2023 Grand World Voyage with The Inside Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Arrived Portland, England - Cold (40's to 50's), but blue skies.   Many people go to Stonehenge

 

Here is where we moored in Portland - along the left side

 

Shuttle buses will go to Weymouth and Portland Castle - no one is allowed to walk out of the secure port facility.

 

 

Stonehenge is about 90 minutes away

 

We will be checking out some of these local restaurants

 

Other things to do - we will be checking out the Helter Skelter

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Portland, England 15 April 2023

 

This morning we were greeted by a beautiful blue sky and bright sun.   While it was still in the forties, it was forecast to get into the fifties, and all the sunshine would make it feel warmer.   The dreary gray skies from yesterday were gone, and this would be a fantastic day weather-wise.

 

We were required to clear United Kingdom immigration which would take place on deck three in the Main Dining Room.   The guests on each deck were called in turn, starting on Deck 10 around 7:30 am and working down to the main deck.    The decks were being called quickly, so we gathered the immigration check didn't take long.

 

Our deck was called within the first fifteen minutes, but we didn't leave our room for another thirty minutes.   There wasn't any line and we didn't have to stop walking the entire time, except for a brief pause when the immigration officer looked at your open passport, welcomed us to the UK, and waved us on.    Ships staff put a small sticker on our keycard as we left the MDR, and we were free to go ashore at our leisure. 

 

All the floors were called by 9:00 am, but by 9:30 they were still looking for a handful of guests and guest entertainers and started calling them out by name. 

 

We were moored at a port that didn't allow passengers to leave on foot, so we had to board a double-decker shuttle bus that stopped at the nearby Portland Castle and a final stop in Weymouth, about 4 miles away.

 

The Weymouth Shuttle stop is about 1/4 mile from the Weymouth Town Lift Bridge, a pedestrian bridge that crosses Weymouth Harbor and connects Weymouth to the communities south of the harbor.

 

As we walked toward Weymouth, we crossed Hope Square, where you will see a large sign for Brewers Quay which used to be a shopping mall but now appears to be closed.    There were some friendly town ambassadors here to offer assistance and we spotted a few items that had been "Yarn Bombed"

 

 

 

We continued across the Weymouth Town Lift Bridge and walked along the harbor's north side toward the beach.   The town was bustling with locals and visitors.   We learned that this was the first nice day in a while so everyone was out and about.    You could spot the locals easily as they wore shorts and T-shirts while the tourists were bundled up. 

 

Once we hit the beach, we headed north on the Esplanade to the Helter Skelter amusement ride on the beach where we would meet Susan for lunch at the nearby Rockfish Seafood Restaurant which served Fish and Chips in addition to a variety of other seafood. 

 

The Beatles made Helter Skelters famous in their 1968 song but term became infamous for its association with Charles Manson - more HERE and the Tate–LaBianca murders in 1969.

 

Rockfish Seafood Restaurant was fabulous and we enjoyed our food sitting in their outdoor patio.   There are many choices for Fish and Chips in Weymouth, but the Rockfish Seafood Restaurant was the only one we spotted with outdoor seating right next to the beach.

 

For the next two hours we strolled along the Esplanade up to the Queen Victoria Jubilee Clock where we turned inland and looped back to the Shuttle Bus via Park and St Thomas Street.  The weather was a little chilly, but the bright sunshine made it feel much warmer.    We had fun on our leisurely walk and stopped in to a Wilko Store, a chain of locally owned department stores and looked around for anything interesting and unique. 

Queen Victoria Jubilee Clock

 

We returned to the ship around 4 PM and we learned that Portland Port prides itself on providing a memorable send-off with a musical “Bon Voyage” and a 3-shot salute from the Nothe Fort Victorian Artillery Brigade.

 

I returned to the dock to get some photos of the Rock Choir, led by Stacey Hobday, and some close-up shots of the saluting cannon.   

 

Back on the ship, we watched the canon move into place, and they observed as our mooring lines were cast off, and they fired the first of three shots as we moved out into the harbor.

