Discover 7 Continents with Bill & Mary Ann as we sail on the 2012 World Cruise

[WCB]

Report # 17 January 18, 2012 Wednesday Day at Sea

 

We had another great day at sea as we sailed closer to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Heading almost directly south, we are leaving the Equator behind, and the weather has gotten more tolerable. We had better enjoy it, because in a matter of a week or so, we will be hauling out those down jackets, heavy gloves, and scarves.

 

There were two special events this evening. The first started with us and our tablemates going to the first Le Cirque Dinner in the Pinnacle Grill Restaurant. This unique meal duplicates what the real Le Cirque Restaurant in New York City offers. Even the plateware with whimsical monkeys painted on them are the same.

 

There was a set menu with several entrees offered. We ordered the chateaubriand and the rack of lamb, which were cooked to perfection. But first, we started with a muse of pate foi gras, then appetizers of a lobster and a caesar salad, followed by a butternut sqaush soup with huckleberries. When the soup bowls arrived, they only had the berries with a dollop of cream on them. Being that this was our first time to dine here, we thought the soup looked mighty small. Tablemates Terri and Carol, sitting across from us (we were in the back room at the largest table) saw us looking at each other in puzzlement, they chuckled. They knew what we were thinking immediately and had a good laugh. That's when the waiters came with scalding hot butternut soup in ceramic-like teapots to pour in each of our bowls. Now that was more like it. And boy, was it good.

We finished the meal with gourmandises, coffee, and desserts of chocolate souffles.

 

By then it was showtime. Usually, we do not go to the shows, but this evening the headliner was Doc Severinsen & The San Miguel Five. We always go to deck 5, where there are a few stools and a counter in the back. That way, if we feel the need to leave, we can do so quietly. Well, tonight we did not leave.

 

Now the correct description of this performance should have been The San Miguel Five & Doc Severinsen. Not that he wasn't a very good trumpet musician, but his group surprised us all with their over-the-top talent. Sometime ago, Doc S. was the bandleader for Johnny Carson...for 30 years to be exact. When Doc S. retired, he eventually moved to Mexico, where he formed this band with the direction of the lead guitarist, Gil Gutierrez. He played one hot guitar with classical Spanish jazz and ballads. Another outstanding musician was the violinist, Charlie Bisharat. He burned through his violin string several times during the performance. Put this all together with the drummer, Jimmy Branly from Cuba, and bass violinist, Kevin Thomas, you had one successful show. Doc Severinsen played in between, here and there, and did it well. The only mistake he made was saying he was on this beautiful ship last year, when in fact, he was entertaining here in 2010. Oh well, we all have those "special" moments, right? Kudos to Bruce Scudder for booking him and his band once again!

 

It's already after midnight, so we will wrap it up for tonight. The Amsterdam will sail into Guanabara Bay at about 7am tomorrow morning. If the weather remains good (no fog or smog), we should have a scenic sail in, along with a commentary on the outside decks and our room TVs by our travel guide, Barbara.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[I&J Cruisers]

I'm so enjoying your beautiful reports. I don't think a world cruise is in my future so thankyou again for sharing this with all of us.

Irene

[steve4031]

This is the closest ill get to doing a round the world cruise. Now if I win the lottery . . . I'll be there next year. Lol

[kalliekae]

Thank you so much for taking the time to do these reports. We are enjoying them immensely.

[down_by_the_sea]

Reading your wonderful reports has become part of my morning routine just I eat breakfast! You put such an interesting spin on what life is like on this cruise. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to make these posts and allowing us travel the world vicariously with you. Rose

[trikeman]

Just found your reports. Now I know it's winter and I've got a lot of good reading to look forward to. If I never get to do this cruise I can at least have an idea what it would have been like by reading your posts.

 

Thank You.

