Join Pete and Judy on their FIRST World Cruise on the Amsterdam

[MMDown Under]

Celebrity Solstice passengers were given a travel advisory this week for possible terrorist attacks for Indonesia. Jakarta, Bali and Lombok were mentioned in particular. Were passengers on Amsterdam given a similar travel advisory?

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Celebrity Solstice passengers were given a travel advisory this week for possible terrorist attacks for Indonesia. Jakarta, Bali and Lombok were mentioned in particular. Were passengers on Amsterdam given a similar travel advisory?

 

We are on the Volendam in Asia and have not, Yet

[MMDown Under]

We are on the Volendam in Asia and have not' date=' Yet[/quote']

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2313649

 

I wondered whether it depended on the cruiseline.

[Beachbum1944]

Police escort.

 

[ATTACH]377929[/ATTACH]

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Celebrity Solstice passengers were given a travel advisory this week for possible terrorist attacks for Indonesia. Jakarta, Bali and Lombok were mentioned in particular. Were passengers on Amsterdam given a similar travel advisory?

 

No, we have not received any warnings on the Amsterdam

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 55, Sailing toward Hong Kong

 

“Oscar Night” came to the Amsterdam at 9:30 AM Monday Morning. The Queens Lounge was decorated with a movie theme, special drinks were offered and light pastries with coffee and OJ were provided on tables set up on deck 4 right inside the Queens Lounge door. The room was probably ½ full, and the large picture and sound was wonderful with the Oscars seeming slightly more glamorous when shown on a big screen. The normal morning events: Good Morning Amsterdam, Tai Chi and the usual 10 am and 11 am presentations were cancelled.

 

 

At times there was 50 knots of relative wind over the deck, but since it was right down the bow it didn’t seem so bad when out on the promenade or on your verandah. I was interested in seeing if there was any spray coming over the bow so I ventured up to the deck 6 observation deck right below the bridge where I would have a clear view of the bow. There are two ways for passengers to get to this area.

 

1) Go to deck 6 and proceed all the way forward down the port passageway, turn left and go out the door directly onto the deck.

2) Go all the way forward on deck 3 promenade where you will see several sets of doors. There are some marked staff only and others that are unmarked. Go thru the unmarked double doors and then up three levels to the deck 6 observation deck.

 

Once on the observation deck, and as expected with 50 knots of wind, it was almost impossible to stand still and walk in a straight line. There wasn’t any spray coming over the bow so I took a few pictures, looked at the Long Range Acoustic Devices mounted for anti-piracy measures, and quickly sought shelter inside the ship. We learned from last night’s dinner guest, Steven, one of the ships third officers, that the Amsterdam’s high freeboard (the distance between the water and an open deck) provides another level of security against pirates since it makes a hostile boarding difficult.

 

Stir fry was an option again for lunch today near the Lido pool. There is no longer much of a wait to get your food cooked as the number of cooking stations seems to be just right to avoid any lines. See my post from February 18TH, on the blog, for pictures and a more detailed description of how the stir fry works. We always look forward to the stir fry’s and the cooks do a wonderful job.

 

Florist Eddy presented a flower arranging demonstration in the Wajang theatre at 1PM. It was amazing to watch him work as he explained some of his tips about arranging flowers. I learned that if you add a teaspoon of bleach to a liter of water and use this mixture in your flower vase, the plants will last longer since the bleach will kill bacteria than can cause plants to shrivel sooner. Eddy also explained that Tulips are among the few flowers that continue to grow even after being cut and placed in a vase. After the demonstration, I went to the Atrium on deck 5 where the other florist, Callista, was selling fresh flowers and some beautiful vases that are exclusive to Holland America.

 

 

During Crafts today Judy made a greeting card with a “Spinelli” design glued to the front. My winning streak at Texas Hold’em came to an end when my three nines were beat by a full house on the river. I can’t complain as I have had more than my share of good cards recently.

 

Once during the world cruise, every full cruise passenger is invited to the Pinnacle Grill for the Captain’s Dinner. The Captain and his wife will host one of the very large tables in back with the remainder of the guests being spread around the other tables. Each table is hosted by one of the ships officers. Dinner is at 6pm and starts with a receiving line with the Captain and his wife with the ships photographer standing by to take pictures. Unlike shorter cruises, where handshaking is avoided, the Captain and is wife, Karen, will greet you with a pleasant smile, a few kind words and firm handshakes.

 

The menu is fixed and I have posted a copy on the blog in place of the normal main dining room menu under the world cruise reference section. Our host was Nicolai, the ships IT manager, and we were joined by another couple from Ontario, near Toronto. Nicolai is from Serbia and he shared his interesting background and how he came to be working for Holland America. He is having a wonderful time on the world cruise and enjoys his job because he gets to work in many different areas as opposed to being very specialized if he was working ashore. We learned that there are two antennas for the ships internet, a primary and a backup. HAL contracts with vendors for a minimum amount of bandwidth, but the actual number may be greater depending on conditions and how many other ships may be sharing the same “lines”. There are over 300 antennas throughout the ship so you can get a Wi-Fi signal almost anywhere. There are still a few obsolete “Wi-Fi hotspot” signs around the ship that used to indicate the Wi-Fi hotspot locations when there were only a few.

