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

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Would like to know what the 12 sites in one day was. I would have passed on rajghat for the red fort. Hope you at least saw it. I did write about the walking in Delhi. I have never had a problem but my friend got the poop on the shoe treatment. India is a great place to spend weeks traveling in a private car.

Saw my friend pics on fb from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Looking nice. Never been there.

 

 

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Our research said Agra Fort was in better condition than Red Fort and if pressed for time could be skipped without missing much. They are apparently similar.

 

These were the first options we discussed....

 

Visit RED FORT, JAMA MACHIS, RAJGHAT, AKSHARDHAM TEMPLE, HUMAYOUN TOMB, INDIA GATE, RASTERPATI BHAVAN, LODHI GARDEN, LOTOUS TEMPLE, QUTAB MINAR, LAXMINARAYAN TEMPLE, OR NATIONAL MUSIUM

[cccole]

Sounds like you made good decisions on what you saw and adopting a shorter list of sights. If I remember correctly, this is the second time you had a problem getting your guide to take you to the type of shopping you wanted. I have made a note to clip small photos from a magazine of items we want to purchase and items we do not want to purchase. A big red X can be put on the photo of the "no" stop shopping. I think this is a problem in many areas of the world, even where English is the dominant language. Still loving your reports and looking forward to hearing what it was like being in Dubai after Delhi. From what I hear they could be different planets. Cherie

[chefestelle]

That's a very good idea, cccole!

 

 

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[jig]

Not counting red fort, your right about that , humayoun tomb and the lotus temple are worthy places to visit. The others you didn't miss much.

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 81, New Delhi to Dubai

 

Feeling refreshed we meet the rest of our travelers in the lobby at noon for our transfer to the airport for our flight to Dubai leaving at 4:10 PM.

 

The airport was only 12 mile away, but we gave ourselves an hour to get there because you can never predict what may happen with traffic in any large city, especially New Delhi. After we got our bags loaded and situated we were on our way at 12:15. The first 6 miles went smoothly taking about 15 minutes, but then we came to a complete stop and didn’t move at all for 10 minutes. Our driver was a little surprised that we were going so slow since this was a holiday weekend and in the middle of the day. After inching along for another mile we discovered the reason for our delays. Protesters were attempting to block the main onramp leading to the airport freeway and the police were pushing them back to try and keep the road clear. Around 1 pm we were reached the protestors, all peaceful, and realized they had successfully closed 2 of the 3 lanes of the airport on ramp. The protesters were holding signs criticizing Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who was scheduled to visit Australia to encourage more Australian investment in India. Apparently not all Indians are in favor of this but we don’t know much more about the details of the situation.

 

 

Once we merged onto the single lane, we resumed the speed limit and arrived at the international departure terminal around 1:15 pm.

 

We were required to show our passports and flight itinerary’s before we were allowed into the terminal. I was glad I had printed out hard copies of our flight confirmation as the guard wanted to look at this before he would allow us to pass. When flying in the USA I rarely carry a hard copy of my flights since everything is now on your phone, but for International it is still a good idea to have a hard copy for circumstances like this. I probably could have pulled up a copy of the flight on my phone and gained entry, but it is always simpler when you can give them what they are looking for.

 

Large signs showed our flight information and directed us to lane H where we would find the appropriate airline check in counters. Often times at international airports, the airline counters may change and there may be a sign guiding you to the correct check in gates. We would be flying on an Emirates Airlines Boeing 777-300.

 

We had already checked in online and that proved to be a timesaver as there were 2 agents dedicated to processing people who had already checked in. This line was much shorter than the normal line. Our travelling companions in front of us were forced to weight their carry-on bags and since they were over the 7.5 KG limit they were required to check their bags. The agent that helped us was the next agent over and she didn’t ask us to weigh our bags, which were every bit as heavy as theirs, and we were allowed to carry them on. After we got on the plane, there were numerous bags well over the 7.5kg limit in carry on so enforcement of this is spotty, but you should be ready to check any carry-on and have a plan to remove medicine and other non-checkable items quickly.

