Join us, Bill and Mary Ann, on our 128 day epic journey around the world in 2009

[chloes nana]

I'm awfully sorry about that! I'm new to CC and new to the boards. I'm enjoying immensely the process of catching up with the chronicles of their world cruise, and was only at installment 14 when I blurted out my thoughts about Fyvush Finkel -- obviously way out of the fleetly moving context! Again, my apologies to all!

welcome aboard Cruise Critic!! I am new also and have come to love alot of my new friends here on CC they are an immense source of knowledge!

[WCB]

Here are a few answers to your questions. We will continue to reply when the satellite connection is good.

 

Brucory....We saw very little sea life while traveling north along Western Australia. There were a few dolphins and flying fish.

 

Redhead1944..........Yes, we give our thanks to the Fed Ex group, especially your husband!!

 

In response to the Komodo Island questions, yes, we would definitely take the tour again. We were glad to see two large dragons, but would have been really nervous had there been more, like behind us in the grass. Lorie, a staff member, actually saw four dragons. The rangers had thrown them a deer leg, that attracted more. So that means those two were close by anyway!

 

Thanks a million for all of your wonderful comments!!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 59 March 3, 2009 Monday Day at Sea

 

You would think that spending several days at sea in a row would be long and boring. Not so. The staff has so many things going on, it is hard to keep up!

 

Between 8 and 9 am, we had to attend a temperature check before our arrival to Hong Kong. We assume anyone with a fever would be quarantined, though we have not met anybody that has been. As far as we can remember, this practice began with the SARS scare, and has continued with the Avarian Flu today. For a change, the line was nil when we went at 8:30. The ship's doctor, Palma, tested us with a laser gun she held 6 inches from our heads. Bill recorded 31 degrees, and I was 29 degrees celsius. That was low, considering that normal is about 37 degrees or 98.6 farenheit Guess we passed.

 

After a lighter breakfast, we walked the promenade deck. It has become noticably cooler, but still muggy with temps in the 80's. Something strange has occurred with the closets and drawers in our room. Our clothes seem to be shrinking ever so slightly! Maybe it's the dry cleaning service on the ship, or perhaps, maybe it's the food, God forbid!!! In any case, walking more miles are needed to combat the dilemma! And cutting back on the carbs should help.

 

The pool area was not too crowded today. With so many passengers debarking in two days, we figured they are busy packing. With the nice, but weighty, gifts we have received thus far, it will be a challenge for those going home, and trying not to be over the luggage allowance. We expect to see many people wearing the polar fleece jackets on Thursday morning as they are called off of the ship!

 

This evening the staff hosted the Mariners Society Reception, 6:45 pm for us, in the Queens Lounge. We were due for a new medals, having achieved 700 days with the conclusion of this trip. With the invitation we got two days ago, we received two platinum lapel pins to wear.

 

As we were standing in line on deck five to enter the lounge, there was a terrible accident. There is a slope going into the lounge, where one large man must have lost his balance, falling over, and taking three more people down behind him, like dominos. One of our favorite head waiters, Komang, happened to be at the end of the pile. We thought for sure he had a broken leg or arm. A call for help went out for all that had fallen. Komang was helped to his feet, despite pleas for him to remain down. Nothing broken he said, but he'll be sore tomorrow. The other passengers must have been OK, except for bruised egos! Our friend, Millie, had just missed the pile-up by one person, thank goodness!

 

We were seated in the middle section, which we knew was a bad spot for service of hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. Next time, we will head for our seats against the wall. The orchestra played and the dancers waltzed on the small dancefloor. Captain Olav came to the front and gave a short and sweet talk. Then, Bruce called up the Presidents Club members, those with over 1400 days. He said collectively, they now own a Holland ship! Next, the medals were awarded for platinums. Captain Olav and Henk Mensink gave us our new medals, and our picture was taken. Gosh, this felt like the Olympics! Following the platinums, which were few, gold and silver were presented. Bronze winners had a chance to stand up for applause, since there were so many of them. The event lasted until 7:45, at which time, Bruce announced that it was time for dinner. The early diners had already lined up outside for the evening show.

 

Since it was a formal night, we had company at our table. Dr. Palma and her husband joined us once again. We had a nice evening with them, enjoying the conversation and wine too.

 

Waiting for us in our room, was a gift of a MOVA motion world globe. The directions claim that when it is placed in the support, it coincides with the earth's magnetic field, and will rotate with it. That will be a fun test when we get it home, that is, if it survives the journey! We may have to hand carry this on the plane. Now that's funny that we only received just one. Our question is what does the staff do when two people, unrelated, share the same stateroom? Do they have to draw straws to see who takes possession? It's not that we really need two, but when two fares are paid, then each should be eligible for the gift. Will let you know what we find out about this. We heard that a similar thing happened on the 08 Asia-Pacific Grand Voyage. Only one rolled suitcase was given per cabin.

 

By the way, we also got two small HAL tiles this afternoon. These had been given to the passengers on the Panama Canal trip, though we never did get one.

 

One more day at sea, then Hong Kong!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[Maryandi]

Thanks so much for your very entertaining and informative log of your journey.

 

You are right last year on the '08 Asia/Australia Grand Voyage (at least for us on the Lower Prom. deck) there was one piece of luggage ! and NO tiles at all !!! a lot of upset among the passengers about this and other things.

 

Our room steward said that 2 unrelated people in a cabin did each get a piece of luggage - Would like to know who made that decision !!

 

It was not of the calibre of the other Grand Voyages.

 

Have a great time, MaryAnn

[TENNCruisers]

We were on the verandah deck on the 2008 Asia/Australia cruise

and we only got one rolling bag. I don't think anyone except for the 7th deck got two bags. We did not get tiles either.

