Hitch a Ride with Bill & Mary Ann on Holland America's 2018 World Cruise - 113 days +

[StartrainDD]

Bon Voyage Bill & Mary Ann!

 

I've been enjoying your posts. It's about time to get your sea legs again. Have a great cruise back to the west coast!

 

Arie

[WCB]

Report #126 Ft.Lauderdale Stay May 9, 2018 Wednesday Mostly sunny & 80 degrees 5 Pictures

 

Well, it seems that our little “mini” vacation in southernFlorid is about to end. Yesterday wasanother pleasant day, doing what we have done most every day here………….walk, shop, eat, watch TV, and enjoy all theinternet we can. We have to add that wehave slept quite well, even though there is outside work being done on thehotel property. Our room on the seventhfloor has provided a perfect view of the big drilling rig, earth movers, anddump trucks as they prepare the grounds for future builds. Interesting to watch the progress, althoughit seems slow. Yesterday we noticed thatthe ballrooms of the hotel have been closed off with plastic curtains. Guess some remodeling will be happening here aswell.

 

The weather has co-operated with little rain during thedaylight hours, then raining some at night. In reading the local paper, we have learned that this area isexperiencing a drought, something we are very familiar with living inCalifornia. The rainy season will soonchange things here. And if any hurricanes arrive, they will have too muchwater.

 

Today, we took a hike back to Publix for a few room snacksfor the ship. There will not be any portson the way back through the Panama Canal that sells chips and dips and M&Mpeanuts. We are finding that mosteverything we need can be found at Walgreens. Today we checked several places for a covered plastic container to packsome bags of chips. Found the perfect oneat the drug store.

 

We have to add that the people we have met here have beengenuinely nice. That applies to the restaurantsand stores, even the folks at the hotel, who treat us like residents bynow. The one exception has to be one ofthe shuttle drivers, who seems to hide at the time he is supposed to drivehotel customers to Sawgrass Mills Mall. It appears that these fellows have other jobs at the hotel, but if thistransfer is offered three times a day, it should be done with a smile, even ifyou only have two riders. Oh well, wedid make it out there three times, which was enough to get what we needed andhave two great lunches at CPK. By theway, we looked up the size of this mall, and found it to be rated as number 11 ofthe largest malls in the USA.

 

Packing kept us busy the rest of the afternoon. Even though we did not bring all that much,we seemed to have added a bit more than we thought. If we have gauged it right, most of thetoiletries will be finished, with nothing much to bring back home. They do add lot of weight to the luggage. After a world cruise, you would be surprisedhow many people will put out a box of unused cosmetics in the hallway for otherpeople or crew members to take. Guess itwould not fit in their luggage going home.

 

So the plan for tomorrow is to check out by 10:30am, take ataxi to the pier, and hopefully check-in by noon or earlier. It may be a while before we are set up withinternet on the ship, so until then, keep an eye out for the continuingjourney. We will be back……

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Fred321]

Bill and Mary Ann

 

Sorry we didn't know you guys were still in Ft. Lauderdale when we got off the Prinsendam last week. Could have shared a breakfast on our way home. Looking forward to your comments on the drydock changes especially the new Lanai rooms. Hate the idea of fewer deck chairs on the many sea days of a world cruise. Safe trip home. We've held a place for the 2020 World cruise so hopefully we will see you again every morning in the dining room.

 

Rich and Peg

[WCB]

Report # 127 Embarkation Day May 10,2018 Thursday Partly cloudy & 80 degrees Part # 1 of 2 54 Pictures

 

Wow, what a day. Asalways, boarding day has proven to be one heck of a long one. It began when we checked out of the hotelaround 10:30am, and loaded all of our things into a waiting van that we hadarranged to pick us up. Right on timetoo. The ride to Port Everglades onlytook a little over 15 minutes, as we seemed to have missed commute traffic.

 

Our boarding info stated that no one would be checked inbefore 11am, although when we arrived to Terminal 4, several buses were alreadythere, and dozens of people were giving their bags to the porters. We did the same, and followed the line ofpeople going inside the building. Wewondered if there would be a different line for the high day Mariner Societymembers. Our question was soon answeredwhen one of the greeters looked at us, then showed us her copy of our pictures. She had been waiting for us, and led us rightto desk to fill out our health form. From there, we were escorted to an agent, who swiftly checked us in. Only one mistake was made, when she took ournew photos, as our pictures got mixed up with each other. Of course, we did not know this until weactually boarded the ship.

 

Then we were led up an escalator, and seated near theentrance. As we expected, the ship hadto have a “zero count” with everyone onboard, before the new guests could belet on. So our actual boarding time wascloser to 11:30am. While waiting, we didhave the chance to talk with some guests that recognized us. Some have been following our blogs for yearsnow, and were so nice to tell us how much they have enjoyed it. And here we thought we would not know anyoneon this cruise. And the same thinghappened throughout the rest of the day…..certainly a surprise to both of us.

 

Our group included the deck 7 suite folks, who were a bitslow with gathering their things, so we can say that we were the first passengersto board the ship today. The securitygal at the kiosk said we had to wait until one minute after 11:30am before itwould work. That’s when we found out thatour photos had been switched. Not a hugeproblem, but we would need to go to the front desk staff and have the picturesre-done. Truthfully, this is not thefirst time this has happened to us. Andthe good news was that we knew every greeter at the entrance on deck 2, makingthis cruise a very special one.

 

Since we were the first ones onboard, the front desk staffhad no customers. Getting our room keysfixed was easy. Eventually, the line ofpassengers filled the lobby so our timing could not have been better. And better yet, the keys worked, and westashed our hand carrys in our room, same one we always have, and took off toget photos of the many changes we found. And there were many…..

 

In fact, there were so many upgrades, that it might take all17 days for us to list them all. Firstthing we saw were new hallway carpets on the lower passenger decks. We are fairly sure that every passenger deckgot new carpets…..we will continue our exploring tomorrow to find out. Every public area seems to have upgraded thecarpeting as well. Later in the day,after talking to many waiters, wine stewards, and room attendants, we learnedthat their decks, A & B, also got some most welcomed changes.

 

The biggest project had to be the new lanai rooms on deck3. We counted a total of 21 of them,beginning from the atrium back towards the center of the ship. One side had 12 (starboard), and the otherside had 9 (port). We were able to getinside one of those rooms to find they were not done yet. The bed had been set on the side wall, and ashort desk and couch were added by the window. A flat screen TV was waiting on the bed to be installed on the wall atthe foot of the bed. The bathroom hadbeen totally re-done. Gone was all ofthose small tiles on the walls and floor. The tub was gone, and there was just a walk-in shower with glass doors. The sink area was changed with no wallhairdryer or medicine cabinet. Now thereare glass shelves to store things. Notsure if we saw the lower shelf under the sink. And it appeared that there was a keycard device to open the door fromthe outside deck, solving the problem with getting locked out of your room byaccident.

 

In the Lido Market, we discovered that many of the stationshad been switched back from the world cruise set-up. The best improvement had to be the flooringthat was changed from half carpet and half tile the length of thecounters. Now it is all non-slipflooring that looks like tile, but is not. Much cleaner, and easier to keep that way. The table tops looked different as well. According to our assistant waiter, Dewa, thedishwashers had been replaced in the Lido….separate ones for glasses anddishes.

 

What was out of sight work, but we learned from crew members,was that the hot water piping had to be replaced. At some point, none of the crew had hot waterfor some time…..cold showers for everyone. Even the lower decks such as the engine room got upgrades. We are certain that many more things gotattention, and as we hear about them, we will let you all know.

 

We had been handed an invite to the Crow’s Nest for awelcome onboard champagne reception at 1:30pm. Since we usually miss these events, we felt it time to make the attemptto attend. Glad we did since we met thehotel director, who gave us a most wonderful welcome. We have never met him before, even though hehas been with HAL for over 15 years. This is his first time on the Amsterdam. Sitting at the bar, we met a very nice couple who happened to be thehosts for Cruise Critic. They remindedus that the meeting would be tomorrow at 10am in the Crow’s Nest. We will be there.

 

We never did make it to lunch, since the Lido was a mobscene. We worked on putting some of ourstuff away, since our one bag we left behind was delivered right away. The mandatory muster drill was held at3:15pm, followed by the bon voyage sail away festivities on the aft deck8. Knowing we would be back there as wealways are, Brook, Captain Fred Eversen’slady, joined us for the sail out of the harbor. We have known her for years, ever since she began her career working forClub HAL and Shore Excursions. Captain Fred takes over for Captain Jonathonthis time of year, so we have made many re-positioning cruises together. Brook said she will go back to Shore Ex whenthe ship reaches San Francisco. Duringthe course of our conversation, she told us things we did not know. Such as most all of the workers for the drydock were from Eastern Europe and Italy. At least 60 of these fellows have remained onboard to continue work thatwas not completed. Some of that has tobe the aft Seaview Pool , as the pool itself has no tile and no water. The existing decking we thought was going tobe replaced, had been chemically treated, then sanded smooth. We suspect there will an epoxy treatment doneto it, making it less slippery and cooler to naked feet.

 

We did take the time to eat a few slices of pepperoni pizzafrom the Lido, as there was not much else left to choose from. Maybe because we were really hungry, it tastedfine. By the way, there was no Marinerlunch today in the dining room. It wasclosed until dinner time.

 

By the time we got back to our room, all of the luggage hadarrived, so we made use of this time to stash it all. Then we went off to relax in our specialchairs outside the Ocean Bar before dinnertime. Our chairs were still there, but the “living room” side had all new upholsterydone on that furniture, as well as a new wooden floor added. On the outside of the Ocean Bar side, thechairs around the little tables had been switched to monster-sized chairs. Much more comfortable, but so heavy, theywill not be moved far.

 

On this cruise, we saw no happy hour drink specials, and nolive music in the Crow’s Nest. The OceanBar has the Ocean Quartet at 7:30, 8:30, and 9:30, the Piano Bar 8pm to close,and the Explorer’s Lounge with Adagio 7, 8, and 9pm.

 

The show lounge deck 4 had new seating in the center. No more dance floor, now that area is filledwith seating all the way to the stage. The name Queen’s Lounge is gone, replaced with Mainstage. New carpeting was added and even newfurnishings.

