Prinsendam 2005 World Tour... it has begun

[Ziggy7]

One pax must be 50, their spouse/partner can be 40.

Stan must be robbing the cradle then hehehehee :)

[elmorejj]

Hello Grumpy and Slinkie, well I have been in the UK for a month and have just returned a few days ago. I couldn`t wait to catch up with your postings from the Prinsendam. I have spent an enjoyable morning reading all of your postings and look forward to reading the rest. Continue to have a wonderful time, I really envy you................jean :cool:

[Cuttle]

Just been watching our evening news and note Prince Charles was in Fremantle (Perth) March 1, the same day as the Prinsendam was scheduled to dock. I hope Grumpy and Slinkie, you weren't delayed on any tours or whatever you planned to do there. Maybe you were able to shake hands with royalty! :rolleyes:

 

There is a thread going on on the Board about how many shoes people take on a cruise. Good question. I know I have cut down my total as much as possible (for a max 21 day cruise) but how many would someone take on a world cruise?????

 

Take care. Looking forward to your next post.

[sjs79]

Grumpy and Slinkie-

 

Glad to hear everything is going so well. I'm anxious to hear all about Perth and what all you did while there. It is so wonderful to hear about all of your adventures.

 

My sister Elizabeth wrote and told me that you were on the same train together in Adelaide, though she called you by your real names, which confused me for a little while:) ... It does seem like those ACD's are following you around!!! Just ask Elizabeth about the monkeys and twix bars in Gibraltar and she might leave you alone!!!

 

Can't wait for your next post! Once again, thanks for the wonderful reports of the cruise. I truly enjoy reading them!

 

V702-- Glad to see you are on this thread too! Elizabeth says she gets emails from you! Hope all is well with you... Maybe we'll all take another cruise together some time?! Oh, by the way, Fat Baby is getting skinny!!:)

[Grumpy1]

Prinsendam 2005, March 1, Day 47

 

Stardate 4728 (whatever) Our Mission: To boldly go where no HAL ship has ever gone before... to explore new worlds... etc... Well, the Prinsendam has done just that. Her port call at Albany, AU, was a first for Holland America. Even the well-travelled guru of port information, Frank Buckingham, admits that he had never been there and really didn't have too much to say about the city. Well folks, in the opinion of Slinkie and Grumpy, the Aussies have been hiding a very nice little city from the rest of the world. There has only been one other cruise ship in port this year before the Prinsendam and there are only 4 more scheduled for the remainder of the year. Hardly a bustling tourist mecca, but a very friendly town, a good selection of shopping and several nice parks and museums, Albany (that's Al-bany, not All-bany, thank you) was a pleasant surprise. Albany is an old whaling town but is now a commercial port since the end of whaling in the late '70's. There was one other ship in port which appeared to be taking on a cargo of grain from the storage silos by the wharf. Slinkie and Grumpy did not go on one of the organized tours, but spent four hours exploring on foot after taking the shuttle from the ship to the center of town. Since winter is rapidly approaching the area, the shops are running their clearance sales on summer clothing. There were a lot of passengers, along with our beloved Slinkie, that couldn't pass up an opportunity to add a few items to their wardrobes... Even Grumpy bought a couple of shirts... but the most popular purchase seemed to be ....CocaCola!.. There was a grocery store right next to the shuttle stop and they had 30 can cartons of Coke for about $16AUD. Seems that there were more than just Grumpy that figured 40 cents a can US was a lot better than $1.75 plus 15% mini bar charge. There were at least a dozen people on one shuttle lugging their cartons back to the ship.

 

On the ride back to the ship on the shuttle, Slinkie overheard one passenger tell another that he had hoped to meet the occupants of cabin 35 at some point. Slinkie said "There not there right now, we're on the bus." Thus Slinkie and Grumpy became acquainted with Jack and Lynn who had read the thread before boarding in Los Angeles. They were among the multitude of lurkers that don't post but keep pushing the number of views up. It was nice to chat with them.

 

The stay in Albany was short, 7a to 2p. Aussie Gal had recommended the treetop walk, but that wasn't offered as one of the tours available, perhaps because of the short time available. Another item for Slinkie and Grumpy's list of things to do next time... and they certainly do want to come back again... The sailaway was different... Wine and cheese party! There was a grill set up on Lido where small sausages being grilled, a large assortment of cheeses were offered, and all of the Austrailian wine that was left on board was eagerly consumed by the Prinsendam wine afficiondos. Nice party!