[WCB]

Report # 18 January 19, 2012 Thursday Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Day One Part One

 

The Amsterdam began a scenic sail into the fabulous city of Rio de Janeiro very early at 7am this morning. Barbara, our travel guide, provided a narration on the outside decks as well as on our room TVs. One of us chose to be outside on the bow and the promenade deck that early.....one of us chose to watch it from the room. We have been to Rio a few times in the past, and if memory served us right, there is a heavy overcast that always seems to shroud the coastline at daybreak. Today was no exception.

 

The statue of Christ the Redeemer, now named as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, can be used as a navigation mark. It sits on Corcovado Mountain, which at 2,330 feet, is the highest point of this massive city. Another icon that is famous in Rio, is Sugar Loaf Mountain, 1,300 feet high. Both of these landmarks became visible as we sailed towards our berth in Guanabara Bay. Two famous beaches were sighted as well. Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches are chic destinations themselves. We planned on seeing all of this and more in the two days we are here.

 

Our original plan was to take the H. Stern's shuttle to their store near both beaches. Since we had booked an evening tour for a dinner and sambo show, we decided to enjoy breakfast in the dining room, and hang out for the afternoon. But much to our surprise, there was a word of caution printed in the daily newsletter today. It read, "Please be advised that vendors such as H. Stern and others that are presently onboard are not associated with Holland America Line and the Signature Shops. We do not recommend doing business with these jewelers and we will not be responsible for any transaction or service they may render to our guests." Wow, what's that about??? In the past, we seem to recall that this high-end jewelry store always had reps sailing onboard, and gave lectures on buying precious stones and jewelry. Now that we think about it, the reps sailing with us, apparently at their own expense, did not hand out any info on the ship. Instead they gave it out while we were onshore in Belem and Recife. Their handouts included information and photos of some of their beautiful pieces, an invitation to accept their offer of a complimentary ride to their showroom, an excellent map of the city, and stickers to place on our shoulder to have their people give us this ride. Not knowing what the reasons were for the warning, we decided to stay on the ship, and take advantage of having the aft pool almost to ourselves. Has something happened recently to have HAL severe their goodwill towards H. Stern? We would try to find out later, and stay put until tonight.

 

The weather was hot (89degrees) and humid. It was also partly cloudy, which is normal for here. There had been a mention of a possible thunder storm passing over here, but it sure did not look like it. Again, we were wrong as we would discover later in the evening.

 

We also knew that the brand new Seabourn Quest was due in port this afternoon with two of our good friends from home onboard. This ship was also doing an inaugural world cruise, and our friends were on from Ft. Lauderdale to Cape Town, South Africa. For some reason, we thought they were coming in around 3pm. But as we swam and lounged around the aft pool, their slip remained empty. Of course, it slipped our minds to check our email, where we had a message waiting to meet tomorrow. By 5pm, we had to get cleaned up to join our group for a steakhouse dinner and sambo show. By the time we left at 6pm, the Quest had docked right in front of the Amsterdam. To be continued...............

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 19, January 19, 2012 Thursday Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Day One Part Two

 

Well, it was getting close to the time to leave for our evening tour. But before we left, we decided to check out the American BBQ which is always held in the Lido pool area. To our surprise, there were no BBQs set up, and no buffet set up. The decorations were there, and some of the bar staff were dressed for this affair, but where's the food?

 

We found the Lido buffet set with the dinner, just like a normal night. This must have something to do with the Brazilian Public Health officials that came onboard again today. When we are here, we have to comply with their local laws, which must prohibit a deck BBQ. Why? Who knows, but many guests were sadly disappointed. What is ridiculous is where we are. If you looked into the water surrounding the ship in this harbor, it is covered with garbage washed down from the rivers. Mixed in between the wealthy areas of Rio, are large slum areas. Over 6 million residents live in poverty, so why aren't the health officials doing work there? Makes little sense to us. Perhaps these BBQs will return once we leave this country.

