North to Alaska - South to Hawaii & Tahiti with Bill & Mary Ann - 42 days - Statendam

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wonderful review.

[JamesEM]

DW and I did a B-2-B on the N Amsterdam out of FFL this past Fall and our In Transit Card worked really well for us.

[solocanadian]

Bill, it was a real pleasure meeting you and Mary Ann. Hope our paths meet again. Trust you had a great day in Vancouver with such wonderful weather. I was home in my condo by 9:15. Had requested 9:00 A.M. departure from the ship but my Black #1 came up sooner than planned. Will continue to look for your blog on this cruise and look forward to your blog on the Amsterdam World Cruise. Cheers, Gail.:):D:)

[cruz chic]

Bill, it was a real pleasure meeting you and Mary Ann. Hope our paths meet again. Trust you had a great day in Vancouver with such wonderful weather. I was home in my condo by 9:15. Had requested 9:00 A.M. departure from the ship but my Black #1 came up sooner than planned. Will continue to look for your blog on this cruise and look forward to your blog on the Amsterdam World Cruise. Cheers, Gail.:):D:)

 

I wondered if it was you that they were talking about:). Hope you had a great time and welcome home.

[lindaler]

We just got back to where we get internet and found your blog. We have followed your WC but find this one even more hitting close to home. We will be getting on the Statendam the day you are getting off. It will be fun to hear all about the ship and your trip to help speed our departure date. We already know we want to try the chocolate banana soup. It sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing with us.

[WCB]

Report # 9 Vancouver, British Columbia September 28, 2014 Sunday Sunny & 69 degrees Part One

 

Well, here we are back in Vancouver, after sailing for a week in Alaska. Gosh, the week went by fast. We got lucky once again, because it was sunny and warm today, like it was a week ago. Some locals told us that it had rained buckets here on Thursday - so much rain that you could not see across the street.

 

Here is a little info about Vancouver. The population is 603,502, and the city is located in southwestern British Columbia. It was named after Captain George Vancouver, an officer in the British Royal Navy in 1792.

 

Vancouver became a major world port in the late 1890's with the addition of the Canadian Pacific Railway passenger train. Trans-Pacific trading at this time made their future quite rosy.

 

There are so many things to do and see, it would take days, instead of hours. We docked very early at Canada Place, a Canadian Pavilion used for the 1986 Expo World's Fair. We spent a few days here, while staying at the Pan Pacific Hotel before the Grand Asia/Pacific Voyage way back in 2002. At that time, we took a few tours out of the hotel, so today we knew where we wanted to go this morning.

 

Nearby Stanley Park houses old growth forests of western red cedar trees, douglas firs, hemlock, salmonberry and huckleberry vines. It is a great place to walk and bike, or take a cart ride with sturdy small horses drawing the cart.

 

Chinatown represents the area of the Mandarin and Cantonese immigrants who settled here from 1890 to 1920. It is second in size to Chinatown in San Francisco, that we know well.

 

Downtown is full of skyscrapers, tree-lined streets, city parks, modern malls, and historic buildings. Museums and theaters are abundant. Highend hotels and restaurants are situated in the downtown area as well.

 

A fun place to visit is historic Gastown, named after Gassy Jack, a saloon owner in the late 1800's. He got that name for his habit of telling tall tales.

 

Since we were "in transit", we were given a ticket we could use to exit the terminal easier. Rick Barnes, our cruise director, spotted us as we got off of the ship, and offered to see if we could get out quicker. An HAL rep told us we would only have to go through the Customs and Border Protection checkpoint before we re-boarded. That was fine with us, but we thought it was nice of Rick to give it a try.

 

Taking our time, we walked the waterfront, which was lined with cafes, coffee shops, stores, boat harbors, and even a float plane terminal. There was a designated lane for walkers and runners, and a separate path for the bikers and skate boarders.

 

Our destination was Stanley Park. The aroma of the tall, old growth cedars was really nice. Black squirrels were searching for acorns from the pin oaks, where were getting their fall colors. Got some great photos of a coupe of large grey herons, that were successfully fishing in the low tide. Wish we had more time to hike this scenic park, but we had to head back if we wanted to have enough time for a leisurely lunch.

 

Gastown was our next stop. It is so close to Canada Place, that we could see the ship docked, a 10 minute walk away. We chose the Steamworks Brewing Co., which was overflowing with customers. Sure sign that the food and beer was good. We ordered two cheeseburgers with crispy fries and Ipanema Summer Ale. Light-colored with a slight citrus taste, it was fairly low in alcohol, but very refreshing.

 

All aboard time was 3:30pm, so we headed back to go through the custom's line. Just like promised, we were led to a much shorter line for in transit guest and crew. Our passports were checked quickly, and we were free to board the ship. A funny thing happened on our way back onboard. One of the land HAL reps asked if we were Bill & Mary Ann, the ones that do the blogs? Oh my gosh, she had recognized us from our last trip, we assume, where our photos were posted on another site. To our relief, she said she really enjoyed reading them. Small world......