 

In addition to our boarding passes we were given a small tag, marked with the Emirates Airlines logo with space for our name and address. We were given one for every carry on, including Judy’s purse and we learned that these tags would be stamped as we went thru security to certify that our bags have been screened. If we didn’t have these tags prior to entering security it wasn’t clear if we would be given stamped tags on the spot or if we would be forced to return to the check in counter to get tags.

 

Now that we had our boarding passes we headed to immigration which was fast and we were processed without being asked any questions. Right past immigration was a familiar USA style security screening setup. Similar rules regarding electronics, but they didn’t care about liquids. Have a bottle of water – no problem – leave it in your bags or carry it thru the metal detector.

 

It was now 2 PM and we were thru all the check-in hoops and in the terminal with the boarding gates. Total time from curb to gate area was 45 minutes. Our flight starting boarding at 3:25 so we had almost 90 minutes to shop and get some food. There were dozens of shops in the terminal along with a sizeable food court. If you want to buy Indian tourist souvenirs you won’t go wrong by waiting until you get to the airport. We did get a chuckle when we saw a large sign above one of the shops that announced that yes – they did accept Indian Rupees, which I assumed went without saying since we were still in India after all. All the shops will take USD and any other major currency.

 

We stopped by McDonalds for a familiar snack where were learned that they didn’t sell any beef or pork products but had converted every familiar menu item e.g. a “Big Mac” to a chicken or vegetarian equivalent. I had a chicken Big Mac and it was pretty good.

 

 

The boarding area was quite large and they tore off the large part of our boarding pass as we entered this waiting area. They started to board on time, by zones. To get into the jetway, we needed to show our boarding pass stub and passport. Right before we entered the plane every passenger was frisked with the men frisked in public while there was a separate area for the women to be frisked behind a screen.

 

The B777-300 interior was in great condition and the seatbacks all had a very modern LCD display to select movies and other entertainment features. Everything onboard was complimentary: hot meals. beer, wine, spirits and the first 10MB of internet access. An additional 500 MB of data could be purchased for $1 USD. Champagne was extra at $15 USD a glass. They had a feature on the entertainment screen called “Airshow” which allowed you to access either a camera facing forward to watch the takeoff and landing live or another camera facing the ground so you could see the terrain below.

 

Our 3 hour flight was uneventful, but I did notice that we flew around Iran, rather than taking the direct route. Inflight service was outstanding.

 

Once inside the Dubai airport, which was very, very modern, it was a 20 minute walk to get to immigration where we entered a line that turned out to be 15 minutes. The lines each queue up for a specific immigration officer unlike the usual arrangement where you enter a long snaking queue where you are directed to the next open immigration officer once you get to the front. There didn’t appear to be different lines for different passports, but we didn’t have an opportunity to fully analyze the situation. There were a few immigration officials with no lines for a while and we incorrectly concluded that they were for somebody else or there would be a line. It turned out we could have gotten into those empty lines had we known better. So future traveler note, head for the shortest or empty line when entering Dubai, if you get into wrong line, I am sure you will be directed to the correct line at that point.

 

Judy and I approached the immigration official together and he asked us if we were tourists – Yes, and then how long would we be in Dubai. He then quickly found some space for his stamps and we were on our way. We didn’t fill out any forms for immigration or customs anywhere. After we cleared immigration there was an X-ray machine to screen our carryon luggage. It wasn’t clear what they were looking for – drugs maybe?

 

There are money changers inside the baggage claim area and before customs, so I changed some money for cab fare, but as it turned out, the cabs gladly accepted USD making the conversion on the spot. There is an ATM located right outside customs.

 

Customs was the same as in most international airports where you walk thru a green lane if you have nothing to declare and a red lane if you have something to declare. There was a guard in the area, but he didn’t seem too interested in anybody in particular and we didn’t see him speak to anyone while we were in the area.