We are really enjoying your journey. Keep up the good work. We appreciate the time that it takes to write every day!!!!! Looking forward to Hong Kong!!

 

Orlin and Barbara

[ldog]

Interesting description of the Mariners party. I guess everyone who does the full cruise receives a bronze medallion.

[WCB]

Report # 60 March 3, 2009 Tuesday Day at Sea

 

Yes, we know that there are not two March 3rds in this month.........please excuse the error yesterday!

 

We noticed that heavy sea swells had returned through the night. This confirms what Captain Olav mentioned about coming into a monsoon system passing over China. We hope that the weather improves tomorrow, but the rain is welcome here in China, since they have been experiencing a drought.

 

There has been a small number of birds following the ship's wake as we sail closer to land. They seem to be picking off the flying fish as we stir up the waters. Smart birds. There have been no other sightings of sealife for the last four days, as we sail in the South China Sea.

 

Activities today include a talk on Shanghai, a deck sale with everything selling for $10. This isn't really a sale, since these items are available everyday in the ship's store. We may be able to do better with shopping when we are in Hong Kong...especially at Stanley Market or the Night Market.

 

The guest talent show is this afternoon. Each person is given 3 mintes to do "their thing". The show will end with the HAL's Chorale group singing for all.

 

Exploration speakers Nello Anguilli lectured on a 12 step program to prepare a small yacht to cross a big ocean. We don't know if this is for real, or just theoretically.

 

Final snowball bingo has to have a winner today before we reach Hong Kong. We have no idea how big the jackpots have been. But we do know that the amount of people playing has dropped from what it used to be.

 

Those who earned dam dollars had to redeem them today. So far, we have earned "zero"!! But we have become recipients of some trivia gifts, thanks to Leta and Bill. We now have two underwater cameras, and 2 Rotterdam coffee mugs!

 

The entertainment tonight was the duo Kimika. We heard that their act included the fellow hauling his girlfriend, who is rather large, around on a handtruck. Guess you had to be there???

 

Ellen and Tom, our CS hosts, joined us once again for dinner. Wolfgang, the German host, returned as well, sitting next to Ellen of course. Tom exchanged two bottles of champagne for two bottles of red wine. We all toasted for a safe trip home for Margaret and Keith , who will be leaving on Thursday. We ended the meal with our cork-forking game. Our off-the-wall waiter, Rizel, wanted to learn the game. He thought it was great, trying to get the cork into the flowerbowl. However, we had to stop him when he tryed to launch the filled creamer! Yes, he would have done it, because he said he would have to clean up the mess anyway! Funny guy, he is!

 

Well, Hong Kong is almost here!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[brucory]

Thankyou for all the updates.

 

I am in Hong Kong for business this week, and had not realised the Rotterdam was in port. I heard some people on the subway/MTR talking about their cruise!!! What a shame it was such a miserable rainy day!!! I hope you found something fun and exciting to do!!! At least it is clearing up this afternoon for your departure... Will be keeping an eye out for the beautiful Rotterdam, though I have no idea where it sails out as there is so much water here...

 

Can't wait for your next installment.

 

Brucory...

 

:D:D:D

[lovelyjubbly]

Hi Many Ann & Bill

 

What a wonderful life you're leading these next few months. I'm thoroughly enjoying my round the world trip taken vicariously through yourselves :D Am slightly concerned about the amount of T shirts you're buying, will there be 17 suitcase to ship home? Would be great if you could post some photos of yourselves doing all of these fabulous things. Be safe, best wishes, Sally

[WCB]

Report # 61 March 4, 2009 Wednesday Hong Kong Day One

 

It was a shame that it was foggy and drizzling when we entered the fantastic port of Hong Kong very early this morning. Our port lecturer, Barbara, gave a sail in commentary along the way, except many of the famous sights were shrouded in a veil of misty clouds. Even the photo gallery staff was supposed to be filming our entry from a helicopter, but that's obviously not going to happen. The forecast for today, according to our daily newsletter, was 73 degrees with a chance of showers. We don't think the people that write the newsletter ever look outside to see what it is really like!!

 

The territory of Hong Kong includes more than 266 islands, but the total land area is 422 square miles. The surrounding territorial waters covers 707 square miles. For that reason, the living space for families has to be in high rise buildings, with apartments of around 250 square feet for a family of four. That is tight, folks! There may be one large room that has sleeping quarters, a living room, and a side table for minimal cooking. Bathroom and shower facilities are outside, publicly used. Only a tiny refrigerator is necessary because shopping for food is done once or twice a day.

 

The largest islands are Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Some of the smaller islands are unihabitable. Hong Kong's history is peppered with stories of the opium trade, and pirate activities - a far cry from the towering forest of skyscrapers we see today!

 

For 156 years, Hong Kong existed as a prosperous British colony, but was passed to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997. So much more could be written on the past, but we know you are not here to have a history lesson.

 

We've been lucky to have visited Hong Kong several times over the last twelve years while cruising. Even so, we decided to take a tour that would cover the "Best of Hong Kong" in 8 hours. We could have navigated these hilights on our own, but with the amount of traffic in this bustling city, it was better to do it on a bus in a group.

 

Our group of thirty gathered in the Queens Lounge around 9 am. We were pleased to see our friends, Sandy and Frank, among them. It is their first time visiting Hong Kong, and it was nice to see how excited they were to tour the city.