 

Muster was conducted at 4pm, but was held up due to the crew having to remove the gangway from the Promenade deck. For the first time ever, we were not allowed to go outside until they were done. Some folks were late in arriving, delaying the drill even further. We learned that some guests got on today for a one day and one night cruise. They will be departing in Seattle tomorrow. Eight hundred newbies joined today for this 5 day cruise to San Diego. We understand that those 800 will leave, and another 800 will embark in San Diego for the South Pacific cruise.

 

Sailaway was held in the Lido Pool area, but we always go to the aft pool to get better photos. The waiters were serving salmon fingers, crab turnovers, and smoked sausages, but not where we were. One nice waiter did arrive with a small tray of snacks, which was nice.

 

Once we were out of the harbor, the Captain stopped the ship and did what he called a magnetic compass check. We went in tight circles for quite a while before we left the area. Guess we are very close to Seattle, our port for tomorrow. He had the time to spare.

 

Dinnertime came quickly, and we were apprehensive about our new tablemates. We had such a nice group for the Alaska cruise, could that happen again? Well, there was only one couple sitting there when we arrived. They are Rita and Rodger from Vancouver, and will be staying as long as us....November 2nd. They were super friendly and we realized that we were worried for nothing. Of course, tomorrow is another day, and there may be more folks joining us.

 

After dinner, we strolled through the casino to see how busy they were. Expecting it to be full of the one-nighters, we found the room empty, with all of the slot machines turned off. We would find out tomorrow that the ship was not far enough out to sea to legally open the casino. Wonder if the folks knew that before they booked? Of course the bars would be open until late, so maybe that is the attraction.

 

Will be in Seattle tomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[solocanadian]

I wondered if it was you that they were talking about:). Hope you had a great time and welcome home.

Thanks. Did have a good cruise but they could not cook eggs right no matter where you had them - MDR, Pinnacle, room Service. All came with hard yolks and that was not how I ordered them. Like your new avatar.:)

[WCB]

Report # 10 Seattle, Washington September 29, 2014 Monday Overcast, rainy & 62 degrees

 

Nestled deep in the Puget Sound, Seattle is a settlement that sprung to life in the late 1800's with the city becoming the terminus of the Northern Pacific Railway. The Klondike Gold Rush also brought prosperity to the area with the stampeders making their way north. Today Boeing, Microsoft, and Starbucks are among the big business establishments here.

 

The Statendam docked at Smith Cove Cruise Terminal located at pier 91. The Oosterdam shared the opposite berth. Even though the famous Space Needle is only 2 miles away, it was not an easy walk from this industrial area.

 

We began the day with a light breakfast, because we intended to dine in town for lunch. All aboard time was 3:30pm, and that would come all too soon.

 

The weather was less than perfect. In fact, this is the first port that we have had rain and heavily overcast skies. The only bad thing is that it makes for dreary photos outside.

 

The good thing was that the kind Seattle folks provided full size buses for complimentary shuttles to Pike Place Market and the Seattle Center. This is the location of the iconic Space Needle, Pacific Science Center, Experience Music Project, and several pavillion exhibits from the 1962 World's Fair. We did have to wait at least 40 minutes because the passengers from the Oosterdam were also sharing the buses. Whatever, free is good. You could tell by the length of the line that snaked all the way back to the terminal that a lot of people took advantage of this service. And it gave us a chance to visit with a friendly couple from Australia, who joined the Oosterdam today. When they leave port today, they will be heading directly to the Hawaiian Islands, eventually ending up in Sydney, Australia.

 

It took almost 20 minutes to get to Pike Place Market, the oldest operating farmer's market in the US. They are well known for their fish-throwing skills, which we would see later on. This city has a reputation, like most large cities, for snarled traffic. That was true this morning. Guess the three ships in port supplied the hordes of people we saw in the market. There was a vast array of vendors, fruit and veggie stands, and fish, cheese, and meat markets. At the furthest end, we watched some overall-clad fishmongers throwing the slick fish from buckets to be caught, weighed, and wrapped. Sure attracted a crowd of watchers.

 

What we liked the best were the bunches of flowers, selling from $5. to $15. Had to stop on our way back to the bus and pick up a bouquet. We got one with sunflowers, red chrysanthemums, and orange marigolds. All for a mere $5.00.

 

Lunch was next at nearby Hard Rock Cafe, a favorite of ours worldwide. We shared a mountain of cheese nachos, with beans, jalapenos, and a mix of cheeses. It went well with two Stella Artois beers. By the time we left at 1pm, the place had filled up.