 

 

After customs we followed the signs to the taxi loading area, there wasn’t any line. We were directed to a large black Lexus, walking past the normal looking well marked taxis. We protested that we wanted a cab, not a Lexus, but the driver assured us that his car was metered and cost the same as the other cabs. It turned out that he was correct and we had a nice ride to our hotel – The Hyatt Regency Dubai, with the fare being 65 AED or about $18. The hotel estimated taxi fare would be 90 AED so I don’t think we paid any extra for the Lexus cab.

 

Dubai is not an inexpensive city, or at least Hyatt Regency Room Service. A soft drink from the mini bar would cost $7.35 USD. I was surprised to find a small grocery store in the mall next door where I found a ½ liter Diet Coke for 50 cents.

 

There wasn’t any inexpensive restaurants in the immediate area, so we ordered a very nice $27.50 USD hamburger from room service (fries included at no extra charge).

 

Our room was facing the Arabian Gulf with a nice view of the Cruise Terminal. We would be able to watch the Amsterdam as she arrived the next morning.

 

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

[chefestelle]

That is one pricey burger!

 

 

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[jig]

Demos are very common in India we were in Calcutta for a total of 7 days and I think there was at least one every day. Maharajah burger. Had a few of those. Did the bread fall apart on you? Enjoy your time in Dubai.

I believe you are going to Salahla in Oman? The city is kinda nice. Very friendly. But the taxi thing could a bit of a problem. At the gate there are cars. They will take you in and ask what time you want to go back. They will quote a price. That's one way. They will find you. Then they bring you back and want to charge you for all the hours he was hanging. A. That's where the paper and pen come in handy. But the police at the port won't come after if there is a problem. Just beware.

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Demos are very common in India we were in Calcutta for a total of 7 days and I think there was at least one every day. Maharajah burger. Had a few of those. Did the bread fall apart on you? Enjoy your time in Dubai.

I believe you are going to Salahla in Oman? The city is kinda nice. Very friendly. But the taxi thing could a bit of a problem. At the gate there are cars. They will take you in and ask what time you want to go back. They will quote a price. That's one way. They will find you. Then they bring you back and want to charge you for all the hours he was hanging. A. That's where the paper and pen come in handy. But the police at the port won't come after if there is a problem. Just beware.

 

 

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We are going to Salahla. What did the taxis cost in Salahla? Will try to figure something out when in Muscat tomorrow. We have HOHO tickets in Muscat.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Transiting the strait of Hormuz

 

 

Razor wire in place

 

Edited March 29, 2016 by The-Inside-Cabin

[jig]

Never been to Muscat. Don't remember how much. It's been a while. You are docked way away from the city. Way. The ships tours might be a good idea. Just be forewarned.

 

 

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[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Stay safe

[travelinjones]

We are at the Columbo airport waiting for our flight to Dehli. Lots of people with bad experiences here with taxis and Tuk Tuks ...not a place I would want to visit again. Details on full report later.

 

Your blog is wonderful! We are both enjoying following along your experiences and discoveries as you explore the world.

 

So sorry to read about your unpleasant experience in Colombo, Sri Lanka. We were there just about two years ago via a short segment of the Seabourn World cruise, and had an amazing day. However, while we generally like to explore ports on our own, we decided that day to take the 1/2 day "Life and Lore of Colombo, Sri Lanka" shore excursion -which transported us out of the port gates and through the crazy traffic to see some of the highlights of the city. (Once we came back from the shore ex, we had planned to go out again and explore on our own. The time and hassle to get out of the port again dissuaded that plan.)

 

In case other readers are thinking about how to spend time in Colombo, this link shows pictures of the highlights of our tour: http://www.travelingwiththejones.com/2014/04/22/experiencing-the-life-and-lore-of-colombo-sri-lanka/

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 82, Dubai, UAE

 

Our room in the Hyatt was facing Port Rashid so we would be able to watch as the Amsterdam arrived in Dubai early this morning. I set my alarm for 6 am to be up in time to watch as she first came into view. At 6 am it was still dark and hazy and I couldn’t see anything. Fifteen minutes later the Amsterdam appeared out of the haze as she slowly approached the final turn to where she would moor in front of the cruise terminal. About 30 minutes later a Royal Caribbean Ship, Splendor of the Seas, appeared and followed the Amsterdam to an adjacent berth.

