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Live from the Amsterdam ...

kryos

By kryos,
in Holland America Line

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kryos

kryos

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Well, here I am again. I had to send out a few emails, so I figured I'd pop in here again while I was logged on.

 

We spent the day in Kona and took a lovely tour that including the coffee plant, the painted church, and other wonderful sights. Then, of course ... I did a bit of shopping. Gotta stop doing that. This cruise is only about a sixth of the way through ... if I keep up at this pace with the shopping, I'm gonna be bankrupt by the end of it.

 

Tonight we sail past the volcano, so they moved the late dinner seating show to before dinner. Since it's a singer tonight, I decided to skip it. But after dinner I will go up to the Lido or sports deck to view the molten lava.

 

Tomorrow is Hilo and another tour. Then on Friday ... yeah ... hopefully if the weather gods are good to me ... skydiving! God, it's been so long since my last jump, I can't wait!

 

Still no word if any of the cruise director's staff will be joining me, though. Maybe I should invite the captain?

 

We had dinner in the Pinnacle last night, me and JudyAl and another nice lady who sits at our table in the dining room, Betsy. The food was out of this world, and even though I ordered the petite fillet ... I still couldn't quite finish it. But, then ... I did make room for dessert ... a three flavor creme brulee dish. We plan on many more dinners in the Pinnacle before this cruise is over ... probably the next one on the first sea day after Hawaii.

 

My cabin steward, Mohammed, is wonderful. The man must be a psysic ... he knows just when I leave the cabin, and when I return ... walaa! It's all straightened up! He also has been making me the most lovely towel animals just about every night. I got an octopus that fell apart unfortunately when I moved it. But I still have the stingray, the elephant and the beautiful swan he made me sitting on my sofa. He uses the pillow chocolates for the eyes on most of these creatures, and that's really great, because I wind up getting two pillow chocolates that way. :) Mohammad says that he is gonna be giving a demonstration later on in the cruise. I can't wait to attend that. I want to take notes so that maybe I can pass them along to dad ... and get him to make me towel animals every day at home. Yeah, right. :)

 

I should say that my favorite place on the whole ship has become the Explorations Cafe. I just love this room. So many books, magazines, etc. Then, they have these neat listening stations for music. You program your playlist and then just sit back and enjoy. They have all kinds of music too ... I even found some good Christian music as well. I really didn't expect that ... and it was a pleasant surprise. They also offer an extensive DVD library for rent. I think the suites get rentals for free, with a modest charge for other cabins. I haven't rented any yet, but I did ask. No Posiden Adventure ... nor Titantic. The lovely woman who mans the internet cafe told me that they don't stock any "scarey" stuff like that.

 

Guess that's about it. It's almost time for another wonderful dinner in the dining room. The guy is playing a mean set of chimes. :)

 

Blue skies!

 

--rita

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Ziggy7

Ziggy7

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Rita,

 

So nice to read about your cruise! Sounds like your having a wonderful time! Thanks for the tip on how to get a ships officers to help you with your life jacket (wink wink), also I laughed so hard about your description on the size of the showers! Oh how many times I bumped my noggin! LOL

 

Looking forward to your reports and hopefully when you get home, a few pictures :) Like one as your jumping out of the plane ???? LOL

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kryos

kryos

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Had a wonderful time in Honolulu today ... we're docked here until midnight Saturday night. So, today was only the first day. It's now about 5:00 p.m. on Friday evening, and I am safely esconsed back on the ship after a wonderful day at Skydive Hawaii on the North Shore. Thought I was gonna be going pretty much alone. Everyone I thought was gonna join me deserted. Guess they had more sense. But when the Skydive Hawaii van picked me up this morning, the driver told me he had a bunch more people from the Amsterdam to pick up too. Turns out they were staff ... cast members, a couple of people from the cruise director's staff. So, the whole journey was great fun.

 

I had an awesome skydive. Oh, man ... it felt so good to get into the air again. I haven't made a jump since winter of 2000 and boy was I hurting. I got a DVD filmed of the jump. Thanks Kelsey! And, I also got a roll of still pictures. Unfortunately, the photo shop is closed for the next two days, so I will have to wait to get them developed. I'm gonna see if I can get them burned to a CD too ... and when I return home, I'll put up some of the photos for ya all! But, the jump was awesome and my tandem instructor, Shawn, was so helpful and kind. I was a bit nervous ... not jumping out of the plane, but with the actual landing. Visions of my accident back in 1999 flashing through my head. But Shawn was so understanding ... helped me get such a gentle slide in landing ... I didn't even feel the touch down. What a great return to the skies I love. If you are the adventuresome type, be sure to visit Skydive Hawaii on your next trip out this way. They will even pick you up at the pier and bring you out to their facilities on the North Shore.

 

We had another wonderful dinner last night in the dining room, but tonight will be a bit lonely since a lot of folks made plans to attend the luau tonight. Me, I'm just gonna relax ... have a quiet dinner ... and then maybe sit in the lounge for a while before turning in. Early tour tomorrow ... gotta met up at 8:45 a.m. Don't worry ... this excursion is "normal" ... a Grand Circle Island Tour covering some 120 miles of the island, including lunch at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

 

Just to answer a few questions I've seen posted on this thread ...