 

Our destination was at a churrascaria steakhouse near Botafogo Bay by the name of Fogo de Chao. We joined 120 other hungry passengers, among them friends Greg, Heo, Carol, Sky, and Donna. Even though the restaurant was a short distance from the pier, it took at least 1/2 hour to get there. This whole port area is in a state of disruption, while a new pier is being constructed. It should be completed in 2016, in time for the Olympics. Major projects are taking place all through this city to bring it up to date, and do away with the old, crumbling unsafe buildings. It will be very nice once done, but in the meantime, navigating around it is time-consuming. And traffic, as in all large cities, was bad. This vibrant city is like New York City....it never sleeps. The usual dining time is never before 9pm, and entertainment goes into the wee hours of the morning.

 

Dinner was fantastic! Situated with a view of the bay, our group took over half of the large restaurant. Once seated, the service began with offerings from gaucho-clad waiters with deliciously cooked beef, chicken, pork, and lamb. Actually, these waiters carved 15 cuts of meat, slicing it right from the bone on long skewers. We could have eaten as much as we wished, until we "mooed" like a cow! Along with the meats, we had crispy polenta, rolls, carmelized bananas, and sauces on the table. We made a trip to their salad bar after the meat course. It was filled with bowls of salad, vegetables, cured meats, fresh cheeses, and side dishes of rice and beans. In order to do justice to this abundant meal, we should have fasted for one week before coming here! We did have about 2 hours to consume our meal. That way we all had room for their special papaya ice cream topped with liquoure. One of the waiters brought us a bowl of delicious vanilla ice cream with a butter cookie for us to share. They must have thought we did not have enough to eat! Friends Greg and Heo had gone to a similar place for lunch, so they had a hard time keeping up with the rest of us. At one point, Greg, who has a wicked sense of humor, indicated to the non-English speaking waiter, that he felt pregnant! Boy, that got some funny looks from the waiter, but a good laugh when he finally understood.

 

Around 8pm, while we were stuffing ourselves, the wind picked up, and the thunder blasted with lightening steaks across the skyline. The rain pounded down hard, which concerned us, because we left the umbrellas at home on the ship. Lucky for us, the storm had passed just as fast as it had started. By the time we left the restaurant at 9pm, the air was clean, and it was heavy with humidity. Good timing, but a good reminder to pack those umbrellas at all times.

 

We had a short drive to the Leblon area just beyond the Ipanema area. The nightclub we went to was called Plataforma, with a neon billboard brightly advertising their pulsating, vibrant show. We were treated to a 90 minute live show of dazzling costumes, some elaborate, other brief. The fellows really liked the "brief" ones! The songs and dances were Afro-Brazilian based and performed to the beat of the samba drums. It's all about the backsides here. The young dancers could really shake their well-muscled bodies. They did moves that would leave us crippled the next day!

 

Elaborate costumes were displayed as well. These can take a year to create and can cost thousands of dollars. Carnival is the Brazilian festival where these costumes are worn in the parade. It is a huge thing here in Brazil. In fact, our driver took us by the Carnival arena, where the seats in the stadiums cost up to $1000. a night. What a thrill it would be to see that festival, however, you would have to like crowds, since it draws millions of spectators.

 

During the show, our photos were taken by ourselves or with some of the dancers. By the time the show was almost over, a plate was shown to us with our happy faces printed on it for the price of $12. No, we did not really need that. Then, a photo of us was presented, which was not our best...not even close. These were $20. We passed, as many others did. Of course, you could buy the video and small dolls that were sold in the lobby. Can't blame them for trying.

 

By the way, we were warned that photography and video were not permitted, even though the majority of us brought a small camera. Right before we left the lounge, they announced that still photo cameras would be allowed. By then, it was too late for folks to retreieve them from their rooms.