 

The band here now is called The Ocean Quartet, and theyplayed more jazzy tunes than the previous band. Before we knew it, dinnertime had arrived. So now we entered deck 5 to The DiningRoom. No more La Fontaine. Downstairs on deck 4, we noticed a completelynew welcome desk in place. Upstairs wasthe same. Our table for this trip is#81, and the biggest surprise, was that we had Slam, our dinner waiter for twoyears now. So nice to know he will betaking good care of us for about 17 days, as he knows exactly how we like ourfood. Ice cold salads, and hot, hotsoup. We both ordered salad, soup, andprime rib followed by desserts of yogurt and an ice cream sundae.

 

The show in the Mainstage (no more Queen’s Lounge) wasactually a big screen movie – The Greatest Showman. Too tired for anything else, we made our wayto the room and spent a most restful night with the rolling of the ship. Really missed that.

 

What a day…….glad to be back!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[mame42]

Thank you for taking the time to post the great info on updates.

[WCB]

Report # 128 Day atSea May 11, 2018 Friday Partly cloudy & 82 degrees 37Pictures

 

It seemed like we just closed our eyes, and it was morningalready. A good sign that we sleptwell. The weather and seas have beenmost kind to us so far.

 

Breakfast was busy this morning, even arriving after9am. Normally we get in the dining roommuch earlier, but we had been assured that table # 179 would be available tous. Our favorite breakfast and lunchwaiters, Made and Gan, have been re-assigned to different areas of the diningroom, as they are rotated periodically. But now we have two more good waiters, and we willlearn their names soon. The dining roomwas still pretty full this morning, and probably overwhelmed the cookssomewhat. Until a pattern evolvesbetween the Lido and the dining room, this will not be a problem as the cruiseprogresses. Since we had no place to be until 10am, we hadplenty of time to wait for our order. Whenit came, it was right on.

 

While we were eating, another kind lady came and introduced herself. Once again, she said that she has beenfollowing our blogs for years, and was so happy to finally be able to saythanks. Always good to hear. She also reminded us about the Cruise Criticmeeting at 10am, which we did want to attend.

 

Going out for our morning walk, we found the WalkaroundDeck, which is the new name for the Lower Promenade deck….at least that is whatis on the new elevator signs. There hadbeen a cruise ship neck-n-neck with us all morning, but it seemed to be gainingon us. It was far enough away that wecould not identify it. In fact, part of the time, it was in therain, while we were not. Eventually, itdisappeared from sight. We must be in ashipping channel because we could see freighters passing in the distance.

 

There have been four new tender boats added to theAmsterdam. While talking to one of thedeck officers, we learned that these larger boats had to have special bracketsto hold them. The old boats were set tobe transferred to another HAL ship, but they will not fit at the moment. Many more security cameras have been added onthis walkaround deck as well.

 

We made it to the Crow’s Nest just as it began. There must have been close to 30 people, whowere already deep in conversation. Sincewe had already met some of the members, including the leaders, we had a goodgroup to converse with. We love to hearof different adventures people have while traveling in many ways. Like over-lands, or land tours, as well ascruising. The subject of Cuba came up,and this group had a lot to share about their visits there. Perhaps someday a world cruise will includeCuba in their itinerary. The meeting wasstill going on when we left after 11 am. Perhaps it was the offer of cookies andcoffee that kept the folks there. By theway, there was no visit from any of the staff members, as is the case on theseshorter trips.

 

We went to the dining room for lunch, since the weatherlooked rainy outside. It was a mixed bagthis morning with showers, clouds, and sun. Later in the day, the sun stayed out for the afternoon. Lunch was an appetizer with salads and one ½ orderburger. Desserts were a small éclair andpavlova. We really like the reduced sizefor this meal. One of the head waiterswas new since we left the world cruise, but looked familiar. But he knew us. Turns out he was on the Eurodam last fall,and remembered us. These fellows areincredible.

 

Hoping to see the Seaview Pool filled, we were disappointedto find it was not. It was stillnetted. And the decking was stained terriblyfrom the drift of ash from the stacks. Doing a little research, we figured out that the tile around the pool hadbeen removed. The non-skid surface willhave to do until it is repaired someday. There are no plans to re-do the surrounding decking at this point. Many other passengers were asking why thispool was not available, so we do hope it will be operational by tomorrow.

 

A bouquet of flowers and a delivery of sodas arrived to ourroom, compliments of Orlando Ashford, our two week perks.

 

We had been invited to a complimentary wine tasting at 2pmin the dining room. We don’t drink it,so it we chose not to attend.

 

Today there was a talk in the Mainstage with the subject ofwhat to see and do in Cartagena, Puerto Quetzal, Corinto, and Huatulco. The EXC Guide’s name is Kelly, and she is theperson that has taken over as location guide like Barbara H. In our humble opinion, she has a long ways togo to fill those shoes. There is no substitutefor years of experience

 

America’s Test Kitchen launched the lessons on everythingsalmon. So far we have not looked intothe “hands on” cooking classes usually offered. We should be entitled to a complimentary class with an apron as agift. Although we may not do it, we wantto know if these classes are still happening.

 

Many classes were offered with the Microsoft DigitalWorkshop, as it is a popular thing for folks to do on sea days. Also keeping the passengers busy were games,even without the DAM dimes. Today therewas ping pong, name that tune, team trivia, and evening trivia. And happy hour returned at 4pm in both theOcean Bar and Crow’s Nest.

 

At 3, 6, and 9pm, a movie, Darkest Hour, was shown in theWajang Theater.

 

Around 5pm, we took a walk outside to see the coastline ofCuba, where we are sailing eastbound around the northeast part of the island. Captain Fred mentioned that later thisevening, the ship would be coming quite close to the area of Guantanamo Bay. We should be done with dinner by then, andcheck it out.

 

At 6pm, we went to the atrium, where our chairs were blockedby the black & white camera man and his equipment. Darn, we hate when this happens, but theyhave to make a quota we guess. Mostevery single person that passed by this set-up declined the photo shoot. Perhaps tomorrow, when we have our first galaevening, people will be much more receptive.

 

We were in for a special treat when a young man beganplaying the grand piano in the Ocean Bar. Not part of the Ocean Trio, this guy played a mean piano, drawingapplause from the gathering crowd. Therewas no mention of him playing here, but there was a reference to a Joel, whowould entertain here at 8pm. He is not from the Piano Bar, since thatentertainer is Rafael. Mystery solved….uponcloser examination of the When & Where paper, we saw that pianist Joelperformed from 4 to 6:45pm in the Ocean Bar. What a smart idea, since many more passengers gathered in this area tolisten. But more important, they bought beverages.

 

Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill, where we had adelicious meal of Caesar salad, lamb chops, a filet, and excellent sidevegetables. Dessert was plain CherryGarcia ice cream, as we really don’t care for the Baked Alaska.

 

At the Mainstage tonight, there was a performance calledShades of Buble, a three man tribute to Motown and rock & roll. The crowd was ready for this first performanceof the cruise, since it looked like a mass exodus when they left at 9pm,passing the windows of the Pinnacle Grill. It was amuses us when some people stall by the window to check out whatwe are eating. Do they think we cannotsee them??? Maybe they were checking outthe new chairs that are pretty nice. Oneof our favorite waitresses mentioned that she is having a difficult timegetting used to the higher backs of the leather-covered chairs. Seems that shehas to learn to lift the plates higher, or else she will drop them. During the meal, the manager, Aurora, checkedon us frequently. Even more so when wewere the last guests in there. We couldnot ask for better cuisine or better service.

 

Good news…..the clocks went back one hour tonight.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[ON cruiser]

Enjoyed your posts from Florida, and am now happy to see you post from the ship! Have a nice voyage home. In the meantime, I do so vicariously enjoy your adventures. Hope to be one of those folks who encounter you on a cruise one day.

[WCB]

Report # 129 Day atSea May 12, 2018 Saturday Partly cloudy & 81 degrees

 

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY !!!

 

Sure would have been nice to sleep later this morning, butwe didn’t. That’s what usually happenswhen we set the clocks back……you wake up an hour earlier. Some folks can roll over and go right back tosleep. We never seem to have thatability. As a result, it makes for along day. Ultimately, it really matterslittle since we are not on a real schedule, because we are “at sea”. The biggest job is relaxing.

 

After breakfast, we took our normal walk outside to find thedecks had been hosed more. Since dayone, there has been a mess on this deck with dirt on the floors, railings,gutters, and the windows. And as wesuspected, the work has continued on this deck. The crew is still working with the new tender boats, getting them securedwith new brackets. The only port that wewill need the tender boats is in Cabo San Lucas. And if our boats are not ready, the localtenders will work just fine.

 

By the way, the seas took a turn during the night, andbecame a bit on the rough side. We didnot realize it until this morning, when we woke up. Not a huge deal, but the ship has been rollingwith the deep swells, enough to make one of us a bit seasick. So at 5am, one of us whipped out a smallbaggie of mini-pretzels, and downed a few. Most times, that works, because it is easier to get seasick on an emptystomach than not. But not being surethat this was enough, taking a meclizine pill before breakfast was a betteridea. And this is one of the mainreasons we like deck one, because the motion of the ship is less pronounced thelower you go.

 

Sometime after 9:30am, the ship’s alarm went off with theseven blasts of the warning system. There was a possible fire on deck 2. It had not been announced as a drill, so we waited until we heard more. Within 10 minutes, Captain Fred came on anddid say there was a small fire. But thenhe came back saying it wasn’t serious, and we could disregard the message. However, a real drill was taking place too. A bit confusing, since the planned drill wasannounced in between the real one. Confusing.

 

For a change, we made it to the aft pool deck to sunbathe thismorning at 10am. This back deck had alsobeen cleaned since yesterday. Most of the stains had been taken off of thedecking, and the pool was full. It wasn’topen yet, but that would come later.

 

You know what else we found outside today…….wind - lotsof it. We had to lash down our towels , and keep our things bundled andtied. Or else, we would have found it airborne. Captain Fred mentioned there wasa strong breeze blowing outside today. Seems like it is always windy here in theCaribbean. On the positive side, it wasnot that hot today. Somewhere in the low80”s. And since the pool was not readyfor us, the swimmers among the group must have stayed in the Lido Pool area.

 

We lasted outside until 2pm, then went back to our room. Good time for Dive In Grill food. One of us made the run for a hot dog and oneburger. They were every bit as good asduring the world cruise.

