Venture to the Caribbean with Bill & Mary Ann on the Nieuw Statendam & Nieuw Amsterdam 12-18-21 to 4-26-22

[WCB]

Report #114   Cartagena, Columbia  Sunday  April 10, 2022    7:00 am - 1 pm    Sunny With Some Clouds  82 Degrees  Part 1 Of 4.........80 Pictures

 

We had an early breakfast today since we are in the port of Cartagena, Colombia.  There were only four diners in the Pinnacle Grill when we arrived, so service was excellent, with some time to spend chatting with the most friendly waiters. 

 

Our room was cleaned by the time we got back to it.  We had a visit from the Head Housekeeper checking to see the progress with her requests.   All had been done, with the exception of the torn metal door frame.  She was not happy about that, and would put in another work order for it. 

 

After she left, we had a phone call from Teresa, the Event Coordinator, informing us that the next Mariner Event would be a few days before we arrive to San Diego.  Yes, we knew that but we were still trying to figure out what happened to the first invite.  Water under the bridge now, but we hope the rest of the mailings do not get lost.   We inquired whether or not Teresa had received our list of items we always ask for.  Our travel agent always sends this list in well before the cruise, so these things are in place when we board.   It saves the room stewards a lot of time that way.  The requests did make it to the N. Statendam, just not here. 

 

Then we asked if there would be Luggage Direct service in San Diego.   That’s where you put your luggage out the night before we get there, and you don’t see it until you arrive at your final destination.  Teresa said she would check into it for us. 

 

Leaving the ship by 10:30am, all we needed were our key cards and a driver’s license.  No mention of a valid Covid vaccination card.  That’s the first time it was not needed since this trip began in December.  The cruise terminal here is always fun with a manmade oasis with mature trees giving it the look and feel of a tropical mangrove.  Even though  we have been here a dozen times, we still like to photograph the many birds, anteater, and some resident monkeys.  Never have we seen so many peacocks and macaws as we saw today. 

 

We noticed that there were no flamingoes in their usual enclosure.  Perhaps they have been removed or died.  The peacocks seemed to have taken over this area.  First time we saw some carp in the pond.

 

It was nice to get inside the air-conditioned store, as it turned out to be a very warm and humid day.  We passed through the store, then out the back door.  Could not help but notice several “watchers” in there, keeping an eye on the merchandise.  Outside the back door, we were greeted with the loud screeches of the macaws.  There must have been 100 of them.  The peacocks were everywhere as well.  They like to perch high up in the trees and send out their calls.  Boy, does that sound familiar to us or what?  Strangely enough, we have 19 of these birds at home in aviaries.  We deducted that with the Covid closure of this port, all of these birds did better with hatching their eggs without disturbances. 

 

We saw the one anteater pacing in his cage, like he wanted out.  Then going inside the aviary, we saw many ducks, geese, two toucans, two macaws, and one tortoise.  Then watching under the huge banyan fig trees, we did spot two howler monkeys, so lazy, they barely moved.  Most people thought we were taking pictures of the peacocks, until we showed them the monkeys.

 

Making our way back to the shop, one of us picked out a 3 piece set of gourd jewelry, which is unique to here.  Guess you can consider it “green” since it is made from a type of vegetable.  I have a small collection already, and it is fun adding more colors to the mix.

 

Walking slowly back to the ship, we wondered where the complimentary shuttle was.  It’s never where you need it to be, although, we would not get inside of it.  By the way, we were required to wear our masks getting off and on the ship, as well as in the shop at the terminal.  We had completed an hour and half tour today, mainly because all aboard was 12:30pm.   A short stop was all that was needed here.  Noticed that the ship took on some fuel, as well as off-loaded either recyclables and garbage onto a small barge.

 

The Captain took the ship out of the harbor slowly before 1pm, so we could enjoy the scenery.  It sure was one hot and terribly humid afternoon.   The high rise buildings in this sprawling city have sky-rocketed since we first began coming here.  Once we were out to sea, they picked up speed and a much welcomed breeze on the veranda.  And that’s where we stayed for quite a while until it was time for computer/photo work. 

 

Dinner in the dining room was not exciting, so we made last minute reservations in the Pinnacle Grill and got a 4 top table set for 2 at 8pm.   Perfect, as was the meal of wedge salads, clothesline bacon, 7 ounce filets, a shared baked potato with toppings, and a bowl of sauteed mushrooms.  Usually we don’t do desserts, but tonight we had a baked Alaska and one chocolate soufflé.  The head chef  from India made a stop to chat, and we thanked him for such great tasting food. 

 

Going back to the elevator, we took notice that both the BB King Blues and the Billboard Onboard venues were well attended. We would guess that the duel piano players had twice the folks in attendance. 

 

Looking forward to the crossing tomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[Essiesmom]

Entering Pedro Miguel Locks

 

[ScottishMaid]

4 hours ago, WCB said:

Report #114   Cartagena, Columbia  Sunday  April 10, 2022    7:00 am - 1 pm    Sunny With Some Clouds  82 Degrees  Part 1 Of 4.........80 Pictures

 

We had an early breakfast today since we are in the port of Cartagena, Colombia.  There were only four diners in the Pinnacle Grill when we arrived, so service was excellent, with some time to spend chatting with the most friendly waiters. 

 

Our room was cleaned by the time we got back to it.  We had a visit from the Head Housekeeper checking to see the progress with her requests.   All had been done, with the exception of the torn metal door frame.  She was not happy about that, and would put in another work order for it. 