 

By the time we got back to the ship, it was well after midnight. Our ears were ringing with the loud music for hours afterwards. But it was sure worth it. The only downside, was the fact that we needed to set the alarm clock for 6am to join an 8am tour tomorrow morning. Oh, this is hard work!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Pete Jackson]

Brazilian traffic can be a nightmare. Back in the 90s, we were on a cruise (not HAL) that stopped at Santos, a port town for Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil, which lies 50 miles inland. A lot of pax took a whole day tour of Sao Paulo, while we decided just to stroll around the nice beach that Santos (otherwise a drab port town) has. When we talked to later to some people who had taken the tour, they complained that the bus spent most of the time stuck in traffic!

 

Thanks for these wonderful reports so that we can share your world cruise with you!

[whogo]

Our original plan was to take the H. Stern's shuttle to their store near both beaches. Since we had booked an evening tour for a dinner and sambo show, we decided to enjoy breakfast in the dining room, and hang out for the afternoon. But much to our surprise, there was a word of caution printed in the daily newsletter today. It read, "Please be advised that vendors such as H. Stern and others that are presently onboard are not associated with Holland America Line and the Signature Shops. We do not recommend doing business with these jewelers and we will not be responsible for any transaction or service they may render to our guests." Wow, what's that about???

 

I take it to mean that Holland America is not able to squeeze any money out of H. Stern and will therefore not recommend them.

[whogo]

I meant to add that I am really enjoying your reports, too.

[windsor26]

I take it to mean that Holland America is not able to squeeze any money out of H. Stern and will therefore not recommend them.

 

A little while back there was a thread about the quality of the diamonds sold by Diamonds International so perhaps someone somewhere has had enough and is sueing them - they HAD been recommended by the cruiselines.

[WCB]

Report # 20 January 20, 2012 Friday Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Day Two

 

Today happened to be St. Sebastian's Feast Day, a holiday for Brazilians. For that reason, most shops and malls were closed until 3pm. The good part of that was the traffic should be less, but the downside, the beaches would be crowded. That would be good for us, since we were on a four hour tour that took us to the top of Sugar Loaf, then on to visit two famous beaches on the way back. Less car traffic, and possibly good photos on the beach.

 

The hardest part was getting up at 6am to get ready to begin the tour at 8am. Normally, we are not late night people, so coming home after midnight really slowed us down this morning. We did not think of this when we booked the tours, but our evening out went much later than expected. Oh well, we will have to catch up on rest in the afternoon, or so we thought.

 

Our first stop would be at the cable car station at Praia Vermelha, not too far from the pier. The cable cars, which hold 65 people, go up in two stages. We ascended to the top of Urca Mountain, 700 feet high. There is a park on this peak, complete with a restaurant and souvenier shops. When we were here two years ago, the most amusing feature were the monkeys. They were almost as small as a squirrel, but aggressive with the tourists. We searched for them to take more photos, but there were none to be found. So we asked our guide where they were, and she said GONE. Apparently, these monkeys were not indigenous to here, and were putting the resident tamarinds in danger. It was necessary for the park rangers to remove them permanently from this area. We did not ask how they accomplished that, but understand why. We never did see the more wild tamarind monkeys.

 

Can you believe there were actually fellows repelling off of the granite cliffs, 700 feet to the bottom? Also on this level was the heliport where you can take a thrilling 15 minute ride for lots of money.

 

After taking a few quick photos, we got into the cablecar once again to go to the top of Sugar Loaf at 1300 feet. Guess what was on the top? Yep, more stores, and also views that rocked. The hazy fog was not present this morning, so the pictures came out good. Our guide gave us 20 minutes to explore before we headed back down. This is when something remarkable happened. Remember our friends that were on the Seabourn Quest? We all knew we were on tours today, but would you believe it, they ran into us on the top of Sugar Loaf? Alene, who is very outgoing, had been asking HAL passengers if they knew us. They asked the right people, Judy and Glenn, who said we had gone to Corcovado instead, as they had seen us get on a different bus. That's when they walked around the shops and saw us taking photos and pointed us out. It sure was great to finally see them. Since their tour group was about to descend, we agreed to meet them on the pier at 1:30pm.