 

At 4pm, we went for our second walk to find that manypassengers had the same idea. One sideof the new lanai rooms was blocked off, and the finishing work wascontinuing. The spray that was comingoff of the waves deposited puddles full of salt on the deck. Sure was a mess. There were people laying on the teak loungeson the opposite side, but only because they could. We don’t think any of thesespecial cabins are occupied yet.

 

Afterwards, we headed for the Ocean Bar, where piano manJoel was playing until 6:45pm. He was sogood, we ended up staying until he left. We are definitely going to request to have him on next year’s worldcruise. Or at least someone like him,who will play during these normally quiet times. Shiv, the Head Housekeeping Manager, was onhis way to dinner, dressed in his formal jacket. We always have a chat at this same spot, butthis time he insisted we have a drink. OK, we agreed to a soda, which was most kind of him.

 

The camera teams were in position, stopping the “gala”passengers to take photos. To oursurprise, there were many takers. But this is a different type of cruise, wherepeople seem to do everything every day. With only 17 days, they take it all in. What a difference from the grand voyage, where so many of us decline thephoto shoots.

 

There was a one-time Captain’s Welcome Toast in theMainstage at 7:45pm. Knowing that mostall of the early diners would be cramming into both levels, we did not attend.

 

Dinner time came quickly, since we had stayed outside theOcean Bar to watch the couples dancing to the music of the Ocean Quartet. Had just enough time to clean up, and be ontime at our table by the railing. Whatis nice about a table for two, is that we are never late, or holding up the serviceat the table. It came as quite asurprise to us that there was a bottle of wine on our table. The head sommelier arrived to announce thatOrlando Ashford had sent it to us as a gift from him. A most unique bottle of red wine, it was madefor HAL in 2014, and is called President’s Blend Toscana. Bottle in Italy, for Orlando, who is thePresident of HAL. Even though we don’tdrink wine, it will be a nice keepsake, and it was most appreciated. After we finished dinner, the bottle wasdelivered to our room.

 

The Gala Menu had almost as many great choices fordinner. We had the shrimp cocktails,soup, salad, and rack of lamb. Deliciousby the way. Slam, our waiter, hasremembered we like the veggie tray with ranch dressing for appetizers. It is waiting for us when we arrive. Much better than grazing on the bread. Dessert was a slice of cheesecake and balsamicstrawberries.

 

Showtime was the unique comedy of Mike Robinson, anentertainer we saw while on the world cruise. As always, the early show was filled to thegills, while the one at 10pm was not.

 

Tomorrow, we will be in Cartagena, but will leave early around1pm.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 130 Cartagena, Colombia May 13,2018 Sunday Chance of Rain & 86 degrees Part # 1 of 2 80 Pictures

 

A message to all: Weare still experiencing difficulties with the posting of the photos. It has been most disappointing for us to besending these pictures, only to find out that six get posted. It has been investigated, but have nosolution to fixing it soon. Still, weare trying…….

 

Colombia, our first port of call on this voyage, is locatedin South America. The capital is Bogotaand the language is Spanish. The populationof the country in 2012 was 45,700,000.

 

Cartagena is considered the most romantic colonial city witha population of 616,230 people. Thecurrency is the Colombian peso, but they will accept US dollars and creditcards…no problem.

 

One of their favorite foods is corncakes with cheese andpork, while their most famous beverage is coffee. Although you see Juan Valdez plasteredeverywhere, he never did exist. Only thename did, and has sold the product worldwide. As well as coffee, the country produces platinum, timber, andemeralds. The emeralds can be the bestquality and more expensive than diamonds, we have been told. We were also reminded by our very own onboardshop manager to be extremely careful when purchasing emeralds here, as they maynot be authentic. Already knew that.

 

A random fact is that Colombia is also known for lostcities, football, Shakira - the singer, and cocaine. The reference book said this, not us.

 

And we were not alone this morning as the newest ship in theNCL fleet, Norwegian Bliss, was in port. Sure made us look small in comparison. We heard later from a crew member that this ship is on her maidenvoyage, re-positioning to Alaska for the summer season. She left for this cruise on April 18th,and sure had a wonderful welcome by the locals. First time ever in this port, we saw a band with dancers and 2 fellowson stilts performing on the pier. Theguests numbered over 4000 we heard. Andthanks to a Cruise Critic reader, we understand that this ship has a go carttrack, as well as the thrilling covered slide tube you see on thesemega-ships. Bet there is much more thatwe don’t see. One thing we did noticewas that there were two gangways set up with the Bliss. However, we did not hear one person say theywould prefer to be on that ship when we sailed out of the harbor. According to the crew member, they should beone hour behind us as we sail towards the Panama Canal.

 

The Amsterdam was docked and cleared by 8am, not 7am asplanned. There were some tours heretoday – mostly city excursions from 2 ½ to 4 hours. The cost ran from $60 to $90. Since all aboard was 12:30pm, most folksstayed close to the ship. That includedus.

 

The dining room was fairly empty this morning, because thosewith tours went to the Lido. So theservice was excellent, giving the waiters a chance to visit a bit longer, sincethey had few customers. We went off forthe short walk to the terminal after 10am. Took some good photos of the Bliss, then made or way to the “bird zoo”at the small store and café. It seemsthat there were twice as many birds here compared to last year. They had free-roaming flamingoes, swans,geese, and peacocks at the entry. Butthere were also so many passengers with two ships in port. It was a squeeze just getting into the storetoday.

 

Instead of the piles of souvenirs we always saw in thisshop, more counters are set up with the high-end jewelry. The fun stuff is on the outside walls wherewe did find one pink and black jewelry set made from gourds, and a bag ofcoffee candies. For sure, we thoughtthese would have sold out today. Nope,they were prepared.

 

Out the back door, we walked into the garden of the birds,monkeys, and now a pair of anteaters, we think. The birds were numerous today, but only a few little tiny monkeys werepresent. Normally the howler monkeys arehere, but we noticed that one of their favorite foods, the mangoes, were stillvery green in the trees. In their placein the trees, were a lot of peacocks. They seem to have done well, as we personally know.

 

When we come upon the new enclosure with a small house, wesaw some unusual creatures curled up together in the shelter. Big and furry, they looked like badgers withlong fuzzy tails. They never moved, andwe couldn’t blame them because it was so darn hot and humid. We found out later that this pair wereanteaters or termite eaters, and they were friendly to boot. Brook had found them when they were awake,and actually petted each of them. Theirmouths were tiny, but they had very long skinny tongues. While she was petting one of them, the matewas busy licking her friend’s foot as she was wearing sandals. Oh they are brave…..

 

After taking a bunch of pictures, we decided to go backonboard to drink a gallon of water. Sailaway was at 12:30pm, so we headed to the aft pool to take more pictures. The rain never did fall, but it sure feltlike it would any moment. On our wayacross deck nine, we found that the pickle ball court has been takenapart. The netting has been taken off,and bagged for disposal. Something willbe done with the surface of the court, since it was trashed even on the worldcruise.

 

Looking over on the dock side, we expected to see long linesof passengers boarding the huge ship, the Bliss. Nope. The long line belonged to our ship with several bus-loads of folkscoming back from tours and the terminal. That was a surprise.

 

Once again, Brook joined us for the sailing out of theharbor. She invited us to dinner in the Sel de Merwith her and Captain Fred on Corinto evening. As we were already booked for a table that night, we were happy to accepttheir invite.

 

Lunch was from the Dive In Grill again. More of a wait today, however, because peoplewere dining later after the sail out of the harbor.

 

We caught the last half of Joel’s piano concert in the OceanBar. He is attracting a bigger crowdevery day. He’s got our vote.

 

The dining room was half empty tonight at 8pm. Guess the heat of the day got to many people. One of the entrees was a breaded pork chop,so we had to try it. It went well with the appetizer size portionof the lasagna. Small desserts of icecream and an apple strudel finished our meal. And to make the day special, a nice menu with flowers on it said, HappyMother’s Day on it, in color.

 

The dancers and singers of the Amsterdam performed “Dance”,a show featuring Latin, Spanish, and Russian dance. We do know the first performance at 8pm hadto be crowded, as the folks begin arriving well before 7pm to wait for thestart of the show.

 

Looking forward to going through the Panama Canal tomorrow,even if we just did it in January. Always thrilling.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #131 Transitthe Panama Canal May 14, 2018 Monday Overcast & 85 degrees Part#1 Of 2 82 Pictures

 

Today was better than stopping in a port, as we transitedthe Panama Canal. It is located in thecountry of Panama with a population of 3,361,000 Spanish and English-speakingpeople. It has been called the “waistline”of South America with a most important connection. That is a “ditch” that connects the AtlanticOcean to the Pacific Ocean with a 50 mile channel.

 

The best time to visit here is mid-December to mid-April, duringthe dry season. Although, we had nocomplaints with the weather today, as it was overcast and rainy, but so muchcooler than most times we have done this transit.

 

Yesterday we received a note warning us of the dangers ofheat exhaustion while sailing through this most famous shortcut in theworld. There is no doubt about it, thereare a number of elderly people on this cruise, and they need to take thewarnings to heart. But then, heat strokecan affect anyone, especially if one is on medications. Even the use of antihistamines and seasickpills can be culprits to dehydration. Itis imperative to drink a lot of fluids, but not necessarily alcoholic ones or coffee. They tend to work the opposite. The best suggestion is to limit exposure to20 to 30 minutes outside, and use sunscreen. Do we ever follow those suggestions? Well, most of it we do, except we tend to stay outdoors most of the day,ducking inside for a quick lunch with lots to drink.

 

To help us understand the history, layout, and interestingfacts surrounding the Panama Canal, a handy brochure was left in our room lastnight. One of the finest man-madewonders of the world, the canal’s transit was charted out in our dailynewsletter. The best part of the daybegan at 6am, when the Panama Canal rolls were served in the Crow’s Nest,Atrium, and the Bow. We knew we couldalso ask for them in the dining room.

 

Captain Eversen picked up the pilot and the Panama Canalnarrator in the wee hours of the morning. The Amsterdam arrived at Gatun Locks at 6:30am. At least that was the plan, as we did not getup that early to know for sure. Themajority of cruise vessels have re-positioned through here a few weeksago. Only two ships would do the transittoday, and besides us, the NCL Bliss would share the honors.

