island across from the mainland. We were treated to a traditional welcoming ceremony by the villagers. The elderly chief led us down a concrete walkway to their meeting house. Fijian warriors and their families performed their preparation of Kava, a potent drink made from the roots of the pepper tree. It looked like a muddy, milky, unappealing drink, but some brave souls in our group did try it. Later on, they said it tasted awful, and left their lips and tongues numb. Glad we stayed outside filming the ceremony, because to refuse to drink the Kava would have been considered an insult.

 

As we exited the meeting house, we were handed a coconut filled with coconut milk. It's not sweet like you would expect, but almost salty and refreshing.

 

The chief offered to take us on a walk to their schoolhouse. The narrow trail took us past crops of taro root, bananas, coconuts, and rice. It was so hot and humid, that it felt as if the ground was steaming under our feet. There was barely a breeze. The schoolhouse was located under several large trees. We happened to be lucky and got to meet the school teacher, who lived nearby. He explained the type of life the villagers lead in this remote area. There were no cars or roads, but they did have boats, electricity, and a supply of fresh water. And that was about all. Compared to the city, this village was as primitive as it gets. Despite it all, they seemed happy and proud as they sang a farewell song as we left.

 

Well, back in the boats, we headed back to Nausori and the waiting buses. We learned something important today. If you don't want to get thoroughly soaked, don't ride in the front of the canoe! The faster we went, the wetter we got. Lucia, our host, got the wettest, since she was riding point! Oh well, it was so hot that it felt good.

 

On the way back to the ship, our guide pointed out the nicer residential neighborhoods of Suva, and the Government House with guards at the gate. The traffic was at a standstill the closer we got to the ship. After such a vigorating tour, we were happy to be back to the Amsterdam.

 

By the way, parked in front of us was P&O's ship, the Oriana. She is also on a world cruise that started in Southampton, England. After lunch, we had a short time to take a walk to see the other ship, and talk to some of her passengers. Most of them were British, and were glad to share cruise news with us. We had run out of time to shop for souveniers. Since we had been here two years ago, we already had some treasures from Fiji. But the one thing we were missing was the replica of the cannibal fork! However, we thought that was one item we could do without!

 

We left the harbor around 4 pm with a complimentary wine and cheese sailaway on the promenade deck. Funny how FREE brought out the people to this deck! They were packed like sardines trying to get their wineglasses filled as the waiters passed by. We got to see the Fijian police band parade up and down the pier, dressed in their native skirts, marching to the sound of the music and the drums.

 

We weren't more than a mile away when the skies opened up and it poured. Perfect timing, we'd say!

 

Presents tonight............two framed Delft tiles with the first segment, Ft. Lauderdale to Sydney, printed on them.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Aussie Gal]

Bill and Mary Ann,

 

At last you are in our part of the world. Welcome to the South Pacific! I am enjoying your daily digests and hope that some day in the not too distant future we may be able to do a segment of a World Cruise. I really do not think we could go the whole way, 105 days is a long time but half of that would be fine.

 

Jennie

[sfocruiser]

Bill and Mary Ann

 

We are enjoying traveling the world with you.

 

Thanks for the excellent posts!

[DFD1]

B & MA.....Good to hear from you again. I hope you know how much we are enjoying your postings. Thanks so much.

[earl_m]

Thank you for giving us daily reports of your cruise, I would take a world cruise

tomorrow if I could afford it.

[WCB]

Report # 22 2-11-07 Sunday Day at Sea

 

The Grand Show Buffet was displayed in the La Fountaine Dining Room today at 11:30 am. The centerpiece of the event was a huge (styrofoam) Easter Island moai, from the floor to the ceiling. Excellent likeness! Surrounding him were tables full of fancy appetizers, decorative breads, assorted meats, and tempting desserts. Ice sculptures were placed among the trays of food, as well as white and dark chocolate creations of castles, boats, and the Eiffel Tower. Not as many people were there to take pictures as we expected. These well-traveled passengers have "been there and done that" numerous times, we suspect. However, we are sure that by 1:30 pm, all the food was consumed, and then some!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Wansbrough]

Hello Bill & Mary Anne

Just popped by to say hello following a tip from fellow cruisers Paul & Maria Bradley. I hope you are enjoying it as much as they are and be sure to say hello to them from Nicole + Mike.