 

The Pinnacle Grill staff prepare a different menu for each of the 12 Captains Dinners, but again there are no choices the night of your meal. They will accommodate dietary restrictions if you let them know in advance. Here’s a description of the courses we were served.

 

• “Peanut Butter and Jelly” with Foie Gras, Rhubarb, Brioche and caviar

• Roasted Corn and Butternut soup

• Caprese - Tomato and Mozzarella

• Mushroom Duxelle Crusted Petit Tendeloin

• Red Velvet Cake

 

The HAL singers and dancers performed for the last time this evening as they will be leaving the ship in Hong Kong. The show, “Rock at the Opera”, was a wonderful combination of singing and dancing. They performed a variety of hits from pop “operas”, like Pinball Wizard and Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. Their final number was a stirring rendition of Con te Partiro (Time to say Goodbye) made famous by Andrea Bocelli. Martin opened the number and was joined by Beth singing in Italian. Emily joined in next singing in English and finally Daniel completed the quartet and they finished the song together alternating between English and Italian. They received an enthusiastic standing ovation and after the final curtain calls, we will be saying goodbye to this wonderful group of performers.

 

 

More pictures on the blog. Toward the end of the segment they give us a bill which we can pay now or carry forward to the end of the cruise. See the blog under world cruise reference for a copy of this letter. People who want to adjust HSC can only do so on a segment by segment basis.

 

Charges can only be disputed segment by segment but you don't have to pay until the end, unless you prefer to pay as you go.

 

more on the blog at http://www.theinsidecabin.com under world cruise reference

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 56, Sailing toward Hong Kong

 

Thirteen foot swells continued to pound the Amsterdam as we continue north thru the South China Sea towards Hong Kong. Opening the exterior doors on the promenade decks starboard was almost impossible due to the high winds. Waves and sea would occasionally break over the railing and the port side promenade was soaked with sea spray while the starboard side was dryer, but more windy. I ventured once again to the deck 6 observation deck and the wind was so intense it was all I could do to walk from one end to the other before seeking refuge inside. It was definitely a day to stay inside as there wasn’t much sun and with the temperature in the mid 60’s, laying out by the pool was not very inviting.

 

The location guide, Barbara, was the guest today on Good Morning Amsterdam. She expanded on her Hong Kong port talk and offered some more tips and suggestions about what to see and do.

 

 

Right after Good Morning Amsterdam I stopped by the Queens Lounge to hear Barbara present her port lecture on our two Vietnam ports: Da Nang and Phu My. She mentioned an issue that some guests may still harbor strong emotions about Vietnam based on the Vietnam war back in the 70’s and that people should not press other guests who may choose to not visit Vietnam for various reasons. When we visit the various Vietnam museums and memorials we should remember that everything will be presented from the Vietnamese perspective and is likely to present the USA in a poor light and look to at this as an opportunity to reflect on a different point of view.

 

Dr Ping Wing Kam followed Barbara in the Queens lounge and discussed some of the differences between Buddhism and other Chinese folk religions. His talk was interesting and informative as always.

 

With the dome shut, the weather was pleasant around the Lido pool, but still not very crowded. There were several people playing ping pong and the table has been frequently used all cruise. I am still waiting for someone to play chess with the giant chess pieces.

 

They announced the winners for the second photo contest with the categories being Animals, Architecture and Pictures that have been Photoshopped. Judy and I entered a few pictures but didn’t win anything. My edited photo is shown here.

 

 

Judy continues her perfect attendance in the afternoon Arts & Crafts. Today’s project was a small jewelry pouch. Most of the sewing had been done on this one. One seam needed to be hand sewn and the drawstrings were threaded through the pouch.

 

There wasn’t a special theme for dinner tonight but the food was exceptional as always. The Amsterdam makes amazing pot pies and tonight they had the seafood pot pie as an option and many people at our table ordered this and enjoyed it very much.

 

Tonight’s show was an encore performance by the group “Opera Interludes”. Since we saw the opera “Barber of Seville” when in Sydney we recognized the song they performed from that opera and it was nice to hear it once again. The ship was rocking quite a bit, and since the Queens lounge is pretty far forward, the deck motion is much more pronounced than in other parts of the ship. The singers did stagger a bit here and there but they managed to keep their footing throughout the show. Their performance was outstanding and they received another standing ovation.

 

 

Tomorrow is Hong Kong and they will be serving “Star Ferry” rolls during our Sail In starting at 8:30 AM.

[KirkNC]

I bet those Star rolls will be very similar to Panama rolls.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

I bet those Star rolls will be very similar to Panama rolls.