 

Waking up around 7am, we soon realized that we were about toenter the first of three sets of locks to ascend to the lake level. The first lock would raise us 27 feet, whilethe other two split the difference to equal about 85 feet above sea level. It took 8 to 10 minutes for each lock to fillwith water. The gates that close betweenlocks weigh 700 tons each. There aredouble sets of gates, in case a ship happens to accidently hit the inner gate,the outer gate will keep the lake water from escaping. We were through the three sets of locks before8am.

 

In the meantime, the mega-ship, NCL Bliss, was coming upbehind us, but needed to utilize the new set of Gatun locks. Lucky them….. We never did see the ship during the day’stransit, until we had exited on the Pacific side.

 

The narrator we had today was excellent. His English was very good, and he spokeslowly enough for all to understand, especially on the outside speakers. He said early on that there are well over9000 employees for the Panama Canal, and over 1000 of them are women. Most are Panamanian citizens, but some arealso American. He asked what we thoughtmight be the job that women held most while working here? We never would have guessed that the answerwould be that they are tug boat captains. Who knew?

 

Contrary to what many people think, the locomotives, alsocalled mules, are used to center the ships in the locks, not pull them. The ships are always under their own power. The locomotive operators communicate withtheir directors by ringing the bell in the mule. That is their answer to the directions givento them. No other communications areneeded.

 

At this point, we went to the dining room forbreakfast. And upon asking for somePanama Rolls, they brought each of us two wonderful, delicious buns, filledwith the creamy mandarin orange slices. So good.

 

Then we grabbed the cameras, and went out to film what wecould during the slow transit of Gatun Lake. The skies were dark with rain clouds, and the humidity wasterrible. But it could have been worse,as the sun never did come out during the transit. Last night, we had seen lightning on thehorizon all through the evening, and suspected we were in for some heavy rainstoday. Except for some occasional showers,the sky never did open up fully.

 

Around 10am, we were passing Gamboa, and the bridge thatspans the Chagres River. This is themain body of water that feeds the lake. Itis this point that the prison that held Manuel Noriega exists. We could hear noise coming from that prisonyard, and soon we saw people waving at the passengers on the ship. Waving back, we soon realized that we wavingat the prisoners. Noriega died over ayear ago, so he is no longer a threat.

 

We entered the narrowest part of the canal, which is calledthe Culebra Cut. It has been widen a fewtimes over the years, but still remains a tight spot. Two ships cannot pass each other, as it istoo dangerous. We happened to see twofreighters tied on one side as we passed them. When most of the ship traffic going southbound gets through this cut, thenthe commercial ships will continue on their way.

 

Now if we heard correctly, two way traffic occurs only during the night, as the canal operates 24hours a day. Then during the daylighthours, southbound traffic is allowed for half of the day, and northbound goeslast. They have it down to a science. Andnow that the new locks are operational, more traffic can do this transit everyday, 365 days a year.

 

Right before we sailed under the Centennial Bridge, wepassed by Contractor’s Hill and Gold Hill. Lots of history here. The newerCentennial Bridge looks like a cable-stay structure, but is really a suspensionbridge. It opened in 2004, when thecanal turned 90 years old.

 

We arrived at the Pedro Miguel Locks before noon. It is at this point the new Pacific locksveer off for the larger ships to transit into the Pacific Ocean. It was around here that we heard the trainwhistle for the Panama Canal Railroad. It was pulling several containers towards the Caribbean side.

 

The last set of locks were at Miraflores, where we alwayslike to wave at the locals who go to the building there for lunch ordinner. Today since we were goingthrough so early, the crowd was half of what it was in January, when we exitedaround 5pm. Very near here, we lookedfor the field where we usually see a group of large cappabarras , the world’slargest rodents, grazing near the canal. To our surprise, a new Imax complex has begun to be constructed in thisarea. The fields where we saw thesemonsters just last January, had been fenced off. However, with the powerfulcamera, we did see a group of three of them on the opposite side of the fence,hiding in the brush. Eventually, theywill be gone.

 

The NCL Bliss finally appeared behind another mega-ship asthey exited the new set of locks. Shewill also be heading towards Alaska for the summer season, so we may havecompany as we also sail in the same direction.

 

The last iconic structure we went under was the Bridge ofthe Americas, or the continuation of the Pan-American Highway. We sailed past Ft. Amador and themulti-colored roof of the museum. Seemslike yesterday that we ate lunch at the marina there. The time has sure flown by.

 

This time the ship turned towards the right, instead of theleft. Instead of heading towards FrenchPolynesia, we will sail north towards Nicaragua, and eventually the west coastof North America.

 

Time for a light lunch, since we missed going to the diningroom at noon. With reservations inthe Pinnacle grill this evening, we didnot want to ruin our appetite with a large meal. So we picked up a few slices of pepperonipizza in the Lido, and dined in our room. Less greasy, it was OK today.

 

Of course, photo sorting kept one of us busy for the rest ofthe afternoon. When we get home in a fewdays, it will seem odd not to be carrying one or the other cameras everywherewe go.

 

We had enough time to catch the final ½ hour of Joel’sconcert at the Ocean Bar, before we changed for dinner. We noticed that quite a few folks were makingtheir way to the Wajang Theater to learn more about the Panama Canal with adocumentary called the American Experience: Panama Canal, A Man, A Plan, ACanal. Our plan is to watch it tomorrowon TV, as the history is fascinating.

 

Savory lamb chops with sides of French fries and mushroomswas our choice of entrees in the restaurant. As we suspected, the room was not full, astoday was a marathon one, with many people spending most of the day on theoutside decks. More than likely, themajority dined early in both the Lido and the dining room, then attended theshow at 8pm, and calling it a day shortly afterwards. By the way, the show was a lady by the nameof Shirley Dominguez who played the Latin harp. We also saw her while on this year’s world cruise.

 

One place you would not find us was in the Crow’s Nest at10:30pm, dancing to the hits with Doolan. Brook happened to meet some friends there a few nights ago, and reportedthat less than a dozen people were up there. Pretty quiet for the younger crowd, we’re afraid…..

 

Oh yes, and the clocks went back one hour tonight, alwayswelcomed by all.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 132 Day atSea May 15, 2018 Tuesday Partly cloudy & 88 degrees

 

A day at sea was what we all needed today. Expecting the weather to be cooler on thisside of the Pacific Ocean proved to be incorrect. It was actually hotter and every bit as humidas it was on the Atlantic side. It wouldprove to be a suitable pool day.

 

After breakfast, we had a few jobs to do. First was filling out the required CanadianCustom Form for our visit to Victoria at the end of next week. Then we had to provide our flight info andchoose a debark time for the 27th of May. Also we decided to get the ship’s transfer tothe airport for $29 per person. It’s agood way to use some of our “use it, or lose it” shipboard credit. Now when we booked this re-positioningcruise, we assumed we would be able to use the Port Valet service, where onceyou put your luggage outside your door the night before we arrive to Seattle,it would not be seen by us until we arrive in the San Francisco airport. For some unknown reason, this service is notavailable on this cruise, or the first Alaskan cruise. Makes no sense to us, but we will deal withit one way or another.

 

While we were enjoying the sun, clouds, and eventually…rainat the Seaview Pool, life onboard continued to keep the passengers busy. The shore excursion gal gave a talk on theupcoming ports of Cabo San Lucas, San Francisco, Victoria, and Seattle. The test kitchen had two classes….one ontapas, and the other on chilies. By the way, we inquired about the “hands on”cooking classes on this trip. We weretold that they cannot do the actual hands on cooking on this ship anymore. We had thought it was only on the worldcruise that this activity had been suspended. Guess we were incorrect. Makes us wonder if any of the HAL ships arecontinuing with the actual classes?

 

Also on this trip, there is sit, knit, and needlework,casino tournaments, and bridge games. Therewere six different times for Microsoft digital classes. And of course, two sessions of trivia. Pretty close to a grand voyage we think. The biggest activities missing arewatercolors, arts and craft classes, dance teachers, and dance hosts.

 

During his afternoon talk, Captain Eversen had an announcementfor everyone. Seems that due to thecontinuing violence in Nicaragua in recent months, the US State Department hasadvised that travel to that country should be re-considered. Some protests as recent as this weekend hasresulted in injury and death. So it cameas no surprise to us that the visit has been cancelled. Unfortunately, there was no time to schedulea replacement port, so we will have a day at sea tomorrow. All of the taxes, fees, and port charges willbe refunded, which probably will not be significant. Those that booked HAL shore excursions willget refunds as well. Better safe thansorry, we say.

 

Lunch was through room service for us today. We split a club sandwich, and had a bowl ofchicken noodle soup, and a Caesar chicken salad. Perfect and quick delivery too.

 

While eating, we got caught up in the documentary about thePanama Canal that was shown in the Wajang Theater yesterday. What a fabulous documentary, and narrated bythe author of the Path Between the Oceans. It sure was a reminder of the price not only in money, but also in humanloss, in constructing one of the wonders of the modern world.

 

Today pianist Joel played solely in the Ocean Bar from 4 to 11pm. The regular group was off for the evening. We got the last hour of his concert, enjoyingevery minute. We turned in a commentcard today recommending this fellow for a place on next year’s worldcruise. Hope he is available, and wecertainly hope someone is listening in Seattle.

 

Back in the dining room tonight, we had satay skewers withbeef and chicken, and one entrée of spaghetti Bolognese, and one alternatechicken dinner. Both were excellent. Chocolate cake and macadamia nut ice creamwith a chocolate drizzle finished our meal. Service from our waiters has been more thanexcellent.

 

Shades of Buble’, the three man group, were back on stagewith an all new show. They sure did fillthe Mainstage at the early 8pm show. Folks began arriving to get seats well before 7am. During the world cruise, there was a problemwith folks saving seats for this show time. So they were kept out of the lounge until 7:15pm. So far as we know, this has not become aproblem on this trip.

 

With some further work from our son, he seems to have founda way around the google situation with the restricted number of photos. Although we have not changed how the photosare shrunk and down-loaded, something has gone awry at the source. The glitch has popped up with others as wellas us. But now if those who want to seeall of the pictures, you can click on the PDF file to get them.