[WCB]

The Amsterdam arrived to the Baie de la Moselle in Noumea, New Caledonia early this sunny, but cooler morning. We enjoyed the fresh breeze for a change, while we watched the approach to the cruise ship terminal from our balcony.

 

A French territory since 1854, this beautiful island was first used as a penal colony, then the source of nickel and gold mining later on. During World War 2, US military headquarters were situated here, and eventually became the South Pacific Commission, a regional intergovernmental development organization.

 

Today New Caledonia houses indigenous tribes called Kanaks. Other citizen come from France, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu. One third of the population of over 500,000 is under 15 years old.

 

Noumea seems to offer it all..........chic boutiques, restaurants, nightclubs, casinos, parks and gardens. For the sports lovers, there are gorgeous beaches, tropical little islets, kayaking, diving, and windsurfing. It was told to us that these warm waters have some of the most dangerous and deadly creatures one should avoid. A few are the coneshell, rockfish, sea snakes, and of course, a large variety of vicious sharks. Guess you won't find us snorkeling today!

 

Since we booked an afternoon tour, we decided to walk around the nearby pier area. Leaving the ship, we passed the late-arriving welcome band and singers, then went through a newly constructed terminal building. Many vendors displayed their wares for us to buy, which was nice if you didn't want to venture into town. By 11 am, the day had heated up more than we wanted. However, we found out that it had rained buckets the day before, so we guess we got lucky today.

 

We continued up the street to the Place des Cocotiers, a local meeting square lined with huge red flame trees. Surrounding this park were hundreds of souvenier stores, some willing to accept US dollars, and some not. Bill found his perfect T-shirt, and I purchased a piece of island jewelry. We had spotted a neat bamboo vase in a handicraft store, but the owner would only take French francs. So we headed back to the local market/department store, Casino Marche, and bought a small item, and got French frans for change. That was much easier than trying to exchange at the busy banks. Even the ATM machines had long lines. We bought the vase, then headed back to the ship to get ready for our tour.

 

We took a 2 1/2 hour scenic drive of the city's landmarks, bays, and beaches. At the first lookout point, we could see several yacht harbors, bays, and offshore islands, as well as churches and a few colonial buildings. Due to monsoon rains and hurricane winds, our guide said that just a handful of original structures have remained intact. Infestation of island termites also have contributed to their demise. All new buildings are now made of concrete and stone.

 

Our guide gave us some basic information while on our ride. He explained the differences between the South Pacific Islands. "Nesia" means islands, and Polynesia means islands of many races. Micronesia means many small islands, while Melanesia means islands of darker-skinned people. Indonesia means islands between the Pacific and Indian Oceans. See, we're never to old to learn something new!!

 

We drove south to the gorgeous Le Meridien Hotel and Beach Resort on the Anse Vata Bay. After walking through the lobby, we followed a tree and stream-lined path to the landscaped pool area and bar. The pool and beach were "to die for"! On an upper terrace, a small group of Japanese people were celebrating a wedding. The blushing bride thanked all of us as we marched by and wished them good luck.

 

Our next stop was at a small intimate restaurant, the Le Millesime, near the Baie des Citrons. Here we were offered red and white French wines, assorted creamy cheeses, and delicious crusty French bread. Very civilized! Our guide made a comment while we were at the restaurant that was funny. He asked if we knew how to describe French cuisine? Little plate = big bill !

 

The last leg of the drive took us to Ouen Toro Lookout with a World War 2 memorial cannon at the top. There were fantastic views of the lagoon and outer islands. We headed back to the ship via the coastline, passing restaurants, beaches, nightclubs, hotels, and the older city. One fellow passenger teased us by saying he had taken all the pictures, and there were none left, so we could get back on the bus!