 

Two years ago, there had been a large number of vendors in the parking lot of the cablecar station. They were hawking neat Rio umbrellas and of all things, toy badminton birds. We never had a chance to buy the pretty umbrella at that time, so that was one item one of us really wanted to buy. Today, there was just one fellow selling the badminton birds. Darn. Go figure.

 

Oh well, we should have another chance when we stop at the beaches. It was a very short drive to Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, although there are a lot of street lights and one way avenues to navigate our way. Half of the 4 lane highway on the beachfront has been closed off for runners and bikers. The beaches were so crowded, all we could see were the tops of red, blue, and yellow umbrellas for it seemed, for miles. Today was a holiday, and that means beaches, water, sports, and parks for the locals. They had little kids playing in the surf, the teenage crowd playing volleyball and badminton, and the older folks sitting under those massive beach umbrellas. Many gals of all ages donned the string bikinis, whether they fit or not. It does not matter here, since they don't seem to be hung up on the perfect appearance. Anything goes, except partial or total nudity. Perhaps some of the other beaches allow this, but not here.

 

We lucked out with our umbrella search. One vendor was selling them, and his buddy was selling the most colorful pareos. We purchased one of each for a reasonable price. They are happy to bargain, and even more happy to make a sale. We spotted one vendor with something hanging from his umbrella. When he got closer, we discovered they were bikinis. Now that's clever. Bring the store to the people. We all walked about 10 minutes on the beach, but were happy to return to the air-conditioned bus. It was really hot today, at least for us tourists. By the time we got back to the ship, we needed at least a gallon of water each to cool off. We were still dehydrated from yesterday, and that can cause problems.

 

On the way back to the ship, the driver took us by the Sambodromo, the spot in the city where the Carnival parade occurs every year. New grandstands have been added to create more space for spectators. It's hard to believe, but some of the tickets for these seats can run as much as $1000 a night. Sure would be exciting to see, but the crowds it attracts can be overwhelming our guide said.

 

For the first time this trip, we had time to go to the dining room for lunch. Even though there were not that many people eating in there, the service was slow. We think that most of the waiters were in the Lido and not here. We're still getting the feeling that the crew numbers are lower than usual. It took a while for them to take our order, which concerned us because we had a date to meet our friends. Finally, the food arrived, we ate quickly, and had a few minutes to make our way to the terminal building.

 

Don and Alene were already walking towards our area on the pier, so we sat on the bench in the shade to visit for an hour. They had so much to tell us about their adventure so far, which included a room change to one of the penthouse suites, lucky dogs! There was an annoying unexplainable noise in their room, which could not be fixed. It took some doing, but eventually, they offered them this suite for the rest of their cruise. They will be heading trans-Atlantic from Rio, with a stop at St. Helena, then onto Namibia. Their last port will be Capetown, where they have a four day safari planned through Seabourn. Lucky dogs! We loved touring that part of the world, and hope to do so again next year. The time flew by quickly, but they did have a chance to meet many of our HAL friends, including Tom B., the president of our travel agency and his lovely wife, Deann. As parting gift, Don brought a bottle of chilled Cabernet Savignon for us. As Seabourn passengers, they can enjoy all the wine and spirits they can possibly consume, as the ship is all-inclusive. As HAL guests, we are allowed to bring wine onboard, but not spirits. We were waved through the security check with no problems.

 

All onboard time was 3:30pm, which was also the same time as the sailaway party. Today, the ship's band was playing music at the aft pool, like they always did in the past. And even though the hors d'oeuvres were not passed, the party attracted many more guests, and was a very big success. Of course, sailing out of the harbor was even better than entering, since it was a clear afternoon for photos. As we passed the Quest, we could see Don and Alene waving from their beautiful suite, happy as clams. We made a date to meet at our favorite breakfast place once we are back home in May.