 

Across the street was Target. We needed a few things, so this was convenient. It was also a good opportunity to make a pit stop on the third level. However, the doors to both restrooms had a combination lock, and we did not know how to get in. Eventually, a store employee arrived and told us how it worked. Our only conclusion is that there is a lot of shoplifting and other strange happenings we don't want to know about. Come to think of it, we did see a rather large amount of homeless folks, begging for money all around the touristy Pike Place Market. Along with them, were a number of policemen rousting them along.

 

The bus was waiting right where we got dropped off, and we were headed towards Seattle Center. By now, it was 2:30pm, and we felt it was not worth hanging around the second stop in case we had to wait a long time for another bus. Everyone else on the bus felt the same way. The driver did give us a chance to pop outside and take photos of the Space Needle, literally right below our feet. And besides, the rain had started to come down anyway. Time to leave.

 

Back at the cruise terminal, we ran right into our friend Gerald Bernhoft and his assistant, Sally Andrews. Gerald is the chef honcho of the Mariner Society for HAL. Having met him years ago, he has always been a pleasure to visit with, especially at our pre-cruise dinners in Ft. Lauderdale prior to the Grand Voyages. Gerald and Sally had taken the time to visit both HAL ships today on their re-positioning voyages. It was pure luck that we crossed paths, but we believe in karma. Hopefully, the next time we meet will be in Florida before the world cruise.

 

There was no designated sailaway, so we went to deck 12 to watch our exit. We sure did not stay long, because it was darned cold. Even colder than Alaska. The city's skyline faded away, shrouded with that misty rain and fog. Strangely enough, by the time we went back out to watch for a sunset, the clouds had parted and we had a fabulous sunset.

 

Upon entering our room, we had a card stating we had a gift. Gerald had sent us 2 Pinnacle Grill dinners, showing how thoughtful a fellow he is. It is the things like that, the nice things, that do keep us coming back to HAL time and time again.

 

Dinnertime brought us two more guests, a couple from the state of Washington. Bob and Cherry had joined the ship today, and will be on like us until November 2nd. They have been to Hawaii, but never French Polynesia, so they will be in for a pleasant surprise, we think.

 

Hope these reports have been going through OK. Yesterday, while we were docked in Vancouver, we lost the report and photos by getting the dreaded blue screen on the laptop. We know now not to turn it on when the gangway is on our side of the ship. Must be some interference with their computer they use to scan our ship cards.

 

Tomorrow, we will be in Astoria, a new port for us.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[cruz chic]

Thx so much for the update.

[ChaCr]

Like so many others, I enjoy reading your reports and look forward to each new one.

 

Thanks for taking the time to do this.

 

Charles

[Rowsby]

Four of our friends will be joining you in San Diego....thanks for posting....it's great to follow along....:)

[solocanadian]

I wonder if HAL will honour my request for a duvet with my humble 4 stars and non suite cabin on my next cruise - bet they won't. But I guess it won't hurt to ask.:)

[WCB]

Report # 11 Astoria, Oregon September 30, 2014 Tuesday Overcast & 62 degrees

 

We would not be arriving to the port of Astoria, Oregon, until after noontime. So it was a perfect morning to walk the promenade deck after enjoying a hearty dining room breakfast. Our reward would be sightings of whales, at least a dozen in a pod, and some scattered in the distance. We spotted the tails of the diving ones, while others skimmed the surface while feeding. At one point, two monsters almost totally breached and crashed down, creating huge waves as they dove. That is more than we saw in Alaska for sure. Will be on the lookout now, as we head south down the west coast of the USA.

 

As the Statendam neared the coast and the flow of the Columbia River, we experienced some rolling. Captain Smit announced that as we appraoched, it could get rough and we needed to store our valuable laptops and cameras safely in our rooms. And we needed to be especially careful while going up and down stairwells. We did have a few jerks and swells, but the worst case scenario never happened.

 

Once again, like in Juneau, the ship had two armed escort Coast Guard boats leading us in to the pier. They were also keeping local fishing boats out of our way. Up the river, we could see the NCL Pearl was anchored, tendering her passengers to shore. We would take the last available spot at the pier. By the time we were tied up, it was about 12:45pm, and the guests on shore excursions were blocking the exit on deck 5. Despite pleas from Rick, the cruise director, they held firm, and refused to leave. He assured them that the buses would not leave them behind, and the stores would not close. He has a good sense of humor.

 

We did not book a tour, even though this is our first time here. The town looked fairly easy to navigate on foot. The local info team were all volunteers. They were armed with lots of maps and a newspaper listing everything to do and see. Informing one of the gals that we would be in search of a good pizza, she recommended Fort George Brewery, about a 2 mile walk. We could handle that, although, both of us were feeling a bit under the weather today. It began with a deep, dry cough, that we attributed to a dusty air return in our room. For that reason, we had a fellow from housekeeping come in and vacuum the ducts and change the filter. It definitely helped, but now we know that some nasty bug is being passed around the ship. A couple a nights ago, we saw a team getting ready to spray the hallways. While we are on the subject, we have noticed that at the beginning of each cruise, the foodservice in the Lido and Dive In Grill has not gone into full service for 48 hours. The only difference we have seen is that the water and tea was handed out from the drink station. Otherwise, all of the buffet-type food is open for taking by the guests. Anyway, no matter how many times we wash our hands, and use hand sanitizer, we still have picked up something. We never get sick at home....never.