 

After she left, we had a phone call from Teresa, the Event Coordinator, informing us that the next Mariner Event would be a few days before we arrive to San Diego.  Yes, we knew that but we were still trying to figure out what happened to the first invite.  Water under the bridge now, but we hope the rest of the mailings do not get lost.   We inquired whether or not Teresa had received our list of items we always ask for.  Our travel agent always sends this list in well before the cruise, so these things are in place when we board.   It saves the room stewards a lot of time that way.  The requests did make it to the N. Statendam, just not here. 

 

Then we asked if there would be Luggage Direct service in San Diego.   That’s where you put your luggage out the night before we get there, and you don’t see it until you arrive at your final destination.  Teresa said she would check into it for us. 

 

Leaving the ship by 10:30am, all we needed were our key cards and a driver’s license.  No mention of a valid Covid vaccination card.  That’s the first time it was not needed since this trip began in December.  The cruise terminal here is always fun with a manmade oasis with mature trees giving it the look and feel of a tropical mangrove.  Even though  we have been here a dozen times, we still like to photograph the many birds, anteater, and some resident monkeys.  Never have we seen so many peacocks and macaws as we saw today. 

 

We noticed that there were no flamingoes in their usual enclosure.  Perhaps they have been removed or died.  The peacocks seemed to have taken over this area.  First time we saw some carp in the pond.

 

It was nice to get inside the air-conditioned store, as it turned out to be a very warm and humid day.  We passed through the store, then out the back door.  Could not help but notice several “watchers” in there, keeping an eye on the merchandise.  Outside the back door, we were greeted with the loud screeches of the macaws.  There must have been 100 of them.  The peacocks were everywhere as well.  They like to perch high up in the trees and send out their calls.  Boy, does that sound familiar to us or what?  Strangely enough, we have 19 of these birds at home in aviaries.  We deducted that with the Covid closure of this port, all of these birds did better with hatching their eggs without disturbances. 

 

We saw the one anteater pacing in his cage, like he wanted out.  Then going inside the aviary, we saw many ducks, geese, two toucans, two macaws, and one tortoise.  Then watching under the huge banyan fig trees, we did spot two howler monkeys, so lazy, they barely moved.  Most people thought we were taking pictures of the peacocks, until we showed them the monkeys.

 

Making our way back to the shop, one of us picked out a 3 piece set of gourd jewelry, which is unique to here.  Guess you can consider it “green” since it is made from a type of vegetable.  I have a small collection already, and it is fun adding more colors to the mix.

 

Walking slowly back to the ship, we wondered where the complimentary shuttle was.  It’s never where you need it to be, although, we would not get inside of it.  By the way, we were required to wear our masks getting off and on the ship, as well as in the shop at the terminal.  We had completed an hour and half tour today, mainly because all aboard was 12:30pm.   A short stop was all that was needed here.  Noticed that the ship took on some fuel, as well as off-loaded either recyclables and garbage onto a small barge.

 

The Captain took the ship out of the harbor slowly before 1pm, so we could enjoy the scenery.  It sure was one hot and terribly humid afternoon.   The high rise buildings in this sprawling city have sky-rocketed since we first began coming here.  Once we were out to sea, they picked up speed and a much welcomed breeze on the veranda.  And that’s where we stayed for quite a while until it was time for computer/photo work. 

 

Dinner in the dining room was not exciting, so we made last minute reservations in the Pinnacle Grill and got a 4 top table set for 2 at 8pm.   Perfect, as was the meal of wedge salads, clothesline bacon, 7 ounce filets, a shared baked potato with toppings, and a bowl of sauteed mushrooms.  Usually we don’t do desserts, but tonight we had a baked Alaska and one chocolate soufflé.  The head chef  from India made a stop to chat, and we thanked him for such great tasting food. 

 

Going back to the elevator, we took notice that both the BB King Blues and the Billboard Onboard venues were well attended. We would guess that the duel piano players had twice the folks in attendance. 

 

Looking forward to the crossing tomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by ScottishMaid

[ScottishMaid]

Hi Mary Ann,

We are boarding at San Diego on the 26th as you leave. Your comments are very useful.

The ship is now leaving San Diego at 10 pm and we have been given a boarding time of 4:05 pm. I'm wondering if you have heard why the late times? Thanks for your reply.

[Essiesmom]

Miraflores Locks

 

 

And a glimpse from the Cocoli Locks cam

 

[oakridger]

@Essiesmom Thank you for the screenshots of the locks!  I love watching the progress

 

~Nancy

[janmcn]

Flamingoes we’re there in

an area with “pond”’and “beach “…but macaws for sure were there and made everyone aware of it! Looked for the sloth, but he was hiding. Cartagena definitely has made this area nice to visit for those who can’t walk much.

[WCB]

Report #115  Transiting The Panama Canal  Monday  April 11, 2022  From 6am To 5pm  Cloudy, Hot And Humid 81 Degrees   Part #1 Of 5.........80  Pictures

 

Well, they sure picked a warm and muggy day to transit the Panama Canal.  The skies were partly cloudy with a chance of tropical rain (never happened).  The temperature was predicted at 88 degrees with humidity  equal to that.  Yep, hot and humid.  And while we are on that subject, we received a letter reminding us all how to prevent heat exhaustion and heat stroke.  Drinking a lot of fluids (not booze) during the day would be helpful.  So would limiting the exposure to the sun to 20 to 30 minutes at a time, then go inside to cool down.  Then use sunscreen, hats, and light clothing.  And please, do not leave your veranda doors open for long periods.  OK….got it.

 

It wasn’t that warm at 6:30am when the first pilot arrived to the ship near Colon on the Caribbean side of the canal.  According to Valerie, the cruise director and port lecturer, the N. Amsterdam had reserved a spot for today’s transit at the cost of $35,000.  Without that reserved spot, we may have to wait for a long time to get in line to transit.  This applies to the commercial vessels as well. 