 

The first stop included the Bird, Flower, and Jade Markets, all in Kowloon, a short distance from the ship. At the Bird Market, the locals can buy songbirds such as finches, parakeets, parrots,and mynah birds. They put them in nicely crafted bamboo cages with tiny porcelain cups for seed and water. Our guide said many of the retired men, such as her father, take the birds in their cages for a walk to a park every day. They hang the cages in trees while they do their tai chi exercises, giving the birds a chance to practice their singing. The vendors had many decorative cages for sale, along with all the paraphernalia one would need to keep a bird. They even were mixing fresh eggs with a wheat flour to bake in portable ovens for bird feed. Thousands of crickets, worms, and grasshoppers were bagged up to sell. A few people bought small cages, just as we did two years ago. At the time, we added two colorful stuffed birds to complete the picture. It looked nice hanging in our stateroom.

 

The Flower Market was nearby with row after row of shops and stalls. They sold fragrant cut flowers and potted plants from all over the world. We ended up buying a miniature pink orchid plant that can be hung from the light grate in our room. One lady bought a large orchid plant with a 30 inch stem full of gorgeous blossoms. She wasn't on the bus more than five minutes, when she broke the stem. What was she thinking when she bought that? Go figure....

 

The Jade Market was a short ride away. Most of the jewelry they sold there was not of the highest quality, but nice anyway. Jade is said to have great spiritual value, representing wealth, good fortune, and power. That was enough reasons for us to purchase some bracelets, earrings, and a neat goldfish pendant.

 

An added bonus across the street from the Jade Market was the everyday food market. We spent 20 minutes just walking through the produce, poultry, meat, dairy, and fish stalls. This is as fresh as it gets. Caged chickens were oblivious as they awaited their fate. Fish of all kinds swam in small tanks or tubs, occassionally jumping from one tub to another! Buckets were filled with live frogs and turtles......yep, they eat those here too.

 

Next we drove to the bottom of Victoria Peak, after crossing the harbor in an underwater tunnel to Hong Kong Island. We rode the Peak Tram funicular, which brought us straight up to Victoria Peak, 1800 feet elevation, in about 8 minutes. The views of Hong Kong and Kowloon are spectacular from up here, but not so today. All we saw was dense fog.

 

Lunch was served at Cafe Deco on the peak, but was a huge disappointment for most of us. We had hoped to be served Chinese specials like dim sum, sticky buns, lemon chicken, egg rolls, or sweet and sour pork. Guess what we had? Dishes from India! The servings were more like hors d'oeuvres-sized than a full meal. Oh well, we won't starve, that is sure. But for the inflated price we paid for this tour, we should have been served a full meal, not snacks. Even more insulting, our group of 30 was squeezed into two long tables in the far corner of the restaurant. The rest of the tables were empty, but for two or three couples. The best we could do is to inform the shore excursion staff of this matter, and hope they reconsider booking this venue in the future.

 

We were more than ready to move on. Our ride continued towards the southern end of the island past Deep Water Bay and Repulse Bay with netted beaches. At one point, we passed the luxurious home of Jackie Chan, built on the mountainside with a stunning view of the bay. The only downside, is the two lane road, which can come to a dead stop if there was an accident.

 

At Aberdeen, we boarded two traditional sampans for a cruise around the fishing boats and junks where many locals still live. We were surprised to see fewer junks compared to what we have seen in previous years. According to our guide, the Hong Kong authorities are trying to eliminate the practice of living on the junks, because they are a major source of pollution in the bay. Most of the children of sampan dwellers do not want to live there anymore, once they are grown and on their own.

 

Next, we were taken to a jewelry factory. Oh no, the same dreaded jewelry factory we have been to three times!! We climbed two flights of stairs to the entrance. We were then locked inside. Yes, the doors are locked , we think, so nothing can "accidently" be lifted from the displays while being shown. There is a twofold reason for stopping here. One is to sell us the real thing, guaranteed quality. That's OK. But the second reason is the fact that the tour guide's company, and perhaps HAL, gets their percentage of the sales. Most of the items of jewelry or jade pieces, diamonds, and pearls are exquisite, but very, very expensive. A few of the ladies purchased some jewelry, but most of us held out for the next stop......Stanley Market.

 

Stanley is one of Hong Kong's oldest fishing villages. Shopping in their shops that line the narrow streets was fun. Name brand shoes, clothing, and Chinese souveniers found their way into many of our passenger's bags!

 

The traffic was heavy as we made our way back to the ship by 6 pm. It had been a long day for us, but after an hour's rest drinking cocktails, we were re-energized to have our farewell dinner with Margaret and Keith, who leave us tomorrow.

 

There was no entertainment in the Queens Lounge tonight......just a movie, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, was being shown all evening.

 

Sweet dreams!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[hmorrow]

I just came accross your thread, today, and have been reading it on and off, all day long. So enjoyable. How lucky you are to do the world cruise. We hope in the next few years, we will be the ones writing! But for now, I am truly enjoying reading about your journey. Helaine

[WCB]

Report # 62 March 5, 2009 Thursday Hong Kong, Day Two

 

We awoke to extremely dark skies and the feeling of impending rain this morning. Keeping our fingers crossed for a dry morning, we ventured off the ship for a long walk after breakfast.

 

The Rotterdam was docked right next to a terminal building that is huge. It is called Harbour City, the largest shopping mall in Hong Kong. And for good reason. The multi-level complex has an area of 2 million square feet, with over 700 shops, 50 food and beverage outlets, 3 upscale hotels, and 2 cinemas. It is a "city" by itself! You could spend a whole day exploring the four levels of this mall, and easily get lost. Fortunately, there are uniformed information people to help give directions on each level. The good thing is that it never matters what the weather is doing, rain or sunshine, you are always comfortable shopping and eating here. One nice thing is that internet is free.