 

 

And the Sydney rolls, suez rolls etc etc...but they are good by any name.

[jig]

We went to HoiAn while in Danang. We did it by private guide. Really nice. Also marble mountain. There is a elevator up but they expect you to walk down from the other side. If you haven't been there it is the place to go. Hue is another but I have not been there.

I have never ever got a bad feeling from anyone in Vietnam. They are very pro American. The food is wonderful. One of the great cuisines of the world. Everything Is a work of art.

[Tampa Girl]

We are so enjoying your reports. Thank you for taking the energy and time. And, one other thing that is appreciated. You answer our questions, which is not always the case with other world cruisers who may be too tired to respond after writing their blogs. In any event, we thank you for taking the time to resond to us "wannabe's."

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We are so enjoying your reports. Thank you for taking the energy and time. And, one other thing that is appreciated. You answer our questions, which is not always the case with other world cruisers who may be too tired to respond after writing their blogs. In any event, we thank you for taking the time to resond to us "wannabe's."

 

 

No problem answering questions...I am writing this in part to help people planning their own cruise so I want to know what people are wondering about. Fire away!

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Closing in on Hong Kong

 

 

Overcast, windy and cool today

 

 

Looking to start our approach in 90 minutes, all tied up in 3 hours. 10am local

[RuthC]

And, one other thing that is appreciated. You answer our questions, ....

Agreed. We know we aren't posting into a vacuum when there's a response. Very appreciated.

[retiring soon]

HI all!

 

I'm enjoying your World cruise & have a question. How many of the passengers are on the ship for the whole cruise please? If you already mentionned this, sorry I missed it.

One of our former neighbours is on it so I've looked for her in any pictures but haven't seen her.

 

Hi RuthC ~ we met on the Rotterdam 14 day Alaska cruise. Hope you're well.

 

~ Jo ~ :)

[The-Inside-Cabin]

HI all!

 

I'm enjoying your World cruise & have a question. How many of the passengers are on the ship for the whole cruise please? If you already mentionned this, sorry I missed it.

One of our former neighbours is on it so I've looked for her in any pictures but haven't seen her.

 

Hi RuthC ~ we met on the Rotterdam 14 day Alaska cruise. Hope you're well.

 

~ Jo ~ :)

 

 

There was about 700 for the whole cruise. Approx. We lose 200 today and only pick up 80.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RuthC]

Hi RuthC ~ we met on the Rotterdam 14 day Alaska cruise. Hope you're well.

 

~ Jo ~ :)

I remember, but I think it was the Amsterdam.

Doing well---I'm alive! :D These days, that's pretty good.

 

Don't want to derail the thread, but hope you are doing well, too.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Looks like it will be a beautiful day!

 

Star ferry

 

 

Peninsula Hotel

 

 

9:30 am local time Wednesday

 

 

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[retiring soon]

Hi again!

Thanks so much for your quick reply!

 

 

Ruth- of course it was the Amsterdam, same ship this cruise is on! Silly me!

 

Jo

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Off the ship. Enroute to Hong Kong Disneyland using popular ride sharing service

 

 

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[SonnekeH]

I was heading for bed 4 hours ago when I stumbled on your post....and here I am, 4 hours later, and I am only halfway through reading it! Amazingly well done....what a great post and wonderful pics!:) Wish I was with you......will continue reading where I left off tomorrow for sure!

One question, and forgive me if it has been asked before...is there a Catholic Priest on board for daily Mass, like on all the other HAL ships?

[teamflames]

Disneyland in hk is very small compared to the others around the world, not as many rides. I quite like ocean park with its huge aquarium. Lamma island is a good day trip if people have seen a lot of hk. An artsy community lives there and you can hike from one village to the other and have a seafood lunch before catching ferry back

 

 

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[teamflames]

Are you overnighting in hk? If so the night races (horses) should be on at happy valley, this is great fun, a lot of expats tend to go

 

For Vietnam I also second Hoi an

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

I was heading for bed 4 hours ago when I stumbled on your post....and here I am, 4 hours later, and I am only halfway through reading it! Amazingly well done....what a great post and wonderful pics!:) Wish I was with you......will continue reading where I left off tomorrow for sure!

 

One question, and forgive me if it has been asked before...is there a Catholic Priest on board for daily Mass, like on all the other HAL ships?

 

 

Yes. There is a Catholic Priest, Rabbi and Protestant leader onboard. Grand Voyages always have more and better stuff in all categories. Be sure to check out http://www.theinsidecabin.com for more pictures, daily activity guides and menus ,

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Are you overnighting in hk? If so the night races (horses) should be on at happy valley, this is great fun, a lot of expats tend to go

 

For Vietnam I also second Hoi an

 

 

Sent from my iPod touch using Forums mobile app

 

 

We are here for 3 days and 2 nights. Will have to investigate the horse races. Thanks for the tip

 

 

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