 

This will be the first time we will go under the newly constructed bridge here called the Atlantic Bridge as it opened in 2019.  The new set of Neopanamax Locks are here at Agua Clara Locks.  We will be using the original Gatun Locks, since our ship fits easily.

 

But before we start, we headed for breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill at 8am.  The nicest treat of the day was waiting for us….Panama Rolls.  At  least this is one tradition that has not fallen by the wayside.  After our meal, we headed back to the room to watch the beginning of the transit, which actually started early.  Two more pilots joined the ship, giving us a total of three.  Since Valerie took over the narration, there was no need for a local speaker. The only problem we could see was that her talks were not coming through outside on the verandas.  Only the outside decks.  Watching from our veranda, we had to pop in and out to listen to her on the TV’s bow camera.  So much for keeping the door closed. 

 

What was different today was the fact we had ship traffic coming the opposite way.  Normally, it is one way traffic, until later in the afternoon.  The various types of ships using the canal are containers, liquefied petroleum and natural gas, bulk carriers, car carriers, and tankers.  And cruise ships, of course.  Even small pleasure craft will pass through here, although it is not cheap. 

 

As we were close to Gatun Lake, we spotted what appeared to be a type of raptor with a fish in its talons almost as big as the bird itself.  It managed to bring it on a buoy, and proceed to devour it.  It had distinct markings with a cinnamon-colored body, dark wings with a single white strip on each wing.

 

About ½ hour later, we saw an osprey in flight and took many photos as it was obviously on the hunt.  They are so fast, it was difficult to get a clear picture of it. 

 

 

Once we were in Gatun Lake, it seemed like we kept up a good pace.  Sitting on our lounges, we enjoyed the silence as we passed by many small islands with dense tropical growth.  We could hear the birds and even some howler monkeys in the trees.  The trees that produces dark yellow blossoms were beginning to open up.  Scanning the banks for possible crocodile sightings produced nothing today. 

 

Also to our benefit, we discovered that deck five forward had doors that opened to a bow, like on the N. Statendam.  So we could pop in and out of there to see he sights on the starboard side.  One of those was the 375 foot crane called the Titan.  It was formerly called Herman the German.  It is used to lift the massive gates that close the locks for the water to fill. 

 

We reached the Culebra Cut at 12:45pm, the narrowest part of the canal, and where the Chagres River enters the lake.  From here we could see the Centennial Bridge  that was built in 2004 to reduce the traffic on the Bridge of the Americas.  It helped by taking half the traffic off of that bridge. 

 

So talking money, we learned that the canal takes in 2.7 billion dollars in a fiscal year.  The estimate for our ship today was $450,000, averaging $520 per person.  That amount, more or less, is built into our cruise fares we understand.  Today the real cost of the transit was $380,600 due to the fact we only have 900 passengers onboard.  Valerie said that was a bargain. 

 

By 2pm, we reached the Pedro Miguel Locks, then the Miraflores Locks at 2:45pm.  This is the first time ever, the building that houses the Imax theater, was empty of well-wishers.  Only the working staffers were there cleaning. Wonder if this was Covid-related?   The ship was out of the last lock by 4:15pm.  And that’s where we began to search for the area we always see the huge capybaras.  They are giant rodents that can be as large as a small pig about 150 pounds.  There is a stretch of field that lines a wooded area with the river behind it, and that’s where they seem to thrive. 

 

Finally, the ship went under the Bridge of the Americas, thus ending our transit today.  Now we are sailing in the mighty Pacific Ocean……all the way to San Diego, and for some, Vancouver.  And you know what?  It was still warm  and muggy, even when we reached this ocean.  Normally, you pick up a breeze, but not today.

 

As we turned out of the canal area, we also saw the tops of the high rise buildings of Panama City.  Many times, our ship has dropped anchor off of Ft. Amador, and we spend a day exploring Panama City and the surrounding countryside.  Today was not one of those days, but we did see the crazy-built building, with a  multi-colored bizarre roof, which is now a museum since 2014.  They have a show in there about the building of the canal, and is part of a tour these days.  This museum is on a very long causeway that is planted with palm trees all the way to Panama City. 

 

At the very end of this causeway is Ft. Amador, where an apartment complex now has an airplane as part of their décor.

 

It may have been just as easy to stay in, and order dinner (or even burgers and pizza),, but we changed and went to the dining room.  The heat had gotten to us, so we were not that hungry.  Both of us had the crusted meatball appetizer, farmers nicoise salads, and shared breaded veal and a pasta.  The dining room was half full tonight, so the staff had time to visit with us.  Even Pandi went out of his way to stop and say hello.  He is the manager of the Lido, and also assists in the upper dining room.  And we have known him for years.  The head chef also made an appearance as he checked with each and every table. 

 

Another hour went back on the clocks tonight.  One more to go for us. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

[rkacruiser]

7 hours ago, WCB said:

Report #115 

 

This was not received by me.  

[WCB]

Report # 116   Day at Sea   Tuesday - April 12, 2022   Mostly overcast & much cooler  78 Degrees  Part #1 Of 1..........0 Pictures

 

Well, our first day at sea after leaving the mighty Panama Canal, turned out be to much more comfortable.  Gone was the high humidity and heat to match.  And that was fine with us. 

 

With the time change, there must have been a dozen suite guests lined up outside the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast this morning.  We suppose the staff opened the doors for them, because when we went down shortly after 8am, our usual window table was occupied.  Not a problem, as there were plenty of tables left. 

