At Sea – January 7, 2018

Instead of having a “morning program” on TV as I have seen on many previous cruises, on sea days there is a “Coffee with Hamish” (the cruise director).  The coffee takes place in the Explorer’s Lounge and the two that have taken place so far have been packed.  He will usually have a guest.  Today the members of Abba Fab were the guests. They talked about how they got started and the various shows they do.  They also mentioned that they have now been together longer than Abba was.

After the coffee I headed to the Crow’s Nest for our Sit and Stitch get together.  There were about 10 present.  I had to leave just before 11 because my travel agency was having the first of their sea day get togethers.  The three hosts have “office hours” where you can ask questions, get help, etc.

The only trivia for the day was held at 11:45.  I played with my usual four teammates.  Trivia is getting harder and this time we only had 10 out of 15.  The winners had 13.

1)       What Latvian city is known as “the Paris of the Baltic”?

2)       How many copies of an album need to be sold to be declared gold?

3)       Who is the only person to win a Pulitzer Prize for movie commentary?

4)       Which two planets in our solar system are known as the “ice giants”?

Today was the first Sunday Brunch.  On previous Grand Voyages there have been Sunday Buffets.  Because of health regulations, many of the buffets of the past are no longer.  According to the maître ‘d, this brunch is something that began on the Amsterdam only a few months ago.  It is planned to be held every Sunday that is a sea day.  The menu will change each time.

During the noon announcements the captain mentioned that the temperature was 81.  I decided to spend some time out in the sun (it’s been a couple of weeks since I have experienced sun and warmth at the same time!) so I went up by the Sea View pool.  It felt wonderful so I decided after arts and crafts I would go for a swim. 

Nancy Grace and her friend (who’s name I cannot remember) are in charge.  Nancy has a huge list of activities for our sea days.  The two meetings so far have been much more popular than expected.  She mentioned today that she had put together 100 kits for each activity which is twice what HAL suggested.  Today there were a few people who came late and all the kits were gone.  It did not take long to put together the zippered purse/keycard lanyard (Nancy had already sewn together the bags).  We were also given a small pen to put in the bag.  About 60 more projects to do over the course of the cruise.

By three I was back in my cabin changing to go to the pool.  I decided to try the Lido pool (the one that has a retractable roof which today was open).  There were very few people around and I swam for a half hour.  I then sat in the sun (and will admit I nodded off a few times) for about 45 minutes.

The reason there was no trivia tonight is because it was the Captain’s Welcome Aboard Reception.  It is also our first Gala Night – the Black and Gold Dinner.  For those unfamiliar with HAL, within the last two years they changed Formal Nights to Gala Nights.  The dress code is not as stringent for Gala Nights.  I had read in blogs from previous years that people still tend to dress more formally on the world cruise and it certainly looked like that to me.

During the reception there were (free) drinks and appetizers, the band played and some people danced.  Then Captain Mercer came out and introduced the senior officers.

As soon as that was over it was time to head for dinner where all the chairs were covered in black or gold and the napkins were also black or gold.  We had a surprise visitor at the table – Mario, the Second Engineer from Croatia, hosted out table.  We all had a good time and invited him to join us again (he is on until Singapore).

Went to see the stand-up comic who I only considered so-so.  When I returned to my cabin there was another “pillow gift”.

Menu for the Sunday Brunch (I did not get the "To Begin With" foods - maybe because I was seated with a group that were already on "The First Course".

The "First Course"

The "Main Course"

"Dessert"

The keycard lanyard

Hamish the Cruise Director

Captain Jonathan Mercer

Some of the officers

Black and Gold decorations in the main dining room

Tonight's pillow gift

Look what I got today!  The right messenger bag!

Trivia answers…

1)       Riga

2)       500,000

3)       Roger Ebert

4)       Uranus and Neptune

Smooth sailing until next time!

To Hell and Back – Grand Cayman

Island – January 6, 2018

We were able to make it to Grand Cayman although the captain later told us we were not able to actually anchor but had to keep the engines running all day to stay in play.  We were in port with the Germans and Italians - Aidaluna, Costa Deliziosia, and the only ship of a small company, FTI cruises, called Berlin (principal language onboard is German).

Tendering started at 10 am.  I did not need to be on shore until 12:15 to meet my tour group.  The ticket suggested to allow a half an hour for the tender but I decided since I was ready I might as well get a tender ticket.  I could always walk around town.  Turns out it was a smart move.  One of the tenders had engine problems so had to return and another one lowered and readied.  I picked up my tender ticket shortly after 10 and my number wasn’t called until 11:30. 

It had been raining heavily when I woke up but had tapered off to just sprinkling by the time we arrived in Georgetown, the capital of the Cayman Islands. There are three Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman being the largest at about 76 square miles.

