2024 Grand World Voyage with The Inside Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Great Show tonight - with an excellent finale by Michael Roach, DJ Bucciarelli, Cole Cloutier as they sing "You’ve Got a Friend" by Carole King

 

 

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Earlier today guests participated in the Walk for a Cause to support the Maui Wildfire relief efforts.   Here is a short video

 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Anchored off Kona, waiting for our turn to go to the MDR to get cleared back into the USA.

 

We had Surf and Turf last night - even though it wasn't a formal or dressy night.  Our first segment ends in Honolulu in a few days, and 170 people are leaving.   70 are joining.   So they had a special dinner to mark their departure...

 

In the MDR, they had the kitchen staff parade around as was common in the days of the Baked Alaska Parade - but now a distant memory.   People were still waving their napkins - fun time!

 

Plan to go ashore around noon and repeat my 2022 Kona Food tour  (read about it HERE) - only this time by ourselves in a small group.    The HAL tour raised its price to $239 a person, which is too much to visit 6 restaurants.   If you are here on a non-cruise ship day the same tour is $129, and you can book it HERE 

 

Weather is nice - it's gonna be a great day!

 

Tonight is a GLAMP OUT - more here

 

 

 

5 Feb MDR.pdf

Edited February 6 by The-Inside-Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Great day in Kona 

 

Clearance was quick - took 1 hour to get everyone through immigration

 

Open tendering around 10:30

 

Did our food walk - visited the following restaurants

 

 

Kona Inn - Mai Tai

Fish Hopper - Clam Chowder

Foster's Kitchen - Fish and Chips with Craft Beer

Kai - Luau Pizza

Gypsea Gelator - Ice Cream

Papa Kona - Avocado Fries and Ube-be cocktail

 

Back on the Ship - we had the Glamp Out - Last year, they had a band - this year, they showed the movie "Walk in the Woods."

 

Here is a YouTube Short- more details later in a few days

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sansterre]

Apparently the parade in the dining rooms will occur at each segment of the Grand World ends.  I enjoyed seeing the waiters and kitchen staff the other night.  

However, I don't understand the waving of napkins.  With Covid still around, IMO best to simply clap to show appreciation.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

8 hours ago, sansterre said:

Apparently the parade in the dining rooms will occur at each segment of the Grand World ends.  I enjoyed seeing the waiters and kitchen staff the other night.  

However, I don't understand the waving of napkins.  With Covid still around, IMO best to simply clap to show appreciation.

I was nice to see the parades again

 

Question?   When was the last time you had an actual flaming baked Alaska parade?   I think it was 2008 for me....Then it was sparklers in 2010 - and then - nada

Edited February 8 by The-Inside-Cabin

[oakridger]

@The-Inside-Cabin I liked the Glamp Out idea a lot, but having a band play sounds so much more fun than a movie at a party!   I loved the book "A Walk in The Woods" by Bill Bryson but the movie was sadly a big disappointment and actually boring compared to the book.  I hope everyone had a good time anyway!

 

I'm still loving the blog and video clips!

 

~Nancy

 

[sansterre]

50 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I was nice to see the parades again

 

Question?   When was the last time you had an actual flaming baked Alaska parade?   I think it was 2008 for me....Then it was sparklers in 2010 - and then - nada

After the sparklers, for a few years the parade was done with vegetables and kitchen bowls, spatulas etc.  I remember some waiters and cooks juggling red and green peppers.

[TiogaCruiser]

2 hours ago, sansterre said:

After the sparklers, for a few years the parade was done with vegetables and kitchen bowls, spatulas etc.  I remember some waiters and cooks juggling red and green peppers.

Oh my- I totally forgot that one. And there were chefs hats for all of us to wear.

[oakridger]

Maybe people think I'm a big grump, but I've never been a fan of the dining room parades and waving napkins especially!  Don't even get me started on the poor waiters on Carnival ships that have to dance on tables during dinner!  

🙄

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Great day in Hilo

 

 

We rented a car from the Airport - 

 

Drove to Black Sands Beach in Kalapana

 

 

Then back to Hilo for Loco Moca at Cafe 100

 

 

Rainbow Falls

 

Big Island Candy

 

More Later

 

[SusieKIslandGirl]

@oakridgerI'm with you. I hate the napkin waving. I can imagine all the crumbs and germs flying around the room. YUCK! I also agree about the Carnival ships-that was surprising to see.

[ozcruizer]

We did a short Carnival cruise with our family recently (our first and last 🙂) and I was very surprised to see the waiters dancing on the tables. Back to HAL for future cruises!