 

There was a third ship in port today, the Costa Magica. We found out that it is the sister ship of the ill-fated Costa Concordia, which recently had a horrible accident off the coast of Italy. The news about that accident has been in our minds every day, and many of us find it hard to understand the incompetence of the crew and captain. We all are wondering how this will affect the cruise industry, which has been going strong despite the poor state of the economy.

 

On the way out of the bay, we passed the new pier which is under construction. The due date will be in 2016, in time for the Olympics. They really need a modern facility here, just like we need a new pier terminal in San Francisco. Build it, and the ships will come.

 

By the time dinnertime came around, we both decided to stay home and perhaps order some room service. A headache had taken its toll on Bill, and I was exhausted. We were not really that hungry, so we shared the fruit in the bowl and munched on tortilla chips and cheese sticks. A good night's sleep was what we needed the most, and that was what we got.

 

Two days at sea now will be most appreciated by all.

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 21 January 21, 2012 Saturday Day at Sea

 

Did we mention that this year we came prepared to start a window garden in our room window? Two years ago while on the Prinsendam, they gifted us with amaryllis bulbs and a large glass vase in which to grow them. It was fun watching them develop in the two months we sailed, so we thought we could try growing something this year. We began with a small peat pot kit, bought marigold and nasturtium seeds and a handful of hyacinths and narcissus bulbs. They all came up within days and have thrived in the light and heat. It has really amused our room steward, who has asked us several times what kind of flowers are we growing? The thought occurred to us that perhaps he wondered if we were growing something herbal, you know, like not legal. We did bring the seed packets with us, so will show him what they truely are. Know know, it's hard to give up the green thumbs once we left home.

 

We had a fairly decent day at sea while on our way towards Buenos Aires. It is still very warm, with some passing clouds. Definitely good enough for sunbathing, swimming, and visiting with our pool buddies all afternoon. We had been invited to another complimentary wine tasting gathering in the dining room, but we did not attend. That left more wine for those that did.

 

Now that Tom B., president of our travel agency, and his wife Deann are sailing with us for a few days, many activities have been planned for our group. Every sea day, our hosts Tom M and Ellen have a "chat time" hour for any of their clients to attend. It's a casual get-together, and can be quite useful if you have questions. Today, Tom B attended and gave a welcome talk to the new people in the group.

 

Later, around 7pm, our group was treated to the first of four cocktail parties in the Explorer's Lounge on deck 5. The hallway had been roped off, so only our guests were allowed entrance. Tom M and Ellen, our hosts and Tom B and Deann greeted us in a receiving line. Pre-printed name tags were on a table for us to wear now, and for the rest of the gatherings. Most of us know each other, except for the newbies. Normally these parties are held in the Crows Nest, but not today. A problem arose when half of the counter of the bar guests in the Crows Nest were allowed to stay when our group arrived up there. And it appeared to be difficult controlling who was present, legal or not. Not a problem today.

 

This lounge worked much better, since we were able to wander around the couches and chairs to meet new people and share some good laughs with our buddies. Raymond, our ever so observant assistant bar manager, kept us with drinks for the entire hour, which went by all too quickly. Waiters passed hors d'oeuvres of breaded prawns, egg rolls, and sauage rolls. At 8pm, the bellboy rang the dinner gong announcing that the dining room was open for us.

 

This evening was formal, with a samba twist. The La Fontaine Restaurant was decorated with streamers of red, purple, and orange, Carnival style. Each seat had a boa of feathers in red, turquoise, and purple. When we picked them up, there were feathers flying everywhere. We pitied the poor fellows that had to vacuum these carpets and chairs up later.