 

We spent two and one half hours in search of a staple remover to get the laundry tags off of our clothes, and a plastic spritzer bottle to keep our little orchid happy in our room. After successfully finding these items, we found our way outside ( a feat by itself ), and walked past the busy Star Ferry Terminal. It is always a sure thing that we would have to negotiate the persistant Indian tailor hawkers, trying to sell their custom made suits and shirts. Actually, we did buy a tux vest here four years ago. It was well made and finished just before the ship left the port. However, the prices have gone up to equal that of Nordstroms at home. So there is little incentive to pursue any items now. It just eats up precious touring time.

 

We made our way up to the Walk of the Stars, which resembles the Hollywood Stars, only these actors are Chinese, of course. Included in the imbedded brass stars is one for Jackie Chan, whose home we saw yesterday. He is extremely popular in China.

 

By now, we were getting hungry, so we strolled back to the ship, but not before passing photographers taking pictures with the Hong Kong harbor in the backround. They advertised $10HK ( a bit over one US dollar ),for a photo, but failed to mention the size was for a wallet. The 8 x 10's were lots more. And with the buildings in a dark fog, it would have been a waste, unless they super-imposed our photo on to a previously taken backround. Speaking of the fog, we noticed it looked more like sooty smoke, shrouding the tall skyscrapers completely. It was an eerie sight.

 

Since we always go to the Lido restaurant after 2 pm, we finally had a chance to try the pasta bar today, since it was still open. The spaghetti with marinara and bolognese sauce was better than excellent. Good thing we don't indulge like this often for lunch....it is just too good to resist the many temptations.

 

Between writing the blog, downloading pictures, and catching up on emails, we felt rested up enough to take another hike to the Temple Street Night Market. By the time we left the ship around 4 pm, we had no doubt in our mnds that we would run into rain. So we dressed for it.....waterproof shoes, long rain jackets, and sturdy umbrellas. By walking the two lengths of the mall and arcade, we were sheltered until we exited onto Canton Road. And that's when it hit. Heart-stopping thunder cracked over our heads, lightening flashed brightly, and the rain pelted us like bullets! Wow, this is going to be an adventure just trying to walk up Nathan Road!! Most people were taking cover under the store's overhanging awnings, so we joined them to wait out the worst of the storm. While we waited, we checked out the 24 carat jewelry and opulent jade jewelry and carvings in the window displays. Just stunning, but so were the prices.

 

Finally reaching Temple Street, the outdoor market was just being assembled. A few years ago, we were up this way looking for a Watsons drugstore, when we noticed the night market was setting up early. It is much better going there in the daylight, instead of going there at night. By now, the rain was reduced to a drizzle, thank goodness. Many things were for sale here. Chinese souveniers, all kinds of jewelry, knock-off handbags, wallets, clothing, dvd's and cd's, as well as artwork filled the walls and tables of the dozens of tents. We had no problem spending a few or more bucks here! By the way, they did accept US dollars and of course, Hong Kong dollars too. I am now the proud owner of three designer handbags......Coach, Dolce and Gabbana, and Jimmy Choo, my favorite! Oh yeah, had to have the crystal and diamond bracelets to go with the bags! We ran into several of the crew staff having fun buying the same things we did.

 

We came back to the pier with our bags bulging, but it was well worth the damp hike. Again, we navigated our way through the Harbour City Mall, noticing that the restaurants were full of customers. The stores were much busier than earlier in the day. It was obvious that shopping is still going strong in this part of the world!

 

We went to the Crow's Nest tonight for a much needed cocktail! Around 7 pm, the Captain came on the loudspeakers with a welcome message for special guests, who arrived just today. They were Stein Kruse, the president and CEO of Holland America, and his wife Linda. They are here to host two day of Mariner Appreciation in lieu of the special event that was to be held in Mumbai later in the trip. We never heard the Captain rattle on and on so long with his welcome speech. It was almost comical, because everyone in the Crow's Nest was chuckling when we heard the stress level in his voice! Hmmm.....it's going to be a couple of very interesting days!!

 

Before the Rotterdam was due to leave, a dragon show was performed on the roof across form the ship. There were no lights involved this time, due to water puddled on the roof. Several people left the dining room to take pictures of the performance and of the ship leaving the harbor. It figures, the heavy rain had finally cleared the fog away, and the sailaway was beautiful. Did you know that Hong Kong spends one million dollars a night to light up their buildings? That is why they call it a million dollar view! We could only watch it from our dining room table, and since we have seen it many times before, the six of us were happy to continue with our meal. It appears that we may not be getting any more people to join us yet for dinner. That is fine, since Barbie and George are comfortable companions, like family now!!

 

And so ends our two fantastic days in Hong Kong!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[scopewest]

Mary Ann & Bill:

 

I joined this thread back at the beginning and I just wanted to say thanks for the fabulous reports. This lets me dream for a few minutes that I'm on the cruise with you!

[alsas]

Just check into Jeffs blog and saw your picture, You both look like you are having a wonderful time. It was great seeing all the familiar faces. We will look forward to seeing you 2010. Safe travels. Best wishes Sandra and Allan

[pictonite]

Hi, Mary Ann and Bill! I started to read your wonderful reports today, and I was surprised to see that our good friends Ron and Sharon are with you as dance instructors. Would you do us a big favour, and say hello to them from Annette and Stuart? I think that they would get a kick out of that!

 

Cheers!

 

Annette

[ldog]

We are really enjoying reading about your travels. Thanks for taking the time for us.

[WCB]

Report # 63 March 6, 2009 Friday Day at Sea Mariner Appreciation Day # 1

 

At breakfast this morning, Presti, our head waiter, told us the plan for the next two days for Mariner Appreciation Days. They will be filled with special events for different groups of guests. There will be two luncheons in the Crow's Nest, one today for the 500 to 699 day Mariners, and one tomorrow for 700 to 1399 day Mariners. The Presidents Club members, all nine of them, will be given a special dinner in the Queens Room. This evening there will be a cocktail party in the Queens Lounge for both dinner seatings, complete with flowing wines for dinner. Tomorrow, there will be an hour and one half presentation with questions and answers with Stein Kruse and his collegues. And finally, tomorrow evening, there will be an Asian Marketplace dinner in the Lido pool area, with all cocktails complimentary.