 

 

Cruise and Travel Director, Ian, presented the EXE Talk "Cycle of Life" on the World Stage instead of an entertainment show.    EXC talks are well done, and Ian does a good job reading a script from the teleprompter, but these shows are better suited as daytime lectures than post-dinner entertainment.

Edited April 16, 2023 by The-Inside-Cabin

[oakridger]

15 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

EXC talks are well done, and Ian does a good job reading a script from the teleprompter, but these shows are better suited as daytime lectures than post-dinner entertainment.

 

Completely agree with this!!  They should only be presented in the afternoon.

 

~Nancy

[HAL Sailer]

On 4/11/2023 at 3:48 AM, The-Inside-Cabin said:

We bought terrific pastries from Casa Piriquita

Casa Piriquita has been in business since 1862

 

We have wonderful memories of the Casa Piriquita -- and especially their Queijadas and Travesseiros de Sintra -- while on a shorex in Sintra during our Caribbean to Europe honeymoon cruise 28 years ago this week. Oh, those pastries...

 

Thanks for the memories.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Great day in Dover, UK today.  

 

Visited Dover Castle

 

Dover Castle from Ship

 

Approaching Dover Castle from Shuttle Stop

Ready to head up to the top!  120 steps!

 

White Cliffs!

 

We are heading back to Dover for dinner at The Elephant and Hind

[BetsyS.]

Thank you so much for your great reporting and beautiful pictures! You are both photogenic!  Love the photos with scenery as well as the tuxedo pictures!  

Years ago on the Veendam there were lots of tuxedos on formal nights, but I have not seen many since then. Thanks for keeping up the tradition!

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Table 89 (partial) had a great pub dinner at Elephant and Hind in Dover!

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

I had never heard of SMOKED HADDOCK CULLEN SKINK SOUP (thick Scottish soup originating from Cullen served with diced potato, and leeks) until I spotted it on tonight's menu - and I decided to give it a try.

 

Very good!

 

[Sea42]

1 hour ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I had never heard of SMOKED HADDOCK CULLEN SKINK SOUP (thick Scottish soup originating from Cullen served with diced potato, and leeks) until I spotted it on tonight's menu - and I decided to give it a try.

 

Very good!

 

Oh that looks good!

[zelker]

7 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Great day in Dover, UK today.  

 

Visited Dover Castle

 

Dover Castle from Ship

 

Approaching Dover Castle from Shuttle Stop

Ready to head up to the top!  120 steps!

 

White Cliffs!

 

We are heading back to Dover for dinner at The Elephant and Hind

Hi, guys. Will be there in May on Zuiderdam, as HAL cancelled Zeebrugges and replaced it with Dover.  How did you get to/from the castle?  Thx.  Barb

[The-Inside-Cabin]

4 hours ago, zelker said:

Hi, guys. Will be there in May on Zuiderdam, as HAL cancelled Zeebrugges and replaced it with Dover.  How did you get to/from the castle?  Thx.  Barb

The town provided a double-decker shuttle bus from Terminal 2 to Market Square and Dover Castle for 8 pounds or 10 USD (all day ticket)  -  It was pretty crowded and ran about every 30 minutes.   

 

You could walk to Market Square (1.7 miles)  - Dover Castle is walkable if you have the energy - and its uphill.

 

When we left the cruise terminal at 10 am, the bus was almost filled, and there was probably another bus load waiting, and we might not have even gotten on the next bus.   There was a taxi stand across from the bus, and a driver offered to take the 3 of us to Dover Castle for 10 pounds.   We took the taxi, which was way faster as we didn't have to stop in town.  

 

The taxi driver, Ramzi, gave us his phone number (44) 77 34 531 717, and we called him to pick us up at the Castle when we were finished.  We called him again to pick us up at the ship to go to town for dinner.   

 

The shuttle buses quit running at 6 PM, and we were in port until 8:30. 