 

Getting outside, and walking in the fresh air was what we needed. The locals were offering a ride on a 101 year old trolley and a downtown bus pass for $7. per person for the entire day. The Riverfront trolley ran from 12pm to 6pm, and the downtown bus could also be used with the $7 deal. It was $1 to ride one way and $2 for a round trip - a better deal. Their run takes you on a 4 mile trip from the pier to Pier 39. This riverwalk is lined with old sheds, restaurants, a memorial park, viewing platforms, and museums. We followed the tracks, but did not see the trolley for at least a half hour. From what we read, it takes around an hour for them to make the round trip. The passengers of the NCL Pearl were being tendered to the middle of this riverwalk. They were also buying the trolley passes. So the few times they passed us, the car was solid-full of people sitting and standing. Good for business.

 

We continued up 15th street to find the best pizza in town. We did locate the brewery, but found that the pizza service did not begin until 4:30pm. No way were we going to wait for two hours. So we walked back to where we saw an option......the Baked Alaska Restaurant had just what we wanted. We were seated at a riverside table, and ordered a grilled Caesar salad and margherita pizza to share. We have never had a grilled Caesar before, but it was really good. They took the core of a head of romaine, cut it in half, and grilled the cut edges quickly. Then the dressing was poured into it, and served with a cheesy thin slice of garlic bread. The pizza was excellent once again. There is a difference when the pies are cooked in an 800 degrees brick-lined oven or wood-fired. That is the best.

 

By the way, there were some passing clouds, but mostly the sun was out. There was a cool breeze in the shade, but until the sun went down, it was rather pleasant. One of the locals told us that it had been raining heavily all night and even this morning. We figured that by the huge puddles along the train tracks. Guess we brought the sun with us. A few other places to see in town were museums, either canneries, old houses, heritage, maritime, and a film museum. The movie, "The Goonies" was filmed here several years ago, putting this place on the map.

 

A landmark connecting the state of Oregon to Washington, is the Astoria-Megler Bridge Highway 101 North. This impressive bridge spans 4.1 miles across the Columbia River. Dedicated in 1966, it has the longest continuous truss in the world. The bridge's main span is 1,232 feet in length.

 

The other landmark is the Astoria Column, an artful monument located high on a hill overlooking the city. It was dedicated in 1926, and built at a cost of $27,133.96. This column is 125 feet high, and can be accessed by hiking up 164 steps. The murals on the column tell the story of Astoria from 1792 to the 1880's. We were more than happy to take photos of it from a distance.

 

We cannot tell you what the shops had to offer, because sticking to this riverwalk, you do not seen any shops. Some folks were carrying bags, but the most we saw were the crew members, that had a private bus shuttle to Safeway, and stores like Ross, etc. Appears they stocked up on the favorite snacks. There were tents set up on the pier. They were selling arts and crafts, and candied nuts. Smelled good, but they were really expensive.

 

The ship was scheduled to leave after 7:30pm, and we seem to remember we did not leave until after the late dinner began. Once we hit the rough water, the ship rolled and jerked suddenly. We hoped that our flowers, which were in a tall, heavy vase, had not fallen over in our room. Skipping the show, which was the Jeff Peterson and his dog Indy, a repeat performance, we headed down to find the flower vase had held tight.

 

Tomorrow will be a very needed day at sea. Hope the sun will be out.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 12 Sailing Towards San Diego October 1, 2014 Wednesday Sunny & 61 degrees

 

Finally, a day at sea, and a sunny one at that. The few times we have sailed south down this coastline from Alaska, we never saw the sun, so this was a pleasant surprise. For the first time we can remember, we slept late, missing breakfast in the dining room. Must have needed the extra winks instead of food. Not to worry, there is always something to be found in the Lido. Juice, yogurts, and a couple of pastries filled the bill. Of course, coffee was available too.

 

There was a guest speaker by the name of Dr. Joe Kess, who gave a lecture at 10am. His subject was who won the big pig war , settling the boundaries between Victoria and Seattle. Not sure what a pig has to do with it, but that is a good way to get folks to attend the talk.

 

Ships games, cooking and computer classes, and sales were in today's itinerary. And there is always trivia, sometimes fun, sometimes brutally competetive at 1pm with the cruise director.

 

We had a last minute invite to another comlimentary wine tasting at 2pm. It looked like a repeat of the one we did a week ago. Took a pass on it this time, but might go if we get invited another time. Perhaps they will review different wines.