 

At 10 am, we had a meeting with our Cruise Critic group. A few new members had joined us in Hong Kong, so we gathered to greet them..One new fellow introduced himself, then proceeded to say, "I think Cruise Critic should be shut down! " There was total silence among us, when he said, "Just kidding!!" Dorothy scored a good one, when she asked him if he was traveling with his wife or his girlfriend. We never did hear his answer! Henk and Bruce paid us a visit once again, answering some of our questions regarding the lack of hot water in our rooms, and the slow laundry delivery. He claims both are being dealt with as we spoke. He informed us that three washing machines have broken down in the laundry, and something broke in regards to the hot water. Have you ever jumped in the shower in the morning, only to find the water was slightly warm??? The good thing is that Henk also had no hot water in his room, so we know it will be fixed soon!

 

Another alarming story came to light when someone mentioned that they heard a report on pirate activity with a British cruise ship while sailing on the east coast of Africa. Henk reassured us that the Rotterdam will have a military escort, perhaps Dutch, while sailing towards Mombasa, Kenya, if necessary. That would be great!

 

For the rest of our meeting, we discussed the following ports and what there was to see and do. Since many of us have been in this part of the world on previous trips, many had good suggestions and travel tips.

 

The weather was dreadful as we sail north towards Shanghai. The world screen on deck five revealed winds with the force of 11 hitting us. That is considered a violent storm. The seas registered as rough with 7 to 12 foot seas. We believe they were even higher than that, because all of the outside deck doors had to be locked. Walking was not easy on the promenade deck earlier. We did get in a few miles, before one of us decided it would be a good time to go inside to write the journal, or watch a movie. It was best to be busy, since seasickness can hit you suddenly. Munching on a bag of crackers or chips always helps keep the queasies away.

 

By 7 pm, it was cocktail hour in the Queens Lounge for us. It was formal dress tonight, but the smart ladies wore sandals or flats instead of dangerous high heels. Accidents can happen in a flash, like we saw the other evening. This time, we bypassed the picture op with the Captain and the CEO, and entered the lounge on the port side with Barbie and friends. This time we headed to the special chairs against the wall, where we were guaranteed to get the best service. And we did.......our friendly bartenders brought us trays of fancy hors d'oeuvres and our cocktails in five minutes! The hotel manager, Henk, joined us for a while to talk about the subjects that had come up in the Cruise Critic meeting. He has gone out of his way to keep us informed, and we think it is great. We have never met a hotel manager that is so friendly and accessible.

 

The fun continued when the chief electrician and his wife joined us for dinner. "Cork-forking" was the highlight of the evening, as our guests launched the corks everywhere! George got carried away by hitting the fork so hard, he hit the ceiling. Bill landed the most corks for the evning with seven of them hitting the flowers! We finished by the time the show was to start in the Queens Lounge. The group, Black Tie, was performing, and since we have heard that they are good, we decided to go. Except, after sitting in the lounge for 20 minutes for the show to start, we gave up. It was quite apparent that Bruce was holding the performance for the late arrival of the Presidents Club members, who had attended a dinner with Stein Kruse and his friends. Even with the passengers protesting by clapping, Bruce still stalled. Many of us walked out, knowing that the group is scheduled to have another show before they get off.

 

On the brighter side, we had been gifted with two sets of coasters with the Amada Royal Goedewaagen design. They match the sets of plates we got last year and the vases we received on this trip. Looks like this is going to be a new tradition.

 

Tomorrow.........Shanghai!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 64 March 7, 2009 Saturday Day at Sea Mariner Appreciation Day # 2

 

The staff has planned a non-stop agenda for us today. But first, the Chinese immigration officials invited everyone to a passport check between 9 and 11 am. Well, not really invited, but mandated. There was no line when we attended after eating breakfast, and it took only one minute.

 

The weather had improved by this morning, although it was still cold. At least the heavy swells were gone. Gosh, when those waves hit the bow of the ship, causing it to pitch, list, and shudder, the noise of unknown things banging from within the structure, caused us all to worry. We were relieved that the worst was over, at least for now.

 

Later in the morning, we were able to stretch our legs and do some walking on the promenade deck, bundled up in our hooded jackets. We sure miss the sun and warm temperatures, but soon, we shall return south once we leave Shanghai. At least we are making good use of our sweatshirts and heavy coats we've stored somewhere under our bed.

 

We had a very special lunch date at noon in the Crow's Nest, an invitation from Stein Kruse and his wife, Linda. Accompanying them were Dan Grouse, the senior vice president of fleet operations, and his wife Clare. Eight tables for eight guests were spread across the dance floor. That must be a coincidence, because the number 8 is lucky in China. Our waiter, Rizel, was among the few waiters to be chosen to serve us. Each table had an officer, but we were lucky to have Henk, the hotel manager, as our host. The outstanding activities of these last two days have got him running in several directions to keep his staff on time. He appeared glad to have this chance to sit down and enjoy his meal with wine. Speaking of lunch, we had starters of grilled scallops ( some of us had a fruit plate ), a choice of butternut squash risotto, lobster thermador, or rack of lamb. We ordered the lamb, and it was simply delicious....cooked to perfection, tender and juicy. Ginger creme brulee and mango ice cream, a plate of petit fours, and coffee, or tea finished our fine meal. A white wine from South Arica, and a carbernet savignon from California went well with our lunch.