The tour I chose was called “Cayman Island Highlights and Turtle Farm”.  We set off promptly at 12:30. There were 15 in our group in a mini-bus.  Kent was out driver/guide.  We started out driving along some of the priciest real estate on the island – Seven Mile Beach.  Lots of expensive condos and hotels along with a few mansions.

Our first stop was at the Turtle Farm.  They breed sea turtles here.  Capturing and killing turtles for their meat used to be one of the major industries on the island, so replenishing the number in the wild was important. 

We were able to see turtles at different ages (some live to be 100).  Know how to tell the difference between a male and female sea turtle?  The males have longer tails.  Most of the turtles bred here are released back into the sea when old enough. 

One of the high points of the day was being able to hold one of the baby turtles.  For being so small it was amazing the strength in their flippers.

Next after the turtle farm we went straight to Hell.  Yes, one of the districts on Grand Cayman is called Hell.  We were able to see the formations that gave the area its name.  Hell even has its own post office.

After leaving Hell we went to taste the rum cakes.  I usually don’t care for alcohol flavored food but they were very good.

Then it was back to the downtown area where I walked around for a bit before the rain started again and I took the tender back to the ship.

It was already 4 pm so I grabbed a sandwich in the Lido (I hadn’t eaten anything but that square inch of rum cake all day). 

Trivia was at 5.  Two of our group from yesterday was not there but we were able to get three more to join.  Today’s questions were much harder than yesterday’s and we only got 13 out of 17 points (winners had 16).

1)What color were the Ghostbusters overalls in the original movie?

2)What is Shakespeare’s shortest comedy?

3)Who captured the most headlines in Britain in the fall of 1888?

4)What is the length of a regulation soccer match?

We left port a little bit late and I watched the sail-away on the Promenade deck.

On the way to dinner I stopped at Guest Relations to leave a thank-you note for Captain Mercer for attending the Meet and Greet and ask why I had received a messenger bag for the wrong cruise and the wrong ship.  They had no idea but said they would check into it.

All seven were present for dinner.  I had a Caesar salad, Beef Stroganoff, and Crème Brulee.

The evening entertainment was David Meyer who played the Xylo-synth (sp?) (a high-tech xylophone) and played laser beams (no idea of how that is done).  His wife also performed in a couple of his numbers.

We gain an hour of sleep tonight and tomorrow is a sea day.

Museum still decorated for Christmas

The Governor's Mansion

A typical old-style home built with native materials

Two pictures of turtles in the breeding pond

Not fully grown yet

A view of the breeding pond with the center in the background

Holding one of the babies (Kent, our guide, is behind me)

             Wasn't expecting to get here quite this soon!

The post office from Hell

The "phytokarst"

                     Chickens run free all over the island

The cat paid no attention to the chickens (after I took the picture the cat climbed the chain link fence)

                                      School in Hell

                                 Cannibal chickens???

Five street scenes

   Another gift - a travel journal with the correct information!

Trivia answers…

1)green

2)Comedy of Errors

3)Jack the Ripper

4)90 minutes

Smooth sailing until next time!

At Sea – January 5, 2018

A very busy sea day.  First activity of the day was to meet with those interested in the “Sit and Stitch”.  I had been told by a rep at HAL headquarters that they were no longer organizing a set time for this.  Turns out they actually are – at least on the WC.  Our Cruise Critic roll call had set one up for 10 and HAL’s was at 10:30.  One of the ladies went down to check HAL's out and it turns out that they are once again making blankets for Project Linus.  It would have been nice if we had been told about this in advance.  I have a feeling that most of us from the roll call who brought something to work on will continue our own since we brought our own projects.

Our first Meet and Greet was scheduled for 11.  We had about 200 people sign up for it and we had about 200 attend (some who signed up did not appear while we had a number who hadn’t sign up come).  We were pleased that Captain Mercer came to welcome us.  HAL provided coffee, tea, and cookies.  People who had been talking on line for months got to meet in person and sign up for activities like a slot pull, mah jongg, water aerobics, etc.  We had a chance to thank Kathy who had put together a beautiful photo book with maps, activities, and photos and info about many on our roll call.

Then I had lunch in the Lido and talked with one of the ladies on the roll call until she left for watercolor class.  Since the weather had improved with a temperature of about 70F and partly sunny skies, I sat out by the Sea View pool and read my book.  Although there were a few people in bathing suits, I did not see anyone actually get in the pool.

It was then time for Arts and Crafts.  HAL hired two very industrious ladies to be in charge.  They presented us with a long list of items we are going to make on the sea days over the next four months.

When I returned to my cabin, I had a very pretty flower arrangement.  No one else I talked to later received one so I am not sure why I got it.  I also received a nice calendar from my travel agency with the port days indicated and a space to write our own activities.