 

Another guest speaker, Michael Chriss, spoke about the scale of the universe. There was a dance class with teaching showing the rumba. Royal Dutch Tea always makes the folks sweeter with the special desserts.

 

We had sandwiches at the sandwich bar for a late lunch, then spent some time above the back pool in the sun. In a protected spot, it was nice, but the wind was chilly. Despite that a family with three kids were swimming in the back pool. Of course, the kids do not feel the cold. Bet that water was heated.

 

Remember we mentioned that there are no formal evenings on this five day cruise to San Diego? Well this evening, the camera crew set up the formal night picture backround for folks to have their pictures taken. Even the dinner menu had some formal-type offerings. There were escargots, but served differently, jumbo shrimp cocktails, rack of lamb and beef Wellington. Dessert includes cherries jubilee, and Grand Marnier souffle. Guess this is as good as it gets until after San Diego.

 

After dinner, we walked through the Mix on deck eight just to see how many people were out and about. Well, the place was standing room only, because the Piano Man, Jamm, was entertaining the folks with Andrew Lloyd Webber tunes. He was really good. Nearby, the casino looked like it was jumping once again. Of course 800 passengers have only one more day left to enjoy everything the ship has to offer.

 

Another lovely day at sea tomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[lazey1]

Report # 12 Sailing Towards San Diego October 1, 2014 Wednesday Sunny & 61 degrees

 

 

 

Another guest speaker, Michael Chriss, spoke about the scale of the universe. There was a dance class with teaching showing the rumba. Royal Dutch Tea always makes the folks sweeter with the special desserts.

Well this evening, the camera crew set up the formal night picture backround for folks to have their pictures taken. Even the dinner menu had some formal-type offerings. There were escargots, but served differently, jumbo shrimp cocktails, rack of lamb and beef Wellington. Dessert includes cherries jubilee, and Grand Marnier souffle. Guess this is as good as it gets until after San Diego.ter dinner, we walked through the Mix on deck eight just to see how many people were out and about. Well, the place was standing room only, because the Piano Man, Jamm, was entertaining the folks with Andrew Lloyd Webber tunes. He was really good. Nearby, the casino looked like it was jumping once again. Of course 800 passengers have only one more day left to enjoy everything the ship has to offer.

 

Another lovely day at sea tomorrow.

 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

This sounds like an absolutely wonderful sea day with royal Dutch Tea and a formal night dinner menu then Andrew Lloyd Webber music. :)

You have peaked my curiosity. How were escargots served differently?

 

Looking forward to meeting you aboard the Amsterdam in Oct.15, and trusting that you will see to it that the Statendam is in perfect condition as we will be boarding her the day you disembark.;)

Edited October 2, 2014 by lazey1

[solocanadian]

Bill, you were lucky your flowers in the tall vase in your cabin held firm. I recall sitting in the bar in 1995 in Vancouver on the Old Rotterdam V. She was coming to Vancouver. When she passed the mouth of the Columbia river she darn near turned turtle. It listed 45 degrees. Everything on the tables in the 2 MDR's slide off onto the floor, along with the crystal glasses. Many of the glasses broke. Lladro figurines in the gift shop fell over and broke, a real tragedy. They had some beautiful large pieces. There was only crew on board and no reported injuries. Must have been frightening for the crew.:eek:

[MISSYLOU]

Really enjoying your review.

[cccole]

Yesterday I drove to San Diego to spend the day and evening with a good friend of mine, Randy, who is going to be on your cruise. I can't tell you how jealous I am of this South Pacific itinerary. When we walked down to the ship this afternoon I was almost more excited for his cruise than he was!!! It looks like the weather for your Pacific crossing should be warmer than usual. Bon Voyage on this part of your adventure. Cherie

Edited October 4, 2014 by cccole

[WCB]

Report # 13 Sailing Towards San Diego, California October 2, 2014 Thursday Sunny & 61 degrees

 

Today was surprisingly warmer than yesterday. The sun was out, the breeze was warm, and the temps were much higher than the reported 61 degrees. We knew that when we saw several people who had taken in too much sun at the back pool. Can't do that in a day or two, and not expect to suffer. Even sun block cannot protect you that much if you overstay the rays.

 

Today is the final sea day of the 5 day trip from Vancouver. Many things were happening onboard to entice the folks to spend money. One could save up to 75% in the shops, or win up to $500 in the blackjack tournament. The Greenhouse Spa and Salon has offered many deals on their specialized services. We have heard on previous trips that the salon is one of biggest money-makers on a ship. People like to feel and look good.

 

The two guests speakers gave talks in the showlounge, while the culinary team showed off their skills during a kitchen tour. One of our tablemates is enjoying playing bridge. He said the group here is pretty laid back and a fun crowd. That's what we like to hear.