 

As our dinner guest tonight, we had a nice surprise. Cindy, the lead medical officer and our friend, greeted us warmly when she joined us. She is so popular with the freqient world cruise guests, that she is booked for every evening until she leaves in Punta Arenas. We had fun catching up on her personal life (she married to a Canadian firefighter in British Columbia) and the ship's harmless gossip. She agreed with Martha about the quality of the beef wellington they both had ordered. It appears that the meat had been a bit tougher than last year's beef. And the service was stressed again tonight. We did not leave the table until 10:30pm, even though there were only 8 of us to serve. Ellen told us that our waiter from last year, Yamtana, has been assigned as an assistant at our table starting tomorrow. Hurray! There should be a change for the better now.

 

Of course, we were further delayed partly because we got involved in the game of cork-forking with Sky from our friend's nearby table. He loves to come over and visit, especially when he has had a few of those Long Island ice teas. He brought the cork and fork, and tried repeatedly to land that cork in the flowerbowl. We guessed he was on his 20th turn, when bingo, he hit it. We sang the special song, just once, and he was on his way. No, we did not disturb anyone, since it was late, and the dining room had cleared with folks going to the showlounge. The entertainer was Paul Fredericks once again.

 

We gave the show about 5 mintes before we realized how tired we were. The good news was that the clocks went back one hour before we turned in, giving us that extra hour for sleep. Boy, did we need that or what?

 

Tomorrow will be another day at sea as we head for the Rio de la Plata, the river where Buenos Aires is located.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[kazu]

Thanks so much for bringing us along on your cruise with your fabulous posts. What a great idea - a flower garden in your room. I'm going to think about that for our cruise next year - it's only 31 days...but...........amaryllis can do that:)

 

I envy you two so much. thanks so much as we cruise vicariously through you. Smooth seas to you both:)

[travelingla]

What a magnificent LIVE trip report! Since I will never be able to afford such luxury this is the next best thing.

 

Thank you so very much for taking the time to share - it's better than any novel!

 

:)

[madera1]

I eagerly await reading your updates. Thanks again for sharing your adventure with the rest of us.

[Aussie Gal]

Mary Ann and Bill,

 

I have just found your wonderful live reports for this year's World Cruise. I have spent the morning catching up reading everything you have written.

 

I feel as though I am with you on the cruise, especially as you are visiting ports we have been too and therefore so many wonderful memories are coming back.

 

I look forward to reading your posts each day now. Perhaps one day we may join you for half a World Cruise as I know I couldn't get my DH to go the whole way!

 

Jennie

[WCB]

Report # 22 January 22, 2012 Sunday Day at Sea

 

Even though we have a day at sea, it turned out to be a very different one for a couple of reasons. First of all, the weather had changed from hot and sticky to cloudy and cooler. Well, that's probably a good thing, since the sun was still peeking through the clouds enough to enjoy an afternoon at the pool.

 

We took care of some business by attending a cruise industry update talk given by Tom B in the Wajang Theater. He always has some good insights into every aspect of travel, not just ocean cruising. He showed some slides of riverboats such as Viking River Cruises, and more photos of Mississippi-bound paddlewheel boats. He gave us some statistics regarding the rising number of cruises booked industrywide for the next two years. And despite the recent incident involving the Costa ship, he felt there may be some negative impact initially, but in the long run, the numbers would recover. In fact, he told us about a special cruise next year, we believe, that will duplicate the exact ill-fated voyage of the Titanic 100 years ago. Tom said the cruise is almost fully booked. Surely, they will steer clear of icebergs.

 

He also featured some of the hilights of the Oceana, Azamara, and Celebrity lines. The photos of the public areas and the suites were pretty nice. Not that it isn't nice here on the Amsterdam, he just wanted us to "think outside the box".