 

We had lots to keep us busy today, with the thousands of photos and research, it would take much of the day to finish.  Off and on, we took breaks for lunch, which happened to in the Lido for salads and another great pizza.  We have to make up for lost “pizza” time while on the N. Statendam.   Have to admit we do miss the grilled ham & cheese sandwiches with those excellent fries at the Grand Dutch Café.  This class of ships do not have that venue.  We did read somewhere that the Zuiderdam will be adding that café to their ship sometime prior to the world cruise in ‘23.  Sure hope that is correct. 

 

Spending some relaxing time on the veranda, we kept an eye out for sea turtles or dolphins, but they never appeared.  Maybe tomorrow, when we get closer to Costa Rica.  We did have a large number of brown boobys following the ship, diving for flying fish.  Always fun to witness.

 

Not much on the dining room menu looked good to us, so we made reservations in the Tamarind at 8pm this evening.  Starters were spring rolls and tempura shrimp.  Following that, we had one ramen soup and one Thai beef salad.  One of us ordered the wasabi crusted tenderloin and the other had the Mongolian lamb chops.  Every bite was excellent, leaving no room for dessert.  We had to stifle a laugh when the young waitress asked how we would like to pay for our meal.  We did not know there were choices, other than if we each had separate shipboard accounts.  Some couples do keep their expenses separate.  Well, we explained that we were President’s Club members, and the dinner was technically on them. To tell the truth, we are not certain she knew the term “President’s Club”.   She had not been advised, nor had their managers.  Within seconds, the head manager came over and apologized for the slip up.  He reassured us the dinner was compensated properly.  Then our waitress also apologized, but it wasn’t her fault.  Funny that the Pinnacle Grill staff knew our status, but then we dine in  that venue daily.

 

We watched an older movie in our room, Big, with Tom Hanks.   Gosh he sure was young in that one.  Before dinner, we watched The Princess Bride, a comedy with many good actors.   

 

Tomorrow’s port is Puntarenas, and not Puerto Caldera as the itinerary indicated.  Good thing, since Puerto Caldera is a commercial port and nothing is there except buses and taxis.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #117  Punta Arenas, Costa Rico  Wednesday April 13, 2022  6am To 6pm   Cloudy And Very Hot  85 -90  Degrees   Part #1 Of 5........80 Pictures

 

The N. Amsterdam arrived to the bay of Puntarenas, Costa Rica, around 5:30am. It was earlier than the usual time, due to the tide and currents, according to  the Captain’s talk yesterday.  In addition, he added that the ship would need to leave the port after 4:30pm, also due to the tides.  And if any of the guests came late, they would miss the ship, and need to pick it up in Guatemala.  And even though the When & Where paper stated the all aboard time was 4:30pm, Valerie announced that it was now 5:30pm.  Not sure everyone heard that, but at least many will not be late.  It’s the bus trips that they had to worry about, as they are always late.

 

Breaking down some money into smaller bills at the front desk, we discovered that 500 people were on tours today.  That will mean fewer folks in town.  And we were also the only ship in port today.  Although it was not mentioned in today’s newsletter, we had to wear masks getting off and on the ship, as well as wear them through the gate at the end of the pier.  It was not requested that we bring our Covid vaccination cards with us, but it was suggested we bring them just in case.  We always do, and we always wear the masks. 

 

We went off of the ship by 10:30pm, and walked the long, hot pier.  Walking at a fast speed towards us, there was a couple of folks, one of which had forgotten her mask.  She was told by the local authorities that she had to mask up, or would not be allowed onshore. To save her time, they did sell masks for $5 each.  However, they refused to pay that, and headed back to the ship for their own mask.  We have to add that the weather was hot and humid already at this time of the morning.  Locals were on the beach and in the water already.   Lots of kids were in the mix, and that’s when we remembered it was Easter Week and the kids were out of school.   Today we went straight across the street after picking up a local map.  This took us into the main shopping district of the spit. 

 

Remembering a very nice shoe store up the street, we went there to check it out.  All of their shoes are made in Brazil, and made well.  But there was one problem, they did not carry my size at all.  The highest number they carried was size 8, but I wear a 10.  No luck there.  Turning left, we followed the main street to Victoria Park.  Then we found the Cathedral of Puntarenas and went inside for a bit.  It was cooler, since a breeze had picked up.  Thank goodness.

 

Two blocks up the street from the church was the Lita Perez Stadium, surrounded by dozens of cafes and cantinas.  We think when there are soccer games, this area is very busy.  Today it was very quiet, because the locals do not go out in the heat of the day.  Heading towards the beach, we continued towards the end of the spit, where the nicer hotels and restaurants are located.  There is a really nice hotel there by the name of Las Brisas, where we have enjoyed lunch a few times.  We would come back here after we explored the end of the peninsula. 

 

There are a few narrow walking piers where you can walk out and catch the breeze, or go fishing perhaps.  There is a place to sit, and cool down with the sea breeze.  When we went to the third pier, we saw two young cats popping in and out of the boulders there.  Obviously feral, they must keep the rodent population down.  Then we walked past the lighthouse and a public swimming pool, which was full of local kids and their parents today.   This whole entire beachfront was filled with locals cooking chicken skewers, and making Spanish-style food.  Sure smelled good.  The moms and grand moms did the cooking while the dads took the little kids swimming in the surf. 