 

I would contact Ramzi  and set something up if you want to save time and avoid the shuttle bus queues.  Not sure if he is on WhatsAPP

 

Buy your tickets to Dover Castle in Advance at save time and 10%  HERE

 

Once off the shuttle bus, there was a long line to buy tickets at the castle.   We walked to a special advance ticket  line - they looked up our name - didn't even need our e-tickets.

 

Dover Castle exceeded our expectations  - very nice day.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by The-Inside-Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Nice day in Zeebrugge,  Belgium

 

We took a taxi to Bruges (100 Euros RT for 7 people) - 30 minute drive

 

Cannot walk out of port - shuttle to cruise terminal - HAL offered a free shuttle to Blankenberge, a few miles away.

 

Cloudy and Cool - no rain

 

 

We did the 30-minute canal tour - 12 Euros

 

 

Did the 35-minute Horse Carriage tour - 60 Euros for 4 people -  Ask if the narration is included - we got narration for free - another couple was asked for an extra tip if they wanted narration...I am sure if you ask first - you will get narration for the standard price of 60 Euros (this is regulated like a taxi by the city)

 

Got some great waffles

 

 

Some pretty good fries

 

 

 

Stopped for hot drinks on arrival

 

Fun day - more later

 

Museums closed on Mondays

 

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by The-Inside-Cabin

[StLouisCruisers]

Just an FYI for future travelers to Zeebrugge, in 2019 we took the free shuttle to Blankenberge where we bought 2 train tickets to Brugge.  It was a wonderful, clean train and only an 11 minutes long ride according to Rome2Rio.  Trains run hourly.  An inexpensive way to travel there.

 

https://www.rome2rio.com/Train/Blankenberge/Bruges

 

Love, love, love Brugge and especially the canal boat ride.

[Sir PMP]

French fries with ketchup?

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Seeing the Brugges waffle brought back great memories of DH and I enjoying coffee and waffles there. Thanks for posting that photo and all you have written for us.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

1 hour ago, Sir PMP said:

French fries with ketchup?

Of Course!  HERE

Edited April 17, 2023 by The-Inside-Cabin

[kazu]

On 4/16/2023 at 6:01 AM, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Portland, England 15 April 2023

 

This morning we were greeted by a beautiful blue sky and bright sun.   While it was still in the forties, it was forecast to get into the fifties, and all the sunshine would make it feel warmer.   The dreary gray skies from yesterday were gone, and this would be a fantastic day weather-wise.

 

We were required to clear United Kingdom immigration which would take place on deck three in the Main Dining Room.   The guests on each deck were called in turn, starting on Deck 10 around 7:30 am and working down to the main deck.    The decks were being called quickly, so we gathered the immigration check didn't take long.

 

Our deck was called within the first fifteen minutes, but we didn't leave our room for another thirty minutes.   There wasn't any line and we didn't have to stop walking the entire time, except for a brief pause when the immigration officer looked at your open passport, welcomed us to the UK, and waved us on.    Ships staff put a small sticker on our keycard as we left the MDR, and we were free to go ashore at our leisure. 

 

All the floors were called by 9:00 am, but by 9:30 they were still looking for a handful of guests and guest entertainers and started calling them out by name. 

 

We were moored at a port that didn't allow passengers to leave on foot, so we had to board a double-decker shuttle bus that stopped at the nearby Portland Castle and a final stop in Weymouth, about 4 miles away.

 

The Weymouth Shuttle stop is about 1/4 mile from the Weymouth Town Lift Bridge, a pedestrian bridge that crosses Weymouth Harbor and connects Weymouth to the communities south of the harbor.

 

As we walked toward Weymouth, we crossed Hope Square, where you will see a large sign for Brewers Quay which used to be a shopping mall but now appears to be closed.    There were some friendly town ambassadors here to offer assistance and we spotted a few items that had been "Yarn Bombed"

 

 

 

We continued across the Weymouth Town Lift Bridge and walked along the harbor's north side toward the beach.   The town was bustling with locals and visitors.   We learned that this was the first nice day in a while so everyone was out and about.    You could spot the locals easily as they wore shorts and T-shirts while the tourists were bundled up. 