 

We spent the majority of the day out in the fresh air, watching for sea life, while either walking or taking in some sun. This is the second day we have been able to wear our shorts, like a uniform at home. Anyway, this morning we saw a pod of either porpoise or dolphins very close to the ship. All day long, we saw the plumes of whales, that were surface swimming. From the few we saw dive, we noticed that their tails were smaller than the humpbacks. We are not exactly sure the type of whale we are seeing, but someone suggested they may be the gray whales. Whatever they are, judging by the numbers we have seen, the population is large and healthy, a good sign that the ocean in this part of the world is still thriving.

 

The Captain and Hotel Manager hosted another cocktail party in the Crow's Nest this evening at 7:30pm. Three couples received medallions......two copper for 100 days, and one silver for 200 days. They were happy campers. The party ended at 8pm, and we went off to dinner. There were just four of us, since one couple went to the Canaletto for the evening. The dinner flew by as we chatting easily.

 

By the way, the entertainer this evening was a gal by the name of Julie Barr, a comedienne, who had two shows........the early and clean one, and the late and not so clean one. Rodger and Rita said they were skipping both, and we seconded that. We seldom go to the shows anyway.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 14 San Diego, California October 3, 2014 Friday Sunny & 87 degrees Part # 1

 

Our port today was San Diego, California, and the start of the 30 day South Pacific cruise. So for about 100 of us, it was a regular port day, and for 800 new guests it was day one. Across from the dock from us was the Westerdam, obviously with a passenger turnover as well.

 

It's hard to find a city that has almost perfect weather, beautiful scenery, and has at least 101 thing to do and see, according to their local tourist magazine. We would say San Diego comes close to that description. Being that we are native Californians, we can add that our area in San Francisco is the best, but we cannot match the weather down here. Don't think their summers are as foggy as our fair city is.

 

San Diego is a major naval and trade port for the country, and one great area for tourists....like millions of them. For fun there is the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, gorgeous beaches, and Coronado Island to mention a few. For food and drink, a good place to visit is the Old Town, the Gaslamp Quarter, Little Italy, and Seaport Village. We have been here many times, by land and sea, so today we decided to take a long walk with the intent to find a good place for lunch, of course.

 

It was hot today. Even Captain Smit had mentioned to all to be very careful when going out and please take water. We can say that there was not a ripple on the water as we walked around the promenade deck after breakfast in the dining room. Yep, a heat wave was happening on the coast, and it is not unusual for this time of year. Even in SF, we have sailed out of the bay in early October under 100 plus degree weather. For that reason, the streets were not crowded at all today. Not even on the marina side of the bay.

 

We waited until most all of the disembarking guests had left before we headed out. That happened around 10am. The staff has this down to a science, and as long as everyone cooperates, it goes smoothly. All of the luggage had been offloaded into a huge tent on the pier, where dogs had sniffed everything. Except for the folks that chose expedited procedures (they hauled their own luggage off), everyone else gathered their things according to their designated tag colors and numbers, then proceeded through the customs line where the forms were collected. Taxis and vans waited in the middle of the two ships for the quick ride to the airport. Some even took the train, a block walk away.

 

It was fun for us to bypass this mess, and walk south towards the USS Midway, the longest serving Navy aircraft carrier of the 20th century. Docked permanently here, it is now a museum, where you can tour this floating city at sea and get a feel of the 50 years of history of the vessel. Continuing on, we passed the tuna fleet, ocean-going vessels that bring in the tuna that probably ended up at the Bumble Bee Cannery when it was operational.

 

Seaport Village is a nice walk from the ship. It has 50 shops and 17 restaurants. The place was fairly empty today, because it was still early. We have been here on weekends, and found it solid with tourists.

 

We continued to stroll the marina where the fancy yachts were moored. Gorgeous boats from all over the world were docked here on very secure gated harbor marinas. You can also catch a ferry in this area that will take you to Coronado Island, where the famous Coronado Hotel is located. It is said to be haunted. We have had lunch there with friends several years ago, but we think the ghosts were off that day. Ha-ha....

 

Highend hotels and the Convention Center line this part of the harbor too. By the time we reached the Hilton, we ducked inside to cool off, get a city map, and freshen up in their restrooms. Connected to them, is a very modern pedestrian bridge that takes you over the busy highway below, and over to Petco Park, the stadium of the San Diego Padres. Cutting across K Street took us right through the north part of the stadium, where we could see into the center field, where practice was taking place. During games, this area is gated off.

 

This is where we entered the historic heart of San Diego, the Gaslamp Quarter. No mystery where the name came from, real gas lamps line the streets, and were used during the late 1800's to the early 1900's. Now famous for their shopping, dining, and nightclubs, this was the original red-light district. One of our favorite places to go to lunch here is the Hard Rock Cafe, although there are so many places, it makes it hard to chose. Pizza would have been good too, but the HRC was the first we found.