 

The Barrio el Carmen district is located here, and seems to be the hot spot of the peninsula for bars and cafes.  It is close the Ferry Terminal also.   From here we circled back to the beach and ended up at Las Brisas once again.  Even though it was much more crowded than the last time we were here,  we were in dire need of something cold to drink, so we went inside their patio restaurant.  We were seated at a small table for two right behind some potted palms.  The breeze was blowing really strong now, although it did feel good.  So we ordered two bottles of Corona beer, while still looking at their menu.   We have to mention that the menus were rather large, and plastic covered.   When the beers arrived, the breeze took hold of my menu and slammed it into the bottle of beer.   It happened so quickly, we had a hard time stopping the spilled beer from cascading off of the table and into my lap, down my leg, and into my shoe.  A nearby diner (local fellow), came over with a handful of napkins to stop the flood.  Oh how embarrassing was that???   Our waitress came over and helped clean the table, then had to mop the floor, as it was tile.  The breeze never did let up, and we worried that the catsup and mayo bottles might fall over as well.  And we had not even ordered yet.  Anyway, we did get one plate of chicken nachos, with cheese, beans, and chimichurri. We deducted that chimichurri was salsa.  And really good.  So after 5 beers and one huge pile of nachos, the bill came to $33, or the equivalent of thousands of colones, the Costa Rica money.  

 

From there we headed back along the beachfront sidewalk.  It is lined with a tree-studded park where locals can rent a tented table and chairs for the day.   Food vendors are set up along the road side, cooking all sorts of Spanish food.  One specialty is called the Churchill, which looked like a smoothie with real fruit on the top.  Bet they are really sweet.  Most of the beach-goers up at this end were local families with kids.  We did not see one HAL passenger up this way, maybe because it was one very long walk in the heat. 

 

Heading back, we stayed on the main street, then went to look to the souvenir tents under the trees.  Guess what?  Most all of the souvenir stalls had been removed.  There wasn’t one to be found.  Seems that the restaurants have taken over their spots.  It is possible that these vendors moved to the street side and out of sight.  Maybe Covid sent them elsewhere. Too bad as we wanted to look for the wooden trivets we use at home.  None to be found, we went back to the pier.

 

Both of us showed our cards, then the guard asked me to open my bag, which I did.  Then the next guard scanned me with a wand, and asked about my knee.  Satisfied I answered correctly, he said you are good to go.  Back on the ship, we had to put our bags through xray, and I had to be wanded.  The knee again.  Speaking of knees, I am approaching the tenth month mark, and seem to be doing OK.  At least I am able to walk quite a distance, as long as we take breaks along the way.  The beer didn’t hurt either. 

 

Getting back on the air-conditioned ship was nice.  Back in our room, it was even better.   We stayed there working on photos and relaxing on the veranda.  Around 4pm, a seven member local band and dancers put on a show near the gangway.  They played and danced for an hour, even though the bus tours did not get back until much later, they still performed. 

 

The ship finally left in the dark around 6pm, much later than the Captain had stated yesterday.  Guess the tides were not going out that fast as he thought. 

 

Tomorrow will be a day at sea, instead of going to Corinto, Nicaragua.  Not a big loss, we did get a $3 per person refund for port charges.  Wow.  Still do not know why that port was cancelled. 

 

Dinner was back in the dining room with starters of spring rolls and salads.  Both of us had the wiener schnitzel and it was good as always.  One scoop of coffee ice cream and a small chocolate éclair finished the meal.  We had another chef visit us, so we inquired about some items missing on this cruise.  Such as the sweet and sour pork.  He said you can get that in the Lido at lunch every day.  We did not know that.  However, if we wished, it can be pre-ordered through our waiter.  Anything we wanted, he would be happy to do.  He added that the dinner menu was being adjusted now, since we are eventually heading for Alaska.  He said they were able to buy mahi mahi and blue marlin in port today, and it would show up on the menu even tonight.  It did.  Now we are wondering if that is why the daily dining room dinner menu has not been posted early in the morning, since they are “cleaning” out their stores?  In fact, the menu was not changed until before dinner last night.  We use that site on the TV to decide where we will dine for the evening.  Like yesterday, nothing appealed to us for dinner, and we went to the Tamarind. 

 

Passing through the Bilboard Onboard, we found many guests singing along with the duel  piano player and singers.  They had the crowd singing along with them, reminding us of the old TV show, Sing Along With Mitch.   Remember that one?  This venue seems much more popular than the BB King’s Blues with this particular crowd.    

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS  Checked into the disembarkation coming up in San Diego, and found out there have been no changes.  Teresa will do more research and let us know if there are any  changes with docking times.

[The Other Tom]

3 hours ago, WCB said:

reminding us of the old TV show, Sing Along With Mitch.   Remember that one?

yes, I do. 😁

[ScottishMaid]

3 hours ago, WCB said:

 

PS  Checked into the disembarkation coming up in San Diego, and found out there have been no changes.  Teresa will do more research and let us know if there are any  changes with docking times.

Thanks for asking. The departure time is now 10 pm. Our boarding time was changed from 4:20 pm group K to 5:20 pm group N. We have the Pinnacle booked for 5 pm so I called HAL. After some time and my emphasizing that 5 star are supposed to get priority boarding and I am Platinum, the rep managed to negotiate a boarding time for us of 4 pm group J.

Maybe they are doing a major resupply for Alaska.

[0106]

4 hours ago, WCB said:

Still do not know why that port was cancelled. 

The US and Canada do not recommend travel to Nicaragua.  Some we met on our Panama cruise in February said the government of unstable and crime is on the rise.  
Message from the US Embassy:
Level 4: Do not travel to Nicaragua due to COVID-19. Reconsider travel to Nicaragua due to limited healthcare availability and arbitrary enforcement of laws. Exercise increased caution in Nicaragua due to crime. 

[highscar]

Have a friend in Nicaragua.  The port is under construction.  That’s why it is cancelled. 

