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

[sassyw]

I am looking forward to this. One person told me that only Machu Picchu was better than Petra....will be a long day- 13 hours

 

We were at Petra in 2010. We never saw pictures of it and when our guide got us to the area right before you see this magnificent site he told us to close our eyes and we led each other to a place where he finally said to open our eyes. What a great way to approach the surprise!

Be aware that it is a 2 mile hike from the buses and then that same 2 mile hike back. When we were there (April) it was in the high 90's. But so worth it!!!

[The-Inside-Cabin]

I too was going to say that in Haifa most things are open on Saturday. The Baha'i temple is quite nice. Petra is wonderful and much bigger then you might think. You will see only a small part of it. Prepare for a bit of walking. 13 hours? 2 hours each way by bus. Hour in and hour out. 2 hours lunch. Leave about 4 hours there or so. Not bad.

 

 

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Our tour includes a 4 wheel drive component on the way back....Petra only is 9 hours

[MMDown Under]

From your comments, the countdown until the end of your cruise has begun. How many days do you have left?

[jig]

That always sounds like fun. Not sure where it is. We did that in wadi rum but that's not the same direction. 9 hours that's tight. That's why we do almost everything private.

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

From your comments, the countdown until the end of your cruise has begun. How many days do you have left?

 

 

 

The world cruise ends April 30. We continue on to San Diego arriving May 16....

 

Complete itinerary is on the blog under world cruise reference. http://www.theinsidecabin.com

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 90, Sailing toward Al'Aqabah, Jordan

 

Another hot and muggy day kept us inside as we continue to transit the Red Sea toward our next port in Jordan on April 6th.

 

Once again, we started our day with Good Morning Amsterdam where the guest was David Kidd, who performed the Tom Jones tribute show last night. Show Host Erin was the host this morning.

 

As we are getting closer to the final Grand Dollar redemption day I checked out the prices of the available items that are always on display in the Library. The most expensive item is the Kindle Fire for 5,000 Grand Dollars and the next most expensive item is 300 Grand Dollars. I have accumulated about 372 dollars. Not sure how anyone could get 5,000 dollars unless a group of people pooled their winnings. Nevertheless, it was fun accumulating them and there will be some more opportunities before we get back to Florida in a few weeks.

 

After Good Morning Amsterdam, Barbara and Nyron presented an overview of the excursions in our remaining ports from Haifa to Fort Lauderdale. Gene announced that today was Barbara’s birthday and her desk was appropriately decorated.

 

We joined our tablemates, Rick and Margaret, for the second half of our Mexican Dominoes game we started yesterday but was interrupted when we went outside to look at Yemen as we transited the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. Margaret pulled out a win after I was caught with over 80 points on the second to last hand.

 

I entered the blackjack tournament today for $10. I had won a tournament earlier in the cruise but haven’t played in one since. Here is how the tournament works. You are dealt 7 hands, starting with $1,500 in tournament chips. The 2 people with the most chips will advance to the finals. There are usually 3 qualifying rounds and afterwards the top 6 people will return to the finals. Once you are in the finals, your score to get you into the finals no longer matters. If you want to maximize your chances to get into the final, try and get into the last game before the qualifying tournament ends, that way you can determine how much you will need to qualify. It’s rare to see someone get into the finals with less than $5,000, $7,000 is probably closer to average.

 

Today was unusual because the two qualifying amounts were $19,200 and $24,000. Casino dealer, George, remarked that he has never seen anyone win more than $26,000 in one of these tournaments. Again, these are tournament dollars, not real dollars. I managed to get $19,200 by starting with a third of my stake early on and then going “all in” for the final hand. A well timed black jack along the way helped along with winning a side bet on the “Lucky Ladies” where you get extra money if you are dealt a 20 on the first two cards.

 

The finals will be tomorrow and we will see what happens.