[USN59-79]

4 hours ago, ozcruizer said:

We did a short Carnival cruise with our family recently (our first and last 🙂) and I was very surprised to see the waiters dancing on the tables. Back to HAL for future cruises!

I am surprised that they still do that.  We experienced it on a 49 day Carnival cruise back in 2009.  I told the Maitre D how much we hated it and the loud music they played so you couldn't talk to your table mates at the time.  He told me that I was in the minority; that everyone loved it.  It was also our last Carnival cruise.

Ray

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Cruise log for the first segment.   It's a sticker 

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

We are on our way to Guam!  8 days at sea lay ahead. 

 

The Capt mentioned that this was his longest stretch of sea days on a cruise ship.   My longest stretch of consecutive sea days was 93 - back when I was in the Navy on the USS Midway!  

 

Here are a few highlights from yesterday.

 

Henk, Hotel GM, was the guest at Coffee Chat, where he answered Vogue's 73 Questions!

 

We learned he likes wrist watches, playing chess, and practicing the electric guitar.   He will have a Porsche 911 T waiting for him back home at the end of the cruise!

 

 

 

 

Block Party at 4 PM -  Waiters roamed the halls with snacks and wine.   The Captain and his wife stopped by for a quick visit.

 

Kimberly and the Captain

 

Captain Frank

 

Alexandra

 

 

Comedian Helene Angley

 

Edited February 11 by The-Inside-Cabin

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Lunar New Year today - Dressy Night

 

Second Meet and Greet this morning - nice turnout - The ship will send out reminder invitations if you give them a spreadsheet with the names and cabin numbers

Meet and Greet

 

Chinese New Year in the Lido and MDR - Dressy Night

 

Here are the menus

 

 

Lido Decorations

 

 

 

MDR

 

 

Kim celebrated her Birthday at Table 89

 

 

Another Great Cast show - Time after Time

 

Cole, Kiana, Michael and Rachel

 

Rachel

 

 

Finale

[The-Inside-Cabin]

PUERTO VALLARTA – TRAVELING SPOON (POST #29) 30 JAN 2024

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We visit a local market with Chef Manu and learn how to prepare some authentic Mexican food – 30 Jan 2024

EVERYONE LIKES TO EAT

Food is something that is shared by everyone regardless of country or culture.  We find that cooking or food tours are a great way to experience a new port and meet and understand the local culture.

Traveling Spoon and Secret Food Tours are two companies that provide great value and are highly recommended.  I am not affiliated with either company in any way.  Please add a comment for any other companies that you have found offering a great experience.

PUERTO VALLARTA

Puerto Vallarta is a great port.  The crew (and passengers) love it as a giant Walmart is across the street from the cruise terminal.  There is much to do from traditional tours and the pure touristy stuff.

There are three cruise ship berths here, and you won’t know exactly where you will be until you arrive.  It doesn’t matter exactly where you are berthed.

HAL tours met shore-side here instead of the theater, which caused some confusion as guests were unfamiliar with a different process.  Always review your meeting location and plan.

Vendors set up pop-up shops as you head to the street.  I recommend you look at what’s available and make a note of anything interesting.  You will probably be able to find something similar at Walmart or elsewhere during your day.  You may find the prices are close enough, and the convenience of not having to lug it around all day is worth a higher price.

Pop-up vendors lined the sidewalk leading away from the ship.

Taxis are available – The initial ask was $10 a person to go to the main tourist spots.  They quickly dropped the price to $5 a person.  If you haggle longer, you could probably do better.  Uber is available and would cost about $10 for the entire car holding four people.  The pickup spot for Uber may force you across a busy street, so it may be worth the higher taxi fare as you leave to avoid delays in getting an Uber.

TRAVELING SPOON

We booked this experience with Manu

Authentic Mexican cooking class in Puerto Vallarta – Traveling Spoon

Our meeting spot was the Mercado Cinco de Diciembre, about 3 miles from the ship at 9 am.  Our taxi was $20 for our group of four and took fifteen minutes.  The market is very local and not touristy.  It serves as the hub for several other markets located throughout the city.  Manu explained that it was worth the trip to come here rather than a local market for the wider selection and better prices.

The market was clean and, despite being full of fresh fish, didn’t have any fishy smell that you may expect in a similar market.  We were here for about 45 minutes as we watched Manu select the fish, meat, and vegetables for the meal we would prepare later.  Manu moved quickly from stall to stall as he selected a perfect Yellow Belly Snapper and various fresh vegetables.

Cutting the fish into steaks

Trimming our meat selection

Along the way, he provided helpful tips on selecting produce.  For example, you should look for Tomatillos that are all about the same size so they will cook evenly at the same time.  Finding ripe Avocados can be tricky, and Manu demonstrated how a perfect Avocado looks and feels.