[Florida_gal_50]

5 hours ago, ScottishMaid said:

Thanks for asking. The departure time is now 10 pm. Our boarding time was changed from 4:20 pm group K to 5:20 pm group N. We have the Pinnacle booked for 5 pm so I called HAL. After some time and my emphasizing that 5 star are supposed to get priority boarding and I am Platinum, the rep managed to negotiate a boarding time for us of 4 pm group J.

Maybe they are doing a major resupply for Alaska.

Ouch!  That is brutal.

[oakridger]

9 hours ago, WCB said:

...Passing through the Bilboard Onboard, we found many guests singing along with the duel  piano player and singers.  They had the crowd singing along with them, reminding us of the old TV show, Sing Along With Mitch.   Remember that one? 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

"Follow the bouncing Ball"!!!

[WCB]

Report #118  Day At Sea Enroute To Puerto Quetzal  Thursday April 14, 2022  Partly Cloudy With Some Sun  80 Degrees.......Part #1 0f 1....80 Pictures

 

We should have been in Corinto, Nicaragua this morning.  But it had been cancelled.  Why, we still do not know, since no explanation was given.  We did receive the port charges back on our account, and they added up to $6.  If there is any port town that is untouched by tourism, it has to be Corinto, a sleepy village on the Nicaraguan coastline.  We think this port is the only access to shipping traffic for the country.  Visiting here is a step back in time. 

 

The low lying areas near here are mostly used for growing crops and raising livestock.  It is the mountain regions that attract the tourists.  Excursions include visits to the volcanoes and coffee plantations with a stop in colonial Antigua.  We have done these tours more than once , but usually choose to stay in town now .  We will miss the many vendors that set up their portable tables with souvenirs much like what we see in Puntarenas.  Only much better prices.   Over the years, we have bought a few wooden salad bowl sets and wooden carving boards. 

 

Oh well, it has been reported that there may be problems with the actual pier, or that there is political unrest making it unsafe for cruise passengers.  Covid could also contribute to the closure.  Whatever the reason, HAL knows what is best for everyone.

 

So it is a day at sea for relaxing, and that’s exactly what we did beginning with breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill.  We got to chatting with Mercedes, the manager. She was on the N. Statendam when we were back in December.  Only then, she was working in the Tamarind Restaurant until January 2^nd, when she switched ships.  She still remembered us, although she looked familiar to us, wearing the mask makes an ID difficult.  It never fails to impress us how the crew members remember the guests.  Anyway, she told us that the kitchen on deck two was having work done, and the staff had to get everything from the  kitchen on deck three.  Even the dining room breakfast was being served on deck three.  Maybe this is the reason that the daily dinner menu was not changed on the TV today.  It did not happen until 6pm, well after the dining room opened. 

 

We spent some time in the room working on the computer, and taking more photos of brown and masked boobys.  If it were not for the veranda, we would never had gotten the shots we did.  We stopped for lunch in the Lido with salads and sandwiches.   Around 3pm, we had a knock on the door and had a delivery of a plate of petit fours, a gift from the Executive Chef.  What a nice gesture. 

 

Today we got a letter that had health declaration forms for entering Puerto Chiapas, Mexico.  We needed to fill them out, answering some simple health questions, and giving them the name of the vaccine we received.  Once we get cleared in Puerto Chiapas, we will hand over this certificate upon exiting the ship.

 

Dinner was in the dining room with last minute choices to make. We had appetizers of crab and corn fritters and the tomato mozzarrella cheese plate.  Black bean soup and salad nicoise was next, followed by a beef roulade and the everyday chicken.   The chicken won out over the beef dish because the beef had different seasoning that could not be identified.  One scoop of butter pecan ice cream ended the meal. 

 

Tomorrow we will be in Guatemala.  Wonder if their pier has been fixed?

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[WCB]

Report #119  Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala   8am-6pm    Friday April 15, 2022   Overcast With Some Sun    81 Degrees ....Part #1 Of 3.......81 Pictures

 

The N. Amsterdam  arrived early to the port of Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala , and the first thing we noticed was that the old floating pier had been fixed.  Good thing, because we really did not want to ride in those small crammed buses from the loading pier to the old pier complex.  The ship was cleared after 8am, and from the Pinnacle Grill, we watched as the “sticky” people (tour guests with numbered stickers) fled off the gangway.  We heard there were over 360 passengers on those tours today.  They were given a send-off by a group of 10 officers and front desk staffers.  By the way, there were only three excursions offered.  One was a transfer to colonial Antigua, with the day on your own.   Longer tours were a ride to a coffee plantation, and another a ride to see the Mayan ruins.  These tours may have included a stop at Antigua on the way back.  Prices ranged from $70 to $130.  We did an HAL coffee plantation excursion several years ago, but due to traffic, by the time we hit Antigua, most everything was closed.   We made it back to the ship by the skin of our teeth, although they did say the ship would not leave without us.  That’s not always the case.

 

There was a crew drill at 9:30am, which lasted an hour.   We left the ship around 10:30am, walking into warm and muggy weather with a nice breeze.  Here are a few tidbits of info about this country.  The official name is Republic of Guatemala.  Bordering countries are Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, and Belize.  The Pacific Ocean borders the south coast, while the Caribbean Sea is near the Belize border. 

 

It is a land of 33 volcanoes, three of which are active.  The area is about 190 square kilometers with a population of 15,073,300 citizens (2013).  The capital is Guatemala City and the currency is the Quetzel, same as their national bird.  Guatemala is also called the Land of Eternal Spring, since the average temperature is 72 degrees year round.  Hotter along the coast at 77 degrees, it is cooler in the mountains at 65 degrees.  The language is Spanish with Mayan touches, and the religion is Christianity.  Finally the name Guatemala means place of many trees.