 

 

With the Amsterdam moored in Dubai, only a few miles away, we could breathe a little easier as we were now only a cab ride away from rejoining the ship. Whenever you go overland, there is a chance you could miss the rendezvous point or the ship could change schedules and cancel the port where you planned to reunite. Since Dubai was a major overnight port and also the end of a segment, the chances of the ship cancelling this port were very, very low.

 

We took it easy in our room, enjoying our $50 room service breakfast, which was very good as you would expect considering the price. In addition to our view of Port Rashid and the cruise ships we had a nice view of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world at over 2,700 feet. Everything in Dubai is either the biggest or the best or if not, then they are probably in the process of building something bigger or better.

 

 

Once we checked out we easily found a taxi to take us back to the ship. The Dubai Cruise Terminal is a large building, that sits a mile or so behind a guarded gate. Near the gate the Queen Elizabeth 2 is moored and looked to be in pretty good condition. She has been in Port Rashid since 2009 when she was purchased by Dubai investors. There are no specific plans publicized regarding her future at the moment. At one point she was going to be turned into a luxury hotel like the Queen Mary in Long Beach and at another point she was going to be sold for scrap. Later that evening we would see her displaying “friendship lights” from the bow to the stern, so someone is still looking after her.

 

As we approached the gate, neither us nor the driver knew exactly what would be required for us to pass. Once we showed our cruise cards and said the magic word “Amsterdam”, the guard raised the gate and waved us thru. Now that we were past the gate, we still had to find the correct spot for us to enter the terminal which was easy to see, but not obvious as to which of the many roads leading to various wharves, piers and loading areas would get us to the right spot. After driving down a few dead ends, we finally discovered the correct road by process of elimination. We would remember for future reference to follow the signs to Cruise Terminal 3.

 

The cruise terminal was large and modern, and based on the number of people sitting in the terminal staring at their phones, it also had free Wi-Fi. We went thru a metal detector and our bags were X-rayed. There wasn’t any immigration there, all we needed to show was our cruise card to get past security.

 

The short gangway was on A deck and level with the quay which made it easy to get aboard with our bags. We were cheerfully welcomed “home” by security and it was good to be back in familiar surroundings. Our first stop was the front desk to turn in our passports and make sure there weren’t any immigration issues we would need to deal with since we didn’t arrive with the ship, but would be departing with her the next day. The Front Desk staff reviewed our passports looking for the UAE entry stamp we received when we arrived in Dubai last night. Once they confirmed we had the correct stamp we were on our way back to our cabin.

 

Our cabin stewards had laid out the daily on location guides along with some of the other announcements and flyers we missed over the last 5 days. There was also a new Grand Voyage Gift – a very nice travel wallet that will come in handy to keep all of our credit cards and other important items in one spot. It is a little too big to use as an actual wallet, as it is closer to being a small portfolio than a wallet.

 

One of the great things about this Grand World Voyage has been the evening entertainment. The variety and quality of the shows has been first rate from the beginning and we scanned the On Location guides to see what we had missed. We learned later that a group called “The Fly Rights” was outstanding and some in our group said they may have been the best show of the cruise. We also missed the second HAL Dancers and Singers production show, but since this was our last overnight we will be sure to be in attendance for their remaining shows.

 

After we unpacked, we headed back out to the terminal to sign up for the HoHo bus tour. Dubai has two HoHo operators, City Sightseeing, which is in many ports around the world, and an outfit we never heard of Big Bus. We decided to go with the Big Bus since their busses included free Wi-Fi as part of the deal.

 

Since it was now almost 4:30 we decided to check out the Dubai Mall, take in the fountain show and be back on the ship in time for dinner at 8pm.