 

And on a side note, concerning the Mainstage seating, wewill check out the couch and chair heights to see if any changes weremade. The biggest change we saw was thatthe dance floor in the center of deck 4 has been removed, and seating has beeninstalled all the way to the foot of the stage.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Since America's Test Kitchen was added to the Prinsendam and Westerdam in the last year to 18 months, there have not been hands on cooking classes on either ship. We were on Westerdam in 2017 and 2018, and Prinsendam in 2017. The story we were told by another passenger was they could not offer hands on classes since the kitchen used was not a commercial kitchen. That did not make sense to us since they used the same kitchen when it was the Culinary Arts Center. However, we did not follow up on what we were told with the staff. The special classes for 5 star and Presidents Club passengers are basically the same classes they offer during the cruise. The difference is there are fewer people in the classes. They have also stopped having the lunch in the Pinnacle featuring the food from the class. So far, we have not attended the ATK classes, especially as some were on port days on the Westerdam.

[1ANGELCAT]

Since America's Test Kitchen was added to the Prinsendam and Westerdam in the last year to 18 months, there have not been hands on cooking classes on either ship. We were on Westerdam in 2017 and 2018, and Prinsendam in 2017. The story we were told by another passenger was they could not offer hands on classes since the kitchen used was not a commercial kitchen. That did not make sense to us since they used the same kitchen when it was the Culinary Arts Center. However, we did not follow up on what we were told with the staff. The special classes for 5 star and Presidents Club passengers are basically the same classes they offer during the cruise. The difference is there are fewer people in the classes. They have also stopped having the lunch in the Pinnacle featuring the food from the class. So far, we have not attended the ATK classes, especially as some were on port days on the Westerdam.

 

 

 

I have to disagree. I was on both crossings in 2017 on the Westerdam and I did the hands on classes on both of them.

Both of these classes were not the same as the demos offered during the cruise.

[MekesMom]

I received letters, as a 5 star, on the Volendam last month and had a choice between two classes during each segment of my Collectors Voyage. They were all port days. Disappointing, but the space is needed for movies and usually two demos on sea days. There were only 5 out of a possible 8 attendees at the pasta class I took. Very little hands on but we did get to eat the recipe as prepared by a chef from the kitchen. I was really looking forward to the complimentary CAC cooking class followed by lunch in the PG that Mom used to pay for but I already knew a few cruises ago that ATK had taken over. Oh well. I'm giving her my apron. The other class choices were eggs or pies.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

I have to disagree. I was on both crossings in 2017 on the Westerdam and I did the hands on classes on both of them.

Both of these classes were not the same as the demos offered during the cruise.

 

When we were on the Prinsendam last fall, the ATK classes we were offered were the same as regular demonstrations, i.e. eggs and chocolate. On the Westerdam in Feb/March the class was not hands on according to those who went. At no time was there a lunch in the Pinnacle included or a tasting of the dish demonstrated.

 

Sounds like the the classes and how they are handled very from cruise to cruise and ship to ship depending on the itinerary.

 

We enjoyed the hands on class followed by the Pinnacle lunch when it was the Culinary Arts Center. I also enjoyed their regular demonstrations.

[mame42]

Thank you for taking the time to post the pictures of the new Lanai cabins.

[WCB]

Report # 133 Day atSea May 16, 2018 Wednesday Chance of rain & 88 degrees

 

Well, today was supposed to be a stop in Corinto, a smallcommercial port in the Central American country of Nicaragua. However, as you all know, due to the unstablepolitical situation that has been ongoing for months now, this stop was cancelledby the head office in Seattle. To beperfectly honest, this port was really not the destination, but a way to go tocolonial Leon, a long drive out of the port. Not that Corinto doesn’t have its charms, once you’ve seen it, you’veseen it. The vendors that set up theirstalls for the cruise ship passengers are always happy to bargain with everyonefor the best deals. And we have had luckfinding some very nice and unique carved wood items, much like we can find in CostaRica. Only better prices. This is one place that when we purchasethings, you feel like you have really helped them out. Anyway, it wasn’t to be this time, so wespent a nice , lazy day at sea instead.

 

Thinking it may be a little cooler outside as we headnorthwest, we found that it was still steamy and warm. And there was scarcely a breeze blowing. More like a following wind. At least we had some boobys following theship, and diving in the wake for fish. Always a pleasure to watch them in action. We kept an eye out for possible turtlesightings, but so far, had no luck seeing any.

 

One of us had an appointment at 9:30am for a haircut. Leanni, the only girl hairdresser was stillonboard, so the appointment was made with her. She is of Indian descent, but has lived her whole life in Durban, SouthAfrica. And once again, she did a verynice job with the haircut, and it only took her about 15 minutes.

 

Going to our usual spots at the Seaview Pool, we weresurprised to find that it was not crowded back there. Usually on this re-positioning cruise, thereare few places to find lounges. Not soon this particular voyage. Perhaps itwas too hot for most smart people to lay in the burning sun. Even though rain was in the forecast, itnever did happen while we were out there.

 

Every so often, we could hear the auxiliary engine start up,which sounded like a volcano about to erupt. Then we could spot the billowing black smokecoming from the stack. From paying attention to the wake behind theship, we could see that an arc had been made for the smoke to carry at an angleaway from the ship. That way if therewas any residue, as there often is, it would fall into the water, and not allover the decks. We would learn more about this process later on.

 

There was no problem filling the day’s itinerary with manyactivities for the folks. There wasbarely a mention of disappointment that we had to abandon the port today. We do know that the dining room was busy atbreakfast, and the Lido was jammed with more hungry folks during lunchtime. Proving the point, that if thereis nothing else to do, you can always find something to eat and drink.

 

That was our next move after leaving the pool. Picking up two burgers at the Dive In Grillfit our needs. Not wanting to over-doit, since we had reservations for Sel de Mer this evening.

 

Taking our afternoon deck walk, we noticed that some of thenew lanai rooms are occupied. There doesnot seem to be any problem with anyone sitting in the teak lounges outsidethese rooms – those that should not be there, we mean. And we cannot see that the lounges are markedwith room numbers either. In time, theywill have to do that, or there may be conflicts. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why somany new cameras have been installed on this deck., although they are nothooked up as of yet. Another thing welearn more about later on.

 

Around 6pm, we went to listen to the piano man Joelagain. For some reason, the cameradepartment has had this area set with staging for photos about every afternoonnow. Guess they are having luck withpeople wanting photos. Today, the backdrop was the solid green sheet, where they put a pretend scene in the back-round. We did a shoot like that years ago, andit appears that we are standing on the navigation deck of a ship.

 

We almost made it to the South Sea Tahitian Pearl Showcasein the shops, but we needed to take some time to get ready for dinner. Instead of just the two of us, we would havecompany, as we had been invited to dine with Brook and Captain Fred. Since this was the first Sel de Mer on this cruise, they were anxious to tryit. So nice of them to share the eveningwith us.

 

They were all impressed with the starter muse of theblue-plated scallop, although one of us with the shellfish allergy had a sliceof smoked chicken with avocado. All werehappy. The little loaves of French breadare the best, eaten with a tray of assorted tapanades. Entrees were rack of lamb, steak, and twoDover sole, expertly de-boned by the staff. Last but not least, we had desserts of profiteroles, a cheese platter,and a fruity dessert.

 

The conversation did provide some info on the ship’sprogress with the new additions and fixes during dry docking. We did ask Captain Fred about the enginesbeing tested, and he informed us that they were addressed during the 12 daywork plan. They needed to be fired upand blown out before the ship reaches the area in Alaska. There are strict rules up there as far as emissionsand the type of fuel used.

 

The evening lasted beyond 10pm, and we had a fine timevisiting with both of them. Too late togo to the doubles show of Mike Robinson and Shirley Dominguez, we called it anight with a walk around the outside deck, or as they call it, the walkarounddeck. It was still warm outside, butthere were many more stars visible in the sky. Bet tomorrow in Guatemala is another hot one.

 

And once again, when we got back to our room, a plate ofchocolates was waiting for us, with another postcard and recipe from the Sel deMer.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #134 PuertoQuetzal, Guatemala May 17, 2018 Chance of rain & 90 degrees Part #1 Of 2 85 Pictures

 

Guatemala is the country we visited today. Specifically, Puerto Quetzal. The capital of tis Central American countryis Guatemala City, and the population is 13,300,000 Spanish-speakingpeople. Mayans comprise 60% of thepopulation, making this country the most indigenous in the nation.

 

Having endured generations of hardships, the country wasplagued with political corruption, violence, and injustice. Modern Guatemala is quite open to visitorsthese days with world class markets, diverse landscapes, coffee estates,colonial towns, Mayan ruins, and volcanoes.

 

The best time to visit is November through May because it isthe dry season. The highlights to seeare lost temples at Tikal, and Antigua, the colonial city.

 

Treasures to buy are Mayan textiles, while the food isinteresting. A favorite treat is eggs,corn tortillas, beans, fried plantains, and coffee. A special drink is made from velvety hot chocolatewith rum.

 

Trademarks are Mayan gods, wild masks, bright fabrics,quetzal birds, volcanoes, and rain forests.

 

Ten tours offered here today. They ran from 4 ½ to 9 hours, costing from$60 to $650. The most expensive 9 hourtour included a flight to and from Tikal. Six excursions went to colonialAntigua, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

One tour we took years ago included a day spent at a coffeeplantation, with a stop at Antigua on the way back. It was informative and afun way to spend the day.

 

The Amsterdam arrived around 7am, however, we could not dockwhere we always have. Something happenedto the pier we were told, making it off limits since sometime last year. Alongside the commercial port area, shuttlebuses were provided to take us on a 15 minute ride to Pez Vela Pier and theadjoining craft market.

 

We were in no big hurry to go there, so breakfast was at theregular time in the dining room for us. It was obvious that today was going to be a really warm one, when wewent outside to watch the passengers join the tour buses. We heard from one of our waiters that 800people booked tours today, which was probably correct, since there were fewerfolks in the dining room this morning.

 

Leaving the ship after 10am, we lined up for the shuttleride there. It did take 15 minutes toget there, leaving from one gate and entering through another. The shuttle driver brought us to a sideentrance to the Pez Vela Marina and Marketplace. In the massivepalapa, we checked out the tourist info desk, where we picked up maps, a fan,and a complimentary yarn bracelet. Considered lucky, these hand-made woven yarn bracelets came with a storyof friendship. While putting in on yourwrist, you silently make two wishes. Thethird wish comes from the locals, who wish you to come back in the future. Whatever the reason, it is a wonderfulgesture of the local people.