 

OK, we entered the palapa, which is called the welcome lobby.  At the side desk, we got some excellent maps and gifts of woven friendship bracelets and a pouch of worry dolls.  The story with the dolls is that you tell each tiny doll your troubles, put them under your pillow, then your worries are gone by morning.  Nice concept if it really works.  Worth a try, right?

 

Once again, it’s Easter Week as well as Good Friday, so this complex was busy today.  The place was full of families from town that were going out to lunch at the restaurant.  We walked around the souvenir tents, and did notice that many of them were missing.  Some of the vendors were really aggressive.  They do not take your “we are just looking right now” as an answer.  We have to be careful with what we buy now, because of the weight of the suitcases.  No wooden giraffes or horses will be in our possession today.  One of us was looking for a tiny leather pill purse, small enough for the little pocket in the jeans.  Only one lady had a variety of sizes including the one I wanted.  Needing a new water bottle holder, we made a deal for the two items.   $10.   That was the extent of our shopping today.  There was a really attractive multi-colored jade and silver choker that caught our eye, but the price was just too high.  Of course the value of silver has gone up, so  that’s why the price hike.  Or, it could be that as a group, we are a trapped audience.  Decided I could live without it. 

 

From here we made our way to the Pez Vela Restaurant, which was already getting full of customers…..mostly locals.  And it was only 11:30am.  In this humid heat, beer drinking starts early.  Usually we do eat here, but not today….just too crowded for our comfort.  By the way, we had to wear masks here, and most of the locals were masked as well.  Obviously, the virus is not gone yet.  

 

There are iguanas on the 60 slip marina side of this complex, so we went to see them.  All we spotted were small ones, who were expert at hiding.  There is a parking lot at this end, and many folks were arriving for lunch.  They ended up scaring whatever was around.  Actually, we have seen more of these iguanas on this trip than any other time. Having seen it all, we headed back to the pier, and back on the air conditioned ship.  By now, it was around 12:30pm. 

 

Our veranda had shade and a breeze….good place to cool down with sodas.  Lunch in the Lido followed with a salad and a shared pizza.  They had left more stations opened for the crowd of guests coming back from the tours.  Even if they had eaten lunch on their tours, they still hit the Lido.  Several more waiters recognized us from the Amsterdam, and they stopped to chat.  They can’t seem to do enough, which is greatly appreciated.   When the timer went off for the pizza, a waiter insisted on getting it for us. 

 

The ship left the pier around 6pm, with no toots of the horn.  In fact, we have not heard any toots recently.  Wonder if there are rules regarding that practice?  Before dinner, we called the front desk to ask why our room TV was acting strange.  Like cutting in and out or freeze-framing.  The gal said she would summon our room steward to check it out, not mentioning if this was a shipwide problem.  So Ronny knocked on the door, and we explained the problem.  He came in and watched for a few minutes, and of course, nothing unusual happened.  Figures.  Did it fix itself?  The TV has been acting up since we left the Panama Canal, and we assumed it was a satellite thing.  He promised to report it.  

 

Dinner was not what we expected as a rotation that repeats itself.  Many items are different from what we had on the N. Statendam.   Tonight they offered leg of lamb, and that sounded good to us.  It was served on a bed of mashed potatoes, with what we thought was snow peas and carrots.  The carrots were in a mash of sweet potatoes and garbanzo beans seasoned with a lot of ginger.  Not really our cup of tea, we did leave most of it.  Saved a little room for desserts of a pear strudel and apple crisp.  Ice cream on the side.  By the time we left the dining room at 9:10pm, the dining room was almost empty of customers. 

 

The clocks went ahead an hour tonight, so tomorrow will be here quicker.  The port of call for tomorrow will be Puerto Chiapas, Mexico.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

[The Other Tom]

5 hours ago, WCB said:

We made it back to the ship by the skin of our teeth, although they did say the ship would not leave without us.  That’s not always the case.

i thought the ship always waited for a ship sponsored excursion.  Not true?

[WCB]

Report #120    Puerto Chiapas, Mexico  8am-5pm   Saturday April 16, 2022   Sunny, Hot And Humid  85 Degrees    Part #1 Of 3..........80 Pictures

 

The port of call for today was Puerto Chiapas, our first stop in Mexico.  We arrived before 8am, and we were cleared by 8:30am.  No doubt about it, the weather was going to be another hot and humid day.  There were a lot of clouds, but not as bad as yesterday.  There was a chance that we would see blue skies. 

 

We had the best seats in the Pinnacle Grill at breakfast…..right at the window above the gangway.  Many officers lined up on the spacious pier, while the excursion groups filed off towards their waiting buses.  Today, the tour folks were exiting from the forward gangway.

 

A local dance group arrived to put on a performance.  They were dressed in traditional Mexican costumes, which consisted of long pants or skirts, long sleeve shirts, a blanket sarape over their shoulders, and wearing strange-looking straw hats.  Considering the temperature was already in the 80’s, they must have been melting dressed as they were.  When the dancing began, it must have been unbearable, but you would never know it.  They continued dancing with the help of a band for at least one hour.  Now the funny thing is that we could not hear the sound of the music, as we were inside the ship.  We can only assume that the dance moves matched the “Mexican Hat Dance”.  Standing  way behind this group, were a half dozen of our crew members, mimicking their dance, trying to keep up with the beat.  Interesting what you can see from our vantage point. 