 

The Amsterdam pulled away from the pier by 6 pm, with the music and dancing Kanak performers singing farewell.

 

Au revoir, New Caledonia, a beautiful island to visit, in our humble opinion!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Margie_Lady]

The Amsterdam is looking beautiful by the Sydney Opera House on a lovely, sunny Australian morning. Here is the link to the webcam:

 

http://www.teleobjektiv.com/WebCam/australia-sidney2.htm

 

We're looking forward to joining in the last 3 days of the world cruise (New York to Fort Lauderdale), although we will be continueing on to Vancouver as the Amsterdam repositions for the summer. Will this qualify us as mini-world cruisers?

[DFD1]

Margie Lady, Thank you for those links. Great pictures, especially the harbor web cam.

[WCB]

Report # 24 2-13-07 Tuesday Day at Sea

 

Today was busy with an early morning 5K walk for cancer called "On Deck for the Cure". We saw this for the first time last summer on the Maasdam, so it must be on all the HAL ships. A fair amount of people participated, and those who did not were welcomed to donate anyway. The captain usually leads the pack, but we only saw Appolonia in the front. Come to think of it, we have not seen the captain around the ship at all. We heard a rumor that he has been having trouble with a pinched nerve in his neck, so he has laid low.

 

Later in the day, the Shipbuilding Sea Trials took place at the Lido Pool. We are proud to announce that our friends, Gloria and Ken Moon were the winners with their perfect ship named the "Dumpsterdam"!! We could tell that a lot of prior planning went into the construction, as well as Gloria's artistic touches. Congratulations guys!!

 

Guest speakers Clint van Zandt and oceanographer Denny Whitford continued their series of interesting lectures. They have been the best so far, better than we can remember.

 

The Dam Dollar redemption took place on the atrium deck late in the afternoon. We're trying to figure out how some of these little elderly ladies had at least 100 dollars to spend??? We have earned $48 between the two of us, and it will only be enough for a T shirt. And we've been told that the extras will not hold over into the next segment. There may be a war over this rule....

 

On a sad note, we have had two deaths onboard the ship. With ambulances waiting, they debarked the people and their spouses in Tahiti and one in Samoa. Five others were so ill or injured, that they had to leave the ship and go home. And it is for this reason that it was wise to purchase trip insurance prior to sailing. The policy can be costly, but so is the price of losing the rest of the voyage, not to mention the associated medical costs (Medicare does not cover out of the country expenses). Anyway, life carries on, the good and the not so good, no matter where we ar,. at home or on vacation. There's no escaping it!

 

All through the day, we experienced rough seas, some rain, and high winds (force 6) on our way to Australia. It has been said that this area of the Coral Sea is usually turbulent. We agree!

 

Report # 25 2-14-07 Wednesday Valentine's Day (Day at Sea)

 

Happy Valentine's Day to all! Last night we were given two beautifully wrapped boxes of Leonidas chocolates for the occasion. And to add to that, CSI also delivered a one pound box of yummy See's candy. Are we sweet now, or what????

 

With the end of segent one coming soon, the last bingo was today. The final snowball jackpot was over $3000, and we heard that two people won it. Lucky them!

 

A kitchen tour was given in the morning, but we missed it. And a special concert with all the ship's bands was performed in the afternoon called "Bouquet of Love Songs".

 

Then out of the blue, the captain announced that an emergency pickup would be conducted with a helicopter lift of a critical patient onboard. The first flight over the ship, a few paramedics were lowered onto the bow of the ship. The copter took off, and we learned later that they were concerned about running low on fuel. About a hour later, they came back, lifted the patient and the medics, then took off to shore, somewhere near Sydney. It caused quite a commotion on the ship, since loads of people went running for their cameras to take pictures. Hope we do not see this again. It's happening too often!

 

The highlight of our day was an exclusive invitation to a private Valentine's Day party given by two sisters, Zelma and Delhis, longtime travelers of the Holland America Lines. We had met them on the 2005 world cruise, along with their dear friends Ellen and Frank. Sadly, Frank passed away suddenly last year, but his memory is still with us all.