 

Independent tours could be purchased here as well. And taxis were available at the back of thismarketplace as well.

 

It seemed odd to see the place with so few people. Even many of the usual vendors had alreadypacked up, and went home for the season. The locals that were there, were very willing to bargain for anythingand everything. Prices on theirtreasures dropped as we walked by. Oneof us was searching for matching earrings for a jade necklace we bought severalyears ago. Every vendor had the sameinventory, but when we reached the last stands, we did find a larger variety,and did find another set for a great price. A set of smaller wooden giraffes would alsoend up in or possession. They’ll end upwith the “zoo” at home. We now have aherd of the whimsical African savannah animals.

 

A crowd of passengers had gathered at the local performancehappening at this marketplace. Thelocals demonstrated how textiles were created, as well as Mayan music, dance,and art. Of course, you are surroundedwith treasures of this art, so the buying was at your feet.

 

There are a few places to have coffee or beverages in thiscomplex, however not all of them were opened. The largest outdoor restaurant, Pez Vela, was about empty of customers,but then, it was only 10:30am at this point. We always end up here for nachos and beers, but it was still too earlyfor us. We did walk slowly around themarina, taking photos of the many iguanas that make these marina boulders theirhome. In fact, one of the activitiesslated for this place for the feeding of the iguanas at certain times. That comprisesof some torn up bread pieces or lettuce leaves thrown on the walkway. Guess wejust missed it.

 

Instead of hanging around in the heat of the morning, wedecided to go back to the ship. It wouldbe cooler, for sure, and ice tea sounded better to us than beer. Normally, there is no dining room lunch onport days, but today it was opened. Thiswould work for us.

 

The afternoon flew by as one of us worked on photos, and theother catching up on reading a Patterson book. A note about the photos posted in our blog: it has been worked out that the entire amountare available now. Friends Konni,Denise, and Rosie and others who have asked should be back on track with us.

 

There was no designated “sailaway” at 5pm at the aft deckeight, mostly due to the fact that tours were late in returning. It was before 6pm, that the ship finally pulledout of the small harbor. We did kept asharp eye out for possible dolphin, turtle, or sting ray sightings, as CaptainFred had seen in recent days, but we saw nothing more than a bunch of commercialvessels in the surrounding waters near the harbor.

 

Dinnertime found us back in the dining room with ourfavorite waiters. With only two of us,our meal went quickly. Probably a goodthing, because the clocks went ahead one hour tonight. Mexico is on a different time than CentralAmerica. We won’t get the two hours backon the clock until we leave Cabo San Lucas.

 

The Mainstage featured the dancers and singers of theAmsterdam performing Nations. Regionalcostumes and dance routines from famous areas in Europe made their show a hit.

 

Should arrive to Huatulco around 2pm tomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[hobo1937]

We were on the Maasdam's Incan Empire cruise in March and when we docked in Puerto Quetzal we were at the dock in front of the Marketplace...just walked off the ship no shuttles. Maybe because the Maasdam is a bit smaller than the Amsterdam it was ok?

[JamesEM]

Once again enjoying your photos with daily the reports.

[WCB]

Report # 135 Huatulco, Mexico May 18,2018 Friday Partly cloudy & 89 degrees Sail in Part # 1 of 2 85 Pictures

 

 

Even though today was a port day, we would not get to shoreuntil 2pm. So it felt more like a seamorning, we guess.

 

So, here we are in Mexico, country of 111,212,000 (2012)Spanish-speaking people, with the capital being Mexico City. The country of Mexico goes from arid to greenwith a mix of European and indigenous peoples. Many of those are lost civilizations, such as the Mayans and Aztecs.

 

Life here is varied, colorful, spicy, andcommercialized. There is no doubt thatthere are uneasy relations with their North American neighbors. Due to sensitive border towns, mixed withviolence over drugs and illegal migrations, it is something we have known asrealities of modern history.

 

The best time to visit is October through May to avoid theextreme temperatures. There was a noticeabledifference today, since we had some cloud cover, and the unrelenting rays ofthe beating sun were far less intense. However, the humidity made up for the lower temps.

 

What is there to see and do? Try going to Mexico City, which is enormously vast and heaving withpeople. Visit hidden Mayan temples indeep jungles, or see Copper Canyon in the north. Beach resorts, surfing, and a road trip downBaja California are a must.

 

Dining on the cheap but tasty food is fun, but their chocolatemole is the world’s best. Sweet tamales,cactus leaves, enchiladas, and chilies will satisfy every palate. Their special drink is jugos naturales, afruit juice of beets and carrots. Alsofamous has to be their tequila, mescal, and pulque – all alcoholic drinks fromcactus.

 

Trademarks are mariachi bands, malaria, lawless bordertowns, and margeritas, the drink, not the pizza (too bad).

 

Random fact: Oldcivilizations, Olmecs and Aztecs had achievements and cultures beyond what is thoughtpossible today. In fact, they wereincredibly advanced in the sciences, but eventually became part of the lostcivilizations …..a mystery to this day.

 

Now, to our port today….Huatulco. It has always been more of a sleepy hamlet, adestination known more for their deep sea fishing expeditions. It wasn’t until the 1980’s that resort developmentsput this place on the map. Compared toother famous seaside ports like Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, or Cancun,this smaller, more subdued atmosphere appeals to many travelers. With nine bays, a load of restaurants, bars,coffee plantations, gardens, bird-watching, and rivers, it has it all…just on asmaller scale.

 

Shore excursions offered here included tours from 2½ to 5½ hoursfor $60 to $190. The highest priced tourwas for deep sea fishing (catch and release), with a chance to land bluemarlin, dorado, sailfish, yellow fin tuna, and swordfish. Their tours included some we have done on pastvisits such as rural communities and traditions, where we ate cactus andlearned how to make tortilla shells the hard way – by hand.

 

Bird-watching and five bays by catamaran were also funexcursions. The bird one would have beenbetter, since we expected to see orioles, woodpeckers, egrets, gulls, falcons,sparrow hawks, parrots, and 20 types of hummingbirds. It depends on the time of year you visit, andMay was not the time, we guess. Alwayspresent are the vultures, gulls, terns, boobys, and frigates. And you can spotthese for free on the sail into the harbor.

 

Speaking of arriving, we went to deck six and made our wayto the front of the ship to watch from noon to almost 2pm. We remembered from previous stops here, thatthe sea life could be seen from the ship. We were not disappointed. Theflying fish brought the boobys….always a pleasure to watch as they hunt anddive constantly. Keeping a sharp eye outfor turtles, we saw several of the green variety as they floated by, gaspingfor air every now and then. They appearto be about 18 to 24 inches round, and look like brown plates or platterspassing by.

 

We did not expect to see manta rays, but we did see a pairof them as they swam by under the surface near the ship. Just before we got to the pier, we spottedanther huge manta, but barely had a chance to get good shot of it.

 

But the highlight of the morning had to be the pod ofdolphins we saw swarming and jumping in the distance. We noticed a dark streak of blue water, whichhad to be caused by a shoal of small fish, we are guessing. Then we saw the telltale splashing of thejumping dolphins. Surrounding them wereat least one hundred dolphins swimming on the surface…so many we could notcount the dorsal fins. Never whilesailing on the entire world cruise did we see a display like this. The pods could have been there, but you haveto be in the right place at the right time. Today, we were.

 

The local authorities sent out a boat to escort us, as wellas the required pilot boat, who brought the pilot captain out to us. We were at the pier, all by ourselves (noother ships) at 2pm. We waited in thecomfort of our room, downloading the photos, until the ship was cleared. For some unknown reason, that did not happenuntil 2:45pm, leaving many folks lined up in the hallway, waiting to get off ondeck A. Most of the tours were scheduledto leave at 2:30pm, but they must have held those folks in the Mainstage, wherethey hand out the stickers on the way out of the lounge.

 

We went off around 3pm, and found the groups of tour peoplegathering with their guides on the dock. They would have to walk to the busesor the waiting tour boats in the marina. At least it wasn’t quite as hot as we remembered it to be. Coming later might be a better idea.

 

We noticed there was an unusually larger amount of fishingboats in the bay and marina. And we soondiscovered why. There was a huge tournamenthappening for deep sea fishing. We walkedright into the middle of the fishermen and their guides, who were hauling themonster blue marlins that had been caught earlier. First they are weighed, recorded, and thentaken to an area where they are measured, cleaned, and fileted. Wow, what a thrill to see.

 

Right across from the marina set-up was a band stand withlive music so loud it shook the ground we stood on. The locals were digging it big time, but that’sthe fun of the whole affair. Localvendors were cashing in with their food and ice cream carts. A whole complex of souvenir stalls are backhere, but we did not even go near them, as they were full of people shoppingfor treasures.

 

Instead, we walked through the small central park, and wenttowards the beach and the cafes that lined the beach. Each one of the restaurants has promotersthat entice you to come in. Their bigdraw is cheap beers and free wifi. Wewere interested in the beer, but not the wifi, since we usually don’t mess withthat onshore. Actually, the internet hasbeen quite decent on the ship, and for us, it is mostly free.

 

We had no problem passing by the tables of silver jewelry,masks, clothing, and brightly-painted plates and trays. Our luggage weighs too much already. But the shopping ended up finding us anyway,when we went to the nicest restaurant on the water’s edge. It’s called Vel de Mer, and is recommended byTrip Advisor. Having gone there the lastfew times we were here, we knew we could order an appetizer and ice cold beers. We even added a dessert to share, whichwas chocolate-drizzled coffee ice cream. All of that for $14 USD. And some vendors were allowed to drift aroundthe tables. Probably relatives. We purchased a carved mug made out of bamboo,and a beaded necklace/earring set. Setus back $15 and made some local ladies very happy.

 

We were back onboard by 6pm, and at dinner in the PinnacleGrill by 8pm. It worked better for usthat we did not have a big lunch today, because we were nice and hungry for dinner. We started with the Caesar salad,followed by our entrees of a sirloin strip and lamb chops, which were deliciouswith ½ of a baked potato each. Desserts werethe chocolate volcano and the lemon brulee. Oh yes, we wanted to mention that on our reminder about our PinnacleGrill dinnertime tonight, there was a sentence that read: Please be advised that long pants arerequired. Guess we can assume that going in shorts has been an issue in thisvenue for dinner.