 

Once we hit the beach, we headed north on the Esplanade to the Helter Skelter amusement ride on the beach where we would meet Susan for lunch at the nearby Rockfish Seafood Restaurant which served Fish and Chips in addition to a variety of other seafood. 

 

The Beatles made Helter Skelters famous in their 1968 song but term became infamous for its association with Charles Manson - more HERE and the Tate–LaBianca murders in 1969.

 

Rockfish Seafood Restaurant was fabulous and we enjoyed our food sitting in their outdoor patio.   There are many choices for Fish and Chips in Weymouth, but the Rockfish Seafood Restaurant was the only one we spotted with outdoor seating right next to the beach.

 

For the next two hours we strolled along the Esplanade up to the Queen Victoria Jubilee Clock where we turned inland and looped back to the Shuttle Bus via Park and St Thomas Street.  The weather was a little chilly, but the bright sunshine made it feel much warmer.    We had fun on our leisurely walk and stopped in to a Wilko Store, a chain of locally owned department stores and looked around for anything interesting and unique. 

Queen Victoria Jubilee Clock

 

We returned to the ship around 4 PM and we learned that Portland Port prides itself on providing a memorable send-off with a musical “Bon Voyage” and a 3-shot salute from the Nothe Fort Victorian Artillery Brigade.

 

I returned to the dock to get some photos of the Rock Choir, led by Stacey Hobday, and some close-up shots of the saluting cannon.   

 

Back on the ship, we watched the canon move into place, and they observed as our mooring lines were cast off, and they fired the first of three shots as we moved out into the harbor.

 

 

Cruise and Travel Director, Ian, presented the EXE Talk "Cycle of Life" on the World Stage instead of an entertainment show.    EXC talks are well done, and Ian does a good job reading a script from the teleprompter, but these shows are better suited as daytime lectures than post-dinner entertainment.

 

Very helpful post on Weymouth, thank you 🙂. And your restaurant sounds great.  I have been checking out it’s website 😉 

Last time we were in Portland we did a Jurassic coast tour - Corfu castle, etc.  

I’m back in October so I think after our tour in Abbotsbury there should be enough time to visit Weymouth for a bit and the restaurant (I’m eying their tinned fish - especially the cuttlefish 😉 )  I hope you don’t mind if I share part of your post with my roll call?  Thank you 🙂 

[Sir PMP]

46 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Of Course!  HERE

But when in Belgium:

[The-Inside-Cabin]

8 minutes ago, Sir PMP said:

But when in Belgium:

I will have to give those a try.  Looks delicious 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

44 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Very helpful post on Weymouth, thank you 🙂. And your restaurant sounds great.  I have been checking out it’s website 😉 

Last time we were in Portland we did a Jurassic coast tour - Corfu castle, etc.  

I’m back in October so I think after our tour in Abbotsbury there should be enough time to visit Weymouth for a bit and the restaurant (I’m eying their tinned fish - especially the cuttlefish 😉 )  I hope you don’t mind if I share part of your post with my roll call?  Thank you 🙂 

Please share!   Thanks!

[kazu]

5 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Please share!   Thanks!

 

No thank YOU  🙂. 

[whogo]

3 hours ago, Sir PMP said:

French fries with ketchup?

Waffles instead of mussels?

[cccole]

25 minutes ago, whogo said:

Waffles instead of mussels?

I was told many years ago never to eat mollusks in a month without "ber" at the end.  So even though I love, love, love mussels I would have enjoyed some Belgium frites with amazing dipping sauces.  JMO. Cherie 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

5 hours ago, whogo said:

Waffles instead of mussels?

DIdn't see many mussel places - waffles, chocolates or frites were about every 10 feet

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Arrived in Amsterdam a few minutes ago - 7:30 am local - 

 

We enjoyed Amsterdam Rolls early - 6 AM!

Crow's Nest

 

 

Here is how we got turned around and then backed into our berth across from the Cruise Terminal 

 

In the turning basin

 

Approaching Cruise Terminal