 

As we sail around the world, the dining room usually has a few regional items on the menu. Tonight they featured Kuwait Shrimp with Rice and a few of us gave it a try. One of the many wonderful things about this cruise is the opportunity to sample a wide variety of entertainment, food and locales. If you find you don’t like a particular dish, the dining room staff will quickly bring you something else, although I have yet to have anything this cruise that wasn’t wonderful.

 

Here is a picture of the women at our table with their favorite desert: The Cappuccino Bomb!

 

 

The same is true with the various ports as you will inevitably find some more interesting than others. We were pleasantly surprised by Cambodia and Vietnam and both countries would merit a return visit, but we were disappointed by Sri Lanka and probably won’t return unless we chose to participate in a dedicated Safari type excursion.

 

Kieran Powell was on the stage once again with a new show. He didn’t have any new characters but presented a very funny skit where he was able to create a Dolly Parton character with the cooperation of a good natured audience member.

 

More on the blog at http://www.theinsidecabin.com

[MMDown Under]

The world cruise ends April 30. We continue on to San Diego arriving May 16....

 

Complete itinerary is on the blog under world cruise reference. http://www.theinsidecabin.com

 

You still have longer left than the length of many people's whole cruise. What a wonderful adventure you are having!

[The-Inside-Cabin]

You still have longer left than the length of many people's whole cruise. What a wonderful adventure you are having!

 

 

 

I know! After this, we hardly feel like unpacking for a 7 day cruise (smile)

[swin26]

It looks like you have such a fun table. Did you arrange your own table through CC or was it just good luck that you were assigned to your group. Thanks for your great reports

[The-Inside-Cabin]

It looks like you have such a fun table. Did you arrange your own table through CC or was it just good luck that you were assigned to your group. Thanks for your great reports

 

 

2 people were prearranged thru the roll call, one was an add on from the roll call after the first day, and two were the luck of the draw.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 91, Sailing toward Al'Aqabah, Jordan

 

There was a crew training drill at 9:30 and Good Morning Amsterdam was rescheduled to 9AM but I forgot to check the time and I incorrectly assumed it was still at 9:30. Another reminder to always check the on-location guide every day because sometimes the times for regularly scheduled events do change.

 

Normally they rerun the Good Morning Amsterdam right after it airs, but they were showing a future cruise presentation instead and I had to leave before it came on. While waiting for Good Morning Amsterdam to come on, I was pleasantly surprised to see a rerun of one of the Guest Lectures. Apparently whatever policy restricted their replay before has been changed, unless this was a onetime event. I will check my sources and see what I can find out.

 

Paulette Mitchell, the Guest Chef, presented, in the Wajang Theatre, the second part of her lecture series on how to take better travel photos. We missed the first part yesterday but were able to catch the second part today. She showed many photos from her travels and explained her thought process in how she framed the pictures and approached her subjects.

 

Another stir-fry luncheon was held today next to the Lido pool. They seem to have these about every 3 weeks and we haven’t missed one yet. They continue to be outstanding and there is no longer much of a wait to get your food cooked.

 

I was in the finals for the Black Jack tournament this afternoon. My prize for third place was a T-shirt. The winner received $250 – not a bad payout for a $10 entry fee.

 

Judy attended the 2 pm lecture in the Queen’s Lounge on Petra and Wadi Run. She enjoyed the pictures and descriptions and is looking forward to our HAL tour tomorrow.

 

After the lecture, Judy headed over to Arts & Crafts. She wasn’t the only one to arrive late after the Petra and Wadi Run lecture. Today’s craft was a paper ‘purse’ with a small pocket inside with room for a gift card or a business card. I have a feeling she’ll be making more of these after we get home.

 

 

Good day for me in the Texas Hold’em tournament where I finished second, but still in the money.

 

We went to dinner this evening in the Pinnacle Grill for the second time this cruise where we were joined by one of the couples who joined us on the Taj Mahal overland tour. The food in the main dining room has been so wonderful, along with the great service and tablemates, make choosing to eat elsewhere always a tough decision. Judy enjoyed the special fish entrée that is not normally on the menu while I ordered the West Coast Seafood Cioppino that is always available. Both entrees were incredible and we are scheduled to go twice more before we return to Fort Lauderdale.