 

The Captain, Hotel Manager and Cruise Director are apparently getting off the ship after this sailing. At least that's what this nice lady from the Shore Excursions staff told me. She was on both of my tours so far ... sort of someone from the cruise line quality checking the tours. I asked her and she said those folks contracts will end at the end of this cruise. Who the new cruise director and hotel manager will be, she doesn't know.

 

There are DVD players and flat screen tv's ... even in the "cheap seats." Now I just have to figure out how to operate mine so that I can watch this awesome skydive video tonight. :)

 

I will give JudyAl the message indicated further up this thread. But, I should say that I probably won't see her until tomorrow ... she's off attending the luau right now and won't be joining us for dinner tonight. I'll get the message to her though ...

 

That's it for now ...

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

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kryos

kryos

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please tell judyAL to call Alan or her daughter *ASAP . thank you. (and thanks to ExaltHim for providing me with this link) - if it's not too much trouble can you reply that this message was given to Judy? tnx. Linda.

Can't give it to Judy now ... she's attending a luau and I just saw this message. I know she's calling Alan just about everyday ... so hopefully she's already touched base with him.

 

I'll mention it to her as soon as I see her though, but I'm sure she's probably already talked to him.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

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sail7seas

sail7seas

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Thanks for your wonderful posts, Kryos. Given what you use for your avatar, I'm happy for you that you got to do a skydive. And even happier you landed safely. :)

 

It's fun 'cruising along with you'.

 

Continue to enjoy.

 

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Ziggy7

Ziggy7

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hehehe Rita, I had knots in my tummy while you were describing your jump, I would love to see pictures when you return, you are so brave in my eyes, I hard like flying let alone jumping out of a plane eeeks! You Go Girl!!!!! Glad all went well! Blue skies and clam seas my friend! :)

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JudyAL

JudyAL

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Thanks to all who tried to locate me. I appreciate it. I have not become a grandma yet, but I have a feeling I will become one somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Daughter is 32 weeks pregnant, but hopefully she will hold off a little longer. I check my e-mail every day. Alan is pretty good about e-mailing me and I know he will if my daughter calls him. Thanks again everyone!

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KAKcruiser

KAKcruiser

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If you get a chance, could you check the last suite on either side of navigation deck. It is a handicapped cabin and the balcony is supposed to be narrower. I'm not sure if it can be seen from the back deck or not. We love the wide balconies in the suites but it is hard to manage with the wheelchair and thought the handicapped cabin would be better. But, not if the balcony was too narrow.

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kryos

kryos

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If you get a chance, could you check the last suite on either side of navigation deck. It is a handicapped cabin and the balcony is supposed to be narrower. I'm not sure if it can be seen from the back deck or not. We love the wide balconies in the suites but it is hard to manage with the wheelchair and thought the handicapped cabin would be better. But, not if the balcony was too narrow.

I'll have to see if they'll let us lowlifers (inside cabins) up there. :) That's the floor with all the rich folk. :)

 

But, we've got five sea days coming up after today, so I'll see what I can do.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

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kryos

kryos

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Sorry I haven't posted for a while ... things have been pretty busy in port these past several days.

 

Let's see ... on my second day in Honolulu, I took a circle island tour. Really neat driver ... really gave us our money's worth. We got to see the Boda-In Temple, the blow hole, the golf courses where the rich folks play, and a whole slew of other sites ... I can't even remember them all. We also had a lovely buffet lunch at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Tons of great photo ops. I shot off four rolls of film (I know ... I know ... I've got to move up to digital).

 

In Kauai, I didn't do much. Our port stop was a short one ... and my independent excursion fell through. A nephew of one of my former jump buddies from the Chicago area was gonna take me for an aerobatics plane flight, but unfortunately he had to cancel due to work commitments. So, I went exploring the town on foot with Kakalina and her husband. Now, you're all gonna think I'm nuts here ... if you don't already ... but during our circle island tour the day before, we had passed a Mickey D's. I guess it's psychological ... but after seeing those golden arches, I went to sleep dreaming about a Big Mac. Well, whadda know? There was a Mickey D's right there in the Walmart and Kakalina and her husband, and I ... feasted. Boy, it was great to get some good junk food after all this really good stuff. :)

 

Sorry ... that's just how I am.

 

I also had my first opportunity to visit Hilo Hatties. Believe it or not, I've never been there on any previous trip to Hawaii. I found some beautiful Aloha Shirts ... the wild Hawaiin patterns ... but of a good quality ... not the cheap junk you can sometimes wind up with on the islands. Of course, the price tag reflected that quality and I dumped a bundle in that store. Oh, well ... it might be quite a while before I get back to Hawaii, so I'm willing to splurge on this trip.

 

Now on the opposite end of food quality, I just made reservations for JudyAl, Betsy and I to dine at the Pinnacle again tomorrow night. God, I could eat there every night! The steaks are sooooo good.

 

The dining room food and service has been quite good, and I have gotten into the habit (bad) of ordering two desserts some nights. I have to have my sorbet ... a meal just would not feel complete without it. But, if they've got something else I like, I order that too. Our waiters are only too happy to bring us two or three of anything we want.