 

Grumpy and Slinkie join with all of the others on the board in wishing Stephen and Ruth a Bon Voyage for their cruise on the Saga Rose and wish to thank Stephen for his contributions to the thread for the past week or so. Stephen was a little ahead when he posted that Slinkie and Grumpy were probably on their way to Fremantle (Perth) and too busy to read CC. They were still enroute to Albany across the Great Australian Bight at the time... never too busy to read CC, but sometimes a little slow about posting.

 

Kiwi Kruzer, the Indian Pacific Great Rail Journey sold out. there must have been limited space available, as someone told Slinkie and Grumpy that they saw 16 couples leave the ship for that overland tour in Adelaide. They will be rejoining the cruise in Perth.

 

Grumpy tried to get this on the net before docking in Perth, but the internet refused to cooperate, so might as well continue on...

 

Prinsendam 2005, March 2, day 48

 

After leaving Albany, the Prinsendam set sail for Fremantle/Perth. The distance from Albany to Perth is about 200 miles, but since the Prinsendam is equipped with neither wings nor wheels, she had to take the more than 300 mile route around the southwest bulge of land. That stretch of water included some of the roughest yet. The ship was rolling side to side and pitching for and aft. There were times that the bow would ride high on a swell and slam down hard on the trough. There were a few kitchen carts that tipped over, but the dining room staff seem to have gotten their sea legs and there weren't any major disasters. In the Lido things were getting so rough that all of the orchid pots were removed from the tables and placed in a tub in a corner. Temperatures outside weren't very warm either... OK, there are some of you that would consider 61F to be a heat wave about now... but Slinkie says that's about 2 degrees above freezing.

 

By the time the Prinsendam turned back to the east to enter the harbor at Fremantle, things had calmed down and started to warm up. The harbor is about a mile and a half long line of wharfs on both sides of the Swan River. One side is all cargo and the other is mixed use with cargo areas, ferry docks and the passenger terminal. As the Prinsendam came into the harbor, Slinkie looked out and saw a sea of purple dresses and red hats at the end of the wharf. The Redhatters were out in force and all waving. Slinkie grabbed her red feather boa... doesn't everyone take a red feather boa with them on a world cruise?... and started waving it from the verandah. The Redhatters on the pier spotted it and really started whooping and hollering... Quite a welcome... Slinkie knew that there is one Redhatter onboard that has been corresponding with chapters in all of the Australian ports of call and was meeting with the local chapter. By the time the Prinsendam had turned around in the harbor and docked, debarking passengers had to make their way past security, a photo op with a Koala, the usual assortment of jewelry and souvenir peddlers and a mass of redhatters to make their way to the tour buses.

 

After all of this time at sea, you might think that another boat would be the last thing Slinkie and Grumpy would want to be on... but they opted to go up the pier to the ferry dock and take a Captain Cook lunch cruise up the Swan river to Perth... Even saw the swan swimming in the river... Just one... after all it is "the swan" river, not Swans river... The captain pointed out the 54 million dollar estate and all of the other expensive real estate along the river... Said there was one on the market for 28 million... didn't get the name of the realtor so Grumpy won't be buying a new home there... The boat docked at the wharf and it was just a few steps to the bus stop for the free loop buses, which run every 7 minutes. Slinkie and Grumpy hopped on one and in no time were at the edge of the malls and arcades... They prowled around for a couple of hours in that area, bought... yes, you knew Slinkie would buy something, didn't you... ice cream cones! That's it, no baubles, bangles and beads... wandered over a block to the train station, paid $3AUD apiece and took the train right back to the pier in Fremantle. Grumpy and Slinkie are impressed with the public transportation systems in Australia. With fuel running close to $4US per gallon, being able to use a public system that goes where the people want to go and on a frequent schedule is really nice. Grumpy used public transportation in Cleveland, OH in the early 60's. It was never great to start with and has steadily gotten worse. With a population of a few million in the area there are a lot of cultural attractions. Zoos, Aquarium, Maritime Museum, Art Museum and National parks are just a few of the attractions that are in the area. There is a free 125 page guide at the tourist info stands that has all of the information needed... maps, phone numbers, transportation info, attractions and self guided walking tours of both cities. It's a "must have" if you're wanting to explore on your own.

 

The theme on the ship tonight is Speakeasy. Slinkie has her Flapper outfit, complete with feathered headband and boa ready to go. Grumpy has his zoot suit, but forgot his white spats and machine gun... oh, well... No, they aren't clothes that were still in their closet from "those days"... It should be a fun night!