 

We don’t know how many folks there were on tour, but we suppose that Valerie, the Cruise & Travel director, had done a good job explaining that there is very little to do and see in this port.  There was a drive to a coffee plantation for 7 hours, a trip to ruins & nearby Tapachula for 4 ½ hours, and ruins with a chocolate factory  for 4 ½ hours. Or you could see Mayan stone carvings with a stop at the chocolate factory for 4 hrs.  The prices ranged from $80 to $200 per person.  There used to be a mangrove boat ride with a stop at a  banana packing factory, but that was not listed.  Nor were they listed for our last two ports.

 

So we left the ship around noon, having completed computer work.  From our veranda, we faced the opposite shore of the harbor.  What a treat we had watching the bird show which included pelicans, frigates, vultures and hundreds of gulls.  Not only that, a beach across the way was filling up with locals, who were already in the water by 8am.  Most of them did not wear swimsuits, but shorts and t-shirts…including the young girls and boys.  

 

Once we left the gangway, there was a desk set up where the local authorities took our health forms.  Then we were free to explore the area.  Just as we entered the huge palapa, another folkloric show was about to begin in the central pit.  This was a different group, and they were accompanied by a marimba player on the xylophone.  The ladies danced first, then were joined by the men.  Most all of the onlookers were locals here for the day we assumed. 

 

This space was surrounded by many shops, mostly boutique-type.  There were souvenirs, ceramics, clothing, and most of all……jade and amber jewelry.  In the one and only air-conditioned store, we found a beaded three piece jewelry set in blues and purples, different from yesterday’s choices.  About four of the shops were closed.

 

Walking out the back of the palapa, we came across the taxi and bus stop.  There was a shuttle running to nearby Tapachula for a 30 minute ride each way.  Last time we did this, it was $5 each way.  Today, it was probably more, but we could not see the price on their sign.  Going a bit further there was a portal that led to the main highway.  From here on out, it was desert.  Hot and dry as can be.

 

Following the well-landscaped walkway, we enjoyed the shade of the many palms and indigenous trees.  One of these trees happened to be the cashew.  Several years ago, while on the mangrove tour, the guide stopped to show us the fruit of this tree.  It resembled a smooth-skinned orange fruit, but had a seed growing on the bottom of it.  That seed turned out to be a cashew, which is not a true nut at all.  The fruit was used to ferment into a liquor, while the seeds or cashews were leached then roasted.  If they were eaten raw, they can be toxic.  We have bought fresh cashews while in Brazil, and found they tasted much different than the roasted and salted ones we love.

 

As we approached the smaller palapa, we expected to see many folks under the overhang drinking beer and eating nachos.  Well, there was no one there, and the place looked completely closed.  Now we wonder if it was due to today being a holiday, or did they not survive the Covid war?   There was no one round that spoke English, so we could not ask.  The pool was still there, and filled.  However the water looked murky, and no one was in it.  The lounges were still scattered on the lawn, and there were people from the ship in them.  Don’t really know why, other than it was someplace different.  If they were waiting for bar service, they would have a very long wait. 

 

Since there was nothing more to do here, we headed back to the air-conditioned ship.  On the way, we spotted a group of locals touring the pier area with a guide.  Or they were there to see the ship up close and personal.

 

Lunch was a light one with snacks in our room with lots of diet soda.  Even though we were out and about for over an hour, we were hot and thirsty.  We worked on photos, as enjoyed the view of families having fun, as well as the bird show……all from the veranda.  When the sun began creeping up on our veranda, we had to head back inside. 

 

The Captain came on at 4:30pm with his late afternoon talk, and said tomorrow’s weather will be much the same as todays. The next port will be Huatulco, a fairly short distance away.  The ship left the port  around 5pm, and this time the Captain blew his horn several times.  Seems the locals on the beach and pier were urging him on to blow it.  They loved it.  As we got out of the breakwater, we could see the strong waves crashing the seawall along the coast line.  Bet there is a dangerous riptide here, and you will see no one in these waters, or even on the beaches. 

 

Our TV is still having problems with freeze-frame.  Since no one else has complained, it must be our TV.  Or the satellite connection is not tweaked correctly. By the time they figure it out, we will be on our way home.  

 

We discovered that the online menu was posted on the Navigator site, but not on the room TV.  Checking it, we found that it was spaghetti and meatballs and prime rib night.  And that’s what we ordered, along with starters of araccini meatballs, salads, and entrees.  Absolutely no room for dessert.

 

Bill And Mary Ann

 

[dchip]

18 hours ago, The Other Tom said:

i thought the ship always waited for a ship sponsored excursion.  Not true?

The ship is not always able to wait for late ship excursion passengers due to tides etc. In that case, which is rare, you will be taken to the next port. All expenses will be undertaken by the cruise line. 
Denise

Edited April 17, 2022 by dchip
Content added

[The Other Tom]

7 minutes ago, dchip said:

The ship is not always able to wait for late ship excursion passengers due to tides etc. In that case, which is rare, you will be taken to the next port. All expenses will be undertaken by the cruise line. 
Denise

Ahhhh, gotcha.  thanks for the info.

Edited April 17, 2022 by The Other Tom

[WCB]

We know of one instance while in the Falklands, the ship had to leave due to the tides and storms.  The folks left behind were taken in by many locals who graciously opened their homes to them for the evening.

Thanks Denise, you are correct as always.

 

Bill & Mary Ann   

[The Other Tom]

Just now, WCB said:

We know of one instance while in the Falklands, the ship had to leave due to the tides and storms.  The folks left behind were taken in by many locals who graciously opened their homes to them for the evening.

Thanks Denise, you are correct as always.

 

Bill & Mary Ann   

thank you!