 

Today was my "special" day ... kinda the whole purpose of this cruise for me. I turned 50 today and had a wonderful snorkle trip with the Pacific Whale Foundation. Took a whole roll of film with the disposable underwater camera I bought ... and we saw all kinds of fish, and several huge green sea turtles. They were awesome!

 

But the best bonus was before we even arrived at the snorkle site. We saw several whales ... and some even came within 40 yards of the boat. The boats are not allowed to approach the whales within 100 feet, but we sure can't help it if we're just floating there (engine off) and the whales approach us! It was awesome, though very, very difficult to photograph them when they breach. They are just too quick. I have a feeling I have a bunch of photos of clear, glassy ocean. :)

 

After the snorkling, we were served a barbequed lunch on the boat, complete with open bar. While I stuck to root beer, the mai ties and beer was clearly freeflowing. I happened to mention to another cruiser that I had taken this cruise as a 50th birthday present to myself, and she apparently told the crew of the snorkle boat. They all sang happy birthday to me after lunch ... making this special day even more special.

 

I don't know how I am gonna top this birthday ... ever. I am so blessed ...

 

My cabin steward is wonderful ... and I don't know how he knew ... but as I left for my snorkle excursion this morning, he sang happy birthday to me. When I returned, he had a towel animal of a monkey hanging over my bed with a birthday card from HAL. It was so sweet. He is really without a doubt the best cabin steward I've ever had on any cruise. I am truly blessed.

 

After snorkling, I walked around Old Lahana for a while ... looking in the shops. I kept my shopping to a minimum though ... I've really been spending too much. But I did buy a beautiful tee-shirt from the Pacific Whale Foundation ... with an embrodiered logo on the pocket. Very nice. It's also nice the wonderful work those people do ... educating us about the whales and the dolphins ... and trying to protect them and the environment in which they live. The profits on everything they sell in the store goes to their important work and thus I was more than happy to drop a few bucks there.

 

After my little shopping trip, I decided to call it a day. It gets tiring after you have six days in a row in port ... and since I've spent considerable time on Maui (a 12-day writers' conference and retreat in 2000, plus another cruise last spring) ... I figured what I really wanted at that point was to go back to my cabin, take a warm shower, and a quick nap. So, since it was my birthday, that's exactly what I did. :)

 

Having trouble getting a cell signal from this island ... first island I've had that problem. I think it might be related to our position in relation to this huge mountain out the window. :)

 

Guess that's about it for now. Tomorrow we are at sea, heading toward our first port of call in the South Pacific. Since we're skipping Christmas Island (I found out the problem was actually due to sand bars ... not civil unrest as someone had told me previously), we're spending five days at sea instead of having them broken up. We are also getting to remain in Papeete until 6:00 a.m., instead of what was scheduled to be only until like 10:00 or 11:00 p.m. the night before. Now I just have to see what I can arrange to do there ... with all that extra time.

 

Thanks to everyone for riding along with us. This is truly shaping up to be the cruise of a lifetime for me ... and I only hope that maybe some of you all get to do this itinerary one day. I can guarantee you'll love it.

 

Blue skies ... calm seas ... (though frankly, I like 'em rough) :)

 

--rita

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Marbella

Marbella

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Thank you Rita, for sharing both this wonderful cruise and your 50th with all of us. Your writing is wonderful---makes me feel as if I was right there with you!

 

p.s. you do know that 50 is definetely the 'new' 40!!, but in your case, it's the new 30!

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dot73

dot73

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Happy Birthday, Rita. What a fabulous birthday gift you have given to yourself. I will be turning 50 in June 2007 and am really looking forward to it. I have put down a deposit on the same itinerary you are on (Ryndam - January 22, 2007) to celebrate my 50th birthday. My birthday isn't until June, so it will be an early present to myself. It sounds like this really is a cruise of a lifetime. I hope when you get back, I can pick your brain about certain excursions. I have never been to Hawaii and I will definitely be taking the whale watching excursion. Keep these posts coming. :) :)

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GAJE

GAJE

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Rita:

I am very much enjoying your reports. Keep them coming!!!!

My cousin, David, is on this cruise with you, along with his friend Ross. They are both in their early 70s. David is quite tall and slender. They live in Sarasota and are frequent cruisers. If you should happen to encounter them, please tell them hello from me. We will be embarking on the Amsterdam on the day you all disembark. I am already packing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thanks, Betty

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spingal

spingal

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Rita,

 

Hi there!!! I hope you had a wonderful birthday! I have been following your posts. It sounds like you are having a fabulous time. I hope the rest of the cruise is just as great. And your Hawaii posts made me think of our wonderful Island Princess cruise last April.

 

Here is to your "special" birthday!!

Take care.

Jamie

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FlorenceItaly

FlorenceItaly

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I've been checking and checking' date=' wondering about the same thing! what's to do so many sea days?[/quote']

 

I hope to find out, as I have made deposit on this cruise, also as a solo :).

I have no worries that there will be plenty to keep me occupied, and I love to relax.

 

Marie

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