 

Blackbird71, the safe measures 12"h x 14"w x 8.5"d. It's not real roomy, but OK. There are also two lockable drawers with 7 pin tumbler locks in the desk that measure 4" by 13 .5" by 17". They are big enough for laptops, scanner, GPS, camera, and all of the goodies that Grumpy can't get along without. Between those and the safe evrything that needs to be secured can be.

 

Time to see if the internet is working...

 

Grumpy and slinkie

 

[Aussie Gal]

Grumpy and Slinkie,

 

Glad you enjoyed Perth and its wonderful river. We have done your trip in reverse, leaving on the cruise up the river and catching the train back to Perth. It is a lovely city. I presume you did not get to see their wonderful beaches, probably the best in Australia.

 

I am also pleased that you enjoyed Albany and hope it wasn't too windy. I too have done the trip across the Bight - when I was a teenager - and I remember it to be quite rough. Mind you, stabilizers weren't heard of in those days.

 

I presume you are now on your way to Bali. The most beautiful island of all. Please try to do a tour of the countryside if you can so that you can see some of the beauty of the island and see how the Balinese live away from the cities. They are such a gentle race of people and have been hurt since the Bali Bombing with very little tourism though it is coming back slowly.

 

Jennie

[blackbird71]

Seems that there were more than just Grumpy that figured 40 cents a can US was a lot better than $1.75 plus 15% mini bar charge. There were at least a dozen people on one shuttle lugging their cartons back to the ship.

 

Yipes $2.01 per can of Coke... (Note to self, after winning Lotto :p, plan on taking 4 cases of Diet Coke on WC). I just got off Radisson's Mariner and they provide cokes and water for free in you room ref. BUT more important I now remember my trip on the Veendam where once a daily somebody showed up to check the ref and add/bill me for things. I do not miss that from HAL and others. Carmen and Jose were the only people that came into my cabin and I thought nothing about leaving out my laptop my whole cruise.

 

 

Blackbird71, the safe measures 12"h x 14"w x 8.5"d. It's not real roomy, but OK. There are also two lockable drawers with 7 pin tumbler locks in the desk that measure 4" by 13 .5" by 17". They are big enough for laptops, scanner, GPS, camera, and all of the goodies that Grumpy can't get along without. Between those and the safe evrything that needs to be secured can be.

 

 

Thanks for the info, still Blackbird71 is thinking Grumpy1 may need a walkin safe after Hong Kong. :eek::eek:

[johnsfo]

Hi Grumpy & Slinkie--How much use are you getting out of your GPS? Are there any pros and cons you wish to share? I am considering buying one for my cruise to Alaska this year. Does the screen give you the names of large/medium/small size islands? Like all the others, I am truly enjoying your WC and thank you so much for allowing us to come along.

[localady]

Grumpy and Slinkie-

Sounds like you all got a wild ride coming into Fremantle:eek: , I think you both have more than earned your sea legs to date!! It sounds like you both are having soooo much fun, this is truly the voyage of a lifetime for you both!:D

You've convinced me that we too might consider a World Cruise after my teens are older and on there own!

Continued blue skies and CALM seas to you all!:cool:

[blackbird71]

Helppppp... OK Blackbird71 is just a dumb male... What are Redhatters?? Women with Red Hair or what...... :confused:

[Cuttle]

Blackbird71

 

Look at http://www.redhatsociety.com

[Williebill]

As I read about your adventure around the bight, all I can think of is how hard of a time my DW had with the rough seas we encountered when we were with you; I guess she would have had to stay in bed on your latest adventure!!:) :)

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Thank you the information on the Indian Pacific Rail trip.

 

It looks as if it was in vain though,as I have just had word from my friend on board that they enjoyed the first 2 days to Ayers Rock,but the plane returning them to Adelaide was 3 hours late and the train left without them.They were flown over to Perth to wait for the ship to come in.

What a terrible dissapointment for them.

 

All the best for Bali.

 

The first time I saw your ship was in 1998.I was on board P&O's ,then, Arcadia and as we arrived to anchor in Padang Bay, there was the Royal Viking Sun,now Princendam, anchored in the bay .

She looked magnificent .

[Skilla6]

Oh man, Grumpy! I am feeling guilty about being a "lurker". I have faithfully followed your journey the whole way and have shared stories with my DH as well as my elderly parents. My folks have been faithful HAL cruisers for years and have awards mounted in their rec room for many miles cruised. They no longer can travel but they love hearing about your adventures. Thanks so much.