 

While we dined, Mr. Kruse and his enterage visited a few minutes with each table of guests. We had a nice conversation with Clare, who was quite interested with our reports to Cruise Critc. She is a writer of children's books, so she was pleased to hear that we have had such a positive response. A group photo was taken of each table with the CEO and his collegues.

 

Following lunch, Stein Kruse gave a presentation of the future happenings with Holland America Line ships. Millions of dollars are going to be spent in redesigning several ships. In the process, new suites, different types of alternate dining venues, and wading pools will be added. Interior colors will be softened, and the show lounges will be converted to a nightclub atmosphere.

 

The 2011 world cruise was discussed. Some overnight stops will be in Fuerte Amador, Callao, Auckland, Wellington, Sydney, Mumbai, Dubai, and Kusadasi. One of the maiden ports will be in Palau.

 

Then, Mr.Kruse had his staff and Captain Olav and Henk Mensink take seats on the stage for questions and answers. Most of the questions were generic, since they had been pre-screened. However one lady in a wheelchair, really got into blasting the staff for negligence in regards to her welfare while onboard this cruise. All the CEO could answer was that he would look into this for her, quoting the fact that he believes the staff followed the disabilities act. That did not seem to satisfy her. He did tell her to put her complaint into a letter. He claimed that he reads most of all of the letters pertaining to cruise problems. And with that settled, they ended the session.

 

An Asian Marketplace dinner served in the Lido pool area was our special event for this world cruise. The Lido restaurant and pool area were transformed into a Chinese village. The main attractions were a 75 foot dragon that stretched across the pool, and a real sampan floating in the pool with two rowers. A rickshaw and carrier pulled the ladies around the pool, very slowly. The wait and bar staff fellows were dressed in red, black, and gold Chinese jackets. Cocktails were "on the house"!! And the best part was that our drinks were served in those flashing multi-colored lighted glasses that we could keep as souveniers. Good deal!

 

Many separate stalls were set up to serve the food. Dim sum, pot stickers, Peking duck, succelent piglet, wonton soup, fried rice, and fortune cookies were dished into take-away containers or served on plates. We had the choice of using forks or chopsticks.

 

While this feast was being served, entertainers were performing near the dragon's head. Two acrobats were flipping in the air, and bouncing off of the floor. We were sitting at the pool bar, enjoying drinks with Barbie and Eleanor. Somehow, I was chosen to have my finger "taken off" in a mini guillotine! The Chinese magician had been demonstrating just how sharp his chopper was by dicing big carrots into little chunks. I will never know how the contraption worked, because I looked the other way when the blade came down! All I know, is that I still had all five fingers when he was done. Good thing!

 

Later on, we heard that right after we left the Lido, two brave ladies tried to get into the sampan in the pool. And guess what? Yep, they fell in! That must have been hysterical, and we were all sorry we had missed that. What were they thinking???

 

Well, that was enough excitement for one night, so we decided to go to the dining room for dinner. Tablemates Barbie and George joined us. We all ordered the BBQ pork ribs. They were delicious, but messy. That's what made them so good.

 

An excellent pianist, Tian Jiang, was the entertainer tonight. We had met him before on a Radisson trip, and remembered his performance was terrific. But we just couldn't drag ourselves there, since it had been such a long day, and the cocktails we drank were taking their toll.

 

And besides, tomorrow is Shanghai!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[WCB]

Report # 65 March 8, 2009 Sunday Shanghai, China Day # 1

 

When we opened our drapes early this morning, we found that we were already docked right in the center of Shanghai on the banks of the Yangtze River Delta. Looking in every direction, we were surrounded by the massive skyscrapers that have made this city the 3rd largest financial center of the world, after New York City and London.

 

In the 1800's, Shanghai's history evolved mainly because of its location at the mouth of the Yangtze River. It was ideal for trade with the West. The city was open for international trade after the First Opium War, and became "sin city" with gangsters running casinos and brothels in the 1920's to the 1930's. Those businesses yielded massive profits for the city.

 

Today, Shanghai is the largest city in mainland China, with 20 million people, and is the largest cargo port in the world. They have come a long way from the fishing village they once were.

 

We booked the "Shanghai's Best" tour with HAL for today. Even though we were here once in 2002, we never saw the city, because we had taken a tour to Suzhou, a two hour drive inland. So with a 9 and 1/2 hour tour ahead of us, we hope to see as much as we can.

 

Our first stop was as the Children's Palace, an after-school educational facility. Here the kids from 3 to 15 years old learn music, dance, Chinese calligraphy, painting, computer, and martial arts. The first nine years are tuition free. A group of 3 to 5 year old little girls gave a performance showing their skills at ballet exercises. They were just adorable in their pink outfits. One lady in our group sat down with them, and tried to teach them itsy-bitsy spider using her fingers. It was funny watching the little ones trying to imitate her, with the directions given by their tutor in Chinese!

 

We continued upstairs to visit classrooms of the older children learning art and calligraphy. Across the patio, we listened to a 14 year old boy playing his accordian, and a 15 year old girl playing a Casio keyboard. She urged us to sing along when she played Oh Susana and of all songs, Jingle Bells. Together, they played the theme song from the Recent Olympic Games. We gave them a well-deserved applause.

 

Before we left, our guide took us into the school's gift shop, where we purchased a neat butterfly jade pendant, the profits of which were donated to the school. In hindsight, it was an excellent purchase, because we never saw one like it again, while here in Shanghai.

 

We noticed as we drove through the city, there was not much traffic, due to the fact it was a Sunday. But as the morning advanced, it became gridlocked once the stores and main attractions opened by 11 am. There must have been a million people, literally, everywhere we went. Our guide mentioned that just before the Rotterdam arrived, they had experienced 21 days of rainfall. That accounted for the masses of people outside today, and the large amounts of laundry hanging from the local's windows! George, our guide, claimed that hanging laundry has become Shanghai's national flag. The local people may have washers and dryers, but prefer to air dry instead, saving energy costs.