 

Looking put of our cabin window, we noticed that theAmsterdam was leaving the port before 11pm. Once cleared of the harbor, it was also noticeable that there waslightning happening every few minutes. Not a surprise, as the later it got, it became really overcast and darkoutside. A sign that the rainy seasonwill begin soon.

 

Looking forward to some sea days now.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 136 Day atSea May 19, 2018 Saturday Partly cloudy & 81 degrees

 

With a night full of lightning, we sort of expected anovercast, perhaps rainy morning. But no,we had left that system behind, and the skies were mostly blue and sunnytoday.

 

What we did not expect was an early announcement before 9amby the Cruise Director, Jai, saying that Mexican Ambassadors were onboard, likefor real. Figuring we had some officialssailing with us for a few days, some activities were planned earlier than thenorm today. Turned out that the MexicanAmbassadors were the team of locals that come onboard to teach their culture,language, and dance while we are in their country. On the world cruise, we had these same teamsjoin us in French Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia, and many more. Today’s itinerary included an interview withthe Mexican team at 9am, followed by a history of Mexico talk in the Mainstageat 10am. Later at lunchtime, a livefolkloric performance took place in theLido Dome. At 3pm, there was a danceclass, and at 4pm, there was a Spanish class in the Piano Bar. We expect to see more of the same on tomorrow’s line up.

 

Since it was so nice outside, we spent the majority of theday out back, in our favorite spot poolside. There were far more folks out today, mostly because the warm days willbe coming to an end once we head north towards San Francisco. Greatchance to finally finish book number five since we left Ft. Lauderdale lastJanuary. Normally, we are able to swapout books in the exchange corner in the library, but that is gone now. One can check out books as we always have,but they need to be read while here.

 

Wild life sightings were numerous today. Turtles were everywhere, and so were thedolphins. The ship swung a little closerto the coast when we reached the area around Acapulco. Close enough to see the buildings lining theshoreline. The Amsterdam has not stoppedin that port for years now. Guess it isnot as safe as it used to be. Anyway, wedid enjoy watching the flocks of unending boobys as they flew all around theship, skimming the water, and passing overhead.

 

Lunch was Dive In cuisine in our room at 3pm. Wanted to keep it light, because tonight isGala, and a special menu would be offered. We watched the ending of a movie called Coco, an animated comedy about ayoung Mexican boy who goes on an adventure. Sometimes it is nice to watch something that is not violent, bloody, orblowing things up.

 

Between walks outside and listening to Joel, the pianofellow, dinnertime came quickly. We hadnot intended to have much to eat, but when we found out that Shiv, the HousekeepingDirector was to join us, we were quite happy. Not a day has gone by these past months, that we have not said hi to himeither in his office or out and about on the ship. So when some of the tables were being hostedfor gala evening, Shiv chose us. He’sthe nicest guy ever. So our conversationflowed with memories of the grand world voyage and more, as we enjoyedappetizers, soups, and entrees of lamb and cheese tortellinis. Frozen yogurt and chocolate cheesecake finishedthe meal. So much for light…..but the companywas super. One of the stories Shivshared was about one of his room stewards, who sadly had his cell phone stolenwhile in Dakar, Senegal. All of hisbuddies felt so bad for him, that they took up a collection among the crew, andbought him a new phone….even better than the one that was stolen. That’s how special this crew is …..we areproud to know them.

 

Part of the conversation revolved around upgrades thatoccurred on the recent dry docking. Weinquired about the possibility of getting new TV’s in the future on the lowerdecks. The answer was yes ,but not untilthe next project in a few years, possibly 2021. What might occur, are bathroom upgrades, which has seen the removal ofthe tub/showers that are converted to a walk-in shower only. How many are being converted, we do not know.

 

Showtime presented comedian Matt Disero, who is also amagician. It was advertised to be aninteractive performance, which kind of scares us. Did not matter, since we were still in thedining room when the show began.

 

And good news was that the clocks went back one hourtonight. And we had a chance to see themovie, Coco, in our room from the beginning. Delightful.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 137 Day atSea May 20, 2018 Sunday Partly cloudy & 81 degrees

 

Well, today was Sunday, and a day at sea. So would there be a Sunday brunch? That question was answered when we saw themenu of the special brunch in place of the regular lunch menu outside thedining room this morning. So our guessis that this Sunday-at-Sea Brunch is possibly fleet wide these days. We would find out later in the day whether itwas well attended or not.

 

Even though it was still plenty warm and humid, the weatherseemed a lot more tolerable today. Whathelped was a nice breeze blowing on the outside decks, something that has beenmissing this last week. Ever since weleft the Panama Canal, and sailed up the coast of Central America, it has beensticky and hot. With every degree north we sail, the weather has improved.

 

The Explorations Central team from Mexico presentedeverything you wanted to know about tequila, as it is the national drink. In the same theme, all you need to know aboutdiamonds and gemstones was discussed in the Ocean Bar. Yesterday, we received a coupon worth $250 tospend towards jewelry bought at DiamondsInternational in Cabo San Lucas. Theport shopping ambassador, Daniel, will take a group interested in buying thisjewelry tomorrow at 9:15am. Guess theywill go over on the same tender boat.

 

Speaking of tender boats, we did not get any informationregarding priority tendering while in Cabo tomorrow. Usually the Neptune and Pinnacle suite folksalong with the President’s Club members, as well as 4 and 5 star Mariners getto board first, without getting the tender tickets. We would find out later in the evening thatthe rule is still in place. They justfailed to put it in printing. As for us,we will not be the first ones off, since at 7am, not much will be opened. Andwe are not on any tours.

 

While we were enjoying probably the last of the heat of thesun at the Seaview Pool, Captain Eversen was taking the passengers on a virtualtour of the bridge, as well as answering questions. This was held in the Mainstage, and wecertainly hoped it would be televised for viewing later on TV. We are still looking for it, but so far…..nothing. In fact, the reception on the TV has beenspotty, as we have been losing the signal off and on for several days now. Could be there is continuing work happeningwith the recent upgrades. Shiv mentionedlast night that we still have about 30 workers onboard finishing up the last ofthe details.

 

During his PM talk, the Captain mentioned that we will beextending our stay in Cabo from 2pm to 5pm. That was great news, since we had planned on going to lunch, and did notwant to have to hurry back for the last tender ride. He did say that it sort of made up for ourmissed port in Nicaragua. Works forus…..

 

Not all that hungry for lunch, we picked up a few slices ofpizza, and a couple of mystery sandwiches in the Lido. Mystery, because they were not labeled, andthere was no server present to describe them. Turned out one was a club and the other was a veggie sandwich. Perfect to munch on while watching a movieabout little league baseball back in 1957 between teams from Texas andMexico. True story too.

 

We have one big objection with the photographers on thiscruise. On the longer trips, the deckfive photo sets are put up on gala nights. Understandable, since that’s when most people like to pose in theirfinery. But on this trip, they have beensetting up almost every day. Thisafternoon we were sitting around the atrium deck five, listening to the pianoman playing, when up went the backdrop right behind us. Then they proceeded to persuade the folks tostop and pose. Nine times out of ten,the answer was, are you kidding, dressed like this? No thanks. They tend to scare more people away than they do getting somebusiness. We see it as nickel and dimingto the utmost. Not only distracting tothe Ocean Bar customers, they block the aisle between the casino and theatrium, making folks wait while they do the posing. There has to be a better place to do this.

 

We have to admit that Disney Cruise Line had a much betterset-up. Yes, they had photo sessionsevery day, even twice a day. But it was located at the bottom level of theatrium where it bothered no one. Peoplelined up in four places to pose with the Disney characters, then later on,chose what they wished to purchase on computers in another area of theship. Brilliant idea, as they did notprint what the people did not wish to buy. No lines, no blocking of aisles, no waste, and no begging you to pose.

 

We did have reservations in the Pinnacle Grill tonight, butchanged our minds when we looked at the dining room menu this morning. It had two of our favorite entrees offered,so we cancelled the reservations. Weasked Slam, our waiter, how the brunch went this morning, and he said it wasalmost empty of people. Odd, since thatvenue really took off on the grand voyage. Perhaps someone should have promoted this special brunch ahead of time,so people knew what to expect. Slamworks the Lido at lunchtime, and he said it was more crowded than evertoday. Even tonight, we were surprisedto see how empty the dining room was at 8pm. No rhyme or reason, other than people may have chosen to eat in the Lidoor go to anytime dining for a change.

 

Even though we were done with dinner at 9:30pm, we did notattend the show, which was another comedy act. Comedian Anthony Padilla is known as one of the most versatile fellowsin the business. His quick-wittedplayful banter and artful storytelling is promised to leave everyone feeling like part of thefamily. One of the newer Star Trekmovies was starting on TV at 10pm, and we wanted to see it from the beginning.

 

Looking forward to another fun day in Cabo San Lucastomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #138 Cabo San Lucas, Mexico May 21, 2018 Partly cloudy & 82 degrees Part #1 Of 3 80 Pictures

 

Our last port in Mexico was Cabo San Lucas, located in thestate of Baja California Sur. It has apopulation of 65,000 Spanish-speaking people, although English is widely spokentoo. The currency is the Mexican peso,and at the time, the rate is about 18 to one US dollar.

 

During the late 16th and early 17thcenturies, Cabo was a haven for pirates. However, today we have watched it grow from a sleepy sport’s fishingcommunity to a destination with swanky hotel and condos. The first time we discovered this area wasback in the 1970’s, when tourism was in its infancy. CaboSan Lucas was really a small village with a boat ramp for the tender boats tooff-load guests from the cruise ships. Wedo recall there was one very nice hotel perched on a hillside overlooking the PacificOcean. Never in a million years did weenvision what we see today. A beautifulmarina full of yachts and fishing vessels, luxury stores, golf courses, hotels,and never-ending happy hour at dozens and dozens of restaurants and bars. Yep, a huge part town, and still growing.

 

The Amsterdam pulled into the San Lucas Bay, right acrossfrom Medano Beach early this morning. Bythe time we woke up, we were looking right at El Arco, where the Pacific Oceanmeets the Sea of Cortez. Within the rockformations just outside the picturesque marina, is a naturally-formed arch, ora hole in the rock, which has become the iconic symbol of the area.