 

As for me... I teach 3rd grade and just finished reading "Trumpet of the Swans" to my class. It was fun to hear about the swans and I will share that with my students. Someday I hope to make a world cruise like yours. I have 2 HAL cruises under my belt and am dreaming of many more. Thanks so much for making a dreary winter more bright. I wish you both a fabulous remainer to your cruise and I will continue to be a "lurker";) .

 

PS You guys should write a book!

[mrssbi]

You are having a wonderful time and I'm enjoying your posts so much. Wow, you got away easy only having to purchase ice cream cones - just saving up for Bali and Hong Kong?????? Have Slinky give Johnny I a hug from Mommy I - continue to have fun and continue to post these wonderful travelogues.

[NitaBcruising]

Again, very well written! I can almost picture your journey! Thanks again for sharing all this with us! And enjoy Bali! :)

[Grumpy1]

Prinsendam 2005, March 3, Day 49

 

Well, Grumpy and Slinkie survived a wild night on the town prowling around the speakeasies and other gin joints... Lots of crazy people out there... even saw a man that danced with his wife... wait a minute, that's another song... After getting decked out in their finest roaring 20's outfits, the duo headed off first to the Crow's Nest... not too much going on there, but got a good picture of Slinkie with Randall, the piano man. Down to dinner... delicious surf and turf... and then to the Ocean Bar for drinks, dancing and lots of merriment. There weren't too many that had good period outfits, some made an attempt, others didn't do anything different, but everyone had a good time.

 

The captain's wife and daughter are now back on board, but that didn't stop Slinkie from snagging him for a dance. A little later, Slinkie danced with CD Gary while Grumpy tripped the light fantastic with Social Hostess Sheri. Of course Grumpy enjoyed his dances with his Slinkie Girl most of all... One of their tablemates is a pretty good swing dancer and he and Slinkie tore up the dance floor pretty good. Grumpy got a few pictures, including one of Dolly with CD Gary.

 

The Prinsendam is now just at the northwestern end of Australia... One fact that Grumpy didn't mention before is that the casino has been closed for a couple of days. Western Austrailia does not allow gambling in its territorial waters, so the ship will have to get a couple hundred miles further north before they can reopen. No big deal for Grumpy and Slinkie, though. They haven't made any donations to the casino yet... Since leaving Perth the weather has gotten warmer and warmer. Right now it's about 85F and very humid... and we're barely into the tropics at 20.4 degrees South lattitude. Seas are pretty calm and have been since leaving Perth. Bali is still more than 700 miles away, but at the current speed of 20 to 21 knots, it should be pretty easy to make it by 7a on Saturday.

 

Cuttle, Prince Charles was at the end of the wharf about a half mile from the Prinsendam at one point. There didn't seem to be much ado about his visit... Some friends were on a tour bus where the guide mentioned the visit and then said "Well, at least he left the Bitch at home"... Now, Grumpy figures Charles probably owns a few hunting dogs, but he doesn't think the driver was referring to one of those...

 

Shoe for the cruise... Well, Grumpy has four pairs... black dress shoes, black walking, white walking, and sandals. Slinkie brought black sandals, beige sandals, 2 pairs of black heels, 2 pairs of silver heels, red heels and black walking shoes and a pair of slippers. HAL gave them both free slippers, so the count got upped by one from what came on board.

 

Elmorejj, welcome back from your Holiday in the UK.

 

Aussie Gal, the weather in Albany was really quite nice... very little wind. It was fairly warm during the day after a chilly start. Grumpy was expecting fairly rough seas across the Bight, but it was surprisingly calm. The rough part came after leaving the Bight and turning the corner to towards the north.

 

The plan for Bali is an 8 hour tour that includes the Barong dance, the temple of Holy Springs, Kintamani on the slopes of Mt. Batur for lunch, the Ubud artists colony, the village of Mas and.....SHOPPING! That still leaves a few hours which will probably be spent around the harbor area.

 

Blackbird71, Grumpy agrees that the price of a can of coke is high... But that is the nice thing about these boards... You can find out what the policies of the various lines are and make your choice...If you drink a lot, an all-inclusive line might be the best choice. For light or non-drinkers, it isn't much of a consideration.