 

We stopped briefly in the financial district to take photos of the skyscrapers. This is where the first vendors approached our bus. Designer watches and pocketbooks could be bought cheaply. Some teenagers were skating with 2-wheeled skates strapped on their shoes. Bill began bargaining with a persistant fellow, and now we are proud owners of 2 pairs of skates with flashing wheels! That is, if we don't kill ourselves in the meantime!! Wonder if we can try these out on the promenade deck? Can you imagine the complaints??? Anyway, our 5 year old grandaughter, Julie, may find these amusing.

 

It seemed to take forever to go to the next stop at the Yuyuan Garden. There was so much traffic, we just crept from stoplight to stoplight.

The Yuyuan Garden was begun by a Ming official in 1559. It took 20 years to complete this 5 acre setting with 40 scenic spots. On top of a meandering wall, we saw a dragon with a serpent-like tail following the top of the wall. Crossing over zigzag bridges, we saw numerous koi fish ponds, tea houses, halls and pavilions. The rockery was created from 2000 tons of limestone boulders.

 

After exiting the park, we came right into the start of the Old City Bazaar. This area with a maze of narrow alleys and cobblestone lanes was the center of Shanghai centuries ago. The buildings were built in the old Chinese style of architecture, making us feel like we were in areal Chinatown. It was neat. The only bad thing was the amount of people here. Good grief!! Every Chinese man, woman, and child must have been there eating lunch today! The food was mostly take-away, and scores of locals were expertly eating right out f the boxes with their chopsticks.

 

Our guide George, gave us 20 minutes to shop, and we had just enough time to buy a t-shirt. Bargaining was the name of the game here, but the merchants urge you to buy in volume. In comparing the prices of jade pendants, the salesgirl came down from 700 yuan (7 yuan equals 1 US dollar ) to 100 yuan!! We thanked her, but insisted that we were just looking. She followed us out of the store trying to still sell it! Good thing it was time to go, although, we did buy a "Rorex watch" and some postcards from the street vendors.

 

Lunch was at the Jin Jiang Hotel, built in 1928. We were escorted to a small dining room on the 14th floor. The food was served in bowls on a lazy susan turntable in the center of the large table. We had typical Chinese dishes, but the best one was the sweet and sour pork. Of course, a few of some clueless passengers helped themselves to most of the pork before the plate had made its rounds. That prompted us to summon the waitress to bring us more, as was promised by the shore excursion staff yesterday. The waitress simply ignored us. That prompted Bill to go to the top boss, and request more. Our tablemates clapped for his success, and once the plate was delivered, I made sure we got our fair share this time.

 

Moving on, we spent 1 and 1/2 hours at the next stop......the Shanghai Museum. This famous landmark houses 110,000 objects of bronze sculptures and ancient artifacts, ceramics, paintings and calligraphy, seals, art, coins, furniture, and jade pieces. We actually toured every exhibit, finding the ceramics and the jade the most interesting. It was also nice to be able to stretch our legs after being cramped in the bus all morning.

 

We left the museum before closing time, and headed for a walk on the Bund. On the ride there, we saw the main shopping street, Nanjing Road. It was wall-to-wall people for miles. Glad that we witnessed this from the comfort of the bus, because we knew for a fact that this was one place we would avoid. No way, Jose!! Anyway, the Bund is a 1 and 1/2 mile long waterfront walkway, which is lined with historical buildings from the days when the British held control of Shanghai. Our group was set free to explore for 20 minutes, but that was long enough, since it was getting late, and the wind has turned darn chilly. We got back to the ship by 6 pm, exhausted, but glad to have seen so much in one day.

 

We had Martha and Nancy join us for dinner tonight. The time flew by as we enjoyed listening to each other's tours for the day. There was a Shanghai Ai Fu International Acrobatic Show in the Queens Lounge at 10 pm. We don't believe that any of us had the energy to attend the show and stay awake! Hopefully, they will put it on TV later. And tomorrow, we have an early tour once more, so it's off to bed for us!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

 

PS We received a complimentary 6 x 8 photo from our Crow's Nest luncheon. Nice touch!

[wynkys]

Mary Ann & Bill,

 

You continue to astound me with your detailed reports and once again I thank you for the time and effort involved in keeping all of us informed and entertained.

Continued safe travels,

Wayne

[franu]

Mary Ann & Bill,

 

I can only aspire to producing reports of the day like yours. They are both interesting and informative and a delight to read. Is there a secret to putting it all together? Do you take notes while on the excursion or is it all from memory?

 

I have travelled to many amazing and interesting places but when it comes to putting it on paper, I am left with an empty page. I would like to be able to communicate effectively with family and friends and give them the sense of being there as you have done for us. Thank you so much for all of the pleasure that you have given to me.

Fran

[candbgirl]

Thank you again for taking us along with you. I would have loved to see the 2 women trying to get in the sampan in the pool. What a picture opportunity. I just can't imagine what inspired them to try.

[DFD1]

Great stuff! Wonderful posts. Thanks again.

[WCB]

Report # 66 March 9, 2009 Monday Shanghai, China Day # 2

 

The veil of smoggy haze had descended upon the city once again this morning. The mist had lifted by sundown yesterday, enabling us to take some spectacular nighttime photos and video of the bustling river traffic. The skyscrapers were lit with multi-colored dancing lights. It was just mesmerizing watching this show from our verandah until we had to go to dinner.