Fresh Vegatables

Giant Avocados

Checkout at the Vegetable stand

Before we left, we watched a machine making soft tacos, and we had a chance to sample one still warm from the oven – delicious.

COOKING WITH MANU

Manu drove us to his apartment about 1 mile from the cruise port.  We met Max, his very friendly Terrier/Chihuahua mixed breed.

Max was happy to see us

Manu’s kitchen was small but modern.  We sat at a counter where we could watch his preparations.

Manu’s kitchen Another view of the kitchen and the seating area at the counter

Today’s menu

Ceviche
Panela Cheese Red Enchiladas
Served with his Family Salsa

He started working on the Salsa and sauces that would be used later with the Enchiladas.  Manu used a pressure cooker to cook the beef, and he got that started immediately.  He then turned to preparing the other ingredients and the ceviche.

Manu explained how to prepare the vegatables

Cutting the fish for the ceviche

The Ceviche was incredible – a colorful mosaic of diced fish, vibrant vegetables, and fragrant herbs, all bathed in a citrusy marinade that hinted at the promise of bold flavors.  Manu sliced an Avocado incredibly thin and placed it on the ceviche with a twist, creating a perfect final touch.

The avocado garnished ceviche in the serving tray before we dug in The ceviche is served on a tortilla

Our final course was the Enchiladas made with Corn Tortillas, filled with beef.  They were lightly coated with his special sauce – delicious!

Filling the enchiladas with beef

We had a wonderful time with Manu, learned a lot about cooking, and enjoyed a delicious meal.

The aftermath – clean plates! Max, Manu, and Pete, at the end of our wonderful experience

WALMART

We took an Uber back to the Walmart near the ship, where we picked up a few items before heading back to the ship.

SAIL AWAY, AND SUNSET

We had a great time at the sailaway with some excellent snacks.  A fantastic sunset topped off a great day.

Sailing away from Puerto Vallarta  Sail Away Waiters

[bennybear]

Enjoying tagging along! Thanks for all the interesting facts about the cruise!   I am slow catching up but saw your ship earlier in Kona this week!   We enjoyed her on a Panama cruise! Aloha! 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Watching the Superbowl in the World Stage. 
 

 

[oakridger]

I'm glad the game was shown and what a turn out at the World Stage!

 

Unfortunately, after that stress inducing overtime, the 49ers didn't win.  Boo!         

 

Congrats to the Chiefs and now I guess I'll just have to "Shake it Off".   Sorry....😉

Edited February 12 by oakridger

[The-Inside-Cabin]

SUPER SUNDAY AT SEA 

FEBRUARY 11, 2024

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A fun day watching the big game as we transit the Pacific Ocean

PREGAME

The Superbowl was scheduled for an 11:30 am kickoff in local time.  On a typical World Cruise we are well past the International Date Line, so the game is usually early on Monday.  Today’s midday kickoff was a nice treat.

The game would be broadcast on the World Stage, the Gallery Bar, and in staterooms on channel 101.  The World Stage opened at 10:30.

Entertainment Host Tomas kicked off the local pregame with a round of Trivia – no teams – everyone shouted the answers.

Tomas hosted pre-game trivia.

The Zuiderdam Singers and Dancers followed with an energetic medley performance of Poison’s “Nothin’ But a Good Time” and Rock and Roll All Nite by Kiss with lyrics adapted for the Superbowl.   Here is a YouTube clip of the four-minute opening

 

SUPER SNACKS

Popcorn, Cotton Candy, and beer buckets were available outside the World Stage on Deck 2.  Inside the theatre Chef Neil set up an excellent buffet with Nachos, Popcorn Shrimp, Chicken Wings, Hotdogs, Corn on the Cob, Pulled Pork Sliders, French Fries and Sliced Brisket.  After Half time, Beef Ribs were added.  Two sheet cakes, one decorated for the Forty Niners and the other for the Chiefs, were available at either entrance to the theatre.

Kansas City’s Cake was chocolate

San Francisco had a white cake

Cotton Candy!

Pop Corn!

Nacho Chips

Hot Dogs, Fries and more

Shrimp

Super Bowl Buffet

This was the best Superbowl Buffet in my experience on any HAL ship.  HAL always does an excellent job with the Super Bowl, but today was extra special.

SUPER GAME

Of course, the game was great – the score was close  up to the end and fun to watch – at least until the end if you were a Forty Niner Fan. The commercials you would see in the USA aren’t shown, but we did see the Half Time show. We can catch up on the best commercials on YouTube later.