 

JohnM, Grumpy usually checks the GPS a couple of times a day... he used one a lot before he retired, and thought it would be interesting to see where the ship is, running speed, distance to next port, etc... If the navigation channel on the TV were working properly, it wouldn't be needed, but the other day it showed 112 miles remaining to Fremantle while docked in the harbor...hmmm... Some areas have more detail than others on the built-in map base on the Garmin GPS V. Grumpy did not buy any of the world nav charts that are available for it... they get pretty expensive for the whole ocean... so there are times that he doesn't have a clue about the name of the island they are passing unless he notes the GPS coordinates and runs down to deck 7 and checks the paper Nav chart on the wall or looks it up on other map bases online. For an Alaska cruise, a laptop with Delorme Street Atlas would give you excellent detail and the names of the islands and waterways in the Alaska area, but less detail in Canadian waters.

 

Localady, Slinkie and Grumpy certainly hope that your dream of a world cruise does come true some day. It is really a unique experience.

 

WillieBill, you're right... your DW would probably have had a rough night coming into Fremantle, but for all of the bouncing, there didn't seem to be any seasick problems. There are people wearing the patch behind their ear, some with the seabands and probably a lot taking Bonine or ginger tablets as a precaution. Grumpy was on a cruise years ago where he felt a little queasy one night, but, so far, neither he nor Slinkie has had any discomfort on this cruise. Miss you guys....

 

More to come....

 

[Marianne]

Hi Slinkie & Grumpy --

Just finished reading your last email, and I feel as if I'm with you now on the Prinsendam. We sailed on the WC last year from Sydney to Singapore, and now you are heading for Bali. This is a beautiful island and the people are so soft-spoken and gentle. We bought lots of "stuff" for nieces & nephews, but I was able to find a beautifully hand-carved painted mask of the White Monkey. We have it hanging in our bar -- makes lots of conversation. The other day our documents came and will be joining you soon in Cape Town. After reading your adventures, I am already getting ready as if I leave tomorrow.

 

I was wondering if you had any celebs sailing with you. Last year we had Carol Channing and Barbara Rush. And a note to Slinkie: I am packing my emeralds and will wear them on our first formal night after we board. Can't wait to meet you all, and have a super wonderful time on Bali. Love to read your adventures. Marianne

[venicecruiser]

Grumpy - Still enjoying seeing the world through you! Thanks again so much for sharing your with us!!!:D

 

Claudia

[RuthC]

You've entered a part of the world I have never been lucky enough to visit. Maybe someday. Maybe, I hope.

 

I am very much looking forward to your report on Bali. This is one place I would love to see.

Are any of the stewards planning to visit with family while you're there? I expect some will; they must be getting excited about it.

[obriendan]

Enjoying your WC report so much. Someday, maybe!

 

For RuthC, chocolate shamrocks!

 

 

[Cruising Illini]

My but your report just gets better and better. Some day I will reread it again but I don't think we have the knees to handle such a long trip.

 

You will probably remember that I told you the head of Mariners will be joining you in Bali -- Margaret Binnendyk -- and am sure she wants to find you if at all possible. She just had time to read a small section of your report but think she would like some shopping advice from Slinkie. She will leave you again in Hong Kong so a long plane ride for a short visit. Her home base is of course Seattle and the main office.

 

Thanks again for sharing your wonderful WC -- Elinor in Sarasota

[KathieKata]

Now, Grumpy figures Charles probably owns a few hunting dogs, but he doesn't think the driver was referring to one of those...

 

Grumpy.........I got a good laugh out of that line of yours.

[Aussie Gal]

Grumpy and Slinkie,

 

"The plan for Bali is an 8 hour tour that includes the Barong dance, the temple of Holy Springs, Kintamani on the slopes of Mt. Batur for lunch, the Ubud artists colony, the village of Mas and.....SHOPPING! That still leaves a few hours which will probably be spent around the harbor area."

 

That tour will show you a lot especially as you will get to Kintamani which is out in the country. Ubud is most interesting and you may buy a painting or two to take home. Mas has all the silverwork. I wish I was there, our family love going to Bali.

 

It will be quite hot and humid in the morning as it is early March, but in the afternoon the sea breeze comes through and you may get some rain.

 

Jennie

[blackbird71]

Just a note about stealing on cruise ships. I was talking to a friend of mine today about this thread and safes. His son and daughter in law work for Princess Corp. The son does missing articles amoung other things. Per the son, the single most stolen items on Princess is scuba gear leaving the ships. As for things on the ships taken, that triggers a full ship search and almost always the "larger" items are found. Onboard stealing by crew is not really a problem because that means end of job and you have to fly yourself home.