 

The Dubai mall in huge, 3 levels of shops with every conceivable brand and shop represented. There is a large multistory aquarium and a huge waterfall with full size metal sculptures of divers appearing to dive from the top of the falls to the water below. We don’t find large shopping malls particularly interesting as there wasn’t much that is really new to us, but the sheer size of the mall and the stores is impressive. The mall had a similar feel to the Hotel/Shop complexes in Las Vegas, except this was bigger and there aren’t any casinos.

 

We walked out to the large manmade lake where the fountain show was already in progress. The show was designed by the same company that did the fountain show at the Bellagio in Las Vegas and the similarity was obvious. It was worth watching, but if you have already seen the show at the Bellagio, you could skip this show and not miss anything really new.

 

On the way back to the ship we saw a large Tim Horton shop (Canada’s famous coffee chain) sharing the same store front with a large Starbucks. I don’t think I have ever seen these two stores side by side before.

 

By 7:45 we were back on the ship just in time for dinner at 8pm. The dining room was decorated for Easter, with colorful balloons and Easter eggs everywhere. On the menu was a 24 ounce Porterhouse steak which I think is the same one they have down in the Pinnacle. We suspect they may have more than they needed down in the Pinnacle and want to use them up before the end of the cruise.

 

There was only one show tonight, a demonstration of Dubai Traditional Music and Dance. The show consisted of a belly dancer, a Whirling Dervish and other Lebanese performers. Each of the acts performed twice, but once probably would have been enough as the acts got a little repetitive. Nevertheless it is always interesting to get exposed to different types of entertainment and sometimes you find something new and interesting that you might never have seen in other circumstances.

 

 

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

Edited March 29, 2016 by The-Inside-Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Your blog is wonderful! We are both enjoying following along your experiences and discoveries as you explore the world.

 

So sorry to read about your unpleasant experience in Colombo, Sri Lanka. We were there just about two years ago via a short segment of the Seabourn World cruise, and had an amazing day. However, while we generally like to explore ports on our own, we decided that day to take the 1/2 day "Life and Lore of Colombo, Sri Lanka" shore excursion -which transported us out of the port gates and through the crazy traffic to see some of the highlights of the city. (Once we came back from the shore ex, we had planned to go out again and explore on our own. The time and hassle to get out of the port again dissuaded that plan.)

 

In case other readers are thinking about how to spend time in Colombo, this link shows pictures of the highlights of our tour: http://www.travelingwiththejones.com/2014/04/22/experiencing-the-life-and-lore-of-colombo-sri-lanka/

 

Thanks for your feedback. Everyone who had a good day went on a tour or hired a driver. That sounds like the way to go in Colombo - not a city for casual walking

[Skipper's Mom]

Pete & Judy,

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to share your experiences with the rest of us. :D You are truly giving us the benefit of your travels and whetting our appetites for more.

 

I'll be sad when the cruise comes to an end but it gives me a chance to dream of taking a WC someday down the line.;)

Edited March 29, 2016 by Skipper's Mom

[jig]

Big bus is in NYC and we saw them in Istanbul. They are a worldwide company. Clogging the streets.

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Good Morning Muscat!

 

Sailing by the Riyam Monument

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Nice cafe near the water in Muscat.

 

 

Amsterdam in Muscat

 

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 83, Dubai, UAE

 

We spent the morning unpacking and getting everything organized in our cabin after our trip to India and didn’t leave the ship until after 2pm. Our plan was to ride two loops of the Dubai Big Bus which would take 4 -5 hours.

 

We arrived at the Dubai Mall and only had to wait about 10 minutes until the next Big Bus would leave on the Red Route or City Tour. We sat in the upper deck and were able to get the seats in the first row which gave us great views as we drove around the city. Dubai is very modern and very new. It’s hard to grasp the size of all the various buildings when the tallest building is over twice the height of the Empire State Building, it makes the 18 other buildings over 1,000 feet tall seem small by comparison.