 

Around 300 of us gathered in the festively decorated Crow's Nest at 6:30 pm. Awaiting us were cocktails of our choice, special hors d'oeuvres, a heart-shaped ice sculture, and the band serenading us. All the officers were there, as well as many fellow CSIers, and the "suite people" we have yet to see this last month. With everyone formally dressed, it was a nice affair to behold. And we are sure that it cost a "pretty penny" to host such a huge party. It was agreed by all that it was a huge success.

 

The dining room was brightly decorated in red and white streamers, hanging foil hearts, and red balloons everywhere we looked. What fun! Later in the evening, the Valentine's Day Ball took place in the Queen's Lounge. We didn't attend since tomorrow's port is Sydney, and we need some rest to tackle that city!

 

Until later,

 

Bill and Mary Ann

[LizB1]

Bill and Mary Ann...am really enjoying all your posts while aboard this World Cruise as it is bringing back so many wonderful memories of our 2001 WC which had a very similar itinerary.

 

Also enjoyed reading about the Valentine's Party that Zelma & Delhis gave -- it was a St. Patrick's Day Party when we sailed, and our dear friend Frank was part of that fun. We will miss Frank as he always sent a note or card to us while he was on the WC.

 

Have fun and enjoy the rest of this WC...I know you will.

 

My best to Lynn and Buddy (ship's dentist and his wife) when you see them. I love getting their e-mails from the Amsterdam!

 

Liz

[RuthC]

On a sad note, we have had two deaths onboard the ship.

Yes, that is sad---especially so for their travelling companions. But as I think about it I realize there are worse ways to leave this world.

 

CSI also delivered a one pound box of yummy See's candy.

Oooo! Those are soooo good! bepsf gave me some on our recent Noordam adventure. Now I know that if I book the GWV through your travel agency I can get more. :) Works for me---thanks for the info. ;)

[fb0075]

Hi,

CSI ? what is the name of this agency--

THANKS

[RuthC]

Hi,

CSI ? what is the name of this agency--

THANKS

We're not allowed to mention agencies by name on this board.

Sorry.

[Aussie Gal]

fbOO75,

 

I "Googled" Seattle for various Cruise Agencies and came up with the result. It is not hard to find.

 

Jennie

[WCB]

Report # 26 2-15-07 Thursday Sydney, Australia

 

The Amsterdam entered the famous harbour of Sydney, Australia, very early this morning. Even though this will be our fifth trip to this huge city, we thoroughly enjoyed the sail in. Over 4.2 million people live in this metropolitan area, and many of those commute over the well-known Sydney Harbour Bridge. Another popular means of transportation is by ferry at Circular Quay.

 

Before any of us were allowed to debark, we had to go to the custom's check. Entry and exit forms were given to us last night to fill out, then we lined up by our deck number to pick up our passports. In the Queen's Lounge, we were seated in groups, then released to go to the immigrations officials, who stamped our books. Once completed for the entire population of the ship, we were free to go onshore.

 

As we came off the ship, we loved seeing the many ferries, boats, and water taxis zooming back and forth alongside the ship. Looks like it will be a busy day as usual in Sydney.

 

There are so many excursions to be taken in and around Sydney, and we think we have done most of them. So we just took a long walk off the ship to buy a phone card, and check with family at home. We were successful in reaching everyone, despite the 19 hour time difference. All was well, thank goodness. The rest of our afternoon was spent supply shopping and picture-taking. One of the historic places we visited was the Queen Victoria Building, five levels of uptown boutiques, food, art, jewelry, and antiques. A practical store we shopped at was Woolworths. We needed a big clock to hang on our wall, and the new sticky hooks we brought from home worked well for hanging it. While we were browsing, we noticed the Veggiemite, which looked like a pasty glue, and sultanas, which appeared to be raisins. Our Aussie tablemate, Greg, promised to bring some to the table tomorrow night for us to try. The clerk at the store knew where we were from by our accents. Accents from California??? Yes, she said she could spot us a mile away!!