 

It wasn't too crowded by the time we arrived at almost noon. We think because it was so hot outside today, many of the locals stayed home. So we got fast and attentive service from a very friendly bartender. She must have noticed that we looked thirsty, and filled our sodas every couple of minutes. Probably saved our lives too. We ended up splitting a giant cheeseburger, which was excellent. On our way out, we checked their store, and found they had a new design for their San Diego city t-shirt. So we bought one.

 

We still had another stop to make at CVS in Horton Plaza. Needing a few supplies in our room, we were surprised when we got our coupons with the receipt. We had earned $10. to use, but they expired before we got home. Not sure if there are any CVS stores in Hawaii, we went back after exploring Macys, and bought $10. worth of snacks.........mostly M&M peanuts. Nuts are healthy, right? What does it matter if they are surrounded with chocolate??? And besides, free is nice.

 

A strong breeze had cropped up, and help make the hike back to the ship a little easier. And it was downhill all the way....even better. We sure noticed many homeless folks. Whenever a city has tolerable weather year round, like here, you will see a lot more transients. We noticed some in Juneau, but there was a shelter for them. Vancouver had lots more, like we saw today. You often wonder what the story is behind each one.

 

The melee back at the pier had calmed down somewhat with the embarkation of the two HAL ships. We still had to go through security and the xray check. But it went quickly. The security team was more concerned with the newly-embarking guests than the in transit ones like us.

 

The mandatory emergency drill was held once again at 4pm. The instructions on this ship have been different to what we usually do on the Amsterdam. With the first warning blasts, we are told to stay where we are, and wait for further instruction. The next blast, we are told to go to our rooms. In a real emergency, we are to dress warmly and gather all of our meds. At the third blast, we have to go with lifejackets (only the REAL drill) to our muster stations. If we attempted to go up or down the stairs before the final blasts, we would have been stopped. No one is allowed on the lower promenade deck early. Only the boat commanders and their assistants. Wonder if this procedure has been implemented on all HAL ships? It has taken this third drill for us to notice the differences.

 

Lucky for us, we were on the shady side of the ship during the drill. We got to watch the Westerdam get ready to leave the pier. We followed shortly afterwards. Sailaway festivities were held in the Lido pool area at 4:45pm with Sydney and the HALCats entertaining the folks. They must have joined the ship today. Tropical Thunder was the drink special of the day, and judging from the number of guests that were indulging, we figured the Explore4 program must have begun for this group of sailors. Even if you did not book this cruise with the package, you were still able to purchase it for $44.95 per day per person. However, that amount is charged to your account daily for the entire 30 days, giving you a special drink card with a 15 drink limit per day. Anything up to $7. a drink, including soft drinks, water, and coffees. We can say there are going to be a lot of folks with hangovers on this trip..........

 

We stayed out on deck until the sun went down around 6:30pm. The sail out of the harbor was really nice, and even though we did not spot dolphins or whales, we did see hundreds of seals on the buoys. Many fishing boats were coming in from a long day out at sea. Birds trailed behind them, so we figured many fish had been caught. Usually when cleaning the catch, they throw the insides off the aft of the boats, making many birds happy.

 

Being at the back pool also paid off, since that was where the new Cruise Critic folks were meeting. Somehow, our names got dropped off the list, but one of the group recognized us immediately. Seems he has followed our reports for awhile, which was nice to know. These folks have to be the friendliest you would want to know on a trip. Could be the interaction prior to cruising, that by the time you meet in person, you feel like you have known them forever. They reminded us that there will be a formal meeting tomorrow.

 

We did not have long to wait to find out if we had new guests at our table for dinner. A very nice single lady from Minnesota joined our group, and we welcomed her. It's hard to break in on an established group sometimes, so we hope she comes back. Her name is Mary, and that will be easy for us to remember.

 

The menu choices have begun to rerun, so we both ordered the alternate steak. It was good as always with a loaded baked potato and green beans and sliced sauteed mushrooms. We did save room for dessert of frozen berry yogurt and a chocolate sundae. The service has continued to be excellent.

 

We will have several sea days now as we head towards Hawaii.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS We have been having trouble with the internet. We can post on CC, but cannot send or receive emails. Hope this gets resolved soon.

[kiwicruiser55]

I am sure you will write about your seadays and they will be just as interesting, hope your able to get an Internet connection too! Enjoy!

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Forums mobile app

[JamesEM]

Especially enjoyed report 14, DW and I did the same walking tour when we were in SD two years ago.

[WCB]

Report # 15 Sailing Towards Hawaii October 4, 2014 Saturday Overcast & 85 degrees

 

It will take the Statendam five full days to cross the stretch of Pacific Ocean before we reach the islands of Hawaii. Today the weather was all right, but not as warm as predicted. When we took our morning walk, we noticed it was fairly warm on one side, but pretty chilly on the other. If memory serves us right, it should be a couple of days of traveling south before we reach that tropical climate. We are not complaining, however, because there could be hurricanes in this area during the fall season. No sign of those, thank goodness.