 

There was a single show at 9:30 PM which consisted of three 15-minute encore performances by Donna Groom, Bernie Fields and David Kidd. There performances were all outstanding and we were glad to have a chance to see them again.

 

We arrive in Al'Aqabah, Jordan, tomorrow and we will have a long day ashore as we head out for a 13 hour tour to Petra and Wadi Run.

 

More on the blog at http://www.theinsidecabin.com

[KirkNC]

Looking forward to your report on Petra and Wadi Rum. We are doing an overnight in Petra next year on the WC so your visit will give us a taste of what to expect.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Looking forward to your report on Petra and Wadi Rum. We are doing an overnight in Petra next year on the WC so your visit will give us a taste of what to expect.

 

 

 

Are you staying ashore overnight? Let me know if you want me to check anything out

[The-Inside-Cabin]

On our way to Petra. 2 hour bus ride in front of us.

 

 

 

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[MMDown Under]

Day 91, Sailing toward Al'Aqabah, Jordan

 

After the lecture, Judy headed over to Arts & Crafts. She wasn’t the only one to arrive late after the Petra and Wadi Run lecture. Today’s craft was a paper ‘purse’ with a small pocket inside with room for a gift card or a business card. I have a feeling she’ll be making more of these after we get home.

 

 

More on the blog at http://www.theinsidecabin.com

 

Love the cute little paper purse, Judy made. Seems to be great variety in the arts and crafts on offer.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Now at the Treasury in Petrea. 1 mile in

 

 

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Selfie at Petra

 

 

 

 

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[Kathie13]

OMG! Just breathtaking!!

 

 

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[RuthC]

Now at the Treasury in Petrea. 1 mile in

Breathtaking.

Thank you for that picture. I'm sure it's as close to the Treasury as I will ever get.

[rafinmd]

Photos are breathtaking but don't hold a candle to being there in person, unforgettable.

 

Roy

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Still working on the big update...later today

[1of4]

:eek: wow, stunning. Thanks for sharing these pictures. I have no words!

[4boysnana]

Wow. Breath taking pictures. I am looking forward to hearing about this adventure as with all of your travels. Thank you for all your efforts in keeping us posted.

I must share with you how your spirit of adventure and your joy in travels has reached us at home. I will very likely never go a world cruise but I look forward to reading about your cruise every day. I love the menus!

I hope you continue to enjoy every minute of your time together sharing this wonderful trip. Thank you for sharing it with us. I know it has been lot of work but do you think you could just keep on cruising?

What are we going to do when you have to pack and think about going home? Just keep going. And reporting. I am sure the Amsterdam is going someplace fun.

 

Keep smiling and smooth sailing

 

4boysnana

[scrap47]

I agree with 4boysnana....its been delightful to follow along with the two of you and I also greatly appreciate your blog! I am amazed at your spirit of adventure, your pre-planning and attention to detail, and your thoroughness in your updates. Thank you!

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Wow. Breath taking pictures. I am looking forward to hearing about this adventure as with all of your travels. Thank you for all your efforts in keeping us posted.

I must share with you how your spirit of adventure and your joy in travels has reached us at home. I will very likely never go a world cruise but I look forward to reading about your cruise every day. I love the menus!

I hope you continue to enjoy every minute of your time together sharing this wonderful trip. Thank you for sharing it with us. I know it has been lot of work but do you think you could just keep on cruising?

What are we going to do when you have to pack and think about going home? Just keep going. And reporting. I am sure the Amsterdam is going someplace fun.

 

Keep smiling and smooth sailing

 

4boysnana

 

 

 

We are staying on thru the Panama Canal then get off in San Diego 15 miles from home.

 

We will be trying a new line, Viking Ocean this summer and the Cunard to see what formal nights are like there.