 

At 6:45 pm, we met with our CSI group for an evening at the Summit Restaurant. Thirty of us boarded the bus for a 10 minute ride up George Street. The restaurant was located on the 47th floor of the Australia Square Building. In the square were dozens of partying business men and women, chilling out after a day of work. We noticed that Sydney has a large population of young people.

 

The slowly rotating restaurant completed a 360 degree circle in one hour and 45 minutes. What a stunning view it was to see, especially when the sun went down. We could see Sydney Harbour with the Amsterdam parked there, coastal beaches, the Harbour Bridge, Darling Harbour, and the Blue Mountains in the distance. We accompanied Shirley, our "young" senior tablemate, who decided to sit next to the window. At first, she was disappointed because she was looking at a mirrored column. Then a minute later, the column was gone, and we realized that the floor was moving about 3 feet a minute. Then she decided to put her pashmina on the rail in front of the window. A few minutes later, her shawl was three feet away near the next table!! We got a big laugh at that one, and so did Shirley.

 

The menu included a choice of lobster soup or salmon tartar, steak or barramundi fish, rolls and butter, and dessert of Creme brulee or chocolate cake. Two glasses of wine were included as well as tea or coffee. Service was quite slow, but that was probably deliberate so we could enjoy the view. The only problem we encountered was the poor accoustics in the restaurant. It was very difficult to hear each other talk. The restaurant could hold up to 375 diners, and it appeared that it was mostly full .

 

The dinner lasted almost three hours, and we were back to the ship by 10 pm. Lovely evening!

 

More to come tomorrow................

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Aussie Gal]

Bill and Mary Ann,

 

You are going to be in for a special surprise tomorrow night when you taste our delicious Vegemite. I doubt if there are any homes in Australia without that wonderful spread. I believe that to the uninitiated it tastes dreadful, but as we have all been brought up on it since babies we all think it delicious and it is our National Panacea for whenever we are ill, the first thing we will eat when starting to feel better is some toast with vegemite spread on it.

 

Sultanas are small grapes which have been dried whereas raisins are the bigger dried grapes. We do use sultanas more than raisins and our lovely bread and butter pudding always has sultanas throughout. It is also used extensively in fruit cakes etc. We even have Sultana Bran by Kellogs.

 

Jennie

[kryos]

Yes, that is sad---especially so for their travelling companions. But as I think about it I realize there are worse ways to leave this world.

Yes, that is precisely it. It's a great way to go for the victim, but terrible for those they are traveling with. We had just this sort of thing happen last January on the Amsterdam. A cabin right across the hall from mine was occupied by an elderly woman, her husband and her adult son. The husband was very frail and was confined to a wheelchair. On one of the first sea days on the way back to San Diego from the South Pacific, we heard a "Bright Star" announcement at around 11:00 p.m. It was to their cabin. Later we found out that it was the husband, some sort of cardiac failure, and they were unable to revive him. I felt so sorry for the wife as I would see her walking around the ship, being gently led by her son. I could only imagine what turmoil she was going through knowing everything she would have to deal with once we made port in San Diego.

 

So, yes ... I only hope to be lucky enough to go while onboard a luxury cruise ship, my favorite place to be. But I only hope that I am sailing solo on that voyage, and die old enough so as not to leave too many loved ones behind.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[RuthC]

I could only imagine what turmoil she was going through

With all due respect, unless you've "been there, done that" you can't begin to imagine what it's like.

I wouldn't wish it on my worst ememy.

[wander]

Re: Dam Dollars

 

I do not know how they will work it on the WC, but I have been on five "cruises" since the program went into effect, two of which were actually segments of a longer cruise. The Dam Dollars from the earlier cruises were usable on each subsequent cruise. Maybe things have changed, don't know. I do know that some folks on the fourth (of the five) cruise were specifically saving their dollars for use on the WC. Maybe those are the ladies you saw, or maybe the Dam Dollars have changed.

 

I certainly have been enjoying your travelogue.