The theatre had a nice crowd, but there were always plenty of seats. The balcony was almost empty

 

 

The Captain is a big USA football fan and arrived in the second half and cheered the finish with Alexandra.

Waiters circulated throughout the game, taking drink orders and removing trash.

SPORTS NIGHT

This evening was billed as Sports Night – Some sports-themed party games replaced Bill Board on Board entertainment.

Billboard on Board decorated with a sports theme

Guest lined up, blindfolded, for a party game

Here was the score!

 

Edited February 12 by The-Inside-Cabin

[oakridger]

That sure looked like a fun party and HAL did a great job!  Too bad the 49ers lost though!  ☹️

 

~Nancy

[The-Inside-Cabin]

SIX DAYS AT SEA FROM MEXICO TO HAWAII (POST 30)

FEBRUARY 13, 2024

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Here are the highlights of our six day transit from Puerto Vallarta to Hawaii

 

Jan 31st

On the World Stage

Comedian Jose Sarduy – Jose is a Cuban American and Lieutenant Colonel in the USAF reserve.  His comedy focuses on humorous experiences in his life.

Comedian Jose Sarduy

Feb 1st

On the World Stage

Cast Performance – “Ever After” – featuring high-energy pop songs such as Poker Face, Get the Party Started, and Raise Your Glass.

Kiana, Michael, Cole, and Rachel

I finished planning our safari to Kariega Game Reserve, which is halfway between Durban and Cape Town.  We will depart the ship in Durban on 15 April and rejoin the ship in Cape Town on 18 April.

 

Feb 2nd

We were able to join a small tour of the Laundry.  The 23 crew members rotate thru the various workstations during their contract.

Moving laundry from the giant dryers One of several large washing machines

On the World Stage

DJ Bucciarelli – male vocalist – with a show called “High Notes”  featuring songs:

– I Feel the Earth Move

– Mexico

– Dream Lover

DJ Bucciarelli

Feb 3rd

Tonight was a formal night with a Great Gatsby or Roaring Twenties theme.  Many of the women were all decked out in flapper dresses.  The party started at 8:30 pm by the Lido pool with a dance contest.  Throughout the evening we tried to solve the mystery of which crew member may have stolen a necklace.

Pete with Cruise and Travel Director Kimberly

The Zuiderdam Grand World Voyage Band

Jo Johnston, Writer on Deck

Chandelier over the Lido Pool

Winners of the dance contest

Feb 4th

Sunday Sampler

Sunday Brunch Samplers are occasionally presented on Sea Day Sundays.  Our first of the cruise was today.

Sunday Sampler Menu

Cold Course

Hot Course

Dessert

On the World Stage

Comedian Jose Sarduy’s second show:   He brought up humorous anecdotes , for example: suck, squeeze, bang, blow — is an explanation of thermodynamics

Bar Hop

The Bar Hop ($25 pp) started at 8 pm in the Crow’s Nest.  About 40 people participated.  The bar staff got the party going by dancing to YMCA by the Village People.  After one drink, we moved on to the Lido Pool Bar, where we enjoyed a Screwdriver and watched the bartenders juggle tumblers and bottles.  The next stop was the Ocean Bar, where the bartenders presented the Drink Waterfall, where shot glasses are balanced on tumblers lined in a row.  When the first shot glass is toppled, it falls into the tumbler while knocking over the next shot glass, starting a domino-like chain reaction.  Our final stop was the Rolling Stone Lounge, where we enjoyed another drink.  We finished around 9:20 pm, in time for the evening show.

Before the Drink Waterfall – ready to go The Drink Waterfall in progress

Feb 5th

Walk for a Cause

At 9 am, guests participated in the 5K (9 laps of the promenade on Deck 3) Walk for a Cause to support the Maui Wildfire relief efforts.  Here is a short video.  The minimum donation was $25, which gets you a T-shirt and a wristband.

 

 

On the World Stage

Twin Bill

Michelle Montuori and D J Bucciarelli

Michelle’s song list:  9 to 5 by Dolly Parton – Crazy by Patsy Cline – I Saw Her Standing There by The Beatles – Hippy, Hippy Shake – Hard Days Night – Home by Michael Bublé – My Way by Frank Sinatra – The Best by Tina Turner .

Michelle Montuori

D J Bucciarelli’s song list:  Will You Love Me Tomorrow by Carol King / Shirelles  – You’re So Vain by Carly Simon – You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ by The Righteous Brothers (written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil) – DJ was joined on stage by the Zuiderdam Singers – Cole and Michael singing You’ve Got A Friend by Carole King

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Valentines Day on the Grand World Voyage

 

DJ Nyron will be playing tunes in the Love Nest! 
 

 

Here is tonight's FORMAL night menu