Trivia was next.  I played with two couple from the roll.  We came in second with 14 out of 17 and the winning team had 15.

1.   What drink has the most recognized smell?

2.  In what town is “The Simpsons” set?

3.  Name Titanic’s two sister ships.

4.  Which designer introduced the “little black dress”?

Back to my cabin to get ready for dinner.  A few minutes after I arrived there was a knock on my door and I had a delivery of chocolate covered strawberries from my travel agency.

Before going to dinner I sat and listened to the piano player, Jamm.  He was playing Billy Joel hits. 

I am at a table for eight but I believe there are only seven of us.  Three couples and me.  Turns out one of the couples is Cyndi and Ed from Williamsburg who I met on the South Pacific cruise in 2016.  Small world!

Abba Fab was the entertainment tonight.  As the name implies, they are an Abba tribute band.  I had seen them on the Westerdam in 2016 and they always put on a good show.  A great ending for a busy day.

When I returned to my cabin I had another gift.  A very nice HAL messenger bag.  Only problem, it has the name of the wrong ship and wrong cruise.  I wonder if they got ours???

Tomorrow we are supposed to be in Grand Cayman but the captain has already warned us that it may be too rough to tender.  We shall see.

Very pretty flower arrangement from???

Cruise Specialists calendar

Yummy chocolate covered strawberries

Abba Fab

Messenger bag for the Prinsendam's Grand South America and Antarctic Voyage

Trivia answers…

1.  Coffee

2.  Springfield

3.  Brittanic and Olympic

4.  Coco Chanel

Smooth sailing until next time!

Sail-Away Day

I had a hard time getting to sleep last night and the last time I looked at the clock it was a few minutes after 2 am. Because of this I was able to sleep until about 8 am.

Bags were being picked up starting at 8:30 so I quickly packed everything up and had them waiting.  They picked them up about 9.  I went down to the lobby about 9:20 and once again it was packed.  Cruise Specialist had reserved two meeting rooms in which we could wait but when I checked them there was not one person in either, so I went back to the lobby to wait with everyone else.

Promptly at 9:45 they called the first bus (which I was assigned - it was alphabetical).  It took a few minutes for us to load and about 15 minutes to get to the port and unload the hand luggage. 

We were the first group to arrive and the Captain (Jonathan Mercer) and the president of Holland America, Orlando Ashford, were there to greet us.  Most of the people on the cruise are 4 or 5 Star Mariners or members of the President’s Club (part of the HAL loyalty program) which means they had a special line dedicated to them.  In this case it worked to my benefit to be a 2-star Mariner because my line was much shorter.  I walked straight up and was checked in in a matter of moments.  Then it was upstairs to sit and wait but it wasn’t long and I was on the ship quickly.  I went to my cabin and then to drop off the invitations to the Cruise Critic Meet and Greet for the officers.

By then it was after noon and time for lunch in the Lido.  I had some very good roast beef and fruit and blueberry bread pudding for dessert.  Once I had my meal I needed to explore the ship.  The other Holland America ships I have been on were laid out very similarly to the Queen Elizabeth so I very quickly learned my way around.  This ship, being a totally different class and being smaller, has things on different floors and in different places and in some cases there are dead ends.

After walking around for awhile I went back to my cabin and one of my suitcases had arrived.  I decided to do something totally different and start unpacking (I am terrible about procrastinating when it comes to unpacking).  I was very pleased that I completed one suitcase on the first day. 

Time to do more exploring.  I finally found the library and had a hot chocolate (still haven’t warmed up completely from the cold weather at home).  It was then time to get ready for the muster drill.  I always like to find my muster area in advance.  There were many people sitting nearby waiting for the drill so I sat with them.  About that time the captain came on to explain the three-part drill.  First two parts are basically to alert the crew and the third part is for the passengers.  When he went over it he did not mention about going back to our cabins (I had hoped that maybe HAL had done away with it since my last cruise).  So, I continued to sit.  When the announcement was made to go back to your cabins, most people continued to sit.  I went to the elevators (I knew I couldn’t climb a number of flights of stairs) and waited.  An elevator never came so I was a very bad girl.  I went outside with the others.  Of course, nobody said anything because by that time there were at least 30 people at each of the stations.  Muster drill dragged on and on.  Since your keycards are now scanned (instead of them calling roll), I hoped it would be much shorter but it ended up only about 5 minutes shorter.

Back to my cabin after the drill and another of my suitcases had shown up.  Trying to atone for my misdeed in the muster drill, I unpacked that one as well.