 

 

The Big Bus City tour takes you on a big loop between the Dubai Mall and Dubai Creek driving by many of the older parts of the city. Dubai Creek is a saltwater creek that separates Dubai into two towns – Deira to the north and Bur Dubai to the south. The Creek is too small for bigger ships but OK for Dhows. There are various Dhow tours available that go up and down Dubai Creek that will give you a different perspective of the city. The Dhow Wharfage is also here and is home to dozens of Dhows, some over 100 years old, that are still actively involved in trade between other Gulf countries, some as far away as Somalia.

 

The famous Raffles hotel of Singapore has opened a hotel in Dubai that looks like a pyramid. I wonder if you can get a Singapore Sling here or did they invent another drink for Dubai.

 

We passed by the Dubai Museum, housed in the old Al Fahidi Fort. Other highlights included seeing an old Watchtower and the Gold Souk which is Dubai’s best known Souk and home to hundreds of jewelry shops. On our way back to the Dubai Mall we passed by the Emirates Classic Car Festival, an annual event that showcases classic cars from all over the world.

 

 

Since it is usually very hot in Dubai, the city has built air conditioned bus stops for people to use to stay cool when waiting for the buses.

 

Dubai has plenty of malls, in addition to the Dubai Mall, there is Diera City Centre, one of the City’s older malls built in 1995, and the Mall of the Emirates, best known for being home to Ski Dubai where you can ski on 4 indoor courses, with the longest being about ¼ mile long. Lift tickets are sold for either 2 hours or all day and range from $85 to $140 which includes skis, boots and jump suits – but not gloves which must be purchased at an additional cost. If you are interested in Skiing Dubai, you can save some money by throwing a pair of gloves in your luggage before you leave home.

 

After the city tour we ended up back at the Dubai Mall where we switched over to the Big Bus Beach tour on the green line.

 

The Green line runs along Jumeirah Beach after passing the Jumeirah Mosque which is probably the most photographed mosque in Dubai. It offers tours to non-Muslims daily except Fridays at 10 am. This mosque is an exact copy of Cairos Al Axzhar Mosque only 1/8 the size. It’s surprising that Dubai didn’t build it bigger than the one in Cairo as Dubai normally has to have everything bigger and better than everything else.

 

As we headed toward the large manmade peninsula called Palm Island, we passed by the Burj Al Arab – which is advertised as having 7 stars and is one of the world’s tallest hotels at 1053 feet. No one is really sure what it takes to be a 7 star hotel as it’s left to the imagination of the property’s marketing department.

 

It was now dark as we headed out on the trunk of Palm Island toward the large resort hotel called Atlantis which features the popular water park called Aquventure.

 

After we left the Atlantis Hotel we turned right to loop around the crescent section of Palm Island. It was now 7:45 and we were supposed to be back at the Dubai Mall at 8:20 with an all aboard of 9:30. It is about a 20-30 minute taxi ride from the Dubai Mall so we weren’t worried about getting back on time. After we went down the outer leaf for a couple miles we turned around and headed back to the Atlantis and then back to the city down the trunk of Palm Island. Little did we realize but there was construction blocking off one of the two lanes on the crescent. We were inching along at maybe 2-5 mph and it took us 30 minutes to get back to the Atlantis Hotel where we were finally able to get back up to the speed limit. After this delay we probably wouldn’t get back to the Dubai Mall until 8:45 pm and then we would have to get a cab. We chose to get off the Big Bus at the next stop, the Mall of the Emirates, and grabbed a cab there. There was a short taxi line with most of the people waiting pushing shopping carts after they had finished grocery shopping and then were taking taxis home.

 

Once we hopped in the cab we learned that the driver spoke very little English and had no idea where the cruise terminal was. Fortunately I had my card from the ship with helpful phrases and the first line was ‘Please take me to Port Rashid Cruise terminal’. Port Rashid was the magic word and he knew exactly where to go and we were at the port security gate in about 20 minutes and in front of the Cruise terminal about 10 minutes after 9 pm – 20 minutes to spare.