 

As promised by Captain Fred yesterday, our stay was extendeduntil 5pm, with the last tender boat back to the ship at 4:30pm. At least we were not pressured to leaveearly, and try to squeeze in lunch. Sowe had a light breakfast, and hung around taking morning photos from the lowerpromenade deck. The lighting for gettingthe best shots of the rocks and the arch is always in the early morning hours. We were not disappointed.

 

And the weather was going to be good today, as there was apromising breeze along with comfortable temperatures. Of course, it is always pleasant on thewater, but onshore, well tht might be a different story.

 

Everyone, except a few, had to get tender tickets for theride over. It appeared that the shipsnew tender boats were being used, as well as some local tenders fromshore. It is a big help having thelocals help with the transfers, as we only have one platform out at atime. And the tours were going offalso. There were a total of 18 shoreexcursions offered today. Four types ofactivities included sight-seeing, adventure/water tours, parasailing/beachtours, and scuba diving/dolphin encounters. Theyranged in price from $38 to $220, and ran from 1 ½ to 5 ½ hours. Most of these groups would be the first off.

 

We went over after 10am, and did happen to ride over withthe 25 or more guests who tagged along with the port shopping ambassadorfor trip to Diamonds International. By the way, we got to ride in one of the newtender boats. They hold about the sameamount of people as the older ones, but are much more spacious. Now we have to step up two stairs to getinside the wider opening, then walk down two steps to the seating. The windows are higher than the seats, so itis hard to see outside. If you happen toget inside the boat last, you can be most comfortable on bench seating in thecenter.

 

Those people that go to the front of the boat will never getwet now, as the window/doors are raised much higher above the water line. We did notice that there is little aircirculation on the lower seat area, so the shorter the ride, the better.

 

Getting out of the secured tender landing, we were approachedby dozens of vendors selling tours, or offering boat and taxi rides. Once past them, it was better. Sometimes the pressure these guys and galsput on the tourists repels them instead of drawing them in.

 

We took our usual path this morning, heading up towards CaboWabo in search of a souvenir t-shirt or two. Far too early for lunch, we did notice that happy hour began at 9amhere. Window-shopping on the way downtowards the mall, the vendors were in fine form, trying to entice us into theirstalls and shops.

 

Passing by the old Hard Rock Café, we noticed that it hasclosed permanently, with no signs of re-locating. So much in this part of town has been re-modeled,we barely recognized it. Plaza BonitaMall has been created with new larger shops, similar to what we found whengetting off of the dock by the tender landing.

 

Puerto Paraiso Mall was our next stop, where we knew we couldcool off for a while. Like we expected,it had heated up outside, and the air-conditioning was most welcomed. We always make a stop at the Tommy Bahamastore in the luxury end of this mall. Sometimes they have some good sales and also sell another brand of tropicalshirts we like. Seems that the sizesavailable today were either too small or way too large. So we bought nothing.

 

A new venue we passed in the mall was called the FishResort, a unique foot spa experience. While traveling through the Orient, we have seen this service provided,where fish tanks full of small fish called garra rufa suck dead cells of skinoff of your feet, which are submerged in the tank. Two young girls were getting this treatment,while their mom stood by watching. Wecould hear them giggling as soon as we entered into the cool mall doors. The cost varies, but the shortest time is 15minutes for $20 USD, plus $15 more for a foot massage and hand treatment.

 

Making our way back outside, we walked around the marina,watching for the tropical fish in the waters. We did see quite a few varieties of fish, including the pufferfish. What we did not see today were awhole lot of pelicans like we usually see. Perhaps they migrate, and we were here later than we usually are. There were few frigates too.

 

But we did get a kick out of the humongous sea lions thatlaunched themselves on the back ends of some fishing boats as they entered themarina. These animals are so big, theypulled the boats down as they begged fish from the drivers. People were actually petting them as they fedthem fish.

 

We made it as far as Medano Beach and the new hotels andresorts on the water’s edge. Thesidewalks along the way were in the process of being widened. Now there is no sandy trail at all as we madeour way towards the beach. From this point,all the way to the end at San Jose del Cabo, there is 18 miles of beachfronthotels and resorts. Every time we comehere, more hotels are being added. Eventually,there will be solid tourist hotels andresorts the entire way.

 

And we had quite a surprise when we reached this point,because another ship had “parked” next to us…….the Carnival Splendor. That ship is huge compared to us. With a total of 24 life boats, she has to bedouble our size, and holds more than double our population. We figured that we had better head for lunchbefore the restaurants filled up.

 

Dodging the ever-persistant vendors, we went to our favoritepub that serves pizza. Not crowded yet,we relaxed for an hour, doing what we do best….eat pizza, of course. And drink some very good, ice cold blondebrew. We added a small serving of carrotcake to our meal, and we were on our way by 1pm.

 

On the way back, we negotiated with a street vendor for along sleeve t-shirt we had spotted in some shops. The very same shirt was half the price, andwould have been less if we wanted to buy in larger quantities. Fun to do, but now we have to watch theweight because we need to fly home. Perish the thought.

 

Passing the rest of the fun restaurants, we decided to passup the souvenir stores, and go back to the ship. Once the tender boat filled, we were off forthe short transfer. By now, the marinawas bustling with boat activity with fishing vessels arriving back, and moretenders bringing the folks from both ships.

 

It was still very warm in the sun while we waited at theSeaview Pool for the eventual sail out of the bay. Every now and then, we saw something poppingout of the water in the distance, then disappear with a wide splash. Definitely not dolphins, they were fish. Getting some lucky shots of them, wediscovered later on that they were manta rays, literally flying out of thewater. We can only assume something muchlarger was under them, making them fly into the air.

 

The last boat was hauled up at 5pm, then the Captain backedup and turned the ship and headed around that famous corner of the rockoutcroppings and El Arco. If you werenot watching, you would miss the hole in the rock, which some folks did. One couple approached us and asked if we sawthe arch, which of course, we did. Someone had told them that the arch had collapsed and was no longerthere. Too bad they had not left theirveranda sooner , because they missed seeing it.

 

Once out to sea, the temperatures dropped at least 20 degrees, and the winds almost bleweverything off of the aft deck. CaptainFred had warned people to secure their things, but they seldom listen. It was fun watching them wrap towels aroundtheir shoulders, running inside for shelter. Eventually, we were the only ones left at the back railing as we sailed towardsour next port of San Francisco in a few days.

 

The Lido seemed to be over-flowing with customers fordinner, as it had been a long and busy day in port. Bet the dining rooms will be almost emptytonight.

 

And we had guessed right, as there were several empty tableson deck five at 8pm. Lamb shank andhoney mustard parmesan crusted chicken were our choices of entrees. Both were excellent. We were back to the room by 9:30pm, choosingnot to walk outside after dinner. Therewas a pianist, humorist, songwriter, by the name of Dale Gonyea, on stage thisevening. Since we have enjoyed the musicof Joel in the Ocean Bar earlier, we felt we had fulfilled that type ofentertainment already.

 

Two sea days lay ahead of us as we head north into muchcooler weather.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 139 Day atSea May 22, 2018 Tuesday Partly cloudy & 81 degrees

 

Really? It’s going tobe 81 degrees today? We don’t think so,since when we checked the temperature at 7:30am, it was only 59 degrees. The ride up this coastline during this timeof year is always a cool one. We canassume it will continue to stay on the cool side all the way until we get offin Seattle.

 

As we are following the coast of Baja California, our Mexicoeducation continued with a presentation of fire, ice and quakes, whichdescribed the geological activity in this country. Later at noon, the ambassadors performedanother music and dance concert in the Lido Pool area.

 

In preparation for the upcoming ports, there was a lectureon the Pacific coastal wildlife.

 

With days at sea like this one, it is the perfectopportunity for sales on board. Even asearly as 9am, there was a deck sale in the Lido Dome with men’s and women’swatch sets. Then the shops put out someitems for up to 75% off the original price. We did see a few of the blue sweatshirts thatwere sold on the world cruise with the 2018 itinerary on the back. However,every one of them was size small.

 

Spa treatments have been promoted with ads of all sizes leftin our mail slots daily. Not sure theyare reduced, but these treatments are brought to our attention as they offerthem individually or in combinations.

 

For some unknown reason, we have lost most of the TVfeed. It has been spotty the lastseveral days, but this morning it went off completely. The “in house” programming is stilloperational, but BBC, MSNBC, and Fox have gone dark…..no signal. However, the two ESPN channels have continuedto work. Obviously, they are on aseparate signal. When we asked about thesignal, we were told that we have lost the “footprint”. Maybe this happened last year on thisstretch, but we are not sure it lasted this long. What is different this year are the presenceof communications contractors who may or may not be working on the system as wesail. It would not be unusual that inorder to fix something else, the feed has been turned off temporarily. Theinternet has been working great, as that is on a different system.

 

Since it was so cool outside and not a pool day, it ended upbeing a 2 movie day. While we watchedthe first movie, we packed one suitcase, with hopes that we will be able totake it off while in San Francisco. Thatshould make it easier to only have two pieces of luggage with which to flyhome. We have gotten permission, unlesssomething changes, it should be OK.

 

Something nice happened this afternoon. It regarded the almost everyday photo set-upin the hallway from the casino to the atrium. We had made mention of this situation yesterday, and someone actuallylistened. This afternoon, the aisle wasfree of obstructions and the photo shoot was moved to another side. This worked because there was a way for thefoot traffic to flow around the atrium without a blockage. Problem solved. And we were able to listen to the piano man withoutinterruptions, much appreciated by all of us sitting around the atrium acrossfrom the Ocean Bar.

 

Dinner in the dining room had an entrée we really liked….theturkey dinner. It’s like having an earlyThanksgiving at least once a month. Fordessert, we sampled an ice cream sundae, a frozen banana yogurt, and onechocolate-covered vanilla ice cream. Allgood.

 

The show this evening was “Road House” performed by thesingers and dancers. We are certain thatthe first show at 8pm is busting at the seams, as we watch the folks arrivingwell before 7am to get their favorite seats. We had a question regarding the seat heights in the show lounge on deckfour, specifically the couches and the chairs. They seem to be close to the sameheight now.

 

And for the final time this cruise, the clocks went back onehour, putting us on Pacific Daylight Savings Time.

 

One more day at sea, and we will be in good old SanFrancisco, a city close to our hearts.

 

Bill & Mary Ann