By then I needed to do some more exploring before coming back to get ready for the evening.  Shortly after I returned my room steward, Wayan, knocked at the door with my third suitcase in hand.  Since he placed it on my bed it was either unpack it or sleep around it, so I unpacked it.  Never have I ever had all my luggage unpacked on the first day!

We were scheduled to leave at 8 pm and the sail-away party was from 7:30-8:30.  I decided to go to the party and skip dinner in the dining room.  The party had appetizers and (free) drinks.  I had a margarita and a rum punch!  In my defense, they were small and fairly weak (the way I like them).  At 8 pm I went out by the Sea View pool to watch the sail-away from Port Everglades.  This was the first time since 2013 that the Amsterdam left on her world cruise on time.  It was a tad chilly so there were only about seven of us out on deck.

I then had dinner in the Lido (really good pork ribs) and returned to my cabin to work on the blog.  There was no show tonight just a movie.  There was also no trivia.

Tomorrow is a sea day and our first Cruise Critic Meet and Greet.

I took lots of photos around the ship but I will start with my cabin.

the closets (rather tiny)

the bathroom

the desk is almost unusable unless sitting on the bed - I am using the table as my desk

this is the power strip HAL supplied (I thought surge protectors were a no-no??)

Smooth sailing until next time!

Fort Lauderdale

The rain continued through the night so I slept late because I did not plan to walk over to the shops until it stopped.  Decided I would go to the lobby and people watch while waiting for the rain to stop - weather predicted it would stop about noontime.  I was surprised that the lobby was packed.  Holland America had three ships sailing today and there were passengers for each waiting for their transfers.  

Sitting wasn't an option so I went over to the table where I checked in with my travel agency representatives.  I met one of the hosts they provide and was given my jacket and messenger bag which were two of their perks as well as the tickets for the excursions I purchased from them.

Shortly after noon, as promised, the rain stopped and I set off.  The strip mall was even closer than it looked on Google Earth and I was there in less than ten minutes.  I walked all the way around, looked in a few stores, checked out the cafes and finally decided to eat at the Mexican restaurant.  It was a great choice.  I had a wonderful steak quesadilla.  

Started back to the hotel and by that time the sky had cleared (although the clouds would come and go all afternoon).  I watched the Veendam and Prinsendam sail on the webcam (Koningsdam was delayed) and got ready to go to the cocktail party and dinner hosted by my travel agency.

The cocktail party started at 6:15 and there were about 200 of us.  I was able to meet a few of the people from our Cruise Critic roll call and spent some time talking to one couple who I ended up eating with.  The meal included a salad, chicken with rice and mixed vegetables, and a delicious key lime pie for dessert.  After the meal a few representatives of Cruise Specialists spoke and then the President of Holland America made a short speech.  It all broke up about 8:30.

I headed back to my room and to get into the swing of things I had managed to kill my key card (for those of you who are new to my blogs, I have a long history of killing key cards - I even killed one before I had ever used it!).

They will start picking up bags to take to the ship at 8:30 in the morning so no sleeping late.  Truth be told, I will likely wake up about 6 and be too excited to get back to sleep.

Smooth sailing until next time!

The hotel on my walk back once the weather

cleared up

The messenger bag and jacket provided by Cruise Specialists

Orlando Ashford, the president of Holland America

Departure Day

After a little less than 5 hours sleep, I awoke at 5:18 and was unable to get back to sleep.  After getting ready I lugged the suitcases to the car and then made a final walk-through and found two things I forgot to pack.

Left home at 6:30 and it was 8F.  Drove to my friend Carolyn's house and she drove me to the airport.  I was checked in quickly and with my new Global Entry (which includes TSA pre-check) I was through security in no time (although I have never seen much of a back-up at the Richmond airport).

We loaded right on time and left on time (which was a nice change after a few of my previous flights).  It was a very smooth 2-hour flight.  Luggage all arrived promptly and then I had to find the HAL rep.  He was actually the Princess rep because the HAL one was out in the vehicle area.  After waiting for about a half hour we were taken to a large bus.  There were seven of us on a 50 seat bus.

It didn't take long to check into the hotel.  A nice surprise was that my travel agency gave us complimentary Wi-Fi which normally costs about $15/day.

I had at least three people apologize for the weather.  Considering it was about 65F I could deal with the rain.  My plan for the afternoon had originally been to spend a couple of hours at the pool and then walk to the strip mall a couple of blocks away to eat dinner.  The non-stop rain wiped out both of those things.  I considered walking but decided with the rain I would rather have a nap.

Woke up from my nap really hungry.  My one option for dinner (without getting a taxi) was to eat in the hotel.  I wasn't real excited about it but it turned out to be really tasty.

After dinner I pulled out my clothes for the next two days and am now watching a little TV.  Planning on making it an early night.

Smooth sailing until next time!