 

Then came time for comments, questions, and answers. Several repeat clients voiced their concerns over the small cutbacks that they have been seeing on this trip. Yes, they are subtle, but obvious enough for the old-timers to take notice. The little things we have noticed are the much smaller size facial tissue in our bathroom. You need to use two tissues to equal one, which makes no sense to us. Two years ago, we found that the cheery room flowers were not in the staterooms below decks 6 and 7. Now we have been told that the room service trays also have no vase of flowers. We used to keep that tiny vase and flowers for our room. So did everyone else we knew. You know the port flyers we always receive the day before we dock? Well, those have been reduced in size as well. At least we still get the wallet-size cards with the port agent printed on them, the currency exchange rate, and a sampling of language translation. Everyone has complained about the three shrimp cocktail, instead of the four piece one we always got. Sounds silly, but people notice these things. Tom promised to pass our comments along to the head honchos at the HAL headquarters in Seattle.

 

Tom was asked about the current Mariner Society Rewards program, and how it works. As we explained earlier on, the Star Program is separate from the Medallion Program. There is a misconception about cruise days sailed and cruise days earned by shipboard spending. Many folks were quite happy to hear this morning that no one can "buy" their way into the President's Club, which is 1400 days sailed, we think. We look forward to whatever changes will occur in the near future. Tom suggested that there may be new levels formed at 500, 750, and 1000 days sailed, with some perks to match. That would be a nice start.

 

After getting some emailing done, we decided to spend some relaxing time at the aft pool. That would not happen, because minutes after we got settled on the lounges, it started to sprinkle. Sprinkles led to rain, thunder and lightening, then a downpour. So much for that. So we watched a movie in the room, then got hooked on the football game. It was getting good with the score almost tied, when we had to leave for an early dinner in the King's Room with Tom B, Deann, and hosts, Tom M and Ellen. There was a total of 24 of us, most of whom we already knew. We were happy to see that the menu was the same as La Fontaine this evening. After breakfast, we had decided to order an appetizer size of shrimp and vegetable tempura, and the sweet and sour chicken for our entree. It sounded so good that five of us in a row ordered the same thing, including Tom B.

 

Dinner ended a bit early, so we went downstairs to visit our tablemates, three of whom will be leaving us on Tuesday. We won't be to our table again tomorrow, since we booked the dinner and tango show in Buenos Aires with our travel group. With two busy days in Buenos Aires, we wanted to say our goodbyes to friends Leslie and Handler, and new buddy, Carol. We may not see them again. We're all hoping they will return for the 2013 world cruise. After hugs and goodbyes, our tablemates were anxious to go to another show performed by Doc Severinsen and his group, but we had other plans.

 

Since the second football game of the day was already in progress, we hustled back to our room to watch it. After all, the San Francisco 49ers were playing the NY Giants. As we write this, the game is tied, and we are rooting for the team by the bay....SF, of course!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Flyingfish]

Sorry guys, but our "Giants" pulled through. Wasn't the prettiest game we ever watched, but a winner nevertheless. Enjoying your posts sooo much. Thanks for all your attention to detail.

[vbmom87]

Really enjoying following you along. I know you mentioned earlier that the World Cruise would have about 1050 passengers throughout your journey. Do you know how many of this number are doing the complete cruise? Just curious.

[callmedeb]

Thanks again for taking me along with you.

 

Someday....

 

Deb

[markf]

Why would a lecturer paid for by HAL describe other cruise lines-like Celebrity ? I find that interesting

[Aussie Gal]

markf,

 

I think you will find that the lecturer was one of the Travel Agents that Mary Ann and Bill book their cruises through and are on board with them for the entire cruise. Also, the CEO of this Seattle Company together with his wife are on board for a short time and he was also present at the lecture. It was a private affair only for the customers of this large Cruise Agency.

 

Jennie

[cruiseman111111]

What is the lux cruise thread?

 

Thanks, Jim

 

What I enjoy is that you explain the good and not so good points of each day.

I am also reading a similar daily blog on a luxury cruise line thread -and everything is always perfect--I do not think everything is always perfect no matter if you are on a 4 star or 6 star cruise line-and i appreciate bringing things out that are not perfect.

i am seeing how Holland America is cutting back on small stuff which adds up in price but also adds to a total cruise experience