 

There was a meeting of the Cruise Critic group this morning in the Crows Nest. Although we had been one of the first members to sign up a year ago, somehow, our names got misplaced. Lucky we ran into some of the group yesterday who reminded us of the meeting. This time, the size of the group was big, and was hosted by the staff here. We had cookies and coffee and a visit from Rick, the cruise director, Gary, the guest relations manager, and the new hotel director, Randall. Rick introduced him to us, and he decided to sit and join our circle of eight. This was perfect, because he gave us a run-down of his position with HAL for the last several years. He knows this business from the inside out and upside down. We asked a million questions about the type of customers HAL tends to attract. That depended on where the market was the hottest at the moment. Europe is always a hot spot, with Australia a close second.

 

There was some discussion about the new ship coming out in 2016. With the sale of the two ships, this one and the Ryndam, the Konningsdam (think the spelling is right) will more than accommodate the total number of passengers, plus some more. Assuming that the crew of both ships would transfer to the new ship, we found that some of them have been hired to stay on the sold ships and switch companies from HAL to P&O, both in the same family. This ship will go into drydock and will be re-configured to create open public spaces for a larger group. They intend to add more staterooms to increase the population of guests. It will be a far different product from what we have here.

 

We could have talked for hours, but there was another suite affair about to begin on the other side of the Crows Nest. Captain Smit had just strolled by with one of his officers. He sure did not seem to be at ease with these social events. Not all captains enjoy the mixing, but it is part of the job, we guess. The meeting ended by 11:45am, and we decided a light lunch in the dining room would be a good move.

 

The dining room menu offered a particularly good calamari fritter and turkey soup. We split a fontina burger with seasoned fries. It was plenty and we decided against dessert. Since we have several gifted Pinnacle Grill dinners, we stopped by the room to see if we could make reservations. Nothing on tonight's menu excited us, so tonight would work for us. We were greeted by a very nice manager who gladly gave us an 8pm spot tonight. We were going to make the rest of the dates, but it will be better to wait until we see what is on the regular menu first. As much as they want you to think the restaurant fills up rapidly, we have never had problems getting in....especially at 8 or 8:30pm.

 

As we mentioned yesterday, we are having major problems with the internet. Of course, with our older computer, we do not know if the problem is partly on our end. While testing the connection outside the Ocean Bar, Rick happened to spot us, and asked if we were getting the signal. We told him about our difficulties and lost minutes, and he said we were not alone with this interruption of service. He promised to investigate, and would let s know what he found out. He stated it was unacceptable, and hoped it would be fixed soon.

 

Everything Hawaiian began today around the ship. Shore excursions gave a talk on all the things to do and see in Hawaii, cooking classes prepared luau food, and the hula was being taught Lido poolside. Somehow we missed all of that. Before we knew it, the time came for dinner. Not having the room numbers of our tablemates, we made a stop at the dining room, and informed our head waiter to please inform our waiters that we would not be there. He said no problem.

 

To begin, we remember that the food was not the best in this Pinnacle Grill last year. So we were a bit reluctant to go. However, there was a new manager, who was more than polite and accommodating. We were seated at a table for two, but did not realize until after we sat down, that the lighting overhead was so intense, it was uncomfortable. We mentioned it to Ron, the cellar master , who stopped by for a chat. Before we realized it, we were re-located to a table for two at the window. Guess they do not have dimmers on these downlights. Problem solved.

 

We ordered the delicious, but garlicky Caesar salad, lamb chops and a filet mignon. We split a giant baked potato with a side of grilled mushrooms. All of the food was cooked perfectly, and was way better than last year. Glad we decided to come. Dessert was new to us. One of us had a slice of carmelized lemon tart, and the other had the fresh berry dish. Great way to end a nice meal.

 

While we were on our way towards the forward elevators, four of our dinnermates came up behind us. They chastized us for missing dinner, but also said they did get the message we left. Apparently, another single lady from England joined our table tonight. Now we are finally complete with eight of us. That will make conversation flow a lot better.

 

Keep forgetting another new thing that we found on this ship. A couple of days ago, we had two of the light blue pool towels left in our room. They were folded with a note that said only these towels will be allowed off of the ship. No matter where we chose to use them, they must be returned to our room. If not returned, our account will be charged $27.50 per towel. That tells us that these towels will not be in a huge bin for us to take off as we leave the ship. Wonder if all of the ships are doing the same thing?

 

The clocks went back one hour this evening, much to the delight of the staff, we noticed.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Krazy Kruizers]

Loving your review.

I can understand why some of the crew will be staying on the Statendam and Ryndam -- for many of them it is closer to home.

[Oahucruiser]

Yes, there are CVS stores in Hawaii but they are called Long's Drugs. Your CVS card and any coupons will work here and they have the same products as in California. CVS bought Long's several years ago but retained the Long's name as it has been an institution in Hawaii for ages.