 

Well, today we will join our specialists group on a tour to ride Shanghai's Mag Lev Train, and a visit to the Jin Mao Building in the Pudong New District. Our two buses, one escorted by Tom, our host, and the other accompanied by Ellen, also our host, left the ship early for a ride to the east side of the Huanpu River via the underwater Yan an Dung Lu Tunnel. We arrived at the downtown Pudong ultra-modern train station, Long Yang Lu, where we boarded the futuristic, fast as a bullet train.

 

The Mag Lev, or Magnetic Levitation Train, is a German designed mode of state-of-the-art transportation. There are no wheels, just a guideway where the vehicle floats on an electromagnetic cushion. Our destination was the Shanghai International Airport, a 45 minute drive, or an 8 minute train ride! Once we were seated, the train accelerated until we reached the speed of 301 kilometers, the equivalent of 187 mph. This train is capable of going as fast as 267 mph, giving the sensation of flying in a jet plane, only on the ground. We were told that the residents living in the vicinity of this train were fearful of the negative effects of the magnetic field on their health. However, the government conducted many studies that reassured them of no bad effects at all. The only problem we could imagine would be the possibility of the train derailing, so to speak. At these speeds, there would be no survivors!

 

It really did feel as if we were bouncing on air currents. When a train passed us going in the opposite direction, there was a definite bump as they literally flew by. With a ten minute stop at the airport, we were off again for the 8 minute journey back to the city. It was a sensational ride that we would recommend to anyone traveling to Shanghai.

 

Now, it was our turn to go up high! Our drivers took us to the Lujiazui area of the Pudong New District, and the heart of the financial center of Shanghai. It's hard to believe that farmlands and rice paddies occupied this area just ten years ago.

 

We off-loaded at the Jin Mao Building, the second highest in China until 2007, with the building of the Shanghai World Financial Center. We all filed into the front entrance, like the good "children" we all are, to ride the high speed elevator to the top. It took only 45 seconds to rise from the bottom to the 88th floor, like wind speed! We felt our ears popping while adjusting to the sudden height as we climbed. It's no accident that they used the number 8 in the address and the building height, since it is symbolizes wealth and good luck in China.

 

The observation deck is the biggest in China, with the height of 1119 feet, and a deck area of 16,361 square feet. The views of Shanghai below were amazing, but would have been so much better if we had a clear day. This is, if clear days ever happen here.

 

The highest Chinese postoffice was on this observation deck, where many of us mailed postcards. And, of course, there were food and gift vendors selling snacks and souveniers. We took many photos despite the smog, getting some good shots of the tallest building here....the Shanghai World Financial Center. This building resembled a gigantic bottle opener! Reportedly, there is a restaurant on the very top, that has a section of clear glass on the floor. You can walk over it and see all the way down to the street! Yikes!

 

Right in the center of the observatory, was a viewing window, a big opening, where we could see the lobby of the 5 star Grand Hyatt Hotel beneath us. It made us feel dizzy, like looking into a never-ending vortex. Each level of the hotel was visible in this cone-shaped atrium.

 

One jewelry counter caught our attention, when friends Dorothy and George stopped for "free" fresh water pearls. OK, we just had to watch to see how free these pearls really were! They handed their elevator passes to the salegirl, who then cut open two oysters, and fished out two small pearls. Now here's the catch. They urged Dorothy to have each set in a pendant for around $11. each. And because it had been Womens Day yesterday, the chain necklace was also free. She declined the offer, and the girl handed her the loose pearls anyway. So I followed, doing the same as Dorothy. I got one white and one pink pearl, which looked nice to me, but what do I really know about pearls?? They will probably cost more than they are worth to have them set in jewelry, but it will be interesting to ask our jeweler at home what she thinks.

 

The ride down was as smooth as glass. While we watched the digital screen, the floors whizzing by, we safely plunged down to ground level. On the bottom floor, there was a huge cafeteria, where the employees of the building were eating lunch. The food did look and smell good, though we did not recognize all the assorted dishes they had on their trays.

 

All in all, it was a good tour....short and sweet compared to yesterday's marathon. We were back to the ship by 12:30 pm.

 

Since we missed breakfast, we went directly to the Lido for lunch. Fortunately, we ran into our friend, Millie, who was doing the same thing. Usually, she goes to the dining room for lunch, but on port days in large cities like this one, the dining room is closed. We invited her to join us, and she happily did. We had fun catching up on the exciting tours and ship events of the past week.

 

We considered catching the complimentary shuttle, which took passengers to the Julong Silk and Crafts Exhibition Center. However, it took 30 to 45 minutes just to get there. If it took longer to get back, due to heavy traffic, we would have no time to explore. So we stayed onboard, keeping busy walking, writing, watching movies, and waiting until sunset, when we could enjoy the harbor views one last time. The ship eventually left at 8 pm, with the help of two large tugboats. Even after dinner, we walked the promenade deck, watching the countless shipyards on the way out to sea. This port is really massive!

 

The big headliner of the day was "Barbie's 50th Birthday". That is the doll version, who made her debut in 1959 at the International Toy Fair in New York. The Crow's Nest hosted a 2 for 1 drink special after 11 pm. Hey, any excuse for a party works for some passengers!

 

The entertainer tonight was Don Bryan, a ventriloquist, who George, our tablemate, said was pretty good. Yeah, we missed it again!

 

Well, three days at sea, and we will be in Vietnam!

 

Mary Ann & Bill

[brucory]

It sounds like the Oscars with all the awards and ceremonies for all the Mariner statuses....

 

Dorothy sounds like quite the comedian

 

Dorothy scored a good one, when she asked him if he was traveling with his wife or his girlfriend. We never did hear his answer!

 

Was the joker's lady friend particularly young, or did she score points for the gag because he was travelling alone?

 

:D:D:D