Durango Sandy

Can’t wait to see it. Still waiting for the “right” Pole 2 Pole segment. Doing N, Stat. Athens to FFL this fall. Yarn for shawl ready for veranda time. Thanks for shoutout! Enjoy cruise and Take Care! Hugs, Sandy

Kathi, so glad you are on a Dam ship again! Continue to enjoy your voyage! Love your reporting. Are you knitting any on the veranda? Cheers, Sandy

Thanks for the reporting, Pete.

Roy, I agree. We were fortunate to be on Veendam in 2015/16? and Amsterdam 2020 sail by’s and Viking Expedition Octantis in 2023. We were early in the 2023 season, also went to South Georgia Island ( a “must” for us if doing a boots on the ground expedition). If I had one choice only, one time only, would do sail by. For us on the Veendam, standing on the veranda, snowing on us, Antarctica touched us! Hope to do another sail by someday.

Kathi, Thanks for the good news update. I know we talked about Pole to Pole while on Grand Africa 2022. We may do last half, if segments are offered. Hope to see you there! The baby blanket where you kindly helped me correct my knitting, was well received. Granddaughter almost one! Enjoy the Caribbean, especially the veranda! How many beautiful shawls will you bring? Take care! Sandy

See post #177 on HAL roll call Volendam Pole to Pole!

I had a Christmas stocking on our door to help my 90 year old Mother find the cabin on our last cruise together. Our neighbor thanked me for having it on the door….he said it helped him often find his cabin after too much Christmas “cheer”.

Thank you for your reply and effort. What you are providing is wonderful. Appreciate whatever you can do, foremost enjoy yourself!

Thanks, Writer on Deck. I do have it. Just thought when pictures posted to try to mention approximate location of pictures. No worries. Love your blog also. Continued great voyage to all. Cheers.

Where are you map wise? We are on Viking Octantis now, left South Georgia yesterday, Antarctica tomorrow. Would be fun to track each other… we are five star on HAL, our usual line! Thanks, Sandy

See post #58, re: items added back into Grands now that for the most part were missing from Grand Africa 22 and World 23. We have 700+ HAL sea days mostly on Grands, since 2014. Experiences have declined some over time, not unexpectedly or too uncomfortably, except on Grand Africa 23, where even considering Covid “pause”, it rather nosedived. To me the worst was no printed port guides after two ports…in Africa, where many people have never visited. Fortunately, we had been to many of the ports and had other research, but many, many hadn’t and didn’t. I think printed port guides have been reinstated. Is this correct current cruisers? Also, we had no guest speakers for the first 7/8 sea days of the cruise. There were other issues, but I think above info and what WriterOnDeck provided will suffice.

Nice gifts. Looks like HAL is trying to make up for the not so Grand Africa 2022 and World 2023. We were on the Africa. A step in the right direction! Have a great cruise. Look forward to your reports.

Thank you , Quartzsite Cruiser, I lurk all the time. Don’t post much on CC, as you can tell. I do care about you all. We have around 700 sea days with HAL, mostly Grands. Been married to my boyfriend for 49+ years. Did want to post yesterday re: car names. The color of my Jeep wrangler is called Bikini, I named it Speedo. Cheers, Sandy

Durangoscots, Susan, Albertsons has the new Covid vaccination in Durango. We got it Friday with no appointment. Sandy

Yep, 6102. Old accountant here, transposition error. Thanks!

Had a single friend in 6120 on an Amsterdam World cruise. She didn’t really care for it, even with spilt beds was weird layout, not much closet space. She would never book it again and could not imagine for a couple. It is easy to get out to the deck six balcony. We have done it from a way aft deck six cabin on same cruise, great view and worth any walk.

Pete, any mention of prepaid gratuities in 2025 enhanced early booking benefits? Which one are you and Judy going to do? Thanks for the live reporting! Sandy

On GA 2022, there was one couple on many HAL tours with us that would go early and take two window seats, pretending out to know each other. There were others who did this also. Made it hard for couples to find seats together, etc Eventually, Shorex announced not to do this while we waited to be called for our tours. Did announcement help…..nope.

Nice improvements for guide and pier. Thanks, Pete. Please say hi to Susan. Enjoying your posts. Cheers, 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

They were on all 71 days of 2022 Grand Africa on Zaandam. Not sure if anything was sold.

I will only say, even giving consideration that this was the first post-Covid Grand, the 2022 Grand Africa ship experience was no where near what a Grand should be. The vast majority of my approximate 700 sea days have been on Grands. We had done Alaska cruises in 2021 and 2022, which were fine. Pete, sorry about the hijack.

Pete, had lots of movies at night on “Grand” Africa. One of many disappointments. Please say hi to Susan for me. Sandy

Kathi, great looking vehicle. I would have gotten blue also, probably Judy too. We all want blue! Hope the cane will still help on those better days. Happy holidays and travels. Looking forward to your reports. Sandy

I am on this cruise. After the change, I did brief investigation. Seychelles has not allowed ships with over 700/800/900 passengers all year. Don’t know when HAL “knew” this. Sorry to miss it, but have been there several times before.