 

We spent the last of our Dirhams at a gift shop in the terminal and then headed back to the ship at 9:25.

 

The Lido didn’t open until 10:30 so we ordered the Penne Pasta with Shrimp and the Salmon from Room service. The meals arrived in about 30 minutes and were very, very good. Room service on the Amsterdam continues to be exceptional.

 

Tomorrow will be a sea day and we will be taking it easy.

 

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

[jig]

Looking forward to visiting Dubai in 2021 for the worlds fair.

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Day 84, Sailing toward Muscat

 

The weather was remarkably mild today as we sailed thru the Strait of Hormuz. I had anticipated that it would be quite hot, but it turned out to be rather pleasant as I walked around Deck 3 inspecting the razor wire strung along both side railings and along the stern railings. They have also rigged some fire hoses pointed down that would be used to help thwart any would be borders. When I was in Dubai before the ship arrived, I logged onto shipfinder.com to check on the whereabouts of the Amsterdam. At first I was a little surprised when the site failed to show a single ship anywhere in the Arabian Gulf or northern Indian Ocean. I presume that the site blocks the location of all ships in these waters to not make it any easier for pirates to locate any targets of interest.

 

Good Morning Amsterdam was at 9am today which is normal for the first day after being in port since they usually have a ships emergency drill on the first day and the drills always start at 9:30 and Gene has to be on the Bridge to take part in the drill. The Shore Excursion manager, Nyron, was the guest this morning and he discussed how he started as a Disc Jockey on Holland America and after several years moved over to work in the Shore Excursion Department.

 

 

He explained that sometimes tours that have a lot of availability will sometimes suddenly fill up at the last second because the ship will cancel extra capacity before the penalty date if seats remain unsold. Sometimes the ship will “buy” the unsold seats to avoid cancelling a tour altogether if the minimums haven’t been met.

 

After Good Morning Amsterdam I went down to the Queens Lounge to listen to Barbara discuss our upcoming visit to Salalah. She explained that the shuttle will take you as far as the port gate and after that you will have to negotiate with a taxi driver and be ready to spend anywhere from $80 to $200 depending on how well you negotiate. That was the unfortunate bottom line and if you didn’t want to deal with taxi drivers, take a ships tour or stay on the ship.

 

We relaxed in our cabin until my Texas Hold’em game at 2:30. Judy took a nap to get recharged after all the traveling and long hours of the last 7 days.

 

Our dinner table was complete for the first time in a week and we had a wonderful time catching up with everyone’s adventures while we were gone and we shared our stories of our overland trip to India and the Taj Mahal.

 

Tonight’s show was one of the more interesting productions of the entire cruise. David Keller does a one man version of Hamlet called “Cut to the Bone” where he plays all the characters and portrays most of the characters and scenes in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The show was 65 minutes long, well beyond the 45 minute cruise ship standard. They had closed off the balcony since we heard that people in the balcony during the early show had difficulty hearing since David doesn’t use a microphone during his performance. We have been to over 100 Broadway musicals but have never seen a Shakespeare play in person, so we are not well equipped to provide a meaningful review of what constitutes a well performed version of Hamlet. I do enjoy the variety of the entertainment on the World Cruise and HAL was definitely pushing the envelope with this show, so we were glad we attended to learn more about David Keller and this show, but we would probably pass if he were to come back for an encore performance.

 

 

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

[jig]

Saw some pics from my friend on board of Muscat. Looke really nice. Bet your having a good time. One day I'll get there.

 

 

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[The-Inside-Cabin]

Welcome to Salalah!

 

 

Tour Buses ready

 

 

Setting up the bow for a crew pizza party at noon

 

 

Lots of people staying on the ship. Very few people seem interested in dealing with taxis at gate (who have a horrible reputation for price gouging) in order to not see very much in Salalah.

 

 

 

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[jig]

I think as a regular stop on WC as well as many others a lot of people have seen that, done that.

 

 

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[KirkNC]

Good thing you had that phrase card!